Vortex 2305
by Jacqueline A. Lott (2010)
Genres: Fantasy
Slice of life

Vortex 2305 was a speed IF written in the suite of a Hilton Hotel in Boston, MA during the 2010 PAX East convention. Room 2305, if you must know. It is silly and short. Participants were asked to include: spellcasting, travel (trains, plains, taxis, elevators), gravity changes, lobster, the GET LAMP movie, mangoes, fetuccini, actinic, a queue maze, the Irish Potato Famine, and the Revolutionary War.

action: %
response: PAX East, your first ever gaming convention!
You've been psyched about this for months, and now here you are. Wow.

Granted, things didn't exactly get off to the best start... you showed up promptly at 2:00 (that's when they said the doors would open), but even at that point the queue was winding its way down three flights of stairs, out the front door, and a good ways down the block. Needless to say, you didn't end up getting in to see Wil Wheaton give his keynote address, and you didn't end up with a wristband for the MC Frontalot concert.

A PAXeast Speed IF by Jacqueline A. Lott

The "Handheld Lounge" (as it's labeled on your map) is just a long hallway, really. There are bean bag bed things lining one side, upon which recline a variety of geeks. Along the other side of the corridor is a line of queueing people... Gosh, what all those folks are in line to see?

"Excuse me," you say to a random dude wearing one of the red ENFORCER t-shirts which helps him stand out as a PAX East volunteer. "What're all these people lining up for?"

"Um, Storytelling in Interactive Fiction." he replies.

You feel some slight resistance from your fake beard as your jaw practically hits the floor... all these people are in line for the IF panel? Like, for reals?
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying:
a wizardhat (being worn)
a fakebeard (being worn)
a cloak (being worn)
action: You look at the hat
response: It's a high pointed hat embroidered with astrological signs.
action: You examine fakebeard
response: It's a long, stringy, unkempt (and fake) beard.
action: You examine the cloak
response: It's a long cloak, just like the one worn by the Wizard of Frobozz.
action: Go inside
response: Leave? Don't give up, get in line!
action: You get in the line
response: The Handheld Lounge (in the great big line)
Okay, you're in the line. Little good it'll do you, though. Doesn't look like you have a prayer of getting in to enjoy this panel discussion.
action: You examine the line
response: You're in the line to nowhere, probably.

A sexy, tall chick in tight leather pants suddenly walks up to you. She is unlike any of the mere mortals in the line with you. Her skin glows actinically. Her hair is thick, flowing over her shoulders and down her back like glorious strands of ebony-colored fettuccine. "Greetings, my brave wizard," she says to you, nodding in appreciation of your wardrobe choices. "I honor your courage in having made the journey here. You have travelled from afar, braving jetlag to join us for the time of reckoning. The rest of the gaming community will come to appreciate the glory of interactive fiction... and you shall be a part of that."

"Bu... but... the line! I'll never make it to the head of the queue. It all begins here, and I haven't a prayer of getting in."

She leans down, her lobster red lips only inches from your own, and for a moment you find it difficult to breathe... but then you do breathe, and you think you can smell mango on her breath. "Hush, handsome sorcerer," she says. "You are in Boston. Has not Boston been the site of many adversities? When America desired freedom, was Boston not the site of so many events that led up to the historic break from Britain? When the people of Ireland suffered from famine, was it not Boston who took in the hungry, and filled them with hope and determination?" Her gaze seems to penetrate into your very soul, and you are unable to speak. "Yes," she continues, "And so too shall Boston be the site where the greater world rediscovered interactive fiction. And you, my dear wizard, you shall be a part of that. Take this," she says, "...and don't forget to catch the >Get Lamp premier this evening."

The mysterious woman hads you a slip of paper, then floats off down the hallway, a lightness in her step that seems to defy gravity.
action: You look at the paper
response: It's a small piece of parchment, upon which is written a single word: XYZZY. You knew of the word, of course, knew it to be a word of power, but now, in reading it, you are imbued with new knowledge.

Perhaps you'll make that Storytelling in Interactive Fiction panel after all.
action: Xyzzy
response: At the mere thougt of uttering the word aloud, a power begins to flow through you. "XYZZY!" you cry, and you are suddenly transported...

The speakers arrive, the panel begins, and it turns out to be the beinning of what turns out to be an amazing, unbelievable weekend.

...and all because you dared to dress up in a Wizard of Frobozz costume when you went to PAX East!
action: About yourself
response: You adjust your fake beard, hoping that you don't look too silly... It's a gaming con, so you figured there'd be lots of dressed up people, but you seem to be in the minority.
action: You remove the beard
response: There's a ton of people in a very lengthy line... apparently the line for the 5:30 panel on Storytelling in the World of Interactive Fiction.

Crap, your chances of getting in to see Andrew Plotkin are dwindling fast. You'd better get in the queue.
action: Kiss enforcer
response: You take off the fakebeard.

Keep your mind on the game.
action: You remove the hat
response: You can't remove any part of your costume... you're feeling pretty silly, but at least no one can recognize you. You're sort of committed now.
action: You examine geek
response: You take off the cloak.

You pick one of them out of the crowd and size him up: white t-shirt which reads "I'm only here because my server is down". Yep, this is PAX, and these are your people.
action: You look at the line
response: There's a ton of people in a very lengthy line... apparently the line for the 5:30 panel on Storytelling in the World of Interactive Fiction.

Crap, your chances of getting in to see Robb Sherwin are dwindling fast. You'd better get in the queue.
action: Kiss enforcer
response: Keep your mind on the game.
action: You look at the geek
response: You pick one of them out of the crowd and size her up: black t-shirt which reads "This is just my avatar". Yep, this is PAX, and these are your people.
action: You ask the geek about the line
response: "I'm having trouble taking someone like you seriously... check out your stupid wizard costume!"
action: You ask the geek about the line
response: "Sorry, man, I'm really just scenery."
action: Filch
response: You wrinkle your eyebrows, put on your best Wizard of Frobozz voice, and shout the magic word. Unfortunately, your costume is fake, you are a fake, and the spell does nothing. You are still stuck in line.