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


Unbelievable.  This could very well be it.  The big score.

Every scavenger dreams of that one discovery that will grant riches beyond the
dreams of avarice.  Every scavenger envisions walking into the hidden chamber
of some pre-war military compound or corporate R&D facility and finding the
forgotten secrets of humanity's genius.  Of course, you can count the number of
times it's happened on one hand.  While everyone in your line of work wishes
for it, no one really expects it to happen.  That included you.

Until you found the scrap of paper, that is.


Scavenger
Night's Edge interactive fiction
By Quintin Stone
Version 1.0
Build Date:  Sep 26 2003
Type CREDITS or HELP for more information about this game.


Howe Street, Arcadia
The few street lights that still work on this run down section of road do
little to dispel the everpresent gloom of the city.  Even in the middle of the
day the sun is barely more than a faint glow in the thick clouds above.  The
street itself is ancient crumbling asphalt; they simply don't maintain the
roads this far from the city core.  This one heads north, back towards your
meager home, and south, out of the city.  A cross street leads east towards
CyTek Corporation's main compound, and a small merchant shop you know well sits
among derelict buildings to the west.

>i
You have a Geiger counter, a
flashlight, a survival pack (being worn), and a scrap of paper.

You are currently carrying $900.

>x paper
It was about four days west of Arcadia
that you came upon the ruins of a pre-war airbase.  The entire complex had been
nearly leveled, unfortunately.  No sign of radiation, though, so you went in
anyway.  There wasn't much to see, and by the looks of it, you guessed that
others had already stripped the place clean.  On your way out, though, this
scrap of paper caught your eye.  It was scorched in multiple places, but the
dry air managed to preserve it remarkably well for the past hundred or so
years.  Some of the original message is still readable.

>read it
The only pieces of the message that
you've been able to make out so far are:


...IEFS OF STAFF ...NERAL ARTH...NALDS ...ROJECT DISTANT PATH

DUE TO THE INCREASED INS...ITY FROM INSURGENT FORC...ITARY RESEARCH COM...ADO
SPRINGS, ALL PERSONN...RMATION RELATED TO PROJE...NT PATH ARE BEIN... 
COMPLETED HAVEN RESEAR...  UNDER THE HEA...ES FROM 83RD ARMORED INFANTRY
REASSI...  TO OVERSEE TRANSFER OF MATERIALS.  GPS C...  33-28-19.158N / 111-57-
49.524W.  LOCATION CLASSIFIE...  SECRET CLEARANCE AND BE AP...


You'd probably be able to get a little more with a highly detailed scan, but
you don't have the necessary equipment and you simply can't entrust this
information to anyone else.

>x pack
This is your trusty survival pack. 
You've been carrying it for years.  Sure, the leather is worn thin in a few
spots, and yeah, some of the seams have been re-sewn two or three times, but
you just can't bring yourself to replace it.  It's full of the travel rations
you expect to need on your journey.  The pack is currently closed.

>x counter
Your basic 22nd century Geiger counter,
this one from Rabisi Corporation.  This device counts radioactive particles as
they pass through its detector, determining the overall level of radioactivity
in an area.  No scavenger would last long out in the wastes without one of
these.  Like all modern Geiger counters, this one has a directional indicator
display, alerting you to nearby dangerous levels of radiation.  It's currently
off.

>turn it on
Okay, the Geiger counter is now
switched on.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>l
Howe Street, Arcadia
The few street lights that still work on this run down section of road do
little to dispel the everpresent gloom of the city.  Even in the middle of the
day the sun is barely more than a faint glow in the thick clouds above.  The
street itself is ancient crumbling asphalt; they simply don't maintain the
roads this far from the city core.  This one heads north, back towards your
meager home, and south, out of the city.  A cross street leads east towards
CyTek Corporation's main compound, and a small merchant shop you know well sits
among derelict buildings to the west.

>w
Charlie's Shop
It's not the selection that keeps bringing you back.  It's just the convenient
location.  Plus you and Charlie have known each other for a few years now so he
gives you a bit of a discount.  He can usually be counted on to have what you
need.  The store itself is fairly small, just a single room.  Charlie leans
against a glass countertop that doubles as a display case, flipping through one
of the Arcadia newspapers with a bored expression on his face.

The display case contains a hand grenade, a silenced pistol, a rifle, a GPS
unit, some radiation pills, and a laser gun.

Charlie nods in your direction.  "Welcome back."

>buy all
(from Charlie)
I don't see what you're referring to.

>buy gps
(from Charlie)
You hand over the cash to Charlie and he removes the GPS unit from the display
case.  "I'm sure you won't be disappointed."

[Your score has just gone up by 1 point.]

>buy pills
(from Charlie)
You hand over the cash to Charlie and he removes the radiation pills from the
display case.  "An excellent choice."

>buy gun
(from Charlie)
Which gun do you mean, the silenced pistol, or the rifle?

>rifle
You can't afford it.

>buy grenade
(from Charlie)
You can't afford it.

>buy laser
(from Charlie)
"Sorry," Charlie says.  "Someone already bought it."

>l
Charlie's Shop
It's not the selection that keeps bringing you back.  It's just the convenient
location.  Plus you and Charlie have known each other for a few years now so he
gives you a bit of a discount.  He can usually be counted on to have what you
need.  The store itself is fairly small, just a single room.  Charlie leans
against a glass countertop that doubles as a display case, flipping through one
of the Arcadia newspapers with a bored expression on his face.

The display case contains a hand grenade, a silenced pistol, a rifle, and a
laser gun.

>undo
(Undoing one command)

Charlie's Shop
It's not the selection that keeps bringing you back.  It's just the convenient
location.  Plus you and Charlie have known each other for a few years now so he
gives you a bit of a discount.  He can usually be counted on to have what you
need.  The store itself is fairly small, just a single room.  Charlie leans
against a glass countertop that doubles as a display case, flipping through one
of the Arcadia newspapers with a bored expression on his face.

The display case contains a hand grenade, a silenced pistol, a rifle, and a
laser gun.

>undo
(Undoing one command)

Charlie's Shop
It's not the selection that keeps bringing you back.  It's just the convenient
location.  Plus you and Charlie have known each other for a few years now so he
gives you a bit of a discount.  He can usually be counted on to have what you
need.  The store itself is fairly small, just a single room.  Charlie leans
against a glass countertop that doubles as a display case, flipping through one
of the Arcadia newspapers with a bored expression on his face.

The display case contains a hand grenade, a silenced pistol, a rifle, and a
laser gun.

>undo
(Undoing one command)

Charlie's Shop
It's not the selection that keeps bringing you back.  It's just the convenient
location.  Plus you and Charlie have known each other for a few years now so he
gives you a bit of a discount.  He can usually be counted on to have what you
need.  The store itself is fairly small, just a single room.  Charlie leans
against a glass countertop that doubles as a display case, flipping through one
of the Arcadia newspapers with a bored expression on his face.

The display case contains a hand grenade, a silenced pistol, a rifle, and a
laser gun.

>undo
(Undoing one command)

Charlie's Shop
It's not the selection that keeps bringing you back.  It's just the convenient
location.  Plus you and Charlie have known each other for a few years now so he
gives you a bit of a discount.  He can usually be counted on to have what you
need.  The store itself is fairly small, just a single room.  Charlie leans
against a glass countertop that doubles as a display case, flipping through one
of the Arcadia newspapers with a bored expression on his face.

The display case contains a hand grenade, a silenced pistol, a rifle, and a
laser gun.

>undo
(Undoing one command)

Charlie's Shop
It's not the selection that keeps bringing you back.  It's just the convenient
location.  Plus you and Charlie have known each other for a few years now so he
gives you a bit of a discount.  He can usually be counted on to have what you
need.  The store itself is fairly small, just a single room.  Charlie leans
against a glass countertop that doubles as a display case, flipping through one
of the Arcadia newspapers with a bored expression on his face.

The display case contains a hand grenade, a silenced pistol, a rifle, some
radiation pills, and a laser gun.

>buy rifle
(from Charlie)
You can't afford it.

>buy grenade
(from Charlie)
You hand over the cash to Charlie and he removes the hand grenade from the
display case.  "I'm sure you won't be disappointed."

>buy pills
(from Charlie)
You can't afford it.

>undo
(Undoing one command)

Charlie's Shop
It's not the selection that keeps bringing you back.  It's just the convenient
location.  Plus you and Charlie have known each other for a few years now so he
gives you a bit of a discount.  He can usually be counted on to have what you
need.  The store itself is fairly small, just a single room.  Charlie leans
against a glass countertop that doubles as a display case, flipping through one
of the Arcadia newspapers with a bored expression on his face.

The display case contains a silenced pistol, a rifle, some radiation pills, and
a laser gun.

>undo
(Undoing one command)

Charlie's Shop
It's not the selection that keeps bringing you back.  It's just the convenient
location.  Plus you and Charlie have known each other for a few years now so he
gives you a bit of a discount.  He can usually be counted on to have what you
need.  The store itself is fairly small, just a single room.  Charlie leans
against a glass countertop that doubles as a display case, flipping through one
of the Arcadia newspapers with a bored expression on his face.

The display case contains a hand grenade, a silenced pistol, a rifle, some
radiation pills, and a laser gun.

>buy rifle
(from Charlie)
You can't afford it.

>buy pistol
(from Charlie)
You hand over the cash to Charlie and he removes the silenced pistol from the
display case.  "I'm sure you won't be disappointed."

>undo
(Undoing one command)

Charlie's Shop
It's not the selection that keeps bringing you back.  It's just the convenient
location.  Plus you and Charlie have known each other for a few years now so he
gives you a bit of a discount.  He can usually be counted on to have what you
need.  The store itself is fairly small, just a single room.  Charlie leans
against a glass countertop that doubles as a display case, flipping through one
of the Arcadia newspapers with a bored expression on his face.

The display case contains a hand grenade, a silenced pistol, a rifle, some
radiation pills, and a laser gun.

>x pistol
From the markings on it, it's a SIG P239
semiautomatic handgun in 9mm.  It has a dark matte finish to it and a short
cylinder attached to the barrel that you recognize as a silencer.  Price is
listed as $300.

>x grenade
An M81 fragmentation grenade, according to
the white lettering on the side.  Must pack quite a punch.  It has a pin at the
top holding tight the "spoon", or safety lever.  When the pin is pulled and the
grenade dropped or thrown, the safety lever separates from the grenade and its
fuse is armed.  A price tag indicates $220.

>x pills
Anti-radiation pills.  A vital necessity
for any scavenger who's feeling bold enough to explore radiated areas.  This
packet of pills contains several doses, each of which will protect the user
from lethal radiation for about 20 minutes.  However, you know that the pills
work as a preventative measure:  not a cure.  There are 12 pills left.  The box
has a price tag of $200.

>x laser
The laser gun is a bulky-looking pistol
with a plastic housing of green and dark gray camouflage.  On top of the
cylindrical barrel is a thin holographic sight.  The side of the gun, next to a
stylized V, bears the text:  "Vortex Model 17".  There's a small tag attached
to the grip with the word "SOLD!"  written on it.

>x cash
Old and wrinkly.  Green and black ink on
pale paper.  Supposedly from before the war.

>i
You have a Geiger counter, a flashlight, a
survival pack (being worn), a scrap of paper, and a GPS unit.

You are currently carrying $400.

>x gps
This is a GPS unit:  a hand-held device
that uses the global positioning system from before the war.  It's accurate to
within several yards.  Very useful to scavengers such as yourself.  You lost
your last one in a card game.  Oops.

>x flashlight
Your standard SureFire pocket flashlight. 
About six inches long, with a rubberized, waterproof exterior.  You've had it
for a number of years and it's come in handy more than once.  It puts out a
bright beam that's nice and uniform.  Has a battery life of 60 continuous hours
of function.  It's currently off.

>talk to charlie
You and Charlie shoot the breeze for a
bit, debating the likely effects of the Arcadia Security Commissioner's recent
assassination.

>g
You and Charlie shoot the breeze for a
bit, discussing the rising number of kidnappings in the area.

>g
You and Charlie shoot the breeze for a
bit, debating the likely effects of the Arcadia Security Commissioner's recent
assassination.

>g
You and Charlie shoot the breeze for a
bit, debating the likely effects of the Arcadia Security Commissioner's recent
assassination.

>g
You and Charlie shoot the breeze for a
bit, discussing the rising number of kidnappings in the area.

>g
You and Charlie shoot the breeze for a
bit, debating the likely effects of the Arcadia Security Commissioner's recent
assassination.

>g
You and Charlie shoot the breeze for a
bit, discussing the rising number of kidnappings in the area.

>i
You have a Geiger counter, a flashlight, a
survival pack (being worn), a scrap of paper, and a GPS unit.

You are currently carrying $400.

>x gps
This is a GPS unit:  a hand-held device
that uses the global positioning system from before the war.  It's accurate to
within several yards.  Very useful to scavengers such as yourself.  You lost
your last one in a card game.  Oops.

>turn it on
You won't need to use it until you begin
your journey.

>save
Saved.

>l
Charlie's Shop
It's not the selection that keeps bringing you back.  It's just the convenient
location.  Plus you and Charlie have known each other for a few years now so he
gives you a bit of a discount.  He can usually be counted on to have what you
need.  The store itself is fairly small, just a single room.  Charlie leans
against a glass countertop that doubles as a display case, flipping through one
of the Arcadia newspapers with a bored expression on his face.

The display case contains a hand grenade, a silenced pistol, a rifle, some
radiation pills, and a laser gun.

>x grenade
An M81 fragmentation grenade, according to
the white lettering on the side.  Must pack quite a punch.  It has a pin at the
top holding tight the "spoon", or safety lever.  When the pin is pulled and the
grenade dropped or thrown, the safety lever separates from the grenade and its
fuse is armed.  A price tag indicates $220.

>x pistol
From the markings on it, it's a SIG P239
semiautomatic handgun in 9mm.  It has a dark matte finish to it and a short
cylinder attached to the barrel that you recognize as a silencer.  Price is
listed as $300.

>x pills
Anti-radiation pills.  A vital necessity
for any scavenger who's feeling bold enough to explore radiated areas.  This
packet of pills contains several doses, each of which will protect the user
from lethal radiation for about 20 minutes.  However, you know that the pills
work as a preventative measure:  not a cure.  There are 12 pills left.  The box
has a price tag of $200.

>x rifle
A Ruger Mini-14 semiautomatic rifle.  A
pretty handy little carbine, or so you've heard.  Your last rifle, lost on your
last trek around the Urktel mountains, wasn't nearly this nice.  This rifle has
a price tag on it for $1000.

>x newspapers
I don't know the word "newspapers".

>x newspaper
One of the city rags.  They're pretty much
all the same, only difference is which corp prints it.  Charlie's arm is
covering some of it, but most of it is visible if you want to read it.

>read it
You glance down at the paper Charlie's
reading.  "The Daily Events - Mar.  12, 2160" it says at the top.  This is the
Vortex Incorporated daily paper.  "Raiders Strike City Fringe" reads the main
headline.  Scanning down the page, you look at some of the other headlines: 
"Violent Criminal Ring Broken Up By Arcadian Security" "Unknown Assailants
Infiltrate CyTek Compound" "Cowardly Assassin Kills Security Commissioner" The
rest of the print is too small and too far away to read upside down.

>ask charlie for paper
Charlie mutters, "Buy something or don't. 
Just don't give me orders, okay?"

>ask charlie about paper
You haven't told anyone about the scrap of
paper yet, and you'd like to keep it that way.  For now.

>ask charlie about newspaper
You ask, "What's going on in the world?"

Charlie mutters, "Same shit, different day."

>ask him about pills
"Tell me about the radiation pills."

"I'm sure you're familiar with these by now.  Each dose will give you about
twenty minutes of protection from dangerous doses of radiation.  Cost:  $200."

>ask him about pistol
"What's this pistol?"

Charlie nods at you.  "A SIG P239.  Nice, huh?  Good and compact.  Holds eight
9mm rounds.  Pretty reliable too.  Nice thing about this one is that it comes
with not only a silencer, but a set of night sights too.  Gonna set you back
$300 if you want it."  He shrugs apologetically.  "It's fully loaded, but
that's all the ammo for it I've got."

>ask him about grenade
"Nice grenade?"

"Yeah, that's a doozy there.  M81 fragmentation grenade, complete with 150
grams of high explosives designed to hurl hundreds of tungsten ball bearings in
all directions.  If you throw one of these babies, you'd better be behind
something tough or in the next county.  Price is $220 if you want it."

>i
You have a Geiger counter, a flashlight, a
survival pack (being worn), a scrap of paper, and a GPS unit.

You are currently carrying $400.

>sell pack
(to Charlie)
Charlie shakes his head.  "I'm not buying any new merchandise until the end of
the month.  Sorry."

>buy pills
(from Charlie)
You hand over the cash to Charlie and he removes the radiation pills from the
display case.  "I'm sure you won't be disappointed."

>e
Howe Street, Arcadia
The few street lights that still work on this run down section of road do
little to dispel the everpresent gloom of the city.  Even in the middle of the
day the sun is barely more than a faint glow in the thick clouds above.  The
street itself is ancient crumbling asphalt; they simply don't maintain the
roads this far from the city core.  This one heads north, back towards your
meager home, and south, out of the city.  A cross street leads east towards
CyTek Corporation's main compound, and a small merchant shop you know well sits
among derelict buildings to the west.

>e
Maybe when you have something to offer
the corporation.  Until then, it's probably a good idea just to leave it be.

>s
South Gate
The high cement wall of Arcadia stretches as far as you can see to the east and
west.  Directly south of you, at the end of the street, lies the massive gate
that leads out of the city and into the wasteland.  This entrance stays guarded
at all times; the familiar shapes of armor-clad Enforcers are visible in the
lookout posts above and the squat bunkers on either side the street.  Howe
Street draws a dark path in the opposite direction, further into the city.

>e
Several large and well-armed men block your
entrance into the bunker.

>s


Shifting your pack, you approach the massive gate.  As the Enforcers swing open
the door, you take your last breath of city air for the foreseeable future and
head out on your way.

The journey takes you several days east of Arcadia, across the blasted plains
of the wasteland.  It likely would have been shorter except for the wide
detours around radioactive hot-spots exposed by your Geiger counter.  But
finally, with the help of your global positioning system, you arrive at the
coordinates specified on the scrap of paper.  It's about midnight when you
arrive at...



Clearing
Flashlight held out as a ward against the darkness, you step through a break in
the scrub and take a look around.  Browned vegetation encircles this patch of
flat dusty ground.  Scraggly brush and thickets wave slowly in the glow of your
flashlight.  The rustling of branches is the only sound you hear; the area
seems eerily devoid of any other noise, even crickets.  Though you can make
your way east and south, thorny brambles impede your movement in most other
directions.  Behind you, the break in the scrub leads west back towards
Arcadia.

>x gps
This is a GPS unit:  a hand-held device that uses the
global positioning system from before the war.  It's accurate to within several
yards.  Very useful to scavengers such as yourself.  You lost your last one in
a card game.  Oops.  The readout indicates that you're at the right
coordinates.

>x brush
Scraggly weeds, scrawny bushes, and unhealthy-looking
saplings.

>search brush
You find nothing of interest.

>d
The only breaks in vegetation lie to west, east, and
south.

>w
If you really want to head back empty-handed...

>s
Faded Path
This grassy walkway winds through the thick dry underbrush and trees, coming in
from the north and changing directions several times before straightening out
and continuing to the southeast.  This area too is eerily quiet, without even
the usual chirping of nocturnal insects.  Large bushes line the path,
struggling to survive in this harsh landscape.  To the southeast, you can make
out a bright, flickering light from what appears to be a campfire.

From the direction of the campfire, you hear a man's gruff voice shout out,
"Who's out there?  I can see your light.  I'll start shooting if you don't
answer me!"

>talk to man
You shout out to the distant man...  and are
greeted with a hail of gunfire!  Bullets slam into the ground and trees around
you, narrowly missing your fragile self.  Whoever's out there doesn't appear
too friendly.

Another series of gunshots erupts from the southeast.  Bullets whiz by you,
throwing up showers of dirt and chips of bark.

>n
Clearing
Browned vegetation encircles this patch of flat dusty ground.  Scraggly brush
and thickets wave slowly in the glow of your flashlight.  The rustling of
branches is the only sound you hear; the area seems eerily devoid of any other
noise, even crickets.  Though you can make your way east and south, thorny
brambles impede your movement in most other directions.  An opening to the west
leads back towards Arcadia.

>turn off light
Okay, the flashlight is now switched off.  It's now
pitch black.

A bobbing light appears further down the southern path.  You can hear faint
sounds of movement.

>hide
It's too dark to see.

>z
Time passes...

The light down the southern path waves and dances about.

>z
Time passes...

The bobbing light to the south dims and finally disappears.

>s
You stumble around in the dark, and don't get
anywhere.

>turn on light
Okay, it's now turned on.

Clearing
Flashlight held out as a ward against the darkness, you step through a break in
the scrub and take a look around.  Browned vegetation encircles this patch of
flat dusty ground.  Scraggly brush and thickets wave slowly in the glow of your
flashlight.  The rustling of branches is the only sound you hear; the area
seems eerily devoid of any other noise, even crickets.  Though you can make
your way east and south, thorny brambles impede your movement in most other
directions.  Behind you, the break in the scrub leads west back towards
Arcadia.

>s
Faded Path
This grassy walkway winds through the thick dry underbrush and trees, coming in
from the north and changing directions several times before straightening out
and continuing to the southeast.  This area too is eerily quiet, without even
the usual chirping of nocturnal insects.  Large bushes line the path,
struggling to survive in this harsh landscape.  To the southeast, you can make
out a bright, flickering light from what appears to be a campfire.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

From the direction of the campfire, you hear a man's gruff voice shout out, "I
said who's out there?!"

>turn off light
Okay, the flashlight is now switched off.  It's
now quite dark, except for a bright, flickering light to the southeast.

Another series of gunshots erupts from the southeast.  Bullets whiz by you,
throwing up showers of dirt and chips of bark.

>se
Base Entrance
At first glance, this might look like a normal clearing in the brush.  Tall
grass fills in the open space between the taller vegetation, broken only by a
path leading northwest.  However, the wide concrete-lined chasm leading down
into the ground is a clear indication that this clearing was, at least
initially, the result of human labor.  The opening is square, with a series of
cement steps leading down to the south, ending at a metal-framed doorway.  The
concrete surface extends for several feet around the entryway in a wide
rectangle.  On the edge of this short plateau, directly in front of the stairs,
is a small campfire and, beside it, a bedroll.

On the ground you can see a lantern.

A dingy guard scans the area attentively.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

"Shit!"  the guard shouts as he sees you in the light of the campfire, bringing
up his automatic rifle and firing in your direction.  The bullets tear through
you and you're dead before you hit the ground.

   **** You have died ****

In a total of 63 turns, you have achieved a score of 1 point out of a possible
70, giving you a rank of Hobo.

You may restore a saved game, start over, quit, itemize your points, or undo
the current command.
Please enter RESTORE, RESTART, QUIT, FULL, or UNDO:  >undo
(Undoing one command)

It's too dark to see.  To the southeast, you can make out a bright, flickering
light from what appears to be a campfire.

>z
Time passes...

You hear footsteps approaching from the southeast!

>z
Time passes...

A scruffy-looking man enters the area, searching the area with an electric
lantern and a large rifle.

"Shit!"  the guard shouts as he sees you in the light of his lantern, bringing
up his automatic rifle and firing in your direction.  The bullets tear through
you and you're dead before you hit the ground.

   **** You have died ****

In a total of 64 turns, you have achieved a score of 1 point out of a possible
70, giving you a rank of Hobo.

You may restore a saved game, start over, quit, itemize your points, or undo
the current command.
Please enter RESTORE, RESTART, QUIT, FULL, or UNDO:  >undo
(Undoing one command)

It's too dark to see.  To the southeast, you can make out a bright, flickering
light from what appears to be a campfire.

>n
You stumble around in the dark, and don't get
anywhere.

A scruffy-looking man enters the area, searching the area with an electric
lantern and a large rifle.

"Shit!"  the guard shouts as he sees you in the light of his lantern, bringing
up his automatic rifle and firing in your direction.  The bullets tear through
you and you're dead before you hit the ground.

   **** You have died ****

In a total of 64 turns, you have achieved a score of 1 point out of a possible
70, giving you a rank of Hobo.

You may restore a saved game, start over, quit, itemize your points, or undo
the current command.
Please enter RESTORE, RESTART, QUIT, FULL, or UNDO:  >undo
(Undoing one command)

It's too dark to see.  To the southeast, you can make out a bright, flickering
light from what appears to be a campfire.

>undo
(Undoing one command)

It's too dark to see.  To the southeast, you can make out a bright, flickering
light from what appears to be a campfire.

>undo
(Undoing one command)

Faded Path
This grassy walkway winds through the thick dry underbrush and trees, coming in
from the north and changing directions several times before straightening out
and continuing to the southeast.  This area too is eerily quiet, without even
the usual chirping of nocturnal insects.  Large bushes line the path,
struggling to survive in this harsh landscape.  To the southeast, you can make
out a bright, flickering light from what appears to be a campfire.

>e
This path only heads to the north and southeast.

Another series of gunshots erupts from the southeast.  Bullets whiz by you,
throwing up showers of dirt and chips of bark.

>n
Clearing
Flashlight held out as a ward against the darkness, you step through a break in
the scrub and take a look around.  Browned vegetation encircles this patch of
flat dusty ground.  Scraggly brush and thickets wave slowly in the glow of your
flashlight.  The rustling of branches is the only sound you hear; the area
seems eerily devoid of any other noise, even crickets.  Though you can make
your way east and south, thorny brambles impede your movement in most other
directions.  Behind you, the break in the scrub leads west back towards
Arcadia.

A brief burst of noise comes from your Geiger counter but it quickly falls
silent again.

>e
Edge of Village
You're standing on the west edge of a small village made up of decaying wooden
buildings.  Most are little more than one room shacks.  Every window is dark
and no noise reaches your straining ears.  The crooked structures to the south
don't look particularly inviting, but no less than the gaping hole in the wall
of a large building to your north.  The clearing where you first arrived lies
to the west.

>n
Crumbling Building
You find yourself inside one of the largest structures in this quiet village. 
It may have been some kind of town hall or meeting area, as it consists of a
single large room.  Huge gaping holes not only in the floor, ceiling, and south
wall indicate the quality of workmanship.  Time and the elements will
eventually bring the entire building down.  It appears to have been cleared of
everything except for rotting furniture and various other pieces of debris.  A
single crooked doorway leads east.

>e
North End of Village
The main north-south road of this gloomy hamlet ends here at a tangle of
underbrush to the north.  The tiny houses here look downright eerie in the
cascading glow of your flashlight.  To your west is the largest structure of
the village, a wide one-story lodge that looks to be collapsing under its own
weight.

Lying in the middle of the road are a pair of human skeletons, their bones
scattered across the ground.  The ground around them appears nearly black in
your electric light.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>x bones
There are strips of sinew and flesh
hanging from some of the bones.  One of the skeletons is visibly larger in
stature than the other, and the larger body has a near perfect hole in the
front of its skull.  A closer look at the bones reveals that most are covered
with gouges and scratches that look suspiciously like bite marks.  Several of
the bones have been dragged away from the main cluster.  As you move your
flashlight among the carnage, something glints in the illumination.

>[ewww.]


>search bones
You search among the bones and discover a
simple necklace, which you take.

>x necklace
Turns out it's nothing more than a quartz
crystal hanging from a leather cord.  It sparkles nicely, but you wouldn't get
more than a couple bucks for it at the Arcadia market.

>wear it
Okay, you're now wearing the necklace.

>l
North End of Village
The main north-south road of this gloomy hamlet ends here at a tangle of
underbrush to the north.  The tiny houses here look downright eerie in the
cascading glow of your flashlight.  To your west is the largest structure of
the village, a wide one-story lodge that looks to be collapsing under its own
weight.

Lying in the middle of the road are a pair of human skeletons, their bones
scattered across the ground.  The ground around them appears nearly black in
your electric light.

>x houses
The buildings are fairly crude structures,
even by the standards of an Arcadian slum.  Built from irregular wooden planks,
most of them lean precariously in their foundations.  As near as you can
figure, this tiny community sprang up sometime after the war and simply made do
with whatever materials they could find.

>e
You peek your head inside one of the
buildings and find nothing but ghosts.

>[hi, ghost!]


>n
Your path is blocked by the underbrush.

>x brush
I don't see any brush here.

>x underbrush
The thick underbrush impedes all movement
to the north.

>s
Center of Village
The heart of this deserted village holds no more sign of human life than its
border.  Your flashlight spills over irregular buildings of poor craftsmanship
and even poorer materials.  A collection of shanties lies to your south, and to
your east is a single shack with a closed door.  The road from the west curves
north here, leading to the rest of the village.  While the town looks deserted,
there is sign of recent activity here.  Tracks of some kind break up the
relatively smooth surface of the road.

A sound from the east causes you to spin about and aim your flashlight in that
direction.  From between two of the buildings, a pair of emaciated coyotes
slink into the street, their eyes glowing in the beam of your light.  They
immediately turn their attention towards you.

>x coyotes
A pair of mangy, scraggly coyotes.  Their
coats are filthy, matted together, and beneath you can clearly see the outlines
of their bones.  They glare at you with a disturbing mix of hunger and hatred.

You hear a deep growling coming from the coyotes as they slowly make their way
towards you.

>yell at coyote
I don't recognize that sentence.

>w
Edge of Village
You're standing on the west edge of a small village made up of decaying wooden
buildings.  Most are little more than one room shacks.  Every window is dark
and no noise reaches your straining ears.  The crooked structures to the south
don't look particularly inviting, but no less than the gaping hole in the wall
of a large building to your north.  The clearing where you first arrived lies
to the west.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>e
Center of Village
The heart of this deserted village holds no more sign of human life than its
border.  Your flashlight spills over irregular buildings of poor craftsmanship
and even poorer materials.  A collection of shanties lies to your south, and to
your east is a single shack with a closed door.  The road from the west curves
north here, leading to the rest of the village.  While the town looks deserted,
there is sign of recent activity here.  Tracks of some kind break up the
relatively smooth surface of the road.

There is a pair of coyotes here, eyeing you hungrily.

>e
The snarling coyotes block your way.

A brief burst of noise comes from your Geiger counter but it quickly falls
silent again.

You hear a deep growling coming from the coyotes as they slowly make their way
towards you.

>s
You peek your head inside one of the
buildings and find nothing but ghosts.

The coyotes continue to advance, and you see flakes of foam falling from their
rancid mouths.

>w
Edge of Village
You're standing on the west edge of a small village made up of decaying wooden
buildings.  Most are little more than one room shacks.  Every window is dark
and no noise reaches your straining ears.  The crooked structures to the south
don't look particularly inviting, but no less than the gaping hole in the wall
of a large building to your north.  The clearing where you first arrived lies
to the west.

>z
Time passes...

>z
Time passes...

>l
Edge of Village
You're standing on the west edge of a small village made up of decaying wooden
buildings.  Most are little more than one room shacks.  Every window is dark
and no noise reaches your straining ears.  The crooked structures to the south
don't look particularly inviting, but no less than the gaping hole in the wall
of a large building to your north.  The clearing where you first arrived lies
to the west.

>e
Center of Village
The heart of this deserted village holds no more sign of human life than its
border.  Your flashlight spills over irregular buildings of poor craftsmanship
and even poorer materials.  A collection of shanties lies to your south, and to
your east is a single shack with a closed door.  The road from the west curves
north here, leading to the rest of the village.  While the town looks deserted,
there is sign of recent activity here.  Tracks of some kind break up the
relatively smooth surface of the road.

There is a pair of coyotes here, eyeing you hungrily.

A brief burst of noise comes from your Geiger counter but it quickly falls
silent again.

>n
North End of Village
The main north-south road of this gloomy hamlet ends here at a tangle of
underbrush to the north.  The tiny houses here look downright eerie in the
cascading glow of your flashlight.  To your west is the largest structure of
the village, a wide one-story lodge that looks to be collapsing under its own
weight.

Lying in the middle of the road are a pair of human skeletons, their bones
scattered across the ground.  The ground around them appears nearly black in
your electric light.

>x ground
It lies beneath you.

>w
Crumbling Building
You find yourself inside one of the largest structures in this quiet village. 
It may have been some kind of town hall or meeting area, as it consists of a
single large room.  Huge gaping holes not only in the floor, ceiling, and south
wall indicate the quality of workmanship.  Time and the elements will
eventually bring the entire building down.  It appears to have been cleared of
everything except for rotting furniture and various other pieces of debris.  A
single crooked doorway leads east.

>x furniture
Bits of chairs, tables, benches.  Nothing
useful.

>search it
You rummage through rotting cushions and
peer underneath furniture.  Nothing is revealed.

>x debris
Bits of chairs, tables, benches.  Nothing
useful.

>search it
You rummage through rotting cushions and
peer underneath furniture.  Nothing is revealed.

>l
Crumbling Building
You find yourself inside one of the largest structures in this quiet village. 
It may have been some kind of town hall or meeting area, as it consists of a
single large room.  Huge gaping holes not only in the floor, ceiling, and south
wall indicate the quality of workmanship.  Time and the elements will
eventually bring the entire building down.  It appears to have been cleared of
everything except for rotting furniture and various other pieces of debris.  A
single crooked doorway leads east.

>x holes
One of the larger holes would permit
travel to the south.  There's also a gaping hole in the floor, revealing a
basement.  You see no stairs or ladder, but you should be able to lower
yourself down without too much trouble.  Getting yourself out might be a whole
other issue.

>d
You carefully lower yourself down into the
basement.

Collapsed Basement
This wouldn't be your first choice for a final resting place.  But not everyone
can make that call.  Among the split and crumbling timbers that litter the
floor of this basement lie perhaps a dozen dead bodies.  It's hard to tell for
certain because the corpses are stacked in a large pile in a corner of the
room, the body parts jumbled together like a macabre jigsaw puzzle.  The scent
of decay is nearly overwhelming.  The splinters of wood scattered across the
ground only enhance the aura of past violence.  Only a single chair seems to
have survived the mayhem.

A discarded rag doll lies among the carnage.

>x doll
A moth-eaten rag doll with only the
slightest resemblance to a human shape.

>get it
Taken.

>x it
A moth-eaten rag doll with only the
slightest resemblance to a human shape.

>x chair
A rickety wooden chair.  One leg is
plainly shorter than the others.

>get it
The chair is too heavy to be carrying
around.

>x bodies
Six, maybe seven or eight bodies in there.
It's hard to tell with them all jumbled up like that.  You feel the bile rising
in your throat and turn your head away quickly.

>search bodies
Gingerly, you sift through the rotting
bodies but come up empty handed.

>l
Collapsed Basement
This wouldn't be your first choice for a final resting place.  But not everyone
can make that call.  Among the split and crumbling timbers that litter the
floor of this basement lie perhaps a dozen dead bodies.  It's hard to tell for
certain because the corpses are stacked in a large pile in a corner of the
room, the body parts jumbled together like a macabre jigsaw puzzle.  The scent
of decay is nearly overwhelming.  The splinters of wood scattered across the
ground only enhance the aura of past violence.  Only a single chair seems to
have survived the mayhem.

>x timbers
The split pieces of wood are scattered
over the entire floor, concealing most of the room.  The destruction is so
complete that you can't even hazard a guess as to what they originally belonged
to.  Some of the debris must have come from the ceiling above, but not all of
it.  You think you notice a glint of metal within the splinters of wood.

>x glint
You root around the splintered wood and
discover that the glint of metal is a screwdriver, which you take.

>x screwdriver
Much of the metal on the screwdriver
shaft is pitted and rusted.  The handle, what there is of it, is wrapped in a
ragged black tape.

>search timbers
There's nothing in the debris.

>l
Collapsed Basement
This wouldn't be your first choice for a final resting place.  But not everyone
can make that call.  Among the split and crumbling timbers that litter the
floor of this basement lie perhaps a dozen dead bodies.  It's hard to tell for
certain because the corpses are stacked in a large pile in a corner of the
room, the body parts jumbled together like a macabre jigsaw puzzle.  The scent
of decay is nearly overwhelming.  The splinters of wood scattered across the
ground only enhance the aura of past violence.  Only a single chair seems to
have survived the mayhem.

>open doll
I don't know how to open the rag doll.

>search doll
You find nothing of interest.

>u
You can't quite reach the next floor.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>stand on chair
Okay, you're now standing on the chair. 
It wobbles slightly under your weight.

>u
You manage to grab one of the
timbers above and pull yourself out of the basement.

Crumbling Building
You find yourself inside one of the largest structures in this quiet village. 
It may have been some kind of town hall or meeting area, as it consists of a
single large room.  Huge gaping holes not only in the floor, ceiling, and south
wall indicate the quality of workmanship.  Time and the elements will
eventually bring the entire building down.  It appears to have been cleared of
everything except for rotting furniture and various other pieces of debris.  A
single crooked doorway leads east.

A brief burst of noise comes from your Geiger counter but it quickly falls
silent again.

>e
North End of Village
The main north-south road of this gloomy hamlet ends here at a tangle of
underbrush to the north.  The tiny houses here look downright eerie in the
cascading glow of your flashlight.  To your west is the largest structure of
the village, a wide one-story lodge that looks to be collapsing under its own
weight.

Lying in the middle of the road are a pair of human skeletons, their bones
scattered across the ground.  The ground around them appears nearly black in
your electric light.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

>n
Your path is blocked by the underbrush.

>s
Center of Village
The heart of this deserted village holds no more sign of human life than its
border.  Your flashlight spills over irregular buildings of poor craftsmanship
and even poorer materials.  A collection of shanties lies to your south, and to
your east is a single shack with a closed door.  The road from the west curves
north here, leading to the rest of the village.  While the town looks deserted,
there is sign of recent activity here.  Tracks of some kind break up the
relatively smooth surface of the road.

There is a pair of coyotes here, eyeing you hungrily.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>s
You peek your head inside one of the
buildings and find nothing but ghosts.

You hear a deep growling coming from the coyotes as they slowly make their way
towards you.

>throw screwdriver at coyote
The screwdriver bounces off of the
coyotes and falls to the ground.

The coyotes continue to advance, and you see flakes of foam falling from their
rancid mouths.

>undo
(Undoing one command)

Center of Village
The heart of this deserted village holds no more sign of human life than its
border.  Your flashlight spills over irregular buildings of poor craftsmanship
and even poorer materials.  A collection of shanties lies to your south, and to
your east is a single shack with a closed door.  The road from the west curves
north here, leading to the rest of the village.  While the town looks deserted,
there is sign of recent activity here.  Tracks of some kind break up the
relatively smooth surface of the road.

There is a pair of coyotes here, eyeing you hungrily.

>s
You peek your head inside one of the
buildings and find nothing but ghosts.

The coyotes continue to advance, and you see flakes of foam falling from their
rancid mouths.

>e
The snarling coyotes block your way.

The coyotes are almost on top of you!

>w
Edge of Village
You're standing on the west edge of a small village made up of decaying wooden
buildings.  Most are little more than one room shacks.  Every window is dark
and no noise reaches your straining ears.  The crooked structures to the south
don't look particularly inviting, but no less than the gaping hole in the wall
of a large building to your north.  The clearing where you first arrived lies
to the west.

>s
You peek your head inside one of the
buildings and find nothing but ghosts.

>w
Clearing
Browned vegetation encircles this patch of flat dusty ground.  Scraggly brush
and thickets wave slowly in the glow of your flashlight.  The rustling of
branches is the only sound you hear; the area seems eerily devoid of any other
noise, even crickets.  Though you can make your way east and south, thorny
brambles impede your movement in most other directions.  An opening to the west
leads back towards Arcadia.

A brief burst of noise comes from your Geiger counter but it quickly falls
silent again.

>s
Faded Path
This grassy walkway winds through the thick dry underbrush and trees, coming in
from the north and changing directions several times before straightening out
and continuing to the southeast.  This area too is eerily quiet, without even
the usual chirping of nocturnal insects.  Large bushes line the path,
struggling to survive in this harsh landscape.  To the southeast, you can make
out a bright, flickering light from what appears to be a campfire.

From the direction of the campfire, you hear a man's gruff voice shout out,
"Don't make me come out there again!"

>z
Time passes...

Another series of gunshots erupts from the southeast.  Bullets whiz by you,
throwing up showers of dirt and chips of bark.

>z
Time passes...

You hear footsteps approaching from the southeast!

>n
Clearing
Browned vegetation encircles this patch of flat dusty ground.  Scraggly brush
and thickets wave slowly in the glow of your flashlight.  The rustling of
branches is the only sound you hear; the area seems eerily devoid of any other
noise, even crickets.  Though you can make your way east and south, thorny
brambles impede your movement in most other directions.  An opening to the west
leads back towards Arcadia.

A brief burst of noise comes from your Geiger counter but it quickly falls
silent again.

A bobbing light appears further down the southern path.  You can hear faint
sounds of movement.

>z
Time passes...

The light down the southern path waves and dances about.

>z
Time passes...

The bobbing light to the south dims and finally disappears.

>s
Faded Path
This grassy walkway winds through the thick dry underbrush and trees, coming in
from the north and changing directions several times before straightening out
and continuing to the southeast.  This area too is eerily quiet, without even
the usual chirping of nocturnal insects.  Large bushes line the path,
struggling to survive in this harsh landscape.  To the southeast, you can make
out a bright, flickering light from what appears to be a campfire.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

From the direction of the campfire, you hear a man's gruff voice shout out,
"Don't make me come out there again!"

>n
Clearing
Browned vegetation encircles this patch of flat dusty ground.  Scraggly brush
and thickets wave slowly in the glow of your flashlight.  The rustling of
branches is the only sound you hear; the area seems eerily devoid of any other
noise, even crickets.  Though you can make your way east and south, thorny
brambles impede your movement in most other directions.  An opening to the west
leads back towards Arcadia.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

You hear a series of gunshots ring out far to the south.

>e
Edge of Village
You're standing on the west edge of a small village made up of decaying wooden
buildings.  Most are little more than one room shacks.  Every window is dark
and no noise reaches your straining ears.  The crooked structures to the south
don't look particularly inviting, but no less than the gaping hole in the wall
of a large building to your north.  The clearing where you first arrived lies
to the west.

>hint
In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) How do I get past the coyotes?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  1


"Some basic hints"

   hint #1:  It is possible to get all 70 points.

(6 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #2:  It is not necessary to get all 70 points to win.

(5 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #3:  It is possible to win no matter which of the extra items you
purchase in the shop.

(4 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #4:  There are multiple ways to get past many of the obstacles you
encounter.

(3 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #5:  Look inside, behind, and under things.

(2 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #6:  Be sure to examine "scenery" items listed in room descriptions, as
some may be needed to reach your end goal.

(1 hint remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #7:  There are multiple endings.

(No hints remaining.  Hit any key to return to the hint menu)


In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) How do I get past the coyotes?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  q


>i
You have a Geiger counter, a survival pack
(being worn), a scrap of paper, a GPS unit, some radiation pills, a flashlight
(providing light), a necklace (being worn), a rag doll, and a screwdriver.

You are currently carrying $200.

>credits


Scavenger
Night's Edge interactive fiction
Written and programmed by Quintin Stone
Visit the Scavenger home page at http://www.rps.net/NE/Scavenger
Runs on TADS 2.5 by Michael J.  Roberts
Includes:
   Help text by Michael J.  Roberts
   Extend library by Neil deMause (neild@echonyc.com)
   Menu system by Daniel Shiovitz
   Sack item library by Kevin Forchione

Alpha testing by LouZiffer and Bad Mojo.  Thanks, guys.

Beta testing by Greg Pallis, Stark Springs, (the infamous tester) Ricardo
Signes, Frank Otto, Daphne Brinkerhoff, Mike Sousa, Jessica Knoch, Peter
Berman, and Guilherme De Sousa.  Many thanks!

Special thanks for Bad Mojo for co-creating the Night's Edge world.

>l
Edge of Village
You're standing on the west edge of a small village made up of decaying wooden
buildings.  Most are little more than one room shacks.  Every window is dark
and no noise reaches your straining ears.  The crooked structures to the south
don't look particularly inviting, but no less than the gaping hole in the wall
of a large building to your north.  The clearing where you first arrived lies
to the west.

>x window
I don't see any window here.

>x windows
I don't know the word "windows".

>x shacks
The buildings are fairly crude structures,
even by the standards of an Arcadian slum.  Built from irregular wooden planks,
most of them lean precariously in their foundations.  As near as you can
figure, this tiny community sprang up sometime after the war and simply made do
with whatever materials they could find.

>w
Clearing
Browned vegetation encircles this patch of flat dusty ground.  Scraggly brush
and thickets wave slowly in the glow of your flashlight.  The rustling of
branches is the only sound you hear; the area seems eerily devoid of any other
noise, even crickets.  Though you can make your way east and south, thorny
brambles impede your movement in most other directions.  An opening to the west
leads back towards Arcadia.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

The bobbing light to the south dims and finally disappears.

>s
Faded Path
This grassy walkway winds through the thick dry underbrush and trees, coming in
from the north and changing directions several times before straightening out
and continuing to the southeast.  This area too is eerily quiet, without even
the usual chirping of nocturnal insects.  Large bushes line the path,
struggling to survive in this harsh landscape.  To the southeast, you can make
out a bright, flickering light from what appears to be a campfire.

From the direction of the campfire, you hear a man's gruff voice shout out,
"Don't make me come out there again!"

>hide
(behind the bush)
You crouch down and hide behind the bush.

A brief burst of noise comes from your Geiger counter but it quickly falls
silent again.

Another series of gunshots erupts from the southeast.  Bullets whiz by you,
throwing up showers of dirt and chips of bark.

>turn off light
Okay, the flashlight is now
switched off.  It's now quite dark, except for a bright, flickering light to
the southeast.

You hear footsteps approaching from the southeast!

>z
Time passes...

A scruffy-looking man enters the area, searching the area with an electric
lantern and a large rifle.

>x man
The illumination from his lantern
shows an unshaved man of about average height.  He appears to be wearing a pair
of raggedy jeans, boots, and a patchwork coat of alternating colors.  You think
you recognize them as raider markings.  His left hand helps support the large
rifle he carries while also holding onto the handle of his electric lamp.

The guard shakes his head.  "I must be seeing things."

>get up
Okay, you're no longer behind the
bush.

"Shit!"  the guard shouts as he sees you in the light of his lantern, bringing
up his automatic rifle and firing in your direction.  The bullets tear through
you and you're dead before you hit the ground.

   **** You have died ****

In a total of 136 turns, you have achieved a score of 1 point out of a possible
70, giving you a rank of Hobo.

You may restore a saved game, start over, quit, itemize your points, or undo
the current command.
Please enter RESTORE, RESTART, QUIT, FULL, or UNDO:  >undo
(Undoing one command)

Faded Path, behind the bush
This grassy walkway winds through the thick dry underbrush and trees, coming in
from the north and changing directions several times before straightening out
and continuing to the southeast.  This area too is eerily quiet, without even
the usual chirping of nocturnal insects.  Large bushes line the path,
struggling to survive in this harsh landscape.  To the southeast, you can make
out a bright, flickering light from what appears to be a campfire.

A dingy guard scans the area attentively.

>se
You dash out from behind the
bush, sprinting down the path.  "Ah ha!"  shouts the guard from behind you. 
You may be fast, but his bullets are much faster.

   **** You have died ****

In a total of 136 turns, you have achieved a score of 1 point out of a possible
70, giving you a rank of Hobo.

You may restore a saved game, start over, quit, itemize your points, or undo
the current command.
Please enter RESTORE, RESTART, QUIT, FULL, or UNDO:  >undo
(Undoing one command)

Faded Path, behind the bush
This grassy walkway winds through the thick dry underbrush and trees, coming in
from the north and changing directions several times before straightening out
and continuing to the southeast.  This area too is eerily quiet, without even
the usual chirping of nocturnal insects.  Large bushes line the path,
struggling to survive in this harsh landscape.  To the southeast, you can make
out a bright, flickering light from what appears to be a campfire.

A dingy guard scans the area attentively.

>x man
The illumination from his lantern
shows an unshaved man of about average height.  He appears to be wearing a pair
of raggedy jeans, boots, and a patchwork coat of alternating colors.  You think
you recognize them as raider markings.  His left hand helps support the large
rifle he carries while also holding onto the handle of his electric lamp.

The man leaves to the southeast, muttering under his breath.

>undo
(Undoing one command)

Faded Path, behind the bush
This grassy walkway winds through the thick dry underbrush and trees, coming in
from the north and changing directions several times before straightening out
and continuing to the southeast.  This area too is eerily quiet, without even
the usual chirping of nocturnal insects.  Large bushes line the path,
struggling to survive in this harsh landscape.  To the southeast, you can make
out a bright, flickering light from what appears to be a campfire.

A dingy guard scans the area attentively.

>talk to man
Hearing you, the guard spins in
your direction and fires a burst into the bush with his rifle.  You have only
seconds to regret your action before your life comes to an end.

   **** You have died ****

In a total of 136 turns, you have achieved a score of 1 point out of a possible
70, giving you a rank of Hobo.

You may restore a saved game, start over, quit, itemize your points, or undo
the current command.
Please enter RESTORE, RESTART, QUIT, FULL, or UNDO:  >undo
(Undoing one command)

Faded Path, behind the bush
This grassy walkway winds through the thick dry underbrush and trees, coming in
from the north and changing directions several times before straightening out
and continuing to the southeast.  This area too is eerily quiet, without even
the usual chirping of nocturnal insects.  Large bushes line the path,
struggling to survive in this harsh landscape.  To the southeast, you can make
out a bright, flickering light from what appears to be a campfire.

A dingy guard scans the area attentively.

>hint
In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) How do I get past the coyotes?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  3


"How can I get past the guard outside?"

   hint #1:  If you only had a weapon.

(3 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #2:  The element of surprise might be helpful.

(2 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #3:  Alternatively, you might want to consider finding another way in.

(1 hint remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #4:  Search around inside the battered shack if you didn't buy the
pistol.

(No hints remaining.  Hit any key to return to the hint menu)


In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) How do I get past the coyotes?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  2


"How do I get past the coyotes?"

   hint #1:  If you had a weapon, you could try that.

(5 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) How do I get past the coyotes?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  2


"How do I get past the coyotes?"

   hint #1:  If you had a weapon, you could try that.

(5 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #2:  Otherwise, try to figure out why they attack you.

(4 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #3:  They sure do look hungry.

(3 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) How do I get past the coyotes?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  q


>z
Time passes...

The man leaves to the southeast, muttering under his breath.

>n
You stumble around in the dark,
and don't get anywhere.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

>turn on light
Okay, it's now turned on.

Faded Path, behind the bush
This grassy walkway winds through the thick dry underbrush and trees, coming in
from the north and changing directions several times before straightening out
and continuing to the southeast.  This area too is eerily quiet, without even
the usual chirping of nocturnal insects.  Large bushes line the path,
struggling to survive in this harsh landscape.  To the southeast, you can make
out a bright, flickering light from what appears to be a campfire.

From the direction of the campfire, you hear a man's gruff voice shout out,
"Don't make me come out there again!"

>n
Clearing
Browned vegetation encircles this patch of flat dusty ground.  Scraggly brush
and thickets wave slowly in the glow of your flashlight.  The rustling of
branches is the only sound you hear; the area seems eerily devoid of any other
noise, even crickets.  Though you can make your way east and south, thorny
brambles impede your movement in most other directions.  An opening to the west
leads back towards Arcadia.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

You hear a series of gunshots ring out far to the south.

>e
Edge of Village
You're standing on the west edge of a small village made up of decaying wooden
buildings.  Most are little more than one room shacks.  Every window is dark
and no noise reaches your straining ears.  The crooked structures to the south
don't look particularly inviting, but no less than the gaping hole in the wall
of a large building to your north.  The clearing where you first arrived lies
to the west.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

>e
Center of Village
The heart of this deserted village holds no more sign of human life than its
border.  Your flashlight spills over irregular buildings of poor craftsmanship
and even poorer materials.  A collection of shanties lies to your south, and to
your east is a single shack with a closed door.  The road from the west curves
north here, leading to the rest of the village.  While the town looks deserted,
there is sign of recent activity here.  Tracks of some kind break up the
relatively smooth surface of the road.

There is a pair of coyotes here, eyeing you hungrily.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>give pill to coyote
The coyotes seem a lot more interested in
you.

You hear a deep growling coming from the coyotes as they slowly make their way
towards you.

>i
You have a Geiger counter, a survival
pack (being worn), a scrap of paper, a GPS unit, some radiation pills, a
flashlight (providing light), a necklace (being worn), a rag doll, and a
screwdriver.

You are currently carrying $200.

The coyotes continue to advance, and you see flakes of foam falling from their
rancid mouths.

>n
North End of Village
The main north-south road of this gloomy hamlet ends here at a tangle of
underbrush to the north.  The tiny houses here look downright eerie in the
cascading glow of your flashlight.  To your west is the largest structure of
the village, a wide one-story lodge that looks to be collapsing under its own
weight.

Lying in the middle of the road are a pair of human skeletons, their bones
scattered across the ground.  The ground around them appears nearly black in
your electric light.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>get bone
Even if you did want to disturb these
poor people's remains, there's no way you could juggle all those bones.

>get a bone
Even if you did want to disturb these
poor people's remains, there's no way you could juggle all those bones.

>i
You have a Geiger counter, a survival
pack (being worn), a scrap of paper, a GPS unit, some radiation pills, a
flashlight (providing light), a necklace (being worn), a rag doll, and a
screwdriver.

You are currently carrying $200.

>s
Center of Village
The heart of this deserted village holds no more sign of human life than its
border.  Your flashlight spills over irregular buildings of poor craftsmanship
and even poorer materials.  A collection of shanties lies to your south, and to
your east is a single shack with a closed door.  The road from the west curves
north here, leading to the rest of the village.  While the town looks deserted,
there is sign of recent activity here.  Tracks of some kind break up the
relatively smooth surface of the road.

There is a pair of coyotes here, eyeing you hungrily.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

>give ration to coyote
I don't see any ration here.

>look in pack
It's closed.

You hear a deep growling coming from the coyotes as they slowly make their way
towards you.

>open pack
Opening the survival pack reveals your
travel rations.

The coyotes continue to advance, and you see flakes of foam falling from their
rancid mouths.

>give ration to coyote
The coyotes seem a lot more interested in
you.

The coyotes are almost on top of you!

>n
North End of Village
The main north-south road of this gloomy hamlet ends here at a tangle of
underbrush to the north.  The tiny houses here look downright eerie in the
cascading glow of your flashlight.  To your west is the largest structure of
the village, a wide one-story lodge that looks to be collapsing under its own
weight.

Lying in the middle of the road are a pair of human skeletons, their bones
scattered across the ground.  The ground around them appears nearly black in
your electric light.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

>get ration
You're not feeling hungry right now.

>i
You have a Geiger counter, a survival
pack (being worn), a scrap of paper, a GPS unit, some radiation pills, a
flashlight (providing light), a necklace (being worn), a rag doll, and a
screwdriver.

The survival pack contains your travel rations.

You are currently carrying $200.

>x rations
These are fairly typical travel rations. 
They mainly consist of freeze dried meat, hard tack biscuits, and something
claiming to be cheese (a dubious assertion); all individually wrapped to give
them a shelf life of several years.  The rations are also quite tasteless, with
a texture somewhere between cardboard and asphalt.  Still, they do keep you
alive.  A little more than half of your travel rations remain.

>get meat
You're not feeling hungry right now.

>s
Center of Village
The heart of this deserted village holds no more sign of human life than its
border.  Your flashlight spills over irregular buildings of poor craftsmanship
and even poorer materials.  A collection of shanties lies to your south, and to
your east is a single shack with a closed door.  The road from the west curves
north here, leading to the rest of the village.  While the town looks deserted,
there is sign of recent activity here.  Tracks of some kind break up the
relatively smooth surface of the road.

There is a pair of coyotes here, eyeing you hungrily.

>get meat
You're not feeling hungry right now.

You hear a deep growling coming from the coyotes as they slowly make their way
towards you.

>give meat to coyote
The coyotes seem a lot more interested in
you.

The coyotes continue to advance, and you see flakes of foam falling from their
rancid mouths.

>hint
In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) How do I get past the coyotes?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  2


"How do I get past the coyotes?"

   hint #1:  If you had a weapon, you could try that.

(5 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #2:  Otherwise, try to figure out why they attack you.

(4 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #3:  They sure do look hungry.

(3 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #4:  Search around outside for something to feed them.

(2 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) How do I get past the coyotes?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  q


>n
North End of Village
The main north-south road of this gloomy hamlet ends here at a tangle of
underbrush to the north.  The tiny houses here look downright eerie in the
cascading glow of your flashlight.  To your west is the largest structure of
the village, a wide one-story lodge that looks to be collapsing under its own
weight.

Lying in the middle of the road are a pair of human skeletons, their bones
scattered across the ground.  The ground around them appears nearly black in
your electric light.

>get flesh
Even if you did want to disturb these
poor people's remains, there's no way you could juggle all those bones.

>[grrr.]


>hint
In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) How do I get past the coyotes?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  2


"How do I get past the coyotes?"

   hint #1:  If you had a weapon, you could try that.

(5 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #2:  Otherwise, try to figure out why they attack you.

(4 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #3:  They sure do look hungry.

(3 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #4:  Search around outside for something to feed them.

(2 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #5:  Look around the area where you arrived.

(1 hint remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) How do I get past the coyotes?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  q


>w
Crumbling Building
You find yourself inside one of the largest structures in this quiet village. 
It may have been some kind of town hall or meeting area, as it consists of a
single large room.  Huge gaping holes not only in the floor, ceiling, and south
wall indicate the quality of workmanship.  Time and the elements will
eventually bring the entire building down.  It appears to have been cleared of
everything except for rotting furniture and various other pieces of debris.  A
single crooked doorway leads east.

>w
South and east are the only reasonable
exits.  You might be able to travel down as well.

>s
Edge of Village
You're standing on the west edge of a small village made up of decaying wooden
buildings.  Most are little more than one room shacks.  Every window is dark
and no noise reaches your straining ears.  The crooked structures to the south
don't look particularly inviting, but no less than the gaping hole in the wall
of a large building to your north.  The clearing where you first arrived lies
to the west.

>w
Clearing
Browned vegetation encircles this patch of flat dusty ground.  Scraggly brush
and thickets wave slowly in the glow of your flashlight.  The rustling of
branches is the only sound you hear; the area seems eerily devoid of any other
noise, even crickets.  Though you can make your way east and south, thorny
brambles impede your movement in most other directions.  An opening to the west
leads back towards Arcadia.

>x brambles
Thickets snarl around the southwestern and northern
sections of the clearing.  The brambles are comprised of a dense twisting of
thick branches, and just oozing with angry thorns.  Movement through them looks
impossible, though you're worried about what might be hiding in them.

>search brambles
Peering between the branches, you spot the motionless
form of an expired rabbit.

>get rabbit
You reach carefully into the twisty thorns and manage
to snag the rabbit corpse without scratching yourself up too badly.

>e
Edge of Village
You're standing on the west edge of a small village made up of decaying wooden
buildings.  Most are little more than one room shacks.  Every window is dark
and no noise reaches your straining ears.  The crooked structures to the south
don't look particularly inviting, but no less than the gaping hole in the wall
of a large building to your north.  The clearing where you first arrived lies
to the west.

>e
Center of Village
The heart of this deserted village holds no more sign of human life than its
border.  Your flashlight spills over irregular buildings of poor craftsmanship
and even poorer materials.  A collection of shanties lies to your south, and to
your east is a single shack with a closed door.  The road from the west curves
north here, leading to the rest of the village.  While the town looks deserted,
there is sign of recent activity here.  Tracks of some kind break up the
relatively smooth surface of the road.

There is a pair of coyotes here, eyeing you hungrily.

>give rabbit to coyotes
You toss the body of the rabbit in front
of the coyotes.  As the smell hits them, their entire attention turns to the
small animal corpse.  One of them leaps forward, snatching the rabbit in its
jaws.  The second lets out a howl that is both poignantly mournful and angry. 
The first coyote dashes off between the buildings with the dead bunny in its
jaws.  The other animal chases after it, close on its heels.

>e
(Opening the shack door)
Battered Shack
The cramped confines of this shack leave little room for movement.  Walls of
bug-chewed wood and a roof of warped planks are the only thing between you and
the cloudy night sky.  The shack itself contains little of notice besides the
pungent odor of ammonia.  A few amorphous lumps of wood, stone, and other less
identifiable materials lie scattered about.  A pile of discarded boards leans
against the wall in one corner of the room.  The door to the west leads out
into the street.

Discarded on the ground you find a small plastic tub.

>x tub
It appears to be a small tub, maybe three
inches in diameter, made of yellowish-orange plastic.  Whatever lettering was
on the side or lid has long since worn away.  The tub is currently closed.

>get it
Taken.

You hear a faint rustling noise coming from behind the boards.  It lasts for
only a brief moment and then all is quiet again.

>open it
Opening the small plastic tub reveals a lump
of clay.

>x clay
A lump of clay, probably the kind used in
sealing gaps between wooden planks.  Kinda squishy.

>x boards
Pieces of lumber in various sizes and shapes.
This shack may have served as a storage shed for the village's construction
materials.  The large pile is stacked in one corner of the shack, leaning
against the wall.  There is a considerable pocket of deep shadow behind the
boards.

>shine light in shadow
I don't know the word "shine".

>aim light at shadow
I don't know the word "aim".

>put light in shadow
You can't put anything into the pile of
boards.

The silence is broken by what sounds like a quiet cough.

>move boards
You angle the boards away from the wall to
peer behind them.  With a sudden cry, a small figure scrambles out from behind
them.  The diminutive shape dashes across the shack and huddles in the opposite
corner.  You turn the beam of your flashlight toward it and see that it is an
emaciated little girl, covered in grime.

>talk to girl
The little girl seems too afraid of you to
respond.

>give ration to girl
You unwrap one of the small packages and hand
it to her.  Tentatively she leans forward and accepts it, quickly pulling back.
She takes a tiny bite...  and a huge grin spreads across her face.  She wolfs
the remainder down.

"What's your name, little girl?"  you ask.

"Iona," the little girl whispers.  You smile at her and she smiles back.  She
doesn't seem quite so afraid of you anymore.

>talk to iona
Iona doesn't seem too talkative, so you tell
her a little about life in Arcadia.  You're not sure she believes you.

>give doll to iona
Iona's face immediately brightens.  "My
dolly!"  she squeals in delight as she hugs the rag doll.  "Thank you so much!"

>talk to iona
Iona doesn't seem too talkative, so you tell
her a little about life in Arcadia.  You're not sure she believes you.

>ask iona about guard
Iona simply looks up at you with wide eyes.

>ask iona about tub
Iona simply looks up at you with wide eyes.

>show tub to iona
Iona blinks with wide eyes.

>i
You have a Geiger counter, a survival pack
(being worn), a scrap of paper, a GPS unit, some radiation pills, a flashlight
(providing light), a necklace (being worn), a screwdriver, and a small plastic
tub.  The survival pack contains your travel rations.  The small plastic tub
contains a lump of clay.

You are currently carrying $200.

>x screwdriver
Much of the metal on the screwdriver shaft is
pitted and rusted.  The handle, what there is of it, is wrapped in a ragged
black tape.

>l
Battered Shack
The cramped confines of this shack leave little room for movement.  Walls of
bug-chewed wood and a roof of warped planks are the only thing between you and
the cloudy night sky.  The shack itself contains little of notice besides the
pungent odor of ammonia.  A few amorphous lumps of wood, stone, and other less
identifiable materials lie scattered about.  A pile of discarded boards leans
against the wall in one corner of the room.  The door to the west leads out
into the street.

Iona is standing close beside you.  She smiles broadly.

>x wood
Which wood do you mean, the amorphous lumps,
or the pile of boards?

>lumps
They are small, shapeless piles of material. 
Very possibly surplus building materials.

>get it
You realize that fiddling with the amorphous
lumps isn't necessary.

>x stone
They are small, shapeless piles of material. 
Very possibly surplus building materials.

>get it
You realize that fiddling with the amorphous
lumps isn't necessary.

Iona scratches her head.

>x boards
Pieces of lumber in various sizes and shapes.
This shack may have served as a storage shed for the village's construction
materials.  The large pile is stacked in one corner of the shack, leaning
against the wall.  There is a considerable pocket of deep shadow behind the
boards.

>get boards
The pile of boards would probably give you a
very painful bunch of splinters.

>w
Center of Village
The heart of this deserted village holds no more sign of human life than its
border.  Your flashlight spills over irregular buildings of poor craftsmanship
and even poorer materials.  A collection of shanties lies to your south, and to
your east is a single shack with an open door.  The road from the west curves
north here, leading to the rest of the village.  While the town looks deserted,
there is sign of recent activity here.  Tracks of some kind break up the
relatively smooth surface of the road.

A brief burst of noise comes from your Geiger counter but it quickly falls
silent again.

>e
Battered Shack
The cramped confines of this shack leave little room for movement.  Walls of
bug-chewed wood and a roof of warped planks are the only thing between you and
the cloudy night sky.  The shack itself contains little of notice besides the
pungent odor of ammonia.  A few amorphous lumps of wood, stone, and other less
identifiable materials lie scattered about.  A pile of discarded boards leans
against the wall in one corner of the room.  The door to the west leads out
into the street.

Iona is standing close beside you.  She smiles broadly.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

>iona, follow me
Iona shakes her head.

>x planks
The gaps between the warped planks of the
roof appear to have been patched with clay.

>smell
The smell of ammonia is nearly overwhelming.

>show all to iona
Geiger counter:  Iona blinks with wide eyes.
survival pack:  Iona blinks with wide eyes.
scrap of paper:  You'd rather not.
GPS unit:  Iona blinks with wide eyes.
radiation pills:  Iona blinks with wide eyes.
flashlight:  Iona blinks with wide eyes.
necklace:  "It used to be my mom's."  She sniffles.  "But you can keep it. 
Since you're so nice."
screwdriver:  Iona blinks with wide eyes.
small plastic tub:  Iona blinks with wide eyes.

>[well, hey]


>show clay to iona
Iona blinks with wide eyes.

>ask iona about all
You can't use multiple indirect objects.

>i
You have a Geiger counter, a survival pack
(being worn), a scrap of paper, a GPS unit, some radiation pills, a flashlight
(providing light), a necklace (being worn), a screwdriver, and a small plastic
tub.

The survival pack contains your travel rations.  The small plastic tub contains
a lump of clay.

You are currently carrying $200.

Iona hums tunelessly.

>l
Battered Shack
The cramped confines of this shack leave little room for movement.  Walls of
bug-chewed wood and a roof of warped planks are the only thing between you and
the cloudy night sky.  The shack itself contains little of notice besides the
pungent odor of ammonia.  A few amorphous lumps of wood, stone, and other less
identifiable materials lie scattered about.  A pile of discarded boards leans
against the wall in one corner of the room.  The door to the west leads out
into the street.

Iona is standing close beside you.  She smiles broadly.

>iona, w
Iona shakes her head.

>hint
In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) Does Iona know anything helpful?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  2


"Does Iona know anything helpful?"

   hint #1:  She seems to be all alone out here.

(7 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #2:  I wonder what happened to her family.

(6 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

   hint #3:  Ask her about her family or the village.

(5 hints remaining.  Hit 'H' to continue to the next hint, or any other key to
return to the hint menu)

In-Game Hint System:
   1) Some basic hints
   2) Does Iona know anything helpful?
   3) How can I get past the guard outside?

Select a number to view, or enter 'Q' to return to the game:  q


>ask iona about family
"Where is your family?"

Iona's eyes well up with tears.  "Dead," she says in a barely audible whisper. 
"The bad men killed them.  They killed everyone."  Tears leave muddy tracks as
they run down her face.

>ask iona about bad men
"What can you tell me about the raiders?"

Iona wipes her hand across her nose.  "The bad men came...  a bunch of days
ago.  They moved into the base near here.  Then they killed everyone."  She
starts to cry.  "They had guns and knives and everyone was screaming and there
was blood everywhere...."  She sobs, unable to continue.

>ask iona about raider
"What can you tell me about the raiders?"

Iona wipes her hand across her nose.  "The bad men came...  a bunch of days
ago.  They moved into the base near here.  Then they killed everyone."  She
starts to cry.  "They had guns and knives and everyone was screaming and there
was blood everywhere...."  She sobs, unable to continue.

>ask iona about guns
"The bad men had guns and knives?"  Iona nods
pitifully.

>ask iona about knives
"The bad men had guns and knives?"  Iona nods
pitifully.

Crouching down, Iona scrawls some random designs in the dirt, then wipes them
away.

>x designs
I don't know the word "designs".

>ask iona about village
"What happened to the village?  To the
people?"

Iona bites her lip.  "The bad men came.  They were screaming and it was so
loud.  I hid until the bad men left."

>ask iona about base
"What do you know about this base that's
nearby?"

"It's a building under the ground," Iona says.  "That's where the bad men live.
My parents couldn't open the door, but the bad men could when they came.  Then
they came here and...."  She swallows, then continues.  "There's a bad man
guarding the door, but I think I know a secret way."

>ask iona about secret
"You know a secret way into the base?"

Iona nods.  "I found it.  I was playing and I found it.  In the bushes.  Let me
show you where it is!"  She leads you back to the clearing.

Clearing
Browned vegetation encircles this patch of flat dusty ground.  Scraggly brush
and thickets wave slowly in the glow of your flashlight.  The rustling of
branches is the only sound you hear; the area seems eerily devoid of any other
noise, even crickets.  Though you can make your way east and south, thorny
brambles impede your movement in most other directions.  An opening to the west
leads back towards Arcadia.

Iona is standing close beside you.  She smiles broadly.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

Iona leads you over to the brambles.  "Down here", she says, getting down on
her hands and knees.  As you do the same, she points to a well-hidden gap in
the brambles to the southwest.  "Back there.  You can crawl to the secret way
in."  Giggling, she stands up.  She skips back to the shack, hugging her rag
doll close and waving to you.

>sw
You manage to crawl along the trail through the
brambles with only minor scratches.

Hidden Path
This is the end of a very convoluted and twisted path through several hundred
feet of frighteningly thorny briar patch.  The track is extremely difficult to
see, especially at night, and you know you never would have found your way
without help.  It heads back into the thicket to your northeast, the only
footpath leading from this small open field among the brambles.  In the middle
of the small clearing is a square metal structure, about two feet long on each
side and protruding a couple of inches from the ground.  This box is topped by
a metal grating held on by rusty latches.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

>x box
It appears to be the top end of some sort of
chimney or air vent.  About two feet long on each side, it's constructed out of
sheet metal.  A metal grating is attached to the top by a set of rusty hinges. 
If there was originally a lock on it, it's long since disintegrated.

>d
You'll have to open the metal grating first.

>open grating
With neglected hinges screeching in protest, the
grating swings open, revealing a wide shaft that disappears down into darkness.

>x patch
The brambles are comprised of a dense twisting of
thick branches, and just oozing with angry thorns.

>search it
You find nothing of interest.

>d
You lower yourself carefully into the shaft and
squirm along as it turns horizontal.  After several feet of crawling, the duct
turns vertical again.  Shimmying along its length, you drop down into the room
beneath.

Closet
Your standard storage closet, complete with your standard ugly government
regulation metal shelving units.  This one appears to see little use, as the
few worn boxes sitting on the shelves are pretty much empty.  In the high
ceiling above, you can see the dark shape of a vent shaft.  Hanging across the
room, suspended by shelves, is a metal pole.  A single door leads east into the
hall.

Hanging from the pole is a frayed jacket.

[Your score has just gone up by 4 points.]

>get jacket
Taken.

>x it
A frayed jacket with alternating bands of red and
green that you recognize as the wasteland equivalent of gang colors.

>x pole
An iron pole that stretches about three feet long. 
Feels like it's hollow, though the ends are closed.  The pole is hanging across
the room, suspended by two shelves.

>wear jacket
Okay, you're now wearing the frayed jacket.

>get pole
Taken.

>e
The automated door opens to let you pass.

First Floor Hallway West
The metal grating that serves for a floor is mostly undisturbed, with only the
occasional muddy footprint heading in from the east.  Messages are scrawled on
the wall in ink, paint, and a few other unidentified substances.  Three doors
are available here, one in each wall.

>x messages
Crudely scrawled (and spelled)
inquiries about people's mothers, sexual preferences, appearance, odors, and a
few rough drawings of genitalia.  In other words, the typical kind of thing you
see every day in Arcadia.

>read it
You scan some of the messages:
           Randall fuks dogs                       blood and guts all the way                             
YOU STNK
                                           Jones is 1 ugly bastard                                
kweee has RABIeS
               THE VAULT DWELLER WAS HERE

>g
You scan some of the messages:
           Randall fuks dogs                       blood and guts all the way                             
YOU STNK
                                           Jones is 1 ugly bastard                                
kweee has RABIeS
               THE VAULT DWELLER WAS HERE

>n
That door appears to have been jammed
shut for years.

>x north door
The door to the north is your
standard automatic sensor type.

>e
First Floor Hallway
Once pristine stainless steel has become soiled by the dirty boots of countless
pedestrians.  Before the war, this hall was almost certainly kept immaculately
clean as a necessary process of this research facility.  However, new occupants
have been less than fastidious in keeping it in its original condition.  The
metal grating beneath your feet is discolored and encrusted with dried mud. 
White walls sport numerous scuff marks, gouges and, in several places, lewd and
explicit graffiti.  The hallway continues east and west, with an exit north and
a door to the south.  That door, you notice, has a number of variations on "out
of order" scribbled across its surface.  On the wall beside it is a small
panel.

A brief burst of noise comes from your Geiger counter but it quickly falls
silent again.

>read walls
I don't know the word "walls".

>read wall
I don't see any wall here.

>read graffiti
You scan some of the messages:
           Randall fuks dogs                       blood and guts all the way                             
YOU STNK
                                           Jones is 1 ugly bastard                                
kweee has RABIeS
               THE VAULT DWELLER WAS HERE

>[again?]


>x door
It looks like a fairly solid security
door.  Built out of brushed stainless steel, but even this wasn't able to
withstand the determined new inhabitants and their need to desecrate everything
they found.  As you look closer, you see faded letters that read "SUBLEVEL 2"
through the random messages and graffiti.  Built into the wall right beside the
door is a control panel.  The door is closed.

>x panel
The panel is built into the southern
wall, right beside the security door.  It's a smooth plastic rectangle that
juts out from the surface of the wall about a half inch.  The majority of its
area is taken up by an oddly dark scanner grid.  You've seen these before,
they're designed to react with security badges with embedded microchips.  When
the badge is touched to the grid, the chip is activated and the user's identity
is read.  Below the grid is a numeric keypad which is dark.  In each of the
right two corners is a single screw, and you see a pair of hinges along the
left side.

>unscrew screws
(with the screwdriver)
The screws each resist at first, but with some effort, you manage to loosen
them all.

>x hinges
The panel is built into the southern
wall, right beside the security door.  It's a smooth plastic rectangle that
juts out from the surface of the wall about a half inch.  The majority of its
area is taken up by an oddly dark scanner grid.  You've seen these before,
they're designed to react with security badges with embedded microchips.  When
the badge is touched to the grid, the chip is activated and the user's identity
is read.  Below the grid is a numeric keypad which is dark.  In each of the
right two corners is a single screw, and you see a pair of hinges along the
left side.

>get panel
The panel is attached to the wall.

>open panel
The panel swings open on tiny hinges.  On
the inside back of the panel, there is a metal-lined socket.  A bundle of wires
ending in a metal prong runs out of the wall and dangles loosely in the air.

>x socket
The socket is nothing more than a metal-
encircled hole in the panel's interior.  It is about an eighth of an inch in
diameter.

>x prong
The prong is a piece of metal about a
half-inch long and an eighth-inch in diameter.  One end is attached to a bundle
of thin wires that connect to the inside of the panel.

>plug wire into socket
I don't see any wire here.

>plug prong into socket
You plug the metal prong into the socket.
The scanner grid on the face of the panel immediately lights up.

[Your score has just gone up by 3 points.]

>close panel
Closed.

>i
You have a Geiger counter, a survival
pack (being worn), a scrap of paper, a GPS unit, some radiation pills, a
flashlight (providing light), a necklace (being worn), a screwdriver, a small
plastic tub, a frayed jacket (being worn), and a metal pole.

The survival pack contains your travel rations.  The small plastic tub contains
a lump of clay.

You are currently carrying $200.

>l
First Floor Hallway
Once pristine stainless steel has become soiled by the dirty boots of countless
pedestrians.  Before the war, this hall was almost certainly kept immaculately
clean as a necessary process of this research facility.  However, new occupants
have been less than fastidious in keeping it in its original condition.  The
metal grating beneath your feet is discolored and encrusted with dried mud. 
White walls sport numerous scuff marks, gouges and, in several places, lewd and
explicit graffiti.  The hallway continues east and west, with an exit north and
a door to the south.  That door, you notice, has a number of variations on "out
of order" scribbled across its surface.  On the wall beside it is a small
panel.

>s
You'll have to open the security door
first.

A brief burst of noise comes from your Geiger counter but it quickly falls
silent again.

>n
Base Entrance
At first glance, this might look like a normal clearing in the brush.  Tall
grass fills in the open space between the taller vegetation, broken only by a
path leading northwest.  However, the wide concrete-lined chasm leading down
into the ground is a clear indication that this clearing was, at least
initially, the result of human labor.  The opening is square, with a series of
cement steps leading down to the south, ending at a metal-framed doorway.  The
concrete surface extends for several feet around the entryway in a wide
rectangle.  On the edge of this short plateau, directly in front of the stairs,
is a small campfire and, beside it, a bedroll.

On the ground you can see a lantern.

A dingy guard scans the area attentively.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

The raider guard nods in your direction, but eyes you warily.

>x guard
A scruffy-looking man of about average height
sitting beside the fire.  He's dressed in a ragged pair of jeans with a pair of
worn boots.  His coat has alternating bands of red and green that you recognize
as the wasteland equivalent of gang colors.  Raider groups use such "uniforms"
to distinguish themselves from each other.  Cradled in his lap is an automatic
rifle.  He watches you keenly.

>get lantern
The guard growls.  "That's mine.  Hands off."

>attack guard
You are gunned down before you even get
close.

   **** You have died ****

In a total of 248 turns, you have achieved a score of 8 points out of a
possible 70, giving you a rank of Deadbeat.

You may restore a saved game, start over, quit, itemize your points, or undo
the current command.
Please enter RESTORE, RESTART, QUIT, FULL, or UNDO:  >undo
(Undoing one command)

Base Entrance
At first glance, this might look like a normal clearing in the brush.  Tall
grass fills in the open space between the taller vegetation, broken only by a
path leading northwest.  However, the wide concrete-lined chasm leading down
into the ground is a clear indication that this clearing was, at least
initially, the result of human labor.  The opening is square, with a series of
cement steps leading down to the south, ending at a metal-framed doorway.  The
concrete surface extends for several feet around the entryway in a wide
rectangle.  On the edge of this short plateau, directly in front of the stairs,
is a small campfire and, beside it, a bedroll.

On the ground you can see a lantern.

A dingy guard scans the area attentively.

>x bedroll
A dingy, grimy thing.

>x fire
Your basic campfire, with a disheveled
bedroll close beside it.

>search it
You find nothing of interest.

>search bedroll
You find nothing of interest.

>s
First Floor Hallway
Once pristine stainless steel has become soiled by the dirty boots of countless
pedestrians.  Before the war, this hall was almost certainly kept immaculately
clean as a necessary process of this research facility.  However, new occupants
have been less than fastidious in keeping it in its original condition.  The
metal grating beneath your feet is discolored and encrusted with dried mud. 
White walls sport numerous scuff marks, gouges and, in several places, lewd and
explicit graffiti.  The hallway continues east and west, with an exit north and
a door to the south.  That door, you notice, has a number of variations on "out
of order" scribbled across its surface.  On the wall beside it is a small
panel.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>e
First Floor Hallway East
The hallway widens out slightly, expanding several feet to create alcoves to
the north and south before constricting again after a span of several strides. 
At the far end of each alcove is smooth, featureless door.  Muddy prints
indicates that a regular stream of foot traffic passes along this east-west
corridor.  More graffiti adorns these walls, and there's a tall wooden bookcase
against one wall, partially concealing the northern alcove.  From the east
comes a din of numerous voices.

>x bookcase
Reaches about six feet tall and spans
around three feet across.  The wood is extremely old, and probably has only
survived this long because it's been in the dry, sterile air of the base.  Most
of the shelves are missing, possibly used for firewood.  The majority of the
backing still remains, however, obscuring the view of the northern alcove from
the hall.

>move it
As you start to push on it, the wood
cracks under your fingers.  It looks like the rotted wood might completely fall
apart if you tried to move it.

>g
As you start to push on it, the wood
cracks under your fingers.  It looks like the rotted wood might completely fall
apart if you tried to move it.

Over the sound of voices to the east, you can just make out what sounds like
footsteps and voices approaching the hall.

>n
You slip past the bookcase into the
northern alcove.  From this location, you are almost completely hidden from the
hallway.

From behind the bookcase, you hear what sounds like two men enter the room.

>listen
It sounds
like there are two men in the hall.

"Boss is pissed," you hear a voice say.

"Yeah?"  a second voice replies.  "Why's that?"

>g
It sounds
like there are two men in the hall.

The first voice says, "He thinks Jones is working to take over.  Boss changed
the password early."

"Oh?  What is it now?"

"Boulder."

>z
Time
passes...

There's a pause.  "Is it true?"  the second voice asks.  "Is Jones?"

"I doubt it," says the first voice.  "He's just been...."  The voices trail off
as the men move out of earshot.

>[in the 22nd century, they still use in-the-dictionary passwords?]


>s
You step out
from behind the bookcase, back into the hallway.

>n
You slip past the bookcase into the
northern alcove.  From this location, you are almost completely hidden from the
hallway.

>x alcove
Which alcove
do you mean, the north alcove, or the south alcove?

>north
The northern
wall of the corridor is recessed, forming a small alcove.  A wooden bookcase
set against that wall sticks out into the alcove, partially obscuring it from
the hall.  On the north end of the alcove is a smooth, featureless door.

>x door
Which door do
you mean, the north door, or the south door?

>north
The door to
the north is your standard automatic sensor type.

>n
You hear a
grinding noise coming from the automatic door.  Apparently its mechanism has
decayed beyond repair.

>push it
You can't
reach that from the north alcove.

>s
You step out
from behind the bookcase, back into the hallway.

>s
You approach the automatic door but
nothing happens.  It doesn't seem to be operational anymore.

>enter south alcove
Okay, you're now in the south alcove.

>x south door
The door to
the south is your standard automatic sensor type.

>hit it
You can't
reach that from the south alcove.

>e
You can move
north back into the hallway and there is a door to the south.

>out
You step back
into the hallway.

>s
You approach the automatic door but
nothing happens.  It doesn't seem to be operational anymore.

>e
Barracks
Whatever purpose this room originally served, it now functions as a massive
brigand encampment.  There are about three dozen makeshift beds spread across
the blue tile floor, and jumbled piles of personal possessions scattered about.
The raiders, a large crowd of dirty, unpleasant-looking men, are each dressed
in similar colors of red and green and all appear to be armed.  The men are
engaged in all manner of activities, from games of skill to maintaining weapons
to eating to gambling.  Embedded in the western wall, beside one of the bunks,
is a lone metal panel of brushed stainless steel.  The doorway west leads back
into the hallway, while a second exit lies to the south.

Hanging from the stainless steel panel is a map and a note being held on by a
kitchen magnet.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>x map
It appears to be an old, faded map of the
countryside.  After all your travels, you do have a certain familiarity with
the terrain.  The location of Arcadia is marked in red, as is the location of
this base.

A group of raiders clear off a makeshift table.  Two of them sit at opposite
ends and begin arm wrestling.  The rest of the men crowd around the two
challengers, yelling and cheering.

>x note
A note written on ragged, yellow paper.

With a knife, a raider tries to slice a cut in the wall.  He examines the wall
with a puzzled look as his weapon fails to make even a mark.

>read it
The note reads:

Okay, maggots, this is the last time I'm gonna tell you.  You don't bother me
unless it is something important.  Otherwise you talk to Ertz or Randall.  The
next person to bother me without a very good reason ends up in a shallow grave
next to Sulz.

Those of you that can read, make sure the rest of the troops understand this.

Randall managed to scrounge up a pack of explosives on his last trip out.  If
we can't get that damn door open any other way, we'll blast the fucking thing.

Remember:  the wasteland belongs to us.

Boss

A small crowd forms around a raider holding up a yellowed girly magazine.  The
men hoot and grunt at the centerfold.

>l
Barracks
Whatever purpose this room originally served, it now functions as a massive
brigand encampment.  There are about three dozen makeshift beds spread across
the blue tile floor, and jumbled piles of personal possessions scattered about.
The raiders, a large crowd of dirty, unpleasant-looking men, are each dressed
in similar colors of red and green and all appear to be armed.  The men are
engaged in all manner of activities, from games of skill to maintaining weapons
to eating to gambling.  Embedded in the western wall, beside one of the bunks,
is a lone metal panel of brushed stainless steel.  The doorway west leads back
into the hallway, while a second exit lies to the south.

Hanging from the stainless steel panel is a map and a note being held on by a
kitchen magnet.

>search beds
You find nothing of interest.

>look under beds
There's nothing under the beds and cots.

One of the raiders tells a lewd joke, followed by shouts of laughter from the
rest of the crowd.

>x panel
The metal panel is a stainless steel rectangle, about
a foot wide and a foot-and-a-half tall.  It's set into the wall, completely
flush against the surface, about four feet off the floor.  On the stainless
steel panel you see a map and a note being held on by a simple kitchen magnet.

A raider hurls a small metal dish across the room, grumbling about the food. 
Several others nearby mutter their agreement.

>open panel
If the stainless steel panel opens, it's not clear
how.

>get magnet
Taken.  The papers being held by the magnet flutter
to the floor.

A group of the men begin arguing with several others about the proper way to
scalp a person:  some of the men insist that the best way is to start at the
front and the others disagree.

>get papers
I don't know the word "papers".

>get map
Taken.

A handful of rifle cartridges drops to the floor and the rounds scatter across
the room.  The man who dropped them swears as he chases after them.  A couple
of the other raiders snort and laugh.

>get note
Taken.

Some of the crowd begin to debate whether dogs or cats make a tastier meal.

>get rifle
I don't see any rifle here.

>l
Barracks
Whatever purpose this room originally served, it now functions as a massive
brigand encampment.  There are about three dozen makeshift beds spread across
the blue tile floor, and jumbled piles of personal possessions scattered about.
The raiders, a large crowd of dirty, unpleasant-looking men, are each dressed
in similar colors of red and green and all appear to be armed.  The men are
engaged in all manner of activities, from games of skill to maintaining weapons
to eating to gambling.  Embedded in the western wall, beside one of the bunks,
is a lone metal panel of brushed stainless steel.  The doorway west leads back
into the hallway, while a second exit lies to the south.

>x bunk
I don't know the word "bunk".

>x bunks
I don't know the word "bunks".

>s
Conference Room
From the looks of it, the original purpose of this large room was to hold
meetings and briefings.  However, the large table and office chairs are in
desperate need of maintenance and the once white walls now sport an impressive
array of scuffs, gouges, and puncture marks.  The doorway to the north leads
back into the barracks and the western door has one of the more intact chairs
sitting beside it, almost blocking the way.

Sitting in the one good chair is a raider guard whose attention is focused on
you.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>talk to guard
"Sorry, pal, I ain't interested in small
talk.  If you have a question, then ask.  If you're here to see the boss, you'd
better know the password."

>say boulder
If you wish to speak to someone, you can
address them directly.  For example:  JOHN, HELLO

>guard, boulder
You say, "The password is 'boulder.'"

The guard nods.  "That's it.  Go on in.  Just don't mess with anything in
there.  Understand?  If you do, I got to kill you."

>s
Exits lie to the north and west.

>w
The raider guard waves you in.

Security Station
You are standing in a small square room, about ten feet across.  You notice a
distinct lack of the grime and squalor that has been so evident in the rest of
the facility.  The large metal desk in the southeast corner appears to be
reasonably clean and in good condition, as does the office chair before it. 
Mounted on the south wall are a number of small screens, each labeled with a
number.  All of them are dark.  Attached to the desk is a small computer
console, consisting of monitor and keyboard.  Two doors lead out:  the east
door towards the conference room and a second one heading to the west.  Both
are closed.

Resting in the corner you spot a grenade launcher.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>x screens
All of the security screens are dark.

>x console
This appears to be a simple single-purpose
computer.  It's a keyboard and monitor combined into a single unit, mounted
onto a tabletop.  The security console is off.  (You can type on the keyboard
by entering a command like:  TYPE "RUTABAGA" ON KEYBOARD)

>get launcher
(putting a metal pole and a Geiger counter
into the survival pack to make room)
Taken.  When you pick up the grenade launcher, the weapon lets out a loud,
angry buzz.  A grid on the weapon's grip flashes red.

>x grid
There is some kind of faintly glowing grid
along the backstrap of the grenade launcher's grip.  You're not sure exactly
what it is.  Some kind of sensor, perhaps?

>w
The door is locked.

>x door
Which door do you mean, the west door, or the
east door?

>west
The door leading to the raider boss's private
chamber.  It's closed and appears to be locked.

>knock on west door
There is no answer.

>open west door
These types of doors are designed to open
automatically as you approach them.

>w
The door is locked.

>l
Security Station
You are standing in a small square room, about ten feet across.  You notice a
distinct lack of the grime and squalor that has been so evident in the rest of
the facility.  The large metal desk in the southeast corner appears to be
reasonably clean and in good condition, as does the office chair before it. 
Mounted on the south wall are a number of small screens, each labeled with a
number.  All of them are dark.  Attached to the desk is a small computer
console, consisting of monitor and keyboard.  Two doors lead out:  the east
door towards the conference room and a second one heading to the west.  Both
are closed.

>x launcher
A formidable looking weapon.  Built mostly
from black plastic and steel.  The muzzle seems so wide you could practically
fall into it.  You notice that the grip seems to have some kind of electronic
sensor on it.

>wear it
You can't wear the grenade launcher.

>x sensor
There is some kind of faintly glowing grid
along the backstrap of the grenade launcher's grip.  You're not sure exactly
what it is.  Some kind of sensor, perhaps?

>turn on monitor
Okay, it's now turned on.  Some text appears
on the monitor:
LOGIN

ENTER LAST NAME:

>jones
There's no verb in that sentence!

>type jones
(on the security console)
I don't see any jones here.

>type "jones"
(on the security console)
The text "UNRECOGNIZED USER ACCOUNT" appears at the bottom of the screen.

>type "randall"
(on the security console)
The text "UNRECOGNIZED USER ACCOUNT" appears at the bottom of the screen.

>type "ertz"
(on the security console)
The text "UNRECOGNIZED USER ACCOUNT" appears at the bottom of the screen.

>type "boss"
(on the security console)
The text "UNRECOGNIZED USER ACCOUNT" appears at the bottom of the screen.

>x paper
It was about four days west of Arcadia that
you came upon the ruins of a pre-war airbase.  The entire complex had been
nearly leveled, unfortunately.  No sign of radiation, though, so you went in
anyway.  There wasn't much to see, and by the looks of it, you guessed that
others had already stripped the place clean.  On your way out, though, this
scrap of paper caught your eye.  It was scorched in multiple places, but the
dry air managed to preserve it remarkably well for the past hundred or so
years.  Some of the original message is still readable.

>read it
The only pieces of the message that you've
been able to make out so far are:


...IEFS OF STAFF ...NERAL ARTH...NALDS ...ROJECT DISTANT PATH

DUE TO THE INCREASED INS...ITY FROM INSURGENT FORC...ITARY RESEARCH COM...ADO
SPRINGS, ALL PERSONN...RMATION RELATED TO PROJE...NT PATH ARE BEIN... 
COMPLETED HAVEN RESEAR...  UNDER THE HEA...ES FROM 83RD ARMORED INFANTRY
REASSI...  TO OVERSEE TRANSFER OF MATERIALS.  GPS C...  33-28-19.158N / 111-57-
49.524W.  LOCATION CLASSIFIE...  SECRET CLEARANCE AND BE AP...


You'd probably be able to get a little more with a highly detailed scan, but
you don't have the necessary equipment and you simply can't entrust this
information to anyone else.

>type "haven"
(on the security console)
The text "UNRECOGNIZED USER ACCOUNT" appears at the bottom of the screen.

>type "distant path"
(on the security console)
The text "UNRECOGNIZED USER ACCOUNT" appears at the bottom of the screen.

>l
Security Station
You are standing in a small square room, about ten feet across.  You notice a
distinct lack of the grime and squalor that has been so evident in the rest of
the facility.  The large metal desk in the southeast corner appears to be
reasonably clean and in good condition, as does the office chair before it. 
Mounted on the south wall are a number of small screens, each labeled with a
number.  All of them are dark.  Attached to the desk is a small computer
console, consisting of monitor and keyboard.  Two doors lead out:  the east
door towards the conference room and a second one heading to the west.  Both
are closed.

>x desk
A bulky office desk built from stamped steel.
Most of the surfaces have been painted a rather hideous shade of beige.  The
desk is pushed up against the walls in the southeastern corner of the room. 
There is a computer console attached to it.

>look in it
The top of the desk is clear, except for the
computer console.

>look under it
There's nothing under the metal desk.

>x chair
This chair is in fairly good condition. 
Still, it looks as if it's seen a lot of use.

>search it
There's nothing on the office chair.

>sit in it
Okay, you're now sitting on the office chair.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>get up
Okay, you're no
longer on the office chair.

>turn off monitor
Okay, it's now turned off.

>e
Conference Room
From the looks of it, the original purpose of this large room was to hold
meetings and briefings.  However, the large table and office chairs are in
desperate need of maintenance and the once white walls now sport an impressive
array of scuffs, gouges, and puncture marks.  The doorway to the north leads
back into the barracks and the western door has one of the more intact chairs
sitting beside it, almost blocking the way.

Sitting in the one good chair is a raider guard whose attention is focused on
you.

"Fucking thief!"  the raider guard shouts as he turns his gun toward you and
pulls the trigger.  As you fall to the ground, the grenade launcher slips from
your grasp and clatters to the floor.

   **** You have died ****

In a total of 319 turns, you have achieved a score of 8 points out of a
possible 70, giving you a rank of Deadbeat.

You may restore a saved game, start over, quit, itemize your points, or undo
the current command.
Please enter RESTORE, RESTART, QUIT, FULL, or UNDO:  >undo
(Undoing one command)

Security Station
You are standing in a small square room, about ten feet across.  You notice a
distinct lack of the grime and squalor that has been so evident in the rest of
the facility.  The large metal desk in the southeast corner appears to be
reasonably clean and in good condition, as does the office chair before it. 
Mounted on the south wall are a number of small screens, each labeled with a
number.  All of them are dark.  Attached to the desk is a small computer
console, consisting of monitor and keyboard.  Two doors lead out:  the east
door towards the conference room and a second one heading to the west.  Both
are closed.

>drop launcher
Dropped.

>w
The door is locked.

>e
Conference Room
From the looks of it, the original purpose of this large room was to hold
meetings and briefings.  However, the large table and office chairs are in
desperate need of maintenance and the once white walls now sport an impressive
array of scuffs, gouges, and puncture marks.  The doorway to the north leads
back into the barracks and the western door has one of the more intact chairs
sitting beside it, almost blocking the way.

Sitting in the one good chair is a raider guard whose attention is focused on
you.

You hear a faint ticking from your Geiger counter, but nothing to be concerned
about.

>n
Barracks
Whatever purpose this room originally served, it now functions as a massive
brigand encampment.  There are about three dozen makeshift beds spread across
the blue tile floor, and jumbled piles of personal possessions scattered about.
The raiders, a large crowd of dirty, unpleasant-looking men, are each dressed
in similar colors of red and green and all appear to be armed.  The men are
engaged in all manner of activities, from games of skill to maintaining weapons
to eating to gambling.  Embedded in the western wall, beside one of the bunks,
is a lone metal panel of brushed stainless steel.  The doorway west leads back
into the hallway, while a second exit lies to the south.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

>w
First Floor Hallway East
The hallway widens out slightly, expanding several feet to create alcoves to
the north and south before constricting again after a span of several strides. 
At the far end of each alcove is smooth, featureless door.  Muddy prints
indicates that a regular stream of foot traffic passes along this east-west
corridor.  More graffiti adorns these walls, and there's a tall wooden bookcase
against one wall, partially concealing the northern alcove.  From the east
comes a din of numerous voices.

Your Geiger counter chitters quietly.

>w
First Floor Hallway
Once pristine stainless steel has become soiled by the dirty boots of countless
pedestrians.  Before the war, this hall was almost certainly kept immaculately
clean as a necessary process of this research facility.  However, new occupants
have been less than fastidious in keeping it in its original condition.  The
metal grating beneath your feet is discolored and encrusted with dried mud. 
White walls sport numerous scuff marks, gouges and, in several places, lewd and
explicit graffiti.  The hallway continues east and west, with an exit north and
a door to the south.  That door, you notice, has a number of variations on "out
of order" scribbled across its surface.  On the wall beside it is a small
panel.

>w
First Floor Hallway West
The metal grating that serves for a floor is mostly undisturbed, with only the
occasional muddy footprint heading in from the east.  Messages are scrawled on
the wall in ink, paint, and a few other unidentified substances.  Three doors
are available here, one in each wall.

>s
The automated door opens to let you
pass.

Abandoned Office
Very little remains in this dimly lit office and the dust you've stirred up
suggests it hasn't seen any real use in quite some time.  The massive wooden
desk in the corner, except for a few dust-free outlines, is layered in a thick
coating of the stuff.  Beyond it, nothing has been left in the room:  not even
a chair.  The door to the north is the only exit.

A brief burst of noise comes from your Geiger counter but it quickly falls
silent again.

>x desk
This is a bulky office desk built from some
kind of dark hardwood.  Its appearance is particularly ugly and utilitarian. 
The top is covered with dust except for a few outlines of items that have
probably been recently removed.  The left side consists of a large sliding
drawer and the desk's very short legs keep it only about an inch off the floor.

>open drawer
You slide the desk drawer open and find it
empty.

>remove drawer
The desk drawer won't budge.

>search drawer
Searching the top of the desk, you find
nothing except dust.  The drawer is empty.  You peer under the desk and see the
glint of something metallic.  Unfortunately, the desk is too low to the ground
to reach it.

>lift desk
I don't know how to lift the wooden desk.

>move it
There's no way you're moving this monster of
a desk.

>i
You have a survival pack (being worn), a
scrap of paper, a GPS unit, some radiation pills, a flashlight (providing
light), a necklace (being worn), a screwdriver, a small plastic tub, a frayed
jacket (being worn), a kitchen magnet, a map, and a note.

The survival pack contains your travel rations, a metal pole, and a Geiger
counter.  The small plastic tub contains a lump of clay.

You are currently carrying $200.

>get metallic with screwdriver
I don't see how that would help.

>get metallic with clay
I don't see how that would help.

>put clay on metallic
There's no good surface on the metallic
object.

>x metallic object
It's difficult to tell what it is, even with
your flashlight.  All you can see is the glinting of light off of some metallic
object.

>tip desk
I don't know the word "tip".

>l
Abandoned Office
Very little remains in this dimly lit office and the dust you've stirred up
suggests it hasn't seen any real use in quite some time.  The massive wooden
desk in the corner, except for a few dust-free outlines, is layered in a thick
coating of the stuff.  Beyond it, nothing has been left in the room:  not even
a chair.  The door to the north is the only exit.

>move desk with pole
There's no way you're moving this monster of
a desk.

>i
You have a survival pack (being worn), a
scrap of paper, a GPS unit, some radiation pills, a flashlight (providing
light), a necklace (being worn), a screwdriver, a small plastic tub, a frayed
jacket (being worn), a kitchen magnet, a map, and a note.

The survival pack contains your travel rations, a metal pole, and a Geiger
counter.  The small plastic tub contains a lump of clay.

You are currently carrying $200.

>put magnet on metallic
There's no good surface on the metallic
object.

>get metallic with magnet
I don't see how that would help.

>put magnet on desk
Done.

>move magnet
Moving the kitchen magnet doesn't reveal
anything.

>put pole under desk
You crouch down and try to snag the metallic
object under the desk with the metal pole.  You can't seem to catch it, though,
and after a minute you give up.

>put magnet under desk
There isn't room.

>put all under desk
metallic object:  There isn't room.
kitchen magnet:  There isn't room.
survival pack:  There isn't room.
scrap of paper:  There isn't room.
GPS unit:  There isn't room.
radiation pills:  There isn't room.
flashlight:  There isn't room.
necklace:  There isn't room.
screwdriver:  There isn't room.
small plastic tub:  There isn't room.
frayed jacket:  There isn't room.
map:  There isn't room.
note:  There isn't room.

>get pole
Taken.

>i
You have a survival pack (being worn), a
scrap of paper, a GPS unit, some radiation pills, a flashlight (providing
light), a necklace (being worn), a screwdriver, a small plastic tub, a frayed
jacket (being worn), a map, a note, and a metal pole.  The survival pack
contains your travel rations and a Geiger counter.  The small plastic tub
contains a lump of clay.

You are currently carrying $200.

>get clay
Taken.

>put it under desk
There isn't room.

>put all under desk
metallic object:  There isn't room.
kitchen magnet:  There isn't room.
survival pack:  There isn't room.
scrap of paper:  There isn't room.
GPS unit:  There isn't room.
radiation pills:  There isn't room.
flashlight:  There isn't room.
necklace:  There isn't room.
screwdriver:  There isn't room.
small plastic tub:  There isn't room.
frayed jacket:  There isn't room.
map:  There isn't room.
note:  There isn't room.
metal pole:  You crouch down and try to snag the metallic object under the desk
with the metal pole.  You can't seem to catch it, though, and after a minute
you give up.
lump of clay:  There isn't room.

>get pole
You already have the metal pole!

>look through pole
You can't see anything through the metal
pole.

>x pole
An iron pole that stretches about three feet
long.  Feels like it's hollow, though the ends are closed.

>put magnet on pole
The magnet is now firmly attached to the end
of the metal pole.

>put pole under desk
You crouch down and slide the pole under the
desk towards the metallic object beneath.  Whatever it is sticks to the magnet
at the end of the pole, and you pull the pole out to find a security badge
dangling from the end, its belt clip stuck to the magnet.

[Your score has just gone up by 2 points.]

>[sweet!]


>get badge
You already have the security badge!

>get magnet
Taken.

>n
The automated door opens to let you pass.

First Floor Hallway West
The metal grating that serves for a floor is mostly undisturbed, with only the
occasional muddy footprint heading in fr