Main Course
by Quantum Sheep (2008)
Genres: Science Fiction

A alien, shapechanging tentacle monster called a SoMorph wakes up on a small frieghter traveling through hyperspace towards Earth. It has a hangover. And it wants to go home.

action: %
response: Loading game...

SCARE will still run the game, but it will not create character battles where they would normally occur. For some games, this may be perfectly okay, as the Battle System is sometimes turned on by accident in a game, but never actually used. For others, though, the omission of this feature may be more serious.





A small freighter shoots through hyperspace towards Earth.

On board is a precious cargo, drugged to sleep through the journey.

A SoMorph.

In an inebriated state, a SoMorph is the size of a tennis ball, and quite harmless.

This is how pilot Alan Davies found the SoMorph.

Neither he, nor his cat companion Mr. Jones, realise the danger they are in.

Two days into the month long journey, the SoMorph is waking up. With a hangover.

Uninebriated, a SoMorph is two foot tall, purple, with tentacles and a single, central eye. It has some mind reading capabilities. It knows things it shouldn't.

Its mouth can morph to eat any creature. It has eaten humans before. Absorbed their language and limited knowledge.

It can sometimes appear to others in the form of its most recent prey.

The SoMorph is waking up.

And it wants to go home...



SoMorph in some kind of Cargo Bay.

It not large. It empty.

SoMorph note walls, floor and ceiling depressingly dirty.

No windows. Why no windows, humans? Why?

Lights flicker above SoMorph's head.

SoMorph see some writing on wall that reads "Economy Space Freight - You're cheap, and so are we!"

SoMorph not impressed.

There is an exit north.

SoMorph not happy. SoMorph wake up in strange place. Strange human place.

SoMorph not like humans. Filthy animals.
action: About yourself
response: Somorph from planet Omorphos.

Is purple in colour.

Has Tentacles.

Has one eye in centre of forehead.

Has small mouth that can morph to eat larger prey. Also, morphing teeth change to suit any kind of food - Sharp teeth tear flesh. Blunt teeth crush bones.

SoMorph sometimes look like most recent food he eats. Sometimes.

Has GSOH. Seeks similar.

Oh, and a SoMorph need to find way home.

SoMorph is lying down.

Somorph thinking that Brian did this.

Brian not like Somorph. Brian rival for Somorph's job on home planet Omorphos.

Did Brian do this?
action: You examine the Cargo
response: SoMorph sees no such thing.

Or maybe SoMorph got drunk?

Somorph cannot remember much. Just in case, SoMorph will have words with Brian when Somorph get home.
action: You get up
response: Take what?
action: You stand
response: SoMorph sees no such thing.

Somorph think he not on planet Omorphos any more.

Somorph on some ship. Must change course to go home.

And have words with Brian.

SoMorph stands up.
action: You look around
response: SoMorph in some kind of Cargo Bay.

It not large. It empty.

SoMorph note walls, floor and ceiling depressingly dirty.

No windows. Why no windows, humans? Why?

Lights flicker above SoMorph's head.

SoMorph see some writing on wall that reads "Economy Space Freight - You're cheap, and so are we!"

SoMorph not impressed.

SoMorph can only move north.
action: Go north
response: SoMorph moves north.
Corridor Alpha

SoMorph in cross corridor. Cross Corridor confuse SoMorph a little.

SoMorph notice tubes on ceiling. Small lights in floor. Dirty walls.

Always dirty these humans. Dirty.

No windows! Why no windows???

Corridor split into four. Exits to North, West and South.

To east is bathroom, but door is closed.

SoMorph can move north, south and west.

Cat sheepishly enters from the north.
action: Hello cat
response: I don't understand what you want to do with Cat.

Cat quietly exits to the east.
action: You eat Cat
response: SoMorph not see pesky dead feline anywhere.

Cat quietly exits to the south.
action: Go south
response: SoMorph moves south.
Cargo Bay

Cat quietly exits to the north.
action: Go north
response: SoMorph moves north.
Corridor Alpha

Cat quietly exits to the south.
action: Wait
response: Time passes...

Cat sheepishly enters from the south.
action: You kill Cat
response: Now that isn't very nice.

Cat quietly exits to the west.
action: Examine tubes
response: SoMorph think that not help get home any faster...

SoMorph wonder if SoMorph ever see home again if SoMorph carry on like this.

Cat sheepishly enters from the west.
action: You look at Cat
response: Mr. Jones. A cat.

Cat quietly exits to the south.
action: You eat Cat
response: SoMorph not see pesky dead feline anywhere.

Cat sheepishly enters from the south.
action: You look at Jones
response: Mr. Jones. A cat.

Cat quietly exits to the west.
action: You open the door
response: SoMorph opens the bathroom door.

Cat sheepishly enters from the west.
action: You eat Jones
response: SoMorph not see pesky dead feline anywhere.

Cat quietly exits to the north.
action: You go to the east
response: SoMorph moves east.
Bathroom

Bathroom small. And very dirty.

SoMorph not like dirty bathroom.

SoMorph see toilet here.

SoMorph see big red button above toilet. And writing.

It say "Do not push button while the ship is in hyperspace or at a station."

SoMorph chuckles.

SoMorph see bathroom door open. Corridor to West.

SoMorph can only move west.

Sometimes, SoMorph think, best not examine everything.

Sometimes SoMorph want to relax.
action: You look at the toilet
response: SoMorph see small, functional toilet. SoMorph need open it before SoMorph use it.

Otherwise SoMorph get mucky.

The toilet is closed.
action: You open the toilet
response: SoMorph opens the toilet.
action: You look at the toilet
response: SoMorph see small, functional toilet. SoMorph need open it before SoMorph use it.

Otherwise SoMorph get mucky.

The toilet is open.

Cat sheepishly enters from the west.
action: You use the toilet
response: There no reason SoMorph can't be civilised about this. Close door before use toilet!

Cat quietly exits to the west.
action: You close the door
response: SoMorph closes the bathroom door.
action: You use toilet
response: SoMorph not need toilet right now. Not before SoMorph eat something at least.
action: You open the door
response: SoMorph opens the bathroom door.
action: Go west
response: SoMorph moves west.
Corridor Alpha

Cat quietly exits to the north.
action: Go west
response: SoMorph moves west.
Cryo Stasis Room

SoMorph think this cryo stasis room.

Room is cold, so must be cryo stasis room. SoMorph not like cold.

Room is empty. Only Cryo Tube here. So must be cryo stasis room.

SoMorph think at least room is clean. Wish room was warmer.

SoMorph see exit to East.

SoMorph can only move east.
action: You examine Tube
response: SoMorph see cryo tube. SoMorph know it designed to allow humans to 'sleep', frozen like lollies, for long voyages.

SoMorph see it is long, about two metres, and has words stencilled on it.

They say "Alan Davis".

SoMorph think this must be name of human inside it.

SoMorph see small light. He think it show tube active, and looking through glass (which is unbreakable, apparently, despite SoMorph hitting it several times with tentacles) you can see figure of a man.

SoMorph see flap at the bottom of cryo tube. Big enough for small domestic pet to fit through maybe. Some writing above flap read "Mr. Jones."

The Cryo Tube is locked.
action: You open flap
response: Open what?
action: You eat Tube
response: SoMorph is not holding the Cryo Tube.

Cat sheepishly enters from the east.
action: You take Cat
response: I don't think Cat would appreciate being handled.

Cat quietly exits to the east.
action: You get Tube
response: SoMorph can't take the Cryo Tube!

Cat sheepishly enters from the east.
action: You eat Cat
response: SoMorph not see pesky dead feline anywhere.

Cat quietly exits to the east.
action: Go east
response: SoMorph moves east.
Corridor Alpha

Cat quietly exits to the west.
action: Go north
response: SoMorph moves north.
Command Deck

SoMorph think this be command deck of ship.

Not much here though. No chairs! Do humans not sit???

SoMorph see viewer on wall. SoMorph can read viewer.

SoMorph see dust everywhere. Lots of dust.

Also, computer here. It say 'FRANK' on it. SoMorph can talk to computer, but he not seem very friendly to SoMorph.

SoMorph can go South to corridor.

Also here is some catnip.

Frank is here.

SoMorph can only move south.
action: You read the viewer
response: Currently ship set for yucky looking planet called Earth.

To get home, SeMorph should ask Frank to change course.
action: You ask Frank to change the course
response: [ask frank about change course]
"I'm sorry. I am only programmed to accept requests from humans. Disgusting purple aliens with tentacles cannot change the course of the ship. Have a nice day!"
action: You examine the catnip
response: Catnip. Food for cat. Mexican Chicken flavour.

SoMorph taste it, but it not taste good.

SoMorph not eat catnip.
action: You ask Frank about the Earth
response: "Earth is a dump these days. I wouldn't want to live there. Much better to be on a ship that can go places!"
action: You ask Frank about Cat
response: "Mr. Jones is the ship's cat. Every ship should have one.

Though I don't like the way he looks at me..."

Cat sheepishly enters from the south.
action: You ask Frank about Frank
response: "I am FRANK. Freighter Response and Nowledge Komputer.

Yes, I know knowledge has a K in it.

Yes, I know computer doesn't have a K in it.

I run the ship's navigation, emergency and environment controls. Oh, and sanitation too."

I can answer all your questions, but I have limited capability and I only change course for humans!"

Cat quietly exits to the south.
action: You get catnip
response: SoMorph picks up the catnip.
action: You ask Frank about the toilet
response: "The toilet is used to flush waste into space.

Do not flush it while in Hyperspace, or when docked at a Station please."
action: You ask Frank about the emergency
response: "Any emergency aboard the ship and I'd have to come out of Hyperspace and wake Alan up.

You shouldn't flush the loo, for example. Not while we're in Hyperspace!

So please - BEHAVE!!!"

Cat sheepishly enters from the south.
action: You ask Frank about the sanitation
response: "It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it..."

Cat quietly exits to the south.
action: You ask Cat about Frank
response: Use the format "ask [character] about [subject]".

Cat sheepishly enters from the south.
action: You show the catnip to Cat
response: [show catnip about cat]
I don't understand what you want me to do with the catnip.

Cat quietly exits to the south.
action: Go south
response: SoMorph moves south.
Corridor Alpha

Cat quietly exits to the north.
action: Wait
response: Time passes...

Cat sheepishly enters from the north.
action: You give the catnip to Cat
response: [give catnip about cat]
Give the catnip to who?

Cat quietly exits to the east.
action: Wait
response: Time passes...

Cat sheepishly enters from the east.
action: You give cat catnip
response: Give what?

Cat quietly exits to the west.
action: You drop the catnip
response: SoMorph drops the catnip.

Cat sheepishly enters from the west.
action: You wait for a while
response: Time passes...

Cat quietly exits to the south.

Time passes...

Cat sheepishly enters from the south.
action: You feed the catnip to Cat
response: [feed catnip about cat]
There is nothing worth feeding here.

Cat quietly exits to the west.
action: You feed Cat
response: There is nothing worth feeding here.

Cat sheepishly enters from the west.
action: You feed Cat
response: There is nothing worth feeding here.

Cat quietly exits to the north.
action: Jones
response: There is nothing worth feeding here.

Cat sheepishly enters from the north.

I don't understand what you want to do with Cat.

Cat quietly exits to the west.
action: You take the catnip
response: SoMorph picks up the catnip.

Cat sheepishly enters from the west.
action: Inventory
response: SoMorph is carrying some catnip.

Cat sheepishly enters from the north.
action: You give the catnip
response: Give the catnip to who?

Cat quietly exits to the east.
action: You go west
response: SoMorph moves west.
Cryo Stasis Room
action: You put the catnip in Tube
response: The Cryo Tube is locked!

Cat sheepishly enters from the east.
action: You put catnip in the flap
response: I don't understand what you want me to do with the catnip.

Cat quietly exits to the east.
action: Go east
response: SoMorph moves east.
Corridor Alpha

Cat sheepishly enters from the south.
action: You go to the north
response: I don't think Cat would appreciate being handled.

Cat quietly exits to the south.

SoMorph moves north.
Command Deck
action: You ask Frank about the catnip
response: "The catnip is a lie. It's artificial. Just don't tell the cat that. Secretly, I think he knows...but its his favourite food."
action: You look around
response: SoMorph think this be command deck of ship.

Not much here though. No chairs! Do humans not sit???

SoMorph see viewer on wall. SoMorph can read viewer.

SoMorph see dust everywhere. Lots of dust.

Also, computer here. It say 'FRANK' on it. SoMorph can talk to computer, but he not seem very friendly to SoMorph.

SoMorph can go South to corridor.

Frank is here.

SoMorph can only move south.
action: You examine the viewer
response: SoMorph moves south.
Corridor Alpha

Cat quietly exits to the south.

SoMorph sees no such thing.

Cat sheepishly enters from the south.
action: Go east
response: SoMorph moves east.
Bathroom
action: You put the catnip on the toilet
response: SoMorph can't put anything on the toilet!

Cat sheepishly enters from the west.
action: You put Cat in the toilet
response: I don't understand what you want to do with Cat.

Cat quietly exits to the west.
action: Hint
response: There are no hints available for this adventure.
You're just going to have to work it out for yourself...
action: You look at your surroundings
response: Bathroom small. And very dirty.

SoMorph not like dirty bathroom.

SoMorph see toilet here.

SoMorph see big red button above toilet. And writing.

It say "Do not push button while the ship is in hyperspace or at a station."

SoMorph chuckles.

SoMorph see bathroom door open. Corridor to West.

SoMorph can only move west.
action: You go to the west
response: SoMorph moves west.
Corridor Alpha

Cat quietly exits to the south.
action: You look at your surroundings
response: SoMorph in cross corridor. Cross Corridor confuse SoMorph a little.

SoMorph notice tubes on ceiling. Small lights in floor. Dirty walls.

Always dirty these humans. Dirty.

No windows! Why no windows???

Corridor split into four. Exits to North, West and South.

To east is bathroom. SoMorph see bathroom door is open.

SoMorph can move north, east, south and west.

Cat sheepishly enters from the south.
action: Describe the surroundings
response: SoMorph think this cryo stasis room.

Room is cold, so must be cryo stasis room. SoMorph not like cold.

Room is empty. Only Cryo Tube here. So must be cryo stasis room.

SoMorph think at least room is clean. Wish room was warmer.

SoMorph see exit to East.

SoMorph can only move east.
action: You look in Tube
response: SoMorph see cryo tube. SoMorph know it designed to allow humans to 'sleep', frozen like lollies, for long voyages.

SoMorph see it is long, about two metres, and has words stencilled on it.

They say "Alan Davis".

SoMorph think this must be name of human inside it.

SoMorph see small light. He think it show tube active, and looking through glass (which is unbreakable, apparently, despite SoMorph hitting it several times with tentacles) you can see figure of a man.

SoMorph see flap at the bottom of cryo tube. Big enough for small domestic pet to fit through maybe. Some writing above flap read "Mr. Jones."

The Cryo Tube is locked.
action: You drop the catnip
response: SoMorph carefully place catnip down in front of flap on cryo tube.

SoMorph wait.

SoMorph watch.

SoMorph stunned when blur of fur rush out from flap, eat catnip and run straight past SoMorph into corridor!

"Cat!" SoMorph think. "Delicious!"
action: Go east
response: SoMorph moves east.
Corridor Alpha
action: You wait
response: Time passes...
action: You go north
response: SoMorph moves north.
Command Deck
action: Go south
response: SoMorph moves south.
Corridor Alpha
action: You go south
response: SoMorph moves south.
Cargo Bay
action: You go to the north
response: SoMorph moves north.
Corridor Alpha
action: You eat Cat
response: SoMorph moves east.
Bathroom

SoMorph not see pesky dead feline anywhere.
action: Go west
response: SoMorph moves west.
Corridor Alpha
action: You go west
response: SoMorph moves west.
Cryo Stasis Room
action: Go east
response: SoMorph moves east.
Corridor Alpha
action: Go north
response: Time passes...

SoMorph moves north.
Command Deck
action: Yes
response: The game uses Adrift's Battle System, something not fully supported by this release of SCARE.

SCARE will still run the game, but it will not create character battles where they would normally occur. For some games, this may be perfectly okay, as the Battle System is sometimes turned on by accident in a game, but never actually used. For others, though, the omission of this feature may be more serious.





A small freighter shoots through hyperspace towards Earth.

On board is a precious cargo, drugged to sleep through the journey.

A SoMorph.

In an inebriated state, a SoMorph is the size of a tennis ball, and quite harmless.

This is how pilot Alan Davies found the SoMorph.

Neither he, nor his cat companion Mr. Jones, realise the danger they are in.

Two days into the month long journey, the SoMorph is waking up. With a hangover.

Uninebriated, a SoMorph is two foot tall, purple, with tentacles and a single, central eye. It has some mind reading capabilities. It knows things it shouldn't.

Its mouth can morph to eat any creature. It has eaten humans before. Absorbed their language and limited knowledge.

It can sometimes appear to others in the form of its most recent prey.

The SoMorph is waking up.

And it wants to go home...
action: Go north
response: (Standing up first)
SoMorph moves north.
Corridor Alpha

SoMorph in cross corridor. Cross Corridor confuse SoMorph a little.

SoMorph notice tubes on ceiling. Small lights in floor. Dirty walls.

Always dirty these humans. Dirty.

No windows! Why no windows???

Corridor split into four. Exits to North, West and South.

To east is bathroom, but door is closed.

There are exits north, south and west.

Somorph thinking that Brian did this.

Brian not like Somorph. Brian rival for Somorph's job on home planet Omorphos.

Did Brian do this?

Cat sheepishly enters from the east.
action: Go north
response: SoMorph moves north.
Command Deck

SoMorph think this be command deck of ship.

Not much here though. No chairs! Do humans not sit???

SoMorph see viewer on wall. SoMorph can read viewer.

SoMorph see dust everywhere. Lots of dust.

Also, computer here. It say 'FRANK' on it. SoMorph can talk to computer, but he not seem very friendly to SoMorph.

SoMorph can go South to corridor.

Also here is some catnip.

Frank is here.

SoMorph can only move south.

Or maybe SoMorph got drunk?

Somorph cannot remember much. Just in case, SoMorph will have words with Brian when Somorph get home.
action: You take the catnip
response: SoMorph picks up the catnip.

Somorph think he not on planet Omorphos any more.

Somorph on some ship. Must change course to go home.

And have words with Brian.
action: Go south
response: SoMorph moves south.
Corridor Alpha

Cat sheepishly enters from the east.
action: Go west
response: SoMorph moves west.
Cryo Stasis Room

SoMorph think this cryo stasis room.

Room is cold, so must be cryo stasis room. SoMorph not like cold.

Room is empty. Only Cryo Tube here. So must be cryo stasis room.

SoMorph think at least room is clean. Wish room was warmer.

SoMorph see exit to East.

SoMorph can only move east.
action: You drop the catnip
response: SoMorph carefully place catnip down in front of flap on cryo tube.

SoMorph wait.

SoMorph watch.

SoMorph stunned when blur of fur rush out from flap, eat catnip and run straight past SoMorph into corridor!

"Cat!" SoMorph think. "Delicious!"
action: Go east
response: SoMorph moves east.
Corridor Alpha
action: You wait
response: Time passes...