The Recruit Release 1.0 / Serial number 030925 / TADS 2.57 All text will now be saved to the script file. Type UNSCRIPT at any time to discontinue scripting. >restart Are you sure you want to start over? (YES or NO) > y The Recruit Interactive Fiction Copyright (c)y 2003 Mike Sousa. (First-time players should type help) Release 1.0 / Serial number 030925 / TADS 2.57 (M)ale, (F)emale, (W)hatever: "Wait. That's all I have to do?" Sharon nods slightly and smiles. "Well, sure. That certainly sounds easy enough!" Sharon smiles again, but this time without using her eyes. "Yes, I'm quite certain that you'll get by the black doors in record time..." She gives you a bit of a hollow laugh. Possibly a snicker. Definitely not a titter. "...just like the last thirty-four participants thought they would," she says, under her breath. Sharon presses some keys on her console and the metal door quickly slides open. "Okay. The environment is ready. You may proceed." You give her a wink in a flash of faux confidence and head towards the open door, eagerly awaiting the challenge. When you're completely within the room, the metal door closes behind you. This'll be the easiest fifty bucks you've ever made. "Andrew, if you can hear me, wave your hand." You jump at the sound of her voice, as it comes off creepy, chilling with weird reverberations within this room. After a second, though, you recall that a systems check was the first order of business. Red The internet is more than just a new way to gamble on football and hurl insults at the Scots. It's an endless reservoir of thieves, scoundrels and pimps. So, you tapped this black market in hope of finding a walkthrough that would let you breeze through the upcoming environments. Unfortunately, all you managed to find were bits of conflicting information-- hints apparently written by an idiot savant versed in hieroglyphics. You've cribbed on your palm what little you could piece together about the colored rooms. Don't sweat the small stuff. >wave (your hand) You wave to Sharon in an overblown, grandiose gesture and accidentally knock a small vase of flowers to the floor. Fortunately, it is unbroken. "Excellent!" says Sharon, again through the speaker. "The system is functioning perfectly. Good luck." There is a quick "pop!" as the speakers are turned off. Apparently she either didn't see the result of your graceful wave, or didn't see it as something worth comment. >x flowers They are beautifully-scented carnations. >get it Taken. >get all small russet vase: Taken. >x vase It's in the shape of a teardrop that has not quite fallen. It is a deep crimson splattered with deep pink dots. >x palm Knowing Sharon must be watching, you decide not to reveal your ace up the sleeve. >l Red The room has oval-shaped crimson walls around a thick fluffy rose carpet. On the longer walls either side are two flame-red sofas, next to one of which is a scarlet-painted wooden table. An ornate blood-colored lamp rests on the table. The area is dimly lit making it hard to see where the metal door you came from is; but you can see the bizarre orange door to the north. >search sofa Nothing. (You were half expecting an old Java book...) >search table An ornate blood-colored lamp rests on the table. >get lamp It appears much too expensive to fool around with. >turn it on You switch the lamp on and the room brightens a bit. >look under table There's nothing under the wooden table. >x metal door It's here somewhere, you just don't know where. >n (First opening the orange door) 'EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH' The alarm cuts off after a nigh painful four or five seconds and you hear Sharon on the speaker. "Andrew, let's try this again. When you are in stealth mode, the objective is to leave the room untouched." You head back into the red room. >put vase on table Done. >put flowers in vase Done. >n 'EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH' When silence returns you hear Sharon on the speaker. "Andrew, we will give you one more attempt at the first room. Remember, the red environment is designed as a stealth setting. Trying to leave the room not as you found it is considered un-stealthy." You head back to the Red room one last time. >i Except for the notes scrawled on your palm, you are empty-handed. >x notes Knowing Sharon must be watching, you decide not to reveal your ace up the sleeve. >l Red The room has oval-shaped crimson walls around a thick fluffy rose carpet. On the longer walls either side are two flame-red sofas, next to one of which is a scarlet-painted wooden table. A small russet vase containing a pack of carnations and an ornate blood-colored lamp, (providing light), rest on the table. The area is dimly lit with a heavy maroon bulb making it hard to see where the metal door you came from is; but you can see the bizarre orange door to the north. >turn off lamp You switch the lamp off. >n (First opening the orange door) Orange hallway You glance down at your palm, but the only light you receive after the door is left open isn't quite enough. The color of choice is now orange. You're at the beginning of a narrow hallway that leads north into an inky, burnt darkness. The walls to this corridor are made up of stacked, bright, rusty bricks. The craftsmanship in their assembly is exquisite. There is a light switch here. "Okay, Andrew," says Sharon, "you're off to a good start. Let's see how you do when we mix the Stealth environment with something else." The speaker crackles softly. >n You were never good at navigating in darkness -- so you don't. >flip switch You toggle the switch and the hallway brightens considerably. The additional light reveals a ceiling fan that begins a quiet rotation. A few yards down into what was previously darkness is a creamsicle-colored table, on top of which is a small note. The northern end of the hallway is still shrouded in a fair darkness, however. The ceiling fan is now providing a gentle, soothing breeze. >read note (first getting it) "Hello, participant! Remember. We are always watching you. We will critique your every action, decision and reaction. As our training class pointed out earlier, the colored rooms indicate the type of environ that you may find in one of our Real Life Interactive Gaming Simulacra! You have yet to complete the full stealth mission (which is combined with the standard lightsource obstacle). Once you leave this room as you found it, more exciting challenges await. Good luck! And if you need help at anytime, do not hesitate to wail like a Banshee in labor." The ceiling fan gains more speed. >flip switch You flip the switch and the hallway is once again dark. It appears as if the switch controls both lights in this hallway. The fan is no longer providing a gentle breeze. >n You were never good at navigating in darkness -- so you don't. >flip switch You toggle the switch and the hallway brightens considerably. The ceiling fan begins a quiet rotation. The ceiling fan is now providing a gentle, soothing breeze. >n Orange foyer From here, the room opens up into a momentous half circle with several exits in different compass directions. The ceiling pops up to about thirty feet (which renders the second orange fan beyond your reach). There is another switch on the wall, however. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. The ceiling fan gains more speed. >open yellow door You open the yellow door. The ceiling fan has reached its top speed and is providing a welcomed breeze. >flip switch You flip the switch and the hallway is once again dark. The fan is no longer providing a gentle breeze. >w As you are about to enter the yellow room, Sharon's voice stops you in your tracks. "Andrew? You may be in a hurry but if you recall the goal, red and orange represent stealth activities. The orange environment has been tampered with." There is a brief moment of silence followed by the crackle of the speaker again. "Please proceed with the orange challenge." >w 'EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH' "Andrew, please complete the orange environment before proceeding." >l Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open yellow door. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >i You have a piece of paper. >[good lord] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >flip switch You toggle the switch and the hallway brightens considerably. The ceiling fan begins a quiet rotation. The ceiling fan is now providing a gentle, soothing breeze. >s Orange hallway The walls to this north-south corridor are made up of stacked, bright, rusty bricks. The craftsmanship in their assembly is exquisite. A few yards down the hallway is a creamsicle-colored table. Above the table is a ceiling fan. Near the open orange door is a light switch. The ceiling fan gains more speed. >put note on table As you place the paper on the table the breeze from the fan lifts it off the table and it flutters to the floor. The ceiling fan has reached its top speed and is providing a welcomed breeze. >undo (Undoing one command) Orange hallway The walls to this north-south corridor are made up of stacked, bright, rusty bricks. The craftsmanship in their assembly is exquisite. A few yards down the hallway is a creamsicle-colored table. Above the table is a ceiling fan. Near the open orange door is a light switch. >flip switch You flip the switch and the hallway is once again dark. The fan is no longer providing a gentle breeze. >put note on table Done. >flip switch You toggle the switch and the hallway brightens considerably. The ceiling fan begins a quiet rotation. The ceiling fan is now providing a gentle, soothing breeze. >n Orange foyer From here, the room opens up into a momentous half circle with several exits in different compass directions. The ceiling pops up to about thirty feet (which renders the second orange fan beyond your reach). There is another switch on the wall, however. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. The ceiling fan gains some speed, and the note starts to flutter on the table. >flip switch You flip the switch and the hallway is once again dark. The fan is no longer providing a gentle breeze. >w 'EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH' "Andrew, please complete the orange environment before proceeding." >s Orange hallway You're at the beginning of a narrow hallway that leads north into an inky, burnt darkness, though an open door at the northern end of the hallway allows some light to filter through. Near the open orange door is a light switch. >get note Taken. >put note on table Done. >n Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open yellow door. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >w 'EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH EEEE-AHHHH' "Andrew, please complete the orange environment before proceeding." >s Orange hallway You're at the beginning of a narrow hallway that leads north into an inky, burnt darkness, though an open door at the northern end of the hallway allows some light to filter through. Near the open orange door is a light switch. >close door You close the orange door. >n Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open yellow door. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. "So far, so good, Andrew," says Sharon. "Now that you've completed the stealth part of the environment, you may proceed to the other rooms." The speaker crackles softly. >w Yellow A golden, shimmering cage dominates the room. It's height is just about the height of the ceiling of the room, roughly fifteen feet or so. Inside the cage is a gorgeous yellow Labrador retriever. Her eyes were on you the moment you entered this area, and it almost looks as if she is smiling at you. At the western end of this space is a small metal door. >w The door is far to small for you to pass through. Besides, it's currently shut. The yellow lab licks its paws. >open metal door The slot appears to be the trigger for that. >x slot The slot reads an access card. >i Except for the notes scrawled on your palm, you are empty-handed. >e Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open yellow door. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >nw (First opening the green door) Green This is a small room with limited furnishings. A large comfy-looking chair faces a small reading table. Resting on the table is a leather bound book. >x chair It flashes you the green, as if to say, "sit in the lap of luxury, baby." >read book You lean over and grab it. Odd, the book is much heavier than you anticipated. The green chair is rather inviting so you sit down with the book. Convinced that even if it's bad, it's short, you turn to the first page and begin to read... Teasdale shielded his eyes with both hands. It didn't help. A second later, it didn't matter. Jenkins lassoed the sack, dragged it over her husband's body, and pulled it down the two steps to where she crouched. The spice was going out of her marriage. You must realize that any chef worth her salt would prepare for the "Best Entrée" contest. She would risk life mate's limbs to win. The story continues on the next page. >g Periwinkle balanced the sack in his left hand and caressed the contours of its contents in his right. He paused, nodded and placed it on the table. His third tug of the drawstring was his last. Jenkins continued to cover her mouth and nose. She hooked the sack with a stick, lifted it over Periwinkle's body, and whipped it out the window. She breathed--a sign of re-life. The story continues on the next page. >g Ah, yesterday. Periwinkle and Teasdale had both handled sacks of spices with no ill consequences. Today, they failed to consider the perils of thyme travel. Duckworth waddled into the banquet hall. He inspected each creation, sampling those few that passed on the mustard. Allergic to certain spices, he collapsed after his first bite of the "Teasdale Surprise." The story continues on the next page. >g Jenkins leaned over Duckworth's body and extracted the "Best Entrée" award from the soup. She taunted Priscilla with the tainted prize. Entre nous, Priscilla knew her next dish would be best served cold. There are no more pages. As you close the cover, a leaflet tumbles from the sleeve and floats to the floor. "Moving story, eh, Andrew?" questions Sharon. "The puzzleless environment is a favorite among the participants." The speaker crackles softly. >x leaflet (first picking it up) It's a green leaflet promoting a local cooking show. "Cooking with Pepper" Tuesdays at 9 on TMFT, channel 623 A glossy photo of Pepper appears on the ad. >x pepper She's one hot babe, most likely eye- candy to attract more viewers. >x photo She's one hot babe, most likely eye- candy to attract more viewers. >get it The photo is part of the ad. >put leaflet in book It was meant to be found. >get up Okay, you're no longer sitting on the comfy chair. >l Green Compared to the rooms you've seen so far, the green room is small. Front and center is a large comfy-looking chair which faces a small reading table. You can exit the room through the green door to the southeast. >put book on table Done. >se Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >n It's locked and you don't have a key. >ne (First opening the blue door) Blue A lamp emits an ocean blue light which the cyan walls reflect. An eclectic assortment of cabinets, bookshelves and tables has been positioned for reasons of convenience rather than aesthetics. A small television is perched half-way up the wall; you can exit the room through the blue door to the southwest. A grizzled old man sits under the lamp on a ratty foam chair. "Hey, how ya doin' there, Andrew," says the old man softly. "Ya know, I been waiting for ya." >talk to man "What do you know about me?" you ask. The old man clears his throat and chortles, "Ya want to make an easy fifty bucks! That much I know, Andrew." He then composes himself and adds, "You're a good kid, son -- I wish you luck." >g "Hey," you say, "You already know my name. May I ask yours?" The old man points to his name tag. "It's there for a reason, Andrew, but you can call me Fred." >fred, hi "Hello Fred!" you say enthusiastically. "Andrew, ya ain't got to get all formal with me! But how ya doin'," says Fred. The old man looks at his watch and whistles an upbeat tune. >talk to fred "Are you late for something?" you ask, noticing Fred looking at his watch again. "Me? Late! Ha!" snorts the old timer. "Nah, nah... I got time on my side, Andrew. Me an' Father Time, we got a deal, narmean? Nah, I was just seein' how you were doin' for time. Not bad. Not bad at all." >g You try and engage in small talk, but it goes nowhere. >ask fred about time "How am I doing for time?" "Okay, I reckon," he says. "Er, not that I am yer judge an' jury or anything. I'm just part of the simulation is all." The old man crosses his arms and begins to breathe heavily. >ask fred about leaflet "Is this what you need, Fred?" you ask, waving the ad you found in Spoiling the Broth. Fred throws his head back and smiles. "I see that you got something I need, Andrew!", he says. You hand over the ad and he reads it out loud. "Cooking with Pepper, channel SIX -- TWO -- THREE. And looky here -- she's one hot babe, Andrew. Thanks for getting this to me." Fred pulls out the remote control and changes channels. He then leans back and proceeds to watch the cooking channel. "Fred, you finally going to learn how to cook something edible?" asks Sharon. "Haw-haw," laughs Fred. "As soon as you get new material!" "Andrew, good job with the NPC environment. You're lucky you caught Fred in a good mood today. He usually makes it much harder on the participants." "Hey!" snaps Fred. "That hurts!" "Sorry for the distraction, Andrew. You may proceed." The speaker hisses for a moment and then goes silent. >x fred Fred appears to be in his late 70s or 80s. He's all shriveled up, but has obviously long ago accepted his sojourn into elderly living. Fred Demul is printed on his name tag. >talk to fred You try and engage in small talk, but it goes nowhere. >x tv It's a small, flickery thing that seems to have a picture tube in need of fixing, as everything seems to be in bluescale. >l Blue A lamp emits an ocean blue light which the cyan walls reflect. An eclectic assortment of cabinets, bookshelves and tables has been positioned for reasons of convenience rather than aesthetics. A small television is perched half-way up the wall; you can exit the room through the blue door to the southwest. A grizzled old man sits under the lamp on a ratty foam chair. >x cabinets These cabinets have had their front panels and doors ripped clean off. Somehow, they've also attracted a (new?) form of blue dirt. They're filthy. >search cabinets You find nothing of interest. >ask fred for key "Sorry, not my area of expertise," exclaims Fred. >ask fred about access card "Sorry, not my area of expertise," exclaims Fred. >sw Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >e (First opening the purple door) The human jaw is a reasonably complex framework, built from two bones that hinge and compress under the action of six different muscles, controlling both the angle and force at which the bones meet. On entering this room it is clear your jaw has been way outclassed; and it promptly falls slack in awe of the spiderweb of ropes and chains that sling over pulleys, lace through the walls and knot into each other in sliding knots, noose knots, and other knots that are not knots you recognize. Purple In its center is a small (purple) stained glass case from which a single, fine, rather smug thread disappears up into the ceiling and a three-way pulley attached cleverly to fifteen subtly different mauve-through-indigo ropes. You spend a moment trying to follow through the mechanism that begins with the switches, buttons and levers set in the walls, but can't help thinking that the human brain is an extraordinarily complicated framework built of linked neurons and tendrils that has achieved sentience through over-complexification, and yours promptly collapses slack alongside your jaw. >x thread I don't know the word "thread". >x rope The ropes emerge from holes in the walls, floor and ceiling in all directions, some to loop over the pulleys, some to run through holes in the chains, but many more to finish in knots around other ropes that will tighten on demand and thereby constrict the motion of the next rope. There are, perhaps, forty-eight different subsystems running through the rope network, not counting direct overlaps. Of course that wouldn't be an issue if it wasn't for the chains. >x chains The chains are made of links set with sharpened plates at regular intervals, positioned so as to run from side to side through the room. Presumably the plates are equipped to sever the fibers of the rope; probably not to split the cord entirely but just to alter the weight balance that it can hold on whatever mechanism connects them outside the walls. The other thing about the chains is they're really very heavy and the ceiling doesn't look to secure what with all those holes. >pull chains The chains are quite tautly held. >climb chains I don't know how to climb the chains. >l Purple The wall is a pin-cushion of randomly-set foxglove levers, dotted with violet buttons like the floor had measles. There are clicky switches too but these have all been confined to one tiny corner of the room whose floor is a slightly more ill-looking shade of amethyst. You could probably operate all of them by clambering between the ropes and chains that form a cat's-cradle about the stained glass case which must be the goal of this pasta-chef's nightmare, but quite what logic you'd apply is another matter entirely. A cord hangs by the doorway with a tag that reads, somewhat alarmingly, 'PULL TO START'. Levers, switches and buttons; you shudder at the thought of where to begin. You can exit the room through the purple door to the west. >x switches There are 26 of them -- lined up against the near wall, each represented by a letter of the alphabet. They can be turned on or off. >turn on a An article must be followed by a noun. >turn on switch a It's already switched on. >turn off switch a You flip it off. >undo (Undoing one command) Purple The wall is a pin-cushion of randomly-set foxglove levers, dotted with violet buttons like the floor had measles. There are clicky switches too but these have all been confined to one tiny corner of the room whose floor is a slightly more ill-looking shade of amethyst. You could probably operate all of them by clambering between the ropes and chains that form a cat's-cradle about the stained glass case which must be the goal of this pasta-chef's nightmare, but quite what logic you'd apply is another matter entirely. A cord hangs by the doorway with a tag that reads, somewhat alarmingly, 'PULL TO START'. You can exit the room through the purple door to the west. >pull cord You pull the cord and a gentle grinding noise in the ceiling quickly escalates to the deafening sound of thunder. Fourteen of the ropes begin to move in antiparallel directions, and four of the triple pulleys move together toward the center of the room. Six of the chains slide sideways like a line of hula dancers, but of course that only means that the double pulleys slung through their gaps are wrenched apart, causing one of the single pulleys in the middle to spin meaninglessly as the rope is lifted from its shackles. At the same time eight of the remaining double pulleys are raising five other lengths of chain toward the ceiling, slackening the cord above the stained glass case. Eventually the gear-crunch from overhead lessens and the system exhales back to its starting position - or something similar. >g You pull the cord and a gentle grinding noise in the ceiling quickly escalates to the deafening sound of thunder. Fourteen of the ropes begin to move in antiparallel directions, and four of the triple pulleys move together toward the center of the room. Six of the chains slide sideways like a line of hula dancers, but of course that only means that the double pulleys slung through their gaps are wrenched apart, causing one of the single pulleys in the middle to spin meaninglessly as the rope is lifted from its shackles. At the same time eight of the remaining double pulleys are raising five other lengths of chain toward the ceiling, slackening the cord above the stained glass case. Eventually the gear-crunch from overhead lessens and the system exhales back to its starting position - or something similar. >turn off all switches I don't recognize that sentence. >turn off switch There are 26 switches labeled 'a-z'. You need to be specific. >turn off switcha You flip it off. >turn off switch b You flip it off. >turn off switch c You flip it off. >pull cord You pull the cord and a gentle grinding noise in the ceiling quickly escalates to the deafening sound of thunder. Fourteen of the ropes begin to move in antiparallel directions, and nineteen of the triple pulleys move together toward the center of the room. Six of the chains slide sideways like a line of hula dancers, but of course that only means that the double pulleys slung through their gaps are wrenched apart, causing one of the single pulleys in the middle to spin meaninglessly as the rope is lifted from its shackles. At the same time nineteen of the remaining double pulleys are raising five other lengths of chain toward the ceiling, slackening the cord above the stained glass case. Eventually the gear-crunch from overhead lessens and the system exhales back to its starting position - or something similar. >undo (Undoing one command) Purple The wall is a pin-cushion of randomly-set foxglove levers, dotted with violet buttons like the floor had measles. There are clicky switches too but these have all been confined to one tiny corner of the room whose floor is a slightly more ill-looking shade of amethyst. You could probably operate all of them by clambering between the ropes and chains that form a cat's-cradle about the stained glass case which must be the goal of this pasta-chef's nightmare, but quite what logic you'd apply is another matter entirely. A cord hangs by the doorway with a tag that reads, somewhat alarmingly, 'PULL TO START'. You can exit the room through the purple door to the west. >undo (Undoing one command) Purple The wall is a pin-cushion of randomly-set foxglove levers, dotted with violet buttons like the floor had measles. There are clicky switches too but these have all been confined to one tiny corner of the room whose floor is a slightly more ill-looking shade of amethyst. You could probably operate all of them by clambering between the ropes and chains that form a cat's-cradle about the stained glass case which must be the goal of this pasta-chef's nightmare, but quite what logic you'd apply is another matter entirely. A cord hangs by the doorway with a tag that reads, somewhat alarmingly, 'PULL TO START'. You can exit the room through the purple door to the west. >undo (Undoing one command) Purple The wall is a pin-cushion of randomly-set foxglove levers, dotted with violet buttons like the floor had measles. There are clicky switches too but these have all been confined to one tiny corner of the room whose floor is a slightly more ill-looking shade of amethyst. You could probably operate all of them by clambering between the ropes and chains that form a cat's-cradle about the stained glass case which must be the goal of this pasta-chef's nightmare, but quite what logic you'd apply is another matter entirely. A cord hangs by the doorway with a tag that reads, somewhat alarmingly, 'PULL TO START'. You can exit the room through the purple door to the west. >undo (Undoing one command) Purple The wall is a pin-cushion of randomly-set foxglove levers, dotted with violet buttons like the floor had measles. There are clicky switches too but these have all been confined to one tiny corner of the room whose floor is a slightly more ill-looking shade of amethyst. You could probably operate all of them by clambering between the ropes and chains that form a cat's-cradle about the stained glass case which must be the goal of this pasta-chef's nightmare, but quite what logic you'd apply is another matter entirely. A cord hangs by the doorway with a tag that reads, somewhat alarmingly, 'PULL TO START'. You can exit the room through the purple door to the west. >undo (Undoing one command) Purple The wall is a pin-cushion of randomly-set foxglove levers, dotted with violet buttons like the floor had measles. There are clicky switches too but these have all been confined to one tiny corner of the room whose floor is a slightly more ill-looking shade of amethyst. You could probably operate all of them by clambering between the ropes and chains that form a cat's-cradle about the stained glass case which must be the goal of this pasta-chef's nightmare, but quite what logic you'd apply is another matter entirely. A cord hangs by the doorway with a tag that reads, somewhat alarmingly, 'PULL TO START'. You can exit the room through the purple door to the west. >x switches There are 26 of them -- lined up against the near wall, each represented by a letter of the alphabet. They can be turned on or off. >w Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >ne Blue A lamp emits an ocean blue light which the cyan walls reflect. An eclectic assortment of cabinets, bookshelves and tables has been positioned for reasons of convenience rather than aesthetics. A small television is perched half-way up the wall; you can exit the room through the blue door to the southwest. A grizzled old man sits under the lamp on a ratty foam chair. >ask man about switches "Sorry, not my area of expertise," exclaims Fred. >sw Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >nw Green Compared to the rooms you've seen so far, the green room is small. Front and center is a large comfy-looking chair which faces a small reading table. Resting on the table is a leather bound book. You can exit the room through the green door to the southeast. >se Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >e Purple The wall is a pin-cushion of randomly-set foxglove levers, dotted with violet buttons like the floor had measles. There are clicky switches too but these have all been confined to one tiny corner of the room whose floor is a slightly more ill-looking shade of amethyst. You could probably operate all of them by clambering between the ropes and chains that form a cat's-cradle about the stained glass case which must be the goal of this pasta-chef's nightmare, but quite what logic you'd apply is another matter entirely. A cord hangs by the doorway with a tag that reads, somewhat alarmingly, 'PULL TO START'. You can exit the room through the purple door to the west. >x hand You take a peek at your chicken scratch... r=stlth o=lite y=key g=? b=npc p=dtl >flip r Each letter is found on a lever, switch and button. You need to be more specific. >x levers There are 26 of them -- lined up against the far wall, each represented by a letter of the alphabet. They can be lowered or raised. >x buttons There are 26 of them -- lined up against the opposite wall, each represented by a letter of the alphabet. They can be pushed in or out. >good golly. I don't know the word "good". >l Purple The wall is a pin-cushion of randomly-set foxglove levers, dotted with violet buttons like the floor had measles. There are clicky switches too but these have all been confined to one tiny corner of the room whose floor is a slightly more ill-looking shade of amethyst. You could probably operate all of them by clambering between the ropes and chains that form a cat's-cradle about the stained glass case which must be the goal of this pasta-chef's nightmare, but quite what logic you'd apply is another matter entirely. A cord hangs by the doorway with a tag that reads, somewhat alarmingly, 'PULL TO START'. You can exit the room through the purple door to the west. >help Welcome to The Recruit. Below is a brief list of some of the special commands that this game recognizes. If you're new to interactive fiction, please type INSTRUCTIONS for a detailed introduction to text adventures. The game was coded and primarily tested by the author using HTML TADS -- limited testing was performed on other platforms. NPC interaction is designed around the ASK NPC ABOUT [topic] structure. In some instances, TALK TO NPC should produce information that helps the player. For NPC's that don't talk, the standard NPC, [command] should be used. SAVE - Save the current game position RESTORE - Restore a saved game position UNDO - Take back the previous turn QUIT or Q - End the game CREDITS - Show the game's credits COPYRIGHT - Copyright information ABOUT - Show some background information about the game VERSION - Show the current version of the game RELEASE - Show release history of game HINTS - Hint system REVIEW - Perform a "LOOK" without affecting the turn count WINNABLE - Is the game still in a winnable state? SCRIPT - Start recording a transcript of your moves to a file UNSCRIPT - Stop recording the current transcript AUTO - Toggle the Auto Restore feature AMUSING - A list of amusing things to try NOTES - My brain dump of the game >hints The hint system used in this game tries to adapt to your current location. There are four levels of hints: The first level hint is displayed as a gentle nudge and will not spoil the current situation for the player. It should be relatively harmless and can be an attempt at humor. The second level hint is more direct and gives away the current goal by telling you what the room represents. Level three tells you what you need to do in this room without being explicit. The fourth level hint is considered the walk-through for that current situation. Note that the walk-through hint will only display during the competition period (Oct 1, 2003 - Nov 15, 2003) Should the hint system fail you, please send a note to me and I'll try to respond as soon as possible. You will only see this message once. [Level 1] Did you know that about the human jaw? >hints [Level 2] The purple room is part of the Hidden Detail environment. >l Purple The wall is a pin-cushion of randomly-set foxglove levers, dotted with violet buttons like the floor had measles. There are clicky switches too but these have all been confined to one tiny corner of the room whose floor is a slightly more ill-looking shade of amethyst. You could probably operate all of them by clambering between the ropes and chains that form a cat's-cradle about the stained glass case which must be the goal of this pasta-chef's nightmare, but quite what logic you'd apply is another matter entirely. A cord hangs by the doorway with a tag that reads, somewhat alarmingly, 'PULL TO START'. You can exit the room through the purple door to the west. >x floor Nah, it's beneath you. >x case The case is small, just a foot cube, and made of something like glass that has been stained a gentle purple color. The effect is deeply, deeply frustrating. >look in it The purple confuses the eye, sliding the gaze onto the purple carpet, along the purple wiring and eventually to the angry, shaking, purple object in the corner of the room that is yourself. >x carpet I don't see any carpet here. >x wiring I don't know the word "wiring". >[hidden detail?] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >x cord It makes the thing go -- whatever that means. >i Except for the notes scrawled on your palm, you are empty-handed. >hint [Level 3] There sure are a lot of levers, buttons and switches, and don't forget about the pulleys, chains and wires. There is one cord though that you need to inspect. >x pulleys There are sixty-eight pulleys, divided into thirteen single, twenty double and five triple sets; connected such that no triple connects directly to a double and a single but rather always to a double and a double, or three singles. Doubles that don't connect to triples always connect to singles, which means this would be straightforward enough if it wasn't for the knots on the ropes themselves. >x knots The ropes emerge from holes in the walls, floor and ceiling in all directions, some to loop over the pulleys, some to run through holes in the chains, but many more to finish in knots around other ropes that will tighten on demand and thereby constrict the motion of the next rope. There are, perhaps, forty-eight different subsystems running through the rope network, not counting direct overlaps. Of course that wouldn't be an issue if it wasn't for the chains. >x cord It makes the thing go -- whatever that means. >x wires Wires? What, ropes, cords, pulleys, switches, levers, buttons and chains aren't enough for you; you want wires too? Well, bad luck; this is a modern, state of the art, wireless network. >[boo hiss] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >pull cord You pull the cord and a gentle grinding noise in the ceiling quickly escalates to the deafening sound of thunder. Fourteen of the ropes begin to move in antiparallel directions, and four of the triple pulleys move together toward the center of the room. Six of the chains slide sideways like a line of hula dancers, but of course that only means that the double pulleys slung through their gaps are wrenched apart, causing one of the single pulleys in the middle to spin meaninglessly as the rope is lifted from its shackles. At the same time eight of the remaining double pulleys are raising five other lengths of chain toward the ceiling, slackening the cord above the stained glass case. Eventually the gear-crunch from overhead lessens and the system exhales back to its starting position - or something similar. >push cord Pushing the cord doesn't do anything. >hints Note: Level 4 is a bare-bones 'do this to solve it' approach to the particular room. Some optional steps are not mentioned which means that after solving it, it may not make all the sense in the world. However, if you're reading this, then you're obviously stuck or pressed for time so you really don't care about that. I think. [Level 4] purple room walkthru: >X tag >Press override button >Pull cord >Get key >x tag The tag reads 'Pull to Start'. You flip it over and read the fine print. 'To avoid setting the correct sequence of levers, switches and buttons, press the override button found behind the door and then pull this cord.' You take a peek behind the door, to find a button labeled in mauve on violet, or possibly violet on mauve. Anyway, it says OVERRIDE. >push override Click. >pull cord You tug the cord but nothing happens. You tug it a little lower - it seems to be completely free of any restraint now - and only after you've spooled about three feet of cord around your palm do you notice the glass case has been slowly getting higher. It would seem the thin cable attached to it is exactly the one you're holding. A black key is quickly revealed. You tie the cord quickly to a nearby pulley. >get key You grab the key. "You got it!" says Sharon, rather excitedly. "We've found that this environment usually takes our participants much longer to complete. Great job." There is a "pop" and the speaker shuts off. >w Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >unlock door (with the black key) Unlocked. >n (First opening the black door) Black Overhead lights flicker and fizzle within this room as their poor connections struggle to conceal their electric rot. They blink, they hum, and they create ultraviolet rays for a few seconds before going back on the fritz. The ceiling is low, perhaps only going to seven feet. You can see the outline of two sliding doors to the north. When a ray of light does strike the edge of the frames, it sparkles. In the middle of the floor is a walk-on button. It is the blackest item in the room, looking more like a "hole," save for being raised in the manner it is. To the eastern wall is a pull handle. >x button It's about a foot in diameter, raised onto the exact middle of the floor. >stand on button As the floor button is depressed, the sliding doors open, revealing another set of charcoal doors. >pull handle You step off the floor button and pull the handle. You briefly see the charcoal doors open but they are now obscured by the closing of the sliding black doors. >stand on button As the floor button is depressed, the sliding doors open, revealing another set of charcoal doors. >x doors The charcoal doors are closed. >i You have a black key. >x palm You take a peek at your chicken scratch... r=stlth o=lite y=key g=? b=npc p=dtl >n The charcoal doors are closed. >x handle It is eight inches long and currently parallel to the wall. >pull it You step off the floor button and pull the handle. You briefly see the charcoal doors open but they are now obscured by the closing of the sliding black doors. >hold it As you let the handle go, you hear the braying and turn of machinery to the north, but see no effect. >stand on button As the floor button is depressed, the sliding doors open, revealing another set of charcoal doors. >push button You press the button and the sliding doors to the north open and then close. You did manage to see another door directly behind them though. >n The charcoal doors are closed. >get up You're already standing. >l Black, standing on the floor button Overhead lights flicker and fizzle within this room as their poor connections struggle to conceal their electric rot. They blink, they hum, and they create ultraviolet rays for a few seconds before going back on the fritz. The ceiling is low, perhaps only going to seven feet. The sliding doors to the north are open, revealing another set of large charcoal doors. In the middle of the floor is a walk-on button. It is the blackest item in the room, looking more like a "hole". It has sunk into the floor, courtesy of your weight. To the eastern wall is a pull handle. >x ceiling The ceiling isn't important. >lean east I don't understand that sentence. >s Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >w Yellow A golden, shimmering cage dominates the room. It's height is just about the height of the ceiling of the room, roughly fifteen feet or so. At the western end of this space is a small metal door. You can exit through the yellow door to the east. A yellow lab is inside the cage, resting on a comfy blanket. >x lab She seems to be gentle and quite inquisitive. Her eyes are locked on you and your movements. As you scan her living quarters, you spot an access card on the floor, just out of reach. The yellow lab stands for a moment, circles the blanket, and plops back down. >pet lab The yellow lab is at the far end of the cage and you can't reach her. >enter cage There is no good foot hold to get you started. >open cage There is no way to open it. The yellow lab flicks its ears. >lab, hi The yellow lab cocks her head. >pet lab The yellow lab is at the far end of the cage and you can't reach her. Something catches the yellow lab's attention. >show key to lab The yellow lab doesn't appear interested. >i You have a black key. The yellow lab yawns silently. >x palm You take a peek at your chicken scratch... r=stlth o=lite y=key g=? b=npc p=dtl The yellow lab licks its paws. >x cage You're not up on your metallurgy to know if it is 24 karat gold or some kind of electrum-like mix, but the bars have a glowing, soft sheen to them, and simply looking is relaxing. The yellow lab stands for a moment, circles the blanket, and plops back down. >touch cage The cage feels just like a cage. >lab, get card The yellow lab cocks her head. >x card ACCESS CARD is printed on the face of the card. The yellow lab stands for a moment, circles the blanket, and plops back down. >x blanket It's sprawled against the far wall. An inviting place for a nap -- for a dog, that is. The yellow lab stands for a moment, circles the blanket, and plops back down. >stand on cage I don't know how to stand on the cage. >open cage There is no way to open it. The yellow lab stands for a moment, circles the blanket, and plops back down. >hint [Level 1] The dog is your friend. >sing What do you want to sing to? >dog You decide to not sing to the yellow lab. The yellow lab licks its paws. >talk to dog "Good girl..." The yellow lab wags her tail. >g "Hey girl, how ya doin'!" The yellow lab wags her tail. >g "Hey there! Aren't you a good girl..." The yellow lab wags her tail. >g "Hi puppy! Wacha doin'!" The yellow lab wags her tail. >g "Hey there! Aren't you a good girl..." The yellow lab wags her tail. >g "Hi puppy! Wacha doin'!" The yellow lab wags her tail. >g "Hey girl, how ya doin'!" The yellow lab wags her tail. >g "Hey there! Aren't you a good girl..." The yellow lab wags her tail. >lab, hi The yellow lab cocks her head. >lab, fetch The yellow lab glances your way but doesn't get up. It appears as if she's too comfortable to perform. >get blanket It's too far away. >i You have a black key. >throw key at dog You miss. The yellow lab licks its paws. >get key Taken. >talk to dog "Hey there! Aren't you a good girl..." The yellow lab wags her tail. >fetch The yellow lab glances your way and almost smiles. The yellow lab flicks its ears. >g The yellow lab glances your way and almost smiles. >g The yellow lab glances your way and almost smiles. The yellow lab flicks its ears. >g The yellow lab glances your way and almost smiles. >lab, fetch The yellow lab glances your way but doesn't get up. >g The yellow lab glances your way but doesn't get up. >g The yellow lab glances your way but doesn't get up. >hint [Level 2] The yellow room is part of the Locked Door and NPC environment. >g [Level 3] Ask Fred about the dog and her treat. Get the dog to get off her blanket and show her the treat, her tail might just help you out. >e Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >ne Blue A lamp emits an ocean blue light which the cyan walls reflect. An eclectic assortment of cabinets, bookshelves and tables has been positioned for reasons of convenience rather than aesthetics. A small television is perched half-way up the wall; you can exit the room through the blue door to the southwest. A grizzled old man sits under the lamp on a ratty foam chair. >ask man about dog "Fred, what can you tell me about the big woofy back there? That yellow lab?" Fred's last couple of teeth fight to maximize their space along the broad, wicked smile he gives you. "Ah, Genie... Genie... She's precious," he says, beaming. "She's mine!" Fred composes himself after a second. "Heh... I taught her all sorts of tricks. It's amazing what a dog will do when she sees that her reward is a donut!" Fred laughs a little too hard at his own comment. >ask man about donut "Fred, can I have a donut?" "Work up an appetite in here, eh, Andrew? Of course you can have it. All you hadda do was ask, narmean?" Fred reaches into his bag and produces a small, plain donut. He hands it over to you. He starts grinning like a maniac for whatever reason. Maybe giving a guy a donut was this weird innuendo thing in the 1930s or 1730s or whenever the hell Fred last walked the earth with less wrinkles on his face than on his brain. >i You have a black key and a donut. >sw Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >w Yellow A golden, shimmering cage dominates the room. It's height is just about the height of the ceiling of the room, roughly fifteen feet or so. At the western end of this space is a small metal door. You can exit through the yellow door to the east. Genie is inside the cage, resting on a comfy blanket. >show donut to genie Genie springs to her feet and runs over to you. Her tail wags, shadow flickering madly right above that access card you want so badly -- if only the dog was flat, or something... >lab, fetch Genie looks around and whimpers. If you only had a ball. >lab, fetch card Genie looks around and whimpers. If you only had a ball. >point to card I don't recognize that sentence. >get card It's too far away. Genie lets out a heavy sigh. >pet genie The lab enjoys your attention. >x genie She seems to be gentle and quite inquisitive. Her eyes are locked on you and your movements. >e Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >ne Blue A lamp emits an ocean blue light which the cyan walls reflect. An eclectic assortment of cabinets, bookshelves and tables has been positioned for reasons of convenience rather than aesthetics. A small television is perched half-way up the wall; you can exit the room through the blue door to the southwest. A grizzled old man sits under the lamp on a ratty foam chair. >ask fred for ball I don't know the word "ball". >ask fred about donut "Fred, can I have a donut?" "What's wrong with the one you have?" questions Fred, as he looks away and continues to watch TV. >ask fred about genie "What else can you tell me about Genie?" "Apart from her love of donuts? Uhm, well, Genie is a seven year-old Labrador retriever. Lesse... my nephew's sister-in-law's parent's landlord has some family in the country that know some folks that breed dogs like Genie." >g "Is there anything else you can tell me about Genie?" "Uhm, nah... I think I've told you enough about her," he responds. >ask fred about access card "You probably know as much as I do," quips Fred. >sw Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >w Yellow A golden, shimmering cage dominates the room. It's height is just about the height of the ceiling of the room, roughly fifteen feet or so. At the western end of this space is a small metal door. You can exit through the yellow door to the east. Genie is inside the cage, resting on a comfy blanket. >show donut to genie Genie springs to her feet and runs over to you. Genie's tail goes from light speed to warp speed. >throw donut That's not a proper way to dispose of a donut. >throw key It would be simpler to just drop the black key. >throw key at card It's too far away. Genie begins to pant. >give donut to genie Genie snatches the donut from your hand and consumes it whole. The lab appears satisfied and returns to her blanket. >genie, fetch Genie glances your way but doesn't get up. >undo (Undoing one command) Yellow A golden, shimmering cage dominates the room. It's height is just about the height of the ceiling of the room, roughly fifteen feet or so. At the western end of this space is a small metal door. You can exit through the yellow door to the east. Genie is inside the cage, resting on a comfy blanket. >undo (Undoing one command) Yellow A golden, shimmering cage dominates the room. It's height is just about the height of the ceiling of the room, roughly fifteen feet or so. At the western end of this space is a small metal door. You can exit through the yellow door to the east. Genie is within reach, tail wagging slightly. >pet genie The lab enjoys your attention. >give key to genie Genie doesn't appear interested. >x collar I don't know the word "collar". >open door The slot appears to be the trigger for that. >x slot The slot reads an access card. Genie yawns. >show slot to genie You're not holding the slot. >point at slot What do you want to point? >key It's not polite to point at the slot. Genie satisfies an itch. >hint [Level 4] yellow room walkthru: >Ask Fred about donut >Genie, come >Genie, sit >Show donut to Genie >Get access card >Swipe access card >genie, come Genie is already here. >genie, sit She sits down. >show donut to genie Genie's tail goes from light speed to warp speed and the access card is caught up in the cyclone. The card slides to your side of the cage. >[oh, good lord.] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >get card Taken. >give donut to genie Genie snatches the donut from your hand and consumes it whole. The lab appears satisfied and returns to her blanket. >put card in slot As you complete the swipe of the card the metal door quickly slides open. You peer inside and... ...find nothing. Hurm. A moment later a small sign drops into view within the metal box. It reads: Where's Genie? The sign then slowly disappears as the metal door slides shut. "Way to go, Andrew," says Sharon. "The environment consisting of a locked door and an NPC has given our participants the most grief. Keep up the good work." There is a "pop" and the speaker shuts off. The sound of a door sliding shut can be heard coming from within the large cage. >undo (Undoing one command) Yellow A golden, shimmering cage dominates the room. It's height is just about the height of the ceiling of the room, roughly fifteen feet or so. At the western end of this space is a small metal door. You can exit through the yellow door to the east. Genie is inside the cage, resting on a comfy blanket. >undo (Undoing one command) Yellow A golden, shimmering cage dominates the room. It's height is just about the height of the ceiling of the room, roughly fifteen feet or so. At the western end of this space is a small metal door. You can exit through the yellow door to the east. Genie is within reach, sitting down. >put card in slot As you complete the swipe of the card the metal door quickly slides open. You peer inside and... ...find nothing. Hurm. A moment later a small sign drops into view within the metal box. It reads: Where's Genie? The sign then slowly disappears as the metal door slides shut. "Way to go, Andrew," says Sharon. "The environment consisting of a locked door and an NPC has given our participants the most grief. Keep up the good work." There is a "pop" and the speaker shuts off. The sound of a door sliding shut can be heard coming from within the large cage. >get sign I don't know the word "sign". >put card in slot Nothing happens. >i You have a black key, a donut, and an access card. >give donut to genie I don't see any genie here. >x cage You're not up on your metallurgy to know if it is 24 karat gold or some kind of electrum-like mix, but the bars have a glowing, soft sheen to them, and simply looking is relaxing. >l Yellow A golden, shimmering cage dominates the room. It's height is just about the height of the ceiling of the room, roughly fifteen feet or so. At the western end of this space is a small metal door. You can exit through the yellow door to the east. >enter cage There is no good foot hold to get you started. >e Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >n Black Overhead lights flicker and fizzle within this room as their poor connections struggle to conceal their electric rot. They blink, they hum, and they create ultraviolet rays for a few seconds before going back on the fritz. The ceiling is low, perhaps only going to seven feet. You can see the outline of two sliding doors to the north. When a ray of light does strike the edge of the frames, it sparkles. In the middle of the floor is a walk-on button. It is the blackest item in the room, looking more like a "hole," save for being raised in the manner it is. To the eastern wall is a pull handle. >hint [Level 1] I originally had a gear that turned in this room to open up a third door. Aren't you glad that I decided to nix that? >yes So were my beta testers. Were you one of them? >no Good, that means you can vote for this game! >hint [Level 2] The black room is part of the Reuse Object environment. >i You have a black key, a donut, and an access card. >put donut on lever I don't see any lever here. >put key on button You plop it down on the floor button, but the black key isn't heavy enough to depress the button. >put donut on button You plop it down on the floor button, but the donut isn't heavy enough to depress the button. >put card on button You plop it down on the floor button, but the access card isn't heavy enough to depress the button. >get all black key: Taken. donut: Taken. access card: Taken. >s Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >w Yellow A golden, shimmering cage dominates the room. It's height is just about the height of the ceiling of the room, roughly fifteen feet or so. At the western end of this space is a small metal door. You can exit through the yellow door to the east. >w The door is far to small for you to pass through. Besides, it's currently shut. >open door The slot appears to be the trigger for that. >i You have a black key, a donut, and an access card. >e Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >ne Blue A lamp emits an ocean blue light which the cyan walls reflect. An eclectic assortment of cabinets, bookshelves and tables has been positioned for reasons of convenience rather than aesthetics. A small television is perched half-way up the wall; you can exit the room through the blue door to the southwest. A grizzled old man sits under the lamp on a ratty foam chair. Genie is here, a yellow leash hanging off her. "Well, imagine that Andrew," says Fred, "You went and got Genie for me. How nice." He then throws you a wink and says softly, "Not too many people have reached this far..." >x leash It's a six foot lead. >get leash Taken. >sw "C'mon girl..." Genie looks up and starts walking with you. Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. Genie is here, tied to the yellow leash you're holding. >n Genie looks up and follows your lead. Black Overhead lights flicker and fizzle within this room as their poor connections struggle to conceal their electric rot. They blink, they hum, and they create ultraviolet rays for a few seconds before going back on the fritz. The ceiling is low, perhaps only going to seven feet. You can see the outline of two sliding doors to the north. When a ray of light does strike the edge of the frames, it sparkles. In the middle of the floor is a walk-on button. It is the blackest item in the room, looking more like a "hole," save for being raised in the manner it is. To the eastern wall is a pull handle. Genie is here, tied to the yellow leash you're holding. >genie, sit on button She sits down. >genie, come The yellow lab is already here. >stand on button As the floor button is depressed, the sliding doors open, revealing another set of charcoal doors. Genie sits by your feet but quickly moves away toward a new smell. >pull lever I don't see any lever here. >l Black, standing on the floor button Overhead lights flicker and fizzle within this room as their poor connections struggle to conceal their electric rot. They blink, they hum, and they create ultraviolet rays for a few seconds before going back on the fritz. The ceiling is low, perhaps only going to seven feet. The sliding doors to the north are open, revealing another set of large charcoal doors. In the middle of the floor is a walk-on button. It is the blackest item in the room, looking more like a "hole". It has sunk into the floor, courtesy of your weight. To the eastern wall is a pull handle. Genie is here, tied to the yellow leash you're holding. >pull handle You step off the floor button and pull the handle. You briefly see the charcoal doors open but they are now obscured by the closing of the sliding black doors. The leash wiggles as Genie scratches her ear. >get leash You already have it. >take leash off genie You fumble with it but can't figure it out. It looks like it's not meant to come off. Genie sits by your feet but quickly moves away toward a new smell. >put leash on lever I don't see any lever here. >put leash on handle There's no good surface on the pull handle. >tie leash to handle You loop the leash around the pull handle and give it a firm tug. >n The sliding doors are closed. >stand on button As the floor button is depressed, the sliding doors open, revealing another set of charcoal doors. Genie tests the knot on the leash. >genie, come Genie walks toward you and stops abruptly when the slack in her leash gives. At the same time, the charcoal doors open. It appears as if the leash is keeping the pull switch raised. >genie come There's no verb in that sentence! >genie, come She's gone as far as she can. >genie, sit Genie barks at you. >n The sliding doors close as you step off the button. Genie sniffs around, but her movement is limited. >detach leash There's no obvious way to do that. >stand on button As the floor button is depressed, the sliding doors open, revealing an exit to the north. Genie tugs at the leash briefly. >n The sliding doors close as you step off the button. >s Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >ne Blue A lamp emits an ocean blue light which the cyan walls reflect. An eclectic assortment of cabinets, bookshelves and tables has been positioned for reasons of convenience rather than aesthetics. A small television is perched half-way up the wall; you can exit the room through the blue door to the southwest. A grizzled old man sits under the lamp on a ratty foam chair. >fred, follow me "Sorry, Andrew. I need to stay here." >get tv I don't think Fred would appreciate that. >ask fred for tv "Fred, what are you watching?" "Why, 'Cooking with Pepper!', of course," responds Fred. >ask fred for tv "Fred, what are you watching?" "Why, 'Cooking with Pepper!', of course," responds Fred. >x tables The two tables look a bit like congealed lumps of unsaturated blue that is so low quality you just might be able to say that they were off-gray in color. That doesn't fit the scheme, though, so your eyes lie to you after staring intently at them. >get table They're not worth your time. >get cabinet The cabinets are firmly attached to the walls. >get bookshelves The bookshelves are firmly attached to the walls. >x chair The chair looks preposterously comfy, squooshy and foamy. You don't imagine that Fred would ever wish to leave it. >sw Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >nw Green Compared to the rooms you've seen so far, the green room is small. Front and center is a large comfy-looking chair which faces a small reading table. Resting on the table is a leather bound book. You can exit the room through the green door to the southeast. >push chair se You can't seem to do that. >get book Taken. >se Orange foyer The foyer is dimly lit, with the only light coming from the open doors. There are six exits. The thin hallway (to the south), a yellow door (to the west), a green door (to the northwest), a blue door (to the northeast), a purple door (to the east) and a black door directly to the north. >n Black Overhead lights flicker and fizzle within this room as their poor connections struggle to conceal their electric rot. They blink, they hum, and they create ultraviolet rays for a few seconds before going back on the fritz. The ceiling is low, perhaps only going to seven feet. You can see the outline of two sliding doors to the north. When a ray of light does strike the edge of the frames, it sparkles. In the middle of the floor is a walk-on button. It is the blackest item in the room, looking more like a "hole," save for being raised in the manner it is. Genie is here, tied to the pull handle. >put book on button The floor button sinks in and the sliding black doors open, revealing an exit to the north. >n You step beyond the charcoal doors... You see Sharon on the other side. She runs up to you and throws her arms around you. "My hero!" she says with a laugh. "You did it!" You make a fingerguns sign with both of your index fingers. "I had been keeping some fun stats for you on all of this," she says. She consults her notes for a moment and raises a lone eyebrow at you. "Hmm... looks like you spent 9% of your time on the red room. That was the 'Stealth' portion of the test." "Why red?" you ask. "One of the marketing guys made all the decisions. Frankly, my belief was that it had to do with Little Red Riding Hood. Maybe if she left the room as she found it she wouldn't have gotten into all that trouble." "The stealth and lightsource room was the orange one," continues Sharon. "Orange seemed to be the color that we decided best represented light. You spent 13% of your time there." Sharon turns to the next page of her notes. "The lovely golden lab Genie set the stage for the yellow room -- you spent 30% of your time there." Sharon lets escape a brief little laugh. "You have no idea how long we looked for a dog that could be properly trained like that!" "Well, if you did find a dog that was tough to train, at least you wouldn't have noticed if it had pee'd all over the room there," you relate. Sharon finds it difficult to concentrate on that remark. "You spent 2% of your time in the green room. That was our 'puzzleless' venture. One of our room designers is originally from Libya, and he had first pick of which room he wanted." "The Libyan flag is sort of the puzzleless one at the U.N.," you say. "There is very little you have to do in order to understand it." You say this, but actually step a pace away, because Sharon and all her friends are starting to seem very crazy and unwell to you. All this for fifty dollars? "You spent 9% of your time in the blue room. That was the one we call 'Traditional NPC.'" "Was it blue because Fred was so sad?" "No," says Sharon. "We were just following the rainbow at this point." She shrugs. "And then you spent about 14% of your time in the purple room, or the 'Hidden Detail' one. I hope you enjoyed the purple prose within!" She laughs out loud at her own joke. You take another step back. "And then there was the black room which took 20% of your time. It was sort of a mix of all the other colors." "I thought white was a mix of all the other colors," you say. "Not if you do it with paint," she says. Fair enough. "You had to use objects from the different rooms to get by it." Sharon then hands over the paper work to you along with a check. "Spend it wisely!" says Sharon with a laugh that is starting to wear thin. You thank her for the opportunity and head toward the exit -- fifty bucks richer. You can't wait to buy that new Xbox game... Options are: NOTES, AMUSING, RESTORE, RESTART, QUIT or UNDO: >notes Author's Brain Dump This game was born while putting together IF Comp 2002's Reviews of Reviews. It was interesting to see the reviewer's take on puzzleness on games, did it belong there, what was the motivation, was it integrated into the story, the types of puzzles, etc... I completed the framework by the end of 2002, but then dropped it. By the summer of 2003, Robb Sherwin and I were collaborating again and focusing on getting something done by the fall. It was an ambitious project and with the deadline looming, both Robb and I decided it wasn't right to rush the project, so we tabled it. I picked this up again and fleshed out the rest of the plot. The problem was that I knew I couldn't (wouldn't?) complete it for the comp without some serious help. That's when I started asking for help -- Mr. Sherwin was first up. I sent Robb the entire script with limited room descriptions and practically non-existent object descriptions. The dialog was designed a bit better but it was still lacking. He responded with the Red and Orange rooms and I began plugging in the text. When I was coding the objects (the book, really) in the Green room I knew that the 'story' had nothing to do with the game. With Robb already contributing, I turned to J.D. Berry. "You mean the story can be anything?" With his question answered in the affirmitive, Jim spun this great short story which he called Spoiling the Broth. He also agreed to finish up the descriptions in the Green room. He then put on his beta-testing hat and was instrumental in polishing up some of my rough edges. As the end of summer neared, Robb had supplied text for the Yellow and Blue room and I was busy plugging in the text and writing the code. The Purple room was still in its virgin state and that's when I turned to Jon Ingold. I sent Jon this room description for the Purple room: --------------------------------------- Purple First time in Purple room. Your jaw drops. There are numerous levers, buttons and switches spread across the room. They all seem to be connected some how, with the end result a small purple stained glass case, attached to a chain that's attached to a bevy of pulleys and ropes and chains and on and on. --------------------------------------- When I first read Jon's room description, my jaw dropped. That's exactly what I had envisioned, but I knew that I could never produce that. It's an awesome room description. Note that I had to modify *some* of his text since the spelling of some words such as centre didn't fit in with the rest of the text found in the other colored rooms! As of September 13, the black room door (and beyond) didn't exist, except for a WIP script file that had a puzzle centered around a fire alarm/door. I never had a warm & fuzzy feeling with that ending, but knew I had to do something soon. That night I scripted the new ending and shot it off to Robb. I wanted the Black room to consist of 'reusing' objects encountered in the other puzzles, but I just couldn't put it all together. Hopefully, the version you played fits into the flow of the game. In case the game didn't make sense or you got to these notes other than by winning, here is the logic behind the colored rooms: RED: Called 'stealth' in the game, the goal is to leave the room exactly as you found it. ORANGE: Referred to as 'stealth' + 'lightsource' in the game, the goal is to leave the room exactly as you found it, but in doing so, you need to solve the dark room puzzle. YELLOW: Called 'NPC' + 'locked door' in the game, the goal is open a locked door with the help of an NPC. GREEN: It's a 'Puzzleless' puzzle. Er, yeah. BLUE: The traditional NPC. He needs something from you, you need something and information from him. PURPLE: Referenced as the 'Hidden Detail', this room pays homage to the tiny detail in a room/object description. Black: The end game room was designed to reuse items found in other puzzles. Sharon and her 'company' are trying to implement real life text adventures, old school style -- Andrew is regarded as a beta-tester. Each colored room is a type of puzzle found in a lot of the games in the archive. I hope that these notes shed some light on the Real Life Interactive Gaming Simulacra game known as The Recruit. I had fun writing it and collaborating with some terrific writers. Mike Sousa Sept 17, 2003. Options are: NOTES, AMUSING, RESTORE, RESTART, QUIT or UNDO: >amusing Amusing Things to Try o Never waving to Sharon o Trying to outsmart the game by taking the vase in the opening move o Answering YES or NO when the game responds with a question o Making Genie Play Dead o Genie can also sit lie, roll over, beg, speak, stay and stand o Swiping the Cooking with Pepper Ad in the slot o Eating, Looking Under, Smelling, Taking or Moving the chair in the Green room o Sitting in the chair for a while after you read the book o Searching the chair (warning, red herring) o Looking under the table in the Green room o Searching, Hugging, Kissing & Hitting Fred (different reaction based on gender) o Watching the 2002 XYZZY award show o Examing the wires in the Purple room o Looking in the stained glass case (before pressing the override button) o Waving to Sharon with the flowers Options are: NOTES, AMUSING, RESTORE, RESTART, QUIT or UNDO: >quit Thanks for playing!