  
ClubFloyd Transcript:
The idea behind ClubFloyd is that each
week at a pre-arranged time, a group of
people meet online to cooperatively play
a game of interactive fiction.
|
|
ClubFloyd Transcript:
The idea behind ClubFloyd is that each
week at a pre-arranged time, a group of
people meet online to cooperatively play
a game of interactive fiction.
|
|
ToyShop & Floyditorium
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#ClubFloyd Discussion
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| *** SESSION 1 *** | ||
| Pinkunz asks, "We haven't played Counterfeit Monkey??" | ||
| Pinkunz asks, "How is that possible?" | ||
| Lancelot says, "ooohhh thats a classic" | ||
| Pinkunz asks, "What do you guys think? yay or nay?" | ||
| Roger says, "Sure let's give it a whirl" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "load sleepmask counterfeitmonkey" | ||
| CF | Can you hear me? >> Please answer yes or no.> Please answer yes or no.> | ||
| CF | Please answer yes or no.> Please answer yes or no.> ] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Can you hear me? >> | Lancelot says, "lol I'll just sit back and enjoy the show" | |
| Roger says, "that looks right and I'm going to assume the game is just doing this" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Anyone want to drive?" | ||
| Pinkunz says, "Sounds good to me." | ||
| Roger says, "I've got a backup manual log of this if the transcripting bot isn't doing its job" | ||
| Pinkunz says, "I would, but I'm on a phone." | ||
| Roger says, "I could drive for a bit" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "yes" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | Can you hear me? >> | ||
| CF | > YES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Good, you're conscious. We're conscious. I've heard urban legends | ||
| CF | about synthesis going wrong, one half person getting lost. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Do you remember our name? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "I played CM 2 years ago online with 2 friends in a system like CF called webot" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Perry is here at least." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "no" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To review, we're Alexandra now. I was Alex, before the synthesis. You | ||
| CF | were... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "Andra?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| Pinkunz says, "Sure." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ANDRA" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ANDRA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | ...yes! Okay. We're both here, neither of us lost our minds in the | ||
| CF | synthesis process. As far as I can tell, the operation was a success. | ||
| CF | We're meant to be one person now, unrecognizable to anyone who knew us | ||
| CF | before. | ||
| Roger pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | before.# Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | A Removal by Emily Short | ||
| CF | Release 1 / Serial number 121231 / Inform 7 build 6G60 (I6/v6.32 lib | ||
| CF | 6/12N) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Let's try to get a look around. I haven't been able to run our body | ||
| CF | without your help, but maybe now you're awake, it'll work better. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To get a look around, type LOOK and press return. If you do not | ||
| CF | want help getting started, type TUTORIAL OFF. | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "do we want tutorial?" | |
| Jade says, "here we can't see the map" | ||
| Jade says, "yes, we want" | ||
| Lancelot says, "looks like formatting is shown as raw text" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Back Alley | ||
| CF | This isn't much, is it? Just the back sides of a couple of buildings, | ||
| CF | some peeling yellow paint, and not even much by way of windows to look | ||
| CF | in through. I think the place where we had the procedure done is just | ||
| CF | a block or two away, but I've already lost the door. I imagine they | ||
| CF | change it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This alley runs north to the open street, towards the town square. | ||
| CF | That's the way we'll want to go first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can find out more if you LOOK AT THE SKY (or shorten it to L | ||
| CF | SKY). | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "oh good point the game normally had a map to the side" | |
| Pinkunz says, "Not a traditional interpreter, so Floyd has its limits." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to Lancelot), "Yes, that helps making the transcript." | ||
| Jade says, "but the nap is no necessary to play" | ||
| Jade says, "* map" | ||
| Lancelot says, "got it... just stay awake lol" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x sky" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SKY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The sun is so bright that it's hard to look straight up for long. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are other things around here that you can look at too, if | ||
| CF | you like. You can check out other things in your surroundings, or LOOK | ||
| CF | AT ME to see yourself. | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "x me" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, the map is cool and helpful, but not necessary." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x me" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This body is more you than me — well, it would be, since we came out | ||
| CF | a | ||
| CF | girl. Still, I feel a bit odd inspecting us too closely. It feels like | ||
| CF | invading your privacy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Feel free to look around some more. When you're ready to move on | ||
| CF | from here, try NORTH. | ||
| CF | > | Pinkunz says, "[LINK]" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x you" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X YOU | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't think anything about us looks out of place. We are female, | ||
| CF | though a little taller and leaner than average, and with slightly | ||
| CF | boyish facial features. It's nothing that would attract attention, | ||
| CF | though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "'Andra' is kind of an ironic name for a woman, I think, and with other authors I might not think much of it, but Emily Short is pretty on top of that sort of thing" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x building" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BUILDING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The buildings are no doubt due for renovation, but haven't received it | ||
| CF | yet. There are no windows facing this way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x paint" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PAINT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In this climate, of course, yellow paint lettering is quickly ruined | ||
| CF | by the sun. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "read lettering" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > READ LETTERING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't know what you think you're talking about, because we can't see | ||
| CF | any such thing here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "read paint" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > READ PAINT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In this climate, of course, yellow paint lettering is quickly ruined | ||
| CF | by the sun. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x window" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The buildings are no doubt due for renovation, but haven't received it | ||
| CF | yet. There are no windows facing this way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Back Alley | ||
| CF | There is nothing here but the back sides of a couple of buildings, | ||
| CF | some peeling yellow paint; not even much by way of windows to look in | ||
| CF | through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This alley runs north to the open street, towards the town square. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "Shall we get out of here?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Fine by me." | ||
| Lancelot says, "nice touch I keep forgetting those lil conveniences" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But we aren't in anything at the moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "north" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NORTH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sigil Street | ||
| CF | The buildings here are two and three stories, with shops at ground | ||
| CF | level and elderly apartments above. The shops are closed for the | ||
| CF | holiday: a typographer's office, tourist boutiques of colorful skirts | ||
| CF | and ethnic bodices (rarely if ever worn by natives) and t-shirts | ||
| CF | covered with font designs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Passing by the reflective window we catch the sight of our single | ||
| CF | blended body, and it creeps me out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A narrow alley runs between buildings to the south, while the street | ||
| CF | continues east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Now we're in a new area, there are new things to see. Try LOOK AT | ||
| CF | THE SHOPS or L SHOPS. | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I think this pre-dates Steven Universe, but it's hard for me not to think of it in those terms, at the moment" | |
| Jade says, "I think "examine" works better" | ||
| Roger says, "it's more natural to my fingers, but probably equivalent" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x shops" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SHOPS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We peruse the offerings: colorful skirts, font t-shirts, ethnic | ||
| CF | bodices, and mourning dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I gather from your thoughts that you actually like some of the skirts, | ||
| CF | but I'd prefer that we skip the cross-dressing for now. Our | ||
| CF | synthesized body may be female but I'm still getting used to that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sometimes the things we examine have parts that we might also want | ||
| CF | to look at. That mourning dress, for instance. | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "x mourning dress" | |
| Lancelot says, "oops sorry" | ||
| Roger says (to Lancelot), "it's okay -- feel free to tell floyd yourself" | ||
| Pinkunz says, "You don't need to be sorry." | ||
| DavidW has arrived. | ||
| Lancelot says (to floyd), "x mourning gress" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MOURNING GRESS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sometimes the things we examine have parts that we might also want | ||
| CF | to look at. That mourning dress, for instance. Try LOOK AT MOURNING | ||
| CF | DRESS or just L MOURNING DRESS. | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "lol" | |
| Pinkunz exclaims, "Hi David!" | ||
| DavidW says, "sorry I'm late" | ||
| DavidW says, "hi all" | ||
| Roger says, "Hi DW! We just started up Counterfeit Monkey" | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Hey David!" | ||
| Lancelot says (to floyd), "x mourning dress" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MOURNING DRESS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black vintage gown trimmed with much lace and dripping with jet | ||
| CF | beads. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's more we can do than just looking around. To check what | ||
| CF | you're holding at the moment, try typing INVENTORY, or I for | ||
| CF | short. | ||
| CF | > | Pinkunz says, "Just glad you could make it." | |
| Jade says, "Hello DW" | ||
| DavidW says, "was exhausted after publishing walkthroughs in the wee hours this morning." | ||
| Lancelot says, "Hi DavidW" | ||
| DavidW says, "hi Jade, Pinkunz, Lancelot, Jacqueline, everyone" | Pinkunz says, "I don���t think Jacq is here." | |
| DavidW says, "ah" | ||
| Lancelot asks, "take inventory? or should we wake Jacq?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You insisted that we bring almost nothing into the synthesis room, so | ||
| CF | the criminal who was performing the synthesis couldn't rob us. I had | ||
| CF | hoped there was more honor among thieves, but you said no, there | ||
| CF | isn't. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying your R-remover — an essential we mustn't part with. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That looks interesting. Try looking at that R-remover. | ||
| CF | > | Pinkunz says, "Bit odd, honestly. Normally she messages ahead of time when she can't meet." | |
| Roger says, "Real Life messes with us all, alas" | ||
| DavidW says, "I've played CM before, but I can suggest things, I suppose." | ||
| Jade says, "Jaqueline told last session that she had some meetings at this hour" | ||
| Pinkunz says, "True." | ||
| Pinkunz says, "Ah, that's better" | ||
| Lancelot says, "weel the tutorial is still guiding us" | ||
| Jade asks, "DW, have you played twice normal/hard?" | ||
| Lancelot says (to floyd), "x R-remover" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X R-REMOVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We smoothly, and almost without thinking about it, reset your device | ||
| CF | to be an R-remover. It is a blunt-nosed plastic device, about the size | ||
| CF | of a laser pointer, that can be waved at things to remove excess Rs. | ||
| CF | It is not very powerful, and often fails against large items. On the | ||
| CF | other hand, it has a wide range of action: it can be set to any letter | ||
| CF | we choose. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | These are, if not exactly cheap, hardly unknown in Atlantis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It can be set to any letter we choose, hm? That sounds like a | ||
| CF | hint. Try SET THE R-REMOVER TO U. | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I never played hard mode that I can remember." | |
| Roger says, "that used to be a big deal, tutorials and helping the player and such, but lately it seems like most authors don't worry about it quite so much" | ||
| DavidW says, "It has been a while." | ||
| Pinkunz says, "TALP focuses on it, but it's hit or miss with most authors." | ||
| Lancelot says, "hmm well I already planned to add one, I don't want any poor souls trying out my stuff to wander around aimlessly." | ||
| Roger says, "my guess is that these days if it's something that weighs upon an author's mind, then they go with Twine or some other thing" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "set remover to u" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 0 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SET REMOVER TO U | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a U-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That letter-remover is going to be very important as we try to | ||
| CF | escape here. To test it out, try WAVE U-REMOVER AT MOURNING | ||
| CF | DRESS. | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "ah. The mourning dress will become a morning dress." | |
| Roger says, "seems likely" | ||
| Lancelot says, "oh right it was wave ... I remember looking at the way the device was implemented and thought thats kinda cool" | ||
| Lancelot says, "yep removing the u" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I thought it was POINT for some reason." | ||
| Pinkunz says, "Funny we're playing this. We were just talking about CM on intfiction.org" | ||
| DavidW says, "There's probably multiple valid syntaxes." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "True." | ||
| DavidW says, "I'd prefer REMOVE U FROM MOURNING DRESS." | ||
| Lancelot says, "recycling standard verbs I'd think didn't check in detail" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove u from dress" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE U FROM DRESS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a U-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In fact, to make life easier, we don't even have to SET the | ||
| CF | letter-remover every time we use it. We can just type (say) WAVE | ||
| CF | P-REMOVER AT PRAM, and the remover will automatically set itself to | ||
| CF | P. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Now, let's see what happened as a result... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a lavender cloud, and the mourning dress turns into a morning | ||
| CF | dress. An outfit of striped trousers and fancy coat, such as men | ||
| CF | sometimes wear to fancy weddings in the morning. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To see how we're doing so far, type SCORE. | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "aha" | |
| Pinkunz asks, "Does score show the total points possible?" | ||
| Lancelot says, "very thoughtful to have alternate ways of phrasing it" | ||
| Lancelot says (to floyd), "score" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SCORE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have earned 1 point: | ||
| CF | 1 point for using the letter-remover | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have not yet removed a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, | ||
| CF | p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, or z from anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can spend some more time looking around or checking out your | ||
| CF | inventory to see what you've changed in this location. When you're | ||
| CF | ready to move on, you can head EAST. | ||
| CF | > | Pinkunz says, "Nope" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to Lancelot), "Yeah, that's important, too." | ||
| DavidW says, "I remember there's a special achievement if you can remove the entire alphabet before the game's over." | ||
| Lancelot says, "when seeing this most ppl would assume a max score of 26 I gather" | ||
| DavidW says, "(There are achivements as well as points)" | ||
| Jade says, "there is no need of completing all letters to get into the good ending" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "As far as I recall, it's not just removng letters." | ||
| Lancelot says, "nope but then again the whole idea of keeping numerical scores I find a bit arbitrary but I am not an expert." | ||
| Jade says, "no, there are more joy after a while" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Get my backpack from the cinema | ||
| CF | Retrieve your remaining possessions from locker at hostel | ||
| CF | Meet your colleague Slango at Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Oh the letter play is exquisite and the work behind it is astonishing." | |
| Jade says, "I am from Spain and succeeded finishing CM, you have lower difficult than me" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x shop" | Jade says, "* than I did" | |
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SHOP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We peruse the offerings: colorful skirts, font t-shirts, ethnic | ||
| CF | bodices, and morning dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from shirts" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM SHIRTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [You can also tune the device just by using another name for it: | ||
| CF | referring to the device as, for instance, an N-remover will | ||
| CF | automatically set it to n.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "fon -shirs": | ||
| CF | evidently "shirts" are too tightly bound to their modifiers and can't | ||
| CF | be manipulated separately. This is a serious problem in my field of | ||
| CF | study, incidentally. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove n from bodices" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE N FROM BODICES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an N-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "ethic bodices": | ||
| CF | evidently "bodices" are too tightly bound to their modifiers and can't | ||
| CF | be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I did betatest a very early version of this game. And I had a walkthrough written for it at one point but I somehow lost it when swapping files around to a new machine and consolidating files." | |
| Jade says, "if a name has 2 words, the remover works in both" | ||
| Roger says, "looks that way" | ||
| Roger asks, "shall we move along?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Ampersand Bend | ||
| CF | A bend in the street, which runs west and north. This district | ||
| CF | combines the old and the new: a small museum in an ancient stone | ||
| CF | building to the east, a shiny real estate office south. The window of | ||
| CF | the museum is currently displaying one of its exhibits, a codex. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A temporary barrier blocks this empty street from the busy fair to the | ||
| CF | north, though there is a door that could be opened with the correct | ||
| CF | code. From here the gaiety and excitement of the holiday are fairly | ||
| CF | loud. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Navigating with compass directions works, but we can also type GO | ||
| CF | TO... to travel to a named place. GO TO BACK ALLEY will take us back | ||
| CF | where we started, for instance. | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "yes, we are at the very beggining, in tutorial mode" | |
| DavidW says, "oh I remember this one" | ||
| Lancelot says, "me too lol" | ||
| Lancelot says, "the first test" | ||
| Jade says, "I do" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x codex" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CODEX | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A manuscript of Atlantean origin from the 16th century. It records a | ||
| CF | series of slightly mad visions of what the world would be like if the | ||
| CF | "composition of letters" could be systematically exchanged. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At that time, the name-driven nature of the universe was not yet | ||
| CF | understood, but some consciousness of it wiggled towards the surface | ||
| CF | like a breaking tooth. The lunatics were first to notice. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I've visited this museum before and seen the inside, by the way. Many | ||
| CF | of the pages are filled with what we would now consider rather | ||
| CF | elementary rebus puzzles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Navigating with compass directions works, but we can also type GO | ||
| CF | TO... to travel to a named place. GO TO BACK ALLEY will take us back | ||
| CF | where we started, for instance. | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh the game really wants us to go back to the alley. Okay, game" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to back alley" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO BACK ALLEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Back Alley | ||
| CF | There is nothing here but the back sides of a couple of buildings, | ||
| CF | some peeling yellow paint; not even much by way of windows to look in | ||
| CF | through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This alley runs north to the open street, towards the town square. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We've learned a lot of the basics now. Let's go back to Ampersand | ||
| CF | Bend. You can navigate there by compass direction or just type GO TO | ||
| CF | AMPERSAND BEND. | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "I love all the extra conveniences like fast travel etc" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from paint" | ||
| CF ] Back Alley, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM PAINT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A good thought — PAINT is a very linguistically productive word — | ||
| CF | but | ||
| CF | spread thin over a large area like this it's too hard for a | ||
| CF | low-powered letter-remover to work on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We've learned a lot of the basics now. Let's go back to Ampersand | ||
| CF | Bend. You can navigate there by compass direction or just type GO TO | ||
| CF | AMPERSAND BEND. | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to ampersand bend" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO AMPERSAND BEND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the quick walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Ampersand Bend | ||
| CF | A bend in the street, which runs west and north. This district | ||
| CF | combines the old and the new: a small museum in an ancient stone | ||
| CF | building to the east, a shiny real estate office south. The window of | ||
| CF | the museum is currently displaying one of its exhibits, a codex. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A temporary barrier blocks this empty street from the busy fair to the | ||
| CF | north, though there is a door that could be opened with the correct | ||
| CF | code. From here the gaiety and excitement of the holiday are fairly | ||
| CF | loud. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Take a moment to look at things in the environment and get your | ||
| CF | bearings. | ||
| CF | > | Pinkunz says, "(My wife called. Stranded with a dead battery. Gotta go. Apologies.)" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Oh dear." | ||
| Roger says, "oh no! Good luck" | ||
| Pinkunz says, "thx" | ||
| Pinkunz- Ah Ha! A tourist trap. This giant metal facsimile of a space beast is nothing more than a cheap marketing ploy designed to suck in any moron dumb enough to fall for such trickery... You suddenly feel like a dumb moron. | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x museum" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MUSEUM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | One of several small museums around the older part of the island, | ||
| CF | celebrating the discovery of Atlantean language tools and the | ||
| CF | development of its modern society. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This particular museum is housed in a stone building. Parts of the old | ||
| CF | medieval city wall are still visible in the foundations. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | All that can be seen of the exhibits is the external display window. | ||
| CF | On the other side of the protective tinted glass is a codex. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Take a moment to look at things in the environment and get your | ||
| CF | bearings. | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x wall" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WALL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | One of several small museums around the older part of the island, | ||
| CF | celebrating the discovery of Atlantean language tools and the | ||
| CF | development of its modern society. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This particular museum is housed in a stone building. Parts of the old | ||
| CF | medieval city wall are still visible in the foundations. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | All that can be seen of the exhibits is the external display window. | ||
| CF | On the other side of the protective tinted glass is a codex. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Take a moment to look at things in the environment and get your | ||
| CF | bearings. | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x office" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X OFFICE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Advertisements in the window describe the offerings around town, from | ||
| CF | a studio apartment (looks like a fixer-upper) in Deep Street for | ||
| CF | $823,000 to a house near the university for $2.5M. Prices for villas | ||
| CF | in the northwestern part of town are all listed just as "Available on | ||
| CF | Inquiry." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can tell you find all that shockingly overpriced, but trust me: land | ||
| CF | is scarce on this island and there are a lot of people who want to own | ||
| CF | it, not just locals but international corporations. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Take a moment to look at things in the environment and get your | ||
| CF | bearings. | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "That's how you can tell this is an older game; those prices seem quite reasonable these days" | |
| Lancelot says, "still working to collect my first million :p" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x barrier" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BARRIER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a high metal fence, supported by sturdy poles. It's designed to | ||
| CF | contain the chaos a little, and keep people who have come in for the | ||
| CF | Fair from wandering off down the side streets and causing trouble in | ||
| CF | unpoliced areas of town. It has a code-lock that opens the inset door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Take a moment to look at things in the environment and get your | ||
| CF | bearings. | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x door" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a high metal fence, supported by sturdy poles. It's designed to | ||
| CF | contain the chaos a little, and keep people who have come in for the | ||
| CF | Fair from wandering off down the side streets and causing trouble in | ||
| CF | unpoliced areas of town. It has a code-lock that opens the inset door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It looks as though that barrier to the north is closed and locked. | ||
| CF | We have everything we need to figure out how to unlock it, though. | ||
| CF | Would you like to try to open it on your own? >> | Knight_Otu says, "Roger IS looking, game." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "YES" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | Would you like to try to open it on your own? >> | ||
| CF | > YES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Good luck! | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "we need a code and we've got a codex, seems to be the situation" | |
| Lancelot says, "thats a clear hint... we got everything we need :p" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove x from codex" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE X FROM CODEX | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an X-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a smell of anise, and the codex turns into a code. A bit of | ||
| CF | paper on which is written "305." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To save your current position, type SAVE. RESTORE allows you to | ||
| CF | bring back a game you have previously saved. | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "type 305 on door" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TYPE 305 ON DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We set the wheels of the code-lock to 305. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Click! The barrier door unlocks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | OPEN THE BARRIER will open it for us — or we could just GO | ||
| CF | THROUGH | ||
| CF | BARRIER and rely on opening it automatically. | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove c from code" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, noon Goals: 3 Score: 1 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE C FROM CODE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a C-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of paper, the code turns into an ode. A short | ||
| CF | poem, letter-pressed attractively on a sheet of thick paper. It is | ||
| CF | entitled "Our Ancestors, The Immortal Spirits of the Pyramids," a fact | ||
| CF | which disinclines me to study the rest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | OPEN THE BARRIER will open it for us — or we could just GO | ||
| CF | THROUGH | ||
| CF | BARRIER and rely on opening it automatically. | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "what no score points for all that? boo" | |
| Lancelot says, "ah the auto door thing" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go through door" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO THROUGH DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the temporary barrier. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm glad to see you're feeling ready to face the wider world. Here's | ||
| CF | what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Get my backpack from the cinema | ||
| CF | Retrieve your remaining possessions from locker at hostel | ||
| CF | Meet your colleague Slango at Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Remember that you can move towards your goal locations with GO | ||
| CF | TO...] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [To go over our current goals, type GOALS at any time.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fair | ||
| CF | Today is Serial Comma Day, one of the biggest holidays on the island, | ||
| CF | and a time when half the police force is off duty while the other half | ||
| CF | is over-extended. The perfect day to make an escape. The square at the | ||
| CF | center of town is therefore crowded with people, and there's an | ||
| CF | overpowering smell of artificial butter and spun sugar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are surrounded by kiosks for spell-offs, face-painting, a wheel to | ||
| CF | spin for prizes, and other activities best for small children or the | ||
| CF | very easily amused. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Fair continues with a selection of carnival games to the west, and | ||
| CF | with open park to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now four.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "theres your points" | |
| Roger says, "well okay" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to cinema" | ||
| CF ] Cinema Lobby, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO CINEMA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We walk among the crowds. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cinema Lobby | ||
| CF | This is a small, one-screen theater. The seats are not comfortable and | ||
| CF | the screen is not large. The projector is old. The management is lazy. | ||
| CF | No food is served. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On two occasions, the film I was watching burst into flames while it | ||
| CF | was being shown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Despite these handicaps, it maintains an active and interested | ||
| CF | clientele simply by virtue of content: a wide variety of foreign films | ||
| CF | that, though meticulously dubbed into flawless California-accented | ||
| CF | English, nonetheless carry that slight tang of the forbidden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Evidently the next showing is not for a little while yet, because | ||
| CF | there are no patrons in sight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Ticket," says the ticket-taker automatically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I was not expecting that to work" | |
| Jade says, "yes, 4" | ||
| DavidW says, "I suppose if you find a THICKET, you can remove its H for a TICKET." | ||
| Roger says, "sounds plausible" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x taker" | ||
| CF ] Cinema Lobby, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TAKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Not one of this country's best and brightest, but he seems | ||
| CF | good-natured. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "You tend to need to think that way when playing this game." | |
| Jade says, "y" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x goals" | ||
| CF ] Cinema Lobby, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Cinema Lobby, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Get my backpack from the cinema | ||
| CF | Retrieve your remaining possessions from locker at hostel | ||
| CF | Meet your colleague Slango at Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to hostel" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO HOSTEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a short walk among the booths of the fair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hostel | ||
| CF | I take it this is where you stayed from the time you got to town until | ||
| CF | our operation. I would have expected that someone with your | ||
| CF | credentials would have been able to afford something better: The Fleur | ||
| CF | d'Or, maybe? But maybe you thought this was lower-profile. At least | ||
| CF | it's clean and doesn't smell funny. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The desk attendant is sort of eying us. She doesn't recognize you — | ||
| CF | us | ||
| CF | — but that's a good thing, I think. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Discarded in one corner is Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a spiral staircase that leads up to the dormitory rooms. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can pick things up when you see them, like this: TAKE THE | ||
| CF | NOSE-RING. | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "read book" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > READ BOOK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A much-thumbed and several years out-of-date guidebook to this | ||
| CF | immediate area. The cover is tomato-red but the pages are crinkly and | ||
| CF | beige: it appears that someone has spilled coffee on it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's too much here to take in in a quick read, but we could look up | ||
| CF | specific topics if we wanted to read more. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can pick things up when you see them, like this: TAKE THE | ||
| CF | NOSE-RING. | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take book" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BOOK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you want to get rid of something that you're holding you can | ||
| CF | always drop it, like this: DROP THE C-REMOVER. | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up atlantis" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP ATLANTIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The entire book concerns the island, so we'll have to be more specific | ||
| CF | about places and institutions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [We can LOOK UP interesting subjects IN books, if we like.] | ||
| CF | Achievement accomplished: Finished tutorial mode! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "yay" | |
| Lancelot says, "yay" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Gee, game, just casually suggest to drop our valuable tool." | ||
| DavidW says, "It was a random item in current scope." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "True, but still." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying your C-remover — an essential we mustn't part with. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "up" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | Painted off-white, with hard wood floors under many layers of | ||
| CF | protective gloss coating: there are no surfaces in this room that | ||
| CF | would take a stain. Four dorm beds are lined up against the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The locker you identify as your own sits near one of the beds, still | ||
| CF | locked with its dial lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A girl of about 19 is standing in the middle of the room, looking | ||
| CF | around as though she can't quite believe where she landed or what | ||
| CF | she's doing here. She is carrying a heavy pack and wearing a pink | ||
| CF | t-shirt. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hey," says the girl. "Do you think this place is safe?" asks the girl | ||
| CF | conspiratorially. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I must look blank, because she goes on, "I saw this documentary once, | ||
| CF | right, about a serial killer who went from youth hostel to youth | ||
| CF | hostel, grooming girls and killing them. And then | ||
| CF | he'd chop up the bodies and put the body parts into the | ||
| CF | lockers. And no one would find out until he'd gone away again." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Nothing like that has happened around here, but she seems to get a | ||
| CF | charge out of scaring herself with this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to ask for privacy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "girl, give me privacy" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GIRL, GIVE ME PRIVACY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can't think of anything appropriate to say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to ask for privacy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask for privacy" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK FOR PRIVACY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "This will just take a moment, but you would you mind giving me the | ||
| CF | room to myself?" we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She waves a hand generously. "Don't worry about it, do whatever you've | ||
| CF | got to do, I don't care," she says. "I'm so tired I couldn't move a | ||
| CF | muscle, but I've seen everything. I have three brothers and two | ||
| CF | sisters and I'm in women's rugby so I'm pretty hard to shock." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a grunt, she shrugs off her pack and puts it on the ground near | ||
| CF | one of the beds. "So when did you get to Anglophone Atlantis, anyway? | ||
| CF | How long have you been here?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to lie about visiting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "this part was hard to me" | |
| Roger says, "apparently my earlier exuberance about escaping tutorial mode was misplaced" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "lie" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LIE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Just a few days. I wanted a little time to see the place, before it | ||
| CF | got all crazy for Serial Comma Day," you lie smoothly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh, yeah, that was smart," she says. "I am really not ready for this | ||
| CF | at all." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She eyes the beds thoughtfully, punches each of the mattresses in | ||
| CF | turn, and then climbs into the one she's selected. "I hope this place | ||
| CF | has good souvenirs. I got this great snowglobe at the Vatican, right, | ||
| CF | that has the Pope inside saying, like, a blessing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to admire the snowglobe. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I didn't do the hostel area until a bit later in the game, after I had more items." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "admire snowglobe" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ADMIRE SNOWGLOBE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I bet your friends back home are going to love that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Yeah," she says. "Though I have to keep my souvenir buying light | ||
| CF | because there isn't that much room in my pack." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x pack" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The flag of Canada is sewn on the back. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "yay Canada mention!" | |
| Roger says, "them damn canucks" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask girl about canada" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK GIRL ABOUT CANADA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The backpacking girl thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not | ||
| CF | to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh my gosh, I am SO jetlagged. I feel like I'm just going to fall | ||
| CF | over, you know?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm inclined to ask whether she is really from Canada or | ||
| CF | sympathize about jetlag. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade exclaims, "yes, Canada is great!" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask whether she is really from Canada" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK WHETHER SHE IS REALLY FROM CANADA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "So," we say, nodding at the pack. "Are you really Canadian?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Uh, no. I come from Ohio. But don't tell anyone that. My mom thought | ||
| CF | this would be safer in case of terrorists. She's also worried about | ||
| CF | serial killers but there's not much I can do about that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She watches us with interest. "Wish I hadn't remembered that serial | ||
| CF | killer thing," the girl remarks, half to herself. "Now it's going to | ||
| CF | keep me up later. Picturing someone with a saw hacking me up." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove f from flag" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE F FROM FLAG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an F-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The letter-remover finds no f in the heavy pack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "No Canadian lag." | |
| Roger says, "alas" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove g from globe" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE G FROM GLOBE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Maybe that means something different to you, but I can't see any such | ||
| CF | thing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove e from snowglobe" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE E FROM SNOWGLOBE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open pack" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN PACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Overtly searching her possessions while she is here seems like a | ||
| CF | ticket to trouble. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | Painted off-white, with hard wood floors under many layers of | ||
| CF | protective gloss coating: there are no surfaces in this room that | ||
| CF | would take a stain. Four dorm beds are lined up against the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The locker you identify as your own sits near one of the beds, still | ||
| CF | locked with its dial lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The backpacking girl is still hanging out here. She is on a dorm bed. | ||
| CF | The backpacking girl is wearing a pink t-shirt. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massively full pack leans against one of the beds. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I seem to vaguely remember there's at least three ways to scare the girl into leaving." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x locker" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LOCKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A standard metal locker for travelers to leave their valuable | ||
| CF | possessions in when they go out — or while they sleep, since one's | ||
| CF | bunkmates are not always to be trusted. It is of the kind that | ||
| CF | requires the traveler to bring his own lock, and in fact someone (such | ||
| CF | as yourself) has put a lock on this one. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x lock" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's curious, now you look at it: it's a combination lock with a dial | ||
| CF | face, but no one has bothered putting any numerals onto the dial. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are reminded of making your lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [MEMORIES will list your currently active memories] | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "memories" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > MEMORIES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Currently on your mind is making your lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [REMEMBER any memory to review it.] | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remember" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMEMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Currently on your mind is making your lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remember making lock" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMEMBER MAKING LOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Galley | ||
| CF | You were going through the galley cupboards on the yacht. "If you're | ||
| CF | looking for coffee, Slango forgot to resupply," Brock said, descending | ||
| CF | the galley staircase in a wet Speedo. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "No, the first-letter razor," you replied, holding up a portable | ||
| CF | clock. "I need a lock that responds to restoration gel but nothing | ||
| CF | else." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Ah." Brock toweled his hair. "It's in my bunk, sorry. Want to come | ||
| CF | look for it?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You smiled — a give-away smile. "Wish I could, but we're on a | ||
| CF | deadline. Go put some pants on. And bring me the razor." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then we're back in the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmm okay" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "A c-remover couldn't do that job." | ||
| Roger says, "maybe I'll come back later" | ||
| DavidW says, "I think you need an item/tool you don't have yet." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to counterfeit monkey" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO COUNTERFEIT MONKEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That way will take us away from the cinema, and I'd like to retrieve | ||
| CF | our things first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Heritage Corner | ||
| CF | This patch of the town square has been paved over in octagonal bricks | ||
| CF | and is commonly used for displays of traditional dancing: over-50 | ||
| CF | women in home-made embroidered aprons, skipping arm-in-arm and jumping | ||
| CF | over broomsticks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No, there aren't any here now. But trust me. It's an | ||
| CF | unforgettable sight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Under a bit of shelter in the corner, a diorama table shows scenes | ||
| CF | from local history, rotated out each week. This week's diorama | ||
| CF | represents the first sitting of the Committee for the New Orthodox | ||
| CF | Orthography. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The park continues to the north and west; to the east is the hostel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x table" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The patriotic scene is set against the backdrop of the Bureau's | ||
| CF | buildings ca. 1895, where the committee first met, but the historians | ||
| CF | have included a bit of the building exterior to show that the meetings | ||
| CF | were conducted under army guard. The writing of dictionaries has not | ||
| CF | always been bloodless. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The members and the army are movable, but the rest of the scenery | ||
| CF | appears to have been hot-glued in place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x member" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MEMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x army" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ARMY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A collection of soldier figurines in blue uniforms. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove y from army" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE Y FROM ARMY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a Y-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We wave the Y-remover at the army and produce an arm, severed (because | ||
| CF | after all it would be beyond the parameters of the change to generate | ||
| CF | the person whose body part it is). It is only moderately gory, and | ||
| CF | most locals get used to seeing this kind of thing as a prank from | ||
| CF | six-year-olds every halloween. Still, it might startle a tourist. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, ""The writing of dictionaries has not always been bloodless." is sure a rare sentence." | |
| Roger says, "indeed" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take arm" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ARM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the arm. A girl's arm, by the look of it, amputated neatly at | ||
| CF | the shoulder joint. The fingernails are painted shell-pink. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to hostel" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO HOSTEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The hostel should be close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "This island has a very peculiar history." | |
| Lancelot says, "a perfect scare indeed" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The park continues to the north and west; to the east is the hostel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hostel | ||
| CF | I take it this is where you stayed from the time you got to town until | ||
| CF | our operation. I would have expected that someone with your | ||
| CF | credentials would have been able to afford something better: The Fleur | ||
| CF | d'Or, maybe? But maybe you thought this was lower-profile. At least | ||
| CF | it's clean and doesn't smell funny. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The desk attendant is sort of eying us. She is wearing a nose-ring and | ||
| CF | a blouse. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a spiral staircase that leads up to the dormitory rooms. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show arm to attendant" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW ARM TO ATTENDANT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the attention of the desk attendant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Here, have a look at this," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Yuck," the desk attendant replies. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask how to unlock the lockers or ask whether we can keep | ||
| CF | the guidebook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "In a world where words have power..." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask how to unlock the lockers" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK HOW TO UNLOCK THE LOCKERS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hey, so, like," we begin, twirling our hair in one finger. "What if | ||
| CF | I, like, accidentally locked something in the locker upstairs and I | ||
| CF | don't know the number to get it open? It is, like, so | ||
| CF | important that I get my stuff back." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Her expression of dreamy good will hardens into one of cool contempt. | ||
| CF | "Lockers are the responsibility of the guests," she says. "You brought | ||
| CF | the lock, so you must know the combination." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm inclined to ask whether we can keep the guidebook or ask what | ||
| CF | happens if the guest does not remember. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask about guidebook" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ABOUT GUIDEBOOK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hey, does this guidebook belong to the hostel, or can I keep it?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Sure, whatever," she says. "People take and leave stuff all the time. | ||
| CF | It's no big deal." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask what happens if the guest does not remember. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask what happens" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK WHAT HAPPENS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "About the lockers again," we say. "What happens when, like, someone | ||
| CF | forgets the combination? Does that ever happen? 'Cause it seems like | ||
| CF | you might need to get the locker open for the next guest, right? So, | ||
| CF | like, what do you do?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Yes, it happens," she says. Her spiky magenta hair is quivering. It | ||
| CF | was wrong to take the hippy-ish blouse as a sign of an easy-going | ||
| CF | temper. "It happens all the time. We have to get the | ||
| CF | All-Purpose in to fix them. It's expensive. I keep telling management | ||
| CF | we should have a different kind of lock-up system, but they won't hear | ||
| CF | it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask what the All-Purpose is or ask what we should do | ||
| CF | about the lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask about the all-purpose" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ABOUT THE ALL-PURPOSE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "All-Purpose? What's that?" we ask. But surely you do know? The | ||
| CF | All-Purpose is a kind of blue-suited handy-man, a mechanic with a huge | ||
| CF | toolbox of letter tools. He can do just about anything. I would have | ||
| CF | thought— but she's answering. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You know, from the Bureau." She reaches under the desk and pulls out | ||
| CF | a box, which she displays briefly to our gaze. Inside is an assortment | ||
| CF | of colored children's blocks. "He does this with them," she says | ||
| CF | matter-of-factly, as though B-insertion weren't a pretty serious | ||
| CF | challenge. Then she puts the box away again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask how the All-Purpose makes blocks, ask why they do not | ||
| CF | use a locksmith, or ask what we should do about the lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "want me to keep plowing into this?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I don't think I talked much with the attendant when I played." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask about blocks" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ABOUT BLOCKS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "He puts on Bs? On the locks? How does that, like, work?" we ask, | ||
| CF | twirling our hair some more. (This is ridiculous! Have you no shame? | ||
| CF | Doesn't it embarrass you, playing up to stereotypes like this? No, I | ||
| CF | see your point. You're more of a pragmatist. I should have guessed.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "He has a machine he brings in, on wheels," she says. "It's the size | ||
| CF | of a dessert cart. At one end, there's a hose with a nozzle. The B | ||
| CF | comes out of there." In spite of her mood, she obviously finds this an | ||
| CF | interesting topic. "I asked him what happened if the B flew out and | ||
| CF | hit something it wasn't supposed to, and he showed me this restoration | ||
| CF | gel he had, to put things back to what they were originally." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask why they do not use a locksmith. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask about restoration gel" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ABOUT RESTORATION GEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask about locksmith" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ABOUT LOCKSMITH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "It seems as though a locksmith would be cheaper and less trouble than | ||
| CF | getting an All-Purpose Officer," we point out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You might think." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from blouse" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM BLOUSE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't dare invade the personal space of the desk attendant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "but I do dare" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take block" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BLOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "up" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | Painted off-white, with hard wood floors under many layers of | ||
| CF | protective gloss coating: there are no surfaces in this room that | ||
| CF | would take a stain. Four dorm beds are lined up against the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The locker you identify as your own sits near one of the beds, still | ||
| CF | locked with its dial lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The backpacking girl is still hanging out here. She sits on the dorm | ||
| CF | bed. The backpacking girl is wearing a pink t-shirt. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massively full pack leans against one of the beds. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The girl takes our reappearance in stride. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show arm to girl" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW ARM TO GIRL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What do you make of this?" we ask, showing off the arm. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The backpacking girl gags. After a moment to regain her composure, she | ||
| CF | flees the vicinity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "that severed arm is... pretty handy" | |
| Lancelot says, "a scare indeed" | ||
| DavidW says, "one-handed clap" | ||
| Lancelot says, "I smell a Buddhist" | ||
| Roger says, "now I can high-five myself" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open pack" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN PACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the heavy pack, revealing an assortment of very short shorts, | ||
| CF | a broomstick skirt, flip-flops, bikini bottoms, various t-shirts, an | ||
| CF | anorak, a fat guidebook to Europe, a cheap camera, and a box of | ||
| CF | tampons. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I don't think we need any of those." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "empty pack" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EMPTY PACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take all from pack" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ALL FROM PACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | assortment of very short shorts: None of these are any use just now. | ||
| CF | broomstick skirt: None of these are any use just now. | ||
| CF | flip-flops: None of these are any use just now. | ||
| CF | bikini bottoms: None of these are any use just now. | ||
| CF | various t-shirts: None of these are any use just now. | ||
| CF | anorak: None of these are any use just now. | ||
| CF | fat guidebook to Europe: None of these are any use just now. | ||
| CF | cheap camera: None of these are any use just now. | ||
| CF | box of tampons: None of these are any use just now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "thanks game" | |
| DavidW asks, "also, how'd hse get the anorak through customs?" | ||
| Roger says, "there's an exemption for Canadians, I would assume" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove r from shorts" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE R FROM SHORTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an R-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "assotment of vey | ||
| CF | shot shots": evidently "shorts" is too tightly bound to its modifiers | ||
| CF | and can't be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove r from skirt" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE R FROM SKIRT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an R-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "boomstick skit": | ||
| CF | evidently "skirt" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "That is not our boom stick." | |
| Lancelot says, "oy yeah it removes from all words" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear pack" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR PACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't see how you plan to do that, short of tying the heavy pack to | ||
| CF | our head. (Hint: no.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hah" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | Painted off-white, with hard wood floors under many layers of | ||
| CF | protective gloss coating: there are no surfaces in this room that | ||
| CF | would take a stain. Four dorm beds are lined up against the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The locker you identify as your own sits near one of the beds, still | ||
| CF | locked with its dial lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massively full pack leans against one of the beds. The heavy pack | ||
| CF | contains an assortment of very short shorts, a broomstick skirt, | ||
| CF | flip-flops, bikini bottoms, various t-shirts, an anorak, a fat | ||
| CF | guidebook to Europe, a cheap camera, and a box of tampons. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open box" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN BOX | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's not something we can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "alright guess we need to scare up some gel, possible from our stuff in the cinema" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hostel | ||
| CF | I take it this is where you stayed from the time you got to town until | ||
| CF | our operation. I would have expected that someone with your | ||
| CF | credentials would have been able to afford something better: The Fleur | ||
| CF | d'Or, maybe? But maybe you thought this was lower-profile. At least | ||
| CF | it's clean and doesn't smell funny. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The desk attendant is sort of eying us. She is wearing a nose-ring and | ||
| CF | a blouse. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a spiral staircase that leads up to the dormitory rooms. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But we aren't in anything at the moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Heritage Corner | ||
| CF | This patch of the town square has been paved over in octagonal bricks | ||
| CF | and is commonly used for displays of traditional dancing: over-50 | ||
| CF | women in home-made embroidered aprons, skipping arm-in-arm and jumping | ||
| CF | over broomsticks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Under a bit of shelter in the corner, a diorama table shows scenes | ||
| CF | from local history, rotated out each week. This week's diorama | ||
| CF | represents the first sitting of the Committee for the New Orthodox | ||
| CF | Orthography. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The park continues to the north and west; to the east is the hostel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Er, before we strike out into the rest of town, could we get my | ||
| CF | backpack from the cinema? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [If you're traveling far, you can always type GO TO (location | ||
| CF | name) to get there automatically.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fair | ||
| CF | The square at the center of town is crowded with people, and there's | ||
| CF | an overpowering smell of artificial butter and spun sugar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are surrounded by kiosks for spell-offs, face-painting, a wheel to | ||
| CF | spin for prizes, and other activities best for small children or the | ||
| CF | very easily amused. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Fair continues with a selection of carnival games to the west, and | ||
| CF | with open park to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x games" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GAMES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x kiosks" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X KIOSKS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | They're the usual tacky affairs of brightly painted fiberboard and | ||
| CF | cheap prizes. I don't see any likely to help us today, however. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x wheel" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WHEEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's the sort of game where you spin the wheel for a prize. No one | ||
| CF | seems to be manning or using it any more, though; perhaps the supply | ||
| CF | of prizes has run out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "spin wheel" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SPIN WHEEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We give the wheel a hard spin. The pointer lands on SET OF PAINT. | ||
| CF | Sadly, no one is around to award this prize (which is probably why we | ||
| CF | were allowed to spin it without having some sort of ticket first). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove w from wheel" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE W FROM WHEEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a W-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We wave the W-remover at the wheel and produce a heel, severed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fair | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove l from wheel" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE L FROM WHEEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an L-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "whee". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fair | ||
| CF | The square at the center of town is crowded with people, and there's | ||
| CF | an overpowering smell of artificial butter and spun sugar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are surrounded by kiosks for spell-offs, face-painting, a wheel to | ||
| CF | spin for prizes, and other activities best for small children or the | ||
| CF | very easily amused. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Fair continues with a selection of carnival games to the west, and | ||
| CF | with open park to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "We could have an assortment of body parts on us." | |
| Roger says, "I guess" | ||
| DavidW says, "I made an EAR when I played the game originally." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove w from wheel" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE W FROM WHEEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a W-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We wave the W-remover at the wheel and produce a heel, severed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x heel" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X HEEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Calloused and leathery, a gruesome souvenir of years of unhappy | ||
| CF | shoe-wearing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take heel" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE HEEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the heel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove l from heel" | ||
| CF ] Fair, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE L FROM HEEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an L-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "hee". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Midway, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Midway | ||
| CF | Here in front of the pharmacy in the southwestern corner of the town | ||
| CF | square, various contests have been set up — a strong-man hammering | ||
| CF | contest, a contest to see who can burst the most balloons using a | ||
| CF | styrofoam dart-plane, and so on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I assume you've noticed, though, the word-balance, which comes up as | ||
| CF | high as our hip. On the right pan is an apple and on the left a pear. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beside the word-balance is a barker in a blue suit, the same | ||
| CF | regulation blue used by the Bureau of Orthography. The barker is also | ||
| CF | holding a tube. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Put the beam out of alignment and win a fabulous prize!" says the | ||
| CF | barker, holding up a tube. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask what the gel is worth, ask whether the game is | ||
| CF | rigged, or ask whether anyone ever wins. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oho" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask about gel" | ||
| CF ] Midway, noon Goals: 3 Score: 4 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ABOUT GEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Is the gel very valuable?" we ask. "Is it new, and in good condition? | ||
| CF | Is the entire tube present?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Yes, of course, and absolutely," he says, making a gesture as though | ||
| CF | to show us the gel, but actually not letting us catch more than the | ||
| CF | label. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crowd mills around, jostling us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "One tube of restoration gel goes to the first person who can | ||
| CF | unbalance the word-balance!" cries the barker, glance sweeping the | ||
| CF | crowd. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask whether the game is rigged or ask whether anyone ever | ||
| CF | wins. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "balancer? same number of letters on each side?" | |
| Roger says, "that does seem to be sort of implied" | ||
| Lancelot I think I can guess this one lol | Roger says, "or maybe less balanced than before" | |
| Roger exclaims (at lancelot), "go for it!" | ||
| Lancelot says (to floyd), "remove p from apple" | ||
| CF ] Midway, noon Goals: 3 Score: 7 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE P FROM APPLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a P-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a smell of fermenting apple, then cider, then something more | ||
| CF | malty. In the apple's place there is now a glass of nutbrown ale. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a cheer from the spectators. The word-balance tilts slowly | ||
| CF | but inexorably. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The barker looks astonished and displeased, except for a fraction of a | ||
| CF | second when he just noticeably winks. With exaggerated bad grace hands | ||
| CF | us some restoration gel. "There's your prize. And now this contest is | ||
| CF | over." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He stalks away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now seven.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "You can take the ale and pear now, and you should." | |
| Lancelot says, "oh wow in one shot" | ||
| Jade says, "here you can remove some letters, obtaining some different items" | ||
| Roger says, "pew pew" | ||
| Lancelot says (to floyd), "get all" | ||
| CF ] Midway, noon Goals: 3 Score: 7 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GET ALL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | pear: We pick up the pear. Handsome and green. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Lancelot says (to floyd), "get ale" | ||
| CF ] Midway, noon Goals: 3 Score: 7 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GET ALE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the ale. A delicious nutbrown ale in a cool glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "hmm get all didnt work" | |
| Lancelot says, "at least the ale came in a glass lol" | ||
| DavidW says, "Because the ale wasn't in the room, it was still on the balancer." | ||
| Lancelot says, "the balancing thing I actally expected to need to change the pear to a pea as well" | ||
| Lancelot says (to floyd), "look" | ||
| CF ] Midway, noon Goals: 3 Score: 7 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Midway | ||
| CF | Here in front of the pharmacy in the southwestern corner of the town | ||
| CF | square, various contests have been set up — a strong-man hammering | ||
| CF | contest, a contest to see who can burst the most balloons using a | ||
| CF | styrofoam dart-plane, and so on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No longer so useful is the word-balance, which comes up as high as our | ||
| CF | hip. Both pans are empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "That ould have worked, too." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "*would" | ||
| Lancelot says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Midway, noon Goals: 3 Score: 7 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: a tube and your P-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an arm, Guidebook to Anglophone | ||
| CF | Atlantis, a heel, and a pear. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Lancelot says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Midway, noon Goals: 3 Score: 7 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Get my backpack from the cinema | ||
| CF | Retrieve your remaining possessions from locker at hostel | ||
| CF | Meet your colleague Slango at Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "If you put gel on the ale, it should return to an apple or appliance or whatever it originally was." | |
| Lancelot says, "oh yeah so the opposite" | ||
| Roger says, "and fix our locker lock" | ||
| Lancelot says, "so we can turn the lock into a clock" | ||
| DavidW asks, "And then the clock to a...?" | ||
| Lancelot says, "lol hmm" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Of course, we may want to check if our prize meets its hype." | ||
| Lancelot says, "im a bit lost for where next" | ||
| Lancelot asks, "hostel?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x tube" | ||
| CF ] Midway, noon Goals: 3 Score: 7 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TUBE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It claims to be full of restoration gel, but said gel has mostly gone. | ||
| CF | If only it had been a larger container to start with. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ah ofc" | |
| DavidW says, "Oh yes, I remember." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove e from tube" | ||
| CF ] Midway, noon Goals: 3 Score: 7 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE E FROM TUBE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an E-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a mad-scientist cackle, and the tube turns into a tub. Now a | ||
| CF | handsome, giant-sized tub with RESTORATION GEL prominently emblazoned | ||
| CF | on the front. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x tub" | ||
| CF ] Midway, noon Goals: 3 Score: 7 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TUB | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Now a handsome, giant-sized tub with RESTORATION GEL prominently | ||
| CF | emblazoned on the front. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "so much restoration gel now." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to locker" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 7 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO LOCKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We have a quick walk among the crowds. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | Painted off-white, with hard wood floors under many layers of | ||
| CF | protective gloss coating: there are no surfaces in this room that | ||
| CF | would take a stain. Four dorm beds are lined up against the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The locker you identify as your own sits near one of the beds, still | ||
| CF | locked with its dial lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massively full pack leans against one of the beds. There are an | ||
| CF | assortment of very short shorts, a broomstick skirt, flip-flops, | ||
| CF | bikini bottoms, various t-shirts, an anorak, a fat guidebook to | ||
| CF | Europe, a cheap camera, and a box of tampons in the heavy pack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "aj�! The restoration gel." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on lock" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 8 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON LOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the lock. | ||
| CF | With an audible SPLORT, the lock becomes a clock and falls to the | ||
| CF | ground. It appears to be one of those archetypal alarm clocks that | ||
| CF | crows at sunrise and generally makes a nuisance of itself. It shows | ||
| CF | the time to be about ten past ten. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm starting to understand how you got into all the places you got | ||
| CF | into. Not that I judge you or your line of work, of course. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point and is now eight.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "huzzah" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on me" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 8 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON ME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A fingertip-dab isn't enough to undo the doubling-up we experienced, | ||
| CF | but if we applied more, there's a real chance we'd come apart into a | ||
| CF | you and a me. And we can't afford that right now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe later though" | |
| Jade says, "this gel won't waste at least" | ||
| Lancelot says, "it was worth a try :p" | ||
| Lancelot says, "I am surprised we can carry a tub of gel around that easy" | ||
| Roger says, "we've got the strength of two people now" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take clock" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 3 Score: 8 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CLOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the clock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "not exactly conspicuous" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "As long it's not a bathtub." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open locker" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN LOCKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Now that the lock has been removed, the locker swings easily open, | ||
| CF | revealing a roll, a letter, and some plans. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now eleven.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x roll" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ROLL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Now that is more like it: you've got us a tidy little stash of euros | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Think of a tub of margarine. It's big but not a bathtub big." | |
| Roger says, "but it's GIANT-SIZED" | ||
| Lancelot says, "must be my lack of English" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x letter" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LETTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a letter from your brother, printed off anonymously from an | ||
| CF | untraceable email account that you accessed in town. Nothing that | ||
| CF | could be followed back to Slango and the yacht. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sis, | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm keeping your wire transfer funds. I want to try for | ||
| CF | Stanford. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd say thank you except that, one, you didn't get it legally (I | ||
| CF | saw this documentary about teen prostitutes — if that's where it came | ||
| CF | from then EW) and, two, honestly? You owe for what you put us through | ||
| CF | after you ran away. Mom and Dad were humiliated that you turned into | ||
| CF | the prodigal daughter. Your face got on milk cartons. Pastor Hughes | ||
| CF | GAVE A SERMON ABOUT IT. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mom spent all that time coaching you through spelling practice, | ||
| CF | you know she doesn't enjoy getting up at 4 AM, right? You totally | ||
| CF | threw that in their faces. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you want to come home sometime, fine, but don't come to just | ||
| CF | see me. If you want to see me you have to see Mom and Dad too. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Nate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Hill giant, storm giant, mountain giant?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x plans" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PLANS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The plans are rolled up and stuck shut with a label that reads | ||
| CF | "PROPERTY OF DENTAL CONSONANTS LIMITED — UNAUTHORIZED USE ILLEGAL". | ||
| CF | They're just a set of prints from the main computer design, of course, | ||
| CF | but still extremely informative: to the right engineer, they might | ||
| CF | reveal the secret of T-insertion for replication by other companies. | ||
| CF | These are what you and Brock were originally contracted to lift from | ||
| CF | the island, at a fee in the multiple millions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove l from plans" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE L FROM PLANS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an L-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a smell of anise, and the plans turn into some pans. A set of | ||
| CF | flat skillets in cast iron: extremely bulky and heavy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take skillets" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SKILLETS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take pans" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PANS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the pans. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can't reasonably carry the whole stack of pans, so they fall to the | ||
| CF | ground with a dramatic crash. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "well damnit" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo. undo." | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNDO. UNDO. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in locker" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN LOCKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the locker are some pans, a roll, and a letter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in locker" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN LOCKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the locker are a roll, a letter, and some plans. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take roll" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ROLL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the roll. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take letter" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE LETTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the letter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take plans" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PLANS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the plans. The plans are rolled up and stuck shut with a label | ||
| CF | that reads "PROPERTY OF DENTAL CONSONANTS LIMITED — UNAUTHORIZED USE | ||
| CF | ILLEGAL". They're just a set of prints from the main computer design, | ||
| CF | of course, but still extremely informative: to the right engineer, | ||
| CF | they might reveal the secret of T-insertion for replication by other | ||
| CF | companies. These are what you and Brock were originally contracted to | ||
| CF | lift from the island, at a fee in the multiple millions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take clock" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CLOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We already have that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on pack" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON PACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the heavy | ||
| CF | pack. Alas, nothing happens. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dormitory Room | ||
| CF | Painted off-white, with hard wood floors under many layers of | ||
| CF | protective gloss coating: there are no surfaces in this room that | ||
| CF | would take a stain. Four dorm beds are lined up against the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The locker you identify as your own sits near one of the beds, door | ||
| CF | standing open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massively full pack leans against one of the beds. In the heavy pack | ||
| CF | are an assortment of very short shorts, a broomstick skirt, | ||
| CF | flip-flops, bikini bottoms, various t-shirts, an anorak, a fat | ||
| CF | guidebook to Europe, a cheap camera, and a box of tampons. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I kinda appreciate the smart thing here might be to just try to gel everything all the time, but that feels a bit cheap even to me" | |
| Lancelot says, "cant we put the pans in there" | ||
| Roger says, "in the pack? I could try" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from box" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM BOX | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "ox of tampons": | ||
| CF | evidently "tampons" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "You can turn the pans into a single pan." | |
| Roger says, "oho right" | ||
| Lancelot says, "yeah just strip the s" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove l from plans" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE L FROM PLANS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an L-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a flash of psychedelic colors, and the plans turn into some | ||
| CF | pans. A set of flat skillets in cast iron: extremely bulky and heavy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can't reasonably carry the whole stack of pans, so they fall to the | ||
| CF | ground with a dramatic crash. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from pans" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM PANS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a mint green cloud, and the pans turn into a pan. An | ||
| CF | omelet-sized skillet in cast iron. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take pan" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PAN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the pan. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "In the same way we could turn our heel into an eel, I think I recall." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove h from heel" | ||
| CF ] Dormitory Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE H FROM HEEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an H-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of a sort of oily, fishy tang, the heel turns | ||
| CF | into an eel. Manifested dead, because out of its proper element, the | ||
| CF | eel nonetheless gleams with silver and stripes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I think there may be a monocle of some sort later in the game that reveals if a thing is modified or not." | |
| Roger says, "hmm" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "walk to cinema" | ||
| CF ] Cinema Lobby, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WALK TO CINEMA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We walk among the booths of the fair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cinema Lobby | ||
| CF | This is a small, one-screen theater. Evidently the next showing is not | ||
| CF | for a little while yet, because there are no patrons in sight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Ticket," says the ticket-taker automatically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "buy ticket" | ||
| CF ] Cinema Lobby, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BUY TICKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (from the ticket-taker) | ||
| CF | "I'd like to buy a ticket to this movie," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ticket-taker shrugs. "If you give me the money here, I don't | ||
| CF | actually have to give you a ticket," he says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I think about raising some discussion about why the theater bothers | ||
| CF | with a ticketing procedure at all, and whether this will ruin their | ||
| CF | accounting about the number of available seats. But you're right that | ||
| CF | that would probably make us more memorable than we want to be. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He accepts a bill, and that's that: we now have movie access. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "There are quite some neat toys in this world." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Cinema Lobby, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is of course the exit to the south; the screening room itself is | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 2 Score: 11 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Screening Room | ||
| CF | Whatever is scheduled for later showing has not started yet, and is | ||
| CF | probably not destined to start for some time; at any rate, the screen | ||
| CF | is blank and no audience has yet assembled. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My backpack is stowed under a seat in the third row from the back. I | ||
| CF | figured that it would be undisturbed there for a couple of hours, in | ||
| CF | the dark and out of sight, and if anyone found it they would probably | ||
| CF | turn it in to Lost and Found. But it is a big relief to find it still | ||
| CF | there. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the backpack are a flash drive and a monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north and east to Cinema Lobby from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take backpack" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the backpack. Mine: a little bit worn, but capacious. It | ||
| CF | doesn't have any identifying marks on it, and I thought a brand-new | ||
| CF | bag would look more suspicious. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now fourteen.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Speakof the monocle." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x drive" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DRIVE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This is it: all my notes; the syllable-and word-generating programs | ||
| CF | from which I built my language vocabulary; the lexicon and | ||
| CF | pronunciation guide and grammatical descriptions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | And then there's the research to support the product: citations; | ||
| CF | copies of journal articles and scans from books; contact information | ||
| CF | for people in the outside world I think could help me. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's everything I've been working on for the last three years. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x monocle" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This is no mere fashion accessory. It is the very top grade of | ||
| CF | authentication scope, designed for people who have to use them all | ||
| CF | day, and normally available only to employees of the Bureau of | ||
| CF | Orthography. If we look through the monocle at something, we can see | ||
| CF | its true nature, regardless of spelling changes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You like that? I thought you might be impressed. My father got it for | ||
| CF | me. "For research," he said, but I think he knew I just coveted them. | ||
| CF | At any rate, you're not the only one with equipment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear monocle" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Everything turns computer-monitor green when viewed through our right | ||
| CF | eye. And staring fixedly at anything will turn up its authenticity | ||
| CF | status. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "stare at clock" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > STARE AT CLOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It appears to be one of those archetypal alarm clocks that crows at | ||
| CF | sunrise and generally makes a nuisance of itself. It shows the time to | ||
| CF | be about half past ten. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the clock with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "stare at ale" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > STARE AT ALE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A delicious nutbrown ale in a cool glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | ale is a faint, greenish image of an apple. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "stare at pear" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > STARE AT PEAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Handsome and green. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | pear is a faint, unappetizing image of a pearl. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on pear" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON PEAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the pear. | ||
| CF | With an audible SPLORT, the pear becomes a pearl. It is small, | ||
| CF | slightly uneven, and pale blue in color. Not worth very much, but | ||
| CF | genuine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "aha" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your H-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, a pan (really the smuggled plans in | ||
| CF | disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an arm, a clock, an eel, Guidebook | ||
| CF | to Anglophone Atlantis, a letter, and a pearl. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "stare at roll" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > STARE AT ROLL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Some day you will have to tell me a little bit about the tricks of the | ||
| CF | trade — how you fenced stuff, you know? Or perhaps you won't tell me. | ||
| CF | Maybe it would be better not. At any rate, this money is useful, so I | ||
| CF | won't ask too many questions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the roll with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "thats a possibility" | |
| Roger says (to floyud), "stare at arm" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "stare at arm" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > STARE AT ARM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A girl's arm, by the look of it, amputated neatly at the shoulder | ||
| CF | joint. The fingernails are painted shell-pink. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | arm is a faint, greenish image of an army. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "stare at eel" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > STARE AT EEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Manifested dead, because out of its proper element, the eel | ||
| CF | nonetheless gleams with silver and stripes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | eel is a faint, unappetizing image of a wheel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "stare at letter" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > STARE AT LETTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a letter from your brother, printed off anonymously from an | ||
| CF | untraceable email account that you accessed in town. Nothing that | ||
| CF | could be followed back to Slango and the yacht. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sis, | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm keeping your wire transfer funds. I want to try for | ||
| CF | Stanford. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd say thank you except that, one, you didn't get it legally (I | ||
| CF | saw this documentary about teen prostitutes — if that's where it came | ||
| CF | from then EW) and, two, honestly? You owe for what you put us through | ||
| CF | after you ran away. Mom and Dad were humiliated that you turned into | ||
| CF | the prodigal daughter. Your face got on milk cartons. Pastor Hughes | ||
| CF | GAVE A SERMON ABOUT IT. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mom spent all that time coaching you through spelling practice, | ||
| CF | you know she doesn't enjoy getting up at 4 AM, right? You totally | ||
| CF | threw that in their faces. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you want to come home sometime, fine, but don't come to just | ||
| CF | see me. If you want to see me you have to see Mom and Dad too. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Nate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the letter with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put all in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT ALL IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | pearl: Done. | ||
| CF | eel: Done. | ||
| CF | pan: Done. | ||
| CF | letter: Done. | ||
| CF | roll: Done. | ||
| CF | clock: Done. | ||
| CF | tub: Done. | ||
| CF | ale: The ale would just spill. | ||
| CF | arm: The arm couldn't possibly fit. | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis: Done. | ||
| CF | H-remover: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear backpack" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put on the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Screening Room, noon Goals: 1 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Meet your colleague Slango at Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to monkey" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO MONKEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the healthy walk among the crowds over to High Street. | ||
| CF | Unfortunately the sidewalks, which were never very wide to start with, | ||
| CF | are so blocked by the mass of protesters that it's impossible to get | ||
| CF | by. Besides, if we associate with them, we might wind up getting | ||
| CF | arrested on minor charges anyway. We need some kind of automotive | ||
| CF | transport. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | High Street | ||
| CF | Hustle, bustle, dirt; ugly American chain shops; lots and lots of | ||
| CF | people. There seems to be a large organized protest in progress: | ||
| CF | protesters completely cram the sidewalk to the southeast. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The curb is lined with garbage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the west, the street turns into a monumental staircase leading to | ||
| CF | the old fortified area; a cross street heads southeast towards the | ||
| CF | main roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | From a loudspeaker nearby comes the electronic sound of simulated | ||
| CF | bells ringing the hour after noon. It's later than I thought. We'd | ||
| CF | better get a move on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmm" | |
| Lancelot asks, "garbage -> garage?" | ||
| Roger says, "We're coming up on 2 hours which is our usual traditional quitting time, but I could push on a bit if people are up for it" | ||
| DavidW says, "mmhm" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x garbage" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GARBAGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Discarded containers from the assortment of food shops and coffee | ||
| CF | stores lining High Street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the garbage with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from garbage" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM GARBAGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the H-remover) | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a distinct spearmint flavor, and the garbage turns into a | ||
| CF | garage. It is a small but well-furnished garage for minor tuneups and | ||
| CF | repairs. It even comes with a mechanic: a surprising touch, since | ||
| CF | letter-removers are usually legally prevented from creating living | ||
| CF | persons, but sometimes there are glitches if the people are not | ||
| CF | created directly. Alas, however, it doesn't come with a car in | ||
| CF | residence. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the garage is a mechanic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | garage is a faint, greenish image of some garbage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mechanic nods at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask mechanic about car" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK MECHANIC ABOUT CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What would you like to discuss: 1) where there is an airport or 2) | ||
| CF | where there is a garage? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "the car puzzles" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask mechanic about airport" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK MECHANIC ABOUT AIRPORT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I was wondering: do you know where I could find an airport in this | ||
| CF | town?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (Incidentally, you know, we don't have to go around asking where | ||
| CF | everything is like a tourist just off the boat. If you want to go to | ||
| CF | some place you've heard of, just say so and I'll handle the navigation | ||
| CF | — unless of course you actually want to give the impression of being | ||
| CF | a | ||
| CF | tourist just off the boat, in which case far be it from me to | ||
| CF | criticize your methods.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mechanic just looks confused. These generated people are usually | ||
| CF | limited to acting only in one particular sphere of action. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask mechanic about garage" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK MECHANIC ABOUT GARAGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I was wondering: do you know where there's a garage around here?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mechanic just looks confused. These generated people are usually | ||
| CF | limited to acting only in one particular sphere of action. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask mechanic for car" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK MECHANIC FOR CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I think there's a region maybe to the northwest of the fair that got skipped over? If I remember correclty." | |
| Lancelot says (to floyd), "ask mechanic about car" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK MECHANIC ABOUT CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What would you like to discuss: 1) where there is an airport or 2) | ||
| CF | where there is a garage? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "oh sorry we already tried" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up garage" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP GARAGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We flip through Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, but find no | ||
| CF | reference to garage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up airport" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP AIRPORT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are no airports on the island that support commercial flights, | ||
| CF | though there is a landing strip for corporate jets coming in to the | ||
| CF | DCL campus. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I think we also missed the location where we would have indeed found a thicket." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the west, the street turns into a monumental staircase leading to | ||
| CF | the old fortified area; a cross street heads southeast towards the | ||
| CF | main roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Monumental Staircase, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We have an invigorating climb up the Monumental Staircase, with the | ||
| CF | view of the sea getting better and better as we go (but of course | ||
| CF | looking requires stopping to gaze back over our shoulder). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Monumental Staircase | ||
| CF | Once, the central hillock of the city was a fortified enclave, | ||
| CF | protected from the harbor and the peasant town by great walls. Now, | ||
| CF | however, the walls are mostly gone, except for a little spur that runs | ||
| CF | north from here. The walkways and tower are open to the public. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Meanwhile a staircase as wide as a street ascends into this town | ||
| CF | square, with the fountain playing at the center. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An enormous blue and orange warning poster covers the wall alongside | ||
| CF | the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north, south to Heritage Corner, southwest to Fair, east to | ||
| CF | High Street, and west from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x poster" | ||
| CF ] Monumental Staircase, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X POSTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "WARNING: Have you seen these dangerous individuals? If so, avoid | ||
| CF | contact and report all interactions to the Bureau of Orthography." | ||
| CF | Below, there's a picture of several people. One of them is you, before | ||
| CF | your face got shuffled with mine. It's funny that when we met, you | ||
| CF | mentioned you were a user of illegally modified language-tools, but | ||
| CF | you didn't emphasize the grand larceny side so much. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Not to worry. I won't turn you in. I can hardly afford to, can I? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the poster with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from poster" | ||
| CF ] Monumental Staircase, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM POSTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The poster flickers and there is a brief image of a poser in its | ||
| CF | place, but a legal override kicks in: a T-remover is hardware-crippled | ||
| CF | to prevent generating any living creature. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove r from poster" | ||
| CF ] Monumental Staircase, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE R FROM POSTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an R-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "poste", or perhaps it just doesn't have | ||
| CF | sufficient power to handle the poster. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Heritage Corner | ||
| CF | This patch of the town square has been paved over in octagonal bricks | ||
| CF | and is commonly used for displays of traditional dancing: over-50 | ||
| CF | women in home-made embroidered aprons, skipping arm-in-arm and jumping | ||
| CF | over broomsticks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Under a bit of shelter in the corner, a diorama table shows scenes | ||
| CF | from local history, rotated out each week. This week's diorama | ||
| CF | represents the first sitting of the Committee for the New Orthodox | ||
| CF | Orthography. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The park continues to the north and west; to the east is the hostel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Monumental Staircase, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Monumental Staircase | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Old City Walls | ||
| CF | Only portions of the old walls still stand, but you can walk along | ||
| CF | what remains, as though you were defending the place. They're a meter | ||
| CF | and a half wide, made of ashlar blocks. On the vertical faces these | ||
| CF | blocks are still rough, but underfoot they have been worn smooth by | ||
| CF | the passage of many defenders and (subsequently) tourists. One of the | ||
| CF | blocks in the wall has even been defaced, some old inscription gouged | ||
| CF | out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I used to like to climb around up here when I was a kid. I made | ||
| CF | believe— oh, you'll think it's silly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Down below in the distance are the docks and the sea, and immediately | ||
| CF | east of here is an old hexagonal turret. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have a fleeting thought of my youthful pranks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "memories" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > MEMORIES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Currently on your mind are making your lock and my youthful pranks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remember pranks" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMEMBER PRANKS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oh, I used to play that I was an Atlantean guard defending the | ||
| CF | battlements against invading redcoats, armed only with a saber and an, | ||
| CF | uh, an o-removing musket. So they turned into red cats, you see. My | ||
| CF | mother explained later that letter removal hadn't ever taken the form | ||
| CF | of muskets and that I had my chronology wrong. So I do know better. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | And my father gave me an even longer and even less interesting lecture | ||
| CF | about how the British colonial government wasn't entirely a bad thing | ||
| CF | and how it didn't do to be too gleeful about mentally shooting some | ||
| CF | young soldier who probably didn't have a choice about being there. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then we're back in the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x block" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BLOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To judge by its different shaping and color, the defaced block is | ||
| CF | something borrowed from an older building to make up the new wall: | ||
| CF | taken out of a church or a mosque or perhaps even a Roman | ||
| CF | fortification in some earlier era of the island. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It was once inscribed with a message, but whatever it was, the | ||
| CF | foreign-language writing has been completely chiseled away so as to be | ||
| CF | illegible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the defaced ashlar block with | ||
| CF | the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmm" | |
| Lancelot asks, "blocks?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove k from block" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE K FROM BLOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a K-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "defaced ashlar | ||
| CF | bloc": evidently "block" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and | ||
| CF | can't be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from block" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM BLOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "defaced ashlar | ||
| CF | lock": evidently "block" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and | ||
| CF | can't be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "read message" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > READ MESSAGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Old Hexagonal Turret, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Old Hexagonal Turret | ||
| CF | Up here we stand on the remains of the old fortifications; this turret | ||
| CF | offers a view out over the docks, the fish market, and the harbor, | ||
| CF | which it was designed to protect. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A heavy old depluralizing cannon is aimed out to sea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "canon?" | |
| Roger says, "It can't do that" | ||
| Roger says, "we'd get cao" | ||
| DavidW says, "you can't remove just one N" | ||
| Lancelot says, "nvm" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x cannon" | ||
| CF ] Old Hexagonal Turret, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CANNON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Like a conventional cannon it has a mounting to allow the users to | ||
| CF | turn the gun and change its angle, to hit objects at various ranges. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is currently unloaded, of course; but time was when this vast | ||
| CF | weapon was employed to reduce entire fleets to a single ship, and a | ||
| CF | whole crew of marines to a single man. This tactic was found so | ||
| CF | effective that the harbor was never successfully taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the depluralizing cannon with | ||
| CF | the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Old Hexagonal Turret, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east is a harbor. A harbor swarming with small and medium-sized | ||
| CF | tourist boats; most of the major shipping comes in via another route. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That is where we are trying to get to — or rather, get through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go west to Old City Walls from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Old City Walls | ||
| CF | Only portions of the old walls still stand, but you can walk along | ||
| CF | what remains, as though you were defending the place. They're a meter | ||
| CF | and a half wide, made of ashlar blocks. On the vertical faces these | ||
| CF | blocks are still rough, but underfoot they have been worn smooth by | ||
| CF | the passage of many defenders and (subsequently) tourists. One of the | ||
| CF | blocks in the wall has even been defaced, some old inscription gouged | ||
| CF | out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Down below in the distance are the docks and the sea, and immediately | ||
| CF | east of here is an old hexagonal turret. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can't see anything interesting in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north, south to Monumental Staircase, east to Old Hexagonal | ||
| CF | Turret, and west from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "walk to fish market" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WALK TO FISH MARKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We walk back into the crowded area of the fair to High Street. | ||
| CF | Unfortunately the sidewalks, which were never very wide to start with, | ||
| CF | are so blocked by the mass of protesters that it's impossible to get | ||
| CF | by. Besides, if we associate with them, we might wind up getting | ||
| CF | arrested on minor charges anyway. We need some kind of automotive | ||
| CF | transport. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | High Street | ||
| CF | Hustle, bustle, dirt; ugly American chain shops; lots and lots of | ||
| CF | people. There seems to be a large organized protest in progress: | ||
| CF | protesters completely cram the sidewalk to the southeast. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A garage has sprung into being between two high-end boutiques. There | ||
| CF | is a mechanic in the garage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the west, the street turns into a monumental staircase leading to | ||
| CF | the old fortified area; a cross street heads southeast towards the | ||
| CF | main roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mechanic nods at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "can we turn that cannon" | |
| Lancelot says, "ah ok" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "walk to turret" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WALK TO TURRET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a healthy climb up the Monumental Staircase, with the view of the | ||
| CF | sea getting better and better as we go. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Old City Walls | ||
| CF | Only portions of the old walls still stand, but you can walk along | ||
| CF | what remains, as though you were defending the place. They're a meter | ||
| CF | and a half wide, made of ashlar blocks. On the vertical faces these | ||
| CF | blocks are still rough, but underfoot they have been worn smooth by | ||
| CF | the passage of many defenders and (subsequently) tourists. One of the | ||
| CF | blocks in the wall has even been defaced, some old inscription gouged | ||
| CF | out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Down below in the distance are the docks and the sea, and immediately | ||
| CF | east of here is an old hexagonal turret. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Old Hexagonal Turret, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Old Hexagonal Turret | ||
| CF | Up here we stand on the remains of the old fortifications; this turret | ||
| CF | offers a view out over the docks, the fish market, and the harbor, | ||
| CF | which it was designed to protect. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A heavy old depluralizing cannon is aimed out to sea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn cannon" | ||
| CF ] Old Hexagonal Turret, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN CANNON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With considerable effort, we need to point the cannon a little more | ||
| CF | towards the open sea. Not that that does any good. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "push cannon" | ||
| CF ] Old Hexagonal Turret, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUSH CANNON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With considerable effort, we need to point the cannon a little more | ||
| CF | towards the docks. Not that that does any good. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in cannon" | ||
| CF ] Old Hexagonal Turret, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN CANNON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's nothing to see inside the old barrel except perhaps the | ||
| CF | faintest traces of a deep purple residue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x residue" | ||
| CF ] Old Hexagonal Turret, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X RESIDUE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Depluralizing shot is usually a very dark purple near to black, and | ||
| CF | some may have scraped off on the inside of the barrel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the deep purple residue with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take residue" | ||
| CF ] Old Hexagonal Turret, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RESIDUE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That seems to be a part of the depluralizing cannon. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmm dunno" | |
| Lancelot says, "hmm trying to find words coming from that lol" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "walk to alley" | ||
| CF ] Sigil Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WALK TO ALLEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We have a healthy walk back into the crowded area of the fair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sigil Street | ||
| CF | The buildings here are two and three stories, with shops at ground | ||
| CF | level and elderly apartments above. The shops are closed for the | ||
| CF | holiday: a typographer's office, tourist boutiques of colorful skirts | ||
| CF | and ethnic bodices (rarely if ever worn by natives) and t-shirts | ||
| CF | covered with font designs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reflective window of the closed shops reflect our synthesized | ||
| CF | self. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A narrow alley runs between buildings to the south, while the street | ||
| CF | continues east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Ampersand Bend | ||
| CF | A bend in the street, which runs west and north. This district | ||
| CF | combines the old and the new: a small museum in an ancient stone | ||
| CF | building to the east, a shiny real estate office south. The window of | ||
| CF | the museum is currently displaying one of its exhibits, an ode. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A temporary barrier blocks this empty street from the busy fair to the | ||
| CF | north, though it is currently unlocked and anyone could go through. | ||
| CF | From here the gaiety and excitement of the holiday are fairly loud. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x ode" | ||
| CF ] Ampersand Bend, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ODE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A short poem, letter-pressed attractively on a sheet of thick paper. | ||
| CF | It is entitled "Our Ancestors, The Immortal Spirits of the Pyramids," | ||
| CF | a fact which disinclines me to study the rest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | ode is a faint, greenish image of a codex. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Fair, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fair | ||
| CF | The square at the center of town is crowded with people, and there's | ||
| CF | an overpowering smell of artificial butter and spun sugar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are surrounded by kiosks for spell-offs, face-painting, and other | ||
| CF | activities best for small children or the very easily amused. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Fair continues with a selection of carnival games to the west, and | ||
| CF | with open park to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Park Center | ||
| CF | This is a handsome expanse of grass, shaped like a rectangle with | ||
| CF | rounds cut from the corners, bounded by railings along the north side. | ||
| CF | There are no stalls and no barkers here, but small children are | ||
| CF | running around an impressive marble fountain. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I gather from the direction of your thoughts that you dislike small | ||
| CF | children, so I'll restrain myself from trying to communicate with | ||
| CF | them. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x mountain" | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MOUNTAIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x founain" | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X FOUNAIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x fountain" | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X FOUNTAIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It depicts some horses rising out of the waves, with trident-bearing | ||
| CF | gods on their backs, and some nymphs overseeing the whole operation. | ||
| CF | Probably 17th-century, to judge by the excessive number of writhing | ||
| CF | figures. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The fountain celebrates — if that's the right word — the conquest | ||
| CF | of | ||
| CF | this island by the Dutch in 1607, it having been a Spanish possession | ||
| CF | for about 140 years before that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In spite of this the fountain bears not a word of any foreign | ||
| CF | language, the original Latin or vernacular inscriptions having been | ||
| CF | long since renovated away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "sorry, must be getting tired" | |
| DavidW says, "Driving is exhausting." | ||
| DavidW says, "I guess there's no coins in the fountain." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in fountain" | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN FOUNTAIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The basin is nearly full of clear water, but there are no coins or | ||
| CF | other useful articles to be found. This is not a culture that tends to | ||
| CF | discard what might be of use. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "call it a day? someone mentioned a session is normally 2 hours?" | |
| Roger says, "yeah I'm happy enough to wrap things up" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "cf19" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SAVE | ||
| CF | %% Enter a save filename to write: | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > SAVEOk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "thanks for playing everyone, and especially our newest clubber, Lancelot! We'll try to get you permanent access." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Not quite what I meant, but in case we need a save, we have one." | ||
| Lancelot says, "much appreciated, this is fun :)" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Missed this." | ||
| *** SESSION 2 *** | ||
| Jade says, "ok, we were playing Counterfeit Monkey" | ||
| Roger asks, "everyone settled in?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your B-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, a pan (really the smuggled plans in | ||
| CF | disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an arm, a clock, an eel, Guidebook | ||
| CF | to Anglophone Atlantis, a letter, and a pearl. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Bye, Jacq!" | |
| Roger says, "oh yeah we were trying to get a car, among other things" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Find transport for getting past the traffic on High Street | ||
| CF | Meet your colleague Slango at Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "bye and thx" | |
| Lancelot says, "oh yeah" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Park Center | ||
| CF | This is a handsome expanse of grass, shaped like a rectangle with | ||
| CF | rounds cut from the corners, bounded by railings along the north side. | ||
| CF | There are no stalls and no barkers here, but small children are | ||
| CF | running around an impressive marble fountain. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "I remember turning the garbare into the garage" | |
| Lancelot says, "garbage" | ||
| Roger says, "yep" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x fountain" | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X FOUNTAIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It depicts some horses rising out of the waves, with trident-bearing | ||
| CF | gods on their backs, and some nymphs overseeing the whole operation. | ||
| CF | Probably 17th-century, to judge by the excessive number of writhing | ||
| CF | figures. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the marble fountain with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in fountain" | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN FOUNTAIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The basin is nearly full of clear water, but there are no coins or | ||
| CF | other useful articles to be found. This is not a culture that tends to | ||
| CF | discard what might be of use. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Park Center, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go south to Fair, southeast to Heritage Corner, southwest to | ||
| CF | Midway, east to Monumental Staircase, and west from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Heritage Corner | ||
| CF | This patch of the town square has been paved over in octagonal bricks | ||
| CF | and is commonly used for displays of traditional dancing: over-50 | ||
| CF | women in home-made embroidered aprons, skipping arm-in-arm and jumping | ||
| CF | over broomsticks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Under a bit of shelter in the corner, a diorama table shows scenes | ||
| CF | from local history, rotated out each week. This week's diorama | ||
| CF | represents the first sitting of the Committee for the New Orthodox | ||
| CF | Orthography. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The park continues to the north and west; to the east is the hostel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x bricks" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BRICKS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Alternating with square bricks of a slightly darker shade of maroon. | ||
| CF | Nothing about this seems remotely significant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the octagonal bricks with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from bricks" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM BRICKS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "octagonal | ||
| CF | ricks": evidently "bricks" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and | ||
| CF | can't be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "no rickshaw for us" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Hostel, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hostel | ||
| CF | I take it this is where you stayed from the time you got to town until | ||
| CF | our operation. I would have expected that someone with your | ||
| CF | credentials would have been able to afford something better: The Fleur | ||
| CF | d'Or, maybe? But maybe you thought this was lower-profile. At least | ||
| CF | it's clean and doesn't smell funny. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The desk attendant is sort of eying us. She is wearing a nose-ring and | ||
| CF | a blouse. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a spiral staircase that leads up to the dormitory rooms. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Heritage Corner | ||
| CF | This patch of the town square has been paved over in octagonal bricks | ||
| CF | and is commonly used for displays of traditional dancing: over-50 | ||
| CF | women in home-made embroidered aprons, skipping arm-in-arm and jumping | ||
| CF | over broomsticks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Under a bit of shelter in the corner, a diorama table shows scenes | ||
| CF | from local history, rotated out each week. This week's diorama | ||
| CF | represents the first sitting of the Committee for the New Orthodox | ||
| CF | Orthography. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The park continues to the north and west; to the east is the hostel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x table" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The patriotic scene is set against the backdrop of the Bureau's | ||
| CF | buildings ca. 1895, where the committee first met, but the historians | ||
| CF | have included a bit of the building exterior to show that the meetings | ||
| CF | were conducted under army guard. The writing of dictionaries has not | ||
| CF | always been bloodless. The army has been removed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The members is movable, but the rest of the scenery appears to have | ||
| CF | been hot-glued in place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the diorama table with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x members" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MEMBERS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mostly men and a few women, sternly dressed and with solemn | ||
| CF | expressions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the members with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove m from members" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE M FROM MEMBERS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an M-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "ebers". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "double m" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove w from women" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE W FROM WOMEN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "yeahg" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Monumental Staircase, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Monumental Staircase | ||
| CF | Once, the central hillock of the city was a fortified enclave, | ||
| CF | protected from the harbor and the peasant town by great walls. Now, | ||
| CF | however, the walls are mostly gone, except for a little spur that runs | ||
| CF | north from here. The walkways and tower are open to the public. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Meanwhile a staircase as wide as a street descends east from the town | ||
| CF | square toward the harbor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An enormous blue and orange warning poster covers the wall alongside | ||
| CF | the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Old City Walls, south to Heritage Corner, southwest | ||
| CF | to Fair, east to High Street, and west to Park Center from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "we had that problem last week too... can we remove the s?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Heritage Corner | ||
| CF | This patch of the town square has been paved over in octagonal bricks | ||
| CF | and is commonly used for displays of traditional dancing: over-50 | ||
| CF | women in home-made embroidered aprons, skipping arm-in-arm and jumping | ||
| CF | over broomsticks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Under a bit of shelter in the corner, a diorama table shows scenes | ||
| CF | from local history, rotated out each week. This week's diorama | ||
| CF | represents the first sitting of the Committee for the New Orthodox | ||
| CF | Orthography. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The park continues to the north and west; to the east is the hostel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from members" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM MEMBERS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a peach cloud, and the members turn into a member. It is a | ||
| CF | figure of a member of the Committee to Establish an Orthodox | ||
| CF | Orthography. It is plastic, small enough to sit on our palm, and wears | ||
| CF | the stiff clothing and conservative hairstyle of about 1895. It looks | ||
| CF | slightly cross, as though the member has guessed its work would take | ||
| CF | another 15 years to complete. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | member is a faint, greenish image of some members. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmmm ok" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take member" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE MEMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the member. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "just trying some options lol" | |
| Roger says, "sure why not" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Monumental Staircase, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Monumental Staircase | ||
| CF | Once, the central hillock of the city was a fortified enclave, | ||
| CF | protected from the harbor and the peasant town by great walls. Now, | ||
| CF | however, the walls are mostly gone, except for a little spur that runs | ||
| CF | north from here. The walkways and tower are open to the public. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Meanwhile a staircase as wide as a street descends east from the town | ||
| CF | square toward the harbor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An enormous blue and orange warning poster covers the wall alongside | ||
| CF | the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Old City Walls, south to Heritage Corner, southwest | ||
| CF | to Fair, east to High Street, and west to Park Center from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from poster" | ||
| CF ] Monumental Staircase, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM POSTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The poster flickers and there is a brief image of a poser in its | ||
| CF | place, but a legal override kicks in: a T-remover is hardware-crippled | ||
| CF | to prevent generating any living creature. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "we can remove letters IF the result is a real thing" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x walkways" | ||
| CF ] Monumental Staircase, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WALKWAYS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "and not alive... we tried the poser thing earlier I think" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x tower" | ||
| CF ] Monumental Staircase, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TOWER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Old City Walls | ||
| CF | Only portions of the old walls still stand, but you can walk along | ||
| CF | what remains, as though you were defending the place. They're a meter | ||
| CF | and a half wide, made of ashlar blocks. On the vertical faces these | ||
| CF | blocks are still rough, but underfoot they have been worn smooth by | ||
| CF | the passage of many defenders and (subsequently) tourists. One of the | ||
| CF | blocks in the wall has even been defaced, some old inscription gouged | ||
| CF | out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Down below in the distance are the docks and the sea, and immediately | ||
| CF | east of here is an old hexagonal turret. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah. Words have power in this world, and there are people who try to extend that power." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Old City Walls, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north, south to Monumental Staircase, east to Old Hexagonal | ||
| CF | Turret, and west from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "so we can remove letters, add letters, and the monocle is some kind of hinting device" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Crumbling Wall Face, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Crumbling Wall Face | ||
| CF | The wall once continued north from here some distance before curving | ||
| CF | northwest around the remainder of the city. So much has crumbled away, | ||
| CF | though, that the walkway is impassable north of this point. To protect | ||
| CF | citizens, there is a safety railing across the broken edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A metal ladder of four rungs descends the inner face of the wall, | ||
| CF | allowing pedestrians access to the streets to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Among the rubble fill of the wall is an odd spiral-shaped rock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well, we can't add letters at this point." | |
| Roger says, "oh I think this might be a new location for us" | ||
| Lancelot says, "or at least it tells us some of the options... makes me wonder what else we can do with words." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x rock" | ||
| CF ] Crumbling Wall Face, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The spiral rock turns out to be a fossil, from one of those sea | ||
| CF | creatures long ago. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the fossil with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "I don't remember this place" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from fossil" | ||
| CF ] Crumbling Wall Face, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM FOSSIL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a mad-scientist cackle, and the fossil turns into a foil. One | ||
| CF | of those long springy swords used for fencing. It has a button at the | ||
| CF | tip to prevent harm to one's opponent. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | foil is a faint, greenish image of a fossil. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "foil?" | |
| Roger says, "yeah, good old foil" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take foil" | ||
| CF ] Crumbling Wall Face, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE FOIL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the foil. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "that fossil..." | |
| Jade says, "oil" | ||
| Roger says, "It could furthermore be oil, I guess, but we'll see" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x ladder" | ||
| CF ] Crumbling Wall Face, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LADDER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rungs have been bolted individually into the stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the metal ladder with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "we have unlimited gel" | |
| Roger says, "an adder sounds dangerous, but let's see" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove f from foil" | ||
| CF ] Crumbling Wall Face, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE F FROM FOIL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an F-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of mechanics and the summer time, the foil turns | ||
| CF | into some oil. A can of what appears to be motor oil. It is sludgy and | ||
| CF | black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | oil is a faint, greenish image of a fossil. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove l from ladder" | ||
| CF ] Crumbling Wall Face, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE L FROM LADDER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an L-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "meta adder": | ||
| CF | evidently "ladder" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from ladder" | ||
| CF ] Crumbling Wall Face, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM LADDER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "meal ladder": | ||
| CF | evidently "ladder" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I never meta adder I liked." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "climb ladder" | ||
| CF ] Webster Court, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLIMB LADDER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Webster Court | ||
| CF | Here below the wall is a broad, plainly-paved court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lending its name to the location is a bronze statue of Noah Webster. | ||
| CF | My mother likes to irritate my father by quoting what his | ||
| CF | contemporaries called Webster: a "viper", a "maniacal pedant", and | ||
| CF | (always a favorite at Reform Day parties) "a toad in the service of | ||
| CF | sans-culottism". She makes sure to pronounce that in the most | ||
| CF | Parisian accent possible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The large building just to the north — yes, the one in pale pink — | ||
| CF | is | ||
| CF | my parents' home. I think I mentioned that my parents were well off. | ||
| CF | My father works for the Bureau, embarrassingly, and my mother was born | ||
| CF | into the kind of money that we like to pretend doesn't exist on this | ||
| CF | island. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The streets continue south, east, and west; and just to the northeast | ||
| CF | is my parents' side garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x webster" | ||
| CF ] Webster Court, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WEBSTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's that hero of spelling reform, and personally responsible for the | ||
| CF | island going over to Americanized spellings over the British standard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the statue of Noah Webster with | ||
| CF | the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Webster Court, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Walking into my parents' house is the action perhaps most likely to | ||
| CF | get us caught. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Patriotic Chard-Garden, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Patriotic Chard-Garden | ||
| CF | A narrow strip of land between the house and the edge of my parents' | ||
| CF | property. The eastern edge runs right up to the decaying old wall of | ||
| CF | the city, which here means some stumpy masonry on this side and a | ||
| CF | dizzying drop on the other. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rest of their terraces and gardens are fenced off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A little chard still grows in the nearest bed, carefully tended to | ||
| CF | thrive in this climate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Because it's so linguistically productive, chard is something of a | ||
| CF | national symbol; and during the world wars, there was a fad of | ||
| CF | gardening at home. After the war, it became common for affluent people | ||
| CF | with a little bit of land to keep their garden, so that if you were | ||
| CF | down on your luck you could glean a few leaves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger exclaims, "yay, our car!" | |
| Lancelot says, "addor would not have worked anyway unless its a plastic adder or sth" | ||
| Lancelot says, "adder" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take chard" | ||
| CF ] Patriotic Chard-Garden, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CHARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick the chard, leaving bare soil behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A flicker of curtains from inside the house suggests that someone saw | ||
| CF | us — a cleaner, possibly. But then there is a voice, not audible | ||
| CF | except as a confident rising and falling tone; this will be my mother, | ||
| CF | saying not to worry and not to interfere. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "chard card car?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| Roger says, "yeah. Maybe I'll do that back at the garage" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Patriotic Chard-Garden, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go southwest to Webster Court from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "sw" | ||
| CF ] Webster Court, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Webster Court | ||
| CF | A broad and plainly-paved court, named for the statue of Noah Webster. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The large, pale pink building north of us is my parents' home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The streets continue south, east, and west; and just to the northeast | ||
| CF | is my parents' side garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x ladder" | ||
| CF ] Webster Court, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LADDER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hesychius Street | ||
| CF | As the street names make obvious, this part of town was laid out in a | ||
| CF | different political age, when it was considered more important to | ||
| CF | commemorate linguistic richness than to standardize practices. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On holidays like today, this street is often host to a farmer's | ||
| CF | market; though it is now late enough in the day that most of the | ||
| CF | farmers have given up and gone home, taking with them their | ||
| CF | twenty-three varieties of pickled olives, their loganberry jam, and | ||
| CF | their pigs'-feet-in-aspic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | One remaining farmer lazes here, watching his stall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x farmer" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X FARMER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Contrary to your obvious expectations, he is dressed more or less like | ||
| CF | anyone else, and is neither wearing quaint overalls nor chewing a | ||
| CF | piece of hay. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the farmer with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove r from farmer" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE R FROM FARMER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an R-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The farmer flickers and there is a brief image of some fame in his | ||
| CF | place — the concept strangely embodied in a physical form — before | ||
| CF | the | ||
| CF | power gives out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Young lady, you just bought yourself a long, long jail term," says | ||
| CF | the farmer. "What, did you think I wouldn't notice what you just tried | ||
| CF | to do?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I open my mouth to try to talk him out of it, but his thumb has | ||
| CF | already hit speed dial. I guess when your profession places you at | ||
| CF | this kind of risk, you tend to be ready for trouble. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** I was expecting more discretion from you *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 14 out of a possible 100, in 151 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Escapee. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oops" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hesychius Street | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "cannot apply this to live subjects" | |
| Jade says, "lol" | ||
| Roger says, "could, but shouldn't" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x olives" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X OLIVES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hesychius Street | ||
| CF | As the street names make obvious, this part of town was laid out in a | ||
| CF | different political age, when it was considered more important to | ||
| CF | commemorate linguistic richness than to standardize practices. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On holidays like today, this street is often host to a farmer's | ||
| CF | market; though it is now late enough in the day that most of the | ||
| CF | farmers have given up and gone home, taking with them their | ||
| CF | twenty-three varieties of pickled olives, their loganberry jam, and | ||
| CF | their pigs'-feet-in-aspic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | One remaining farmer lazes here, watching his stall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x stall" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X STALL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It appears to belong to the farmer. It's made of wood and canvas and | ||
| CF | offers a little shade against the harsh sun. Previous customers have | ||
| CF | cleared most of it off, but the farmer still has some asparagus, a | ||
| CF | lime, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the farmer's stall with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "no living creatures, by now" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask farmer about asparagus" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK FARMER ABOUT ASPARAGUS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the attention of the farmer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask what is for sale. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The farmer thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to ask what is for sale. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask farmer about sale" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK FARMER ABOUT SALE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What is for sale?" we ask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "We have available some asparagus, a lime, and a yam," the farmer | ||
| CF | replies. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to recommend other vegetables. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "I would buy anything we can" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell farmer about vegetables" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL FARMER ABOUT VEGETABLES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Have you ever considered selling radishes?" we ask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Not really," he says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Radicchio?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "No." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Chicory?" we try. "Cabbage? Carrot? Corn?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Again, no." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Radishes?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You already said radishes." He has the faintly martyred expression of | ||
| CF | one humoring us; but it doesn't look as though he has much else to do. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "yep might be useful" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "buy asparagus" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BUY ASPARAGUS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (from the farmer) | ||
| CF | "I'll have the asparagus, please," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Sure thing," says the farmer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "buy lime" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BUY LIME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (from the farmer) | ||
| CF | "I'll have the lime, please," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Sure thing," says the farmer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "buy yam" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BUY YAM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (from the farmer) | ||
| CF | "I'll have the yam, please," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Sure thing," says the farmer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask what is for sale. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask farmer about sale" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK FARMER ABOUT SALE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What is for sale?" we ask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh, nothing," says the farmer. "But as my mother-in-law is in town, I | ||
| CF | thought I would make the most of the market day." He smiles at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask farmer about stall" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK FARMER ABOUT STALL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The farmer thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x asparagus" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ASPARAGUS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It looks particularly tender and pleasant, but I avoid the stuff. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the asparagus with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x lime" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LIME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A small, wrinkled, intense-looking fruit: it wouldn't give much juice, | ||
| CF | but is likely very strong. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the lime with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x yam" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X YAM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A yam with whitish skin. Some of the dirt of the farm still adheres to | ||
| CF | it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the yam with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Hesychius Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Webster Court and east to Old City Walls from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "we could add letters? lime -> slime not sure if that would help" | |
| Roger says, "if we could, but we can't, at the moment anyway" | ||
| Lancelot says, "hmm I need a dictionary" | ||
| Jade says, "later" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Webster Court, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Webster Court | ||
| CF | Hesychius Street opens here into a broad and plainly-paved court, | ||
| CF | named for the statue of Noah Webster. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The large, pale pink building north of us is my parents' home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The streets continue south, east, and west; and just to the northeast | ||
| CF | is my parents' side garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger waves | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Crumbling Wall Face, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Crumbling Wall Face | ||
| CF | The wall once continued north from here some distance before curving | ||
| CF | northwest around the remainder of the city. So much has crumbled away, | ||
| CF | though, that the walkway is impassable north of this point. To protect | ||
| CF | citizens, there is a safety railing across the broken edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A metal ladder of four rungs descends the inner face of the wall, | ||
| CF | allowing pedestrians access to the streets to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Webster Court, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Webster Court | ||
| CF | Here below the wall is a broad, plainly-paved court, named for the | ||
| CF | statue of Noah Webster. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The large, pale pink building north of us is my parents' home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The streets continue south, east, and west; and just to the northeast | ||
| CF | is my parents' side garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roget Close | ||
| CF | A pleasantly sheltered lane in which I learned to ride a bicycle, and | ||
| CF | where my friend Lucy used to live, before she and her parents moved | ||
| CF | off-island. Restrictions were looser even twenty years ago. Our old | ||
| CF | schoolhouse is just west of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you look just north between the houses, you'll notice also the | ||
| CF | footpath down to an almost-private beach. It used to be open, but it's | ||
| CF | now gated off, and built into the gate is a chic modern sculpture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x gate" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A gate of wrought iron bars between two sturdy columns, too close to | ||
| CF | climb through and too tall to climb over. Set onto the right-hand | ||
| CF | column, next to the gate latch, is a curious sculpture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the gate with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x sculpture" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SCULPTURE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The base of the sculpture is a cone about four feet tall. On top of | ||
| CF | that is a flat circular pedestal, and there is a mirror that rotates | ||
| CF | around the outer circumference. The mirrored surface faces inward, so | ||
| CF | that it is sometimes reflecting whatever might be on the pedestal and | ||
| CF | sometimes concealing it from view. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the pedestal with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "this is a smart puzzle here" | |
| Roger says, "it looks like it" | ||
| Jade says, "mirror view" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "rotate mirror" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ROTATE MIRROR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is fixed in place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in mirror" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN MIRROR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is nothing on the pedestal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "hmm" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 14 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your T-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, a pan (really the smuggled plans in | ||
| CF | disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an arm, some asparagus, some chard, a | ||
| CF | clock, an eel, Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a letter, a | ||
| CF | lime, a member, some oil, a pearl, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "if we put something on the pedestal it transforms it?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put yam on pedestal" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT YAM ON PEDESTAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the yam on the pedestal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mirror rotates in leisurely fashion, and when it is done there is | ||
| CF | a May. The gate clicks open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point and is now fifteen.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "we want getting the gate open for sure" | |
| Roger says, "I'm glad that worked but I don't know why" | ||
| Lancelot says, "ahh turns words around" | ||
| Roger says, "maybe it just needed something, anything, valid" | ||
| Lancelot says, "clever" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x may" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MAY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This is the sheet for the month of May, torn from a calendar. Someone | ||
| CF | has put a gold star on the 21st, and "Dinner with the Shaplys" is | ||
| CF | penciled onto the 30th. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | May is a faint, greenish image of a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take may" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE MAY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the May. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your T-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, a pan (really the smuggled plans in | ||
| CF | disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an arm, some asparagus, some chard, a | ||
| CF | clock, an eel, Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a letter, a | ||
| CF | lime, a May, a member, some oil, and a pearl. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put eel on pedestal" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT EEL ON PEDESTAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the eel) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the eel on the pedestal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mirror rotates in leisurely fashion, and when it is done there is | ||
| CF | a lee. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x lee" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LEE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is the sheltered place beside a wall, or under a rock, or in the | ||
| CF | shadow of a tree: a place where the sun is not too hot, the rain not | ||
| CF | too driving, the wind not too strong. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On its own, without any wall, rock, or tree, the lee is a | ||
| CF | pathetic-looking object, but nonetheless useful. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | lee is a faint, greenish image of a wheel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "beautiful... now we can also turn words around provided the reverse is valid" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take lee" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE LEE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the lee. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Indeed." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your T-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, a pan (really the smuggled plans in | ||
| CF | disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an arm, some asparagus, some chard, a | ||
| CF | clock, Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a lee, a letter, a | ||
| CF | lime, a May, a member, some oil, and a pearl. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "I suppose that in may there wasn't a gate here" | |
| Jade says, "gel lwg" | ||
| Jade says, "* leg" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put tub on pedestal" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT TUB ON PEDESTAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the tub) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the tub on the pedestal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mirror revolves for a moment, without effect, though the word | ||
| CF | "but" appears in startling green on the mirror's surface. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "lime emil" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on pedestal" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON PEDESTAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Since the pedestal contains the tub, it might be a bad idea to change | ||
| CF | its form. We might not be able to get the contents back. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mirror revolves for a moment, without changing the tub, though the | ||
| CF | word "but" appears in startling green on the mirror's surface. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "I wanna sit in a corner and cry now, such clever puzzles :p" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put lime on pedestal" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT LIME ON PEDESTAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is no more room on the pedestal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mirror revolves for a moment, without effect, though the word | ||
| CF | "but" appears in startling green on the mirror's surface. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take tub" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE TUB | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the tub. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put lime on pedestal" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT LIME ON PEDESTAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the lime on the pedestal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mirror revolves for a moment, without changing the lime, though | ||
| CF | the word "emil" appears in startling green on the mirror's surface. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take lime" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE LIME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the lime. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roget Close | ||
| CF | A pleasantly sheltered lane in which I learned to ride a bicycle, and | ||
| CF | where my friend Lucy used to live, before she and her parents moved | ||
| CF | off-island. Restrictions were looser even twenty years ago. Our old | ||
| CF | schoolhouse is just west of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you look just north between the houses, you'll notice also the | ||
| CF | footpath down to an almost-private beach. It used to be open, but it's | ||
| CF | now gated off, and built into the gate is a chic modern sculpture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something makes you think of your crew's skill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ah the tub" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Winding Footpath, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We slip between the houses and down a path that looks as though it | ||
| CF | might someone's back yard. No one has ever put up signage to correct | ||
| CF | this misapprehension because no one who lives around here is eager to | ||
| CF | encourage strangers on the private beach. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Soon, however, the footpath begins to descend purposefully towards the | ||
| CF | level of the ocean. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Winding Footpath | ||
| CF | The footpath winds between the villas, sloping steeply downward. It is | ||
| CF | narrow, and bushes left and right conceal it even from the windows of | ||
| CF | the people living nearby. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "bushes... buses" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x bushes" | ||
| CF ] Winding Footpath, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BUSHES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Some variety I'm not familiar with: dark glossy green leaves, thick | ||
| CF | stems. In the right season, and I can't even remember what season that | ||
| CF | is, they also grow gaudy pink flowers. But not now. Lots of kudzu | ||
| CF | grows through and over the bushes — this is one of the few spots on | ||
| CF | the island where it hasn't been eradicated, it seems. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At one point along the path the bushes stick out especially far, as | ||
| CF | though there's something behind them. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the bushes with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove h from bushes" | ||
| CF ] Winding Footpath, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE H FROM BUSHES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an H-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "buses", or perhaps it just doesn't have | ||
| CF | sufficient power to handle the bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look behind by bushes" | ||
| CF ] Winding Footpath, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK BEHIND BY BUSHES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look behind bushes" | ||
| CF ] Winding Footpath, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK BEHIND BUSHES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's hard to get a good look under the bushes with all this kudzu in | ||
| CF | the way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x kudzu" | ||
| CF ] Winding Footpath, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X KUDZU | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An invasive vine grown through and over the bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the kudzu with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove e from vine" | ||
| CF ] Winding Footpath, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE E FROM VINE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an E-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The letter-remover finds no e in the kudzu. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "hmm" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove z from kudzu" | ||
| CF ] Winding Footpath, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE Z FROM KUDZU | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a Z-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The kudzu flickers and there is a brief image of a kudu in its place, | ||
| CF | but a legal override kicks in: a Z-remover is hardware-crippled to | ||
| CF | prevent generating any living creature. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take kudzu" | ||
| CF ] Winding Footpath, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE KUDZU | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That seems to be a part of the bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "later" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Huh, in the version I played, I was sure that creating buses worked, but with fatal consequences." | ||
| Roger says, "yeah, we'll come back" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Private Beach, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We continue down until there is a chink of a view of the sea. Then the | ||
| CF | path descends through a few last hairpin twists among rocks, and comes | ||
| CF | out suddenly on a little beach. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Private Beach | ||
| CF | This is little more than a strip of fine yellow sand, perhaps twenty | ||
| CF | meters from side to side, and five from the hillside to the waterline. | ||
| CF | A little sage grows on the hillside, escaped from some garden, along | ||
| CF | with wilder plants. Above, at the top of that slope, are houses with | ||
| CF | balconies overlooking the sea, but from this angle it's impossible to | ||
| CF | see much of them, or for them (you'll have to take my word on this) to | ||
| CF | see us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's tempting to look for crabs among the rocks, but the tide is high | ||
| CF | just now, and even at the best of times this is not an area rich in | ||
| CF | sealife. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something green and plastic just barely pokes out of the sand. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "buses would ride over us no doubt" | |
| Jade says, "yes, I got splased" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x sage" | ||
| CF ] Private Beach, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SAGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Dark green leaves furred with silver prickles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the sage with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take sage" | ||
| CF ] Private Beach, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SAGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the sage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "we can make some gas (eventually)" | |
| Roger says, "((maybe))" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x plastic" | ||
| CF ] Private Beach, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PLASTIC | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | All that's visible from here is the tip of something green. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "yes" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "dig" | ||
| CF ] Private Beach, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We brush away the sand covering a funnel, left over from some child's | ||
| CF | building project. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "good point" | |
| Roger says, "or some fuel! A veritable trove" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take funnel" | ||
| CF ] Private Beach, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE FUNNEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the funnel. A gaudy green plastic toy suitable for | ||
| CF | funneling water and shaping conical sand-turrets. It's all sandy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "good catch" | |
| Jade says, "fuel" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wash funnel" | ||
| CF ] Private Beach, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WASH FUNNEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Washing things in ocean water tends to leave them a bit gritty | ||
| CF | afterward, or even stained with rings of dried salt. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Private Beach, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Private Beach | ||
| CF | This is little more than a strip of fine yellow sand, perhaps twenty | ||
| CF | meters from side to side, and five from the hillside to the waterline. | ||
| CF | Above, at the top of that slope, are houses with balconies overlooking | ||
| CF | the sea, but from this angle it's impossible to see much of them, or | ||
| CF | for them (you'll have to take my word on this) to see us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's tempting to look for crabs among the rocks, but the tide is high | ||
| CF | just now, and even at the best of times this is not an area rich in | ||
| CF | sealife. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "u" | ||
| CF ] Winding Footpath, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > U | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Winding Footpath | ||
| CF | The footpath winds between the villas, sloping steeply downward. It is | ||
| CF | narrow, and bushes left and right conceal it even from the windows of | ||
| CF | the people living nearby. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "u" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > U | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roget Close | ||
| CF | A pleasantly sheltered lane in which I learned to ride a bicycle, and | ||
| CF | where my friend Lucy used to live, before she and her parents moved | ||
| CF | off-island. Restrictions were looser even twenty years ago. Our old | ||
| CF | schoolhouse is just west of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you look just north between the houses, you'll notice also the | ||
| CF | footpath down to an almost-private beach. It used to be open, but it's | ||
| CF | now gated off, and built into the gate is a chic modern sculpture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have a fleeting thought of your crew's skill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove e from sage" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE E FROM SAGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an E-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a daffodil-yellow cloud, and the sage turns into a sag. The | ||
| CF | concept of sag here is represented by a doll-sized house with a | ||
| CF | distinct dip in the roof. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | sag is a faint, greenish image of some sage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "motor oil, fuel..." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put sag on pedestal" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT SAG ON PEDESTAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the sag on the pedestal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mirror rotates in leisurely fashion, and when it is done there is | ||
| CF | some gas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x gas" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GAS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It looks like a generic canister of unleaded gasoline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | gas is a faint, greenish image of some sage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take gas" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE GAS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the gas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove n from funnel" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE N FROM FUNNEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an N-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of volatile fumes, the funnel turns into some | ||
| CF | fuel. It looks like a generic canister of unleaded gasoline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | fuel is a faint, greenish image of a funnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "nice it comes with a canister :p" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your N-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, a pan (really the smuggled plans in | ||
| CF | disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an arm, some asparagus, some chard, a | ||
| CF | clock, some fuel, some gas, Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, | ||
| CF | a lee, a letter, a lime, a May, a member, some oil, and a pearl. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put pan on pedestal" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PAN ON PEDESTAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the pan) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the pan on the pedestal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mirror rotates in leisurely fashion, and when it is done there is | ||
| CF | some nap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "it is a magic world" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x nap" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X NAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a wad of fuzz from cloth — similar to lint. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | nap is a faint, greenish image of some plans. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take nap" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE NAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the nap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north through the gate to Winding Footpath and east to | ||
| CF | Webster Court from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Webster Court, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Webster Court | ||
| CF | A broad and plainly-paved court, named for the statue of Noah Webster. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The large, pale pink building north of us is my parents' home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The streets continue south, east, and west; and just to the northeast | ||
| CF | is my parents' side garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The door to my parents' house opens and my father comes out. He's | ||
| CF | talking over his shoulder: "Sorry, dear, but someone has to | ||
| CF | be on call." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My mother answers from inside, but we can't make out what she's | ||
| CF | saying. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Surge on the grid," Father replies. "Could be an unauthorized | ||
| CF | synthesizer, but more likely... yes, exactly. I'll try to be home | ||
| CF | before the fireworks." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He closes the door behind him. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hastily I take off our monocle and palm it. Father shouldn't recognize | ||
| CF | us in our current body, but wearing expensive Bureau equipment in his | ||
| CF | presence would be a terrible idea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the monocle into the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade asks, "need?" | |
| Jade says, "j ne" | ||
| Jade says, "oh my God, ne" | ||
| Roger says, "hmmm well let's see if we're okay here" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Webster Court, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hang on; I want to see where Father goes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He sees us from a distance and gives a neighborly wave. "Happy | ||
| CF | Punctuating!" he shouts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I wave back rather weakly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He gets on his small red scooter, checks his helmet, and revs off to | ||
| CF | the south. Off, apparently, to investigate the synthesizer that put us | ||
| CF | together. That will go slowly because of the holiday, but I'm guessing | ||
| CF | there will be Bureau investigators crawling all over the south side of | ||
| CF | old town in an hour or two. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "okay; guess we should get on out of here" | |
| Lancelot asks, "hmm this synthesizer thing makes me worry a bit... can we be separated again?" | ||
| Lancelot says, "I guess not a problem right now but still." | ||
| Roger says, "probably. It implies we could apply enough gel to ourselves" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Crumbling Wall Face, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Crumbling Wall Face | ||
| CF | The wall once continued north from here some distance before curving | ||
| CF | northwest around the remainder of the city. So much has crumbled away, | ||
| CF | though, that the walkway is impassable north of this point. To protect | ||
| CF | citizens, there is a safety railing across the broken edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A metal ladder of four rungs descends the inner face of the wall, | ||
| CF | allowing pedestrians access to the streets to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to garage" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO GARAGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a brief walk back into the crowded area of the fair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | High Street | ||
| CF | Hustle, bustle, dirt; ugly American chain shops; lots and lots of | ||
| CF | people. There seems to be a large organized protest in progress: | ||
| CF | protesters completely cram the sidewalk to the southeast. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A garage has sprung into being between two high-end boutiques. In the | ||
| CF | garage is a mechanic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the west, the street turns into a monumental staircase leading to | ||
| CF | the old fortified area; a cross street heads southeast towards the | ||
| CF | main roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mechanic nods at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove h from chard" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE H FROM CHARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an H-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of crisp, snappy cardboard, the chard turns into | ||
| CF | a card. Not a playing card, as I might have expected, or a calling | ||
| CF | card, or even an index card, but a Tarot card, representing the | ||
| CF | Chariot. The vehicle is drawn by two prize horses, one black, one | ||
| CF | white. The driver appears to be having some difficulty keeping them | ||
| CF | together, to judge from the surly expression and the raised whip. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "we will play with synthesizer afterwards" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove d from card" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE D FROM CARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a D-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of metal parts and oil, the card turns into a | ||
| CF | car. It is little larger than a toy, but that is what you want when | ||
| CF | driving on the streets around here. Any substantial vehicle wouldn't | ||
| CF | fit down the winding drives. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here is how my mother gets around. She takes a 300 Euro Hermès scarf | ||
| CF | with an orange border and a pattern of prancing horses. She tosses it | ||
| CF | in the air. As it falls, she shoots it twice, like a clay pigeon: once | ||
| CF | to take out the F, the second time for the S. And such a car: buttery | ||
| CF | leather seats, jaguar lines. If someone asks how she gets such good | ||
| CF | results, she jokes that it's because of her quality materials. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Suffice it to say that we are not similarly blessed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The car is far too large for us to carry, and falls onto the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to ask why the car does not run. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "cool the chariot... a fitting image lol" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask mechanic about car" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 15 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK MECHANIC ABOUT CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "There appears to be something wrong with my car," you tell the | ||
| CF | mechanic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He has the somewhat cow-like expression of all fake people, but he | ||
| CF | nods gravely and has a look. "It hasn't been maintained," he says, on | ||
| CF | inspection. "You got any motor oil?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "garage" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "give oil to mechanic" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 18 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GIVE OIL TO MECHANIC | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Will this work?" We hold out the oil. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Should do," he says. Rolling up his sleeves, he goes to work on the | ||
| CF | car. There is no small amount of banging and muttering, but finally he | ||
| CF | stands back and announces that he believes it is now in working | ||
| CF | condition. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm inclined to thank the mechanic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now eighteen.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask mechanic about car" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 18 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK MECHANIC ABOUT CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Thank you, that was a great help," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He nods. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter car" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 18 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the car door: perhaps unsurprisingly, it comes without an | ||
| CF | effective lock system. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get into the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "start car" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 18 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > START CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We switch on the ignition and the car comes to life. Smelly, | ||
| CF | trembling, putt-putting life, but still, not bad for something we | ||
| CF | conjured out of a vegetable picked outside my parents' place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to counterfeit monkey" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 18 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO COUNTERFEIT MONKEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The extremely primitive dial in front of us is pointing all the way to | ||
| CF | the left. I think that's its way of saying it's out of fuel. At any | ||
| CF | rate, the engine won't start. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 18 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We switch the ignition off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We climb out of the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show fuel to mechanic" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 18 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW FUEL TO MECHANIC | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We draw the mechanic's attention to the fuel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hm." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put fuel in car" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 21 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT FUEL IN CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I deeply fear automotive maintenance, but I can (just) manage to pour | ||
| CF | in the fuel... and I think that's done it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That isn't available. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now | ||
| CF | twenty-one.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter car" | ||
| CF ] High Street, early afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 21 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get into the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to counterfeit monkey" | ||
| CF ] Fish Market, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO COUNTERFEIT MONKEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We drive as far as Deep Street. Then we try to nab several parking | ||
| CF | spots before finally managing to be more assertive than the other | ||
| CF | drivers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fish Market | ||
| CF | Not very fishy at the moment, in fact: all the real trade happens in | ||
| CF | the early morning; then there is a period of tourist trade when the | ||
| CF | seafood sale tails off and most of the purchases are of polished conch | ||
| CF | shells and starfish; and then a little after noon the area clears out | ||
| CF | completely, leaving only briny rivulets on the concrete. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A tall, stern woman is standing in the middle of the market. She wears | ||
| CF | the black caped uniform of an Authenticator, and a monocle just like | ||
| CF | mine. And I don't think I want her to see us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Just east of here is a rusting corrugated tin building, which was | ||
| CF | built to house various possessions of the fishermen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by five points and is now | ||
| CF | twenty-six.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "woo" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "There we drive." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | While the Authenticator's back is turned, we slip inside... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tin Hut | ||
| CF | Most of the light in here comes from circular windows punched into the | ||
| CF | tin walls just under the ceiling. From the inside, the building looks | ||
| CF | both larger and more sound than it appears from outside: there are | ||
| CF | plenty of sturdy struts supporting the roof and keeping the walls | ||
| CF | upright. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Various tarpaulin-covered masses fill the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A trap door is set in the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sometimes smugglers and forgers have been known to stash things in | ||
| CF | here, since the building is close to the docks but rarely attracts the | ||
| CF | interest of customs officials. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Ominous sounds come through the windows, but we're at the wrong angle | ||
| CF | to see out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade exclaims, "26 points!" | |
| Roger says, "a richness" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look under tarp" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UNDER TARP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lifting the edges of the nearest tarps confirms what we already | ||
| CF | suspected: they are various tables, stalls, awnings, etc. belonging to | ||
| CF | the fish market. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take tarp" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE TARP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It all looks fairly heavy, but not useful. Also, and I realize this | ||
| CF | weighs more with me than with you, I think the people who own it might | ||
| CF | mind the loss. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "trap" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove p from tarp" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE P FROM TARP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a P-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "taraulin-covered | ||
| CF | masses": evidently "masses" are too tightly bound to their modifiers | ||
| CF | and can't be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove m from tarp" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE M FROM TARP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an M-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a | ||
| CF | "tarpaulin-covered asses": evidently "masses" are too tightly bound to | ||
| CF | their modifiers and can't be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "boooo" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x door" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is a wooden door set into the floor. The hinging mechanism is | ||
| CF | designed to keep the door closed if possible, perhaps as a safety | ||
| CF | feature so that people won't fall into an open hole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "lol" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "open door" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the trap door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The trap-door makes a creaking noise and slams shut again. They must | ||
| CF | prop it open when they use it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "multipart are difficult" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from door" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "rap door": | ||
| CF | evidently "door" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove r from door" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE R FROM DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an R-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "tap doo": | ||
| CF | evidently "door" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmm" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your R-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some nap (really the smuggled plans | ||
| CF | in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an arm, some asparagus, a clock, some | ||
| CF | gas, Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a lee, a letter, a | ||
| CF | lime, a May, a member, and a pearl. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "so we can never get rid of letters in composite phrases, right?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the backpack are a monocle, a clock, a roll, a letter, a pearl, and | ||
| CF | a flash drive. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take monocle" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear monocle" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Everything turns computer-monitor green when viewed through our right | ||
| CF | eye. And staring fixedly at anything will turn up its authenticity | ||
| CF | status. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | More racket comes in through the windows. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I think there are some exceptions." | |
| Jade says, "it is more difficult" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x tarp" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TARP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | From the shapes visible under the blue plastic, it appears that they | ||
| CF | are probably tables and stalls, buckets, signs, and other necessary | ||
| CF | features of the fish market when sales are in progress. There's a | ||
| CF | flattish area we could probably scramble onto. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the tarpaulin-covered masses | ||
| CF | with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x door" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is a wooden door set into the floor. The hinging mechanism is | ||
| CF | designed to keep the door closed if possible, perhaps as a safety | ||
| CF | feature so that people won't fall into an open hole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the trap door with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "The mo(u)rning dress for example." | |
| Lancelot says, "oh yeah right I totally forgot about that one" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "climb tarp" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLIMB TARP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We identify the sturdiest-looking part of the construction and clamber | ||
| CF | onto it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | More racket comes in through the windows. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tin Hut (on the tarpaulin-covered masses) | ||
| CF | Most of the light in here comes from circular windows punched into the | ||
| CF | tin walls just under the ceiling. From the inside, the building looks | ||
| CF | both larger and more sound than it appears from outside: there are | ||
| CF | plenty of sturdy struts supporting the roof and keeping the walls | ||
| CF | upright. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A trap door is set in the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look through window" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK THROUGH WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put an eye to one of the windows. The Authenticator is still in | ||
| CF | sight. Two assistants are in the middle of arresting a man for selling | ||
| CF | germ-based gems, but she is ignoring this play and looking for | ||
| CF | something or someone else. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x strut" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X STRUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The struts form a dull but sturdy lattice of metal, supporting the | ||
| CF | corrugated metal roof and walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the struts with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x door" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is a wooden door set into the floor. The hinging mechanism is | ||
| CF | designed to keep the door closed if possible, perhaps as a safety | ||
| CF | feature so that people won't fall into an open hole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the trap door with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x hinge" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X HINGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is a wooden door set into the floor. The hinging mechanism is | ||
| CF | designed to keep the door closed if possible, perhaps as a safety | ||
| CF | feature so that people won't fall into an open hole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the trap door with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmmm not thinking of anything clever" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put backpack under door" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT BACKPACK UNDER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put backpack in door" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT BACKPACK IN DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That can't contain things. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the trap door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get off the tarpaulin-covered masses. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tin Hut | ||
| CF | Most of the light in here comes from circular windows punched into the | ||
| CF | tin walls just under the ceiling. From the inside, the building looks | ||
| CF | both larger and more sound than it appears from outside: there are | ||
| CF | plenty of sturdy struts supporting the roof and keeping the walls | ||
| CF | upright. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Crawlspace | ||
| CF | An awkward, low, concrete-lined crawlspace beneath the tin hut. It | ||
| CF | smells somewhat like animals; in spite of this it clearly gets a bit | ||
| CF | more use than anyone would like the customs officials to know about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The only significant thing down here is a crate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The trap-door makes a creaking noise and slams shut again. I DO NOT | ||
| CF | LIKE being in the dark in a confined space with potential rats. Sorry, | ||
| CF | I'm getting us out of here. You can come back later. | Roger says, "oh! hunh." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | I'm getting us out of here. You can come back later. | ||
| CF | We open the trap door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tin Hut | ||
| CF | Most of the light in here comes from circular windows punched into the | ||
| CF | tin walls just under the ceiling. From the inside, the building looks | ||
| CF | both larger and more sound than it appears from outside: there are | ||
| CF | plenty of sturdy struts supporting the roof and keeping the walls | ||
| CF | upright. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "; aww" | |
| Jade says, "amazing" | ||
| Lancelot says, "aww oops" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your R-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some nap (really the smuggled plans | ||
| CF | in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an arm, some asparagus, a clock, some | ||
| CF | gas, Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a lee, a letter, a | ||
| CF | lime, a May, a member, and a pearl. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove m from lime" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE M FROM LIME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an M-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The lime flickers and there is a brief image of a lie in its place — | ||
| CF | the concept strangely embodied in a physical form — before the power | ||
| CF | gives out. I guess your device there just isn't tuned to reify | ||
| CF | abstracts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The trap-door makes a creaking noise and slams shut again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh hmm." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tin Hut | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "push door" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUSH DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is fixed in place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The trap-door makes a creaking noise and slams shut again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | More racket comes in through the windows. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tin Hut | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Let's wait to explore down there until we can make sure the trap door | ||
| CF | won't slam on us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The trap-door makes a creaking noise and slams shut again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tin Hut | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put arm in door" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT ARM IN DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We prop the trap door open with the arm. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "huzzah" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Yay!" | |
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Crawlspace | ||
| CF | An awkward, low, concrete-lined crawlspace beneath the tin hut. It | ||
| CF | smells somewhat like animals; in spite of this it clearly gets a bit | ||
| CF | more use than anyone would like the customs officials to know about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The trap door, wedged open by an arm, admits the only light. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The only significant thing down here is a crate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "thanks for giving us a hand" | |
| Jade says, "well done" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x crate" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CRATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We see nothing special about the crate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the crate with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in crate" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN CRATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can't see inside, since the crate is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open crate" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN CRATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the crate, revealing a watch, a band, and a single discarded | ||
| CF | leaflet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x watch" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WATCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An (apparently) valuable watch with diamonds set in the face. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | watch is a faint, greenish image of a swatch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take watch" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE WATCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the watch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x band" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BAND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A paper strip used to keep printed materials together before | ||
| CF | distribution. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the band with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take band" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BAND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the band. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x leaflet" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LEAFLET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a subversive tract attacking the state's line on punishing people | ||
| CF | with inanimate status. It quotes the official state justification | ||
| CF | (from the days when they bothered to justify it at all) as follows: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are those who argue that it is just as inhumane to make a | ||
| CF | man inanimate as to kill him. And indeed it is a form of execution, in | ||
| CF | that the man is wiped out and some other thing replaces him. | ||
| CF | Execution, that is, in every detail but one: it is reversible. Many | ||
| CF | men have been executed in error, going innocent to the electric chair | ||
| CF | or the noose, and once dead they can never be retrieved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The personality of a man made inanimate, however, stays behind in | ||
| CF | the changed object, ready to be retrieved should new evidence come to | ||
| CF | light; and until that date he is harmless to society, and costs almost | ||
| CF | nothing to store (as compared to the costs of prison guardianship and | ||
| CF | maintenance). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It follows up by discussing the problems with this argument: the | ||
| CF | tendency of objects to "fade" over time so that their original form is | ||
| CF | completely lost; the fact that an inanimate object can hardly direct | ||
| CF | its own appeal proceedings; the strong words against this kind of | ||
| CF | punishment in the Geneva Conventions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the leaflet with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "hmm" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take leaflet" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE LEAFLET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the leaflet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove c from crate" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE C FROM CRATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a C-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crate flickers and there is a brief image of a rate in its place | ||
| CF | — | ||
| CF | the concept strangely embodied in a physical form — before the power | ||
| CF | gives out. I guess your device there just isn't tuned to reify | ||
| CF | abstracts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove r from crate" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE R FROM CRATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an R-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a mad-scientist cackle, and the crate turns into a cate. | ||
| CF | Rarely found in the singular, a cate is something delicious: it comes | ||
| CF | from the same roots as "caterer". At any rate, this lovely little | ||
| CF | confection, with its layers of shiny-smooth chocolate and sliced | ||
| CF | strawberry and rum-soaked cake, its chocolate-shaving frills and piped | ||
| CF | cream, could have come from the best Paris confiserie. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | cate is a faint, unappetizing image of a crate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "a new one to me" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take cate" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the cate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Crawlspace | ||
| CF | An awkward, low, concrete-lined crawlspace beneath the tin hut. It | ||
| CF | smells somewhat like animals; in spite of this it clearly gets a bit | ||
| CF | more use than anyone would like the customs officials to know about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The trap door, wedged open by an arm, admits the only light. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "me too" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Crawlspace, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go up through the trap door to Tin Hut from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "u" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > U | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tin Hut | ||
| CF | Most of the light in here comes from circular windows punched into the | ||
| CF | tin walls just under the ceiling. From the inside, the building looks | ||
| CF | both larger and more sound than it appears from outside: there are | ||
| CF | plenty of sturdy struts supporting the roof and keeping the walls | ||
| CF | upright. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Various tarpaulin-covered masses fill the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A trap door is set in the floor, propped by an arm. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "I guess this game only works for native English speakers... some of these words I have never heard of." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take arm" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ARM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the arm. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The trap-door makes a creaking noise and slams shut again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | More racket comes in through the windows. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on watch" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON WATCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the watch. | ||
| CF | With an audible SPLORT, the watch becomes a swatch. A worthless strip | ||
| CF | of cloth in a tartan print, a few inches wide and maybe a foot and a | ||
| CF | half long. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x watch" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WATCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x swatch" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SWATCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A worthless strip of cloth in a tartan print, a few inches wide and | ||
| CF | maybe a foot and a half long. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the swatch with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove d from band" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE D FROM BAND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a D-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The band flickers and there is a brief image of a ban in its place — | ||
| CF | the concept strangely embodied in a physical form — before the power | ||
| CF | gives out. I guess your device there just isn't tuned to reify | ||
| CF | abstracts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove n from band" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE N FROM BAND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an N-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "bad". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from band" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM BAND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "and". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "dna oh wait" | |
| Lancelot says, "nvm" | ||
| Jade says, "nop" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take arm" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ARM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We already have that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | More racket comes in through the windows. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But we aren't in anything at the moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go west to Fish Market and down through the trap door (closed) | ||
| CF | to Crawlspace from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Fish Market, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't think there's anything showing that should get us into | ||
| CF | trouble. Timidly I open the door; the Authenticator has her back to | ||
| CF | us. We slip out. She makes one more turn in place — monocled gaze | ||
| CF | sliding across us without stopping — and then she strides away to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fish Market | ||
| CF | Not very fishy at the moment, in fact: all the real trade happens in | ||
| CF | the early morning; then there is a period of tourist trade when the | ||
| CF | seafood sale tails off and most of the purchases are of polished conch | ||
| CF | shells and starfish; and then a little after noon the area clears out | ||
| CF | completely, leaving only briny rivulets on the concrete. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Just east of here is a rusting corrugated tin building, which was | ||
| CF | built to house various possessions of the fishermen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north, south, southeast, and east to Tin Hut from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "take racket" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tin Hut | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take racket" | ||
| CF ] Tin Hut, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RACKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Fish Market, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't think there's anything showing that should get us into | ||
| CF | trouble. Timidly I open the door; the Authenticator has her back to | ||
| CF | us. We slip out. She makes one more turn in place — monocled gaze | ||
| CF | sliding across us without stopping — and then she strides away to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fish Market | ||
| CF | Not very fishy at the moment, in fact: all the real trade happens in | ||
| CF | the early morning; then there is a period of tourist trade when the | ||
| CF | seafood sale tails off and most of the purchases are of polished conch | ||
| CF | shells and starfish; and then a little after noon the area clears out | ||
| CF | completely, leaving only briny rivulets on the concrete. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Just east of here is a rusting corrugated tin building, which was | ||
| CF | built to house various possessions of the fishermen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north, south, southeast, and east to Tin Hut from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Docks, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Docks | ||
| CF | Here are some dozens of boats tied up: some of them are small to | ||
| CF | medium-sized fishing craft, some tourist boats for trips around the | ||
| CF | island, some merely ferries to the deeper harbor where the cruise | ||
| CF | ships anchor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, up a moderate rise from the sea-level docks, is the | ||
| CF | imposing exterior of the Customs House. The classical look is only a | ||
| CF | little undermined by the public-service posters along the front. There | ||
| CF | passports are inspected and cargo passed under authentication, foreign | ||
| CF | items renamed or confiscated, and suspected smugglers interrogated. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately west, a sign advertises a pub called the Counterfeit | ||
| CF | Monkey. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | It takes a minute for us to adjust to the light in here. Built when | ||
| CF | people were a bit shorter and ceilings were a bit lower, the | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey is always smoky and never well lit, even in the | ||
| CF | middle of the day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | ...and... Slango is not here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This is bad. Even I can see this is bad. What happened to your | ||
| CF | confidence in your team? Where are the guys who are supposed to get us | ||
| CF | out of here? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something must have gone wrong. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Help you?" asks Parker the barman unenthusiastically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm inclined to ask whether he has seen Slango. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask parker about slango" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK PARKER ABOUT SLANGO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I wonder whether you've seen an associate of mine," we say to Parker. | ||
| CF | "Name of Slango." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Parker looks over the bar at us. "He comes in here from time to time," | ||
| CF | he says. "Very regular customer. Always has about three rum and | ||
| CF | cokes." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This is a lie, and therefore a test. Slango doesn't drink alcohol | ||
| CF | himself and doesn't permit drunkenness in his crew. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My response would be to challenge Parker about the rum. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell parker about rum" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL PARKER ABOUT RUM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Must be a different Slango," we say. "Mine is more of a root beer | ||
| CF | man. Thanks anyway though." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh, that Slango," Parker says, thoughtfully moving the | ||
| CF | Origin Paste sitting on the bar. "He's been around town the last | ||
| CF | couple of days, but not today. If you know his lady friend, you might | ||
| CF | try her." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lady friend? This can only mean Lena, she being the only female native | ||
| CF | with whom Slango spends much time socially. But you wouldn't have | ||
| CF | guessed that she'd advanced to the status of lady friend. | ||
| CF | Either way, Lena is a rather odd woman who keeps a used bookstore off | ||
| CF | Deep Street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask whether we can have the origin paste. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x paste" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PASTE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cake of pale purple: it is able to disguise letter-reformed objects | ||
| CF | so that they don't look like obvious frauds, or even show up under | ||
| CF | authentication. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The only problem with it is the distinctive smell. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Origin Paste is powerful stuff, and worth a good bit of money. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask parker about paste" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK PARKER ABOUT PASTE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That Origin Paste for sale?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Well now," he says, grinning, "that would surely be illegal, would it | ||
| CF | not? Origin Paste is after all a controlled substance in this country, | ||
| CF | due to its unhappy association with fraudulent activities. On the | ||
| CF | other hand there is no law against someone winning the Origin | ||
| CF | Paste in a completely legitimate game of chance or skill." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask how one might go about winning. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask parker about winning" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK PARKER ABOUT WINNING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Explain this game as though I have no idea what you're talking | ||
| CF | about," you say, leaning on the bar in an interested fashion. Are you | ||
| CF | flirting with Parker? No? Okay. Good to know. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "It's a designated challenge game," says Parker. You've seen this | ||
| CF | played before, but he explains the rules anyway. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "There are two contestants, one challenger and one defender. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The challenger chooses any object he likes and shows it to the | ||
| CF | moderator ahead of time. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The defender, without seeing the object, stipulates a general | ||
| CF | category. The challenger has five minutes to turn his designated | ||
| CF | object into an item that fits the defender's category, or he forfeits | ||
| CF | his ante." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to play the game. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are reminded of past experience playing games. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "memories" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > MEMORIES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Currently on your mind are making your lock, my youthful pranks, your | ||
| CF | crew's skill, and past experience playing games. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remember playing games" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMEMBER PLAYING GAMES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The three of you were watching the contest at Counterfeit Monkey. This | ||
| CF | time the prize was a bottle of Dove Wing Absinthe, and the latest | ||
| CF | contestant was trying to letter-remove her way to an object the size | ||
| CF | of a pebble. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango lifted his root beer. "These guys are in a rut. It's all 'make | ||
| CF | a liquid' and size-based challenges. I want to see some demanding | ||
| CF | categories. Strawberry-scented. Paisley. Pachyderm-themed." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You shrugged. "People L-remove tiles," you said. "You can get a | ||
| CF | letter-made tie any color you want." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Import Category 5," Brock said. "Now that would be a strong challenge | ||
| CF | category." Under Atlantean customs law, Import Category 5 means things | ||
| CF | that are edible, but not fruits or vegetables — everything from drugs | ||
| CF | to chicken breasts. "Clear, but it rules out a lot of overly | ||
| CF | productive agriculture words." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then we're back in the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "this might tax our skills. I'm calling a 5 minute break" | |
| Lancelot says, "good idea" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| Jade says, "ok" | ||
| Roger says, "okay back" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask parker to play" | Lancelot says, "roger :p" | |
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK PARKER TO PLAY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask parker to play game" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK PARKER TO PLAY GAME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask parker about playing" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK PARKER ABOUT PLAYING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The barman thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What do you think? You up for a try at the Origin Paste?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to play the game. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell parker yes" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL PARKER YES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "say yes" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SAY YES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "play game" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PLAY GAME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'd like to play for the Origin Paste," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Excellent. Oh, I did mention the small matter of the entry fee?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I get out the roll of bills and he peels off two twenties. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Thank you. Now, you pick your entry article, and I'll ask one of | ||
| CF | these good gentlemen to suggest a defense category." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "is this a menu system or sth getting in the way?" | |
| Lancelot says, "oh ok" | ||
| Roger says, "hmmm. I kinda want to pick asparagus" | ||
| Lancelot says, "lol" | ||
| Jade exclaims, "oh!" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "pick asparagus" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PICK ASPARAGUS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You'll have to specify what you want to click with. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a brief pause. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Just pick something you've got on you and show it to me to establish | ||
| CF | your bet." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show asparagus to parker" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW ASPARAGUS TO PARKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Right," says the barman. "The asparagus it is." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He turns towards the group assembled around the dartboard. "Anyone | ||
| CF | want to defend against this character?" (with a nod at you). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Something smaller than a pebble!" suggests a woman in the front row. | ||
| CF | She passes forward her own ante to the bar, and the game is on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "well... fudge" | |
| Roger says (to clubflo), "undo" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show pearl to parker" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW PEARL TO PARKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Right," says the barman. "The pearl it is." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He turns towards the group assembled around the dartboard. "Anyone | ||
| CF | want to defend against this character?" (with a nod at you). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "A liquid," says a gruff man. ("You always say liquid!" complains one | ||
| CF | of the others. "It's his favorite thing!" says a third.) But the ante | ||
| CF | is submitted and the challenge set. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "earl grey tea anyone oh nvm" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your B-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some nap (really the smuggled plans | ||
| CF | in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an arm, some asparagus, a band, a cate, | ||
| CF | a clock, some gas, Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a | ||
| CF | leaflet, a lee, a letter, a lime, a May, a member, a pearl, and a | ||
| CF | swatch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x ale" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ALE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A delicious nutbrown ale in a cool glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | ale is a faint, greenish image of an apple. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "maybe I misunderstand things but if we start out with an apple, and they ask for a liquid..." | |
| Roger says, "yeah; worth trying" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on ale" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON ALE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We just touch a coated fingertip of gel to the ale. With an audible | ||
| CF | SPLORT, the ale becomes an apple. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a brief pause. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Have you picked a wager object yet?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show apple to parker" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW APPLE TO PARKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Right," says the barman. "The apple it is." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He turns towards the group assembled around the dartboard. "Anyone | ||
| CF | want to defend against this character?" (with a nod at you). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Something smaller than a pebble!" suggests a woman in the front row. | ||
| CF | She passes forward her own ante to the bar, and the game is on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "maybe" | |
| Lancelot says, "argh" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "well it was worth a try" | |
| Jade says, "Apple leads to ale" | ||
| Roger says, "okay so I guess we want something that we feel confident about making either a liquid or a small thing" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your B-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some nap (really the smuggled plans | ||
| CF | in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying an apple, an arm, some asparagus, a band, a cate, | ||
| CF | a clock, some gas, Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a | ||
| CF | leaflet, a lee, a letter, a lime, a May, a member, a pearl, and a | ||
| CF | swatch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "possibly we should come back later" | |
| Roger says, "unless anyone has a good idea or wants to try something" | ||
| Jade says, "an apple makes ale" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show apple to parker" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW APPLE TO PARKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Right," says the barman. "The apple it is." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He turns towards the group assembled around the dartboard. "Anyone | ||
| CF | want to defend against this character?" (with a nod at you). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Something smaller than a pebble!" suggests a woman in the front row. | ||
| CF | She passes forward her own ante to the bar, and the game is on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "yep but if they dont pick liquid... is it random?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I think it is random." | |
| Roger says, "I wouldn't expect Emily to leave something like this to chance, but perhaps" | ||
| Lancelot says, "I would not expect it to be random, so I guess it depends on the item" | ||
| Lancelot says, "if it would be random then the apple would win" | ||
| Roger says, "I'll try coming back later" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But we aren't in anything at the moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a brief pause. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The barman waits for you to show him your wager object. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We've got an ante down for this game and our time isn't up yet. Do we | ||
| CF | really want to leave? >> | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | really want to leave? >> | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please answer yes or no.> | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "no" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | Please answer yes or no.> | ||
| CF | > NO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That seems sensible to me too. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a brief pause. The barman waits for you to show him your wager | ||
| CF | object. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go east to Docks from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a brief pause. The barman waits for you to show him your wager | ||
| CF | object. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "can we undo until before we started the game?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We've got an ante down for this game and our time isn't up yet. Do we | ||
| CF | really want to leave? >> | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "no" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | really want to leave? >> | ||
| CF | > NO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That seems sensible to me too. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a brief pause. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Have you picked a wager object yet?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "no" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That was a rhetorical question. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a brief pause. The barman waits for you to show him your wager | ||
| CF | object. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "well fudge" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your B-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some nap (really the smuggled plans | ||
| CF | in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an arm, some asparagus, a band, a cate, | ||
| CF | a clock, some gas, Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a | ||
| CF | leaflet, a lee, a letter, a lime, a May, a member, a pearl, and a | ||
| CF | swatch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "clock turns into lock" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 'Undo' failed. [Not all interpreters provide it.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | Infamously this pub was raided in 1929, the year that the Bureau | ||
| CF | developed its first meager attempt at an Authentication Scope, and | ||
| CF | dozens of smugglers and fraudulent businessmen went to jail. But | ||
| CF | neither that raid nor subsequent scrutiny has ever shut the place down | ||
| CF | entirely. Built when people were a bit shorter and ceilings were a bit | ||
| CF | lower, the Counterfeit Monkey is always smoky and never well lit, even | ||
| CF | in the middle of the day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clientele are currently engaged in a game of darts, while the | ||
| CF | barman watches and practices a sarcastic wit on those who embarrass | ||
| CF | themselves. There is also a quantity of Origin Paste sitting out on | ||
| CF | the bar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Docks, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Docks | ||
| CF | Here are some dozens of boats tied up: some of them are small to | ||
| CF | medium-sized fishing craft, some tourist boats for trips around the | ||
| CF | island, some merely ferries to the deeper harbor where the cruise | ||
| CF | ships anchor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, up a moderate rise from the sea-level docks, is the | ||
| CF | imposing exterior of the Customs House. The classical look is only a | ||
| CF | little undermined by the public-service posters along the front. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately west, the Counterfeit Monkey's sign sways in the wind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "too bad we do not have fuel that was another option" | |
| Roger says, "whew" | ||
| Roger says, "I'll get our progress back" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | Built when people were a bit shorter and ceilings were a bit lower, | ||
| CF | the Counterfeit Monkey is always smoky and never well lit, even in the | ||
| CF | middle of the day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clientele are currently engaged in a game of darts, while the | ||
| CF | barman watches and practices a sarcastic wit on those who embarrass | ||
| CF | themselves. There is also a quantity of Origin Paste sitting out on | ||
| CF | the bar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Parker acknowledges our return with a nod. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could play the game. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Docks, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Docks | ||
| CF | Here are some dozens of boats tied up: some of them are small to | ||
| CF | medium-sized fishing craft, some tourist boats for trips around the | ||
| CF | island, some merely ferries to the deeper harbor where the cruise | ||
| CF | ships anchor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, up a moderate rise from the sea-level docks, is the | ||
| CF | imposing exterior of the Customs House. The classical look is only a | ||
| CF | little undermined by the public-service posters along the front. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately west, the Counterfeit Monkey's sign sways in the wind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh I guess we're fine" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Customs House, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Customs House | ||
| CF | This one building handles both people entering Atlantis by sea and | ||
| CF | those leaving, so there is an entry line (which feeds out into the | ||
| CF | city by the door we used) and an exit line (which snakes through from | ||
| CF | here to the point where boats and ferries board their passengers). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a long line of people waiting to leave Atlantis, even on | ||
| CF | Serial Comma Day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An old war-time poster on the wall shows Atlantida striding boldly | ||
| CF | forward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No one is paying any attention to us yet, but I wouldn't | ||
| CF | advise spending much time here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A new lane opens up at the front, speeding up the line a little. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x poster" | ||
| CF ] Customs House, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X POSTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The poster is huge, almost as tall as we are, and covers most of a | ||
| CF | wall. Atlantida, dressed in blue, walks towards the viewer from a bold | ||
| CF | sunrise background. The legend reads THE SPIRIT OF OUR PEOPLE. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It was part of a propaganda campaign to get the Atlanteans to think of | ||
| CF | Atlantis as inherently invulnerable, on the off-chance that the belief | ||
| CF | would create the reality. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | And we never were invaded, for whatever that's worth, though the Axis | ||
| CF | would certainly have found the island a useful base. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the old war-time poster with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmmm I guess eventually we may need to escape through here, but not yet" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Docks, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Docks | ||
| CF | Here are some dozens of boats tied up: some of them are small to | ||
| CF | medium-sized fishing craft, some tourist boats for trips around the | ||
| CF | island, some merely ferries to the deeper harbor where the cruise | ||
| CF | ships anchor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, up a moderate rise from the sea-level docks, is the | ||
| CF | imposing exterior of the Customs House. The classical look is only a | ||
| CF | little undermined by the public-service posters along the front. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately west, the Counterfeit Monkey's sign sways in the wind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Docks, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go south to Fish Market, east to Customs House, and west to | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Fish Market, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fish Market | ||
| CF | Not very fishy at the moment, in fact: all the real trade happens in | ||
| CF | the early morning; then there is a period of tourist trade when the | ||
| CF | seafood sale tails off and most of the purchases are of polished conch | ||
| CF | shells and starfish; and then a little after noon the area clears out | ||
| CF | completely, leaving only briny rivulets on the concrete. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Just east of here is a rusting corrugated tin building, which was | ||
| CF | built to house various possessions of the fishermen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Docks, south, southeast, and east to Tin Hut from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Outdoor Café, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Outdoor Café | ||
| CF | From this slightly raised terrace, tourists have a view of the | ||
| CF | activity in the market and out over the docks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curiously, there's an acquaintance of yours here: Nexami Engeo is at | ||
| CF | one of the round black metal tables. He's a musician, the front man of | ||
| CF | engeo. Your gang helped him out with some customs issues because of | ||
| CF | his unusual name. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Nexami nods to us. "Watch out. That table next to you has something | ||
| CF | sticky spilled on it." And indeed there is a spill. You were about to | ||
| CF | lean on it nonchalantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to say thanks for pointing out spill or ask what he is | ||
| CF | doing in Atlantis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "say thanks" | ||
| CF ] Outdoor Café, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SAY THANKS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hey, thanks." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He makes a you're-welcome gesture and goes back to contemplating the | ||
| CF | sea view. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask what he is doing in Atlantis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask engeo what he is doing" | ||
| CF ] Outdoor Café, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ENGEO WHAT HE IS DOING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "So, what are you doing in Atlantis?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Doing a show tonight," he says. "Up on the City Walls." This is only | ||
| CF | partly a lie: you know that his main business in town is some sort of | ||
| CF | computer science contract, and that it's largely cover that his band | ||
| CF | is playing in the Serial Comma Day festivities. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Nexami stands up and mutters something. I have a little trouble with | ||
| CF | his Scottish accent — we don't get a lot of that around here, for | ||
| CF | obvious reasons — but you interpret it as him saying he'd better go | ||
| CF | pay up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He heads into the interior of the café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x spill" | ||
| CF ] Outdoor Café, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SPILL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It looks like a quantity of red wine, just waiting to stain some | ||
| CF | vulnerable bit of clothing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the spill with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oho this might be it" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from spill" | ||
| CF ] Outdoor Café, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM SPILL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a mint green cloud, and the spill turns into a pill. It is | ||
| CF | small, round, and blue. There are no brand or generic markings to | ||
| CF | indicate what it might do. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | pill is a faint, unappetizing image of a spill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take pill" | ||
| CF ] Outdoor Café, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PILL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the pill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Outdoor Café, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Outdoor Café | ||
| CF | From this slightly raised terrace, tourists have a view of the | ||
| CF | activity in the market and out over the docks. The street is east, the | ||
| CF | Fish Market north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several round black metal tables have been set out, with umbrellas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter" | ||
| CF ] Outdoor Café, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get onto the wire chair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several round black metal tables have been set out, with umbrellas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x chair" | ||
| CF ] Outdoor Café, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CHAIR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is an ordinary inexpensive variety of chair, made locally and found | ||
| CF | around the island in great numbers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the wire chair with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove c from chair" | ||
| CF ] Outdoor Café, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE C FROM CHAIR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a C-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "wire hair": | ||
| CF | evidently "chair" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "hair" | |
| Roger says, "perhaps not" | ||
| Lancelot says, "aww" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove w from chair" | ||
| CF ] Outdoor Café, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE W FROM CHAIR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a W-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "ire chair": | ||
| CF | evidently "chair" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Deep Street, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get off the wire chair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Outdoor Café | ||
| CF | From this slightly raised terrace, tourists have a view of the | ||
| CF | activity in the market and out over the docks. The street is east, the | ||
| CF | Fish Market north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several round black metal tables have been set out, with umbrellas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Deep Street | ||
| CF | This road descends steeply from southwest to northwest, passing | ||
| CF | between white concrete buildings to provide access to the marina — | ||
| CF | the | ||
| CF | Fish Market, the Docks, and a bar or two. The street is in deep | ||
| CF | shadow, protected from sunlight from almost any angle by its | ||
| CF | narrowness and by the height of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Aquarium Bookstore is to the east. It is an esoteric bookstore | ||
| CF | (and purveyor of other things), but one whose owner has helped you in | ||
| CF | the past. That would be Lena, the woman that we need to talk to about | ||
| CF | Slango. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our car is parked nearby. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northwest to Fish Market, southwest, east, and west to | ||
| CF | Outdoor Café from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have a fleeting thought of your crew's attitude to Atlantis law. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Wire hair does sound uncomfortable." | |
| Lancelot says, "sounds like a murder weapon" | ||
| Lancelot says, "ah the bookstore" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aquarium Bookstore | ||
| CF | The shop takes its name from the collection of fish mounted on every | ||
| CF | wall: swordfish, bass, other things I don't recognize. Underneath | ||
| CF | these dubious tokens, the walls are covered with bookshelves, and | ||
| CF | there are stacks of books on the floor where the shelves have proven | ||
| CF | insufficient. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merchandise consists mainly, but not exclusively, of books, and | ||
| CF | the selection caters to odd tastes. You once picked up in here a book | ||
| CF | about a man who R-removed a wrench, and then had his way with it. You | ||
| CF | and Brock had a good time with that one for the next month and a half. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lena is present, all right. In fact she watches us keenly the instant | ||
| CF | we come into the shop. Lena is an associate of Slango's. You hadn't | ||
| CF | realized that had crossed over into a romance. Slango has never, ever | ||
| CF | in your recollection dated anyone. And now this. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Happy Serial Comma Day," she says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask whether she has seen Slango or say who we | ||
| CF | are. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell lena who we are" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL LENA WHO WE ARE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Lena, it's Andra. And company. Maybe Slango mentioned that I was | ||
| CF | auditioning a new silent partner." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I don't know what you're talking about," she says. "But since you're | ||
| CF | here, whoever you are, I wonder whether you'd like to have a look at | ||
| CF | some merchandise of mine that could use a spruce." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aha. She wants us to prove our identity; probably has contraband that | ||
| CF | needs concealing, and wants us to do the deed as proof of | ||
| CF | trustworthiness. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a brief pause. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lena goes off into a corner and rummages among the suspicious piles of | ||
| CF | books, and uncovers a box. "C'mere," she says; and obediently I wander | ||
| CF | over to that area of the store, which incidentally happens to be | ||
| CF | tucked away and half-hidden by shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "See here," she says. "See what you can do with it, eh?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask whether she has seen Slango. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x box" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BOX | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's just a cardboard box in which some items of interest have been | ||
| CF | stored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the contraband box are some modems and some preamps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lena apparently wants our help getting them into a less identifiable | ||
| CF | format. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove m from modems" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE M FROM MODEMS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an M-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of old book, the modems turn into some odes. A | ||
| CF | slender volume of poetry, bound between red covers. It looks | ||
| CF | completely harmless and is written in English. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The blurb on the back describes it as a "collection of meditations" on | ||
| CF | Atlantis' imaginary roots, which is to say, a lot of stuff about | ||
| CF | magic-wielding Phoenicians, Knights Templar, refugees from the Tower | ||
| CF | of Babel, space aliens, cabalistic mysticism, and Lully's | ||
| CF | combinatorics. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It fits in perfectly with the rest of Lena's selection. Really amazing | ||
| CF | work. I've seen other people who were able to do impressive things | ||
| CF | with local field distortions — think hard enough and you can | ||
| CF | prejudice | ||
| CF | the outcome of a linguistic transition. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But this... this is detail work like I haven't seen. My hat is off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Or would be if I were wearing a hat and taking it off didn't mean | ||
| CF | making you take it off too. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | odes is a faint, greenish image of some modems. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lena touches the binding appreciatively. "You've even got that little | ||
| CF | bit of creasing in the spine that makes it look used," she says. "This | ||
| CF | is perfect. Only risk is customers wanting to buy it. I've got a | ||
| CF | couple this would be right up their alley." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to ask whether she has seen Slango. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove p from preamps" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE P FROM PREAMPS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a P-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a distinct spearmint flavor, and the preamps turn into some | ||
| CF | reams. Since each ream is 500 sheets of paper, and there are many | ||
| CF | reams here, the collection is unhelpfully bulky. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | reams is a faint, greenish image of some preamps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lena considers the heap of reams contemplatively. "That's | ||
| CF | inconvenient, isn't it," she says. "And I have a book store, not an | ||
| CF | office supply shop." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask whether she has seen Slango, calm Lena, or tease | ||
| CF | Lena about selling office supplies. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove e from reams" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE E FROM REAMS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an E-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reams flickers and there is a brief image of some rams in their | ||
| CF | place, but a legal override kicks in: an E-remover is | ||
| CF | hardware-crippled to prevent generating any living creature. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You don't have a depluralizer, do you?" Lena asks. "No, I suppose | ||
| CF | not. But it would be better if there weren't so many of these reams." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask whether she has seen Slango, calm Lena, or tease Lena | ||
| CF | about selling office supplies. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from reams" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM REAMS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a smell of anise, and the reams turn into a ream. One ream, | ||
| CF | which is to say 500 sheets, of generic printer or copier paper, in | ||
| CF | white-white. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | ream is a faint, greenish image of some preamps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That works. Kind of thing I might have around for printing invoices | ||
| CF | on. I was a little afraid there you were going to go for a ram just to | ||
| CF | spite me. Don't know where I'd put one of those around here." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask whether she has seen Slango. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "PERISH the very thought" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from box" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM BOX | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "contraand ox": | ||
| CF | evidently "box" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Nice monocle, by the way! You do have all the good toys. Suppose it | ||
| CF | means you can check your work and see whether you've really got enough | ||
| CF | paste on things." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask whether she has seen Slango. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask lena about slango" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK LENA ABOUT SLANGO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You wouldn't happen to have seen Slango about recently?" we ask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Slango?" she asks blankly, for all the world as though she'd had a | ||
| CF | lobotomy. "Is that a board game?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hrm I thought that was enough proving ourselves" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask lena about slango" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK LENA ABOUT SLANGO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm still curious about Slango. Seen him?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Maybe a Slango is a kind of juice drink?" she suggests. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "We'll need that paste to make the objects seem real." | |
| Roger says, "oh right! Good thinking" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to counterfeit monkey" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO COUNTERFEIT MONKEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We have a short walk through the marina district. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | Built when people were a bit shorter and ceilings were a bit lower, | ||
| CF | the Counterfeit Monkey is always smoky and never well lit, even in the | ||
| CF | middle of the day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clientele are currently engaged in a game of darts, while the | ||
| CF | barman watches and practices a sarcastic wit on those who embarrass | ||
| CF | themselves. There is also a quantity of Origin Paste sitting out on | ||
| CF | the bar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Parker acknowledges our return with a nod. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to play the game. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "play game" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PLAY GAME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'd like to play for the Origin Paste," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Excellent. Oh, I did mention the small matter of the entry fee?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I get out the roll of bills and he peels off two twenties. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Thank you. Now, you pick your entry article, and I'll ask one of | ||
| CF | these good gentlemen to suggest a defense category." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show pill to parker" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 26 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW PILL TO PARKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Right," says the barman. "The pill it is." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He turns towards the group assembled around the dartboard. "Anyone | ||
| CF | want to defend against this character?" (with a nod at you). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "A liquid," says a gruff man. ("You always say liquid!" complains one | ||
| CF | of the others. "It's his favorite thing!" says a third.) But the ante | ||
| CF | is submitted and the challenge set. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "yes, with the paste objects seems to be real" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on pill" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 29 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON PILL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out fingertip-coating quantity of gel and rub it gently onto | ||
| CF | the pill. With an audible SPLORT, the pill becomes a spill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The spill drips through our fingers onto the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "A winner!" says the barman, straightening up. "What do you know? The | ||
| CF | Origin Paste is all yours, darling." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This produces a squawk of surprise and irritation from the defendant, | ||
| CF | and you get the impression that this game has been agreeably fleecing | ||
| CF | tourists all day. Pity you had to come along and spoil it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask whether he has any other games going. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now | ||
| CF | twenty-nine.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "yay" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Now we got it." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take paste" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 29 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PASTE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the Origin Paste. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask whether he has any other games going. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "well done" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask parker about other games" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 29 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK PARKER ABOUT OTHER GAMES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "So, is there anything else I can win? Any other games going?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Parker laughs. "Not until tomorrow, kid," he says. "We only run one | ||
| CF | game a day." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to bookstore" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 29 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO BOOKSTORE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We walk through the marina district. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aquarium Bookstore | ||
| CF | The shop takes its name from the collection of fish mounted on every | ||
| CF | wall: swordfish, bass, other things I don't recognize. Underneath | ||
| CF | these dubious tokens, the walls are covered with bookshelves, and | ||
| CF | there are stacks of books on the floor where the shelves have proven | ||
| CF | insufficient. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merchandise consists mainly, but not exclusively, of books, and | ||
| CF | the selection caters to odd tastes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lena hovers, unwilling to let us look around ungoverned. At her feet | ||
| CF | is a contraband box containing a ream and some odes. Lena is wearing a | ||
| CF | long patchwork skirt and some leather sandals. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Greetings," she says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Glad to see you've got plenty of origin paste," Lena remarks. "It's | ||
| CF | such a useful thing to have. Smells so nice." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My response would be to quip about paste. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "quip about paste" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 29 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > QUIP ABOUT PASTE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Makes a great facial scrub," you say. "I slather the stuff on." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Well, honey, all I can say is, you look so real." Someone comes up to | ||
| CF | the front door of the shop. Lena goes over, wrenches the door open, | ||
| CF | and leans out. "We're closed!" she shouts. "It's #&@%ing Serial Comma | ||
| CF | Day!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The door slams behind her and she comes back over. "What those need | ||
| CF | now is just a touch of paste to obscure the odes to the authentication | ||
| CF | scopes, and they will be ready," she says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on odes" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 29 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON ODES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We smear some of the Origin Paste onto the odes. Nothing obvious | ||
| CF | happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Excellent," Lena mutters under her breath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on ream" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 29 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON REAM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We smear some of the Origin Paste onto the ream. Nothing obvious | ||
| CF | happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Perfect," Lena says, regarding her contraband possessions with | ||
| CF | satisfaction. "Welcome back, Andra and Guest." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My response would be to ask whether she has seen Slango. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "it might have taken me a while to figure that out on my own; thanks" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask lena about slango" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 29 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK LENA ABOUT SLANGO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Now, you owe me one Slango," you say. "Where'd he get to?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Slango and I were catching up. Bless that man, he's hung like a yak," | ||
| CF | she says. "But he got bad news and had to hurry back to the yacht. | ||
| CF | Said something about not being able to keep an appointment. I take it | ||
| CF | you're the appointment? I can try reaching him for you, if you want." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to encourage Lena to contact Slango. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask lena about contact" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 32 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK LENA ABOUT CONTACT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That would be extremely helpful," we say. Perhaps we can finally get | ||
| CF | off this island and back into our separate skins, which would not be | ||
| CF | one minute too soon for me. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Very good," she says. She goes over to one of the free-standing | ||
| CF | shelves and takes out copies of Ba's Journey and Seventy | ||
| CF | Ways to Disable an Authentication Scope. Behind these works of | ||
| CF | literature she finds what looks like a cellular phone; but it mustn't | ||
| CF | be one, or at least not of the usual variety, because the Bureau | ||
| CF | tightly controls such items. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We hear half a conversation. "It's me. There's someone to see... yes, | ||
| CF | I had her do the contraband... I don't know, a little taller and a lot | ||
| CF | less mean... Oh! I see. She looks healthy enough... I'm not running a | ||
| CF | restaurant! Okay. Okay. I'll talk to you later, sweetie. Bye." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Without meeting our eye, she buries the phone back in its previous | ||
| CF | location. Then she says, "He's coming in direct. He says go over to | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey and he'll be right over as originally planned, and | ||
| CF | he's sorry about the wait." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh! And." She tosses us a coin. "Have a drink on me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could thank Lena. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now | ||
| CF | thirty-two.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "thank lena" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 32 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > THANK LENA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Thank you," we say. "We owe you one." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She smirks. "I get my money's worth out of Slango, don't worry." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x coin" | ||
| CF ] Aquarium Bookstore, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 32 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X COIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It appears to be an as, a Roman coin of very low denomination. (Your | ||
| CF | knowledge, not mine. Should I ask how you know such things?) It is | ||
| CF | made of copper and has the letters S C stamped on one side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | as is a faint, greenish image of a pastis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "TMI, Lena." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to counterfeit monkey" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 32 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO COUNTERFEIT MONKEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "This would be a good time to stop for lunch and a little siesta," | ||
| CF | says Lena, following us to the door. As we go out, she's rolling down | ||
| CF | the shades and putting up a closed sign. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the walk through the marina district. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | Built when people were a bit shorter and ceilings were a bit lower, | ||
| CF | the Counterfeit Monkey is always smoky and never well lit, even in the | ||
| CF | middle of the day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango sits at a dark table, nursing a root beer. Slango is, of | ||
| CF | course, not Slango's real name. He is half criminal, half ideological | ||
| CF | revolutionary: uncouth, restless, always hungry for a new exploit. Had | ||
| CF | he been born into a freer society, he might have become a very | ||
| CF | valuable engineer or consultant. He has been your mentor in crime and | ||
| CF | your usher into the world of adults. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a spill on the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango meets our eye for a long minute without smiling. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could say who we are. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from spill" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 32 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM SPILL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The spill gives way to the now-familiar pill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm inclined to say who we are. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take pill" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 32 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PILL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the pill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to say who we are. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "slango, hello" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 32 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SLANGO, HELLO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Slango," you say. "Lena gave me a totally unwanted visual about your | ||
| CF | yaklike proportions. Guess you also got a yak's sense of clock time?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "It was an emergency. I figured you'd go to Lena, and I was right." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You were lucky. I knew her a little, but I had no idea you two were | ||
| CF | making the yak with two humps." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "No such thing as a bactrian yak," Slango replies. "My apologies. I | ||
| CF | assumed that what Brock knows, he passes on to you, and he certainly | ||
| CF | knows about me and Lena." He scowls into his root beer. "Nearly gave | ||
| CF | himself a hernia laughing," Slango adds under his breath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to explain Brock's probable reasons or ask whether we can | ||
| CF | leave now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell slango about brock" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 32 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL SLANGO ABOUT BROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango stares at us coldly. I wish you wouldn't babble at folks: it | ||
| CF | just draws attention. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Brock's run into a little trouble pursuing a profitable opportunity." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to ask what the trouble was. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask slango about trouble" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 32 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK SLANGO ABOUT TROUBLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Define trouble." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I had a pick-up arranged to get him off the island shore all the way | ||
| CF | down by Maiana last night, but he didn't make it, and sent no | ||
| CF | messages. I checked a contact in Bureau Processing, but no arrest file | ||
| CF | has gone through, so Brock hasn't been caught. He's just... missing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Over the voices of the crowd comes the sound of the barman setting out | ||
| CF | another round. "We can't leave without Brock," Slango says, as though | ||
| CF | you needed persuading. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Or maybe he's saying that to the me half of us. Right now, it's true | ||
| CF | that I'm not keen on the prospect of hanging out in Atlantis. We're | ||
| CF | already way behind the plan. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to complain about the inefficiency of this scheme. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something makes you think of how it started with Brock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell slango about inefficiency" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 37 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL SLANGO ABOUT INEFFICIENCY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sorry, but I have to get this out there. "I was really expecting a | ||
| CF | smoother escape plan when I arranged to work with your operation," I | ||
| CF | say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango eyes us with disfavor. "Andra, you got a moron up in your head. | ||
| CF | Kid — Alex — we aren't travel agents." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A squabble breaks out over by the darts board. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I've got to get back to the yacht; it's empty," Slango says. "And I | ||
| CF | would prefer not to let the Bureau get a good look at me, while your | ||
| CF | current face is, shall we say, disposable. The trick is, we don't know | ||
| CF | where Brock is. If he left a message for us, it'll be at the dead | ||
| CF | drop." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's a spot at the public convenience by the town bus station where | ||
| CF | the three of you leave messages for one another when necessary. | ||
| CF | Usually quiet, yet anonymous. "We're on it," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Glad to hear it," says Slango. "Now stop referring to yourself as | ||
| CF | 'we' in company." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This gives us something to go on, anyway. We give Slango what I intend | ||
| CF | as a reassuring nod of solidarity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Back to the yacht for me," Slango says. "Don't let the other half of | ||
| CF | your head do anything you wouldn't do." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Which of us are you talking to?" I ask smartly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Both." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He heads out towards the docks and quickly disappears from view — | ||
| CF | returning to the yacht to wait for us to arrive with Brock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by five points and is now | ||
| CF | thirty-seven.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "moving right along, we are" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 37 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go east to Docks from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Docks, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 37 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Docks | ||
| CF | Here are some dozens of boats tied up: some of them are small to | ||
| CF | medium-sized fishing craft, some tourist boats for trips around the | ||
| CF | island, some merely ferries to the deeper harbor where the cruise | ||
| CF | ships anchor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, up a moderate rise from the sea-level docks, is the | ||
| CF | imposing exterior of the Customs House. The classical look is only a | ||
| CF | little undermined by the public-service posters along the front. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately west, the Counterfeit Monkey's sign sways in the wind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Fish Market, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 37 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fish Market | ||
| CF | Not very fishy at the moment, in fact: all the real trade happens in | ||
| CF | the early morning; then there is a period of tourist trade when the | ||
| CF | seafood sale tails off and most of the purchases are of polished conch | ||
| CF | shells and starfish; and then a little after noon the area clears out | ||
| CF | completely, leaving only briny rivulets on the concrete. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Just east of here is a rusting corrugated tin building, which was | ||
| CF | built to house various possessions of the fishermen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Docks, south to Outdoor Café, southeast to Deep | ||
| CF | Street, and east to Tin Hut from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to bus station" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 37 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO BUS STATION | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We drive through the marina district to the Roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The whole Roundabout has ground to a halt, with protesters walking in | ||
| CF | the street and in some places completely filling the road. But this is | ||
| CF | mostly a nuisance until I notice that there are a couple of teenagers | ||
| CF | handcuffed to a tree. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I give the wheel a yank and run the car up onto the central traffic | ||
| CF | circle a little way. Call it a parking job. We need to get those kids | ||
| CF | out of here before their arrest is processed and they go to storage. I | ||
| CF | might not have the nerve to do anything by myself, but you're with me, | ||
| CF | and I'm starting to appreciate that's like being Batman. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | Normally no pedestrian ever comes to this circle of grass and litter: | ||
| CF | the flow of traffic is too constant and too fast. But the protest has | ||
| CF | stopped the traffic and I'm determined to do something about the two | ||
| CF | teenagers I saw just now, so here we are. Though we probably have to | ||
| CF | get out of the car if we're going to be useful. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "suddenly points being handed out left and right lol" | |
| Roger says, "yeah they're sort of a game-design artifact from an earlier age, but perhaps ready for a revival" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 37 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can see an officer making his way between the cars and stopping at | ||
| CF | the fake ones. Maybe we'd better conceal our car before we leave it — | ||
| CF | we may need to make a quick getaway later. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on car" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 37 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (the restoration gel on the car) | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the car. | ||
| CF | In a blink of an eye, the car ceases to exist. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The problem is that it takes us along with it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I've always wondered what this last passage to non-existence might be | ||
| CF | like. It turns out that there is a rushing noise, and a tunnel we | ||
| CF | travel very rapidly towards darkness; and all around us are other | ||
| CF | objects also in the middle of ceasing to be. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** We have left existence behind *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 37 out of a possible 100, in 306 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Smuggler. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "I had a forum post on intfiction about scoring... A lot of good responses :)" | |
| Lancelot says, "ouch" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 37 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 37 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can see an officer making his way between the cars and stopping at | ||
| CF | the fake ones. Maybe we'd better conceal our car before we leave it — | ||
| CF | we may need to make a quick getaway later. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade exclaims, "blame!" | |
| Roger says, "hrm" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on car" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We surreptitiously smear some of the Origin Paste onto the car. | ||
| CF | Nothing obvious happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point and is now | ||
| CF | thirty-eight.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We swing the car door open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We switch the ignition off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We climb out of the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Go ahead, put us in Cold Storage!" shouts the defiant teenager. "I'm | ||
| CF | happy to sleep through all this shit and wake up when we have jet | ||
| CF | packs and a government that respects the rights of its people." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer shifts the restoration gel rifle from one hand | ||
| CF | to another; looks around; and then props it against the foot of the | ||
| CF | statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "I haven't seen this end before, lol" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x teenager" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TEENAGER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | One of them looks nervous, the other defiant. When she catches us | ||
| CF | looking her way, she contorts herself uncomfortably in order to be | ||
| CF | able to give us the finger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the teenagers with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from teenagers" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM TEENAGERS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "teenager". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The nervous teenager looks unhappy. "We won't get out of here until | ||
| CF | our families are all dead and global warming has reduced Atlantis to | ||
| CF | three square feet of hilltop." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer goes around to the back of the statue and | ||
| CF | begins to climb up the leg, finding footholds in the folds of | ||
| CF | Atlantida's gown. It looks like a precarious business, but he's | ||
| CF | determined. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x statue" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X STATUE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the giant Atlantida statue are an All-Purpose Officer, a sign, and | ||
| CF | a stuffed octopus. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida is to us a bit as Uncle Sam might be to you, except that she | ||
| CF | embodies the spirit of the people rather than the government. In | ||
| CF | recent years she's become a symbol of opposition to the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove f from handcuffs" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE F FROM HANDCUFFS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an F-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The letter-remover finds no f in the teenagers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The nervous teenager struggles against her bonds. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Gritting his teeth, the All-Purpose Officer climbs for access out onto | ||
| CF | Atlantida's huge metal arm. It looks about as sturdy as a substantial | ||
| CF | tree branch, but more slippery, and inconveniently angled. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "hmm" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove a from officer" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE A FROM OFFICER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer is out of reach. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | One of the other protesters tries to free the teenagers while the | ||
| CF | All-Purpose Officer isn't paying attention, but the bonds are too | ||
| CF | strong. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Once the All-Purpose Officer comes level with the sign, he shoots it | ||
| CF | with the diminutive affixer, turning it into a signet. It's an | ||
| CF | outsized signet bearing the crest of the Bureau of Orthography, now | ||
| CF | hanging around the statue's neck in the same way that the sign did a | ||
| CF | moment ago. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove n from bonds" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE N FROM BONDS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove l from rifle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE L FROM RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an L-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "restoration ge | ||
| CF | rife": evidently "rifle" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and | ||
| CF | can't be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Laboriously and with obvious irritation, the All-Purpose Officer pries | ||
| CF | the arms of the stuffed octopus off the statue's wrist, where they | ||
| CF | appear to have been fixed with glue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove u from statue" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE U FROM STATUE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The giant Atlantida statue is out of reach. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer tosses the stuffed octopus away. It falls | ||
| CF | pathetically to earth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "dmn this is clearly some kind of timed sequence" | |
| Roger says, "seems to be shaping up that way" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove r from teenagers" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE R FROM TEENAGERS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an R-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "teenages". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer begins to climb down. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x officer" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X OFFICER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He is uniformed and has a look of serious determination. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the All-Purpose Officer with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from foot" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM FOOT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You do not normally need to refer to specific parts of the | ||
| CF | body. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "not sure even what we're supposed to do here, if we're not supposed to mess with the living, and everything else is out of scope" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "climb statue" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLIMB STATUE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The giant Atlantida statue is out of reach. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer gets off the giant Atlantida statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "we already tried to remove the r?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove r from officer" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE R FROM OFFICER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an R-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "all-pupose | ||
| CF | office": evidently "Officer" is too tightly bound to his modifiers and | ||
| CF | can't be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer picks up the restoration gel rifle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ouch ok shoudl have known" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take rifle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer is right here. You have too much sense to make | ||
| CF | a move until he's a little more distracted. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer picks up the restoration gel rifle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | A giant Atlantida statue stands at the center. A signet, outsized, | ||
| CF | representing the seal of the Bureau, hangs around her neck in classic | ||
| CF | albatross fashion. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Two teenagers are cuffed to a brown tree, apparently for safe-keeping | ||
| CF | while the All-Purpose Officer undoes their vandalism. He is carrying a | ||
| CF | diminutive affixer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The discarded stuffed octopus lies on the ground, googly eyes fixed on | ||
| CF | the heavens. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "argh" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from octopus" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM OCTOPUS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "tuffed octopu": | ||
| CF | evidently "octopus" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "couldnt we r remove the tree instesd" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove r from tree" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE R FROM TREE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an R-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "bown tee": | ||
| CF | evidently "tree" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "cuffed to a tree -> tee" | |
| Lancelot says, "argh ok" | ||
| Lancelot says, "crossword is winning out of the narrative lol" | ||
| Roger says, "this is the way" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x octopus" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X OCTOPUS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slightly wrong, actually, but I suppose they didn't have a stuffed | ||
| CF | squid handy. Of the four symbols associated with Atlantis, the squid | ||
| CF | — | ||
| CF | representing invention and individuality — is the one that has | ||
| CF | greatest resonance for protesters. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the stuffed octopus with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x tree" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TREE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a tree of indeterminate species. I'm pretty sure it wasn't here | ||
| CF | yesterday. Though the leaves are dusty and brown, there's no leaf-fall | ||
| CF | at all underneath the tree, and it's not one of the palms that usually | ||
| CF | grow in this area. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | brown tree is a faint, greenish image of a brown tee. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "aha" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on tree" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON TREE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (the restoration gel on the brown tree) | ||
| CF | There's too much intervening crowd for us to get there with any speed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "aha indeed hmm" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x crowd" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CROWD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade exclaims, "well done!" | |
| Roger says, "well... not quite yet" | ||
| Lancelot says, "so tree -> tee was right thinking huh" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | A giant Atlantida statue stands at the center. A signet, outsized, | ||
| CF | representing the seal of the Bureau, hangs around her neck in classic | ||
| CF | albatross fashion. The restoration gel rifle is propped against the | ||
| CF | base of the statue. There is also an All-Purpose Officer on the giant | ||
| CF | Atlantida statue. The All-Purpose Officer has a diminutive affixer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Two teenagers are cuffed to a brown tree, apparently for safe-keeping | ||
| CF | while the All-Purpose Officer undoes their vandalism. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The discarded stuffed octopus lies on the ground, looking sadly at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take rifle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the rifle. It fits well in your hand: good heft. I feel | ||
| CF | like we know how to aim this thing. It's illegal to carry, but that | ||
| CF | doesn't seem to be bothering you right now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer gets off the giant Atlantida statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot tree with rifle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT TREE WITH RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We shoot the restoration gel rifle at the brown tree. With an audible | ||
| CF | SPLORT, the brown tree becomes a brown tee. It's a brown wooden peg | ||
| CF | for putting a golf ball on. Apparently the All-Purpose Officer | ||
| CF | performed a little light R-insertion when he found himself in need of | ||
| CF | a portable tree. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Freed from attachment to the tree, the teenagers look at each other | ||
| CF | and then run off into the crowd. After a moment, the defiant one comes | ||
| CF | back, picks up the stuffed octopus, and re-enters the fray. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer glances around, but you've made us stand so | ||
| CF | our body conceals the rifle from his angle. He growls in annoyance. | ||
| CF | "Station," he says, apparently to thin air. "I need back-up." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Understood, says a tinny distant voice. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer, no longer distracted by the pressing business | ||
| CF | of tidying up the Atlantida statue, notices us with the rifle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He has no qualms about hitting us with the diminutive affixer. It | ||
| CF | turns out that Alexandrette is a goldilocked poppet with a minimal | ||
| CF | capacity for self-defense and no gun skills whatever. We're | ||
| CF | ignominiously carried back to the Bureau and our subsequent | ||
| CF | trials are humiliation in a frilly pink dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** That was careless *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 38 out of a possible 100, in 316 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Smuggler. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 'Undo' failed. [Not all interpreters provide it.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 'Undo' failed. [Not all interpreters provide it.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take rifle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the rifle. It fits well in your hand: good heft. I feel | ||
| CF | like we know how to aim this thing. It's illegal to carry, but that | ||
| CF | doesn't seem to be bothering you right now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer gets off the giant Atlantida statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "just another ending" | |
| Roger says, "we may have lingered too long" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter car" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get into the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "z" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > Z | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Time passes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "I guess we should shoot when he is somewhere on top of the statue?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We climb out of the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer, no longer distracted by the pressing business | ||
| CF | of tidying up the Atlantida statue, notices us with the rifle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He has no qualms about hitting us with the diminutive affixer. It | ||
| CF | turns out that Alexandrette is a goldilocked poppet with a minimal | ||
| CF | capacity for self-defense and no gun skills whatever. We're | ||
| CF | ignominiously carried back to the Bureau and our subsequent | ||
| CF | trials are humiliation in a frilly pink dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** That was careless *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 38 out of a possible 100, in 318 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Smuggler. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "yeah" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 'Undo' failed. [Not all interpreters provide it.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take rifle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the rifle. It fits well in your hand: good heft. I feel | ||
| CF | like we know how to aim this thing. It's illegal to carry, but that | ||
| CF | doesn't seem to be bothering you right now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer gets off the giant Atlantida statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove f from rifle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE F FROM RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an F-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "restoration gel | ||
| CF | rile": evidently "rifle" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and | ||
| CF | can't be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The teenagers look at us rather desperately. | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer, no longer distracted by the pressing business | ||
| CF | of tidying up the Atlantida statue, notices us with the rifle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He has no qualms about hitting us with the diminutive affixer. It | ||
| CF | turns out that Alexandrette is a goldilocked poppet with a minimal | ||
| CF | capacity for self-defense and no gun skills whatever. We're | ||
| CF | ignominiously carried back to the Bureau and our subsequent | ||
| CF | trials are humiliation in a frilly pink dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** That was careless *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 38 out of a possible 100, in 316 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Smuggler. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "alright I'll spend some time this week getting us back to this point (hopefully)" | |
| Lancelot says, "can we shoot the officer or did we already try that" | ||
| Roger says, "we're at time for clubflo anyway" | ||
| Roger says, "I think this'll work but it's just a timing thing now" | ||
| Roger exclaims, "thanks for playing, everyone!" | ||
| Jade says, "this is odd indeed, a deadend" | ||
| Lancelot says, "yeah looks like... I guess thats why there is such a long sequence in there" | ||
| Roger says, "we'll pick it back up next week and I won't faff around quite so much" | ||
| Lancelot says, "thanks all its cool" | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Thanks for driving!" | ||
| Roger exclaims, "until next time!" | ||
| Lancelot says, "bye! :wave:" | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Good night everyone!" | ||
| Jade says, "thank for driving" | ||
| *** SESSION 3 *** | ||
| DavidW says, "Sorry I missed last week's. I slept through the time slot." | ||
| Roger says, "That's alright! We pressed on." | ||
| Lancelot says, "Not sure if there is a way to see what happened... where does the transcript live? I do remember we found some thing to turn words around" | ||
| DavidW says, "I've played CM before so, I should hold back mostly." | ||
| Lancelot says, "we can add letters, we can remove letters, and we can reverse them..." | ||
| DavidW says, "Jacqueline probably hasn't posted the transcript yet until the game is done." | ||
| Lancelot says, "and then I learned a lot of new words lol not sure how much help I can be :p" | ||
| DavidW asks, "I forget what exactly does word reversal. It spins, doesn't it?" | ||
| Roger says, "We ended up in the roundabout and I faffed around for too long while the cop was climbing up the statue, but now I've reset the game so we can actually get past this part." | ||
| Lancelot says, "yep" | ||
| DavidW says, "When I played, I remember turning a MUG into GUM, I think." | ||
| Lancelot says, "oh yeah it seemed a timed sequence" | ||
| Roger says, "Yeah that was back on the way to the beach" | ||
| Lancelot says, "oh and we played that game" | ||
| DavidW asks, "I assume you found a CARD and made a CAR and used FUEL or GAS?" | ||
| Roger exclaims, "We sure did!" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Did you find the university yet?" | ||
| Lancelot says, "hats off to the author of all this creativity... I am very much impressed" | ||
| Roger says, "Hmmm no I don't think we're quite there yet" | ||
| Lancelot says, "last thing was trying to free up those students tied to the tree or sth" | ||
| Roger says, "Yes" | ||
| Lancelot says, "and there was a gun or sth details a bit hazy lol" | ||
| Roger says, "Yeah there's a gel rifle" | ||
| DavidW says, "hm. I don't remember a rifle offhand." | ||
| Lancelot says, "cant we hide it by changing it" | ||
| Roger says, "maybe, but we need to use it ourselves" | ||
| Lancelot says, "or was that yet another case of bound words oh yep" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "L" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roundabout (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | We are jammed into the car with our knees almost at our chin, looking | ||
| CF | out through the bulbous little windshield. The motor is growling like | ||
| CF | a housecat with pneumonia. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The traffic flows in a tight circle around a statue which we can never | ||
| CF | see clearly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The hundreds of people are carrying angry signs and wearing slogans. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Confusing signs point in various directions: northeast to Deep Street, | ||
| CF | northwest to High Street, south to Long Street, east to Tall Street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exit" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We couldn't possibly park here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x people" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PEOPLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hundreds of people pack the sidewalk, wearing slogans and carrying | ||
| CF | angry signs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the protesters with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are reminded of your crew's heroism. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Deep Street, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Deep Street (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | We are jammed into the car with our knees almost at our chin, looking | ||
| CF | out through the bulbous little windshield. The motor is growling like | ||
| CF | a housecat with pneumonia. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This road descends steeply from southwest to northwest, passing | ||
| CF | between white concrete buildings to provide access to the marina — | ||
| CF | the | ||
| CF | Fish Market, the Docks, and a bar or two. The street is in deep | ||
| CF | shadow, protected from sunlight from almost any angle by its | ||
| CF | narrowness and by the height of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Aquarium Bookstore is to the east. There's a closed sign in the | ||
| CF | window and a forbidding atmosphere. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northwest to Fish Market, southwest to Roundabout, east to | ||
| CF | Aquarium Bookstore, and west to Outdoor Café from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roundabout | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That would take us more towards my part of the world, not help us find | ||
| CF | Slango. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to slingo" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO SLINGO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to dead drop" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO DEAD DROP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to drop" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO DROP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to convenience" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO CONVENIENCE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That would take us more towards my part of the world, not help us find | ||
| CF | Slango. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That would take us more towards my part of the world, not help us find | ||
| CF | Slango. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hey, mind the truck! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "nw" | ||
| CF ] High Street, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | High Street (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | We are jammed into the car with our knees almost at our chin, looking | ||
| CF | out through the bulbous little windshield. The motor is growling like | ||
| CF | a housecat with pneumonia. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are surrounded by tail-lights and impatient men swearing. There | ||
| CF | seems to be a large organized protest in progress: protesters | ||
| CF | completely cram the sidewalk to the southeast. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A garage has sprung into being between two high-end boutiques. There | ||
| CF | is a mechanic in the garage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the west, the street turns into a monumental staircase leading to | ||
| CF | the old fortified area; a cross street heads southeast towards the | ||
| CF | main roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mechanic nods at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roundabout | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hrm" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, mid afternoon Goals: 2 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Finally find Slango at Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | Meet your colleague Slango at Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "I think you need to be ruthless with the protesters. Remember the cannon that depluralized ships?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to counterfeit monkey" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO COUNTERFEIT MONKEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We have a quick drive as far as Deep Street. There we have a bit of a | ||
| CF | chore finding a parking spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Next we hike through the marina district. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Counterfeit Monkey | ||
| CF | Built when people were a bit shorter and ceilings were a bit lower, | ||
| CF | the Counterfeit Monkey is always smoky and never well lit, even in the | ||
| CF | middle of the day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango sits at a dark table, nursing a root beer. Slango is, of | ||
| CF | course, not Slango's real name. He is half criminal, half ideological | ||
| CF | revolutionary: uncouth, restless, always hungry for a new exploit. Had | ||
| CF | he been born into a freer society, he might have become a very | ||
| CF | valuable engineer or consultant. He has been your mentor in crime and | ||
| CF | your usher into the world of adults. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango meets our eye for a long minute without smiling. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could say who we are. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "can we depluralize the protesters" | |
| Roger exclaims, "aha I forgot we hadn't done this part yet (again). Sorry!" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "Tell slango about us" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL SLANGO ABOUT US | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Slango," you say. "Lena gave me a totally unwanted visual about your | ||
| CF | yaklike proportions. Guess you also got a yak's sense of clock time?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "It was an emergency. I figured you'd go to Lena, and I was right." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You were lucky. I knew her a little, but I had no idea you two were | ||
| CF | making the yak with two humps." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "No such thing as a bactrian yak," Slango replies. "My apologies. I | ||
| CF | assumed that what Brock knows, he passes on to you, and he certainly | ||
| CF | knows about me and Lena." He scowls into his root beer. "Nearly gave | ||
| CF | himself a hernia laughing," Slango adds under his breath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to explain Brock's probable reasons or ask whether we can | ||
| CF | leave now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask slango about leave" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK SLANGO ABOUT LEAVE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "So talk to me," we say. "Is everything ready? Can we leave?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango looks dyspeptic. "Yeah, about that," he says gruffly. You know | ||
| CF | better than to push him, and wait. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Brock's run into a little trouble pursuing a profitable opportunity." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask what the trouble was. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I don't think you can depluralize so easily when there's an S in the middle as well." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask slango about trouble" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 33 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK SLANGO ABOUT TROUBLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Define trouble." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I had a pick-up arranged to get him off the island shore all the way | ||
| CF | down by Maiana last night, but he didn't make it, and sent no | ||
| CF | messages. I checked a contact in Bureau Processing, but no arrest file | ||
| CF | has gone through, so Brock hasn't been caught. He's just... missing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Over the voices of the crowd comes the sound of the barman setting out | ||
| CF | another round. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "We can't leave without Brock," Slango says, as though you needed | ||
| CF | persuading. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Or maybe he's saying that to the me half of us. Right now, it's true | ||
| CF | that I'm not keen on the prospect of hanging out in Atlantis. We're | ||
| CF | already way behind the plan. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could complain about the inefficiency of this scheme. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have a fleeting thought of how it started with Brock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell slango about scheme" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL SLANGO ABOUT SCHEME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sorry, but I have to get this out there. "I was really expecting a | ||
| CF | smoother escape plan when I arranged to work with your operation," I | ||
| CF | say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango eyes us with disfavor. "Andra, you got a moron up in your head. | ||
| CF | Kid — Alex — we aren't travel agents." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Raised voices near the bar interrupt you for a moment. "I've got to | ||
| CF | get back to the yacht; it's empty," Slango says. "And I would prefer | ||
| CF | not to let the Bureau get a good look at me, while your current face | ||
| CF | is, shall we say, disposable. The trick is, we don't know where Brock | ||
| CF | is. If he left a message for us, it'll be at the dead drop." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's a spot at the public convenience by the town bus station where | ||
| CF | the three of you leave messages for one another when necessary. | ||
| CF | Usually quiet, yet anonymous. "We're on it," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Glad to hear it," says Slango. "Now stop referring to yourself as | ||
| CF | 'we' in company." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This gives us something to go on, anyway. We give Slango what I intend | ||
| CF | as a reassuring nod of solidarity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Back to the yacht for me," Slango says. "Don't let the other half of | ||
| CF | your head do anything you wouldn't do." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Which of us are you talking to?" I ask smartly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Both." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He heads out towards the docks and quickly disappears from view — | ||
| CF | returning to the yacht to wait for us to arrive with Brock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by five points and is now | ||
| CF | thirty-eight.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "oh right ah well just a thought I would expect depluralizing just to remove the S at the end" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Check the dead drop | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Counterfeit Monkey, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go east to Docks from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Docks, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Docks | ||
| CF | Here are some dozens of boats tied up: some of them are small to | ||
| CF | medium-sized fishing craft, some tourist boats for trips around the | ||
| CF | island, some merely ferries to the deeper harbor where the cruise | ||
| CF | ships anchor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, up a moderate rise from the sea-level docks, is the | ||
| CF | imposing exterior of the Customs House. The classical look is only a | ||
| CF | little undermined by the public-service posters along the front. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately west, the Counterfeit Monkey's sign sways in the wind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to car" | ||
| CF ] Deep Street, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the walk through the marina district. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Deep Street | ||
| CF | This road descends steeply from southwest to northwest, passing | ||
| CF | between white concrete buildings to provide access to the marina — | ||
| CF | the | ||
| CF | Fish Market, the Docks, and a bar or two. The street is in deep | ||
| CF | shadow, protected from sunlight from almost any angle by its | ||
| CF | narrowness and by the height of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our pathetic little car is parked right outside Aquarium Bookstore. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northwest to Fish Market, southwest to Roundabout, east to | ||
| CF | Aquarium Bookstore, and west to Outdoor Café from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter car" | ||
| CF ] Deep Street, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get into the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to drop" | ||
| CF ] Deep Street, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO DROP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to dead drop" | ||
| CF ] Deep Street, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO DEAD DROP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "You don't have a depluralizing tool, but you I think something of the same idea is needed." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to convenience" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO CONVENIENCE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We drive through the marina district over to the Roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The whole Roundabout has ground to a halt, with protesters walking in | ||
| CF | the street and in some places completely filling the road. But this is | ||
| CF | mostly a nuisance until I notice that there are a couple of teenagers | ||
| CF | handcuffed to a tree. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I give the wheel a yank and run the car up onto the central traffic | ||
| CF | circle a little way. Call it a parking job. We need to get those kids | ||
| CF | out of here before their arrest is processed and they go to storage. I | ||
| CF | might not have the nerve to do anything by myself, but you're with me, | ||
| CF | and I'm starting to appreciate that's like being Batman. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Traffic Circle (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | Normally no pedestrian ever comes to this circle of grass and litter: | ||
| CF | the flow of traffic is too constant and too fast. But the protest has | ||
| CF | stopped the traffic and I'm determined to do something about the two | ||
| CF | teenagers I saw just now, so here we are. Though we probably have to | ||
| CF | get out of the car if we're going to be useful. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "okay NOW we're all caught up. I think." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "exit" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We swing the car door open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We switch the ignition off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We climb out of the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Go ahead, put us in Cold Storage!" shouts the defiant teenager. "I'm | ||
| CF | happy to sleep through all this shit and wake up when we have jet | ||
| CF | packs and a government that respects the rights of its people." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer shifts the restoration gel rifle from one hand | ||
| CF | to another; looks around; and then props it against the foot of the | ||
| CF | statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "save" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SAVE | ||
| CF | %% Enter a save filename to write: | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "cftrafficcircle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > SAVEOk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x tree" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TREE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a tree of indeterminate species. I'm pretty sure it wasn't here | ||
| CF | yesterday. Though the leaves are dusty and brown, there's no leaf-fall | ||
| CF | at all underneath the tree, and it's not one of the palms that usually | ||
| CF | grow in this area. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | brown tree is a faint, greenish image of a brown tee. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x officer" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X OFFICER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He is uniformed and has a look of serious determination. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the All-Purpose Officer with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take rifle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer is right here. You have too much sense to make | ||
| CF | a move until he's a little more distracted. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The nervous teenager looks unhappy. "We won't get out of here until | ||
| CF | our families are all dead and global warming has reduced Atlantis to | ||
| CF | three square feet of hilltop." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer goes around to the back of the statue and | ||
| CF | begins to climb up the leg, finding footholds in the folds of | ||
| CF | Atlantida's gown. It looks like a precarious business, but he's | ||
| CF | determined. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take rifle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the restoration gel rifle. A rifle that shoots pellets of | ||
| CF | restoration gel, converting objects from a distance. Guns like this | ||
| CF | are illegal to carry unless you're Bureau. They can inflict unpleasant | ||
| CF | bruises if they encounter nothing to convert and absorb the energy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The nervous teenager struggles against her bonds. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Gritting his teeth, the All-Purpose Officer climbs for access out onto | ||
| CF | Atlantida's huge metal arm. It looks about as sturdy as a substantial | ||
| CF | tree branch, but more slippery, and inconveniently angled. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot tree with rifle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT TREE WITH RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We shoot the restoration gel rifle at the brown tree. With an audible | ||
| CF | SPLORT, the brown tree becomes a brown tee. It's a brown wooden peg | ||
| CF | for putting a golf ball on. Apparently the All-Purpose Officer | ||
| CF | performed a little light R-insertion when he found himself in need of | ||
| CF | a portable tree. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Freed from attachment to the tree, the teenagers look at each other | ||
| CF | and then run off into the crowd. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer glances around, but you've made us stand so | ||
| CF | our body conceals the rifle from his angle. He growls in annoyance. | ||
| CF | "Station," he says, apparently to thin air. "I need back-up." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Understood, says a tinny distant voice. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Once the All-Purpose Officer comes level with the sign, he shoots it | ||
| CF | with the diminutive affixer, turning it into a signet. It's an | ||
| CF | outsized signet bearing the crest of the Bureau of Orthography, now | ||
| CF | hanging around the statue's neck in the same way that the sign did a | ||
| CF | moment ago. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drop rifle" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DROP RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We prop the rifle back at the foot of the statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crowd is parting. We might be able to leave soon. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Laboriously and with obvious irritation, the All-Purpose Officer pries | ||
| CF | the arms of the stuffed octopus off the statue's wrist, where they | ||
| CF | appear to have been fixed with glue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I think we should just get out of here? But we can loiter if people want" | |
| DavidW says, "You don't want to be arrested." | ||
| Roger says, "that is true" | ||
| Lancelot asks, "looks like we are done here?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take tee" | ||
| CF ] Traffic Circle, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE TEE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | ...come to mention it, where is that tee? It must be | ||
| CF | somewhere in the grass, but we can't see it any more. Oh well. It's | ||
| CF | not as though I was planning an urgent golf game this afternoon. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The All-Purpose Officer tosses the stuffed octopus away. It falls | ||
| CF | pathetically to earth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter car" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get into the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We climb back in the car, and no one seems to be much the wiser about | ||
| CF | what just happened. I have to say, you know what you're doing. Traffic | ||
| CF | is starting to move again. We'd better get on to the university. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roundabout (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | We are jammed into the car with our knees almost at our chin, looking | ||
| CF | out through the bulbous little windshield. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The traffic flows in a tight circle around a statue which we know all | ||
| CF | too well. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Confusing signs point in various directions: northeast to Deep Street, | ||
| CF | northwest to High Street, south to Long Street, east to Tall Street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to convenience" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO CONVENIENCE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Once we get to Tall Street we pull easily into one of the available | ||
| CF | parking spots, since many people have now gone home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | After that it's a short walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Public Convenience | ||
| CF | There are just the two toilet stalls and a couple of sinks, but the | ||
| CF | place has been kept up reasonably well, if one doesn't count the | ||
| CF | graffiti. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A soap dispenser hangs beside the mirror. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | About knee-height in one of the stalls is a hole that runs right | ||
| CF | through the wall between the men's and women's restrooms. It's here | ||
| CF | that you and Brock and Slango usually leave things for one another. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A faint smell of lavender lingers in the air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger exclaims, "hurrah!" | |
| DavidW says, "look in hole" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in hole" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN HOLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At first there doesn't seem to be anything in there, but when we put | ||
| CF | our finger in, we find it's full of ash. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x ash" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 38 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ASH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's fine grey-white powder, and a fair quantity of it: too much to | ||
| CF | have come from a cigarette or two. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the ash with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on ash" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON ASH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We just touch a coated fingertip of gel to the ash. With an audible | ||
| CF | SPLORT, the ash becomes some trash. Most of it's junk: sweet wrappers, | ||
| CF | tissues, bus tickets. But there's also, suggestively, an appointment | ||
| CF | card for Arbot Maps & Antiques. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now | ||
| CF | forty-one.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "they must have pasted it too, I guess" | |
| DavidW says, "take the card" | ||
| Roger says, "although hmmm how did they get from trash to ash? through rash? ewww." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take trash" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE TRASH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the trash. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x card" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a card from Arbot Maps & Antiques: FINE GOODS BY APPOINTMENT | ||
| CF | ONLY. The time scribbled at the bottom is 9 AM this morning. Looks | ||
| CF | like Brock's handwriting. There's also a tiny heart drawn in the | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the appointment card with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "not just take card?" | |
| Roger says, "always carry around as much trash as inhumanly possible, I always say" | ||
| Lancelot says, "hmm" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x soap" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SOAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's the kind where a squeeze will dispense new soap into the sink. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the soap dispenser with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "yeah the pack rat mindset" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove a from soap" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE A FROM SOAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an A-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "sop dispenser": | ||
| CF | evidently "dispenser" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't | ||
| CF | be manipulated separately. This is a serious problem in my field of | ||
| CF | study, incidentally. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "awww I could go for a good sop" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "squeeze soap" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SQUEEZE SOAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We give the dispenser a squeeze and it deposits some soap in the sink | ||
| CF | — just viscous enough not to drain away instantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove a from soap" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE A FROM SOAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an A-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of stale wine, the soap turns into a sop. A hunk | ||
| CF | of bread dipped in something red-brown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | sop is a faint, unappetizing image of some soap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "removing the o would also fail I guess" | |
| Roger says, "now we have sop! huzzah" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take sop" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SOP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the sop. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Public Convenience | ||
| CF | There are just the two toilet stalls and a couple of sinks, but the | ||
| CF | place has been kept up reasonably well, if one doesn't count the | ||
| CF | graffiti. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A soap dispenser hangs beside the mirror. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | About knee-height in one of the stalls is a hole that runs right | ||
| CF | through the wall between the men's and women's restrooms. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ah good thing" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x graffiti" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GRAFFITI | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We glance over the range of messages from past occupants and notice... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There was a young lady from France | ||
| CF | Who was wearing a plain pair of pants | ||
| CF | 'Til a linguistical gent | ||
| CF | With indecent intent | ||
| CF | Left the girl crawling with ants. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the graffiti with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exit" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But we aren't in anything at the moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go west from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bus Station | ||
| CF | A currently-desolate depot from which buses run seasonally to Maiana, | ||
| CF | the island's other major town. The old station building is a low, | ||
| CF | rectilinear edifice from the 60s, all pebbled concrete and sheet | ||
| CF | glass, but it's shut, leaving accessible only a series of empty bus | ||
| CF | bays and a wall-mounted schedule. The public convenience to the east | ||
| CF | is the only thing open, while the area to the northwest is open | ||
| CF | parkland. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A dove flutters from one surface to another, occasionally stopping to | ||
| CF | stare at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A shed, rather ramshackle and unlikely, sits on the pavement, where it | ||
| CF | ought to be in the way of incoming buses. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are reminded of leaving your family for the last time. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x schedule" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SCHEDULE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The schedule is an intricate affair, and the deciphering of the | ||
| CF | various letter-codes and footnotes was actually a subject of study in | ||
| CF | my grade school. The buses run every sixty-two minutes during daylight | ||
| CF | in the winter, every forty-three minutes in summer, with every third | ||
| CF | bus running as an express without stops if the passengers of this bus | ||
| CF | do not vote otherwise. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | During the run of the school year there is an extra inbound bus in the | ||
| CF | morning and outward in the afternoon; contrariwise the bus is on | ||
| CF | half-schedule Sundays and holidays, except major patriotic holidays | ||
| CF | when there is no bus at all. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Like today. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the wall-mounted schedule with | ||
| CF | the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x dove" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DOVE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is pure white, probably a refugee from a group released at a | ||
| CF | wedding. People do occasionally get married on Serial Comma Day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the dove with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove v from dove" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE V FROM DOVE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a V-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dove flickers and there is a brief image of a doe in his place, | ||
| CF | but a legal override kicks in: a V-remover is hardware-crippled to | ||
| CF | prevent generating any living creature. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x shed" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SHED | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sheds like this are typically cheap and very very temporary housing | ||
| CF | for the homeless. The policy of the Bureau is that no one is allowed | ||
| CF | to beg, and punishments for begging and homelessness are often quite | ||
| CF | stiff, so there is nothing in the way of an established shelter on the | ||
| CF | island and little recourse for those who might need it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | shed is a faint, greenish image of a shred. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ok right no living material" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on shed" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON SHED | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the shed. | ||
| CF | With an audible SPLORT, the shed becomes a shred. Just a torn rag-end | ||
| CF | of cloth. It is white and blue, and bears every evidence of having | ||
| CF | been part of an obligatory-service uniform. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW smiles secretly. | |
| Lancelot asks, "A shred? like a paiper shredder?" | ||
| Roger says, "like a rag, I think" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take shred" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SHRED | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the shred. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x shred" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SHRED | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Just a torn rag-end of cloth. It is white and blue, and bears every | ||
| CF | evidence of having been part of an obligatory-service uniform. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the shred with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ouch ok" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bus Station | ||
| CF | A currently-desolate depot from which buses run seasonally to Maiana, | ||
| CF | the island's other major town. The old station building is a low, | ||
| CF | rectilinear edifice from the 60s, all pebbled concrete and sheet | ||
| CF | glass, but it's shut, leaving accessible only a series of empty bus | ||
| CF | bays and a wall-mounted schedule. The public convenience to the east | ||
| CF | is the only thing open, while the area to the northwest is open | ||
| CF | parkland. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A dove flutters from one surface to another, occasionally stopping to | ||
| CF | stare at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have a fleeting thought of leaving your family for the last time. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "I learn more words lol" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "give sop to dove" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GIVE SOP TO DOVE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dove blinks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on dove" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON DOVE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the dove. | ||
| CF | Alas, nothing happens. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "nothing but gentle dove-rubbing" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "nw" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Park | ||
| CF | In contrast with the parks in the more savory parts of town, this is a | ||
| CF | bit of patchy grass where local dogs occasionally come out to do their | ||
| CF | business. A granite war memorial is fixed at the center, which is why | ||
| CF | tourist maps optimistically call the place Monument Green. But the | ||
| CF | memorial is only moderately monumental and the grass hardly green at | ||
| CF | all. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We step on a twig before I back away again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is a place that might have been developed long ago; only it is | ||
| CF | known that there are remains of Roman settlement here, and there is a | ||
| CF | risk that digging out the foundations would turn up some of those | ||
| CF | ruins, exposing a large number of Latin-language objects to the light | ||
| CF | of day. To prevent this catastrophe the whole area has been placed off | ||
| CF | limits to development. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go southeast to Bus Station and west from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oo, twig." | |
| DavidW says, "Make a wig!" | ||
| Lancelot says, "sounds like a perfect disguise" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take twig" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE TWIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the twig. Nine or ten inches long, very thin and somewhat | ||
| CF | flexible. There are no leaves left on it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wave twig" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WAVE TWIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We look ridiculous waving the twig. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from twig" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM TWIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of the faintest whiff of shampoo, the twig turns | ||
| CF | into a wig. A surprisingly realistic wig, cut to about the shoulder. | ||
| CF | It looks like our hair, but a good bit longer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | wig is a faint, greenish image of a twig. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on wig" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON WIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We smear some of the Origin Paste onto the wig. Nothing obvious | ||
| CF | happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear wig" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR WIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We really ought to change indoors where we are less likely to be seen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x memorial" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MEMORIAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a curious thing: it stands taller than a person and yet seems | ||
| CF | almost embarrassed and self-effacing. The lettering is cut quite | ||
| CF | small, and the names thereon are tightly spaced. Since 1829 there have | ||
| CF | been only thirty-five officially sanctioned surnames on the island, | ||
| CF | which means that, for reasons of space, the names have been truncated | ||
| CF | to numbers, and the result is a list that looks almost like a table of | ||
| CF | Biblical quotations: John 31, Mark 12, Paul 29. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reason for all this compactness is that the memorial is dedicated | ||
| CF | to the dead of all wars. Deaths from the War of Secession and | ||
| CF | the Civil Dispute of Standardization, losses from islanders | ||
| CF | volunteering in the French Foreign Legion, and the hefty cost of World | ||
| CF | Wars I and II, all are crammed into the upper left corner, leaving | ||
| CF | room for a long and bloody future. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the war memorial is a poppy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the war memorial with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oy poppy" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take poppy" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE POPPY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the poppy. Not a real, fresh poppy, but a construct of | ||
| CF | bright red fabric with a black heart. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove p from poppy" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE P FROM POPPY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a P-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "oy". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x poppy" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X POPPY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Not a real, fresh poppy, but a construct of bright red fabric with a | ||
| CF | black heart. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the poppy with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear poppy" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR POPPY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The poppy isn't wearable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Park | ||
| CF | In contrast with the parks in the more savory parts of town, this is a | ||
| CF | bit of patchy grass where local dogs occasionally come out to do their | ||
| CF | business. A granite war memorial is fixed at the center. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go southeast to Bus Station and west from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bus Station | ||
| CF | A currently-desolate depot from which buses run seasonally to Maiana, | ||
| CF | the island's other major town. The old station building is a low, | ||
| CF | rectilinear edifice from the 60s, all pebbled concrete and sheet | ||
| CF | glass, but it's shut, leaving accessible only a series of empty bus | ||
| CF | bays and a wall-mounted schedule. The public convenience to the east | ||
| CF | is the only thing open, while the area to the northwest is open | ||
| CF | parkland. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A dove flutters from one surface to another, occasionally stopping to | ||
| CF | stare at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something makes you think of leaving your family for the last time. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Public Convenience | ||
| CF | There are just the two toilet stalls and a couple of sinks, but the | ||
| CF | place has been kept up reasonably well, if one doesn't count the | ||
| CF | graffiti. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A soap dispenser hangs beside the mirror. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | About knee-height in one of the stalls is a hole that runs right | ||
| CF | through the wall between the men's and women's restrooms. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear wig" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR WIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We settle the wig on our head and adjust our hair underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in mirror" | ||
| CF ] Public Convenience, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN MIRROR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The wig and the monocle together suggest some sort of steampunk fancy | ||
| CF | dress party. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Bus Station, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bus Station | ||
| CF | A currently-desolate depot from which buses run seasonally to Maiana, | ||
| CF | the island's other major town. The old station building is a low, | ||
| CF | rectilinear edifice from the 60s, all pebbled concrete and sheet | ||
| CF | glass, but it's shut, leaving accessible only a series of empty bus | ||
| CF | bays and a wall-mounted schedule. The public convenience to the east | ||
| CF | is the only thing open, while the area to the northwest is open | ||
| CF | parkland. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A dove flutters from one surface to another, occasionally stopping to | ||
| CF | stare at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have a fleeting thought of leaving your family for the last time. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "nw" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Park | ||
| CF | In contrast with the parks in the more savory parts of town, this is a | ||
| CF | bit of patchy grass where local dogs occasionally come out to do their | ||
| CF | business. A granite war memorial is fixed at the center. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go southeast to Bus Station and west from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "lol" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tall Street | ||
| CF | Tall Street is very quiet. No celebrations have reached this far, and | ||
| CF | neither is there any business today; so it has an air of dull | ||
| CF | abandonment. At the east end the street bends to go around an old park | ||
| CF | rarely visited. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our car — a sub-sub-compact that looks like it might be outraced by a | ||
| CF | kid on a scooter — is parked nearby. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the important blue Rotunda of the Bureau of | ||
| CF | Orthography. The street runs west to Roundabout towards the busy | ||
| CF | roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I hope someone's mapping. I'm not." | |
| Roger says, "I'm not really either, but I'm trying to pay attention" | ||
| Roger says, "WALK TO / DRIVE TO is bearing a lot of load" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter car" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get into the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x card" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a card from Arbot Maps & Antiques: FINE GOODS BY APPOINTMENT | ||
| CF | ONLY. The time scribbled at the bottom is 9 AM this morning. Looks | ||
| CF | like Brock's handwriting. There's also a tiny heart drawn in the | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the appointment card with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to arbot" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO ARBOT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We drive as far as Long Street South. Then we pull easily into one of | ||
| CF | the available parking spots, since many people have now gone home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We show the appointment card, and are let in. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Arbot Maps & Antiques | ||
| CF | There is a large collection of vintage and antique maps under glass — | ||
| CF | the island of Atlantis as a whole, street maps of here and of Maiana, | ||
| CF | navigation maps of the harbor, and then maps of more distant places as | ||
| CF | well. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A stylish mannequin near the front sports a pair of Britishizing | ||
| CF | goggles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Overseeing all this is a woman named Kate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Welcome to Arbot," says Kate. "Feel free to browse and ask me any | ||
| CF | questions you may have about the merchandise." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask whether she has seen Brock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask kate about brock" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK KATE ABOUT BROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Have you seen a man — maybe this morning — about this height, dark | ||
| CF | hair, very blue eyes, kind of cocky?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a light of recognition. "Yes, he was in. A friend of my boss. | ||
| CF | He visited the shop and sold us a map he happened to have with him. | ||
| CF | Then they left, together. I believe there was some discussion of | ||
| CF | seeing a demonstration." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm inclined to ask which map was sold, ask what sort of | ||
| CF | demonstration, or ask whether Brock seemed upset. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something makes you think of how it started with Brock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "memories" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > MEMORIES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Currently on your mind are making your lock, your crew's heroism, how | ||
| CF | it started with Brock, your crew's skill, leaving your family for the | ||
| CF | last time, your crew's attitude to Atlantis law, and past experience | ||
| CF | playing games. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remember brock" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMEMBER BROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brock's Stateroom | ||
| CF | It was early morning, almost a year ago now. A dim light came through | ||
| CF | the portholes. A four-thousand dollar mink blanket covered your hip. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You sat up and started fishing around beside the bed, in the dove-grey | ||
| CF | shadows, for your bra. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brock put a hand on your thigh. It seems you woke him. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That wasn't your first time," he said. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "No." You were still feeling for the underpants and the shirt, not | ||
| CF | looking at him. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Well. You're made of human after all." Brock stretched, grinned. | ||
| CF | "After breakfast I'll clear you some drawer space." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "This was a one-night event," you said. "You're familiar with the | ||
| CF | concept." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He got very still. Then he got out of bed. Without looking at you, he | ||
| CF | got his trunks out of his drawer. "I'm going for a swim." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then we're back in the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remember family" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMEMBER FAMILY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bus Stop | ||
| CF | Your suitcase was next to your leg. It was nearly three in the | ||
| CF | morning. There were thirty more minutes before the bus would take you | ||
| CF | to San Francisco. Your mother would have warned you not to be in a | ||
| CF | place like that alone so late at night, but it didn't feel, then, like | ||
| CF | anything that could happen to you would be worse than your mother's | ||
| CF | behavior and her anger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then we're back in the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask kate about map" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK KATE ABOUT MAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "He sold you a map? Which one was that?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "It's just here," Kate says, going over to the selection and pointing | ||
| CF | out a map purporting to depict Slangovia. "An unusual piece." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She glances sideways at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask what sort of demonstration or ask whether Brock | ||
| CF | seemed upset. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask kate about demonstration" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK KATE ABOUT DEMONSTRATION | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You mentioned that your boss and the other gentleman went to a | ||
| CF | demonstration. What kind of demonstration was it?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She smiles and shrugs. "Mr. Arbot used to work for the Bureau before | ||
| CF | he retired to sell antiques. He still has lots of connections. It | ||
| CF | could be anything." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to ask whether Brock seemed upset. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask kate about brock" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK KATE ABOUT BROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "There's a chance my friend was in trouble. Did he seem to be in a | ||
| CF | hurry or concerned about anything?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Not at all. He appeared eager to speak with Mr. Arbot, and they had | ||
| CF | plans together, but he didn't seem agitated. If anything, he seemed a | ||
| CF | little more worldly and collected than people in his line of work | ||
| CF | usually are." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cryptic. Perhaps he was posing as a researcher? But we can't very well | ||
| CF | ask, not if we're supposed to be a friend of his. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The phone rings. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Kate answers, briefly assures the person on the other end of the line | ||
| CF | that the shop is indeed open today, and hangs up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "If your friend is missing, you could report him to the Bureau, you | ||
| CF | know," she says. "I believe they keep close tabs on academic and | ||
| CF | research visitors. They may well know where he is." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Thank you," you say. "I don't think things are quite at that point." | ||
| CF | And they never will be, obviously. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are reminded of how it started with Brock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "x map?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x map" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a detailed street map pretending to correspond to some remote | ||
| CF | South African town called Slangovia. Cryptic icons dot the surface. | ||
| CF | There is a legend in the lower right corner that appears to be a | ||
| CF | separate piece glued on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the map of Slangovia with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x legend" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LEGEND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This legend tells of Iphis and Ianthe: Iphis, a girl raised in | ||
| CF | disguise as a boy, falls in love with her playmate Ianthe. She prays | ||
| CF | to the goddess Isis, who takes pity and transforms Iphis into a man, | ||
| CF | able to marry Ianthe after all. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It bears no obvious relation to the map of Slangovia. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "buy map" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BUY MAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (from Kate) | ||
| CF | "I'll take the Slangovia map," we say. "It's not every day you see | ||
| CF | something like this." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Very good," she says. "Too bad he didn't think to offer it to you | ||
| CF | directly! But just as well for us, I suppose." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I take this to mean that Arbot is getting a big commission on the | ||
| CF | sale. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Kate removes the map from its case and packs it up carefully for us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Arbot Maps & Antiques | ||
| CF | There is a large collection of vintage and antique maps under glass — | ||
| CF | the island of Atlantis as a whole, street maps of here and of Maiana, | ||
| CF | navigation maps of the harbor, and then maps of more distant places as | ||
| CF | well. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A stylish mannequin near the front sports a pair of Britishizing | ||
| CF | goggles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Overseeing all this is a woman named Kate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x mannequin" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MANNEQUIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A head and torso only, and abstractly rendered. The vaguely masculine | ||
| CF | shape is covered in coarse white linen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the mannequin is a pair of Britishizing goggles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the mannequin with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x goggles" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GOGGLES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An experimental prototype that (from the perspective of the viewer | ||
| CF | only) adds -u- into words ending in -or, and reverses -er into -re | ||
| CF | wherever possible. Subjects wearing the Britishizing goggles generally | ||
| CF | began to develop implausible accents and to have better than usual | ||
| CF | success wooing American tourists. Otherwise, the goggles are not much | ||
| CF | use: like my monocle, they don't affect the actual form of an object | ||
| CF | in any way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The surplus stock were mostly given away as rewards to supporters of | ||
| CF | public television, and the Bureau discouraged even recreational use in | ||
| CF | the 1980s as they began to make progress towards greater linguistic | ||
| CF | purity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the Britishizing goggles with | ||
| CF | the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "oh wow" | |
| Lancelot says, "this is getting even more complex" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask kate about goggles" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK KATE ABOUT GOGGLES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What would you like to discuss: 1) whether the Britishizing | ||
| CF | goggles seem interesting or 2) buy the Britishizing goggles? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "1" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What do you think of this?" we ask, pointing to the Britishizing | ||
| CF | goggles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I thought those had gone out of style." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oh, you haven't seen the half of how complex this gets." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "2" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 2 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm interested in these Britishizing goggles," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "An excellent choice," Kate assures us. "They're the real thing, | ||
| CF | vintage made, not the plastic knock-offs that were all the rage in the | ||
| CF | 80s. Leather straps, brass fittings, top-grade lenses." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large number of bills later and we're the proud owner of the | ||
| CF | goggles. Kate removes the goggles from the mannequin and fits them to | ||
| CF | our face. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x goggles" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GOGGLES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An experimental prototype that (from the perspective of the viewer | ||
| CF | only) adds -u- into words ending in -or, and reverses -er into -re | ||
| CF | wherever possible. Subjects wearing the Britishising goggles generally | ||
| CF | began to develop implausible accents and to have better than usual | ||
| CF | success wooing American tourists. Otherwise, the goggles are not much | ||
| CF | use: like my monocle, they don't affect the actual form of an object | ||
| CF | in any way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The surplus stock were mostly given away as rewards to supporters of | ||
| CF | public television, and the Bureau discouraged even recreational use in | ||
| CF | the 1980s as they began to make progress towards greater linguistic | ||
| CF | purity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your P-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some Origin Paste, a pan (really the | ||
| CF | smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a band, | ||
| CF | a pair of Britishising goggles, a cate, a clock, Guidebook to | ||
| CF | Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, a leaflet, a letter, a lime, a map | ||
| CF | of Slangovia, a member, a pear, a pill, a poppy, a shred, a sop, a | ||
| CF | swatch, a tome, some trash, a wig, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x map" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a detailed street map pretending to correspond to some remote | ||
| CF | South African town called Slangovia. Cryptic icons dot the surface. | ||
| CF | There is a legend in the lower right corner that appears to be a | ||
| CF | separate piece glued on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on map" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON MAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the map of | ||
| CF | Slangovia. Alas, nothing happens. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on legend" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON LEGEND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | legend. Alas, nothing happens. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'm guessing that the LEGEND has to be altered somehow." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove legend" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE LEGEND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the legend) | ||
| CF | That seems to be a part of the map of Slangovia. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "peel legend" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PEEL LEGEND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "can we add an a" | |
| Lancelot says, "oh nvm" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove p from map" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE P FROM MAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a P-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "ma of | ||
| CF | slangovia": evidently "Slangovia" is too tightly bound to its | ||
| CF | modifiers and can't be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "You have no insertion tools yet." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Homonym-paddle the legend into the other kind of legend | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ah a new goal" | |
| DavidW says, "oh right, the paddle." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up paddle in guide" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP PADDLE IN GUIDE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We flip through Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, but find no | ||
| CF | reference to paddle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "memories" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > MEMORIES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Currently on your mind are making your lock, your crew's heroism, how | ||
| CF | it started with Brock, your crew's skill, leaving your family for the | ||
| CF | last time, your crew's attitude to Atlantis law, and past experience | ||
| CF | playing games. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I remember that now. It turns a screwdriver into a screwdriver." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But we aren't in anything at the moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Arbot Maps & Antiques, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Long Street South | ||
| CF | Long Street is lined on each side with a double-row of tall, anaemic | ||
| CF | palm trees that bend towards one another many feet overhead. We are | ||
| CF | now in the southern part of this long corridor, between the Canadian | ||
| CF | Embassy and Arbot Maps & Antiques. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our car — which might better be described as a covered bicycle — is | ||
| CF | parked nearby. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Someone has left a shopping bag at the roadside — maybe by accident | ||
| CF | when loading up a car, maybe because they mean to come back for it. In | ||
| CF | the shopping bag are a ball and a jigsaw. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north, south, and west to Arbot Maps & Antiques from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take bag" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BAG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the shopping bag. The logo on the outside is from Landison's, | ||
| CF | a popular toy store on the island. It's probably closed today, so this | ||
| CF | would have been bought earlier — possibly even as a present for | ||
| CF | Serial | ||
| CF | Comma Day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x bag" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BAG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The logo on the outside is from Landison's, a popular toy store on the | ||
| CF | island. It's probably closed today, so this would have been bought | ||
| CF | earlier — possibly even as a present for Serial Comma Day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the shopping bag are a ball and a jigsaw. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear monocle" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We gently remove the Britishizing goggles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Everything turns computer-monitor green when viewed through our right | ||
| CF | eye. And staring fixedly at anything will turn up its authenticity | ||
| CF | status. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x bag" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BAG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The logo on the outside is from Landison's, a popular toy store on the | ||
| CF | island. It's probably closed today, so this would have been bought | ||
| CF | earlier — possibly even as a present for Serial Comma Day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the shopping bag are a ball and a jigsaw. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the shopping bag with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x ball" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BALL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Made of blue and white rubber, and decorated all over with a pattern | ||
| CF | of random letters in different sportive fonts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the ball with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x jigsaw" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X JIGSAW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The boxed puzzle displays an execution scene, with several pro-British | ||
| CF | traitors from the 1820s being lined up before the depluralization | ||
| CF | cannon. It was thought a considerable punishment to be forced to share | ||
| CF | a body and consciousness with others. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the jigsaw with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from ball" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM BALL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ball flickers and there is a brief image of an all in its place — | ||
| CF | the concept strangely embodied in a physical form — before the power | ||
| CF | gives out. I guess your device there just isn't tuned to reify | ||
| CF | abstracts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hm. Both ball and jigsaw have homonyms." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ecits" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ECITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north, south, and west to Arbot Maps & Antiques from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter embassy" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER EMBASSY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Canadian Embassy is not open on the holiday. We can go north, | ||
| CF | south, and west to Arbot Maps & Antiques from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Long Street North, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get into the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We switch the ignition on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We close the car door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Long Street North (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | We are jammed into the car with our knees almost at our chin, looking | ||
| CF | out through the bulbous little windshield. The motor is growling like | ||
| CF | a housecat with pneumonia. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Long Street is lined on each side with a double-row of tall, anemic | ||
| CF | palm trees that bend towards one another many feet overhead. This | ||
| CF | corridor continues some considerable distance south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the west side of the street is the several-story front of the Fleur | ||
| CF | d'Or hotel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Roundabout, south to Long Street South, and west | ||
| CF | from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exit" | ||
| CF ] Long Street North, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the door of the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We switch the ignition off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We climb out of the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fleur d'Or Lobby | ||
| CF | The Fleur d'Or is a high-end hotel that serves businessmen and luxury | ||
| CF | tourists interested in the linguistic mechanisms of the island. As a | ||
| CF | result, it has all kinds of paid exemptions, including an exemption | ||
| CF | allowing it to operate under a foreign name. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The spotlights in the ceiling light the floor in distinct pools of | ||
| CF | Bureau blue, and a sheet of frosted glass etched with random letters | ||
| CF | separates the lobby from the drinks club to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is no one at the glossy piano in the corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the piano bench is a piece. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "wow. French." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x piano" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PIANO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A glossy grand, probably worthy of better than bar music. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the piano with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove g from piano" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE G FROM PIANO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a G-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The letter-remover finds no g in the piano. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "probably want a PIECE of that action." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x bench" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BENCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lightly padded and made of the same wood as the piano itself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the piano bench is a piece. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the piano bench with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x piece" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PIECE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It looks like a setting of "The Grammatical Number of Our Enemy (Is | ||
| CF | Singular)," a popular music-hall piece of the 1890s that still gets | ||
| CF | trotted out now and then. There are rousing choruses where the | ||
| CF | audience can join in to represent the enemy sailors just prior to | ||
| CF | their encounter with the depluralizing cannon. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the piece with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "my go" | |
| Roger says, "sure jump in if you like" | ||
| Lancelot says, "no sorry wanted to say my gosh so many things" | ||
| Roger says, "oh okay" | ||
| Lancelot says, "your English is way better than mine" | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't really want to drive. I'd ruin this." | ||
| Roger says, "barely" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "play piano" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PLAY PIANO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take our seat at the piano. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick out some vaguely remembered commercial jingles from your | ||
| CF | childhood. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "play piece" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PLAY PIECE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It takes several awkward goes, but we manage at last to pick out the | ||
| CF | tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove e from piece" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE E FROM PIECE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an E-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a flash of psychedelic colors, and the piece turns into a | ||
| CF | pic. It's a snapshot of a happy family visiting Typo Land Funfair, the | ||
| CF | closest thing Anglophone Atlantis has to an amusement park. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | pic is a faint, greenish image of a piece. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in bench" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN BENCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the piano bench is a pic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take pic" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PIC | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the pic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open bench" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN BENCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's not something we can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open piano" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN PIANO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's not something we can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fleur d'Or Lobby (in the piano) | ||
| CF | The spotlights in the ceiling light the floor in distinct pools of | ||
| CF | Bureau blue, and a sheet of frosted glass etched with random letters | ||
| CF | separates the lobby from the drinks club to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have a fleeting thought of your crew's skill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Often pianos and piano benches have secrets inside them, but not this time." | |
| Roger says, "oh no I'm in the piano" | ||
| Lancelot asks, "memories?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "memories" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > MEMORIES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Currently on your mind are making your lock, your crew's heroism, how | ||
| CF | it started with Brock, your crew's skill, leaving your family for the | ||
| CF | last time, your crew's attitude to Atlantis law, and past experience | ||
| CF | playing games. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remember skill" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMEMBER SKILL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Room in a Villa | ||
| CF | The bed was draped with sheer salmon-colored fabric. The bedroom | ||
| CF | opened without doors straight onto the bathroom with a full view of | ||
| CF | the spotlit bathtub. The toilet was hidden by a frosted glass panel | ||
| CF | etched with leaping fish. It was the swankest place you'd ever seen, | ||
| CF | and it made you uncomfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Belongs to a seafood magnate," your crew-mate Brock was explaining. | ||
| CF | He was in the middle of setting up a directional mike pointed out the | ||
| CF | window. The head of R&D at Sibilant Solutions lived right across the | ||
| CF | way. What you learned from his pillow-talk was enough to recover three | ||
| CF | missing marquesses. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then we're back in the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get off the piano bench. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fleur d'Or Lobby | ||
| CF | The spotlights in the ceiling light the floor in distinct pools of | ||
| CF | Bureau blue, and a sheet of frosted glass etched with random letters | ||
| CF | separates the lobby from the drinks club to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is no one at the glossy piano in the corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fleur d'Or Drinks Club | ||
| CF | The back wall is dramatically decorated with bottled liquors of all | ||
| CF | sorts, from gin to cachaça; there's a giant bottle of Campari, taller | ||
| CF | than your average three-year-old, with a red ribbon around its neck. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What makes this place technically a drinks club rather than a bar is | ||
| CF | its license to serve letter-manufactured food and drink. A toolkit on | ||
| CF | the bar contains some screwdrivers, some gimlets, and some rusty | ||
| CF | nails, ready to be transformed into their respective cocktails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bartender is in the middle of showing her homonym paddle to a | ||
| CF | patron holding a gin and tonic. The other patrons are scattered around | ||
| CF | the room at small tables, drinking or talking among themselves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She acknowledges us with a nod as we stroll up to the bar and get | ||
| CF | close enough to hear their conversation. "It was originally produced | ||
| CF | as a toy, but it's actually a bit dangerous," the bartender is saying. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Dangerous? How so?" asks the patron. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Various ways," she says. "Suppose I hit a small object that has a big | ||
| CF | homonym, like say a plane. You know, the carpentry kind. Suddenly I've | ||
| CF | got an airplane-style plane on top of me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "ah. here's where the paddle is." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask bartended about paddle" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BARTENDED ABOUT PADDLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask bartender about paddle" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BARTENDER ABOUT PADDLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Tell me about that paddle," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "This item," says the bartender, flourishing it for you to see, "is a | ||
| CF | genuine licensed homonym paddle. Changes one item into another item as | ||
| CF | long as the two have identical names." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask bartender about paddle" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BARTENDER ABOUT PADDLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Tell me about that paddle," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bartender explains again the concept of a homonym paddle that is | ||
| CF | able to convert an item into another item of the same name. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask bartender for paddle" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BARTENDER FOR PADDLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You must supply a noun. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What if you hit something that doesn't mean anything else?" the | ||
| CF | patron asks. "Like a chicken?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Nothing," she says. "That's safe." As though to demonstrate, she | ||
| CF | smacks the paddle against her left buttock. "See? I don't get changed | ||
| CF | into a different bartender. Want to try?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She holds up the paddle as though she's going to tap him with it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Uh... my name is Mark," he says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Maybe not, then!" she says, laughing brightly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "hmm can we ask for it" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take paddle" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PADDLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't dare invade the personal space of the bartender. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That was a little dangerous, wasn't it?" Mark asks. "If you had | ||
| CF | tapped me with that thing, wouldn't I be a giant X on the carpet now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Not for long," the bartender says. "I do have some restoration gel | ||
| CF | for emergencies. Or I could just hit you again with the paddle. But | ||
| CF | there would be an incident report and I could lose my license. So, | ||
| CF | yeah, better not." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x screwdrivers" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SCREWDRIVERS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screwdriver is flat-headed, with a red plastic handle and a sturdy | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the screwdriver with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "You might show the jigsaw or legend or ball to her. She might paddle for us." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x gimlets" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 41 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GIMLETS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A gimlet is a hand-tool for drilling holes, like an auger but smaller. | ||
| CF | It is for piercing things and boring into them, anyway, which is | ||
| CF | presumably where the phrase "gimlet-eyed" comes from. These are | ||
| CF | arranged into an attractive bouquet-shape. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the gimlets with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "She will definitely paddle a screwdriver." | |
| Lancelot asks, "can we give items so bartender can paddle it?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show legend to bartender" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 42 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW LEGEND TO BARTENDER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We draw the bartender's attention to the legend. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "This?" she says, looking a little surprised. "You want it converted?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Why not?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "No reason," she says. "Just I did the same item a few hours ago for a | ||
| CF | gentleman. Really hot, with these amazing eyes-" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Whatever," you say, before she can get any more excited about Brock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She smirks. Then she taps the legend with her paddle and it transforms | ||
| CF | into a proper map legend. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mark looks thoughtfully into his gin and tonic. "I hear that sometimes | ||
| CF | the Bureau turns people into inanimate objects as a criminal sentence. | ||
| CF | Is that true?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | For the first time, the bartender looks uncomfortable. "I just pour | ||
| CF | the drinks," she says. "Hey, you're almost out there! Let me give you | ||
| CF | a refill." And she busies herself getting down the Bombay Sapphire and | ||
| CF | refilling his drink. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You ever tempted to paddle the Sapphire?" Mark asks. "Should be worth | ||
| CF | a lot." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Alas, jewelers tend to check for authenticity around here," she | ||
| CF | replies. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point and is now forty-two.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "quite helpful" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x legend" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LEGEND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This legend has been edited from its original form, replacing the | ||
| CF | words like HOSPITAL and RESTROOM with other, hand-written labels: | ||
| CF | INVITE, GOT, 11, OUT, T-INSERTER, etc. By arranging the words of the | ||
| CF | legend in the order in which the icons appear along the main street, | ||
| CF | we arrive at GOT INVITE T-INSERTER DEMONSTRATION. OUT 11 AM. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Of course, it's already long past 11 AM, so Brock's plan clearly went | ||
| CF | wrong. If we're going to go after him, we'll have to go to the | ||
| CF | T-inserter demonstration ourselves. The catch is that, as dangerous | ||
| CF | new technology, it's held inside the Bureau and requires a special | ||
| CF | invitation to enter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I think I know where we can get one, though. My advisor Professor | ||
| CF | Waterstone — that's the person overseeing my graduate research — | ||
| CF | was | ||
| CF | also invited to this demonstration. We might be able to get his. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ah hint" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Speak to Professor Waterstone and get his invitation to see the | ||
| CF | T-inserter | ||
| CF | Gain entrance to the Bureau | ||
| CF | Find Brock | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Lobby, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fleur d'Or Lobby | ||
| CF | The spotlights in the ceiling light the floor in distinct pools of | ||
| CF | Bureau blue, and a sheet of frosted glass etched with random letters | ||
| CF | separates the lobby from the drinks club to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is no one at the glossy piano in the corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now | ||
| CF | forty-five.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something makes you think of your crew's skill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Long Street North, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Long Street North | ||
| CF | Long Street is lined on each side with a double-row of tall, anemic | ||
| CF | palm trees that bend towards one another many feet overhead. This | ||
| CF | corridor continues some considerable distance south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our car — a sub-sub-compact that looks like it might be outraced by a | ||
| CF | kid on a scooter — is parked nearby. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the west side of the street is the several-story front of the Fleur | ||
| CF | d'Or hotel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Roundabout, south to Long Street South, and west to | ||
| CF | Fleur d'Or Lobby from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "aw." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get into the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We switch the ignition on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We close the car door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roundabout (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | We are jammed into the car with our knees almost at our chin, looking | ||
| CF | out through the bulbous little windshield. The motor is growling like | ||
| CF | a housecat with pneumonia. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The traffic flows in a tight circle around a statue which we know all | ||
| CF | too well. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Confusing signs point in various directions: northeast to Deep Street, | ||
| CF | northwest to High Street, south to Long Street, east to Tall Street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Deep Street, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Deep Street (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | We are jammed into the car with our knees almost at our chin, looking | ||
| CF | out through the bulbous little windshield. The motor is growling like | ||
| CF | a housecat with pneumonia. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This road descends steeply from southwest to northwest, passing | ||
| CF | between white concrete buildings to provide access to the marina — | ||
| CF | the | ||
| CF | Fish Market, the Docks, and a bar or two. The street is in deep | ||
| CF | shadow, protected from sunlight from almost any angle by its | ||
| CF | narrowness and by the height of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Aquarium Bookstore is to the east. There's a closed sign in the | ||
| CF | window and a forbidding atmosphere. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northwest to Fish Market, southwest to Roundabout, east to | ||
| CF | Aquarium Bookstore, and west to Outdoor Café from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to high street" | ||
| CF ] High Street, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO HIGH STREET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We have a brief drive — only almost dying at the roundabout | ||
| CF | when you didn't yield at the right moment —. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | High Street (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | We are jammed into the car with our knees almost at our chin, looking | ||
| CF | out through the bulbous little windshield. The motor is growling like | ||
| CF | a housecat with pneumonia. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are surrounded by tail-lights and impatient men swearing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A garage has sprung into being between two high-end boutiques. The | ||
| CF | garage contains a mechanic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the west, the street turns into a monumental staircase leading to | ||
| CF | the old fortified area; a cross street heads southeast towards the | ||
| CF | main roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mechanic nods at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drive to tall street" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DRIVE TO TALL STREET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We drive. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tall Street (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | We are jammed into the car with our knees almost at our chin, looking | ||
| CF | out through the bulbous little windshield. The motor is growling like | ||
| CF | a housecat with pneumonia. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tall Street is very quiet. No celebrations have reached this far, and | ||
| CF | neither is there any business today; so it has an air of dull | ||
| CF | abandonment. At the east end the street bends to go around an old park | ||
| CF | rarely visited. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the important blue Rotunda of the Bureau of | ||
| CF | Orthography. The street runs west to Roundabout towards the busy | ||
| CF | roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the door of the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We switch the ignition off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We climb out of the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Park | ||
| CF | In contrast with the parks in the more savory parts of town, this is a | ||
| CF | bit of patchy grass where local dogs occasionally come out to do their | ||
| CF | business. A granite war memorial is fixed at the center. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go southeast to Bus Station and west to Tall Street from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tall Street | ||
| CF | Tall Street is very quiet. No celebrations have reached this far, and | ||
| CF | neither is there any business today; so it has an air of dull | ||
| CF | abandonment. At the east end the street bends to go around an old park | ||
| CF | rarely visited. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our car — which might better be described as a covered bicycle — is | ||
| CF | parked nearby. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the important blue Rotunda of the Bureau of | ||
| CF | Orthography. The street runs west to Roundabout towards the busy | ||
| CF | roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get into the car. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We switch the ignition on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We close the car door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roundabout (jammed into the car) | ||
| CF | We are jammed into the car with our knees almost at our chin, looking | ||
| CF | out through the bulbous little windshield. The motor is growling like | ||
| CF | a housecat with pneumonia. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The traffic flows in a tight circle around a statue which we know all | ||
| CF | too well. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Confusing signs point in various directions: northeast to Deep Street, | ||
| CF | northwest to High Street, south to Long Street, east to Tall Street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | They're honking at us for a reason, you know. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tall Street | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tall Street | ||
| CF | Tall Street is very quiet. No celebrations have reached this far, and | ||
| CF | neither is there any business today; so it has an air of dull | ||
| CF | abandonment. At the east end the street bends to go around an old park | ||
| CF | rarely visited. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our car — a sub-sub-compact that looks like it might be outraced by a | ||
| CF | kid on a scooter — is parked nearby. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the important blue Rotunda of the Bureau of | ||
| CF | Orthography. The street runs west to Roundabout towards the busy | ||
| CF | roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rotunda | ||
| CF | Echoing space, marble floor, eye-like skylight many meters above us: | ||
| CF | so far, the Rotunda might belong to any 19th-century government bureau | ||
| CF | of means and self-importance. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What sets this one apart is the lettering, each sigil no bigger than a | ||
| CF | flea, carved over every inch of the walls. Inscribed here is, in fact, | ||
| CF | the entire text of A New Orthodox Orthography, which means | ||
| CF | that if we had a great deal of patience and many rolls of butcher | ||
| CF | paper, we could take rubbings and wind up with our very own volume. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We don't, of course. There are better things to do. More important | ||
| CF | places to go. The administrative part of the bureau is away to the | ||
| CF | south, and there is an exhibit of letter tools to the east, which is | ||
| CF | open to the public. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Near the street entrance is a sizable informational bulletin-board | ||
| CF | advertising the services of the Bureau; and next to this, pushed back | ||
| CF | to be out of the way, is a bin. The bin contains a shuttle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hee hee shuttle" | |
| Lancelot asks, "better not paddle a shuttle? what we would get? a space shuttle?" | ||
| Roger says, "perhaps" | ||
| DavidW says, "well, something like that yeah" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x bin" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | BUREAU PARKING, reads the bin, in thick black marker. DO NOT TAKE | ||
| CF | UNLESS AUTHORIZED. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the bin is a shuttle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the bin with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x shuttle" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SHUTTLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a wooden device that holds a quantity of yarn, allowing the user | ||
| CF | more easily to pass the thread back and forth while weaving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is also a bit of a snarky joke on the Bureau's part. Atlantean land | ||
| CF | prices being what they are, the Bureau prefers not to have to build a | ||
| CF | parking garage. Instead they have shuttles that an All-Purpose Officer | ||
| CF | with a homonym paddle can easily convert into a full-sized vehicle for | ||
| CF | use, and back again for easy storage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The shuttles in their untransformed state are no earthly use to anyone | ||
| CF | else, of course, which is why they can be left around unsupervised. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the shuttle with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "You'll notice that most things that are created fit in with the island's history or esthetic." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take shuttle" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SHUTTLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the shuttle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take bin" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the bin. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "oh wait thats not a batminton shuttle..." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove n from bin" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE N FROM BIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an N-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "bi". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from bin" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM BIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "in". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from shuttle" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM SHUTTLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "huttle". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from shuttle" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM SHUTTLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "shule". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rotunda | ||
| CF | Echoing space, marble floor, eye-like skylight many meters above us: | ||
| CF | so far, the Rotunda might belong to any 19th-century government bureau | ||
| CF | of means and self-importance. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What sets this one apart is the lettering, each sigil no bigger than a | ||
| CF | flea, carved over every inch of the walls. Inscribed here is, in fact, | ||
| CF | the entire text of A New Orthodox Orthography. The | ||
| CF | administrative part of the bureau is away to the south, and there is | ||
| CF | an exhibit of letter tools to the east, which is open to the public. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Near the street entrance is a sizable informational bulletin-board | ||
| CF | advertising the services of the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x board" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BOARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What Can Your Bureau of Orthography Do For You? inquires the | ||
| CF | bulletin board, in a sprightly casual font. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On a sheet labeled From Plumbing to Medicine... "And More", | ||
| CF | the bulletin board describes the tools available to the All-Purpose | ||
| CF | Officers, including a synthesizer for combining two word-objects into | ||
| CF | one; Q- and Z-inserters (most letters are still under development); | ||
| CF | and even specially licensed equipment capable of producing living | ||
| CF | creatures. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | For immigration and importation services, such as assigning Atlantean | ||
| CF | names to immigrants, neutralizing foreign-language pets, and approving | ||
| CF | imported goods, we are encouraged to visit the Customs House instead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A handwritten note is tacked up after this, which adds that the | ||
| CF | synthesizer is unavailable for public use through Dec. 19th because it | ||
| CF | is on loan to the university Department of Language Studies. Hey, | ||
| CF | that's my department! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "There's something you can do later with a shuttle, but not now." | |
| Lancelot says, "if we paddle it maybe we get a batminton shuttle but not sure how that would help us" | ||
| Lancelot says, "apparently otherwise we would get no happy pings I guess :p" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Antechamber | ||
| CF | The most important task of any government bureau is to keep away | ||
| CF | time-wasters, irritants, and uninformed members of the general public, | ||
| CF | who might distract the diligent workers within from their important | ||
| CF | tasks. The Bureau of Orthography is no different. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An instructive notice details the criteria for entry to the Bureau | ||
| CF | proper. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here to guard access to the rest of the building is a secretary on a | ||
| CF | tall stool. The secretary is carrying the Regulation Authentication | ||
| CF | Scope and wearing a pencil skirt and a plain white top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Rotunda and east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She turns her eyes towards us but doesn't say anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The attention of the secretary lights on the monocle. "Let's see | ||
| CF | that," she says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Of course, a minute's inspection doesn't make her any happier, and | ||
| CF | soon we find ourselves explaining things to the police. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** That was careless *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 45 out of a possible 100, in 315 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Industrial Spy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rotunda | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "You may have forgotten, but a synthesizer is how Alex and Andra became Alexandra." | |
| Roger says, "sounds about right" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put monocle in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT MONOCLE IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We gently remove the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the monocle into the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear goggle" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR GOGGLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear goggles" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR GOGGLES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put on the Britishising goggles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Antechamber | ||
| CF | The most important task of any government bureau is to keep away | ||
| CF | time-wasters, irritants, and uninformed members of the general public, | ||
| CF | who might distract the diligent workers within from their important | ||
| CF | tasks. The Bureau of Orthography is no different. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An instructive notice details the criteria for entry to the Bureau | ||
| CF | proper. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here to guard access to the rest of the building is a secretary on a | ||
| CF | tall stool. The secretary is carrying the Regulation Authentication | ||
| CF | Scope and wearing a pencil skirt and a plain white top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Rotunda and east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She turns her eyes towards us but doesn't say anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The attention of the secretary lights on the monocle. "Let's see | ||
| CF | that," she says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Of course, a minute's inspection doesn't make her any happier, and | ||
| CF | soon we find ourselves explaining things to the police. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** That was careless *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 45 out of a possible 100, in 317 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Industrial Spy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rotunda | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hrm okay maybe later" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to university" | DavidW says, "might need to close your purse or whatever. Hide the monocle." | |
| CF ] Palm Square, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO UNIVERSITY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Once we get to Long Street South we pull easily into one of the | ||
| CF | available parking spots, since many people have now gone home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | From there we make the quick walk over to Palm Square. Unfortunately, | ||
| CF | you find you lack a key that fits the sturdy iron gate to the | ||
| CF | university. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | Now this is my part of town: Palm Square is the beginning of the | ||
| CF | university district. To the southeast, through the iron gate, is the | ||
| CF | university campus proper; and that unobtrusive little doorway directly | ||
| CF | south of us leads into the Babel Café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I live in the apartment complex that runs along the west side of the | ||
| CF | square — in fact, my apartment door is immediately to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ah the backpack was open" | |
| Roger says, "Oh or maybe just leave it in my car or whatnot. I dunno anyway" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "sw" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You had me leave my keys behind, remember? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But if you insist, my apartment is actually pitifully easy to break | ||
| CF | into. That window there opens onto the bathroom, and you can force it | ||
| CF | from the outside without much effort. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "closing the backpack ought to be fine unless they're inspecting everything." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "open window" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The window slides open with a hideous protesting shriek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter window" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Halt! You! Young person!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's my neighbour, Mrs Parsnip, leaning out from her apartment above | ||
| CF | us. Mrs Parsnip and I don't interact except about once a month when | ||
| CF | she comes around to ask for my spare change for bus fare or the | ||
| CF | laundry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Clear off or I'll call the police!" she shouts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell parsnip about me" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | ...No, don't worry, I'll handle this. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I step us back and stare up at her. "I'm a friend of Alex," I say. "He | ||
| CF | called and asked me to stop by because he thought he left the stove | ||
| CF | on. Said he climbs in the window all the time when he gets locked | ||
| CF | out." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That's true," she says. "Shouldn't be allowed out by himself. Okay, | ||
| CF | go ahead." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In a mutter she adds, "Not like he has anything worth stealing | ||
| CF | anyway." She vanishes from view. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The window is uncomfortably high and it takes a little scramble to get | ||
| CF | in, but soon we are inside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Apartment Bathroom | ||
| CF | An antique nightstand of my mother's, which does not actually fit | ||
| CF | anywhere near my bed, is jammed into one corner of the bathroom. There | ||
| CF | are a key and a ring on the nightstand. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bathroom window gives some weak sunlight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could climb back out the window, or we could go south into the rest | ||
| CF | of my apartment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x key" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X KEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's made of an extremely ordinary blank. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The key unlocks the apartment door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "key ... ring ..." | |
| Roger exclaims, "perhaps!" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take key" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE KEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the key. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x ring" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X RING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A gold-toned ring that from a distance would look like a signet. In | ||
| CF | fact the face of it is figured with the symbol of the university, an | ||
| CF | owl biting the letter A in its beak. Embedded in this face is the tiny | ||
| CF | RFID tag that opens generic university security. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is the perfect combination of technical paranoia and old-fashioned | ||
| CF | pretentiousness, and one is assigned to every new student with great | ||
| CF | pomp on the day of orientation. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ring unlocks the sturdy iron gate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear monocle" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We acquire the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We gently remove the Britishizing goggles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Everything turns computer-monitor green when viewed through our right | ||
| CF | eye. And staring fixedly at anything will turn up its authenticity | ||
| CF | status. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x key" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X KEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's made of an extremely ordinary blank. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The key unlocks the apartment door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take ring" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the ring. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear ring" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR RING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put on the ring. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My Apartment | ||
| CF | I should point out my copy of The Problem of Adjectives. I | ||
| CF | should have taken it back to the library — I meant to take | ||
| CF | it | ||
| CF | back to the library — but there just wasn't time. The last couple of | ||
| CF | hours before I came to meet you were frantic. The way I figured it, my | ||
| CF | parents or someone will come looking for me and they'll take it back | ||
| CF | for me. I think. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd apologize for the mess, but should we really be here? I'm | ||
| CF | reconciled to leaving all my things behind, you know. You made me | ||
| CF | promise that I didn't mind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "so now we can opej the gate with the ring I guess" | |
| Lancelot says, "open" | ||
| Roger says, "seems likely" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take book" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BOOK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do we mean, 1) The Problem of Adjectives, 2) | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, 3) Studies in Primary | ||
| CF | Language Acquisition, or 4) Guidebook to Anglophone | ||
| CF | Atlantis? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x book" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BOOK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A much-thumbed and several years out-of-date guidebook to this | ||
| CF | immediate area. The cover is tomato-red but the pages are crinkly and | ||
| CF | beige: it appears that someone has spilled coffee on it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's too much here to take in in a quick read, but we could look up | ||
| CF | specific topics if we wanted to read more. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight Guidebook to Anglophone | ||
| CF | Atlantis with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x problem" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PROBLEM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's not my book; it belongs to the department, as we can see from the | ||
| CF | fact that it's stamped LANGUAGE STUDIES DEPARTMENT : SEMINAR ROOM | ||
| CF | inside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I got it out because it provides a general overview of adjectival | ||
| CF | "adherence" — that is, how and when an adjective is so much part of | ||
| CF | the name of something that it can be affected by tools like your | ||
| CF | T-remover, and when it is purely incidental. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I see I may be losing you. Shall I put this in layman's terms? >> | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "yes" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | I see I may be losing you. Shall I put this in layman's terms? >> | ||
| CF | > YES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The short version is: I want to design a language with spelling and | ||
| CF | pronunciation selected so that valuable resources like food, water, | ||
| CF | and clothing can easily be made from available resources and | ||
| CF | pollutants such as plastic garbage and seawater. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are major problems in constructing such a language because ideas | ||
| CF | like "pure" and "potable" and "healthy" tend to be specified by | ||
| CF | adjectives rather than by nouns — English doesn't have one colloquial | ||
| CF | word that means "pure water", for instance. But I believe that a | ||
| CF | correctly constructed language that incorporated the concept of "pure | ||
| CF | water" into a single word would be exceptionally powerful and might | ||
| CF | transform the third world. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take problem" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PROBLEM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take The Problem of Adjectives. Might as well return it to | ||
| CF | the department seminar room, as long as we're going that way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My Apartment | ||
| CF | It's an efficiency: note the kitchen area, with all the usual | ||
| CF | appliances, in one corner. My mother attempted to provide a microwave, | ||
| CF | rice cooker, toaster, waffle iron, and julienne-fry-maker, but I | ||
| CF | pointed out that these objects would triple-populate the two square | ||
| CF | feet of available counter space. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My futon is on the floor in the opposite corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are Journal of Third-World Economics and Studies in | ||
| CF | Primary Language Acquisition on the counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jade has arrived. | Jade says, "hello" | |
| Lancelot says, "hi Jade" | ||
| Roger exclaims, "hello!" | ||
| DavidW says, "hi Jade" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x journal" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X JOURNAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This is just Volume 16, but I subscribed annually for a while. My | ||
| CF | whole plan is useless unless there's a well-designed language that | ||
| CF | actually takes account of economic reality in the target region. When | ||
| CF | I've moved somewhere outside Atlantis it will be easier to conduct | ||
| CF | that part of the research. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight Journal of Third-World | ||
| CF | Economics with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take journal" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE JOURNAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We acquire Journal of Third-World Economics. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x studies" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X STUDIES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This is a little outside my field, but I have been trying to work out | ||
| CF | the feasibility of my plans, from the perspective of language | ||
| CF | teaching. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight Studies in Primary Language | ||
| CF | Acquisition with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take studies" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE STUDIES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up Studies in Primary Language Acquisition. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "brb need to replenish some liquid" | |
| Roger says, "sure we can take a bit of a break" | ||
| Roger says, "how is everything today, Jade" | ||
| Roger asks, "?" | ||
| Jade says, "fine, I felt asleep" | ||
| says, "the bane of clubfloyders everywhere" | ||
| Jade says, "I see you have done some great progress" | ||
| Roger says, "it feels like we're moving along" | ||
| DavidW says, "They turned a TREE into a TEE." | ||
| Roger says, "alright I shall resume" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Apartment Bathroom and northeast through the | ||
| CF | apartment door (closed) to Palm Square from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "I played this game a year ago, I remember some situations" | |
| Lancelot says, "and we found a homonym changer" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "unlock door" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNLOCK DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We unlock the apartment door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open door" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the apartment door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We're about to, when the door to the street opens and my mother walks | ||
| CF | into the room. She shuts it behind her and puts away her key before | ||
| CF | she notices us. Then she stands very still. For about a quarter second | ||
| CF | she considers calling the police, but I can see that worry passing | ||
| CF | away again as she takes in our clothing, age, and general demeanor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hi there," she says, coming forward to take our hand. "I'm Mrs. | ||
| CF | Rosehip. Alex Rosehip's mother. You must be a friend of his?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could say we're his girlfriend. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell mother about girlfriend" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL MOTHER ABOUT GIRLFRIEND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Yes — sort of. We've been... I mean, we've been on a few dates." | ||
| CF | That's you, and I have to say you don't sound as keen on dating | ||
| CF | ourself as you might. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She raises her eyebrows. "I see. How secretive of him not to bring you | ||
| CF | around. And where is Alex now? I need to speak with him. He's been | ||
| CF | hard to reach lately." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I know you think it's a bit sketchy that my mother just walks into my | ||
| CF | apartment when I'm not around, but I swear to you she's never done | ||
| CF | that before. She must be more worried about something than she's | ||
| CF | letting on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to claim to have seen him this morning or say we don't | ||
| CF | know. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell mother about morning" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL MOTHER ABOUT MORNING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "He went out to, ah, do some research, I think. He left before I was | ||
| CF | completely awake." (Thanks, now you've given my mother the impression | ||
| CF | that I'm a cad.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She looks at the dissheveled futon, and her expression becomes even | ||
| CF | more unreadable. "I did think I'd taught my son better manners," she | ||
| CF | remarks. "I apologize on his behalf." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mother stares absently at the monocle for a moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "He must like you," she says, "if he lets you wear his monocle. He's | ||
| CF | very proud of that. But do be careful with it — it would be a little | ||
| CF | embarrassing if someone were to catch you with it. Alex's father was | ||
| CF | technically not supposed to remove it from the Bureau." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to agree to take care of the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell mother about monocle" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL MOTHER ABOUT MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'll be very careful with it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I knew you would." Mother picks her way to the refrigerator, which | ||
| CF | she opens, revealing only a pot of yogurt. "Evidently not planning to | ||
| CF | have dinner at home this evening," she comments. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to explain we might go out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "jeez mom back off" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell mother about go out" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL MOTHER ABOUT GO OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "We were thinking of going out." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Were you?" she says lightly. "Then you're definitely going to see him | ||
| CF | this evening. Where do you have reservations?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There, see: I wish you wouldn't embellish on your own. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm inclined to claim he didn't say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell mother about claim" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL MOTHER ABOUT CLAIM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Er... he didn't tell me. I assume he'll explain later." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "...Mm." She gives the refrigerator door a little push and it swings | ||
| CF | closed. "How well do you know him?" Mother asks. She immediately | ||
| CF | catches herself, and adds: "I'm not inquiring into the details of your | ||
| CF | relationship. But I am concerned about him. He has seemed very unhappy | ||
| CF | recently about his work. Has he said anything to you about that? | ||
| CF | Wanting to leave the program, or change careers, or... anything?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I didn't think she'd noticed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could reassure Mother or suggest the truth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell mother about truth" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL MOTHER ABOUT TRUTH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I think he feels that there are things linguistic studies could | ||
| CF | accomplish if we were less hampered by local laws and corporate | ||
| CF | interests," we say. "Big improvements to quality of life for the poor, | ||
| CF | for instance." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She looks at us keenly. "Did he say what he intended to do about | ||
| CF | that?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could say we wouldn't do anything dangerous. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell mother about dangerous" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL MOTHER ABOUT DANGEROUS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm sure he wouldn't do anything dangerous," we lie. "After all, his | ||
| CF | ideas wouldn't be useful to anyone if he were arrested." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "No, of course!" But I think she knows we're lying about something, | ||
| CF | even if she is not sure what that something is. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mother appears to be meditating about the oven. "Well," Mother says. | ||
| CF | "I had better go. If you do see Alex, tell him to call me, please. It | ||
| CF | isn't an emergency, but you can tell him there's a bit of Bureau | ||
| CF | business I'd like to discuss with him." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We nod, and suddenly it is borne in on me that this may be the last I | ||
| CF | see of my mother in a lifetime: and I'm trying to memorize the exact | ||
| CF | cut of her hair and the way her expensive Italian heels tap on the | ||
| CF | floor, and meanwhile she is going out completely indifferent to the | ||
| CF | moment. I could have stood for our previous meeting to be the last one | ||
| CF | — we had dinner and she hugged me goodbye then. This makes it all | ||
| CF | much | ||
| CF | much worse. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | And you, you're nattering at me in our head, asking what she meant | ||
| CF | about the Bureau. It might be, I guess, that they've been watching me | ||
| CF | and that she got wind of it. That would be likely. But if so it | ||
| CF | doesn't matter, not any more. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She's not even visible through the window any longer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Not just a word game, is it?" | |
| Roger says, "ennhhh, it mostly is" | ||
| Roger says, "but a really good one, as one might expect from a master of the art" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] My Apartment, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Apartment Bathroom and northeast through the | ||
| CF | apartment door to Palm Square from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | Palm Square is the beginning of the university district. To the | ||
| CF | southeast, through the iron gate, is the university campus proper; and | ||
| CF | that unobtrusive little doorway directly south of us leads into the | ||
| CF | Babel Café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I live in the apartment complex that runs along the west side of the | ||
| CF | square — in fact, my apartment door is immediately to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My bathroom window remains vulnerably open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "close window" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLOSE WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We slide the window shut. I feel obscurely better now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x gate" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The campus as a whole is walled and gated because of the amount of | ||
| CF | linguistic research that happens inside. This is a very lightweight | ||
| CF | form of security, more symbolic than anything, with much more | ||
| CF | significant protections on the really powerful materials. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the sturdy iron gate with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We unlock the sturdy iron gate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the sturdy iron gate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | University Oval | ||
| CF | This is the center of the university, a broad grassy oval shaded with | ||
| CF | sycamore trees and surrounded by buildings in brick or white stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An activist is standing in our way, gripping a sign that says "TOXI | ||
| CF | WASTE AWARENESS!". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately south of here is the building where I spend most of my | ||
| CF | time, Samuel Johnson Hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Do you have a minute to help save the environment?" the activist asks | ||
| CF | brightly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to say no or say yes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "say yes" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SAY YES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Sure: why not?" we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Wonderful!" she beams. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She sets down the sign in order to free her hands for more expressive | ||
| CF | argument. "Listen, we're trying to gain financial support to make a | ||
| CF | major advertising campaign pushing the concept of toxi waste | ||
| CF | throughout the anglophone world. If you know anything about linguistic | ||
| CF | efficacy, I'm sure you can imagine the implications." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can, in fact, imagine the implications, probably a little better | ||
| CF | than she would like. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could encourage the activist to elaborate on the | ||
| CF | implications. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "toxi? not toxic?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell activist about implications" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL ACTIVIST ABOUT IMPLICATIONS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh?" we say neutrally. This is all it takes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Toxi waste would be, in concept, a completely harmless, | ||
| CF | safe, and neutral substance that would have no detrimental impact on | ||
| CF | the surrounding environment. By raising awareness of toxi | ||
| CF | waste throughout the Anglophone world, we would put the | ||
| CF | collective consciousness to work for the environment! It would then be | ||
| CF | possible for volunteer workers to convert large stocks of dangerous | ||
| CF | toxic waste into the safe, neutral toxi waste using minimal | ||
| CF | energy." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to ask how consciousness will be raised or ask how the | ||
| CF | campaign will address problems of visualization. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "surely intentional, for some reason" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask activist about consciousness" | Lancelot says, "aah it just explained it lol" | |
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ACTIVIST ABOUT CONSCIOUSNESS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "And, er, how do you plan to raise awareness of toxi waste to | ||
| CF | sufficient levels to achieve linguistic efficacy?" we ask. Well, that | ||
| CF | was mostly me. But I'm curious. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That's where people like you come in," she admits, with a sweet | ||
| CF | little smile. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She touches our arm. "The next few months are critical to our | ||
| CF | operation," the activist says. "We need to be able to blitz multiple | ||
| CF | countries simultaneously with an intense and outrageous advertising | ||
| CF | campaign that will garner further media coverage from news sources and | ||
| CF | provoke discussion on the internet and in the workplace. But in order | ||
| CF | to do that, we need the funding to place high profile advertisements | ||
| CF | in a variety of places. That's why donations from people like yourself | ||
| CF | are going to be so very necessary." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could donate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "donate" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DONATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oh, you're not seriously going to — oh, god, you are. You know, this | ||
| CF | is never going to work. There are sound scientific reasons why — oh | ||
| CF | FINE. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We hand over some of your money — I guess I should console myself | ||
| CF | that | ||
| CF | it is yours — to the girl. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Thanks!" she says brightly. Tucking the bill into her pocket, she | ||
| CF | gives a little skip and heads off across the oval to accost some other | ||
| CF | innocent. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You just enriched some random television network, you understand. That | ||
| CF | money won't do a lick of good to anyone else. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | University Oval | ||
| CF | This is the center of the university, a broad grassy oval shaded with | ||
| CF | sycamore trees and surrounded by buildings in brick or white stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately south of here is the building where I spend most of my | ||
| CF | time, Samuel Johnson Hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A sign lies on the grass, abandoned by its owner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x sign" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SIGN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The sign is bright yellow and says "TOXI WASTE AWARENESS!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the sign with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take sign" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SIGN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the sign. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove g from sign" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE G FROM SIGN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a G-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The sign flickers and there is a brief image of a sin in its place — | ||
| CF | the concept strangely embodied in a physical form — before the power | ||
| CF | gives out. I guess your device there just isn't tuned to reify | ||
| CF | abstracts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove n from sign" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE N FROM SIGN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an N-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The sign flickers and there is a brief image of a sig in its place — | ||
| CF | the concept strangely embodied in a physical form — before the power | ||
| CF | gives out. I guess your device there just isn't tuned to reify | ||
| CF | abstracts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. This is not to be | ||
| CF | confused with Language Engineering, which is the department that | ||
| CF | handles devices for the manipulation of language-objects; it is also | ||
| CF | not to be confused with Linguistics, English Literature, or | ||
| CF | Comparative Literature, all of which have their own buildings and | ||
| CF | faculties. Language Studies applies itself to questions of linguistic | ||
| CF | efficacy chiefly at a social and anthropological level. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's to say that we study how the ability to change things based on | ||
| CF | their names affects daily life and society. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The department office, with several professorial offices leading off | ||
| CF | of it, is to the southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, | ||
| CF | where many of the upper-level courses occur, and which also contains | ||
| CF | the department library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate | ||
| CF | students and junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x photograph" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PHOTOGRAPH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Shaply Chair is not named after the famous suffragette Phyllida | ||
| CF | Shaply, but after her considerably less famous or interesting | ||
| CF | descendant Lawrence Shaply, who was well-placed within Dental | ||
| CF | Consonants Ltd. when it started up and subsequently had buckets of | ||
| CF | money with which to endow university chairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Nonetheless, this position is a point of considerable pride for | ||
| CF | Professor Waterstone, and gets him many invitations to speak both here | ||
| CF | and abroad, which he takes terribly seriously. (More to the point, the | ||
| CF | government permits him to attend.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This may explain the particularly expansive grin on Waterstone's face | ||
| CF | in this image. Usually his pleasure is expressed more moderately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the framed photograph of | ||
| CF | Professor Waterstone with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I wasn't expecting this to be quite so big, but maybe it'll be okay" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Department Office | ||
| CF | This big, slightly drab area holds such useful objects as the | ||
| CF | mailboxes and secretary's computer. On ordinary days the secretary | ||
| CF | would be in as well, presiding over affairs. The offices of individual | ||
| CF | professors lie north and west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The printer also sits on the u-shaped desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This corner office was won in a battle of wills with several other | ||
| CF | departments during the most recent rebuilding drive. Professor | ||
| CF | Waterstone is fond of reminding the others that he was the one to | ||
| CF | obtain this favorable position whenever there is a disagreement about | ||
| CF | procedure. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "I am getting lost a bit... so many things we have seen causing happy pinging noises" | |
| Roger says, "many things spark joy on this island" | ||
| Jade says, "this is a big game, not the biggest but a big one" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x printer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PRINTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The networked printer handles output for all the computers in the | ||
| CF | department. The indicator lights glow red to indicate that the | ||
| CF | paper-drawer is empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The printer is currently switched on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The paper-drawer is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is nothing on the output tray. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x desk" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DESK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Formidable in size, but even that is not enough to support all of the | ||
| CF | things that the secretarial staff need to keep track of. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the u-shaped desk is a printer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the u-shaped desk with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north through Waterstone's office door, northwest to Samuel | ||
| CF | Johnson Hall, and west through Higgate's office door from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Waterstone's Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Waterstone's Office | ||
| CF | A very finicky, neatly arranged room, in which one never feels quite | ||
| CF | at home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Professor Waterstone is sitting here. Waterstone is my dissertation | ||
| CF | advisor. (He insists on the "o" spelling.) He's an expert in the | ||
| CF | history of linguistic and orthographical power, but he's politically | ||
| CF | kind of reactionary. "Don't meddle" is pretty much his motto. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can see an invitation on a desk. It's from Dental Consonants | ||
| CF | Limited. Their design of stationery is unmistakable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In front of Professor Waterstone is a small laptop. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He looks up at us gravely. "I don't believe we've met," he says. "Can | ||
| CF | I help you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to make up some excuse, ask whether he met the activists, | ||
| CF | or ask why he is working on Serial Comma Day. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell waterstone about excuse" | ||
| CF ] Waterstone's Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL WATERSTONE ABOUT EXCUSE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm a prospective student," we say. Immediately I regret it: we look | ||
| CF | too old to be an undergraduate prospective, and Waterstone would know | ||
| CF | all the graduate prospectives personally. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He raises an eyebrow. "At your age?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I took some time off school," we remark. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Some professors would greet this with warmth or sensitivity or at | ||
| CF | least good manners. Waterstone says, "Well, in that case, it is to be | ||
| CF | hoped that you spent those wasted years on some valuable | ||
| CF | activity. What did you need from me?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to say that we just dropped by to meet him. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell waterstone about dropped" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL WATERSTONE ABOUT DROPPED | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I just dropped by to meet you," we say. "I had heard good things | ||
| CF | about your teaching." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I rarely teach undergraduates," he remarks. "You would spend your | ||
| CF | time more profitably by making the acquaintance of the teaching | ||
| CF | assistants or perhaps" — and here he enunciates the name with | ||
| CF | distaste | ||
| CF | — "Professor Brown." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a brief pause. "Look, I really must work on this," says | ||
| CF | Waterstone, chasing us to the door. "Perhaps someone else in the | ||
| CF | department can answer a few of your questions. I believe I saw | ||
| CF | Professor Higgate earlier, and Professor Brown is usually in his lab | ||
| CF | downstairs. I'm sure he's not working on anything too urgent. | ||
| CF | Goodbye!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Department Office | ||
| CF | This big, slightly drab area holds such useful objects as the | ||
| CF | mailboxes and secretary's computer. On ordinary days the secretary | ||
| CF | would be in as well, presiding over affairs. The offices of individual | ||
| CF | professors lie north and west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The printer also sits on the u-shaped desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The office door closes with measured firmness behind us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Through the window in Waterstone's door, we can see him turning the | ||
| CF | lock. When he catches us watching he gives a tight, unfriendly smile | ||
| CF | and goes back to his desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A moment later the printer whirs thoughtfully. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x printer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PRINTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The networked printer handles output for all the computers in the | ||
| CF | department. The indicator lights glow red to indicate that the | ||
| CF | paper-drawer is empty. An additional light indicates that some | ||
| CF | document is in the queue to print and is waiting for the printer to be | ||
| CF | ready. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The printer is currently switched on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The paper-drawer is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is nothing on the output tray. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open drawer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN DRAWER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pull up on the little catch and draw the drawer out. It's empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Higgate's office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Higgate's office | ||
| CF | Higgate got about 30% finished with a stylish decorating scheme and | ||
| CF | then got distracted, leaving everything in a unsettled state. A few of | ||
| CF | her books are arranged on a very nice rosewood bookshelf, which looks | ||
| CF | Asian and is ornamented with small figurines; all the rest of her | ||
| CF | library is stacked higgledy-piggledy in plastic cartons. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Professor Higgate is sitting at an oval table, on which are spread an | ||
| CF | ugly yellow book, a sugar bowl, a teapot, and a romance novel in some | ||
| CF | heavily accented language. Higgate is the second reader on my | ||
| CF | dissertation committee, and a conlang expert — that is, Constructed | ||
| CF | Languages. It was a seminar with her that really got me thinking about | ||
| CF | utopian linguistics, and she's been very supportive, though cautious. | ||
| CF | She and Professor Waterstone don't always get along that well. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She looks up when we come in. ".i xu do se bangu la lojban." Higgate | ||
| CF | asks. She's asking whether we speak Lojban. For the present, I think | ||
| CF | it will raise fewer questions if we say no. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh no, higgledy-piggledy" | |
| Roger says (to clubfloyd), "no" | ||
| CF ] Higgate's office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm afraid I don't understand," we say, smiling faintly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Her face falls. "Ah! I was hoping you'd be here for Conversational | ||
| CF | Lojban Tea." The room is conspicuously lacking other Lojban | ||
| CF | conversationalists. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask how Professor Higgate is doing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask higgate about doing" | ||
| CF ] Higgate's office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK HIGGATE ABOUT DOING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "How are you?" we ask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Forgive me these irrelevant questions, but I haven't seen Professor | ||
| CF | Higgate for a few days, and she's one of my favorite people in the | ||
| CF | department. I worry about her a little. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She looks taken aback, as though trying to figure out whether she | ||
| CF | knows us. Then she shrugs this off and decides to proceed as though | ||
| CF | she does. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh, you know," she says. "It's that time of year when the energy's | ||
| CF | run out and the students have to be prodded with an electric rod to | ||
| CF | get them to do any work. And then I've got this book I've got to | ||
| CF | write, and Professor Waterstone keeps talking about how next year he | ||
| CF | would like to take a break from being Director of Graduate Studies..." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask what would be so bad about directing graduate | ||
| CF | studies. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask higgate about directing" | ||
| CF ] Higgate's office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK HIGGATE ABOUT DIRECTING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What would be so bad about being director of graduate studies?" I | ||
| CF | ask, a little surprised. I always thought she liked graduate students. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Nothing, nothing! It's just that I have this book I should be | ||
| CF | writing, and Professor Waterstone has done the job for so many years | ||
| CF | that he's—" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She pulls up short, apparently remembering that she doesn't, actually, | ||
| CF | know us at all. "He's very experienced, and I am not sure he would | ||
| CF | enjoy watching someone else do it differently," she concludes | ||
| CF | tactfully. "Our personal styles are not very similar." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a brief pause. "I'd offer you some cucumber sandwiches," | ||
| CF | Professor Higgate says. "But I'm afraid I ate them all." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask whether she might let us into the language studies | ||
| CF | seminar room, ask how we might return a book, or ask which conlangs | ||
| CF | she knows. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask higgate about conlangs" | ||
| CF ] Higgate's office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 45 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK HIGGATE ABOUT CONLANGS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Which conlangs do you know, then?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Esperanto, Volapük, and Lojban, naturally," she says. "Interlingua, a | ||
| CF | bit of Fukhian," (she is careful to pronounce the h sound), | ||
| CF | "...Quenya, Klingon, Royeship, Toki Pona... and several others in | ||
| CF | which I am not fluent enough to speak, but know well enough for the | ||
| CF | purposes of study." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm inclined to ask whether she might let us into the language | ||
| CF | studies seminar room or ask how we might return a book. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask higgate about book" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 48 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK HIGGATE ABOUT BOOK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I need to return this book to the department library," we say, | ||
| CF | holding out The Problem of Adjectives. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh! Yes, all right," she says. "Did you like it? It's a good overview | ||
| CF | of the subject, didn't you think? I'm afraid the author once annoyed | ||
| CF | Professor Waterstone at a conference, or we might have had her around | ||
| CF | to speak at one of our colloquia..." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Higgate stands, patting herself down as though worried she has | ||
| CF | forgotten something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "After you," says Higgate. "I assume it's safe to leave for a minute; | ||
| CF | if anyone is coming for Lojban Tea we'll see them in the hall." She | ||
| CF | walks past us through the office door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We walk a little behind Higgate, who has a very long businesslike | ||
| CF | stride despite her heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She fiddles with her keys for a moment before finding the right one. | ||
| CF | "Here we you go," she says, pushing the door open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She steps inside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Seminar Room | ||
| CF | They recently redid this room, and whoever picked the decorations had | ||
| CF | postmodern tastes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Professor Higgate waits a little absent-mindedly nearby, looking over | ||
| CF | the bookshelf. On the bookshelf are History of the Standards | ||
| CF | Revolution and Lives of the Lexicographers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massive plexiglas case takes up one corner of the room. There is a | ||
| CF | compact but high-powered late model synthesizer in the plexiglas case. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The big table at the center of the room is an irregular polygon, with | ||
| CF | one chair pushed up to the shortest side. I think the shape is | ||
| CF | intended to undermine traditional conceptions of academic hierarchy, | ||
| CF | but in practice it just means that whoever gets to seminar late has | ||
| CF | to sit with a table angle jabbing him in the stomach. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now | ||
| CF | forty-eight.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "that was super-effective" | |
| Jade says, "cool" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 48 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Higgate may be a little unworldly, but there is no way she'd let us | ||
| CF | mess with the synthesizer without interference. We'll have to hope she | ||
| CF | is willing to leave us in here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "higgate, goodbye" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 48 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > HIGGATE, GOODBYE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You say goodbye to Professor Higgate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," says Higgate, obviously disappointed to see another | ||
| CF | non-Lojban speaker. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "erm, quite" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x history" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 48 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X HISTORY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It covers in minute detail the process by which the island | ||
| CF | standardized spelling and leveraged its linguistic power. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | History of the Standards Revolution is of those bog-standard | ||
| CF | texts that everyone in my field owns a copy of and uses as a doorstop. | ||
| CF | Very occasionally something still arises that I need to look up, but I | ||
| CF | just about memorized it in preparation for my comprehensive exams. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take history" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 48 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE HISTORY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up History of the Standards Revolution. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x lives" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 48 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LIVES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is a substantial history of the major contributors to the art of | ||
| CF | dictionary-creation, and a useful guide to the specialist bibliography | ||
| CF | on each figure. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take lives" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 48 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE LIVES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take Lives of the Lexicographers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x table" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 48 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Crafted from some exotic wood with lots of interesting burl structure. | ||
| CF | There was a wealthy donor behind the construction of this room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the big table with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "take lives lol" | |
| Roger says, "violence is the answer to this one" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 48 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your N-remover, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some Origin Paste, a pan (really the | ||
| CF | smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a clock, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a jigsaw, Journal of Third-World | ||
| CF | Economics, a key (which opens the apartment door), a leaflet, a | ||
| CF | letter, a lime, Lives of the Lexicographers, a map of | ||
| CF | Slangovia, a member, a pear, a pic, a pill, a poppy, a ring (which | ||
| CF | opens the sturdy iron gate), a shopping bag, a shred, a shuttle, a | ||
| CF | sign, a sop, Studies in Primary Language Acquisition, a | ||
| CF | swatch, The Problem of Adjectives (to return to the department | ||
| CF | seminar room), a tome, some trash, a wig, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put problem on table" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 48 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PROBLEM ON TABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put The Problem of Adjectives on the big table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "return problem" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > RETURN PROBLEM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking The Problem of Adjectives) | ||
| CF | We take a moment to find the proper place for the book. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The sound of discussion comes from down the hall: two voices speaking | ||
| CF | in Lojban, and then a male voice interrupting. "Do you have a license | ||
| CF | for this conversation?" it asks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Excuse me," Higgate says. "I'd better go see to that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She waves and heads back northeast. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by two points and is now fifty.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is designed to accept two items and then be turned on. It is shiny | ||
| CF | and white, and looks a little like a bathtub for very short people. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the synthesizer is a crossword. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It was a full-sized, human version of this that made us what we are | ||
| CF | now, so the object makes both of us feel a little skittish and | ||
| CF | self-conscious. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "ha" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take crossword" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CROSSWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The plexiglas case isn't open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ha indeed" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "open case" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN CASE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We walk as far as Language Studies Seminar Room. You lack a key that | ||
| CF | fits the plexiglas case. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x crossword" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CROSSWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It looks like it's been snipped out of Chard-Farmer's Weekly, but it | ||
| CF | hasn't been filled in at all. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | crossword is a faint, greenish image of a cross and a word. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn on synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN ON SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The plexiglas case isn't open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hrm I hope we can get back in here later" | |
| Jade says, "yes we will" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exit" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But we aren't in anything at the moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northeast through the seminar door to Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. The department office, | ||
| CF | with several professorial offices leading off of it, is to the | ||
| CF | southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, where many of the | ||
| CF | upper-level courses occur, and which also contains the department | ||
| CF | library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate students and | ||
| CF | junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the interesting door. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." In the | ||
| CF | large carton is a banana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh we might need to build a keycard. hrm." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x banana" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BANANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Just beginning to get brown and spotty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | banana is a faint, unappetizing image of a bandana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ah dangerous equipment... I guess thats exactly what we are looking for" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take banana" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BANANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the banana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from banana" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM BANANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "anana". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on banana" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON BANANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | banana. With an audible SPLORT, the banana becomes a bandana. It's a | ||
| CF | souvenir: bright Atlantean blue cloth patterned with the letter f, and | ||
| CF | a patch in one corner with the letters FRG, honoring the members of | ||
| CF | the Fricatives Research Group. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear bandana" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put on the bandana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Graduate Student Office | ||
| CF | A small windowless room divided into cubicles for individual graduate | ||
| CF | students. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A tiny refrigerator stores lunches (sometimes) and looted leftovers | ||
| CF | from department receptions (when available). On top of the fridge | ||
| CF | there is a coffee-maker. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My cubicle is the one with the swivel-chair, towards the back of the | ||
| CF | room by the water cooler. I cleared everything subversive out of there | ||
| CF | ages ago, and now I do most of my work at home in the apartment. It's | ||
| CF | safer that way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can see a sticky on the swivel-chair. I half recognize the | ||
| CF | handwriting, but I'm having trouble placing it. One of the other grad | ||
| CF | students, but I'm not sure which. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "another disguise" | |
| Roger says, "we are a person of many faces" | ||
| Jade says, "yes" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x fridge" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X FRIDGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We see nothing special about the tiny refrigerator. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the tiny refrigerator with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "many faces" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "open fridge" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN FRIDGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the tiny refrigerator, revealing some cream and a silver | ||
| CF | platter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "or two persons with one face :p" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x cream" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CREAM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Kept around to go with the coffee. It doesn't seem to have gone off | ||
| CF | yet, which is a wonder. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the cream with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "That cream could be handy." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take cream" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CREAM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the cream. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger exclaims, "it could!" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove e from cream" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE E FROM CREAM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an E-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "cram". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "C-remove it." | |
| Roger says, "awww no cram for us" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x platter" | DavidW says, "You want a ream of paper for the printer." | |
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PLATTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Evidently the platter is left over from a department function, and no | ||
| CF | one has bothered with doing the dishes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the silver platter are a crumpled cocktail napkin and a shrimp | ||
| CF | tail. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the silver platter with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x napkin" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X NAPKIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's trash. Why it wound up being archived in the refrigerator is | ||
| CF | anyone's guess. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the crumpled cocktail napkin | ||
| CF | with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x tail" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TAIL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no meat left; just the remains of one shrimp tail with the | ||
| CF | flesh bitten off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the shrimp tail with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "platter -> patter? oh wait thats abstract" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take platter" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PLATTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the silver platter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x maker" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MAKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's the cheapest possible variety, donated by one of the older | ||
| CF | students, and it is constantly overflowing and needing to be taken | ||
| CF | away to be cleaned of loose grounds. But it does work, more or less, | ||
| CF | most of the time. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The coffee-maker is currently switched off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the coffee-maker with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in maker" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN MAKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We find nothing of interest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn on maker" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN ON MAKER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We don't have time to go brewing ourselves a pot, but I can set your | ||
| CF | mind at rest on one point anyway: it generally comes out horrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Graduate Student Office | ||
| CF | A small windowless room divided into cubicles for individual graduate | ||
| CF | students. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A tiny refrigerator stores lunches (sometimes) and looted leftovers | ||
| CF | from department receptions (when available). The door is currently | ||
| CF | open. On top of the fridge there is a coffee-maker. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My cubicle is the one with the swivel-chair, towards the back of the | ||
| CF | room by the water cooler. There is a sticky on the swivel-chair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "pffff is there anything not making the monocle happy lol" | |
| DavidW says, "When testing, I tried something with the shrimp tail that Emily didn't expect and she liked it enough to add it to the game." | ||
| DavidW says, "even though it made things a lot harder for her to code." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "close fridge" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLOSE FRIDGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We close the tiny refrigerator. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x sticky" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X STICKY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please be careful. The blue hats are watching you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the sticky with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take sticky" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE STICKY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the sticky. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove y from sticky" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE Y FROM STICKY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a Y-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of sap, the sticky turns into a stick. It is | ||
| CF | about two feet long. It's stripped of its leaves and fairly sturdy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | stick is a faint, greenish image of a sticky. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "sticky -> stick?" | |
| Roger says, "sure" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from stick" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM STICK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stick flickers and there is a brief image of a tick in its place, | ||
| CF | but a legal override kicks in: an S-remover is hardware-crippled to | ||
| CF | prevent generating any living creature. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x cubicle" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CUBICLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Little more than a swivel-chair and a built-in desk, now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the cubicle with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x chair" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CHAIR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is grey with small white dots on the fabric. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I bought the swivel-chair with my own money, because sitting on the | ||
| CF | plastic bucket seat supplied by the department made my legs sticky in | ||
| CF | the summer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x desk" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DESK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's fakely veneered in dark wood and shows signs of years of abuse. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the built-in desk with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Graduate Student Office, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Samuel Johnson Basement from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the interesting door. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "sw" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brown's Lab | ||
| CF | Professor Brown, the Reification of Abstracts researcher, is hunched | ||
| CF | over his work table. Brown is only barely a professor at all — | ||
| CF | actually, his working title is Senior Lecturer, and he holds a yearly | ||
| CF | contract which the University has the option to renew at whim. This | ||
| CF | prevents him going elsewhere while ensuring that he never has a | ||
| CF | fully-funded lab of his own. All the electrical equipment down here is | ||
| CF | tinker-toys compared to the stuff he really wants; in fact, half of it | ||
| CF | he built himself with components he bought with his own money. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I know all this because Brown cornered me in the hallway one afternoon | ||
| CF | and talked to me for twenty minutes straight about the pressures of | ||
| CF | academic job-hunting in the current political climate. I tried to get | ||
| CF | him to stop, but he's like a wind-up toy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Don't touch anything, please," he says, without looking up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask what he is doing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask brown about doing" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BROWN ABOUT DOING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What are you up to there?" we ask. Asking Brown questions when he's | ||
| CF | working is a bit of a crap-shoot, I tell you now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He wiggles his nose back and forth. I knew him for three months before | ||
| CF | I figured out what the wiggle is: it is his hands-free way of working | ||
| CF | his spectacles back up his nose when they start to slide down. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Without looking at us, he says, "I'm getting ready to do a new | ||
| CF | calibration run on 'love'." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This is a favorite of his, because you can get it so easily from a | ||
| CF | glove, so the materials are inexpensive. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to ask what love looks like or ask how Professor Brown | ||
| CF | makes abstracts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask brown about love" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BROWN ABOUT LOVE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What does love look like, then?" we ask, as though I hadn't seen this | ||
| CF | a bunch of times already. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "It varies," Professor Brown replies. "The manifestation of a complex | ||
| CF | concept depends on a variety of circumstances; by default if multiple | ||
| CF | concepts are available, the letter tool will produce whichever concept | ||
| CF | requires least energy to produce, but in cases where several concepts | ||
| CF | are indistinguishably popular, the results are apparently random. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Recent research suggests that the outcome can be influenced by the | ||
| CF | language community surrounding the operation and even by the intention | ||
| CF | of the tool's user (to a limited degree); but I am not interested in | ||
| CF | pursuing those angles at present." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There: Professor Brown in a nutshell. Did he tell you anything you | ||
| CF | wanted to know? No. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The deal is that manifestations of "love" tend to look like stuff | ||
| CF | you'd find on a greeting card: roses, hearts, kiss symbols. Every once | ||
| CF | in a while you get something a little more platonic. But it's a | ||
| CF | let-down, if you want to know the truth. Most significant abstracts | ||
| CF | are like that: all you get by reifying them is a popular | ||
| CF | visualization. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask how Professor Brown makes abstracts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ah yes abstracts we cannot do yet" | |
| Roger says, "kind of a bit of an SCP / Control vibe to this bit, one might observe with years of retrospet" | ||
| DavidW asks, "SCP?" | ||
| Roger says, "It's a whole tangent for another time" | ||
| Lancelot says, "thats an old movie" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask brown about abstracts" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 50 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BROWN ABOUT ABSTRACTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What equipment do you use to make your abstracts?" we ask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "It's an ordinary letter-remover with a few adjustments," Brown says. | ||
| CF | "The department's computer can lift some of the legal overrides on | ||
| CF | standard letter tools. The job would be easier if I had access to | ||
| CF | higher-powered machinery, but..." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask whether he can fix the letter-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Airplane?" | |
| Lancelot says, "the chess program right :p" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask brown about letter-remover" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BROWN ABOUT LETTER-REMOVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Could you fix my letter-remover to make abstract objects as well?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "It's not difficult, you just— oh, stay here, I'm not supposed to | ||
| CF | bring students into the rectification room." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He takes the letter-remover and steps out into the hallway. I can hear | ||
| CF | him using his keycard on the door, going into the little room west of | ||
| CF | the hallway, doing something there. (Don't bother thinking we're going | ||
| CF | to cosh him and take the keycard. I'm sure there's a better way, and I | ||
| CF | don't cosh people.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He comes back in a minute. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "There," he says. "Should be abstract-enabled now." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask what he thinks of the letter-remover or thank | ||
| CF | Professor Brown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now | ||
| CF | fifty-three.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh ah. Well that makes things... more." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "thank brown" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > THANK BROWN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That's wonderful — thank you!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Yes well," he says. "Don't show it to anyone. Technically you | ||
| CF | shouldn't have that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask what he thinks of the letter-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "yep indeed" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask brown about letter-remover" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BROWN ABOUT LETTER-REMOVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Is there anything else that could be done to upgrade my | ||
| CF | letter-remover?" we ask naively. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Nothing I can help you with, I'm afraid," he says. "There are some | ||
| CF | safety overrides that could be programmed out, allowing you to make | ||
| CF | living creatures, but that's..." He does his spasmodic shrug. "One of | ||
| CF | those things where I think the laws have a point. It's dangerous and | ||
| CF | possibly even cruel." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask why reifying living creatures is cruel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask brown about cruel" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BROWN ABOUT CRUEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Why would it be cruel to make a living creature?" you ask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "We don't know whether such creations have awareness and sensation | ||
| CF | like other creatures," he says. "If they do, it is horrible to bring | ||
| CF | them into existence only to send them out again." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northeast to Samuel Johnson Basement from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the interesting door. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove g from sign" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE G FROM SIGN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a G-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of sulfur, the sign turns into a sin. An | ||
| CF | abstract representation of willfully clueless meddling. Not a sin | ||
| CF | known to Dante, perhaps; but modern democracies have their own forms | ||
| CF | of wrong-doing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | sin is a faint, greenish image of a sign. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "anything in the carton?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in carton" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN CARTON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The large carton is empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "only the banana" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your G-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some | ||
| CF | Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a | ||
| CF | clock, some cream, a crumpled cocktail napkin, Guidebook to | ||
| CF | Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the Standards | ||
| CF | Revolution, a jigsaw, Journal of Third-World Economics, | ||
| CF | a key (which opens the apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lime, | ||
| CF | Lives of the Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a | ||
| CF | pear, a pic, a pill, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron | ||
| CF | gate), a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttle, a silver | ||
| CF | platter, a sin, a sop, a stick, Studies in Primary Language | ||
| CF | Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a wig, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "and we changed that to the bandana" | |
| Lancelot says, "hooray for no stoopid inventory limit" | ||
| DavidW says, "so many items we're carrying" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from stick" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM STICK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of stomach acid, the stick turns into some sick. | ||
| CF | It looks like half-digested pepperoni pizza, plus miscellaneous | ||
| CF | juices. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | sick is a faint, greenish image of a sticky. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The sick drips out of our hands. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the interesting door. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It looks as though we need a keycard to unlock the small door, and we | ||
| CF | don't have one. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "up" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. The department office, | ||
| CF | with several professorial offices leading off of it, is to the | ||
| CF | southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, where many of the | ||
| CF | upper-level courses occur, and which also contains the department | ||
| CF | library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate students and | ||
| CF | junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Department Office | ||
| CF | This big, slightly drab area holds such useful objects as the | ||
| CF | mailboxes and secretary's computer. On ordinary days the secretary | ||
| CF | would be in as well, presiding over affairs. The offices of individual | ||
| CF | professors lie north and west, though both doors are closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The printer also sits on the u-shaped desk. The paper drawer stands | ||
| CF | open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove c from cream" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE C FROM CREAM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a C-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cream gives way to the now-familiar ream. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put ream in drawer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT REAM IN DRAWER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ream fits exactly into the depth of the drawer. We adjust the | ||
| CF | plastic clamps that hold pages in place until everything is snug. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "close drawerw" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLOSE DRAWERW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "close drawer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLOSE DRAWER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The paper-drawer slides back into place with a click. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The printer whirs as though clearing its throat, and then begins to | ||
| CF | spit pages rapidly into the output tray. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take pages" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PAGES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the draft document. It's fifteen pages double-spaced, and | ||
| CF | appears to be the draft of a talk Professor Waterstone is preparing to | ||
| CF | give at a convention. I immediately notice, however, that several | ||
| CF | portions of the speech are marked with angry triple asterisks — | ||
| CF | Waterstone's way of marking up parts of text that need serious | ||
| CF | revision. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The talk concerns "homonym shame": the anxiety felt in the Victorian | ||
| CF | era, and still manifested at times in modern culture, about objects | ||
| CF | that shared the same name as (and therefore theoretically might be | ||
| CF | converted into) something rude. Methods of disguising the legs of | ||
| CF | pianos and crotches of trees occupy a good portion of Waterstone's | ||
| CF | exposition, and there is a page-long aside on methods of making sure | ||
| CF | that donkeys are known by that name and not by the alternative. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To judge, however, from the angry asterisking, Waterstone is still | ||
| CF | looking for at least one more example of an object susceptible to | ||
| CF | double-entendre that has been successfully rendered innocent by some | ||
| CF | linguistic modification. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "hmmm" | |
| DavidW says, "pea. shuttle. shrimp tail." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your C-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some | ||
| CF | Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a | ||
| CF | clock, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a draft document, Guidebook to | ||
| CF | Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the Standards | ||
| CF | Revolution, a jigsaw, Journal of Third-World Economics, | ||
| CF | a key (which opens the apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lime, | ||
| CF | Lives of the Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a | ||
| CF | pear, a pic, a pill, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron | ||
| CF | gate), a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttle, a silver | ||
| CF | platter, a sin, a sop, a stick, Studies in Primary Language | ||
| CF | Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a wig, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Where's the clock come from? Was it the lock on your locker?" | |
| Roger says, "yeah, pretty sure" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove l from clock" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE L FROM CLOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an L-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clock flickers and there is a brief image of a cock in its place, | ||
| CF | but a legal override kicks in: an L-remover is hardware-crippled to | ||
| CF | prevent generating any living creature. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You lack a key that fits Waterstone's office door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "a cock lol" | |
| DavidW says, "The rooster, of course. Mustn't be naughty or Victorian." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "knock on door" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > KNOCK ON DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do we mean, 1) Waterstone's office door or 2) Higgate's office | ||
| CF | door? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "1" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Waterstone looks up from his work long enough to give us an irritated | ||
| CF | glare. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "of course the rooster, what else could Ihave thought of :p" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell waterstone about cock" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL WATERSTONE ABOUT COCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can only look from this distance. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "FINE" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Speak to Professor Waterstone and get his invitation to see the | ||
| CF | T-inserter | ||
| CF | Gain entrance to the Bureau | ||
| CF | Find Brock | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open door" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do we mean, 1) Waterstone's office door or 2) Higgate's office | ||
| CF | door? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "1" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You lack a key that fits Waterstone's office door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "cant we get close to him" | |
| Lancelot says, "hmm nvm" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north through Waterstone's office door (closed) to | ||
| CF | Waterstone's Office, northwest to Samuel Johnson Hall, and west | ||
| CF | through Higgate's office door (closed) to Higgate's office from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the door to find two students, a boy and a girl, sitting at | ||
| CF | Higgate's table. The boy is sipping tea and the girl is paging madly | ||
| CF | through the Lojban book. "Oh," says Higgate. "You found what you | ||
| CF | needed, I hope? I'm afraid we are busy now." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | So I duck us back out and close the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "nw" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. The department office, | ||
| CF | with several professorial offices leading off of it, is to the | ||
| CF | southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, where many of the | ||
| CF | upper-level courses occur, and which also contains the department | ||
| CF | library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate students and | ||
| CF | junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take photograph" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PHOTOGRAPH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's fixed in place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "sw" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Seminar Room | ||
| CF | They recently redid this room, and whoever picked the decorations had | ||
| CF | postmodern tastes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bookshelves lining the walls contain the department library. There | ||
| CF | is The Problem of Adjectives on the bookshelf. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massive plexiglas case takes up one corner of the room. In the | ||
| CF | plexiglas case is a compact but high-powered late model synthesizer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The big table at the center of the room is an irregular polygon, with | ||
| CF | one chair pushed up to the shortest side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I shut the door so that we don't get interrupted. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "I got stuck in this part. I feel this isdifficult" | |
| DavidW says, "The synthesizer puts things together, like HIGH + WAY = HIGHWAY." | ||
| Lancelot says, "ok more options to mangle words" | ||
| DavidW says, "Well, you need a KEYCARD, that's simple enough." | ||
| Roger says, "hrm if we had a t-inserter maybe we could get to 'caste', but not sure if we can do that before here" | ||
| Lancelot says, "yep we got both" | ||
| Lancelot asks, "what polygon shape?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x table" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Crafted from some exotic wood with lots of interesting burl structure. | ||
| CF | There was a wealthy donor behind the construction of this room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the big table with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your L-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some | ||
| CF | Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a | ||
| CF | clock, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a draft document, Guidebook to | ||
| CF | Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the Standards | ||
| CF | Revolution, a jigsaw, Journal of Third-World Economics, | ||
| CF | a key (which opens the apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lime, | ||
| CF | Lives of the Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a | ||
| CF | pear, a pic, a pill, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron | ||
| CF | gate), a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttle, a silver | ||
| CF | platter, a sin, a sop, a stick, Studies in Primary Language | ||
| CF | Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a wig, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "remove the b?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from table" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM TABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "ig tale": | ||
| CF | evidently "table" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "There's probably a ton of possibilities." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove g from table" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE G FROM TABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a G-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "bi table": | ||
| CF | evidently "table" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "argh modifiers" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "climb table" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLIMB TABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't think much is to be achieved by that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open case" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN CASE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You lack a key that fits the plexiglas case. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "okay maybe I'll try to get past that guard in the other part" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OKAY MAYBE I'LL TRY TO GET PAST THAT GUARD IN THE OTHER PART | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (You can just begin your command with the verb. Retrying that as | ||
| CF | "okay maybe try to get past that guard in other part".) | ||
| CF | (You can just begin your command with the verb. Retrying that as | ||
| CF | "okay maybe get past that guard in other part".) | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "err, whoops" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "sw" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northeast through the seminar door (closed) to Samuel | ||
| CF | Johnson Hall from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the seminar door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. The department office, | ||
| CF | with several professorial offices leading off of it, is to the | ||
| CF | southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, where many of the | ||
| CF | upper-level courses occur, and which also contains the department | ||
| CF | library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate students and | ||
| CF | junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That way is just a corner of the room, though we could go southeast to | ||
| CF | the Language Studies Department Office or southwest to the seminar | ||
| CF | door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Department Office | ||
| CF | This big, slightly drab area holds such useful objects as the | ||
| CF | mailboxes and secretary's computer. On ordinary days the secretary | ||
| CF | would be in as well, presiding over affairs. The offices of individual | ||
| CF | professors lie north and west, though both doors are closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The printer also sits on the u-shaped desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north through Waterstone's office door (closed) to | ||
| CF | Waterstone's Office, northwest to Samuel Johnson Hall, and west | ||
| CF | through Higgate's office door (closed) to Higgate's office from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "nw" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. The department office, | ||
| CF | with several professorial offices leading off of it, is to the | ||
| CF | southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, where many of the | ||
| CF | upper-level courses occur, and which also contains the department | ||
| CF | library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate students and | ||
| CF | junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | University Oval | ||
| CF | This is the center of the university, a broad grassy oval shaded with | ||
| CF | sycamore trees and surrounded by buildings in brick or white stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately south of here is the building where I spend most of my | ||
| CF | time, Samuel Johnson Hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northwest through the sturdy iron gate to Palm Square and | ||
| CF | south to Samuel Johnson Hall from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "nw" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | Palm Square is the beginning of the university district. To the | ||
| CF | southeast, through the iron gate, is the university campus proper; and | ||
| CF | that unobtrusive little doorway directly south of us leads into the | ||
| CF | Babel Café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I live in the apartment complex that runs along the west side of the | ||
| CF | square — in fact, my apartment door is immediately to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My bathroom window is closed, but not, of course, latched. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "dang where was that" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Babel Café | ||
| CF | Through many changes of management, this institution has fed the | ||
| CF | denizens of the university and ignored their semi-sedition. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A clerk in a white apron stands behind the long glass case. The long | ||
| CF | glass case contains a pocket-bread, a wrap, and a honey pastry | ||
| CF | triangle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The tables are square wooden things painted dark blue (not the vibrant | ||
| CF | blue of the Bureau, but something closer to midnight), and the upper | ||
| CF | surfaces are découpaged with antique travel postcards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A blue plaque is mounted on the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clerk grins at us in a welcoming way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x plaque" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PLAQUE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On this site in 1969 the theoretical groundwork for Q-insertion | ||
| CF | was laid by James Elias and Milford Higgate using five drinking straws | ||
| CF | and a bowl of oatmeal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the blue plaque with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "the question marks are letters with diacritics?" | |
| DavidW says, "uh, yes" | ||
| Roger says, "generally. Some clients can be set up to handle them better than others" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x clerk" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CLERK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A smooth-faced young man. He has the cheery demeanor of one earning | ||
| CF | substantial overtime pay. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the clerk with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "was wondering if that was a bug or a feature :p" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x case" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CASE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the long glass case are a pocket-bread, a wrap, and a honey pastry | ||
| CF | triangle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the long glass case with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x bread" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BREAD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's round, flat bread suitable for eating with dips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | pocket-bread is a faint, greenish image of a pita. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "buy pita" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BUY PITA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "The game is correct, but you have to get your client to understand the same character encoding." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "buy pread" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BUY PREAD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "buy bread" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BUY BREAD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (from the clerk) | ||
| CF | "I'll have the pocket-bread," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clerk sets the pocket-bread out on the table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Enjoy!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x wrap" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WRAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a construction of flat bread wrapped around rice, chickpeas, and | ||
| CF | sauce. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the wrap with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "buy wrap" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BUY WRAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (from the clerk) | ||
| CF | "I'll have the wrap," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clerk takes the wrap out of the case and puts it on the table for | ||
| CF | us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "There you go — nice day for a picnic, isn't it?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "yay pita" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x triange" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TRIANGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x triangle" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TRIANGLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Despite its enforced linguistic transformation, it still looks | ||
| CF | delicious: fine layers of crisp filo with nuts and honey between. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | honey pastry triangle is a faint, greenish image of some baklava. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "The WRAP is probably useful for something, but I'm not sure what." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "buy triangle" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BUY TRIANGLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (from the clerk) | ||
| CF | "I'll have the honey pastry triangle," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clerk gets out a honey triangle and puts it on the table, then | ||
| CF | locks up the case again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You've just about cleared us out!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | Palm Square is the beginning of the university district. To the | ||
| CF | southeast, through the iron gate, is the university campus proper; and | ||
| CF | that unobtrusive little doorway directly south of us leads into the | ||
| CF | Babel Café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I live in the apartment complex that runs along the west side of the | ||
| CF | square — in fact, my apartment door is immediately to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My bathroom window is closed, but not, of course, latched. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | University Oval | ||
| CF | This is the center of the university, a broad grassy oval shaded with | ||
| CF | sycamore trees and surrounded by buildings in brick or white stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately south of here is the building where I spend most of my | ||
| CF | time, Samuel Johnson Hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "whew alright this game is taking it out of me -- shall we break it off for the week?" | |
| DavidW says, "it is after 4, yes." | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm happy to stop for now." | ||
| Jade says, "ok" | ||
| Lancelot says, "yeah 2 hours in well we did make progress but score wise only at half of it? big game indeed" | ||
| Roger exclaims, "thanks everyone!" | ||
| Roger says, "have yerselves a lovely Valentine's Day if that's your sort of thing" | ||
| Lancelot exclaims, "thank you, you did most of the legwork!" | ||
| Jade says, "thanks for driving" | ||
| DavidW says, "yes, thank you" | ||
| *** SESSION 4 *** | ||
| DavidW says, "Anyway, we should continue with Counterfeit Monkey. I forget who was driving last week." | ||
| DavidW says, "Also, I don't remember the map at all. I made notes years ago and lost them all when switching computers." | ||
| Roger says, "I was driving but I can yield the chair if someone wants to give it a spin" | ||
| Jade says, "the map has some areas and we will be travelling in that locations, this is a quite easy map" | ||
| Lancelot says, "damn I should have made some kind of map... I think the game has a map but with floyd we cannot see that I guess" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | University Oval | ||
| CF | This is the center of the university, a broad grassy oval shaded with | ||
| CF | sycamore trees and surrounded by buildings in brick or white stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately south of here is the building where I spend most of my | ||
| CF | time, Samuel Johnson Hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "we can directly go to any region right" | |
| Lancelot says, "oh yeah the uni" | ||
| DavidW says, "If I recall, own letter remover got an augment so we can make abstracts now. And we saw the synthesizer, but didn't use it." | ||
| Roger says, "yep! And yeah, the university..." | ||
| DavidW says, "And there was a door that needed a keycard to open it." | ||
| Lancelot says, "yeah and we had a key and a card" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your G-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some | ||
| CF | Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a | ||
| CF | clock, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a draft document, Guidebook to | ||
| CF | Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the Standards | ||
| CF | Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, Journal of | ||
| CF | Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the apartment door), a | ||
| CF | leaflet, a letter, a lime, Lives of the Lexicographers, a map | ||
| CF | of Slangovia, a member, a pear, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a | ||
| CF | poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a shopping bag, a | ||
| CF | shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttle, a silver platter, a sin, a sop, a | ||
| CF | stick, Studies in Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a | ||
| CF | tome, some trash, a wig, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Unless we can't use the synth for some reason, you should totally make a keycard." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We have a short hike. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Seminar Room | ||
| CF | They recently redid this room, and whoever picked the decorations had | ||
| CF | postmodern tastes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bookshelves lining the walls contain the department library. On | ||
| CF | the bookshelf is The Problem of Adjectives. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massive plexiglas case takes up one corner of the room. In the | ||
| CF | plexiglas case is a compact but high-powered late model synthesizer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The big table at the center of the room is an irregular polygon, with | ||
| CF | one chair pushed up to the shortest side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | For safety, I shut the door behind us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x case" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CASE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The case is made of very thick protective plastic on a metal frame. It | ||
| CF | is thoroughly locked shut; I don't think we'll have any luck with | ||
| CF | normal forms of approach. However, plexiglas is a cuttable substance | ||
| CF | with the right tools, and then there are the screws at the back. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the plexiglas case is a synthesizer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the plexiglas case with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Is the case a problem to solve?" | |
| Lancelot says, "that sounds like a hint right there" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x screws" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SCREWS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Heavy-duty flathead screws, each about an inch long. They aren't | ||
| CF | sealed over, so it would be possible to unscrew them, given a | ||
| CF | screwdriver. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the screws with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "unscrew screws with screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNSCREW SCREWS WITH SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm sorry if you're feeling frustrated. If you like, you can type | ||
| CF | SAVE to store your progress to a file (in most interpreters), then | ||
| CF | RESTORE to come back to it later. In the meantime, you might try | ||
| CF | searching the web to see if there are hints available. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "well, I know how to get a screwdriver if you don't have one." | |
| Roger says, "I thought we swiped one from the bar, but perhaps not" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to bar" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO BAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We drive out from under the sycamores in the Oval and up Long Street | ||
| CF | to Long Street North. There we pull easily into one of the available | ||
| CF | parking spots, since many people have now gone home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | From there we have a quick walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fleur d'Or Drinks Club | ||
| CF | The back wall is dramatically decorated with bottled liquors of all | ||
| CF | sorts, from gin to cachaça; there's a giant bottle of Campari, taller | ||
| CF | than your average three-year-old, with a red ribbon around its neck. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What makes this place technically a drinks club rather than a bar is | ||
| CF | its license to serve letter-manufactured food and drink. A toolkit on | ||
| CF | the bar contains some screwdrivers, some gimlets, and some rusty | ||
| CF | nails, ready to be transformed into their respective cocktails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | One of the businessmen wanders up to the bar and orders some peanuts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mark notices someone he knows across the room, and waves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hi," the bartender says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bartender gets busy washing up some glassware. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screwdriver is flat-headed, with a red plastic handle and a sturdy | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the screwdriver with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "I thought so too but I dodnt see it in inv" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't dare invade the personal space of the bartender. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "oh we do" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "buy screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BUY SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (the screwdriver from the bartender) | ||
| CF | We order a screwdriver. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mark is sipping his gin and tonic, while the bartender tidies up the | ||
| CF | bar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mark sips his gin and tonic, and there's time to see to our order. The | ||
| CF | bartender fishes around in the toolkit for a screwdriver and sets it | ||
| CF | on the bar with a flourish. Mark is watching this transaction in an | ||
| CF | interested way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "This is good," says the bartender, winking at us both (all?). "You'll | ||
| CF | like this." She raises the homonym paddle unnecessarily high in the | ||
| CF | air and smashes it down hard on the screwdriver. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a crackling discharge of purple-toned lightning, and in place | ||
| CF | of the screwdriver, a cocktail of the same name now sits on the bar. A | ||
| CF | few of the customers applaud. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Just the way you were imagining it, guaranteed." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cocktail of fresh-squeezed orange juice and vodka. It is hardly the | ||
| CF | grandest of cocktails, but it will do. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | screwdriver cocktail is a faint, unappetizing image of a tool form of | ||
| CF | screwdriver. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We turn away from the bartender so she won't see too obviously what | ||
| CF | we're up to. I suppose it doesn't matter, but I wouldn't want her | ||
| CF | feelings to be hurt. We just touch a coated fingertip of gel to the | ||
| CF | Screwdriver. With an audible SPLORT, the Screwdriver becomes a | ||
| CF | screwdriver. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bartender pours someone a daiquiri with plastic monkeys clinging | ||
| CF | to the side of the glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screwdriver is flat-headed, with a red plastic handle and a sturdy | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the screwdriver with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At Long Street South we pull easily into one of the available parking | ||
| CF | spots, since many people have now gone home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Next we make the walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Seminar Room | ||
| CF | They recently redid this room, and whoever picked the decorations had | ||
| CF | postmodern tastes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bookshelves lining the walls contain the department library. On | ||
| CF | the bookshelf is The Problem of Adjectives. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massive plexiglas case takes up one corner of the room. In the | ||
| CF | plexiglas case is a compact but high-powered late model synthesizer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The big table at the center of the room is an irregular polygon, with | ||
| CF | one chair pushed up to the shortest side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | For safety, I shut the door behind us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "unscrew screws with screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNSCREW SCREWS WITH SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm sorry if you're feeling frustrated. If you like, you can type | ||
| CF | SAVE to store your progress to a file (in most interpreters), then | ||
| CF | RESTORE to come back to it later. In the meantime, you might try | ||
| CF | searching the web to see if there are hints available. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take screws" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SCREWS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't think we can pry the screws out with our fingers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "just UNSCREW SCREWS" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "unscrew screws" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNSCREW SCREWS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't think we can pry the screws out with our fingers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "use screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > USE SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your G-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some | ||
| CF | Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a | ||
| CF | clock, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a draft document, Guidebook to | ||
| CF | Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the Standards | ||
| CF | Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, Journal of | ||
| CF | Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the apartment door), a | ||
| CF | leaflet, a letter, a lime, Lives of the Lexicographers, a map | ||
| CF | of Slangovia, a member, a pear, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a | ||
| CF | poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a shopping bag, a | ||
| CF | shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttle, a silver platter, a sin, a sop, a | ||
| CF | stick, Studies in Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a | ||
| CF | tome, some trash, a wig, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "darn it" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to bar" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO BAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We have a short drive out from under the sycamores in the Oval and up | ||
| CF | Long Street over to Long Street North. There we pull easily into one | ||
| CF | of the available parking spots, since many people have now gone home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then it's a brief walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fleur d'Or Drinks Club | ||
| CF | The back wall is dramatically decorated with bottled liquors of all | ||
| CF | sorts, from gin to cachaça; there's a giant bottle of Campari, taller | ||
| CF | than your average three-year-old, with a red ribbon around its neck. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What makes this place technically a drinks club rather than a bar is | ||
| CF | its license to serve letter-manufactured food and drink. A toolkit on | ||
| CF | the bar contains some screwdrivers, some gimlets, and some rusty | ||
| CF | nails, ready to be transformed into their respective cocktails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mark is talking with the bartender about the weather in Atlantis. The | ||
| CF | other patrons are scattered around the room at small tables, drinking | ||
| CF | or talking among themselves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is also a screwdriver on the bar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello," the bartender says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take screwdriver" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SCREWDRIVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the screwdriver. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bartender constructs a garish layered blue-and-white drink in a | ||
| CF | very tall glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Once we get to Long Street South we pull easily into one of the | ||
| CF | available parking spots, since many people have now gone home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Next we have a short hike. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Seminar Room | ||
| CF | They recently redid this room, and whoever picked the decorations had | ||
| CF | postmodern tastes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bookshelves lining the walls contain the department library. There | ||
| CF | is The Problem of Adjectives on the bookshelf. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massive plexiglas case takes up one corner of the room. There is a | ||
| CF | compact but high-powered late model synthesizer in the plexiglas case. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The big table at the center of the room is an irregular polygon, with | ||
| CF | one chair pushed up to the shortest side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | For safety, I shut the door behind us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "unscrew screws" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNSCREW SCREWS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We squeeze ourselves against the wall and angle to reach the screws | ||
| CF | with the screwdriver. I start on the first screw when— | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Is someone in the Seminar Room?" asks a male voice in the hall. "I | ||
| CF | thought I heard something." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I don't think so." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a listening silence from outside. We hold absolutely still. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Finally the footsteps move away again. It's probably safe to try again | ||
| CF | now, when I'm feeling a tiny bit calmer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I guess it was left on the counter." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "g" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > G | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We awkwardly and silently squeeze against the wall and angle ourself | ||
| CF | so that we can reach the screws with the screwdriver. It's annoying | ||
| CF | work, but eventually we do work all the screws free enough that the | ||
| CF | case could be opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open case" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN CASE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the plexiglas case. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take crossword" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CROSSWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the crossword. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "yeah there goes our pack rat reputation down the drain" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is designed to accept two items and then be turned on. It is shiny | ||
| CF | and white, and looks a little like a bathtub for very short people. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the synthesizer with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put key in synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT KEY IN SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Voices from the hallway. I freeze. For a moment we hear them all too | ||
| CF | sharply: "You check downstairs, I'll ask the professors." It's a | ||
| CF | conversation of security guards, or police, or Bureau Officers. | ||
| CF | Someone is being looked for. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then it's over. We put the key into the synthesizer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put card in synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT CARD IN SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your G-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some | ||
| CF | Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a | ||
| CF | clock, a crossword, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a draft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a leaflet, a letter, a | ||
| CF | lime, Lives of the Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a | ||
| CF | member, a pear, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which | ||
| CF | opens the sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, a shopping bag, a shred, a | ||
| CF | shrimp tail, a shuttle, a silver platter, a sin, a sop, a stick, | ||
| CF | Studies in Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, | ||
| CF | some trash, a wig, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "did we transform the card?" | |
| DavidW asks, "The card is currently our car, isn't it?" | ||
| Roger says, "yeah I guess so" | ||
| Lancelot says, "I am sure we had one" | ||
| Lancelot says, "aww" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to car" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Long Street South | ||
| CF | Long Street is lined on each side with a double-row of tall, anemic | ||
| CF | palm trees that bend towards one another many feet overhead. We are | ||
| CF | now in the southern part of this long corridor, between the Canadian | ||
| CF | Embassy and Arbot Maps & Antiques. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our car is parked nearby. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Long Street North, south to Palm Square, and west | ||
| CF | to Arbot Maps & Antiques from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x car" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is little larger than a toy, but that is what you want when driving | ||
| CF | on the streets around here. Any substantial vehicle wouldn't fit down | ||
| CF | the winding drives. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the car with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on car" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON CAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the car. | ||
| CF | With an audible SPLORT, the car becomes some chard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take chard" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CHARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick the chard, leaving bare soil behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A flicker of curtains from inside the house suggests that someone saw | ||
| CF | us — a cleaner, possibly. But then there is a voice, not audible | ||
| CF | except as a confident rising and falling tone; this will be my mother, | ||
| CF | saying not to worry and not to interfere. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "whoops, game got confused" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove h from chard" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE H FROM CHARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an H-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The chard gives way to the card. This time it's the Tower. It | ||
| CF | represents the Tower of Babel being struck by lightning. The top of | ||
| CF | the tower is falling over, and terrified builders run in every | ||
| CF | direction. In Atlantean terms it is the end of the world. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a quick walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Seminar Room | ||
| CF | They recently redid this room, and whoever picked the decorations had | ||
| CF | postmodern tastes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massive plexiglas case takes up one corner of the room. In the | ||
| CF | plexiglas case is a compact but high-powered late model synthesizer. | ||
| CF | There is a key in the compact but high-powered late model synthesizer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bookshelves lining the walls contain the department library. There | ||
| CF | is The Problem of Adjectives on the bookshelf. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The big table at the center of the room is an irregular polygon, with | ||
| CF | one chair pushed up to the shortest side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can also see some screws here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | For safety, I shut the door behind us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put card in synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 53 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT CARD IN SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the card into the synthesizer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn on synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 54 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN ON SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The synthesizer hums like a microwave oven for 43 seconds, then pings. | ||
| CF | Inside there is a keycard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point and is now fifty-four.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take keycard" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE KEYCARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the keycard. An electronic pass card with a powerful-looking | ||
| CF | stripe down the back side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now | ||
| CF | fifty-seven.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northeast through the seminar door (closed) to Samuel | ||
| CF | Johnson Hall from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "hello pinkunz" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the seminar door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. The department office, | ||
| CF | with several professorial offices leading off of it, is to the | ||
| CF | southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, where many of the | ||
| CF | upper-level courses occur, and which also contains the department | ||
| CF | library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate students and | ||
| CF | junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the interesting door. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "might take the screws too, I suppose. oh well" | |
| DavidW says, "I type too slow" | ||
| Roger says, "good thinking. It's okay I'll return" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the brief walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Seminar Room | ||
| CF | They recently redid this room, and whoever picked the decorations had | ||
| CF | postmodern tastes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bookshelves lining the walls contain the department library. There | ||
| CF | is The Problem of Adjectives on the bookshelf. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massive plexiglas case takes up one corner of the room. There is a | ||
| CF | compact but high-powered late model synthesizer in the plexiglas case. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The big table at the center of the room is an irregular polygon, with | ||
| CF | one chair pushed up to the shortest side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can also see some screws here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | For safety, I shut the door behind us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take screws" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SCREWS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the screws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Pinkunz says, "Hello, sorry for being late." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne.d." | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE.D. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the seminar door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. The department office, | ||
| CF | with several professorial offices leading off of it, is to the | ||
| CF | southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, where many of the | ||
| CF | upper-level courses occur, and which also contains the department | ||
| CF | library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate students and | ||
| CF | junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the interesting door. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Pinkunz has arrived. | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We unlock the small door with a swipe of the keycard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the small door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Before we go through the door to the Rectification Room, it occurs to | ||
| CF | us that Professor Brown is just next door, and that he is likely to be | ||
| CF | able to hear if we do anything in there. Possibly some kind of masking | ||
| CF | noise is in order. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hi Pinkunz" | |
| Pinkunz says, "Hello" | ||
| Roger says, "hmm" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your H-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some | ||
| CF | Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a | ||
| CF | clock, a crossword, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a draft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a keycard (which opens the | ||
| CF | small door), a leaflet, a letter, a lime, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a pear, a pic, a | ||
| CF | pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron | ||
| CF | gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp | ||
| CF | tail, a shuttle, a silver platter, a sin, a sop, a stick, Studies | ||
| CF | in Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a | ||
| CF | wig, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Pinkunz says, "Still CM" | |
| Jade says, "hello pinkunz" | ||
| Lancelot says, "hi Pinkunz" | ||
| Lancelot says, "yep" | ||
| Pinkunz waves at everyone. | ||
| DavidW asks, "I wonder what sort of noise. A radio? A band?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x band" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BAND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A paper strip used to keep printed materials together before | ||
| CF | distribution. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the band with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "we can transform it in a band making music?" | |
| Roger says, "it could possibly get paddled; hrm." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. At | ||
| CF | the moment it stands invitingly open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the interesting door. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "uh, probably not. We'd need the paddle and it's probably not allowed to make people." | |
| Lancelot says, "oh right\" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm not sure what else would be noisy and harmless." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Is the prof a tinkerer?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "We have a jigsaw (puzzle), yes? If we made it into the cutting tool (which probably cuts plexiglass too) and gave it to him, could he make enough noise on his own?" | ||
| Roger says, "hmmm maybe" | ||
| DavidW says, "Assuming he wants a jigsaw." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "sw" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brown's Lab | ||
| CF | Professor Brown, the Reification of Abstracts researcher, is hunched | ||
| CF | over his work table. He is wearing steel-rimmed spectacles and a worn | ||
| CF | leather jacket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A mare's nest of electrical equipment occupies most of the top of the | ||
| CF | work table. Brown uses this stuff to measure the amount of energy it | ||
| CF | requires to reify abstract concepts such as "talk". He has a theory, | ||
| CF | apparently, that by measuring the minute variations of input energy | ||
| CF | required to create these items, he can establish baseline indications | ||
| CF | about how much certain words are used by English-speakers worldwide; | ||
| CF | ten, fifty, or a hundred years from now, this data will allow | ||
| CF | researchers to determine whether these same words have become more or | ||
| CF | less popular relative to other words. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a little weird. Abstract reifications are one of the absolute | ||
| CF | coolest things in language studies — Professor Higgate calls them the | ||
| CF | dark matter of language — but Brown has managed to pick the very most | ||
| CF | boring research project to perform on them, and one which moreover is | ||
| CF | guaranteed to prevent him having any results worth publishing any time | ||
| CF | in the next two decades. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This pretty much sums up everything you need to know about the guy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Don't touch anything, please," he says, without looking up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "a jig is a song" | |
| DavidW says, "hm. doesn't sound like he'd want one." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x crossword" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CROSSWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It looks like it's been snipped out of Chard-Farmer's Weekly, but it | ||
| CF | hasn't been filled in at all. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | crossword is a faint, greenish image of a cross and a word. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on crossword" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON CROSSWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | crossword. With an audible SPLORT, the crossword becomes a word and a | ||
| CF | cross. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm inclined to ask what he thinks about the word. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask brown about word" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BROWN ABOUT WORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We demonstrate the word. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "It's odd, isn't it? You'd think this would somehow reveal something | ||
| CF | about the nature of words, but all it does is point to other words." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x word" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the moment, the word is "figure", floating about in unmistakable | ||
| CF | Hoefler lettering. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | word is a faint, greenish image of a sword. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x cross" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CROSS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's handsome, made of metal, the sort of thing that might adorn a | ||
| CF | church altar; I don't have the expertise to say whether it's | ||
| CF | especially valuable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the cross with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask brown about sin" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BROWN ABOUT SIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Professor Brown thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to | ||
| CF | answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I suppose if you ever find a PASS, you can make a PASSWORD." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x clock" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CLOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It appears to be one of those archetypal alarm clocks that crows at | ||
| CF | sunrise and generally makes a nuisance of itself. It shows the time to | ||
| CF | be about five to five. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the clock with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "set alarm" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SET ALARM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "set clock" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SET CLOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That is insufficiently exact — we'd have to set the clock to | ||
| CF | something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "I do not know how much time Emily spent on building this game but its scope is getting bigger every play session looks like" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x alarm" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ALARM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "set clock to 5" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SET CLOCK TO 5 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We set the clock to 5:00 am. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "set clock to 6" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SET CLOCK TO 6 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We set the clock to 6:00 am. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "set clock to 7" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SET CLOCK TO 7 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We set the clock to 7:00 am. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "set clock to 8" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SET CLOCK TO 8 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We set the clock to 8:00 am. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "set clock to 9" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SET CLOCK TO 9 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We set the clock to 9:00 am. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "set clock to 4" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SET CLOCK TO 4 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We set the clock to 4:00 am. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oh the scope is insane. No one but Emily could have written this game." | |
| Roger says, "hrm this feels like the right angle, if we can figure out sunrise." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x almanac" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ALMANAC | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your H-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some | ||
| CF | Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a | ||
| CF | clock, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a draft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a keycard (which opens the | ||
| CF | small door), a leaflet, a letter, a lime, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a pear, a pic, a | ||
| CF | pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron | ||
| CF | gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp | ||
| CF | tail, a shuttle, a silver platter, a sin, a sop, a stick, Studies | ||
| CF | in Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a | ||
| CF | wig, a word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up sunrise" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP SUNRISE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We flip through Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, but find no | ||
| CF | reference to sunrise. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I remember once synthing PI and a CARD together." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to farmer" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO FARMER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm a little confused about how to find the farmer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask brown about sunrise" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK BROWN ABOUT SUNRISE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Professor Brown thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to | ||
| CF | answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "we could do a binary search but there must be an easier way" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove m from lime" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE M FROM LIME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an M-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We acquire the lime. A small, wrinkled, intense-looking fruit: it | ||
| CF | wouldn't give much juice, but is likely very strong. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a distinct spearmint flavor, and the lime turns into a lie. | ||
| CF | It changes from moment to moment. Currently it reads: | ||
| CF | The two of you are very well-suited co-conspirators. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hm. Awkward item, isn't it? Make a nice conversation piece for the | ||
| CF | home. Set it on the mantelpiece and watch it gossip about your guests. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | lie is a faint, greenish image of a lime. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe we'll come back to this" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "sw" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northeast to Samuel Johnson Basement from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. At | ||
| CF | the moment it stands invitingly open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the interesting door. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x carton" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CARTON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The large carton is empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the large carton with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take carton" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CARTON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's fixed in place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I defer to your judgment that we ought to provide some masking sound | ||
| CF | before proceeding. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to bartender" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO BARTENDER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Who do we mean, the 1) barman or the 2) bartender? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to bar" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO BAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a fair walk out from under the sycamores in the Oval and up Long | ||
| CF | Street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fleur d'Or Drinks Club | ||
| CF | The back wall is dramatically decorated with bottled liquors of all | ||
| CF | sorts, from gin to cachaça; there's a giant bottle of Campari, taller | ||
| CF | than your average three-year-old, with a red ribbon around its neck. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What makes this place technically a drinks club rather than a bar is | ||
| CF | its license to serve letter-manufactured food and drink. A toolkit on | ||
| CF | the bar contains some screwdrivers, some gimlets, and some rusty | ||
| CF | nails, ready to be transformed into their respective cocktails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mark sips his gin and tonic and surveys the other patrons. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bartender is carrying a gimlet, a rusty nail, and a homonym | ||
| CF | paddle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hi there," the bartender says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show band to bartender" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW BAND TO BARTENDER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Here, have a look at this," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The band would be bigger than I want to generate in here," comments | ||
| CF | the bartender. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mark is sipping his gin and tonic, while the bartender tidies up the | ||
| CF | bar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "jigsaw?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "show jigsaw to bartender" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW JIGSAW TO BARTENDER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What do you make of this?" we ask, showing off the jigsaw. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She shrugs good-naturedly, hits the jigsaw with the paddle, and grins | ||
| CF | at us. We look down at what we're holding: It's a portable power saw | ||
| CF | with the ability to slice right through wood or plastic. Dewalt | ||
| CF | cordless, if you're interested, with a massive battery. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take jigsaw" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE JIGSAW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We already have that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your M-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some | ||
| CF | Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a | ||
| CF | clock, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a draft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a keycard (which opens the | ||
| CF | small door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a pear, a pic, a | ||
| CF | pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron | ||
| CF | gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp | ||
| CF | tail, a shuttle, a silver platter, a sin, a sop, a stick, Studies | ||
| CF | in Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a | ||
| CF | wig, a word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "hm. So if we turn it on, does it make noise?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn on jigsaw" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN ON JIGSAW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We switch the jigsaw on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x jigsaw" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X JIGSAW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a portable power saw with the ability to slice right through wood | ||
| CF | or plastic. Dewalt cordless, if you're interested, with a massive | ||
| CF | battery. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The jigsaw is currently switched on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | jigsaw is a faint, greenish image of a jigsaw. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmm maybe" | |
| DavidW says, "like, logically it ought to be noisy, but it isn't obviously so, it seems." | ||
| Lancelot says, "sounds like something which should produce enough noise" | ||
| Lancelot says, "hmm" | ||
| DavidW says, "try it I guess." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to brown" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO BROWN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do we mean, 1) Professor Brown, the 2) brown tree, or the 3) | ||
| CF | brown tee? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "1" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the rather tiring walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brown's Lab | ||
| CF | A mare's nest of electrical equipment occupies most of the top of the | ||
| CF | work table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can see steel-rimmed spectacles on Professor Brown. Brown seems to | ||
| CF | be simultaneously cultivating the image of rebel (age 17) and | ||
| CF | absent-minded professor (age 65). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He is wearing a worn leather jacket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Don't touch anything, please," he says, without looking up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show jigsaw to brown" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW JIGSAW TO BROWN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Here, have a look at this," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This evokes no particular interest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northeast to Samuel Johnson Basement from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. At | ||
| CF | the moment it stands invitingly open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the interesting door. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | Jade says, "I don't remember the source of noise by now" | |
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I defer to your judgment that we ought to provide some masking sound | ||
| CF | before proceeding. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drop jigsaw. w." | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DROP JIGSAW. W. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'll just leave that in the carton; less likely to be disturbed there. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the jigsaw into the large carton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I defer to your judgment that we ought to provide some masking sound | ||
| CF | before proceeding. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take jigsaw" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE JIGSAW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the jigsaw. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "turn it off?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn off jigsaw" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN OFF JIGSAW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We switch the jigsaw off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x as" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X AS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Roman coin of very low denomination. It is made of copper and has | ||
| CF | the letters S C stamped on one side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | as is a faint, greenish image of a pastis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "starting to forget some of the originals" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x cate" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rarely found in the singular, a cate is something delicious: it comes | ||
| CF | from the same roots as "caterer". At any rate, this lovely little | ||
| CF | confection, with its layers of shiny-smooth chocolate and sliced | ||
| CF | strawberry and rum-soaked cake, its chocolate-shaving frills and piped | ||
| CF | cream, could have come from the best Paris confiserie. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | cate is a faint, unappetizing image of a crate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "So, what else makes noise? A TV? A printer? Babies? Sirens?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove f from document" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE F FROM DOCUMENT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an F-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "drat document": | ||
| CF | evidently "document" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't | ||
| CF | be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove r from document" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE R FROM DOCUMENT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an R-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a smell of anise, and the draft document turns into a daft | ||
| CF | document. It's a long print-off from a website, concerning the virtues | ||
| CF | of the toxi waste scheme, complete with instructions about | ||
| CF | how to forward your money and lobby your representatives, if any. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | daft document is a faint, greenish image of a draft document. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "worth it, but not immediately helpful" | |
| Roger says, "maybe I'll see if I can find that grumpy guard again" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to guard" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO GUARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to scanner" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO SCANNER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to gate" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO GATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We have a rather tiring hike out from under the sycamores in the Oval | ||
| CF | and up Long Street to the Monumental Staircase. From there we have an | ||
| CF | invigorating climb up, with the view of the sea getting better and | ||
| CF | better as we go (but of course looking requires stopping to gaze back | ||
| CF | over our shoulder). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | From there it's a short walk from the kitschy splendor of the fair | ||
| CF | along the old walls and into the placid sunlight among the villas of | ||
| CF | the rich. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roget Close | ||
| CF | A pleasantly sheltered lane in which I learned to ride a bicycle, and | ||
| CF | where my friend Lucy used to live, before she and her parents moved | ||
| CF | off-island. Restrictions were looser even twenty years ago. Our old | ||
| CF | schoolhouse is just west of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you look just north between the houses, you'll notice also the | ||
| CF | footpath down to an almost-private beach. It used to be open, but it's | ||
| CF | now gated off, and built into the gate is a chic modern sculpture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have a fleeting thought of your crew's skill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh gosh that's way out here" | |
| Roger says, "oh we're back at the mirror tool though. Hmmm." | ||
| DavidW says, "I suggest not turning the WORD into a DROW." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Winding Footpath, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We slip between the houses and down a path that looks as though it | ||
| CF | might someone's back yard. No one has ever put up signage to correct | ||
| CF | this misapprehension because no one who lives around here is eager to | ||
| CF | encourage strangers on the private beach. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Soon, however, the footpath begins to descend purposefully towards the | ||
| CF | level of the ocean. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Winding Footpath | ||
| CF | The footpath winds between the villas, sloping steeply downward. It is | ||
| CF | narrow, and bushes left and right conceal it even from the windows of | ||
| CF | the people living nearby. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roget Close | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove e from pear" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE E FROM PEAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an E-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the pear. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a mad-scientist cackle, and the pear turns into a par. Rather | ||
| CF | weakly represented by a golfing score-card, filled out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | par is a faint, greenish image of a pearl. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "a drow lol" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put par on mirror" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PAR ON MIRROR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the par on the pedestal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mirror rotates in leisurely fashion, and when it is done there is | ||
| CF | a rap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x rap" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X RAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A pulsating ball of angry air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | rap is a faint, greenish image of a pearl. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take rap" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the rap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It details the singer's dislike of suspicious Bureau men who only give | ||
| CF | trouble to guys with accents. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "that looks kind of promising" | |
| Lancelot says, "neat" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "listen to rap" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LISTEN TO RAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It describes the pleasures of driving a Chevy Impala down the coast | ||
| CF | road to Maiana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "yeah. Drop that in Brown's bin." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove w from rap" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE W FROM RAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a W-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The letter-remover finds no w in the rap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It describes the pleasures of a swimming pool full of Cristal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove w from wrap" | ||
| CF ] Roget Close, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE W FROM WRAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a W-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a flash of red light, and the wrap turns into a rap. A | ||
| CF | pulsating ball of angry air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | rap is a faint, greenish image of a wrap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap details the singer's dislike of gold-diggers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "now they can have a rap battle" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to professor brown" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO PROFESSOR BROWN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We have a lengthy hike. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brown's Lab | ||
| CF | Professor Brown, the Reification of Abstracts researcher, is hunched | ||
| CF | over his work table. He is wearing steel-rimmed spectacles and a worn | ||
| CF | leather jacket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A mare's nest of electrical equipment occupies most of the top of the | ||
| CF | work table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of driving a Chevy Impala down the | ||
| CF | coast road to Maiana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Don't touch anything, please," he says, without looking up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] Brown's Lab, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northeast to Samuel Johnson Basement from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of stealing a depluralizing tank for a | ||
| CF | joyride. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. At | ||
| CF | the moment it stands invitingly open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the interesting door. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap details the singer's dislike of suspicious Bureau men who only | ||
| CF | give trouble to guys with accents. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "uhhh, don't know if you actually get two raps. You might've lost one." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put rap in carton" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT RAP IN CARTON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the rap into the large carton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap details the singer's dislike of gold-diggers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put rap in carton" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT RAP IN CARTON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the rap into the large carton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "my words hit like an anagram bullet". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in carton" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN CARTON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the large carton are two raps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "colder than a rifle shot, restoration to | ||
| CF | the real". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rectification Room | ||
| CF | This is where equipment is brought for a tune-up, or to have its legal | ||
| CF | limits reinstalled (or, on rare occasions, removed). Access to these | ||
| CF | abilities is tightly controlled by the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reclamation machine stands near the door, ready to improve | ||
| CF | forbidden objects for the use of registered departmental users. It's | ||
| CF | very ordinary looking, a simple machine with leads able to attach to | ||
| CF | various linguistic equipment, and to read and rewrite the programming. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger exclaims, "hurrah!" | |
| DavidW says, "I think this device removes another limitation from our remover." | ||
| Jade says, "cool" | ||
| DavidW says, "Use this, and we can make living things." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x machine" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MACHINE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put a piece of linguistic equipment into the reclamation machine | ||
| CF | and the machine reprograms it. Attached to the machine is a computer | ||
| CF | which manages its behavior. Currently the machine is closed: I assume | ||
| CF | we use the computer to open it for service. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the reclamation machine with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Pinkunz exclaims, "yay!" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "open machine" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN MACHINE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The opening is controlled by the computer portion of the machine. It | ||
| CF | can't just be forced open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "cool" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x computer" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X COMPUTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reclamation computer is currently switched off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the reclamation computer with | ||
| CF | the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn on computer" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN ON COMPUTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reclamation computer chimes cheerfully. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A box on the screen invites you to type a password to proceed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight reclamation security with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "aha" | |
| DavidW says, "heh. You DO need a password!" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your W-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some | ||
| CF | Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a | ||
| CF | clock, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a keycard (which opens the | ||
| CF | small door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a pic, a pill, a | ||
| CF | pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a | ||
| CF | screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a | ||
| CF | shuttle, a silver platter, a sin, a sop, a stick, Studies in | ||
| CF | Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a | ||
| CF | wig, a word, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "your intuition was correct lol" | |
| DavidW asks, "Do you have a pass?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "yeah it's in the keypass" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > YEAH IT'S IN THE KEYPASS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "yeah it's in the keypass" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the hike. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Seminar Room | ||
| CF | They recently redid this room, and whoever picked the decorations had | ||
| CF | postmodern tastes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bookshelves lining the walls contain the department library. On | ||
| CF | the bookshelf is The Problem of Adjectives. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massive plexiglas case takes up one corner of the room. There is a | ||
| CF | compact but high-powered late model synthesizer in the plexiglas case. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The big table at the center of the room is an irregular polygon, with | ||
| CF | one chair pushed up to the shortest side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | For safety, I shut the door behind us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on keypass" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON KEYPASS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh wait no it's not" | |
| DavidW asks, "what's a keypass?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your W-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, a roll, some | ||
| CF | Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, an as, some asparagus, a ball, | ||
| CF | a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a cate, a | ||
| CF | clock, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a keycard (which opens the | ||
| CF | small door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a pic, a pill, a | ||
| CF | pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a | ||
| CF | screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a | ||
| CF | shuttle, a silver platter, a sin, a sop, a stick, Studies in | ||
| CF | Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a | ||
| CF | wig, a word, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "oh, the AS was a PASTIS, wasn't it?" | |
| Roger says, "hrm yes" | ||
| DavidW says, "make the PASS from that." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on as" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON AS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out fingertip-coating quantity of gel and rub it gently onto | ||
| CF | the as. With an audible SPLORT, the as becomes a pastis. An | ||
| CF | anise-flavored liqueur. It's an acquired taste, but now that I've | ||
| CF | acquired it, I like to exercise the acquisition as frequently as | ||
| CF | possible. You may not be as big a fan, for which I apologize | ||
| CF | in advance. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove i from pastis" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE I FROM PASTIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an I-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a mad-scientist cackle, and the pastis turns into some pasts. | ||
| CF | One of those odd fragmentary half-objects the I-remover produces when | ||
| CF | challenged by an abstract noun. It looks from the side like a shard of | ||
| CF | glass, but seen straight on, it captures previous events. At the | ||
| CF | moment it is replaying us listening to the rap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | pasts is a faint, greenish image of a pastis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "dang now Emily is just showing off" | |
| DavidW says, "uh-huh" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from pasts" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM PASTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a salmon cloud, and the pasts turn into a pass. A Bureau of | ||
| CF | Orthography visiting pass, a very valuable commodity in these parts. | ||
| CF | Forging one is grounds for imprisonment. There is a picture on the | ||
| CF | front that looks more or less like us, though with considerably more | ||
| CF | hair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | pass is a faint, greenish image of a pastis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh that'll be useful too at some point, I bet" | |
| DavidW says, "yeah, I vaguely recall a passcard needed much later." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put pass in synthesizer. put word in synthesizer. turn on synthesizer." | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASS IN SYNTHESIZER. PUT WORD IN SYNTHESIZER. TURN ON | ||
| CF | SYNTHESIZER. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the pass into the synthesizer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the word into the synthesizer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The synthesizer hums like a microwave oven for 43 seconds, then pings. | ||
| CF | Inside there is a password. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take password" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PASSWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the password. A glowing series of numbers and figures in the | ||
| CF | air, which changes and flickers now and then. Probably responding to | ||
| CF | its surroundings. It seems unstable just now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "showing off or not, it is an impressive feat no matter what" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to rap" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO RAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a quick hike. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. At | ||
| CF | the moment it stands invitingly open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the Rectification Room. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." The large | ||
| CF | carton contains two raps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "my words hit like an anagram bullet". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rectification Room | ||
| CF | This is where equipment is brought for a tune-up, or to have its legal | ||
| CF | limits reinstalled (or, on rare occasions, removed). Access to these | ||
| CF | abilities is tightly controlled by the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reclamation machine stands near the door, ready to improve | ||
| CF | forbidden objects for the use of registered departmental users. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show password to computer" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW PASSWORD TO COMPUTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "we are in the right way" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn on computer" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN ON COMPUTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's already on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "type password?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "type password" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TYPE PASSWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We carefully key in "4tsaj39nbtz". The password field vanishes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the top of the screen is the message STATUS: REMOVING LEGAL LIMITS | ||
| CF | ON ANIMAL-CREATION. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The following options are visible on the screen: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1: RESTORE ABSTRACTION LIMITS | ||
| CF | 2: REMOVE ABSTRACTION LIMITS | ||
| CF | 3: RESTORE ANIMAL-CREATION LIMITS | ||
| CF | 4: REMOVE ANIMAL-CREATION LIMITS | ||
| CF | 5: QUIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the reclamations operation | ||
| CF | program with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "push 4" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 57 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUSH 4 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reclamation machine slides open. The computer gives a warning | ||
| CF | noise that appears to mean "If you are really sure, okay..." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put remover in machine" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT REMOVER IN MACHINE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We drop the letter-remover through the machine. There's a brief flash | ||
| CF | and hum from the machine, just as though it were making a photocopy. | ||
| CF | Then a recording of a woman's voice speaks, loudly and cheerily: | ||
| CF | LIFTING LEGAL LIMITS NOW — a point that might draw undesired | ||
| CF | attention | ||
| CF | our way if it weren't masked by the noise outside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The letter-remover comes out again looking exactly the same as when it | ||
| CF | went in. But it should now be able to make living creatures at need. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reclamation machine clanks shut. The security program comes up | ||
| CF | again on screen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now sixty.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "animal" | |
| Lancelot says, "yay" | ||
| Roger says, "we have become unto a god" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x computer" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X COMPUTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reclamation computer is currently switched on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A box on the screen invites you to type a password to proceed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight reclamation security with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take remover" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE REMOVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We already have that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hrm I guess there's no reason for the gel to need this power. Probably." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter password" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER PASSWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We carefully key in "4tsaj39nbtz". The password field vanishes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the top of the screen is the message STATUS: REMOVING LEGAL LIMITS | ||
| CF | ON ANIMAL-CREATION. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The following options are visible on the screen: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1: RESTORE ABSTRACTION LIMITS | ||
| CF | 2: REMOVE ABSTRACTION LIMITS | ||
| CF | 3: RESTORE ANIMAL-CREATION LIMITS | ||
| CF | 4: REMOVE ANIMAL-CREATION LIMITS | ||
| CF | 5: QUIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the reclamations operation | ||
| CF | program with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "push 4" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUSH 4 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reclamation machine slides open. The computer gives a warning | ||
| CF | noise that appears to mean "If you are really sure, okay..." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I think only the remover can be altered" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel in machine" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL IN MACHINE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reclamation machine wouldn't be able to make much of the | ||
| CF | restoration gel, and there's always the risk of attracting undesired | ||
| CF | attention. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put monocle in machine" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT MONOCLE IN MACHINE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We gently remove the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The reclamation machine wouldn't be able to make much of the monocle, | ||
| CF | and there's always the risk of attracting undesired attention. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take monocle" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We already have that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear monocle" | ||
| CF ] Rectification Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Everything turns computer-monitor green when viewed through our right | ||
| CF | eye. And staring fixedly at anything will turn up its authenticity | ||
| CF | status. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Basement | ||
| CF | Dank and malodorous: there are no windows down here, and the drainage | ||
| CF | is terrible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stairs up are here; the lecture room at the east. Immediately | ||
| CF | south is the Graduate Student Office, and southwest is Professor | ||
| CF | Brown's office. The most interesting of all is the small door west, | ||
| CF | trying to look inconspicuous, but locked with a keycard lock: it's | ||
| CF | where the department stores its most dangerous licensed equipment. At | ||
| CF | the moment it stands invitingly open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large open carton stands against the wall right between Brown's lab | ||
| CF | door and the Rectification Room. "Recycling," reads the sign over the | ||
| CF | carton. "Place your lab-created items here for processing." The large | ||
| CF | carton contains two raps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of a swimming pool full of Cristal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take all raps" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Basement, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ALL RAPS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | rap: We take the rap. | ||
| CF | rap: We take the rap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It details the singer's dislike of suspicious Bureau men who only give | ||
| CF | trouble to guys with accents. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "okay let's see" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to bureau" | ||
| CF ] Heritage Corner, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO BUREAU | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the walk out from under the sycamores in the Oval and up Long | ||
| CF | Street as far as the Monumental Staircase. From there we have a | ||
| CF | healthy climb up, with the view of the sea getting better and better | ||
| CF | as we go. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Heritage Corner | ||
| CF | This patch of the town square has been paved over in octagonal bricks | ||
| CF | and is commonly used for displays of traditional dancing: over-50 | ||
| CF | women in home-made embroidered aprons, skipping arm-in-arm and jumping | ||
| CF | over broomsticks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Under a bit of shelter in the corner, a diorama table shows scenes | ||
| CF | from local history, rotated out each week. This week's diorama | ||
| CF | represents the first sitting of the Committee for the New Orthodox | ||
| CF | Orthography. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The park continues to the north and west; to the east is the hostel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap details the singer's dislike of gold-diggers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hrm no this isn't it..." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to university" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO UNIVERSITY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We hike. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | University Oval | ||
| CF | This is the center of the university, a broad grassy oval shaded with | ||
| CF | sycamore trees and surrounded by buildings in brick or white stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately south of here is the building where I spend most of my | ||
| CF | time, Samuel Johnson Hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "colder than a rifle shot, restoration to | ||
| CF | the real". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northwest through the sturdy iron gate to Palm Square and | ||
| CF | south to Samuel Johnson Hall from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "my words hit like an anagram bullet". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "nw" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | Palm Square is the beginning of the university district. To the | ||
| CF | southeast, through the iron gate, is the university campus proper; and | ||
| CF | that unobtrusive little doorway directly south of us leads into the | ||
| CF | Babel Café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I live in the apartment complex that runs along the west side of the | ||
| CF | square — in fact, my apartment door is immediately to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My bathroom window is closed, but not, of course, latched. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap details the singer's dislike of suspicious Bureau men who only | ||
| CF | give trouble to guys with accents. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Speak to Professor Waterstone and get his invitation to see the | ||
| CF | T-inserter | ||
| CF | Gain entrance to the Bureau | ||
| CF | Find Brock | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to waterstone" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO WATERSTONE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do we mean, the 1) framed photograph of Professor Waterstone or | ||
| CF | 2) Professor Waterstone? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "2" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 2 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the short hike over to the Language Studies Department Office. | ||
| CF | Unfortunately, you find you lack a key that fits Waterstone's office | ||
| CF | door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Department Office | ||
| CF | This big, slightly drab area holds such useful objects as the | ||
| CF | mailboxes and secretary's computer. On ordinary days the secretary | ||
| CF | would be in as well, presiding over affairs. The offices of individual | ||
| CF | professors lie north and west, though both doors are closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The printer also sits on the u-shaped desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of stealing a depluralizing tank for a | ||
| CF | joyride. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You lack a key that fits Waterstone's office door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap details the singer's dislike of gold-diggers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x door" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do we mean, 1) Waterstone's office door or 2) Higgate's office | ||
| CF | door? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "1" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Unlike most office doors, it has a special glass window in it allowing | ||
| CF | Waterstone to survey everything that goes on outside even when he is | ||
| CF | locked in. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight Waterstone's office door with | ||
| CF | the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x window" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's nearly the width of the door, and fills most of the upper half of | ||
| CF | the frame. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the special glass window with | ||
| CF | the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "cut window with jigsaw" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CUT WINDOW WITH JIGSAW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I think that would only make a mess. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of driving a Chevy Impala down the | ||
| CF | coast road to Maiana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "hmm" | |
| Lancelot says, "can we remove the n" | ||
| Roger says, "maybe we just need to re-make the key" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x keycard" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X KEYCARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An electronic pass card with a powerful-looking stripe down the back | ||
| CF | side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The keycard unlocks the small door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on keycard" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON KEYCARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out fingertip-coating quantity of gel and rub it gently onto | ||
| CF | the keycard. With an audible SPLORT, the keycard becomes a card and a | ||
| CF | key. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of a swimming pool full of Cristal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x key" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X KEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's made of an extremely ordinary blank. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The key unlocks the apartment door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hrm" | |
| DavidW asks, "I think the document told you that the prof was interested in words that are half rude but not rude in compound words?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to bar" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO BAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We have a healthy walk out from under the sycamores in the Oval and up | ||
| CF | Long Street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fleur d'Or Drinks Club | ||
| CF | The back wall is dramatically decorated with bottled liquors of all | ||
| CF | sorts, from gin to cachaça; there's a giant bottle of Campari, taller | ||
| CF | than your average three-year-old, with a red ribbon around its neck. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What makes this place technically a drinks club rather than a bar is | ||
| CF | its license to serve letter-manufactured food and drink. A toolkit on | ||
| CF | the bar contains some screwdrivers, some gimlets, and some rusty | ||
| CF | nails, ready to be transformed into their respective cocktails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bartender is pouring a pink beverage for one of the customers, | ||
| CF | preparing the rim with a bit of flamed orange peel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mark sips his gin and tonic and surveys the other patrons. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of stealing a depluralizing tank for a | ||
| CF | joyride. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello," the bartender says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bartender is laughing at something Mark just said to her. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh yeah that sounds vaguely familiar" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "show key to bartender" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW KEY TO BARTENDER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What do you make of this?" we ask, showing off the key. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I don't think that would turn into anything," says the bartender. She | ||
| CF | taps it with the paddle to demonstrate. "See? No change." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of a swimming pool full of Cristal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to lecture" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO LECTURE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do we mean, Lecture Hall (at the podium) or Lecture Hall (among | ||
| CF | the seats)? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to lecture hall" | ||
| CF ] Fleur d'Or Drinks Club, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO LECTURE HALL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do we mean, Lecture Hall (at the podium) or Lecture Hall (among | ||
| CF | the seats)? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "And there's three possible answers at least." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to university" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO UNIVERSITY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the healthy hike. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | University Oval | ||
| CF | This is the center of the university, a broad grassy oval shaded with | ||
| CF | sycamore trees and surrounded by buildings in brick or white stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately south of here is the building where I spend most of my | ||
| CF | time, Samuel Johnson Hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of driving a Chevy Impala down the | ||
| CF | coast road to Maiana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. The department office, | ||
| CF | with several professorial offices leading off of it, is to the | ||
| CF | southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, where many of the | ||
| CF | upper-level courses occur, and which also contains the department | ||
| CF | library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate students and | ||
| CF | junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "colder than a rifle shot, restoration to | ||
| CF | the real". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "sw" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Seminar Room | ||
| CF | They recently redid this room, and whoever picked the decorations had | ||
| CF | postmodern tastes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bookshelves lining the walls contain the department library. On | ||
| CF | the bookshelf is The Problem of Adjectives. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massive plexiglas case takes up one corner of the room. There is a | ||
| CF | compact but high-powered late model synthesizer in the plexiglas case. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The big table at the center of the room is an irregular polygon, with | ||
| CF | one chair pushed up to the shortest side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | For safety, I shut the door behind us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap details the singer's dislike of suspicious Bureau men who only | ||
| CF | give trouble to guys with accents. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade asks, "perhaps some nude?" | |
| Roger says, "hrm I thought he was giving a lecture somewhere" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the seminar door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. The department office, | ||
| CF | with several professorial offices leading off of it, is to the | ||
| CF | southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, where many of the | ||
| CF | upper-level courses occur, and which also contains the department | ||
| CF | library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate students and | ||
| CF | junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "my words hit like an anagram bullet". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Department Office | ||
| CF | This big, slightly drab area holds such useful objects as the | ||
| CF | mailboxes and secretary's computer. On ordinary days the secretary | ||
| CF | would be in as well, presiding over affairs. The offices of individual | ||
| CF | professors lie north and west, though both doors are closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The printer also sits on the u-shaped desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "colder than a rifle shot, restoration to | ||
| CF | the real". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Did the shuttle or shrimp tail or pea suggest anything?" | |
| Roger says, "oh yeah I did try de-L the clock earlier, didn't I" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove l from clock" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE L FROM CLOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an L-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the clock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of something objectionable, the clock turns into | ||
| CF | a cock. It stares back at us malevolently through one eye. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | cock is a faint, greenish image of a clock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap details the singer's dislike of gold-diggers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "no" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "show cock to window" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW COCK TO WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north through Waterstone's office door (closed) to | ||
| CF | Waterstone's Office, northwest to Samuel Johnson Hall, and west | ||
| CF | through Higgate's office door (closed) to Higgate's office from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap details the singer's dislike of suspicious Bureau men who only | ||
| CF | give trouble to guys with accents. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "nw" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. The department office, | ||
| CF | with several professorial offices leading off of it, is to the | ||
| CF | southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, where many of the | ||
| CF | upper-level courses occur, and which also contains the department | ||
| CF | library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate students and | ||
| CF | junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of stealing a depluralizing tank for a | ||
| CF | joyride. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Knock on his door" | |
| DavidW asks, "?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "sw" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Seminar Room | ||
| CF | They recently redid this room, and whoever picked the decorations had | ||
| CF | postmodern tastes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bookshelves lining the walls contain the department library. On | ||
| CF | the bookshelf is The Problem of Adjectives. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A massive plexiglas case takes up one corner of the room. There is a | ||
| CF | compact but high-powered late model synthesizer in the plexiglas case. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The big table at the center of the room is an irregular polygon, with | ||
| CF | one chair pushed up to the shortest side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | For safety, I shut the door behind us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "my words hit like an anagram bullet". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe I need to put them together first" | |
| DavidW says, "maybe. I don't remember." | ||
| Jade says, "I remember about clock...." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put shuttle in synthesizer. put cock in synthesizer. turn on synthesizer." | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT SHUTTLE IN SYNTHESIZER. PUT COCK IN SYNTHESIZER. TURN ON | ||
| CF | SYNTHESIZER. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the shuttle into the synthesizer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cock clucks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the cock into the synthesizer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "colder than a rifle shot, restoration to | ||
| CF | the real". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cock makes some attempts to flutter out of the synthesizer, but | ||
| CF | doesn't get much lift and gives up for the moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The synthesizer hums like a microwave oven for 43 seconds, then pings. | ||
| CF | Inside there is a shuttlecock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "my words hit like an anagram bullet". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take shuttlecock" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SHUTTLECOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We acquire the shuttlecock. A curious object used in badminton: it's a | ||
| CF | plastic projectile shaped like a ball into one half of which a circle | ||
| CF | of feathers has been stuck. This makes it fly less quickly and more | ||
| CF | visibly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "colder than a rifle shot, restoration to | ||
| CF | the real". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Seminar Room, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northeast through the seminar door (closed) to Samuel | ||
| CF | Johnson Hall from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap details the singer's dislike of gold-diggers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the seminar door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | This is the main building for Language Studies. The department office, | ||
| CF | with several professorial offices leading off of it, is to the | ||
| CF | southeast. To the southwest is the seminar room, where many of the | ||
| CF | upper-level courses occur, and which also contains the department | ||
| CF | library; downstairs is the basement, where the graduate students and | ||
| CF | junior instructors are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wall hangs a framed photograph of Professor Waterstone, with | ||
| CF | the words SHAPLY CHAIR in big letters underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap details the singer's dislike of suspicious Bureau men who only | ||
| CF | give trouble to guys with accents. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | University Oval | ||
| CF | This is the center of the university, a broad grassy oval shaded with | ||
| CF | sycamore trees and surrounded by buildings in brick or white stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately south of here is the building where I spend most of my | ||
| CF | time, Samuel Johnson Hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of a swimming pool full of Cristal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Samuel Johnson Hall, late afternoon Goals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Samuel Johnson Hall | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Language Studies Department Office | ||
| CF | This big, slightly drab area holds such useful objects as the | ||
| CF | mailboxes and secretary's computer. On ordinary days the secretary | ||
| CF | would be in as well, presiding over affairs. The offices of individual | ||
| CF | professors lie north and west, though both doors are closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The printer also sits on the u-shaped desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of driving a Chevy Impala down the | ||
| CF | coast road to Maiana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You lack a key that fits Waterstone's office door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "my words hit like an anagram bullet". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show shuttlecock to door" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW SHUTTLECOCK TO DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "knock on door" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 3 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > KNOCK ON DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do we mean, 1) Waterstone's office door or 2) Higgate's office | ||
| CF | door? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "1" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Waterstone looks at the shuttlecock, briefly arrested by some thought. | ||
| CF | He gets a monocle like mine out of his drawer. He looks through it at | ||
| CF | the shuttlecock, notes the cock and the shuttle; grins. He gets up and | ||
| CF | comes out of his office. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "This is perfect," Waterstone says. "One more example to put into my | ||
| CF | talk — but I really should be going — should be able to get a ride | ||
| CF | from my wife — if I leave now — Here, you can have this if it | ||
| CF | interests you. I won't have time to use it." He sets an invitation | ||
| CF | down on the desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Come back and talk to me again later," he adds. "We can discuss your | ||
| CF | goals as a student. And now I really have to go — should have gone | ||
| CF | hours ago." (There, see: he can be a nice man. More or less.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He locks his door again and goes out. I think he is actually humming | ||
| CF | something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "woo! But more awkward than I was expecting" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x invitation" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 2 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Before we can do anything, Waterstone pops his head back in. "What you | ||
| CF | did there — not strictly within the rules. But I admire, shall we | ||
| CF | say, | ||
| CF | Realpolitik. You'll go far. Ignore Brown, but you'd probably | ||
| CF | do that anyway. Never talk to Higgate at all. I will see you later." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | And he pops back out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of stealing a depluralizing tank for a | ||
| CF | joyride. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "yay" | |
| Jade says, "I remember a room with some sort of discarded parts around" | ||
| Roger says, "hunh" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x invitation" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, late afternoGoals: 2 Score: 60 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X INVITATION | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is a white card, like a wedding invitation, with swirly script | ||
| CF | lettering. "You are invited," it says, "to a demonstration of a new | ||
| CF | T-inserter not available to the general public — Serial Comma Day — | ||
| CF | Bureau of Orthography." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Smaller, meaner sans-serif lettering across the bottom adds: "Bring | ||
| CF | this card for admission." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the invitation with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "remember to take it." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take invitation" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE INVITATION | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the invitation. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap describes the pleasures of driving a Chevy Impala down the | ||
| CF | coast road to Maiana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by ten points and is now seventy.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x goals" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Language Studies Department Office, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Gain entrance to the Bureau | ||
| CF | Find Brock | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to entrance" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO ENTRANCE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a short walk to University Oval. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | University Oval | ||
| CF | This is the center of the university, a broad grassy oval shaded with | ||
| CF | sycamore trees and surrounded by buildings in brick or white stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Immediately south of here is the building where I spend most of my | ||
| CF | time, Samuel Johnson Hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are a couple of officers lounging by the university gate. We | ||
| CF | won't be able to go by without being seen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As I'm taking this in, you notice hubbub behind us. We move out of the | ||
| CF | way as more officers escort Professor Higgate from the building. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "colder than a rifle shot, restoration to | ||
| CF | the real". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "There's been a mistake," Higgate is saying coolly. "That conversation | ||
| CF | was conducted under a special license for research in constructed | ||
| CF | languages. I can produce a copy —" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The officer leading her says, "We're acting on information." He gives | ||
| CF | a quick, revealing glance in the direction of Professor Brown, who is | ||
| CF | also coming out of the building. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "by the way, the raps can't stay with us. They are noisy and this is espionage we're up to." | |
| Roger says, "yeah I guess. Also, tough break, Higgs" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on raps" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON RAPS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on rap" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON RAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the rap. | ||
| CF | With an audible SPLORT, the rap becomes a wrap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rap includes the phrase "my words hit like an anagram bullet". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Alex Rosehip," says the officer with Higgate. The back of my neck | ||
| CF | prickles. "What can you tell me about his constructed language?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Higgate stops moving forward and the officers stop with her. "It | ||
| CF | really is a masterpiece — the root words are all based on resources | ||
| CF | common in the tropics. Dirt and mud are highly productive terms, as | ||
| CF | are many common pests. The syllables are consonant-dense but still | ||
| CF | relatively easy to pronounce. In my view, it's the most credible | ||
| CF | proposal ever put forward in utopian linguistics." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The officer smiles faintly. "Isn't that a bit like 'the world's most | ||
| CF | credible proposal for a perpetual motion engine'?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on rap" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON RAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the rap. | ||
| CF | With an audible SPLORT, the rap becomes a pearl. It is small, slightly | ||
| CF | uneven, and pale blue in color. Not worth very much, but genuine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Whether it works or not, I am sure it's not intended as an | ||
| CF | attack on the Anglophone efficacy," Higgate says. "Alex has a fine | ||
| CF | mind but very little gumption. And he loves Atlantis." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "As far as you're aware," the officer replies. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Obviously," Higgate snaps. "I can only tell you what I know of Alex | ||
| CF | from five years of close supervision." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The officers look at one another, then back at her. "We're going to | ||
| CF | need to continue this conversation in depth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A stricken expression crosses Higgate's face. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "z" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > Z | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Time crawls by. We're looking as harmless and inattentive as humanly | ||
| CF | possible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'd like to make a call," Higgate says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Not possible," says the man at her elbow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I assert my right to a friendly witness," she says firmly. They | ||
| CF | ignore her. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The officers sweep Higgate away into a windowless van. "Mobile | ||
| CF | Conversation Unit," says the side of the van in bright cheery letters. | ||
| CF | "The Bureau Is Listening to YOU!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The van pulls away into traffic. Brown strolls away in the other | ||
| CF | direction, not meeting anyone's eye. It's not easy getting tenure | ||
| CF | around here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ouch that sounds like a threat" | |
| Jade says, "this is inmersive" | ||
| Roger says, "research in weapons of mass destruction is a tricky field" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] University Oval, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northwest through the sturdy iron gate to Palm Square and | ||
| CF | south to Samuel Johnson Hall from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "nw" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | Palm Square is the beginning of the university district. To the | ||
| CF | southeast, through the iron gate, is the university campus proper; and | ||
| CF | that unobtrusive little doorway directly south of us leads into the | ||
| CF | Babel Café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I live in the apartment complex that runs along the west side of the | ||
| CF | square — in fact, my apartment door is immediately to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My bathroom window is closed, but not, of course, latched. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hrm how do I get out of here" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the bathroom window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This climb is noticeably more difficult now that we are three inches | ||
| CF | shorter than my normal height, but hey-ho. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Apartment Bathroom | ||
| CF | An antique nightstand of my mother's, which does not actually fit | ||
| CF | anywhere near my bed, is jammed into one corner of the bathroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could climb back out the window, or we could go south into the rest | ||
| CF | of my apartment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Babel Café | ||
| CF | Through many changes of management, this institution has fed the | ||
| CF | denizens of the university and ignored their semi-sedition. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A clerk in a white apron stands behind the long glass case, now | ||
| CF | emptied by our purchases. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The tables are square wooden things painted dark blue (not the vibrant | ||
| CF | blue of the Bureau, but something closer to midnight), and the upper | ||
| CF | surfaces are découpaged with antique travel postcards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A blue plaque is mounted on the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clerk grins at us in a welcoming way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Babel Café, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Palm Square from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | Palm Square is the beginning of the university district. To the | ||
| CF | southeast, through the iron gate, is the university campus proper; and | ||
| CF | that unobtrusive little doorway directly south of us leads into the | ||
| CF | Babel Café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I live in the apartment complex that runs along the west side of the | ||
| CF | square — in fact, my apartment door is immediately to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My bathroom window is closed, but not, of course, latched. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exiots" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXIOTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Long Street South, south to Babel Café, southeast | ||
| CF | through the sturdy iron gate to University Oval, southwest through the | ||
| CF | apartment door to My Apartment, and west through the bathroom window | ||
| CF | (closed) to Apartment Bathroom from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Long Street South, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Long Street South | ||
| CF | Long Street is lined on each side with a double-row of tall, anemic | ||
| CF | palm trees that bend towards one another many feet overhead. We are | ||
| CF | now in the southern part of this long corridor, between the Canadian | ||
| CF | Embassy and Arbot Maps & Antiques. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Long Street North, south to Palm Square, and west | ||
| CF | to Arbot Maps & Antiques from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Long Street North, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Long Street North | ||
| CF | Long Street is lined on each side with a double-row of tall, anemic | ||
| CF | palm trees that bend towards one another many feet overhead. This | ||
| CF | corridor continues some considerable distance south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the west side of the street is the several-story front of the Fleur | ||
| CF | d'Or hotel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Roundabout, south to Long Street South, and west to | ||
| CF | Fleur d'Or Lobby from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [If you're traveling far, you can always type GO TO (location | ||
| CF | name) to get there automatically.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roundabout | ||
| CF | The traffic flows in a tight circle around a statue which we know all | ||
| CF | too well. There is a pedestrian walkway around the outside of this | ||
| CF | circle, but crossing the tributary streets is an unpleasant experience | ||
| CF | involving considerable hazard. Unfortunately, there is no other quick | ||
| CF | way to get around this part of town. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Confusing signs point in various directions: northeast to Deep Street, | ||
| CF | northwest to High Street, south to Long Street, east to Tall Street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Deep Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Deep Street | ||
| CF | This road descends steeply from southwest to northwest, passing | ||
| CF | between white concrete buildings to provide access to the marina — | ||
| CF | the | ||
| CF | Fish Market, the Docks, and a bar or two. The street is in deep | ||
| CF | shadow, protected from sunlight from almost any angle by its | ||
| CF | narrowness and by the height of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Aquarium Bookstore is to the east. There's a closed sign in the | ||
| CF | window and a forbidding atmosphere. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go northwest to Fish Market, southwest to Roundabout, east to | ||
| CF | Aquarium Bookstore, and west to Outdoor Café from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "sw" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roundabout | ||
| CF | The traffic flows in a tight circle around a statue which we know all | ||
| CF | too well. There is a pedestrian walkway around the outside of this | ||
| CF | circle, but crossing the tributary streets is an unpleasant experience | ||
| CF | involving considerable hazard. Unfortunately, there is no other quick | ||
| CF | way to get around this part of town. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Confusing signs point in various directions: northeast to Deep Street, | ||
| CF | northwest to High Street, south to Long Street, east to Tall Street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "nw" | ||
| CF ] High Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | High Street | ||
| CF | Hustle, bustle, dirt; ugly American chain shops; lots and lots of | ||
| CF | people. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A garage has sprung into being between two high-end boutiques. The | ||
| CF | garage contains a mechanic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the west, the street turns into a monumental staircase leading to | ||
| CF | the old fortified area; a cross street heads southeast towards the | ||
| CF | main roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mechanic nods at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "se" | ||
| CF ] Roundabout, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Roundabout | ||
| CF | The traffic flows in a tight circle around a statue which we know all | ||
| CF | too well. There is a pedestrian walkway around the outside of this | ||
| CF | circle, but crossing the tributary streets is an unpleasant experience | ||
| CF | involving considerable hazard. Unfortunately, there is no other quick | ||
| CF | way to get around this part of town. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Confusing signs point in various directions: northeast to Deep Street, | ||
| CF | northwest to High Street, south to Long Street, east to Tall Street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tall Street | ||
| CF | Tall Street is full of families, some reaching as far as the old park | ||
| CF | at the east end of the street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | They're gathered around a hanging cardboard figure in front of the | ||
| CF | Bureau of Orthography. The children, and a few of the adults, are | ||
| CF | taking turns hitting it with sticks, hoping for a shower of | ||
| CF | comma-shaped candy. This is a common holiday activity, but from the | ||
| CF | disgruntled comments and the petulant expressions of the children, it | ||
| CF | has already been going on longer than is strictly fun. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Another child takes a whack at the hanging figure. She bounces away | ||
| CF | from the blow, but does not break. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x figure" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X FIGURE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The figure is made of cardboard and papier-mâché, designed for | ||
| CF | children to hit with sticks until candy and treats fall out: it's what | ||
| CF | would be called a piñata, if that weren't a dangerous loan word. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This particular one is made in the shape of Atlantida. She wears | ||
| CF | Bureau blue and a surreal smile and her eyes have been painted on | ||
| CF | wrong. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the hanging Atlantida figure | ||
| CF | with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I think we have a stick" | |
| DavidW has disconnected. | ||
| DavidW has connected. | Lancelot says, "ah thats traditional isnt it, hitting a pinata" | |
| DavidW says, "sorry, connection dropped" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "hit figure with stick" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > HIT FIGURE WITH STICK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's not sporting to strike the figure unless we are blindfolded; it's | ||
| CF | part of the rules. If no official blindfold is forthcoming, we might | ||
| CF | be able to make do by wearing some appropriate strip of cloth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The latest child's attack swings wide of the figure. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "pi�ata, yes" | |
| DavidW asks, "we have a bandana, yes?" | ||
| Jade says, "yes" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear bandana" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We gently remove the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It somewhat undermines a disguise to take it off and put it on in the | ||
| CF | presence of other people. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The next child doesn't seem to have been properly blindfolded and | ||
| CF | connects with surprising dexterity and sureness, but the thing doesn't | ||
| CF | break. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear blindfold" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR BLINDFOLD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear bandana" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It somewhat undermines a disguise to take it off and put it on in the | ||
| CF | presence of other people. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "cover eyes with bandana" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > COVER EYES WITH BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You do not normally need to refer to specific parts of the | ||
| CF | body. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "cover me with bandana" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > COVER ME WITH BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear swatch" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR SWATCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We acquire the swatch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It somewhat undermines a disguise to take it off and put it on in the | ||
| CF | presence of other people. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Among a general rumble of assent, one of the fathers gives Atlantida a | ||
| CF | hard smack with a baseball bat. She doesn't crack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go south to Rotunda, east to Abandoned Park, and west to | ||
| CF | Roundabout from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Park | ||
| CF | In contrast with the parks in the more savory parts of town, this is a | ||
| CF | bit of patchy grass where local dogs occasionally come out to do their | ||
| CF | business. A granite war memorial is fixed at the center. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go southeast to Bus Station and west to Tall Street from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crowd to the west boos as one. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear bandana" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We're already wearing that! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear swatch" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR SWATCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put on the swatch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tall Street | ||
| CF | Tall Street is full of families, some reaching as far as the old park | ||
| CF | at the east end of the street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | They're gathered around a hanging cardboard figure in front of the | ||
| CF | Bureau of Orthography. The children, and a few of the adults, are | ||
| CF | taking turns hitting it with sticks, hoping for a shower of | ||
| CF | comma-shaped candy. This is a common holiday activity, but from the | ||
| CF | disgruntled comments and the petulant expressions of the children, it | ||
| CF | has already been going on longer than is strictly fun. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Another child takes a whack at the hanging figure. She bounces away | ||
| CF | from the blow, but does not break. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "hit figure with stick" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > HIT FIGURE WITH STICK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's not sporting to strike the figure unless we are blindfolded; it's | ||
| CF | part of the rules. If no official blindfold is forthcoming, we might | ||
| CF | be able to make do by wearing some appropriate strip of cloth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The latest child's attack swings wide of the figure. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "make blindfold" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > MAKE BLINDFOLD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear blindfold" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR BLINDFOLD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "blindfold me with bandana" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BLINDFOLD ME WITH BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It somewhat undermines a disguise to take it off and put it on in the | ||
| CF | presence of other people. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The next child doesn't seem to have been properly blindfolded and | ||
| CF | connects with surprising dexterity and sureness, but the thing doesn't | ||
| CF | break. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Park | ||
| CF | In contrast with the parks in the more savory parts of town, this is a | ||
| CF | bit of patchy grass where local dogs occasionally come out to do their | ||
| CF | business. A granite war memorial is fixed at the center. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go southeast to Bus Station and west to Tall Street from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | From the west comes a sound of cheering and shouting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "hmm" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "blindfold me with bandana" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BLINDFOLD ME WITH BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It somewhat undermines a disguise to take it off and put it on in the | ||
| CF | presence of other people. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crowd to the west boos as one. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove bandana" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take off the bandana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "blindfold me with bandana" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BLINDFOLD ME WITH BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It somewhat undermines a disguise to take it off and put it on in the | ||
| CF | presence of other people. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | From the west comes a sound of cheering and shouting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x disguise" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DISGUISE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove wig" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Park, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE WIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It somewhat undermines a disguise to take it off and put it on in the | ||
| CF | presence of other people. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "not very abandoned" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to apartment" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO APARTMENT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | Palm Square is the beginning of the university district. To the | ||
| CF | southeast, through the iron gate, is the university campus proper; and | ||
| CF | that unobtrusive little doorway directly south of us leads into the | ||
| CF | Babel Café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I live in the apartment complex that runs along the west side of the | ||
| CF | square — in fact, my apartment door is immediately to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My bathroom window is closed, but not, of course, latched. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the bathroom window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This climb is noticeably more difficult now that we are three inches | ||
| CF | shorter than my normal height, but hey-ho. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Apartment Bathroom | ||
| CF | An antique nightstand of my mother's, which does not actually fit | ||
| CF | anywhere near my bed, is jammed into one corner of the bathroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could climb back out the window, or we could go south into the rest | ||
| CF | of my apartment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove wig" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE WIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pull off the wig and smoothe down our hair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "blindfold me with bandana" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BLINDFOLD ME WITH BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We tie the bandana over our eyes. To be honest, it only partially | ||
| CF | obscures our vision; we still have a pretty good idea where everything | ||
| CF | is. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to pinata" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO PINATA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to figure" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO FIGURE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd prefer we didn't try to navigate in this half-sighted way. It's | ||
| CF | enough of a trick sharing the steering when we can both see. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "perfect" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove blindfold" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE BLINDFOLD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take off the bandana. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says, ".." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to figure" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO FIGURE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Far be it from me to critique your abilities in the stealth | ||
| CF | department, but it might be a good idea not to climb in and out of | ||
| CF | this window too many times. My neighbors are only used to | ||
| CF | seeing me do it once every few days. | ||
| CF | We have a brief hike. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tall Street | ||
| CF | Tall Street is full of families, some reaching as far as the old park | ||
| CF | at the east end of the street. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | They're gathered around a hanging cardboard figure in front of the | ||
| CF | Bureau of Orthography. The children, and a few of the adults, are | ||
| CF | taking turns hitting it with sticks, hoping for a shower of | ||
| CF | comma-shaped candy. This is a common holiday activity, but from the | ||
| CF | disgruntled comments and the petulant expressions of the children, it | ||
| CF | has already been going on longer than is strictly fun. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Among a general rumble of assent, one of the fathers gives Atlantida a | ||
| CF | hard smack with a baseball bat. She doesn't crack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "blindfold me with bandana" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 70 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BLINDFOLD ME WITH BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We tie the bandana over our eyes. To be honest, it only partially | ||
| CF | obscures our vision; we still have a pretty good idea where everything | ||
| CF | is. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "hit figure with stick" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > HIT FIGURE WITH STICK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take a good swing with the stick and connect, finally, with the | ||
| CF | hanging Atlantida figure. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a resounding crack! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crowd roars with approval, and dozens of small bodies surge around | ||
| CF | us so that I almost lose our balance. We push our bandana up out of | ||
| CF | our way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ground is covered with glitter and candy and confetti; the | ||
| CF | Atlantida has broken open at the torso. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The children gather their heaps of candy and a few scoops of glittery | ||
| CF | confetti as well, but eventually trickle away again with their | ||
| CF | parents, returning through the park or down side streets or to their | ||
| CF | cars. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now | ||
| CF | seventy-three.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "fighting the parser" | |
| Lancelot says, "yay" | ||
| Jade says, "good hit" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tall Street | ||
| CF | Tall Street has a distinctive post-party look, with confetti and | ||
| CF | glitter on the ground, and shreds of destroyed cardboard everywhere. | ||
| CF | It is quiet now, however. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south to Rotunda is the important blue Rotunda of the Bureau of | ||
| CF | Orthography. The street runs west to Roundabout towards the busy | ||
| CF | roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "yeah I think the wig was the problem" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take confetti" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CONFETTI | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's hardly portable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take glitter" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE GLITTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's hardly portable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A silver rocket shoots up into the sky and bursts into a dozen tiny | ||
| CF | pinwheels like floating silver asterisks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take shreds" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE SHREDS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take candy" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CANDY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "is there ANYTHING" | |
| Roger says, "apparently not! alas, the sad fate of the pinata-smaher" | ||
| Roger says, "anyway I should get that wig back on, I bet" | ||
| Lancelot says, "maybe just to trigger something to happen" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to apartment" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO APARTMENT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We make the walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | Palm Square is the beginning of the university district. To the | ||
| CF | southeast, through the iron gate, is the university campus proper; and | ||
| CF | that unobtrusive little doorway directly south of us leads into the | ||
| CF | Babel Café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I live in the apartment complex that runs along the west side of the | ||
| CF | square — in fact, my apartment door is immediately to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My bathroom window remains vulnerably open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Four red jets of fire appear over the old city turret. They shape into | ||
| CF | a cloud of red smoke, curling into very plausible quotation marks | ||
| CF | before dissipating. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oh, very well. Mrs. Parsnip is probably out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Apartment Bathroom | ||
| CF | An antique nightstand of my mother's, which does not actually fit | ||
| CF | anywhere near my bed, is jammed into one corner of the bathroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bathroom window gives some weak sunlight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could climb back out the window, or we could go south into the rest | ||
| CF | of my apartment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It sounds as though the sky is making popcorn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear wig" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR WIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We settle the wig on our head and adjust our hair underneath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The sky is temporarily very quiet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear bandana" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR BANDANA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We're already wearing that! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a deep boom of cannon fire. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oh, very well. Mrs. Parsnip is probably out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | Palm Square is the beginning of the university district. To the | ||
| CF | southeast, through the iron gate, is the university campus proper; and | ||
| CF | that unobtrusive little doorway directly south of us leads into the | ||
| CF | Babel Café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I live in the apartment complex that runs along the west side of the | ||
| CF | square — in fact, my apartment door is immediately to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My bathroom window remains vulnerably open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "close window" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLOSE WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We slide the window shut. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo.undo." | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNDO.UNDO. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oh, very well. Mrs. Parsnip is probably out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Apartment Bathroom | ||
| CF | An antique nightstand of my mother's, which does not actually fit | ||
| CF | anywhere near my bed, is jammed into one corner of the bathroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bathroom window gives some weak sunlight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could climb back out the window, or we could go south into the rest | ||
| CF | of my apartment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drop monocle" | ||
| CF ] Apartment Bathroom, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DROP MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put down the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oh, very well. Mrs. Parsnip is probably out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Palm Square | ||
| CF | Palm Square is the beginning of the university district. To the | ||
| CF | southeast, through the iron gate, is the university campus proper; and | ||
| CF | that unobtrusive little doorway directly south of us leads into the | ||
| CF | Babel Café. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I live in the apartment complex that runs along the west side of the | ||
| CF | square — in fact, my apartment door is immediately to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My bathroom window remains vulnerably open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "close window" | ||
| CF ] Palm Square, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLOSE WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We slide the window shut. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to tall street" | ||
| CF ] Tall Street, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO TALL STREET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We hike. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tall Street | ||
| CF | Tall Street has a distinctive post-party look, with confetti and | ||
| CF | glitter on the ground, and shreds of destroyed cardboard everywhere. | ||
| CF | It is quiet now, however. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south to Rotunda is the important blue Rotunda of the Bureau of | ||
| CF | Orthography. The street runs west to Roundabout towards the busy | ||
| CF | roundabout. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rotunda | ||
| CF | Echoing space, marble floor, eye-like skylight many meters above us: | ||
| CF | so far, the Rotunda might belong to any 19th-century government bureau | ||
| CF | of means and self-importance. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What sets this one apart is the lettering, each sigil no bigger than a | ||
| CF | flea, carved over every inch of the walls. Inscribed here is, in fact, | ||
| CF | the entire text of A New Orthodox Orthography. The | ||
| CF | administrative part of the bureau is away to the south, and there is | ||
| CF | an exhibit of letter tools to the east, which is open to the public. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Near the street entrance is a sizable informational bulletin-board | ||
| CF | advertising the services of the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x board" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BOARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What Can Your Bureau of Orthography Do For You? inquires the | ||
| CF | bulletin board, in a sprightly casual font. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On a sheet labeled From Plumbing to Medicine... "And More", | ||
| CF | the bulletin board describes the tools available to the All-Purpose | ||
| CF | Officers, including a synthesizer for combining two word-objects into | ||
| CF | one; Q- and Z-inserters (most letters are still under development); | ||
| CF | and even specially licensed equipment capable of producing living | ||
| CF | creatures. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | For immigration and importation services, such as assigning Atlantean | ||
| CF | names to immigrants, neutralizing foreign-language pets, and approving | ||
| CF | imported goods, we are encouraged to visit the Customs House instead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A handwritten note is tacked up after this, which adds that the | ||
| CF | synthesizer is unavailable for public use through Dec. 19th because it | ||
| CF | is on loan to the university Department of Language Studies. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Those tools sound interesting." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Tools and Techniques Exhibit, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tools and Techniques Exhibit | ||
| CF | This area, though technically part of the Bureau, is open to the | ||
| CF | public as a display of the tools (past and present) of orthographical | ||
| CF | dominance. Everything is, alas, behind glass. Over at one end of the | ||
| CF | room is a Regency version of your own letter-remover — known as the | ||
| CF | Model T, because that is all it was originally able to remove. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Next to that there is an anagramming gun and an Etymological Reversing | ||
| CF | Chamber. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "lol the t-remover" | |
| Lancelot says, "aha" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x glass" | ||
| CF ] Tools and Techniques Exhibit, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GLASS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the display case is a display platform. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade exclaims, "oh!" | |
| Lancelot says, "even more wordy abuse options groan" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x gun" | ||
| CF ] Tools and Techniques Exhibit, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Anagramming guns are illegal now, of course, because of their | ||
| CF | desperately unpredictable behavior. This one is a huge heavy thing, | ||
| CF | though not quite an artillery piece, because of the colossal amounts | ||
| CF | of power required and all the stabilizers needed to try to collapse | ||
| CF | the letters back down to a single phrase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are reminded of Brock's comment about anagramming. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remember comment" | ||
| CF ] Tools and Techniques Exhibit, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMEMBER COMMENT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Galley | ||
| CF | You and Brock were sitting at the galley table, Scrabble tiles in | ||
| CF | front of you. "This is what I admire about you," he said, touching | ||
| CF | your foot with his. "Most kids raised by fundamentalist parents wind | ||
| CF | up the same way themselves, or they go off the deep end the other way. | ||
| CF | You just... rearranged the tiles you'd been dealt." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | More than he realized, in fact, now that you've added my tiles to | ||
| CF | yours. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then we're back in the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Other games had an ary gnu (ray gun) that anagrammed things." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x chamber" | ||
| CF ] Tools and Techniques Exhibit, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CHAMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It looks like an iron lung — a large sealed chamber with extensive | ||
| CF | machinery surrounding it. It is able to make words run back to their | ||
| CF | linguistic roots: ape into apa, pearl to perle, and so on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The machine is of little popular use and is principally applied by | ||
| CF | scholars under controlled circumstances. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Despite newspaper articles breathlessly proclaiming that the ERC will | ||
| CF | be able to produce the "God language" — mankind's original tongue — | ||
| CF | in | ||
| CF | practice even the more modest research goal of rediscovering the | ||
| CF | vocabulary of proto-Indo-European would require prohibitive amounts of | ||
| CF | power. As one moves further and further from forms that are familiar | ||
| CF | to modern speakers, the reification effort required increases | ||
| CF | exponentially. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in chamber" | ||
| CF ] Tools and Techniques Exhibit, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN CHAMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The display case isn't open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open case" | ||
| CF ] Tools and Techniques Exhibit, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN CASE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't want to sound like I doubt your criminal credentials, or | ||
| CF | whatever, but I doubt even you can successfully steal from this | ||
| CF | display case. The casing material would stop a bullet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "neat" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x remover" | ||
| CF ] Tools and Techniques Exhibit, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X REMOVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is a blunt-nosed plastic device, about the size of a laser pointer, | ||
| CF | that can be waved at things to remove excess Ls. It is not very | ||
| CF | powerful, and often fails against large items. On the other hand, it | ||
| CF | has a wide range of action: it can be set to any letter we choose. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | These are, if not exactly cheap, hardly unknown in Atlantis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x model t" | ||
| CF ] Tools and Techniques Exhibit, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MODEL T | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Regency-era T-remover is clumsy-looking and too big to lift, | ||
| CF | thanks to the coal boiler required to power it. It still bears the | ||
| CF | maker's mark of one S. Meretzky. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "There is a way to get the gun, but not here and now." | |
| Roger says, "class act all the way" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rotunda | ||
| CF | Echoing space, marble floor, eye-like skylight many meters above us: | ||
| CF | so far, the Rotunda might belong to any 19th-century government bureau | ||
| CF | of means and self-importance. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What sets this one apart is the lettering, each sigil no bigger than a | ||
| CF | flea, carved over every inch of the walls. Inscribed here is, in fact, | ||
| CF | the entire text of A New Orthodox Orthography. The | ||
| CF | administrative part of the bureau is away to the south, and there is | ||
| CF | an exhibit of letter tools to the east, which is open to the public. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Near the street entrance is a sizable informational bulletin-board | ||
| CF | advertising the services of the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Antechamber | ||
| CF | The most important task of any government bureau is to keep away | ||
| CF | time-wasters, irritants, and uninformed members of the general public, | ||
| CF | who might distract the diligent workers within from their important | ||
| CF | tasks. The Bureau of Orthography is no different. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An instructive notice details the criteria for entry to the Bureau | ||
| CF | proper. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here to guard access to the rest of the building is a secretary on a | ||
| CF | tall stool. The secretary is carrying the Regulation Authentication | ||
| CF | Scope and wearing a pencil skirt and a plain white top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Rotunda and east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She turns her eyes towards us but doesn't say anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The attention of the secretary lights on the monocle. "Let's see | ||
| CF | that," she says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Of course, a minute's inspection doesn't make her any happier, and | ||
| CF | soon we find ourselves explaining things to the police. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** That was careless *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 73 out of a possible 100, in 637 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Subversive Element. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rotunda | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your L-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an invitation, a pan (really the smuggled | ||
| CF | plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, a ball, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a card, a | ||
| CF | cate, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a password, a | ||
| CF | pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which opens the | ||
| CF | sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a | ||
| CF | shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a silver platter, a sin, a sop, a | ||
| CF | stick, Studies in Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a | ||
| CF | tome, some trash, a wig, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "oops" | |
| Jade exclaims, "oops!" | ||
| Roger says, "it haunts me like an albatross" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put monocle in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT MONOCLE IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the monocle into the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "close backpack" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLOSE BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We close the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Antechamber | ||
| CF | The most important task of any government bureau is to keep away | ||
| CF | time-wasters, irritants, and uninformed members of the general public, | ||
| CF | who might distract the diligent workers within from their important | ||
| CF | tasks. The Bureau of Orthography is no different. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An instructive notice details the criteria for entry to the Bureau | ||
| CF | proper. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here to guard access to the rest of the building is a secretary on a | ||
| CF | tall stool. The secretary is carrying the Regulation Authentication | ||
| CF | Scope and wearing a pencil skirt and a plain white top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Rotunda and east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She turns her eyes towards us but doesn't say anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The attention of the secretary lights on the Origin Paste. "Let's see | ||
| CF | that," she says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Of course, a minute's inspection doesn't make her any happier, and | ||
| CF | soon we find ourselves explaining things to the police. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** That was careless *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 73 out of a possible 100, in 639 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Subversive Element. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rotunda | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the Origin Paste into the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the restoration gel) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put remover in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT REMOVER IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the L-remover into the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "close backpack" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLOSE BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We close the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Antechamber | ||
| CF | The most important task of any government bureau is to keep away | ||
| CF | time-wasters, irritants, and uninformed members of the general public, | ||
| CF | who might distract the diligent workers within from their important | ||
| CF | tasks. The Bureau of Orthography is no different. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An instructive notice details the criteria for entry to the Bureau | ||
| CF | proper. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here to guard access to the rest of the building is a secretary on a | ||
| CF | tall stool. The secretary is carrying the Regulation Authentication | ||
| CF | Scope and wearing a pencil skirt and a plain white top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Rotunda and east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She turns her eyes towards us but doesn't say anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask whether she enjoys her job. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "close backpack" | |
| Roger exclaims, "I guess so!" | ||
| DavidW says, "there's a notice" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x notice" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X NOTICE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please note that those wishing to enter must have a PASS suitable for | ||
| CF | visitors, which must include an UP TO DATE photograph closely | ||
| CF | resembling the subject. Passes that do not look like their possessors | ||
| CF | will be rejected. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Visitors will also need an additional proof of their business in the | ||
| CF | Bureau, such as a letter of invitation from a Bureau authority. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | All credentials will be subject to inspection with an authentication | ||
| CF | scope. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Anyone attempting to enter the Bureau with a falsified pass or lack of | ||
| CF | proper credentials may be subject to FINES and INDEFINITE DETENTION. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "ok, lot of lag here" | |
| Roger says, "no worries" | ||
| DavidW says, "okay, the password has to be resplit." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask secretary about job" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK SECRETARY ABOUT JOB | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "This must be a good job," we say, in our best | ||
| CF | making-friendly-conversation way. "Getting to meet lots of new people. | ||
| CF | Access to all the bureau toys." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "They never let me try any of the good equipment," she says, with | ||
| CF | surprising bitterness. "When they brought in the T-inserter, they let | ||
| CF | Porson—" Then she stops, her expression that of a guppy being | ||
| CF | strangled. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask how she got this job, ask who Porson is, ask what the | ||
| CF | T-inserter does, or ask where the T-inserter is kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask secretary how got job" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK SECRETARY HOW GOT JOB | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "How did you get this job?" we ask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Through the usual process," she says. "I qualified through the | ||
| CF | regional spelling bee, then was submitted to a battery of | ||
| CF | examinations, followed by a three-year course of rigorous training." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask who Porson is, ask what the T-inserter does, or | ||
| CF | ask where the T-inserter is kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask secretary about porson" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK SECRETARY ABOUT PORSON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Who is Porson?" we ask curiously. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Porson works in the Historical Research Room," she says. "A | ||
| CF | job he got, I might add, through sheer nepotism. He's no more | ||
| CF | qualified than I am, but they say he has a 'job-related need' to see | ||
| CF | all the new developments first." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My response would be to ask what the T-inserter does or ask where | ||
| CF | the T-inserter is kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask secretary about t-inserter" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK SECRETARY ABOUT T-INSERTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What would you like to discuss: 1) what the T-inserter does or 2) | ||
| CF | where the T-inserter is kept? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "1" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What does the T-inserter do?" we ask, as though we were a couple of | ||
| CF | yokels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She raises her eyebrows as though she cannot believe the phenomenal | ||
| CF | idiocy of this question. No answer is vouchsafed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "lol" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "2" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 2 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask secretary where kept" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK SECRETARY WHERE KEPT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "This T-inserter must be pretty delicate," we say. I'm letting you | ||
| CF | talk, this time. I think I'm too direct. "I'm surprised the Bureau | ||
| CF | keeps it in a public building." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She visibly struggles between two impulses: the feeling that she | ||
| CF | shouldn't be talking about such a secret piece of equipment at all, | ||
| CF | and the desire to convince us that it couldn't be easily found or | ||
| CF | stolen. Finally she compromises with "Not all parts of the Bureau are | ||
| CF | equally available to visitors." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "okay so I guess we need pass" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rotunda | ||
| CF | Echoing space, marble floor, eye-like skylight many meters above us: | ||
| CF | so far, the Rotunda might belong to any 19th-century government bureau | ||
| CF | of means and self-importance. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What sets this one apart is the lettering, each sigil no bigger than a | ||
| CF | flea, carved over every inch of the walls. Inscribed here is, in fact, | ||
| CF | the entire text of A New Orthodox Orthography. The | ||
| CF | administrative part of the bureau is away to the south, and there is | ||
| CF | an exhibit of letter tools to the east, which is open to the public. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Near the street entrance is a sizable informational bulletin-board | ||
| CF | advertising the services of the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x password" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PASSWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A glowing series of numbers and figures in the air, which changes and | ||
| CF | flickers now and then. Probably responding to its surroundings. It | ||
| CF | seems unstable just now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on password" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON PASSWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | password. With an audible SPLORT, the password becomes a word and a | ||
| CF | pass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x pass" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PASS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Bureau of Orthography visiting pass, a very valuable commodity in | ||
| CF | these parts. Forging one is grounds for imprisonment. There is a | ||
| CF | picture on the front that looks more or less like us, though with | ||
| CF | considerably more hair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x wig" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A surprisingly realistic wig, cut to about the shoulder. It looks like | ||
| CF | our hair, but a good bit longer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "ah, you need the wig" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear wig" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR WIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We're already wearing that! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on pass" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON PASS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The backpack isn't open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open backpack" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on pass" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON PASS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We smear some of the Origin Paste onto the pass. Nothing obvious | ||
| CF | happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on me" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON ME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We smear some of the Origin Paste onto ourselves. Nothing obvious | ||
| CF | happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on wig" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON WIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We smear some of the Origin Paste onto the wig. Nothing obvious | ||
| CF | happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on invitation" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON INVITATION | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We smear some of the Origin Paste onto the invitation. Nothing obvious | ||
| CF | happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the Origin Paste) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the Origin Paste into the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the restoration gel) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We already have that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "close backpack" | ||
| CF ] Rotunda, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLOSE BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We close the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 73 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Antechamber | ||
| CF | The most important task of any government bureau is to keep away | ||
| CF | time-wasters, irritants, and uninformed members of the general public, | ||
| CF | who might distract the diligent workers within from their important | ||
| CF | tasks. The Bureau of Orthography is no different. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An instructive notice details the criteria for entry to the Bureau | ||
| CF | proper. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here to guard access to the rest of the building is a secretary on a | ||
| CF | tall stool. The secretary is carrying the Regulation Authentication | ||
| CF | Scope and wearing a pencil skirt and a plain white top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Rotunda and east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She turns her eyes towards us but doesn't say anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "show pass to secretary" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOW PASS TO SECRETARY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We show our pass to the secretary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The secretary frowns, but the scope makes no sound. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The secretary raises her Authentication Scope to look at the pass. | ||
| CF | There is a moment of silence. The scope does nothing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That will do," the secretary says of our pass. Then she inspects the | ||
| CF | invitation with the monocle. "Most of the visits were earlier in the | ||
| CF | day," she says. "Quite a fracas there was this morning." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The invitation doesn't state a particular time," we say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She deflates momentarily and goes back to inspecting. "There's another | ||
| CF | problem. This invitation is for Professor Waterstone. They're | ||
| CF | watermarked individually to avoid fraud. You're not Professor | ||
| CF | Waterstone." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "He sent me to do some research in his place. I'm a student of his." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She frowns. "Invitations to inspect highly secure machinery are not | ||
| CF | transferrable," she says. "And how should I know whether you stole | ||
| CF | it?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by five points and is now | ||
| CF | seventy-eight.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "yay more points" | |
| Roger says, "hrm well nuts" | ||
| Lancelot asks, "did they update our goals?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "goals" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOALS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Find Brock | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x invitation" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X INVITATION | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm handling this. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "z" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > Z | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sure, hang in there. I'm pretty sure that what we need here is to act | ||
| CF | as much like Professor Waterstone himself as humanly possible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Professor Waterstone is a busy man," I say. "If you want me to tell | ||
| CF | him you wouldn't cooperate, I'm just as happy not to work on Serial | ||
| CF | Comma Day. But if DCL wants his endorsement or advice, they'll have to | ||
| CF | work within his schedule. If you are going to turn me away, however, I | ||
| CF | would like the opportunity to speak with your manager." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The secretary scowls. "Fine. I'll contact Waterstone." She places a | ||
| CF | call — on speakerphone, no less — glaring all the time. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Waterstone here," says the phone. There's background traffic noise. | ||
| CF | Waterstone must be on the road already. Figures he would have a car | ||
| CF | phone. Most people aren't allowed, here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I have a student here attempting to use your invitation to enter the | ||
| CF | Bureau," says the secretary. "Was it stolen?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What? Oh that. No." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You're saying you gave your invitation away." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Yes I did," says Waterstone. "And I have been a research partner to | ||
| CF | DCL since before you were born." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Sir, you are aware that this is highly irregular!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "whew" | |
| Lancelot says, "whew indeed" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "z" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > Z | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sure, hang in there. I'm pretty sure that what we need here is to act | ||
| CF | as much like Professor Waterstone himself as humanly possible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The secretary is still talking. "You personally vouch for this | ||
| CF | student? You know her well and are sure of her trustworthiness?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Known her for years," lies Waterstone, annoyed. There's a click as he | ||
| CF | hangs up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What a delightful man," remarks the secretary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She looks over our other visible possessions (the word, the pass, the | ||
| CF | tub, the pearl, the wrap, the shuttlecock, the card, the key, the daft | ||
| CF | document, the jigsaw, the band, the lie, the cross, the screws, the | ||
| CF | screwdriver, the honey pastry triangle, the pocket-bread, the sin, the | ||
| CF | stick, the silver platter, Lives of the Lexicographers, | ||
| CF | History of the Standards Revolution, Studies in Primary | ||
| CF | Language Acquisition, Journal of Third-World Economics, | ||
| CF | the bin, the pic, the shopping bag, Guidebook to Anglophone | ||
| CF | Atlantis, the Britishizing goggles, the map of Slangovia, the | ||
| CF | poppy, the shred, the sop, the trash, the pill, and the ale) and deems | ||
| CF | them acceptable. She makes us sign a book, for which we use a | ||
| CF | signature of your invention. Finally: "Go in, descend to the basement, | ||
| CF | and present yourself at the secure section downstairs. Be advised you | ||
| CF | will be under video surveillance as you approach. Any attempts to | ||
| CF | modify or steal Bureau property, to gain access to rooms to which you | ||
| CF | have not been expressly invited, to eavesdrop on conversations of | ||
| CF | Bureau employees, or to leave objects of your own behind in the | ||
| CF | Bureau, may result in your arrest and prosecution. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Have a nice day!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "have a nice day indeed :p" | |
| Roger says, "it's like she's treating us like a common international criminal" | ||
| DavidW says, "She just wants to emphasize that fucking up in this building is severely punished." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exit" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But we aren't in anything at the moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Antechamber, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north to Rotunda and east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Hallway, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bureau Hallway | ||
| CF | This is a long hallway with many doors leading off, the business of | ||
| CF | the bureau being varied and all-encompassing; it is for all essential | ||
| CF | purposes the chief organ of government in Atlantis, since only a few | ||
| CF | topics are brought to citizen referendum. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go east, west to Antechamber, and down from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "the penultimate part" | |
| Roger says, "I guess I'd best not be wandering about" | ||
| DavidW says, "not yet" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement South, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bureau Basement South | ||
| CF | We have descended into a windowless underground passage. The hallway | ||
| CF | runs north from here, and for an eerily long way — the tunnels must | ||
| CF | extend well beyond the above-ground profile of the building. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Propped in the corner are some articles that were probably meant to be | ||
| CF | used as part of the Serial Comma Day Fair, but got confiscated | ||
| CF | instead: a seer automaton and a plywood cutout depicting Atlantida. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go north and up to Bureau Hallway from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x automaton" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement South, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X AUTOMATON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a robotic head inside a glass box. When turned on, it gives out | ||
| CF | fortunes. There's an old-fashioned carnival feel about the thing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The seer automaton is currently switched off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn on automaton" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement South, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN ON AUTOMATON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The seer cranks to life, looks us up and down with painted wooden | ||
| CF | eyeballs, and in a tinny voice, says, "I predict you will become BIG. | ||
| CF | Much bigger than you were yesterday." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn on automaton" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement South, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN ON AUTOMATON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The seer cranks to life, looks us up and down with painted wooden | ||
| CF | eyeballs, and in a tinny voice, says, "I predict you will escape." | ||
| CF | Asthmatic whirring. "Possibly on the back of an interstellar whale." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn on automaton" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement South, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN ON AUTOMATON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The seer cranks to life, looks us up and down with painted wooden | ||
| CF | eyeballs, and in a tinny voice, says, "I predict the Bureau won't last | ||
| CF | past tomorrow." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "okay then" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x cutout" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement South, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CUTOUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's one of those plywood cutouts where a tourist sticks his head | ||
| CF | through and someone else takes a photo showing the tourist a funny | ||
| CF | pose. This one puts the tourist's face on Atlantida, complete with | ||
| CF | flowing blue robes and expansive bosom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Middle, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bureau Basement Middle | ||
| CF | The hallway continues both north and south, flanked by doors painted | ||
| CF | immutable colors: hyacinth, celadon, chartreuse. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cute security door at the north end is solidly shut. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An adorable video camera hangs in the left corner above the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x camera" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Middle, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CAMERA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It has a lens, certainly, but it is also made of pink plastic and has | ||
| CF | cat ears. And it looks like it will recognize us if we approach, | ||
| CF | perhaps? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "cute, adorable..." | |
| DavidW says, "Smile, you're on cute cat camera!" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The guards have apparently been instructed to allow us in, because as | ||
| CF | we approach, the door slides open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The door seals behind us as soon as we are through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bureau Basement Secret Section | ||
| CF | The heightened security on this side of the door is obvious everywhere | ||
| CF | we look. The floor is tiled in paisley tiles. The light fixtures give | ||
| CF | off pale pink light. The walls are covered in frog leather. The doors | ||
| CF | are locked with padlocks the size of handbags, locks decorated à la | ||
| CF | Louis Quinze, combination locks made of solid gold. There is not a | ||
| CF | bare noun in sight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cute security door at the south end is solidly shut. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The hallway runs from south (comparatively normal) to north (deeply | ||
| CF | frightening). Just west is the equipment testing room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Pinkunz says, "Maybe it's less threatening when it's cute." | |
| Jade says, "inmersion" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh, I see. Everything has adjectives on purpose to prevent alterations." | ||
| Roger says, "sensible" | ||
| Lancelot says, "indeed" | ||
| Pinkunz says, "That makes sense." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Best to start looking for Brock where we know he went: the equipment | ||
| CF | testing room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sensitive Equipment Testing Room | ||
| CF | A room with no windows, no cameras, no recording equipment, and barely | ||
| CF | any furniture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A rock sits in one corner of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the center of the room is a gleaming new T-inserter Machine. This | ||
| CF | is a state of the art device: letter removal has been well understood | ||
| CF | for decades, but insertion is much more dangerous and difficult, | ||
| CF | fraught with ambiguity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "it seems so" | |
| DavidW asks, "Rock? And we're looking for Brock?" | ||
| Jade says, "hot, hot" | ||
| Pinkunz says, "Need a B-inserter." | ||
| DavidW says, "He must be stoned out of his mind." | ||
| Lancelot says, "lol" | ||
| Roger says, "no wonder we favoured him in the bedroom" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x rock" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Heavy, dark, and roughly hexagonal, like a slice of basalt column. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "He probably just needs a restoration gel dab. But not here, I suspect." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "open backpack" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear monocle" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Everything turns computer-monitor green when viewed through our right | ||
| CF | eye. And staring fixedly at anything will turn up its authenticity | ||
| CF | status. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x rock" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 0 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Heavy, dark, and roughly hexagonal, like a slice of basalt column. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | rock is a faint, greenish image of Brock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "brock, hello" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 0 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BROCK, HELLO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "ah. confirmed." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x inserter" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 0 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X INSERTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Made of brushed steel, it resembles an industrial espresso machine, | ||
| CF | with a space in which to insert items. A dozen small nozzles poke into | ||
| CF | this space, and the grate beneath is ready to drain off any | ||
| CF | superfluity of T-ness. There is a tiny brass plate near the base of | ||
| CF | the machine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the T-inserter machine with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x plate" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 0 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PLATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | DENTAL CONSONANTS LTD — ABSOLUTELY NO PALATALS OR LABIALS — | ||
| CF | GUARANTEED | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the brass plate with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on rock" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON ROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the rock. | ||
| CF | With an audible SPLORT, the rock becomes Brock. He looks a bit haggard | ||
| CF | to me, but I don't think anything too horrible has happened to him. So | ||
| CF | perhaps you can stop worrying. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brock stands, dusting himself off. He looks us up and down without | ||
| CF | expression, without any sign of recognition. "What day is it?" he | ||
| CF | asks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Still Serial Comma Day," you say. "Brock, it's me. And Alex, but I'm | ||
| CF | here." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The waxen look melts and he grins. "Thank god. It's harder than you'd | ||
| CF | expect being a rock." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to suggest we get out of here, complain about Brock's | ||
| CF | recklessness, or rejoice that Brock is okay. Then again, we could just | ||
| CF | get to work so we can be out of here faster. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell brock we get out" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL BROCK WE GET OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You've been a lump of igneous all day," you say. "It's getting dark | ||
| CF | out there. If we don't get out now, we're going to get caught by some | ||
| CF | janitor with a privative affixer." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I didn't have time to run the tests I wanted to run on the | ||
| CF | T-inserter. It'll take three minutes and then we can go. We need to do | ||
| CF | abstracts, animates, and a stability check." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He pauses, listening for noises outside. "First we should see whether | ||
| CF | this thing can reify abstracts." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to complain about Brock's recklessness or discover why | ||
| CF | Brock got stuck here. Maybe it's not worth it, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "yay" | |
| Jade says, "well done" | ||
| Roger asks, "an abstract, eh. maybe rap is abstract enough, for a trap?" | ||
| DavidW says, "ah, now we need to use the T-inserter." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove w from wrap" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 78 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE W FROM WRAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the L-remover) | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a W-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The wrap gives way to the now-familiar rap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It includes the phrase "colder than a rifle shot, restoration to the | ||
| CF | real". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He cranes to look around at the back of the machine, but doesn't find | ||
| CF | anything interesting. "If it can't do abstracts, the market value is | ||
| CF | going to be a lot lower because of the limited-depth trees." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could complain about Brock's recklessness or discover why Brock | ||
| CF | got stuck here. Or, then again, there's always finishing the job. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put rap in inserter" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT RAP IN INSERTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a loud and satisfying pop from the machine as it turns the | ||
| CF | rap into a trap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He eyes the member. "Oh for a homonym paddle." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We want to complain about Brock's recklessness or discover why | ||
| CF | Brock got stuck here. Or, then again, there's always finishing the | ||
| CF | job. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point and is now | ||
| CF | seventy-nine.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Pinkunz says, "yay" | |
| Roger says, "an animate... hrm." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take trap" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE TRAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the trap. If you were expecting something small and | ||
| CF | harmless like a mousetrap, you're wrong: this is big and iron and | ||
| CF | would do a respectable job on a bear. The jaws of the trap are closed, | ||
| CF | at least. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He cranes to look around at the back of the machine, but doesn't find | ||
| CF | anything interesting. Brock goes on about the importance of abstracts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh, not abstract enough, or maybe we need to end up with an abstract." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your W-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in | ||
| CF | disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, a ball, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a card, a | ||
| CF | cate, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a pass, a pearl, a | ||
| CF | pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy | ||
| CF | iron gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a | ||
| CF | shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a silver platter, a sin, a sop, a stick, | ||
| CF | Studies in Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, a | ||
| CF | trap, some trash, a wig, a word, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I think we need to make an abstract, not use one." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from ball" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM BALL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We take the ball. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a hum of ferocious effort from the letter-remover as it | ||
| CF | strains to create "all". At first it seems likely that it will just | ||
| CF | break down, but it gets through the aa (a spontaneous flow of lava) | ||
| CF | and the aardvark, before the aardwolf attacks and does us in. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** That could have gone better *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 79 out of a possible 100, in 683 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Enemy of the State. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sensitive Equipment Testing Room | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "whoops" | |
| DavidW asks, "You wanted a tall?" | ||
| Jade says, "another ending" | ||
| Roger says, "yeah that's what I was thinking" | ||
| DavidW asks, "maybe turn SOP into STOP?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove l from heel" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE L FROM HEEL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an L-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "hee". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He watches us with a slightly disturbing intentness in his eyes. "I've | ||
| CF | half a mind to explore a little while we're down here just about | ||
| CF | unsupervised," Brock says reflectively. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I glare at him. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I know there's no time," he says. "But there are supposed to be all | ||
| CF | sorts of things in the Bureau sub-basement that have never seen the | ||
| CF | light of day. DCL projects that went wrong, secret government | ||
| CF | experiments, possibly a buried command center." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could ask what buried command center he heard of. Or, then | ||
| CF | again, there's always finishing the job. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put sop in inserter" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT SOP IN INSERTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a loud and satisfying pop from the machine as it turns the | ||
| CF | sop into a stop. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask what buried command center he heard of. Or, then | ||
| CF | again, there's always finishing the job. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x stop" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X STOP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A metal key pried off a musical instrument. It's not much use by | ||
| CF | itself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | stop is a faint, greenish image of some soap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take stop" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 4 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE STOP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the stop. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask what buried command center he heard of. Or, then | ||
| CF | again, there's always finishing the job. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put pic in inserter" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 3 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PIC IN INSERTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a loud and satisfying pop from the machine as it turns the | ||
| CF | pic into a Pict. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "No problem creating creatures," Brock says judiciously. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brock is looking at everything but us. "If any guards come, we can use | ||
| CF | the Pict as a decoy," Brock remarks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Pict gets out of the T-inserter machine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "It's hard to remember all we have." | |
| Roger says, "yay, and yes." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 3 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your L-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, a pan (really the smuggled plans in | ||
| CF | disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, a ball, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a card, a | ||
| CF | cate, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a pass, a pearl, a | ||
| CF | pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron | ||
| CF | gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp | ||
| CF | tail, a shuttlecock, a silver platter, a sin, a stick, a stop, | ||
| CF | Studies in Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, a | ||
| CF | trap, some trash, a wig, a word, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "ALE to TALE?" | |
| Lancelot says, "quite the pack rat we are yes" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put ale in inserter" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT ALE IN INSERTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a loud and satisfying pop from the machine as it turns the | ||
| CF | ale into a tale. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Of course, there were other options there: the T-inserter could have | ||
| CF | made two words. But it seems to be disambiguating to the tale. The | ||
| CF | question now is whether it would do so consistently or whether its | ||
| CF | behavior is underdetermined; we don't have time for a really thorough | ||
| CF | trial set, but checking a couple more times may be indicative. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Right. It's good on abstracts, then," Brock says, contemplating the | ||
| CF | tale. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Pict stares at us. Brock steps to the side to make room for the | ||
| CF | Pict. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "huzzah" | |
| Lancelot says, "yay" | ||
| Pinkunz claps | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take tale" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE TALE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We get the tale. It begins with "once upon a time," and the letters | ||
| CF | scroll up delicately through the air when we start to read. It weaves | ||
| CF | a narrative as follows: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Once upon a time, a money changer's wife was separated from her | ||
| CF | beloved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Let me help you," said a genie. "If you are with me, I cannot | ||
| CF | fail," replied the money changer's wife. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | So the two of them were looking everywhere for the beloved's | ||
| CF | footprints side by side, when they were approached by a sailor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The genie brought forth a shimmering spirit blade and used it to | ||
| CF | defeat the sailor, while the money changer's wife watched in | ||
| CF | astonishment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then in a single moment, the genie completed the task that the two | ||
| CF | of them had set out to do. "Why did you need me?" demanded the money | ||
| CF | changer's wife, feeling hurt about her lack of agency in the whole | ||
| CF | task. "Because," replied the genie, "I am forbidden to do anything | ||
| CF | unless there is a human who wishes it. But as your will was tested and | ||
| CF | proven, the deed too became possible." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He knocks on the top of the T-inserter. "Next we need to look at the | ||
| CF | stabilization performance," Brock says. "Inserters sometimes run into | ||
| CF | trouble if there's a case where the same base word could be expanded | ||
| CF | to multiple derivatives — for instance, if you S-inserted CREAM, it | ||
| CF | wouldn't know whether to make CREAMS or SCREAM or SCREAMS." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "The detail in this game." | |
| Lancelot says, "indeed... so now we need to find an item which can lead to multiple options when adding a letter" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from trap" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM TRAP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The trap gives way to the now-familiar rap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It describes the pleasures of a swimming pool full of Cristal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brock touches some gel to the rap. "Just in case someone out there is | ||
| CF | listening." With an audible SPLORT, the rap becomes a wrap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "damnit" | |
| Lancelot says, "yeah the rap is noisy" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from tale" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 2 Score: 79 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM TALE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The tale gives way to the now-familiar ale. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put ale in inserter" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT ALE IN INSERTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are three small pops from the machine as it turns the ale into a | ||
| CF | tattle. There now: the T-inserter has constructed both tale and | ||
| CF | tattle. Not very stable, it seems. Slango will be interested to know | ||
| CF | that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A child's voice from the tattle says, "Mom! Timmy took the R out of my | ||
| CF | rice!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Check," says Brock. "And that's all we need here. Now..." He | ||
| CF | hesitates. "One person escaping is easier than two, I suppose." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You start to object, but I say, "Yes, you'd better return to petrified | ||
| CF | form." You know I'm right. He'll be easier to carry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A little grimly, he produces his own letter-remover and repeats the | ||
| CF | B-removal that made him in the first place. We're alone with the Pict. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by three points and is now | ||
| CF | eighty-two.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "lol" | |
| Roger asks, "Is everyone good for a final push to the end of this game?" | ||
| Lancelot says, "Im good" | ||
| DavidW says, "You're not near enough the end." | ||
| Jade says, "yes" | ||
| Lancelot says, "but can someone hint at how far we actually are? no idea how much to go yet" | ||
| Roger says, "oh! Well... let's get a little further anyway and see how it goes" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "goal" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what we think we need to do: | ||
| CF | Escape the Bureau | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sensitive Equipment Testing Room | ||
| CF | A room with no windows, no cameras, no recording equipment, and barely | ||
| CF | any furniture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Pict is here. He is wearing a silver chain and coarse woolen | ||
| CF | clothing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the center of the room is a gleaming new T-inserter Machine, | ||
| CF | currently containing a tattle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A rock sits in one corner of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on pict" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON PICT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We surreptitiously smear some of the Origin Paste onto the Pict. | ||
| CF | Nothing obvious happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Daddy, Timmy turned my bread into a bead!" tattles a childish voice. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from tattle" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM TATTLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The tattle gives way to the now-familiar ale. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "what is our goal now?" | |
| Lancelot asks, "just to get out?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Escaping, I think." | ||
| Roger says, "reckon so" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take ale" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ALE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the ale. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take rock" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the rock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "But I know there's a whole lot of game left." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on rock" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON ROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We surreptitiously smear some of the Origin Paste onto the rock. | ||
| CF | Nothing obvious happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put ale and rock in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT ALE AND ROCK IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | ale: The ale would just spill. | ||
| CF | rock: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste and remover in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE AND REMOVER IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Origin Paste: (first taking the Origin Paste) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | T-remover: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put monocle in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT MONOCLE IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We gently remove the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We put the monocle into the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "close backpack" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLOSE BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We close the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go east to Bureau Basement Secret Section from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Pict would probably give us away if he followed us. Best take care | ||
| CF | of that first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from pict" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM PICT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The backpack isn't open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The backpack isn't open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open backpack" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove t from pict" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE T FROM PICT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the T-remover) | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a T-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Pict gives way to the now-familiar pic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take inserter" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE INSERTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's fixed in place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "I guess we were just gathering intel?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put remover and pic in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT REMOVER AND PIC IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | T-remover: Done. | ||
| CF | pic: (first taking the pic) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "close backpack" | DavidW says, "for now, yeah" | |
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > CLOSE BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We close the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sensitive Equipment Testing Room | ||
| CF | A room with no windows, no cameras, no recording equipment, and barely | ||
| CF | any furniture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the center of the room is a gleaming new T-inserter Machine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We can go east to Bureau Basement Secret Section from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bureau Basement Secret Section | ||
| CF | The heightened security on this side of the door is obvious everywhere | ||
| CF | we look. The floor is tiled in paisley tiles. The light fixtures give | ||
| CF | off pale pink light. The walls are covered in frog leather. The doors | ||
| CF | are locked with padlocks the size of handbags, locks decorated à la | ||
| CF | Louis Quinze, combination locks made of solid gold. There is not a | ||
| CF | bare noun in sight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cute security door at the south end is solidly shut. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The hallway runs from south (comparatively normal) to north (deeply | ||
| CF | frightening). Just west is the equipment testing room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Alex." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't help it: I stop and turn. It's too ingrained in me. And it's | ||
| CF | my father's voice. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He's wearing his ordinary work clothes, but he looks strained to the | ||
| CF | point of fracture. And someone could come out of any of these doors at | ||
| CF | any moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Your mother told me about meeting your supposed girlfriend at your | ||
| CF | apartment. She was puzzled by that, but I knew what must have | ||
| CF | happened," my father says, in a very low voice. "I deleted the record | ||
| CF | of your unauthorized synthesizer draining the power grid, which, by | ||
| CF | the way, could get me dismissed." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could deny everything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell dad deny" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL DAD DENY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell dad about deny" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL DAD ABOUT DENY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "deny everything" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DENY EVERYTHING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You must have me confused with someone else." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He sighs. Not deceived even a little; weary that we tried. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We stare at each other, breathing hard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I didn't tell your mother what I suspected, but when it comes out | ||
| CF | you've… defected… I won't be able to keep this from her. And you're | ||
| CF | giving up your career. Mine too, possibly; we'll all be under | ||
| CF | suspicion, I suppose. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "It's pointless. You could have done a great deal for the Bureau from | ||
| CF | within. I was trying to help you see that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could lay out our reasons or be comforting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell father about reasons" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL FATHER ABOUT REASONS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I want to do something that matters," I say. "I don't see my work | ||
| CF | making a speck of difference here." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You mean you don't see my work as important," he says. "Got | ||
| CF | that from your mother, I imagine." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Somewhere down the hall a clock ticks loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "So your partners in crime are, what, smugglers? Industrial saboteurs? | ||
| CF | That's wonderful. Finally some role models." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We could quibble or deny being a spy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "tell father about spy" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TELL FATHER ABOUT SPY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The law doesn't work unless it's got a few human beings outside of | ||
| CF | it," you say — drawing on one of Slango's sayings. "Every tyranny | ||
| CF | creates its own balancing force." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Father's expression goes extremely dry. "Oh, yes, we tried that theory | ||
| CF | around here too. I regret to give away the ending, but it's a risky | ||
| CF | idea." No one speaks for a moment. The silence is almost eerie. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You've left enough traces that people will know someone came in here | ||
| CF | today." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x father" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X FATHER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He's in his mid-fifties, tall, thin but not excessively so. His hair | ||
| CF | is going white at the temples. His manner has always been mild and | ||
| CF | unimposing, but he is actually a capable manager, and more highly | ||
| CF | placed in the Bureau than he likes to let on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Right now he looks both exhausted and fiery, as though he's been | ||
| CF | called up for a difficult and possibly fatal duty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask father about traces" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK FATHER ABOUT TRACES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Father thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Here's what we're going to do, Alex. You're going in there—" (he | ||
| CF | points at a door to the southwest) "—and I'm going to call for backup | ||
| CF | to arrest the first person that comes out. That could be Alex, it | ||
| CF | could be whoever-else-you-are, it could be both of you in this same | ||
| CF | body. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "If it is Alex who comes back out, I can't possibly save your | ||
| CF | university career, but we might be able to make a case for clemency." | ||
| CF | What he means by that— oh. Yes. I understand now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He gives us a hard shove. We're half inside the room when we hear his | ||
| CF | last remark: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Alex... don't try to escape back through the Rotunda. If you really | ||
| CF | can't come home, then head north. I've never seen it, but supposedly | ||
| CF | there's an emergency exit up there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then he's gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cold Storage | ||
| CF | Shelves on both sides of the room are full of objects on stands: | ||
| CF | objects that used to be men and women, and in a few cases even | ||
| CF | children. The stand labels preserve their original names. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A duty roster is posted prominently. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If this goes wrong, we could wind up living in here permanently. So | ||
| CF | we'd better figure whom to send out, and do it fast. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hm. This is tricky. I forget who we must send." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "save" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SAVE | ||
| CF | %% Enter a save filename to write: | DavidW says, "Possibly one of the storage people." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "cfcoldstorage" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > SAVEOk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "we need to find the emergency exit" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x roster" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ROSTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The roster records duty shifts once every two weeks, assigned to | ||
| CF | various people in the department, all of them very high-ranking. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Be conscientious," admonishes the roster. "Read each name clearly | ||
| CF | while looking at the item through a monocle. If you suspect an object | ||
| CF | of losing its original identity, contact the Curator. We have disposed | ||
| CF | of seventeen objects this year!!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "our escape route" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear monocle" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We open the backpack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick up the monocle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Everything turns computer-monitor green when viewed through our right | ||
| CF | eye. And staring fixedly at anything will turn up its authenticity | ||
| CF | status. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x labels" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LABELS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick out a name on one of them: Petra Odinsova, foreigner, inanim | ||
| CF | 1972 on charge of not speaking English. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the stand labels with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x objects" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X OBJECTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The stand labels preserve their names, and a few details such as | ||
| CF | birthdate and date of inanimation. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The nearest of the objects resolves, awkwardly, into the face of a | ||
| CF | woman. It's hard to tell much about her, her age or her dress, from | ||
| CF | the faded image the monocle creates. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove d from stand labels" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE D FROM STAND LABELS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the T-remover) | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have a D-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "stan labels": | ||
| CF | evidently "labels" are too tightly bound to their modifiers and can't | ||
| CF | be manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I vote we gel Brock and send him out to my father. No, hear me out. | ||
| CF | Brock's cover is probably not in great shape anyway. You might be able | ||
| CF | to rescue him later. And it would be a coup for my father to have a | ||
| CF | real big arrest to put on the record. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "You should restore Petra, I think." | |
| Roger says, "aww cmon Stan take one for the team" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x petra" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PETRA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on object" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON OBJECT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hang on — are you sure you want to send one of these poor bastards | ||
| CF | out | ||
| CF | there? It would be cruel to get their hopes up just to have them | ||
| CF | re-arrested, not to mention that it would make my father look like a | ||
| CF | fool if he arrested a dissident who turned out to have been in storage | ||
| CF | all along. >> | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "no" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | all along. >> | ||
| CF | > NO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Okay then. There might be some other way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "brb" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are carrying the following essentials: your D-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, a rock, a pan (really the smuggled plans in | ||
| CF | disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, a ball, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a card, a | ||
| CF | cate, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a pass, a pearl, a | ||
| CF | pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy | ||
| CF | iron gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a | ||
| CF | shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a silver platter, a sin, a stick, a stop, | ||
| CF | Studies in Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, | ||
| CF | some trash, a wig, a word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmm" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x member" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MEMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is a figure of a member of the Committee to Establish an Orthodox | ||
| CF | Orthography. It is plastic, small enough to sit on our palm, and wears | ||
| CF | the stiff clothing and conservative hairstyle of about 1895. It looks | ||
| CF | slightly cross, as though the member has guessed its work would take | ||
| CF | another 15 years to complete. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | member is a faint, greenish image of some members. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Pinkunz says, "I'm assuming the game ends if we walk out ourselves." | |
| DavidW asks, "If you sacrifice yourself, Alex, or both?" | ||
| Pinkunz says, "Yourself." | ||
| Pinkunz says, "But both would likely qualify as well." | ||
| DavidW says, "yeah, if you sacrifice Andra, you get put on a chair and they C-remove it." | ||
| Jade says, "you can try" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from pass" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM PASS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: we now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of shaving cream, the pass turns into a pa. He's | ||
| CF | a Norman Rockwell figure: gruff, upstanding, honest, not a big talker. | ||
| CF | Doesn't actually come with a child attached, but it stands to reason | ||
| CF | he would have a large-ish brood of them. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | pa is a faint, greenish image of a pastis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The pa looks at us in confusion. "OUT," you say, pointing at the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I keep thinking: my father is going to look like a fool when it's | ||
| CF | found he's arrested a fake person; he'll be disgraced. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I want to stop you, but you've got the upper hand now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The pa backs out the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a noise like the firing of a restoration gel rifle and the | ||
| CF | sound of the pa collapsing into a pastis. "Nice try," shouts a voice | ||
| CF | from outside. "Next?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "dangnabbit" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cold Storage | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x roster" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ROSTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The roster records duty shifts once every two weeks, assigned to | ||
| CF | various people in the department, all of them very high-ranking. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Be conscientious," admonishes the roster. "Read each name clearly | ||
| CF | while looking at the item through a monocle. If you suspect an object | ||
| CF | of losing its original identity, contact the Curator. We have disposed | ||
| CF | of seventeen objects this year!!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the duty roster with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "lol too easy I guess" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "labels" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LABELS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x labels" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LABELS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick out a name on one of them: Lucy 2, born 1991, inanim 2009 on | ||
| CF | charge of smuggling French materials. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the stand labels with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x labels" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LABELS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick out a name on one of them: Graham 1, born 1968, inanim 2005. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as we sight the stand labels with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "It's not a great solution but let's see how far that'll get us, I guess" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on graham 1" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON GRAHAM 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on graham" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, sunset Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON GRAHAM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on object" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON OBJECT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hang on — are you sure you want to send one of these poor bastards | ||
| CF | out | ||
| CF | there? It would be cruel to get their hopes up just to have them | ||
| CF | re-arrested, not to mention that it would make my father look like a | ||
| CF | fool if he arrested a dissident who turned out to have been in storage | ||
| CF | all along. >> | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "yes" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | all along. >> | ||
| CF | > YES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We gel the nearest of the objects, and it comes to life: a woman in | ||
| CF | her thirties or forties, at first so motionless that she looks like a | ||
| CF | statue, until she remembers that she can move. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Thank goodness," says the woman. "I felt like I was going to lose | ||
| CF | myself if I had to spend another minute in there. I don't know who you | ||
| CF | are, but thank you, thank you! Is there a Bureau reprieve? Please tell | ||
| CF | me they've decided to let us all out!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "No general reprieve," you say. "Just you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This isn't what I want. It's not just unfair; it's actually monstrous. | ||
| CF | "What were you put in for?" I ask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Italian," she whispers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I was learning Italian," she says. "I wanted to read Manzoni. There | ||
| CF | was no sympathy from the officers; they thought it was an inexplicable | ||
| CF | desire. Is it daylight or night-time out there? Not that it matters. I | ||
| CF | haven't seen either in so long." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You gesture at the door. She looks at us once more, doubtfully, and | ||
| CF | goes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | From the corridor comes the sound of a shot being fired from a | ||
| CF | restoration gel rifle; the woman exclaiming in pain; officers | ||
| CF | gathering around her for the arrest. And she'll be back here, I | ||
| CF | suppose, before the night is out. I suppose that allows you to tell | ||
| CF | yourself that it wasn't a bad thing, what we just did. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A faint spell comes over you and you feel dizzy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "huh and now we get dizzy???" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "out" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But you aren't in anything at the moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Cold Storage, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go northeast to Bureau Basement Secret Section from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ne" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > NE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bureau Basement Secret Section | ||
| CF | The heightened security on this side of the door is obvious everywhere | ||
| CF | you look. The floor is tiled in paisley tiles. The light fixtures give | ||
| CF | off pale pink light. The walls are covered in frog leather. The doors | ||
| CF | are locked with padlocks the size of handbags, locks decorated à la | ||
| CF | Louis Quinze, combination locks made of solid gold. There is not a | ||
| CF | bare noun in sight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cute security door at the south end is solidly shut; there's no | ||
| CF | sign of anyone still waiting on this side of it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Going south through the security door isn't an option; our only way | ||
| CF | out is north. Just west is the equipment testing room, and southwest | ||
| CF | is Cold Storage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "That dizziness was super-important." | |
| Roger says, "hunh" | ||
| DavidW says, "But you won't know why until the end of the game." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging in the air at the north end of the hallway is an odor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "makes me wonder how long we are supposed to stay combined but I guess we will see" | |
| Jade says, "odor" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x odor" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ODOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't quite place it. There's definitely a smell, but what is it | ||
| CF | like? Strawberries? Burning rubber? Freshly chopped chives? | ||
| CF | Every time I think I've pinned it, it goes again, sliding sideways to | ||
| CF | smell like something else. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "door?" | |
| DavidW asks, "Kinda obvious, isn't it?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Yes, a door. Anagrammed." | ||
| Roger says, "someone hasn't been wearing their British goggles" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take odor" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ODOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can't actually touch the odor, seeing as it is, in fact, just a | ||
| CF | vapor in the air, a dispersion of molecules dispersed through the rest | ||
| CF | of the local atmosphere. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive | ||
| CF | The ceiling is mirrored, perhaps to make it harder for anyone to sneak | ||
| CF | around without being noticed among the shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The equipment shelves here display an assortment of obsolete, broken, | ||
| CF | foreign, or otherwise unusual letter tools. You've heard of the | ||
| CF | congrès / congres scandal. One of these was responsible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the equipment shelves are an accent flipper, an umlaut punch, a | ||
| CF | Catalan punt volat needle, some broken components, and some lamb | ||
| CF | granulates. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Functional areas continue both south and east, and the hallway is | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x flipper" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X FLIPPER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Not an Atlantean product at all, but a machine built by the | ||
| CF | state-subsidized French company Aigu. Its sole purpose is to convert | ||
| CF | accents or remove them entirely, not a function that much applies to | ||
| CF | English words. In form, it looks like a very small spatula connected | ||
| CF | by wire to a substantial battery pack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the accent flipper with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take flipper" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE FLIPPER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the accent flipper. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The accent flipper is far too large for us to carry, and falls onto | ||
| CF | the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x punch" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PUNCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A very heavy, solid object manufactured in Stuttgart. A wire basket | ||
| CF | holds the item to be punched; two sharp metal tines descend into the | ||
| CF | basket at the moment of use. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the umlaut punch with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove p from flipper" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE P FROM FLIPPER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have a P-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It has tried to create a "accent flier": | ||
| CF | evidently "flipper" is too tightly bound to its modifiers and can't be | ||
| CF | manipulated separately. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x needle" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X NEEDLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An infinitely delicate tool designed to slip between two Ls. It has no | ||
| CF | application in English. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the Catalan punt volat needle | ||
| CF | with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x components" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X COMPONENTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A heap of parts from old machines: cranks, gears, levers, buttons with | ||
| CF | letters and numbers on them, delicate hoops of silver wire, knobs from | ||
| CF | which all the markers have worn away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the broken components with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x lamb" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LAMB | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | They're tiny brown beads used to make lamb-stock gravy. Perhaps | ||
| CF | they're left-over military rations of some kind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | lamb granulates is a faint, greenish image of some anagram bullets. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take lamb" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE LAMB | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You pick up the lamb granulates. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "those might be useful" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south and west to Wonderland from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Display Reloading Room | ||
| CF | This area is more or less empty. Hazard tape marks off an area of the | ||
| CF | floor to indicate that you shouldn't stand there. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black and white tv monitor is embedded in the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a small black push-button on the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x monitor" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MONITOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is showing images of the Tools Exhibit upstairs, one of the few | ||
| CF | parts of the Bureau open to the public. A businesswoman is gazing | ||
| CF | curiously at the Model T. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x monitor" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MONITOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have another look at what is going on up in the Tools Exhibit. A | ||
| CF | small child is gawking at the anagramming gun. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "push button" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUSH BUTTON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A heavy clunk sounds. On the tv monitor, you see the display case | ||
| CF | black out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Then there is a groaning of moving metal, and part of the ceiling | ||
| CF | lowers. This is, apparently, how displays are swapped out for the | ||
| CF | tools exhibit upstairs: the display platform is lowering to our level, | ||
| CF | providing access. This brings the Model T, the Etymological Reversing | ||
| CF | Chamber, and the anagramming gun down into the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "woo hoo" | |
| Roger says, "this is probably a good place to halt for today, I think" | ||
| Pinkunz says, "gun and bullets." | ||
| Lancelot says, "yes indeed" | ||
| Roger says, "yeah, lots of new toys" | ||
| Lancelot exclaims, "progress!" | ||
| DavidW says, "yeah. With anagrams, it's about to get crazy." | ||
| Roger exclaims, "hrm maybe there was some better way to stash the pict. Oh well!" | ||
| Pinkunz says, "Because everything up to now was perfectly normal, lol." | ||
| *** SESSION 5 *** | ||
| Roger says, "we're amid Counterfeit Monkey at the moment" | ||
| DavidW says, "I assume you all will continue with Counterfeit Monkey." | ||
| Perry asks, "Oo, I'm partially through that myself. How far amid?" | ||
| Roger says, "having just come into possession of an anagram gun and some other stuff, if I correctly recall" | ||
| DavidW says, "I've played it already, so I'm sitting back." | ||
| Perry says, "I've been getting my mom into it by playing it with her on long drives." | ||
| DavidW says, "yeah, they saw the T-inserter." | ||
| DavidW says, "They haven't actually used the anagram gun yet." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), ";" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ; | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Display Reloading Room | ||
| CF | This area is mostly taken up with the display platform descended from | ||
| CF | the room above. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black and white tv monitor is embedded in the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a small black push-button on the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are a Model T, an Etymological Reversing Chamber, and an | ||
| CF | anagramming gun on the display platform. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x chamber" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CHAMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It looks like an iron lung — a large sealed chamber with extensive | ||
| CF | machinery surrounding it. It is able to make words run back to their | ||
| CF | linguistic roots: ape into apa, pearl to perle, and so on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The machine is of little popular use and is principally applied by | ||
| CF | scholars under controlled circumstances. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the Etymological Reversing | ||
| CF | Chamber with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oh. Haven't actually taken it yet." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x gun" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Anagramming guns are illegal now, of course, because of their | ||
| CF | desperately unpredictable behavior. This one is a huge heavy thing, | ||
| CF | though not quite an artillery piece, because of the colossal amounts | ||
| CF | of power required and all the stabilizers needed to try to collapse | ||
| CF | the letters back down to a single phrase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the anagramming gun with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "That's right" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take gun" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You pick up the anagramming gun. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "one of those man-portable artillery pieces" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go north to Equipment Archive from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive | ||
| CF | The ceiling is mirrored, perhaps to make it harder for anyone to sneak | ||
| CF | around without being noticed among the shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The equipment shelves here display an assortment of obsolete, broken, | ||
| CF | foreign, or otherwise unusual letter tools. There are an umlaut | ||
| CF | punch, a Catalan punt volat needle, and some broken components on the | ||
| CF | equipment shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see an accent flipper here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Functional areas continue both south and east, and the hallway is | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Ah okay believe this is past where I am." | |
| DavidW says, "This is closer to the end, yes." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Display Reloading Room and west to Wonderland from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging in the air at the north end of the hallway is an odor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot odor with gun" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT ODOR WITH GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The anagramming gun is not loaded. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "load gun" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOAD GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What do you want to load the anagramming gun with? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "bullet" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > BULLET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your P-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, a ball, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a card, a | ||
| CF | cate, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), some lamb granulates, a leaflet, a letter, a lie, | ||
| CF | Lives of the Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a | ||
| CF | pass, a pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which | ||
| CF | opens the sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping | ||
| CF | bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a silver platter, a sin, a | ||
| CF | stick, a stop, Studies in Primary Language Acquisition, a | ||
| CF | swatch, a tome, some trash, a wig, a word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Need the bullets, remember?" | |
| Roger says, "I thought we had those, but I guess not" | ||
| DavidW asks, "The bullets were anagrammed into something else, I thought we saw?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x lamb" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LAMB | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | They're tiny brown beads used to make lamb-stock gravy. Perhaps | ||
| CF | they're left-over military rations of some kind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | lamb granulates is a faint, greenish image of some anagram bullets. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on lamb" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON LAMB | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the lamb | ||
| CF | granulates. With an audible SPLORT, the lamb granulates become some | ||
| CF | anagram bullets. Heavy, high-impact stuff. Anagramming requires a | ||
| CF | great deal of force to break the linguistic cohesion of the word or | ||
| CF | phrase being modified. On the other hand, it's the one process that is | ||
| CF | routinely effective even on adjective-adhering nouns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "There they are." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "load gun with bullets" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 82 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOAD GUN WITH BULLETS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I would not know how to do this, but you have sufficient expert skill | ||
| CF | that we've got the gun loaded up in no time. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot odor with gun" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT ODOR WITH GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the odor, which shatters and then reforms | ||
| CF | as the door. It is part of the north wall, and currently closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point and is now | ||
| CF | eighty-three.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I believe all the other tools and whatnot is clever scenery, but I could fiddle around with stuff more if people want, or if anyone wants to try themselves" | |
| Jade says, "cool" | ||
| DavidW says, "I seem to recall, yes, the other cool stuff is just scenery. Maybe there's something the umlaut punch works on, but I have no idea what." | ||
| DavidW says, "You can't flip accents on words that don't have accents." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | None of the doors in that direction look useful to us, and some of | ||
| CF | them look frightening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Bureau Basement Secret Section and east to | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open door" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You open the door, revealing a room beyond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are a paperweight and an inciting fable on the long table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x paperweight" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PAPERWEIGHT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Blue and white strands are swirled through the heavy, lens-like hunk | ||
| CF | of clear glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | paperweight is a faint, greenish image of a paper and a weight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x fable" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X FABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a short children's tale, with illustrations. A young boy was left | ||
| CF | an orphan in a certain village. So he went door to door around the | ||
| CF | village, but none of the families would take him in, all having some | ||
| CF | excuse: there were too many children already, the house was too small, | ||
| CF | there was not enough food, the parents were too old for a new child, | ||
| CF | and so on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Despondent, the boy was on the verge of giving up when a magician came | ||
| CF | to town. He went around door to door with the boy a second time, this | ||
| CF | time asking each household for just one letter. When he was done, he | ||
| CF | used a powerful machine on the letters in his bag, and transformed | ||
| CF | them into a LOVING FAMILY! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (The text ends here, but the illustration shows the boy beaming in the | ||
| CF | arms of a manufactured mother, father, siblings, hamster, and | ||
| CF | goldfish.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | inciting fable is a faint, greenish image of a filing cabinet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oh right. I remember part of this now." | |
| Perry asks, "Gel it up?" | ||
| Roger says, "hrm. Yeah, I could restore either or both of these things, I guess" | ||
| DavidW says, "yeah, either" | ||
| Roger says, "maybe I'll just lug them around for now" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take paperweight" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PAPERWEIGHT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the paperweight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take fable" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE FABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You acquire the inciting fable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x table" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see nothing special about the long table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the long table with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Was curious what the paper read at least" | |
| Roger says, "hmm yeah" | ||
| Lancelot has arrived. | DavidW says, "hi Lancelot" | |
| Jade says, "hi Lancelot" | ||
| Lancelot says, "Hi all sorry to be late" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x painting" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PAINTING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "no worries needed" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Another room lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "We grabbed the anagramming gun, loaded it with bullets, turned the odor into a door. Now inside the door and got a paperweight and an inciting fable." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x computer" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X COMPUTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Below the flat screen are a keyboard and mouse, both shiny silver. | ||
| CF | Only top of the line equipment down here, it seems. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The surveillance computer is currently switched on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The following options are visible on the screen: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Security Cameras | ||
| CF | Power Grid | ||
| CF | Requisitions | ||
| CF | Access Records | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight PCOS with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x cameras" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CAMERAS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x security" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SECURITY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x security cameras" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SECURITY CAMERAS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "cool" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "security cameras" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SECURITY CAMERAS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I think you select options." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "select security cameras" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT SECURITY CAMERAS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You select the surveillance program. It brings up a menu of possible | ||
| CF | camera views. The following options are visible on the screen: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Statue | ||
| CF | Customs House | ||
| CF | Front Exit | ||
| CF | Tools Exhibit | ||
| CF | Interrogation Rooms Circuit | ||
| CF | Cold Storage | ||
| CF | Subject A Porch | ||
| CF | Subject A Dwelling Space | ||
| CF | North Exit | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also select MAIN to return to the operating system. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "dang I don't want to grind through all that" | |
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "select statue" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT STATUE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The view shifts to a shot at the Roundabout, with its Atlantida | ||
| CF | statue, taken apparently from some building across the road. The crowd | ||
| CF | from earlier is long gone, and there's no obvious sign of vandalism. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Probably don't need to" | |
| Roger says, "yeah we might need to plot a course out of here, but hopefully not" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select main" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT MAIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You return to the operating system. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The following options are visible on the screen: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Security Cameras | ||
| CF | Power Grid | ||
| CF | Requisitions | ||
| CF | Access Records | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight PCOS with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select grid" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT GRID | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen flashes up a schematic of the entire Bureau — the public | ||
| CF | rooms we're familiar with, the basement, and the special section we're | ||
| CF | in now. It appears that three different power supplies feed these, one | ||
| CF | for the public areas and one, more heavily backed up, for most of the | ||
| CF | basement. Both of these are running. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A third power supply is located east of here, and is currently shut | ||
| CF | down, leaving the eastern rooms dark. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select mani" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT MANI | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your selection, "mani", is not one of the available choices. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select main" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT MAIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your selection, "main", is not one of the available choices. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select requisitions" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT REQUISITIONS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen brings up what appears to be a system for requisitioning | ||
| CF | and supply for this area. The recent entries are diverse and in some | ||
| CF | cases cryptic: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 34224 eBook order at request of Subject A details attached | ||
| CF | 34223 toys and diversions order at request of Subject A, children's | ||
| CF | jacks, balls, puzzles, games | ||
| CF | 34222 espresso beans for Subject A - previous order unacceptable see | ||
| CF | attached | ||
| CF | 34221 bakery requisition | ||
| CF | 34220 coffee beans resupply for Subject A | ||
| CF | 34219 berg resupply to boiler - previous supply melted - NB new | ||
| CF | supply is required even if not used | ||
| CF | 34218 rifle resupply for handlers for Subject A, new gel required as | ||
| CF | safety measure | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | ...and so on, scrolling back and back and back. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Probably want to power the east supply for later is gonna be my guess" | |
| Roger says, "plausible guess" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm curious who 'Subject A' is/" | ||
| Jade says, "mmm, perhaps" | ||
| Roger says, "a coffee fan, I guess" | ||
| Perry asks, "Can you select 34220?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select records" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT RECORDS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This selection brings up on screen a database of "Accesses." Still | ||
| CF | visible for today's date is a record labeled Inquiry on Civic Unrest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can type search terms to look for data records. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also select MAIN to return to the operating system. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x record" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X RECORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select inquiry" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT INQUIRY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The search turns up the following results: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Inquiry on Civic Unrest: The database records an inquiry by | ||
| CF | Julius Pleice, conducted mid-afternoon today. "No direct subject | ||
| CF | contact, per previous incidents. Oracle consultation conducted through | ||
| CF | grill. Question concerned response to civic unrest. Subject | ||
| CF | recommended immediate action and depluralization of protesters. | ||
| CF | Subject emphasized importance of preserving statue." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "I don't remember the statue being important. Also, Subject = Subject A I guess." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "search subject a" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH SUBJECT A | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The search turns up the following results: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | —: By all appearances every entry concerns "Subject A" in some | ||
| CF | way or other, so that wouldn't narrow things down much. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search coffee" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH COFFEE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search julius" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH JULIUS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The search turns up the following results: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Inquiry on Synthesis: "No subject contact. Subject A confirmed | ||
| CF | licensing rules for synthesizers. Subject A ordered additional | ||
| CF | experiments into long-term effects of human synthesis. Arbot | ||
| CF | registered protest. Subject A showed signs of agitation. Arbot also | ||
| CF | appeared distressed. Pleice volunteered to act as go-between with | ||
| CF | Subject A on this matter hereafter." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tools Exhibit Content Review: "No subject contact. Subject A | ||
| CF | confirmed intent to display anagramming gun among others. Pleice | ||
| CF | argued concern for public safety. A replied greater significance in | ||
| CF | demonstrating civic might. Pleice conceded." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Promotion Julius Pleice: "No subject contact. Subject A | ||
| CF | confirmed promotion of Julius Pleice to replace departing supervisor | ||
| CF | Arbot. Papers were submitted for written confirmation from Subject A." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I might guess Subject A is at least one of us" | |
| DavidW says, "We are not Subject A." | ||
| Lancelot says, "nope since we did not do what subject a has been reported as doing" | ||
| Lancelot says, "unless we forgot everything" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search statue" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH STATUE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The search turns up the following results: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Inquiry on Civic Unrest: The database records an inquiry by | ||
| CF | Julius Pleice, conducted mid-afternoon today. "No direct subject | ||
| CF | contact, per previous incidents. Oracle consultation conducted through | ||
| CF | grill. Question concerned response to civic unrest. Subject | ||
| CF | recommended immediate action and depluralization of protesters. | ||
| CF | Subject emphasized importance of preserving statue." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search war" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH WAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "You guys will be very surprised when you learn who Subject A is." | |
| Roger asks, "anyone else want to look up anything?" | ||
| Perry says, "I forget all the names, but probably all of those." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search brock" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH BROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "No, I remember things I can't reveal by now." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "search mom" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH MOM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search me" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH ME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your P-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, a ball, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a card, a | ||
| CF | cate, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, an inciting fable, | ||
| CF | a jigsaw, Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which | ||
| CF | opens the apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of | ||
| CF | the Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a paperweight, | ||
| CF | a pass, a pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which | ||
| CF | opens the sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping | ||
| CF | bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a silver platter, a sin, a | ||
| CF | stick, a stop, Studies in Primary Language Acquisition, a | ||
| CF | swatch, a tome, some trash, a wig, a word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search brown" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH BROWN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "well alright then." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east, west to Oracle Project, and down from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search oracle" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH ORACLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tunnel through Chalk | ||
| CF | This passage has been cut through natural cliff rock and looks older | ||
| CF | than the Bureau itself. The walls are rough-hewn, exposing sedimentary | ||
| CF | strata. Here and there it looks as though someone has actually | ||
| CF | excavated a favored rock or relic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Blocking the far end of the corridor is a metal portcullis. It is | ||
| CF | currently lowered. From the pulley above the portcullis hangs a | ||
| CF | counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east through the portcullis (closed) and up to Surveillance | ||
| CF | Room from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a faint tang of salt air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x portcullis" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PORTCULLIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Heavy black metal bars, left from a much earlier state. It is | ||
| CF | currently lowered. From the pulley above the portcullis hangs a | ||
| CF | counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the portcullis with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x counter" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X COUNTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | One of those devices with a press-button to increment a number, to | ||
| CF | assist with counting things like the number of people attending an | ||
| CF | event. There's also a loop to let the user wear it over one finger. | ||
| CF | The counter currently reads 17. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the counter with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "a counter?" | |
| Roger says, "in need of a weight, I might guess" | ||
| Perry says, "Ya" | ||
| Perry says, "Oh, paperweight" | ||
| Lancelot says, "counterweight lol" | ||
| Perry says, "t split paperweight into paper and weight" | ||
| DavidW says, "To make a counterweight, you'll need a synthesizer." | ||
| Roger says, "yeah exactly" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take counter" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE COUNTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "There is one somewhere down here." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x tang" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TANG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x air" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X AIR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "hot" | |
| Roger asks, "hmm?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "up" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Another room lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east, west to Oracle Project, and down to Tunnel through | ||
| CF | Chalk from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x grill" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X GRILL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmmm well let's see what we got" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a door here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [If you're traveling far, you can always type GO TO (location | ||
| CF | name) to get there automatically.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive | ||
| CF | The ceiling is mirrored, perhaps to make it harder for anyone to sneak | ||
| CF | around without being noticed among the shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The equipment shelves here display an assortment of obsolete, broken, | ||
| CF | foreign, or otherwise unusual letter tools. There are an umlaut | ||
| CF | punch, a Catalan punt volat needle, and some broken components on the | ||
| CF | equipment shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see an accent flipper here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Functional areas continue both south and east, and the hallway is | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Display Reloading Room and west to Wonderland from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Display Reloading Room | ||
| CF | This area is mostly taken up with the display platform descended from | ||
| CF | the room above. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black and white tv monitor is embedded in the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a small black push-button on the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the display platform are a Model T and an Etymological Reversing | ||
| CF | Chamber. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x tv" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TV | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have another look at what is going on up in the Tools Exhibit. | ||
| CF | Some tourists are frowning at the blacked-out display case. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go north to Equipment Archive from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | DavidW says, "might send the case back upstairs" | |
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive | ||
| CF | The ceiling is mirrored, perhaps to make it harder for anyone to sneak | ||
| CF | around without being noticed among the shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The equipment shelves here display an assortment of obsolete, broken, | ||
| CF | foreign, or otherwise unusual letter tools. On the equipment shelves | ||
| CF | are an umlaut punch, a Catalan punt volat needle, and some broken | ||
| CF | components. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see an accent flipper here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Functional areas continue both south and east, and the hallway is | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "yeah, maybe... we'll see" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a door here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "We ignored the posters and charts in Oracle." | |
| DavidW says, "And we should see what's in the filing cabinet." | ||
| Roger says, "yeah, after painting bounced, it seemed unlikely, but I could check it out" | ||
| Perry says, "Paper, too, I assume." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x chart" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CHART | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x charts" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CHARTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Blue lines on the charts record the citizen responses to the concept | ||
| CF | of Atlantida. They record wartime progress in establishing the concept | ||
| CF | in the popular imagination, with a spike in 1942, corresponding to a | ||
| CF | heavy press of propaganda. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | After the war, there's a break in the charts until 1951, when tracking | ||
| CF | resumes. Additional spikes appear at 1968 and 1972. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Each chart also shows a yellow line, which roughly goes down as the | ||
| CF | blue line goes up. It is labeled "Power to generate animate abstract." | ||
| CF | The yellow line stops at 1982 and no further points are recorded on | ||
| CF | it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the polling charts with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x paintings" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PAINTINGS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The paintings are old, 19th-century affairs, and they show Atlantida | ||
| CF | larger than life, typically wearing blue, with a sort of French | ||
| CF | academy face and bare feet. The squid is a frequent motif in the | ||
| CF | background, as it represents inventiveness, strength, and the ability | ||
| CF | to try many things at once. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the paintings with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on fable" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON FABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | inciting fable. With an audible SPLORT, the inciting fable becomes a | ||
| CF | filing cabinet. There are numerous files, and they are organized | ||
| CF | chronologically, so that it's possible to look up a specific year. | ||
| CF | They appear to begin in 1942. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The filing cabinet is far too large for us to carry, and falls onto | ||
| CF | the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "stuff to read I guess" | |
| Roger says, "I guess we're reached the exposition wing of the game! ok" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "read 1942" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > READ 1942 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up 1942" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP 1942 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Checking through the filing cabinet for 1942 reveals some images of | ||
| CF | Atlantida. Here is her militant 1940s rendition, where she stands | ||
| CF | bestride Atlantis; Axis planes are flying past her at head level. At | ||
| CF | any moment she might bite one and shake it, like a bulldog. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up 1982" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP 1982 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A business-like, formidable Atlantida in the early 80s, looking Strong | ||
| CF | On Defense and Tough On Misspelling, with an olive branch in one hand | ||
| CF | and an anagramming gun in the other. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You'll have to specify what you want to type on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a door here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take door" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's fixed in place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive | ||
| CF | The ceiling is mirrored, perhaps to make it harder for anyone to sneak | ||
| CF | around without being noticed among the shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The equipment shelves here display an assortment of obsolete, broken, | ||
| CF | foreign, or otherwise unusual letter tools. On the equipment shelves | ||
| CF | are an umlaut punch, a Catalan punt volat needle, and some broken | ||
| CF | components. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see an accent flipper here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Functional areas continue both south and east, and the hallway is | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x components" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X COMPONENTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A heap of parts from old machines: cranks, gears, levers, buttons with | ||
| CF | letters and numbers on them, delicate hoops of silver wire, knobs from | ||
| CF | which all the markers have worn away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the broken components with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "dont we need that flipper" | |
| DavidW says, "I doubt it." | ||
| Perry goes home. | Lancelot asks, "anagram those components?" | |
| Roger says, "worth trying" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot components" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT COMPONENTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the broken components, which shatter and | ||
| CF | then reform as the monk corpse bonnet. It's a pioneer-styled lady's | ||
| CF | bonnet, except that the cloth is patterned all over with images of | ||
| CF | hanged monks, their tongues lolling out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "lol" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take bonnet" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BONNET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the monk corpse bonnet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | DavidW says, "super useful, I'm sure." | |
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Display Reloading Room | ||
| CF | This area is mostly taken up with the display platform descended from | ||
| CF | the room above. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black and white tv monitor is embedded in the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a small black push-button on the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are a Model T and an Etymological Reversing Chamber on the | ||
| CF | display platform. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry has arrived. | Lancelot says, "got a call from my daughter, I need to step out for a bit to pick her up from the station. bbl" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot monitor" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT MONITOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the tv monitor, but is unable to make | ||
| CF | anything interesting out of i, m, n, o, o, r, t, t, and v. The tv | ||
| CF | monitor recoalesces into its original form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Display Reloading Room | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in chamber" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN CHAMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can't see inside, since the Etymological Reversing Chamber is | ||
| CF | closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open chamber" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN CHAMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is an exhalation of funereal dust, as though you had cracked an | ||
| CF | Egyptian tomb. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in chamber" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK IN CHAMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Etymological Reversing Chamber is empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter chamber" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER CHAMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's not something you can enter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter platform" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER PLATFORM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That's not something you can enter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot chamber" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT CHAMBER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the Etymological Reversing Chamber, but is | ||
| CF | unable to make anything interesting out of a, a, b, c, c, e, e, e, e, | ||
| CF | g, g, h, i, i, l, l, m, m, n, o, o, r, r, r, s, t, v, and y. The | ||
| CF | Etymological Reversing Chamber recoalesces into its original form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Display Reloading Room | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "push button" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUSH BUTTON | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a groaning of gears and hydraulics, and the display platform, | ||
| CF | loaded with the Model T and the Etymological Reversing Chamber, rises | ||
| CF | back up to the exhibit level. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x monitor" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MONITOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have another look at what is going on up in the Tools Exhibit. The | ||
| CF | room appears to be temporarily empty of guests. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Display Reloading Room | ||
| CF | This area is more or less empty. Hazard tape marks off an area of the | ||
| CF | floor to indicate that you shouldn't stand there. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black and white tv monitor is embedded in the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a small black push-button on the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry asks, "Try putting the paperweight in the chamber?" | |
| DavidW says, "ugh, no" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to synthesizer" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO SYNTHESIZER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That way will be guarded. If you are going to escape, it will have to | ||
| CF | be by some back way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bureau Basement Secret Section | ||
| CF | The heightened security on this side of the door is obvious everywhere | ||
| CF | you look. The floor is tiled in paisley tiles. The light fixtures give | ||
| CF | off pale pink light. The walls are covered in frog leather. The doors | ||
| CF | are locked with padlocks the size of handbags, locks decorated à la | ||
| CF | Louis Quinze, combination locks made of solid gold. There is not a | ||
| CF | bare noun in sight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cute security door at the south end is solidly shut; there's no | ||
| CF | sign of anyone still waiting on this side of it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Going south through the security door isn't an option; our only way | ||
| CF | out is north. Just west is the equipment testing room, and southwest | ||
| CF | is Cold Storage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot tile" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT TILE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into paisley tile floors, but is unable to make | ||
| CF | anything interesting out of a, e, e, f, i, i, l, l, l, o, o, p, r, s, | ||
| CF | s, t, and y. Paisley tile floors recoalesces into its original form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot fixtures" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT FIXTURES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot lights" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT LIGHTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot walls" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT WALLS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the frog leather walls, but is unable to | ||
| CF | make anything interesting out of a, a, e, e, f, g, h, l, l, l, o, r, | ||
| CF | r, s, t, and w. The frog leather walls recoalesce into their original | ||
| CF | form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot padlocks" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT PADLOCKS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into enormous padlocks, but is unable to make | ||
| CF | anything interesting out of a, c, d, e, k, l, m, n, o, o, o, p, r, s, | ||
| CF | s, and u. Enormous padlocks recoalesces into its original form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "alas" | |
| DavidW says, "The whole point of the weird stuff here is to be stable." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sensitive Equipment Testing Room | ||
| CF | A room with no windows, no cameras, no recording equipment, and barely | ||
| CF | any furniture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the center of the room is a gleaming new T-inserter Machine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x machine" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X MACHINE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Made of brushed steel, it resembles an industrial espresso machine, | ||
| CF | with a space in which to insert items. A dozen small nozzles poke into | ||
| CF | this space, and the grate beneath is ready to drain off any | ||
| CF | superfluity of T-ness. There is a tiny brass plate near the base of | ||
| CF | the machine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the T-inserter machine with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh yeah" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your P-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, a ball, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a card, a | ||
| CF | cate, a counter, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a monk corpse | ||
| CF | bonnet, a paperweight, a pass, a pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, | ||
| CF | a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, | ||
| CF | some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a | ||
| CF | silver platter, a sin, a stick, a stop, Studies in Primary | ||
| CF | Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a wig, a | ||
| CF | word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "nothing leaps out at me" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x roll" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ROLL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Some day you will have to tell me a little bit about the tricks of the | ||
| CF | trade — how you fenced stuff, you know? Or perhaps you won't tell me. | ||
| CF | Maybe it would be better not. At any rate, this money is useful, so I | ||
| CF | won't ask too many questions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the roll with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh I guess I could bring brock back. hmm" | |
| DavidW says, "Except you won't. Not here." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bureau Basement Secret Section | ||
| CF | The heightened security on this side of the door is obvious everywhere | ||
| CF | you look. The floor is tiled in paisley tiles. The light fixtures give | ||
| CF | off pale pink light. The walls are covered in frog leather. The doors | ||
| CF | are locked with padlocks the size of handbags, locks decorated à la | ||
| CF | Louis Quinze, combination locks made of solid gold. There is not a | ||
| CF | bare noun in sight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cute security door at the south end is solidly shut; there's no | ||
| CF | sign of anyone still waiting on this side of it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Going south through the security door isn't an option; our only way | ||
| CF | out is north. Just west is the equipment testing room, and southwest | ||
| CF | is Cold Storage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "You won't do it until after you escape the bureau, at least." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a door here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmmm I'm kinda hitting a combinatorial-explosive-wall here" | |
| Jade says, "I am going to have a dine" | ||
| Roger exclaims, "enjoy!" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a filing cabinet here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Another room lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "There was more on the computer that you didn't want to read." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x computer" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X COMPUTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Below the flat screen are a keyboard and mouse, both shiny silver. | ||
| CF | Only top of the line equipment down here, it seems. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The surveillance computer is currently switched on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can type search terms to look for data records. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also select MAIN to return to the operating system. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "main" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > MAIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select main" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT MAIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You return to the operating system. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The following options are visible on the screen: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Security Cameras | ||
| CF | Power Grid | ||
| CF | Requisitions | ||
| CF | Access Records | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight PCOS with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select camera" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT CAMERA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You select the surveillance program. It brings up a menu of possible | ||
| CF | camera views. The following options are visible on the screen: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Statue | ||
| CF | Customs House | ||
| CF | Front Exit | ||
| CF | Tools Exhibit | ||
| CF | Interrogation Rooms Circuit | ||
| CF | Cold Storage | ||
| CF | Subject A Porch | ||
| CF | Subject A Dwelling Space | ||
| CF | North Exit | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also select MAIN to return to the operating system. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select house" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT HOUSE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen shows the interior of the customs house, now barely | ||
| CF | populated thanks to the late hour. The camera is focused on the poster | ||
| CF | of wartime Atlantida. It looks perfectly ordinary and has suffered no | ||
| CF | defacement. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select exit" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT EXIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen shows the rotunda. One tourist is heading towards the front | ||
| CF | door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select exhibit" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT EXHIBIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen switches. You have another look at what is going on up in | ||
| CF | the Tools Exhibit. A security guard pokes his head into the room, | ||
| CF | decides all is well, and strolls away again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select circuit" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT CIRCUIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen shifts to displaying interrogation room A. Professor | ||
| CF | Higgate is standing next to a metal table. She is wearing her shirt, | ||
| CF | but for some reason her lower half is stripped to the underwear. She | ||
| CF | is speaking urgently to someone who is not shown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select storage" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT STORAGE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen shows the interior of the Cold Storage room. Nothing is | ||
| CF | moving in there. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select porch" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT PORCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The camera shifts to show a dimly lit corridor cut through sedimentary | ||
| CF | rock— just below here, in fact. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh, maybe it's whatsherface, Atlantilda" | |
| DavidW says, "perhaps that porch is the way out." | ||
| DavidW asks (of Roger), "hm?" | ||
| Roger says, "subject A" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh yes, that." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select space" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT SPACE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Nothing shows but a steady field of static. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select north" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT NORTH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The camera shifts to show a bit of cliff overlooking the water. | ||
| CF | There's a window cut into the cliff face — that must be the exit in | ||
| CF | question. Is that a hint of movement behind the window? It's hard to | ||
| CF | be sure. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select main" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT MAIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You return to the operating system. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The following options are visible on the screen: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Security Cameras | ||
| CF | Power Grid | ||
| CF | Requisitions | ||
| CF | Access Records | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight PCOS with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select grid" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT GRID | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen flashes up a schematic of the entire Bureau — the public | ||
| CF | rooms we're familiar with, the basement, and the special section we're | ||
| CF | in now. It appears that three different power supplies feed these, one | ||
| CF | for the public areas and one, more heavily backed up, for most of the | ||
| CF | basement. Both of these are running. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A third power supply is located east of here, and is currently shut | ||
| CF | down, leaving the eastern rooms dark. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "back..." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "select power" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT POWER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen flashes up a schematic of the entire Bureau — the public | ||
| CF | rooms we're familiar with, the basement, and the special section we're | ||
| CF | in now. It appears that three different power supplies feed these, one | ||
| CF | for the public areas and one, more heavily backed up, for most of the | ||
| CF | basement. Both of these are running. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A third power supply is located east of here, and is currently shut | ||
| CF | down, leaving the eastern rooms dark. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn on power" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN ON POWER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "select access" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SELECT ACCESS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This selection brings up on screen a database of "Accesses." Still | ||
| CF | visible for today's date is a record labeled Inquiry on Civic Unrest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can type search terms to look for data records. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also select MAIN to return to the operating system. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search power" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH POWER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search exit" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH EXIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search porch" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH PORCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search atlantida" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH ATLANTIDA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The search turns up the following results: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | —: That name doesn't appear. At all. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search higgat" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH HIGGAT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search higgate" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH HIGGATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot asks, "how about a literal 'search terms'?" | |
| DavidW says, "[LINK]" | ||
| Lancelot says, "just guessing" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search terms" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH TERMS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search the" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH THE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What do you want to search? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "ah well worth a try" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "search counterfeit" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH COUNTERFEIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east, west to Oracle Project, and down to Tunnel through | ||
| CF | Chalk from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a filing cabinet here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x chart" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CHART | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x charts\" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CHARTS\ | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Blue lines on the charts record the citizen responses to the concept | ||
| CF | of Atlantida. They record wartime progress in establishing the concept | ||
| CF | in the popular imagination, with a spike in 1942, corresponding to a | ||
| CF | heavy press of propaganda. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | After the war, there's a break in the charts until 1951, when tracking | ||
| CF | resumes. Additional spikes appear at 1968 and 1972. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Each chart also shows a yellow line, which roughly goes down as the | ||
| CF | blue line goes up. It is labeled "Power to generate animate abstract." | ||
| CF | The yellow line stops at 1982 and no further points are recorded on | ||
| CF | it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the polling charts with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up 1951" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP 1951 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida sits on a throne, wearing a blue dress and an incongruous | ||
| CF | string of housewifely pearls. In her right hand is the letter A with | ||
| CF | atom-like rings around it — as though to claim that letters are the | ||
| CF | true atoms of the universe. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up 1968" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP 1968 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The 1968 edition was some sort of hippy goddess of plenty (flowing | ||
| CF | hair, flowing skirts, cornucopia of local fruits). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up 1972" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP 1972 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | From the year of the SALT I treaty comes an Atlantida aiming a | ||
| CF | depluralizing cannon at the world's ballistic missiles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up 2023" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP 2023 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are no significant contents past 2003. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look up 2003" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK UP 2003 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dossier for 2003 is very thick. Memos back and forth indicate that | ||
| CF | officials are increasingly concerned with Atlantida and feel it is | ||
| CF | time (for some reason) to reclaim the figure as a | ||
| CF | "government-positive" image. Consultations with an expensive New York | ||
| CF | advertising firm and a series of tv spots do not seem to have had the | ||
| CF | desired effect, however, because the project was canceled. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on paperweight" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON PAPERWEIGHT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | paperweight. With an audible SPLORT, the paperweight becomes a weight | ||
| CF | and a paper. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x paper" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PAPER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It contains a memo, dated to May of 1983. "Attention," it says. "Due | ||
| CF | to subversive counter-propaganda altering the abstract concept, | ||
| CF | Subject A must NO LONGER BE GELLED AFTER USE, since reconstructing her | ||
| CF | may produce anomalous results. She will from now on be housed in a | ||
| CF | continuous living state in the historic apartments." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "aha" | |
| Lancelot says, "so subject A still hereabouts" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x weight" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WEIGHT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Shaped like a headless pyramid. "0.5 kg" is stamped in the top | ||
| CF | together with the seal of the Bureau. It's an official weight, | ||
| CF | intended to reassure citizens that they were getting a genuine | ||
| CF | standard measure. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the weight with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take paper. take weight." | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE PAPER. TAKE WEIGHT. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You already have that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You already have that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry asks, "Was there a thing for making compound words?" | |
| DavidW says, "A synthesizer" | ||
| Roger says, "yeah, back in the university" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a door here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "someone said synthesizer" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot door" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the door, which shatters and then reforms | ||
| CF | as the rood. A substantial crucifix carved entirely of wood. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'm certain there's a second one here somewhere." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take rood" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ROOD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the rood. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x rood" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ROOD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A substantial crucifix carved entirely of wood. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | rood is a faint, greenish image of an odor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bureau Basement Secret Section | ||
| CF | The heightened security on this side of the door is obvious everywhere | ||
| CF | you look. The floor is tiled in paisley tiles. The light fixtures give | ||
| CF | off pale pink light. The walls are covered in frog leather. The doors | ||
| CF | are locked with padlocks the size of handbags, locks decorated à la | ||
| CF | Louis Quinze, combination locks made of solid gold. There is not a | ||
| CF | bare noun in sight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cute security door at the south end is solidly shut; there's no | ||
| CF | sign of anyone still waiting on this side of it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Going south through the security door isn't an option; our only way | ||
| CF | out is north. Just west is the equipment testing room, and southwest | ||
| CF | is Cold Storage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Good game for learning new words." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That way will be guarded. If you are going to escape, it will have to | ||
| CF | be by some back way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "definitely but the anagramming bit is hardest for me" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "drop rood" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DROP ROOD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I wouldn't. You might never get the rood back. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I learned about 'rood' in a game called Beyond." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on rood" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON ROOD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the rood. | ||
| CF | With an audible SPLORT, the rood becomes an odor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drop odor" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DROP ODOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm not ready to part with the odor here. After all, can you be sure | ||
| CF | you'd be able to get back? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot odor" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT ODOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires into the odor, which disperses. There's ripple in the | ||
| CF | air, and in its place a door appears. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Aww" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bureau Basement Secret Section | ||
| CF | The heightened security on this side of the door is obvious everywhere | ||
| CF | you look. The floor is tiled in paisley tiles. The light fixtures give | ||
| CF | off pale pink light. The walls are covered in frog leather. The doors | ||
| CF | are locked with padlocks the size of handbags, locks decorated à la | ||
| CF | Louis Quinze, combination locks made of solid gold. There is not a | ||
| CF | bare noun in sight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cute security door at the south end is solidly shut; there's no | ||
| CF | sign of anyone still waiting on this side of it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Going south through the security door isn't an option; our only way | ||
| CF | out is north. Just west is the equipment testing room, and southwest | ||
| CF | is Cold Storage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your P-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, a ball, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a card, a | ||
| CF | cate, a counter, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | a door, Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History | ||
| CF | of the Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a monk corpse | ||
| CF | bonnet, a paper, a pass, a pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a | ||
| CF | poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, some | ||
| CF | screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a | ||
| CF | silver platter, a sin, a stick, a stop, Studies in Primary | ||
| CF | Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a weight, a | ||
| CF | wig, a word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "did you mess up with the door?" | |
| Roger says, "I don't know! maybe" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | None of the doors in that direction look useful to us, and some of | ||
| CF | them look frightening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Bureau Basement Secret Section and east to | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drop door" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DROP DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put down the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | None of the doors in that direction look useful to us, and some of | ||
| CF | them look frightening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Bureau Basement Secret Section and east to | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | None of the doors in that direction look useful to us, and some of | ||
| CF | them look frightening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Bureau Basement Secret Section and east to | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "uh oh" | |
| DavidW asks, "is this where the odor was originally?" | ||
| Roger says, "yes" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on door" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the door. | ||
| CF | With an audible SPLORT, the door becomes an odor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "drop odor" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DROP ODOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can't actually touch the odor, seeing as it is, in fact, just a | ||
| CF | vapor in the air, a dispersion of molecules dispersed through the rest | ||
| CF | of the local atmosphere. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see an odor here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot odor" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT ODOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires into the odor, which disperses. There's ripple in the | ||
| CF | air, and in its place a rood appears. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot rood" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT ROOD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the rood, which shatters and then reforms | ||
| CF | as the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | None of the doors in that direction look useful to us, and some of | ||
| CF | them look frightening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Bureau Basement Secret Section and east to | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Uh oh" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open door" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You open the door, revealing a room beyond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a filing cabinet here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh there we go" | |
| DavidW says, "too used to auto-opening doors" | ||
| Perry says, "Spoiled" | ||
| Roger says, "thanks. maybe moving the door around isn't the answer to this one" | ||
| Lancelot says, "ok so the location where the door was dropped is important" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "save" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SAVE | ||
| CF | %% Enter a save filename to write: | DavidW says, "If you want to move doors around, I suggest playing zarf's "Advent Door"." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "cforacle" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > SAVEOk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "played it, it was fun, interesting puzzle in it too" | |
| DavidW says, "There's a sequel too: "Advent Mirror"." | ||
| Lancelot says, "advent mirrors is even cooler" | ||
| Lancelot says, "yep" | ||
| DavidW says, "I think I liked the first game better, and I'm curious where the series might go next if zarf wants to write a third game for it." | ||
| Lancelot says, "For Advent Mirror I needed to create a bigger map, it is a bit more complex with all the mirrored locations :p" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a filing cabinet here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a door here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive | ||
| CF | The ceiling is mirrored, perhaps to make it harder for anyone to sneak | ||
| CF | around without being noticed among the shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The equipment shelves here display an assortment of obsolete, broken, | ||
| CF | foreign, or otherwise unusual letter tools. On the equipment shelves | ||
| CF | are an umlaut punch and a Catalan punt volat needle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see an accent flipper here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Functional areas continue both south and east, and the hallway is | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Display Reloading Room and west to Wonderland from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Display Reloading Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Display Reloading Room | ||
| CF | This area is more or less empty. Hazard tape marks off an area of the | ||
| CF | floor to indicate that you shouldn't stand there. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black and white tv monitor is embedded in the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a small black push-button on the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive | ||
| CF | The ceiling is mirrored, perhaps to make it harder for anyone to sneak | ||
| CF | around without being noticed among the shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The equipment shelves here display an assortment of obsolete, broken, | ||
| CF | foreign, or otherwise unusual letter tools. On the equipment shelves | ||
| CF | are an umlaut punch and a Catalan punt volat needle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see an accent flipper here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Functional areas continue both south and east, and the hallway is | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Display Reloading Room and west to Wonderland from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a door here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a filing cabinet here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Another room lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I wish I had my old notes for this game. I totally lost them in the computer snafu." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tunnel through Chalk | ||
| CF | This passage has been cut through natural cliff rock and looks older | ||
| CF | than the Bureau itself. The walls are rough-hewn, exposing sedimentary | ||
| CF | strata. Here and there it looks as though someone has actually | ||
| CF | excavated a favored rock or relic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Blocking the far end of the corridor is a metal portcullis. It is | ||
| CF | currently lowered. There's a pulley and hook arrangement above the | ||
| CF | portcullis, but the hook is empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east through the portcullis (closed) and up to Surveillance | ||
| CF | Room from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A breeze along the passage stirs the dust. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exit" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But you aren't in anything at the moment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Did we go up and east yet" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east through the portcullis (closed) and up to Surveillance | ||
| CF | Room from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "up" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Another room lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Workshop | ||
| CF | A room whose importance is obvious from how clean it is and how little | ||
| CF | furniture it is allowed to have. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A programmable dais sits in the middle of the room. It has the raw | ||
| CF | look of lab equipment rather than a nice smooth commercial instrument. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A specialized wall socket is built into the east wall, clearly not | ||
| CF | part of the ordinary power system for the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east and west to Surveillance Room from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger exclaims, "d'oh!" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x dais" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DAIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a round black metal platform with substantial stabilizing coils | ||
| CF | visible underneath, five or six feet in diameter. This is experimental | ||
| CF | lab grade letter equipment, ferociously powerful, insanely dangerous. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dais has a big lever, a massive switch, and a dais socket (with no | ||
| CF | cord currently plugged in). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Local newbie saves the day." | |
| DavidW says, "hooray" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x switch" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SWITCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large black switch with a red arrow painted on it. There are two | ||
| CF | stops, labeled with black marker on tape: swap homonym and | ||
| CF | synthesize. It is currently set to swap homonym. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the massive switch with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "CAUTION: Don't turn a fruit pit into a hole pit on this dias, please." | |
| Jade says, "well done" | ||
| Lancelot says, "ah the synthesizer we are looking for" | ||
| Perry says, "So there's our counterweight" | ||
| Roger says, "looks like we might need to fashion a 'cord' for ourselves first" | ||
| Perry says, "Think so" | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your P-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, a ball, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a card, a | ||
| CF | cate, a counter, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a monk corpse | ||
| CF | bonnet, a paper, a pass, a pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a | ||
| CF | poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, some | ||
| CF | screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a | ||
| CF | silver platter, a sin, a stick, a stop, Studies in Primary | ||
| CF | Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a weight, a | ||
| CF | wig, a word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "welllll, if you had a chord, you could remove an H from it?" | |
| Roger says, "indeed it is so" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Do we have a musical instrument or make one of those?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sing chord" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SING CHORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I only understood you as far as wanting to sing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sing" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SING | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I prefer not to exercise my singing voice in company. (That includes | ||
| CF | you.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x cord" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x socket" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SOCKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A power socket suitable for plugging a cord into. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the wall socket with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Also the counter we have can probably go in the homonym switcher once we have that set up." | |
| DavidW says, "Shouldn't need to do that." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot triangle" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT TRIANGLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the honey pastry triangle, but is unable | ||
| CF | to make anything interesting out of a, a, e, e, g, h, i, l, n, n, o, | ||
| CF | p, r, r, s, t, t, y, and y. The honey pastry triangle recoalesces into | ||
| CF | its original form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot napkin" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT NAPKIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the crumpled cocktail napkin, which | ||
| CF | shatters and then reforms as the multiple dropkick cancan. Legs. | ||
| CF | Kicking. Wild skirling music. Skirts. Rugby balls. Fragile objects. | ||
| CF | It's awfully frenetic. Left to itself it would do massive property | ||
| CF | damage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The music of the multiple dropkick cancan starts out reasonably tame. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Maybe we want to do some home decor once we get out of here." | |
| DavidW asks, "What's east from here?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Generator Room | ||
| CF | The walls are lined with concrete. Yellow paint lettering says | ||
| CF | CAUTION: HIGH ENERGY EQUIPMENT and DO NOT OPERATE WITHOUT TRAINING. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A first aid station is built onto the wall. It is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Most of the room is taken up with a gigantic boiler installation that | ||
| CF | is currently off. The locking mechanism is a brushed steel bucket, | ||
| CF | currently empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The tempo of the multiple dropkick cancan is increasing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on cancan" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON CANCAN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | multiple dropkick cancan. With an audible SPLORT, the multiple | ||
| CF | dropkick cancan becomes a crumpled cocktail napkin. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open station" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN STATION | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You open the first aid station, revealing some balm. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bucket" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BUCKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Attached to the machine is a brushed steel bucket, with insulated | ||
| CF | walls; it looks like a large version of an ice bucket for chilling | ||
| CF | sparkling wines. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Around the outside of the bucket are all sorts of odd gears, | ||
| CF | sprockets, parts, and bits, which have been attached in a haphazard | ||
| CF | way with bolts, wire, and duct tape. Presumably this does something to | ||
| CF | items placed in the bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the brushed steel bucket with | ||
| CF | the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Lamb. If we need that for... some reason." | |
| DavidW says, "I think we will." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take balm" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BALM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the balm. According to the label, it is designed to relieve | ||
| CF | the pain of severe burns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "can we anagram the bucket?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot bucket" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT BUCKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the brushed steel bucket, but is unable to | ||
| CF | make anything interesting out of b, b, c, d, e, e, e, e, h, k, l, r, | ||
| CF | s, s, t, t, u, and u. The brushed steel bucket recoalesces into its | ||
| CF | original form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put ale in bucket" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT ALE IN BUCKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a churning noise from within the brushed steel bucket and | ||
| CF | "eli" appears in letters of hot pink smoke. Then the smoke dissipates | ||
| CF | without result. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take ale" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ALE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the ale. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put card in bucket" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT CARD IN BUCKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a churning noise from within the brushed steel bucket and | ||
| CF | "cerd" appears in letters of hot pink smoke. Then the smoke dissipates | ||
| CF | without result. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take card" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the card. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmm" | |
| Perry says, "Moves each vowel to the next in AEIOU I guess" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your P-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, a ball, some | ||
| CF | balm, a band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a | ||
| CF | card, a cate, a counter, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft | ||
| CF | document, Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, | ||
| CF | History of the Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, | ||
| CF | a jigsaw, Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which | ||
| CF | opens the apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of | ||
| CF | the Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a monk corpse | ||
| CF | bonnet, a paper, a pass, a pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a | ||
| CF | poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, some | ||
| CF | screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a | ||
| CF | silver platter, a sin, a stick, a stop, Studies in Primary | ||
| CF | Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a weight, a | ||
| CF | wig, a word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put ball in bucket" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT BALL IN BUCKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the ball) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a churning noise from within the brushed steel bucket, and a | ||
| CF | moment later you see inside a bell. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This appears to have unlocked the mechanism. With a growl, the boiler | ||
| CF | comes to life. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point and is now eighty-four.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oh! The bell might make a chord?!" | |
| Roger says, "maybe" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ring bell" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > RING BELL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "hit bell" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > HIT BELL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What do you want to hit the bell with? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "me" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't like destructive behavior. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bell" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BELL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the bell. It's a tiny golden bell with a tiny golden clapper | ||
| CF | inside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A loud pfft! sounds from within the boiler. All the meter needles | ||
| CF | flicker into the red violently. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ring bell" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > RING BELL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wave bell" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WAVE BELL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You look ridiculous waving the bell. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "okay I'm thinking of something" | |
| DavidW asks, "Did taking the bell cause a problem?" | ||
| Roger asks, "starting with chard and getting to chord. maybe run it through chert somehow first?" | ||
| Perry says, "Ah, yeah. I bet that's it" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put bell in bucket" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT BELL IN BUCKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a churning noise from within the brushed steel bucket, and a | ||
| CF | moment later you see inside a bill. The boiler growls but cannot | ||
| CF | become any more on than it already is. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Generator Room | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x card" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Not a playing card, as I might have expected, or a calling card, or | ||
| CF | even an index card, but a Tarot card, representing the Tower. It | ||
| CF | represents the Tower of Babel being struck by lightning. The top of | ||
| CF | the tower is falling over, and terrified builders run in every | ||
| CF | direction. In Atlantean terms it is the end of the world. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | card is a faint, greenish image of some chard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to t-inserter" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO T-INSERTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You make the fair hike. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sensitive Equipment Testing Room | ||
| CF | A room with no windows, no cameras, no recording equipment, and barely | ||
| CF | any furniture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the center of the room is a gleaming new T-inserter Machine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put get on card" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GET ON CARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on card" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON CARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out fingertip-coating quantity of gel and rub it gently onto | ||
| CF | the card. With an audible SPLORT, the card becomes some chard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove d from chard" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE D FROM CHARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have a D-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of faint fishiness, the chard turns into a char. | ||
| CF | It's a troutlike freshwater fish of the northern countries. It is | ||
| CF | dead, needless to say, and would make someone a nice supper if they | ||
| CF | knew how to clean and cook it. Our skills, however, are not up to the | ||
| CF | task. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | char is a faint, greenish image of some chard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put char in t-inserter" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT CHAR IN T-INSERTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a loud and satisfying pop from the machine as it turns the | ||
| CF | char into a chart. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take chart" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CHART | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the chart. A beautiful nautical chart depicting the harbor of | ||
| CF | Anglophone Atlantis, safest approaches, etc. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "uh, ok, but how is this helping?" | |
| Roger says, "oh hrm yeah" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on chart" | ||
| CF ] Sensitive Equipment Testing Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON CHART | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | chart. With an audible SPLORT, the chart becomes some chard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to bucket" | ||
| CF ] Bureau Basement Secret Section, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO BUCKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That way will be guarded. If you are going to escape, it will have to | ||
| CF | be by some back way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bureau Basement Secret Section | ||
| CF | The heightened security on this side of the door is obvious everywhere | ||
| CF | you look. The floor is tiled in paisley tiles. The light fixtures give | ||
| CF | off pale pink light. The walls are covered in frog leather. The doors | ||
| CF | are locked with padlocks the size of handbags, locks decorated à la | ||
| CF | Louis Quinze, combination locks made of solid gold. There is not a | ||
| CF | bare noun in sight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cute security door at the south end is solidly shut; there's no | ||
| CF | sign of anyone still waiting on this side of it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Going south through the security door isn't an option; our only way | ||
| CF | out is north. Just west is the equipment testing room, and southwest | ||
| CF | is Cold Storage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to generator" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO GENERATOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Generator Room | ||
| CF | The walls are lined with concrete. Yellow paint lettering says | ||
| CF | CAUTION: HIGH ENERGY EQUIPMENT and DO NOT OPERATE WITHOUT TRAINING. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A first aid station is built onto the wall and hangs open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Most of the room is taken up with a gigantic boiler installation | ||
| CF | periodically giving off flashes of light and steam. The locking | ||
| CF | mechanism is a brushed steel bucket, currently empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | White light flashes in the boiler and the meters twitch violently. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put chard in bucket" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT CHARD IN BUCKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a churning noise from within the brushed steel bucket and | ||
| CF | "cherd" appears in letters of hot pink smoke. Then the smoke | ||
| CF | dissipates without result. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "'cherd' isn't anything, so the chard doesn't change." | |
| Roger says, "right" | ||
| Roger says, "okay let's grind it backwards" | ||
| Perry says, "But if it's chart we can go to chert which is a thing." | ||
| Roger says, "yeah but we can't get from chert to cord" | ||
| DavidW asks, "What's a chert?" | ||
| Roger says, "type of rock" | ||
| Lancelot says, "yep I had to google it... indeed expanding our vocabilary :p" | ||
| Perry asks, "Did the bucket do e to i or e to o?" | ||
| Roger says, "it pushed bell into bill" | ||
| Perry says, "Right. Darn." | ||
| DavidW says, "And probbably bill to boll to bull to ball again." | ||
| DavidW says, "Assuming the bull wanted to stay in the bucket, which it will not." | ||
| Perry says, "If it counts "cert" can do chert to cert and cert to cord." | ||
| Perry says, "Wait no you can't." | ||
| DavidW says, "Once you lose the d you can't put the d back without starting over." | ||
| Roger says, "not many anagrams of cord" | ||
| Perry says, "Could double check that both modes of the machine need the cord." | ||
| Roger says, "yeah I guess that's worth checkign" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Can we make a piano?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Workshop | ||
| CF | A room whose importance is obvious from how clean it is and how little | ||
| CF | furniture it is allowed to have. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A programmable dais sits in the middle of the room. It has the raw | ||
| CF | look of lab equipment rather than a nice smooth commercial instrument. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A specialized wall socket is built into the east wall, clearly not | ||
| CF | part of the ordinary power system for the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east to Generator Room and west to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x dias" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DIAS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x dais" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X DAIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a round black metal platform with substantial stabilizing coils | ||
| CF | visible underneath, five or six feet in diameter. This is experimental | ||
| CF | lab grade letter equipment, ferociously powerful, insanely dangerous. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dais has a big lever, a massive switch, and a dais socket (with no | ||
| CF | cord currently plugged in). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I think the cord is for powering the dais up." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put yam on dais" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT YAM ON DAIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the yam) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put the yam on the programmable dais. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "pull lever" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PULL LEVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You pull the lever, but a lot of nothing happens. It doesn't look like | ||
| CF | there is power flowing to the machine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take yam" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE YAM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "yes, of course" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your D-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, some balm, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bell, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a | ||
| CF | cate, a counter, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a monk corpse | ||
| CF | bonnet, a paper, a pass, a pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a | ||
| CF | poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, some | ||
| CF | screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a | ||
| CF | silver platter, a sin, a stick, a stop, Studies in Primary | ||
| CF | Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a weight, a | ||
| CF | wig, a word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "No Amy for u to seek." | |
| DavidW asks, "What was the lie originally?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x lie" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LIE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It changes from moment to moment. Currently it reads: | ||
| CF | You will definitely get away with this. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | lie is a faint, greenish image of a lime. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hm, that's no help" | |
| Perry says, "Why can't cerd and cird be words. Would make this much easier." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot chard with gun" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT CHARD WITH GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your D-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, some balm, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bell, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a | ||
| CF | cate, a counter, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a monk corpse | ||
| CF | bonnet, a paper, a pass, a pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a | ||
| CF | poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, some | ||
| CF | screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a | ||
| CF | silver platter, a sin, a stick, a stop, Studies in Primary | ||
| CF | Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a weight, a | ||
| CF | wig, a word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Because this is near the end of the game and puzzles need to be harder." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Generator Room | ||
| CF | The walls are lined with concrete. Yellow paint lettering says | ||
| CF | CAUTION: HIGH ENERGY EQUIPMENT and DO NOT OPERATE WITHOUT TRAINING. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A first aid station is built onto the wall and hangs open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Most of the room is taken up with a gigantic boiler installation | ||
| CF | periodically giving off flashes of light and steam. The locking | ||
| CF | mechanism is a brushed steel bucket, currently containing some chard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A loud pfft! sounds within the boiler and all the steam gauge needles | ||
| CF | jump. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take chard" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CHARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the chard. Some leafy greens that might make an okay side | ||
| CF | salad, if you were feeling hungry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot chard with gun" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT CHARD WITH GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the chard, but is unable to make anything | ||
| CF | interesting out of a, c, d, h, and r. The chard recoalesces into its | ||
| CF | original form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "unless you are well versed in English... I find the game very hard already" | |
| Jade says, "I thing that the game is not too hard" | ||
| Perry asks, "Mind if I look at some of our items to see what the originals were?" | ||
| Jade says, "first Remove h" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot tail" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT TAIL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the shrimp tail, which shatters and then | ||
| CF | reforms as the sharp limit. It displays a graph that drops off sharply | ||
| CF | when X reaches 47 . | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Light flashes in the boiler and the meter needles flicker into the | ||
| CF | red. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot platter" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT PLATTER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the silver platter, which shatters and | ||
| CF | then reforms as the traveller tips. It's a pamphlet of suggestions for | ||
| CF | traveling in Atlantis. It recommends such standard precautions as | ||
| CF | having your name analyzed for possible weaknesses, leaving a photocopy | ||
| CF | of your passport with your embassy, and ridding your luggage of | ||
| CF | anything purchased in a non-English-speaking country. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade asks, "... ???" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put chard in bucket" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT CHARD IN BUCKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a churning noise from within the brushed steel bucket and | ||
| CF | "cherd" appears in letters of hot pink smoke. Then the smoke | ||
| CF | dissipates without result. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "it still feels like this is the right track to me, but I can't quite get the pieces together" | |
| DavidW says, "I think we need a musical instrument that makes a chord." | ||
| Lancelot asks, "the piano?" | ||
| DavidW says, "That or something else." | ||
| Perry asks, "Dubious but ring bell with stick?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bell" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BELL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a tiny golden bell with a tiny golden clapper inside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | bell is a faint, greenish image of a ball. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Well, no, it has a clapper already. So maybe shaking." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "shake bell" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHAKE BELL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "play bell" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PLAY BELL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We pick out my mother's favorite Atlantean folk tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a flash of light inside the boiler and all the meters twitch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "make chord" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > MAKE CHORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "play chord" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PLAY CHORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ring bell" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > RING BELL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "It's not the bell, I guess. It would only make one note, in any case, and a chord needs at least two." | |
| Perry says, "Same thought here." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x bin" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | BUREAU PARKING, reads the bin, in thick black marker. DO NOT TAKE | ||
| CF | UNLESS AUTHORIZED. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the bin with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x cate" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CATE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Rarely found in the singular, a cate is something delicious: it comes | ||
| CF | from the same roots as "caterer". At any rate, this lovely little | ||
| CF | confection, with its layers of shiny-smooth chocolate and sliced | ||
| CF | strawberry and rum-soaked cake, its chocolate-shaving frills and piped | ||
| CF | cream, could have come from the best Paris confiserie. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | cate is a faint, unappetizing image of a crate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on document" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON DOCUMENT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the daft | ||
| CF | document. With an audible SPLORT, the daft document becomes a draft | ||
| CF | document. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot document" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT DOCUMENT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the draft document, which shatters and | ||
| CF | then reforms as the noted drum fact. A half sheet of cream-colored | ||
| CF | printer paper on which someone has written, "Drums come in many shapes | ||
| CF | and sizes." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Ice flashes into steam within the boiler. All the meter needles | ||
| CF | flicker into the red. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot document" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT DOCUMENT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot fact" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT FACT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the noted drum fact, which shatters and | ||
| CF | then reforms as the draft document. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x key" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X KEY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's made of an extremely ordinary blank. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The key unlocks the apartment door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your D-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, some balm, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bell, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a | ||
| CF | cate, a counter, a cross, a draft document, Guidebook to | ||
| CF | Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the Standards | ||
| CF | Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, Journal of | ||
| CF | Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the apartment door), a | ||
| CF | leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the Lexicographers, a map | ||
| CF | of Slangovia, a member, a monk corpse bonnet, a paper, a pass, a | ||
| CF | pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which opens the | ||
| CF | sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a | ||
| CF | shred, a shuttlecock, a sin, a stick, a stop, Studies in Primary | ||
| CF | Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, some | ||
| CF | traveller tips, a weight, a wig, a word, a wrap, and a yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x tome" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TOME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Extremely dusty, learned, and virtuous, such that I almost fall asleep | ||
| CF | just looking at it. It's nothing so ribald as the Bible, or even a | ||
| CF | hymnal or order of service: it appears rather to be a selection of | ||
| CF | sermons of the 18th century, from a period when it was considered | ||
| CF | somehow exciting to sit through a three-hour discourse on theology. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | tome is a faint, greenish image of some tomes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x wig" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WIG | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A surprisingly realistic wig, cut to about the shoulder. It looks like | ||
| CF | our hair, but a good bit longer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the wig with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "If we had a stone, we could anagram it into notes that might make a chord that way." | |
| DavidW says, "Maybe" | ||
| Roger says, "okay, I cheated a bit and looked up a hint, and I'm glad I did, because I would have flailed around for a long time" | ||
| Roger says, "unsurprisingly, DavidW was on the right trail" | ||
| Roger says, "..floyd" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Workshop | ||
| CF | A room whose importance is obvious from how clean it is and how little | ||
| CF | furniture it is allowed to have. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A programmable dais sits in the middle of the room. It has the raw | ||
| CF | look of lab equipment rather than a nice smooth commercial instrument. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A specialized wall socket is built into the east wall, clearly not | ||
| CF | part of the ordinary power system for the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east to Generator Room and west to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Workshop lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [If you're traveling far, you can always type GO TO (location | ||
| CF | name) to get there automatically.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a filing cabinet here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a door here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive | ||
| CF | The ceiling is mirrored, perhaps to make it harder for anyone to sneak | ||
| CF | around without being noticed among the shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The equipment shelves here display an assortment of obsolete, broken, | ||
| CF | foreign, or otherwise unusual letter tools. On the equipment shelves | ||
| CF | are an umlaut punch and a Catalan punt volat needle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see an accent flipper here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Functional areas continue both south and east, and the hallway is | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x needle" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X NEEDLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An infinitely delicate tool designed to slip between two Ls. It has no | ||
| CF | application in English. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the Catalan punt volat needle | ||
| CF | with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x punch" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X PUNCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A very heavy, solid object manufactured in Stuttgart. A wire basket | ||
| CF | holds the item to be punched; two sharp metal tines descend into the | ||
| CF | basket at the moment of use. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the umlaut punch with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put yam in punch" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT YAM IN PUNCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put the yam into the wire basket of the umlaut punch. There is a | ||
| CF | hum as the punch warms up, then a bang! as the tines come down | ||
| CF | sharply, tattooing the yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Briefly the yam appears as the thrash metal band Ÿam, before fading | ||
| CF | back to itself: there just isn't enough energy to hold the conversion, | ||
| CF | given Ÿam's fading reputation. The early popularity of "Blood on the | ||
| CF | Tree" was never matched again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When they are gone, a power chord remains in the air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The repeated power chord makes it sound as though some heavy equipment | ||
| CF | is being used in here even when it's not. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point and is now eighty-five.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Wow" | |
| Lancelot says, "ah" | ||
| Roger says, "I mean, okay, that's on me for not playing sufficiently with all the toys, I guess" | ||
| DavidW says, "good grief" | ||
| Lancelot says, "how could we guess this one lol" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove h from chord" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE H FROM CHORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have an H-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a smell of anise, and the power chord turns into a power | ||
| CF | cord. This is the heaviest-duty cabling I've ever seen in my life: | ||
| CF | thick as a snake, covered in yellow sheathing, with a massive plug at | ||
| CF | each end. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | power cord is a faint, greenish image of a power chord. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Not sure what the punch machine actually does, generically" | |
| Roger asks, "do you know what an umlaut is?" | ||
| Jade says, "a bit tricky" | ||
| Perry says, "ya" | ||
| DavidW says, "It put an umlaut on the a in yam" | ||
| Roger says, "right so it could, for example, turn coordination back into c:oordination" | ||
| Roger says, "I think it actually gave the umlaut to the y" | ||
| Jade says, "I don't remember it at all" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take cord" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the power cord. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "punching an umlaut on a vowel so turning a into �" | |
| DavidW asks, "oh, the Y?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to dais" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO DAIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do you mean, the 1) programmable dais or the 2) dais socket? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "but the chat doesnt display diacritics" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "1" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You make the quick hike. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Workshop | ||
| CF | A room whose importance is obvious from how clean it is and how little | ||
| CF | furniture it is allowed to have. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A specialized wall socket is built into the east wall, clearly not | ||
| CF | part of the ordinary power system for the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east to Generator Room and west to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "plug in dais" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PLUG IN DAIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You plug the power cord firmly into the dais socket. The other end | ||
| CF | remains free and not plugged into anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You plug the power cord firmly into the wall socket. Both ends of the | ||
| CF | power cord are now plugged in, so the dais is connected to the wall | ||
| CF | socket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put counter on dais. put weight on dais." | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT COUNTER ON DAIS. PUT WEIGHT ON DAIS. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put the counter on the programmable dais. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put the weight on the programmable dais. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn switch" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN SWITCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You give the switch a strong twist and turn it to synthesize. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "pull lever" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PULL LEVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The programmable dais glows vibrant blue for five seconds, leaving | ||
| CF | behind a counterweight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Oh I can't read. I just saw punch machine, not umlaut punch machine." | |
| Perry exclaims, "Woo!" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x counterweight" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X COUNTERWEIGHT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A very substantial hunk of metal with a ring at the top end, suitable | ||
| CF | for attachment to a hook or rope. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | counterweight is a faint, greenish image of a weight and a counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take counterweight" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE COUNTERWEIGHT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You pick up the counterweight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take cord" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the power cord. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I don't think there's anything for us to homonym at this point, although I wouldn't mind a nice Screwdriver" | |
| DavidW says, "no, leave the cord where it was. You need this dais again" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Workshop | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "go to portcullis" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO PORTCULLIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You strain at the base of the gate, but the portcullis is much too | ||
| CF | heavy for us to lift unaided. We need some kind of mechanical | ||
| CF | advantage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tunnel through Chalk | ||
| CF | This passage has been cut through natural cliff rock and looks older | ||
| CF | than the Bureau itself. The walls are rough-hewn, exposing sedimentary | ||
| CF | strata. Here and there it looks as though someone has actually | ||
| CF | excavated a favored rock or relic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Blocking the far end of the corridor is a metal portcullis. It is | ||
| CF | currently lowered. There's a pulley and hook arrangement above the | ||
| CF | portcullis, but the hook is empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east through the portcullis (closed) and up to Surveillance | ||
| CF | Room from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put counterweight on hook" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT COUNTERWEIGHT ON HOOK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hang the counterweight on the hook. The portcullis shifts slightly | ||
| CF | but doesn't rise on its own. Perhaps with a little help, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "lift portcullis" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LIFT PORTCULLIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You open the portcullis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter portcullis" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER PORTCULLIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | At a guess, this is a room hardly anyone ever visits, or even knows | ||
| CF | about. Though the ceiling and one wall are bare cave, the rest has | ||
| CF | been paneled and graciously decorated in the style of the end of the | ||
| CF | 18th century. Oil paintings on the walls depict great men and women of | ||
| CF | Atlantis gone by: Phyllida Shaply, Amelia Landison, Clarence Arbot, | ||
| CF | Jon Rosehip. An antique bed stands in the center of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The metal portcullis guards the way back. It is currently raised. From | ||
| CF | the pulley above the portcullis hangs a counterweight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the inlaid desk are a stack of files and a rubber stamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Air and sunlight stream in from the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please press SPACE to continue. | Roger exclaims, "huzzah!" | |
| Jade says, "well done, now the last part" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x files" | ||
| Roger pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Don't move, Alexandra, or I'll split you in two." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A very tall woman with Bureau-blue eyes steps into the room from the | ||
| CF | east, carrying a restoration gel rifle. Her face is ageless, her mouth | ||
| CF | full-lipped but proud. We've never met, but you recognize her at once. | ||
| CF | The monocle sees her as a fake, a fossilized shellfish. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida moves the rifle a fraction and fires through the portcullis | ||
| CF | at the counterweight. With an audible SPLORT, the counterweight | ||
| CF | becomes a weight and a counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The weight falls to the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The portcullis crashes shut. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Lancelot says, "yay" | |
| Roger says, "that escalated quickly, but hurray for my guessing" | ||
| Lancelot says, "ouch" | ||
| Perry asks, "... okay but a fossilized shellfish??" | ||
| DavidW says, "[LINK]" | ||
| Roger says, "older than she looks" | ||
| DavidW says, "She's a literal homonym." | ||
| Perry says, "Ohhhhh. Hahahahaha" | ||
| Perry says, "That rules." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x atlantida" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X ATLANTIDA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Her face is ageless, her eyes a piercing blue. She looks like Phyllida | ||
| CF | Shaply, our famous forebear, except that there is something ethereal | ||
| CF | and heroic about her as well. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida is carrying the restoration gel rifle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x files" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X FILES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Even a quick look through the titles gives some idea. "DCL | ||
| CF | Plausibility studies on a syllable-removing gun." "Economic impact | ||
| CF | study towards an S-inserter, with particular attention to factory | ||
| CF | closures and workforce reduction in the developing world." | ||
| CF | "Single-noun Targeted Bomb." "Popular Opinion Study Concerning Utopian | ||
| CF | Linguistics." "Monthly Counterintelligence Report on Progress towards | ||
| CF | Manipulation of Simplified Chinese Character Set." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are others like this, some thin, some fat with paperwork and | ||
| CF | sticky notes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the stack of files with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x stamp" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X STAMP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is made to stamp two words: ETHICAL VETO. The discoloration shows | ||
| CF | it has indeed been used, though not, perhaps, very recently. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the rubber stamp with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask atlantida about atlantida" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ATLANTIDA ABOUT ATLANTIDA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She fires again. The pellet hits us, cold and hard, in the shoulder. | ||
| CF | It stings like hell and for a moment I think our clavicle is broken. | ||
| CF | You put our hand over the wounded spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our hand. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida lowers the rifle, surprised. "Fused," she says. "Isn't that | ||
| CF | interesting. And so recently, too. If the gel rifle won't separate | ||
| CF | you, nothing will." She smiles, not warmly. "Pity. You would have been | ||
| CF | easier to deal with separately. Cold Storage for Andra, house arrest | ||
| CF | for Alex." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fused? We should be two pieces by now. Maybe she has an | ||
| CF | explanation? But you seem to be focused on her gun hand. How can you | ||
| CF | be so calm? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "we, we are the crystal gems" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x hand" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X HAND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You do not normally need to refer to specific parts of the | ||
| CF | body. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot atlantida" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT ATLANTIDA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into Atlantida, but is unable to make anything | ||
| CF | interesting out of a, a, a, d, i, l, n, t, and t. Atlantida | ||
| CF | recoalesces into her original form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida smiles with half a mouth. "You've arrived on a difficult | ||
| CF | day. In the ordinary course of things, I keep things quiet: the spirit | ||
| CF | of democracy, but none of the sordid wrangling and bribes and | ||
| CF | corruption and compromise. It's only when the spirit of the island | ||
| CF | itself is threatened, that we have to resort to such extreme | ||
| CF | measures." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You could ask whether the protesters feel the same way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask atlantida about protesters" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ATLANTIDA ABOUT PROTESTERS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What about the protesters?" you ask. "They don't like your policy. | ||
| CF | Are you sure you're really representing the spirit of Atlantis, or | ||
| CF | have you gone some other way of your own?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida shrugs off our question. "A vocal minority. Most people are | ||
| CF | content to keep what they have. Imagine the chaos if everyone had free | ||
| CF | access to the Bureau's complete range of letter tools, and if there | ||
| CF | were no laws about how to use them." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a brief pause. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Do you think the protesters would feel happier if there had been a | ||
| CF | citizen referendum where their position had been voted down? The | ||
| CF | outcome would have been just the same, but they would feel much more | ||
| CF | responsible for it; surely an unpleasant position for them to be in, | ||
| CF | considering their moral objections." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x bed" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BED | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Draped in eau-de-Nil blankets, and tossed by a restless occupant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the bed with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something makes you think of how it started with Brock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on rock" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON ROCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (the restoration gel on the rock) | ||
| CF | You take the rock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Having two people to smuggle back to the yacht will just make this | ||
| CF | trip twice as hard to accomplish. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "And now it's time for you to go," Atlantida says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She presses a button on something in her hand. Far away, a | ||
| CF | high-pitched bell rings. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Did you have anything else you wanted to ask me? I so rarely get to | ||
| CF | talk with ordinary citizens. Only ones with clearance, and those about | ||
| CF | to go into Cold Storage. A last interview with Saint Peter." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "After you're done talking to her, I think you need to gel her back into a shellfish, escape from here, and homonym her back to herself. Except she'll be a more modern version." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask atlantida about shaply" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ATLANTIDA ABOUT SHAPLY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask atlantida about war" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ATLANTIDA ABOUT WAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are noises in the next room, and a moment later a couple of | ||
| CF | All-Purpose Officers burst into the room, gel rifles and real rifles | ||
| CF | drawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You're slow," Atlantida says, seating herself on the ridiculous bed. | ||
| CF | "I thought we had trained for this eventuality." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The officer nearest the door turns red. "This has been a busy day, | ||
| CF | madam," he says. As though she were a queen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** We have been caught *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 85 out of a possible 100, in 939 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Enemy of the State. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | Perry exclaims, "We win!!" | |
| DavidW says, "That wasn't a win." | ||
| Perry says, "t Shhh" | ||
| Roger says, "the real win is the friends we made along the way" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo.undo.undo.undo.undo." | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNDO.UNDO.UNDO.UNDO.UNDO. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please give one of the answers above. | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "lol, try again" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo.undo.undo.undo.undo." | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNDO.UNDO.UNDO.UNDO.UNDO. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo. undo. undo. undo. undo." | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNDO. UNDO. UNDO. UNDO. UNDO. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on atlantida" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON ATLANTIDA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (the restoration gel on Atlantida) | ||
| CF | We dab a bit on our finger and approach, but she is far too large, far | ||
| CF | too spry. She catches our wrist and forces us aside, until the gel is | ||
| CF | harmlessly absorbed into our own skin. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh, no, my dear," Atlantida says. "They could remake me, but it | ||
| CF | wouldn't be the same me, would it? It would be some new | ||
| CF | construct. The Atlantida of today. And that's not the way to a | ||
| CF | consistent policy, is it?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo. x rifle." | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UNDO. X RIFLE. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x rifle" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A rifle that shoots pellets of restoration gel, converting objects | ||
| CF | from a distance. Guns like this are illegal to carry unless you're | ||
| CF | Bureau. They can inflict unpleasant bruises if they encounter nothing | ||
| CF | to convert and absorb the energy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the restoration gel rifle with | ||
| CF | the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "grab the rifle then shoot her with it?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take rifle" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't dare invade the personal space of Atlantida. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "And now it's time for you to go," Atlantida says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She presses a button on something in her hand. Far away, a | ||
| CF | high-pitched bell rings. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Did you have anything else you wanted to ask me? I so rarely get to | ||
| CF | talk with ordinary citizens. Only ones with clearance, and those about | ||
| CF | to go into Cold Storage. A last interview with Saint Peter." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your H-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, some balm, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bell, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a | ||
| CF | cate, a cross, a draft document, Guidebook to Anglophone | ||
| CF | Atlantis, a heel, History of the Standards Revolution, a | ||
| CF | honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, Journal of Third-World | ||
| CF | Economics, a key (which opens the apartment door), a leaflet, a | ||
| CF | letter, a lie, Lives of the Lexicographers, a map of | ||
| CF | Slangovia, a member, a monk corpse bonnet, a paper, a pass, a pearl, a | ||
| CF | pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy | ||
| CF | iron gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a | ||
| CF | shuttlecock, a sin, a stick, a stop, Studies in Primary Language | ||
| CF | Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, some traveller tips, a | ||
| CF | wig, a word, and a wrap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "D-removing her wouldn't work, right." | |
| DavidW says, "I wish we had saved before entering here." | ||
| Perry says, "Last save wasn't actually that far back." | ||
| Roger says, "yeah" | ||
| Roger says, "nothing is leaping out to me; why don't I restore and get us back to when were were free" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "restor cforacle" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > RESTOR CFORACLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "restore cforacle" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > RESTORE CFORACLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I only understood you as far as wanting to restore. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > RESTORE | ||
| CF | %% Enter a save filename to read: | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "cforacle" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | Ok. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "s" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > S | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a door here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 83 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Equipment Archive | ||
| CF | The ceiling is mirrored, perhaps to make it harder for anyone to sneak | ||
| CF | around without being noticed among the shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The equipment shelves here display an assortment of obsolete, broken, | ||
| CF | foreign, or otherwise unusual letter tools. There are an umlaut punch | ||
| CF | and a Catalan punt volat needle on the equipment shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see an accent flipper here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Functional areas continue both south and east, and the hallway is | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put yam in punch" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT YAM IN PUNCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the yam) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put the yam into the wire basket of the umlaut punch. There is a | ||
| CF | hum as the punch warms up, then a bang! as the tines come down | ||
| CF | sharply, tattooing the yam. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Briefly the yam appears as the progressive metal band Ÿam, before | ||
| CF | fading back to itself: there just isn't enough energy to hold the | ||
| CF | conversion, given Ÿam's non-existent reputation. The early popularity | ||
| CF | of "Hell's Garden" was never matched again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When they are gone, a power chord remains in the air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The repeated power chord makes it sound as though some heavy equipment | ||
| CF | is being used in here even when it's not. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point and is now eighty-four.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove h from chord" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE H FROM CHORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have an H-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a flash of psychedelic colors, and the power chord turns into | ||
| CF | a power cord. This is the heaviest-duty cabling I've ever seen in my | ||
| CF | life: thick as a snake, covered in yellow sheathing, with a massive | ||
| CF | plug at each end. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | power cord is a faint, greenish image of a power chord. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take cord" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE CORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the power cord. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Equipment Archive, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Display Reloading Room and west to Wonderland from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Wonderland, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wonderland | ||
| CF | The ridiculous décor continues, now so extreme that I cannot even put | ||
| CF | a name to the things around us. They might as well be extrusions from | ||
| CF | a nightmare by Dali, or by Dr. Seuss. Offices are accessed by | ||
| CF | hatchways that seem to have come from submarines, or through passages | ||
| CF | resembling the sphincter of a great whale, or up ladders decorated | ||
| CF | with human teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open archway leads to storage space east of here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a door here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a filing cabinet here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Another room lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Workshop | ||
| CF | A room whose importance is obvious from how clean it is and how little | ||
| CF | furniture it is allowed to have. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A programmable dais sits in the middle of the room. It has the raw | ||
| CF | look of lab equipment rather than a nice smooth commercial instrument. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A specialized wall socket is built into the east wall, clearly not | ||
| CF | part of the ordinary power system for the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east and west to Surveillance Room from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "I would be remiss if I didn't ask if we could make that lamb just to see what happens. Don't think it'll help though." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your H-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, a ball, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a card, a | ||
| CF | cate, a counter, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a monk corpse | ||
| CF | bonnet, a paper, a pass, a pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a | ||
| CF | poppy, a power cord, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a | ||
| CF | screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a | ||
| CF | shuttlecock, a silver platter, a sin, a stick, a stop, Studies in | ||
| CF | Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a | ||
| CF | weight, a wig, a word, and a wrap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "It helps later." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Workshop lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Ah." | |
| DavidW says, "And you don't want a lamb yet. It will move about." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Oracle Project, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Oracle Project | ||
| CF | This is nothing less than the command center for a massive propaganda | ||
| CF | campaign. Paintings of Atlantida and polling charts cover the walls, | ||
| CF | dating back to the second world war and continuing straight through to | ||
| CF | the present. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a filing cabinet here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to Wonderland and east to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [If you're traveling far, you can always type GO TO (location | ||
| CF | name) to get there automatically.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Workshop lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Workshop | ||
| CF | A room whose importance is obvious from how clean it is and how little | ||
| CF | furniture it is allowed to have. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A programmable dais sits in the middle of the room. It has the raw | ||
| CF | look of lab equipment rather than a nice smooth commercial instrument. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A specialized wall socket is built into the east wall, clearly not | ||
| CF | part of the ordinary power system for the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east and west to Surveillance Room from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Generator Room | ||
| CF | The walls are lined with concrete. Yellow paint lettering says | ||
| CF | CAUTION: HIGH ENERGY EQUIPMENT and DO NOT OPERATE WITHOUT TRAINING. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A first aid station is built onto the wall. It is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Most of the room is taken up with a gigantic boiler installation that | ||
| CF | is currently off. The locking mechanism is a brushed steel bucket, | ||
| CF | currently empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open station" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN STATION | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You open the first aid station, revealing some balm. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take balm" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 84 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BALM | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the balm. According to the label, it is designed to relieve | ||
| CF | the pain of severe burns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put ball in bucket" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT BALL IN BUCKET | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (first taking the ball) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a churning noise from within the brushed steel bucket, and a | ||
| CF | moment later you see inside a bell. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This appears to have unlocked the mechanism. With a growl, the boiler | ||
| CF | comes to life. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by one point and is now eighty-five.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take bell" | ||
| CF ] Generator Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BELL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the bell. It's a tiny golden bell with a tiny golden clapper | ||
| CF | inside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | White light flashes within the boiler and the steam gauge needles | ||
| CF | jump. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Workshop | ||
| CF | A room whose importance is obvious from how clean it is and how little | ||
| CF | furniture it is allowed to have. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A programmable dais sits in the middle of the room. It has the raw | ||
| CF | look of lab equipment rather than a nice smooth commercial instrument. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A specialized wall socket is built into the east wall, clearly not | ||
| CF | part of the ordinary power system for the Bureau. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east to Generator Room and west to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "plug in dais" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PLUG IN DAIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You plug the power cord firmly into the dais socket. The other end | ||
| CF | remains free and not plugged into anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You plug the power cord firmly into the wall socket. Both ends of the | ||
| CF | power cord are now plugged in, so the dais is connected to the wall | ||
| CF | socket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put weight on dais. put counter on dais." | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT WEIGHT ON DAIS. PUT COUNTER ON DAIS. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put the weight on the programmable dais. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put the counter on the programmable dais. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn switch" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN SWITCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You give the switch a strong twist and turn it to synthesize. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "pull lever" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PULL LEVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The programmable dais glows vibrant blue for five seconds, leaving | ||
| CF | behind a counterweight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take counterweight" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE COUNTERWEIGHT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You pick up the counterweight. A very substantial hunk of metal with a | ||
| CF | ring at the top end, suitable for attachment to a hook or rope. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Workshop lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tunnel through Chalk | ||
| CF | This passage has been cut through natural cliff rock and looks older | ||
| CF | than the Bureau itself. The walls are rough-hewn, exposing sedimentary | ||
| CF | strata. Here and there it looks as though someone has actually | ||
| CF | excavated a favored rock or relic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Blocking the far end of the corridor is a metal portcullis. It is | ||
| CF | currently lowered. There's a pulley and hook arrangement above the | ||
| CF | portcullis, but the hook is empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east through the portcullis (closed) and up to Surveillance | ||
| CF | Room from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put counterweight on hook" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT COUNTERWEIGHT ON HOOK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hang the counterweight on the hook. The portcullis shifts slightly | ||
| CF | but doesn't rise on its own. Perhaps with a little help, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "save" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SAVE | ||
| CF | %% Enter a save filename to write: | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "cfportcullis" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > SAVEOk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "It's 4 ish now, btw" | |
| Perry says, "Holy moly." | ||
| Roger says, "yeah, this might be the perfect time to stop for now" | ||
| Roger says, "hope you enjoyed, Perry, and everyone" | ||
| Roger exclaims, "the end is, I think, drawing near!" | ||
| Perry exclaims, "Definitely did. Glad I made it!" | ||
| DavidW says, "you still need to escape from the island after escaping the bureau" | ||
| Jade says, "there is enough stuff left for another session" | ||
| Lancelot says, "nice" | ||
| DavidW says, "We are near the end, but there's plenty left, yes." | ||
| *** SESSION 6 *** | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "So, did you finish CM during my absence?" | ||
| Roger says, "no, but we seem to be nearing the end" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "It is a big gme, though not as big as the other CM." | ||
| Roger says, "when last we left our hero(s), we were flailing about in a timed sequence, behind a portcullis, with a rifle pointed at us" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tunnel through Chalk | ||
| CF | This passage has been cut through natural cliff rock and looks older | ||
| CF | than the Bureau itself. The walls are rough-hewn, exposing sedimentary | ||
| CF | strata. Here and there it looks as though someone has actually | ||
| CF | excavated a favored rock or relic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Blocking the far end of the corridor is a metal portcullis. It is | ||
| CF | currently lowered. From the pulley above the portcullis hangs a | ||
| CF | counterweight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east through the portcullis (closed) and up to Surveillance | ||
| CF | Room from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Ah, you're at Atlantida, then." | |
| DavidW says (to Perry), "If you're joining us today, you should come to the CLUBHOUSE." | ||
| Roger says, "yes, exactly" | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your H-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, an anagramming gun, a rock, a pan (really | ||
| CF | the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, some balm, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bell, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a | ||
| CF | card, a cate, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a daft document, | ||
| CF | Guidebook to Anglophone Atlantis, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a monk corpse | ||
| CF | bonnet, a paper, a pass, a pearl, a pic, a pill, a pocket-bread, a | ||
| CF | poppy, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron gate), a screwdriver, some | ||
| CF | screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp tail, a shuttlecock, a | ||
| CF | silver platter, a sin, a stick, a stop, Studies in Primary | ||
| CF | Language Acquisition, a swatch, a tome, some trash, a wig, a | ||
| CF | word, and a wrap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I recall at some earlier point in the game we anagrammed up some cancan dancers who seemed pretty excitable; maybe they'll be able to help us out." | |
| Roger says, "We're at a point now where lots of things /might/ work, I guess" | ||
| Perry has arrived. | Roger says, "Hi Perry" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "raise portcullis" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > RAISE PORTCULLIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You open the portcullis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a faint tang of salt air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | At a guess, this is a room hardly anyone ever visits, or even knows | ||
| CF | about. Though the ceiling and one wall are bare cave, the rest has | ||
| CF | been paneled and graciously decorated in the style of the end of the | ||
| CF | 18th century. Oil paintings on the walls depict great men and women of | ||
| CF | Atlantis gone by: Phyllida Shaply, Amelia Landison, Clarence Arbot, | ||
| CF | Jon Rosehip. An antique bed stands in the center of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The metal portcullis guards the way back. It is currently raised. From | ||
| CF | the pulley above the portcullis hangs a counterweight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are a stack of files and a rubber stamp on the inlaid desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Air and sunlight stream in from the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please press SPACE to continue. | ||
| Roger pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Don't move, Alexandra, or I'll split you in two." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A very tall woman with Bureau-blue eyes steps into the room from the | ||
| CF | east, carrying a restoration gel rifle. Her face is ageless, her mouth | ||
| CF | full-lipped but proud. We've never met, but you recognize her at once. | ||
| CF | The monocle sees her as a fake, a fossilized shellfish. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida moves the rifle a fraction and fires through the portcullis | ||
| CF | at the counterweight. With an audible SPLORT, the counterweight | ||
| CF | becomes a weight and a counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The weight falls to the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The portcullis crashes shut. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot bed" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT BED | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the bed, but is unable to make anything | ||
| CF | interesting out of b, d, and e. The bed recoalesces into its original | ||
| CF | form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She fires again. The pellet hits us, cold and hard, in the shoulder. | ||
| CF | It stings like hell and for a moment I think our clavicle is broken. | ||
| CF | You put our hand over the wounded spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our hand. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida lowers the rifle, surprised. "Fused," she says. "Isn't that | ||
| CF | interesting. And so recently, too. If the gel rifle won't separate | ||
| CF | you, nothing will." She smiles, not warmly. "Pity. You would have been | ||
| CF | easier to deal with separately. Cold Storage for Andra, house arrest | ||
| CF | for Alex." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fused? We should be two pieces by now. Maybe she has an | ||
| CF | explanation? But you seem to be focused on her gun hand. How can you | ||
| CF | be so calm? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot files" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT FILES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the stack of files, which shatters and | ||
| CF | then reforms as the sickest offal. There's a pile of semi-recognizable | ||
| CF | animal bits, of which I think I might recognize a dried sheep's head. | ||
| CF | Back in my grandparents' day Atlantis was quite a lot poorer and these | ||
| CF | kinds of foods were considered acceptable — even a delicacy — but | ||
| CF | you | ||
| CF | won't catch them in the markets these days. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She looks annoyed and shoots the offal. With an audible SPLORT, the | ||
| CF | sickest offal becomes a stack of files. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "As political commentary, that wasn't very well-conceived." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "heh. Cute, but not immediately helpful. I'm going to cheat a bit with UNDO, I guess, but it's either that or reloading, so tomato-tomato" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot stamp" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT STAMP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the rubber stamp, which shatters and then | ||
| CF | reforms as the rump stabber. He is of less than average height and | ||
| CF | carries a butterfly knife. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She fires again. The pellet hits us, cold and hard, in the shoulder. | ||
| CF | It stings like hell and for a moment I think our clavicle is broken. | ||
| CF | You put our hand over the wounded spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our hand. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida lowers the rifle, surprised. "Fused," she says. "Isn't that | ||
| CF | interesting. And so recently, too. If the gel rifle won't separate | ||
| CF | you, nothing will." She smiles, not warmly. "Pity. You would have been | ||
| CF | easier to deal with separately. Cold Storage for Andra, house arrest | ||
| CF | for Alex." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rump stabber gets off the inlaid desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fused? We should be two pieces by now. Maybe she has an | ||
| CF | explanation? But you seem to be focused on her gun hand. How can you | ||
| CF | be so calm? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hunh. This guy might help. But I'm not sure it addresses our immediate issue" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot napkin" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT NAPKIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the crumpled cocktail napkin, which | ||
| CF | shatters and then reforms as the multiple dropkick cancan. Legs. | ||
| CF | Kicking. Wild skirling music. Skirts. Rugby balls. Fragile objects. | ||
| CF | It's awfully frenetic. Left to itself it would do massive property | ||
| CF | damage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The music of the multiple dropkick cancan starts out reasonably tame. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rump stabber keeps trying to angle around and stand behind us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida smiles with half a mouth. "You've arrived on a difficult | ||
| CF | day. In the ordinary course of things, I keep things quiet: the spirit | ||
| CF | of democracy, but none of the sordid wrangling and bribes and | ||
| CF | corruption and compromise. It's only when the spirit of the island | ||
| CF | itself is threatened, that we have to resort to such extreme | ||
| CF | measures." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask whether the protesters feel the same way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "i'm not sure the rump stabber will be helpful to *us* instead of to atlantida" | |
| Roger says, "we're still on the wrong side of this portcullis. For that matter, how exactly did she get out there? Just slipped away while we were facing a different direction? Hrm." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot atlantida" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT ATLANTIDA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (with the anagramming gun) | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into Atlantida, but is unable to make anything | ||
| CF | interesting out of a, a, a, d, i, l, n, t, and t. Atlantida | ||
| CF | recoalesces into her original form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The tempo of the multiple dropkick cancan is increasing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rump stabber gets into a good position and then, before we can | ||
| CF | turn around, stabs us in the behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** Ouch. *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 85 out of a possible 100, in 894 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Enemy of the State. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "alas, it seems so" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "restore cfportcullis" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > RESTORE CFPORTCULLIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please give one of the answers above. | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > RESTORE | ||
| CF | %% Enter a save filename to read: | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "cfportcullis" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | Ok. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "My recollection is that you're stuck in the same room as her." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "open portcullis" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN PORTCULLIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You open the portcullis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A breeze along the passage stirs the dust. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh hmm, yeah. 'steps into the room from the east'" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | At a guess, this is a room hardly anyone ever visits, or even knows | ||
| CF | about. Though the ceiling and one wall are bare cave, the rest has | ||
| CF | been paneled and graciously decorated in the style of the end of the | ||
| CF | 18th century. Oil paintings on the walls depict great men and women of | ||
| CF | Atlantis gone by: Phyllida Shaply, Amelia Landison, Clarence Arbot, | ||
| CF | Jon Rosehip. An antique bed stands in the center of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The metal portcullis guards the way back. It is currently raised. From | ||
| CF | the pulley above the portcullis hangs a counterweight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are a stack of files and a rubber stamp on the inlaid desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Air and sunlight stream in from the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please press SPACE to continue. | ||
| Jade has arrived. | ||
| murtaughk pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Don't move, Alexandra, or I'll split you in two." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A very tall woman with Bureau-blue eyes steps into the room from the | ||
| CF | east, carrying a restoration gel rifle. Her face is ageless, her mouth | ||
| CF | full-lipped but proud. We've never met, but you recognize her at once. | ||
| CF | The monocle sees her as a fake, a fossilized shellfish. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida moves the rifle a fraction and fires through the portcullis | ||
| CF | at the counterweight. With an audible SPLORT, the counterweight | ||
| CF | becomes a weight and a counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The weight falls to the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The portcullis crashes shut. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east and west through the portcullis (closed) to Tunnel | ||
| CF | through Chalk from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She fires again. The pellet hits us, cold and hard, in the shoulder. | ||
| CF | It stings like hell and for a moment I think our clavicle is broken. | ||
| CF | You put our hand over the wounded spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our hand. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida lowers the rifle, surprised. "Fused," she says. "Isn't that | ||
| CF | interesting. And so recently, too. If the gel rifle won't separate | ||
| CF | you, nothing will." She smiles, not warmly. "Pity. You would have been | ||
| CF | easier to deal with separately. Cold Storage for Andra, house arrest | ||
| CF | for Alex." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fused? We should be two pieces by now. Maybe she has an | ||
| CF | explanation? But you seem to be focused on her gun hand. How can you | ||
| CF | be so calm? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You would have to get through her first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida smiles with half a mouth. "You've arrived on a difficult | ||
| CF | day. In the ordinary course of things, I keep things quiet: the spirit | ||
| CF | of democracy, but none of the sordid wrangling and bribes and | ||
| CF | corruption and compromise. It's only when the spirit of the island | ||
| CF | itself is threatened, that we have to resort to such extreme | ||
| CF | measures." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You want to ask whether the protesters feel the same way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x word" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the moment, the word is "inch", floating about in unimaginative | ||
| CF | Times lettering. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | word is a faint, greenish image of a sword. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "Hello to all. I am late becouse I was finishing A1rlock, an amazing new game." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on word" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON WORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You surreptitiously smear some of the Origin Paste onto the word. | ||
| CF | Nothing obvious happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida smiles with half a mouth. "You've arrived on a difficult | ||
| CF | day. In the ordinary course of things, I keep things quiet: the spirit | ||
| CF | of democracy, but none of the sordid wrangling and bribes and | ||
| CF | corruption and compromise. It's only when the spirit of the island | ||
| CF | itself is threatened, that we have to resort to such extreme | ||
| CF | measures." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask whether the protesters feel the same way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hey." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on word" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON WORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (the restoration gel on the word) | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the word. | ||
| CF | With an audible SPLORT, the word becomes a sword. It's a slender, | ||
| CF | flexible 18th-century sort of affair, rather than a medieval | ||
| CF | broadsword. Possibly a valuable antique: this might have been an | ||
| CF | exercise in smuggling. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida smiles with half a mouth. "You've arrived on a difficult | ||
| CF | day. In the ordinary course of things, I keep things quiet: the spirit | ||
| CF | of democracy, but none of the sordid wrangling and bribes and | ||
| CF | corruption and compromise. It's only when the spirit of the island | ||
| CF | itself is threatened, that we have to resort to such extreme | ||
| CF | measures." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm inclined to ask whether the protesters feel the same way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "attack atlantida with sword" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ATTACK ATLANTIDA WITH SWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You leap forward and slash with the sword. She parries the blow with | ||
| CF | the body of the restoration gel rifle. It doesn't even look damaged. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Do you think the protesters would feel happier if there had been a | ||
| CF | citizen referendum where their position had been voted down? The | ||
| CF | outcome would have been just the same, but they would feel much more | ||
| CF | responsible for it; surely an unpleasant position for them to be in, | ||
| CF | considering their moral objections." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot rifle" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What do you want to shoot the restoration gel rifle at? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot gun at rifle" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT GUN AT RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the restoration gel rifle, which shatters | ||
| CF | and then reforms as the infertile astrologer. She's a woman with long | ||
| CF | grey hair, well past menopause. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The infertile astrologer falls awkwardly to earth and looks around in | ||
| CF | confusion. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The astrologer looks at us. "Gemini, am I right?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh, bravo," says Atlantida. "Could you possibly have made a less | ||
| CF | useful ally?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "aha that is perhaps a step forward" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "attack atlantida with sword" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ATTACK ATLANTIDA WITH SWORD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You swing the sword at her, but can't quite reach. She's keeping her | ||
| CF | distance. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Mercury is in retrograde," comments the astrologer. "Expect | ||
| CF | disordered communications." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "And now it's time for you to go," Atlantida says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She presses a button on something in her hand. Far away, a | ||
| CF | high-pitched bell rings. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Did you have anything else you wanted to ask me? I so rarely get to | ||
| CF | talk with ordinary citizens. Only ones with clearance, and those about | ||
| CF | to go into Cold Storage. A last interview with Saint Peter." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "A bit of a tortured anagram, but an anagram nonetheless." | |
| murtaughk says, "that is the way of the anagram gun" | ||
| Jade says, "yes, well done" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take astrologer" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ASTROLOGER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I don't suppose the infertile astrologer would care for that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on astrologer" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON ASTROLOGER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | infertile astrologer. With an audible SPLORT, the infertile astrologer | ||
| CF | becomes a restoration gel rifle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I see," says Atlantida. "You have the rifle. Clever, but do think. | ||
| CF | You might do some damage with that thing, but you won't escape. So why | ||
| CF | hurt anyone unnecessarily?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are noises in the next room, and a moment later a couple of | ||
| CF | All-Purpose Officers burst into the room, gel rifles and real rifles | ||
| CF | drawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You're slow," Atlantida says, seating herself on the ridiculous bed. | ||
| CF | "I thought we had trained for this eventuality." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The officer nearest the door turns red. "This has been a busy day, | ||
| CF | madam," he says. As though she were a queen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** We have been caught *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 85 out of a possible 100, in 898 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Enemy of the State. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "now it seems like we are truly on the right path, but ran out of time. Okay." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > RESTORE | ||
| CF | %% Enter a save filename to read: | murtaughk asks, "so, once more with swiftness, then?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Yes." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "cfportcullis" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | Ok. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open portcullis" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN PORTCULLIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You open the portcullis. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "east" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EAST | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | At a guess, this is a room hardly anyone ever visits, or even knows | ||
| CF | about. Though the ceiling and one wall are bare cave, the rest has | ||
| CF | been paneled and graciously decorated in the style of the end of the | ||
| CF | 18th century. Oil paintings on the walls depict great men and women of | ||
| CF | Atlantis gone by: Phyllida Shaply, Amelia Landison, Clarence Arbot, | ||
| CF | Jon Rosehip. An antique bed stands in the center of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The metal portcullis guards the way back. It is currently raised. From | ||
| CF | the pulley above the portcullis hangs a counterweight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are a stack of files and a rubber stamp on the inlaid desk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Air and sunlight stream in from the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please press SPACE to continue. | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "push space" | ||
| Roger pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Don't move, Alexandra, or I'll split you in two." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A very tall woman with Bureau-blue eyes steps into the room from the | ||
| CF | east, carrying a restoration gel rifle. Her face is ageless, her mouth | ||
| CF | full-lipped but proud. We've never met, but you recognize her at once. | ||
| CF | The monocle sees her as a fake, a fossilized shellfish. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida moves the rifle a fraction and fires through the portcullis | ||
| CF | at the counterweight. With an audible SPLORT, the counterweight | ||
| CF | becomes a weight and a counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The weight falls to the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The portcullis crashes shut. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot gun at rifle" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT GUN AT RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She sees us moving the gun into position, and our reflexes are slower | ||
| CF | than hers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She fires again. The pellet hits us, cold and hard, in the shoulder. | ||
| CF | It stings like hell and for a moment I think our clavicle is broken. | ||
| CF | You put our hand over the wounded spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our hand. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida lowers the rifle, surprised. "Fused," she says. "Isn't that | ||
| CF | interesting. And so recently, too. If the gel rifle won't separate | ||
| CF | you, nothing will." She smiles, not warmly. "Pity. You would have been | ||
| CF | easier to deal with separately. Cold Storage for Andra, house arrest | ||
| CF | for Alex." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fused? We should be two pieces by now. Maybe she has an | ||
| CF | explanation? But you seem to be focused on her gun hand. How can you | ||
| CF | be so calm? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot gun at rifle" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT GUN AT RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the restoration gel rifle, which shatters | ||
| CF | and then reforms as the infertile astrologer. She's a woman with long | ||
| CF | grey hair, well past menopause. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The infertile astrologer falls awkwardly to earth and looks around in | ||
| CF | confusion. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Today is a day of revelation," announces the astrologer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh, bravo," says Atlantida. "Could you possibly have made a less | ||
| CF | useful ally?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on astrolger" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON ASTROLGER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on astrologer" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON ASTROLOGER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The astrologer is still a little too far away to reach. She's moving | ||
| CF | towards us, though. If we wait, perhaps... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida smiles with half a mouth. "You've arrived on a difficult | ||
| CF | day. In the ordinary course of things, I keep things quiet: the spirit | ||
| CF | of democracy, but none of the sordid wrangling and bribes and | ||
| CF | corruption and compromise. It's only when the spirit of the island | ||
| CF | itself is threatened, that we have to resort to such extreme | ||
| CF | measures." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The infertile astrologer sidles closer to us, smiling and making hand | ||
| CF | signs that I think are supposed to represent Aries. Old bat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask whether the protesters feel the same way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on astrologer" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON ASTROLOGER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | infertile astrologer. With an audible SPLORT, the infertile astrologer | ||
| CF | becomes a restoration gel rifle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida realizes that the restoration gel rifle is now a couple of | ||
| CF | meters away from her. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She presses a button on something in her hand. Far away, a | ||
| CF | high-pitched bell rings. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Did you have anything else you wanted to ask me? I so rarely get to | ||
| CF | talk with ordinary citizens. Only ones with clearance, and those about | ||
| CF | to go into Cold Storage. A last interview with Saint Peter." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take rifle" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | We sidle over and casually pick up the restoration gel rifle as though | ||
| CF | we were just curious. Or maybe had an insatiable urge to tidy up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot atlantida with rifle" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT ATLANTIDA WITH RIFLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Her eyes follow the gesture. "Don't you dare, you little traitor," she | ||
| CF | says. "I have been your mother, your father, your waking up and your | ||
| CF | going to sleep, your teachers and your lovers and your friends. I am | ||
| CF | the integrity of this island. Change me and you change Atlantis | ||
| CF | forever." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Maybe it's time," I say. "Maybe part of the business of democracy is | ||
| CF | having the arguments—" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You don't let me finish. You shoot the restoration gel rifle at | ||
| CF | Atlantida. With an audible SPLORT, Atlantida becomes an atlantida. | ||
| CF | It's a sort of shellfish, vaguely like a clam or scallop but bigger | ||
| CF | and with different ridges. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "save" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SAVE | ||
| CF | %% Enter a save filename to write: | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "cfshellfish" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > SAVEOk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put paste on atlantida" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT PASTE ON ATLANTIDA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You smear some of the Origin Paste onto the atlantida. Nothing obvious | ||
| CF | happens, of course, but that is the whole point. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a distant sound of movement. Someone is looking for us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "That's a novel way of regicide." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take atlantida" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ATLANTIDA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You pick up the atlantida. It's heavy as a rock, because it has been | ||
| CF | fossilized. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a distant sound of movement. Someone is looking for us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Private Solarium | ||
| CF | A window in the north wall, cut out through the cliff face, gives a | ||
| CF | view of tranquil sea under a darkening sky. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Left on a coffee table (as though waiting for maid service) is a | ||
| CF | silver tray. There are some jacks, a cloth napkin, some crumbs, and an | ||
| CF | empty coffee cup on the silver tray. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the chaise longue is an ebook reader. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "it's interesting that there's some things in place to ensure the appropriate setpieces play out before atlantida shellfishes" | |
| Roger says, "yeah. the quicktime events shall not be thwarted" | ||
| Roger says, "oh good, lots more stuff" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x window" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the tall window with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open window" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You open the tall window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look through window" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > LOOK THROUGH WINDOW | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Through the window, there's a beautiful view of the sea; but further | ||
| CF | inspection also reveals a narrow strip of grassy ledge, really only | ||
| CF | just wide enough to stand on, before a steep descent over stones. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x table" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Antique as well, most likely. It is the same handsome wood as the | ||
| CF | furnishings in the rest of the apartment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the coffee table is a silver tray (on which are some jacks, a cloth | ||
| CF | napkin, some crumbs, and an empty coffee cup (empty)). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the coffee table with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x tray" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X TRAY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Just matte enough to give no reflections, and stamped with a classical | ||
| CF | Atlantean pattern of overlapping olive branches and chard leaves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the silver tray are some jacks, a cloth napkin, some crumbs, and an | ||
| CF | empty coffee cup (empty). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the silver tray with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x jacks" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X JACKS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A set of children's playing jacks. They are lined up, with curious | ||
| CF | precision, into the letter A. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the jacks with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "ooh, nested containers" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "x napkin" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X NAPKIN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do you mean, the 1) cloth napkin or the 2) crumpled cocktail | ||
| CF | napkin? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "1" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Good linen in eau-de-nil, monogrammed with a large A, and smeared with | ||
| CF | a few smudges of honey. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the cloth napkin with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x crumbs" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CRUMBS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a guess, they come from some sort of breakfast roll or pastry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the crumbs with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x cup" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X CUP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The residual liquid in the bottom reveals that the person whose | ||
| CF | breakfast this was takes a small amount of milk and no sugar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the empty coffee cup with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x reader" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X READER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An expensive recent model, silver-backed, with a glossy touch screen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ebook reader is currently switched off. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the ebook reader with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn on reader" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN ON READER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ebook reader chimes cheerfully. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can type search terms to look for data records. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight Book search with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "search atlantida" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SEARCH ATLANTIDA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find nothing of interest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "type atlantida" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TYPE ATLANTIDA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The search turns up the following results: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | history books: The search finds some 72 titles, focused | ||
| CF | especially on Mediterranean cultures ancient and modern. The history | ||
| CF | of Atlantis, and the political history of the Bureau itself, are | ||
| CF | covered in a series of popularizing works. One book, "Wartime | ||
| CF | Operations and the Invention of Atlantida," has evidently been read | ||
| CF | through several times. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "read wartime" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > READ WARTIME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Right, let's read all of them." | |
| Roger says, "Tempting, surely" | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "type protests" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TYPE PROTESTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | No records found. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "type" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "type wartime" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TYPE WARTIME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The search turns up the following results: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | history books: The search finds some 72 titles, focused | ||
| CF | especially on Mediterranean cultures ancient and modern. The history | ||
| CF | of Atlantis, and the political history of the Bureau itself, are | ||
| CF | covered in a series of popularizing works. One book, "Wartime | ||
| CF | Operations and the Invention of Atlantida," has evidently been read | ||
| CF | through several times. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot table" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT TABLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What do you want to shoot the coffee table with? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot table with gun" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT TABLE WITH GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the coffee table, but is unable to make | ||
| CF | anything interesting out of a, b, c, e, e, e, f, f, l, o, and t. The | ||
| CF | coffee table recoalesces into its original form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot tray with gun" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT TRAY WITH GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the silver tray, which shatters and then | ||
| CF | reforms as the starry veil. A veil of fine black gauze, long enough to | ||
| CF | fall at least to the knee on a woman of average height. It is studded | ||
| CF | all over with gleaming silvery stars; not mere rhinestones, but | ||
| CF | ornaments that cast their own faint unmistakeable light. Some are pure | ||
| CF | white, some pale blue, some small and red-hued. But they are safe and | ||
| CF | cool and do not burn to touch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Maybe those noises we heard earlier were nothing. It's quiet now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take veil" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE VEIL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You acquire the starry veil. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our ears are straining for something far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "we might be in another timed event, but oh well" | |
| Jade says, "yes" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I *think* you may be reasonably safe now, but don't quote me on that." | ||
| murtaughk asks, "may as well mess about and find out, eh?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot jacks with gun" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT JACKS WITH GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x jacks" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X JACKS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Private Solarium | ||
| CF | A window in the north wall, cut out through the cliff face, gives a | ||
| CF | view of tranquil sea under a darkening sky. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the chaise longue is an ebook reader. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "worst case, we reload the new save and then just yoink the tray and reader real speedy-like" | |
| Roger says, "oh, they're inside the veil now. Whoops" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on veil" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON VEIL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (the restoration gel on the starry veil) | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | starry veil. With an audible SPLORT, the starry veil becomes a silver | ||
| CF | tray. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The silver tray is far too large for us to carry, and falls onto the | ||
| CF | ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Private Solarium | ||
| CF | A window in the north wall, cut out through the cliff face, gives a | ||
| CF | view of tranquil sea under a darkening sky. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can see a silver tray here. On the silver tray are some jacks, a | ||
| CF | cloth napkin, some crumbs, and an empty coffee cup. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is an ebook reader on the chaise longue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shot jacks with gun" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOT JACKS WITH GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot jacks with gun" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT JACKS WITH GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the jacks, but is unable to make anything | ||
| CF | interesting out of a, c, j, k, and s. The jacks recoalesce into their | ||
| CF | original form. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The silence is eerie. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take jacks" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE JACKS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the jacks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from jacks" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM JACKS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a mad-scientist cackle, and the jacks turn into a jack. A | ||
| CF | heavy-duty jack, suitable for raising cars or other substantial | ||
| CF | objects. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | jack is a faint, greenish image of some jacks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A distant alarm bell is ringing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "remove j from jack" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE J FROM JACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have a J-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "ack". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Boo." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take all" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE ALL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You toss the pill into our mouths and swallow it dry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is no immediate reaction, but after a few minutes a cramping | ||
| CF | pain begins to spread through our stomach, and it becomes difficult to | ||
| CF | breathe. Yellow and blue spots float in front of our eyes. Our skin | ||
| CF | begins to itch. Dimly I wonder whether these symptoms correspond to | ||
| CF | any real medical condition or whether the pill is simply poisonous by | ||
| CF | invention; but you are not clear-minded enough to go on thinking these | ||
| CF | sorts of thoughts for long. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** You have poisoned ourself *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 85 out of a possible 100, in 915 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Enemy of the State. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, or review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far? | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Private Solarium | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "ack." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "As I recall, there is a decision coming up, though that decision may have already been made." | ||
| Roger says, "thanks, Emily" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "My, that's a nasty (s)pill." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take napkin. take crumbs. take cup. take reader." | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE NAPKIN. TAKE CRUMBS. TAKE CUP. TAKE READER. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Which do you mean, the 1) cloth napkin or the 2) crumpled cocktail | ||
| CF | napkin? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "1" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the cloth napkin. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The faint ringing continues. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You know they'll only make a mess. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the empty coffee cup. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the ebook reader. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "still not" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | At a guess, this is a room hardly anyone ever visits, or even knows | ||
| CF | about. Though the ceiling and one wall are bare cave, the rest has | ||
| CF | been paneled and graciously decorated in the style of the end of the | ||
| CF | 18th century. Oil paintings on the walls depict great men and women of | ||
| CF | Atlantis gone by: Phyllida Shaply, Amelia Landison, Clarence Arbot, | ||
| CF | Jon Rosehip. An antique bed stands in the center of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The metal portcullis guards the way back. It is currently lowered. | ||
| CF | From the pulley above the portcullis hangs a counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the inlaid desk are a stack of files and a rubber stamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Air and sunlight stream in from the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open portcullis with jack" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN PORTCULLIS WITH JACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You slip the jack under the portcullis and raise it a few feet — | ||
| CF | enough for us to slip past. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tunnel through Chalk | ||
| CF | This passage has been cut through natural cliff rock and looks older | ||
| CF | than the Bureau itself. The walls are rough-hewn, exposing sedimentary | ||
| CF | strata. Here and there it looks as though someone has actually | ||
| CF | excavated a favored rock or relic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Blocking the far end of the corridor is a metal portcullis. It is | ||
| CF | currently raised a few feet by a jack. From the pulley above the | ||
| CF | portcullis hangs a counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a weight here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east through the portcullis to Personal Apartment and up to | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A breeze along the passage stirs the dust. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "up" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Workshop lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [If you're traveling far, you can always type GO TO (location | ||
| CF | name) to get there automatically.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Workshop | ||
| CF | A room whose importance is obvious from how clean it is and how little | ||
| CF | furniture it is allowed to have. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A programmable dais sits in the middle of the room. It has the raw | ||
| CF | look of lab equipment rather than a nice smooth commercial instrument. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A power cord snakes across the ground, connecting the dais socket to | ||
| CF | the wall socket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east to Generator Room and west to Surveillance Room from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "as suspected before, I think we can homonym up a new-and-improved Atlantida" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "put atlantida on dais" | DavidW says, "yes please" | |
| Jade asks, "Where are we going back?" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT ATLANTIDA ON DAIS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put the atlantida on the programmable dais. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x switch" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SWITCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large black switch with a red arrow painted on it. There are two | ||
| CF | stops, labeled with black marker on tape: swap homonym and | ||
| CF | synthesize. It is currently set to synthesize. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the massive switch with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "turn switch" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TURN SWITCH | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You give the switch a strong twist and turn it to swap | ||
| CF | homonym. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "pull lever" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PULL LEVER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The programmable dais glows deep red. Almost at once Atlantida is | ||
| CF | lying on the surface. She looks very similar to her earlier self, but | ||
| CF | the differences are there. The eyes are grey now. A tattoo of a | ||
| CF | writhing squid encircles her left wrist. Her face is younger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask atlantida about atlantida" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ATLANTIDA ABOUT ATLANTIDA | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the attention of Atlantida. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'd like to ask how to fix the fusion. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm inclined to ask how to fix the fusion. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "the squid iconography has been embraced!" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask atlantida about fusion" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ATLANTIDA ABOUT FUSION | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The two of us, Alex and Andra, we seem to be stuck together | ||
| CF | permanently. You don't happen to know how to remove our fusion?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She shakes her head. "We've never found a way to undo that effect | ||
| CF | completely," she says. "I'm sorry. But try to listen to both your | ||
| CF | voices. One may be the weaker now, but if you try to kill that self | ||
| CF | entirely, it tends to cause a severe mental illness." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask atlantida about escape" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ATLANTIDA ABOUT ESCAPE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "ask atlantida about herself" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ATLANTIDA ABOUT HERSELF | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "My understanding is that, if Alex is stronger, he demands that we recreate Atlantida." | |
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "ask atlantida about me" | ||
| CF ] Workshop, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASK ATLANTIDA ABOUT ME | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Atlantida thinks for a moment, then apparently decides not to answer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "hrm. Shall we resume our escape attempt?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| murtaughk says, "probably, yes" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "w" | ||
| CF ] Surveillance Room, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > W | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room | ||
| CF | A surveillance computer is mounted on the wall, an impressive flat | ||
| CF | screen readout displaying current activity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Workshop lies to the east. The door you came through is west, and | ||
| CF | there is also a spiral staircase down to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Tunnel through Chalk, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tunnel through Chalk | ||
| CF | This passage has been cut through natural cliff rock and looks older | ||
| CF | than the Bureau itself. The walls are rough-hewn, exposing sedimentary | ||
| CF | strata. Here and there it looks as though someone has actually | ||
| CF | excavated a favored rock or relic. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Blocking the far end of the corridor is a metal portcullis. It is | ||
| CF | currently raised a few feet by a jack. From the pulley above the | ||
| CF | portcullis hangs a counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a weight here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go east through the portcullis to Personal Apartment and up to | ||
| CF | Surveillance Room from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Personal Apartment, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Personal Apartment | ||
| CF | At a guess, this is a room hardly anyone ever visits, or even knows | ||
| CF | about. Though the ceiling and one wall are bare cave, the rest has | ||
| CF | been paneled and graciously decorated in the style of the end of the | ||
| CF | 18th century. Oil paintings on the walls depict great men and women of | ||
| CF | Atlantis gone by: Phyllida Shaply, Amelia Landison, Clarence Arbot, | ||
| CF | Jon Rosehip. An antique bed stands in the center of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The metal portcullis guards the way back. It is currently raised a few | ||
| CF | feet by a jack. From the pulley above the portcullis hangs a counter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the inlaid desk are a stack of files and a rubber stamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Air and sunlight stream in from the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [If you're traveling far, you can always type GO TO (location | ||
| CF | name) to get there automatically.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Private Solarium | ||
| CF | A window in the north wall, cut out through the cliff face, gives a | ||
| CF | view of tranquil sea under a darkening sky. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can see a silver tray here. On the silver tray are some crumbs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "I didin't get Alex and Andra separated in my playthrough." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take tray" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE TRAY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the silver tray. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The silver tray is far too large for us to carry, and falls onto the | ||
| CF | ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "shoot tray with gun" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SHOOT TRAY WITH GUN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The gun fires ruggedly into the silver tray, which shatters and then | ||
| CF | reforms as the starry veil. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take veil" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE VEIL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You pick up the starry veil. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "e" | ||
| CF ] Private Solarium, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > E | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go north through the tall window and west to Personal | ||
| CF | Apartment from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Precarious Perch, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You close the window behind us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Precarious Perch | ||
| CF | From up here there's a handsome view of the sea, which isn't | ||
| CF | so far down really. But it's a scramble down a | ||
| CF | nearly sheer cliff for the first bit, until you make it down to the | ||
| CF | rockfall below, and it would be easy for a careless person to injure | ||
| CF | herself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's hard to see through the tall window to the room behind: mostly it | ||
| CF | reflects the sea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Whoever is looking for us, we should be out of their way now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "they seem rather inseparable, quoth atlantida" | |
| Roger says, "oh this is less of a barrier than I was expecting. Hunh." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a nasty business lowering ourselves over the edge, with little to | ||
| CF | hold onto up here; scrabbling around with our toes for good holds; | ||
| CF | letting go with one hand to descend a little further... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But after some minutes of this painstaking process the cliff begins to | ||
| CF | slope outward more, and it's no longer a question of climbing down a | ||
| CF | face, but rather of scrambling down over boulders. And then... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Shore | ||
| CF | There's a little inlet of shore here, mostly boulders with little | ||
| CF | sand, completely cut off from the dock area and sheltered by the curve | ||
| CF | of the rock so that it wouldn't be visible from the sea unless someone | ||
| CF | were very close in. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a squid in the tidal pools among the boulders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A bollard is bolted to one of the rocks, which is curious considering | ||
| CF | the otherwise unused and inaccessible look of the spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An old but still serviceable kayak is drawn up and firmly shackled to | ||
| CF | the bollard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "As far as I know, it's not possible to separate them. They fuse, I believe, based on how you solve the Cold Storage." | |
| DavidW says, "yes" | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "remove q from squid" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE Q FROM SQUID | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have a Q-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of sweaty animal, the squid turns into a suid. A | ||
| CF | suid is any kind of pig; this one is a sizable domestic sow, as it | ||
| CF | turns out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | suid is a faint, greenish image of a squid. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The suid gets off the boulders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "There's an acheivement for removing every letter, and that squid is there just so you can remove a Q somewhere." | |
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "remove u from suid" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE U FROM SUID | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have a U-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The device buzzes, puzzled. It is unable to create anything | ||
| CF | recognizable called "sid". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "remove i from suid" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE I FROM SUID | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have an I-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a peach cloud, and the suid turns into a sud. > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "x sud" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | There is a peach cloud, and the suid turns into a sud. > | ||
| CF | > X SUD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Couldn't resist." | |
| Roger says, "somewhat unremarkable" | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Shore | ||
| CF | There's a little inlet of shore here, mostly boulders with little | ||
| CF | sand, completely cut off from the dock area and sheltered by the curve | ||
| CF | of the rock so that it wouldn't be visible from the sea unless someone | ||
| CF | were very close in. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A bollard is bolted to one of the rocks, which is curious considering | ||
| CF | the otherwise unused and inaccessible look of the spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An old but still serviceable kayak is drawn up and firmly shackled to | ||
| CF | the bollard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a sud here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x shackle" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X SHACKLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | They're firmly attached and locked with a rusty lock that doesn't look | ||
| CF | inclined to open again any time this century. I really do compliment | ||
| CF | you folks' approach to security. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the shackles with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "huh. curious that is is undescribed" | |
| Jade says, "remove all letters is very difficult in hard mode" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I believe the uploaded version of the game isn't the latest." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "x lock" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X LOCK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "gel sud" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GEL SUD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out fingertip-coating quantity of gel and rub it gently onto | ||
| CF | the sud. With an audible SPLORT, the sud becomes a squid. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry asks, "What's hard mode again?" | |
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "remove s from squid" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM SQUID | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a flash of crimson light, and the squid turns into a quid. A | ||
| CF | British pound coin, with the head of the Queen and everything. This | ||
| CF | one is the version with the Welsh inscription round the rim. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | quid is a faint, greenish image of a squid. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove s from shackle" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE S FROM SHACKLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have an S-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a distinct spearmint flavor, and the shackles turn into a | ||
| CF | hackle. A long feather, as from the neck of a giant bird. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | hackle is a faint, greenish image of some shackles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "hard mode makes some of the puzzles harder, iirc" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Shore | ||
| CF | There's a little inlet of shore here, mostly boulders with little | ||
| CF | sand, completely cut off from the dock area and sheltered by the curve | ||
| CF | of the rock so that it wouldn't be visible from the sea unless someone | ||
| CF | were very close in. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A bollard is bolted to one of the rocks, which is curious considering | ||
| CF | the otherwise unused and inaccessible look of the spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An old but still serviceable kayak is drawn up here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a hackle and a quid here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "... yeah, makes sense." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take hackle. take quid." | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE HACKLE. TAKE QUID. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the hackle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the quid. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter kayak" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ENTER KAYAK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get into the kayak. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "x bollard" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X BOLLARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A metal pole, painted all-weather green and bolted to a rock. Its ilk | ||
| CF | are used in more trafficked places for securing boats and so on; and | ||
| CF | indeed so is this one, despite the implausible setting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the bollard with the | ||
| CF | crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "remove l from bollard" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE L FROM BOLLARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have an L-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of raw wood, the bollard turns into a board. | ||
| CF | It's a fairly generic plank — sort of pine, by the looks of it, | ||
| CF | though | ||
| CF | constructed things tend to be a little vague on niceties such as | ||
| CF | species — and looks like it's designed to be part of a new deck or | ||
| CF | somesuch thing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | board is a faint, greenish image of a bollard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I think you should turn the BOLLARD into an OAR and use the kayak." | |
| Roger says, "nice" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "take board" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE BOARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the board. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove d from board" | Jade says, "cool" | |
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE D FROM BOARD | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have a D-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a distinct whiff of sweaty animal, the board turns into a boar. | ||
| CF | In the old days they used to hunt these animals, and I can understand | ||
| CF | the impulse. It's like a pig, but even uglier and bristlier, with long | ||
| CF | dangerous-looking tusky teeth coming out of both its top and bottom | ||
| CF | jaws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | boar is a faint, greenish image of a bollard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You more or less throw the boar as far away as possible. It seems the | ||
| CF | wisest course. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The boar gives us a very nasty kind of look, and then — without any | ||
| CF | provocation, I'm sure — starts running right at us, even into the | ||
| CF | surf. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "remove b from boar" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > REMOVE B FROM BOAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flick our thumb over the small knob: you now have a B-remover. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our hand is less than steady, but you manage to wave the | ||
| CF | letter-remover accurately enough. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The boar vanishes with a pop, and an oar falls harmlessly to the | ||
| CF | ground. It's a light sort of oar, almost a paddle. Still probably not | ||
| CF | the ideal thing for use with a kayak, but it'll do. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | oar is a faint, greenish image of a bollard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "That's a good one." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "take oar" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > TAKE OAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the oar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying the following essentials: your B-remover (upgraded to | ||
| CF | handle animates and abstracts), a backpack, a flash drive, a monocle, | ||
| CF | a roll, some Origin Paste, a restoration gel rifle, an anagramming | ||
| CF | gun, a rock, a pan (really the smuggled plans in disguise), and a tub | ||
| CF | of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying some ale, an army, some asparagus, some balm, a | ||
| CF | band, a bandana, a bell, a bin, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a | ||
| CF | card, a cate, a cloth napkin, a cross, a crumpled cocktail napkin, a | ||
| CF | daft document, an ebook reader, an empty coffee cup, Guidebook to | ||
| CF | Anglophone Atlantis, a hackle, a heel, History of the | ||
| CF | Standards Revolution, a honey pastry triangle, a jigsaw, | ||
| CF | Journal of Third-World Economics, a key (which opens the | ||
| CF | apartment door), a leaflet, a letter, a lie, Lives of the | ||
| CF | Lexicographers, a map of Slangovia, a member, a monk corpse | ||
| CF | bonnet, an oar, a paper, a pass, a pearl, a pic, a pill, a | ||
| CF | pocket-bread, a poppy, a quid, a ring (which opens the sturdy iron | ||
| CF | gate), a screwdriver, some screws, a shopping bag, a shred, a shrimp | ||
| CF | tail, a shuttlecock, a silver platter, a sin, a starry veil, a stick, | ||
| CF | a stop, Studies in Primary Language Acquisition, a swatch, a | ||
| CF | tome, some trash, a wig, a word, and a wrap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "wait, i wonder if there'd be any interaction between the boar and the suid" | |
| DavidW says, "oh geez. Probably." | ||
| Perry crosses his fingers. | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put gel on oar" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON OAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (the restoration gel on the oar) | ||
| CF | It would be extremely inconvenient to lose the oar at this juncture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "opportunity missed, alas" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "goal" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what you think you need to do: | ||
| CF | Escape the Bureau | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go north and up to Precarious Perch from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Our hands are too full for rowing. It somewhat undermines a disguise | ||
| CF | to take it off and put it on in the presence of other people. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "put all in backpack" | ||
| CF ] Abandoned Shore, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT ALL IN BACKPACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | oar: The oar would just stick out. | ||
| CF | monk corpse bonnet: Done. | ||
| CF | monocle: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF ] Open Sea, evening Goals: 1 Score: 85 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With some awkwardness, you manage to push off and begin to | ||
| CF | labouriously row for open sea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Open Sea (in the kayak) | ||
| CF | The water stretches in all directions, but you can see off to the | ||
| CF | north where Slango's yacht is anchored, ready to bring us back aboard. | ||
| CF | Its metallic blue shape almost blends in with the water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you were further around the island to the east, you might be able | ||
| CF | to see bits of the drowned city: both the buildings that were | ||
| CF | legitimately destroyed when the land sunk into the sea, and the areas | ||
| CF | where during the Civil Dispute of Standardisation the authorities | ||
| CF | dumped unwanted foreign archaeological artefacts. But here I'm afraid | ||
| CF | it's just shellfish and sand down there. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jade says, "lol, excesive inventory" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "n" | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > N | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You come around to the aft of Slango's yacht and give a good shout. | ||
| CF | With the help of a ladder and a hand up from Slango himself, you soon | ||
| CF | have the kayak stored, and ourselves and our possessions on deck. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango gels the rock easily enough. Then he and Brock turn the | ||
| CF | restoration gel on us. Slango is determined to separate you from me | ||
| CF | before he has a real talk with either of us; and it's not until a | ||
| CF | number of swipes in that he realizes how wrong things are. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "This isn't working," he remarks, tossing the gel and washcloth aside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "We're fused," you explain, not very coherently. "Something happened. | ||
| CF | I don't know if it can be fixed." | ||
| CF | Brock looks at us for a long moment and then turns away. He vanishes | ||
| CF | into the galley. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm sure he's just gone to get you a cup of tea," Slango says. He | ||
| CF | takes a deep breath, stands. "The T-inserter specs better be worth | ||
| CF | what Brock says they are." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please press SPACE to continue. | ||
| murtaughk pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF ] | ||
| CF | In the rocking boat, with the sound of the motor beneath us, you dream | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | of a ceremony on a clifftop with our two families seated looking on, | ||
| CF | and us in a long white dress, carrying a bouquet of scrabble tiles, | ||
| CF | walking down an aisle alone to be formally unified with ourself | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | of wearing a suit and meeting with some very rich men to talk about | ||
| CF | how to bring my language to Africa, and Brock giving us advice about | ||
| CF | how to handle them | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | of gathering all the indigenous languages, all the little dying | ||
| CF | languages, all the languages shoved aside because they lack linguistic | ||
| CF | efficacy, into a firefly bottle, where their letterforms flicker | ||
| CF | desperately | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please press SPACE to continue. | Roger says, "hurrah for us" | |
| Roger pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | 72 hours later | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your Bunk (aboard the True Macaque) (on your bed) | ||
| CF | Amazing: it's even tinier than my apartment, and the bed isn't even a | ||
| CF | twin in width. Across from the bed is a built-in bench, with portholes | ||
| CF | above, just at the waterline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your wardrobe door is firmly closed, which is helpful because | ||
| CF | otherwise it is tricky walking around in here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [Your score has gone up by fifteen points and is now one | ||
| CF | hundred.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Victory!" | |
| Perry asks, "Oo, is that a perfect score?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "In a fashion." | ||
| Jade says, "well done, beast summonded" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "score" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SCORE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have earned 100 points: | ||
| CF | 15 points for returning to the yacht | ||
| CF | 1 point for using the letter-remover | ||
| CF | 3 points for passing through the temporary barrier | ||
| CF | 3 points for retrieving the backpack | ||
| CF | 3 points for winning the gel | ||
| CF | 1 point for using the gel | ||
| CF | 3 points for opening the locker | ||
| CF | 1 point for using the spinner | ||
| CF | 3 points for repairing our car | ||
| CF | 3 points for fueling our car | ||
| CF | 5 points for traveling by car | ||
| CF | 3 points for winning a barroom bet | ||
| CF | 3 points for arranging contact with Slango through his lady friend | ||
| CF | 1 point for using the origin paste | ||
| CF | 5 points for meeting Slango | ||
| CF | 3 points for visiting the dead drop | ||
| CF | 1 point for getting a product of the homonym paddle | ||
| CF | 3 points for reading a legend | ||
| CF | 3 points for gaining access to the synthesizer | ||
| CF | 2 points for returning a library book to its proper home | ||
| CF | 3 points for lifting abstraction limits on the letter-remover | ||
| CF | 1 point for using the synthesizer | ||
| CF | 3 points for acquiring a keycard | ||
| CF | 3 points for lifting animate limits on the letter-remover | ||
| CF | 10 points for acquiring a sought-after invitation | ||
| CF | 3 points for breaking the Spirit of Atlantis (in cardboard form) | ||
| CF | 5 points for passing the secretarial test | ||
| CF | 1 point for using the T-inserter | ||
| CF | 3 points for profiling the T-inserter | ||
| CF | 1 point for using the anagramming gun | ||
| CF | 1 point for using the umlaut punch | ||
| CF | 1 point for using the vowel rotator | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You have not yet removed f, j, k, o, v, or z from anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The achievements you have accomplished so far include: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Finished tutorial mode | ||
| CF | Lucius Quagmire award for viewing unusual films | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, I do think 100 points is the maximum." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "stand" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > STAND | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are now standing on your bed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "open door" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > OPEN DOOR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You open your wardrobe, revealing a swatch, a wig, a starry veil, a | ||
| CF | shred, a monk corpse bonnet, a bandana, an ebook reader, a ring, a | ||
| CF | pair of Britishizing goggles, a monocle, a backpack, a sundress, a | ||
| CF | black turtleneck, some trousers, and a swimsuit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exit" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXIT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get off your bed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your Bunk (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Amazing: it's even tinier than my apartment, and the bed isn't even a | ||
| CF | twin in width. Across from the bed is a built-in bench, with portholes | ||
| CF | above, just at the waterline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your wardrobe door is open. Your wardrobe contains a swatch, a wig, a | ||
| CF | starry veil, a shred, a monk corpse bonnet, a bandana, an ebook | ||
| CF | reader, a ring, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a monocle, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a sundress, a black turtleneck, some trousers, and a swimsuit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go aft and fore-port from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "aft" | ||
| CF ] Your Head, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > AFT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your Head (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | All the absolutely required amenities of a bathroom, packed into the | ||
| CF | least possible space. The international space station assigns more | ||
| CF | room to the bathroom functions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Your Head, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go fore to Your Bunk from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "fore" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > FORE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your Bunk (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Amazing: it's even tinier than my apartment, and the bed isn't even a | ||
| CF | twin in width. Across from the bed is a built-in bench, with portholes | ||
| CF | above, just at the waterline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your wardrobe door is open. In your wardrobe are a swatch, a wig, a | ||
| CF | starry veil, a shred, a monk corpse bonnet, a bandana, an ebook | ||
| CF | reader, a ring, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a monocle, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a sundress, a black turtleneck, some trousers, and a swimsuit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Always curious to see how people do diagonal directions on ships." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go aft to Your Head and fore-port from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "fore-port" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > FORE-PORT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | How about we put on some pants first? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear pants" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR PANTS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says (to Perry), "It's usually avoided." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear trousers" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR TROUSERS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the trousers. Close-fitting and dark colored, useful to wear | ||
| CF | when going places sneakily by night. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put on the trousers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "wear turtleneck" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR TURTLENECK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You get the black turtleneck. It averts attention and is useful on | ||
| CF | jobs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put on the black turtleneck. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "fore-port" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > FORE-PORT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Galley (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Smaller than the kitchen in a comfortable house, but carefully and | ||
| CF | elegantly fitted, with an electric stovetop, a convection | ||
| CF | oven/microwave, a tiny refrigerator, a sink: enough, in short, to | ||
| CF | serve the crew of three on long trips. I guess even a fairly big boat | ||
| CF | is still small on the inside, eh? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's even a little washing machine, for items too big to hand-wash | ||
| CF | in the sink. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are a newspaper and a pan on the built-in table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the port wall, built-in shelves hold a battered selection of games. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I don't understand why the game isn't over yet" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "goal" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOAL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Here's what you think you need to do: | ||
| CF | Check out the paper and see what's going on | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "read paper" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > READ PAPER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "I think we talk one last time with Brock?" | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "read newspaper" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > READ NEWSPAPER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's the Chard-Farmer's Daily from Atlantis. A huge headline is | ||
| CF | splashed across the front: | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "REFERENDUM ANNOUNCED!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The picture on the front shows the Atlantida statue decked out with | ||
| CF | lights like a Christmas tree and people posing next to her for | ||
| CF | pictures. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | My father has been promoted, apparently, to something called the | ||
| CF | Provisional Committee for Orthographic Reform. He is quoted as saying | ||
| CF | that the amnesty for Cold Storage prisoners is an important step | ||
| CF | forward. "Of course, government by citizen referendum brings its own | ||
| CF | problems, and further constitutional work may be needed if we mean to | ||
| CF | bring Atlantis in line with the European Union." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brock comes down and hands us a coffee. "You look like you could use | ||
| CF | this. We've hit Mallorca," he says. "Slango's in town resupplying. I | ||
| CF | guess you saw the paper?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You nod. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "One for the history books," he says, with a crooked smile. "They're | ||
| CF | showing satellite clips. Big olive garland on the depluralizing tank. | ||
| CF | People dancing on cars. Some old guy belting out La Marseillaise in | ||
| CF | the Bureau Rotunda." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brock sits down opposite us. "In other news," he remarks, "it looks | ||
| CF | like your cut of the T-remover plans, with all the tests we ran, is | ||
| CF | going to come out to this." He writes a number. The number has six | ||
| CF | zeroes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He leans back and looks at us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "So. Where do we go from here?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** The End *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In that game you scored 100 out of a possible 100, in 975 turns, | ||
| CF | earning you the rank of Successful Revolutionary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far, or learn about | ||
| CF | some of the SOURCES used in creating this game? | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Just an epilogue based on what you did." | |
| Perry exclaims, "WE WIN!" | ||
| murtaughk says, "the epilogue is fun to explore and mess around in" | ||
| Roger exclaims, "huzzah!" | ||
| Jade says, "well done, master" | ||
| Roger says, "That was fun and worth the wait" | ||
| DavidW says, "congratulations all" | ||
| Perry says, "Crazy the depth of this game." | ||
| Roger says, "only had to go to hints once, but I'm glad I did" | ||
| Jade exclaims, "Congrats!" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "sources" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > SOURCES | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I started working in earnest on this game in 2008. Since that time, | ||
| CF | the US has undergone two presidential elections; for months, the | ||
| CF | Occupy Seattle protests filled a city block just a short stroll from | ||
| CF | my apartment; and the successes and failures of Arab Spring were | ||
| CF | constantly in the news. These experiences introduced more serious | ||
| CF | themes into what was initially a purely silly game. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Gene Sharp's From Dictatorship to Democracy and the | ||
| CF | documentary How to Start a Revolution helped me think about | ||
| CF | peaceful revolutions and the communication of dissent within | ||
| CF | totalitarian regimes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The history of Atlantis' colonization mirrors that of nearby | ||
| CF | Gibraltar, on the theory that the same powers would have been likely | ||
| CF | to take an interest. Wikipedia supplied most of the potted history I | ||
| CF | used for this. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Arika Okrent's In the Land of Invented Languages and Mark | ||
| CF | Rosenfelder's Language Construction Kit (first a website, | ||
| CF | subsequently a book) taught me a lot about existing constructed | ||
| CF | languages and helped me imagine what might interest Atlantean | ||
| CF | academics. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Poor Economics (Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo) provided some | ||
| CF | general background about different attempts to address global poverty, | ||
| CF | contributing to the Atlantean concept of utopian linguistics (and why | ||
| CF | it hadn't yet saved the world). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Scrabble dictionary and the internet anagram server, among others, | ||
| CF | helped me map out the puzzle space systematically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hundreds of other small details came out of Youtube or Wikipedia, from | ||
| CF | the composition of classic cocktails to the mating behavior of pigs. | ||
| CF | Sources for specific elements may be found in the game's source text. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last | ||
| CF | command, review the ACHIEVEMENTS you've reached so far, or learn about | ||
| CF | some of the SOURCES used in creating this game? | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "bah. mating behavior of pigs" | |
| Roger says, "the game is so old that the Occupy movement and Arab Spring were still relevant" | ||
| DavidW says, "'mating behvior of pigs'" | ||
| Perry exclaims, "Nooooooo we missed it!" | ||
| murtaughk says, "there was probably a thing with the suid and boar, then" | ||
| Perry says, "Can we go back." | ||
| murtaughk says, "yes* (*it should be doable in the epilogue if we just undo)" | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Galley | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "l oar" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L OAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "x oar" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X OAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Hmm where was it." | |
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying a black turtleneck, and some trousers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Galley (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Smaller than the kitchen in a comfortable house, but carefully and | ||
| CF | elegantly fitted, with an electric stovetop, a convection | ||
| CF | oven/microwave, a tiny refrigerator, a sink: enough, in short, to | ||
| CF | serve the crew of three on long trips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's even a little washing machine, for items too big to hand-wash | ||
| CF | in the sink. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are a newspaper and a pan on the built-in table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the port wall, built-in shelves hold a battered selection of games. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "for the true compleatists, you can refer to the source code fo the game" | |
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go up, fore, aft-port, and aft-starboard to Your Bunk from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "asb" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > ASB | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your Bunk (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Amazing: it's even tinier than my apartment, and the bed isn't even a | ||
| CF | twin in width. Across from the bed is a built-in bench, with portholes | ||
| CF | above, just at the waterline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your wardrobe door is open. Your wardrobe contains a swatch, a wig, a | ||
| CF | starry veil, a shred, a monk corpse bonnet, a bandana, an ebook | ||
| CF | reader, a ring, a pair of Britishizing goggles, a monocle, a backpack, | ||
| CF | a sundress, and a swimsuit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "get pack" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GET PACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You take the backpack. Mine: a little bit worn, but capacious. It | ||
| CF | doesn't have any identifying marks on it, and I thought a brand-new | ||
| CF | bag would look more suspicious. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "l in pack" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > L IN PACK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The backpack is empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I peeked at the source a long time ago and was flabbergasted at all the items that could be created." | |
| murtaughk says, "iirc the random stuff gets moved to a different room" | ||
| Perry says, "Ah." | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go aft to Your Head and fore-port to Galley from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The wake of what must be quite a large ship raises the True | ||
| CF | Macaque and then lowers her again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "a" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > A | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "aft" | ||
| CF ] Your Head, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > AFT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your Head (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | All the absolutely required amenities of a bathroom, packed into the | ||
| CF | least possible space. The international space station assigns more | ||
| CF | room to the bathroom functions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > UNDO | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your Bunk | ||
| CF | [Previous turn undone.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "fp" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > FP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Galley (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Smaller than the kitchen in a comfortable house, but carefully and | ||
| CF | elegantly fitted, with an electric stovetop, a convection | ||
| CF | oven/microwave, a tiny refrigerator, a sink: enough, in short, to | ||
| CF | serve the crew of three on long trips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's even a little washing machine, for items too big to hand-wash | ||
| CF | in the sink. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the built-in table are a newspaper and a pan. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the port wall, built-in shelves hold a battered selection of games. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go up, fore, aft-port, and aft-starboard to Your Bunk from | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "punch newspaper" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUNCH NEWSPAPER | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | What do you want to punch the newspaper with? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "punch newspaper with umlaut" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUNCH NEWSPAPER WITH UMLAUT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I can't see what you're talking about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "fore" | ||
| CF ] Brock's Stateroom, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > FORE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brock's Stateroom (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Bigger than your bunk or Slango's, Brock's space takes the whole width | ||
| CF | of the yacht here, with windows out both sides, and a double bed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The shape of hull in this part of the yacht means that the room is | ||
| CF | much narrower fore than aft, the walls sweeping grandly outward from | ||
| CF | the head of Brock's bed. It looks like the bed of Captain Horndog, | ||
| CF | Space Womanizer. If you ask me. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can see a tub of restoration gel here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see an anagramming gun, some Origin Paste, and your | ||
| CF | B-remover here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I don't think the umlaut punch was portable." | |
| Perry says, "It wasn't." | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "get all" | ||
| CF ] Brock's Stateroom, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GET ALL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | tub: You get the tub. | ||
| CF | anagramming gun: You take the anagramming gun. | ||
| CF | Origin Paste: You get the Origin Paste. | ||
| CF | B-remover: You acquire the B-remover. | ||
| CF | restoration gel: You already have that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Brock's Stateroom, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go aft to Galley and aft-port from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "aft" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > AFT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Galley (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Smaller than the kitchen in a comfortable house, but carefully and | ||
| CF | elegantly fitted, with an electric stovetop, a convection | ||
| CF | oven/microwave, a tiny refrigerator, a sink: enough, in short, to | ||
| CF | serve the crew of three on long trips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's even a little washing machine, for items too big to hand-wash | ||
| CF | in the sink. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the built-in table are a newspaper and a pan. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the port wall, built-in shelves hold a battered selection of games. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I think there was at least one fanfic game set in this same sort of universe, but I'm not entirely sure" | |
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "port" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PORT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's no door in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go up, fore to Brock's Stateroom, aft-port, and aft-starboard | ||
| CF | to Your Bunk from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "huh. weird. i swear one could pick up those tools" | |
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "aft-port" | ||
| CF ] Slango's Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > AFT-PORT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango's Bunk (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Just as tiny as yours, with a bed narrower than a standard twin, and | ||
| CF | its own miniature head, and drawers cunningly fitted under the bed to | ||
| CF | hold clothing and other necessities. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Slango's Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go aft and fore-starboard to Galley from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "aft" | ||
| CF ] Slango's Head, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > AFT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango's Head (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | All the absolutely required amenities of a bathroom, packed into the | ||
| CF | least possible space. The international space station probably assigns | ||
| CF | more room to the bathroom functions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I would guess the ending is a bit difference if we turn Brock over in the Cold Storage room, but I can't quite be bothered to look that up myself" | |
| Perry says, "Hmm." | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "fore" | ||
| CF ] Slango's Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > FORE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Slango's Bunk (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Just as tiny as yours, with a bed narrower than a standard twin, and | ||
| CF | its own miniature head, and drawers cunningly fitted under the bed to | ||
| CF | hold clothing and other necessities. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "like the punt volat needle and everything" | |
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "fore" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > FORE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [If you're traveling far, you can always type GO TO (location | ||
| CF | name) to get there automatically.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Galley (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Smaller than the kitchen in a comfortable house, but carefully and | ||
| CF | elegantly fitted, with an electric stovetop, a convection | ||
| CF | oven/microwave, a tiny refrigerator, a sink: enough, in short, to | ||
| CF | serve the crew of three on long trips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's even a little washing machine, for items too big to hand-wash | ||
| CF | in the sink. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the built-in table are a newspaper and a pan. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the port wall, built-in shelves hold a battered selection of games. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "go to oar" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO OAR | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm a little confused about how to find the oar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Think I checked everywhere." | |
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go up, fore to Brock's Stateroom, aft-port to Slango's Bunk, | ||
| CF | and aft-starboard to Your Bunk from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "up" | ||
| CF ] Navigation Area, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UP | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Navigation Area (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | A command chair waits at the controls, a mass of buttons and levers | ||
| CF | and a tiny, low-mounted steering wheel that seems like an awfully | ||
| CF | small device to control such a high-powered machine. But I'll take | ||
| CF | your word that it works. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Galley is just below, down a steep staircase that is almost a | ||
| CF | ladder. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Navigation Area, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go down to Galley, fore, and aft to Sunning Deck from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "fore" | ||
| CF ] Foredeck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > FORE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Foredeck (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Here the yacht is nothing but a nose over the water. A hatch, hardly | ||
| CF | big enough for a portly person, descends into the so-called crew | ||
| CF | cabin. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Oops guess not" | |
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "down" | ||
| CF ] Crew Cabin, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > DOWN | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You open the hatch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Crew Cabin (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | It was meant to be mine, before we turned out to be inseparable | ||
| CF | It's... Spartan. But I didn't pay for expensive accommodations. Oh, | ||
| CF | yes, and I can understand that it must be a bother for you to give up | ||
| CF | the storage space. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I'm fascinated to note what shape a bed can be when it's not | ||
| CF | rectangular. More sort of curved and tapering. Convenient if you're | ||
| CF | called on to house a mermaid. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Crew Cabin, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go up through the hatch to Foredeck from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "up. aft. aft." | ||
| CF ] Sunning Deck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > UP. AFT. AFT. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Foredeck (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Here the yacht is nothing but a nose over the water. A hatch, hardly | ||
| CF | big enough for a portly person, descends into the so-called crew | ||
| CF | cabin. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Navigation Area (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | A command chair waits at the controls, a mass of buttons and levers | ||
| CF | and a tiny, low-mounted steering wheel that seems like an awfully | ||
| CF | small device to control such a high-powered machine. But I'll take | ||
| CF | your word that it works. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Galley is just below, down a steep staircase that is almost a | ||
| CF | ladder. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [If you're traveling far, you can always type GO TO (location | ||
| CF | name) to get there automatically.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sunning Deck (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | This is a very fine boat: sleek, shiny, big... Oh, you don't like it | ||
| CF | when I put it that way, I see. All right then: a high-speed yacht, | ||
| CF | something luxurious enough that it looks like a rich man's toy to | ||
| CF | harbor officials, but it handles almost like a cigarette boat. | ||
| CF | Fiberglass hull, shaped in a deep V for racing, capable of 80 knots on | ||
| CF | a calm sea. Range of around 300 nautical miles, enough to take us past | ||
| CF | Gibraltar to Málaga or perhaps even Almeria. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This bit is the aft portion, broad and flat and suitable for sunning | ||
| CF | oneself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fixed on the roof above the entry to the navigation area is a white | ||
| CF | object that looks a little like an igloo. It is the communication unit | ||
| CF | that handles the yacht's wifi connection. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a stick here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "x stick" | ||
| CF ] Sunning Deck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X STICK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is about two feet long. It's stripped of its leaves and fairly | ||
| CF | sturdy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF ] Sunning Deck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > I | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are carrying an anagramming gun — an essential you mustn't part | ||
| CF | with. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You are also carrying your B-remover (upgraded to handle animates and | ||
| CF | abstracts), a backpack, a black turtleneck, some Origin Paste, some | ||
| CF | trousers, and a tub of restoration gel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry exclaims, "Where's my monocle!" | |
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "go to monocle" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GO TO MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It's a quick walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your Bunk (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Amazing: it's even tinier than my apartment, and the bed isn't even a | ||
| CF | twin in width. Across from the bed is a built-in bench, with portholes | ||
| CF | above, just at the waterline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your wardrobe door is open. There are a swatch, a wig, a starry veil, | ||
| CF | a shred, a monk corpse bonnet, a bandana, an ebook reader, a ring, a | ||
| CF | pair of Britishizing goggles, a monocle, a sundress, and a swimsuit in | ||
| CF | your wardrobe. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | murtaughk says, "wardrobe" | |
| Perry pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| Perry gets ClubFloyd Suggestions. | ||
| Perry gets ClubFloyd Pass 01. | ||
| Perry gets ClubFloyd Pass 02. | ||
| Perry gets ClubFloyd Pass 03. | ||
| Perry gets ClubFloyd Pass 04. | ||
| Perry gets ClubFloyd Pass 05. | ||
| Perry gets ClubFloyd Pass 06. | ||
| Perry gets ClubFloyd Pass 07. | ||
| Perry gets ClubFloyd Pass 08. | Perry says, "BAH" | |
| Perry drops ClubFloyd Suggestions. | ||
| Perry drops ClubFloyd Pass 01. | ||
| ClubFloyd Pass 01 goes home. | ||
| Perry drops ClubFloyd Pass 02. | ||
| ClubFloyd Pass 02 goes home. | ||
| Perry drops ClubFloyd Pass 03. | ||
| ClubFloyd Pass 03 goes home. | ||
| Perry drops ClubFloyd Pass 04. | ||
| ClubFloyd Pass 04 goes home. | ||
| Perry drops ClubFloyd Pass 05. | ||
| ClubFloyd Pass 05 goes home. | ||
| Perry drops ClubFloyd Pass 06. | ||
| ClubFloyd Pass 06 goes home. | ||
| Perry drops ClubFloyd Pass 07. | ||
| ClubFloyd Pass 07 goes home. | ||
| Perry drops ClubFloyd Pass 08. | ||
| ClubFloyd Pass 08 goes home. | Roger says, "smooth move" | |
| Perry says, "Nailed it." | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "get all" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GET ALL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | swatch: You take the swatch. | ||
| CF | wig: You take the wig. | ||
| CF | starry veil: You take the starry veil. | ||
| CF | shred: You take the shred. | ||
| CF | monk corpse bonnet: You get the monk corpse bonnet. | ||
| CF | bandana: You take the bandana. | ||
| CF | ebook reader: You get the ebook reader. | ||
| CF | ring: You get the ring. | ||
| CF | Britishizing goggles: You take the Britishizing goggles. | ||
| CF | monocle: You get the monocle. | ||
| CF | sundress: You get the sundress. | ||
| CF | swimsuit: You get the swimsuit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "+1 for style" | |
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "wear monocle" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR MONOCLE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Everything turns computer-monitor green when viewed through our right | ||
| CF | eye. And staring fixedly at anything will turn up its authenticity | ||
| CF | status. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "It happens." | |
| Jade exclaims, "oops!" | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "goto stick" | ||
| CF ] Your Bunk, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GOTO STICK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | That noun did not make sense in this context. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "find stick" | ||
| CF ] Sunning Deck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > FIND STICK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You make the brief walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sunning Deck (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | This is the aft section of the deck, broad and flat and suitable for | ||
| CF | sunning oneself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fixed on the roof above the entry to the navigation area is a white | ||
| CF | object that looks a little like an igloo. It is the communication unit | ||
| CF | that handles the yacht's wifi connection. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a stick here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "x stick" | ||
| CF ] Sunning Deck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X STICK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is about two feet long. It's stripped of its leaves and fairly | ||
| CF | sturdy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the | ||
| CF | stick is a faint, greenish image of a sticky. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Sunning Deck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go fore to Navigation Area from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "f" | ||
| CF ] Navigation Area, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > F | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Navigation Area (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | A command chair waits at the controls, a mass of buttons and levers | ||
| CF | and a tiny, low-mounted steering wheel that seems like an awfully | ||
| CF | small device to control such a high-powered machine. But I'll take | ||
| CF | your word that it works. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Galley is just below, down a steep staircase that is almost a | ||
| CF | ladder. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > D | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Galley (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Smaller than the kitchen in a comfortable house, but carefully and | ||
| CF | elegantly fitted, with an electric stovetop, a convection | ||
| CF | oven/microwave, a tiny refrigerator, a sink: enough, in short, to | ||
| CF | serve the crew of three on long trips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's even a little washing machine, for items too big to hand-wash | ||
| CF | in the sink. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the built-in table are a newspaper and a pan. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the port wall, built-in shelves hold a battered selection of games. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Galley, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go up to Navigation Area, fore to Brock's Stateroom, aft-port | ||
| CF | to Slango's Bunk, and aft-starboard to Your Bunk from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "fore" | ||
| CF ] Brock's Stateroom, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > FORE | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brock's Stateroom (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Bigger than your bunk or Slango's, Brock's space takes the whole width | ||
| CF | of the yacht here, with windows out both sides, and a double bed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The shape of hull in this part of the yacht means that the room is | ||
| CF | much narrower fore than aft, the walls sweeping grandly outward from | ||
| CF | the head of Brock's bed. It looks like the bed of Captain Horndog, | ||
| CF | Space Womanizer. If you ask me. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Brock's Stateroom, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go aft to Galley and aft-port from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Perry says (to ClubFloyd), "aft-port" | ||
| CF ] Brock's Head, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > AFT-PORT | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Brock's Head (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | Brock has gotten the best accommodations in this respect as well: his | ||
| CF | bathroom is less cramped than the others aboard, and the mirror is | ||
| CF | bigger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF ] Brock's Head, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > EXITS | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go fore-starboard to Brock's Stateroom from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Perry says, "Ack, yeah I don't think it's here." | |
| murtaughk says, "hm. maybe it was added later or maybe i'm just way misremembering" | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "find stick" | ||
| CF ] Sunning Deck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > FIND STICK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You walk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Sunning Deck (aboard the True Macaque) | ||
| CF | This is the aft section of the deck, broad and flat and suitable for | ||
| CF | sunning oneself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Fixed on the roof above the entry to the navigation area is a white | ||
| CF | object that looks a little like an igloo. It is the communication unit | ||
| CF | that handles the yacht's wifi connection. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can also see a stick here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "gel stick" | ||
| CF ] Sunning Deck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > GEL STICK | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | stick. With an audible SPLORT, the stick becomes a sticky. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "x sticky" | ||
| CF ] Sunning Deck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > X STICKY | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Please be careful. The blue hats are watching you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monocle pings happily as you sight the sticky with the crosshairs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "awards: swept up most of the 2012 Xyzzy awards, 3rd in the 2015 list of top 50 IF of all time, 1st in 2019 list of Top 50 IF of all time" | |
| Roger says, "latest version was released in 2020, so possibly some of my quibbles have already been addressed" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Probably. There was the bushes/buses thing at least." | ||
| Perry says, "Doesn't look good. [LINK]" | ||
| Jade says, "maybe" | ||
| murtaughk says, "i'm sure if one submitted a quibble as a github issue it might eventually be looked at" | ||
| Perry says, "Oh I just looked at the source for what the boar does. I'm not spoiling it." | ||
| murtaughk says, "(on that note, i should probably do that eventually, in regards to the pants softlock)" | ||
| Perry says, "Let's just say the boar has a lot of behaviors." | ||
| Roger says, "now for an extended complaint process on how CM is still lised in the Clubfloyd Suggestions list" | ||
| Perry says, "Hey why is-- drat." | ||
| Roger says, "also we're on the lookout for next week's game. Maybe something from the recent comps" | ||
| Roger says, "Seed and Pun, I think they are" | ||
| Jade says, "ther is a lot of paser iF" | ||
| Roger says, "indeed" | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "wear veil" | ||
| CF ] Sunning Deck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > WEAR VEIL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You put on the starry veil. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| murtaughk says (to ClubFloyd), "put gel on veil" | ||
| CF ] Sunning Deck, early afternoon Goals: 1 Score: 100 | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | > PUT GEL ON VEIL | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You dip out pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the | ||
| CF | starry veil. With an audible SPLORT, the starry veil becomes a silver | ||
| CF | tray. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The silver tray is far too large for us to carry, and falls onto the | ||
| CF | ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "I think I'll log off for the day. Thanks for driving, and good night!" | |
| Knight_Otu goes home. | Perry says, "One comment from the source code I will note: [The boar attack is based on several accounts of real life attacks in which the boar repeatedly rushed the victim (often unprovoked), gashing in several places. The most serious wounds generally are abdominal wounds inflicted after the boar has knocked the victim down. It would be more true to life if the boar also left gashes in the protagonist's leg in the process of knocking her down, but I decided to skip that because I didn't want to deal with a game state in which the protagonist was wounded but not dead: it would have needlessly complicated the writing of the end-game to no interesting narrative effect.]" | |
| Jade says, "interesting" | ||
| Jade says, "ok, see you next week" | ||
| Perry exclaims, "Thanks all!" | ||
