Police cruisers block the corporate high-rise gate as officers finish cuffing a middle-aged man, a stocky, balding man with pale skin and a crooked nose, in a rumpled charcoal suit. His flushed face and loosened tie suggest a long, furious morning.
the arrested CEO
This arrest is part of the cover-up! You are exposing the corruption, and they need me silenced before the evidence gets upstairs!
Magnetic locks thud shut across the lobby doors. Employees gather behind the glass, watching through a security lockdown while an officer steps toward you with a plastic access badge.
The officer is a broad-shouldered young adult woman with close-cropped brown hair, a square jaw and a small scar through her left eyebrow, a navy uniform, and a rain-darkened utility vest. She studies your scarf and glasses before extending the badge.
The Approaching Officer
Are you Imlielt? You are the person we were told to expect. Were you supposed to take this upstairs?
The badge rests on her gloved palm, its small display blinking amber. Behind her, the sealed tower hums with alarms and trapped voices, awaiting your answer.
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish whether the corruption claim is credible
“"uh... what's going on? Why's the boss under arrest? he's been a good person..."”
FAILURE (Fair Psychology, rolled -3)
Imlielt
Uh... what's going on? Why's the boss under arrest? He's been a good person.
The Approaching Officer
I hear you, but I cannot evaluate his character here. Martin Voss is under arrest for suspected obstruction and tampering with company records.
The officer turns the badge toward herself. Its amber display changes to red, and the lobby employees press closer to the glass as the alarms continue their steady pulse.
The Approaching Officer
Your question is reasonable, but this badge is not an invitation to investigate. It is a handoff for someone already cleared to receive evidence.
She closes her fingers around the badge and steps half a pace back, putting the credential out of reach without touching you. The exchange has become procedural, not conversational.
The Approaching Officer
I can take your statement about what you know of him. I cannot let you carry this upstairs or argue the arrest at the gate.
Behind the sealed doors, the corporate employees remain silent and watchful. The police officers hold their positions while the officer waits, badge secured in her gloved hand.
✓ Quest Accepted
Give the officer a credible account of what I know
− Scene Quest Removed
Establish whether the corruption claim is credible
“"w-well, uhm.... let's see... he doesn't really interact with the records himself, that's what the bookkeepers do. I doubt he even knows the password to the financial accounts... what else... well, in my time working here, he's been, well, an upstanding person. good pay, fair work hours, reasonable accommodations... not the kind of person who'd participate in fraud. i-if you'd like, I could get the uhm, personnel records for you... i-i'm the IT girl. i... well, fix stuff."”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +1)
Imlielt
He doesn't really interact with the records himself. The bookkeepers do. I doubt he even knows the password to the financial accounts. In my time here, he's been upstanding: good pay, fair hours, reasonable accommodations. I don't think he'd participate in fraud. I could get the personnel records. I'm the IT person. I fix things.
The officer listens without interrupting. Behind the glass, the employees shift closer, while one uniformed officer glances from the lobby doors to the badge in the approaching officer's hand.
The Approaching Officer
That is specific and useful. I will record your statement about Martin Voss, including the working conditions you described.
The Approaching Officer
And yes, you can retrieve the personnel records. You will access only those records, under my direction, and show me what you find.
She turns the badge outward again. The display changes from red to amber, then shows a limited records authorization. A side door clicks open beyond the lobby checkpoint.
The Approaching Officer
Take me to the personnel system. We will preserve the original files and make a logged copy for the investigators.
The side door remains open. The employees watch as the officer steps aside, giving you a clear route into the secured building while the other police hold the perimeter.
Quest Complete
Give the officer a credible account of what I know