Glowgrass
by Nate Cull (1997)
Genres: Science Fiction

You play as a xenohistorian on an expedition. You've been dropped (more literally than you planned) by a dropship over the ground of the Ancients. Your equipment was scattered and the dropship crashed. Now it's just you, your wits, and the Ancients to help you find a way home.

action: %
response: The dropship sways dangerously as the pilot trys to correct for slipstream effects. Clutching the thin monofilament line doesn't do a lot for your stability, but at least it helps you concentrate. You risk a glance below - stupid thing to do, really, at this height, even after taking the anti-vertigo treatment - and you're rewarded with a glimpse of the ruins. Tantalisingly close, almost totally preserved. After all these years, to finally reach an intact Ancient site -

The line shears in your fingers, and in sudden slow-motion horror you watch the buckle, the support harness, your entire equipment pack come wrenching up and over your arms. The debris dangles gracefully in midair for the longest moment, then slides away out of reach as gravity takes over.

Your involuntary scream, drowned in the wind, turns to a jerking gasp as you fall through the jungle tree cover, rolling, sliding, and finally landing with a thud on solid ground -

The ground of the Ancients!



This appears to be some kind of courtyard in the centre of an Ancient dwelling. The building itself swings around to the north and west, terminating in a crumbling retaining wall due south. A smaller domed construction opens to the northeast, through a wide metal door (closed). To the east is a flat space that could bear further exploring.

You hear a high-pitched decelerating whine -- a dropship turbine in trouble -- from the northeast, followed by a dull roaring crash. Just in time, you duck and cover your eyes. Blue-white light etches across the landscape, then the gravity blast wave hits. Every molecule in your private universe shudders.

A minute later, you get to your feet, pain gnawing your body. Scratch one dropship; nobody could have survived that crash. Scratch your equipment. Now it's just you, your wits - and the Ancients. Hope you're as good a xenohistorian as you claimed at the Institute. Because unless you find some kind of way out of here, it could be months before a recovery team locates you.
action: You examine myself
response: You're a world-renowned xenohistorian and student of Ancient artifacts. And you're in reasonably good shape, given the mess this field trip has turned into.
action: You check your inventory
response: You are empty-handed.
action: You go east
response: You're standing in a square area of neatly trimmed green lawn, shimmering faintly in the afternoon light. To the west, the lawn gives way to courtyard, and beyond it to the west and north are buildings. An odd, paved rectangular depression in the ground leads down to the southeast; the encroaching jungle vegetation further back is kept at bay by a barrier of translucent sheeting.

Something about the scene gives you a sudden tingle of recognition, a surge of awe. As if you're walking into a legend.
action: You go southeast
response: You're standing in a concrete rectangle set into the ground, paved with a grey substance, probably stressed concrete. It's recognisable as a swimming pool, a popular Ancient recreation fixture. Whatever water was once here has long since drained away, probably through the outlet grate set centrally in the pool's floor.

You see a bright orange object here.
action: You examine the object
response: It's a bright orange polymer casting, moulded in the shape of a spiral disk. A tiny legend on the now faded material reads, in the Ancient language, FRISBEE (tm) HELIPTA.
action: You take the frisbee
response: Taken.
action: Inventory
response: You have a Frisbee Helipta.
action: You throw Frisbee
response: The Frisbee Helipta spins furiously as it leaves your hand, hovers briefly before shooting straight up into the air, then glides in a graceful spiral back into your hand. Reminds you of a a modern dropship in flight.
action: You look at the grate
response: In the outlet grate you see a set of cards.
action: You take the cards
response: With some difficulty, you fish the set of cards out of the outlet grate. Taken.
action: You examine the cards
response: It's a set of card-sized holographic images, in full colour, printed on some kind of synthetic backing material which has survived immersion in a pool of water for years. Flicking through the holos, you see images of an Ancient family seated in an aerial vehicle; a young girl, holding what looks like a fabric toy; the same girl, a little older, throwing an orange disklike object; the family again, together, around the pool; the girl, older yet, examining a blade of grass with an optical instrument. Definitely, this is an important xenohistorical artifact.
action: You examine the barrier
response: The barrier is a thin, translucent film, resembling modern polycarbon alloys. Possibly an early form of monomolecular diamond; if so, it confirms some of your theories about the development of Ancient materials handling. It stands nearly three metres high, forming a protective wall across the entire south and east edges of the lawn area.
action: You look at the lawn
response: The lawn grass radiates a pale green glow.

You suddenly realise what it is that struck you about the lawn. It's glowing! And it's _completely untouched._ The chill works deep into your spine. This is a find so staggering, you'd never thought it possible.

Glowgrass. One of the earliest successes of Ancient genetic engineering. A simple enough idea; graft firefly genes into the DNA of common lawn grass. Primitive tests on tobacco plants had proved the concept worked; the rest was only a matter of commerce. (Ancient economic theory was strange in many ways, but you're as well informed as any modern scholar can be).

And by the end of the Ancient era, almost every family home had its glowgrass lawn. You picture children playing on the soft shining green mat, imagine the laughter and music of a vanished age. An age of ghosts, legends, heroes.

One small clump of grass, growing alone by the concrete edge, attracts your attention; it would make a perfect scientific specimen for the Institute.
action: You take the clump
response: Taken.
action: You examine clump
response: It's a clump of glowgrass, unchanged since the Ancient era. The tiny green blades glow with a pale green light.
action: Smell clump
response: It smells just like a clump of glowgrass.
action: You go west
response: This appears to be some kind of courtyard in the centre of an Ancient dwelling. The building itself swings around to the north and west, terminating in a crumbling retaining wall due south. A smaller domed construction opens to the northeast, through a wide metal door (closed). To the east is a flat space that could bear further exploring.

You briefly catch a metallic glimmer from the top of the wall.
action: You examine the glimmer
response: The object looks metallic, and out of place in the vegetation above the wall. It could - you hardly dare to hope - could be a piece of equipment from your pack, but you can't tell which one from this distance.
action: You examine the ship
response: The dropship is gone, crashed somewhere nearby in the jungle. Another casualty of these local slipstream winds. The critics at the Institute were right; you were lucky to get this far alive.
action: You get glimmer
response: The metallic object is too high to reach with your hands alone. Perhaps you could find something to help you get it down.
action: You examine the glimmer
response: This is definitely a piece of your equipment. It's a magprobe, a silvery rod about ten centimetres long and half a centimetre wide.
The ceramic inductors inside are crude, useless for interfacing with any modern technology, but sufficient to manipulate small ferromagnetic devices.
action: You open the northeast door
response: The door appears to be locked, using a simple ferromagnetic latch from the middle Ancient period. Perhaps the magprobe might prove useful here, after all.
action: You use the probe
response: Try unlocking something with it.
action: You unlock the door with probe
response: After a few minutes of careful manipulation with the magprobe, you feel the door's magnetic contacts click open. You breath a sigh of relief; those hours of studying Ancient artifacts at the Institute training finally paid off.
action: You open door
response: The wide metallic door slides upward, creaking a little, and clangs jerkily to a halt.
action: Go northeast
response: This domed construction is fairly small compared to the building proper, and open to the air at the southwest. Given today's scholarly confusion about many Ancient living habits, it could serve any number of functions. But the giveaway is the vehicle stationed in the middle of the floor. An interior door, currently closed, leads west to to whatever mysteries lie within the main building.

The vehicle, a primitive skycar, rests under the centre of the dome.

Glancing around the dome, your spirits rise a little. Your initial orbital scan of the site has proved accurate; the building is intact. And if the living quarters are as well-preserved as this... then who knows what treasures you might find?
action: You look at the vehicle
response: You recognise the Ancient vehicle from Institute file fragments. If this one is anything like the reconstructions you examined, it uses a solid-state power cell to jumpstart deuterium-hydrogen fusion, ejecting its clean-burning fuel directly as accelerated reaction mass. A clumsy system, compared to today's gravitic drives, but possibly more reliable in the short term. The skycar's sleek angular lines are marred by ugly thermal scars, as if the vehicle was caught in some kind of blast before being landed here. An entrance hatch in the vehicle's side is closed.

Looking at the skycar, you feel a surge of hope. Despite the vehicle's age, it seems intact. Maybe, if you could somehow get it to work...

The thought dies as quickly as it came. Stupid idea. You have no idea how to fly the thing, and who knows what parts are missing?
action: You open hatch
response: At a touch from your hand, the skycar's entrance hatch swings open.
action: You look in
response: What do you want to look in?
action: You enter the car
response: You step into the vehicle.

Skycar, in vehicle dome
The interior of the skycar is fairly cramped compared to a modern altiwing or dropship. There's a control console directly in front of you, and a viewshield through which you can see the vehicle dome. The exit hatch to your side is open; in the rear of the car is an access panel (currently closed).
action: You look in the Skycar
response: You're in the skycar; it's all around you.
action: You open the panel
response: Opening the access panel reveals a power cell, a corroded metal coil, and a triangular hole.
action: You examine the hole
response: It's a triangular hole, with what looks like some kind of one-way filter or valve beneath it. It's inscribed with a teardrop symbol.
action: You look at the coil
response: It's a thin coil of some heavily corroded metal, about ten centimetres long and three across.
action: You examine the symbol
response: Which symbol do you mean, the green button, or the triangular hole?
action: You leave
response: You step out into the vehicle dome.

This domed construction is fairly small compared to the building proper, and open to the air at the southwest. Given today's scholarly confusion about many Ancient living habits, it could serve any number of functions. But the giveaway is the vehicle stationed in the middle of the floor. An interior door, currently closed, leads west to to whatever mysteries lie within the main building.

The vehicle, a primitive skycar, rests under the centre of the dome.
action: Go west
response: You'll have to open the western door first.
action: You look at cube
response: The cube is black and nearly featureless, apart from a blue button marked with a lightning bolt symbol, a hexagonal socket, and a ten-centimetre disk slot. There's a yellow disk in the slot. Black words embossed on the cube's polymer face spell out the legend "Sonjitsu 2100 Immersive Entertainment System", whatever that means.
action: You press the blue button
response: The button clicks, but nothing happens. The device doesn't seem damaged; perhaps it requires an external power supply.
action: Examine hexagonal
response: The socket is hexagonal, about two centimetres across. It's probably designed to take some kind of cable.
action: You examine the sculpture
response: The floor sculpture seems to be formed from some transparent semi-plastic polymer, poured into a web of interlocking fractal loops and twists. It stands about half a metre high and two metres around, and gives softly when you touch it. As a sculpture it's quaintly beautiful, in an abstract kind of way; but you sense there's some further purpose to it. Perhaps the fact that it's in a direct line of sight to the black cube might mean something.
action: You sit on the sculpture
response: Of course! That's what it is - a seating device! Okay, you're now sitting on the sculptured chair. The polymer loops sway beneath you, distributing your mass until you feel nearly weightless. The black cube is now directly centred in your field of vision.
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You have a set of holograms, a clump of glowgrass, and a magprobe.
action: Describe the surroundings
response: You're in what seems to be the central space of the dwelling, a wide living area that still retains the awe and innocence of the Ancient age. The room is now mainly bare, apart from shreds of mouldered textile on the decayed timber floor, and a sculptured chair poised opposite a two-metre black cube. There is a door to the east (open), and hallways leading west and southwest.
action: Go west
response: Judging from the stark utility of this room, compared to the airy spaciousness of the living area, it's a service or preparation area. Possibly a kitchen for food, though from its role in Ancient legends you'd pictured a more warming aura than this. Metal alloy surfaces, their function unknown, line the walls; the only exits are east and southwest.

You see a printout here.
action: Go southwest
response: This is a soothing, white-walled chamber with soft rounded surfaces, much like being inside an egg. From your knowledge of Ancient social mores, it's likely to be a personal cleansing area. There is a blue lens embedded in the western wall, with a placard above it, and a white vat standing opposite it. Round curtained apartures lead northeast and southeast.
action: You read the placard
response: EnviroMaster UV showerhead. For a guaranteed sterile environment. WHOSIC Green certified.
action: You look at the lens
response: The blue lens is embedded into the wall of the chamber. It looks like some kind of light based cleansing device, now non-functional.
action: You examine the vat
response: The vat is white, about fifty ventimetres high, and sealed, although it seems to be filled with liquid. You could probably lift it with both hands. There is a label on one side and a small tap near the bottom.
action: You look at the label
response: HydroSource Sterile Water Supplies. Europe's Number One for quality and protection. WHOSIC Green certified.
action: You examine tap
response: It's a mechanical device for controlling the flow of liquid out of the vat, with a triangular mouth. You would probably have to put the tap into some receptacle, then open it, to get the liquid, otherwise it would be wasted.
action: You go northeast
response: Judging from the stark utility of this room, compared to the airy spaciousness of the living area, it's a service or preparation area. Possibly a kitchen for food, though from its role in Ancient legends you'd pictured a more warming aura than this. Metal alloy surfaces, their function unknown, line the walls; the only exits are east and southwest.
action: You go to the south-west
response: This is a soothing, white-walled chamber with soft rounded surfaces, much like being inside an egg. From your knowledge of Ancient social mores, it's likely to be a personal cleansing area. There is a blue lens embedded in the western wall, with a placard above it. Round curtained apartures lead northeast and southeast.
action: You look at the placard
response: EnviroMaster UV showerhead. For a guaranteed sterile environment. WHOSIC Green certified.
action: Go southeast
response: Some things never change over the ages. This looks like a room for rest and sleeping - there's a polymer mattress on the floor, moulded as a single unit and still intact. The walls are covered with colourful images, presumably icons from Ancient culture; there's years of work here for a psycholinguistic team alone. Doorways lead northeast and northwest.

But the immediate sight that catches your eye - and your breath - is what's sprawled on the mattress. A young Ancient skeleton, complete and fully preserved. You can barely keep from trembling.
action: You examine the images
response: Which images do you mean, the set of holograms, or the wall glyphs?
action: You examine the skeleton
response: With icy stabs of excitement coursing down your spine, you bend over the sad remains to examine them more closely.

The skeleton is moderately sized, but smaller than recent digs and salvaged files indicate was normal for an Ancient adult; this was almost certainly a young female. She lies on the bed crouched in a fetal position, her arms twisted as if shielding her face from intense pain. There is no obvious evidence of external injury, but the odd displacement of joints in the upper and lower limbs, along with deep cracking of the bone structure, suggests violent muscular spasms as she died. In her right hand, the woman clutches a small object; possibly some kind of electronic device, with leads running from the box in her hand to a headset draped across her skull.

A gasp wells in your throat, as vividly you relive how it must have been; to suffer such agony, so young. For the first time you regret the empathic talent which led you to xenohistory. A moment later, the mood passes, leaving you still somehow chilled.
action: You examine the device
response: The device is possibly a recording or playback instrument of some kind; it has a slot for a ten-centimetre disk, a common Ancient data storage format. Words embossed into its polymer surface read "Kodak Synapsit (tm) Neural Transfer System." Judging by the corrosion stains seeping from inside the device, it's completely non-functional. There's a green disk in the slot.
action: You examine the disk
response: It appears to be a thin metallic polymer disk around ten centimetres in diameter, with a green tint. You recognise the object from Institute files as an Ancient data storage device.
action: You look at the headset
response: The device is possibly a recording or playback instrument of some kind; it has a slot for a ten-centimetre disk, a common Ancient data storage format. Words embossed into its polymer surface read "Kodak Synapsit (tm) Neural Transfer System." Judging by the corrosion stains seeping from inside the device, it's completely non-functional. The disk slot is empty.
action: You look at the holograms
response: It's a set of card-sized holographic images, in full colour, printed on some kind of synthetic backing material which has survived immersion in a pool of water for years. Flicking through the holos, you see images of an Ancient family seated in an aerial vehicle; a young girl, holding what looks like a fabric toy; the same girl, a little older, throwing an orange disklike object; the family again, together, around the pool; the girl, older yet, examining a blade of grass with an optical instrument. Definitely, this is an important xenohistorical artifact.
action: You take the headset
response: The skeleton is clutching the device so tightly, it would be impossible to remove without risking severe damage. You'll have to find another way of learning more about it.
action: You touch the skeleton
response: Not likely. This is your most outstanding find yet, and every detail of the body's position is vital data. It would take a complete archeological forensics team at least a week to study and capture the remains before they felt at all comfortable with moving it, and even then it would be an emergency operation; you've got no equipment, not even a basic quantum chromodynamagraph.
action: You lie on the mattress
response: It would be impossible to sit on the mattress without disturbing the position of the skeleton.
action: You look at your surroundings
response: Some things never change over the ages. This looks like a room for rest and sleeping - there's a polymer mattress on the floor, moulded as a single unit and still intact. The walls are covered with colourful images, presumably icons from Ancient culture; there's years of work here for a psycholinguistic team alone. Doorways lead northeast and northwest.

Sprawled out on the mattress is a lone Ancient skeleton.
action: You look at the skeleton
response: The skeleton is moderately sized, but smaller than recent digs and salvaged files indicate was normal for an Ancient adult; this was almost certainly a young female. She lies on the bed crouched in a fetal position, her arms twisted as if shielding her face from intense pain. There is no obvious evidence of external injury, but the odd displacement of joints in the upper and lower limbs, along with deep cracking of the bone structure, suggests violent muscular spasms as she died. In her right hand, the woman clutches a small object; possibly some kind of electronic device, with leads running from the box in her hand to a headset draped across her skull.
action: Go northeast
response: You're in what seems to be the central space of the dwelling, a wide living area that still retains the awe and innocence of the Ancient age. The room is now mainly bare, apart from shreds of mouldered textile on the decayed timber floor, and a sculptured chair poised opposite a two-metre black cube. There is a door to the east (open), and hallways leading west and southwest.
action: Go east
response: This domed construction is fairly small compared to the building proper, and open to the air at the southwest. Given today's scholarly confusion about many Ancient living habits, it could serve any number of functions. But the giveaway is the vehicle stationed in the middle of the floor. An interior door, currently open, leads west to to the living area.

The vehicle, a primitive skycar, rests under the centre of the dome.
action: Go southeast
response: You can only go east or southwest.
action: You go to the south-west
response: This is a soothing, white-walled chamber with soft rounded surfaces, much like being inside an egg. From your knowledge of Ancient social mores, it's likely to be a personal cleansing area. There is a blue lens embedded in the western wall, with a placard above it. Round curtained apartures lead northeast and southeast.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You have a set of holograms, a clump of glowgrass, a magprobe, a printout, a white vat, and a green disk.
action: You go inside
response: You step into the vehicle.

Skycar, in vehicle dome
The interior of the skycar is fairly cramped compared to a modern altiwing or dropship. There's a control console directly in front of you, and a viewshield through which you can see the vehicle dome. The exit hatch to your side is open; in the rear of the car is an access panel (currently open).
action: You examine the panel
response: The access panel is open. In the access panel you see a power cell, a corroded metal coil, and a triangular hole.
action: You look at the coil
response: It's a thin coil of some heavily corroded metal, about ten centimetres long and three across.
action: You put tap in the hole
response: You hold the vat over the access panel and rest the tap inside the triangular hole. It fits neatly.
action: You look at the power cell
response: The solid state power cell, easily the most distinctive Ancient artifact of all, is a rectangular solid block around thirty centimetres tall and half as wide and deep. It's silver in colour, completely featureless apart from the logo "Energiser (tm)" and a hexagonal socket.
action: You open tap
response: You open the tap, sending liquid trickling into the triangular hole. After a few minutes, the vat is empty.
action: You look at socket
response: The socket is hexagonal, about two centimetres across. It's probably designed to take some kind of cable.
action: Inventory
response: You have a set of holograms, a clump of glowgrass, a magprobe, a printout, a white vat, a green disk, and a power cell.
action: Go west
response: Unless you can fly this thing, you can only go out through the exit hatch.
action: You exit
response: (first taking the white vat's tap out of the triangular hole)
You step out into the vehicle dome.

This domed construction is fairly small compared to the building proper, and open to the air at the southwest. Given today's scholarly confusion about many Ancient living habits, it could serve any number of functions. But the giveaway is the vehicle stationed in the middle of the floor. An interior door, currently open, leads west to to the living area.

The vehicle, a primitive skycar, rests under the centre of the dome.
action: You put the cell in the socket
response: Which socket do you mean, the power cell's socket, or the cube's socket?
action: You attach the cell to cube
response: [TADS-1026: wrong number of arguments to user function "<NO SYMBOL TABLE>.<NO SYMBOL TABLE>"]
action: You look at surfaces
response: The metal surfaces could have been used for storage, or perhaps manipulation, of food products. Most of them are open and empty, their contents gone. But one small vertical panel seems worth more investigation.
action: You look in
response: (the storage cupboard)
In the storage cupboard you see a black cable and a white box.
action: You examine the cable
response: The cable is about two metres long, with hexagonal connectors at each ends. From your knowledge of Ancient technology, it seems likely to be some kind of data or energy transfer device.
action: Examine box
response: It's a small box made from some decay-resistant pressed fibre, possibly spun carbon or silicon. A label reads "Surefire palladium ignitor coils, contents 6". The white box is closed.
action: You check your inventory
response: You have a set of holograms, a clump of glowgrass, a magprobe, a printout, a white vat, a green disk, a power cell, a white box, and a black cable.
action: You connect the cable to the cell
response: The black cable plugs neatly into the power cell's socket. The other end of the cable remains free.
action: You connect the cable to the cube
response: (first dropping the cable)
(also dropping the power cell)
The black cable plugs neatly into the cube's socket, linking the black cube to the power cell.
action: You sit on the sculpture
response: Okay, you're now sitting on the sculptured chair. The polymer loops sway beneath you, distributing your mass until you feel nearly weightless. The black cube is now directly centred in your field of vision.

The flicker of light and sound suddenly takes form, merging into an experience that swells through your mind.

Rainforest, in the sculptured chair
Towering forest giants climb towards the green canopy that shades most of the sky. A soft trickle of mist falls on your face, as birds whistle and laughing monkeys scramble through the branches.
action: You look at the forest
response: The rainforest scene makes you feel calm and tranquil.
action: You examine the monkeys
response: The rainforest scene makes you feel calm and tranquil.

The scene suddenly changes.
action: Look around
response: Martian Sunset, in the sculptured chair
On the lip of a giant crater, you watch as an ochre sun shimmers over a red dust horizon. Below, in a diamond-walled biodome, trees and small scrub bushes grow amid atmosphere towers and lidar dishes.
action: Wait
response: Time passes...
action: You examine the lidar
response: The Martian scene makes you feel both proud and insignificant.

The scene suddenly changes.
action: You look around
response: Coral Reef, in the sculptured chair
You're gliding through an underwater sanctuary, as shoals of brightly coloured fish dart away through the wrecks of Spanish galleons.
action: You look at the fish
response: The reef scene makes you feel peaceful and adventurous.
action: You examine the galleons
response: The reef scene makes you feel peaceful and adventurous.

The scene suddenly changes.
action: You describe your surroundings
response: Antarctic Sunrise, in the sculptured chair
Mountains of ice crumble with a booming crack as bright sunlight shines over blue and purple glaciers. A cold wind sends shivers through your padded survival suit.
action: You look at ice
response: The Antarctic scene makes you feel awed and intrigued.

The scene suddenly changes.
action: Look around
response: Office Tower, in the sculptured chair
You're alone in an expensive office suite, looking out over a city skyline. White letters hovering in mid-air say, "TransDex Immersive Studios presents The Relaxation Trip Volume III. For our full executive stress management series, link to vr.transdex.immersive.com.eu."
action: Wait
response: Time passes...
action: You examine the skyline
response: The office scene makes you feel tense and stressful.

The scene suddenly changes.
action: Describe the surroundings
response: Wheatfield, in the sculptured chair
Golden waves of grain ripple into the distance across an endless prairie. An airship glides overhead, softly, casting a tiny black shadow over the ripened wheat.
action: You examine the airship
response: The airship glides majestically over the field.
action: You examine the grain
response: The field of grain stretches for miles in all directions.

The scene suddenly changes.
action: You describe your surroundings
response: Beach, in the sculptured chair
A beach of sparkling white sand stretches across the horizon, lapped by crystal blue water. Coconut palm fronds sway lazily in the soft warm breeze.
action: You examine the palm
response: The beach scene makes you feel warm and relaxed.
action: You look around
response: Beach, in the sculptured chair
A beach of sparkling white sand stretches across the horizon, lapped by crystal blue water. Coconut palm fronds sway lazily in the soft warm breeze.

The scene suddenly changes.
action: Describe the surroundings
response: Rainforest, in the sculptured chair
Towering forest giants climb towards the green canopy that shades most of the sky. A soft trickle of mist falls on your face, as birds whistle and laughing monkeys scramble through the branches.
action: You stand
response: Okay, you're no longer in the sculptured chair. The image evaporates from your mind, leaving you slightly dizzy.

You're in what seems to be the central space of the dwelling, a wide living area that still retains the awe and innocence of the Ancient age. The room is now mainly bare, apart from shreds of mouldered textile on the decayed timber floor, and a sculptured chair poised opposite a two-metre black cube. There is a door to the east (open), and hallways leading west and southwest.

A tiny flicker of light and sound dances frustratingly around your vision.

You see a black cable (linking the black cube to the power cell) and a power cell here.
action: You stand
response: You're already standing!
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You have a set of holograms, a clump of glowgrass, a magprobe, a printout, a white vat, a green disk, a white box, and a yellow disk.
action: You put green disk in the slot
response: Done.
action: You sit
response: (the sculptured chair)
Okay, you're now sitting on the sculptured chair. The polymer loops sway beneath you, distributing your mass until you feel nearly weightless. The black cube is now directly centred in your field of vision.

The flicker of light and sound suddenly takes form, merging into an experience that swells through your mind.

Twilight Lawn, in the sculptured chair
The neat square of grass shines with a pale green glow, almost as bright now as the last ray of sunset afterglow. Dark shapes of buildings loom comfortably all around, while evening stars, mere pinpoints of light, appear in the deep blue sky.

A young Ancient girl stands in the middle of the lawn, shivering.

You take a sharp breath. The girl - she must be the same age as you judged the skeleton to be. So this is some kind of recording; perhaps the first ever complete personal diary of an Ancient!
action: You examine girl
response: The girl is young, probably in her late teenage years taking into account the difference in aging rates between Ancient and modern biochemistries. She has deep blue eyes and reddish-brown hair; you're struck by such an unusual colour, which is only accentuated by the black jumpsuit she wears. Perhaps it was once the colour of mourning, which would be appropriate given her manner. She looks up at the evening stars, unaware of you.

The girl winces as if controlling a surge of pain, looks up at the stars, and starts speaking.

"Tuesday. This'll be... ahh... my last entry. Six weeks since Quarantine. I think everyone... uhh... else must be dead. Infection's so... nngh... fast."
action: You wait
response: Time passes...

"Took the 'car up this afternoon. Last chance to make... uuuhh.. a run for it. No sky patrols. Didn't realise, too late. They'd evac'ed the area. Sky went white, two suns. Never thought I'd see that and live. Dived to miss the firestorm but got... nnnng...
heaps of rads in the, whatever, flash. Landed back home. No use running, I'm dead either way, nuke or plague. Lucky the house survived. Valley must've shielded it."
action: You look at the lawn
response: The lawn scene is strangely haunting.

The girl tenses, her whole body shuddering, and paces around the lawn.

"Anyway... no time left... getting the shakes real bad... hope this is recording okay. Pulled some 'stricted files off the net... crosswired neural inputs. Hyper illegal but that's hardly important... if it works maybe... someone will find it and... wish Mum and Dad had tried this... couldn't even find the other memory pack..."
action: Wait
response: Time passes...

The girl's image fluctuates, breaking up. Even the background wavers. "Losing... it... pulse... overlo... no... don't want to die like..."

The image suddenly clears. The girl freezes in mid-frame, jerks, collapses to the ground.
action: Wait
response: Time passes...
action: Look around
response: Twilight Lawn, in the sculptured chair
The neat square of grass shines with a pale green glow, almost as bright now as the last ray of sunset afterglow. Dark shapes of buildings loom comfortably all around, while evening stars, mere pinpoints of light, appear in the deep blue sky.

The body of a young Ancient girl lies sprawled on the lawn.
action: You look at the body
response: The paperlike substance appears to be a digital data service printout in the standard Ancient language, Ingles-2. Loosely translated, the headline reads: UNITED EUROPE NEWSWEB 2068.261.08.35 (the numbers could be either a date or location code). NUKES WON'T HALT GREEN PLAGUE - ERLMANN. An article, in closely printed body text, follows.

Slowly, as if in a dream, the girl gets to her feet. Her image seems more chunky, less detailed than before.

"What..." she manages. "How..." Then she sees you. "Oh God!" she whispers. "It... I did it. I'm... Oh, God, no! I can't have been that stupid!"

The girl turns to you, shivering for real now. She speaks the Ancient syllables so fast you can barely translate. "Who are you? Where am I? What have you done to my mind?"
action: You talk to the girl
response: What do you want to talk to it about?
action: Hello
response: Nice weather we've been having.

"Who are you?" repeats the girl, plainly terrified.
action: Hello
response: The girl listens wide-eyed while you try to explain who you are; an explorer from her future. It sounds strange, even to you. Her eyes lose some of their terror, but remains taut and wary.

"Marie", she says. "Marie Hyde. The lost."

A tingling chill seeps deep into your bones, and you dimly realise that you're sweating. Neural transfer. A technology only crudely developed by the Ancients, but the potential would have been in place. Is it possible this girl was desperate enough to risk a full-mind simulation? To copy her entire soul to a machine?

If that's true, you've made the most stunning discovery of the millenium. This simulation you've awoken could be not just a recording - but an Ancient's living replica!
action: You ask the girl about Plague
response: "The Green Plague was the worst bio-disaster in history," says Marie, shivering. "Worse than XIT or the Carbon Flu. It wiped out whole cities. Probably the world, for all I know. I don't know how it started. Maybe a geneering accident. Or a weapon that got loose. It usually caused death within days." She looks over her shoulder, and crosses her arms over her chest. "That's how I died. Funny, I always used to pity the survivors."
action: You ask Marie about Marie
response: Marie's eyes flash. "I'm a figment of a computer's imagination, and I'm trapped here in a vee-ar sim forever. My parents are dead and my world is probably extinct. Otherwise, I'm just fine. Why should you care?"

Marie looks around, cautiously. "I wish I could see something," she says. "Something from home. To prove it's not just a dream."
action: You show Marie the the Glowgrass
response: Marie looks at the clump of glowgrass, wonder in her eyes. "The grass," she says. "You found some. It's still there." Her eyes turn pixelised, beyond the capacity of the simulation to render them. "I used to dream of this as a child. They were always good dreams."

Marie seems to relax a little, but still remains cautious.

Marie looks around, cautiously. "I wish I could see something else," she says. "Something else from home."
action: You show her the the holograms
response: Marie looks at each of the holograms in turn, tears forming in her simulated eyes. "Yes," she says. "That was me. That was my life."

Marie seems to relax a little, but still remains cautious.
action: You show holograms to Marie
response: Marie looks puzzled. "You've already shown me that."
action: You check your inventory
response: You have a set of holograms, a clump of glowgrass, a magprobe, a printout, a white vat, a white box, and a yellow disk.
action: You show the printout to her
response: "That's old news," says Marie. "Everything's changed a lot since then."
action: You show the printout to Marie
response: "That's old news," says Marie. "Everything's changed a lot since then."

Marie looks around, cautiously. "I wish I could see something else," she says. "Something else from home."
action: You ask Marie about the nukes
response: Marie is silent for a moment. "Yeah, they nuked us," she says. "It was the only thing they knew that would stop the Plague." She looks around the room, and shivers. "I guess it must have worked, in the end. But I'm not one of the lucky survivors."

Marie looks around, cautiously. "I wish I could see something else," she says. "Something else from home."
action: You show the vat to Marie
response: "It's just a vat of sterile water," says Marie. "Might be useful."
action: You ask Marie about the car
response: Marie's eyes cloud with suspicion. "And why would you be interested in our family skycar? I'll tell you this much. It won't start without a password. But I'd have to trust someone a lot before I let them know the code."
action: You ask Marie about Erlmann
response: "President Erlmann? He's the American president who authorised the use of nukes against the Plague," says Marie. "I don't blame him. I guess he had no choice."

Marie looks around, cautiously. "I wish I could see something else," she says. "Something else from home."
action: You ask Marie about Frisbee
response: "Sounds like a Frisbee Helipta (tm) to me," says Marie. "I'd like to see that."
action: You show the box to Marie
response: You have a set of holograms, a clump of glowgrass, a magprobe, a printout, a white vat, a white box, and a yellow disk.

Marie shrugs, indicating either ignorance or unwillingness to answer.
action: You look around
response: Twilight Lawn, in the sculptured chair
The neat square of grass shines with a pale green glow, almost as bright now as the last ray of sunset afterglow. Dark shapes of buildings loom comfortably all around, while evening stars, mere pinpoints of light, appear in the deep blue sky.

The young Ancient, Marie, stands facing you, her eyes wary.
action: You kiss her
response: Marie slaps you. "I didn't kiss strangers when I was alive," she says. "Why should I start now?"
action: You ask her about the sculpture
response: Marie smiles. "It's a nice chair."
action: You ask her about yourself
response: Marie listens as you explain again who you are and how you came to be here.
"I believe you," she says, but her eyes are troubled. "Just leave me alone. I need to grieve."

Marie looks around, cautiously. "I wish I could see something else," she says. "Something else from home."
action: You stand
response: Okay, you're no longer in the sculptured chair. The image evaporates from your mind, leaving you slightly dizzy.

You're in what seems to be the central space of the dwelling, a wide living area that still retains the awe and innocence of the Ancient age. The room is now mainly bare, apart from shreds of mouldered textile on the decayed timber floor, and a sculptured chair poised opposite a two-metre black cube. There is a door to the east (open), and hallways leading west and southwest.

A tiny flicker of light and sound dances frustratingly around your vision.

You see a black cable (linking the black cube to the power cell) and a power cell here.
action: Go east
response: You can only go west into the building or out to the southwest.
action: Go southwest
response: This appears to be some kind of courtyard in the centre of an Ancient dwelling. The building itself swings around to the north and west, terminating in a crumbling retaining wall due south. A smaller domed construction opens to the northeast, through a wide metal door (open). To the east is a flat space that could bear further exploring.

You see a Frisbee Helipta here.
action: You go to the east
response: You're standing in a square area of neatly trimmed green lawn, shimmering faintly in the afternoon light. To the west, the lawn gives way to courtyard, and beyond it to the west and north are buildings. An odd, paved rectangular depression in the ground leads down to the southeast; the encroaching jungle vegetation further back is kept at bay by a barrier of translucent sheeting.
action: You go west
response: This appears to be some kind of courtyard in the centre of an Ancient dwelling. The building itself swings around to the north and west, terminating in a crumbling retaining wall due south. A smaller domed construction opens to the northeast, through a wide metal door (open). To the east is a flat space that could bear further exploring.
action: You go west
response: You're in what seems to be the central space of the dwelling, a wide living area that still retains the awe and innocence of the Ancient age. The room is now mainly bare, apart from shreds of mouldered textile on the decayed timber floor, and a sculptured chair poised opposite a two-metre black cube. There is a door to the east (open), and hallways leading west and southwest.

A tiny flicker of light and sound dances frustratingly around your vision.

You see a black cable (linking the black cube to the power cell) and a power cell here.
action: You sit
response: (the sculptured chair)
Okay, you're now sitting on the sculptured chair. The polymer loops sway beneath you, distributing your mass until you feel nearly weightless. The black cube is now directly centred in your field of vision.

The flicker of light and sound suddenly takes form, merging into an experience that swells through your mind.

Twilight Lawn, in the sculptured chair
The neat square of grass shines with a pale green glow, almost as bright now as the last ray of sunset afterglow. Dark shapes of buildings loom comfortably all around, while evening stars, mere pinpoints of light, appear in the deep blue sky.

The young Ancient, Marie, stands facing you, her eyes wary.

Marie looks around, cautiously. "I wish I could see something else," she says. "Something else from home."
action: You show Frisbee to Marie
response: Marie looks at the Helipta. "I remember this," she says with a trace of a smile. "Throwing it on the lawn. I remember being young and alive."

Marie seems to relax a little, but still remains cautious.
action: You look at Marie
response: Marie is young, probably in her late teenage years taking into account the difference in aging rates between Ancient and modern biochemistries. She has deep blue eyes and reddish-brown hair; you're struck by such an unusual colour, which is only accentuated by the black jumpsuit she wears. The girl's image is chunky and pixellated, as if stretching the computational power of the projector system to its limit. She looks at you, taut and wary, an arm's reach away.
action: You throw Frisbee
response: The Frisbee Helipta spins furiously as it leaves your hand, hovers briefly before shooting straight up into the air, then hits the ceiling and tumbles awkwardly to the floor. Guess it wasn't designed for use indoors. Dropped. The Frisbee Helipta vanishes from the illusion.

Marie looks around, cautiously. "I wish I could see something else," she says. "Something else from home."
action: You check your inventory
response: You have a set of holograms, a clump of glowgrass, a magprobe, a printout, a white vat, a white box, and a yellow disk.
action: You stand
response: Okay, you're no longer in the sculptured chair. The image evaporates from your mind, leaving you slightly dizzy.

You're in what seems to be the central space of the dwelling, a wide living area that still retains the awe and innocence of the Ancient age. The room is now mainly bare, apart from shreds of mouldered textile on the decayed timber floor, and a sculptured chair poised opposite a two-metre black cube. There is a door to the east (open), and hallways leading west and southwest.

A tiny flicker of light and sound dances frustratingly around your vision.

You see a black cable (linking the black cube to the power cell), a power cell, and a Frisbee Helipta here.
action: You examine the mattress
response: Aside from the Ancient skeleton, there's a fabric animal on the mattress.
action: You examine the fabric animal
response: It appears to be a colourful replica of a koala bear, one of the animal species from the Ancient era, extinct until very recently. The fabric has remained almost intact, probably made from the same resilient material as the mattress.
action: You look at the headset
response: The device is possibly a recording or playback instrument of some kind; it has a slot for a ten-centimetre disk, a common Ancient data storage format. Words embossed into its polymer surface read "Kodak Synapsit (tm) Neural Transfer System." Judging by the corrosion stains seeping from inside the device, it's completely non-functional. The disk slot is empty.
action: You get the headset
response: The skeleton is clutching the device so tightly, it would be impossible to remove without risking severe damage. You'll have to find another way of learning more about it.
action: You leave
response: You'll have to be more specific; there's more than one direction to leave this area.
action: You go to the north-east
response: You're in what seems to be the central space of the dwelling, a wide living area that still retains the awe and innocence of the Ancient age. The room is now mainly bare, apart from shreds of mouldered textile on the decayed timber floor, and a sculptured chair poised opposite a two-metre black cube. There is a door to the east (open), and hallways leading west and southwest.

A tiny flicker of light and sound dances frustratingly around your vision.

You see a black cable (linking the black cube to the power cell), a power cell, and a Frisbee Helipta here.
action: You sit
response: (the sculptured chair)
Okay, you're now sitting on the sculptured chair. The polymer loops sway beneath you, distributing your mass until you feel nearly weightless. The black cube is now directly centred in your field of vision.

The flicker of light and sound suddenly takes form, merging into an experience that swells through your mind.

Twilight Lawn, in the sculptured chair
The neat square of grass shines with a pale green glow, almost as bright now as the last ray of sunset afterglow. Dark shapes of buildings loom comfortably all around, while evening stars, mere pinpoints of light, appear in the deep blue sky.

The young Ancient, Marie, stands facing you, her eyes wary.
action: You show the animal to Marie
response: Marie looks at the fabric bear, and a shiver runs down her body.
"Miss Kelli," she says. "I had her with me. The last thing I saw..." She turns away, unable to continue.

Marie pauses, as if she's finally coming to some internal decision. Then she steps forward and places one arm on your shoulder. Her touch is warm; apparently the simulation includes tactile response. Ancient technology must have been more advanced than even the Institute had realised.

"I believe you," she says, struggling to keep a tear from appearing again. "You're really here. Walking through my home."

Marie looks into your eyes, pain and hope colliding.

"But there's nothing left for me now. Everything I knew is gone."
action: You ask her about Ancients
response: "Ancients?" says Marie sadly. "Yes, I suppose we are to you. I'd love to tell you everything I know about my world, but I don't think we have the time right now."
action: You touch marie
response: Marie leans against your arms. "Mmmm," she says softly. "But we don't have time to waste like this."
action: You ask her about the car
response: Marie gasps. "The skycar! Of course! I don't know if it could still work, but it's probably our best chance of getting out of here.
You'll need a password to start the electrical system - just 'say dolphin' when the voice asks you. And there's an onboard VR projector, too - you can keep me live."

Marie grips your hand. "Please. Take me with you."
action: Yes
response: That was a rhetorical question.
action: You kiss marie
response: Marie kisses you briefly on the lips. "Mmmm," she says, "But I don't have the processor power for this right now. And besides, you don't want me. You want a girl who's alive."

Marie grips your hand. "Please. Take me with you."
action: You examine cube
response: The cube is black and nearly featureless, apart from a blue button marked with a lightning bolt symbol, a hexagonal socket, and a ten-centimetre disk slot. There's a green disk in the slot. Black words embossed on the cube's polymer face spell out the legend "Sonjitsu 2100 Immersive Entertainment System", whatever that means.
action: You get Frisbee and the disk
response: Which disk do you mean, the Frisbee Helipta, or the green disk?
action: You unplug the cable
response: What do you want to unplug it from?
action: You take the green disk
response: You already have the green disk!
action: Cube
response: The black cable unplugs easily from the cube's socket.
action: You unplug the cable from the cell
response: The black cable unplugs easily from the power cell's socket.
action: You take the cell
response: You've already got your hands full.
action: Inventory
response: You have a set of holograms, a clump of glowgrass, a magprobe, a printout, a white vat, a white box, a yellow disk, a fabric bear, a green disk, and a Frisbee Helipta.
action: You leave
response: You'll have to be more specific; there's more than one direction to leave this area.
action: Go east
response: This domed construction is fairly small compared to the building proper, and open to the air at the southwest. Given today's scholarly confusion about many Ancient living habits, it could serve any number of functions. But the giveaway is the vehicle stationed in the middle of the floor. An interior door, currently open, leads west to to the living area.

The vehicle, a primitive skycar, rests under the centre of the dome.
action: You examine the car
response: You recognise the Ancient vehicle from Institute file fragments. If this one is anything like the reconstructions you examined, it uses a solid-state power cell to jumpstart deuterium-hydrogen fusion, ejecting its clean-burning fuel directly as accelerated reaction mass. A clumsy system, compared to today's gravitic drives, but possibly more reliable in the short term. The skycar's sleek angular lines are marred by ugly thermal scars, as if the vehicle was caught in some kind of blast before being landed here. An entrance hatch in the vehicle's side is open.
action: You open the car
response: The skycar's entrance hatch is already open.
action: You drop the yellow
response: Dropped.
action: Go west
response: You're in what seems to be the central space of the dwelling, a wide living area that still retains the awe and innocence of the Ancient age. The room is now mainly bare, apart from shreds of mouldered textile on the decayed timber floor, and a sculptured chair poised opposite a two-metre black cube. There is a door to the east (open), and hallways leading west and southwest.

You see a black cable and a power cell here.
action: Go east
response: This domed construction is fairly small compared to the building proper, and open to the air at the southwest. Given today's scholarly confusion about many Ancient living habits, it could serve any number of functions. But the giveaway is the vehicle stationed in the middle of the floor. An interior door, currently open, leads west to to the living area.

The vehicle, a primitive skycar, rests under the centre of the dome.

You see a yellow disk here.
action: You put the green disk in the slot
response: There's already a red disk in the disk slot.
action: You examine the red disk
response: The red disk is in the disk slot; you'd have to take it out to examine it further.
action: You get it
response: You've already got your hands full.
action: You drop Frisbee
response: Dropped.
action: You go outside
response: You step out into the vehicle dome.

This domed construction is fairly small compared to the building proper, and open to the air at the southwest. Given today's scholarly confusion about many Ancient living habits, it could serve any number of functions. But the giveaway is the vehicle stationed in the middle of the floor. An interior door, currently open, leads west to to the living area.

The vehicle, a primitive skycar, rests under the centre of the dome.

You see a yellow disk here.
action: Exit
response: This appears to be some kind of courtyard in the centre of an Ancient dwelling. The building itself swings around to the north and west, terminating in a crumbling retaining wall due south. A smaller domed construction opens to the northeast, through a wide metal door (open). To the east is a flat space that could bear further exploring.
action: Go inside
response: This domed construction is fairly small compared to the building proper, and open to the air at the southwest. Given today's scholarly confusion about many Ancient living habits, it could serve any number of functions. But the giveaway is the vehicle stationed in the middle of the floor. An interior door, currently open, leads west to to the living area.

The vehicle, a primitive skycar, rests under the centre of the dome.

You see a yellow disk here.
action: Go west
response: You're in what seems to be the central space of the dwelling, a wide living area that still retains the awe and innocence of the Ancient age. The room is now mainly bare, apart from shreds of mouldered textile on the decayed timber floor, and a sculptured chair poised opposite a two-metre black cube. There is a door to the east (open), and hallways leading west and southwest.

You see a black cable here.
action: You put the disk in the slot
response: Which disk do you mean, the green disk, or the red disk?
action: You connect the cable to the cell
response: (first taking the cable)
The black cable plugs neatly into the power cell's socket. The other end of the cable remains free.
action: You connect the cable to the cube
response: (first dropping the cable)
(also dropping the power cell)
The black cable plugs neatly into the cube's socket, linking the black cube to the power cell.
action: You sit on the chair
response: Okay, you're now sitting on the sculptured chair. The polymer loops sway beneath you, distributing your mass until you feel nearly weightless. The black cube is now directly centred in your field of vision.

The flicker of light and sound suddenly takes form, merging into an experience that swells through your mind.

Stadium, in the sculptured chair
Crowds of screaming fans stand all around you, reaching out toward the rock group playing on the centre stage.

Harsh white spotlights converge on the lead singer, while smoke and lasers spell out the band's name: "Fleischman Tokamak."
action: Wait
response: Time passes...

The lead singer steps up to the hovering cam-bot, taps his implant mike, and begins. "This one goes out to everyone who has ever logged into the cube in the morning, seen their own reflection... and wept. Biofeedback." The crowd falls silent.
action: Wait
response: Time passes...

The band kicks up, a grating metallic beat that devours the singer's voice.

"Bright annihilation
Chaos is my nation
In too far too deep too high
to ever fly away"
action: Inventory
response: You have a set of holograms, a clump of glowgrass, a magprobe, a printout, a white vat, a white box, a fabric bear, and a green disk.

"Biofeedback
Biofeedback
Take my dreams back
Give me something new and strange"
action: You examine Green
response: It appears to be a thin metallic polymer disk around ten centimetres in diameter, with a green tint. You recognise the object from Institute files as an Ancient data storage device.

"Global destination
A silicon creation
Who am I are you are we
are what am I today"
action: You look around
response: Stadium, in the sculptured chair
Crowds of screaming fans stand all around you, reaching out toward the rock group playing on the centre stage.

"Biofeedback
Biofeedback
Take my dreams back
Give me something new and strange"
action: You listen
response: You hear nothing unusual.

The lead musician, playing a stringless virtual electric with chrome pickups on his fingertips, launches into an instrumental riff on the first two stanzas.
action: You listen
response: You hear nothing unusual.

"Biofeedback
Biofeedback
Take my dreams back
Give me something new and strange"
action: You listen
response: You hear nothing unusual.

The music blurs into a warped analog acid mix, from a style nearly a hundred years old.

"Simplicity conformity
Reality compelling me
Illusion me transfusion me
Electricity my complicity"
action: You listen
response: You hear nothing unusual.

"Biofeedback
Biofeedback...
Something new and strange...
Something new and strange...
Something new and strange..."
action: You wait
response: Time passes...

The musician does another lead break, roaming up and down the scale in five different tonal keys.
action: Wait
response: Time passes...

The singer steps forward, drops his voice to a whisper and speaks softly as if reading a nursery rhyme.

"And we will walk on glowgrass lawns
And we will sing electric storms
And the mothers and the fathers
of all our futures will be there
And we will live without a care..."
action: You wait awhile
response: Time passes...

The band kicks into a screaming frenzy and ends on a crescendo cry.

"Biofeedback!"

The crowd goes wild, and the sound slowly fades out.
action: You wait
response: Time passes...

A soft female voice says "End of licensed tracks on this release. Please reset your projector to replay, or link to vvr.audioclub.com.eu to decrypt another single. Thank you for purchasing from The Audio Club."
action: You unplug the cable from cube
response: The black cable unplugs easily from the cube's socket. The black cube abruptly stops humming, and the flicker of light and sound vanishes.
action: You take the cell
response: (also taking the connected cable)
Taken.
action: You take the red disk
response: You've already got your hands full.
action: Go east
response: This domed construction is fairly small compared to the building proper, and open to the air at the southwest. Given today's scholarly confusion about many Ancient living habits, it could serve any number of functions. But the giveaway is the vehicle stationed in the middle of the floor. An interior door, currently open, leads west to to the living area.

The vehicle, a primitive skycar, rests under the centre of the dome.

You see a yellow disk here.
action: You enter
response: You step into the vehicle.

Skycar, in vehicle dome
The interior of the skycar is fairly cramped compared to a modern altiwing or dropship. There's a control console directly in front of you, and a viewshield through which you can see the vehicle dome. The exit hatch to your side is open; in the rear of the car is an access panel (currently open).

You see a Frisbee Helipta here.
action: Enter
response: You step into the vehicle.

Skycar, in vehicle dome
The interior of the skycar is fairly cramped compared to a modern altiwing or dropship. There's a control console directly in front of you, and a viewshield through which you can see the vehicle dome. The exit hatch to your side is open; in the rear of the car is an access panel (currently open).

You see a Frisbee Helipta, a white vat, and a magprobe here.
action: You put the cell in the socket
response: The black cable is already plugged into the power cell's socket.
action: You examine the panel
response: Done.

The access panel is open. In the access panel you see a corroded metal coil, a triangular hole, and a rectangular hole.
action: You look at the console
response: Despite your research, the controls on this model of skycar are quite unfamiliar to you. The only ones you can make out at all are a green button marked with a sunburst symbol, a mechanical lever (currently pushed all the way forward), and a slot to fit a ten-centimetre disk. There's a green disk in the slot.
action: You put the cell in the rectangle
response: The power cell slots neatly into the rectangular hole.
action: You say the dolphin
response: An electronic voice replies, "Thank you. Your password is accepted."

Marie's projected image appears on the seat beside you.

Marie flicks in and out of view for a few moments, then settles into a sitting posture beside you. She glances around the vehicle's interior - presumably, the skycar has concealed visual pickups to give projected images the power of sight - and then nods.

"Okay. You've got the electrics running. Now you need to give the drive some power. That lever there is the main throttle - pull it to increase power and push to slacken off. Steering could be a problem - I'll try to cut past the overrides and do it myself."

Seeing your expression, Marie grins. "Why the surprise? I'm a natural with cars. You should have seen me fly this before... when I was... whatever. Well, I'm okay now. I'll be fine."

The car does not respond.

"Well, let's go!" says Marie.
action: You put the red disk in the slot
response: Done.

"Please say the password," repeats the electronic voice.
action: You say the dolphin
response: An electronic voice replies, "Thank you. Your password is accepted."

A projected image of an Ancient rock concert appears on the seat beside you.

Harsh white spotlights converge on the lead singer, while smoke and lasers spell out the band's name: "Fleischman Tokamak."
action: You say the dolphin
response: The car does not respond.

Harsh white spotlights converge on the lead singer, while smoke and lasers spell out the band's name: "Fleischman Tokamak."
action: You examine the seat
response: The passenger seat isn't important.

Harsh white spotlights converge on the lead singer, while smoke and lasers spell out the band's name: "Fleischman Tokamak."
action: You take the red disk
response: Taken.

The projected image vanishes.
action: You put the green disk in the slot
response: Done.

Marie's projected image appears on the seat beside you.

Marie flicks in and out of view for a few moments, then settles into a sitting posture beside you. She glances around the vehicle's interior - presumably, the skycar has concealed visual pickups to give projected images the power of sight - and then nods.

"Okay. You've got the electrics running. Now you need to give the drive some power. That lever there is the main throttle - pull it to increase power and push to slacken off. Steering could be a problem - I'll try to cut past the overrides and do it myself."

Seeing your expression, Marie grins. "Why the surprise? I'm a natural with cars. You should have seen me fly this before... when I was... whatever. Well, I'm okay now. I'll be fine."
I beg your pardon?
action: You take Green
response: Taken.

Marie's image vanishes.
action: You put the yellow disk in the slot
response: Done.

A projected image of a rainforest appears on the seat beside you.
action: You look at the rainforest
response: It's only a projection.
action: You take the red
response: Taken.

"You did not say the password," says the electronic voice. "For your protection, this vehicle is now powering down."

There's a quiet click from the console. The green button stops glowing.
action: You say the dolphin
response: An electronic voice replies, "Thank you. Your password is accepted."
action: You look around
response: Skycar, in vehicle dome
The interior of the skycar is fairly cramped compared to a modern altiwing or dropship. There's a control console directly in front of you, and a viewshield through which you can see the vehicle dome. The exit hatch to your side is open; in the rear of the car is an access panel (currently open).

You see a Frisbee Helipta, a white vat, and a magprobe here.
action: You look at the coil
response: It's a thin coil of some heavily corroded metal, about ten centimetres long and three across.
action: Examine box
response: It's a small box made from some decay-resistant pressed fibre, possibly spun carbon or silicon. A label reads "Surefire palladium ignitor coils, contents 6". The white box is closed.
action: You ask Marie about the coil
response: Marie shrugs, indicating either ignorance or unwillingness to answer.

"Well, let's go!" says Marie.
action: You open box
response: Opening the white box reveals a transparent bag.

"Well, let's go!" says Marie.
action: You look at the bag
response: It's a small bag made from transparent polymer sheeting, about the size of your hand. In the transparent bag you see a shiny metal coil.
action: You open bag
response: Opened.
action: You put the new coil in the panel
response: You'll need to be more specific; there are several places to put things in the access panel.

"Well, let's go!" says Marie.
action: You examine the panel
response: The access panel is open. In the access panel you see a triangular hole, a power cell, and a round hole.
action: You put the new coil in the round hole
response: The shiny metal coil screws neatly into the round hole.
action: You pull lever
response: You pull the lever back one notch. An electronic voice says "Please close the hatch before ignition." The lever clicks forward again.

"Duh," grins Marie. "Better get that."
action: You close the door
response: The exit hatch swings closed.

"Ready to go yet?" asks Marie.
action: You pull the lever
response: You pull the lever back one notch. An electronic voice says "Please close the access panel before ignition." The lever clicks forward again.

"Duh," grins Marie. "Better get that."
action: Close panel
response: Closed.
action: You pull the lever
response: You pull the lever back one notch. The skycar's engine ignites with a deep vibrating hum.

The skycar begins to lift into the air.

Marie grins. "Nice liftoff. Now comes the tricky part. Open up the throttle some more, and take us out of here - but be ready to hit it when I tell you. I can't handle both steering and power at the same time. I'm having enough trouble just computing myself as it is."
action: You pull throttle
response: You pull the lever back one notch. The engine's hum increases to a whine.

The skycar accelerates up and out to the southwest, grazing the edge of the vehicle dome's ceiling in a shower of sparks.

Marie's image flickers. "Sorry about that. Okay, I've got it now. Watch out for the turn, I'm going to need full throttle in a moment."
action: Wait
response: Time passes...

The skycar skims through the courtyard, heading directly for the southern wall.

"This is it!" shouts Marie, her hands flicking across the console. "Full throttle, now!"
action: You pull the throttle
response: You pull the lever back one notch. The engine's whine increases to a shriek.

The skycar banks sharply to the south and east, pulling hard into a near-vertical turn across the glowgrass lawn. Through the viewshield, you see the pool and vehicle dome, tilted at a freakish angle.

"Excellent!" shouts Marie. "I didn't think we were going to make that one. Okay, slacken back a bit and I'll try to staighten us up."
action: You open the door
response: An electronic voice says, "For your comfort and safety, the hatch will not open while the vehicle is in motion."

The skycar continues to follow the valley's curve, gradually heading towards a forested ridge. Below, you get a clear view of the jungle: tall green palms with leafy fronds, clustering thornbushes, strange contorted ferns. All of them glowing, a soft pale green.

Marie looks down at the jungle, wonderingly. "This was a city," she breathes. "All this was city. Suburbs, housing estates, skycars, towers... all gone. I don't believe it." She turns away, as if unwilling to reveal any more emotion.
action: You take the yellow
response: You already have the yellow disk!

The skycar reaches the end of the valley, approaching the ridge. To the west, the sun is sinking behind the mountains; golden light gives everything a dreamlike aura, like one single fading moment of innocence.

Marie takes one last look back at the valley, as if fixing it in her mind.
action: You take Green
response: Taken.

Marie's image vanishes.

The skycar falters, losing height.
action: You kiss marie
response: Marie kisses you briefly on the lips. "Mmmm," she says, "But I don't have the processor power for this right now. And besides, you don't want me. You want a girl who's alive."

The skycar tops the ridge and breaks through into a scene of devastation. A smouldering crater, carved out of the jungle by the doomed dropship's crash. There's no wreckage; a turbine implosion never leaves more than scattered plasma. You watch silently as the crater passes by beneath. If your team were lucky, they had a few seconds to activate the escape wormhole, and make their own way home. If not...

Marie looks over at you, her face gentle. "So, it was true. You had friends too." She looks back at the console for a moment, then at you. "Lost? Or... no. There's still hope, isn't there?"
action: Yes
response: That was a rhetorical question.

The skycar leaves the crater, passing over a sheer cliff - recently fractured by the dropship's blast wave - into a river valley that winds its way out towards more familiar territory. The setting sun slowly drops out of sight, leaving a trail of soft green light as the glowgrass jungle switches on its full bioluminescence. Bright moving dots mark the passage of birds and predators. You hope Marie doesn't ask about the taller ones; or notice the drop of greenish, sparkling, blood oozing from the tiny cut on your arm. Tommorow will be time enough for everything.

"Hope," continues Marie, quietly, watching the jungle swallow the night. "Yes. I guess that's all any of us has."

You nod, silently. There doesn't seem anything else to say.
action: About yourself
response: You're a world-renowned xenohistorian and student of Ancient artifacts. And you're in reasonably good shape, given the mess this field trip has turned into.

The skycar leaves the crater, passing over a sheer cliff - recently fractured by the dropship's blast wave - into a river valley that winds its way out towards more familiar territory. The setting sun slowly drops out of sight, leaving a trail of soft green light as the glowgrass jungle switches on its full bioluminescence. Bright moving dots mark the passage of birds and predators. You hope Marie doesn't ask about the taller ones; or notice the drop of greenish, sparkling, blood oozing from the tiny cut on your arm. Tommorow will be time enough for everything.

"Hope," continues Marie, quietly, watching the jungle swallow the night. "Yes. I guess that's all any of us has."

You nod, silently. There doesn't seem anything else to say.
action: You pull green
response: Which green do you mean, the green button, or the green disk?
action: You take the green disk
response: Taken.

Marie's image vanishes.

The skycar falters, losing height.
action: You put in the yellow disk
response: What do you want to put?
action: You put the yellow disk in the slot
response: Done.

A projected image of a rainforest appears on the seat beside you.

Helplessly out of control, the skycar plunges down into the jungle.

Trapped in the wreckage, you desperately race to free yourself, but it's too late. The car's electrics die, sending a last surge of unregulated power through the fusion ignitors. Everything within a thirty metre radius explodes.

The recovery team, six months later, finds no trace of your body. Had you lived, you would have warned them to may more attention to instructions.
action: You put Green in the slot
response: Done.

Marie's projected image appears on the seat beside you.

The skycar leaves the crater, passing over a sheer cliff - recently fractured by the dropship's blast wave - into a river valley that winds its way out towards more familiar territory. The setting sun slowly drops out of sight, leaving a trail of soft green light as the glowgrass jungle switches on its full bioluminescence. Bright moving dots mark the passage of birds and predators. You hope Marie doesn't ask about the taller ones; or notice the drop of greenish, sparkling, blood oozing from the tiny cut on your arm. Tommorow will be time enough for everything.

"Hope," continues Marie, quietly, watching the jungle swallow the night. "Yes. I guess that's all any of us has."

You nod, silently. There doesn't seem anything else to say.
action: You pull the lever
response: You pull the lever back one notch. The engine's hum increases to a whine.

The skycar accelerates up and out to the southwest, grazing the edge of the vehicle dome's ceiling in a shower of sparks.

Marie's image flickers. "Sorry about that. Okay, I've got it now. Watch out for the turn, I'm going to need full throttle in a moment."
action: You pull the lever
response: You pull the lever back one notch. The engine's whine increases to a shriek.

The skycar skims through the courtyard, heading directly for the southern wall.

"This is it!" shouts Marie, her hands flicking across the console. "Full throttle, now!"
action: You wait
response: Time passes...

The skycar banks sharply to the south and east, pulling hard into a near-vertical turn across the glowgrass lawn. Through the viewshield, you see the pool and vehicle dome, tilted at a freakish angle.

"Excellent!" shouts Marie. "I didn't think we were going to make that one. Okay, slacken back a bit and I'll try to staighten us up."
action: You take Green
response: Taken.

Marie's image vanishes.

The skycar continues to hover a few feet above the ground.
action: You pull the lever
response: You pull the lever back one notch. The engine's hum increases to a whine.

The skycar accelerates up and out to the southwest, grazing the edge of the vehicle dome's ceiling in a shower of sparks.
action: You pull the lever
response: You pull the lever back one notch. The engine's whine increases to a shriek.

The skycar skims through the courtyard, heading directly for the southern wall. You wrestle with the controls, but find that you have no steering!

A moment later, the skycar collides with the wall, shearing up and nearly over before flipping and plunging nose-first into the ground. The electrics die; fusion ignitors spark in a final unregulated surge of power, and then the vehicle and everything within a thirty metre radius explodes.

The recovery team, six months later, finds no trace of your body. But had you survived, you would have warned them against flying an unknown craft without competent assistance.
action: You put Green in the slot
response: Done.

Marie's projected image appears on the seat beside you.

The skycar skims through the courtyard, heading directly for the southern wall.

"This is it!" shouts Marie, her hands flicking across the console. "Full throttle, now!"
action: Wait
response: Time passes...

The skycar banks sharply to the south and east, pulling hard into a near-vertical turn across the glowgrass lawn. The engines struggle for power, but there isn't enough; the car stalls, spins, and crashes out of the sky into the concrete pool.

Trapped in the wreckage, you desperately race to free yourself, but it's too late. The car's electrics die, sending a last surge of unregulated power through the fusion ignitors. Everything within a thirty metre radius explodes.

The recovery team, six months later, finds no trace of your body. Had you lived, you would have warned them to may more attention to instructions.

*** Your expedition has failed ***

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