Papers, Please – Clearing Discrepancies: Audio Transcript, Fingerprint and Search

Not all discrepancies require immediate denial. Some discrepancies may be cleared with further steps, including correcting a oral statement, fingerprinting, and searching. If cleared, the discrepancy goes away as if it does not exist (“discrepancy cleared” will show if the same two items are selected in inspect mode), and the entrant should be approved if no other discrepancy exists. Each unscripted entrant may have up to one clearable discrepancy and up to one unclearable discrepancy.

Purpose and Duration Statement

All credit goes to Troy!

Since day 4, all foreign entrants will be asked the purpose and (except immigrants, diplomats and asylees) duration of their trip. The entrant’s oral response must match their papers. If not, it is a discrepancy, and entry may be denied immediately (unless the Reason for Denial stamp is in play). However, interrogating the discrepancy always results in the entrant giving the correct response, clearing the discrepancy.

To interrogate:

• Pull out the audio transcript from under the microphone at the bottom of the booth. 
• Enter inspect mode (bottom-right “!” button, space key (if shortcut installed), or double click (if shortcut installed)).
• Highlight the incorrect statement in the audio transcript and the purpose or duration field of the Entry Permit or Access Permit, or the entire Diplomatic Authorization or Grant of Asylum (to show purpose only), whichever does not match the entrant’s statement. 
• Click the microphone when it is highlighted. 

Because interrogating always clears the discrepancy, an entrant cannot be properly denied on a mistaken statement alone when the Reason for Denial stamp is in play.

Fingerprint

Fingerprinting becomes available from day 4. It may be used to clear identity-related discrepancies, namely non-matching:

• Names.
• Photos.
• Heights.
• Appearance description.
• Either between different documents, or between documents and the entrant’s actual appearance.

In addition, fingerprinting is mandatory for asylees.

Tip: The entrant’s height may be a few centimeters off without discrepancy. In addition, there may be ambiguity when matching photos or appearance descriptions. When in doubt, inspect.

After interrogating a qualifying discrepancy (or an asylee stating their purpose of entry), a “Fingerprint” button will appear at the top of the document viewing area. Press it to do a fingerprinting test. A fingerprint slip will issue, which you will give to the entrant to record their fingerprints. At the same time, a “M.O.A. Identity Record” will print out from the bottom of the screen, showing the fingerprints on file for the person listed on the entrant’s passport, along with any known alias.

Important! The Identity Record is pulled using the information on the passport, NOT the fingerprints submitted by the entrant.

Fingerprints should be matched between:

• The fingerprint slip returned by the entrant. 
• The Identity Record. 
• The thumbprint on the identity supplement (if any). 
• The Grant of Asylum (if any). 

If they don’t match, it is a detainable discrepancy for possible identity theft and/or document forgery. Highlight the non-matching fingerprints to interrogate.

In addition, if multiple names appear on the entrant’s documents, the second name (i.e. the one not on the passport) should be listed on the Identity Record as an alias. If not, it is also a detainable discrepancy. Highlight the alias line on the Identity Record and the claimed second name to interrogate.

Search

The search function is available from day 7. It can screen the entrant for contraband when necessary or verify the entrant’s sex. Namely, it can be used to clear:

• Non-matching weight between the entrant and the citizen ID card, Identity Supplement, or Access Permit. 
• Non-matching sex between the entrant’s appearance and the passport. 
• Entrants of a particular country (when an order is in effect to search all entrants of that country due to suspicion of terrorist activity). 

In the case of a weight discrepancy, highlight the weight shown on the scale in the bottom right corner of the booth and the weight shown on the document in inspect mode. In the case of a sex discrepancy, highlight the sex shown in the passport and either the entrant in the booth or any photo of the entrant. In the case of a targeted country, highlight the entire passport and the rule in the rulebook that entrants from that country must be searched.

Tip: The apparent sex of an entrant may be hard to tell. When in doubt, inspect.

A “Search” button will appear at the top of the document viewing area. Press it to do a search. A curtain in the booth will close, and a flashlight will flash twice to take a front and back scan. A full body image will print from the top. There are two sides to the image; click the arrows in the bottom corners to flip it around.

If any contraband (which appears in black) is shown, it is a detainable discrepancy for smuggling. Highlight the contraband and the rule “No weapons or contraband” in the rulebook to interrogate.

In addition, the sex of the entrant’s body shown must match that on the passport. Otherwise, it is a detainable discrepancy for possible identity theft and/or document forgery. Highlight the entire body and the sex shown on the passport to interrogate.

Note: By default, full nudity is shown on the images. Nudity can be disabled in the pause menu, and if so, underwear will be shown, and the sex of the entrant is indicated by the presence or absence of a bra.

Clearing Discrepancies is Optional

You don’t have to take steps to clear a discrepancy. Generally you may simply deny the entrant based on the apparent discrepancy.

Once you see the discrepancy, you may deny the entrant without interrogation if the Reason for Denial stamp is not in play. If it is in play, you must interrogate the discrepancy in order to bring out the Reason for Denial stamp, and a statement mistake is thereby cleared. Even if you do interrogate (other than on an audio statement), you can still deny the entrant based on the discovered discrepancy even though the fingerprint or search option is available. However, once you press the fingerprint or search button, you must carry out the action, as the discrepancy may thereby have been cleared. You cannot ignore the discrepancy-clearing fingerprint or search result and deny the entrant based on the original discrepancy.

This applies when entrants of a specific country is required to be searched. You can instantly deny all entrants from that country without searching them. This is because the rule is implemented as a clearable discrepancy.