[The laser cutter won't work on the vault, the metal's too thick]

Emma turned to Ghost. "Didn't you see more information about the cancer patient you didn't share before? Do you think it could be this woman?"

---

"I... I'd need to take another look," Ghost muttered. "I didn't want to pry before, but now it might be relevant... It wouldn't surprise me if Null had set this up in some way."

Everybody splits up to look around. They even split up into various teams of 2 in case they're being outmaneuvered. They can't find a single person hiding around.

Just had to think about everything they knew...who could've killed her?

"Well um..." Midge looks profoundly disgruntled. "We know that freezer was locked. I even checked it with the key."

"I really don't think it was one of.you guys, but let's just talk through this, okay?"

"Hmm... perhaps this murder had something to do with why Helios felt the need to betray Adriana?" Ghost suggested. "If one was the killer and the other knew about it, then it would be reason for animosity."

"Maybe we should consider other questions." Emma suggested. "Where did this woman come from?"

"It had to be a secret passage." Bradley guessed.

"We didn't find any secret passages though." Ghost rebutted.

"It doesn't matter if we didn't find one, it has to exist. That's how the woman got here. Maybe it was in the vault?"

"What about the freezer?" Midge thought. "How was that unlocked?"

It was uncertain whether or not any of this was helping.

"I don't think so. Helios said she was lying to him for years, plus she didn't have a key to the freezer. So we all had the opportunity to cut the head off, right? The issue though is that not everyone had the means. Nobody should've known that the laser cutter worked since we said it was broken, and that's what had to be used to cut the head off," Midge says, chewing her tongue pensively. She takes off the knife and grips it close to her chest.

"Sorry this whole situation is bothering me. Maybe we can sole this by searching for the key?"

Bradley nodded making sure to stay close to Midge "I agree Miss Midge, we should stick together and search around. Maybe there's something in the main hall? That's where Miss Null seems to be the most talkative if she wants to give a clue." Bradley said eager to leave the corpse.

---

"No, I meant searching us. We should empty out our pockets a little," she looks around awkwardly.

"Look, I don't wanna do this either, but it's a locked room and we need leads."

[Everything has already been searched. A key couldn't be found]

"Well, I can think of something else to remove the head." Ghost offered.

"What?"

"The operating table."

"Ah, that's probably right." Emma agreed. "There weren't any burns on the woman's...stump."

Then, Midge suddenly suggests everyone dumps what they have on them.

....

Nobody has anything of interest, besides Midge and her knife. And Ghost couldn't be thoroughly searched, obviously.

"Come on, that's rediculous. I don't know how to use the operating table. The only one who seemed to know anything about that was Ghost," Midge chuckles dryly.

"Anyway, what other hints do you got, Ghost? You're smart."

"Maybe we should go back to the question about the cancer patient's identity? I'm not sure if learning who this woman is will help much in finding the killer, but I can't think of any other leads at the moment."

---

Midge scratches her hair thoroughly. Flecks of dirt falling from her hair.

"I guess thinking back maybe anybody could use the operating table..."

Suddenly, Midge laughs manically. She just belts it out, and it's clear that whatever she's laughing at isn't that funny. Her body shakes even long after she's stopped.

"So, Ghost," she begins wryly, "I'm gonna be honest here. I just assumed the killer might be you. I mean we just searched everywhere, so I was thinking the killer might be one of us and unfortunately for you I would always believe the word of Emma and Bradley over yours. But as I began to think that through, I realized I was wrong about you being the killer. You obviously had some knowledge about being a doctor, so it's a little suspicious that the operating table was used, but I realized that you couldn't possibly have done it."

She laughs, gripping the knife.

"Of course you couldn't do it Ghost! Someone cut your head off."

Midge lunges at the figure in the hazmat suit.

Ghost shrieked at the sight of the blade, stumbling backwards to avoid the lunge before turning to awkwardly run about the room away from Midge. "I- you- what-" they babbled, struggling to form a response before finally saying, "What are you on about, woman? I can't be headless! Y-you gotta explain yourself before you start with the knifing and the violence, then we can sort this out like nice, civilised people!"

"Yeah dude, where's the x-ray we found? Why didn't you make anyone the medicine you discovered? Where did the body come from if not your suit? You're not headless because you're not Ghost!"

Midge hollers at the yellow-skinned creature, brandishing the knife.

"Then who am I?" Ghost cried, holding their hands up to try and get Midge to calm down. "I've been trying to answer that question since I came here! Who am I?"

"Look, I'm gonna quit talking to you like you're ghost because you're not her."

"I think that somebody survived that inferno in the office space, probably by being trapped in the vault, they found and killed Ghost using some keys they found or something, and right now I'm staring at them."

Midge slowly walks left and right in front of them, sizing them up.

"Okay, alright, sure, fine," Ghost muttered, lowering their hands and pacing about a little. All of a sudden they turned to face Midge, holding one of the vaccines out in front and the other by their side. "You got me. Congratulations! But I got the vaccines. Make one move I don't like and I crush them. Any questions?"

"Well, I don't know how to do things you like, so let me know what you want from me. I'm kind of petty and vengeful as well, so maybe you should understand that before you start formulating your plan," Midge cackles.

"Well, you know, get on with it."

"Petty and vengeful, big deal. You don't know the lengths I've gone for my revenge, how far I'm willing to go now. Or maybe you do, whatever, it's all the same to me. Either way, it should be obvious what comes next, right?" Ghost asked, looking between the three others. "Come on, Null even spelled it out for us! First we find the terrible person who killed the woman, then we decide how to split the vaccines! Or better put, we decide who gets the leftover after I'm done curing me. Obviously it can't be Bradley, so, sort it out between yourselves, go on! I won't interfere."

"Y-You...killed Ghost?" Bradley asked with complete disbelief.

"Well it's not like I wanted to or anything. I just-"

"Who are you?" Bradley asked, teary eyes focused on the one who killed Ghost. Perhaps the one who killed Violet. He was clearly uninterested in the explanation.

"Very well. This mask is a bit too stuffy anyway."

"Heh. Here we are." The mysterious suited figure takes their mask off to reveal...

"Hey, guys. Long time no see. 15 years, to be exact."

Albert gives a cold, almost cruel smile to the others.

---

Bradley says nothing but stares at Albert as he tries to piece everything together. He glances at the body on the table and then back to Albert.

The malice levels in the room increase a hundredfold and keep rising.

---

"Dude, if it's been fifteen years you would have died from Blight-Z! Congratulations idiot, you're immune!"

Midge snorts at Albert, but even so she doesn't relax her stance.

"I assume some people are maybe born immune to the virus or something, so that's really good for you!"

"Tch. Not that way, Midgey", Albert replies. "Though I suppose you don't know yet, huh?" He chuckles to himself. "I suppose it would be rude not to introduce myself, eh?" He bows down slowly, still keeping eye contact with the others.

"The name's Sherrington- Dr. Albert Sherrington. I'm a...survivor of sorts, you could say. Where I'm from, Blight Y has left the world destroyed- worse than any of your sci-fi dystopia tales could possibly conjure. I've survived for those 15 years because I hid in a bunker...all alone. You know what that shit does to you? It ruins you. Destroys to the core. I haven't had a single soul to talk you in so long. I really do miss all of you", he says with a fake saccharine tone.

"Now, I know some of you are going to be rather befuddled at this, eh?" Sherrington smirks. "Who am I, what've I done to Albert Blaketon? Why am I spouting some inane bullshit about how I'm from the future? Well, it all has to do with this." He beckons to a headset on him. "This isn't just your usual headset- it's a device of mine I made. It can transmit data from the future and back. Essentially, I can switch my mind with Blaketon's, and vice versa. So who is Blaketon to me? Why did I choose him? Well...the device is rather unique. If it connects to someone else, the results could be quite devastating. It's a bit of a long story, and I won't bore you with the details, but...essentially, think of that old Latin phrase- Tu fui, ego eris. Basically, I am Albert Blaketon- 15 years from the future. My mind is of Dr. Albert Sherrington, but this body"- he gestures to himself- "It's Blaketon's. So forgive me if I sound a little...different. With all the shit I've seen these past 15 years, I've changed a lot. But it's why I had to come back here... And that's why I did what I did."

He pauses suddenly, waiting for the other players to prompt him.His hand is still firmly clutching the vaccines, however, and he shows no sign of losing his grip. He also is a very safe distance from the others still.

---

"All you told me is a bunch of stuff that anyone could have figured out! That doesn't explain why you killed Ghost and took the suit! That doesn't explain any of your actions!"

Midge's breathing is heavy as she hollers at Albert.

Bradley edges closer wordlessly to invalidate whatever Albert called 'a safe distance'.

It doesn't really appear as if Albert's words were understood.

---

Sherrington suddenly holds up the vaccines again. "Back off, Bratley. You wouldn't be wanting your friends to die now, huh? I have their lives in my hand currently, so you better do what I say and move...back. Got it?"

---

Bradley tilted his head to the side before looking over at the body on the table again before turning his attention back to Albert.

---

"Come on, man. Don't ignore me. I asked you why you killed Ghost. As nuts as you are, I can tell you want something really specific if you went out of the way to kill her," Midge says carefully.

"I want a lot of very specific things too."

Emma stared at Albert, keeping a safe distance from him.

"If that whole story is true, you have to know something about this game." She said in a calm voice. "Why did you have to come back at this point in time? How did the Blight-Y epidemic start in the first place?" She asked, not taking her eyes off him.

---

"Sure, I'm getting there." He turns his attention to Midge.

Albert gives a cold laugh. "Really now, Midgey? So anyone could've figured out that my personality shift was due to me switching in from a decade and a half from the future? Of course... you haven't changed at all, old friend", he smirks. "Not that you would, but still."

"Anyway, you want to know my motives? I'll tell you. My motives...are absurdly simple." The smirk on his face quickly vanishes. "15 years ago... I was a regular visitor to Vegas. Gambling was sort of a hobby for me. But that day...I got invited to this online poker gig by some guy I met there. I went...and it went pretty fuckin' badly. I was down 140 grand- no exaggeration here. And who did I lose it to? None other than Teddy. Teddy 'The Bear' Bianchi. And he made sure I wouldn't fucking forget- he sent his men after me weekly. And boy oh boy did they ever beat the living shit out of me. But then, one day...it happened. I was having lunch with my brother. It was just a normal day to us. ...And then, he got shot through the head. And who else was to blame other than motherfucking Teddy and his gang?" He suddenly scowls, fists clenching even harder. "That day was one I'll never forget. They only wanted the money from me, but instead they killed Ice...they killled Isaac, goddammit. And that's what I'll never forgive that son of a bitch for. His worst mistake...was keeping me alive. For those 15 years, the only thought on my mind was revenge. For Isaac!"

He hits the wall with his free fist in rage, but then composes himself. "Ahem. Anyway, that's why I did what I did. In that vault... I told Violet about who Teddy really was... when he found out, he was pissed. Then he mentioned how we met...then he said I was a common gambler; that I had it all but threw it all away...even my family. Now that I couldn't stand at all. The nerve of him! So I gave out the first punch- as 'Sherrington', of course-, but then he blocked it and tried to grip my arm against my throat. But I had enough momentum to knee him in the gut and get out of his grip. Then he took out his gun...but I knew it was coming, so I slapped it out of his hand. The bastard charged toward me with undeniable anger...but I took the gun and hit him over the head with him, making him fall flat. That was so goddamn cathartic, I tell ya", he chuckles.

"Of course, his gun wasn't even loaded, it was just a bluff. I knew that from the start, so I threw it away and started strangling him. It was all going well and good- the very feeling of it was so satisfying, even with all those bruises he gave me." Suddenly, the others notice that Sherrington does have a lot of recent scars and bruises over his face. "That would have stopped any normal man...but not me. I kept my grip firm...then Violet came and tried to get me off. I saw that she put the bullet she found in the room into Ted's gun...so I grabbed it from her...and shot it at one of the propane tanks in the vault. Then I got the hell out of there...though those two didn't." He shakes his head. "Too bad, so sad. I later came back and closed the vault to keep their bodies hidden, but now my main target was getting out of this place alive...or rather, getting this kid out alive."

He jabs his own chest. "Albert Blaketon. Unlike me, kid didn't do anything wrong. Didn't hold nearly as much of a grudge towards the Bear like I did. I didn't want him to die just because of my murderous tendencies towards Bianchi, you know? I'm really a nice guy. So when I came to the hospital room...I saw my old friend there. Good ol' Ghost. I used that laser cutter to break open the freezer, then used it to open up her suit. ...She asked me how she looked. I sensed a lot of emotions in her...but frankly, I didn't even care", he says with tinge of what almost sounds like regret. "I needed a way to camouflage, and her suit gave me the perfect opportunity. So I...stabbed her in the throat with the scalpel. She couldn't even scream. It wasn't anything personal, honestly. I just wanted to get Blaketon out with a vaccine. So I hid the body in the freezer...and I cut her head off so you all wouldn't have to see it. Aren't I nice? But...yeah, I think that succinctly summarises everything up till this point, right?" He gives a rather terrifying grin to the others. "Don't worry, though. I don't want to hurt anybody else. Teddy was my main target from the start. I had to kill him at this point in time, it was the perfect opportunities. I've already had my fair share of unnecessary casualties. Let's keep it clean, eh? I won't hurt you as long as you all don't pull anything funny now...capiche?"

---

"What the hell, you just ate the head? I'm sorry, did you say you ate it? I guess it doesn't matter. It makes sense to me," Midge chuckles.

"Anyway, you're from the future, so what happens next? Or did you hijack yourself when you were a kid too? I want Emma to take the vaccine, but let's talk this through a bit."

Sherrington gives a light chuckle, somewhat amused by this sudden levity. "Nah, I'm not that bad. Is your hearing going, Midgey? I said that I hid the head deep in the freezer. It's whatever, you know? But whatever. I'm happy with whoever you decide gets the other vaccine. Not like I even give a shit. My only objective now is to get Blaketon outta here, safe and sound. That's all."

---

"So why didn't future you tell you how to live your life not in a bunker or something? Everyone is always wondering what they would do if they could send a letter to their past selves, and here you can do it all the time, right? Blaketon should be really well-equipped for life, considering he's getting all this information from you, right? Are you raising him especially well, or is he just going to turn into you? How's he becoming Sherrington aside from maybe a couple hundred bucks and a couple of visits to the secretary of state?" Midge says dryly.

"Also, you're talking like you've been here in my timeline before, but it doesn't seem like you have if Albert just let himself grow into you."

"Oh, this device? Lemme tell you something, for Blaketon this is something very recent. He took ages to build this thing. I told him to take his time when I originally sent him this...and he sure did. He managed to finish this little device of his...just before he got kidnapped", Sherrington elucidates. "So if you're wondering why he didn't manage to use it to its full potential, now you know. Not like either of us could stop me from living in a bunker, what with Blight Y getting around everywhere."

---

"Oh I'm beginning to think I understand what you mean. That sucks."

"Unfortunately, I'm probably the most sympathetic towards your plight in the multiverse, and yet, I still can't do anything to Blaketon from living out the same life your dumbass did since you want the rest of us to die."

"...so how exactly are you saying Blaketon built that device?" Emma asked, still dumbfounded by Albert's story. "If that's how you claim to communicate with your past self, then you shouldn't have been able to send him the instructions to build it in the first place."

---

"I sent him a package from the future. Long story, no need to get into it", he quickly says, clearly not wanting to go into the subject any further. "But in that package were instructions for how to build that device. I didn't need to communicate with Blaketon to build it with the headset, all the instructions were right there", Sherrington clarifies. "After that, Blaketon figured out who I was. He recognised my- his- handwriting and started putting things together...including that device, which took years alone to build. And it was all worth it, see?"



"Hey, who said anything about me wanting to kill you all?", Sherrington asks. "My sole target was Teddy. Not my fault you all keep getting in the way, and it's not my fault there's only 2 vaccines in total here. But you know what? I accept that. It's fucked up. It's completely twisted. ...But I'm used to this. It's how I've lived for all these years- in complete desolation, not a single person to talk too...and when we finally start chatting, you all hate my fuckin' guts. Isn't that simply...unfair? Well, it's not surprising to me." He shrugs nonchalantly. "Actually, you know something? This situation reminds me of something."

He clears his throat and then starts talking again. "Have any of you heard of the pink ping pong balls joke? Well, it goes a little something like this. There's this real rich guy. He has a son who's 16th birthday is coming up. He asks his son what he wants as a gift...and he requests one teeny tiny little thing- a pink ping pong ball. The guy has no idea why, but he agrees. On the day of the birthday, he has a gala time, but when his father brings the pink ping pong ball, the son's ecstatic. He runs into his room with it...and the father never sees that pink ping pong ball again. So then we fast forward to next year, where the son asks for a box of pink ping pong balls for his 17th birthday. The father accepts again. The kid enjoys his birthday but when the box of pink ping pong balls are brought to him, he gets excited as hell. He takes them to his room and once again, the dad never sees that box again."

"So you get the formula by now, right? Every year, the kid asks for a shitton of pink ping pong balls. It goes from a box to a crate to a truckload to a fuckin' warehouse of just pink ping pong balls. The dad reluctantly accepts each time, his curiosity growing deeper but he decides not to question it. On the day of his birthday, when the son receives the pink ping pong balls, he always gets excited and goes into his room with them or into the truck/warehouse- and the dad never sees them again. They vamoose, just like that. So the year after the warehouse of pink ping pong balls disappear, the father wants to inquire what the hell he did with those pink ping pong balls. But then the son gets into a car accident- and he's on his deathbed. The father goes to see him, asks him how he's doing. The son asks for only one thing- you can guess it at this point. It's a fucking pink ping pong ball. The dad asks what the hell he's even doing with all of them, and the son says he'll explain as long as the dad gets him that one 'lil pink ping pong ball."

He smirks, getting into the climax now. "So the dad gets him his pink ping pong ball. The son asks him to leave for a minute, and he does. When he return, the pink ping pong ball's gone. The dad, now infuriated, asks the son what he did with all those pink pong balls. The son starts to explain. "I...used those pink...ping...pong balls...to-"... and then he stops. He dies, succumbing to his injuries at last...and the joke ends. Surprise, it's an antijoke! There's no punchline, oops! What a fucking waste of time, am I right?", he says, laughing rather jovially to himself. "It's even worse if the speaker adds all these unnecessary details like how the son's birthday parties are and keeps elongating the tale unnecessarily. I skipped over half that crap, mind you... But anyway, let's get back on point." He looks at the others straight in the eye, still smirking.

"See, that's what life is to me- it's just one big fucking pink ping pong ball. You have all this buildup, all this mystery and excitement...but then it ends. Suddenly and anticlimactically. And it's then you realise...all of this was for nothing. All of this was fucking useless! Just like the world, you see? It's just one big bad joke. Blight Y...it's wiped out so many people, you know? And counting, too! It just goes to show that this entire goddamn universe...is just a shitty prank! All the progress we humans have made...how much we've evolved, all the new technology that's been invented...it's all for fucking nothing!" He cackles, too amused by the very thought of it. "We can be wiped out in seconds, you know? What a hard blow to our own hubris. It's too good a punchline... and that's why I can't let ol' Blakey miss out on it. I need him to live on...so he can carry on my legacy and bring things full circle. I guess you could say...all this was a Blake-ton of work, huh?" He sneers, rather amused by his own joke. "Anyway, that's all I've got. I'm done wasting time now."

---