diff --git a/assets/scenes/conversations.scn.ron b/assets/scenes/conversations.scn.ron
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a61e8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/assets/scenes/conversations.scn.ron
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+(
+    resources: {},
+    entities: {
+        4294967296: (
+            components: {
+                "outfly::actor::ChatBranch": (
+                    id: "hialien",
+                    name: "Icarus",
+                    label: "INIT",
+                    delay: 0.0,
+                    sound: "ping",
+                    reply: "Requesting permission to communicate...",
+                    goto: "requested",
+                ),
+            },
+        ),
+        4294967297: (
+            components: {
+                "outfly::actor::ChatBranch": (
+                    id: "hialien",
+                    name: "Icarus",
+                    label: "requested",
+                    delay: 1.0,
+                    sound: "chat",
+                    reply: "Oh hey there, didn't even notice you! Was playing some VR game! What's up?",
+                    goto: "reply1",
+                ),
+            },
+        ),
+        4294967298: (
+            components: {
+                "outfly::actor::ChatBranch": (
+                    id: "hialien",
+                    name: "Icarus",
+                    label: "reply1",
+                    delay: 3.0,
+                    sound: "chat",
+                    reply: "Not so chatty, huh? That's ok. See you around.",
+                    goto: "EXIT",
+                ),
+            },
+        ),
+    },
+)
diff --git a/src/actor.rs b/src/actor.rs
index 6e9f897..c26444f 100644
--- a/src/actor.rs
+++ b/src/actor.rs
@@ -2,12 +2,17 @@ use bevy::prelude::*;
 use crate::{nature, settings, actor, audio, hud};
 
 const MIN_INTERACT_DISTANCE: f32 = 30.0;
+const ASSET_CONVERSATIONS: &str = "scenes/conversations.scn.ron";
 
 pub struct ActorPlugin;
 impl Plugin for ActorPlugin {
     fn build(&self, app: &mut App) {
+        app.add_systems(Startup, setup);
+        app.register_type::<ChatBranch>();
+        app.register_type::<ChatChoice>();
         app.add_systems(FixedUpdate, update);
         app.add_systems(Update, (
+            handle_new_conversations,
             handle_conversations,
             handle_input,
         ));
@@ -42,6 +47,34 @@ impl Default for Actor {
 #[derive(Component)] pub struct PlayerInConversation;
 #[derive(Component)] pub struct InConversationWithPlayer;
 
+#[derive(Component, Reflect, Default)]
+#[reflect(Component)]
+pub struct ChatBranch {
+    pub id: String,
+    pub name: String,
+    pub label: String,
+    pub delay: f32,
+    pub sound: String,
+    pub reply: String,
+    pub goto: String,
+}
+
+#[derive(Component, Reflect, Default)]
+#[reflect(Component)]
+pub struct ChatChoice {
+    pub id: String,
+    pub label: String,
+    pub choice: String,
+    pub goto: String,
+}
+
+#[derive(Component)]
+pub struct Chat {
+    pub id: String,
+    pub label: String,
+    pub timer: f32,
+}
+
 #[derive(Component)]
 pub struct Talker {
     pub conv: String,
@@ -75,6 +108,37 @@ const SUIT_SIMPLE: Suit = Suit {
     oxygen_max: nature::OXY_D,
 };
 
+pub fn setup(
+    mut commands: Commands,
+    asset_server: Res<AssetServer>,
+) {
+    commands.spawn(DynamicSceneBundle {
+        scene: asset_server.load(ASSET_CONVERSATIONS),
+        ..default()
+    });
+}
+
+//#[allow(dead_code)]
+//pub fn serialize(
+//    world: &mut World,
+//) {
+//    let mut scene_world = World::new();
+//    scene_world.spawn(ChatBranch {
+//        id: "hialien".to_string(),
+//        name: "Icarus".to_string(),
+//        label: "INTERACT".to_string(),
+//        delay: 0.0,
+//        reply: "Requesting permission to communicate...".to_string(),
+//        goto: "requested".to_string(),
+//    });
+//    let type_registry = world.resource::<AppTypeRegistry>().clone();
+//    scene_world.insert_resource(type_registry);
+//    let type_registry = world.resource::<AppTypeRegistry>();
+//    let scene = DynamicScene::from_world(&scene_world);
+//    let serialized_scene = scene.serialize_ron(type_registry).unwrap();
+//    info!("{}", serialized_scene);
+//}
+
 pub fn update(
     time: Res<Time>,
     mut query: Query<(&mut LifeForm, &mut Suit)>,
@@ -107,7 +171,7 @@ pub fn handle_input(
             for (talker, transform) in &query {
                 if transform.translation.distance_squared(player.translation) <= mindist {
                     ew_conv.send(StartConversationEvent{conv: talker.conv.clone()});
-                    ew_sfx.send(audio::PlaySfxEvent(audio::Sfx::IncomingChatMessage));
+                    ew_sfx.send(audio::PlaySfxEvent(audio::Sfx::Ping));
                     break;
                 }
             }
@@ -115,16 +179,58 @@ pub fn handle_input(
     }
 }
 
-pub fn handle_conversations(
+pub fn handle_new_conversations(
+    mut commands: Commands,
     mut er_conv: EventReader<StartConversationEvent>,
     mut log: ResMut<hud::Log>,
 ) {
-    for my_event in er_conv.read() {
-        log.chat(my_event.conv.clone(), "Alien".to_string());
+    for _my_event in er_conv.read() {
+        log.info("Establishing connection with Alien".to_string());
+        commands.spawn(Chat {
+            id: "hialien".to_string(),
+            label: "INIT".to_string(),
+            timer: 0.0,
+        });
+        //log.chat(my_event.conv.clone(), "Alien".to_string());
         break;
     }
 }
 
+pub fn handle_conversations(
+    mut commands: Commands,
+    mut log: ResMut<hud::Log>,
+    mut q_conv: Query<(Entity, &mut Chat)>,
+    mut ew_sfx: EventWriter<audio::PlaySfxEvent>,
+    chat_branches: Query<&ChatBranch>, // TODO: use Table for faster iteration?
+    //chat_choices: Query<&ChatChoice>,
+) {
+    for (entity, mut chat) in &mut q_conv {
+        if chat.label == "EXIT" {
+            debug!("Despawning chat.");
+            commands.entity(entity).despawn();
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        let branches: Vec<&ChatBranch> = chat_branches.iter()
+            .filter(|branch| branch.id == chat.id && branch.label == chat.label)
+            .collect();
+        if branches.len() != 1 {
+            error!("Expected 1 branch with ID '{}' and label '{}', but got {}! Aborting conversation.", chat.id, chat.label, branches.len());
+            continue;
+        }
+        let branch = branches[0];
+        log.chat(branch.reply.clone(), branch.name.clone());
+        if chat.label == "EXIT" {
+            continue;
+        }
+        chat.label = branch.goto.clone();
+        if branch.sound != "" {
+            let sfx = audio::str2sfx(branch.sound.as_str());
+            ew_sfx.send(audio::PlaySfxEvent(sfx));
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 
 //pub enum SuitSystemHandler {
 //    Heat,
diff --git a/src/audio.rs b/src/audio.rs
index d50a579..438c820 100644
--- a/src/audio.rs
+++ b/src/audio.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ use crate::settings;
 
 const ASSET_CLICK: &str = "sounds/click-button-140881-crop.ogg";
 const ASSET_SWITCH: &str = "sounds/typosonic-typing-192811-crop.ogg";
-const ASSET_INCOMING_MESSAGE: &str = "tmp/multi-pop-2-188167.mp3.ogg";
+const ASSET_INCOMING_MESSAGE: &str = "tmp/beep-6-96243.ogg";
+const ASSET_PING: &str = "tmp/glitch-sound-fx-pack-04-118236.ogg";
 const ASSET_RADIO: &str = "tmp/LP - Girls Go Wild (Official Music Video)-M7XRN0oHGIM.ogg";
 const ASSET_BGM: &str = "tmp/FTL - Faster Than Light (2012) OST - 12 - Void (Explore)-edQw2yYXQJM.ogg";
 
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ pub enum Sfx {
     IncomingChatMessage,
     Click,
     Switch,
+    Ping,
+    None,
 }
 
 #[derive(Event)] pub struct PlaySfxEvent(pub Sfx);
@@ -36,6 +39,7 @@ pub enum Sfx {
 #[derive(Resource)] pub struct SoundClick(Handle<AudioSource>);
 #[derive(Resource)] pub struct SoundSwitch(Handle<AudioSource>);
 #[derive(Resource)] pub struct SoundIncomingMessage(Handle<AudioSource>);
+#[derive(Resource)] pub struct SoundPing(Handle<AudioSource>);
 
 pub fn setup(
     mut commands: Commands,
@@ -86,6 +90,7 @@ pub fn setup(
     commands.insert_resource(SoundClick(asset_server.load(ASSET_CLICK)));
     commands.insert_resource(SoundSwitch(asset_server.load(ASSET_SWITCH)));
     commands.insert_resource(SoundIncomingMessage(asset_server.load(ASSET_INCOMING_MESSAGE)));
+    commands.insert_resource(SoundPing(asset_server.load(ASSET_PING)));
 }
 
 pub fn toggle_bgm(
@@ -113,6 +118,7 @@ pub fn play_sfx(
     sound_click: Res<SoundClick>,
     sound_switch: Res<SoundSwitch>,
     sound_incoming_message: Res<SoundIncomingMessage>,
+    sound_ping: Res<SoundPing>,
 ) {
     if settings.mute_sfx && !events_sfx.is_empty() {
         events_sfx.clear();
@@ -123,12 +129,24 @@ pub fn play_sfx(
                 Sfx::Switch => sound_switch.0.clone(),
                 Sfx::Click => sound_click.0.clone(),
                 Sfx::IncomingChatMessage => sound_incoming_message.0.clone(),
+                Sfx::Ping => sound_ping.0.clone(),
+                Sfx::None => sound_ping.0.clone(),
             },
             settings: PlaybackSettings::DESPAWN,
         });
     }
 }
 
+pub fn str2sfx(sfx_label: &str) -> Sfx {
+    return match sfx_label {
+        "switch" => Sfx::Switch,
+        "click" => Sfx::Click,
+        "chat" => Sfx::IncomingChatMessage,
+        "ping" => Sfx::Ping,
+        _ => Sfx::None,
+    };
+}
+
 pub fn update_music(
     mut events: EventReader<ToggleMusicEvent>,
     bgm_controller: Query<&AudioSink, With<ComponentBGM>>,
diff --git a/src/hud.rs b/src/hud.rs
index 8392c25..6916b3d 100644
--- a/src/hud.rs
+++ b/src/hud.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use std::time::SystemTime;
 
 const HUD_REFRESH_TIME: f32 = 0.5;
 const FONT: &str = "tmp/fonts/NotoSansSC-Thin.ttf";
-const LOG_MAX: usize = 5;
+const LOG_MAX: usize = 20;
 const LOG_MAX_TIME_S: u64 = 20;
 
 pub struct HudPlugin;