conversations.from: system
conversations.value: I used to eat my veggies.
  
  I liked all of them. Except VeggieMeat™. It was okay. VeggieMeat™ may be muscle tissue grown from genetically modified broccoli, but it doesn't taste like meat. And it doesn't taste like broccoli. It's sweet, and there's this... like aftertaste of iron, like a really rare burger. It's not my thing.
  
  What I did like about VeggieMeat™ was driving out to the Onsantom® ranch outside of town to watch the stalks. My friends and I'd gawk and laugh at them, these six- or seven-foot-tall stalks of broccoli shambling around on two legs, eating bugs or chasing after birds. If we were really bored, we'd bring a pail of gravel with us and toss the stones at the stalks. They'd roll their milky eyes and let out these thin, whistling growls. If we brought a bit of steak or some hamburger with us, we could lure them in close enough to pelt them over and over until they got pissed off and turned on each other. They'd tear each other apart, limbs flying and landing on the ground, all twitching and green stuff oozing. It was rad.
  
  It took a while for VeggieMeat™ to catch on, but it's meat grown from vegetables. It had all the protein. It wasn't that bad when barbecued. What's more, VeggieMeat™ was cheap to produce and way better on the environment than animal ranching or even farming. The Onsantom® corporation popped up ranches all over the Midwest. They couldn't open ranches fast enough to meet the demand overseas where poor nations and famine victims didn't give a crap about whether or not their food was genetically modified.
  
  Whatever. I didn't care about genetically modified food either. No one could really tell me why it was bad, just that it was. Until the day the stalks went berserk. They broke out of their pens all over the Midwest and poured across the landscape, eating every piece of meat they could get their stiff little hands on. They ate everything. Livestock. Pets. People. Everything disappeared behind the rows of their sharp, pointy teeth.
  
  The power is out. It's been out for days. My dad's truck has a satellite radio. The news says the President has ordered a “policy of containment.” The US and Canadian militaries have set up a perimeter around the Midwest until they can figure out what to do with the stalks.
  
  I know one thing: I can't stay here. There's plenty of VeggieMeat™ laying around, but no one will eat it. We're running out of ammunition. And we're just waiting to be found. I'm heading west. Maybe the Rockies. Maybe the Desert Southwest. Anywhere where broccoli doesn't grow. I've got to get out of here.
  
  The veggies are trying to eat me.
  
  Note: The pace of this game is advertised as 2-3 scenes per week. Stragglers will be eaten.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: First Aid Kit: A small kit; the kind stashed behind a truck seat for emergencies.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Pointy Metal Rod: A broken piece of WalMart
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Endear Yourself to the Group: You get a feeling that these people might just be your salvation and see you out of this mess. It'd be a good idea to make yourself useful, or at least likable.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Gather Supplies: Get in, get supplies, and get out.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Machete: For unruly vegetation.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Hand Gun (copy): Semi-automatic. Takes a good shot to stop a stalk, but at least it lets you take shots.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Food (copy): For consumption or trade.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Water Bottles (copy): For consumption or trade.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Key to the Chevy: I'd suggest trying the maroon 2012 Chevy Silverado quad-cab first.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Overcome Fear: It's been a roller-coaster since all this started. You can master it. You can handle it. You will kick some ass.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Hand Gun: Semi-automatic. Takes a good shot to stop a stalk, but at least it lets you take shots.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Machete (copy): For unruly vegetation.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bolt-Action Hunting Rifle: You get one shot, then you have to reload. Not as effective as the shot gun, but more powerful and better range than a pistol.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Chainsaw: Flint called it.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Shotgun (copy): Double barrelled. Shred some broccoli.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Shotgun: Double barrelled. Shred some broccoli.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Walmart®: It's Walmart®.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Veteran: After Iraq and Afghanistan, zombie broccoli is nothing.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The EMT: You'd rather be a doctor, but there wasn't enough adrenaline in med school to hold your interest.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Homemaker: Your spouse died so you might live. Honor your spouse's memory and get out alive.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Athletic: Exercise is up there with food, water, and sleep for you. And it shows.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Level-Headed: Cool under pressure, it takes a lot to rattle you.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Farmer: You're not the least bit surprised to see the Onsantom corporation break the backbone of the American Midwest. It's been coming for decades.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Goth: You've been preparing for the zombie apocalypse for years. Zombie broccoli is pretty lame, actually.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Mechanically Inclined: You can fix damned-near anything.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Creative: You have always had a unique way of looking at things. Sometimes it pays off.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Faithful: Your faith is a near-bottomless source of confidence.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: What Now?: Do you try another hardware store, or head back to the hospital empty handed?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Treat Ricky's Wound: Treat the wound to Ricky's arm.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Resourceful: You have a knack for making do with what's around.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Good Shot: You rarely miss.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Persuasive: You've mastered BS. That, combined with your winning smile, confidence, and good humor, makes you the kind of person who often gets what one wants.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Survivalist: Civilization is for sissies. You can survive in any climate, any environment, with little more than your will.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Perceptive: An ability to notice things, and know when you're seeing important things, has gotten you places.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Abnormally Brilliant: You know the difference between "your" and "you're." Damn. That's smart.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Can of Whoop-Ass: You studied martial arts because you wanted to be all bad-ass. That sure paid off.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Couragous: Call it courage, or call it crazy, but you don't shy away from adversity. Sometimes it pays off.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Hold Your Liquor: This is really a useless strength in this situation, but it seems to be valued by some Midwesterners. Here you go.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Glum: You've lost everything, and you had a lot to lose. You'd just lay down and let the stalks make lunch of you if it weren't for your fear.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Lucky: You're lucky. No, really. Despite being in the Midwest in the first place, and then being in the Midwest when the broccoli went berserk, you really are the kind of person who seems to get an unfair shake of lucky breaks.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Frail: You don't have to run faster than the stalks, you just have to run faster than this person.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Ditsy: It's not that you're stupid, and it's not that you're--what were we talking about?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Butterfingers: You drop stuff. Especially when nervous.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Unimaginative: New ideas not so much. You prefer the tried and true.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bull-Headed: It takes a lot to change your mind.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Brusque: Your tolerance for BS is short. Your ability to reign in your tongue is shorter.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Lousy Shot: Broad side of a barn and all that.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: PTSD: You've seen shit. Too much shit. Sometimes it catches up with you.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Unobservant: You miss things. Or so people keep telling you.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Make a Plan: What next?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Gather Supplies: Get in, get supplies, and get out.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Anxious: Seriously. Chillax.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Survive!: Mutant broccoli is trying to eat you. You are trying to get out of the Midwest without being eaten.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Timid: The ideas of conflict and violence really twist your gut. You'd prefer to avoid them.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Over-Confident: Your ass frequently writes checks your skill set can't cash.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Addiction: Your shit is harder to get now that society has collapsed. This is causing some hard jonesing.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Nyctophobia: You're afraid of the dark. This has become an increasingly frustrating problem since the electricity stopped working.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Keep a Promise: You promised someone you'd survive. You couldn't live with yourself if you broke that promise.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: You Won't Believe This: You aren't who you claim to be. You know some crazy stuff about the broccoli. You need to get your secret out of the Midwest.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: It's Who You Are: You're a genuinely good person. Ain't you nice. Your personal value is tied to your belief that your pupose in life is to be helpful and kind.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Find Someone: You are looking for word of a particular person escaping, and you hope to find that person when you slip outside the perimeter.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Atonement: You messed up. Bad. It's all in the distant past, but if you can see these people to safety, then you can chalk one up to personal redemption.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Trial: You've always suspected you were meant for more. Perhaps this is what you were meant for. Slaughter stalks. Shephard survivors. Walk out of the Midwest alive like the bad-ass action-hero/prophet you always knew you were.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Revenge: The stalks took everything from you. You want to live long enough to see every damned one dead and rotting at your feet.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: For the Glory: Your faith will prove that God watches over those who believe.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Sport: You've always had a thing for adrenaline. This is the most epic adrenaline rush ev-var!
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Derelict Gas Station: A dirty bathroom is probably the least of your concerns here.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Holy Roller: Jesus is your copilot. He takes the wheel while you reload.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Armed Man: At least he's not a stalk.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The High School Jock: Your best sport is whichever one is in season. Right now, running is pretty popular.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Waitress/Waiter: It's been a hard life, but a lifetime of observing human nature at its best and worst has made you adept at handling people.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: The Hunter: You've never cared for vegetables--until they started making great targets.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: The Sales Rep: You hate having to visit the Midwest, but your job forces you to. You swear corn grows on boredom. What you wouldn't give for a little bit of that old bucolic boredom right about now.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Bunch of Broccoli: There are seven stalks along the river bank. It doesn't appear that they've noticed you yet.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Flashlight: Not an iPhone app, but the real thing.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Bullets: Play these cards when up against stalks.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Shotgun Shells: Play these cards when up against stalks.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Food: For consumption or trade.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Water Bottles: For consumption or trade.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Hungry Stalk: This stalk is no longer so easily fooled by the hospital's baiting.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Marshall Homestore: A hardware store serving downtown Marshall, Missouri for over 40 years.
  
  http://www.kl-homestore.com/marshall/
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Hungry Stalk (copy): You smell barbecue?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Ricky's Stalk: This is the one Ricky woke up. Be sure to thank him.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Keys to the Chevy (copy): I'd suggest trying the maroon 2012 Chevy Silverado quad-cab first.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Store Proprietor: Customer service is totally dead. What now?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: 2012 Chevy Silverado: A quad-cab pickup truck with automatic transmission, GPS, heated leather seats, push-button 4x4--all the ammenities.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Inventory the Truck: There's a cap over the bed of the truck. Maybe you should pull over at some point and let the narrator know what's back there?
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Treat Flint's Wound: Damn. That's a mess.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: React to the Flare: Unless broccoli have mastered flare guns, you're not alone in Glasgow.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Assure Dr. Reynolds--or Not: She's unsure of the wisdom regarding a trip to a Onsantom ranch, even if you could find one intact.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Learn First Aid: The way your crew rolls, this is probably a good idea.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Find Gasoline: Make that siphon pay off.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Shelter: Find a place to spend the night where you will be safe from the stalks.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Inspect the Truck: Hey, that's no weed whacker! Find out how much damage the stalk caused.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Introduce Yourselves: Strike up some raport.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Fitzgibbon Hospital: A 64 bed facility featuring 24 hour physician staff and emergency facilities in Marshall, Missouri.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Bunch of Broccoli: Several dozen stalks are momentarily distracted by the bait. Get in the truck and get going before they come looking for seconds.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Fetch Some Gardening Tools: Dr. Reynolds is asking you to go fetch some proper gardening tools to help the hospital residents establish a sustainable garden.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Play Some Poker: Steve the nurse has invited you to a few rounds of a friendly game of poker.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Check on Flint: Man, is that guy done loafing off yet? Go get him and get his ass ready for some stalk-kicking.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Find an Onsantom Ranch: There is a shortwave radio in the building. Get on it and talk. Get a fix on where you might find a ranch still in tact.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Secret: You used to work for damn company that created this problem, and if the locals around you find out they might not take to kindly to that.  Hopefully you can win them over...
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Friendly: You are kindhearted and genial. People enjoy being around you.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Damn Good Liar: The first lesson you learn in sales is "No one wants to know the truth."  They want something similar to the truth, but much nicer.  Knowing how to keep a straight face and avoid tells are things you've picked up over the years and have made you skilled at telling...  Better Truths.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Soft-Footed: You have experience going places without getting noticed.  Is that a person, or a shadow?  Light on your feet, you can slip around wherever you like.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Pants on Fire: Can this fella lie through his teeth?  Yes he can!  But sometimes, people know you're lying and if there is one thing nobodies got room for in a survival scenario, it's a liar.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Enthusiasm for Cool Ladies: Adah is a grump who may seem like a bit of a crazed tomboy with no social skills, at times, but she likes her girls. Pardis? Gonna be her favorite, she knows it. Improvised medical expertise mid-apocalypse? Pretty damned awesome of Julia. Adah digs it.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Looking Foreign: Whether you're a homegrown American or actually from a distant place, the fact is that you don't *look* like you're from around here.  Xenophobia clings to you like a bad odor.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Connections In Town: Due to your job as a waitress and having grown up in the area, you know a lot of people around town.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Go for the assist: There are many notable leaders in history, but one of the things that made them notable is that they had a great support structure.  Ricky has never aspired to be the head of an operation, but he's always brought some solid backbone.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: So THAT'S how it works: "Maybe if I just....  Ah-hah!  There we go!"
  
  You may not know how everything in the world works, but you aren't afraid to fiddle with it to figure it out.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Fast Reflexes: You've caught a few falling plates in your day and set a table in ten seconds flat.  Why should your quick-draw skills be any different?
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Hardy: You are hardy and hale. Able to take a licking and keep on ticking you are quick to heal and very eager to be on the move.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Overexcited: Sometimes you get so excited that end up breaking things.