The Forests of Lachryma
by Roger Carbol (2011)

You play as Aris Bleph, an important citizen of the Upper Forest of Lachryma, one of the twin nations currently threatened with catastrophe. Scientists recently spotted an asteroid plummeting towards the Milk Sea and it is now your duty to retrieve that asteroid.

action: %
response: A catastrophic event threatens the continued existence of the twin nations. You are Aris, an important citizen of the long linear Upper Forest of Lachryma. If you cannot save your civilization, no one can.

An entry for Speed-IF Jacket 4 by Roger Carbol

(For more information, try ABOUT.)

A small, circular room, carved out of the depths of the Mother Tree. What little light there is trickles in from a long hallway to the north.

You are roused from your meditations. You know that you must not fail.
action: About you
response: You are Aris, an important citizen of the long linear Upper Forest of Lachryma. If you cannot save your civilization, no one can.
action: You look at your surroundings
response: A small, circular room, carved out of the depths of the Mother Tree. What little light there is trickles in from a long hallway to the north.
action: Go north
response: From this vantage point, you can see most of the north face of your Mother Tree. Far above you is Citadel Bleph, founded by your own great ancestors generations ago. Far below, all details of the surface are lost to haze. You can vaguely discern the great Milk Sea, and the Rainbow Spot within it.

A stairway winds its way upwards to an observatory. It also continues winding downwards until it eventually reaches a research station. The rest of the city, and beyond its walls other cities around other Mother Trees, could be visited by other paths. But your path lies elsewhere.
action: You examine Tree
response: Ancient and immense beyond measure, the Mother Tree is the foundation of your entire civilization. It provides scale and oil, it provides shelter, it provides a reason for living.
action: Go downwards
response: This building is among the lowest on the Mother Tree, although it remains safely above the surface. The research pod is here, waiting to take you down to the surface, where you are expected to retrieve the asteroid.
action: Examine pod
response: It is a small vessel, designed for one person at most. It is raised and lowered by a cable.
action: You enter the pod
response: The research pod is incredibly cramped. There's just enough room for two levers: one labeled DOWN and the other UP. There's also a small window.
action: You eat the lever
response: Which do you mean, the down lever or the up lever?
action: You pull down
response: (the down lever)
You give the lever labeled DOWN a push, and you quickly find yourself plummeting downwards. This continues for several minutes, until there's a mighty screeching sound, and you find yourself at a standstill.
action: You look at the window
response: It's a tiny opaque window; barely large enough to steal a glimpse through. A large plaque immediately below the window has this message: "WARNING: Do not open window in transit." The window is closed.
action: You open the window
response: You open the window.
action: You go outside
response: You would plummet to your death.
action: You look through the window
response: Ignoring the admonition of the warning sign, you gaze out through the window.

Far below, you can clearly see the Milk Sea, stretching out to an impossibly-distant horizon. In its center, the colourful Rainbow Sea, perfectly round. And in the center of that sea, you perceive yet another concentric round sea, this one of inky darkness.

By the Mother Tree -- you comprehend the whole in one terrible instant. This is no sea, no ocean. You gaze down upon the garguantuan eye of some unimagineably immense creature, some god. All you have known, or ever will know, is nothing but the tiniest speck in comparison. Yet you cannot shake the feeling that even as you look down in awe, this behemoth is gazing back.

Your mind is shattered; perhaps another can complete your mission, or perhaps your civilization is doomed.
action: Keep going
response: (the up lever)
You give the lever labeled UP a pull, but nothing seems to happen. Perhaps you're as far up as you can go.
action: You look through window
response: You see the research station.
action: You go outside
response: This building is among the lowest on the Mother Tree, although it remains safely above the surface. The research pod is here, waiting to take you down to the surface, where you are expected to retrieve the asteroid.
action: You go upwards
response: From this vantage point, you can see most of the north face of your Mother Tree. Far above you is Citadel Bleph, founded by your own great ancestors generations ago. Far below, all details of the surface are lost to haze. You can vaguely discern the great Milk Sea, and the Rainbow Spot within it.

A stairway winds its way upwards to an observatory. It also continues winding downwards until it eventually reaches a research station. The rest of the city, and beyond its walls other cities around other Mother Trees, could be visited by other paths. But your path lies elsewhere.
action: Go upwards
response: This building is dominated by enormous telescopes and other optical instruments, all pointed across The Great Gap. No signal from the Lower Forest has been received for generations, yet the scientists live in hope. Indeed, it is to them you owe your mission, for it was they who spotted the asteroid plummeting downwards. The asteroid you are now sworn to retrieve.

A large telescope appears to be merely pointed towards the floor.
That can't be right.
action: You look at the telescope
response: Upon closer examination, you determine that it's actually an enormous microscope. It is pointed at a small bowl of oatmeal.
action: Examine oatmeal
response: It seems to be a normal bowl of oatmeal. As you observe it, though, numerous dark spots appear on its surface; they appear to be arranging themselves into letters and words.
action: You read it
response: As you watch, you see the following message appear: "PLEASE DO NOT EAT US"
action: You look in the microscope
response: You peer into the microscope, but it's all a blur. You try twiddling various knobs, but nothing seems to help.
action: You eat the oatmeal
response: (first taking the bowl of oatmeal)
You shovel the oatmeal into your mouth. It tastes... a bit strange. Nevertheless, you finish it.
action: You look at your surroundings
response: This building is dominated by enormous telescopes and other optical instruments, all pointed across The Great Gap. No signal from the Lower Forest has been received for generations, yet the scientists live in hope. Indeed, it is to them you owe your mission, for it was they who spotted the asteroid plummeting downwards. The asteroid you are now sworn to retrieve.

A large telescope appears to be merely pointed towards the floor.
That can't be right.

You can see a bowl of oatmeal here.
action: You take the bowl
response: Taken.
action: You take the microscope
response: That's hardly portable.
action: You turn the microscope
response: It is fixed in place.
action: Go down
response: From this vantage point, you can see most of the north face of your Mother Tree. Far above you is Citadel Bleph, founded by your own great ancestors generations ago. Far below, all details of the surface are lost to haze. You can vaguely discern the great Milk Sea, and the Rainbow Spot within it.

A stairway winds its way upwards to an observatory. It also continues winding downwards until it eventually reaches a research station. The rest of the city, and beyond its walls other cities around other Mother Trees, could be visited by other paths. But your path lies elsewhere.
action: You keep going
response: (the down lever)
You give the lever labeled DOWN a mighty shove, and, following a shudder, the pod resumes its descent. After several more minutes, the pod comes to a halt at the surface.
action: Leave
response: The research pod has set down at the base of the Mother Tree, on the shore of the Milk Sea. Far, far to the south, you see dark shape which must be the asteroid.

You can see a grappling hook here.
action: You examine the hook
response: This hook must have detached from the research pod automatically. It is connected to a thin strong cable which extends back to the pod.
action: You take the hook
response: Taken.
action: Go south
response: You eventually reach the site of the asteroid. It appears to be a large irregular mass of stone, much larger than you. Far to the north, you see the Mother Tree stretching upwards.
action: You examine the asteroid
response: This thing is far too large for you to carry back to the research pod. You examine its surface, and find several places where you could attach the grappling hook.
action: You attach the hook to the asteroid
response: You firmly attach the grappling hook to the asteroid.
action: Look around
response: You eventually reach the site of the asteroid. It appears to be a large irregular mass of stone, much larger than you. Far to the north, you see the Mother Tree stretching upwards.

You can see a grappling hook here.
action: You examine Tree
response: Ancient and immense beyond measure, the Mother Tree is the foundation of your entire civilization. It provides scale and oil, it provides shelter, it provides a reason for living.
action: You go north
response: The research pod has set down at the base of the Mother Tree, on the shore of the Milk Sea. Far, far to the south, you see dark shape which must be the asteroid.
action: You pull up
response: (the up lever)
You give the lever labeled UP a pull, and you quickly find yourself rushing upwards. This continues for several minutes, until there's a mighty screeching sound, and you find yourself at a standstill.
action: You continue
response: (the up lever)
You give the lever labeled UP a mighty shove, and, following a shudder, the pod resumes its ascent. After several more minutes, the pod comes to a halt at the station.

You hear cheering outside. As you exit the pod, you see a number of excited scientists, as well as your family, and the king himself.
"You have saved us all, Aris, of the noble clan of Bleph," he says.
"A statue shall be erected in your honour, so that everyone knows of your bravery forevermore."
action: Spoilers
response: The blurbs I tried to incorporate are:

* "Eyelashes have seldom been rendered in such loving detail." -- Sarah Morayati
* "Never in any form of media has a bowl of oatmeal been portrayed as a more sympathetic character." -- Colin Sandel
* "A world steeped in arcane tree-mysticism." - Tanga
action: Examine oatmeal
response: It seems to be a normal bowl of oatmeal. As you observe it, though, numerous dark spots appear on its surface; they appear to be arranging themselves into letters and words.
action: You read it
response: As you watch, you see the following message appear: "BE CAREFUL"