Light Of My Stomach
by David Fletcher (2011)
Genres: Surreal

This is an unusual story where you play as the primary lightbulb of the John Quincy Adams Gastrodome, but also as Bob Bobkins, competative eater. What secrets is Garry, Bob's opponent in the eating contest, hiding?

action: %
response: Praise for "Light Of My Stomach":

"I never imagined that sonnets could sink this low. Thank you for opening my eyes, game."
- Sam Kabo Ashwell

"The juxtaposition of harsh urban and harsher culinary imagery are what really made this work soar."
- S. John Ross

"I've played games that were touching before, but this one outright gropes you."
- Carolyn VanEseltine

"Is every damn object in this game (including the unnecessary PUTPBAD reference) some kind of badly-done psychological metaphor?"
- Colin Sandel

"Tastes like chicken."
- Tanga

"The story confused me a little until I realised that the giant atomic robot was the real protagonist."
- C.E.J. Pacian

"Probably the best game written from the perspective of a lightbulb." - Marius Muller

"If only John Quincy Adams were alive to give this a piece of his mind."
- Sarah Morayati

"The secret room was almost worth the struggle to open the secret door."
- Royce Odle

"Masterfully blends the intrigue of competitive eating with the excitement of two-fisted street justice!"
- Jennifer Earl

[press a key]
action: You press any the key
response: for SpeedIF Jacket 4.

It is dark.
action: About yourself
response: You are the principal lightbulb in this vast arena. You are currently switched off.

You feel the power arrive, though weakly, as it has always been these last few years. Nevertheless you have your duty.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are empty-handed.
action: You turn on
response: You turn yourself on.

You find yourself shining especially on one Bob Bobkins -- a man preparing for the contest of his life.

[press a key]
action: You press any key
response: The John Quincy Adams Gastrodrome is the nation's leading competitive eating venue, and today it is packed. All eyes are on you and your opponent as the crowd waits impatiently for the match to begin.

The mayor is here, looking pompous.

Garry Garrison is here.
action: About yourself
response: You are Bob Bobkins, competitive eating enthusiast.

The mayor says "Welcome everyone, to the John Quincy Adams Gastrodrome, for the final of the 47th Annual Exotic Foodstuffs Eating Competition!"
action: You examine the opponent
response: Garry is your chief rival on the competitive eating circuit. You've never yet beaten him, but perhaps you can today.

"Sadly, this will be the last event we hold here - with our aging power station we can barely manage to light the place any more."
action: You examine mayor
response: The Mayor of Quincy is officiating today.

"But I see the kitchen staff are ready, so without further ado, let's bring out the first dish!"

There are loud cheers from the crowd.
action: You examine the dish
response: The word "dish" is not necessary in this story.

(If this was an accidental misspelling, you can correct it by typing OOPS followed by the corrected word now. Any time the story points out an unknown word, you can correct a misspelling using OOPS as your next command.)
action: You check what you're carrying
response: You are empty-handed.

The contest officials give you some deep-fried Mongolian ocelot.

The contest officials give him some mashed Uzbekistani sloth.
action: You eat ocelot
response: You quickly swallow the deep-fried Mongolian ocelot. It tastes like chicken.

The contest officials give you some steamed Paraguayan sausage.

Your opponent eats the mashed Uzbekistani sloth.

The contest officials give him some grilled Hungarian mango.
action: You eat the sausage
response: You quickly swallow the steamed Paraguayan sausage. It tastes somewhat like deep-fried Mongolian ocelot.

The contest officials give you some baked Siberian lettuce.

Your opponent eats the grilled Hungarian mango.

The contest officials give him some boiled Venezuelan okapi.
action: You eat the lettuce
response: You quickly swallow the baked Siberian lettuce. It tastes similar to steamed Paraguayan sausage.

The contest officials give you some sauteed Faroese carrot.

Your opponent eats the boiled Venezuelan okapi.

The contest officials give him some pan-fried Congolese asparagus.
action: You look at the carrot
response: There's no time to stare at the sauteed Faroese carrot!

Your opponent eats the pan-fried Congolese asparagus.

The contest officials give him some roasted Saharan platypus.
action: You eat the carrot
response: You quickly swallow the sauteed Faroese carrot. It is reminiscent of baked Siberian lettuce.

The contest officials give you some roasted Saharan platypus.

Your opponent eats the pan-fried Congolese asparagus.

The contest officials give him some seared Liberian rhinoceros.
action: You eat the platypus
response: You quickly swallow the roasted Saharan platypus. It tastes somewhat like sauteed Faroese carrot.

The contest officials give you some steamed Tierra del Fuegan porpoise.

Your opponent eats the seared Liberian rhinoceros.

The contest officials give him some deep-fried Faroese leopard.
action: You examine mayor
response: The Mayor of Quincy is officiating today.

Your opponent eats the deep-fried Faroese leopard.

The contest officials give him some roasted Mongolian vulture.
action: You eat mayor
response: The mayor does not appear to be edible.

Your opponent eats the roasted Mongolian vulture.

The contest officials give him some mashed Uzbekistani rhinoceros.
action: You eat the rhinoceros
response: (first taking the mashed Uzbekistani rhinoceros)
Garry won't let you have that.

Your opponent eats the mashed Uzbekistani rhinoceros.

The contest officials give him some seared Paraguayan sausage.
action: You eat garry
response: Garry does not appear to be edible.

Your opponent eats the seared Paraguayan sausage.

The contest officials give him some pan-fried Hungarian platypus.
action: You examine the officials
response: Contest officials scurry busily about.

Your opponent eats the pan-fried Hungarian platypus.

The contest officials give him some sauteed Siberian ocelot.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying some steamed Tierra del Fuegan porpoise.

Your opponent eats the sauteed Siberian ocelot.

The contest officials give him some boiled Tierra del Fuegan sloth.
action: About you
response: You are Bob Bobkins, competitive eating enthusiast.

Your opponent eats the boiled Tierra del Fuegan sloth.

The contest officials give him some grilled Congolese asparagus.
action: You look at your surroundings
response: The John Quincy Adams Gastrodrome is the nation's leading competitive eating venue, and today it is packed.

The mayor is here, looking pompous.

Garry Garrison is here.

Your opponent eats the grilled Congolese asparagus.

The contest officials give him some baked Liberian okapi.
action: You eat all
response: steamed Tierra del Fuegan porpoise: You try your best, but you just can't eat any more. It looks like you'll never be as good as Garry. He's like a machine.

door: The door does not appear to be edible.

baked Liberian okapi:
(first taking the baked Liberian okapi)
Garry won't let you have that.

Your opponent eats the baked Liberian okapi.

The contest officials give him some sauteed Venezuelan carrot.
action: You give the porpoise to Garry
response: He's too focused on the competition to pay attention.

Your opponent eats the sauteed Venezuelan carrot. You watch in awe. Wait, what's that on the side of his neck?

The contest officials give him some steamed Saharan porpoise.
action: You examine the neck
response: It looks like there's some kind of... flashing light... in his neck?

Your opponent eats the steamed Saharan porpoise. The light flashes as he swallows.

The contest officials give him some deep-fried Mongolian lettuce.
action: You hit the light
response: You cannot attack that.

Your opponent eats the deep-fried Mongolian lettuce. The light flashes as he swallows.

The contest officials give him some grilled Siberian vulture.
action: You turn off the light
response: That isn't something you can turn off.

Your opponent eats the grilled Siberian vulture. The light flashes as he swallows.

The contest officials give him some roasted Saharan mango.
action: You examine the light
response: You walk over to Garry.

"This man has a flashing light in the side of his neck," you point out to the officials. "He must be cheating somehow."

Garry stands up. You'd never realised quite how tall he was. He must be ten feet tall!

"He's not a man at all!" you scream. "He's some kind of... giant... robot!"

"Bob is correct," says Garry, in menacing metallic tones. "The man you knew as Garry is really G.A.R.R.Y., or Giant Atomic Robot, Revision Y. And if I cannot continue with my competitive eating career, my only alternative is to destroy your city!"

He bursts out through the door. You have to stop him!
action: Go outside
response: Downtown, outside the John Quincy Adams Gastrodrome.

A shiny metal phone booth sits here.

Garry the giant atomic robot is rampaging here!
action: You enter booth
response: There's no point trying to hide in there.

Garry swings a punch at you, but you duck.
action: You pick up the phone booth and kill Garry
response: Your physique has been honed by years of competitive eating, and you easily pick up the phone booth.

Garry tries to smash you with an atomic kick, but misses.

You land a mighty blow, but your unaided fists have little effect on Garry's robot body.

Garry stamps his feet angrily!
action: You throw the phone booth at Garry
response: You launch the phone booth at Garry! It hits him right in the head, smashing him to the ground!

For a moment he doesn't move. But then his eyes flash red! You've only made him angrier! He grabs you by the throat!

But suddenly Garry drops you again. "It's no good, Bob," he says. "I could happily crush anyone else to a pulp with my atomic hands, but not you. Don't you see that I love you?"

Actually you had not seen this. It is a surprise to you.

Garry bursts into tears and flees to the east.
action: Go east
response: This squalid dead end would be thought picturesque by any connoisseur of urban decay. You are surrounded by blank walls. Trash is scattered around.

But where did Garry go? He seems to have completely vanished.
action: You examine trash
response: One piece of paper looks cleaner than the rest, as though it has been recently dropped.
action: You examine paper
response: It is a poem written in suspiciously robotic handwriting.
action: You take the paper
response: Taken.
action: You read the paper
response: Oh Bob, thou eating champion of my heart
When I first saw thee stuff thy mouth with pies
I knew that we could never be apart
And took to verse to praise thee to the skies.
When I retire into my secret place
(The magic word for which is bibblebake)
I often think me of thy manly face,
And long to see thee cramming it with cake.
And yet, despite our common love of eating
I fear our wedding bells will never peal;
That never can we join in minds' true meeting
And share a grand-proportioned nuptial meal --
For thou art human and most fair of feature
And I, a hideous huge atomic creature.
action: Bibblebake
response: A secret door springs open!
action: Look around
response: This squalid dead end would be thought picturesque by any connoisseur of urban decay. A secret door lies open to the south. Trash is scattered around.
action: Go south
response: You have found your way into Garry's secret room.

Garry is hiding here, crying softly.
action: Kiss garry
response: You don't want to encourage him.

Garry puts a hand on your shoulder. You remove it.
action: Kiss garry
response: You don't want to encourage him.

Garry caresses your arm. You retreat.
action: You kill Garry
response: Maybe he is calm enough to talk to now.

Garry cups your buttock with a huge robotic hand. You step smartly away.
action: No
response: Garry does not respond.

Garry approaches you again. You hurriedly try to explain. "Look, it wouldn't work," you say. "You're a giant atomic robot, and I prefer women."
action: You talk to Garry
response: Try asking about specific things instead.
action: You ask garry about himself
response: "I am an atomic robot, but I have loved you ever since I saw you eat competitively," he says.
action: You ask Garry about the competitive eating
response: "I found I could succeed at competitive eating by directing the food into my fusion reactor," says Garry. "I suppose it was cheating, but if I can't eat competitively I don't know what to do with my life."
action: You ask Garry about the reactor
response: "My fusion reactor helped me win eating contests, but what use is it now that I have no purpose in life?"

"Wait a moment," you respond. "I think I have an idea..."

It is dark.
action: About yourself
response: You are the principal lightbulb in this vast arena. You are currently switched off.

You feel the power arrive, with greater strength than ever before. It can only be fusion power!
action: You turn on
response: You turn yourself on.

You shine out with an immense brightness, flooding the John Quincy Adams Gastrodrome with a glorious light: the light of fusion power.