Orevore Courier
by Brian Rapp (2007)


action: %
response: The OKAY button is blinking again.

Its ridiculously bright yellow light makes everyone in the room appear to be suffering from inttermittent jaundice. Fortunately you're the only one in the room, because there's no room in here for anyone else. The OKAY button is also buzzing, with the patented Elevated Responsiveness Tone guaranteed to remain irritating no matter how often one is forced to hear it. Somehow the most annoying part, though, is that the blinking and the buzzing are slightly out of sync.

HELP is available.

Your "station" is a solid metal enclosure just barely large enough to accommodate your chair and yourself. On the wall in front of you are the many brightly-colored controls of the security console and a black-and-white monitor.

On the monitor you can see Engineer Ghee performing calisthenics in the engine room. Presumably the machinery is operating normally.
action: You look
response: Your "station" is a solid metal enclosure just barely large enough to accommodate your chair and yourself. On the wall in front of you are the many brightly-colored controls of the security console and a black-and-white monitor.

On the monitor you can see Engineer Ghee performing calisthenics in the engine room. Presumably the machinery is operating normally.

The OKAY button continues its blinking and buzzing efforts to attract your attention.
action: You look at the okay button
response: The lid protects the Destruct button from your application of pressure.

The OKAY button continues its blinking and buzzing efforts to attract your attention.

The OKAY button's harsh yellow light is a very effective reminder to do whatever it is that will make it stop doing that.

The OKAY button continues its blinking and buzzing efforts to attract your attention.
action: You eat the nutricube
response: With a great deal of effort, you chew and swallow the nutricube. You hadn't thought that it was possible for those things to go stale, but if anything it was worse than you remembered.

The OKAY button continues its blinking and buzzing efforts to attract your attention.
action: Examine
response: (the uniform)
The uniform is emblazoned with the logo of Transport High Command and a tiny black pip indicating your rank of Security Officer.

The OKAY button continues its blinking and buzzing efforts to attract your attention.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a uniform (being worn)

The OKAY button continues its blinking and buzzing efforts to attract your attention.
action: You look at the orevore
response: The orevore is so remarkable an animal as to strain credulity. It's a 100-pound gelatinous lump with a convoluted surface, very much resembling a grotesquely oversized cerebrum. It eats almost anything, including solid rock, and it excretes chemically-pure nodules of any element it ingests with an atomic number greater than 77. For this reason it is the most prized possession of every mining colony that can manage to acquire one. The orevore goes dormant at temperatures below 23 degrees, which is why the freezer room is so important.

The OKAY button continues its blinking and buzzing efforts to attract your attention.
action: You examine sharl
response: Pilot Sharl continues to stare assiduously at his instruments.

The OKAY button continues its blinking and buzzing efforts to attract your attention.
action: You wear suit
response: (first taking the pressure suit)
You lean over the side of your chair and drag the pressure suit into your lap.

It's easily as heavy as it looks, with its recirculating air filters, automated thermal regulators, waste handling units, and integrated speakers. If there's a lightweight version of all this paraphernalia, it must be more expensive than the heavy stuff.

You put on the pressure suit despite your misgivings about its comfort.

A satisfied voice says "Air pressure on the bridge has stabilized at zero point three atmospheres."

On the monitor you can see Ghee struggling to get into his pressure suit. It looks like he's putting it on backwards.
action: You look at Ghee
response: His surprisingly uncoordinated efforts at dressing himself scarcely detract from his character.

On the monitor you can see Ghee continuing to wrestle with his pressure suit. He trips into the machinery with one leg in the suit and one leg out.
action: Laugh
response: You manage a forced-sounding chuckle.

On the monitor you can see Ghee disentangling himself from the machinery and stumbling backwards.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: Laugh
response: You manage a forced-sounding chuckle.

On the monitor you can see Ghee working his hands into his gloves. You're fairly certain that he has only the usual number of fingers.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: Sing
response: You begin to sing "The Orevore Sonnet":



On the monitor you can see Ghee finally sealing up his pressure suit. He uses some colorful metaphors as he works the latches on his helmet.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: You examine the pirate
response: Which do you mean, the nervous-looking pirate or the bearded pirate?
action: You examine the bearded pirate
response: His bushy beard and anachronistic eyeglasses look just as out-of-place as a peg leg or a parrot would be. He seems to be completely serious about his profession, however.

On the monitor you can see the bearded pirate sizing up the freezer room door. He sagaciously determines that the adjacent wall is not as formidably reinforced, and starts sawing into the wall with his cutmore. "Keep a sharp lookout, Puppet", he adds as an afterthought. "Aye, Captain", the nervous-looking pirate replies. Almost immediately, a plume of vapor erupts from the area being perforated.

An insistent voice says "Alert! The freezer room cooling systems are no longer functional. This is a critical repair item which supersedes all non-critical priorities."
action: You examine nervous
response: Always in motion, the fellow is. His arms, legs, and face twitch constantly as he looks all around for potential dangers.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain slicing through the wall to the freezer room. His cutmore spits sparks as he makes progress with his work.

A quick glance at the Chiller Thermostat shows the temperature of the freezer room to be about 40 degrees and rising.
action: You talk to nervous
response: You are separated from the docking bay by no fewer than two walls that you have no means of breaching. The image on the monitor is just that, an image.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain opening a hole in the wall with his cutmore. As he peers into the freezer room, he says "Arr! We've found the beastie! Puppet, fetch the hoversled!"
Through the hatch, Puppet exits the ship.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet frantically firing his dissolver, but this does not prevent Meat and Filthy from knocking him to the ground and fighting over his corpse.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet acquiring the same creepy characteristics as Meat and Filthy. The three cadaverous creatures march into the freezer room searching for more "brains!"
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the once-pristine docking bay, now a scene of carnage.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

The OKAY button starts blinking and buzzing again.
action: You examine sharl
response: Pilot Sharl continues to stare assiduously at his instruments.

The OKAY button continues its blinking and buzzing efforts to attract your attention.
action: You examine sharl
response: You silently urge Sharl to regain consciousness.

On the monitor you can see Sharl slumped over his instruments, unmoving. His pressure suit is wedged into a hole in the wall in front of him.

A pressure suit falls heavily from the ceiling, landing right next to your chair.
action: You wear the suit
response: (first taking the pressure suit)
You lean over the side of your chair and drag the pressure suit into your lap.

It's easily as heavy as it looks, with its recirculating air filters, automated thermal regulators, waste handling units, and integrated speakers. If there's a lightweight version of all this paraphernalia, it must be more expensive than the heavy stuff.

You put on the pressure suit despite your misgivings about its comfort.

A satisfied voice says "Air pressure on the bridge has stabilized at zero point three atmospheres."

The monitor shows Pilot Sharl turning slowly toward the camera. He's all right! Except... Except that he shouldn't be all right. With a sizable fragment of rock jutting out of a gaping wound in his skull, he shouldn't be all right at all.

On the monitor you can see Sharl stagger unnaturally towards the door to the cargo bay. His eyes stare vacantly, his mouth hangs slack, and he holds his arms stiffly in front of him.
action: You look at Sharl
response: He couldn't possibly have survived an injury like that, but he's still walking around.

On the monitor you can see the door to the cargo bay opening automatically as Sharl lurches through. His pressure suit plugs a hole in the hull.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the door to the cargo bay opening automatically as Sharl lurches through. His pressure suit plugs a hole in the hull.
action: You wait a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the two pirates suddenly faced by a ravening Sharl who charges them with a bellowing call for "Braaaains!". They both somehow remember to fire their weapons, and blast several holes straight through their attacker. Sharl continues his advance undaunted.

An insistent voice says "Alert! The freezer room cooling systems are no longer functional. This is a critical repair item which supersedes all non-critical priorities."
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the burly pirate bending down to check the vitals of his fallen comrade. As he does so, the dirt-covered pirate abruptly reaches up to enfold him in a deadly embrace.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the dirt-covered pirate munching on the burly pirate's ample forehead. The beefy buccaneer ceases his struggles.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see two pirates clambering to their feet amid the stacks of supplies. Both bear similarly bloody head wounds, and move in the same ungainly manner. To all appearances save animation, both are recently deceased.
action: You wait awhile
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the burly pirate and the dirt-covered pirate taking turns bouncing off the door to the docking bay, endlessly repeating the "Brains!" refrain.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.
action: You turn the heat
response: The Ship Thermostat may be set to any number between 0 and 100.

The monitor shows the pirate captain spraying the orevore with some sort of compressed gas, presumably to cool it down.
action: You set the heat to 100
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 100 degrees.

The monitor shows the pirate captain spraying the orevore with some sort of compressed gas, presumably to cool it down.
action: You wait awhile
response: Time passes.

The monitor shows the pirate captain spraying the orevore with some sort of compressed gas, presumably to cool it down.
action: You examine Thermostat
response: Which do you mean, the Ship Thermostat or the Chiller Thermostat?
action: You examine Chiller
response: (the cooling system)
The cooling system of the freezer room includes a visible chiller, but is largely composed of pipes and pumps hidden within the bulkheads.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain discovering the right combination of positioning, leverage, and brute force to load the orevore onto his hoversled.

The monitor shows the pirate captain spraying the orevore with some sort of compressed gas, presumably to cool it down.
action: You look at Chiller Thermostat
response: The Chiller Thermostat is set at 0 degrees, but a current freezer room temperature of 100 degrees is indicated.

On the monitor you can see the orevore being pushed out of the freezer room on a hoversled.
action: You set Chiller Thermostat to 100
response: You set the Chiller Thermostat to 100 degrees.

A satisfied voice says "Air pressure on the bridge has stabilized at zero point three atmospheres."

The monitor shows Pilot Sharl turning slowly toward the camera. He's all right! Except... Except that he shouldn't be all right. With a sizable fragment of rock jutting out of a gaping wound in his skull, he shouldn't be all right at all.

On the monitor you can see Sharl stagger unnaturally towards the door to the cargo bay. His eyes stare vacantly, his mouth hangs slack, and he holds his arms stiffly in front of him.
action: You set Ship Thermostat to 100
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 100 degrees.

On the monitor you can see the door to the cargo bay opening automatically as Sharl lurches through. His pressure suit plugs a hole in the hull.

The ship's powerful engines quickly heat the crew areas.
action: You wear the suit
response: (first taking the pressure suit)
You lean over the side of your chair and drag the pressure suit into your lap.

It's easily as heavy as it looks, with its recirculating air filters, automated thermal regulators, waste handling units, and integrated speakers. If there's a lightweight version of all this paraphernalia, it must be more expensive than the heavy stuff.

You put on the pressure suit despite your misgivings about its comfort.

On the monitor you can see the abandoned bridge. Sharl's instruments continue their flickering in his absence. His pressure suit plugs a hole in the hull.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: You examine Orevore
response: The orevore is so remarkable an animal as to strain credulity. It's a 100-pound gelatinous lump with a convoluted surface, very much resembling a grotesquely oversized cerebrum. It eats almost anything, including solid rock, and it excretes chemically-pure nodules of any element it ingests with an atomic number greater than 77. For this reason it is the most prized possession of every mining colony that can manage to acquire one. The orevore goes dormant at temperatures below 23 degrees, which is why the freezer room is so important.

On the monitor you can see the orevore eating through the wall between the freezer room and the engine room. This doesn't bode well for the highly important equipment located in the latter. The orevore is probably uninterested in the alternate uses and functions of its food.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: Look around
response: Your "station" is a solid metal enclosure just barely large enough to accommodate your chair and yourself. On the wall in front of you are the many brightly-colored controls of the security console and a black-and-white monitor.

On the monitor you can see the door to the cargo bay opening automatically as Sharl lurches through. His pressure suit plugs a hole in the hull.
action: You put on the suit
response: (first taking the pressure suit)
You lean over the side of your chair and drag the pressure suit into your lap.

It's easily as heavy as it looks, with its recirculating air filters, automated thermal regulators, waste handling units, and integrated speakers. If there's a lightweight version of all this paraphernalia, it must be more expensive than the heavy stuff.

You put on the pressure suit despite your misgivings about its comfort.

On the monitor you can see Ghee working his hands into his gloves. You're fairly certain that he has only the usual number of fingers.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: You turn Thermostat 100
response: Which do you mean, the Ship Thermostat or the Chiller Thermostat?
action: Heat 100
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 100 degrees.

On the monitor you can see Engineer Ghee kicking at the engine room door. He turns toward your camera and yells "Eight Wall, you open this door immediately! And don't you dare blow us up! Do you hear me, Eight? I'm warning you!" The thought of Ghee's disembodied spirit haunting your own widely dispersed molecules is briefly amusing.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: Cool 100
response: You set the Chiller Thermostat to 100 degrees.

On the monitor you can see Ghee fiddling with the circuitry behind an open panel. He's probably trying to hotwire the door. He periodically mutters imprecations against you and your recent lineage.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: Cool 100
response: The Chiller Thermostat is already set to 100 degrees.

On the monitor you can see the orevore starting to pulse in a less than relaxing fashion. As it recovers from its slumber it begins exploring the environment.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: Cool 20
response: You set the Chiller Thermostat to 20 degrees.

On the monitor you can see the orevore eating through the wall between the freezer room and the engine room. This doesn't bode well for the highly important equipment located in the latter. The orevore is probably uninterested in the alternate uses and functions of its food.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: Heat 10
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 10 degrees.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: Cool 0
response: You set the Chiller Thermostat to 0 degrees.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: You wait awhile
response: Time passes.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Ghee rushing across the docking bay just as the hatch suddenly explodes inward, filling the bay with debris and smoke.

You can hear something just outside your door.

A wary voice calls out "Alert! An explosion has been detected in the docking bay. The hatch mechanisms have been damaged. Please use caution when effecting repairs."
action: You examine docking
response: The Docking Bay button is an unlit translucent blue button.

On the monitor you can see the door to the cargo bay opening automatically as Sharl lurches through. His pressure suit plugs a hole in the hull.
action: You wear the suit
response: (first taking the pressure suit)
You lean over the side of your chair and drag the pressure suit into your lap.

It's easily as heavy as it looks, with its recirculating air filters, automated thermal regulators, waste handling units, and integrated speakers. If there's a lightweight version of all this paraphernalia, it must be more expensive than the heavy stuff.

You put on the pressure suit despite your misgivings about its comfort.

On the monitor you can see Sharl pounding ferociously on the door to the cargo bay. He sounds like a desperate wild animal, howling in his cage.
action: Heat 0
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 0 degrees.
action: Heat 0
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 0 degrees.

You can hear something just outside your door.
action: Cool 0
response: The Chiller Thermostat is already set to 0 degrees.
action: You examine FRZR
response: The Freezer Room button is an unlit translucent blue button.

An insistent voice says "Alert! The freezer room cooling systems are no longer functional. This is a critical repair item which supersedes all non-critical priorities."
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain slicing through the wall to the freezer room. His cutmore spits sparks as he makes progress with his work.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain opening a hole in the wall with his cutmore. As he peers into the freezer room, he says "Arr! We've found the beastie! Puppet, fetch the hoversled!"
Through the hatch, Puppet exits the ship.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain standing around looking as gruff as possible. He taps his foot impatiently.
action: You wait awhile
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet entering the docking bay with a hoversled just as the burly pirate and the dirt-covered pirate enter with blood in their eyes and "Brains!" on their lips. As the pirate captain takes command of the hoversled and pushes it towards the freezer room, he says "Hold fast, me hearty!"
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet frantically firing his dissolver, but this does not prevent the burly pirate and the dirt-covered pirate from knocking him to the ground and fighting over his corpse.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see three monstrous marauders suffer simultaneous paroxysms of hunger as they enter the freezer room and spot the orevore. "BRAINS!" they cry, as they tear through the pirate captain to get at the creature.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see three zombie pirates messily devouring the orevore in an orgy of engorgement.
action: You examine cutmore
response: The cutmore is a portable power saw capable of slicing through almost anything with varying degrees of effort. It is particularly favored by those who desire access to something which other persons have attempted to prevent them from accessing.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain slicing through the wall to the freezer room. His cutmore spits sparks as he makes progress with his work.
action: You examine the dirt
response: From his appearance, one might conclude that his vessel is powered by coal, or perhaps recycled biological waste. It's not clear that he has any familiarity with modern sanitation.
action: You examine burly
response: From the way he ducks under the ceiling, he appears to be nearly seven feet tall, and more than proportionately wide. The dissolver held in his massive hand only extends the reach of his destructive power.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain slicing through the wall to the freezer room. His cutmore spits sparks as he makes progress with his work.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet entering the docking bay with a hoversled. As the pirate captain takes command of the hoversled and pushes it towards the freezer room, he says "Hold fast, me hearty!"
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet awaiting his fate with a great deal of obvious anxiety.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the orevore being pushed into the docking bay on a hoversled.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the orevore being hurriedly pushed out of the ship on a hoversled.

The OKAY button starts blinking and buzzing again.
action: Heat 100
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 100 degrees.
action: Heat 0
response: The Ship Thermostat is already set to 0 degrees.
action: Xyzzy
response: An angry voice warns you that "security considerations do not permit the use of magical incantations aboard this ship. This notice will not be repeated."

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain slicing through the wall to the freezer room. His cutmore spits sparks as he makes progress with his work.
action: Heat 100
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 100 degrees.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain slicing through the wall to the freezer room. His cutmore spits sparks as he makes progress with his work.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain struggling to load the orevore onto his hoversled. He seems determined to accomplish this task unaided, however long it might take.

The monitor shows the pirate captain spraying the orevore with some sort of compressed gas, presumably to cool it down.
action: You look
response: Your "station" is a solid metal enclosure just barely large enough to accommodate your chair and yourself. On the wall in front of you are the many brightly-colored controls of the security console and a black-and-white monitor.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain slicing through the wall to the freezer room. His cutmore spits sparks as he makes progress with his work.
action: Heat 100
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 100 degrees.
action: Cool 100
response: You set the Chiller Thermostat to 100 degrees.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the orevore starting to pulse in a less than relaxing fashion. As it recovers from its slumber it begins exploring the environment.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the orevore eating through the wall between the freezer room and the engine room. This doesn't bode well for the highly important equipment located in the latter. The orevore is probably uninterested in the alternate uses and functions of its food.
action: Cool 100
response: You set the Chiller Thermostat to 100 degrees.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain struggling to load the orevore onto his hoversled. He seems determined to accomplish this task unaided, however long it might take.

The monitor shows the pirate captain spraying the orevore with some sort of compressed gas, presumably to cool it down.
action: Cool 100
response: You set the Chiller Thermostat to 100 degrees.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain opening a hole in the wall with his cutmore. As he peers into the freezer room, he says "Arr! We've found the beastie! Puppet, fetch the hoversled!"
Through the hatch, Puppet exits the ship.
action: Heat 100
response: The Ship Thermostat is already set to 100 degrees.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain struggling to load the orevore onto his hoversled. He seems determined to accomplish this task unaided, however long it might take.

The monitor shows the pirate captain spraying the orevore with some sort of compressed gas, presumably to cool it down.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the burly pirate discovering an extensible support beam in the cargo, which he lifts with great effort. He then swings it at Sharl and completely decapitates your unfortunate colleague. The twice-dead pilot's body immediately collapses.
action: You wait a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the burly pirate and the dirt-covered pirate squeezing through the door to the docking bay at the same time.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

The monitor shows two persons in the cargo bay who are completely unknown to you. That they wear shabby spacesuits without organizational insignia, however, suggests only one likely explanation for their unexpected presence on your vessel. These men must be pirates.

On the monitor you can see the burly pirate and the dirt-covered pirate coming through the door to the cargo bay from the docking bay.
action: Heat 0
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 0 degrees.

On the monitor you can see Sharl knock down the dirt-covered pirate, who is so stunned that he scarcely resists. As Sharl gnaws on his victim's skull, the larger pirate backs away from the gruesome scene, no longer trusting in the efficacy of his dissolver.
action: Cool 0
response: The Chiller Thermostat is already set to 0 degrees.

On the monitor you can see the burly pirate discovering an extensible support beam in the cargo, which he lifts with great effort. He then swings it at Sharl and completely decapitates your unfortunate colleague. The twice-dead pilot's body immediately collapses.
action: You examine Puppet
response: Always in motion, the fellow is. His arms, legs, and face twitch constantly as he looks all around for potential dangers.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain opening a hole in the wall with his cutmore. As he peers into the freezer room, he says "Arr! We've found the beastie! Puppet, fetch the hoversled!"
Through the hatch, Puppet exits the ship.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain standing around looking as gruff as possible. He taps his foot impatiently.
action: Examine monitor
response: On the monitor you can see Puppet awaiting his fate with a great deal of obvious anxiety.
action: Examine monitor
response: On the monitor you can see the burly pirate and the dirt-covered pirate taking turns bouncing off the door to the docking bay, endlessly repeating the "Brains!" refrain.
action: Examine monitor
response: On the monitor you can see the orevore being hurriedly pushed out of the ship on a hoversled.

The OKAY button starts blinking and buzzing again.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet frantically firing his dissolver, but this does not prevent the burly pirate and the dirt-covered pirate from knocking him to the ground and fighting over his corpse.
action: You look
response: Your "station" is a solid metal enclosure just barely large enough to accommodate your chair and yourself. On the wall in front of you are the many brightly-colored controls of the security console and a black-and-white monitor.

On the monitor you can see the burly pirate and the dirt-covered pirate taking turns bouncing off the door to the docking bay, endlessly repeating the "Brains!" refrain.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Sharl knock down the dirt-covered pirate, who is so stunned that he scarcely resists. As Sharl gnaws on his victim's skull, the larger pirate backs away from the gruesome scene, no longer trusting in the efficacy of his dissolver.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the burly pirate discovering an extensible support beam in the cargo, which he lifts with great effort. He then swings it at Sharl and completely decapitates your unfortunate colleague. The twice-dead pilot's body immediately collapses.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet deftly dispatching the dirt-covered pirate with a single swing of his cutmore. His larger undead comrade just bellows "Brains!" all the louder.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet chopping off the burly pirate's legs as an expedient method of reaching his neck with the cutmore. Another swing effectively finishes the massive monster.
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet whispering to the decapitated pirate directly in front of your camera: "Sorry, mate, but Captain will be getting his, you can be certain."
action: You wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet saying "Er, that you'll be getting your customary 70% of the profits, Captain..."
action: You wait a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet saying "Of course, with Meat and Filthy gone, that'll be, uh, 90% for you, Captain..."
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet being reduced to inchoate pleading sobs as he attempts to beg the pirate captain for mercy. Finally the latter relents and says "Off with you, now, and don't think I won't have both eyes on you the whole way home."
action: You wait a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the orevore being pushed out of the freezer room on a hoversled.
action: Heat 100
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 100 degrees.

On the monitor you can see the orevore being pushed out of the freezer room on a hoversled.
action: Heat 100
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 100 degrees.

On the monitor you can see Puppet saying "Er, that you'll be getting your customary 70% of the profits, Captain..."
action: You wait a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet saying "Of course, with Meat and Filthy gone, that'll be, uh, 90% for you, Captain..."
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see Puppet pointing at the slowly stirring orevore and shouting "Captain! Behind you!" This doesn't faze the pirate captain in the slightest, as he replies "You've been sucking too much vacuum if you think I'll fall for that, my poor Puppet."
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain reflexively firing his dissolver at Puppet as his legs are eaten away by the newly active orevore. Both pirates go down screaming.
action: Heat 0
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 0 degrees.

On the monitor you can see the orevore consuming the remains of the pirates. All that's left is a single small shiny nodule.
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the orevore eating through the wall between the freezer room and the engine room. This doesn't bode well for the highly important equipment located in the latter. The orevore is probably uninterested in the alternate uses and functions of its food.
action: Heat 0
response: You set the Ship Thermostat to 0 degrees.

On the monitor you can see Puppet pointing at the slowly stirring orevore and shouting "Captain! Behind you!" This doesn't faze the pirate captain in the slightest, as he replies "You've been sucking too much vacuum if you think I'll fall for that, my poor Puppet."
action: Wait
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the pirate captain reflexively firing his dissolver at Puppet as his legs are eaten away by the newly active orevore. Both pirates go down screaming.
action: You wait awhile
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the orevore consuming the remains of the pirates. All that's left is a single small shiny nodule.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes.

On the monitor you can see the orevore, once again quiescent. It appears to be none the worse for its recent thaw.
action: You examine the contraption
response: It contains at least one power cell, some spare microprocessor boards, and lots of tangled wires. To say that you can only guess at its purpose would be to exaggerate the extent of your knowledge.
action: Look around
response: Your "station" is a solid metal enclosure just barely large enough to accommodate your chair and yourself. On the wall in front of you are the many brightly-colored controls of the security console and a black-and-white monitor.

On the monitor you can see Ghee creating some complicated contraption on his workbench. He frequently glances nervously at the door.
action: Yes
response: That was a rhetorical question.

The OKAY button continues its blinking and buzzing efforts to attract your attention.
action: Break cube
response: The nutricube bursts, showering the bottom of the console with unappetizing goo. As it seeps into the circuitry, you hear a sad voice stammer: "Security... is not permitted... Daisy..." and then die out.

The OKAY button silently flashes.
action: Sing
response: You begin to sing "The Orevore Sonnet":



The OKAY button silently flashes.
action: Sing
response: Of nature's freak, the orevore.

The OKAY button silently flashes.
action: Sing
response: The OKAY button silently flashes.
action: Sing
response: But keep the females under ban.

The OKAY button silently flashes.
action: Sing
response: The OKAY button silently flashes.
action: Sing
response: His savage and exotic race.

The OKAY button silently flashes.
action: Sing
response: He'll dig and dig forever more.

The OKAY button silently flashes.
action: Sing
response: Somehow you don't feel like singing any more.

The OKAY button silently flashes.
action: About yourself
response: All things considered, you look just fine, sitting there in your form-fitting uniform. It's a good thing you're locked up safely away from those two young men, isn't it?

The OKAY button silently flashes.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a uniform (being worn)

The OKAY button silently flashes.
action: You examine the uniform
response: The uniform is emblazoned with the logo of Transport High Command and a tiny black pip indicating your rank of Security Officer.

The OKAY button silently flashes.