PSYNCIN' IN THE CURTaiN

## Chapters

*-#89 is hiding in the Past!-*
*"#89 is covered in a green membrane. I can't get close..."*
—Somnium description
**PSYNCIN' IN THE CURTaiN** is a dreamworld featured in *AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES*, based on the Sagan Residence.

It is a Somnium world created from Inmate #89's dream by the Psync System. Kaname Date and Pewter investigated his Somnium in order to learn the truth of the original Cyclops Serial Killer, as well as the identity of the New Cyclops Killer.

## Mental Locks

The clearing process of this Somnium is special: here, the player is not required to choose options in a completely fixed order to unlock Mental Locks, but to accumulate **Green Points** by performing specific actions.

Excluding the move of closing the green door directly performed by Aiba at the beginning, the player has to collect a total of 10 Green Points. 1 Point is required in Mental Lock #1, 2 points is required in Mental Lock #2, and with such law applied in the rest two Mental Locks.

After sufficient Green Points collected, the player will forcibly encounter a sudden event. Choosing any wrong option here will get a negative TIMIE, greatly increasing the time cost of re-selection. You get x2 in such consequence during the first three events, and x3 during the fourth event. After the correct one is chosen, the green barrier shrinks and a Mental Lock will be unlocked after choosing the correct one. Shrinking of the Green Barrier will allow the player to investigate more objects and collect Green Points.

### Mental Lock #1 - Prevent the interference from ???!

At the beginning of Somnium, the objects that the player can investigate are **Switch**, **Winter Iris** and **Picture**. Choosing the correct option on any of these objects increases 1 Green Point: *Flip Switch* on **Switch**, *Pick* on **Winter Iris** or *Fill Out* on **Picture**.

However, the player need to be aware that the time they consume and the TIMIE they bring are different: *Flip Switch* consumes 12s and brings a x2 TIMIE; *Pick* consumes 30s and brings a 1/2 TIMIE; *Fill Out* consumes 24s and brings a [10] TIMIE. Here, choosing either *Pick* on **Winter Iris** or *Fill Out* on **Picture** are viable options, but definitely not *Flip Switch*, as it brings a x2 TIMIE and it will forcibly used in the next fixed move, consuming 60s.

After performing a correct action, it is forced to enter a phone ringing event, where the player must make a choice. Here, *Ignore* should be chosen, doing so will unlock Mental Lock #1. Since the correct option takes 30s, it is best to use the TIMIE you just obtained here.

In summary, to unlock Mental Lock #1:

* *Pick* on **Winter Iris** (30s, 1/2) -> *Ignore* on **Phone** (30s1/2, Random)
* *Fill Out* on **Picture** (24s, [10]) -> *Ignore* on **Phone** (30s[10], Random)

If you want to bring the [10] TIMIE to the next Mental Lock in the safest way, implement the first method.

### Mental Lock #2 - Prevent the disturbance from ???!

After entering Mental Lock #2, the objects that can be investigated are changed from three to five, with three green ones added, and the previously investigated objects can no longer be investigated. The new objects are **Liquid**, **Ceiling Fan** and **Book**.

The correct action to deal with **Liquid** is *Stick Hand In*, which costs 26s and brings a x2 TIMIE; the correct action to deal with **Ceiling Fan** is *Blow On*, which costs 18s and brings a 1/3 TIMIE; the correct action to deal with **Book [#1]** is *Tear*, which costs 6s, and obtains a TIMIE whose properties are displayed only after performing this action, Fixed to 1/2.

It's still best not to do any event that gets x2 TIMIE, as that would be disadvantageous in any case. If it is ranked first, then the most suitable second action can only be the *Tear* on **Book** that only consumes 6s, but this will only get a 1/2 TIMIE for a certain value, and then the player will have to face the next mandatory event, using 1/2 TIMIE to choose the correct option will also consume 30s.

In this Mental Lock, performing two actions to remove the green object will trigger the next mandatory event - the phone rings again. Choosing *Ignore* this time will consume 60s, so the second action to choose must be one that can bring the player as much time-consuming TIMIE as possible.

In summary, to unlock Mental Lock #2:

* *Tear* on **Book** (6s, 1/2) -> *Fill Out* on **Picture** (24s1/2, [10]) -> *Ignore* on **Phone** (60s[10], Random)
* *Flip Switch* on **Switch** (12s1/2 or strongest 1/n, x2) -> *Tear* on **Book** (6sx2, 1/2) -> *Ignore* on **Phone** (60s1/2, Random)
* *Pick* on **Winter Iris** (30s1/2 or strongest 1/n, [10], [20], 1/2) -> *Blow On* on **Ceiling Fan** (18s1/2, 1/3) -> *Ignore* on **Phone** (60s1/3, Random)

### Mental Lock #3 - Prevent the view from ???!

After entering Mental Lock #3, the green objects that can be investigated are changed from five to six, with three added, and the previously investigated objects can no longer be investigated. The new objects are **Book [#2]**, **Book [#3]** and **Pot**. Now the player needs to perform the correct actions on three green objects. The correct action to deal with **Pot** is *Drink*, which costs 60s and brings a x3 TIMIE; For new **Books**, the correct option is the same as before, but every time a new book appears, the time required to execute *Tear* will increase by 6s. This option takes 12s for **Book [#2]** and 18s for **Book [#3]**.

If you have done *Flip Switch* on **Switch** before this section, a new object **Floor Lamp** will appear. Doing *Grab* on it adds 1 Green Point, costing 12s without any TIMIE rewards; Doing *Kick* costs 6s and rewards the player a 1/4 TIMIE.

Here, a forced event is encountered after performing three correct actions. The correct option *Close Curtain* only consumes 12s, so it is not a must to use TIMIE to reduce its time consumption. As long as the negative TIMIE does not greatly increase the time cost of executing the correct options, the order and type of executing options can be relatively freely selected here.

In summary, to unlock Mental Lock #3 (since there are many combinations of clearing methods, the player can combine options according to the actual situation. The following ones are only some examples):

* *Drink* on **Pot** (60s1/2 or strongest 1/n, [10], [20], x3) -> *Tear* on **Book [#1] or [#2]** (6s or 12sx3, 1/2) -> *Tear* on **Book [#3]** (18s1/2, 1/2) -> *Close Curtain* on **Red Eye** (12s1/2, Random)
* *Tear* on **Book [#1]** (6s, 1/2) -> *Tear* on **Book [#2]** (12s1/2, 1/2) -> *Tear* on **Book [#3]** (18s1/2, 1/2) -> *Close Curtain* on **Red Eye** (12s1/2, Random)
* *Stick Hand In* on **Liquid** (26s1/2 or strongest 1/n, [10], [20], x2) -> *Grab* on **Floor Lamp** (12sx2) -> *Tear* on **Book [#1] or [#2]** (6s or 12s, 1/2) -> *Close Curtain* on **Red Eye** (12s1/2, Random)

If the player is also aiming for the "Protect Your Head" achievement:

* *Wear* on **Pot** (30s1/2 or strongest 1/n) -> *Any three options* with possibly less time and with a positive TIMIE given in the end -> *Close Curtain* on **Red Eye** (12s1/2, Random)

### Mental Lock #4 - Prevent the invasion from ???!

The new objects appearing during Mental Lock #4 are **Book [#4]**, **Book [#5]**, and **Skull**. Performing *Tear* on **Book [#4]** and **[#5]** consumes 24s and 30s respectively, and gets a 1/2 TIMIE. The correct option to remove the **Skull** is *Throw*, which costs 12s and gets a x2 TIMIE.

Another thing worth noting is that the only interactive object that is not green appears at this time, **Hitomi**. Perform any option on her will get TIMIE that can bring advantages to the player, such as 1/5, or [1]; it only takes 24s to get [1] TIMIE (excluding negative TIMIE) by selecting *Touch Her*.

After executing the four options to remove the green object, you can enter the last mandatory event. The correct option in this forced event, *Lock*, only consumes 6s, so it will only consume 30s in the worst case of getting x5 TIMIE, so there is no need to bring a high-quality positive TIMIE here to use.

In most cases, when the progress is advanced to this point, the probability of obtaining the negative TIMIE in **Pool 3** will become very small, only 4.34% in total, so it will be a good way to consume the negative TIMIE obtained by executing *Read* on any **Book**. But if unfortunately you still get a new negative TIMIE, it is best to restart the Somnium if remaining time is quite few.

In summary, to unlock Mental Lock #4 (since there are many combinations of clearing methods, the player can combine options according to the actual situation. The following ones are only some examples):

* *Hug Her* or *Kiss Her* on **Hitomi** (6s, [10]; or 18s1/2 or 1/3, 1/5) -> *Drink* on **Pot** (60s1/2 or strongest 1/n, [10], [20], x3) -> *Read* on **Book [#4]** or **[#5]** (6sx2, Random) -> *Blow On* on **Ceiling Fan** (18s1/2 or 1/3, 1/3) -> *Tear* on **Book [#4]** (18s1/3, 1/2) -> *Tear* on **Book [#5]** (24s1/2 or strongest 1/n, 1/2) -> *Lock* on **Door** (6s1/2, Random)
* *Talk to Her* or *Touch Her* on **Hitomi** (12s1/2, 1/4; or 24s1/2, 1/3 or [10], [1]) -> *Throw* on **Skull** (12s1/2, x2) -> *Read* on **Book [#4]** or **[#5]** (6sx2, Random) -> *Stick Hand In* on **Liquid** (26s1/2 or strongest 1/n, [10], [20], x2) -> *Read* on **Book [#5]** or **[#4]** (6sx2, Random) -> *Tear* on **Book [#4]** (18s1/2 or 1/3, 1/2) -> *Tear* on **Book [#5]** (24s1/2 or [1], 1/2) -> *Lock* on **Door** (6s1/2, Random)

## TIMIE Pools

The following are the pools of TIMIEs that spawn during PSYNCIN' IN THE CURTaiN. Certain choices in the Somnium will drop a random selection of TIMIE from either of these pools, "**Pool 1**" and "**Pool 3**".

For **Pool 1**, during the first 3 minutes, the standard spread of TIMIE values start off with the neutral types of TIMIEs being the most common, the larger TIMIE values just below them, and the smallest and most useful range of TIMIEs at around 5% chance of appearing. From 3 minutes to the last 90 seconds, the large-value TIMIEs, [40] and [50], decrease in probabilty from 18% to 7%, while the best TIMIEs increase from 5% to 22%. In the last 90 seconds, the [50] TIMIE is removed completely, and the best TIMIEs increase from 22% to 38%.

For **Pool 3**, during the first 3 minutes, the odds of gaining the best TIMIEs are still lower while the weakest TIMIEs retain the highest chance. However, negative TIMIEs are added into the pool, and while 3x, 4x, and 5x TIMIEs have a combined total of 6% chance, the 2x TIMIE has a 17% chance by itself, making it common enough to appear at least once through a Somnium. From 3 minutes to the last 90 seconds, the negative TIMIEs drop considerably, with 3x, 4x, and 5x having a 2.5% chance while x2 has a 4% chance; likewise, the [50] TIMIE drops considerably from 13.5% to 2%, and most of the other TIMIEs increase to rebalance it. By the last 90s, the negative TIMIEs had been shrunk by half, and the more valuable TIMIEs have substantially increased.

These two pools are designed so that, the less time the player has to clear the Somnium, the more likely that they'll obtain useful TIMIEs that can dramatically cut down on the amount of time spent, and the less likely they are at obtaining higher-value TIMIEs or encounter negative TIMIEs.

## Objects of Interest

**PSYNCIN' IN THE CURTaiN** is a unique Somnium that follows an extra set of conditions to beat. Mental Locks are cleared at 4 different checkpoints, where an assortment of choices are provided when the conditions are met, and the correct choice unlocks each Mental Lock. These conditions are a number of interactions with **Green Objects** in the level, usually resulting in the ruination of the object or its green texture.

For simplicity, the required interactions will be measured as **Green Points**, and enough Points will give access to the checkpoints for unlocking Mental Locks. A total of **11 Green Points** are required to beat the Somnium, and the level **begins with 1 Point**, due to the actions on the **Green Door** at the beginning of the level. A total of **14 Points** can be obtained throughout the level, with only 1 of these points capable of being locked out by other choices, meaning that, as long as there is enough time, the player is capable of obtaining the necessary 11 Points to beat the level.

### Green Objects

**Green Door** (automatically activated at the start of the Somnium) – The back door to the Sagan living room, potentially leading into a room in the back. At the very beginning of the Somnium, Aiba's leg knocks into the door, closing it instantly. ***This action adds 1 Green Point from the start***.

### Mental Lock Choices

These are the choices that are triggered at each Mental Lock checkpoint. Making these choices are mandatory when the checkpoint is reached, meaning other objects to interact with are unavailable.

## Hidden Object

* The **Hidden Object** appears at Mental Lock #4, once you've dealt with the Red Eye. Once you regain control of Aiba, head to the shelf next to Hitomi and Falco, behind the green barrier. The Object will be resting in the shelf within reach.

## Gallery

The green barrierMap of the Sagan Residence, with the green barrier at the largest scaleA huge red eye outside the window watching the householdLeft portion of the Sagan ResidenceRight portion of the Sagan ResidenceMap of the Sagan Residence, with the green barrier only encircled #89
## Trivia

* Inmate #89's Somnium, PSYNCIN' IN THE CURTaiN, is based on the Sagan Residence location, much like Kaname Date's Somnium, SINKIN' IN THE BRaiN. As such, the levels share various similarities, such as:
	+ The Winter Iris, and the choices available with it.
	+ The light switch covered in thorns, and the choices available with it.
	+ The wine bottle on the table, and Aiba's insistence on getting drunk from it.
	+ The floral lamp by the bookshelf, and the choices available with it.
	+ The skull with the bleeding left eye socket, and the choices available with it.
	+ The conclusion of the Somnium, where Inmate #89 is seen standing over the bleeding body of Hitomi Sagan.
* When selecting *Read* on a particular **Book**, Date and Aiba read more about Falco's past, and Date compares him to Judge Dredd, a character from the comic book series *2000 AD*. In this series, Judge Dredd is a law enforcement officer who acts as a "Street Judge," arresting criminals and even executing them for their crimes.
* When selecting *Tear* on a particular **Book**, Date notes that the green book seems familiar, but Aiba suggests it has "no relation." This could potentially be a reference to the 2018 film *Green Book* (although it should be noted the film released relatively late into *AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES*'s development).
* When first examining the **Pot**, Aiba states that a ninja turtle could jump out of the green slime, and various choices make reference to smelling like the liquid smells like a gutter. This is most likely all a reference to the *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*, in which 4 turtles, after interacting with some green radioactive material in the sewers, gained sentience and trained in martial arts, becoming ninjas.
* When selecting the option *Drink* on the **Pot**:
	+ Aiba collapses after drinking it, and Date yells out "Aiba? Aiba! Aiiiiiiiiiiibbbaaaaaaa!!!" This is most likely a reference to the *Metal Gear Solid* series, in which, if the player character is killed, the Game Over screen will have a character's voice scream out the protagonist's name in the same fashion.
	+ Once she wakes up, Aiba states that the liquid tasted like "elephant" while smiling at Date. This interaction appears to be a continuation to a joke that occurs in the chapter Day 2: Saturday –saikAI–, where Aiba tells a joke in which an elephant is stored inside the Sagan Residence's refrigerator. The refrigerator next to the pot has its door wide open, with the contents inside being empty, implying that the pot with green liquid had just been removed from the refrigerator.
* Wearing the Pot on Aiba's head will have her comment on how it increases her defense, a reference to wearable armor in RPG games and their defense-boost capabilities.
* Throughout the Somnium, Date makes several references to his sexual stimulations to various actions that can be done. Most notable is when interacting with Hitomi, in which all 4 interactions with her results in some variance of a sensual/sexual response, such as an erection.
* Hitomi is the only interactible object in the Somnium that does not contribute to proceeding to any Mental Locks, as she is the only object that is not green.
* During Mental Lock #3 or #4, executing *Wear* on **Pot** is one of the requirements to obtain the achievement "Protect Your Head." Other requirements are in SINKIN' IN THE BRaiN and PSYNCIN' IN THE SUSTaiN, respectively.

## Navigation

Hitomi Sagan • Mayumi Matsushita • Renju Okiura • Mama • Shoko Nadami • So Sejima • Moma Kumakura • Rohan Kumakura • Cyclops Serial Killer