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ToastyPigeon

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[Themes: Humor, office, duck, surreal] > You look around Coffee rooms are the lungs of the Weiner Corporation, filled with caffeine to the same extent that the lungs of excessively successful businessmen are habitually filled with nicotine. On the wall, someone has carelessly pinned a poster for the latest movie blockbuster. That's clearly a violation of company policy. A long wire comes into the room from the west, and you perceive that it has been neatly cut into two pieces, one of which is still plugged into the mains. You can also see a large cardboard tube (empty) here. > Go west The corridor heads off to the east and west, and you can always choose to re-enter your office to the north, via an open door upon which your name and job have been inscribed in a decidedly shoddy fashion. There is a faint aroma in the air, but that is not important. > Inventory You are carrying: a wire a cup of coffee > You examine the wire At last! You are in the possession of the wire to the fax machine! > Go north One entire wall (the north one, as it happens) is nothing else but a great pane of glass, through which you can see the cityscape that lies outside. The office itself is sparsely furnished: it is equipped with merely a desk, a fax machine, a telephone and a cow. To the south is an open door. > You tie the wire to yourself You fasten the electric wire around your waist gingerly. The knot is tight and sturdy, and the wire thick enough to withstand your weight (not that your weight is anything you should worry about). > Go north You are falling. That much is certain. The rest -- unsurprisingly enough -- is a blurr. > You wait for a while Time passes.

[Themes: Humor, office, duck, violence] > Go down You flap your arms like a duck. A duck? God forbid.

[Themes: Humor, office, duck, violence] > Go downwards You flap your arms like a duck. A duck? God forbid. The ground rushes up to meet it, but its unpleasant designs are thwarted by the intervention of the wire which you had thoughtfully tied around your own waist. For a few seconds, you dangle inches from the ground, contemplating how close you were to disaster. Then, with a sigh of relief, you untie yourself and clamber down. Now I'm coming for you, Mr. Duck, you tell yourself determinedly as you enter the lobby of the ACME Corporation with a purposeful glint in the corner of your eye. The lobby stretches out before you, a beautiful pristine space with sliding doors awaiting you to the south, leading out into the busy street. You can enter the elevator here. > You go outside This is a mystifying room. You wonder what on earth it is for. You can enter the elevator here. Lying on the floor here is a curious, cylindrical piece of metal. You can also see a pair of scissors, a shirt and a portable squid here. > You get all pair of scissors: Taken. shirt: Taken. portable squid: Taken. light-saber: Taken. > You enter the elevator This is not a mere elevator: it is a superluminal cartoon lift, whose cruise speed is 299 000 000 meters a second on average, and fully capable of taking you from the lobby to the moon in an astonishingly short time. The glowing digits above the door spell out the number 9 - though you can make the elevator move up and down to your heart's content by the seemingly innocuous act of pressing a numbered button. > Press 1 You press button 1. The lift whirs into action and moves to the correct level. > Go outside Clowns pace to and fro, looking serious. You can enter the elevator here. You can also see a tie here. > You examine the clowns They all look pretty much the same. > You talk to the clowns You approach a lady clown, and narrowly avoid getting a pepper-flavoured custard pie in your face. > You enter the elevator This is not a mere elevator: it is a superluminal cartoon lift, whose cruise speed is 299 000 000 meters a second on average, and fully capable of taking you from the lobby to the moon in an astonishingly short time. The glowing digits above the door spell out the number 1 - though you can make the elevator move up and down to your heart's content by the seemingly innocuous act of pressing a numbered button. > You wait awhile Time passes. "Now what are you going to do, Pond?" the duck sneers. His black beady eyes glisten with irony. > Wait Time passes. Still standing there, doing nothing, saying nothing," the duck muses. "Are you having an internal struggle? Oh, how I love those. They're so much FUN!" > Wait Time passes. The duck paces slowly around you, watching your every move. > Wait Time passes. "Anatidaephobia. Such a long word for something so, so simple and straightforward. Did you know that it doesn't even exist?" The duck chuckles (or rather, quackles) unpleasantly. > Wait Time passes. "Do you know what is really the matter with you, Pond?" the duck whispers, stepping closer. "It's your inability to face the facts." > Wait Time passes. "Oh, and just to make matters clear, I will NOT shortly be revealing all the intimate details of my evil plan to dominate the universe to you, before then leaving you to die by a method so convoluted it is almost guaranteed to fail spectacularly. I know that this is something of a tradition for comic-book villains... and I have nothing against traditions... provided that they make sense. Ho, ho, ho." > You wait Time passes. "Come on, Pond," the duck sighs. "This is riDUCKulous. You haven't done anything heroic so far. You haven't even said a single word to me. Are you truly braindead? Is it absolutely beyond your ability to come up with a good-guy oneliner? Even something as simple as "Yippee-kay-ayyy, motherf***er" would suffice." > Wait Time passes. "This little game you're playing, Pond, is simply boring me to tears. I want... a battle to the DEATH!" And upon this last word, the duck whisks out a light-saber! With a barbarian yell, you lunge forward, ready for the Fight of the Century (TM). 1) Hit the duck on the head 2) Kick the duck in the stomach 3) Attack him with your light-saber > 1 [Hit the duck on the head] "Take THAT, you foul fowl!" you yell, bringing down your fists upon his cranium. "I'm... not... a... chicken..." the duck mumbles, looking somwhat dizzy. 1) Squirt ink in the duck's eyes 2) Stab the duck with the pair of scissors 3) Hit the duck again 4) Disarm the duck > 1 [Squirt ink in the duck's eyes] You squeeze the squid, but no ink comes out. Instead, a tiny little voice shouts out: "HEEEEEEEEEELP! LUNATIC!" A whole amry of ninja gangsters then smashes through the window, and with consumate efficiency they rescue the tiny squid from your grasp. Then they knock you and the duck out flat unconscious. When you wake up, you find yourself on a desert island, along with the (very bewildered) duck. Apparently, this is the punishment reserved for people who mistreat members of the Octopi family. > 1 [Kick the duck in the private parts] Taking advantage of the fact that the duck is busy fending off your attack, you swing your knee and totally go for it. The duck makes an odd "Spprfhgzhjl" sound and drops his light-saber on the floor. 1) Kill the duck 2) Talk to the duck > 2 [Talk to the duck] "I could kill you," you say slowly as you threaten the duck with your light-saber. "But I choose not to." I beg your pardon?

[Themes: Humor, violence] > Look around "I could kill you," you say slowly as you threaten the duck with your light-saber. "But I choose not to." > 1 [Kill the duck] "No!" the duck quacks in panic. "Spare me! Spare me! I am --" His last words are cut off, along with his head. And thus with a weary sigh you leave his corpse behind, a most uncartoony spectacle in a cartoony world. And so you vanish into the underworld of the ACME Corporation, pursued by the iron hand of the law, embracing your fears. Years later, a name rises from the shadows, rising up against evil. Duckman.

[Themes: The Alex and Paul Series] Man, what a relief. The Time Rangers finally reset all that damage that you and Paul and basically everyone did to the timeline faster than you can say "soft reboot". Now you and him are living back in your old house without having to worry about anything. (Well, Uncle Wally is still on the loose "somewhen"). So things have been mundane, kind of, but now it's Paul's birthday coming up and he wishes for a Neptunian deathhound (So I guess they didn't reset the whole alien encounter thing? Let's, uh, just roll with it). You've ordered one through the transmat delivery service. It's just one button press away, looks like it's This is a spacious, cozy room, which one of those big, expensive TV. The two couches have been moved to the wall to make room for the teleportation pad. One of Paul's romance novels is lying on one of the couch. This is a spacious, cozy room, which one of those big, expensive TV. The two couches have been moved to the wall to make room for the teleportation pad. One of Paul's romance novels is lying on one of the couch. [Author's Note: Man, what a relief. The Time Rangers finally reset all that damage that you and Paul and basically everyone did to the timeline faster than you can say "soft reboot". Now you and him are living back in your old house without having to worry about anything. (Well, Uncle Wally is still on the loose "somewhen"). So things have been mundane, kind of, but now it's Paul's birthday coming up and he wishes for a Neptunian deathhound (So I guess they didn't reset the whole alien encounter thing? Let's, uh, just roll with it). You've ordered one through the transmat delivery service. It's just one button press away, looks like it's ...]

[Themes: The Alex and Paul Series] > You look at the novel Ugh. Paul bought another of these self-published amazon novels - "The candlemaker's son". Fiargo, the handsome and shirtless candlemaker's son is supposed to marry dull but reliable banker Otuso. Then the travelling artist Blaskeci comes to town and decides Fiagro deserves something better, fights for his love. Sounds like he's trying to steal him from Otuso? But for some reason you're supposed to root for Blaskeci? Not your kind of thing in any case. The cover depicts a pretty exciting swordfight at the opera. Man, you wish you could VISIT to watch it first hand. > Examine tv The TV is currently switched off. > You turn on tv As you switch on the TV, you see the president. Oh man! You remember how the Time Rangers made a last, minor change to the timeline, as a thank you. You don't envy the poor suckers in the other timeline. > You visit What do you want to visit? > You visit the opera You touch the book cover and get sucked into it. Or, I guess, you remember the cover. (Magic? This universe has magic now? Whatever.) You are in an opera box with direct view of the stage. However, nobody is paying any attention to the play because there is a sword fight going on in the box to the left, while someone you take to be Fiargo (why is he shirtless at the opera?) is in a box to the right. A magnificient chandelier hangs a few feet from your box, perfectly between the other two, filling the whole building with warm, golden light. > You jump You jump on the spot. > You get on the chandelier You jump onto the chandelier amid "Ooohs" and "Aahs" from the audience. > Swing (the remote control) There's nothing sensible to swing here. > Inventory You are carrying: a remote control > You get on the box Which do you mean, the left box or the right box? > Right Fiargo pushes you away: "No, signore! This love triangle is already complicated enough!" > You look at the right box He is kind of handsome and looks a bit like you. That makes you happy. To bad he isn't better implemented. > You examine remote It's a device for teleporting the Neptunian deathhound you ordered to your home. There is a small notice on the remote. > You read the notice "Thanks for ordering a Neptunian deathhound through deathhounds24.biz ! Please be advised to not summon your deathhound without appropriate protection for your home and yourself. Please don't just push the button to read the funny death message. Thanks!

> Go downward (first getting off the chandelier) You can't go that way. > You examine the left box There is a pretty cool sword fight going on. Too bad this isn't a visual medium.

[Themes: The Alex and Paul Series] > You look at your surroundings You are in an opera box with direct view of the stage. However, nobody is paying any attention to the play because there is a sword fight going on in the box to the left, while someone you take to be Fiargo (why is he shirtless at the opera?) is in a box to the right. A magnificient chandelier hangs a few feet from your box, perfectly between the other two, filling the whole building with warm, golden light. > You throw the remote at the left box Futile. > You jump You jump on the spot. > You get on the chandelier You jump onto the chandelier amid "Ooohs" and "Aahs" from the audience. > You visit the home You shout "PLUGH!" at the top of your lungs and soon find yourself teleported back home. This is a spacious, cozy room, which one of those big, expensive TV. The two couches have been moved to the wall to make room for the teleportation pad. One of Paul's romance novels is lying on one of the couch. > You examine couches You replaced whatever you had in previous games with some nice new leather couches. You feel like they might contain more than they appear. On the couches is a romance novel. > You search couches Oh look, you find a travel brochure between the cushions. If Paul left this as a hint, it's a well hidden hint. You grab it to take a closer look. > You look at the brochure It's a lovely travel brochure of Alpha Centauri! It looks so beautiful with its glass savannah. You really wish you could VISIT it. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a brochure a remote control > You visit the savannah No problem, bro. You call a space uber and soon you find yourself in... Black glass as far as the eye can see makes up the surface of this planet. (It really doesn't, though, you're just in the savannah part of Alpha Centauri). You are standing behind some crates, out of view. A small cage of black steel is standing here, housing a Centaurian flopperglomper. A figure stands here, it's shape not easily understandable by your eyes. A plasma rifle is lying on one of the crates. > You take the rifle Oh no! You gave up killing people for lent. Better not tempt yourself. > You examine the rifle Oh, it's one of those duracellium powered ones, with the funny off switch. The plasma rifle is currently switched on. > You turn off the rifle Click. The plasma rifle powers down with a barely audible beep and the ammo counter displays a frowny face for a second. You switch the plasma rifle off. > You examine the figure You do that thing you learnt from that watchmojo "Top 10 weirdest alien races you can actually meet" video: Look at him out of the corner of your eye. Oh, judgeing by the size of his ears he is a Tadmorian. Oh, these guys are all ruthless Game hunters. Well, you guess they must have scientists and nannies and stuff, but who cares about those. Anyway, this guy seems to be a Game hunter and pretty pleases with himself. That looks the same all around the universe. > You look at the cage A firm steel cage, big enough for say, uh, a Neptunian death hound. (Apologies if this is an insulting level of hinting - better safe than sorry!). It can be bolted to the floor, if necessary, but it seems to miss its screws. In the steel cage is a centaurian flopperglomper. > You examine the flopperglomper It's a ball, beachball-sized, brown with rust-colored spikes, and adorable little eyes that dart around constantly. It's so ridiculously ugly it's cute again, like a marabou. You're pretty sure they're supposed to have all died out, so this may be the last one in existence. > You open the cage The flopperglomper rolls out of the cage and away into the distance. The Game Hunter shouts angrily in Tradmorian and grabs the rifle, aims it and -*click* You smirk as the Centauriam flopperglomper rolls towards the Game Hunter and impales him. Ah, but little do you know that the Game hunter was also the last of his kind. Man, you are really impressed by how artfully this game tackles ethical questions, and how craftily it elicts emotional responses. It's almost like it's written in Twine. > You take the cage Taken. > You look in cage The steel cage is empty. > You put the cage on the pad You put the steel cage on the teleportation pad. > You close the cage That's already closed.

[Themes: The Alex and Paul Series] > You drop cage Dropped.

[Themes: The Alex and Paul Series] > Look around This is a spacious, cozy room, which one of those big, expensive TV. The two couches have been moved to the wall to make room for the teleportation pad. One of Paul's romance novels is lying on one of the couch. You can see a steel cage (closed and empty) here. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a brochure a remote control > You visit the opera You touch the book cover and get sucked into it. You are in an opera box with direct view of the stage. However, nobody is paying any attention to the play because there is a sword fight going on in the box to the left, while someone you take to be Fiargo (why is he shirtless at the opera?) is in a box to the right. A magnificient chandelier hangs a few feet from your box, perfectly between the other two, filling the whole building with warm, golden light. > You unscrew the chandelier It is fixed in place. > You examine the chandelier You have to squint in the light, but you're pretty sure it's bolted with three screws.Looks just like the kind of bolt you need. How convienient. > You take the screws You imagined in a game like this you'd need a tool for this, but you manage to unscrew most of the screws by hand, amid "Oohs" and "Aahs" from the audience. There are only 2 screws left, and the chandelier begins to drop and swing, so you decide to jump back to safety. You grab the edge of your box and pull yourself up, as behind you Baskeci feints and then jumps to the chandelier, shouting: "Fiargo! Let us be together!" Unfortunately, the last screws are not enough to carry the artist AND his ego, and the whole mess crashes down into the ranks, killing some people. Luckily, they were fictional. Otuso shouts : "Fiagro! Finally we can be together!" The young man shrugs. "I guess." Ah, happy endings. Nothing left to do here. You return home. This is a spacious, cozy room, which one of those big, expensive TV. The two couches have been moved to the wall to make room for the teleportation pad. You can see a steel cage (closed and empty) here. > You screw the cage it's fiddly work without a screwdriver, but you manage to securely screw down the cage. No more bouncing around.

[Themes: The Alex and Paul Series] > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a screws a romance novel a brochure a remote control > You put the novel in the cage The steel cage is closed. > You open the cage You open the steel cage. > You put brochure in the cage You put the brochure into the steel cage. > You close the cage You close the steel cage.

[Themes: The Alex and Paul Series] > You look around This is a spacious, cozy room, which one of those big, expensive TV. The two couches have been moved to the wall to make room for the teleportation pad. You can see a steel cage (closed) (in which are a brochure and a romance novel) here. > You look under the couch Oh look, a postcard! Oh, it's from your old friend the Venusian warrior woman! (She was in "The Day I died", remember? No? Oh well.) She lived with your for a while and the moved back to Venus to become a tour guide at the Mausoleum of the 140th. You and Paul agreed you should VISIT her some day. Come to think of it, it's kind of odd that the game just called her "The Venusian Warrior Woman". No name, no real backstory. And then she disappeared the next game with a throwaway line. > You visit the venus No problem. You get on the Earth-Venus space elevator and a few minutes later you are on Venus. 3 hours of planetary travel later you find yourself near... You are in the midst of the Venusian jungles. It was quite a bummer for NASAs budget when they found out 50s scifi was right all along. The great mauseoleum is roughly pyramid shaped and made from grey, mossy rock. And entryway leads inside to the southwest. Some alien tourists (just like yourself) mingle about. they are today, where there are no complaints whatsoever. > You read the postcard Oh, it's from your old friend the Venusian warrior woman! (She was in "The Day I died", remember? No? Oh well.) She lived with your for a while and the moved back to Venus to become a tour guide at the Mausoleum of the 140th. You and Paul agreed you should VISIT her some day. Well, given the soft reboot, the fate of Dr. Elbe, another female character (trans at that), is kind of up in the air? > You examine the tourists They are tourists from all races from the know universe. They are all bipedal, roughly humanoid and can breathe air, for budget reasons. Well, at least he could pull a J.K. Rowling and pretend you and Paul had been black all this time > You go to the south-west Really? You don't feel SAVE at all. I mean safe. Actually, Venusian never have names, just job descriptors. It's called worldbuilding? > You go southwest You step towards the rectangular opening of the pyramid. To your right are 3 stone symbols in the stone wall, that seem to open the stone gate that leads inside the stone pyramid. As you step towards the opening, you see something move at the end of the long, long tunnel. Hey, it's The Venusian Warrior Woman.Archeologist Woman. Shut up. You wave. but then you realize she's running away! Oh no! She's pursued by what seems to be an ... army? An angry army of black Venusians with red glowing eyes. Now these are either Venusian ghosts are Venusians from some place of the planet you haven't visited- "Jesus Christ (venus version)! The ghosts of the king's guard!" shouts an Expositian in the crowd. "Someone must have opened the crypt! If they get to us, we are all doomed! Quick, close the gate by pushing the stone symbols in the right order." Oh yeah, shouldn't she be the Venusian Archeologist Woman, then? > You examine the symbol Which do you mean, the bear symbol, the triangle symbol or the ennui symbol? > You examine the Bear It has a picture of a six-armed, three-headed Venusian bear. Must be a mutated variant. Oh, shut up. A Uranian shouts : "I looked it up online. The solution is Ennui, Triangle, Bear." > You go southwest You step towards the rectangular opening of the pyramid. To your right are 3 stone symbols in the stone wall, that seem to open the stone gate that leads inside the stone pyramid. As you step towards the opening, you see something move at the end of the long, long tunnel. Hey, it's The Venusian Warrior Woman.Archeologist Woman. Shut up. You wave. but then you realize she's running away! Oh no! She's pursued by what seems to be an ... army? An angry army of black Venusians with red glowing eyes. Now these are either Venusian ghosts are Venusians from some place of the planet you haven't visited- "Jesus Christ (venus version)! The ghosts of the king's guard!" shouts an Expositian in the crowd. "Someone must have opened the crypt! If they get to us, we are all doomed! Quick, close the gate by pushing the stone symbols in the right order." Oh yeah, shouldn't she be the Venusian Archeologist Woman, then?

[Themes: The Alex and Paul Series] > Press ennui You can't reach that from here. Oh yeah, shouldn't she be the Venusian Archeologist Woman, then?

[Themes: The Alex and Paul Series] > Look around You are in the midst of the Venusian jungles. The great mauseoleum is roughly pyramid shaped and made from grey, mossy rock. And entryway leads inside to the southwest. Some alien tourists (just like yourself) mingle about. Oh, shut up. > You ask the tourists about the king (you can only TALK TO here) Unfortunately, you haven't learn even the most common alien languages. You're meaning to go to Community College. > You talk to the tourists Unfortunately, you haven't learn even the most common alien languages. You're meaning to go to Community College. > You examine the Ennui Meh. You don't feel like looking at it. > You examine the Bear It has a picture of a six-armed, three-headed Venusian bear. Must be a mutated variant. > You examine the triangle Ah, the symbol of the Venusian Illuminati. Legend goes it's the symbol of Ancient Aliens who visited Venus, sharing technology so ancient aliens from Venus could go to Earth and invent the pyramids, or something? > You go southwest You step towards the rectangular opening of the pyramid. To your right are 3 stone symbols in the stone wall, that seem to open the stone gate that leads inside the stone pyramid. As you step towards the opening, you see something move at the end of the long, long tunnel. Hey, it's The Venusian Warrior Woman.Archeologist Woman. Shut up. You wave. but then you realize she's running away! Oh no! She's pursued by what seems to be an ... army? An angry army of black Venusians with red glowing eyes. Now these are either Venusian ghosts are Venusians from some place of the planet you haven't visited- "Jesus Christ (venus version)! The ghosts of the king's guard!" shouts an Expositian in the crowd. "Someone must have opened the crypt! If they get to us, we are all doomed! Quick, close the gate by pushing the stone symbols in the right order." > Go southwest No need. They are all coming towards you anyway. The army of angry ghosts bursts out of the pyramid and murder everyone. Better get your stone symbols straight!

[Themes: The Alex and Paul Series] > You wait for a while Time passes. Oh, shut up. A Uranian shouts : "I looked it up online. The solution is Ennui, Triangle, Bear." > Wait Time passes. Someone in the crowd yells : "On the subreddit they are saying Bear, Ennui, Triangle!" > Wait Time passes. Someone in the crowd yells : "I get it now! It's a metaphor for Twitter!" > You wait for a while Time passes. The army of angry ghosts bursts out of the pyramid and murder everyone. Better get your stone symbols straight! > You visit the home Argh, you can't leave because you are caught in a plot contrivance. Oh, shut up. A Uranian shouts : "I looked it up online. The solution is Ennui, Triangle, Bear." > You go to the southeast You can't go that way. Oh yeah, shouldn't she be the Venusian Archeologist Woman, then? > You wait for a while Time passes. Oh, shut up. > You wait Time passes.

[Themes: The Alex and Paul Series] > You look around You are in the midst of the Venusian jungles. The great mauseoleum is roughly pyramid shaped and made from grey, mossy rock. And entryway leads inside to the southwest. Some alien tourists (just like yourself) mingle about. > You examine the pyramid To be fair, you're kind of disappointed. It's made of grey rock and about the size of the ones they have in Egypt. But there is nothing special about it. > You climb pyramid Little is to be achieved by that. > Examine postcard Oh, it's from your old friend the Venusian warrior woman! (She was in "The Day I died", remember? No? Oh well.) She lived with your for a while and the moved back to Venus to become a tour guide at the Mausoleum of the 140th. You and Paul agreed you should VISIT her some day. > You go southwest You step towards the rectangular opening of the pyramid. To your right are 3 stone symbols in the stone wall, that seem to open the stone gate that leads inside the stone pyramid. As you step towards the opening, you see something move at the end of the long, long tunnel. Hey, it's The Venusian Warrior Woman.Archeologist Woman. Shut up. You wave. but then you realize she's running away! Oh no! She's pursued by what seems to be an ... army? An angry army of black Venusians with red glowing eyes. Now these are either Venusian ghosts are Venusians from some place of the planet you haven't visited- "Jesus Christ (venus version)! The ghosts of the king's guard!" shouts an Expositian in the crowd. "Someone must have opened the crypt! If they get to us, we are all doomed! Quick, close the gate by pushing the stone symbols in the right order." > Continue Nothing obvious happens. The army of angry ghosts bursts out of the pyramid and murder everyone. Better get your stone symbols straight! > You pull the Ennui It is fixed in place. Oh, shut up. A Uranian shouts : "I looked it up online. The solution is Ennui, Triangle, Bear." > Turn ennui It is fixed in place. Someone in the crowd yells : "On the subreddit they are saying Bear, Ennui, Triangle!" > You take the ghost I don't suppose the ghost would care for that. The ghost runs towards one of the scared tourists and bites off his head! Luckily, HD 219134b'ians have at least three. Nevertheless, they dropped their camera in shock. > You take the camera Taken. The ghost jumps on top of a Dimidiumian and claws into her fiercely! Luckily, they are made of what scientists call "some sort of Jelly" and it doesn't hurt her that bad. > You examine the camera It take a moment to get your head around a camera made for at least three heads, but then you realize they didn't take a photo of anywhere. No place new to visit. Nowhere to go. The ghost bites an Lipperheyians nose off. They grow back rather quickly, but how does he smell in the mean time? > Photograph ghost You take a nice picture of the ghost. The ghost claws a Taphao Thongian in half. You probably expect some joke here, but it's a quite horrifying mess. > You examine the ghost A vaguely humanoid shade, blacker than black, fuzzy around the edges with a pair of three red glowing eyes. A triplet of red glowing eyes? Very scary! > You kill the ghost He's incorporeal. The ghost finally turns its horrifying visage towards you. *gulp* > You visit the home You can't leave these tourists to their fate. (Paul made it clear time and again that this kind of behavior is not okay and you're trying to indulge him). The ghost finally turns its horrifying visage towards you. *gulp* > You examine the camera It take a moment to get your head around a camera made for at least three heads, but then you realize they didn't take a photo of anywhere. No place new to visit. Nowhere to go. The ghost finally turns its horrifying visage towards you. *gulp* > Inventory You are carrying: a postcard a screws a remote control The ghost runs towards one of the scared tourists and bites off his head! Luckily, HD 219134b'ians have at least three. Nevertheless, they dropped their camera in shock. > You talk to the ghost You don't speak Old Venusian. (Best grind for some XP.) The ghost jumps on top of a Dimidiumian and claws into her fiercely! Luckily, they are made of what scientists call "some sort of Jelly" and it doesn't hurt her that bad. > You examine the gate A huge stone gate.You think you hear a faint voice from inside: "Alex? Alex, let me out." The ghost jumps on top of a Dimidiumian and claws into her fiercely! Luckily, they are made of what scientists call "some sort of Jelly" and it doesn't hurt her that bad. > You show the postcard to the ghost The ghost is unimpressed. The ghost bites an Lipperheyians nose off. They grow back rather quickly, but how does he smell in the mean time? > You go southwest The stone gate is closed. The ghost jumps on top of a Dimidiumian and claws into her fiercely! Luckily, they are made of what scientists call "some sort of Jelly" and it doesn't hurt her that bad. > You open gate It isn't something you can open. The ghost bites an Lipperheyians nose off. They grow back rather quickly, but how does he smell in the mean time? > You look You are in the midst of the Venusian jungles. The great mauseoleum is roughly pyramid shaped and made from grey, mossy rock. And entryway leads inside to the southwest. The blackish, fuzzy form of a Venusian ghost looms here. Some alien tourists (just like yourself) mingle about. You can also see a camera here. The ghost claws a Taphao Thongian in half. You probably expect some joke here, but it's a quite horrifying mess. > Wait Time passes. The ghost runs towards one of the scared tourists and bites off his head! Luckily, HD 219134b'ians have at least three. Nevertheless, they dropped their camera in shock. > You get the camera Taken. The ghost jumps on top of a Dimidiumian and claws into her fiercely! Luckily, they are made of what scientists call "some sort of Jelly" and it doesn't hurt her that bad. > Photograph ghost You take a nice picture of the ghost. The ghost bites an Lipperheyians nose off. They grow back rather quickly, but how does he smell in the mean time? > Photograph ghost You take a nice picture of the ghost. > You look You are in the midst of the Venusian jungles. The great mauseoleum is roughly pyramid shaped and made from grey, mossy rock. And entryway leads inside to the southwest. The blackish, fuzzy form of a Venusian ghost looms here. Some alien tourists (just like yourself) mingle about. The ghost finally turns its horrifying visage towards you. *gulp* > You examine the gate A huge stone gate.You think you hear a faint voice from inside: "Alex? Alex, let me out." The ghost runs towards one of the scared tourists and bites off his head! Luckily, HD 219134b'ians have at least three. Nevertheless, they dropped their camera in shock. > You look at the Triangle Ah, the symbol of the Venusian Illuminati. Legend goes it's the symbol of Ancient Aliens who visited Venus, sharing technology so ancient aliens from Venus could go to Earth and invent the pyramids, or something? The ghost bites an Lipperheyians nose off. They grow back rather quickly, but how does he smell in the mean time? > You open gate It isn't something you can open. The ghost claws a Taphao Thongian in half. You probably expect some joke here, but it's a quite horrifying mess. > You go to the southwest The stone gate is closed. > Examine postcard Oh, it's from your old friend the Venusian warrior woman! (She was in "The Day I died", remember? No? Oh well.) She lived with your for a while and the moved back to Venus to become a tour guide at the Mausoleum of the 140th. You and Paul agreed you should VISIT her some day. The ghost runs towards one of the scared tourists and bites off his head! Luckily, HD 219134b'ians have at least three. Nevertheless, they dropped their camera in shock. > You get the camera Taken. The ghost jumps on top of a Dimidiumian and claws into her fiercely! Luckily, they are made of what scientists call "some sort of Jelly" and it doesn't hurt her that bad. > Photograph gate You take a nice picture of the gate. The ghost bites an Lipperheyians nose off. They grow back rather quickly, but how does he smell in the mean time? > You examine camera It take a moment to get your head around a camera made for at least three heads, but then you realize they didn't take a photo of anywhere. No place new to visit. Nowhere to go. The ghost claws a Taphao Thongian in half. You probably expect some joke here, but it's a quite horrifying mess. > You throw the camera at the ghost You lack the nerve when it comes to the crucial moment. The ghost finally turns its horrifying visage towards you. *gulp* > You visit nowhere You step towards the ghost, and as you feel his ectoplasmic hands on you, you go Man, for once I don't have to write a room description. Nice! The blackish, fuzzy form of a Venusian ghost looms here. The ghost finally turns its horrifying visage towards you. *gulp* > You visit nowhere You step towards the ghost, and as you feel his ectoplasmic hands on you, you go Man, for once I don't have to write a room description. Nice! The blackish, fuzzy form of a Venusian ghost looms here. > You drop the camera Dropped. > You visit the venus You wave sarcastically at the ghost as you disappear. Good job! (We'll leave the ethical implications of leaving an "aware" being in eternal nothingness for the reviews.) You are in the midst of the Venusian jungles. The great mauseoleum is roughly pyramid shaped and made from grey, mossy rock. And entryway leads inside to the southwest. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a camera a postcard a screws a remote control > You look at the gate A huge stone gate.You think you hear a faint voice from inside: "Alex? Alex, let me out." > You examine the bone A small bone, probably from a Venusian snail. Those are delicious. > You open the cage You open the steel cage. > You put the bone in the cage You put the bone into the steel cage. > You close the cage You close the steel cage.

How will you change the lives of those around you today? Type help for background and instructions. It's a chilly morning in January. The windows are frosty, and the sun has barely risen. Nevertheless, you wake up feeling lively this morning. But there's no time to waste diddling around; you have to get to work. Your daily ablutions are performed at maximum haste, and now ready to leave. The bathroom lies to the west and the front door lies to the south and leads to the parking lot. [Author's Note: Intangible is a short story with a few choices that deals with how different emotions affect our actions now or at a later time. Shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes to play.]

> About yourself As good-looking as ever. > Inventory You are carrying: a Happiness > You eat the Happiness That's plainly inedible. > You hug the Happiness You can only do that to something animate. > You go south (first opening Front Door) There are cars of many different colors here. The cold breeze momentarily halts your march towards the car. Stepping out, you run into your neighbor. You've only talked once when you moved into the apartment complex. Her name is either Alice or Alicia; no one can know for sure other than her and her boyfriend. They usually keep to themselves, but sometimes you hear them arguing and screaming through the wall. Sometimes you see her running out of her home with tears running down her cheeks. Sometimes she wears a turtleneck, even on a warm, sunny day. Her expression today can only be described as sad. To the east is the Business Center, where your workplace is and the north to get back into your apartment. > You ask Alice, to inventory Neighbor seem to be carrying a Sadness. > You give the Happiness to the neighbor You give the Happiness to Neighbor. > You talk to Alice She does not respond. "Good morning! God, I feel like I can take on the whole world today. That's it! Today, I'm going to make changes to my life... for the better!" She continues to ramble on. > You ask Neighbor, to check your inventory Neighbor seem to be carrying a Happiness and a Sadness. > You take the sadness Taken. > About yourself As good-looking as ever. > You drop the sadness Dropped. > You go east The business center is a small cul-de-sac, just a few minutes away from the central business district. You drove to your work place, only to find you were an hour early! Your clock must have been off. Though most days you would yawn and nap in the car for an hour, today feels different for some reason. Maybe happiness is just a state of mind. To the south is Downtown. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a Sadness > Go north It's still early; are you sure you want to get to work? > You go south Personally, you hate Downtown. Crowds of people, polluted air, and brutal capitalism aren't your cups of tea. What catches your eye on this particular day is an angry looking homeless man glaring at a fashionable socialite who screams at this man in disgust. To the north of here is the Business Center > You ask Socialite, to check your inventory Socialite seem to be carrying a Disgust. > You ask Homeless, to check your inventory Homeless man seem to be carrying an Anger. > You ask Robot, to check what you're carrying ROBOT, I You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. > You give the sadness to the Socialite You give the Sadness to Socialite. > You get the disgust Taken. > You talk to the Socialite "The poor man. I hope he gets some help." Wait, what? Just a second ago, she was suggesting the man to kill himself. This one's an emotional rollercoaster. > You take the anger Socialite picks up the Anger. > You talk to the Socialite "The poor man. I hope he gets some help." Wait, what? Just a second ago, she was suggesting the man to kill himself. This one's an emotional rollercoaster. Her swearing intensifies. Too vulgar to record. Pedestrians look in horror. Mothers clasp their children's ears. And babies all over the city begin crying. > You take disgust Homeless man picks up the Disgust. > You talk to homeless The man rolls into the fetal position, perhaps out of shame. It's probably best not to bother him. > You get the anger and disgust Anger: Taken. Disgust: Taken. > You throw the anger at the Socialite You lack the nerve when it comes to the crucial moment. > You go north To the south is Downtown and to the west is the Parking Lot; otherwise get to work! The door is to the north. > Go west There are rows of cars, each belonging to a different person. To the east is the Business Center, where your workplace is and the north to get back into your apartment. You meet your neighbor. > You give the anger to neighbor You give the Anger to Neighbor. > You talk to the neighbor "Good morning! God, I feel like I can take on the whole world today. That's it! Today, I'm going to make changes to my life... for the better!" She continues to ramble on. Her face changes from an empty expression into unfathomable rage. Perhaps this is not the best decision... > Y. The day now officially begins. Tiresome hours working in a cubicle, conversing with your coworkers, and attending long and monotonous meetings leave you fatigued at the end of the day. Arriving at home after being overworked; you take the opportunity to watch the news and collect your thoughts. How have your decisions changed other people's lives? Tonight was an unusually quiet night. Not a single bang on the wall or brief stints of indiscernible shouts happened tonight. For the first time since you moved in, you slept in relative peace. Tomorrow morning, there will be a note on the door. It'll say: "Thank you. - Alicia" She's never seen again. A loud bang is heard through the walls. But it's not a sound that you're familiar with. Gunshot? A second one is heard. The entire neighborhood rings 911, but the deed was done: a murder-suicide with the gun in your neighbor's hands. A pity. A pity and a half. Two pities. The young socialite scratched the number on her check. "Thank you very much for your extremely generous donation." an old lady says. She walks out feeling she truly made a difference in the world. As for you? Like any other day, you wrap your emotions in a sheet and hide it in your closet. Then you lock it shut for tomorrow. You bide your time for the myriads of intangibles to burst out from the Pandora's Box in the corner of your bedroom. > You go to the west Almost left the wallet in here! It's not unusual to be in a hurry in the morning, but the wallet usually doesn't follow to the bathroom either. You see your wallet here. > You look at the wallet A leather wallet your mother gave to you when you were seventeen. It holds fond memories, your license, and some change. > You get the wallet Taken. > You look at the license You find nothing of interest. You can't see any such thing. > You check your inventory You are carrying: Wallet a Happiness > You go east and leads to the parking lot. > You go east The business center is a small cul-de-sac, just a few minutes away from the central business district. You drove to your work place, only to find you were an hour early! Your clock must have been off. Though most days you would yawn and nap in the car for an hour, today feels different for some reason. Maybe happiness is just a state of mind. To the south is Downtown. > You go south Personally, you hate Downtown. Crowds of people, polluted air, and brutal capitalism aren't your cups of tea. What catches your eye on this particular day is an angry looking homeless man glaring at a fashionable socialite who screams at this man in disgust. To the north of here is the Business Center > You give Wallet to homeless You drop some change into the can. "Bless ya sir." He thanks you for your charity. > Inventory You are carrying: a Sadness Wallet a Happiness > You give the Happiness to homeless You give the Happiness to Homeless man. > You talk to homeless The homeless man smiles. He hasn't smiled in a long time. > You give the disgust to neighbor You give the Disgust to Neighbor. > You talk to Alicia Instead of giving you a dirty look, she falls into a pensive mood. The possibilities going through her mind are endless. > Y. The day now officially begins. Tiresome hours working in a cubicle, conversing with your coworkers, and attending long and monotonous meetings leave you fatigued at the end of the day. Arriving at home after being overworked; you take the opportunity to watch the news and collect your thoughts. How have your decisions changed other people's lives? One last fight before she hits the road. Tears are heard through the walls, but today is different. It was his tears. After years of physical and emotional abuse, your (former) neighbor leaves for good. Disgusted of her old life, she chooses to live free of turtlenecks and bruises. With a smile to feed his efforts and an idea to fuel success, the homeless man writes a memoir of his time on the streets on a public library computer. Selling cans to pay for the printing adds the extra sympathy points to make his story a best seller. His face is on daytime talk shows now. As for you? Like any other day, you wrap your emotions in a sheet and hide it in your closet. Then you lock it shut for tomorrow. You bide your time for the myriads of intangibles to burst out from the Pandora's Box in the corner of your bedroom.

Today is the day, hurrah, hurrah! Leap for pleasure with unbounded measure: kind master, generous master, merciful master piled faster and faster graces and glories beyond all fabulous places in stories - today you away to a faraway nation, to the land of the quim delivery station. Quim bag in hand, you bow, then stand, then scurry with feet furry out the door. Droll Toll Troll Oh, glorious, wondrous, rapturous land! The beauty is more than you can understand. Master told of sky - master does not lie - but little furry servant you, you could not know the wonder true. But now you see, you see in glee and praise master's mercy to let you free - not free to leave, silly fuzzy thing, but free to be outside in the wide under-sky, on the road from master's abode to who knows. Master knows, and you he told: eastward lies the quim delivery station to which (to your elation) you are to move your fleet and furry feet and inject, input, insert every quim without qualm, lest master withold balm. You are outside of master's hut, and, for now, gut. Above is the wide and clear purple sky, north and south out and past ken ruffle gently spears of grass. The one and single road in all existence begins (not ends; it's master's instance) at master's door westward and pursues the horizon eastward. > You go to the east First time farthest from master's hut, first time farthest from master. Slowly, first, then faster and faster furry feet patter along the quiet road, hands to hold gently the load. What's this? 'Road' wouldn't be a miss, but this rises steeply over a river - a bridge, plainly, from hither to thither, with you hither and the goal thither. Between these two places places himself a looming, long-limbed lobster - I mean Robster - I mean mobster - I mean momster - I mean monster. On his face is placed a frown twice upside-down, and in his eye you espy a flicker that died. "To pass, cross, or otherwise my bridge transverse you must, without loss, provide a smidge to me of that - in the whole universe - which is most precious." The droll toll troll stands in your way and demands his pay. Under the bridge streams a stream. > You examine the quim Quiet quims, buried in burlap. Do they exist when you cannot see them? Do they not exist? Do they exist in some sort of superposition of existing and not existing? Similarly, do YOU exist when master isn't looking at you? Alas, if only master would tell you the answer. > About you Furry, fuzzy, fizzy, fazzy, silly little thing. > You examine the bridge Rising, rising, up and arched and falling, falling, down and ground, streaming water underneath, troll above the neath. > You examine troll Mountainous monster, limber of limb above and lumbering below - meaning waving five arms and walking slow. In eye and face he knows no glow, so there grows a menacing show of teeth in a twice-upside-down frown. His arms wave to alarm the far and harm the near. > You ask Troll about the toll "To pass, cross, or otherwise transverse my bridge you must, without loss, provide a smidge to me of that which - in the whole universe - which is most precious." > You give quim to Troll Never, never, never in all of ever would these limbs let loose of these quims! Oh, precious quims, little quims, always, always quiet little quims, safe in the holding of this furry little thing. > Go west You are outside of master's hut, and, for now, gut. Above is the wide and clear purple sky, north and south out and past ken ruffle gently spears of grass. The one and single road in all existence begins (not ends; it's master's instance) at master's door westward and pursues the horizon eastward. > You go west Unfinished! Incomplete! Undone! Partway! Master must not see you with the bag of quims! Master must know the whole project is done else there's no fun. Run, run east with quims, return only when delivered, only then. > What is a the quim Look, man, I don't know either. It's just a MacGuffin. > Wait Time passes. > You go east The droll toll troll stands in your way and demands his pay. Under the bridge streams a stream. > Kiss Troll You can't see any such thing. In a flurry of fuzzy furry fur you the cover the monster - his leg, at least, the most of the beast you could reach, but in your embrace the troll's droll face brightened, his eyes enlightened. "Ah - ah! Furry little thing, silly fuzzy little thing, this is fitting payment, I only lament I'm so late to relent of the cold dull resistance of distance. For this treasure, please pass at your pleasure." > Go east You stroll by the toll troll. Elation! The quim delivery station! A box atop a pole, inside the box a hole, facing the westward side at just the height right for fuzzy furry little things. Strange - the range of the road runs longer than master told - master didn't say it didn't but master didn't say it did, but the road goes ever on, through and among the throng red and waving east to meet with the horizon. > Go east Master did not say to go along that way; master said - it's in your head - deliver quims, return without them. Return, said master; what disaster falls upon the one who rolls along beyond where the end belongs? Master's quims, you could not take them - unless you did, but what then? Road, the road, eastward rolls the road, a stretch forever, past the end, with the quims... A whim, a whim. > You put the quims in the hole In go quims, quims go in, quims in bag and bag in box and little furry thing is good furry thing, good and fuzzy and pleasing master. > You examine the hole From the center of the road rises a rectangular prism of wood, fitted on the top a box, as tightly as it could. In the box, in it's side, resides a hole big enough for the whole bag of quims. In fact, the hole who once lacked of quims is now stuffed to the brim with them. > You look at bag Quiet quims, buried in burlap. Do they exist when you cannot see them? Do they not exist? Do they exist in some sort of superposition of existing and not existing? Similarly, do YOU exist when master isn't looking at you? Alas, if only master would tell you the answer. > You check what you're carrying Empty hands, empty, fuzzy, tiny little hands. > Go west Back running to master, faster and faster, over the bridge and down the road to the old abode to hold pride in you eye for master to spy and offer - perhaps - praise of your worth, > You go to the north Passwords Troll Humor Superweapon Science! > Go north > Passwords Troll Humor Superweapon Science! > Go north Passwords > Troll Humor Superweapon Science! What if you took various pieces of the troll - you know, as souvenirs? Singing Passwords > Troll Humor Superweapon Science! > You go to the north Passwords Troll Humor > Superweapon Science! The troll's eyes are actually "laser-sighted death ray emitters". Singing Passwords Troll Humor > Superweapon Science! > Go north Passwords Troll Humor Superweapon > Science! Trolls are stereotyped as being unintelligent, but our friend here actually has a degree in elementary particle physics. Singing Passwords Troll Humor Superweapon > Science! > You go east A lighthearted excursion in the style of the Ambiguous Adventures by N.C. Hunter Hayden Oh, glorious, wondrous, rapturous land! The beauty is more than you can understand. Master told of sky - master does not lie - but little furry servant you, you could not know the wonder true. But now you see, you see in glee and praise master's mercy to let you free - not free to leave, silly fuzzy thing, but free to be outside in the wide under-sky, on the road from master's abode to who knows. Master knows, and you he told: eastward lies the quim delivery station to which (to your elation) you are to move your fleet and furry feet and inject, input, insert every quim without qualm, lest master withold balm. You are outside of master's hut, and, for now, gut. Above is the wide and clear purple sky, north and south out and past ken ruffle gently spears of grass. The one and single road in all existence begins (not ends; it's master's instance) at master's door westward and pursues the horizon eastward. > You go to the east First time farthest from master's hut, first time farthest from master. Slowly, first, then faster and faster furry feet patter along the quiet road, hands to hold gently the load. What's this? 'Road' wouldn't be a miss, but this rises steeply over a river - a bridge, plainly, from hither to thither, with you hither and the goal thither. Between these two places places himself a looming, long-limbed lobster - I mean Robster - I mean mobster - I mean momster - I mean monster. On his face is placed a frown twice upside-down, and in his eye you espy a flicker that died. "To pass, cross, or otherwise my bridge transverse you must, without loss, provide a smidge to me of that - in the whole universe - which is most precious." The droll toll troll stands in your way and demands his pay. Under the bridge streams a stream. > You take the eyes No, no, proper grammar would be: take ME. > You look at the eye Empty, unsparkable, unremarkable holes leading to void needing of soul. > You take yourself No no no, silly furry thing, to master does that belong, along with the soul inside. > You examine the teeth Little furry things do not do such things. Would you add misery to what he sees already with his four eyes sad? He has enough bad. Pointy pointy, snip snip, sharp sharp 'tween lip and lip. > You get the teeth You flunked out of dental school first semester. > Xyzzy I got nothing. Sorry. > Xyzzy You expect me to come up with something witty, don't you? I really put a lot of effort into the IF as a whole, so just enjoy that, will you? > Xyzzy Augh! Something witty and cleaver and funny, huh? Well, guess what? I don't want to. > Xyzzy Alright, fine. How's this for witty and cleaver? The quims explode and you die. > Sing La la la la la la lu la. > Sing BATMAN! > You examine the grass Red, red, red the waves roll forever, with wind through leaves in dodges and weaves, oceans of unfathomed depth and unmeasured breadth unbroken but by rising stones standing alone. > You examine the stones like breaching whales out of the infinite, sunny ocean of grasses. > You take the stones Too far, too far, silly furry thing, you would be lost, lost, lost. > You examine the sky No clouds, no green pyramidal clouds today. A perfect purple day. > You examine the road White road, right road, onward to success; eastward leading, still proceeding - guiding you, you guess (master wasn't clear, and master's isn't here - to ask - master said east, and thither the road - at least, you think). > Kiss Troll In a flurry of fuzzy furry fur you the cover the monster - his leg, at least, the most of the beast you could reach, but in your embrace the troll's droll face brightened, his eyes enlightened. "Ah - ah! Furry little thing, silly fuzzy little thing, this is fitting payment, I only lament I'm so late to relent of the cold dull resistance of distance. For this treasure, please pass at your pleasure." > You examine the stream Bubbling, babbling, burbling brook, winding and weaving with hooks and crooks. From far to the south to far in the north, running and streaming, 'round bends, there careening. Gold-colored water from somewhere to elsewhere, free frolicking through the red sea of leaves. > You go to the south No, no, no, not only too little, but too brittle of mind; only the road, grass-lined, for your furry little feet. Too quick to pick the wayward way and away your way back home does fly. Try, try to stay straight on the street, straight with furry feet east and east until you meet, as master is fair, the whole goal of this affair. > Go east You stroll by the toll troll. Elation! The quim delivery station! A box atop a pole, inside the box a hole, facing the westward side at just the height right for fuzzy furry little things. Strange - the range of the road runs longer than master told - master didn't say it didn't but master didn't say it did, but the road goes ever on, through and among the throng red and waving east to meet with the horizon. > Go east Quims delivered, yet you shiver to wonder to wander away from master. To return did master intend - would you with that contend? The road runs down alone, along the sides the rise of red, the plain moves out and out, empty, no master, no quims, only wind, wind, wind through red... > You go to the east East and on and past all ken, past all memory of kith or quim, through the endless plain, master from your mine long waned, > Kiss (the Droll Toll Troll) In a flurry of fuzzy furry fur you the cover the monster - his leg, at least, the most of the beast you could reach, but in your embrace the troll's droll face brightened, his eyes enlightened. "Ah - ah! Furry little thing, silly fuzzy little thing, this is fitting payment, I only lament I'm so late to relent of the cold dull resistance of distance. For this treasure, please pass at your pleasure." > Go east You stroll by the toll troll. Elation! The quim delivery station! A box atop a pole, inside the box a hole, facing the westward side at just the height right for fuzzy furry little things. Strange - the range of the road runs longer than master told - master didn't say it didn't but master didn't say it did, but the road goes ever on, through and among the throng red and waving east to meet with the horizon. > Go east Eastward onward rolling through the plain, ocean's red rising, waving, rolling

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present." -Francis Bacon There have been unexplained murders and disappearances at a seemingly innocent amusement area just north of Providence, Rhode Island. Due to your strange investigations in the past, you are the one called in solve the mystery of the. . . You have been hired by the police chief, Elmer Walker, but he wanted to keep his involvement secret. Instead, he has sent you a dossier about the recent incidents here in Swan Point. He said he would check in on you, but otherwise, you are on your own. This is the front walk to Mother Matheson's boarding house, where you'll be staying. Her porch is to the west and the main road is to the east. Her lawn is dotted with dogwoods and covered in leaves. > Inventory You are carrying: a fedora (being worn) a set of ordinary clothes (being worn) a trenchcoat (being worn and open) a cigar lighter a lock pick a dossier (closed) a holster (being worn) a revolver > You examine revolver It's a .45 revolver. > About yourself You are a private eye; a gumshoe, as they say, and you appear as such. > You read the dossier It is an openable folder meant to hold documents. > You open dossier You open the dossier, revealing the first incident, the second incident, the third incident, the fourth incident and the fifth incident. > You look at the clothes They're what you could afford with your wages but at least they're in style. > You read first May 12, 1928; Kent Howard and Lucy Pringle, lovers, wandered from the carnival and into the cemetery. Kent Howard was found injured and insane the next morning, babbling about "horrors from the grave". He now resides at the Butler Insane Asylum and Lucy Pringle is still missing. > You read second June 14, 1928; Freddie Pendergast, age 12, entered the "Tunnel of Terrors" ride at the carnival. The mechanical car came back but the boy is still missing. > You read third July 23, 1928; Police officer Andy Reynolds investigated a report of vandals at the city dump. Reynolds claims to have seen the Pendergast boy there but the child was "swallowed by a moving mountain of garbage" according to Reynolds' report. Reynolds has been dismissed from the force for drinking. He resides at Mother Matheson's boarding house. > You read fifth Sept 12, 1928; Jordan McIntyre, attendant at Butler Insane Asylum, was on his way home, a walk that takes him by the cemetery. He never made it home and his bloody clothes were found near the south gate of the cemetery. Unbelievable as it sounds, it appears that he was pulled through the gate. There was also dried mucus covering the entirety of the scene. > You go to the west This is a cozy front porch that looks out onto the dogwood trees. The front walk is to the east and the front door is to the west. A rocking chair sits among the scattered leaves that made their way onto the porch. > You examine the chair It has a tall back and a homemade look to it. Nonetheless, it looks comfortable. > You sit in the chair You get onto the rocking chair. > Rock You creakily rock on the rocking chair. > You knock on the Door You knock on the front door. A moment later, a woman's voice can be heard, inviting you to come in. > You enter (first getting off the rocking chair) You can't go that way. > You open the Door You open the front door. > You go west This is a small foyer marking the entrance to the boarding house. You can see a dining room to the north, a living room to the south, and a hall stretches to the west where it seems to terminate in a room with a lot of windows. In the downstairs hall is a set of stairs up to the second floor. The place seems to be decorated with original artwork and craftwork. You can see Andy Reynolds here. Andy Reynolds looks around as if wondering what to do with himself. > Topics You could ask him about himself, the first incident, the second incident, the third incident, the fourth incident, the fifth incident or the Carnival. > You ask Andy about himself "What's your story?" you ask but instead of a reply, Andy Reynolds just gives you an irritated look. > You ask andy about third "So you were the cop fired for making that report about the event at the city dump?" "I'm not going to let you sit here and scoff me." he begins to say but you set him straight. "On the contrary. I've seen shit that would change your gender. I'm here to find the truth, so tell me what you know." you say. He sees you are serious so he tells you what he knows. (press SPACE)"I was about a hundred yards into the dump when I got this feeling I was being watched. I saw this person standing there in the middle of a pile of smouldering garbage. I looked closer and saw it was a small person, maybe a child, maybe the Pendergast boy is what I was thinking at the time. He even looked at me all scared and I was about to approach him to help him out and take him home, but that's when it happened. "The garbage around him rose up like a wave and swallowed the boy. Everything settled and he was gone. Like an idiot, I reported the truth to Chief Walker. He didn't fire me but the city council did, saying I was a drunk. I'm not a drunk. I'm just a bitter ex-policeman now. That's my story. Now get outta my face." Andy Reynolds looks at some of the crafts hanging on the walls. > You examine the crafts You can tell they are homemade as they aren't really that good. You're allowed to say so because you took an art class once. Andy Reynolds looks around as if wondering what to do with himself. > You ask him about second "What about the Pendergast boy? You know anything about him that might help me find him?" you ask. "You're going to try to find him? Good luck. You know after a few days. . ." he says but you interrupt. "I'm hoping for once, a missing persons case doesn't end in homicide." you tell him. "Well," he says, "I really don't know more than the simple fact that, against his mom's wishes, he went down to the carnival one evening with the Coombs brothers. Freddie Pendergast got on the Tunnel of Terrors ride and never emerged again. The ride was searched, of course, but no body was found. Probably abducted." he says with the proper cynacism. > Topics You could ask him about the first incident, the fourth incident, the fifth incident or the Carnival. > You ask about Carnival "You ever visit that carnival down the road?" you ask Andy Reynolds. "Not really." he says. "I don't like the carny-folk. Buncha scumbags, really. And that Jonathan Boom, the security guard, thinks he's some sort of cop or soldier, but he's really just a disturbed man with a gun." Andy Reynolds looks at some of the crafts hanging on the walls. > Go south This is a comfortable common area, complete with an old but comfortable-looking sofa, an armchair, and a bookcase. You can see the foyer to the north and a narrow door to the west. Outside the windows, you can see the dogwoods in Mother Matheson's yard. The same artwork that is seen throughout the house can be found in here. > You examine the artwork You can tell they are homemade as they aren't really that good. You're allowed to say so because you took an art class once. > Examine books How one can collect so many books of such a limited genre baffles you. > You look at the bookcase It was either found somewhere or homemade, but it seems sturdy enough. It is full of romance paperbacks. > You go west (first opening the narrow door) This is a white, tiled bathroom with the appropriate fixtures (toilet, sink, tub). The pipes are visible up the walls from the fixtures and a mirror is set in the wall above the sink. A white door is to the north and a narrow door is to the east. > You look at the mirror You look at yourself in the mirror. You look fine, at the moment. > You look at the pipes The pipes lead from the fixtures and into the walls and ceiling. > Go north (first opening the white door) This is the nexus of the house with passages in many directions. The same homemade artwork lines the walls and a staircase leads up to the second floor. To the north, you can see the kitchen and to the east, the foyer. A white door is to the south and you can see a sun room through a doorway to the west. > You go to the south This is a white, tiled bathroom with the appropriate fixtures (toilet, sink, tub). The pipes are visible up the walls from the fixtures and a mirror is set in the wall above the sink. A white door is to the north and a narrow door is to the east. > You open the mirror You open the mirror. > You look in the mirror The mirror is empty. > You put the pipes in the mirror (first taking the pipes) That's hardly portable. > You get the mirror That's hardly portable. > Go north This is the nexus of the house with passages in many directions. The same homemade artwork lines the walls and a staircase leads up to the second floor. To the north, you can see the kitchen and to the east, the foyer. A white door is to the south and you can see a sun room through a doorway to the west. > Go west This room has large windows that look out onto a garden of wildflowers behind the house. A door to a bedroom is to the south and a utility room door is to the north. The downstairs hall is to the east. An easel sits in this room. On the art easel is an unfinished painting. > You examine painting It appears to be a painting of an elephant underground, walking among stalagmites and stalactites with a crazed look in its eyes. The painting makes you uneasy as you look at it. > You examine the easel It's designed to support a canvas. On the art easel is an unfinished painting. > You go south (first opening Reynolds' door) It seems to be locked. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a fedora (being worn) a set of ordinary clothes (being worn) a trenchcoat (being worn and open) a cigar lighter a lock pick a dossier (open) the first incident the second incident the third incident the fourth incident the fifth incident a holster (being worn) a revolver > You pick (up the art easel) Yes, it's light and easy to carry, but it would still be a pain in the ass to do so, especially as you've no real need for it. > You look at lighter It is nickel-plated and maybe was once fancy but now it is dull and weathered. You found it in New Mexico. It's a long story. The cigar lighter is currently switched off. > Go north (first opening the utility door) This seems to be part mud-room and part laundry-room. A large basin and a small basin sit by one wall. An door to the outside is to the west and the rest of the house can be reached to the south. You can see Mother Matheson here. Mother Matheson seems to be preparing to do laundry with the basins. > You talk to the Mother You say hello to Mother Matheson. Mother Matheson arranges the large and small basins. (You could ask her about herself, room key, the first incident, the second incident, the third incident, the fourth incident, the fifth incident, the unfinished painting or the Carnival.) > You ask about the paiting There is no reply. Mother Matheson seems to be preparing to go outside, but you can't be certain. > You ask about the painting "What's with the painting I saw in the Sun Room?" you ask. "Oh, yes," Mother Matheson explains, "I have recurring dreams of horrible things moving underground; beneath the carnival. But those are just dreams." > You ask about the room key You approach the landlady and ask about your room key. "Oh yes." she says, "You're the temporary tenant that phoned ahead. Your arrangements have been made. Here's your key. Your room is on the second floor." she tells you. Mother Matheson arranges the large and small basins. > You examine large This is probably the basin used for rinsing clothes. Mother Matheson seems to be preparing to go outside, but you can't be certain. > You ask about the fifth incident "What about this incident that happened just the other night? Did you know Jordan McIntyre?" you ask. "I know of the man. He worked at Butler. People have no idea what to think of the incident. How could it have been so barbaric and what's with all the dried gook all over the scene? It's just one of those things, I guess." she says. > You look at the key (room key) It's really just an ordinary house key. > You go south This room has large windows that look out onto a garden of wildflowers behind the house. A door to a bedroom is to the south and a utility room door is to the north. The downstairs hall is to the east. An easel sits in this room. On the art easel is an unfinished painting. > You go east This is the nexus of the house with passages in many directions. The same homemade artwork lines the walls and a staircase leads up to the second floor. To the north, you can see the kitchen and to the east, the foyer. A white door is to the south and you can see a sun room through a doorway to the west. > Up This is the upstairs hall area. It is minimally furnished. There are stairs leading down and a door in each wall. > You examine the Door Which do you mean, your door, the wide door, Arthur's door or mother's door? > You unlock your door with the key You unlock your door. > You enter your door (first opening your door) This is a small, simple bedroom furnished with only a bed and a bedside table. A simple door leads to the upstairs balcony to the south and the upstairs hall is to the west. > You look at table It's so simple, you wonder if Mother Matheson made it herself. > Go south (first opening the balcony door) This is a small, open-air porch that allows you to look down to the front walk. The flowering dogwoods give this space privacy. The door back inside is to the north. Forgotten by the last tenant and neglected by Mother Matheson's cleaning is a sealed jar of moonshine. > You get the moonshine You pick up the jar of moonshine from the ground. > You go to the north This is a small, simple bedroom furnished with only a bed and a bedside table. A simple door leads to the upstairs balcony to the south and the upstairs hall is to the west. > Go west This is the upstairs hall area. It is minimally furnished. There are stairs leading down and a door in each wall. > You go west (first opening Arthur's door) It seems to be locked. > Go north (first opening mother's door) It seems to be locked. > Go south (first opening the wide door) This is a white, tiled bathroom with the appropriate fixtures (toilet, sink, tub). The pipes are visible up the walls from the fixtures and a mirror is set in the wall above the sink. A wide door is to the north. > You look at the mirror You examine yourself in the mirror. > You look in the mirror The mirror is empty. > You go to the north This is the upstairs hall area. It is minimally furnished. There are stairs leading down and a door in each wall.

> Go downwards This is the nexus of the house with passages in many directions. The same homemade artwork lines the walls and a staircase leads up to the second floor. To the north, you can see the kitchen and to the east, the foyer. A white door is to the south and you can see a sun room through a doorway to the west. > You go north This kitchen is truly the heart of the home. The smells of decades of home-cooking permeate from the walls. A stove, icebox, and pantry are the fixtures but there are also a cabinet and a counter. From here, you can head east to the dining room and south to the downstairs hall. You can see Arthur Peabody here. > You talk to Arthur You say hello to Arthur Peabody. (You could ask him about himself, the first incident, the second incident, the third incident, the fourth incident, the fifth incident or the Carnival.) > You ask about third "So, you live in the same boarding house as Andy Reynolds, the disgraced cop." you say. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?" he asks, "But as I say, unless I have a dead body to examine, I have no professional opinion of the matter." > You ask about the self There is no reply. Arthur looks to the south, into the downstairs hall. > You ask about Arthur "What's your story, mister?" you ask. "Nice to meet you. I'm Arthur Peabody. I'm one of the proprietors of the undertaking firm Jackson, Goldberg, & Peabody. > You ask about fourth "Any thoughts on the town drunk's story of people in the cemetery?" you ask. "Nope." Arthur stares out the window for a moment. > You ask about fifth "What about this recent incident? Jordan McIntyre's death?" you ask. "Well, as one of the undertakers here in town, I can tell you there was a murder, but there wasn't hardly any body left to undertake. Something tore that man in pieces." he says with a shudder. > You ask about Carnival "You ever visit Swan Point Carnival?" you ask Arthur Peabody. "Hardly." is the gentleman's answer, "I am too busy to indulge in such trivialities. Plus, that place hardly looks safe." > You look at the counter It's just a hard, wooden counter. Arthur Peabody goes south. > You look at the pantry It matches the cabinet. > You look at the cabinet It matches the pantry. > You open the cabinet Don't mess with the food. You're not that hungry and you don't want to take other people's stuff. > Go east This is a homey dining room with mismatched chairs and a wide table. You can see the kitchen through a doorway to the west and the foyer is to the south. The same arts-and-crafts artwork decorate the walls. Outside the windows, you can see the dogwoods on Mother Matheson's lawn. > You go south This is a small foyer marking the entrance to the boarding house. You can see a dining room to the north, a living room to the south, and a hall stretches to the west where it seems to terminate in a room with a lot of windows. In the downstairs hall is a set of stairs up to the second floor. The place seems to be decorated with original artwork and craftwork. > You go east This is the front walk to Mother Matheson's boarding house, where you'll be staying. Her porch is to the west and the main road is to the east. Her lawn is dotted with dogwoods and covered in leaves. > You look at the dogwood There are a good number of these trees. Their branches gives a shadowy canopy over the house and yard. > You go east You make your way down the road to the carnival. Having made your way down the dusty road, you find the carnival. Being very late in the season, there aren't many carnival-goers from what you can tell so far. The ticket booth stands sentinel before the fairgrounds entrance to the east. A large, sweat-soaked man stands inside the ticket booth, eyeing you expectingly. > You talk to the man You say hello to the sweaty man. The sweaty man wipes his brow with a dirty rag. (You could ask him about himself, the incidents or the carnival ticket.) > You ask about him "You don't look too comfortable in there." you say to the man, trying to break the ice. The man just stares at you. > You ask about the incidents "As the ticket guy here, have you seen any suspicious people lately?" you ask. "Everyone is suspicious in my eyes." he says. > You ask about the ticket (the ticket booth) There is no reply. > You ask about the carnival ticket "How does one get in the carnival?" you ask the sweaty man in the booth. "You just buy the carnival ticket." he replies. > You buy the the carnival ticket You speak to the sweating man in the booth. He does not speak back but the ticket transaction still happens. The sweaty man coughs without covering his mouth. > You go east You are at the southern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare. The entrance to the park and its accompanying ticket booth is to the west. The security shack sits to the south. To the east is a small building with a sign saying Gift Shop on its door. The thoroughfare continues to the north where more booths, buildings, and tents are lined up on the east side with the road to town flanking its west border. A black cat runs by, crossing your path. > You go south (first opening the security door) It seems to be locked. > You unlock the security door with the pick You clandestinely pick the lock while looking out for anyone who might see you. You feel you did it without being noticed. > You go south (first opening the security door) This is a one-room affair of clapboard with a pot-belly stove in one corner. By the opposite wall is a desk with accompanying chair. The exit is to the north. You can see Jonathan Boom here. Seeing you in the security shack, the security guard whips out his pistol and trains it on you. "What the hell do you think you're doing in here?" he demands, but without waiting for an answer, he pistol whips you into unconsciousness. Darkness It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a carnival ticket a jar of moonshine room key a lock pick a fedora (being worn) a set of ordinary clothes (being worn) a trenchcoat (being worn and open) a cigar lighter a dossier (open) the first incident the second incident the third incident the fourth incident the fifth incident a holster (being worn) a revolver > You get lighter You take the cigar lighter from the trenchcoat. > Light lighter A small flame pops from the ligher. You switch the cigar lighter on. This is a featureless portion of the fun house, designed only to be as dark as possible. The sides are covered in thick black curtains. You can make out passages to the south and west. > Go south Something is wrong with this ridiculous room. It is small and cylindrical shaped and the floor is spinning counter-clockwise extremely fast. You're hard pressed to imagine any children or elderly people traversing this terrifying fun house. You might be able to cross safely; or the floor will spin you wherever it chooses. Passages are north and south. > You go south The floor of this room is severely slanted. You're not sure how this is supposed to be fun. Passages lead north and south. > You go to the south This is a featureless portion of the fun house, designed only to be as dark as possible. The sides are covered in thick black curtains. You can make out passages to the north, west, and south. > Go south Strangely, this entrance is unattended. The building itself is made of numerous trailers attached to one another. A facade dresses this up to be some sort of wondrous spectacle, but the management has not gone out of its way to hide any of the smoke-and-mirrors that support their flimsy illusion. Still, the entrance, to the north, is so dark as to be menacing in its own way. The carnival's main thoroughfare can be reached to the south and southeast. > You go to the south-west That leads out of the park, to the road. > Go southeast You are on the east-west path of the carnival's main thoroughfare. To your north is the House of Mirrors. You can cut across to the north-south part of the thoroughfare by heading southwest. To the southeast is a dunk-a-clown booth. > You go southeast You stand before a dunk-a-clown booth off the main thoroughfare. Before you is the edge of the booth where you can talk to the carny to buy a chance to throw a ball at a target that would dunk a poor clown sitting in a dunk tank. The clown in question is a crass looking character who stares at you with crabby eyes as he chews a wet cigar in his mouth. The carny ignores him, choosing to watch you instead. He stands by a large box of stuffed animals. The main thoroughfare is to the north, but you can cut to it by going northeast and northwest as well. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Throw the ball!" > You talk to the carny You say hello to Terrance Valdosky. Newspapers blow by like so much forgotten trash. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Just throw the ball, piss-ass!" (You could ask him about himself, the incidents or Jonathan Boom.) > You ask about himself The carny looks at you but shouts to the clown, "Hey, look, Randy, it's some retarded chump!" From his platform above the dunk tank, Randy the Clown shouts back, "Give 'em a try for free!" The carny throws a red ball at you which you catch. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Bend over and I'll show ya a pizza party!" > You look at the ball It's like a skinned baseball. You hear the sound of laughter from somewhere, but it is a mirthless, chilling sound. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Do it, lady!" > About yourself You are a private eye; a gumshoe, as they say, and you appear as such. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Do it, lady! Throw the ball!" > You ask about the incidents "What do you think about the recent incidents involving the murders and disappearances?" you ask. "Shit's bad all over, man." is all you can get out of the carny. You see a balloon float off in the distance. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Throw the ball!" > You ask about Boom "Isn't Boom squirrely enough to be a suspect?" you mention. "Aren't you?" you asks in return. "Actually, no." you say. "Oh. Well, I'm not one to say. I barely know the guy." Randy the Clown shouts at you, "This guy ain't no pitcher! He's more like. . .diarrhea! Yeah!" > You throw the ball Dropped. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "You couldn't even throw a fit!" > You throw ball at Clown (first taking the red ball) You lack the nerve when it comes to the crucial moment. A black cat runs by, crossing your path. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "This shit sucks!" > You look at Clown A true monster, you can tell as you can smell the whisky from all the way over here. His rheumy eyes stare you down. He must've terrified children and so has been relegated here, to the dunking booth. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Let me outta this cage and I'll show you how to throw a ball!"

> You look at your surroundings You stand before a dunk-a-clown booth off the main thoroughfare. Before you is the edge of the booth where you can talk to the carny to buy a chance to throw a ball at a target that would dunk a poor clown sitting in a dunk tank. The clown in question is a crass looking character who stares at you with crabby eyes as he chews a wet cigar in his mouth. The carny ignores him, choosing to watch you instead. He stands by a large box of stuffed animals. The main thoroughfare is to the north, but you can cut to it by going northeast and northwest as well. You hear the sound of a child crying; echoing from somewhere nearby. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Bend over and I'll show ya a pizza party!" > You throw the ball at the target You wind up and pitch the ball. It hits the target square in the center and Randy the Clown is dunked with a splash. You hear him thud on the bottom of the tank as there wasn't enough water to cushion his fall. With a crappy look on his face, he rights the platform, returns the wet cigar to his mouth, and sits again. The carny throws a stuffed pig at you. Newspapers blow by like so much forgotten trash. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Pussy!" > You examine the pig It's a small, stuffed pig. Something moves in the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look, nothing is there. Randy the Clown shouts at you, "Look at you! You look like an idiot!" > You go to the north This is the carnival's main thoroughfare running east to west. To your north is a large building with a detailed sign stating Tunnel of Terrors and to your south is a dunk-a-clown booth. You can see Filmore the Clown here. Filmore the Clown looks at you with insane eyes. > You talk to Filmore You say hello to Filmore the Clown. You hear the sound of laughter from somewhere, but it is a mirthless, chilling sound. (You could ask him about himself or the incidents.) > You ask about the incidents "Can you tell me anything about the recent incidents here?" you ask the sad clown. "What incidents?" he replies. "The grisly murders and disappearances." you inform him. "I honestly have no idea what you're on about." he confesses. > You ask about the himsef There is no reply. Something moves in the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look, nothing is there. > You ask about himself "Aww," you tease, "Are you a sad clown?" noting the tears painted on his face. "Fuck off." is the reply. You hear a scream in the distance; perhaps from one of the rides. Filmore the Clown dances a little soft-shoe-shuffle. > You go east You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare. Here, it turns. You can head west toward most of the booths and tents or you can head southeast where you can see a swan pond and a number of other buildings. In the distance there, you can see the roller-coaster and ferris wheel, among other attractions. To the immediate north is a Parisian theater, where silent films are shown, no doubt. To the southwest is a dunk-a-clown booth. > Go west This is the carnival's main thoroughfare running east to west. To your north is a large building with a detailed sign stating Tunnel of Terrors and to your south is a dunk-a-clown booth. You can see Filmore the Clown here. Something moves in the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look, nothing is there. > Go north This is a large wooden building with the facade painted to resemble an old castle. The ride cars used to carry two passengers through the dark interior are made to resemble coffins. These cars come out of the facade on one side and re-enters it on the other after loading and unloading the passengers. A surly attendant watches over the operation. Filmore the Clown arrives from the south. > You talk to the attendant You say hello to Billy Jumpner. Filmore the Clown goes south. (You could ask him about himself, the incidents or Jonathan Boom.) > You ask about Boom "What about Boom, the security guard? What kind of man is he really?" you ask, trying to sound casual. "He likes this ride!" is the carny's response. > You ask about himself "What's up with this ride?" you ask, "How safe is this? Are you the mechanic?" "Hop in there, young feller, and I'll show ya how safe it is!" he smiles. > You ask about the incidents "What can you tell me about the recent grisly incidents around here, gramps?" you ask. "Only that people get what they deserve, they do, young feller! Now hop on and get in the dark. We'll all be in the dark soon enough!" and he cackles with laughter. > Hop You jump on the spot, fruitlessly. > You enter the car You clambor aboard one of the ride cars and squeeze into the seat. With the grinding of gears and the hiss of machinery, the ride car begins being pulled on the track and into the dark tunnel within the castle facade. It's not long when you realize something is wrong. The track below you makes a loud snapping noise and it suddenly dips downward into a secret cavity. The ride car, with you in it, plummets into darkness as the passage closes above you again. You hang on for dear life as the cart crashes downward and finally, you are dumped into mud, somewhere deep underground. This cave's ceiling is lost in the darkness above. The rest of it is covered in mud. Walking in here brings you up to your knees in it. Passages lead southeast, northwest, and west. Seemingly dropped from above, a wrecked ride-car from one of the carnival's amusement rides is half-sunk in the mud here. > You go to the west This cave opens into an irregular space, even for an underground cavern. Tight passages lead west, northeast, east, and southeast, but a wide tunnel leads south. Each passage leads into pitch darkness and the air is still and close here. > Go south The tunnel continues here, from north to south. As it leads south, it gets much wider. This area makes you extremely uneasy, but you cannot put your finger on why. > You go to the south You head south, for a bit, but as you continue, your fear grows and grows until it is extreme terror. There is nothing that you see or hear to cause this. It just is. Soon, you decide to turn around and explore a different tunnel. > Go west This is a circular tunnel with no features, however, the walls are slick with moisture. Passages lead west, southwest, and east. > You go west This is a narrow tunnel carved into the earth. It is just wide enough for you to traverse through. Passages lead northwest, east, and south. Standing in the chamber is a dark figure. As you look closer, you see it is a rotting corpse, yet it peers at you with eyes that are definitely alive. . .somewhat. Standing in the chamber is a dark figure. As you look closer, you see it is a rotting corpse, yet it peers at you with eyes that are definitely alive. . .somewhat. The hideous zombie seems barely aware of you. The horrible zombie seems more aware of you and lashes out. It rakes your skin with its claws and manages to bite your shoulder. You holler out in pain. > You shoot zombie Who do you mean, the horrible zombie or the hideous zombie? > Horrible You aren't carrying a gun. The horrible zombie goes northwest. The hideous zombie seems barely aware of you. > You get gun (putting the lock pick into the trenchcoat to make room) You take the revolver from the holster. The hideous zombie seems barely aware of you. > About yourself You are a private eye; a gumshoe, as they say, and you appear as such. You are wounded. The hideous zombie goes northwest. > Go northwest This is a low-ceilinged cave chamber. Oddly, there are balls strewn about; the kind you'd find in a child's ball pit. A trapdoor is closed above you. A tunnel leads into pitch darkness to the southeast. Standing in the chamber is a dark figure. As you look closer, you see it is a rotting corpse, yet it peers at you with eyes that are definitely alive. . .somewhat. Standing in the chamber is a dark figure. As you look closer, you see it is a rotting corpse, yet it peers at you with eyes that are definitely alive. . .somewhat. The hideous zombie seems barely aware of you. The horrible zombie seems barely aware of you. > You examine the balls They are scattered about the cave, probably having fallen from the trapdoor above, perhaps. Now, they sit in the dust and dirt of the cave. The hideous zombie goes southeast. The horrible zombie seems barely aware of you. > Up You find yourself waist deep in a room full of small, rubber balls. How this is fun, you've no clue. Passages lead north, where you hear a popping sound and to the east where you hear the sound of air-jets. > You go north This is a dizzying and disorienting room. Flashes of light strobe from every wall and corner. The pop of flashbulbs echo about and your eyes are stung by the bright flashing. It's nothing short of a nightmare. Passages lead east and south. > You go east The flashing is so disorienting, you aren't sure what exit you took. You find yourself waist deep in a room full of small, rubber balls. How this is fun, you've no clue. Passages lead north, where you hear a popping sound and to the east where you hear the sound of air-jets. > Search balls You feel around the rubber balls for the floor and immerse yourself in them to search even better. It's not long before you find a trapdoor in the floor. > You go to the east This is a featureless box of a room with the exception that there are numerous, small dark holes randomly drilled into the walls. Immediately, you can tell that air jets are sporadically shooting air at a high pressure through these holes by the loud noises coming from the walls. Passages lead west and south. > You get ball You don't want to take one of these balls; with so many people playing in here through the years, you'd probably catch pink-eye. > You look at holes You can tell that air jets are behind the wall, violently shooting high-pressured air through the small holes. > Go south A jet of air blasts you in the ear, knocking your fedora off your head. This is a fairly standard fun house room. It tricks the eye of a person on one side of the room to think that the people on the other side are giants. It all has to do with where you stand as well has how lines are painted in the room. To you, it's quite mundane and the room seems to have nothing else to offer. Passages go north and west. > Go north This is a featureless box of a room with the exception that there are numerous, small dark holes randomly drilled into the walls. Immediately, you can tell that air jets are sporadically shooting air at a high pressure through these holes by the loud noises coming from the walls. Passages lead west and south. You can see a fedora here. > You get hat (putting room key into the trenchcoat to make room) You pick up the fedora from the ground. > Go south This is a fairly standard fun house room. It tricks the eye of a person on one side of the room to think that the people on the other side are giants. It all has to do with where you stand as well has how lines are painted in the room. To you, it's quite mundane and the room seems to have nothing else to offer. Passages go north and west. > Go west This room has a sunken floor and there are a small set of steps that lead down to it from both the eastern and southern exits. Unseen machinery in the walls make all of these steps shake back and forth. This foolishness would normally just cause one to lose balance and giggle, but the machinery is pumping so noisily and furiously that the shaking is extreme, to say the least. > You go east You are jostled enough to drop one of your items. This is a fairly standard fun house room. It tricks the eye of a person on one side of the room to think that the people on the other side are giants. It all has to do with where you stand as well has how lines are painted in the room. To you, it's quite mundane and the room seems to have nothing else to offer. Passages go north and west. > Go west This room has a sunken floor and there are a small set of steps that lead down to it from both the eastern and southern exits. Unseen machinery in the walls make all of these steps shake back and forth. This foolishness would normally just cause one to lose balance and giggle, but the machinery is pumping so noisily and furiously that the shaking is extreme, to say the least. You can see a stuffed pig here. > Go south This room comes out of the archetypal fear all children have for clowns. Many mannequins are positioned here; faceless except for smeared clown make-up. They are mockeries of clowns, if anything, and their arms stretch out akimbo, reaching for passers-by. Passages lead north and east. > You get pig You pick up the stuffed pig from the ground. > Go south You are jostled enough to drop one of your items. This room comes out of the archetypal fear all children have for clowns. Many mannequins are positioned here; faceless except for smeared clown make-up. They are mockeries of clowns, if anything, and their arms stretch out akimbo, reaching for passers-by. Passages lead north and east. > Go north This room has a sunken floor and there are a small set of steps that lead down to it from both the eastern and southern exits. Unseen machinery in the walls make all of these steps shake back and forth. This foolishness would normally just cause one to lose balance and giggle, but the machinery is pumping so noisily and furiously that the shaking is extreme, to say the least. You can see a jar of moonshine here. > You get the jar You pick up the jar of moonshine from the ground. > Go east Maybe once this room was to simply spray a fine mist from the corners, but now, instead, they blast dirty water at fire-house strength. The water pools in the center of this weird room, and empties through a drain in the floor. Passages lead east and west. > You examine the drain It's a rusty drain. It's too small to think about squeezing through. > Go east This is a featureless portion of the fun house, designed only to be as dark as possible. The sides are covered in thick black curtains. You can make out passages to the north, west, and south. > Go north The floor of this room is severely slanted. You're not sure how this is supposed to be fun. Passages lead north and south. > You go north Something is wrong with this ridiculous room. It is small and cylindrical shaped and the floor is spinning counter-clockwise extremely fast. You're hard pressed to imagine any children or elderly people traversing this terrifying fun house. You might be able to cross safely; or the floor will spin you wherever it chooses. Passages are north and south. > You go to the north The room spins and jostles you. You find yourself in the. . . This is a featureless portion of the fun house, designed only to be as dark as possible. The sides are covered in thick black curtains. You can make out passages to the south and west. > You look at curtains You can't see any such thing. They are thick, heavy black curtains. > You get the curtains That's hardly portable. > You go west This is a circular tunnel running east to west. It is spinning, of course, but rather than whimsically spinning slow enough to keep one off-balance and amused, this one is spinning out-of-control. The tunnel goes east to west. > Go west The tunnel spins beneath your feet, knocking you off balance. You are unable to make any progress. > You go to the west The tunnel spins beneath your feet, but you keep your balance and make it through. This is a dizzying and disorienting room. Flashes of light strobe from every wall and corner. The pop of flashbulbs echo about and your eyes are stung by the bright flashing. It's nothing short of a nightmare. Passages lead east and south. > Go south The flashing is so disorienting, you aren't sure what exit you took. This is a circular tunnel running east to west. It is spinning, of course, but rather than whimsically spinning slow enough to keep one off-balance and amused, this one is spinning out-of-control. The tunnel goes east to west. > You go to the south The tunnel spins beneath your feet, but you keep your balance and make it through. You can't go that way.

> Go downwards Before exploring this underworld, you feel you should investigate more attractions topside. > You go east The tunnel spins beneath your feet, but you keep your balance and make it through. This is a featureless portion of the fun house, designed only to be as dark as possible. The sides are covered in thick black curtains. You can make out passages to the south and west. > Go south Something is wrong with this ridiculous room. It is small and cylindrical shaped and the floor is spinning counter-clockwise extremely fast. You're hard pressed to imagine any children or elderly people traversing this terrifying fun house. You might be able to cross safely; or the floor will spin you wherever it chooses. Passages are north and south. > You go south The floor of this room is severely slanted. You're not sure how this is supposed to be fun. Passages lead north and south. > You go to the south This is a featureless portion of the fun house, designed only to be as dark as possible. The sides are covered in thick black curtains. You can make out passages to the north, west, and south. > Go south Strangely, this entrance is unattended. The building itself is made of numerous trailers attached to one another. A facade dresses this up to be some sort of wondrous spectacle, but the management has not gone out of its way to hide any of the smoke-and-mirrors that support their flimsy illusion. Still, the entrance, to the north, is so dark as to be menacing in its own way. The carnival's main thoroughfare can be reached to the south and southeast. > Go south This is the northern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare where it turns to the east. To the south, the thoroughfare stretches with the road flanking its western side and a line of tents, buildings, and booths lining the east side. To the east, the thoroughfare continues deeper into the carnival grounds. To the southeast is a baseball toss booth and to your north is the funhouse, standing ominous and decaying in the autumn sun. You hear the distant sound of a carnival barker. > You go to the east You are on the east-west path of the carnival's main thoroughfare. To your north is the House of Mirrors. You can cut across to the north-south part of the thoroughfare by heading southwest. To the southeast is a dunk-a-clown booth. You see a couple of teenaged hooligans loitering around the carnival. They see you and quickly move on. > You go east This is the carnival's main thoroughfare running east to west. To your north is a large building with a detailed sign stating Tunnel of Terrors and to your south is a dunk-a-clown booth. You can see Wilberforce Wyatt here. Janice Parker arrives from the north. > You talk to Janice You say hello to Janice Parker. (You could ask her about the incidents.) > You ask about the incidents "Have you seen anything untoward in this place? Any people I should ask about the murders and disappearances?" you inquire. She seems to brighten at your question. "Yes!" she says, "I've been keeping records on the carnival and these murders and disappearances aren't isolated to this season. People have been going missing for years here, it's just that lately, it's gotten worse. If you stopped by the library sometime, I can show you the records." she tells you this but she's already told you all you need to know. You thank her for her time. Wilberforce Wyatt takes off his cowboy hat, dusts it briefly, then returns it to his head. > You examine janice Miss Parker is the town's young librarian and looks the part. Janice Parker goes west. Wilberforce Wyatt seems to survey the area. > You examine Wyatt This dark, handsome man in his late 40's is the owner and manager of the carnival. You can tell this by the way he carries himself and gives orders to any carnies within earshot. He is impeccably dressed as a stage cowboy and is the wealthiest-appearing man in the carnival. Wilberforce Wyatt takes off his cowboy hat, dusts it briefly, then returns it to his head. > You talk to Wyatt You say hello to Wilberforce Wyatt. Wilberforce Wyatt quietly watches the few carnival-goers that walk by. (You could ask him about himself, the incidents or Jonathan Boom.) > You ask about himself "You look like some sort of carnival cowboy." you say but you immediately notice that you've offended this man. Still, he is dressed to the nines in a shiny, white, expensive-looking cowboy outfit. "No, sir, I am Wilberforce Wyatt, the owner and manager of this fine carnival. Now, if you'll excuse me, sir, I have much better things to do." > You ask about the incidents "Anything you can tell me about the recent incidents? The murders and disappearances?" you ask. "Just some bad luck and misadventure, unfortunately. Nothing for you to worry about." he says with a smile, "Please enjoy your stay in my park." Something moves in the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look, nothing is there. Wilberforce Wyatt smooths his mustache. > You ask about Boom "Tell me about Jonathan Boom, Mr. Wyatt." you ask. "He's an asset to the park, sir. He's been at my side for a long time now. I trust him with my life." You see a couple of teenaged hooligans loitering around the carnival. They see you and quickly move on. Wilberforce Wyatt goes north. > You go east You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare. Here, it turns. You can head west toward most of the booths and tents or you can head southeast where you can see a swan pond and a number of other buildings. In the distance there, you can see the roller-coaster and ferris wheel, among other attractions. To the immediate north is a Parisian theater, where silent films are shown, no doubt. To the southwest is a dunk-a-clown booth. > You go north (first opening the red door) Coming in from the bright, autumn sunlight, it takes a moment for your eyes to adjust. You find yourself in a dark lobby, dimly lit by a couple of wall lamps in an attempt at an ersatz Hollywood theater. The theater itself is beyond a curtain to the north. An attendant, dressed in a poorly-fitting belhop uniform, sits on a stool, allowing admittance. You can see Edgar Coombs here. Edgar Coombs goes north. > You talk to the attendant You say hello to George Suggs. Edgar Coombs arrives from the north. (You could ask him about himself or the incidents.) > You ask about himself "You run the theater?" you ask the belhop-looking carny. "Yeah. Showin' Felix the Cat. Yes! Again!" Edgar Coombs goes north. > You ask about the incidents "What do you know about the deaths that have happened recently?" you ask. He looks at you while picking his teeth with his tongue. "You wanna watch the flick or not?" is all he says. Edgar Coombs arrives from the north. > You talk to Edgar You say hello to Edgar Coombs. Edgar Coombs goes south. (You could ask him about himself or the incidents.) > Go south You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare. Here, it turns. You can head west toward most of the booths and tents or you can head southeast where you can see a swan pond and a number of other buildings. In the distance there, you can see the roller-coaster and ferris wheel, among other attractions. To the immediate north is a Parisian theater, where silent films are shown, no doubt. To the southwest is a dunk-a-clown booth. You can see Filmore the Clown here. Filmore the Clown goes southwest. > You go southeast This is the northern edge of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. The carnival's main thoroughfare is to the northwest. You can walk around the pond to the southeast or southwest. The men's restroom building is to the north and the women's is to the east. Between them, to the northeast, is a small path leading to the House of Freaks. To the west is the ice house. version of Blue Danube. > You go northeast The front of this building is dressed up to appear as a large circus tent. Two entrances allow visitors to choose which direction to take this tour of freaks; north or northwest. The north side of the swan pond can be reached by heading southwest. A wooded path leads southeast. A carnival barker shouts at any who would hear; hustling them to enter the building and experience the grotesque wonders within. > Go north You enter the House of Freaks. . . The inside of this building is made of a hall with cubicles built on the sides to display the freaks. The place is fetid and rank with an odor as persistent as it is undefinable. You will certainly never forget it. On the east wall, bars prevent you from entering the cubicle of Wong Fu Ji, The Amazing Indian Rubber Man. Opposite him, on the west wall, you can see through bars to Rondo Moresby, The Most Horrible Man in America. Signs below the bars tell you this information. The house continues to the north and the exit is to the south. > You examine Rondo Rondo Moresby is an extremely grotesque individual. He simply sits on a stool to be stared at as an ugly, ugly man. > You talk to Rondo You say hello to Rondo Moresby. (You could ask him about himself or the incidents.) > You ask about himself "Well, what's your story?" you ask the unfortunate looking man. "Just a freak. Like you." he says, "Keep it moving, this ain't a peep show." "That's almost exactly what it is." you tell him. "Look, buddy, if the sidewalk were made of cocks, you'd find a way to walk on yer ass. Now keep it moving!" Yeah?," you say, "Well, if assholes could fly, this carnival would be an airport." > You go north You can't reach him, nor should you. The inside of this building is made of a hall with cubicles built on the sides to display the freaks. The place is fetid and rank with an odor as persistent as it is undefinable. You will certainly never forget it. You are further within the House of Freaks and the hall turns here. You can either go west or south. Cubicles with bars exist in the north wall and the east wall. Signs here indicate that the resident of the north cell is Fatima Flores, The Fat Lady, and sure enough, she's at least 500 pounds. The east cell is evidently Co-Co, The Dog Boy, whom, you can see, is really nothing more than a hirsute and deformed congenital idiot. > Go west The inside of this building is made of a hall with cubicles built on the sides to display the freaks. The place is fetid and rank with an odor as persistent as it is undefinable. You will certainly never forget it. You are further within the House of Freaks and the hall turns here. You can head east or south. Bars cover cubicle cells to the north and west. Signs here indicate that the north is occupied by the Two-Headed Dog and the west houses the Horror From The Deep. > You examine Horror This is a thing in a large stagnant tank of brine. It appears to be an octopus with human hands sewn on the ends of the tentacles. It's dead, of course, but the overall effect is ghastly. Plus, doesn't anyone else notice the obvious human hands in the tank? > Go south The inside of this building is made of a hall with cubicles built on the sides to display the freaks. The place is fetid and rank with an odor as persistent as it is undefinable. You will certainly never forget it. The hall continues into the House of Freaks to the north and the exit is to the southeast. There are three barred cubicle cells here; one on each of the east, west, and south walls. Signs indicate that the east cell is home to The Astounding Mushroom Man, the west cell houses what looks like a real, but stuffed, five-legged calf, and the south is a cell holding the What-Is-It. > You look at what-is-it In the cell is a small pool of black liquid. In the pool is a large tentacle; about eight feet long and a foot thick. You've never seen anything like it. It is dead, of course, but doesn't have the suction pads on it as an octopus's tentacle would have. The more you consider it, the more disturbing it is to you. > You go southeast The front of this building is dressed up to appear as a large circus tent. Two entrances allow visitors to choose which direction to take this tour of freaks; north or northwest. The north side of the swan pond can be reached by heading southwest. A wooded path leads southeast. A carnival barker shouts at any who would hear; hustling them to enter the building and experience the grotesque wonders within. > You go southeast This is a forked path amid some trees. From here, you can head northwest to the House of Freaks. The carousel is nearby and you can reach the north side of it by heading east or the west side by heading south. > Go east You are on the north side of a once-grand carousel. You can tell she was, at one time, a glamorous machine that delighted families for many years, but now, the faded paint and chipped wood gives her an almost-sinister air. A path into some trees heads west. You can walk around the carousel to the southeast and southwest. The carousel is spinning somewhat fast. In fact, you're not certain you'd safely make it on there if you tried, unless you jumped, maybe. It spins in silence, the music having stopped long ago. You see a balloon float off in the distance. > You jump You safely hop onto the spinning carousel. You are on a once-grand carousel that is spinning rather rapidly. The horses and other animals of the ride are chipping their paint and cracking their wood, making them ugly, frightening things. A maintainance door leads into the center portion of the carousel, but as it is spinning rather fast, it would be a challenge to get in there. > You enter door You make an attempt at opening the door, but the carousel is spinning a bit too rapidly. Maybe next time, you'll have better luck. > You enter door door. You are in the center of the carousel. Gears and cogs grind and spin, keeping the ride in rapid motion. A door leads out to the ride to the east and a ladder leads down into darkness. The smell of grease and smoke fills your nose and the sound of the gears grinding fills your ears.

> Go downwards This is a small cave cluttered with random junk. Bits of metal, pipes, tubing, cogs, and bolts litter the ground. A ladder leads upwards through a hole in the rock and some floorboards beyond. The only passage leads northwest. > You go to the north-west This cave has a very low ceiling and you are forced to stoop over as you walk through it. Passages lead west and southeast. > You go west This is a curving, wet tunnel which is slippery to traverse. It bends from the northwest to the east. > Go northwest You stand on a natural bridge over a dark and turbulent underground river flowing to the southwest. The bridge spans northwest to southeast and, of course, it looks ridiculously dangerous to cross as the surface of the stone is slick with moisture. > Go northwest You slip on the slick stone of the bridge and plummet into the turbulent underground river. The black water rushes over you and takes your breath away as it is almost freezing, this late in the season. You are swept along with the current until you wash up on a. . . This is the muddy shore of a fast-moving underground river. The river flows from the northeast to the southwest and a passage leads into darkness to the west. The sound of rushing water echoes about in this chamber. It is now pitch dark in here! > You go northwest In this large but low-ceilinged chamber, the stalagmites and stalactites have merged, making a strange, natural temple of pillars. Passages lead north, southeast, and southwest. > You go to the southwest You jump, feet-first, into the turbulent underground river. The black water rushes over you and takes your breath away as it is almost freezing, this late in the season. You are swept along with the current until you wash up on a. . . This is the muddy shore of a fast-moving underground river. The river flows from the northeast to the southwest and a passage leads into darkness to the west. The sound of rushing water echoes about in this chamber. It is now pitch dark in here! > Light lighter That's already on. > You turn off lighter You cap the lighter's flame. You switch the cigar lighter off. > You turn on lighter A small flame pops from the ligher. You switch the cigar lighter on. This is a small cave and every surface is covered with some sort of sickening slime. Your shoes make nauseating squishing sounds as you traverse the chamber. Also, it smells like a hobo's asshole in here. Passages lead north and east. > Go north on flushing the sewage from the room above. Where it goes, you cannot say. Passages lead northeast, northwest, southwest, and south. You see a trapdoor closed above you. Standing in the chamber is a dark figure. As you look closer, you see it is a rotting corpse, yet it peers at you with eyes that are definitely alive. . .somewhat. The horrible zombie attacks you again and, somehow, it is quicker than you anticipated. It tears you to shreds. > You go east This is the muddy shore of a fast-moving underground river. The river flows from the northeast to the southwest and a passage leads into darkness to the west. The sound of rushing water echoes about in this chamber. > You go northeast It would be impossible to swim up that river. > Go southwest You decide against jumping into the river as you've no guarantee it will even take you anywhere before you eventually drown. The horrible zombie arrives from the west. The horrible zombie attacks you. Luckily, the zombie misses you as you deftly dodge. > Go west This is a small cave and every surface is covered with some sort of sickening slime. Your shoes make nauseating squishing sounds as you traverse the chamber. Also, it smells like a hobo's asshole in here. Passages lead north and east. > You go to the north on flushing the sewage from the room above. Where it goes, you cannot say. Passages lead northeast, northwest, southwest, and south. You see a trapdoor closed above you. Standing in the chamber is a dark figure. As you look closer, you see it is a rotting corpse, yet it peers at you with eyes that are definitely alive. . .somewhat. The hideous zombie goes northwest. > Up (first opening the trapdoor) It seems to be locked. > You unlock the trapdoor with the pick (first taking the lock pick) (putting the carnival ticket into the trenchcoat to make room) That doesn't seem to fit the lock. The hideous zombie arrives from the northwest. The hideous zombie seems barely aware of you. > You shoot zombie You fire a few rounds into the walking corpse but it is unaffected by your attack with the revolver. The hideous zombie attacks you but luckily, the zombie misses you as you deftly dodge. > Attack zombie with lighter That wouldn't be too effective, you feel. The hideous zombie seems barely aware of you. > You go to the southeast You stand on a natural bridge over a dark and turbulent underground river flowing to the southwest. The bridge spans northwest to southeast and, of course, it looks ridiculously dangerous to cross as the surface of the stone is slick with moisture. Standing in the chamber is a dark figure. As you look closer, you see it is a rotting corpse, yet it peers at you with eyes that are definitely alive. . .somewhat. The horrible zombie goes southeast. > You go to the north This is, by far, the largest cavern you've explored so far. In the center is a large, scum-covered pool of black water. From the corner of your eye, when you aren't looking, you think there is movement within it. Near the edge on one of the pool's sides is a wooden podium and a number of wooden benches set up like some sort of blasphemous church. A wide tunnel leads east while smaller passages lead west and south. On the wooden podium is a stained notebook. > You read the notebook (putting the revolver into the trenchcoat to make room) You take the stained notebook from the wooden podium. The first page tells you its title: Translation of the Black Book of Shudde M'ell. It goes on to a litany regarding huge, tentacled worms that burrow beneath the earth. Apparently, it is a book for worshipping these dreaded horrors. Before closing the book, you see it also contains instructions for human sacrifice as well as the creation of zombies. Near the back is a list, written in blood, in various handwritings, of the names of the carnies with the head signature: WIlberforce Wyatt. With this damning evidence, you should confront Wyatt and get this carnival of cultists shut down. > You get it You already have that. > You go to the east This is the widest tunnel you've seen in this underground labrynth. It originates from the room with the black pool to the west and it recedes into darkness to the east. You have a very uneasy feeling about this tunnel. > You go east You walk east for as long as your willpower allows, but the terror creeps up in your brain and you quickly walk back to near the beginning of the tunnel. > Go west This is, by far, the largest cavern you've explored so far. In the center is a large, scum-covered pool of black water. From the corner of your eye, when you aren't looking, you think there is movement within it. Near the edge on one of the pool's sides is a wooden podium and a number of wooden benches set up like some sort of blasphemous church. A wide tunnel leads east while smaller passages lead west and south. > Go west The stench in this cave is overwhelmingly disgusting. The reason why is evident enough; numerous corpses, in various states of decay, hang from chains fastened to the ceiling. Passages lead northwest, where an eerie, rosy glow seems to emenate, and east, into more darkness. > Go northwest This cave's ceiling is lost in the darkness above. The rest of it is covered in mud. Walking in here brings you up to your knees in it. Passages lead southeast, northwest, and west. Seemingly dropped from above, a wrecked ride-car from one of the carnival's amusement rides is half-sunk in the mud here. > You look at the corpses There are twelve of them of various ages and in various stages of decay. > Search corpses You try not to touch anything gross, but since most of the corpses are still wearing the clothes in which they were murdered, you search a pocket or two. Eventually, you find a library card, of all things. > Go northwest You stand in a small cave with a ladder leading upwards into darkness. Narrow passages lead southeast and southwest. > Up This is a dark, stuffy passage. A ladder leads down into a dark pit and the south wall seems to be a slightly askew door of some sort. > You go south You are in a maze of mirrored walls. Reflections of yourself recede into infinity. The north mirror looks slightly askew. You think you can go west, and south. > You go south You are in a maze of mirrored walls. Reflections of yourself recede into infinity. You think you can go north, northwest, west, and southwest. > You go southwest You are in a maze of mirrored walls. Reflections of yourself recede into infinity. You think you can go north and northeast deeper into the maze. The door back outside is to the south. > Go south (first opening the mirrored door) You are on the east-west path of the carnival's main thoroughfare. To your north is the House of Mirrors. You can cut across to the north-south part of the thoroughfare by heading southwest. To the southeast is a dunk-a-clown booth. > You go east This is the carnival's main thoroughfare running east to west. To your north is a large building with a detailed sign stating Tunnel of Terrors and to your south is a dunk-a-clown booth. > You go east You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare. Here, it turns. You can head west toward most of the booths and tents or you can head southeast where you can see a swan pond and a number of other buildings. In the distance there, you can see the roller-coaster and ferris wheel, among other attractions. To the immediate north is a Parisian theater, where silent films are shown, no doubt. To the southwest is a dunk-a-clown booth. You smell hot dogs for a brief moment, but then it goes away. > You go to the southeast This is the northern edge of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. The carnival's main thoroughfare is to the northwest. You can walk around the pond to the southeast or southwest. The men's restroom building is to the north and the women's is to the east. Between them, to the northeast, is a small path leading to the House of Freaks. To the west is the ice house. > You go southeast You are at the eastern side of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. You can walk around the pond to the northwest and southwest. To your east, the carousel summons you with its hurdy-gurdy music. In the distance to the southwest, you can see the roller coaster and ferris wheel. You hear a scream in the distance; perhaps from one of the rides. > You go southwest This is the southern point of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. You can walk around the pond to the northeast or northwest. From here, you can also walk a path to the ferris wheel to the southeast. > Go southeast A young and tall carny mans this ride, assisting any carnival-goers on and off the ferris wheel. At this time of season, those carnival-goers are few and far between. The ferris wheel itself is surprisingly sturdy in its appearance, however, like all things in this carnival, it needs a fresh coat of paint. For some reason, this seems to be an extra-tall ferris wheel, larger than the one in Coney Island, from what you can remember. The Ferris wheel sits by the river, on the edge of the carnival. The only path is back to the swan pond to the northwest. You can see Royce Brunner here. > You go northwest You are at the western portion of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. From here, you can walk around the pond to the northeast or the southeast. A path leads south to the roller coaster. You smell a pungent smell of burning meat. > You go south This is a picnic area for the carnival. A large wooden roof is held over some empty picnic tables. A trash can accompanies the area. Here, at the end of the season, the place is desolate. The roller coaster, a scary and cantankerous wooden contraption, is to the south. Once in awhile, the coaster's cars can be seen and heard traversing its slopes, but when you look, you don't see any riders on it. A path leads back to carnival to the north and the coaster's entrance is to the south. You can see Elmer Walker here. Standing around as if waiting for someone is your client, of all people: the police chief Elmer Walker. He waves at you while wiping his brow and popping a heart pill due to his extreme obesity. "What are you doing here?" you ask as you approach. "I came to see how you're coming along. Join me on the coaster." he says and he heads south. > You go south A carny guards this entrance. He is the greasiest you've seen thus far. The entrance leads to the track where the cars wait for passengers. You can leave the roller coaster area and reach it's picnic pavillion by heading north. You can see Elmer Walker and Greasy Pete here. The carny nods his head to the two of you to board the cars and, dutifully, you do so. Elmer, being obese, has already tilted the car a bit off the track, terrifying you already. The cars are pulled up the hill by the lift chain and Elmer begins talking to you. "So, detective, I wanted to let you know that I went to the asylum and visited that poor Kent Howard boy: the one from the first incident report. I couldn't get much out of him, the way he babbles now about horrors from the grave and such, but one thing he said really struck me as odd." the police chief pops another heart pill and the cars reach the first peak. > You show the notebook to Elmer You aren't able to do that while riding on a rickety roller coaster. The car suddenly drops down the first hill. WInd whips your ears and your gut sinks as your plummet. Strangely, Elmer keeps talking as if the two of you are simply seated on a park bench, "The lad said that the biggest corpse in the whole world must be buried under the cemetery where he and Lucy were attacked." Elmer's bulk. He doesn't seem to notice and instead, keeps talking. > You wait awhile Time passes. "I asked him why he said that," Elmer says, "And the boy says to me, because of the maggots. Such big maggots must come from a big man's body." down on a row of small hills in the track. You start to feel sick. Elmer turns to you and asks, "Have you found out anything, or are you just farting around here?" > You show the notebook to Elmer You aren't able to do that while riding on a rickety roller coaster. "Well," you tell him, trying to speak over the noise of the coaster, "I discovered there are passages to some underground lair here." "Interesting." Elmer says, but he seems not too phased about what you just told him. "Just keep at it. Be sure to really check out the fun house, that mirror house, and that carousel, for sure. We'll meet up again soon." and no sooner does he say this, the ride comes to a stop and you disembark with your obese client. Without saying anything more, he wanders off, not wanting to be seen too long with you.

> Look around A carny guards this entrance. He is the greasiest you've seen thus far. The entrance leads to the track where the cars wait for passengers. You can leave the roller coaster area and reach it's picnic pavillion by heading north. You can see Greasy Pete here. > You go north This is a picnic area for the carnival. A large wooden roof is held over some empty picnic tables. A trash can accompanies the area. Here, at the end of the season, the place is desolate. The roller coaster, a scary and cantankerous wooden contraption, is to the south. Once in awhile, the coaster's cars can be seen and heard traversing its slopes, but when you look, you don't see any riders on it. A path leads back to carnival to the north and the coaster's entrance is to the south. > Go north You are at the western portion of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. From here, you can walk around the pond to the northeast or the southeast. A path leads south to the roller coaster. > You go to the northeast This is the northern edge of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. The carnival's main thoroughfare is to the northwest. You can walk around the pond to the southeast or southwest. The men's restroom building is to the north and the women's is to the east. Between them, to the northeast, is a small path leading to the House of Freaks. To the west is the ice house. Newspapers blow by like so much forgotten trash. > Go north (first opening the restroom door) You are in the men's restroom for the carnival. A long pee trough, of all horrible things, sits against one wall and a single toilet sits in the corner. They really spared every expense for these accomodations, you think. A perfectly visible trapdoor leads downward to who-knows-where and the exit back to the park is south. You can see Nuncio the Strongman here. > Go west (first opening the blue door) It seems to be locked. > You unlock the blue Door with the pick You clandestinely pick the lock while looking out for anyone who might see you. You feel you did it without being noticed. You hear the sound of laughter from somewhere, but it is a mirthless, chilling sound. > Go west (first opening the blue door) This is a small, concrete building with the apparatus necessary for the production and storage of block ice. The exit is a blue door to the east. It is very cold in here and you can see your breath in white mist before you. You can see an ice block here. > You get the ice It's far too big and heavy. > You examine the ice It is larger than a man and must weigh a ton. You can see that it sits on a trapdoor.

> Go down (first opening the trapdoor) This is a very cold, small cave. There are no features except for a trapdoor that is open above you. A passage leads northeast. > Go upward This is a small, concrete building with the apparatus necessary for the production and storage of block ice. The exit is a blue door to the east. It is very cold in here and you can see your breath in white mist before you. You can see an ice block here. > You go west This is the carnival's main thoroughfare running east to west. To your north is a large building with a detailed sign stating Tunnel of Terrors and to your south is a dunk-a-clown booth. Something moves in the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look, nothing is there. > Go west This is the northern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare where it turns to the east. To the south, the thoroughfare stretches with the road flanking its western side and a line of tents, buildings, and booths lining the east side. To the east, the thoroughfare continues deeper into the carnival grounds. To the southeast is a baseball toss booth and to your north is the funhouse, standing ominous and decaying in the autumn sun. > Go south This is near the northern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. You can cut across to where the thoroughfare turns by heading northeast. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a booth with a sign hanging above it stating Baseball Toss. > You go south You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north to south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a tent with a sign hanging above the entrance stating Fortune Teller. > Go east You make your way inside the tent. This is a gaudy, theatrically decorated gypsy tent smelling of incense and cigarette smoke. Glass baubles dangle and an enshrouded table holds a large crystal ball. The tent's exit is to the west. Sitting on one side of the crystal ball is a woman, dressed as a gypsy, and smoking a cigarette. > You examine the gypsy If she's a real fortune-telling gypsy, then you're Fatty Arbuckle. > You talk to the gypsy You say hello to Madam Zarah. (You could ask her about herself, the incidents, Wilberforce Wyatt or Jonathan Boom.) > You ask about Wyatt "Can you tell me anything about Wilberforce Wyatt?" you ask. "He owes me my last paycheck, that's what I can tell you, mister." she says. "I don't trust him or any of the other full-time carny folk around here." > You ask about herself "Fortune teller, huh? Not a real gypsy, I hope." you say. "I am Madam Zarah!" she says, snubbing out her cigarette, "And I can tell you your future! Would you like to know what I see?" she asks. > Yes "Sure, why the hell not?" you say. Madam Zarah looks into the crystal ball and makes a show as if she's seeing the most paranormal things within. You roll your eyes. "I see you going down into darkness" she says, "I see you becoming lost down there. I see large things moving down there with you. There are evil forces against you!" she cries. "Splendid." you say. > Go west You exit the flap of the tent. You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north to south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a tent with a sign hanging above the entrance stating Fortune Teller. > You go south This is the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a small building with a sign on the door reading Manager's Office. > You go east (first opening the manager's door) It seems to be locked. > You unlock the Door with the pick You clandestinely pick the lock while looking out for anyone who might see you. You feel you did it without being noticed. You hear a scream in the distance; perhaps from one of the rides. > Go east (first opening the manager's door) The interior of this cottage-like building is nicely decorated. A large desk for the manager sits near a fabric sofa. A first-aid cabinet, clearly marked with a red cross, is attached to one wall. The only exit is to the west. > You open the cabinet You open the first-aid cabinet, revealing a roll of bandages. > You get the bandages (putting the fedora into the trenchcoat to make room) You're carrying too many things already. > You look at the bandages on the carnival grounds. > You look at what you're carrying with you You are carrying: a library card a stained notebook a lock pick a jar of moonshine a stuffed pig a cigar lighter (providing light) a set of ordinary clothes (being worn) a trenchcoat (being worn and open) a fedora a revolver a carnival ticket room key a dossier (open) the first incident the second incident the third incident the fourth incident the fifth incident a holster (being worn) > You wear hat (first taking the fedora) (putting the stuffed pig into the trenchcoat to make room) You put on the fedora. > You get the bandages You take the roll of bandages from the first-aid cabinet. > You put revolver in the holster (first taking the revolver) (putting the jar of moonshine into the trenchcoat to make room) You put the revolver into the holster. > You put pig in the dossier Only documents fit in the dossier. > You remove the clothes You'd look ridiculous. > You use the bandages You use the bandages on your wounds. > About yourself You are a private eye; a gumshoe, as they say, and you appear as such. > You look at the desk It is a large, wooden desk; a bit fancy and out-of-place in this trailer. It has a drawer that is closed. > You open drawer You open the drawer, revealing a black tome. > You read tome This is a black tome handwritten in Latin with what looks like dried blood. No doubt, whatever this book is, it is evil. > You examine sofa It is an old sofa covered with an ugly fabric. > You sit on sofa You get onto the fabric sofa. > Go outside You get off the fabric sofa. The interior of this cottage-like building is nicely decorated. A large desk for the manager sits near a fabric sofa. A first-aid cabinet, clearly marked with a red cross, is attached to one wall. The only exit is to the west. > Go west This is the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a small building with a sign on the door reading Manager's Office. > Go south You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a small, wooden building with a sign on the door reading East Asian Imports. > You go east (first opening the shop door) This is a stuffy shop with shelves filled with strange, Oriental trinkets. The exit is to the west. Behind the counter, a squirrelly-looking Asian man watches you. You can also see Jonathan Boom here. > Go west You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a small, wooden building with a sign on the door reading East Asian Imports. You see a couple of teenaged hooligans loitering around the carnival. They see you and quickly move on. > Go south You are at the southern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare. The entrance to the park and its accompanying ticket booth is to the west. The security shack sits to the south. To the east is a small building with a sign saying Gift Shop on its door. The thoroughfare continues to the north where more booths, buildings, and tents are lined up on the east side with the road to town flanking its west border. > Go east (first opening the shop door) You are inside a small brick building where all sorts of mementos are sold. The exit is to the west. A man stands behind the counter, looking bored. > You examine the mementos Nothing here is worth much or of any real interest. But then you notice strange wood carvings on a shelf in the back. They appear to be rearing fat worms with heads full of groping tentacles. They almost make you sick staring at them. > You go west You are at the southern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare. The entrance to the park and its accompanying ticket booth is to the west. The security shack sits to the south. To the east is a small building with a sign saying Gift Shop on its door. The thoroughfare continues to the north where more booths, buildings, and tents are lined up on the east side with the road to town flanking its west border. You smell a pungent smell of burning meat. > You go to the west Being very late in the season, there aren't many carnival-goers from what you can tell so far. The ticket booth stands sentinel before the fairgrounds entrance to the east. A large, sweat-soaked man stands inside the ticket booth, eyeing you expectingly. > You go west That heads into the woods. You shouldn't be heading in that direction. > Go south That heads into the woods. You shouldn't be heading in that direction. The sweaty man's face goes slack for a minute. > Go north You head back up the road to the boarding house. This is the front walk to Mother Matheson's boarding house, where you'll be staying. Her porch is to the west and the main road is to the east. Her lawn is dotted with dogwoods and covered in leaves. You can see Arthur Peabody here. > Go east You should get your room key (and maybe gather some information) before you head to the carnival. Arthur Peabody straightens his tie and breathes in the cool air. > You get the room key You take room key from the trenchcoat. > You go east You make your way down the road to the carnival. Being very late in the season, there aren't many carnival-goers from what you can tell so far. The ticket booth stands sentinel before the fairgrounds entrance to the east. A large, sweat-soaked man stands inside the ticket booth, eyeing you expectingly. The sweaty man coughs without covering his mouth. > Go east You are at the southern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare. The entrance to the park and its accompanying ticket booth is to the west. The security shack sits to the south. To the east is a small building with a sign saying Gift Shop on its door. The thoroughfare continues to the north where more booths, buildings, and tents are lined up on the east side with the road to town flanking its west border. > Go north You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a small, wooden building with a sign on the door reading East Asian Imports. > You go north This is the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a small building with a sign on the door reading Manager's Office. You smell hot dogs for a brief moment, but then it goes away. > You go to the north You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north to south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a tent with a sign hanging above the entrance stating Fortune Teller. > You go to the north This is near the northern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. You can cut across to where the thoroughfare turns by heading northeast. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a booth with a sign hanging above it stating Baseball Toss. > You go to the north This is the northern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare where it turns to the east. To the south, the thoroughfare stretches with the road flanking its western side and a line of tents, buildings, and booths lining the east side. To the east, the thoroughfare continues deeper into the carnival grounds. To the southeast is a baseball toss booth and to your north is the funhouse, standing ominous and decaying in the autumn sun. > Go east You are on the east-west path of the carnival's main thoroughfare. To your north is the House of Mirrors. You can cut across to the north-south part of the thoroughfare by heading southwest. To the southeast is a dunk-a-clown booth. > You go to the south You can't go that way. You see a couple of teenaged hooligans loitering around the carnival. They see you and quickly move on. > You go to the east (first opening the restroom door) Why you are in the women's rest room is slightly baffling. Stalls with toilets line one wall and a sink with a mirror sits across from them. The exit is to the west. You can see Abner Weems here. > You talk to Weems You say hello to Abner Weems. Abner Weems goes west. (You could ask him about himself or the incidents.) > Go west This is the northern edge of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. The carnival's main thoroughfare is to the northwest. You can walk around the pond to the southeast or southwest. The men's restroom building is to the north and the women's is to the east. Between them, to the northeast, is a small path leading to the House of Freaks. To the west is the ice house. You can see Abner Weems here. > You go southeast You are at the eastern side of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. You can walk around the pond to the northwest and southwest. To your east, the carousel summons you with its hurdy-gurdy music. In the distance to the southwest, you can see the roller coaster and ferris wheel. > Go southeast A young and tall carny mans this ride, assisting any carnival-goers on and off the ferris wheel. At this time of season, those carnival-goers are few and far between. The ferris wheel itself is surprisingly sturdy in its appearance, however, like all things in this carnival, it needs a fresh coat of paint. For some reason, this seems to be an extra-tall ferris wheel, larger than the one in Coney Island, from what you can remember. The Ferris wheel sits by the river, on the edge of the carnival. The only path is back to the swan pond to the northwest. You can see Royce Brunner here. Newspapers blow by like so much forgotten trash. > You talk to the carny You say hello to Royce Brunner. A black cat runs by, crossing your path. (You could ask him about himself or the incidents.) > You buy the ticket You've already purchased a ticket. You're free to roam the carnival grounds. > You ask the carny about himself You can't go that way. "Ferris wheel, huh? That's a big one." you say, trying to sound conversational. "Hello, friend." he says, in a friendly tone. "Care to ride the wheel?" > Yes "Sure, why the hell not?" you agree. You hop in one of the seats and Royce cranks the machine to life. You lift into the air on the wheel until you are on top of the ride, looking over most of the carnival. Before the ride comes to a stop and you disembark, you take a look around from the highest point and see no one of note about. no one of note about. no one of note about. no one of note about. no one of note about. no one of note about. no one of note about. Abner Weems is near the Thoroughfare. no one of note about. no one of note about. no one of note about. no one of note about.

> You look around A young and tall carny mans this ride, assisting any carnival-goers on and off the ferris wheel. At this time of season, those carnival-goers are few and far between. The ferris wheel itself is surprisingly sturdy in its appearance, however, like all things in this carnival, it needs a fresh coat of paint. For some reason, this seems to be an extra-tall ferris wheel, larger than the one in Coney Island, from what you can remember. The Ferris wheel sits by the river, on the edge of the carnival. The only path is back to the swan pond to the northwest. You can see Royce Brunner here. You hear the sound of a child crying; echoing from somewhere nearby. > You ask about himself "Ferris wheel, huh? That's a big one." you say, trying to sound conversational. "Hello, friend." he says, in a friendly tone. "Care to ride the wheel?" > You talk to Royce You are already talking to Royce Brunner. > Topics You could ask him about himself or the incidents. > You ask about incidents "Do you happen to know anything that might help me learn more about the murders and disappearances here?" you ask. "Sure," he says, "People run into the wrong kind of folk around these parts. Not that I would know who any of those folk are, a'course." > Inventory You are carrying: room key a fedora (being worn) a library card a stained notebook a lock pick a cigar lighter (providing light) a set of ordinary clothes (being worn) a trenchcoat (being worn and open) a jar of moonshine a stuffed pig a carnival ticket a dossier (open) the first incident the second incident the third incident the fourth incident the fifth incident a holster (being worn) a revolver Something moves in the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look, nothing is there. > Go northwest This is the southern point of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. You can walk around the pond to the northeast or northwest. From here, you can also walk a path to the ferris wheel to the southeast. You hear the distant sound of a carnival barker. > You get the swan You can't reach them. You hear a scream in the distance; perhaps from one of the rides.

> Describe the surroundings This is the southern point of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. You can walk around the pond to the northeast or northwest. From here, you can also walk a path to the ferris wheel to the southeast. version of Blue Danube. > You go to the south This is a picnic area for the carnival. A large wooden roof is held over some empty picnic tables. A trash can accompanies the area. Here, at the end of the season, the place is desolate. The roller coaster, a scary and cantankerous wooden contraption, is to the south. Once in awhile, the coaster's cars can be seen and heard traversing its slopes, but when you look, you don't see any riders on it. A path leads back to carnival to the north and the coaster's entrance is to the south. You hear the sound of laughter from somewhere, but it is a mirthless, chilling sound. > You go south A carny guards this entrance. He is the greasiest you've seen thus far. The entrance leads to the track where the cars wait for passengers. You can leave the roller coaster area and reach it's picnic pavillion by heading north. You can see Greasy Pete here. > You go north This is a picnic area for the carnival. A large wooden roof is held over some empty picnic tables. A trash can accompanies the area. Here, at the end of the season, the place is desolate. The roller coaster, a scary and cantankerous wooden contraption, is to the south. Once in awhile, the coaster's cars can be seen and heard traversing its slopes, but when you look, you don't see any riders on it. A path leads back to carnival to the north and the coaster's entrance is to the south. > You go north You are at the western portion of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. From here, you can walk around the pond to the northeast or the southeast. A path leads south to the roller coaster. You smell hot dogs for a brief moment, but then it goes away. > You go southeast This is the southern point of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. You can walk around the pond to the northeast or northwest. From here, you can also walk a path to the ferris wheel to the southeast. You smell a pungent smell of burning meat. > Go southeast A young and tall carny mans this ride, assisting any carnival-goers on and off the ferris wheel. At this time of season, those carnival-goers are few and far between. The ferris wheel itself is surprisingly sturdy in its appearance, however, like all things in this carnival, it needs a fresh coat of paint. For some reason, this seems to be an extra-tall ferris wheel, larger than the one in Coney Island, from what you can remember. The Ferris wheel sits by the river, on the edge of the carnival. The only path is back to the swan pond to the northwest. You can see Royce Brunner here. > Go northeast You are at the eastern side of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. You can walk around the pond to the northwest and southwest. To your east, the carousel summons you with its hurdy-gurdy music. In the distance to the southwest, you can see the roller coaster and ferris wheel.

> Go down This is a very cold, small cave. There are no features except for a trapdoor that is open above you. A passage leads northeast. > You go to the north-east on flushing the sewage from the room above. Where it goes, you cannot say. Passages lead northeast, northwest, southwest, and south. You see a trapdoor closed above you. > Go northeast In this large but low-ceilinged chamber, the stalagmites and stalactites have merged, making a strange, natural temple of pillars. Passages lead north, southeast, and southwest. > You go northwest This is a very long tunnel that glows with an eerie reddish light. The source of the light is the millions of bioilluminescent mushrooms that grow on every surface. The tunnel stretches northwest to southeast. > You examine the mushrooms You've never seen anything like this: bioilluminated mushrooms. > You get the fungus You pick one of the glowing mushrooms. > You taste Mushroom (the bioilluminescent mushroom) You taste nothing unexpected. > You eat Mushroom (the bioilluminescent mushroom) You've never really liked mushrooms. Especially the ones that glow. > You go to the northwest This cave opens into an irregular space, even for an underground cavern. Tight passages lead west, northeast, east, and southeast, but a wide tunnel leads south. Each passage leads into pitch darkness and the air is still and close here. Standing in the chamber is a dark figure. As you look closer, you see it is a rotting corpse, yet it peers at you with eyes that are definitely alive. . .somewhat. The horrible zombie seems barely aware of you. > You go to the west This is a circular tunnel with no features, however, the walls are slick with moisture. Passages lead west, southwest, and east. The horrible zombie arrives from the east. The horrible zombie seems barely aware of you. > Go west This is a narrow tunnel carved into the earth. It is just wide enough for you to traverse through. Passages lead northwest, east, and south. > You go northwest This is a low-ceilinged cave chamber. Oddly, there are balls strewn about; the kind you'd find in a child's ball pit. A trapdoor is open above you. A tunnel leads into pitch darkness to the southeast. > Search balls You find nothing of interest. You find nothing of interest. > You go south This is a small cavern littered with stalagmites and stalactites (but you've never remembered which is which). Fungi grows inbetween all of these stone formations. These mushrooms all glow with a sickening reddish light. Passages exist north and northeast. Standing in the chamber is a dark figure. As you look closer, you see it is a rotting corpse, yet it peers at you with eyes that are definitely alive. . .somewhat. The horrible zombie seems more aware of you and lashes out. It rakes your skin with its claws and manages to bite your shoulder. You holler out in pain. > You go to the north-east This is a circular tunnel with no features, however, the walls are slick with moisture. Passages lead west, southwest, and east. > You go east This cave opens into an irregular space, even for an underground cavern. Tight passages lead west, northeast, east, and southeast, but a wide tunnel leads south. Each passage leads into pitch darkness and the air is still and close here. > You go to the southeast This is a very long tunnel that glows with an eerie reddish light. The source of the light is the millions of bioilluminescent mushrooms that grow on every surface. The tunnel stretches northwest to southeast. > You examine the podium It was probably pilfered from a schoolhouse somewhere. > You look at the benches There are six total, arranged lie pews before the wooden podium. > Inventory You are carrying: a bioilluminescent mushroom (providing light) room key a fedora (being worn) a library card a stained notebook a lock pick a cigar lighter (providing light) a set of ordinary clothes (being worn) a trenchcoat (being worn and open) a jar of moonshine a stuffed pig a carnival ticket a dossier (open) the first incident the second incident the third incident the fourth incident the fifth incident a holster (being worn) a revolver > You enter the pool You must be out of your fucking mind. > You examine the car It is half-sinking in mud and looks as if it had been dropped from above; a fugitive from one of the carnival's amusements. > Go west This is a circular tunnel with no features, however, the walls are slick with moisture. Passages lead west, southwest, and east. Standing in the chamber is a dark figure. As you look closer, you see it is a rotting corpse, yet it peers at you with eyes that are definitely alive. . .somewhat. The horrible zombie seems barely aware of you. > Go upwards You are in the center of the carousel. Gears and cogs grind and spin, keeping the ride in rapid motion. A door leads out to the ride to the east and a ladder leads down into darkness. The smell of grease and smoke fills your nose and the sound of the gears grinding fills your ears. > Go east You are on a once-grand carousel that is spinning rather rapidly. The horses and other animals of the ride are chipping their paint and cracking their wood, making them ugly, frightening things. A maintainance door leads into the center portion of the carousel, but as it is spinning rather fast, it would be a challenge to get in there. > Go north You are on the north side of a once-grand carousel. You can tell she was, at one time, a glamorous machine that delighted families for many years, but now, the faded paint and chipped wood gives her an almost-sinister air. A path into some trees heads west. You can walk around the carousel to the southeast and southwest. The carousel is spinning somewhat fast. In fact, you're not certain you'd safely make it on there if you tried, unless you jumped, maybe. It spins in silence, the music having stopped long ago. > Go west This is a forked path amid some trees. From here, you can head northwest to the House of Freaks. The carousel is nearby and you can reach the north side of it by heading east or the west side by heading south. > You go northwest You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare. Here, it turns. You can head west toward most of the booths and tents or you can head southeast where you can see a swan pond and a number of other buildings. In the distance there, you can see the roller-coaster and ferris wheel, among other attractions. To the immediate north is a Parisian theater, where silent films are shown, no doubt. To the southwest is a dunk-a-clown booth. You smell a pungent smell of burning meat. > You go west This is the northern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare where it turns to the east. To the south, the thoroughfare stretches with the road flanking its western side and a line of tents, buildings, and booths lining the east side. To the east, the thoroughfare continues deeper into the carnival grounds. To the southeast is a baseball toss booth and to your north is the funhouse, standing ominous and decaying in the autumn sun. You see a balloon float off in the distance. You can't go that way. You hear the sound of a child crying; echoing from somewhere nearby. > Go south This is near the northern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. You can cut across to where the thoroughfare turns by heading northeast. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a booth with a sign hanging above it stating Baseball Toss. You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north to south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a tent with a sign hanging above the entrance stating Fortune Teller. You see a balloon float off in the distance. This is the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a small building with a sign on the door reading Manager's Office. You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a small, wooden building with a sign on the door reading East Asian Imports. > Go south You are at the southern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare. The entrance to the park and its accompanying ticket booth is to the west. The security shack sits to the south. To the east is a small building with a sign saying Gift Shop on its door. The thoroughfare continues to the north where more booths, buildings, and tents are lined up on the east side with the road to town flanking its west border. > Go south This is a one-room affair of clapboard with a pot-belly stove in one corner. By the opposite wall is a desk with accompanying chair. The exit is to the north. > You open Door That's already open. > You enter You get onto Boom's chair. > You look at the stove It is a small stove to warm the shack. > You close the Door You close the security door. > You lock Door What do you want to lock the security door with? > You examine the desk Definitely function over form. It has a drawer. > You open the drawer There is nothing on the metal desk. You open the drawer, revealing a men's room key. > You take the key (the men's room key) (putting the lock pick into the trenchcoat to make room) You take the men's room key from the drawer. > You open the Door You open the security door. > You go to the north (first getting off Boom's chair) You are at the southern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare. The entrance to the park and its accompanying ticket booth is to the west. The security shack sits to the south. To the east is a small building with a sign saying Gift Shop on its door. The thoroughfare continues to the north where more booths, buildings, and tents are lined up on the east side with the road to town flanking its west border. > Go north You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a small, wooden building with a sign on the door reading East Asian Imports. Something moves in the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look, nothing is there. > You go north This is the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a small building with a sign on the door reading Manager's Office. > You go to the north You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north to south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a tent with a sign hanging above the entrance stating Fortune Teller. > You go to the north This is near the northern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north and south. You can cut across to where the thoroughfare turns by heading northeast. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a booth with a sign hanging above it stating Baseball Toss. > You go to the north This is the northern end of the carnival's main thoroughfare where it turns to the east. To the south, the thoroughfare stretches with the road flanking its western side and a line of tents, buildings, and booths lining the east side. To the east, the thoroughfare continues deeper into the carnival grounds. To the southeast is a baseball toss booth and to your north is the funhouse, standing ominous and decaying in the autumn sun. > You go east You are on the east-west path of the carnival's main thoroughfare. To your north is the House of Mirrors. You can cut across to the north-south part of the thoroughfare by heading southwest. To the southeast is a dunk-a-clown booth. You hear the sound of laughter from somewhere, but it is a mirthless, chilling sound. > You go to the east This is the carnival's main thoroughfare running east to west. To your north is a large building with a detailed sign stating Tunnel of Terrors and to your south is a dunk-a-clown booth. You smell a pungent smell of burning meat. > Go east You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare. Here, it turns. You can head west toward most of the booths and tents or you can head southeast where you can see a swan pond and a number of other buildings. In the distance there, you can see the roller-coaster and ferris wheel, among other attractions. To the immediate north is a Parisian theater, where silent films are shown, no doubt. To the southwest is a dunk-a-clown booth. You hear a scream in the distance; perhaps from one of the rides. > Go north You are in the men's restroom for the carnival. A long pee trough, of all horrible things, sits against one wall and a single toilet sits in the corner. They really spared every expense for these accomodations, you think. A perfectly visible trapdoor leads downward to who-knows-where and the exit back to the park is south. You can see Nuncio the Strongman here. > You open the trapdoor It seems to be locked. > You unlock the trapdoor with the men's key You unlock the trapdoor. > You open the trapdoor You open the trapdoor.

> Go down on flushing the sewage from the room above. Where it goes, you cannot say. Passages lead northeast, northwest, southwest, and south. You see a trapdoor open above you. Standing in the chamber is a dark figure. As you look closer, you see it is a rotting corpse, yet it peers at you with eyes that are definitely alive. . .somewhat. The hideous zombie seems barely aware of you. > Go upward You are in the men's restroom for the carnival. A long pee trough, of all horrible things, sits against one wall and a single toilet sits in the corner. They really spared every expense for these accomodations, you think. A perfectly visible trapdoor leads downward to who-knows-where and the exit back to the park is south. You can see Nuncio the Strongman here. Nuncio the Strongman goes south. > Go south This is the northern edge of a natural looking swan pond. It was installed in the center of the park as if the park was built around it. True to its name, swans lazily drift about on its surface. The carnival's main thoroughfare is to the northwest. You can walk around the pond to the southeast or southwest. The men's restroom building is to the north and the women's is to the east. Between them, to the northeast, is a small path leading to the House of Freaks. To the west is the ice house. You can see Nuncio the Strongman here. > You go to the northwest You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare. Here, it turns. You can head west toward most of the booths and tents or you can head southeast where you can see a swan pond and a number of other buildings. In the distance there, you can see the roller-coaster and ferris wheel, among other attractions. To the immediate north is a Parisian theater, where silent films are shown, no doubt. To the southwest is a dunk-a-clown booth. You see a balloon float off in the distance. > You go to the west This is the carnival's main thoroughfare running east to west. To your north is a large building with a detailed sign stating Tunnel of Terrors and to your south is a dunk-a-clown booth. A black cat runs by, crossing your path. > You go south You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north to south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a tent with a sign hanging above the entrance stating Fortune Teller. You hear the sound of laughter from somewhere, but it is a mirthless, chilling sound. > You listen to the Door You don't hear anyone inside. A black cat runs by, crossing your path. > You go east The interior of this cottage-like building is nicely decorated. A large desk for the manager sits near a fabric sofa. A first-aid cabinet, clearly marked with a red cross, is attached to one wall. The only exit is to the west. > Go north You are on the carnival's main thoroughfare, running north to south. The western border is the road back to town and the eastern border is flanked with buildings, tents, and booths. To your immediate east is a tent with a sign hanging above the entrance stating Fortune Teller. You smell a pungent smell of burning meat. > Go east You stand before a baseball toss booth on the thoroughfare. In it, a carny stands before a wall of cheap stuffed animals and novelty gifts. Before the wall of prizes is a table with bottles stacked on each other. Carnival-goers try to pitch baseballs to knock over the bottles to win the prizes. The main thoroughfare can be easily reached to the west and the fun house stands to the northwest. You hear the sound of laughter from somewhere, but it is a mirthless, chilling sound. > You talk to the carny You say hello to 'Sparrow' Gubatosi. (You could ask him about himself, the incidents, Wilberforce Wyatt or Jonathan Boom.) > You ask the gubatosi about Wyatt "What can you tell me of Wyatt?" you ask. "He's an alright boss. What do you want to know?" he asks. "Well, I guess I'm looking to find out how legit this guy is. I mean, his carnival is starting to get some really bad attention." you explain. "Yes." the carny suddenly seems to get a little angry, but you're not sure at what, "I told him we don't want no bad press or attention." he says under his breath. "You wanna throw a damn ball or what?" > You ask him about himself "What's this? Some sort of ball toss booth?" you ask. The sinister-looking carny stares at you like you're insane for a moment. "Wanna try?" he finally asks, holding out a baseball for you. > Yes "Gimme the thing." you snatch the ball out of his hand. > Examine booth gifts and before the wall of prizes is a table with bottles stacked on each other. You smell hot dogs for a brief moment, but then it goes away. > You throw the ball at the bottles You furiously throw the baseball at the stacked bottles and they explode apart from each other. You even hear an onlooker say "Whoah". The carny replaces the stacked bottles and throws you a kewpie doll. "Get outta my face, mister." he says. You see a balloon float off in the distance. > You examine the kewpie It's like a naked cupid or something. You smell a pungent smell of burning meat. > You ask the carny about incidents "I suppose you don't know anything about the recent grisly incidents here at your fine park, do you?" you say, already knowing the answer. "You hit the nail on the head, mister." > Yes cheapglulxe quit with exit status: 0

[Themes: Fantasy] Many years ago, when the Iron Branch was passed down from king to king (instead of being a pile of rust in an overadorned urn), when dragons walked the earth (instead of flying about like the maniacs they are now), when Strongle was the God of Gods (instead of being, well, I think the polite term is 'deposed')... back when all of that was taking place, magic had yet to be conquered by mere mortal man. What's that got to do with you, you ask? Well, since you're an apprentice to one of those men who are trying to figure out how magic works, you get to do all the dirty deeds. Apparently, Apaman, the loser you're apprenticed to, has gotten it into his head that the Hestron (one of the jewels in the Sceptre of Charlten, a symbol of the power of the Prince of Urf) is one of the keys to unlocking the secrets. He was kind enough to drag you to the Prince's castle, push you into the coal chute, and tell you not to bother coming out without the Hestron in your posession. Serial No. 20000810, Type 'credits' to see credits. This cellar is dark -- mostly due to the coal dust which is everywhere. A faint light comes through an open doorway to the north. You're startled briefly as the end of a rope pops out of the coal chute. But you pause and check your inventory, making sure you still have the lockpick and the bag. > About yourself You look about the same as always. > You check your inventory You have a lockpick and a bag. > You look at the bag It's a small black bag. Apaman made it very clear that you were to put the Hestron in this bag before bringing it out of the castle. > You open the bag The bag is always open. > You examine pick It's your trusty lockpick. Apaman said it would come in handy in the castle. > You take the rope Apaman is at the other end of it and, right now, it's your only means of escape. Those two facts taken together are enough for you to want to leave the rope right where it is. > Go north This hallway runs east-west under the castle. The only light comes from far to the east, where you can hear noises. To the south is an open doorway through which the smell of coal seeps; to the west is nothing but inky darkness. You see a coal shovel here. > You take the shovel Taken. > You examine the shovel It's used for shovelling coal. > Shovel coal (with the coal shovel) I don't know how to dig in the coal shovel. > Shovel coal (with the coal shovel) You dig around in the coal a bit, but find nothing. > You go to the north This hallway runs east-west under the castle. The only light comes from far to the east, where you can hear noises. To the south is an open doorway through which the smell of coal seeps; to the west is nothing but inky darkness. > You go to the west This room is piled high with various trinkets and whatnot that the kings of old (and of new) have gotten as gifts from visiting nobles. Of course they're worth fortunes, all. But what good is a fortune to a king? A small door in the north wall catches your eye, however. > About yourself You look about the same as always. > You pick the lock (with the lockpick) You try as best you can, but the lock remains impervious to your efforts. Must be some lock. > Attack door (with the coal shovel) You attack the door with all your might, but you get nowhere. > You examine the lockpick It's your trusty lockpick. Apaman said it would come in handy in the castle. > Go east This room is rather small, considering it has to fit a table and chairs. Eastward is a doorway, and a hallway stretches out to the west. A burly guard is here. The guard swings around towards you and draws his sword! > You look at the guard A short, stout man. He eyes you warily. The guard brings his sword up, swings it down and slices you through! > You hit the guard with the shovel You swing the shovel at the guard and strike a lucky blow! The guard falls down dead, his sword clattering to the ground.

[Themes: Fantasy] > Look around This room is rather small, considering it has to fit a table and chairs. Eastward is a doorway, and a hallway stretches out to the west. You see a dead guard here. > You search guard Ugh. You fiddle around in the guard's clothing, but find nothing of interest. > You examine table The tables and chairs are for the guards' use only. Of course, the only guard that you've seen is hardly in need of them any longer. > You examine the doorway It opens eastward. > East A cold, dank stairwell houses, unsurprisingly, some stairs. They lead upward. A doorway beckons to the west. > You look at the sword It's a shortsword. Suitable for swinging in narrow corridors. > You look at the stairs They lead the way up. > Up A cold, dank stairwell houses, unsurprisingly, some stairs. They lead downward. A doorway beckons to the east. > You examine the stairs They lead the way down. > You go to the east You start to step out into the main hallway. Unfortunately, the glint of your sword catches the eye of a passing guard. "Halt!" he cries out. You drop the sword and start running away. Unfortunately you're not faster than the arrow sent after you. > You drop the sword Dropped. > Go south This cellar is dark -- mostly due to the coal dust which is everywhere. A faint light comes through an open doorway to the north. Dangling from the coal chute in the corner is a dirty rope. > You look at the shovel It's used for shovelling coal. Also killing, apparently. > Go east You start to step out into the main hallway. Unforunately, the shovel gives your presence away. "Oy! Coalboy!" you hear someone shout. You turn and look to see someone rushing towards you. "Back in the cellar with ye," the guard says as he draws near. Unceremoniously, he pushes you back down the stairs. *thump* A cold, dank stairwell houses, unsurprisingly, some stairs. They lead upward. A doorway beckons to the west. > You go upward A cold, dank stairwell houses, unsurprisingly, some stairs. They lead downward. A doorway beckons to the east. You see a sword here. > Go east You start to step out into the main hallway. Corridor You try to blend into the shadows in what appears to be a major corridor in the castle. If you're caught here, you'll surely be killed. The doorway to the stairwell you came up through is off to the west. From what your master Apaman told you, you need to go southeast from here to find the Magister of Keys' chambers. > Go southeast You make your way down the corridor, keeping to the shadows as much as possible until you find yourself arriving... The door to the south has got the Magister of Keys' emblem, a keyring, on. It must be his door. The corridor continues on to the southeast. > You look at the emblem It's the blue and gold keyring, the symbol of the Magister of Keys. > You look at the door It's closed and locked. > You pick the lock (with the lockpick) You fiddle with the lock for a bit and it springs open! > You search the door It's closed. > You open the door Opened. > You look at the door It's open. > You go south Keys, keys everywhere and not a drop to drink. Erm. Anyway, the walls all seem completely covered with keys of all shapes and sizes. How are you to decide which is the one to the treasure vault? > You examine Keys Hundreds and hundreds of keys line the entire room, keys of all shapes and sizes. You gotcher big keys and your small keys, your red keys and your blue keys. The only thing that seems even remotely distinct is the jeweled box. > Examine box This ornately jeweled box has a crystal pane with a beautiful decoration covering up the contents. > You open the box You'll have to unlock it first. > Unlock box (with the lockpick) You fiddle with the lock on the box for a bit, but it doesn't yield to your ministrations. > You pick lock (with the lockpick) You can't pick that. > You put the box in the bag Done. > You leave The door to the south has got the Magister of Keys' emblem, a keyring, on. It must be his door. The corridor continues on to the southeast. > Go southeast You'd best stick to your current plan, lest Apaman find out and perform nasty experiments on you. > You look at the keyring It's the blue and gold keyring, the symbol of the Magister of Keys. > You go to the northwest You try to blend into the shadows in what appears to be a major corridor in the castle. If you're caught here, you'll surely be killed. The doorway to the stairwell you came up through is off to the west. Based on your experience, the Magister of Keys' chambers are down the corridor to the southeast.

[Themes: Fantasy] > Go downwards A cold, dank stairwell houses, unsurprisingly, some stairs. They lead upward. A doorway beckons to the west. You see a coal shovel here. > You hit the box with the sword You lift up one end of the sword and smash it into the crystal pane. iCrash! Shards fly everywhere, but the box's contents are now accessible. > You look at the box This once ornate box has been unceremoniously smashed in by an assailant. How unseemly. In the box you can see a dull brass key. > You examine the key It's completely nondescript. Dull and scratched, it has seen many years of use. > Go west This room is rather small, considering it has to fit a table and chairs. Eastward is a doorway, and a hallway stretches out to the west. You see a dead guard here. > You unlock the door with the key Unlocked. > You open the door Opened. > North You're in! This is the prince's private vault. Very few items are valuable enough to be horded away like this, the Hestron being one of them. Along the northern wall is a shelf on which all the fancy items are stored. To the south lies a doorway, and freedom. > You look at the shelf On the shelf you see the Sceptre of Charlten, the Crown of Strongle, and the Cube of Dyosthenius. > You examine Cube Not quite as old as the Crown of Strongle, this jewelled cube was commissioned by Teorlor Gayrge, eighth Prince of Urf, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his wife's untimely passing. > You examine Crown This was said to be given by Strongle himself to the first King of the Northlands. One of the princes of Urf raided that King's castle and stole it, presumeably because of its history. Certainly not for its beauty. And now here it lies, on a dusty shelf in a hidden vault. > You examine Sceptre Wow. It's really the sceptre! Diamonds and rubies adorn its side and, sitting proudly on top, is the actual Hestron. > You take Sceptre You've already got your hands full. > You check your inventory You have a lockpick, a bag, a sword, a coal shovel, and a dull brass key. The bag seems to contain a jeweled box. > You examine Crown This was said to be given by Strongle himself to the first King of the Northlands. One of the princes of Urf raided that King's castle and stole it, presumeably because of its history. Certainly not for its beauty. And now here it is, in your greedy little hands. > You take Hestron You pop the Hestron loose from the sceptre. > You look at Hestron The Hestron is a huge diamond, about the size of your fist, and has swirls of red and aquamarine running through. It's said that the day when Rinnor, the god-king, stole the sun and hid it in his mountain lair, the Hestron was formed from the sun's light trying to escape from underground. > You put Hestron in the bag Done. > You take Crown You already have the Crown of Strongle! > You take Cube You've already got your hands full. > Inventory You have a bag, the Sceptre of Charlten, and the Crown of Strongle. The bag seems to contain a jeweled box, a lockpick, and the Hestron. > You look at the bag It's a small black bag. Apaman made it very clear that you were to put the Hestron in this bag before bringing it out of the castle. > You go south As you pass through the door alarm bells go off! There must have been some magic guarding the Sceptre of Charlten! Dozens of guards converge on you and hack you to pieces. Of course, the Magister of Keys' fate is no worse than yours, having allowed a common thief access to the Princes' private vault. But that fact is of little consolation to you now. > You drop all except the bag Sceptre of Charlten: Dropped. Crown of Strongle: Dropped. > Go upward You climb up the rope. Apaman is there ready to greet you. "Have you got it?" he asks excitedly. Wordlessly, you place the small bag into his eager, outstretched hand. Apaman reaches into the bag and pulls out a jeweled box. "What's this?" Apaman asks. "Why is this in the bag?" He throws the jeweled box at you and reaches in again, pulling out a lockpick. Apaman grows angry. "This is NOT a Game, stupid cob!" He slaps you across the face. Reaching in a third time, he pulls out the Hestron, at last. Apaman growels at you, "That's the end of your trickster days, fool. You are no longer my apprentice." He turns and leaves you where you stand. > You get all from the bag jeweled box: Taken. lockpick: Taken. Hestron: Taken. > You drop all except the bag sword: Dropped. jeweled box: Dropped. lockpick: Dropped. > Go upwards You climb up the rope. Apaman is there ready to greet you. "Have you got it?" he asks excitedly. Wordlessly, you place the small bag into his eager, outstretched hand. He reaches into the the bag and withdraws the Hestron. Blinking once, twice in the moonlight, hardly daring to believe, he stares at it. Finally, reality sets in and his gaze returns to you. "Let's go now," he says, gruffly. He leads you back to the place you sarcastically call home. You're not sure if the Hestron really is the key to unlocking magic like Apaman says, but you do feel a subtle difference in the way he's treating you. Could it be that he's beginning to show you the slightest hint of a modicum of respect?

[Themes: Fantasy] > Xyzzy Oh, stop that. > Xyzzy No, really, stop it. > Xyzzy Don't get me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry. > Xyzzy OK, perhaps you WILL like me when I'm angry. > Xyzzy Oh, bother. I haven't been programmed to get angry. > Xyzzy OK, this is my last response. Ta-ta. > Xyzzy Really, that was. Honest. No more interesting responses here. Move along, move along. > Xyzzy Whenever you're ready to get on with the game... > Xyzzy Sigh. > You eat the corpse I'm only a computer and, yet, I find you most disturbing. > Kiss corpse Ew! > You decapitate the corpse Please restrain your bloodlust. You're here for theiving, not for gore. > You take the corpse Good grief. Even if you COULD lift it, what would you want with a corpse? > You go to the south This cellar is dark -- mostly due to the coal dust which is everywhere. A faint light comes through an open doorway to the north. Dangling from the coal chute in the corner is a dirty rope. You see a sword and a jeweled box here. > Up You climb up the rope. Apaman is there ready to greet you. "Have you got it?" he asks excitedly. Wordlessly, you place the Hestron into his eager, outstretched hand. He blinks once, twice in the moonlight, hardly daring to believe. Finally, the reality of it set in and his gaze returns to you and your now grimy features. "Stupid Cob!" he chasties you. "I told you to keep the Hestron in the bag! You could have been caught. Lucky for you that you weren't. "Let's go now," he says, gruffly. He leads you back to the place you sarcastically call home. You're not sure if the Hestron really is the key to unlocking magic like Apaman says, but you do feel a subtle difference in the way he's treating you. Could it be that he's beginning to show you the slightest hint of a modicum of respect?

[Themes: Surreal, based on songs] Math camp's been cool so far, and not because it's far away from your parents. A grant from some governmental symposium for the math and the arts paid for it. You got to meet new people like you, except most of them seem to have had more cool experiences. You are in the center of the Main Quad at Hicksville Tech. Paths lead in all directions. You've been here a few days, but you still haven't really explored west and northwest. Afternoon classes for Math Camp are over, and you just feel like wandering around a bit. [Author's Note: A story about summer camp, government funding, and a physics problem or two. And weird robot spiders.] > About yourself Shorts and a plain gray t-shirt. You've come under a bit of fire for having no T-shirts with clever writing. This after hearing it for having too many back at high school. > You look at what you're carrying with you You are carrying: your summer program ID > You look at the ithe d. It really could have been worse. It will make a decent souvenir of summer camp, if you find nothing better. > You read the program It hasn't changed since last you looked. It's like laminated or something. > You go west That way look promising enough to get sort-of lost in, but it's not really a forest. You see the Admissions Office just past. It ruins the feeling of exploration completely. You return to the Quad. > Go northwest You're only lost enough to feel a little adventurous. You think. One direction is as good as any other. > You go north You wander around for a bit. It's a fun experience, being a bit lost. It reminds you of Boy Scout camp, back when you were still a Tenderfoot, and you didn't know a thing about tracking. Of course you'll find your way out of here, though. You're only lost enough to feel a little adventurous. You think. One direction is as good as any other. > You go west You wander around for a bit. Hmm, this is more of a challenge than you thought. Still, it's some exercise, especially with team sports not really being an option at this camp. You're only lost enough to feel a little adventurous. You think. One direction is as good as any other. > You go to the north You wander around for a bit. You aren't really lost, of course. If you were, you'd have gone in circles by now. You are pretty sure you can backtrack. You're only lost enough to feel a little adventurous. You think. One direction is as good as any other. > Go north You wander around for a bit. Uh oh... the campus isn't that big, though, is it? I mean, eventually you can hit a road and just go back perpendicular from it. You're only lost enough to feel a little adventurous. You think. One direction is as good as any other. > You go southwest You wander around for a bit. And there that road is. You aren't sure if you were going in the directions you thought you were going, but you found somewhere new. You're only lost enough to feel a little adventurous. You think. One direction is as good as any other. > Go west You wander around for a bit. And there that road is. You aren't sure if you were going in the directions you thought you were going, but you found somewhere new. Hey, kind of odd to see a limousine parked here. It's not an obnoxiously rich limousine, more the forbiddingly secret type. > You look at the limousine It's dark all over, of course. > You open the limo You approach the limousine. A man in a black suit jumps out of the limousine and grabs you. "You're with that math program, right?" You suspect he knows the answer, so you nod. "We need you for something," he says, as he flashes some sort of governmental badge. "Just to check. You do have ID?" Well, at least these questions are easier than the ones you get in class or at the daily theorem presentation. > You show the ithe d to the man "Good. Will you come with us, please?" No choice, really. You climb in the back seat, and the FBI agent joins a CIA agent in the front, who drives off. Tinted soundproof glass divides you from the agents in the front. You probably can't do much except wait. You can see a FBI agent and a CIA agent here.

> You look around Tinted soundproof glass divides you from the agents in the front. You probably can't do much except wait. You can see a FBI agent and a CIA agent here. Apparently, you spent more time figuring out what to do than you thought. The limousine takes a turn off to a side road and enters some sort of garage. You can feel it going down a hill, and then it comes to a halt. The agents beckon for you to get out, and you do. What have you gotten yourself in for? "Okay, here's the deal," says the FBI man. "We had this problem in this one weapons facility. The laser guns worked ok but the mutant robot spiders...not so much. We need to wipe all traces of 'em from this here research facility. Then we need to sort of destroy the facility. But we can't just bomb it. Too suspicious. We need someone to go in there, clear the spiders, and get out." You know who that someone is. "Oh, if you're wondering what you get out of it, the budget for your precious camp doesn't get cut. This year. We've done statistical studies, and Hicksville's program provides the worst return on investment for--well--people who go out in the world and do something constructive. How bout it?" You have no choice. The FBI agent disappears after handing you a bag labeled SPIDER COMBATING KIT. You are in the center of the structure. You can go pretty much any way except south. The exit from all this appears to be to the north, where you can see a very, very big laser gun in the distance. There's an important looking panel by the north wall. It's got a bunch of buttons on it, with a bunch of pictures to the side. A large mirror (facing sort of between north and northeast--we'll call it NNE, NEN or even ENN) is at the edge of the platform. > Examine KIT It sort of reminds you of what you guess Douglas Adams was thinking about when he came up with the Thing Your Aunt Gave You Which You Don't Know What It Is. It's bulky and maybe a bit spiky and can be zipped open or closed. It's maybe twice the size of a school backpack and probably more than twice as fun. > You open the KIT Man! There's all kinds of weird stuff in here! Stuff so weird you just have to examine it for yourself! > Examine Kit It's cool enough you'd like one, but the government types will probably confiscate it if you figure out how to leave anyway. In the Spider combating Kit are a recursive data chip, a pack of 104 cards, a leg steroid pill, a juicy gourmet fly casserole, an In-a-Pinch Infrasound Generator, a mini-vacuum, Packet of instant lemonade and a spray bottle. > You examine cards Strange. They're all the same suit. > You look at buttons There's a big button at the top, then six more in a sort of hexagon. Hm, seven buttons, seven guns, seven exits. ## 3 ## 4 ## 5 ## 6 [BOLD buttons are still active, and * means the button's gun is destroyed. To see an individual button, X BUTTON (1-7).] > Examine pill Probably small enough to sneak into something. It's one of those hard capsules, not easily dissolvable gel. > You examine the casserole It looks worse than the stuff in the cafeteria. Well, to you. > Examine generator It has writing saying ONE USE ONLY on it. The In-a-Pinch Infrasound Generator is currently switched off. > You examine the vacuum It's got a bag about the size of a basketball. You probably won't be using it to clean dust. The mini-vacuum is currently switched off. > You look at the bottle You can see a soapy solution in there (you shook it up a bit.) > You look at the button 1 It's in the upper left of the panel. It is currently lit. > You look at the mirror It is facing northnortheast at the moment, but it looks like you can tilt it--feel free to abbreviate directions, too, e.g. N or NNE.

> Describe the surroundings You are in the center of the structure. You can go pretty much any way except south. The exit from all this appears to be to the north, where you can see a very, very big laser gun in the distance. There's an important looking panel by the north wall. It's got a bunch of buttons on it, with a bunch of pictures to the side. A large mirror (facing NNE) is at the edge of the platform. > You examine the pictures It's got a picture of a bigger gun firing at a smaller gun, with a big smiley face. Then one of a much bigger gun firing at a smaller one, with a frowny face above a shattered gun. > You examine the gun Back when you loved GI Joe and thought all lasers missed, you'd have thought the super-big gun to the north was all that. Now, it's a bit scary. > You go to the northeast You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southwest and east. A large mirror (facing north) is at the edge of the platform. You can also see a vicious red spider here. > You examine Spider (the vicious red spider) You see nothing special about the vicious red spider. > You hug Spider (the vicious red spider) Keep your mind on the game. > You switch on the vacuum It sucks the spider into the bag.

> You look around You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southwest and east. A large mirror (facing north) is at the edge of the platform. > Go upwards The catwalk is too narrow for you to really explore. > You go to the east You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southeast and west. A large mirror (facing SW) is at the edge of the platform. You can also see a spider with some disturbing toupee thing here. > You examine Spider KS LEADIn(a spider with some disturbing toupee thing) At least it doesn't have sideburns or anything. You're not sure where they'd go, but hey, small things. > You take the toupee That seems to be a part of a spider with some disturbing toupee thing. > You turn on the vacuum The bag is too full. > Inventory You are carrying: a Spider combating Kit (open) a recursive data chip a pack of 104 cards a leg steroid pill a juicy gourmet fly casserole an In-a-Pinch Infrasound Generator a mini-vacuum Packet of instant lemonade a spray bottle your summer program ID > You turn on the generator DIN(A SPIDER WITH It reduces the spider to a weeping mess. > You turn off the generator That's already off. > Go southeast You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading northwest and south. A large mirror (facing sort of between north and northwest--we'll call it NNW, NWN or even WNN) is at the edge of the platform. You can also see a wheezing metallic spider here. > You examine Spider (the wheezing metallic spider) You see nothing special about the wheezing metallic spider. > You examine the spray SPIDER You can see a soapy solution in there (you shook it up a bit.) > You spray SPIDER What do you want to spray the wheezing metallic spider at? > You spray the spray at SPIDER (the wheezing metallic spider) There's no liquid in the bottle to spray right now. > You look at the bottle You can see a soapy solution in there (you shook it up a bit.) > You put lemonade in the bottle (first taking Packet of instant lemonade) That can't contain things. > You open the lemonade Just say where you want to POUR it. > You pour the lemonade in the bottle You pour the lemonade powder in the spray bottle. You put the ripped packet in your shorts pocket, where you will forget about it. > You spray the spray at SPIDER (the wheezing metallic spider) It's a vicious battle, but after pumping all of the lemony scent onto the spider, you finally make it run away. There's no liquid in the bottle to spray right now. > You look at the pill RAY AT Probably small enough to sneak into something. It's one of those hard capsules, not easily dissolvable gel. > You put the pill in the casserole (Taking the pill first) Taken. The spider probably won't notice it there. Good thinking. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a Spider combating Kit (open) a recursive data chip a pack of 104 cards a juicy gourmet fly casserole an In-a-Pinch Infrasound Generator a mini-vacuum a spray bottle your summer program ID > You turn on the generator It's broken. > You give the cards to Spider (the wheezing metallic spider) (first taking the pack of 104 cards) The spider grabs the pack. It schleps them into eight piles and then starts laying them down suit by suit. Then it starts trying to put them in K-Q-J-10 order. It doesn't seem to be having any fun, but it can't stop doing it. There's also some deal where it splatters eight cards at a time. The spider becomes increasingly agitated until it explodes. You aren't sure what the hell happened, but--man--that looked even less fun than solitaire. Oh, you can probably futz with that mirror now. > Go south Spiderbrain Center You are in the center of the structure. You can go pretty much any way except south. The exit from all this appears to be to the north, where you can see a very, very big laser gun in the distance. There's an important looking panel by the north wall. It's got a bunch of buttons on it, with a bunch of pictures to the side. A large mirror (facing NNE) is at the edge of the platform. There's a big tall shiny wall that way. But you can go pretty much any other way. > You go to the southwest You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading northeast and south. A large mirror (facing east) is at the edge of the platform. You can also see a spider with two noses or maybe three here. > You examine Spider (a spider with two noses or maybe three) You're not sure which noses share which nostril, or what. You picture the spider wearing a fake glasses-and-moustache, for no particular reason. > You give the casserole to Spider > YOU ARE In(a spider with two noses or maybe three) (first taking the juicy gourmet fly casserole) The spider eats the casserole, and then its legs swell. It falls over, unable to guard you from the mirror any more. You kick it off to the side. > You go northeast You are in the center of the structure. You can go pretty much any way except south. The exit from all this appears to be to the north, where you can see a very, very big laser gun in the distance. There's an important looking panel by the north wall. It's got a bunch of buttons on it, with a bunch of pictures to the side. A large mirror (facing NNE) is at the edge of the platform. > You go west You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southwest and east. A large mirror (facing east) is at the edge of the platform. You can also see a confusingly mustachioed spider here. > You examine Spider (the confusingly mustachioed spider) The mustache seems asymmetrical, a cross between a standard brush mustache and a handlebar. You wonder if people did this, or the spider groomed itself. It's disturbing either way. > You give the chip to Spider W RAILED CATWALKS Le(the confusingly mustachioed spider) (first taking the recursive data chip) The spider latches onto it and begins to crawl all over it and process it. But because the chip is recursive, the spider can't stop. It tries to calculate faster and faster but winds up blowing itself out, and the chip with it. > Go northwest You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southeast and west. A large mirror (facing sort of between south and southeast--we'll call it SSE, SES or even ESS) is at the edge of the platform. You can also see an accordion-legged spider here. > You examine Spider SPIDER) ((the accordion-legged spider) You see nothing special about the accordion-legged spider. > You spray Spider What do you want to spray the accordion-legged spider at? > You spray the spray at Spider (the accordion-legged spider) It's a vicious battle, but after pumping all of the lemony scent onto the spider, you finally make it run away. There's no liquid in the bottle to spray right now. > You go to the southwest The catwalk is too narrow for you to really explore.

[Themes: Surreal, based on songs] > You describe your surroundings You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southeast and west. A large mirror (facing SSE) is at the edge of the platform. > Go north So Close A large mirror (facing east) is at the edge of the platform.

[Themes: Surreal] > Look around A large mirror (facing east) is at the edge of the platform. > You look at the buttons There's a big button at the top, then six more in a sort of hexagon. Looks like zero aren't really functional any more. ## 3 ## 4 ## 5 ## 6 > You examine the buttons E EDGE OF There's a big button at the top, then six more in a sort of hexagon. Looks like zero aren't really functional any more. ## 3 ## 4 ## 5 ## 6 [BOLD buttons are still active, and * means the button's gun is destroyed. To see an individual button, X BUTTON (1-7).] > Go northeast You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southwest and east. A large mirror (facing north) is at the edge of the platform. > Tilt mirror nnw Moved. But you're not sure if you did anything. > Go northeast You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southwest and east. A large mirror (facing NNW) is at the edge of the platform. > Tilt mirror sse It slides in with a satisfying CLICK. How satisfying, you're not sure. > Tilt mirror north Moved...the mirror seems to wobble a bit, as if it's been moved around a lot. > You go northwest Near Left Spider Leg You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southeast and west. A large mirror (facing SSE) is at the edge of the platform. > Tilt mirror ssw It slides in with a satisfying CLICK. Not as satisfying as the last, but still getting good. > Go southeast You are in the center of the structure. You can go pretty much any way except south. The exit from all this appears to be to the north, where you can see a very, very big laser gun in the distance. There's an important looking panel by the north wall. It's got a bunch of buttons on it, with a bunch of pictures to the side. A large mirror (facing north) is at the edge of the platform. > You examine the buttons > NEAR There's a big button at the top, then six more in a sort of hexagon. Looks like two aren't really functional any more. * 2 ## 3 ## 4 ## 5 ## 6 > You go west You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southwest and east. A large mirror (facing east) is at the edge of the platform. > You turn the mirror to the sse You will want to specify a compass direction--something like right, left, clockwise or counterclockwise doesn't quite work. Alas, widdershins and deiseil don't work either. Just dull stuff like TURN MIRROR N. > You turn the mirror sse It slides in with a satisfying CLICK. Or maybe it's just a more relieved click you're still doing things right. > You turn the mirror wnw THEN SIX MORE iMoved.

[Themes: Surreal] > You examine the buttons There's a big button at the top, then six more in a sort of hexagon. Looks like two aren't really functional any more. * 2 ## 3 ## 4 ## 5 ## 6 [BOLD buttons are still active, and * means the button's gun is destroyed. To see an individual button, X BUTTON (1-7).] > You look at 2 TTOnIt's in the upper right of the panel. It is currently unlit. > Examine 1 It's in the upper left of the panel. It is currently unlit. > Go northeast You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southwest and east. A large mirror (facing SSE) is at the edge of the platform. > Go east You tiptoe along the catwalk, no longer scared of the gun that can no longer fire. You can see LaserGun2 here. > You get gun Taken. > You look at the gun You see a 4-foot-wide laser gun barrel pointing west here, and you smell ozone faintly--from when it fired, probably. > Go southeast The catwalk is too narrow for you to really explore. > Go southwest Spiderbrain Center You are in the center of the structure. You can go pretty much any way except south. The exit from all this appears to be to the north, where you can see a very, very big laser gun in the distance. There's an important looking panel by the north wall. It's got a bunch of buttons on it, with a bunch of pictures to the side. A large mirror (facing sort of between west and northwest--we'll call it WWN, WNW, or even NWW) is at the edge of the platform. > Go north A large mirror (facing east) is at the edge of the platform. > Tilt mirror north It's where it should be. No need to tinker. > You go south You are in the center of the structure. You can go pretty much any way except south. The exit from all this appears to be to the north, where you can see a very, very big laser gun in the distance. There's an important looking panel by the north wall. It's got a bunch of buttons on it, with a bunch of pictures to the side. A large mirror (facing WWN) is at the edge of the platform.

[Themes: Surreal] > You examine the panel There's a big button at the top, then six more in a sort of hexagon. Looks like two aren't really functional any more. * 2 ## 3 ## 4 ## 5 ## 6 > Tilt mirror nnw Moved. > Tilt mirror nnw It already is.

[Themes: Surreal] > You look at your surroundings You are in the center of the structure. You can go pretty much any way except south. The exit from all this appears to be to the north, where you can see a very, very big laser gun in the distance. There's an important looking panel by the north wall. It's got a bunch of buttons on it, with a bunch of pictures to the side. A large mirror (facing NNW) is at the edge of the platform. > Go northwest You are on a small circular platform between narrow railed catwalks leading southeast and west. A large mirror (facing sort of between south and southwest--we'll call it SSW, SWS or even WSS) is at the edge of the platform. > Go west You tiptoe along the catwalk, no longer scared of the gun that can no longer fire. You can see LaserGun1 here. > You look at the gun1 NG. YOuYou can't see any such thing. > You look at the gun You see a 4-foot-wide laser gun barrel pointing west here, and you smell ozone faintly--from when it fired, probably. > Inventory You are carrying: LaserGun2 a juicy gourmet fly casserole a pack of 104 cards a Spider combating Kit (open) an In-a-Pinch Infrasound Generator a mini-vacuum a spray bottle your summer program ID > You get gun Taken. > Y. debugcheapnitfol quit with exit status: 0

[Themes: Surreal] The sand stretches around you in all directions. There is a grassy countryside. Rocks are scattered about. You are in a room. The room has walls and a ceiling. You blink. It seems as though you've been standing here forever. You feel suddenly stressed; There is something you have to do. Cacophony The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. [Author's Note: The sand stretches around you in all directions. There is a grassy countryside. Rocks are scattered about. You are in a room. The room has walls and a ceiling. You blink. It seems as though you've been standing here forever. You feel suddenly stressed; There is something you have to do.] > About yourself You neither look, or feel, as if you are "all here". > You think For a moment, you picture an underground room. > You look at the blood Bright red. You can't tell where it's coming from. It seems to emerge from the wall itself. > You examine table It is made of an unidentifiable wood, and heavily stained with blood. The surface is deeply wounded with ugly scars. On the ugly table there is some cutlery and some plates. > You drink the blood It tastes metally. And foul. > Xyzzy Fractal patterns spin across your vision briefly, and you feel hollow. > Smell You feel ill. The air is foul. > About yourself You neither look, or feel, as if you are "all here". > Sing You sing a song you heard on the radio once, unusual in that you remember all its lyrics perfectly. > You take the plate They seem to be superglued in place.

[Themes: Surreal] > You look around The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. > You listen When you strain your ears, you can hear a faint breathing. > You get plates They seem to be superglued in place. A ghostly figure floats up through the floor, and coalesces into Mr Green. Mr Green hands you a note. > You examine table It is made of an unidentifiable wood, and heavily stained with blood. The surface is deeply wounded with ugly scars. On the ugly table there is some cutlery and some plates. > You read the note You can't see any such thing. A small piece of notepaper, torn at the top. It reads, "You're dreaming, fool." > You look at the mr green He wears a green mask, a green suit, and a green hat. Mr Green adjusts his mask. > You pinch yourself The pain feels strangely distant, and your surroundings distort for a second. > You wake up You drift away... Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. On the bed is a blanket. You can see a wallet (empty) and a badge here. You feel a presence in the room. > You take the wallet Taken. "Stay calm." suggests the poster. > You take the badge Taken. "The plan is a good plan." says the poster. > You take the poster So fond are you of this poster, you superglued it to the wall. That's probably against residential regulations, but you were feeling rebellious at the time. "Are you okay?" asks the poster. > Examine poster It depicts a rock singer of bygone years. "I may be paper, but you can talk to me." says the poster. > What is the the meaning of the life Try ASK someone ABOUT something. "I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster. You can't talk to the poster. > You ask the poster about the life You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope. "You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster. > You ask the poster about the mission You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope. The poster smiles at you. > You ask the poster about the mission You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope. "Are you okay?" asks the poster. > You wake up You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope. "You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster. It doesn't work like that. "I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster. > About you You neither look, or feel, as if you are "all here". "Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster. > You examine the badge A metal disc with a pin and symbol, it symbolises your role and rank. You can't remember the exact details right now, but that doesn't matter. "You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster. > Wish You've tried that before. It didn't work then, and it won't work now. "Stay calm." suggests the poster.

[Themes: Surreal] > Describe the surroundings Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. On the bed is a blanket. The poster smiles at you. > You listen You can faintly hear cars in the distance, beyond the window. "You need to stay active." says the poster. > You get up But you aren't in anything at the moment. "You need to stay active." says the poster. > You ask poster about the poseter You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope. "Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster. > You ask the poster about the poster You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope. "Stay calm." suggests the poster. > You go to the north You open the bedroom door. The poster watches you leave. This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east. On the workdesk are a crowbar, a hammer and a work folder (closed). You can see a workbag (closed) here. > You make the wish You've tried that before. It didn't work then, and it won't work now. > You open the bag You open the workbag. > You look in it The workbag is empty. > You get it Taken. > You take the bag You already have that. > You look at crowbar Grey, and a little dusty. > You open the folder You open the work folder, revealing a business card, a storeroom photograph and a newspaper. > You read the card A small, laminated section of cardboard. Oddly enough, the only detail upon it is a phone number: 02312345673. > You examine photograph It's a photograph of a storeroom, filled with crates. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a crowbar a workbag (open but empty) a badge a wallet > Examine newspaper The only part that really catches your attention is the picture on the front, of the Chimera Corporation building. Indeed, you feel that this picture is the reason for the paper's presence here. > You get all from the desk hammer: Taken. work folder: Taken. > You put all in the bag An old hammer, with a metal head and wooden handle. work folder: You put the work folder into the workbag. hammer: You put the hammer into the workbag. crowbar: You put the crowbar into the workbag. badge: You put the badge into the workbag. wallet: You put the wallet into the workbag. > You examine the wallet It's battered but functional, and you're quite fond of it. In the wallet there is nothing.

[Themes: Surreal] > Describe the surroundings This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east. > You examine the phone It's black, and possesses the usual phone functions. > You look at the card A small, laminated section of cardboard. Oddly enough, the only detail upon it is a phone number: 02312345673. > You read newspaper The only part that really catches your attention is the picture on the front, of the Chimera Corporation building. Indeed, you feel that this picture is the reason for the paper's presence here. > You dial 02312345673 You dial the number and raise the receiver. There's no response. You can hear some sort of interference, like running water. > You listen You can faintly hear cars in the distance. > You examine the desk It's not ornate, but it suits your purposes. On the workdesk there is nothing. Didn't you have another tool here? > You look under the desk You discover your screwdriver, which you take. > You examine the desk It's not ornate, but it suits your purposes. On the workdesk there is nothing. > Go east You open the kitchen door. Your kitchen is relatively clean. A pile of pizza boxes sits on a table, adjacent to your microwave. Your television sits on a shelf. A door leads west. A face grins on the television. > You examine the television You brought it in here so you can watch as you eat. Unfortunately, it stopped working recently, and you're not sure why. "You may think I'm trapped here" says the face, "but, you can only see part of me." > You look behind the television You find nothing. "I see you, and I know who you are." states the face. > You look at the pizza Empty, tragically. The phone number "06634734521" is shown on the boxes. "I wouldn't just stand there." says the face. > You hit television No, you might break it. Sharp knives float across the face. > You turn the tv off That's not something you can switch. "I know what you're doing, and I will pass judgement." intones the face. > You take the pizza You can't carry them comfortably, and you don't see any use for them. The face watches you. > You ask the tv about the pizza You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope. ""Do you think this is a game?" asks the face. > You open the pizza They're not something you can open. The face watches you. > You look at the microwave It still works, but you don't have anything to heat at present. "I know what you're doing, and I will pass judgement." intones the face. > You turn off the tv That's not something you can switch. The face watches you. > You hit tv with the hammer No, you might break it. The face screams silently, but not out of fear. Out of joy. > Examine tv You brought it in here so you can watch as you eat. Unfortunately, it stopped working recently, and you're not sure why. ""Do you think this is a game?" asks the face. > You wake up It doesn't work like that. "Better get going." says the face maliciously. > You examine the pizza Empty, tragically. The phone number "06634734521" is shown on the boxes. The face screams silently, but not out of fear. Out of joy. > You pinch yourself Ouch! The face screams silently, but not out of fear. Out of joy. > You go west A hand waves on the television. This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east. > You call 06634734521 Unfortunately, they've closed down. > Go west You open the apartment door. This dim passage runs north and south past a row of rooms. You've never been in any of them other than your own. Your apartment is to the east. Some sort of lizard bauble hangs from a light bulb. The lizard hisses in a friendly manner. > You examine the lizard A small bauble in the shape of a lizard, hanging from a dim light-bulb. "You don't know who's moving the pieces. But consider: They must be powerful. They must be worth befriending." The lizard makes a clicking noise. > You take the lizard That's hardly portable. "You don't have to live in squalor you know." suggests the lizard. > You go north The lizard makes a tiny waving motion. You can go upwards, or downwards. Upwards fills you with dread, downwards with anticipation. You are unsure why. Your apartment is down a corridor to the south. > Go south This dim passage runs north and south past a row of rooms. You've never been in any of them other than your own. Your apartment is to the east. Some sort of lizard bauble hangs from a light bulb. The lizard hisses in a friendly manner. The lizard makes a tiny waving motion. The corridor stops here. A fire exit adorns the south wall. > You examine the exit It has a push-bar on the front. It is closed. > You go to the north This dim passage runs north and south past a row of rooms. You've never been in any of them other than your own. Your apartment is to the east. Some sort of lizard bauble hangs from a light bulb. The lizard hisses in a friendly manner. > Go east The lizard makes a tiny waving motion. This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east. > You go to the east Your kitchen is relatively clean. A pile of pizza boxes sits on a table, adjacent to your microwave. Your television sits on a shelf. A door leads west. A face grins on the television. > You move the desk It is fixed in place. > You look at the bauble A small bauble in the shape of a lizard, hanging from a dim light-bulb. "Perhaps you should be considering self-improvement?" asks the lizard. > You get bauble That's hardly portable. "I may be stuck up here, but doesn't mean you should ignore me." says the lizard. > You look at the lizard A small bauble in the shape of a lizard, hanging from a dim light-bulb. "You are more than you might think." states the lizard. > You go south Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. On the bed is a blanket. You feel a presence in the room. > You look at the window You can see outside the building. Specifically, you can see a wall, and > You examine the window an alleyway. "I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster. You can see outside the building. Specifically, you can see a wall, and an alleyway. "You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster. > You get the blanket Taken. "Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster. > You examine the blanket Pale blue. It looks a little thin. "You need to stay active." says the poster. > You look under the bed You find nothing of interest. The poster smiles at you. > Sleep You need to lie down somewhere comfortable. "Are you okay?" asks the poster. > Examine poster It depicts a rock singer of bygone years. "I may be paper, but you can talk to me." says the poster. > You lie on the bed You get onto the bed. "I may be paper, but you can talk to me." says the poster. > Sleep You drift away... The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. You can see a torn note here. > You read the note A small piece of notepaper, torn at the top. It reads, "You're dreaming, fool." > You take the note Taken. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a torn note

[Themes: Surreal] > You look around The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. > Smell You feel ill. The air is foul. > You listen When you strain your ears, you can hear a faint breathing. > You take cutlery You take a single knife, feeling that to be most useful. > Taste What do you want to taste? > You check your inventory You are carrying: a knife a torn note > You examine the knife (the knife) Blunt, and dull. A ghostly figure floats up through the floor, and coalesces into Mr Red. > You look at the mr red He wears a red mask, a red suit, and a red hat. > You kill the mr red with the knife (the knife) Violence isn't the answer to this one. > You ask Red about Green He seems to look at you for a moment. > You ask red about yourself He seems to look at you for a moment. Mr Red detaches and reattaches his hands. > You give the knife to Red He seems to look at you for a moment. (the knife to Mr Red) Mr Red takes it with a grin. > You taste the mr red You'd rather not. Mr Red makes experimental stabbing motions with the knife. > You feel MR red Keep your hands to yourself! Mr Red puts down the knife. > You take the knife (the knife) Taken. > Smell MR red You smell nothing unexpected. Mr Red somersaults. > You ask red about yourself He seems to look at you for a moment. > Go north You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions. Mr Red arrives from the south. > Smell As you inhale the sweet scents of the garden, you feel your spirits lift. > You get the fruit The fruit seems to lose some of its strength as you pull it free, and you eat it quickly. Mr Red somersaults. > You look at the fountain The ornamentation depicts a pantheon of gods and goddesses, peering outwards. You can see the gleam of coins beneath the water.

[Themes: Surreal] > You look around You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions. You can see Mr Red here. > You look at the vines Tangled and green. Mr Red giggles. > You cut the vines You try, but they're too tough. > You wake You drift away... Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. You feel a presence in the room. > You get up But you aren't in anything at the moment. "I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster.

> You describe your surroundings Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. "You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster. > Inventory You are carrying: a blanket a screwdriver a workbag (open) a wallet a badge a crowbar a hammer a work folder (open) a business card a storeroom photograph a newspaper "I may be paper, but you can talk to me." says the poster. > Sleep You need to lie down somewhere comfortable. "You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster. > You get on bed You get onto the bed. "I may be paper, but you can talk to me." says the poster. > Sleep Try ASK someone ABOUT something. "I can't tell you much. You need to explore your possibilities." says the poster. > Sleep You drift away... The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. You don't feel that tired. > Go north You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions. You can see a torn note here. > You go north You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions. > Go north There is nothing but plant-life. You are having some difficulty in moving around. A pair of tiny reptilian eyes stare at you from the depths of the brush. > You examine the eyes You can vaguely make out the shape of a small lizard hiding in the shadows. > You kill the lizard The lizard is too far back in the brush for you to reach. > You ask the lizard about the jungle You can only do that to something animate. > You listen You hear a gentle rustling. Mr Blue arrives from the south. > You look at Blue He wears a blue mask, a blue suit, and a blue hat. > You go south You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions. Mr Blue arrives from the north. > Go south The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Blue arrives from the north. > You go west A man glares at you from a pedestal against the north wall. His body is wood, his face is formed from paint. You feel guilty. A flaming bowl sits in front of the pedestal. A doorframe leads east. Mr Blue arrives from the east. > You look at the idol You find it difficult to meet his gaze. He is dressed in priestly robes, adorned with strange patterns. For a moment, you think you see a hat of some kind.. > You look at the bowl There is no visible fuel within the bowl, and the flames are too strong for you to risk looking closer. The bowl itself is made of silvery metal. > You put the face in the bowl This dangerous act would achieve little. You can't see any such thing. > You burn yourself This dangerous act would achieve little. > Go east The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Blue arrives from the west. > Go south You stand in a patch of dim light streaming from the north. All else is darkness. Odd sensations creep over you. Light can be seen to the north. A soft strain of music drifts from the darkness. Mr Blue arrives from the north. > You listen The music sounds like that of a guitar. It is very faint. > You go north The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Blue arrives from the south. > You go east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a suitcase (closed) here. Mr Blue arrives from the west. > You look at the notepad The top page has been torn away. The second reads "There is no visible fuel within the bowl, and the flames are too strong for you to risk looking closer. The bowl itself is made of silvery metal.", whatever that means. > You open suitcase You open the suitcase, revealing a work folder, a hammer, a crowbar, a badge and a wallet. > You look at the picture (the framed picture) It's a photograph of your bedroom. The frame is made from dark wood. > You take the picture Which do you mean, the framed picture, the bedroom photograph or the storeroom photograph? > You examine the wallet It's battered but functional, and you're quite fond of it. In the wallet there is nothing. > You put all in the suitcase notepad: You put the notepad into the suitcase. knife: You put the knife into the suitcase. torn note: You put the torn note into the suitcase.

[Themes: Surreal] > Look around A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. You can see Mr Blue here. > You examine the framed picture It's a photograph of your bedroom. The frame is made from dark wood. > You look at bedroom photograph It's a photograph of your bedroom. > You look at the storeroom photograph It's a photograph of a storeroom, filled with crates. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a suitcase (open) a torn note a knife a notepad a work folder (open) a business card a storeroom photograph a newspaper a hammer a crowbar a badge a wallet > You look at the desk It is made of exceptionally high quality wood. It includes a small drawer. On the wooden desk there is an In-Tray and an Out-Tray. > You examinIn-Tray It is made of plastic, and labelled "IN". In the In-Tray there is nothing. > You examinOut-Tray It is made of plastic, and labelled "OUT". In the Out-Tray there is nothing. > You open the drawer You open the drawer, revealing a mirror. > You get all Mr Blue: I don't suppose Mr Blue would care for that. bedroom photograph: The frame is held together tightly by screws. You'll need to loosen them. torn note: Taken. knife: Taken. notepad: Taken. work folder: Taken. business card: Taken. storeroom photograph: Taken. newspaper: Taken. hammer: Taken. crowbar: Taken. badge: Taken. wallet: Taken. > You put all in the suitcase wallet: You put the wallet into the suitcase. badge: You put the badge into the suitcase. crowbar: You put the crowbar into the suitcase. hammer: You put the hammer into the suitcase. newspaper: You put the newspaper into the suitcase. storeroom photograph: You put the storeroom photograph into the suitcase. business card: You put the business card into the suitcase. work folder: You put the work folder into the suitcase. notepad: You put the notepad into the suitcase. knife: You put the knife into the suitcase. torn note: You put the torn note into the suitcase. mirror: You put the mirror into the suitcase. > Torn A small piece of notepaper, torn at the top. It reads, "You're dreaming, fool." > You look at the chair It looks neat, but a little uncomfortable. On the study chair there is nothing. > You read the notepad The top page has been torn away. The second reads "It looks neat, but a little uncomfortable.", whatever that means. > You go to the east You open the fine wooden door. Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west. You can see a library chair here. Mr Blue arrives from the west. > You give the mirror to Blue (first taking the mirror) Mr Blue examines it briefly, and then passes it back to you. > You look at the table The table is made of rich wood. On the reading table there is a lamp and a clock. > You examine the clock The clock reads 15:00. > You look at the lamp The lamp is dark. A knob on the side adjusts the level of light. > Examine books The books are old and fragile. For some reason, the spines aren't labelled. > You give the hammer to Blue (first taking the hammer) Mr Blue examines it briefly, and then passes it back to you. > You examine the chair It seems to have been in an accident at some point, and one of its arms is missing. On the library chair there is nothing. > You turn the knob right The lamp is barely shining. > Continue The lamp is shining dimly. > You turn the knob right The lamp is shining brightly. > You keep going The lamp is glaring. > You pry the lamp with the crowbar That's unnecessary. > Go west A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. Mr Blue arrives from the east. > You sit in the chair You get onto the study chair. > You turn the mirror Nothing obvious happens. > You get up You get off the study chair. A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. You can see Mr Blue here. > Go south You open the pale wooden door. A large screen television, the largest you've ever seen, dominates the room. Colourful images try to steal your attention, and high-quality sound fills the air. There is a VERY comfortable looking armchair waiting. The pale wooden door stands to the north. Mr Blue arrives from the north.

[Themes: Surreal] > You look at your surroundings A large screen television, the largest you've ever seen, dominates the room. Colourful images try to steal your attention, and high-quality sound fills the air. There is a VERY comfortable looking armchair waiting. The pale wooden door stands to the north. You can see Mr Blue here. > You turn on the tv It's already on. > You watch the tv You stare into the depths for a few minutes. As you shake yourself out of the trance, you wonder what you were watching. The television is currently switched on. > You sit What do you want to sit on? > Armchair You get onto the armchair. > You turn the tv off You flip the switch, but the screen stays lit. After a moment the switch changes position by itself. > You listen Laughing voices discuss irrelevant matters. > Pry chair What do you want to pry the armchair with? > You pry the chair with the crowbar That's unnecessary. > Go north A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. Mr Blue arrives from the south. > Go north You open the dark wooden door. Whatever work is being done here, it looks important. Complex instruments are poised, books are open, and the tables that clutter the room have not one square-inch of space unused. You COULD begin to understand it all, but it would take time. Mr Blue arrives from the south. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a hammer a mirror a suitcase (open) a torn note a knife a notepad a work folder (open but empty) a business card a storeroom photograph a newspaper a crowbar a badge a wallet > You move the junk Those are fixed in place. > You put all in the suitcase hammer: You put the hammer into the suitcase. mirror: You put the mirror into the suitcase.

[Themes: Surreal] > Look around Whatever work is being done here, it looks important. Complex instruments are poised, books are open, and the tables that clutter the room have not one square-inch of space unused. You COULD begin to understand it all, but it would take time. You can see Mr Blue here. > Smell Sharp, alien smells reach you from somewhere. > Go south A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. Mr Blue arrives from the north. > You go west The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Blue arrives from the east. > You go west A man glares at you from a pedestal against the north wall. His body is wood, his face is formed from paint. You feel guilty. A flaming bowl sits in front of the pedestal. A doorframe leads east. Mr Blue arrives from the east. > Go east The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Blue arrives from the west. > Go south You stand in a patch of dim light streaming from the north. All else is darkness. Odd sensations creep over you. Light can be seen to the north. A soft strain of music drifts from the darkness. Mr Blue arrives from the north. > You listen The music sounds like that of a guitar. It is very faint. > You go north The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Blue arrives from the south. > You go east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. Mr Blue arrives from the west. > You open the drawer That's already open. > Go south A large screen television, the largest you've ever seen, dominates the room. Colourful images try to steal your attention, and high-quality sound fills the air. There is a VERY comfortable looking armchair waiting. The pale wooden door stands to the north. Mr Blue arrives from the north. > You sit in the armchair You get onto the armchair. > Inventory You are carrying: a blanket a screwdriver a workbag (open) a wallet a badge a crowbar a newspaper a storeroom photograph a business card a work folder (open but empty) a notepad a knife a torn note a hammer a mirror The poster smiles at you. > You put all in the workbag blanket: You put the blanket into the workbag. screwdriver: You put the screwdriver into the workbag. "The plan is a good plan." says the poster. > You read the notepad The top page has been torn away. The second reads "You can't see much of the surfaces, what with them being covered in incomprehensible junk.", whatever that means. "The plan is a good plan." says the poster. > Sleep You need to lie down somewhere comfortable. "Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster.

[Themes: Surreal] > Describe the surroundings Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. "Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster. > You examine the workbag This is what you use to carry tools and important objects from one place to another. In the workbag there is a screwdriver, a blanket, a wallet, a badge, a crowbar, a newspaper, a storeroom photograph, a business card, a work folder, a notepad, a knife, a torn note, a hammer and a mirror. "You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster. > You examine the notepad You have owned this tool for a long time. It has served you well, and you have never considered replacing it. Through such possessions are men defined. It has a red handle. "I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster. The top page has been torn away. The second reads "You have owned this tool for a long time. It has served you well, and you have never considered replacing it. Through such possessions are men defined. It has a red handle.", whatever that means. "I can't tell you much. You need to explore your possibilities." says the poster. > You turn the handle Nothing obvious happens. "You need to stay active." says the poster. > You enter the bag That's not something you can enter. "Stay calm." suggests the poster. > You put the screwdriver in the workbag You need to be holding the screwdriver before you can put it into something else. "I can't tell you much. You need to explore your possibilities." says the poster. > You look in the workbag In the workbag are a screwdriver, a blanket, a wallet, a badge, a crowbar, a newspaper, a storeroom photograph, a business card, a work folder, a notepad, a knife, a torn note, a hammer and a mirror. "Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster. > You close the workbag You close the workbag. "You need to stay active." says the poster. > You enter the bed You get onto the bed. "I can't tell you much. You need to explore your possibilities." says the poster. > Sleep You drift away... The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. > Go east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a suitcase (closed) here. > You go east You open the fine wooden door. Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west. You can see a library chair here. > You go east Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west. You can see a library chair here. > Yes How positive. > You take the chair You could move it around, but why bother? > You look at the lamp The lamp is glaring. A knob on the side adjusts the level of light. > You go to the west A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. Mr Green arrives from the east. > Go west The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Green arrives from the east. > You go to the west A man glares at you from a pedestal against the north wall. His body is wood, his face is formed from paint. You feel guilty. A flaming bowl sits in front of the pedestal. A doorframe leads east. Mr Green arrives from the east. > You look at the bowl There is no visible fuel within the bowl, and the flames are too strong for you to risk looking closer. The bowl itself is made of silvery metal. > You go to the east The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Green arrives from the west. > You wake You drift away... Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. You feel a presence in the room. > You go north The poster watches you leave. This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a workbag (closed) > Go south Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. You feel a presence in the room. > You enter the bed You get onto the bed. "Stay calm." suggests the poster. > Sleep You drift away... The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. > Go east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a suitcase (closed) here. > You unscrew framed You loosen the screws, but don't remove them; That would make the frame fall apart. > You take the frame It's too firmly attached to the wall. > You unscrew framed The screws are already loose. > You take the photograph Which do you mean, the bedroom photograph or the storeroom photograph? > You take the bedroom photograph You take the photograph out of the frame. > You put the storeroom in the frame You put the photograph into the frame. Mr Red arrives from the west. > You put the screwdriver in the suitcase You put the screwdriver into the suitcase. > Inventory You are carrying: a bedroom photograph a suitcase (open) a screwdriver a hammer a torn note a work folder (open but empty) a business card a newspaper a crowbar a badge a wallet a blanket Mr Red somersaults. > You put the bedroom photograph in the suitcase You put the bedroom photograph into the suitcase. > You wake You drift away... You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts. You can see a chest (closed) and a gadget blueprint here. > You look at the chest It's made of some sort of metal. There is a square depression set into the top. > Open chest It seems to be locked. > You examine the hammock Although it is fairly crude, it looks comfortable. You wonder why more people don't use them. On the hammock there is nothing.

[Themes: Surreal] > Look around You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts. You can see a gadget blueprint here. > Inventory You are carrying: a chest (closed and locked) a workbag (closed) > You eat the blueprint (first taking the gadget blueprint) That's plainly inedible. > You eat workbag That's plainly inedible. > You put the blueprint in the bag You put the gadget blueprint into the workbag. > You put the chest in the bag You put the chest into the workbag.

> You look around You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts. > You look at the crates Most of the crates are made of sealed metal. They don't look as if they can be opened. However, one of them is somewhat more old-fashioned, being made of battered wood. > Pry crate (with the workbag) You need a better tool. > You pry the crate with the crowbar You manage to tear the top off. > You pry the crate with the crowbar It's already open. > You look at the crate It doesn't look especially sturdy, but it's not exactly falling apart either. You can see that a label on the side reads "Imagination Soil". In the wooden crate there is some soil. > You eat the soil (first taking the soil) It's too difficult to carry. > You examine the soil This soil seems especially thick and damp. > Close chest That's already closed. > Inventory You are carrying: a workbag (open) a chest (closed and locked) a gadget blueprint a blanket a wallet a badge a crowbar a newspaper a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a hammer a screwdriver a bedroom photograph > You examine blueprint While you can tell that the blueprint describes the creation of some type of gadget, you can't ascertain how it would work or what it would be used for. While you can tell that the blueprint describes the creation of some type of gadget, you can't ascertain how it would work or what it would be used for. > You take the soil It's too difficult to carry. > You examine the hammock Although it is fairly crude, it looks comfortable. You wonder why more people don't use them. On the hammock there is nothing.

> You look around You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts. > You examine the badge A metal disc with a pin and symbol, it symbolises your role and rank. You can't remember the exact details right now, but that doesn't matter. > You enter the hammock You get onto the hammock. > Sleep You drift away... The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. > Go west A man glares at you from a pedestal against the north wall. His body is wood, his face is formed from paint. You feel guilty. A flaming bowl sits in front of the pedestal. A doorframe leads east. > You go south You stand in a patch of dim light streaming from the north. All else is darkness. Odd sensations creep over you. Light can be seen to the north. A soft strain of music drifts from the darkness. > You take the suitcase (the storeroom photograph) You take the photograph out of the frame. Taken. > Inventory You are carrying: a suitcase (closed) a storeroom photograph > You put all in suitcase storeroom photograph: You put the storeroom photograph into the suitcase. > You examine the frame An empty frame, made from dark wood. In the frame there is nothing. > You wake You drift away... You are in darkness.

[Themes: Surreal] > Look around You are in darkness.

[Themes: Surreal] > Go downwards You can go upwards, or downwards. Upwards fills you with dread, downwards with anticipation. You are unsure why. Your apartment is down a corridor to the south. > Up You're too frightened. You can't go up there. Ever.

[Themes: Surreal] > Go downward A set of mailboxes wait on one wall. The floor hasn't been cleaned for some time. A couple of entrance doors lead south. Stairs lead upwards. > You examine the mailbox The keys are long lost, and the boxes hang open. There are still a few bits and pieces inside them. > You look in the mailbox Most of the stuff in the boxes is useless, but you do manage to find a leaflet for a taxi firm that might be handy. > You read the leaflet A leaflet for a taxi firm. "DIAL 05231453257 for rapid, reliable travel!" > You get the leaflet You already have that. > You go to the south You open the entrance doors. The street is deserted. Your apartment building is to the north. A tree casts a shadow over you. A cardboard cutout leans against a wall, an abandoned piece of marketing. You notice some graffiti adorning a wall, sprayed in red. Abruptly, a car comes tearing down the street towards you. You are frozen with terror, but without a conscious effort, you move sideways and the car speeds out of sight without touching you. What's wrong with the world today? The cutout eyes you. > You examine the cutout A happy cowboy, inanimate. "Are you afraid?" asks the cutout. > You examine the graffiti HELP. "Is this what you call productivity?" asks the cutout. > Inventory You are carrying: a leaflet a workbag (open) a chest (closed and locked) a gadget blueprint a blanket a wallet a badge a crowbar a newspaper a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a hammer a screwdriver a bedroom photograph a storeroom photograph "You look helpless." jeers the cutout. > You look at tree You don't know enough about trees to identify it as being anything but dark, and daunting. A nest is perched high on one branch. The cutout laughs. > You climb the tree Unfortunately, there aren't any branches within reach that will support your weight. Froth drips from the cutout's mouth. > You examine the nest Filthy, but functional. There is a feather stuck in it. In the high nest there is nothing. "Why do you just stand there?" asks the cutout. > You take the feather You can't reach it. "Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout. > You throw the leaflet at nest You lob the leaflet. You miss. "Have you forgotten what to do?" asks the cutout. > You throw the hammer at the nest (first taking the hammer) You lob the hammer. You miss. Froth drips from the cutout's mouth. > You throw the badge at the nest (first taking the badge) You lob the badge. You miss. "Why do you just stand there?" asks the cutout.

[Themes: Surreal] > Look around The street is deserted. Your apartment building is to the north. A tree casts a shadow over you. A cardboard cutout leans against a wall, an abandoned piece of marketing. You notice some graffiti adorning a wall, sprayed in red. You can see a badge, a hammer and a leaflet here. "You look helpless." jeers the cutout. > You look at the badge A metal disc with a pin and symbol, it symbolises your role and rank. You can't remember the exact details right now, but that doesn't matter. "You waste your time." jeers the cutout. > Climb cutout I don't think much is to be achieved by that. "You look helpless." jeers the cutout. > Shake tree You give it a shake, and the nest falls to the ground. "Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout. > You take all old nest: Taken. badge: Taken. hammer: Taken. leaflet: Taken. chest: Taken. gadget blueprint: Taken. blanket: Taken. wallet: Taken. crowbar: Taken. newspaper: Taken. business card: Taken. work folder: Taken. torn note: Taken. screwdriver: Taken. bedroom photograph: Taken. storeroom photograph: Taken. "Are you afraid?" asks the cutout. > You hit the cutout You don't think you can destroy it so easily. "Why do you just stand there?" asks the cutout. > You examine the nest It's been a little damaged by its fall, and is more of a clump than a container. There is a feather stuck in it. Froth drips from the cutout's mouth. > You put all in the bag storeroom photograph: You put the storeroom photograph into the workbag. bedroom photograph: You put the bedroom photograph into the workbag. screwdriver: You put the screwdriver into the workbag. torn note: You put the torn note into the workbag. work folder: You put the work folder into the workbag. business card: You put the business card into the workbag. newspaper: You put the newspaper into the workbag. crowbar: You put the crowbar into the workbag. wallet: You put the wallet into the workbag. blanket: You put the blanket into the workbag. gadget blueprint: You put the gadget blueprint into the workbag. chest: You put the chest into the workbag. leaflet: You put the leaflet into the workbag. hammer: You put the hammer into the workbag. badge: You put the badge into the workbag. old nest: You put the old nest into the workbag. You can feel the cutout gazing at you contemptuously. > You take feather Taken. "Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout. > You look at the feather It's been a little damaged by its fall, and is more of a clump than a container. There is a feather stuck in it. "Are you afraid?" asks the cutout. > You put nest in the bag You put the old nest into the workbag. "Have you forgotten what to do?" asks the cutout. > Yes How positive. Froth drips from the cutout's mouth.

[Themes: Surreal] > Look around The street is deserted. Your apartment building is to the north. A tree casts a shadow over you. A cardboard cutout leans against a wall, an abandoned piece of marketing. You notice some graffiti adorning a wall, sprayed in red. "You waste your time." jeers the cutout. > You read the graffiti HELP. "Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout. > Go west You walk a short distance, but you start to feel uncomfortable, and hurry back. You feel a strange sensation, some sort of vibration passing through your body. The cutout laughs. > Go east You walk a short distance, but you start to feel uncomfortable, and hurry back. "Why do you just stand there?" asks the cutout. > You go to the south You walk a short distance, but you start to feel uncomfortable, and hurry back. "Are you afraid?" asks the cutout. > You listen You can faintly hear cars in the distance. "Is this what you call productivity?" asks the cutout. > You pry the chest with the crowbar That's unnecessary. "Are you afraid?" asks the cutout. > You look at the newspaper The only part that really catches your attention is the picture on the front, of the Chimera Corporation building. Indeed, you feel that this picture is the reason for the paper's presence here. "You waste your time." jeers the cutout. > You go inside You can't go that way. "Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout. > You go to the east You walk a short distance, but you start to feel uncomfortable, and hurry back. "Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout. > You go north The cutout sneers at you. A set of mailboxes wait on one wall. The floor hasn't been cleaned for some time. A couple of entrance doors lead south. Stairs lead upwards. > Go upwards You can go upwards, or downwards. Upwards fills you with dread, downwards with anticipation. You are unsure why. Your apartment is down a corridor to the south. > You get in the bed You get onto the bed. "You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a workbag (open) an old nest a badge a hammer a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a gadget blueprint a blanket a wallet a crowbar a newspaper a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a bedroom photograph a storeroom photograph "You need to stay active." says the poster. > Sleep You drift away... The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. > Go east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a suitcase (closed) here. > You put the blueprint in the frame You put the gadget blueprint into the frame. > You wake You drift away... Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. You feel a presence in the room. > Inventory You are carrying: a workbag (open) an old nest a badge a hammer a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a newspaper a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a bedroom photograph a storeroom photograph "You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster. > You go north The poster watches you leave. This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east. > You go to the east Your kitchen is relatively clean. A pile of pizza boxes sits on a table, adjacent to your microwave. Your television sits on a shelf. A door leads west. A face grins on the television. > You go west A hand waves on the television. This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east. > Go south Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. You feel a presence in the room. > You examine frame An empty frame, made from dark wood. In the frame there is a gadget blueprint. > You put it in the frame You put the newspaper into the frame. > You put the blueprint in the suitcase You put the gadget blueprint into the suitcase. > Go west The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. A ghostly figure floats up through the floor, and coalesces into Mr Blue. > You take the knife You take a single knife, feeling that to be most useful. > Go east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. Mr Blue arrives from the west. > You look in the frame In the frame is a newspaper. > Cut newspaper You slice out the picture, discarding the rest. > You cut the blueprint Cutting that up would achieve little. > Inventory You are carrying: a newspaper picture a knife a suitcase (open) a gadget blueprint a storeroom photograph a bedroom photograph a screwdriver a torn note a work folder (open but empty) a business card a crowbar a wallet a blanket a chest (closed and locked) a leaflet a hammer a badge an old nest > You put the knife in suitcase You put the knife into the suitcase. > You look at the picture (the newspaper picture) The picture depicts the Chimera Corporation building. > You put the picture in the frame (the newspaper picture in the frame) You put the photograph into the frame. > You wake You drift away... You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here. A dog barks somewhere. > You open the car You open the driver's door. > You enter the car You get onto the seats. > You examine the car It's green, and the keys aren't in the ignition. Oddly enough, the seats have been folded down into a bed. The driver's door is open. > Go outside You get off the seats. You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here. > Go east You make your way around the path... You are standing east of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the east. You notice an open window. You hear a car honking in the distance. > Go north You make your way around the path... You are standing behind the Chimera building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the north. > Go west You make your way around the path... You are standing west of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the west. > Go south You make your way around the path... You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here. > You open the door You don't see the point in opening the other doors. You hear a car honking in the distance. > Go east You make your way around the path... You are standing east of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the east. You notice an open window. > You examine the window The window is open, but you can't see inside. It is open. > Enter You hesitate. You can barely hear noises from inside the building, and you don't want to be arrested for trespassing. You need some way to escape attention. > You listen to the window You hear nothing unexpected. A dog barks somewhere. > You enter window The occupant of this office is asleep over her desk. Possibly as a result of this, there is a pile of untidy paperwork on the floor. A door leads west. You can see a box of doughnuts here. > You kill the occupant Which do you mean, the occupant or the occupant's desk? > You go to the west The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open. This section contains accounting offices. A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly. > Go north A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains accounting offices. A man goes from one room to another. > You examine the doughnuts The box has been torn open, and contains 3 doughnuts. > You examine the paperwork It doesn't look especially interesting, consisting mostly of forms and status reports. You're not hungry, and you're not especially fond of them. It doesn't look especially interesting, consisting mostly of forms and status reports. > You kill self Ouch! > You wake woman That seems unnecessary. > You look at the desk It's made of some type of cheap wood. On the occupant's desk there is nothing. > Go west The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open. This section contains accounting offices. A few people walk past. > Go south The corridor turns a corner from north to west. A cleaner is scrubbing a stain off the floor. This section contains technical support offices. A couple of women come out of one room, and into another. > You examine the stain It looks as though someone was violently ill here. A few people walk past. > Go west Unfortunately, you can't see a way to get past the cleaner without revealing yourself. A couple of women hurry by, talking quietly. > You examine the cleaner He is dressed in the usual type of cleaner's uniform. He wears a peaceful expression. The corridor is quiet for a second, then people start moving again. > You drop the doughnuts Someone will probably spot an item appearing from nowhere. A few people walk past. > You look at what you're carrying with you You are carrying: a box of doughnuts a workbag (open) an old nest a badge a hammer a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a bedroom photograph a storeroom photograph a gadget blueprint a knife A couple of women hurry by, talking quietly. > Go north The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open. This section contains accounting offices. A few people walk past. > Go north A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains accounting offices. A clump of people hurries past. > About yourself You neither look, or feel, as if you are "all here". A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly. > Go west This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside. This section contains accounting offices. A couple of women hurry by, talking quietly. > You look at booth The booth is a sturdy structure of metal and glass. You can see a glimpse of a control panel in front of the guard, but there's no way to reach it from outside. A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > Go west The door is locked in position, and even if it wasn't, the guard would notice it moving. A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly. > You look at the self You neither look, or feel, as if you are "all here". A few people walk past. > You look at the guard He looks fairly neat and alert. A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly. > You examine the panel The booth is a sturdy structure of metal and glass. You can see a glimpse of a control panel in front of the guard, but there's no way to reach it from outside. A few people walk past. > You drop the doughnuts Someone will probably spot an item appearing from nowhere. A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > You eat the doughnuts You're not hungry, and you're not especially fond of them. A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly. > Go north You can't go that way. A few people walk past. > You enter the booth That's not something you can enter. A few people walk past. > You show the doughnuts to guard The security guard is unimpressed. An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > You give the doughnuts to guard The security guard doesn't seem interested. For a moment, the corridor fills. You barely escape detection. > You wake It doesn't work like that. An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > Go east A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains accounting offices. A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > Go upward Stairs lead up and down. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains planning offices. > Go south The corridor runs north and south. This section contains planning offices. > You go to the south The corridor turns a corner from north to west. This section contains server rooms. > You go to the west The corridor runs from east to west. This section contains server rooms. This floor is strangely silent. > You go west The corridor turns a corner from north to east. This section contains server rooms. > You go east The corridor runs from east to west. This section contains server rooms. > You go upward A group of people at the top of the stairs are deep in conversation. You know you can't get past them. This floor is strangely silent. > You check what you're carrying The corridor runs south from a dead end. This section contains server rooms. This floor is strangely silent. You are carrying: a box of doughnuts a workbag (open) an old nest a badge a hammer a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a bedroom photograph a storeroom photograph a gadget blueprint a knife > Inventory You are carrying: a box of doughnuts a workbag (open) an old nest a badge a hammer a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a bedroom photograph a storeroom photograph a gadget blueprint a knife > You unlock the chest with hammer (first taking the hammer) That doesn't seem to fit the lock. This floor is strangely silent. > Go north Stairs lead up and down. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains planning offices. This floor is strangely silent. > You go west This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside. This section contains planning offices. > Examine booth The booth is a sturdy structure of metal and glass. You can see a glimpse of a control panel in front of the guard, but there's no way to reach it from outside. > You show badge to the guard (first taking the badge) You can't let the guard see something vanish. > Go inside You open the metal door. The booth has a chair, and a window. There are presumably airholes somewhere. A small switch is placed under the window.

> You describe your surroundings The booth has a chair, and a window. There are presumably airholes somewhere. A small switch is placed under the window. > You examine switch A booth switch, a switch in a booth. It is off. The booth switch is currently switched off. > You turn the switch on You switch the booth switch on. > You look at window A booth window, a window in a booth. You can see the corridor outside. > Leave This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside. This section contains planning offices. > Go east Stairs lead up and down. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains planning offices. This floor is strangely silent. > You sit in the chair You get onto the booth chair. > Go outside You get off the booth chair. The booth has a chair, and a window. There are presumably airholes somewhere. A small switch is placed under the window. > Keep going This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside. This section contains planning offices. The guard closes his eyes for a moment. > You open the door Which do you mean, the metal door or the 1st floor revolving door? > You examine the metal door *** Run-time problem P11: Although the metal door is allowed to have the property "description", no value was ever given, so it can't now be used. It is open. > You look at the switch A booth switch, a switch in a booth. It is on. The booth switch is currently switched on. > You examine the guard He looks a little run down. He is fortunate that he doesn't have to stand. The guard closes his eyes for a moment. > Revolving What do you want to unlock the 1st floor revolving door with? > Go east You must name something more substantial.

[Themes: Surreal] > Go downwards A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains accounting offices. A couple of women come out of one room, and into another. > Go west This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside. This section contains accounting offices. A few people walk past. > You go inside You shouldn't draw attention by opening a door. An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > You examine the guard He looks fairly neat and alert. For a moment, the corridor fills. You barely escape detection. > You look at the booth The booth is a sturdy structure of metal and glass. You can see a glimpse of a control panel in front of the guard, but there's no way to reach it from outside. For a moment, the corridor fills. You barely escape detection. > Go west The door is locked in position, and even if it wasn't, the guard would notice it moving. An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > Go east A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains accounting offices. A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > Go north The corridor runs south from a dead end. This section contains server rooms. This floor is strangely silent. > You go to the east The corridor turns a corner from north to west. This section contains server rooms. This floor is strangely silent.

> You switch the switch That's already on. > You turn the switch off You switch the booth switch off. > You drop the doughnuts You quickly place the box of doughnuts on the floor. Opening his eyes, the guard notices it, and looks confused for a second. Then his eyes light up, and he steps out of the booth, picks it up, then retreats back to his chair. The guard eats a doughnut. > You look at what you're carrying with you You are carrying: a hammer a box of doughnuts a workbag (open) an old nest a badge a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a bedroom photograph a storeroom photograph a gadget blueprint a knife > You look at the guard He looks a little run down. He is fortunate that he doesn't have to stand. > You wait Time passes. The guard closes his eyes for a moment. > You drop the doughnuts You quickly place the box of doughnuts on the floor. Opening his eyes, the guard notices it, and looks confused for a second. Then his eyes light up, and he steps out of the booth, picks it up, then retreats back to his chair. The guard eats a doughnut. > You wait for a while Time passes. The guard eats a doughnut. > Wait Time passes. > Examine box The box has been torn open, and is empty.

[Themes: Surreal] > Go downward A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains accounting offices. A few people walk past. > Go west This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside. This section contains accounting offices. A few people walk past. > Go east A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains accounting offices. For a moment, the corridor fills. You barely escape detection. > Go south The corridor turns a corner from north to west. A cleaner is scrubbing a stain off the floor. This section contains technical support offices. A clump of people hurries past. > You go to the south You can't go that way. An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > Go west Unfortunately, you can't see a way to get past the cleaner without revealing yourself. A clump of people hurries past. > You examine the cleaner He is dressed in the usual type of cleaner's uniform. He wears a peaceful expression. A couple of women hurry by, talking quietly. > You examine the stain It looks as though someone was violently ill here. An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > Inventory You are carrying: a hammer a box of doughnuts a workbag (open) an old nest a badge a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a bedroom photograph a storeroom photograph a gadget blueprint a knife A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > You drop the doughnuts Someone will probably spot an item appearing from nowhere. A clump of people hurries past. > You put the doughnuts in stain That can't contain things. A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > You take the stain That's hardly portable. A couple of women come out of one room, and into another. > You examine the uniform He is dressed in the usual type of cleaner's uniform. He wears a peaceful expression. A few people walk past. > You search it You find nothing of interest. A couple of women come out of one room, and into another. > You search cleaner You don't think cleaner would allow that. A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > Kiss cleaner Keep your mind on the game. A clump of people hurries past. > Go north The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open. This section contains accounting offices. For a moment, the corridor fills. You barely escape detection. > You go east The occupant of this office is asleep over her desk. Possibly as a result of this, there is a pile of untidy paperwork on the floor. A door leads west. > Leave You are standing east of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the east. You notice an open window. > Go south You make your way around the path... You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here. > You enter the car You get onto the seats. A dog barks somewhere. > Box in workbag hammer: Done. box of doughnuts: Done. > You put the bedroom in the frame You put the photograph into the frame. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a workbag (open) a box of doughnuts a hammer an old nest a badge a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a storeroom photograph a gadget blueprint a newspaper picture > You read the leaflet A leaflet for a taxi firm. "DIAL 05231453257 for rapid, reliable travel!" > You dial 05231453257 You raise the phone, but something is wrong. A strange feeling is coming over you. You abruptly slam the phone down, and you recover. A strange echoing noise sounds in your ears. After a moment you hear something else; A shuffling far away. > You dial 05231453257 You raise the phone, but something is wrong. A strange feeling is coming over you. You abruptly slam the phone down, and you recover. > You go south The street is deserted. Your apartment building is to the north. A tree casts a shadow over you. A cardboard cutout leans against a wall, an abandoned piece of marketing. You notice some graffiti adorning a wall, sprayed in red. The cutout eyes you. > You go north The cutout sneers at you. A set of mailboxes wait on one wall. The floor hasn't been cleaned for some time. A couple of entrance doors lead south. Stairs lead upwards. > You examine the floor The floor is covered in blue plastic. > You examine the plastic A simple plastic folder. In the work folder there is nothing. > Go south The lizard makes a tiny waving motion. The corridor stops here. A fire exit adorns the south wall. > Go south You open the fire exit. You start to step through, but a sudden terror seizes you. You step back sharply, and the door swings closed. You can hear hurried footsteps from somewhere, and a voice, faintly calling. > Go south You open the fire exit. You start to step through, but a sudden terror seizes you. You step back sharply, and the door swings closed. > You listen You can hear voices from somewhere. > You listen You can hear voices from somewhere. "Perhaps you should be considering self-improvement?" asks the lizard. > You ask the lizard about lizard You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope. The lizard's tongue flickers. > You take the lizard That's hardly portable. "You don't know who's moving the pieces. But consider: They must be powerful. They must be worth befriending." The lizard makes a clicking noise. > Go east The lizard makes a tiny waving motion. This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east. > Go south Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. You feel a presence in the room. > You look under the bed You find nothing of interest. "I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster. > Examine poster It depicts a rock singer of bygone years. "You need to stay active." says the poster. > Sing You sing a song you heard on the radio once, unusual in that you remember all its lyrics perfectly. "Are you okay?" asks the poster. > You lie on the bed You get onto the bed. "The plan is a good plan." says the poster. > You put the mirror in the frame You put the mirror into the frame. > You wake You drift away... You are in darkness. > You get in the bed You get onto the bed. "Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster. > You go east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a suitcase (closed) and a bedroom photograph here. > You open the drawer You open the drawer, revealing a mirror. > Continue The lamp is dark. Mr Green arrives from the west. > You turn the knob right The lamp is barely shining. Mr Green flicks dust from his clothes. > You go west A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a suitcase (closed) and a bedroom photograph here. Mr Green arrives from the east. > You examine Green He wears a green mask, a green suit, and a green hat. Mr Green adjusts his mask. > You look at the hat He wears a green mask, a green suit, and a green hat. > Go west The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Green arrives from the east. > You drop the mirror Dropped. > You go south You stand in a patch of dim light streaming from the north. All else is darkness. Odd sensations creep over you. Light can be seen to the north. A soft strain of music drifts from the darkness. Mr Green arrives from the north. > Go north The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. You can see a mirror here. Mr Green arrives from the south. > You take the mirror Taken. Mr Green taps his foot. > You touch green Keep your hands to yourself! > Go east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a suitcase (closed) and a bedroom photograph here. Mr Green arrives from the west. > TAKE SUITCASE, BEDROOM, NOTEPAD suitcase: Taken. bedroom photograph: Taken. notepad: Taken. > You examine the notepad The top page has been torn away. The second reads "He wears a green mask, a green suit, and a green hat.", whatever that means. > You go to the north You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions. Mr Green arrives from the south. > You take the fruit The fruit seems to lose some of its strength as you pull it free, and you eat it quickly. > You look at the fountain The ornamentation depicts a pantheon of gods and goddesses, peering outwards. You can see the gleam of coins beneath the water. > Drink water The water tastes like nothing at all. Mr Green taps his foot. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a notepad a bedroom photograph a suitcase (closed) a mirror a knife > You cut the water Cutting that up would achieve little. > You examine the blanket Pale blue. It looks a little thin. > You examine the folder A simple plastic folder. In the work folder there is nothing. > You examine the chest It's made of some sort of metal. There is a square depression set into the top. Mr Green flicks dust from his clothes. > You look at the card A small, laminated section of cardboard. Oddly enough, the only detail upon it is a phone number: 02312345673. > Inventory You are carrying: a notepad a bedroom photograph a suitcase (open) a newspaper picture a gadget blueprint a storeroom photograph a screwdriver a torn note a work folder (open but empty) a business card a crowbar a wallet a blanket a chest (closed and locked) a leaflet a badge an old nest a hammer a box of doughnuts a mirror a knife

> You look at your surroundings You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions. You can see Mr Green here. > Go south The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Green arrives from the north. > You go to the east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. Mr Green arrives from the west. > You look at the frame It's a photograph of a storeroom. The frame is made from dark wood. > Inventory You are carrying: a notepad a bedroom photograph a suitcase (open) a newspaper picture a gadget blueprint a screwdriver a torn note a work folder (open but empty) a business card a crowbar a wallet a blanket a chest (closed and locked) a leaflet a badge an old nest a hammer a box of doughnuts a mirror a knife > PUT MIRROR, KNIFE, BEDROOM, NOTEPAD IN SUITCASE mirror: Done. knife: Done. bedroom photograph: Done. notepad: Done. > You wake You drift away... You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a workbag (open) a box of doughnuts a hammer an old nest a badge a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a gadget blueprint a newspaper picture a mirror a knife a bedroom photograph a notepad > You examine the nest It's been a little damaged by its fall, and is more of a clump than a container. There is a feather stuck in it. > You pull the feather Nothing obvious happens. > You take the crate That's hardly portable. > Inventory You are carrying: an old nest a workbag (open) a box of doughnuts a hammer a badge a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a gadget blueprint a newspaper picture a mirror a knife a bedroom photograph a notepad > You put the nest in the bag You put the old nest into the workbag. > You examine badge A metal disc with a pin and symbol, it symbolises your role and rank. You can't remember the exact details right now, but that doesn't matter. > Above1 Saved. > Yes Bye Alex! Thanks for playing! The sand stretches around you in all directions. There is a grassy countryside. Rocks are scattered about. You are in a room. The room has walls and a ceiling. You blink. It seems as though you've been standing here forever. You feel suddenly stressed; There is something you have to do. Cacophony The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. > Inventory You are carrying: a badge (being worn) a workbag (open) an old nest a box of doughnuts a hammer a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a bedroom photograph > Go east Stairs lead up and down. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains planning offices. You can see a gadget blueprint here. This floor is strangely silent.

[Themes: Surreal] > You go downward A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains accounting offices. A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly. > Go south The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open. This section contains accounting offices. A clump of people hurries past. > You go east The occupant of this office is asleep over her desk. Possibly as a result of this, there is a pile of untidy paperwork on the floor. A door leads west. > You put all in the bag A dog barks somewhere. > Go east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a suitcase (closed), a storeroom photograph and a screwdriver here. > You go east You open the fine wooden door. Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west. You can see a library chair here. > You examine the shelves The shelves are made of dark wood. An abacus rests here. On the bookshelves there is some library books. > You look at the abacus It is one of the simpler kinds, containing only two rows of beads. It is set to 3. > You set the clock to 2349 Okay. > You look at the clock The clock reads 23:49. > You go west A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a suitcase (closed), a storeroom photograph and a screwdriver here. Mr Blue arrives from the east. > You go west The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Blue arrives from the east. > You go to the north You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions. Mr Blue arrives from the south. > Go south The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west. Mr Blue arrives from the north. > You go to the east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a suitcase (closed), a storeroom photograph and a screwdriver here. Mr Blue arrives from the west. > You take all Mr Blue: I don't suppose Mr Blue would care for that. suitcase: Taken. storeroom photograph: Taken. screwdriver: Taken. newspaper picture: You take the photograph out of the frame. notepad: Taken. > You read the notepad The top page has been torn away. The second reads "The ornamentation depicts a pantheon of gods and goddesses, peering outwards. You can see the gleam of coins beneath the water.", whatever that means. > Inventory You are carrying: a notepad a newspaper picture a screwdriver a storeroom photograph a suitcase (open) a bedroom photograph a torn note a work folder (open but empty) a business card a crowbar a wallet a blanket a chest (closed and locked) a leaflet a hammer a box of doughnuts an old nest > You go east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. Mr Blue arrives from the west. > Go north You open the dark wooden door. Whatever work is being done here, it looks important. Complex instruments are poised, books are open, and the tables that clutter the room have not one square-inch of space unused. You COULD begin to understand it all, but it would take time. Mr Blue arrives from the south. > Go south A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. Mr Blue arrives from the north. > You wake You drift away... You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here. You hear a car honking in the distance. > Go east You make your way around the path... You are standing east of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the east. You notice an open window. > You go west The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open. This section contains accounting offices. The corridor is quiet for a second, then people start moving again. > You go south The corridor turns a corner from north to west. A cleaner is scrubbing a stain off the floor. This section contains technical support offices. A man goes from one room to another. > Go north The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open. This section contains accounting offices. An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > Go upwards Stairs lead up and down. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains planning offices. You can see a gadget blueprint here.

[Themes: Surreal] > You go down You can't go that way. A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly. > You go south The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open. This section contains accounting offices. A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > You go outside You are standing east of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the east. You notice an open window. A dog barks somewhere. > Go south You make your way around the path... You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here. > You put all in the bag gadget blueprint: You put the gadget blueprint into the workbag. > You examine the door The door looks strange in some undefinable way. It is open. "You don't know who's moving the pieces. But consider: They must be powerful. They must be worth befriending." The lizard makes a clicking noise. > You examine the apartment door You suddenly notice you've left your key stuck in the lock. You extract it. > You examine the leaflet A leaflet for a taxi firm. "DIAL 05231453257 for rapid, reliable travel!" > You dial 05231453257 You raise the phone, but something is wrong. A strange feeling is coming over you. You abruptly slam the phone down, and you recover. > You check your inventory You are carrying: an apartment key a badge (being worn) a workbag (open) a gadget blueprint an old nest a box of doughnuts a hammer a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note > You remove badge You take off the badge. > You put all in the bag apartment key: You put the apartment key into the workbag. badge: You put the badge into the workbag. > Inventory You are carrying: a workbag (open) a badge an apartment key a gadget blueprint an old nest a box of doughnuts a hammer a leaflet a chest (closed and locked) a blanket a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note > Go east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a suitcase (closed), a newspaper picture, a storeroom photograph and a screwdriver here. > You put badge in the fountain You cast the badge into the water. After a moment, there is a great eruption beneath the surface. The vines above you start rustling with a strange rhythm. After a minute or so they stop. You feel that somewhere nearby, something has changed. > You go to the east A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. On the wooden desk is a notepad. You can see a newspaper picture, a storeroom photograph and a screwdriver here. Something in here. Something is different. > You examine the desk It is made of exceptionally high quality wood. It includes a small drawer. On the wooden desk there is a notepad, an In-Tray and an Out-Tray. Mr Green arrives from the west. > You look aIn-Tray It is made of plastic, and labelled "IN". In the In-Tray there is a stone tablet. > You take the tablet Taken. Mr Green yawns. > You examine it It's quite light-weight. By some method (ink? paint?), images and figures are shown upon it. Depicted are a fire, burning brightly, a sundial, reading half past five, and some letters, XLII. > Go east You open the fine wooden door. Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west. You can see a library chair here. Mr Green arrives from the west. > You set the abacus to 42 You set the abacus to 42. > You look at the tablet It's quite light-weight. By some method (ink? paint?), images and figures are shown upon it. Depicted are a fire, burning brightly, a sundial, reading half past five, and some letters, XLII. Mr Green yawns. > You set the clock to 1730 Okay. The books on the shelves seems to distort in some way. Suddenly, a single volume floats free, landing on the table. > You look at the book (the mission book) It seems an old book, without exterior detail. Inside, all the pages are the same: Target: SDE files. Location: Chimera Corporation, Security Room 2, 1st Floor Additional: Room Code 28635 > You examine the nest It's been a little damaged by its fall, and is more of a clump than a container. There is a feather stuck in it. > You break the nest You break it apart and extract the feather. > You examine the feather Pure white. It seems strangely incongruous to see such a thing. > Examine What do you want to examine?

[Themes: Surreal] > You look around Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west. On the reading table is a mission book. You can see Mr Green and a library chair here. Mr Green taps his foot. > Wait Time passes. A ghostly figure floats up through the floor, and coalesces into Mr Red. > You wake You drift away... Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north. You feel a presence in the room. > You take all but the bedroom suitcase: Taken. newspaper picture: Taken. storeroom photograph: Taken. screwdriver: Taken. notepad: Taken. > You give the blueprint to Blue (first taking the gadget blueprint) Mr Blue examines the blueprint and his eyes light up. Mr Blue opens the dark wooden door. Mr Blue goes north. > You go to the north Whatever work is being done here, it looks important. Complex instruments are poised, books are open, and the tables that clutter the room have not one square-inch of space unused. You COULD begin to understand it all, but it would take time. You can see Mr Blue here. Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then points to the door with his left hand, making a twisting motion with his right. > You close the door You close the dark wooden door. Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then points to you, then himself, then the instruments, then you again. > Wait Time passes. Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then points to the door with his left hand, making a twisting motion with his right. > You give the key to Blue (first taking the apartment key) Mr Blue eagerly accepts it. Mr Blue works with the instruments, somehow creating a device matching the blueprint design. He hands it to you proudly. > You examine the gadget A cube of metal. You know from the blueprint that there are complex mechanisms contained inside. > You examine the chest It's made of some sort of metal. There is a square depression set into the top. Mr Blue takes a long breath, and exhales slowly. > You put the gadget on the chest Putting things on the chest would achieve nothing. Mr Blue sneezes. > You put the gadget in the chest The chest is closed. > You look at what you're carrying with you You are carrying: a strange gadget a mirror a notepad a screwdriver a storeroom photograph a newspaper picture a suitcase (open) a torn note a work folder (open but empty) a business card a crowbar a wallet a blanket a leaflet a hammer a box of doughnuts Mr Blue takes a long breath, and exhales slowly. > You take all chest: Taken. Mr Blue: I don't suppose Mr Blue would care for that. torn note: Taken. work folder: Taken. business card: Taken. crowbar: Taken. wallet: Taken. blanket: Taken. leaflet: Taken. hammer: Taken. box of doughnuts: Taken. > Go south You open the dark wooden door. A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. Mr Blue arrives from the north. > You put all in the case bedroom photograph: You put the bedroom photograph into the suitcase. box of doughnuts: You put the box of doughnuts into the suitcase. hammer: You put the hammer into the suitcase. leaflet: You put the leaflet into the suitcase. blanket: You put the blanket into the suitcase. wallet: You put the wallet into the suitcase. crowbar: You put the crowbar into the suitcase. business card: You put the business card into the suitcase. work folder: You put the work folder into the suitcase. torn note: You put the torn note into the suitcase. chest: You put the chest into the suitcase. strange gadget: You put the strange gadget into the suitcase. mirror: You put the mirror into the suitcase. notepad: You put the notepad into the suitcase. screwdriver: You put the screwdriver into the suitcase. newspaper picture: You put the newspaper picture into the suitcase. > You put gadget in the depression The chest clicks. You withdraw the gadget. > Open chest You open the chest, revealing a cloak blueprint and a discomforter. > You take all from the chest cloak blueprint: Taken. discomforter: Taken. > You look at the blueprint The blueprint describes the creation of a "cloak", a stealth device. You can't understand all the details. > You look at the discomforter A slick black disc, with a small switch on one side. A label identifies it as a "discomforter". > You put all in the bag discomforter: You put the discomforter into the workbag. cloak blueprint: You put the cloak blueprint into the workbag. strange gadget: You put the strange gadget into the workbag. > You wait Time passes. A ghostly figure floats up through the floor, and coalesces into Mr Green. > You wake You drift away... You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts. You can see a chest (empty) here. > You take all suitcase: Taken. storeroom photograph: You take the photograph out of the frame. notepad: Taken. > You take the mirror You open the drawer, revealing a mirror. Taken. > You wait Time passes. Mr Blue arrives from the west. > You go east You open the fine wooden door. Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west. On the reading table is a mission book. You can see a stone tablet, a feather and a library chair here. Mr Blue arrives from the west. > Tablet feather: Taken. stone tablet: Taken. > You give the blueprint to Blue (first taking the cloak blueprint) Mr Blue examines the blueprint and his eyes light up. Mr Blue coughs. Mr Blue goes west. > Go west A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. You can see Mr Blue here. Mr Blue opens the dark wooden door. Mr Blue goes north. > You go north Whatever work is being done here, it looks important. Complex instruments are poised, books are open, and the tables that clutter the room have not one square-inch of space unused. You COULD begin to understand it all, but it would take time. You can see Mr Blue here. Mr Blue starts to do something with the instruments.After a few moments, he stops, looking thoughtful. > Wait Time passes. Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then mimes wrapping something around himself, shivering. > You give the blanket to Blue (first taking the blanket) Mr Blue eagerly accepts it. Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then points to you, then himself, then the instruments, then you again. > You wait awhile Time passes. Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then holds a hand up in front of himself, stares at his palm fixedly, and adjusts his mask and collar. > You give the mirror to Blue Mr Blue eagerly accepts it. Mr Blue hums a tune. Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then points to you, then himself, then the instruments, then you again. > You wait Time passes. Mr Blue waves to get your attention, mimes dropping something, then makes as if to strain his ears. > You give the feather to Blue Mr Blue eagerly accepts it. Mr Blue works with the instruments, somehow creating a garment matching the blueprint design. He hands it to you proudly. > You examine the cloak A grey, thin cloak, very soft. > You wear the cloak You notice that your body seems to have vanished. You're invisible! Funny, Mr Blue seems to know where you are, even if he can't see you. > You remove the cloak You reappear. > You put all in the case grey cloak: You put the grey cloak into the suitcase. stone tablet: You put the stone tablet into the suitcase. notepad: You put the notepad into the suitcase. storeroom photograph: You put the storeroom photograph into the suitcase. Mr Blue hums a tune. > Go south A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west. Mr Blue arrives from the north. > You wake You drift away... You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here. > You wear it You're invisible! > You take the box Taken. A dog barks somewhere. > Go inside You climb inside. The occupant of this office is asleep over her desk. Possibly as a result of this, there is a pile of untidy paperwork on the floor. A door leads west. > Go west The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open. This section contains accounting offices. A couple of women hurry by, talking quietly. > Go north A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west. This section contains accounting offices. An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes. > You turn on the discomforter You flip the switch. You feel a little ill. The tired guard shifts uncomfortably. The guard suddenly looks very ill. He pulls open the booth and bolts east. > You enter the booth The booth has a chair, and a window. There are presumably airholes somewhere. A small switch is placed under the window. You can see a box of doughnuts here. You feel a little ill. > You turn off the discomforter You flip the switch. > You go west After checking that there isn't anyone to spot the motion, you walk through the door. The corridor ends here. But more interestingly, there is a security door (marked with a 2) to the north, with a keypad next to it. > You examine keypad The buttons hold the digits from 0-9. > You type 28635 on the keypad The door slides open. > Go north The rooms is surprisingly bare and shabby. A set of shelves supports a line of strange looking cubes. > You examine the shelves Bare plastic. On the shelves there is some cubes. > You examine the cubes The cubes are uniform, and have continuously shifting patterns on their surfaces. They are made of some sort of grey metal. > You take cubes You take the fifth cube. > You examine cube (Cube 5) This is what you need to deliver. But how do you deliver it? Shifting patterns cover its surface. > You take the cubes You don't need the other cubes. And taking them would make the theft more obvious. > You go to the south The door slides shut. The corridor ends here. But more interestingly, there is a security door (marked with a 2) to the north, with a keypad next to it. > Close window You close the office window. > You look at the window The window is open, but you can't see inside. It is closed. > You open the window You open the office window. > You go to the south You make your way around the path... You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here. You hear a car honking in the distance. > You put all in the bag Cube 5: You put Cube 5 into the workbag. box of doughnuts: You put the box of doughnuts into the workbag. discomforter: You put the discomforter into the workbag. grey cloak: You put the grey cloak into the workbag. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a workbag (open) a grey cloak a discomforter a box of doughnuts Cube 5 a strange gadget a bedroom photograph a hammer a leaflet a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a stone tablet a storeroom photograph > You check your inventory You are carrying: a workbag (open) a grey cloak a discomforter a box of doughnuts Cube 5 a strange gadget a bedroom photograph a hammer a leaflet a wallet a crowbar a business card a work folder (open but empty) a torn note a screwdriver a stone tablet a storeroom photograph

[Themes: Comedy, pirates] Dear Interactor, please type "transcript" inside the game after it starts. It will then create a logfile, which I would like to receive afterwards. Lectrote is automatically doing savegames. And you will find the "cheat sheet" for common commands inside the help-menu (only available in the electron version, otherwise go to mapping your journey will help. (start in the lower left)Deep in the west indies. The island of boredom. Just coming from the boat without puking, but still in a bad feeling. Your holidays starting for you to 1 reach the state of total boredomness. (ver sept2019 ifcomp) First Act - "Slipped into Adventure" You arrived at a nice beach, sandy, sunny. Overwhelming, but even better to the west behind a fence with a gate seems to be the holiday resort. The bold fence is against the poor natives maybe. But no offence you are just imagining yourself there, at the bar, in the pool, on the beach. You even feel the taste of cocktails on your tongue. Mouthwatering it is. So you tend to go west. Into the northern directions it looks dark and full of ugly insects. Thats the reason you booked your kind of active-holidays to stay in your save resorts. Not too much contact to natives or even nature. There is a guy behind a sewing machine. He seems to be focused at his work. Behind him is a wooden infoboard. To the south it opens right into the sea inviting to go south to take a bath. There is an inviting lounger in front of you, ready for you to get on it. There is this a guy working here. You can also see a gate here. [Author's Note: A tourist searching for total boredomness slips into an adventure and accidentally reveals the secret of a famous point'n'click adventure trilogy that never was. Maybe you want to visit "that island" again 29 years later, old enough to drink white russian wearing a bath robe.] > About yourself Shiny. On your wrist you can see zero wristbands. You are wearing the rucksack and trousers and holding the towel. > You examine the rucksack Yeah, a czech one. You can put all your stuff in it. It seems to have infinite space inside. > You examine the trousers worn out, but extremly comfortable. Your holiday trousers. > You examine towel This is, what every adventurer needs. Further needed: A brass lantern. and maybe a rope. > You look at the guy This beardy man with curly hair is sitting behind a sewing machine, stitching some cloth. He wears a name plate. > You examine the name plate "Tim" is written on it. > You look at the infoboard bad situation of being nearly extinct. > You examine the lounger Made out of bambus and looks comfy. It has a built in sunshade. MEANWHILE ... far away a ship, a black freighter takes course to jamaika after escaping from madagaskar. > Go west On this gate is written "For three wristbanded only" It seems to be opened only by Tim here watching the gate. Now he approaches you. So you stay here and await what he wants to tell you. Ahoj, what do ya want here? [1] I am Buyshrug Bridgeman and you? [2] I want to go into the holiday resort to find my way to total boredomness [3] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [4] Hello, I'm new in town. [5] What about the manatees? [6] Nothing > 2 Arrgh. Show me the three wristbands. [1] Which wristbands do you mean? > 1 Every _real_ adventurer and or tourist has to get the three wristbands first, before going into the resort. We offer them here for achieving pirate actions. This island was a pirates nest before. So we support traditional pirate actions. You can always see your achievements if you examine your wrist. [1] I am Buyshrug Bridgeman and you? [2] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [3] Hello, I'm new in town. [4] What about the manatees? [5] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [6] Nothing > 5 The pirate actions are prepared by us, you have to take one or more and afterwards come back and I will give you the appropriate wristband for achieving the actions goal. So you have to do all three of them. For now choose which pirate-action do you want to start. This week we have "treasure hunt", "getting marooned." and "barbacue." [1] Treasure hunt. [2] Getting marooned. [3] Barbecue. > 1 Arrrgh. classic. So let me tell you. We make the real life version of it, which means burrowing a treasure instead of looking for it. Thats the reason that your task is to hide this treasure I will give you. Its just about the chest, the content is yours if you want. He hands over a treasure. [1] I am Buyshrug Bridgeman and you? [2] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [3] Hello, I'm new in town. [4] What about the manatees? [5] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [6] Nothing > 4 Ah, the manatees. Such nice and friendly animals. But rarely seen on this island nowadays. My self-stitched ones seem to be the only manatees left on this island. You see that he is thinking of better times long ago. [1] I am Buyshrug Bridgeman and you? [2] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [3] Hello, I'm new in town. [4] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [5] Nothing > 1 I'm Tim and thats all you must know at the moment. [1] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [2] Hello, I'm new in town. [3] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [4] Nothing > 2 You hold just the treasure and the towel in your hands. Do you think, you have any chance to survive here? [1] Sure, i'm not only a tourist, I'm a real adventurer. [2] No. I will stay. End of discussion. > 2 "So we have to deal with you and You want me to tolerate your face, everytime you come along?" [1] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [2] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [3] Nothing > 3 Bye. This sandy spot is hot, really hot. Besides that there is only the bush around the beach and it opens to the sea and a far away horizon. It makes you feel undrunken, thirsty, wanting to go west into the holiday resort. There is Tim behind a sewing machine. He seems to be focused at his work. Behind the sewing machine is an wooden infoboard. A path leads north to a jungle spot and northeast to a jungle path. A narrow trail follows the fence to northwest. To the south it opens right into the sea inviting to go south to take a bath. There is an inviting lounger in front of you, ready for you to get on it. Tim is sitting here. You can also see a gate here. > You examine the treasure Its made out of plastic and has a really cheap look and feel. MEANWHILE ... talking and planning an attack on a wealthy tourist camp. > Go north No, you can't imagine any reason to put even a baby step into the jungle. The guy with the Tim name plate watches interested as you hesitate to go north. > You go to the northeast There is a creek flowing from northwest down to southeast, where it ends in a river mouth. a path along the creek's bank follows the same direction. A wooden bridge leads northeast deeper into the jungle and exits also to southwest back to the boring beach. tube. Its connected to That guys helmet to provide oxygen. That guy stands here and seems to wait for something. > You talk to that the guy That guy opens the visor of his diving helmet, so he is able to communicate with you. "Whats up?" [1] Ahoj, my brain just told me that you have to be Dave. Are you? [2] Are you waiting for something specific? [3] I'm an adventurer, spending my holidays on this island. [4] Hey, I like the lanterns matching your helmet. [5] Do you keep any wristbands for pirate actions? [6] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing > 5 No, this isn't me. I live from the fruits in the jungle and I'm still trying to find my way out of the complete boredomness. So my hope is to either find the secret of that island or to start a business in blue hole diving. [1] Ahoj, my brain just told me that you have to be Dave. Are you? [2] Are you waiting for something specific? [3] I'm an adventurer, spending my holidays on this island. [4] Hey, I like the lanterns matching your helmet. [5] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing > 2 Sure. I'm planning my next dive. There is a horizontal passage down there. I assume it leads into a "Blue Hole". [1] What is a Blue Hole? > 1 It is very deep vertical cave with a special flora and fauna. They can be that deep so that fresh and salty water are mixing in them. They can have long horizontal arms. When I'm right and one of them is ending here, we could sell diving trips into it. [1] Ahoj, my brain just told me that you have to be Dave. Are you? [2] I'm an adventurer, spending my holidays on this island. [3] Hey, I like the lanterns matching your helmet. [4] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing > 1 Yes thats me. [1] I'm an adventurer, spending my holidays on this island. [2] Hey, I like the lanterns matching your helmet. [3] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing > 1 Really? Would be great to talk to a guy with many wristbands. Show me yours. [1] Hey, I like the lanterns matching your helmet. [2] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing > 1 Can you please go, I have some serious work going on. And yes, I'm not an interested member of the steampunk society. [1] What kind of serious work do you mean? [2] Are you diving for something special? > 1 about. [1] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing MEANWHILE ... party noise from direction of the holiday resort. > You look There is a creek flowing from northwest down to southeast, where it ends in a river mouth. a path along the creek's bank follows the same direction. A wooden bridge leads northeast deeper into the jungle and exits also to southwest back to the boring beach. tube. Its connected to Daves helmet to provide oxygen. tell you. > You go to the northeast Jungle. You're in it. Deeper than you expected. suddenly green plants all around you and really near. Leaves tickeling your neck. It remembers you to tv documentaries about these little poisenous green snakes. You freeze your steps, so you are really able to turn around rather quickly and step back. Its the path southwest a bit more near to the sea that you know and you could walk there fast. now. There is also a passage to northeast. > Go northeast flowers. Yellow flowers all around. They look familiar. Not that you've seen them in real life. Something special is about this flower. In a way there seems to be a relationship with your first kind-of-beard. There are two passages one to the southwest and one to the east. > You look at the flowers Yellow. > Smell flowers From flowers you smell Strong, uncomfortable, like wanting to vomit. > Go east You find yourself trapped in a well made bambus field labyrinth. Green bambus all around. You hear the strong currents breaking against the shore far down the hill. You remember you can leave trying to go west. MEANWHILE ... right thing in your mouth now. > You go east You hate mazes, but no chance to workaround you have to find an exit. But here wasn't one. You can't go that way. > You go south Also this try leads not back to a trail or something. You can't go that way. > Go north ...Hours of labyrinth-running later... because you're just standing right on the tip of a cliff. A fresh wind blows against your face. Really small at the horizon you notice a ship with eight sails. Right. Sails. A ship seeming to be a ghost from another time. Maybe its a museums sail. You will later have a look if its coming nearer or not. You can go down to the south back to the bambus field. That ship at the horizon lets you ponder about its purpose. > You look at the ship Strange it looks like escaped from a pirates movie film set. It seems to be black, including the sails. > Dig You dig your first hole in the ground. > You put the treasure in Hole You put the treasure into the first hole. > You cover Hole You close the hole with some dirt. You stamped hard on it. Nobody should find its location. Its even hard for yourself. Yes, you're sure that you achieved the goal because the treasure is now perfectly hidden in a hole not even you are able to find it again. MEANWHILE ... on the black freighter? > You go to the south You find yourself trapped in a well made bambus field labyrinth. Green bambus all around. You hear the strong currents breaking against the shore far down the hill. You know the path to the west right into the flower bed. You know a path to the north, to have a nice view around. > You go west flowers. Yellow flowers all around. They look familiar. Not that you've seen them in real life. Something special is about this flower. In a way there seems to be a relationship with your first kind-of-beard. There are two passages one to the southwest and one to the east. > You go southwest Jungle. You're in it. Deeper than you expected. suddenly green plants all around you and really near. Leaves tickeling your neck. It remembers you to tv documentaries about these little poisenous green snakes. You freeze your steps, so you are really able to turn around rather quickly and step back. Its the path southwest a bit more near to the sea that you know and you could walk there fast. now. There is also a passage to northeast. > Go southwest "I see, your treasure is well hidden somewhere you can't even find yourself." and Tim puts the wristband for the treasure hunt over your wrist. This sandy spot is hot, really hot. Besides that there is only the bush around the beach and it opens to the sea and a far away horizon. It makes you feel undrunken, thirsty, wanting to go west into the holiday resort. There is Tim behind a sewing machine. He seems to be focused at his work. Behind the sewing machine is an wooden infoboard. A path leads north to a jungle spot and northeast to a jungle path. A narrow trail follows the fence to northwest. To the south it opens right into the sea inviting to go south to take a bath. There is an inviting lounger in front of you, ready for you to get on it. Tim is sitting here. You can also see a gate here. > You talk to Tim Ahoj, what do ya want here? [1] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [2] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [3] About that pirate ship at the horizon... [4] Nothing > 3 Outch, thanks. I have to inform Dave and Ron about it. [1] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [2] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [3] Nothing > 2 The pirate actions are prepared by us, you have to take one or more and afterwards come back and I will give you the appropriate wristband for achieving the actions goal. So you have to do all three of them. For now choose which pirate-action do you want to start. This week we have "treasure hunt", "getting marooned." and "barbacue." [1] Treasure hunt. [2] Getting marooned. [3] Barbecue. > 2 now? [1] Yes, want it. Now. I wanna have as much boredomness afterwards as possible. [2] No way. I don't want your silly pirate stuff. > 1 Well played junior adventurer. He blindfolds you, some hands grapping you. You feel abducted deep into the jungle. You find yourself trapped in a well made bambus field labyrinth. Green bambus all around. But contrary to your imagination of marooning, it seems quite un-dangerous and you don't even received a gun. You hear the strong currents breaking against the shore far down the hill. You know the path to the west right into the flower bed. You know a path to the north, to have a nice view around. > Go southwest Tim waves at you and presents you the achieved wristband for surviving the marooning pirate action. He puts around your wrist. Proudly and in hope to get into the ressort soon, you're awaiting your total boredomness. This sandy spot is hot, really hot. Besides that there is only the bush around the beach and it opens to the sea and a far away horizon. It makes you feel undrunken, thirsty, wanting to go west into the holiday resort. There is Tim behind a sewing machine. He seems to be focused at his work. Behind the sewing machine is an wooden infoboard. A path leads north to a jungle spot and northeast to a jungle path. A narrow trail follows the fence to northwest. To the south it opens right into the sea inviting to go south to take a bath. There is an inviting lounger in front of you, ready for you to get on it. Tim is sitting here. You can also see a gate here. > About yourself Shiny. On your wrist you can see two wristbands. You are wearing marooned wristband, treasure-wristband, the rucksack and trousers and holding the towel. > You talk to Tim Ahoj, what do ya want here? [1] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [2] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [3] Nothing > 3 Listen. It's all about manatees in this task. You will get the manatee-wristband, if you catch one with a fishing rod and appropriate bait. You can get your tools from Ron in the small market as you see to the east at the river mouth. [1] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [2] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [3] Nothing > You go to the south You go a few steps into the water. Its warmer than expected. Maybe you would go for a swim. But in sight of this beach, so you will have it easy to find your way back. So you choosed to stay at the beach > Go east You can see right there the shortest connection to the river mouth and the small market. But caused by the coast line you have to go to the northeast and then southeast afterwards. > Go southeast The fresh water delutes itself into the salty sea. The way back follows upstream to northwest. There is also a cableway leading from a bullwheel here to somewhere over the sea. There stands Ron like he wants to sell some stuff. You can also see a fruit table (on which are a durian and a fishing rod) and pile of meat here. > You look at the durian This looks like a durian. Wonderful. For such a long time you wanted to take a nose and taste it. > You examine rod Thats a strong looking fishing rod with a fishhook. You're not quiet sure, if its believable to catch such a big animal like a manatee with this tiny rod. And what about the bait? > You look at Ron Looks like a pirate that stood for a long time at the same place. > You look at the meat Not appetizing, but its really a big pile of meat. It goes up to the height of your hip. Stitched together it would be large enough to cover a human. > You talk to Ron Ahoj. [1] Hi. I'm Buyshrug, who are you? [2] Nice fishing rod, exactly the one I need. [3] Can I get this fruit? [4] About that pirate ship at the horizon... [5] What about those people already inside the holiday resort? [6] I have to go. Bye. > 4 I'm watching the coast line carefully. [1] Hi. I'm Buyshrug, who are you? [2] Nice fishing rod, exactly the one I need. [3] Can I get this fruit? [4] What about those people already inside the holiday resort? [5] I have to go. Bye. > 2 Sure. I heard you are on the manatee hunt. Good luck. And yes, you can have this fishing rod. Someone forgot it here or maybe its just floatsam. inventory. [1] Hi. I'm Buyshrug, who are you? [2] Can I get this fruit? [3] What about those people already inside the holiday resort? [4] I have to go. Bye. > 3 They are from yensid, the company that bought ours. [1] Hi. I'm Buyshrug, who are you? [2] Can I get this fruit? [3] I have to go. Bye. > 1 I am an electronic story teller. Or better: I was. [1] What happened? > 1 Our big boss was following his own plan. [1] Who was your boss? [2] Which plan, do you know it? > 2 It was all about an old pirate secret that's still unrevealed. L. the boss of Sacul Film. The famous maker of "Planet Peace" does anything to get it. [1] Do you know what this secret is? > 1 Not really. But it seems, we discovered important hints to reveal it during research for our project. [1] Can I get this fruit? [2] I have to go. Bye. > 1 Sure, take a bite. [1] I have to go. Bye. > 1 Bye. The fresh water delutes itself into the salty sea. The way back follows upstream to northwest. There is also a cableway leading from a bullwheel here to somewhere over the sea. There stands Ron like he wants to sell some stuff. You can also see a fruit table and pile of meat here. > You take the meat Ron behind the table squeezes his eyes shut, he doesn't want you to just pick up the meat. > You wear the meat (first taking pile of meat) Ron behind the table squeezes his eyes shut, he doesn't want you to just pick up the meat. > You put the meat in the rucksack (You open the rucksack first.) (first taking pile of meat) Ron behind the table squeezes his eyes shut, he doesn't want you to just pick up the meat. > You look The fresh water delutes itself into the salty sea. The way back follows upstream to northwest. There is also a cableway leading from a bullwheel here to somewhere over the sea. There stands Ron like he wants to sell some stuff. You can also see a fruit table and pile of meat here. > Fish What do you want to fish? > Sea No, there is a better purpose. Trust me. > You go northwest There is a creek flowing from northwest down to southeast, where it ends in a river mouth. a path along the creek's bank follows the same direction. A wooden bridge leads northeast deeper into the jungle and exits also to southwest back to the boring beach. tube. Its connected to Daves helmet to provide oxygen. tell you. > Go northwest water and swim against the stream. Don't forget you are here to get total boredomnes. > You talk to Dave Dave opens the visor of his diving helmet, so he is able to communicate with you. "Whats up?" [1] About that pirate ship at the horizon... [2] Hey whats your relation to the people of yensid down inside the resort? [3] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing > 2 Not my problem, but I want to be part of the revenge. Hopefully getting rich afterwards. [1] About that pirate ship at the horizon... [2] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing > 1 Now time counts, we have to get earlier to the secret. [1] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing > You go southwest This sandy spot is hot, really hot. Besides that there is only the bush around the beach and it opens to the sea and a far away horizon. It makes you feel undrunken, thirsty, wanting to go west into the holiday resort. There is Tim behind a sewing machine. He seems to be focused at his work. Behind the sewing machine is an wooden infoboard. A path leads north to a jungle spot and northeast to a jungle path. A narrow trail follows the fence to northwest. To the south it opens right into the sea inviting to go south to take a bath. There is an inviting lounger in front of you, ready for you to get on it. Tim is sitting here. You can also see a gate here. > You go north As you were evaluating to go or not to go into the bush, the guy with the Tim name plate approaches you and begins to speak. Ahoj, what do ya want here? [1] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [2] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [3] Can you tell me something about the people of yensid inside the resort? [4] Nothing > 3 They conquered, what was ours once and with their money. They support L.´s quest for the secret of ... But I better keep my mouth shut. [1] Watch out. I'm a mighty tourist [2] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [3] Nothing > 1 Arrgh. Show me the three wristbands. [1] Which wristbands do you mean? > 1 Every _real_ adventurer and or tourist has to get the three wristbands first, before going into the resort. We offer them here for achieving pirate actions. This island was a pirates nest before. So we support traditional pirate actions. You can always see your achievements if you examine your wrist. [1] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [2] Nothing > You examine the machine It's an original singer. One of these original foot-driven ones. Not one of the current generation with the plastic crapability for a shorter device life. Sewing machine is currently switched off. > You turn on the machine You don't want to do anything with that machine. These machines were introduced in your life as extremely dangerous by your grandma. > You look at the bridge Its stable as a rock and it is made out of, you guessed it already.. wooden rocks. > You go southwest This sandy spot is hot, really hot. Besides that there is only the bush around the beach and it opens to the sea and a far away horizon. It makes you feel undrunken, thirsty, wanting to go west into the holiday resort. There is Tim behind a sewing machine. He seems to be focused at his work. Behind the sewing machine is an wooden infoboard. A path leads north to a jungle spot and northeast to a jungle path. A narrow trail follows the fence to northwest. To the south it opens right into the sea inviting to go south to take a bath. There is an inviting lounger in front of you, ready for you to get on it. Tim is sitting here. You can also see a gate here. > You look at the infoboard bad situation of being nearly extinct. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a durian a fishing rod marooned wristband (being worn) treasure-wristband (being worn) a rucksack (being worn and open) a brass lantern an ubuntu cd sustainable food a towel trousers (being worn) > You look at the cd shipping. > Fish manatee No, there is a better purpose. Trust me. > You examine the machine Diving apparatus is currently switched off. > You examine the helmet Thats what you call a perfect costume for every steampunk party. > You go to the northeast Jungle. You're in it. Deeper than you expected. suddenly green plants all around you and really near. Leaves tickeling your neck. It remembers you to tv documentaries about these little poisenous green snakes. You freeze your steps, so you are really able to turn around rather quickly and step back. Its the path southwest a bit more near to the sea that you know and you could walk there fast. now. There is also a passage to northeast. > Go north because you're just standing right on the tip of a cliff. A fresh wind blows against your face. Really small at the horizon you notice a ship with eight sails. Right. Sails. A ship seeming to be a ghost from another time. Maybe its a museums sail. You will later have a look if its coming nearer or not. You can go down to the south back to the bambus field. > You go to the north-west That was a nice try to jump over your shadow into the bushes, but it leads nowhere. So you went back into the bambus. You can't go that way.

[Themes: Comedy] > You go downwards flowers. Yellow flowers all around. They look familiar. Not that you've seen them in real life. Something special is about this flower. In a way there seems to be a relationship with your first kind-of-beard. There are two passages one to the southwest and one to the east. You'll have to get out of flower bed first. > You examine the cableway The cableway basket is empty. > You enter the basket The cableway basket is out of reach. > You look at the wheel Its a wooden bullwheel to lead a long rope around it. Its a bit rotten, but looks sturdy enough to be still trustworthy. Someone carved "steps" into the mast to make it easy to climb on it. > Climb wheel Yes, you are right. You could climb up this mast and get into that cableway. But there are not yet enough reasons for you to do so. > You examine the manatee Its an unnameable patchwork at the moment, but you guess it will become a manatee or gorilla or whatsoever. > You go to the south Yes you want it and time is enough. You go deeper up to you hips into the sea water. Its still clear, you are able to see the ground. After some minutes walk you get back to the beach. You dry fast in the hot sun. > You sit on the lounger Without your towel on it? > You put towel on the lounger You put the towel on the lounger. > You remove trousers You take off trousers. > You sit on the lounger You lay down and try to relax, but too much is to be done. So you get off the lounger soon. Your adventure is waiting. And crack! as you tried to get up again, the lounger broke under your weight. > You wear the towel (first taking the towel) You put on the towel. > You look at the lounger The broken pieces of the once comfy looking lounger are looking at you searching for revenge. the towel is dropping from your hips. > About yourself Shiny. On your wrist you can see two wristbands. You are wearing the towel, marooned wristband, treasure-wristband and the rucksack and holding the durian, the fishing rod and trousers. the towel is dropped from your hips. > You wear the trousers You put on trousers. > Go north No. > You get the manatee That's hardly portable. > You talk to Dave Dave opens the visor of his diving helmet, so he is able to communicate with you. "Whats up?" [1] Do you keep any wristbands for pirate actions? [2] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing > 1 No, this isn't me. I live from the fruits in the jungle and I'm still trying to find my way out of the complete boredomness. So my hope is to either find the secret of that island or to start a business in blue hole diving. [1] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing > 1 Bye. There is a creek flowing from northwest down to southeast, where it ends in a river mouth. a path along the creek's bank follows the same direction. A wooden bridge leads northeast deeper into the jungle and exits also to southwest back to the boring beach. tube. Its connected to Daves helmet to provide oxygen. tell you. > Dive No. You don't want to dive into that water. The first thing you want is to get into that holiday resort even if you have to earn those three wristbands in the first place. > Go northwest water and swim against the stream. Don't forget you are here to get total boredomnes. > You look at the leaves Barely penetrable jungle. Not only because its physical impossible. Also because of you not wanting to go inside. > Wave durian You look ridiculous waving the durian. > You eat flower (first taking flowers) No, you don't want to nearly-kill puppies. > Swim No way. > You talk to Ron Ahoj. [1] aehm.. what about this pile of meat over here? [2] I have to go. Bye. > 1 Get your fingers off it! Good meals are rare in these times. Except you can give me a good alternative, maybe a bit more sustaining? [1] about... that meat again.. [2] I have to go. Bye. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a durian a fishing rod marooned wristband (being worn) treasure-wristband (being worn) a rucksack (being worn and open) a brass lantern an ubuntu cd sustainable food trousers (being worn) > You examine the food You don't want to eat it, until you're in peril of your nearly starved away life. > You show the food to Ron (first taking sustainable food) Ron is unimpressed. > You give the food to Ron Ron looks thankfully and quickly pocket the sustainable food from you. He adds that for his sake you can take the meat pile. But under one condition, if you promise to create something really special out of it. > You put the meat in the sack (first taking pile of meat) Now it's okay for him, so you are allowed to take it. of meat. You put pile of meat into the rucksack. > Go southwest This sandy spot is hot, really hot. Besides that there is only the bush around the beach and it opens to the sea and a far away horizon. It makes you feel undrunken, thirsty, wanting to go west into the holiday resort. There is Tim behind a sewing machine. He seems to be focused at his work. Behind the sewing machine is an wooden infoboard. A path leads north to a jungle spot and northeast to a jungle path. A narrow trail follows the fence to northwest. To the south it opens right into the sea inviting to go south to take a bath. The broken lounger stands before you, reminding yourself of your little overweight. Tim is sitting here. You can also see a gate and a towel here. > You talk to Tim Ahoj, what do ya want here? [1] I know you like stitching manatees. My question is, are you also able to create one just out of this pile of meat? [2] What about the manatees? [3] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [4] Nothing > 1 Sure it seems to be big enough to make a suit out of it. and he takes it, stitches and stitches... ..and hours later... ... it is a manatee suit. He gives you the manatee suit. [1] What about the manatees? [2] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [3] Nothing > 1 Ah, the manatees. Such nice and friendly animals. But rarely seen on this island nowadays. My self-stitched ones seem to be the only manatees left on this island. You see that he is thinking of better times long ago. [1] Tell me more about the pirate actions. [2] Nothing > 2 Bye. This sandy spot is hot, really hot. Besides that there is only the bush around the beach and it opens to the sea and a far away horizon. It makes you feel undrunken, thirsty, wanting to go west into the holiday resort. There is Tim behind a sewing machine. He seems to be focused at his work. Behind the sewing machine is an wooden infoboard. A path leads north to a jungle spot and northeast to a jungle path. A narrow trail follows the fence to northwest. To the south it opens right into the sea inviting to go south to take a bath. The broken lounger stands before you, reminding yourself of your little overweight. Tim is sitting here. You can also see a gate and a towel here. > You wear the suit You put on the manatee suit. > About yourself Shiny. On your wrist you can see two wristbands. You are wearing the manatee suit, marooned wristband, treasure-wristband, the rucksack and trousers and holding the durian and the fishing rod. > You go south You don't want to go again into the water for now, because you still remember how it feels. > Go north No. > You talk to Dave Ahhh, oh fuck...a talking manatee. Is that you? Dave opens the visor of his diving helmet, so he is able to communicate with you. Ahhh, help! Oh its you. You frightened me wearing that manatee suit. [1] Ey. About my great idea. I want to offer you a deal. If you dive into that creek wearing this manatee suit, I'll fish you near the river mouth, so ron is able to see it and I'm getting the wristband. wouldn't it be great? [2] I'll leave you... sitting around doing nothing > 1 Do you think i'm completely dull? But... hmm. No, not without a cause. [1] What about a durian as your fishing bait? [2] I can't imagine anything to wake your interest. > 1 That sounds like a fair deal. So give me the suit. You can't believe your eyes as Dave wears the manatee suit, coming near the water and plouf, out of sight and within a blink of an eye he vanishes between the plants under water. You fairly see him, when he leaves into the direction of river mouth to the southeast. > You go southeast The fresh water delutes itself into the salty sea. The way back follows upstream to northwest. There is also a cableway leading from a bullwheel here to somewhere over the sea. Looking a bit awkward, the fake manatee swims here. There stands Ron like he wants to sell some stuff. You can also see a fruit table here. > Fish manatee You already have that. After putting the fishhook into the water it was all Daves show. He grabbed the hook. Rons big eyes were able to see this giant, wet and shiny meat-man manatee getting out of the water. Not shivering but with a nod that meant respect he came over to you and put the manatee wristband around your wrist. apparatus. e-v-e-r-y time and they ran into the bush. Vanishing until you lose sight of any of them. > You go northwest There is a creek flowing from northwest down to southeast, where it ends in a river mouth. a path along the creek's bank follows the same direction. A wooden bridge leads northeast deeper into the jungle and exits also to southwest back to the boring beach. tube. > You go to the southwest This sandy spot is hot, really hot. Besides that there is only the bush around the beach and it opens to the sea and a far away horizon. It makes you feel undrunken, thirsty, wanting to go west into the holiday resort. Behind the sewing machine is an wooden infoboard. A path leads north to a jungle spot and northeast to a jungle path. A narrow trail follows the fence to northwest. To the south it opens right into the sea inviting to go south to take a bath. The broken lounger stands before you, reminding yourself of your little overweight. You can also see a gate and a towel here. > You go west (first opening the gate) Slowly you try to open that gate and it really moves. So you put you first step into the resort ready to go west. Finally. You are right in the middle between the bar, the pool,the swimming spot and even the theater stage. You can see a gate, a bar (on which are white russian and vodka), a red lounger (on which is a bath robe), a comfy seat and a bottle of rum here. You noticed that something is going on on this Island. Your wish to get boredomness is blown away. You smell salty air and your taste for adventure awakes... You are right in the middle between the bar, the pool,the swimming spot and even the theater stage. You can see a gate, a bar (on which are white russian and vodka), a red lounger (on which is a bath robe), a comfy seat and a bottle of rum here. > You check your inventory You are carrying: manatee wristband (being worn) a durian a fishing rod marooned wristband (being worn) treasure-wristband (being worn) a rucksack (being worn and open) a brass lantern an ubuntu cd trousers (being worn) The people are seated. Its getting quieter. The people are looking at the stage. > You wear the bath robe (first taking the bath robe) You put on the bath robe. The play begins. The first actors in pirate costumes are beginning to sing. It hurts your brain. But hey, its your holidays. > You take the bottle Taken. There is a woman as the main act singing pirate jenny. Singing of the ship the black freighter and with eight sails coming to kill the whole village. It remembers you of the ship you watched yourself during your journey over this very island. > You take russian Taken. Suddenly you hear an explosion from behind. Immediatly you turn your head to the sea. And the black ship with eight sails appeared. A pillar of smoke arises over a cannon. In that second, a next cannon is fired and you are able to follow the canon ball with your own eyes. You have to turn your head and half believing what you see, the cannonball goes down in the middle of the stage and breaks the wodden planks. Should you stay or should you go? 1 - I should stay. 2 - I should go. > 1 You decided to stay here, enjoying the show. What breaks out is: The bunch of tourists is that frightened, that they are fleeing in different directions. But they are trapped within the massive bold fence. A next canonball goes down and an awful smell is streaming out of it. your stomach wants to return the windbeutel. You bend over and ... ... a hard smack... you lose consciousness After recovering you found yourself in an unknown place. A place thats moving. Up and down. You guessed right... the small porthole on one side assured it to you that you are on a ship. A wooden room inside a ship. You feel the waves. There is just a four-poster bed and a pot of water in it and a porthole to the north shows the way onto the sea. A single cabin door is to the south. You can see a four-poster bed (on which is an inflated deflatable mattress) and pot (empty) here. > You check your inventory You are carrying: white russian a bottle of rum a bath robe (being worn) manatee wristband (being worn) a durian a fishing rod marooned wristband (being worn) treasure-wristband (being worn) a rucksack (being worn and open) a brass lantern an ubuntu cd trousers (being worn) > You examine the pot No pot inside this pot. > You take the pot Taken. > You pull the plug A flush of water flows to the floor and vanishes under the door. > You look at the porthole Looking through the porthole, you see a beautiful island spread at the horizon. To far to swim without any support, but close enough to reach it by your own muscular strength. In its frame its written "Carlos II" but someone scratched over it and now you can read "Fancy" instead. > You go south (first opening the cabin door) It seems to be locked. > You open the porthole You open the porthole. > You enter the porthole (together with the empty mattress) ocean Its still far away to the coast line to the north. Directly behind your back is the sloop or ketch you just used to call them boats. To the other directions is just open sea and you don't want to explore that any further. > Inflate mattress until its filled. As fast as possible, you put the plug back in so the mattress stays full. > You go to the north island. But near enough to achieve it by swimming, the mattress itself decided to sink into the deeper parts of the ocean as you where riding it. Together with a curious feeling to explore that new place you reached it after noticing it was more far away than you thought and your body was not really easy in managing swimming to the island. ...but... *** THE END (of this act) *** ### NEXT ACT - "Discovering the Secret of Monkey Island" ### ... sand in your ears, sand in your mouth, between your teeth. You even feel like you're breathing sand. And you try to take a look around. the sun is shining and burnt your back. But hey, you're still wearing your trousers. You see lots of footprints, like a very big group of people was here and leaving into the jungle to the north where you can see a big rock high above the tallest trees. In the middle of this beach is a lonely banana tree. Making you think, it was escaping the jungle behind him to the north. Far away to the northwest it leads halfway up to a volcano. To the south is water, just water and the ship, the black freighter, you remember from the pirate opera on the other island. You can see skinny pig and an uhuru here. > You examine the pig Its really skinny. > You examine uhuru Impressive, that very rare parrot is a black uhuru and it has a fleety foot. > You examine tree Three times taller than you and at the top there are some bananas. > You examine Volcano The Volcano rises very steeply to the northwest from here. It seems not to be active anymore. > Inventory You are carrying: pot white russian a bottle of rum a bath robe (being worn) manatee wristband (being worn) a durian a fishing rod marooned wristband (being worn) treasure-wristband (being worn) a rucksack (being worn and open) a brass lantern an ubuntu cd trousers (being worn) > You take all brass lantern: Taken. ubuntu cd: Taken. > You take the pig Sometimes you surprise yourself. You just managed to pick up a pig. > Kiss pig Keep your mind on the game. > You continue ... and nothing happens. > You look Hot light sand all around. In the middle of this beach is a lonely banana tree. Making you think, it was escaping the jungle behind him to the north. Far away to the northwest it leads halfway up to a volcano. To the south is water, just water and the ship, the black freighter, you remember from the pirate opera on the other island. You can see an uhuru here. > You go to the north slowly feeling your way forward.. "Beware the three-headed monkey!!!" says a nicely painted sign. You can look deep down a dried out canyon edge. Its dark down there. A trail leads back south to the banana tree and north into the direction of the big rock. You can also go northeast . The sign about the three-headed monkey makes you wonder. You can see a rope here. > You examine the rope A quite robust kind of rope. You noticed a large animal vanishing into the bush. Had it really three heads?? > You go north You are standing in front of a big rock. You see a stream bed flowing through its streambed to the north and to the east. There are the remains of a dam that stopped the flow to the east before. One way to the west and a way to the east. To the south leads the way back into the direction of the banana tree beach or you just climb up this big rock to get an view over this island. > You go north The bed of this stream is armored with rocks, some very rounded (having had a longer life in the stream) and some not. > You go south You are standing in front of a big rock. You see a stream bed flowing through its streambed to the north and to the east. There are the remains of a dam that stopped the flow to the east before. One way to the west and a way to the east. To the south leads the way back into the direction of the banana tree beach or you just climb up this big rock to get an view over this island. Is this three-headed gorilla sized monkey following you? > You climb rock You are halfway up this rock. You can go further up to the top or down to the dam. You can see a maybe catapult here. > You examine the catapult Its not operating with electricity. Its somekind of catapult and big chunks of stone can be thrown with it. > Go upward You have a great view in every direction of this little island. In the north you can see a small village made of straw huts. Looking really na(t)ive. Beneath your feet you can see the strange device directly, so you could throw stuff on it. You can only go down from here. Far away, you could bet you have seen a three-headed gorilla. > You look at the village In the north you can see a small village made of straw huts. Looking really na(t)ive. You can't see it clearly, so you better go there. > You go north In the middle stands a very fine and comfy looking straw hut. It looks like a museum showing the former life of natives, but it still seems to be used. > Go inside You can't go that way. No sign of any ape. > You climb the hut I don't think much is to be achieved by that. Still no sign of any ape. Where could it be? > Go west On a banner is written "Hermans Lounge". There is an old man sleeping here. You guessed thats Herman. Two paths lead out of here. One to the east and one to southeast. You can see herman and a pigsty (closed) here. > You open pigsty Fuuuuck, there is pig number one, pig number two, pig number three, pig number four, pig number five, pig number six, pig number seven, pig number eight, pig number nine and pig number ten running out of it. You open the pigsty, revealing a pig magnet. > You take the magnet Yes, disgusting but you managed to take it. > You look at the magnet those pigs "stick" to it. > You examine the pig Which do you mean, pig number ten, pig number nine, pig number eight, pig number six, pig number four, pig number three, pig number one, the pig magnet or skinny pig? > You take the pig one Sometimes you surprise yourself. You just managed to pick up a pig. > Inventory You are carrying: pig number ten pig number nine pig number eight pig number six pig number four pig number three pig number one a pig magnet a rope skinny pig pot white russian a bottle of rum a bath robe (being worn) manatee wristband (being worn) a durian a fishing rod marooned wristband (being worn) treasure-wristband (being worn) a rucksack (being worn and open) a brass lantern an ubuntu cd trousers (being worn) > You look On a banner is written "Hermans Lounge". This Human shaped floatsam is still alive and pretends to sleep here. Two paths lead out of here. One to the east and one to southeast. You can see pig number five, herman and a pigsty (empty) here. > You talk to Herman silence that he deserves. Do you carry anything drinkable? [1] ahoj [2] What's the secret of this island? [3] Do you have a banana picker? [4] Ahem, is this stuff all earwax that is coming out of your head? [5] I better go. > 1 silence that he deserves. Do you carry anything drinkable? [1] What's the secret of this island? [2] Do you have a banana picker? [3] Ahem, is this stuff all earwax that is coming out of your head? [4] I better go. > 1 Sure, I know it very well. Its in a cave beneath that island. I can't go there anymore. So i will be pleased if you bring me some of it. [1] And where is the entrance of that cave? > 1 I don't want to kill the tension right away. You should find your own way. [1] Do you have a banana picker? [2] Ahem, is this stuff all earwax that is coming out of your head? [3] I better go. > 1 No, its broken. The Vegibals broke my famous banana picker. [1] Ahem, is this stuff all earwax that is coming out of your head? [2] I better go. > 1 Earwax? I have all sorts of scumm(tm) in any hole of my body. [1] I better go. > 1 Bye. On a banner is written "Hermans Lounge". Herman pretends to sleep here. Two paths lead out of here. One to the east and one to southeast. You can see herman and a pigsty (empty) here. > You go southeast The Ship is gone !! Hot light sand all around. In the middle of this beach is a lonely banana tree. Making you think, it was escaping the jungle behind him to the north. Far away to the northwest it leads halfway up to a volcano. To the south is water, just water. You can see tiny pig and an uhuru here. > You take the pig (tiny pig) Sometimes you surprise yourself. You just managed to pick up a pig. > You go north slowly feeling your way forward.. You can look deep down a dried out canyon edge. Its dark down there. A trail leads back south to the banana tree and north to the dam into the direction of the big rock. You can also go northeast . The sign about the three-headed monkey makes you wonder. > Go northeast There is a pond with water and in the middle is a swimming hut. You can enter the hut or leave this place to the west or east or southwest to the canyon edge. A sign on top of the huts entrance says "homoepathy" it hangs on top of an older one saying "voodoo". Or you can go down right into the water, where you see something that looks like a big stopper. You can see pink pig here. > You take the pig Which do you mean, fat pig, pink pig, tiny pig, pig number five, pig number ten, pig number nine, pig number eight, pig number six, pig number four, pig number three, pig number one, the pig magnet or skinny pig? > You look at the hut How cool is that. A swimming hut. Nailed together out of floatsam wood, definitely a work of art. So still looking like a house of mojo....but now focusing on homoe-something. > You enter the hut Still looking like a house of mojo....but now focusing on homoe-something. You can see the door to the backroom, fat pig, huge pig and ex-voodoo lady here. > You examine lady Grey hair, red glasses. With this look to be some steps above you. Even if there are no stairs. > You talk to the lady You look so deluted, can I be of any help? [1] Hi, why is it about homoepathy now, I thought this place is about voodoo. [2] What's the secret of this island? [3] What about the Giant Q-Tip? [4] Do you have anything against earwax? [5] I am more into knowledge than believes, bye. > 1 Voodoo is some esoteric non-working nonsene, I needed to help and establish something proven. Sorry, I have to complete bashing this bottle on this leather bound book. [1] What's the secret of this island? [2] What about the Giant Q-Tip? [3] Do you have anything against earwax? [4] I am more into knowledge than believes, bye. > 1 I will always respect their deities. [1] What about the Giant Q-Tip? [2] Do you have anything against earwax? [3] I am more into knowledge than believes, bye. > 1 You ask me for some university medicine? I have something better, which means homoepathic, for you. I will rattle it 4 days, then you can come back and its strong enough to help. She went into the backroom and gets a big glass full of earwax!? [1] I am more into knowledge than believes, bye. > 1 Bye. Still looking like a house of mojo....but now focusing on homoe-something. You can see earwax, the door to the backroom and ex-voodoo lady here. > You examine the earwax Ugly would be too nice to describe this unnameable mass. > Go outside There is a pond with water and in the middle is a swimming hut. You can enter the hut or leave this place to the west or east or southwest to the canyon edge. A sign on top of the huts entrance says "homoepathy" it hangs on top of an older one saying "voodoo". Or you can go down right into the water, where you see something that looks like a big stopper.

> Go downwards You jump right inside the dark water depths of the pond. You are under water (again) and you try your best to see things in that murky water. You can exit swimming up. You can see the big stopper here. > You take the stopper That's fixed in place. > Examine stopper You see nothing special about the big stopper. You can't hold your breath for 10 minutes like others do, so you get up and out of the water immediatly. There is a pond with water and in the middle is a swimming hut. You can enter the hut or leave this place to the west or east or southwest to the canyon edge. A sign on top of the huts entrance says "homoepathy" it hangs on top of an older one saying "voodoo". Or you can go down right into the water, where you see something that looks like a big stopper. > Go west You are standing in front of a big rock. You see a stream bed flowing through its streambed to the north and to the east. There are the remains of a dam that stopped the flow to the east before. One way to the west to hermans fort and a way to the east to the pond. To the south leads the way back into the direction of the banana tree beach or you just climb up this big rock to get an view over this island. > Go west On a banner is written "Hermans Lounge". Herman pretends to sleep here. Two paths lead out of here. One to the east and one to southeast. You can see herman and a pigsty (empty) here. > You talk to Herman silence that he deserves. Do you carry anything drinkable? [1] I better go. > Inventory You are carrying: huge pig fat pig pink pig tiny pig pig number five pig number ten pig number nine pig number eight pig number six pig number four pig number three pig number one a pig magnet a rope skinny pig pot white russian a bottle of rum a bath robe (being worn) manatee wristband (being worn) a durian a fishing rod marooned wristband (being worn) treasure-wristband (being worn) a rucksack (being worn and open) a brass lantern an ubuntu cd trousers (being worn) > You ask Herman about the pigs [Use TALK TO to interact with characters.] > Go east You are standing in front of a big rock. You see a stream bed flowing through its streambed to the north and to the east. There are the remains of a dam that stopped the flow to the east before. One way to the west to hermans fort and a way to the east to the pond. To the south leads the way back into the direction of the banana tree beach or you just climb up this big rock to get an view over this island. There is one pig trying to cloggin it up again and restoring a working dam. The water is flowing. You can see pig number seven here. > You drop the magnet You dropped the pig magnet in the once exploded part of the dam. Now it lures in hungry pigs. > You drop all the pig pig number seven: Dropped. huge pig: Dropped. fat pig: Dropped. pink pig: Dropped. tiny pig: Dropped. pig number five: Dropped. pig number ten: Dropped. pig number nine: Dropped. pig number eight: Dropped. pig number six: Dropped. pig number four: Dropped. pig number three: Dropped. pig number one: Dropped. skinny pig: Dropped. > You look You are standing in front of a big rock. You see a stream bed flowing through its streambed to the north and not anymore to the east. There are the remains of a dam that stopped the flow to the east before. These pigs are so concentrated licking this pig magnet, the dam works again One way to the west to hermans fort and a way to the east to the pond. To the south leads the way back into the direction of the banana tree beach or you just climb up this big rock to get an view over this island. There is a good damn of fourteen pigs clogging it up, so it now works as a dam again. The flow of water is stopped. You can see skinny pig, pig number one, pig number three, pig number four, pig number six, pig number eight, pig number nine, pig number ten, pig number five, tiny pig, pink pig, fat pig, huge pig, pig number seven and a pig magnet here. > You go east FUUUCK, the water flowing into the pond is all gone... so it's empty now. southwest to the canyon edge. A sign on top of the huts entrance says "homoepathy" it hangs on top of an older one saying "voodoo". Or you can go down right into the water, where you see something that looks like a big stopper. > You enter the hut Still looking like a house of mojo....but now focusing on homoe-something. You can see the door to the backroom, earwax and ex-voodoo lady here. > You open the door homoepathic lady.

> Go downwards You jump right into the waterless the depths of the dried out pond. You are under water (again) and you try your best to see things in that murky water. You can exit swimming up. You can see the big stopper here. > You take the stopper That's fixed in place. > You pull the stopper It is fixed in place. > You show the earwax to Herman Herman is unimpressed. > Go up You have a great view in every direction of this little island. In the north you can see a small village made of straw huts. Looking really na(t)ive. Beneath your feet you can see the strange device directly, so you could throw stuff on it. You can only go down from here. You can see pig number two here. > You throw the pig two at the catapult You drop the pig directly onto the catapult... ... You can now see a flying pig into the north of the island. Even to your ear came a very loud and smashing sound afterwards. > Go north Yes, you smashed the vegibals hut into pieces, using a living pig! A bunch of straw and wooden pieces are the only remains of this kind of native architecture. You can see a giant q-tip here. > You take Qthe -Tip Taken. > You examine it It looks like the ones you know for human ears, but this one is giant. Larger than your legs. But you notice the cotton tip is long gone on this one, so its basically a really large and heavy stick. > Go south You can look deep down a dried out canyon edge. Its dark down there. A trail leads back south to the banana tree and north to the dam into the direction of the big rock. You can also go northeast to the pond. The sign about the three-headed monkey makes you wonder. > Go south Hot light sand all around. In the middle of this beach is a lonely banana tree. Making you think, it was escaping the jungle behind him to the north. Far away to the northwest it leads halfway up to a volcano. To the south is water, just water and still not a trace of the black freighter. You can see an uhuru here. > You talk to uhuru He talks. No joke. he talks and its: "push the tree, quuoak, push the tree." > You take banana (the banana) Taken. > You examine banana (the banana) You see nothing special about the banana. > You give the russian to Herman "Thank you, thats a welcoming gesture." > You check your inventory You are carrying: a banana a giant q-tip earwax a rope pot white russian a bottle of rum a bath robe (being worn) manatee wristband (being worn) a durian a fishing rod marooned wristband (being worn) treasure-wristband (being worn) a rucksack (being worn and open) a brass lantern an ubuntu cd trousers (being worn) > Go east You are standing in front of a big rock. You see a stream bed flowing through its streambed to the north and not anymore to the east. There are the remains of a dam that stopped the flow to the east before. These pigs are so concentrated licking this pig magnet, the dam works again One way to the west to hermans fort and a way to the east to the pond. To the south leads the way back into the direction of the banana tree beach or you just climb up this big rock to get an view over this island. There is a good damn of fourteen pigs clogging it up, so it now works as a dam again. The flow of water is stopped. You can see skinny pig, pig number one, pig number three, pig number four, pig number six, pig number eight, pig number nine, pig number ten, pig number five, tiny pig, pink pig, fat pig, huge pig, pig number seven and a pig magnet here. > You go east FUUUCK, the water flowing into the pond is all gone... so it's empty now. southwest to the canyon edge. A sign on top of the huts entrance says "homoepathy" it hangs on top of an older one saying "voodoo". Or you can go down right into the water, where you see something that looks like a big stopper.

> Go downwards You jump right into the waterless the depths of the dried out pond. You are under water (again) and you try your best to see things in that murky water. You can exit swimming up. You can see the big stopper here. > You open the stopper You open the big stopper.

[Themes: Comedy] > Go down Its full of brown sugar cane globules for homoepathic use. You can't go down as long as those sweeteners are blocking your way. > You look You are standing in front of a big rock. You see a stream bed flowing through its streambed to the north and not anymore to the east. There are the remains of a dam that stopped the flow to the east before. These pigs are so concentrated licking this pig magnet, the dam works again One way to the west to hermans fort and a way to the east to the pond. To the south leads the way back into the direction of the banana tree beach or you just climb up this big rock to get an view over this island. There is a good damn of eight pigs clogging it up, so it now works as a dam again. The flow of water is stopped. You can see pig number nine, pig number ten, pig number five, tiny pig, pink pig, fat pig, huge pig, pig number seven and a pig magnet here. > You take the pig Which do you mean, tiny pig, pig number seven, the pig magnet, huge pig, fat pig, pink pig, pig number five, pig number ten, pig number nine, pig number eight, pig number six, pig number four, pig number three, pig number one or skinny pig? > You look You are standing in front of a big rock. You see a stream bed flowing through its streambed to the north and to the east. There are the remains of a dam that stopped the flow to the east before. One way to the west to hermans fort and a way to the east to the pond. To the south leads the way back into the direction of the banana tree beach or you just climb up this big rock to get an view over this island. There is one pig trying to cloggin it up again and restoring a working dam. The water is flowing. You can see pig number seven and a pig magnet here. > Go east throough the open stopper. You can enter the hut or leave this place to the west or east or southwest to the canyon edge. A sign on top of the huts entrance says "homoepathy" it hangs on top of an older one saying "voodoo". Or you can go down right into the water, where you see something that looks like a big stopper.

> Go downward You jump right into the waterless the depths of the dried out pond. You are in a wet and empty pond. The water is vanishing somewhere. You can exit going up.. You can see the big stopper here.

> Go down Its really sticky down there, but the amount of water was enough to made the sugar to dissolve. As you enter finally this room you meet there a three headed gorilla. Or better, one gorilla costume. Inside of it seem to be three people. Each one having his face in one of the three heads of this costume. "Oh, you guys again?" "Yes, here we are and we were first." barrels. And they look very old. So you ask "Whats so special about those barrels?" "Fancy, fancy barrels. These barrels are coming from a ship called fancy. We were treasure hunting for a long time after this. The arch pirate himself was hiding them here. Cpt. Henry Avery. We just arrived here, so we need to drink a lot. You can join us, if you want. You look for a place where you can stay for a long time, drinking rare whisky from 1690. Not listening what the other guys are talking you reach the state of total boredomness. free to fork and create pull requests. Special thanks to Nikola, Thomas and Oliver for Testing this story. I will leave you now alone... "Free Software, Free Society!!

[Themes: Joke, Cave crawl, Satire, Zorkian, parody, nonhuman protagonist, Zork, fan fiction, Evil protagonist, combat] It's not much of a job, but the Dungeon Master was looking for a guard troll, so you volunteered. You were given the standard-issue axe, and told to... well, guard. Zork: A Troll's Eye View An Interactive Tedium Type "info" for the story behind it. ["Zork" is a registered trademark of Activision, Inc., used with permission.] This is a small room with passages to the east and south and a forbidding hole leading west. Bloodstains and deep scratches (perhaps made by an axe) mar the walls. [Author's Note: Have you ever wondered how the life of a guard troll is? Find out in this game!]

[Themes: Satire, Cave crawl, Zorkian, Joke, parody, combat, Zork, fan fiction] > You press the green button People who'd probably hate to be associated with this, and probably don't know why I'm thanking them, but whom I ought to mention for one reason or another: David "flatterer" Dyte, Lucian "Lucian" Smith, Neil de Mause, Dan "inky" Shiovitz, David Wildstrom, L. Ross Raszewski, Andrew Plotkin, Zak Arntson, Gareth Rees, Graham "of course" Nelson. And all those raif posters whose questions and answers I plundered via DejaNews. Note that this game is freeware. Do with it what you will, bar hacking it about and not saying that you've done so. Gaudete. > Go north It's a study of the relative paradigms of moral identity in classic and modern IF, intended to throw sidelights on the motivation of the player and of NPCs and their relative role in plot construction and development. Dylan O'Donnell, born in the New Forest, Hampshire, England; currently working for Demon Internet in Southend, Essex. Long-time lurker and occasional poster (usually about off-topic things) on rec.[games|arts].int-fiction, inter alia. Do I get to mention an addiction to Babylon 5 here? No? Shame. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a bloody axe > About yourself As nasty-looking as ever. > You drop the axe What if an adventurer came upon you unawares? Fine guard you'd be. A "lean and hungry" gentleman with a large bag just wandered through the room. You nod to him, one professional to another. > You go west The passages through there are twisty and all alike. You don't want to get lost. > Up You stretch up and touch the ceiling. Fairly solid.

[Themes: Joke, Cave crawl, Zorkian, Satire, Evil protagonist] > Go downwards You experimentally tap the floor with the haft of your axe. Doesn't seem worth trying to dig through. > Sing Your singing is abominable. > You jump You jump on the spot, fruitlessly. > You go west The passages through there are twisty and all alike. You don't want to get lost. An adventurer strides in from the south, carrying a brass lantern. While your eyes adjust to the sudden light, he most unsportingly attacks you! Slash! His blow lands! That one hit an artery, it could be serious! > Continue The unconscious adventurer cannot defend himself; he dies. The body of the adventurer, and all his possessions, suddenly disappear in a puff of orange smoke. > Diagnose You have a serious wound. > You wait Time passes. > Diagnose You have a light wound. > Sleep Hey! No sleeping on duty! > You look This is a small room with passages to the east and south and a forbidding hole leading west. Bloodstains and deep scratches (perhaps made by an axe) mar the walls. > You throw the axe What if an adventurer came upon you unawares? Fine guard you'd be. An adventurer strides in from the south, carrying a brass lantern. While your eyes adjust to the sudden light, she most unsportingly attacks you! The adventurer's sword flashes out and connects painfully with your midriff. > Attack adventurer Your axe crashes against the rock, throwing sparks. You receive a deep gash in your side from the elvish blade. It appears that that last blow was too much for you.

[Themes: Surreal, Humor] That wacky Neil deMause! What will he think of next? Why, the last time you tried to visit him, you got stuck on Ellis Island for hours, and ended up years in the past talking to a goat. Boy, you were really "Lost in New York" that time (heh heh). And history seems to have repeated itself, because here it is Halloween, and here you are, wandering through the streets in the fog, looking for his apartment again. Sheesh. It's a good thing it's too foggy to make out any details, because I've spent all of three hours in New York, and they were all at the airport waiting to switch flights. Still, you can make out a street going north (how did you get into this dead end, anyway?) A jack-o-lantern sits in the middle of the street to the north. > You get the jack-o-lantern You take a step or two towards the pumpkin. A sudden gust of wind makes the fog swirl, obscuring it for a moment despite the candle's glow, and then it's gone. Huh. Weeeyurd. > Inventory You are empty-handed.

[Themes: Surreal, Humor] > Look around It's a good thing it's too foggy to make out any details, because I've spent all of three hours in New York, and they were all at the airport waiting to switch flights. Still, you can make out a street going north (how did you get into this dead end, anyway?) > You go to the north You walk forward into the fog. Someplace Else in New York You're still lost, but at least you know you aren't where you were before. So you must be, erm, someplace else. The street bends, so you can go either east or south. > You go east You pause for a moment as you start to walk again. Did you .. hear something? Nah. Couldn't be. A Third Place in New York Steadily narrowing down the options, you plan on having the whole of New York mapped any time now. *Including* the secret passage from the Kitchen to the Library. Streets lead west and north. > You go north Again, you pause. There's definitely something out there. Something nasty. Something big. Something orange. A Fourth Room in New York Someplace else. Someplace foggy. Someplace sinister. > Inventory You are empty-handed. "Ha!" you reassure yourself "There's nothing out there! And if there were, it would never leap onto my back suddenly and clasp its slimy hands around my throat and slowly squeeze until all my life was crushed out. It'd just rip my chest open and feast on my entrails." > You examine something I don't see any pumpkin here. I don't know the word "something". > Go east This seems to be the end of the line. Your last stand. The final battle. No wait out but dead man's boots. (Dramatic pause). > You wait Time passes... EEEAGH! FLYING DEMONIC PUMPKIN HEAD!!! When the horror finally ends, you're someplace else. Someplace else in New York Another time .. another place. Or is it? One moment seems to blend into another, one stretch of pavement becomes the same as any other. It's tough being a hard-boiled detective, tossed off the police force because you knew too much about the kickbacks being paid to the guys up top. Yeah, it's tough, on your own, in-debt and half-drunk to forget the pain of a broken heart. So it's a good thing you're not one. You're just J Random Protagonist, remember? Now go find neild's house. I think it's north of here. > About you You look about the same as always. > Go north No, wait, I guess it's west of here. (Take *that*, fourth wall!) > You go west You walk west, and find yourself on the doorstep of Neil's house. Your quest is over! ... or is it?? Outside Neil deMause's House For ease of narration, his apartment got turned into a house sometime. Or maybe you went inside and are standing outside the door to his room. Whatever. You see a door here. > You knock (the door) You knock three times: bang! bang! bang! The door sloooowly creeeeeeaks opeeeeeen....

> You look around It's yor frend! neild invites you inside and gives you cookies. Inside Neil deMause's House/Apartment Depending on which path you took to get here, this is either Neil deMause's House or his Apartment. Neil deMause is here. Yaaay! I beg your pardon? > You look at what you're carrying with you You have a cookies. > You ask Neil about the pumpkin "I don't know much about that. So let me tell you about baseball instead." (hehehehehe see, he likes baseball hehehehe)There is a sudden knocking at the door. "Oh no!" says neild, "It's the pumpkinhead! Lets hide!" Neil hides in the kitchen. You hide in the closet. This is the closet. It has stuff in it. There is a wall. And another wall. Also there is a coatrack. > You eat the cookies The cookies slide down your throat and you quickly are full. Also, "wooden wood". Ha! > You look at the coatrack it's made out of wood. and varnished. and nailed to the wall. and there, right smack in the center of it, is a HOOK > You pull the coatrack I don't see any neil here. Pulling the coatrack doesn't have any effect. > Inventory You are empty-handed. > You wait Time passes...

[Themes: Surreal, Humor] > Look around This is the closet. It has stuff in it. There is a wall. And another wall. Also there is a coatrack.

A catastrophic event threatens the continued existence of the twin nations. You are Aris, an important citizen of the long linear Upper Forest of Lachryma. If you cannot save your civilization, no one can. An entry for Speed-IF Jacket 4 by Roger Carbol (For more information, try ABOUT.) A small, circular room, carved out of the depths of the Mother Tree. What little light there is trickles in from a long hallway to the north. You are roused from your meditations. You know that you must not fail. [Author's Note: You play as Aris Bleph, an important citizen of the Upper Forest of Lachryma, one of the twin nations currently threatened with catastrophe. Scientists recently spotted an asteroid plummeting towards the Milk Sea and it is now your duty to retrieve that asteroid.]

> About you You are Aris, an important citizen of the long linear Upper Forest of Lachryma. If you cannot save your civilization, no one can.

> You look at your surroundings A small, circular room, carved out of the depths of the Mother Tree. What little light there is trickles in from a long hallway to the north. > Go north From this vantage point, you can see most of the north face of your Mother Tree. Far above you is Citadel Bleph, founded by your own great ancestors generations ago. Far below, all details of the surface are lost to haze. You can vaguely discern the great Milk Sea, and the Rainbow Spot within it. A stairway winds its way upwards to an observatory. It also continues winding downwards until it eventually reaches a research station. The rest of the city, and beyond its walls other cities around other Mother Trees, could be visited by other paths. But your path lies elsewhere. > You examine Tree Ancient and immense beyond measure, the Mother Tree is the foundation of your entire civilization. It provides scale and oil, it provides shelter, it provides a reason for living.

> Go downwards This building is among the lowest on the Mother Tree, although it remains safely above the surface. The research pod is here, waiting to take you down to the surface, where you are expected to retrieve the asteroid. > Examine pod It is a small vessel, designed for one person at most. It is raised and lowered by a cable. > You enter the pod The research pod is incredibly cramped. There's just enough room for two levers: one labeled DOWN and the other UP. There's also a small window. > You eat the lever Which do you mean, the down lever or the up lever? > You pull down (the down lever) You give the lever labeled DOWN a push, and you quickly find yourself plummeting downwards. This continues for several minutes, until there's a mighty screeching sound, and you find yourself at a standstill. > You look at the window It's a tiny opaque window; barely large enough to steal a glimpse through. A large plaque immediately below the window has this message: "WARNING: Do not open window in transit." The window is closed. > You open the window You open the window. > You go outside You would plummet to your death. > You look through the window Ignoring the admonition of the warning sign, you gaze out through the window. Far below, you can clearly see the Milk Sea, stretching out to an impossibly-distant horizon. In its center, the colourful Rainbow Sea, perfectly round. And in the center of that sea, you perceive yet another concentric round sea, this one of inky darkness. By the Mother Tree -- you comprehend the whole in one terrible instant. This is no sea, no ocean. You gaze down upon the garguantuan eye of some unimagineably immense creature, some god. All you have known, or ever will know, is nothing but the tiniest speck in comparison. Yet you cannot shake the feeling that even as you look down in awe, this behemoth is gazing back. Your mind is shattered; perhaps another can complete your mission, or perhaps your civilization is doomed. > Keep going (the up lever) You give the lever labeled UP a pull, but nothing seems to happen. Perhaps you're as far up as you can go. > You look through window You see the research station. > You go outside This building is among the lowest on the Mother Tree, although it remains safely above the surface. The research pod is here, waiting to take you down to the surface, where you are expected to retrieve the asteroid. > You go upwards From this vantage point, you can see most of the north face of your Mother Tree. Far above you is Citadel Bleph, founded by your own great ancestors generations ago. Far below, all details of the surface are lost to haze. You can vaguely discern the great Milk Sea, and the Rainbow Spot within it. A stairway winds its way upwards to an observatory. It also continues winding downwards until it eventually reaches a research station. The rest of the city, and beyond its walls other cities around other Mother Trees, could be visited by other paths. But your path lies elsewhere. > Go upwards This building is dominated by enormous telescopes and other optical instruments, all pointed across The Great Gap. No signal from the Lower Forest has been received for generations, yet the scientists live in hope. Indeed, it is to them you owe your mission, for it was they who spotted the asteroid plummeting downwards. The asteroid you are now sworn to retrieve. A large telescope appears to be merely pointed towards the floor. That can't be right. > You look at the telescope Upon closer examination, you determine that it's actually an enormous microscope. It is pointed at a small bowl of oatmeal. > Examine oatmeal It seems to be a normal bowl of oatmeal. As you observe it, though, numerous dark spots appear on its surface; they appear to be arranging themselves into letters and words. > You read it As you watch, you see the following message appear: "PLEASE DO NOT EAT US"

> You look in the microscope You peer into the microscope, but it's all a blur. You try twiddling various knobs, but nothing seems to help. > You eat the oatmeal (first taking the bowl of oatmeal) You shovel the oatmeal into your mouth. It tastes... a bit strange. Nevertheless, you finish it.

> You look at your surroundings This building is dominated by enormous telescopes and other optical instruments, all pointed across The Great Gap. No signal from the Lower Forest has been received for generations, yet the scientists live in hope. Indeed, it is to them you owe your mission, for it was they who spotted the asteroid plummeting downwards. The asteroid you are now sworn to retrieve. A large telescope appears to be merely pointed towards the floor. That can't be right. You can see a bowl of oatmeal here. > You take the bowl Taken. > You take the microscope That's hardly portable. > You turn the microscope It is fixed in place.

> Go down From this vantage point, you can see most of the north face of your Mother Tree. Far above you is Citadel Bleph, founded by your own great ancestors generations ago. Far below, all details of the surface are lost to haze. You can vaguely discern the great Milk Sea, and the Rainbow Spot within it. A stairway winds its way upwards to an observatory. It also continues winding downwards until it eventually reaches a research station. The rest of the city, and beyond its walls other cities around other Mother Trees, could be visited by other paths. But your path lies elsewhere. > You keep going (the down lever) You give the lever labeled DOWN a mighty shove, and, following a shudder, the pod resumes its descent. After several more minutes, the pod comes to a halt at the surface. > Leave The research pod has set down at the base of the Mother Tree, on the shore of the Milk Sea. Far, far to the south, you see dark shape which must be the asteroid. You can see a grappling hook here. > You examine the hook This hook must have detached from the research pod automatically. It is connected to a thin strong cable which extends back to the pod. > You take the hook Taken. > Go south You eventually reach the site of the asteroid. It appears to be a large irregular mass of stone, much larger than you. Far to the north, you see the Mother Tree stretching upwards. > You examine the asteroid This thing is far too large for you to carry back to the research pod. You examine its surface, and find several places where you could attach the grappling hook. > You attach the hook to the asteroid You firmly attach the grappling hook to the asteroid.

> Look around You eventually reach the site of the asteroid. It appears to be a large irregular mass of stone, much larger than you. Far to the north, you see the Mother Tree stretching upwards. You can see a grappling hook here. > You examine Tree Ancient and immense beyond measure, the Mother Tree is the foundation of your entire civilization. It provides scale and oil, it provides shelter, it provides a reason for living. > You go north The research pod has set down at the base of the Mother Tree, on the shore of the Milk Sea. Far, far to the south, you see dark shape which must be the asteroid. > You pull up (the up lever) You give the lever labeled UP a pull, and you quickly find yourself rushing upwards. This continues for several minutes, until there's a mighty screeching sound, and you find yourself at a standstill. > You continue (the up lever) You give the lever labeled UP a mighty shove, and, following a shudder, the pod resumes its ascent. After several more minutes, the pod comes to a halt at the station. You hear cheering outside. As you exit the pod, you see a number of excited scientists, as well as your family, and the king himself. "You have saved us all, Aris, of the noble clan of Bleph," he says. "A statue shall be erected in your honour, so that everyone knows of your bravery forevermore." > Spoilers The blurbs I tried to incorporate are: * "Eyelashes have seldom been rendered in such loving detail." -- Sarah Morayati * "Never in any form of media has a bowl of oatmeal been portrayed as a more sympathetic character." -- Colin Sandel * "A world steeped in arcane tree-mysticism." - Tanga > Examine oatmeal It seems to be a normal bowl of oatmeal. As you observe it, though, numerous dark spots appear on its surface; they appear to be arranging themselves into letters and words. > You read it As you watch, you see the following message appear: "BE CAREFUL"

[Themes: Slice of life, Humor, monkeys, gender-neutral protagonist, office] It is almost six o'clock, and you have a date with your beloved for some good old cavorting in the park, hopefully topped off with some newfangeld smoochies. But you are stuck at work! You thought working at "Sprockets, Rockets, and Pants" would be easy -- and it is! But getting home isn't. Bears, Bears, Bears A game which has nothing whatsoever to do with bears. This is the upstairs lobby of the RSP corporation. It's very different from the downstairs lobby, in that it doesn't have a nice reception desk, comfy chairs, or a shiny chandelier. It does have a vending machine, though. There's a storage closet north of you and a shower room to the south. A really long hallway leads east, to freedom. > You examine the machine This vending machine sells tasty bananas, like most vending machines around the world. Unfortunately, it's broken. The back panel has been unlocked so that maintenance can look inside, but they haven't gotten around to fixing it yet. > You check what you're carrying You open the back panel. You are carrying nothing. > You look in the machine Hmm. Looks like it's missing a sprocket. > About you As good-looking as ever. > You go east The hallway stretches on for a nigh-unimaginable distance to the east. Somewhere out there is the elevator which will take you downstairs so you can go find the object of your smoochie-filled desires. Two monkey men are playing frisbee here, blocking the hallway. William Shatner is singing quietly in the corner. > You take the frisbee Those seem to belong to the monkey men. > You examine the men While monkey men traditionally play golf, these two are playing frisbee. As if that weren't bad enough, they're playing with *two* frisbees, so as to ensure that the hallway is obstructed by at least one trademarked flying disk at all times! > You look at the frisbee They're frisbees, alright. Trademarked flying disks, just like I said. > Sing Your singing is abominable. > You look at Shatner William Shatner is standing in the corner, minding his own business. His Priceline commercials have apparently a toll on him: he's wearing a beret and singing "Fly Me to the Moon", nearly oblivious to the world around him as he flips a into the air quarter repeated, in time with the song. > You get the quarter That seems to belong to the William Shatner. > You ask Shatner for the quarter He ignores you, completely engrossed in his music. "Fly me... to the moon, my -- friend..."

> You look around The hallway stretches on for a nigh-unimaginable distance to the east. Somewhere out there is the elevator which will take you downstairs so you can go find the object of your smoochie-filled desires. Two monkey men are playing frisbee here, blocking the hallway. William Shatner is singing quietly in the corner. > Go east The monkey men are blocking the hallway with their frisbee game! > Go west This is the upstairs lobby of the RSP corporation. It's very different from the downstairs lobby, in that it doesn't have a nice reception desk, comfy chairs, or a shiny chandelier. It does have a vending machine, though. There's a storage closet north of you and a shower room to the south. A really long hallway leads east, to freedom. > You go to the north It is a closet which is used to store things. It is in fact, a small storage closet, and from the perspective of the break room, it is to the north. A creative mind could possible even construe that vending machine as a trophy case. But it wasn't really intentional. You can see a rocket, a sprocket and a pair of pants here. > You examine the rocket A big rocket, much like the fireworks typically seen in cartoons like Tom and Jerry or the Coyote and the Roadrunner. > You examine the sprocket A small doohickey which is vital to many mechanical devices. > You examine the pants Trousers. > You get all rocket: Taken. sprocket: Taken. pair of pants: Taken. > You wear the pants You're already wearing your invisible pants. Don't try to refer to them: they're invisible. > You go south This is the upstairs lobby of the RSP corporation. It's very different from the downstairs lobby, in that it doesn't have a nice reception desk, comfy chairs, or a shiny chandelier. It does have a vending machine, though. There's a storage closet north of you and a shower room to the south. A really long hallway leads east, to freedom. > You put the sprocket in the panel You expertly attach the sprocket to the appropriate flange, then close the back panel. All fixed! > You examine the machine This vending machine sells tasty bananas, like most vending machines around the world. Put a quarter in the slot, and you could have your very own. > Inventory You are carrying: a pair of pants a rocket > You give the rocket to Shatner Shatner stops singing mid-verse, dropping his quarter to the ground. "Yes! Fly... me, to the moon!" He pulls a match from his pocket, lights the rocket, and hops on. Seconds later he's blasting down the corridor, singing snatches of "Magic Carpet Ride". > You get quarter Taken. > Go west This is the upstairs lobby of the RSP corporation. It's very different from the downstairs lobby, in that it doesn't have a nice reception desk, comfy chairs, or a shiny chandelier. It does have a vending machine, though. There's a storage closet north of you and a shower room to the south. A really long hallway leads east, to freedom. > You put quarter in the machine You put the quarter in the slot, and a banana pops out! Magic! > You examine the banana Mmm, banana! > You go east The hallway stretches on for a nigh-unimaginable distance to the east. Somewhere out there is the elevator which will take you downstairs so you can go find the object of your smoochie-filled desires. Two monkey men are playing frisbee here, blocking the hallway. > You give the banana to the men The monkey men drop their frisbees and start fighting over their banana. They eventually agree to settle the matter with a formal duel, and leave to make the arrangements. > You go east You trudge down the hallway for a few minutes, but realize that there's no way you could reach the other end on foot. Sadly you return. > You check your inventory You are carrying: a pair of pants > Go south This room is for the convenience of the employees who work with sprockets and tend to end up covered in machine oil, or who work with rockets and end up covered in soot, or who work with pants. It has many shower heads, for the purpose of showering. There's a nude woman here! Hiding behind a pony! So you can't actually see anything! But you know she's naked! Because I just told you so! "Eeeek!" she screams. "Stay away! Someone stole all my clothes when I came in here to take a shower. I said, 'Stay away!'" > You examine the pony It's kinda like a small horse. > You give the pants to the woman The woman gratefully takes the pants and dresses herself, while still hiding behind the pony. "Thank you," she says, "But could you find me a shirt, too?" > No She cowers behind the pony. "Stay back! I'm naked! Don't come any closer!" > You look at the shower heads Yes, they look perfectly functional. Of course, you're clean, and don't need to use them. > You examine woman A topless woman, standing behind a pony. She looks just like every other topless woman standing behind a pony you've ever seen before. Except cuter. The woman turns red when she realizes that you're ogling her. "Could you please bring me some more clothes?"

> Look around This room is for the convenience of the employees who work with sprockets and tend to end up covered in machine oil, or who work with rockets and end up covered in soot, or who work with pants. It has many shower heads, for the purpose of showering. There's a nude woman here! Hiding behind a pony! So you can't actually see anything! But you know she's naked! Because I just told you so! "Eeeek!" she screams. "Oh, it's you. Could you find me some clothes?" As an afterthought she adds, "Stay away!" > Go north This is the upstairs lobby of the RSP corporation. It's very different from the downstairs lobby, in that it doesn't have a nice reception desk, comfy chairs, or a shiny chandelier. It does have a vending machine, though. There's a storage closet north of you and a shower room to the south. A really long hallway leads east, to freedom. > You go north It is a closet which is used to store things. It is in fact, a small storage closet, and from the perspective of the break room, it is to the north. A creative mind could possible even construe that vending machine as a trophy case. But it wasn't really intentional. > Go east The hallway stretches on for a nigh-unimaginable distance to the east. Somewhere out there is the elevator which will take you downstairs so you can go find the object of your smoochie-filled desires. You can see some pair of frisbees here. > You get the frisbees Taken. > You give the frisbees to the woman The woman gratefully takes the frisbees and tries to cover up her breasts with them as well as possible. "Thank you. You cannot imagine my gratitude." She turns bright red and runs out of the shower room, leaving her pony behind. > Ride pony Mounted. > You go to the east The hallway stretches on for a nigh-unimaginable distance to the east. Somewhere out there is the elevator which will take you downstairs so you can go find the object of your smoochie-filled desires. > Go east You ride triumphant down the hallway, to the cheers and acclaim of your co-workers! Hail, the conquering hero! And if you think this is great, you should see the smoochies. Mmmhmm! Baybee!

[Themes: Horror, Holiday, horror, violence] Give yourself over to a bite of cheesey horror. The sharp cheddar kind. Just make sure you have correction fluid handy! Ectocomp 2014 entry, ©2014 by David Good. duodave@gmail.com First Release Version 1.0 Press a key to continue... It's a brisk November morning, and you're out to get coffee and breakfast at your favorite diner, like you do every day... The parking lot for the diner is unremarkable. It's paved with cold, cracked blacktop, painted in fading lines to indicate parking spots. The street is west of here, and your favorite diner is to the south. You can see a car, some motorcycles, and a vending machine here. > About yourself As good-looking as ever. > You examine the machine This newspaper vending machine contains the "Cleveland Plain Dealer". Cleveland isn't the closest city, but you prefer it to the "Columbus Citizen-Journal" or the local small town rag. Looking through its glass window you see a copy of the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper. In the vending machine is a copy of the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper. > You buy the newspaper You put a coin in the vending machine and buy a newspaper. > You read the newspaper This is your favorite newspaper, the "Cleveland Plain Dealer". It's dated Friday, November 1, 1974. The front page has a picture of boxer Muhammad Ali with the caption "RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE: HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION ALI WINS IN 8 ROUNDS: Foreman winning streak broken". > You examine the car The unfamiliar green Ford station wagon has faux wood panels on the sides. It appears to be a year or two old, and judging by it's condition you're guessing it's maybe a '73, so it's probably a Ford Country Squire. > You examine the motorcycles There's a couple motorcycles here you've never seen before. You're no expert, but one appears to be made by Harley-Davidson, and the other looks like it might be a Ducati. The bikes appear to be immaculately cared for, and look like they're about the same age as the car.

> Describe the surroundings The parking lot for the diner is unremarkable. It's paved with cold, cracked blacktop, painted in fading lines to indicate parking spots. The street is west of here, and your favorite diner is to the south. You can see a car, some motorcycles, and a vending machine here. > You go to the south This town diner has had a few names over the years as its passed from owner to owner. The floors and countertop are linoleum and guests mostly sit on chrome & leather stools at the counter. A few red upholstered booths fill out the place. You can see a waitress and a couple here. > You examine waitress The waitress has unusual red hair that clashes with the teal uniform she's wearing. In her frequently-bleached apron you spot a variety of pencils, pads of paper, and the bulge of a pack of cigarettes. An unfiltered cigarette is tucked behind her left ear and a plastic nametag is pinned to her breast pocket. She's chewing gum and looks at you expectantly. > You look at the nametag The nametag reads "Columbia". > You buy the breakfast You order some food. The waitress brings over a slice of apple pie with a piece of cheddar cheese on top, and pours you a cup of black coffee. "Here you go sweetie," she says with a wink. "Your regular." > You examine the couple The man extends his hand and says "I'm Brad Majors. This is my girlfriend, Janet Weiss." Janet extends her hand and cheerfully says "Hello." "Please excuse our attire," Brad says. "We're on our way to a friend's wedding." > You eat the breakfast It's delicious. The sharp cheese really accentuates the sweet apples. Just like Grandma used to make. > You examine the couple Brad is dressed in a black tuxedo with a red and black plaid cumberbund, and matching bow tie. The "Buddy Holly" style glasses perched on his nose make him look very nerdy. He is currently carrying nothing. Janet is dressed in a lavender jacket and matching skirt. A white hat with an upturned brim is perched on her head. You're not sure what a cute girl like her is doing with such a square. She is currently carrying nothing. > You look at Brad Brad is dressed in a black tuxedo with a red and black plaid cumberbund, and matching bow tie. The "Buddy Holly" style glasses perched on his nose make him look very nerdy. He is currently carrying nothing.

[Themes: Horror] > Look around There is no reply. This town diner has had a few names over the years as its passed from owner to owner. The floors and countertop are linoleum and guests mostly sit on chrome & leather stools at the counter. A few red upholstered booths fill out the place. You can see Janet, Brad, a cup of coffee, a slice of pie, and Columbia here. > You drink the coffee Mmmm... Nice and hot, a refreshing nutty flavor. > You examine the pie In front of you is a warm slice of apple pie with a slice of cheddar on top. Next to it is the best cup of coffee in town.

[Themes: Horror] > Look around This town diner has had a few names over the years as its passed from owner to owner. The floors and countertop are linoleum and guests mostly sit on chrome & leather stools at the counter. A few red upholstered booths fill out the place. You can see Janet, Brad, a cup of coffee, a slice of pie, and Columbia here. > You take pie You've already got pie and coffee. > You check what you're carrying You are carrying: a copy of the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper > You drink the coffee Mmmm... Nice and hot, a refreshing nutty flavor. > You enter the car It's a bad idea to mess with someone else's car. > You read the newspaper This is your favorite newspaper, the "Cleveland Plain Dealer". It's dated Friday, November 1, 1974. The front page has a picture of boxer Muhammad Ali with the caption "RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE: HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION ALI WINS IN 8 ROUNDS: Foreman winning streak broken". > You examine the Columbia Columbia has unusual red hair that clashes with the teal uniform she's wearing. In her frequently-bleached apron you spot a variety of pencils, pads of paper, and the bulge of a pack of cigarettes. An unfiltered cigarette is tucked behind her left ear and a plastic nametag is pinned to her breast pocket. She's chewing gum and looks at you expectantly. > You take the nametag That seems to belong to Columbia. > You show the newspaper to Brad Brad is unimpressed. > You show the newspaper to the columbia Columbia is unimpressed. > You give the pie to Janet (first taking the slice of pie) You've already got pie and coffee.