Countdown to Murder/Transcript

In Kazakhstan...

Chief Ripley:  , this is a disaster! SOMBRA's not only finished building their satellite, but we now know they intend to launch it from the COSMORUS facility in Kazakhstan!

Chief Ripley: I still haven't been able to reach Natasha to let her know that the COSMORUS facilities have been infiltrated by SOMBRA, but no matter.

Chief Ripley: Elliot has managed to override COSMORUS's security systems to give you clearance, so nobody will stop you from entering the launch site.

Chief Ripley: We cannot let Operation Darkness Descends go a step further! You must get to the COSMORUS site and stop that launch!

Chief Ripley: Keep in mind that anyone you come across may be working for SOMBRA. Trust no one. Except Archer, of course. He'll be your partner for the mission.

Jack: Thanks for the vote of confidence, Chief Ripley!

Chief Ripley: If that satellite goes into orbit, SOMBRA will take over all other satellites and civilization as we know it will end! Now get to that launch site! There's no time to lose!

At the COSMORUS launch site...

Natasha: How did you Bureau idiots get in here? This is a restricted area!

Jack: The Bureau has its ways, Ms Romanova. Especially when the safety of the world is at stake!

Natasha: Safety of the world?! What are you talking about?!

Jack: SOMBRA's satellite is here in the COSMORUS launch site, Ms Romanova! And if it launches, SOMBRA will take over all active satellites, which means they can take over the world!

Natasha: You're throwing your wild accusations around again! SOMBRA can't have infiltrated COSMORUS!

Jack: They did compromise COSMORUS and we have proof!   found counterfeit swipe cards at SOMBRA's hiddden satellite factory in Mongolia!

Jack: SOMBRA agents are probably setting up the launch right now! You must get us to the launch control room so   can stop this!

Natasha: I... I guess even if only half of what you say is true... we cannot take any chances! Please,  , follow me to the launch control room!

Chapter 1
Investigate Control Room.

(Jack is seen wearing winter clothes throughout the murder investigation.)

Jack Archer: Whew! The rocket's still here! Well, good news is that the satellite hasn't been launched!

Jack: But the bad news is that we have another dead body on our hands!

Natasha: Bozhe moy!  , that man... that dead man... that's Vitaly Borodin!

Natasha: Borodin's one of the most powerful senators in Russia! He's the head of the Security and Defense Committee in the Federation Council! I didn't even know he was coming here!

Jack: So the senator came here without anyone knowing? I agree, ! That sounds dodgy...

Jack: Borodin must've walked in on the SOMBRA agent who was supposed to press that button... That would explain why the satellite hasn't been launched!

Natasha: And I must go take measures to be sure that the rocket stays on the ground! If you will excuse me...

(Natasha leaves.)

Jack: Glad to know Natasha's back on our side!

Jack: Good point, , maybe whatever is etched onto the victim's forehead can tell us who the killer was!

Jack: , have you found any more clues? Those pieces of paper look like a torn photo... You'll piece them all back together, I'm sure!

Jack: And what is that plastic device? Looks like one of my old-school handheld games! Except there's blood on it... And it looks like some text is missing... You'll need your dusting kit!

Jack: We'll need to ask Ms Romanova how something like this could happen at the COSMORUS launch site!

Talk to Natasha Romanova about the victim's presence at the launch site.

Jack: So, Ms Romanova, you're absolutely certain that this rocket is grounded? Its payload is staying right here on Earth? We can't take any chances!

Natasha: You have my promise,  ! No rocket is going anywhere! Especially if SOMBRA could have tampered with it...

Jack: Excellent! But  <Name> still has a few questions about Vitaly Borodin. What was he doing here?

Natasha: Your guess is as good as mine, but I can tell you he wasn't invited. The last thing this place needs is a politician sticking his nose where it doesn't belong!

Natasha: He probably wanted to bug me about that stupid law he wants to pass! Borodin wanted to use COSMORUS to spy on everyone from space.

Jack: That makes sense since he's the head of the Security and Defense Committee... But I take it you weren't in favor of the law?

Natasha: Of course, I don't approve of the law! We are a serious scientific organization, not some fancypants closed-circuit security system for the government to spy on its citizens!

Jack: Well, Vitaly Borodin has ceased to be a problem for COSMORUS now, Ms Romanova. Thanks for your help and, please, keep an eye on that rocket!

Examine Torn Photo.

(At headquarters...)

Jack: So that photo you found at the crime scene was just a selfie of the victim? How does that help us?

Jack: You're right! We could retrace his steps, but where the heck did he take this selfie?

(Armand walks in the room.)

Armand: Ah mes amis, it is really quite simple! There's only one place in the world where this photo could have been taken: Bayterek Tower!

Jack: Dude, Dupont, how can you know where this photo was taken?!

Armand: You see the globe in the corner? It's at the top of a tower. The tower was built to commemorate Kazakhstan's independence in 1997! It symbolizes a giant tree of life with an egg perched in the branches and-

Jack: Thanks, Dupont, you can fill us in on the other details later. Right now we need to skedaddle to Bayterek Tower and look for clues about the victim's activities!

Investigate Tower Square.

Jack: Did you find any clues around the tower, <Name>? A security badge for a physics conference? The woman looks vaguely familiar... Maybe you can find a match in the database!

Jack: And get a load of this protest sign! Someone thinks our victim was "Public Enemy Number 1"!

Jack: I don't see any other protest stuff around here... Seems like this was a one-person demonstration...

Jack: <Name>, if you can collect a sample of the yellow powder on the protest sign, maybe we'll figure out who the anti-Borodin faction is!

Examine Protest Sign.

Jack: Did you manage to get a sample of that yellow powder from the protest sign? You're right, you could totally take a look at it under the microscope!

Examine Yellow Dust.

(In the lab...)

Jack: So what was that yellow powder you collected from the sign? Rose pollen?!

Jack: You know someone who likes protesting and fresh roses? That's pretty specific... Who are you thinking of?

Jack: She's a civil liberties protestor called Agrafena Raskolnikova, huh? And she's already been suspected of murder twice?!

Jack: Well, this Agrafena's clearly not a fan of our victim... We'd better go ask her, <Name>!

Question Agrafena Raskolnikova about her grievances toward the victim.

Jack: So Ms Raskolnikova... We found your protest sign. Care to tell us why you consider Vitaly Borodin to be "Public Enemy Number 1"?

Agrafena: What do you care? Besides, <Name> already knows why! Remember the law I told you about, <Rank> <Name>? The one that would allow the government to spy on Russian citizens? Borodin is behind it!

Agrafena: Vitaly Borodin is one of the senators drafting the bill to crush civil liberties in Russia to nothing!

Agrafena: Russia launches satellites from Kazakhstan, so I figured Borodin would come here sooner or later...

Agrafena: I wanted to confront him about his horrible civil liberties record and cut him down to size!

Jack: Cut him down to size, huh? Interesting choice of words. Borodin was murdered!

Agrafena: Well, you're not going to see me shed a tear for him... But I've told you before, <Rank> <Name>, I'm not the kind of person who resorts to murder.

Jack: We'll let the evidence decide what kind of person you are, Ms Raskolnikova. Stick around Kazakhstan, we're not done with you yet!

Examine Security Badge.

(In headquarters...)

Jack: So, <Name>, you found a match for the photo on the physics conference security badge you found near Bayterek Tower?

Jack: The woman on that badge is actually Anya Ivanova?! The MGB agent?

Jack: The last time we saw her was in Mongolia. She was trying to track down SOMBRA to get back in the good books at the MGB...

Jack: But the MGB called her back to Moscow, so what is she doing here?!

Jack: And why has she disguised herself? Could this be a cover? Well, if she came here to protect the senator, she didn't do a very good job...

Jack: Looks like Anya Ivanova has some explaining to do...

Ask Anya Ivanova about her presence in Kazakhstan.

Anya: Hold it right there, <Rank> <Name>! You have something of mine, I know it!

Jack: Anya Ivanova! Looking for your badge? But where did your disguise go? Are you off-duty?

Jack: According to your badge, you're running security for the physics conference here... Is this a side job or-

Anya: No, it's a full-time job. I have left the MGB and started my own security business!

Jack: Left? You mean you weren't fired for going rogue in Mongolia? And you needed to disguise yourself to start a business? Yeah, right...

Jack: You know, <Rank> <Name> has a little theory that you were here to protect Senator Vitaly Borodin...

Anya: Who's he? Never heard of him. Look, just give me back my badge and we can stop wasting each other's time.

Jack: Ah, Ms Ivanova... Whenever I look at you, I see red flags... We're going to hold onto your badge a while longer...

Examine Plastic Device.

Jack: So what's written on that plastic device that you found near the body? It's all in Cyrillic...

Jack: Let's get this hunk of plastic to Dupont so he can tell us what it says!