To Catch A Dragonfly
by Andrew Metzger (2011)
Genres: Science Fiction

In this small game, you play as an electrical engineer, maybe? Anyway, you were getting ready for a big date in a rented tux when your boss orders you to get the new high-powered experimental safety net working so his joyriding boss flying the malfunctioning Dragonfly doesn't crash and go splat.

action: %
response: "It was supposed to be a simple test run, right? Yeah, right. So
the Chief decides, 'Hey, I'll test it,' right? And he takes passengers. Five passengers. Investors! And himself! HIMSELF! There's laws about that! And what happens? Well, what do you expect? An hour away, his engines go crit, and he's shootin' towards this hunk o' rock you an' me call home. Terra Firma. So Firma it'll Terra him up, right? I tell you what! He's going to end up as a smudge of the man he used to be unless you can get that new-fangled safety net workin'!" Transmission ends. And that is how you, in your best rented tuxedo, ended up under the high-power, experimental, not-completely-legal safety net, trying to fix it before your boss's boss makes a pool of himself.

The junk room is full of all sorts of odds and ends that no one could bring themselves to throw away. All sorts of things litter the shelves and the floor. The way you came in, an auto-locking door, has auto-locked, and won't unlock until morning. The only other exit leads out into the viewing room.

You see a crystal ball and an optical prism here. Scattered across the bottom shelves, among the junk, are a magnifying glass, a water pistol, a bismuth crystal, a jar, a leather arm guard, and an optical prism. The jar contains silica beads. Just visible from the top shelf are a lump of labradorite and a bow and arrow charm.
action: About yourself
response: You look the same as usual.
action: You get all
response: crystal ball: Taken.
optical prism: Taken.
magnifying glass: Taken.
water pistol: Taken.
bismuth crystal: Taken.
jar: Taken.

leather arm guard: You tug on the leather arm guard. It seems to be a bit stuck; you give a bit of a yank, and it comes free. With a creak, a ladder comes crashing onto the floor! It must have been stuck behind all that junk.

optical prism: Taken.

lump of labradorite: The lump of labradorite is too far away.

bow and arrow charm: The bow and arrow charm is too far away.
action: You examine the ball
response: The large globe appears to be made of glass, and is quite solid.
action: You examine the pistol
response: This is a model of a holdout gun, faithfully reproduced in bright green plastic, and filled with historically-accurate water.
action: You examine the prism
response: A small optical prism, for refracting light.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying a crystal ball, two optical prisms, a magnifying glass, a water pistol, a bismuth crystal, a jar, and a leather arm guard. You're wearing some black slacks, some slick shoes, a bowtie, a top hat, and a tux. The jar contains silica beads.
action: You examine the prisms
response: The word "prisms" 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 examine the beads
response: Silica beads are used to absorb moisture.
action: You examine the ladder
response: A beat up old ladder.
action: You take the ladder
response: Taken.
action: You look at labradorite
response: It's a lump of shiny, iridescent labradorite.
action: You look at the charm
response: It's a small charm from a charm bracelet or necklace - a tiny bow and arrow.
action: Up
response: You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads out.
action: You drop the ladder
response: You carefully set up the ladder.
action: You take the charm
response: Taken.

(If you'd prefer not to be notified about score changes in the future, type NOTIFY OFF.)
action: You look around
response: Junk room (standing on the ladder)
The junk room is full of all sorts of odds and ends that no one could bring themselves to throw away. All sorts of things litter the shelves and the floor. The way you came in, an auto-locking door, has auto-locked, and won't unlock until morning. The only other exit leads out into the viewing room.

You see a ladder here.
action: Down
response: (off of the ladder)
Okay, you're no longer on the ladder.
action: Go outside
response: Try as you might, you can't find a good angle to get the ladder through the door. It looks like you'll have to abandon it before you can leave. Though it raises the question: how did the ladder get in, in the first place? For all you know, it was built inside.
action: Go outside
response: The viewing room looks out into the net itself - a wide, empty expanse, hypothetically to be filled with some kind of energy. Inside, you see A bright, diffuse light shines on the wall, through a wire stand. . The window itself is made of layered glass - beyond bulletproof, it stops most forms of radiation, as well. A door in the glass wall leads into the net chamber; the doorway behind you leads into the junk room.
action: You open the door
response: Opened.
action: Go inside
response: The junk room is full of all sorts of odds and ends that no one could bring themselves to throw away. All sorts of things litter the shelves and the floor. The way you came in, an auto-locking door, has auto-locked, and won't unlock until morning. The only other exit leads out into the viewing room.

You see a ladder here.
action: You examine the stand
response: The wire stand is about chest-height, with a small loop to hold... something. The light shines directly through the gap over the loop.
action: You look at the light
response: The steady, white light illuminates a section of the wall. You recall something about focussed light being used to drive the safety net.
action: You open the door
response: The glass door is already open.
action: You go through the door
response: The safety net was designed as an inertial dampner of some sort; no one really knows how it works. Even the inventor seems a bit in the dark, and he's the only one that can make it work! The glass door leads back into the viewing room. A bright, diffuse light shines on the wall, through a wire stand.
action: You put the glass on the loop
response: The beam of light, focussed by the magnifying glass, shines through a tiny hole. Farther along the wall, a small shelf is illuminated.
action: You put the prism on the shelf
response: The light from the beam splits into a rainbow of color; blue light shines into a tiny crack on the other side.
action: You look at the crack
response: The crack is vertical, allowing only a tiny sliver of light to shine through. There seems to be some sort of optical fiber in the crack to transmit the light.
action: You turn prism
response: You turn the prism. The light that shines through the crack is now violet.
action: You turn prism
response: You turn the prism. The light that shines through the crack is now red.
action: You turn prism
response: You turn the prism. The light that shines through the crack is now orange.
action: You turn prism
response: You turn the prism. The light that shines through the crack is now yellow. With a clank, a panel slides open in the wall!
action: You look at the panel
response: A tangle of wires and cables snake across the panel; you recall someone mentioning that the only really important wires were the power wires. There's a note, stuck to the panel.
action: You read the note
response: This panel is use for power, and only power. I traced the wires, and half of them lead nowhere, or right back to this panel. If the whole thing shorted out, it would probably work better. PS, I quit Oh, right! Now you remember writing that. Fun times, fun times...
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying a crystal ball, a water pistol, a bismuth crystal, a jar, a leather arm guard, an optical prism, a bow and arrow charm, and a lump of labradorite. You're wearing some black slacks, some slick shoes, a bowtie, a top hat, and a tux. The jar contains silica beads.
action: You shoot the pistol at the panel
response: You squirt the panel. The water shorts out the panel! Electricity crackles across junctions, and smoke drifts out of the opening, vanishing into the air. After a spectacular lightshow, a distant "thump" indicates the generators have started. The lights keep flickering, though, from shorting out in the puddle of water at the base of the panel.
action: You look at the puddle
response: The puddle of water is shorting out the electrical panel, causing the lights to flicker.
action: You look at the jar
response: It's a simple glass canning jar. It is tightly sealed. It contains silica beads.
action: You open the jar
response: You spin the lid off of the jar.
action: You put the beads on puddle
response: The puddle slowly shrinks as the silica soaks it up. When it's all gone, you scoop the silica back into the jar. The lights stop flickering - maybe that means it's working! Quick, to the viewing room!
action: Go outside
response: What do you want to get out of?
action: You enter
response: The viewing room looks out into the net itself - a wide, empty expanse, hypothetically to be filled with some kind of energy. Inside, you see The magnifying glass focusses the beam of light through a small hole in the wall. Farther along the wall, the beam passes through the prism; the resulting rainbow falls across a small hole, where only yellow light makes it through. The light glows inside the open panel. . The window itself is made of layered glass - beyond bulletproof, it stops most forms of radiation, as well. A door in the glass wall leads into the net chamber; the doorway behind you leads into the junk room.

You see an energy device (which contains a button) here.
action: You examine the device
response: This thing seems to be an energy device - that's what it says on the label, anyway. It has a small hopper, with a display that reads: 0: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET . It contains a button.
action: You close the glass door
response: Closed.
action: You look at hopper
response: The hopper has a wide mouth, ready to accept any manner of things.
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying a crystal ball, a water pistol, a bismuth crystal, a jar, a leather arm guard, an optical prism, a bow and arrow charm, a lump of labradorite, and a canning jar lid. You're wearing some black slacks, some slick shoes, a bowtie, a top hat, and a tux.
action: You put the labradorite in the hopper
response: The display clicks happily, then displays: 1: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET
action: You put the crystal in the hopper
response: The display clicks happily, then displays: 2: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET
action: You put the ball in the hopper
response: The display clicks happily, then displays: 3: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET
action: You put the charm in the hopper
response: The display clicks happily, then displays: 4: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET
action: You put all in the hopper
response: black slacks: Wow - usually, it takes more than the single sip of wine you had to get you to remove your pants voluntarily. Let's just keep those on, shall we?

slick shoes: Shoes like this are make for wearing! Actually, no they aren't, but the floor is dirty, and you're wearing your best pair of socks. Which is also your only pair of socks, at least until washing day.

bowtie:
(first taking off the bowtie)
The display clicks happily, then displays: 5: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

top hat:
(first taking off the top hat)
With a sinking feeling in your heart, you realize what needs to go into the hopper. Sighing, you stare at your high silk hat, knowing that whatever this machine does, your hat will never be the same. After an emotional moment, you carefully put the hat into the hopper. The display clicks happily, then displays: READY

tux: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

water pistol: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

jar: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

leather arm guard: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

optical prism: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

canning jar lid: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

button: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!
action: You shoot the pistol at the panel
response: You squirt the panel. The water shorts out the panel! Electricity crackles across junctions, and smoke drifts out of the opening, vanishing into the air. After a spectacular lightshow, a distant "thump" indicates the generators have started. The lights keep flickering, though, from shorting out in the puddle of water at the base of the panel.
action: You open the jar
response: You spin the lid off of the jar.
action: You put the beads on the puddle
response: (first taking the silica beads from the jar)
The puddle slowly shrinks as the silica soaks it up. When it's all gone, you scoop the silica back into the jar. The lights stop flickering - maybe that means it's working! Quick, to the viewing room!
action: You put all in the hopper
response: black slacks: Wow - usually, it takes more than the single sip of wine you had to get you to remove your pants voluntarily. Let's just keep those on, shall we?

slick shoes: Shoes like this are make for wearing! Actually, no they aren't, but the floor is dirty, and you're wearing your best pair of socks. Which is also your only pair of socks, at least until washing day.

bowtie:
(first taking off the bowtie)
The display clicks happily, then displays: 1: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

top hat:
(first taking off the top hat)
With a sinking feeling in your heart, you realize what needs to go into the hopper. Sighing, you stare at your high silk hat, knowing that whatever this machine does, your hat will never be the same. After an emotional moment, you carefully put the hat into the hopper. The display clicks happily, then displays: READY

tux: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

crystal ball: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

water pistol: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

bismuth crystal: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

jar: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

leather arm guard: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

optical prism: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

bow and arrow charm: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

lump of labradorite: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

canning jar lid: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!

button: The hopper doesn't need anything more; push the button!
action: You go outside
response: The safety net was designed as an inertial dampner of some sort; no one really knows how it works. Even the inventor seems a bit in the dark, and he's the only one that can make it work! The glass door leads back into the viewing room. The magnifying glass focusses the beam of light through a small hole in the wall. Farther along the wall, the beam passes through the prism; the resulting rainbow falls across a small hole, where only yellow light makes it through. The light glows inside the open panel.

In the viewing room, you see an energy device (which contains a button). The hopper contains a bowtie and a top hat.
action: Up
response: You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads out, back to the viewing room.
action: Go outside
response: The viewing room looks out into the net itself - a wide, empty expanse, hypothetically to be filled with some kind of energy. Inside, you see The magnifying glass focusses the beam of light through a small hole in the wall. Farther along the wall, the beam passes through the prism; the resulting rainbow falls across a small hole, where only yellow light makes it through. The light glows inside the open panel. . The window itself is made of layered glass - beyond bulletproof, it stops most forms of radiation, as well. A door in the glass wall leads into the net chamber; the doorway behind you leads into the junk room.

You see an energy device (which contains a button) here. The hopper contains a bowtie and a top hat.
action: You look at the shelves
response: Though the shelves are stuffed with junk, they seem to be free of dust and grime.
action: You take the bowtie
response: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY
action: Inventory
response: You are carrying a crystal ball, a water pistol, a bismuth crystal, a jar, a leather arm guard, an optical prism, a bow and arrow charm, a lump of labradorite, a canning jar lid, and a bowtie. You're wearing some black slacks, some slick shoes, and a tux.
action: You examine the slacks
response: The last pants you bought cost the same as a fast food meal. These pants, however, cost the same as your car. You'd think with pants that expensive, they could afford to put in a pocket, eh?
action: You examine the shoes
response: These shoes are made of slick, shiny leather. They also have damage insurance policy better than your car.
action: You look at tux
response: The black tuxedo was fairly expensive to rent, but man it is classy. People who wear suits like this are... well, rich, probably.
action: You take hat
response: The display clicks woefully, then displays: 0: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET
action: You drop hat
response: Dropped.
action: You put all in the hopper
response: black slacks: Wow - usually, it takes more than the single sip of wine you had to get you to remove your pants voluntarily. Let's just keep those on, shall we?

slick shoes: Shoes like this are make for wearing! Actually, no they aren't, but the floor is dirty, and you're wearing your best pair of socks. Which is also your only pair of socks, at least until washing day.

tux: As warm as it is in here, you opted for the front-only shirt.
It's probably better to keep your tux on.

crystal ball: The display clicks happily, then displays: 1: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

water pistol: The display clicks happily, then displays: 2: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

bismuth crystal: The display clicks happily, then displays: 3: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

jar: The display clicks happily, then displays: 4: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

leather arm guard: The display clicks happily, then displays: 5: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

optical prism: The display clicks happily, then displays: 6: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

bow and arrow charm: The display clicks happily, then displays: 7: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

lump of labradorite: The display clicks happily, then displays: 8: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

canning jar lid: The display clicks happily, then displays: 9: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

bowtie: The display clicks happily, then displays: 10: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

button:
(first taking the button)
The display clicks happily, then displays: 11: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET

top hat:
(first taking the top hat)
With a sinking feeling in your heart, you realize what needs to go into the hopper. Sighing, you stare at your high silk hat, knowing that whatever this machine does, your hat will never be the same. After an emotional moment, you carefully put the hat into the hopper. The display clicks happily, then displays: READY
action: You take all
response: crystal ball: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY

water pistol: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY

bismuth crystal: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY

jar: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY

leather arm guard: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY You tug on the leather arm guard. It seems to be a bit stuck; you give a bit of a yank, and it comes free. With a creak, a ladder comes crashing onto the floor! It must have been stuck behind all that junk.

optical prism: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY

bow and arrow charm: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY

lump of labradorite: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY

canning jar lid: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY

bowtie: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY

button: The display clicks woefully, then displays: READY

top hat: The display clicks woefully, then displays: 0: REQUIREMENTS NOT MET
action: You put the hat in hopper
response: With a sinking feeling in your heart, you realize what needs to go into the hopper. Sighing, you stare at your high silk hat, knowing that whatever this machine does, your hat will never be the same. After an emotional moment, you carefully put the hat into the hopper. The display clicks happily, then displays: READY
action: You examine the shelves
response: Though the shelves are stuffed with junk, they seem to be free of dust and grime. Scattered across the bottom shelves, among the junk, are a magnifying glass, a water pistol, a bismuth crystal, a jar, a leather arm guard, and an optical prism. The jar contains silica beads.
action: You jump
response: You jump a little, and land back where you started.
action: You examine the top shelf
response: The top shelf is out of reach from the floor. And there is no way those shelves would support your weight. Just visible from the top shelf are a lump of labradorite and a bow and arrow charm.
action: Go inside
response: The junk room is full of all sorts of odds and ends that no one could bring themselves to throw away. All sorts of things litter the shelves and the floor. The way you came in, an auto-locking door, has auto-locked, and won't unlock until morning. The only other exit leads out into the viewing room.

You see a crystal ball and an optical prism here. Scattered across the bottom shelves, among the junk, are a magnifying glass, a water pistol, a bismuth crystal, a jar, a leather arm guard, and an optical prism. The jar contains silica beads. Just visible from the top shelf are a lump of labradorite and a bow and arrow charm.
action: You take the arm guard
response: You tug on the leather arm guard. It seems to be a bit stuck; you give a bit of a yank, and it comes free. With a creak, a ladder comes crashing onto the floor! It must have been stuck behind all that junk.
action: You put the ladder on the top shelf
response: (first taking the ladder)
The top shelf is too far away.
action: You put the ladder on the shelf
response: (the bottom shelves)
Done.
action: You search the top shelf
response: Just visible from the top shelf are a lump of labradorite and a bow and arrow charm.
action: You get the lump
response: Taken.
action: You get the bow
response: You take the bow and arrow charm.
action: You examine the top shelf
response: The top shelf is out of reach from the floor. And there is no way those shelves would support your weight.
action: You look
response: Junk room (standing on the ladder)
The junk room is full of all sorts of odds and ends that no one could bring themselves to throw away. All sorts of things litter the shelves and the floor. The way you came in, an auto-locking door, has auto-locked, and won't unlock until morning. The only other exit leads out into the viewing room.

You see a crystal ball, an optical prism, and a ladder here. Scattered across the bottom shelves, among the junk, are a magnifying glass, a water pistol, a bismuth crystal, a jar, and an optical prism. The jar contains silica beads.
action: Search
response: What do you want to search?
action: You search the floor
response: On the floor are a crystal ball, an optical prism, and a ladder.
action: You search the walls
response: west wall: You see nothing in the west wall.
east wall: You see nothing in the east wall.
north wall: You see nothing in the north wall.
south wall: You see nothing in the south wall.
action: You search the ceiling
response: You see nothing in the ceiling.

You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads out.
action: You examine the shelves
response: Though the shelves are stuffed with junk, they seem to be free of dust and grime. Scattered across the bottom shelves, among the junk, are a magnifying glass, a water pistol, a bismuth crystal, a jar, and an optical prism. The jar contains silica beads.
action: You climb the ladder
response: You're already standing on the ladder.
action: Y.
response: Thanks for playing!