Start of a transcript of The Duel that Spanned the Ages Episode 1: The Age of Machines by Oliver Ullmann Release 1 / Serial number 090925 / Inform 7 build 5Z71 (I6/v6.31 lib 6/12N) Identification number: //1994671C-C1FD-4377-B381-FBC7DBFD1684// Standard interpreter 1.1 (4F) / Library serial number 080126 Standard Rules version 2/090402 by Graham Nelson >*2:45 PM. Stardate 10/15 That's not a verb I recognise. >restart Are you sure you want to restart? y They say the birth or death of a star is an important event; a spectacular show. Then something like the space battle that rages above Geryon 5 must certainly be less than a side note in galactic history; the plasma explosions less than a single spark in an eternal New Year's Eve. In stellar dimensions, it must be like ants fighting over a crumb of bread. But to him, it is all that's important, his whole world. Well, not literally, because Geryon 5 is theirs. All around him, the Machines' fleet and orbital stations are blasting away at his tree ships, burning the mighty trunks like firewood. His people are dying for him and his plan, and he cries for every single one of them on his way down. His frozen tears leave a trace on his way through the orbital defence fire. The whole battle is just a distraction. He knew their tree ships did not have a chance to break the planet's defences, but the attack has kept them occupied enough for him to slip through. He is now approaching the final veil, a network of death ray satellites, and prepares for his inevitable death. He knows the time has come when all of a sudden his skin begins to burn, his eyes turn to dust and his blood starts to boil. He is almost thankful as he finally dies, transformed into a lifeless bag of blood and bones, plummeting towards the metallic surface below. In his last moment he wonders if his people know they are godless now. The spark of life returns to him out of nowhere. He is not to be stopped by something as pedestrian as death. Convulsing and shaking, he pulls himself together, in the literal sense. His body evolves again from a shapeless blob of liquid to more and more complex life forms. He has been human once, thus he grows arms and legs again. A cold wind is blowing around his body. He knows then that he needs to fly, and so he stretches and sprouts wings. A slim, seven- winged figure, he is the first living being to soar through this lifeless sky since the Machines overran the planet ages ago. He circles for a few minutes to regain his direction. The digital song is extremely loud here, a cacophony of logic gates and radio communication. He compares it to standing in the middle of an orchestra and trying to pinpoint the single loudest instrument. Thankfully there is also a visual clue, a pattern in the arrangement of buildings below him. He heads for the huge octagonal tower sitting in the middle of the web of buildings, spider-like and droning, full of angles. A few insect-like maintenance bots scurry away as he lands next to a ventilation shaft near the tower's top. It is barred of course, but he can adapt as needed, and a blob of acid from his stomach easily solves this small problem. He dives into the network of shafts below, making short work of all obstacles while listening to the digital song for directions. In the very centre of things, tucked away behind mountains of humming computers stands an ancient desk, grotesquely out of place on this world without people. There must have been chairs, coffee cups and other signs of human presence around here once, but they have withered away a long time ago. Still, the ancient desk is there, and on it an equally ancient workstation, complete with screen and keyboard, all in perfect repair. The first node, the root of it all. He presses a key. An anxious second later the screen flashes to life. PLEASE LOGIN> _ He allows himself a smile, cracks his knuckles and splits his fingers. Once, twice. 40 digits start hammering away. Now let's see if we can end this once and for all... He remembers utilities, passwords, back doors. He remembers his life. When did this war begin? No living being knows any more. Maybe this ancient machine still remembers. As for him, his story begins ages ago... Please press SPACE to continue. You stretch on your barstool. It is one of those lazy nights in the middle of nowhere. Your squad mates have already left, but you've had better than average luck with the cards, so you still have a little cash left and nothing else to do than spend it. The Duel that Spanned the Ages Episode 1: The Age of Machines by Oliver Ullmann Release 1 / Serial number 090925 / Inform 7 build 5Z71 (I6/v6.31 lib 6/12N) Grand Curve (on the barstool) There is actually nothing grand inside the Grand Curve Bar (It is named so for the allegedly fantastic view out of the panorama window set into the west wall). Most of the furniture seems to be made by the same manufacturer that supplies all bars in the galaxy. What is special, however, is that the owner and most of the regulars are Madagakkur. The evening is late, and you are the last patron in the bar. The only person left beside you is Khemgi, the barkeeper, who is standing behind the bar and preparing your next drink. All around you, the fragrance of alien spices battles the antiseptic odour of a dozen times recycled air. The bar's only exit is to the east. You can see a small round table (on which are a deck of cards and a large empty glass) here. (First time players should type ABOUT) >restart Are you sure you want to restart? y They say the birth or death of a star is an important event; a spectacular show. Then something like the space battle that rages above Geryon 5 must certainly be less than a side note in galactic history; the plasma explosions less than a single spark in an eternal New Year's Eve. In stellar dimensions, it must be like ants fighting over a crumb of bread. But to him, it is all that's important, his whole world. Well, not literally, because Geryon 5 is theirs. All around him, the Machines' fleet and orbital stations are blasting away at his tree ships, burning the mighty trunks like firewood. His people are dying for him and his plan, and he cries for every single one of them on his way down. His frozen tears leave a trace on his way through the orbital defence fire. The whole battle is just a distraction. He knew their tree ships did not have a chance to break the planet's defences, but the attack has kept them occupied enough for him to slip through. He is now approaching the final veil, a network of death ray satellites, and prepares for his inevitable death. He knows the time has come when all of a sudden his skin begins to burn, his eyes turn to dust and his blood starts to boil. He is almost thankful as he finally dies, transformed into a lifeless bag of blood and bones, plummeting towards the metallic surface below. In his last moment he wonders if his people know they are godless now. The spark of life returns to him out of nowhere. He is not to be stopped by something as pedestrian as death. Convulsing and shaking, he pulls himself together, in the literal sense. His body evolves again from a shapeless blob of liquid to more and more complex life forms. He has been human once, thus he grows arms and legs again. A cold wind is blowing around his body. He knows then that he needs to fly, and so he stretches and sprouts wings. A slim, seven- winged figure, he is the first living being to soar through this lifeless sky since the Machines overran the planet ages ago. He circles for a few minutes to regain his direction. The digital song is extremely loud here, a cacophony of logic gates and radio communication. He compares it to standing in the middle of an orchestra and trying to pinpoint the single loudest instrument. Thankfully there is also a visual clue, a pattern in the arrangement of buildings below him. He heads for the huge octagonal tower sitting in the middle of the web of buildings, spider-like and droning, full of angles. A few insect-like maintenance bots scurry away as he lands next to a ventilation shaft near the tower's top. It is barred of course, but he can adapt as needed, and a blob of acid from his stomach easily solves this small problem. He dives into the network of shafts below, making short work of all obstacles while listening to the digital song for directions. In the very centre of things, tucked away behind mountains of humming computers stands an ancient desk, grotesquely out of place on this world without people. There must have been chairs, coffee cups and other signs of human presence around here once, but they have withered away a long time ago. Still, the ancient desk is there, and on it an equally ancient workstation, complete with screen and keyboard, all in perfect repair. The first node, the root of it all. He presses a key. An anxious second later the screen flashes to life. PLEASE LOGIN> _ He allows himself a smile, cracks his knuckles and splits his fingers. Once, twice. 40 digits start hammering away. Now let's see if we can end this once and for all... He remembers utilities, passwords, back doors. He remembers his life. When did this war begin? No living being knows any more. Maybe this ancient machine still remembers. As for him, his story begins ages ago... Please press SPACE to continue. You stretch on your barstool. It is one of those lazy nights in the middle of nowhere. Your squad mates have already left, but you've had better than average luck with the cards, so you still have a little cash left and nothing else to do than spend it. The Duel that Spanned the Ages Episode 1: The Age of Machines by Oliver Ullmann Release 1 / Serial number 090925 / Inform 7 build 5Z71 (I6/v6.31 lib 6/12N) Grand Curve (on the barstool) There is actually nothing grand inside the Grand Curve Bar (It is named so for the allegedly fantastic view out of the panorama window set into the west wall). Most of the furniture seems to be made by the same manufacturer that supplies all bars in the galaxy. What is special, however, is that the owner and most of the regulars are Madagakkur. The evening is late, and you are the last patron in the bar. The only person left beside you is Khemgi, the barkeeper, who is standing behind the bar and preparing your next drink. All around you, the fragrance of alien spices battles the antiseptic odour of a dozen times recycled air. The bar's only exit is to the east. You can see a small round table (on which are a deck of cards and a large empty glass) here. (First time players should type ABOUT) > *Okay, that's a really interesting beginning. Very imaginative. High hopes for this. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >get cards and glass deck of cards: Taken. large empty glass: Taken. >rink That's not a verb I recognise. >drink What do you want to drink? >glass There's nothing suitable to drink here. >xyzzy More like IDKFA. >x cards This deck of well worn playing cards has killed many a boring evening. "Your drink is ready, Sir." Khemgi puts down another drink on your table. >x khemgi Khemgi is the owner of this establishment. He looks like a typical Madagakkur: humanoid, slim, wiry, with four arms and four large eyes, completely hairless. A bright green sash is all he wears for clothes. With his brown skin, he looks like a four-armed Indian guru. Somehow he has come to think you are a "great warrior". You guess that your squad mates have been bragging quite a bit. >x me You are 2nd Lieutenant Solomon Shepard of the Andarian Rifles, call sign "Wiseguy". You have grown up on a pilgrim's world in the middle of the galactic outback. Despite your biblical name, you have hardly inherited any of your parents' faith, preferring smuggler runs and bar room brawls to tending hydro cultures or attending church services. Your inborn knack for shooting finally brought you to the Andarian Rifles, a minor mercenary company. Business has been slow lately, that is why you are stationed on patrol duty on a newly settled asteroid on the very edge of charted space, even further away from anything exciting than your home world was. >look Grand Curve (on the barstool) There is actually nothing grand inside the Grand Curve Bar (It is named so for the allegedly fantastic view out of the panorama window set into the west wall). Most of the furniture seems to be made by the same manufacturer that supplies all bars in the galaxy. What is special, however, is that the owner and most of the regulars are Madagakkur. The evening is late, and you are the last patron in the bar. The only person left beside you is Khemgi, the barkeeper, who is wiping a table in the vicinity. All around you, the fragrance of alien spices battles the antiseptic odour of a dozen times recycled air. The bar's only exit is to the east. You can see a small round table (on which is a drink) here. >smell You notice the heavy smell of alien spices. Khemgi comes over to the table and places an exotic fruit on it. "Please accept this as a present from the house, great warrior. It is very yummy and will give you strength." He smiles enthusiastically. >*Good good. That's not a verb I recognise. >i You are carrying: a large empty glass a deck of cards an overall (being worn) a few credits >get fruit Taken. >eat it The fruit tastes good, somewhere between sweet and hot, and it is kind of warm. You swallow, but it gets stuck in your throat, starts pulsating now, gets hotter. You swallow again, to no avail. You cough, trying to get it out but it is as if the fruit is transforming into some kind of cactus; it pricks your mouth and throat, expanding, getting hotter again, pulsating, stabbing into your head ... Please press SPACE to continue. With a sharp CRACK your communicator tears you out of your nightmare. "This is Austin 1. Prepare for landing. Hold fast everybody." No more of this cheap booze... ever. Your memory of the last evening is blurry. Did something like what you've just dreamed happen? You'd rather guess it was some sort of bad trip. What you do know for sure is that you have a monster of a headache. And, apparently, a mission. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. Sergeant Jenkins hasn't filled you in on the details yet, though. cargo bay (coordinates change rapidly) (on the bench) You are in the cargo bay of a medium-sized transport shuttle owned by the East Aquila Mining Corporation (your current employer). It provides room for twelve soldiers with full combat equipment. With your squad of five inside, it is still more than half-empty. Along the two long walls are benches made of not-too- comfortable green foam. Dim red lights illuminate the whole scene. The rear hatch is closed. Sergeant Jenkins and the rest of your squad are sitting on the benches. The transport shuttle starts to shake. It seems you are finally at your destination, wherever that is. >undo Grand Curve [Previous turn undone.] >look Grand Curve (on the barstool) There is actually nothing grand inside the Grand Curve Bar (It is named so for the allegedly fantastic view out of the panorama window set into the west wall). Most of the furniture seems to be made by the same manufacturer that supplies all bars in the galaxy. What is special, however, is that the owner and most of the regulars are Madagakkur. The evening is late, and you are the last patron in the bar. The only person left beside you is Khemgi, the barkeeper, who is wiping a table in the vicinity. All around you, the fragrance of alien spices battles the antiseptic odour of a dozen times recycled air. The bar's only exit is to the east. You can see a small round table (on which is a drink) here. >out "Please do not leave yet. Eat." Khemgi says, pointing at the barstool and the fruit. >get drink Taken. >drink drink It goes down like oil, burning all the way. As you slam the now empty glass on the table, you notice your knees are getting wobbly. No more drinks for you, then. >*Very good descriptions. That's not a verb I recognise. >*Very action-oriented. That's not a verb I recognise. >look Grand Curve There is actually nothing grand inside the Grand Curve Bar (It is named so for the allegedly fantastic view out of the panorama window set into the west wall). Most of the furniture seems to be made by the same manufacturer that supplies all bars in the galaxy. What is special, however, is that the owner and most of the regulars are Madagakkur. The evening is late, and you are the last patron in the bar. The only person left beside you is Khemgi, the barkeeper, who is wiping a table in the vicinity. All around you, the fragrance of alien spices battles the antiseptic odour of a dozen times recycled air. The bar's only exit is to the east. You can see a small round table and a barstool here. >*I keep wanting to read other words. Like "Babylon 5" or "Madagascar" That's not a verb I recognise. >x madagakkur You can't see any such thing. >x madagakkur You can't see any such thing. >x man You can't see any such thing. >x alien Khemgi is the owner of this establishment. He looks like a typical Madagakkur: humanoid, slim, wiry, with four arms and four large eyes, completely hairless. A bright green sash is all he wears for clothes. With his brown skin, he looks like a four-armed Indian guru. Somehow he has come to think you are a "great warrior". You guess that your squad mates have been bragging quite a bit. >look Grand Curve There is actually nothing grand inside the Grand Curve Bar (It is named so for the allegedly fantastic view out of the panorama window set into the west wall). Most of the furniture seems to be made by the same manufacturer that supplies all bars in the galaxy. What is special, however, is that the owner and most of the regulars are Madagakkur. The evening is late, and you are the last patron in the bar. The only person left beside you is Khemgi, the barkeeper, who is wiping a table in the vicinity. All around you, the fragrance of alien spices battles the antiseptic odour of a dozen times recycled air. The bar's only exit is to the east. You can see a small round table and a barstool here. >about > Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Grand Curve There is actually nothing grand inside the Grand Curve Bar (It is named so for the allegedly fantastic view out of the panorama window set into the west wall). Most of the furniture seems to be made by the same manufacturer that supplies all bars in the galaxy. What is special, however, is that the owner and most of the regulars are Madagakkur. The evening is late, and you are the last patron in the bar. The only person left beside you is Khemgi, the barkeeper, who is wiping a table in the vicinity. All around you, the fragrance of alien spices battles the antiseptic odour of a dozen times recycled air. The bar's only exit is to the east. You can see a small round table and a barstool here. >x table This sturdy table is bolted to the floor. >get table That's fixed in place. >x floor You can't see any such thing. >look Grand Curve There is actually nothing grand inside the Grand Curve Bar (It is named so for the allegedly fantastic view out of the panorama window set into the west wall). Most of the furniture seems to be made by the same manufacturer that supplies all bars in the galaxy. What is special, however, is that the owner and most of the regulars are Madagakkur. The evening is late, and you are the last patron in the bar. The only person left beside you is Khemgi, the barkeeper, who is wiping a table in the vicinity. All around you, the fragrance of alien spices battles the antiseptic odour of a dozen times recycled air. The bar's only exit is to the east. You can see a small round table and a barstool here. >*odour? That's not a verb I recognise. >i You are carrying: a fruit a large empty glass a deck of cards an overall (being worn) a few credits >out But you aren't in anything at the moment. >get up But you aren't in anything at the moment. >n You can't go that way. >w You can't go that way. >e "I'd better leave now. Bye," you say and turn to go. Suddenly you feel two hands grabbing your shoulders. Something snaps, and your body goes numb from your shoulders downwards. Another two hands pull your mouth open and shove the fruit into it. "I am sorry that I have to force the honour upon you, Uaisgha'i." Kehmgi says as he forces you to chew and swallow. The fruit tastes good, somewhere between sweet and hot, and it is kind of warm. You swallow, but it gets stuck in your throat, starts pulsating now, gets hotter. You swallow again, to no avail. You cough, trying to get it out but it is as if the fruit is transforming into some kind of cactus; it pricks your mouth and throat, expanding, getting hotter again, pulsating, stabbing into your head ... Please press SPACE to continue. With a sharp CRACK your communicator tears you out of your nightmare. "This is Austin 1. Prepare for landing. Hold fast everybody." No more of this cheap booze... ever. Your memory of the last evening is blurry. Did something like what you've just dreamed happen? You'd rather guess it was some sort of bad trip. What you do know for sure is that you have a monster of a headache. And, apparently, a mission. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. Sergeant Jenkins hasn't filled you in on the details yet, though. cargo bay (coordinates change rapidly) (on the bench) You are in the cargo bay of a medium-sized transport shuttle owned by the East Aquila Mining Corporation (your current employer). It provides room for twelve soldiers with full combat equipment. With your squad of five inside, it is still more than half-empty. Along the two long walls are benches made of not-too- comfortable green foam. Dim red lights illuminate the whole scene. The rear hatch is closed. Sergeant Jenkins and the rest of your squad are sitting on the benches. The transport shuttle starts to shake. It seems you are finally at your destination, wherever that is. >undo Grand Curve [Previous turn undone.] >e "I'd better leave now. Bye," you say and turn to go. Suddenly you feel two hands grabbing your shoulders. Something snaps, and your body goes numb from your shoulders downwards. Another two hands pull your mouth open and shove the fruit into it. "I am sorry that I have to force the honour upon you, Uaisgha'i." Kehmgi says as he forces you to chew and swallow. The fruit tastes good, somewhere between sweet and hot, and it is kind of warm. You swallow, but it gets stuck in your throat, starts pulsating now, gets hotter. You swallow again, to no avail. You cough, trying to get it out but it is as if the fruit is transforming into some kind of cactus; it pricks your mouth and throat, expanding, getting hotter again, pulsating, stabbing into your head ... Please press SPACE to continue. With a sharp CRACK your communicator tears you out of your nightmare. "This is Austin 1. Prepare for landing. Hold fast everybody." No more of this cheap booze... ever. Your memory of the last evening is blurry. Did something like what you've just dreamed happen? You'd rather guess it was some sort of bad trip. What you do know for sure is that you have a monster of a headache. And, apparently, a mission. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. Sergeant Jenkins hasn't filled you in on the details yet, though. cargo bay (coordinates change rapidly) (on the bench) You are in the cargo bay of a medium-sized transport shuttle owned by the East Aquila Mining Corporation (your current employer). It provides room for twelve soldiers with full combat equipment. With your squad of five inside, it is still more than half-empty. Along the two long walls are benches made of not-too- comfortable green foam. Dim red lights illuminate the whole scene. The rear hatch is closed. Sergeant Jenkins and the rest of your squad are sitting on the benches. The transport shuttle starts to shake. It seems you are finally at your destination, wherever that is. >open hatch You can't open that from here. It can only be done by the pilot. Your squad mates begin to stir on their benches. >get up You get off the bench. cargo bay (coordinates change rapidly) Sergeant Jenkins and the rest of your squad are sitting on the benches. You hear some muffled chatter on the common frequency. >talk to jenkins You're still too dazed for small talk. "This is Jenkins. All right soldiers, here's the briefing: Two hours ago, our employers lost contact to a team of prospectors. Our mission is to get them back or at least find out what happened to them. According to their last radio message, the prospectors wanted to inspect a field of rocks about five kilometres from Mount Argos. "We've just passed over this rock field, but we couldn't see a sign of them. However, they are using a smaller shuttle than what we've got here, so it is perfectly possible they've landed inside the rock field. This asteroid is so chock-full of rare metals that it drives our scanners mad, so we'll have to scour the area personally." "We'll use your usual call signs. Our shuttle will use the call sign 'Austin 1'. There's not much our shuttle pilot can do for us, but we'll stay in radio contact so he can track our progress." With a final jerk the shuttle comes to rest. The hatch swings open. "Touchdown. Let's go." >e You can't go that way. >look cargo bay (037.128) You are in the cargo bay of a medium-sized transport shuttle owned by the East Aquila Mining Corporation (your current employer). It provides room for twelve soldiers with full combat equipment. With your squad of five inside, it is still more than half-empty. Along the two long walls are benches made of not-too- comfortable green foam. Dim red lights illuminate the whole scene. The rear hatch is open. Sergeant Jenkins and the rest of your squad are standing around, waiting for you to take the lead. >x me You are 2nd Lieutenant Solomon Shepard of the Andarian Rifles, call sign "Wiseguy". You have grown up on a pilgrim's world in the middle of the galactic outback. Despite your biblical name, you have hardly inherited any of your parents' faith, preferring smuggler runs and bar room brawls to tending hydro cultures or attending church services. Your inborn knack for shooting finally brought you to the Andarian Rifles, a minor mercenary company. Business has been slow lately, that is why you are stationed on patrol duty on a newly settled asteroid on the very edge of charted space, even further away from anything exciting than your home world was. >out You step again onto the barren surface of Asteroid 3095/4. Everything around you - the sand, the boulders, some distant mountains - is of a dull, lifeless grey. There's zero atmosphere in this place. The asteroid came from a dead region of the galaxy, and it is just that: dead. "Wiseguy, you take point. The rest follows in diamond formation." outside the rock field (037.128) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads south. You can circle the rock field by going southeast or southwest. Your nav system tells you the coordinates are 037.128. The transport shuttle is just a few metres away, its hatch open. Your squad follows you. >sw outside the rock field (036.127) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads east. You can circle the rock field by going northeast or southwest. The transport shuttle is still visible a good distance to the northeast. (Coordinates: 036.127) Your squad covers your advance, then follows. >sw outside the rock field (035.126) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. You can see no suitable path into the rock field from here. You can circle the rock field by going northeast or southeast. (Coordinates: 035.126) Your comrades follow in diamond formation. >se outside the rock field (036.125) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads east. You can circle the rock field by going southeast or northwest. (Coordinates: 036.125) Your squad follows you. "This is Austin 1. I've just picked up an extremely weak energy signature. Should be about... 037.126 on your nav. Can't tell you much more. Wait... drat, lost it again. I'm setting a waypoint there." >se outside the rock field (037.124) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads north. You can circle the rock field by going northeast or northwest. (Coordinates: 037.124) Your comrades follow in diamond formation. >ne outside the rock field (038.125) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads north. You can circle the rock field by going northeast or southwest. (Coordinates: 038.125) Your squad covers your advance, then follows. >ne outside the rock field (039.126) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads west. You can circle the rock field by going southwest or northwest. (Coordinates: 039.126) Your squad covers your advance, then follows. >w rock field (038.126) Huge teeth-like rocks surround you. Gaps between the rocks open to the east and south. (Coordinates: 038.126) Your comrades follow in diamond formation. >s outside the rock field (038.125) Your squad follows you. "This is Austin 1. I've had a closer look at the satellite map. It seems like the only way to get to that energy source is to approach the coordinates from the south." >verbose The Duel that Spanned the Ages is now in its "verbose" mode, which always gives long descriptions of locations (even if you've been there before). >look outside the rock field (038.125) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads north. You can circle the rock field by going northeast or southwest. (Coordinates: 038.125) Sergeant Jenkins and the rest of your squad are in formation behind you. >n rock field (038.126) Silent, broken boulders are standing around you. Gaps between the rocks open to the east and south. (Coordinates: 038.126) Your squad follows you. >s outside the rock field (038.125) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads north. You can circle the rock field by going northeast or southwest. (Coordinates: 038.125) Your squad covers your advance, then follows. >nw You can't go that way. >sw outside the rock field (037.124) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads north. You can circle the rock field by going northeast or northwest. (Coordinates: 037.124) Your comrades follow in diamond formation. >nw outside the rock field (036.125) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads east. You can circle the rock field by going southeast or northwest. (Coordinates: 036.125) Your squad follows you. >e rock field (037.125) Needle-shaped pieces of rock are all over the place. Gaps between the rocks open to the south, west and northwest. (Coordinates: 037.125) Open crates of various sizes are arranged along the rock walls. A hefty, two-handed tool is lying in front of the crates, as if it has been dropped in a hurry. Your comrades follow in diamond formation. >get tool Taken. >wield tool That's not a verb I recognise. >e You can't go that way. >n You can't go that way. >look rock field (037.125) The same grey rocks as everywhere on Asteroid 3095/4. Gaps between the rocks open to the south, west and northwest. (Coordinates: 037.125) Sergeant Jenkins and the rest of your squad are in formation behind you. Open crates of various sizes are arranged along the rock walls. >s outside the rock field (037.124) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads north. You can circle the rock field by going northeast or northwest. (Coordinates: 037.124) Your squad covers your advance, then follows. >n rock field (037.125) The same grey rocks as everywhere on Asteroid 3095/4. Gaps between the rocks open to the south, west and northwest. (Coordinates: 037.125) Open crates of various sizes are arranged along the rock walls. Your squad covers your advance, then follows. >nw rock field (036.126) The same grey rocks as everywhere on Asteroid 3095/4. Gaps between the rocks open to the east and southeast. (Coordinates: 036.126) The ground is littered with torn and shattered corpses. "Heads up - there are dead bodies here. Looks like our missing prospectors." Your comrades follow in diamond formation. >search What do you want to search? >rocks You find nothing of interest. >e rock field (037.126) It seems you've finally found what you were looking for. The prospectors' shuttle is here in this dead end, half-buried in an avalanche of grey mass. The only way out is west. (Coordinates: 037.126) "Jenkins here. There's no way this bird is gonna fly again. Wiseguy, see if you can extract the black box from the wreck. That should be enough to find out what happened here." Your squad follows you. >search wreck You can't see inside, since the prospector's shuttle is closed. >open shuttle You cannot do that with your bare hands. There isn't even a door or hatch visible! >i You are carrying: a laser cutter your plasma rifle your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >open shuttle with cutter It takes a while until you get the controls straight, but the laser cutter carves a nice hole into the shuttle's nose almost effortlessly. The shuttle's nose is now open, revealing a tangle of smouldering circuits and the shuttle's black box. >get box Taken. "Huh? what theAAARRchhhh..." You whirl around, still clutching the black box, just in time to watch Dashman slip from the spike that protrudes from his chest. Red ice crystals are settling on the ground before him. His visor is also coloured a solid red. Dead people emerge from behind the collapsed body - walking amorphous scrap heaps. The metal shells are pulling the dead forward, heads lolling, frozen limbs breaking off... not the bodies seem to move, but the suits themselves... Fired from somewhere to your left (Diamond?), burning plasma engulfs one of the attackers and reduces him/her/it to ashes. The remaining living suits bulge, then spit a wave of shrapnel. Jenkins' armour is razed away from his now exploding body. The second wave hits you squarely at chest height. You crash into a boulder with your back, topple over and land on something crumpled. The black box. It's completely shredded. It must have saved you. A stream of noise and shrieks pours out of your communicator. It takes an eternity until you manage to pump enough air into your lungs to get up again. Your armour is whining something about pressure loss, but you ignore that for now. The radio traffic has finally died away to static. Please press SPACE to continue. rock field (037.126) Torn, mangled and burned corpses are everywhere. Frozen blood is scattered on the ground and twinkling in the starlight. Tucked away in the dead end is the buried shuttle. A crevice in the rocks leads back west. Something is moving behind the heap of corpses. One of the living suits (machine zombies?) is staggering to its feet! You can also see a laser cutter and the black box here. >get cutter and box laser cutter: Taken. black box: Taken. The machine zombie points at you with a writhing, growing arm. With a sudden stabbing motion the arm extends the full distance over to you, penetrating your armour's front back and everything in between. You live for another heartbeat, then your life bursts out into the vacuum. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo rock field (037.126) [Previous turn undone.] >w rock field (036.126) The same grey rocks as everywhere on Asteroid 3095/4. Gaps between the rocks open to the east and southeast. (Coordinates: 036.126) The machine zombie points at you with a writhing, growing arm. With a sudden stabbing motion the arm extends the full distance over to you, penetrating your armour's front back and everything in between. You live for another heartbeat, then your life bursts out into the vacuum. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo rock field (037.126) [Previous turn undone.] >look rock field (037.126) Torn, mangled and burned corpses are everywhere. Frozen blood is scattered on the ground and twinkling in the starlight. Tucked away in the dead end is the buried shuttle. A crevice in the rocks leads back west. Something is moving behind the heap of corpses. One of the living suits (machine zombies?) is staggering to its feet! You can also see a laser cutter and the black box here. >kick suit You don't think you can really harm the staggering zombie with your bare hands. The machine zombie points at you with a writhing, growing arm. With a sudden stabbing motion the arm extends the full distance over to you, penetrating your armour's front back and everything in between. You live for another heartbeat, then your life bursts out into the vacuum. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo rock field (037.126) [Previous turn undone.] >get cutter Taken. The machine zombie points at you with a writhing, growing arm. With a sudden stabbing motion the arm extends the full distance over to you, penetrating your armour's front back and everything in between. You live for another heartbeat, then your life bursts out into the vacuum. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo rock field (037.126) [Previous turn undone.] >get box Taken. The machine zombie points at you with a writhing, growing arm. With a sudden stabbing motion the arm extends the full distance over to you, penetrating your armour's front back and everything in between. You live for another heartbeat, then your life bursts out into the vacuum. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo rock field (037.126) [Previous turn undone.] >i You are carrying: your plasma rifle your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >shoot suit (with the plasma rifle) You jam the fire mode switch all the way down to auto and rip the walking scrapheap apart. You imagine a satisfactory roar, but of course you don't hear anything. >w rock field (036.126) The same grey rocks as everywhere on Asteroid 3095/4. Gaps between the rocks open to the east and southeast. (Coordinates: 036.126) >se rock field (037.125) The same grey rocks as everywhere on Asteroid 3095/4. Gaps between the rocks open to the south, west and northwest. (Coordinates: 037.125) Open crates of various sizes are arranged along the rock walls. "This is Austin 1. What's going on? Anybody hear me?" "Wiseguy here. They're dead. They're all dead." The words crawl out heavy as lead. "This is Austin 1. Come back here ASAP. We need to... There's an unidentified flying object directly above the rock field! It matches no known profile... what is this? This can't be good. Retreat to my position. 037.128! Go go go!" Instinctively, you drop to a crouch and press yourself against a nearby boulder. You decide to keep a low profile from now on. >e You can't go that way. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >se You can't go that way. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >ne You can't go that way. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >look rock field (037.125) The same grey rocks as everywhere on Asteroid 3095/4. Gaps between the rocks open to the south, west and northwest. (Coordinates: 037.125) Open crates of various sizes are arranged along the rock walls. >s As you step out between the rocks, you feel naked. There's no cover at all here. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >n You duck into the cover of the nearby rocks. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >e You can't go that way. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >ne You can't go that way. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >look rock field (037.125) The same grey rocks as everywhere on Asteroid 3095/4. Gaps between the rocks open to the south, west and northwest. (Coordinates: 037.125) Open crates of various sizes are arranged along the rock walls. >nw rock field (036.126) The same grey rocks as everywhere on Asteroid 3095/4. Gaps between the rocks open to the east and southeast. (Coordinates: 036.126) A dark shape circles above the rock field. >e rock field (037.126) Torn, mangled and burned corpses are everywhere. Frozen blood is scattered on the ground and twinkling in the starlight. Tucked away in the dead end is the buried shuttle. A crevice in the rocks leads back west. You can see a laser cutter and the black box here. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >get cutter and box laser cutter: Taken. black box: Taken. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >w rock field (036.126) The same grey rocks as everywhere on Asteroid 3095/4. Gaps between the rocks open to the east and southeast. (Coordinates: 036.126) A dark shape circles above the rock field. >se rock field (037.125) The same grey rocks as everywhere on Asteroid 3095/4. Gaps between the rocks open to the south, west and northwest. (Coordinates: 037.125) Open crates of various sizes are arranged along the rock walls. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >w As you step out between the rocks, you feel naked. There's no cover at all here. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >e You duck into the cover of the nearby rocks. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >s As you step out between the rocks, you feel naked. There's no cover at all here. A dark shape circles above the rock field. >e You can't go that way. The dark shape closes in. It looks somewhat like an exotic hovercraft, except that a humanoid-shaped torso is mounted atop the main body. For lack of a better word, you call it the "centaur". You can see no markings on its exceptionally smooth hull. The centaur is wielding a large lance-like object. >look outside the rock field (037.124) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads north. You can circle the rock field by going northeast or northwest. (Coordinates: 037.124) >ne outside the rock field (038.125) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads north. You can circle the rock field by going northeast or southwest. (Coordinates: 038.125) The centaur is in plain view and aiming directly at you with its lance! >shoot centaur (with the plasma rifle) The fiery explosion knocks the centaur back and out of balance, but doesn't leave much visible damage. At least it'll have to close in on you again before being able to fire. The centaur manoeuvres into firing position, but is not quite there yet. >ne outside the rock field (039.126) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads west. You can circle the rock field by going southwest or northwest. (Coordinates: 039.126) The centaur is in plain view and aiming directly at you with its lance! >shoot centaur (with the plasma rifle) The fiery explosion knocks the centaur back and out of balance, but doesn't leave much visible damage. At least it'll have to close in on you again before being able to fire. The centaur manoeuvres into firing position, but is not quite there yet. >nw outside the rock field (038.127) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. You can see no suitable path into the rock field from here. You can circle the rock field by going southeast or northwest. The transport shuttle is still visible a good distance to the northwest. (Coordinates: 038.127) The centaur is in plain view and aiming directly at you with its lance! >shoot centaur (with the plasma rifle) The fiery explosion knocks the centaur back and out of balance, but doesn't leave much visible damage. At least it'll have to close in on you again before being able to fire. The centaur manoeuvres into firing position, but is not quite there yet. >nw "This is Austin 1! Jump in, quickly! I've been locked on! I need to take off now!" outside the rock field (037.128) You are standing at the edge of a featureless plain just outside a field of tall jagged rocks. A gap in the rocks leads south. You can circle the rock field by going southeast or southwest. Your nav system tells you the coordinates are 037.128. The transport shuttle is just a few metres away, its hatch open. It is hovering a few inches over the ground with blazing thrusters. The centaur is in plain view and aiming directly at you with its lance! >enter shuttle cargo bay (037.128) You are in the cargo bay of a medium-sized transport shuttle owned by the East Aquila Mining Corporation (your current employer). It provides room for twelve soldiers with full combat equipment. With your squad of five inside, it is still more than half-empty. Along the two long walls are benches made of not-too- comfortable green foam. Dim red lights illuminate the whole scene. The rear hatch is open. "Hold on to something!" The transport shuttle jerks violently up and forward, so hard that you're almost thrown out of the hatch again. As you regain your footing, the rock field is already well below and behind you. "That thing's shooting at us!" You're tossed against the left wall of the cargo hold as the transport performs a tight turn to evade a thin energy beam fired by the centaur The centaur is closely following your craft, visible through the still open hatch. >*Missing period between "the centaur" and "The centaur" in the last sentence. That's not a verb I recognise. >x centaur You peek out of your cover. It looks somewhat like an exotic hovercraft, except that a humanoid-shaped torso is mounted atop the main body. For lack of a better word, you call it the "centaur". You can see no markings on its exceptionally smooth hull. The centaur is wielding a large lance-like object. The shuttle dodges another energy beam. >shoot centaur (with the plasma rifle) The centaur is aiming straight at you - no time for the targeting aids - you inhale - aim - fire - exhale. The centaur is knocked backed by the impact. The lance still goes off, but only grazes the transport shuttle. You shift your position to the left of the hatch. Again - inhale - aim - fire - exhale - change position. A narrow beam of energy barely misses you, striking the fore wall of the cargo bay instead. The whole thing becomes a kind of dance - inhale - aim - fire - exhale - change position. Keep the centaur off balance... You fire on until the plasma rifle becomes unbearably hot in your hands. Your left glove feels like it's melting. Then, finally, the centaur turns off and falls back. Exhausted, you sink down on a bench. "We did it," you say. Silence. "Do you copy?" Silence. The shuttle is descending fast. You jump on your feet again. >save Ok. >look cargo bay (coordinates change rapidly) You are in the cargo bay of a medium-sized transport shuttle owned by the East Aquila Mining Corporation (your current employer). It provides room for twelve soldiers with full combat equipment. Along the two long walls are benches made of not-too-comfortable green foam. Dim red lights illuminate the whole scene. The rear hatch is open. The fore wall is riddled with holes. The cockpit behind it is a molten mess. The shuttle is falling rapidly. >get out You wait until the last possible moment before jumping off. The ground zooms by at dazzling speed, but you've got no choice. You hit the ground on your feet, then you are immediately pulled into a backward roll. The horizon spins around several times. You hit something, then all goes black. Please press SPACE to continue. "Are you certain he is the right one?" "He is the closest match to your prophecy, Great Mother. They say he is the best marksman in the whole sector." "How did he react to the implantation?" "Reasonably well, I suppose. The elders say the warrior seed will kill an unworthy being; he has survived. I did not have the time for a long examination, however." "Yes. He must be on his way before the node has fully awoken from its hibernation. Time is of the essence." Please press SPACE to continue. "Gen... Le... Vel... Criti... Cal... War... Ning... Oxy... Gen... Le... Vel... Criti... Cal." You are sprawled on a bed of grey dust. The sky is black with a sea of stars idly shining down on you. A familiar female voice sings a lullaby. You've never noticed before that her voice was so... musical. She sings to you. "Warning. Oxygen level critical." You stumble onto your feet again. Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >save Ok. >x me You are 2nd Lieutenant Solomon Shepard of the Andarian Rifles, call sign "Wiseguy". You have grown up on a pilgrim's world in the middle of the galactic outback. Despite your biblical name, you have hardly inherited any of your parents' faith, preferring smuggler runs and bar room brawls to tending hydro cultures or attending church services. Your inborn knack for shooting finally brought you to the Andarian Rifles, a minor mercenary company. Business has been slow lately, that is why you are stationed on patrol duty on a newly settled asteroid on the very edge of charted space, even further away from anything exciting than your home world was. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >shoot me (with the hand gun) All right. It's all useless, you are going to die anyway. At least now you're the one deciding. In one smooth motion, you bring the muzzle to your head and pull the trigger. In the end, this was easier than you would have thought. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo Under the stars [Previous turn undone.] >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >remove armour You need the light armour to survive in vacuum. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >x clay You can't see any such thing. >x dust You can't see any such thing. >x crater This crater is far too small to be a result of the shuttle crash. Its floor is partially covered by a black metallic smear. In the small crater is a black metallic smear. >x smear This seems to be the sorry remains of some piece of equipment, completely obliterated by immense heat. Maybe the item itself exploded and caused the crater. There's one thing very high on your list of suspects: your plasma rifle. You're starting to feel a bit light-headed. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >touch smear You feel nothing unexpected. >think What a good idea. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >enter crater You get into the small crater. >sleep You aren't feeling especially drowsy. >look Under the stars (in the small crater) There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >x smear This seems to be the sorry remains of some piece of equipment, completely obliterated by immense heat. Maybe the item itself exploded and caused the crater. There's one thing very high on your list of suspects: your plasma rifle. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >shoot smear (with the hand gun) Your fire chips a chunk off the black metallic smear, but leaves it otherwise intact. >move smear It is fixed in place. The stars start to twinkle... No, they can't. Stars need atmosphere to do that. >x stars Without any atmosphere to cloud your vision, the stars are a myriad of relentless, unblinking, steady lights. >touch stars That is too far away. >look Under the stars (in the small crater) There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >get out You get out of the small crater. Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >s There is nothing interesting in this direction. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >e There is nothing interesting in this direction. You notice your breathing has sped up quite a bit since the crash landing. >x suit You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >x armour This is your model IV light armour for operations in hard vacuum. It offers life support for up to 12 hours and has a host of advanced features. The left wrist houses the navigation system and the status monitor. The helmet features a communicator and various targeting aids. There is a badge attached to your suit's breast. >x badge It reads "Wiseguy". It definitely wasn't a good idea to let your squad mates decide your call sign. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >dig That's not a verb I recognise. >x crater This crater is far too small to be a result of the shuttle crash. Its floor is partially covered by a black metallic smear. In the small crater is a black metallic smear. >get smear That's hardly portable. >x smear This seems to be the sorry remains of some piece of equipment, completely obliterated by immense heat. Maybe the item itself exploded and caused the crater. There's one thing very high on your list of suspects: your plasma rifle. >touch smear You feel nothing unexpected. >move crater It is fixed in place. "oxygen level critical. warning. oxygen level..." You've managed to more or less ignore the voice so far, but now, something snaps inside you. "Shut up, shut up, shut the fu...". No. More swearing means dying faster. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >d There is nothing interesting in this direction. >u There is nothing interesting in this direction. >jump You jump on the spot. Gravity seems somewhat less than 1 g on this asteroid, but considering its nimble size it must have a huge density in order to exert that much gravitational force. >*Cool. That's not a verb I recognise. >e There is nothing interesting in this direction. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >s There is nothing interesting in this direction. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >remove armour You need the light armour to survive in vacuum. >open helmet That's part of the light armour. There's no particular use in wearing one or the other alone. >hold breath You can't see any such thing. >u There is nothing interesting in this direction. >d There is nothing interesting in this direction. >*What do I do? That's not a verb I recognise. >shoot smear (with the hand gun) Your fire chips a chunk off the black metallic smear, but leaves it otherwise intact. >shoot crater (with the hand gun) Your fire chips a chunk off the small crater, but leaves it otherwise intact. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >x dust You can't see any such thing. >x dust You can't see any such thing. >ne There is nothing interesting in this direction. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >s There is nothing interesting in this direction. >e There is nothing interesting in this direction. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >s There is nothing interesting in this direction. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >x gun The hand gun is a reliable but unspectacular sidearm. You've got 27 shots left. >x armour This is your model IV light armour for operations in hard vacuum. It offers life support for up to 12 hours and has a host of advanced features. The left wrist houses the navigation system and the status monitor. The helmet features a communicator and various targeting aids. There is a badge attached to your suit's breast. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >sleep You aren't feeling especially drowsy. >enter crater You get into the small crater. >shoot smear (with the hand gun) Your fire chips a chunk off the black metallic smear, but leaves it otherwise intact. >x gun The hand gun is a reliable but unspectacular sidearm. You've got 26 shots left. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >look Under the stars (in the small crater) There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >jump You jump on the spot. Gravity seems somewhat less than 1 g on this asteroid, but considering its nimble size it must have a huge density in order to exert that much gravitational force. >look up I only understood you as far as wanting to look. >look down I only understood you as far as wanting to look. >x smear This seems to be the sorry remains of some piece of equipment, completely obliterated by immense heat. Maybe the item itself exploded and caused the crater. There's one thing very high on your list of suspects: your plasma rifle. >x crater This crater is far too small to be a result of the shuttle crash. Its floor is partially covered by a black metallic smear. In the small crater is a black metallic smear. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >touch smear You feel nothing unexpected. >touch crater You feel nothing unexpected. >e There is nothing interesting in this direction. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >s There is nothing interesting in this direction. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >u There is nothing interesting in this direction. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. Your right foot was supposed to move forward, but somehow it just hasn't. The rest of your body does move forward anyway, and the next thing you know is that you lie sprawled in the dust. You try to get up, but your legs won't listen. Suffocating is a gruesome death, they've told you. So the last epic battle in your life features you, your pistol, and keeping the damned thing pointed at your head while pulling the trigger. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo Under the stars [Previous turn undone.] >restore Ok. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >*What do I do? That's not a verb I recognise. >breathe That's not a verb I recognise. >remove helmet (first taking the helmet) That seems to be a part of the light armour. >out But you aren't in anything at the moment. >wake up The dreadful truth is, this is not a dream. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >x horizon If you just thought hard enough, you might remember the diameter of this asteroid and how far the horizon ought to be, but it sure feels like you could almost touch it. You're starting to feel a bit light-headed. >touch horizon Close as it might seen, it eludes your grasp >*Okay, missing a line break there. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >touch horizon Close as it might seen, it eludes your grasp >x horizon If you just thought hard enough, you might remember the diameter of this asteroid and how far the horizon ought to be, but it sure feels like you could almost touch it. >think What a good idea. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >yell That's not a verb I recognise. >scream That's not a verb I recognise. >talk (to yourself) You don't know what to say. >shout (to yourself) You don't know what to say. The stars start to twinkle... No, they can't. Stars need atmosphere to do that. >x stars Without any atmosphere to cloud your vision, the stars are a myriad of relentless, unblinking, steady lights. >x stars Without any atmosphere to cloud your vision, the stars are a myriad of relentless, unblinking, steady lights. >x lights You can't see any such thing. >get stars That is too far away. >get horizon Close as it might seen, it eludes your grasp >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >move dust You can't see any such thing. >move smear It is fixed in place. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >x gun The hand gun is a reliable but unspectacular sidearm. You've got 30 shots left. >open gun That's not something you can open. You notice your breathing has sped up quite a bit since the crash landing. >slow breathing That's not a verb I recognise. >crawl That's not a verb I recognise. >lay down You can't see any such thing. >enter crater You get into the small crater. >look Under the stars (in the small crater) There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >hide There's no need to do this explicitly. You'll automatically use all available cover. >e There is nothing interesting in this direction. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >*Nice that "hide" was understood. That's not a verb I recognise. >e There is nothing interesting in this direction. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >s There is nothing interesting in this direction. >lo That's not a verb I recognise. >look Under the stars (in the small crater) There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >dig That's not a verb I recognise. >poke smear That's not a verb I recognise. >poke crater That's not a verb I recognise. >*I take it there is a clue here with the crater, but I don't get it. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >throw up You must name something more substantial. "oxygen level critical. warning. oxygen level..." You've managed to more or less ignore the voice so far, but now, something snaps inside you. "Shut up, shut up, shut the fu...". No. More swearing means dying faster. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >swear That's not a verb I recognise. >help > Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Under the stars (in the small crater) There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >e There is nothing interesting in this direction. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >s There is nothing interesting in this direction. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >look Under the stars (in the small crater) There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >walk to crater You can't see any such thing. >get out You get out of the small crater. Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >kick crater You don't think you can really harm the small crater with your bare hands. >shoot crater (with the hand gun) Your fire chips a chunk off the small crater, but leaves it otherwise intact. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >undo Under the stars [Previous turn undone.] >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >s There is nothing interesting in this direction. >e There is nothing interesting in this direction. >credits That's not a verb I recognise. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >pace That's not a verb I recognise. >walk You'll have to say which compass direction to go in. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >walk n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >s There is nothing interesting in this direction. >u There is nothing interesting in this direction. >d There is nothing interesting in this direction. >in There is nothing interesting in this direction. >out But you aren't in anything at the moment. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >spin That's not a verb I recognise. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >x landmark You can't see any such thing. >x sky You can't see any such thing. >look up I only understood you as far as wanting to look. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >sleep You aren't feeling especially drowsy. >sing Your singing is abominable. >sleep You aren't feeling especially drowsy. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >xyzzy More like IDKFA. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >plover That's not a verb I recognise. >plugh That's not a verb I recognise. >e There is nothing interesting in this direction. >s There is nothing interesting in this direction. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >*I don't get it. I'm not sure I ever will.... That's not a verb I recognise. >look Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >n There is nothing interesting in this direction. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. Your right foot was supposed to move forward, but somehow it just hasn't. The rest of your body does move forward anyway, and the next thing you know is that you lie sprawled in the dust. You try to get up, but your legs won't listen. Suffocating is a gruesome death, they've told you. So the last epic battle in your life features you, your pistol, and keeping the damned thing pointed at your head while pulling the trigger. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > restore Ok. >hint > Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! > General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! > General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction > Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction > Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits > General hints The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints > The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints > The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve > The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve > The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve The rock field > After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve The rock field > After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility > I can't go anywhere "Under the stars". What am I supposed to do in the restricted area? How can I get on the bridge? I am falling to death when I jump down. Help! Another zombie!. 1/3: You simply don't know where to go. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/3: You simply don't know where to go. 2/3: When you're in your car and don't know where to go, what do you do? Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/3: You simply don't know where to go. 2/3: When you're in your car and don't know where to go, what do you do? 3/3: Check your navigation system. Press SPACE to return to the menu. > I can't go anywhere "Under the stars". What am I supposed to do in the restricted area? How can I get on the bridge? I am falling to death when I jump down. Help! Another zombie!. > I can't go anywhere "Under the stars". What am I supposed to do in the restricted area? How can I get on the bridge? I am falling to death when I jump down. Help! Another zombie!. General hints The Grand Curve The rock field > After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Under the stars There's hardly a landmark around here, except for a small crater a few paces next to you. Otherwise all you can see is dust until the horizon, which seems awfully close. You feel like you're on a marble, or rather a lump of clay. >*What navigation system?? That's not a verb I recognise. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >x armour This is your model IV light armour for operations in hard vacuum. It offers life support for up to 12 hours and has a host of advanced features. The left wrist houses the navigation system and the status monitor. The helmet features a communicator and various targeting aids. There is a badge attached to your suit's breast. >*oh. That's not a verb I recognise. >*I wasn't thorough enough. That's not a verb I recognise. >x monitor The current readout is: multiple small leaks in oxygen tank. severe leak in helmet. pressure loss. oxygen level critical. >x system You call up the map of this area. It presents a pretty bleak picture. The only interesting thing close enough for you to reach before your oxygen runs out is a restricted area a bit north from your position. Naturally, your map of the spot is blank. There's bound to be something interesting there, you just can't tell if it's a top secret installation or a nuclear accident site. You set a waypoint there anyway. The current readout is: current location: 055.192 waypoint 1: centre of restricted area, 055.200 >n south of the restricted area (055.194) Persons more poetic (and with less rattling lungs) than you might have a better description for this place, but to you it is simply bland and empty. You're starting to feel a bit light-headed. >n south of the restricted area (055.196) You can make out a silvery rod standing in the distance north of you. >n restricted area, south (055.198) You are standing on the edge of a deep chasm. According to your navigation systems, this is the south edge of the restricted area. Grounded in a small sturdy-looking device, a long thin antenna points upwards into space. Far below, a bridge is crossing the chasm from east to west. The chasm's edge extends to the northeast and northwest. >e You can't go that way. >w You can't go that way. >s south of the restricted area (055.196) You can make out a silvery rod standing in the distance north of you. >w There is nothing interesting in this direction. >e There is nothing interesting in this direction. The stars start to twinkle... No, they can't. Stars need atmosphere to do that. >n restricted area, south (055.198) You are standing on the edge of a deep chasm. According to your navigation systems, this is the south edge of the restricted area. Grounded in a small sturdy-looking device, a long thin antenna points upwards into space. Far below, a bridge is crossing the chasm from east to west. The chasm's edge extends to the northeast and northwest. >x antenna You see nothing special about the antenna. >n You can't go that way. >jump over chasm You can't see any such thing. >jump over chasm You can't see any such thing. >ne You follow the edge of the chasm for quite some time until you are at its east end. restricted area, east (057.200) You are standing on the east edge of a deep chasm. Far below, a bridge is crossing the chasm from east to west. The chasm's edge extends to the southwest and northwest. >w You can't go that way. >jump down to bridge I only understood you as far as wanting to jump down. >nw You follow the edge of the chasm for quite some time until you are at its north end. restricted area, north (055.202) You are standing on the north edge of a deep chasm. Far below, a bridge is crossing the chasm from east to west. The chasm's edge extends to the southwest and southeast. >s You can't go that way. You notice your breathing has sped up quite a bit since the crash landing. >jump in What do you want to jump in? >chasm That's not something you can enter. >w You can't go that way. >n You can't go that way. >sw You follow the edge of the chasm for quite some time until you are at its west end. restricted area, west (053.200) You are standing on the west edge of a deep chasm. Far below, a bridge is crossing the chasm from east to west. The chasm's edge extends to the northeast and southeast. >x bridge The bridge is about 5 metres wide and looks man-made. Both ends of it terminate in open airlocks set into the chasm walls. According to your range finder, the bridge is 16.7 metres below the edge of the chasm. It meets the chasm wall straight below you. >d The only way down is jumping. >jump down You take a running start and jump off, aiming for the bridge below. Time seems to slow as fall. ONE-Mississippi. TWO-Mississippi. THREE-Mississippi. FOUR-MissiCRUNCH. Please press SPACE to continue. You've hit the bridge, all right. Unfortunately your landing was not the most elegant. Your legs feel like they're exploding with every heartbeat. You imagine warm blood leaking into your boots. Your armour promptly starts bitching about some damage to your leg servos and automatically stiffens your legs, rendering your smashed legs effectively splinted. Thanks to this, you're able to shuffle along somehow after you've gotten up again (which, by the way, takes a long and painful while). bridge, west end You are at the west end of the bridge in the middle of the chasm, 16.7 metres below the surface of Asteroid 3095/4. The bridge is about 5 metres wide and looks definitely man-made. A wispy net of wires and thin girders is spanned out between the chasm walls above and below you. This end of the bridge terminates in an open airlock to the west, while the bridge itself continues to the east. "oxygen level critical. warning. oxygen level..." You've managed to more or less ignore the voice so far, but now, something snaps inside you. "Shut up, shut up, shut the fu...". No. More swearing means dying faster. >*I think I missed the top line That's not a verb I recognise. >undo bridge, west end [Previous turn undone.] >jump down You can't go that way. >undo bridge, west end [Previous turn undone.] >undo restricted area, west (053.200) [Previous turn undone.] >jump down You take a running start and jump off, aiming for the bridge below. Time seems to slow as fall. ONE-Mississippi. TWO-Mississippi. THREE-Mississippi. FOUR-MissiCRUNCH. Please press SPACE to continue. You've hit the bridge, all right. Unfortunately your landing was not the most elegant. Your legs feel like they're exploding with every heartbeat. You imagine warm blood leaking into your boots. Your armour promptly starts bitching about some damage to your leg servos and automatically stiffens your legs, rendering your smashed legs effectively splinted. Thanks to this, you're able to shuffle along somehow after you've gotten up again (which, by the way, takes a long and painful while). bridge, west end You are at the west end of the bridge in the middle of the chasm, 16.7 metres below the surface of Asteroid 3095/4. The bridge is about 5 metres wide and looks definitely man-made. A wispy net of wires and thin girders is spanned out between the chasm walls above and below you. This end of the bridge terminates in an open airlock to the west, while the bridge itself continues to the east. "oxygen level critical. warning. oxygen level..." You've managed to more or less ignore the voice so far, but now, something snaps inside you. "Shut up, shut up, shut the fu...". No. More swearing means dying faster. > *I think the interpereter puts the top status line over the top line of text... so I can't read it. That's not a verb I recognise. >*There, shrunk my window, so we'll see if it works. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >undo bridge, west end [Previous turn undone.] >undo bridge, west end [Previous turn undone.] >undo restricted area, west (053.200) [Previous turn undone.] >jump down You take a running start and jump off, aiming for the bridge below. Time seems to slow as fall. ONE-Mississippi. TWO-Mississippi. THREE-Mississippi. FOUR-MissiCRUNCH. Please press SPACE to continue. You've hit the bridge, all right. Unfortunately your landing was not the most elegant. Your legs feel like they're exploding with every heartbeat. You imagine warm blood leaking into your boots. Your armour promptly starts bitching about some damage to your leg servos and automatically stiffens your legs, rendering your smashed legs effectively splinted. Thanks to this, you're able to shuffle along somehow after you've gotten up again (which, by the way, takes a long and painful while). bridge, west end You are at the west end of the bridge in the middle of the chasm, 16.7 metres below the surface of Asteroid 3095/4. The bridge is about 5 metres wide and looks definitely man-made. A wispy net of wires and thin girders is spanned out between the chasm walls above and below you. This end of the bridge terminates in an open airlock to the west, while the bridge itself continues to the east. "oxygen level critical. warning. oxygen level..." You've managed to more or less ignore the voice so far, but now, something snaps inside you. "Shut up, shut up, shut the fu...". No. More swearing means dying faster. >e bridge, east end You are at the east end of the bridge in the middle of the chasm, 16.7 metres below the surface of Asteroid 3095/4. The bridge is about 5 metres wide and looks definitely man-made. A wispy net of wires and thin girders is spanned out between the chasm walls above and below you. This end of the bridge terminates in an open airlock to the east, while the bridge itself continues to the west. >e east airlock This looks like a fairly standard airlock designed for groups of about 5 persons or a small vehicle. The airlock controls are located in a panel embedded into the south wall. Back to the west is the bridge across the chasm. A closed airlock door is blocking your way east. >e You can't, since the inner airlock door is in the way. >open door It doesn't have a handle. There must be another way to open it. >x door It's a sturdy, tightly-sealing door with no lock or handle. >knock on door That's not a verb I recognise. >x panel The airlock controls consist of a pair of buttons, a display and a card reader. >push buttons Pushing both at the same time won't do much good. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >x buttons Two small round buttons, arranged in a horizontal fashion. The button closer to the west door is glowing red, the other one (closer to the east door) green. >push green button The small display flashes the line ACCESS DENIED. >push red button The small display flashes the line ACCESS DENIED. >x reader A common card reader. To operate it, you need to insert a matching security card. >i You are carrying: your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >w bridge, east end You are at the east end of the bridge in the middle of the chasm, 16.7 metres below the surface of Asteroid 3095/4. The bridge is about 5 metres wide and looks definitely man-made. A wispy net of wires and thin girders is spanned out between the chasm walls above and below you. This end of the bridge terminates in an open airlock to the east, while the bridge itself continues to the west. >w bridge, west end You are at the west end of the bridge in the middle of the chasm, 16.7 metres below the surface of Asteroid 3095/4. The bridge is about 5 metres wide and looks definitely man-made. A wispy net of wires and thin girders is spanned out between the chasm walls above and below you. This end of the bridge terminates in an open airlock to the west, while the bridge itself continues to the east. >w west airlock You are inside a fairly standard-looking airlock designed for up to 5 persons or small vehicles. It looks like some heavy fighting has happened here recently; the walls are all scratched and burned. The sorry remains of the airlock control panel are bravely clinging to the north wall. The door leading further inside is closed. A figure in a yellow space suit is slumped in one corner of the airlock. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >x suit A person in a heavy yellow space suit, probably a miner. The suit's battered and beaten. You roll him over to see his visor - it is splattered with blood from inside. There's a red plastic card attached to the suit. >get card As you reach out for the card, a yellow-painted fist grabs your arm! The battered suit's surface ripples and starts to grow spikes! >shoot suit (with the hand gun) This guy (person?) has looked dead before, but now he/she/it is for sure. Or at least you hope he'll be having a hard time menacing you without a head. >get card Taken. >w You can't, since the west airlock door is in the way. >x panel It's completely destroyed and unusable. >move suit That would be less than courteous. You can feel your body gradually seizing up. You're not going to make it much longer. >e bridge, west end You are at the west end of the bridge in the middle of the chasm, 16.7 metres below the surface of Asteroid 3095/4. The bridge is about 5 metres wide and looks definitely man-made. A wispy net of wires and thin girders is spanned out between the chasm walls above and below you. This end of the bridge terminates in an open airlock to the west, while the bridge itself continues to the east. >e bridge, east end You are at the east end of the bridge in the middle of the chasm, 16.7 metres below the surface of Asteroid 3095/4. The bridge is about 5 metres wide and looks definitely man-made. A wispy net of wires and thin girders is spanned out between the chasm walls above and below you. This end of the bridge terminates in an open airlock to the east, while the bridge itself continues to the west. >e east airlock This looks like a fairly standard airlock designed for groups of about 5 persons or a small vehicle. The airlock controls are located in a panel embedded into the south wall. Back to the west is the bridge across the chasm. A closed airlock door is blocking your way east. >put card in slot You can't see any such thing. >swipe card You swipe the red security pass through the card reader. The display changes to the line ACCESS GRANTED. >push green The airlock door closes silently behind you. You hear a faint hiss fade in, building up to a sharp crescendo. Then again silence, albeit a short one, broken by the sound of hidden activators as the east door retracts into the ceiling. You claw at your helmet's breathing unit and tear it open to let new, phenolic- smelling air into your lungs. You collapse on the spot, celebrating that you're still among the living. On a less cheery note, your armour's electronics have just gone dead due to energy shortage. At least no more annoying warning messages, then. Please press SPACE to continue. "You have seen him?" "Yes, Khemgi. He is making progress quicker than we thought. He already is right above the node's root." "Above the control centre?" "Yes, that is what you call it. But the transformation is far from complete; his body is still so very frail. They are hunting him. He must not be killed!" Please press SPACE to continue. east airlock This looks like a fairly standard airlock designed for groups of about 5 persons or a small vehicle. The airlock controls are located in a panel embedded into the south wall. The outer airlock door is closed, keeping the precious air from escaping out into the chasm. To the east, the airlock widens somewhat into a blood-red corridor. >save Ok. >*Interesting game. Kind of reminds me of Half-Life 2 a little. That's not a verb I recognise. >*Maybe I'm The Freeman. That's not a verb I recognise. >*Heh. That's not a verb I recognise. >w You can't, since the outer airlock door is in the way. >push green If you opened the airlock door now you'd have a serious oxygen problem. >push red (the east button) Nothing happens. >look east airlock This looks like a fairly standard airlock designed for groups of about 5 persons or a small vehicle. The airlock controls are located in a panel embedded into the south wall. The outer airlock door is closed, keeping the precious air from escaping out into the chasm. To the east, the airlock widens somewhat into a blood-red corridor. >i You are carrying: a red security pass your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >shoot me (with the hand gun) All right. It's all useless, you are going to die anyway. At least now you're the one deciding. In one smooth motion, you bring the muzzle to your head and pull the trigger. In the end, this was easier than you would have thought. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo east airlock [Previous turn undone.] >n You can't go that way. >s You can't go that way. >e corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >n You can't, since the door to storage room 51 is in the way. >*How do I know it's storage room 51? That's not a verb I recognise. >move door It is fixed in place. >shoot door (with the hand gun) Your fire chips a chunk off the the door to storage room 51, but leaves it otherwise intact. >undo corridor, west end [Previous turn undone.] >s dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. >x blood Sizeable amounts of blood must have recently passed through the grate, but there's no sign of any bodies. >x grate A solidly built grate made of blood-stained ceramic. >remove grate (first taking the grate) That's hardly portable. >move grate It is fixed in place. >kick grate You don't think you can really harm the grate with your bare hands. >shoot grate (with the hand gun) Your fire chips a chunk off the grate, but leaves it otherwise intact. Something hard hits you from behind; you're knocked forward struggling for your balance. After spinning around awkwardly, you come face to face with your attacker as it jumps at you again: A metallic, skull-sized, multi-legged object, a full chrome arachnid, armed with vicious claws. You manage to bring your arm up in time to protect your face, but the spider latches onto your arm and starts eating and clawing through your armour. >undo dressing room [Previous turn undone.] >x grate A solidly built grate made of blood-stained ceramic. Something hard hits you from behind; you're knocked forward struggling for your balance. After spinning around awkwardly, you come face to face with your attacker as it jumps at you again: A metallic, skull-sized, multi-legged object, a full chrome arachnid, armed with vicious claws. You manage to bring your arm up in time to protect your face, but the spider latches onto your arm and starts eating and clawing through your armour. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >look dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. >x grate A solidly built grate made of blood-stained ceramic. >n corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >s dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. >x lockers These simple steel sheet lockers look pretty devastated: They are all riddled with holes, as if a whole belt of machine gun ammo was pumped into them. A single locker is closed, all others are open and empty. >open lockers They're all open except for one. You open the locker and peep inside. A pair of burst eyes stares back at you. Slowly, the corpse inside the locker shifts towards you, pushing, half-falling. Already one bloody arm is jammed into the door; you can't close it again. You move slightly to the side, gun in hand, and allow it to burst out. With a wet, meaty sound the perforated remains of a middle-aged man hit the ceramic tiles before you. >x corpse This man's clothes were most likely white once, but now they're all possible shades of red. His body is a ruin of metal shards and flesh. Rummaging through his pockets, you stumble upon a blue security pass. >get blue Taken. >i You are carrying: a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >get blue You already have that. >look dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. You can also see a bloody corpse here. >hug corpse Keep your mind on the game. >open lockers They're all already open. >e You can't go that way. You think you just heard a piece of hydraulic activate somewhere near. >s You can't go that way. Behind you, a small maintenance hatch swings open, revealing another spider. You jerk around and bring your arm up just in time to keep eight sharp legs from smashing into your face. The armour on your left forearm screeches miserably as the spider bites into it and chews away. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >n corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >e corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >save Save failed. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. A closed office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >n unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A headless hulking figure is kneeling on the floor in the middle of the cave. A machine gun with a tripod is standing in the corner. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a huge rocket launcher here. >get launcher Try as you might, you can't lift it. It's just too heavy. >x launcher A large and unquestionably heavy launcher for anti-tank rockets. You can't image a single person wielding this monster. Despite that, the launcher has a handle, a trigger and all other features of a man-portable launcher. It just looks as if it was made for a giant. The launcher is currently empty. >i You are carrying: a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >look unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A headless hulking figure is kneeling on the floor in the middle of the cave. A machine gun with a tripod is standing in the corner. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a huge rocket launcher here. >x figure This massive compound of ceramic, steel and artificial muscles is the new king of the battlefield. The Demolisher exo-armour might not have a tank's overland speed, but it is unmatched when it comes to rough close-quarters combat. This particular model stands about 3 metres tall and is outfitted with reinforced fists for smashing armoured targets. The Demolisher is in an overall decent condition except that its helmet is missing and the collar is fringed and blood- stained. There's a small round keyhole on the armour's front. >enter armour (the light armour) That's not something you can enter. >x keyhole A small keyhole made for a complex mechanical key. >i You are carrying: a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >look unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A headless hulking figure is kneeling on the floor in the middle of the cave. A machine gun with a tripod is standing in the corner. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a huge rocket launcher here. >ne You might fit through the opening, but only without the light armour's added shoulder width. >drop suit You can't see any such thing. >remove suit You can't see any such thing. >remove armour (the light armour) Removing combat armor without aid would be difficult even without broken legs. Now it's plain torture, but you manage somehow. You take off the light armour. >ne You can't pull the light armour around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >drop armour (the light armour) Dropped. >ne gloomy cave Heavy dust covers this small cave. The feeling is cramped, stuck between partly loose boulders and a ceiling that doesn't let you rise higher than a squat. The chirping and clicking continues, punctuated by the occasional rustling of falling dust. A few stray rays of light from the main cave show you the way out to the southwest, while a pitch-black hole leads west into darkness. >w dark cave This section of the cave is pitch-black. You can't see a thing. The noise has built up to an almost bodily, bone-rattling presence now. The damp smell of iron hangs in the air. >e gloomy cave Heavy dust covers this small cave. The feeling is cramped, stuck between partly loose boulders and a ceiling that doesn't let you rise higher than a squat. The chirping and clicking continues, punctuated by the occasional rustling of falling dust. A few stray rays of light from the main cave show you the way out to the southwest, while a pitch-black hole leads west into darkness. >sw unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A headless hulking figure is kneeling on the floor in the middle of the cave. A machine gun with a tripod is standing in the corner. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see your light armour and a huge rocket launcher here. >get gun (the sentry gun) Taken. >x gut You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >x gun Which do you mean, the sentry gun or the hand gun? >look unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A headless hulking figure is kneeling on the floor in the middle of the cave. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see your light armour and a huge rocket launcher here. >s corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. A closed office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >s You can't, since the office door is in the way. >open door It seems to be locked. >unlock door What do you want to unlock the office door with? >blue You unlock the office door. >s You can't, since the office door is in the way. >open door You open the office door. >s doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. >x ramp This ramp of coarsely-broken gravel leads southeast. >se dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. An irregularly-shaped and definitely not rock-hewn object is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >x object What first looked like a lump of sheet metal turns out to be a badly battered desk. The smashed remains of an integrated computer workstation lend its upper surface an irregular, cable-pervaded appearance. The whole left half of the desk is hanging in mid-air above the abyss, in a fragile-looking balance. The desk has two drawers, one left and one right. Both are closed. >open left drawer You open the left drawer. >look inside drawer Which do you mean, the left drawer or the right drawer? >left The left drawer is empty. >open right drawer You open the right drawer, revealing a voice recorder. >get recorder Taken. The desk loses its fragile balance and slips over the edge. Deafening noises of metal scraping and banging against stone surge through the dome. A cacophony of high-pitched shrieks surrounds you as the whole dome of arachnids awakes and descends on you. No armour or weapon could save you from the blizzard of chrome razors. They pick your bones clean. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > *A blizard of chrome razors. Good description. Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo dome [Previous turn undone.] >pull desk It seems to be lodged to the edge somehow; you cannot pull it further inward. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >open right That's already open. >look in right In the right drawer is a voice recorder. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >x recorder This single piece of plastic is a voice recorder. It's a bit bloody, but looks functional otherwise. There are 3 recordings stored in the device: File01, File02 and File03 >play file01 A voice from the recorder reverberates throughout the dome. A cacophony of high-pitched shrieks surrounds you as the whole dome of arachnids awakes and descends on you. No armour or weapon could save you from the blizzard of chrome razors. They pick your bones clean. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo dome [Previous turn undone.] >*Nice puzzles. That's not a verb I recognise. >look dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. A battered desk is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >shoot desk (with the hand gun) The shot echoes through the dome. A cacophony of high-pitched shrieks surrounds you as the whole dome of arachnids awakes and descends on you. No armour or weapon could save you from the blizzard of chrome razors. They pick your bones clean. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo dome [Previous turn undone.] >yello That's not a verb I recognise. >look dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. A battered desk is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >shoot spiders (with the hand gun) The shot echoes through the dome. A cacophony of high-pitched shrieks surrounds you as the whole dome of arachnids awakes and descends on you. No armour or weapon could save you from the blizzard of chrome razors. They pick your bones clean. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo dome [Previous turn undone.] >look dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. A battered desk is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >x desk What first looked like a lump of sheet metal turns out to be a badly battered desk. The smashed remains of an integrated computer workstation lend its upper surface an irregular, cable-pervaded appearance. The whole left half of the desk is hanging in mid-air above the abyss, in a fragile-looking balance. The desk has two drawers, one left and one right. Both are open. >push desk The desk loses its fragile balance and slips over the edge. Deafening noises of metal banging against stone surge through the dome. A cacophony of high-pitched shrieks surrounds you as the whole dome of arachnids awakes and descends on you. No armour or weapon could save you from the blizzard of chrome razors. They pick your bones clean. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo dome [Previous turn undone.] >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >*Hmm. That's not a verb I recognise. >nw doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. Something hard and spiky slams into your unarmoured back. You're knocked forward struggling for your balance, stabs of hot agony flare through your torso, your lungs start wheezing. After spinning around awkwardly, you come face to face with your attacker: A metallic, skull-sized, multi-legged object, a full chrome arachnid, armed with vicious claws. It measures you with cold manifold eyes. You cough bright red foam - your lung must have been pierced - you try to aim - eyes are watering - BLAM - not a clear hit - impact - your arms are cut - you go down in a red cloud. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo doctor's office [Previous turn undone.] >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. Something hard and spiky slams into your unarmoured back. You're knocked forward struggling for your balance, stabs of hot agony flare through your torso, your lungs start wheezing. After spinning around awkwardly, you come face to face with your attacker: A metallic, skull-sized, multi-legged object, a full chrome arachnid, armed with vicious claws. It measures you with cold manifold eyes. You cough bright red foam - your lung must have been pierced - you try to aim - eyes are watering - BLAM - not a clear hit - impact - your arms are cut - you go down in a red cloud. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo doctor's office [Previous turn undone.] >undo dome [Previous turn undone.] >n You can't go that way. >n You can't go that way. >ne You can't go that way. >look dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. A battered desk is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >nw doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. Something hard and spiky slams into your unarmoured back. You're knocked forward struggling for your balance, stabs of hot agony flare through your torso, your lungs start wheezing. After spinning around awkwardly, you come face to face with your attacker: A metallic, skull-sized, multi-legged object, a full chrome arachnid, armed with vicious claws. It measures you with cold manifold eyes. You cough bright red foam - your lung must have been pierced - you try to aim - eyes are watering - BLAM - not a clear hit - impact - your arms are cut - you go down in a red cloud. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > *Argh -- unwinnable situation. Is my save before this, I hope? Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo doctor's office [Previous turn undone.] >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. Something hard and spiky slams into your unarmoured back. You're knocked forward struggling for your balance, stabs of hot agony flare through your torso, your lungs start wheezing. After spinning around awkwardly, you come face to face with your attacker: A metallic, skull-sized, multi-legged object, a full chrome arachnid, armed with vicious claws. It measures you with cold manifold eyes. You cough bright red foam - your lung must have been pierced - you try to aim - eyes are watering - BLAM - not a clear hit - impact - your arms are cut - you go down in a red cloud. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo doctor's office [Previous turn undone.] >restore Ok. >look east airlock This looks like a fairly standard airlock designed for groups of about 5 persons or a small vehicle. The airlock controls are located in a panel embedded into the south wall. The outer airlock door is closed, keeping the precious air from escaping out into the chasm. To the east, the airlock widens somewhat into a blood-red corridor. >e corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >e corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. A flood of high frantic clicking noise showers in from an indiscernible direction, then fades again. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. A closed office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >n unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A headless hulking figure is kneeling on the floor in the middle of the cave. A machine gun with a tripod is standing in the corner. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a huge rocket launcher here. >x figure This massive compound of ceramic, steel and artificial muscles is the new king of the battlefield. The Demolisher exo-armour might not have a tank's overland speed, but it is unmatched when it comes to rough close-quarters combat. This particular model stands about 3 metres tall and is outfitted with reinforced fists for smashing armoured targets. The Demolisher is in an overall decent condition except that its helmet is missing and the collar is fringed and blood- stained. There's a small round keyhole on the armour's front. >get machine You can't see any such thing. >get gun (the sentry gun) Taken. >s corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. A closed office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >s You can't, since the office door is in the way. >open door It seems to be locked. >unlock door with blue You can't see any such thing. >w corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >n You can't, since the door to storage room 52 is in the way. >open door You open the door to storage room 52. You think you just heard a piece of hydraulic activate somewhere near. >n storage room 52 You can imagine the state the architect must have envisioned this room: A maze of shelves, ready to embrace all sorts of hopefully useful items, neatly sorted into the aluminium frames. But unfortunately the shelves have been reworked into a trench system of jagged metal, and no stored items are to be seen anywhere. Something hard hits you from behind; you're knocked forward struggling for your balance. After spinning around awkwardly, you come face to face with your attacker as it jumps at you again: A metallic, skull-sized, multi-legged object, a full chrome arachnid, armed with vicious claws. You manage to bring your arm up in time to protect your face, but the spider latches onto your arm and starts eating and clawing through your armour. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >x shelves The shelves are all broken and twisted. It looks as if nothing was ever on the shelves. >look storage room 52 You can imagine the state the architect must have envisioned this room: A maze of shelves, ready to embrace all sorts of hopefully useful items, neatly sorted into the aluminium frames. But unfortunately the shelves have been reworked into a trench system of jagged metal, and no stored items are to be seen anywhere. >search shelves You find nothing of interest. >s corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >s waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is off. The corridor is to the north and a large closed double door leads further south. An electronic clipboard lies abandoned on one of the chairs. >get clipboard Taken. >x clipboard In contrast to its ordinary cousins, the electronic clipboard uses a back-lit touch screen instead of paper. You guess this is used to display patient records and the like. The screen is currently dark. The electronic clipboard is currently switched off. >turn on clipboard The electronic clipboard's screen lights up brightly with a white-on-red error message: CONNECTIVITY ERROR: node "xerxes" is not responding. >save Ok. >*Isn't Xerxes the computer in System Shock? That's not a verb I recognise. >s You can't, since the double door is in the way. A short sentence finds the way to your ears. It is complete gibberish, just vowels, in a strange pitch. >n corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >n storage room 52 You can imagine the state the architect must have envisioned this room: A maze of shelves, ready to embrace all sorts of hopefully useful items, neatly sorted into the aluminium frames. But unfortunately the shelves have been reworked into a trench system of jagged metal, and no stored items are to be seen anywhere. >undo corridor, centre [Previous turn undone.] >w corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >n You can't, since the door to storage room 51 is in the way. A spider drops from a ventilation shaft above you! You roll sideways, but it catches onto your shoulder and crawls to your throat. A screeching, sawing noise cuts the air. You are blinded by a shower of sparks spurting from your collar. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >open door the door to storage room 51 refuses to move by itself, and you are not strong enough to push it aside. A flood of high frantic clicking noise showers in from an indiscernible direction, then fades again. >s dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. >open locker You open the locker and peep inside. A pair of burst eyes stares back at you. Slowly, the corpse inside the locker shifts towards you, pushing, half-falling. Already one bloody arm is jammed into the door; you can't close it again. You move slightly to the side, gun in hand, and allow it to burst out. With a wet, meaty sound the perforated remains of a middle-aged man hit the ceramic tiles before you. >x man This man's clothes were most likely white once, but now they're all possible shades of red. His body is a ruin of metal shards and flesh. Rummaging through his pockets, you stumble upon a blue security pass. >get pass (the blue security pass) Taken. >n corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >e corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. A closed office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >s You can't, since the office door is in the way. >unlock door with blue You unlock the office door. Behind you, a small maintenance hatch swings open, revealing another spider. You jerk around and bring your arm up just in time to keep eight sharp legs from smashing into your face. The armour on your left forearm screeches miserably as the spider bites into it and chews away. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >save Ok. >i You are carrying: a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a sentry gun a red security pass your hand gun your light armour (being worn) >x clipboard In contrast to its ordinary cousins, the electronic clipboard uses a back-lit touch screen instead of paper. You guess this is used to display patient records and the like. The screen is almost aflame with a white-on-red error message: CONNECTIVITY ERROR: node "xerxes" is not responding. The electronic clipboard is currently switched on. >n unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A headless hulking figure is kneeling on the floor in the middle of the cave. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a huge rocket launcher here. >remove armour (the light armour) Removing combat armor without aid would be difficult even without broken legs. Now it's plain torture, but you manage somehow. You take off the light armour. >ne You can't pull the light armour around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >drop armour (the light armour) Dropped. >ne gloomy cave Heavy dust covers this small cave. The feeling is cramped, stuck between partly loose boulders and a ceiling that doesn't let you rise higher than a squat. The chirping and clicking continues, punctuated by the occasional rustling of falling dust. A few stray rays of light from the main cave show you the way out to the southwest, while a pitch-black hole leads west into darkness. >w dark cave In the soft red glow of the electronic clipboard, you are able to find your way around. This section of the cave is only slightly larger than the compartment you've come from. It's a dead end, so the only way to go is back east. The clicking noise has built up to an almost bodily, bone-rattling presence now. Covered by a generous layer of dust, you find an ammunition belt. >get belt Taken. >i You are carrying: an ammunition belt a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a sentry gun a red security pass your hand gun >x gun Which do you mean, the sentry gun or the hand gun? >hand The hand gun is a reliable but unspectacular sidearm. You've got 26 shots left. >x sentry A light machine gun on a tripod with an attached camera and targeting computer. Able to fire automatically according to prior programming, this device is aptly named a "sentry gun". You check the programming: It is set to defend against unmanned drones, so it will basically shoot everything that moves and doesn't have a heartbeat. The targeting computer is currently disarmed. There's no ammo in the sentry gun. >put ammo in gun Which do you mean, the sentry gun or the hand gun? >sentry You put the ammunition belt into the sentry gun. >turn on gun (the sentry gun) You switch the sentry gun's targeting computer on. >*Cool -- this could really help. That's not a verb I recognise. >save Ok. >look dark cave In the soft red glow of the electronic clipboard, you are able to find your way around. This section of the cave is only slightly larger than the compartment you've come from. It's a dead end, so the only way to go is back east. The clicking noise has built up to an almost bodily, bone-rattling presence now. >x sentry A light machine gun on a tripod with an attached camera and targeting computer. Able to fire automatically according to prior programming, this device is aptly named a "sentry gun". You check the programming: It is set to defend against unmanned drones, so it will basically shoot everything that moves and doesn't have a heartbeat. The targeting computer is currently armed. The sentry gun is loaded with an ammo belt. >i You are carrying: a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a sentry gun an ammunition belt a red security pass your hand gun >x belt This is an unspent ammunition belt for light machine guns. Approximately two metres of large-calibre, leaden death. >look dark cave In the soft red glow of the electronic clipboard, you are able to find your way around. This section of the cave is only slightly larger than the compartment you've come from. It's a dead end, so the only way to go is back east. The clicking noise has built up to an almost bodily, bone-rattling presence now. >n You can't go that way. >e gloomy cave Heavy dust covers this small cave. The feeling is cramped, stuck between partly loose boulders and a ceiling that doesn't let you rise higher than a squat. The chirping and clicking continues, punctuated by the occasional rustling of falling dust. A few stray rays of light from the main cave show you the way out to the southwest, while a pitch-black hole leads west into darkness. >e You can't go that way. >sw unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A headless hulking figure is kneeling on the floor in the middle of the cave. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see your light armour and a huge rocket launcher here. >get armour Which do you mean, the light armour or the Demolisher? >light Taken. >wear it Getting into the armour again proves no less painful than removing it. Your legs throb as if they're about to explode. You put on the light armour. >i You are carrying: your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a sentry gun an ammunition belt a red security pass your hand gun >save Ok. >look unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A headless hulking figure is kneeling on the floor in the middle of the cave. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a huge rocket launcher here. >x casing You can't see any such thing. >x casings This pile of brass indicates that the machines have faced stiff resistance here. >look unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A headless hulking figure is kneeling on the floor in the middle of the cave. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a huge rocket launcher here. >s corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. A closed office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >e elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >x ladder A steel ladder is embedded in the east wall of the elevator shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. It extends down into darkness. >e You can't go that way. >n You can't go that way. >s You can't go that way. >d That would mean jumping down, and that looks extremely unhealthy. >jump down You are certain this is the best way out. You glide through the darkness, careful not to bump into the walls. The wind blows harshly around you. It stirs a memory. You don't see the end coming. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo elevator shaft [Previous turn undone.] >*Lots of death, but fairly well-done. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >look elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >*now 3:50 PM That's not a verb I recognise. >x ladder A steel ladder is embedded in the east wall of the elevator shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. It extends down into darkness. >x shaft The elevator shaft goes straight down into near-complete darkness. The walls are mostly smooth dark stone. >enter elevator You can't see any such thing. >e You can't go that way. >s You can't go that way. >n You can't go that way. >look elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >u You can't go that way. >x ladder A steel ladder is embedded in the east wall of the elevator shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. It extends down into darkness. >i You are carrying: your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a sentry gun an ammunition belt a red security pass your hand gun >w corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. A closed office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >s You can't, since the office door is in the way. >open door You open the office door. >s doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. >e You can't go that way. You think you just heard a piece of hydraulic activate somewhere near. Without warning, the sentry gun starts flailing about in your arms, wrestling its way free from your grip. It tumbles down and fires a handful of shots into the next wall; then it somewhat shakily lands on its tripod. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >i You are carrying: your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a red security pass your hand gun >e You can't go that way. >get gun (the sentry gun) Taken. >e You can't go that way. >look doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. >d You can't go that way. >se dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. An irregularly-shaped and definitely not rock-hewn object is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >w You can't go that way. >save Ok. >drop gun Which do you mean, the sentry gun or the hand gun? >sentry Dropped. >open left You open the left drawer. >look in left The left drawer is empty. >open right You open the right drawer, revealing a voice recorder. >get recorder Taken. The desk loses its fragile balance and slips over the edge. Deafening noises of metal scraping and banging against stone surge through the dome. A cacophony of high-pitched shrieks surrounds you as the whole dome of arachnids awakes and descends on you. No armour or weapon could save you from the blizzard of chrome razors. They pick your bones clean. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > *Why didn't the gun work? Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo dome [Previous turn undone.] >get sentry Taken. >get recorder Taken. The desk loses its fragile balance and slips over the edge. Deafening noises of metal scraping and banging against stone surge through the dome. A cacophony of high-pitched shrieks surrounds you as the whole dome of arachnids awakes and descends on you. No armour or weapon could save you from the blizzard of chrome razors. They pick your bones clean. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > *Oh, because no weapon can save me. Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo dome [Previous turn undone.] >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a red security pass your hand gun >get sentry You already have that. >look dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. An irregularly-shaped and definitely not rock-hewn object is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >x object What first looked like a lump of sheet metal turns out to be a badly battered desk. The smashed remains of an integrated computer workstation lend its upper surface an irregular, cable-pervaded appearance. The whole left half of the desk is hanging in mid-air above the abyss, in a fragile-looking balance. The desk has two drawers, one left and one right. Both are open. >look dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. A battered desk is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >*Good, the desc changed from "object" to "desk" -- this was written well. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x dome The ceiling is crusted with eight-legged silver skulls. >x spiders The ceiling is crusted with eight-legged silver skulls. >x desk What first looked like a lump of sheet metal turns out to be a badly battered desk. The smashed remains of an integrated computer workstation lend its upper surface an irregular, cable-pervaded appearance. The whole left half of the desk is hanging in mid-air above the abyss, in a fragile-looking balance. The desk has two drawers, one left and one right. Both are open. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a red security pass your hand gun >put sentry on desk The desks upper side is too irregular. Nothing will stay put there. >*Wow, it was anticipated. I wanted to weight it down. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x desk What first looked like a lump of sheet metal turns out to be a badly battered desk. The smashed remains of an integrated computer workstation lend its upper surface an irregular, cable-pervaded appearance. The whole left half of the desk is hanging in mid-air above the abyss, in a fragile-looking balance. The desk has two drawers, one left and one right. Both are open. >close left You close the left drawer. >open left You open the left drawer. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a red security pass your hand gun >put sentry in left You put the sentry gun into the left drawer. The desk loses its fragile balance and slips over the edge. Deafening noises of metal scraping and banging against stone surge through the dome. A cacophony of high-pitched shrieks surrounds you as the whole dome of arachnids awakes and descends on you. No armour or weapon could save you from the blizzard of chrome razors. They pick your bones clean. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo dome [Previous turn undone.] >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a red security pass your hand gun >close left You close the left drawer. >put sentry in left The left drawer is closed. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a red security pass your hand gun >open right That's already open. >put sentry in right You put the sentry gun into the right drawer. >get recorder Taken. >get sentry Taken. The desk loses its fragile balance and slips over the edge. Deafening noises of metal scraping and banging against stone surge through the dome. A cacophony of high-pitched shrieks surrounds you as the whole dome of arachnids awakes and descends on you. No armour or weapon could save you from the blizzard of chrome razors. They pick your bones clean. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > *That's very clever. Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > restore Restore failed. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo dome [Previous turn undone.] >i You are carrying: a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a red security pass your hand gun >look in drawer Which do you mean, the left drawer or the right drawer? >look dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. A battered desk is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >x desk What first looked like a lump of sheet metal turns out to be a badly battered desk. The smashed remains of an integrated computer workstation lend its upper surface an irregular, cable-pervaded appearance. The whole left half of the desk is hanging in mid-air above the abyss, in a fragile-looking balance. The desk has two drawers, one left and one right. The left one is closed, the right one is open. >i You are carrying: a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass an electronic clipboard (providing light) a red security pass your hand gun >put clipboard in drawer Which do you mean, the left drawer or the right drawer? >right You put the electronic clipboard into the right drawer. >get sentry from drawer Which do you mean, the left drawer or the right drawer? >right Taken. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >x right drawer A plain drawer made of sheet metal. It is open. Inside is an electronic clipboard. >w You can't go that way. >nw doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. >get pebbles Those are totally useless. >get rocks You can't see any such thing. > *I need something I can afford to lose. Well, I suppose I could just put this back when done. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >listen to file01 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker, February 23rd, 657 after the hegemony. I've just arrived at the end of the galaxy. I've already met the overseer and the captain of the site security. Both seem decent enough, but..." The log goes on a few minutes more with Dr. Rickenbacker talking about people that are most likely dead as a doornail by now. >play file02 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker, February 25th, 657 after the hegemony. I've found out today that I'm to be the only doctor for the whole facility. There are 3 nurses to assist me, but no one to consult in case of really problematic issues. Now the facility isn't very large but all this is rather new ground, both for the company and for me. My biggest concern is the high Tyrium concentration the miners will be exposed to. At least we've got the newest model of autosurgeon in the treatment room. This will help a lot with the usual work injuries. But the blood analysis equipment is just not satisfactory..." The rest of the recording is medical techno-babble. >play file03 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker, February 28th, 657 after the hegemony. The miners are keeping up their pace despite the high Tyrium concentrations. I hope the new nexoid blockers that R&D sent us will do their job. I will have to perform liver function tests more regularly, even if authorities don't like it. Why are they rushing this much anyway? Damn it, it's my job to keep these guys healthy..." The recording goes on another minute or two, but you fail to really pay attention. Without warning, the sentry gun starts flailing about in your arms, wrestling its way free from your grip. It tumbles down and fires a handful of shots into the next wall; then it somewhat shakily lands on its tripod. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >play file03 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker, February 28th, 657 after the hegemony. The miners are keeping up their pace despite the high Tyrium concentrations. I hope the new nexoid blockers that R&D sent us will do their job. I will have to perform liver function tests more regularly, even if authorities don't like it. Why are they rushing this much anyway? Damn it, it's my job to keep these guys healthy..." The recording goes on another minute or two, but you fail to really pay attention. >i You are carrying: a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >*did I not even need that? That's not a verb I recognise. >play file04 You can't see any such thing. >play file01 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker, February 23rd, 657 after the hegemony. I've just arrived at the end of the galaxy. I've already met the overseer and the captain of the site security. Both seem decent enough, but..." The log goes on a few minutes more with Dr. Rickenbacker talking about people that are most likely dead as a doornail by now. >play file02 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker, February 25th, 657 after the hegemony. I've found out today that I'm to be the only doctor for the whole facility. There are 3 nurses to assist me, but no one to consult in case of really problematic issues. Now the facility isn't very large but all this is rather new ground, both for the company and for me. My biggest concern is the high Tyrium concentration the miners will be exposed to. At least we've got the newest model of autosurgeon in the treatment room. This will help a lot with the usual work injuries. But the blood analysis equipment is just not satisfactory..." The rest of the recording is medical techno-babble. >play file03 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker, February 28th, 657 after the hegemony. The miners are keeping up their pace despite the high Tyrium concentrations. I hope the new nexoid blockers that R&D sent us will do their job. I will have to perform liver function tests more regularly, even if authorities don't like it. Why are they rushing this much anyway? Damn it, it's my job to keep these guys healthy..." The recording goes on another minute or two, but you fail to really pay attention. >i You are carrying: a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >e You can't go that way. >se dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. A battered desk is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >i You are carrying: a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >record me I only understood you as far as wanting to record. >record voice I only understood you as far as wanting to record. >put recorder in right You put the voice recorder into the right drawer. >x right A plain drawer made of sheet metal. It is open. Inside are a voice recorder and an electronic clipboard. >get clipboard from right Taken. >nw doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. You can see a sentry gun (in which is an ammunition belt) here. A series of clicks and chirps break the silence. >listen You hear nothing unexpected. >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >e elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >i You are carrying: an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >shoot ladder (with the hand gun) It is out of reach. >*what now? That's not a verb I recognise. >look elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >d That would mean jumping down, and that looks extremely unhealthy. >w corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >i You are carrying: an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >w corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >s doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. You can see a sentry gun (in which is an ammunition belt) here. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >get sentry Taken. >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >n unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A headless hulking figure is kneeling on the floor in the middle of the cave. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a huge rocket launcher here. >x figure This massive compound of ceramic, steel and artificial muscles is the new king of the battlefield. The Demolisher exo-armour might not have a tank's overland speed, but it is unmatched when it comes to rough close-quarters combat. This particular model stands about 3 metres tall and is outfitted with reinforced fists for smashing armoured targets. The Demolisher is in an overall decent condition except that its helmet is missing and the collar is fringed and blood- stained. There's a small round keyhole on the armour's front. >enter demolisher That's not something you can enter. >wear demolisher (first taking the Demolisher) You'll have to take off the light armour first. >remove light Removing combat armor without aid would be difficult even without broken legs. Now it's plain torture, but you manage somehow. You take off the light armour. >enter demolisher That's not something you can enter. >wear demolisher The Demolisher is locked down and does not open. >wear light Getting into the armour again proves no less painful than removing it. Your legs throb as if they're about to explode. You put on the light armour. >i You are carrying: a Demolisher a sentry gun an ammunition belt an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >x keyhole A small keyhole made for a complex mechanical key. >i You are carrying: a Demolisher a sentry gun an ammunition belt an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >w You can't pull the Demolisher around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >drop demolisher Dropped. >w You can't go that way. >n You can't go that way. >s corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >w corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >n storage room 52 You can imagine the state the architect must have envisioned this room: A maze of shelves, ready to embrace all sorts of hopefully useful items, neatly sorted into the aluminium frames. But unfortunately the shelves have been reworked into a trench system of jagged metal, and no stored items are to be seen anywhere. >get metal You can't see any such thing. >get shelves They're hardly portable. >n You can't go that way. >w You can't go that way. >e You can't go that way. Without warning, the sentry gun starts flailing about in your arms, wrestling its way free from your grip. It tumbles down and fires a handful of shots into the next wall; then it somewhat shakily lands on its tripod. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >get sentry Taken. >w You can't go that way. >s corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >w corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >s dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. You can also see a bloody corpse here. >x benches Possibly the very definition of "spartan". >x corpse This man's clothes were most likely white once, but now they're all possible shades of red. His body is a ruin of metal shards and flesh. >get corpse It's no use burdening yourself with the dead. >x clothes You can't see any such thing. >n corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >s dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. You can also see a bloody corpse here. >get shards Those seem to be a part of the bloody corpse. >n corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >w east airlock This looks like a fairly standard airlock designed for groups of about 5 persons or a small vehicle. The airlock controls are located in a panel embedded into the south wall. The outer airlock door is closed, keeping the precious air from escaping out into the chasm. To the east, the airlock widens somewhat into a blood-red corridor. >x panel The airlock controls consist of a pair of buttons, a display and a card reader. >push red (the east button) Nothing happens. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >swide red That's not a verb I recognise. >swipe red (the red security pass) You swipe the red security pass through the card reader. They're unlocked at the moment. >w You can't, since the outer airlock door is in the way. >push red (the east button) Nothing happens. >push red button Nothing happens. >push green button If you opened the airlock door now you'd have a serious oxygen problem. >e corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. Without warning, the sentry gun starts flailing about in your arms, wrestling its way free from your grip. It tumbles down and fires a handful of shots into the next wall; then it somewhat shakily lands on its tripod. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >close helmet That's not something you can close. >wear helmet (first taking the helmet) That seems to be a part of the light armour. >get sentry Taken. A short sentence finds the way to your ears. It is complete gibberish, just vowels, in a strange pitch. >s dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. You can also see a bloody corpse here. >move lockers Those are fixed in place. >search lockers The lockers are empty. >n corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >e corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. The echo of high-pitched whirs fills the air, like a dozen tiny servos at work. >s waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is off. The corridor is to the north and a large closed double door leads further south. >turn on cube You switch the holo cube on. Without warning, the sentry gun starts flailing about in your arms, wrestling its way free from your grip. It tumbles down and fires a handful of shots into the next wall; then it somewhat shakily lands on its tripod. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >get cube That's hardly portable. >get sentry Taken. >x cube This large specimen of 3D entertainment device dominates the room. It is currently showing a mixture of news and commercials with the omnipresent Aquila logo: typical corporate TV. The holo cube is currently switched on. >get cube That's hardly portable. >x cube This large specimen of 3D entertainment device dominates the room. It is currently showing a mixture of news and commercials with the omnipresent Aquila logo: typical corporate TV. The holo cube is currently switched on. >s You can't, since the double door is in the way. >open door You open the double door. >s treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays (on which are various drugs, a blister of stimulants and some bandages). A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. On the small trays are various drugs, a blister of stimulants and some bandages. >get bandages Taken. Without warning, the sentry gun starts flailing about in your arms, wrestling its way free from your grip. It tumbles down and fires a handful of shots into the next wall; then it somewhat shakily lands on its tripod. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >get sentry Taken. >get all drugs: Taken. blister of stimulants: Taken. ammunition belt: Taken. >*Nice -- "all" is smart. That's not a verb I recognise. >x belt This is an unspent ammunition belt for light machine guns. Approximately two metres of large-calibre, leaden death. >put belt in sentry You put the ammunition belt into the sentry gun. >get all ammunition belt: Taken. >put belt into sentry You put the ammunition belt into the sentry gun. >*Although.... That's not a verb I recognise. >look treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >x belt This is an unspent ammunition belt for light machine guns. Approximately two metres of large-calibre, leaden death. >*Oh, it was longer before.... You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >look treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >x trays Simple white trays. >get trays They're hardly portable. Without warning, the sentry gun starts flailing about in your arms, wrestling its way free from your grip. It tumbles down and fires a handful of shots into the next wall; then it somewhat shakily lands on its tripod. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >get sentry Taken. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt a blister of stimulants various drugs some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >x drugs The only writing on the small bottles is the respective name of the drug, and you don't know any of them. >eat drugs You haven't got a clue what will happen if you do. They might well be anaesthetics, and falling asleep right here might not be the wisest thing to do. >eat drugs You haven't got a clue what will happen if you do. They might well be anaesthetics, and falling asleep right here might not be the wisest thing to do. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt a blister of stimulants various drugs some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >put bandages on legs You wrap your legs with the bandages to stop the bleeding. >*I'm still in the suit though, right? You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt a blister of stimulants various drugs some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >x stimulants You know this drug. It is a mild amphetamine, routinely used by pilots and soldiers. >eat stimulant You swallow a pair of the pills dry. You don't feel any immediate effect. >x stimulant You know this drug. It is a mild amphetamine, routinely used by pilots and soldiers. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt a blister of stimulants various drugs some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >s You can't go that way. >look treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >x arms Each arm wields a different sort of scalpel, clamp or other surgical tool. >get tools They surgical tools are held in place by tiny screws and bolts that you just can't detach with your bare hands. >get clamps You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt a blister of stimulants various drugs some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >look treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >n waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >n corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. Without warning, the sentry gun starts flailing about in your arms, wrestling its way free from your grip. It tumbles down and fires a handful of shots into the next wall; then it somewhat shakily lands on its tripod. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >get sentry Taken. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >e elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >d That would mean jumping down, and that looks extremely unhealthy. >jump down You are certain this is the best way out. You glide through the darkness, careful not to bump into the walls. The wind blows harshly around you. It stirs a memory. You don't see the end coming. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo elevator shaft [Previous turn undone.] >w corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >x me You are 2nd Lieutenant Solomon Shepard of the Andarian Rifles, call sign "Wiseguy". You have grown up on a pilgrim's world in the middle of the galactic outback. Despite your biblical name, you have hardly inherited any of your parents' faith, preferring smuggler runs and bar room brawls to tending hydro cultures or attending church services. Your inborn knack for shooting finally brought you to the Andarian Rifles, a minor mercenary company. Business has been slow lately, that is why you are stationed on patrol duty on a newly settled asteroid on the very edge of charted space, even further away from anything exciting than your home world was. You might have seen better days compared to right now: Your legs are bandaged, but still broken. You're having trouble shuffling along. >s doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. A short sentence finds the way to your ears. It is complete gibberish, just vowels, in a strange pitch. >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >w corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >s waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. Without warning, the sentry gun starts flailing about in your arms, wrestling its way free from your grip. It tumbles down and fires a handful of shots into the next wall; then it somewhat shakily lands on its tripod. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >s treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >lay on bed You can't see any such thing. >get on table You get onto the operating table. >x terminal Integrated into the operating table is a small and rather simple terminal. The following is currently displayed on-screen: computer assisted diagnose and surgery system main menu 1 - diagnose 2 - surgery 3 - automatic emergency program 4 - medical database 5 - system info There are six buttons (numbered 0-5) arranged next to the screen. >push 1 The screen changes to: assisted diagnose menu 1 - tyrium scan 2 - radiation level 3 - ultrasonic 4 - x-ray 0 - back to main menu >push 4 The screen changes to: **ERROR** no patient detected or sensors blocked by dense material menu 0 - back >0 That's not a verb I recognise. >remove armour Removing combat armor without aid would be difficult even without broken legs. Now it's plain torture, but you manage somehow. You take off the light armour. >push 1 Nothing obvious happens. >push 4 Nothing obvious happens. >x monitor It's dead. >look treatment room (on the operating table) This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >x temrinal You can't see any such thing. >x terminal Integrated into the operating table is a small and rather simple terminal. The following is currently displayed on-screen: **ERROR** no patient detected or sensors blocked by dense material menu 0 - back There are six buttons (numbered 0-5) arranged next to the screen. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >0 That's not a verb I recognise. >push 0 The screen changes to: assisted diagnose menu 1 - tyrium scan 2 - radiation level 3 - ultrasonic 4 - x-ray 0 - back to main menu >push 4 The screen changes to: x-ray (a picture of your skeleton is shown here, your legs look more like the end of a broom rather than bone) results shoulder partially fractured multiple fractures in left leg multiple fractures in right leg hip bone displaced menu 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: assisted diagnose menu 1 - tyrium scan 2 - radiation level 3 - ultrasonic 4 - x-ray 0 - back to main menu >push 2 You hear a soft thumping sound. The screen changes to: radiation level... (a monochrome shape of your body can be seen here) results .8909 gray non hazardous menu 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: assisted diagnose menu 1 - tyrium scan 2 - radiation level 3 - ultrasonic 4 - x-ray 0 - back to main menu >push 1 A high sine tone pans around you. The screen changes to: tyrium scan... results concentration in soft tissue: 171 ppm concentration in bones: 604 ppm WARNING: raised tyrium levels menu 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: assisted diagnose menu 1 - tyrium scan 2 - radiation level 3 - ultrasonic 4 - x-ray 0 - back to main menu A flood of high frantic clicking noise showers in from an indiscernible direction, then fades again. >push 3 The operating table whirs and shakes for a second. The screen changes to: ultrasonic (a blurry outline of your body can be seen here, your legs are considerably darker than the rest) results multiple medium bruises severe lacerations in leg area bleed-in in legs menu 0 - back to main menu A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >push 0 The screen changes to: assisted diagnose menu 1 - tyrium scan 2 - radiation level 3 - ultrasonic 4 - x-ray 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: computer assisted diagnose and treatment system main menu 1 - assisted diagnose 2 - assisted surgery 3 - automatic emergency program 4 - medical database 5 - system info >push 2 The screen changes to: assisted surgery retrieving surgery plans... **ERROR** connection failed. node "office B34" does not respond. no surgery automation available. menu 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: computer assisted diagnose and treatment system main menu 1 - assisted diagnose 2 - assisted surgery 3 - automatic emergency program 4 - medical database 5 - system info A short sentence finds the way to your ears. It is complete gibberish, just vowels, in a strange pitch. >push 4 The screen changes to: **ERROR** connectivity problem: database node does not respond. menu 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: computer assisted diagnose and treatment system main menu 1 - assisted diagnose 2 - assisted surgery 3 - automatic emergency program 4 - medical database 5 - system info >push 3 The screen changes to: automatic emergency program voice authentication required. please provide voice sample. menu 0 - back to main menu >i You are carrying: a blister of stimulants various drugs some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >*ah shoot. Okay. That's not a verb I recognise. >get up You get off the operating table. treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >get sentry You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: a blister of stimulants various drugs some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >get on table You get onto the operating table. >look treatment room (on the operating table) This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >get sentry You can't see any such thing. >n You can't pull the light armour around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >wear armour Getting into the armour again proves no less painful than removing it. Your legs throb as if they're about to explode. You put on the light armour. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >get sentry You can't see any such thing. >*Where's the sentry gun? That's not a verb I recognise. >look treatment room (on the operating table) This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >get gun You already have that. >n You'll have to get off the operating table first. >get off You get off the operating table. treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. A flood of high frantic clicking noise showers in from an indiscernible direction, then fades again. >get sentry You can't see any such thing. >look treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >n waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. You can see a sentry gun (in which is an ammunition belt) here. >get sentry Taken. >n corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >s doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. >se dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. A battered desk is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun an ammunition belt a blister of stimulants various drugs some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >x drugs The only writing on the small bottles is the respective name of the drug, and you don't know any of them. >put drugs in right You put the drugs into the right drawer. >x right A plain drawer made of sheet metal. It is open. Inside are various drugs and a voice recorder. >get recorder Taken. >nw doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. Without warning, the sentry gun starts flailing about in your arms, wrestling its way free from your grip. It tumbles down and fires a handful of shots into the next wall; then it somewhat shakily lands on its tripod. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >w You can't go that way. >s You can't go that way. >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >w corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. The echo of high-pitched whirs fills the air, like a dozen tiny servos at work. >s waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >s treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >remove armour Removing combat armor without aid would be difficult even without broken legs. Now it's plain torture, but you manage somehow. You take off the light armour. >get on table You get onto the operating table. >play 01 You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >play file01 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker..." Voice sample accepted. Starting diagnose... After some whirring and beeping, the terminal announces "Diagnosis complete. Commencing surgery....". Thick steel bars clasp your arms and legs. With a flash of terror, you realize you are strapped down. A syringed arm descends on you and presses a blue liquid into your veins, hard. You feel like bursting as you struggle against the table's unyielding embrace. Before long, the pressure gives way to a feeling of emptiness. Your head falls back as your neck muscles go limp. Your weary eyes come to rest on a chrome spider crawling across the ceiling. Oh no... Blink. Vision blurs. Blink. Still there. Blink. The spider falls. Impact. All is numb, you hardly feel it. Gurgle. Sputter. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo treatment room [Previous turn undone.] >undo treatment room [Previous turn undone.] >look treatment room (on the operating table) This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >*Learn by dying? That's not a verb I recognise. >i You are carrying: a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >drop sentry You can't see any such thing. >n You can't pull the light armour around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >wear armour Getting into the armour again proves no less painful than removing it. Your legs throb as if they're about to explode. You put on the light armour. >n You'll have to get off the operating table first. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >get sentry You can't see any such thing. >n You'll have to get off the operating table first. >get off You get off the operating table. treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >n waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >get sentry You can't see any such thing. >s treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. >get sentry You can't see any such thing. >n waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >e You can't go that way. >n corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >s doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. You can see a sentry gun (in which is an ammunition belt) here. >get sentry Taken. >*How is the sentry able to shoot things in the other room I was in? That's odd. That's not a verb I recognise. >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >w corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >s waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >s treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. Without warning, the sentry gun starts flailing about in your arms, wrestling its way free from your grip. It tumbles down and fires a handful of shots into the next wall; then it somewhat shakily lands on its tripod. A spider darts out of a nearby ventilation shaft and lunges towards you! The sentry gun goes off, pumping a dozen rounds into the attacking spider, shredding it to bits. >look treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. You can see a sentry gun (in which is an ammunition belt) here. >remove armour Removing combat armor without aid would be difficult even without broken legs. Now it's plain torture, but you manage somehow. You take off the light armour. >get on table You get onto the operating table. >play file01 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker..." Voice sample accepted. Starting diagnose... After some whirring and beeping, the terminal announces "Diagnosis complete. Commencing surgery....". Thick steel bars clasp your arms and legs. With a flash of terror, you realize you are strapped down. A syringed arm descends on you and presses a blue liquid into your veins, hard. You feel like bursting as you struggle against the table's unyielding embrace. Before long, the pressure gives way to a feeling of emptiness. Your head falls back as your neck muscles go limp. Your weary eyes come to rest on a chrome spider crawling across the ceiling. The sentry gun shoots your flagging consciousness a salute. The spider explodes into silver shreds raining down on you like fireworks. Please press SPACE to continue. You are awakened by gunfire. The sentry gun finishes blasting another spider into scrap metal, then swings its glowing and smoking barrel upwards. The ammo belt has vanished by now. The perforated remains of at least a dozen spiders litter the room along. The steel bars are gone, you are free again. The screen changes to: emergency program finished all life signs stable. ***ERROR*** could not transmit protocol to node "office B34": connection failure. menu 0 - back to main menu >*Argh, another where the status line covers up the top line. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >undo treatment room [Previous turn undone.] >undo treatment room [Previous turn undone.] >i You are carrying: a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >play file01 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker..." Voice sample accepted. Starting diagnose... After some whirring and beeping, the terminal announces "Diagnosis complete. Commencing surgery....". Thick steel bars clasp your arms and legs. With a flash of terror, you realize you are strapped down. A syringed arm descends on you and presses a blue liquid into your veins, hard. You feel like bursting as you struggle against the table's unyielding embrace. Before long, the pressure gives way to a feeling of emptiness. Your head falls back as your neck muscles go limp. Your weary eyes come to rest on a chrome spider crawling across the ceiling. The sentry gun shoots your flagging consciousness a salute. The spider explodes into silver shreds raining down on you like fireworks. Please press SPACE to continue. You are awakened by gunfire. The sentry gun finishes blasting another spider into scrap metal, then swings its glowing and smoking barrel upwards. The ammo belt has vanished by now. The perforated remains of at least a dozen spiders litter the room along. The steel bars are gone, you are free again. The screen changes to: emergency program finished all life signs stable. ***ERROR*** could not transmit protocol to node "office B34": connection failure. menu 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: assisted diagnose menu 1 - tyrium scan 2 - radiation level 3 - ultrasonic 4 - x-ray 0 - back to main menu >save Ok. >*4:15 PM That's not a verb I recognise. >x me You are 2nd Lieutenant Solomon Shepard of the Andarian Rifles, call sign "Wiseguy". You have grown up on a pilgrim's world in the middle of the galactic outback. Despite your biblical name, you have hardly inherited any of your parents' faith, preferring smuggler runs and bar room brawls to tending hydro cultures or attending church services. Your inborn knack for shooting finally brought you to the Andarian Rifles, a minor mercenary company. Business has been slow lately, that is why you are stationed on patrol duty on a newly settled asteroid on the very edge of charted space, even further away from anything exciting than your home world was. >look treatment room (on the operating table) This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. The perforated remains of at least a dozen spiders litter the room. You can also see a sentry gun (empty) here. >get sentry Taken. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >play file02 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker, February 25th, 657 after the hegemony. I've found out today that I'm to be the only doctor for the whole facility. There are 3 nurses to assist me, but no one to consult in case of really problematic issues. Now the facility isn't very large but all this is rather new ground, both for the company and for me. My biggest concern is the high Tyrium concentration the miners will be exposed to. At least we've got the newest model of autosurgeon in the treatment room. This will help a lot with the usual work injuries. But the blood analysis equipment is just not satisfactory..." The rest of the recording is medical techno-babble. >push 1 A high sine tone pans around you. The screen changes to: tyrium scan... results concentration in soft tissue: 171 ppm concentration in bones: 604 ppm WARNING: raised tyrium levels menu 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: assisted diagnose menu 1 - tyrium scan 2 - radiation level 3 - ultrasonic 4 - x-ray 0 - back to main menu >push 4 The screen changes to: x-ray (a picture of your skeleton is shown here) results no prominent injury detected menu 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: assisted diagnose menu 1 - tyrium scan 2 - radiation level 3 - ultrasonic 4 - x-ray 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: computer assisted diagnose and treatment system main menu 1 - assisted diagnose 2 - assisted surgery 3 - automatic emergency program 4 - medical database 5 - system info >push 2 The screen changes to: assisted surgery retrieving surgery plans... **ERROR** connection failed. node "office B34" does not respond. no surgery automation available. menu 0 - back to main menu >0 That's not a verb I recognise. >get up You get off the operating table. treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. The perforated remains of at least a dozen spiders litter the room. >get armour You already have that. >wear it You put on the light armour. One heartbeat, you notice a spider dropping from a ventilation shaft onto the floor before you. Next heartbeat, it lunges at you. The same heartbeat, you bring your arms up and brace for the impact. But the lunge wasn't aimed at your head. The spider seems perfectly content chewing at your leg, judging by the noise and sparks it's producing. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >x leg Your legs are perfect working condition. >x leg Your legs are perfect working condition. >*What's with the extra blank line? That's not a verb I recognise. >n waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >s treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. The perforated remains of at least a dozen spiders litter the room. >n waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >n corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. A flood of high frantic clicking noise showers in from an indiscernible direction, then fades again. >e elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >jump down You are certain this is the best way out. You glide through the darkness, careful not to bump into the walls. The wind blows harshly around you. It stirs a memory. You don't see the end coming. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo elevator shaft [Previous turn undone.] >w corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >w corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. A spider drops from a ventilation shaft above you! You roll sideways, but it catches onto your shoulder and crawls to your throat. A screeching, sawing noise cuts the air. You are blinded by a shower of sparks spurting from your collar. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >x gun Which do you mean, the sentry gun or the hand gun? >hand The hand gun is a reliable but unspectacular sidearm. You've got 24 shots left. >save Ok. >*Running out of bullets... That's not a verb I recognise. >n storage room 52 You can imagine the state the architect must have envisioned this room: A maze of shelves, ready to embrace all sorts of hopefully useful items, neatly sorted into the aluminium frames. But unfortunately the shelves have been reworked into a trench system of jagged metal, and no stored items are to be seen anywhere. >s corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >*What now? What can I do that I couldn't before? That's not a verb I recognise. >s waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >s treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. The perforated remains of at least a dozen spiders litter the room. >get spider You can't see any such thing. >get spiders Better not. This heap is seriously spiky. >*Remixes from Metroid and Metroid Prime work well with this game. That's not a verb I recognise. >look treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. The perforated remains of at least a dozen spiders litter the room. >x arm Each arm wields a different sort of scalpel, clamp or other surgical tool. >get tools They surgical tools are held in place by tiny screws and bolts that you just can't detach with your bare hands. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >n waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >x chairs You see nothing special about the chairs. Behind you, a small maintenance hatch swings open, revealing another spider. You jerk around and bring your arm up just in time to keep eight sharp legs from smashing into your face. The armour on your left forearm screeches miserably as the spider bites into it and chews away. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >x hatch You can't see any such thing. >n corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >n storage room 52 You can imagine the state the architect must have envisioned this room: A maze of shelves, ready to embrace all sorts of hopefully useful items, neatly sorted into the aluminium frames. But unfortunately the shelves have been reworked into a trench system of jagged metal, and no stored items are to be seen anywhere. >u You can't go that way. >s corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >n unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a Demolisher and a huge rocket launcher here. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >s corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >s doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. >*This is really well done. A good puzzle game. That's not a verb I recognise. >se dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. A battered desk is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >push desk The desk loses its fragile balance and slips over the edge. Deafening noises of metal banging against stone surge through the dome. A cacophony of high-pitched shrieks surrounds you as the whole dome of arachnids awakes and descends on you. No armour or weapon could save you from the blizzard of chrome razors. They pick your bones clean. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo dome [Previous turn undone.] >nw doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. You think you just heard a piece of hydraulic activate somewhere near. >listen You hear nothing unexpected. >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. A spider drops from a ventilation shaft above you! You roll sideways, but it catches onto your shoulder and crawls to your throat. A screeching, sawing noise cuts the air. You are blinded by a shower of sparks spurting from your collar. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >n unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a Demolisher and a huge rocket launcher here. >search casing You can't see any such thing. >search casings You find nothing of interest. >look unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a Demolisher and a huge rocket launcher here. >smell The damp smell of iron hangs in the air. >sniff The damp smell of iron hangs in the air. >*nice That's not a verb I recognise. >listen The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. >s corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >w corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >*I'm running out of ifcomp voting time. That's not a verb I recognise. >w corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >w east airlock This looks like a fairly standard airlock designed for groups of about 5 persons or a small vehicle. The airlock controls are located in a panel embedded into the south wall. The outer airlock door is closed, keeping the precious air from escaping out into the chasm. To the east, the airlock widens somewhat into a blood-red corridor. >s You can't go that way. >n You can't go that way. >w You can't, since the outer airlock door is in the way. >e corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >s dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. You can also see a bloody corpse here. >x corpse This man's clothes were most likely white once, but now they're all possible shades of red. His body is a ruin of metal shards and flesh. >smell You smell nothing unexpected. >n corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >n You can't, since the door to storage room 51 is in the way. One heartbeat, you notice a spider dropping from a ventilation shaft onto the floor before you. Next heartbeat, it lunges at you. The same heartbeat, you bring your arms up and brace for the impact. But the lunge wasn't aimed at your head. The spider seems perfectly content chewing at your leg, judging by the noise and sparks it's producing. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >open door the door to storage room 51 refuses to move by itself, and you are not strong enough to push it aside. >push door It is fixed in place. >e corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. A series of clicks and chirps break the silence. >listen You hear nothing unexpected. >n storage room 52 You can imagine the state the architect must have envisioned this room: A maze of shelves, ready to embrace all sorts of hopefully useful items, neatly sorted into the aluminium frames. But unfortunately the shelves have been reworked into a trench system of jagged metal, and no stored items are to be seen anywhere. >x trench The shelves are all broken and twisted. It looks as if nothing was ever on the shelves. >e You can't go that way. >hide There's no need to do this explicitly. You'll automatically use all available cover. >s corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. You think you just heard a piece of hydraulic activate somewhere near. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >s doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. >se dome The abyss is all around you. The gravel path you came in on has transformed into a thin bridge and finally widened into a platform in the middle of a yawning maw of black emptiness. Around the platform is just darkness, with the cave walls barely visible in the distance. A huge dome spans overhead; it is crusted with thousands of unmoving chrome spiders. They are twinkling down like stars through the dusty atmosphere. A battered desk is balanced precariously at the edge of the platform. The only way out is back along the gravel path, to the northwest. >x dome The ceiling is crusted with eight-legged silver skulls. >nw doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. The echo of high-pitched whirs fills the air, like a dozen tiny servos at work. >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. A spider drops from a ventilation shaft above you! You roll sideways, but it catches onto your shoulder and crawls to your throat. A screeching, sawing noise cuts the air. You are blinded by a shower of sparks spurting from your collar. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >e elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >pull ladder It is out of reach. >reach ladder That's not a verb I recognise. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >pull ladder with sentry I only understood you as far as wanting to pull the upper end of the ladder. >x upper end A steel ladder is embedded in the east wall of the elevator shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. It extends down into darkness. >pull upper end It is out of reach. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >n You can't go that way. >look elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >d That would mean jumping down, and that looks extremely unhealthy. >d That would mean jumping down, and that looks extremely unhealthy. >d That would mean jumping down, and that looks extremely unhealthy. >look elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >x ladder A steel ladder is embedded in the east wall of the elevator shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. It extends down into darkness. >w corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >n unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a Demolisher and a huge rocket launcher here. >x launcher A large and unquestionably heavy launcher for anti-tank rockets. You can't image a single person wielding this monster. Despite that, the launcher has a handle, a trigger and all other features of a man-portable launcher. It just looks as if it was made for a giant. The launcher is currently empty. >move demolisher Nothing obvious happens. >x casings This pile of brass indicates that the machines have faced stiff resistance here. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >x bandages Various bandages for all sorts of smaller injuries. >s corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >e elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >tie sentry to bandages You would achieve nothing by this. >tie bandage to ladder You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >tie bandages to ladder You would achieve nothing by this. >tie bandages to sentry You would achieve nothing by this. >tie bandages to bandages You would achieve nothing by this. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >look elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >x bandages Various bandages for all sorts of smaller injuries. >*Oh, it's not a long roll then. Bummer. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >w corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >s doctor's office Aside from a few posters of human anatomy and the periodic table of the elements on the walls this smallish room is empty. The south and west walls, along with a good portion of the floor, are missing completely. In their stead a ramp of grey gravel descends to the southeast, into a twilit cave. What is left of the floor is sprinkled with pebbles and covered with dust. In addition to the ramp, an open office door leads north. >n corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >w corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >s waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >x cube This large specimen of 3D entertainment device dominates the room. It is currently showing a mixture of news and commercials with the omnipresent Aquila logo: typical corporate TV. The holo cube is currently switched on. A series of clicks and chirps break the silence. >x chairs You see nothing special about the chairs. >z Time passes. >x cube This large specimen of 3D entertainment device dominates the room. It is currently showing a mixture of news and commercials with the omnipresent Aquila logo: typical corporate TV. The holo cube is currently switched on. One heartbeat, you notice a spider dropping from a ventilation shaft onto the floor before you. Next heartbeat, it lunges at you. The same heartbeat, you bring your arms up and brace for the impact. But the lunge wasn't aimed at your head. The spider seems perfectly content chewing at your leg, judging by the noise and sparks it's producing. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >move cube It is fixed in place. >look waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >look under chairs You find nothing of interest. >s treatment room This is the heart of the medical station: A sparsely furnished operating room. All the necessary paraphernalia are there, but not much more: A high-tech operating table with a medical terminal is installed in the centre of the room, surrounded by a handful of small trays. A bundle of robotic arms is suspended from the ceiling. Easily the brightest of all the rooms you've come across so far, this room feels almost virgin-like in the pure cold white light. The only exit is an open double door to the north. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. The perforated remains of at least a dozen spiders litter the room. >x terminal Integrated into the operating table is a small and rather simple terminal. The following is currently displayed on-screen: assisted surgery retrieving surgery plans... **ERROR** connection failed. node "office B34" does not respond. no surgery automation available. menu 0 - back to main menu There are six buttons (numbered 0-5) arranged next to the screen. >push 0 The screen changes to: computer assisted diagnose and treatment system main menu 1 - assisted diagnose 2 - assisted surgery 3 - automatic emergency program 4 - medical database 5 - system info >push 3 The screen changes to: automatic emergency program voice authentication required. please provide voice sample. menu 0 - back to main menu >play file02 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker..." Voice sample accepted. Starting diagnose... The table whirrs and beeps a few times. The screen changes to: emergency program aborted unable to detect patient. please undress patient and ensure all sensors are operating normally. menu 1 - retry 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: assisted diagnose menu 1 - tyrium scan 2 - radiation level 3 - ultrasonic 4 - x-ray 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: computer assisted diagnose and treatment system main menu 1 - assisted diagnose 2 - assisted surgery 3 - automatic emergency program 4 - medical database 5 - system info >push 5 The screen changes to: system info HID model no. G45 firmware ver. 1.02 12/01/654 Heg type Kappa sensor array firmware ver 2.34 next calibration 06/657 Heg MultiArm unit: model no. 412 firmware ver 0.79 5/12/655 Heg installed tools: surgical package B, A23, A37, B5, Y72a, Rd01a menu 0 - back to main menu >push 0 The screen changes to: computer assisted diagnose and treatment system main menu 1 - assisted diagnose 2 - assisted surgery 3 - automatic emergency program 4 - medical database 5 - system info >n waiting room This is some kind of waiting room. The typical plastic chairs are spreading a distinct smell of newness. They are carelessly arranged around a holo-cube in the centre of the room, which is playing a sleep-inducing mix of news and commercials. The corridor is to the north and a large open double door leads further south. >e You can't go that way. A spider drops from a ventilation shaft above you! You roll sideways, but it catches onto your shoulder and crawls to your throat. A screeching, sawing noise cuts the air. You are blinded by a shower of sparks spurting from your collar. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >x gun Which do you mean, the sentry gun or the hand gun? >hand The hand gun is a reliable but unspectacular sidearm. You've got 18 shots left. >shoot spider with hand gun You can't see any such thing. >shoot spider with handgun You can't see any such thing. >n corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >w corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >*What now? That's not a verb I recognise. >s dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. You can also see a bloody corpse here. >x benches Possibly the very definition of "spartan". >look under benches You find nothing of interest. >search benches There is nothing on the benches. One heartbeat, you notice a spider dropping from a ventilation shaft onto the floor before you. Next heartbeat, it lunges at you. The same heartbeat, you bring your arms up and brace for the impact. But the lunge wasn't aimed at your head. The spider seems perfectly content chewing at your leg, judging by the noise and sparks it's producing. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >n corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >s dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. You can also see a bloody corpse here. >x blood Sizeable amounts of blood must have recently passed through the grate. >x suits You can't see any such thing. >x hooks Magnetic hooks to hold suits and other metallic stuff. >look dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. You can also see a bloody corpse here. >get hooks They're hardly portable. >x hooks Magnetic hooks to hold suits and other metallic stuff. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >puth hooks That's not a verb I recognise. >look dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. You can also see a bloody corpse here. >x hooks Magnetic hooks to hold suits and other metallic stuff. >push hooks Those are fixed in place. >x grate A solidly built grate made of blood-stained ceramic. You think you just heard a piece of hydraulic activate somewhere near. >lift grate That's not a verb I recognise. >pull grate It is fixed in place. >push grate It is fixed in place. A spider drops from a ventilation shaft above you! You roll sideways, but it catches onto your shoulder and crawls to your throat. A screeching, sawing noise cuts the air. You are blinded by a shower of sparks spurting from your collar. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >stand on grate That's not something you can stand on. >shoot grate (with the hand gun) Your fire chips a chunk off the grate, but leaves it otherwise intact. The echo of high-pitched whirs fills the air, like a dozen tiny servos at work. >undo dressing room [Previous turn undone.] >x grate A solidly built grate made of blood-stained ceramic. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >tie bandages to grate You would achieve nothing by this. >x grate A solidly built grate made of blood-stained ceramic. >look dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. You can also see a bloody corpse here. >break grate You don't think you can really harm the grate with your bare hands. >x corpse This man's clothes were most likely white once, but now they're all possible shades of red. His body is a ruin of metal shards and flesh. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >smash grate with sentry The sentry gun is not a weapon. A short sentence finds the way to your ears. It is complete gibberish, just vowels, in a strange pitch. >*Okay *that's* funny.... because obvioulsy the sentry gun IS a weapon. :) That's not a verb I recognise. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >reach into grate That's not a verb I recognise. >search grate You find nothing of interest. >x grate A solidly built grate made of blood-stained ceramic. >*Where's the key to the large armor? That's not a verb I recognise. >look dressing room This is obviously a dressing room, where people get into and out of their protective suits. There are magnetic hooks on one wall where unused suits can be attached. Centred around a small grate in the middle of the room, a huge swirling pattern of blood is spread over the white ceramic floor. A cluster of lockers hugs the walls in one corner, accompanied by a couple of benches. You can also see a bloody corpse here. >x pattern You can't see any such thing. >look in grate You find nothing of interest. Behind you, a small maintenance hatch swings open, revealing another spider. You jerk around and bring your arm up just in time to keep eight sharp legs from smashing into your face. The armour on your left forearm screeches miserably as the spider bites into it and chews away. >shoot spider (with the hand gun) The point-blank shot ungently rips the spider off your armour and smashes it into a nearby wall. The arachnid is completely obliterated by the impact. >search grate You find nothing of interest. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >play file001 You can't see any such thing. >play file01 "Personal log of Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker, February 23rd, 657 after the hegemony. I've just arrived at the end of the galaxy. I've already met the overseer and the captain of the site security. Both seem decent enough, but..." The log goes on a few minutes more with Dr. Rickenbacker talking about people that are most likely dead as a doornail by now. >e You can't go that way. >i You are carrying: a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) your light armour (being worn) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >n corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >w east airlock This looks like a fairly standard airlock designed for groups of about 5 persons or a small vehicle. The airlock controls are located in a panel embedded into the south wall. The outer airlock door is closed, keeping the precious air from escaping out into the chasm. To the east, the airlock widens somewhat into a blood-red corridor. >e corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >e corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >*I guess I need a hint. It's 4:30 and I only have 15 mins left.... That's not a verb I recognise. >hitn That's not a verb I recognise. >int That's not a verb I recognise. >hint > Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! > General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! > General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction > Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction > Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints > Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints > Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits > General hints The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints > The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints > The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve > The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve > The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve The rock field > After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve The rock field > After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash > In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash > In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? > Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? > Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. > How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. > How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? > What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? > What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? > How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? > How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! 1/4: The armour is pretty sturdy, isn't it? Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? > How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? > How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! 1/4: The armour is pretty sturdy, isn't it? Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/4: The armour is pretty sturdy, isn't it? 2/4: Doesn't look like you can simply dismantle it. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/4: The armour is pretty sturdy, isn't it? 2/4: Doesn't look like you can simply dismantle it. 3/4: Nope. Picking the lock also doesn't work. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/4: The armour is pretty sturdy, isn't it? 2/4: Doesn't look like you can simply dismantle it. 3/4: Nope. Picking the lock also doesn't work. 4/4: You might actually have to use the proper key. Press SPACE to return to the menu. I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? > How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? > How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? > How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? > How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? > I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? > I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! > I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! > I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. > What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. > What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! 1/5: It contains the voice of a Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/5: It contains the voice of a Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker. 2/5: Where could you need the voice? Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/5: It contains the voice of a Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker. 2/5: Where could you need the voice? 3/5: Check the treatment room. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/5: It contains the voice of a Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker. 2/5: Where could you need the voice? 3/5: Check the treatment room. 4/5: The autosurgeon requires voice authentication. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/5: It contains the voice of a Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker. 2/5: Where could you need the voice? 3/5: Check the treatment room. 4/5: The autosurgeon requires voice authentication. 5/5: When the terminal asks for voice authentication, play one of the files in the recorder. Press SPACE to return to the menu. 1/5: It contains the voice of a Doctor Elliot Rickenbacker. 2/5: Where could you need the voice? 3/5: Check the treatment room. 4/5: The autosurgeon requires voice authentication. 5/5: When the terminal asks for voice authentication, play one of the files in the recorder. Press SPACE to return to the menu. I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. > What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. > What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! > I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! > I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? > I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? > I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! > I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! > I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! 1/9: Here's a complete list of things to do in this area to get you healed: Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/9: Here's a complete list of things to do in this area to get you healed: 2/9: In the dressing room, open the single locker. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/9: Here's a complete list of things to do in this area to get you healed: 2/9: In the dressing room, open the single locker. 3/9: You should find the blue security pass in the single locker. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/9: Here's a complete list of things to do in this area to get you healed: 2/9: In the dressing room, open the single locker. 3/9: You should find the blue security pass in the single locker. 4/9: Get the electronic clipboard from the waiting room. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/9: Here's a complete list of things to do in this area to get you healed: 2/9: In the dressing room, open the single locker. 3/9: You should find the blue security pass in the single locker. 4/9: Get the electronic clipboard from the waiting room. 5/9: Unlock the door to the office. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/9: Here's a complete list of things to do in this area to get you healed: 2/9: In the dressing room, open the single locker. 3/9: You should find the blue security pass in the single locker. 4/9: Get the electronic clipboard from the waiting room. 5/9: Unlock the door to the office. 6/9: Get the voice recorder from the office. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/9: Here's a complete list of things to do in this area to get you healed: 2/9: In the dressing room, open the single locker. 3/9: You should find the blue security pass in the single locker. 4/9: Get the electronic clipboard from the waiting room. 5/9: Unlock the door to the office. 6/9: Get the voice recorder from the office. 7/9: Get the sentry gun and the sentry gun ammo from the cave. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/9: Here's a complete list of things to do in this area to get you healed: 2/9: In the dressing room, open the single locker. 3/9: You should find the blue security pass in the single locker. 4/9: Get the electronic clipboard from the waiting room. 5/9: Unlock the door to the office. 6/9: Get the voice recorder from the office. 7/9: Get the sentry gun and the sentry gun ammo from the cave. 8/9: You'll need a light source to get the ammo. The electronic clipboard will do the trick. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/9: Here's a complete list of things to do in this area to get you healed: 2/9: In the dressing room, open the single locker. 3/9: You should find the blue security pass in the single locker. 4/9: Get the electronic clipboard from the waiting room. 5/9: Unlock the door to the office. 6/9: Get the voice recorder from the office. 7/9: Get the sentry gun and the sentry gun ammo from the cave. 8/9: You'll need a light source to get the ammo. The electronic clipboard will do the trick. 9/9: Now you've got everything you need to get healed. Press SPACE to return to the menu. I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! > I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! > I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? > I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? > I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? > How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? > How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? > How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? > How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? > How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? > How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? > What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? > What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. > How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. > How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? > Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? > Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! 1/7: I assume you've already looked around. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/7: I assume you've already looked around. 2/7: Well, the entry level is small enough. How might you get to the other parts of the mining station? Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/7: I assume you've already looked around. 2/7: Well, the entry level is small enough. How might you get to the other parts of the mining station? 3/7: The lift is not there, obviously. Also there is no way to call it. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/7: I assume you've already looked around. 2/7: Well, the entry level is small enough. How might you get to the other parts of the mining station? 3/7: The lift is not there, obviously. Also there is no way to call it. 4/7: There's a ladder. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/7: I assume you've already looked around. 2/7: Well, the entry level is small enough. How might you get to the other parts of the mining station? 3/7: The lift is not there, obviously. Also there is no way to call it. 4/7: There's a ladder. 5/7: You might need to jump over to the ladder. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/7: I assume you've already looked around. 2/7: Well, the entry level is small enough. How might you get to the other parts of the mining station? 3/7: The lift is not there, obviously. Also there is no way to call it. 4/7: There's a ladder. 5/7: You might need to jump over to the ladder. 6/7: Oh wait, you can't. Your legs are broken. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/7: I assume you've already looked around. 2/7: Well, the entry level is small enough. How might you get to the other parts of the mining station? 3/7: The lift is not there, obviously. Also there is no way to call it. 4/7: There's a ladder. 5/7: You might need to jump over to the ladder. 6/7: Oh wait, you can't. Your legs are broken. 7/7: Get your legs fixed first. Press SPACE to return to the menu. > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! General hints The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash > In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >e elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >e You can't go that way. >x ladder A steel ladder is embedded in the east wall of the elevator shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. It extends down into darkness. >*Okay -- I completely misunderstood. I thought the ladder was leading down. That's not a verb I recognise. > *so I was trying to jump down to the ladder. I thought empty air meant that it was That's not a verb I recognise. >*4 meters *below* me.... That's not a verb I recognise. >look elevator shaft You are standing on the door sill of a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you. A steel ladder is embedded in the opposite wall of the shaft. It is out of reach, separated from you by 4 metres of empty air. >*I guess it was just me. That's not a verb I recognise. >jump to ladder You jump across. elevator shaft (on the upper end of the ladder) You are inside a wide elevator shaft leading down into darkness. You can see the end of the red-lit corridor west of you, on the other side of the shaft and well out of reach. >u You'll have to get off the upper end of the ladder first. >d You climb down toward the small spark of light far below. You climb on until your arms and legs hurt and your breath comes in wheezing bursts. As you then stop to rest, a rush of nausea washes over you. You are in near-complete darkness, the lights far above and far beneath you of near-equal wispyness. The cold fire from the electronic clipboard doesn't reach further than the next three rungs of the ladder. A sudden draft catches in your clothes and lifts you up. "You want me to go there?" passes your mind. Your foot misses the next rung, and you prove that draft is definitely second to gravity by almost falling. In pain, but certainly wide awake again, you push on. elevator roof Only by the dim glow of the electronic clipboard and the light filtering through some louvres on the floor you can discern that you're standing on an elevator's roof. The shaft above you is dark. A closed trap door leads down and a ladder leads up the dark shaft. >save Ok. >*I want to see if I used the right thing to get the recorder... That's not a verb I recognise. >hint > Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits > Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits > Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits > Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits > Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! > General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! > General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction > Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction > Contacting the author Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints > Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author Hints > Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits > General hints The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints > The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints > The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve > The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve > The rock field After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve The rock field > After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve The rock field > After the crash In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash > In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility General hints The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash > In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? > Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? > Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! > I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? > Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? > Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. > How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. > How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? > What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? > What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? > How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? > How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? > How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? > How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? > I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? How can I get something from the desk? > I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! 1/5: You might want to get what's inside. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/5: You might want to get what's inside. 2/5: Balance is everything. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/5: You might want to get what's inside. 2/5: Balance is everything. 3/5: Put something in the right drawer that provides some weight. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/5: You might want to get what's inside. 2/5: Balance is everything. 3/5: Put something in the right drawer that provides some weight. 4/5: The voice recorder isn't heavy, anything will do. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. 1/5: You might want to get what's inside. 2/5: Balance is everything. 3/5: Put something in the right drawer that provides some weight. 4/5: The voice recorder isn't heavy, anything will do. 5/5: My suggestion would be the red security pass. You won't need it any more, trust me. Press SPACE to return to the menu. I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! 1/5: You might want to get what's inside. 2/5: Balance is everything. 3/5: Put something in the right drawer that provides some weight. 4/5: The voice recorder isn't heavy, anything will do. 5/5: My suggestion would be the red security pass. You won't need it any more, trust me. Press SPACE to return to the menu or H to reveal another hint. I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! I'm inside the station. What now? Some mean critters kill me while wandering through the rooms. How can I use the sentry gun? What is there to find in the dressing room? How can I unlock the Demolisher armour? How can I use the operating table? > How can I get something from the desk? I can't see anything in the dark cave! I think I'm still missing something. What use is the voice recorder? I'm getting killed during the surgery! General hints The Grand Curve The rock field After the crash > In the mining facility The lower level of the mining facility Read me first! General Instructions for playing Interactive Fiction Contacting the author > Hints Walkthrough List of unusual verbs needed to complete the game Trivia Credits elevator roof Only by the dim glow of the electronic clipboard and the light filtering through some louvres on the floor you can discern that you're standing on an elevator's roof. The shaft above you is dark. A closed trap door leads down and a ladder leads up the dark shaft. >u The climb down was seriously exhausting. You doubt you can make it again, especially upwards. >*Okay, but what if you put something in there you need? Seems like there You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >*maybe mutliple ways to save in a stuck position. That's not a verb I recognise. >look elevator roof Only by the dim glow of the electronic clipboard and the light filtering through some louvres on the floor you can discern that you're standing on an elevator's roof. The shaft above you is dark. A closed trap door leads down and a ladder leads up the dark shaft. >d You are unable to descend by the trap door. >open door You open the trap door. >d elevator A generously-sized steel cube makes up this plain elevator. A set of controls is welded to one of the walls. The elevator doors open to the west towards a large natural cave. There's an open trap door in the elevator's roof. >e You can't go that way. >w stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. > *Oh, I didn't get the suit. Can I not get it at all? Was it a red herring? Or will I go back for it? You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x cables Cables of all sizes and colours are spread about on the ground. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. >look stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. >s You safely walk over the cables to the other side of the rift. stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >undo stalactite cave north [Previous turn undone.] >w dusty corridor, east end You are at the east end of a rough tunnel, only a few paces west of the large stalactite cave. The tunnel is wide enough for maybe four people standing shoulder to shoulder. The rock surrounding you is of a dry, porous consistency. A fog of light grey dust streams from the ceiling in lazy swirls. Every single hair on your body has risen. The sound and the feeling of an immense energy washes through the air. Made visible by the floating dust, you can see an obstacle course of red rays set up in the corridor ahead. >w It takes you just a few steps to recognize your armour's range of motion is far too limited for this particular obstacle course. You stumble and are caught in a searing red net. It effortlessly dices you and your armour on your way down. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo dusty corridor, east end [Previous turn undone.] >remove armour You take off the light armour. >w You can't pull the light armour around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >drop armour Dropped. >w This reminds you of your basic training in the army, except there a mistake would not have been instantly fatal. Anyway, you make it through unharmed. dusty corridor, west end You've arrived at the west end of the dusty corridor. At the very end of the tunnel, a round hatch is set into the floor. It seems the digging stopped right after the hatch had been set free. Behind you, a web of bright-red lasers is spanning the tunnel. >d You are unable to descend by the round hatch. >open hatch The round hatch refuses to move by itself, and you are not strong enough to push it aside. >pull hatch It is fixed in place. >shoot hatch (with the hand gun) Your fire chips a chunk off the round hatch, but leaves it otherwise intact. >undo dusty corridor, west end [Previous turn undone.] >lift hatch That's not a verb I recognise. >move hatch It is fixed in place. >x hatch A round hatch is set into the floor. Although it's just a door, the design feels alien to you. You can't see any mechanism to open it. >e This reminds you of your basic training in the army, except there a mistake would not have been instantly fatal. Anyway, you make it through unharmed. dusty corridor, east end You are at the east end of a rough tunnel, only a few paces west of the large stalactite cave. The tunnel is wide enough for maybe four people standing shoulder to shoulder. The rock surrounding you is of a dry, porous consistency. A fog of light grey dust streams from the ceiling in lazy swirls. Every single hair on your body has risen. The sound and the feeling of an immense energy washes through the air. Made visible by the floating dust, you can see an obstacle course of red rays set up in the corridor ahead. You can see your light armour here. >get armour Taken. >wear it You put on the light armour. >s You can't go that way. >look dusty corridor, east end You are at the east end of a rough tunnel, only a few paces west of the large stalactite cave. The tunnel is wide enough for maybe four people standing shoulder to shoulder. The rock surrounding you is of a dry, porous consistency. A fog of light grey dust streams from the ceiling in lazy swirls. Every single hair on your body has risen. The sound and the feeling of an immense energy washes through the air. Made visible by the floating dust, you can see an obstacle course of red rays set up in the corridor ahead. >e stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. >s You safely walk over the cables to the other side of the rift. stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >x metal Upon closer inspection, this scrap heap turns out to be a Demolisher armour, or rather two halves of a Demolisher armour. It has been cut in half from head to toe; the inside is soaked with blood. There's a small keyhole on the armour's front, luckily still in one piece. In the keyhole is a small round key. >get key Taken. >*Okay, cool. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >x armour (the light armour) This is your model IV light armour for operations in hard vacuum. It offers life support for up to 12 hours and has a host of advanced features. The left wrist houses the navigation system and the status monitor. The helmet features a communicator and various targeting aids. There is a badge attached to your suit's breast. >x badge It reads "Wiseguy". It definitely wasn't a good idea to let your squad mates decide your call sign. >look stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >s You can't, since the heavy door is in the way. >open door The heavy door refuses to move by itself, and you are not strong enough to push it aside. >n You safely walk over the cables to the other side of the rift. stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. >e elevator A generously-sized steel cube makes up this plain elevator. A set of controls is welded to one of the walls. The elevator doors open to the west towards a large natural cave. There's an open trap door in the elevator's roof. >u elevator roof Only by the dim glow of the electronic clipboard and the light filtering through some louvres on the floor you can discern that you're standing on an elevator's roof. The shaft above you is dark. An open trap door leads down and a ladder leads up the dark shaft. >u The climb down was seriously exhausting. You doubt you can make it again, especially upwards. >x louvres You can't see any such thing. >d elevator A generously-sized steel cube makes up this plain elevator. A set of controls is welded to one of the walls. The elevator doors open to the west towards a large natural cave. There's an open trap door in the elevator's roof. >x controls The elevator controls are formed by a mere two buttons, both of a very generous size, labelled UP and DOWN. You could easily operate them with your elbow if necessary. >push up (the up button) The elevator closes its doors and speeds up through the darkness. After a few minutes of silence you feel the elevator decelerate and stop. The doors open again. >out But you aren't in anything at the moment. >w corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >n unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a Demolisher and a huge rocket launcher here. >put key in demolisher That can't contain things. >drop armour (the light armour) (first taking the light armour off) Dropped. >get in demolisher That's not something you can enter. >wear demolisher (first taking the Demolisher) The Demolisher is locked down and does not open. >unlock demolisher (with the small round key) With a soft sigh, the armour opens up at the front. >wear demolisher Various locks and bolts snap into place as the armour embraces you. After the servo actuators have all powered up, your strength is increased tenfold. It feels no harder to move in the Demolisher than if you were naked. Just for kicks, you smack your gauntleted fists together. Nice sound. >i You are carrying: a Demolisher (being worn) a small round key a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >get armour (the light armour) Taken. >i You are carrying: your light armour a Demolisher (being worn) a small round key a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >look unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see a huge rocket launcher here. >get launcher Taken. >w You can't pull the light armour around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >drop light Dropped. >s corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >n unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see your light armour here. >get light Taken. >wear it You'll have to take off the Demolisher first. >drop light Dropped. >s corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >w corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >n storage room 52 You can imagine the state the architect must have envisioned this room: A maze of shelves, ready to embrace all sorts of hopefully useful items, neatly sorted into the aluminium frames. But unfortunately the shelves have been reworked into a trench system of jagged metal, and no stored items are to be seen anywhere. >s corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >w corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >n You can't, since the door to storage room 51 is in the way. >open door You punch with all your might and send your armoured fist ripping through the storage door as if it were paper. A few yanks later the door has been reduced to shreds. >n storage room 51 The back wall of the room looks like an abstract work of art, composed of random splashes of burning napalm against a black background. The rest of the room did not fare much better: The sorry remains of ammunition crates are littered everywhere; walls, floor and ceiling are charred the colour of onyx. The way back out is south. Amidst all the mayhem, you notice the outline of a large cylindrical object under a blanket of ash. >get object Taken. >x it A scorched rocket the size of your arm. It has miraculously managed not to blow up during the fire in the storage room. The stabilizers are looking quite roughed up, but otherwise the rocket might still be functional. >i You are carrying: a single rocket a huge rocket launcher a Demolisher (being worn) a small round key a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >x launcher A large and unquestionably heavy launcher for anti-tank rockets. You can't image a single person wielding this monster. Despite that, the launcher has a handle, a trigger and all other features of a man-portable launcher. It just looks as if it was made for a giant. The launcher is currently empty. >put rocket in launcher Which do you mean, the single rocket or the rocket launcher? >single You load the single rocket into the rocket launcher. >*I really really like this game. The puzzles are just right. That's not a verb I recognise. >i You are carrying: a huge rocket launcher a Demolisher (being worn) a small round key a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >ook That's not a verb I recognise. >look storage room 51 The back wall of the room looks like an abstract work of art, composed of random splashes of burning napalm against a black background. The rest of the room did not fare much better: The sorry remains of ammunition crates are littered everywhere; walls, floor and ceiling are charred the colour of onyx. The way back out is south. >s corridor, west end You are at the west end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. A large, badly deformed door is set into the north wall. A wide opening leads south while the corridor continues to the east. The airlock you came in through is west of here. >e corridor, centre You are in the middle of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. The north wall houses a massive steel door, while a smaller corridor branches off southwards. The corridor continues to the east and west. >e corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >e elevator A generously-sized steel cube makes up this plain elevator. A set of controls is welded to one of the walls. The elevator doors open to the west towards a red- lit corridor. There's an open trap door in the elevator's roof. >d You can't go that way. >push down (the down button) The elevator shuts the doors and starts downward. After a few minutes of silence you feel the elevator decelerate and stop. The doors open again. >w stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. >s You don't think the cables will support the Demolisher's weight. >s You don't think the cables will support the Demolisher's weight. >look stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. >remove suit You can't see any such thing. >remove armour With a soft sigh, the armour opens up at the front, allowing you to step out. With your servo-enhanced strength gone, the rocket launcher drops on the floor with a deep thud. >throw armour south I only understood you as far as wanting to throw the Demolisher. >throw armour east I only understood you as far as wanting to throw the Demolisher. >wear armour Various locks and bolts snap into place as the armour embraces you. After the servo actuators have all powered up, your strength is increased tenfold. It feels no harder to move in the Demolisher than if you were naked. Just for kicks, you smack your gauntleted fists together. Nice sound. >i You are carrying: a Demolisher (being worn) a small round key a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >look stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. You can see a huge rocket launcher here. >open door You can only look from this distance. >shoot door (with the rocket launcher) (first taking the rocket launcher) The rocket whizzes over the chasm and strikes the lower part of the door, blasting a man-sized hole into it. >*very nice That's not a verb I recognise. >remove armour With a soft sigh, the armour opens up at the front, allowing you to step out. With your servo-enhanced strength gone, the rocket launcher drops on the floor with a deep thud. >s You can't pull the Demolisher around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >drop armour Dropped. >s You safely walk over the cables to the other side of the rift. stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >s spongy corridor, north end You are at the northern end of a rather wide tunnel cut into the stone. An unnerving damp smell clumps your nostrils, a smell of blood. The stone which the tunnel runs through is slick and sponge-like. Finger-sized holes litter walls, floor and ceiling. You feel a humming noise almost below your hearing range. A sense of energy surges through the tunnel in waves. >n stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >n You safely walk over the cables to the other side of the rift. stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. You can see a Demolisher and a huge rocket launcher here. >e elevator A generously-sized steel cube makes up this plain elevator. A set of controls is welded to one of the walls. The elevator doors open to the west towards a large natural cave. There's an open trap door in the elevator's roof. >push up (the up button) The elevator closes its doors and speeds up through the darkness. After a few minutes of silence you feel the elevator decelerate and stop. The doors open again. >w corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >n unfinished room This is neither a room nor a corridor. It's a cave, freshly cut out of the bowels of this asteroid. The rough walls are sweating moisture, giving the place a chill, earthy atmosphere. The smell of raw iron hangs in the air. As you cross the room, you notice the floor is slick with blood. The cave echoes with faint irregular clicking and chirping noises. The north end of the cave terminates in a wall made of large chunks of rock. You can see a hint of a small opening in the shadows of the northeast corner of the cave. The way back out is to the south, which is also where the only light is pouring in from. A veritable heap of bullet casings is piled on the floor. You can also see your light armour here. >get armour Taken. >wear it You put on the light armour. >s corridor, east end You are at the east end of a sterile-looking white corridor. It is dimly lit by red emergency lights, giving the walls a blood-red tint. An empty door frame gives way to an unlit room to the north. An open office door is to the south and the corridor continues to the east. >e elevator A generously-sized steel cube makes up this plain elevator. A set of controls is welded to one of the walls. The elevator doors open to the west towards a red- lit corridor. There's an open trap door in the elevator's roof. >push down (the down button) The elevator shuts the doors and starts downward. After a few minutes of silence you feel the elevator decelerate and stop. The doors open again. >w stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. You can see a Demolisher and a huge rocket launcher here. >get demolisher Taken. >throw demolisher west I only understood you as far as wanting to throw the Demolisher. >s You can't pull the Demolisher around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >drop demolisher Dropped. >s You safely walk over the cables to the other side of the rift. stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >s spongy corridor, north end You are at the northern end of a rather wide tunnel cut into the stone. An unnerving damp smell clumps your nostrils, a smell of blood. The stone which the tunnel runs through is slick and sponge-like. Finger-sized holes litter walls, floor and ceiling. You feel a humming noise almost below your hearing range. A sense of energy surges through the tunnel in waves. >save Ok. >x holes The walls, floor and ceiling of this tunnel are made from spongy gray rock. >s A few steps into the corridor you feel a searing pain in your gut. Boiling blood is gushing from your belly. Your hands, which reflexively moved to cover the wound are both severed by an invisible energy. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo spongy corridor, north end [Previous turn undone.] >*whoa... okay. That's not a verb I recognise. >look spongy corridor, north end You are at the northern end of a rather wide tunnel cut into the stone. An unnerving damp smell clumps your nostrils, a smell of blood. The stone which the tunnel runs through is slick and sponge-like. Finger-sized holes litter walls, floor and ceiling. You feel a humming noise almost below your hearing range. A sense of energy surges through the tunnel in waves. >look spongy corridor, north end You are at the northern end of a rather wide tunnel cut into the stone. An unnerving damp smell clumps your nostrils, a smell of blood. The stone which the tunnel runs through is slick and sponge-like. Finger-sized holes litter walls, floor and ceiling. You feel a humming noise almost below your hearing range. A sense of energy surges through the tunnel in waves. >listen You hear nothing unexpected. >x energy You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: your light armour (being worn) a small round key a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >s A few steps into the corridor you feel a searing pain in your gut. Boiling blood is gushing from your belly. Your hands, which reflexively moved to cover the wound are both severed by an invisible energy. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo spongy corridor, north end [Previous turn undone.] >look spongy corridor, north end You are at the northern end of a rather wide tunnel cut into the stone. An unnerving damp smell clumps your nostrils, a smell of blood. The stone which the tunnel runs through is slick and sponge-like. Finger-sized holes litter walls, floor and ceiling. You feel a humming noise almost below your hearing range. A sense of energy surges through the tunnel in waves. >n stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >x cables Cables of all sizes and colours are spread about on the ground. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. >s spongy corridor, north end You are at the northern end of a rather wide tunnel cut into the stone. An unnerving damp smell clumps your nostrils, a smell of blood. The stone which the tunnel runs through is slick and sponge-like. Finger-sized holes litter walls, floor and ceiling. You feel a humming noise almost below your hearing range. A sense of energy surges through the tunnel in waves. >x holes The walls, floor and ceiling of this tunnel are made from spongy gray rock. >get rock They're hardly portable. >*I'm about out of time. Just a few more minutes. That's not a verb I recognise. >look spongy corridor, north end You are at the northern end of a rather wide tunnel cut into the stone. An unnerving damp smell clumps your nostrils, a smell of blood. The stone which the tunnel runs through is slick and sponge-like. Finger-sized holes litter walls, floor and ceiling. You feel a humming noise almost below your hearing range. A sense of energy surges through the tunnel in waves. >smell You smell nothing unexpected. >n stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >x cables Cables of all sizes and colours are spread about on the ground. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. >look stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >x shape You can't see any such thing. >i You are carrying: your light armour (being worn) a small round key a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >x stimulants You know this drug. It is a mild amphetamine, routinely used by pilots and soldiers. >s spongy corridor, north end You are at the northern end of a rather wide tunnel cut into the stone. An unnerving damp smell clumps your nostrils, a smell of blood. The stone which the tunnel runs through is slick and sponge-like. Finger-sized holes litter walls, floor and ceiling. You feel a humming noise almost below your hearing range. A sense of energy surges through the tunnel in waves. >s A few steps into the corridor you feel a searing pain in your gut. Boiling blood is gushing from your belly. Your hands, which reflexively moved to cover the wound are both severed by an invisible energy. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo spongy corridor, north end [Previous turn undone.] >look spongy corridor, north end You are at the northern end of a rather wide tunnel cut into the stone. An unnerving damp smell clumps your nostrils, a smell of blood. The stone which the tunnel runs through is slick and sponge-like. Finger-sized holes litter walls, floor and ceiling. You feel a humming noise almost below your hearing range. A sense of energy surges through the tunnel in waves. >i You are carrying: your light armour (being worn) a small round key a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >n stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >w You can't go that way. >n You safely walk over the cables to the other side of the rift. stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. You can see a Demolisher and a huge rocket launcher here. >x launcher A large and unquestionably heavy launcher for anti-tank rockets. You can't image a single person wielding this monster. Despite that, the launcher has a handle, a trigger and all other features of a man-portable launcher. It just looks as if it was made for a giant. The launcher is currently empty. >remove armor (the light armour) You take off the light armour. >throw armor west You can't see any such thing. >w You can't pull the light armour around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >drop armour (the light armour) Dropped. >w dusty corridor, east end You are at the east end of a rough tunnel, only a few paces west of the large stalactite cave. The tunnel is wide enough for maybe four people standing shoulder to shoulder. The rock surrounding you is of a dry, porous consistency. A fog of light grey dust streams from the ceiling in lazy swirls. Every single hair on your body has risen. The sound and the feeling of an immense energy washes through the air. Made visible by the floating dust, you can see an obstacle course of red rays set up in the corridor ahead. >get dust That's hardly portable. If you need dust somewhere else, you'll have to find a way to produce it on site. >i You are carrying: a small round key a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >*Ah, got it. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >w This reminds you of your basic training in the army, except there a mistake would not have been instantly fatal. Anyway, you make it through unharmed. dusty corridor, west end You've arrived at the west end of the dusty corridor. At the very end of the tunnel, a round hatch is set into the floor. It seems the digging stopped right after the hatch had been set free. Behind you, a web of bright-red lasers is spanning the tunnel. >open hatch The round hatch refuses to move by itself, and you are not strong enough to push it aside. >e This reminds you of your basic training in the army, except there a mistake would not have been instantly fatal. Anyway, you make it through unharmed. dusty corridor, east end You are at the east end of a rough tunnel, only a few paces west of the large stalactite cave. The tunnel is wide enough for maybe four people standing shoulder to shoulder. The rock surrounding you is of a dry, porous consistency. A fog of light grey dust streams from the ceiling in lazy swirls. Every single hair on your body has risen. The sound and the feeling of an immense energy washes through the air. Made visible by the floating dust, you can see an obstacle course of red rays set up in the corridor ahead. >e stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. You can see your light armour, a Demolisher and a huge rocket launcher here. >get light Taken. >wear it You put on the light armour. >s You safely walk over the cables to the other side of the rift. stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >s spongy corridor, north end You are at the northern end of a rather wide tunnel cut into the stone. An unnerving damp smell clumps your nostrils, a smell of blood. The stone which the tunnel runs through is slick and sponge-like. Finger-sized holes litter walls, floor and ceiling. You feel a humming noise almost below your hearing range. A sense of energy surges through the tunnel in waves. >hit walls You don't think you can really harm the walls with your bare hands. >i You are carrying: your light armour (being worn) a small round key a sentry gun a voice recorder File01 File02 File03 a blister of stimulants some bandages an electronic clipboard (providing light) a blue security pass a red security pass your hand gun >get rock They're hardly portable. >shoot walls (with the hand gun) Your shot sends a fountain of pulverized rock into the damp air. The dust is not quite as thick as in the dusty corridor, but good enough for you to recognize the lasers ahead. >s It takes you just a few steps to recognize your armour's range of motion is far too limited for this particular obstacle course. You stumble and are caught in a searing red net. It effortlessly dices you and your armour on your way down. *** You have died *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo spongy corridor, north end [Previous turn undone.] >remove armour You take off the light armour. >s You can't pull the light armour around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >drop armour Dropped. >s This reminds you of your basic training in the army, except there a mistake would not have been instantly fatal. Anyway, you make it through unharmed. spongy corridor, south end You've arrived at the south end of the spongy corridor. The tunnel ends here, but a small crevice opens to the west, as if the tunnel has cut into another room. A web of bright-red lasers is spanning the tunnel. >w crevice The crevice widens only slightly into a cramped natural cave. An inactive mining laser is standing in the middle of the room. The only exit is back east into the spongy corridor. >get laser This beast is incredibly heavy and not designed to be moved by a single person. >x laser You've always thought that mining lasers looked a bit like field artillery, and this specimen's no exception. Only the large muzzle sticks out from behind a large shield made of laser-reflecting material. Behind the shield there ought to be a heap-load of high-capacity spools and condensers, but the laser seems to have melted down from overheating. So basically it's a pile of slag with an attached shield. >*Time is up, so I have to vote. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >*This is very very good. That's not a verb I recognise. >*I'm going to vote a "9". I really like this. That's not a verb I recognise. > *And unfortunately, since I'm at 2 hours, I'd either have to stop playing now so I can open You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. > *the option to bumping up to a 10 if needed, or else lock in at 9 even if this is the best You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >*game of the competition. That's not a verb I recognise. >*okay, continuing on. You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. >look crevice The crevice widens only slightly into a cramped natural cave. An inactive mining laser is standing in the middle of the room. The only exit is back east into the spongy corridor. >x laser You've always thought that mining lasers looked a bit like field artillery, and this specimen's no exception. Only the large muzzle sticks out from behind a large shield made of laser-reflecting material. Behind the shield there ought to be a heap-load of high-capacity spools and condensers, but the laser seems to have melted down from overheating. So basically it's a pile of slag with an attached shield. >get shield After banging loose a few bolts, you are able to rip the shield from the mining laser. It is surprisingly lightweight. >x shield A shield made of laser-reflecting material. It is large enough to cover your entire body. >*oooh cool. Awesome. That's not a verb I recognise. >look crevice The crevice widens only slightly into a cramped natural cave. An inactive mining laser is standing in the middle of the room. The only exit is back east into the spongy corridor. >e spongy corridor, south end You've arrived at the south end of the spongy corridor. The tunnel ends here, but a small crevice opens to the west, as if the tunnel has cut into another room. A web of bright-red lasers is spanning the tunnel. >n Luckily all the rays are coming from the same wall, so you have no problem just covering that side with your shield. You make it through safely. spongy corridor, north end You are at the northern end of a rather wide tunnel cut into the stone. An unnerving damp smell clumps your nostrils, a smell of blood. The stone which the tunnel runs through is slick and sponge-like. Finger-sized holes litter walls, floor and ceiling. You feel a humming noise almost below your hearing range. A sense of energy surges through the tunnel in waves. Dust is floating in the humid air, outlining an obstacle course of red rays spanned in the corridor ahead. You can see your light armour here. >get light Taken. >n You can't pull the light armour around; it is too bulky. You should either wear it or drop it. >wear light You put on the light armour. >n stalactite cave south The south part of the cave looks mostly like its northern sibling. The rough floor is covered by a mess of cables, and stalactites cause you to duck your head while walking around. You can return to the northern part via the bundle of cables. A large heavy door is set into the south wall. Partially hidden behind the stalactites, a vaguely humanoid heap of metal is slouched against the far wall. >w You can't go that way. >n You safely walk over the cables to the other side of the rift. stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. You can see a Demolisher and a huge rocket launcher here. >w dusty corridor, east end You are at the east end of a rough tunnel, only a few paces west of the large stalactite cave. The tunnel is wide enough for maybe four people standing shoulder to shoulder. The rock surrounding you is of a dry, porous consistency. A fog of light grey dust streams from the ceiling in lazy swirls. Every single hair on your body has risen. The sound and the feeling of an immense energy washes through the air. Made visible by the floating dust, you can see an obstacle course of red rays set up in the corridor ahead. >drop light (first taking the light armour off) Dropped. >e stalactite cave north This cavern looks pretty much natural and not recently hollowed out. The roughly elliptic and generously-sized space is torn in half by a deep rift reaching all the way from the west to the east wall. You are currently in the northern half. The elevator is to the east, while a tunnel pierces the west wall. The cave itself continues to the south, but this way is blocked by the deep rift through the cave. In the distance across the rift you can see a large heavy door set in the far south wall. Stalactites of all sizes are reaching for the rough floor, where skeins of colourful cables are snaking in wide circles. A bundle of cables stiffened with steel pipes forms a thin bridge across the rift. You can see a Demolisher and a huge rocket launcher here. >get demolisher Taken. >wear it Various locks and bolts snap into place as the armour embraces you. After the servo actuators have all powered up, your strength is increased tenfold. It feels no harder to move in the Demolisher than if you were naked. Just for kicks, you smack your gauntleted fists together. Nice sound. >put shield on demoliser You can't see any such thing. >put shield on demolisher Putting things on the Demolisher would achieve nothing. >w dusty corridor, east end You are at the east end of a rough tunnel, only a few paces west of the large stalactite cave. The tunnel is wide enough for maybe four people standing shoulder to shoulder. The rock surrounding you is of a dry, porous consistency. A fog of light grey dust streams from the ceiling in lazy swirls. Every single hair on your body has risen. The sound and the feeling of an immense energy washes through the air. Made visible by the floating dust, you can see an obstacle course of red rays set up in the corridor ahead. You can see your light armour here. >w Luckily all the rays are coming from the same wall, so you have no problem just covering that side with your shield. You make it through safely. dusty corridor, west end You've arrived at the west end of the dusty corridor. At the very end of the tunnel, a round hatch is set into the floor. It seems the digging stopped right after the hatch had been set free. Behind you, a web of bright-red lasers is spanning the tunnel. >open hatch You punch with all your might and send your armoured fist ripping through the round hatch as if it were paper. A few yanks later the round hatch has been reduced to shreds. Through the hatch, you can see a large room full of giant cubes. A centaur returns your look from down there, unmoving. >save Ok. >x centaur You don't know if this is the same centaur that shot down your shuttle. You don't care. This thing is going to die. A vivid picture of snapping the machine's neck appears in your head. The centaur is armed with a large halberd instead of a lance this time. It is watching you from below, unmoving. >hit centaur You can only look from this distance. >d control centre This room is a perfect arrangement of 90 degree angles. Endless rows of giant humming cubes are rising around you. Still, there is plenty of room between them to manoeuvre. There seems to be no end to this room. Far above you, you can see the hatch you came in through. The halberd-armed centaur floats in the air, spinning its weapon. What is dead shall not move on its own accord. It shall be subjected to the laws of the 12th harmonic and the blow of the solar winds. It shall be home to all that lives and not taint other non-life with its doing... These words simply appeared in your head. Whose... a fierce headache nips the thought in the bud. It killed your people. That one you understand. But whose... IT KILLED YOUR PEOPLE. You land on your feet. The enemy is right in front of you. Servos tighten. You are ready to pounce. You both calculate your positions... It is more difficult fighting non-living opponents. There is no scent, no pheromones to betray their intentions. They do have moving tissue, but it behaves different from the muscles and sinews of the seven-clawed prowlers you are used to. Don't expect them to coil up visibly before attacking... You think of the float-worlds and the war-song of the starbirth empire. Of the deep green of the arena soil, of the cool spring updrafts catching in your wings, of the reddish sky above the mountains, of the mating months and the joy of victory... The thoughts are your own and not your own. However, you fail to be disconcerted by this insight. You fall into battle-trance, unblinking and perfectly calm. An ancient war-song fills your head. It only takes a split-second to close the distance. The machine guardian is fast indeed. >undo dusty corridor, west end [Previous turn undone.] >d control centre This room is a perfect arrangement of 90 degree angles. Endless rows of giant humming cubes are rising around you. Still, there is plenty of room between them to manoeuvre. There seems to be no end to this room. Far above you, you can see the hatch you came in through. The halberd-armed centaur floats in the air, spinning its weapon. What is dead shall not move on its own accord. It shall be subjected to the laws of the 12th harmonic and the blow of the solar winds. It shall be home to all that lives and not taint other non-life with its doing... These words simply appeared in your head. Whose... a fierce headache nips the thought in the bud. It killed your people. That one you understand. But whose... IT KILLED YOUR PEOPLE. You land on your feet. The enemy is right in front of you. Servos tighten. You are ready to pounce. You both calculate your positions... It is more difficult fighting non-living opponents. There is no scent, no pheromones to betray their intentions. They do have moving tissue, but it behaves different from the muscles and sinews of the seven-clawed prowlers you are used to. Don't expect them to coil up visibly before attacking... You think of the float-worlds and the war-song of the starbirth empire. Of the deep green of the arena soil, of the cool spring updrafts catching in your wings, of the reddish sky above the mountains, of the mating months and the joy of victory... The thoughts are your own and not your own. However, you fail to be disconcerted by this insight. You fall into battle-trance, unblinking and perfectly calm. An ancient war-song fills your head. It only takes a split-second to close the distance. The machine guardian is fast indeed. >punch machine You can't see any such thing. >punch centaur Your backhand blow comes out without thinking and sends the centaur reeling. You try to follow up with a straight, but your fist lands squarely in the halberd blade. It cleaves your arm up to the elbow. Not your real arm, the mechanical one. It doesn't hurt. You are disappointed. The halberd slices through the air in a powerful arc and drives deeply through your shield, biting into your shoulder. You throw all your weight against the guardian to regain some room. The shield is ripped from your hands and disappears somewhere behind your enemy. >hit centaur You feint an attack. The guardian falls for it and strikes to sever your arms. You keep barely out of reach, though, and only lose a few layers of your torso paint job. A mighty left swing throws the centaur against the wall. You press in deep with a knee-strike and grab the centaur's head. The halberd is no use to it while grappling. Gleefully shrieking servos start to crush the slick skull. The first cracks appear... Then, for a moment, nothing happens. As if time stood still. No. your mind goes on. You clench your fist. Your real fist. The metal one just stays unmoving. The centaur peels your metal fingers open. You move to kick the centaur, but the Demolisher does not move. It doesn't yield one bit. You have the whole lifespan of a sunflare jellyfish to contemplate the blade swishing toward your neck. You feel all the different stages of being decapitated. At last, your head spins through the air. Please press SPACE to continue. The Great Mother is shaking. Her eyes fly wide open. Her meditation has ended abruptly. "Great Mother, what is it?" "I... I have lost him." "Is he... dead?" "No... the seed has finally taken root. He cannot be destroyed easily. He is still there, but weaker." "But will he stop them?" "..." "Our scouts report the first assault craft have started. They're heading towards the colony! We need to go!" "No. Khemgi... he can do it!" "We cannot hope to outrun them if we don't start now!" Careful not to damage her withered, skeletal wings, Khemgi carries the Great Mother out of the sanctum. Please press SPACE to continue. His teeth are snapping wildly, foam sprays from his mouth - he remembers rending the jugular of a Greater Lurker - but he was trapped in a cage of steel, of treacherous, betraying, collaborating dead matter. He was - and still is - helpless. Disgust floods his mind as his skull bumps ungraciously on the slick floor. The war song fades then, and he panics. But no, it is still there, it has merely changed pitch. Deeper, more fundamental. Basic. A steady, invincible, growling vibe. They rip his body out of the exo-suit and throw his remains into the gutter, toward the meat grinders. Some time later, a grey bony clump is dropped into a freshly cut waste chamber. His face is a ruin, but the skull is still holding together. The skull lies there, in the darkness, breathing scarce oxygen, cherishing every stray ray of light. Waiting. Listening to the steady song. *** End of episode 1. Thanks for playing. *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > *Wow, this was *really* good. First time I've been excited about a Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > *"part 2" in quite a while. Very good build-up. Very good setting. Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > *wow. Very nice. Very nice. Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > look Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo control centre [Previous turn undone.] >kick centaur You feint an attack. The guardian falls for it and strikes to sever your arms. You keep barely out of reach, though, and only lose a few layers of your torso paint job. A mighty left swing throws the centaur against the wall. You press in deep with a knee-strike and grab the centaur's head. The halberd is no use to it while grappling. Gleefully shrieking servos start to crush the slick skull. The first cracks appear... Then, for a moment, nothing happens. As if time stood still. No. your mind goes on. You clench your fist. Your real fist. The metal one just stays unmoving. The centaur peels your metal fingers open. You move to kick the centaur, but the Demolisher does not move. It doesn't yield one bit. You have the whole lifespan of a sunflare jellyfish to contemplate the blade swishing toward your neck. You feel all the different stages of being decapitated. At last, your head spins through the air. Please press SPACE to continue. The Great Mother is shaking. Her eyes fly wide open. Her meditation has ended abruptly. "Great Mother, what is it?" "I... I have lost him." "Is he... dead?" "No... the seed has finally taken root. He cannot be destroyed easily. He is still there, but weaker." "But will he stop them?" "..." "Our scouts report the first assault craft have started. They're heading towards the colony! We need to go!" "No. Khemgi... he can do it!" "We cannot hope to outrun them if we don't start now!" Careful not to damage her withered, skeletal wings, Khemgi carries the Great Mother out of the sanctum. Please press SPACE to continue. His teeth are snapping wildly, foam sprays from his mouth - he remembers rending the jugular of a Greater Lurker - but he was trapped in a cage of steel, of treacherous, betraying, collaborating dead matter. He was - and still is - helpless. Disgust floods his mind as his skull bumps ungraciously on the slick floor. The war song fades then, and he panics. But no, it is still there, it has merely changed pitch. Deeper, more fundamental. Basic. A steady, invincible, growling vibe. They rip his body out of the exo-suit and throw his remains into the gutter, toward the meat grinders. Some time later, a grey bony clump is dropped into a freshly cut waste chamber. His face is a ruin, but the skull is still holding together. The skull lies there, in the darkness, breathing scarce oxygen, cherishing every stray ray of light. Waiting. Listening to the steady song. *** End of episode 1. Thanks for playing. *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > *end at 4:55 PM. 2 hours 10 minutes. Very nice. I loved this. Please give one of the answers above. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > undo control centre [Previous turn undone.] >save Ok. >quit Are you sure you want to quit? y