All text will now be saved to the script file. Type UNSCRIPT at any time to discontinue scripting. >l North of house The house is burned and crippled, a shadow of its former pleasant beauty. The southern roof has been torn open by the weight of a fallen tree. However, the fire seems not to have spread very far, thanks to the fire-resistant shingles. 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 house is burned and crippled, a shadow of its former pleasant beauty. The southern roof has been torn open by the weight of a fallen tree. However, the fire seems not to have spread very far, thanks to the fire-resistant shingles. The dead trees that line the west edge of the property seem to regard the scene with a sagelike sadness. A gravel path extends northeast and southeast. >se South of house This is not your house as you expected to find it, but a scene of devastation. The beautiful tree you planted has split from its scorched trunk and smashed into the side of your house. From what you can see, the roof has been torn open by the weight of it, and a terrifying hole gouged out to fully halfway down the wall. However, the fire seems not to have spread thanks to the fire- resistant shingles. Broken splinters of wet and rotting wood lie everywhere, kept moist by recent rains. To the southwest is the old rock and, farther, the clearing. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. >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. The rock itself looks darker than you remember it, somewhat blackened. 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. >sw There is nothing but desolate, brown land in that direction. >ne 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. The rock itself looks darker than you remember it, somewhat blackened. To the northeast is your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne South of house This is not your house as you expected to find it, but a scene of devastation. The beautiful tree you planted has split from its scorched trunk and smashed into the side of your house. From what you can see, the roof has been torn open by the weight of it, and a terrifying hole gouged out to fully halfway down the wall. However, the fire seems not to have spread thanks to the fire- resistant shingles. Broken splinters of wet and rotting wood lie everywhere, kept moist by recent rains. To the southwest is the old rock and, farther, the clearing. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. >n You'll have to open the secret door first. >open secret door You can't find the secret door to open it. There must be some kind of secret switch. >search ground You find nothing else of interest. >nw Behind house The house is burned and crippled, a shadow of its former pleasant beauty. The southern roof has been torn open by the weight of a fallen tree. However, the fire seems not to have spread very far, thanks to the fire-resistant shingles. The dead trees that line the west edge of the property seem to regard the scene with a sagelike sadness. A gravel path extends northeast and southeast. >ne North of house The house is burned and crippled, a shadow of its former pleasant beauty. The southern roof has been torn open by the weight of a fallen tree. However, the fire seems not to have spread very far, thanks to the fire-resistant shingles. 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. >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. >s Foyer The entryway to your home has been used as a dumping ground for trash and broken bottles. The tiled floor has been scuffed and scarred, and swirled with what looks suspiciously like tire treads. Open doorways lead to various areas of the house. A broken staircase leads up to the second floor. The front door is east. A hallway leads south, and the dining room is through a doorway to the west. >s Downstairs hallway The hallway is dark and feels cramped due to the collected refuse that has built up along the wall. Graffiti covers every flat surface, as usual. There is no sign of the photographs that used to hang here. The foyer is north, and a doorway into the living room is west. The master bedroom is to the south. A small door leads east into a half bathroom. >s Master bedroom This is your bedroom, the one you've been longing all night to get back to. Unfortunately, there is no place to sleep here, even if you could close your eyes to the general nightmare that your house has become. The bed is missing. The large dresser that used to stand in the southeast corner of the room has been toppled over, and its spilled contents have been thoroughly looted, leaving nothing behind but some soiled linens. Ratty curtains are open to the west side of the house, letting some amount of somber, muted light in. The dimensions of the room look slightly smaller than you remember. Perhaps it is a trick of the eyes due to the unsettling damage. The foyer is north through the hallway, and the master bathroom is to the east. A secret door is open to the southeast. >se Secret passage The secret passage is a narrow hallway of sorts, only about twelve feet long and three and a half feet wide. The walls are bare plaster and sheet rock. Various springs and tumblers are connected together in an elegant set of mechanisms to open the doors. A small light bulb hangs from the ceiling, giving the room some gentle illumnation. The short hallway dead-ends at a crudely-carved staircase leading down. There is another door to the west, and you can go out the way you came in. >s (Opening the main door) South of house This is not your house as you expected to find it, but a scene of devastation. The beautiful tree you planted has split from its scorched trunk and smashed into the side of your house. From what you can see, the roof has been torn open by the weight of it, and a terrifying hole gouged out to fully halfway down the wall. However, the fire seems not to have spread thanks to the fire- resistant shingles. Broken splinters of wet and rotting wood lie everywhere, kept moist by recent rains. 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. The rock itself looks darker than you remember it, somewhat blackened. 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. >ne 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. The rock itself looks darker than you remember it, somewhat blackened. To the northeast is your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne South of house This is not your house as you expected to find it, but a scene of devastation. The beautiful tree you planted has split from its scorched trunk and smashed into the side of your house. From what you can see, the roof has been torn open by the weight of it, and a terrifying hole gouged out to fully halfway down the wall. However, the fire seems not to have spread thanks to the fire- resistant shingles. Broken splinters of wet and rotting wood lie everywhere, kept moist by recent rains. 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. >n Secret passage The secret passage is a narrow hallway of sorts, only about twelve feet long and three and a half feet wide. The walls are bare plaster and sheet rock. Various springs and tumblers are connected together in an elegant set of mechanisms to open the doors. A small light bulb hangs from the ceiling, giving the room some gentle illumnation. The short hallway dead-ends at a crudely-carved staircase leading down. There is another door to the west, and you can go out the way you came in. >n Secret chamber Whether this nondescript room existed before the secret passage was made is unclear to you, but here it is now. It is made of concrete, about thirty feet square, with a fifteen foot ceiling. The floor of room must be at least twenty feet below the ground. The dim amber light, just enough to see by, seems to be coming from the ceiling itself, rather than any kind of recognizable fixture. The only exit that you can see is back up. You see a time machine here. >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. >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 ... Secret chamber Whether this nondescript room existed before the secret passage was made is unclear to you, but here it is now. It is made of concrete, about thirty feet square, with a fifteen foot ceiling. The floor of room must be at least twenty feet below the ground. The dim amber light, just enough to see by, seems to be coming from the ceiling itself, rather than any kind of recognizable fixture. The only exit that you can see is back up. You see a time machine here. >out Okay, you're no longer on the time machine platform. >s Secret passage The secret passage is a narrow hallway of sorts, only about twelve feet long and three and a half feet wide. The walls are bare plaster and sheet rock. Various springs and tumblers are connected together in an elegant set of mechanisms to open the doors. A small light bulb hangs from the ceiling, but it is currently turned off. The only light in the passage is from the open door. The short hallway dead-ends at a crudely-carved staircase leading down. There is another door to the west, and you can go out the way you came in. >s South of house The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. There is a tiny window high in the wall, about 30 feet up. There is a rope dangling from the window. A little path made by you on your many daily walks leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. A secret door is open to the north. A beautiful, leafy tree is growing here next to the house, right where you always thought it should. >sw Path in the woods This little spot is one of your favorite places to sit and think. A well-trod path winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, so the path does an abrupt curve around it. The path leads northeast to your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw 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. The hinged compartment seems to contain some money (195 dollars). >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 ... 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 a time machine here. The hinged compartment seems to contain some money (195 dollars). The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northeast. >get money Taken. >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, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a #2 pencil, and a tourist map 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. >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. >e Antique store Stocked full of knickknacks and ancient collectibles, this shop is pervaded by a rich, musty odor. Taking a look around, you are somewhat ashamed to admit that you really can't tell one item from another. None of it looks any more valuable or rare than the collection you keep heaped in your garage. The only exit is west into the village. You see a wheelbarrow and a lightning rod here. The merchant is here. As you enter, the antiques merchant smiles at you and waves you over to the counter. "Something new was just brought in that I thought you might like to see," she says, and retrieves something from behind the counter. It is a long spear of conducting metal. The initials 'WCDW' are imprinted along the shaft. The merchant says, "Ah yes. Let me tell you about this lightning rod. You can't just run down to the local hardware store to find a lightning rod like this one. Assuming there were a local hardware store, that is." She looks it up and down. "Yes, see here, on the shaft? It's the craftsman's initials. This was hand made by a company in Boise, Idaho, that made lifetime guarantees for their lightning rods. Back in the 1940s, they could barely keep up with demand. Cheap, mass-produced lightning rods eventually forced them out of the market. If you really want to protect your house, though, this is the one to get." >buy lightning The merchant says, "$25 for it. Deal?" >yes The merchant says, "All righty. Here you are. Thank you." >i You are carrying: a blue pencil a desk lamp a screwdriver a frisbee a tire a newspaper a ATM card a package a Herring detector an old pillowcase a car key a garage door opener a crowbar a can of WD-40 a shovel a divining rod a machete a library book a biology book the time machine manual a paper napkin some money (170 dollars) a lightning rod >w 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. >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, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a #2 pencil, and a tourist map 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 a time machine here. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northeast. >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. >put money in compartment Done. >set dial to 4 Okay, it's now turned to 4. >push button You push the big red button. Click! The time machine vibrates and heats up like a toaster oven. A bright blue 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 hear the busy noise of construction work nearby, coming through the woods from the northeast. You see a time machine here. The hinged compartment seems to contain some money (170 dollars). >ne (first getting off the platform) Okay, you're no longer on the time machine platform. Woods The smell of freshly-sawed wood wafts through this natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way. A construction site is to the northeast, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne South of house You are standing on what will be the south side of your house. The house is currently under construction. The wooden frame has gone up, but apart from that, there's not much to see. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. A little bare path made by you just now leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around the house to the northwest and northeast. To the east is a dirt road leading to town. You see a sapling here. >n Inside house You finally step into your house. Not much of a victory, given the circumstances. Just a lot of planks and rafters. A temporary work ladder is nailed into the structure, and leads up to the second floor. >u Second floor The description 'second floor' is misleading, because the floor up here isn't actually finished, so watch your step. From up here you see a nice view of the town square down the road. There is a fancy blueprint of the house sitting on a temporary workdesk. The only exit is down. Sitting on the workdesk is a blueprint. The architect is here. >give lightning rod to architect He says, "Hmmm. You really have a good memory for details. Normally, the installation of a lightning rod is more your personal business as the owner of the house than it is mine." He pauses and rubs his eyes blearily. "However, I suppose that since you're handing me a lightning rod, I will tell the men to attach it after they finish the roofing. It is a safety concern, especially when that tree at the south of the house grows up. If it gets big enough, it'll be its own lightning rod, after all." He takes the lightning rod from you and tosses it down to a passing worker below, hollering a few instructions. Then he settles into his chair and goes back to work. [ Your score just went up by 4 points. ] >score In a total of 691 turns, you have achieved a score of 126 points out of a possible 151, which means you are a first class adventurer. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >d Inside house You finally step into your house. Not much of a victory, given the circumstances. Just a lot of planks and rafters. A temporary work ladder is nailed into the structure, and leads up to the second floor. >s South of house You are standing on what will be the south side of your house. The house is currently under construction. The wooden frame has gone up, but apart from that, there's not much to see. The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. A little bare path made by you just now leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around the house to the northwest and northeast. To the east is a dirt road leading to town. You see a sapling here. >sw Woods The smell of freshly-sawed wood wafts through this natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way. A construction site is to the northeast, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw 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 hear the busy noise of construction work nearby, coming through the woods from the northeast. You see a time machine here. The hinged compartment seems to contain some money (170 dollars). >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. >set dial to 2 Okay, it's now turned to 2. >enter machine You are already standing on the platform. >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 a time machine here. The hinged compartment seems to contain some money (170 dollars). 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, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a #2 pencil, and a tourist map here. >s Flowing stream The foliage parts at last to reveal a sparkling forest stream. Light dapples gently through the leaves to highlight slick, wet rocks and the bright green of fresh growth. The stream flows, about half a meter wide, from the north to the southwest. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the stream. >sw Grotto The multiverdant greenery fed by the churning stream seems to end here in a place of stillness and serenity surrounding a deep pool of clear water. Even the very air itself seems to obey the call to quiet. The only exit is northeast. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the stream. >drop all blue pencil: Dropped. desk lamp: Dropped. screwdriver: Dropped. frisbee: Dropped. tire: Dropped. newspaper: Dropped. ATM card: Dropped. package: Dropped. paper napkin: Dropped. >in There is nowhere to go in that direction. >swim (the pool) As you step into the cool water pool, you find it difficult to keep your footing. You move slowly towards the deeper end, and suddenly the bottom takes a sudden drop. Losing your balance, you slide under the water, pulled along by a deep current you didn't imagine was lurking under the still surface. Looking out through the water's surface, you see the sunlight disappear. Air returns to your lungs just as the light goes away, and you feel your body sluicing down into groundwater caverns. When the motion stops, all you hear is the dripping of shallow water. You crawl forward and find a hard but dry spot. It is not completely dark here, but it takes a few minutes for your eyes to adjust. In the misty light you find yourself in a ... Limestone crawl You are in a tiny crawlway carved by the flow of ancient waters through soft limestone. The natural groundwater springs are drying up, and soon will be gone. A current of dark but shallow water swirls nearby. Light leaks down from a vertical sluice that leads up into the deep end of the grotto. You can leave through careful navigation up the sluice, or follow the crawlway, which leads north. >n Narrow north-south crawl You are in a narrow north-south crawlway that bulges slightly, giving you more room to maneuver. The crawlway heads north and then bends, making it difficult to see farther ahead, and slopes downward to the south. >d Limestone crawl You are in a tiny crawlway carved by the flow of ancient waters through soft limestone. The natural groundwater springs are drying up, and soon will be gone. A current of dark but shallow water swirls nearby. Light leaks down from a vertical sluice that leads up into the deep end of the grotto. You can leave through careful navigation up the sluice, or follow the crawlway, which leads north. >n Narrow north-south crawl You are in a narrow north-south crawlway that bulges slightly, giving you more room to maneuver. The crawlway heads north and then bends, making it difficult to see farther ahead, and slopes downward to the south. >n Tight bend The tunnel you have been following makes a tight bend here. Chalky dust swirls in the damp air, stirred up by your arrival. The crawl widens to the south, and turns here to the southeast, making a sudden drop as it does so. >se Crumbling tunnel Eroding limestone has caused the floor here to give way recently. You find your footing on the crumbling chunks of limestone, but only after making a scary drop of about four feet. The walls of the tunnel sport all manner of jagged cracks, but you don't feel any shifting or settling. Perhaps it is safe to continue, but probably not much farther. The limestone shelf is up and back to the northwest. The tunnel continues forward to the north, descending even further as it does so. >n Dark passage The light you have been following darkens here, making you wonder how much faith you have in the ambiguous light source. You can no longer make out any colors, only grainy shades of light and dark, but there wouldn't be many other colors to see even in full light. The passage continues ahead, zigzagging to the northeast, and to the south. >ne Zigzag passage The passage takes a series of sharp, zigzag turns here, north to west, north to west. As it does so, you feel your ears adjust to deepening pressure. You are definitely headed downhill the farther you go. The passage straightens out to the northeast, where you can discern a strange but growing brightness, and zigzags back into the darkness to the southwest. >ne Ledge The brightness coming from the bend in the tunnel to the north nearly distracts you from watching your footing. The sharp echo of a carelessly kicked stone, that rattles down for ten or twelve seconds before coming to a splashing halt, stops you in your tracks. You are standing on a narrow ledge at the south end of a jagged east-west gap in the cave floor. The gap plunges straight down, erosion having eaten everything away underneath. It is not a wide gap, and you are capable of crossing it without difficulty. However, you are aware that if you had stepped directly into it, your story would have ended here, in the darkness and the deep. Across the gap, the tunnel goes north and takes another bend, and it continues back southwest. >n You carefully cross to the other side of the gap and continue on. Bright bend Bright blue illumination shines from the opening to a larger cavern to the east. The light shimmers and ripples on the walls, wavelike patterns that dance and intermingle, shining all the more brightly where they overlap. The cavern is east, and the tunnel bends south, where it meets a ledge. >n There is nowhere to go in that direction. >e Crystal cavern You are in a large cavern that seems to be an enormous natural geode, with crystals as big as your head growing in splints and shafts from every direction. A pool of white water catches the reflected and refracted light and spins it back into the room, where it is caught and re-refracted. The original source of the light seems to be a series of pinholes in the roof of the cavern high above, but you don't think it could be sunlight. You have lost track of how deep you have gone, perhaps twenty, perhaps forty feet under the surface, but too far down to see sunlight, you would have thought. It is possible that sunlight has periscoped down a set of small crystal encrusted shafts that lead far enough up to see the open sky. In any case, it is literally mesmerizing to be here. The only exit is a tunnel to the west. You see crystals here. >get crystal You search for a crystal loose enough to take without breaking it or a larger crystal. After a short search, you discover a perfect blue crystal, which you take. [ Your score just went up by 3 points. ] >sw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >sw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >w Bright bend Bright blue illumination shines from the opening to a larger cavern to the east. The light shimmers and ripples on the walls, wavelike patterns that dance and intermingle, shining all the more brightly where they overlap. The cavern is east, and the tunnel bends south, where it meets a ledge. >s Ledge You are standing on a narrow ledge at the north end of a jagged west-east gap in the cave floor. The gap plunges straight down, erosion having eaten everything away underneath. It is not a wide gap, and you are capable of crossing it without difficulty. Across the gap, the tunnel goes southwest, and it continues back north and takes a bend into the crystal cavern. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >sw You carefully cross to the other side of the gap and continue on. Zigzag passage The passage takes a series of sharp, zigzag turns here, north to west, north to west. As it does so, you feel your ears adjust to deepening pressure. You are definitely headed downhill the farther you go. The passage straightens out to the northeast, where you can discern a strange but growing brightness, and zigzags back into the darkness to the southwest. >nw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >w There is nowhere to go in that direction. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >u There is nowhere to go in that direction. >nw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >sw Dark passage The light you have been following darkens here, making you wonder how much faith you have in the ambiguous light source. You can no longer make out any colors, only grainy shades of light and dark, but there wouldn't be many other colors to see even in full light. The passage continues ahead, zigzagging to the northeast, and to the south. >sw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >s Crumbling tunnel Eroding limestone has caused the floor here to give way recently. You find your footing on the crumbling chunks of limestone, but only after making a scary drop of about four feet. The walls of the tunnel sport all manner of jagged cracks, but you don't feel any shifting or settling. Perhaps it is safe to continue, but probably not much farther. The limestone shelf is up and back to the northwest. The tunnel continues forward to the north, descending even further as it does so. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >sw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >u Tight bend The tunnel you have been following makes a tight bend here. Chalky dust swirls in the damp air, stirred up by your arrival. The crawl widens to the south, and turns here to the southeast, making a sudden drop as it does so. >s Narrow north-south crawl You are in a narrow north-south crawlway that bulges slightly, giving you more room to maneuver. The crawlway heads north and then bends, making it difficult to see farther ahead, and slopes downward to the south. >s Limestone crawl You are in a tiny crawlway carved by the flow of ancient waters through soft limestone. The natural groundwater springs are drying up, and soon will be gone. A current of dark but shallow water swirls nearby. Light leaks down from a vertical sluice that leads up into the deep end of the grotto. You can leave through careful navigation up the sluice, or follow the crawlway, which leads north. >s There is nowhere to go in that direction. >sw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >se There is nowhere to go in that direction. >u It's a somewhat torturous ascent, but with patience and resolve you manage to make your way up the sluice. Your head again goes underwater for a moment, but you follow the light. Your hands grope and find a hold on the shallow bottom of the pool. Emerging, you shake yourself dry as best you can. Grotto The multiverdant greenery fed by the churning stream seems to end here in a place of stillness and serenity surrounding a deep pool of clear water. Even the very air itself seems to obey the call to quiet. The only exit is northeast. You see a blue pencil, a desk lamp, a screwdriver, a frisbee, a tire, a newspaper, a ATM card, a package, and a paper napkin here. The package seems to contain a Herring detector, an old pillowcase, a machete, a library book, a biology book, and the time machine manual. > I beg your pardon? >get all pool: That isn't important. blue pencil: Taken. desk lamp: Taken. screwdriver: Taken. frisbee: Taken. tire: Taken. newspaper: Taken. ATM card: Taken. package: Taken. paper napkin: Taken. >ne Flowing stream The foliage parts at last to reveal a sparkling forest stream. Light dapples gently through the leaves to highlight slick, wet rocks and the bright green of fresh growth. The stream flows, about half a meter wide, from the north to the southwest. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the stream. >n 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, a deflated soccer ball, a broken tire pump, a 2x4 plank, a can-opener, a #2 pencil, and a tourist map 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 a time machine here. The hinged compartment seems to contain some money (170 dollars). The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the northeast. >i You are carrying: a perfect blue crystal a blue pencil a desk lamp a screwdriver a frisbee a tire a newspaper a ATM card a package a Herring detector an old pillowcase a car key a garage door opener a crowbar a can of WD-40 a shovel a divining rod a machete a library book a biology book the time machine manual a paper napkin >set dial to 5 Okay, it's now turned to 5. >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. >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. The hinged compartment seems to contain some money (170 dollars). >ne (first getting off the platform) Okay, you're no longer on the time machine platform. Path in the woods This little spot is one of your favorite places to sit and think. A well-trod path winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, so the path does an abrupt curve around it. The path leads northeast to your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >ne South of house The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. There is a tiny window high in the wall, about 30 feet up. There is a rope dangling from the window. A little path made by you on your many daily walks leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. A secret door is open to the north. A beautiful, leafy tree is growing here next to the house, right where you always thought it should. >u Mid-way up tree You are mid-way up the tree, which extends up another 15 feet. A strong branch here extends horizontally from the trunk. You can climb even farther up from here, or back down to the ground. >u Treetop You're as high in the tree as your weight will let you climb. The view from here is incredible. The window in the side of the house is right in front of you to the north. You see a rare book here. >get book Which book do you mean, the library book, the biology book, or the rare book? >rare You retrieve the book from the branches. >x it A rare scientific volume, detailing the mating habits of small rodents. It looks a bit -- how shall we say? -- sullied, but is otherwise in fine condition. >x window It's tantalizingly out of reach, but if you leap for it, you might just make it. There is a rope dangling from the window. >d Mid-way up tree You are mid-way up the tree, which extends up another 15 feet. A strong branch here extends horizontally from the trunk. You can climb even farther up from here, or back down to the ground. >d South of house The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. There is a tiny window high in the wall, about 30 feet up. There is a rope dangling from the window. A little path made by you on your many daily walks leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. A secret door is open to the north. A beautiful, leafy tree is growing here next to the house, right where you always thought it should. >ne Front of house This is the front of your house. A couple of stones laying about make up your half-hearted attempt at landscaping. Your driveway is to the northeast. A small path leads northwest and southwest. The front door stands invitingly to the west. You see a doormat here. >ne Driveway This is your front driveway, which leads west to the north side of your house. A small path leads southwest to the front door. To the east is the road into town. You see a little car here. The trunk seems to contain a spare tire and a jack. The hood seems to contain an engine. >e Sidewalk The concrete sidewalk that leads away from your house is starting to show the wear and tear of the hot summers and cool winters. The sections are uneven and tufts of grass poke up through the cracks. The sidewalk wanders east alongside the road away from your house and toward the nearby shopping village. Your driveway is back to the west. You see a mailbox here. >e Bend in path As you approach the local nub of suburban civilization, you again are reminded that community expansion has a price. A small shrubbery here serves, apparently, as an excuse for people to litter, as it is full of bits of trash. The footpath bends here from west to north, leading into the shopping village. You see a sewer grating here. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the sewer hole. >n In the village This little shopping village is attractively decorated with colored signs pointing you to this merchant and that. To the west is the bank, and to the east is the public library. Because it is late, the only thing open is the sandwich shop, which is to the north. The sidewalk leading home is south. >n In the sandwich shop The room is painted a gaudy yellow color. On closer inspection, it is merely spattered with mustard stains. That's the kind of shop this is, I guess -- heavily frequented because it's the only one nearby. There's a counter, a menu, a big advertisement, and a row of tables and chairs. The door is to the south. Fred, the sandwich guy, is standing at the counter. Fred is cleaning some utensils. >x utensils I see nothing special about the utensils. Fred is cleaning some utensils. >x fred Fred, the sandwich guy, always smiles at you even though you must have bought a thousand sandwiches from him. He's got a pudgy frame, dark eyebrows, and a tiny mustache, but there is always a happy twinkle behind his eyes. As you look at him, you can't help but think about the boozy wino you saw in your house in the future, and how miserable he is compared to the Fred of today. Fred whistles a half-remembered melody. >tell fred about drinking You can't think of anything interesting to say about that. >s In the village This little shopping village is attractively decorated with colored signs pointing you to this merchant and that. To the west is the bank, and to the east is the public library. Because it is late, the only thing open is the sandwich shop, which is to the north. The sidewalk leading home is south. >s Bend in path As you approach the local nub of suburban civilization, you again are reminded that community expansion has a price. A small shrubbery here serves, apparently, as an excuse for people to litter, as it is full of bits of trash. The footpath bends here from west to north, leading into the shopping village. You see a sewer grating here. The divining rod vibrates, pulling to the sewer hole. >w Sidewalk The concrete sidewalk that leads away from your house is starting to show the wear and tear of the hot summers and cool winters. The sections are uneven and tufts of grass poke up through the cracks. The sidewalk wanders east alongside the road away from your house and toward the nearby shopping village. Your driveway is back to the west. You see a mailbox here. >w Driveway This is your front driveway, which leads west to the north side of your house. A small path leads southwest to the front door. To the east is the road into town. You see a little car here. The trunk seems to contain a spare tire and a jack. The hood seems to contain an engine. >sw Front of house This is the front of your house. A couple of stones laying about make up your half-hearted attempt at landscaping. Your driveway is to the northeast. A small path leads northwest and southwest. The front door stands invitingly to the west. You see a doormat here. >sw South of house The ground slopes down slightly here, and the wall of the house looms an extra story high because of it. There is a tiny window high in the wall, about 30 feet up. There is a rope dangling from the window. A little path made by you on your many daily walks leads southwest into the woods. You can walk around your house to the northwest and northeast. A secret door is open to the north. A beautiful, leafy tree is growing here next to the house, right where you always thought it should. >sw Path in the woods This little spot is one of your favorite places to sit and think. A well-trod path winds through a natural grove of cedar and live oak trees. A large rock juts up out of the ground right in your way, so the path does an abrupt curve around it. The path leads northeast to your house, and a clearing is visible to the southwest. >sw 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. The hinged compartment seems to contain some money (170 dollars). >enter machine Okay, you're now standing on the time machine platform. >set dial to 4 Okay, it's now turned to 4. >push button You push the big red button. Click! The time machine vibrates and heats up like a toaster oven. A bright blue 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. The hinged compartment seems to contain some money (170 dollars). >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. >get bottles There is no reason to touch the broken glass. >search it You find nothing of interest. >x rock The rock is a five foot grey boulder, almost egg-shaped, a single piece of heavy, textured granite. Polished smooth over time, a wedge shape sheared from the top ages ago provides a comfortable place to sit. It is now darkened near the base, covered in a filmy black soot. Other marks, small circular burns that have left yellow drip-stains, are noticeable to the left and right of the sitting shelf. >clean it The large rock looks a bit cleaner now. >x burns I see nothing special about the small circular burns. >x stains I see nothing special about the yellow drip-stains. >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. >x walls I don't see any walls here. >x wall The wall is splintered and weather beaten. >x window The tiny window has been crudely boarded shut. You're not going to be able to get in through it. >x tree The tree is sagging under the enormous weight of its overgrown size. >x large branch It has snapped off from the tree and lies dead on the ground. >n Secret passage The secret passage is a narrow hallway of sorts, only about twelve feet long and three and a half feet wide. The walls are bare plaster and sheet rock. Various springs and tumblers are connected together in an elegant set of mechanisms to open the doors. A small light bulb hangs from the ceiling, giving the room some gentle illumnation. The short hallway dead-ends at a crudely-carved staircase leading down. There is another door to the west, and you can go out the way you came in. >nw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >n Secret chamber Whether this nondescript room existed before the secret passage was made is unclear to you, but here it is now. It is made of concrete, about thirty feet square, with a fifteen foot ceiling. The floor of room must be at least twenty feet below the ground. The dim amber light, just enough to see by, seems to be coming from the ceiling itself, rather than any kind of recognizable fixture. The only exit that you can see is back up. >s Secret passage The secret passage is a narrow hallway of sorts, only about twelve feet long and three and a half feet wide. The walls are bare plaster and sheet rock. Various springs and tumblers are connected together in an elegant set of mechanisms to open the doors. A small light bulb hangs from the ceiling, giving the room some gentle illumnation. The short hallway dead-ends at a crudely-carved staircase leading down. There is another door to the west, and you can go out the way you came in. >w Master bedroom This is your bedroom, the one you've been longing all night to get back to. Unfortunately, there is no place to sleep here, even if you could close your eyes to the general nightmare that your house has become. The bed is missing. The large dresser that used to stand in the southeast corner of the room has been toppled over, and its spilled contents have been thoroughly looted, leaving nothing behind but some soiled linens. Ratty curtains are open to the west side of the house, letting some amount of somber, muted light in. The dimensions of the room look slightly smaller than you remember. Perhaps it is a trick of the eyes due to the unsettling damage. The foyer is north through the hallway, and the master bathroom is to the east. A secret door is open to the southeast. >nw There is nowhere to go in that direction. >n Downstairs hallway The hallway is dark and feels cramped due to the collected refuse that has built up along the wall. Graffiti covers every flat surface, as usual. There is no sign of the photographs that used to hang here. The foyer is north, and a doorway into the living room is west. The master bedroom is to the south. A small door leads east into a half bathroom. >n Foyer The entryway to your home has been used as a dumping ground for trash and broken bottles. The tiled floor has been scuffed and scarred, and swirled with what looks suspiciously like tire treads. Open doorways lead to various areas of the house. A broken staircase leads up to the second floor. The front door is east. A hallway leads south, and the dining room is through a doorway to the west. >u You ascend the staircase. Upstairs hallway You are in the upstairs hallway, but it has been desecrated nearly beyond recognition. The once pristine white carpeting has been stained and burned, and a section of it has been torn up, revealing the shredded matting underneath. The walls have been spraypainted with unreadable graffiti, shocking swirls of black and silver paint. A fist sized hole has been smashed into the east wall, and the light fixture in the ceiling has been torn out, leaving gangly dangling wires and a darkness that oppresses. The hatch ladder leads back up into the attic. A rickety staircase leads down to the bottom floor. To the east is the upstairs bathroom, and a bedroom is to the south. A smaller bedroom is north. >u You climb the ladder into the attic. Attic This is a little attic space, barely tall enough for you to stand in. Thick boards run in parallel lines along the floor, with pink insulation laid out in between. A thick brass pipe passes up from the floor next to the window and continues up through the ceiling. A tiny window to the south has been boarded up. There is a monkey wrench lying lengthwise here, spanning the gap between two floorboards. A ladder attached to a hatch leads down into the darkened house below. >get wrench It's a spanner, but you take it. >[oh, groan] I don't understand the punctuation "[". >save Saved. >quit In a total of 801 turns, you have achieved a score of 129 points out of a possible 151, which means you are a first class adventurer. Do you really want to quit? (YES or NO) > yes Thank you for playing First Things First.