Floyd | Welcome to the Cheap Glk Implementation, library version 0.9.0.
Floyd |
Floyd | tadsr - A text-only TADS 2.5.10 Interpreter.
Floyd | Copyright (c) 1993, 2006 by Michael J. Roberts.
Floyd |
Floyd | Perdition's Flames -- Copyright 1993, 2002 Michael J. Roberts
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | *** You have died. ***
Floyd |
Floyd |    All is dark and quiet.  There is no sensation, no time.  Your mind
Floyd | floats peacefully in a void.  You perceive nothing, you feel nothing,
Floyd | you think nothing.  Sleep without dreams.
Floyd |
Floyd |    All is hazy and gray.  Sensation is vague and indistinct.  Your mind
Floyd | is sluggish, sleepy.  You see gray shapes in a gray fog; you hear
Floyd | distant, muffled sounds.  You think, but your thoughts are fleeting,
Floyd | disconnected, momentary flashes of light in a dark night.  Time is
Floyd | still frames separated by eons of nothing, brief awakenings in a long
Floyd | sleep.
Floyd |
Floyd |    All is clear and sharp.  Sensation crystalizes from a fog.  You see,
Floyd | you hear, you feel.  Your mind awakens; you become aware of a place,
Floyd | and a time.
Floyd |
Floyd |    You are on a boat.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Perdition's Flames
Floyd | TADS Interactive Fiction
Floyd | By Michael J. Roberts
Floyd |
Floyd | Version 1.01/Release 020203
Floyd | Copyright (c) 1993, 2002 by Michael J. Roberts.  All Rights Reserved.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |            Hell is paved with good intentions.
Floyd |               -- Fortune cookie
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Boat, on seat J-33
Floyd |    You're in the main passenger compartment of a large luxury yacht.
Floyd | Your seat, J-33, is a large, plush seat next to a window that occupies
Floyd | most of the wall.  The boat is about half-filled with people of various
Floyd | ages and races, most dressed in casual clothes.  A stairway leads up,
Floyd | and another compartment lies to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You are empty-handed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You look about the same as always.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's quite dark outside, but a red glow on the horizon provides enough
Floyd | light to see that the boat is traveling rapidly down a wide river.  You
Floyd | can't make out any detail on the banks.  The waters of the river are
Floyd | dark and still below a thin film of mist, which the boat seems barely
Floyd | to upset.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You're not going anywhere until you get out of seat J-33.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Okay, you're no longer on seat J-33.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a large, plush seat, labeled J-33.  It's a window seat.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing under seat J-33.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Bar
Floyd |    You're in the yacht's wet bar.  The only exit is north, back into
Floyd | the main cabin.
Floyd |    A bartender is here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | He's a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "talk".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "The captain knows more about it than I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "There's not much to tell, really."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "The drinks are all free.  Beer, liquor -- we have a wide selection."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "order".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "Right away!"  He gets out a large mug and fills it with beer from the
Floyd | tap.  He hands you the glass.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You have a mug of beer.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You look about the same as always.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You drink the mug of beer all at once.  It's very good.  You notice a
Floyd | slight alcoholic buzz, but it clears fairly quickly.  After you finish,
Floyd | the glass vanishes into thin air.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "destination".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "I kind of like it here."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "You probably know as much as I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "You can't go ask him yourself.  He's happy to talk to passengers."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Boat
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Deck
Floyd |    You're on the deck of the yacht.  You have a clearer view of the
Floyd | river and the shores from here.  The river is very wide; the shores are
Floyd | rocky and desolate, with only a few short, leafless, twisted plants
Floyd | growing along the riverbank.  The sky is densely clouded, but not dark;
Floyd | the clouds reflect the red glow that seems to come from the horizon in
Floyd | all directions.  It strikes you that it is exceedingly quiet; you hear
Floyd | no noise from the boat's engines, and even the boat's rapid slicing
Floyd | through the still waters seems to make no sound.  It is so quiet that
Floyd | you hear only your own breathing -- you realize that it's surprising
Floyd | that you're breathing at all, given that you're dead.  A stairway leads
Floyd | down, and a doorway leads east.
Floyd |    You see a printed note here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Perdition's Flames
Floyd | TADS Interactive Fiction
Floyd | By Michael J. Roberts
Floyd |
Floyd | Version 1.01/Release 020203
Floyd | Copyright (c) 1993, 2002 by Michael J. Roberts.  All Rights Reserved.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | This game is freeware.  You may use and copy it free of charge, subject
Floyd | to certain restrictions.  Please see the included readme file for
Floyd | details.
Floyd |
Floyd | This game was implemented with TADS, the Text Adventure Development
Floyd | System, also available from High Energy Software.  TADS is a tool that
Floyd | lets you write your own adventure games using a high-level C-like
Floyd | object-oriented language.  TADS is available as freeware, so you can
Floyd | probably obtain a copy from the same place you obtained this game.
Floyd |
Floyd | The source code to this game is available, and, like the game, is free.
Floyd | If you're a TADS programmer, you may be interested in getting a copy as
Floyd | an example of a full-scale game.
Floyd |
Floyd | If you need instructions for playing this game, type INSTRUCTIONS at
Floyd | the > prompt.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Control Room
Floyd |    You're in the boat's control room.  A large window looks out onto
Floyd | the river. A doorway leads west, back out onto the deck.
Floyd |    The boat's pilot is here, operating the controls.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The boat's pilot is here, operating the controls.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "This is a very nice boat, don't you think?  We used to use a small
Floyd | rowboat, but lots of people complained that the passage to the
Floyd | afterlife should be a little nicer.  Besides, with more people dying
Floyd | these days, it was getting crowded."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "I was a programmer before I got here.  But there's not much need for
Floyd | programming skills here, so I do this instead."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The boat's pilot is here, operating the controls.
Floyd |
Floyd |    The captain starts fiddling with the controls.  "We're there," he
Floyd | says.  Outside, you can see a pier come into view on the western bank;
Floyd | the captain guides the boat silently alongside the pier and brings it
Floyd | to a halt.  As the boat comes to rest against the pier, a gangway
Floyd | extends toward the boat, and settles on the deck.
Floyd |    "Attention, passengers," the captain says into a microphone.  "We
Floyd | have arrived.  You may disembark at your leisure."  You see a few
Floyd | passengers start to disembark.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "There's not much to tell about it."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "The drinks at the bar are free.  Help yourself!  Just ask the
Floyd | bartender for a beer, liquor, what have you.  But let me know if you
Floyd | see any of those Infernolab guys down there -- they always come running
Floyd | when they hear there's an open bar somewhere."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "They're just a bunch of drunkards, if you ask me."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "They're just a bunch of drunkards, if you ask me."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "It's a little strange at first, but you'll get used to it."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "There's not much to tell about it."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "name".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "It's a little strange at first, but you'll get used to it."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "charon".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Deck
Floyd |    You see a printed note here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Pier
Floyd |    You're on a large, brightly-lit pier.  The pier is obviously quite
Floyd | new; it's constructed from steel, and the walkway has a rubbery surface
Floyd | and attractive wooden handrails to make it safer.  The large white
Floyd | yacht which brought you here is docked alongside; a gangway leads east
Floyd | onto the boat's deck.  To the north lies the entrance to a large
Floyd | one-story brick building.  The building has the look of a high school
Floyd | or a post office -- that sort of simple, utilitarian style of a
Floyd | government building.
Floyd |    You see a rope here.
Floyd |
Floyd | [Your score just went up.  If you don't want to be notified of score
Floyd | changes like this in the future, just type NOTIFY.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't understand that sentence.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You will no longer be notified of score changes.  If you change your
Floyd | mind and want to be notified again, just type NOTIFY again.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You will now be notified of score changes.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a thick rope, about ten feet long, for securing boats at the pier.
Floyd | One end of the rope is tied into a loop, so it can be slipped over
Floyd | posts on the pier.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "slip".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "post".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know how to climb the rope.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You have a printed note and a rope.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The building has the look of a high school or a post office -- that
Floyd | sort of simple, utilitarian style of a government building.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Briefing Room
Floyd |    This is a large room with a high ceiling, brightly illuminated with
Floyd | fluorescent lights.  Most of your fellow passengers are here, sitting

Floyd | in folding chairs facing a podium; many empty chairs are available.  An
Floyd | exit leads to the south, and another passage leads north.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | (the folding chair)
Floyd | As you sit down, a middle-aged woman enters the room and walks to the
Floyd | podium.  "Good afternoon, everyone," she says, addressing the assembled
Floyd | group of passengers.  "Welcome to the afterlife.  I'm here to help you
Floyd | get started, give you basic information about the underworld, and
Floyd | answer any questions you have.
Floyd |    "Let me start by saying that we're very glad to have you here.  Just
Floyd | take your time getting acquainted with your surroundings.  There's no
Floyd | hurry -- you're going to be here for a long time!"  She chuckles and
Floyd | smiles.  "Seriously, though, I think you'll find that being dead isn't
Floyd | very hard once you find your way around.
Floyd |    "Now, once you've had a chance to explore for a while, you'll
Floyd | probably want to find a job.  There are many very interesting positions
Floyd | available, and we'll be happy to help you find something that's right
Floyd | for you.
Floyd |    "I'm sure you all have many questions, so don't be shy.  Who's
Floyd | first?"
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the front of the room raises her hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | front," the woman says, pointing to her.
Floyd |    "Is this heaven or hell?"  she asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "You know what they say -- if you have to ask
Floyd | --" she chuckles.  "It is technically hell, although that's such a
Floyd | loaded word that we don't like to use it.  Most ideas people have about
Floyd | hell are very outdated.  Ever since the deregulation of the afterlife
Floyd | industry, we've had to compete with Heaven for eternal souls -- because
Floyd | you're free to switch to Heaven at any time.  So, we've been
Floyd | modernizing!  There really isn't much eternal torment these days, for
Floyd | example.  And, thanks to the Environmental Clean-up Superfund, we have
Floyd | the brimstone problem mostly under control at this point."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "job".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Try as you might, you can't seem to attract her attention -- someone
Floyd | always gets in with a question first.
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone in the middle of the room raises her hand.  "Yes, you in the
Floyd | middle," the woman says, pointing to her.
Floyd |    "Can I go back to earth as a ghost and haunt people?"  she asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "No, unfortunately not.  However, our top
Floyd | scientists are working on this problem, and the latest reports indicate
Floyd | that it may be possible in the near future.  Those of you with
Floyd | scientific backgrounds, in particular those of you who went to Caltech
Floyd | and really understand what makes a good prank, may want to look into
Floyd | joining the project."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the right of the room raises her hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | right," the woman says, pointing to her.
Floyd |    "I was wondering, where is the famous 'All hope abandon, ye who
Floyd | enter here' sign?  I want to get some pictures with it."  she asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "Actually, the sign said 'Lasciate ogni
Floyd | speranza, voi ch'entrate,' and I'm afraid it's been taken down.  People
Floyd | found it too depressing.  But there are several very nice vista points
Floyd | that you can find in the tour book."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the left of the room raises his hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | left," the woman says, pointing to him.
Floyd |    "Which circle of hell are we doomed to?"  he asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "We abolished the circle system shortly after
Floyd | the middle ages after the 'separate and unequal' principle was ruled
Floyd | illegal.  You're free to go wherever you'd like -- even up to Heaven."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the rear of the room raises her hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | rear," the woman says, pointing to her.
Floyd |    "Why did I end up here?  What did I do wrong?"  she asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "Really, you must shed your outdated notions of
Floyd | hell.  You don't have to do anything wrong to end up here.  New souls
Floyd | are randomly assigned to Heaven or Hell based on the last four digits
Floyd | of your Celestial Security Number.  The Heaven-Hell border was opened a
Floyd | long time ago, though, so your initial assignment is not permanent."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the right of the room raises his hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | right," the woman says, pointing to him.
Floyd |    "You said we can go to Heaven.  How do we get there?"  he asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "The easiest way is to use the HadesCorp Space
Floyd | Needle.  It's impossible to miss -- it's the tallest free-standing
Floyd | structure in hell.  The view from the elevator is fantastic."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Perdition's Flames
Floyd | TADS Interactive Fiction
Floyd | By Michael J. Roberts
Floyd |
Floyd | Version 1.01/Release 020203
Floyd | Copyright (c) 1993, 2002 by Michael J. Roberts.  All Rights Reserved.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Game design and implementation:  Mike Roberts.
Floyd | Testing:  Roger Dominick, John Eras, Jeff Laing, Steve McAdams, Bob
Floyd | Newell, Trevor Powell, Lon Thomas.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the left of the room raises her hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | left," the woman says, pointing to her.
Floyd |    "You mentioned jobs.  What if I don't want to work?"  she asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "That's up to you.  Dead people have no material
Floyd | needs.  And, unlike in real life, you'll find that you won't need to
Floyd | eat or sleep every forty or fifty turns, which is a real convenience.
Floyd | However, most people like to feel useful, and derive a sense of purpose
Floyd | from their employment here."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone in the middle of the room raises his hand.  "Yes, you in the
Floyd | middle," the woman says, pointing to him.
Floyd |    "I used to work as a lobbyist.  Are similar positions available
Floyd | here?"  he asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "Absolutely!  However, you may find that there
Floyd | are quite a few lobbyists in Hell, which will probably not surprise
Floyd | anyone.  Incidentally, anyone interested in public affairs should tune
Floyd | in to H-SPAN, which broadcasts programs that cover a wide array of
Floyd | current events.  I believe the station number is 319."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the rear of the room raises his hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | rear," the woman says, pointing to him.
Floyd |    "I'm a very rich individual and I refuse to be treated in this
Floyd | manner.  I've made charitable contributions all my life, and we've
Floyd | never beaten the help -- not when they didn't deserve it, anyway, the
Floyd | lazy bastards.  This is an outrage!  You can be sure you will be
Floyd | hearing from my lawyer!  What do you have to say for yourself?"  he
Floyd | asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "I'm sure you have a very good case.  However,
Floyd | I'm afraid that the legal system in Hell is based on the United States
Floyd | judicial system.  So, as you must know, the courts are so overloaded
Floyd | with frivolous lawsuits that legitimate claims, such as yours
Floyd | undoubtedly is, cannot be accepted.  Any lawsuit found to have merit is
Floyd | immediately and summarily dismissed.  There are some very good personal
Floyd | injury lawyers that you might wish to contact, though."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the front of the room raises his hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | front," the woman says, pointing to him.
Floyd |    "I used to drive nitro-burning ground-pounding six-second funny
Floyd | cars.  Is there any chance that I'll be able to shake hands with the
Floyd | devil while I scream through the gates of Hell?"  he asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "I'm afraid that, due to the volume of new
Floyd | immigrants, the devil is unable to personally greet each new arrival."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Briefing Room, on the folding chair
Floyd |    This is a large room with a high ceiling, brightly illuminated with
Floyd | fluorescent lights.  Most of your fellow passengers are here, sitting
Floyd | in folding chairs facing a podium; many empty chairs are available.  An
Floyd | exit leads to the south, and another passage leads north.
Floyd |    A woman is here.
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the front of the room raises his hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | front," the woman says, pointing to him.
Floyd |    "Is this heaven or hell?"  he asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "You know what they say -- if you have to ask
Floyd | --" she chuckles.  "It is technically hell, although that's such a
Floyd | loaded word that we don't like to use it.  Most ideas people have about
Floyd | hell are very outdated.  Ever since the deregulation of the afterlife
Floyd | industry, we've had to compete with Heaven for eternal souls -- because
Floyd | you're free to switch to Heaven at any time.  So, we've been
Floyd | modernizing!  There really isn't much eternal torment these days, for
Floyd | example.  And, thanks to the Environmental Clean-up Superfund, we have
Floyd | the brimstone problem mostly under control at this point."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Briefing Room, on the folding chair
Floyd |    This is a large room with a high ceiling, brightly illuminated with
Floyd | fluorescent lights.  Most of your fellow passengers are here, sitting
Floyd | in folding chairs facing a podium; many empty chairs are available.  An
Floyd | exit leads to the south, and another passage leads north.
Floyd |    A woman is here.
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the left of the room raises her hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | left," the woman says, pointing to her.
Floyd |    "Can I go back to earth as a ghost and haunt people?"  she asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "No, unfortunately not.  However, our top
Floyd | scientists are working on this problem, and the latest reports indicate
Floyd | that it may be possible in the near future.  Those of you with
Floyd | scientific backgrounds, in particular those of you who went to Caltech
Floyd | and really understand what makes a good prank, may want to look into
Floyd | joining the project."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the rear of the room raises her hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | rear," the woman says, pointing to her.
Floyd |    "I was wondering, where is the famous 'All hope abandon, ye who
Floyd | enter here' sign?  I want to get some pictures with it."  she asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "Actually, the sign said 'Lasciate ogni
Floyd | speranza, voi ch'entrate,' and I'm afraid it's been taken down.  People
Floyd | found it too depressing.  But there are several very nice vista points
Floyd | that you can find in the tour book."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Okay, you're no longer on the folding chair.
Floyd |
Floyd |    Someone at the right of the room raises her hand.  "Yes, you at the
Floyd | right," the woman says, pointing to her.
Floyd |    "Which circle of hell are we doomed to?"  she asks.
Floyd |    The woman responds, "We abolished the circle system shortly after
Floyd | the middle ages after the 'separate and unequal' principle was ruled
Floyd | illegal.  You're free to go wherever you'd like -- even up to Heaven."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Courtyard
Floyd |    You're in a large courtyard surrounded by buildings.  To the south
Floyd | is the Immigration Building, to the east is the Department of Motor
Floyd | Vehicles, and to the west is a Celestial Security office.  An archway
Floyd | leads out of the courtyard to the north.  In the center of the
Floyd | courtyard is a vending machine.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It looks similar to a soft-drink vending machine, but it's labeled
Floyd | "Space Needle Tickets".  It has a slot labeled "20 Hellmids", and a
Floyd | small receptacle.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing in the small receptacle.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Courtyard
Floyd |    You're in a large courtyard surrounded by buildings.  To the south
Floyd | is the Immigration Building, to the east is the Department of Motor
Floyd | Vehicles, and to the west is a Celestial Security office.  An archway
Floyd | leads out of the courtyard to the north.  In the center of the
Floyd | courtyard is a vending machine.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Department of Motor Vehicles
Floyd |    You're in a very large, very drab room.  In the center of the room
Floyd | is a long counter that runs the length of the room.  As is typical of
Floyd | such facilities, there is a customer at almost every window, and
Floyd | practically no employees to be seen behind the counter.  In fact, the
Floyd | only employee in sight is standing at a window with no customers,
Floyd | looking bored.  The exit is to the west.
Floyd |    A DMV official is here.
Floyd |
Floyd | You walk over to the window where the employee is standing.
Floyd |
Floyd | The DMV employee says, "Let's see your appointment card.  Service is by
Floyd | appointment only."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | She's a middle-aged woman.  She looks profoundly disinterested in being
Floyd | here.
Floyd |
Floyd | The DMV employee says, "Let's see your appointment card.  Service is by
Floyd | appointment only."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "It's against policy to answer questions."
Floyd |
Floyd | The DMV employee says, "Let's see your appointment card.  Service is by
Floyd | appointment only."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "It's against policy to answer questions."
Floyd |
Floyd | The DMV employee says, "Let's see your appointment card.  Service is by
Floyd | appointment only."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You have a printed note and a rope.
Floyd |
Floyd | The DMV employee says, "Let's see your appointment card.  Service is by
Floyd | appointment only."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Courtyard
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Celestial Security Office
Floyd |    You're in the Celestial Security Office.  At one end of the room is
Floyd | a counter, and next to the counter is a wastebasket that's full of
Floyd | crumpled up paper.  The exit is to the east, and a door behind the
Floyd | counter leads west.
Floyd |    Behind the counter is a middle-aged man dressed in a light blue
Floyd | Celestial Security Administration uniform.  You're relieved to see that
Floyd | there's only one person in line.  You were afraid that the line would
Floyd | be longer, with so many new people arriving at the same time you did,
Floyd | but this will obviously take no time.
Floyd |    The Celestial Security officer notices you enter, and looks up at
Floyd | you.  "I'll be right with you, after I finish with this applicant," he
Floyd | says.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Celestial Security officer asks the young woman, "What is your
Floyd | middle initial?"  The woman replies, "G."  The officer slowly and
Floyd | carefully transcribes the information onto the application form.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | In the waste basket you see some waste paper.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Celestial Security officer asks the young woman, "What was your
Floyd | date of birth?"  The woman replies, "Um, November 12, 1959."  The
Floyd | officer slowly and carefully transcribes the information onto the
Floyd | application form.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | In the waste basket you see some waste paper.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Celestial Security officer asks the young woman, "And your date of
Floyd | death?"  The woman replies, "June 23, 2013."  The officer slowly and
Floyd | carefully transcribes the information onto the application form.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The Celestial Security officer doesn't let you.  "Those contain private
Floyd | information," he scolds you.  "Besides, we recycle all of our paper.
Floyd | We're trying to be environmentally conscious."
Floyd |
Floyd | The Celestial Security officer asks the young woman, "Do you have any
Floyd | deceased dependents?"  The woman replies, "No."  The officer slowly and
Floyd | carefully transcribes the information onto the application form.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The Celestial Security officer doesn't let you.  "Those contain private
Floyd | information," he scolds you.  "Besides, we recycle all of our paper.
Floyd | We're trying to be environmentally conscious."
Floyd |
Floyd | The Celestial Security officer asks the young woman, "Do you wear any
Floyd | prescription eyewear?"  The woman replies, "No."  The officer slowly
Floyd | and carefully transcribes the information onto the application form.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You find nothing of interest.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Celestial Security officer asks the young woman, "What is your IQ?"
Floyd | The woman replies, "I'm not sure."  The officer slowly and carefully
Floyd | transcribes the information onto the application form.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The waste basket is full of crumpled-up application forms, evidently
Floyd | discarded due to errors made in preparation.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Celestial Security officer asks the young woman, "How many fingers
Floyd | am I holding up?"  The woman replies, "Three."  The officer slowly and
Floyd | carefully transcribes the information onto the application form.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | She looks to be in her mid-thirties.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Celestial Security officer asks the young woman, "Do you know your
Floyd | blood pressure?"  The woman replies, "130 over 70."  The officer slowly
Floyd | and carefully transcribes the information onto the application form.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Courtyard
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |    You're in the center of Hell's business district.  To the north is
Floyd | an extremely tall tower, which reaches up into the sky; the top is lost
Floyd | in mist high above.  An archway leads south.  You can go down the
Floyd | street to the east and west.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The tower is extremely tall.  You can see its lighted windows high
Floyd | above, disappearing into the dark mist of the sky above.  The words
Floyd | "HadesCorp Space Needle" are engraved in large letters above the
Floyd | entrance.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "street".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "sky".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see any east here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Base of Tower
Floyd |    You're in a gigantic, imposing lobby.  The ceiling is at least five
Floyd | stories above; the dark granite walls are adorned with strange
Floyd | gargoyles looking down on you from high overhead.  The exit out to the
Floyd | street is to the south.
Floyd |    An elevator is to the north.  The elevator doors are open.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | They look like unusual gargoyles to me.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Elevator
Floyd |    You're in a large, ornate elevator.  The walls are tiled with gold
Floyd | panels decorated with an intricate pattern of interweaved lines,
Floyd | resembling vines; the floor is covered with deep, plush carpeting; and
Floyd | hanging from the ceiling is a chandelier with thousands of tiny lights.
Floyd | The open door leads south, back out into the lobby.
Floyd |    An old, white-bearded man wearing a white robe is standing in the
Floyd | corner of the elevator near the controls.  He is evidently the elevator
Floyd | operator.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | He points to a small sign:  "For safety reasons, please do not talk to
Floyd | operator unnecessarily."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | That isn't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It looks like an ordinary chandelier to me.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "Ticket, please."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Elevator
Floyd |    You're in a large, ornate elevator.  The walls are tiled with gold
Floyd | panels decorated with an intricate pattern of interweaved lines,
Floyd | resembling vines; the floor is covered with deep, plush carpeting; and
Floyd | hanging from the ceiling is a chandelier with thousands of tiny lights.
Floyd | The open door leads south, back out into the lobby.
Floyd |    An old, white-bearded man wearing a white robe is standing in the
Floyd | corner of the elevator near the controls.  He is evidently the elevator
Floyd | operator.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see any walls here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | That isn't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's no verb in that sentence!
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | That isn't important.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "robe".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | What do you want to attack it with?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | He looks quite old, and seems very energetic, especially given what you
Floyd | think must be a boring job.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see any buttons here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Elevator
Floyd |    You're in a large, ornate elevator.  The walls are tiled with gold
Floyd | panels decorated with an intricate pattern of interweaved lines,
Floyd | resembling vines; the floor is covered with deep, plush carpeting; and
Floyd | hanging from the ceiling is a chandelier with thousands of tiny lights.
Floyd | The open door leads south, back out into the lobby.
Floyd |    An old, white-bearded man wearing a white robe is standing in the
Floyd | corner of the elevator near the controls.  He is evidently the elevator
Floyd | operator.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "bureaucracy".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Base of Tower
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |    You're on a street in downtown Hell.  To the south is the entrance
Floyd | to a large low-rise building labeled "Infernolab," and to the north is
Floyd | the fortress-like Bank of Hell.  The street continues east and west.  A
Floyd | narrow alley leads alongside the Infernolab building to the southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see any infernolab here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see any bank here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Lobby
Floyd |    You're in a lobby, decorated with a very high-tech look:  the walls
Floyd | are brushed stainless steel; the illumination is provided by black
Floyd | track lighting suspended from an intricate network of black metal
Floyd | railing; the furniture is black and angular.  Along the far wall,
Floyd | spelled out in four-foot-high Helvetica Medium Extended letters carved
Floyd | from granite, is the word:
Floyd |
Floyd |            I N F E R N O L A B
Floyd |
Floyd |    In the center of the lobby is a huge black leather couch, and a low
Floyd | black marble coffee table.  A hallway leads east, and an exit leads
Floyd | north, back out to the street.
Floyd |    A pair of maintenance workers in white overalls walks in from the
Floyd | east.  One is carrying a toolbox, and the other is carrying a light
Floyd | bulb and a sheet of paper.
Floyd |    "Let's see," says the one carrying the sheet of paper, carefully
Floyd | reading it. "The trouble ticket says that bulb number 47 has blown
Floyd | again."  He looks up at the track lighting.  "Damn!  We forgot the
Floyd | ladder!"
Floyd |    "No need," says the other.  He sets his toolbox on the coffee table,
Floyd | then climbs up onto the table.  "I can reach number 47 from here," he
Floyd | says.  He reaches up and unscrews one of the bulbs, then lays it on top
Floyd | of the railing.  "Hand me that new bulb," he says.  The other worker
Floyd | hands him the bulb, and he screws it into the socket.  As he's screwing
Floyd | it in, a huge flash of light suddenly erupts from the socket, followed
Floyd | by a shower of glass.  The flash of light is quickly replaced by a
Floyd | cloud of smoke, and flames engulf the worker.  He jumps off of the
Floyd | table, his clothes in flames, screaming and flailing his arms, and runs
Floyd | out into the street.  The other worker shrugs and disappears down the
Floyd | hall.
Floyd |    Sitting on the marble coffee table is a toolbox.  Sitting on the
Floyd | black metal railing is a dead light bulb.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | toolbox:  Taken.
Floyd | dead light bulb:  You can't reach it from here; it's up in the railing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a gray metal toolbox.  The toolbox is closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You climb up onto the coffee table.  It makes a pretty good platform --
Floyd | you can reach the railing from here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a dead light bulb.  It seems slightly charred inside.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a gray metal toolbox.  The toolbox is closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know how to stand on the black metal railing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | With a little effort, you manage to climb up into the rails.
Floyd |
Floyd | Up a Rail
Floyd |    You're crouching in the intricate network of rails above the lobby
Floyd | floor.  You can't stand up, because the ceiling is only a few feet
Floyd | above the top of the rails, but there's plenty of room to move around.
Floyd | You can go down, back to the lobby floor.
Floyd |    In the ceiling, you notice an access panel.  The panel is currently
Floyd | closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | [Your score just went up.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Opened.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's open.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing in the access panel.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Up a Rail
Floyd |    You're crouching in the intricate network of rails above the lobby
Floyd | floor.  You can't stand up, because the ceiling is only a few feet
Floyd | above the top of the rails, but there's plenty of room to move around.
Floyd | You can go down, back to the lobby floor.
Floyd |    In the ceiling, you notice an access panel.  The panel is currently
Floyd | open.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Crawlway
Floyd |    You're in a maintenance crawlway.  It's cramped, but you can easily
Floyd | move around on your hands and knees.  The crawlway continues to the
Floyd | north and south; you can also climb down through a hole in the floor.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Crawlway, at T
Floyd |    You're at a "T" intersection between a crawlway that continues off
Floyd | to the north, and an east-west crawlway.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Crawlway
Floyd |    You're at the east end of a crawlway.  There's a small access panel
Floyd | in the floor (which is currently closed), although it's too small for
Floyd | you to go through.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Opened.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Through the hole, you can see a room below.  The room seems to consist
Floyd | of a series of small cubicles, each separated by a six-foot-high
Floyd | partition.  Each cubicle contains a chair and a desk.  In most of the
Floyd | cubicles, a person is occupying the chair.
Floyd |    South of the cubicles is a large, white room, in which a number of
Floyd | people in white labcoats are moving about, consulting with one another
Floyd | and writing notes on the clipboards they're carrying.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see any notes here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Crawlway, at T
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Crawlway
Floyd |    You're at the west end of a crawlway.  Large metal pipes run along
Floyd | the walls.  The crawlway continues to the east.
Floyd |    One of the pipes ends here.  The end of the pipe is not connected to
Floyd | anything at all; you assume it's being left for future expansion.  Just
Floyd | before the end of the pipe is a valve, evidently to cut off the flow of
Floyd | whatever the pipe carries until something is attached here.  The valve
Floyd | is currently closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know how to open the pipe.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Touching the pipe doesn't seem to have any effect.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You turn the wheel, opening the valve.  As you do, the pipe starts
Floyd | hissing, and you smell natural gas pouring out of the pipe.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear gas continuing to pour out of the pipe.  The odor of gas is
Floyd | growing stronger.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know how to close the pipe.
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear gas continuing to pour out of the pipe.  The odor of gas is
Floyd | growing stronger.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You close the valve.  The gas slowly dissipates.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Crawlway, at T
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Crawlway
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Crawlway
Floyd |    You're at the north end of a crawlway.  The only way to crawl out is
Floyd | to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Crawlway
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Up a Rail
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Lobby
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Lobby
Floyd |    You're in a lobby, decorated with a very high-tech look:  the walls
Floyd | are brushed stainless steel; the illumination is provided by black
Floyd | track lighting suspended from an intricate network of black metal
Floyd | railing; the furniture is black and angular.  Along the far wall,
Floyd | spelled out in four-foot-high Helvetica Medium Extended letters carved
Floyd | from granite, is the word:
Floyd |
Floyd |            I N F E R N O L A B
Floyd |
Floyd |    In the center of the lobby is a huge black leather couch, and a low
Floyd | black marble coffee table.  A hallway leads east, and an exit leads
Floyd | north, back out to the street.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing on the couch.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The couch is very large.  It's upholstered in black leather, and has a
Floyd | shiny chrome frame.  There's nothing on the couch.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing under the couch.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Hallway
Floyd |    You're in a hallway that leads east and west.  All along the south
Floyd | wall are closely-spaced doors; all of the doors are closed, except for
Floyd | one.  The hall continues to the east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Cubicle
Floyd |    You're in a small cubicle, bordered on the east and west by
Floyd | six-foot-high partitions, and on the south by a desk.  There's a chair
Floyd | that occupies most of the rest of the space.  A door is to the north;
Floyd | the door is open.
Floyd |    On the other side of the desk is a very large, bright white room.
Floyd | Several men and women are walking about the room, consulting with each
Floyd | other; each is wearing a long white lab coat, and carrying a black
Floyd | metal clipboard stuffed with papers.  Overhead, you notice a small
Floyd | opening in the ceiling.
Floyd |    As you enter, one of the women in labcoats walks over to you.  "Ah,
Floyd | you must be subject 32," she says with a bit of impatience in her
Floyd | voice.  "Everyone else is ready to begin.  Now, if you'd take your
Floyd | seat, we could proceed with the experiment."  She walks back toward the
Floyd | center of the room and confers with another of the scientists.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't understand that sentence.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | File to save game in >
Floyd | Saved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | (the chair)
Floyd | Okay, you're now sitting on the chair.
Floyd |    As you sit down, the door behind you slides closed.  One of the
Floyd | scientists walks over to one of the others, and asks him, "Are you
Floyd | ready to begin, Doctor Merkwurtigblatt?"
Floyd |    Merkwurtigblatt turns to face her.  "A moment please!"  He stands
Floyd | facing away from the cubicles, and runs his hands through his hair,
Floyd | inhaling deeply.  He then abruptly turns on his heel to face the
Floyd | cubicles.  He has short, curly black hair, and is wearing very thick,
Floyd | dark glasses, a white lab coat, and black leather gloves.
Floyd |    "Thank you all for coming.  I'm Doctor Merkwurtigblatt, and I'll be
Floyd | your scientist today.  The experiment we're performing is in a field
Floyd | called Micro-Economics, which means that we're going to attempt to
Floyd | model a particular set of market forces under controlled conditions.
Floyd | As a result, you may find the experiment to be quite abstract, but
Floyd | don't worry; we don't actually want you to understand the point of this
Floyd | experiment, for two reasons.  First, if you knew what we were
Floyd | attempting to prove, it would bias the results.  And second, our
Floyd | theories might seem strange, or even laughable, to the layman, and you
Floyd | might be left with the impression that Economics is something less --
Floyd | much less -- than the precise and exacting science that we Economists
Floyd | know it to be. But you will be able to rest assured in your confusion
Floyd | that the economic future of Hell is in capable hands.  You can tell by
Floyd | our white labcoats, clipboards, and seemingly effortless use of large
Floyd | words that we are authority figures to be respected -- yes -- and
Floyd | feared!
Floyd |    "Now, the rules of the experiment are quite simple.  Each of you is
Floyd | a trader in goods we will call 'widgets.'  The experiment will consist
Floyd | of a series of trading rounds.  In each trading round, you will conduct
Floyd | a transaction with the subject to your left and the one to your right.
Floyd |    "We will be using what we Economists refer to as the Extended RSP
Floyd | Trading Model, which stands for Rock, Scissors, Paper.  We call it
Floyd | 'extended' because we have added a new element that radically changes
Floyd | the equation:  dynamite.  In this model, dynamite pulverizes rock, rock
Floyd | crushes scissors, scissors cut paper -- yes, to shreds!  -- but paper
Floyd | covers dynamite.
Floyd |    "You start with 5 widgets.  In each trading round, you will choose
Floyd | dynamite, rock, scissors, or paper, and your trading choice will be
Floyd | compared with the choices of those to your left and right.  The subject
Floyd | who prevails out of each group of three will acquire one widget each
Floyd | from the subjects on the left and right.  The experiment will proceed
Floyd | for five trading rounds.
Floyd |    "As an incentive to do your best, if you manage to win every round,
Floyd | you will be awarded Twenty Hellmids at the end of the experiment.
Floyd | Choose carefully."
Floyd |    You notice a control panel on the desk that you hadn't seen before.
Floyd | The control panel has a numeric display, which is currently displaying
Floyd | "5", and four buttons, labeled Dynamite, Rock, Scissors, and Paper.
Floyd |
Floyd | Dr. Merkwurtigblatt writes some notes on his clipboard.  "Round 1," he
Floyd | announces.  "Please make your selections."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "opponents".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You push the button, making your choice.  One of the scientists walks
Floyd | over and looks at your choice and the choices of the people on your
Floyd | left and right.  "Let's see, you chose scissors," she says, looking at
Floyd | your button.  "The subject on your left chose paper, and the subject on
Floyd | the right chose rock.  I'm afraid that rock crushes scissors, so you've
Floyd | lost this round.  You lose one widget."
Floyd |    Your display now reads "4".
Floyd |
Floyd | Dr. Merkwurtigblatt writes some notes on his clipboard.  "Round 2," he
Floyd | announces.  "Please make your selections."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You push the button, making your choice.  One of the scientists walks
Floyd | over and looks at your choice and the choices of the people on your
Floyd | left and right.  "Let's see, you chose dynamite," she says, looking at
Floyd | your button.  "The subject on your left chose paper, and the subject on
Floyd | the right chose rock.  I'm afraid that paper wraps dynamite, so you've
Floyd | lost this round.  You lose one widget."
Floyd |    Your display now reads "3".
Floyd |
Floyd | Dr. Merkwurtigblatt writes some notes on his clipboard.  "Round 3," he
Floyd | announces.  "Please make your selections."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | They're just tall enough that you can't see over them.
Floyd |
Floyd | Dr. Merkwurtigblatt writes some notes on his clipboard.  "Round 3," he
Floyd | announces.  "Please make your selections."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You push the button, making your choice.  One of the scientists walks
Floyd | over and looks at your choice and the choices of the people on your
Floyd | left and right.  "Let's see, you chose rock," she says, looking at your
Floyd | button.  "The subject on your left chose scissors, and the subject on
Floyd | the right chose dynamite.  I'm afraid that dynamite blows up rock, so
Floyd | you've lost this round.  You lose one widget."
Floyd |    Your display now reads "2".
Floyd |
Floyd | Dr. Merkwurtigblatt writes some notes on his clipboard.  "Round 4," he
Floyd | announces.  "Please make your selections."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You push the button, making your choice.  One of the scientists walks
Floyd | over and looks at your choice and the choices of the people on your
Floyd | left and right.  "Let's see, you chose rock," she says, looking at your
Floyd | button.  "The subject on your left chose dynamite, and the subject on
Floyd | the right chose scissors.  I'm afraid that dynamite blows up rock, so
Floyd | you've lost this round.  You lose one widget."
Floyd |    Your display now reads "1".
Floyd |
Floyd | Dr. Merkwurtigblatt writes some notes on his clipboard.  "Round 5," he
Floyd | announces.  "Please make your selections."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Pushing the scientist's possession doesn't do anything.
Floyd |
Floyd | Dr. Merkwurtigblatt writes some notes on his clipboard.  "Round 5," he
Floyd | announces.  "Please make your selections."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You push the button, making your choice.  One of the scientists walks
Floyd | over and looks at your choice and the choices of the people on your
Floyd | left and right.  "Let's see, you chose paper," she says, looking at
Floyd | your button.  "The subject on your left chose scissors, and the subject
Floyd | on the right chose dynamite.  I'm afraid that scissors cuts paper, so
Floyd | you've lost this round.  You lose one widget."
Floyd |    Your display now reads "0".
Floyd |
Floyd | Dr. Merkwurtigblatt announces loudly, "That concludes the experiment.
Floyd | Thank you all for participating.  You've provided a great deal of
Floyd | valuable data that will significantly advance this important field of
Floyd | science.  Those of you with with fifteen widgets will be given your
Floyd | checks now."
Floyd |    The cubicle's door slides open.
Floyd |    One of the men in labcoats walks up to your desk and looks at your
Floyd | console's display.  He bursts into laughter.  "Zero!  What a loser!
Floyd | Don't you realize that you'd do a lot better than this by PURE RANDOM
Floyd | CHANCE?"  He calls to a couple of the other scientists.  "Hey, have a
Floyd | look at this!  He got zero!  I've never seen one of these before!"
Floyd | Several scientists come over and gawk at your display, and walk off
Floyd | laughing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You're not going anywhere until you get out of the chair.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Okay, you're no longer on the chair.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Hallway
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | East end of hall
Floyd |    You're at the east end of a long hallway.  To the east is a closed
Floyd | door.  Next to the door is a slot; a small red light is above the slot.
Floyd | The hall continues back to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a sliding metal door.  It's currently closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Hallway
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "ll".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Hallway
Floyd |    You're in a hallway that leads east and west.  All along the south
Floyd | wall are closely-spaced doors; all of the doors are closed, except for
Floyd | one.  The hall continues to the east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Lobby
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Lobby
Floyd |    You're in a lobby, decorated with a very high-tech look:  the walls
Floyd | are brushed stainless steel; the illumination is provided by black
Floyd | track lighting suspended from an intricate network of black metal
Floyd | railing; the furniture is black and angular.  Along the far wall,
Floyd | spelled out in four-foot-high Helvetica Medium Extended letters carved
Floyd | from granite, is the word:
Floyd |
Floyd |            I N F E R N O L A B
Floyd |
Floyd |    In the center of the lobby is a huge black leather couch, and a low
Floyd | black marble coffee table.  A hallway leads east, and an exit leads
Floyd | north, back out to the street.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Bank of Hell
Floyd |    You're in the cavernous interior of the main office of the Bank of
Floyd | Hell.  The style is very 19th Century:  the building itself is made of
Floyd | granite blocks; huge oak desks with dark green and burgundy leather
Floyd | armchairs are arranged in neat rows behind the counter that runs the
Floyd | width of the room; and dozens of tellers dressed in dark pinstripe
Floyd | vests and bow ties stand behind the counter, each at a window with a
Floyd | stack of papers and a green banker's light, waiting on a customer.
Floyd |    The exit is to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | One of the tellers waves you over to his window.  "Can I help you?"  he
Floyd | asks.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller looks at you expectantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | He looks to be in his early thirties.  Like all the other tellers, he's
Floyd | dressed in a pin-stripe vest, white shirt, and bow tie.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller looks at you expectantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "account".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "account".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | He seems more interested in discussing bank business.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller looks at you expectantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see any banker 319 here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "accounts".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "account".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see any money here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know how to ask anything about the number 319.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller looks at you expectantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | He seems more interested in discussing bank business.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller looks at you expectantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "business".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "business".
Floyd |
Floyd | >
Floyd | I don't know the word "withdrawal".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "wink".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "ban".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | He seems more interested in discussing bank business.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teller looks at you expectantly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Alley
Floyd |    You're in an alley between two large low-rise buildings, one to the
Floyd | east and one to the west.  The alley dead-ends to the south; you can go
Floyd | out to the north.
Floyd |    At the south end of the alley is a large dumpster.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a really large, very smelly dumpster.  Over the edge of the
Floyd | dumpster, you can see a pair of flippers sticking up.  Unfortunately,
Floyd | you can't quite reach them from here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Dropped.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know how to stand on the toolbox.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | They're sticking up out of the trash in the dumpster.  You can't quite
Floyd | reach them from here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You have a printed note, a rope, a dead light bulb, and a toolbox.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | All you can manage to do is push them away from you.  You'll have to
Floyd | get into the dumpster somehow.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's too high to climb into.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "buildings".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's just a building.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |
Floyd | A man whose clothes are on fire is running around in circles, flailing
Floyd | his arms and screaming.  He runs off to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Outskirts
Floyd |    You're in a sparsely-populated rural area east of town.  The road
Floyd | leads west into the city, but ends here; to the east is an open field;
Floyd | you can also go south, where the terrain becomes rocky and hilly.  A
Floyd | small farmhouse lies to the north.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Farmhouse
Floyd |    You're in a small, deserted, one-room farmhouse.  The building is
Floyd | very old and rickety, and all the paint has long since peeled off the
Floyd | walls.  You can go through doors to the south and east.
Floyd |    You see a portable radio here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | What do you want to unlock it with?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "force".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The radio is now turned on.
Floyd |
Floyd | The radio plays annoying heavy metal music.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a HadesCorp WaveMaster 2000 portable transistor radio.  It has a
Floyd | dial that lets you set the frequency, and a switch for turning the
Floyd | radio on and off (the switch is currently in the on position).  On the
Floyd | back is a small compartment.
Floyd |
Floyd | On the radio, an annoying heavy metal deejay talks about a radio
Floyd | contest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | What do you want to turn it to?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Okay, it's now turned to 319.
Floyd |
Floyd | A man on the radio says, "Many drivers find it very confusing that
Floyd | every type of zone has its own speed limit.  No two zones have the same
Floyd | speed limit.  In addition, there are too many types of zones -- we have
Floyd | School Zones, Hospital Zones, Library Zones, Residential Zones, and
Floyd | Freeway Zones.  This is more than we need."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Barnyard
Floyd |    You're in a large yard outside an old, abandoned barn.  The area is
Floyd | overgrown with weeds; it obviously hasn't been used in many years.  A
Floyd | rusty old wellhead sticks out of the weeds; a large metal bucket is
Floyd | hanging from the well.  The farmhouse is to the west, and the entrance
Floyd | to the barn is to the north.
Floyd |
Floyd | A woman on the radio says, "I believe that both Hospital Zones and 43
Floyd | mile-per-hour zones need to be reconsidered."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | bucket:  Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | A man on the radio says, "Possibly, but I think it's a much more
Floyd | pressing problem that the color of speed limit signs in School Zones is
Floyd | blue."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You already have the bucket!
Floyd |
Floyd | The woman on the radio responds, "What color would you suggest?  Green
Floyd | is already taken by 59 mile-per-hour zones."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd | On the radio, a second woman enters the conversation.  "Yes, but both
Floyd | School Zones and 27 mile-per-hour zones have large signs, while Library
Floyd | Zones -- not to mention 43 mile-per-hour zones -- have only
Floyd | medium-sized signs.  It doesn't seem appropriate somehow."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's an old rusty metal bucket.  It's empty.
Floyd |
Floyd | The man on the radio says, "Now I've forgotten -- is the speed limit in
Floyd | a residental zone 17 or 23 miles per hour?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a hand-pumped well.  It has a long lever, and a spout.  The pump
Floyd | looks very old and corroded.
Floyd |
Floyd | The first woman on the radio says, "I can't remember, but I know that
Floyd | either School Zones or Hospital Zones are 23 miles per hour."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You work the lever, to no avail; the well is long since dry.
Floyd |
Floyd | The announcer comes back on the radio.  "That's all the time we have
Floyd | for today's edition of Vehicle Code Forum.  Next on, live coverage of
Floyd | the swearing-in ceremony for new civil servants in the Ministry of
Floyd | Information."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You find nothing of interest.
Floyd |
Floyd | A man on the radio says, "Do you swear to uphold the procedures and
Floyd | policies of the Ministry of Information, to use appropriate rubber
Floyd | stamps on all forms, and to completely and accurately fill in all parts
Floyd | of forms marked Office Use Only and/or Do Not Write Above and/or Below
Floyd | Line?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Barn
Floyd |    You're in an old, rickety barn.  The area smells of rotting wood and
Floyd | damp decay.  The usual farm implements are scattered around the barn:
Floyd | a pitchfork stuck into a bale of hay, several stalls for horses.
Floyd |    In the center of the barn is a small single-engine airplane.  It's
Floyd | an open-cockpit, high-wing tail-dragger.  It's painted a faded yellow.
Floyd |    The exit is to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a tail-dragger with an open cockpit.  Unfortunately, it doesn't
Floyd | look like there's any hope that it can be made to work; the engine
Floyd | looks dismantled and corroded.  It looks like you could get in the
Floyd | plane if you wanted, though.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | cockpit
Floyd |    You're in the cockpit of a very old airplane.  From here, you can
Floyd | see just how hopeless it would be to try to get it flying:  the control
Floyd | stick has been removed, leaving a gaping hole in the floor, and the
Floyd | airframe is quite rotted.
Floyd |    Even the seat has been removed.  At the rear of the cockpit area is
Floyd | a large compartment, which is closed.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Which compartment do you mean, the radio compartment, or the storage
Floyd | compartment?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's jammed shut; you'll need to get something to pry it open with.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Barn
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It has a handle about five feet long, and three sharp metal prongs
Floyd | space about six inches apart.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taken.  Now all you need is some horns and a pointy tail, and you'd own
Floyd | this place!
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You find nothing of interest.
Floyd |
Floyd | The radio announces, "This is H-SPAN, the Hades Public Affairs Network.
Floyd | Next on:  a discussion of the Motor Vehicle Code."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing interesting about them.
Floyd |
Floyd | An announcer on the radio says, "Welcome to Vehicle Code Forum.
Floyd | Today's topic is speed limits."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Why?  Hoping to return as a horse in your next life?
Floyd |
Floyd | A man on the radio says, "Many drivers find it very confusing that
Floyd | every type of zone has its own speed limit.  No two zones have the same
Floyd | speed limit.  In addition, there are too many types of zones -- we have
Floyd | School Zones, Hospital Zones, Library Zones, Residential Zones, and
Floyd | Freeway Zones.  This is more than we need."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see what you're referring to.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You have a printed note, a rope, a dead light bulb, a toolbox, a
Floyd | portable radio, a bucket, and a pitchfork.
Floyd |
Floyd | A woman on the radio says, "I believe that both Hospital Zones and 43
Floyd | mile-per-hour zones need to be reconsidered."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | A man on the radio says, "Possibly, but I think it's a much more
Floyd | pressing problem that the color of speed limit signs in School Zones is
Floyd | blue."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Barnyard
Floyd |
Floyd | The woman on the radio responds, "What color would you suggest?  Green
Floyd | is already taken by 59 mile-per-hour zones."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Farmhouse
Floyd |
Floyd | On the radio, a second woman enters the conversation.  "Yes, but both
Floyd | School Zones and 27 mile-per-hour zones have large signs, while Library
Floyd | Zones -- not to mention 43 mile-per-hour zones -- have only
Floyd | medium-sized signs.  It doesn't seem appropriate somehow."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Outskirts
Floyd |
Floyd | The man on the radio says, "Now I've forgotten -- is the speed limit in
Floyd | a residental zone 17 or 23 miles per hour?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Field
Floyd |    You're in a large, open field.  The ground is peppered with clumps
Floyd | of scrubby grass.  A road lies to the west.  You can see a tall
Floyd | mountain range in the distance to the southeast.
Floyd |    There's a large jackrabbit hopping around, foraging for food.
Floyd |
Floyd | The first woman on the radio says, "I can't remember, but I know that
Floyd | either School Zones or Hospital Zones are 23 miles per hour."
Floyd |
Floyd | The rabbit hops around the field.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "hop".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a large jackrabbit.  It's hopping around happily, foraging for
Floyd | food.
Floyd |
Floyd | The announcer comes back on the radio.  "That's all the time we have
Floyd | for today's edition of Vehicle Code Forum.  Next on, live coverage of
Floyd | the swearing-in ceremony for new civil servants in the Ministry of
Floyd | Information."
Floyd |
Floyd | The rabbit hops around the field.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "bop".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't make out much detail from this distance.  The tallest point,
Floyd | to the southeast, looks like a volcano.
Floyd |
Floyd | A man on the radio says, "Do you swear to uphold the procedures and
Floyd | policies of the Ministry of Information, to use appropriate rubber
Floyd | stamps on all forms, and to completely and accurately fill in all parts
Floyd | of forms marked Office Use Only and/or Do Not Write Above and/or Below
Floyd | Line?"
Floyd |
Floyd | The rabbit hops around the field.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's brown and looks very tough.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | The rabbit hops around the field.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing in that direction except more of the same empty field.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | The rabbit hops around the field.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't make out much detail from this distance.  The tallest point,
Floyd | to the southeast, looks like a volcano.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | The rabbit hops around the field.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing in that direction except more of the same empty field.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | The rabbit hops around the field.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing in that direction except more of the same empty field.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | The rabbit hops around the field.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Outskirts
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Rocky Hillside
Floyd |    You're on a gently sloping, rocky hillside at the base of a tall
Floyd | mountain.  The granite surface of the hillside hosts no vegetation.
Floyd | Looming high above to the east is the steep cone of a volcano; clouds
Floyd | of dark smoke rise steadily above the cone.  You can climb into the
Floyd | mountains to the east, and you can also go north, back to the road.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone on the radio says, "I do."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Mountainside
Floyd |    You're fairly high up on the side of the mountain -- you'd guess
Floyd | that you're around two thousand feet up.  (Have you noticed that they
Floyd | use the English system of measurements in Hell?  What else would you
Floyd | expect?)  You can go down the mountain to the west, and the volcano's
Floyd | cone looms above to the east.  A small opening appears to lead into a
Floyd | cave to the south.  You can also travel along a path to the north, and
Floyd | a narrow passage to the southeast.
Floyd |    You have an excellent view of Hell from here.  The tall buildings
Floyd | downtown all seem tiny from this distance and altitude, except for the
Floyd | Tower -- even from here, you can't see the top.  The Tower looks like a
Floyd | thin, gleaming string stretching from the ground up into the dark sky.
Floyd | As your eyes follow the Tower up into the sky, you realize that you're
Floyd | high enough above the surface now that you can see stars above -- so
Floyd | many stars, all so bright, that it's quite well lit here.
Floyd |
Floyd | The radio announces, "This is H-SPAN, the Hades Public Affairs Network.
Floyd | Next on:  a discussion of the Motor Vehicle Code."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "stars".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Top of Volcano
Floyd |    You're standing at the rim of the volcano.  Below, tons of glowing
Floyd | red-hot molten rock churn and bubble.  You can climb down the mountain
Floyd | to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | An announcer on the radio says, "Welcome to Vehicle Code Forum.
Floyd | Today's topic is speed limits."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see any lava here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's hard to see much, thanks to all of the steam and dust rising out
Floyd | of the cauldron, but you can see quite a lot of red-hot, glowing,
Floyd | molten rock.
Floyd |
Floyd | A man on the radio says, "Many drivers find it very confusing that
Floyd | every type of zone has its own speed limit.  No two zones have the same
Floyd | speed limit.  In addition, there are too many types of zones -- we have
Floyd | School Zones, Hospital Zones, Library Zones, Residential Zones, and
Floyd | Freeway Zones.  This is more than we need."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "molten".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Mountainside
Floyd |
Floyd | A woman on the radio says, "I believe that both Hospital Zones and 43
Floyd | mile-per-hour zones need to be reconsidered."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Lava Cave
Floyd |    You're in a large, cylindrical cave with smooth, black walls.
Floyd | Running through the south end of the cave is a wide, swiftly-flowing
Floyd | river of lava, which flows downhill to the east.  The lava pours in
Floyd | through an orifice in the western wall.  An exit leads back outside to
Floyd | the north.
Floyd |
Floyd | A man on the radio says, "Possibly, but I think it's a much more
Floyd | pressing problem that the color of speed limit signs in School Zones is
Floyd | blue."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The searing heat of the lava shoots through your body, making you try
Floyd | desperately to escape the river.  As you flail around, though, you
Floyd | start to realize that the lava isn't harming you, despite the intense
Floyd | pain.  As you start to get used to the blistering heat, you notice that
Floyd | you're being swept rapidly downstream...
Floyd |
Floyd | River of Lava
Floyd |    The river of lava is flowing swiftly downhill to the east.
Floyd |
Floyd | The lava flow starts to carry you downstream.
Floyd |
Floyd | The woman on the radio responds, "What color would you suggest?  Green
Floyd | is already taken by 59 mile-per-hour zones."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | River of Lava
Floyd |    The river of lava is flowing swiftly downhill to the east.
Floyd |
Floyd | The swift river of lava sweeps you downstream to the east.
Floyd |
Floyd | Bend in River
Floyd |    The river of lava turns from east to south here.
Floyd |
Floyd | On the radio, a second woman enters the conversation.  "Yes, but both
Floyd | School Zones and 27 mile-per-hour zones have large signs, while Library
Floyd | Zones -- not to mention 43 mile-per-hour zones -- have only
Floyd | medium-sized signs.  It doesn't seem appropriate somehow."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Time passes...
Floyd |
Floyd | You're carried rapidly to the south by the flowing lava.
Floyd |
Floyd | River of Lava
Floyd |    The river of lava is flowing through the cave swiftly to the south.
Floyd | To the west is a shore that appears to open into a cave.  The cave has
Floyd | many stalagmites sticking up from its floor; one particularly large
Floyd | stalagmite right on the shore -- only about ten feet away from you --
Floyd | is at least three feet tall.
Floyd |    There's a faint light downstream, and you hear a loud rushing noise
Floyd | from the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | The man on the radio says, "Now I've forgotten -- is the speed limit in
Floyd | a residental zone 17 or 23 miles per hour?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You're up to your ears in lava.  You can't manage to throw the rope
Floyd | while submerged like this.
Floyd |
Floyd | The lava sweeps you along to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | Top of Lavafall
Floyd |    The cave abruptly opens into the night sky, and you realize that
Floyd | you're at the top of a cliff.  The lava is pouring over the edge of the
Floyd | cliff and falling hundreds of feet down the side of the mountain below.
Floyd |
Floyd | The first woman on the radio says, "I can't remember, but I know that
Floyd | either School Zones or Hospital Zones are 23 miles per hour."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The radio is now turned off.
Floyd |
Floyd | Before you can do anything, the river carries you over the edge of the
Floyd | lavafall.  You fall and fall, tumbling and flailing your arms and legs,
Floyd | catching a glimpse of the bottom of the lavafall lost in the rocks far
Floyd | below.  Suddenly, you hit something, and your fall stops abruptly.
Floyd |
Floyd | Ledge near Lavafall
Floyd |    You're on a ledge just west of, and halfway up, a huge lavafall.
Floyd | The lava pours down with a deafening rumbling sound.  The narrow ledge
Floyd | seems to continue to the northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Ledge
Floyd |    You're on a narrow ledge high up on the mountainside.  The ledge
Floyd | continues to the southeast and northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You walk carefully along the ledge, but you suddenly hit a loose spot.
Floyd | You try to maintain your footing, but the rock crumbles under you, and
Floyd | you go sliding down the mountainside.  You finally stop falling, and
Floyd | you find yourself on a rocky hillside you've seen before.
Floyd |
Floyd | Rocky Hillside
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Mountainside
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Mountainside
Floyd |    You're fairly high up on the side of the mountain -- you'd guess
Floyd | that you're around two thousand feet up.  (Have you noticed that they
Floyd | use the English system of measurements in Hell?  What else would you
Floyd | expect?)  You can go down the mountain to the west, and the volcano's
Floyd | cone looms above to the east.  A small opening appears to lead into a
Floyd | cave to the south.  You can also travel along a path to the north, and
Floyd | a narrow passage to the southeast.
Floyd |    You have an excellent view of Hell from here.  The tall buildings
Floyd | downtown all seem tiny from this distance and altitude, except for the
Floyd | Tower -- even from here, you can't see the top.  The Tower looks like a
Floyd | thin, gleaming string stretching from the ground up into the dark sky.
Floyd | As your eyes follow the Tower up into the sky, you realize that you're
Floyd | high enough above the surface now that you can see stars above -- so
Floyd | many stars, all so bright, that it's quite well lit here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Lake Shore
Floyd |    You're on the shore of a beautiful clear blue mountain lake.  The
Floyd | lake is huge -- it looks like it's almost a mile across.  The water is
Floyd | very still and clear.  The lake is circled by high cliffs, except here,
Floyd | where you could easily wade into the water.  A path leads south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | (the lake water)
Floyd | Swimming on the lake
Floyd |    You're swimming on the lake.  The shore is to the west.  A rocky
Floyd | ledge to the north prevents travel in that direction, but you can go
Floyd | east or south.
Floyd |    You didn't notice from the shore, but there seems to be a very
Floyd | strong undertow pulling you underwater.
Floyd |
Floyd | You try to fight the undertow, but it's just too strong.  It drags you
Floyd | underwater.
Floyd |
Floyd | Underwater
Floyd |    You're underwater in the lake.  To the north is a rocky wall, but
Floyd | there's an opening that could be the mouth of a cave.  The rocky wall
Floyd | of the shore is to the west, but you can go east and south.  You are
Floyd | well below the surface, but the lake floor is still a ways below.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You try to swim against the undertow, but the current drags you down.
Floyd |
Floyd | The undertow drags you down, away from the cave.
Floyd |
Floyd | Lake Floor
Floyd |    You're deep underwater, just above the rocky bottom of the lake.
Floyd | The water is swirling violently around a depression in the rocky floor
Floyd | -- you realize that it's a whirlpool!
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | What do you want to fill it with?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see any water here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "depression".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "whirlpool".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't swim against the whirlpool current.
Floyd |
Floyd | You're dragged helplessly toward the whirlpool.  You try to swim
Floyd | against it, but it's too strong.  You get nearer and nearer the hole.
Floyd | You start tumbling over and over in the turbulent waters; your head
Floyd | hits a rock, then your arm, then a leg.
Floyd |    You're barely able to see what's happening as you're battered
Floyd | against the rocks, but you realize that you're falling through a narrow
Floyd | tunnel.  You're on your back, moving head-first through the tunnel.
Floyd |    You lose track of how much time you're bounced around inside the
Floyd | tunnel, but you eventually emerge into a raging river pouring down the
Floyd | hillside.  You tumble and crash into even more rocks as you're washed
Floyd | down the rocky riverbed.
Floyd |    You pass under a bridge, trying to grab onto something but finding
Floyd | nothing to hold onto.  The water continues to drag you downstream.  You
Floyd | manage to get your head above water long enough to look at what's
Floyd | coming, and you see a dense tangle of tree branches up ahead.  You
Floyd | brace yourself just in time, and crash into the thicket.
Floyd |    It's difficult, but you manage to untangle yourself from the tree
Floyd | branches, and climb out onto the riverbank.
Floyd |
Floyd | River Bank
Floyd |    You're on the west bank of a river.  The river is blocked to the
Floyd | south by a dense tangle of tree branches.  A path leads north.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't get past the thicket.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It looks like an ordinary thicket to me.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Which river do you mean, the river, or the river?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know the word "yes".
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | What do you want to swim in?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Which river do you mean, the river, or the river?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | River Bank
Floyd |    You're on the west bank of a river.  The water pours rapidly over
Floyd | huge rocks in the river.  A bridge crosses the river to the east.  A
Floyd | narrow path climbs steeply up the hill to the northwest, and you can
Floyd | follow the river to the south.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The bridge crosses the river to the east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing under the bridge.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Bridge
Floyd |    You're at the center of a bridge that travels east and west across a
Floyd | raging rapids below.
Floyd |    There's a large hairy Troll standing in the center of the bridge,
Floyd | blocking your way.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Troll watches you suspiciously.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a huge beast, standing ten feet high, covered with bristly black
Floyd | hair and wielding a double-edged axe.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Troll watches you suspiciously.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The Troll doesn't appear to speak your language.  Your questions just
Floyd | seem to agitate it.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Troll watches you suspiciously.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It looks viscous.  You wouldn't want to be caught along its line of
Floyd | travel, especially when wielded by the Troll.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Troll watches you suspiciously.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The troll blocks your path.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Troll watches you suspiciously.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | River Bank
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Steep Path
Floyd |    You're on a path that climbs up a sheer cliff face.  The path goes
Floyd | down to the river to the southeast, and climbs steeply to the
Floyd | southwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Clifftop
Floyd |    You're on a steeply climbing path near the top of a cliff.  The path
Floyd | descends to the northeast, and continues to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Rocky Passage
Floyd |    You're in a narrow passage among the rocks.  You can squeeze through
Floyd | to the east and northwest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Mountainside
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Lake Shore
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Okay, the bucket is now full of water.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Mountainside
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Rocky Hillside
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The terrain is too rocky that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Outskirts
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Suburbs
Floyd |    You're on a quiet, pleasant suburban street to the west of the city.
Floyd | Somehow, you always knew there would be suburbs in hell.  The street is
Floyd | lined with the type of tract housing they built copiously in California
Floyd | in the 1950's:  one-story buildings with flat roofs, horizontal lines,
Floyd | lots of windows, and poor construction quality.  A drab, faded
Floyd | blue-green house lies to the south, and a mini-mall lies to the north.
Floyd | The street leads east back into the city.  To the west, the street
Floyd | fades to a gravel path.
Floyd |
Floyd | A man whose clothes are on fire is running around in circles, flailing
Floyd | his arms and screaming.  He runs off to the east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Okay, now in VERBOSE mode.
Floyd | Suburbs
Floyd |    You're on a quiet, pleasant suburban street to the west of the city.
Floyd | Somehow, you always knew there would be suburbs in hell.  The street is
Floyd | lined with the type of tract housing they built copiously in California
Floyd | in the 1950's:  one-story buildings with flat roofs, horizontal lines,
Floyd | lots of windows, and poor construction quality.  A drab, faded
Floyd | blue-green house lies to the south, and a mini-mall lies to the north.
Floyd | The street leads east back into the city.  To the west, the street
Floyd | fades to a gravel path.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |    You're in the center of Hell's business district.  To the north is
Floyd | an extremely tall tower, which reaches up into the sky; the top is lost
Floyd | in mist high above.  An archway leads south.  You can go down the
Floyd | street to the east and west.
Floyd |
Floyd | A man whose clothes are on fire is running around in circles, flailing
Floyd | his arms and screaming.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You pour the water onto the burning man, and the flames are immediately
Floyd | extinguished.  He looks dazed for a moment, then sees that you're the
Floyd | kind person that did the good deed.  "Hey!"  he shouts at you.  "What
Floyd | did you do that for?  Now I've got to go back to work!"
Floyd |    He fumbles through his pockets.  As he does, you notice a small
Floyd | metal object drop to the ground.  He eventually finds a matchbook in
Floyd | his pocket, and strikes a match; he tries to get his clothes burning
Floyd | again, but they're too wet.  "Oh, well, it's no use," he says, and
Floyd | stomps away.
Floyd |
Floyd | [Your score just went up.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Unlocked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Opening the toolbox reveals a crowbar and a yellow note.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a small piece of yellow paper, with nothing written on it except a
Floyd | series of numbers:  6-24-10.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Okay, now in TERSE mode.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Outskirts
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Farmhouse
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Barnyard
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Barn
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | cockpit
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You jam the crowbar under the compartment door and start prying.  After
Floyd | a few moments, you hear a loud snap, and the door pops open.  Opening
Floyd | the storage compartment reveals a parachute.
Floyd |
Floyd | [Your score just went up.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | It's a bulky bag with straps for attaching it to your torso.  It has a
Floyd | bright red rip-cord.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Okay, you're now wearing the parachute.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Barn
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Barnyard
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Farmhouse
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Outskirts
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Downtown
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Suburbs
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Minimall Parking Lot
Floyd |    You're in the parking lot of a suburban mini-mall.  The street is to
Floyd | the south.  To the east is a store labeled "Just Mirrors", and to the
Floyd | west is The Amulette Shoppe.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Just Mirrors
Floyd |    You're inside Just Mirrors, which seems to sell just mirrors.  Lots
Floyd | of mirrors are available for sale.  The shopkeeper seems to be a sullen
Floyd | teen, sitting behind the counter trying hard to ignore you.  The exit
Floyd | is to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teenager taps his fingers nervously on the counter and tries to
Floyd | avoid eye contact with you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't afford any of these mirrors.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teenager taps his fingers nervously on the counter and tries to
Floyd | avoid eye contact with you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | He ignores you.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teenager taps his fingers nervously on the counter and tries to
Floyd | avoid eye contact with you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You'll have to tell me how to do that.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teenager taps his fingers nervously on the counter and tries to
Floyd | avoid eye contact with you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't recognize that sentence.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Attacking the sullen teen doesn't appear productive.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teenager taps his fingers nervously on the counter and tries to
Floyd | avoid eye contact with you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing on the counter.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teenager taps his fingers nervously on the counter and tries to
Floyd | avoid eye contact with you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing behind the counter.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teenager taps his fingers nervously on the counter and tries to
Floyd | avoid eye contact with you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know how to buy the mirror.
Floyd |
Floyd | The teenager taps his fingers nervously on the counter and tries to
Floyd | avoid eye contact with you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Perdition's Flames
Floyd | TADS Interactive Fiction
Floyd | By Michael J. Roberts
Floyd |
Floyd | Version 1.01/Release 020203
Floyd | Copyright (c) 1993, 2002 by Michael J. Roberts.  All Rights Reserved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Minimall Parking Lot
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Amulette Shoppe
Floyd |    You're in a small store that sells amulets of various kinds.  Glass
Floyd | display cases contain the amulets, which look like assorted types of
Floyd | jewelry.
Floyd |    A shopkeeper is here waiting to help you.
Floyd |    The shop keeper greets you as you walk in.  "How may I help you?"
Floyd | he asks cheerfully.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "I have a very nice selection of authentic reproductions of actual
Floyd | amulets.  Of course, these amulets don't have the magical protective
Floyd | powers of the real amulets, but they make very nice jewelry."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know how to buy the amulet.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | The display cases contain a number of different amulets.  Most look
Floyd | like they're to be worn around the neck:  one is a big gold disk with
Floyd | complex etchings; a second one is a clear, light blue jewel stone; a
Floyd | third is an ivory carving of a boat.  Some look like other types of
Floyd | jewelry:  one is a simple silver ring, and another is a bracelet.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You have a printed note, a rope, a dead light bulb, a toolbox, a
Floyd | portable radio, a bucket, a pitchfork, a small metal key, and a
Floyd | parachute (being worn).  The toolbox seems to contain a crowbar and a
Floyd | yellow note.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a large gold disk with complex etchings.  The pattern of etchings
Floyd | resembles a starburst:  a central circle with lines radiating.  The
Floyd | disk is attached to a gold chain, for wearing the amulet around the
Floyd | neck.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "This is a replica of an amulet that is said to provide protection
Floyd | against great heat.  I think the story is that it resembles the Sun,
Floyd | which is the source of all heat.  This one's been sold."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "This is a very nice jewel, don't you think?  The amulet that it's
Floyd | based upon supposedly provides protection against extreme cold.  The
Floyd | jewel looks a little like a block of ice, you see.  This one's been
Floyd | sold."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "This is real ivory, which is very hard to find these days.  The
Floyd | original amulet was said to provide protection against sickness.  I
Floyd | think the idea is that you might become ill in a rowboat.  This one's
Floyd | been sold."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "This was is supposed to provide protection against blinding light.
Floyd | I'm not sure why it's a ring.  This one's been sold."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | "The original amulet upon which this is based is said to provide
Floyd | protection against deafening sound.  This one's been sold."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Minimall Parking Lot
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Suburbs
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | North of House
Floyd |    You're in the poorly-tended, mostly dead yard of a house that lies
Floyd | to the south.  Now that you're closer to the house, you can see just
Floyd | how poorly built the house really is:  the primary building material
Floyd | seems to be cardboard stapled onto a rotting wooden frame.  The
Floyd | cardboard is ill-fitting and poorly aligned, leaving large gaps here
Floyd | and there.  You can enter the house to the south, and you can leave the
Floyd | yard to the north.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | As you start to open the door, you suddenly realize that it was locked.
Floyd | However, the construction quality of the house is so poor that the door
Floyd | pops open anyway.
Floyd |
Floyd | Kitchen
Floyd |    You're in an old, dilapidated kitchen.  The appliances are all
Floyd | ancient and appear to be in poor condition; the linoleum floor has
Floyd | large gashes here and there where the plastic is curled back.  There's
Floyd | a sink, with a small cabinet underneath.  An exit leads north out into
Floyd | the yard, and passages lead west and south.
Floyd |    You see a paper recycling bin here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a blue plastic bin, labeled "Paper", with the familiar recycling
Floyd | symbol underneath.  There's nothing in the paper recycling bin.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It looks like an ordinary sink to me.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Opening the cabinet reveals a pair of rubber gloves.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It looks like an ordinary pair of rubber gloves to me.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know how to turn the sink on.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Dining Room
Floyd |    You're in the dining room, which isn't really a separate room but
Floyd | just the northwest corner of the living room.  A table dominates the
Floyd | area.  A six-foot partition separates the dining room and living room
Floyd | from the kitchen, which is to the east (evidently, building a wall all
Floyd | the way up to the ceiling would have been too expensive).  The living
Floyd | room lies to the south.
Floyd |    Sitting on the table is some junk mail.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's one of those obvious pieces of junk mail that's been made up to
Floyd | look like something important, with phrases such as "Extremely Urgent!"
Floyd | and "Dated Material!"  and "Super-Express-Gram" stamped on the outside,
Floyd | but addressed to "Resident (Deceased)".  The letter reads:
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hello, Decedent!
Floyd |
Floyd | Are you tired of the banality of everyday death in Hell?  Have you been
Floyd | to Heaven, but couldn't stand the boring "cultural" activities?  Do you
Floyd | long for the danger and excitement that you had when you were alive?
Floyd |
Floyd | Then join the Hades Explorers' Society!
Floyd |
Floyd | In the HES, we go to the parts of the underworld that ordinary people
Floyd | have never heard of, and we perform amazing feats that others wouldn't
Floyd | dream of, then we get together in our luxurious clubhouse and exchange
Floyd | stories over fine imported cognac and brandy.
Floyd |
Floyd | Because of your excellent credit history, you're PRE-APPROVED for
Floyd | membership in the HES.  All you need to do is to bring the enclosed
Floyd | Certificate of Invitation to our Headquarters.
Floyd |
Floyd | As far as we're concerned, you're as good as joined.  However, there's
Floyd | one catch.  The way to our headquarters is guarded by an evil Troll.
Floyd | The Troll will let none pass except for card-carrying members of the
Floyd | HES, or those who the Troll believes are worthy of membership.  The
Floyd | Troll unfortunately does not read, so the enclosed certificate will not
Floyd | help you.  Instead, you must prove yourself an accomplished Adventurer
Floyd | by bringing the Troll a great treasure.  For this we can offer you no
Floyd | guidance, but if you are truly an Adventurer, you will be up to the
Floyd | quest.
Floyd |
Floyd | Good luck!  We look forward to welcoming you!
Floyd |
Floyd | A piece of paper that was attached to the letter falls out onto the
Floyd | table.  You see that it's the Certificate of Invitation.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | On the table you see some junk mail.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't see any partition here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | Living Room
Floyd |    You're in the living room, which is long and narrow, with a brick
Floyd | fireplace on the south wall; next to the fireplace is a tool holder.  A
Floyd | six-foot partition to the north separates the living room and kitchen.
Floyd | The northwest corner of the room serves as the dining room.  A hallway
Floyd | leads east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's an elaborate certificate, personalized in frilly script letters
Floyd | for "BEARER", certifying that the named individual has been
Floyd | pre-approved for membership in the Hades Explorers' Society and all of
Floyd | the privileges and responsibilities pertaining thereunto.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | There's nothing in the fireplace.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a black metal caddy for holding fireplace tools.  It has space for
Floyd | three specific tools.  In the fireplace tool holder you see a poker, a
Floyd | brush, and a shovel.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | You can't have the fireplace tool holder.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a black wrought-iron fireplace poker.  It's about half an inch in
Floyd | diameter, and a couple of feet long.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a black brush with a two-foot metal handle, useful for sweeping
Floyd | ashes out of a fireplace.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | It's a small black shovel with a two-foot metal handle, useful for
Floyd | collecting ashes out of a fireplace.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | poker:  Taken.
Floyd | brush:  Taken.
Floyd | shovel:  Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | File to save game in >
Floyd | Saved.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | I don't know how to enter the fireplace.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | West end of hall
Floyd |    You're in a short hallway connecting the bedrooms to the living room
Floyd | and kitchen area.  The kitchen lies to the north, the living room is to
Floyd | the west, and the hall continues to the east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | East end of hall
Floyd |    You're at the east end of the hall.  Bedrooms are to the east and
Floyd | south, and a bathroom is to the north.  The hall continues to the west.
Floyd |
Floyd | >