Text will now be saved to the script file. Type UNSCRIPT to discontinue scripting. >restart Do you really want to start over? (Y is affirmative) > y Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venusby Press S to skip the intro, R to restore a saved game, or any other key to begin the game Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venusby The wind roars by the windows on either side of you as your Syreksian sky-ship tears through the atmosphere, but you're more concerned with dodging stray laser blasts from the battle taking place at the other end of the ship. Klono curse that interfering human! You don't even know where he came from: you just suddenly saw the main mast sheared away by an energy beam and the fight was on. The fool should have known he'd be no match for your crew of hardened space- pirate-lizards, though. He seems to have taken cover behind some boxes — and as soon as you fire this disruptor cannon, he'll find out what a mistake that was ... Captain's Cabin The room is full to bursting with the spoils of your earlier raids: platinum bars from the asteroid belt, titanium neuro-packs from Centauri, leather corsets from the moons of Mars. But none of these is worth a tithe as much as the little box sitting on your desk: codekeys for Earth's defense system. Set into your desk is a control panel. >['Klono curse that'?] Noted. >fire disruptor cannon (attacking the Earthling) “Eat plasma, Earth-man!” you snarl as you slam your clawed hand down on the button. The deadly blast shoots out, vaporizing the boxes as well as two crewlizards unfortunate enough to be in the way. But when the smoke clears (which doesn't take long, given that you're hurtling through the sky on a mostly-exposed ship), you see that, incredibly, the human is still holding on with one hand amongst the ruins of the boxes. Even more incredibly, he's still got a blaster in the other hand that he's using to fend off the rest of your crew[1]. (A number in [square brackets] like the one above refers to a footnote, which you can read by typing FOOTNOTE followed by the number: FOOTNOTE 1, for example. Footnotes usually contain added background information that might be interesting but isn't essential to the story. If you'd prefer not to see footnotes at all, you can control their appearance by typing FOOTNOTES.) >1 That is not a valid choice for the current conversation. >footnote 1 Noshabkeming only knows what the earth-man'd have done if he'd had a third hand. Ordered pizza, maybe. >[Ha!] Noted. >kick man The Earthling is too far away. You notice a small, bright light in the distance. >i You are carrying your vast array of weaponry. The light seems to be getting closer. What could it be? >shoot man (with the main disruptor cannon) “This'll finish you!” you snarl again as you re-push the button. Click. A computerized voice speaks: “Device recharging; estimated time one unit.” The shiny object resolves itself into a cylinder, made of smooth chrome and going extremely fast. You at first think it will strike the ship, but the human somehow manages to holster his weapon, pluck the object out of the air, lift it to his ear, and then redraw his gun, all before your crew have finished gaping. The Earthling's lips move slightly, and your spy-mikes pick up snatches of conversation: “Tuesday ... secret weapon ... galactic danger? I'm on my way, chief.” “Disruptor cannon fully recharged,” a computerized voice informs you. >shoot man (with the main disruptor cannon) There is a crackling burst of negatronic energy, a roar and a smoke cloud, and when you can see clearly again you can see that the human has been completely vaporized. Man, you love this job. >x desk Aside from the box (too valuable to let it leave your sight), the desk has been cleaned for action, giving you easy access to the desk's control panel. The panel has many buttons, but the only one you care about now is the one marked “MAIN CANNON: FIRE”. There is a slight, disconcerting thump from someplace nearby. >get box Before you have time to do anything, the starboard window suddenly explodes in a shower of synthcrystal. The Earthling jumps in through the hole, releasing the docking line in his hand. He bows in your direction. “Max Blaster, at your service.” >shoot man What do you want to attack him with? >weaponry You muse for a moment on the question of which of your lethal array of weapons to bring to bear. Star grenade? Holowhip? But Max settles the question with a quick right to your jaw, and you topple to the ground. Max flashes his perfectly white teeth at you, and says “Apologize to to your lads for me: I was enjoying the scrap but I've got other business to attend to. Now, if you'll excuse me—” He turns to the desk and snatches up the box, sticking it into a pocket of his uniform. Max taps the self-destruct button in passing (you knew you shouldn't have given into the salesdroid's blandishments, but it was offering a great 2- for-1 deal on self-destruct systems, with free installation) and then leaps nimbly out through the same window he entered by. >undo Taking back one turn: “shoot man”. Captain's Cabin The room is full to bursting with the spoils of your earlier raids: platinum bars from the asteroid belt, titanium neuro-packs from Centauri, leather corsets from the moons of Mars. But none of these is worth a tithe as much as the little box sitting on your desk: codekeys for Earth's defense system. Set into your desk is a control panel. Max Blaster is here. >1 “Wha—Wha—Wha—How'd you get in here??” Max flashes his perfectly white teeth at you, and says “Apologize to to your lads for me: I was enjoying the scrap but I've got other business to attend to. Now, if you'll excuse me—” You recover from your surprise long enough to go for your gun, but Max makes a quick motion with his leg and your knee and suddenly you're on the ground, looking up. He turns to the desk and snatches up the box, sticking it into a pocket of his uniform. Max taps the self-destruct button in passing (you knew you shouldn't have given into the salesdroid's blandishments, but it was offering a great 2- for-1 deal on self-destruct systems, with free installation) and then leaps nimbly out through the same window he entered by. >dive out window The story doesn't understand that command. >leap out window You scramble to your feet, then dive for the window. You hear a bang outside the window, probably Max's airchute engaging. “What a guy,” you mutter, and then your attention is drawn back to the room by a computerized voice speaking: One time unit to destruction. Thank you for choosing Dynablast, Inc, the company that puts the “pal” in “astro-napalm”... Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venusby MAX BLASTER [No image available. Sorry!] Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venusby You glance around at the others sitting around this table. Like you, all of them are male. Like you, all are slightly pudgy and pale of skin. Like you, all have frizzy white hair. In short, you are all mad scientists. The man at the head of the table raps it for attention. “Now then! Let us begin. Greetings, fellow mad scientists. As you know, we have had some defeats in the past — but this time we will not be stopped! Our new army of sad clown robots will be unstoppable! No one will be able to stop them! Muha ha ha ha!” Secret Meeting Chamber (sitting on your chair) Deep beneath the streets of Astro-City, there lies a maze of deadly traps and deadlier guards, inside of which is a secret, hidden fortress, inside of which is a dark and mysterious forest (albeit a rather small one which needs to be lit by artificial lights and tended by a gardening crew once a week) that conceals a tiny cottage, inside of which are a dozen angry leopards[2]. It is because of this careful attention to detail, no doubt, that nobody has ever discovered the trapdoor beneath the cottage that leads to this meeting-room. But it is here that you and your fellow scientists sit around the great oak table in the center of the room and plot your schemes and scheme your plots. >[Yay muha!] Noted. >[The status bar is priceless, BTW] Noted. >footnote 2 You had lobbied for a creamy nougat filling instead, but your mind was changed after attending a lecture on “Oral Hygiene: Important Even For Bad Guys”. >scheme The word “scheme” is not necessary in this story. (If this was an accidental misspelling, you can correct it by typing OOPS followed by the corrected word now. Any time the story points out an unknown word, you can correct a misspelling using OOPS as your next command.) >plot The word “plot” is not necessary in this story. >[aww.] Noted. >x leopards The word “leopards” is not necessary in this story. >i You are carrying a manilla folder (which contains a case history and your secret plans). One of your compatriots stands and gives his report. “Ahem! Erm. In regards to transportation, we have arranged a VW bug to be placed on the scene, from which our army of sad clown robots can emerge suddenly and seize the area.” He sits back down. >read history You read over the history of your previous attempts: PLAN: killer death robots (with killer death rays) RESULT: FAILED AGENT: Max Blaster PLAN: genetically-modified badgervarks (with snout-mounted disintegration missiles) RESULT: FAILED AGENT: Max Blaster PLAN: mecha-powered pain enforcers (with Allergitastic blaze-blasters) RESULT: FAILED AGENT: cute kittens PLAN: sad clown robots (with explosive cream pies) RESULT: ????? Pathetic, really. But this time Max Blaster has been gotten out of the way, the sad clown robots have been carefully equipped with anti-kitten force fields, and there is no way you can fail! Another man rises, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “The police, of course, will be utterly helpless against the sad clown robots, and unable to prevent the robots from assuming positions around the city square and then performing antics. We have carefully calculated these antics to be amusing to three decimal places, and expect that the contrast with their sad faces will be quite ... interesting.” He is unable to suppress an evil snigger at this last statement as he returns to his seat. >read secret You scan over the plans, refreshing your memory on the important bits: “... sad clown robots ... tear gas just makes them stronger ... Mimenator 3000 ... seize Astro-City, Cosmo-City, and Galacto-City ... people fleeing in terror — laugh maniacally (mem: muahaha? brewahaha? bwahaha? muha muha? (this last emphatically crossed out)) ...” A third scientist stands and reports in. “Once this part of the plan has been completed, we will arrive ourselves. Using remotes like these (he tosses one onto the table) we will command the robots to enter the nearby WIMP radio station and ..” The speaker pauses as there is a noise from outside the room. “Ah, Miss Lane,” he says, seeing her come in with the coffee. “Just put that on the table, there's a good girl.” >[Yay muha muha!] Noted. >get remote You'd better not: Egbert always gets so huffy when people don't pay attention during his speeches. “Anyway, as I was saying,” he continues. “Once our minions have taken control of the radio tower, they will immediately attach their emotio-projection units and begin broadcasting on all frequencies, thereby—” The speaker breaks off abruptly. “Miss Lane, what are you doing? I said, put the coffee on the table!” Miss Lane lets the coffee-tray fall to the ground with a crash. “Sorry, boys, but the only thing I'm putting is you in prison!” “What? Who do you think you are?” Miss Lane rips off her brunette wig, letting long red hair spill out. “Doris de Lightning, WLPD special forces,” she replies crisply. You and your fellow scientists reel back in horror and amazement. “Well, I'm not writing her a letter of reference for her next secretarial job, and that's final,” the man next to you mutters. >g “Very clever, Miss de Lightning,” you sneer. “But I'm afraid you've forgotten something.” “Oh? What?” “This!” You thumb the button on the remote, and from hidden entrances, sad clown robots proceed into the room. Working quickly, they move to either side of her and silently sketch out an invisible box. Doris pounds her fists furiously against the walls of the box but, just as planned, the box is impenetrable by any physical force. She eventually gives up and sits back sulkily, fingering her purse, as you and your fellow scientists compete with each other to see who has the most maniacal laugh. >x purse It's an ordinary-appearing purse, such as might be carried by either a secretary or an intergalatic agent in disguise as one. It's closed. “Not so happy now that you've met up with the sad clowns, eh, Miss de Lightning?” one of the other scientists sneers. The comment seems to unnerve her totally, and she begins to snuffle. “Oh no, I have been captured,” she says. “Whatever shall I do?” She turns imploring eyes on you. “Please, can I at least touch up my makeup?” >no The word “no” is not necessary in this story. >say no (This game uses a topic/menu-based conversation system. See “ABOUT” for details.) Talking 1: Isn't that so like a woman! Haw haw!2: That's right, you'll want to look your best when I drop you in my death trap with only one well-hidden exit.3: Go right ahead — but FIRST, I must tell you about my secret plan! Ah ha ha ha! >3 “Go right ahead — but FIRST, I must tell you about my secret plan! Ah ha ha ha!” you smirk. “Oh, thank you!” says Doris, rummaging in her purse. She emerges with a tube of lipstick, which she lifts to her lips. But instead of applying anything, she twists the end and a bright blue beam shoots out. It strikes the remote control, knocking it from your hands, and then the telekinetic beam darts towards the light switch, flipping it off. It is now pitch black. >turn on light You rise and start to stumble towards the light switch. “Hey, no pushing!” a voice complains. Some mysterious beeps and clicks come from the darkness. Abruptly, you are grabbed and shoved, and then the lights turn on again. That girl has escaped! What's more, now you're in the invisible box. Curse the modern woman! >i You are carrying a manilla folder (which contains a case history and your secret plans). One of your compatriots managed to avoid being put in the box. He starts to run for the door, only to be brought up short as one of the sad clown robots throws an invisible rope around him. Inch by inch he is pulled backwards and then stuck into the box, where he glares at you and the others. >exit box (first opening the invisible box) You can't tell what the box is made of, for obvious reasons, but whatever it is, you can't seem to get a grip on it. Doris makes a small adjustment on the radio transmitter in her hand, and it folds back into a hairclip. She starts to slip it back into her purse when it begins to ring. Doris reopens the transmitter and holds it to her ear, then begins to talk. “Chief? Yes? Yes? Oh really? I'm on my way. But you'd better send some troops out to take these old coots away — they're a bit tied up at the moment.” You stare after her, fuming. Old coot? Old coot? Why you ... hey, why had you never considered the concept of duck-bot warriors before? Waterproof, portable, non-echoing quacks — the possibilities are endless! Doris flashes you a quick salute and is out the door. You stare after her, shaking your head and your handcuffs, and mutter “What a dame!”Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venusby DORIS DE LIGHTNING [No image available. Sorry!] Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venusby Already shifting your thoughts to what the next mission might be, you take the next shuttle to HQ and head for the chief's office as quickly as possible. Something big must be up: normally missions get handed out to special agents via low-level functionaries, but this one is coming from the Director himself. Eventually the lift-tube arrives at the right floor and from there it's only a few steps to the door of the briefing room. You take a deep breath, steadying yourself, and then head inside. *** In this game you can take the role of either Max Blaster or Doris de Lightning; it is possible to complete the game as either but the experience will be somewhat different. Which character would you like to play, (M)ax or (D)oris? d Briefing Room In a typical display of budget priorities, the Galactic Commission has splashed out on this room like there's no such thing as import tax: hefty slab of snarled oak big enough to slaughter a pig on, thick pile carpet that you can barely feel underfoot, massive telescreen. The Galactic Director himself sits at the desk, smoking a cigar. A chrome- plated personal-sized vacuumbot hovers at his elbow, and a large telescreen is mounted on the wall behind him. >[Also, yay Red Dwarf ref.] Noted. >[Er, the 'what a guy' bit.] Noted. >i You are empty-handed. >1 “You wanted to see me, sir?” The Director looks up, inhaling deeply and holding the smoke for a moment before letting it go. “I did,” he says. “Fine work on the sad clown caper, by the way. But that's not what I wanted to see you about. Something far more serious has come up that I need to you take a look at.” >x screen Built in where an ordinary office would have a window. Security won't permit that, though — too insecure. Currently it is displaying a bright lunarscape. >x vacuumbot Looks like the X2100 model: hovertechnology they haven't even approved for use by field agents, together with one of the most powerful suction devices known to man. You've thought about stripping one down for the components and plugging the hovertech into a belt holster — but they're still quite expensive, and you're not sure it would be powerful enough to lift you securely. >1 “I'd be glad to take on the job. What sort of situation is it, sir?” The Director raises his hand. “I'm actually expecting someone .. Aha, there you are!” He stands up (he didn't stand up when you walked in) and extends his hand across the table. You turn as well, only to find all six foot two inches of smiling shining every-hair-varnished-in-place MAX BLASTER. >2 Surprise renders you temporarily speechless. The Director looks from you to him and back again. “I don't think you two have met,” he says. “Doris, this is—” >1 “— Max Blaster,” you finish for him. “He looks just like his action figure.” Max beams down at you, then transfers his gaze to the Director. “So who's the little lady?” There's a pensive silence while you grind your teeth and the Director taps his cigar. The vacuumbot whirrs sadly and drifts towards the floor to collect the ashes. “Max,” says the Director heartily, “meet Doris de Lightning. Your new partner.” >2 “WHAT?!?” you say, at the same time that Max booms “That's a negative, sir.” The two of you glare at each other. Max continues: “I always work alone.” The Director bites the end of his cigar. The smoke curls towards the ceiling. “This is a matter of life and death,” he says. “The two of you are the best we've got for this mission — and we definitely do need two people.” His eye darts keenly from you to Max. “Badly enough that if necessary I'll assign the Dobert Twins instead.” >2 “Sir, they're actresses,” you say. He makes a dismissive gesture with one hand, nearly knocking the vacuumbot out of the air. “Sure, but they do their own stunts,” he says. >1 “I assure you, sir, I can do whatever the job is better without him,” you say. You think for a moment. “What is the job, sir?” The Director goes back behind his behemoth desk. “Let me show you. This morning we received a transmission on several frequencies. From Venus.” >2 “I wonder if we could locate the source of the transmission with proper triangulation,” you muse. “I don't suppose you know much about the Xavians, do you?” Max says to you. “As you know, sir, the Venusian Xavians are the largest group of our enemies. The rest of the System's rabble, well, they're disorganized crime, and hardly have the resources to mount an offensive against Earth.” >1 “Do, please, continue—” you begin. “Only too pleased. The Venusians are a race of humanoid bird creatures,” Max says. “Since their planet is primarily covered by jungle, except in certain areas in the southern and western hemispheres, they have an ample supply of giant trees to nest in. Their bases are generally made up of a series of enormous cages ...” Max continues to drone on for several minutes, until even the Director is looking bored. The Director shakes his head impatiently and jabs a button on top of his desk. The telescreen behind the Director's head flickers and the scene switches: it is now displaying what must be an office someplace on Venus. There are a few desks scattered around covered in memos and so on, but your attention is drawn to the large perch hanging from the ceiling, on which Xavian Warlord Ch'awww- k'pot is sitting and smirking out at the camera. >1 “That seems like an awfully messy office,” you say. “I see they've laid fresh newspaper down on the floor, though.” “Greetings, people of Earth!” Ch'awwwk squawks. “I am pleased to announce that the age of Xavian domination of the galaxy is at wing! Our scientists have finished the construction of our greatest secret weapon yet, one that is completely immune to your puny Earth defenses and will give us complete control of your planet in a matter of mere days!” >2 “You are truly incredible,” you say. He grins at you cockily, and you suspect he's about to make some crack about how that's what all the ladies tell him. Fortunately for the bone structure of his face, he doesn't actually say it. “Our demands are simple,” Ch'awwwk says. “Surrender now, and we will spare you the awesome force of our weapon — if you can pay the tribute we demand. Resist, and we will destroy your planet utterly! You have forty-eight of your Earth-hours to respond; at the end of that time, we engage the weapon! Ah-ha- ha-haawwwwwk—” Overcome by laughter, Ch'awwwk topples backwards off his perch and out of sight. The telescreen fades to black. >1 “Whatever his secret weapon is, I hope it has as bad balance as he does,” you smirk. The Director looks steadily across the desk at the two of you. “I'm afraid this threat is only too real; our spies on Venus have confirmed that some kind of massive construction is taking place, but have been unable to penetrate the base or find out more information about what's going on. You two will have to go to Xavian territory, get into the base somehow, and then disable the secret weapon, whatever it is. We'll have your spaceship ready in one hour.” The Director rises from his chair. For a minute, you think you see his cigar tremble in his mouth, but surely he can't be showing signs of nerves, not now. “Good luck, both of you — Earth's fate depends on your success.”Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venusby DESTINATION: VENUSMax Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venusby The landing is not going well. The jungle swings wildly towards the viewscreen, back, left, right, then zooms in like a Canon-3000. Max fights desperately with the steering controls, arm-muscles bulging as he struggles to pull it off of a collision course. “Cut the thrust on my count, Doris!” Max says through gritted teeth. “Three .. two .. one .. GO!” You slam your hand down on the button, even as you mutter “This better work, Blaster”. There is the shriek of tearing metal, a terrible heat, and smoke surrounds the cockpit windows as the jungle burns. *** But hey, any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. And “walk” is definitely the operative word here[3], because you're somewhere in the middle of the jungle, and there ain't no road between here and the Xavian base. You and Max climb out of the ship and take stock. Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venus Copyright 2003 by Dan Shiovitz and Emily Short [First-time players should type “about”] Crash Site This place is noteworthy for two reasons: one, because it's a clearing in the midst of thick jungle, and two, because your spaceship has crash-landed here. These two facts are not entirely unrelated, as the scorched vegetation and blackened earth[4] attest. Max is here. >footnote 3 But while “walk” may be the operative word, “hack your way through jungle that's thicker than a zero-gee football linebacker” is the operative phrase. >about This game was written by Dan Shiovitz and Emily Short as an entry for Adam Cadre's 2002 Spring Thing, although it didn't actually get done until Adam Cadre's 2003 Spring Thing. It is designed to be played as either Max Blaster or Doris de Lightning; you can change between them with, eg, “SWITCH TO MAX” when both characters are in the same room. The conversation system is Pytho's-Mask-style: you can type the number of a statement to say it, and you can do “TOPIC CHEESE” to instead discuss cheese, or “TOPIC” on its own to return to the main topic. The conversation menu can be toggled between a banner and the main window with “BANNER ON” and “BANNER OFF”. When not in the banner, statements will only be displayed if there is something new to say (so if you wait a turn, they won't be displayed again on the second turn). If you are in banner-off mode (or even if not) you can do “TALK” to see what, if anything, there is to say at the moment. For more information about the game, type “CREDITS”. >credits Like “ABOUT” mentions, this game was a joint production of Dan Shiovitz and Emily Short , but these things never happen without other people to help out. Mike Roberts has not only written a ground-breaking new authoring system (which I hope this game is an advertisement for and not a warning against) but has also responded to the reams of email I sent asking random questions about the libraries and generally how to do things. Similarly, props to the people on the T3 mailing list for their assistance and advice. Rob Wheeler provided not just the illustrations for the game, but also some vital last-minute design advice. And, of course, without the hard work of beta-testers this game would be way less playable than it is; thanks to Admiral Jota, Iain Merrick, Stephen Granade, and Rob Wheeler (again) for taking a normal-seeming game and revealing it is actually a teeming pile of flaws (but in a good way). >footnote 4 Or blackened Venus. Hard to tell when it's all burnt. >x max Tanned skin, curly blonde locks, and handsome. And check out those perfectly- white teeth. Max is carrying his blaster, his force generator, and the ultra-bomb (disguised as a pocketwatch). >i You are carrying your tk device (disguised as a tube of lipstick) and your image projector (disguised as a powder compact). You are wearing your rocket pants and your jacket. >[yay rocket pants!] Noted. >x jacket The jacket is made of a silver fabric and looks rather nice. It is also hot and not very suitable for the Venusian climate. >take off jacket You strip off the jacket of your uniform, leaving your arms bare. Max's lips form into the shape of a whistle, but when he sees your expression the lips quickly reshape themselves into “Weather's kind of hot here, isn't it.” Give the man points for basic perception. >give points to max The word “points” is not necessary in this story. >[Also, a ? at the end of Max's statement. Maybe.] Noted. >l Crash Site This place is noteworthy for two reasons: one, because it's a clearing in the midst of thick jungle, and two, because your spaceship has crash-landed here. These two facts are not entirely unrelated, as the scorched vegetation and blackened earth attest. Max is here. Max glances at you and his eyes slide down to your rocket pants. “Well, fine, if you don't want to take any risks, I'll scout out the terrain myself.” Max spits on his hands and shimmies athletically up the tree. >u It's probably a bad idea for both of you to go off scouting at the same time. There is some rustling from the trees above as Max moves around. >undo Taking back one turn: “u”. Crash Site This place is noteworthy for two reasons: one, because it's a clearing in the midst of thick jungle, and two, because your spaceship has crash-landed here. These two facts are not entirely unrelated, as the scorched vegetation and blackened earth attest. >undo Taking back one turn: “l”. Crash Site This place is noteworthy for two reasons: one, because it's a clearing in the midst of thick jungle, and two, because your spaceship has crash-landed here. These two facts are not entirely unrelated, as the scorched vegetation and blackened earth attest. Max is here. >u Activating the controls on your rocket pants, you soar into the air. Flying Above the Jungle Your rocket pants are keeping you hovering a short ways above the treetops. All you can see nearby is featureless jungle, with a break in the greenery directly below you where the ship and Max rest. When you squint, you can make out, several miles to the west, the massive trunk and bright steel cage-domes of the Xavian base. Max is here. “There's the base to the west,” you call. “It looks pretty far.” >[Max is also flying above the jungle?] Noted. >w You don't know exactly how much power is in these pants[5], and anyway, you'll never be able to find Max again if you go on ahead like this. >footnote 5 (nudge nudge wink wink) >[snort] Noted. >d You touch the controls on your belt and drop back down to earth (er, Venus). Crash Site This place is noteworthy for two reasons: one, because it's a clearing in the midst of thick jungle, and two, because your spaceship has crash-landed here. These two facts are not entirely unrelated, as the scorched vegetation and blackened earth attest. Max is here. >w You shove aside a giant fern frond and set off into the jungle. Going is rough at first but you eventually get the hang of it: stepping around the pools of sucking mud, wiping off the sweat that pours down your forehead and into your eyes, ducking to avoid the branches that Max keeps accidentally whipping back at you. In the Foliage Making your way through the Venusian jungle is a bit like working security in the front rows of a rock concert mobbed by giant broccoli[6]. Every direction that isn't blocked by actual treetrunk is accounted for in vines, overhanging fruit, or (worst) the Venusian atmosphere. Nevertheless, you've got to keep heading west. Max is here. The heat is really starting to get to you. You wipe away the sweat from your forehead with the back of one hand. >footnote 6 But they got real calm when you flashed the steam-gun in your hand — man, the things you had to do to pay the rent before you made it in the Patrol. >[hee!] Noted. >get fruit You reach out to pick a fruit, but Max stops you. “Many Venusian fruits are poisonous to humans!” he says. He'd probably know, so you knock it off. >u The canopy is so thick over your head that you couldn't get far. >w You travel only a short distance more before being brought to a halt by a sudden onset of geography. Edge of Gorge The foliage abruptly parts here, leaving you in the clear air — and a short distance from the edge of a steep gorge, with walls of sheer rock. The lack of dirt is presumably the only reason the gorge is not also overgrown with concealing vegetation; even so, vines cling to every ledge, and hang from the trees on both sides of the gorge. At the bottom you can make out a trickle of water. The far side of the gorge is perhaps fifteen feet away — definitely too far to jump. Max is here. >u You thumb the control on the rocket belt, and the thrusters flame to life. There's a nervewracking moment where you think you're about to be pasted all over the far wall of the gorge, but you make it neatly back to solid ground. They should really have given you more time to practice with these things. Other Edge of Gorge The foliage suddenly comes together here as the jungle resumes, a few paces beyond the clear air of the cliff edge. The gorge still looks just as steep on this side, the river at the bottom just as far away. Max is on the other side of the chasm. >i You are carrying your tk device (disguised as a tube of lipstick), your jacket, and your image projector (disguised as a powder compact). You are wearing your rocket pants. Max stares thoughtfully at the gorge. >turn on tk device You'll automatically activate the device when pointing it at something. >point device at max He certainly deserves it on occasion, but better reconsider at least until after the mission's complete. >point device at tree There wouldn't be much point to attacking that. >jump You jump a little, and land back where you started. Max turns on the forcefield device. A shimmering sphere of force appears. >[Bah, I don't want max to solve all the problems.] Noted. >[At least, not right away.] Noted. >switch to max [Switching to Max] Edge of Gorge The foliage abruptly parts here, leaving you in the clear air — and a short distance from the edge of a steep gorge, with walls of sheer rock. The lack of dirt is presumably the only reason the gorge is not also overgrown with concealing vegetation; even so, vines cling to every ledge, and hang from the trees on both sides of the gorge. At the bottom you can make out a trickle of water. The far side of the gorge is perhaps fifteen feet away — definitely too far to jump. Doris is on the other side of the chasm. >i You are carrying your blaster, the ultra-bomb (disguised as a pocketwatch), and a sphere of force. Doris looks impatiently across the gorge, gesturing for you to hurry up and come over. >[Woah, what?] Noted. >switch to dorix The word “dorix” is not necessary in this story. >switch to doris [Switching to Doris] Other Edge of Gorge The foliage suddenly comes together here as the jungle resumes, a few paces beyond the clear air of the cliff edge. The gorge still looks just as steep on this side, the river at the bottom just as far away. Max is on the other side of the chasm. >w You return to the westward march, followed a few minutes later by Max. The ground level drops a bit and the jungle floor becomes soggier, which doesn't help your mood any. You are just brushing aside yet another vine and are about to step into a small clearing, when you are brought up short by a shout from Max. “Wait!” Jungle Clearing A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Max is here. A vine lies across the middle of the clearing. >[ Noted. >[wow, that was easy.] Noted. >undo Taking back one turn: “w”. Other Edge of Gorge The foliage suddenly comes together here as the jungle resumes, a few paces beyond the clear air of the cliff edge. The gorge still looks just as steep on this side, the river at the bottom just as far away. Max is on the other side of the chasm. >undo Taking back one turn: “switch to doris”. Edge of Gorge The foliage abruptly parts here, leaving you in the clear air — and a short distance from the edge of a steep gorge, with walls of sheer rock. The lack of dirt is presumably the only reason the gorge is not also overgrown with concealing vegetation; even so, vines cling to every ledge, and hang from the trees on both sides of the gorge. At the bottom you can make out a trickle of water. The far side of the gorge is perhaps fifteen feet away — definitely too far to jump. Doris is on the other side of the chasm. >undo Taking back one turn: “i”. Edge of Gorge The foliage abruptly parts here, leaving you in the clear air — and a short distance from the edge of a steep gorge, with walls of sheer rock. The lack of dirt is presumably the only reason the gorge is not also overgrown with concealing vegetation; even so, vines cling to every ledge, and hang from the trees on both sides of the gorge. At the bottom you can make out a trickle of water. The far side of the gorge is perhaps fifteen feet away — definitely too far to jump. Doris is on the other side of the chasm. >undo Taking back one turn: “switch to max”. Other Edge of Gorge The foliage suddenly comes together here as the jungle resumes, a few paces beyond the clear air of the cliff edge. The gorge still looks just as steep on this side, the river at the bottom just as far away. Max is on the other side of the chasm. >undo Taking back one turn: “jump”. Other Edge of Gorge The foliage suddenly comes together here as the jungle resumes, a few paces beyond the clear air of the cliff edge. The gorge still looks just as steep on this side, the river at the bottom just as far away. Max is on the other side of the chasm. >undo Taking back one turn: “point device at tree”. Other Edge of Gorge The foliage suddenly comes together here as the jungle resumes, a few paces beyond the clear air of the cliff edge. The gorge still looks just as steep on this side, the river at the bottom just as far away. Max is on the other side of the chasm. >undo Taking back one turn: “point device at max”. Other Edge of Gorge The foliage suddenly comes together here as the jungle resumes, a few paces beyond the clear air of the cliff edge. The gorge still looks just as steep on this side, the river at the bottom just as far away. Max is on the other side of the chasm. >undo Taking back one turn: “turn on tk device”. Other Edge of Gorge The foliage suddenly comes together here as the jungle resumes, a few paces beyond the clear air of the cliff edge. The gorge still looks just as steep on this side, the river at the bottom just as far away. Max is on the other side of the chasm. >undo Taking back one turn: “i”. Other Edge of Gorge The foliage suddenly comes together here as the jungle resumes, a few paces beyond the clear air of the cliff edge. The gorge still looks just as steep on this side, the river at the bottom just as far away. Max is on the other side of the chasm. >undo Taking back one turn: “u”. Edge of Gorge The foliage abruptly parts here, leaving you in the clear air — and a short distance from the edge of a steep gorge, with walls of sheer rock. The lack of dirt is presumably the only reason the gorge is not also overgrown with concealing vegetation; even so, vines cling to every ledge, and hang from the trees on both sides of the gorge. At the bottom you can make out a trickle of water. The far side of the gorge is perhaps fifteen feet away — definitely too far to jump. Max is here. >turn on pants You will automatically activate the pants as needed. >w Trying to jump over the gorge seems likely to get you killed. If you want to fly west, say so. >fly west You thumb the control on the rocket belt, and the thrusters flame to life. There's a nervewracking moment where you think you're about to be pasted all over the far wall of the gorge, but you make it neatly back to solid ground. They should really have given you more time to practice with these things. Other Edge of Gorge The foliage suddenly comes together here as the jungle resumes, a few paces beyond the clear air of the cliff edge. The gorge still looks just as steep on this side, the river at the bottom just as far away. Max is on the other side of the chasm. >w You return to the westward march, followed a few minutes later by Max. The ground level drops a bit and the jungle floor becomes soggier, which doesn't help your mood any. You are just brushing aside yet another vine and are about to step into a small clearing, when you are brought up short by a shout from Max. “Wait!” Jungle Clearing A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Max is here. A vine lies across the middle of the clearing. >1 “What's the hold-up?” you ask. “For your information, you were just about to step into the clearing. Straight into the clutches of that vine snake!” Max says. >2 “Oh, right, vine snakes. Since when do you have a degree in xenobiology? I must've missed it in your last press release.” “For your information, I was just doing an intensive six-week course in alien fauna. Besides, I learned all about vine snakes last week, on ‘It Bit My Face, Episode 17: The Reptilian Horror of Venus’.” >1 “Um, that's a vine.” “Are you saying I don't know a vine snake when I see one?” Max asks, indignantly. “It's a snake!” >1 “It's a vine!” You give Max a scornful look and walk toward the vine. “Snake!” Max shouts, taking an absurdly cautious step or two closer. >touch vine You walk forward and reach out a hand to touch the vine, which blinks one eye open and lunges at you; you fall to the ground, wearing the snake like a feather boa[7]. >footnote 7 Only without the feathers. >[snrk] Noted. >footnote 8 The story has never referred to any such footnote. >[arr] Noted. >fly You're a bit, ah, tied up at the moment — large-scale movement is out of the question. >point tk at snake The vine snake's head snaps forward suddenly as your force bolt strikes it under what passes for its chin. For a few seconds you and the snake are seeing eye to eye and then it reflexively pulls back. As you fight to free yourself from the snake, you collide with something, hard. Twisting your neck to see, you realize the tides of battle have washed you up against a reef. Or at least a tree stump. >point tk at stump You roll yourself slightly closer to the stump, but the telekinetic force isn't strong enough to make much of a difference. Feeling a gentle brush around his knees, Max glances down to see that he appears to be standing in a pool of quicksand. The snake uncoils part of its length and grabs hold of the tree stump with its tail. Thus anchored, it rears its head back and prepares to get down to what it probably thinks of as a business lunch. “Get this snake off me!” you shout. >point projector at max He certainly deserves it on occasion, but better reconsider at least until after the mission's complete. “Don't go anywhere, I'll be right with you,” Max calls. The snake regards you beadily, head drawn almost all the way back against the stump as it gets ready to lunge forward. >i You are carrying your tk device (disguised as a tube of lipstick), your jacket, and your image projector (disguised as a powder compact). You are wearing your rocket pants. Max is up to his waist in the quicksand. The vine snake suddenly snaps its head forward, jaws lunging for your neck. With a mighty effort, you twist out of the way just in time and its fangs bite thin air. >turn on projector (first opening your image projector) You snap open the image projector. You touch the controls on the image projector. There's nothing to be projected, however, so it shuts off again. The snake shakes its head, dazedly, no doubt wondering why you don't do the sensible thing and lie still so it can eat you. >project me The story doesn't understand that command. >project doris The story doesn't understand that command. >x controls The array of scanning devices, analyzers, and projectors are a miracle of miniaturization, able to be entirely concealed behind the compact's mirror. Max sinks a few more inches into the quicksand. The snake rears its head back and prepares to get down to business. >aim tk at stump You roll yourself slightly closer to the stump, but the telekinetic force isn't strong enough to make much of a difference. The snake regards you beadily, head drawn almost all the way back against the stump as it gets ready to lunge forward. >aim tk at snake The vine snake's head snaps forward suddenly as your force bolt strikes it under what passes for its chin. For a few seconds you and the snake are seeing eye to eye and then it reflexively pulls back towards the stump. Max sinks a few more inches into the quicksand. The vine snake suddenly snaps its head forward, jaws lunging for your neck. With a mighty effort, you twist out of the way just in time and its fangs bite thin air. You're not sure how much longer you can keep struggling. >g The vine snake's head snaps forward suddenly as your force bolt strikes it under what passes for its chin. For a few seconds you and the snake are seeing eye to eye and then it reflexively pulls back towards the stump. The snake shakes its head, dazedly, no doubt wondering why you don't do the sensible thing and lie still so it can eat you. >[bah, how does this projector work?] Noted. >turn projector on You touch the controls on the image projector. There's nothing to be projected, however, so it shuts off again. Max turns on the forcefield device. A shimmering sphere of force appears. Max sinks a few more inches into the quicksand. The snake rears its head back and prepares to get down to lunch. >touch projector You feel nothing out of the ordinary. Max adjusts the dial on the forcefield generator. The sphere vanishes for an instant, and is replaced by a shimmering disk of force. Max is up to his neck in the quicksand and sinking fast. He raises his arms to keep them from being submerged. The snake regards you beadily, head drawn almost all the way back against the stump as it gets ready to lunge forward. >aim tk at snake The vine snake's head snaps forward suddenly as your force bolt strikes it under what passes for its chin. For a few seconds you and the snake are seeing eye to eye and then it reflexively pulls back towards the stump. Max places the disk of force onto the surface of the quicksand, where it floats gently. The vine snake suddenly snaps its head forward, jaws lunging for your neck. You twist out of the way but not quite quick enough. The snake's fangs connect with your neck and this is, unfortunately, curtains. *** Doris has been eaten by a vine snake *** Your score is 0 of a possible 100, in 33 moves. This gives you the rank of Junior Cadet. Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO the last move, or QUIT? >undo Taking back one turn: “aim tk at snake”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his neck in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “touch projector”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his chest in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “turn projector on”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his chest in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “aim tk at snake”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his chest in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “aim tk at snake”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his waist in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “aim tk at stump”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his waist in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “x controls”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his waist in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “turn on projector”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his waist in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “i”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his knees in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “point projector at max”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his knees in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “point tk at stump”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his shins in a pool of quicksand. >undo No more undo information is available. >undo No more undo information is available. >undo No more undo information is available. >undo No more undo information is available. >undo No more undo information is available. >grab stump You're a bit, ah, tied up at the moment — large-scale movement is out of the question. >touch stump You feel nothing out of the ordinary. Feeling a gentle brush around his knees, Max glances down to see that he appears to be standing in a pool of quicksand. The snake uncoils part of its length and grabs hold of the tree stump with its tail. Thus anchored, it rears its head back and prepares to get down to what it probably thinks of as a business lunch. “Get this snake off me!” you shout. >pull snake Incorrectly targeted snake? [BUG] “Don't go anywhere, I'll be right with you,” Max calls. The snake regards you beadily, head drawn almost all the way back against the stump as it gets ready to lunge forward. >[Woo bug!] Noted. >get up You're a bit, ah, tied up at the moment — large-scale movement is out of the question. >d You're a bit, ah, tied up at the moment — large-scale movement is out of the question. >turn on pants You will automatically activate the pants as needed. Max is up to his waist in the quicksand. The vine snake suddenly snaps its head forward, jaws lunging for your neck. With a mighty effort, you twist out of the way just in time and its fangs bite thin air. >fly You're a bit, ah, tied up at the moment — large-scale movement is out of the question. >throw tk to max You had better hang onto your tk device — Patrol issue, after all. The snake shakes its head, dazedly, no doubt wondering why you don't do the sensible thing and lie still so it can eat you. >aim tk at head Surely you can't give up that easily. Max sinks a few more inches into the quicksand. The snake rears its head back and prepares to get down to business. >aim tk at snake's head The vine snake does not appear to have any such thing. >[Eeeagh! A headless snake!] Noted. >aim tk at snake The vine snake's head snaps forward suddenly as your force bolt strikes it under what passes for its chin. For a few seconds you and the snake are seeing eye to eye and then it reflexively pulls back towards the stump. The snake regards you beadily, head drawn almost all the way back against the stump as it gets ready to lunge forward. >aim tk at snake The vine snake's head snaps forward suddenly as your force bolt strikes it under what passes for its chin. For a few seconds you and the snake are seeing eye to eye and then it reflexively pulls back towards the stump. Max sinks a few more inches into the quicksand. The vine snake suddenly snaps its head forward, jaws lunging for your neck. With a mighty effort, you twist out of the way just in time and its fangs bite thin air. You're not sure how much longer you can keep struggling. >[Bah. I was trying to get the snake to hit his head on the stump.] Noted. >l Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his chest in a pool of quicksand. The snake shakes its head, dazedly, no doubt wondering why you don't do the sensible thing and lie still so it can eat you. >put tk in image (first opening your image projector) You snap open the image projector. You're a bit, ah, tied up at the moment — large-scale movement is out of the question. >lie still The word “still” is not necessary in this story. >lie What do you want to lie on? >ground You're a bit, ah, tied up at the moment — large-scale movement is out of the question. >lie on snake That isn't something you can lie on. Max turns on the forcefield device. A shimmering sphere of force appears. Max sinks a few more inches into the quicksand. The snake rears its head back and prepares to get down to lunch. >i You are carrying your tk device (disguised as a tube of lipstick), your jacket, and your image projector (disguised as a powder compact). You are wearing your rocket pants. Max adjusts the dial on the forcefield generator. The sphere vanishes for an instant, and is replaced by a shimmering disk of force. Max is up to his neck in the quicksand and sinking fast. He raises his arms to keep them from being submerged. The snake regards you beadily, head drawn almost all the way back against the stump as it gets ready to lunge forward. >throw jacket on snake You see no jacket in the vine snake. >[eh?] Noted. >throw jacket at snak The word “snak” is not necessary in this story. >throw jacket at snake You're a bit, ah, tied up at the moment — large-scale movement is out of the question. >wear jacket You're a bit, ah, tied up at the moment — large-scale movement is out of the question. >[grumble grumble] Noted. >give tk to snake You had better hang onto your tk device — Patrol issue, after all. Max places the disk of force onto the surface of the quicksand, where it floats gently. The vine snake suddenly snaps its head forward, jaws lunging for your neck. You twist out of the way but not quite quick enough. The snake's fangs connect with your neck and this is, unfortunately, curtains. *** Doris has been eaten by a vine snake *** Your score is 0 of a possible 100, in 33 moves. This gives you the rank of Junior Cadet. Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO the last move, or QUIT? >[Arr, I don't want Max spoilers!] That isn't one of the options. Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO the last move, or QUIT? >undo Taking back one turn: “give tk to snake”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his neck in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “wear jacket”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his neck in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “throw jacket at snake”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his neck in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “i”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his chest in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “lie on snake”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his chest in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “lie”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his chest in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “put tk in image”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his chest in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “l”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his chest in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “aim tk at snake”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his waist in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “aim tk at snake”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his waist in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “aim tk at head”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his waist in a pool of quicksand. >undo Taking back one turn: “throw tk to max”. Jungle Clearing (lying on the jungle floor) A particularly large tree grew here until recently (bearing in mind that trees have a different definition of “recently” than humans do). Now all that remains are the rotting remains of the trunk, a stump slowly returning to earth, and a clearing in the jungle, not yet reclaimed by the surrounding vegetation. Oh, and off to one side of the clearing there appears to be a large pool of quicksand, which Max is in the middle of. The vine snake is here, coiled around you. Max is here, up to his waist in a pool of quicksand. >undo No more undo information is available. >undo No more undo information is available. >growl The word “growl” is not necessary in this story. >sing You sing a few scales. The snake shakes its head, dazedly, no doubt wondering why you don't do the sensible thing and lie still so it can eat you. >attack snake (with your bare hands) Your arms are held tightly to your sides by the snake's coils. Max sinks a few more inches into the quicksand. The snake rears its head back and prepares to get down to business. >wiggle What do you want to move? >me You won't let yourself do that. The snake regards you beadily, head drawn almost all the way back against the stump as it gets ready to lunge forward. >wriggle free The word “free” is not necessary in this story. >wriggle The story doesn't understand that command. >wiggle snake Incorrectly targeted snake? [BUG] Max sinks a few more inches into the quicksand. The vine snake suddenly snaps its head forward, jaws lunging for your neck. With a mighty effort, you twist out of the way just in time and its fangs bite thin air. You're not sure how much longer you can keep struggling. >struggle The word “struggle” is not necessary in this story. >x settings The word “settings” is not necessary in this story. >[OK, Jota just told me my stunner has settings.] Noted. >x tk The tk device can project a short blast of either attractive or repelling telekinetic force (depending on the setting of its switch, currently set to attracting force). Use is simple: just point the device at a target and activate it. It is disguised as a tube of lipstick, although trying to use it like that would probably lead to a sudden facelift. The snake shakes its head, dazedly, no doubt wondering why you don't do the sensible thing and lie still so it can eat you. >flip switch (your tk device) You set the tk device to repelling force. Max turns on the forcefield device. A shimmering sphere of force appears. Max sinks a few more inches into the quicksand. The snake rears its head back and prepares to get down to lunch. >aim tk at snake The vine snake's head snaps back suddenly as your force bolt strikes it under what passes for its chin. Its head, already close to the stump, continues its move backwards and strikes the wood with a thunk. The snake's eyes cross and it goes limp. You throw the snake off yourself and struggle to your feet. “Well,” you say finally. “I suppose it was a snake.” Max adjusts the dial on the forcefield generator. The sphere vanishes for an instant, and is replaced by a shimmering disk of force. Max is up to his neck in the quicksand and sinking fast. He raises his arms to keep them from being submerged. >throw snake to max (first taking the vine snake) You hold fast to one end of the vine snake and toss the other to Max. He grabs on and pulls himself out of the quicksand, breathing a sigh of relief. >1 “Too bad you missed the XenoGeology and Biodomes Special,” you say. “It showed just what quicksand looked like.” “Mmf.” >w Max coughs slightly as you two start to set off into the jungle again. “I hate to say it,” he says, “but I told you so. I told you early and I told you repeatedly. I told you loudly and I told you quietly. I told you—” You glare at Max and snap, “Next time I'm letting you sink, buster.” The ground firms again as it begins to slope upwards, and after only another hour or so of walking, you are in sight of your goal. Hill Outlook This small hill is the jungle's last outpost. Not covered with trees and creepers, as it would be further back, it is instead dotted with low bushes and halfhearted patches of grass. The grass begins to win out on the downslope of the hill, however, and as the ground drops and widens into a great natural bowl, the grass holds undisputed reign. This is a bit worrying, as it suggests the land has been kept artificially clear and free of hiding-places, but you have little attention for that as your gaze is drawn irrevocably towards that which grows in the center of the bowl: the tree. Impossibly tall, branches bowed with the weight of a dozen silver cage-domes, the tree encompasses your vision and surpasses it. And then, at the top of the tree, dark against the setting sun, movement catches your eye. Max is here. >x movement At the top of the tree an odd structure has been constructed. In the twilight it is hard to make out its exact form, but you can see a dome with a tube jutting forth from it, like the muzzle of a cannon. As you watch, the tube shifts slightly — tracking Earth's orbit. >u You've come this far already. No sense in going any place except down into the valley. >fly You've come this far already. No sense in going any place except down into the valley. >d Eventually the shadows are thick enough that it seems safe to start heading for the tree. *** “There's no cover, so we'll just have to be as quick and quiet as we can,” Max says. You roll your eyes. “What, did you think I was going to walk in there playing a flugelhorn?” But Max is already walking on ahead and disappearing into the darkness even as you hurry to catch up. (Doris has raised the score by ten points.) (If you'd prefer not to be notified about score changes in the future, type NOTIFY OFF.) >[Yay flugelhorn!] Noted. >d You drop to the ground, pressing your face against the grass. >w You walk for a few minutes. The night is quiet on Venus: no crowded city streets, no robot vendors hawking electropop, no space-cars folding up into space-briefcases for easy parking. Just the rustle of grass at your feet, the wind whispering through the leaves above, and Max's quiet cursing as he keeps tripping over rocks. Something grabs your right shoulder, hard. >z You freeze. From the darkness ahead comes Max's voice: “Hey! Get off me!” Something (the same thing?) grabs your other shoulder, there is a jerk, and suddenly you are airborne. You catch a brief glimpse of Max, firmly gripped in the claws of a dark-winged bird with huge eyes, and then you are carried away through the night. Silent wing-beats drag you onwards towards your final destination: one of the steel cages hung from the Xavian tree. *** Stern-beaked guards strip you of your equipment and force-march you through the corridors inside the dome, before eventually depositing you in the Interrogation Room (lying on the floor) This room is bare-walled and probably not really intended to receive visitors, or at least not the kind of visitors who write polite notes afterward explaining how much they enjoyed their visit and that they are looking forward to another. The main features of note in the room are a large viewscreen on one wall, a large doorway in another, and well-armed guards making sure you watch the one and don't exit through the other. The guards shove Max into the room. “When I get my hands on my blaster, I'll turn you into fried chicken!” he shouts, as he struggles to keep his balance. >undo Taking back one turn: “z”. On a dark field (lying on the ground) You can't see much now that the sun has set, but the ground is flat and your objective is clear enough: the great tree west of here. If —h when you make it to the tree, you can worry about getting in to the Xavian base. Just keep walking. Max must be here somewhere, although you can't see him. >d You struggle, but are gripped firmly. From the darkness ahead comes Max's voice: “Hey! Get off me!” Something (the same thing?) grabs your other shoulder, there is a jerk, and suddenly you are airborne. You catch a brief glimpse of Max, firmly gripped in the claws of a dark-winged bird with huge eyes, and then you are carried away through the night. Silent wing-beats drag you onwards towards your final destination: one of the steel cages hung from the Xavian tree. *** Stern-beaked guards strip you of your equipment and force-march you through the corridors inside the dome, before eventually depositing you in the Interrogation Room (lying on the floor) This room is bare-walled and probably not really intended to receive visitors, or at least not the kind of visitors who write polite notes afterward explaining how much they enjoyed their visit and that they are looking forward to another. The main features of note in the room are a large viewscreen on one wall, a large doorway in another, and well-armed guards making sure you watch the one and don't exit through the other. The guards shove Max into the room. “When I get my hands on my blaster, I'll turn you into fried chicken!” he shouts, as he struggles to keep his balance. >1 “Have a nice flight?” “I just flew in from the hilltop, and boy are my arms tired. No, but seriously, I—” The viewscreen flickers, and the image of Ch'awww-k'pot appears on the screen. He appears to be smirking[8] as he swings on his perch, in front of a desk on which your equipment is sitting. “Ah, and who do we have here? Max Blaster, eh? So pleased we can finally meet. And, er—” Ch'awwwk glances in some confusion at you. “Who is she?” he hisses to an aide off-screen. “Just some earth-girl we found along with Max Blaster, sir. I think she's his sidekick.” “I am not his sidekick,” you snap. “No, you're our prisoner,” Ch'awwwk says, preening himself. “And so's he. I expect you interfering spies are here in an attempt to foil our secret weapon, eh?” >footnote 8 Or as close as one can get to smirking with no lips, anyway. >2 “We just heard Venus was nice this solar rotation,” you say. “You aren't fooling me for an instant,” Ch'awwwk sneers. “In a mere twelve hours, unless the ransom is paid, we put the secret weapon into action. And speaking of which, I suppose since you've come all this way and all for naught, you'd at least like to know what the secret weapon is, eh?” >2 “Nah, that's fine, we like a little mystery,” you say. Ch'awwwk looks stricken. “Eh? What? What do you mean? Of course you want to know about my forbidden secret weapon of mystery!” >1 “No, really, I'm sure it's not all that interesting,” you yawn. “Curse it all!” shouts Ch'awwwk. “What good is it to have a secret weapon if nobody wants to know about it? Guards, seize them! Make them listen eagerly! Damn it, I want enthrallment!” The Xavians jab you in the back with their gaussrifles. “Look interested, you!” The vidscreen cuts to a view up on top of the tree, as Ch'awwwk's voice continues to narrate in the background. “Behold! The Aerial Vast Intergalactic Area Neurocontroller Cannon! Xavian scientists have labored for years to design this, and at last it is complete. It is capable of projecting its rays all the way to Earth and (this is the clever bit) thereby controlling the mind of every bird on your planet! With this billion-bird army, we will swiftly seize control of every human city and cement Xavian dominance of the solar system!” The image cuts back to Ch'awwwk, looking amused at the horrified expression on your faces. >1 “You fiend! You'll never get away with this!” you shout. Max looks stricken. “My chicken sandwich! Turned traitor!” Ch'awwwk turns to you. “And what exactly is going to keep me from ‘getting away with this’, as you so quaintly put it?” >1 “Because we're going to stop you!” you retort. “I'm afraid that'll be a little difficult with you both locked securely away,” sighs Ch'awwwk. “And once you have witnessed the total destruction of Earth, you will both be executed! Ah-ha-ha-haawwwwwk—” Overcome by laughter, Ch'awwwk topples backwards off his perch. He grabs frantically at one of the bars, only to have it snap off in his claw and send his whole perch crashing down, onto the desk with your equipment on it. Eventually he extricates himself from the rubble long enough to shout “Take them away!” and the guards drag you off. As you are being pulled from the room, you hear Ch'awwwk's final words: “And send these Earth-possessions to the examination room for analysis — hey, look at — ooh, shiny!” *** The guards march you out of the room, down some corridors and (eventually) out onto a branch of the tree. You struggle, but the guards' claws have a firm grasp of your arms. “What are we going to do with her, Ker'plok?” one asks, bobbing his head in that characteristic Xavian way. Ker'plok fluffs his feathers in a careless manner. “The same thing we... er, I mean, she's just a sidekick, and I don't think—” “I am not his sidekick!” You aim a kick at Ker'plok's feet, but he flutters to one side. “Oh, well, I know just the place, then.” There is a sharp jab in your shoulder and you stumble dizzily forward; as everything goes black you have the faint sensation of being lifted into the air. When you wake up, the early morning sunlight is shining on your face. Hole in the Tree (lying on the floor of the hole) This hole has been carved[9] from the trunk and is just barely large enough to stand up in. It seems mostly abandoned, aside from some debris at the back of the hole. >footnote 9 Or gnawed, or pecked. You aren't sure if large trees lead, for instance, to giant mutant squirrels, but you probably don't want to be here if you find out they do. >1 “Hey, where are my guards?,” you shout. “You better not take your eyes off me! I could escape at any moment! If you knew what was good for ..” Your voice fades into silent air. Drat. >fly Lacking your rocket pants or any other flying device, you are more or less trapped. Curse those Xavians! >i You are empty-handed. >u The only way out of here is jumping, really. Oh, for clear skies and a pair of rocket pants. >jump Hoping for a miracle, you leap out of the hole into thin air. You fall downwards for a bit before — well, the good news is you don't smash into the ground. The bad news is that's because you smash into a large branch higher up. *** Doris has fallen to her death *** Your score is 10 of a possible 100, in 54 moves. This gives you the rank of Junior Cadet. Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO the last move, or QUIT? >undo Taking back one turn: “jump”. Hole in the Tree (lying on the floor of the hole) This hole has been carved from the trunk and is just barely large enough to stand up in. It seems mostly abandoned, aside from some debris at the back of the hole. >stand up Okay, you're now standing. >sit (on the floor of the hole) Okay, you're now sitting on the floor of the hole. >lie down (on the floor of the hole) Okay, you're now lying on the floor of the hole. >touch floor You feel nothing out of the ordinary. >w The only way out of here is jumping, really. Oh, for clear skies and a pair of rocket pants. >climb tree The trunk is smooth enough around the hole to deny safe handholds. >x sky You see no sky here. >x hole The hole gives a rather nice view out from the tree, revealing that you're very high up, the ground is very far down, and there're no handholds larger than twigs within reach. >l Hole in the Tree (lying on the floor of the hole) This hole has been carved from the trunk and is just barely large enough to stand up in. It seems mostly abandoned, aside from some debris at the back of the hole. >yell You scream as loud as you can. >x debris It's mostly sticks, dead leaves, and granola-nut shells. On the debris are a large nut, a piece of eggshell, and an issue of Newsbeak. >get all large nut: Taken. piece of eggshell: Taken. issue of Newsbeak: Taken. >x nut Large trees have large nuts; this one is about the size of a bowling ball, although not as heavy. >x eggshel It's a sharp-edged fragment of eggshell, carelessly discarded[10]. >footnote 10 Xavians are not all that sentimental about their children, probably because they hatch broods of six at a time, half of which fall out of the nest in the first few weeks. >x newsb The word “newsb” is not necessary in this story. >x newsbeak Xavian magazines consist of a tablet with a screen and a small peckpad. The discriminating avian reader reads what is on the screen, tapping the peckpad to advance to the next page (or return to the initial one). This particular magazine is Newsbeak (“All the news that's fit to peck”), your source for the hottest trends in Xavian gossip, fashion, and politics. >read it The current screen displays some letters to the editor, with submissions such as “Dear Sirs: In reference to your article on the western granola factories, I am pleased to note that...”, “Once again your magazine reveals its left-wing bias with its accessories story — when will someone come out with a line of fashionable jewelry for the right-pinioned among us?”, and “Pawk Flaskok: Let me tell you a thing or two about music, since you can't seem to keep the facts straight. My band is called the Dead Parrot Sketch and was performing last week at the Pink Plumage, not the other way around. How can anyone deny that...”. >[Yay granola factories/mines!] Noted. >[Are pinions wing feathers or tail feathers?] Noted. >[looks it up on m-w] Noted. >[Ah, OK, you're right.] Noted. >[Yay Dead Parrot Sketch!] Noted. >read it The current screen displays some letters to the editor, with submissions such as “Dear Sirs: In reference to your article on the western granola factories, I am pleased to note that...”, “Once again your magazine reveals its left-wing bias with its accessories story — when will someone come out with a line of fashionable jewelry for the right-pinioned among us?”, and “Pawk Flaskok: Let me tell you a thing or two about music, since you can't seem to keep the facts straight. My band is called the Dead Parrot Sketch and was performing last week at the Pink Plumage, not the other way around. How can anyone deny that...”. >peck it The screen flickers and advances to the next page. >read it This screen is displaying a full-page ad for various travel destinations in the lovely southern hemisphere of Venus. “Fly across beautiful expanses of jungle,” the ad proclaims. “And at the end, the lustrous beaches, covered in dead cuttlefish during their annual spawning runs. Or explore the quaint south-western towns of Lesser Perchville and Featherton: imagine the thrill of digging out venusworms from the soil and building your beds out of twigs, just like in pioneer times! Then, when you're tired of roughing it, come back east and spend some time at the luxurious Golden Bough hotel and casino: full of our friendly and sympathetic staff, you'll find it's just like home, only better! [Contact travel agent for details. Some events may vary from description. Venusworms subject to seasonal availability.]” >peck it The screen flickers and advances to the next page. >read it Chirps from the Capitol: ... Certain members of left-claw parties were spotted in consultation only days before the government's new policy on multi-layer nest construction was announced: connection? ... Rumors of war grow ever- nearer, and of course the Council is aflutter with opinions, inquisitions, and argument ... Warlord Ch'awwwk proclaims: our new weapon will give us easy victory! ... But what is this new weapon? Sources are reluctant to talk on the record, but a little bird has told us that there is some kind of giant structure at the top of the military base where Ch'awwwk has recently taken up residence ... Meanwhile, this being an election year, several motions are being taken up in Council. Currently on everyone's minds: what is the hot new color this year? Turquoise is the hot favorite, but yellow may be making a strong push ... >peck it The screen flickers and advances to the next page. >read it Editorial: Earth: Threat or Menace? There has been some debate in recent times as to what exactly should be done with the Earthlings once their military is crushed and their planet comes under Xavian rule. Some have argued that we should cackle evilly while firing energy beams at the fleeing, terrified human citizens, concentrating our fire on those humans who leap forward at the last moment shouting “whooooah!”. But I say, what message would this send to the galaxy at large? Would this really send the message that Xavian rule is to be welcomed? Would small fledglings in other worlds lie awake at night hoping that Xavian forces would appear in the air and dominate their puny planets? I declare it would not! Rather, we must demonstrate our essential moral superiority to the Earthlings and not kill more than, say, ninety percent of them. Instead, we should relocate the survivors of our initial assault to a preserve, perhaps on Neptune or Pluto, where they can maintain their native cultures. Artifacts from their civilization should be space-lifted in so that they can continue to prepare their meals in the normal fashion, and the entire enterprise can be made self- sustaining by charging a small fee to come and tour the human colony. With proper training, the Earthlings could even be taught how to perform their native dances and synchronized swimming events so as to entertain the visitors. Only thus can we Xavians show that we are aware of the right way to treat inferior races: not as the momentary amusement of target practice, but as the much longer-term amusement of cultural envoys. >peck it The screen flickers and advances to the next page. >read it This page is covered with an assortment of personal ads. “U were chyk at granola bar last night — I was guy in corner perch who bought you nut. Join me at water feeder tomorrow?” asks one, while another reads “Prof. male w/lng plumage sks fem. for night flights, poss. fledglings.” A third is simply “Single, multicolored feathers, hard beak — let's fly!!” >[Eeeagh hard beak!] Noted. >peck it The screen flickers and returns to the starting page. >read it The current screen displays some letters to the editor, with submissions such as “Dear Sirs: In reference to your article on the western granola factories, I am pleased to note that...”, “Once again your magazine reveals its left-wing bias with its accessories story — when will someone come out with a line of fashionable jewelry for the right-pinioned among us?”, and “Pawk Flaskok: Let me tell you a thing or two about music, since you can't seem to keep the facts straight. My band is called the Dead Parrot Sketch and was performing last week at the Pink Plumage, not the other way around. How can anyone deny that...”. >i You are carrying a large nut, a piece of eggshell, and an issue of Newsbeak. >open nut That is not something you can open. >crack nut (with your bare hands) It would probably be a bad idea to damage the large nut. >jump Hoping for a miracle, you leap out of the hole into thin air. You fall downwards for a bit before — well, the good news is you don't smash into the ground. The bad news is that's because you smash into a large branch higher up. *** Doris has fallen to her death *** Your score is 10 of a possible 100, in 83 moves. This gives you the rank of Junior Cadet. Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO the last move, or QUIT? >undo Taking back one turn: “jump”. Hole in the Tree (lying on the floor of the hole) This hole has been carved from the trunk and is just barely large enough to stand up in. It seems mostly abandoned, aside from some debris at the back of the hole. >get up Okay, you're now standing. >x shell It's a sharp-edged fragment of eggshell, carelessly discarded. >carve wood with shell The word “carve” is not necessary in this story. >cut tree with shell There wouldn't be much point to attacking that. >[Yes there would--I want footholds, dagnabbit.] Noted. >cut nut with shell The shell seems too fragile to cut the large nut. >stand on shell You can't stand on that. >eat nut Sure, if you were a giant mutant squirrel. As it is, not really. >throw nut What do you want to throw it at? >ground You should just put it down instead. >throw nut out door You see no nut out door here. >throw nut at door You see no door here. >l Hole in the Tree This hole has been carved from the trunk and is just barely large enough to stand up in. It seems mostly abandoned, aside from some debris at the back of the hole. >throw nut at hole The large nut hits the hole without any obvious effect, and falls to the floor of the hole. >[heh] Noted. >get nut Taken. >roll it The word “roll” is not necessary in this story. >x newsb The word “newsb” is not necessary in this story. >i You are carrying a piece of eggshell, an issue of Newsbeak, and a large nut. >x issue Xavian magazines consist of a tablet with a screen and a small peckpad. The discriminating avian reader reads what is on the screen, tapping the peckpad to advance to the next page (or return to the initial one). This particular magazine is Newsbeak (“All the news that's fit to peck”), your source for the hottest trends in Xavian gossip, fashion, and politics. >open it That is not something you can open. >search it There's nothing in the issue of Newsbeak. >x pad It has many little beak-marks. >open it That is not something you can open. >dismantle it The word “dismantle” is not necessary in this story. >tap pad The screen flickers and advances to the next page. >g The screen flickers and advances to the next page. >g The screen flickers and advances to the next page. >g The screen flickers and advances to the next page. >g The screen flickers and returns to the starting page. >i You are carrying a piece of eggshell, an issue of Newsbeak, and a large nut. >wear shell That isn't something you can wear. >x nut Large trees have large nuts; this one is about the size of a bowling ball, although not as heavy. >roll nut The word “roll” is not necessary in this story. >look down The floor of the hole is wood, just like the rest of the walls and so on. >l Hole in the Tree This hole has been carved from the trunk and is just barely large enough to stand up in. It seems mostly abandoned, aside from some debris at the back of the hole. >x debris It's mostly sticks, dead leaves, and granola-nut shells. >get it There were only a few things of interest in the pile. >search it There were only a few things of interest in the pile. >cut floor with shell There wouldn't be much point to attacking that. >x floor The floor of the hole is wood, just like the rest of the walls and so on. >touch floor You feel nothing out of the ordinary. >hit it There wouldn't be much point to attacking that. >x ceiling The wood of the tree is dense and large-grained. The interior walls here are roughly carved, particularly around the edge of the hole leading out, while the exterior of the tree, at least around the hole, is fairly smooth, except for the one twig which sprouts just outside the hole. >x twig In fact, there's really only one twig within reach. It's about a yard long and right at the edge of your reach, if you stand precariously on the edge of the hole. A large, green leaf, the size of a bedsheet, grows off the far end of the twig. >get it The twig is firmly attached to the tree, and pull as you might, you can't break it. >get leaf The leaf is firmly attached to the twig, and pull as you might, you can't break it off. >cut twig with shell Setting to work, you start sawing through the twig with the eggshell. The shell is sharp but fragile, and begins to crumble almost immediately, but just as the last fragments crumble away into nothing, the twig snaps and the leaf drops off. Now, there's this species of ants in the Amazon rainforest which is famous for cutting through leaves to take back to their nest, not so much because of that, but because they grab the wrong half of the leaf exactly half the time after cutting it, sending the result of their labors tumbling to the jungle floor. The proof that people are smarter than ants (besides the whole not-living-in-anthills thing) is that you remember to grab the leaf just in time, and pull it back inside the hole with you. >jump Grabbing the big leaf firmly, you leap out the hole into thin air. The wind threatens to rip the leaf from your hands but you hold firm, glad you just finished that Advanced Paragliding course. In point of fact this is hardly an advanced paraglider or even a mildly evolved one, but you manage, eventually, to coast to a stop on a branch. Just in time, too, as the leaf snaps in half and flutters away. Above the dome You are standing on a large branch (which runs north back towards the trunk). Large metal bands are wrapped around the branch here, serving to anchor one of the cage-domes which lies immediately below you. >[yay mildly evolved!] Noted. >d If you want to enter the dome, say so. If you want to jump off the branch, you should probably stop before that sort of thing becomes habitual. >enter dome Quickly scaning the surface of the dome, you locate a small hatch. You open the hatch and slip down through it. Before you fall, you reach up and swing the trapdoor shut; when you hit the ground, you roll with the drop, landing easily and silently on your feet. Midway Down the Corridor The corridor is not as dark here as the view from the trapdoor above suggested; as the hallway continues northeast it brightens, promising more light in that direction. Southwest, the corridor stays dark, but a faint electrical thrumming can mean only one thing: mysterious machinery working deep in the heart of the Xavian base. Well, that or a previously-unsuspected Xavian craze for techno music. The field of red[11] laser beams blocking the southwest corridor provide a neat contrast to the darkness in that direction. (Doris and Max have raised the score by ten points.) >[Er, max raised the score, too?] Noted. >footnote 11 Fashions in fortress defense must change with the times. Once red got boring, for a while no lair was complete without a maze of green laser beams, and then for a brief space purple was all the rage. This tipped things over the edge, leading to, in quick succession, hot pink, silver, and taupe, until trends converged to infrared. That in turn lasted about six months before evil overlords everywhere got tired of accidentally walking into the invisible laser beams and getting dropped into the shark pit, and now it's back to red. There have been some brief flirtations with mixing red and blue lasers, but you have to issue intruders special glasses and it's not really worth it. >ne Corridor End The corridor here runs to the edge of the dome and stops abruptly, opening onto empty space — this must be one of the exits from the dome. The gap in the wall serves to let in the sunlight and fresh air, making this room a pleasant place to stay as long as no guards outside spot you. The other direction, southwest, is probably more useful, as it heads deeper into the base. A launching perch is fixed to the floor just before the opening. >x perch Raised up a bit from the floor and useful if you want a place to fly from. It's not as useful as it could be, though: the center pipe seems a bit loose. Much like a Xavian neutrality treaty, you wouldn't trust your weight to it. >get it You grab the perch and give a good yank. There is a slight snap and the center pipe comes off loose in your hand. >x it Raised up a bit from the floor and useful if you want a place to fly from. It's not as useful as it could be, though: the center pipe has been removed. >i You are carrying an issue of Newsbeak, a large nut, and a metal pipe. >x pipe It's a hollow length of pipe, perhaps a foot and a half long. >put nut in pipe The large nut is too big to fit in the pipe. >sw Midway Down the Corridor The corridor is not as dark here as the view from the trapdoor above suggested; as the hallway continues northeast it brightens, promising more light in that direction. Southwest, the corridor stays dark, but a faint electrical thrumming can mean only one thing: mysterious machinery working deep in the heart of the Xavian base. Well, that or a previously-unsuspected Xavian craze for techno music. The field of red laser beams blocking the southwest corridor provide a neat contrast to the darkness in that direction. >roll nut sw The word “roll” is not necessary in this story. >throw nut sw You see no nut sw here. >[OK, these errors are getting annoying. I'd bug Mike about fixing the library for 'em] Noted. >put nut in beam Rather unwisely, you stick your hand into the lasers, with the inevitable result. *** Doris has been recaptured and Earth will be conquered by the Xavians *** Your score is 20 of a possible 100, in 132 moves. This gives you the rank of Planetary Patroller. Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO the last move, or QUIT? >undo Taking back one turn: “put nut in beam”. Midway Down the Corridor The corridor is not as dark here as the view from the trapdoor above suggested; as the hallway continues northeast it brightens, promising more light in that direction. Southwest, the corridor stays dark, but a faint electrical thrumming can mean only one thing: mysterious machinery working deep in the heart of the Xavian base. Well, that or a previously-unsuspected Xavian craze for techno music. The field of red laser beams blocking the southwest corridor provide a neat contrast to the darkness in that direction. >sw Moving cautiously, you lift one leg as high as you can (which is pretty high) and stick it through a gap in the laser beams. Your foot touches the floor on the other side, and you breath a sigh of relief. Now for the tricky bit: fitting the rest of your body through the same gap without touching any of the lasers. You don't quite make it. *** Doris has been recaptured and Earth will be conquered by the Xavians *** Your score is 20 of a possible 100, in 132 moves. This gives you the rank of Planetary Patroller. Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO the last move, or QUIT? >undo Taking back one turn: “sw”. Midway Down the Corridor The corridor is not as dark here as the view from the trapdoor above suggested; as the hallway continues northeast it brightens, promising more light in that direction. Southwest, the corridor stays dark, but a faint electrical thrumming can mean only one thing: mysterious machinery working deep in the heart of the Xavian base. Well, that or a previously-unsuspected Xavian craze for techno music. The field of red laser beams blocking the southwest corridor provide a neat contrast to the darkness in that direction. >i You are carrying an issue of Newsbeak, a large nut, and a metal pipe. >put pipe in beam You reach out with the pipe, leaning as close to the lasers as you dare. The pipe brushes the edge of the control box and the button clicks in; immediately the lasers fade away. Just in time, too, as you stumble forward into the space where they were. >[Oh, there was a control box?] Noted. >sw A Corridor in the Base The corridor bends a bit, as corridors inevitably do if you follow them long enough. In this case, it leads both northeast and south. Anonymous doors are set into the east and west walls, and there is the promise of more doors further south. >w The door slides open as you approach and closes after you go through. Xavian Storeroom This is a large storeroom, dimly lit and filled with low stacks of sealed cases. It is noticeably cooler than the corridor, either because of the cold air being blown in from somewhere above or just because warehouse parties are where it's at. The room, and the piles of cases, extend south into near- darkness, while the door back to the corridor is east. >[Oy 'cool' pun.] Noted. >x cases The cases are cool to the touch and stamped with Xavian letters reading “PERISHABLES”. They are sealed shut with some kind of clear, waxy substance. >open cases The cases are sealed shut with some kind of clear, waxy substance. >x wax The cases are cool to the touch and stamped with Xavian letters reading “PERISHABLES”. They are sealed shut with some kind of clear, waxy substance. >get wax The cases are all wedged together; none are likely to go anywhere. >s Xavian Storeroom The noticeably cool temperature of this area is presumably for the care of its contents, since there are piles of large cases placed against the walls. The exact cause of the lower temperature is unclear, although the cold air drifting down from above is probably related, as is the thermostat on the wall. The rest of the storeroom lies to the north, and a door is east. >turn thermostat You cannot turn that. >x thermostat The controls for the air conditioning system consist of a digital display (currently reading “52 ziknoks”) and five buttons, labelled “Flow Speed,” “North Vent (lower),” “South Vent (upper),” “Exit Vent”, and “Toggle Units”. >push toggle The display flashes a message: “switching to standard units.” The display now reads “80 yelpips.” >push flow The display flashes a message: “setting flow speed to low.” As you hear the faint whir from the vent above decrease, the numbers on the display adjust themselves, eventually stabilizing at “119 yelpips”. >push north The display flashes a message: “closing vent.” The numbers on the display adjust themselves, eventually stabilizing at “138 yelpips”. >push south The display flashes a message: “closing vent.” The whir from the vent above drops off, and the numbers on the display adjust themselves, eventually stabilizing at “150 yelpips”. >push exit The display flashes a message: “opening vent.” The numbers on the display adjust themselves, eventually stabilizing at “150 yelpips”. >z Time passes... >x display You see no display here. >[blip] Noted. >x thermostat The controls for the air conditioning system consist of a digital display (currently reading “150 yelpips”) and five buttons, labelled “Flow Speed,” “North Vent (lower),” “South Vent (upper),” “Exit Vent”, and “Toggle Units”. >push flow The display flashes a message: “setting flow speed to high.” But the display continues to read “150 yelpips”. >g The display flashes a message: “setting flow speed to low.” But the display continues to read “150 yelpips”. >push south The display flashes a message: “opening vent.” The whir from the vent above increases, and the numbers on the display adjust themselves, eventually stabilizing at “138 yelpips”. >g The display flashes a message: “closing vent.” The whir from the vent above drops off, and the numbers on the display adjust themselves, eventually stabilizing at “150 yelpips”. >z Time passes... >z Time passes... >n Xavian Storeroom This is a large storeroom, dimly lit and filled with low stacks of sealed cases. It is slightly cooler than the corridor, either because of the cold air being blown in from somewhere or just because warehouse parties are where it's at. The room, and the piles of cases, extend south into near-darkness, while the door back to the corridor is east. >climb case You scramble up onto the cases. From this new vantage point you spot a vent, some feet above the top of the cases. >x vent The metal vent is perhaps six inches across. It's inset into the wall, some feet above the top of the cases, and is presumably part of the air-conditioning system. A grille covers it, the closed flaps shutting out most of the airflow and any chance of seeing inside. >open it The vent is a few feet above your head, just out of reach. >open it with pipe The story doesn't understand that command. >i You are carrying an issue of Newsbeak, a large nut, and a metal pipe. >hit vent with pipe The vent is a few feet above your head, just out of reach. >[I have this pipe!] Noted. >throw nut at vent The large nut bounces off the grille and falls down on top of the cases. >get nut Taken. >d (off of the cases) Okay, you're no longer on the cases. >w You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead south, back to southwest storeroom; and east, to the northern storage corridor. >s Xavian Storeroom The slightly cool temperature of this area is presumably for the care of its contents, since there are piles of large cases placed against the walls. The exact cause of the lower temperature is unclear, although the cold air drifting in from somewhere is probably related, as is the thermostat on the wall. The rest of the storeroom lies to the north, and a door is east. >open cases The cases are sealed shut with some kind of clear, waxy substance. >x substance The cases are large, cool to the touch and stamped with Xavian letters reading “REFRESHING BEVERAGES”. They are sealed shut with some kind of clear, waxy substance. A thermostat is set into the wall, amongst the piles of cases. >e The door slides open as you approach and closes after you go through. A Corridor in the Base Like the corridor north of here, this corridor has a door to east and west. To the south, the hallway bends until it is heading west. >e The door slides open as you approach and closes after you go through. Xavian Storeroom The organization in this area of the storeroom seems a bit lacking: boxes are piled here almost all the way up to the ceiling and covering much of the floor, leaving only a narrow path between the door to the west and the rest of the storeroom to the north. A single box rests atop all the others, its top brushing the ceiling. >get box That's out of reach atop the boxes. >climb boxes Annoyingly, the only handhold in the wall of boxes is one narrow gap, and that's not enough to climb it. >x gap The gap is a few inches long and about an inch wide. >put pipe in gap The gap is out of reach from the floor. >put nut in gap The gap is out of reach from the floor. >throw nut at gap The large nut hits the gap without any obvious effect, and falls to the floor. >throw pipe at gap The metal pipe hits the gap without any obvious effect, and falls to the floor. >get all loose box: That's out of reach atop the boxes. large nut: Taken. metal pipe: Taken. >n Xavian Storeroom The room is badly lit by a few sparse ceiling bulbs, in the tradition of storerooms everywhere. Also in this tradition, there are stacks of dusty boxes piled up against the walls. Further keeping with tradition, the storehouse is enormous, stretching far to the south. The stepladder in the middle of the room isn't really traditional, but trends have to start someplace. >get stepladder Taken. >s Xavian Storeroom The organization in this area of the storeroom seems a bit lacking: boxes are piled here almost all the way up to the ceiling and covering much of the floor, leaving only a narrow path between the door to the west and the rest of the storeroom to the north. A single box rests atop all the others, its top brushing the ceiling. >drop stepladder Dropped. >u What do you want to climb? >stepladder Balancing carefully, you climb up the ladder. >get box Though you're on the ladder and higher up, it's still out of reach. >climb boxes Annoyingly, the only handhold in the wall of boxes is one narrow gap, and that's not enough to climb it — the gap is about chest level and too narrow to get a foot in. >put pipe in gap With a firm thrust, you jam the pipe into the gap[12], shaking it a bit to make sure it's stable. >climb boxes You reach up and grab the pipe, then use that to pull yourself the rest of the way up on top of the boxes. >get box It's really too heavy to lift, and anyway, there's no space to do so up here. >open box The box is firmly taped shut[13]. Figures. >x it The box is significant only in that it's on top of the other boxes, not wedged into the piles with the others. >push box You kneel down next to the single box and heave. The box resists for a second, then slides forward, tips over the edge, and smashes onto the floor in the middle of the aisle. A few small green objects rattle out from it, onto the floor. >d (off of the boxes) You drop to the ground gracefully, bending your knees slightly to absorb the impact. >get pipe The pipe is wedged in firmly and doesn't move. >get green object You see no green object here. >footnote 12 Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar.[14] >footnote 14 Just keep telling yourself that. >footnote 13 This being Xavia, I need hardly mention that it's duck tape. >[Arrgh!] Noted. >l Xavian Storeroom The organization in this area of the storeroom seems a bit lacking: boxes are piled here almost all the way up to the ceiling and covering much of the floor, leaving only a narrow path between the door to the west and the rest of the storeroom to the north. A large box has fallen from one of the stacks and smashed on the floor in the middle of the aisle. You see a stepladder here. >x box The box's fall has smashed it open, revealing that it is full of green pills. >get pills You take a pill from the pile of green pills. >x it The pills are small, green, and tempting. On closer inspection, they're shaped vaguely like an acorn. >eat it The pill expands in your stomach into a complete meal, providing all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and proteins necessary to sustain an adult Xavian for one day. Also, it tastes like cork nuts. >[Yay cork nut!] Noted. >get pill You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g You take a food pill from the pile of green pills. >g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. g. 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And a good thing too, because when you peek around the corner, this is what you see: Data Center Corridor This corridor runs east-west, with its eastern end turning a corner and heading north, while the western direction runs a fair distance to a junction. The most notable feature of this section of corridor is the door in the northern wall labelled “Data Center”. There is a sharp drop-off in interesting landmarks at this point, as the second most notable feature is the small vent in the northern wall east of and above the door, and there is no third feature of note. This Xavian guard doesn't count as a landmark only because he's nominally mobile, although from his appearance he seems prepared to stand between the door and the bend in the corridor for the foreseeable future, or at least until lunch. You backpedal hastily, hoping the guard didn't spot you. >n A Corridor in the Base The corridor bends a bit, as corridors inevitably do if you follow them long enough. In this case, it leads both northeast and south. Anonymous doors are set into the east and west walls, and there is the promise of more doors further south. >w The door slides open as you approach and closes after you go through. Xavian Storeroom This is a large storeroom, dimly lit and filled with low stacks of sealed cases. It is slightly cooler than the corridor, either because of the cold air being blown in from somewhere or just because warehouse parties are where it's at. The room, and the piles of cases, extend south into near-darkness, while the door back to the corridor is east. >u (the cases) You scramble up onto the cases. From this new vantage point you spot a vent, some feet above the top of the cases. >throw pill at vent You take careful aim and toss the food pill. It disappears into the vent, a rattling noise echoing back as it bumps along the shaft. >g You take careful aim and toss the food pill. It disappears into the vent, a rattling noise echoing back as it bumps along the shaft. >d (off of the cases) Okay, you're no longer on the cases. There is a faint clink noise to the south. >z Time passes... There is a faint clink noise to the south. >z Time passes... >e The door slides open as you approach and closes after you go through. A Corridor in the Base The corridor bends a bit, as corridors inevitably do if you follow them long enough. In this case, it leads both northeast and south. Anonymous doors are set into the east and west walls, and there is the promis