All text will now be saved to the script file. Type UNSCRIPT at any time to discontinue scripting. >restore Restored. Front of house This is the front of your house. It looks somewhat weathered, as if no one had tended to it for ten years, but is otherwise normal. Sopping mounds of rotting leaves that have collected along the edges and corners indicate years of neglect. A pool of dirty yellow water trickles down from the driveway and collects, full of black silt, near the front door. The driveway is to the northeast, and a clearing is visible far to the southwest. The front door is to the west. >n There is nowhere to go in that direction. >ne Driveway Your driveway looks much the same, a thankful sight after the ruin your house has become. The road to town still lies to the east. Your front door is to the southwest. >x driveway I see nothing special about the driveway. >e Sidewalk After the shocking sight of your house, this once-familiar sidewalk is a calming surprise. Someone must have recently repoured the walk, as it is smooth and free of flaws. The sidewalk wanders east-west alongside the road from your house into the nearby strip mall. You see a mailbox here. >open mailbox The mailbox is already open! >look in it There's nothing in the mailbox. >e Strip mall The walk to town is much shorter, because progress seems to have brought the town to you. Where there used to be some nice trees and bushes is a concrete strip-mall. The old village square with the library, bank, and sandwich shop seems to have been mowed down to make way for this thing. In fact, a sign here makes you think even this strip mall isn't long for this world. Even the bank is gone, replaced by an impersonal ATM. In the strip mall you see a number of vacant offices. The only shop that seems to be open for business is an alabaster little store labelled "Locksmith," which is directly to the north. The sidewalk leads back west. >w Sidewalk After the shocking sight of your house, this once-familiar sidewalk is a calming surprise. Someone must have recently repoured the walk, as it is smooth and free of flaws. The sidewalk wanders east-west alongside the road from your house into the nearby strip mall. You see a mailbox here. >w Driveway Your driveway looks much the same, a thankful sight after the ruin your house has become. The road to town still lies to the east. Your front door is to the southwest. >w North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door, just the way you remember it. It looks somewhat weathered, as if no one had tended to it for ten years, but is otherwise normal. The garage door is open. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. >s In the garage This room is a total mess, in a totally new and horrible way than the total mess you were used to. A soiled mattress is lumped into one corner, surrounded by filth and discarded bottles. There's a garage door button on the wall. A door leads south into the kitchen. The garage door to the north is open. You see a wall opener button here. Fred is here, sitting on a soiled mattress. >push button You push the opener button. Click. Nothing happens. >search bottles There's no reason to look through the filth and junk. >ask fred about sandwich Fred mutters, "I don't know nothin' about that. Go away." >ask him about drinking Fred mutters, "I don't know nothin' about that. Go away." >ask him about liquor Fred mutters, "I don't know nothin' about that. Go away." >ask him about shop Fred says, "Eh? What do you know about it, that damn sandwich shop! Ten years of my life I gave that place. I was gonna be manager. I knew that place like nobody. Then they tell me -- they tell me that I'm drinking too much. I says to them, I says, 'Hah! My problem is I don't drink enough, to put up with what I gotta deal with!" He goes silent for a minute, lost in thought, or perhaps just simply lost. "They can tear it down for all I care," he says finally. "In fact, I hear that's what's gonna happen." Fred throws his arm in a wide circle, stifling a bout of coughing. "All this. All this is going to become -- get this, this is what I hear -- a parking lot. And a big building. It's all going to Hell." He looks up at you, looking for a reaction. "Ah, what am I telling you for? You can't do nothin' about it." >ask him about library Fred mutters, "I don't know nothin' about that. Go away." >ask him about bank Fred mutters, "I don't know nothin' about that. Go away." >ask him about aa I don't know the word "aa". >ask him about alcoholic Fred says, "I'm not sure what to tell you about myself." >ask him about alcoholics anonymous I don't know the word "anonymous". >s Kitchen The kitchen has been looted and trashed, as if anger had been vented upon it once its supplies ran out. Every cabinet and drawer has been opened, and some of the drawers are heaped in a broken pile on the floor. The refrigerator is wide open and full of disgusting green stains and patterns of blackening mold. The stove has been dented and shows evidence of muddy footprints having stood on top of it and kicked it. The small kitchen table has been overturned in the western corner of the room. Windows look out west and east to the back and front yards. The dining room is west, and the foyer is to the south. A back door leads north into the garage. >x fridge The refrigerator is wide open and full of disgusting green stains and patterns of blackening mold. >look in it That isn't important. >x stove The stove has been dented and shows evidence of muddy footprints having stood on top of it and kicked it. >look in it That isn't important. >x table The small kitchen table has been overturned in the western corner of the room. Windows look out west and east to the back and front yards. >search it That isn't important. >[Odd that the windows desc. is tied to the table I don't understand the punctuation "[". >x windows You see west out into the back yard and east into the corner of the driveway where it curves around to the front of the garage. >w Dining room The dining room, which you had recently converted into a study area, has been kicked around and spraypainted in a similar fashion to the other rooms in the house, but the large table remains standing where you left it. Piled upon it are empty cans and bottles, and its surface is mottled with cigarette burns and knife marks. A bookcase that stood in the southern corner of the room is missing, but a pile of yellow, water-damaged books remains in its place, underneath more trash. Two large windows face west out to the back yard. The fireplace, too, is cluttered with debris. The kitchen is east, and the living room is to the south. A doorway at the southeast corner of the room leads to the foyer. >x table Piled upon it are empty cans and bottles, and its surface is mottled with cigarette burns and knife marks. >search it That isn't important. >read graffiti The graffiti covers the walls. It is the markings of territorial youth, strange symbols and stylized lettering. What little of it makes sense to you is obscene. >x windows Through them you see west out into the back yard. >open them large windows: Those aren't important. >enter fireplace That isn't important. >s Living room The tv set is no longer on a stand, it sits against the northern wall under a stack of pizza boxes that emit a rude odor. A stained and beaten couch -- not your own -- sits to the south, facing the television set. Some of its cushions are missing, but it doesn't look as if it were particularly comfortable even in its prime. Bent and twisted blinds hang over the west-facing windows. The dining room is north, and a doorway into the hallway is east. >get tv You'll have to unplug it from the wall socket first. >unplug tv You unplug the television set from the wall socket. >get tv Taken. >n Dining room The dining room, which you had recently converted into a study area, has been kicked around and spraypainted in a similar fashion to the other rooms in the house, but the large table remains standing where you left it. Piled upon it are empty cans and bottles, and its surface is mottled with cigarette burns and knife marks. A bookcase that stood in the southern corner of the room is missing, but a pile of yellow, water-damaged books remains in its place, underneath more trash. Two large windows face west out to the back yard. The fireplace, too, is cluttered with debris. The kitchen is east, and the living room is to the south. A doorway at the southeast corner of the room leads to the foyer. >e Kitchen The kitchen has been looted and trashed, as if anger had been vented upon it once its supplies ran out. Every cabinet and drawer has been opened, and some of the drawers are heaped in a broken pile on the floor. The refrigerator is wide open and full of disgusting green stains and patterns of blackening mold. The stove has been dented and shows evidence of muddy footprints having stood on top of it and kicked it. The small kitchen table has been overturned in the western corner of the room. Windows look out west and east to the back and front yards. The dining room is west, and the foyer is to the south. A back door leads north into the garage. >n In the garage This room is a total mess, in a totally new and horrible way than the total mess you were used to. A soiled mattress is lumped into one corner, surrounded by filth and discarded bottles. There's a garage door button on the wall. A door leads south into the kitchen. The garage door to the north is open. You see a wall opener button here. Fred is here, sitting on a soiled mattress. >n North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door, just the way you remember it. It looks somewhat weathered, as if no one had tended to it for ten years, but is otherwise normal. The garage door is open. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. >e Driveway Your driveway looks much the same, a thankful sight after the ruin your house has become. The road to town still lies to the east. Your front door is to the southwest. >e Sidewalk After the shocking sight of your house, this once-familiar sidewalk is a calming surprise. Someone must have recently repoured the walk, as it is smooth and free of flaws. The sidewalk wanders east-west alongside the road from your house into the nearby strip mall. You see a mailbox here. >n There is nowhere to go in that direction. >e Strip mall The walk to town is much shorter, because progress seems to have brought the town to you. Where there used to be some nice trees and bushes is a concrete strip-mall. The old village square with the library, bank, and sandwich shop seems to have been mowed down to make way for this thing. In fact, a sign here makes you think even this strip mall isn't long for this world. Even the bank is gone, replaced by an impersonal ATM. In the strip mall you see a number of vacant offices. The only shop that seems to be open for business is an alabaster little store labelled "Locksmith," which is directly to the north. The sidewalk leads back west. >n Locksmith shop A sign inside says, "Going out of business - Free stuff." Most everything has been taken already. The only exit is south. You see a motorized grinder here. The motorized grinder seems to contain a blank. >unplug grinder You unplug the motorized grinder from the socket. >plug tv (in the socket) (first dropping the television set) Okay, you plug the television set into the socket. >turn on tv You turn on the television set. A snowy picture appears. >change channel You change channels a few times, but the picture doesn't get any better. You've always been more of a book reader than a television watcher, anyway. >change channel You change channels a few times, but the picture doesn't get any better. You've always been more of a book reader than a television watcher, anyway. >change channel You change channels a few times, but the picture doesn't get any better. You've always been more of a book reader than a television watcher, anyway. >x tv Playing on the television is a snowy picture. >i You are carrying: a package a frisbee a rare book a garage door opener a #2 pencil a tourist map a divining rod an old pillowcase a shovel a machete a blue pencil a desk lamp a tire a newspaper a bottle of cheap liquor a Herring detector a car key a paper napkin a monkey wrench a perfect blue crystal a library book a can-opener a can of WD-40 a crowbar a biology book the time machine manual a screwdriver >use herring on tv Not a red herring. >fix tv (with the screwdriver) I don't know how to fix the television set. >open tv I don't know how to open the television set. >s Strip mall The walk to town is much shorter, because progress seems to have brought the town to you. Where there used to be some nice trees and bushes is a concrete strip-mall. The old village square with the library, bank, and sandwich shop seems to have been mowed down to make way for this thing. In fact, a sign here makes you think even this strip mall isn't long for this world. Even the bank is gone, replaced by an impersonal ATM. In the strip mall you see a number of vacant offices. The only shop that seems to be open for business is an alabaster little store labelled "Locksmith," which is directly to the north. The sidewalk leads back west. >w Sidewalk After the shocking sight of your house, this once-familiar sidewalk is a calming surprise. Someone must have recently repoured the walk, as it is smooth and free of flaws. The sidewalk wanders east-west alongside the road from your house into the nearby strip mall. You see a mailbox here. >w Driveway Your driveway looks much the same, a thankful sight after the ruin your house has become. The road to town still lies to the east. Your front door is to the southwest. >sw Front of house This is the front of your house. It looks somewhat weathered, as if no one had tended to it for ten years, but is otherwise normal. Sopping mounds of rotting leaves that have collected along the edges and corners indicate years of neglect. A pool of dirty yellow water trickles down from the driveway and collects, full of black silt, near the front door. The driveway is to the northeast, and a clearing is visible far to the southwest. The front door is to the west. >sw South of house The house is older and sagging, with long ruts where splinters have broken off, but it otherwise looks the way you remember it. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. The tiny window high in the wall has been crudely boarded shut. A large and sagging tree grows here, leaning its bulky canopy toward the house. A large branch has snapped from the middle of its trunk and lies in the mud. To the southwest is the old rock and, farther, the clearing. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. A secret door is open to the north. >sw At the rock A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, a familiar landmark in an otherwise unfamiliar landscape. Once nestled along a wooded path, it now is the sole feature of an eerily empty landscape, distorting your perceptions of scale and distance. The broken remains of dark glass bottles lie around the base. To the northeast is your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw Clearing The clearing here is desolate, giving the distinct impression that all natural life has left this area. The ground is hard and overgrown by weedy grass. There are no trees any more, but there are some stumps where once they stood. Your old footpath is nowhere to be seen. You do see your house to the northeast, but it too looks abandoned. You see a time machine here. >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. >set dial to 1 Okay, it's now turned to 1. >push button You push the big red button. Click! The time machine vibrates and heats up like a toaster oven. A deep red light envelops you. The world around you spins into a wild vortex that suddenly vanishes, leaving you to find yourself in a ... Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can see a construction site through the woods to the northeast. You see a time machine here. >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >push button You push the big red button. Click! Nothing seems to happen. I wonder why. >push button You push the big red button. Click! Nothing seems to happen. I wonder why. >push button You push the big red button. Click! Nothing seems to happen. I wonder why. >push button You push the big red button. Click! A little alert bulb on the time machine flashes briefly. Perhaps the machine has a limited range, because nothing seems to happen. >set dial to 2 Okay, it's now turned to 2. >push button You push the big red button. Click! The time machine vibrates and heats up like a toaster oven. A dull orange light envelops you. The world around you spins into a wild vortex that suddenly vanishes, leaving you to find yourself in a ... Forest The woods surround you on all sides, although there is enough space around you to consider it a clearing of sorts. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. You aren't sure which from which direction it originates. You can see your usual path through the grove of trees to the northeast. You see some money (70 dollars) and a time machine here. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northeast. >ne (first getting off the platform) Okay, you're no longer on the time machine platform. Path in the woods A natural path made by the stream winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, and the stream does an abrupt curve around it. The stream runs from the northeast to the south, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. You see five jugs of miracle-grow here. >ne Sloping wood The ground slopes down here, eroded by the nearby stream. Grasses heavy with fresh dew and spring-saturated soil give the area a soft, spongy feel beneath your feet. The stream leads back southwest, and far ahead through the trees to the northeast, you can see a road of some kind. You see a soft spot and a little mound of dirt here. >ne Oakwood drive This pleasant road wanders peacefully through the lush tree growths native to the area. In the intervening years, they'll straighten the road and widen it, cutting down dozens of these thirty- to eighty-year-old live oaks. The road leads north into the old shopping village, and a path winds back into the forest to the southwest. >e There is nowhere to go in that direction. >e There is nowhere to go in that direction. >n In the village The little shopping village looks a lot different than you're used to seeing it. The sandwich shop is there, to the north, but it doesn't look like it's open for business yet. To the west is the bank, which seems like it's always been here and always will. To the east is an antique store, where the public library will be. The road leading back is south. >w In the bank The bank interior is polished and impeccable. A desk to the south says "New Accounts." A teller window to the north is labeled "Deposits and Withdrawals." A hallway leads west into the bank's back offices. The exit is east. >s New accounts The new accounts area is a clean little area in the corner of the bank. The lobby is back to the north. Laura, a bank employee, is sitting at the new accounts desk. >show crystal to laura Laura isn't impressed. >ask laura about promotion I don't know the word "promotion". >ask her about investment Laura says, "I'm afraid you'll have to ask someone else." >ask her about investments Laura says, "I don't have any opinion about the investments." >ask her about stock Laura says, "I'm not the best source of financial advice, sorry." >ask her about dibble Laura says, "I'm not the best source of financial advice, sorry." >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >e There is nowhere to go in that direction. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >n In the bank The bank interior is polished and impeccable. A desk to the south says "New Accounts." A teller window to the north is labeled "Deposits and Withdrawals." A hallway leads west into the bank's back offices. The exit is east. >e In the village The little shopping village looks a lot different than you're used to seeing it. The sandwich shop is there, to the north, but it doesn't look like it's open for business yet. To the west is the bank, which seems like it's always been here and always will. To the east is an antique store, where the public library will be. The road leading back is south. >s Oakwood drive This pleasant road wanders peacefully through the lush tree growths native to the area. In the intervening years, they'll straighten the road and widen it, cutting down dozens of these thirty- to eighty-year-old live oaks. The road leads north into the old shopping village, and a path winds back into the forest to the southwest. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >sw Sloping wood The ground slopes down here, eroded by the nearby stream. Grasses heavy with fresh dew and spring-saturated soil give the area a soft, spongy feel beneath your feet. The stream leads back southwest, and far ahead through the trees to the northeast, you can see a road of some kind. You see a soft spot and a little mound of dirt here. >sw Path in the woods A natural path made by the stream winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, and the stream does an abrupt curve around it. The stream runs from the northeast to the south, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. You see five jugs of miracle-grow here. >sw You push your way into the clearing, opening your usual path once again. Forest The woods surround you on all sides, although there is enough space around you to consider it a clearing of sorts. Light streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. You can hear the soft gurgling of a stream nearby, but the foliage is so rich and dense that the sound of it is dispersed. You aren't sure which from which direction it originates. You can see your usual path through the grove of trees to the northeast. You see some money (70 dollars) and a time machine here. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northeast. >sw You get all turned around in the dense forest growth and end up back where you started. >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. >set dial to 5 Okay, it's now turned to 5. >push button You push the big red button. Click! The time machine vibrates and heats up like a toaster oven. A blinding purple light envelops you. The world around you spins into a wild vortex that suddenly vanishes, leaving you to find yourself in a ... Clearing The woods part in a marvelous natural clearing here. Moonlight streams prettily through the canopy of leaves above. The ground is hard and flat and clean. Your footpath leaves the clearing to the northeast, heading back to the house. You see a time machine here. >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >push button You push the big red button. Click! The time machine vibrates and heats up like a toaster oven. A blinding purple light envelops you. The world around you spins into a wild vortex that suddenly vanishes, leaving you to find yourself in a ... Parking lot You are standing in the middle of a gigantic parking lot which extends as far as you can see in most directions. An ugly, hot wind whips past you, scorching across the miles of black pavement, drawing at you like a vacuum, pulling you toward one of the ugliest skyscrapers you have ever seen. A monolith of black glass and steel, it rises fully 80 stories, at least. The fearsome structure is a short walk to the northeast, right where your house used to be. You see a time machine here. >ne (first getting off the platform) Okay, you're no longer on the time machine platform. Beneath the skyscraper The skyscraper looms, looms, looms above you. It could be as high as 100 stories, but somehow the rippling heat from the blacktop is making your vision distorted, and you really can't trust your eyes right now. The name "Lothario" is displayed in striated steel letters 20 feet up over the entranceway, which extends through glass doors into an expansive lobby. There is not another soul in sight. Your only means of escape is the time machine, visible through the hazy heat to the southwest. You hope it isn't just a mirage. The glass doors are to the west. >w (Opening the lobby doors) The blast of dessicating heat settles into the sterile chill of air conditioning as you pass through the doors... Expansive lobby The floor of this oppressively architectured lobby, with proportions guaranteed to make the visitor feel powerless and insignificant, is made of polished pink granite. Black marble walls laced with stripes of brass lurch upward to a curved ceiling. An almost laughable fresco has been painted in the dome, depicting Atlas shouldering the world as angels look on. In this rendition, Atlas sports a tailored, double-breasted gray suit and an advertising-age, beaming white smile. You are aware of the presence of security cameras, at least four that you notice right away, pointed in your direction. A massive security desk built of granite, with an arcing black marble countertop, is situated in the middle of the lobby. An array of black and white monitors are visible behind it. The lobby doors exit to the east. To the northeast is a long hallway, and to the northwest you see a set of three elevators. There is a security guard here, sitting behind the desk. >nw Lobby elevators This short hallway is painted a deep shade of crimson. A large building directory is bolted to the wall. A leafy plant sits in the corner, attempting to breathe some semblance of real life into the sterile atmosphere. There are three closed elevator doors here, and up and down call buttons. The lobby is back to the southeast. >push button Which button do you mean, the opener button, the up button, or the down button? >up button You push the up button. You assume one of them will respond to your call, but nothing immediately changes. The security guard comes walking slowly towards you. "You there," she says. "Who are you going to see?" >say "laura" She says, "I'm not sure who that is, but you've proven to me that you have no legitimate business here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave this area." She escorts you back to the lobby and eyes you warily from behind her desk, as if at any moment she expected you to start waving sticks of dynamite and making wild demands. Expansive lobby The floor of this oppressively architectured lobby, with proportions guaranteed to make the visitor feel powerless and insignificant, is made of polished pink granite. Black marble walls laced with stripes of brass lurch upward to a curved ceiling. An almost laughable fresco has been painted in the dome, depicting Atlas shouldering the world as angels look on. In this rendition, Atlas sports a tailored, double-breasted gray suit and an advertising-age, beaming white smile. The lobby doors exit to the east. To the northeast is a long hallway, and to the northwest you see a set of three elevators. You see a security desk here. There is a security guard here, sitting behind the desk. >undo (Undoing one command) Lobby elevators This short hallway is painted a deep shade of crimson. A large building directory is bolted to the wall. A leafy plant sits in the corner, attempting to breathe some semblance of real life into the sterile atmosphere. There are three closed elevator doors here, and up and down call buttons. The lobby is back to the southeast. >say "peter mayhew" Okay, "peter mayhew". >push up You push the up button. You assume one of them will respond to your call, but nothing immediately changes. The security guard comes walking slowly towards you. "You there," she says. "Who are you going to see?" >say "peter mayhew" She says, "I'm not sure who that is, but you've proven to me that you have no legitimate business here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave this area." She escorts you back to the lobby and eyes you warily from behind her desk, as if at any moment she expected you to start waving sticks of dynamite and making wild demands. Expansive lobby The floor of this oppressively architectured lobby, with proportions guaranteed to make the visitor feel powerless and insignificant, is made of polished pink granite. Black marble walls laced with stripes of brass lurch upward to a curved ceiling. An almost laughable fresco has been painted in the dome, depicting Atlas shouldering the world as angels look on. In this rendition, Atlas sports a tailored, double-breasted gray suit and an advertising-age, beaming white smile. The lobby doors exit to the east. To the northeast is a long hallway, and to the northwest you see a set of three elevators. You see a security desk here. There is a security guard here, sitting behind the desk. >undo (Undoing one command) Lobby elevators This short hallway is painted a deep shade of crimson. A large building directory is bolted to the wall. A leafy plant sits in the corner, attempting to breathe some semblance of real life into the sterile atmosphere. There are three closed elevator doors here, and up and down call buttons. The lobby is back to the southeast. >push up You push the up button. You assume one of them will respond to your call, but nothing immediately changes. The security guard comes walking slowly towards you. "You there," she says. "Who are you going to see?" >peter She says, "I'm not sure who that is, but you've proven to me that you have no legitimate business here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave this area." She escorts you back to the lobby and eyes you warily from behind her desk, as if at any moment she expected you to start waving sticks of dynamite and making wild demands. Expansive lobby The floor of this oppressively architectured lobby, with proportions guaranteed to make the visitor feel powerless and insignificant, is made of polished pink granite. Black marble walls laced with stripes of brass lurch upward to a curved ceiling. An almost laughable fresco has been painted in the dome, depicting Atlas shouldering the world as angels look on. In this rendition, Atlas sports a tailored, double-breasted gray suit and an advertising-age, beaming white smile. The lobby doors exit to the east. To the northeast is a long hallway, and to the northwest you see a set of three elevators. You see a security desk here. There is a security guard here, sitting behind the desk. >undo (Undoing one command) Lobby elevators This short hallway is painted a deep shade of crimson. A large building directory is bolted to the wall. A leafy plant sits in the corner, attempting to breathe some semblance of real life into the sterile atmosphere. There are three closed elevator doors here, and up and down call buttons. The lobby is back to the southeast. >push up You push the up button. You assume one of them will respond to your call, but nothing immediately changes. The security guard comes walking slowly towards you. "You there," she says. "Who are you going to see?" >laura "Oh?" she asks. "One moment." She goes back to her desk and places a quick call. When she returns, she regards you even more grimly than before. "You don't have an appointment, and as far as anyone can tell, you have no legitimate business here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave this area." She escorts you back to the lobby and eyes you warily from behind her desk, as if at any moment she expected you to start waving sticks of dynamite and making wild demands. Expansive lobby The floor of this oppressively architectured lobby, with proportions guaranteed to make the visitor feel powerless and insignificant, is made of polished pink granite. Black marble walls laced with stripes of brass lurch upward to a curved ceiling. An almost laughable fresco has been painted in the dome, depicting Atlas shouldering the world as angels look on. In this rendition, Atlas sports a tailored, double-breasted gray suit and an advertising-age, beaming white smile. The lobby doors exit to the east. To the northeast is a long hallway, and to the northwest you see a set of three elevators. You see a security desk here. There is a security guard here, sitting behind the desk. >undo (Undoing one command) Lobby elevators This short hallway is painted a deep shade of crimson. A large building directory is bolted to the wall. A leafy plant sits in the corner, attempting to breathe some semblance of real life into the sterile atmosphere. There are three closed elevator doors here, and up and down call buttons. The lobby is back to the southeast. >l Lobby elevators This short hallway is painted a deep shade of crimson. A large building directory is bolted to the wall. A leafy plant sits in the corner, attempting to breathe some semblance of real life into the sterile atmosphere. There are three closed elevator doors here, and up and down call buttons. The lobby is back to the southeast. >x directory The directory lists well over fifty companies, each occupying a different floor. None of them mean anything to you. The Lothario Corporation's main offices are on the top floor, level 70. >look up laura in directory You scan the directory for her name, but no one is listed by their first names on the directory. >se Expansive lobby The floor of this oppressively architectured lobby, with proportions guaranteed to make the visitor feel powerless and insignificant, is made of polished pink granite. Black marble walls laced with stripes of brass lurch upward to a curved ceiling. An almost laughable fresco has been painted in the dome, depicting Atlas shouldering the world as angels look on. In this rendition, Atlas sports a tailored, double-breasted gray suit and an advertising-age, beaming white smile. The lobby doors exit to the east. To the northeast is a long hallway, and to the northwest you see a set of three elevators. You see a security desk here. There is a security guard here, sitting behind the desk. >x fresco The almost laughable fresco has been painted in the ceiling dome. It depicts Atlas shouldering the world as angels look on. In this rendition, Atlas sports a tailored, double-breasted gray suit and an advertising-age, beaming white smile. >search it You find nothing of interest. >x guard She is a tall, powerful-looking woman in her late thirties. Her orange hair has been yanked straight back into a tight bun, stretching her already tense face into a taut mask of ill humor. She wears a uniform, a badge, a stun gun, a pistol, and an air of unassailable authority. >ask her about laura The security guard says, "I'm not authorized to tell you anything about her." >ask her about fred The security guard says, "I'm not authorized to tell you anything about him." >ask her about me The security guard says, "I'm not authorized to tell you anything about that." >x desk The desk is built of granite with an arcing black marble countertop. An array of black and white monitors are visible behind it. There's nothing on the security desk. >x phone I don't know the word "phone". >l Expansive lobby The floor of this oppressively architectured lobby, with proportions guaranteed to make the visitor feel powerless and insignificant, is made of polished pink granite. Black marble walls laced with stripes of brass lurch upward to a curved ceiling. An almost laughable fresco has been painted in the dome, depicting Atlas shouldering the world as angels look on. In this rendition, Atlas sports a tailored, double-breasted gray suit and an advertising-age, beaming white smile. The lobby doors exit to the east. To the northeast is a long hallway, and to the northwest you see a set of three elevators. You see a security desk here. There is a security guard here, sitting behind the desk. >x walls The floor is made of polished pink granite. Black marble walls laced with stripes of brass lurch upward to a curved ceiling. >nw Lobby elevators This short hallway is painted a deep shade of crimson. A large building directory is bolted to the wall. A leafy plant sits in the corner, attempting to breathe some semblance of real life into the sterile atmosphere. There are three closed elevator doors here, and up and down call buttons. The lobby is back to the southeast. >push up You push the up button. You assume one of them will respond to your call, but nothing immediately changes. The security guard comes walking slowly towards you. "You there," she says. "Who are you going to see?" >fred She says, "I'm not sure who that is, but you've proven to me that you have no legitimate business here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave this area." She escorts you back to the lobby and eyes you warily from behind her desk, as if at any moment she expected you to start waving sticks of dynamite and making wild demands. Expansive lobby The floor of this oppressively architectured lobby, with proportions guaranteed to make the visitor feel powerless and insignificant, is made of polished pink granite. Black marble walls laced with stripes of brass lurch upward to a curved ceiling. An almost laughable fresco has been painted in the dome, depicting Atlas shouldering the world as angels look on. In this rendition, Atlas sports a tailored, double-breasted gray suit and an advertising-age, beaming white smile. The lobby doors exit to the east. To the northeast is a long hallway, and to the northwest you see a set of three elevators. You see a security desk here. There is a security guard here, sitting behind the desk. >undo (Undoing one command) Lobby elevators This short hallway is painted a deep shade of crimson. A large building directory is bolted to the wall. A leafy plant sits in the corner, attempting to breathe some semblance of real life into the sterile atmosphere. There are three closed elevator doors here, and up and down call buttons. The lobby is back to the southeast. >push up You push the up button. You assume one of them will respond to your call, but nothing immediately changes. The security guard comes walking slowly towards you. "You there," she says. "Who are you going to see?" >laura "Oh?" she asks. "One moment." She goes back to her desk and places a quick call. When she returns, she regards you even more grimly than before. "You don't have an appointment, and as far as anyone can tell, you have no legitimate business here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave this area." She escorts you back to the lobby and eyes you warily from behind her desk, as if at any moment she expected you to start waving sticks of dynamite and making wild demands. Expansive lobby The floor of this oppressively architectured lobby, with proportions guaranteed to make the visitor feel powerless and insignificant, is made of polished pink granite. Black marble walls laced with stripes of brass lurch upward to a curved ceiling. An almost laughable fresco has been painted in the dome, depicting Atlas shouldering the world as angels look on. In this rendition, Atlas sports a tailored, double-breasted gray suit and an advertising-age, beaming white smile. The lobby doors exit to the east. To the northeast is a long hallway, and to the northwest you see a set of three elevators. You see a security desk here. There is a security guard here, sitting behind the desk. >se There is nowhere to go in that direction. >e The sterile chill of conditioned air gives way to the punishing blast of dessicating heat as you pass through the doors... Beneath the skyscraper The skyscraper looms, looms, looms above you. It could be as high as 100 stories, but somehow the rippling heat from the blacktop is making your vision distorted, and you really can't trust your eyes right now. The name "Lothario" is displayed in striated steel letters 20 feet up over the entranceway, which extends through glass doors into an expansive lobby. There is not another soul in sight. Your only means of escape is the time machine, visible through the hazy heat to the southwest. You hope it isn't just a mirage. The glass doors are to the west. >e A blast of heat obscures your vision. You retreat, oppressed by feelings of black foreboding. >n A blast of heat obscures your vision. You retreat, oppressed by feelings of black foreboding. >ne A blast of heat obscures your vision. You retreat, oppressed by feelings of black foreboding. >exits Your only means of escape is the time machine, visible through the hazy heat to the southwest. You hope it isn't just a mirage. The glass doors are to the west. >sw Parking lot You are standing in the middle of a gigantic parking lot which extends as far as you can see in most directions. An ugly, hot wind whips past you, scorching across the miles of black pavement, drawing at you like a vacuum, pulling you toward one of the ugliest skyscrapers you have ever seen. A monolith of black glass and steel, it rises fully 80 stories, at least. The fearsome structure is a short walk to the northeast, right where your house used to be. You see a time machine here. You hear a sharp noise that dies quickly away. >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. You see something moving in the shimmering air. >x moving I don't see any moving here. >z Time passes... Something is moving quickly toward you from the northeast. >z Time passes... Black shapes are surrounding you on all sides. >x black shapes I don't see any black shapes here. >z Time passes... Everything seems to fade into the haze... >z Time passes... >set dial to 2 Okay, it's now turned to 2. >push button You push the big red button. Click! The time machine vibrates and heats up like a toaster oven. A dull orange light envelops you. The world around you spins into a wild vortex that suddenly vanishes, leaving you to find yourself in a ... Clearing The clearing here is desolate, giving the distinct impression that all natural life has left this area. The ground is hard and overgrown by weedy grass. There are no trees any more, but there are some stumps where once they stood. Your old footpath is nowhere to be seen. You do see your house to the northeast, but it too looks abandoned. You see a time machine here. >ne (first getting off the platform) Okay, you're no longer on the time machine platform. At the rock A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, a familiar landmark in an otherwise unfamiliar landscape. Once nestled along a wooded path, it now is the sole feature of an eerily empty landscape, distorting your perceptions of scale and distance. The broken remains of dark glass bottles lie around the base. To the northeast is your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >x bottles I see nothing special about the broken bottles. >ne South of house The house is older and sagging, with long ruts where splinters have broken off, but it otherwise looks the way you remember it. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. The tiny window high in the wall has been crudely boarded shut. A large and sagging tree grows here, leaning its bulky canopy toward the house. A large branch has snapped from the middle of its trunk and lies in the mud. To the southwest is the old rock and, farther, the clearing. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. A secret door is open to the north. >sw At the rock A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, a familiar landmark in an otherwise unfamiliar landscape. Once nestled along a wooded path, it now is the sole feature of an eerily empty landscape, distorting your perceptions of scale and distance. The broken remains of dark glass bottles lie around the base. To the northeast is your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >search bottles You find nothing of interest. >ne South of house The house is older and sagging, with long ruts where splinters have broken off, but it otherwise looks the way you remember it. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. The tiny window high in the wall has been crudely boarded shut. A large and sagging tree grows here, leaning its bulky canopy toward the house. A large branch has snapped from the middle of its trunk and lies in the mud. To the southwest is the old rock and, farther, the clearing. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. A secret door is open to the north. >nw Behind house The back of your house is as non-descript as ever. Even the old trees that line the west edge of the property don't do much to liven the area any more. The spout of your drainpipe comes down here from the roof. A gravel path extends northeast and southeast. >ne North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door, just the way you remember it. It looks somewhat weathered, as if no one had tended to it for ten years, but is otherwise normal. The garage door is open. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. >u You climb gingerly up the stone wall. North roof This is the north end of the roof. The shingles are in good shape, even after twenty years of weather. Someone obviously took the time and care to do this roof job right. A gutter trap, clogged with leaves, runs along the length of the west side of the house. The roof itself continues south. The stone wall, which turns out to be the outside of your chimney, leads back down. >s South roof The shingles are in good shape, even after twenty years of weather. The ground is a long way down from here, at least 30 feet. The gutter trap is to the west and continues up to the north end of the house. The only exit is north. >x lightning rod I don't see any lightning rod here. >x trap It's clogged full of leaves, but you can still make out the top opening of the drainpipe that leads down to the back of the house. >x opening I don't see any opening here. >x drainpipe It runs from here down to a spout at the back of the house. >n North roof This is the north end of the roof. The shingles are in good shape, even after twenty years of weather. Someone obviously took the time and care to do this roof job right. A gutter trap, clogged with leaves, runs along the length of the west side of the house. The roof itself continues south. The stone wall, which turns out to be the outside of your chimney, leads back down. >d You climb gingerly down the stone wall. North of house The north side of your house is dominated by your garage door, just the way you remember it. It looks somewhat weathered, as if no one had tended to it for ten years, but is otherwise normal. The garage door is open. The driveway extends east, and a small path leads southeast to the front of the house and southwest to the back. A scaled stone wall runs up the side of the house. >sw Behind house The back of your house is as non-descript as ever. Even the old trees that line the west edge of the property don't do much to liven the area any more. The spout of your drainpipe comes down here from the roof. A gravel path extends northeast and southeast. >x drainpipe I see nothing special about the drainpipe. >look in it The drainpipe is clogged with leaves. >save Saved. >quit In a total of 1098 turns, you have achieved a score of 108 points out of a possible 151, which means you are an experienced adventurer. Do you really want to quit? (YES or NO) > y Thank you for playing First Things First.