Delusions
by C. E. Forman (1996)
Genres: Science Fiction

A trip into virtual reality: all begins with debugging a VR system, but then things get out of hand. Who is Morrodox, what has he to do with your colleagues, and what is going on?

action: %
response: [Press any key to begin.]
action: You look at your surroundings
response: Reality is so... unreal.

The tangle of observations woven about it, humankind's utter lack of consensus, phases it to fit individual desires. Becoming and unbecoming, back and forth eternally, as it paradoxically coexists with and within infinite versions of itself...

At least, that's what always surfaces in your mind whenever your own perception of reality is altered. Which is to say, ten or fifteen times a day. But it's your job, working to someday entertain others with new observations, new experiences, new realities. And after all, you signed up for the Project (as you well remember, even though it was close to five years ago), so you suppose it's entirely your fault if you don't like it. Which, when you think about it, you realise you do.

Justy's voice reaches out to you from somewhere you can't see. "Okay, this should be it. One final test run to check any overload potential, and this world is done! I'm starting her up."

A loud CLANK, and the Sphere begins spinning, with you inside it.

"Brace yourself!"

Bright lights.

Pain.

From somewhere off in your mind's distance, a telltale splash.

Then, as the resounding thrums fade, a distorted ripple sweeps your vision clear, and all traces of the laboratory vanish from your senses.

All five of them.

Wiped clean, twitching, anxious for new input.

Virtual reality has become reality.

An Interactive Self-Discovery
Created using Inform 5.5

SPECIAL COMPETITION RELEASE -- PLEASE DO NOT DISTRIBUTE!

Standard interpreter 1.0

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves.

You experience a brief moment of sheer terror as you lose the ability to move your arms and legs, which quickly give way to fins and a flat, rudder-like tail. Freedom -- passionate, exhilarating freedom beyond any known to man -- pervades your spirit. Your vision is foggy, but your other senses appear strengthened.

The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But    w



gwrgxilp jidunfhx   idqgdkgll dicmz, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.

Only Justy's disembodied voice betrays the presence of a virtual reality. "I estimate at max one potential for overload, maybe two. This one isn't all that complex, compared to the lab sim. Cynthesiser's got the analysis sweep running in the background, so you may feel some slight distortion. It's nothing to worry about. Just give us a typical walk -- or should I say, swim? -- through it."
?

I beg your pardon?
action: About yourself
response: You're a fish. Specifically, a yellow-finned grouper. Quite a nice-looking one too, as fish go.
action: Swim
response: You swim around in a tight circle.
action: Go west
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Thin stalks of kelp fan lazily about this shallow stretch of ocean. They disperse somewhat to the east, where clumps of coral rise to form a towering reef. Westward, the ocean floor inclines rapidly toward the surface, narrowing the seawater corridor to a thin, flat wedge.

Pebbles of gravel drift along the sandy floor, propelled by tidal currents.
action: You examine the gravel
response: A small patch of smooth, rounded, colourful stones.
action: You get gravel
response: You're a fish, remember? Fish don't have hands. You'll have to find a more creative method of moving things around.
action: You eat the gravel
response: You swallow up a mouthful of the gravel.

A red crab scuttles along the sand below you.
action: Go east
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

The images before your eyes become briefly distorted.
action: Go east
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.

A large octopus propels itself up from the rift below, directly toward you!
action: You look at the octopus
response: Its enormous grey-green body is soft and oval, encircled at the base by eight deadly sucker-studded tentacles.

The octopus grabs you with its tentacles and, despite your desperate struggling, forces you into its gaping mouth.

 Freaks me out no matter how many times I see it." He claps you lightly on the shoulder, then turns to study the printout Cynthia has spread out on the lab bench.

She flips through the pages briefly, running her fingers over the tiny raised bumps on one side before targeting a specific segment with an index finger. "Here," she emphasises to Justy. "According to the sweep, the interpreter stack may be unstable."

"Where is it?" Justy inquires.

"Can't tell. It's a global event routine, not embedded in a specific object. Damn this pseudo-OO compiler."

Justy nods grimly. "It's in there somewhere." To you, he adds, "Guess we need to do another run. Take a break, come back after you've recovered a bit. I'll be waiting."

The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.

Cynthia leaves the lab to the northwest.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Incidentally, there were plenty of great
opportunities for really bad fish jokes in that scene, but I resisted the temptation. You can thank me for that by voting this game into first place.]
action: Examine tank
response: This tank used to house an android that performed a lot of the preliminary VR diagnostics, but you're not sure what happened to it (the android, that is). Odd, that.
action: You examine mouse
response: (the ergonomic mouse)
A standard white two-button ergonomic input device.
action: You examine the manual
response: This thick volume is the Project's documentation, most of which has been filled in in bits and pieces as developments have occurred. A lot of it is hopelessly out of order, despite Dr Shimada's efforts to outline an index (which was some time ago). The cracked black leather binder bears the Project logo.
action: You read it
response: The technical manual has several hundred pages. It'd be more efficient to look up specific topics.
action: You look at Sphere
response: The Sphere is a human-sized anti-gravity gyroscope, encased in soundproof glass. VR sensors connect to status monitors, the lab terminal and the mainframe supercomputer in the next room by a thick bundle of coaxial cables. A fail-safe lever protrudes at an angle from one side.
action: You look at the suit
response: Which do you mean, the VR suit or the technician's jumpsuit?
action: Vvr .
response: The VR suit, a full-body outfit of spandex and kevlar, hangs on a rack against one wall. It fits tightly and is strung with a network of millions of tiny sensory-output devices.
action: You look at the jumpsuit
response: A standard-issue grey Project uniform, loose-fitting and comfortable, emblazoned with the Project logo.
action: You look up android
response: What do you want to look up androids in?
action: Manual
response: You find the following:
  VR androids, manufactured by other divisions within the Corporation, are another protective tool, used in the early stages of VR sim debugging. Equipped with limited neural-network processors, they are strapped into the sphere and used to perform preliminary VR diagnostics to avoid the dangers to a human brain in the event of any serious bugs in a virtual sensory reality.

SEE ALSO: Debug Icon, Fail-Safe Lever, Sphere, VR Viruses
action: You look uthe fail-safe lever
response: What do you want to look up fail-safe lever in?
action: Manual
response: You find the following:
  Built into one corner of the Sphere is a fail-safe lever that may be pulled to prematurely shut down a sim when a person is inside. This feature is equipped with its own fusion cell and is of vital importance in the event of power outages or other system glitches. If a sim is not shut down properly using the fail-safe mechanism, permanent damage to the brain is likely to result from the abrupt termination of the human-computer synapse.

SEE ALSO: Android, Sphere
action: You look up Sphere in manual
response: You find the following:
  The Sphere is an anti-gravity gyroscope that provides the sim user with the weightlessness necessary for the virtual experience to take over. The Sphere is the focal point for all sim-related activity within the system.

SEE ALSO: Cray ZMP-2010X, Fail-Safe Lever, Lab Terminal, VR Suit
action: You look up Cray in the manual
response: You find the following:
  The Cray ZMP-2010X, located in the Output Station, provides central processing, storage, and printing functions to the VR operating system. It is interfaced with the lab terminal via coaxial cables and fiber-optic bundles. Printing of the current system status is controlled via the "report" function of the O/S. Due to the severe paper shortages, it is necessary that the previous printout be recycled (through the built-in slot attached to the printer).

SEE ALSO: Lab Terminal, Report Icon
action: You look up the report icon in the manual
response: You find the following:
  The "report" icon generates a print job queued to the Cray ZMP-2010X. The default print job is the system status report, which lists the settings of the current VR sim.

SEE ALSO: Cray ZMP-2010X
action: You look up the lab terminal in the manual
response: You find the following:
  The Project's central terminal is located in the VR lab and is interfaced with the Cray ZMP-2010X and Sphere, but is otherwise isolated from the rest of the Corporation (for security purposes). Control of the various system components is handled through a GUI (Graphical User Interface) which serves as the Project's operating system.

SEE ALSO: Cray ZMP-2010X, Configure Icon, Debug Icon, Flush Icon, Launch Icon, Report Icon, Sphere, System Icon
action: You look up the Configure Icon in the manual
response: You find the following:
  The "configure" icon allows the operator to change sensory output settings for a VR. Changes made during a session do not take effect until the sim is reloaded.

All users have access to this program.
action: You look up the Debug Icon in the manual
response: You find the following:
  The "debug" icon provides access to the VR compiler, editor, and debugger.

Access to these programs is restricted to Dr Shimada and myself.
action: You look up the Flush Icon in the manual
response: You find the following:
  The "flush" program purges the system in the event of a critical error in the active VR. Once purged, the sim is wiped clean from the system and must be re-installed from archival storage.

Due to the drastic nature of this program, only Dr Shimada has access to it.
action: You look up the Launch Icon in the manual
response: You find the following:
  The "launch" program activates the currently loaded VR sim and runs it. Input and output devices are the Sphere and VR suit, and they must be occupied for this module to run.

All users have access to this program.

SEE ALSO: Fail-Safe Lever, Sphere, VR Suit
action: You look up the System Icon in the manual
response: You find the following:
  The "system" icon grants access to a number of operating system programs, allowing the user to load, unload, and archive sims, or to search the contents of files.

All users have access to this part of the system, but it is password protected.
action: You look at Justy
response: His bright eyes gleam through thick glasses framed by short brown hair and a small gold loop through his left earlobe.

Looking at Justy again, you see... not an old friend, but someone else, someone different. Someone you've only begun to get to know recently... Very curious.

Or were you just thinking of someone else...?
action: You say hello
response: (to Justy)
There is no reply.
action: You examine terminal
response: A twentieth-century user would have called this a "personal computer" or "PC", although the elimination of the "lone programmer" concept has since made that acronym outdated.

It's an 8-gigahertz multimedia package with a 16-terabyte hard drive, 12 gigs of RAM, and a 96-megabyte cache. The CPU case is disproportionately tiny next to the keyboard and monitor, larger only out of human necessity.

Dr Shimada ordered this system some time ago, when increased processing speed became necessary if the Project's deadlines were to be met. It arrived less than a week ago, and it's already obsolete.
action: Go up
response: The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
action: You go to the west
response: Fluorescent lights cast a harsh, blurry glare on bundles of cable stretching overhead, and on metal walls, not quite reflective. The glare breaks at a doorway in the south wall, and at the west end of the east-west corridor, outside Dr Shimada's office.

On the north wall are a pair of closed elevator doors.
action: Go south
response: Dank and cold, these facilities contain only the usual fixtures -- toilet, shower stall, and a dripping, rust-stained washbasin. On the wall above the last is an off-colour rectangle, where a mirror once hung, but no longer.
action: You knock on the door
response: "Come in," says Dr Shimada, politely but firmly.
action: Enter
response: The corridor runs east to west, with a doorway to the south.
action: You open the door
response: You open Dr Shimada's office door.
action: You go west
response: With the Project approaching conclusion, Dr Shimada's workload has increased geometrically. Several open and disarrayed filing cabinets and the layer of paperwork covering her desktop and computer belie her typical attention to immaculacy.

On your right is a small wooden shelf, bulging with assorted books.

Dr Shimada works furiously at her desk.

On Dr Shimada's desk are a three-hole punch and Dr Shimada's cellular phone.
action: You look at the shelf
response: All of the great works, eastern and western, of literature, philosophy, and religion (on CD-ROM, of course).
action: You get the punch
response: "Bring it back when you're done, please," says Dr Shimada.

Taken.
action: You get phone
response: Dr Shimada gives you a "look" that makes you change your mind.
action: Kiss shimada
response: You never were comfortable with that kind of thing.
action: You say hello
response: (to Dr Shimada)
There is no reply.
action: You ask Shimada about Project
response: Dr Shimada waves you away impatiently.
action: You look at Shimada
response: Shimada is the Project's director, working under the control of the Executives. Following Justy's recommendation, she was the one who recruited you for your current position.

You've worked under Dr Hyechong Shimada for years, but are still unable to say that you truly know her due to her intensely private nature. Half-Chinese, half-Japanese, she was transferred in from the Corporation's Kyushu office to direct the Project.

The jagged scars on her face and hands mark Dr Shimada as a survivor of the Great Cancer, and give her already dogmatic presence an artificial air of fierceness (which you suspect she secretly enjoys).
action: Go east
response: (closing Dr Shimada's office door on the way out)

On the north wall are a pair of closed elevator doors.
action: You go to the north
response: Ironic proof against the aphorism that supercomputers are shrinking dominates this section of the lab. The walls and narrow walkways enclose the Project's brain, an enormous Cray ZMP-2010X whose size is directly proportional to its awesome processing power. Equally large racks of storage media occupy the four corners.
action: You look at Cray
response: One of the larger exabyte systems, though you're not familiar with the exact configuration. Its most familiar feature is a built-in printer, with a recycling slot for immediate paper reprocessing.
action: Examine slot
response: The curved recycling slot forms the "mouth" of a cutesy little picture of a smiling planet earth.
action: Go northwest
response: Cynthia's quarters are just as sparsely furnished as yours, with only a bed, desk, and a few of Cynthia's personal belongings.

Cynthia busies herself with the VR analysis system.

Above Cynthia's desk hangs a 3-D picture.
action: You examine it
response: Well, you've got two of 'em. Five fingers each. Nothing extraordinary about that.

Something is strange -- an echoing, shadowy air of inconsistency about your hands, but you can't quite place it...
action: You look at the picture
response: It's one of those pictures made up of a matrix of coloured dots, arranged to form a three-dimensional image when stared at long enough with one's eyes crossed. You've never understood why Cynthia (who is blind) would keep such a thing around.

Wait a minute... If you squint your eyes just right... There! It looks like a giant sundial gnomon, with an atomic mushroom cloud erupting behind.

Truly bizarre that you never recognised it until this moment.
action: You examine Cynthia
response: Black lenses hide failed eyes, but Cynthia's other senses are even sharper than your own. Her long hair spills down her back in thick dreadlocks the same colour as a curious symbol tattooed on her right forearm.

There's a pencil tucked behind her ear.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just in case you care, this is the first work
of I-F to feature a major NPC with a tattoo. (No, the disembodied hand in "The Lurking Horror" doesn't count.)]
action: You touch Cynthia
response: Keep your hands to yourself!
action: You look at the symbol
response: An unrecognisable (to you) symbol, an eight-pointed star with a single letter at each point (two at each of the diagonals), done in black ink. It's hard to see clearly against Cynthia's dark skin.
action: Sleep
response: Surely you can find a good place to lie down.
action: In the cynthia's bed
response: That was a rhetorical question.

I only understood you as far as wanting to in.
action: You go southwest
response: Justy's quarters are just as sparsely furnished as yours, with only a bed, desk, and a few of Justy's personal belongings.

The south wall is completely taken up Justy's film library.

Hanging nearby is a framed sketch by M.C. Escher.

A large holovision set dominates the west wall.
action: You examine the library
response: Justy's collection of science-fiction films includes the complete "Star Wars" saga, the "Terminator" trilogy, and both the 2001 remake and classic 1926 versions of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis."
action: You examine Escher
response: The charcoal sketch depicts a stream, flowing upwards at impossible angles through a square-edged canal before cascading downward from a minaret to begin the process anew. (Unlike your Giger, though, this isn't the original.)
action: Examine set
response: The dark, glassy eye of the holoscreen stares vacantly back.
action: You turn on the set
response: The holovision screen lights up as the set clicks on, broadcasting a "Jeopardy" match already in progress.

Three contestants stand behind podiums labelled, from left to right (from your perspective), "Tom", "Lisa", and "Brian". Tom currently has $1400, Lisa's score is $1200, and Brian trails hopelessly behind with -$900. Hovering beside the matrix of blue question screens in a transparent plastic bubble is Jeopardy's host, the once-cryogenically frozen head of Alex Trebek.

"What is Planck's constant?" asks Lisa.

"Correct," states Alex.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

"I'll take interactive fiction for 400."
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

"Currently the CEO of the BranMuffin World Conglomerate, she was the original editor of XYZZYnews."
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

Tom taps his buzzer. "Who is Eileen Mullin?"

Alex's head nods (an amusing sight when it's not attached to a body).
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

Tom glances briefly at the board before deciding on, "Interactive fiction for 600, Alex."
action: Go south
response: A rather stark infirmary, with cold cement walls and floor lit by a single flickering fluorescent bulb. It feels more like a morgue than a medical facility. An exit leads north.

You can see a metal gurney, an IV stand and a medical cabinet (which is closed) here.
action: You open the cabinet
response: You open the medical cabinet, revealing a power X-Acto knife, a gelstrip and an antitoxin caplet.
action: You look at the gurney
response: A flat metal stretcher with wheels attached.
action: Caplet and gelstrip
response: power X-Acto knife: Taken.
antitoxin caplet: Taken.
gelstrip: Taken.
action: You open door
response: Which do you mean, Cynthia's door, Justy's door or the metal door?
action: Metal
response: You open the metal door.
action: Go southeast
response: This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.

On your desk is a hypodermic syringe.

Hanging near the door is a painting by H.R. Giger.

Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.

On your bed is a pillow.

You can also see an electric violin and an amplifier (on which is a bow) here.
action: You look at Giger
response: It's "The Crucified Serpent", one of Giger's earlier works (1975), depicting an enormous metallic T-bar on which is draped a large snake with a face vaguely similar to that of Christ. Wisps of mist billow out from behind the crucifix, illuminated by lights angling upward from short black cylinders.

Odd, this. You can't seem to recall any details of the auction. In fact, you don't remember buying it at all. A mental doubt surfaces as to whether or not it's really the original.
action: You get the syringe
response: Taken.
action: You plug in the violin
response: (first taking the electric violin)
You plug the electric violin into the amplifier.
action: You play it
response: (first taking the bow)
(turning the amplifier on)
Tucking one end of the instrument firmly under your chin, its neck held firmly in your right hand, you run the bow in your left expertly over the strings. With confident, practiced motions, you invoke from the instrument a sonorous croon that manifests itself as Faure's Requiem.
action: You go northwest
response: You drag the amplifier along with you.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
action: You go east
response: Dragging the amplifier down the stairs will damage it.
action: You drop it
response: Dropped.
action: Go northwest
response: Cynthia busies herself with the VR analysis system.

Above Cynthia's desk hangs a 3-D picture.
action: Go east
response: The door is to the southeast.
action: You go to the southeast
response: The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see an electric violin, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
action: Go northeast
response: A small kitchen and dining area rolled into one.

On the counter is a pair of metal kitchen tongs.

You can also see a combination refrigerator/freezer and a microwave oven (which is closed and empty) here.
action: You get the tongs
response: Your hands are full. You can't pick up anything more until you drop something else first.
action: You open it
response: Frosty air billows out around you.

Opening the freezer reveals a lightstick.
action: You get the lightstick
response: (It's cold to the touch.) Your hands are full. You can't pick up anything more until you drop something else first.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying a bow, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet, a power X-Acto knife and a three-hole punch. You are wearing a technician's jumpsuit and a fingerwatch.
action: You drop the bow
response: Dropped.
action: You get light
response: (It's cold to the touch.) Taken.
action: You look at the fingerwatch
response: Like anyone in today's highly time-controlled society, you have a small clock affixed to your right index finger, continuously winking the correct time, according to the International Chronometer.

It has a built-in alarm which can be set to alert you with a painful little jolt when the timer expires. (It's also digital, which you always thought was pretty neat.)

Currently, your fingerwatch reads "4435".
action: You look at the caplet
response: A small white caplet with a red band around the centre.
action: You examine the punch
response: A page-length three-hole punch, used to punch three holes (hence the name) in pages to be added to the Project binder.
action: You open the fridge
response: Opening the refrigerator reveals a cold slice of pizza.
action: You get that
response: (the bow)
Your hands are full. You can't pick up anything more until you drop something else first.
action: Go southwest
response: (first closing the refrigerator and freezer)

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see an electric violin, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
action: You examine the lightstick
response: Clear liquid sealed in a vial of pale green plastic, capped at one end.
action: You shake the lightstick
response: You give the lightstick a vigorous shake. A very faint glow emanates, then fades almost immediately.
action: You wear the suit
response: (the technician's jumpsuit)
You're already wearing that!
action: You wear the vr suit
response: (first taking the VR suit)
"Ready to have another go at it?" Justy asks rhetorically.

Placing your possessions on the lab bench, you change out of the technician's jumpsuit and into the VR suit and helmet. You climb into the centre of the Sphere and spread your arms and legs so Justy can lock them down. This done, he steps to the workstation and does something you can't quite see.

"Okay, looks like we're all set for another run. Brace yourself!"

He throws the switch, and you soon find yourself floating in liquid space...

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves.

You experience a brief moment of sheer terror as you lose the ability to move your arms and legs, which quickly give way to fins and a flat, rudder-like tail. Freedom -- passionate, exhilarating freedom beyond any known to man -- pervades your spirit. Your vision is foggy, but your other senses appear strengthened.

The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 in D Minor, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.

Justy's voice pierces through the fantasy.

"You must've overlooked something last time. Try playing through it differently this run. We'll find that overload yet!"
action: Go west
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Thin stalks of kelp fan lazily about this shallow stretch of ocean. They disperse somewhat to the east, where clumps of coral rise to form a towering reef. Westward, the ocean floor inclines rapidly toward the surface, narrowing the seawater corridor to a thin, flat wedge.

Pebbles of gravel drift along the sandy floor, propelled by tidal currents.
action: You eat the gravel
response: You swallow up a mouthful of the gravel.
action: Go east
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

The reality around you wavers slightly.
action: Go downward
response: You flee pursuit, knifing through the water.

Only a cold blue light penetrates to these ocean depths. As the illumination dissipates, so does the field of anemones, leaving only bare rock walls in its wake. The seafloor lies directly below you, encircled by cliffs on all sides.

Curiously, a part of it seems to be made up of wooden beams. Dark algae drapes the timbers until they disappear straight downward into the seafloor, coalescing into sand and kelp.

A pair of jagged holes in the wooden surface, one on your right and one on your left, lead deeper into inky darkness.

The octopus chases after you, tentacles writhing!
action: You go right
response: You approach the hole. Before you can even get close, an enormous sea snake darts its head out and snaps you up in its massive jaws.

 Freaks me out no matter how many times I see it." He claps you lightly on the shoulder, then turns to study the printout Cynthia has spread out on the lab bench.

She flips through the pages briefly, running her fingers over the tiny raised bumps on one side, then shakes her head. "No change from last time. The analysis sweep still detects the possibility of an overload, but I can't pinpoint it."

Justy nods grimly. "It's in there somewhere." To you, he adds, "Guess we need to do another run. Can't go to the Executives with a defective program, they don't take happily to that. Take a break, come back after you've recovered a bit. I'll be waiting."

The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see an electric violin, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.

Cynthia leaves the lab to the northwest.
action: You wear VR
response: (first taking the VR suit)
"Ready to have another go at it?" Justy asks rhetorically.

Placing your possessions on the lab bench, you change out of the technician's jumpsuit and into the VR suit and helmet. You climb into the centre of the Sphere and spread your arms and legs so Justy can lock them down. This done, he steps to the workstation and does something you can't quite see.

"Okay, looks like we're all set for another run. Brace yourself!"

He throws the switch, and you soon find yourself floating in liquid space...

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves.

You experience a brief moment of sheer terror as you lose the ability to move your arms and legs, which quickly give way to fins and a flat, rudder-like tail. Freedom -- passionate, exhilarating freedom beyond any known to man -- pervades your spirit. Your vision is foggy, but your other senses appear strengthened.

The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Beethoven's Emperor Concerto, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.

Justy's voice pierces through the fantasy.

"You must've overlooked something last time. Try playing through it differently this run. We'll find that overload yet!"
action: Go west
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Thin stalks of kelp fan lazily about this shallow stretch of ocean. They disperse somewhat to the east, where clumps of coral rise to form a towering reef. Westward, the ocean floor inclines rapidly toward the surface, narrowing the seawater corridor to a thin, flat wedge.

Pebbles of gravel drift along the sandy floor, propelled by tidal currents.
action: You eat the gravel
response: ?
action: You go east
response: You swallow up a mouthful of the gravel.

?

Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.
action: You go east
response: A school of tiny fish is disturbed as you pass through the jagged hole! Startled, they flee the grotto, scattering all about you before regrouping and, like a living comet, curving gracefully and uniformly away to the north.

Precious little sunlight pierces this dark grotto from the west, muted by vague inky shapes that weave about the shadowy, porous rock surrounding you. You sense an opening in the south wall, and feel something deadly lurking there. Below you, a round opening snakes downward out of sight, into shades of deepest black.

The octopus, its attention distracted by the school, propels itself away from the grotto and out of sight.
action: You go down
response: The world spins about as currents drag you down into the tunnel, which twists and wrenches you through sharp turns, until you emerge in...
action: Go east
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.
action: Go downward
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Only a cold blue light penetrates to these ocean depths. As the illumination dissipates, so does the field of anemones, leaving only bare rock walls in its wake. The seafloor lies directly below you, encircled by cliffs on all sides.

Curiously, a part of it seems to be made up of wooden beams. Dark algae drapes the timbers until they disappear straight downward into the seafloor, coalescing into sand and kelp.

A pair of jagged holes in the wooden surface, one on your right and one on your left, lead deeper into inky darkness.

A dark shadow circles overhead alarmingly.
action: You go left
response: You approach the hole. Before you can even get close, an enormous sea snake darts its head out and snaps you up in its massive jaws.

 Freaks me out no matter how many times I see it." He claps you lightly on the shoulder, then turns to study the printout Cynthia has spread out on the lab bench.

She flips through the pages briefly, running her fingers over the tiny raised bumps on one side, then shakes her head. "No change from last time. The analysis sweep still detects the possibility of an overload, but I can't pinpoint it."

Justy nods grimly. "It's in there somewhere." To you, he adds, "Guess we need to do another run. Can't go to the Executives with a defective program, they don't take happily to that. Take a break, come back after you've recovered a bit. I'll be waiting."

The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see an electric violin, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.

Cynthia leaves the lab to the northwest.

A faint buzzing sends the pricks of a million tiny needles coursing through your right index finger and up your arm. After a few seconds, the sensation passes.
action: You go downwards
response: There are two holes here. You'll have to specify which one you want to enter.

You flap your tail furiously, but are unable to escape. A wall of jagged teeth crashes shut around you.

 Freaks me out no matter how many times I see it." He claps you lightly on the shoulder, then turns to study the printout Cynthia has spread out on the lab bench.

She flips through the pages briefly, running her fingers over the tiny raised bumps on one side, then shakes her head. "No change from last time. The analysis sweep still detects the possibility of an overload, but I can't pinpoint it."

Justy nods grimly. "It's in there somewhere." To you, he adds, "Guess we need to do another run. Can't go to the Executives with a defective program, they don't take happily to that. Take a break, come back after you've recovered a bit. I'll be waiting."

The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see an electric violin, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.

Cynthia leaves the lab to the northwest.
action: You look
response: Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.
action: You check your inventory
response: You have a mouthful of gravel.

A jellyfish balloons its way across the rift.
action: You go to the east
response: A school of tiny fish is disturbed as you pass through the jagged hole! Startled, they flee the grotto, scattering all about you before regrouping and, like a living comet, curving gracefully and uniformly away to the north.

Precious little sunlight pierces this dark grotto from the west, muted by vague inky shapes that weave about the shadowy, porous rock surrounding you. You sense an opening in the south wall, and feel something deadly lurking there. Below you, a round opening snakes downward out of sight, into shades of deepest black.
action: Go south
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

You float in cold, empty blackness, a zone of bathypelagic void, emptiness in which nothing seems to exist, not even yourself.

Far ahead, a luminous bulb weaves back and forth enticingly, as a will-o'-the-wisp. You feel drawn to it, and begin following it deeper into the darkness. An instant later, the light is yanked away abruptly, before you even have a chance to see the enormous mouth that swallows you whole.

 Freaks me out no matter how many times I see it." He claps you lightly on the shoulder, then turns to study the printout Cynthia has spread out on the lab bench.

She flips through the pages briefly, running her fingers over the tiny raised bumps on one side, then shakes her head. "No change from last time. The analysis sweep still detects the possibility of an overload, but I can't pinpoint it."

Justy nods grimly. "It's in there somewhere." To you, he adds, "Guess we need to do another run. Can't go to the Executives with a defective program, they don't take happily to that. Take a break, come back after you've recovered a bit. I'll be waiting."

The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see an electric violin, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.

Cynthia leaves the lab to the northwest.
action: You go upwards
response: You zigzag back and forth, desperate to shake your pursuer.

Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.

The shark follows, intent on devouring you!
action: Go east
response: Precious little sunlight pierces this dark grotto from the west, muted by vague inky shapes that weave about the shadowy, porous rock surrounding you. You sense an opening in the south wall, and feel something deadly lurking there. Below you, a round opening snakes downward out of sight, into shades of deepest black.

The shark, still in pursuit, attempts to squeeze into the narrow grotto. As its pointed snout passes across the threshold, a school of tiny fish is released! They attempt to scatter away, but many are pushed back into the grotto by the shark's advance. Soon the shark itself has become trapped in the grotto, but makes no effort to extricate itself, its attention still focused solely on you.

More tiny fish are generated as the shark's presence in the opening triggers the event over and over again, its bulk trapping them in the grotto with you. The space around you becomes so tightly packed that it grows difficult to breathe, and still more fish are generated!

In a split-second, a horrible snapping as the world, filled to capacity, ruptures, oozing pure data in a solid, swirling stream.

Then the onrush of darkness...

A tidal-wave of mental pictures swarms about as your mind seeks desperately to cling to them, to place them, to somehow piece back together the splintered fragments of reality.

Justy unstraps you from inside the Sphere, and you climb out, remove the VR suit, and quickly dress, hanging the suit back on its rack.

Cynthia walks in from the output station with a thick printout.

"Wow, that was intense!" Justy exclaims. The smile on his face shows obvious satisfaction.

Cynthia's fingers scrutinise the tiny indentations on the printout. "Here we go," she says. "Interpreter stack overflow on event #69105, releasing the school. Too many dynamic creations."

"Never considered that," says Justy, shaking his head before facing you. "Well, I guess that's why we debug. Gimme me about half a chron or so to fix it. Take a break, you've earned it!"

The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see an electric violin, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.

Cynthia leaves the lab to the northwest.
action: You open the drawer
response: You open the drawer, revealing a tool belt.
action: You get the belt
response: Your hands are full. You can't pick up anything more until you drop something else first.
action: You check your inventory
response: You are carrying a cold slice of pizza, a lightstick, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet and a power X-Acto knife. You are wearing a technician's jumpsuit and a fingerwatch.
action: You examine the belt
response: A long, wide strap of cracked leather, adorned with a number of hooks, loops, and clips to hold things. The metal buckle bears the likeness of the Project logo.
action: You get all except the pizza
response: Cynthia's door: That's hardly portable.
Justy: I don't suppose Justy would care for that.
lab bench: That's fixed in place.
the Sphere: That's fixed in place.
metal door: That's hardly portable.
amplifier: It's pretty heavy. You'd have to drop everything you're carrying before you could lift it. (It does have casters attached to the underside, though.)
electric violin: You unplug the electric violin and pick it up. Justy's door: That's hardly portable.

Waves of dizziness and nausea splash over you. It would be advisable to take your medication soon.
action: You wear it
response: You strap on the tool belt.

You stagger about, temporarily forgetting where you are. Memories and thoughts flicker in and out of the encroaching fog. One in particular is quite urgent, but you seem unable to grasp it.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying a lightstick, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet and a power X-Acto knife. You are wearing a tool belt, a technician's jumpsuit and a fingerwatch.
action: Peel gelstrip
response: You peel open the gelstrip.
action: You insert the syringe in the hand
response: That can't contain things.

Amid fleeting consciousness, you sink to the floor, retching violently, your body convulsing spasmodically...

You wake to find Justy's concerned face hovering over you.

"Jesus, you scared the hell out of me! You're lucky I heard the commotion and managed to get Dr Shimada in time for a shot of glucagon, or you wouldn't have made it. Be more careful next time."

He turns to go, adding, "Take it easy for awhile, you hear? When you've recovered a bit, the fish VR is ready for the next run."
action: You examine the syringe
response: The hairsbreadth point gleams menacingly. You are certain now that its contents were not insulin. What, then? And why the need for the shots? Jesus Christ, what did they DO to you?!

Amid fleeting consciousness, you sink to the floor, retching violently, your body convulsing spasmodically...

You wake to find Justy's concerned face hovering over you.

"Jesus, you scared the hell out of me! You're lucky I heard the commotion and managed to get Dr Shimada in time for a shot of glucagon, or you wouldn't have made it. Be more careful next time."

He turns to go, adding, "Take it easy for awhile, you hear? When you've recovered a bit, the fish VR is ready for the next run."
action: You inject the syringe
response: Gingerly you push the tiny point of the syringe through your skin, eliciting a faint pop, and into the thick vein on the inside of your right elbow joint. A press of the needle's switch, and the insulin flows away in your bloodstream.
action: Go west
response: You open Dr Shimada's office door.



With the Project approaching conclusion, Dr Shimada's workload has increased geometrically. Several open and disarrayed filing cabinets and the layer of paperwork covering her desktop and computer belie her typical attention to immaculacy.

On your right is a small wooden shelf, bulging with assorted books.

Dr Shimada works furiously at her desk.

On Dr Shimada's desk is Dr Shimada's cellular phone.
action: You ask Shimada about the syringe
response: Dr Shimada waves you away impatiently.
action: Go east
response: (closing Dr Shimada's office door on the way out)

Fluorescent lights cast a harsh, blurry glare on bundles of cable stretching overhead, and on metal walls, not quite reflective. The glare breaks at a doorway in the south wall, and at the west end of the east-west corridor, outside Dr Shimada's office.

On the north wall are a pair of closed elevator doors.
action: You go east
response: The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see an electric violin, a cold slice of pizza, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
action: You enter the tank
response: A rather strange request. You're not an android... are you?
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying a lightstick, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet and a power X-Acto knife. You are wearing a tool belt, a technician's jumpsuit and a fingerwatch.
action: You look at the knife
response: A round-handled electrical cutting tool with a sharp, vibrating (and replaceable) blade. It's powered by its own internal fusion cell.
action: You go to the southeast
response: This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.

Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.

Hanging near the door is a painting by H.R. Giger.

On your bed is a pillow.
action: You remove the painting
response: (first taking the painting by H.R. Giger)
Taken.

Now you remember why you hung it here in the first place: There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.
action: Cut niche
response: What do you want to cut the niche with?
action: Knife
response: Cutting that up would achieve little.
action: You look in the niche
response: The niche is empty.
action: You feel the north wall
response: You'll have to get into the shadowy alcove first.
action: You go alcove
response: You get into the shadowy alcove.

In the shadowy alcove you can see plywood shelves.
action: You pull the shelf
response: You rattle the shelves slightly.
action: You hit the shelf with the knife
response: Pointless destruction. How typically human.
action: You climb shelf
response: You doubt the shelves would support you.
action: You go outside
response: You get out of the shadowy alcove.

This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.

Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.

There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.

On your bed is a pillow.
action: You go to the northwest
response: The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see an electric violin, a cold slice of pizza, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.

"Okay, this should do it," says Justy, glancing up at you. "Anytime you're ready, we can have another go at it."
action: You get the amp
response: It's pretty heavy. You'd have to drop everything you're carrying before you could lift it. (It does have casters attached to the underside, though.)
action: Go outside
response: You get out of the shadowy alcove.

This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.

Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.

There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.

On your bed is a pillow.

You can also see an amplifier here.
action: You remove the shelf
response: (first taking plywood shelves)
That's fixed in place.
action: You go to the southeast
response: You'll have to get out of the shadowy alcove first.
action: Go outside
response: You get out of the shadowy alcove.

This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.

Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.

There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.

On your bed is a pillow.

You can also see an amplifier here.
action: You examine  the knife
response: A round-handled electrical cutting tool with a sharp, vibrating (and replaceable) blade. It's powered by its own internal fusion cell.
action: Go northwest
response: The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see a painting by H.R. Giger, an electric violin, a cold slice of pizza and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
action: Go south
response: A rather stark infirmary, with cold cement walls and floor lit by a single flickering fluorescent bulb. It feels more like a morgue than a medical facility. An exit leads north.

You can see a metal gurney, an IV stand and a medical cabinet (which is empty) here.
action: Go southeast
response: This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.

Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.

There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.

On your bed is a pillow.

You can also see a metal gurney and an amplifier here.
action: You drop violin
response: Dropped.
action: Go northwest
response: The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see a painting by H.R. Giger, a cold slice of pizza and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
action: You go northeast
response: A small kitchen and dining area rolled into one.

On the counter is a pair of metal kitchen tongs.

You can also see a three-hole punch, a bow, a combination refrigerator/freezer and a microwave oven (which is closed and empty) here.
action: You get the bow
response: Taken.
action: Go southeast
response: This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.

Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.

There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.

On your bed is a pillow.

You can also see an electric violin, a metal gurney and an amplifier here.
action: You throw the bow
response: Dropped.
action: You cut the shelf
response: What do you want to cut plywood shelves with?
action: Knife
response: Cutting that up would achieve little.
action: Go southwest
response: You get out of the shadowy alcove.

This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.

Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.

There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.

On your bed is a pillow.

You can also see an electric violin, a metal gurney and an amplifier here.
action: You stand on the gurney
response: You lie down on the gurney.
action: You drop all
response: power X-Acto knife: Dropped.
antitoxin caplet: Dropped.
gelstrip: Dropped.
hypodermic syringe: Dropped.
lightstick: Dropped.
bow: Dropped.
action: You go to the southwest
response: You get out of the shadowy alcove.

This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.

Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.

There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.

On your bed is a pillow.

You can also see a metal gurney, an electric violin and an amplifier here.
action: Go northeast
response: You get into the shadowy alcove.

In the shadowy alcove you can see a bow, a lightstick, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet, a power X-Acto knife and plywood shelves.
action: You get all
response: plywood shelves: That's fixed in place.
power X-Acto knife: Taken.
antitoxin caplet: Taken.
gelstrip: Taken.
hypodermic syringe: Taken.
lightstick: Taken.
bow: Taken.
action: You look up VR in the manual
response: Which do you mean, virtual reality, VR suit, VR viruses or VR specification?
action: Virtual reality
response: You find the following:
  A Brief History of Virtual Reality

The concept of virtual reality is generally attributed to author William Gibson, but it was Jaron Lanier of VPL Research (now part of the BranMuffin World Conglomerate) who first coined the term "virtual reality".

Early VR systems were used in CAD, medical and scientific research, robotics, and the training of pilots, but their most popular use has always been entertainment. The first VRs required users to don large, bulky goggles equipped with tiny monitors for each eye to enter a world of crude polygon graphics. Visual input and output equipment was limited to goggles, gloves and waist sensors.

The invention of full-body suits, equipped with millions of tiny sensors, came about in the 1990s, through the use of fiber-optics and holographic imagery. VR hit home computers in the mid-1990s with the advent of VRML, a "markup language" that could be read by various "browsers" or "interpreters". Often these programs were built into headsets and gloves that could be connected to a computer via an adapter card. What is now called the First Generation of VR came to a halt when the viruses began to appear. Today, the Second Generation of VR is nearing birth, with full virtual sensory reality just around the corner. The Corporation is dedicated to protecting the integrity of this new technology through meticulous security measures, in order to avoid the fatal flaws of the First Generation of VR.

SEE ALSO: VR Specification, VR Viruses
action: You look up the vr viruses in the manual
response: You find the following:
  Rather than simply crashing systems or corrupting files, the creators of early VR viruses took a more sinister purpose: By manipulating the operation of VR hardware, the viruses were able to produce incredibly bright lights and loud, high-pitched sounds that could actually blind or deafen people due to the equipment's close proximity to the sensory organs. Fear of this uncorrectable damage to persons instilled fear in the technology, ultimately pushing it by the wayside.
action: You look up the vr specification in the manual
response: You find the following:
  The storage structure of a sensory VR is modelled after an early world-building technique developed in the early 1980s, now forgotten. Objects, their properties and attributes, and the sim's functions and global variables are all stored in a specific format in order to ensure compliance with all VR systems.

It is important to note that only those aspects directly pertaining to the behaviour of the VR world are stored here. Details of the presentation of such worlds are invoked in the stored VR, but undergo actual execution in a separate program, called an "interpreter". As various systems are developed to make use of sensory VR, this standardisation will permit fundamentally different sensors, central processors, etc. to invoke the same virtual world, with no need for specialised versions.

The exact storage format is detailed as follows: 

At this point, Justy's docs launch into a long, dull description of a stored VR, ridiculously simplified for the Executives:

"The computer sees the stored reality as a series of ones and zeroes..."

This continues for approximately 100 pages, but, lacking both the time and the patience, you stop reading.
action: You cut the stick with the knife
response: Yes, I suppose you could, but the liquid would just spill all over and make a mess.
action: You go to the north
response: Ironic proof against the aphorism that supercomputers are shrinking dominates this section of the lab. The walls and narrow walkways enclose the Project's brain, an enormous Cray ZMP-2010X whose size is directly proportional to its awesome processing power. Equally large racks of storage media occupy the four corners.
action: You hit justy
response: Your sense of right and wrong refuses to permit this.
action: You shake justy
response: Shake it, baby!
action: Examine monitor
response: Justy created this graphical interface to suit the Project, replacing the hopelessly outdated "Windows 2000" O/S which came pre-installed.

The desktop currently displays a mouse cursor, a "Launch" icon, a "Configure" icon, a "Report" icon, a "Debug" icon, a "System" icon and a "Flush" icon.
action: You move the mouse
response: (the ergonomic mouse)
The mouse cursor glides in a graceful arc across the screen.
action: You move the mouse to the Configure Icon
response: (the ergonomic mouse to the "Configure" icon)
The mouse cursor glides in a graceful arc across the screen.
action: You examine mouse
response: (the ergonomic mouse)
A standard white two-button ergonomic input device.
action: Double click mouse button
response: Which do you mean, the left mouse button or the right mouse button?
action: Left
response: The mouse emits a pair of sharp, satisfying clicks.
action: Examine monitor
response: Justy created this graphical interface to suit the Project, replacing the hopelessly outdated "Windows 2000" O/S which came pre-installed.

The desktop currently displays a mouse cursor, a "Launch" icon, a "Configure" icon, a "Report" icon, a "Debug" icon, a "System" icon and a "Flush" icon.
action: You move the mouse to the Report Icon
response: (the ergonomic mouse to the "Report" icon)
The mouse cursor glides in a graceful arc across the screen.
action: You go northeast
response: A small kitchen and dining area rolled into one.

On the counter is a pair of metal kitchen tongs.

You can also see a three-hole punch, a combination refrigerator/freezer and a microwave oven (which is closed and empty) here.
action: You put the light in the freezer
response: Alas, it is closed.
action: You open the freezer
response: Frosty air billows out around you.

You open the freezer part of the combination refrigerator/freezer.
action: You put light in the freezer
response: You put the lightstick into the freezer part of the combination refrigerator/freezer.
action: Close the freezer
response: You close the freezer part of the combination refrigerator/freezer.
action: You ask Cynthia about bug
response: "Do you have to ask me about EVERYTHING?"
action: You go to the southwest
response: Justy's quarters are just as sparsely furnished as yours, with only a bed, desk, and a few of Justy's personal belongings.

The south wall is completely taken up Justy's film library.

Hanging nearby is a framed sketch by M.C. Escher.

The holovision set is on, displaying the "technical difficulties" still frame.
action: You watch
response: What do you want to watch?
action: Holovision
response: The cute little "Technical Difficulties" still frame shows a distraught cameraman hopelessly tangled in a mess of cables. A cute little bouncy tune jingles in the background. (It would seem that no one can yet recall the name of that ex-football star.)
action: You get the star wars
response: Leave Justy's things alone.
action: You remove Escher
response: (first taking the sketch by M.C. Escher)
There's nothing behind it.
action: You drop the sketch
response: Already on the floor.
action: You look at the pizza
response: Pepperoni.
action: You go to the south
response: A rather stark infirmary, with cold cement walls and floor lit by a single flickering fluorescent bulb. It feels more like a morgue than a medical facility. An exit leads north.

You can see an IV stand and a medical cabinet (which is empty) here.
action: You move stand north
response: You push the IV stand along with you.

The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see a painting by H.R. Giger, a cold slice of pizza and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
action: You move it se
response: You push the IV stand along with you.

This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.

Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.

There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.

On your bed is a pillow.

You can also see a metal gurney, an electric violin and an amplifier here.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying a bow, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet and a power X-Acto knife. You are wearing a tool belt, a technician's jumpsuit and a fingerwatch.
action: You look at the jumpsuit
response: A standard-issue grey Project uniform, loose-fitting and comfortable, emblazoned with the Project logo.
action: Press logo
response: You find nothing of interest.
action: You remove the logo
response: You can't see any such thing.



You can't see any such thing.
action: You remove the jumpsuit
response: Unfortunately, you seem to have developed a sense of modesty, which serves to prevent you from doing that.
action: You examine the rectangle
response: As far as you can remember, there has never been a mirror here. It must have been removed before you came to the Project.

Something is strange -- an echoing, shadowy air of inconsistency about the place where a mirror once hung, but you can't quite place it...
action: Go southwest
response: (first closing the freezer)

The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see a painting by H.R. Giger, a cold slice of pizza and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
action: You examine the light
response: Clear liquid sealed in a vial of pale green plastic, capped at one end.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are carrying a lightstick, a bow, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet and a power X-Acto knife. You are wearing a tool belt, a technician's jumpsuit and a fingerwatch.
action: Examine watch
response: Like anyone in today's highly time-controlled society, you have a small clock affixed to your right index finger, continuously winking the correct time, according to the International Chronometer.

It has a built-in alarm which can be set to alert you with a painful little jolt when the timer expires. (It's also digital, which you always thought was pretty neat.)

Currently, your fingerwatch reads "7362".
action: You wear the vr suit
response: (first taking the VR suit)
"Ready to have another go at it?" Justy asks rhetorically.

Placing your possessions on the lab bench, you change out of the technician's jumpsuit and into the VR suit and helmet. You climb into the centre of the Sphere and spread your arms and legs so Justy can lock them down. This done, he steps to the workstation and does something you can't quite see.

"Okay, looks like we're all set for another run. Brace yourself!"

He throws the switch, and you soon find yourself floating in liquid space...

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves.

You experience a brief moment of sheer terror as you lose the ability to move your arms and legs, which quickly give way to fins and a flat, rudder-like tail. Freedom -- passionate, exhilarating freedom beyond any known to man -- pervades your spirit. Your vision is foggy, but your other senses appear strengthened.

The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Beethoven's Emperor Concerto, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.

Justy's voice rings clear through the barrier of illusion.

"A quick play through is all we need, but make sure you win it. Sometimes you get interpreter crashes after a major memory reallocation. Wouldn't do to show a faulty world to the Executives."
action: Go west
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Thin stalks of kelp fan lazily about this shallow stretch of ocean. They disperse somewhat to the east, where clumps of coral rise to form a towering reef. Westward, the ocean floor inclines rapidly toward the surface, narrowing the seawater corridor to a thin, flat wedge.

Pebbles of gravel drift along the sandy floor, propelled by tidal currents.
action: Go east
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves. The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Debussy's Arabesque no. 2, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.
action: Go west
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.

A jellyfish balloons its way across the rift.
action: Go east
response: Precious little sunlight pierces this dark grotto from the west, muted by vague inky shapes that weave about the shadowy, porous rock surrounding you. You sense an opening in the south wall, and feel something deadly lurking there. Below you, a round opening snakes downward out of sight, into shades of deepest black.

The shark circles the grotto opening briefly before swimming back the way it came.
action: You go west
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.
action: Go west
response: You zigzag back and forth, desperate to shake your pursuer.

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves. The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.

The shark follows, intent on devouring you!
action: You go to the west
response: You zigzag back and forth, desperate to shake your pursuer.

Thin stalks of kelp fan lazily about this shallow stretch of ocean. They disperse somewhat to the east, where clumps of coral rise to form a towering reef. Westward, the ocean floor inclines rapidly toward the surface, narrowing the seawater corridor to a thin, flat wedge.

The shark follows, intent on devouring you!

A red crab scuttles along the sand below you.
action: Go west
response: You zigzag back and forth, desperate to shake your pursuer.

The tide buffets you constantly in the tight confines between mounds of brown sand which barely break through the watery surface. Clouds of sediments and silt whirl about you, stirred by the cresting waves, and it's difficult to maneuver.

An insistent, claustrophobic panic taps at your consciousness, advising you to seek deeper waters to the east rather than attempt to venture westward, closer to the shore.

The shark, kept at bay by the shore's proximity, circles patiently a short distance away before moving on.
action: You go to the east
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Thin stalks of kelp fan lazily about this shallow stretch of ocean. They disperse somewhat to the east, where clumps of coral rise to form a towering reef. Westward, the ocean floor inclines rapidly toward the surface, narrowing the seawater corridor to a thin, flat wedge.
action: Go east
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves. The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.
action: Go east
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.
action: Go down
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Only a cold blue light penetrates to these ocean depths. As the illumination dissipates, so does the field of anemones, leaving only bare rock walls in its wake. The seafloor lies directly below you, encircled by cliffs on all sides.

Curiously, a part of it seems to be made up of wooden beams. Dark algae drapes the timbers until they disappear straight downward into the seafloor, coalescing into sand and kelp.

A pair of jagged holes in the wooden surface, one on your right and one on your left, lead deeper into inky darkness.
action: Go downwards
response: There are two holes here. You'll have to specify which one you want to enter.
action: You go right
response: You approach the hole. Before you can even get close, an enormous sea snake darts its head out and snaps you up in its massive jaws.

*** You have died ***

Well, okay, not really. But you've reached an exit point in the current VR session...

A tidal-wave of mental pictures swarms about as your mind seeks desperately to cling to them, to place them, to somehow piece back together the splintered fragments of reality.

Justy unstraps you from inside the Sphere, and you climb out, remove the VR suit, and quickly dress, hanging the suit back on its rack.

Cynthia walks in from the output station with a thick printout.

Justy turns to you. "Nice run, but we need a complete pass through it to be sure there are no aftereffects from that last bug fix. Try it again when you're ready."

The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see a painting by H.R. Giger, a cold slice of pizza and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.

Cynthia leaves the lab to the northwest.

The VR session has exacted its toll on your hyperglycemic body. You feel an urgent need for your insulin medication.
action: Go upward
response: Thrashing your tail wildly, you propel yourself up to grab a quick glance at the world above. For a brief but terrifying moment, you are unable to breathe, but then, silently and gracefully, you slip back below the waves.

Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.
action: You go to the north
response: Your progress is halted by porous rock walls.
action: You descend
response: The world spins about as currents drag you down into the tunnel, which twists and wrenches you through sharp turns, until you emerge in...

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves. The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But deFalla's Ritual Fire Dance, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.
action: Go west
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Thin stalks of kelp fan lazily about this shallow stretch of ocean. They disperse somewhat to the east, where clumps of coral rise to form a towering reef. Westward, the ocean floor inclines rapidly toward the surface, narrowing the seawater corridor to a thin, flat wedge.
action: Go east
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves. The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Faure's Requiem, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.
action: Go south
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

You float in cold, empty blackness, a zone of bathypelagic void, emptiness in which nothing seems to exist, not even yourself.

Far ahead, a luminous bulb weaves back and forth enticingly, as a will-o'-the-wisp. You feel drawn to it, and begin following it deeper into the darkness. An instant later, the light is yanked away abruptly, before you even have a chance to see the enormous mouth that swallows you whole.

*** You have died ***

Well, okay, not really. But you've reached an exit point in the current VR session...

A tidal-wave of mental pictures swarms about as your mind seeks desperately to cling to them, to place them, to somehow piece back together the splintered fragments of reality.

Justy unstraps you from inside the Sphere, and you climb out, remove the VR suit, and quickly dress, hanging the suit back on its rack.

Cynthia walks in from the output station with a thick printout.

Justy turns to you. "Nice run, but we need a complete pass through it to be sure there are no aftereffects from that last bug fix. Try it again when you're ready."

The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.

The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.

Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.

You can also see a painting by H.R. Giger, a cold slice of pizza and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.

Cynthia leaves the lab to the northwest.
action: You drop the gravel
response: You spit the gravel out again.
action: You examine the gravel
response: A small patch of smooth, rounded, colourful stones.
action: You go downward
response: It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing.

The VR session has exacted its toll on your hyperglycemic body. You feel an urgent need for your insulin medication.
action: Go downward
response: You dart downward, almost grazing the seafloor, then flash back up again.
action: You look around
response: Only a cold blue light penetrates to these ocean depths. As the illumination dissipates, so does the field of anemones, leaving only bare rock walls in its wake. The seafloor lies directly below you, encircled by cliffs on all sides.

Curiously, a part of it seems to be made up of wooden beams. Dark algae drapes the timbers until they disappear straight downward into the seafloor, coalescing into sand and kelp.

A pair of jagged holes in the wooden surface, one on your right and one on your left, lead deeper into inky darkness.

You can see some pebbles of gravel here.
action: Go downward
response: The world spins about as currents drag you down into the tunnel, which twists and wrenches you through sharp turns, until you emerge in...

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves. The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Chopin's Nocturne no. 1, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.
action: Go downwards
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Only a cold blue light penetrates to these ocean depths. As the illumination dissipates, so does the field of anemones, leaving only bare rock walls in its wake. The seafloor lies directly below you, encircled by cliffs on all sides.

Curiously, a part of it seems to be made up of wooden beams. Dark algae drapes the timbers until they disappear straight downward into the seafloor, coalescing into sand and kelp.

A pair of jagged holes in the wooden surface, one on your right and one on your left, lead deeper into inky darkness.

You can see some pebbles of gravel here.
action: You go to the west
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves. The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Gliere's Russian Sailor's Dance, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.
action: You go to the west
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

The tide buffets you constantly in the tight confines between mounds of brown sand which barely break through the watery surface. Clouds of sediments and silt whirl about you, stirred by the cresting waves, and it's difficult to maneuver.

An insistent, claustrophobic panic taps at your consciousness, advising you to seek deeper waters to the east rather than attempt to venture westward, closer to the shore.
action: You go to the east
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves. The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Bach's Goldberg Variations, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.

The reality around you wavers slightly.
action: You listen
response: Sounds rush by in somber, hollow echoes.
action: You go east
response: Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.

Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.

A spotted stingray flaps lazily along the seafloor.
action: You go to the west
response: The cliffs surround you on all sides.
action: Go upward
response: Thrashing your tail wildly, you propel yourself up to grab a quick glance at the world above. For a brief but terrifying moment, you are unable to breathe, but then, silently and gracefully, you slip back below the waves.

Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.

A jellyfish balloons its way across the rift.
action: Go upward
response: Thrashing your tail wildly, you propel yourself up to grab a quick glance at the world above. For a brief but terrifying moment, you are unable to breathe, but then, silently and gracefully, you slip back below the waves.

Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.
action: Go upward
response: The ceiling of the grotto is in your way.
action: You go east
response: Your progress is halted by porous rock walls.
action: Inventory
response: You're not carrying anything. Not surprising, seeing as how you're a fish, and fish don't have hands to carry things with.
action: About yourself
response: You're a fish. Specifically, a yellow-finned grouper. Quite a nice-looking one too, as fish go.