Character
Luke Carter
Luke Carter is one of the two children of Tom and Linda Carter in Maruf, and one of the two characters the player can play: the player picks Luke or his sister Sarah. Starting in the summer of 2000, the one the player picks starts dropshipping from home.
Dad... about the car.
Biography
Two siblings
Planned (the owner, 2026-10-24; not built yet): the Carters have two children, Luke and Sarah, and both live in the house in every game. The one the player picks is born on 15 January 1983: 17 when the game starts, a senior from 28 August 2000, 18 at the birthday party on Monday 15 January 2001, and graduating on Friday 8 June 2001. The other is born on 20 November 1983: 16 when the game starts, a junior, 17 on Monday 20 November 2000, and still at home with a year of school left when the player graduates. The sibling lives a routine of their own (school first) and helps the business as the player's first helper, packing orders. Built today, the game has one kid: the player picks a boy (Luke) or a girl (Sarah).
The car
Next door lives Frank Dawson, who has watched the Carter children grow up. The kid the player picks wants a car for their 18th birthday: an ugly used one, but their own. At breakfast on the first day, Dad sets the terms: the car is theirs the day they can pay for it. Graduation on Friday 8 June 2001 is a date on the calendar, not a finish line.
Two ways to start
From scratch: the same kid, 17 and a senior, skips the prologue and starts on 1 November 2000 with $100 and nothing else (the owner, 2026-10-24; planned).
Dad's old laptop
The kid's laptop is Dad's old work laptop from his store, retired in late 1999 when the store moved to a desktop PC, and handed down in summer 2000, as the holidays began (a teenager's own laptop was rare in 2000). The research finds the wholesaler EmporWAY.
Story
The first money
On Monday 3 July 2000, the first day, the kid runs an errand for Frank Dawson, the neighbour, and keeps the change: the first money they earn.
Report cards and laptop strikes
Planned (the owner, 2026-10-24; built today: only the good card's money). The first report card comes on Friday 27 October 2000.
- A good card: $15 from Mom and $10 from Dad, and $5 more from Frank if the kid shows it on his porch. No curfew and no study lock: the town is open in the evenings and at weekends, and the laptop stays free.
- A bad card: no money ($30 less to start the business with on 1 November); an evening study lock, 19:30 to 20:30 at the bedroom desk, with town and neighbours blocked; Saturday grounding, no leaving home before 12:00; and a first laptop strike, a formal warning that the laptop leaves the bedroom if the grades are not better by the report card of 19 January. At dinner the sibling gets their $25 and Dad's praise.
- Laptop strikes come from a bad report card, skipping school 5 times in a semester, missing the 07:30 family breakfast 10 times in a semester, and a bad mid-term. The counts start again each semester; strikes stay for the whole school year. Three strikes and the laptop is gone for about a week, which clears them.
In the game
Quests
Coming: quest pages are generated once the game's objectives move into a data file.
Dialogue
Breakfast_Table Monday 3 July 2000, about 08:30
Breakfast with Mom and Dad: the kid brings up the car. Coming down the stairs starts the scene; afterwards Dad drives off to work.
| # | Speaker | Line | Emotion | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mom | Morning, sleepyhead. Eggs are getting cold. | playful | |
| 2 | LukeSarah | Morning, Mom. Morning, Dad. | friendly | |
| 3 | Dad | First week of summer and he's up before noon. I'm impressed.First week of summer and she's up before noon. I'm impressed. | calm | |
| 4 | LukeSarah | Dad... about the car. | hopeful | |
| 5 | Dad | Car's yours the day you can pay for it. Same deal as always. | calm | |
| 6 | Mom | You heard your father. You want a car, you earn it. | warm | |
| 7 | Dad | Gotta run. Help your mother today, okay? | happy |
Breakfast_Mom Monday 3 July 2000, about 09:00
Mom's goodbye after breakfast, before the kid leaves the house.
Frank_Errand Monday 3 July 2000, about 09:10
Frank calls the kid over to his porch: Tank is out of milk. He asks for a gallon of milk and a newspaper and hands over five dollars.
| # | Speaker | Line | Emotion | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank Dawson | Luke! Come over here a minute, son.Sarah! Come over here a minute, dear. | happy | |
| 2 | LukeSarah | Morning, Mr. Dawson. | friendly | |
| 3 | Frank Dawson | Tank's out of milk, and that cat's meaner than a drill sergeant when he's hungry. | calm | |
| 4 | Frank Dawson | Run down to the store for me? A gallon of milk, and grab me a paper while you're at it. Here's five bucks. | calm | |
| 5 | LukeSarah | Sure thing, Mr. Dawson. | friendly |
Frank_Thanks Monday 3 July 2000, about 10:00
Back at the porch with the milk and the paper. Frank lets the kid keep the change: the first money earned.
| # | Speaker | Line | Emotion | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank Dawson | Good man! Tank thanks you. He won't say it, but he does.Atta girl! Tank thanks you. He won't say it, but he does. | happy | |
| 2 | Frank Dawson | Keep the change, son. First rule of business: never work for free.Keep the change, dear. First rule of business: never work for free. | calm | |
| 3 | LukeSarah | Thanks, Mr. Dawson! | friendly |
EmporWAY_FirstCall Saturday 15 July 2000, early afternoon
The honest call, made with Frank's advice. On the living room phone the kid calls EmporWAY and gets Rick in the middle of a busy warehouse. The kid says who they are and how old they are; Rick takes it for a prank, then hears the plan out: a store from home, items from the online catalogue shipped one by one to the customers, every order paid for up front. He opens an account under the name Carter, in Maruf: the supply line is open on the first try.
| # | Speaker | Line | Emotion | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rick, EmporWAY | EmporWAY Corporation, orders and distribution. Rick speaking. What's your account number? | impatient | |
| 2 | LukeSarah | Hi, Rick. I don't have an account number yet. My name is Luke Carter, and I'm seventeen.Hi, Rick. I don't have an account number yet. My name is Sarah Carter, and I'm seventeen. | hopeful | |
| 3 | Rick, EmporWAY | Seventeen? Kid, this is a commercial wholesale line. If this is a prank, I'm hanging up right now. | impatient | |
| 4 | LukeSarah | It's not a prank. I'm starting a store from home in Maruf. I don't have a warehouse, but I want to sell items from your online catalog and have you ship them one by one, straight to my customers. And I'll pay up front for every order, before you pack a box. | friendly | |
| 5 | Rick, EmporWAY | Single items, cash up front? We usually only deal in pallets. But if your money's here first, I don't care how old you are. | happy | |
| 6 | Rick, EmporWAY | The catalog's on our website. Send money from a transfer counter downtown, call me with the transfer code, and it goes on your account. Every order ships from it the same afternoon. What name goes on the account? | calm | |
| 7 | LukeSarah | Luke Carter. Carter's, in Maruf.Sarah Carter. Carter's, in Maruf. | friendly | |
| 8 | Rick, EmporWAY | Account's noted, Carter. Don't order anything you can't pay for up front. Talk to you when your first sale comes in. | calm | |
| 9 | LukeSarah | Thanks, Rick. You won't regret it. | excited |
EmporWAY_FakeVoice Saturday 15 July 2000, early afternoon
The call without Frank's advice. The kid puts on a deep grown-up voice as "Director Carter of Carter Commercial Enterprises"; the voice cracks twice, and Rick tells the kid to get off their dad's phone and hangs up. A fast busy signal, and a new goal: call EmporWAY again and apologize.
| # | Speaker | Line | Emotion | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rick, EmporWAY | EmporWAY Corporation, orders and distribution. Rick speaking. What's your account number? | impatient | |
| 2 | LukeSarah | Yes... hello, Richard. This is... Director Carter, of Carter Commercial Enterprises. I am establishing an executive corporate supply account. | pompous | |
| 3 | Rick, EmporWAY | Director Carter? | calm | |
| 4 | LukeSarah | That is correct. We require single drop-shipment logistics for our high-volume consumer operations. | pompous | |
| 5 | Rick, EmporWAY | Kid, your voice just cracked twice. Who are you kidding? Get off your dad's phone and go do your summer reading. Don't call this line again. | angry | |
| 6 | (Click. The line is dead.) | |||
EmporWAY_Apology Saturday 15 July 2000, early afternoon, after the hang-up
The second call, after the fake voice. The kid apologizes and tells the truth; Rick softens, sets up a provisional account under the kid's real name on the same terms, and warns that the fake voice again will get the number blocked: the supply line is open after a humbling lesson.
| # | Speaker | Line | Emotion | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rick, EmporWAY | EmporWAY Corporation. Make it quick, I'm loading a freight truck. | impatient | |
| 2 | LukeSarah | Rick? It's the kid from a few minutes ago. Please don't hang up. | worried | |
| 3 | Rick, EmporWAY | I told you... | angry | |
| 4 | LukeSarah | I'm sorry. That was stupid. I was nervous and thought you wouldn't take me seriously. My name is Luke Carter, I'm seventeen, and I live in Maruf. I'm starting an online store, and I need a supplier who'll ship single items if I pay for them up front.I'm sorry. That was stupid. I was nervous and thought you wouldn't take me seriously. My name is Sarah Carter, I'm seventeen, and I live in Maruf. I'm starting an online store, and I need a supplier who'll ship single items if I pay for them up front. | sad | |
| 5 | Rick, EmporWAY | Was that so hard? Honesty goes a lot further in business than whatever movie you were imitating. | calm | |
| 6 | Rick, EmporWAY | We do pallets, but if you're paying up front for single items, I can set up a provisional account under your real name. The catalog's on our website. Send money from a transfer counter downtown, call me with the code, and it goes on your account. Every order ships from it. | calm | |
| 7 | Rick, EmporWAY | But you're on probation. Packing costs you a dollar a box instead of fifty cents for your first ten orders. Show me you're straight, and it goes down. | calm | |
| 8 | Rick, EmporWAY | And pull that fake executive voice on me again, and I'll block your number for good. Fair? | calm | |
| 9 | LukeSarah | Completely fair. Thank you, Rick. | friendly | |
| 10 | Rick, EmporWAY | All right. Account's set up, Carter. Don't waste my time, and we'll get along fine. | calm |
Store_Paid Monday 3 July 2000, between about 09:15 and 10:00
Peggy at the grocery store's counter, once the kid has paid for the milk and the newspaper.
| # | Speaker | Line | Emotion | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peggy | Milk and the paper. That's three twenty-eight, hon. | warm | |
| 2 | Peggy | Out of five... one seventy-two is your change. That milk for Frank Dawson's cat? | calm | |
| 3 | LukeSarah | Yes, ma'am. Tank's out. | friendly | |
| 4 | Peggy | That cat eats better than I do. You have a nice day, Luke.That cat eats better than I do. You have a nice day, Sarah. | warm |
Frank_FenceDone Saturday 15 July 2000, about two hours after the job starts
Back at the porch, sweaty and dirty after two hours of clearing brush. Frank pays five dollars, and when the kid admits being nervous about calling a wholesale distributor, he gives his advice: be honest, straight numbers and cash up front. The game remembers the advice, and it decides how the call goes.
| # | Speaker | Line | Emotion | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank Dawson | Good work on the fence, son. Tank appreciates the clear view. Here's five dollars.Good work on the fence, dear. Tank appreciates the clear view. Here's five dollars. | happy | |
| 2 | LukeSarah | Thanks, Mr. Dawson. Honestly, I needed the cash. I'm about to call a wholesale distributor in a little bit, and my stomach is in knots. | worried | |
| 3 | Frank Dawson | Listen to me. Don't go puffing your chest out trying to sound like a Wall Street big shot. Salesmen and suppliers hear liars all day long. They can smell a fake in two seconds. | serious | |
| 4 | Frank Dawson | Be honest. Tell them exactly who you are, what you can pay, and what you want them to do. You give a man straight numbers and cash up front, he doesn't care if you're seventeen or seventy. Understand? | serious | |
| 5 | LukeSarah | Straight numbers. Be honest. Got it, Mr. Dawson. | friendly |
Peggy_Saturday Saturday 15 July 2000, afternoon
The free afternoon: the kid walks downtown to Palmer's Market for a cold soda and a word with Peggy.
Dinner_Saturday Saturday 15 July 2000, 18:30
Saturday dinner at the dining table: Mom's chicken casserole. Dad asks how the day went, and Mom reminds the kid that school starts at the end of August.
| # | Speaker | Line | Emotion | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dad | Smells good, Linda. | calm | |
| 2 | Mom | Chicken casserole. Eat up, both of you. | warm | |
| 3 | Dad | So, how was your Saturday? | calm | |
| 4 | LukeSarah | Good. I got a few things sorted out. | friendly | |
| 5 | Mom | School starts at the end of August, you know. Summer won't last forever. | warm | |
| 6 | LukeSarah | I know, Mom. | friendly | |
| 7 | Luke (thinking)Sarah (thinking) | A real supplier. Now all I need is November. | thinking |
Dinner_Saturday_Fence Saturday 15 July 2000, 18:30
The same dinner when the kid cleared Frank's fence: Dad noticed, and says so.
| # | Speaker | Line | Emotion | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dad | Smells good, Linda. | calm | |
| 2 | Mom | Chicken casserole. Eat up, both of you. | warm | |
| 3 | Dad | So, how was your Saturday? | calm | |
| 4 | LukeSarah | Good. I got a few things sorted out. | friendly | |
| 5 | Dad | Frank's fence looked rough this morning. Good on you for giving the old man a hand. | warm | |
| 6 | Mom | School starts at the end of August, you know. Summer won't last forever. | warm | |
| 7 | LukeSarah | I know, Mom. | friendly | |
| 8 | Luke (thinking)Sarah (thinking) | A real supplier. Now all I need is November. | thinking |
Mentioned in
Morning, Luke! Son, you're still in your pyjamas.Morning, Sarah! Dear, you're still in your pyjamas.
Quotes and trivia
- Every line in the game is written for Luke. When the player picks Sarah, the game swaps the name and a few words: "son" becomes "dear", "Good man" becomes "Atta girl", "he" becomes "she".