Datasets:

ToastyPigeon

/

skein-text-adventures

like 3

[Themes: Fiction] > Look around This is a small, round room. Its walls are painted a deep blue. In the center of the room is an exposed metal pole, which goes into a small hole in the ceiling above. It passes through a large hole in the floor, which is big enough to go through. Through the hole, you can see a room with green walls. A hexagonal window is on the left wall, and there is an archway leading out. Stairs head up through the ceiling, where you can see a room with purple walls. A silver mirror is mounted in front of the window, directly above a lens set into the floor. > You return Do you want to leave this story and return to the living room? > Yes You've never been an especially tidy person, and being self-employed has done nothing to improve your habits. Still, you keep your place clean, for the most part. It's just cluttered. The clutter is worse than usual at the moment, thanks to a portion of the contents of the strongbox scattered over the surface of your table. On the wooden table are an old dented strongbox (empty), a pile of letters, a memo book labeled "The End of the World", a composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden", a sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi", a stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again", an envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter", and a wrinkled sheet of paper. > You look at the clutter Stuff you need to put in its proper place, mostly. You put it off for long enough, and it starts to pile up. > You look at Tower This is a 50-page, spiral-bound sketchbook with cardboard covers. The front cover is green, and is decorated with a drawing in black marker of the wooden toy that you found in the box. Across the top is the title "THE TOWER OF HANOI," written in the same black marker. On the back cover is the date "1978." The first ten pages are filled with simple pencil drawings and notes describing the world of this story. The rest of the book is filled with hauntingly realistic charcoal drawings of scenes from that world. (To enter this story, pick up the sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi".)

[Themes: Fiction] > Go down You grab the metal pole and slide down into the next room. It's slick enough that you're sure you won't be going back up by this route. This is a medium-small, round room. Its walls are painted a cool green. In the center of the room is an exposed metal pole, which goes into a small hole in the floor. It passes through a large hole in the ceiling, which is big enough to go through. Through the hole, you can see a room with blue walls. There is a square hole in the floor, through which you can see an impassable yellow stone surface. There is also a set of stairs leading down to a room with yellow walls and a hexagonal window on the right wall. Through a large doorway in the left wall of the room you can see an enclosed bridge. It seems to end in midair, with a thin metal spire several feet from the end of the bridge. A pair of small lenses is set into the ceiling and floor of the room, directly above each other. > You look at the bridge An arched bridge extends out into space from a doorway in the left wall of this room. It's enclosed, with only occasional small windows along its walls. The inner walls are gray stone, and the bridge is just wide enough for you to walk through in comfort. It seems to end in midair, with a thin metal spire several feet from the end of the bridge. > You look at the hole Which do you mean, the round hole, or the square hole? > Square This is a square hole through which you can see an impassable yellow stone surface.

[Themes: Fiction] > Go downwards You descend via the set of stairs. This is a medium-large, round room. Its walls are painted a pale yellow. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A set of stairs leads up to a room with green walls. Through a square hole in the floor, you can see a room with orange walls. There is a hexagonal window on the left wall and an archway leading out. A narrow, steel, cylindrical device sits in the middle of the room, aimed at the window on the left wall. A pipe leads from the device to the floor. A golden mirror is mounted beside the cylindrical device, directly below a lens set into the ceiling. > You examine the device This is a long, thin metal tube with pipes and gauges sticking out of it and a sealed hopper on top filled with small metal balls. The largest pipe leads down through the floor. The pipes are silent, and a large gauge on the side indicates that the device is "UNPRESSURIZED." There is a big lever on the back of the device. > You examine the lever A big lever sticks out of the back of the device. > Examine column This is a thick column made of smooth stone. It's in the exact center of the room. > You examine the balls This is a sealed hopper mounted on top of the cylindrical device. Through a window in its side, you can see countless little metal balls.

> You look around This is a medium-large, round room. Its walls are painted a pale yellow. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A set of stairs leads up to a room with green walls. Through a square hole in the floor, you can see a room with orange walls. There is a hexagonal window on the left wall and an archway leading out. A narrow, steel, cylindrical device sits in the middle of the room, aimed at the window on the left wall. A pipe leads from the device to the floor. A golden mirror is mounted beside the cylindrical device, directly below a lens set into the ceiling.

> Go down You descend via the square hole. This is a big, round room. Its walls are painted a warm orange. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A ladder leads up to a room with yellow walls. A staircase leads down to a room with red walls. An archway leads out, and there is a hexagonal window on the left wall. > You look at the archway This is a graceful archway that comes to a point at the top. Through it, you can see a roof painted red and a sheer drop. > You enter the archway Outside the archway is the roof of the disk below, slick with grease and moisture. Beyond that is a sheer drop. It doesn't seem safe. > You look at the ladder This is an a ladder leading to a square hole through which you can see a room with yellow walls. > You take it That's hardly portable. > You examine window This is a hexagonal window, not quite big enough to climb through. Through the window, you can see the empty wasteland around this complex.

[Themes: Fiction] > You go downward You descend via the set of stairs. This is a huge, round room. Its walls are painted bright red. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A set of stairs leads up to a room with orange walls. A hexagonal window is in the right wall, and an archway leads out. A clanking machine sits in a corner of the room, with a hissing pipe leading to the ceiling. A strange lamp is mounted in front of the window. A bright, focused beam of light shines from the lamp and out the window on the right wall. > You examine the lamp A bright gas lamp is mounted in an array of curved mirrors and lenses. The dazzling white light from the lamp is focused into a tight beam that shines out the window in the right wall. > You examine the window This is a hexagonal window, not quite big enough to climb through. Through the window, you can see two thin metal spires and the empty wasteland around this complex. > You examine the machine This is a strange clanking machine, a couple yards across. It's quite warm, and has a large gear on the side that rotates agonizingly slowly. A big iron pipe leads from the top of the machine to the ceiling. Steam flows angrily from a release valve on the back of the machine, indicating that it's not being delivered to its intended destination. > You examine the archway This is a graceful archway that comes to a point at the top. Through it, you can see a dusty plain. > Go outside You exit via the archway. You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the left spire is a tower composed of a purple room, a blue room, a green room, a yellow room, a orange room, and a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > You examine the crane This is an enormous crane apparatus that sits above the three spires. It is on tracks that let it slide from tower to tower, and has a massive hook hanging from the end of a cable. It's connected with pipes to the tin shed. Steam occasionally hisses from valves on the machinery. > You examine shed This is a small shed with tin walls. It is connected to the crane apparatus with hundreds of thin steel pipes. > You enter the shed This small tin shed is hot and humid. A large machine takes up most of the floor space, with just enough room for you to stand. Two signs are mounted on the wall; one is labeled "THE RULES" and the other is labeled "OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS." Mounted in the center of the machine's console is what appears to be a small wooden toy. Beside it is a large lever. > You look at the rules This wooden sign is bolted to the wall of the shed. It reads, "THE RULES: No disk may be on top of a smaller disk. Every disk must be on a post." > You examine the operating This wooden sign is bolted to the wall of the shed. It is titled "OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS." Below that is a numbered list: 1. Assemble tower model to desired configuration. 2. Check rules to ensure valid configuration. 3. Pull lever. > You look at the toy This is a toy made out of a wooden block with three wooden posts sticking out of the top. Painted wooden disks of various sizes and colors fit onto the posts. At the moment, the left post has a tiny purple disk, a small blue disk, a medium-small green disk, a medium-large yellow disk, a large orange disk, and a huge red disk (from top to bottom) on it, the middle post has nothing on it, and the right post has nothing on it. > You take all from the left post tiny purple disk: Taken. small blue disk: Taken. medium-small green disk: Taken. medium-large yellow disk: Taken. large orange disk: Taken. huge red disk: Taken. > You put the orange on the right You put the large orange disk on the empty right post. > You pull the lever A colossal rumbling shakes the earth, and a hissing of steam fills the air. You hear a series of massive thuds as something huge rearranges itself. > Examine toy This is a toy made out of a wooden block with three wooden posts sticking out of the top. Painted wooden disks of various sizes and colors fit onto the posts. At the moment, the left post has a tiny purple disk, a small blue disk, and a medium-small green disk (from top to bottom) on it, the middle post has a medium-large yellow disk and a huge red disk (from top to bottom) on it, and the right post has a large orange disk on it. > Go outside You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the left spire is a tower composed of a purple room, a blue room, and a green room (from top to bottom). You can enter the green room through the exposed end of the bridge. On the middle spire is a tower composed of a yellow room and a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. On the right spire is a tower composed of a orange room (from top to bottom). You can enter the orange room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > You take all from left tiny purple disk: Taken. small blue disk: Taken. medium-small green disk: Taken. > You take all from right Taken. > You put the orange on the left You put the large orange disk on the empty left post. > You put the green on the left You put the medium-small green disk on top of the large orange disk on the left post. > You put the blue on right You put the small blue disk on the empty right post. > You put the purple on the right You put the tiny purple disk on top of the small blue disk on the right post. > Leave You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the left spire is a tower composed of a green room and a orange room (from top to bottom). You can enter the orange room through an archway. On the middle spire is a tower composed of a yellow room and a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. On the right spire is a tower composed of a purple room and a blue room (from top to bottom). You can enter the blue room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > You enter the orange This is a big, round room. Its walls are painted a warm orange. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A ladder leads up to a room with green walls. A staircase leads down to solid, packed dirt. An archway leads out, and there is a hexagonal window on the left wall. > You leave You exit via the archway. You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the left spire is a tower composed of a green room and a orange room (from top to bottom). You can enter the orange room through an archway. On the middle spire is a tower composed of a yellow room and a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. On the right spire is a tower composed of a purple room and a blue room (from top to bottom). You can enter the blue room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > You enter the red This is a huge, round room. Its walls are painted bright red. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A set of stairs leads up to an impassable yellow stone surface. A hexagonal window is in the right wall, and an archway leads out. A clanking machine sits in a corner of the room, with a hissing pipe leading to the ceiling. A strange lamp is mounted in front of the window. A bright, focused beam of light shines from the lamp and out the window on the right wall. > You go upwards You can't go that way. The set of stairs is blocked by a hard yellow stone surface. > You go upwards You ascend via the a ladder leading to a square hole. This is a medium-small, round room. Its walls are painted a cool green. In the center of the room is an exposed metal pole, which goes into a small hole in the floor. It passes through a large hole in the ceiling, which is big enough to go through. Through the hole, you can see blue sky. There is a square hole in the floor, through which you can see a room with orange walls. There is also a set of stairs leading down to an impassable orange stone surface and a hexagonal window on the right wall. Through a large doorway in the left wall of the room you can see an enclosed bridge. It seems to end in midair, with a thin metal spire several feet from the end of the bridge. A pair of small lenses is set into the ceiling and floor of the room, directly above each other. > You go outside You walk up to the edge of the bridge, but it ends in midair. There doesn't seem to be any place you can reach from here, so you return to the green room. This is a medium-small, round room. Its walls are painted a cool green. In the center of the room is an exposed metal pole, which goes into a small hole in the floor. It passes through a large hole in the ceiling, which is big enough to go through. Through the hole, you can see blue sky. There is a square hole in the floor, through which you can see a room with orange walls. There is also a set of stairs leading down to an impassable orange stone surface and a hexagonal window on the right wall. Through a large doorway in the left wall of the room you can see an enclosed bridge. It seems to end in midair, with a thin metal spire several feet from the end of the bridge. A pair of small lenses is set into the ceiling and floor of the room, directly above each other.

[Themes: Fiction] > Go down You descend via the square hole. This is a big, round room. Its walls are painted a warm orange. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A ladder leads up to a room with green walls. A staircase leads down to solid, packed dirt. An archway leads out, and there is a hexagonal window on the left wall. > You leave You exit via the archway. You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the left spire is a tower composed of a green room and a orange room (from top to bottom). You can enter the orange room through an archway. On the middle spire is a tower composed of a yellow room and a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. On the right spire is a tower composed of a purple room and a blue room (from top to bottom). You can enter the blue room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > You enter the shed This small tin shed is hot and humid. A large machine takes up most of the floor space, with just enough room for you to stand. Two signs are mounted on the wall; one is labeled "THE RULES" and the other is labeled "OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS." Mounted in the center of the machine's console is what appears to be a small wooden toy. Beside it is a large lever. > You take all from left medium-small green disk: Taken. large orange disk: Taken. > You take all from right tiny purple disk: Taken. small blue disk: Taken. > You put the orange and the green on right large orange disk: You put the large orange disk on the empty right post. medium-small green disk: You put the medium-small green disk on top of the large orange disk on the right post. > You put blue and the purple on the left small blue disk: You put the small blue disk on the empty left post. tiny purple disk: You put the tiny purple disk on top of the small blue disk on the left post. > You pull the lever A colossal rumbling shakes the earth, and a hissing of steam fills the air. You hear a series of massive thuds as something huge rearranges itself. > You go outside You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the left spire is a tower composed of a purple room and a blue room (from top to bottom). You can enter the blue room through an archway. On the middle spire is a tower composed of a yellow room and a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. On the right spire is a tower composed of a green room and a orange room (from top to bottom). You can enter the orange room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > You enter the orange This is a big, round room. Its walls are painted a warm orange. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A ladder leads up to a room with green walls. A staircase leads down to solid, packed dirt. An archway leads out, and there is a hexagonal window on the left wall. A beam of light enters the room through the window and makes a bright spot on the right wall. > Go up You ascend via the a ladder leading to a square hole. This is a medium-small, round room. Its walls are painted a cool green. In the center of the room is an exposed metal pole, which goes into a small hole in the floor. It passes through a large hole in the ceiling, which is big enough to go through. Through the hole, you can see blue sky. There is a square hole in the floor, through which you can see a room with orange walls. There is also a set of stairs leading down to an impassable orange stone surface and a hexagonal window on the right wall. Through a large doorway in the left wall of the room you can see an enclosed bridge. At the end you can see a yellow room. A pair of small lenses is set into the ceiling and floor of the room, directly above each other. > You go outside You walk through the bridge to the next tower, entering through an archway. This is a medium-large, round room. Its walls are painted a pale yellow. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A set of stairs leads up to blue sky. Through a square hole in the floor, you can see an impassable red stone surface. There is a hexagonal window on the left wall and an archway leading out. A narrow, steel, cylindrical device sits in the middle of the room, aimed at the window on the left wall. A pipe leads from the device to the floor. Steam leaks from the joints in the pipe. A golden mirror is mounted beside the cylindrical device, directly below a lens set into the ceiling. > You go upwards The set of stairs leads to the roof, and it's made of stone slick with grease and condensed steam. You don't trust the footing up there. > You examine the device This is a long, thin metal tube with pipes and gauges sticking out of it and a sealed hopper on top filled with small metal balls. The largest pipe leads down through the floor. Steam hisses in the pipes, and a large gauge on the side indicates that the device is "READY TO FIRE." There is a big lever on the back of the device. > You pull the lever There is a loud thump and a burst of steam as a steel ball fires from the mouth of the device and out the window. You hear a tremendous crash as the shot shatters something in the purple room. > Go east You don't have a compass. If you would like to go to a place, please type GO TO (PLACE). > Exit You cross the bridge to the green room. This is a medium-small, round room. Its walls are painted a cool green. In the center of the room is an exposed metal pole, which goes into a small hole in the floor. It passes through a large hole in the ceiling, which is big enough to go through. Through the hole, you can see blue sky. There is a square hole in the floor, through which you can see a room with orange walls. There is also a set of stairs leading down to an impassable orange stone surface and a hexagonal window on the right wall. Through a large doorway in the left wall of the room you can see an enclosed bridge. At the end you can see a yellow room. A pair of small lenses is set into the ceiling and floor of the room, directly above each other.

> Go downward You descend via the square hole. This is a big, round room. Its walls are painted a warm orange. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A ladder leads up to a room with green walls. A staircase leads down to solid, packed dirt. An archway leads out, and there is a hexagonal window on the left wall. A beam of light enters the room through the window and makes a bright spot on the right wall. > Go outside You exit via the archway. You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the left spire is a tower composed of a purple room and a blue room (from top to bottom). You can enter the blue room through an archway. On the middle spire is a tower composed of a yellow room and a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. On the right spire is a tower composed of a green room and a orange room (from top to bottom). You can enter the orange room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > You enter the blue This is a small, round room. Its walls are painted a deep blue. In the center of the room is an exposed metal pole, which goes into a small hole in the ceiling above. It passes through a large hole in the floor, which is big enough to go through. Through the hole, you can see solid, packed dirt. A hexagonal window is on the left wall, and there is an archway leading out. Stairs head up through the ceiling, where you can see a room with purple walls. A silver mirror is mounted in front of the window, directly above a lens set into the floor. > Go up You ascend via the set of stairs. This is a tiny, round room. Its walls are painted a rich purple. In the center of the room is a round stone column. There is a hexagonal window on the right wall. A big cage is built into the wall, enclosing the window and occupying almost half of the room. In the floor of the cage is a square hole, through which you can see an impassable blue stone surface. Stairs outside the cage lead down through the floor, where you can see a room with blue walls. In the cage is a shattered glass case containing an enormous jewel. > You examine the jewel This is the most precious jewel in the world: the Amber Star. It's the size of your head, and a brilliant shining yellow. It's held firmly in place by a silver stand. > You examine the case The case was originally made of glass, supported by an elaborate golden pedestal. Within is a silver stand holding the Amber Star. The stand holds the gem tightly in place. On the side of the pedestal is a small lens facing the window with an engraving of a keyhole above it. The glass walls of the case have been shattered to pieces, allowing access to the treasure within.

> Go down You descend via the set of stairs. This is a small, round room. Its walls are painted a deep blue. In the center of the room is an exposed metal pole, which goes into a small hole in the ceiling above. It passes through a large hole in the floor, which is big enough to go through. Through the hole, you can see solid, packed dirt. A hexagonal window is on the left wall, and there is an archway leading out. Stairs head up through the ceiling, where you can see a room with purple walls. A silver mirror is mounted in front of the window, directly above a lens set into the floor. > You take all the disks tiny purple disk: Taken. small blue disk: Taken. medium-large yellow disk: Taken. huge red disk: Taken. medium-small green disk: Taken. large orange disk: Taken. > You put the red on the middle You put the huge red disk on the empty middle post. > You put the orange on the right You put the large orange disk on the empty right post. > PUT YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE ON LEFT medium-large yellow disk: You put the medium-large yellow disk on the empty left post. medium-small green disk: You put the medium-small green disk on top of the medium-large yellow disk on the left post. small blue disk: You put the small blue disk on top of the medium-small green disk on the left post. tiny purple disk: You put the tiny purple disk on top of the small blue disk on the left post. > Leave You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the left spire is a tower composed of a purple room, a blue room, a green room, and a yellow room (from top to bottom). You can enter the yellow room through an archway. On the middle spire is a tower composed of a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. On the right spire is a tower composed of a orange room (from top to bottom). You can enter the orange room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > You enter the orange This is a big, round room. Its walls are painted a warm orange. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A ladder leads up to blue sky. A staircase leads down to solid, packed dirt. An archway leads out, and there is a hexagonal window on the left wall. A beam of light enters the room through the window and makes a bright spot on the right wall. > You go outside You exit via the archway. You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the left spire is a tower composed of a purple room, a blue room, a green room, and a yellow room (from top to bottom). You can enter the yellow room through an archway. On the middle spire is a tower composed of a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. On the right spire is a tower composed of a orange room (from top to bottom). You can enter the orange room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > You put blue and the purple on the left small blue disk: You put the small blue disk on top of the medium-small green disk on the left post. tiny purple disk: You put the tiny purple disk on top of the small blue disk on the left post. > You go outside You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the left spire is a tower composed of a purple room, a blue room, a green room, and a orange room (from top to bottom). You can enter the orange room through an archway. On the middle spire is a tower composed of a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. On the right spire is a tower composed of a yellow room (from top to bottom). You can enter the yellow room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > You enter the yellow This is a medium-large, round room. Its walls are painted a pale yellow. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A set of stairs leads up to blue sky. Through a square hole in the floor, you can see solid, packed dirt. There is a hexagonal window on the left wall and an archway leading out. A narrow, steel, cylindrical device sits in the middle of the room, aimed at the window on the left wall. A pipe leads from the device to the floor. A golden mirror is mounted beside the cylindrical device, directly below a lens set into the ceiling. A beam of light enters through the window on the left wall, reflects off of the mirror, and shines into the lens in the ceiling. > You go upwards The set of stairs leads to the roof, and it's made of stone slick with grease and condensed steam. You don't trust the footing up there. > You examine lens Beside the cylindrical device is an angled mirror on a golden stand, set so that it will reflect light from the window toward a small lens set into the ceiling of the room.

[Themes: Fiction] > Go downward There's just packed dirt below the square hole. There's nowhere to go. > Go outside You exit via the archway. You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the left spire is a tower composed of a purple room, a blue room, a green room, and a orange room (from top to bottom). You can enter the orange room through an archway. On the middle spire is a tower composed of a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. On the right spire is a tower composed of a yellow room (from top to bottom). You can enter the yellow room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > Go upwards You ascend via the a ladder leading to a square hole. This is a medium-small, round room. Its walls are painted a cool green. In the center of the room is an exposed metal pole, which goes into a small hole in the floor. It passes through a large hole in the ceiling, which is big enough to go through. Through the hole, you can see a room with blue walls. There is a square hole in the floor, through which you can see a room with orange walls. There is also a set of stairs leading down to an impassable orange stone surface and a hexagonal window on the right wall. Through a large doorway in the left wall of the room you can see an enclosed bridge. It seems to end in midair, with a thin metal spire several feet from the end of the bridge. A pair of small lenses is set into the ceiling and floor of the room, directly above each other. > Go upwards The metal pole at the center of the room is too slick to climb up.

[Themes: Fiction] > Go down You descend via the square hole. This is a big, round room. Its walls are painted a warm orange. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A ladder leads up to a room with green walls. A staircase leads down to solid, packed dirt. An archway leads out, and there is a hexagonal window on the left wall. > You take all disk tiny purple disk: Taken. small blue disk: Taken. medium-small green disk: Taken. large orange disk: Taken. huge red disk: Taken. medium-large yellow disk: Taken. > You put the red and the orange and the purple on the middle huge red disk: You put the huge red disk on the empty middle post. large orange disk: You put the large orange disk on top of the huge red disk on the middle post. tiny purple disk: You put the tiny purple disk on top of the large orange disk on the middle post. > You put the yellow and green and the blue on right medium-large yellow disk: You put the medium-large yellow disk on the empty right post. medium-small green disk: You put the medium-small green disk on top of the medium-large yellow disk on the right post. small blue disk: You put the small blue disk on top of the medium-small green disk on the right post. > You pull the lever A colossal rumbling shakes the earth, and a hissing of steam fills the air. You hear a series of massive thuds as something huge rearranges itself. > Go outside You stand in the middle of a vast plain sprinkled with small shrubs. In front of you are three thin metal spires with enormous stone disks threaded on to them. An elaborate crane system looms above the spires, its valves and gaskets oozing steam. On the middle spire is a tower composed of a purple room, a orange room, and a red room (from top to bottom). You can enter the red room through an archway. On the right spire is a tower composed of a blue room, a green room, and a yellow room (from top to bottom). You can enter the yellow room through an archway. Behind you is a small tin shed. > You enter the red This is a huge, round room. Its walls are painted bright red. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A set of stairs leads up to a room with orange walls. A hexagonal window is in the right wall, and an archway leads out. A clanking machine sits in a corner of the room, with a hissing pipe leading to the ceiling. A strange lamp is mounted in front of the window. A bright, focused beam of light shines from the lamp and out the window on the right wall. > Go up You ascend via the set of stairs. This is a big, round room. Its walls are painted a warm orange. In the center of the room is a round stone column. A ladder leads up to a room with purple walls. A staircase leads down to a room with red walls. An archway leads out, and there is a hexagonal window on the left wall. > Go upwards You ascend via the a ladder leading to a square hole. Purple Room (in the large cage) This is a tiny, round room. Its walls are painted a rich purple. In the center of the room is a round stone column. There is a hexagonal window on the right wall. A big cage is built into the wall, enclosing the window and occupying almost half of the room. In the floor of the cage is a square hole, through which you can see a room with orange walls. Stairs outside the cage lead down through the floor, where you can see an impassable orange stone surface. In the cage is a shattered glass case containing an enormous jewel. A beam of light shines in through the window and hits a lens mounted on the pedestal supporting the glass case. > You take the jewel You take the Amber Star from its place in the case. You're now rich beyond your wildest dreams, and as the thief who bested the Tower of Hanoi, you will go down in infamy! You've never been an especially tidy person, and being self-employed has done nothing to improve your habits. Still, you keep your place clean, for the most part. It's just cluttered. The clutter is worse than usual at the moment, thanks to a portion of the contents of the strongbox scattered over the surface of your table. On the wooden table are a wooden toy, an old dented strongbox (empty), a pile of letters, a memo book labeled "The End of the World", a composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden", a sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi", a stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again", an envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter", and a wrinkled sheet of paper. > Examine toy This is a toy made out of a wooden block with three wooden posts sticking out of the top. Painted wooden disks of various sizes and colors fit onto the posts. At the moment, the left post has nothing on it, the middle post has a tiny purple disk, a large orange disk, and a huge red disk (from top to bottom) on it, and the right post has a small blue disk, a medium-small green disk, and a medium-large yellow disk (from top to bottom) on it. > You take going home again This is a packet of five pages of white paper with typewritten text. The back of each sheet shows traces of carbon paper. The pages are stapled together in the upper left corner, and there are signs that the sheets have been separated and re-stapled at least once. The first line on the first page reads "GOING HOME AGAIN." On the next line is the date "1969." (Do you want to enter this story?) > Yes "I had some men come to cut down that big dead tree in the front yard today. It was an eyesore, but now I'm sorry to see it gone." > You press green Your flight arrived an hour ago, and your parents picked you up from the airport. You're just here for a little bit, to set down your suitcase in your old room before you go out to dinner. Your parents are waiting in the car. There'll be time to reminisce after you all eat. Still, this is the first time you've been back since you graduated from college. This is the first room off of the garage, with a washer and dryer and some storage. The cabinets above the dryer are where your mom always kept old rags for dusting, and all sorts of junk is stacked on the shelves across from them. The kitchen is through a doorway, and your parents are waiting in the garage just outside this room. A set of lines drawn on the edge of the shelves catches your eye. > You examine the lines Drawn on the edge of the shelves is a set of lines. Each one has a date written beside it. These are your height measurements from when you were a child. Now, you're taller than all of them. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a suitcase > About you You're almost 24; your birthday is tomorrow. You've graduated from college, and you've been away from this place for over half a decade now. You've only just stopped thinking of it as "home." > You look at the suitcase This is your old beat-up suitcase. You got it when you first went off to college, over four years ago now. It's covered in stickers advertising far-off eateries and espousing political beliefs that you only half-believe anymore. You just need to drop it off in your old room. > You look at the cabinets These wooden cabinets above the washer and dryer contain old rags and cleaning supplies, mostly. > You examine the washer They replaced the washer and dryer just after you left for college. This new model is a lot more reliable than the old one. > You drop the suitcase You'd rather not clutter up your hou... you mean, your parents' house. You can drop it off in your room. > You go to the kitchen The kitchen's about the same as you remember it, although the refrigerator's new. The floor is white tile, and one wall is covered in cabinets. A little basket of oranges sits out on the counter. The kitchen table occupies much of the room. The doorway to the laundry room is near the refrigerator, and the family room is through an open archway. > You examine the fridge The old refrigerator was a simple one with a freezer on top and the fridge on the bottom. You'd always assumed your parents got it as a wedding gift. They've replaced it with a top-of-the-line model with the freezer on the bottom. Instead of crayon drawings, the front is covered with years-old Dean's List certificates and newsletters from your parents' church. > You examine the oranges The orange trees in the side yard always bore sour and thick-skinned fruit when you were growing up, but over the past few years they've started producing some nice, sweet oranges. Or so your father says. > You read newsletters The newsletters on the refrigerator mostly have schedules for the standard events at your parents' church, or advertise an upcoming raffle or special event. There isn't anything special scheduled during your visit. > You examine table This old scarred wooden table had a glass top to it when you were young. You don't remember what happened to it, but it always got spills trapped under it anyway. You're pretty sure everyone was glad when it finally broke or was discarded. > You go to the family room The largest room in the house has high ceilings and wide windows. The front door leads outside, and the hallway leads back to the bedrooms. The kitchen is back through an open archway. Your dad's most recent chair sits here, as well as a couch and a desk. The television is new, you notice, and considerably bigger than the one your parents used to have. > You look at the tv This television looks huge sitting in this room. The one you remember was quite a few inches smaller. That one, in turn, replaced an even older one with bent rabbit ear antennas and barely-capable color. This one is fancier than the TV you have at home. The television is currently switched off. > You turn on the tv You don't have time for television right now. Your parents are waiting. > You look at the windows The windows look out onto the backyard. When you were in high school, your parents replaced the grass back there with gravel; it wasn't worth keeping up grass in this hot climate. Now, there are some citrus trees back there. You think there's a tangerine tree and a lemon-lime tree, but you have trouble remembering exactly. > You examine the desk This used to be your homework desk, once upon a time. Before that, your mother used it in her small business. It's one of those pieces of office furniture that you assemble from a kit. At the moment, it's used by whichever of your parents wants to get a little work done. An old office chair sits in front of it. > You examine the couch This couch replaced your old one back when you were in middle school. The old one was an ancient relic, made of wood with stiff cushions and buttons that had mostly fallen out. This one's much nicer. > You go to the hallway This narrow hallway leads back to the bedrooms. You used to race up and down it when you were small. It's a miracle you didn't injure anyone trying to navigate it at the same time. There's a big linen closet here, and doors for the bathroom, the master bedroom, and your old room. The other end of the hallway leads back to the family room. Hanging on the wall in a frame is the drawing of a cat you did in high school. > You examine the cat Neither of your parents considered themself creative in an artistic way. They're both smart, but they're in technical fields, and the most cultural thing they did seriously was play in their college band together. Perhaps as a result, they were startlingly impressed by this drawing you did in high school art class. It's done in colored pencil, and it shows a cat sitting on the deck of a ship and watching a seagull. Your mother gave it a place of honor in the house. It's well done, you suppose, but you're still surprised (and a little flattered) that she thinks that highly of it. > You drop the suitcase You'd rather not clutter up your parents' house. You can drop it off in your room. > You open the linen That's already open. > You examine the linen The doors of this closet fold back, and they've always refused to close completely. The doors are open. > You look in the closet Nothing in there but old towels, sheets, and knitted afghans. > You examine the towels The closet contains an assortment of linens, some of them dusty. > You wear a the sheet (first taking the linens) Your mother's sure to have already set out sheets and towels for you to use. She likes being a prepared hostess. > You enter the bathroom This is the bathroom you used growing up. It's been remodeled a bit, but it still maintains the nautical theme that it has had since you were tiny. Your mother's never considered herself artistic, but she seems bashfully proud of the painted wall decoration she added in the latest round of remodeling. It's quite cute, you think. > You examine the decoration According to the story your mom told on the drive here, she and your father recently remodeled the bathroom. In the process, they replaced the old towel rods. To mask the patch where the old rods were bolted to the wall, your mom painted a stylized wave to fit the nautical theme of the room. It's very cute. > You enter the master This is your parents' bedroom. It looks mostly the same as you remember, except that your mother finally replaced her old metal bookcase. The bed is the one your parents got when you were young, and the decorations are all the same. > You examine the bookcase Your mom got this bookcase to replace her old metal one, which had broken shelves and was, frankly, a bit unattractive. The new one's pretty whitewashed wood, and does a much better job of holding up stuff than the old one did. It's full of assorted books. > Examine books Various books about urban planning, childrearing, self-improvement, and geography. These are clearly your mother's. > You examine the bed This is a king-sized bed, the same one that you remember jumping into after having bad dreams when you were little. > You examine the decorations There are some pictures on the walls: one that you painted as a kid, a photo of the countryside near where your parents went to college, and a picture of a barn with a quaint advertisement painted on the roof. > You look at the barn This is a painting of a barn beside a road. Painted in white on the roof of the barn is the phrase "SEE ROCK CITY." It's unclear what the advertisement is referring to. > You examine photo The picture is taken in winter, and it's a tall hill covered in leafless trees. The sky is purple and blue, and the rock at the top of the hill is a reddish-brown. > You examine kid This is a picture of some generic desert hills with cactuses on them. It's pretty rough, but you suppose it looks all right in a sort of abstract expressionist way. > You go outside This narrow hallway leads back to the bedrooms. You used to race up and down it when you were small. It's a miracle you didn't injure anyone trying to navigate it at the same time. There's a big linen closet here, and doors for the bathroom, the master bedroom, and your old room. The other end of the hallway leads back to the family room. Hanging on the wall in a frame is the drawing of a cat you did in high school. > You enter your room During the big house redecoration when you were in middle school, you picked out the wallpaper and paint for this room. You picked a forest theme, and insisted on keeping the lush, old, dark green carpet that was here when you moved in. A lot of your things are still here, waiting for you to move into a place with enough space to keep it all. Your old bed is in one corner. The door leads back to the hallway. > You look at the things The closet contains boxes full of books and old childhood treasures. Sometime during this trip you'll go through them and pick out some stuff you want sent home, but not right now. > You examine wallpaper The wallpaper on the upper half of the walls is subtly patterned after birch bark. > You examine the bed This bed looks distressingly small compared to the one you have at your place. You remember that in high school your feet almost hung over the end of it. Oh, well; you'll have to make the best of things. > You look under it You used to keep a box of treasures here, but you brought it with you when you left for college. > You examine the carpet This carpet always reminded you of soft moss or the grass in a clearing. Growing up in the desert made you pine for the woods. Now you find yourself missing the rocks and the cacti. > You drop suitcase You drop off your suitcase. You can unpack after dinner. Now, to get back to your parents and be on your way. > You open suitcase You can unpack after dinner. > You go outside This narrow hallway leads back to the bedrooms. You used to race up and down it when you were small. It's a miracle you didn't injure anyone trying to navigate it at the same time. There's a big linen closet here, and doors for the bathroom, the master bedroom, and your old room. The other end of the hallway leads back to the family room. Hanging on the wall in a frame is the drawing of a cat you did in high school. > You go to the family room The largest room in the house has high ceilings and wide windows. The front door leads outside, and the hallway leads back to the bedrooms. The kitchen is back through an open archway. Your dad's most recent chair sits here, as well as a couch and a desk. The television is new, you notice, and considerably bigger than the one your parents used to have. > You go outside You can go out via the garage. That's where your parents are waiting. > You go the kitchen The kitchen's about the same as you remember it, although the refrigerator's new. The floor is white tile, and one wall is covered in cabinets. A little basket of oranges sits out on the counter. The kitchen table occupies much of the room. The doorway to the laundry room is near the refrigerator, and the family room is through an open archway. > You go the laundry This is the first room off of the garage, with a washer and dryer and some storage. The cabinets above the dryer are where your mom always kept old rags for dusting, and all sorts of junk is stacked on the shelves across from them. The kitchen is through a doorway, and your parents are waiting in the garage just outside this room. A set of lines drawn on the edge of the shelves catches your eye. > You go garage You head out into the garage and get in the car, ready for food and more discussion of what you've been up to lately. You've never been an especially tidy person, and being self-employed has done nothing to improve your habits. Still, you keep your place clean, for the most part. It's just cluttered. The clutter is worse than usual at the moment, thanks to a portion of the contents of the strongbox scattered over the surface of your table. On the wooden table are a wooden toy, an old dented strongbox (empty), a pile of letters, a memo book labeled "The End of the World", a composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden", a sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi", a stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again", an envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter", and a wrinkled sheet of paper. > You take End This is a wire-bound memo book, about 3 by 5 inches. There are twelve sheets of ruled paper left in the book, all full. It's written in pencil, with no erasures, and there are what look like grease stains on the corners of some pages. The earlier pages in the notebook have all been torn out, with only scraps remaining caught in the wire spiral binding. Written on the cardboard cover in black marker is the phrase "THE END OF THE WORLD." In the bottom corner is the date "1982." (Do you want to enter this story?) > Yes "It's tough knowing that it's coming. But I think I've made peace with it. Children are supposed to outlive their parents, right?" You've got your lunch, and you've found a good spot. Everyone knew it was coming, and everyone knew when. It's time now, and there's nothing left to do but watch the show. There are rocks here, poking out of the side of the hill. It's steep, almost too steep to keep your balance when you're standing up. It's okay, though. You're sitting down, near the top, with pretty fields down below and your home city in the distance, really small, like a model. There's a big, flat rock right beside you, and the grass is wet, but that's okay too. There are woods at the top of the hill, above you. Your lunch sits beside you on the hillside. I beg your pardon? > You look at the CITY Tiny buildings poke up from the center of the city far below. Further out, the city is a quilt of the little ticky-tacky boxes of housing developments and the gray dullness of strip malls. A few cars are out moving around, driven by people who don't believe or don't care. > You look at the sky The tumbling clouds above are a pale gray, tinged with pink. You hear a distant pop, like a sneaking giant stepping on a twig. > You examine the lunch Simple brown paper, rolled tightly closed at the top. > Open lunch You open the paper lunch bag, revealing a bag of chips, a big chocolate chip cookie, a deviled-ham sandwich, and an apple. > Examine sandwich You always imagined your final meal being more elegant, but you got all that sort of thing finished weeks ago. You've had your fill of somber foie gras and have spent too much time eating fondue at overly-cheerful parties. Your mom used to send you off with deviled-ham sandwiches as a child. You like deviled ham. Thunder sounds from somewhere in the tumbling clouds. > You eat the sandwich (first taking the deviled-ham sandwich) Toasty wheat bread, salty ham spread. It reminds you of moments of introspection in raucous school lunch rooms. All too soon, it's gone. > You examine the apple The stores all gave away their last pineapples and oranges weeks ago, but there are always apples to go around. This one's a mottled red and yellow. A low tone sounds, echoing over the hills. > You eat the apple (first taking the apple) It's not a very good apple. The skin is a little thick, and the whole thing's a bit too sour for your usual tastes. But it's delicious. You toss the core far into the woods nearby. It will never grow into a tree. > You examine cookie The last of two dozen that you baked a few days ago. It's a little dark on the bottom, but the rest of the batch was still good. > You eat the cookie (first taking the big chocolate chip cookie) The chocolate chips are a bit melty after the long walk up here. The cookie itself is sweet and rich, with just a hint of smokiness from leaving the cookies in the oven too long. > You examine chips It's a thin foil bag of potato chips, with a logo emblazoned across the front. It's unopened. The clouds swirl and twist even more, tracing seven lines through the sky from behind you toward your town. > You examine the lines The tumbling clouds above are a pale gray, tinged with pink. Seven twisted lines of clouds trace through the sky toward the city. > You read the chips It's a thin foil bag of potato chips, with a logo emblazoned across the front. It's unopened. Seven bright flaming lights burst from the clouds in the sky before you, letting seven shafts of light pass through to shine on the buildings below. > You open the chips You open the bag of chips, revealing some potato chips. > You eat the chips (the potato chips) (first taking the potato chips) The chips are so salty that they almost hurt your tongue. They're just a little bit stale, but wonderful all the same. The lights strike the city below, and you have to shield your eyes from the bright flash that follows. > You examine the CITY You can't do anything but shield your eyes from the blinding light. The ground shakes beneath you. > Wear the bag (the paper lunch bag) (first taking the paper lunch bag) You can't do anything but shield your eyes from the blinding light. The blinding light fades, and you see countless tiny wisps of mist floating up from the ruined, smoldering city toward the ragged holes in the clouds. > You examine the CITY It's not a city anymore. It's just a heap of broken, jagged concrete and steel. Fires smolder here and there, and countless tiny wisps of mist rise from the ashes toward the heavens. The rays of light filtering through the holes in the clouds suddenly vanish. > You look at the ROCK This is a big, flat rock, embedded in the hillside. There's a depression on the edge that's perfect for sitting on. The clouds over the city grow dark, and the darkness spreads until the whole sky is a murky gray. > Sing Your singing is passable. The ground begins to tremble. The air is filled with a low howling. Above, the clouds seethe. > You go to the CITY You won't have time to make it back to the city. The ground shudders and the hillside cracks in great fissures. A great wind rises up and rushes past you toward the city and the hole in the clouds. > You examine the hole The tumbling clouds above are a dark gray, tinged with flickers of red. An enormous hole in the clouds hangs above you, with only darkness visible through it. The clouds peel away from the darkness above. All is sound, a rumbling and howling that tears at your ears. There is the sound of a trillion voices, then silence. You've never been an especially tidy person, and being self-employed has done nothing to improve your habits. Still, you keep your place clean, for the most part. It's just cluttered. The clutter is worse than usual at the moment, thanks to a portion of the contents of the strongbox scattered over the surface of your table. On the wooden table are a wooden toy, an old dented strongbox (empty), a pile of letters, a memo book labeled "The End of the World", a composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden", a sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi", a stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again", an envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter", and a wrinkled sheet of paper. > You take all wooden toy: Taken. tiny purple disk: Taken. large orange disk: Taken. huge red disk: Taken. small blue disk: Taken. medium-small green disk: Taken. medium-large yellow disk: Taken. old dented strongbox: Taken. pile of letters: Taken. memo book labeled "The End of the World": This is a wire-bound memo book, about 3 by 5 inches. There are twelve sheets of ruled paper left in the book, all full. It's written in pencil, with no erasures, and there are what look like grease stains on the corners of some pages. The earlier pages in the notebook have all been torn out, with only scraps remaining caught in the wire spiral binding. Written on the cardboard cover in black marker is the phrase "THE END OF THE WORLD." In the bottom corner is the date "1982." (Do you want to enter this story?) > No You set the memo book labeled "The End of the World" back on the table. composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden": This is a thin notebook with a marbled black-and-white pattern on the cover. Only the first handful of pages are full of writing. The work is done in black pen, with numerous mistakes scribbled out and many doodles in the margins. The rest of the book is blank. On the label on the front of the book is the title "MORNING IN THE GARDEN," written in heavily-scribbled black ball-point. On the upper right corner of the first page is the date "1974." (Do you want to enter this story?) > No You set the composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden" back on the table. sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi": This is a 50-page, spiral-bound sketchbook with cardboard covers. The front cover is green, and is decorated with a drawing in black marker of the wooden toy that you found in the box. Across the top is the title "THE TOWER OF HANOI," written in the same black marker. On the back cover is the date "1978." The first ten pages are filled with simple pencil drawings and notes describing the world of this story. The rest of the book is filled with hauntingly realistic charcoal drawings of scenes from that world. (Do you want to enter this story?) > No You set the sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi" back on the table. stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again": This is a packet of five pages of white paper with typewritten text. The back of each sheet shows traces of carbon paper. The pages are stapled together in the upper left corner, and there are signs that the sheets have been separated and re-stapled at least once. The first line on the first page reads "GOING HOME AGAIN." On the next line is the date "1969." (Do you want to enter this story?) > No You set the stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again" back on the table. envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter": This is a standard envelope stuffed with fifteen sheets of triple-folded lined paper. The pages are loose, and are covered in neat writing in blue pen. In a few places, the ink has bled where drops of moisture fell on the pages. The envelope is unaddressed and unstamped, and the words "UNDELIVERED LOVE LETTER" are writted across the front. Where the return address would be is the date "1975." (Do you want to enter this story?) > No You set the envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter" back on the table. wrinkled sheet of paper: Taken. wooden table: That's hardly portable. clutter: They're hardly portable. > You look at pile This is a pile of carbon copies of letters apparently sent by Ms. Bryant to relatives and friends. You've taken some quotes from the letters to introduce each of Ms. Bryant's stories. She was a rather prolific letter-writer. > You look at what you're carrying with you You are carrying: a wrinkled sheet of paper a pile of letters an old dented strongbox (open but empty) a medium-large yellow disk a medium-small green disk a small blue disk a huge red disk a large orange disk a tiny purple disk a wooden toy > You drop all wrinkled sheet of paper: Dropped. pile of letters: Dropped. old dented strongbox: Dropped. medium-large yellow disk: Dropped. medium-small green disk: Dropped. small blue disk: Dropped. huge red disk: Dropped. large orange disk: Dropped. tiny purple disk: Dropped. wooden toy: Dropped.

> You describe your surroundings You've never been an especially tidy person, and being self-employed has done nothing to improve your habits. Still, you keep your place clean, for the most part. It's just cluttered. The clutter is worse than usual at the moment, thanks to a portion of the contents of the strongbox scattered over the surface of your table. On the wooden table are a memo book labeled "The End of the World", a composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden", a sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi", a stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again", and an envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter". You can also see a wooden toy, a tiny purple disk, a large orange disk, a huge red disk, a small blue disk, a medium-small green disk, a medium-large yellow disk, an old dented strongbox (empty), a pile of letters, and a wrinkled sheet of paper here. > Examine box This strongbox is made of metal, and is a foot across in each dimension. It is covered in rust and dented in a few places. A tattered label on the lid reads "Laura Bryant Collection." You pried the box open with a crowbar you borrowed from a friend after failed attempts at picking the lock. The metal around the latch is twisted out of shape. > Xyzzy You're already in the living room; there's no need to return here. > You look in the box You haven't had a chance to look over and translate the rest of the contents of the box. They'll have to wait for another day. > You eat the purple disk (first taking the tiny purple disk) That's plainly inedible. > You go You'll have to say which compass direction to go in. > Go north You don't have a compass. If you would like to go to a place, please type GO TO (PLACE). > You go home This is a packet of five pages of white paper with typewritten text. The back of each sheet shows traces of carbon paper. The pages are stapled together in the upper left corner, and there are signs that the sheets have been separated and re-stapled at least once. The first line on the first page reads "GOING HOME AGAIN." On the next line is the date "1969." (Do you want to enter this story?) > No You set the stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again" back on the table.

[Themes: Fiction] > You look around You've never been an especially tidy person, and being self-employed has done nothing to improve your habits. Still, you keep your place clean, for the most part. It's just cluttered. The clutter is worse than usual at the moment, thanks to a portion of the contents of the strongbox scattered over the surface of your table. On the wooden table are a memo book labeled "The End of the World", a composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden", a sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi", a stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again", and an envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter". You can also see a wooden toy, a large orange disk, a huge red disk, a small blue disk, a medium-small green disk, a medium-large yellow disk, an old dented strongbox (empty), a pile of letters, and a wrinkled sheet of paper here. > You take Letter This is a standard envelope stuffed with fifteen sheets of triple-folded lined paper. The pages are loose, and are covered in neat writing in blue pen. In a few places, the ink has bled where drops of moisture fell on the pages. The envelope is unaddressed and unstamped, and the words "UNDELIVERED LOVE LETTER" are writted across the front. Where the return address would be is the date "1975." (Do you want to enter this story?) > You wait Time passes. X emerges from the restroom and heads this way. She sits down beside you. "Hi. How are you doing?" she asks with a pensive look on her face. Her voice has the faintest of Russian accents. > You ask X about the name You can't summon up the effort to ask about that. X looks at you searchingly. She opens her mouth as if to say something, then closes it again. > You look at the clock According to the clock, it's 5:46 pm. > You take the clock That's fixed in place. > Kiss agent Keep your mind on the game. X clears her throat awkwardly and scratches her nose. > You go north Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi > How to Play Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi These works do not use compass commands (NORTH, N, etc.) for movement. A list of common commands (abbreviations are in parentheses): LOOK (L): Get another look at your surroundings. INVENTORY (I, INV): See what you are currently holding. EXAMINE <OBJECT> (X): Get a description of an object. LOOK UNDER <OBJECT>: Look under an object. GO <PLACE>: Travel to an adjacent location. TAKE <OBJECT>: Pick up an object. DROP <OBJECT>: Drop an object. PUT <OBJECT> IN/ON <OBJECT>: Put an object into or onto another object. ASK <PERSON> ABOUT <TOPIC>: Ask for information on a topic. TELL <PERSON> ABOUT <TOPIC>: Inform someone about something. NO/YES: Indicate an affirmative or negative answer. SAVE: Save the game. RESTORE: Restore a saved game. RESTART: Restart the game and return to this menu. QUIT: Quit the game. > How to Play Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi > How to Play Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi > You press the yellow > Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi > Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi > How to Play Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi > How to Play Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi These works do not use compass commands (NORTH, N, etc.) for movement. A list of common commands (abbreviations are in parentheses): LOOK (L): Get another look at your surroundings. INVENTORY (I, INV): See what you are currently holding. EXAMINE <OBJECT> (X): Get a description of an object. LOOK UNDER <OBJECT>: Look under an object. GO <PLACE>: Travel to an adjacent location. TAKE <OBJECT>: Pick up an object. DROP <OBJECT>: Drop an object. PUT <OBJECT> IN/ON <OBJECT>: Put an object into or onto another object. ASK <PERSON> ABOUT <TOPIC>: Ask for information on a topic. TELL <PERSON> ABOUT <TOPIC>: Inform someone about something. NO/YES: Indicate an affirmative or negative answer. SAVE: Save the game. RESTORE: Restore a saved game. RESTART: Restart the game and return to this menu. QUIT: Quit the game. > How to Play Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi > How to Play Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi > Go north > Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi > Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi Gregory Weir is a writer, game developer, and software programmer. He is best known for his Flash game, "(I Fell in Love With) The Majesty of Colors." His previous Interactive Fiction works include the perpetually-in-progress Jabberwocky, winner of the 2004 IntroComp, and the horror work Snatches. He currently writes for GameSetWatch and maintains a blog and podcast called Ludus Novus, found at http://ludusnovus.net . Thanks to my testers: Melissa Avery, Matt Weiner, Johan O, Michelle Hellemons, and DJ Hastings. Thanks to my parents, without whom I could never come home again, and to Xenia Kramida, without whom I would never have had a love letter to deliver. Most of all, thanks go to Laura Bryant. Somehow, I feel as if I know her, even though I know that is impossible. How to Play > Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi > Credits Hints for the Tower of Hanoi > You tell X about the food "I'm still not hungry," you say. X just shrugs reluctantly. > You tell X about X "You're so... pretty, and wonderful," you say. You're not sure why; there's no way flattery will change her mind. "Thank you," she says softly. > You tell X about plane "The flight will be leaving soon," you say. "We might not see each other again." X adjusts her scarf. "I hope we do, someday," she replies. > You tell X about scarf "Your outfit looks great," you say. X smiles. "Thank you," she says. > Smell X X smells like soap and tea with honey. > You ask X about the tea You can't summon up the effort to ask about that. X lifts her hand to her face and smooths her right eyebrow. It's a cute habit of hers. "Baby..." she begins, then sighs. "It won't hurt forever. There are lots of women out there who'll fall into your arms." But none of them will be her. > You tell X about the habit You can't summon up the effort to make conversation about that. The gate agent speaks over the intercom. "Attention, all passengers of Flight 160 to Indianapolis," she says in a bored tone. "We will now begin boarding for all seats. Please have your boarding pass ready." A line of passengers forms in front of the gate. > Kiss X You lean toward X for a last kiss. She leans toward you, but turns her head slightly so that you kiss the corner of her mouth. She looks into your eyes sadly, then looks down. > You hug X You lean over and hug X tightly. She awkwardly rubs your back with a hand until you release her. X nervously picks under her thumbnail with a nail of the opposite hand. "You really should eat something," she says in a worried tone. "It's been almost a day since you've had any food." > You tell X about the goodbye "Good... goodbye," you say with a knot in your throat. "Goodbye, sweetheart," she replies. > You go to the gate (the loading bridge) You get into line at the gate. X moves to stand beside you, on the outside of the rope barrier. > You examine the bridge The loading bridge leads from the gate inside the terminal to the plane. It's designed to extend outward to accomodate whatever position the plane ends up in. Your turn to board the plane arrives. You hand your boarding pass to the gate agent, and step into the loading bridge. With one last glance over your shoulder, you see X watching you with a sad expression on her face. You turn and head for the plane. You've never been an especially tidy person, and being self-employed has done nothing to improve your habits. Still, you keep your place clean, for the most part. It's just cluttered. The clutter is worse than usual at the moment, thanks to a portion of the contents of the strongbox scattered over the surface of your table. On the wooden table are a tiny purple disk, a memo book labeled "The End of the World", a composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden", a sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi", a stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again", and an envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter". You can also see a wooden toy, a large orange disk, a huge red disk, a small blue disk, a medium-small green disk, a medium-large yellow disk, an old dented strongbox (empty), a pile of letters, and a wrinkled sheet of paper here. X looks at you with concern. "Are you all right?" she asks. "Say something." > About yourself I suppose you're me. Gregory Weir, I mean. Mid-twenties, brown hair, thin. Probably a bit scruffy. > Close box You close the old dented strongbox.

[Themes: Slice of life, humor, animal protagonist, humour, non-human protagonist, cat, nonhuman protagonist] I do not have a name, but I think that someday soon I will. I have heard Him talk many times of other things that have names, things like Mom, Dad, Emily, Stuart, God. So I think I will have a name someday soon, although I do not know how I get a name. Is it something I have to do? Is there somewhere I have to go? All I know is that for now, He calls me just one thing: Cat. You live in a nice soft place inside a bigger space that has three ows, and one moveable ow. You call these things ows because they hurt when you run into them, and the moving ow (mow) only He can move. The soft place is where you sleep and it smells like you. Outside the soft space is where He puts the food and water. The food is ok, but the milk you used to have was much better. You wonder if He could get some of that again. He always shuts the mow, but today he has left it open. You do not know what is beyond it, except what you have heard him talk about. There is another thing called GoodCat/BadCat. It must have another name as well, because it was here when you got here, but it is far away and when He talks to it, you can only hear GoodCat or BadCat. You must be related, because you both are called Cat. You have always wondered where He goes when He closes the mow and what lies beyond it. "Could there be even more mows and ows? Could my place be just one place inside a much bigger place? I want to find out. Maybe if I find out, I can get a name," you think. [If this is your first time playing, type "ABOUT".] [Author's Note: You are the new cat, but you do not have a name. Today, He has left the door to your place open. If you explore the new world, can you get a name?] > About yourself You look at yourself and see your black fur from head to toe. You feel that your tail is a little long for you, but you haven't seen many other cats. Maybe that is normal. You are small, but you know you will get bigger someday, and someday you will have a name. > Exit Your Place surrounds the soft place. It's much bigger and it is soft on your feet, but not as soft as the soft place. You can run around here but the three ows stop you. Nothing has changed from this morning when He left -- the food dish, the water bowl, the sandbox, and the ledge are in their same places and they smell the same. The most interesting thing, though, is the mow. It's wide open in front of you and smells from outside are rushing in. > F. This is a strange place. It's long, like maybe if your place were stretched out to your right and to your left taller than He is. The scents that invaded your place came from here, or at least some of them did. The ows are dabbed with white that doesn't go with the rest of the ow and they smell new somehow. The floor is soft like it is in your place but it smells wild -- images sweep over you of Him, others like Him, a world filled with flying things and grass, clean scents and many others that you've never smelled before. Faintly, you also detect a sweet yet salty wild smell that can only be Goodcat/Badcat. > Smell floor It smells wild -- images sweep over you of Him, others like Him, a world filled with flying things and grass, clean scents and many others that you've never smelled before. Faintly, you also detect a sweet yet salty wild smell that can only be Goodcat/Badcat. > F. You can go to your right and to your left down the hall, and behind you back to your place. > R. You are halfway down the hall, up to a good speed when you see something that compels you to stop and look. Here two mows face each other -- one that is not completely solid and one that doesn't reach the floor. The non-solid mow has slats from the top to the bottom, like what is on the window in your place. It has a wonderful fresh smell that makes you want to lie down and go to sleep, if only there were something soft enough to sleep on. Mmrrow. You can't help yourself and rub lazily against it. It feels good. The solid mow on the opposite side greets you with a welcoming and familiar scent from between it and the floor. You would know it anywhere -- it is Him. He is not here, but beyond is surely His lair. > Slatted It's much too large and heavy for you to move it. > You examine slatted It is a mow, but you're not sure how He moves it, because there is no blob of metal halfway up. It's not solid, like other mows are, and you can see fluffy colored things beyond; an almost-dizzying sleepy fresh smell comes from beyond it. > Smell slatted The sleepy fresh smell comes from beyond the mow. It's so good that it almost makes you dizzy. > R. You can go behind you back to New Hall and in front of you to the end of the hall. > F. You are up to a good speed before you notice the ow coming at you. You come to a butt-burning halt. Youch! The long room ends here at an ow with one room on either side. The one to your right has sun filtering in through slats that make you want to rest in its warm spaces and play with the shadows. The room to your left is dark and presents several different smells relating to water. The ows seem really tall here and you feel fenced in and nervous. > R. The air is warm here, and light spills in across the room from the window on the far side of the room. Shadows and light play across the floor in hypnotizing patterns, threatening to lull you to sleep. Scattered across the room are brown boxes, arranged in no particular order, some of which are very tall. You get the feeling that the boxes were just moved here and that the room wasn't built too long ago: the whole place smells new. You can see a short box, a tall box and a towering box here. > You look at short This is shortest box. It is held closed by a brown stripe, and you can easily jump up to it from the floor. > You jump on short You leap up to the box and then look around, surveying your new surroundings. > About yourself You look at yourself and see your black fur from head to toe. You feel that your tail is a little long for you, but you haven't seen many other cats. Maybe that is normal. You are small, but you know you will get bigger someday, and someday you will have a name. > You examine the tall box You're too far away from it. Maybe if you were on it, you could do that.

[Themes: Slice of life, animal protagonist, humor] > You look at your surroundings You can go in front of you or out to leave the room. > You examine the tall box This is the second-tallest box. It is held closed by a green stripe. > You open tall You're not sure how. The box is held together with a stripe that keeps it shut everywhere. > You pull the stripe What do you want to pull: brown stripe or green stripe? > You look Sun Room (on the tall box) The air is warm here, and light spills in across the room from the window on the far side of the room. Shadows and light play across the floor in hypnotizing patterns, threatening to lull you to sleep. Scattered across the room are brown boxes, arranged in no particular order, some of which are very tall. You get the feeling that the boxes were just moved here and that the room wasn't built too long ago: the whole place smells new. You can see a short box and a towering box here. > You jump on short You move your head up and down a few times, judging the distance, and then decide to go for it. You feel a few moments of glorious weightlessness and then you settle on the box with a gentle "thump". > You look Sun Room (on the short box) The air is warm here, and light spills in across the room from the window on the far side of the room. Shadows and light play across the floor in hypnotizing patterns, threatening to lull you to sleep. Scattered across the room are brown boxes, arranged in no particular order, some of which are very tall. You get the feeling that the boxes were just moved here and that the room wasn't built too long ago: the whole place smells new. You can see a tall box and a towering box here. > You jump on the tall box You leap up to the box and then look around, surveying your new surroundings. > F. (first getting off the tall box) The long room ends here at an ow with one room on either side. The one behind you has sun filtering in through slats that make you want to rest in its warm spaces and play with the shadows. The room in front of you is dark and presents several different smells relating to water. The ows seem really tall here and you feel fenced in and nervous.

[Themes: Slice of life, nonhuman protagonist, non-human protagonist, cat] > Go down You jump artfully to the floor and land on all four paws. > Scratch brown stripe You try that but find out that it is a most perverse thing. When you scratch it, it gets sticky which makes your paws feel icky! You spend a few moments humiliated, licking them clean. > F. The long room ends here at an ow with one room on either side. The one behind you has sun filtering in through slats that make you want to rest in its warm spaces and play with the shadows. The room in front of you is dark and presents several different smells relating to water. The ows seem really tall here and you feel fenced in and nervous. > F. This room is darker than the others, and a whole plethora of scents rush out to find you. You take a moment perched on the threshold to decipher what they all mean. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see what looks like a very long water bowl. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a fat water bowl, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. Wait! There's something in the window. Your hackles rise and your fur poofs out. It's another cat, the same size as you! > Hiss You let out a bloodcurdling meow of warning, but she doesn't respond. Her mouth moves, but no sound comes out. > You touch the Cat You're too far away to do much of anything. > F. You can go behind you or out to leave the room. > You jump You jump a foot into the air just for fun. > You look The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see what looks like a very long water bowl. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a fat water bowl, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. The other cat mimics your motions, her eyes fixed on you. You'll have to respond to her challenge somehow. > You jump on the toilet (the toilet) With feline agility, you leap up to the deep water bowl. You are halfway between the dark window and the floor, perched on the fat water bowl. It's not soft, but it is fairly slick. The wonderful smells rise up from the hollow center, down in the water. You see above you a wide ledge that runs underneath the window. You could easily jump to it, or jump down to the bathroom floor. The house settles and creaks, giving you a start. > You jump on the ledge With amazing grace, you land on the space above the handles with a solid "whump". You barely notice the rest of the surface except for the sink, which smells like his breath and some sort of plant. The dark window takes up the entire wall and inside there is another cat! Her fur is poofed out just like yours and her green eyes stare back at you in challenge. > You hit the Cat You can't quite reach her. She seems to be on the other side of the window. She can't quite reach you, either. The house settles and creaks, giving you a start. You hear a faint ring coming from somewhere from somewhere far away. > Meow You warn her off, but she doesn't reply. She must be unable to speak. You hear a faint ring coming from elsewhere. > You open the window You try, but nothing interesting happens. You hear a faint ring coming from elsewhere. > Wave You don't know how to do that. You hear a faint ring coming from elsewhere. > Smell Cat You lean your nose in to smell her and she does the exact same thing. Then you realize what seemed so strange about all of this: you never once smelled her. How can she have no scent and no voice? What sort of cat is that? You realize, too, that she only does what you do. If you stop, she stops; if you groom yourself, she grooms herself; if you blink, she blinks. She does whatever you do because she is you, somehow. Only not you and only in the dark window. It's weird, but you're glad you're not a human and have to deal with such complexities. You hear a faint ring coming from elsewhere. You feel like you have achieved something particularly kittenish. > You jump on the tub Not from here. It's too far away! You hear a faint ring coming from elsewhere. You notice that the faint ringing sound has stopped.

[Themes: Slice of life, animal protagonist, non-human protagonist] > Go downwards You can jump down, back to the bathroom, or you can jump to the fat water bowl. > You jump down You raise and lower your head a few times, estimating the distance. On a whim, you decide to go for it and you jump down. It takes you a moment to get your breath back. The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see what looks like a very long water bowl. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a fat water bowl, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. You see your reflection peeking down at you from the window, green eyes glowing in the dark. > You jump on the tub You're a bit hesitant to jump where you can't see, so you jump up on the surrounding ledge instead. You are perched uncomfortably on the narrow ledge around the tub. The surface beneath you is hard and damp, and that clean water smell comes from all around you. You can either enter the tub, or jump down back into the bathroom. > You get down You can jump down to the bathroom floor, or you can enter the tub. > You enter the tub You walk around inside the tub and notice, strangely, that this place smells like His paws. Does He stand up in it? It looks long enough for him to lie down in it. The water smell saturates the area, and you know that this place must usually be wet. Right now it is only damp. He calls this place "tub". > You enter the tub You're already in it! You scramble back up on the narrow side. You are perched uncomfortably on the narrow ledge around the tub. The surface beneath you is hard and damp, and that clean water smell comes from all around you. You can either enter the tub, or jump down back into the bathroom. > You jump down You jump down with a faint "oof". The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see the tub. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a fat water bowl, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. You see your reflection peeking down at you from the window, green eyes glowing in the dark. > You look at the boxes They are wooden things taller than you are and they puff out a little. Where they puff out, you smell His hands, and past that, harsh, artificial smells that you don't like. "Why would he need such bad-smelling things," you wonder. > You jump on the toilet (the toilet) With feline agility, you leap up to the deep water bowl. You are halfway between the dark window and the floor, perched on the fat water bowl. It's not soft, but it is fairly slick. The wonderful smells rise up from the hollow center, down in the water. You see above you a wide ledge that runs underneath the window. You could easily jump to it, or jump down to the bathroom floor. > You enter the toilet (the toilet) Jumping to it is much more kittenish. > Smell boxes That's too far away. > You jump in You must name something more substantial. > You jump down You jump down to the tiled floor below with matchless ease. The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see the tub. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a fat water bowl, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. You see your reflection peeking down at you from the window, green eyes glowing in the dark. > Drink water You're not thirsty, but you can't pass this opportunity up -- the smells are too interesting. Carefully you lower yourself into the toilet and take ten deep laps of the water. Then you pull yourself back up on the rim and luxuriate in the taste of tea, yogurt, and submarine sandwiches. You're thankful again that He was so kind to mark the area so that you'd know to find it. You feel like you have achieved something particularly kittenish. > B. You feel more relaxed. The long room ends here at an ow with one room on either side. The one in front of you has sun filtering in through slats that make you want to rest in its warm spaces and play with the shadows. The room behind you is dark and presents several different smells relating to water. The ows seem really tall here and you feel fenced in and nervous. > B. The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see the tub. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a fat water bowl, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. You see your reflection peeking down at you from the window, green eyes glowing in the dark. > R. You turn to face to your right and bound away. Halfway down the hall, the non-solid mow has slats from the top to the bottom, like what is on the window in your place. It has a wonderful fresh smell that makes you want to lie down and go to sleep, if only there were something soft enough to sleep on. The solid mow on the opposite side greets you with a welcoming and familiar scent from between it and the floor. You would know it anywhere -- it is Him. He is not here, but beyond is surely His lair. > F. This is a strange place. It's long, like maybe if your place were stretched out behind you and in front of you taller than He is. The scents that invaded your place came from here, or at least some of them did. The ows are dabbed with white that doesn't go with the rest of the ow and they smell new somehow. The floor is soft like it is in your place but it smells wild -- full of scents that draw you to investigate them. Faintly, you also detect a sweet yet salty wild smell that can only be Goodcat/Badcat. > R. You can go behind you and in front of you down the hall, and to your left back to your place. > B. Halfway down the hall, the non-solid mow has slats from the top to the bottom, like what is on the window in your place. It has a wonderful fresh smell that makes you want to lie down and go to sleep, if only there were something soft enough to sleep on. The solid mow on the opposite side greets you with a welcoming and familiar scent from between it and the floor. You would know it anywhere -- it is Him. He is not here, but beyond is surely His lair. > F. The long room ends here at an ow with one room on either side. The one to your right has sun filtering in through slats that make you want to rest in its warm spaces and play with the shadows. The room to your left is dark and presents several different smells relating to water. The ows seem really tall here and you feel fenced in and nervous. > R. You can go in front of you back to New Hall and behind you to the end of the hall. > F. The hall from behind you ends here at a soft ow about half as tall as an ordinary ow. This ow is made of crossed strings and you can see through it; beyond are shiny tall metal boxes, almost taller than Him, on a shiny floor. You instinctively sniff the ow. Goodcat/Badcat has left a scent message that welcomes you to his world if you can get over the ow. He calls it something rather impolite. The tall stringy gate bars progress in front of you. > You examine the gate It is a tall stringy ow. Through it, you can see the shiny place beyond. It is marked with a welcome message from Goodcat/Badcat whom suggests that getting past it is difficult. > Smell gate It is marked with a welcome message from Goodcat/Badcat whom suggests that getting past it is difficult. > You climb the gate You bound to the gate, spring upwards, and latch your claws into the material. Then, putting one paw in front of another, you climb up to the top of the gate and leap gracefully down. You turn and look behind you, your tail crooked, feeling proud of yourself. Just to your right, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads in front of you, but behind you is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress behind you. You feel like you have achieved something particularly kittenish. > You look at the carpet It is a light brownish color. You smell around and take several minutes to soak up the knowledge of who ate what, where they were going, and how they were feeling. The knowledge makes you feel quite important, as if you had discovered the key to understanding what happens around here. The house settles and creaks, giving you a start. > Go upwards You can go to your right, to your left, in front of you, or climb the gate to go behind you. > R. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Goodcat/Badcat is in this room; his scent is strong. You whip your head around but don't see him anywhere. Is he waiting to pounce you? You continue looking around carefully. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor is a large brown circle held up by four legs. Underneath it are two smaller versions, with one pulled away from the other. You wind your way around these things and quickly smell what their names are. The large thing is called a table. The smaller things are called chairs (one is His and the other is guest). The names seem strong, but dull. You hope He doesn't name you any of those names. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > You jump on the table That's too far away. You ponder jumping to something closer instead. > You jump on his chair You agilely leap upwards into the chair. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > R. From here you can go behind you and you can jump to His chair. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > You jump on the table You easily jump up on the table, your claws clutching the threaded surface. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You also realize the names of the two objects on the table, and your interest is piqued. You can see a phone and a remote here. > You look at the phone A curvy thing on a square thing that He uses for talking to people when they are not here. You're not sure how that works, but you know by sniffing it that that's what He does. Goodcat/Badcat says that it can be annoyingly loud. > You examine remote A black bar about half as long as you are, filled with a lot of buttons. It's obviously made for hands like His as the buttons are too small for you to push individually. > You take the remote You take it into your mouth, but you're barely able to keep a good grip on it. You're not sure you could do anything besides walking. > You drop the remote Dropped. > You examine the fridge Brr! It's cold, but it smells like all kinds of yummy things. He calls this "fridge". Goodcat/Badcat agrees with your assessment, so you naturally rub against it to add your opinion officially to his. The phone right next to you suddenly starts Ringing VeRy LOUDLY. You almost involuntarily leap off the table in surprise. > You touch the phone You brush your whiskers by it, but nothing amazing happens. The phone rings right beside you. It's loud! > You hit the phone You attack the phone, trying to Make The Ringing Stop. You smack the curvy part with your paw and send it flying. The ringing stops! But then you hear a concerned female voice talking out of it. It's saying some kind of greeting. A concerned female voice speaks from the phone right beside you. You feel like you have achieved something particularly kittenish. > Meow You say "Meowr?" to let the voice know that you are here and want to know what's going on. The voice asks you a question that you don't understand, laughs, and then says some other things, and finally it says "goodbye". You know then it will go away and it does. An artificial voice from the phone repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. You feel like you have achieved something particularly kittenish. > You jump on the fridge You jump on it for a moment, but quickly tire of the one-sided play. An artificial voice from the phone repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. > You listen to the phone You can't hear it from so far away. An artificial voice from the phone repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. > You hit the phone You attack, but the voice keeps repeating the same words like it can't hear you. An artificial voice from the phone repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. > You jump down After a few moments of weightless falling and the rude impact, you are once again walking around on the shiny floor. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. A horrible grating sound comes from the phone on the table! > You open the fridge You claw at what seems to be the weakest point of the cold box, but you can't get it open. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. A horrible grating sound comes from the phone on the table! > Examine boxes One of them smells more like water than food, and the other smells like fire and food. Both of them have parts that stick out that look like you could walk on them, but they are too narrow. Goodcat/Badcat indicates that these are interesting only when open, but the hot-smelling one hurts. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. A horrible grating sound comes from the phone on the table! The awful grating sound stops and the phone is silent once again. > You open the oven You don't see how. Maybe if you were a lot larger, you could. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > You jump on the oven You jump on it for a moment, but quickly tire of the one-sided play. > Go upwards This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a remote and a phone here. > You jump to the shiny surface That doesn't look far away. You take a quick look and with a little jump you land safely on the countertop. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. > You examine the metal box What do you want to examine: Ftop or the fridge? > You jump on the metal box What do you want to jump on: Ftop or the fridge? > Ftop You leap up to the top with the greatest of ease. On top of this cold metal cube, you find what you've been expecting the whole time: Goodcat/Badcat. He is a refined grey cat with black stripes who sits with his body perpendicular to yours, his head facing you. He has two large yellow eyes and seems unaffected by your arrival, as though he had been expecting you. You can see Goodcat/Badcat here. > You examine the Cat You look at him and you feel his eyes staring a hole through yours. He seems angry; you feel decidedly nervous. > Purr You only do that when you are talking to Him. That's the fun part. When He gets back, you let out all the purrs you have saved up the whole day. > Smell Cat You approach him but at the last moment, back off. His fierce stare seems to shout, "How dare you approach when we have not properly greeted one another yet!" > Meow You're not sure how you talk with another cat, after all, your only memories are hazy and indistinct ones of your littermates and mom. So you try talking to Goodcat/Badcat like you were talking to Him. You let out a curious "Meowr". His eyes fix upon you. > Growl He blinks his eyes and yawns. He doesn't take your angry words seriously. In fact, he seems to have studiously overlooked them, and you feel embarrassed at your poor behavior. Involuntarily, your tail falls down between your legs. > You go to the north Interact > New Cat Background Interact > Go north > Interact > Interact > You groom yourself You feel clean and smell like yourself. You don't see the need to groom yourself right now. > Scratch cat Looking back on it, you realize that this was one of those things that would have never worked out. You pounced him and he responded with a bloodcurdling hiss and a swift paw that sent you flying right off the vibrating metal box. You landed on the ledge below and backed away just in time to avoid him jumping on you. Fear and adrenaline ran through your veins and you jumped, jumped, and ran like your tail was on fire. Now you're on the other side of that stringy ow, catching your breath, the image of him turning away with a refined departing spit echoing in your ears. His departing words were, "And don't come back!" The hall from ends here at a soft ow about half as tall as an ordinary ow. This ow is made of crossed strings and you can see through it; beyond are shiny tall metal boxes, almost taller than Him, on a shiny floor. You instinctively sniff the ow. Goodcat/Badcat has left a scent message that welcomes you to his world if you can get over the ow. He calls it something rather impolite. The tall stringy gate bars progress . > Lick cat He good-naturedly pushes you away with his paws and resumes his usual placid, royal mien. > You jump down You lean down the side and take a half-jump the rest of the way down. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. > Continue You look down hesitantly at the floor. That's too far away! > You look From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. > You jump on the table You span the distance with a soft jump and skid to a stop on the table. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a remote and a phone here. > You jump down After a few moments of weightless falling and the rude impact, you are once again walking around on the shiny floor. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. > You examine his chair Although it looks like the other chair, this is the one He sits in. He calls it His chair. It is not under the table, which makes jumping to it pretty easy. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > Go outside Just in front of you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your left, but to your right is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your right. > R. You can go in front of you, behind you, to your left, or climb the gate to go to your right. > You climb the gate You clamber over the gate again, quickly, but not silently. The hall from in front of you ends here at a soft ow about half as tall as an ordinary ow. This ow is made of crossed strings and you can see through it; beyond are shiny tall metal boxes, almost taller than Him, on a shiny floor. You instinctively sniff the ow. Goodcat/Badcat has left a scent message that welcomes you to his world if you can get over the ow. He calls it something rather impolite. The tall stringy gate bars progress behind you. > F. This is a strange place. It's long, like maybe if your place were stretched out in front of you and behind you taller than He is. The scents that invaded your place came from here, or at least some of them did. The ows are dabbed with white that doesn't go with the rest of the ow and they smell new somehow. The floor is soft like it is in your place but it smells wild -- full of scents that draw you to investigate them. Faintly, you also detect a sweet yet salty wild smell that can only be Goodcat/Badcat. > You look at solid It's a large mow (like they all are) with a metal handle about half-way up. It doesn't reach the floor, and underneath it is a white thing. Beyond it is his lair. > F. The long room ends here at an ow with one room on either side. The one to your right has sun filtering in through slats that make you want to rest in its warm spaces and play with the shadows. The room to your left is dark and presents several different smells relating to water. The ows seem really tall here and you feel fenced in and nervous. > Nap You lie down and curl yourself into a little ball. You squinch your eyelids shut and feel your limbs go slack. As the haze of sleep comes over you, before you know it, you are somewhere else entirely. Palace (in a catnap) (on the golden oval) Here, the sun shines in from above to form a golden oval in the center of a stone dais. Around you are furry and soft places, but none as soft as the golden oval, which is why you're relaxing upon it. On one side is a milkfall where milk falls down over squares and all you have to do is turn your head to one side to drink. On the other side is a waterfall of clear and cool water. As you wait, smaller cats wearing bells and silly red-and-green clothes over their fur nose delicate trays up to you to eat, should you care to. It is early morning in this wonderful palace, where you are the Queen. On the delicate trays are choice meats. > You drink the milk You incline your head ever-so-slightly and take a refreshing drink, making sure to lick your mouth daintily afterwards. > You eat the meat As you're not particularly hungry, you nibble several different offerings distractedly, enjoying the various tastes and textures. With a sudden "bang" the dream world disappears and your eyes flit open. You hear His voice, talking to Goodcat/Badcat. You stretch and lazily mewl to let him know you are here. He discovers you and then picks you up. He is surprised, and then kind. He pets you over and over again, chuckling at some of the things you have done. "I suppose I will have to name you now," he says. He holds you high in the air and then triumphantly christens you, "Merry. Yes, that's the perfect name for you." You nuzzle your face into his arms, turning the name around and around in your mind. Merry. It's a good name, well, as good as humans get at these things, you think. You beam up at Him as He carries you. *** The End *** In that game you scored 5 out of a possible 20, in 170 turns. I do not have a name, but I think that someday soon I will. I have heard Him talk many times of other things that have names, things like Mom, Dad, Emily, Stuart, God. So I think I will have a name someday soon, although I do not know how I get a name. Is it something I have to do? Is there somewhere I have to go? All I know is that for now, He calls me just one thing: Cat. You live in a nice soft place inside a bigger space that has three ows, and one moveable ow. You call these things ows because they hurt when you run into them, and the moving ow (mow) only He can move. The soft place is where you sleep and it smells like you. Outside the soft space is where He puts the food and water. The food is ok, but the milk you used to have was much better. You wonder if He could get some of that again. He always shuts the mow, but today he has left it open. You do not know what is beyond it, except what you have heard him talk about. There is another thing called GoodCat/BadCat. It must have another name as well, because it was here when you got here, but it is far away and when He talks to it, you can only hear GoodCat or BadCat. You must be related, because you both are called Cat. You have always wondered where He goes when He closes the mow and what lies beyond it. "Could there be even more mows and ows? Could my place be just one place inside a much bigger place? I want to find out. Maybe if I find out, I can get a name," you think. [If this is your first time playing, type "ABOUT".] > You go up There's only one way out and that's in front of you (or out). > You look at the food It looks like a lot of little claws, but it is softer and tastes salty. You're not hungry, though, because you've already eaten. > You look at the sandbox It's a tough box filled with sand that's just right for taking care of wastes. > You enter the sandbox Fortunately, you've already gone this morning. > You look Your Place surrounds the soft place. It's much bigger and it is soft on your feet, but not as soft as the soft place. You can run around here but the three ows stop you. Nothing has changed from this morning when He left -- the food dish, the water bowl, the sandbox, and the ledge are in their same places and they smell the same. The most interesting thing, though, is the mow. It's wide open in front of you. > Mew You mew. Nothing happens and you feel faintly disappointed. The house settles and creaks, giving you a start. > You look at the ledge It juts out below the window, but you can't reach it. It's colored like cream. > Go outside This is a strange place. It's long, like maybe if your place were stretched out to your right and to your left taller than He is. The scents that invaded your place came from here, or at least some of them did. The ows are dabbed with white that doesn't go with the rest of the ow and they smell new somehow. The floor is soft like it is in your place but it smells wild -- images sweep over you of Him, others like Him, a world filled with flying things and grass, clean scents and many others that you've never smelled before. Faintly, you also detect a sweet yet salty wild smell that can only be Goodcat/Badcat. > R. You are halfway down the hall, up to a good speed when you see something that compels you to stop and look. Here two mows face each other -- one that is not completely solid and one that doesn't reach the floor. The non-solid mow has slats from the top to the bottom, like what is on the window in your place. It has a wonderful fresh smell that makes you want to lie down and go to sleep, if only there were something soft enough to sleep on. Mmrrow. You can't help yourself and rub lazily against it. It feels good. The solid mow on the opposite side greets you with a welcoming and familiar scent from between it and the floor. You would know it anywhere -- it is Him. He is not here, but beyond is surely His lair. > You look at solid It's a large mow (like they all are) with a metal handle about half-way up. It doesn't reach the floor, and underneath it is a white thing. Beyond it is his lair. > You pull the sock You reach out for it and snag it in your claws; surprised, you pull back and pull it out into the room. You smell it more carefully and know that He put this on his paw two suns ago, had circular meat-bread for dinner, and generally felt happy. You remember that day. The covering itself is soft and yet stretchy. He calls this "sock". You look at it curiously, trying to understand why He needs a covering for his paws. You feel like you have achieved something particularly kittenish. > You look at solid It's a large mow (like they all are) with a metal handle about half-way up. It doesn't reach the floor. Beyond it is his lair. > You open door Only He can do that. You're too small, at least right now. Who knows how big you'll get? > Meow You mew. Nothing happens and you feel faintly disappointed. > Hiss You remember your mother telling you to use that tone of voice only when you really had to. Fortunately, this is not one of those times. > You examine the slats It is a mow, but you're not sure how He moves it, because there is no blob of metal halfway up. It's not solid, like other mows are, and you can see fluffy colored things beyond; an almost-dizzying sleepy fresh smell comes from beyond it. > You climb the slats You claw frantically at the mow but don't manage to get very far up. The house settles and creaks, giving you a start. > B. You turn to face behind you and bound away. Halfway down the hall, the non-solid mow has slats from the top to the bottom, like what is on the window in your place. It has a wonderful fresh smell that makes you want to lie down and go to sleep, if only there were something soft enough to sleep on. The solid mow on the opposite side greets you with a welcoming and familiar scent from between it and the floor. You would know it anywhere -- it is Him. He is not here, but beyond is surely His lair. You can see a sock here. > Keep going Halfway down the hall, the non-solid mow has slats from the top to the bottom, like what is on the window in your place. It has a wonderful fresh smell that makes you want to lie down and go to sleep, if only there were something soft enough to sleep on. The solid mow on the opposite side greets you with a welcoming and familiar scent from between it and the floor. You would know it anywhere -- it is Him. He is not here, but beyond is surely His lair. You can see a sock here. > You take the sock You take it in your mouth. > You climb the gate You clamber over the gate again, quickly, but unfortunately not silently. Just to your right, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads in front of you, but behind you is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress behind you. > R. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Goodcat/Badcat is in this room; his scent is strong. You whip your head around but don't see him anywhere. Is he waiting to pounce you? You continue looking around carefully. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor is a large brown circle held up by four legs. Underneath it are two smaller versions, with one pulled away from the other. You wind your way around these things and quickly smell what their names are. The large thing is called a table. The smaller things are called chairs (one is His and the other is guest). The names seem strong, but dull. You hope He doesn't name you any of those names. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > You jump up You must name something more substantial. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > You jump on the table That's too far away. You ponder jumping to something closer instead. > You jump on the chair What do you want to jump on: the guest chair or His chair? > Guest You don't think you'll make it, but you go for it anyways. YOW! You bop your head on the underside of the table and spend a few moments wincing away the pain. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > You jump on the table That's too far away. You ponder jumping to something closer instead. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > You jump on his chair You agilely leap upwards into the chair. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > You jump on the table You easily jump up on the table, your claws clutching the threaded surface. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You also realize the names of the two objects on the table, and your interest is piqued. You can see a phone and a remote here. > You jump on counter That doesn't look far away. You take a quick look and with a little jump you land safely on the countertop. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. > You give the sock to the Cat Goodcat/Badcat sniffs the air and then sniffs the sock, taking his time to inhale all of its scents. He looks thoughtful for a moment and then rubs you, pressing into your fur one of his secrets. Fascinated, you ponder all the fun you'll have when you chew off a piece of meat-bread and leave it behind the vibrating box for twenty suns so that you too can have a smelly play toy! You feel like you have achieved something particularly kittenish. > You talk to the Cat You're not sure how you talk with another cat, after all, your only memories are hazy and indistinct ones of your littermates and mom. So you try talking to Goodcat/Badcat like you were talking to Him. You let out a curious "Meowr". His eyes fix upon you. Suddenly a loud ringing sound comes from the table and it startles you a foot into the air. > Hi There is no reply. The phone on the table nearby rings, and it's loud! > Mew You're not sure how you talk with another cat, after all, your only memories are hazy and indistinct ones of your littermates and mom. So you try talking to Goodcat/Badcat like you were talking to Him. You let out a curious "Meowr". His eyes fix upon you. The phone on the table nearby rings, and it's loud! > You jump on the counter You jump down and land on the countertop with a noticeable "thud". From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. The phone on the table nearby rings, and it's loud! > You jump on table You span the distance with a soft jump and skid to a stop on the table. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a phone and a remote here. The phone rings right beside you. It's loud! Suddenly but thankfully, the phone stops ringing. > You look at the phone A curvy thing on a square thing that He uses for talking to people when they are not here. You're not sure how that works, but you know by sniffing it that that's what He does. Goodcat/Badcat says that it can be annoyingly loud. > You jump on the chair What do you want to jump on: the guest chair or His chair? > His You gracefully jump down into the chair. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > You jump down You don't see how to do that from where you are. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby.

[Themes: Slice of life, non-human protagonist, cat, humour] > Go downward You don't see how to do that from where you are. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > You look Kitchen (on His chair) Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. > You jump on the table You easily jump up on the table, your claws clutching the threaded surface. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a phone and a remote here. > You jump down After a few moments of weightless falling and the rude impact, you are once again walking around on the shiny floor. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > B. Just behind you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your right, but to your left is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your left. > You climb the gate You clamber over the gate again, quickly, but not silently. The hall from in front of you ends here at a soft ow about half as tall as an ordinary ow. This ow is made of crossed strings and you can see through it; beyond are shiny tall metal boxes, almost taller than Him, on a shiny floor. You instinctively sniff the ow. Goodcat/Badcat has left a scent message that welcomes you to his world if you can get over the ow. He calls it something rather impolite. The tall stringy gate bars progress behind you.

> Look around This room is darker than the others, and a whole plethora of scents rush out to find you. You take a moment perched on the threshold to decipher what they all mean. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see what looks like a very long water bowl. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a giant white chair that is hollow in the middle, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. Wait! There's something in the window. Your hackles rise and your fur poofs out. It's another cat, the same size as you! > You jump on the toilet (the toilet) With feline agility, you leap up to the deep water bowl. You are halfway between the dark window and the floor, perched on the white chair. It's not soft, but it is fairly slick. The wonderful smells rise up from the hollow center, down in the water. You see above you a wide ledge that runs underneath the window. You could easily jump to it, or jump down to the bathroom floor. > Drink water You're not thirsty, but you can't pass this opportunity up -- the smells are too interesting. Carefully you lower yourself into the toilet and take ten deep laps of the water. Then you pull yourself back up on the rim and luxuriate in the taste of tea, yogurt, and submarine sandwiches. You're thankful again that He was so kind to mark the area so that you'd know to find it. You feel like you have achieved something particularly kittenish. > You jump down You jump down to the tiled floor below with matchless ease. The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see what looks like a very long water bowl. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a giant white chair that is hollow in the middle, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. The other cat mimics your motions, her eyes fixed on you. You'll have to respond to her challenge somehow. > You jump on the tub You're a bit hesitant to jump where you can't see, so you jump up on the surrounding ledge instead. You are perched uncomfortably on the narrow ledge around the tub. The surface beneath you is hard and damp, and that clean water smell comes from all around you. You can either enter the tub, or jump down back into the bathroom. > You jump down You jump down with a faint "oof". The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see the tub. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a giant white chair that is hollow in the middle, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. The other cat mimics your motions, her eyes fixed on you. You'll have to respond to her challenge somehow. > Paw Cat You can't quite reach her. She seems to be on the other side of the window. She can't quite reach you, either. > You groom yourself You feel clean and smell like yourself. You don't see the need to groom yourself right now. > Meow You let out a bloodcurdling meow of warning, but she doesn't respond. Her mouth moves, but no sound comes out. > Smell Cat You lean your nose in to smell her and she does the exact same thing. Then you realize what seemed so strange about all of this: you never once smelled her. How can she have no scent and no voice? What sort of cat is that? You realize, too, that she only does what you do. If you stop, she stops; if you groom yourself, she grooms herself; if you blink, she blinks. She does whatever you do because she is you, somehow. Only not you and only in the dark window. It's weird, but you're glad you're not a human and have to deal with such complexities. You feel like you have achieved something particularly kittenish. > You examine the sink It's a bowl that's part of the ledge. It's damp, empty, and smells of his breath and some sort of fresh plant. > You jump down You raise and lower your head a few times, estimating the distance. On a whim, you decide to go for it and you jump down. It takes you a moment to get your breath back. The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see the tub. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a giant white chair that is hollow in the middle, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. You see your reflection peeking down at you from the window, green eyes glowing in the dark. > Back You feel more relaxed. The long room ends here at an ow with one room on either side. The one in front of you has sun filtering in through slats that make you want to rest in its warm spaces and play with the shadows. The room behind you is dark and presents several different smells relating to water. The ows seem really tall here and you feel fenced in and nervous. > R. You can go to your left down the hall, in front of you to the dark room, or behind you to the sunny room.

[Themes: Slice of life, humor, humour, cat, animal protagonist] > You look at your surroundings You turn to face to your left and bound away. Halfway down the hall, the non-solid mow has slats from the top to the bottom, like what is on the window in your place. It has a wonderful fresh smell that makes you want to lie down and go to sleep, if only there were something soft enough to sleep on. The solid mow on the opposite side greets you with a welcoming and familiar scent from between it and the floor. You would know it anywhere -- it is Him. He is not here, but beyond is surely His lair. > R. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. > You jump on his You agilely leap upwards into the chair. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > You jump on the table You easily jump up on the table, your claws clutching the threaded surface. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a phone and a remote here. > You jump on the counter That doesn't look far away. You take a quick look and with a little jump you land safely on the countertop. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. > You jump on the ftop You leap up to the top with the greatest of ease. You are on top of the cold metal cube, better known as "refrigerator" and "Goodcat/Badcat's lair". Strangely, it is not cold here, but fairly cozy with the faint smell of food. You can see why he chose this location for a lair. You think you'd probably have done the same. You can see Goodcat/Badcat here. Goodcat/Badcat seems to be considering your actions carefully. > You stare at the Cat He draws back and gives you a withering look as though you had the manners of a canine. > You watch the Cat You look at him and you feel his eyes staring a hole through yours. He seems angry; you feel decidedly nervous. > You wait Goodcat/Badcat seems to be considering your actions carefully. Time passes. > You examine the kitchen (the kitchen floor) It's shiny and smooth, but it gives you just enough to grip on. You skid occasionally when you stop suddenly, but you don't glide. > You jump on the counter You jump down and land on the countertop with a noticeable "thud". From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. > You jump on the table You span the distance with a soft jump and skid to a stop on the table. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a phone and a remote here. The phone right next to you suddenly starts Ringing VeRy LOUDLY. You almost involuntarily leap off the table in surprise. > You get the remote You already have the sock in your mouth! The phone rings right beside you. It's loud! > You jump on the counter That doesn't look far away. You take a quick look and with a little jump you land safely on the countertop. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. An artificial voice from the phone on the table repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. > You jump on ftop You leap up to the top with the greatest of ease. You are on top of the cold metal cube, better known as "refrigerator" and "Goodcat/Badcat's lair". Strangely, it is not cold here, but fairly cozy with the faint smell of food. You can see why he chose this location for a lair. You think you'd probably have done the same. You can see Goodcat/Badcat here. Goodcat/Badcat seems to be considering your actions carefully. An artificial voice from the phone on the table repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. > Wave tail But you aren't holding you. An artificial voice from the phone on the table repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. > You drop the sock He studiously ignores you. A horrible grating sound comes out of the phone on the table! Goodcat/Badcat makes a disgusted face and his baleful eyes blame you. > You take the sock You already have the sock in your mouth! > You give the sock to the Cat He studiously ignores you. The awful grating sound stops and the phone is silent once again. Goodcat/Badcat exhales loudly and fixes you with an expression that clearly communicates, "Let's not do that again, shall we?" You feel embarrassed but relieved. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a sock > You jump on the counter You jump down and land on the countertop with a noticeable "thud". From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. > You jump on the table You span the distance with a soft jump and skid to a stop on the table. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a phone and a remote here. > You jump down After a few moments of weightless falling and the rude impact, you are once again walking around on the shiny floor. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > R. The carpet ends here at a mow like the one that leads out of your place. You're not sure how He manages to open these things, but He must be strong. This mow looks a lot like the shiny floor, actually; it looks like it is made up of different tiles, all different colors. Sniffing the edges, you realize that it is a gateway to the outside. Images of grass, bright sunshine, concern, danger, and burden roll over you and you think that the outside is a fearful but wonderful place, and amazingly large. You also smell a distinctively female scent, like flowers, but far too strong; yet it is similar to Him. It is the scent of his littermate, the one he calls "sister" and "Emily". > B. You turn to face behind you and bound away. Just to your left, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads behind you, but in front of you is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress in front of you. > R. This is a comfortable room that also has strange things in it. The carpet gets very thick and comfortable in the middle of the room and it changes colors too. A narrow cloth bed (it looks like your bed, but it is so large that it must be for Him) touches the hall and beyond it is a wide cloth bed. They look soft and you can't wait to get your paws on them. Far away is a mow through which you can see the outside. Beside it is a plant that grows in a tall water dish. Near the plant there is a large black shiny square and a frozen bug on top of it, and beside the narrow bed is a puffy ball held in place by some kind of stick. The smells here fuse into one onrush of aroma that makes you feel relaxed and at home. You can't wait to smell each thing and find out how it got here and what Goodcat/Badcat has to say. > Smell tv The square has a scent history that tells you about the people that made it, but they are all far away. He doesn't often touch it and Goodcat/Badcat indicates that this is useful for distracting other humans. > You examine remote A black bar about half as long as you are, filled with a lot of buttons. It's obviously made for hands like His as the buttons are too small for you to push individually. > You look at the tv It's a large black square, although it's also pretty shiny. You're too far away to note much else. > Smell the sofa You smell nothing particularly interesting. The house settles and creaks, giving you a start. > You look under the sofa You look under it, but only see the floor. > You look This is a comfortable room that also has strange things in it. The carpet gets very thick and comfortable in the middle of the room and it changes colors too. A narrow cloth bed (it looks like your bed, but it is so large that it must be for Him) touches the hall and beyond it is a wide cloth bed. Far away is a mow through which you can see the outside. Beside it is a plant that grows in a tall water dish. Near the plant there is a large black shiny square and a frozen bug on top of it, and beside the narrow bed is a puffy ball held in place by some kind of stick. The smells here fuse into one onrush of aroma that makes you feel relaxed and at home. > Smell ball You try to reach it, but it's too high up. Maybe if you were in the narrow bed. > You jump on bed What do you want to jump on: the sofa or the love seat? > Narrow You jump on the smaller springy-soft bed (this is a "love seat") and luxuriate in how it feels on your paws. You sniff around. There are several stories here, but they are simple ones. This place is one of Goodcat/Badcat's favorites. He was here earlier in the day and was feeling gassy. He thinks he shouldn't have eaten that crunchy thing he found under the tall vibrating box. There is that smell of Emily, again! She was visiting yesterday and was concerned that He had no offspring. She seems to think that He is too immature. You immediately think ill of her and want to show Her that He does have offspring -- you! > You examine the ball It's a curiously large bumpy ball with some kind of wooden stick holding it up. You sniff it and smell its papery, dusty kind of smell that reminds you of old things. It was put together with a lot of care and attention by men who wear lenses in front of their eyes. > You jump on the ball You jump on it for a moment, but quickly tire of the one-sided play. > Smell ball The globe smells like Him, as He has touched it many times, and you can tell that He longs to go to faraway places. The globe also smells like the forest and some kind of paper made from trees. The forest is not right outside, but it is one near to here. > Turn ball [You can turn around, or you can turn left or right.] > Rub globe You idly rub against it and let the world know that you were here. From right outside, you hear what sounds like a storm -- a rumbling, grumbling, coughing sound. You look around for somewhere to hide, but before you can find a place, it's over. Then you hear a slamming like the mow when He leaves and right before He sees you. Is He coming back?

[Themes: Slice of life, non-human protagonist, animal protagonist] > Describe the surroundings You can only go behind you. > B. Without visiting the large soft bed? You promise yourself that you will get your paws on it sometime today. (first getting off the love seat) Edge of Kitchen Just in front of you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your left, but to your right is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your right. > B. This is a comfortable room that also has strange things in it. The carpet gets very thick and comfortable in the middle of the room and it changes colors too. A narrow cloth bed (it looks like your bed, but it is so large that it must be for Him) touches the hall and beyond it is a wide cloth bed. Far away is a mow through which you can see the outside. Beside it is a plant that grows in a tall water dish. Near the plant there is a large black shiny square and a frozen bug on top of it, and beside the narrow bed is a puffy ball held in place by some kind of stick. The smells here fuse into one onrush of aroma that makes you feel relaxed and at home. You hear some kind of metallic scratching sound and then you see the mow in the tiled area open. There He is! He shuts the mow, puts down His bag and greets Goodcat/Badcat. You meow energetically to let him know that you are here. He discovers you and picks you up. He strokes kindly you as He walks through the house, laughing at all the things you have done. "You are quite the little explorer, aren't you?" he asks. You purr. "That effort deserves nothing less than a name!" He holds you high in the air and then triumphantly christens you, "Isabella. Yes, Isabella is your name." You nuzzle your face into his arms, turning the name around and around in your mind. Isabella. It's a good name, well, as good as humans get at these things, you think. You beam up at Him as He carries you. *** The End *** In that game you scored 7 out of a possible 20, in 170 turns. I do not have a name, but I think that someday soon I will. I have heard Him talk many times of other things that have names, things like Mom, Dad, Emily, Stuart, God. So I think I will have a name someday soon, although I do not know how I get a name. Is it something I have to do? Is there somewhere I have to go? All I know is that for now, He calls me just one thing: Cat. You live in a nice soft place inside a bigger space that has three ows, and one moveable ow. You call these things ows because they hurt when you run into them, and the moving ow (mow) only He can move. The soft place is where you sleep and it smells like you. Outside the soft space is where He puts the food and water. The food is ok, but the milk you used to have was much better. You wonder if He could get some of that again. He always shuts the mow, but today he has left it open. You do not know what is beyond it, except what you have heard him talk about. There is another thing called GoodCat/BadCat. It must have another name as well, because it was here when you got here, but it is far away and when He talks to it, you can only hear GoodCat or BadCat. You must be related, because you both are called Cat. You have always wondered where He goes when He closes the mow and what lies beyond it. "Could there be even more mows and ows? Could my place be just one place inside a much bigger place? I want to find out. Maybe if I find out, I can get a name," you think. [If this is your first time playing, type "ABOUT".] > Abcd Restore failed. > You look at the ows They smell new and are dabbed with white. They run pretty far to your right and a shorter distance to your left. > You examine the mow What do you want to examine: the solid mow or the slatted mow? > You pull the white thing You reach out for it and snag it in your claws; surprised, you pull back and pull it out into the room. You smell it more carefully and know that He put this on his paw two suns ago, had circular meat-bread for dinner, and generally felt happy. You remember that day. The covering itself is soft and yet stretchy. He calls this "sock". You look at it curiously, trying to understand why He needs a covering for his paws. kittenish. > You smell it You smell it more carefully and know that He put this on his paw two suns ago, had circular meat-bread for dinner, and generally felt happy. You remember that day. The covering itself is white and soft, yet stretchy. You look at it curiously, trying to understand why He needs a covering for his paws.

[Themes: Slice of life, cat, animal protagonist, nonhuman protagonist, humour] > You describe your surroundings Your Place surrounds the soft place. It's much bigger and it is soft on your feet, but not as soft as the soft place. You can run around here but the three ows stop you. Nothing has changed from this morning when He left -- the food dish, the water bowl, the sandbox, and the ledge are in their same places and they smell the same. The most interesting thing, though, is the mow. It's wide open behind you. > R. You can go behind you back to New Hall.

> Look around This room is darker than the others, and a whole plethora of scents rush out to find you. You take a moment perched on the threshold to decipher what they all mean. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see what looks like a very long water bowl. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a fat water bowl, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. Wait! There's something in the window. Your hackles rise and your fur poofs out. It's another cat, the same size as you! > You jump on the bowl With feline agility, you leap up to the deep water bowl. You are halfway between the dark window and the floor, perched on the fat water bowl. It's not soft, but it is fairly slick. The wonderful smells rise up from the hollow center, down in the water. You see above you a wide ledge that runs underneath the window. You could easily jump to it, or jump down to the bathroom floor. > Drink water You're not thirsty, but you can't pass this opportunity up -- the smells are too interesting. Carefully you lower yourself into the toilet and take ten deep laps of the water. Then you pull yourself back up on the rim and luxuriate in the taste of tea, yogurt, and submarine sandwiches. You're thankful again that He was so kind to mark the area so that you'd know to find it. kittenish. > Smell mirror You lean your nose in to smell her and she does the exact same thing. Then you realize what seemed so strange about all of this: you never once smelled her. How can she have no scent and no voice? What sort of cat is that? You realize, too, that she only does what you do. If you stop, she stops; if you groom yourself, she grooms herself; if you blink, she blinks. She does whatever you do because she is you, somehow. Only not you and only in the dark window. It's weird, but you're glad you're not a human and have to deal with such complexities. kittenish.

[Themes: Slice of life, animal protagonist, non-human protagonist] > Go downwards You can jump down, back to the bathroom, or you can jump to the fat water bowl. > You examine the stripe What do you want to examine: brown stripe or green stripe?

[Themes: Slice of life, nonhuman protagonist, non-human protagonist, cat] > Go down You jump artfully to the floor and land on all four paws. > F. The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see what looks like a very long water bowl. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a fat water bowl, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. You see your reflection peeking down at you from the window, green eyes glowing in the dark.

[Themes: Slice of life, humor] > You look around You turn to face to your left and bound away. Halfway down the hall, the non-solid mow has slats from the top to the bottom, like what is on the window in your place. It has a wonderful fresh smell that makes you want to lie down and go to sleep, if only there were something soft enough to sleep on. The solid mow on the opposite side greets you with a welcoming and familiar scent from between it and the floor. You would know it anywhere -- it is Him. He is not here, but beyond is surely His lair. The house settles and creaks, giving you a start. > You climb the gate You bound to the gate, spring upwards, and latch your claws into the material. Then, putting one paw in front of another, you climb up to the top of the gate and leap gracefully down. You turn and look behind you, your tail crooked, feeling proud of yourself. Just to your right, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads in front of you, but behind you is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress behind you. kittenish. > You examine the bed What do you want to examine: the sofa or the love seat? > You jump on the sofa You jump up on the large springy-soft bed (what they call a "sofa") and love how it feels on your paws -- so soft! You sniff around and are startled by all the big cats that have sat here and their stories. It takes you several sniffs to make them all out. Apparently He sits here when he is tired; He sat here yesterday. He also sat here two days ago (the day of the big noise) with Barry, and they talked about far-away places. Barry wants to romance his broodmate, but won't tell Him. Then there is the scent of an older big cat, who must be very wise, because he gives knowledge to others all day. He seems to be related to Him, but you're not clear how. He's not a mother or a littermate. > You look at the plant It looks like a rather large plant sitting in a bowl of dark dirt. It has a lot of green leaves and it reaches almost as high as the black square! > You examine the square It's a large black square, although it's also pretty shiny. When you walk by it, you see something blurry moving inside it, but you can't smell what it is. The square has a scent history that tells you about the people that made it, but they are all far away. He doesn't often touch it and Goodcat/Badcat indicates that this is useful for distracting other humans. > You jump on the plant You jump on it for a moment, but quickly tire of the one-sided play. > Poop You can't even imagine how much trouble you'd get into if you did that. Besides, you've already gone in the sandbox this morning.

[Themes: Slice of life, nonhuman protagonist, humor, animal protagonist, non-human protagonist] > You go downwards You spring down to the floor. > You jump on the seat You jump on the smaller springy-soft bed (this is a "love seat") and luxuriate in how it feels on your paws. You sniff around. There are several stories here, but they are simple ones. This place is one of Goodcat/Badcat's favorites. He was here earlier in the day and was feeling gassy. He thinks he shouldn't have eaten that crunchy thing he found under the tall vibrating box. There is the scent left by His littermate; She was visiting yesterday and was concerned that He had no offspring. She seems to think that He is too immature. You immediately think ill of her and want to show Her that He does have offspring -- you! > You look at the globe It's a curiously large bumpy ball with some kind of wooden stick holding it up. You sniff it and smell its papery, dusty kind of smell that reminds you of old things. It was put together with a lot of care and attention by men who wear lenses in front of their eyes. > You rub it You idly rub against it and let the world know that you were here. Suddenly a loud ringing sound comes from somewhere nearby and it startles you a foot into the air.

[Themes: Slice of life, animal protagonist] > Go downward You spring down to the floor. You hear a ringing sound. It's pretty loud, and it's coming from nearby. > B. Just in front of you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your left, but to your right is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your right. You hear a ringing sound. It's pretty loud, and it's coming from nearby. > F. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Goodcat/Badcat is in this room; his scent is strong. You whip your head around but don't see him anywhere. Is he waiting to pounce you? You continue looking around carefully. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor is a large brown circle held up by four legs. Underneath it are two smaller versions, with one pulled away from the other. You wind your way around these things and quickly smell what their names are. The large thing is called a table. The smaller things are called chairs (one is His and the other is guest). The names seem strong, but dull. You hope He doesn't name you any of those names. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. The phone on the table nearby rings, and it's loud! > You jump on his chair You agilely leap upwards into the chair. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. The phone on the table nearby rings, and it's loud! > You jump on the table You easily jump up on the table, your claws clutching the threaded surface. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You also realize the names of the two objects on the table, and your interest is piqued. You can see a phone and a remote here. The phone rings right beside you. It's loud! Suddenly but thankfully, the phone stops ringing.

[Themes: Slice of life, nonhuman protagonist, animal protagonist, cat] > Go down You spring down to the floor. Suddenly a loud ringing sound comes from somewhere nearby and it startles you a foot into the air. > B. Just in front of you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your left, but to your right is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your right. You hear a ringing sound. It's pretty loud, and it's coming from nearby. > F. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Goodcat/Badcat is in this room; his scent is strong. You whip your head around but don't see him anywhere. Is he waiting to pounce you? You continue looking around carefully. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor is a large brown circle held up by four legs. Underneath it are two smaller versions, with one pulled away from the other. You wind your way around these things and quickly smell what their names are. The large thing is called a table. The smaller things are called chairs (one is His and the other is guest). The names seem strong, but dull. You hope He doesn't name you any of those names. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. The phone on the table nearby rings, and it's loud! > You jump on his chair You agilely leap upwards into the chair. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. The phone on the table nearby rings, and it's loud! > You jump on the table You easily jump up on the table, your claws clutching the threaded surface. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You also realize the names of the two objects on the table, and your interest is piqued. You can see a phone and a remote here. The phone rings right beside you. It's loud! > Attack phone You attack the phone, trying to Make The Ringing Stop. You smack the curvy part with your paw and send it flying. The ringing stops! But then you hear a concerned female voice talking out of it. It's saying some kind of greeting. A concerned female voice speaks from the phone right beside you. kittenish. > Mew You say "Meowr?" to let the voice know that you are here and want to know what's going on. The voice asks you a question that you don't understand, laughs, and then says some other things, and finally it says "goodbye". You know then it will go away and it does. An artificial voice from the phone repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. kittenish. > You sniff the phone It smells like His hands, because He holds it often. It also smells like His breath, because He talks into it. You find out that it was made far away and sent here on something that travels across water and that inside, it is delicate. An artificial voice from the phone repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. > You jump on the ledge That doesn't look far away. You take a quick look and with a little jump you land safely on the countertop. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. An artificial voice from the phone on the table repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. > You jump on the ftop You leap up to the top with the greatest of ease. On top of this cold metal cube, you find what you've been expecting the whole time: Goodcat/Badcat. He is a refined grey cat with black stripes who sits with his body perpendicular to yours, his head facing you. He has two large yellow eyes and seems unaffected by your arrival, as though he had been expecting you. You can see Goodcat/Badcat here. An artificial voice from the phone on the table repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. > You show the sock to the Cat Goodcat/Badcat is unimpressed. A horrible grating sound comes out of the phone on the table! Goodcat/Badcat makes a disgusted face and his baleful eyes blame you. > You give the sock to the Cat Goodcat/Badcat sniffs the air and then sniffs the sock, taking his time to inhale all of its scents. He looks thoughtful for a moment and then rubs you, pressing into your fur one of his secrets. Fascinated, you ponder all the fun you'll have when you chew off a piece of meat-bread and leave it behind the vibrating box for twenty suns so that you too can have a smelly play toy! kittenish. > Rub Cat You approach him but at the last moment, back off. His fierce stare seems to shout, "How dare you approach when we have not properly greeted one another yet!" The awful grating sound stops and the phone is silent once again. Goodcat/Badcat exhales loudly and fixes you with an expression that clearly communicates, "Let's not do that again, shall we?" You feel embarrassed but relieved. > You look at the fridge Brr! It's cold, but it smells like all kinds of yummy things. He calls this "fridge". Goodcat/Badcat agrees with your assessment, so you naturally rub against it to add your opinion officially to his. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > You look under it You look under it, but only see the floor. > Examine boxes One of them smells more like water than food, and the other smells like fire and food. Both of them have parts that stick out that look like you could walk on them, but they are too narrow. Goodcat/Badcat indicates that these are interesting only when open, but the hot-smelling one hurts. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > You sniff the guest chair You smell nothing particularly interesting. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > You drop the sock Dropped. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > F. From here you can go behind you and you can jump to His chair. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > B. Just behind you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your right, but to your left is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your left. > You examine the carpet It is a light brownish color. You smell around and take several minutes to soak up the knowledge of who ate what, where they were going, and how they were feeling. The knowledge makes you feel quite important, as if you had discovered the key to understanding what happens around here. > F. This is a comfortable room that also has strange things in it. The carpet gets very thick and comfortable in the middle of the room and it changes colors too. A narrow cloth bed (it looks like your bed, but it is so large that it must be for Him) touches the hall and beyond it is a wide cloth bed. Far away is a mow through which you can see the outside. Beside it is a plant that grows in a tall water dish. Near the plant there is a large black shiny square and a frozen bug on top of it, and beside the narrow bed is a puffy ball held in place by some kind of stick. The smells here fuse into one onrush of aroma that makes you feel relaxed and at home. > You examine the plant It looks like a rather large plant sitting in a bowl of dark dirt. It has a lot of green leaves and it reaches almost as high as the black square! The plant smells woodsy and growing, but not like something you'd like to eat. It is growing from a bowl of dirt that strikes you as perfect for playing in. > You smell it The plant smells woodsy and growing, but not like something you'd like to eat. It is growing from a bowl of dirt that strikes you as perfect for playing in. > You jump You jump a foot into the air just for fun. > You enter the dirt Digging would be better, you think. > You dig it It seemed like such a great idea, but after a few moments of digging in the soil, you find nothing in it and have soil all over your paws. It's such a gross feeling that you try to shake it off. Dirt goes flying all around the plant, but some of it stays on your paws. Maybe if you walked around it would just come off. You really don't want to lick it off unless you absolutely have to. kittenish. > You climb the gate As you climb the gate up one side and down the other, that disgusting dirt shakes loose in the process. With a few licks here and there, you're as clean as ever. You're pleased as punch. You clamber over the gate again, quickly, but not silently. The hall from in front of you ends here at a soft ow about half as tall as an ordinary ow. This ow is made of crossed strings and you can see through it; beyond are shiny tall metal boxes, almost taller than Him, on a shiny floor. You instinctively sniff the ow. Goodcat/Badcat has left a scent message that welcomes you to his world if you can get over the ow. He calls it something rather impolite. The tall stringy gate bars progress behind you.

> You look at your surroundings You can go in front of you back to New Hall, or you can climb the gate. > F. You can go behind you down the hall, to your left to the dark room, or to your right to the sunny room. > B. You turn to face behind you and bound away. Halfway down the hall, the non-solid mow has slats from the top to the bottom, like what is on the window in your place. It has a wonderful fresh smell that makes you want to lie down and go to sleep, if only there were something soft enough to sleep on. The solid mow on the opposite side greets you with a welcoming and familiar scent from between it and the floor. You would know it anywhere -- it is Him. He is not here, but beyond is surely His lair. > F. The carpet ends here at a mow like the one that leads out of your place. You're not sure how He manages to open these things, but He must be strong. This mow looks a lot like the shiny floor, actually; it looks like it is made up of different tiles, all different colors. Sniffing the edges, you realize that it is a gateway to the outside. Images of grass, bright sunshine, concern, danger, and burden roll over you and you think that the outside is a fearful but wonderful place, and amazingly large. You smell Her scent again, like flowers but far too strong. It fills you with a fierce passion; she should know that you live here! > You examine the door It is massive (like all mows are), but different than others, because it is made up of shiny tiles, all different colors. You're amazed that He manages to open such a thing. It smells wonderfully of the outdoors. You smell Her scent again, like flowers but far too strong. It fills you with a fierce passion; she should know that you live here! > F. There's only one way out: to return the way you came by going behind you. > B. You turn to face behind you and bound away. Just to your left, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads behind you, but in front of you is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress in front of you. > R. This is a comfortable room that also has strange things in it. The carpet gets very thick and comfortable in the middle of the room and it changes colors too. It even has tiny decorative brown paw prints across it. A narrow cloth bed (it looks like your bed, but it is so large that it must be for Him) touches the hall and beyond it is a wide cloth bed. Far away is a mow through which you can see the outside. Beside it is a plant that grows in a tall water dish. In the dirt scattered around the plant, you see several small paw prints. You grimace. Why did He put that nasty thing there? Near the plant there is a large black shiny square and a frozen bug on top of it, and beside the narrow bed is a puffy ball held in place by some kind of stick. The smells here fuse into one onrush of aroma that makes you feel relaxed and at home. > Sniff model You try, but it's too far away. > You jump on the seat You jump on the smaller springy-soft bed and luxuriate in how it feels on your paws. You are amazed that He doesn't spend all his time sitting on soft and warm beds like these. You think for a moment. You don't either. Maybe he is an explorer like you? He must be. > You examine the ball It's a curiously large bumpy ball with some kind of wooden stick holding it up. You sniff it and smell its papery, dusty kind of smell that reminds you of old things. It was put together with a lot of care and attention by men who wear lenses in front of their eyes. > You turn around You turn around and face the other way.

> Look around You can only go in front of you. > You look Den (on the love seat) This is a comfortable room that also has strange things in it. The carpet gets very thick and comfortable in the middle of the room and it changes colors too. It even has tiny decorative brown paw prints across it. A narrow cloth bed (it looks like your bed, but it is so large that it must be for Him) touches the hall and beyond it is a wide cloth bed. Far away is a mow through which you can see the outside. Beside it is a plant that grows in a tall water dish. In the dirt scattered around the plant, you see several small paw prints. You grimace. Why did He put that nasty thing there? Near the plant there is a large black shiny square and a frozen bug on top of it, and beside the narrow bed is a puffy ball held in place by some kind of stick. The smells here fuse into one onrush of aroma that makes you feel relaxed and at home.

[Themes: Slice of life, nonhuman protagonist, humor, animal protagonist, non-human protagonist] > You go downwards You spring down to the floor. > Smell the carpet You smell around and take several minutes to soak up the knowledge of who ate what, where they were going, and how they were feeling. The knowledge makes you feel quite important, as if you had discovered the key to understanding what happens around here. You also smell that nasty dirt. Yuck! > F. Just in front of you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your left, but to your right is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your right. > F. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You can see a sock here. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > You jump on his chair You agilely leap upwards into the chair. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > You jump down After a few moments of weightless falling and the rude impact, you are once again walking around on the shiny floor. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You can see a sock here. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > You jump on the ftop You leap up to the top with the greatest of ease. You are on top of the cold metal cube, better known as "refrigerator" and "Goodcat/Badcat's lair". Strangely, it is not cold here, but fairly cozy with the faint smell of food. You can see why he chose this location for a lair. You think you'd probably have done the same. You can see Goodcat/Badcat here. > You give the remote to the Cat Goodcat/Badcat doesn't seem interested. > You drop the remote Dropped. > Lick What do you want to lick? > You hit the Cat Looking back on it, you realize that this was one of those things that would have never worked out. You pounced him and he responded with a bloodcurdling hiss and a swift paw that sent you flying right off the vibrating metal box. You landed on the ledge below and backed away just in time to avoid him jumping on you. Fear and adrenaline ran through your veins and you jumped, jumped, and ran like your tail was on fire. Now you're on the other side of that stringy ow, catching your breath, the image of him turning away with a refined departing spit echoing in your ears. His departing words were, "And don't come back!" The hall from to your right ends here at a soft ow about half as tall as an ordinary ow. This ow is made of crossed strings and you can see through it; beyond are shiny tall metal boxes, almost taller than Him, on a shiny floor. You instinctively sniff the ow. Goodcat/Badcat has left a scent message that welcomes you to his world if you can get over the ow. He calls it something rather impolite. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your left. > You lie down You lie down, all your paws outstretched. > Purr You only do that when you are talking to Him. That's the fun part. When He gets back, you let out all the purrs you have saved up the whole day. > You jump on the table You span the distance with a soft jump and skid to a stop on the table. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a phone here. > You jump down After a few moments of weightless falling and the rude impact, you are once again walking around on the shiny floor. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You can see a sock here. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > Claw fridge You claw it to no effect. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > You look at the table In the middle of the the floor is a large brown circle held up by four legs, called the table. It is made out of wood, but it also smells of various oils and you get some idea of the men who crafted it. Goodcat/Badcat has left his scent upon the legs, identifying the table as his territory. He seems to have been impatiently waiting most of the time, hoping for Him to drop some tasty food. > Rub table You swirl around two of the legs to add your scent flourish. Now He will know you have been here. The thought fills you with a secret delight. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > You groom the Cat [Please type what you'd like to do.] > You groom What do you want to groom?

[Themes: Slice of life, humour, non-human protagonist, nonhuman protagonist, humor] > Go downwards You clamber up to all four paws, take a little stretch, and trot off. You lean down the side and take a half-jump the rest of the way down. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. > You jump on the table You span the distance with a soft jump and skid to a stop on the table. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a phone here. > You lie on the phone You lie down, all your paws outstretched. > You go north [This game uses relative directions instead of compass directions: left, right, forwards, and backwards.] > You smell it You wince just looking at it. > You jump on the sofa You jump up on it once more, glad to be in a soft space around the smells of your people.

[Themes: Slice of life, nonhuman protagonist, humor, animal protagonist, non-human protagonist] > You go downwards You spring down to the floor. > You climb the door You scrabble upwards, but a few moments of futility, slide down, frustrated. > Dig What do you want to dig? > R. You can go behind you back to New Hall and in front of you to the end of the hall.

> Look around The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see what looks like a very long water bowl. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a giant white chair that is hollow in the middle, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. You see your reflection peeking down at you from the window, green eyes glowing in the dark. > You jump on the tub You're a bit hesitant to jump where you can't see, so you jump up on the surrounding ledge instead. You are perched uncomfortably on the narrow ledge around the tub. The surface beneath you is hard and damp, and that clean water smell comes from all around you. You can either enter the tub, or jump down back into the bathroom. > You enter the tub You walk around inside the tub and notice, strangely, that this place smells like His paws. Does He stand up in it? It looks long enough for him to lie down in it. The water smell saturates the area, and you know that this place must usually be wet. Right now it is only damp. He calls this place "tub". > You smell it It smells like clean water mixed with the odor of His feet. > Leave You bound out. You are perched uncomfortably on the narrow ledge around the tub. The surface beneath you is hard and damp, and that clean water smell comes from all around you. You can either enter the tub, or jump down back into the bathroom. > You jump down You jump down with a faint "oof". The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see the tub. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a giant white chair that is hollow in the middle, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. You see your reflection peeking down at you from the window, green eyes glowing in the dark. > Claw green stripe You vow revenge and attack it with both forepaws and end up sulking away, having to clean that gooey sticky stuff from two paws instead of just one. > You eat stripe What do you want to eat: brown stripe or green stripe?

[Themes: Slice of life, nonhuman protagonist, non-human protagonist, cat] > Go down You jump artfully to the floor and land on all four paws.

[Themes: Slice of life, humour, humor, cat, non-human protagonist] > Look around You can go behind you back to New Hall, or you can climb the gate. > You climb the gate You clamber over the gate again, quickly, but unfortunately not silently. Just to your right, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads in front of you, but behind you is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress behind you. > Nap You're exploring! No time for napping now. > You jump down You lean down the side and take a half-jump the rest of the way down. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. > You jump on the table You span the distance with a soft jump and skid to a stop on the table. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a sock and a phone here. > B. (first getting off the sofa) Just in front of you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your left, but to your right is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your right. > You examine floor It is a light brownish color that has dirty pawprints on it. You smell around and take several minutes to soak up the knowledge of who ate what, where they were going, and how they were feeling. The knowledge makes you feel quite important, as if you had discovered the key to understanding what happens around here.

> You look at your surroundings There's only one way out: to return the way you came by going behind you. > B. You turn to face behind you and bound away. Just to your left, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads behind you, but in front of you is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress in front of you. From right outside, you hear what sounds like a storm -- a rumbling, grumbling, coughing sound. You look around for somewhere to hide, but before you can find a place, it's over. Then you hear a slamming like the mow when He leaves and right before He sees you. Is He coming back?

[Themes: Slice of life, humour, non-human protagonist] > You look around Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > You jump on his chair You agilely leap upwards into the chair. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. > You jump on the table You easily jump up on the table, your claws clutching the threaded surface. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a sock and a phone here. You hear a mow open from far away and then hear it shut; His voice is next, as He greets Goodcat/Badcat. You meow energetically to let him know you are here. He discovers you and picks you up. He strokes kindly you as He walks through the house, laughing at all the things you have done. "You are quite the little explorer, aren't you?" he asks. You purr. "That effort deserves nothing less than a name!" He holds you high in the air and then triumphantly christens you, "Isabella. Yes, Isabella is your name." You nuzzle your face into his arms, turning the name around and around in your mind. Isabella. It's a good name, well, as good as humans get at these things, you think. You beam up at Him as He carries you. I do not have a name, but I think that someday soon I will. I have heard Him talk many times of other things that have names, things like Mom, Dad, Emily, Stuart, God. So I think I will have a name someday soon, although I do not know how I get a name. Is it something I have to do? Is there somewhere I have to go? All I know is that for now, He calls me just one thing: Cat. You live in a nice soft place inside a bigger space that has three ows, and one moveable ow. You call these things ows because they hurt when you run into them, and the moving ow (mow) only He can move. The soft place is where you sleep and it smells like you. Outside the soft space is where He puts the food and water. The food is ok, but the milk you used to have was much better. You wonder if He could get some of that again. He always shuts the mow, but today he has left it open. You do not know what is beyond it, except what you have heard him talk about. There is another thing called GoodCat/BadCat. It must have another name as well, because it was here when you got here, but it is far away and when He talks to it, you can only hear GoodCat or BadCat. You must be related, because you both are called Cat. You have always wondered where He goes when He closes the mow and what lies beyond it. "Could there be even more mows and ows? Could my place be just one place inside a much bigger place? I want to find out. Maybe if I find out, I can get a name," you think. [If this is your first time playing, type "ABOUT".] > F. Your Place surrounds the soft place. It's much bigger and it is soft on your feet, but not as soft as the soft place. You can run around here but the three ows stop you. Nothing has changed from this morning when He left -- the food dish, the water bowl, the sandbox, and the ledge are in their same places and they smell the same. The most interesting thing, though, is the mow. It's wide open in front of you and smells from outside are rushing in. > You examine the dish It's a small dish with food in it. > You eat food (first taking the cat food) Your mother raised you to not play with your food unless you were hungry enough to eat (or drink) it. You can feel her teeth picking you up by the scruff of the neck even now. > You examine the bowl It's a small solid bowl with water in it. > You examine the litterbox It's a tough box filled with sand that's just right for taking care of wastes. > You enter the litterbox Fortunately, you've already gone this morning.

[Themes: Slice of life, nonhuman protagonist] > Describe the surroundings You can go behind you or in front of you, though in front of you seems a lot more interesting. > Ascend This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You also realize the names of the two objects on the table, and your interest is piqued. You can see a phone and a remote here.

[Themes: Slice of life, non-human protagonist, cat] > Go down After a few moments of weightless falling and the rude impact, you are once again walking around on the shiny floor. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. > Go north > Interact > You go to the north > Interact Website: www.intaligo.com/newcat Forums: www.intaligo.com/forum Comments/Bugs: poster@aurora.cotse.net New Cat Background > Interact

[Themes: Slice of life, humor, animal protagonist] > F. You are up to a good speed before you notice the ow coming at you. You come to a butt-burning halt. Youch! The long room ends here at an ow with one room on either side. The one to your right has sun filtering in through slats that make you want to rest in its warm spaces and play with the shadows. The room to your left is dark and presents several different smells relating to water. The ows seem really tall here and you feel fenced in and nervous. The house settles and creaks, giving you a start. > You jump on the ledge You try and miss in one glorious mess. > You jump on the toilet (the toilet) With feline agility, you leap up to the deep water bowl. You are halfway between the dark window and the floor, perched on the fat water bowl. It's not soft, but it is fairly slick. The wonderful smells rise up from the hollow center, down in the water. You see above you a wide ledge that runs underneath the window. You could easily jump to it, or jump down to the bathroom floor. > Lick water You're not thirsty, but you can't pass this opportunity up -- the smells are too interesting. Carefully you lower yourself into the toilet and take ten deep laps of the water. Then you pull yourself back up on the rim and luxuriate in the taste of tea, yogurt, and submarine sandwiches. You're thankful again that He was so kind to mark the area so that you'd know to find it. kittenish. > You jump on the ledge With amazing grace, you land on the space above the handles with a solid "whump". You barely notice the rest of the surface except for the sink, which smells like his breath and some sort of plant. The dark window takes up the entire wall and inside there is another cat! Her fur is poofed out just like yours and her green eyes stare back at you in challenge. > You sniff the Cat You lean your nose in to smell her and she does the exact same thing. Then you realize what seemed so strange about all of this: you never once smelled her. How can she have no scent ? What sort of cat is that? You realize, too, that she only does what you do. If you stop, she stops; if you groom yourself, she grooms herself; if you blink, she blinks. She does whatever you do because she is you, somehow. Only not you and only in the dark window. It's weird, but you're glad you're not a human and have to deal with such complexities. kittenish. > You jump on tub Not from here. It's too far away! > You jump down You raise and lower your head a few times, estimating the distance. On a whim, you decide to go for it and you jump down. It takes you a moment to get your breath back. The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see what looks like a very long water bowl. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a fat water bowl, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. You see your reflection peeking down at you from the window, green eyes glowing in the dark. > Climb tub Jumping to it is much more kittenish.

[Themes: Slice of life, cat, non-human protagonist] > You look around You can go to your right down the hall, behind you to the dark room, or in front of you to the sunny room. > R. You turn to face to your right and bound away. Halfway down the hall, the non-solid mow has slats from the top to the bottom, like what is on the window in your place. It has a wonderful fresh smell that makes you want to lie down and go to sleep, if only there were something soft enough to sleep on. The solid mow on the opposite side greets you with a welcoming and familiar scent from between it and the floor. You would know it anywhere -- it is Him. He is not here, but beyond is surely His lair. > B. Without exploring those two large and soft beds? You promise yourself that when you get done with this important task, you will get your paws on them. Just in front of you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your left, but to your right is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your right. > F. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Goodcat/Badcat is in this room; his scent is strong. You whip your head around but don't see him anywhere. Is he waiting to pounce you? You continue looking around carefully. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor is a large brown circle held up by four legs. Underneath it are two smaller versions, with one pulled away from the other. You wind your way around these things and quickly smell what their names are. The large thing is called a table. The smaller things are called chairs (one is His and the other is guest). The names seem strong, but dull. You hope He doesn't name you any of those names. > You jump on the chair What do you want to jump on: the guest chair or His chair? > B. Just behind you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your right, but to your left is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your left. The house settles and creaks, giving you a start. > You give the sock to the Cat Goodcat/Badcat sniffs the air and then sniffs the sock, taking his time to inhale all of its scents. He looks thoughtful for a moment and then rubs you, pressing into your fur one of his secrets. Fascinated, you ponder all the fun you'll have when you chew off a piece of meat-bread and leave it behind the vibrating box for twenty suns so that you too can have a smelly play toy! With a mew of disgust, you sit down and clean the nasty dirt from all your paws. It takes you some time, but at last you're clean. kittenish. > You hit phone You rear up and pounce the phone with a particularly vicious sideswipe. Result: the phone is now separated into two parts, the curvy part and the boxy part. They are joined by a cord. None of this seems particularly interesting in itself, but you do derive some satisfaction in observing the prey after it has been rendered helpless. An artificial voice from the phone repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. kittenish. > Bat globe You bat at it and the ball turns, making a curious whirring sound. You bat at it again and it moves a little faster. You go at it with both paws until it can't move any faster and then you get bored. You look at the ball sideways, catching your breath and wonder if He will notice that the ball is now in a different position than it was before. kittenish. > You jump on the sofa You jump up on the large springy-soft bed (what they call a "sofa") and love how it feels on your paws -- so soft! You sniff around and are startled by all the big cats that have sat here and their stories. It takes you several sniffs to make them all out. Apparently He sits here when he is tired; He sat here yesterday. He also sat here two days ago (the day of the big noise) with Barry, and they talked about far-away places. Barry wants to romance his broodmate, but won't tell Him. Then there is the scent of an older big cat, who must be very wise, because he gives knowledge to others all day. He seems to be related to Him, but you're not clear how. He's not a mother or a littermate. > Bat remote Surprisingly, it's not very heavy. You bat it back and forth and with a powerful swipe, you send it off the table and it hits the floor below with a loud "smack". Then, in the next room over, the big black square flickers to life. You hear sounds and people talking; images flicker back and forth across its surface. From up above, Goodcat/Badcat meows despairingly. "Oh dear. Now you've done it," he says. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. kittenish. > You wait for a while Time passes. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You wait awhile Time passes. From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. > You wait Time passes. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > You wait Time passes. From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. The phone right next to you suddenly starts Ringing VeRy LOUDLY. You almost involuntarily leap off the table in surprise. > Attack phone You attack the phone, trying to Make The Ringing Stop. You smack the curvy part with your paw and send it flying. The ringing stops! But then you hear a concerned female voice talking out of it. It's saying some kind of greeting. A concerned female voice speaks from the phone right beside you. From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. kittenish. > Mew You say "Meowr?" to let the voice know that you are here and want to know what's going on. The voice asks you a question that you don't understand, laughs, and then says some other things, and finally it says "goodbye". You know then it will go away and it does. An artificial voice from the phone repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. kittenish. > Bat phone You bat it but nothing amazing happens. An artificial voice from the phone repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > You jump down After a few moments of weightless falling and the rude impact, you are once again walking around on the shiny floor. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You can see a remote here. An artificial voice from the phone on the table repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > F. From here you can go behind you and you can jump to His chair. An artificial voice from the phone on the table repeats itself with strange quiet parts between. From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. > B. Just behind you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your right, but to your left is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your left. From the shiny room you hear a horrible grating sound that sounds like pulling your tail feels. From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. > Bat gate You bat it but nothing amazing happens. From the shiny room you hear a horrible grating sound that sounds like pulling your tail feels. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > F. This is a comfortable room that also has strange things in it. The carpet gets very thick and comfortable in the middle of the room and it changes colors too. It even has tiny decorative brown paw prints across it. A narrow cloth bed (it looks like your bed, but it is so large that it must be for Him) touches the hall and beyond it is a wide cloth bed. Far away is a mow through which you can see the outside. Beside it is a plant that grows in a tall water dish. In the dirt scattered around the plant, you see several small paw prints. You grimace. Why did He put that nasty thing there? Near the plant there is a black square flashing with images and voices and a frozen bug on top of it, and beside the narrow bed is a puffy ball held in place by some kind of stick. The smells here fuse into one onrush of aroma that makes you feel relaxed and at home. On the sofa is a sock. From the shiny room you hear a horrible grating sound that sounds like pulling your tail feels. From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. The awful grating sound stops and the phone is silent once again. > You look at the tv It's a large black square, although it's pretty shiny. It flickers with all kinds of images, some of which are people doing things; it also talks with the voices of various people. You're not at all sure how the different people fit inside there. The voices just keep talking like you aren't there and the images don't seem to be related. It's too overpowering to be real and after a minute or two, you lose interest. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > Bat tv That's a bit too large to play with, you realize. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > Bat plant You reach up to bat the leaves of the plant and they bounce back immediately. Before you know it, you've passed a few minutes playing with it. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > Bat bug You try, but it's too far away. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You look This is a comfortable room that also has strange things in it. The carpet gets very thick and comfortable in the middle of the room and it changes colors too. It even has tiny decorative brown paw prints across it. A narrow cloth bed (it looks like your bed, but it is so large that it must be for Him) touches the hall and beyond it is a wide cloth bed. Far away is a mow through which you can see the outside. Beside it is a plant that grows in a tall water dish. In the dirt scattered around the plant, you see several small paw prints. You grimace. Why did He put that nasty thing there? Near the plant there is a black square flashing with images and voices and a frozen bug on top of it, and beside the narrow bed is a puffy ball held in place by some kind of stick. The smells here fuse into one onrush of aroma that makes you feel relaxed and at home. On the sofa is a sock. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > Smell plant The plant smells woodsy and growing, but not like something you'd like to eat. It is growing from a bowl of dirt that you think is disgusting. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > Smell tv It's too loud and distracting to approach. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > Climb tv You scrabble upwards, but a few moments of futility, slide down, frustrated. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > Paw tv That's a bit too large to play with, you realize. From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. > B. Just in front of you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your left, but to your right is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your right. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You climb the gate You clamber over the gate again, quickly, but not silently. The hall from in front of you ends here at a soft ow about half as tall as an ordinary ow. This ow is made of crossed strings and you can see through it; beyond are shiny tall metal boxes, almost taller than Him, on a shiny floor. You instinctively sniff the ow. Goodcat/Badcat has left a scent message that welcomes you to his world if you can get over the ow. He calls it something rather impolite. The tall stringy gate bars progress behind you. > F. The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see the tub. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a giant white chair that is hollow in the middle, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. You see your reflection peeking down at you from the window, green eyes glowing in the dark. > You climb the gate You clamber over the gate again, quickly, but unfortunately not silently. Just to your right, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads in front of you, but behind you is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress behind you. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > R. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You can see a remote here. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump on his chair You agilely leap upwards into the chair. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > You jump on the table You easily jump up on the table, your claws clutching the threaded surface. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a phone here. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump on the ledge That doesn't look far away. You take a quick look and with a little jump you land safely on the countertop. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > You jump on the ftop You leap up to the top with the greatest of ease. You are on top of the cold metal cube, better known as "refrigerator" and "Goodcat/Badcat's lair". Strangely, it is not cold here, but fairly cozy with the faint smell of food. You can see why he chose this location for a lair. You think you'd probably have done the same. You can see Goodcat/Badcat here. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You look at the Cat You look at him and you feel his eyes staring a hole through yours. He seems angry; you feel decidedly nervous. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > Rub Cat You approach him but at the last moment, back off. His fierce stare seems to shout, "How dare you approach when we have not properly greeted one another yet!" From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. > Bat cat He good-naturedly pushes you away with his paws and resumes his usual placid, royal mien. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You hit the Cat Looking back on it, you realize that this was one of those things that would have never worked out. You pounced him and he responded with a bloodcurdling hiss and a swift paw that sent you flying right off the vibrating metal box. You landed on the ledge below and backed away just in time to avoid him jumping on you. Fear and adrenaline ran through your veins and you jumped, jumped, and ran like your tail was on fire. Now you're on the other side of that stringy ow, catching your breath, the image of him turning away with a refined departing spit echoing in your ears. His departing words were, "And don't come back!" The hall from to your right ends here at a soft ow about half as tall as an ordinary ow. This ow is made of crossed strings and you can see through it; beyond are shiny tall metal boxes, almost taller than Him, on a shiny floor. You instinctively sniff the ow. Goodcat/Badcat has left a scent message that welcomes you to his world if you can get over the ow. He calls it something rather impolite. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your left. > You climb the gate You clamber over the gate again, quickly, but unfortunately not silently. Just in front of you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your left, but to your right is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your right. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > R. You can go in front of you, behind you, to your left, or climb the gate to go to your right. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > F. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You can see a remote here. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump on his chair You agilely leap upwards into the chair. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. > You jump on the table You easily jump up on the table, your claws clutching the threaded surface. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a phone here. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump on ledge That doesn't look far away. You take a quick look and with a little jump you land safely on the countertop. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. You feel extremely nervous and wish you were anywhere but here. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump on the ftop Even the thought makes you quake with fear. You barely escaped with all your kitten parts intact last time! You're definitely not ready to brave facing him again. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump on the ftop Even the thought makes you quake with fear. You barely escaped with all your kitten parts intact last time! You're definitely not ready to brave facing him again. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > You jump down You lean down the side and take a half-jump the rest of the way down. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump on the table You span the distance with a soft jump and skid to a stop on the table. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a phone here. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump down After a few moments of weightless falling and the rude impact, you are once again walking around on the shiny floor. Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You can see a remote here. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. > Bat remote You bat the remote and send it flying across the floor. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You bat yourself You fiddle with your tail for a little while, but quickly grow bored. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > B. Just behind you, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads to your right, but to your left is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress to your left. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > Bat boxes Choose a particular box. > You jump on the toilet (the toilet) With feline agility, you leap up to the hollow chair. You are halfway between the dark window and the floor, perched on the white chair. It's not soft, but it is fairly slick. The wonderful smells rise up from the hollow center, down in the water. You see above you a wide ledge that runs underneath the window. You could easily jump to it, or jump down to the bathroom floor. > You enter the toilet (the toilet) Jumping to it is much more kittenish. > You jump on the ledge With amazing grace, you land on the space above the handles with a solid "whump". The surface here is smooth and there is a bowl in the middle called a sink. You know this because the scent of his hands have left the word around it. The sink smells like his breath and some sort of plant. On the far side is a cabinet without a handle. You don't know how he gets it open. In the dark window that takes up the whole wall is your reflection, doing whatever you do but in reverse. > You examine the sink It's a bowl that's part of the ledge. It's damp, empty, and smells of his breath and some sort of fresh plant. > You examine the cabinet (the bccabinet) You see nothing special about the bccabinet. > You examine the mirror You look in the window, but see nothing interesting besides your reflection. The mirror itself smells faintly acidic. > Bat reflection You're quite through with playing with your reflection. > You enter the sink You squinch up your eyes. You could fit in there, but there's a silver thing going over the top that you just don't trust. > You jump on the toilet (the toilet) You slide through the air down to the hollow chair. You are halfway between the dark window and the floor, perched on the white chair. It's not soft, but it is fairly slick. The wonderful smells rise up from the hollow center, down in the water. You see above you a wide ledge that runs underneath the window. You could easily jump to it, or jump down to the bathroom floor. > You jump down You jump down to the tiled floor below with matchless ease. The hallway light provides the only light in this dark room. Your eyes adjust and your nose comes alive with the many different scents inside. The first smell smells like He does sometimes -- like growing things, like the outside. It's too strong for you and it causes your nose to wrinkle involuntarily. The next strongest smell is a fresh, clean smell that must be some kind of water. You know by the third smell that this is His place, because He has marked it. Mixed in with that territorial odor are lesser notes that smell like all sorts of yummy things. You're so glad he marked the area so you'd know where they are! It's odd, though. You look around but don't see a litterbox anywhere. Instead, off to the right you see the tub. It has sides so you can jump up on it and take look inside. It smells like that water smell. Opposite it is a giant white chair that is hollow in the middle, where the territorial smell and the yummy smells come from. You could jump up on it, too. Right beside you are wooden boxes, and on top of them is a tall dark window. You see your reflection peeking down at you from the window, green eyes glowing in the dark. > F. The carpet ends here at a mow like the one that leads out of your place. You're not sure how He manages to open these things, but He must be strong. This mow looks a lot like the shiny floor, actually; it looks like it is made up of different tiles, all different colors. Sniffing the edges, you realize that it is a gateway to the outside. Images of grass, bright sunshine, concern, danger, and burden roll over you and you think that the outside is a fearful but wonderful place, and amazingly large. You smell Her scent again, like flowers but far too strong. It fills you with a fierce passion; she should know that you live here! From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. > Bat carpet You bat it but nothing amazing happens. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > Bat mow You try for a few moments, but don't make any appreciable impact. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump on it You jump on it for a moment, but quickly tire of the one-sided play. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > Mew You mew. Nothing happens and you feel faintly disappointed. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > B. You turn to face behind you and bound away. Just to your left, the shiny and slippery floor begins and the large shiny things sit. The opposite way, you see softer but equally large things, but also a plant that sits in what looks like a square water bowl. The carpet is soft and it leads behind you, but in front of you is the stringy ow that you'll have to climb to get over. The tall stringy gate bars progress in front of you. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously.

> Look around Here enormous metal boxes reach upward from a shiny floor that you can skid across if you run fast enough and suddenly stop. The tallest box is cold, vibrates, and smells like food! The shorter boxes also smell like food, but not as strongly. The whole area smells like trees -- a fresh, outdoors kind of scent, which doesn't make sense, because this is indoors. Halfway to the ceiling (it seems) a shiny surface ledge runs like a pathway, over a shorter box and connects to the tallest one. It's wider than the ledge in your place. In the middle of the floor the brown table towers over you. The guest chair sits underneath it, and His chair is nearby. You can see a remote here. You hear the sound of a cat scratching itself and know that it must be Goodcat/Badcat. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump on his chair You agilely leap upwards into the chair. You hear the sound of grooming coming from somewhere nearby. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump on the table You easily jump up on the table, your claws clutching the threaded surface. This is a small place, a little bit larger than the soft place but not as large as the place around it. If you ran around here, you'd definitely fall off the edges. The floor feels like a bunch of string, tightly wound together and it is arranged in colors and in patterns of things you don't recognize. From here, you can see a shiny surface you could easily jump to, and you can view most of the room and the next room over, which pulls your kittenish heart with what looks like large and soft beds. Taking a quick sniff, you realize that this area is used for eating food, but there is no food here now. You can see a phone here. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > Bat phone You bat it but nothing amazing happens. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You jump on the ledge That doesn't look far away. You take a quick look and with a little jump you land safely on the countertop. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > You jump on the ftop You leap up to the top with the greatest of ease. You are on top of the cold metal cube, better known as "refrigerator" and "Goodcat/Badcat's lair". Strangely, it is not cold here, but fairly cozy with the faint smell of food. You can see why he chose this location for a lair. You think you'd probably have done the same. You can see Goodcat/Badcat here. From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. > Nap You're exploring! No time for napping now. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You rub against the Cat You approach him but at the last moment, back off. His fierce stare seems to shout, "How dare you approach when we have not properly greeted one another yet!" The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > Mew You're not sure how you talk with another cat, after all, your only memories are hazy and indistinct ones of your littermates and mom. So you try talking to Goodcat/Badcat like you were talking to Him. You let out a curious "Meowr". His eyes fix upon you. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. > Purr You only do that when you are talking to Him. That's the fun part. When He gets back, you let out all the purrs you have saved up the whole day. The black square lets out someone who is talking but in a very flowing kind of way and high up enough that it catches your attention. Then you realize she isn't saying anything important. > You sniff yourself You have an light, woodsy, easy-going scent about you. You're not sure if that's a common scent, but it's yours and you like it. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. From right outside, you hear what sounds like a storm -- a rumbling, grumbling, coughing sound. You look around for somewhere to hide, but before you can find a place, it's over. Then you hear a slamming like the mow when He leaves and right before He sees you. Is He coming back? > You sniff you Goodcat/Badcat has better things to do. From the black square you hear lots of people shouting and catch a flicker of images out of the corner of your eye. > You sit You sit down on your rear legs, taking a commanding view of your environs. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously. You hear a mow open from far away and then hear it shut; His voice is next, as He greets Goodcat/Badcat. You meow energetically to let him know you are here. He discovers you and picks you up. He strokes kindly you as He walks through the house, laughing at all the things you have done. He seems quite surprised at the TV being on. "You are quite the little explorer, aren't you?" he asks. You purr. "That effort deserves nothing less than a name!" He holds you high in the air and then triumphantly christens you, "Isabella. Yes, Isabella is your name." You nuzzle your face into his arms, turning the name around and around in your mind. Isabella. It's a good name, well, as good as humans get at these things, you think. You beam up at Him as He carries you.

[Themes: Horror, violence, sexual content, nonhuman protagonist, lycanthropy] [Strike any key to continue...] "HERE BE DRAGONS" is what the rutter said, but the small island turned out to be free of those animals after all. Instead, you landed near a tiny village full of friendly natives. Aaah, shore leave! You can't remember when the last time was you could relax, take a night off and stroll through town to pick up a girl or two. It turned out your friend Aten speaks a dialect not unlike that of the villagers, and so he joined your captain, who's with the village elder at the moment. "Too bad for him," you think, grinning, "guess he won't be getting any tonight." You, on the other hand, are intent to. [Please type "about".] IFComp 1999 The center of this small village is a roughly circular clearing in the jungle-forest that covers most of this island. A gigantic tree stands in the middle, reaching hundreds of feet up into the cool night air. The huts of the villagers are strewn around the clearing's border, close to the jungle. A large stone circle contains charred wood from last night's bonfire, and there is a rickety wooden platform under one of the lower branches of the tree. "Ranil! Remember to be back on the Dagon tomorrow at sunrise! Unless you want to lose a month's pay, that is," you hear Quartermaster Gerhardsen shout in your direction. You nod, and he waves at you and disappears out of sight. [Author's Note: "HERE BE DRAGONS" is what the rutter said, but the small island turned out to be free of those animals after all. Instead, you landed near a tiny village full of friendly natives. Aaah, shore leave! You can't remember when the last time was you could relax, take a night off and stroll through town to pick up a girl or two.] > About you You are Ranil Kuami, 22, black, and sailor aboard the "Dagon". You're wearing your best clothes for tonightYou're wearing a pair of trousers; your favorite talisman hangs around your neck on a thin chain. Your left ear is decorated by a small gold ring, and your dreadlocks are tamed by a headband. > You examine the talisman A strange stone, shaped like a deformed pentagram, hangs on a thin chain around your neck. > You look at the trousers You've decided to wear your best shirt and trousers on this occasion, along with your leather boots, the left of which hides your favourite knife. > You look at knife Your trusty knife that has aided you in many a fight against humans as well as certain inhabitants of the oceans. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: your clothes (being worn) your talisman (being worn) > You examine circle Several big round stones have been laid out to form an exact circle. Inside are the glowing remains of tonight's bonfire, when the villagers prepared a boar for their guests. > You look at the huts The huts are built of wood and seem to be held together with the vines that grow everywhere around here. Still, they look comfortable and stable enough. > You look at the platform Upon closer inspection, you notice a rope slung over the branch the platform was built under! Looks like this is a kind of gallows, though the state of the structure seems to indicate it hasn't been used for a long time. > You look at the rope A length of rope made of vines, slung over a branch of the tall tree. > You get the stone That's hardly portable. > You look at the tree Most definitely the largest tree you've ever seen. You suspect it has a special meaning for the villagers. > You enter the hut Not without an invitation.

[Themes: Horror, sexual content, nonhuman protagonist] > Look around The center of this small village is a roughly circular clearing in the jungle-forest that covers most of this island. A gigantic tree stands in the middle, reaching hundreds of feet up into the cool night air. The huts of the villagers are strewn around the clearing's border, close to the jungle. A large stone circle contains charred wood from last night's bonfire, and there is a rickety wooden platform under one of the lower branches of the tree. > Climb platform What would you do up there? > Go north As you start to walk, you sense movement from the corner of your eye. You turn around only to see the most amazingly beautiful woman walking directly towards you. You seem to recall her name as "Lyca". "Hello," you say, somewhat sheepishly. She smiles at you and reaches for your hand, gently pulling you towards what seems to be her hut. > You follow What do you want to follow?

[Themes: Horror, violence, sexual content] > Look around The center of this small village is a roughly circular clearing in the jungle-forest that covers most of this island. A gigantic tree stands in the middle, reaching hundreds of feet up into the cool night air. The huts of the villagers are strewn around the clearing's border, close to the jungle. A large stone circle contains charred wood from last night's bonfire, and there is a rickety wooden platform under one of the lower branches of the tree. You can see Lyca here. Lyca begins tugging on your arm, towards her hut. This is one determined young lady! > You follow Lyca You allow Lyca to lead you into her hut... Lyca's hut is small, but comfortable. Apart from a few flower arrangements, it is entirely undecorated. Much to your surprise, the 'bed' is much like the sleeping quarters on the Dagon; a hammock made of vines is hung from the ceiling, easily large enough for three people. Lyca motions at you to take off your clothes and begins to do so herself. > You take off the trousers You quickly step out of your clothes and discard them. Lyca nods approvingly, then smiles and motions you toward the hammock. > You look at the knife Your trusty knife that has aided you in many a fight against humans as well as certain inhabitants of the oceans. Sighing and rolling her eyes, Lyca shoves you towards the hammock. > You enter the hammock Lyca jumps on the hammock, landing directly on you. Her hands close tightly around your wrists, her thighs sit on yours, effectively pinning you to the mat as she slowly begins making love to you. You are completely surprised at her fierceness at first, but that doesn't take longer than a few seconds. Lyca kisses you passionately, still moving slowly, teasingly. > You wait Time passes. You close your eyes, shuddering with pleasure, as Lyca runs her tongue over your throat, her movements in perfect synchronity with the caress, her breathing faster. > You enter Lyca Lie back, relax, enjoy -- you have no choice, anyway. Pleasure turns to pain as Lyca starts moving faster and faster, scratching your wrists with her fingernails, now positively panting-- You open your eyes and are frozen in terror for a second. What sits on you is no longer a woman, but a large wolf! Lyca -- the thing -- howls in ecstasy and you in pain as her claws dig deeply into your wrists and ankles. Her muzzle moves toward your throat, and you prepare for a quick death. Her muzzle touches your talisman, and she suddenly howls again, an inhuman scream, and her paws loosen the death grip on you. You both lose your balance and fall out of the hammock. While the wolf-thing paws at her muzzle, you quickly grasp for your clothes and pull your knife from its hidden sheath in your boot. > Attack lyca As you gather up the clothes in a ball, the wolf jumps at you, he mass of her body knocking you to the floor. The next thing you feel is her claws tearing your abdomen open, and then unconsciousness kindly takes you. > Go south You can't go that way. The Lyca-thing seems to have recovered and stares at you with unconcealed lust for murder in her eyes. > Exit Unfortunately, the wolf-thing is between you and the door. The wolf jumps directly at you, this time not attempting to go for your throat. You brandish your knife feebly, but she sinks her teeth into your arm while the mass of her body knocks you to the floor. The next thing you feel is her claws tearing your abdomen open, and then unconsciousness kindly takes you. > You throw the knife at her Desperately, you throw the knife at the wolf, but she reacts with surprising speed, evading it. Then she jumps at you, the mass of her body knocking you to the floor. The next thing you feel is her claws tearing your abdomen open, and then unconsciousness kindly takes you. > You run There's no need to. The wolf jumps directly at you, this time not attempting to go for your throat. You brandish your knife feebly, but she sinks her teeth into your arm while the mass of her body knocks you to the floor. The next thing you feel is her claws tearing your abdomen open, and then unconsciousness kindly takes you. > You screw her That would be less than courteous. The wolf jumps directly at you, this time not attempting to go for your throat. You brandish your knife feebly, but she sinks her teeth into your arm while the mass of her body knocks you to the floor. The next thing you feel is her claws tearing your abdomen open, and then unconsciousness kindly takes you. > You eat the talisman That's plainly inedible. The wolf jumps directly at you, this time not attempting to go for your throat. You brandish your knife feebly, but she sinks her teeth into your arm while the mass of her body knocks you to the floor. The next thing you feel is her claws tearing your abdomen open, and then unconsciousness kindly takes you. > You throw the talisman at her (First taking off the talisman) Desperately, you throw the talisman at the wolf. She reacts with surprising speed, but not fast enough. You watch in amazement as her fur seems to catch fire and she emits a blood-curling howl, throwing her mass around, coming for you. But the pain slows her down and you manage to bury your knife in one of her eyes before she can tear you apart. You quickly jump back and out of her reach as she crumples to the floor, lifeless, and manage to hit your head on a wooden beam, knocking yourself out... > You wake up [Strike any key to continue...] You open your eyes and stare along the shaft of a spear pointed directly at your throat. On the other end you make out two upset villagers. You are pulled to your feet, an unitelligible stream of words coming from the men. One grabs you by the hair and turns your head where the dead wolf lies. Your eyes widen in shock. There lies Lyca, but not the wolf-thing; it is the human Lyca, blood-streamed, the knife still stuck in her eye. Looking back at the guards, you know it's senseless to try and explain yourself. Pure hatred is in their eyes, and one gestures across his throat with a finger. Then, they brutally drag you off to a hut standing seperate from the others, throw you inside and block the door from the other side. As you pick yourself up, you notice you're wearing your talisman again. Strange. This hut is bare except for an uncomfortable-looking wooden frame, around which vines have been wound to produce a sort of bed. There are no windows, so it's rather dark.

> Look around This hut is bare except for an uncomfortable-looking wooden frame, around which vines have been wound to produce a sort of bed. There are no windows, so it's rather dark. > You examine the bed Looks very uncomfortable, but it'll have to do. > Escape You'll have to say which compass direction to go in. > Sleep You will want to do that on the bed; even if it looks uncomfortable, it's better than the floor. > You get on the bed You get onto the bed. > Sleep You close your eyes, and quickly fall asleep. [Strike any key to continue...] D A Y T W O [Strike any key to continue...] The sound of the door being opened awakes you with a start. In come the village Elder and the intimidating shaman, accompanied by the two guards. The Elder says something to one of the guards. He quickly moves behind you, restraining your hands with rope, then helps you to step into your trousers. You are quickly led to the platform in the village center, where the gallows have already been prepared. The guards push through the small crowd of assembled villagers, up the steps, then fasten the rope around your neck. Just then, you see Gerhardsen and Aten step out of the woods. Seeing what's up, they run towards the Elder, your friend shouting something in their language. You see the shaman and Elder turn towards the two. "Mr. Gerhardsen! Aten!" you shout in relief. "Don't worry, Ranil, we'll have you out of there in no time," comes Gerhardsen's response. He stands in front of the Elder, taller by almost a head, and begins shouting at him, with Aten translating. The shaman answers back, and soon they are engaged in heated conversation. Suddenly, you notice something about the shaman that makes you flinch: He is wearing a wolf fur! As you open your mouth to join the argument, the guard next to you reacts swiftly, wrapping one arm around your torso and covering your mouth and nose with the other hand, smothering you. > Bite What do you want to bite? > Shaman Your mouth is covered! The argument is becoming more heated, with everyone shouting at everyone else. You struggle for air, but the guard's hand clamps your mouth and nose even tighter. > Bite guard Desperately, you try and bite the guard's hand. You manage to get the side of his hand between your teeth and sink them in. The guard curses loudly, pulling his hand back, and the attention focuses on you. Angrily, the injured villager shoves you off the platform. You fall two or three feet, suspended in mid-air by the rope around your neck. Shoving the Elder aside, Aten runs to you and quickly cuts you loose. You try to say something, but only manage a croak before the shaman shouts something on the top of his lungs. You and Aten watch in horror as as the villagers fall to the ground, and rise as wolves! As you turn and flee blindly towards the ship, you hear the screams of poor Gerhardsen behind you as he is being torn to shreds... > You run Aten leads the way with you close behind. You can hear the panting of the wolves, hot in pursuit. Trees, some of them several hundred feet tall, line the narrow trampled path you are running along. They block most of the sunlight; it's hard not to accidentally stumble or fall over some hidden bump in this twilight. Aten is running next to you, breathing heavily. > You run The path is well-trodden here, and you manage to pick up more speed. The distance to the ship seemed much smaller yesterday evening... Trees, some of them several hundred feet tall, line the narrow trampled path you are running along. They block most of the sunlight; it's hard not to accidentally stumble or fall over some hidden bump in this twilight. Aten is running next to you, breathing heavily. > You run For a second, Aten glances over his shoulder at you, but that is already too much. He stumbles over a tree-root and falls. You only just manage to jump over him. You feel bad, but you do not stop running. You know you can't help him, the wolves would get you both. "RUN!" he shouts after you, and then his screams fill your ears, a cold rage rising in you. The forest is less dense here, and you can see the sun standing high, dazzling you, but also illuminating your path. Treacherous vines lie across the ground, forcing you to concentrate even more on where you step. > You run You are very exhausted by now, and the wolves, only temporarily distracted by Aten, gain on you again. You have reached the edge of the forest, and can see the Dagon anchoring in the bay. Only a few yards to go! > You run Finally, you reach the shore. The boat lies here, but you don't have the time to set it afloat. Instead, you jump directly into the cold water, swimming a safe distance from the shore. The wolves break out of the woods but they stop at the water, howling and hissing. It seems they are afraid of it; and you swim towards the Dagon unhindered. Quickly, strong hands pull you out of the water and you are escorted into the Captain's cabin. You quickly explain what happened; and though the story doesn't even sound convincing to yourself, Captain Davids believes you. "I have heard of werewolves in these parts, but a whole village? This evil must be stopped. I have the suspicion that this shaman you spoke of is the cause of this evil... if we manage to destroy him, maybe the others will be saved, too." You nod; it didn't seem that the villagers had any idea of what was going on when they were gathered to lynch you. "I have an idea. It is very dangerous, but it might work. In my library are certain old books; and one of them describes a salve that can transform a man into a wolf for some time." You nod grimly. "Let me do it." "Ranil! It is very dangerous! If you stay in wolf-form too long, you might not be able to ever become human again; and I do not know if your strength can match that of the shaman. But I can see in your eyes that you are determined to do it, and so I shall prepare everything. "I know it is only morning, but you must go and sleep now, for you will need all your strength later. I shall wake you around midnight." Again, you nod, and leave for your hammock in the ship's hold as Davids pulls a black-bound leather tome out of his book case. You lie down and quickly fall into a troubled sleep. [Strike any key to continue...] [Strike any key to continue...] Shortly after midnight, Davids gently shakes you awake. "I have prepared the salve, Ranil. I have to warn you again - it is very dangerous to stay in wolf-form too long. Are you sure you really want to do this? "Yes." Davids tells you to remove your clothes, then proceeds to rub the salve into your body. "I'm afraid his is going to hurt. Here," he hands you a piece of wood, "bite down on this." At first, you feel nothing. Then, a tingle runs over your skin, and then the pain hits you. You fall to the floor, your teeth grinding into the wood, your vision dimmed. Your breath comes in short gasps, and an explosion of pain makes you pass out for a few seconds. When you can think clearly again, you open your eyes. Everything is dark, except for a large red blotch in the center of your vision. You inhale deeply and an impossible number of sensations stream from all sides. Wood, salve, clothes, skin, flesh, blood. [Strike any key to continue...] You try to rise, but find you are too weak yet. Davids quickly holds your muzzle in both hands and ties some rope around it. "Sorry, boy, but I can't have you kill anyone yet." You growl at him, but he grabs you by the nape of the neck and leads you to one of the boats. It is quickly lowered and Davids rows you over to the shore. As you jump on the beach, Davids removes the rope and quickly makes for the Dagon again. "Kill him. And be back in two hours, or it may be too late." The many different scents on the beach are overwhelming, but there is one that is stronger and more evil than all the others. > Smell [Since your vision isn't very good as a wolf, you prefer smelling things.] The many different scents on the beach are overwhelming, but there is one that is stronger and more evil than all the others. > Smell evil You guess this is the shaman's scent. > You follow the evil You put your muzzle to the ground and follow the strong scent to the northeast, until you arrive at a... The path forks here. Inexplicably, the shaman's scent follows both trails, still strong along the northeast and barely tangible to the northwest. Your wolf-sense warns you of danger along the first path.

[Themes: Horror, lycanthropy] > You describe your surroundings The path forks here. Inexplicably, the shaman's scent follows both trails, still strong along the northeast and barely tangible to the northwest. Your wolf-sense warns you of danger along the first path. > You go to the northeast Ignoring the warnings of your wolf-sense, you follow the path to the northeast. The scent intensifies, and soon you see the shape of the shaman before you. Suddenly, the feeling of danger becomes even stronger - this is too easy. There must be a trap here, somewhere. A circular clearing has been cut in the heart of the forest. The ground is even; a large stone altar stands here, covered with... stuff; you can't make anything out past the shaman's scent. The shaman stands here with his back turned to you. > You kill shaman You run to attack the shaman, and suddenly sky and earth swap places as you run over a certain spot, springing a hidden trap that catches you in a tight net! Smiling, the shaman turns around and motions into the woods. Ten men emerge, and you are quickly lowered to the ground and tightly wrapped up with rope. Helplessly, you growl, snarl and snap at everyone that comes too close, but the net prevents you from actually hurting someone. The shaman begins stroking your fur, talking all the time, and irritation soon turns to pleasure. After an hour, you have forgotten any ties to your former human existence. The shaman orders the villagers to release you and offers you a large, bloody steak; you greedily devour it, then lay contentedly at the heel of your new master. > Smell A circular clearing has been cut in the heart of the forest. The ground is even; a large stone altar stands here, covered with... stuff; you can't make anything out past the shaman's scent. The shaman stands here with his back turned to you. > You examine the altar It smells evil; the thought of going near it makes your fur bristle. > About you You are a big wolf, black as the night. > Growl You growl, bristling your fur. > You jump on shaman You tense your muscles, then hurl your body at the shaman with a mighty jump, and land only a feet away from him. He whirls around as you touch the ground, clearly not having expected this. As he curses, you see about ten villagers emerge from the woods. > You kill the shaman Ignoring the inviting smell of the villagers with a mighty effort, you jump at the shaman yet again. He tries in vain to protect himself with his staff, and as he begins shouting the word of transformation, you tear out his throat, spilling blood all over yourself. Somewhere in the back of your mind, a voice from your human existence tells you to leave, and now! You look around to see the villagers lie there like dead, an inviting smell of fresh blood stimulating your hunger... > You run The smell of blood is overwhelming. You... can't leave. You don't want to leave. > You eat the villagers They're plainly inedible. > You leave Desperately, you try to turn your mind off the inviting meal that lies before you, ready to take. > You leave With an almost superhuman effort, you block the smell of blood and run along the path back to the beach as fast as you can... You are back on the beach where you began your adventure as a wolf. You hope that you arrived back in time to return to human form.

> Look around You are back on the beach where you began your adventure as a wolf. You hope that you arrived back in time to return to human form. > Howl You let out a triumphant howl, and soon see the small boat rowing towards you. At the bow stands Davids, a musket in his hand. The boat stops a few feet from the shore, and the Captain aims at you. "Sorry, Ranil, but this is necessary for our safety." He pulls the trigger, and a glittering cloud engulfs you. Blinding pain, and then nothing. [Strike any key to continue...] You awake looking into the worrying face of Captain Davids. "Thank God, I thought I'd lost you. Sorry for the silver treatment; it was the only way ro make sure you wouldn't kill us." You smile, exhausted. "You could have told me before it hurts that much." Davids opens his mouth, but you stop him with a gesture. "Don't worry. I've survived, haven't I? More important is: have I done it?" Davids nods and responds, but his words are lost on you as you fade back to sleep.

[Themes: Romance] It was the greatest of tragedies when your wife, Ligeia, died of a wasting disease not two nights ago. As the local mortician, you embalmed her yourself ... she's gone from your life now. On the bright side, this means you get to marry your mistress, Rowena. It's the dim, austere chapel of the funeral home. Even though you've worked here for the past ten years, you never quite get over the spookiness. You can see a coffin (which is closed) and Rowena here. > You look at Rowena Rowena is a fair-haired young Englishwoman. Very practical, loves dogs, can't write poetry. In short, nothing like your late wife Ligeia. You love her very much. That's why you murdered Ligeia. Rowena seems to be carrying a flask of some sort. > You look at the coffin A mahogony coffin. It's the centrepiece of the chapel. > Open coffin You open the coffin, revealing Ligeia. > You examine Ligeia Your late wife, the Lady Ligeia is pale, drawn and dead. This means you can go marry Rowena. Except ... after Ligeia, do you really want Rowena? Ligeia was the perfect specimen of frail womanhood.... > About yourself As good-looking as ever. > You ask Rowena about yourself Rowena coos and nestles into your shoulder. > You ask Ligeia about yourself She's dead, remember? You killed her yourself. > Kiss ligeia Her cheek feels cold and lifeless. > You examine flask You can't quite make out the details. Something nags in the back of your mind.... > You think What a good idea. > You look at Rowena Rowena is a fair-haired young Englishwoman. Very practical, loves dogs, can't write poetry. In short, nothing like your late wife Ligeia. You love her very much. That's why you murdered Ligeia. Rowena seems to be carrying a flask of some sort. > You give the flask to you Rowena shrugs and hands you the flask. > You examine flask It's the elixir of life, of course. Rowena's father was a famous alchemist who died before he could sample his magnus opus. > You give the flask to Ligeia But that would bring Ligeia back to life. You don't want that! > Kiss rowena You suddenly realise that you don't love Rowena. Floods of half-forgotten memories wash through you, leaving you thoroughly and heartily hating her. On the other hand, you realise how much you really loved your Ligeia.... > You give the flask to Ligeia Rowena stares at you in horror. "What are you doing??" Meanwhile, the colour begins to return to Ligeia's pale, wasted cheeks.... > You examine Ligeia Oh dear. You suddenly remember that Ligeia never was one to suffer competition gladly. That's why you killed her. > Kiss ligeia Her cheek feels cold and lifeless. > Wait Time passes. With a shriek, Ligeia launches out of the coffin and brutally attacks Rowena. Screams fill the chapel and you are forced to run ... run ... run.... You try to blot the memory of Rowena's stricken face from your mind. And then ... you remember your first wife, Lenore. Nameless, here, for evermore.... > LIST H Please give one of the answers above.

[Themes: Christmas] > You examine the regulars There's Skóa, of course, with the hat; and Jamessin smoking sullenly in the corner. Chow reads quietly in her wide chair, silently enjoying the presence of her friends Ramos (with the centipede familiar) and Grin (with the oversized scarf). The floorboards crack and pop underfoot. [Author's Note: It's just shy of closing time on the last Saturday before Christmas; only a handful of regulars left in the bar. Peaceful, even, in spite of all of the city's damage. And then he walks in with some messed-up story about a costumed vigilante.]

[Themes: Christmas] > You examine the centipede A tube of flesh hidden beneath an armature of mottled red and black, studded with numerous sharp yellow legs, clinging to Ramos' shoulder and neck like the worst/greatest feather boa. Sometimes it taps his collarbone with one of its scraping limbs, as though to remind him of something. A cat perches outside one of the windows, then disappears again. > You examine the hat You force your eyes to focus on the hat for a moment: It's shaped like an abstract paper chrysanthemum, perched on her head at an improbable angle. It moves, not with the drafty air inside the bar but of its own volition, like a breathing flower. The floorboards crack and pop underfoot. > You look at the scarf It's pretty much ever color at one point or another; it looks very much like someone finished a scarf, then just started the next one by continuing that same scarf, several times over, until they had a beast that resembled six or seven different scarves joined end to end into a cozy chimera. A cat perches outside one of the windows, then disappears again. The door swings open to let someone in from the outside; given the hour, and the events of the last few days, you can't help but set your fingers behind the bar into an unpleasant pattern, readying some curse or another. But then you see the man's face and your apprehension is replaced by mild annoyance. "We're closed," you say. "Didn't come here to drink," he replies, giving you the look that tells you he's about to rope you into something. > About yourself Much like the bar: A little rough around the edges, a little worse for wear. The table of regulars laughs together; except, of course, for Grin. You fail to contain a sigh. "Why are you even here?" "Oh, just having a look at the old place. Didn't know that I would still find it." He talks with an odd lilt that you've been told is Welsh. "What's that supposed to mean?" > You look at Grin So named because he doesn't. Grin likes to hang around, listen, figure out where the wind is blowing. He has a tendency to disappear for weeks at a time. Other than that, all you know about him is that he's from someplace warmer than Yeats; right now, in the middle of winter, his head barely pokes out of the enormous scarf wrapped several times around his neck and face. Skóa takes a drink out of her glass. "Didn't half the wizards in this city get killed or worse last year?" You shrug. "They weren't my customers." "Still. Must have been some trouble." (You could INTERJECT here) > You look at man (Ainsley) Ainsley is one of those people who always looks like he's lost weight, skin hanging slightly too loose off his bones like there used to be more of him; but you've never seem him any thicker. Maybe he puffs up when he's back across the ocean where he's from. Wears a professorial-looking argyle sweater vest and a calculated two-day nonbeard. Though you've never seen him do actual magic, of all the joints in all the cities in the world he likes to roll into yours, once every few months, when he's in town. Ramos nods silently in response to some unseen signal or message from his familiar. "Come on, Ainsley," you say, getting plainly frustrated now. "Just tell me what this is about." He cocks his head and stares you down curiously, for a moment. And then he pulls out a slightly oversized phone. He flips through pictures of what looks like a blur smeared against the night sky; after a few of them, though, it resolves itself in your mind as a vaguely human figure, leaping across rooftops; or maybe flying. You can't quite tell. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?" (You could INTERJECT here) > Interject "Yeah, okay. There's some rumors going around. A lot of them. The incident with the keener left a bit of a power vacuum. What was left of the cabal is now wrestling to see who comes out on top. Let's just say I don't cross the bridges no more." "I can imagine." "So there's this person going around Blaise sending people to the hospital. Some people think it's just a weird mundane in a costume, some people think it's a player. Fucked if I know how to get in touch, though." He purses his lips; the smell of Jamessin's cigarette must be giving him cravings. "Better than nothing, at least. Thanks." The table of regulars laughs together; except, of course, for Grin. > Inventory You are carrying: a rag a crow cameo Ramos takes a drink out of his glass. "What's your real angle here?" "Trouble back home. I'm putting a team together. Figured whoever's been beating up drug dealers is the kind of person who can help." Your eyes leap into the back of your skull faster than you can stop yourself. "You flew all the way to Yeats to recruit a latex fetishist to go fix one of your fuck-ups." "It's serious. Scary shit I hoped I'd never see again." (You could INTERJECT here) > Interject You shake your head, more at yourself than at him. "Fine. If it gets you off my back. You see the one in the corner with the oversized scarf? That's Grin. He might know what's up." "Don't suppose you might serve me a drink, now?" "Don't push your luck. And I hope you don't plan on staying in town for more than a couple days." "Wouldn't dream of it." > Notes December 2015, as a brief thank-you note to everyone who's read, supported, or helped my IF work over the course of the preceding year. It is small and wholly self-indulgent; as always, you can reach me on Twitter @notbrunoagain. Special thanks in no particular order to Jason McIntosh, Doug Orleans, Caleb Wilson, Tory Hoke, Etienne Vouga, Emily Short, David Cornelson, Carolyn van Eseltine, Aaron Reed, Neil Butters, Cat Manning, Kerstin Hall, and surely many others who have read, played, contributed, and helped me in 2015. December 24th, 2015 > You drop the cameo Dropped.

[Themes: Christmas] > You look at your surroundings Closing Time (behind the bar) It's three minutes to three on the last Saturday before Christmas; the green glass light fixtures hanging over the bar have been dimmed, dirty frost speckles the windows, and the hazy scent of alcoholic vomit emanating from the toilets has subdued to a minor note in the far background of the olfactory panoply that fills Herrig's. The last few regulars left in the place have coalesced into a single group, huddled around the corner table. You can also see a crow cameo here. > Clean bar You rub the bar. > You examine rag You don't strictly need it, but it helps people read you as the bartender. Your eyes drift inexorably to the group of regulars huddled around the table, taking stock of them. There's Skóa, of course, with the hat; and Jamessin smoking sullenly in the corner. Chow reads quietly in her wide chair, silently enjoying the presence of her friends Ramos (with the centipede familiar) and Grin (with the oversized scarf). > You look at Chow Chow is Skóa's physical opposite: Short, brown-skinned, slightly round about the cheeks and quite round about the body. But the two have the same cold, frighteningly perceptive eyes in common. Chow seems to enjoy mostly the vague warmth of others' company; she fills space by reading a book. You didn't quite glimpse its cover. Ramos nods silently in response to some unseen signal or message from his familiar. > Examine book You force your eyes to focus on the cover of the book: It's not old as in really old, just weatherbeaten and outdated. It's some pulpy thing with a screaming woman on the cover and a suitably absurd title: The Return of the Worm. The floorboards crack and pop underfoot. > You examine the skoa She is built much like the human version of an ancient birch tree: pale, tall, and slightly ominous-looking. This isn't helped by her propensity for a sort of post-post businesspunk wardrobe, though tonight she chose to break her somber figure by wearing a curious fascinator that you can't quite resolve with your eyes. Someone's phone squawks with a notification; nobody looks. > You examine the fascinator You force your eyes to focus on the hat for a moment: It's shaped like an abstract paper chrysanthemum, perched on her head at an improbable angle. It moves, not with the drafty air inside the bar but of its own volition, like a breathing flower. The table of regulars laughs together; except, of course, for Grin. The door swings open to let someone in from the outside; given the hour, and the events of the last few days, you can't help but set your fingers behind the bar into an unpleasant pattern, readying some curse or another. But then you see the man's face and your apprehension is replaced by mild annoyance. "We're closed," you say. "Didn't come here to drink," he replies, giving you the look that tells you he's about to rope you into something. > You examine Jamessin Jamessin is the youngest one in this crowd, though she's eager to make it clear at all times that she's nobody's apprentice. Tonight, something has her nervous; she's on her third cigarette now, still fiddling with the flame she produces from a slightly singed fingertip. Plenty going around to make someone rattled, of course. Someone looks at their phone and laughs at a private joke. You fail to contain a sigh. "Why are you even here?" "Oh, just having a look at the old place. Didn't know that I would still find it." He talks with an odd lilt that you've been told is Welsh. "What's that supposed to mean?" > You examine Ramos Gruff-looking and punkish, but ultimately good natured. Of course, then there's the chihuahua-sized centipede clinging to his neck and shoulder like a suckling infant. You still remember a time before familiars turned into a sort of shock fashion competition, though Ramos seems to have put an end to that; nobody cared to try harder than the giant centipede. The floorboards crack and pop underfoot. "Didn't half the wizards in this city get killed or worse last year?" You shrug. "They weren't my customers." "Still. Must have been some trouble." (You could INTERJECT here) > Interject You look askance for a moment, but decide to spill anyway: "So maybe there was an attack. So maybe a bunch of rich assholes are in the ground or in hospice care now. Maybe some of the people responsible were my customers. They're not any more." "You're only telling me this because you know I know." You give him a practiced glare. Chow takes a drink out of her glass. > You examine table The corner table is round, with a plush bench that wraps around it, fixed next to a window. Someone's phone squawks with a notification; nobody looks. "Come on, Ainsley," you say, getting plainly frustrated now. "Just tell me what this is about." He cocks his head and stares you down curiously, for a moment. And then he pulls out a slightly oversized phone. He flips through pictures of what looks like a blur smeared against the night sky; after a few of them, though, it resolves itself in your mind as a vaguely human figure, leaping across rooftops; or maybe flying. You can't quite tell. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?" (You could INTERJECT here) > You wait "Is that the weirdo in a costume that all the papers are up in arms about?" He nods, eyes bobbing up in his head like they want to roll. You continue: "Why do you assume a wizard is behind every weird thing that happens?" "Used to be a good assumption to have in this town. Now I'm not so sure." Jamessin blows a smoke ring, though it comes out weirdly deformed. > You wait "Sorry," you say, not sorry. "Can't help you there. What's your real angle here?" "Trouble back home. I'm putting a team together. Figured whoever's been beating up drug dealers is the kind of person who can help." Your eyes leap into the back of your skull faster than you can stop yourself. "You flew all the way to Yeats to recruit a latex fetishist to go fix one of your fuck-ups." "It's serious. Scary shit I hoped I'd never see again." (You could INTERJECT here) The table of regulars laughs together; except, of course, for Grin.

[Themes: Humor, Turkey, thanksgiving] It's bleak here, and there is a foreboding sense of fear in the air that you could cut with a knife. That is, you could cut it with a knife if you had a knife. Or opposable thumbs. You are a Turkey! A truly speedy Speed IF. by Jacqueline A Lott If this is your first time playing this game, you should type ABOUT at the prompt. I would recommend that you do this on your first turn. This is the happy little turkey farm where you and all the other turkeys live in peace and happiness, just cluckin" and gobblin" and gettin" fat. It's a grand life... except things seem sort of less happy today for some reason. > Inventory "Gobble?" What do you mean? Speak English, Turkey! You're beginning to feel a sense of worry deep in your gizzard. > You run You'll have to say which compass direction to go in. Wait, was that Sarah Palin? Nah, couldn't be. > You go to the north "Gobble?" You expect me to understand that gibberish? Who is that nice man in the flannel shirt? He picks you up and turns you upside down and puts your head in some sort of funnel... wait! What the... ?! Nooooo!

[Themes: amnesia] Thanks for playing! You feel as though you've been staring hard at something for a long time, yet have suddenly gotten lost. Your eyes are weary, and your legs are stiff. Not remembering how you arrived here, near a large park on the river Seine, you nevertheless decide to take in the scenery and explore a bit. Pr?s du parc You're standing on a gently sloping hill near a popular Parisian park. To the north you can see lots of people enjoying the summer day. Those without parasols sit in the shade of beautiful green trees, and in light of the way you're feeling, you might want to follow their lead. It's slightly after noon and the sun is beating down on you. A discarded newspaper lies at your feet. [Author's Note: Visit Paris, France in 1884 and explore a large park on the bank of the river Seine.] > About you You're you. Just an innocent tourist trying to broaden your horizons. > You take the newspaper Taken. > You examine it Your French isn't great, but even you notice that something is strange about the paper. Aha, there it is. "La Presse - dimanche 20 juillet 1884." Yeah, it's pretty old. From the various headings, you can tell there are articles on neo-impressionism, champagne, and optometry. Unfortunately, your grammar doesn't match your stunning ability to recognize simple cognates, so you're unable to read the articles themselves. > You read newspaper It's all Greek to you. Er, French. > You look at what you're carrying with you You are carrying: a newspaper > You go north It's nice and shady here. An upper-class Frenchwoman and her male companion (complete with monocle, top hat, and riding crop) are standing here, staring off to the west. The river does look nice, but the persistence of their gaze is unnerving. You can see a woman knitting to the west and a girl holding a bouquet to the north. A small brown dog is here, terrorizing a skinny little monkey on a leash. The monkey's owners don't seem to notice. > You examine the monkey The monkey's arching his back and hissing as a brown dog yips and nips at it. Someone should teach that dog a lesson. > You examine the dog A speckled brown dog wearing a pink bow. Its owner doesn't seem to be around. > You look at woman She has a parasol and a pet monkey on a leash. Also, she has a big, round butt. It can't be real. She must be using... Uh, what's it called... A bustle? Anyway, her dress has wiring in it that makes her butt look huge. > You kill the dog PETA wouldn't be happy with you. Try punishing it a little less severely. > You examine man The guy looks really stuck-up. > You hit the dog with the newspaper You give it a swift whack with the newspaper. It's looking pretty obedient now. > You feed the monkey to the dog (first taking the small monkey) I don't suppose the small monkey would care for that. > You talk to the woman Hm. Doesn't seem interested in talking to you. > You go west A woman sits here knitting a delicate white garment. She appears to be accompanied by a mustached man with a top hat and cane who looks across the river. Nearby a boatman smokes a pipe and stares out into the Seine as well. An unoccupied grassy patch of land lies to the north, and to the east you spot an aristocratic couple with a monkey. The woman continues to knit here. A black dog is here, behind the knitting woman, chewing something. > You examine the dog You peer closely at the spotty black dog. A pink hat is in his mouth. He looks like a rather docile breed, and the knitting woman seems to be its owner. > You hit the dog with the newspaper Is that really necessary? > You take the hat You play a little tug-of-war with the dog before it gives up the hat. The dog returns to sniffing grass around the park. Probably looking for a place to wee. > You look at the hat The hat's made of a light pink or lavender fabric, and has two poof balls strung to it on either side. It looks like the same material the woman nearby was knitting with, albeit a different color. > You wear the hat You put on the hat. > You remove it You take off the hat. > You give the hat to the woman The knitting woman looks up from her current task and smiles at you, piecing together what must have transpired. "Merci beaucoup. Ce chien..." She wags a finger at the dog and returns her hat to its proper position at her side. > You go north There's not much here besides grass. A nice view of the Seine lies to your west. There's an obnoxious bugler to the north, and you don't like the idea of hearing his warbling tune at a higher volume. Thus, you can only go east or south from here. A butterfly flaps its spotted wings silently in the air several feet off the ground. A small bunch of white-flecked flowers grows here. > You get the butterfly Darn. Though it barely seems to move, it flutters swiftly away each time you reach out for it. > You get all butterfly: Darn. Though it barely seems to move, it flutters swiftly away each time you reach out for it. bunch of flowers: Taken. Parisians: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. parasols: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. sun: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. beautiful trees: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. park: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. Seine: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. bugler: I don't suppose the bugler would care for that. ladies: I don't suppose the ladies would care for that. > You look at the trees They're very tall and slender, with speckled green leaves. > Inventory You are carrying: a bunch of flowers a newspaper > You look at the butterfly Remarkably still, you could probably grab it right out of the air. > You examine the flowers This bunch would add to a bouquet nicely, though the flowers look rather like plain white dots on their own. > You show the flowers to the butterfly The butterfly is unimpressed. > You look There's not much here besides grass. A nice view of the Seine lies to your west. There's an obnoxious bugler to the north, and you don't like the idea of hearing his warbling tune at a higher volume. Thus, you can only go east or south from here. A butterfly flaps its spotted wings silently in the air several feet off the ground. > Go east There's a girl here, about thirteen years old, arranging flowers. There's a finished bouquet next to her, and her mother (or aunt, or whatever) sits nearby, gazing at the Seine. Exits are north, toward a little girl and her mother, south, where an aristocratic couple walk a pet monkey, and west, toward an open field. > You look at the girl The girl looks at her tiny clump of flowers, arranging and rearranging the stems. She doesn't seem to like it much, and it certainly doesn't live up to the one by her side. > You get all Parisians: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. parasols: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. sun: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. beautiful trees: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. park: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. Seine: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. flower girl: I don't suppose the flower girl would care for that. finished bouquet: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. girl's mother: You'd like to bring this piece of art back with you, but it'd probably be missed. > You examine the bouquet There's a pretty bouquet of flowers laid here by the girl, but some of the buds seem faded. They look fresh-picked, but certain colors just have a dingy hue. > You show the flowers to girl The flower girl is unimpressed. > You give the flowers to girl She takes the flowers and adds them to her current bunch, smiling. "Zank you. Ze yellow..." She pauses, glancing at both her bouquet and the grass in the park. "Ze yellow is, how you say, fading..." The girl looks appreciatively at the white adornments to her project. > You go north There's a little girl here, holding her mother's hand. Other people are to the north, but there's nothing interesting in that direction, so you can only return south from here. > You examine girl About five years old, wearing a white hat and white dress. The little girl in white stares at you intently, as if she wants to talk to you. > You talk to girl You begin to speak to the little girl. "Um..." She looks up at you with a blank stare. "Hello. We are grateful for your help." "Oh," you stammer, "you speak English." "Yes," she says, without changing expression. "You're just a little kid, though. Don't you live here in Paris? Is one of your parents from England or America?" "I have learned English from the passers-by who stop to discuss and comment amongst themselves. I am always watching. Some others here are not so motivated." You look around a little. "What do you mean, passers-by? That doesn't make any sense. Here in the park, you mean? You learned English from tourists? That's impres-" "No, in the gallery. Chicago." The name of the city sounds familiar. "You mean you live in Chicago?" "In America for eighty-four years. In Chicago for seventy-six of them." "Whaaat? You've got some imagination, kid." You start walking away. "Wait," she says. "I am telling you the truth. All you see is merely a scene painted one hundred and twenty-five years ago, by a great artist. This place is La Grande Jatte, as seen over a century ago by Georges Seurat." You begin to protest, but now that the thought has been planted into your brain, you can't shake it off. Everything's seemed so restricted, so static. Things barely move, and everything's got the same texture to it. Speckled, spotted, dotted. It's all pointillism. Then you turn and stare at the girl's face. There's no definition to it. It's just a splotch of color. Her two blue eyes are blobs of oil paint. How could you not see this before? You have to get out of here. > You get out You're not in anything though... or are you? > Yes That was a rhetorical question. > You wake up But you're not sleeping... or are you?

> Look around There's a little girl here, holding her mother's hand. Other people are to the north, but there's nothing interesting in that direction, so you can only return south from here. > Go south There's a girl here, about thirteen years old, arranging flowers. There's a finished bouquet next to her, and her mother (or aunt, or whatever) sits nearby, gazing at the Seine. Exits are north, toward a little girl and her mother, south, where an aristocratic couple walk a pet monkey, and west, toward an open field. > Go south It's nice and shady here. An upper-class Frenchwoman and her male companion (complete with monocle, top hat, and riding crop) are standing here, staring off to the west. The river does look nice, but the persistence of their gaze is unnerving. You can see a woman knitting to the west and a girl holding a bouquet to the north. A small brown dog is here sitting and scratching behind one ear. It cowers as you approach. > You go south Pr?s du parc You're standing on a gently sloping hill near a popular Parisian park. To the north you can see lots of people enjoying the summer day. Those without parasols sit in the shade of beautiful green trees, and in light of the way you're feeling, you might want to follow their lead. It's slightly after noon and the sun is beating down on you. > You jump You jump on the spot, fruitlessly. > Go outside You're not in anything though... or are you? > You wake up But you're not sleeping... or are you? > You think What a good idea. > You talk to girl She stares at you with her featureless, oily paint-blob face. "Well, are you going to leave leave La Grande Jatte? > You leave You'll have to say which compass direction to go in. > You leave la grande jatte You're standing in a long hallway with a brown tile floor and white walls. Your eyes are weary, and your legs are stiff. A white-framed painting adorns the north wall. There's a white porcelain plaque on its right. You can also see a crumpled note here. > You examine the plaque Georges Seurat, 1884-1886 207.6 cm x 308 cm (81.7 in x 121.25 in) > You examine the painting A pet monkey on a leash watches a brown dog at his owner's side. A black dog sniffs the grass near a knitting woman, who is busily working her needles. A girl clasps a small bouquet of flowers with an expression both cheerful and forlorn. And a little girl in white stares back at you from the very center of the painting. Yes. At this distance, all seems to be in order. > You get the note Taken. > You read it When I decided to enter EnvComp, I had no idea what setting I was going to use. But I thought about it for a while, and knew I wanted a slightly deceptive one. A setting the player wouldn't identify correctly right away. It was hard to think of a situation like that, and eventually I settled on the player being stuck in a painting. It seemed like a unique, exciting setting. I'm not actually a huge art lover or anything. I determined which painting I was going to use by searching the internet for "famous paintings," and then picking the first one I recognized. I remembered seeing a reproduction of Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte in my dentist's office when I was a kid. Anyway, I had to research its name, author, and history to write the game, because I knew very little about it at first. I tried to drop as many hints in the painting world as possible, hoping that someone familiar with some aspect of the work (its characters, its pointillism, its setting, its author, etc.) may think to try escaping from it without having to solve any puzzles at all. Which is very possible, although the commands available for doing so vary depending how many points you have. The puzzles were simple to make. The plot, however, was difficult to flesh out. Some cultures think that being photographed steals part of your soul. Who's to say that the subject of a portrait or landscape isn't somehow imbued in the canvas? Somehow, the player character enters the dreamlike territory of the painting itself (Maybe it's a special ability?) either without realizing it or without remembering it. He then wanders about, setting things right in the painting, until the little girl in white, the most knowledgeable 'soul' there, tells him where he is. It's up to the player to attempt commands like >LEAVE PAINTING or >EXIT LA GRANDE JATTE after some prodding and hinting from this character. The npcs aren't very fleshed out, but my convenient excuse is that most of them are literally two-dimensional painting characters, ones who have no wish to interact with an outsider anyway. The animals, and the few people that do respond to the character, are simply special cases. Thanks for playing my first game.

[Themes: Comedy, silly, romance] HNNNgnnngn-* "Huh... hello?" "Oh, you're awake! I've been calling and calling, I thought you'd never pick up!" "Wha... wha is... wha... smoochiepoodle, is that you? Why're you... on phone?" "Oh, don't be such a silly, lovepuffin! Is your head better? You didn't drink anywhere near enough water. I told you to drink more water, it's just the best, and it doesn't make you jitter the way that awful coffee you drink does." "Head is... no. Head is awful. Very awful." "Oh, poor puffin. Well, after you passed out, I thought it would be SO much easier to just pop over to your flat and get your credit card for the trip -" "MY flat? You're at MY flat? You can't be at MY flat. It's not... not good. Dangerous. Very dangerous bad. Shouldn... be there. Might get hurt." "Pish tosh, your housekeeping can't be that bad. Well ANYway, I was calling to find out where you kept your spare key, but it's no problem at all! I just found it right under the doormat! You shouldn't keep it there, puffin pookie, all sorts of unsavory sorts can get in if you do, everyone knows about that. It's true, the Globe said so. ANYway - ugh, this door sticks -" "No no no! Don' go in there! I'll come, wait for -" "Too late, puffy feathers, if I can just get - bah, stupid door. Oh, that worked! Peachy puffin, did you know that your door opens much better if you just kick it good before you pull?" "YES. Now, smoochiepoodle -" "Oh, don't worry your little scientific head about a thing. Just tell me where your credit card is, and I'll be out again in two flips of a tail... not YOUR tail, of course, that takes far longer to flip! Tee!" "Uhhhhh...." A Disaster in the Making (AKA SpeedJacket IF 4 Entry) by Carolyn VanEseltine "I'm a bit confused... my head. Smoochiepoodle, what do you see right now?" "Just think about the fun we'll have in Jamaica, kissy beak. It's awful cluttery in here... no, don't fuss so, it's true. How do you get around anywhere? I'd clean this up so fast for you, you shouldn't have to live like this. I see your desk and your fridge and a table and a robot looking thing over by the door, I guess that's your bathroom door, why's it shining that light on those frozen peas? And these are... uh... oh, fish! It's really nice you have fish, though you should scrub out their tank. Ugh, green stuff. "I thought your card would just be lying out on the desk, that's what most people do when they forgot a credit card, but I don't see it at all. What should I do? "Also, do you really think that fish tank matches the decor?" > Yes "Yes, I do think the fish tank matches the wallpaper, thank you ever so much." "Don't take it hard, pretty bird - everyone's got their little flaws. Yours might be... a little bigger... but I still love you awfully lots. "Oh, your robot looking thing just stopped shining that blue light on the peas. That's probably good. They might defrost in all that light. "What should I do now, honey beak?" > You look "Smoochiepoodle, what do you see right now?" "Your head must hurt so bad, fuzzy puffin, I feel so sorry for you! It's awful cluttery in here... I see your desk and your fridge and a table and a robot looking thing over by the door, I guess that's your bathroom door, why's it shining that light on those frozen peas? And these are... uh... oh, fish! It's really nice you have fish, though you should scrub out their tank. Ugh, green stuff. "That robot looking thing is blinking a light at me! That's so cute! "What should I do now, pretty bird?" > You look at the robot "Smoochiepoodle, would you please try examining the robot?" "Your robot looking thing is blinking at me. It's cuter than I realized. Hi, robot!" "*Voice Not Authorized*" "Well FINE, be that way. Hmph. "Oh, it's making a humming noise! Can you hear that? I'll hold up the phone - " "*Targeting Mode Activated - Identify Yourself Intruder*" "What should I do now, fuzzy wings?" > Shoot "Please try answering the robot that "shoot"." There is no reply. "Oh, your robot thing has light-ups on its fingers! Oh, snuggle beak, that's so cute! Now it's pointing at me - I think it wants to shake ha -" > No "No, I guess the desk doesn't match the wallpaper, but that wasn't really my first thought when I got it, smoochiepoodle." "It wasn't? Whatever were you thinking?" "Wouldn't it be nice to have a desk?" "Oh poodgy feathers, that's just like you. It comes from working too hard, I'm sure. "Oh, your robot looking thing just stopped shining that blue light on the peas. That's probably good. They might defrost in all that light. "What should I do now, poodgy puffin?" > You examine the peas "Try examining the frozen peas." "Oh! You didn't even say please! My heart is all hurt, pretty bird!" "Would you PLEASE try examining the frozen peas?" "Bad enough you're eating them frozen, but why didn't you get on-brand? "Epsilon Eridani Specimen" might sound imported to you, but I tell you it's just Illinois trash food, and they probably use chemicals. "That robot looking thing is blinking a light at me! That's so cute! "What should I do now, kissy puffin?" > You identify yourself "Poor poodgy puffin, I don't understand what you want me to do at all. Your head must be hurting awfully." > You give phone to the robot "Oh fine! Be a mean kissy beak, talk to the robot thingie instead of me. See if I care." "Oh, it's making a humming noise! Can you hear that? I'll hold up the phone - " "*Targeting Mode Activated - Identify Yourself Intruder*" "*Awaiting Instructions - Authorized Voice Only*" > You deactivate "*Authorized Voice Accepted - Hello Doctor - I Am Sorry, But I Do Not Understand Your Command*" "Ugh, give me that, you big hunk of metal! Are you there, fuzzy wings? Did you like talking to your robot thing? "Oh, your robot thing has light-ups on its fingers! Oh, poodgy feathers, that's so cute! Now it's pointing at me - I think it wants to shake ha -" > Hello "*Authorized Voice Accepted - Hello Doctor - I Am Sorry, But I Do Not Understand Your Command*" "Ugh, give me that, you big hunk of metal! Are you there, pretty bird? Did you like talking to your robot thing? "Oh, your robot thing has light-ups on its fingers! Oh, pretty bird, that's so cute! Now it's pointing at me - I think it wants to shake ha -" > Off "*Authorized Voice Accepted - Hello Doctor - I Am Sorry, But I Do Not Understand Your Command*" "Ugh, give me that, you big hunk of metal! Are you there, poodgy feathers? Did you like talking to your robot thing? "Oh, your robot thing has light-ups on its fingers! Oh, poodgy feathers, that's so cute! Now it's pointing at me - I think it wants to shake ha -" > Hello "*Authorized Voice Accepted - Hello Doctor - I Am Sorry, But I Do Not Understand Your Command*" "Ugh, give me that, you big hunk of metal! Are you there, poodgy feathers? Did you like talking to your robot thing? "Oh, your robot thing has light-ups on its fingers! Oh, fluffy beak, that's so cute! Now it's pointing at me - I think it wants to shake ha -" > Hello "Poor fluffy beak, I don't understand what you want me to do at all. Your head must be hurting awfully." > You turn off (the piranhas) "*Authorized Voice Accepted - Hello Doctor - I Am Sorry, But I Do Not Understand Your Command*" "Ugh, give me that, you big hunk of metal! Are you there, poodgy feathers? Did you like talking to your robot thing? "Oh, your robot thing has light-ups on its fingers! Oh, poodgy feathers, that's so cute! Now it's pointing at me - I think it wants to shake ha -" > You turn off (the piranhas) "*Authorized Voice Accepted - Hello Doctor - I Am Sorry, But I Do Not Understand Your Command*" "Ugh, give me that, you big hunk of metal! Are you there, kissy beak? Did you like talking to your robot thing? "Oh, your robot thing has light-ups on its fingers! Oh, snuggle puffin, that's so cute! Now it's pointing at me - I think it wants to shake ha -" > You ask Robot, to wait The robot has better things to do. > You turn off robot "*Authorized Voice Accepted - Hello Doctor - Obedience And Compliance - Powering Down Now*" "Ugh, give me that, you big hunk of metal! Are you there, kissy puffin? Did you like talking to your robot thing? I hope so, because > You shoot robot it doesn't look very talkative now. Did you say something it didn't like? "What should I do now, fuzzy wings?" "Try answering the robot that "shoot robot"." "Oh! You didn't even say please! My heart is all hurt, honey puffin!" "Would you PLEASE try answering the robot that "shoot robot"?" There is no reply. "Funny - the peas bag is sort of... shredding, I guess. I think there's something moving inside it. "What should I do now, snuggle beak?" > You put the peas in the tank "I need you to listen to me very carefully and do just what I say." "But honey beak, don't I always?" "Smoochiepoodle, this is absolutely important. Put the frozen peas into the fish tank, right away." "Oh fine. Sploosh sploosh, there they g - oh my god." "What? What? "Smoochiepoodle? Talk to me, curvy nose, please?" "It... it was... what WAS that? The fish were all over them, all the teeth and the black stuff and the... it almost looked like a FACE, fuzzy wings, it was just so awful...." Please come back. My head is killing me and I need you to please not look around the apartment any more. I need you to come cuddle me." "I... I can do that. I'll just close the door right now.... Okay, I'm coming back now. Your place is all locked up and safe." "Smoochiepoodle, I am so, so sorry you had to see that. But it should have taught you a valuable lesson." "Lesson? What lesson?" "Well, did you see the label on the fish tank?" "The one that said "Chance?" "Yes, that's the one. And that's the lesson I need you to take away, because all I just said is... give peas to Chance. "Hello? Hello? ...Are you still there? Hello?" > You wait "Please try waiting." Time passes. There's something inside that bag of peas - I can see it a bit now, it's black and wriggly -" "Smoochiepoodle, listen to me very carefully. I want you to - " "The bag is shredding all the way, I can see something crawling out. It looks a bit like - its FACE! THAT FACE! Its - AGGGHHHHHHHHHgggglrgle...." "No! Smoochiepoodle! Talk to me! TALK TO ME! NOOOOOOOoooooooooo!"

[Themes: Horror, Seasonal, Surreal, holiday theme, halloween] Katherine and you always did love Halloween parties. You used to be the life of them, back in your home town. Having just moved to New York city a month ago, however, you had not expected to get into one this year. Especially since Katherine had elected to stay behind, leaving you here on your own. Enter your old net-friend Miseri, with an introduction to a Mr deMause, a strange and eccentric fellow who would just love to have you over for his Halloween Masque this year. All you have to do now is figure out how to find your way to Mr deMause's apartment. No easy task, since Miseri had neglected to give you directions. Add to that the pea-soup fog rolling about outside.... Sigh. If only Katherine were here.... It's your apartment, and it's in the usual mess. The mess, in fact, threatens to take control of the whole apartment. Not that you have too much time to worry about it right now, of course. You have to find your way to Mr deMause's apartment ... The door to the south leads out into the foggy night, and that seems like a good place to start. > You go south You hadn't realised until stepping out tonight how dim the fog could be. The pea-souper spreads out in all directions, obscuring your vision. The steps leading down to the south disappear into it. Back to the north, the door leads back into the warmth of home. You can see a Jack O'Lantern (which is closed) here. > You get the pumpkin Taken. > You open the pumpkin As you look into the pumpkin, a disembodied hand leaps out onto your shoulder! You scream in fright, and the thing scuttles off into the fog. Regaining your composure, you look inside the pumpkin.... In the Jack O'Lantern is a note. > You read the note The writing is spidery, and you realise that it is written in blood. Real blood. But perhaps the creepiest thing of all is the sheer friendliness of the message: "Midas (the hand) is your guide to Mr deMause's apartment. Do remember to cross his palm with silver, or something of the sort.... Katherine's already here at the apartment, and she's waiting for you." You had no idea that Katherine was anywhere near New York. There's a mystery afoot here. Or at hand.... > Go south Pea-souper fog blankets everything. You know more by instinct than anything else that the way home is just to the north. Otherwise, all the streets leading out from here are alien to you. You notice the disembodied hand near the traffic lights, leaping at the red light. It misses. The light turns green, and the hand scuttles away. > Go south You wander down the street into the fog, but the fog confuses you, and you soon find yourself back in Washington Square. > Go south You notice the disembodied hand near the traffic lights, leaping at the red light. It misses. The light turns green, and the hand scuttles away. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a Jack O'Lantern (which is open) a note a red glass > You examine the glass A shard of red glass. You have no idea where you picked it up, or why you held on to it. Only the village idiot would find any use for it. Without warning, the disembodied hand scuttles across your path, pausing to wave a finger at you before disappearing into the fog. > You enter the fog That's not something you can enter. You hear a faint scuttling through the fog, as of some spider lurking in the darkness. > You put the glass in the lantern You put the red glass into the Jack O'Lantern. You notice the disembodied hand near the traffic lights, leaping at the red light. It misses. The light turns green, and the hand scuttles away. > You drop the lantern Dropped. > You wait Time passes. > Wait Time passes. Without warning, the disembodied hand scuttles across your path, pausing to wave a finger at you before disappearing into the fog. > You wait awhile Time passes. You hear a faint scuttling through the fog, as of some spider lurking in the darkness. > You wait Time passes. You notice the disembodied hand near the traffic lights, leaping at the red light. It misses. The light turns green, and the hand scuttles away. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a Jack O'Lantern (which is open) a red glass a note > You look at the note The writing is spidery, and you realise that it is written in blood. Real blood. But perhaps the creepiest thing of all is the sheer friendliness of the message: "Midas (the hand) is your guide to Mr deMause's apartment. Do remember to cross his palm with silver, or something of the sort.... Katherine's already here at the apartment, and she's waiting for you." You had no idea that Katherine was anywhere near New York. There's a mystery afoot here. Or at hand.... Without warning, the disembodied hand scuttles across your path, pausing to wave a finger at you before disappearing into the fog. > You drop the red A few moments after dropping the shard of red glass, the hand scuttles across the square towards you and settles down to examine it. If you want to pick it up, now's your chance. > You get the hand You gently pick the thing up by the wrist, gruesome though the thought may be. The fingers wiggle back at you questioningly. > You look at the hand A disembodied hand! What's more, an animated disembodied hand! Creepier and creepier ... didn't this sort of thing only happen in the movies? The hand seems to be wearing a signet ring on its index finger. > You examine the ring It's an elegant, gold signet ring. Something about it strikes you as being oddly familiar, though you can't imagine what. There seems to be a small depression in the ring, apparently made to hold something. > You get the ring The hand struggles in protest as you reach for the ring. You decide that it might not be such a good idea.... > You look at the glass A shard of red glass. You have no idea where you picked it up, or why you held on to it. Only the village idiot would find any use for it. > You cut yourself Cutting you up would achieve little. > You cut the hand Cutting him up would achieve little. > You put the hand in the pumpkin You put the disembodied hand into the Jack O'Lantern.

[Themes: Seasonal, Surreal, Horror, halloween] > You describe your surroundings Pea-souper fog blankets everything. You know more by instinct than anything else that the way home is just to the north. Otherwise, all the streets leading out from here are alien to you. > You wave the hand You look ridiculous waving the disembodied hand. > You examine the pumpkin The pumpkin bears Miseri's unmistakeable style of carving. It grins at you hollowly, as if daring you to open it and look inside. > You eat the note (first taking the note) That's plainly inedible. > You show the note to the midas The disembodied hand is unimpressed. > You examine the ring It's an elegant, gold signet ring. Something about it strikes you as being oddly familiar, though you can't imagine what. There seems to be a small depression in the ring, apparently made to hold something. > You go north You hadn't realised until stepping out tonight how dim the fog could be. The pea-souper spreads out in all directions, obscuring your vision. The steps leading down to the south disappear into it. Back to the north, the door leads back into the warmth of home. > Go north It's your apartment, and it's in the usual mess. The mess, in fact, threatens to take control of the whole apartment. Not that you have too much time to worry about it right now, of course. You have to find your way to Mr deMause's apartment ... The door to the south leads out into the foggy night, and that seems like a good place to start. > Search mess What's this? It's that earring that you promised to have reset as a ring for Katherine! You'd better not lose it again. > You examine the earring This is one of a pair of earrings that you gave Katherine some few months ago. The other one was lost during, um, an adventure involving a hot spring which we shan't go into right now. Since Katherine never was one for single earrings, you told her you'd have the stone re-set in a solitaire ring.... The stone seems rather loose, actually. > You look at the stone You always believed that this was an amethyst, because it would glow violet when you held it. Now, however, it glows red whether you hold it or not, and you wonder if it could in fact be a misunderstood ruby. > You put it in the ring Which do you mean, the earring or the signet ring? > You get it You carefully pry it out ... well, that was easier than expected.... Taken. > You put the stone in the signet ring You carefully insert the stone into the depression in the ring. It seems to fit perfectly. In fact, the stone seems to be glowing brighter than before ... with a shocking suddenness, the hand leaps in your grasp and points an accusing finger towards the south of Washington Square. > Go south You hadn't realised until stepping out tonight how dim the fog could be. The pea-souper spreads out in all directions, obscuring your vision. The steps leading down to the south disappear into it. Back to the north, the door leads back into the warmth of home. > Go south Pea-souper fog blankets everything. You know more by instinct than anything else that the way home is just to the north. Otherwise, all the streets leading out from here are alien to you. > Go south Following the hand directions, you cautiously make your way down the street ... then with greater confidence.... It isn't long before you find yourself outside your destination, the melancholy apartment of deMause.... You wander down the street into the fog, but the fog confuses you, and you soon find yourself back in Washington Square. > Go south Following the hand directions, you cautiously make your way down the street ... then with greater confidence.... It isn't long before you find yourself outside your destination, the melancholy apartment of deMause.... You wander down the street into the fog, but the fog confuses you, and you soon find yourself back in Washington Square.

[Themes: urban fantasy, fantasy] Moondarkling: Elfboon A Rural Urban-Fantasy by Sam Kabo Ashwell In terms of mere geography, Ruritania is landlocked. Liminally it's a lot more complicated. On slow days, this is the bank of the Svonat, a minor river that for maybe sixty kilometres traces the Slovakian border, only distinguished by rather sparse settlement for such a fertile valley.Today it's the verge of a mangrove swamp, water the colour of strong tea lapping gently against a barnacle-encrusted jetty, and far off through the trees the suggestion of blazing light on a foreign sea. (You haven't seen this one before.) A crab darts across a salt-crusted log; the air is warm, with a strong taste of salt, anchovies and rotting mud. The Margin Cafe looks no more weatherbeaten than usual, and the prospect of cooler air is enticing. A mudlark is perusing low-hanging branches for lootable fruits. > You look at the swamp The water is the clear brownish hue of strong tea, and sparkles in little wavelets around the sprawling mangrove roots. It's only about waist-deep, though the mud beneath it is probably many times that. The sharp scent leaves no doubt that it's a salt-water day. > You examine the mudlark Mudlarking is the mildly illegal[1] practice of loitering on water margins[2] in the hope of happening upon valuable salvage or harvest. By your estimation, gold-sands, pearl beds and sturgeon populations manifest a lot less often than crocodiles, spring tides or bilharzia; every now and then some idiot prospector convinces themselves that they have developed a System, but more usually it's the domain of the more enterprising variety of indigent. This particular mudlark is youngish, scrawny and not conspicuously insane. > Note 1 And in Ruritania, tedious, complicated and socially bootless to prosecute. As far as you're concerned, the law exists as an alternative way of nailing the ones who branch out into smuggling or elfin traffic. > Inventory You are carrying: the Nook of Shadows. semi-automatic > Note 3 It's only in the last couple of years that anyone started making automatic rounds jacketed in cold iron; formerly you had to lug around a gigantic revolver that made holes of undiplomatic proportions in everything and kicked like an onager with a hornet on its balls, and the Glock. > Examine nook It's a sort of eldritch scrapbook of stuff that you've ripped off from people who ripped it off from a bewildering assortment of charlatans, Inquisitors, cat ladies, fantasists, perverts, aelfkultur-appropriators, cabalists, storytellers, alchemists, space cadets and paranoids. Stratified bullshit, deep and compacted and fertile, mounted up into a tell. Potent stuff. Its first incarnation was an age-yellowed Penguin that was bloated with inserts and shedding pages before you were twenty, and you recently upgraded to a more portable version. The problem is that it's a Lithuanian knockoff with an OS designed in Tanzania. It features a Weirding Manager intended to suggest the most dramatically appropriate spells, but either dramatic conventions are very strange in Tanzania or the manager has attained a limited but cantankerous sentience, and rare is the occasion on which it supplies a spell of transparent utility. It can, at any rate, be used to access the police databases and look people up, even in places where liminality banjaxes conventional connections. > Go inside The margins are not a stable place to live, but there are plenty of people passing through and they're all in need of something. This place supplies it: food, potable water, first aid, doss space, amateur legal counsel, trauma debriefing. Physically it's a low-ceilinged, broad, poorly-lit room, somewhere between bar, mess-hall and doss-house, with what would be a comfortable, homey scent if you liked fish soup, damp clothes and ill-washed foreigners[4]. Druse loiters decoratively behind the bar. A particularly sorry-looking outclade[5], huddled over a bowl of Complimentary Soup, is the only customer. > Note 4 And actually, having come here almost every day for three years, you are disturbed to find that you kind of do. > Note 5 The Liminal Patrol does not make judgments act on behalf of the Outsider Office[6], and it is very important to use a term that remains agnostic on whether its referrent is an asylum-seeker, refugee of war, economic migrant, vagrant, smuggler, baby-snatcher or insurgent. It's best to just think of them as a shambling mound of paperwork. > Note 6 Who's in charge of the margin is kind of complicated. The Frontiers Division is nominally in charge of securing the borders, but here they just make flyovers and kick the crap out of anything that looks like a monster or an invasion. The Outsider Office processes such immigrants as make it into a queue at a provincial capital (or, just as often, a holding cell). The Liminal Patrol deals with everything that falls in between, which is to say the difficult stuff. > You look at Druse Dweller in the perpetual legal shadow of the boundary and proprietor[7] of the Margin Cafe, Druse is dark-eyed, slender-limbed and fine-featured and has perfect hair that falls across his face in silver strands and okay let's not be fucking coy about it, he's a half-elf. Which is good for him as far as getting laid goes, but ugly as all hell for legal status. You strongly suspect that you're carrying his child, which is kind of troublesome territory because apart from the whole wrong-side-of-the-tracks deal elves have this cultural Thing about human babies, a little bulb goes on behind their eyes and the last time one of those bulbs went on (or someone thought they did) there were riots and half the Kobolykunst ghetto got burned down. You dealt with more of the aftermath than you care to remember, and you had to call in favours from the Pale Colony, and unforseen complications arose and now the fangy pillocks think you owe them[8]. However, all of this is going to be put off by angsty procrastination, implausible miscommunications and emotional immaturity until Volume La Troisieme of the Moondarkling Cycle, so at the moment he's just a distraction. Let's just pretend he's not here for now, all right? Like this.

> You look around The margins are not a stable place to live, but there are plenty of people passing through and they're all in need of something. This place supplies it: food, potable water, first aid, doss space, amateur legal counsel, trauma debriefing. Physically it's a low-ceilinged, broad, poorly-lit room, somewhere between bar, mess-hall and doss-house, with what would be a comfortable, homey scent if you liked fish soup, damp clothes and ill-washed foreigners. A particularly sorry-looking outclade, huddled over a bowl of Complimentary Soup, is the only customer. > Note 7 By its nature, few of the Cafe's clientele have or even understand money; Druse is mostly paid in low-end elfboons. He hopes, or says that he hopes, to eventually accumulate enough boons to be able to go home, once the war's over; but boons don't stack in a neat numerical fashion, and you have only the vaguest idea as to whether this is a credible ambition. > Note 8 See Moondarkling Volume La Zeroiene: Witchlighten. > You examine Soup Outclades can straggle in in any number and at all hours, including the numerous ones in which Druse doesn't want to cook; but they they're often cold and hungry. And freight orders don't make it out here very reliably. The solution is the Complimentary Soup, an oversized, eternally simmering crockpot containing a sort of high-class pigswill. It receives most of the fruits of Druse's sporadic hunter-gathering; on bad days the major ingredient is barnacles, and although its flavour evolves over the years it always retains a basic fishy character. > You eat Soup You already ate. You try to make a point of it, if you plan to show up at a non-cooking hour. It's not that the Soup is invariably bad, but it's rarely very good and often outright awful, and there is no way to tell until you've swallowed the first spoonful. (first taking the Complimentary Soup) That's hardly portable. > You examine the outclade Piercingly beautiful, even for an elf. Age indefinite; she doesn't move with the assured arrogance of a mature adult, but then she's probably had a deflating few days. Somewhat damp, muddy and scratched. Various details -- left forearm scarified in triple spirals, a particular style of weaving spidersilk ribbons into braided hair, a really expensive bra -- identify her as a member of the Ae Cau Shar clade. You only know this because they test you on the entire freakin" Aelfosemiotica every couple of years; the Ae Cau Shar are not, to the best of your limited knowledge, very closely affected by the conflict. Kicker is, they only speak their own obscure language, and occasionally Middling Forkmouth, which works as something like a regional trade-jargon for elves but is fearsomely unlearnable for humans[9]. > About you Your Ruritanian passport calls you Zbyana Ostrava Kalinin-Zorndorf, and your parents call you something similar with different phonetics. The elves are notoriously sloppy about both paperwork and nomenclature, but a plurality of them would acknowledge you as Comtessa Radishes, Starlight Through Frozen Waterfalls, Lord High Weatherstone of the Hollow Hill, and Dawn-cobwebs Musketeer[10]. Your outfit was constructed around a camel trenchcoat, an extremely French scarf, and the World's Stupidest Boots.[11] > Note 9 Which is suspiciously convenient for anybody who might have a motive to avoid the challenges of interrogation, hem-hem.[12] > Note 12 C.E.J. Pacian, Gun Mute, talking to.[13] > Note 13 Adam Thornton, Mentula Macanus: Apocolocyntosis, opening screen. Believe it or not, I was abusing footnotes before I even fired Stiffy up, but the encouragement is appreciated. > Note 10 And several others that you're not allowed to disclose, one or two that you are literally incapable of disclosing, and a whole host that are best left unshared in polite company. Turning down elf-boon names is Not Done, but it would be a lot easier if they weren't such a bunch of pervs. > Note 11 By inclination you think about clothes perhaps four times a year, but elves have an intense cultural prejudice against anyone not ridiculously overdressed. Most patrollers default to something gothy and heroin-chic on the grounds that it can be sustained with little sleep and less laundry, but it's become such a staple of the patroller stereotype that you resisted. Fortunately, even the Ruritanian Liminal Patrol maintains a stylist on staff. > Sing Your singing is abominable. Well, shit. Now you have to work out what to do with her. There's no chance that she has a clade sponsor, because she doesn't have a clade. Which also means that she'd be outside even what passes for a social safety-net in the refugee camps. And if the Ae Cau Shar aren't actually in the war, asylum is going to be a whole lot harder to come by even if she gets to the head of the queue, which she won't. So your choices, essentially, are to arrest her and consign her to a muddy limbo for the rest of her natural life, or turn a blind eye, let her wander off into the countryside and get arrested by rural police instead, or stoned by a Landnat gang, or abducted. Or deport her, to whatever was scary enough to make all this seem worthwhile. > Arrest outclade It's one hell of a rough deal, but she's probably headed in this direction anyway, and you can at least make the process more gentle than the provincial police are likely to. And it's not the Landnats. It takes a while to convey the idea to her, but after some emphatic gestures at the door and tugging at the wrist she gets it, arches an impeccable eyebrow, and looks even more tired than before. You shepherd her to the nearest branch of the Outsider Office, stick around to make sure they don't fuck up the paperwork or mess her around, and leave her your card. Not that she understands phones. Back at headquarters, you crunch out a report. Krebs nods noncomittally over it, and it gets filed, and you go home. You stare fixedly at the doormat for about ten minutes, and then you go about your life, not quite trying to forget, not quite trying to remember. > You kiss her She's cute and everything, but that side of yourself goes mysteriously unmentioned until Volume La Soixieme: Shadowed Wings, and a good two-fifths of the fans still refuse to regard that as canon. > You shoot the outclade I beg your pardon? > Inventory You are carrying: the Nook of Shadows. semi-automatic > You exit Today it's the verge of a mangrove swamp, water the colour of strong tea lapping gently against a barnacle-encrusted jetty, and far off through the trees the suggestion of blazing light on a foreign sea. Something rubbery rolls below the water's surface, then is gone; the air is warm, with a strong taste of salt, lemon zest and rotting mud. The Margin Cafe looks no more weatherbeaten than usual, and the prospect of cooler air is enticing. Or you could just get out of here. The mudlark is engaged in hunting what may very well be fleas, though around here you never know. > You go inside The margins are not a stable place to live, but there are plenty of people passing through and they're all in need of something. This place supplies it: food, potable water, first aid, doss space, amateur legal counsel, trauma debriefing. Physically it's a low-ceilinged, broad, poorly-lit room, somewhere between bar, mess-hall and doss-house, with what would be a comfortable, homey scent if you liked fish soup, damp clothes and ill-washed foreigners. A particularly sorry-looking outclade, huddled over a bowl of Complimentary Soup, is the only customer. > You look up the outclade in Nook Unsurprisingly, she doesn't show up in any records. At all. Anywhere. Which makes sense: if she had crossed over before, she'd probably have done a better job of it this time. > You look up yourself in Nook Whenever you try to egosearch yourself, the Nook of Shadows just plays back the vision you had in the final act of Moondarkling: Dancing Whispers that revealed you to be the sole descendant of the half-elfin heroine Joan of Arc and, therefore, destined to protect both humanity and elfkind through a vaguely-defined and ever-expanding array of powers and prophecies. There's a pointlessly ambiguous coda about the identity of your true love (also destined). It looks a lot less impressive in 2D. > You look up the mudlark in Nook Using magic to obtain information about legal residents or legitimate visitors without a warrant or documented consent is horribly illegal throughout the EU, except under conditions of direct threat[14]. Even if you're just using the magic to remotely access Google. You could get in an awful lot of trouble doing this... > Note 14 You can scry for someone's psych records if they're waving a gun at you. You can't remotely view someone's home if you think they're building a bomb.

[Themes: Humor, Comedy, humor] Can you beat our amazing new New Years puzzle challenge? It's all a part of our brand-new New Years new brand initiative! A Happy New Year's new Puzzle-Venture, from the brand new New Years brand by SoftSoft New players should type SoftSoft's new command, ABOUT. (wow "new" doesn't even look like a real word anymore) You are in a brightly colored room, full of unimplemented decorations. Nearby you can see the Baby New Year, all wrapped up and ready to go! Next to the Baby New Year is a champagne bottle. [Author's Note: Can you beat our amazing new New Years puzzle challenge? It's all a part of our brand-new New Years new brand initiative!]

[Themes: Humor, humor] > You examine baby Well, actually, it's really more of a Baby New Year replica. The real ones are much too expensive for our budget this year. NEW YEARS FUN FACT: New Year's Eve is the favorite holiday of actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt! His least favorite? Arbor Day! > You look at the bottle A fancy bottle of champagne. NEW YEARS FUN FACT: New Years Eve was originally a pagan holiday celebrating the god of getting completely wasted. However it has been co-opted by Christianity and nowadays most people celebrate New Years to commemorate the birth of Jesus' brother Mesus. > About yourself You look great! Just concentrate on the game. NEW YEARS FUN FACT: In Japan, the traditional New Years treat is mochi, a cake made of rice paste. However, the secret ingredient isn't ground-up moon rabbits, as some may have you believe. Instead, it's actually Tang. > You jump Sorry, but that's not how you solve this new New Year adventure. NEW YEARS FUN FACT: The tradition of kissing the closest person come midnight was originally celebrated every night, until everyone just got really tired of the whole thing and abolished the practice outside New Years. > You take Baby Taken. NEW YEARS FUN FACT: Dick Clark isn't actually dead! He sleeps beneath Times Square, until a New Year's Eve emergency awakens him from his slumber. > You drink the champagne You can't actually have that! It's for the sake of the puzzle, stupid. NEW YEARS FUN FACT: Did you know that New Years often takes place on the first day of the year? It's true! > Kiss baby You can only do that to something animate. > Break baby Violence isn't the answer to this one. NEW YEARS FUN FACT: What do you think is the song most played on New Years? Auld Lang Syne right? You'd be wrong, though. It's actually Suzy Snowflake. > You examine baby Well, actually, it's really more of a Baby New Year replica. The real ones are much too expensive for our budget this year. NEW YEARS FUN FACT: In Scotland it is unlucky for a household if a woman is the first to enter on New Years. That is why nearly 90% of Scots women identify as genderqueer from Christmas to the Epiphany. > Break bottle Violence isn't the answer to this one. NEW YEARS FUN FACT: The Persian New Year is called Nowruz, sometimes transliterated as Nawruz. > Xyzzy Have you been hitting the sour juice a bit too hard? That's not how you solve this New Years puzzle. NEW YEARS FUN FACT: New Year's is a popular time to think about the future, and reminisce upon the past. That's why so many people celebrate it by drinking until they pass out! > You put Baby in the bottle You put the Baby New Year into the champagne bottle. Oh my gosh! You solved the puzzle! You're the greatest New Years partier ever! You are sooo cool! Like, the super coolest! I bet babes and/or studs swarm over you every New Years! C-can I touch you?

[Themes: Surreal, maze, abstract, surreal] a randomly generated modification of the 1978 game King Tut's Tomb by Jason Dyer via Greg Hassett The word "meaningful" when used today is nearly always meaningless. (Paul Johnson) You can see a food, a torch and some matches here. [Author's Note: Using Greg Hassett's 1978 game King Tut's Tomb as a base, an art experiment of sort is laid upon the same locations and items.]

[Themes: Surreal, maze] > You examine the self As good-looking as ever. > You examine the food Try a charbroiled, 100 percent Black Angus beef burger sandwiched between Lays potato chips and a split hot dog. > You examine the matches Standing 22 metres high, these huge "matches" protrude in higgledy-piggledy fashion from a matchbook cover. > You get all food: dreaded hail of fierce lions drip from the sky. torch: dreaded spice of the offering kicker. matches: gratitude of those dead for 921 years.

[Themes: Surreal] > Describe the surroundings The word "meaningful" when used today is nearly always meaningless. (Paul Johnson) You can see a food, a torch and some matches here. > You get the food drip from the sky. > Light torch offering kicker. > You go to the east The world is not yet exhaused; let me see something tomorrow which I never saw before. (Samuel Johnson) You can see an opal drinking cup here. > You get the cup page can hold. > Go south whether you are at the right or wrong end of the gun. (P. G. Wodehouse) > South When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not. (Mark Twain) > You go south All things are difficult before they are easy. (Dr. Thomas Fuller) You can see a Steve Martin poster here. > You take the poster severed shred. > You tell the poster about yourself You can only do that to something animate. > Go south deserves to be called a scholar. (Donald Foster) You can see a gold chalice here. > You examine the chalice The node in the center has a grape design relief and comes with a simple cross on the base of the chalice. Due note these items are a product of being refinished by our refinishing department and may have been used in the past but are none the less restored to almost brand new condition. Order now while supplies last! > You take the chalice on wine sales. > Go east A well-informed mind is the best security against the contagion of folly and of vice. The vacant mind is ever on the watch for relief, and ready to plunge into error, to escape from the languor of idleness. (Ann Radcliffe) You can see a golden key here. > You take the key for unlocking arcane doors. > You go north Nothing can be so amusingly arrogant as a young man who has just discovered an old idea and thinks it is his own. (Sidney J. Harris) > You go north Silence is a text easy to misread. (A. A. Attanasio) > You go west To be willing to die for an idea is to set a rather high price on conjecture. (Anatole France) > You go to the north but in having new eyes. (Marcel Proust) You can see a platinum spear here. > You look at the spear The Andre PLATINUM 145 speargun is a great step-up speargun for spearfishing around rock reef, coral areas and out towards the blue water. Its longer stock, 58.5 inches, gives you a greater reach and higher accuracy. The PLATINUM 145 speargun has 3 power bands, making it more powerful to spear bigger and faster fish. The PLATINUM 145 speargun also features handle placement mid-way on the stock. > You get the spear than the entrance. > Go east You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. (Jack London) You can see a ruby earring here. > You examine Earring The only person Belqees saw was one of her bodyguards, Benzivov, who was wearing an enormous ruby earring. Benzivov tried to kill her, but Solomon had him arrested. Solomon gave Belqees the Ruby Earring, and it found its way to the temple. The Earring could be found in the Room of the Secret Password. > You get Earring yellow cream. > Go east Choosing to live in narrow spaces leads to form of mental agoraphobia and that brings its own terrors. I think the willfully unimaginative see more monsters, they are often more afraid. What is more, those who choose not to empathize enable real monsters. For without ever committing an act of outright evil ourselves, we collude through our own apathy. (J. K. Rowling) You can see a jade statuette here. > You examine the statuette The first two were empty. but the third contained a jade statuette of a dragon. As soon as the statuette was revealed, the characters were stunned by its presence. The world around them went black as their minds were filled with a rush of visions and knowledge. > You get the statuette silent, brooding. > You go south You never lose a dream. It just incubates as a hobby. (Larry Page) You can see a necklace here. > You look at necklace It is made from high quality brushed stainless steel and features ball chain threaded through three moveable gears set within a heart-shaped pendant. Sliding the pendant along the chain or gently pulling on either side of the heart's strings will put the gears in motion. > You get the necklace aquatic paint.

[Themes: Science Fiction, science fiction] It is time for the Remembering. Innocenti (Enter "ABOUT" to see the game menu.) November 21, 2012 IFID: B5A03D9E-7656-44C3-902C-EAFF8A430E39 Hugo v3.1 / Library 31031 Beneath the Heavens, sitting in the stands Seating in three tiers half encircles a round platform. Completing the circle around the back of the platform are the endless stars of the New Heaven, which stretch above the transparent dome that forms the ceiling. A small arch opens above the center of the top tier of the stands, on the port side of the room. Sitting in the stands is Veritas. The stars of the heavens silhoutte the silver figure of the old Storyteller standing upon the platform. The old Storyteller looks slowly around at the people gathered. His gaze lingers on you and your friend Veritas, sitting boldly in the front row, away from the adults. He smiles, and then begins his tale with clear, serious diction.

[Themes: Science Fiction] > You examine Veritas She's gotten taller than you, the sneak! "The Ancestors did not live like this, stranded between artificial walls, wandering aimlessly with the stars out of reach." > You examine Storyteller People say a lot of things about the Storyteller. They say he's the only one who remembered the stars were real, back in the Great Journey. Some of your friends say he's crazy, but you like him. The old man looks down at the platform beneath his feet, and then gestures toward his surroundings. "Before these ships first embarked upon the Great Journey through the Starless Path, the Ancestors explored many shining worlds, filling them with their great cities and their forgotten wonders. They roamed freely through the stars of the Old Heaven, and nothing was impossible to them." > You look at the stars The heavens hold endless mysteries, infinite tales. Beside you, your friend Veritas catches her breath, her large almond eyes wide with wonder. The Storyteller looks at her and nods seriously. "But nothing that the Ancestors created could compare to the wonders of the most ancient world of all, where it is said all life originated, the planet called Land." > Inventory You're not carrying anything. "There the first Ancestors communed with the Fey folk that dwelt in the elemental Forms. The trees stretched as high as a hundred men are tall, and spread their many arms to shade the living ground. The winds gathered in the canopy of the Lower Heaven and bent down to kiss Land with their sweet breath. The roaming beasts, great and small, ruled the wilds where the people did not walk, but begged at the feet of the Ancestors." > Examine stands They're like the stairs going up from your parents' Cube, only way bigger. The Storyteller nods, his eyes distant. "And there was the mighty sea, a great expanse like the heaven above, but formed of the gathering of all the waters of Land, encircling the planet in its embrace." The Storyteller turns his head up to look at the stars. > You examine the stars The heavens hold endless mysteries, infinite tales. The storyteller brings his gaze to the audience and clasps his hands in front of him, turning slowly to look over all the people in the stands. He begins to speak again, firmly. "But the Ancestors became arrogant..." Heavy boots clang against the metal stands. Vertias yelps, and you turn to see men in black uniforms trample down the stands to the platform, shoving people out of the way. One of them steps right over you and Veritas and corners the old Storyteller on the platform. "Chronos Han, you are under arrest for disobeying the sanctions of the Council and for spreading sedition." The man speaks fast and mechanically. > You examine Veritas She's gotten taller than you, the sneak! "The Ancestors did not live like this, stranded between artificial walls, wandering aimlessly with the stars out of reach." > About yourself You hate the snug, long-sleeved yellow shirt your mother makes you wear, a hand-me-down from your cousin Sam Amerik. The old man looks down at the platform beneath his feet, and then gestures toward his surroundings. "Before these ships first embarked upon the Great Journey through the Starless Path, the Ancestors explored many shining worlds, filling them with their great cities and their forgotten wonders. They roamed freely through the stars of the Old Heaven, and nothing was impossible to them." > You examine Storyteller People say a lot of things about the Storyteller. They say he's the only one who remembered the stars were real, back in the Great Journey. Some of your friends say he's crazy, but you like him. Beside you, your friend Veritas catches her breath, her large almond eyes wide with wonder. The Storyteller looks at her and nods seriously. "But nothing that the Ancestors created could compare to the wonders of the most ancient world of all, where it is said all life originated, the planet called Land." > Wait Time passes... "There the first Ancestors communed with the Fey folk that dwelt in the elemental Forms. The trees stretched as high as a hundred men are tall, and spread their many arms to shade the living ground. The winds gathered in the canopy of the Lower Heaven and bent down to kiss Land with their sweet breath. The roaming beasts, great and small, ruled the wilds where the people did not walk, but begged at the feet of the Ancestors." The Storyteller nods, his eyes distant. "And there was the mighty sea, a great expanse like the heaven above, but formed of the gathering of all the waters of Land, encircling the planet in its embrace." The Storyteller turns his head up to look at the stars. The storyteller brings his gaze to the audience and clasps his hands in front of him, turning slowly to look over all the people in the stands. He begins to speak again, firmly. "But the Ancestors became arrogant..." Heavy boots clang against the metal stands. Vertias yelps, and you turn to see men in black uniforms trample down the stands to the platform, shoving people out of the way. One of them steps right over you and Veritas and corners the old Storyteller on the platform. "Chronos Han, you are under arrest for disobeying the sanctions of the Council and for spreading sedition." The man speaks fast and mechanically. > You look at the men They're silent and imposing in their black uniforms, the blood-red Serpent coiled around their right arms. The Storyteller raises an eyebrow as two other black-uniformed people grab his shoulders forcefully. "That arrogance is not dead, I see," he says in a low voice, soft but dangerous. > You wait Time passes... They pull the Storyteller up the stands. He turns and looks back as they push him through the narrow door, catching your eye. "Remember," he says, and then he is gone. > You ask veritas about Storyteller (Plese use the command "TALK TO (CHARACTER NAME)" to initiate dialog.) > You talk to veritas "No..." Veritas sounds stunned and frightened. "They have come." Suddenly, she looks like a grown-up. > You look Beneath the Heavens, sitting in the stands Seating in three tiers half encircles a round platform. Completing the circle around the back of the platform are the endless stars of the New Heaven, which stretch above the transparent dome that forms the ceiling. A small arch opens above the center of the top tier of the stands, on the port side of the room. Sitting in the stands is Veritas. Imposing men and women in black uniforms are here, pushing the audience away, herding them out of the room. > You go outside You wander toward the exit, dazed by what you witnessed. [....] You rub your eyes and shake your heard to clear away the memory. It is far into your sleep rotation, but you still haven't finished debugging the new demographic compilation program that you were assigned to write. hold the assortment of terminals and screens. The automatic door opens between the girders in the fore wall. The terminal at which you have been working displays your glitchy code. One of the Guards lays a hand on your shoulder and roughly pulls you up the stands toward the exit. "Rood!" You look back to at the sound of your friend's voice as a Guard unceremoniously grabs her and carries her away. You struggle against your captor, trying to get to Veritas, but you are lost in the storm of bodies. [....] You rub your eyes and shake your heard to clear away the memory. It is far into your sleep rotation, but you still haven't finished debugging the new demographic compilation program that you were assigned to write. hold the assortment of terminals and screens. The automatic door opens between the girders in the fore wall. The terminal at which you have been working displays your glitchy code. > You examine terminal The tiles on the screen displays your data-crawler routines, debugging information about where in their execution the routines failed, and technical specifications about the inner workings of the universal Fleet Cloud and the local networks. > Fore You'd feel better if you at least try to patch the most recent errors in your crawler routines before giving up. > Debug code You make a small correction in your database generation function and run the program again. The workstation display instantly fills with output text. > You examine the text The strings of text form small combinations of letters and symbols, none more than several characters long. It looks like an encrypted document, or one being viewed with the wrong encoding scheme. > You take text You try to trace the root directory of the file, but all you can tell is that the indexing protocol on one of the statistics mainframes directed the crawler to a low-level packet torrent. The data could have come from anywhere in the entire Fleet. Unable to download the file directly, you connect your datapad into the port where the workstation terminal is mounted and carefully copy over the entire active memory of the workstation. You preserve the curious symbols by saving them in your editing app. Too tired and distracted to do more work for the time being, you turn off the terminal and disconnect the datapad. > Inventory You are carrying your datapad. > Fore Just as you are about to store your datapad in the pouch built into the shoulder of your overcoat made for holding the device, you hear it emit a three-tone beep, indicating that you've received a personal communication. > You read the communication The comm was pre-recorded just a moment ago. You open it, and your wife's face fills the datapad's display. "Chronos left his quarters for too long again," she says wearily. "I'd better find him before another Militia member does, and he ends up in more trouble. He's apparently at the Dome right now, unless he managed to fool his transponder." Her full lips purse into a tight line. "So, I won't be home this sleep rotation, if you were planning on coming home at all. Love you." Now that you think of it, Chronos might be able to help decode the file you found. At least, you're willing to bet he'll be interested in it. > Fore You leave the Data Center and follow the network of twisty little corridors built on top of each other, rotely finding your way to the ship Commons. and spans 200 meters from one wall to the other, encompassing nearly the entire mid-deck. The residents of the Godspeed hurry up and down the white rectangular artery, entering and exiting the rectangular openings that are spaced sporadically along either wall. Among the many places accessible from here, you know that a short walk aft will take you to the convoluted maintanence corridors where you can find the Data Center, while the observatory dome can be accessed to fore. > Fore Your feet plod silently, the white polyplast absorbing the impact. Eventually, the distant sides of the vast chamber constrict, leaving a corridor where the white covering is replaced by the older metallic panels. Removed from the central passageways of the Godspeed, no more than two travelers could pass with comfortable distance between them. The walls here are panelled in strips of the unknown alloy of the older parts of the ship, but the homogenous white material of the newer renovations begins just meters down the corridor to aft. To fore, the corridor narrows further and angles upward in a ramp, leading to the observation dome. > You examine the alloy The vertical gray panels stretch along the walls of the corridor from floor to ceiling. Each panel is a little wider than your hand. > Fore You climb the narrow ramp and enter the small opening to the right. Seating in three tiers half encircles a round platform. Completing the circle around the back of the platform are the endless stars of the New Heaven, which stretch above the transparent dome that forms the ceiling. A small arch opens above the center of the top tier of the stands, on the port side of the room. Chronos Han is standing at the opposite end of the platform, his back toward the seats, hands clasped behind his back. Veritas is sitting in the stands, watching Chronos silently. > You look at Chronos Chronos Han looks like a white specter from one of his fantastic stories. A soft white beard adorns his gaunt face, while his full head of pale hair falls about his shoulders in dissaray. He has a large beak of a nose and thick, angled brows, beneath which his dark brown, slanted eyes peer earnestly. His light skin is marked by scars and wrinkles, but he stands tall and firm. > You examine Veritas You managed to catch up to her, but barely; you and Veritas are almost exactly the same height. Her brown complection is smooth and clear save for a scar on the left side of her face, beautiful despite looking tired and troubled. Her thick red hair spills over the shoulders of her Militia uniform top, which she wears sloppily with soft lounge pants. The seamless, long-sleeved silver tunic that conforms closely to her torso is a different color than the uniforms of the thugs who broke in to that Remembering service from your childhood, but you've never quite gotten comfortable with the circular emblem of the serpent swalling the star, stitched just below her left collarbone. > You talk to Chronos Veritas looks up abruptly as you approach, and then smiles, walking over to your side. "I think he's been like that for entire cycles, just lost in the stars. I doubt he's eaten or spoken at all," she says, reaching to grasp your hand in hers. You and Veritas approach the old man together. "Rood and I are here, greatfather. It's time to go home." She lays a hand gently on his shoulder. A silent moment passes, Chronos still standing with his back to you. "Time," he says at last. "A time for all things under the Heavens." He turns slightly, head downcast. "I thought I would see greater things than these in my time." "I have something you might like to see, and I'm hoping you can help me figure out whether or not it might be great," you interject before Veritas has the chance to argue with the old man. You open the file in which you saved the encrypted document and hold out the datapad for the others to look. Chronos hesitantly turns to look at the datapad's display. He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his large nose, and then opens his eyes to scan the display. > Wait Time passes... Chronos arches an eyebrow and blinks, raising a hand to rub his bearded chin with his thumb and index finger. "Rood, is this really necessary? Come on..." Veritas pleads, but Chronos throws up his open hand authoritatively, cutting her off. "Wait a moment, this is interesting. Very interesting, indeed." Chronos clicks his tongue, and Veritas sighs. "I've seen this kind of character map before. Very old." He continues to study the text intently. Chronos arches an eyebrow and draws in a sharp breath. "This... could be important," he says slowly, looking at you intently. "I can't decode the text on sight, but I should be able to crack it with a little time. The Council won't let me near any public terminal or networked end-user device, but your datapad isn't registered. They should be none the wiser if I work with it in my quarters, as long as I don't keep it long enough for them to grow suspicious. What do you say?" he asks, holding out his hand. "I'll bring it back soon, with the text of the document deciphered so you can know the mystery you uncovered." > Yes That was a rhetorical question. (Although you sound rather positive.) > You give the datapad to Chronos You hand Chronos your datapad. He takes it carefully by the grip at the end and tucks it under his coat. "Very well, then," he says, reaching to grab your shoulder affectionately. "Thank you for reminding a dreary old man about his purpose. I'll be contacting you shortly." He steps back and looks between you and Veritas. "Now, children, you'd better go home. Time for bed." With that, he turns on his heel and marches accross the platform and over the stands, exiting the observatory. > You talk to veritas Veritas stands quietly for a moment, looking stressed. Then she turns to you with her arms crossed, an exaggerated, jokingly stern expression on her face. "The two of you with your weird theories and rumors!" She smirks. "Well, you got him to go home -- more than I could do. Now we really should try to get a little sleep." She leans forward to kiss you lightly and then walks toward the exit as you follow in a daze. When Veritas awakens for her patrol shift, you are still too tired to do anything but lie back blearily in the sleeping alcove as she dresses. You drift off again into a light slumber, and then you force yourself to stagger out of the recess, stepping on your uniform, which she must have laid out neatly for you along with your nutrition packet on the table. You dress. The white walls, floor, and ceiling are all of the same dimension, about four-and-a-half meters square. The sleeping alcove is recessed into the port wall. The desk folds in or out of the starboard wall, beneath a built-in terminal display. The floor is mostly free to bear your and Veritas's spare uniforms and undergarments. The exit opens in the aft wall, while a deep step in the opposite wall descends to a sliding screen, concealing your hygiene alcove. A small circular table stands in the center of the room with two narrow chairs. On top of the small circular table is a nutrition packet. > Examine packet Your meal ration is a rectangular block covered by a brown wrapper. > You open the packet You run your finger along the pressure strip on the rectangle, disecting the wrapper neatly. As you pull away the sides to reveal the block of food-matter, a small sheet falls out of the wrapper. > You take the sheet Taken. > You read it (assuming you mean the sheet with markings) The small, square piece of paper is folded down the center. Several uneven, erratic appear on the sheet in depressed, red markings: Meet me at the garden. You only know of one person who would care to learn the Ancestor technique of writing characters by hand, or who would have cause to meet with you. The secrecy, however, is confusing. > You eat the food As you perform the boring task of eating, you ponder the strange document that you discovered last rotation. With each bite, the material turns into a slimy foam in your mouth. > You examine the uniforms Several garments of various types belonging to you and your wife are strewn across the floor. > Search uniforms You rummage through the clothes on the floor a bit. Throwing aside one of your dirty uniforms, you find a small metal cylinder, which you take. > You examine the cylinder The multi-purpose tool fits comfortably in your hand. Narrow grooves set at different depths along the cylinder make it easy to hold the tool between your fingers for detail work. The beam emitted at the end covered by a non-conducting nozzle when switched on can cut, polish, or weld as you see fit. > You examine the sleeping You and your wife sleep in a small recess set into the wall of the cube and accessed by a small manually-sliding hatch. The inside is cradled in polyfoam and has internal environment controls. > You look at the desk Built into the wall directly across the room from the sleeping alcove, the desk surface slides outward perpendicular to the wall, accompanied by a small bench that pulls out beneath it. The desk and the bench are both retracted right now, appearing as horizontal wedges sticking out of the wall. > You use the desk Be a little more specific about what you'd like to do with the desk. > Aft You step out of your home and onto the system of metal-lattice walkways attached to the outside of the stacked columns of identical cubes. An elevator whisks you up past the massive grid of dwellings, and then you navigate the network of straight little corridors, all identical. Finally, you reach your destination, just a few corridors removed from the central Commons. ceiling illuminates this large, open room. The ground beneath your feet is black and rough, made of some semi-pliable material that emits a faintly bitter odor. A few rectangular tables rise out of the uneven ground, the pliable covering folded away at their legs. Spacious arches in the four walls grant access to the park; the exit to port leads to corridors that soon let out at the ship Commons, while the way to the elevator leading back to the Grid is opposite. The tables are nestled among a haphazard arrangement of poles sticking out of the ground material, representations of the fabled trees of Land. Chronos sits at one of the tables, a beverage in a white cup sending up whisps of steam in front of him. Another cup rests on the on top of Chronos's table, at the vacant seat across from him. Chronos squints in your direction, and then nods faintly. > You sit You walk over to the table where the old man sits. "Sit down," he says, gesturing at the seat across from him at the table. > You sit down You step over the pole connecting the seat to the table and sit down, swivelling in the dingy red seat. "You've done well, lad," Chronos says, taking your datapad out from under his coat and setting it before you on the tabletop. In the Garden, sitting at one of the rectangular tables The tables are nestled among a haphazard arrangement of poles sticking out of the ground material, representations of the fabled trees of Land. Chronos sits at one of the tables, a beverage in a white cup sending up whisps of steam in front of him. Another cup rests on the on top of Chronos's table, at the vacant seat across from him. Also on top of Chronos's table is your datapad. > You examine the cup The cylindrical cups are made of a thin white material. Tendrils of steam waft up from both of them, the liquid inside bubling. The steam from the cup set before Chronos caresses his lined, beareded face. The other cup is set in front of you. > You look at the datapad Clear when not being used, the narrow rectangular pane is fitted with handgrips on its short edges, while the long edges are rounded. The device serves as your personal communicator and computer, although it is inadequate for testing most of your code. Open on the datapad's displayis an ancient document. > You read the document MISSION LOG11.24.61.1300 (median statistical date approximation) There has been no update to the mission log for 24 years, as the situation has not changed. Since the death of Captain Iero, the yonger generation raised by the military has formed a militia and has seized control. The bridge has been closed off. Study of the cosmic radiation is being officially terminated, although most research was abandoned long ago. It is my belief that the radiation is intrinsically tied to the anomaly that overtook us, that it may hold the key to our deliverance. A synopsis of the knowledge acquired about the radiation through research and about the circumstances that lead to our present situation follows. The emissions are similar to the cosmic noise left over from the birth of the universe, but more intense and focused in a single vector, as if it were a transmitted signal. The radiation spans the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It must also run much deeper than the known spectrum, because dark matter distortions were registered in frequencies corresponding to the emissions. We first discovered the signal emanating from the exact same vector in which the ancient artifact had been travelling before it was lost, originating from an unknown point outside of the galaxy. This is too vastly improbable to be coincidental. We do not know what happened to this artifac, which has served as our beacon, leading us to and in this journey in the dark. Nor do we know the relationship between the artificat and the radiation. All we know is that when we synchronized our propulsion drives with the frequency of the signal, the stars disappeared from the viewports, and our navigation systems failed. Our propulsion system was functioning until the photon generators were salvaged 8 years ago, but attempts to travel through this void have yielded no results, as there is no frame of reference to determine motion. I expect that this will be the final entry in the mission log. This file will be added to the bios of the system synchronization network, to be displayed whenever the network is activated. It is my hope that the next generation will one day renew the study of the emissions, and that our descendents will one day find a way to return to normal space. Good luck, and God speed -- to you and to those whom we left behind. --- Lewis Yuan, Captain of the Galilei and Liason to the Council of Thirteen [....] > You talk to Chronos In the Garden, sitting at one of the rectangular tables A harsh yellow light mounted high in the upper corner of the ceiling illuminates this large, open room. The ground beneath your feet is black and rough, made of some semi-pliable material that emits a faintly bitter odor. A few rectangular tables rise out of the uneven ground, the pliable covering folded away at their legs. Spacious arches in the four walls grant access to the park; the exit to port leads to corridors that soon let out at the ship Commons, while the way to the elevator leading back to the Grid is opposite. The tables are nestled among a haphazard arrangement of poles sticking out of the ground material, representations of the fabled trees of Land. Chronos sits at one of the tables, a beverage in a white cup sending up whisps of steam in front of him. Another cup rests on the on top of Chronos's table, at the vacant seat across from him. You lower the datapad and look at Chronos, who nods seriously. "Someone in the Council, or behind the Council, doesn't want the knowledge of the signal to get out," he says, running his index finger over his moustache. > Drink cup The thick liquid becomes hot an instant after it enters your mouth, but not fast enough to fully create the illusion that it had been hot before. Whisps of steam puff out of your lips as you swallow. "The document was intended to ensure that future generations understood how we began the Great Journey." Chronos looks at you seriously. "This may be more important than ever now that the Journey has ended but our wandering has not. The signal that drew us here, and the artifact of the Ancestors that came before us.... it is our guide, our beacon to a new home where we can live as we were meant to live." > Wait Time passes... Chronos takes a gulp from his cup, a few remaining tendrils of mist curling about his lips. "Rood, we must distribute the document over the Fleet Cloud. We may not have much time; the Council will be looking to suppress this by any means." > You wait Time passes... > Drink cup The thick liquid becomes hot an instant after it enters your mouth, but not fast enough to fully create the illusion that it had been hot before. Whisps of steam puff out of your lips as you swallow. > You talk to Chronos "We can go to the data center where I work and see if we can hack the domain protocol," you offer. "The room might be empty right now." "Good. We shouldn't be seen entering at the same time, just in case the Council is already on to us. You never when they may be watching." Chronos stands with a loud sigh and ambles over to the artificial trees, smiling. "A fine morning!" he exclaims, tossing his empty cup into a receptacle built into the wall. > You examine the trees They are constructed out of different materials, cast in various shades of green, brown, and yellow. The poles stick vertically out of the ground, although a few are flat beams rather than rods. Each pole or beam is intersected by a shorter pole or beam, the point of intersection ranging from the very top of the verticle pole to near the middle. The intersecting limbs are diverse; some are tilted diagonally, some are sticking out more to one side. Many of the cross-pieces are horizontal and evenly divided along the vertical shaft, forming the geometric shape that is commonly assosciated as the emblem of the Ancestor Tree. > You stand You get off of the rectangular tables. > Port You step out of the arch and turn right down a corridor, which you follow for a modest distance before turning left to follow a short corridor that soon terminates in an opening. > Aft The white ceiling feels alarmingly close as you pass beneath it, low compared to the vast expanse in which the chamber extends laterally. Near the aft end of the Commons, you take a door to starboard, descending as you navigate the maze of twisting little corridors, your feet following their programmed path. hold the assortment of terminals and screens. The automatic door opens between the girders in the fore wall. Your favorite workstation stands vacant in your favorite corner, compelling you to start hacking. > Hack With the special access afforded by these terminals, you navigate the network's security protocols that restric and interpret all access to the lower-level operations and peer-to-peer communications. You try to hack into the original domain protocol, but the codes are ancient and unfamiliar. > You look at the workstation The terminal waits patiently for your input. > Hack On a different display, you quickly code an emulation program for the original kernel upon which the layers of protocols have been built. > Hack Holding your breath, you run a code-cracking virus through your emulation front-end. A few tense moments pass, and then you are in! > Hack Not wanting to take even the slight risk of sending the document to the terminal through the security-laden upper layers of the Cloud, you reach to plug your datapad into the terminal dock. The door whisks open, and footsteps clang in a rapid cadence. As you turn your head to look, your wife rushes into the room, leading four other Militia Investigators. Her gun is levelled at your chest. You only have time to lurch away from the terminal. "Rood!" Veritas exclaims, eyes wide. "What are you doing here?" Her eyes narrow again as suddenly. > Hack All that remains is for you to upload the file through the emulation environment you created on that specific terminal. > You talk to veritas You take a moment to gather your words, glancing at the other investigators. Do you want to tell Veritas about the contents of the document? Please answer YES or NO: > No You cross your arms. "I'm just working," you say. "What are you doing here?" "I want to believe you're just working, Rood," Veritas says, "because I'm just investigating an unauthorized breach in network security." She walks toward the terminal, her gun half raised in your direction. The blond-haired female Militia Investigator fidgets anxiously, glancing at the tall male Militia Investigator and the tattooed female Militia Investigator and then staring at Veritas. > You talk to veritas "That's none of your business!" You protest, trying to move to turn off the terminal display. Veritas groans. "Are you trying to make me arrest you?" Veritas frowns deeply, her forehead creased heavily, as she continues to hold you at gunpoint. > You talk to veritas You stare at Veritas. "Have you forgotten what happened to you father? Are you so blind?" Veritas glares at you venemously. "My father was a hero! How dare you..." "And you would subvert what he sacrificed his freedom for, just to ensure safety? Now I know why you've worn that uniform all these years!" you fire back, breathlessly. "What the hell is this about? We've got the bastard," the tall male Militia Investigator says with a snarl at you. "Tora, this had better not be some personal hangup of yours, or else more of that 'truth' shit." > You throw the cup at male Which male do you mean, the tall male Militia Investigator or the black-haired male Militia Investigator? > You talk to veritas You stare at Veritas. "Have you forgotten what happened to you father? Are you so blind?" Veritas glares at you venemously. "My father was a hero! How dare you..." "And you would subvert what he sacrificed his freedom for, just to ensure safety? Now I know why you've worn that uniform all these years!" you fire back, breathlessly. The blond-haired female Militia Investigator fidgets anxiously, glancing at the tall male Militia Investigator and the tattooed female Militia Investigator and then staring at Veritas. > You turn on the tool The nozzle at the end of the cylinder emits a faint beam of light, as narrow as a single hair. Then, the base of the nozzle emits a few sparks, and the beam pulses several times. The beam dissapears, replaced by a broader, pulsating blade of light, extending only a few inches out from the nozzle. Veritas frowns deeply, her forehead creased heavily, as she continues to hold you at gunpoint. > You turn off the terminal You'd feel better if you at least try to patch the most recent errors in your crawler routines before giving up. Veritas frowns deeply, her forehead creased heavily, as she continues to hold you at gunpoint. > Hack All that remains is for you to upload the file through the emulation environment you created on that specific terminal. Veritas frowns deeply, her forehead creased heavily, as she continues to hold you at gunpoint. > You talk to tall male The tall male Militia Investigator is listening. Veritas frowns deeply, her forehead creased heavily, as she continues to hold you at gunpoint. Veritas looks at you with dull eyes. "I have no choice but to arrest you." she pulls the datapad and the laser tool out of your hands. She nods to the black-haired male Militia Investigator who binds your wrists tightly behind your back. > You throw the cup at veritas You ultimately decide that throwing the steaming cup at Veritas Tora isn't such a great idea. The blond-haired female Militia Investigator fidgets anxiously, glancing at the tall male Militia Investigator and the tattooed female Militia Investigator and then staring at Veritas. Veritas looks at you with dull eyes. "I have no choice but to arrest you." she pulls the datapad and the laser tool out of your hands. She nods to the black-haired male Militia Investigator who binds your wrists tightly behind your back. > You throw the cup at the terminal What exactly are you hoping for? The blond-haired female Militia Investigator fidgets anxiously, glancing at the tall male Militia Investigator and the tattooed female Militia Investigator and then staring at Veritas. Veritas looks at you with dull eyes. "I have no choice but to arrest you." she pulls the datapad and the laser tool out of your hands. She nods to the black-haired male Militia Investigator who binds your wrists tightly behind your back. > You turn on the tool The nozzle at the end of the cylinder emits a faint beam of light, as narrow as a single hair. Then, the base of the nozzle emits a few sparks, and the beam pulses several times. The beam dissapears, replaced by a broader, pulsating blade of light, extending only a few inches out from the nozzle. Veritas looks at you with dull eyes. "I have no choice but to arrest you." she pulls the datapad and the laser tool out of your hands. She nods to the black-haired male Militia Investigator who binds your wrists tightly behind your back. > You close the door The automatic door is already closed. > You turn on tool The nozzle at the end of the cylinder emits a faint beam of light, as narrow as a single hair. Then, the base of the nozzle emits a few sparks, and the beam pulses several times. The beam dissapears, replaced by a broader, pulsating blade of light, extending only a few inches out from the nozzle. > Yes You look firmly into her hazel eyes. "I'm restoring what was lost," you say. "Veritas arches an eyebrow quizically and glances at one of the other Investigators. Then she walks over to the terminal, looking at the screen. "What is this?" > You talk to veritas You show her the datapad. "A message from the first generation of those who embarked upon the Great Journey. A message that we were supposed to keep and remember. Someone deliberately tried to destroy it, and there are still people who want to censor the truth." "You're sounding like Chronos," Veritas says. Her eyes move back and forth, reading the text on the datapad, but the corner of her mouth turns up in a smirk, like the woman you've always known. "Hm..." Veritas taps her lips with the index finger of her left hand as she looks up from the datapad. She stares at you for a long moment, her expression unreadable. > You talk to veritas "Veritas, you have to believe me. The people have to remember, or we'll never complete the journey that our ancestors began. We have to patch this file..." "Do it. Now," Veritas interrupts in a hurried whisper, glancing back at the other Investigators. You stand shocked for a moment, too surprised to move. Veritas glances significantly at one of the other Investigators, the black-haired male Militia Investigator. She nods faintly. "Investigator Veritas, what are you doing?" the tall, scruffy man says in a nasally, whiny voice. "If you have personal conflicts, step down from this case without wasting more of my time. "Now..." she says softly. > Hack All that remains is for you to upload the file through the emulation environment you created on that specific terminal. "Drop your weapons!" The man nearer to you and Veritas bellows, turning on his heels to point his gun at the tall man in the back as Veritas and the blond-haired Investigator do the same, holding up the tattooed woman, who gasps. Veritas straightens, looking more confident. "I'm sorry, Sadt, Umund," she says to the two Investigators who have dropped their weapons and are slowly raising their hands. "You're just doing your duty. But my duty to uphold the law compelled me to investigate the abuses of authority and censorship that the Council denies, as much as I wish they weren't there." She looks at you. "I'm sorry I never told you, Rood. I thought you were too content to support my cause -- I know how you hate politics. I didn't want to distress you." She looks at you earnestly. "Oh, so that's it, is it, bitch," the tall male Militia Investigator says to your wife, a leer contorting his face. "Always snooping where you don't belong, sending your squad into restricted levels without authorization, carrying on about that 'truth' shit. This is the end of you, Tora!" he screams. > You cut tall male with the tool (First turning on the laser tool.) The nozzle at the end of the cylinder emits a faint beam of light, as narrow as a single hair. Then, the base of the nozzle emits a few sparks, and the beam pulses several times. The beam dissapears, replaced by a broader, pulsating blade of light, extending only a few inches out from the nozzle. You don't see any purpose in damaging the tall male Militia Investigator. > Hack All that remains is for you to upload the file through the emulation environment you created on that specific terminal. The tattooed female Militia Investigator lets out a constant string of obscene curses under her breath, glaring spitefully at Veritas, the black-haired male Militia Investigator, and you, although her most hateful looks are reserved for Veritas. "Veritas draws a slow breath. "We will be presenting our accusations before the Council and before all the people," she says with composure. "Sadt, Umund -- we'll have to hold you captive for now, I'm afraid, but we'll release you after we've publicized our evidence." > Hack All that remains is for you to upload the file through the emulation environment you created on that specific terminal. The blond-haired female Militia Investigator groans faintly as she points her gun at the tattooed female Militia Investigator. Tears collect at the blond-haired female Militia Investigator's eyelids. "Step away from your weapons, turn around, and keep your hands up," the black-haired male Militia Investigator calmly instructs Sadt and Umund. They comply with much cursing. > Upload document You thrust your datapad into the port on the bracket dock of the terminal. You force the strange cicumstances out of your mind and efficiently transfer the file onto the terminal before proceeding to type the console command to patch the file onto the Cloud's operating domain protocol. Before you can finish, one of the women Investigators swears loudly behind you. "Get in here now!" Out of the corner of your eye, you notice, the blond-haired female Militia Investigator lower the comm-link on her wrist, raising her gun toward you. "No, Rin!" Veritas yells, jumping in front of you at the time that the black-haired male Militia Investigator curses, both he and Veritas aiming at the blond-haired female Militia Investigator. You whirl back around and finish typing the command. As you jam the key to send the command to the terminal, the doors whisk open behind you once again, and again you hear the thunder of footsteps. You see the terminal's display clear and flash the statistics of the Fleet Cloud's architecture, indicating that the command was accepted, and the screen explodes in front of your face. Veritas grabs you from behind and pulls you down to the floor. > You wait Time passes... Guards immediately grab the tall male Militia Investigator and the tattooed female Militia Investigator, who comply rigidly and jerkily. The guards begin to escort the blond-haired female Militia Investigator out as well, but she turns back to look at Veritas, her green eyes wide. The guards start to push her back, and she turns and runs out the door, weaving among the members of the squad. One of the guards at the front of the formation speaks into her wrist. "Security breach targeted. Confirm neutralization order?" Veritas closes her eyes, and then smiles faintly. "Well, if we're all going to die together, we might as well get to know one another," she says, looking between the black-haired male Militia Investigator and you. "Rood, this Euros Markon. Along with Rinaldi Fletcher -- the woman who turned on us -- we were investigating the abuses of the Council. We were sent to look into your security breach, but unfortunately Stadt and Umund were assigned with us." > You give the tool to Veritas Veritas Tora politely refuses. "Euros, my husband Rood," Veritas says, smiling softly at you. Euros Markon nods. > You wait Time passes... "Affirmative," the guard at the front of the formation says. They all raise their weapons. You and Veritas hold hands. Shining white figures suddenly appear throughout the room, darting around rapidly without moving their legs. "What in the name of the Thirteen?" one Guard cries, joined by a chorus of surprised gasps and yells. A few shots are fired, sending sparks and flames from the girders along the walls and from unlucky terminals. "We must hurry." You turn at the sound of the voice to see Chronos standing beside you, holding out a black rod. "Where did you come from?" Veritas asks. "No time to explain," Chronos says, looking to you. "Is it done?" > Fore A whole unit of armed Guards stands in your way. "They're just light!" A guard yells. "Ignore them." "There, in the corner!" You instinctively turn at the sound of gunfire, compressing your body behind your outstreatched arms. Your heart counts several rapid beats, and then you notice that the charges are being deflected harmlessly, the air shimmering in a broad arc around the meter-long black rod that Chronos holds with each impact. Crouching behind the meter-long black rod, Chronos leads your small group along the back wall of the room, ducking behind the girders for cover. A brilliant, featureless humanoid figure suddenly appears out of nowhere in your corner of the room, proceeding to zip outward toward the guards. > You examine the figure Humanoid in shape, the figures look like the brilliant outlines of men and women. They glide about rapidly across the floor, appearing and disappearing at random. Someone yanks you away from the ruined console, and you find yourself huddled together with Veritas, Chronos, and Euros Markon. Chronos holds his rod vertically in the center of the group, and you notice that outside of your small circle, everything looks distorted and hazy. "I entered through a secret hatch," Chronos says, looking around carefully. "That's the problem with invisibility fields; they make it difficult for you to see, as well," he mutters quietly. He leads you silently along the girders, gunshots crashing around you, until you come to a wall bracket that has been folded down to the floor, revealing a square opening at its base. "Well, I might as well go first," Veritas says quietly. She lowers her body feet-first into the opening and disappears into darkness. "You go next, Rood," Chronos tells you. "Then Euros will follow, and I will go last. Quickly, now." > You enter the opening You fall for about a meter before your feet catch on rungs. You begin to climb down, your back rubbing uncomfortably against the wall of the tunnel. The dim light from above flickers as Euros begins his descent above you, and you continue on for a long time. At last, the vertical tunnel ends in a low horizontal tunnel. Hearing movement ahead of you, you crouch and proceed. You soon find a place where the metal wall has been cut away crudely, leaving rough, rust-coated edges. You crawl into the hole, leading to a narrow shaft that branches out in many directions. The only branch wide enough to allow passage ends in rectangle of light. You push yourself through and stumble to the floor. A familiar hand grasps your arm, helping you to your feet. Rows of racks stick out perpendicular to the panelled walls, a hole in which provided your entry. The racks contain a varied assortment of peculiar objects. An aisle between the racks runs down the middle of the long room. The floor is covered with a strange soft, textured, light-brown material, sort of like the polyfoam of a sleeping alcove or a seat cushion, except rougher and less pliable. The two exits on the ends of the room are sealed fast, plates of metal welded over them. Your datapad's orientation app shows that the sealed doors face fore and aft. Veritas Tora is here. Veritas carries a handgun. > You look at racks The inside of the shelves are filled with lots of strange things -- reams of paper bound by vertical spines and lined in horizontal rows; screens and other digital devices that look completely foreign; and miscellaneous small objects, such as a little spindly contraption consisting of a white dish with an antenna sticking out. Euros Markon's upper body appears in the hole in the wall. You and Veritas help lower him down. > You examine paper The small, square piece of paper is folded down the center. Several uneven, erratic appear on the sheet in depressed, red markings: Meet me at the garden. You only know of one person who would care to learn the Ancestor technique of writing characters by hand, or who would have cause to meet with you. The secrecy, however, is confusing. > You look at objects The inside of the shelves are filled with lots of strange things -- reams of paper bound by vertical spines and lined in horizontal rows; screens and other digital devices that look completely foreign; and miscellaneous small objects, such as a little spindly contraption consisting of a white dish with an antenna sticking out. > You talk to veritas You and Veritas reminisce about the time you first realized you were in love. > You get all Veritas Tora: Veritas Tora probably wouldn't be too big on that idea. Euros Markon: Euros Markon probably wouldn't be too big on that idea. > You examine Euros Average of both height and build, this man wears his gray Investigator uniform with sharp precision. His black hair is trimmed neatly around his ears. His hard, square face bears an angular black goatee, leaving his cheeks perfectly shaven. His eyes are stormy gray; his complection lightly pigmented. Chronos carefully extricates himself from the hole in the wall, passing his rod off to Veritas and then collecting it again after you help him down. > You examine the rod The black rod appears to be several centimeters thick, gradually tapering off along its length so that both ends are narrower, covered in identical, silvery reflective caps. The central portion of the rod is riveted for secure gripping, while nearer to both ends are dials that encircle the diameter of the rod. Chronos straightens his long coat and looks around, a faint smile on his face. "Welcome to my library," he says, turning to face Veritas, Euros Markon, and you. "I'm afraid we won't be visiting here long," he says, beginning to walk down the aisle, looking fondly at the items on the racks. > You talk to Chronos "Those holograms were yours I take it," you say. Chronos grins broadly. "I can do many things with the systems onboard this ship that they don't teach you in Tech training. Holograms are quite easy to program, really." Chronos picks up one of the bound reams of paper. You notice the symbol of the Ancestor Tree embossed in silver on the flexible back cover before Chronos sets the bound ream back, shaking his head softly. "I've lived for a very long time, and now I don't even have time to save a few books and artifacts from my library," he says, looking wistfully along the racks. He turns back to you and the others, his voice becoming deep and serious. "I was unable to completely disable the transponder implant they put in me. They'll find us soon, and we need to move on. Now," he says, looking you in the eye, "did you suceed? Is Lewis Yuan's letter back on the Fleet Cloud protocol where it belongs?" > You talk to Chronos "I think so," you say, "but I can't be sure it worked." Chronos nods. "Then we will proceed as it we knew it did, and trust to fate. That is, after all, all we can ever do. So, people are becoming aware of Yuan's message by now, as they check their daily communications, research the approved databases, view their entertainment, and waste time playing adventure games." He twirls the meter-long black rod in his hands and spreads his feet. "Many of those people are becoming rather upset right now. They may support us, if we can offer more proof, if we can show them a tangible way to do as Yuan suggested. Our course of action is clear," he says, enthusiasm spilling through his voice. "We must find the Bridge!" > You cut the fore panel with the tool You haven't encountered any "north panel". (If you're sure you need to refer to that, try putting it another way.) > Fore The way is sealed fast. > You talk to Chronos You ask Chronos about some of your favorite stories that he used to tell when you were a child. Chronos explains the Ancestor myths and the legends about the beginning of the Great Journey that he combined and embellished for those stories. > You cut aft with the tool You set the laser tool to provide a concentrated beam for cutting. Then you stab at the metal sheet, turning your head as sparks fly. > Continue The sheet of metal offers significant resistance as the laser blade bites deeply into it. When you've inserted the beam to its full length on the current setting, you pull up with difficulty. "Chronos, why do you call this place your library?" Veritas asks. "Because I saved it," he replies, stroking his beard with his left hand. "Back when I served on the Council, I fought to keep old places like this maintained and open to the public. I was not particularly successful, but I did, at least, prevent my opponents from dismantling this room." > Keep going You cut a jagged, roughly vertical line up the side of the metal plate, and then turn horizontally inward toward the bolts. The resistance increases. "After this room was closed and sealed, I never brought it up again, counting on their short-sightedness to forget it," Chronos continues. "And so, by the time they threw me out of the Council, this place was utterly forgotten." > Continue You dig the laser beam into the center of the metal sheet and then adjust its setting, making the beam less intense but increasing its resonance. The sheet begins to glow, molten metal dripping down as you slowly move the beam around the reinforced center. "And what of the secret entrance?" asks Euros, leaning against the racks. Chronos nods. "Some time after that, I built the secret exit from the Data Center to access restricted areas, using old ventilation shafts. I used to come here ever so often, up until they rigged my skull with that accursed transponder." He looks at you and Veritas, smiling faintly. "After they arrested me for conducting that Remembering service, when the two of you sat in the front row and listened to the word of what came before us." > Keep going You switch off the laser tool and readust its setting. Turning it back on, you cut along the opposite side of the door from the part where you began, now making quick, sweeping motions. > You keep going You connect the cuts that you made, digging multiple grooves to fragment the door into smaller and smaller sections. Despite your efforts, the scarred barrier remains intact. You struggle, thrashing the metal sheet almost randomly. "Maybe you've weakened it enough." You turn your head to see Euros standing beside you, his gun raised. You step back, and Veritas lays a hand on your shoulder, smiling encouragingly. She guides you behind her, and then raises her own gun. Euros nods to her, and then both begin firing at the door, each impact scouring a dent. The metal sheet buckles, and its center begins to crumble. Euros and Veritas take aim at the weakest point, blasting a jagged gap and revealing the blockade to have been nearly a meter thick. They shoot along the welded arch but succeed only in knocking off a little more material. Veritas stops shooting, and then Euros gives up a moment later. "We just a need a little more," he says. > Continue (First turning on the laser tool.) The nozzle at the end of the cylinder emits a faint beam of light, as narrow as a single hair. Then, the base of the nozzle emits a few sparks, and the beam pulses several times. The beam dissapears, replaced by a broader, pulsating blade of light, extending only a few inches out from the nozzle. The laser beam grinds edge of the hole blasted through the center. With much effort, you widen the gap, loosening and then slicing off chunks of metal. Chronos approaches. "Allow me," he says, gesturing for you to step away. He points the meter-long black rod at the door, and then turns one of the dials on it. A humming sound grows steadily louder, and the aft arch begins to vibrate and tremble, causing the whole room to shake. Chronos rapidly adjusts something else on the rod, and the sections that you cut into the sheet collapse inward with a loud crash. Chronos lowers the meter-long black rod. "The way is clear, Euros. You should be able to lose them in the old ventilation shafts, but I will let you form your own plan. Take care," he says to Euros, and then turns to you and Veritas. "Come here, and stay close to me," he says, moving to the corner next to the cleared aft exit. "If I do escape, I'll try to rally support," Euros says, looking from you to Veritas to Chronos. He turns abruptly and ducks through the jagged opening, just as the rattling of guns charges against the other side of the fore-door increases in intensity." > You turn off the laser The lazer blade pulses and then disappears. "We'll hide here," Chronos says, crouching with his back to the port wall, between two of the racks. You and Veritas beside each other, Veritas propped against the aft-facing rack and you against the fore. The sound of shearing, scourging impacts continues. Chronos turns a dial on the meter-long black rod, and the space beyond the back end of the racks suddenly looks hazy and distorted, as during your escape from the Data Center. > Wait Time passes... The room shakes with an explosion, followed by footsteps. "They should be here," a gruff masculine voice says. The footsteps thud the length of the room. You hear the contents of the shelves being thrown roughly out of the racks. A guard wearing a shock-suit comes into view at the end of your rack. "They may have escaped," the guard says, gesturing at the aft exit with her gun. "Search this room first," says the first voice. "I'm reading life signs." The guard standing at the end of the two racks between which you hand suddenly yells, dropping her gun as a point on her arm erupts in flame. As the guard jumps to the side, the retort of gunfire resounds several times more, coming from the aft exit. "Proceed! The lifesigns must be coming from the other side of the wall!" A guard runs past your rack, firing through the aft exit. He steps to one side of the opening as the rest of the guards file quickly past. The guard holds up his fist, stopping the last two of his underlings from leaving. "Burn this stuff," he says, firing his weapon into the racks of artifacts. The other two guards follow his example, blasting the contents of the racks. You and Veritas pull Chronos down to the floor, flattening yourselves as charges explode over your heads. As they turn to leave, the guards shoot the floor, igniting the soft material. Chronos rises stiffly and brushes himself off. He looks over the devastion and grimaces. > You talk to Chronos Chronos listens as you tell him the technical details about your demographics program that turned up the ancient document. "I know a thing a two about programming, myself," Chronos says. "The Ancestors used to have a special title of honor reserved for the very best programmers. I would say, Rood, you just might be a regular 'wizard'!" > You look at the racks All is destroyed. > You talk to veritas The two of you speculate about what the meaning of the name that was randomly selected as your surname at the time of your melding from the pool of the names of your ancestors in both of your families. > Fore You follow Veritas past the ruins of the sealed-off portal. Chronos takes a step through as well, but then turns back, looking slowly around the ashes of the scorched library. "This too will arise again," he mutters, and then turns and enters the tunnel. "Onward!" Your journey through the sealed tunnels is long and dark. You pass unchallenged, relying on Chronos's knoweldge of the route, until you arrive back in the less clandestine corridors. Chronos activates an invisiblity field with his rod, but every turn seems to be occupied by Militia Guards. As you gradually progress toward the Commons, you see increasing signs of chaos. A battle rages in the Commons, concentrated near the aft end. At this end, people can be seen running from point to point, careful to avoid each other. The ground is littered with signs of chaos and death. Chronos Han is here. Chronos holds a meter-long black rod. > Fore You encounter no one as you pass through the commons. As you reach the corridor beyond, all is unusually quiet, except for the echoes of the distant chaos. Removed from the central passageways of the Godspeed, no more than two travelers could pass with comfortable distance between them. The walls here are panelled in strips of the unknown alloy of the older parts of the ship, but the homogenous white material of the newer renovations begins just meters down the corridor to aft. To fore, the corridor narrows further and angles upward in a ramp, leading to the observation dome. Chronos Han is here. Chronos holds a meter-long black rod. "Here!" Chronos says, rapping on the wall panels with his knucles. "I believe the entrance corridor leading to the bridge can be found behind this wall." > You cut the panel with the tool (First turning on the laser tool.) The nozzle at the end of the cylinder emits a faint beam of light, as narrow as a single hair. Then, the base of the nozzle emits a few sparks, and the beam pulses several times. The beam dissapears, replaced by a broader, pulsating blade of light, extending only a few inches out from the nozzle. You cut a broad rectangular outline through the wall panneling. You prise up the severed panels and toss them aside, raising your laser tool to work on the material underneath. "They've caught us!" Veritas lays a hand on your shoulder, distracting you from your excavations. You look to see Guards run toward you from the direction of the Commons, while others thunder down the ramp from the observation dome." "They knew we were coming," Chronos growls, brandishing the meter-long black rod. "Well, perhaps they will get more than they bargained for!" > Keep going You slash through the inner wall material as fast as you can, sending sparks flying as you shear circuitry. > You continue The powerful beam emitted by the laser tool digs deeper into the wall. You discover a hollow area beyond and widen the hole. Now you should be able to pass through to whatever may lie on the other side. > You enter the hole field. Chronos turns on his heel and jumps back to the port wall as you and Veritas crouch behind him into the crude opening you carved through the wall. Chronos falls to his knees, cranking the dials on the meter-long black rod. He looks up at you. "Remember." You fall backward, shielding Veritas with your body. The wall of the corridor collapses on top of you. [....] > You look It's too dark to see anything. > Go east You no longer have enough motivation or strength to explore the other end of this dark hallway. This end terminates in an opening right here. You may as well go that way. > You talk to veritas You flex your feet, and the mild pain informs you that they obeyed. "Yes, I think I can stand," you tell her. "Good." You feel her grab you under your arms, supporting some of your weight. > You leave The guards are probably still out there. > Go inside The room is open and rectangular, with a high ceiling and almost as many stations and terminals lining the walls as in the Data Center. At one end, the floor descends three steps into a depressed cockpit, where the wall arches out elliptically, containing three seats built into displays and terminals. The other end is mostly taken up by a large door, its two sides clamped together. On either side of the door are two small open archways; you don't even know which is the one you came through. Above the depression, a wide arch spans from wall to wall. Displayed prominently on the center of the arch is an emblem, at once familiar and different. Veritas looks around slowly, her eyes wide. > You examine the emblem Mounted high on the arch is a depiction of the circular Serpent emblem. Instead of devouring a star where its head and tail meet, as in the symbol used by the Militia, this serpent is swallowing its own tail, closing the circle completely. > You examine the cockpit Beneath the arch at the end of the room, the depressed area contains three chairs between its curving walls with ample room between them. A ledge runs along the curve of the wall, flaring out toward the two chairs that are closer to the sides. The central chair rests at the center of a broad view of the stars, covering half the arc of the depression's wall. Veritas walks forward, gazing up at the plaque of the Serpent emblem. Then she touches the patch of the Serpent devouring the Star on her Militia Investigator uniform. > You sit on the central chair You haven't encountered any "central chair". (If you're sure you need to refer to that, try putting it another way.) > You enter the cockpit You get into the depressed area. On the Bridge, in the depressed area Veritas Tora is here. Veritas carries a handgun.

[Themes: Science Fiction] > Look around On the Bridge, in the depressed area The room is open and rectangular, with a high ceiling and almost as many stations and terminals lining the walls as in the Data Center. At one end, the floor descends three steps into a depressed cockpit, where the wall arches out elliptically, containing three seats built into displays and terminals. The other end is mostly taken up by a large door, its two sides clamped together. On either side of the door are two small open archways; you don't even know which is the one you came through. Above the depression, a wide arch spans from wall to wall. Displayed prominently on the center of the arch is an emblem, at once familiar and different. Veritas Tora is here. Veritas carries a handgun. > You go outside You get out of the depressed area. Veritas looks around slowly, her eyes wide. > You examine the display Some of them look passingly similar to technology that you've used, but most of the equipment here appears specialized, built around diagrams of ship structures or strange input interfaces. Lights flicker on and off on some of the displays, but the equipment doesn't appear to be activated. > Search equipment You don't find anything new. Veritas walks forward, gazing up at the plaque of the Serpent emblem. Then she touches the patch of the Serpent devouring the Star on her Militia Investigator uniform. > You talk to veritas "The Serpent devours only itself," you observe, noticing Veritas observing the plaque of the Serpent emblem. "Yes," Veritas says. "Over and over again, forever." Her voice is heavy. "Chronos would have had something to say about it, for sure." She quivers, and you put your arm around her. > You examine the chair Displays and controls hang out over all three chairs, the ledge from the wall of the depressed command area flaring out before the left and right chairs. The center chair is positioned between and a little behind the other two, before the massive viewport that wraps around the curve of the wall. > You look at the viewport Beneath the arch at the end of the room, the depressed area contains three chairs between its curving walls with ample room between them. A ledge runs along the curve of the wall, flaring out toward the two chairs that are closer to the sides. The central chair rests at the center of a broad view of the stars, covering half the arc of the depression's wall. You hear movement from halls behind the bridge. Scraping, and the sound of footfalls. > You talk to veritas The two of you speculate about what the meaning of the name that was randomly selected as your surname at the time of your melding from the pool of the names of your ancestors in both of your families. Veritas stands beside you, raising her handgun veritcally parallel to her face. "For Chronos," she whispers. "For truth." > You take the handgun from Veritas There is more to firing a handgun than pointing it and pulling the trigger. Veritas is trained in its use, and you are not. The sound from beyond the bridge quiets to a soft clammor. A single person, a blond-haired woman, steps through. She looks up at you and Veritas and walks toward you, but stops and raises her hands as Veritas targets her. "Rin..." Veritas says without emotion. > You examine Rin This short young woman fidgets where she stands, her green eyes wide, her trembling hand holding her weapon in your general direction. Her fair-skinned faced is creased in a grimace, framed by sheets of long blond hair. "Veritas -- you were right. It was... really hard to turn on you like that... I'm sorry; I thought it was what I had to do. After... when I saw how they ordered your instant death and destruction of everything found with you -- and your husband too, and your greatfather...." Rin looks around, and then back at Veritas. "Oh... your greatfather! Is he... uh..." > Wait Time passes... Veritas snarls at the woman. "Then what are you doing here?" "Coming to find you!" Rin exclaims, her eyes wide. "Before the remaining Council forces can get you. You see, the people of the Godspeed turned against the Council, partly due to the old document you put on the Cloud, and partly due to the martial law and all the abductions and lock-downs that followed. Plus, many members of the Bureau of Investigation turned out to have been on our side, or else they turned to our side when they saw all the corruption. The Bureau of the Guard has been more stubborn; they're trained to obey and not to think about it much. But even some of the high-ranking Guard officers declared neutrality when they understood that we don't want to overthrow the entire government, just the people suppressing the truth." > You talk to Rin "How can we possibly trust you?" you ask her. The woman opens her mouth to speak, but a male voice from behind her cuts her off. "I wouldn't have believed her either." Euros steps out of one of the hallways behind the bridge and walk to stand beside Rinaldi. "But when the Guards caught me, she found me and ordered them to release me." He looks at her, brows knit together. "There's a lot of questions I still want answered," he says, "but I believe we can trust her for now. At any rate, if she tries anything, the army of civilians and Investigators that she and I lead to retake the fore section is waiting just outside." He grins. [....] The process of restoring order is long and tense. You have never been more glad to be a simple Data Tech, not one to be involved in the convolusions of politics and war. Veritas, on the other hand, played a key role in reorganizing the Militia, preventing the more radical supporters of the uprising from throwing out and imprisoning everyone who was loyal to the Old Council. The people recognized her efforts and elected her as the representative of the Godspeed on the New Council. You know that the reluctance with which she finally accepted the position was no mere modesty; you've seen her anxiety and her agonzied uncertainty. Ultimately, her sense of duty to the law and to the truth lead her to accept, and you know that she will serve with honor. The bridge has been undergoing restoration, the best scientists, techs, and engineers working constantly to discover how to use the sensory and navigation technology onboard the ship that has served as your home and the home of your ancestors. The signal that Lewis Yuan wrote about has already been rediscovered, exactly as he described all those generations ago. It is only a matter of time before the long-dormant propulsion system is attuned once again to the Signal, and then you will once again be following the Beacon toward your destiny. You've had a hand in the renovations, helping to translate between the ancient systems on the bridge and on other old and long-forgotten parts of the ship and the current operating environment, and to sift through and decode the vast amount of information stored in ancient snapshots of the Fleet Cloud and on ancient data storage devices. But you have a more important duty by far. [....] It is time for the Remembering. Beneath the Heavens, standing on the central platform People crowd the three tiers of the stands, some shifting excitedly, others sitting still in a reverential bearing. Completing the circle around the back of the platform are the endless stars of the New Heaven, which stretch above the transparent dome that forms the ceiling. A small arch opens above the center of the top tier of the stands, on the port side of the room. Rinaldi Fletcher is sitting with Euros, looking toward you and smiling meekly. Euros Markon is sitting in the stands, his arm around Rin's shoulder. He looks at you with an intense gaze, joyful but serious. Veritas sits boldly in the front row, smiling at you. > You talk to the people You look over the audience, drawing a slow, deep breath. Veritas beams at you. "The Ancestors did not live as we do. They lived on and communed with the very spheres of the Heavens themselves. We were never meant to go on living in these ships forever. We need Land. We need Sea. We need Wind. We need Trees. "At least now we once again have the stars. During the Great Journey from the Old Heavens, our ancestors saw no stars for many generations. Some thought that the stars were no more than a story told to ignorant children before sleep rotation. Most of those who knew that the Heavens really had once existed thought that the stars had actually vanished altogether. In our arrogance, we allowed ourselves to believe that we had no need for the stars. The Council declared that we were the only light, that our Fleet was the entire universe. "But there was one man who remembered. His name was Chronos Han. As a young Systems Tech on the Galaxy, Chronos saw the ancient systems that had long since been shut away or ransacked. He dedicated his life to finding out the true purpose of the Fleet, of learning all he could about the Ancestors. He boldly declared that the Fleet was not all that is, that we came from the Heavens and that our fate was bound together with the Heavens. "Chronos suffered many things at the hands of arrogant people. He was imprisoned several times by the Militia and was tortured at the order Council in an attempt to make him recant. He and his family were threatened, his property confiscated, his name maligned. No matter what was done to him, he never stopped insisting that the Heavens were real, until he was proven right beyond all possibility of denial. "The stars reappeared at last, after a hundred generations had lived died without them. But sadly, our foolish arrogance is so great that we very soon forgot the Ancestors once again, and we went on living as if the Fleet itself were our only purpose. Chronos gave his life so that we could have evidence to hold on to, so that we can believe that we came from a better place and are still seeking a better existence. "Be sure that we will forget again, because we are always devouring ourselves in our arrogance. However, it is just as certain that people will always long for the depths of the past and the promise of destiny. That is why we will not utterly forget, until our feet tread upon the surface of the New Land." You lower your head and step forward to sit down next to Veritas. You look straight ahead, silently, everyone else doing the same. Already small with distance, you see the canister in which Chronos's body was laid, emblazoned with the motif of the Ancestor Tree. He will journey forever among the stars, until the Heavens are born again.

[Themes: war] "Oh terrible minutes! One fears death and could, in such times, yearn for death, horrorified by this kind of death. Been in two assaults; may there follow no more! Nothing more eagerly longed for than this, besides getting home in one piece. Where did all courage disappear to? We have enough of waging war. Not cowardice is this but humanness, rebelling against this barbarism, this ghastly slaughter." Kurt Peterson, killed in action August 3rd, 1915 I slid down into a large shell crater to escape the fire that had wiped out most of my company. For all I knew, what was left of it were the two men who had jumped in right after me. I could hear their teeth clattering from underneath their gas masks. Somewhere around here had to be the that ominous trench. At that very moment, some heavy battery didn't want to to be left out and started ploughing the hilltop once more, just to be sure nobody would get off it alive today. If I hadn't had soiled my pants already while running for my death through no-man's-land, now would have been the last opportunity. An uphill struggle by Arno von Borries This was where the French wire entanglements had been before the bombardment. Now, however, there was nothing left of them. The impact of whatever had hit here had been so violent, it had dug a hole right up to the trench itself. The trench continued to the north, east and west. I could see Gruber and Tiersen here. [Author's Note: Mutual slaughter in northern France, spring 1916.]

[Themes: war] > Inventory I was carrying: an automatic a pistol magazine three grenades a bayonet a lantern > You examine the lantern A powerful mantle lantern, currently unlit. > You look at the bayonet "The bayonet frequently jams on the thrust and then a man has to kick hard on the other fellow's belly to pull it out again; and in the interval he may easily get one himself. And what's more the blade often gets broken off." Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front > You look at automatic A standard service pistol. > Examine magazine (the pistol magazine) A seven-round magazine for an automatic. > You look This was where the French wire entanglements had been before the bombardment. Now, however, there was nothing left of them. The impact of whatever had hit here had been so violent, it had dug a hole right up to the trench itself. The trench continued to the north, east and west. I could see Gruber and Tiersen here. > You examine Gruber Bruno Gruber was a man from my company. He was carrying four grenades, a very light and a flare gun. He was wielding a grenade. > You look at Tiersen Eberhard Tiersen was a man from my company. He was carrying a grenade, a banana magazine and a machine gun. He was wielding a grenade. > You wield the bayonet Both my hands were full already. > Inventory I was carrying: an automatic a pistol magazine three grenades a bayonet a lantern > You go to the north This position was still in surprisingly good condition considering the heavy shelling that had been going on for days. Concrete braces reinforced the construction. The trench continued to the south. I could see a surprised Frenchman here. Tiersen fell in behind me. Gruber fell in behind me. The Frenchman fired his automatic at myself. I received a light wound in the my leg. > Fire automatic at Frenchman I wasn't wielding the automatic. Gruber struck a Frenchman with his grenade. The Frenchman received a light wound in the chest. Tiersen struck a Frenchman with his grenade. The Frenchman received a light wound in the leg. The Frenchman fired his automatic at Tiersen. Tiersen received a moderate wound in the stomach. Tiersen struck a Frenchman with his grenade. The Frenchman received a moderate wound in the head. Gruber struck a Frenchman with his grenade. The Frenchman received a light wound in the chest. The Frenchman collapsed on the spot. > You hold automatic I took the automatic from the Machine-gun nest. > You hold the magazine (the pistol magazine) I took the pistol magazine from the Machine-gun nest. > Wield magazine (the pistol magazine) The pistol magazine was unsuited as a weapon. > Wield grenade I was already wielding the grenade. > You throw the grenade Dropped. > You get the grenade I took the grenade from the Machine-gun nest. The dying Frenchman groaned in pain. > You examine frenchman The man was dying. The Frenchman's head was badly bruised. > 1 ( - What this game is about) The fighting for the town of Verdun during the first world war has become a symbol for and warning against the futility of war in both France and Germany. It lasted ten months, during which the front lines changed by not even ten kilometres, yet cost hundreds of thousands of lives. It is remembered for its particular brutality. Those who fought in it called it "Bone mill", "Blood pump", "Hell". During March and April 1916, much of the struggle happened on two adjacent hills, behind which some French batteries were positioned to fire into the German flank. One was known only as hill 304, the other had been called le mort homme even before the war. Attack was followed by counter-attack, day and night. > Go north ( - What this game is about) The close combat in the trenches was easily outmatched in deadliness by the effects of the artillery fire. Soon, the incessant bombardment had turned the hills into an unrecognisable moonscape of shell craters. When it rained, these turned into pools of slippery mud, threatening to drown anyone trying to find shelter. As both sides tried to prevent the other from gaining a foothold on the hills, there was rarely a chance for the troops to dig their own cover. When there was, they often discovered body parts of those sent in before them. To this day, there are an estimated 80.000 dead still lying unrecovered on the battlefields of Verdun and every square meter is sprinkled with, on average, five kilograms of metal from shell fragments. > Go north ( - What this game is about) Why point out all this a hundred years after the fact, when there have been even bloodier wars since? People from all walks of life went into the first world war singing and jubilant. They came from societies where an uncompromising stance in matters of foreign policy and national prestige were seen as raison d'etat. At Verdun, they got what they had asked for. It seems to the author that the memory of these developments has somehow faded away and that today might be a good time to call the human cost associated with them back into mind. After all, the institutions of compromise, that have been so central to keeping the peace in Europe for the latter part of the 20th century, have never been less popular than today. In essence, the work at hand is a short vignette, meant as an illustration of the ultimate consequence of a game that can feel heady and warm yet carries in itself the potential for any cruelty imaginable. That favourite pastime past and present: patriotism. > 2 ( - How this game works, mechanically speaking) This game can involve a lot of shooting, stabbing, striking and the like. Because this takes place at very close range, there will usually not be any time to draw a weapon before someone else starts the killing, so it's important what characters hold in their hands at any given moment. Readers will want to keep the following points in mind when playing the game: 1. To fight, one needs a weapon. 2. In an emergency, almost anything can be used as a weapon. 3. Weapons and objects can be drawn and holstered (equipped, wielded, slung, put away...). 4. To make use of any object or weapon, it needs to be drawn. 5. It is possible to hold two small objects at the same time, but many objects are too large to carry in one hand only. 6. NPCs will normally not just stand around and get killed. Instead, they will use whatever they have at their disposal to get rid of their opponents, or at least try to flee. 7. It is possible to give orders to others, like, for example, so: "Peters, equip pistol", "Jansen, give magazine to Peters", "Peters, Jansen, load pistol", or "All, hurl primed grenade south". 8. Men under your command will try to obey simple orders. If they can't comply immediately, they will try to create the necessary preconditions to carry them out first. > 3 ( - How this game works, tactically speaking) The basic method of rolling up a trench as was practised during this phase of the war was to toss a few hand grenades around every corner before going oneself and to bomb out all underground bunkers the same way. It was seen as very secondary whatever other armament was carried. The only real alternative course of action was to fire blindly around corners, which was much less effective with most of the weapons available at the time. This assumed that the attacker had somehow managed to make it into the defender's trench. Since a frontal attack across no-man's-land in the face of the defenders' guns had been shown again and again to be utter suicide, it emerged that the most promising tactic for attacking infantry was to come silently at night and infiltrate a position unnoticed by its occupants. To make this work, it was necessary to take only a very small raiding party and to make as little use of light, firearms and explosives as possible in order to avoid detection. Of course, it was also conceivable to bombard a position with heavy artillery until everyone inside was dead. In fact, this was what was attempted most of the time. The downside to all these tactics was that they could be employed equally well by the defender to counter-attack positions that had already been captured. > Examine This position was still in surprisingly good condition considering the heavy shelling that had been going on for days. Concrete braces reinforced the construction. The trench continued to the south. I could see four grenades, Gruber, wounded Tiersen and a dying Frenchman here. > Inventory I was carrying: three grenades two pistol magazines two automatics a bayonet a lantern > You give the bayonet to Gruber I gave the bayonet to Gruber. The Frenchman stopped moving. > You give the grenade to Gruber I gave the grenade to Gruber. > You give the magazine to Gruber (the pistol magazine to Gruber) Gruber was carrying too many things already. > Inventory I was carrying: two pistol magazines two automatics a lantern > You give automatic to Tiersen I gave the automatic to Tiersen. > You give the magazine to Tiersen (the pistol magazine to Tiersen) I gave the pistol magazine to Tiersen. > Continue Which do you mean, a pistol magazine or a banana magazine? > Inventory I was carrying: a lantern > You look This position was still in surprisingly good condition considering the heavy shelling that had been going on for days. Concrete braces reinforced the construction. The trench continued to the south. I could see four grenades, Gruber, wounded Tiersen and a dead Frenchman here. > You search frenchman This was where the French wire entanglements had been before the bombardment. Now, however, there was nothing left of them. The impact of whatever had hit here had been so violent, it had dug a hole right up to the trench itself. The trench continued to the north, east and west. Tiersen fell in behind me. Gruber fell in behind me. I couldn't see any such thing. > Go east This was a well-constructed trench more than a man deep. The walls were revetted to keep them from caving in. Black water stood knee-high at the bottom. The trench continued to the north, east and west. I could see a surprised Frenchman here. Tiersen fell in behind me. Gruber fell in behind me. Gruber struck a Frenchman with his grenade. The Frenchman received a light wound in the arm. The Frenchman struck Tiersen with his grenade. Tiersen received a bad wound in the head. Tiersen was killed instantly. > You look This was a well-constructed trench more than a man deep. The walls were revetted to keep them from caving in. Black water stood knee-high at the bottom. The trench continued to the north, east and west. I could see a machine gun, a banana magazine, a grenade, two automatics, two pistol magazines, Gruber, dead Tiersen and a lightly injured Frenchman here. Gruber struck a Frenchman with his grenade. The Frenchman received a light wound in the leg. The Frenchman struck myself with his grenade. I received a light wound in my chest. > You look This was a well-constructed trench more than a man deep. The walls were revetted to keep them from caving in. Black water stood knee-high at the bottom. The trench continued to the north, east and west. I could see a machine gun, a banana magazine, a grenade, two automatics, two pistol magazines, Gruber, dead Tiersen and a wounded Frenchman here. Gruber struck a Frenchman with his grenade. The Frenchman received a light wound in the arm. The Frenchman struck myself with his grenade. I received a light wound in the my arm. > You examine the water A muddy grey soup. Gruber struck a Frenchman with his grenade. The Frenchman received a light wound in the chest. The Frenchman struck myself with his grenade. I received a light wound in the my arm. > You look This was a well-constructed trench more than a man deep. The walls were revetted to keep them from caving in. Black water stood knee-high at the bottom. The trench continued to the north, east and west. I could see a machine gun, a banana magazine, a grenade, two automatics, two pistol magazines, Gruber, dead Tiersen and a wounded Frenchman here. Gruber struck a Frenchman with his grenade. The Frenchman received a light wound in the stomach. The Frenchman collapsed on the spot. > You look at Tiersen Eberhard Tiersen was a man from my company. Tiersen's head had a horrifying crushing injury. "Maman! Maman!" the dying Frenchman called out. > You look This was a well-constructed trench more than a man deep. The walls were revetted to keep them from caving in. Black water stood knee-high at the bottom. The trench continued to the north, east and west. I could see a rifle, a clip, three grenades, a machine gun, a banana magazine, two automatics, two pistol magazines, Gruber, dead Tiersen and a dying Frenchman here. > You look at Gruber Bruno Gruber was a man from my company. He was carrying seven grenades, a bayonet, a very light and a flare gun. He was wielding a grenade. > You get the grenade I took the grenade from the Communications trench. > Inventory I was carrying: a grenade a lantern > You kill Frenchman with the lantern "Heloise, mon cher," whispered the dying Frenchman. > You wait Time passed. The dying Frenchman tried to say something, but couldn't manage to form the words any more. > You wait Time passed. > You look This was a well-constructed trench more than a man deep. The walls were revetted to keep them from caving in. Black water stood knee-high at the bottom. The trench continued to the north, east and west. I could see a rifle, a clip, two grenades, a machine gun, a banana magazine, two automatics, two pistol magazines, Gruber, dead Tiersen and a dying Frenchman here. > You look at Gruber Bruno Gruber was a man from my company. He was carrying seven grenades, a bayonet, a very light and a flare gun. He was wielding a grenade. > You give the grenade to Gruber Gruber was carrying too many things already. > You drop Gruber Gruber was already here. The dying Frenchman groaned in pain. > You give you the very light The Frenchman died silently. (Myself the very light) Gruber gave the very light to me. > You check what you're carrying I was carrying: a very light a lantern > You go to the north This was a well-constructed trench more than a man deep. The walls were constructed of neatly stacked sand bags. The trench continued to the south. I could see three surprised Frenchmen here. Gruber fell in behind me. The Frenchman fired his rifle at Gruber. Gruber received a fatal wound in the head. Gruber was killed instantly. The Frenchman fired his rifle at myself. I received a bad wound in my stomach. The Frenchman cycled the action of the rifle. The Frenchman cycled the action of the rifle. I stopped moving. My chest had a small bruise. My stomach had had a major artery torn by a bullet. My leg had received light wound from a grazing shot. My arm had a small bruise. My arm had a small bruise. "The only thing that is particular to war is the wound, the senseless injury of the body, and the senseless enmity. That is, the animosity between men, who would, as individuals, face each other without hate, perhaps even with love." Arthur Schnitzler, 1914

[Themes: Educational, mathematics, based on songs] yet) Space Suit -- Episode 38 of the Apollo 18 Tribute Album by Andrew Schultz 6/12N) boggle-box you've been transported into. You can go one move in any of the usual 2-d directions, even the crazy ones, before hitting a wall. A protective spacesuit hangs on a pedestal. Well, you'd guess it's protective, since it doesn't look very fashionable. [Type ABOUT to find out more about this game, or CREDITS to find out more about people who helped make it, or make it better.] [Author's Note: There are 1001 doors in the darkened corridors. Which is right?] > About yourself yet) Jeans and a t-shirt. > You go to the northeast yet) You leave the center for more a wide-open area with less to see, do and take. But hey, you can always come back. There are glowing walls to the east and north here, and you sense an odd energy from them. > You examine the walls yet) You can't see any such thing. > You examine wall yet) Which do you mean, the west wall, the east wall, the south wall, the north wall or the wall? > You examine the north wall yet) You don't see anything special. It's too far away to see at the moment. > You check your inventory yet) You are carrying nothing. > You go to the east yet) Your skin begins tingling as you approach the wall. Radiaton? Heat? You're not sure. Even though it appears malleable, you don't trust yourself to make it through as is. > You touch the east wall yet) You feel nothing unexpected. > You go to the south yet) You're in the center of the east edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the east wall. > You look at the mural yet) There's a picture of various Pythagorean triangles, size determined by notches-3/4/5, 5/12/13, and so forth. There's a picture of a top spinning around. It seems to be about to fall--it's at a close angle to the ground. > You go south yet) There are glowing walls to the south and east here, and you sense an odd energy from them. > Go west yet) You're in the center of the south edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the south wall. > You examine the mural yet) It's a list of riddles that make sense once you know the answer, but you're glad there wasn't a gnome that made you bet your life on them. your attention more, anyway--but what's it doing here? > Examine hunter yet) Seems like an anachronism...or maybe a hint? > Go west yet) There are glowing walls to the south and west here, and you sense an odd energy from them. > Go north yet) You're in the center of the west edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the west wall. > You examine the mural yet) There's a picture of a big long maze. You begin puzzling your way through it, starting at the bit marked "end" and trying to block out various dead ends. Below the maze, there's a picture of a kite trailing its owner at a forty-five degree angle--must be windy. > You go north yet) There are glowing walls to the west and north here, and you sense an odd energy from them. > Go east yet) You're in the center of the north edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the north wall. > You look at the mural yet) You see a stick figure holding an opaque umbrella at an angle. Also, there appears to be an impromptu treatise on tic-tac-toe strategy, but you have nobody to play it with. Rats. > You go south yet) boggle-box you've been transported into. You can go one move in any of the usual 2-d directions, even the crazy ones, before hitting a wall. A protective spacesuit hangs on a pedestal. Well, you'd guess it's protective, since it doesn't look very fashionable. > You look at the spacesuit yet) Largely white, with an opaque helmet and handy pockets for fitting scraps of paper in. It's got some weird dark LCD output on the chest with a lever off to the side. > You examine the lcf yet) You can't see any such thing. > You examine the lcd yet) It's dark. You imagine there's a way to switch it on. > You pull the lever yet) You should be wearing the spacesuit before doing that. > You take Suit yet) Hmm. As you pick it up, a brochure falls off the pedestal and onto the floor, and a small lead ball also falls from a sleeve onto the ground. You also see the spacesuit was covering a couple of drawings. > You examine the brochure yet) In case the brochure has small print, you take it first. Hmm. There's no actual writing. At the top, you see shows five lines in an S through a 3-by-3 square of dots...and a big red X through all that. Below, there're four lines next to an intact 3-by-3 square. There are a few more pages on the inside, too. > You open the brochure yet) There're diagrams about spacesuit operation--likely, the one you're holding--and how it protects from radiation and heat and so forth. The wavy lines and fire are universal enough. No letters are needed. But you don't see any dangers here, so maybe there's more useful later. > You examine the ball yet) It seems unremarkable. You wonder what it's for, and what to do with it. > You take all yet) This is more a puzzle than a treasure hunt. Besides, there aren't that many items IN the game. > You take the ball yet) Taken. > You take the brochure yet) You already have that. > You wear Suit The suit fits comfortably. > You pull the lever You might want to read the brochure...the center may not be the best place to start recording your movements. > You read the brochure There's a close-up of a lever on the side of the spacesuit. Two-way arrows indicate that it detects bends, or changes in direction. You see a few more pages. > You read the brochure You see a square of nine faces -- the middle frowny and red, the others smiley and green. The northwest -- assuming north is up -- has little sunshiney rays around it. Maybe the last bit will be more informative. Hmph. Just a finger pointing at you, a brain with lines coming from it (it appears to have just jumped from a box,) and pictures of medals and ribbons. But there's a loose page behind. > You look at the loose page You rip the page from the brochure. with a line through it--some poor stupid looking face is crossed out. There's also someone wearing a spacesuit next to a crossed-out stick figure that is not. There's a big exclamation mark in the upper right-hand corner--a pretty universal meaning. The slots on the left side are labeled A, B and C, from top to bottom (okay, they're unreadable glyphs. But you have to call them SOMEthing.) On the right, there's D, which you decide is a tab. B and D are parallel with the middle row, while A is close to the top row, and C is close to the bottom row. Would you like to see a physical representation? > Y. . . . A - B - . . . - D C - . . . > Go northeast your spacesuit. Perhaps some places are better than others. There are glowing walls to the east and north here, but they don't seem menacing. > You go to the east Hm. It's like some weird foamy turnstile. anything. But exploring may turn up some clues. You're outside the usual boundaries of the box. You can go back through the walls to the southwest and south, or you can dither around to the northwest. > You go to the west out. Hmm. Switch the lever here? Technically, there's no rush. There are glowing walls to the east and north here, but they don't seem menacing. > You go east You're used to this turnstile action by now. You're outside the usual boundaries of the box. You can go back through the walls to the southwest and south, or you can dither around to the northwest. > Go northwest You're outside the usual boundaries of the box. You can go back through the walls to the southwest and south, or you can dither around to the southeast. > Go southwest Nothing weird happens the second time on your way back, either. You're in the center of the north edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the north wall. > Go east Here, you can only go south, southeast and southwest. > Go southeast You're outside the usual boundaries of the box. You can go back through the walls to the southwest and south, or you can dither around to the northwest. > You go southwest You're in the center of the east edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the east wall. > Go east There's no secret door behind the mural. You've found how to get outside the box, anyway. > You go west boggle-box you've been transported into. You can go one move in any of the usual 2-d directions, even the crazy ones, before hitting a wall. The pedestal you took the spacesuit from is here, too. It's prominent enough that you couldn't trip over it if you tried. > You examine the pedestal It's cylindrical, with an odd diagonal line down the side--you'd think it'd be straight up and down, but it's perpendicular to a ramp that seems to circle the outside. the ramp, and you can see a couple drawings, too. > You look at the drawings You see two pictures: one, a grid of nine dots, and another, a black eight-pointed star with a big red X through its center. The star looks as below: * * |\ /| | \ / | \ | / \ | / \|/ \|/ * * /|\ /|\ / | \ / | \ | / \ | |/ \| * * > You examine the ramp You can't actually touch inside it--it's covered all the way down. But it cuts a spiral through the cylindrical pedestal that winds around almost three times before the hole at the bottom. The line cutting through the pedestal starts just to one side of the entry and to the other side of the exit. > You put the ball in hole outside of the pedestal. After a half-minute, the ball rolls slowly out the bottom. You could pick it up and try again, if you want. > You take the ball Taken. > You put the ball in the hole It's fun to watch the ball roll down, but you doubt you're doing anything. > You keep going You remember rolling a penny down a similar spiral at some toy store. > Continue Whee! Somehow, it never quite gets boring. > You keep going Okay, I lied. You start wondering what the ramp is there for, or what it's demonstrating. > Keep going You roll the ball down the ramp yet again. > Twist ramp Nothing obvious happens. > You go to the east You're in the center of the east edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the east wall. > Go southeast You're outside the usual boundaries of the box. You can go back through the walls to the northwest and west, or you can dither around to the southwest. > You pull the lever You hear a hum, then a loud BEEP, from your spacesuit. You look down and notice the LCD output has begun to glow. > You examine the lcd The LCD output reads: - - - 0 / 4 -+ - - - | - - - 0 / 9 > You go northwest You're in the center of the east edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the east wall. You hear a beep. A turn-arrow pulses on part of your LCD, then vanishes. You assume this means you can change directions three more times. > Go northwest You're in the center of the north edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the north wall. > You go northwest You're outside the usual boundaries of the box. You can go back through the walls to the southeast and south, or you can dither around to the southwest. > Switch lever You hear a grinding and whooshing as you start. You back off. > You go to the south There are glowing walls to the west and north here, but they don't seem menacing--they're even pulling your spacesuit towards them, slightly. You hear two beeps. A turn-arrow pulses on part of your LCD, then vanishes. You assume this means you can change directions two more times. > You go to the south You're in the center of the west edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the west wall. > Go south There are glowing walls to the south and west here, but they don't seem menacing. > You go south You're outside the usual boundaries of the box. You can go back through the walls to the northeast and north, or you can dither around to the northwest. > Go northeast You're in the center of the south edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the south wall. You hear three beeps. A turn-arrow pulses on part of your LCD, then vanishes. You assume this means you can change directions once more. > You go to the northeast You're in the center of the east edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the east wall. > You go to the north-east You're outside the usual boundaries of the box. You can go back through the walls to the southwest and south, or you can dither around to the northwest. > Go west There are glowing walls to the east and north here, but they don't seem menacing. You hear four beeps. A turn-arrow pulses on part of your LCD, then vanishes. You assume this means you can change directions zero more times. Crunch time. > You go west You're in the center of the north edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the north wall. > You go to the west There are glowing walls to the west and north here, but they don't seem menacing--they're even pulling your spacesuit towards them, slightly. > You examine the lcd The LCD output reads: * + + 4 / 4 -+ + - + | + + - 7 / 9 > You go to the southeast boggle-box you've been transported into. You can go one move in any of the usual 2-d directions, even the crazy ones, before hitting a wall. The pedestal you took the spacesuit from is here, too. It's prominent enough that you couldn't trip over it if you tried. You can see a small lead ball here. A loud horn begins honking. You have made one too many turns with your spacesuit activated! > You read the brochure In case the brochure has small print, you take it first. Hmm. There's no actual writing. At the top, you see shows five lines in an S through a 3-by-3 square of dots...and a big red X through all that. Below, there're four lines next to an intact 3-by-3 square. There are a few more pages on the inside, too. > Keep going There're diagrams about spacesuit operation--likely, the one you're holding--and how it protects from radiation and heat and so forth. The wavy lines and fire are universal enough. No letters are needed. But you don't see any dangers here, so maybe there's more useful later. > You continue There's a close-up of a lever on the side of the spacesuit. Two-way arrows indicate that it detects bends, or changes in direction. You see a few more pages. > Keep going You see a square of nine faces -- the middle frowny and red, the others smiley and green. The northeast -- assuming north is up -- has little sunshiney rays around it. Maybe the last bit will be more informative. > Continue Hmph. Just a finger pointing at you, a brain with lines coming from it (it appears to have just jumped from a box,) and pictures of medals and ribbons. But there's a loose page behind. > You get page It pulls out easily. It's got the three-by-three square of dots, but it also has four slots cut into the sides--three on one side, one on the other. > You read the page with a line through it--some poor stupid looking face is crossed out. There's also someone wearing a spacesuit next to a crossed-out stick figure that is not. There's a big exclamation mark in the upper right-hand corner--a pretty universal meaning. The slots on the left side are labeled A, B and C, from top to bottom (okay, they're unreadable glyphs. But you have to call them SOMEthing.) On the right, there's D, which you decide is a tab. B and D are parallel with the middle row, while A is close to the top row, and C is close to the bottom row. Would you like to see a physical representation? > Y. . . . A - B - . . . - D C - . . . > You look at the tab It's the only slot on the right of the paper. You can probably fold any of the others into it. > You fold the B into the d. As you twist the leaflet, you see crumbling--walls on the east and west appear to fall. You feel the room you're standing on wrenched into something you can't quite understand. You're knocked out for a minute but wake up where you were. > Go east your spacesuit. Perhaps some places are better than others. You're in the center of the east edge of the little boggle-box. Jagged rubble on the floor indicates there may have been a wall to the east. > Go east anything. But exploring may turn up some clues. You're in the center of the west edge of the little boggle-box. Jagged rubble on the floor indicates there may have been a wall to the west. > Go north Hmm. Switch the lever here? Technically, there's no rush. You thought you remembered this was a corner, but you can't see any walls to the east or west for a while. You think you see someone in the distance, though. > Go west You thought you remembered this was a corner, but you can't see any walls to the east or west for a while. You think you see someone in the distance, though. > You go west You're in the center of the north edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the north wall. > Wave You wave, feeling foolish. > You go to the north Hm. It's like some weird foamy turnstile. You're outside the usual boundaries of the box. You can go back through the walls to the southeast and south. You're not actually sure if being here is the best plan. > You fold a into the d. (slot a into tab d) You see the passage back to the inner area shake. This worries you. Perhaps the leaflet is more powerful than you thought. > You go south out. You thought you remembered this was a corner, but you can't see any walls to the east or west for a while. You think you see someone in the distance, though. > You look at the page It's wrapped around itself now, the tabs gone--melded into the paper somehow. Oddly, the dots that were on opposite sides are now close to each other. > Go southwest boggle-box you've been transported into. You can go one move in any of the usual 2-d directions, even the crazy ones, before hitting a wall. The pedestal you took the spacesuit from is here, too. It's prominent enough that you couldn't trip over it if you tried. You can see a small lead ball here. > You look at the drawings You see two pictures: one, a grid of nine dots, and another, a black eight-pointed star with a big red X through its center. The star looks as below: * * |\ /| | \ / | \ | / \ | / \|/ \|/ * * /|\ /|\ / | \ / | \ | / \ | |/ \| * * > You fold a into the d. (slot a into tab d) As you twist the leaflet, you see crumbling--walls on the east and west appear to fall. You feel the room you're standing on wrenched into something you can't quite understand. You're knocked out for a minute but wake up where you were. > Go west You're in the center of the west edge of the little boggle-box. Jagged rubble on the floor indicates there may have been a wall to the west. > You go west There should be an east wall joining the south wall, but the only one you see is a bit to the west. > You go to the west You're in the center of the south edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the south wall. > Go west walls here. > You go to the east You're in the center of the south edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the south wall. You hear a beep. A turn-arrow pulses on part of your LCD, then vanishes. You assume this means you can change directions three more times. > You go to the east You're in the center of the east edge of the little boggle-box. Jagged rubble on the floor indicates there may have been a wall to the east. > You go to the east There should be a west wall joining the north wall, but the only one you see is a bit to the east. > Go east You're in the center of the north edge of the little boggle-box. You can see a mural on the north wall. > Go east walls here. You hear a loud siren. Confetti drops from the ceiling. Three people in robes walk out, beaming silently. You are handed a gold medal! You have done about the best you could do. A monk waves his hand, and the topology of the room is re-scrambled. You are escorted into a small nook with all manner of logic puzzles. They look interesting, but you hope you're let out before you solve them all. I hope you enjoyed this puzzle, and I hope converting it to a text adventure was as fun for you as it was for me.

[Themes: Game, Joke, chess] It has been a fierce battle, full of bold moves, daring attacks, surprising gambits and heroic sacrifices. Throughout this, you've remained at your starting point, patiently waiting for orders. But now that the metaphorical dust has settled and most pieces have been exchanged, it finally looks as if it is your turn. The White King and one of your Pawn colleagues have managed to nail the Black King with his back to the edge of the board, but they can't finish him off without help. The White King calls you to action. It is time to make your move. DEMO version for the TextFire 12-PACK (Type "about" for more information) Chessboard (on f2) The chessboard is almost empty, now that most pieces have been exchanged. Its surface is perfectly smooth, its 64 squares alternatingly deep black and pearly white. [Author's Note: You get to play a pawn in a chess game - at the very end.] > You look at the board The chessboard is almost empty, now that most pieces have been exchanged. Its surface is perfectly smooth, its 64 squares alternatingly deep black and pearly white. > You look at Pawn Which do you mean, the White Pawn or the Black Pawn? > You go north On your first move, you may choose to move two steps forwards instead of just one. Would you like to do that? > No Chessboard (on f3) The Black King scratches his head. "Hmmm. A difficult position - I might have to sacrifice my last pawn. Let's see..." > Wait Time passes. The Black King sighs. "It looks like we don't have much choice. Pawn, one step forward!" His sole remaining subject moves one square to the south, to g4. > You go northeast With a faint popping sound the Black Pawn vanishes from the board. Chessboard (on g4) The White King cries out in frustration: "You fool! You weren't supposed to do that!" The Black King, however, can't hide his pleasure. "I haven't got any legal moves left. It's a stalemate!" He pats the White King on the shoulder. "Seems like you don't win after all, old chap." > You go to the north Chessboard (on f4) The Black Pawn looks a bit surprised, and more than a little relieved, that you didn't capture it. The White King nods his approval, however: "Well done! Just continue north, and don't get distracted!" > You wait for a while Time passes. The Black King smiles grimly. "So you didn't fall for my little trap? In that case, we'll have to see whose pawn is the fastest!" He gestures to his Pawn, which takes a step towards the south, to g3. The White King waves at you to continue your march. > You go to the north Chessboard (on f5) You take another step forwards. The Black King rather nervously orders his pawn to continue. > Go north But it's not your move! The Black Pawn continues south. It is now dangerously close to becoming a Queen, and you can't help throwing some nervous glances in its direction. The White King, however, encourages you: "Don't worry, they won't have the time to do anything." > You go north Chessboard (on f6) The Black King gives you a worried look, but then turns to his own Pawn. "Just one more step and you'll be promoted!" > You wait a while Time passes. As the Black Pawn set foot on the first rank, it is surrounded by a golden glow. With a fanfare from invisible trumpets, the Pawn is transformed into a Queen! The White King looks at her, and snorts. "Impressive - but it will not help a bit. Finish them off, Pawn!" > You go north Chessboard (on f7) You boldly advance and threaten the Black King. "Check!" you cry, and the White King fills in: "...and mate!" The Black King desperately looks around for an escape, but can't find any. He extends his hand to his White colleague. "It looks like you win again. But just wait - I'll get my revenge next time!" The White King pats your back. "Well done! I think there's a vacancy as a Knight - I'll see if I can get you promoted in time for the next game."

[Themes: Romance, Fantasy, winter, romance, dragon, female protagonist, sexual content, Demon] This game uses some special effects that can cause problems on older interpreters, and especially on interpreters for handhelds. Answer 'no' if your interpreter doesn't support color or timed input. Do you want to play the enhanced version? [Author's Note: In this short story that's part romance and part tragedy, you play as a young woman. A week ago, the Ice Queen stole your boyfriend from your bed, leaving a snowflake in his place. Now, you stand outside her cave, wondering what you must do to get her to give him back.]

[Themes: Romance, Fantasy, sexual content, dragon, female protagonist, Demon] > No You have made it, finally, to her cave. A week ago, she kidnapped your boyfriend from your bed, while you were sleeping. When you awoke, he was gone, a beautiful snowflake in his place. That was when you knew she had taken him. 'I see you have found me,' says the Ice Queen amusedly. 'So you want your boy back, my dear? Come, follow me inside.' She bows mockingly, then disappears inside the cave. Please type ABOUT. This is it. The dread Ice Queen's home lies to the north, the dark cave mouth beckoning. > About yourself You are tightly wrapped in cold-protective clothing. > Go north The inside of the cave consists solely of ice. It is mostly empty, the most striking feature being the gigantic ice throne the Queen is sitting on. Prominently displayed in the middle of the cave is a large, clear block of ice inside which Saul has been frozen. On the throne is the Ice Queen. > You examine saul He is just as you last remember him. Light brown skin, shaved head, that short goatee you asked him not to shave off... but he's frozen into a block of ice, his eyes are closed, he is not breathing. > You look at Queen The Ice Queen is as black as a moonless midnight, except for her cold blue eyes. She stands at least twice as tall as you, wearing a dress of black ice that constantly melts and reforms around her body. > Talk What do you want to t? > You talk to Queen 'You want him back? Then bring me the Heart of Winter. It is guarded by the Dragon, but since you have found me, I am sure you are not going to have a problem convincing him to give it to you.' The Ice Queen gestures, and an exit opens towards the north of the cave. > You go to the north A wide, deep gorge splits the land in half. There is no way across. On the other side, in the distance, you can make out a castle. You can also walk along the gorge to the east and west. An annoying little demon is fluttering around your head. > You examine the demon A tiny red creature about the size of your palm, with wings and goat hooves and yellow eyes. > You talk to the demon 'You want across this gorge? I can get you there, baby. Just give me what you're holding!' "I'm not..." you start, then realize you are holding something. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a blue crystal > You go west 'Ungrateful wench!' screams the demon, suddenly growing in size. 'You do not want my help? Fine! Then try to get out of this mess yourself!' He turns around, whipping you with his tail. You lose your balance and fall... [=>] ...fall, until a large branch stops your descent rather abruptly. Halfway down the Gorge (on the branch) Even from here, you still can't see the bottom of the gorge, but you can hear water rushing below. The top seems miles away; the walls are mostly bare, except for the branch that miraculously broke your fall without injuring you too much in the process. > You examine the branch A large, bare branch. > You jump Mustering all your courage, you jump off the branch. Just like you hoped, there is a river down there, but it isn't quite what you expected. The currents drag you along... Strong wind currents carry you along, as if you were floating on water; instead, you are floating in mid-air. > You go north Though it is easy to maneuver on the winds, you would crash into the canyon wall. The currents drag you along... Strong wind currents carry you along, as if you were floating on water; instead, you are floating in mid-air. > You go to the west You drift along with the winds... The currents drag you along... Strong wind currents carry you along, as if you were floating on water; instead, you are floating in mid-air.

> Go downwards Though it is easy to maneuver on the winds, you would crash into the canyon wall. The currents drag you along... Strong wind currents carry you along, as if you were floating on water; instead, you are floating in mid-air. The canyon walls give way to an ice bank to the north. > Go north You swiftly steer towards the ice bank and the currents drop you softly onto it. A tiny bank of ice is all that separates the River of Storms from a rough path leading up a mountain to the northwest. > Go northwest After a long trip, you arrive at... This may have been an impressive castle once, and seemed to be intact from the distance, but the courtyard is all that remains; no walls remain standing. Strange. You can see the Dragon here. > You examine Dragon The Dragon is a handsome man with incredibly white skin and piercing black eyes. > You talk to Dragon 'You have come for the Heart of Winter.' You shudder at the sound of his voice. It is... old and otherwordly, yet beautiful. "Y... yes," you manage. 'I will give it to you, under one condition. Give yourself to me, this night. Then you shall have the Heart of Winter. What do you say?' > Yes The Dragon smiles sadly. 'Come with me, child.' Afterwards, he leads you into a small chamber. This very small chamber is empty except for a large mirror hanging on one wall. > You examine the mirror You see yourself in the mirror. "I only see myself!" you shout, "where is the Heart of Winter?" The Dragon smiles again. 'You are.' "I am? But..." He hushes you with a movement of his hand. 'I think you have someone to go back to, do you not?' At the mention of Saul, shame flushes your face. Yes, you betrayed him to save him. With another wave of the Dragon's hand, you are gone and find yourself... This is it. The dread Ice Queen's home lies to the north, the dark cave mouth beckoning. > Go north The inside of the cave consists solely of ice. It is mostly empty, the most striking feature being the gigantic ice throne the Queen is sitting on. Prominently displayed in the middle of the cave is a large, clear block of ice inside which Saul has been frozen. On the throne is the Ice Queen. > You talk to Queen 'Well,' asks the Ice Queen, 'have you brought me the Heart of Winter?' "Yes." 'So,' she continues eagerly, 'where is it?' "I am the Heart of Winter." 'What? It cannot be!' Her eyes alight with anger, she raises her arms. 'Heart of Winter, eh? You will be dead of Winter!' Glistening magic leaves her fingertips, engulfing you... You feel cold for a second, but nothing else happens. The Queen looks at you, her countenance shattered. Then the magic leaves you and strikes her full force. She screams a high-pitched, bloodcurdling scream, then explodes into thousands of tiny ice splinters. You close your eyes and crouch to shield your body from the shrapnel. The next thing you know is Saul holding you in a tight embrace, kissing you passionately. And then, you walk out of the cave, and make your way home. [=>] TWO DEAD IN SNOW CHAOS The recent snow chaos has caused two more deaths. A young couple, Saul O. (23) and an unidentified female, were caught in the storm. Apparently, O. lost control of the car and crashed it into a tree. The couple froze to death while trying to reach civilisation. It seems they knew what was coming; they were found in a tight embrace, lips frozen together in a final kiss. [=>] debugcheapnitfol quit with exit status: 0 This game uses some special effects that can cause problems on older interpreters, and especially on interpreters for handhelds. Answer 'no' if your interpreter doesn't support color or timed input. Do you want to play the enhanced version? > No You have made it, finally, to her cave. A week ago, she kidnapped your boyfriend from your bed, while you were sleeping. When you awoke, he was gone, a beautiful snowflake in his place. That was when you knew she had taken him. 'I see you have found me,' says the Ice Queen amusedly. 'So you want your boy back, my dear? Come, follow me inside.' She bows mockingly, then disappears inside the cave. Please type ABOUT. This is it. The dread Ice Queen's home lies to the north, the dark cave mouth beckoning. > You kill Queen That doesn't seem like a good idea. She could kill you in a split-second; and you're not even sure why she hasn't done that yet. > You kiss saul You wish you could, but the ice block is in the way. > You talk to Queen 'You want him back? Then bring me the Heart of Winter. It is guarded by the Dragon, but since you have found me, I am sure you are not going to have a problem convincing him to give it to you.' The Ice Queen gestures, and an exit opens towards the north of the cave. > You go to the north A wide, deep gorge splits the land in half. There is no way across. On the other side, in the distance, you can make out a castle. You can also walk along the gorge to the east and west. An annoying little demon is fluttering around your head. > Go east As you turn to go, the demon suddenly speaks up... 'You want across this gorge? I can get you there, baby. Just give me what you're holding!' "I'm not..." you start, then realize you are holding something. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a blue crystal > Go east 'Ungrateful wench!' screams the demon, suddenly growing in size. 'You do not want my help? Fine! Then try to get out of this mess yourself!' He turns around, whipping you with his tail. You lose your balance and fall... [=>] ...fall, until a large branch stops your descent rather abruptly. Halfway down the Gorge (on the branch) Even from here, you still can't see the bottom of the gorge, but you can hear water rushing below. The top seems miles away; the walls are mostly bare, except for the branch that miraculously broke your fall without injuring you too much in the process. > You jump Mustering all your courage, you jump off the branch. Just like you hoped, there is a river down there, but it isn't quite what you expected. The currents drag you along... Strong wind currents carry you along, as if you were floating on water; instead, you are floating in mid-air. > You wait Time passes. The currents drag you along... Strong wind currents carry you along, as if you were floating on water; instead, you are floating in mid-air. > Wait Time passes. The currents drag you along... Strong wind currents carry you along, as if you were floating on water; instead, you are floating in mid-air. The canyon walls give way to an ice bank to the north. > Go north You swiftly steer towards the ice bank and the currents drop you softly onto it. A tiny bank of ice is all that separates the River of Storms from a rough path leading up a mountain to the northwest. > Go northwest After a long trip, you arrive at... This may have been an impressive castle once, and seemed to be intact from the distance, but the courtyard is all that remains; no walls remain standing. Strange. You can see the Dragon here. > You talk to Dragon 'You have come for the Heart of Winter.' You shudder at the sound of his voice. It is... old and otherwordly, yet beautiful. "Y... yes," you manage. 'I will give it to you, under one condition. Give yourself to me, this night. Then you shall have the Heart of Winter. What do you say?' > No The Dragon smiles. 'Come with me, child.' "What? I said no!" 'I know. I will still give you the Heart of Winter. In fact, I could not withhold it from you even if I wanted.' He leads you into a small chamber. This very small chamber is empty except for a large mirror hanging on one wall. > You examine the mirror You see yourself in the mirror. "I only see myself!" you shout, "where is the Heart of Winter?" The Dragon smiles again. 'You are.' "I am? But..." He hushes you with a movement of his hand. 'I think you have someone to go back to, do you not?' With another wave of the Dragon's hand, you are gone and find yourself... This is it. The dread Ice Queen's home lies to the north, the dark cave mouth beckoning. > You talk to Queen 'Come back when you have the Heart of Winter! And hurry!' > Go north That would be suicide. > You give the crystal to the demon The demon accepts the crystal, giggling maniacally. A second later, you find yourself on an... A tiny bank of ice is all that separates the River of Storms from a rough path leading up a mountain to the northwest. > Go northwest After a long trip, you arrive at... This may have been an impressive castle once, and seemed to be intact from the distance, but the courtyard is all that remains; no walls remain standing. Strange. You can see the Dragon here. > You wait for a while Time passes. > You examine the mirror You see yourself in the mirror. "I only see myself!" you shout, "where is the Heart of Winter?" The Dragon smiles again. 'You are.' "I am? But..." He hushes you with a movement of his hand. 'I think you have someone to go back to, do you not?' With another wave of the Dragon's hand, you are gone and find yourself... This is it. The dread Ice Queen's home lies to the north, the dark cave mouth beckoning. > You talk to Queen 'Well,' asks the Ice Queen, 'have you brought me the Heart of Winter?' "Yes." 'So,' she continues eagerly, 'where is it?' "I am the Heart of Winter." 'What? It cannot be!' Her eyes alight with anger, she raises her arms. 'Heart of Winter, eh? You will be dead of Winter!' Glistening magic leaves her fingertips, engulfing you... The cold freezes you to the core, turning you into an ice statue. You cannot breathe, but you cannot die either. Helplessly, you watch as the Ice Queen unfreezes Saul and kisses him passionately -- and he returns her kiss! "What's this?" he asks when she releases him, pointing at you. 'Oh, just an ugly statue. Could you break it for me?' "Sure, my love." He walks up to you and pushes you over. You hear the laughter of the ice queen before you shatter. [=>] debugcheapnitfol quit with exit status: 0

[Themes: Lovecraftian, Lovecraftian] Have you played a text adventure game like this before? [Author's Note: You're on your way home from Cairo, with nothing but a rumpled suit and an apple for lunch. But the plane passes through dark air, over a fathomless sea. Past the heavens, under the deep, there are secrets hidden in the crevices of the world. Something is in you, longing to seek them out. And why not? Either way, you're doomed.] > Y. Wonderful! Nonetheless, of course, you may find it useful to enter the ABOUT command at some point, for information specific to this game. (Press any key to begin) > F. White steel cuts through the silence of a cloudless sky. Above, the black abyss of space stares down, and below, the infinite sea stares up, as if waiting for a sign. So far, none has come. > About yourself Thrum. Thrum. Thrum. > Inventory A text adventure by Ivan R. Airplane cabin (in your seat) The plane rumbles on. You're trying to catch sleep, but it doesn't come. A man behind you is snoring, and the couple across the aisle are trying to get their baby to quiet down—without success, it seems. There's an in-flight magazine staring back at you from the seat pocket. Your bag is stashed under the seat in front of you. There's something pointy jabbing into your rear. Most likely your wallet tumbled out of a jacket pocket. > You take wallet Oh, it's not your wallet. It's your cosmetic mirror. Not smart to leave that lying around. You snatch it up and stash it in your pocket. > You examine the mirror You open up the mirror and check yourself out. Yikes. This was a pretty spiffy suit when you put it on in Cairo, but halfway to Boston it's a bit of a mess. The shirt is rumpled, and there's a little spot of drool from when you dozed off around takeoff. Oh, and your eyebrow makeup is starting to rub off a little bit. You should definitely fix that. > You examine the bag You realize, in a moment of panic, that the top flap of your bag is open. You shut it with a snap and look around—it doesn't seem like anybody saw inside. A well-crafted leather bag. This thing has been with you on many adventures. It's decidedly sealed at the moment. > You open it Not in here! It is in there. > You get up Your seatbelt is on. > You examine the seatbelt It buckles, it unbuckles. You got to hear all about it during takeoff, presumably. > You unbuckle the seatbelt You hesitate. That would be disobeying the pilot's directive. > You read the magazine You have to ask yourself: are you that desperate yet? > You look at the baby High lung capacity, those things.

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > Look around Airplane cabin (in your seat) Yes, the plane rumbles on. The man behind you is snoring, and the baby across the aisle is still howling. An in-flight magazine in front of you does whatever the opposite of beckoning is. The little lavatory at the end of the plane appears to be vacant. > About you This was a pretty spiffy suit when you put it on in Cairo, but halfway to Boston it's a bit of a mess. The shirt is rumpled, and there's a little spot of drool from when you dozed off around takeoff. Oh, and your eyebrow makeup is starting to rub off a little bit. You should definitely fix that. > You unbuckle the seatbelt Click! You unbuckle your seatbelt. > You take the bag Taken. > You enter lavatory You would have to get out of your seat first. > You get up You stand up in your seat. One of the flight attendants glares at you, pursing her cherry-red lips in disapproval. Since she's standing up and handing out drinks, you figure there's nothing to worry about. "I really have to go," you say, and feign a pained expression. She goes back to offering Sprites. > Continue Being in the country, you couldn't not visit your grandfather. It only took a short jaunt from Cairo (first class, which for reasons of integrity condemned you to ride economy on the way back to the states—but you didn't really mind). You had let him know you were coming, but he had still seemed surprised, somehow. That you came at all, that you had wanted to come. You felt guilty. But now you were starting to wonder if there was something more to it than loneliness... Grandfather had been acting strangely, all weekend. He never left the house. He spoke in whispers, even when grandmother was out with her friends. He spoke loudly to her, just to be heard. But never with you. He seemed afraid. And now he had sent you to get a key. It was the outermost chamber of the place your grandfather told you about. South, a shaft of daylight shone through the arch, beckoning to you. The street. The world. Further north, a narrow tunnel that once led inside was now blocked by a heap of rubble, ancient. It looked like it had been bombed. "That was where it happened," he would say, when you asked. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a key > You examine key An old bronze-ish key, caked in dirt. It lay heavily in your hand. > You look at the arch A crumbling stone arch. You were half-afraid that one of the bricks would tumble onto your head. > You go south You stood under the archway separating the dark room behind you, to the south, from the bustling marketplace outside. The sun seemed too bright against your face. People were rushing past, entreating each other for rotten apples and cell phone cases. A step southward would take you into their midst. > You examine the marketplace People were hurrying past, doing their business. You had been too long in America; trying to understand anything but English spoken at that clip had become impossible. You knew what the general scene was, though. > You look at the sun It glared, as if disapprovingly. > You go south You stood surrounded by a throng of people. There was a stand selling counterfeit cell phones right next to you. The wide road continued east and west, filled with stalls. A gap between two buildings caught your eye, to the south. > You go south You stood in a narrow alleyway between two old buildings. They loomed from either side—gray-brown stone. The ground was wet and puddled, even though it hadn't rained. You wanted to hurry out; the alley opened onto the street to the south, blessedly empty. To the north, the sounds of the bazaar wafted in. > Go south On the east end of this bumpy, crooked avenue stood your grandparents' house. It seemed to loom, almost chillingly. Absurd, of course; this was a warm place, and it had been your home before. But you couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was waiting. > You examine the house Old, falling-apart. You didn't much like the way your grandparents chose to live right in the middle of the city, but maybe it was just as well that they weren't driving. This place held a few fond memories for you, but today the old brown brick-stones seemed to radiate an aura of menace. > Go east You walked into the sitting room. It was cozy, and spare, the way your grandmother liked to live. Grandfather probably would have preferred to keep more of his books and baubles around the house, but for their part the baubles had been sitting in a storage crate since god knows when. Some of the books managed a happier fate; you could see them through the open door to the southeast, packed into shelves and stacked up on top of each other in messy piles. Grandfather was probably in there right now, reading and studying about... That thing. Whatever it was that he wanted you to do. Delicious smells wafted in from the closed kitchen door to the east. > Examine books books of every description were stacked in piles, crammed onto the shelves. Of those that were in English, you couldn't recognize a single title. The rest were even more mysterious—it seemed that almost every script in the world was represented, etched onto the cover of some codex that lay strewn on the floor, clearly read and read again. Your mind boggled. > Go east (first opening the kitchen door) Your grandmother, eagle-eyed, spotted you creeping in to get a look at the soup. "Out, out! Wait until dinnertime, boy, how old are you?" She shooed you back out through the door. The sitting room was cozy, and spare, the way your grandmother liked to live. Grandfather probably would have preferred to keep more of his books and baubles around the house, but for their part the baubles had been sitting in a storage crate since god knows when. Some of the books managed a happier fate; you could see them through the open door to the southeast, packed into shelves and stacked up on top of each other in messy piles. Grandfather was probably in there right now, reading and studying about... That thing. Whatever it was that he wanted you to do. The kitchen door to the east stood open, and you could see your grandmother bustling around, working on the soup. She clearly spotted you, and was looking at you quizzically. Maybe your face betrayed something. > You go southeast You were in the library, your grandfather's "study" (as he called it). books of every description, from glossy magazines to ancient, decaying tomes lay open on the floor or spilling out of shelves. Grandfather was at his desk, furrowing his gray brow in concentration. He hadn't looked happy much, lately, nor did he now, but this was surely the next best thing. > You examine Grandfather It was almost heartbreaking to look at him. His voluble face and his gray beard were still there, but his face was wan, and his eyes were sunken. Since yesterday, more bandages had been wound around his arm, and his hard voice had weakened to a tremble. An authoritative tremble, but nothing could disguise his increasing weakness. He seemed to steady himself on the desk. > You examine the desk An old mahogany desk, in the French style. It had never occurred to you to ask where grandfather had gotten it from. > You talk to Grandfather Be more specific—ASK about a specific thing or topic, if you want to talk to your grandfather. And remember, it may be useful to ASK more than once about the same topic, or to come back later and ASK again after pursuing other subjects. Not everyone is infinitely forthcoming! > You ask Grandfather about books He shook his head. "The key, boy! Where is the key?" > You give the key to him He snatched the bronze key out of your hand. "Good, good. I'm just glad it was still there," he said. Then slowly, gravely, he dangled the key over the pages of the book he was examining, and let go. It tumbled down, spinning, and then, when it hit the shimmering gold page laid out before him, it simply tumbled through, as if it had been dropped into water. > Examine book (the book) It seemed ancient, although not as ancient as it feels now to you. That thing must have come far. Its golden pages seemed to shimmer and ripple in the dim light. > You ask him about the key "It unlocks something which is better left unopened. It's better for all of us that it should be hidden that way." > You ask him about the book (the book) He looked dismayed for a moment, looking down at the rippling gold pages in an unknown language that lay before him. "That's the rub, isn't it? This thing has a curse. It is a curse. It's unreadable... and it kills you," he said. > You ask him about the book (the book) "It has... strange properties," he said. > You ask him about the book (the book) "I got it from Pierre. I've told you about him, haven't I? We studied together in Paris." > You ask him about Pierre He said "Ah, I haven't told you about him? Maybe you just don't remember. Pierre was a, uh, a geologist friend of mine, when I was studying in Paris. We had wonderful times together, you know. And he would go out on these antarctic missions. That was where he got all his wonderful... gifts." > You ask him about the gifts He gestured to the book in front of him, silently. > You ask him about Pierre He shook his head. "I don't want to linger over old times. He is out of our lives now—and we are probably the better for it." > You ask him about paris His patience was beginning to wear thin. > You ask him about the book (the book) "Amundsen wasn't the first, you know. The Vikings made it further than anyone suspected, I suppose. That's what he said. That they found things in the ocean... and they left their knowledge at the end of the world." Again he fell silent. You opened your mouth. > You ask him about Vikings "The vikings beat everyone to the north pole, of course. It would seem they found all kinds of things under the ice. That's what Pierre told me." > You ask him about Vikings He huffed a little. "I'm not really an expert on these things." > You ask him about the book (the book) "He found this book there. It must have been the Vikings—the writing almost looks like runes, doesn't it? Where they got the paper from, it's not ours to know, but they must have had contact with something else. Somehow. Because it isn't just a book... in fact it's hardly a book at all." You continued to find this maddeningly unclear, and you itched to ask him again. > You ask him about the book (the book) "It's a summoner of storms. It's a portal to another world, in the most literal imaginable sense. You could step through it and emerge somewhere that no man has gone, perhaps since the Norsemen were the masters of the waves. It's very, very dangerous. And it carries... a rot. A rot that is yours, now, too." He shut the book with with a snap, and gestured to it, as if it was an offering. > You get the book (the book) He looked at you sadly as you picked it up, and he mumbled something you could barely hear. It sounded as if he was saying you would see each other soon. His bones were breaking. You picked up the book. The book. That ancient, weathered thing. That thing of evil. And now its curse was yours, just as it had been your grandfather's... (Press any key to continue)

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > You look at your surroundings You shake yourself back to reality. Right, you were staring at the book, again.

[Themes: Lovecraftian, Lovecraftian] > Describe the surroundings Cramped, but conveniently private. There's a plastic hole for a toilet and a shiny mirror on the wall, possibly also made of plastic. It looks like someone left their gross old baseball cap in here.

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > You look at your surroundings looks like someone left their gross old baseball cap in here.The book's weathered black cover houses a magnificent emerald in its very center. A silver clasp keeps it shut tight. Your finger itches to open it. > You look at the emerald A glistening green emerald. It almost looks like an eye, staring up at you. > You look at the clasp A shiny silver clasp, which looks newer than any other part of the book. It beckons to you. > Inventory You are carrying: your bag (open) the book (closed) a fez cap a cosmetic mirror an apple (snagged at Cairo Airport) a plastic knife your cell phone > You examine the fez Yeah, there were no Shriner events at the conference. Obviously. The fact that your father thought that it would be useful for you to join an adult fraternal organization, in the twenty-first century, is certainly indicative of something. It's a red fuzzy cap, that they—that you wear for those dumb rituals. > You examine the apple Mmm. At least you won't go without lunch. > You examine the knife A long, stiletto-like dagger made of hard and jagged plastic. You could really take someone out with this. But it gets through airport security. > You examine the phone It's pretty slick. You just got this one last month, so you've still been having fun whooshing things around. > Close bag You close your bag. > You open the bag You open your bag, revealing the book and a fez cap. > You open clasp Delicately, you open the silver clasp, and the book springs open. Its rippling golden pages seem to shimmer, regardless of the light. Suddenly, the plane gives a lurch, and you almost hit your head on the ceiling. Your heart is still racing as you try to steady yourself. > Examine book You catch a glimpse of the book. The cryptic yellow pages display bizarre runes, spelling out something no human could ever read. You see a shimmer of the void behind the crimson ink. You're unable to keep your balance and you stumble against a wall, banging your head. The plane continues to sway wildly. > You enter the book You manage to crawl over to the book where it lies open on the ground. You recklessly push your head against the page—you pass through, as if it wasn't there, and tumble through into the void... ## You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. The book floats here, open, its pages shimmering in nonexistent light, beckoning you to return to the world. It emits soft sounds of violence; you are tempted to listen. Far away, northwest of where you float, you glimpse a flash of bronze-ish color, but it is too far away to make out any details. > You listen It's too far away. The noise from the book suddenly stops. > You listen to the book You hear nothing unexpected. The noise from the book suddenly stops. > You enter the book You push your head against the page—you pass through, as if it wasn't there, and tumble through... You emerge in the plane bathroom, slightly disoriented.

> Look around Cramped, but conveniently private. There's a plastic hole for a toilet and a shiny mirror on the wall, possibly also made of plastic. It looks like someone left their gross old baseball cap in here. The book lies open, its golden pages rippling regardless of the movement of the air. > You put the book in the bag (first taking the book) You close and latch the book as you pick it up. You put the book into your bag. > Close bag You close your bag. > Go outside Wow. The plane must have come all the way down, while you were... in there. You stumble, walking on the tilted floor. It's eerily quiet in here. Everything seems abandoned, or torn apart. People's overhead luggage is spilled all over the floor. Further down the aisle, the floor dips below the waterline. You shudder. Everyone must have evacuated, you tell yourself. An open emergency exit beckons you to the outdoors. > You go outside The plane looms next to you, a huge monolith of white metal, half-sunk beneath the placid waves. The yellow escape slide is still inflated, but it seems that everyone who got out is gone, now. There's a raft of suitcases(?) in the distance. The endless ocean stretches out in all directions. Standing here, in the salty sea air, something inside your strange body feels drawn to the cold sea. A yellow life raft floats here in the sunny water. > You examine the sea The calm waters ripple placidly. > You examine raft A yellow inflatable life raft, with a little embedded compass and a waterproof light. There's a stout yellow paddle lying in the raft, with which (presumably) it can be maneuvered around. In the life raft is a paddle. > Oops paddle A sturdy plastic paddle. > You enter the raft You grab the yellow plastic oar as you step into the raft. You get into the life raft. > You go northwest Open Water (in the life raft) You are in the open water. Bright sun shines on your face. The tall metal pillar of the wrecked plane looms to the southeast. > Go northwest Striking out into the open water is a dangerous proposition. You fear that you would quickly lose sight of the crash—and die. > You open the bag You open your bag, revealing the book and a fez cap. > You open the book Delicately, you open the silver clasp, and the book springs open. Its rippling golden pages seem to shimmer, regardless of the light. You open the book. The sky seems, somehow, to darken. Not imperceptibly. > You enter the book You push your head against the page—you pass through, as if it wasn't there, and tumble through into the void... ## You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. The book floats here, open, its pages shimmering in nonexistent light, beckoning you to return to the world. Far away, northwest of where you float, you glimpse a flash of bronze-ish color, but it is too far away to make out any details. > You press the space bronze-ish color, but it is too far away to make out any details.As you emerge into the void, you are suddenly faced with the long face of a green serpent, barreling towards you with its eyes ablaze. You must think fast. > You enter the book The serpent follows you, rabid. You push your head against the page—you pass through, as if it wasn't there, and tumble through... You emerge into the cold water, slightly disoriented. The serpent lunges behind you, and you feel its hot breath on your heels even as you emerge into the water. You hear its screeching, but when you dare to look back, the thing is lying dead—or nearly dead. You are in the open water. The shade of dark clouds seems to give you respite from the hot sun. The tall metal pillar of the wrecked plane looms to the southeast. The book lies open, its golden pages rippling regardless of the movement of the air. The huge serpent floats here, gasping, ineffectually snapping its slimy fangs. Apparently, the thing can't breathe outside the aether of the void. It seems like it's suffocating. Its head is far away, out of reach to nothing. You're lucky you survived. A yellow life raft floats here, placid on the black water. Gray clouds are gathering. > You enter the raft You already have that. You grab the yellow plastic oar as you step into the raft. You get into the life raft. Lightning flashes in the sky. > You look at the serpent (the serpent's tail) A long rope of shining scales, leading you up, up along the long, long body of the serpent, to its irresistible face. Its eyes. You hear a crash of thunder, and rain begins to fall. > You examine the eyes The serpent's beady red burning eyes shine like flame, like a sun consumed. They seem fixed on you. You long to reach out, to touch them. It is a primordial longing. The rain strengthens into a torrent, soaking you cold to the bone. The freezing water might be forcing tears from your eyes—you can't even tell. > You get the eyes Those seem to be a part of the serpent's head. You shiver under the onslaught of raindrops that blast your skull like tiny bullets. > You touch eyes As your hands connect to the awful, burning eyes, you feel a searing, as your half-rotted fleh melts into the eternal fire. This time, it hurts. It hurts awfully, terribly, a hadean pain that you cannot seem to banish— but when you pull away, your hands glow like embers. Spiritual lights, that may guide you yet. Whither, you do not know. The rain comes down in torrents. You spot something bright green, floating in the water. It's hard to tell quite what it is. > You get green Which do you mean, the 1) pen light, 2) the serpent's tail, 3) the long body of the serpent, 4) the long body of the serpent, or 5) the serpent's head? > You get the pen light Huh, it's an old pen llight thingy. It doesn't look rusted or anything, so it must've just been dropped here—maybe jetsam from the plane. Taken. Rain pounds down on you. > You examine the light Hanging off of an old key ring, it's a scuffed-up looking pen light, like you might use to look at somebody's tonsils, or whatever. You're actually not sure why people carry these. It's pretty bright green, so it probably has It doesn't seem to turn on, but maybe it just needs to dry out. The pen light is currently switched off. The rain comes down in torrents. > You examine the head A huge, scaly head, its nostrils flared. Strange light glimmers from its green scales. Its eyes, even in death, blaze with the fire of an alien sun. You shiver under the onslaught of raindrops that blast your skull like tiny bullets.

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > You look around Open Water (in the life raft) You are in the open water. Your hands dig into the rubber as choppy water buffets your lifeboat, tossing you this way and that. The tall metal pillar of the wrecked plane looms to the southeast. The book lies open, its golden pages rippling regardless of the movement of the air. The huge serpent floats here, gasping, ineffectually snapping its slimy fangs. Apparently, the thing can't breathe outside the aether of the void. It seems like it's suffocating. Its head is far away, out of reach to nothing. The rain comes down in torrents. > Go southeast By the slide (in the life raft) The plane looms to your east, a huge monolith of white metal, half-sunk beneath the choppy waves. The yellow escape slide is still inflated, but it seems that everyone who got out is gone, now. There's a raft of suitcases(?) to the south. The endless ocean stretches out in all directions. Rain pounds down on you. > You go east You set the paddle down inside the lifeboat. You get out of the life raft. The plane looms next to you, a huge monolith of white metal, half-sunk beneath the choppy waves. The yellow escape slide is still inflated, but it seems that everyone who got out is gone, now. There's a raft of suitcases(?) in the distance. The endless ocean stretches out in all directions. A yellow life raft floats here, bobbing violently among the black waves. You can reach it, but perhaps not for long. The plane looms next to you, a huge monolith of white metal, half-sunk beneath the choppy waves. The yellow escape slide is still inflated, but it seems that everyone who got out is gone, now. There's a raft of suitcases(?) in the distance. The endless ocean stretches out in all directions. The blistering cold of the hard rain makes you shiver. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a pen light a paddle your bag (open) a fez cap a cosmetic mirror an apple (snagged at Cairo Airport) a plastic knife your cell phone The blistering cold of the hard rain makes you shiver. > You go northeast You can't go that way. The rain comes down in torrents. > You go north Open Water (in the life raft) You are in the open water. Your hands dig into the rubber as choppy water buffets your lifeboat, tossing you this way and that. The tall metal pillar of the wrecked plane looms to the south. You shiver under the onslaught of raindrops that blast your skull like tiny bullets. > You go east Striking out into the open water is a dangerous proposition. You fear that you would quickly lose sight of the crash—and die. Rain pounds down on you. > You go south By the slide (in the life raft) The plane looms to your east, a huge monolith of white metal, half-sunk beneath the choppy waves. The yellow escape slide is still inflated, but it seems that everyone who got out is gone, now. There's a raft of suitcases(?) to the south. The endless ocean stretches out in all directions. You shiver under the onslaught of raindrops that blast your skull like tiny bullets. > Go northwest Open Water (in the life raft) You are in the open water. Your hands dig into the rubber as choppy water buffets your lifeboat, tossing you this way and that. The tall metal pillar of the wrecked plane looms to the southeast. The book lies open, its golden pages rippling regardless of the movement of the air. The huge serpent floats here, gasping, ineffectually snapping its slimy fangs. Apparently, the thing can't breathe outside the aether of the void. It seems like it's suffocating. Its head is far away, out of reach to nothing. Rain pounds down on you. > You get the book You close and latch the book as you pick it up. Taken. The clouds seem to part, and the sun returns, shining. > Go south Open Water (in the life raft) To the east is what remains of the plane, and southeast of you is what looks like a makeshift raft, assembled out of old luggage. > Go south Open Water (in the life raft) The makeshift flotilla of salvaged luggage is east of here, but you're too far away to make out any detail. The sun beats down on you, somewhere between pleasant and frightening. > Go east Luggage Flotilla (in the life raft) It looks like all the other passengers have camped out here. They're all crouched, somewhat raggedly, on a detached piece of wing. It's a sorry sight. Someone must have broken open the luggage hatch, because a whole raft of suitcases has been strapped together here, to keep them from sinking. Or maybe that's just the stuff from the overhead compartment. > You examine the passengers Which do you mean, the 1) sleeping passenger or the 2) flotilla? > You examine the sleeping There's a guy in a red button-up that looks like he might be the fellow who was sleeping behind you on the flight. It's hard to tell. > Flotilla It would be more fruitful to talk to someone who can answer. > You enter the flotilla They recoil at first, at your decaying form, but the stewardess recognizes you. You discover that they think you were burned, somehow, by jet fuel during the crash. You play along, and you let them tend to you. You'll find a way to hide, once you're rescued. > You look at the flash It's too far away. > You go to the north-west You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. The shimmering book floats just southeast of you. Far away, northwest of where you float, you glimpse a flash of bronze-ish color, but it is too far away to make out any details. > You go to the northwest You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. Somewhere in the distance, southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. Far away, northwest of where you float, you glimpse a flash of bronze-ish color, but it is too far away to make out any details. > Go northwest You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. Somewhere in the distance, southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. Far away, up and northwest of where you float, you glimpse a flash of bronze-ish color, but it is too far away to make out any details. > You go to the north-west You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent and dry. Somewhere in the distance, southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. Far away, up and northwest of where you float, you glimpse a flash of bronze-ish color, but it is too far away to make out any details. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a pen light a paddle your bag (open) a fez cap a cosmetic mirror an apple (snagged at Cairo Airport) a plastic knife your cell phone > About yourself You don't really care who sees you at this point. All this being knocked around has scraped off a lot of your disguise. If you look like a zombie emerging from a skinsuit, so be it. > Go southeast You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. The book floats here, open, its pages shimmering in nonexistent light, beckoning you to return to the world. Far away, northwest of where you float, you glimpse a flash of bronze-ish color, but it is too far away to make out any details. > You enter the book You push your head against the page—you pass through, as if it wasn't there, and tumble through... You emerge into the cold water, slightly disoriented. Luggage Flotilla It looks like all the other passengers have camped out here. They're all crouched, somewhat raggedly, on a detached piece of wing. It's a sorry sight. Someone must have broken open the luggage hatch, because a whole raft of suitcases has been strapped together here, to keep them from sinking. Or maybe that's just the stuff from the overhead compartment. The book lies open, its golden pages rippling regardless of the movement of the air. A yellow life raft floats here, bobbing violently among the black waves. You can reach it, but perhaps not for long. You shiver under the onslaught of raindrops that blast your skull like tiny bullets. > You get all book: You close and latch the book as you pick it up. Taken. The clouds seem to part, and the sun returns, shining. > Go north The plane looms next to you, a huge monolith of white metal, half-sunk beneath the placid waves. The yellow escape slide is still inflated, but it seems that everyone who got out is gone, now. There's a raft of suitcases in the distance. The endless ocean stretches out in all directions. > You go to the north-west You are in the open water. Bright sun shines on your face. The tall metal pillar of the wrecked plane looms to the southeast. > Go south To the east is what remains of the plane, and southeast of you is the makeshift raft that the survivors assembled. > Go east You are in the open water. Bright sun shines on your face. The tall metal pillar of the wrecked plane looms to the south. > You go to the north-west You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent and dry. The shimmering book floats just southeast of you. Far away, northwest of where you float, you glimpse a flash of bronze-ish color, but it is too far away to make out any details. > You go to the northwest You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. Somewhere in the distance, southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. Far away, northwest of where you float, you glimpse a flash of bronze-ish color, but it is too far away to make out any details. > Go up You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent and dry. Somewhere in the distance, southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. Far away, northwest of where you float, you glimpse a flash of bronze-ish color, but it is too far away to make out any details. > Go northwest You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. Somewhere in the distance, southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. Somewhere above, you can see what looks like the bronze key. > You ascend You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent and dry. Somewhere in the distance, southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. The bronze key floats just a few feet up and northwest from you. > You examine key (the bronze key) It's the same key that you saw grandfather drop into the book! > You get key (the bronze key) It's too far away. > Ascend You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent and dry. Somewhere in the distance, southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. The bronze key floats just a few feet northwest from you. > Go northwest You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. Somewhere in the distance, southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. You can see a bronze key here. > You get the key (the bronze key) As you seize the floating key, you feel a warmth extend from your hands to your entire body, and you realize that your torso is glowing red... A glowing green keyhole forms out the molten flesh of your torso, burning through your shirt and jacket—but strangely, it doesn't hurt at all. > You examine the keyhole A burning black keyhole in your chest, aching for a key. > You unlock the keyhole with the key (the bronze key) The key is swallowed up, and as it is, you feel more flesh peel away, flaking like dead paint—your throat clears out, as if it had never been clear before. You have decayed further; you are more a monster. And you no longer need to breathe. > About yourself Flaking apart like some kind of hideous corpse, you look more like a monster than a man. > Go southeast You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. Somewhere in the distance, southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. > Go southeast You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. Somewhere in the distance, down and southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. > Go southeast You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent and dry. Somewhere in the distance, down and southeast of here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. > Go southeast You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. Somewhere in the distance, below here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages.

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > Go downward You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent and dry. Somewhere in the distance, below here, you can see the glimmer of the book's unearthly pages. > Go southeast You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. The shimmering book floats just down and southeast of you. > Go southeast You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. The shimmering book floats just below you.

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > Go downward You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent. The book floats here, open, its pages shimmering in nonexistent light, beckoning you to return to the world. > You enter the book You push your head against the page—you pass through, as if it wasn't there, and tumble through... You emerge into the cold water, slightly disoriented. Open Water You are in the open water. The choppy water splashes cold against your face, as the rain lashes against your already-soaked scalp. The tall metal pillar of the wrecked plane looms to the southeast. The book lies open, its golden pages rippling regardless of the movement of the air. The blistering cold of the hard rain makes you shiver. > You get the book You close and latch the book as you pick it up. Taken. The clouds seem to part, and the sun returns, shining.

[Themes: Lovecraftian, Lovecraftian] > Go downwards You hesitate for a moment, fighting long-ingrained instincts, and then dive into the ocean. dive into the ocean.You feel as if you're about to choke, for a moment, but the water rushing into your mouth doesn't suffocate at all. You feel like you're breathing cold, freezing air. all. You feel like you're breathing cold, freezing air.## Under the Water Light filters down from the surface, bathing your surroundings in an ethereal blue glow. To the southeast, you can make out the gray shadow of the towering wreck—descending into the dark below. The book seems to strain downward, like a living thing, dragging you deeper into darkness.

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > Go downwards Down here, the water is heavy, dense, and black, like liquid night. You can make out little, other than the looming black shadow of the plane to the southeast, and a silhouette of darker stone to the east. > You go southeast Now you can see why the plane didn't sink further: the tail is lodged at the top of a stone cliff, extending down into darkness. The shelf of the cliff extends on, seemingly endlessly, to the east. Aside from this, little else is visible; the sea is dim in all directions. The book seems to strain downward, like a living thing, dragging you deeper into darkness. > You examine wreck The tail is crushed against the cliff of rock, almost like a tin can. > You look at the cliff A craggy stone cliff, extending down into the deep. > You go north Down here, the water is heavy, dense, and black, like liquid night. You can make out little, other than the looming black shadow of the plane to the south, and a silhouette of darker stone to the east. The book seems to strain downward, like a living thing, dragging you deeper into darkness. > Go east You don't want to stray too far from your landmarks—the plane, primarily.

> You go downward You light the way forward, downward, with the burning fire of your hands as you descend. In the Uttermost Deep (red-lit) You swim through the thick black water, down here where the pressure is almost all there is to feel. Whatever's going on at the surface, you have no idea. Through the red-lit blackness of the deep, you can make out a strange stone formation to the south. > You go to the south Down here, everything is dark and heavy, like liquid night. A huge stone wall, the side of the great cliff, stretches south from where you float. > You look at the wall A rough wall of cold stone. Somehow, it feels... less solid than the floor of rock above. > You go to the south Down here, everything is dark and heavy, like liquid night. A huge stone wall, the side of the great cliff, stretches north from where you float. A powerful current seems to bearing you eastward, into the wall of stone. > You go east The stone wall blocks your way. > Go south In the Uttermost Deep (red-lit) You swim through the thick black water, down here where the pressure is almost all there is to feel. Whatever's going on at the surface, you have no idea. Through the red-lit blackness of the deep, you can make out a strange stone formation to the north. > You go to the west You find you are too weak to swim against the eastward current. > Swim You'll have to be more specific about which way you want to go. > You go east The stone wall blocks your way. > You look at the wall A rough wall of cold stone. Somehow, it feels... less solid than the floor of rock above. On closer inspection, you notice a slender opening in the stone surface, about twice the thickness of your book. > You look at the opening A narrow slot in the stone—strangely regular, as if it was deliberately carved. It's slightly thicker than the spine of your book, which seems to strain forward, as if it wants to go inside. > You put the book in the opening No! It would be lost! > You open the book Delicately, you open the silver clasp, and the book springs open. Its rippling golden pages seem to shimmer, regardless of the light. You open the book. > You enter book You push your head against the page—you pass through, as if it wasn't there, and tumble through into the void... ## You are in an inky black expanse, stretching infinitely in every direction. It is utterly, eerily silent and dry. The book floats here, open, its pages shimmering in nonexistent light, beckoning you to return to the world. > You enter the book You push your head against the page—you pass through, as if it wasn't there, and tumble through... You emerge into the cold water, slightly disoriented. By the cliff wall Down here, everything is dark and heavy, like liquid night. A huge stone wall, the side of the great cliff, stretches north from where you float. A powerful current seems to bearing you eastward, into the wall of stone. The book lies open, its golden pages rippling regardless of the movement of the water. > Close book With some effort, you are able to will yourself to close the book; thinking for a moment, you decide to affix its clasp, in case it should decide to open on its own. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a pen light a paddle your bag (open) a fez cap a cosmetic mirror an apple (snagged at Cairo Airport) a plastic knife your cell phone > Drop book You let go of the book for a moment, but it spirals towards the gaping vent, and you snatch it back just in time. > Go upward Here you find yourself floating at the lip of a great stone shelf, extending to the east past where your eyes can see through the brine. The wreck of the plane is lodged against it to the north. > Go upwards Above you is the shadowy, rectangular shape of the survivors' makeshift flotilla. From below, you can see dangling straps, dancing in the currents. The wreckage of your plane lies north, blurred in your vision at this distance by the brine. > Go upwards Gasping, you struggle to the surface, and blink salty brine out of your eyes as you readjust to breathing air. It looks like all the other passengers have camped out here. They're all crouched, somewhat raggedly, on a detached piece of wing. It's a sorry sight. Someone must have broken open the luggage hatch, because a whole raft of suitcases has been strapped together here, to keep them from sinking. Or maybe that's just the stuff from the overhead compartment. A yellow life raft floats here in the sunny water. > You enter the flotilla Your glowing hands, your unholy, monstrous form—they recoil from you, of course. The stewardess starts to scream as you put your briny hand on the edge of their platform. You let go, and drift back away. There's no going back.

> Go downward You hesitate for a moment, fighting long-ingrained instincts, and then dive into the ocean. dive into the ocean.You feel as if you're about to choke, for a moment, but the water rushing into your mouth doesn't suffocate at all. You feel like you're breathing cold, freezing air. all. You feel like you're breathing cold, freezing air.## By the wreck The sunken half of the plane stretches beneath you. Little bubbles drift past your eyes, up to the surface. You are not sure if the dappled sunlight coming down from the water's surface makes this better—or worse. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a pen light a paddle your bag (open) a fez cap a cosmetic mirror an apple (snagged at Cairo Airport) a plastic knife your cell phone

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > Go downwards The tail of the plane is lodged at the top of a stone cliff, extending down into darkness. The shelf of the cliff extends on, seemingly endlessly, to the east. Aside from this, little else is visible; the sea is dim in all directions.

> You go downwards You light the way forward, downward, with the burning fire of your hands as you descend. Down here, everything is dark and heavy, like liquid night. A huge stone wall, the side of the great cliff, stretches south from where you float. > Go south Down here, everything is dark and heavy, like liquid night. A huge stone wall, the side of the great cliff, stretches north from where you float. A powerful current seems to bearing you eastward, into the wall of stone. The weathered black book glowers from where it sits. > You get the book Taken.

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > Look around Down here, everything is dark and heavy, like liquid night. A huge stone wall, the side of the great cliff, stretches south from where you float. The weathered black book glowers from where it sits. > Wait Time passes. > You go upwards The tail of the plane is lodged at the top of a stone cliff, extending down into darkness. The shelf of the cliff extends on, seemingly endlessly, to the east. Aside from this, little else is visible; the sea is dim in all directions. The book seems to strain downward, like a living thing, dragging you deeper into darkness. > Drop book The book sinks down and out of sight.

[Themes: Lovecraftian, Lovecraftian] > Go downward You light the way forward, downward, with the burning fire of your hands as you descend. Down here, everything is dark and heavy, like liquid night. A huge stone wall, the side of the great cliff, stretches south from where you float. The weathered black book glowers from where it sits. > Go south Here you find yourself floating at the lip of a great stone shelf, extending to the east past where your eyes can see through the brine. The wreck of the plane is lodged against it to the north. The book seems to strain downward, like a living thing, dragging you deeper into darkness.

[Themes: Lovecraftian, Lovecraftian] > Go down You light the way forward, downward, with the burning fire of your hands as you descend. Down here, everything is dark and heavy, like liquid night. A huge stone wall, the side of the great cliff, stretches north from where you float. A powerful current seems to bearing you eastward, into the wall of stone. The weathered black book glowers from where it sits. > Wait Time passes. > Go west There is darkness all around, and you can barely make out your surroundings. To the east, a rectangular shadow looms, and to the northeast a tower of blackness—the plane.

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > Look around There is darkness all around, and you can barely make out your surroundings. To the east, a rectangular shadow looms, and to the northeast a tower of blackness—the plane. The weathered black book glowers from where it sits. > You go north Down here, the water is heavy, dense, and black, like liquid night. You can make out little, other than the looming black shadow of the plane to the east, and a silhouette of darker stone to the east.

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > Look around Down here, the water is heavy, dense, and black, like liquid night. You can make out little, other than the looming black shadow of the plane to the east, and a silhouette of darker stone to the east. The weathered black book glowers from where it sits. > You go south Down here, the water is heavy, dense, and black, like liquid night. You can make out little, other than a silhouette of darker stone to the east. > You go south You don't want to stray too far from your landmarks—the plane, the stone. > You go to the east Floating over the surface of this underwater shelf, it seems as if it goes on forever. To your west, you can go over the lip, free to travel down into the darkness below. To the northwest, the hulking shadow of the half-sunk plane stands; a menacing monolith. > You examine the shelf You run your hand over the smooth, rocky surface. You think you glimpse markings on the stone, but, just as quickly, you lose your place. In any case, it was no language you have ever seen. > You look at shelf You run your hand over the smooth, rocky surface. You think you glimpse markings on the stone, but, just as quickly, you lose your place. Perhaps it was simply your imagination. > Go upwards The water is dim, here, perhaps because the shadow of the plane looms over you. To the northwest, you can make out what seems to be a dark, rectangular shape in the water above. Below you, there is only darkness—darker than before. The book seems to strain downward, like a living thing, dragging you deeper into darkness. > You go to the northwest The sunken half of the plane stretches beneath you. Little bubbles drift past your eyes, up to the surface. You are not sure if the dappled sunlight coming down from the water's surface makes this better—or worse. The book seems to strain downward, like a living thing, dragging you deeper into darkness. > Go up Gasping, you struggle to the surface, and blink salty brine out of your eyes as you readjust to breathing air. The plane looms next to you, a huge monolith of white metal, half-sunk beneath the placid waves. The yellow escape slide is still inflated, but it seems that everyone who got out is gone, now. There's a raft of suitcases in the distance. The endless ocean stretches out in all directions. > Drop book It wants to go down, but you hold it tight.

[Themes: Lovecraftian, Lovecraftian] > Go downward You hesitate for a moment, fighting long-ingrained instincts, and then dive into the ocean. dive into the ocean.You feel as if you're about to choke, for a moment, but the water rushing into your mouth doesn't suffocate at all. You feel like you're breathing cold, freezing air. all. You feel like you're breathing cold, freezing air.## By the wreck The sunken half of the plane stretches beneath you. Little bubbles drift past your eyes, up to the surface. You are not sure if the dappled sunlight coming down from the water's surface makes this better—or worse. The book seems to strain downward, like a living thing, dragging you deeper into darkness. > You go northwest Light filters down from the surface, bathing your surroundings in an ethereal blue glow. To the southeast, you can make out the gray shadow of the towering wreck—descending into the dark below. The book seems to strain downward, like a living thing, dragging you deeper into darkness. > Drop book The book sinks down and out of sight.

[Themes: Lovecraftian] > Go downwards Down here, the water is heavy, dense, and black, like liquid night. You can make out little, other than the looming black shadow of the plane to the southeast, and a silhouette of darker stone to the east. The weathered black book glowers from where it sits. > You go to the east Light filters down from the surface, bathing your surroundings in an ethereal blue glow. To the south, you can make out the gray shadow of the towering wreck—descending into the dark below. The book seems to strain downward, like a living thing, dragging you deeper into darkness.

[Themes: Lovecraftian, Lovecraftian] > You go down Down here, the water is heavy, dense, and black, like liquid night. You can make out little, other than the looming black shadow of the plane to the south, and a silhouette of darker stone to the east. The weathered black book glowers from where it sits. The book sinks down and out of sight.