  
 
The idea behind ClubFloyd is that each week at a pre-arranged time, a group of people meet online to cooperatively play a game of interactive fiction. Below is a transcript of Tapestry, written by Daniel Ravipinto. Tapestry was originally released as part of the 1996 Interactive Fiction Competition, where it took second place. It went on to garner a Xyzzy nomination for Best Writing and took the Xyzzy for Best Story. You can learn more about the game, including how to download it, by visiting the ifWiki. WARNING! Below you will find a transcript of people playing this game, and it goes without saying that the transcript is full of spoilers. So, if you've never played this game, and think you might like to at some point, I do not recommend reading any further. Instead, you might want to return to the interactive fiction page. |
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| Jacqueline hollers, "At the top of the hour we shall be playing Tapestry in the Toyshop & Floyditorium." | ||||
| Jacqueline hollers, "(Please join us if you'd like! Sadly, there will be no refreshments or snacks unless you bring your own.)" | Taleslinger says, "uh, tapestry..." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Yes, Tapestry." | ||||
| DaveC arrives, ready to play with the toys. | ||||
| TJSay arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. | ||||
| DavidW arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. | Taleslinger says, "Oh wait, I confused it with a game I totally hated." | |||
| DavidW says, "Hopefully my coffee will be ready in time." | ||||
| Ellison arrives, full of fun, but no funk. | DavidW asks (of Taleslinger), "which game?" | |||
| peccable arrives, ready to play with the toys. | ||||
| olethros arrives, full of fun, but no funk. | Cathy says, "sorry I'll miss today; I'm finally around for the start, but need to leave shortly" | |||
| olethros asks, "so schedule is stationary?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Cathy), "Aw." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to olethros), "No, it changes next week." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Next week we move to Saturdays, one how later." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to dw), "Delightful Wallpaper." | ||||
| peccable waves. | ||||
| peccable says, ""Hello."" | ||||
| DavidW says, "hi peccable" | ||||
| olethros says, "hey" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to peccable), "Hello!" | DavidW says (to Taleslinger), "aw. I liked DW." | |||
| peccable says, "Hi Jacqueline. Thank you for the invitation." | * Jacqueline has added peccable to the channel. | |||
| Jacqueline says (to peccable), "You are very welcome. Thanks for coming." | Taleslinger says, "I don't say it's a bad game. It just rubbed me wrong in so many ways." | |||
| Taleslinger says, "Escape from the Orc Secret Garden+" | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "Ilac" | ||||
| inky arrives, full of funk, but no fun. | ||||
| maga arrives, full of funk, but no fun. | ||||
| Taleslinger arrives, full of fun, but no funk. | ||||
| Ferret arrives, full of fun, but no funk. | Jacqueline says (to peccable), "So, the way this works, we play the game in the room, but we chat about it here on the channel. You probably won't want to enter moves, just watch, but if you want to enter a move, you do that by typing F MOVE (where 'F' signifies that you're telling our bot, Floyd, what you want to do, since he's running the game.)" | |||
| Taleslinger kicks the banana machine, but nothing happens. | ||||
| Taleslinger presses the large red button on the FREE DONUTS machine. Within seconds, the room is flooded with a thousand tiny, happy donuts, running about your feet in an exuberant dance of freedom. They then disappear as quickly as they had arrived. | ||||
| peccable asks, "Just to check -- how do I specifically speak on the channel?" | Jacqueline says (to peccable), "To speak to us here in the channel, you type #CLUBFLOYD WHATEVER the first time to designate that you want to speak on the ClubFloyd channel, and then after that all you have to do is type a semicolon before what you want to say. ;WHATEVER" | |||
| peccable says, "Ah! Thank you." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "There we go." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "One last thing." | ||||
| Taleslinger asks (of peccable), "Are you the author?" | ||||
| Limax arrives, full of fun, but no funk. | Limax says, "Woo. I can actually stay around for a bit" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "There's a spoiler channel, to which I just added you, for people to discuss more spoilery aspects." | ||||
| peccable says, "Got it." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "So, just like for this channel, you designate the channel the first time when you want to switch channels, like this: #CFSPOILERS WHATEVER, then ;WHATEVER" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Make sense? It's quite the crash course in mudding." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "We're very glad you're here." | ||||
| peccable says, "I used to MUD all the time in undergrad. It'll come to me." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Excellent." | ||||
| peccable says, "No problem. I was really flattered when I got the invite." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Okay, on that note, we're a minute or so late, so I'll go ahead and launch the game." | ||||
| inky says, "later on you kill orcs" | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "Wow, you co-wrote Bedlam" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to inky), "heehee" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "load tapestry" | ||||
Floyd | Welcome to the Cheap Glk Implementation, library version 0.9.0. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | | Limax says (to inky), "Ha ha" | |||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | [pausing to show unread error message] | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | T A P E S T R Y Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to begin.] | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Fleeting glimpses of faces half-remembered in the gloom. Screams, the Floyd | sound of squealing tires, a sudden thump, a sickening crunch and a Floyd | violent jolt followed by a sense of weightlessness and disassociation. Floyd | The last thing you remember is an overwhelming feeling of guilt and Floyd | regret, forcing its way through the chaos that surrounds you and then Floyd | there is... Floyd | Floyd | Nothing Floyd | Your sight fails you. For that matter, you don't know if your eyes are Floyd | opened or closed. Concepts like time and place have no meaning here. Floyd | Your mind attempts to impose something, some order, some structure, Floyd | upon the space in which you exist, and fails. There is only the void. Floyd | For all you know, that is all there ever was. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "scream" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "i" | ||||
Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "I think I've only played a little bit of this game, previously." | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "wake up" | ||||
Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | No, wait. There is ... something, moving in the darkness. It dances at Floyd | the edge of your new-found vision, teasing you. You turn your head Floyd | toward the shape, when your neck suddenly gives out and your head lolls Floyd | backward. Blinding pain explodes from the back of your head. Floyd | Floyd | Your eyes flutter open... Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to continue] | ||||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | P R O L O G U E Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to continue.] | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | White Room Floyd | A small room, with circular walls and a floor of pale white stone. Floyd | There are no apparent exits, other than a small slit of a window off to Floyd | one side. Floyd | Floyd | An angelic-looking young man looks upon you with concern. Floyd | Floyd | Along the far wall opposite the window hangs a tapestry. Floyd | Floyd | The young man smiles. Floyd | Floyd | "Ah, you are all right. You had me worried, my friend," he says. Floyd | Floyd | > | Limax says, "Scream causes me to go inot giggles, only ecause of Freakazoid" | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x man" | ||||
Floyd | A face almost harsh in its perfection, with crystal-clear blue eyes Floyd | half-covered by a flowing mane of gold. He wears a gown of white, about Floyd | his neck is a silver pendant, and in his left hand he carries the long Floyd | graceful curve of an ivory torch. Floyd | Floyd | > | Limax says, "And my 'b' key is screwed" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x me" | ||||
Floyd | From what you can tell, you're as you've always been. Floyd | Floyd | The young man's smile suddenly fades and he sighs. Floyd | Floyd | "There is much we must speak of my friend," he says. He turns and Floyd | points at the tapestry. "And there are choices which must be made." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "ask man about man" | ||||
Floyd | "I fear I cannot help you with that, my friend." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask man about me" | ||||
Floyd | "Ah, yes ... you have no memory of yourself." The young man pauses a Floyd | moment. "You, lost traveler, are Timothy Hunter, recently a mortal, now Floyd | dead. Because of your actions in life and what has just happened at the Floyd | moment of your death, the fate of your soul is in doubt." Floyd | Floyd | "But here, I have not even introduced myself. Forgive me," he says, Floyd | bowing with a flourish. "I am ... Morningstar." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "ask man about xyzzy" | ||||
Floyd | "I fear I cannot help you with that, my friend." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "xyzzy" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "kiss man" | ||||
Floyd | That would be pointless. Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar turns to the window and looks out it. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x window" | ||||
Floyd | Approaching the opening, you realize it is hardly more than a slit in Floyd | the wall. Peering through it, you see the night sky, brilliant with Floyd | innumerable stars. Straining your vision, you can make out the Floyd | landscape, far below, covered with trees. You are in a tower of some Floyd | sort, in the center of a forest that goes on for as far as the eye can Floyd | see. Floyd | Floyd | Running your hand against the wall you realize that it is not the stone Floyd | you took it for. It is far too smooth, and feels warm to the touch. For Floyd | a moment, the confused image of your hands running over piano keys runs Floyd | through your mind. And then it hits you: you've felt this before. It's Floyd | ivory. An ivory tower... Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask man about death" | ||||
Floyd | "What is there to say that you already do not know, Timothy? You are Floyd | dead, and your soul is in jeopardy." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "push morningsar" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "ask man about morningstar" | ||||
Floyd | "I am no one of consequence. All you need know is that I am your friend Floyd | and guide, and I shall do all in my power to help you." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask man about soul" | ||||
Floyd | "What is there to say that you already do not know, Timothy? You are Floyd | dead, and your soul is in jeopardy." Floyd | Floyd | He stares at you for a short while, his eyes shining in the Floyd | near-darkness, then he seems to reach a decision and takes you by the Floyd | hand. Floyd | Floyd | "Come Timothy," he says, leading you toward the tapestry. "There is Floyd | much I must show you, and I fear there will be much you do not wish to Floyd | see." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "push morningstar" | ||||
Floyd | That would be less than courteous. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x tapestry" | ||||
Floyd | A large, intricately woven tapestry which depicts three tableaus on Floyd | three different panels. Floyd | Floyd | You stare at the swirling colors of the wall-hanging as Morningstar Floyd | places the torch in his right hand while still clinging to your own, Floyd | and then places his left upon the tapestry. His hand, pale as the ivory Floyd | of the torch he carries, caresses the first panel, running up and down Floyd | its length. Floyd | Floyd | "Come Timothy, your destiny, past, present, and future, awaits." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x first panel" | ||||
Floyd | Upon the first panel is a scene of an elderly woman in a hospital, with Floyd | a doctor looking sadly down upon her. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x second panel" | ||||
Floyd | Upon the second panel is a scene of a middle-aged woman lying in a bed, Floyd | with what appears to be her soul halfway in and half-way out of her Floyd | body. Floyd | Floyd | The rumbling shakes you from your contemplation of the tapestry. At Floyd | first, you can feel it more than hear it, but as the vibration of Floyd | everything around you increases, so does the volume of the noise behind Floyd | it. The room, the tapestry, the young man at your side, everything Floyd | begins to sway and shake at the behest of the ferocious sound. You try Floyd | to wrest your hands from Morningstar's and clamp them against your Floyd | skull, anything to blot out the terrible song which fills your ears and Floyd | shakes your bones, but he holds fast. Floyd | Floyd | Then, with a sudden forward rush, a universe of multi-colored threads Floyd | leaps from the hanging, flooding your vision. They wrap themselves Floyd | about you in a spinning dance that, combined with the noise, threatens Floyd | to overwhelm your senses. Just when you think the din will drive you Floyd | mad, there is a flash of light, again the sense of weightlessness, as Floyd | if you have been separated from the rest of the world, and then, Floyd | somehow, you are somewhere else... Floyd | | ||||
| psybuzz arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. | ||||
| Ferret has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge. | DavidW asks, "hm. Did we make a choice, or was that a timer?" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, we examined it." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Perhaps that was what triggered it." | ||||
| DavidW says, "We didn't get to see all 3 panels, though." | ||||
| psybuzz says, "hello guest" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "l" | ||||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | A hospital room Floyd | Another room of white walls, but where the walls of the Ivory Tower Floyd | seemed to contain a vitality, these walls are cold and dead. A patina Floyd | of sickness and decay stains everything and the room reeks of hospital Floyd | disinfectant. This place is clean, yes, but a manmade clean, a futile Floyd | attempt to wash away the odor of sickness and death which will Floyd | inevitably return. Floyd | Floyd | An elderly woman lies here in a hospital bed. A doctor looking down Floyd | upon her. Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar is here. Floyd | Floyd | "Mercy Hospital," he says, "where you left her, Timothy, for all those Floyd | months. Where you left her to forget her." Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says (to peccable), "This is so well written, Daniel. You've no doubt heard that a lot, but it's worth repeating." | |||
| peccable says, "Thanks, Jacqueline." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x woman" | ||||
Floyd | The old woman lies still in the bed, her eyes closed. Her grey hair Floyd | falls in long locks over her face and from her arm protrudes the clear Floyd | line of an IV-tube, leading to a machine which stands at the bedside. Floyd | There is something vaguely familiar about her. Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable says, "Although, I have to say, I'm cringing a little bit inside. This is how I wrote 13 years ago." | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x machine" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable says, "emote grins." | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask morningstar about woman" | ||||
Floyd | "Alicia, your mother, Timothy. She'd been ill for a very long time, Floyd | and, I suppose, you could not deal with it any longer. You'd taken care Floyd | of her for so long, and it seemed as though she'd never bow out Floyd | gracefully. So, you sent her here. Out of sight, out of mind. You could Floyd | finally get on with your life." Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar sighs deeply. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "haha" | |||
| Limax says, "I don't think I remember 13 years ago" | ||||
| peccable says, "I'm shocked I can, Limax, trust me." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Also, you can emote by using a colon. So, to emote on the channel, type the semi-colon to designate a channel, then the colon, then what you want to do, like this... ;:smiles." | ||||
| Limax says, "Well, I'm old and senile" | ||||
| DavidW says, "Is it a coincidence that the PC is Timothy Hunter? There's a Vertigo character called that." | ||||
| olethros says, "oh, yes, he hunts timothies" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "kiss mother" | ||||
Floyd | She is motionless. At first, you thing she is asleep, but then you see Floyd | that the doctor does not move either. It would appear that time has Floyd | somehow stopped. Floyd | Floyd | "Except, it didn't work out that way, did it Timothy? When the doctor Floyd | called you, told you that she had died, crying for you, it all came Floyd | flooding back. The guilt at leaving her, at abandoning her finally Floyd | overtook you. And then the final insult of not being there when she Floyd | died." He shakes his head. Floyd | Floyd | > | Limax says (to olethros), "Now do it like Elmer Fudd" | |||
| peccable says, "Not a coincidence. Named after Tim Hunter from the comics and also a friend of mine." | ||||
| olethros asks (of limax), "do what?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to olethros), "I think he means, be vewy, vewy, quiet, I'm hunting timothies." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x doctor" | ||||
Floyd | A middle aged man, in the obvious uniform of a doctor, looks down upon Floyd | your mother. He stands frozen with a look of pity on his face. About Floyd | his neck is a silver pendant. Floyd | Floyd | "You were working with a major client at the time, just about to leave Floyd | for an important meeting, when you got the call. You'd been working so Floyd | hard, so caught up in your own life, forgetting her had been so easy." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x pendant" | ||||
Floyd | A pendant in the shape of a silver sunburst hanging from a silver Floyd | chain. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW asks, "wait, both the doctor and Morningstar have a pendant?" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Yes" | ||||
| peccable says, "Hmm. Interesting, that." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "remember" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask morningstar about pendant" | ||||
Floyd | Morningstar looks at you with incomprehension for a moment and then Floyd | looks from his own pendant to the other. He stares at you. Floyd | Floyd | "You can see this?" he whispers. Floyd | Floyd | You nod dumbly. He stands in shock for a moment, then seems to recover Floyd | his wits. Floyd | "It is nothing, Timothy. A symbol, perhaps, nothing more." Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar looks at the figure on the bed, then up to you. Floyd | Floyd | "Come," he says, taking you by the hand again. "There is more to Floyd | see..." Floyd | | olethros says, "a pedant for punctual meetings" | |||
| psybuzz asks, "does timothy have a pendant?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Yes." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "hug mother" | DavidW says, "no, the doctor and Morningstar have pendants. I think Tim has nothing." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh, right." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push space" | Jacqueline says, "I for some reason was reversing the name for Morningstar." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Sorry." | ||||
| inky asks, "eh?" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | A sense of recognition fills you, but you cannot say where you have Floyd | seen this room before. Again, white walls, and again sickness and Floyd | death. And guilt... Floyd | Floyd | A young woman lies propped up on the large double-sized bed here. Her Floyd | face lies tilted against her shoulder, her long auburn hair covering Floyd | her face. Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar is here. Floyd | Floyd | He looks about the room in a moment of silent contemplation, then looks Floyd | to you. Floyd | Floyd | "Your bedroom, Timothy" he whispers, "where you murdered her." Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "there we go" | |||
| Jacqueline says (to inky), "phew" | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x corpse" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x woman" | ||||
Floyd | You brush the hair lightly from the woman's face. Her eyes are closed, Floyd | but for some reason you know her eyes are the most beautiful jade Floyd | green. Her expression is locked in one of grimacing pain. You know her, Floyd | no, that's wrong ... you SHOULD know her. Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar sees the look of shock on your face. He sighs. Floyd | Floyd | "So you have forgotten even her ... her whom you promised you never Floyd | would forget." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "open her eyes" | ||||
Floyd | I only understood you as far as wanting to open the young woman. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "open eyes" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask morningstar about woman" | ||||
Floyd | Morningstar pointedly ignores you. Floyd | Floyd | "Yes, Timothy ... murder. Oh you may have other names for it: Floyd | mercy-killing, euthanasia. There have always been words to soothe the Floyd | conscience. But you know them for what they are. Excuses, Floyd | rationalizations. You've always known you murdered her. Your Sarah, Floyd | your beloved wife. But perhaps not so beloved when she became a Floyd | burden?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| olethros says (to Floyd), "wake woman" | ||||
Floyd | There is no response. In fact, you notice for the first time that Floyd | nothing moves. Time has stopped. Floyd | Floyd | "She'd been ill for so long, hadn't she?" He runs the back of his hand Floyd | delicately along her cheek. "It seemed as if it never would end, the Floyd | doctor's visits, the second opinions, all of them useless. And she just Floyd | kept clinging to this vague existence she called life, refusing to bow Floyd | out gracefully ... just like your mother. Oh how like her she was!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Guest1 arrives, full of funk, but no fun. | ||||
| olethros says (to Floyd), "start time" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "hit morningstar" | ||||
Floyd | And what would that accomplish? Floyd | Floyd | "And so, going financially bankrupt from the bills and emotionally Floyd | bankrupt from the constant strain of taking care of her, you decided to Floyd | take the path of least resistance." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "morningstar, shut up" | ||||
Floyd | Morningstar has better things to do. Floyd | Floyd | "It was easy. You remember that much, do you not? The pills to cloud Floyd | her mind, the whispering of nonsense in her ear to calm her, and then Floyd | the pillow. It was as simple as snuffing out a candle, was it not? But Floyd | the words you placed upon the act afterward did nothing to release you Floyd | from the guilt of what you'd done." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "touch woman" | ||||
Floyd | Keep your hands to yourself. Floyd | Floyd | "Come," he says, taking you by the hand once again. "The story does not Floyd | end here..." Floyd | | Jacqueline asks (of Taleslinger), "Heh. I take it this is the part that rubbed you wrong?" | |||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Night Scene Floyd | A darkened street, a snapshot of a city held frozen for a brief Floyd | instant. Streetlamps line the walk you stand upon, lighting the night Floyd | with their blinding shafts of radiance. In the surrounding gloom, you Floyd | can make out dim figures frozen mid-step. Floyd | Floyd | The sudden halt in the flow of time has caught a car in midair, about Floyd | to strike a young woman who has stumbled into its path. Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar is here. Floyd | Floyd | "But it does end here," he says, "where you died." He surveys the Floyd | scene. "Ignominious, is it not?" Floyd | Floyd | > | Taleslinger says, "Not at all. I was referring to a different game. This one I like up to now." | |||
| DavidW says, "hm. I'll guess there's a third woman who died by our action or inaction." | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "Wait, woman? i thought we were male." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x woman" | ||||
Floyd | The poor thing is barely an adult, her face still scarred by the rigors Floyd | of adolescence. Her eyes are turned upward into the lights of the car Floyd | bearing down upon her, just realizing its existence. One hand has Floyd | dropped before her, trying to stop her fall, while her other is Floyd | outstretched back. Looking behind her, you catch a glimpse of a figure Floyd | standing on the sidewalk ... a figure that looks as if it's pushed her. Floyd | Floyd | "You were trying to run away from it all, the memories, the guilt. Floyd | You'd been running away for so long that it seemed second nature." Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable says, "The PC is. I think David is referring to the pattern that's been established so far." | |||
| Taleslinger says, "I thought the woman in the path of the car was us." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x figure" | ||||
Floyd | A young man with raven black hair. He has apparently just shoved the Floyd | young woman into the street, his silver pendant flying backwards as he Floyd | stumbles back to view the result of his actions. Floyd | Floyd | "It affected everything. First you lost her, then you lost your faith Floyd | in life and yourself, you lost your dignity, your self-respect. Then Floyd | your job." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x pendant" | ||||
Floyd | A pendant in the shape of a silver sunburst hanging from a silver Floyd | chain. Floyd | Floyd | "And so it all came to this night, when you went driving for no reason Floyd | at all." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Guest1 goes home. | ||||
| Ellison has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge. | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "ask morningstar about pendant" | ||||
Floyd | "I have already told you, mortal. It is nothing you need concern Floyd | yourself with." Floyd | Floyd | "And it seemed that perhaps you weren't content to leave this world Floyd | alone. You had to drag an innocent along with you." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask morningstar about figure" | ||||
Floyd | Morningstar looks to the figure, then back to you. He shrugs. "What of Floyd | him?" Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar turns to you, a mask of mixed pity and disgust. Floyd | Floyd | "And so this is your legacy." He smirks, then sighs deeply. "Look ye Floyd | on your works and despair." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x driver" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x car" | ||||
Floyd | Looking more closely, you recognize it as an old Dodge, almost falling Floyd | apart. It has apparently struck the curb, which is what caused it to go Floyd | flying. A streetlamp's beam strikes the windshield squarely. cutting Floyd | off your view of the interior. Shifting over and squinting, you can Floyd | make out a figure in the driver's seat. Wait a minute, it can't be ... Floyd | it's ... it's ... Floyd | Floyd | ...you. Floyd | Floyd | Again the rumbling and the threads throw you into their heaving Floyd | embrace, and leave you gasping on another strange and distant shore... Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | The Ivory Tower, where you started this strange adventure, now lies in Floyd | ruins. Its walls lie scorched about you, the roof rent to the open sky. Floyd | The stars, in their impassive brilliance, illuminate the devastation Floyd | below. Over the Tower's remains you catch glimpses of the fires below, Floyd | trees smoldering in the darkness. Floyd | Floyd | The Tapestry seems to have survived the Tower's destruction intact. Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar is here. Floyd | Floyd | He stands motionless, a statue in white ice, his eyes glowing in the Floyd | near-darkness. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "cool" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x stars" | ||||
Floyd | Whatever apocalypse destroyed the Tower has rent the ceiling from the Floyd | room. Above, you see innumerable stars in strange constellations. Floyd | Floyd | An ethereal chuckle erupts from nowhere and everywhere. A low, female Floyd | voice follows it, the hint of the laughter still in its voice. Floyd | Floyd | "And so you would leave him here, Phosphoros? With the tale Floyd | half-finished, as is your wont?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "fires" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x third panel" | ||||
Floyd | The third panel is a scene of a young woman, hardly a child, stumbling Floyd | into a road, arms flailing, eyes open in shock at the sight of your car Floyd | barreling down upon her. Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar seems as startled as you, but quickly recovers. He smiles Floyd | and speaks to the air. Floyd | Floyd | "You find me an inadequate storyteller, Parcae?" he says, bowing Floyd | deeply. "What more would you have him know?" Floyd | Floyd | > | Taleslinger says, ""has rent the ceiling (...)" I think I've never heard that turn of phrase." | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x fires" | ||||
Floyd | The woods that blanket the landscape for miles around are apparently on Floyd | fire. Plumes of smoke fill the sky as the fires slowly spread outward Floyd | from the Tower. Floyd | Floyd | The voice speaks again, but this time all frivolity from it is lost. Floyd | You catch an odd echo in it, as if it were multiple voices speaking in Floyd | chorus. Floyd | Floyd | "You know that is not Our way, do not think to mock Us." Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "It's not common usage these days, no." | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "listen" | ||||
Floyd | Morningstar motions to you to be still and silent. Floyd | Floyd | "I, Lady of the Skein, you think I would mock you?" Morningstar places Floyd | his hand to his heart, all innocence. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger asks, "voice about morningstar" | DavidW says, "Rent as in torn. Rent sheets, rent curtains, rent clothes." | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "ask voice about morningstar" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | Taleslinger says, "Ah, thanks." | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "ask lady about morningstar" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "I think we can hear her but not see her." | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x voice" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "listen" | ||||
Floyd | Morningstar motions to you to be still and silent. Floyd | Floyd | "There is many a thing We would put past you not, Son of the Morning, Floyd | but We come here not to speak of you..." Floyd | Floyd | A gust of wind startles you and you turn to see a shining filament Floyd | suspended in midair. Its light falters for a brief moment, rendering it Floyd | immaterial, and then begins to solidify. Floyd | Floyd | A shimmering pattern of webs begins to weave itself into being from the Floyd | central thread, its beams crisscrossing in increasingly complex shapes. Floyd | At its apex, a brighter light begins to shine: a small, slender spider, Floyd | also made of light, with an hourglass symbol etched in golden radiance Floyd | upon its back. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "cf1" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable says, "Multiple paths." | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x webs" | ||||
Floyd | The spider flickers at it moves down the web, one moment solid, the Floyd | next, insubstantial. Floyd | Floyd | The arachnid slowly makes its way down the web, its delicate legs Floyd | running over the threads. As it descends, its light begins to pulse, Floyd | masking it from view, then reappearing. Their rate increases as it Floyd | continues its course, its shape becoming more and more indistinct. One Floyd | moment the legs look like tiny human arms, hands grasping at the Floyd | threads, the next, immaterial shafts of light. As the spider touches Floyd | the ground, there is a blinding flash, and a human figure stands in its Floyd | place. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Tablesaw arrives, full of fun, but no funk. | peccable says, "Sorry." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Thought there might be, hence me saving." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x parcae" | ||||
Floyd | The figure is made of an ever-shifting pattern of golden light, its Floyd | face constantly changing. Floyd | Floyd | The figure's face shimmers, revealing a middle-aged woman. Floyd | Floyd | "Greetings, traveler," she says in the same odd voice, bowing slightly. Floyd | She turns her attention to Morningstar. "To you as well, King of Tyre." Floyd | Morningstar returns her greeting with a nod of his head. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says (to peccable), "No worries." | |||
| Taleslinger says, "punch pacae" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x her" | ||||
Floyd | The figure is made of an ever-shifting pattern of golden light, its Floyd | face constantly changing. Floyd | Floyd | The figure's shimmering reveals the visage of an old hag. Floyd | Floyd | "Know, mortal, that we are Fate, the Parcae, alloters of Man's destiny. Floyd | I am Atropos, the inflexible Cutter, who did sever the thread of your Floyd | life at the moment of your death." The figure shimmers again, Floyd | revealing a very young-looking woman. She smiles at you shyly. Floyd | Floyd | "I am Clotho, the Spinner, who spun your destiny thread at the moment Floyd | of your birth." Another shimmer and the middle-aged woman appears Floyd | again. Floyd | Floyd | "Lachesis," she says, "the Alloter. It was I who did measure the length Floyd | of your thread, and with it, your life." Floyd | Floyd | > | Taleslinger says, "Oops" | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "punch pacae" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Limax walks slowly out of the room and into the sunset. | DavidW says (to Taleslinger), "please stop that." | |||
| Taleslinger asks (of peccable), "Did you base that on any exisiting mythology?" | ||||
| peccable says, "Yes." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "ask her about thread" | ||||
Floyd | Clotho appears, looking pained. "Please, you must listen to Us." Floyd | Floyd | Atropos reappears. Floyd | Floyd | "The Lightbringer speaks truthfully when he says you are in a Floyd | precarious position, Timothy, but not for the reasons he gives." You Floyd | see Morningstar scowl at this. "Your destiny is finished mortal, its Floyd | threads played out upon the skein of Fate, but powers beyond your Floyd | comprehension have thrown this foregone conclusion into doubt. The Floyd | offer the Angel of Light has given you denies the rules of Moira." Floyd | Lachesis appears and watches your confused expression with interest, Floyd | then turns her attention to Morningstar. Floyd | Floyd | "I have not had time to tell the mortal my offer," he growls through Floyd | gritted teeth. "You have not even given me the chance." Lachesis grins Floyd | broadly. Floyd | Floyd | "Then do so, Son of the Dawn," she offers graciously. Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable I can put a bit in the spoiler channel, if you like. | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar turns to you and looks deep into your eyes. Floyd | Floyd | "Timothy Hunter, you have seen the pain and suffering your actions have Floyd | wrought. You have seen the anguish you have caused in those around you, Floyd | and you have seen how the guilt of what you have done has eaten away at Floyd | you. Knowing this, I offer you something which very few are given, yet Floyd | many hope for ... a second chance. You have the opportunity to go back Floyd | and change the past. This I offer to you before you leave the world you Floyd | know forever." Floyd | Floyd | > | Taleslinger says (to peccable), "maybe after we're finished" | |||
| peccable nods. | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask parcae about rules of moira" | ||||
Floyd | "You must keep quiet, Timothy, please!" says Clotho. Floyd | Floyd | Atropos frowns. Floyd | Floyd | "But know mortal, that defying your Moira, your fate, is not without Floyd | its price. Perhaps Morningstar is willing to pay it, but are you? The Floyd | boundaries of your Moira have we clearly marked, and it is not proper Floyd | that you exceed them. Your destiny has been shaped by your choices, and Floyd | this fate you have seen is the destiny you have chosen. But again, your Floyd | choices are everything, and it shall be yours to decide if you shall Floyd | follow Morningstar's path or mine." Floyd | Floyd | "But Morningstar is correct in that this will be your only opportunity Floyd | to change your Moira, Timothy," says Lachesis. "If you refuse this, Floyd | there will never be another chance." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | "But this, still, is not the whole tale, Timothy," says Clotho. "While Floyd | I do concur with Atropos that your choices should remain the same, Floyd | however difficult they are, your choices now can be more than a mere Floyd | replaying of events as you know them. Perhaps this second chance will Floyd | allow you to examine the pain and guilt you have felt, and, if you have Floyd | strength enough, perhaps to face them. But, as always, the choice is Floyd | yours to make." Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "(The spoiler channel, that is.)" | |||
| dhakajack arrives, ready to play with the toys. | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | The rumbling returns suddenly and without warning and with it the Floyd | threads. You flail madly, trying to find your way. The voice of the Floyd | Parcae cuts through the sound, echoing around you. "Look to the Floyd | Tapestry, Timothy. With it, you shall weave your Destiny." The threads Floyd | heave a final time... Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "ask him about choice" | Taleslinger says, "i think this is old enough for this long cutscene-thing" | |||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | T A P E S T R Y Floyd | _____________________________________________ Floyd | Floyd | A N I N T E R A C T I V E D E S T I N Y Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to begin.] | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | TAPESTRY Floyd | An Interactive Destiny Floyd | Copyright 1996 by Daniel Ravipinto Floyd | An entry in the 2nd Annual Interactive-Fiction Competition Floyd | Release 1 / Serial number 961010 / Inform v1502 Library 5/12 Floyd | Standard interpreter 1.0 Floyd | Interpreter 2 Version N / Library serial number 951024 Floyd | The Prologue can be skipped by using the "begin" command. Floyd | Please use the "help" command before beginning. Floyd | Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | The Ivory Tower, where you started this strange adventure, now lies in Floyd | ruins. Its walls lie scorched about you, the roof rent to the open sky. Floyd | The stars, in their impassive brilliance, illuminate the devastation Floyd | below. Over the Tower's remains you catch glimpses of the fires below, Floyd | trees smoldering in the darkness. Floyd | Floyd | The Tapestry seems to have survived the Tower's destruction intact. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Oh wow, that was all just prologue. I'd forgotten. heh" | |||
| DavidW says (to Taleslinger), "1996" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "i" | ||||
Floyd | You are carrying nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x tower" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x tapestry" | ||||
Floyd | Despite the devastation about you, it remains unchanged, its three Floyd | panels mocking reminders of your recently remembered past. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "hunh, cute" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "cf2" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "I suspect strongly that we will need to choose one of the three panels. And perhaps there's a mystery fourth choice." | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "cf3" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Oh, oops." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "touch first panel" | Jacqueline says, "Lag, sorry." | |||
Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly the rumbling returns, and the threads throw you into their Floyd | heaving embrace. After a time they leave you gasping on another strange Floyd | and distant shore... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home lies in disarray, as usual. Between Floyd | work and your mother's condition, you haven't had much time to think Floyd | about house cleaning. To the west is your bedroom; the doorway to the Floyd | north leads to the driveway. The workroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW asks (of inky), "No discussion?" | |||
| inky says, "oh, sorry, I figured we were going to go through all three" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, it was Taleslinger who chose for us, but I'm not sure I mind. We've saved, we'll probably want to explore the different choices eventually." | ||||
| inky says, "maybe that's not how it works, I dunno" | ||||
| DavidW says, "I don't think we get all three, no." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh, no, it was inky." | ||||
| Taleslinger asks, "Wa...What did I choose?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "BAD INKY." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "(Just kidding.)" | ||||
| inky says, "well, if you want to restore and pick a different one, feel free" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm fine with going through them like this, myself." | ||||
| Jacqueline asks (of David), "What was your thought?" | ||||
| DavidW says, "well, there's not enough info to go with, but possibly changing the earliest event will have ripple effects with the rest of the events." | ||||
| Firion arrives, full of funk, but no fun. | Firion asks, "Have we started yet?" | |||
| inky says (to Firion), "yes, we started 37 minutes ago" | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to firion), "Just the prologue." | ||||
| inky says, "the same as always" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Firion), "Yes, 37 minutes ago." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "i" | ||||
Floyd | You are carrying nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | Firion asks, "What game are we playing?" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x tapestry" | ||||
Floyd | The tapestry's single panel depicts an old woman in a long flowing Floyd | gown. In one hand, she holds a long thread which she prepares to cut Floyd | with the large pair of scissors she holds in the other. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says (to Firion), "Tapestry" | |||
| inky asks (of DavidW), "hmm, so you want to restore and go newest to oldest?" | ||||
| Firion exclaims, "Tapestry? Yes, this is a castle, and we have many tapestries, but if you are a Scottish baron, then I am Mickey Mouse!" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "heh" | ||||
| DavidW says (to inky), "no. I suspect starting with the oldest is better. But it's hard to be sure when time travel is involved." | ||||
| Firion asks (of Jacqueline), "You get that joke, right?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to DavidW,inky,Tale,everyone), "So, what are we doing, restoring or proceeding." | ||||
| Taleslinger shrugs. | ||||
| inky says, "well, this is the oldest, so I think we should go with it" | ||||
| DavidW says, "Let's continue with this choice." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Firion), "Yes, I do, which is why I lauged. I'm an archeologist by training, so I've seen all those a gazillion times. It's required in grad school. (Just kidding about the grad school requirment part, of course.)" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x fireplace" | ||||
Floyd | The chimney being totally clogged with soot, you haven't used it in Floyd | ages. You've been so busy at work lately, you haven't given much Floyd | thought to it. You haven't given much thought to anything... Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x soot" | ||||
Floyd | It's spilled all over the floor, making a mess of the carpet. You've Floyd | really got to clean this place up sometime. Floyd | Floyd | > | Firion snickers. | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Okay" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "clean soot" | ||||
Floyd | You achieve nothing by this. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "clean fireplace" | ||||
Floyd | You achieve nothing by this. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "look in fireplace" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing of interest. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "search soot" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing of interest. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get soot" | ||||
Floyd | That's hardly portable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x atropos" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x woman" | ||||
Floyd | The tapestry's single panel depicts an old woman in a long flowing Floyd | gown. In one hand, she holds a long thread which she prepares to cut Floyd | with the large pair of scissors she holds in the other. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| olethros says (to Floyd), "pick up carpet" | ||||
Floyd | That's hardly portable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| olethros says (to Floyd), "roll it" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask woman about thread" | ||||
Floyd | You can only do that to something animate. Floyd | Floyd | > | Taleslinger asks, "were there whipcraft courses?" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Man, this game is sadly, sadly, *sadly* sounding like my life. Except for all the sick and dying people, fortunately." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x carpet" | ||||
Floyd | It's a total mess. You've been thinking about replacing it lately, but Floyd | just haven't had the time. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "Sure. It's a 500 level class." | |||
| K-Y arrives, full of funk, but no fun. | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | The bedroom isn't much cleaner than the den, with piles of clothes Floyd | covering most of the floor. You wish you had the time to even try to Floyd | make the place look like a human being lives here, but you just never Floyd | seem to. To the east is the den and a small bathroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | The bed is unmade, as usual. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "make bed" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "make bed" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "look under bed" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing of interest. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "You boys do good things while I make myself some tea." | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "look under bed" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing of interest. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x clothes" | ||||
Floyd | They're everywhere. It'd take forever just to sort them, much less Floyd | thinking of washing them. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "you can't blame us for not making our bed if the concept of bed-making doesn't exist in the universe" | |||
| DavidW says, "The PC is such a whiner now. Geez." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get clothes" | ||||
Floyd | They're everywhere. It'd take forever just to sort them, much less Floyd | thinking of washing them. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "sort clothes" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "wear clothes" | ||||
Floyd | (first taking the piles of clothes) Floyd | They're everywhere. It'd take forever just to sort them, much less Floyd | thinking of washing them. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "i" | ||||
Floyd | You are carrying nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x me" | ||||
Floyd | From what you can tell, you're as you've always been. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says (to inky), "Find out if our toilet flushes. South." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | A quick peek into the bathroom tells you there's nothing of use there. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "ha ha" | |||
| inky says, "CURSES" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "listen" | ||||
Floyd | You hear nothing unexpected. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "verbose" | ||||
Floyd | TAPESTRY is now in its "verbose" mode, which always gives long Floyd | descriptions of locations (even if you've been there before). Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Work Room Floyd | You've only recently converted this spare room to a workroom to try and Floyd | play catch-up in the evenings and on the weekends. "Converted" isn't Floyd | exactly the right word, since all you did was stick a small table in Floyd | it. The way back to the den lies to the north. Floyd | Floyd | Your work papers lie in disarray beside the telephone. Floyd | Floyd | Also on the desk is a small appointment/address book. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x papers" | ||||
Floyd | The unorganized heap covers most of the table, some of it even Floyd | extending over the edge, threatening to fall at any moment. You've had Floyd | such a backlog of things to do that it's become harder and harder just Floyd | to keep up and not fall even further behind. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "searchpapers" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "search papers" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing of interest. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push papers" | ||||
Floyd | It is fixed in place. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "read papers" | ||||
Floyd | The papers cover a variety of cases. You have no idea where to begin. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x telephone" | ||||
Floyd | A standard push-button telephone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call 911" | ||||
Floyd | You don't know that phone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "take book" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "ha ha" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x it" | ||||
Floyd | Flipping through the address book you see that you've only had time to Floyd | write in two well-used numbers: Mike Stevens at work and Dr. Hughes at Floyd | Mercy Hospital, the doctor who's handling your mother's care. The only Floyd | information of any importance in the appointment section appears to be Floyd | a notice reading: "Thompson account MUST BE CLOSED BY THIS MONDAY." Floyd | It's written in red ink and underlined five times. Floyd | Floyd | The Thompson account? What on Earth is that? You try and remember, Floyd | but for the life of you you can't recall ever writing down this notice. Floyd | And today's Sunday... Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable dohs. | |||
| K-Y says, "Now here is a game I remember in detail" | ||||
| inky says (to peccable), "this is how it is for every author watching other people play their game, natch" | ||||
| K-Y says, "It was pretty visceral for its time" | ||||
| inky says, "well, presumably this is the choice, right? call the dude at work or call about our mom" | ||||
| DavidW says, "I suppose we should phone both Mike and the doctor, then the decision is where to drive to." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "cf4" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call mike stevens" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings for a moment, then Mike's secretary answers. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello, Foley Consultants, can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Can I speak with Mr. Stevens please?" Floyd | Floyd | "Sure Tim, hold on a second." You hear the click of the line being Floyd | switched over, then Mike picks up. Floyd | Floyd | "Yeah Tim? What can I do for you?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask mike about thompson" | ||||
Floyd | Mike sounds shocked. Floyd | Floyd | "The THOMPSON account? You mean the charity bit?" Floyd | Floyd | You have no idea what he's talking about and tell him so. Floyd | Floyd | "The charity bit! Come on, you couldn't have FORGOTTEN that? It was Floyd | your freakin' idea! The whole problem with the firm's bad press last Floyd | year about the orphanage foreclosure? So we were going to do a few Floyd | cases for charity ... people who couldn't normally afford us..." Floyd | Floyd | "...and I offered to take the Thompson account." Floyd | Floyd | "'xactly, Tim, where's your head BEEN, man?" Floyd | Floyd | "Oh my God, I totally forgot about it." Floyd | Floyd | You hear Mike sigh and then a shuffle of papers. Floyd | Floyd | "Hmm ... let's see. Standard blahblahblahblah, it doesn't look more Floyd | than a two or three day thing. No real need to wo..." He cuts off. Floyd | "MONDAY Tim? It's due MONDAY?! Are you crazy? Have you even STARTED Floyd | it?!" Floyd | Floyd | "I've ... I've had a lot on my mind, Mike." Floyd | Floyd | "Damn, Tim, we all know that, but ... if you couldn't handle it you Floyd | should have said so! You're the only one who knows anything about the Floyd | account, and you've got all the important papers there!" Floyd | Floyd | "But, Mike, I've got ... I've got stuff I have to do here." Floyd | Floyd | "Yeah, like the Thompson account! Look Tim, I'm not going to tell you Floyd | what to do, and I know that your job's not in the balance here; you've Floyd | been doing too good a job for too long for one little screw up to ruin Floyd | you, especially under these circumstances. But the Thompson's are Floyd | totally depending on the firm here. Don't you realize the reason we Floyd | took the case? They'll lose everything unless YOU can find a loophole Floyd | that'll at least delay the foreclosure for a while." Floyd | Floyd | "But couldn't someone ... could you...?" Floyd | Floyd | "Look Tim, I can't, I've got so much work here that I couldn't even Floyd | look at the account if I wanted to. Not to mention the fact that all Floyd | the important stuff is THERE. No Tim, it's going to be you or no one." Floyd | He pauses. "Look, I've got to go. Call again if you need help with Floyd | something, but the ball's in your court now." He hangs up. Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "I think, if we phone the doctor first, we might have been chance with our call with Mike." | |||
| DavidW says, "er better chance." | ||||
| inky says, "oops, sorry" | ||||
| DavidW says, "well, he said we could phone him again. Call the doctor now." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call doctor" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings a moment and then a female voice answers the phone. Floyd | Floyd | "Mercy Hospital, how may I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Dr. Hughes please." Floyd | Floyd | "May I ask who's calling?" Floyd | Floyd | "Timothy Hunter." Floyd | Floyd | "One moment, please." You're put on hold. After a moment, the line Floyd | picks up again. Floyd | Floyd | "Yes Tim? How can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask doctor about mom" | ||||
Floyd | Dr. Hughes laughs. Floyd | Floyd | "For the millionth time, Tim, she's fine. Seriously, I'm starting to Floyd | think you don't have any faith in us. What is this, the second week in Floyd | a row you've called at least once a day? You've got to stop worrying. Floyd | Your mother's condition is stable and there's been no sign that would Floyd | lead us to believe we should expect any change. If there were, we'd Floyd | call you." He pauses. "Look Tim, I'm busy here. Just trust me and Floyd | relax, OK?" Floyd | Floyd | Amid your protests, he gently hangs up. Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "...hunh" | |||
| inky says, "ok, not how I expected that to go" | ||||
| DavidW says, "That is weird." | ||||
| DavidW says, "oh. The pendant!" | ||||
| DavidW says, "Morningstar might not be playing fairly." | ||||
| inky asks, "what do you mean?" | ||||
| DavidW says, "If the doctor is Morningstar, shapechanged, he might be there to kill mom just to get us to act accordingly. Same with the girl in the last panel." | ||||
| inky says, "ah" | ||||
| inky asks, "so, hmm, you think we should go to the hospital anyway?" | ||||
| DavidW says, "well, it's a gamble regardless, but yes." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "search papers" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing of interest. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "take papers" | ||||
Floyd | There are far too many papers to lug around with you, better leave them Floyd | here. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "eat papers" | ||||
Floyd | (first taking the work papers) Floyd | There are far too many papers to lug around with you, better leave them Floyd | here. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "count papers" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "hm. I thought we'd be taking the papers to our office or whatever." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "read papers" | ||||
Floyd | The papers cover a variety of cases. You have no idea where to begin. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "consult papers about thompson" | ||||
Floyd | You spread the papers out and try to get them organized. You vaguely Floyd | remember that the Thompson account deals with a small family business Floyd | that might be going under. Apparently they don't have enough money to Floyd | hire someone to handle the backlog of taxes that they've been Floyd | accumulating and can't handle it themselves. The papers are broken up Floyd | into several sections: the back records, this year's intake, and the Floyd | forms which need to be filled out. Floyd | Floyd | > | K-Y says, "Also, truly ahead the curve in having the Fates as bosses in a video game" | |||
| inky says, "heh" | ||||
| peccable laughs. | ||||
| inky asks, "what else used that? god of war, maybe?" | ||||
| K-Y says, "God of War, yes" | ||||
| K-Y says, "and Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "call mike" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings for a moment, then Mike's secretary answers. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello, Foley Consultants, can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Can I speak with Mr. Stevens please?" Floyd | Floyd | "Sure Tim, hold on a second." You hear the click of the line being Floyd | switched over, then Mike picks up. Floyd | Floyd | "Yeah, Tim?" Mike says, "What do ya need?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo" | ||||
Floyd | Work Room Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Allen arrives, full of funk, but no fun. | DavidW says, "hm. It seems obvious that going to see mom is going to have negative effects in other parts of our life." | |||
| DavidW says, "I still think we should go see her, though." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get records" | ||||
Floyd | There are far too many papers to lug around with you, better leave them Floyd | here. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "ok, let's do it" | |||
| inky asks, "how do we leave the house?" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "look" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Work Room Floyd | You've only recently converted this spare room to a workroom to try and Floyd | play catch-up in the evenings and on the weekends. "Converted" isn't Floyd | exactly the right word, since all you did was stick a small table in Floyd | it. The way back to the den lies to the north. Floyd | Floyd | Your work papers lie in disarray beside the telephone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home lies in disarray, as usual. Between Floyd | work and your mother's condition, you haven't had much time to think Floyd | about house cleaning. To the west is your bedroom; the doorway to the Floyd | north leads to the driveway. The workroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "Driveway is n, n." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Driveway Floyd | It's a beautiful spring day, the sun is shining and a soft breeze Floyd | blows. Taking in the idyllic scene, it's easy to forget all the Floyd | pressures on you; to forget, if for the briefest of moments, your Floyd | mother's illness and the work you have to do. The front door back into Floyd | the house lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | You consider a stroll around the neighborhood, but think better of it. Floyd | You have more important things to do. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "enter car" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "drive to hospital" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "go to hospital" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "hmmm" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "sing" | ||||
Floyd | If you really want to... Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "sing" | ||||
Floyd | If you really want to... Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home lies in disarray, as usual. Between Floyd | work and your mother's condition, you haven't had much time to think Floyd | about house cleaning. To the west is your bedroom; the doorway to the Floyd | north leads to the driveway. The workroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline asks, "I would be okay with asking peccable for a hint on how to travel to places. Others?" | |||
| inky says, "well, maybe a bit more poking around first" | ||||
| DavidW says, "it's possible we don't really have that option." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Work Room Floyd | You've only recently converted this spare room to a workroom to try and Floyd | play catch-up in the evenings and on the weekends. "Converted" isn't Floyd | exactly the right word, since all you did was stick a small table in Floyd | it. The way back to the den lies to the north. Floyd | Floyd | Your work papers lie in disarray beside the telephone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call taxi" | ||||
Floyd | The taxi service...now what was that number again...? Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Well, sure, but I mean the mechanics of it when the time comes." | |||
| inky says, "oho" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "consult papers about taxi" | ||||
Floyd | You discover nothing of interest in the work papers. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Or that might be it" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "consult papers about taxi" | ||||
Floyd | You discover nothing of interest in the work papers. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "oops" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call mike" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings for a moment, then Mike's secretary answers. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello, Foley Consultants, can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Can I speak with Mr. Stevens please?" Floyd | Floyd | "Sure Tim, hold on a second." You hear the click of the line being Floyd | switched over, then Mike picks up. Floyd | Floyd | "Yeah, Tim?" Mike says, "What do ya need?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask mike about taxi" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "So come on, Tim ... what do you want?" Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "pfft" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "taxi" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "hang up" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "hunh, that worked" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "call taxi" | ||||
Floyd | The taxi service...now what was that number again...? Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "call 411" | ||||
Floyd | You don't know that phone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "call operator" | ||||
Floyd | You don't know that phone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW asks, "Where's the fridge magnet?" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "See, that sort of line is making me wish we had a ClubFloyd quotebook." | ||||
| inky says, "I guess there's probably a bulletin board" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x table" | ||||
Floyd | You shoved it in here when you convered this into a work room. It's Floyd | overflowing with your workpapers, almost completely covering the Floyd | telephone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Allen says (to floyd), "call me" | ||||
Floyd | You don't know that phone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "look under phone" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing of interest. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "(The whole 'you don't know the number for 911' bit, that is.)" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "look under table" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing of interest. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "you could quote floyd = stuff, I guess" | |||
| Allen says (to floyd), "look up me in phone book" | ||||
Floyd | (in the work papers) Floyd | You discover nothing of interest in the work papers. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky asks, "do we have a kitchen?" | |||
| DavidW says, "I don't think so." | ||||
| DavidW says, "We live off of wallpaper paste and sawdust." | ||||
| inky says, "delicious" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x table" | ||||
Floyd | You shoved it in here when you convered this into a work room. It's Floyd | overflowing with your workpapers, almost completely covering the Floyd | telephone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push papers" | ||||
Floyd | It is fixed in place. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "move papers" | ||||
Floyd | It is fixed in place. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "search desk" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing of interest. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "consult papers about hospital" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing on that subject in your work papers. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "consult papers about mom" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing on that subject in your work papers. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "consult book about thompson" | ||||
Floyd | You discover nothing of interest in the address/appointment book. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "consult book about taxi" | ||||
Floyd | You discover nothing of interest in the address/appointment book. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "consult book about mom" | ||||
Floyd | You discover nothing of interest in the address/appointment book. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x book" | ||||
Floyd | Flipping through the address book you see that you've only had time to Floyd | write in two well-used numbers: Mike Stevens at work and Dr. Hughes at Floyd | Mercy Hospital, the doctor who's handling your mother's care. The only Floyd | information of any importance in the appointment section appears to be Floyd | a notice reading: "Thompson account MUST BE CLOSED BY THIS MONDAY." Floyd | It's written in red ink and underlined five times. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| dhakajack says (to Floyd), "x forms" | ||||
Floyd | You start flipping through the forms when you realize you don't have Floyd | any of the information required to fill them out. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x back records" | ||||
Floyd | The records go back quite a few years. You start reading through them, Floyd | trying to get an impression of what needs to be done. The Thompson's Floyd | have obviously been trying to keep on top of the paperwork, but they Floyd | just didn't have the expertise. Although there's a lot, you realize Floyd | that Mike was right, it's a routine job. Floyd | Floyd | Several hours later and almost finished with the back-paperwork, you Floyd | realize that an entire year is missing from the records. You can't Floyd | finish the forms without it! Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "uh-oh. 'hours later'" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "We could undo." | ||||
| DavidW says, "I always want to leave the computer and eat something when events get a bit sticky." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call mike" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings for a moment, then Mike's secretary answers. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello, Foley Consultants, can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Can I speak with Mr. Stevens please?" Floyd | Floyd | "Sure Tim, hold on a second." You hear the click of the line being Floyd | switched over, then Mike picks up. Floyd | Floyd | "Yeah, Tim?" Mike says, "What do ya need?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask mike about records" | ||||
Floyd | You explain about the missing records from the papers you have for the Floyd | Thompson account. Floyd | Floyd | "Hmm ... ok, hold on, let me see if they're up here." You hear Mike Floyd | put down the phone and then a few minutes of silence. Suddenly, he's Floyd | back on the line. "Yeah Tim, got 'em right here. I don't know how they Floyd | got muffed up like that. Here, let me give you the numbers." He Floyd | proceeds to help you update the records you need. Floyd | Floyd | "Thanks Mike, you're a lifesaver." Floyd | Floyd | "No prob, and good luck on the account!" Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says (to DavidW), "Stress eating. Not good." | |||
| Jacqueline smiles. | ||||
| inky says, "you could eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich" | ||||
| inky says, "then the lunch would be sticky too" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "fill out forms" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "ha" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "fill in forms" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x forms" | ||||
Floyd | You start flipping through the forms when you realize that while you Floyd | have the back records done, you haven't completed the intake for the Floyd | current year. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x intake" | ||||
Floyd | You begin scanning on the records for the current year, on which the Floyd | Thompsons have done no work at all. You sigh deeply and get to work. Floyd | Floyd | It seems to take forever, the numbers just don't want to work out. Floyd | Finally, after scanning your work for errors a third time, you decide Floyd | you've got it done as well as you'll ever get it. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x forms" | ||||
Floyd | With the completed records in hand, you begin filling out the forms. By Floyd | this point, you're so sick of numbers you find it harder and harder not Floyd | to give up. As you press on, you become worried. You've got to stay Floyd | awake, aware, because any mistakes at this point could be disastrous... Floyd | Floyd | Four hours later, you're finished. Your hands are cramped from all the Floyd | writing, your mind spinning from the columns of data, but it's done. Floyd | You separate the forms from the rest of papers with a sigh of relief. Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly you stop short. You forgot about the signatures! You Floyd | frantically begin scanning the bottom of the forms, praying you won't Floyd | find that they have to be signed with a witness... Floyd | Floyd | ...and you find that they do. What the hell are you going to do? It's Floyd | Sunday! How on Earth are you going to get in touch with a notary Floyd | public this late on a Sunday afternoon? Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call doctor" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings a moment and then a female voice answers the phone. Floyd | Floyd | "Mercy Hospital, how may I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Dr. Hughes please." Floyd | Floyd | "May I ask who's calling?" Floyd | Floyd | "Timothy Hunter." Floyd | Floyd | "One moment, please." You're put on hold. After a moment, the line Floyd | picks up again. Floyd | Floyd | "Look Tim, I told you I'm very busy here. Is there something you need Floyd | to ask?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask doctor about mom" | ||||
Floyd | The laughter is gone from Dr. Hughes's voice. Floyd | Floyd | "Look Tim, we've been through this too many times. She's fine. I have Floyd | more important things to deal with right now than getting that through Floyd | that thick skull of yours. Goodbye." Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "geez, what an asshole" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Nice." | ||||
| DavidW asks, "call mike?" | ||||
| inky says, "we should just forge the witness's signature" | ||||
| inky asks, "what are they going to do, investigate a charity case?" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call mike" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings for a moment, then Mike's secretary answers. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello, Foley Consultants, can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Can I speak with Mr. Stevens please?" Floyd | Floyd | "Sure Tim, hold on a second." You hear the click of the line being Floyd | switched over, then Mike picks up. Floyd | Floyd | "Yeah, Tim?" Mike says, "What do ya need?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask mike about notary" | ||||
Floyd | You frantically tell Mike about the signatures you need and that you Floyd | have no idea how to get in touch with the notary public. Floyd | Floyd | "God-damnit Tim ... I'd totally forgotten. And it's Sunday, shit..." Floyd | Floyd | "What'r we gonna do, Mike?" Floyd | Floyd | Silence. Floyd | Floyd | "No, wait a minute! I got it! Look, I've got a friend down a City Floyd | Hall, owes me a couple of favors. I bet I can get the public down in Floyd | his office long enough to get the stuff signed. Listen, I'll call up Floyd | the Thompsons, and my friend. I'll tell 'em to meet you down there in Floyd | one hour. You got that? Anything over that and we're screwed." Floyd | Floyd | "Got it, Mike. Oh, and thanks again. You really saved me." Floyd | Floyd | "No prob, just remember you owe me one." Floyd | Floyd | "Sure," you say, "I'll see them down there in an hour." Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | As suddenly as you place the receiver back in the cradle, the phone Floyd | rings. You hastily lift the receiver to your ear. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello?" Floyd | Floyd | "Yes, hello, may I please speak to Mr. Timothy Hunter?" Floyd | Floyd | "This is he." Floyd | Floyd | "Mr. Hunter? I'm Doctor Feiner, an associate of Doctor Hughes?" Floyd | Floyd | "Yes, Doctor Feiner, what can I do for you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Well, Mr. Hunter, it's ... it's about your mother." A sick certainty Floyd | overcomes you. Floyd | Floyd | "She's dying," you whisper. Floyd | Floyd | "Yes, Mr. Hunter, and I'm afraid she won't be lasting much longer. Not Floyd | more than an hour..." Floyd | Floyd | "Oh God... I'll, I'll..." Floyd | Floyd | "Whatever you do, Mr. Hunter, please do it quickly. There's not much Floyd | time." Floyd | Floyd | With trembling hands, you put the phone back down. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "ah, here" | |||
| Allen says, "but don't run a red light on the way to the hospital" | ||||
| olethros asks, "so we have to choose between Closing The Account and Seeing Mom?" | ||||
| inky asks, "or DO we?" | ||||
| olethros says, "Close The Account At The Hospital" | ||||
| inky says, "I guess we probably do" | ||||
| olethros asks, "can mom sign?" | ||||
| inky says, "ha ha" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call tazi" | ||||
Floyd | You don't know that phone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call taxi" | ||||
Floyd | The taxi service...now what was that number again...? Floyd | Floyd | > | DaveC asks, "call mike back?" | |||
| DavidW says, "We have to choose between City Hall and Mercy Hospital." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Go see mother, I think." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I mean, we should maybe save and see both." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "But, yeah." | ||||
| olethros says, "yeah" | ||||
| olethros says, "driver, follow this hospital!" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "cf5" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home lies in disarray, as usual. Between Floyd | work and your mother's condition, you haven't had much time to think Floyd | about house cleaning. To the west is your bedroom; the doorway to the Floyd | north leads to the driveway. The workroom lies to the south. Floyd | | DavidW asks, "Is there actually a Dr Feiner, though?" | |||
Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Driveway Floyd | It's a beautiful spring day, the sun is shining and a soft breeze Floyd | blows. Taking in the idyllic scene, it's easy to forget all the Floyd | pressures on you; to forget, if for the briefest of moments, your Floyd | mother's illness and the work you have to do. The front door back into Floyd | the house lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "oh, that would be -- wait, hrm" | |||
| DavidW asks, "You still need the taxi number, yes?" | ||||
| inky says, "I thought we knew she died for real" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home lies in disarray, as usual. Between Floyd | work and your mother's condition, you haven't had much time to think Floyd | about house cleaning. To the west is your bedroom; the doorway to the Floyd | north leads to the driveway. The workroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Work Room Floyd | You've only recently converted this spare room to a workroom to try and Floyd | play catch-up in the evenings and on the weekends. "Converted" isn't Floyd | exactly the right word, since all you did was stick a small table in Floyd | it. The way back to the den lies to the north. Floyd | Floyd | Your work papers lie in disarray beside the telephone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call hospital" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings a moment and then a female voice answers the phone. Floyd | Floyd | "Mercy Hospital, how may I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Dr. Hughes please." There's a slight pause. Floyd | Floyd | "I'm terribly sorry, but Dr. Hughes is currently tending to an Floyd | emergency. Would you like to leave a message?" Floyd | Floyd | You don't have to ask whose emergency it is. "No, thank you". Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "call mike" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings for a moment, then Mike's secretary answers. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello, Foley Consultants, can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Can I speak with Mr. Stevens please?" Floyd | Floyd | "Sure Tim, hold on a second." You hear the click of the line being Floyd | switched over, then Mike picks up. Floyd | Floyd | "Look Timmy-boy, I'm making contacts and half-way outta the office. Floyd | What do you want?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "tell mike about mom" | ||||
Floyd | "Look, Mike, it's about my mother." Floyd | Floyd | "What about her, Tim?" Floyd | Floyd | "Well, she's ... you know she's not been well, and..." Floyd | Floyd | "What happened Tim? She's all right, isn't she?" You can hear the Floyd | concern in Mike's voice. Floyd | Floyd | "Well, yes, but it's ... it's..." Floyd | Floyd | Mike sighs. "Look, Tim, I don't know what's up here, but are you trying Floyd | to tell me that you're NOT going to be able to the Thompson account Floyd | because of your mother?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "yes" | ||||
Floyd | Mike sighs. "Well Tim, it's your decision. Good luck, I hope she'll be Floyd | ok." Floyd | Floyd | "Thanks Mike, and I'm sorry but ... I've got to do this." Floyd | Floyd | "Like I said, it's your decision, man. I'll see you later." Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Wait, she's *not* all right." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Why did we say she is? We are so spineless." | ||||
| olethros asks, "I am not sure why we have to close the account on monday?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "We deserve to be called Timmy-boy." | ||||
| peccable Actually, I think "Yes" in this case was to "you're not going to be able to close the account". | ||||
| DavidW asks, "Do we call the operator for a taxi?" | ||||
| inky says, "uh, maybe" | ||||
| DaveC says, "tried that" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call operator" | ||||
Floyd | You don't know that phone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "call 0" | ||||
Floyd | You don't know that phone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Well, I think that's what we want, peccable, to go see mother." | |||
| inky says, "maybe it's in our bedroom or something" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home lies in disarray, as usual. Between Floyd | work and your mother's condition, you haven't had much time to think Floyd | about house cleaning. To the west is your bedroom; the doorway to the Floyd | north leads to the driveway. The workroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | You can't go that way. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | The bedroom isn't much cleaner than the den, with piles of clothes Floyd | covering most of the floor. You wish you had the time to even try to Floyd | make the place look like a human being lives here, but you just never Floyd | seem to. To the east is the den and a small bathroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | The bed is unmade, as usual. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x bed" | ||||
Floyd | It's hard to believe this will be the bed on which Sarah will spend all Floyd | that time, dying. WAS the bed where she SPENT all that time ... this is Floyd | so confusing. It's in a shambles, the sheets hidden under one of the Floyd | numerous piles of clothing scattered about the room. Floyd | Floyd | On the bed you see your wallet. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get wallet" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "aha" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open wallet" | ||||
Floyd | You peek inside your wallet and see some money and a small, white Floyd | business card. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x card" | ||||
Floyd | It's a business card from a local taxi agency complete with their Floyd | telephone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home lies in disarray, as usual. Between Floyd | work and your mother's condition, you haven't had much time to think Floyd | about house cleaning. To the west is your bedroom; the doorway to the Floyd | north leads to the driveway. The workroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | DaveC says, "ha" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Work Room Floyd | You've only recently converted this spare room to a workroom to try and Floyd | play catch-up in the evenings and on the weekends. "Converted" isn't Floyd | exactly the right word, since all you did was stick a small table in Floyd | it. The way back to the den lies to the north. Floyd | Floyd | Your work papers lie in disarray beside the telephone. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "double-check the tapestry before leaving" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home lies in disarray, as usual. Between Floyd | work and your mother's condition, you haven't had much time to think Floyd | about house cleaning. To the west is your bedroom; the doorway to the Floyd | north leads to the driveway. The workroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x tapestry" | ||||
Floyd | The tapestry's single panel depicts an old woman in a long flowing Floyd | gown. In one hand, she holds a long thread which she prepares to cut Floyd | with the large pair of scissors she holds in the other. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "ok. Call the taxi" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Work Room Floyd | You've only recently converted this spare room to a workroom to try and Floyd | play catch-up in the evenings and on the weekends. "Converted" isn't Floyd | exactly the right word, since all you did was stick a small table in Floyd | it. The way back to the den lies to the north. Floyd | Floyd | Your work papers lie in disarray beside the telephone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call taxi" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings several times, and then the line picks up. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello, BK Taxi, can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | You quickly explain that you need a taxi sent around to your house as Floyd | soon as possible. Floyd | Floyd | "Certainly sir, it'll be there as soon as possible." Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home lies in disarray, as usual. Between Floyd | work and your mother's condition, you haven't had much time to think Floyd | about house cleaning. To the west is your bedroom; the doorway to the Floyd | north leads to the driveway. The workroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Driveway Floyd | It's a beautiful spring day, the sun is shining and a soft breeze Floyd | blows. Taking in the idyllic scene, it's easy to forget all the Floyd | pressures on you; to forget, if for the briefest of moments, your Floyd | mother's illness and the work you have to do. The front door back into Floyd | the house lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | You notice a cab slowly making its way up the street, its driver Floyd | peering at house numbers. Apparently seeing yours, the cab quickly Floyd | pulls into your driveway and the driver gives the horn three quick Floyd | blasts. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "enter cab" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Inside a Taxi Cab Floyd | You're sitting in the back seat of an old and dirty taxi cab. The seat Floyd | springs squeak rustily beneath you, litter covers the floor and the Floyd | windows are covered with grime. Floyd | Floyd | In the front seat, a cabbie sits waiting impatiently. Floyd | Floyd | "Where ya wanna go, mac?" he asks as you slip inside. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "cf6" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask cabbie about hospital" | ||||
Floyd | "You got it, mac" says the cabbie as he hits starts the meter and pulls Floyd | out of the driveway... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | The trip seems interminable, the cabbie babbling throughout it. Talk of Floyd | nothing: the weather, the ball game on television last night. You Floyd | hardly hear him. All you can think about is your mother in that vile Floyd | smelling white room, breathing her last. You close your eyes and hope Floyd | you'll get there in time. Floyd | Floyd | The sunlight flickers over your closed eyelids, making a shadow-dance Floyd | beneath, and you pause, lost for a moment in their flickering patterns. Floyd | Let her be ok ... please, just let her be ok. Floyd | Floyd | The sudden stop in front of Mercy rudely breaks your reverie. Floyd | Floyd | "That'll be 15 bucks," says the cabbie, hitting the meter's flag. Floyd | Floyd | "I'm sorry," you say, handing him your last fifteen dollars, "I don't Floyd | have enough for a tip." Floyd | Floyd | The cabbie looks at you for a moment, and then slowly smiles. Floyd | Floyd | "Forget it, buddy. You look like you could use a break." You profusely Floyd | thank him as you open the taxi's door and rush into the building... Floyd | Floyd | You rush past the front desk, running for the elevators and slip Floyd | between the doors just as they're closing. You frantically stab at the Floyd | buttons, and then slump against the back wall. First, second, third, Floyd | fourth, hurry god-damn you hurry ... please ... please ... fourth, come Floyd | on ... come on you ... fifth! The doors slide back and you rush down Floyd | the corridor, almost slipping on the tiles and finally come to a Floyd | screeching halt at the door to your mother's room... Floyd | | Allen says, "let's restore it and see where else we can get him to take us" | |||
| DavidW asks, "Was the cabbie wearing a pendant?" | ||||
| inky says, "I didn't look -- lemme hit space here and we'll see where this goes, then we can restore" | ||||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Hospital Room Floyd | Like a horribly cycling nightmare, you find yourself back in this white Floyd | room stinking of disinfectant. How many times have you been here Floyd | before, in your mind, replaying this possible scene of being here with Floyd | your mother when she died? And now, it looks as if perhaps you'll get Floyd | your second chance after all... Floyd | Floyd | Here, unmoving on the hospital bed, lies your mother. Floyd | > | ||||
| Firion goes home. | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x mother" | ||||
Floyd | She lies still in the bed, her eyes closed. Her grey hair falls in long Floyd | locks over her face and from her arm protrudes the clear line of an Floyd | IV-tube, leading to a machine which stands at the bedside. Floyd | Floyd | For a brief, horrible moment, you think that you're too late ... she's Floyd | gone. But then, you see her chest slowly lift, then lower. She's Floyd | breathing ... she's alive. Floyd | Floyd | Her eyes flutter for a moment, then slowly open. Her pupils unfocused, Floyd | she looks around the room, finally catching sight of you. She pauses, Floyd | then smiles. Floyd | "Oh Timmy..." she says. You heart catches in your throat as you hear Floyd | how weak her voice is; barely a whisper, hardly stronger than a soft Floyd | breeze. You must have flinched, because her brow furrows and she looks Floyd | at you, concerned. "What's wrong...?" Floyd | Floyd | Wrong! Everything, everything's wrong. You're dying and I don't know Floyd | what to do, you're leaving and I don't know how to say goodbye... Floyd | Floyd | "Nothing, Mama." You slowly approach the bed and grasp her hand. It's Floyd | cold, and her skin is almost translucent, revealing her tiny bones Floyd | beneath. She's so fragile and so helpless. And she was such a vibrant Floyd | woman, so full of life ... just like Sarah. Floyd | Floyd | Sarah. The thought makes you pause. Why? Why did this happen? They Floyd | were both so wonderful, so caring. They didn't deserve this. She had so Floyd | many years ahead of her, so much to live for. Floyd | Floyd | She smiles again. "Oh. That's good. You know I worry..." she pauses, Floyd | catching her breath. "You know I worry so much about you..." Floyd | Floyd | You stroke her hand, biting your lip to stop from crying. "Yeah, yeah I Floyd | know." Floyd | Floyd | She lifts her head to look up at you, and suddenly you can see a little Floyd | bit of a glint in her eye, a hint at the vibrance that she was so known Floyd | for. She peers at you. "Why ... why aren't you at work? Aren't you Floyd | always busy at..." The rest is lost in a wheeze as she sags back into Floyd | her pillow. Floyd | Floyd | "Don't worry, Mom. It's fine. I just thought ... I, I just wanted to Floyd | visit you." Floyd | Floyd | She smiles. "Well, that's ok, but you've got to take..." She suddenly Floyd | stops. Floyd | Floyd | "Mom? Mama? Can you hear me? Are you all..." Oh no please ... Floyd | please ... Floyd | Floyd | Her jaw goes slack, then she blinks once or twice. "Oh, oh Timmy ... I Floyd | think ... I think it's time..." Floyd | Floyd | You begin babbling, not even realizing what you're saying. "No, no Floyd | please. No! No, you're fine, everything's fine, you'll be ok. Please, Floyd | please! You're fine!" Hands grasp your shoulders and begin pulling Floyd | you backwards, you can vaguely hear Doctor Hughes's voice telling you Floyd | that there's nothing you can do, that it's her time, but you don't Floyd | listen to him. You can't. You struggle forwards, trying to get closer Floyd | to the bed. "Please ... please, you're all right, aren't you? Tell me Floyd | you're all right!" Floyd | Floyd | She looks up to you serenely, seemingly unaware of your panic. "Shhh. Floyd | It'll be ok, Timmy. Everything will be ok." She pauses again, then Floyd | closes her eyes, and whispers "I love you Timmy..." Floyd | Floyd | And then she's gone. You can feel it, she's gone...the room's empty Floyd | now. And then you're falling, clutching her cold form against you and Floyd | crying, lost and alone. Floyd | | inky says, "hmm" | |||
| DavidW says, "I'm ready to continue" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | You don't know how long you've been lying there crying when the hand Floyd | touches you gently on the shoulder. You look up, about to angrily Floyd | berate Dr. Hughes for telling you that she was all right when she Floyd | wasn't, when you see that it's not the doctor at all... Floyd | Floyd | "Well done, Timothy," says Morningstar. "You have changed your path, Floyd | and found a way to be here for your mother when she needed you. Leave Floyd | her be now, she goes to a better place." He gently helps you get to Floyd | your feet. Floyd | Floyd | He sighs. "But this is only the first step on my path, Timothy. There Floyd | are dangers which still lie ahead. But fear not. You have begun my Floyd | path, and you shall not leave it until it is complete. I shall be here Floyd | to guide you, as you need me." Floyd | Floyd | The whirling threads appear, and tear you from where you stand into Floyd | their heaving embrace. They leave you, gasping, back in the Tower... Floyd | | Jacqueline asks, "Just out of curiosity, do we want to check out the other path now, or later? Maybe play through all the good choices, then come back and be a heartless workaholic bastard?" | |||
| DavidW says, "It's still unclear if *this* was a good choice." | ||||
| inky says, "we saw our mom, who was going to die anyway" | ||||
| inky says, "and then those other people lost their houses or whatever" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Hrm, true." | ||||
| inky says, "on the other hand, it's really mike's fault for not scheduling it a little later" | ||||
| Fang arrives, full of fun, but no funk. | inky says, "I mean, c'mon, if he's getting people in on a sunday, who cares" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Honor the sabbath, Mike. It's the American way." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Okay, so let me rephrase." | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "Let's do the choices where we're nice to all the dying people, then go back and do it the other way?" | ||||
| dhakajack says, "we should have file for an extension." | ||||
| dhakajack says, "oops...filed" | ||||
| DavidW asks, "Where are we now?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x tapestry" | ||||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | The Ivory Tower, where you started this strange adventure, now lies in Floyd | ruins. Its walls lie scorched about you, the roof rent to the open sky. Floyd | The stars, in their impassive brilliance, illuminate the devastation Floyd | below. Over the Tower's remains you catch glimpses of the fires below, Floyd | trees smoldering in the darkness. Floyd | Floyd | The Tapestry seems to have survived the Tower's destruction intact. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x tapestry" | ||||
Floyd | Despite the devastation about you, it remains unchanged, its three Floyd | panels mocking reminders of your recently remembered past. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says (to DW), "Thanks" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "touch first panel" | ||||
Floyd | You are finished there Timothy, go elsewhere. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Wonder if it even matters what order they'" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "er, they're done." | ||||
| DavidW says, "It must make a difference." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "*in* what order, I should say" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "Maybe, maybe it's just a way to partition it." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x second panel. x third panel." | ||||
Floyd | The second panel is a scene of Sarah lying in a bed, with her soul Floyd | half-way in and half-way out of her body. Floyd | Floyd | The third panel is a scene of a young woman, hardly a child, stumbling Floyd | into a road, arms flailing, eyes open in shock at the sight of your car Floyd | barreling down upon her. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Up to y'all." | |||
| DavidW says, "I'd go with 2nd panel next." | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "x first panel" | ||||
Floyd | The first panel is a scene of your mother in the hospital, a doctor Floyd | looking sadly down upon her. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW asks, "Everyone okay with 2nd panel next?" | |||
| inky says, "sure" | ||||
| olethros says, "sure" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I am fine with that, yeah." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "touch second panel" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly the rumbling returns, and the threads throw you into their Floyd | heaving embrace. After a time they leave you gasping on another strange Floyd | and distant shore... Floyd | | ||||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x fireplace" | ||||
Floyd | You remember the innumerable winter nights you and Sarah sat curled up Floyd | in front of it as you gazed into the fire. God, when was the last time Floyd | you did that? It's so hard to remember a time before her being Floyd | bedridden. Floyd | Floyd | On the mantel you notice a small snapshot in a frame. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x snapshot" | ||||
Floyd | It's a photograph of you and Sarah out on the lake. She's got her arms Floyd | wrapped around your neck while the two of you grin like maniacs at the Floyd | camera from the little boat you're in. You remember when it was taken. Floyd | Five seconds later, the boat capsized and you and she laughed so hard Floyd | about it you nearly drowned. God, it's been at least a year since last Floyd | you were up there. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x tapestry" | ||||
Floyd | The tapestry's single panel depicts a middle-aged woman in a long Floyd | flowing gown. In one hand she holds a slender black rod, which she Floyd | holds up to a long thread which she holds in the other. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "score" | ||||
Floyd | You know yourself and your past. You have chosen the Path of Floyd | Morningstar, and have taken a single step along it. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "interesting way to do it" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x me" | ||||
Floyd | From what you can tell, you're as you've always been. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "i" | ||||
Floyd | You are carrying nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Yeah" | |||
| DavidW asks, "Shall we see Sarah?" | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "Go see Sarah?" | ||||
| inky says, "okey doke" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Timing" | ||||
| DavidW says, "Perhaps we can fix her up some nice wallpaper paste and noodle soup." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Your slowly-returning memories do little justice to her. You'd almost Floyd | forgotten how achingly beautiful she was ... is. God, this is so Floyd | confusing. The illness she's battling has taken its toll, but with her Floyd | resting like that, it's almost possible to believe she'll be ok. Floyd | Floyd | Beside her on the bed, unused, is a large pillow. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x pillow" | ||||
Floyd | A large, white pillow. Apparently Sarah doesn't need this one. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get pillow" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says (to inky), "Careful" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x endtable" | ||||
Floyd | A small endtable that used to hold Sarah's endless supply of medicines. Floyd | None of them did any good, though. Some may have eased the pain she's Floyd | going through, but the doctors have told you again and again there's no Floyd | cure. Floyd | Floyd | Built into the endtable is a small drawer. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky asks, "oops, was that a mistake?" | |||
| DavidW says, "That's the pillow we smothered her with." | ||||
| inky says, "...oh" | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "open drawer" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah suddenly becomes animated. Floyd | Floyd | "Timothy, please ... don't do that, ok? For me? Just don't open it, Floyd | ok?" She seems so worried. You nod and she relaxes. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask sarah about herself" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah stirs as you approach. She smiles faintly. Floyd | Floyd | "Hi honey. I'm feeling ok, I guess. I'm just having trouble getting to Floyd | sleep. It's just really hard to go on sometimes." She pauses, takes Floyd | your hand and looks at you, concerned. "Are you all right?" she asks. Floyd | You nod, and she smiles again. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "ask her about drawer" | ||||
Floyd | "Please Timothy," she begs. "Please, just humor me...?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask sarah about future" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah looks at you, confused. She yawns. Poor thing, better not tax her Floyd | too much. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "humor her" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Wonder what's wrong." | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask sarah about pain" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah looks at you, confused. She yawns. Poor thing, better not tax her Floyd | too much. Floyd | Floyd | > | Taleslinger asks, "Aw, crap, phone call. Can we go back half an hour?" | |||
| Jacqueline says (to T), "No." | ||||
| Jacqueline smiles. | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask sarah about illness" | ||||
Floyd | She opens her eyes and shrugs. Floyd | Floyd | "It comes and goes. Some days I feel better than others, but..." she Floyd | pauses. "I'm ok, I guess." She sees the concern in your eyes. "Now Floyd | don't you worry about me," she says, smiling. "I'll be just fine." Floyd | Floyd | She closes her eyes again. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline asks, "Can you read the scrollback?" | |||
| psybuzz realizes the truth, and levels himself out of existence | Jacqueline asks, "Or does your scrollback not go back that far?" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "look under bed" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing of interest. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x bed" | ||||
Floyd | Your slowly-returning memories do little justice to her. You'd almost Floyd | forgotten how achingly beautiful she was ... is. God, this is so Floyd | confusing. The illness she's battling has taken its toll, but with her Floyd | resting like that, it's almost possible to believe she'll be ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | Taleslinger says, "it does. no worries, i was kidding (obvioulsy)" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh, I know, or I'd have been more polite with my 'no.' heh" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x clothes" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "huh. Someone picked them up." | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "kiss her" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah grins and tweaks your nose. "I love you." Floyd | Floyd | "I love you too." you whisper back. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "A thief stole our clothes!" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bathroom Floyd | This small bathroom lies to the south of your bedroom. Ever since Sarah Floyd | fell ill, it's been a storehouse of false hopes. Every miracle the Floyd | doctors said might have helped, every drug that might have eased her Floyd | pain has been kept here. And each and every one did nothing. Floyd | Floyd | Over the sink is a small, mirrored medicine cabinet. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "presumably Sarah cleaned it up when she moved in with us" | |||
| inky says, "since no bachelor would ever clean up their apartment of their own volition" | ||||
| DavidW says, "We get a bathroom now." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x cabinet" | ||||
Floyd | As you approach the cabinet, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the Floyd | mirror. God, is that really you? You haven't slept well in weeks and Floyd | your pale, haggard reflection looks like a stranger to you. Floyd | Floyd | The cabinet has a hinged door which is closed. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open cabinet" | ||||
Floyd | You open the medicine cabinet, revealing a small bottle of pills. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get pills" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x pills" | ||||
Floyd | The majority of Sarah's supply of drugs is gone. The doctors have Floyd | pretty much given up by this point, as nothing they've tried has been Floyd | of any use. All that remains is this solitary bottle of pills Sarah Floyd | uses to help her sleep. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open pills" | ||||
Floyd | That's not something you can open. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "eat pills" | ||||
Floyd | But you don't want to go to sleep. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "flush toilet" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x toilet" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| olethros says (to Floyd), "x bottlwe" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| olethros says (to Floyd), "x bottle" | ||||
Floyd | The majority of Sarah's supply of drugs is gone. The doctors have Floyd | pretty much given up by this point, as nothing they've tried has been Floyd | of any use. All that remains is this solitary bottle of pills Sarah Floyd | uses to help her sleep. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline asks, "She's wanting to go to sleep. Can we give them to her but resist the temptation to kill her afterward?" | |||
| olethros says, "hmm" | ||||
| inky says, "sure, if we're some kind of non-murdering wuss" | ||||
| DavidW says, "well, she's probably hiding love letters from her secret lover in that drawer." | ||||
| inky says, "oh, right, after she goes to sleep we can look" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | You can't go that way. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | Taleslinger says, "And then murder her." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "give pills to sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah looks at the pills. "That's a good idea, honey, but could you get Floyd | me a glass of water too?" Floyd | Floyd | > | olethros asks, "what about her non-secret lover?" | |||
| inky says, "no, because we have no kitchen" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | You can't go that way. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bathroom Floyd | This small bathroom lies to the south of your bedroom. Ever since Sarah Floyd | fell ill, it's been a storehouse of false hopes. Every miracle the Floyd | doctors said might have helped, every drug that might have eased her Floyd | pain has been kept here. And each and every one did nothing. Floyd | Floyd | Over the sink is a small, mirrored medicine cabinet. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x glass" | ||||
Floyd | A small, empty drinking glass. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x sink" | ||||
Floyd | An ordinary sink with an ordinary tap. The tap is currently off. Floyd | Floyd | On the edge of the sink is a small drinking glass. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get glass" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "turn on tap" | ||||
Floyd | Water begins flowing from the tap into the sink. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "well, maybe we put a cooler in the work room" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "fill glass" | ||||
Floyd | You carefully fill the glass with water and then shut off the tap. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "turn off tap" | ||||
Floyd | The tap's already off. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "give glass to sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah looks up at you and smiles. Floyd | Floyd | "Aww ... how sweet, my knight in shining armor come to take me to Floyd | dreamland?" You help her up and she swallows the pills with a sip of Floyd | water. She takes hold of your hand. You see her lower lip trembling Floyd | slightly. "Thank you Timmy," she whispers, "for everything." Floyd | Floyd | She lies back down and closes her eyes, but she still has trouble Floyd | falling asleep. God, you wish she could sleep forever, away from the Floyd | sickness and the pain. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open drawer" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah becomes severely agitated this time. Floyd | Floyd | "Please, please ... don't ... please." You can't understand what about Floyd | the drawer has gotten her so worked up. To keep her calm, you agree not Floyd | to. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW asks, "where'd the glass come from?" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "undo" | ||||
Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "it was on the sink" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "give pills to sarah" | ||||
Floyd | You already gave Sarah the pills. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "Check the work room." | |||
| inky says, "hrm" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Office Floyd | You've had a place to do work for years, but only recently have you Floyd | used it enough to actually call it an office. Even at that, it's not Floyd | much of one, with your desk as the only furniture. The door to the Floyd | north leads into the living room. Floyd | Floyd | The remainder of your work papers lie on your desk, next to the Floyd | telephone. Floyd | Floyd | Built into your desk is a small desk drawer. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Maybe we have to wait for her to sleep." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open drawer" | ||||
Floyd | You open the desk drawer, revealing an address book. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x address book" | ||||
Floyd | You just recently got this address book and for the most part, it's Floyd | empty. There are a few numbers of family and friends, and a few work Floyd | numbers. The most important one you notice as you scan through the book Floyd | is Sarah's doctor, Dr. Albero at Mercy Hospital. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get it" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call albero" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings a moment and then a female voice answers the phone. Floyd | Floyd | "Mercy Hospital, how may I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Dr. Albero please." Floyd | Floyd | "May I ask who's calling?" Floyd | Floyd | "Timothy Hunter." Floyd | Floyd | "One moment, please." You're put on hold. After a moment, the line Floyd | picks up again. Floyd | Floyd | "Yes Tim? How can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask albero about sarah" | ||||
Floyd | "No change in her condition? I'm not surprised, Tim. We've been Floyd | through this before and I've told you again and again: there's nothing Floyd | we can do for her now." Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "ask albero about unspecified illness" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "heehee. Yeah." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask albero about cancer" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "Look Tim, I've very busy here. Is there something you wanted?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "no" | ||||
Floyd | That was a rhetorical question. Floyd | Floyd | Dr. Albero's voice turns angry. "I know you're under a lot of stress Floyd | here, Tim, but this is inexcusable." He hangs up. Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Man, doctors." | |||
| dhakajack says, "so now we know where Dr. Hughes got her bedside manner." | ||||
| DavidW says, "When a doctor asks if you wanted something, you don't say NO." | ||||
| inky says, "well ok" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x papers" | ||||
Floyd | These papers are the remainder for you work for this week. You've been Floyd | working on a couple of different cases for the firm, mostly taking care Floyd | of backlog paperwork. Mind-numbing stuff to be sure, but at least it's Floyd | the kind you can do at home. The last case left is for, of all places, Floyd | Mercy Hospital. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "what I actually wanted to know is if his refrigerator was running" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "I don't think ti would have mattered if we'd said yes, fwiw." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to inky), "heehee" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "consult papers about mercy hospital" | ||||
Floyd | You find nothing on that subject in Mercy Hospital's financial papers. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x hospital" | ||||
Floyd | You don't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "work on paperwork" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x mercy" | ||||
Floyd | You don't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "fill out forms" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x financial papers" | ||||
Floyd | I only understood you as far as wanting to examine the budget. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x budget" | ||||
Floyd | You flip through the project papers and find the budget proposal for Floyd | the experimental research project. Looking at it, everything seems to Floyd | be in order, but then something odd catches your eye. The funding Floyd | request is exceedingly large, but then again, that's expected for so Floyd | important a project. The oddity comes out in the net results. There's a Floyd | huge difference between what they're spending on equipment and the like Floyd | and what's being given to the good doctor for costs. Checking further, Floyd | you find that he in fact has cut out a good portion of the subjects for Floyd | the test, no reason given. And yet the money for those subjects is Floyd | still figured in the budget. Where the hell did the money go? Floyd | Floyd | > | inky asks, "whoah, what?" | |||
| Jacqueline asks, "That's the same doctor who was just nasty to us?" | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "Embezzling funds?" | ||||
| inky says, "I guess" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "See? I told you he was a meanie." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "call mike" | ||||
Floyd | You don't know that phone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x family" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "call work" | ||||
Floyd | You don't know that phone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "consult book about family" | ||||
Floyd | You discover nothing of interest in the address book. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Allen says (to floyd), "call albero" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings a moment and then a female voice answers the phone. Floyd | Floyd | "Mercy Hospital, how may I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Dr. Albero please." Floyd | Floyd | "May I ask who's calling?" Floyd | Floyd | "Timothy Hunter." Floyd | Floyd | "One moment, please." You're put on hold. After a moment, the line Floyd | picks up again. Floyd | Floyd | "Yes Tim? How can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Allen says (to floyd), "ask albero about budget" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Dr. Albero remains silent as you point out the differences in his Floyd | project's budget and doesn't answer when you ask about what happened to Floyd | the money for the additional subjects. Without warning, he begins Floyd | shouting at you. Floyd | Floyd | "Bastard," he hisses. "What the hell is this?! I'm handling the Floyd | project as I see fit. Who the hell are you to question what I'm doing Floyd | with the funding?! Who told you to do this, tell me!" Floyd | Floyd | You don't answer. Floyd | Floyd | "Damn you! Why are you doing this?! What the hell do you want?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Taleslinger has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge. | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask alberto about sarah" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | Allen says, "woo, I wanna a piece of the action. A cut." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask albero about sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Dr. Albero is silent for a moment. Floyd | Floyd | "What the hell does Sarah have to do with the project's budget?" he Floyd | asks. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask albero about treatment" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "So it's to be blackmail, is it? You want Sarah on that list. Floyd | God-damnit, I never expected this of you, Tim." He pauses, thinking. Floyd | "Fine!" he says, "I'll pull something off. Bring her down here to sign Floyd | the release forms and she'll be in. And in return, you tell no one Floyd | about what you know, agreed?" Floyd | Floyd | "Agreed, and no placebos." Floyd | Floyd | "Fine, fine, but I warn you Tim, no doublecrossing, or you'll regret Floyd | it. Accidents have a way of happening in experiments like this." He Floyd | hangs up. Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "weird" | |||
| peccable We were on the 'good' path, yes? | ||||
| peccable grins. | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Huh." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to peccable), "Well, we're sort of not sure. We're on the Morningstar path, anyway." | ||||
| DavidW says, "I'm not convinced this is 'good'." | ||||
| dhakajack says, "did she fall asleep? maybe she's hiding the phone number for the taxi in the nightstand...." | ||||
| DavidW says, "The sleeping pills might make it difficult for her to get to Mercy Hospital." | ||||
| DavidW says, "We better tell Sarah. Like, we have to." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "tell sarah about treatment" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah sits up as you approach. She sees how excited you are. Floyd | Floyd | "What is it, Tim?" Excitedly, you tell her about the program at Mercy Floyd | Hospital and how Dr. Albero has agreed to let her on the subject list Floyd | as one of the ones who will really receive the treatment. You omit how Floyd | you got him to agree to this. Floyd | Floyd | Sarah's reaction surprises you. Rather than being happy, she seems sad. Floyd | Floyd | "Really? A possible cure. I never thought of that." She shakes her Floyd | head. "No, Timmy, I don't think I could go through that. Not another Floyd | false hope. You said yourself it's experimental, they don't even know Floyd | how it would affect me." She seems to reach a decision. "No Timmy, Floyd | thank you, but it's too late for me." Floyd | Floyd | You sigh. You wish there was some way you could convince her that life Floyd | was worth living. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Hm, yeah, maybe we shouldn't have given her the pills." | |||
| inky says, "the depression pills" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get photo" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "show photo to sarah" | ||||
Floyd | "Oh Timmy. We had so much fun up there, didn't we? 'The Sweet Floyd | Audrina.'" She laughs. God, we we almost drowned, didn't we?" You Floyd | laugh with her for a moment, then you both fall silent. She takes your Floyd | hand. "We had some pretty good times, didn't we? Tell me a story, Floyd | Timmy." she says, "tell me about the lake. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC has disconnected. | ||||
| DaveC has connected. | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "tell sarah about lake" | ||||
Floyd | You tell Sarah the story, embellishing what really happened. That Floyd | always made her laugh, the way you used to exaggerate everything until Floyd | it became bigger than life. She smiles, remembering. Floyd | Floyd | "Oh, we had so much fun, didn't we?" She yawns, then pats your hand. Floyd | "I think I've had enough excitement for one day, I'm going to take a Floyd | nap, ok?" You nod, and tuck her in as her breathing becomes slow and Floyd | regular. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open drawer" | ||||
Floyd | You promised Sarah you wouldn't. Why is she so upset by what's in Floyd | there? Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open drawer" | ||||
Floyd | You promised Sarah you wouldn't. Why is she so upset by what's in Floyd | there? Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "oh c'mon" | |||
| Allen says, "stupid promise" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "She is asleep, let us in!" | ||||
| peccable laughs. | ||||
| Allen asks, "we probably also promised we wouldn't kill her, but did that stop us?" | ||||
| olethros disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | DavidW asks, "hm. Can we phone the doctor and not get the treatment? Or phone the police?" | |||
| olethros arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. | inky says, "that'd be awesome" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Office Floyd | You've had a place to do work for years, but only recently have you Floyd | used it enough to actually call it an office. Even at that, it's not Floyd | much of one, with your desk as the only furniture. The door to the Floyd | north leads into the living room. Floyd | Floyd | The remainder of your work papers lie on your desk, next to the Floyd | telephone. Floyd | Floyd | Built into your desk is a small desk drawer. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call police" | ||||
Floyd | You don't know that phone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "turn photo over" | ||||
Floyd | I only understood you as far as wanting to turn the snapshot. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "flip photo" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "turn over photo" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "call doctor" | ||||
Floyd | Dr. Albero's already agreed to let Sarah in the program. Better leave Floyd | him be. Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable Hmm. | |||
| Allen says (to floyd), "call taxi" | ||||
Floyd | You don't know that phone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "I'm not sure how to continue from here." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "i" | ||||
Floyd | You are carrying: Floyd | a snapshot Floyd | an address book Floyd | a small drinking glass Floyd | a small bottle of pills Floyd | a large pillow Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | You can't go that way. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x table" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open drawer" | ||||
Floyd | It's already open. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW asks, "Do we enter the bed and try to sleep too?" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Sarah lies sleeping on the bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x endtable" | ||||
Floyd | A small endtable that used to hold Sarah's endless supply of medicines. Floyd | None of them did any good, though. Some may have eased the pain she's Floyd | going through, but the doctors have told you again and again there's no Floyd | cure. Floyd | Floyd | Built into the endtable is a small drawer. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open drawer" | ||||
Floyd | You promised Sarah you wouldn't. Why is she so upset by what's in Floyd | there? Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x bed" | ||||
Floyd | The pills you gave her have finally set in and she's sleeping Floyd | peacefully. If only she could be like that always. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "lie on bed" | ||||
Floyd | You don't want to disturb Sarah. Anyway, you're not tired and you have Floyd | far too much to do. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "sleep" | ||||
Floyd | You aren't feeling especially drowsy. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "kiss sarah" | ||||
Floyd | You gently kiss her on her forehead. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "wake arah" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "wake sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah stirs in her sleep and opens her eyes. Floyd | Floyd | "What is it Timmy?" she asks. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask sarah about program" | ||||
Floyd | "I know Tim, you told me about it." Floyd | Floyd | Sarah looks at you a moment, smiles, and then closes her eyes. After a Floyd | moment, her steady breathing tells you she's fallen back asleep. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Allen says (to floyd), "wake sarah. ask sarah about drawer" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah stirs in her sleep and opens her eyes. Floyd | Floyd | "What is it Timmy?" she asks. Floyd | Floyd | "Please Timothy," she begs. "Please, just humor me...?" Floyd | Floyd | Sarah looks at you a moment, smiles, and then closes her eyes. After a Floyd | moment, her steady breathing tells you she's fallen back asleep. Floyd | Floyd | > | dhakajack asks, "Do you want to look outside?" | |||
| DavidW says, "perhaps" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Driveway Floyd | The driveway you stand in is somewhat useless, as neither you nor Sarah Floyd | own a car. Still, it's nice to get out of the house for a moment. The Floyd | gloom that seems to have settled over the house since Sarah's falling Floyd | ill is lessened slightly here. You can almost fool yourself into Floyd | thinking she's well again. The entrance to the house lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | You can see today's newspaper here. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get newspaper" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "oho" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "read it" | ||||
Floyd | Nothing new ... a riot at the downtown picket lines yesterday, national Floyd | tension over the budget settlements, yet another war breaking out Floyd | somewhere abroad... You've lost track of the world outside for a long Floyd | time now. The whole thing seems like some far-away dream. Floyd | Floyd | You're about to fold the paper back up when a familiar name catches Floyd | your eye... Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "read it" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | MERCY HOSPITAL TO BEGIN EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT PROGRAM Floyd | Floyd | Yesterday in a press conference, Dr. Robert Albero announced that Mercy Floyd | Hospital has been chosen to head a newly implemented experimental Floyd | program for the possible treatment of Apentrylic Syndrome. The Floyd | program's main component is phenylhydroxythiol (Phenotol), a drug newly Floyd | developed at Ciba-Gigey Laboratories with government funding. Dr. Floyd | Albero will head the experiment that will give pre-selected groups the Floyd | treatment over a period of six weeks to gauge its effectiveness on Floyd | human subjects. Floyd | Floyd | The drug has been shown to successfully combat the disease in Floyd | laboratory animals, and, if the current experiments are successful, Dr. Floyd | Albero hopes to see FDA approval for distribution by as early as next Floyd | year. Subjects for the experiment have been chosen with specific Floyd | criteria used to test the treatment's effectiveness on humans of Floyd | varying characteristics such as sex and age. Several groups will be Floyd | tested, with certain groups given placebos as a control. Floyd | Floyd | However, not all of Dr. Albero's associates are as optimistic about the Floyd | results. "There's absolutely no reason to assume the treatment will be Floyd | as effective on humans as it has been on laboratory animals," said one Floyd | who asked to remain anonymous. "He's putting it totally out of Floyd | proportion to say that it'll be approved by next year. I'd be surprised Floyd | if it's available within the next five. There still remains an Floyd | extensive amount of research to be done." Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "'Apentrylic Syndrome'. That's the first time the illness got a name, I think." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "This article doesn't seem like a promising way to get Sarah to agree to it, methinks." | ||||
| inky says, "hrm" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Office Floyd | You've had a place to do work for years, but only recently have you Floyd | used it enough to actually call it an office. Even at that, it's not Floyd | much of one, with your desk as the only furniture. The door to the Floyd | north leads into the living room. Floyd | Floyd | The remainder of your work papers lie on your desk, next to the Floyd | telephone. Floyd | Floyd | Built into your desk is a small desk drawer. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x desk" | ||||
Floyd | You haven't been into work in weeks because you wanted to stay here Floyd | with Sarah, so you've been working at home. You've been throwing Floyd | yourself into it a lot lately, maybe to stave off your increasing Floyd | feeling of helplessness. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x fireplace" | ||||
Floyd | You remember the innumerable winter nights you and Sarah sat curled up Floyd | in front of it as you gazed into the fire. God, when was the last time Floyd | you did that? It's so hard to remember a time before her being Floyd | bedridden. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Sarah lies sleeping on the bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bathroom Floyd | This small bathroom lies to the south of your bedroom. Ever since Sarah Floyd | fell ill, it's been a storehouse of false hopes. Every miracle the Floyd | doctors said might have helped, every drug that might have eased her Floyd | pain has been kept here. And each and every one did nothing. Floyd | Floyd | Over the sink is a small, mirrored medicine cabinet. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x cabinet" | ||||
Floyd | As you approach the cabinet, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the Floyd | mirror. God, is that really you? You haven't slept well in weeks and Floyd | your pale, haggard reflection looks like a stranger to you. Floyd | Floyd | The cabinet has a hinged door which is open. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "i" | ||||
Floyd | You are carrying: Floyd | today's newspaper Floyd | a snapshot Floyd | an address book Floyd | a small drinking glass Floyd | a small bottle of pills Floyd | a large pillow Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x pills" | ||||
Floyd | The majority of Sarah's supply of drugs is gone. The doctors have Floyd | pretty much given up by this point, as nothing they've tried has been Floyd | of any use. All that remains is this solitary bottle of pills Sarah Floyd | uses to help her sleep. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Sarah lies sleeping on the bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x endtable" | ||||
Floyd | A small endtable that used to hold Sarah's endless supply of medicines. Floyd | None of them did any good, though. Some may have eased the pain she's Floyd | going through, but the doctors have told you again and again there's no Floyd | cure. Floyd | Floyd | Built into the endtable is a small drawer. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "hrm, I dunno" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "wake sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah stirs in her sleep and opens her eyes. Floyd | Floyd | "What is it Timmy?" she asks. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "show newspaper to sarah" | ||||
Floyd | But you've already done that. Floyd | Floyd | Sarah looks at you a moment, smiles, and then closes her eyes. After a Floyd | moment, her steady breathing tells you she's fallen back asleep. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "undo" | ||||
Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "tell sarah about albero" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah looks at you, confused. She yawns. Poor thing, better not tax her Floyd | too much. Floyd | Floyd | Sarah looks at you a moment, smiles, and then closes her eyes. After a Floyd | moment, her steady breathing tells you she's fallen back asleep. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "undo" | ||||
Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask sarah about drawer" | ||||
Floyd | "Please Timothy," she begs. "Please, just humor me...?" Floyd | Floyd | Sarah looks at you a moment, smiles, and then closes her eyes. After a Floyd | moment, her steady breathing tells you she's fallen back asleep. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "undo" | ||||
Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable Guys? I think the game might be stuck. | |||
| peccable asks, "Can I try something?" | ||||
| inky says, "sure, go for it" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Sure" | ||||
| inky says, "we're stuck even if the game's not" | ||||
| peccable asks, "How do I do this again? :) I ask Floyd?" | ||||
| inky says, "type 'f command'" | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "tell sarah about program" | ||||
Floyd | But you've already done that. Floyd | Floyd | Sarah looks at you a moment, smiles, and then closes her eyes. After a Floyd | moment, her steady breathing tells you she's fallen back asleep. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "like 'f ask sarah about monkey'" | |||
| peccable says, "Yeah, it's stuck." | ||||
| Allen says, "ha ha" | ||||
| peccable says, "I think a flag got mis-placed because we didn't read the newspaper first." | ||||
| peccable says, "I've never seen this before." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Release 2: 13 years later!" | ||||
| peccable says, "If we have a save from when we started this section, I can run through it very quickly." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, where's our last good save." | ||||
| Allen says (to Floyd), "save" | ||||
| Allen says (to Floyd), "cf7" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "RESTORE" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "cf6" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to load: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "look" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Inside a Taxi Cab Floyd | You're sitting in the back seat of an old and dirty taxi cab. The seat Floyd | springs squeak rustily beneath you, litter covers the floor and the Floyd | windows are covered with grime. Floyd | Floyd | In the front seat, a cabbie sits waiting impatiently. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x cabbie" | ||||
Floyd | A non-descript man who seems almost as old and decrepit as the car he Floyd | drives. He drums the steering wheel in an angry rhythm, obviously Floyd | impatient at having to wait. Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable says, "Ah. OK." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask cabbie about hospital" | ||||
Floyd | "You got it, mac" says the cabbie as he hits starts the meter and pulls Floyd | out of the driveway... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | | Allen asks, "what are we doing here?" | |||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | The trip seems interminable, the cabbie babbling throughout it. Talk of Floyd | nothing: the weather, the ball game on television last night. You Floyd | hardly hear him. All you can think about is your mother in that vile Floyd | smelling white room, breathing her last. You close your eyes and hope Floyd | you'll get there in time. Floyd | Floyd | The sunlight flickers over your closed eyelids, making a shadow-dance Floyd | beneath, and you pause, lost for a moment in their flickering patterns. Floyd | Let her be ok ... please, just let her be ok. Floyd | Floyd | The sudden stop in front of Mercy rudely breaks your reverie. Floyd | Floyd | "That'll be 15 bucks," says the cabbie, hitting the meter's flag. Floyd | Floyd | "I'm sorry," you say, handing him your last fifteen dollars, "I don't Floyd | have enough for a tip." Floyd | Floyd | The cabbie looks at you for a moment, and then slowly smiles. Floyd | Floyd | "Forget it, buddy. You look like you could use a break." You profusely Floyd | thank him as you open the taxi's door and rush into the building... Floyd | Floyd | You rush past the front desk, running for the elevators and slip Floyd | between the doors just as they're closing. You frantically stab at the Floyd | buttons, and then slump against the back wall. First, second, third, Floyd | fourth, hurry god-damn you hurry ... please ... please ... fourth, come Floyd | on ... come on you ... fifth! The doors slide back and you rush down Floyd | the corridor, almost slipping on the tiles and finally come to a Floyd | screeching halt at the door to your mother's room... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Hospital Room Floyd | Like a horribly cycling nightmare, you find yourself back in this white Floyd | room stinking of disinfectant. How many times have you been here Floyd | before, in your mind, replaying this possible scene of being here with Floyd | your mother when she died? And now, it looks as if perhaps you'll get Floyd | your second chance after all... Floyd | Floyd | Here, unmoving on the hospital bed, lies your mother. Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x mother" | ||||
Floyd | She lies still in the bed, her eyes closed. Her grey hair falls in long Floyd | locks over her face and from her arm protrudes the clear line of an Floyd | IV-tube, leading to a machine which stands at the bedside. Floyd | Floyd | For a brief, horrible moment, you think that you're too late ... she's Floyd | gone. But then, you see her chest slowly lift, then lower. She's Floyd | breathing ... she's alive. Floyd | Floyd | Her eyes flutter for a moment, then slowly open. Her pupils unfocused, Floyd | she looks around the room, finally catching sight of you. She pauses, Floyd | then smiles. Floyd | "Oh Timmy..." she says. You heart catches in your throat as you hear Floyd | how weak her voice is; barely a whisper, hardly stronger than a soft Floyd | breeze. You must have flinched, because her brow furrows and she looks Floyd | at you, concerned. "What's wrong...?" Floyd | Floyd | Wrong! Everything, everything's wrong. You're dying and I don't know Floyd | what to do, you're leaving and I don't know how to say goodbye... Floyd | Floyd | "Nothing, Mama." You slowly approach the bed and grasp her hand. It's Floyd | cold, and her skin is almost translucent, revealing her tiny bones Floyd | beneath. She's so fragile and so helpless. And she was such a vibrant Floyd | woman, so full of life ... just like Sarah. Floyd | Floyd | Sarah. The thought makes you pause. Why? Why did this happen? They Floyd | were both so wonderful, so caring. They didn't deserve this. She had so Floyd | many years ahead of her, so much to live for. Floyd | Floyd | She smiles again. "Oh. That's good. You know I worry..." she pauses, Floyd | catching her breath. "You know I worry so much about you..." Floyd | Floyd | You stroke her hand, biting your lip to stop from crying. "Yeah, yeah I Floyd | know." Floyd | Floyd | She lifts her head to look up at you, and suddenly you can see a little Floyd | bit of a glint in her eye, a hint at the vibrance that she was so known Floyd | for. She peers at you. "Why ... why aren't you at work? Aren't you Floyd | always busy at..." The rest is lost in a wheeze as she sags back into Floyd | her pillow. Floyd | Floyd | "Don't worry, Mom. It's fine. I just thought ... I, I just wanted to Floyd | visit you." Floyd | Floyd | She smiles. "Well, that's ok, but you've got to take..." She suddenly Floyd | stops. Floyd | Floyd | "Mom? Mama? Can you hear me? Are you all..." Oh no please ... Floyd | please ... Floyd | Floyd | Her jaw goes slack, then she blinks once or twice. "Oh, oh Timmy ... I Floyd | think ... I think it's time..." Floyd | Floyd | You begin babbling, not even realizing what you're saying. "No, no Floyd | please. No! No, you're fine, everything's fine, you'll be ok. Please, Floyd | please! You're fine!" Hands grasp your shoulders and begin pulling Floyd | you backwards, you can vaguely hear Doctor Hughes's voice telling you Floyd | that there's nothing you can do, that it's her time, but you don't Floyd | listen to him. You can't. You struggle forwards, trying to get closer Floyd | to the bed. "Please ... please, you're all right, aren't you? Tell me Floyd | you're all right!" Floyd | Floyd | She looks up to you serenely, seemingly unaware of your panic. "Shhh. Floyd | It'll be ok, Timmy. Everything will be ok." She pauses again, then Floyd | closes her eyes, and whispers "I love you Timmy..." Floyd | Floyd | And then she's gone. You can feel it, she's gone...the room's empty Floyd | now. And then you're falling, clutching her cold form against you and Floyd | crying, lost and alone. Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | You don't know how long you've been lying there crying when the hand Floyd | touches you gently on the shoulder. You look up, about to angrily Floyd | berate Dr. Hughes for telling you that she was all right when she Floyd | wasn't, when you see that it's not the doctor at all... Floyd | Floyd | "Well done, Timothy," says Morningstar. "You have changed your path, Floyd | and found a way to be here for your mother when she needed you. Leave Floyd | her be now, she goes to a better place." He gently helps you get to Floyd | your feet. Floyd | Floyd | He sighs. "But this is only the first step on my path, Timothy. There Floyd | are dangers which still lie ahead. But fear not. You have begun my Floyd | path, and you shall not leave it until it is complete. I shall be here Floyd | to guide you, as you need me." Floyd | Floyd | The whirling threads appear, and tear you from where you stand into Floyd | their heaving embrace. They leave you, gasping, back in the Tower... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | The Ivory Tower, where you started this strange adventure, now lies in Floyd | ruins. Its walls lie scorched about you, the roof rent to the open sky. Floyd | The stars, in their impassive brilliance, illuminate the devastation Floyd | below. Over the Tower's remains you catch glimpses of the fires below, Floyd | trees smoldering in the darkness. Floyd | Floyd | The Tapestry seems to have survived the Tower's destruction intact. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "touch second" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly the rumbling returns, and the threads throw you into their Floyd | heaving embrace. After a time they leave you gasping on another strange Floyd | and distant shore... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable asks, "Shall I run up to the point where we were?" | |||
| inky says, "yeah, please" | ||||
| peccable says, "OK." | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Driveway Floyd | The driveway you stand in is somewhat useless, as neither you nor Sarah Floyd | own a car. Still, it's nice to get out of the house for a moment. The Floyd | gloom that seems to have settled over the house since Sarah's falling Floyd | ill is lessened slightly here. You can almost fool yourself into Floyd | thinking she's well again. The entrance to the house lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | You can see today's newspaper here. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "get newspaper" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "read newspaper" | ||||
Floyd | Nothing new ... a riot at the downtown picket lines yesterday, national Floyd | tension over the budget settlements, yet another war breaking out Floyd | somewhere abroad... You've lost track of the world outside for a long Floyd | time now. The whole thing seems like some far-away dream. Floyd | Floyd | You're about to fold the paper back up when a familiar name catches Floyd | your eye... Floyd | | ||||
| peccable pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | MERCY HOSPITAL TO BEGIN EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT PROGRAM Floyd | Floyd | Yesterday in a press conference, Dr. Robert Albero announced that Mercy Floyd | Hospital has been chosen to head a newly implemented experimental Floyd | program for the possible treatment of Apentrylic Syndrome. The Floyd | program's main component is phenylhydroxythiol (Phenotol), a drug newly Floyd | developed at Ciba-Gigey Laboratories with government funding. Dr. Floyd | Albero will head the experiment that will give pre-selected groups the Floyd | treatment over a period of six weeks to gauge its effectiveness on Floyd | human subjects. Floyd | Floyd | The drug has been shown to successfully combat the disease in Floyd | laboratory animals, and, if the current experiments are successful, Dr. Floyd | Albero hopes to see FDA approval for distribution by as early as next Floyd | year. Subjects for the experiment have been chosen with specific Floyd | criteria used to test the treatment's effectiveness on humans of Floyd | varying characteristics such as sex and age. Several groups will be Floyd | tested, with certain groups given placebos as a control. Floyd | Floyd | However, not all of Dr. Albero's associates are as optimistic about the Floyd | results. "There's absolutely no reason to assume the treatment will be Floyd | as effective on humans as it has been on laboratory animals," said one Floyd | who asked to remain anonymous. "He's putting it totally out of Floyd | proportion to say that it'll be approved by next year. I'd be surprised Floyd | if it's available within the next five. There still remains an Floyd | extensive amount of research to be done." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Office Floyd | You've had a place to do work for years, but only recently have you Floyd | used it enough to actually call it an office. Even at that, it's not Floyd | much of one, with your desk as the only furniture. The door to the Floyd | north leads into the living room. Floyd | Floyd | The remainder of your work papers lie on your desk, next to the Floyd | telephone. Floyd | Floyd | Built into your desk is a small desk drawer. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "call albero" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings a moment and then a female voice answers the phone. Floyd | Floyd | "Mercy Hospital, how may I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Dr. Albero please." Floyd | Floyd | "May I ask who's calling?" Floyd | Floyd | "Timothy Hunter." Floyd | Floyd | "One moment, please." You're put on hold. After a moment, the line Floyd | picks up again. Floyd | Floyd | "Yes Tim? How can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "ask him about experimental treatment program" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Dr. Albero seems in shock that you know about the treatment. He listens Floyd | silently as you angrily berate him for not telling you about it, or Floyd | putting Sarah on the test list. After a moment, he speaks. Floyd | Floyd | "I'm sorry Tim, I really am, but we checked her out against the Floyd | criteria for the program and she just didn't fit. That's why I didn't Floyd | tell you about it. I knew you'd be upset. There isn't even a guarantee Floyd | that it will work; it's experimental, after all. And even if I did get Floyd | her in the program, there's a good chance she'd have been in the group Floyd | receiving the placebo. I'm sorry, but I just can't help you." Floyd | Floyd | Amid your protests, Dr. Albero gently hangs up. Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "look up albero in papers" | ||||
Floyd | You flip through the papers until you find Dr. Albero's section. Floyd | Apparently he's quite prominent at the hospital, since he's done quite Floyd | a few projects over the years. They're listed in chronological order, Floyd | and the most recent one, an experimental drug treatment program, Floyd | catches your eye. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "read about program" | ||||
Floyd | What do you want to read about that in? Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "papers" | ||||
Floyd | The treatment program is the same one that you read about in today's Floyd | newspaper. The papers contain information on the proposed method, the Floyd | budget proposal, and the expected results. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "read method in papers" | ||||
Floyd | You flip through the section several times, but find nothing Floyd | noteworthy. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "read results in papers" | ||||
Floyd | You flip through the section several times, but find nothing Floyd | noteworthy. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "read budget in papers" | ||||
Floyd | You flip through the project papers and find the budget proposal for Floyd | the experimental research project. Looking at it, everything seems to Floyd | be in order, but then something odd catches your eye. The funding Floyd | request is exceedingly large, but then again, that's expected for so Floyd | important a project. The oddity comes out in the net results. There's a Floyd | huge difference between what they're spending on equipment and the like Floyd | and what's being given to the good doctor for costs. Checking further, Floyd | you find that he in fact has cut out a good portion of the subjects for Floyd | the test, no reason given. And yet the money for those subjects is Floyd | still figured in the budget. Where the hell did the money go? Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "call albero" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings a moment and then a female voice answers the phone. Floyd | Floyd | "Mercy Hospital, how may I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Dr. Albero please." Floyd | Floyd | "May I ask who's calling?" Floyd | Floyd | "Timothy Hunter." Floyd | Floyd | "One moment, please." You're put on hold. After a moment, the line Floyd | picks up again. Floyd | Floyd | "I told you Tim, I can't help you. Is there something else you wanted Floyd | to ask about?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "ask him about budget" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Dr. Albero remains silent as you point out the differences in his Floyd | project's budget and doesn't answer when you ask about what happened to Floyd | the money for the additional subjects. Without warning, he begins Floyd | shouting at you. Floyd | Floyd | "Bastard," he hisses. "What the hell is this?! I'm handling the Floyd | project as I see fit. Who the hell are you to question what I'm doing Floyd | with the funding?! Who told you to do this, tell me!" Floyd | Floyd | You don't answer. Floyd | Floyd | "Damn you! Why are you doing this?! What the hell do you want?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "ask him about sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Dr. Albero is silent for a moment. Floyd | Floyd | "What the hell does Sarah have to do with the project's budget?" he Floyd | asks. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "ask him about project" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "So it's to be blackmail, is it? You want Sarah on that list. Floyd | God-damnit, I never expected this of you, Tim." He pauses, thinking. Floyd | "Fine!" he says, "I'll pull something off. Bring her down here to sign Floyd | the release forms and she'll be in. And in return, you tell no one Floyd | about what you know, agreed?" Floyd | Floyd | "Agreed, and no placebos." Floyd | Floyd | "Fine, fine, but I warn you Tim, no doublecrossing, or you'll regret Floyd | it. Accidents have a way of happening in experiments like this." He Floyd | hangs up. Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "show newspaper to sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah sits up as you approach. She sees how excited you are. Floyd | Floyd | "What is it, Tim?" Excitedly, you tell her about the program at Mercy Floyd | Hospital and how Dr. Albero has agreed to let her on the subject list Floyd | as one of the ones who will really receive the treatment. You omit how Floyd | you got him to agree to this. Floyd | Floyd | Sarah's reaction surprises you. Rather than being happy, she seems sad. Floyd | Floyd | "Really? A possible cure. I never thought of that." She shakes her Floyd | head. "No, Timmy, I don't think I could go through that. Not another Floyd | false hope. You said yourself it's experimental, they don't even know Floyd | how it would affect me." She seems to reach a decision. "No Timmy, Floyd | thank you, but it's too late for me." Floyd | Floyd | You sigh. You wish there was some way you could convince her that life Floyd | was worth living. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "get snapshot" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "show snapshot" | ||||
Floyd | (to Sarah) Floyd | "Oh Timmy. We had so much fun up there, didn't we? 'The Sweet Floyd | Audrina.'" She laughs. God, we we almost drowned, didn't we?" You Floyd | laugh with her for a moment, then you both fall silent. She takes your Floyd | hand. "We had some pretty good times, didn't we? Tell me a story, Floyd | Timmy." she says, "tell me about the lake. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "tell her about lake" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see "her" (the mother) at the moment. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| peccable says (to Floyd), "tell sarah about lake" | ||||
Floyd | You tell Sarah the story, embellishing what really happened. That Floyd | always made her laugh, the way you used to exaggerate everything until Floyd | it became bigger than life. She smiles, remembering. Floyd | Floyd | "Oh, we had so much fun, didn't we?" You nod. Floyd | Floyd | "Remember when we were happy, Sarah? Remember how it was before all of Floyd | this? We can be like that again, I swear it ... please ..." Floyd | Floyd | Sarah seems lost in thought, her feelings torn between the hopelessness Floyd | she has felt for so long and the possible release that lies before her. Floyd | She pauses, sighs, and then look up to you. Floyd | Floyd | "Ok, Timothy. For you .. for you, I'll try one last time." Floyd | Floyd | You smile and kiss her. "This will work, Sarah, I swear it ... you'll Floyd | see." Floyd | Floyd | Sarah looks at you oddly for a moment, then closes her eyes. Floyd | Floyd | "I know, Tim, I know ... now, let me get some sleep, ok? We'll go to Floyd | the hospital later." Floyd | Floyd | You sneak out of the room, and close the door silently. Morningstar is Floyd | waiting for you in the living room. He smiles broadly. Floyd | Floyd | "Well done, my friend. You have fought the evil that you planted so Floyd | long ago in the past. You have saved your wife's life, and your own Floyd | soul." Floyd | Floyd | "Two steps now, Timothy, along my path. You have done well, and a Floyd | greater challenge still lies ahead. But I have faith in you Timothy, Floyd | and I know I shall see you again at the end of this Path." Floyd | Floyd | The whirling threads appear, and tear you from where you stand into Floyd | their heaving embrace. They leave you, gasping, back in the Tower... Floyd | | peccable says, "That's what supposed to happen." | |||
| peccable says, "Sorry about that. Weird bug." | ||||
| inky says, "excellent, thanks" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | The Ivory Tower, where you started this strange adventure, now lies in Floyd | ruins. Its walls lie scorched about you, the roof rent to the open sky. Floyd | The stars, in their impassive brilliance, illuminate the devastation Floyd | below. Over the Tower's remains you catch glimpses of the fires below, Floyd | trees smoldering in the darkness. Floyd | Floyd | The Tapestry seems to have survived the Tower's destruction intact. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "cf7" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "touch third" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly the rumbling returns, and the threads throw you into their Floyd | heaving embrace. After a time they leave you gasping on another strange Floyd | and distant shore... Floyd | | ||||
| Allen says, "you saved over my save!" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | You turn the corner with a sigh, glancing at the street sign in a Floyd | feeble, half-hearted attempt to figure out where you are. You've left Floyd | the old familiar neighborhood far behind you tonight, as you have Floyd | almost every night. Each outing seems to take you a little further, to Floyd | an area a little stranger and more dangerous. Floyd | Floyd | Tonight, you didn't even bother giving yourself an excuse. Before, it Floyd | had been that you had somewhere to go, something to do. Not tonight. Floyd | Some indeterminate time ago, you stumbled out of the house, stuck the Floyd | key in the ignition, and just started driving. Floyd | Floyd | The sharp honk of a nearby car breaks your musings. You glance upward Floyd | to see a pair of girls, jump ropes under their arms, pigtails flying Floyd | behind them, run across the street, right in front of your car... Floyd | Floyd | Time slows as you slam down on your brakes. For a moment, you don't Floyd | think you'll make it, but with a squeal of the tires, your old Dodge Floyd | manages to grind to a halt in time. The girls make it across, laughing Floyd | all the while, unaware of how close death has come. Floyd | Floyd | Your Car Floyd | The old hunk of junk has served you pretty well in the past few years. Floyd | You could probably afford something better, but why bother? It runs, Floyd | it gets you to work and back. What more could you want? What more do Floyd | you need? Floyd | Floyd | The buildings outside seem mostly tenements, their residents escaping Floyd | the sweltering evening by sitting outside on the stone porches, the Floyd | sidewalks. The girls continue on their way, and soon enter a tenement. Floyd | Floyd | With a sigh a relief, you step on the gas and continue on your way. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "whoops, sorry" | |||
| Allen says, "I wanted to go back and kill her" | ||||
| inky says, "the save button stuff uses its own counter" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Man, now I'm *really* glad you're here, D. Thanks for getting us through that." | ||||
| inky says, "I think we're going to go back and do it the 'normal' way after we do it the 'good' way first" | ||||
| Allen says, "ah" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x car" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | The further you go, the more convinced you're only getting yourself Floyd | more lost. If anything, the neighborhoods are getting worse. The Floyd | homeless are more and visible, and the buildings are more decrepit. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "hunh" | |||
| peccable says, "You can jump to any point in the game fairly quickly." | ||||
| inky says, "we finally have a car" | ||||
| peccable says, "Just use 'begin' to skip the prologue and you can access any panel immediately." | ||||
| olethros has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge. | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "drive" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | You can't go that way. Floyd | Floyd | As your mind begins to wander, your attention to the road slips. It's Floyd | been so long since you've been able to just stop; to put all that's Floyd | happened and all you've done behind. The scars that are left won't fade Floyd | that easily. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push brake" | ||||
Floyd | You attempt to stop the car, but you find that you can't move your feet Floyd | to the break. What's going on here? They told you you had a choice, Floyd | that you had some control over what was happening! Floyd | Floyd | You withdraw even further into yourself and soon lose all track of time Floyd | and place. Wandering the ruin of your life and the wreckage of your Floyd | past, you find yourself lost in more than one way. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push brake" | ||||
Floyd | You attempt to stop the car, but you find that you can't move your feet Floyd | to the break. What's going on here? They told you you had a choice, Floyd | that you had some control over what was happening! Floyd | Floyd | "Now..." Floyd | Floyd | A whisper calls you back, breaking your reverie. Your eyes focus again, Floyd | seeing through the window. Floyd | Floyd | "No..." Floyd | Floyd | It's all you can get out before the flash. Yet in that instant you see Floyd | the scene with perfect clarity: the curb, far too close, the front Floyd | wheels about to strike it. And there, a little further: the young woman Floyd | falling. She's still looking downward, still unaware of her impending Floyd | death. Floyd | Floyd | And then the flash, and time slows. The few seconds left before your Floyd | death stretch, lengthen, and twist about on themselves. It seems you Floyd | have a moment of reprieve ... but a single moment only. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push brake" | ||||
Floyd | It's too late now. Stepping on the brakes would only prolong the Floyd | inevitable, and possibly only succeed in flipping the car completely Floyd | over. Floyd | Floyd | The car inches closer to the curb, striking it. You see the car dip, Floyd | sparks flashing out onto the pavement, yet you feel nothing. You are Floyd | detached, separated somehow. And still the girl sees nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Yeah." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push horn" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "ILAC" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "honk" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "turn wheel" | ||||
Floyd | The wheel spins in your hands wildly as you futilely attempt to control Floyd | it. Floyd | Floyd | You rebound, sending the car into the air. Closer now, you see her Floyd | slowly lifting her head, about to realize the flying mass of metal that Floyd | will end her life. Beyond, on the curb, you can make out the figure you Floyd | saw in the tableau, eyes ablaze and mouth agape, attempting to scramble Floyd | to its feet. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x figure" | ||||
Floyd | He's terrified for some reason, while crawling his way across the Floyd | pavement towards the helpless girl. Floyd | Floyd | The car strikes the pavement with a resounding force, the tires Floyd | squealing as they touch ground. Your headlights strike the girl full in Floyd | the face, illuminating her in a blinding halo. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "turn wheel" | ||||
Floyd | The tires spin and squeal wildly as you turn the wheel sharply, sending Floyd | the car into a tailspin. Somehow, by some miracle, it's enough. Floyd | Practically flipping over, the car somehow manages to swerve around the Floyd | girl. Floyd | Floyd | But it's too much, the car is listing dangerously to the right, and in Floyd | an attempt to stop from tipping over, you turn the wheel sharply to the Floyd | left. Floyd | Floyd | Before you can react, the light flashes again, and time contracts to Floyd | its normal pace, just as the car spins out of control, heading directly Floyd | for the figure on the sidewalk... Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "turn wheel" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Fleeting glimpses of faces half-remembered in the gloom. Screams, the Floyd | sound of squealing tires, a sudden thump, a sickening crunch and a Floyd | violent jolt, followed by a sense of weightlessness and disassociation. Floyd | The last thing you remember is an overwhelming feeling of guilt and Floyd | regret, forcing its way through the chaos that surrounds you and then Floyd | there is... Floyd | Floyd | Everything Floyd | Chaos, complete and utter. While the threads of the Tapestry gave you Floyd | some sense of closure, of being contained, the place where you are now Floyd | is paradoxically vast and empty, and yet somehow filled. Filled with Floyd | images and sound, form and motion, a shifting menagerie with neither Floyd | rhyme nor reason. A filled void, an ever-changing structure whose Floyd | bounds you can not even begin to imagine. Your senses reel at the Floyd | assault from every angle. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "score" | ||||
Floyd | You know yourself and your past. You have chosen the Path of Floyd | Morningstar, and have taken two steps along it. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "look" | ||||
Floyd | There is only Everything. Floyd | Floyd | "Well done..." Floyd | Floyd | The voice behind you startles you, causing you to swiftly turn around. Floyd | Your vision blurs sickeningly for a moment, as you take in the chaotic Floyd | panorama that surrounds you. Then, your eyes clearing, you see Floyd | Morningstar standing before you, smiling and obviously unaffected by Floyd | the confusion that he is at the center of. Floyd | Floyd | "Beautiful, is it not?" he asks, looking about. "The whole of creation Floyd | is here, Timothy, all existence, all possibility. Pure change lies Floyd | here, mortal, for to be all forms at all times is to be no form at all. Floyd | It is from here that the threads of creation are woven, from whence the Floyd | Tapestry of your life springs. It is here that we are able to bend Floyd | those threads to our whim, to change your destiny for the better." He Floyd | pauses, then smiles. "Forgive me," he says. "I merely wished you to see Floyd | this, to understand some part of the great work we do." Floyd | Floyd | "And with this, we are finished. Well done, traveler! You have looked Floyd | upon the evil of your ways and done your best to mend them and you have Floyd | wisely taken advantage of your second chance. The Path you have Floyd | followed is now at an end; the Tapestry is finished, its threads Floyd | rewoven. And now, the time has come to leave this place of indecision, Floyd | and face whatever destiny lies before you. I wish you well." Floyd | Floyd | The whirling threads appear, and tear you from where you stand into Floyd | their heaving embrace... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Fleeting glimpses of faces half-remembered in the gloom. Screams, the Floyd | sound of squealing tires, a sudden thump, a sickening crunch and a Floyd | violent jolt, followed by a sense of weightlessness and disassociation. Floyd | The last thing you remember is an overwhelming feeling of guilt and Floyd | regret, forcing its way through the chaos that surrounds you and then Floyd | there is... Floyd | Floyd | Nothing Floyd | Your sight fails you. For that matter, you don't know if your eyes are Floyd | opened or closed. Concepts like time and place have no meaning here. Floyd | Your mind attempts to impose something, some order, some structure, Floyd | upon the space in which you exist, and fails. There is only the void. Floyd | For all you know, that is all there ever was. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "wake up" | ||||
Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | No, wait. There is ... something, moving in the darkness. It dances at Floyd | the edge of your new-found vision, teasing you. Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to continue] | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | No, you were wrong... Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to continue] | inky says, "hrm" | |||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | E P I L O G U E Floyd | _____________________________________________ Floyd | Floyd | T H E P A T H O F M O R N I N G S T A R Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to begin.] | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Timothy Hunter was born, he lived, he died. Floyd | Floyd | This was only natural, being mortal. The life he led was probably most Floyd | unusual in its normalcy; his childhood so much so as to be mundane. Floyd | Neither praised nor reviled, neither a leader nor an outcast, he was Floyd | simply another face in the crowd. He went to school, he studied, he did Floyd | well enough to get by. After graduation he found a job he was good at Floyd | and paid well enough. He bought a little house and lived there, a Floyd | bother to no one, and the days just flowed one into the other... Floyd | Floyd | In fact, the first event of any importance in his life was the death of Floyd | his mother. Floyd | Floyd | She had been ill for some time, but Timothy tried not to think about Floyd | it. He'd placed her in Mercy Hospital mostly to forget about her, to Floyd | get on with his life. Apparently, however, it wasn't good enough. His Floyd | work suffered, his productivity slipped. On the Sunday that she died, Floyd | he realized that the charity case he had been doing for the firm wasn't Floyd | yet finished. Half-way through his frantic working, he received a phone Floyd | call from Mercy Hospital. They gave her an hour at the most. Floyd | Floyd | Something must have happened then; the guilt that Timothy had felt at Floyd | putting her in the Hospital must have caught up with him. On the spot, Floyd | he decided that he couldn't finish the Thompson account. Floyd | Floyd | Calling his friend Mike at the firm, he quickly described his mother's Floyd | condition and that the Thompson account would not be finished on time. Floyd | Racing to his mother's side, he was there in her final moments, Floyd | comforting her as best he could, apologizing for what he had done. Floyd | Floyd | The Thompson's lost everything they had ever worked for. Floyd | Floyd | The time after his mother's death was a lonely one for Timothy, perhaps Floyd | because, for the first time, he realized he was truly alone. Then, he Floyd | met Sarah, and everything changed. She was so loving, so full of life, Floyd | so willing to drag him from the small, empty world he had built for Floyd | himself. They complemented each other so well: her spontaneity to his Floyd | structure, her boundless energy to his complacency. Their whirlwind Floyd | romance caught him totally unawares, and when she accepted his proposal Floyd | of marriage, he thought himself the happiest man on earth. Floyd | Floyd | Truly, their first five years together were the happiest time of his Floyd | life. The experience of having his life so intricately tied to another Floyd | was exhiliarating; he built his entire existence around her. Floyd | Floyd | Which is why her falling ill struck him so hard. Floyd | Floyd | It was agonizing for Timothy to see her wasting away. "Apentrylic Floyd | Syndrome" they called it, a metabolic disorder carried in a recessive Floyd | gene. There wasn't a cure, they told him, and they didn't think she'd Floyd | last more than a year. Floyd | Floyd | They were wrong. For five years, Timothy watched his wife slowly Floyd | rotting away from the inside. Her energy faded, her strength tapped Floyd | away. The similarity to his mother was horrifying, both women clinging Floyd | to life in a way that was almost unnatural. The strain on Timothy was Floyd | telling, and when he happened upon the article discussing a possible Floyd | cure to the Syndrome, he was overjoyed. Floyd | Floyd | But, upon realizing it was Dr. Albero who was running the program, he Floyd | fell into a rage. Calling the hospital, he angrily demanded why Sarah Floyd | had not been entered into the program. The doctor's excuses of placebos Floyd | and control groups meant nothing to him and, in an attempt to make the Floyd | bastard agree to let her in the program, happened upon the project's Floyd | budget. Calling the good doctor back, he causally mentioned the Floyd | discrepancy in the monies. Floyd | Floyd | Under the threat of blackmail, Albero agreed to allow Sarah the Floyd | treatment. And, miraculously, it worked. Sarah got better, although she Floyd | was never again the vibrant woman Timothy remembered. Floyd | Floyd | Halfway through the program, Dr. Albero mysteriously committed suicide, Floyd | for reasons unknown. Floyd | Floyd | The time after Sarah's crisis was much like it had been before his Floyd | mother's death; his life mundane, his existence centered around his Floyd | work. The disease had taken away much of Sarah's vitality, and her zest Floyd | for life was never the same. His time devoted more and more to himself Floyd | and his work, he began to withdraw more and more from the world at Floyd | large. At night, he drove around the city alone, trying to find the Floyd | meaning of what had happened to him, of why such things had happened to Floyd | him. Floyd | Floyd | The night he died was such a night. He had been driving for hours, only Floyd | half paying attention to what was going on. Then, from nowhere, a young Floyd | girl ran into the middle of the road. With a cry and acting purely on Floyd | what must have been instinct, he wrenched the wheel to the right, Floyd | narrowly missing the young woman and almost flipping the car over. In Floyd | an attempt to right himself, he swerved to the left ... and struck a Floyd | young man standing on the sidewalk. Both he and Timothy were killed on Floyd | impact. Afterwards, it was revealed that the young man was the woman's Floyd | boyfriend. They had had an argument and in an attempt to get away from Floyd | him, she had half pushed, half been pushed into the the road. Timothy's Floyd | quick thinking had merely exchanged the death of one of the lovers for Floyd | the other. Floyd | Floyd | Timothy Hunter was born, he lived, he died. To say anything more would Floyd | be futile speculation. Floyd | | DavidW asks, "I guess we failed with the 3rd panel?" | |||
| peccable asks, "Failed how?" | ||||
| inky says, "well, our actions have always had consequences for other people" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | *** You have completed the Tapestry *** Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Congratulations. You have completed the story of TAPESTRY. You have Floyd | chosen the Path of Morningstar, and have followed it to its conclusion. Floyd | Floyd | TAPESTRY contains three mutually-exclusive endings. If you wish, you Floyd | can play again, choose a different Path, and see how your actions Floyd | effect the outcome. Floyd | Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, read some AMUSING Floyd | information or QUIT? Floyd | > | DavidW says, "oh. We didn't. I thought the girl was killed regardless." | |||
| inky says, "no, her boyfriend got killed instead" | ||||
| DavidW says, "But the boyfriend was killed instead." | ||||
| inky says, "the student with the pendant, I guess" | ||||
| DavidW says, "And nothing we've done explained the pendant." | ||||
| K-Y says (to Floyd), "amusing" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | First, I would like to thank the following people for their invaluable Floyd | help: Floyd | Floyd | Timothy "Hunter" Evanson -- for being there at the story's Floyd | conception. Floyd | It wouldn't be half the game it became without him. Floyd | Sabrina "Stinky" Ravipinto -- for love, support, and MORE patience Floyd | than any human being could possibly require. Floyd | Steph "Psych-o" Barnett -- for story ideas and all that important Floyd | rat-training info. Floyd | David "Astro" Walton -- for nitpicking above and beyond the call Floyd | of duty. Floyd | David "OG" Learn -- for makin' Astro's nitpickin' look like Floyd | nothin'. Floyd | Allison "Squeaky" Tumarkin -- for writing something even odder Floyd | than Floyd | TAPESTRY. Floyd | Niki "Willow" Hinson -- for smartening up the parser by whining Floyd | that Floyd | it was stupid. Floyd | Andy "The Boy" Olson -- for a million-and-one Bible references. Floyd | Audra "Oh I Had A Little Chicken" Senato -- for alpha-testing and Floyd | backup-singing. Floyd | Mike "Milk" Shultz -- for fitting me into his ever-busy schedule. Floyd | Erika "Erika" Stoll -- for putting up with my eccentricities long Floyd | enough to beta-test. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | A BIG thank you to the IF Competition Betatesters: Floyd | Floyd | Michael "The Legend" Kinyon -- Simply the best tester I've ever Floyd | had the Floyd | pleasure to work with. Period. Floyd | "V. BALAVAGE" -- for great comments and a ton of information for Floyd | my NEXT game. Floyd | Also thanks to Charles Carr and Jarrod Henry. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | This game was an attempt to see if a serious and interesting story Floyd | could be merged with traditional IF 'puzzle' elements without one Floyd | overshadowing the other. Also, I attempted to tackle a few of the Floyd | issues that have been discussed recently on r.a.i-f, including Floyd | mutually-exclusive paths, a pre-defined main character, moral dilemmas, Floyd | 'puzzle-less' IF, and semi-realistic NPCs. Floyd | Floyd | I hope that I've come close to achieving my goals and have entertained Floyd | you in the process. I would love to hear any and all comments or Floyd | constructive criticism you may have. My current e-mail address can be Floyd | found by using the 'AUTHOR' command. Floyd | Floyd | Thanks! -d Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, read some AMUSING Floyd | information or QUIT? Floyd | > | inky says, "ha ha" | |||
| inky says, "so 'recent' discussion on r*if in 1996 was multiple endings, moral dilemmas, puzzle-less IF, and realistic NPCs" | ||||
| DavidW says, "wow, Kinyon" | ||||
| peccable says, "Recent for 1996, yeah." | ||||
| peccable grins. | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "So, now back for the other path?" | ||||
| inky says, "it says there are three paths" | ||||
| inky says, "I am not sure what the third is" | ||||
| inky says, "but yeah" | ||||
| dhakajack exclaims, "And we have yet to find out what is in the endtable!" | ||||
| inky says, "I guess it'd be easier to not change stuff first" | ||||
| inky says, "good point" | ||||
| K-Y says, "This was rather eye-opening for me back when I played it" | ||||
| inky says, "maybe after we kill her" | ||||
| inky asks (of K-Y), "oh yeah?" | ||||
| DavidW says, "I suppose the obvious next way to play is to let the three women die as before." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "restart" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | T A P E S T R Y Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to begin.] | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Fleeting glimpses of faces half-remembered in the gloom. Screams, the Floyd | sound of squealing tires, a sudden thump, a sickening crunch and a Floyd | violent jolt followed by a sense of weightlessness and disassociation. Floyd | The last thing you remember is an overwhelming feeling of guilt and Floyd | regret, forcing its way through the chaos that surrounds you and then Floyd | there is... Floyd | Floyd | Nothing Floyd | Your sight fails you. For that matter, you don't know if your eyes are Floyd | opened or closed. Concepts like time and place have no meaning here. Floyd | Your mind attempts to impose something, some order, some structure, Floyd | upon the space in which you exist, and fails. There is only the void. Floyd | For all you know, that is all there ever was. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "begin" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | T A P E S T R Y Floyd | _____________________________________________ Floyd | Floyd | A N I N T E R A C T I V E D E S T I N Y Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to begin.] | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | TAPESTRY Floyd | An Interactive Destiny Floyd | Copyright 1996 by Daniel Ravipinto Floyd | An entry in the 2nd Annual Interactive-Fiction Competition Floyd | Release 1 / Serial number 961010 / Inform v1502 Library 5/12 Floyd | Standard interpreter 1.0 Floyd | Interpreter 2 Version N / Library serial number 951024 Floyd | The Prologue can be skipped by using the "begin" command. Floyd | Please use the "help" command before beginning. Floyd | Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | The Ivory Tower, where you started this strange adventure, now lies in Floyd | ruins. Its walls lie scorched about you, the roof rent to the open sky. Floyd | The stars, in their impassive brilliance, illuminate the devastation Floyd | below. Over the Tower's remains you catch glimpses of the fires below, Floyd | trees smoldering in the darkness. Floyd | Floyd | The Tapestry seems to have survived the Tower's destruction intact. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "ok, skipped prologue" | |||
| inky asks, "should we start with the first tapestry again?" | ||||
| K-Y says, "never really thought about this sort of subject matter in IF" | ||||
| DavidW says, "I'm thinking maybe if we can grab M's pendant, maybe we get to be other people in the story." | ||||
| K-Y says, "truth be told, haven't had that many reasons to think about it since" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "huh" | ||||
| inky asks, "this predated photopia, right?" | ||||
| DavidW says, "like, maybe we can be the doctor, be the boyfriend." | ||||
| K-Y says, "I didn't play this until after they'd both come out" | ||||
| inky says, "I don't *think* that's the case, but it's been a while" | ||||
| olethros arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. | Jacqueline asks, "Okay, so what's the plan? Tapestry panels in order, let them die as before?" | |||
| peccable says, "Photopia came out in 1998, so Tapestry did pre-date it." | ||||
| olethros says, "this game is pretty large isn't it" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "touch first" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly the rumbling returns, and the threads throw you into their Floyd | heaving embrace. After a time they leave you gasping on another strange Floyd | and distant shore... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home lies in disarray, as usual. Between Floyd | work and your mother's condition, you haven't had much time to think Floyd | about house cleaning. To the west is your bedroom; the doorway to the Floyd | north leads to the driveway. The workroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "hmm" | |||
| inky says, "it's a two-hour game" | ||||
| inky says, "but having multiple endings makes it longer in terms of playtime" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah, we played that run through in two hours." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Work Room Floyd | You've only recently converted this spare room to a workroom to try and Floyd | play catch-up in the evenings and on the weekends. "Converted" isn't Floyd | exactly the right word, since all you did was stick a small table in Floyd | it. The way back to the den lies to the north. Floyd | Floyd | Your work papers lie in disarray beside the telephone. Floyd | Floyd | Also on the desk is a small appointment/address book. Floyd | Floyd | > | K-Y says, "also, I never did manage to do the other endings" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "read book" | ||||
Floyd | Flipping through the address book you see that you've only had time to Floyd | write in two well-used numbers: Mike Stevens at work and Dr. Hughes at Floyd | Mercy Hospital, the doctor who's handling your mother's care. The only Floyd | information of any importance in the appointment section appears to be Floyd | a notice reading: "Thompson account MUST BE CLOSED BY THIS MONDAY." Floyd | It's written in red ink and underlined five times. Floyd | Floyd | The Thompson account? What on Earth is that? You try and remember, Floyd | but for the life of you you can't recall ever writing down this notice. Floyd | And today's Sunday... Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Now that we have a better idea, the next ones will go a touch quicker." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open drawer" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x paper" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x table" | ||||
Floyd | You shoved it in here when you convered this into a work room. It's Floyd | overflowing with your workpapers, almost completely covering the Floyd | telephone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x papers" | ||||
Floyd | The unorganized heap covers most of the table, some of it even Floyd | extending over the edge, threatening to fall at any moment. You've had Floyd | such a backlog of things to do that it's become harder and harder just Floyd | to keep up and not fall even further behind. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x desk" | ||||
Floyd | You shoved it in here when you convered this into a work room. It's Floyd | overflowing with your workpapers, almost completely covering the Floyd | telephone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get book" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "read book" | ||||
Floyd | Flipping through the address book you see that you've only had time to Floyd | write in two well-used numbers: Mike Stevens at work and Dr. Hughes at Floyd | Mercy Hospital, the doctor who's handling your mother's care. The only Floyd | information of any importance in the appointment section appears to be Floyd | a notice reading: "Thompson account MUST BE CLOSED BY THIS MONDAY." Floyd | It's written in red ink and underlined five times. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "consult papers about thompson" | ||||
Floyd | You begin searching through the work papers for information about the Floyd | Thompson account, but since you don't even know what the account deals Floyd | with, you don't know where to begin. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call mike" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings for a moment, then Mike's secretary answers. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello, Foley Consultants, can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Can I speak with Mr. Stevens please?" Floyd | Floyd | "Sure Tim, hold on a second." You hear the click of the line being Floyd | switched over, then Mike picks up. Floyd | Floyd | "Yeah Tim? What can I do for you?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask mike about thompson" | ||||
Floyd | Mike sounds shocked. Floyd | Floyd | "The THOMPSON account? You mean the charity bit?" Floyd | Floyd | You have no idea what he's talking about and tell him so. Floyd | Floyd | "The charity bit! Come on, you couldn't have FORGOTTEN that? It was Floyd | your freakin' idea! The whole problem with the firm's bad press last Floyd | year about the orphanage foreclosure? So we were going to do a few Floyd | cases for charity ... people who couldn't normally afford us..." Floyd | Floyd | "...and I offered to take the Thompson account." Floyd | Floyd | "'xactly, Tim, where's your head BEEN, man?" Floyd | Floyd | "Oh my God, I totally forgot about it." Floyd | Floyd | You hear Mike sigh and then a shuffle of papers. Floyd | Floyd | "Hmm ... let's see. Standard blahblahblahblah, it doesn't look more Floyd | than a two or three day thing. No real need to wo..." He cuts off. Floyd | "MONDAY Tim? It's due MONDAY?! Are you crazy? Have you even STARTED Floyd | it?!" Floyd | Floyd | "I've ... I've had a lot on my mind, Mike." Floyd | Floyd | "Damn, Tim, we all know that, but ... if you couldn't handle it you Floyd | should have said so! You're the only one who knows anything about the Floyd | account, and you've got all the important papers there!" Floyd | Floyd | "But, Mike, I've got ... I've got stuff I have to do here." Floyd | Floyd | "Yeah, like the Thompson account! Look Tim, I'm not going to tell you Floyd | what to do, and I know that your job's not in the balance here; you've Floyd | been doing too good a job for too long for one little screw up to ruin Floyd | you, especially under these circumstances. But the Thompson's are Floyd | totally depending on the firm here. Don't you realize the reason we Floyd | took the case? They'll lose everything unless YOU can find a loophole Floyd | that'll at least delay the foreclosure for a while." Floyd | Floyd | "But couldn't someone ... could you...?" Floyd | Floyd | "Look Tim, I can't, I've got so much work here that I couldn't even Floyd | look at the account if I wanted to. Not to mention the fact that all Floyd | the important stuff is THERE. No Tim, it's going to be you or no one." Floyd | He pauses. "Look, I've got to go. Call again if you need help with Floyd | something, but the ball's in your court now." He hangs up. Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline asks, "Read papers?" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "I forget what the command was." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "consult papers about thompson" | ||||
Floyd | You spread the papers out and try to get them organized. You vaguely Floyd | remember that the Thompson account deals with a small family business Floyd | that might be going under. Apparently they don't have enough money to Floyd | hire someone to handle the backlog of taxes that they've been Floyd | accumulating and can't handle it themselves. The papers are broken up Floyd | into several sections: the back records, this year's intake, and the Floyd | forms which need to be filled out. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x records" | ||||
Floyd | The records go back quite a few years. You start reading through them, Floyd | trying to get an impression of what needs to be done. The Thompson's Floyd | have obviously been trying to keep on top of the paperwork, but they Floyd | just didn't have the expertise. Although there's a lot, you realize Floyd | that Mike was right, it's a routine job. Floyd | Floyd | Several hours later and almost finished with the back-paperwork, you Floyd | realize that an entire year is missing from the records. You can't Floyd | finish the forms without it! Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call mike" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings for a moment, then Mike's secretary answers. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello, Foley Consultants, can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Can I speak with Mr. Stevens please?" Floyd | Floyd | "Sure Tim, hold on a second." You hear the click of the line being Floyd | switched over, then Mike picks up. Floyd | Floyd | "Yeah, Tim?" Mike says, "What do ya need?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask mike about year" | ||||
Floyd | You explain about the missing records from the papers you have for the Floyd | Thompson account. Floyd | Floyd | "Hmm ... ok, hold on, let me see if they're up here." You hear Mike Floyd | put down the phone and then a few minutes of silence. Suddenly, he's Floyd | back on the line. "Yeah Tim, got 'em right here. I don't know how they Floyd | got muffed up like that. Here, let me give you the numbers." He Floyd | proceeds to help you update the records you need. Floyd | Floyd | "Thanks Mike, you're a lifesaver." Floyd | Floyd | "No prob, and good luck on the account!" Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x forms" | ||||
Floyd | You start flipping through the forms when you realize that while you Floyd | have the back records done, you haven't completed the intake for the Floyd | current year. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x intake" | ||||
Floyd | You begin scanning on the records for the current year, on which the Floyd | Thompsons have done no work at all. You sigh deeply and get to work. Floyd | Floyd | It seems to take forever, the numbers just don't want to work out. Floyd | Finally, after scanning your work for errors a third time, you decide Floyd | you've got it done as well as you'll ever get it. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x intake" | ||||
Floyd | But you've already completed the Thompson's records for this year's Floyd | intake. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x forms" | ||||
Floyd | > Floyd | With the completed records in hand, you begin filling out the forms. By Floyd | this point, you're so sick of numbers you find it harder and harder not Floyd | to give up. As you press on, you become worried. You've got to stay Floyd | awake, aware, because any mistakes at this point could be disastrous... Floyd | Floyd | Four hours later, you're finished. Your hands are cramped from all the Floyd | writing, your mind spinning from the columns of data, but it's done. Floyd | You separate the forms from the rest of papers with a sigh of relief. Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly you stop short. You forgot about the signatures! You Floyd | frantically begin scanning the bottom of the forms, praying you won't Floyd | find that they have to be signed with a witness... Floyd | Floyd | ...and you find that they do. What the hell are you going to do? It's Floyd | Sunday! How on Earth are you going to get in touch with a notary Floyd | public this late on a Sunday afternoon? Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call mike" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings for a moment, then Mike's secretary answers. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello, Foley Consultants, can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Can I speak with Mr. Stevens please?" Floyd | Floyd | "Sure Tim, hold on a second." You hear the click of the line being Floyd | switched over, then Mike picks up. Floyd | Floyd | "Yeah, Tim?" Mike says, "What do ya need?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask mike about witness" | ||||
Floyd | You frantically tell Mike about the signatures you need and that you Floyd | have no idea how to get in touch with the notary public. Floyd | Floyd | "God-damnit Tim ... I'd totally forgotten. And it's Sunday, shit..." Floyd | Floyd | "What'r we gonna do, Mike?" Floyd | Floyd | Silence. Floyd | Floyd | "No, wait a minute! I got it! Look, I've got a friend down a City Floyd | Hall, owes me a couple of favors. I bet I can get the public down in Floyd | his office long enough to get the stuff signed. Listen, I'll call up Floyd | the Thompsons, and my friend. I'll tell 'em to meet you down there in Floyd | one hour. You got that? Anything over that and we're screwed." Floyd | Floyd | "Got it, Mike. Oh, and thanks again. You really saved me." Floyd | Floyd | "No prob, just remember you owe me one." Floyd | Floyd | "Sure," you say, "I'll see them down there in an hour." Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | As suddenly as you place the receiver back in the cradle, the phone Floyd | rings. You hastily lift the receiver to your ear. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello?" Floyd | Floyd | "Yes, hello, may I please speak to Mr. Timothy Hunter?" Floyd | Floyd | "This is he." Floyd | Floyd | "Mr. Hunter? I'm Doctor Feiner, an associate of Doctor Hughes?" Floyd | Floyd | "Yes, Doctor Feiner, what can I do for you?" Floyd | Floyd | "Well, Mr. Hunter, it's ... it's about your mother." A sick certainty Floyd | overcomes you. Floyd | Floyd | "She's dying," you whisper. Floyd | Floyd | "Yes, Mr. Hunter, and I'm afraid she won't be lasting much longer. Not Floyd | more than an hour..." Floyd | Floyd | "Oh God... I'll, I'll..." Floyd | Floyd | "Whatever you do, Mr. Hunter, please do it quickly. There's not much Floyd | time." Floyd | Floyd | With trembling hands, you put the phone back down. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "We need the wallet from the bed" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | The bedroom isn't much cleaner than the den, with piles of clothes Floyd | covering most of the floor. You wish you had the time to even try to Floyd | make the place look like a human being lives here, but you just never Floyd | seem to. To the east is the den and a small bathroom lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | The bed is unmade, as usual. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x bed" | ||||
Floyd | It's hard to believe this will be the bed on which Sarah will spend all Floyd | that time, dying. WAS the bed where she SPENT all that time ... this is Floyd | so confusing. It's in a shambles, the sheets hidden under one of the Floyd | numerous piles of clothing scattered about the room. Floyd | Floyd | On the bed you see your wallet. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get wallet" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open wallet. x card" | ||||
Floyd | You peek inside your wallet and see some money and a small, white Floyd | business card. Floyd | Floyd | It's a business card from a local taxi agency complete with their Floyd | telephone number. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Work Room Floyd | Floyd | Your work papers lie in disarray beside the telephone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "call taxi" | ||||
Floyd | The phone rings several times, and then the line picks up. Floyd | Floyd | "Hello, BK Taxi, can I help you?" Floyd | Floyd | You quickly explain that you need a taxi sent around to your house as Floyd | soon as possible. Floyd | Floyd | "Certainly sir, it'll be there as soon as possible." Floyd | Floyd | You hang up the phone. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side lies the old fireplace, its soot rolling out onto the Floyd | dirty carpet. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Driveway Floyd | It's a beautiful spring day, the sun is shining and a soft breeze Floyd | blows. Taking in the idyllic scene, it's easy to forget all the Floyd | pressures on you; to forget, if for the briefest of moments, your Floyd | mother's illness and the work you have to do. The front door back into Floyd | the house lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "We want to go to city hall this time, I believe." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | You notice a cab slowly making its way up the street, its driver Floyd | peering at house numbers. Apparently seeing yours, the cab quickly Floyd | pulls into your driveway and the driver gives the horn three quick Floyd | blasts. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "enter cab" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Inside a Taxi Cab Floyd | You're sitting in the back seat of an old and dirty taxi cab. The seat Floyd | springs squeak rustily beneath you, litter covers the floor and the Floyd | windows are covered with grime. Floyd | Floyd | In the front seat, a cabbie sits waiting impatiently. Floyd | Floyd | "Where ya wanna go, mac?" he asks as you slip inside. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "yeah, ok" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x cabbie" | ||||
Floyd | A non-descript man who seems almost as old and decrepit as the car he Floyd | drives. He drums the steering wheel in an angry rhythm, obviously Floyd | impatient at having to wait. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask cabbie about city hall" | ||||
Floyd | "You got it, mac" says the cabbie as he hits starts the meter and pulls Floyd | out of the driveway. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x litter" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | The trip seems interminable, the cabbie babbling throughout it. Talk of Floyd | nothing: the weather, the ball game on television last night. You Floyd | hardly hear him. All you can think about is your mother in that vile Floyd | smelling white room, breathing her last. You close your eyes and hope Floyd | you'll be finished with this in time. Floyd | Floyd | The sunlight flickers over your closed eyelids, making a shadow-dance Floyd | beneath, and you pause, lost for a moment in their flickering patterns. Floyd | Let her be ok ... please, just let her be ok. Floyd | Floyd | The sudden stop in front of the Hall rudely breaks your reverie. Floyd | "That'll be 15, bucks", says the cabbie, hitting the meter's flag. Floyd | Floyd | "I'm sorry," you say, handing him your last fifteen dollars, "I don't Floyd | have enough for a tip." Floyd | Floyd | The cabbie looks at you for a moment, and then a smile breaks slowly Floyd | across his face. He sighs. "Forget it, buddy. You look like you could Floyd | use a break." You profusely thank him as you open the taxi's door and Floyd | rush up the long marble steps into the building... Floyd | Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | City Hall is a veritable labyrynth of cold, marble corridors and your Floyd | breathing echoes about you as you run, searching for the notary Floyd | public's office. You almost miss it when the writing on the door Floyd | catches your attention out of the corner of your eye. Practically Floyd | knocking it down, you rush into the office. Floyd | Floyd | "... and here he is!" Mike says, seeing you. "Come on, Timmy-boy, let's Floyd | get this show on the road!" He quickly introduces you to Mrs. Floyd | Thompson, a middle-aged woman with graying hair, and the notary public. Floyd | The signatures are done in a flash, with Mrs. Thompson thanking your Floyd | profusely the entire time, telling you how much this means to them, Floyd | that they won't be losing the family business, about how afraid they Floyd | were. Floyd | Floyd | You hardly hear her. All you can think about is your mother, lying Floyd | there in that room. Floyd | Floyd | "... Mr. Hunter? Are you all right?" Mrs. Thompson's question snaps Floyd | you back to reality. Floyd | Floyd | "Mike, Mike ... did you bring your car?" you ask him frantically. Floyd | Floyd | Your fear suddenly breaks through his bravado. Floyd | Floyd | "Yeah, Tim. It's out back. What's the matter?" Floyd | Floyd | "It's, it's my mom, we ... I've got to get to the hospital..." Floyd | Floyd | Mike grabs you by the shoulder and the next thing you know, you're Floyd | running down the corridor again, heading for the back parking lot. Floyd | Behind you, you can hear Mrs. Thompson calling. Floyd | Floyd | "Thank you again, Mr. Hunter! I hope your mom's all right...!" Floyd | | DavidW says, "I hope we brought the forms." | |||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | You remember nightmares as a child like this, where no matter how fast Floyd | you went, you knew it was never quite fast enough... Floyd | Floyd | Mike's driving like a maniac, but some part of you already knows that Floyd | it's too late. You've already been through this and it's too late. And Floyd | yet... Floyd | Floyd | And yet there's some part of you that's hoping that somehow, someway, Floyd | she'll be ok, that it won't be the same this time ... it won't ... just Floyd | somehow. Floyd | Floyd | Mike pulls up in front of Mercy with a screech, yelling at you as you Floyd | slam into the front doors to go ahead, he'll be up right behind you. Floyd | Floyd | You rush past the front desk, running for the elevators and slip Floyd | between the doors just as they're closing. You frantically stab at the Floyd | buttons, and then slump against the back wall. First, second, third, Floyd | fourth, hurry god-damn you hurry ... please ... please ... fourth, come Floyd | on ... come on you ... fifth! The doors slide back and you rush down Floyd | the corridor, almost slipping on the tiles and finally come to a Floyd | screetching halt at the door to your mother's room. Floyd | | ||||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | "I'm sorry, Tim," says Doctor Hughes. He's standing in over your Floyd | mother's bed ... just like in the Tapestry. Floyd | Floyd | "No!" But it's too late. She's dead. It takes a moment for you to Floyd | comprehend this. And then you're rushing forward, falling on your knees Floyd | next to her, clutching her hand and crying out that you didn't mean to. Floyd | You didn't mean to abandon her. You wanted to be here... Floyd | Floyd | But now it's too late. Floyd | | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x doctor" | ||||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | ONE WEEK LATER... Floyd | Floyd | The past few days have been a blur; the funeral arrangements, the Floyd | reading of the will, the unending visits by family and friends, Floyd | offering their condolences, all of it running and smearing together in Floyd | a confused muddle... Floyd | Floyd | Funeral Parlor Floyd | Your mother specified in her will exactly how she wanted everything: Floyd | the open-casket viewing, whom she wanted to speak the eulogies. It's Floyd | almost over now, the last of the remaining mourners (mostly old friends Floyd | of your mother's you haven't seen in years) having already spoken with Floyd | you. Some stragglers are still making their way past the coffin. As for Floyd | you, you've been in the back of the room, shaking hands, saying thanks Floyd | for their condolences, and feeling utterly numb. You haven't had the Floyd | courage all afternoon to head to the north end of the parlor and see Floyd | your mother lying there... Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "oh geez" | |||
| inky says, "man, what kind of control freak is she" | ||||
| DavidW says, "Maybe the Thompsons will show." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | A cold gust of wind arises from nowhere as you attempt to cross the Floyd | room. The wind rises in intensity and a swirling smoke begins to rise Floyd | from the ground. A dark writing cloud forms before you and from it a Floyd | cloaked figure emerges. Its face lost in the swirling mists behind its Floyd | hood, the figure speaks: Floyd | Floyd | "Hail mortal! We know each other well, though perhaps you remember me Floyd | not. I have been at your side for many a year, your closest friend, Floyd | your worst enemy. Familiar lover and bitter adversary. You know me! Floyd | You sense it deep inside where your guilt grows in the darkness like Floyd | the twisted weed it is!" he laughs. "And now! After all this time! At Floyd | last, a reckoning! Will you face me? Have you hubris enough to commit Floyd | the breaking of your Moira? Are you fool enough to face your crimes? Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "whoah, freaky" | |||
| Allen says, "now comes the good part. The dinner afterwards. YAY FUNERAL FOOD" | ||||
| DavidW asks, "We can yet break our Moira?" | ||||
| Jacqueline asks (of Allen), "Will there be devilled eggs?" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x figure" | ||||
Floyd | The Wraith is a fearsome figure, indeed. Draped in a cloak of darkest Floyd | night, its face hidden from sight, its hands lost in the folds of its Floyd | cloak, what is not seen is far more frightening than what might be. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Tablesaw was sunk by mysterious Spanish saboteurs, quickly dubbed "War-hombres de Mucho Destrucci?n." | inky says (to DavidW), "yeah, I think we need a ring of free action and chaos resistance" | |||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "Huh. Yeah, seems like we're moving along the original thread of our life." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to inky), "heehee" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "ask wraith about moira" | ||||
Floyd | "Answer, fool! Hast thou courage enough to face me?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "yes" | ||||
Floyd | "Fool! You dare deny me?! You, mere mortal, dare to sunder the Moira Floyd | set for you? How can you deny what you have done?!" Floyd | Floyd | "Admit defeat, fool! Admit the evil you have done!" Floyd | Floyd | > | dhakajack says, "Say friend and enter..oh wait, wrong Moria." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "no" | ||||
Floyd | "How CAN YOU?! You KILLED her, your MOTHER, whom you owe your life to! Floyd | MURDERER! What rationalization do you have this time??" Floyd | Floyd | "What excuse have you?!" Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "dude is freaking out" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about thompsons" | ||||
Floyd | You tell the Wraith about the Thompson account, about how badly they Floyd | needed your help and of how they would have gone bankrupt without it. Floyd | You tell it of Mrs. Thompson's tears, of her thanks. Floyd | Floyd | "LIES! You care for no one but YOURSELF! How DARE you lie as such, to Floyd | make me believe that you would care for another so much! You left her Floyd | there!" Floyd | Floyd | "You abandoned her, monster, left her for dead!" Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable says, "Yeah, the wraith is a little melodramatic." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | The Wraith silently glides between you and the casket, blocking you Floyd | from approaching it. Floyd | Floyd | "You abandoned her, monster, left her for dead!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "no" | ||||
Floyd | "BASTARD! LIAR! Your golden tongue shall not save you!" Floyd | Floyd | "Why were you not there for her at the last? Where WERE you?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about doctor" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "Why were you not there for her at the last? Where WERE you?" Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "heh" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "city hall" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Fang says (to Floyd), "shrug" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about city hall" | ||||
Floyd | Crying, half-reliving it, you tell the Wraith of the trip to City Hall, Floyd | of how you wished you could have been in two places at once, of the Floyd | nightmare trip back, only to find out it was too late. Floyd | Floyd | There is no response... Floyd | Floyd | As suddenly as it appeared, the Wraith vanishes, and in its place Floyd | stands Clotho of the Parcae. Floyd | Floyd | "You have chosen well, Timothy," she says. "You have learned of your Floyd | Moira and chosen, as you should, to live within it. You have learned to Floyd | stand by your decisions, and you have faced your fears with strength Floyd | and courage." Floyd | Floyd | She gently takes you by the hand and leads you through the frozen crowd Floyd | towards the casket. Once there, she steps back, waiting. You step Floyd | forwards, fearful of what you're about to face, but take a deep breath Floyd | and peer inside. Floyd | Floyd | She looks beautiful. Her hair falls across her face, just covering her Floyd | eyes, and the dress she wears was always one of her favorites. "I'm Floyd | sorry, Mom, I'm sorry..." you whisper. And suddenly, somehow, you know. Floyd | You know that she understands, that it wasn't your fault. She knows Floyd | that you didn't abandon her, that you were trying to help. You turn to Floyd | Clotho, eyes bright with tears, and she nods. Floyd | Floyd | "Yes, Timothy. She always knew. And, perhaps in a way, you did as well. Floyd | But your fear, your irrational guilt, blocked that, stopped you from Floyd | seeing the truth. And now, now that your Moira has changed, now that Floyd | you have faced the Wraith, you have stopped what happened before." Floyd | Floyd | Memory floods back. The funeral. How you fled, how you couldn't face Floyd | seeing her after what had happened ... it's changed. Floyd | Floyd | Clotho nods once more. "Yes, Timothy. Well done." Floyd | Floyd | "You have taken the first step along my path, Timothy. Once chosen, it Floyd | cannot be abandoned. You shall follow it to its conclusion, with the Floyd | choices you shall make elsewhere. I shall be near, to guide you as you Floyd | shall need." Floyd | Floyd | The whirling threads appear, and tear you from where you stand into Floyd | their heaving embrace. They leave you, gasping, back in the Tower... Floyd | | inky says, "oho hrm" | |||
| Limax arrives, ready to play with the toys. | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | The Ivory Tower, where you started this strange adventure, now lies in Floyd | ruins. Its walls lie scorched about you, the roof rent to the open sky. Floyd | The stars, in their impassive brilliance, illuminate the devastation Floyd | below. Over the Tower's remains you catch glimpses of the fires below, Floyd | trees smoldering in the darkness. Floyd | Floyd | The Tapestry seems to have survived the Tower's destruction intact. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "The wraith sort of reminds me of those stone faces in Labyrinth. 'Oh PLEASE let me say it, I haven't had a chance to say it in so long! TURN BACK, FOR THE PATH AHEAD IS FILLED WITH CERTAIN DOOM!'" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "cf8" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "lemme go back a bit and see if we really can walk away" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "score" | ||||
Floyd | You know yourself and your past. You have chosen the Path of Clotho, Floyd | and have taken a single step along it. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "since apparently the path we just took was *also* a diversion from real history" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "/undo" | ||||
Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "/undo" | ||||
Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "/undo" | ||||
Floyd | Funeral Parlor Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "/undo" | ||||
Floyd | Funeral Parlor Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "/undo" | ||||
Floyd | Funeral Parlor Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "/undo" | ||||
Floyd | Funeral Parlor Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "/undo" | ||||
Floyd | Funeral Parlor Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "/undo" | ||||
Floyd | Funeral Parlor Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "/undo" | ||||
Floyd | Funeral Parlor Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "/undo" | ||||
Floyd | Funeral Parlor Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "/undo" | ||||
Floyd | Funeral Parlor Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | "Answer, fool! Hast thou courage enough to face me?" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "no" | ||||
Floyd | Without a face, the Spectre nonetheless grins. "Victory! You are wise Floyd | to know when you are outmatched. To know that your guilt is not without Floyd | cause, and that to live with it is your course. Your Moira remains Floyd | unbroken, the path you chose so long ago remains unchanged. Farewell, Floyd | mortal, for we shall meet again..." Floyd | Floyd | As suddenly as it appeared, the Wraith vanishes, and in its place Floyd | stands Atropos of the Parcae. Floyd | Floyd | "You have chosen well, Timothy," she says. "You have faced the Floyd | temptation of hubris and not committed excess. You have learned of your Floyd | Moira and chosen, as you should, to live within it. You have stood by Floyd | your decisions and not dared to face the Spectre of your guilt." Floyd | Floyd | She turns and looks towards the waiting casket. "There are some things Floyd | that simply cannot be faced, Timothy. Remember this." Floyd | Floyd | Atropos turns back to you. "You have taken the first step along my Floyd | path, Timothy. Once chosen, it cannot be abandoned. You shall follow it Floyd | to its conclusion, with the choices you shall make elsewhere. I shall Floyd | be near, to guide you as you shall need." Floyd | Floyd | The whirling threads appear, and tear you from where you stand into Floyd | their heaving embrace. They leave you, gasping, back in the Tower... Floyd | | inky says, "aha" | |||
| inky says, "so clotho and atropos both have paths" | ||||
| inky says, "hrm" | ||||
| DavidW says, "It seems so." | ||||
| inky says, "so I guess the third one is in league with morningstar" | ||||
| DavidW asks, "Are there really only three paths?" | ||||
| inky says, "somewhere in the about it said that" | ||||
| inky says, "I think" | ||||
| peccable says, "Yes, there are three, total." | ||||
| Limax says, "There you go, then" | ||||
| DavidW says, "Seems if we have paths for Clotho and Atropos, we ought to have Lachesis as well." | ||||
| peccable says, "Lachesis = Morningstar, in this case." | ||||
| peccable says, "As she points out - his is an option." | ||||
| DavidW says, "hm. okay" | ||||
| Allen says (to David), "don't forget the fate kitty, who plays with the threads as they are cut and drift to the floor" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Allen), "Hard to forget what I've never heard of." | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "So which path are we going on, then?" | ||||
| DaveC says (to Allen), "there is an lolcat in there somewhere" | ||||
| K-Y says, "I remember the fate kitty" | ||||
| DavidW says, "We're currently on Atrophos's path, thanks to inky's /undo festival." | ||||
| inky says, "I think we should do the atropos one first" | ||||
| inky says, "because the other one seems more cheerful" | ||||
| DavidW says, "fine" | ||||
| K-Y says, "most preposterous quote I've ever read" | ||||
| DavidW says, "This path is the oh-woe-is-me one, I guess. Guilt, despair, sadness." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "l" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | The Ivory Tower, where you started this strange adventure, now lies in Floyd | ruins. Its walls lie scorched about you, the roof rent to the open sky. Floyd | The stars, in their impassive brilliance, illuminate the devastation Floyd | below. Over the Tower's remains you catch glimpses of the fires below, Floyd | trees smoldering in the darkness. Floyd | Floyd | The Tapestry seems to have survived the Tower's destruction intact. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "touch second" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly the rumbling returns, and the threads throw you into their Floyd | heaving embrace. After a time they leave you gasping on another strange Floyd | and distant shore... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Office Floyd | You've had a place to do work for years, but only recently have you Floyd | used it enough to actually call it an office. Even at that, it's not Floyd | much of one, with your desk as the only furniture. The door to the Floyd | north leads into the living room. Floyd | Floyd | The remainder of your work papers lie on your desk, next to the Floyd | telephone. Floyd | Floyd | Built into your desk is a small desk drawer. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "hm. Presumably we don't just grab the pillow and smother Sarah right away." | |||
| inky says, "hmm" | ||||
| inky says, "yeah probably not" | ||||
| inky says, "although we should try" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n. w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get pillow" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "smother sarah with pillow" | ||||
Floyd | I only understood you as far as wanting to smother Sarah. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "smother sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Clutching the pillow, you consider it. It would be so simple. She would Floyd | die in her sleep, painless, quiet. And she'd be free of it forever. Floyd | Your hands tremble as you think of it... Floyd | Floyd | Sarah looks up at you with wide open eyes. You turn away horrified. You Floyd | can't do it, you just can't do it. You take a deep breath and try and Floyd | calm yourself. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "She's not even asleep yet. You monster." | |||
| inky says, "well, c'mon, I was just trying to be efficient" | ||||
| peccable says, "This chat is going to be interesting: how best to murder our wife." | ||||
| DaveC laughs | ||||
| inky says, "perhaps we have to enrage ourselves by trying to get in the drawer and her not letting us, giving us motivation" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bathroom Floyd | This small bathroom lies to the south of your bedroom. Ever since Sarah Floyd | fell ill, it's been a storehouse of false hopes. Every miracle the Floyd | doctors said might have helped, every drug that might have eased her Floyd | pain has been kept here. And each and every one did nothing. Floyd | Floyd | Over the sink is a small, mirrored medicine cabinet. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get glass" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "turn on tap" | ||||
Floyd | Water begins flowing from the tap into the sink. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "fill glass" | ||||
Floyd | You carefully fill the glass with water and then shut off the tap. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open sink" | ||||
Floyd | That's not something you can open. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open cabinet" | ||||
Floyd | You open the medicine cabinet, revealing a small bottle of pills. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get bottle" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get photo" | ||||
| Bert arrives, ready to play with the toys. | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x photo" | ||||
Floyd | It's a photograph of you and Sarah out on the lake. She's got her arms Floyd | wrapped around your neck while the two of you grin like maniacs at the Floyd | camera from the little boat you're in. You remember when it was taken. Floyd | Five seconds later, the boat capsized and you and she laughed so hard Floyd | about it you nearly drowned. God, it's been at least a year since last Floyd | you were up there. Floyd | Floyd | > | Bert asks, "Tapestry, right?" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "yep" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "give glass to sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah looks up at you and smiles. Floyd | Floyd | "Aww ... how sweet, my knight in shining armor come to take me to Floyd | dreamland?" You help her up and she swallows the pills with a sip of Floyd | water. She takes hold of your hand. You see her lower lip trembling Floyd | slightly. "Thank you Timmy," she whispers, "for everything." Floyd | Floyd | She lies back down and closes her eyes, but she still has trouble Floyd | falling asleep. God, you wish she could sleep forever, away from the Floyd | sickness and the pain. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "show photo to sarah" | ||||
Floyd | "Oh Timmy. We had so much fun up there, didn't we? 'The Sweet Floyd | Audrina.'" She laughs. God, we we almost drowned, didn't we?" You Floyd | laugh with her for a moment, then you both fall silent. She takes your Floyd | hand. "We had some pretty good times, didn't we? Tell me a story, Floyd | Timmy." she says, "tell me about the lake. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "tell sarah about lake" | ||||
Floyd | You tell Sarah the story, embellishing what really happened. That Floyd | always made her laugh, the way you used to exaggerate everything until Floyd | it became bigger than life. She smiles, remembering. Floyd | Floyd | "Oh, we had so much fun, didn't we?" She yawns, then pats your hand. Floyd | "I think I've had enough excitement for one day, I'm going to take a Floyd | nap, ok?" You nod, and tuck her in as her breathing becomes slow and Floyd | regular. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "NOW THE KILLING" | |||
| Bert says, "Another one of those games I've played and then forgotten everything important about..." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "heh" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "smother sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Clutching the pillow, you consider it. It would be so simple. She would Floyd | die in her sleep, painless, quiet. And she'd be free of it forever. Floyd | Your hands tremble as you think of it... Floyd | Floyd | Gently, tenderly, you stroke her cheek and kiss her forehead. Then, you Floyd | silently place the pillow over her face and wait. Nothing happens for a Floyd | few moments, then Sarah's breathing suddenly becomes irregular. For a Floyd | brief moment you're seized with panic. You want to take the pillow Floyd | away, make her breathe again. Floyd | Floyd | You bite your lip painfully and take a deep breath. Sarah's breathing Floyd | is still irregular. She gasps once, and then her breathing slows. Floyd | Slower and slower the breaths come, until, at last they stop Floyd | altogether. Floyd | Floyd | You gently remove the pillow. Her eyes are closed and her face is, for Floyd | the first time since the illness, peaceful. Your vision blurs as tears Floyd | fill your eyes and you collapse, crying unashamedly. You go on and on, Floyd | all the pain and sorrow of what has happened pouring out of you. After Floyd | what seems an eternity, you recover enough to stand again. Floyd | Floyd | > | Limax says, "Heh... every time Floyd says 'Whispers,' the text turns green" | |||
| inky says, "NOW THE LOOTING" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open drawer" | ||||
Floyd | A cold gust of wind arises from nowhere and your hand is violently Floyd | forced back from the endtable. The wind rises in intensity and a Floyd | swirling smoke begins to rise from the ground. A dark writing cloud Floyd | forms before you and from it a cloaked figure emerges. Its face lost in Floyd | the swirling mists behind its hood, the figure speaks: Floyd | Floyd | The wraith laughs coldly. "So, we meet again!" Floyd | Floyd | "And, so again, you flee before me! Know you now well enough that it Floyd | is folly to face MY likes! Get you gone, you have no more business Floyd | here!" Floyd | Floyd | Again, the Wraith vanishes, and Atropos of the Parcae stands before Floyd | you. Floyd | Floyd | "Once again, you have chosen rightly, mortal. Hubris discarded, you Floyd | have followed you Moira, as well you should. The Spectre of your guilt Floyd | stays appeased." Floyd | Floyd | She turns and looks at the endtable. "What is there shall remain Floyd | unknown, as it should be." Floyd | Floyd | Atropos turns back to you. "The second step is now complete, Timothy. Floyd | One more along my path remains, once more along the threads of your Floyd | Moira you must travel. Go now." Floyd | Floyd | The whirling threads appear, and tear you from where you stand into Floyd | their heaving embrace. They leave you, gasping, back in the Tower... Floyd | | inky says, "hunh" | |||
| peccable says, "It seems you are denied your looting...for now." | ||||
| inky says, "ok, so I guess we don't get a choice after the first time" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "ooh, a typo" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | The Ivory Tower, where you started this strange adventure, now lies in Floyd | ruins. Its walls lie scorched about you, the roof rent to the open sky. Floyd | The stars, in their impassive brilliance, illuminate the devastation Floyd | below. Over the Tower's remains you catch glimpses of the fires below, Floyd | trees smoldering in the darkness. Floyd | Floyd | The Tapestry seems to have survived the Tower's destruction intact. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "hm. We didn't see her hint to us, but I guess we didn't need it." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Also, Daniel, I have this strange urge to ask if you, like, conducted research on how people react when smothered." | ||||
| inky asks (of DavidW), "wait, what hint?" | ||||
| peccable says, "No, thank goodness, Jacquline." | ||||
| DavidW says, "Clotho and Atropos said, once on their paths, that they would help guide us." | ||||
| Jacqueline (to peccable) nods. "I didn't mean first-hand research, of course!" | ||||
| peccable laughs. | ||||
| inky says, "hrm" | ||||
| inky says, "I *think* the deal here is that because we picked Atropos before, we don't get to look in the drawer" | ||||
| Limax says, "step away from the pillow" | ||||
| inky says, "whereas if we'd picked Clotho we would" | ||||
| inky says, "but that is mostly speculation" | ||||
| DaveC agrees with inky. | ||||
| DavidW says, "quite. I think the drawer is the same plot element as mom's casket." | ||||
| DavidW says, "The door to the Wraith, as it were." | ||||
| inky asks, "ok, so run through the last bit as atropos?" | ||||
| inky says, "yeah" | ||||
| DavidW says, "please" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "touch third" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly the rumbling returns, and the threads throw you into their Floyd | heaving embrace. After a time they leave you gasping on another strange Floyd | and distant shore... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | You turn the corner with a sigh, glancing at the street sign in a Floyd | feeble, half-hearted attempt to figure out where you are. You've left Floyd | the old familiar neighborhood far behind you tonight, as you have Floyd | almost every night. Each outing seems to take you a little further, to Floyd | an area a little stranger and more dangerous. Floyd | Floyd | Tonight, you didn't even bother giving yourself an excuse. Before, it Floyd | had been that you had somewhere to go, something to do. Not tonight. Floyd | Some indeterminate time ago, you stumbled out of the house, stuck the Floyd | key in the ignition, and just started driving. Floyd | Floyd | The sharp honk of a nearby car breaks your musings. You glance upward Floyd | to see a pair of girls, jump ropes under their arms, pigtails flying Floyd | behind them, run across the street, right in front of your car... Floyd | Floyd | Time slows as you slam down on your brakes. For a moment, you don't Floyd | think you'll make it, but with a squeal of the tires, your old Dodge Floyd | manages to grind to a halt in time. The girls make it across, laughing Floyd | all the while, unaware of how close death has come. Floyd | Floyd | Your Car Floyd | The old hunk of junk has served you pretty well in the past few years. Floyd | You could probably afford something better, but why bother? It runs, Floyd | it gets you to work and back. What more could you want? What more do Floyd | you need? Floyd | Floyd | The buildings outside seem mostly tenements, their residents escaping Floyd | the sweltering evening by sitting outside on the stone porches, the Floyd | sidewalks. The girls continue on their way, and soon enter a tenement. Floyd | Floyd | With a sigh a relief, you step on the gas and continue on your way. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "honk" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push accelerator" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push gas" | ||||
Floyd | You attempt to step on the gas when you find your feet won't move. At Floyd | least, they won't move to push down on the gas pedal. What's going on Floyd | here? They told you you had a choice; that you had some control over Floyd | what was happening! Floyd | Floyd | The further you go, the more convinced you're only getting yourself Floyd | more lost. If anything, the neighborhoods are getting worse. The Floyd | homeless are more and visible, and the buildings are more decrepit. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "I suppose z will work for this path." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | As your mind begins to wander, your attention to the road slips. It's Floyd | been so long since you've been able to just stop; to put all that's Floyd | happened and all you've done behind. The scars that are left won't fade Floyd | that easily. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | You withdraw even further into yourself and soon lose all track of time Floyd | and place. Wandering the ruin of your life and the wreckage of your Floyd | past, you find yourself lost in more than one way. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "hmm yeah" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | "Now..." Floyd | Floyd | A whisper calls you back, breaking your reverie. Your eyes focus again, Floyd | seeing through the window. Floyd | Floyd | "No..." Floyd | Floyd | It's all you can get out before the flash. Yet in that instant you see Floyd | the scene with perfect clarity: the curb, far too close, the front Floyd | wheels about to strike it. And there, a little further: the young woman Floyd | falling. She's still looking downward, still unaware of her impending Floyd | death. Floyd | Floyd | And then the flash, and time slows. The few seconds left before your Floyd | death stretch, lengthen, and twist about on themselves. It seems you Floyd | have a moment of reprieve ... but a single moment only. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "how appropriate" | |||
| inky says, "you wait like a cow" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | The car inches closer to the curb, striking it. You see the car dip, Floyd | sparks flashing out onto the pavement, yet you feel nothing. You are Floyd | detached, separated somehow. And still the girl sees nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | You rebound, sending the car into the air. Closer now, you see her Floyd | slowly lifting her head, about to realize the flying mass of metal that Floyd | will end her life. Beyond, on the curb, you can make out the figure you Floyd | saw in the tableau, eyes ablaze and mouth agape, attempting to scramble Floyd | to its feet. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | The car strikes the pavement with a resounding force, the tires Floyd | squealing as they touch ground. Your headlights strike the girl full in Floyd | the face, illuminating her in a blinding halo. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | The car continues its lurch forward, carried by its momentum. Both your Floyd | ends are a heartbeat away. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | It's too late. Tumbling out of control, the last thing you see is the Floyd | car's headlights inches in front of the young woman's face... Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Fleeting glimpses of faces half-remembered in the gloom. Screams, the Floyd | sound of squealing tires, a sudden thump, a sickening crunch and a Floyd | violent jolt, followed by a sense of weightlessness and disassociation. Floyd | The last thing you remember is an overwhelming feeling of guilt and Floyd | regret, forcing its way through the chaos that surrounds you and then Floyd | there is... Floyd | Floyd | Fearscape Floyd | A dark cliff overlooking an even darker landscape. Above, a full, Floyd | sullen moon hangs, half-hidden by a mass of dark clouds; below, jagged Floyd | rocks cover the bank of a black river which flows from a fount in the Floyd | hillside. You know this place instinctively, the image of it frozen in Floyd | some primal memory, hidden from view. You realize you've been here Floyd | before ... in your nightmares. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "wow, freaky" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x river" | ||||
Floyd | It's too hard to make out the river from here... Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x moon" | ||||
Floyd | The moonlight is the only source of illumination here, not a star hangs Floyd | in the sky. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "well, we have to go forward somehow." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x cliff" | ||||
Floyd | As you peer down the cliff-side, your heart begins to beat wildly. Floyd | You've always had a fear of heights, and you've had this nightmare many Floyd | times. You know there's no way to leave short of jumping ... yet you're Floyd | terrified to. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "climb down" | ||||
Floyd | I don't think much is to be achieved by that. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "ok then!" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "jump" | ||||
Floyd | Taking a deep breath and, closing your eyes, you attempt to overcome Floyd | your panic. Slowly, you step to where you know the cliff edge lies. Floyd | Standing straight, arms akimbo, you steady yourself and then hurl your Floyd | body forward with all your might. Floyd | Floyd | For the briefest of moments, you feel like you're floating, flying, but Floyd | then gravity asserts itself and you're tumbling out of control. You Floyd | force your eyes open against the driving wind and see the dark Floyd | landscape come rushing forward, the stones of the lake shore ready to Floyd | catch you and break your bones. Floyd | Floyd | You scream incoherently as you're about to hit... Floyd | Floyd | ...when a sudden upward rush of air slows your fall and gently leaves Floyd | you on the bank of the dark river. Floyd | Floyd | Cliff Bottom Floyd | The moon is brighter here, lighting the scene with an eerie, surreal Floyd | glow. From a fount in the hillside, a river of black, brackish liquid Floyd | flows, forming the source of a river which flows out into the distance. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "hunh" | |||
| DavidW says, "fun" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x river" | ||||
Floyd | The black, oily liquid flows sluggishly downward from the fount in the Floyd | cliff-side, spilling onto the ground and out into the distance. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "drink river" | ||||
Floyd | As your thrust your hands under the fount and the waters flow over Floyd | them, you are struck by how frigid it is. Then, in horror, you watch as Floyd | the waters begin reaching outwards, climbing over your arms and making Floyd | their way towards your face. Floyd | Floyd | You scream, attempting to wrest your way free, and as the foul material Floyd | continues its progress, you realize that the invasion is mental as well Floyd | as physical. You can feel the waters reaching deep into your mind, Floyd | freeing the dark counterparts they find there: fear, guilt, hate and Floyd | self-loathing. Floyd | Floyd | With a cry, you wrench yourself backwards, falling upon the soft river Floyd | bank. But the waters do not give up so easily, and the psychic pull Floyd | continues for a moment afterwards before releasing you. Left numb and Floyd | empty, you resolve never to touch the foul stuff again. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW asks, "Lethe, we hope?" | |||
| inky says, "that's what I thought but I'm not sure -- well, it's hard to tell" | ||||
| DavidW says, "guess not" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "look" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Cliff Bottom Floyd | The moon is brighter here, lighting the scene with an eerie, surreal Floyd | glow. From a fount in the hillside, a river of black, brackish liquid Floyd | flows, forming the source of a river which flows out into the distance. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| K-Y says (to Floyd), "score" | ||||
Floyd | You know yourself and your past. You have chosen the Path of Atropos, Floyd | and have taken two steps along it. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | You find yourself unable to leave this place. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | You find yourself unable to leave this place. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "cry" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x fount" | ||||
Floyd | The black, oily liquid flows sluggishly downward from the fount in the Floyd | cliff-side, spilling onto the ground and out into the distance. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "jump" | ||||
Floyd | That wouldn't accomplish anything. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "swim" | ||||
Floyd | There's not enough water to swim in. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "follow river" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x me" | ||||
Floyd | From what you can tell, you're as you've always been. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "drink water" | ||||
Floyd | You never want to touch that again for as long as you live. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "i" | ||||
Floyd | You are carrying nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "sleep" | ||||
Floyd | You aren't feeling especially drowsy. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "climb cliff" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x moon" | ||||
Floyd | The moon seems closer here than it did on the cliff top. Somehow, you Floyd | feel as if you could just reach out and touch it... Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "wake up" | ||||
Floyd | The dreadful truth is, this is not a dream. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "touch moon" | ||||
Floyd | Your hand tingles strangely as you pass it in front of your view of the Floyd | moon... Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW asks, "take moon?" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get moon" | ||||
Floyd | Feeling foolish, you raise your hands, trying to catch the moon between Floyd | them. You remember how, as a child, you used to think that if you stood Floyd | tall enough, you could catch it like a ball and hold it in your arms. Floyd | You strain further and further, reaching upwards ... and then you catch Floyd | hold. Gently, unbelieving, you pull the orb down from the now-darkened Floyd | skies. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "hunh" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x moon" | ||||
Floyd | The silvery orb glows brightly in your hands, a small but perfect Floyd | replica of the moon. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "moon moon" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "put moon in river" | ||||
Floyd | As you approach the river with the sphere, you notice it shining even Floyd | more brightly, even as the river begins to bubble and swirl. Gently, Floyd | carefully, you toss the moon onto the river's surface. It floats Floyd | serenely for a moment, then begins to sink into the mire. The waters Floyd | roil and twist about it, trying to pull it downwards, and for a moment Floyd | they appear to be succeeding. But then a shining beam of light flies Floyd | upwards, fighting against the current and eddies and the orb makes its Floyd | way to the surface again. Floyd | Floyd | As darkness and light continue their struggle, you notice streams of Floyd | ichor flying upwards from the river, swirling over the surface. A Floyd | hideous keening noise fills the air as these ghost shapes surround you, Floyd | flowing upwards and out, screaming into the night. Before you, between Floyd | you and the banks of the now violent flow, a swirling mass of darkness Floyd | forms itself into a cloaked figure. Standing forth, it speaks: Floyd | Floyd | The wraith laughs coldly. "So, we meet again!" Floyd | Floyd | "Three times have me met, mortal, and three times have you fled! Know Floyd | you the master of your Moira, know you the Spectre of your guilt!" The Floyd | creature throws back its hidden head and laughs, the sound chilling Floyd | your blood. Still laughing, it vanishes, and a Atropos of the Parcae Floyd | stands before you. Floyd | Floyd | "The circle is now complete, Timothy. You have acted rightly, and the Floyd | end of your journey along my Path draws near. Your Moira remains whole Floyd | and intact, and your destiny within its boundaries firmly set. The Floyd | crisis is past, disaster no longer looms near." Floyd | Floyd | She turns and looks towards the churning waters. As she does so, the Floyd | orb's light fades, and the black waters rise. Sinking from sight, the Floyd | now-dead moon vanishes, and the waters are quiet, still and dark. Floyd | Floyd | "Some places should stay hidden in darkness, Timothy," she whispers. Floyd | "Illumination is not always a good thing." Floyd | Floyd | Atropos turns back to you. "The final step has been taken, Timothy. The Floyd | Tapestry is finished, your Moira secure. The time has come to leave Floyd | this place of indecision, mortal, and face whatever destiny lies before Floyd | you. I wish you well." Floyd | Floyd | The whirling threads appear, and tear you from where you stand into Floyd | their heaving embrace... Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Fleeting glimpses of faces half-remembered in the gloom. Screams, the Floyd | sound of squealing tires, a sudden thump, a sickening crunch and a Floyd | violent jolt, followed by a sense of weightlessness and disassociation. Floyd | The last thing you remember is an overwhelming feeling of guilt and Floyd | regret, forcing its way through the chaos that surrounds you and then Floyd | there is... Floyd | Floyd | Nothing Floyd | Your sight fails you. For that matter, you don't know if your eyes are Floyd | opened or closed. Concepts like time and place have no meaning here. Floyd | Your mind attempts to impose something, some order, some structure, Floyd | upon the space in which you exist, and fails. There is only the void. Floyd | For all you know, that is all there ever was. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "This is an excellent game, by the way." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Yes" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "It holds up extremely well, too." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "listen" | ||||
Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "l" | ||||
Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | No, wait. There is ... something, moving in the darkness. It dances at Floyd | the edge of your new-found vision, teasing you. Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to continue] | ||||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | No, you were wrong... Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to continue] | ||||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | E P I L O G U E Floyd | _____________________________________ Floyd | Floyd | T H E P A T H O F A T R O P O S Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to begin.] | ||||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Timothy Hunter was born, he lived, he died. Floyd | Floyd | This was only natural, being mortal. The life he led was probably most Floyd | unusual in its normalcy; his childhood so much so as to be mundane. Floyd | Neither praised nor reviled, neither a leader nor an outcast, he was Floyd | simply another face in the crowd. He went to school, he studied, he did Floyd | well enough to get by. After graduation he found a job he was good at Floyd | and paid well enough. He bought a little house and lived there, a Floyd | bother to no one, and the days just flowed one into the other... Floyd | Floyd | In fact, the first event of any importance in his life was the death of Floyd | his mother. Floyd | Floyd | She had been ill for quite a while, and during this time, Timothy was Floyd | under a great deal of stress. His small, comfortable world fell apart Floyd | around him as he realized that something had ended; an innocent part of Floyd | his life where he had thought she would always be with him was over. Floyd | Floyd | The Thompson account had totally slipped his mind, and he had been Floyd | frantically trying to finish it when he heard the news that she was Floyd | dying. An hour they gave her at the most. Faced with the agonizing Floyd | choice of being with her in her final moments on this earth, or helping Floyd | the Thompson from losing everything they had, he chose to go to City Floyd | Hall to get the papers that were necessary signed. Floyd | Floyd | His frantic attempt to arrive at the Hospital afterwards was too late, Floyd | and he never forgave himself for that. Ever afterward, he imagined his Floyd | mother slowly dying in that horrible white room, the worst part of her Floyd | death knowing that her son had abandoned her. Floyd | Floyd | The funeral was too much for Timothy. Faced with the tremendous guilt Floyd | at betraying his mother, he fled the service, forever missing the Floyd | chance to see his mother's face one last time. Floyd | Floyd | The time after his mother's death was a lonely one for Timothy, perhaps Floyd | because, for the first time, he realized he was truly alone. Then, he Floyd | met Sarah, and everything changed. She was so loving, so full of life, Floyd | so willing to drag him from the small, empty world he had built for Floyd | himself. They complemented each other so well: her spontaneity to his Floyd | structure, her boundless energy to his complacency. Their whirlwind Floyd | romance caught him totally unawares, and when she accepted his proposal Floyd | of marriage, he thought himself the happiest man on earth. Floyd | Floyd | Truly, their first five years together were the happiest time of his Floyd | life. The experience of having his life so intricately tied to another Floyd | was exhiliarating; he built his entire existence around her. Floyd | Floyd | Which is why her falling ill struck him so hard. Floyd | Floyd | It was agonizing for Timothy to see her wasting away. "Apentrylic Floyd | Syndrome" they called it, a metabolic disorder carried in a recessive Floyd | gene. There wasn't a cure, they told him, and they didn't think she'd Floyd | last more than a year. Floyd | Floyd | They were wrong. For five years, Timothy watched his wife slowly Floyd | rotting away from the inside. Her energy faded, her strength tapped Floyd | away. The woman who had filled his life with motion and vitality now Floyd | could barely lift her head to take the countless pills the doctors Floyd | prescribed. But she never complained, she never once told him how much Floyd | pain she was in, how tired she was. But Timothy knew just the same. Floyd | Floyd | After five years, it seemed as though it would never end. Not wishing Floyd | to see her suffer further, not understanding why she had to continue Floyd | such an agonized existence, he tried his best to help her. Putting her Floyd | to sleep, he smothered her, praying that her death had been peaceful Floyd | and painless. There was never any investigation of her death, the Floyd | report said she died in her sleep. Floyd | Floyd | Ironically, on the day Sarah died, her doctor announced that a new Floyd | treatment program was to be instituted that would test an experimental Floyd | drug touted as the cure for Apentrylic Syndrome. Timothy, still Floyd | suffering from the guilt he felt for killing Sarah, was overwhelmed. It Floyd | didn't matter that the doctor told him she wouldn't have been let into Floyd | the program anyway, he knew he should have found a way to do it. The Floyd | guilt of what he had done never left him, and ate away at him with an Floyd | intensity mirroring the Syndrome from which his wife suffered for so Floyd | long. Floyd | Floyd | The time after Sarah's death was much like it had been before his Floyd | mother's; his life mundane, his existence centered around his work. But Floyd | Timothy's experiences and the guilt he felt for his actions irrevocably Floyd | changed him. He was no longer the same man. Haunted and ill at ease, he Floyd | slept less and less, and found himself driving the streets at night in Floyd | attempt to escape something not even he could put a name to. Floyd | Floyd | The night he died he had been driving for hours in a trance-like state, Floyd | hardly aware of the world around him. When the young girl came flailing Floyd | into the middle of the street, it was too late. Timothy had already Floyd | been dead years before. Floyd | Floyd | It turned out that the young woman had been arguing with her boyfriend, Floyd | and in a struggle, had half been was pushed, half pushed herself into Floyd | the road. If Timothy had survived the accident, that knowledge would Floyd | have meant nothing to him. He probably would have blamed himself Floyd | anyway... Floyd | Floyd | Timothy Hunter was born, he lived, he died. To say anything more would Floyd | be futile speculation. Floyd | | inky says, "we got that "no, you were wrong" thing the previous time also" | |||
| inky says, "I'm not sure if it'll show up again on the third or be different" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | *** You have completed the Tapestry *** Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Congratulations. You have completed the story of TAPESTRY. You have Floyd | chosen the Path of Atropos, and have followed it to its conclusion. Floyd | Floyd | TAPESTRY contains three mutually-exclusive endings. If you wish, you Floyd | can play again, choose a different Path, and see how your actions Floyd | effect the outcome. Floyd | Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, read some AMUSING Floyd | information or QUIT? Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "RESTORE" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "cf8" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to load: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "score" | ||||
Floyd | You know yourself and your past. You have chosen the Path of Clotho, Floyd | and have taken a single step along it. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "ok! back here for the wrapup" | |||
| DavidW says, "yup" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "touch second" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly the rumbling returns, and the threads throw you into their Floyd | heaving embrace. After a time they leave you gasping on another strange Floyd | and distant shore... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | The living room of your small home has changed little since your Floyd | bachelor days, although Sarah's being here has altered it in some small Floyd | ways. She keeps saying how the place needs more of "a woman's touch," Floyd | but for all her talk, her work kept her too busy to do much, and now Floyd | ... well, she can't do much at all. To the south lies your office, and Floyd | to the west is the bedroom. The doorway to the north leads outside to Floyd | the driveway. Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| Jaybird arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. | inky says, "I'm just going to kill her again and look in the drawer, unless someone has a better idea" | |||
| Limax says (to inky), "You anticipated that pretty well" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get photo" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Your bedroom has been one of the few areas where Sarah's influence has Floyd | been at work. You felt the presence of her long after she had gone, and Floyd | a few months after her death put it back the way it had been. A door to Floyd | the east leads back to the den and to the south is the bathroom. Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | Jacqueline says (to inky), "Sounds good." | |||
| Jaybird says, "Sorry for coming in late. Just listening in so to speak." | ||||
| DavidW says, "I suspect we can't skip the newspaper this time." | ||||
| Allen says, "geeze, you're pretty blase about this killing" | ||||
| inky says, "oh, hmm" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Driveway Floyd | The driveway you stand in is somewhat useless, as neither you nor Sarah Floyd | own a car. Still, it's nice to get out of the house for a moment. The Floyd | gloom that seems to have settled over the house since Sarah's falling Floyd | ill is lessened slightly here. You can almost fool yourself into Floyd | thinking she's well again. The entrance to the house lies to the south. Floyd | Floyd | You can see today's newspaper here. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says (to Allen), "well, it gets easier after the first couple" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get newspaper" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "read newspaper" | ||||
Floyd | Nothing new ... a riot at the downtown picket lines yesterday, national Floyd | tension over the budget settlements, yet another war breaking out Floyd | somewhere abroad... You've lost track of the world outside for a long Floyd | time now. The whole thing seems like some far-away dream. Floyd | Floyd | You're about to fold the paper back up when a familiar name catches Floyd | your eye... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | MERCY HOSPITAL TO BEGIN EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT PROGRAM Floyd | Floyd | Yesterday in a press conference, Dr. Robert Albero announced that Mercy Floyd | Hospital has been chosen to head a newly implemented experimental Floyd | program for the possible treatment of Apentrylic Syndrome. The Floyd | program's main component is phenylhydroxythiol (Phenotol), a drug newly Floyd | developed at Ciba-Gigey Laboratories with government funding. Dr. Floyd | Albero will head the experiment that will give pre-selected groups the Floyd | treatment over a period of six weeks to gauge its effectiveness on Floyd | human subjects. Floyd | Floyd | The drug has been shown to successfully combat the disease in Floyd | laboratory animals, and, if the current experiments are successful, Dr. Floyd | Albero hopes to see FDA approval for distribution by as early as next Floyd | year. Subjects for the experiment have been chosen with specific Floyd | criteria used to test the treatment's effectiveness on humans of Floyd | varying characteristics such as sex and age. Several groups will be Floyd | tested, with certain groups given placebos as a control. Floyd | Floyd | However, not all of Dr. Albero's associates are as optimistic about the Floyd | results. "There's absolutely no reason to assume the treatment will be Floyd | as effective on humans as it has been on laboratory animals," said one Floyd | who asked to remain anonymous. "He's putting it totally out of Floyd | proportion to say that it'll be approved by next year. I'd be surprised Floyd | if it's available within the next five. There still remains an Floyd | extensive amount of research to be done." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Den Floyd | Floyd | Off to one side, built into the wall, is a small fireplace. Floyd | Floyd | A strange new addition to the room is the small tapestry hanging on the Floyd | eastern wall. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get photo" | ||||
Floyd | You already have that. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bathroom Floyd | This small bathroom lies to the south of your bedroom. Ever since Sarah Floyd | fell ill, it's been a storehouse of false hopes. Every miracle the Floyd | doctors said might have helped, every drug that might have eased her Floyd | pain has been kept here. And each and every one did nothing. Floyd | Floyd | Over the sink is a small, mirrored medicine cabinet. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open sink" | ||||
Floyd | That's not something you can open. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open cabinet. get bottle" | ||||
Floyd | You open the medicine cabinet, revealing a small bottle of pills. Floyd | Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get glass. turn on tap. fill glass" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | Water begins flowing from the tap into the sink. Floyd | Floyd | You carefully fill the glass with water and then shut off the tap. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Bedroom Floyd | Floyd | Somehow, in this strange world of the past, Sarah still lives. She's Floyd | lying, half asleep, in bed. Floyd | Floyd | Beside the bed is a small endtable. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "show paper to sarah" | ||||
Floyd | You're about to tell Sarah about the experiment, but then think better Floyd | of it. What's the point of depressing her? She'll never get in it. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "hm" | |||
| Allen says, "just give her the pills and water" | ||||
| inky says, "it would be funny to tell her about the experiment, then kill her" | ||||
| DavidW says, "okay" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "give pills to sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Sarah looks up at you and smiles. Floyd | Floyd | "Aww ... how sweet, my knight in shining armor come to take me to Floyd | dreamland?" You help her up and she swallows the pills with a sip of Floyd | water. She takes hold of your hand. You see her lower lip trembling Floyd | slightly. "Thank you Timmy," she whispers, "for everything." Floyd | Floyd | She lies back down and closes her eyes, but she still has trouble Floyd | falling asleep. God, you wish she could sleep forever, away from the Floyd | sickness and the pain. Floyd | Floyd | > | Allen says, "man" | |||
| DavidW says, "Lake story" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "show photo to sarah" | ||||
Floyd | "Oh Timmy. We had so much fun up there, didn't we? 'The Sweet Floyd | Audrina.'" She laughs. God, we we almost drowned, didn't we?" You Floyd | laugh with her for a moment, then you both fall silent. She takes your Floyd | hand. "We had some pretty good times, didn't we? Tell me a story, Floyd | Timmy." she says, "tell me about the lake. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "tell sarah about lake" | ||||
Floyd | You tell Sarah the story, embellishing what really happened. That Floyd | always made her laugh, the way you used to exaggerate everything until Floyd | it became bigger than life. She smiles, remembering. Floyd | Floyd | "Oh, we had so much fun, didn't we?" She yawns, then pats your hand. Floyd | "I think I've had enough excitement for one day, I'm going to take a Floyd | nap, ok?" You nod, and tuck her in as her breathing becomes slow and Floyd | regular. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open drawer" | ||||
Floyd | Worry about the drawer later. You have more important things to do now. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get pillow" | ||||
Floyd | Taken. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "smother sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Clutching the pillow, you consider it. It would be so simple. She would Floyd | die in her sleep, painless, quiet. And she'd be free of it forever. Floyd | Your hands tremble as you think of it... Floyd | Floyd | Gently, tenderly, you stroke her cheek and kiss her forehead. Then, you Floyd | silently place the pillow over her face and wait. Nothing happens for a Floyd | few moments, then Sarah's breathing suddenly becomes irregular. For a Floyd | brief moment you're seized with panic. You want to take the pillow Floyd | away, make her breathe again. Floyd | Floyd | You bite your lip painfully and take a deep breath. Sarah's breathing Floyd | is still irregular. She gasps once, and then her breathing slows. Floyd | Slower and slower the breaths come, until, at last they stop Floyd | altogether. Floyd | Floyd | You gently remove the pillow. Her eyes are closed and her face is, for Floyd | the first time since the illness, peaceful. Your vision blurs as tears Floyd | fill your eyes and you collapse, crying unashamedly. You go on and on, Floyd | all the pain and sorrow of what has happened pouring out of you. After Floyd | what seems an eternity, you recover enough to stand again. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "open drawer" | ||||
Floyd | A cold gust of wind arises from nowhere and your hand is violently Floyd | forced back from the endtable. The wind rises in intensity and a Floyd | swirling smoke begins to rise from the ground. A dark writing cloud Floyd | forms before you and from it a cloaked figure emerges. Its face lost in Floyd | the swirling mists behind its hood, the figure speaks: Floyd | Floyd | The wraith laughs coldly. "So, we meet again!" Floyd | Floyd | "And again, you dare to defy me? I shall destroy you, fool!" Floyd | Floyd | "Admit defeat, Timothy! Admit that you never loved her!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "no" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "Liar! Admit that she never loved you!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "no" | ||||
Floyd | "You dare to still say this be love after her murder?! How can you? Floyd | Tell me of her, this one you murdered!" Floyd | Floyd | "Tell me of Sarah!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about lake" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "Tell me of Sarah!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about sarah" | ||||
Floyd | Mortally afraid and shaking, you nonetheless face the Wraith. You tell Floyd | it of Sarah's sickness, of her suffering. You explain that you wished Floyd | to free her from all of it, that she herself found living impossible. Floyd | You tell the Spectre that your act was one of love. Floyd | Floyd | "You LIE! You cannot prove you were even ONCE happy together!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about lake" | ||||
Floyd | "Proof, fool! Your words are not enough!" Floyd | Floyd | "You LIE! You cannot prove you were even ONCE happy together!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "show photo to wraith" | ||||
Floyd | The Wraith listens, a silent judge, as you tell him of your marriage. Floyd | Of the happy times you had together, of the story of the lake, and how Floyd | happy Sarah was then, and how happy she was when you shared it with her Floyd | now. Floyd | Floyd | There is no response... Floyd | Floyd | As suddenly as it appeared, the Wraith vanishes,and in its place stands Floyd | Clotho of the Parcae. Floyd | Floyd | "Well done, Timothy! Once again, you have faced your fears and been Floyd | victorious!" Floyd | Floyd | Clotho turns from you and approaches the endtable. Silently, she opens Floyd | the drawer within it, rather anticlimactically revealing a small, Floyd | folded note. She retrieves it and hands it to you. You see that it Floyd | bears your name written on the front in Sarah's hand. Floyd | Floyd | It reads: Floyd | Floyd | My Dearest Timothy, Floyd | Floyd | If you are reading this then either I have taken my own life, or Floyd | you have helped me to. In either case, there are things I wish you to Floyd | understand. Please do not think me selfish, my love, to do this. The Floyd | pain we have both suffered is needless and my choice was to relieve us Floyd | both of it. [9]If you have helped me to do this, then I know you have Floyd | done so out of love. Do not let guilt get in the way of your knowing Floyd | this, for I go to a better place, where I know someday you will join Floyd | me. I will always love you, dearest, as I know you love me. Floyd | Floyd | Yours always, Floyd | Sarah Floyd | Floyd | You stand there, silent for a moment. You don't remember ever reading Floyd | this note. Maybe your facing the Wraith changed something. Floyd | Floyd | Clotho nods, as if reading your thoughts. "Yes, Timothy. While you have Floyd | followed your choices for the most part, your Moira has, in fact, been Floyd | changed. Your confrontation with your guilt has allowed you to see the Floyd | truth. To see that Sarah was in pain and she wanted you to do this." Floyd | Floyd | "And so, you have taken the second path along your altered Moira. The Floyd | threads of your Destiny are changing Timothy ... do not falter now. Be Floyd | brave, for the final step you do not take alone." Floyd | Floyd | The whirling threads appear, and tear you from where you stand into Floyd | their heaving embrace. They leave you, gasping, back in the Tower... Floyd | | ||||
| Fang says (to Floyd), "stfu u" | inky asks, "wait, her note has a footnote?" | |||
| Allen asks, "what is the [9]?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "huh" | ||||
| Fang pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Ruined Tower Floyd | The Ivory Tower, where you started this strange adventure, now lies in Floyd | ruins. Its walls lie scorched about you, the roof rent to the open sky. Floyd | The stars, in their impassive brilliance, illuminate the devastation Floyd | below. Over the Tower's remains you catch glimpses of the fires below, Floyd | trees smoldering in the darkness. Floyd | Floyd | The Tapestry seems to have survived the Tower's destruction intact. Floyd | Floyd | > | Allen says, "my choice was to relieve us both of it[citation needed]." | |||
| Allen says (to Floyd), "footnote 9" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "ha ha" | |||
| inky says, "it's possible this is a display issue caused by playing with floyd and not a regular interpreter" | ||||
| peccable says, "I'm not sure what it is." | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "cf9" | ||||
Floyd | Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "well, we finally saw inside the drawer." | |||
| K-Y says, "could be a paragraph break" | ||||
| peccable exclaims, "Congrats!" | ||||
| inky says, "I'm not actually sure what to do in the third one" | ||||
| inky says, "but I guess we will work it out" | ||||
| olethros says, "I was mildly disappointed that it did not contain fetish porn" | ||||
| DavidW says, "Bet the moon helps to destroy the river." | ||||
| inky says, "I think I originally ended up turning the wheel and braking" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "touch third" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly the rumbling returns, and the threads throw you into their Floyd | heaving embrace. After a time they leave you gasping on another strange Floyd | and distant shore... Floyd | | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | olethros says, "honk" | |||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | You turn the corner with a sigh, glancing at the street sign in a Floyd | feeble, half-hearted attempt to figure out where you are. You've left Floyd | the old familiar neighborhood far behind you tonight, as you have Floyd | almost every night. Each outing seems to take you a little further, to Floyd | an area a little stranger and more dangerous. Floyd | Floyd | Tonight, you didn't even bother giving yourself an excuse. Before, it Floyd | had been that you had somewhere to go, something to do. Not tonight. Floyd | Some indeterminate time ago, you stumbled out of the house, stuck the Floyd | key in the ignition, and just started driving. Floyd | Floyd | The sharp honk of a nearby car breaks your musings. You glance upward Floyd | to see a pair of girls, jump ropes under their arms, pigtails flying Floyd | behind them, run across the street, right in front of your car... Floyd | Floyd | Time slows as you slam down on your brakes. For a moment, you don't Floyd | think you'll make it, but with a squeal of the tires, your old Dodge Floyd | manages to grind to a halt in time. The girls make it across, laughing Floyd | all the while, unaware of how close death has come. Floyd | Floyd | Your Car Floyd | The old hunk of junk has served you pretty well in the past few years. Floyd | You could probably afford something better, but why bother? It runs, Floyd | it gets you to work and back. What more could you want? What more do Floyd | you need? Floyd | Floyd | The buildings outside seem mostly tenements, their residents escaping Floyd | the sweltering evening by sitting outside on the stone porches, the Floyd | sidewalks. The girls continue on their way, and soon enter a tenement. Floyd | Floyd | With a sigh a relief, you step on the gas and continue on your way. Floyd | Floyd | > | dhakajack asks, "try the emergency break ?" | |||
| inky says, "oh, hmm" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | The further you go, the more convinced you're only getting yourself Floyd | more lost. If anything, the neighborhoods are getting worse. The Floyd | homeless are more and visible, and the buildings are more decrepit. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | As your mind begins to wander, your attention to the road slips. It's Floyd | been so long since you've been able to just stop; to put all that's Floyd | happened and all you've done behind. The scars that are left won't fade Floyd | that easily. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | You withdraw even further into yourself and soon lose all track of time Floyd | and place. Wandering the ruin of your life and the wreckage of your Floyd | past, you find yourself lost in more than one way. Floyd | Floyd | > | olethros says, "there is an emergency brake? next to the flaps, no doubt" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | Time passes. Floyd | Floyd | "Now..." Floyd | Floyd | A whisper calls you back, breaking your reverie. Your eyes focus again, Floyd | seeing through the window. Floyd | Floyd | "No..." Floyd | Floyd | It's all you can get out before the flash. Yet in that instant you see Floyd | the scene with perfect clarity: the curb, far too close, the front Floyd | wheels about to strike it. And there, a little further: the young woman Floyd | falling. She's still looking downward, still unaware of her impending Floyd | death. Floyd | Floyd | And then the flash, and time slows. The few seconds left before your Floyd | death stretch, lengthen, and twist about on themselves. It seems you Floyd | have a moment of reprieve ... but a single moment only. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "pull parking brake" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "pull emergency brake" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW asks, "try to stop?" | |||
| Allen says (to Floyd), "turn on radio" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| K-Y says (to Floyd), "honk" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "push brake" | ||||
Floyd | It's too late now. Stepping on the brakes would only prolong the Floyd | inevitable, and possibly only succeed in flipping the car completely Floyd | over. Floyd | Floyd | The car inches closer to the curb, striking it. You see the car dip, Floyd | sparks flashing out onto the pavement, yet you feel nothing. You are Floyd | detached, separated somehow. And still the girl sees nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | dhakajack says, "turn on the radio" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "yell" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| olethros says (to Floyd), "push horn" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW asks, "can we turn the wheel?" | |||
| DaveC says, "kiss ass goodbye" | ||||
| dhakajack asks, "push in the cigarette lighter?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Try moving our hand wildly side to side while mentally begging her to notice us and get out of the way." | ||||
| olethros says (to Floyd), "turn wheel" | ||||
Floyd | Morningstar's laughter echoes about you. Floyd | Floyd | "I am afraid not, my friend. You were foolish enough not to take my Floyd | offer and that is one choice you must live with." Floyd | Floyd | You rebound, sending the car into the air. Closer now, you see her Floyd | slowly lifting her head, about to realize the flying mass of metal that Floyd | will end her life. Beyond, on the curb, you can make out the figure you Floyd | saw in the tableau, eyes ablaze and mouth agape, attempting to scramble Floyd | to its feet. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push gas" | ||||
Floyd | Stepping on the gas now would accomplish nothing more than hitting that Floyd | poor girl even harder. Floyd | Floyd | The car strikes the pavement with a resounding force, the tires Floyd | squealing as they touch ground. Your headlights strike the girl full in Floyd | the face, illuminating her in a blinding halo. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "ah" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push brake" | ||||
Floyd | It's too late now. Stepping on the brakes would only prolong the Floyd | inevitable, and possibly only succeed in flipping the car completely Floyd | over. Floyd | Floyd | The car continues its lurch forward, carried by its momentum. Both your Floyd | ends are a heartbeat away. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push gas" | ||||
Floyd | Stepping on the gas now would accomplish nothing more than hitting that Floyd | poor girl even harder. Floyd | Floyd | It's too late. Tumbling out of control, the last thing you see is the Floyd | car's headlights inches in front of the young woman's face... Floyd | | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "pray" | ||||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Fleeting glimpses of faces half-remembered in the gloom. Screams, the Floyd | sound of squealing tires, a sudden thump, a sickening crunch and a Floyd | violent jolt, followed by a sense of weightlessness and disassociation. Floyd | The last thing you remember is an overwhelming feeling of guilt and Floyd | regret, forcing its way through the chaos that surrounds you and then Floyd | there is... Floyd | Floyd | Fearscape Floyd | A dark cliff overlooking an even darker landscape. Above, a full, Floyd | sullen moon hangs, half-hidden by a mass of dark clouds; below, jagged Floyd | rocks cover the bank of a black river which flows from a fount in the Floyd | hillside. You know this place instinctively, the image of it frozen in Floyd | some primal memory, hidden from view. You realize you've been here Floyd | before ... in your nightmares. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x moon" | ||||
Floyd | The moonlight is the only source of illumination here, not a star hangs Floyd | in the sky. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x clouds" | ||||
Floyd | The moonlight is the only source of illumination here, not a star hangs Floyd | in the sky. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x rocks" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "wake up" | ||||
Floyd | The dreadful truth is, this is not a dream. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "jump" | ||||
Floyd | Taking a deep breath and, closing your eyes, you attempt to overcome Floyd | your panic. Slowly, you step to where you know the cliff edge lies. Floyd | Standing straight, arms akimbo, you steady yourself and then hurl your Floyd | body forward with all your might. Floyd | Floyd | For the briefest of moments, you feel like you're floating, flying, but Floyd | then gravity asserts itself and you're tumbling out of control. You Floyd | force your eyes open against the driving wind and see the dark Floyd | landscape come rushing forward, the stones of the lake shore ready to Floyd | catch you and break your bones. Floyd | Floyd | You scream incoherently as you're about to hit... Floyd | Floyd | ...when a sudden upward rush of air slows your fall and gently leaves Floyd | you on the bank of the dark river. Floyd | Floyd | Cliff Bottom Floyd | The moon is brighter here, lighting the scene with an eerie, surreal Floyd | glow. From a fount in the hillside, a river of black, brackish liquid Floyd | flows, forming the source of a river which flows out into the distance. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x river" | ||||
Floyd | The black, oily liquid flows sluggishly downward from the fount in the Floyd | cliff-side, spilling onto the ground and out into the distance. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "touch it" | ||||
Floyd | As your thrust your hands under the fount and the waters flow over Floyd | them, you are struck by how frigid it is. Then, in horror, you watch as Floyd | the waters begin reaching outwards, climbing over your arms and making Floyd | their way towards your face. Floyd | Floyd | You scream, attempting to wrest your way free, and as the foul material Floyd | continues its progress, you realize that the invasion is mental as well Floyd | as physical. You can feel the waters reaching deep into your mind, Floyd | freeing the dark counterparts they find there: fear, guilt, hate and Floyd | self-loathing. Floyd | Floyd | With a cry, you wrench yourself backwards, falling upon the soft river Floyd | bank. But the waters do not give up so easily, and the psychic pull Floyd | continues for a moment afterwards before releasing you. Left numb and Floyd | empty, you resolve never to touch the foul stuff again. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x moon" | ||||
Floyd | The moon seems closer here than it did on the cliff top. Somehow, you Floyd | feel as if you could just reach out and touch it... Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "take it" | ||||
Floyd | Feeling foolish, you raise your hands, trying to catch the moon between Floyd | them. You remember how, as a child, you used to think that if you stood Floyd | tall enough, you could catch it like a ball and hold it in your arms. Floyd | You strain further and further, reaching upwards ... and then you catch Floyd | hold. Gently, unbelieving, you pull the orb down from the now-darkened Floyd | skies. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x it" | ||||
Floyd | The silvery orb glows brightly in your hands, a small but perfect Floyd | replica of the moon. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "rub it" | ||||
Floyd | You achieve nothing by this. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "put moon in river" | ||||
Floyd | As you approach the river with the sphere, you notice it shining even Floyd | more brightly, even as the river begins to bubble and swirl. Gently, Floyd | carefully, you toss the moon onto the river's surface. It floats Floyd | serenely for a moment, then begins to sink into the mire. The waters Floyd | roil and twist about it, trying to pull it downwards, and for a moment Floyd | they appear to be succeeding. But then a shining beam of light flies Floyd | upwards, fighting against the current and eddies and the orb makes its Floyd | way to the surface again. Floyd | Floyd | As darkness and light continue their struggle, you notice streams of Floyd | ichor flying upwards from the river, swirling over the surface. A Floyd | hideous keening noise fills the air as these ghost shapes surround you, Floyd | flowing upwards and out, screaming into the night. Before you, between Floyd | you and the banks of the now violent flow, a swirling mass of darkness Floyd | forms itself into a cloaked figure. Standing forth, it speaks: Floyd | Floyd | The wraith laughs coldly. "So, we meet again!" Floyd | Floyd | "And it shall be for the FINAL time! You shall not escape me so Floyd | easily!" Floyd | Floyd | "MURDERER! So you kill again! Slaughtering an innocent in cold Floyd | blood!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about accident" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "MURDERER! So you kill again! Slaughtering an innocent in cold Floyd | blood!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "no" | ||||
Floyd | "How say you so?! Not murder?!" Floyd | Floyd | "How do you explain away your action?!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "accident" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about car" | ||||
Floyd | "An accident? HA! You killed that poor child in your haste to flee! Floyd | You butchered in your panicked flight from the guilt of your evil!" Floyd | Floyd | "You are a fool and a coward!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about figure" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "You are a fool and a coward!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about girl" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "You are a fool and a coward!" Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "hrm" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about brake" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "You are a fool and a coward!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about brakes" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | "You are a fool and a coward!" Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "no" | ||||
Floyd | "Liar! What bravery have you shown?!" Floyd | Floyd | "What adversary have YOU stood against!?" Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "I wonder if we were supposed to look at the girl or the figure" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "you" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "tell wraith about wraith" | ||||
Floyd | The wraith stands silent as you shout that you have have bravery enough Floyd | to stand against it and the fear and guilt you have felt. Then, as Floyd | suddenly as it appeared, the Wraith vanishes, and in its place stands Floyd | Clotho of the Parcae. Floyd | Floyd | "You have done it!" she cries, her face and eyes bright with tears. "Oh Floyd | Timothy, you have defeated the Wraith, the guilt and darkness within Floyd | yourself, the embodiment of all you feared ... " Floyd | Floyd | She turns and faces the battling forces behind her. As you both watch, Floyd | the glow from the orb slowly begins to increase in intensity, flooding Floyd | the buckling waters with shafts of brilliant light. Wailing in pain and Floyd | defeat, the blackness begins to subside, and the river begin to Floyd | brighten. In moments, there is nothing left of the foul substance, and Floyd | the waters flowing outward from the font are crystal-clear. Floyd | Floyd | Approaching the edge of the bank, Clotho reaches out and grasps the orb Floyd | in both hands. With a sly smile, she places it in her robes, where it Floyd | vanishes between the folds. Floyd | Floyd | "Come Timothy," she says as she motions you towards the fount. "Come Floyd | drink..." Floyd | Floyd | The water is cold as it passes your lips and after drinking deeply, you Floyd | find the water quenching a deep thirst you never knew you had. As you Floyd | continue, gulping draught after draught, you find your mind opening, Floyd | the light of the illuminating water brightening some hidden darkness Floyd | deep within you. As you stand and turn back to Clotho, you reach an Floyd | epiphany: that the guilt you felt for the accident was unwarranted. Floyd | Certainly, you should have paid more attention, but that would not have Floyd | saved the girl. Attention or not, her sudden appearance in the middle Floyd | of the road is what caught you by surprise. Floyd | Floyd | Clotho nods. "Yes Timothy, the light you have drawn down from the skies Floyd | has illuminated the the secrets you have kept from yourself. Well Floyd | done." Floyd | Floyd | "The final step has been taken, Timothy. The Tapestry is finished, your Floyd | Moira secure. The fear and guilt of your past you have faced bravely, Floyd | and perhaps this fate you have woven for yourself is better then the Floyd | one We originally wove for you. The time has come to leave this place Floyd | of indecision, mortal, and face whatever destiny lies before you. I Floyd | wish you well." Floyd | Floyd | The whirling threads appear, and tear you from where you stand into Floyd | their heaving embrace... Floyd | | ||||
| Limax walks slowly out of the room and into the sunset. | DavidW says, "oh, so Sandman #50, that orb in robes bit." | |||
| DaveC says, "That's a text dump and a half" | ||||
| DavidW says, "I actually have that on a t-shirt." | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Fleeting glimpses of faces half-remembered in the gloom. Screams, the Floyd | sound of squealing tires, a sudden thump, a sickening crunch and a Floyd | violent jolt, followed by a sense of weightlessness and disassociation. Floyd | The last thing you remember is an overwhelming feeling of guilt and Floyd | regret, forcing its way through the chaos that surrounds you and then Floyd | there is... Floyd | Floyd | Nothing Floyd | Your sight fails you. For that matter, you don't know if your eyes are Floyd | opened or closed. Concepts like time and place have no meaning here. Floyd | Your mind attempts to impose something, some order, some structure, Floyd | upon the space in which you exist, and fails. There is only the void. Floyd | For all you know, that is all there ever was. Floyd | Floyd | > | Allen asks, "what happens if you chose 3 different paths?" | |||
| DaveC says (to Allen), "they each say that once a path is started it can not be deviated from." | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "I'm not sure you can, can you?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Like, this last time, we - right" | ||||
| DavidW says, "The Fates and Morningstar prevent you." | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "l" | ||||
Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | No, wait. There is ... something, moving in the darkness. It dances at Floyd | the edge of your new-found vision, teasing you. Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to continue] | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | No, you were wrong... Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to continue] | inky says, "hmm, so all three times we thought we saw nothing and there was nothing" | |||
| DaveC pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | E P I L O G U E Floyd | ___________________________________ Floyd | Floyd | T H E P A T H O F C L O T H O Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to begin.] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Timothy Hunter was born, he lived, he died. Floyd | Floyd | This was only natural, being mortal. The life he led was probably most Floyd | unusual in its normalcy; his childhood so much so as to be mundane. Floyd | Neither praised nor reviled, neither a leader nor an outcast, he was Floyd | simply another face in the crowd. He went to school, he studied, he did Floyd | well enough to get by. After graduation he found a job he was good at Floyd | and paid well enough. He bought a little house and lived there, a Floyd | bother to no one, and the days just flowed one into the other... Floyd | Floyd | In fact, the first event of any importance in his life was the death of Floyd | his mother. Floyd | Floyd | She had been ill for quite a while, and during this time, Timothy was Floyd | under a great deal of stress. His small, comfortable world fell apart Floyd | around him as he realized that something had ended; an innocent part of Floyd | his life where he had thought she would always be with him was over. Floyd | Floyd | The Thompson account had totally slipped his mind, and he had been Floyd | frantically trying to finish it when he heard the news that she was Floyd | dying. An hour they gave her at the most. Faced with the agonizing Floyd | choice of being with her in her final moments on this earth, or helping Floyd | the Thompson's from losing everything they had, he chose to go to City Floyd | Hall to get the papers that were necessary signed. Floyd | Floyd | As quickly as he could, he rushed to his mother's side, only to realize Floyd | it was to late. The guilt and self-loathing he felt for what he thought Floyd | to be abandoning her were terrible. It took him a long time to realize Floyd | that it was probably what his mother would have wanted him to do. He Floyd | had stayed with her as much as he could when she was alive, had checked Floyd | up on her at every opportunity, and the Thompsons had a great deal more Floyd | to lose than she. He was very glad that he had a last opportunity to Floyd | say farewell to her at the funeral. He knew she understood. Floyd | Floyd | The time after his mother's death was a lonely one for Timothy, perhaps Floyd | because, for the first time, he realized he was truly alone. Then, he Floyd | met Sarah, and everything changed. She was so loving, so full of life, Floyd | so willing to drag him from the small, empty world he had built for Floyd | himself. They complemented each other so well: her spontaneity to his Floyd | structure, her boundless energy to his complacency. Their whirlwind Floyd | romance caught him totally unawares, and when she accepted his proposal Floyd | of marriage, he thought himself the happiest man on earth. Floyd | Floyd | Truly, their first five years together were the happiest time of his Floyd | life. The experience of having his life so intricately tied to another Floyd | was exhiliarating; he built his entire existence around her. Floyd | Floyd | Which is why her falling ill struck him so hard. Floyd | Floyd | It was agonizing for Timothy to see her wasting away. "Apentrylic Floyd | Syndrome" they called it, a metabolic disorder carried in a recessive Floyd | gene. There wasn't a cure, they told him, and they didn't think she'd Floyd | last more than a year. Floyd | Floyd | They were wrong. For five years, Timothy watched his wife slowly Floyd | rotting away from the inside. Her energy faded, her strength tapped Floyd | away. The woman who had filled his life with motion and vitality now Floyd | could barely lift her head to take the countless pills the doctors Floyd | prescribed. But she never complained, she never once told him how much Floyd | pain she was in, how tired she was. But Timothy knew just the same. Floyd | Floyd | After five years, it seemed as though it would never end. Not wishing Floyd | to see her suffer further, not understanding why she had to continue Floyd | such an agonized existence, he tried his best to help her. Putting her Floyd | to sleep, he smothered her, praying that her death had been peaceful Floyd | and painless. There was never any investigation of her death, the Floyd | report said she died in her sleep. Floyd | Floyd | The guilt of Sarah's death on his hands was horrible for Timothy, Floyd | especially in the face of a possible cure. Facing his fears and his | inky says, "I am not sure what proves" | |||
Floyd | guilt, Timothy forced himself to face his wife's suffering, to realize Floyd | that he had helped her in the best way he knew how, and that he hoped Floyd | she would understand why he had done it. When he found a final note Floyd | among Sarah's possessions, he knew she had. Floyd | Floyd | The time after Sarah's death was much like it had been before his Floyd | mother's; his life mundane, his existence centered around his work. But Floyd | Timothy's experiences irrevocably changed him; he was no longer the Floyd | same man. Timothy thought a great deal of his life, of what he'd seen Floyd | and what he had done. It seemed so unfair that bad things happened Floyd | again and again to good people. Some nights he would go driving, trying Floyd | to ease his mind, trying to find an answer to a question he couldn't Floyd | formulate. Floyd | Floyd | The night he died he had been driving for hours, hardly aware of the Floyd | world around him. When the young girl came flailing into the middle of Floyd | the street, it was too late to stop in time. Both of them were killed Floyd | instantly. Floyd | Floyd | It turned out that the young woman had been arguing with her boyfriend, Floyd | and in a struggle, had half been pushed, half pushed herself into the Floyd | road. Floyd | Floyd | Timothy Hunter was born, he lived, he died. To say anything more would Floyd | be futile speculation. Floyd | | DavidW says, "It's all Nothing at the End." | |||
| inky says, "I guess so" | ||||
| DavidW says, "neat game" | ||||
| DaveC says, "I'd like to suggest that some of you visit [LINK] and add your rating their; possibly even write a review (there are currently none). Thank you." | ||||
| DavidW says, "I suppose the panels can be done out of order, and only changes what the confrontation details with the Wraith is like." | ||||
| peccable says, "That's right." | ||||
| DavidW says, "very clever" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to DaveC), "Nice venue for promoting IFDB." | ||||
| (from Jacqueline) DaveC says, "Okay, none of you have any excuse. You just played this, played through ever possible outcome, now get off your butts and rate this!" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "heehee" | ||||
| DavidW says, "heh" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Press SPACE to continue...] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | *** You have completed the Tapestry *** Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Congratulations. You have completed the story of TAPESTRY. You have Floyd | chosen the Path of Clotho, and have followed it to its conclusion. Floyd | Floyd | TAPESTRY contains three mutually-exclusive endings. If you wish, you Floyd | can play again, choose a different Path, and see how your actions Floyd | effect the outcome. Floyd | Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, read some AMUSING Floyd | information or QUIT? Floyd | > | DavidW says, "hm. The pendant, though." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "amusing" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | First, I would like to thank the following people for their invaluable Floyd | help: Floyd | Floyd | Timothy "Hunter" Evanson -- for being there at the story's Floyd | conception. Floyd | It wouldn't be half the game it became without him. Floyd | Sabrina "Stinky" Ravipinto -- for love, support, and MORE patience Floyd | than any human being could possibly require. Floyd | Steph "Psych-o" Barnett -- for story ideas and all that important Floyd | rat-training info. Floyd | David "Astro" Walton -- for nitpicking above and beyond the call Floyd | of duty. Floyd | David "OG" Learn -- for makin' Astro's nitpickin' look like Floyd | nothin'. Floyd | Allison "Squeaky" Tumarkin -- for writing something even odder Floyd | than Floyd | TAPESTRY. Floyd | Niki "Willow" Hinson -- for smartening up the parser by whining Floyd | that Floyd | it was stupid. Floyd | Andy "The Boy" Olson -- for a million-and-one Bible references. Floyd | Audra "Oh I Had A Little Chicken" Senato -- for alpha-testing and Floyd | backup-singing. Floyd | Mike "Milk" Shultz -- for fitting me into his ever-busy schedule. Floyd | Erika "Erika" Stoll -- for putting up with my eccentricities long Floyd | enough to beta-test. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | A BIG thank you to the IF Competition Betatesters: Floyd | Floyd | Michael "The Legend" Kinyon -- Simply the best tester I've ever Floyd | had the Floyd | pleasure to work with. Period. Floyd | "V. BALAVAGE" -- for great comments and a ton of information for Floyd | my NEXT game. Floyd | Also thanks to Charles Carr and Jarrod Henry. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | This game was an attempt to see if a serious and interesting story Floyd | could be merged with traditional IF 'puzzle' elements without one Floyd | overshadowing the other. Also, I attempted to tackle a few of the Floyd | issues that have been discussed recently on r.a.i-f, including Floyd | mutually-exclusive paths, a pre-defined main character, moral dilemmas, Floyd | 'puzzle-less' IF, and semi-realistic NPCs. Floyd | Floyd | I hope that I've come close to achieving my goals and have entertained Floyd | you in the process. I would love to hear any and all comments or Floyd | constructive criticism you may have. My current e-mail address can be Floyd | found by using the 'AUTHOR' command. Floyd | Floyd | Thanks! -d Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, read some AMUSING Floyd | information or QUIT? Floyd | > | Jacqueline says, "Well, I'd played this before, and liked it. I cried last time I played, but I only played one thread, for some reason never going back to try the other ways." | |||
| inky says, "whoops" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "And now I think that I hadn't played the best path the first time." | ||||
| DavidW asks, "Why would the boyfriend or doctor have the pendent?" | ||||
| inky asks (of peccable), "do you want to show us the easter egg at the beginning?" | ||||
| inky says, "well, morningstar = satan, right" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "maga and I were just discussing this, and he said the entire game was meant to be morally ambiguous, but I don't feel it was." | ||||
| DavidW asks, "Easter egg?" | ||||
| peccable says, "That's the easter-egg, Inky." | ||||
| peccable says, "Try referring to Morningstar as 'Lucifer'." | ||||
| inky says, "so I think it is reasonable to think he was arranging events to, I dunno, make you sad or something" | ||||
| inky says, "oh, heh" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "restart" | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | T A P E S T R Y Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to begin.] | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Fleeting glimpses of faces half-remembered in the gloom. Screams, the Floyd | sound of squealing tires, a sudden thump, a sickening crunch and a Floyd | violent jolt followed by a sense of weightlessness and disassociation. Floyd | The last thing you remember is an overwhelming feeling of guilt and Floyd | regret, forcing its way through the chaos that surrounds you and then Floyd | there is... Floyd | Floyd | Nothing Floyd | Your sight fails you. For that matter, you don't know if your eyes are Floyd | opened or closed. Concepts like time and place have no meaning here. Floyd | Your mind attempts to impose something, some order, some structure, Floyd | upon the space in which you exist, and fails. There is only the void. Floyd | For all you know, that is all there ever was. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | There is only Nothing. Floyd | Floyd | No, wait. There is ... something, moving in the darkness. It dances at Floyd | the edge of your new-found vision, teasing you. You turn your head Floyd | toward the shape, when your neck suddenly gives out and your head lolls Floyd | backward. Blinding pain explodes from the back of your head. Floyd | Floyd | Your eyes flutter open... Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to continue] | inky says, "oh!" | |||
| inky says, "ok, I'd forgotten about this message here" | ||||
| inky says, "this is why the later bits said you thought you see something but then there's nothing" | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | P R O L O G U E Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | [Please press SPACE to continue.] | ||||
| inky pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | White Room Floyd | A small room, with circular walls and a floor of pale white stone. Floyd | There are no apparent exits, other than a small slit of a window off to Floyd | one side. Floyd | Floyd | An angelic-looking young man looks upon you with concern. Floyd | Floyd | Along the far wall opposite the window hangs a tapestry. Floyd | Floyd | The young man smiles. Floyd | Floyd | "Ah, you are all right. You had me worried, my friend," he says. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x man" | ||||
Floyd | A face almost harsh in its perfection, with crystal-clear blue eyes Floyd | half-covered by a flowing mane of gold. He wears a gown of white, about Floyd | his neck is a silver pendant, and in his left hand he carries the long Floyd | graceful curve of an ivory torch. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "ask man about man" | ||||
Floyd | "I fear I cannot help you with that, my friend." Floyd | Floyd | The young man's smile suddenly fades and he sighs. Floyd | Floyd | "There is much we must speak of my friend," he says. He turns and Floyd | points at the tapestry. "And there are choices which must be made." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x tapestry" | ||||
Floyd | A large, intricately woven tapestry which depicts three tableaus on Floyd | three different panels. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x torch" | ||||
Floyd | A torch made of pure ivory, with three silver rings up its length. Floyd | Floyd | "But here, I have not even introduced myself. Forgive me," he says, Floyd | bowing with a flourish. "I am ... Morningstar." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x first" | ||||
Floyd | Upon the first panel is a scene of an elderly woman in a hospital, with Floyd | a doctor looking sadly down upon her. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x lucifer" | ||||
Floyd | A voice in your ear remarks, "So educated." Floyd | Floyd | Morningstar looks away from you for a moment. Floyd | Floyd | "Know now, mortal, that your life is over. You no longer are counted Floyd | among the living, but you are not yet among the dead. Know thyself, Floyd | Timothy Hunter, and know that because of your actions in life and what Floyd | has just happened at the moment of your death, the fate of your soul is Floyd | in doubt." Floyd | Floyd | > | inky says, "ha ha" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x satan" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | peccable says, "I'm a fan of Trinity. What can I say." | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x samhain" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "x samuel" | ||||
Floyd | You can't see any such thing. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "perhaps I'm misremembering." | |||
| DaveC says, "Does anyone else remember SNL's church lady? I heard her just now." | ||||
| DavidW asks, "Samael?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to DaveC), "heh" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "take pendant" | ||||
Floyd | Morningstar watches you reaching out for the pendant in shock. Just as Floyd | you are about to take it, he grasps your hand in an iron grip. Floyd | Floyd | "What are you doing?" he whispers. He stares at the pendant for a Floyd | moment, his face blank. Floyd | Floyd | "You can see this?" he whispers to you. You can only no dumbly. He Floyd | suddenly recovers himself. Floyd | Floyd | "It is unimportant, Timothy. Pay attention to matters of more import." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "pickpocket pendant" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "break pendant" | ||||
Floyd | And what would that accomplish? Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "steal pendant" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| dhakajack says (to Floyd), "eat pendant" | ||||
Floyd | (first taking the Morningstar's silver pendant) Floyd | "I told you that was unimportant, mortal," Morningstar growls. "Leave Floyd | it be." Floyd | Floyd | > | ||||
| DaveC says (to Floyd), "purloin pendant" | ||||
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognise. Floyd | Floyd | > | DavidW says, "hm. I'd like to get something to eat. Unless there's a brillant thing we can do re: the pendants, I think we're done." | |||
| Jacqueline asks (of peccable), "Anything we can do with the pendants?" | ||||
| peccable says, "Nope. They're a hint about how accurate Morningstar may be, but nothing more." | ||||
| Jacqueline nods. | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "This has been great." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Thank you so much for taking the time to set up an account and come visit us today, Daniel." | ||||
| dhakajack says, "Thanks for an excellent game, peccable. Very nicely written." | ||||
| DavidW says (to peccable), "Thanks for writing this and visiting today." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Yes, great story, great work." | ||||
| peccable says, "Thanks. Like I said, it's been a very interesting experience looking over something I wrote what feels like so long ago. :)" | ||||
| inky says, "yeah, definitely" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to peccable), "Glad you enjoyed your visit." | ||||
| inky says, "ok, awesome" | ||||
| inky has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge. | ||||
| K-Y has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge. | Jacqueline says, "As long as people are still here, what do we want to play next week/" | |||
| Jacqueline asks, "er, ?" | ||||
| inky says, "oh yeah" | ||||
| inky arrives, full of fun and funk. | Jacqueline says (to peccable), "I'll post a transcript later today, should you ever want to revisit it." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "And I can send you a raw copy rather than the fancier HTML one if you'd like. Just let me know." | ||||
| peccable says, "Either would be fine, thank you! :)" | ||||
| peccable asks, "I'm curious: does anybody have any thoughts?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, I just posted a review at IFDB. heh" | ||||
| Bert has disconnected. | ||||
| Bert goes home. | inky says, "well, I like how it plays with the convention of being able to go back and fix your mistakes" | |||
| DavidW says, "I liked the economy of furnishings. Very little extra baggage to weigh things down." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, as I was saying earlier and then the conversation took a different path, my husband and I were discussing how the game and he said the paths were meant to be 'morally ambiguous,' and I'm interested in others' thoughts on that." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I didn't think it was all that ambigous, but maybe that's just me.'" | ||||
| Jaybird asks, "Am I missing something important, or was Tapestry the first game where you could take different paths through the story, seeing and doing different things, and so on?" | ||||
| DavidW says, "well, it seemed ambiguous in that, one choice wasn't clearly better than another." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to DavidW), "Not at the outset, no. But in retrospect, I think it was." | ||||
| inky says, "I dunno" | ||||
| inky says, "I think -- yeah" | ||||
| inky says, "I think the summary at the end is written in a morally neutral fashion but it's still obvious that the last one was preferred" | ||||
| Jaybird says, "I played it before. That's what I saw. If you made a different choice, it seemed to always have a negative side to it." | ||||
| inky says, "I mean, it's actually interesting that the one where you get your wife treatment for her disease is not the best path" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm not sure if it was the first to explore multiple paths, though some of the verbiage in the metatext suggests that might be the case." | ||||
| peccable says, "It's usually held up as an example of such -- it's certainly one of the earlier ones." | ||||
| Jacqueline nods. | ||||
| Jaybird says, "Just a funny bit, don't take it seriously. But of course the best choice for the first situation is to go see your mother before she dies, then cast Golmac, then go help the people with their account. Of course that choice isn't offered." | ||||
| inky asks, "next up, how would the count of monte cristo have been different with rezrov?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "snrk" | ||||
| inky says, "anyway, for next time, I dunno" | ||||
| inky asks, "are there people who haven't played 69,105 keys?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, I have an idea." | ||||
| inky says, "we could pair that with another shortish one" | ||||
| inky asks, "oh?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I always think of this game as very similar to Photograph." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Maybe it would be interesting to compare the two." | ||||
| inky says, "hmm, that's an interesting comparison" | ||||
| inky says, "ok, let's do iut" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Then again, perhaps two downers in two successive weeks will up the traffic on #angst" | ||||
| inky says, "ha ha" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "But yeah, if people are okay with that, I'd kind of like to play Photograph while this one's still kind of fresh in my head." | ||||
| DavidW says, "Photograph is fine, although I have played that one before." | ||||
| Jaybird says (to Jacqueline), "You need to update the dates and times on the suggestions list" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Next week, folks, just to remind you, we'll meet on Saturday, an hour later than today." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Jaybird), "Timing. Yes." | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "I'll do that now and remove Tapestry from the list. Anyone want me to add anything?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to inky), "I'll add 69,105 keys..." | ||||
| Jaybird says, "Already there" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh right, I added that last week." | ||||
| DaveC says (to Jacqueline), "How about Snack Time or Make it Good? I don't know if they'd fit in a CF session as I haven't played them yet." | ||||
| inky says, "we just played snack time a week or two ago" | ||||
| DaveC says, "Oh, sorry then." | ||||
| DavidW says, "yeah, we did Snack Time" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "We played Snacktime." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "And Make it Good... yeah, I'll add it, but I suspect that's not a two hour game." | ||||
| DaveC says, "It'd be nice if IFDB had a way to keep track of the CF suggestions and filter them based on predicted attendance ..." | ||||
| peccable says, "I've got to run, but thank you again for inviting me! It was a lot of fun. :)" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Glad you enjoyed it." | ||||
| peccable grins. | ||||
| inky has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge. | Jacqueline says, "Slouching is on our To Play list, so perhaps we'll see you again." | |||
| DavidW has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge. | peccable says, "Sure!" | |||
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