The Bloody Guns
by Stuart Allen (2008)

Second runner-up in the IntroComp 2008 competition.

action: %
response: Loading game...

presents:
A BLOODY LIFE

Caught Up
In A Soap Opera

Written, Directed and Produced
by
Quentin.D.Thompson and associates



This game is being executed by:



Choose <I>nstructions, <A>GiliTy Information, or <other> to start the game
action: Menu
response: DARWIN, AUSTRALIA
SUNDAY 22 MARCH 1942

The sun has almost risen above the tops of the gum trees at the far side of the field and it will soon be too hot to play cricket. From your position in the outfield you watch as Jenkins begins his loping stride towards the crease to deliver the final ball of the over. The other fielders, dressed only in khaki shorts, boots and wide brimmed hats stand stationary in the oppressive humidity. For a moment you think you can hear the faint throbbing drone of approaching aircraft, but then nothing. You tilt your head slightly, straining to hear then jump at the frantic clanging of the improvised air raid bell.

"Man the bloody guns!" Sergeant Thompson yells as he drops his bat and lets Jenkins' ball run wide.

The players sprint from the field to the anti-aircraft gun mounted behind you at the western edge of the site as the sound of aircraft returns louder than before.

The worn leather cricket ball rolls to a stop near your feet.
> A fiendishly clever move.
action: You take the ball
response: You take the cricket ball.

Jenkins runs past you and grabs your arm, pulling you towards the anti-aircraft gun. "Come on you daft bugger, we've got a war to fight!"

This flat, bare-earth area connects the four anti-aircraft guns. To the southeast a gap in the tall earth banks that surround gun number three allows entry to your station. To the south, between guns three and four, is a low hut that serves as primitive sleeping and eating quarters for you and the rest of your crew. To the north, a path through the tall dry grass between guns one and two leads to the Command Post while the oval lies to the east. Beside you a crude timber frame suspends an old oxygen cylinder just above a shallow pit in the ground.

An iron bar used to strike the cylinder in order to raise the alarm is resting on the ground by the frame.

Soldiers run past you towards the four gun emplacements as bombs begin to fall on ships in the harbour.
action: You get the bar
response: You take the iron bar.

Someone grabs your hat from behind and replaces it roughly with an ill-fitting helmet as you are barrelled through the entrance to gun number three.

Crew members scramble to their stations around the tall anti-aircraft gun mounted here; the drone of the approaching single-engine Japanese "Val" dive bombers sharpens to a distinctive strum.

Your heart pounds as the routine of countless drills races through your mind: get a shell from Smith, set the fuse on it to the appropriate time for the height of the aircraft then pass it to Jenkins for loading.

You wait nervously for Smith as he disappears into the armoury to fetch a shell.
action: You listen
response: You hear the sound of the approaching aircraft and exploding bombs.

Smith stumbles then regains his footing as he emerges from the armoury at speed carrying a shell for the anti-aircraft gun and your fuse setting tool. In two more strides he crosses the emplacement and hands them both to you.
action: You set the fuse
response: To set the fuse you need to specify a length of time to set it to. For example, to set the fuse to three and a half seconds, simply type "set the fuse to 35".

Shockwaves and dissonance as a bomb explodes nearby.

Smith ducks back into the armoury.
action: You set the fuse to 35
response: You slide the setting tool down over the nose of the shell until its lugs engage with the holes in the fuse ring. Rotating the tool you set the fuse to 35 tenths of a second.

"Right'oh Davis, pass the shell up to me now," Jenkins calls down from his post at the loading tray.

Smith returns from the armoury with another shell and stands beside you.
action: You give the shell to Jenkins
response: You heave the shell up to Jenkins who places it into the loading tray then rams it home into the chamber. Without pause, Sergeant Thompson pulls the firing lever and the gun responds with a deafening crack. The barrel recoils, slowed by the oil-filled dampers, and the hot shell casing is ejected onto the ground along with a plume of acrid smoke.

The shell shrieks through the air, climbing through a steep parabolic arc towards the closest of the approaching "Val" dive bombers. As the fuse expires the shell detonates into a cloud of white smoke well below the aircraft.

Smith hands you a new shell.
action: You set the shell to 70
response: You slide the setting tool down over the nose of the shell until its lugs engage with the holes in the fuse ring. Rotating the tool you set the fuse to 70 tenths of a second.

Another bomb falls too close for comfort just beyond the camp perimeter.

Smith ducks back into the armoury.
action: You give the shell to Jenkins
response: You pass the shell up to Jenkins who loads it into the gun. Sergeant Thompson pulls the firing lever and the gun responds with a deafening crack. The barrel recoils, and the hot shell casing is ejected along with another plume of hot smoke that fills the humid air of the gun emplacement.

As the fuse expires the shell detonates into a cloud of white smoke significantly above the aircraft.

A nearby blast sends dust and debris over the revetments into the gun emplacement.

Smith returns from the armoury with another shell and hands it to you.
action: You set the fuse to 60 then give the shell to Jenkins
response: You slide the setting tool down over the nose of the shell until its lugs engage with the holes in the fuse ring. Rotating the tool you set the fuse to 60 tenths of a second.
Jenkins takes the shell from you then loads it for Sergeant Thompson to fire.

As the fuse expires the shell detonates into a cloud of white smoke significantly above the aircraft.

Smith hands you a new shell.
action: You set the fuse to 50 then give the shell to Jenkins
response: You slide the setting tool down over the nose of the shell until its lugs engage with the holes in the fuse ring. Rotating the tool you set the fuse to 50 tenths of a second.

Smith ducks back into the armoury.
Jenkins takes the shell from you then loads it for Sergeant Thompson to fire.

As the fuse expires the shell detonates into a cloud of white smoke well above the aircraft.

Smith returns from the armoury with another shell and hands it to you.
action: You set the fuse to 42 then give the shell to Jenkins
response: You slide the setting tool down over the nose of the shell until its lugs engage with the holes in the fuse ring. Rotating the tool you set the fuse to 42 tenths of a second.
Jenkins takes the shell from you then loads it for Sergeant Thompson to fire.

As the fuse expires the shell detonates into a cloud of white smoke that envelopes the aircraft. After what seems like minutes, the dive bomber emerges from the cloud in an ever tightening spiral. You watch with mixed emotions as the fuselage plunges into the warm waters of the Timor Sea.

The rest of the gun crew erupts into a loud cheer as you scan the skies for any sign of parachutes.

From the loud hailer in the command post comes the call of "Tally-ho" -- American P40 Kittyhawk fighters have engaged the bombers and all gun crews are to cease fire.

[YOUR SCORE JUST WENT UP BY 10 POINTS]
action: You look around
response: The floor of the gun emplacement is a circular concrete pad almost ten metres in diameter. Sandbag revetments, back filled with earth on the outside, form the perimeter of the pit. The 3.7 inch Vickers anti-aircraft gun stands bolted to the concrete, its barrel protruding through fragments of camouflage netting suspended high above your head. The only exit from the emplacement is a gap in the revetments to the northwest, while a small room set into the south wall serves as an armoury.

Gunner Jenkins is standing on the gun by the breach.

Sergeant Thompson is standing on the gun.

Smith is standing beside you.
action: You go northwest
action: Go north
response: Tall dry grass surrounds the low sand-bag walls of the command post. A well-worn track through the grass leads south to the assembly area.
action: Go north
response: The command post is nothing more than a roofless area formed by low sand-bag walls. Of prominence here is the Kerrison Predictor, an electro-mechanical computer atop a timber tripod that sends positioning information to four guns.

Lieutenant Roberts is standing by the Kerrison Predictor.

Sergeant Witheridge waits patiently by Lieutenant Roberts.

"Davis," Lieutenant Roberts says as you enter. "Thank you for getting here so quickly. Soon after the first raids in February we set up an observation post on Melville Island to provide an early warning of aircraft approaching from the north. As you have just seen for yourself, we didn't get that warning.

"We haven't been able to raise Melville on the radio since, so I need you to head out there and find out what is going on. They may have been bombed themselves or they may just be having radio trouble. Either way I need you to find out and report back to me so I've sent someone to ask Miki to take you out to the island. Go grab your gear then head down to the beach south of the oval. Miki will meet you there."
action: You go to the south
response: "Before you go Davis, there's one last thing," Lieutenant Roberts says as he wipes the sweat from his brow. "In order to prevent enemy boats from landing in Snake Bay where the observation post is, the Navy laid a series of concrete mooring blocks, each twenty feet across."

Lieutenant Roberts reaches into the top pocket of his shirt and hands you a folded piece of paper.

"This map shows the precise location of these blocks. They're too deep to affect Miki's canoe, but there is a motor launch based on Melville and if you need to bring that back you'll need to know where they are. The tidal flow is restricted in Snake Bay and with a six foot draft the launch draws too much to clear them, even on a high tide."

"Thank you, sir," you reply at attention.

"Oh, and Davis, be careful. I've got a bad feeling about this one but with the rest of the army having pulled further inland I just can't spare any more men to go with you."

"I will, sir."

You exchange salutes with Lieutenant Roberts.

Tall dry grass surrounds the low sand-bag walls of the command post. A well-worn track through the grass leads south to the assembly area.
action: You go south
response: This flat, bare-earth area connects the four anti-aircraft guns. To the southeast a gap in the tall earth banks that surround gun number three allows entry to your station. To the south, between guns three and four, is a low hut that serves as primitive sleeping and eating quarters for you and the rest of your crew. To the north, a path through the tall dry grass between guns one and two leads to the Command Post while the oval lies to the east. Beside you a crude timber frame suspends an old oxygen cylinder just above a shallow pit in the ground.
action: Go south
response: Mosquito netting lines the inside of this hut that serves as your sleeping and eating quarters. Five-foot high sandbag walls force you to stoop below the baking-hot corrugated iron roof. There are ten bunks against the far wall, one for each of the members of your crew.

Your kit bag is under your bunk.

Your rifle is leaning against the wall beside your bunk.
action: You get the bag
response: You take your kit bag.
action: You get the rifle
response: You are carrying too much to take your rifle.
action: You look at what you're carrying with you
response: You are carrying a cricket ball, an iron bar, a steel helmet (being worn), a setting tool, a map of Snake Bay, your kit bag and your dog tags (being worn).
action: You drop tool
response: You drop the setting tool.
action: You get the rifle
response: You take your rifle.
action: You go to the north
response: This flat, bare-earth area connects the four anti-aircraft guns. To the southeast a gap in the tall earth banks that surround gun number three allows entry to your station. To the south, between guns three and four, is a low hut that serves as primitive sleeping and eating quarters for you and the rest of your crew. To the north, a path through the tall dry grass between guns one and two leads to the Command Post while the oval lies to the east. Beside you a crude timber frame suspends an old oxygen cylinder just above a shallow pit in the ground.
action: You go east
response: Darwin Oval (outfield)
You are standing in the outfield on the western side of Darwin Oval. The pitch can be seen in the centre of the oval while to the southeast lies a cliff edge over which the harbour can be seen. Further to the west the barrels of the four anti-aircraft guns can be seen above their surrounding revetments.
action: You go south
response: Weathered coastal scrub covers the ground between the oval to north and the hill side to the south. A narrow but well-worn trail works its way down to the beach below.
action: Go downwards
response: Deep trenches dug above the high tide line scar the beach where sand has been excavated for bagging. A steep path leads north from here through the mangroves back up to the oval.

As you look out to sea you spot Miki, one of the local Aboriginal men, paddling around the point in his dugout canoe. Each powerful stroke of his paddle ends with a barely perceptible twist of the blade to keep his course. As he runs the canoe up onto the beach he places his paddle flat across the gunwhales and a broad smile comes to his face.

"Come on balanda, army man saying we going to Melville," Miki shouts as he waves you to enter the canoe.
action: You enter the canoe
response: You place your hands on the bow of the canoe and push it back into deeper water. Once you are wading up to your knees you jump in and Miki hands you a paddle.

"You sitting up the front, balanda. Just keep paddling and I'll get us where we're going." Levering his paddle against the side of the canoe he spins the bow out to sea and the two of you head towards Melville Island.
action: Paddle
response: To be continued...

The game is over.

You have earned:
10% for shooting down the "Val" dive bomber.