Prelude to Night
by Ivan Cockrum (2000)
Genres: Science Fiction


action: %
response: Klckt.

Cold. Silence. The egg lies in a nest of rock and ice, dormant but for a few key monitor functions. Blind eyes and deaf ears converge on a remote blue speck a milliyear removed. Little of interest exists elsewhere.

Klckt tik.

Periodically, some anomaly invites inspection. Analysis is swift and thorough. Ordinarily, the egg logs the data and then returns to its ordained task. Divergence. The anomaly has scanned back.

Klckt tik tik tik BEEP.

Recognition. The egg responds with a blush of activity. Energy wells from its core, breathing life to dead systems. Initialization routines chatter and hum in an overlapping chorus of electronic voices.
Visitors are coming.

Dee DEEP.

[Hit any key to continue.]
Prelude to Night

Based on Sea of Night by G. Kevin Wilson (c) 1997

The author's notes may be read by typing 'note'.

[Hit any key to continue.]
The stars whorl sickeningly as you commence your attack on the capital ship. You slide into a long downward spiral in an attempt to evade enemy fire.
action: Note
response: Ivan's notes here.

Your ship lurches beneath the incessent concussion of nearby explosions. You look for the object of your attack. There it is; a mammoth gun that spits flaming blue bile at your harried forces.
action: About yourself
response: You find yourself to be curiously indistinct, almost ethereal.

You ignore the persistent flash of smaller guns. Eyes locked on the bore of that gaping maw, you can only watch in horror as it powers up for another volley. Wisps of energy leap and crackle about its rim in a deadly nimbus.
action: You look at the gun
response: It's huge. From where you sit, it looks large enough to swallow planets. It crackles with blue fire.

"Captain!" shouts an unstrung voice. The gun roils on towards full potential as you continue your deep, lazy slide. Tiny warrior craft buzz angrily in your wake, adding to the constant barrage of stinging fire.
action: You enter the gun
response: I don't know how to enter the enemy gun.

The great maw bubbles like a cauldron, brimming over with luminous energy. "Captain! We've been acquired!" As if in confirmation, a well aimed shot impacts your aft shields. The resulting blast nearly rocks you from your seat, but you remain locked on course.
action: Inventory
response: You have:
Nothing

Fire from the pursuing craft intensifies, battering you beneath a series of well aimed blasts. "Captain! Shields are down!" Critical systems overload, erupting in dark clouds of acrid smoke. "Captain! Thrusters gone!"
action: Attack
response: What do you want to attack?
action: Maw
response: There seems to be no reason to do that.

You stare down into the gravid blue pit that fills your screen and scream, "Now! Fire all weapons!" The ship rattles as it expels its lethal payload. You watch as the missiles blaze like burning comets toward the icy bowels of hell.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes...

And hell answers back, bathing you in heavenly blue radiance.

"Captain! Captaaaain!"

[Hit any key to continue.]
Captain's Quarters, on your sleeping platform
Though there's little to define it as such, this chamber comprises your quarters. A sleeping platform extends from one wall. Against another is a small pedestal on which rests an ornate prayer box. To the east, a closed iris leads to the next chamber.

You wake groggily, the fear of your dream still shifting in your belly like a dollop of hot mercury.

"Captain."
action: You stand
response: Okay, you're no longer in your sleeping platform.

A voice from everywhere and nowhere asks, "Were you dreaming, Captain?" It is Star.

"Yes, Star," you say. "I was dreaming of the Sharush again." The Sharush, whose captain flew straight into the maw of the beast so that we might escape, you think.
action: You look at the box
response: This ornate prayer box has been in your family for generations. It was carved with exquisite craftsmanship from a single block of ironwood. The doors, which display a pair of fierce guardians, are shut.

"I am sorry to have awakened you, Captain, but your presence is urgently required in the navigation chamber."

The specifics of your dream flee as you gradually become more alert, leaving you with a lingering sense of dread.
action: East
response: The iris squelches open, and you step through it to the central hall.

The vibrations of Star's heart are strong here, though not as strong as usual, and very irregular. Constant tremors run through the floor, and the walls are unusually reddish in hue. The corridor continues both to the north and south, and there are sealed irises leading into the walls to east and west.
action: You go to the north
response: This area is identical to the South Junction. Ladders lead down circular tunnels to the east and west, though each tunnel is obstructed by a sealed iris. The main corridor continues to the north and south.
action: You go north
response: This part of the corridor is exceptionally narrow. The walls are a very pale pink, almost to the point of being white. The corridor continues to the south and ends in some kind of iris to the north.

Star's voice reaches you from no specific point to say, "Captain, please report to the navigation chamber. Your presence is urgently required".
action: You go to the north
response: The iris squelches open, and you step inside, finding another one just ahead. The first iris closes, and then the second one opens. A bit bemused, you step through into the room beyond.

Hanging in the air is an enormous torus. The walls here are a very pale white, almost green. The odor of Star's digestive tract is nearly overwhelming here. An iris blocks the corridor leading south.
action: You look at the torus
response: Looking closer, you see a small half-twist in the torus near the top, making this object a mobius strip. The hole in its center is nearly two meters in diameter. Nothing is visible through the hole except inky blackness.

Star's voice reaches you from no specific point to say, "Captain, please report to the navigation chamber. Your presence is urgently required".
action: You go south
response: The iris squelches open, and you step inside, finding another one just ahead. The first iris closes, and then the second one opens. You step through into the room beyond.

This part of the corridor is exceptionally narrow. The walls are a very pale pink, almost to the point of being white. The corridor continues to the south and ends in some kind of iris to the north.
action: You go west
response: Star says, "I am sorry, Captain, but I have sealed off my non-critical extremities in order to preserve life support at my core."

Star's voice reaches you from no specific point to say, "Captain, please report to the navigation chamber. Your presence is urgently required".
action: Go south
response: The vibrations of Star's heart are strong here, though not as strong as usual, and very irregular. Constant tremors run through the floor, and the walls are unusually reddish in hue. The corridor continues both to the north and south, and there are sealed irises leading into the walls to east and west.
action: You go west
response: The iris squelches open, and you step through it to your quarters.

Though there's little to define it as such, this chamber comprises your quarters. A sleeping platform extends from one wall. Against another is a small pedestal on which rests an ornate prayer box. To the east, a closed iris leads to the next chamber.

Star's voice reaches you from no specific point to say, "Captain, please report to the navigation chamber. Your presence is urgently required".
action: You go east
response: The iris squelches open, and you step through it to the central hall.

The vibrations of Star's heart are strong here, though not as strong as usual, and very irregular. Constant tremors run through the floor, and the walls are unusually reddish in hue. The corridor continues both to the north and south, and there are sealed irises leading into the walls to east and west.
action: You go east
response: The iris squelches open, and you step through it to the navigation chamber.

Though Star can be helmed by less traditional means, the navigation deck offers a more standardized command interface. A semi-circular console sweeps the large chamber, encrusted with odd but recognizeable controls, and is accessible from a gimbal mounted chair. The forward wall of the chamber consists of a thick membrane that can be set to varying degrees of opacity. Currently, it displays an uninspiring view of the icy planet below, edged with a sprinking of stars.

You also see a sister ship - another survivor of the Kim-Ma-Tu fleet.

The console is inhabited by Nu-Banda, your Uru-Sha-Iltanu. She expertly manuevers the chair along its track, reading a gauge here, adjusting a dial there.
action: You sit on the chair
response: The chair is already occupied by Nu-Banda.
action: You look at the console
response: The navigation console is one of a small few concessions to traditional human design. You recognize the majority of its controls and feedback from long standing experience with standard space craft. Also apparent are some strange elements unique to Star. Much of the console's functionality is redundant, as Star can be communicated with through more efficient means, and is largely self-monitoring. However, the nav console was included in the event that Star's central mentality should be damaged or incapacitated - a decision that has already proven its merit.
action: You look
response: Though Star can be helmed by less traditional means, the navigation deck offers a more standardized command interface. A semi-circular console sweeps the large chamber, encrusted with odd but recognizeable controls, and is accessible from a gimbal mounted chair. The forward wall of the chamber consists of a thick membrane that can be set to varying degrees of opacity. Currently, it displays an uninspiring view of the icy planet below, edged with a sprinking of stars.

You also see a sister ship - another survivor of the Kim-Ma-Tu fleet.

The console is inhabited by Nu-Banda, your Uru-Sha-Iltanu. She expertly manuevers the chair along its track, reading a gauge here, adjusting a dial there.
action: You ask Star about the navigation
response: "The navigation console and chair allow a human pilot to interface
with me in what you would consider a traditional manner, Captain. I consider it cumbersome, but it is in my directives to work within its limitations."
action: You ask Star abouNu-Banda
response: "I'm sorry, Captain. I have no knowledge of that."
action: You sit
response: What do you want to sit on?
action: Go west
response: The iris squelches open, and you step through it to your quarters.

Though there's little to define it as such, this chamber comprises your quarters. A sleeping platform extends from one wall. Against another is a small pedestal on which rests an ornate prayer box. To the east, a closed iris leads to the next chamber.
action: You open the box
response: Opened.
action: You look in the box
response: This ornate prayer box has been in your family for generations. It was carved with exquisite craftsmanship from a single block of ironwood. Currently the doors are open to reveal a pair of figures, each sitting cross-legged in a pose of mutual contemplation.
action: You examine the screen
response: Below you lies a barren world of ice, partly eclipsed by its sister satellite. Beyond the planet's rim lie the stars, and the inky velvet night.

Suspended squarely in your screen, several kilometers distant, is another Kim-Ma-Tu ship. It looks like a small toy that has been hung like an ornament above the snowy globe below.
action: You ask Star about the planet
response: "Data suggests that planet Z29 contains an atmosphere rich in
nitrogen and oxygen, an ideal mixture for me to absorb. However, I do not have enough energy remaining to open the mobius gate to that distance, or for a long enough duration to absorb what I require."
action: You ask Star about the mobius gate
response: "The mobius gate is capable of sending you to the surface of any
known planets within range by folding space. You need a wrist recall device in order to activate the gate from planetside. As you know, when I travel, I use the gate to cut the distance immeasurably. Given my current energy levels, I can not leave this space until I have refueled."
action: You ask Star about the ship
response: "I'm sorry, Captain. I have no knowledge of that."
action: Status
response: In a total of 46 turns, you have achieved a score of 0 point(s) out of a possible 8.
action: You ask Star about the wrist recall
response: "The wrist recall device is worn when entering the mobius gate in
order to be able to return to me. To operate, you simply twist it.
The mobius gate will then open near you. However, as I have very little energy to maintain the gate, be sure not to call for it until you have located a supply of fuel for me."
action: You go to the west
response: The iris squelches open, and you step through it to the central hall.

The vibrations of Star's heart are strong here, though not as strong as usual, and very irregular. Constant tremors run through the floor, and the walls are unusually reddish in hue. The corridor continues both to the north and south, and there are sealed irises leading into the walls to east and west.
action: Go south
response: Ladders lead down circular tunnels to the east and west. Star's constant spin creates enough centripetal force to simulate nearly a full g, enabling you to walk up the 'walls' to the holes and then fall down either one. However, the western ladder ends in a sealed iris. The main corridor continues north, while another sealed iris blocks passage to the south. The iris to the south is scarred and burned.
action: Go east
response: You walk up to the east ladder, and then climb down it.

A ladder leads upwards out of this spacious room. The room is dominated by the med tank, filled with Star's vital fluids. There is also a reddish tube hanging from the ceiling. The floor here, besides the pool, is a hard, glossy black.

Lying submerged in the tank is Gar-Du, your Dumu-Sal-Aga. She was severely wounded in the recent battle. Sitting on the floor beside her with an expression of long suffering consternation is Sal-Me, the ship's Ba-Ha-Ru and Gar-Du's partner.
A Sal-Me is here.

Taking a deep breath, you feel strangely comfortable and relaxed. Your heart rate slows down, and you feel a bit better.

Star says, "Sickbay operational."
action: You examine sal-yourself
response: Sal-Me is your ship's Ba-Ha-Ru, or Prophetess, whose role it is to aid the crew in spirital matters. Her scarlet robes are torn and bloodied, and she bears the signs of physical exhaustion. So far as you know, she has not left Gar-Du's side since her immersion in the pool. Were she not Gar-Du's Hala Si-Il, or spiritual partner, you would have commanded her to bed many hours ago.
action: You ask Sal-yourself abouGar-Du
response: Sal-Me glances tiredly at you but fails to answer. She is bleary-eyed with exhaustion and concern.
action: You examine the pool
response: The pool is about two meters long, one meter wide, and one meter deep. Looking carefully, you note that the bottom of the pool is covered with large cilia. Currently, the pool is occupied by Gar-Du, your Dumu-Sal-Aga.
action: You ask Star abouGar-Du
response: "I'm sorry, Captain. I have no knowledge of that."
action: You ask Star about the pool
response: "The sick bay is in operational condition, as you know, Captain. It
is a first priority function, so it was not shut down to conserve energy. I hope that it is able to heal crew member Gar-Du."
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You have:
Nothing
action: Go west
response: Ladders lead down circular tunnels to the east and west. Star's constant spin creates enough centripetal force to simulate nearly a full g, enabling you to walk up the 'walls' to the holes and then fall down either one. However, the western ladder ends in a sealed iris. The main corridor continues north, while another sealed iris blocks passage to the south. The iris to the south is scarred and burned.
action: You ask Star about Star
response: "Yes, Captain. Performing diagnostic check. As you know, I
acquired extensive damage during the recent battle." Star's calm bravery tingles in your throat, causing you to swallow a small pang of guilt. "My offensive and defensive capabilities are marginal, and I have only enough energy to open the mobius gate for a few moments. I am badly in need of nitrogen to begin repairs."
action: You go north
response: The vibrations of Star's heart are strong here, though not as strong as usual, and very irregular. Constant tremors run through the floor, and the walls are unusually reddish in hue. The corridor continues both to the north and south, and there are sealed irises leading into the walls to east and west.
action: You look at the platform
response: It's a soft, fleshy extrusion that extends from a wall of the chamber. Though you've grown used to it, it still reminds you uncomfortably of a large tongue.
action: You look at the pedestal
response: This ornate prayer box has been in your family for generations. It was carved with exquisite craftsmanship from a single block of ironwood. Currently the doors are open to reveal a pair of figures, each sitting cross-legged in a pose of mutual contemplation.
action: You sit
response: (your sleeping platform)
Okay, you're now sitting on your sleeping platform.
action: You go north
response: This part of the corridor is exceptionally narrow. The walls are a very pale pink, almost to the point of being white. The corridor continues to the south and ends in some kind of iris to the north.
action: You go to the north
response: The iris squelches open, and you step inside, finding another one just ahead. The first iris closes, and then the second one opens. A bit bemused, you step through into the room beyond.

Hanging in the air is an enormous torus. The walls here are a very pale white, almost green. The odor of Star's digestive tract is nearly overwhelming here. An iris blocks the corridor leading south.
action: You examine the gate
response: Looking closer, you see a small half-twist in the torus near the top, making this object a mobius strip. The hole in its center is nearly two meters in diameter. Nothing is visible through the hole except inky blackness.
action: You enter it
response: The torus repels you.
action: You go east
response: You walk up to the east ladder, and then climb down it.

A ladder leads upwards out of this spacious room. The room is dominated by the med tank, filled with Star's vital fluids. There is also a reddish tube hanging from the ceiling. The floor here, besides the pool, is a hard, glossy black.

Lying submerged in the tank is Gar-Du, your Dumu-Sal-Aga. She was severely wounded in the recent battle. Sitting on the floor beside her with an expression of long suffering consternation is Sal-Me, the ship's Ba-Ha-Ru and Gar-Du's partner.
A Sal-Me is here.

Star says, "Sickbay operational."
action: You enter the pool
response: [TADS-1001: stack overflow]
action: You examine Gar-Du
response: Gar-Du is your Dumu-Sal-Aga, or First Officer. You wince at the sight of her naked, wounded form. Though you know she is in the nurturing care of the healing bath, she appears unpleasantly lifeless. The injuries she sustained in the battle were extreme. It's a wonder she has survived them this long.
action: You examine tube
response: The tube is about eight centimeters wide. At its end is a mouthful of teeth similar to that on a lamprey. The teeth are tightly clenched to a spot just above Gar-Du's left breast.
action: You examine the walls
response: The walls are dark pink, with only a very thin coating of the strange, clear oil. The floor is spongy and shakes constantly.
action: You ask Star about yourself
response: "Yes, you are my Captain. What is your command?"
action: You ask Star about screen
response: "I'm sorry, Captain. I have no knowledge of that."
action: You ask Star about prayer box
response: "That is one of your personal possessions, Captain. As such, you
would know better than I."
action: You ask Star about tube
response: "The cilia relax the subject and attempt to repair epidermal damage while the feed tube takes care of replacing lost fluids and encouraging the repair of internal damage."
action: You ask Star about the nitrogen
response: "Captain, I am in great need of nutritive substance to effect the repairs necessary for my well-being." Despite Star's calm analysis, you sense the great pain beneath her words. "The planet below has rich deposits of frozen nitrogen, but as it is in a solid form, I am unable to retrieve it myself. If I may be so bold, Captain: perhaps someone could travel to the planet to mine the nitrogen for me."
action: Describe the surroundings
response: Captain's Quarters, on your sleeping platform
Though there's little to define it as such, this chamber comprises your quarters. A sleeping platform extends from one wall. Against another is a small pedestal on which rests an ornate prayer box. To the east, a closed iris leads to the next chamber.
action: You examine the walls
response: The walls are a pale pink, with almost no oil at all. The floor is dry and crumbling.
action: You go to the north
response: The iris squelches open, and you step inside, finding another one just ahead. The first iris closes, and then the second one opens. A bit bemused, you step through into the room beyond.

Hanging in the air is an enormous torus. The walls here are a very pale white, almost green. The odor of Star's digestive tract is nearly overwhelming here. An iris blocks the corridor leading south.
action: You examine the walls
response: The walls are a pale green, and stink horribly. The floor is dry and seems to be made of rotting flesh.
action: You examine the walls
response: The walls are pinkish and oily with Star's vital fluids, right up until they reach the black, shiny floor, which is perfectly dry.
action: You look at the floor
response: The floor reminds you of a beetle's shell. There is a pool of oily liquid in the middle of it.
action: No
response: Okay.
action: You examine the floor
response: The walls and floor are a faint pink, coated with Star's vital fluids.
action: Diagnose
response: You're feeling fine.