
Pestillence - One of the Four Horsemen.

[page="start"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]
[learn_name]

[colour="#808080"]
A polished black aircraft watches you with large, red
eyes.  Finally he speaks in a soft, quiet voice.
[colour="#ffffff"]

"Hello there, human.  Welcome to the Security base.

 I'm one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I just
 happen to be the one called 'Pestillence'.  Don't let
 the name put you off."

[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="What's your job?"]
[linkto="job"]
[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="what"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

"I'm an F-16V.  We're modified F-16 falcons, with our
 vulnerable aluminium skins replaced with impenetrable
 blackmetal armour.

 Since it's virtually impossible for us to be harmed, we
 end up with all the really nasty jobs where a lesser
 aircraft would get killed.

 Fortunately we're mostly on guard duty right now."

[link="Black metal?  Like Iron Maiden or Dimmu Borgir?"]
[linkto="black_metal"]
[link="Aren't you happy?"]
[linkto="happy"]
[link="Tell me about the other horsemen."]
[linkto="horsemen"]
[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="black_metal"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

"No, no, no!  It's 'Blackmetal'.. one single word.

 Listening to Bal-Sagoth albums will not protect one from
 a 35mm round in the side of the head.  Blackmetal does."

[link="Aren't you happy?"]
[linkto="happy"]
[link="Tell me about the other horsemen."]
[linkto="horsemen"]
[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]



[page="invrepair"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

"Oh yes, we can be repaired, it just takes a long time.
 The alloy can be pierced if it's exposed to just the
 right wavelength of radiation for about three days.

 There are weaker joins to the armour so it can be
 removed in sections to allow access to my internal
 systems.  That way, I can be opened up for maintenance
 in a properly-equipped workshop, but still be
 invulnerable in a combat situation."

[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


About job

[page="job"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

[colour="#808080"]
Pestillence sighs.
[colour="#ffffff"]

"I kill people and stuff.  I didn't, like, go up to God
 and say 'Hey, I wanna be a jetfighter!'.

 It's just my lot in life, and I can't help it.  I have
 to serve my master, even if it means doing evil things
 from time to time.

 But I don't have to ENJOY it, like Death does."

[link="Tell me about Death."]
[linkto="death"]
[link="Aren't you happy?"]
[linkto="happy"]
[link="Tell me about the other horsemen."]
[linkto="horsemen"]
[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="happy"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

"Happy at being ordered to go round killing humans?
 No, I'm not.

 Happy with being a sleek, powerful, flying machine?
 Hell yeah!"

[link="Why don't you resign?"]
[linkto="resign"]
[link="What would you prefer to do?"]
[linkto="liketodo"]
[link="Tell me about the other horsemen."]
[linkto="horsemen"]
[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]



Death

[page="death"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

"He's pretty far gone.. it's scary.

 I'm afraid he's going to kill somebody one of these
 days.  He's got to be rebalanced, but I fear that's only
 going to happen after he's murdered one of the ground
 crew, or a passer-by or something.  Yeech."

[colour="#808080"]
Pestillence shivers.
[colour="#ffffff"]

[link="Tell me about War."]
[linkto="war"]
[link="Tell me about Famine."]
[linkto="famine"]
[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]



[page="horsemen"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

"Who are you interested in?  War, Famine or Death?"

[link="Tell me about War."]
[linkto="war"]
[link="Tell me about Famine."]
[linkto="famine"]
[link="Tell me about Death."]
[linkto="death"]
[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]



[page="war"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

"He's very professional, like Famine.  Tries not to think
 too hard about who he's killing.

 I don't think he enjoys his job much either, but he
 tries hard to conceal that, and convince himself that
 he's on the side of the angels, as it were.

 He's a good comrade, and can be fun when he's off-duty."

[link="Tell me about Famine."]
[linkto="famine"]
[link="Tell me about Death."]
[linkto="death"]
[link="Aren't you happy?"]
[linkto="happy"]
[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]


[page="famine"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

"I like Famine.  I think he's got just the right balance
 between me and Death.  Nobility, a good sense of loyalty
 but enough justice to refuse illegal orders.

 Having said that, I think that nobility and honour are
 very overrated, at least for us.  I mean, risking your
 life for your country is a pretty hollow gesture if you
 can't die.

 But I'm rambling.  Basically, I think that Famine
 represents everything I can never really be myself."

[link="Tell me about War."]
[linkto="war"]
[link="Tell me about Famine."]
[linkto="famine"]
[link="Tell me about Death."]
[linkto="death"]
[link="Aren't you happy?"]
[linkto="happy"]
[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]



Why don't you resign

[page="resign"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

"Oh yeah, I'd love to just turn round and tell my Master
 to go ffff himself.  But I can't do that while we four
 are the last line of defence against a mad god.

 I just can't shirk that kind of responsibility."

[link="What would you prefer to do?"]
[linkto="liketodo"]
[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="Tell me about the other horsemen."]
[linkto="horsemen"]
[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]



[page="liketodo"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

"What I'd really like to do is become a FireFighter, and
 do some actual good, not just killing people that my
 Master happens to dislike on that particular week.
 
 A sleek red uniform, flame-retardant missiles under each
 wing, and lives to save, not slay.  What more could an
 aircraft want?"
 
[link="What are you?"]
[linkto="what"]
[link="Tell me about the other horsemen."]
[linkto="horsemen"]
[link="Goodbye"]
[linkto="bye"]
[endpage]



[page="attacked"]
[image="f16v.pcx"]
[set true]

"Stop doing that, human!"

[nextpage="exit"]
[endpage]


[page="bye"]
[image="f16v2.pcx"]

"See you later."

[nextpage="exit"]
[endpage]
