AllThingsJacq.com - Interactive Fiction | ClubFloyd - May 2, 2021 - Fish Bowl and Shade by Ethan Rupp & Joshua Rupp and Andrew Plotkin (as "Ampe R. Sand"), respectively


ToyShop & Floyditorium		#ClubFloyd Discussion


Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "load sleepmask fishbowl"
CF ] Shack 1
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| "All that would be left was his footprints, heading into the
CF \| sea."
CF \|
CF \| You're master of your own destiny, Larry Wyndham. Another day,
CF \| another dollar, Larry Wyndham. And above all remember: Time and tide
CF \| wait for no man. You aren't just a drunk beachcomber - you
CF \| are Larry Wyndham the drunk beachcomber. What you need, the sea shall
CF \| provide. Eventually. You hope.
CF \| As you stumble into your shack, your body covered in sweat and
CF \| your mind reeling, you don't have much time to take in your
CF \| surroundings before you collapse. The last coherent thing that occurs
CF \| to you is "Hey, since when do I own a…"
CF \|
CF \| Fish Bowl
CF \| Created by Ethan Rupp & Joshua Rupp.
CF \|
CF \| You wake up with the smell of the sea in your nostrils. You are
CF \| lying on your damp cot, and outside you can hear the wind grinding
CF \| against the weak walls of your shack. As your eyes focus, you take in
CF \| your surroundings: The only light in the one room shack comes from a
CF \| waxy window. There is a simple dresser missing one leg in the corner;
CF \| on top of the dresser is a grey glass fish bowl. You are fully dressed
CF \| in a white t-shirt and dirty green pants. You can't remember going to
CF \| bed last night; you must have collapsed on the cot like this.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bowl"
CF ] Shack 2
CF \|
CF \| > X BOWL
CF \|
CF \| It's an empty grey glass fish bowl, slightly dusty on the inside. You
CF \| can't for the life of you remember how you got it or, for that matter,
CF \| why you put it here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dresser"
CF ] Shack 3
CF \|
CF \| > X DRESSER
CF \|
CF \| It's a simple dresser missing one leg. It has one drawer. On top of
CF \| the dresser rests a grey glass Fish Bowl.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open drawer"
CF ] Shack 4
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN DRAWER
CF \|
CF \| You should get up first.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "get up"
CF ] Shack 5
CF \|
CF \| > GET UP
CF \|
CF \| You get off the cot.
CF \|
CF \| Shack
CF \| Outside you can hear the wind grinding against the weak walls of
CF \| the shack. The only light in the one room shack comes from a waxy
CF \| window. There is a simple dresser missing one leg in the corner; on
CF \| top of the dresser is a grey glass fish bowl.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| You can see your shack door here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open drawer"
CF ] Shack 6
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN DRAWER
CF \|
CF \| You open the drawer, revealing a paperback book.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x book"
CF ] Shack 7
CF \|
CF \| > X BOOK
CF \|
CF \| It is a book of sea legends. On the cover is a woodcut illustration of
CF \| a sea monster, mostly hidden underwater, wrapping its tentacles around
CF \| an old sailing ship.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x me"
CF ] Shack 8
CF \|
CF \| > X ME
CF \|
CF \| Larry Wyndam, beachcomber.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i"
CF ] Shack 9
CF \|
CF \| > I
CF \|
CF \| You are carrying:
CF \| your clothes (being worn)
CF \| canvas sneakers (being worn)
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis asks, "read book?"
		DavidW asks, "What if it's a SCARY book?"
		MoyTravis says, "Then it'd be a fun time."
		DavidW asks, "What if it sucks us into its story?"
		Knight_Otu asks, "What's the worst it could do to us?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read book"
CF ] Shack 10
CF \|
CF \| > READ BOOK
CF \|
CF \| (first taking the paperback book)
CF \| You flip through the book; most of the stories are about
CF \| adventurous exploits at sea, although there are a few concerning
CF \| sightings of mysterious beasts and strange encounters. A section has
CF \| been underlined in the middle of the book: "…the ship was found
CF \| adrift, completely abandoned. The rigging was intact, and the ship's
CF \| stores were filled. The sail flapped slowly in the wind. There was no
CF \| sign of the crew, or hint as to why they had disappeared." Peculiar.
CF \| Did you underline that? Maybe while "celebrating."
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "...oh, right, we're a beachcomber. Spoopy wrecks are good fortune, for us."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cot"
CF ] Shack 11
CF \|
CF \| > X COT
CF \|
CF \| It's a thin foam mattress lying on a long box. The loose yellow sheets
CF \| are always damp from the sea air.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take sheets"
CF ] Shack 11
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE SHEETS
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "God forever-damp sheets sounds like a living nightmare."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under cot"
CF ] Shack 12
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK UNDER COT
CF \|
CF \| You find nothing of interest.
CF \|
CF \| >		DavidW says, "I was hoping we could bring three sheets to the wind."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x door"
CF ] Shack 13
CF \|
CF \| > X DOOR
CF \|
CF \| The door is a piece of plywood on a hinge. The lock is a rope tied
CF \| around a nail on the inside.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] Shack 14
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| (that is, outside)
CF \| You must open the door first.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open door"
CF ] Shack 15
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN DOOR
CF \|
CF \| You open the door. A cool sea breeze touches your sweating skin.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] Shack 16
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| (that is, outside)
CF \| You reach for the door.
CF \|
CF \| ...CAN YOU don't I don't HEAR ME???!!!going down, we're
CF \| goingISEEYOUunderneath,
CF \| circlingunderneathTHEBEASTthebeastcirclingunderneathMURDERERnot,
CF \| amnot, amnot, amKILLEDicanseeHEARME?circlingunderneath.
CF \|
CF \| You clutch your forehead. What was that?
CF \|
CF \| >		Knight_Otu says, "Uh oh."
		Roger says, "well I appreciate Floyd not freaking out, anyway"
		MoyTravis asks, "That our pet telepathic kraken we keep to facilitate shipwrecks?"
		MoyTravis exclaims, "Or maybe...WE'RE a kraken!!!"
		DavidW says, "I see no choice but to put a dirty grey smelly fish bowl of unknown origin onto our head to protect us from the alien mind rays."
		Knight_Otu says, "Larry is a rather mundane name for a kraken."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bowl"
CF ] Shack 17
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE BOWL
CF \|
CF \| It is not wrong to carry around a fish bowl. You would be
CF \| breaking no laws. On the other hand, because one can do a
CF \| thing does not mean one should do a thing. You decide to
CF \| leave it where it is.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Yes let's wear the fish bowl."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in bowl"
CF ] Shack 18
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK IN BOWL
CF \|
CF \| The Fish Bowl is empty.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear bowl"
CF ] Shack 19
CF \|
CF \| > WEAR BOWL
CF \|
CF \| (first taking the Fish Bowl)
CF \| It is not wrong to carry around a fish bowl. You would be
CF \| breaking no laws. On the other hand, because one can do a
CF \| thing does not mean one should do a thing. You decide to
CF \| leave it where it is.
CF \|
CF \| >		DavidW says, "We can't wear it. Hooray!"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] The Beach 20
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| (that is, outside)
CF \| You step out onto the cold sand.
CF \|
CF \| The Beach
CF \| Your rubber boots are next to the rock that serves as your front step.
CF \| Around the shack is long dry grass and bits of broken glass. Down a
CF \| little ways to the north you see the grey shoreline, and then the
CF \| black, roaring ocean. There's a peculiar smell here.
CF \|
CF \| You can see your shack door, your rubber boots, a bucket (empty) and a
CF \| shovel here.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis asks, "x smell...?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x smell"
CF ] The Beach 20
CF \|
CF \| > X SMELL
CF \|
CF \| That noun did not make sense in this context.
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "smell"
CF ] The Beach 21
CF \|
CF \| > SMELL
CF \|
CF \| You sniff a putrescence in the air. You breathe carefully, trying to
CF \| winnow out its source. Soon, you find that it is coming from a dense
CF \| clump of beach grass.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "oooo, that smell"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x clump"
CF ] The Beach 22
CF \|
CF \| > X CLUMP
CF \|
CF \| Long, dry, green-blue grass that shivers against the sides of the
CF \| shack. The smell seems to be coming from within a large clump.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search clump"
CF ] The Beach 23
CF \|
CF \| > SEARCH CLUMP
CF \|
CF \| You push some of the grass aside, revealing the moist carcass of a
CF \| dead black cat. Blue-grey glimmering filaments of sticky rot
CF \| crisscross its matted black fur like a lattice. Its eyes are dull
CF \| yellow, going white with accumulated pus. You gag at the repulsive
CF \| smell.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "It's a dead dude ain't it."
		MoyTravis says, "Oh. Wow. Yikes."
		Jacqueline says, "Aw man"
		Roger says, "close enough"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cat"
CF ] The Beach 24
CF \|
CF \| > X CAT
CF \|
CF \| The moist carcass of a dead cat.
CF \|
CF \| >		Knight_Otu exclaims, "NO, NOT THE KITTY!"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take shovel"
CF ] The Beach 25
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE SHOVEL
CF \|
CF \| You give the shovel a sideways wrench and yank it out of the
CF \| ground. Dark, sticky fluid comes up with the blade and drips over your
CF \| feet.
CF \|
CF \| You focus your eyes. It's just trapped water from the wet sand.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, ""moist carcass""
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fluid"
CF ] The Beach 25
CF \|
CF \| > X FLUID
CF \|
CF \| That noun did not make sense in this context.
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear boots"
CF ] The Beach 26
CF \|
CF \| > WEAR BOOTS
CF \|
CF \| (first taking the rubber boots)
CF \| You sit on the rock and pull the worn rubber boots on over your
CF \| tattered canvas sneakers.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] The Beach 27
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| The Beach
CF \| Around the shack is long dry grass and bits of broken glass. Down a
CF \| little ways to the north you see the grey shoreline, and then the
CF \| black, roaring ocean. A foul smell comes from the body of a dead cat.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| On the grass is a dead cat.
CF \|
CF \| You can also see your shack door and a bucket (empty) here.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "this game has a weird resonance with Death Stranding"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "bury cat"
CF ] The Beach 28
CF \|
CF \| > BURY CAT
CF \|
CF \| Prudent. First, you'll need a hole. You really will.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig hole"
CF ] The Beach 29
CF \|
CF \| > DIG HOLE
CF \|
CF \| You heft the shovel, wincing at your aching shoulder. You feel
CF \| exhausted, as though you've already been digging all night.
CF \|
CF \| The ground is strangely soft and spongy. You gouge dark clots of
CF \| earth from the dampening sand and hum tunelessly to yourself. The hole
CF \| begins to grow.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "bury cat"
CF ] The Beach 30
CF \|
CF \| > BURY CAT
CF \|
CF \| That's not deep enough yet.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig hole"
CF ] The Beach 31
CF \|
CF \| > DIG HOLE
CF \|
CF \| A gust of wind from the sea starts to blow away the rancid air.
CF \| You feel better outside, with the growl of the ocean at your back.
CF \| This reminds you of playing in the sandbox when you lived in ...
CF \|
CF \| ... said that he no longer belonged aboard ship, and threw
CF \| himself over the side, quickly disappearing beneath the black water.
CF \| God have mercy on him.
CF \|
CF \| You have always lived here.
CF \|
CF \| The soft ground almost hisses away from you, forming a puckered
CF \| grave. Inside shining beach insects wriggle into the walls.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "Sorry, I got pulled away and just caught up when we encountered the dead cat, but Travis: yes. You are correct. Sheets eternally damp from the sea air are kind of terrible. Can confirm."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x insects"
CF ] The Beach 32
CF \|
CF \| > X INSECTS
CF \|
CF \| These are immature larvae of G. perigorea, from what you
CF \| remember, but the bugs were more Gabriel's bag, and ...
CF \| You shake your head. You don't know how much you drank last
CF \| night, but you can't remember meeting anyone named Gabriel.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Hey this game's kinda creepy."
		Jacqueline says, "Kinda."
		Knight_Otu asks, "Just "kinda"?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "bury cat"
CF ] The Beach 33
CF \|
CF \| > BURY CAT
CF \|
CF \| You shovel some dark sand over the body of the cat. Its tail and a
CF \| stiff paw emerge from the ground like roots. The smell isn't as bad,
CF \| now.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "wtf bury it more, dude"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "again"
CF ] The Beach 34
CF \|
CF \| > AGAIN
CF \|
CF \| That's buried, and you don't feel like digging it up again.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] The Beach 35
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| The Beach
CF \| You are standing outside a small, decrepit shack. Its walls are made
CF \| of various kinds of scrounged woods, all cracking. The shack door is
CF \| Open.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| You can see your shack door and a bucket (empty) here.
CF \|
CF \| >		Knight_Otu says, "Wow, we suck at burying cats."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bucket"
CF ] The Beach 36
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE BUCKET
CF \|
CF \| It must have rained last night. You pour out a stream of grey, sandy
CF \| rain water.
CF \|
CF \| Taken.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "The bucket appears to have been kicked by a cat recently."
		DavidW asks, "now what?"
		MoyTravis says, "Ha."
		Jacqueline asks, "Wait. 'Its tail and stiff paw emerge from the ground like roots'? Did we not do a better job with our grave digging?"
		Roger says, "maybe get seawater, fill bowl with it"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cat"
CF ] The Beach 37
CF \|
CF \| > X CAT
CF \|
CF \| That's buried, and you don't feel like digging it up again.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "Okay, I see I am late to the grave-digging criticism train."
		DavidW says, "Which way is the sea? This game doesn't seem to be big on compass directions."
		Jacqueline says, "It's ... not really taht buried."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w"
CF ] The Beach 38
CF \|
CF \| > W
CF \|
CF \| Later you might want to wander the shore looking for salvage, but not
CF \| right now.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 39
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| The Shore
CF \| You walk down to the shore. Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building
CF \| up where the surf meets the land. A dead, dry fish lies on the sand.
CF \| Sea water sparkles in its empty eye sockets. You see a bottle floating
CF \| on the waves close to shore.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| You can see a dead fish here.
CF \|
CF \| >		Knight_Otu says, "North, I... okay."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fish"
CF ] The Shore 40
CF \|
CF \| > X FISH
CF \|
CF \| A dead, dry fish, lying on the sand.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bottle"
CF ] The Shore 41
CF \|
CF \| > X BOTTLE
CF \|
CF \| A blue glass bottle bobbing out in the ocean.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take it"
CF ] The Shore 42
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE IT
CF \|
CF \| You can't reach that from here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "swim"
CF ] The Shore 43
CF \|
CF \| > SWIM
CF \|
CF \| (in the ocean)
CF \| You wade out into the dark water, until it comes a little over
CF \| your waist. You stand still, the cold water splashing against your
CF \| chest.
CF \|
CF \| As you stand there, you think about mermaids, creatures that
CF \| always terrified you when you were a child. You loathed the image of
CF \| sickly pale human faces ploughing through the black waves. Even though
CF \| they had human faces, their bodies were horrific - serpentine and
CF \| hidden in the water like roots. A man would walk into the ocean
CF \| towards the face, and when he saw what it really was it would be too
CF \| late.
CF \|
CF \| All that would be left was his footprints, heading into the sea.
CF \|
CF \| The Shore (in the ocean)
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land. A dead, dry fish lies on the sand. Sea water sparkles in its
CF \| empty eye sockets. You see a bottle floating on the waves close to
CF \| shore.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| You can see a dead fish here.
CF \|
CF \| A corked bottle floats just out of your reach. Inside, you can see a
CF \| scrap of wrinkled paper.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis asks, "Dead and dry?"
		Knight_Otu says, "Lotsa dead things around here."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bottle"		Jacqueline says, "ooh message"
CF ] The Shore 44
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE BOTTLE
CF \|
CF \| You should never let a message from the sea get away. It could
CF \| be from someone in need of rescue. You reach for it. It bobs farther
CF \| away, just out of your reach ...
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "go to bottle"
CF ] The Shore 44
CF \|
CF \| > GO TO BOTTLE
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bottle"
CF ] The Shore 45
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE BOTTLE
CF \|
CF \| You wade after the bottle. The cold water reaches your chest.
CF \|
CF \| Anglerfish tempt prey closer by proffering a false
CF \| appendage. This tentacle resembles whatever the other entity
CF \| desires.
CF \|
CF \| Specks of algae flitter through the black water. You
CF \| had not noticed before how much the ocean, when you are in it,
CF \| resembles space.
CF \|
CF \| It is only when it is too late that the mermaid's true
CF \| nature is revealed.
CF \|
CF \| The bottle sinks. You see it shimmer under the water.
CF \| You think you can still reach it if you hurry ...
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bottle"
CF ] The Shore 46
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE BOTTLE
CF \|
CF \| You reach into the darkness for the bottle. You face touches the
CF \| water. There is a voice in the bottle, and you can't remember the last
CF \| time you spoke to someone. You reach. Your fingers touch something
CF \| hard in the water.
CF \|
CF \| It wraps around your hand.
CF \|
CF \| You scream, pulling away. Whatever it is lets go. You stumble
CF \| backwards, wading clumsily back into the shallow surf. Your face is
CF \| cold with sweat. You wait for your heartbeat to slow.
CF \|
CF \| The deep waves of the ocean become the small ripples of the
CF \| shore. Their slithering whispers almost sounds like a voice to you.		MoyTravis says, "Hmm this seems like a bad idea, but let's do it anyways."
CF \|
CF \| Time and tide wait for no man, Larry Wyndham.
CF \|
CF \| But they wait for me.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] The Shore 47
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| As you turn to trudge out of the water, you feel something slide
CF \| past your leg. You shudder. Probably just a fish a little too close
CF \| inland.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| Damn, you seem to be missing something...
CF \|
CF \| The Shore
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land. A dead, dry fish lies on the sand. Sea water sparkles in its
CF \| empty eye sockets.
CF \|
CF \| You can see a dead fish here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i"
CF ] The Shore 48
CF \|
CF \| > I
CF \|
CF \| You are carrying:
CF \| a bucket
CF \| your rubber boots (being worn)
CF \| a shovel
CF \| your clothes (being worn)
CF \| canvas sneakers (being worn)
CF \|
CF \| >		DavidW asks, "What did we lose? Did we have the book?"
		MoyTravis asks, "The bottle...?"
		Roger says, "never go swimming in your rubber boots"
		Knight_Otu asks, "It might have been the book, I guess?"
		Jacqueline says, "So, should we put the dead fish in the fish bowl? I know that sounds wack, but..."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill bucket"
CF ] The Shore 49
CF \|
CF \| > FILL BUCKET
CF \|
CF \| (with the ocean)
CF \| You can't do that here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take water"
CF ] The Shore 50
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE WATER
CF \|
CF \| (the bucket)
CF \| You already have that.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bucket"
CF ] The Shore 51
CF \|
CF \| > X BUCKET
CF \|
CF \| A yellowing plastic bucket with an edge of green mildew around its
CF \| lip.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take fish"
CF ] The Shore 52
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE FISH
CF \|
CF \| You reach for the fish.
CF \|
CF \| ...i
CF \| didn'tiSHOWMEWHEREit'ssocoldOPENcan'tholdontoOPENcan'tididn'tOPENcircli
CF \| ngOPENcirclingbeneathOPEN!!!
CF \|
CF \| You open your eyes. You are curled on the sand, your hands
CF \| holding the sides of your head. You slowly stand up, your stomach
CF \| rolling; greasy sweat is trickling down your arms.
CF \|
CF \| There is a dead fish here.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "..."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g"
CF ] The Shore 53
CF \|
CF \| > G
CF \|
CF \| You carefully pick the fish up; for a moment it seems terribly
CF \| heavy, like a large sack of potatoes, but the feeling passes and you
CF \| lift it off the sand. You can feel its sharp, delicate bones beginning
CF \| to protrude from the network of drying, putrid scales. You find the
CF \| pugent smell strangely comforting.
CF \|
CF \| Taken.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Maybe we might wanna, like, walk inland. Find a different profession."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put fish in bucket"
CF ] The Shore 54
CF \|
CF \| > PUT FISH IN BUCKET
CF \|
CF \| You don't want to do that.
CF \|
CF \| >		Knight_Otu says, "Maybe we're already dead."
		DavidW asks, "Go home, put the fish in the bowl?"
		Jacqueline says (to Travis), "On the contrary, I suggest we walk into the sea. Just keep walking into the sea."
		lkcampbell says, "DTs"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 55
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \| You wade out into the dark water.
CF \|
CF \| The Shore (in the ocean)
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline asks (of DW), "That's ... yeah?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s"
CF ] The Shore 56
CF \|
CF \| > S
CF \|
CF \| You trudge out of the water.
CF \|
CF \| The Shore
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s"
CF ] The Beach 57
CF \|
CF \| > S
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| The Beach
CF \| Around the shack is long dry grass and bits of broken glass. Down a
CF \| little ways to the north you see the grey shoreline, and then the
CF \| black, roaring ocean.
CF \|
CF \| You can see your shack door here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x broken glass"
CF ] The Beach 57
CF \|
CF \| > X BROKEN GLASS
CF \|
CF \| That noun did not make sense in this context.
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x glass"
CF ] The Beach 58
CF \|
CF \| > X GLASS
CF \|
CF \| Pieces of glass glint in the sand. Some of the larger pieces come from
CF \| broken bottles. You look affectionately at some of the more familiar
CF \| pieces.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in"
CF ] Shack 59
CF \|
CF \| > IN
CF \|
CF \| You walk into your shack just as a male voice finishes leaving a
CF \| message on your answering machine:
CF \| "... whatever it is. It's not him anymore. It's … an animal. We
CF \| have to decide. You know what I think we should do... what we
CF \| have to do. Will you help me? Please. Please, help me." There
CF \| is a beep and the message ends. You stand in the doorway, confused.
CF \|
CF \| Wait... what answering machine?
CF \|
CF \| You walk into your shack just as a male voice finishes leaving a
CF \| message on your answering machine:
CF \| "... whatever it is. It's not him anymore. It's … an animal. We
CF \| have to decide. You know what I think we should do... what we
CF \| have to do. Will you help me? Please. Please, help me." There
CF \| is a beep and the message ends. You stand in the doorway, confused.
CF \|
CF \| Wait... what answering machine?
CF \|
CF \| Shack
CF \| This is a one room shack; the only light comes from a waxy
CF \| window. There is a damp cot in the corner, and a simple dresser with
CF \| one leg against the other wall. On top of the dresser is a grey glass
CF \| fish bowl.
CF \|
CF \| There is a small table next to the cot; on top of it is an
CF \| answering machine. A red light is blinking on the machine.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| On the dresser is a waterlogged paperback book.
CF \|
CF \| You can also see your shack door here.
CF \|
CF \| >		lkcampbell says, "Maybe we drank what was in the fish bowl last night"
		Knight_Otu says, "A glitch in the Matrix."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put dead fish in bowl"
CF ] Shack 60
CF \|
CF \| > PUT DEAD FISH IN BOWL
CF \|
CF \| You carefully lower the dead fish into the fish bowl. Its
CF \| emaciated form settles to the bottom with a bony scrape; through the
CF \| foggy grey glass, it looks strangely vulnerable.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis asks, "I - is the game glitching or did they just write that twice to make us thing it is?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x machine"
CF ] Shack 61
CF \|
CF \| > X MACHINE
CF \|
CF \| It's a standard answering machine, which was most decidedly not
CF \| there when you left. You don't even have electricity, which leads you
CF \| to wonder, as your eyes wander downwards ...
CF \|
CF \| Yep. You don't have outlets, so it's not plugged in. Logical
CF \| enough. Yet the message light is blinking ...
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push machine"
CF ] Shack 62
CF \|
CF \| > PUSH MACHINE
CF \|
CF \| It is fixed in place.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "Yeah, I'm sure we're either dead or in some other way very Not Okay."
		MoyTravis says, "Smash it to bits."
		Roger says, "from the game-design school of 'when in doubt, try adding a new object' mindset"
		Knight_Otu says, "I suspect the latter, but it could be a game glitch."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push light"
CF ] Shack 62
CF \|
CF \| > PUSH LIGHT
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "play machine"
CF ] Shack 63
CF \|
CF \| > PLAY MACHINE
CF \|
CF \| The tape begins to play. There is a muted crackling noise, and
CF \| then the message starts:
CF \| "... You have no new messages. They have gone into the sea."
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline asks, "Listen to machine, maybe?"
		Jacqueline says, "Oh, or that."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z"
CF ] Shack 64
CF \|
CF \| > Z
CF \|
CF \| Time passes.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "You... you have gone into the sea."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] Shack 65
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| Shack
CF \| This is a one room shack; the only light comes from a waxy
CF \| window. There is a damp cot in the corner, and a simple dresser with
CF \| one leg against the other wall. On top of the dresser is a grey glass
CF \| fish bowl.
CF \|
CF \| There is a small table next to the cot; on top of it is an
CF \| answering machine. The machine appears to be dead.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| On the dresser is a waterlogged paperback book.
CF \|
CF \| You can also see your shack door here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x book"
CF ] Shack 66
CF \|
CF \| > X BOOK
CF \|
CF \| It is a waterlogged book of sea legends. On the cover is a woodcut
CF \| illustration of a sea monster, mostly hidden underwater, wrapping its
CF \| tentacles around an old sailing ship.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read it"
CF ] Shack 67
CF \|
CF \| > READ IT
CF \|
CF \| (first taking the waterlogged paperback book)
CF \| The book has been largely obliterated from being under water,
CF \| but one passage still stands out from the grimy paper:
CF \|
CF \| "... he was found three days later, floating near the reef.
CF \| Miraculously he still lived, and we pulled him aboard, even though he
CF \| struggled against our attempts. He told us that he no longer belonged
CF \| aboard ship. Though previously an able sailor, it was clear to us that
CF \| his ordeal in the sea had taken his reason from him. We tried to
CF \| restrain him, but he eluded us; standing on the bow of the ship, he
CF \| said again that he no longer belonged aboard ship, and threw himself
CF \| over the side, quickly disappearing beneath the black water. God have
CF \| mercy on him."
CF \|
CF \| You put the book down; sea water begins to ooze from its sides, only
CF \| gradually slowing to a trickle.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Hmm."
		DavidW asks, "Now what?"
		MoyTravis says, "I guess we go get eaten by the mermaid or kraken or whatever."
		Jacqueline asks, "The waterlogged bit is new, right?"
		DavidW says, "yes"
		MoyTravis says, "Yeah."
		MoyTravis says, "It's a different text too."
		Jacqueline says, "Yeah"
		Roger says, "This is like the anti-Shade"
		DavidW asks, "I suppose we can go outside again?"
		MoyTravis asks, "Or we...can we x bowl & fish before we do?"
		Jacqueline says (to Roger), "ha"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bowl"
CF ] Shack 68
CF \|
CF \| > X BOWL
CF \|
CF \| It's an empty grey glass fish bowl, slightly dusty on the inside. You
CF \| can't for the life of you remember how you got it or, for that matter,
CF \| why you put it here.
CF \|
CF \| In the Fish Bowl is a dead fish.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dead fish"
CF ] Shack 69
CF \|
CF \| > X DEAD FISH
CF \|
CF \| It's emaciated form looks strangely vulnerable.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "i"
CF ] Shack 70
CF \|
CF \| > I
CF \|
CF \| You are carrying:
CF \| a bucket
CF \| your rubber boots (being worn)
CF \| a shovel
CF \| your clothes (being worn)
CF \| canvas sneakers (being worn)
CF \|
CF \| >		Knight_Otu asks, "Pour water into the bowl?"
		Jacqueline says, "Yeah."
		Roger says, "one fish, two fish"
		DavidW says, "I wasn't able to acquire any water."
		Jacqueline says, "I was checking to see if we had water in our bucket, but we do not."
		MoyTravis asks, "What does it say if we try to do it though?"
		Jacqueline says, "Oh - you were not able to acquire water. And you can't take the bown to the sea."
		Jacqueline says, "huh"
		MoyTravis asks, ""pour bucket into bowl"?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour bucket into bowl"
CF ] Shack 71
CF \|
CF \| > POUR BUCKET INTO BOWL
CF \|
CF \| No more water remains in the bucket.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] The Beach 72
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| (that is, outside)
CF \| You step out onto the cold sand.
CF \|
CF \| The Beach
CF \| Around the shack is long dry grass and bits of broken glass. Down a
CF \| little ways to the north you see the grey shoreline, and then the
CF \| black, roaring ocean.
CF \|
CF \| You can see your shack door here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s"
CF ] The Beach 73
CF \|
CF \| > S
CF \|
CF \| Later you might want to wander the shore looking for salvage, but not
CF \| right now.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 74
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| The Shore
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x foam"
CF ] The Shore 75
CF \|
CF \| > X FOAM
CF \|
CF \| Yellow foam builds up on the shore.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis asks, "scoop?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "scoop foam"
CF ] The Shore 75
CF \|
CF \| > SCOOP FOAM
CF \|
CF \| That's not a verb I recognise.
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take foam"
CF ] The Shore 76
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE FOAM
CF \|
CF \| Er ... no.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take water"
CF ] The Shore 77
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE WATER
CF \|
CF \| (the bucket)
CF \| You already have that.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill bucket"
CF ] The Shore 78
CF \|
CF \| > FILL BUCKET
CF \|
CF \| (with the ocean)
CF \| You can't do that here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 79
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \| You wade out into the dark water.
CF \|
CF \| The Shore (in the ocean)
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill bucket"
CF ] The Shore 80
CF \|
CF \| > FILL BUCKET
CF \|
CF \| (with the ocean)
CF \| You fill the bucket up with water from the ocean.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s"
CF ] The Shore 81
CF \|
CF \| > S
CF \|
CF \| You trudge out of the water.
CF \|
CF \| The Shore
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "hooray"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s"
CF ] The Beach 82
CF \|
CF \| > S
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| The Beach
CF \| Around the shack is long dry grass and bits of broken glass. Down a
CF \| little ways to the north you see the grey shoreline, and then the
CF \| black, roaring ocean.
CF \|
CF \| You can see your shack door here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in"
CF ] Shack 83
CF \|
CF \| > IN
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| Shack
CF \| This is a one room shack; the only light comes from a waxy
CF \| window. There is a damp cot in the corner, and a simple dresser with
CF \| one leg against the other wall. On top of the dresser is a grey glass
CF \| fish bowl.
CF \|
CF \| There is a small table next to the cot; on top of it is an
CF \| answering machine. The machine appears to be dead.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| On the dresser is a waterlogged paperback book.
CF \|
CF \| You can also see your shack door here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour bucket into bowl"
CF ] Shack 84
CF \|
CF \| > POUR BUCKET INTO BOWL
CF \|
CF \| The bucket is now empty: the Fish Bowl is now partially full of
CF \| water
CF \| You pour the brackish water over the dead fish.
CF \|
CF \| The dead fish seems rejuvenated by the dousing; a thin layer of
CF \| slime is developing on its scales, and the hollows in its eyes are
CF \| beginning to cake with inky meat.
CF \|
CF \| Unfortunately, there isn't enough water in the bowl.
CF \| >		Knight_Otu says, "Huh."
		Roger says, "There's a similar plot point in one of the Spongebob movies"
		DavidW says, "You'd think the bucket would carry more water than the bowl would"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] The Beach 85
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| (that is, outside)
CF \| You step out onto the cold sand.
CF \|
CF \| The Beach
CF \| Around the shack is long dry grass and bits of broken glass. Down a
CF \| little ways to the north you see the grey shoreline, and then the
CF \| black, roaring ocean.
CF \|
CF \| You can see your shack door here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 86
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| The Shore
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Thank you for your Spongebob knowledge."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 87
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \| You wade out into the dark water.
CF \|
CF \| The Shore (in the ocean)
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land.
CF \|
CF \| >		Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, you would think so."
		MoyTravis says, "Well, sure. Also, the mental image of this fish un-decomposing is kinda gross."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill bucket"
CF ] The Shore 88
CF \|
CF \| > FILL BUCKET
CF \|
CF \| (with the ocean)
CF \| You fill the bucket up with water from the ocean.
CF \|
CF \| >		lkcampbell says, "Tardis Bowl"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s"
CF ] The Shore 89
CF \|
CF \| > S
CF \|
CF \| You have a strange feeling as you leave the ocean. You can't tell
CF \| whether you live on the shore and walked into the sea, or live in the
CF \| sea and just walked onto the land. You hold your eyes shut, and the
CF \| disorientation passes.
CF \|
CF \| The Shore
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s"
CF ] The Beach 90
CF \|
CF \| > S
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| The Beach
CF \| Around the shack is long dry grass and bits of broken glass. Down a
CF \| little ways to the north you see the grey shoreline, and then the
CF \| black, roaring ocean.
CF \|
CF \| You can see your shack door here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in"
CF ] Shack 91
CF \|
CF \| > IN
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| Shack
CF \| This is a one room shack; the only light comes from a waxy
CF \| window. There is a damp cot in the corner, and a simple dresser with
CF \| one leg against the other wall. On top of the dresser is a grey glass
CF \| fish bowl.
CF \|
CF \| There is a small table next to the cot; on top of it is an
CF \| answering machine. The machine appears to be dead.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| On the dresser is a waterlogged paperback book.
CF \|
CF \| You can also see your shack door here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour bucket into bowl"
CF ] Shack 92
CF \|
CF \| > POUR BUCKET INTO BOWL
CF \|
CF \| The bucket is now empty: the Fish Bowl is now full.
CF \|
CF \| You fill the fish bowl with water. You can't believe the fish
CF \| was ever dead - it is an elegant, slim creature that moodily swims
CF \| back and forth in the bowl.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "It's hard to complain about a game making you do pointless things when that may be the point of the game"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fish"
CF ] Shack 93
CF \|
CF \| > X FISH
CF \|
CF \| (the fish)
CF \| You are getting more exhausted.
CF \|
CF \| It is a grey, slim fish with intelligent eyes. It swims slowly back
CF \| and forth.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis asks, "Return it to the sea...?"
		DavidW asks, "You think we can take the bowl now?"
		Jacqueline says, "Yeah. Try."
		MoyTravis exclaims, "Try't!"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bowl"
CF ] Shack 94
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE BOWL
CF \|
CF \| You are getting more exhausted.
CF \|
CF \| It is not wrong to carry around a fish bowl. You would be
CF \| breaking no laws. On the other hand, because one can do a
CF \| thing does not mean one should do a thing. You decide to
CF \| leave it where it is.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "all that shoddy cat burial and fish revivification can really tucker someone out"
		Jacqueline says, "huh"
		Jacqueline says (to Roger), "heh"
		MoyTravis says, "I guess we...can't. Hmm."
		DavidW says, "I think we need to lie down on the cot. Exhausted, we are."
		Jacqueline says, "Oh, possibly"
		MoyTravis says, "Yeah, sure."
		Knight_Otu exclaims, "Fish is draining our unlife!"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "get on cot"
CF ] The Shelter 95
CF \|
CF \| You collapse on the cot. You can't find where your mind ends and
CF \| the sound of the ocean begins. They are both an interconnecting knot.
CF \| You plunge into darkness, green darkness that rushes over you with a
CF \| wet gurgle.
CF \|
CF \| In the fog of your dream, the fish looks at you through the
CF \| glass of the fish bowl, the water around it turning sickly pink. You
CF \| feel a terrible guilt, a sorrow you can't explain or contain.
CF \|
CF \| "Forgive me," you say.
CF \|
CF \| The water lowers in the fish bowl. The fish withers, becomes
CF \| desiccated, and lies on the bottom of the dry glass.
CF \|
CF \| For a moment while you sleep you remember who you are and you
CF \| start screaming, but the darkness fills your mouth and chokes you, and
CF \| you wake remembering nothing.
CF \|
CF \| Through the waxy window, you can tell that it's dark outside.
CF \|
CF \| The Shelter (on the cot)
CF \| You are inside a hastily constructed shell made of pieces of
CF \| sheet metal and plastic welded together. One wall is open, with a
CF \| flapping piece of tarp serving as the only protection from the wind.
CF \| Bits of equipment litter the sandy ground.
CF \| A recording device rests on the ground. The message light is
CF \| blinking.
CF \|
CF \| There is a mirror propped against the wall. A partially buried
CF \| helmet lies nearby. There is a fish bowl on top of a stainless steel
CF \| piece of equipment. A dead fish lies inside. A long crack is beginning
CF \| to form down the side of the bowl.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "time for a damp nap"
		MoyTravis says, "...uh."
lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x crack"
CF ] The Shelter 95
CF \|
CF \| > X CRACK
CF \|
CF \| That noun did not make sense in this context.
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "get up"
CF ] The Shelter 96
CF \|
CF \| > GET UP
CF \|
CF \| You get off the cot.
CF \|
CF \| The Shelter
CF \| You are inside a hastily constructed shell made of pieces of
CF \| sheet metal and plastic welded together. One wall is open, with a
CF \| flapping piece of tarp serving as the only protection from the wind.
CF \| Bits of equipment litter the sandy ground.
CF \| A recording device rests on the ground. The message light is
CF \| blinking.
CF \|
CF \| There is a mirror propped against the wall. A partially buried
CF \| helmet lies nearby. There is a fish bowl on top of a stainless steel
CF \| piece of equipment. A dead fish lies inside. A long crack is beginning
CF \| to form down the side of the bowl.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x me"
CF ] The Shelter 97
CF \|
CF \| > X ME
CF \|
CF \| Your skin has taken on a grey sheen. Your breath, when you make
CF \| yourself breath, comes out in a quiet hiss of steam. It smells like
CF \| seawater.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i"
CF ] The Shelter 98
CF \|
CF \| > I
CF \|
CF \| You are carrying:
CF \| your rubber boots (being worn)
CF \| your clothes (being worn)
CF \| canvas sneakers (being worn)
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x mirror"
CF ] The Shelter 99
CF \|
CF \| > X MIRROR
CF \|
CF \| You stand in front of the mirror propped against the wall. Your eyes
CF \| are growing farther apart, turning black and cold, like marbles. Your
CF \| skin has taken on a grey sheen. Your breath, when you make yourself
CF \| breath, comes out in a quiet hiss of steam. It smells like seawater.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis exclaims, "Oh, we're not a kraken, we're a fishman!"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x helmet"
CF ] The Shelter 100
CF \|
CF \| > X HELMET
CF \|
CF \| Where the bucket was, there is now a helmet half buried in the cold
CF \| sand. It's constructed of bent grey chrome, and its transparent visor
CF \| has cracked. On the side is etched the name WYNDHAM, L.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fish"
CF ] The Shelter 101
CF \|
CF \| > X FISH
CF \|
CF \| (the Helmet)
CF \| Where the bucket was, there is now a helmet half buried in the cold
CF \| sand. It's constructed of bent grey chrome, and its transparent visor
CF \| has cracked. On the side is etched the name WYNDHAM, L.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dead fish"
CF ] The Shelter 102
CF \|
CF \| > X DEAD FISH
CF \|
CF \| (the Helmet)
CF \| Where the bucket was, there is now a helmet half buried in the cold
CF \| sand. It's constructed of bent grey chrome, and its transparent visor
CF \| has cracked. On the side is etched the name WYNDHAM, L.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "I'm loving this, fwiw."
		MoyTravis says, "uh, what is going on, game."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x machine"
CF ] The Shelter 103
CF \|
CF \| > X MACHINE
CF \|
CF \| It is a sophisticated black recording device, torn away from a panel.
CF \| Its message light is blinking.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "play machine"
CF ] The Shelter 104
CF \|
CF \| > PLAY MACHINE
CF \|
CF \| ... Doctor Gabriel Lucas, ship's scientist. This will probably
CF \| be my last log. I found Janice on the beach just now. Larry killed
CF \| her. She went looking for him, and he killed her. She should have
CF \| waited for me, of course, but she hasn't ... didn't accept what I
CF \| know. I hope this message gets to someone. This planet is almost
CF \| completely ocean, so I'll think of this as a message in a bottle.
CF \| Our engines failed when we entered the atmosphere. Laurence
CF \| Wyndham was the ship's pilot. He ejected the emergency pod, and we
CF \| crashed into the ocean near a small land mass. The pod had been
CF \| damaged and broke apart on impact; Bob and Dewey were killed. Janice,
CF \| me and Larry were hanging on to debris in the water. It was cold; we
CF \| were having trouble hanging on.
CF \| I know I thought at the time ... I'm most certain now, that
CF \| something was in the water with us. I remember feeling that something
CF \| was wrong, beyond the obvious. Something was ...
CF \| ... circling beneath ...
CF \| "... circling beaneath us. Larry couldn't hold onto the
CF \| wreckage. He went under. Janice and me swam ashore with some of the
CF \| wreckage. Larry was under more than five minutes, but he came up after
CF \| us while we dragged the remains onto the beach. He seemed unchanged.
CF \| It is my belief that Lawrence Wyndham was somehow ... infected
CF \| by an unknown form of life in the oceans of this planet ..."
CF \| ...
CF \| it'ssocoldOPENcan'tholdontoOPENcan'tididn'tiOPENcirclingOPENcirclingben
CF \| eathOPEN!!!
CF \| ...
CF \| "... at night, his appearance underwent alteration. I have no
CF \| surviving equipment to track this process, but his body is becoming
CF \| ..."
CF \| ...
CF \| underneath,circlingunderneathTHEBEASTthebeastiscirclingunderneathMURDER
CF \| ERnot,amnot,amKILLEDicanseeHEARME?circlingunderneath
CF \| ...
CF \| "... infected ..."
CF \| ... beneathcirclingbeneathOPENseeyouIseeOPENcircling ...
CF \| "... it's becoming ..."
CF \| ... circlingCAN'THOLDONbeneathTHEBEASTcan'tholdon ...
CF \| "... it is my belief that Laurence Wyndham is dead."
CF \| The voice grinds down to a syrupy rumble as the recording device
CF \| breaks down.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Cool. That's a heckuva context shift."
		Roger says, "it was... a trap..."
		Jacqueline says (to Travis), "Yeah. It's pretty cool."
		MoyTravis says, "Anyways let's fill this bucket up again and complete our fishman transformation so we can go live in the sea, with all the other fishpeople."
		DavidW says, "The bucket is a helmet now."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take helmet"
CF ] The Shelter 105
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE HELMET
CF \|
CF \| As you reach for the helmet, you see the skeleton of a fish. You close
CF \| your eyes. You cannot take this.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "And we are perhaps not a permanent fishman, just a nighttime fishman."
		Knight_Otu asks, "Werefish?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] The Shelter 106
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| The Shelter
CF \| You are inside a hastily constructed shell made of pieces of
CF \| sheet metal and plastic welded together. One wall is open, with a
CF \| flapping piece of tarp serving as the only protection from the wind.
CF \| Bits of equipment litter the sandy ground.
CF \| A recording device rests on the ground. It appears to be dead.
CF \|
CF \| There is a mirror propped against the wall. A partially buried
CF \| helmet lies nearby. There is a fish bowl on top of a stainless steel
CF \| piece of equipment. A dead fish lies inside. A long crack is beginning
CF \| to form down the side of the bowl.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline exclaims (at KO), "Ha! Yes!"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bowl"
CF ] The Shelter 107
CF \|
CF \| > X BOWL
CF \|
CF \| A long crack has formed down the side of the grey glass fish bowl;
CF \| many smaller, finer cracks are growing out of it. The slightest touch
CF \| could cause the bowl to shatter.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| In the Fish Bowl is a dead fish.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "I wonder if that cat is still a cat"
		MoyTravis asks, "x equipment?"
		DavidW says, "break the bowl"
		Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Oh goodness. The cat."
		Jacqueline asks, "Yeah, what was the point of the cat?"
		MoyTravis says, "...huh. Yeah, I'm curious now."
		DavidW says, "Maybe that was Janice."
		Jacqueline says, "Hm. Yeah. Maybe."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bowl"
CF ] The Shelter 108
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE BOWL
CF \|
CF \| You grab the fish bowl, noticing as you do that your hands look
CF \| different than usual ...
CF \|
CF \| Before you have time to think about this, though, the fish bowl
CF \| shatters in a clean shriek of glass.
CF \|
CF \| The fish bowl is gone, replaced with the body of Janice. The
CF \| body is still fairly fresh, and the wound in her throat glistens where
CF \| someone bit out her esophagus.
CF \|
CF \| You can still taste the memory of blood in your mouth.
CF \|
CF \| >		Knight_Otu says, "Was the cat... actually one of the crewmemb... right."
		MoyTravis asks, "The...fish bowl was Janice?"
		Knight_Otu blinks.
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x janice"
CF ] The Shelter 109
CF \|
CF \| > X JANICE
CF \|
CF \| Janice is slumped in a broken pile on the ground. Her throat has been
CF \| recently savaged, and her blood has been absorbed by the dark sand.
CF \|
CF \| >		lkcampbell says, "the cake is a lie"
		MoyTravis asks, "...eat Janice?"
		Jacqueline says, "Where.. 'someone' bit out her esophagus. Someone."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i"
CF ] The Shelter 110
CF \|
CF \| > I
CF \|
CF \| You are carrying:
CF \| your rubber boots (being worn)
CF \| your clothes (being worn)
CF \| canvas sneakers (being worn)
CF \|
CF \| >		Knight_Otu says, "AKA us."
		lkcampbell says, "so we put a dead fish in Janice and filled her with water"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take janice"
CF ] The Shelter 111
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE JANICE
CF \|
CF \| The iron taste in your mouth intensifies just looking at her. It
CF \| sickens you that you are not sickened.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says (to KO), "Yeah"
		lkcampbell says, "and she cracked and broke"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "eat janice"
CF ] The Shelter 112
CF \|
CF \| > EAT JANICE
CF \|
CF \| (first taking Janice)
CF \| The iron taste in your mouth intensifies just looking at her. It
CF \| sickens you that you are not sickened.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis asks, "...we tried to convert her to a fishperson and it didn't take?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] The Shelter 113
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| The Shelter
CF \| You are inside a hastily constructed shell made of pieces of
CF \| sheet metal and plastic welded together. One wall is open, with a
CF \| flapping piece of tarp serving as the only protection from the wind.
CF \| Bits of equipment litter the sandy ground.
CF \| A recording device rests on the ground. It appears to be dead.
CF \|
CF \| There is a mirror propped against the wall. A partially buried
CF \| helmet lies nearby.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline takes another bite of her breakfast while she reads the transcript.
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x tarp"
CF ] The Shelter 114
CF \|
CF \| > X TARP
CF \|
CF \| A flapping piece of tarp, serving as your only protection from the
CF \| wind.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] The Beach 115
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| (that is, outside)
CF \| You push the tarp aside and walk out of the makeshift tent. Where you
CF \| buried the cat you notice, with the memory of a feeling, a scrap of
CF \| green sleeve sticking out from the dark sand.
CF \| You step out onto the cold sand.
CF \|
CF \| The Beach
CF \| You are standing outside the hastily constructed shell of your
CF \| shelter. The makeshift tent is made from pieces of sheet metal and
CF \| plastic welded together, with flapping piece of tarp your only
CF \| protection from the wind. Bits of obscure equipment litter the sandy
CF \| ground, salvaged from the wreck.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| You can see a partially buried sleeve here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sleeve"
CF ] The Beach 116
CF \|
CF \| > X SLEEVE
CF \|
CF \| It is a scrap of sleeve from a green jacket. A little farther up a
CF \| piece of collar emerges from the sand mound. You can barely make out
CF \| yellow lettering, saying: "Gabriel ..." but the rest of the name is
CF \| covered in sand.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Oh that was definitely the doctor then."
		MoyTravis exclaims, "Confirmed!"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 117
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \| You pause as you walk to the shore, and take some of the sand
CF \| from the beach in your hand. When you were a child, you built
CF \| sandcastles from this substance. You let the sand fall through your
CF \| changing fingers. This world has never known a castle.
CF \|
CF \| As you walk to the shore, you watch how the moon has broken
CF \| apart in slivers on the surface of the inky water. You keep muttering
CF \| to yourself, like a mantra: "All that would be left were his
CF \| footprints, heading out to sea. All that would be left were his
CF \| footprints, heading out to sea."
CF \| You are standing on the shore. Out in the water, you see a
CF \| figure standing.
CF \|
CF \| The Shore
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land. The moon has broken apart in slivers on the inky water. Out in
CF \| the water, you see a figure standing.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x figure"
CF ] The Shore 118
CF \|
CF \| > X FIGURE
CF \|
CF \| You can't make out any details from here. It is a large silhouette,
CF \| its angles and lines completely alien to you.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x moon"
CF ] The Shore 118
CF \|
CF \| > X MOON
CF \|
CF \| That noun did not make sense in this context.
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "make sandcastle"
CF ] The Shore 118
CF \|
CF \| > MAKE SANDCASTLE
CF \|
CF \| That's not a verb I recognise.
CF \| >		MoyTravis exclaims, "Let's go say hi to our new fishperson friend!"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 118
CF \|
CF \| As you tread out into the cold water, you hear the grainy,
CF \| recorded voice in your head: "Laurence Wyndham is dead."
CF \| You're the master of your own destiny, Larry Wyndham,
CF \| you think. Another day, another dollar, Larry Wyndham.
CF \| You wade up to your waist. In the water, you feel your skin
CF \| change. The figure stands over you. It reaches down to touch your
CF \| face.
CF \|
CF \| The wind blows sand over the footprints on the beach. In less than a
CF \| day, it's as though they've never been there.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| * The End *
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT or UNDO the last
CF \| command?
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Hooray! That was, in fact, pretty short."
		Jacqueline says, "It was."
		Roger says, "mmhmmm"
		Knight_Otu says, "And creepy."
		Jacqueline says, "And it's funny how we started out as a drunk beachcomber but this is how it ended."
		lkcampbell says, "ah, the old "the fish bowl is a murder victim and the dead cat is a doctor" trope"
		Roger says, "as a drunker, more-delusional beachcomber"
		Jacqueline says (to Lance), "ha"
		lkcampbell says, "that old chestnut"
		Jacqueline says, "Indeed"
		Jacqueline says, "It's overdone, really."
		lkcampbell says, "well it was original"
		Jacqueline says, "Just kidding, author! This was very original."
		lkcampbell says, "I will give it that"
		Jacqueline says, "Yes"
		Jacqueline says, "Memorable."
		Roger says, "part of that genre I think of, perhaps unfairly, as twine-before-twine"
		MoyTravis says, "Yeah I had no expectations going in other than "short" but it threw me pretty good."
		MoyTravis asks, "Huh. Why? 'cuz it's short and focused on internal character rather than puzzles?"
		Roger says, "yeah, I guess, and most of the interactions feel, to me anyway, of the 'PRESS X TO USE' sort of variety."
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "restart"
CF ] Shack 1
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| "All that would be left was his footprints, heading into the
CF \| sea."
CF \|
CF \| You're master of your own destiny, Larry Wyndham. Another day,
CF \| another dollar, Larry Wyndham. And above all remember: Time and tide
CF \| wait for no man. You aren't just a drunk beachcomber - you
CF \| are Larry Wyndham the drunk beachcomber. What you need, the sea shall
CF \| provide. Eventually. You hope.
CF \| As you stumble into your shack, your body covered in sweat and
CF \| your mind reeling, you don't have much time to take in your
CF \| surroundings before you collapse. The last coherent thing that occurs
CF \| to you is "Hey, since when do I own a…"
CF \|
CF \| Fish Bowl
CF \| Created by Ethan Rupp & Joshua Rupp.
CF \|
CF \| You wake up with the smell of the sea in your nostrils. You are
CF \| lying on your damp cot, and outside you can hear the wind grinding
CF \| against the weak walls of your shack. As your eyes focus, you take in
CF \| your surroundings: The only light in the one room shack comes from a
CF \| waxy window. There is a simple dresser missing one leg in the corner;
CF \| on top of the dresser is a grey glass fish bowl. You are fully dressed
CF \| in a white t-shirt and dirty green pants. You can't remember going to
CF \| bed last night; you must have collapsed on the cot like this.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "about"
CF ] Shack 1
CF \|
CF \| > ABOUT
CF \|
CF \| That's not a verb I recognise.
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "credits'"
CF ] Shack 1
CF \|
CF \| > CREDITS'
CF \|
CF \| That's not a verb I recognise.
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "credits"
CF ] Shack 1
CF \|
CF \| > CREDITS
CF \|
CF \| That's not a verb I recognise.
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "Darn"
		MoyTravis asks, "Does it let us walk into the ocean and drown ourselves at the start?"
		Jacqueline asks, "Just swim away like the little fishy sea monster that we are, you mean?"
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "get up"
CF ] Shack 2
CF \|
CF \| > GET UP
CF \|
CF \| You get off the cot.
CF \|
CF \| Shack
CF \| Outside you can hear the wind grinding against the weak walls of
CF \| the shack. The only light in the one room shack comes from a waxy
CF \| window. There is a simple dresser missing one leg in the corner; on
CF \| top of the dresser is a grey glass fish bowl.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| You can see your shack door here.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Mrmyep."
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] Shack 3
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| (that is, outside)
CF \| You must open the door first.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "open door"
CF ] Shack 4
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN DOOR
CF \|
CF \| You open the door. A cool sea breeze touches your sweating skin.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] Shack 5
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| (that is, outside)
CF \| You reach for the door.
CF \|
CF \| ...CAN YOU don't I don't HEAR ME???!!!going down, we're
CF \| goingISEEYOUunderneath,
CF \| circlingunderneathTHEBEASTthebeastcirclingunderneathMURDERERnot,
CF \| amnot, amnot, amKILLEDicanseeHEARME?circlingunderneath.
CF \|
CF \| You clutch your forehead. What was that?
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] The Beach 6
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| (that is, outside)
CF \| You step out onto the cold sand.
CF \|
CF \| The Beach
CF \| Your rubber boots are next to the rock that serves as your front step.
CF \| Around the shack is long dry grass and bits of broken glass. Down a
CF \| little ways to the north you see the grey shoreline, and then the
CF \| black, roaring ocean. There's a peculiar smell here.
CF \|
CF \| You can see your shack door, your rubber boots, a bucket (empty) and a
CF \| shovel here.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Beach 7
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \| The smell is strong; you want to find out what's causing it first.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take shovel"
CF ] The Beach 8
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE SHOVEL
CF \|
CF \| You give the shovel a sideways wrench and yank it out of the
CF \| ground. Dark, sticky fluid comes up with the blade and drips over your
CF \| feet.
CF \|
CF \| You focus your eyes. It's just trapped water from the wet sand.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "bury cat"
CF ] The Beach 8
CF \|
CF \| > BURY CAT
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Oh, it railroads you."
		Jacqueline says, "Totally"
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x liquid"
CF ] The Beach 8
CF \|
CF \| > X LIQUID
CF \|
CF \| That noun did not make sense in this context.
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x fluid"
CF ] The Beach 8
CF \|
CF \| > X FLUID
CF \|
CF \| That noun did not make sense in this context.
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "dig"
CF ] The Beach 9
CF \|
CF \| > DIG
CF \|
CF \| You heft the shovel, wincing at your aching shoulder. You feel
CF \| exhausted, as though you've already been digging all night.
CF \|
CF \| The ground is strangely soft and spongy. You gouge dark clots of
CF \| earth from the dampening sand and hum tunelessly to yourself. The hole
CF \| begins to grow.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "placed 12th of 28 in 2012 ifcomp, which kinda sounds exactly right"
		MoyTravis asks, "Yeah, I can see the "Twine-like"-ness, but that kinda collapses any parser game where the interactions aren't puzzles into Twine-like, doesn't it?"
		DavidW says, "You need to search the clump to find the cat."
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "search clump"
CF ] The Beach 10
CF \|
CF \| > SEARCH CLUMP
CF \|
CF \| You push some of the grass aside, revealing the moist carcass of a
CF \| dead black cat. Blue-grey glimmering filaments of sticky rot
CF \| crisscross its matted black fur like a lattice. Its eyes are dull
CF \| yellow, going white with accumulated pus. You gag at the repulsive
CF \| smell.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Hahaha, yeah, that sounds pretty fair."
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "bury clump"
CF ] The Beach 11
CF \|
CF \| > BURY CLUMP
CF \|
CF \| You don't want to bury that.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "bury cat"
CF ] The Beach 12
CF \|
CF \| > BURY CAT
CF \|
CF \| That's not deep enough yet.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "dig grave"
CF ] The Beach 13
CF \|
CF \| > DIG GRAVE
CF \|
CF \| A gust of wind from the sea starts to blow away the rancid air.
CF \| You feel better outside, with the growl of the ocean at your back.
CF \| This reminds you of playing in the sandbox when you lived in ...
CF \|
CF \| ... said that he no longer belonged aboard ship, and threw
CF \| himself over the side, quickly disappearing beneath the black water.
CF \| God have mercy on him.
CF \|
CF \| You have always lived here.
CF \|
CF \| The soft ground almost hisses away from you, forming a puckered
CF \| grave. Inside shining beach insects wriggle into the walls.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says (to Moy), "It's not an exact science; just a feeling I have."
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Beach 14
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \| If you leave without burying the cat, birds will come. From a
CF \| distance, it will be obvious that they are eating something dead on
CF \| your lawn. And then people will think you are crazy. This is a hassle
CF \| you don't need.
CF \|
CF \| Granted, you do live alone in a shack, you're a drunk,
CF \| and your memory is shot to hell. Also granted, there is a
CF \| dead animal on your lawn. Then again, you have no idea how it got
CF \| there. Which other people will definitely take into account when you
CF \| explain how not crazy you are. Because the world is a warm and
CF \| welcoming place for scavengers fallen upon hard times.
CF \|
CF \| Yeah. Better bury the cat.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "wow"
		lkcampbell asks, "BTW did you all finish Lydia's Heart?"
		Jacqueline exclaims, "We did!"
		Jacqueline says, "Somehow."
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "bury cat"
CF ] The Beach 15
CF \|
CF \| > BURY CAT
CF \|
CF \| You shovel some dark sand over the body of the cat. Its tail and a
CF \| stiff paw emerge from the ground like roots. The smell isn't as bad,
CF \| now.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "'We' did, in the sense that DavidW did and the rest of us were very impressed."
		lkcampbell says, "That's impressive"
		Knight_Otu says, "Heh, somehow."
		Jacqueline says (to Roger), "hahaha yeah"
		Knight_Otu says, "Thanks to David."
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 16
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| The Shore
CF \| You walk down to the shore. Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building
CF \| up where the surf meets the land. A dead, dry fish lies on the sand.
CF \| Sea water sparkles in its empty eye sockets. You see a bottle floating
CF \| on the waves close to shore.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| You can see a dead fish here.
CF \|
CF \| >		DavidW says, "You guys did help."
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 17
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \| You don't want to go into the water wearing only these canvas shoes;
CF \| it's easy to cut yourself up in there.
CF \|
CF \| >		DavidW says, "It wasn't just me."
		MoyTravis says, "Ha! See, like, this feels very contemporary right now. Like our author's internal monologue is contemporary, but we're in fact in the future and on an alien world."
		Roger says, "tragically our spacecraft's navigator was Cat Stevens"
		Jacqueline says (to Game), "UGH"
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "s"
CF ] The Beach 18
CF \|
CF \| > S
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| The Beach
CF \| Around the shack is long dry grass and bits of broken glass. Down a
CF \| little ways to the north you see the grey shoreline, and then the
CF \| black, roaring ocean.
CF \|
CF \| You can see your shack door, your rubber boots and a bucket (empty)
CF \| here.
CF \|
CF \| >		lkcampbell says, "That was a tough game, what I saw of it"
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take boots"
CF ] The Beach 19
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE BOOTS
CF \|
CF \| Taken.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "wear boots"
CF ] The Beach 20
CF \|
CF \| > WEAR BOOTS
CF \|
CF \| You sit on the rock and pull the worn rubber boots on over your
CF \| tattered canvas sneakers.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 21
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| The Shore
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land. A dead, dry fish lies on the sand. Sea water sparkles in its
CF \| empty eye sockets. You see a bottle floating on the waves close to
CF \| shore.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| You can see a dead fish here.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 22
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \| You wade out into the dark water, until it comes a little over
CF \| your waist. You stand still, the cold water splashing against your
CF \| chest.
CF \|
CF \| As you stand there, you think about mermaids, creatures that
CF \| always terrified you when you were a child. You loathed the image of
CF \| sickly pale human faces ploughing through the black waves. Even though
CF \| they had human faces, their bodies were horrific - serpentine and
CF \| hidden in the water like roots. A man would walk into the ocean
CF \| towards the face, and when he saw what it really was it would be too
CF \| late.
CF \|
CF \| All that would be left was his footprints, heading into the sea.
CF \|
CF \| The Shore (in the ocean)
CF \| Yellow, strong-smelling foam is building up where the surf meets the
CF \| land. A dead, dry fish lies on the sand. Sea water sparkles in its
CF \| empty eye sockets. You see a bottle floating on the waves close to
CF \| shore.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| You can see a dead fish here.
CF \|
CF \| A corked bottle floats just out of your reach. Inside, you can see a
CF \| scrap of wrinkled paper.
CF \|
CF \| >		lkcampbell says, "The transcript must be pretty big"
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n"
CF ] The Shore 23
CF \|
CF \| > N
CF \|
CF \| You daren't go any farther. The undertow will catch you.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "And there's our answer."
		Knight_Otu asks, "It'll be. It was what, six, sevensessions?"
		DavidW says, "I kept trying TAKE BOTTLE here."
		Roger says, "I give props to this game for mostly explaining itself in the conclusion, anyway; my usual complaint about this sort of game is finishing and feeling like I don't understand anything."
		lkcampbell says, "like a David Lynch movie"
		Jacqueline says, "haha. My music playlist just switched to 'Rock Lobster' and ... it's kind of sinister in this context."
		lkcampbell says, "well, certain David Lynch movies...the Lynchiest of the Lynch movies"
		DavidW asks, "Is there another short game we might play today?"
		Jacqueline says, "I guess this is the only game these guys made, and they both have the same last name, which is why I was looking for >ABOUT text."
		Knight_Otu asks, "One of the short Spring Thing floydables perhaps?"
		Roger says, "apparently there's some other short game from 2012 called Fingertips by someone or other"
		DavidW says, "There's about seven Fingertips games."
		Jacqueline says, "From one of the reviews:"
		Jacqueline \| This game hooked me right away.
		Jacqueline says, "I see what they did there."
		Knight_Otu asks, "Aren't the Fingertips games ones you've played before?"
		DavidW says, "I've played them, yes."
		Jacqueline says, "That was... Emily. Emily said that. Wow."
		Roger says, "Apparently I skipped all the IF in 2012"
		Jacqueline says (to KO), "Played them and wrote one of them, yes."
		MoyTravis asks, "Is Fingertips, like, a collaborative series?"
		DavidW says, "The Fingertips games are part of the Apollo 18+20 event, each based on a different track on the album."
		Knight_Otu says, "As I recall, they were tribute games to a band, along with several others."
		DavidW says, "They Might Be Giants, iirc."
		Jacqueline says, "yeah"
		MoyTravis says, "Huh, okay."
		DavidW says, "er Must"
		Jacqueline says, "I had never heard the album before writing that. They needed some folks to pick up some of the tracks, so."
		Jacqueline says, "I think my game has zero relationship to its song, but that was explicitly not a requirement of the project."
		lkcampbell says, "there aren't too many parser games in Spring Thing 2021."
		MoyTravis says, "I wonder if ParserComp gobbled them all up."
		DavidW says, "just 5, I think"
		lkcampbell says, "The weight of a soul is supposed to be really long"
		Knight_Otu says, "Three of them are described as short, I believe."
		DavidW says, "I think only Weight of a Soul is long. I finished the others quickly enough."
		Roger says, "now I do kinda feel like playing Shade again, if that'd be new to anyone"
		MoyTravis says, "Even Mean Mother Trucker? That one's listed as "full"."
		MoyTravis says, "I'd be down I ain't seen it before."
		DavidW says, "yes, I finished MMT."
		DavidW says, "It's not that large a game."
		DavidW says, "Larger than this one was, though, definitely."
		Jacqueline asks (of Travis), "You haven't played Shade?"
		Jacqueline asks, "Or MMT?"
		MoyTravis says, "Nooope! Played neither."
		DavidW says, "MMT is by Bitter Karella, one of my favourite authors lately."
		Jacqueline asks, "Shade isn't super short, is it?"
		Jacqueline asks, "I can't recall?"
		Roger says, "Shade's quite short yeah"
		Jacqueline says, "Part of me thinks it is--okay."
		Roger says, "I also haven't played MMT"
		DavidW says, "Shade's short. There's only two rooms to it."
		Jacqueline says, "Well, I'd enjoy watching someone play Shade after having just played this."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "list s"
CF ] The Shore 23
CF \|
CF \| > LIST S
CF \|
CF \| That's not a verb I recognise.
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "quit"
CF ] The Shore 23
CF \|
CF \| > QUIT
CF \|
CF \| Are you sure you want to quit?		MoyTravis says, "I'm vaguely intersted to discover why you described this as the Anti-shade, ha."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "y"
CF \| Are you sure you want to quit?
CF \| > Y
CF \| debugcheapnitfol quit with exit status: 0
CF asks, "That game over already? It was just getting good. Wanna play another?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "load sleepmask shade"
CF ] Your apartment, on your futon
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| * SHADE *
CF \| A brief story by "Ampe R. Sand" (Andrew Plotkin)
CF \| First-time players should type "about".
CF \| Release 3 / Serial number 001127 / Inform v6.21 Library 6/10
CF \|
CF \| Odd, how the light just makes your apartment gloomier. Pre-dawn
CF \| darkness pools in the corners and around the tops of walls. Your desk
CF \| lamp glares yellow, but the shadows only draw your eyes and deepen.
CF \|
CF \| Not much of an apartment, no. One desk, paper-piled, with a dusty
CF \| computer shoved to the side. Your futon. Second-hand stereo sitting on
CF \| a cardboard crate. A kitchen nook one way and a bathroom nook the
CF \| other, with a closet to the side. A broad mirror tries to make the
CF \| place seem twice its size; it halfway works. One window, whose shade
CF \| is down, and the front door firmly shut.
CF \|
CF \| Your luggage is piled untidily by the door. A potted hyacinth sits
CF \| beneath the window.
CF \|
CF \| You are sprawled on the futon, staring up into that gloom. Your eyes
CF \| feel gritty. But it's too late -- early -- no time left for sleep,
CF \| anyway. In a few hours your ride will arrive.
CF \|
CF \| On the desk are your to-do list and a travel book.
CF \|
CF \| >		DavidW says, "I've played this already."
		MoyTravis says, "I think everybody but me has."
		Roger says, "you have control, MT"
		MoyTravis says, "Oh no. Now I have to think instead of repeatedly x-ing the same thing a dozen times."
		lkcampbell says, "Okay gotta cruise, thanks for the game."
lkcampbell goes home.		MoyTravis says, "See ya - oh. F."
MoyTravis says (to ClubFloyd), "sleep"
CF ] Your apartment, on your futon
CF \|
CF \| > SLEEP
CF \|
CF \| You've been trying all night. It's not going to happen, no matter how
CF \| long you lie here.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger asks, "would it be helpful to stop and restart the transcripting bot, or is it okay to have a 2-in-1?"
		Jacqueline says, "It's fine."
		Jacqueline says, "The transcripts are often combined."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x list"
CF ] Your apartment, on your futon
CF \|
CF \| > X LIST
CF \|
CF \| You won't accomplish much while slumped on the futon. That's been
CF \| getting slowly more apparent for hours now.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > STAND
CF \|
CF \| You lever yourself upright. Umf. It's amazing how much lack of sleep
CF \| feels like a hangover, only without the preceding party.
CF \|
CF \| >
MoyTravis says (to ClubFloyd), "get up"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > GET UP
CF \|
CF \| The taxi isn't here yet.
CF \|
CF \| Come to think of it, as with a hangover, dehydration is probably the
CF \| problem. Your mouth is dry wool.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Oh, wait, you can drive."
		Jacqueline says, "Who can? You're doing great."
		Roger says, "which you do you mean, the you or the you"
		Jacqueline says, "You're the only one who hasn't played it, I think."
		Jacqueline says (to Roge3r), "ha"
		Jacqueline says, "er, Roger"
		Jacqueline says, "We're just here for the nostalgia, and to cheer you on."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x list"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X LIST
CF \|
CF \| You sit down at the desk.
CF \|
CF \| The task list for your impending journey is a mess of crossed-out
CF \| items and scribbled corrections. However, everything seems to have
CF \| gotten done. The last line reads "Call taxi", and it has its
CF \| checkmark, and here you wait.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis asks, "??? David, presumably?"
		DavidW says, "I suppose I'm being impartient."
		Jacqueline says, "Oh."
		MoyTravis says, "I have no objections to watching."
		Jacqueline says, "Yeah, let Travis have the wheel."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x luggage"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X LUGGAGE
CF \|
CF \| You've packed and repacked: breakdown tent, dried food, sunscreen,
CF \| compass, mylar space-blanket, long underwear and showoff tats, walking
CF \| shoes and dancing shoes and hiking shoes. You're ready for the Death
CF \| Valley Om.
CF \|
CF \| (As ready as you're likely to get. It is, of course, the Death Valley
CF \| Om -- half arts festival, half cult, a week in the deep desert where
CF \| people show off, have sex, take drugs, and maintain a twenty-four-hour
CF \| constant OM. Sand, heat, and thousands of throats. A space
CF \| outside the world; with no dues except that you join in the chant, as
CF \| much as is in you to chant.)
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "Unless Travis doesn't want the wheel, I guess."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x hyacinth"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X HYACINTH
CF \|
CF \| This plant is your one claim to actual responsibility. The hyacinth
CF \| sits by the window, soaking up sunlight (when it's not night) and
CF \| managing to thrive despite your lack of gardening skill. Although it
CF \| looks a little parched at the moment.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x kitchenette"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X KITCHENETTE
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x kitchen"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X KITCHEN
CF \|
CF \| You stand up.
CF \|
CF \| The kitchen alcove has a refrigerator, a sink, a stove, and barely
CF \| enough space to stand between them. One wall projects out to form a
CF \| counter, with a cupboard beneath it.
CF \|
CF \| On the kitchen counter is a glass.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take glass"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE GLASS
CF \|
CF \| You step into the kitchen nook.
CF \|
CF \| Taken.
CF \|
CF \| You're still feeling thirsty.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on sink"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > TURN ON SINK
CF \|
CF \| (the kitchen sink)
CF \| Nothing comes from the tap but an eerie distant howling. The kitchen
CF \| sink hasn't worked since you moved in.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter bathroom"
CF ] Your apartment, in the bathroom nook
CF \|
CF \| > ENTER BATHROOM
CF \|
CF \| You step out of the kitchen nook, and step into the bathroom nook.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on sink"
CF ] Your apartment, in the bathroom nook
CF \|
CF \| > TURN ON SINK
CF \|
CF \| (the bathroom sink)
CF \| You spin the tap. The pipes sound like an indigestive mammoth, but
CF \| water does dribble out of the faucet. Reassured, you turn the tap back
CF \| off.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill glass"
CF ] Your apartment, in the bathroom nook
CF \|
CF \| > FILL GLASS
CF \|
CF \| The faucet rattles, and water dribbles into the glass.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, ""one room" that was a lie, or at least a not-quite-lie."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drink water"
CF ] Your apartment, in the bathroom nook
CF \|
CF \| > DRINK WATER
CF \|
CF \| (the glassful of water)
CF \| You gulp the water. It feels vaguely astringent in your mouth,
CF \| unsatisfying. Well, no doubt thirst will be more real after you fly to
CF \| California --
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill glass"
CF ] Your apartment, in the bathroom nook
CF \|
CF \| > FILL GLASS
CF \|
CF \| The faucet rattles, and water dribbles into the glass.
CF \|
CF \| -- Fly? Where did you leave your plane tickets?
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "water hyacinth"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > WATER HYACINTH
CF \|
CF \| You step out of the bathroom nook.
CF \|
CF \| You water the plant.
CF \|
CF \| You hate this feeling. It happens all the time. Something
CF \| safely accomplished, and then pow, you have to worry about it again.
CF \| Unfair! The tickets must be here somewhere.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search luggage"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > SEARCH LUGGAGE
CF \|
CF \| You quickly pop open each suitcase and riffle through, trying not to
CF \| disarrange your tidy packing too badly. Nope. The tickets aren't
CF \| there.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| You survey your one small room. One desk, paper-piled, with a dusty
CF \| computer shoved to the side. Your futon. Second-hand stereo sitting on
CF \| a cardboard crate. A kitchen nook one way and a bathroom nook the
CF \| other, with a closet to the side. A broad mirror tries to make the
CF \| place seem twice its size; it halfway works. One window, whose shade
CF \| is down, and the front door firmly shut.
CF \|
CF \| The place is still too dim, except the corner where the desk lamp is
CF \| somehow too bright.
CF \|
CF \| Your luggage is piled untidily by the door. A potted hyacinth sits
CF \| beneath the window.
CF \|
CF \| On the desk are your to-do list and a travel book.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x book"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X BOOK
CF \|
CF \| You sit down at the desk.
CF \|
CF \| The Schmendrick's Guide to Desert Camping -- you've been
CF \| studying it for weeks now. Vast alien reams of information:
CF \| perspiration rates, sunburn factors, tent guying, and how to make a
CF \| condensation still out of a trashbag and a tin can. You could probably
CF \| write the book out longhand from memory; and none of it means a damn
CF \| thing to you.
CF \|
CF \| (That's why you're going on this trip, after all. Nothing is
CF \| off-limits at the Om. "Law ends at sea level." In one place in the
CF \| country, for one week, a community is formed from pure will. No
CF \| enforcement; only desire, and the knowledge of what the desert can do.
CF \| And the Om. Every religion chants, you remember reading that.)
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search desk"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > SEARCH DESK
CF \|
CF \| You carefully tilt up piles of paper, trying to avoid an avalanche.
CF \| Nope. The tickets aren't there.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open closet"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN CLOSET
CF \|
CF \| You stand up.
CF \|
CF \| The closet has no door. It might have once, if those are hinge-marks
CF \| on the frame, but that must have been several tenants and a dozen
CF \| coats of paint ago.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in closet"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK IN CLOSET
CF \|
CF \| The closet (if you can call it that) is a shallow recess next to the
CF \| bathroom. Peering into the (ahem) depths, you see an old jacket and a
CF \| vacuum cleaner.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search jacket"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > SEARCH JACKET
CF \|
CF \| You root through the jacket's myriad pockets. Nope. The tickets aren't
CF \| -- Aha. They are, after all. The tickets slide to the floor
CF \| and lie there, smirking at you.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take tickets"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE TICKETS
CF \|
CF \| Taken. Something scrapes underfoot as you bend to pick the tickets up.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x tickets"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X TICKETS
CF \|
CF \| Your round-trip tickets to California. You stare at them for a moment
CF \| -- lost in the idea of the desert.
CF \|
CF \| The sound of a helicopter comes faintly through the closed window.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open shades"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN SHADES
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open window"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN WINDOW
CF \|
CF \| The window-glass is sealed; it can't open or close. Some notion of
CF \| thermal efficiency. Truthfully, you like it that way.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| You survey your one small room. One desk, paper-piled, with a dusty
CF \| computer shoved to the side. Your futon. Second-hand stereo sitting on
CF \| a cardboard crate. A kitchen nook one way and a bathroom nook the
CF \| other, with a closet to the side. A broad mirror tries to make the
CF \| place seem twice its size; it halfway works. One window, whose shade
CF \| is down, and the front door firmly shut.
CF \|
CF \| The place is still too dim, except the corner where the desk lamp is
CF \| somehow too bright.
CF \|
CF \| Your luggage is piled untidily by the door. A potted hyacinth sits
CF \| beneath the window.
CF \|
CF \| On the desk are your to-do list and a travel book.
CF \|
CF \| You can see a trace of sand here.
CF \|
CF \| The helicopter is getting closer.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sand"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X SAND
CF \|
CF \| A trace of sand is visible on the living room floor.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take sand"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE SAND
CF \|
CF \| You scrape up a pinch of sand. It runs through your fingers; it's
CF \| sand.
CF \|
CF \| The sound of the helicopter is fading now.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on stereo"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > TURN ON STEREO
CF \|
CF \| The stereo buzzes, hunts, and then locates its station. Ah, your
CF \| favorite small-time indy worldbeat/techno station. At least you think
CF \| that's what they call it. It's a pretty stream-of-consciousness
CF \| format.
CF \|
CF \| The room fills with the sound of an Indo-Basque chant.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take vacuum"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE VACUUM
CF \|
CF \| Taken. (Awkwardly.)
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "There's a vaccuum cleaner in the cabinet."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "vacuum sand"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > VACUUM SAND
CF \|
CF \| Just "vacuum". When you clean, it's pretty much cleaning the whole
CF \| area.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "vacuum"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > VACUUM
CF \|
CF \| You squeeze the handle, and the vacuum cleaner begins humming
CF \| industriously. You run it back and forth on the floor. But it only
CF \| seems to spread the sand around. In fact, it looks like there's more
CF \| sand than before you started.
CF \|
CF \| You can barely hear the helicopter any more.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a Hispano-Nigerian chant.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > G
CF \|
CF \| You squeeze the handle, and the vacuum cleaner begins humming
CF \| industriously. You run it back and forth on the floor. But it only
CF \| seems to spread the sand around. In fact, it looks like there's more
CF \| sand than before you started.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cleaner"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X CLEANER
CF \|
CF \| The vacuum cleaner is a "luggable" model -- meaning that it's awkward
CF \| to carry, but too small to be really efficient. Fortunately, you don't
CF \| generate a lot of dust.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "change channel"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > CHANGE CHANNEL
CF \|
CF \| That's not a verb I recognize.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x radio"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X RADIO
CF \|
CF \| The stereo is old, dating from the era when matte-black, featureless,
CF \| and opaque were the watchwords of hipness. It still works, however, as
CF \| the strains of a Hispano-Nigerian chant demonstrate.
CF \|
CF \| >
Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "listen"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > LISTEN
CF \|
CF \| You are listening to a Hispano-Nigerian chant.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing an Antarcto-Dominican tune.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read tickets"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > READ TICKETS
CF \|
CF \| Your round-trip tickets to California.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| You survey your one small room. One desk, paper-piled, with a dusty
CF \| computer shoved to the side. Your futon. Second-hand stereo sitting on
CF \| a cardboard crate. A kitchen nook one way and a bathroom nook the
CF \| other, with a closet to the side. A broad mirror tries to make the
CF \| place seem twice its size; it halfway works. One window, whose shade
CF \| is down, and the front door firmly shut.
CF \|
CF \| The place is still too dim, except the corner where the desk lamp is
CF \| somehow too bright.
CF \|
CF \| Your luggage is piled untidily by the door. A potted hyacinth sits
CF \| beneath the window.
CF \|
CF \| On the desk are your to-do list and a travel book.
CF \|
CF \| You can see some sand here.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "This person's apartment is very depressing."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x mirror"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X MIRROR
CF \|
CF \| The far side of the mirror is just as shadowy as this one. It's
CF \| probably meant as commentary; not more space, just more of the same.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x computer"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X COMPUTER
CF \|
CF \| You sit down at the desk.
CF \|
CF \| The computer is years old, and incompatible with just about everything
CF \| but electricity. You use it for writing -- at least, you try to
CF \| believe that you do.
CF \|
CF \| Right now, however, there's a game on the screen -- one of the text
CF \| adventures, or interactive fictions, or whatever they are this month
CF \| -- the only kind of game your beige antique can run, anyway.
CF \|
CF \| The you-have-died message is blinking morosely at you. You started up
CF \| Ready, Okay! last night, trying to distract yourself until
CF \| morning. But you can't get even halfway through without running out of
CF \| insulin.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "play game"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > PLAY GAME
CF \|
CF \| You've tried everything you can think of twice, and you're tired of
CF \| trying. Maybe an idea will come to you later.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing an Austro-Andean fugue.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn off computer"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > TURN OFF COMPUTER
CF \|
CF \| You hit the power key; the computer gives a tiny sigh and shuts down.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x crate"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X CRATE
CF \|
CF \| The crate your computer arrived in. It's dented and disreputable now,
CF \| but still serves the time-honored purpose of holding your stereo up.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "vacuum"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > VACUUM
CF \|
CF \| You can't use the vacuum cleaner while sitting.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > STAND
CF \|
CF \| You stand up.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "vacuum"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > VACUUM
CF \|
CF \| You squeeze the handle, and the vacuum cleaner begins humming, albeit
CF \| with a bit of a whine. You run it back and forth on the floor. But it
CF \| only seems to spread the sand around. In fact, it looks like there's
CF \| more sand than before you started.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a calm Atlantean (?) song.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open vacuum"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN VACUUM
CF \|
CF \| You pop open the vacuum cleaner's casing. Sand spills out -- all over
CF \| the floor. What the hell?
CF \|
CF \| The stereo clicks as a calm Atlantean (?) song ends and the hourly
CF \| news comes on. What? Morning must have arrived, although the world
CF \| outside is still dark. The taxi should be showing up soon.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x closet"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X CLOSET
CF \|
CF \| The closet is a shallow recess next to the bathroom. Peering into the
CF \| depths, you see an old jacket.
CF \|
CF \| "More allegations of campaign finance misconduct..." (Oh, fascinating
CF \| news day.)
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x jacket"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X JACKET
CF \|
CF \| Your jacket hangs in the closet. This is, of course, your old
CF \| jacket -- vaguely waterproof but definitely ratty -- suitable only for
CF \| errands around the city. Your new jacket, windproof
CF \| weatherproof sandproof Xoron(tm), suitable for desert hiking, is
CF \| neatly packed away in your luggage.
CF \|
CF \| (Not that luggage is the important part. The experience is supposed to
CF \| be transformative. And, frankly, you're in need of transformation.
CF \| Another month of this and you'll indistinguishable from this apartment
CF \| -- beige, featureless, and up for cheap rent. At the Death Valley Om,
CF \| they say, you may be sunburnt and thirsty and exhausted, but you're
CF \| alive. Nothing sounds better. You're planning to try the solo Zen
CF \| night hiking.)
CF \|
CF \| "Sharp words between the superpowers today..." (Huh? There are still
CF \| superpowers?)
CF \|
CF \| >		Knight_Otu asks, "Those news are timeless, aren't they?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x kitchen"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X KITCHEN
CF \|
CF \| The kitchen alcove has a refrigerator, a sink, a stove, and barely
CF \| enough space to stand between them. One wall projects out to form a
CF \| counter, with a cupboard beneath it.
CF \|
CF \| "Three people reported missing at the Death Valley Om in
CF \| California..." (Hang on.) "The popular desert arts festival was shaken
CF \| yesterday when three attendees failed to return from moonlight hikes.
CF \| State police are searching the area." (You resolve to read that desert
CF \| camping book one more time.)
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fridge"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X FRIDGE
CF \|
CF \| It's yellow. Beyond that, it looks like every other refrigerator in
CF \| the United States.
CF \|
CF \| It must be morning, after all -- your metabolism is starting to
CF \| ratchet up to daytime levels.
CF \|
CF \| "In the business pages, stocks are down..." (You once again lose
CF \| interest.)
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN IT
CF \|
CF \| You step into the kitchen nook.
CF \|
CF \| You open the refrigerator, revealing a jar of peanut butter.
CF \|
CF \| You're definitely getting hungry.
CF \|
CF \| "And that's, um... far out. Back to the groove, folks," and an
CF \| Antarcto-Hmong fugue begins.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take jar"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE JAR
CF \|
CF \| Taken.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN IT
CF \|
CF \| You unscrew the lid... with an unexpected grating sound. Something
CF \| sifts to the floor.
CF \|
CF \| The peanut butter jar is full of sand.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in jar"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK IN JAR
CF \|
CF \| The jar is open, but it contains no peanut butter. Instead, it is
CF \| packed with sand.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop jar"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > DROP JAR
CF \|
CF \| Dropped (in the kitchen nook).
CF \|
CF \| The fridge door swings shut.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a Sino-Hmong song.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open oven"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN OVEN
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open stove"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN STOVE
CF \|
CF \| That's not something you can open.
CF \|
CF \| Your stomach rumbles.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open cupboard"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN CUPBOARD
CF \|
CF \| You open the cupboard, revealing a box of crackers.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open crackers"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN CRACKERS
CF \|
CF \| You pull on the box top. It's stuck, somehow. You yank --
CF \|
CF \| The top tears away, and white sand sprays out of the box.
CF \|
CF \| This is getting to be too much. You consider which of your friends
CF \| might have snuck in here and set all of this up. No... mmm... nobody,
CF \| really.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis asks, "...are you, in fact, dying in the desert?"
		MoyTravis asks, "Also x the to-do list?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x list"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X LIST
CF \|
CF \| You step out of the kitchen nook, and sit down at the desk.
CF \|
CF \| The task list for your impending journey is a mess of crossed-out
CF \| items and scribbled corrections. Dammit, yet another item you missed
CF \| -- you have to water the plant.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on bathroom sink"
CF ] Your apartment, in the bathroom nook
CF \|
CF \| > TURN ON BATHROOM SINK
CF \|
CF \| You stand up, and step into the bathroom nook.
CF \|
CF \| With an eerie hiss, dry white sand boils from the faucet. You yank at
CF \| the tap, but the bathroom sink is already full, and sand spilling on
CF \| the floor.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing an Austro-Andean tune.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it off"
CF ] Your apartment, in the bathroom nook
CF \|
CF \| > TURN IT OFF
CF \|
CF \| The bathroom sink isn't running.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on kitchen sink"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > TURN ON KITCHEN SINK
CF \|
CF \| You step out of the bathroom nook, and step into the kitchen nook.
CF \|
CF \| With an eerie hiss, dry white sand boils from the faucet. You yank at
CF \| the tap, but the kitchen sink is already full, and sand spilling on
CF \| the floor.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x plant"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > X PLANT
CF \|
CF \| This plant is your one claim to actual responsibility. The spider
CF \| plant sits by the window, soaking up sunlight (when it's not night)
CF \| and managing to thrive despite your lack of gardening skill. Although
CF \| it looks very dry.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open fridge"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN FRIDGE
CF \|
CF \| You open the refrigerator.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in it"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK IN IT
CF \|
CF \| The refrigerator is empty.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a repetitive Slavic melody.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close it"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > CLOSE IT
CF \|
CF \| You close the refrigerator.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open door"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN DOOR
CF \|
CF \| Which do you mean, the front door or the closet?
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "front"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > FRONT
CF \|
CF \| You step out of the kitchen nook.
CF \|
CF \| The sun hasn't risen; what light you have would just leak out into the
CF \| night. Anyway, the taxi hasn't arrived, so there's nowhere to go.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bed"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X BED
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x futon"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X FUTON
CF \|
CF \| The futon is definitely on the downhill side of life's rolling knolls.
CF \| It serves as both couch and bed, if inadequately in each case, which
CF \| makes it the most important piece of furniture you own.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search it"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > SEARCH IT
CF \|
CF \| There is nothing on your futon.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under it"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK UNDER IT
CF \|
CF \| You bend down, and see little but a bit of sand.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a Balto-Hmong tune.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sit on futon"
CF ] Your apartment, on your futon
CF \|
CF \| > SIT ON FUTON
CF \|
CF \| You sit down.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] Your apartment, on your futon
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| You survey your one small room. One desk, paper-piled, with a dusty
CF \| computer shoved to the side. Your futon, upon which you sit.
CF \| Second-hand stereo sitting on a cardboard crate. A kitchen nook one
CF \| way and a bathroom nook the other, with a closet to the side. A broad
CF \| mirror tries to make the place seem twice its size; it halfway works.
CF \| One window, whose shade is down, and the front door firmly shut.
CF \|
CF \| The place is still too dim, except the corner where the desk lamp is
CF \| somehow too bright.
CF \|
CF \| Your luggage is piled untidily by the door. A potted spider plant sits
CF \| beneath the window.
CF \|
CF \| On the desk are your to-do list and a travel book.
CF \|
CF \| You can see a thin layer of sand lying on the floor.
CF \|
CF \| In the kitchen nook you can see a jar of sand and some sand.
CF \|
CF \| In the bathroom nook you can see a trace of sand.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x list"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X LIST
CF \|
CF \| You stand up, and sit down at the desk.
CF \|
CF \| The task list for your impending journey is a mess of crossed-out
CF \| items and scribbled corrections. In the middle of the page, you see:
CF \| - clean out closet
CF \| - buy stereo stand
CF \| - don't leave stove on
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take jacket"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE JACKET
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x closet"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X CLOSET
CF \|
CF \| You stand up.
CF \|
CF \| The closet is a shallow recess next to the bathroom. It's closed.
CF \|
CF \| Wait. Didn't the closet lack a door when you moved in?
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a calm Dominican lullaby.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open closet"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN CLOSET
CF \|
CF \| You reach for the knob; then hesitate; then reach again.
CF \|
CF \| You might as well not have bothered. The closet door bursts off its
CF \| hinges before you can touch it. You leap back, barely avoiding the
CF \| cracking plywood as it smashes to the floor, buried in the torrent of
CF \| sand that is pouring out of the closet.
CF \|
CF \| After a few seconds, the room is still again.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x stereo"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X STEREO
CF \|
CF \| The stereo is old, dating from the era when matte-black, featureless,
CF \| and opaque were the watchwords of hipness. It still works, however, as
CF \| the strains of a calm Dominican lullaby demonstrate.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x box"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X BOX
CF \|
CF \| The box is open, but it contains no crackers. Instead, it is packed
CF \| with sand.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x crate"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X CRATE
CF \|
CF \| The crate your computer arrived in. It's dented and disreputable now,
CF \| but still serves the time-honored purpose of holding your stereo up.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a Filipo-Shaker chant.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open crate"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN CRATE
CF \|
CF \| You barely touch it, and the heavy cardboard abruptly tears. Sand
CF \| pours out across the living room floor. The stereo sags; in moments,
CF \| the crate is reduced to paper rags, which are immediately buried in
CF \| the sand.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x list"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X LIST
CF \|
CF \| You sit down at the desk.
CF \|
CF \| The task list for your impending journey is a mess of crossed-out
CF \| items and scribbled corrections. In the middle of the page, you see:
CF \| - don't leave stove on
CF \| - defrost refrigerator
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn off stove"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > TURN OFF STOVE
CF \|
CF \| You stand up, and step into the kitchen nook.
CF \|
CF \| The stove is already off.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on stove"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > TURN ON STOVE
CF \|
CF \| You turn the knob -- click. Then the stove emits a loud crackle. The
CF \| burner frosts white, although you can feel the heat radiating from it;
CF \| bits of its substance seem to be flaking away. Thermal shock? you have
CF \| time to think. And then the entire burner arrangement slumps into
CF \| white sand, which runs down off the stove.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open fridge"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN FRIDGE
CF \|
CF \| You pull open the refrigerator, and try not to flinch as a wall of
CF \| sand rushes out and buries your feet.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing an angry Sumerian song.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x list"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X LIST
CF \|
CF \| You step out of the kitchen nook, and sit down at the desk.
CF \|
CF \| The task list for your impending journey is a mess of crossed-out
CF \| items and scribbled corrections. In the middle of the page, you see:
CF \| - unclog shower drain
CF \| - pack clean socks
CF \| - remove package from kitchen storage
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x shower"
CF ] Your apartment, in the bathroom nook
CF \|
CF \| > X SHOWER
CF \|
CF \| You stand up, and step into the bathroom nook.
CF \|
CF \| The shower stall is a familiar symphony in pinkish-grey tile and
CF \| grunge. Well, more of a solo. A short solo.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unclog drain"
CF ] Your apartment, in the bathroom nook
CF \|
CF \| > UNCLOG DRAIN
CF \|
CF \| That's not a verb I recognize.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on shower"
CF ] Your apartment, in the bathroom nook
CF \|
CF \| > TURN ON SHOWER
CF \|
CF \| You turn the tap, and -- no surprise now -- dry sand floods from the
CF \| showerhead. Shielding your eyes from the spray, you reach to turn the
CF \| tap back off.
CF \|
CF \| A creaking from above warns you. You leap back as the plaster cracks
CF \| overhead, and whiteness roars down.
CF \|
CF \| When silence returns, the entire far end of the bathroom is a blank
CF \| slope of sand.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open luggage"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN LUGGAGE
CF \|
CF \| You step out of the bathroom nook.
CF \|
CF \| You grab a suitcase handle -- which crumbles dryly in your grip. In
CF \| seconds and in silence, the whole row of suitcases and duffels has
CF \| collapsed to white sand on the living room floor.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a soothing Javanese tune.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x list"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X LIST
CF \|
CF \| You sit down at the desk.
CF \|
CF \| The task list for your impending journey is a mess of crossed-out
CF \| items and scribbled corrections. In the middle of the page, you see:
CF \| - remove package from kitchen storage
CF \| - find notes for IFComp entry
CF \| - flush notes down toilet
CF \|
CF \| >		Knight_Otu says, "Try explaining that to the landlord."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on computer"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > TURN ON COMPUTER
CF \|
CF \| You hit the power key; nothing happens. Terrific. Something's finally
CF \| fried itself in the bowels of your twelve-megahertz wonder, and you
CF \| may never die in a text adventure again.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "flush toilet"
CF ] Your apartment, in the bathroom nook
CF \|
CF \| > FLUSH TOILET
CF \|
CF \| You stand up, and step into the bathroom nook.
CF \|
CF \| The toilet? Yes, it's the toilet's turn! You press the handle,
CF \| grinning maniacally. And indeed, the sand rushes down the sides of the
CF \| bowl; the shining porcelain itself crazes, cracks, and veils to the
CF \| bathroom floor. The toilet is a pedestal, a stump, a mere pile of
CF \| sand. Gone.
CF \|
CF \| A faint creaking comes from the bathroom ceiling.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "not gonna see that security deposit again, buddy"
olethros has arrived.
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| You step out of the bathroom nook.
CF \|
CF \| With a muffled crack the bathroom ceiling gives way. Broken
CF \| plaster and rusty pipes tumble down as you stare. And down comes the
CF \| sand, a dry white rushing river, hissing, shrieking. In moments the
CF \| bathroom is lost to your sight.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| You survey your one small room. One desk, paper-piled, with a dusty
CF \| computer shoved to the side. Your futon. Second-hand stereo. A kitchen
CF \| nook one way and a closet the other. A broad mirror tries to make the
CF \| place seem twice its size; it halfway works. One window, whose shade
CF \| is down, and the front door firmly shut.
CF \|
CF \| The place is still too dim, except the corner where the desk lamp is
CF \| somehow too bright.
CF \|
CF \| A potted palm plant sits beneath the window.
CF \|
CF \| On the desk are your to-do list and a travel book.
CF \|
CF \| You can see ankle-deep sand here.
CF \|
CF \| In the kitchen nook you can see a jar of sand and a heavy layer of
CF \| sand.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a hypno-Basque song.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter kitchen"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > ENTER KITCHEN
CF \|
CF \| You step into the kitchen nook.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sink"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > X SINK
CF \|
CF \| The kitchen sink is full of sand.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x storage"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > X STORAGE
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x nook"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > X NOOK
CF \|
CF \| The kitchen alcove has a refrigerator, a sink, a stove, and barely
CF \| enough space to stand between them. One wall projects out to form a
CF \| counter, with a cupboard beneath it.
CF \|
CF \| The cupboard is open; inside is a box of sand. Sand spills from the
CF \| open refrigerator.
CF \|
CF \| You see a jar of sand and a heavy layer of sand lying here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open cupboard"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN CUPBOARD
CF \|
CF \| That's already open.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in it"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK IN IT
CF \|
CF \| In the cupboard is a box of sand.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a calm Korean tune.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take box"
CF ] Your apartment, in the kitchen nook
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE BOX
CF \|
CF \| The cabinet and counter start to groan as soon as you touch them. You
CF \| slam the cabinet for good measure; and the stained pressboard crackles
CF \| white, shivers, and explodes into sand. All right!
CF \|
CF \| A faint creaking comes from the kitchen ceiling.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline asks (of David), "Did you do anything to the vacuum cleaner other than use it?"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| You step out of the kitchen nook.
CF \|
CF \| With a muffled crack the kitchen ceiling gives way. Broken
CF \| plaster and rotten lath tumble down as you stare. And they, of course,
CF \| are followed by sand, white sand, rivers of sand. In moments the
CF \| kitchen alcove is lost to your sight.
CF \|
CF \| >		DavidW says, "I opened it."
		Jacqueline says, "Okay. Just checking."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x list"
CF ] Your apartment, at the desk
CF \|
CF \| > X LIST
CF \|
CF \| You sit down at the desk.
CF \|
CF \| The task list for your impending journey is a mess of crossed-out
CF \| items and scribbled corrections. In the middle of the page, you see:
CF \| - find notes for IFComp entry
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "I feel like you're now in the home stretch."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search desk"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > SEARCH DESK
CF \|
CF \| You carefully tilt up piles of paper, trying to avoid an avalanche.
CF \| Yes, sand is scattered beneath.
CF \|
CF \| Carefully? You shove a paper-stack off the desk; it's a shower of sand
CF \| before it hits the ground. Ha! You push another, and another, and then
CF \| sweep the whole mass over the edge. White sand cascades everywhere.
CF \| Laughing, you feel the desk itself give way.
CF \|
CF \| Pop. Oops. That was the light bulb imploding. The apartment
CF \| is very dark and quiet of a sudden.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sit on futon"
CF ] Your apartment, on your futon
CF \|
CF \| > SIT ON FUTON
CF \|
CF \| You sit down.
CF \|
CF \| The radio mumbles, "This is, um, one-oh-three... kay-tee-oh-whoa...
CF \| your source for interworldbeat..." You can practically hear the bong
CF \| gurgling in the background. After a moment, a creepy Atlantean (?)
CF \| melody begins playing.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open front door"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN FRONT DOOR
CF \|
CF \| You stand up.
CF \|
CF \| You open the door.
CF \|
CF \| Outside is full night. You can see little... nothing. No taxi, no
CF \| stars, not even streetlights. The world ends at your doorstep.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| Quietly, the night begins to enter.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| You are standing with your back to the closed door. You close your
CF \| eyes, then tear them open; darkness is worse than the sand. Not so
CF \| funny any more... you concentrate on slowing your breath.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK
CF \|
CF \| You survey your one small room. Your futon. Second-hand stereo. A
CF \| closet to one side. A broad mirror tries to make the place seem twice
CF \| its size; it halfway works. One window, whose shade is down, and the
CF \| front door firmly shut.
CF \|
CF \| The room is very dim, now. Blackness creeps around the windowshade.
CF \|
CF \| The computer has survived somehow, and lies in a pile of sand. A
CF \| potted palm plant sits beneath the window.
CF \|
CF \| You can see a travel book, your to-do list, a jar of sand, a box of
CF \| sand and hills of sand here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x palm"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X PALM
CF \|
CF \| This plant is your one claim to actual responsibility. The palm plant
CF \| sits by the window, soaking up sunlight (when it's not night) and
CF \| managing to thrive despite your lack of gardening skill. Although it
CF \| looks very dry.
CF \|
CF \| The taxi honks repeatedly.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OUT
CF \|
CF \| You do not want that.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open front door"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN FRONT DOOR
CF \|
CF \| You do not want that.
CF \|
CF \| The taxi honks repeatedly. The sound seems a little fainter now.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "yell"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > YELL
CF \|
CF \| That's not a verb I recognize.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Yes I do, game."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take list"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE LIST
CF \|
CF \| Taken.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing an electrifying Basque chant.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x list"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > X LIST
CF \|
CF \| The task list for your impending journey is a mess of crossed-out
CF \| items and scribbled corrections. At the very bottom of the page, you
CF \| see:
CF \| - call taxi
CF \| - wait for taxi
CF \| - look, make sure it's actually taxi before opening door
CF \| (That last entry in a hasty, nervous script.)
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "nope you are mistaken"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open door"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN DOOR
CF \|
CF \| You do not want that.
CF \|
CF \| The taxi honks repeatedly.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open window"
CF ] Your apartment, in the living room
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN WINDOW
CF \|
CF \| The window-glass is sealed; it can't open or close. Some notion of
CF \| thermal efficiency. Truthfully, you like it that way.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open shade"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > OPEN SHADE
CF \|
CF \| And if you see no taxi outside? What then? ...but the angry honking
CF \| comes again. You yank hard on the windowshade, and it whips up as
CF \| violently.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| Blazing daylight floods the room.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through window"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK THROUGH WINDOW
CF \|
CF \| Outside, dunes roll away to the rising sun. Nothing else is visible.
CF \| Only the sunlight that burns you, full in the face. And sand.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a Franco-Andean melody.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x list"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > X LIST
CF \|
CF \| The task list for your impending journey is a mess of crossed-out
CF \| items and scribbled corrections. It is entirely illegible.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sit on futon"
CF ] Your apartment, on your futon
CF \|
CF \| > SIT ON FUTON
CF \|
CF \| You flop down on the futon.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sleep"
CF ] Your apartment, on your futon
CF \|
CF \| > SLEEP
CF \|
CF \| You've been trying all night. It's not going to happen, no matter how
CF \| long you lie here.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > STAND
CF \|
CF \| You stand up.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on computer"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > TURN ON COMPUTER
CF \|
CF \| You hit the power key; nothing happens. Terrific. Something's finally
CF \| fried itself in the bowels of your twelve-megahertz wonder, and you
CF \| may never die in a text adventure again.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| Sunlight cuts across the room like hot butter, blazing from the
CF \| window. The room is nearly barren now; walls and ceiling are blank,
CF \| but for the window, the closed front door, and the full-length mirror
CF \| across from them.
CF \|
CF \| The futon sits alone in the center of the room. Next to it, askew on a
CF \| pile of sand, rests the faithful old stereo.
CF \|
CF \| The computer has survived somehow, and lies in a pile of sand. A
CF \| potted cactus sits beneath the window.
CF \|
CF \| You can see a travel book, a jar of sand, a box of sand and hills of
CF \| sand here.
CF \|
CF \| The radio begins playing a Balto-Atlantean (?) lullaby.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "great cool let's go outside so we can escape our hallucination and die in the desert now, please."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x mirror"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > X MIRROR
CF \|
CF \| You look into the mirror. The far side is just as bright as this one.
CF \| With the sunlight behind you, only your own face is in shadow -- the
CF \| walls, the door, your furniture, are all full-lit. Beyond your
CF \| reflection and the window-frame, the street outside, the houses and
CF \| trees, are all --
CF \|
CF \| The street outside?
CF \|
CF \| You spin around.
CF \|
CF \| [Hit any key...]
DavidW pushes the green 'space' button.
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| Odd, how the sunlight just makes your apartment more prosaic.
CF \|
CF \| Not much of an apartment, no. One desk, paper-piled, with a dusty
CF \| computer shoved to the side. Your futon. Second-hand stereo sitting on
CF \| a cardboard crate. A kitchen nook one way and a bathroom nook the
CF \| other, with a closet to the side. A broad mirror tries to make the
CF \| place seem twice its size; it halfway works. One window, whose shade
CF \| is up, and the front door wide open.
CF \|
CF \| Your luggage is piled untidily by the door. A potted hyacinth sits
CF \| beneath the window.
CF \|
CF \| On the desk are your to-do list and a travel book.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x list"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > X LIST
CF \|
CF \| You can't quite make out anything unusual.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take luggage"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE LUGGAGE
CF \|
CF \| You take a step across the room, but a quick movement distracts you.
CF \| Something scurried along the wall? You can't see it any more.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x wall"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > X WALL
CF \|
CF \| Which do you mean, the north wall, the south wall, the east wall, the
CF \| west wall, the northeast wall, the northwest wall, the southeast wall
CF \| or the southwest wall?
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take luggage"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE LUGGAGE
CF \|
CF \| You move towards the luggage but feel suddenly dizzy. Dehydration,
CF \| probably.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take glass"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE GLASS
CF \|
CF \| You need to sit down.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sit on futon"
CF ] Your apartment
CF \|
CF \| > SIT ON FUTON
CF \|
CF \| You reach out and touch your hand to the futon. It feels like glass.
CF \|
CF \| The reflection shimmers like water, but the mirror is only heat --
CF \| pooling among the dunes, rising from the sands.
CF \|
CF \| [Hit any key...]
DavidW pushes the green 'space' button.
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| The land is nearly barren. Dunes roll away towards the rising sun; a
CF \| little shade trails behind them, but that will soon be gone. The sky
CF \| is flat and empty blue.
CF \|
CF \| Your futon sits nearby. The stereo leans against a dune. Your computer
CF \| squats complacently, the color of the sand.
CF \|
CF \| You can see a travel book here.
CF \|
CF \| Click. The stereo is playing "Cool, Clear Water".
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x book"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X BOOK
CF \|
CF \| The Desert Elemental's Handbook -- you've been studying it
CF \| for ages. Trace moisture segregation, arthropod ecocycles,
CF \| sand/grit/fines sizing distributions. And, of course, the artistic
CF \| aspects of heat, time, distance, and death.
CF \|
CF \| You study the chapter about bones.
CF \|
CF \| Something moves beneath your futon.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "That's never good."
		Jacqueline says, "Unless you have a cat."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under futon"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK UNDER FUTON
CF \|
CF \| You catch a glimpse of two tiny eyes, shining out from beneath your
CF \| futon.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x eyes"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X EYES
CF \|
CF \| You still haven't managed to see it clearly.
CF \|
CF \| You catch a darting movement past your feet.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x creature"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X CREATURE
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "I would love to go out by being consumed whole by a Sandworm of Arrakis."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on computer"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > TURN ON COMPUTER
CF \|
CF \| The computer is already on.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x computer"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X COMPUTER
CF \|
CF \| The game's opening sits neatly at the top of the screen, followed by a
CF \| command prompt.
CF \|
CF \| Click. The stereo is playing "Gotta Stop on the Road for Water".
CF \|
CF \| >		MoyTravis says, "Unfortunately it seems that it is not our fate today."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read it"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > READ IT
CF \|
CF \| The game's opening sits neatly at the top of the screen, followed by a
CF \| command prompt.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "type i"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > TYPE I
CF \|
CF \| (on the computer)
CF \| You kneel in the sand and play through the computer game again.
CF \|
CF \| You catch a darting movement past your feet.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x floor"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X FLOOR
CF \|
CF \| It's exactly like all the sand you've ever seen before.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dunes"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X DUNES
CF \|
CF \| It's exactly like all the sand you've ever seen before.
CF \|
CF \| Something moves beneath your futon.
CF \|
CF \| Click. The stereo is playing "Water From Another Time".
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under futon"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK UNDER FUTON
CF \|
CF \| You catch a glimpse of two tiny eyes, shining out from beneath your
CF \| futon.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move futon"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > MOVE FUTON
CF \|
CF \| You can barely move the futon on a solid floor. Against the sand, no
CF \| hope.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| The land is nearly barren. Dunes roll away towards the rising sun; a
CF \| little shade trails behind them, but that will soon be gone. The sky
CF \| is flat and empty blue.
CF \|
CF \| Your futon sits nearby. The stereo leans against a dune. Your computer
CF \| squats complacently, the color of the sand.
CF \|
CF \| You can see a travel book here.
CF \|
CF \| You catch a darting movement past your feet.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take book"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE BOOK
CF \|
CF \| Taken.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sun"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X SUN
CF \|
CF \| Fusing hydrogen. Deathly, inescapable. White, blazing down.
CF \|
CF \| Something moves beneath the computer.
CF \|
CF \| Click. The stereo is playing "Sun Gets In My Eyes".
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look behind computer"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > LOOK BEHIND COMPUTER
CF \|
CF \| I only understood you as far as wanting to look.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search computer"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > SEARCH COMPUTER
CF \|
CF \| The game's closing message blinks at the bottom of the screen.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn off computer"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > TURN OFF COMPUTER
CF \|
CF \| "The only way to win is not to play," flashes the screen. You roll
CF \| your eyes. The oldest lie; nobody's bought it since ever.
CF \|
CF \| You hit the power key; the computer gives a tiny sigh and crumbles
CF \| away.
CF \|
CF \| A tiny figure burrows out of the new-fallen sand. You just have time
CF \| to make out its shape -- human -- before it darts behind you and out		MoyTravis asks, "Under?"
CF \| of sight.
CF \|
CF \| You catch a darting movement past your feet.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x figure"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X FIGURE
CF \|
CF \| You still haven't managed to see it clearly.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn off stereo"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > TURN OFF STEREO
CF \|
CF \| A garbled news report comes on just as you reach for the switch.
CF \| "Death Val... hikers... missing for... still... hope, say..."
CF \|
CF \| ...Old news. You hit the switch: click. The stereo falls silent, turns
CF \| white, and drops instantly away into sand.
CF \|
CF \| Something moves beneath your futon.
CF \|
CF \| >
olethros disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again.
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x box"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X BOX
CF \|
CF \| You can't see any such thing.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| The land is nearly barren. Dunes roll away towards the rising sun; a
CF \| little shade trails behind them, but that will soon be gone. The sky
CF \| is flat and empty blue.
CF \|
CF \| Your futon sits nearby.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fold futon"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > FOLD FUTON
CF \|
CF \| That's not a verb I recognize.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sit on futon"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > SIT ON FUTON
CF \|
CF \| You sit down, and find yourself seated on bare sand. The futon has
CF \| disintegrated without a sound or a final word.
CF \|
CF \| A tiny figure burrows out of the new-fallen sand. It darts one way,
CF \| then the other; but there is no more shelter.
CF \|
CF \| The figure seems to be chanting to itself.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x figure"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X FIGURE
CF \|
CF \| A tiny human figure walks across the sand. It doesn't seem to notice
CF \| you.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "talk to figure"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > TALK TO FIGURE
CF \|
CF \| That's not a verb I recognize.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take it"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE IT
CF \|
CF \| You cup your palms around the figure and raise it into the air -- a
CF \| human shape fallen to its knees in your handful of sand. You gaze
CF \| down; sunlight seethes in the cauldron of your fingers. The figure
CF \| slowly slides flat. But the sand is running out of your hands, and the
CF \| figure falls to the ground, where it slowly pulls itself up again.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x it"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X IT
CF \|
CF \| A tiny human figure trudges across the sand. It doesn't seem to notice
CF \| you.
CF \|
CF \| The figure seems to be muttering to itself.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen to figure"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > LISTEN TO FIGURE
CF \|
CF \| You can make out no words.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask figure about itself"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > ASK FIGURE ABOUT ITSELF
CF \|
CF \| As you speak, currents of air curl across the sand. The figure
CF \| clutches its clothing about itself and staggers on, ignoring you.
CF \|
CF \| The figure moves more slowly now.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "Horton we're not"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sun"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X SUN
CF \|
CF \| Fusing hydrogen. Deathly, inescapable. White, blazing down.
CF \|
CF \| The figure stops and looks around for a moment, shading its eyes.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take sand"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > TAKE SAND
CF \|
CF \| You pick up a pinch of sand. It runs through your fingers.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch figure"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > TOUCH FIGURE
CF \|
CF \| You kneel and brush your finger over the figure's forehead. It shakes
CF \| its head, unseeing, and then collapses. You watch in concern, but in a
CF \| few moments it struggles to its feet again.
CF \|
CF \| The figure slumps to the sand. No -- it's still moving, though on
CF \| hands and knees.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "blow figure"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > BLOW FIGURE
CF \|
CF \| I didn't understand that sentence.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "kiss figure"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > KISS FIGURE
CF \|
CF \| You kneel and brush your lips over the figure's forehead. It shakes
CF \| its head, unseeing, and then collapses. You watch in concern, but in a
CF \| few moments it struggles to its feet again.
CF \|
CF \| The figure falls. After a few seconds... it still doesn't move.
CF \|
CF \| The sands quickly cover it.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > L
CF \|
CF \| The land is nearly barren. Dunes roll away towards the rising sun; a
CF \| little shade trails behind them, but that will soon be gone. The sky
CF \| is flat and empty blue.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x shade"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X SHADE
CF \|
CF \| The shadows shrink as you watch. The dunes aren't high here, and the
CF \| sun is rising fast.
CF \|
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "I... don't remember this final part. Huh. I guess I don't recall how this ends."
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sun"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X SUN
CF \|
CF \| Fusing hydrogen. Deathly, inescapable. White, blazing down.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sand"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X SAND
CF \|
CF \| It's exactly like all the sand you've ever seen before.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x me"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > X ME
CF \|
CF \| You're you.
CF \|
CF \| >		Roger says, "this came out in 2000"
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > I
CF \|
CF \| You are carrying a travel book.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read book"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > READ BOOK
CF \|
CF \| The cover is worn now. The pages are all blank.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop book"
CF ] Your home
CF \|
CF \| > DROP BOOK
CF \|
CF \| Nothing to do but wait.
CF \|
CF \| >
DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z"
CF ] ...
CF \|
CF \| > Z
CF \|
CF \| The tiny figure crawls out from under the sands. It's dead.
CF \|
CF \| "You win," it says. "Okay, my turn again."
CF \|
CF \| >...
CF \| Nothing left to do. Time passes.
CF \|
CF \| The sun crawls higher.
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| * SHADE *
CF \|
CF \|
CF \|
CF \| Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT?
CF \| >		Jacqueline says, "Well, that was a downer."
		MoyTravis says, "Cool. That was interesting."
		Roger says, "Hopefully one might see why I was reminded"
		MoyTravis says, "Mrmyep. I actually like the other one a lot better though."
		DavidW says, "I remember when I first played this being freaked out how the plant species changed without warning."
		Roger says, "fair enough"
		MoyTravis says, "Maybe that's just the ordering effect but the dead cat was waaaaaay more "wtf!!!" than the sand."
		Jacqueline says, "Thanks, DW. I appreciate that trip down memory lane."
		MoyTravis says, "Mostly I think because the dead cat was, like, a plausible thing you could find washed up on a beach, whereas as soon as "sand + Not Burning Man" came up I was like "oh. so that's the deal.""
		DavidW says (to Jacqueline), "no problem. I enjoyed it too."
		MoyTravis says, "Thanks for driving."
		DavidW says, "You're welcome."
		DavidW says, "I liked how the to-do list works in this game. It doesn't tell you everything, just doles out enough at a time."
		MoyTravis says, "Yeah, that's a good way to do it."
		DavidW says, "Also, you get several rooms in one, effectively. I sorta imagine things like the kitchen nook and desk and bathroom nook as wide platforms in the room with stuff on them, like islands, and you just step from one island to another as you go near something."
		DavidW says, "Everything's in scope of everything else, but things in your local area get priority."
		Jacqueline exclaims, "Thanks, folks. I'm going to close out this transcript and work on updating the website. Have a great Sunday!"
		MoyTravis says, "Thank all. Cya 'round."
MoyTravis disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again.