  
 
The idea behind ClubFloyd is that each week at a pre-arranged time, a group of people meet online to cooperatively play a game of interactive fiction. Below is a transcript of Luminous Horizon, written by Paul O'Brian. Luminous Horizon was originally released as part of the 2004 IF Competition, where it took first place. It also received Xyzzy nominations for Best NPCs and Best Individual PC. You can learn more about the game, including how to download it, by visiting the ifWiki. WARNING! Below you will find a transcript of people playing this game, and it goes without saying that the transcript is full of spoilers. So, if you've never played this game, and think you might like to at some point, I do not recommend reading any further. Instead, you might want to return to the interactive fiction page. |
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| Jacqueline says, "Okay, let's do this thing." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "load eas3" | ||||
Floyd | > Welcome to the Cheap Glk Implementation, library version 0.9.0. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | E A R T H Floyd | Floyd | A N D Floyd | Floyd | S K Y Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Episode 3: Floyd | LUMINOUS HORIZON Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Welcome to LUMINOUS HORIZON! Floyd | Floyd | 1) Information about this game Floyd | 2) If you've played other Earth And Sky games... Floyd | 3) Disable conversation menus Floyd | 4) Restore a saved game Floyd | 5) Start a new game Floyd | 6) Quit the game Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "2" | ||||
Floyd | Please make a selection: 2 Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | It's Continuity Time! Please answer a few questions to help establish Floyd | what happened in your sessions with earlier Earth And Sky games: Floyd | Floyd | Have you played Part 1, Earth And Sky, to completion? | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "y" | ||||
Floyd | Please answer yes or no.> Floyd | Great! Was Aunt Nina blinded at the end of your game session? | Jacqueline asks, "Oh, um... yes, right?" | |||
| Nitku says, "Yeah we fogged her" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "yes" | ||||
Floyd | Please answer yes or no.> Floyd | Floyd | Have you played part 2, Another Earth, Another Sky, to completion? | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "yes" | ||||
Floyd | Please answer yes or no.> Floyd | Excellent! Were Emily and Austin together at the end of your game Floyd | session? | Paul says, "Not on the first playt-- oh, nevermind." | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Paul), "heh. Oh, well." | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "And yes on this question, too, right?" | ||||
| Paul says, "Yeah, it only affects some plot-resolution messages" | ||||
| Paul says, "Yes, she traveled through the curtain" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "yes" | ||||
Floyd | Please answer yes or no.> Floyd | Floyd | And that marks the end of the continuity questions. Thanks for your Floyd | participation! Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline clears the save counter. | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Welcome to LUMINOUS HORIZON! Floyd | Floyd | 1) Information about this game Floyd | 2) If you've played other Earth And Sky games... Floyd | 3) Disable conversation menus Floyd | 4) Restore a saved game Floyd | 5) Start a new game Floyd | 6) Quit the game Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "5" | ||||
Floyd | Please make a selection: 5 | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | There is heat. There is glaring light outside your closed eyes. You Floyd | are aware of uneven, rocky ground beneath you, its prickles and points Floyd | muffled by the thick earthsuit that covers your body. You slowly sit Floyd | up, opening your eyes to an arid landscape of rocks and scrub. How did Floyd | you get here? Floyd | Floyd | Then the memories erupt. Your parents' disappearance a month ago. Your Floyd | discovery of their creations, suits that give you and your sister Floyd | Emily fantastic superpowers. Using those powers to save your campus Floyd | when longtime family friend Nina Icolari turned into a raging Floyd | behemoth, transformed by a prehistoric bacteria sample gone amok. When Floyd | Aunt Nina recovered, she also recovered memories that had been Floyd | suppressed by mysterious interlopers, memories that led you and Emily Floyd | to Professor Thaddeus Andrews' remote observation post in the Sierra Floyd | Nevadas. There, you found an astonishing teleportation device, Floyd | apparently built by your parents. The device took you to another world Floyd | entirely, an artificially constructed planetoid built solely for the Floyd | purpose of testing hyper-evolutionary bacteria, perhaps related to the Floyd | microbes that affected Aunt Nina. Floyd | Floyd | Emily was transported to the other side of the planetoid's outer Floyd | structure, where you found the alien scientist in charge of the Floyd | experiment. That scientist explained to the two of you that his rival Floyd | Esrrua had stowed a spy-creature aboard the experiment, and that Floyd | Andrews had tried to intervene in the ensuing fight, only to be Floyd | captured by Esrrua himself. Your parents had followed to rescue Floyd | Andrews, pursuing the spy-creature through another teleportation Floyd | portal... the same one that brought you here. But although Emily is Floyd | beside you, struggling to her feet and no doubt reliving her own Floyd | memories, your parents are nowhere to be seen. In fact, besides the Floyd | bushes and the distant mountains, the area is quite featureless. Floyd | Floyd | Where are you? Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | LUMINOUS HORIZON Floyd | Earth And Sky: Episode 3 Floyd | Serial interactive fiction by Paul O'Brian Floyd | First-time players should type INFO or read the eas3info.txt file Floyd | Release 1 -- 2004 IF Comp version Floyd | Serial number 040929 / Inform v6.21(G0.36) Library 6/10 Floyd | Floyd | High Plains Floyd | Scrub bushes and sparse grasses provide a little ground cover for the Floyd | otherwise rocky, sandy soil of this area. Other than the jagged Floyd | mountains looming a few miles to the east, this spot seems entirely Floyd | barren. Floyd | Floyd | A damaged road sign lies at your feet. Floyd | Floyd | Emily hovers a few inches above the ground here. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "read sign" | ||||
Floyd | >This highway sign reads ALAMOGORDO 23. Its steel post appears to have Floyd | been twisted and deformed by some incredible force, so much so that Floyd | you can't tell where the sign originally stood. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x me" | ||||
Floyd | >Sporting your earthsuit, you look every inch the superhero. Well, Floyd | except without the caricatured physique. Floyd | | Paul says, "FWIW, this game was released with a (virtual) comic book feelie -- 8 pages of art by Rob and script by me. You can see it starting at [LINK]" | |||
| Firion arrives, full of fun and funk. | Jacqueline says, "Oh hey, I'd forgotten about that." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Except in that image it *does* look like we have the physique." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Though Emily would need bigger breasts to be a believable superheroine." | ||||
| lunasspecto asks, "Alamogordo, huh?" | ||||
| Paul says, "Nah, it's just a puffy suit." | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "Oh. Okay. Then why isn't it puffy in Emily's chest region, too?" | ||||
| Firion says, "Search me..." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I have seen the comic books. I know how these things go." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to emily" | ||||
Floyd | >"That teleportation thing is so strange, isn't it?" you say. "I feel Floyd | like I just woke up from this amazing dream right into another dream." Floyd | Floyd | Emily snorts. "Yeah, some amazing dream. I pretty much spent the Floyd | entire time in a prison cell." Floyd | Floyd | "Okay, sure, but come on, how often do you see aliens and robots and Floyd | space stations and all that kind of stuff?" Floyd | Floyd | "I guess," she says sullenly. Floyd | Floyd | Time to change the subject. "So," you ask, "any ideas on what we Floyd | should do next?" Floyd | Floyd | "Well, if it were me, I'd probably explore around this area a bit Floyd | first, at least do what we can to figure out where we are." Floyd | Floyd | "What do you mean, if it were you? You planning to just hang out and Floyd | let me do all the work again?" Floyd | Floyd | Emily glares at you. "Fine. We should explore this area first. I think Floyd | we were sent here for a reason, and we just need to find out what's Floyd | special about this spot." Floyd | | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "l" | ||||
Floyd | > Floyd | High Plains Floyd | Scrub bushes and sparse grasses provide a little ground cover for the Floyd | otherwise rocky, sandy soil of this area. Other than the jagged Floyd | mountains looming a few miles to the east, this spot seems entirely Floyd | barren. Floyd | Floyd | A damaged road sign lies at your feet. Floyd | Floyd | Emily hovers a few inches above the ground here. Floyd | | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "x grasses" | ||||
Floyd | >This vegetation clings tenaciously to life, and while that makes it Floyd | sort of admirable, it's by no means pretty. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "heh" | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x mountains" | ||||
Floyd | >The mountains are a few miles distant. Their sharp, jagged peaks feel Floyd | different, harsher than the solemn ridges of your familiar Sierra Floyd | Nevadas. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "search bushes" | ||||
Floyd | >The vegetation is too thin and scraggly to conceal much, but you make Floyd | a cursory search anyway, finding nothing. Floyd | | Firion asks, "Belatedly, what are we playing?" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "This is our third week of playing the Earth and Sky series." | ||||
| Firion says, "I should've remembered." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Also, it's either that I'm a park ranger, or just a complete hippy, but every time I try to type the word Earth, I type 'Earthy' and then have to backspace to get rid of the Y." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I find that sort of amusing." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x ground" | ||||
Floyd | >You see nothing special about the ground. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "I can't think of anything to do except to go check out those mountains." | |||
| Paul says, "Earthy And Skyy. The advetures of a magical hippie and his vodka-powered sister." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "HA" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "That'll be the next sequel, or else a wonderfully silly parody that someone will write after reading this transcript." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "So, unless anyone objects, I'm gonna go look at them there mountains." | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "Hm, but how?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "jump toward mountains" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
| Bert arrives, ready to play with the toys. | ||||
Floyd | >You consider heading towards the mountains, but something just feels Floyd | wrong about that. If you were supposed to find your parents there, why Floyd | wouldn't the teleporter have sent you there to begin with? Floyd | Floyd | What the--? For a second there you could swear you saw the air shimmer Floyd | in the heat, except that there's no heat. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Oh, it's one of THOSE situations." | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x shimmer" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | >You can see nothing but more scrub in that direction. You take a few Floyd | steps, then turn around when you realize the uselessness of aimless Floyd | wandering. Floyd | | ||||
| Nitku says (to Floyd), "x air" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | >You consider heading towards the mountains, but something just feels Floyd | wrong about that. If you were supposed to find your parents there, why Floyd | wouldn't the teleporter have sent you there to begin with? Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | >You can see nothing but more scrub in that direction. You take a few Floyd | steps, then turn around when you realize the uselessness of aimless Floyd | wandering. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | >You can see nothing but more scrub in that direction. You take a few Floyd | steps, then turn around when you realize the uselessness of aimless Floyd | wandering. Floyd | | lunasspecto asks, "Might throwing dust in the air reveal something?" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Hm. Peraps." | ||||
| Nitku says (to Floyd), "jump" | ||||
Floyd | >You leap straight up to get a higher perspective on your Floyd | surroundings. At the zenith of your leap, you can see a black, winding Floyd | stripe of road some distance to the west. The mountains to the east Floyd | are craggy and forbidding, and the rest of the landscape is desolate. Floyd | Then gravity pulls you back down to where you started. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take dirt" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | ||||
| Nitku says (to Floyd), "jump west" | ||||
Floyd | >With practiced ease, you launch yourself up and westwards, soaring Floyd | over acres of terrain and landing by a decaying road. Emily follows Floyd | your trajectory, and lands alongside you. Floyd | Floyd | Road Floyd | You are standing on a decrepit country highway, just barely paved, and Floyd | even that probably happened twenty years ago. The road is deserted -- Floyd | it's obviously seldom used, if at all. The crumbling asphalt leads Floyd | north and south in a distracted, wandering fashion. Floyd | Floyd | Emily stands here, looking around. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Wait just a damn second." | |||
| Jacqueline asks, "I can't go west, but we can jump west?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Hrm." | ||||
| Firion says, "Bug." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to F), "Maybe." | ||||
| Jacqueline asks (of Paul), "?" | ||||
| Paul says, "Not a bug." | ||||
| Paul It's too far to walk, but you can jump or fly there | Paul says, "Also, the aimless wandering statement is still true." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "I wanted to do that, but it didn't work the way I tried it, I guess." | ||||
| Paul says, "Oh, right -- it didn't parse "Jump toward mountains". That you can call a bug." | ||||
| Nitku says, "And the mountans are to the east but we jumped west." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Anyway, no matter." | ||||
| Paul says, "Yeah, I think it would have handled "jump e"." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x asphalt" | ||||
Floyd | >If you were hoping to give some new shock absorbers a really good Floyd | test, this is the road you'd want to visit. It's twisty, uneven, and Floyd | littered with potholes. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Twisty little potholes." | |||
| Lucea says, "heh" | ||||
| Nitku says (to Floyd), "x potholes" | ||||
Floyd | >If you were hoping to give some new shock absorbers a really good Floyd | test, this is the road you'd want to visit. It's twisty, uneven, and Floyd | littered with potholes. Floyd | | ||||
| Nitku says (to Floyd), "talk to emily" | ||||
Floyd | >"This doesn't make any sense!" you exclaim. "Why would our parents Floyd | have followed Professor Andrews into the middle of nowhere? Why would Floyd | he have been here in the first place?" Floyd | Floyd | "Danged if I know," says Emily, "but maybe there's more here than Floyd | meets the eye. We are talking about aliens, after all -- maybe they're Floyd | able to conceal things in ways we don't understand. You know, like the Floyd | Klingon cloaking device or something." Floyd | Floyd | "Better not tell any of your academia friends you know that much about Floyd | Star Trek." Floyd | Floyd | "Oh, it's okay. I can just claim I'm being a cultural critic." Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "heehee" | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | >It's likely you'd find somebody after following the road, but it Floyd | might take a long, long time, and would probably take you off the Floyd | trail of your parents, too. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to emily" | ||||
Floyd | >"I hate to admit it," you say, "but I'm stumped." Floyd | Floyd | Emily smirks. "Well, even though you know more about superheroes and Floyd | science than I do, looks like it's up to me to get us out of this one. Floyd | Lucky for you, I have an idea. Floyd | Floyd | "Follow me," she says, and flies back to your original landing place. Floyd | With a prodigious leap, you arrive next to her a moment later. Floyd | Floyd | High Plains Floyd | Scrub bushes and sparse grasses provide a little ground cover for the Floyd | otherwise rocky, sandy soil of this area. Other than the jagged Floyd | mountains looming a few miles to the east, this spot seems entirely Floyd | barren. Floyd | Floyd | A damaged road sign lies at your feet. Floyd | Floyd | She closes her eyes, and fog begins to coalesce around her. Within Floyd | moments, a thick cloud of vapor swirls around you both, thinning a Floyd | minute or two later to a light mist, refracting the sunlight and Floyd | clinging persistently to the outlines of a structure you can just Floyd | barely see. Floyd | | ||||
| inky arrives, full of fun, but no funk. | Jacqueline says, "Aha. Fog, not dirt." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Shoulda thought of that." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Nice touch, Paul." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x structure" | ||||
Floyd | >The remnants of your sister's fog cloud cling tenaciously to the Floyd | outlines of a mid-sized fortress, cloaked almost imperceptibly among Floyd | the shrubs and grasses. The fog is particularly thick around the Floyd | doors, which look quite solid indeed. Floyd | | Paul smiles. | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "enter structure" | ||||
Floyd | >Not while those doors bar your way. Floyd | Floyd | What the--? For a second there you could swear you saw the air shimmer Floyd | in the heat, except that there's no heat. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "open door" | ||||
Floyd | >The doors seem to be quite locked. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "smash door" | ||||
Floyd | >SLAMMO! You rear back and direct a roundhouse punch at the doors, Floyd | which fly open and warp on their hinges with the force of your blow! Floyd | The cloak of invisibility around the fortress flickers, then blinks Floyd | out altogether, revealing the entirety of the building, standing Floyd | incongruously in the middle of the empty landscape. Floyd | | inky asks, "punching: are there any problems it can't solve?" | |||
| Jacqueline asks, "Was SLAMMO! a textual substitution for the graphic?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to inky), "I think not." | ||||
| Paul says (to Jacq), "Yes" | ||||
| Lucea says, "heh" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Cool, so they do appear here, as you'd hoped. Huzzah." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x structure" | ||||
Floyd | >Now that it's visible, the fortress doesn't look nearly as Floyd | mysterious, though it certainly still looks quite solid. Basically, Floyd | it's more or less a large bunker, made of the same indestructible Floyd | polymer that constituted the cat-alien's research station. The Floyd | fortress doors have been smashed open. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "enter structure" | ||||
Floyd | >You and Emily step into the fortress, hoping for the best. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Maerr's ears swiveled to attention at the distant crash. He locked Floyd | eyes with Science Master Esrrua, and leaned towards the microphone. Floyd | "Should we halt the procedure?" Floyd | Floyd | "Of course not, you tail-raiser," hissed Esrrua over the com-link. Floyd | "It's likely nothing, and besides, there are security robots. Seal the Floyd | room." Floyd | Floyd | Maerr's eyes narrowed. He growled low in his throat, but said nothing. Floyd | His gaze still on Esrrua, he moved the vertical lever downwards. The Floyd | sound of servos and a resonant thump told him that the lab was now Floyd | sealed from the outside world, even as the glass partition separated Floyd | himself and Esrrua. "Sealed." Floyd | | Paul says, "Yeah, eas2 was glulx too, so that question got answered last week." | |||
| Paul exclaims, "And huzzah indeed!" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah, I guess it did. For some reason it didn't stand out to me last week like it did just now." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "l" | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | E A R T H Floyd | Floyd | A N D Floyd | Floyd | S K Y Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Episode 3: Floyd | LUMINOUS HORIZON Floyd | Floyd | Part One Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "press green" | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | The instant you cross the threshold, an earsplitting, discordant Floyd | screech begins repeating through the corridor, and security robots Floyd | emerge at the end of the hall, skittering towards you with alarming Floyd | rapidity! Floyd | Floyd | "Holy crap!" shouts Emily over the din. "I'll keep the robots busy, Floyd | Austin -- you figure out a way to shut off that godawful noise!" With Floyd | that, she goes to work, frying robot after robot with her electrical Floyd | blasts, even as more and more emerge to replace their fallen comrades. Floyd | Floyd | Entry Corridor Floyd | The entry corridor of the fortress looks innocent enough, just a Floyd | simple passageway leading north, with some mangled iron doors at the Floyd | south end. At the moment, though, what with the rampaging horde of Floyd | security robots, maybe it doesn't seem so innocent after all. Down the Floyd | length of the corridor, alarms shriek and red lights flash in perfect Floyd | synchronization. Floyd | Floyd | A transparent bubble on the wall protects a panel of electronics and Floyd | urgent-looking lights, lights that pulse with the rhythm of the Floyd | screeching alarm. Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the Floyd | robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless Floyd | stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Man, I hate loud noises." | |||
| Paul exclaims, "This is the wrong game for you!" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Paul), "Quit yelling!" | ||||
| Jacqueline smiles. | ||||
| Paul says, "heh" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "jump" | ||||
Floyd | >You can't think of a compelling reason to wreck the ceiling. Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the Floyd | robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless Floyd | stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground. Floyd | | Lucea says, "this seems like a timed section.." | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x robots" | ||||
Floyd | >The robots are insectile and frightening, gliding swiftly towards you Floyd | on four articulated limbs attached to a central platform. Rising from Floyd | this platform is a central body-stem, from which extend two arms that Floyd | end in glittering needle points. There seems to be an inexhaustible Floyd | supply of these things. Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the Floyd | robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless Floyd | stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground. Floyd | | Jacqueline asks (of Lucea), "What's your thought?" | |||
| inky says, "my thought is you should punch something" | ||||
| Lucea says, "oh, I was just wondering if we wanted a driver" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x bubble" | ||||
Floyd | >The bubble is clear but looks quite strong. It completely covers the Floyd | panel, and shows no sign of being openable. Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the Floyd | robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless Floyd | stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "punch it" | ||||
Floyd | >CRRASH! Your piledriver fist shatters the bubble into thousands of Floyd | tiny shards! Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the Floyd | robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless Floyd | stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground. Floyd | | Jacqueline says (to inky), "Well, I guess that's one problem punching actually didn't solve. Bummer." | |||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "x panel" | ||||
Floyd | >The lights of the panel flash in perfect synchronization with the Floyd | sounds of the alarm. Although you can discern no obvious operating Floyd | mechanism, you have a hunch that this panel somehow controls the Floyd | alarm. Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the Floyd | robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless Floyd | stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground. Floyd | Floyd | Emily slips for a moment, almost slamming to the ground before finally Floyd | catching herself and floating upward again! Floyd | | inky says, "ok, I did my part" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "ha" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Thank you, inky." | ||||
| Lucea asks, "how didn't it help?" | ||||
| Lucea says, "now the panel's open" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, true. I just wanted the noise to stop, too." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "But I guess that's inside the panel." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Maybe." | ||||
| Lucea asks, "can we punch the panel>?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "cf1" | ||||
Floyd | >Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "punch panel" | ||||
Floyd | >THUNK! You put a significant dent in the alarm panel, but the alarm Floyd | plays on. Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the Floyd | robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless Floyd | stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Oh NOES" | |||
| Lucea says, "hm. again." | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "punch panel" | ||||
Floyd | >THUNK! You put a significant dent in the alarm panel, but the alarm Floyd | plays on. Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the Floyd | robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless Floyd | stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Oh, right." | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "g" | ||||
Floyd | >THUNK! You put a significant dent in the alarm panel, but the alarm Floyd | plays on. Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the Floyd | robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless Floyd | stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "g" | ||||
Floyd | >THUNK! You put a significant dent in the alarm panel, but the alarm Floyd | plays on. Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the Floyd | robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless Floyd | stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Okay, maybe not." | |||
| inky says, "hmm" | ||||
| Lucea says, "or not" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "switch to emily" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | inky asks, "what's the command?" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "switch" | ||||
Floyd | >What do you want to switch? Floyd | | Paul says, "Switch" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "That seems counter-intuitive to everything I know about punching." | ||||
| inky says, "switch emily" | ||||
| inky says, "er" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "switch switch" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "switch emily" | ||||
Floyd | >She's not something you can switch. Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the Floyd | robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless Floyd | stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground. Floyd | | Paul says, "nope, sorry. Change" | |||
| Paul says, "or c" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Emily] Floyd | Floyd | Entry Corridor Floyd | The entry corridor of the fortress looks innocent enough, just a Floyd | simple passageway leading north, with some mangled iron doors at the Floyd | south end. At the moment, though, what with the rampaging horde of Floyd | security robots, maybe it doesn't seem so innocent after all. Down the Floyd | length of the corridor, alarms shriek and red lights flash in perfect Floyd | synchronization. Floyd | Floyd | An alarm panel adorns the wall here, its lights flashing in perfect Floyd | synchronization with the sounds of the alarm despite a few dents from Floyd | Austin's fists. Floyd | Floyd | Austin shouts, "Let me fight the robots for a while -- try to stop Floyd | that alarm!" Floyd | Floyd | SKREE! SKREE! SKREE! Floyd | Floyd | Austin is fighting the robots ably, knocking them to bits against the Floyd | walls of the corridor and sending them flying into one another. Floyd | Unfortunately, he's only staying even with the replacements that flow Floyd | endlessly into the corridor. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "blast panel" | ||||
Floyd | >KER-POW! ZZZORK! The alarm panel's casing splits with the force of Floyd | your lightning bolt, and for a moment all the lights in the corridor Floyd | flash at strobe intensity. Then they go out, and the alarm sound Floyd | abruptly stops as the lights flicker back to life. Instantly, the Floyd | security robots cease their attack and scuttle out of sight, leaving Floyd | their fallen comrades behind. Floyd | Floyd | The last dead robot clanks to the ground, and then the corridor is Floyd | silent, except for a low hum that seems to come from far beneath you. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Oh, *that* kind of switch." | |||
| Lucea says, "aha" | ||||
| inky says, "I forgot that sometimes you have to solve problems with blowing stuff up instead of punching them" | ||||
| inky says, "silly me" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "heehee" | ||||
| Paul says, "I didn't want to overload "switch" in the library." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah, I can guess that'd be weird." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x robots" | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | When the alarm stopped, Science Master Esrrua flicked his tail in Floyd | Maerr's direction without looking up from his work. "You see? The Floyd | security bots have solved whatever problem was occurring." Floyd | Floyd | "I regret that you are wrong, pridemate. My displays indicate that Floyd | living, non-iueeoorr creatures roam the first level." Floyd | Floyd | Esrrua scowled. "Piss! Very well, then, let us make sure they remain Floyd | there. This procedure is too important to interrupt. Shut down the Floyd | transport tubes!" Floyd | Floyd | Maerr's paws raced over the panel. "They are disabled," he said. Floyd | Floyd | "Good! Now, let us continue. Open containment chamber." Floyd | Floyd | Maerr moved the horizontal lever from left to right, and the Floyd | containment chamber on the other side of the glass partition between Floyd | Esrrua and himself slid open. "Opening." Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Mwuahaha" | |||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | E A R T H Floyd | Floyd | A N D Floyd | Floyd | S K Y Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Episode 3: Floyd | LUMINOUS HORIZON Floyd | Floyd | Part Two Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Entry Corridor Floyd | The entry corridor looks quite the worse for wear from the recent Floyd | battle. Not only are the southern doors warped and mangled, but the Floyd | extent of the passageway leading north is scorched, scratched, dented, Floyd | and littered with nonfunctional security robots. Floyd | Floyd | An alarm panel adorns the wall here, thoroughly fried by your Floyd | lightning bolt. Floyd | Floyd | Austin taps his foot nervously beside you. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take robot" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Aw. I wanted to hurl dead robots at kitties." | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | >Austin follows you. Floyd | Floyd | T Junction Floyd | Here, away from the battle scars of the entry corridor, it's easier to Floyd | see the patterns that dance along the walls: graceful black swirls Floyd | laid over a softly glowing grey background. From where you stand, Floyd | paths lead east, west, and south. Floyd | Floyd | Austin is alongside you, his earthsuit nearly blending in with the Floyd | surroundings. Floyd | Floyd | Directly opposite the southern corridor, a tall cylinder interrupts Floyd | the north wall. The tube runs floor to ceiling, with an opening in the Floyd | front, a foot or two taller than you are. Floyd | | Paul says, "I think that was a puzzle planned for Activision's graphical Planetfall game." | |||
| Nitku says (to Floyd), "x cylinder" | ||||
Floyd | >The tube is made of the same material as the walls, and is the same Floyd | color, light grey with black swirls. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "cf2" | ||||
Floyd | >Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "enter tube" | ||||
Floyd | >Confidently, you step into the tube. You stand there. You wait. Floyd | Nothing happens, and there's no space above or below you to fly into, Floyd | so you step back out again. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "I was hoping to fly while inside the tube, to push it upward." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Darn." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to austin" | ||||
Floyd | >"Nice job on that bubble," you say. Floyd | Floyd | "And my compliments on your panel-electrocution," replies Austin. Floyd | Floyd | An awkward silence follows. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "heh" | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "change" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Austin] Floyd | Floyd | T Junction Floyd | From where you stand, paths lead east, west, and south. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is nearby, waiting for you to do something interesting. Floyd | Floyd | Directly opposite the southern corridor, a tall cylinder interrupts Floyd | the north wall. The tube runs floor to ceiling, with an opening in the Floyd | front, a foot or two taller than you are. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to emily" | ||||
Floyd | >"So listen," you say, "about this tube... the design of it looks a Floyd | little familiar to me. I think it might be related to these Floyd | transportation tubes I saw on the alien sphere. You step inside it and Floyd | some kind of gravity control mechanism raises or lowers you to another Floyd | level. It's really a rather fascinating technology, and I have some Floyd | ideas as to how it might have been accomplished. Certain subatomic Floyd | particles have been theorized, and to some extent observed, to have Floyd | anti-gravitic properties, and it's possible that--" Floyd | Floyd | "So," Emily interrupts, "you're saying we should step into this tube?" Floyd | Floyd | "We already tested the tube, remember? I have a feeling that it won't Floyd | be taking us anywhere. We'll have to find some other way into the Floyd | lower levels." Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "jump" | ||||
Floyd | >You can't think of a compelling reason to wreck the ceiling. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "punch floor" | ||||
Floyd | >THOOM! You bring your mighty foot down on the ground, causing a minor Floyd | tremor. Nothing useful seems to result. Floyd | Floyd | "Whoa!" says Emily, settling back down to the ground. "Thought you Floyd | could knock me off my feet, huh? Too bad for you I can fly." She Floyd | sticks her tongue out at you. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "l" | ||||
Floyd | > Floyd | T Junction Floyd | From where you stand, paths lead east, west, and south. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is here, watching you. Floyd | Floyd | Directly opposite the southern corridor, a tall cylinder interrupts Floyd | the north wall. The tube runs floor to ceiling, with an opening in the Floyd | front, a foot or two taller than you are. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | >Emily follows you. Floyd | Floyd | East Corridor Floyd | This is a short corridor, leading west to the T junction and Floyd | dead-ending in a blank wall to the east. Light in these corridors is Floyd | ambient, radiating evenly from the walls, floor, and ceiling. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is nearby, waiting for you to do something interesting. Floyd | Floyd | An archway leads south into shadow. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | >Emily follows you. Floyd | Floyd | Hangar Floyd | This is a huge room, thousands of square feet, with its ceiling high Floyd | enough to be invisible in the darkness -- in other words, a room very Floyd | much like your parents' lab back home, and pain pierces you at the Floyd | thought. However, where your parents' lab is occupied by clutter and Floyd | machinery, this room is rather bare, except for the large device in Floyd | the center. At least, you suppose it's bare, but the only light in Floyd | here is what leaks through the archway leading north; shadows rule Floyd | everywhere else. Floyd | Floyd | Emily stands a few feet away from you, looking stricken for a moment, Floyd | then composing herself. Floyd | Floyd | A sizable machine dominates the room, two stories tall and covered in Floyd | a nest of pipes. It has the unmistakable appearance of a vehicle. You Floyd | tell Emily so, and she just nods and says, "Whatever you say, Austin," Floyd | in that way she has. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x vehicle" | ||||
Floyd | >The vehicle is large and sleek, roughly rectangular in shape but Floyd | tapering a bit at one end. Its entire surface is covered in a mazy Floyd | tangle of pipes. Pipes wind around each other and down every side and Floyd | edge, some terminating in a flare at the ground and others opening Floyd | dark holes at the ship's untapered end. The whole thing looks a bit Floyd | like an unfortunate collision between a shoebox and a French horn. No Floyd | entrance is apparent anywhere. Floyd | | Lucea asks, "can we punch it?" | |||
| Lucea says, "no, I'm serious" | ||||
| Lucea says, "if there's no entrance..." | ||||
| lunasspecto asks, "...make one?" | ||||
| lunasspecto says, "You could punch something vital." | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "punch it" | ||||
Floyd | >It's possible you may be able to smash your way into the vehicle, but Floyd | it almost certainly wouldn't function with a giant hole in its side, Floyd | so you refrain. Floyd | | Lucea says, "Oh. Well then." | |||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "x pipes" | ||||
Floyd | >Based on their configuration, you surmise that these pipes must have Floyd | something to do with propulsion and stabilization of the craft. Floyd | | ||||
| lunasspecto says (to Floyd), "enter pipes" | ||||
Floyd | >Unless you manage to acquire a shrinking power, the pipes are too Floyd | small to enter. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "snrk" | |||
| Jacqueline just finished reading the crazy comic. | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Man, furries." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "(kidding)" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "(except not entirely)" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to emily" | ||||
Floyd | >You've said all you can think of to say to Emily for the moment. Floyd | | Paul says, "That's waiting for the AIF version" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "heehee" | ||||
| Taleslinger arrives, full of fun, but no funk. | Jacqueline says, "Let's go look at the other end of the T-junction." | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | >Emily follows you. Floyd | Floyd | East Corridor Floyd | This is a short corridor, leading west to the T junction and Floyd | dead-ending in a blank wall to the east. Light in these corridors is Floyd | ambient, radiating evenly from the walls, floor, and ceiling. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is here, watching you. Floyd | Floyd | An archway leads south into shadow. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | >Emily follows you. Floyd | Floyd | T Junction Floyd | From where you stand, paths lead east, west, and south. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is nearby, waiting for you to do something interesting. Floyd | Floyd | Directly opposite the southern corridor, a tall cylinder interrupts Floyd | the north wall. The tube runs floor to ceiling, with an opening in the Floyd | front, a foot or two taller than you are. Floyd | | Taleslinger says, "Hello!" | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | >Emily follows you. Floyd | Floyd | West Corridor Floyd | This is a short corridor, leading east to the T junction and Floyd | dead-ending in a blank wall to the west. Light in these corridors is Floyd | ambient, radiating evenly from the walls, floor, and ceiling. Floyd | Floyd | Emily leans against the wall here. Floyd | Floyd | A tall archway provides an exit to the south. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Hello, Taleslinger." | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | >Before you break the plane of the archway, you look where you're Floyd | going, and what you see stops you cold. The room beyond the archway is Floyd | home to rank upon rank of security robots. There must be hundreds of Floyd | them, standing alertly in thick regiments. The robots have clearly Floyd | noticed you -- their bodies swivel to follow your every movement, but Floyd | they do not advance. Down one of the aisles formed by the regiments, Floyd | far at the back of the room, the lights of a large machine march in Floyd | perfect rhythm. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x machine" | ||||
Floyd | >The machine is at the back of a big room, so you can't make out much Floyd | -- mostly just that it's large and festooned with flashing lights. The Floyd | whole thing is maybe the size of a concession stand, with yellow Floyd | sliding doors on its front, flanked by black walls that curve smoothly Floyd | away. Given its placement and its shape, you suspect that it serves Floyd | the purpose of creating the security robots, and perhaps controlling Floyd | them as well. Floyd | | ||||
| schep arrives, full of funk, but no fun. | Jacqueline says, "Recent peer-interaction is making me want to punch the machine, of course." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "inky and Lucea = bad influences" | ||||
| Taleslinger asks, "Is this still unwinnable?" | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "What?" | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "How so?" | ||||
| inky says, "I bet this is going to involve dance-fighting" | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "Erm, I actually mean not being able to be made unwinnable." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to inky), "Interpretive dance fighting, maybe." | ||||
| lunasspecto asks, "Ununwinnable?" | ||||
| Lucea says, "bad influences? it worked!" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to lunasspecto), "The other E&S games can't be accidentally placed in an unwinnable state." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "And I'm guessing this one can't be, either." | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "x lights" | ||||
Floyd | >The machine is at the back of a big room, so you can't make out much Floyd | -- mostly just that it's large and festooned with flashing lights. The Floyd | whole thing is maybe the size of a concession stand, with yellow Floyd | sliding doors on its front, flanked by black walls that curve smoothly Floyd | away. Given its placement and its shape, you suspect that it serves Floyd | the purpose of creating the security robots, and perhaps controlling Floyd | them as well. Floyd | | Paul says, "That is true. Unless you count immediately losing as an unwinnable state. But that's what UNDO is for." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Right." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to paul), "I love these games. Unfortunately, I couldn't be here for various reasons the last two times." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "punch machine" | ||||
Floyd | >The large machine is too far away. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "go to machine" | ||||
Floyd | >The large machine is too far away. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | >"Austin!" shouts Emily. "What's the matter with you? You saw how Floyd | tough it was to fight off those robots in a narrow corridor -- Floyd | stepping into that room would be suicide!" Floyd | Floyd | Please select a reply: Floyd | Floyd | 1) "Oh, right. Good point." Floyd | 2) "I can take 'em! I've got SUPER-POWERS!" Floyd | 3) "But how do we know they'll attack?" Floyd | | Paul says (to Taleslinger), "Hey, thanks. I love hearing that." | |||
| inky says, "hee hee" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "2" | ||||
Floyd | Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 2 Floyd | Floyd | "Super-powers maybe, but you're not invincible, dummy. Those robots Floyd | would massacre you, and I'd like you around for a while longer." Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "cf3" | ||||
Floyd | >Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | >Emily just says, "Think again, Austin." Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Emily] Floyd | Floyd | West Corridor Floyd | This is a short corridor, leading east to the T junction and Floyd | dead-ending in a blank wall to the west. Despite their somewhat Floyd | antiseptic appearance, these hallways have a warmth and a slightly Floyd | pungent smell that reminds you of the zoo on a summer day. Floyd | Floyd | Austin stands next to you, his eyes taking in everything. Floyd | Floyd | A tall archway provides an exit to the south. Floyd | | Taleslinger asks, "Maybe as Em, we can fly over them?" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "blast machine" | ||||
Floyd | >You look at the machine. It seems so far away, but the robots prevent Floyd | you from getting any closer. If you're going to blast it, you'll have Floyd | to do it from here. Floyd | Floyd | You thrust your hand toward it, willing the skysuit to do its Floyd | lightning bolt thing. There's a tiny tingle, then a little more, but Floyd | no lightning. Dammit. Just too far away. You drop your hand. Floyd | Floyd | No! You've come through an incredible amount of craziness to find your Floyd | parents, and here you are, and you are not going to be stopped by Floyd | this! You thrust your hand out again, and this time you keep your arm Floyd | extended, feeling yourself starting to sweat within the skysuit. Floyd | Floyd | "My God, of course!" says Austin. "You're holding the charge, aren't Floyd | you? But Emily, be careful! I think your suit's insulation should Floyd | protect you, but don't push it too far! What you're doing could be Floyd | dangerous!" Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly, with a crackle and a bright flash of light, arcs of Floyd | electricity are dancing between your fingers and the floor near the Floyd | machine. They're still a few yards away from the big device, but they Floyd | begin to creep closer... closer... Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | >I beg your pardon? Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "g" | ||||
Floyd | >You can't bear to let the charge build any further, and you drop your Floyd | arm, steeling your resolve to start over. The electrical arcs vanish, Floyd | and you can breathe again. So you take a deep breath, close your Floyd | eyes, and extend your arm. Floyd | Floyd | "Careful, Em," says Austin. Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly, with a crackle and a bright flash of light, arcs of Floyd | electricity are dancing between your fingers and the floor near the Floyd | machine. They're still a few yards away from the big device, but they Floyd | begin to creep closer... closer... Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "g" | ||||
Floyd | >You can't bear to let the charge build any further, and you drop your Floyd | arm, steeling your resolve to start over. The electrical arcs vanish, Floyd | and you can breathe again. So you take a deep breath, close your Floyd | eyes, and extend your arm. Floyd | Floyd | "Careful, Em," says Austin. Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly, with a crackle and a bright flash of light, arcs of Floyd | electricity are dancing between your fingers and the floor near the Floyd | machine. They're still a few yards away from the big device, but they Floyd | begin to creep closer... closer... Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "fly" | ||||
Floyd | >You can't bear to let the charge build any further, and you drop your Floyd | arm. The electrical arcs vanish, and you can breathe again. Floyd | Floyd | The ceiling is low enough that all you could do is hover a foot or so Floyd | above the ground, so you don't bother. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "meh" | |||
| Paul says, "Try Z. Should've caught that." | ||||
| Paul says, "Instead of g, i mean." | ||||
| inky says, "I remember Paul posted a thread on the newsgroup on how to do this scene" | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "Oh?" | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "blast machine" | ||||
Floyd | > So you take a deep breath, close your eyes, and extend your arm. Floyd | Floyd | "Careful, Em," says Austin. Floyd | Floyd | Suddenly, with a crackle and a bright flash of light, arcs of Floyd | electricity are dancing between your fingers and the floor near the Floyd | machine. They're still a few yards away from the big device, but they Floyd | begin to creep closer... closer... Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | >You wait, letting the charge build, and soon the air swims with acrid Floyd | ozone. Your tongue feels like it's been coated in copper, and your Floyd | breath comes in quick gasps. The electrical arcs brighten, inching Floyd | ever closer to the machine, until they're just a few feet away from Floyd | making contact. Floyd | | Jacqueline asks, "Why z instead of g?" | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | >You can barely keep your arm straight as your muscles begin spasming Floyd | of their own accord. The buzz of the electricity drones relentlessly Floyd | in your ears, and through the red mist that's rapidly obscuring your Floyd | vision, you can see that your electrical charge is just inches away Floyd | from the huge machine. Floyd | Floyd | Distantly, you can hear Austin shouting encouragement. "You're almost Floyd | there, Emily! If you can just hang on a few seconds more, you'll get Floyd | it!" Floyd | | Paul says, "You're letting the charge build, rather than starting over." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Details, details. heh" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Makes sense." | ||||
| olethros arrives, full of funk, but no fun. | Paul says, "But I should've recognized the intention of g in this scene." | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "z" | ||||
Floyd | >ZZZORK! Floyd | KA-BOOM! Floyd | Floyd | Your blast reaches the machine, which explodes in a gratifying shower Floyd | of sparks, like a special effect on the old Star Trek. I did this Floyd | amazingly hard thing, and the image that comes to my mind is of Star Floyd | Trek? These are your last thoughts as you slip out of consciousness. Floyd | Floyd | [now controlling Austin] Floyd | Floyd | West Corridor Floyd | This is a short corridor, leading east to the T junction and Floyd | dead-ending in a blank wall to the west. Light in these corridors is Floyd | ambient, radiating evenly from the walls, floor, and ceiling. Floyd | Floyd | A tall archway provides an exit to the south. Floyd | Floyd | The bright current flowing from Emily's fingertips vanishes, and she Floyd | crumples to the floor. Floyd | Floyd | "Emily!" you cry, rushing to her. She doesn't respond. You reach down Floyd | to pick her up -- she feels light as a sheet of paper in your Floyd | earthsuited arms. Her head lolls, and then her eyelids begin to Floyd | twitch. Floyd | Floyd | "All that electroshock, and I'm still in a rotten mood," she says, Floyd | opening her eyes and smiling weakly up at you. You release the breath Floyd | you didn't know you were holding, and lower her back down to the Floyd | ground, steadying her until she can stand up on her own. She looks Floyd | tired, but none the worse for wear after her ordeal. Floyd | Floyd | The same can't be said for the distant machine, its lights Floyd | extinguished and smoke pouring from between its doors. Every robot in Floyd | the room seems to have been affected by the machine's destruction -- Floyd | they all slump slightly forward in the same inactive, defeated pose. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | >Emily follows you. Floyd | Floyd | Security Robot Headquarters Floyd | The lights are still ambient and sourceless but much brighter in this Floyd | room, a cavernous space housing hundreds of security robots. The sound Floyd | and vibration you felt in other rooms of the fortress is quite a bit Floyd | stronger here, so much so that you can't hear or feel your own Floyd | footsteps. At the south end of the room, a ruined robot controller Floyd | sends plumes of noisome black smoke up to the high ceiling. A tall Floyd | archway leads north. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is here, watching you. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x controller" | ||||
Floyd | >This machine is about the size of a concession stand, with yellow Floyd | double-doors in the front and black polymer walls that curve smoothly Floyd | away. It is structurally intact, more or less, but it is obviously Floyd | quite defunct. Its lights have gone out, and black smoke seeps from Floyd | between its doors. Now that you're closer to it, you can see that the Floyd | machine isn't just resting on the ground, but instead rises up from Floyd | it, almost as if it were a part of the floor. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "open doors" | ||||
Floyd | >You step up to the doors, prying your fingers into the seam between Floyd | them. With muscles made mighty by the power of the earthsuit, you Floyd | pull, and the doors slide apart with an earsplitting SKREEEK! of Floyd | protest, releasing a cloud of evil-smelling black smoke directly into Floyd | your face. By the time your coughing fit ends, the smoke has Floyd | dissipated, and you can see a small, dim space beyond the open doors. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Damn. Another loud noise!" | |||
| Jacqueline puts in ear plugs. | ||||
| Paul says (to Jacq), "Told you this game was full of 'em." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "enter controller" | ||||
Floyd | >Emily follows you. Floyd | Floyd | Inside The Robot Fabricator Floyd | Here in the guts of the former robot controller, there's barely room Floyd | for two people to stand up, and even then, they have to be hunched Floyd | over. Disappointingly, the walls are just more reflective polymer, Floyd | betraying no information about the inner workings of the device. In Floyd | fact, the only complicated-looking thing in here at all is the floor, Floyd | which is a small metropolis of gleaming, interlocking metal pieces, Floyd | with handle-like protrusions rising prominently from each edge. It's Floyd | hard to find anywhere to put your feet where you won't be crushing Floyd | something. The noise and vibration you felt in the outer room are even Floyd | stronger in here. You can exit through the aperture made by the Floyd | wrenched-open doors. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is alongside you, resplendent in blue and white. Floyd | | schep says, "and us without our fancy glulx comic book fonts" | |||
| olethros asks, "is this E & S 3?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Paul), "What? I can't--" | ||||
| Jacqueline takes out her ear plugs. | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh." | ||||
| Paul says, "hee" | ||||
| inky says (to olethros), "yep" | ||||
| inky says (to Jacqueline), "psst, you have a banana in your ear" | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "pull handle" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "pull potrusions" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | Jacqueline says (to inky), "What? I can't hear you - I have a banana in my ear." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "jump" | ||||
Floyd | >You're inside a tiny room -- there's no up to go to. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "smash floor" | ||||
Floyd | >THOOM! You flatten some of the gears and blocks with a potent stomp, Floyd | but the floor remains in place. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "pull protrusions" | ||||
Floyd | >These cramped quarters make it difficult for you to find a place to Floyd | stand where you can pull the floor up. The fact that Emily is crammed Floyd | in here with you makes it impossible. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "emily, out" | ||||
Floyd | >"Okay, but just this once, because it is way too cramped in here." Floyd | She floats serenely out. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "pull protrusions" | ||||
Floyd | >With one knee bent and your other foot resting almost all the way Floyd | outside the chamber, you lean forward, gripping the handles at the Floyd | furthest edge from the door. You brace yourself, and strain against Floyd | the floor, willing it upward with every ounce of power in your tired Floyd | muscles. At first, the floor seems immobile and your effort hopeless, Floyd | but then you hear the sounds of metal pieces grinding against each Floyd | other, and you feel the seam begin to give. There is a tearing, then Floyd | another, and suddenly, an enormously satisfying KKKKRRRKK! as Floyd | thousands of tiny clockwork pieces smash together and the floor peels Floyd | backwards like a banana skin, folding into an inviting carpet in front Floyd | of the robot controller. Floyd | Floyd | Security Robot Headquarters Floyd | The lights are still ambient and sourceless but much brighter in this Floyd | room, a cavernous space housing hundreds of security robots. The sound Floyd | and vibration you felt in other rooms of the fortress is quite a bit Floyd | stronger here, so much so that you can't hear or feel your own Floyd | footsteps. At the south end of the room is the robot fabricator, whose Floyd | former floor is now folded in front of it like a welcome mat. A tall Floyd | archway leads north. Floyd | Floyd | Emily leans against the wall here. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "d" | ||||
Floyd | >Just because your codename is Earth doesn't mean you have to start Floyd | tunneling all over the place. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "in" | ||||
Floyd | >Emily follows you. Floyd | Floyd | Inside The Robot Fabricator Floyd | Here in the guts of the former robot controller, there's barely room Floyd | for two people to stand up, and even then, they have to be hunched Floyd | over. Disappointingly, the walls are just more reflective polymer, Floyd | betraying no information about the inner workings of the device. Floyd | You're balancing precariously on a thin metal rafter joist, all that's Floyd | left of the floor you ripped away. Loud, constant machine noise comes Floyd | from below, where you can see small, blocky robots milling about Floyd | purposefully, on a floor that's at least five stories down from here. Floyd | As well as the obvious way down, you can also exit through the Floyd | aperture made by the wrenched-open doors. Floyd | Floyd | Emily hovers above the hole you've made in the floor. Floyd | | Taleslinger asks, "down?" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Wait." | ||||
| Jacqueline puts her ear plugs back in. | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Okay, yeah." | ||||
| Paul says, "HA" | ||||
| inky says, "ha ha" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "d" | ||||
Floyd | >You step off the joist and plummet towards the floor below... Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Two sets of ears snapped alert. "Something has been torn," said Maerr. Floyd | Floyd | "Status," growled Esrrua, his back hunched and his narrow-slitted eyes Floyd | focused on the crystal held sterile in its transparent container. Floyd | Floyd | "The intruders have reached the drilling room." Floyd | Floyd | Science Master Esrrua emitted a strangled sound. "This is Floyd | intolerable!" he spat. "Reactivate the transport tubes and send the Floyd | simian-hunters through them. Instruct them to exterminate the prey Floyd | immediately. No sport." Floyd | Floyd | "I shall so instruct, though you know their independent natures." Floyd | Floyd | "They will obey or die. These interruptions must cease! Open transfer Floyd | chamber." Floyd | Floyd | Once again Maerr manipulated the panel, and a quick symphony of servos Floyd | played. "Simian-hunters released. Transfer chamber opened." Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Eep! Simian-hunters!" | |||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | E A R T H Floyd | Floyd | A N D Floyd | Floyd | S K Y Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Episode 3: Floyd | LUMINOUS HORIZON Floyd | Floyd | Part Three Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | You land on the floor with a WHUMP that you can barely hear due to the Floyd | incredibly high noise level in here. Floyd | Floyd | Emily follows you. Floyd | Floyd | The Drill Room Floyd | A low, teeth-rattling vibration and a deafening hum fill this room, so Floyd | loud you feel like you've got knitting needles jammed in your ears. Floyd | The sonic barrage makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else, Floyd | but the huge apparatus dominating the north half of the room demands Floyd | your notice. It's a giant, threaded cone, pointed towards the ground Floyd | and held by a sturdy frame -- obviously a drill, even if it wasn't Floyd | poised above an immense hole in the floor, which in fact it is. The Floyd | drill's operating mechanism isn't readily visible, as you're finding Floyd | is typical of this alien technology. On the opposite wall, a pile of Floyd | polished crystals reaches up towards the high ceiling. Between these Floyd | two monoliths, dozens of small, squarish robots buzz around you Floyd | constantly, frenetically working at various tasks. A wide archway Floyd | leads west, and a hole in the distant ceiling provides access to the Floyd | upper level of the fortress. Floyd | Floyd | Emily stands here, looking around. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x robots" | ||||
Floyd | >The robots mill around you constantly, each busily working at its Floyd | prescribed task. Some float up from inside the hole, hauling rocks; Floyd | others polish these rocks until crystal shines through; others cut the Floyd | larger crystals into rectangular blocks; and still others sort the Floyd | crystals into their respective piles. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x crystals" | ||||
Floyd | >The pile of crystals is actually two adjoining piles. One consists of Floyd | larger specimens, hewn roughly into rectangles, stacked atop one Floyd | another, and refracting the light quite beautifully. Oddly, the Floyd | crystals aren't particularly gemlike, looking more like polished glass Floyd | trinkets with air-bubbles trapped inside them. The other pile appears Floyd | to be remnants from the first, and ranges from fair-sized, irregularly Floyd | shaped hunks to powdery heaps. Floyd | | ||||
| Otto goes home. | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "search them" | ||||
Floyd | >You find nothing of interest. Floyd | | ||||
| schep says (to Floyd), "punch drill" | ||||
Floyd | >WHAM! You can't hear the impact, but you certainly feel it as you Floyd | slam a powerful fist into the frame that supports the drill. It bends Floyd | perilously, setting the auger at a crazy angle to the ground. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "g" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "g" | ||||
Floyd | >WHAM! You can't hear the impact, but you certainly feel it as you Floyd | slam a powerful fist into the frame that supports the drill. It breaks Floyd | the rest of the way, and the drill topples to the ground with a CRRASH Floyd | that looks a lot more impressive than it sounds in this earsplitting Floyd | room. Your action seems to have affected neither the activity level of Floyd | the robots nor the noise level of the room. Floyd | Floyd | >WHAM! You can't hear the impact, but you certainly feel it as you Floyd | slam a powerful fist into the frame that supports the drill. It breaks Floyd | the rest of the way, and the drill topples to the ground with a CRRASH Floyd | that looks a lot more impressive than it sounds in this earsplitting Floyd | room. Your action seems to have affected neither the activity level of Floyd | the robots nor the noise level of the room. Floyd | | Jacqueline says (to Talelinger), "heehee" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Great minds..." | ||||
| Lucea says, "heh" | ||||
| Lucea says, "resilient robots" | ||||
| Taleslinger high-fives jacq. | ||||
| schep says, "wow, you toppled it twice" | ||||
| Paul says, "D'oh. That shouldn't print twice." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "We're *just* that good." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x drill" | ||||
Floyd | >The apparatus is obviously a drill | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "l" | ||||
Floyd | > Floyd | The Drill Room Floyd | A low, teeth-rattling vibration and a deafening hum fill this room, so Floyd | loud you feel like you've got knitting needles jammed in your ears. Floyd | The sonic barrage makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else, Floyd | but the huge apparatus dominating the north half of the room demands Floyd | your notice. It's a giant, threaded cone, pointed at the wall and Floyd | lying on its side, thanks to the action of your super-strength and Floyd | violent tendencies. Apparently, it used to be a drill, but it seems Floyd | unlikely that it'll be doing any drilling in the near future. The Floyd | results of its handiwork are still evident in the immense pit that it Floyd | dug. On the opposite wall, a pile of polished crystals reaches up Floyd | towards the high ceiling. Between these two monoliths, dozens of Floyd | small, squarish robots buzz around you constantly, frenetically Floyd | working at various tasks. A wide archway leads west, and a hole in the Floyd | distant ceiling provides access to the upper level of the fortress. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is nearby, waiting for you to do something interesting. Floyd | | Jacqueline steps away for a quick moment. | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "look in pit" | ||||
Floyd | >Darkness. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "say echo" | ||||
Floyd | >(to Emily) Floyd | There is no reply. Floyd | | schep says, "ah, super-strength and violent tendencies. solves so much." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push crystals" | ||||
Floyd | >You give the pile a shove, and a few crystals topple from its Floyd | heights, smashing to powder on the floor below. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "get crystal" | ||||
Floyd | >It would be easy enough to haul around one of these big hunks of Floyd | crystal. It would be difficult to find a reason to do so. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push machine" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push drill" | ||||
Floyd | >You are unable to. Floyd | | ||||
| schep says (to Floyd), "take drill" | ||||
Floyd | >That's hardly portable. Floyd | | ||||
| schep says (to Floyd), "take robot" | ||||
Floyd | >They're hardly portable. Floyd | | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "push crystals" | ||||
Floyd | >You give the pile a shove, and a few crystals topple from its Floyd | heights, smashing to powder on the floor below. Floyd | | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "g" | ||||
Floyd | >You give the pile a shove, and a few crystals topple from its Floyd | heights, smashing to powder on the floor below. Floyd | | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "punch crystals" | ||||
Floyd | >You aim a devastatingly powerful blow at one of the crystals, which Floyd | shatters dramatically into fragments. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Emily] Floyd | Floyd | The Drill Room Floyd | A low, teeth-rattling vibration and a deafening hum fill this room, so Floyd | loud you feel like you've got knitting needles jammed in your ears. Floyd | The sonic barrage makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else, Floyd | but the huge apparatus dominating the north half of the room demands Floyd | your notice. It's a giant, threaded cone, pointed at the wall and Floyd | lying on its side, thanks to the action of your brother's Floyd | super-strength and violent tendencies. Apparently, it used to be a Floyd | drill, but it seems unlikely that it'll be doing any drilling in the Floyd | near future. The results of its handiwork are still evident in the Floyd | immense pit that it dug. On the opposite wall, a pile of polished Floyd | crystals reaches up towards the high ceiling. Between these two Floyd | monoliths, dozens of small, squarish robots buzz around you Floyd | constantly, frenetically working at various tasks. A wide archway Floyd | leads west, and a hole in the distant ceiling provides access to the Floyd | upper level of the fortress. Floyd | Floyd | Austin taps his foot nervously beside you. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "blast crystals" | ||||
Floyd | >You extend your hand, and a sizzling bolt of bright blue electricity Floyd | arcs between you and the crystals. With a thundering KER-POW, one of Floyd | the crystals disintegrates, leaving only a smoking scorch mark. Floyd | | Taleslinger says, "I think we can ascertain the crystals are indeed destroyable." | |||
| Lucea says, "I was trying to see if punching it knocked the whole pile over" | ||||
| schep says, "but alas, only one or two at a time" | ||||
| Taleslinger asks, "West?" | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "w" | ||||
Floyd | >Austin follows you. Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a wide archway emits Floyd | loud, droning noise. Floyd | Floyd | SLAM! says the archway, and suddenly an implacable black barrier fills Floyd | it, blocking your way back to the drill room. Floyd | Floyd | "Oh dear," says Austin. Floyd | Floyd | There is a WHOOSHing sound at both ends of the corridor, and bright Floyd | colors overpower the hall's neutral tones. At the north end, it's a Floyd | petite Asian woman hovering just above the floor in a bodysuit of Floyd | fiery orange and yellow, intricate flame patterns curling across it Floyd | that mirror the fire dancing around her hands. Opposite her, at the Floyd | corridor's south end, stands a tall, fair-skinned man, also in a Floyd | bodysuit, this one a swirling grey latticed with thin streaks of Floyd | bright purple. Floyd | Floyd | At this point, three realizations hit you. One, these bodysuits are Floyd | just like yours, right down to the cowls and masks. Two, if you and Floyd | your brother represent air and earth, these two must represent fire Floyd | and water. And three, these are your parents. You've found your Floyd | parents at last. Alive. But your joy turns to dread as you see the Floyd | malice in their eyes. Floyd | Floyd | "Humans!" shouts your mother imperiously, "You have invaded the Floyd | facilities of Science Master Esrrua! Prepare to suffer the Floyd | consequences! You will meet your death at the hands of FIRE AND RAIN! Floyd | Floyd | Please select a reply: Floyd | Floyd | 1) "Mom! It's us! It's Austin and Emily! We're here to rescue you!" Floyd | 2) "Snap out of it, you guys! You're Claire and Scott Colborn! We're Floyd | your kids!" Floyd | 3) "Wait. What?" Floyd | 4) "You named your super-team after a James Taylor song? That is so Floyd | Baby Boomer!" Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "4" | ||||
Floyd | Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 4 Floyd | Floyd | A burst of flame from your mother's hands is her only answer, and you Floyd | dodge just in time. Floyd | Floyd | | Lucea says, "ha ha" | |||
| Taleslinger says, "ha ha ha" | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "get oedipal" | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing north) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is behind you, facing Austin. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is in front of you, her firelit eyes glaring at you with Floyd | naked hatred. Floyd | Floyd | You and Austin are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off Floyd | against one parent. Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from Floyd | her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body. Floyd | Floyd | "You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Floyd | Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father Floyd | from behind you. Floyd | | Lucea asks, "but did they ever think they'd see us again?" | |||
| inky says, "I think FIRE AND RAIN also gets a graphic" | ||||
| Paul says (to inky), "yes" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "cf4" | ||||
Floyd | >Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "kill mum" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "kill fire" | ||||
Floyd | >(Mom) Floyd | That action doesn't fit your code of ethics. Floyd | Floyd | Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above Floyd | her head. Floyd | Floyd | "You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, Floyd | "and now you will face the consequences!" Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "blast fire" | ||||
Floyd | >(Mom) Floyd | A blast of lightning from you would stop her, alright. It would Floyd | probably kill her. The thought sickens you; even though she's out of Floyd | her mind, she's still your mother. You have to find another solution. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and a gout of flame shoots Floyd | outward from it. You manage to avoid the brunt of the blast, but some Floyd | of the flames still touch your shoulder! The skysuit seems to be Floyd | holding up pretty well so far, but the sooner you can get out of this, Floyd | the better. Floyd | Floyd | "You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon Floyd | you!" shouts Dad from behind you. Apparently Mom and Dad have spent Floyd | the last month enrolled in a crash course at the School Of Floyd | Supervillain Clich?s. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "fog mom" | ||||
Floyd | >You concentrate, but even as the mist forms around your mother, the Floyd | waves of heat that pulsate from her burn it off immediately. Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from Floyd | her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body. Floyd | Floyd | From behind you comes the sound of water swirling and crashing, like a Floyd | waterfall in a fast river. Floyd | | Lucea asks, "is there a chandelier or something we can take out?" | |||
| inky says, "fly up and see" | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "blast pipes" | ||||
Floyd | >Your lightning powers don't normally work on objects that far away. Floyd | You know now that if you hold a charge for a very long time, you can Floyd | sometimes go further, but in this instance it hardly seems worth it. Floyd | Floyd | Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above Floyd | her head. Floyd | Floyd | SPLORSH! You can hear one of Dad's water jets behind you, and there's Floyd | a WHOOSH as Austin leaps upward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that means Floyd | that the water jet hits you squarely in the back, sending you Floyd | sprawling towards Mom! You manage to recover in the air and float Floyd | backwards again, but your bones are still aching from the impact. The Floyd | skysuit seems to be holding up pretty well so far, but the sooner you Floyd | can get out of this, the better. A moment later, Austin returns to his Floyd | former location. Floyd | | Taleslinger says, "Thanks, bro!" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "The plans they're laying might put an end to us." | ||||
| Paul says (to Jacq), "HA HA HA" | ||||
| Jacqueline bows. | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Austin] Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing south) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is in front of you, his face flushed with bloodlust. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is behind you, facing Emily. Floyd | Floyd | You and Emily are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off Floyd | against one parent. Floyd | | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "u" | ||||
Floyd | >You launch yourself upward, and at the zenith of your leap, you grab Floyd | one of the pipes that runs along the ceiling. Floyd | Floyd | Above Deep Corridor Floyd | Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the Floyd | ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north Floyd | and south. You, in turn, hang suspended from the pipes. The earthsuit Floyd | lets you grip them tirelessly, but you still need both arms to do it. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! You can hear one of Mom's flame jets behind you, and there's a Floyd | WHOOSH as Emily flies upward to avoid it. A moment later, Emily Floyd | returns to her former location. Floyd | Floyd | "You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Floyd | Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father Floyd | from below you, and while he speaks, moisture coalesces seemingly from Floyd | nowhere to form an aura around his body, covering everything except Floyd | his head in a watery shell. As it collects, the water spins with Floyd | incredible speed, effectively becoming kinetic armor. Floyd | Floyd | "And I thought they repeated themselves a lot before they turned into Floyd | supervillains!" shouts Emily. Floyd | | Lucea says, "heh at emily" | |||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "blast pipes" | ||||
Floyd | >You unleash a shocking torrent of verbal abuse at the thick pipes, Floyd | but the effect is disappointingly minimal. Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from behind and below Floyd | you. Floyd | Floyd | "You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones up at you, "and Floyd | now you will face the consequences!" Floyd | | Lucea says, "oh, we're not Emily" | |||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Emily] Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing north) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | Your brother is above your head, hanging onto one of the ceiling Floyd | pipes. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is behind you, and Austin's departure has left your back Floyd | totally exposed to her. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is in front of you, her firelit eyes glaring at you with Floyd | naked hatred. Floyd | | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "blast pipes" | ||||
Floyd | >Your lightning powers don't normally work on objects that far away. Floyd | You know now that if you hold a charge for a very long time, you can Floyd | sometimes go further, but in this instance it hardly seems worth it. Floyd | Floyd | Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above Floyd | her head. Floyd | Floyd | "You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon Floyd | you!" shouts Dad from behind you. Floyd | | Taleslinger asks, "Maybe we can make them hit each other, so their suits cancel each other out?" | |||
| Lucea says, "hm. so much for the "destroy the pipes and maybe something catastrophic will happen" idea" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "That is prolly it, yeah." | ||||
| schep says (to Lucea), "Earth is currently "up" and Sky is currently "down"" | ||||
| Lucea says, "ah" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "The whole world is upside down!" | ||||
| Lucea says, "I must have missed that part" | ||||
| Lucea says, "went afk in the middle to refill tea" | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "talk to em" | ||||
Floyd | >It's true that lots of the great superheroes talk to themselves, but Floyd | you don't have any exposition you need to do at the moment. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and a gout of flame comes too Floyd | fast to avoid, nailing you square in the chest! Cracks are beginning Floyd | to show in the skysuit's outer covering as its insulation wears away Floyd | under the strain of the attacks. Floyd | Floyd | From behind you comes the sound of water swirling and crashing, like a Floyd | waterfall in a fast river. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "talk to austin" | ||||
Floyd | >He is too far away. Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from Floyd | her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body. Floyd | Floyd | SPLORSH! You can hear one of Dad's water jets behind you, and there's Floyd | a WHOOSH as Austin drops downward to avoid it. A moment later, Austin Floyd | returns to his former location. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "fly" | ||||
Floyd | >Easily, you soar upwards. Floyd | Floyd | Above Deep Corridor Floyd | Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the Floyd | ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north Floyd | and south. You're floating just beneath them. Floyd | Floyd | Austin is next to you, hanging onto one of the pipes that runs along Floyd | the ceiling. Floyd | Floyd | Mom floats a little further to the north, and throws her hands above Floyd | her head. Floyd | Floyd | "You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Floyd | Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father Floyd | from behind and below you. Floyd | | Jacqueline asks, "Okay, how do we get them into a crossfire situation?" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "blast pipes" | ||||
Floyd | >KER-POW! Lightning arcs from your fingers to the pipes, but they are Floyd | unaffected. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you and fire jets upward. There's no Floyd | room to maneuver up here, and the fire hits you directly in the legs! Floyd | Cracks are beginning to show in the skysuit's outer covering as its Floyd | insulation wears away under the strain of the attacks. Floyd | Floyd | "You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind and Floyd | beneath you, "and now you will face the consequences!" Floyd | | Taleslinger asks, "We need to get close to Austin, perhaps?" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "We are close to Austin" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I flew up to the ceiling to meet him." | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "Go up as Em, then go up as him" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah, that's done." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "talk to austin" | ||||
Floyd | >"Austin!" you cry, "I don't know what to do!" Floyd | Floyd | "I know!" he shouts in an anguished voice. "They're obviously being Floyd | controlled somehow! We can't use our powers against them! We have to Floyd | find a way to snap them out of this state!" Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from below you, as Floyd | the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body. Floyd | Floyd | "You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon Floyd | you!" shouts Dad from the ground behind you. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "talk to austin" | ||||
Floyd | >"What did you have in mind?" you yell over the din. Floyd | Floyd | "Try talking to them!" Floyd | Floyd | Mom floats a little further to the north, and throws her hands above Floyd | her head. Floyd | Floyd | Underneath you and to the south comes the sound of water swirling and Floyd | crashing, like a waterfall in a fast river. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "talk to mom" | ||||
Floyd | >She is too far away. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you and fire jets upward. There's no Floyd | room to maneuver up here, and the fire hits you directly in the legs! Floyd | A few pieces of the skysuit's insulation have started to flake off Floyd | altogether, revealing a freaky mesh of organics and circuitry beneath. Floyd | Floyd | SPLORSH! You can hear one of Dad's water jets behind you, and there's Floyd | a WHOOSH as Austin drops downward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that Floyd | means that the water jet hits you squarely in the back, sending you Floyd | sprawling towards Mom! You manage to recover in the air and float Floyd | backwards again, but your bones are still aching from the impact. A Floyd | few pieces of the skysuit's insulation have started to flake off Floyd | altogether, revealing a freaky mesh of organics and circuitry beneath. Floyd | A moment later, Austin returns to his former location. Floyd | | Taleslinger asks, "mum is ...down?" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Not sure." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I think so, though." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "d" | ||||
Floyd | >With a mental command, you descend. Taking his cue from you, Austin Floyd | plummets back to the floor. Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing north) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | You and Austin are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off Floyd | against one parent. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is behind you, facing Austin. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is in front of you, her firelit eyes glaring at you with Floyd | naked hatred. Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from Floyd | her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body. Floyd | Floyd | "You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Floyd | Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father Floyd | from behind you. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "talk to mum" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "talk to mom" | ||||
Floyd | >"Mom!" you cry. "Wait! Wake up! Stop!" Floyd | Floyd | "SILENCE!" shouts your mother. "None may command us save Esrrua Floyd | himself!" Floyd | Floyd | Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above Floyd | her head. Floyd | Floyd | "You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, Floyd | "and now you will face the consequences!" Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "g" | ||||
Floyd | >You already know how useless that is. Better think of something else. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and you just manage to dodge the Floyd | gout of flame that flies out from it! Floyd | Floyd | "You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon Floyd | you!" shouts Dad from behind you. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to dad" | ||||
Floyd | >You'd have to be facing him to do anything like that. Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from Floyd | her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body. Floyd | Floyd | From behind you comes the sound of water swirling and crashing, like a Floyd | waterfall in a fast river. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Austin] Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing south) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | You and Emily are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off Floyd | against one parent. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is in front of you, his face flushed with bloodlust. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is behind you, facing Emily. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Emily] Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing north) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | You and Austin are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off Floyd | against one parent. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is behind you, facing Austin. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is in front of you, her firelit eyes glaring at you with Floyd | naked hatred. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo" | ||||
Floyd | >Deep Corridor (facing south) Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to dad" | ||||
Floyd | >"Dad!" you cry. "Wait! Wake up! Stop!" Floyd | Floyd | "SILENCE!" shouts your father. "None may command us save Esrrua Floyd | himself!" Floyd | Floyd | It feels a little hotter behind you. Floyd | Floyd | SPLORSH! Dad leans forward, thrusting both arms towards you, and the Floyd | ball of suspended above his head elongates itself, coming at you with Floyd | the force of a firehose! You just barely manage to dodge the Floyd | waterspout, and it rains harmlessly to the ground. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Okay, now I hate our parents." | |||
| Taleslinger asks, "ball of suspended...?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I was teetering on the edge, and now I've decided to just go ahead and hate them." | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "they're possessed and not themselves. it's like reverse puberty." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "Yeah, there's a word missing... probably 'water'" | ||||
| Paul says, "Bleah." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "I reserve to not hate them anymore later, of course." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "talk to austin" | ||||
Floyd | >It's true that lots of the great superheroes talk to themselves, but Floyd | you don't have any exposition you need to do at the moment. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! You can hear one of Mom's flame jets behind you, and there's a Floyd | WHOOSH as Emily flies upward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that means Floyd | that the firebolt hits you squarely in the back, its heat washing over Floyd | the earthsuit! The earthsuit seems to be holding up pretty well so Floyd | far, but the sooner you can get out of this, the better. A moment Floyd | later, Emily returns to her former location. Floyd | Floyd | "You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Floyd | Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father, Floyd | and while he speaks, moisture coalesces seemingly from nowhere to form Floyd | an aura around his body, covering everything except his head in a Floyd | watery shell. As it collects, the water spins with incredible speed, Floyd | effectively becoming kinetic armor. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "talk to em" | ||||
Floyd | >"Talking didn't work!" you say. "What else you got?" Floyd | Floyd | "Okay, okay -- wait! Look at Dad's costume!" Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from behind you. Floyd | Floyd | "You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones, "and now you Floyd | will face the consequences!" Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x mom's costume" | ||||
Floyd | >You'd have to be facing her to do anything like that. Floyd | Floyd | It feels a little hotter behind you. Floyd | Floyd | "You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon Floyd | you!" shouts Dad. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x dad's costume" | ||||
Floyd | >Dad's superhero suit is designed like yours, a skintight body Floyd | stocking with a cowl and mask attached. Unlike the firesuit, its Floyd | patterns don't directly represent its powers, but the thin streaks of Floyd | bright purple on its opalescent grey background suggest rainfall well Floyd | enough. One thing looks out of place, though: a black circle covering Floyd | the top of his head, looking like nothing so much as a thick plastic Floyd | yarmulke. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! You can hear one of Mom's flame jets behind you, and there's a Floyd | WHOOSH as Emily flies upward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that means Floyd | that the firebolt hits you squarely in the back, its heat washing over Floyd | the earthsuit! Cracks are beginning to show in the earthsuit's outer Floyd | covering as its insulation wears away under the strain of the attacks. Floyd | A moment later, Emily returns to her former location. Floyd | Floyd | Dad throws his arms high into the air, and the water that had Floyd | coalesced around his body gathers itself into a gravity-defying ball Floyd | above his head. Floyd | | Taleslinger says, "aha!" | |||
| (from Taleslinger) Taleslinger, "Good thing girls are so much into clothing." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "heh" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "So, um... what? Punching the black spot seems... painful for dad." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "punch yarmulke" | ||||
Floyd | >Which do you mean, Dad's skullcap or Mom's skullcap? Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "dad's" | ||||
Floyd | >Your muscles tense, but you know you can't do it. Even though he Floyd | seems to have gone insane, he's still your father; a hit from you Floyd | might kill him, and you're not that Oedipal. You have to find a way to Floyd | save him instead. Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from behind you. Floyd | Floyd | SPLORSH! Dad leans forward, thrusting both arms towards you, and the Floyd | ball of water that was suspended above his head elongates itself, Floyd | coming at you with the force of a firehose! There's no time to dodge, Floyd | and the blast hits you directly in the chest! You don't feel the Floyd | impact of the water, but you have a feeling that it's wreaking havoc Floyd | on the parts of the earthsuit whose insulation has been burned away by Floyd | Mom's firebolts. Cracks are beginning to show in the earthsuit's outer Floyd | covering as its insulation wears away under the strain of the attacks. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take dad's yarmulk" | ||||
Floyd | >Which do you mean, the rainsuit or Dad's skullcap? Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "skullcap" | ||||
Floyd | >I only understood you as far as wanting to take Dad's skullcap. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take dad's skullcap" | ||||
Floyd | >You lunge at Dad, trying to snatch the cap from his head, but he Floyd | pivots fluidly, and your hand snatches at air. Floyd | Floyd | It feels a little hotter behind you. Floyd | Floyd | "You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Floyd | Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father, Floyd | and while he speaks, moisture coalesces seemingly from nowhere to form Floyd | an aura around his body, covering everything except his head in a Floyd | watery shell. As it collects, the water spins with incredible speed, Floyd | effectively becoming kinetic armor. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Emily] Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing north) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | You and Austin are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off Floyd | against one parent. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is behind you, facing Austin. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is in front of you, her firelit eyes glaring at you with Floyd | naked hatred. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "take mom's skullcap" | ||||
Floyd | >You lunge at Mom, trying to snatch the cap from her head, but she Floyd | flies neatly and rapidly out of your way, leaving you grasping at air. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and you just manage to dodge the Floyd | gout of flame that flies out from it! Floyd | Floyd | "You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, Floyd | "and now you will face the consequences!" Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "blast mum's skullcap" | ||||
Floyd | >Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "blast mom's skullcap" | ||||
Floyd | >A blast of lightning from you would stop her, alright. It would Floyd | probably kill her. The thought sickens you; even though she's out of Floyd | her mind, she's still your mother. You have to find another solution. Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from Floyd | her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body. Floyd | Floyd | "You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon Floyd | you!" shouts Dad from behind you. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "i" | ||||
Floyd | >You are carrying: Floyd | a skysuit (being worn) Floyd | Floyd | Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above Floyd | her head. Floyd | Floyd | From behind you comes the sound of water swirling and crashing, like a Floyd | waterfall in a fast river. Floyd | | ||||
| DavidW arrives, full of neither funk nor fun. | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to emily" | ||||
Floyd | >It's true that lots of the great superheroes talk to themselves, but Floyd | you don't have any exposition you need to do at the moment. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and a gout of flame shoots Floyd | outward from it. You manage to avoid the brunt of the blast, but some Floyd | of the flames still touch your leg! The skysuit is definitely being Floyd | affected by Mom and Dad's attacks. The sense of lightness you usually Floyd | feel is wavering intermittently and you can feel your command of fog Floyd | and electricity slipping from you. Floyd | Floyd | SPLORSH! You can hear one of Dad's water jets behind you, and there's Floyd | a WHOOSH as Austin leaps upward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that means Floyd | that the water jet hits you squarely in the back, sending you Floyd | sprawling towards Mom! You manage to recover in the air and float Floyd | backwards again, but your bones are still aching from the impact. The Floyd | skysuit is definitely being affected by Mom and Dad's attacks. The Floyd | sense of lightness you usually feel is wavering intermittently and you Floyd | can feel your command of fog and electricity slipping from you. A Floyd | moment later, Austin returns to his former location. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "er" | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to austin" | ||||
Floyd | >"What are you talking about?" you bellow. Floyd | Floyd | "They're bearing attachments that are obviously foreign to the Floyd | powersuits! The skullcaps! Look!" Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from Floyd | her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body. Floyd | Floyd | "You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Floyd | Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father Floyd | from behind you. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "talk to austin" | ||||
Floyd | >"What are you talking about?" you bellow. Floyd | Floyd | "They're bearing attachments that are obviously foreign to the Floyd | powersuits! The skullcaps! Look!" Floyd | Floyd | Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above Floyd | her head. Floyd | Floyd | "You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, Floyd | "and now you will face the consequences!" Floyd | | DavidW says, "I hope you guys have a driver for this part." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Nah, be we saved." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "We are sort of having our asses handed to us, though." | ||||
| DavidW says, "yeah, that's what happened to me." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "ram mom" | ||||
Floyd | >That's not a verb I recognize. Floyd | | schep says, "<hint> At least they seem pretty predictable </hint>" | |||
| DavidW says, "I remember the key involves noticing a particular detail. I think." | ||||
| DavidW says (to schep), "Yeah, that's relevant." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "I think I get it." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "u" | ||||
Floyd | >Unsteadily, you soar upwards. Floyd | Floyd | Above Deep Corridor Floyd | Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the Floyd | ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north Floyd | and south. You're floating just beneath them. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! A fiery bolt from your mother cooks the spot where you were Floyd | just standing! Floyd | Floyd | "You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon Floyd | you!" shouts Dad from the ground behind you. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "austin, jump" | ||||
Floyd | >Austin has better things to do. Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from below you, as Floyd | the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body. Floyd | Floyd | Underneath you and to the south comes the sound of water swirling and Floyd | crashing, like a waterfall in a fast river. Floyd | | Taleslinger says, "change, then up" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah, I guess so." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Austin] Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing south) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | Em floats high above your head, near the pipes. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is in front of you, his face flushed with bloodlust. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is behind you, and Emily's departure has left your back Floyd | totally exposed to her. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x dad" | ||||
Floyd | >Dad was always the quieter parent, usually lost in his own thoughts Floyd | or deeply absorbed in his work. Now he's wearing a skintight grey Floyd | bodysuit with bright violet streaks, leaping about wild-eyed, and Floyd | shouting as if he's channeling Laurence Olivier's Hamlet. His attacks Floyd | may be robotic, but they are nonetheless ruthless; you have no doubt Floyd | that he will kill you if he can. Floyd | Floyd | Something about the rainsuit he's wearing seems a little odd. Floyd | Floyd | It feels a little hotter behind you. Floyd | Floyd | SPLORSH! Dad leans forward, thrusting both arms towards you, and the Floyd | ball of suspended above his head elongates itself, coming at you with Floyd | the force of a firehose! You nimbly dodge the brunt of the blast, but Floyd | part of the spout still hammers at your leg. You don't feel the Floyd | impact of the water, but you have a feeling that it's wreaking havoc Floyd | on the parts of the earthsuit whose insulation has been burned away by Floyd | Mom's firebolts. Cracks are beginning to show in the earthsuit's outer Floyd | covering as its insulation wears away under the strain of the attacks. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "I'll try it one more time this way, then probably restore." | |||
| Jacqueline says, "As I think we're nearly dead." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "undo" | ||||
Floyd | >Deep Corridor (facing south) Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "u" | ||||
Floyd | >You launch yourself upward, and at the zenith of your leap, you grab Floyd | one of the pipes that runs along the ceiling. Floyd | Floyd | Above Deep Corridor Floyd | Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the Floyd | ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north Floyd | and south. You, in turn, hang suspended from the pipes. The earthsuit Floyd | lets you grip them tirelessly, but you still need both arms to do it. Floyd | Floyd | Emily floats nearby. Floyd | Floyd | You feel increased heat radiate up at you from the north. Floyd | Floyd | SPLORSH! The water that was above Dad's head shoots outward with the Floyd | force of a firehose into the spot you just vacated, then rains Floyd | harmlessly to the ground. Floyd | | Taleslinger says, "aha" | |||
| Jacqueline asks (of Taleslinger), "Want to drive?" | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "well, i think it'S up at here, then up as him. without looking in between." | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "at here = as her" | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "d" | ||||
Floyd | >You let go of the pipes and plummet back down to the floor. Taking Floyd | her cue from you, Emily swoops down as well. Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing south) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | You and Emily are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off Floyd | against one parent. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is in front of you, his face flushed with bloodlust. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is behind you, facing Emily. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! You can hear one of Mom's flame jets behind you, and there's a Floyd | WHOOSH as Emily drops downward to avoid it. A moment later, Emily Floyd | returns to her former location. Floyd | Floyd | "You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Floyd | Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father, Floyd | and while he speaks, moisture coalesces seemingly from nowhere to form Floyd | an aura around his body, covering everything except his head in a Floyd | watery shell. As it collects, the water spins with incredible speed, Floyd | effectively becoming kinetic armor. Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Yeah, but that's essentially what I just did (because I used undo)" | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Emily] Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing north) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | You and Austin are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off Floyd | against one parent. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is behind you, facing Austin. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is in front of you, her firelit eyes glaring at you with Floyd | naked hatred. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "d" | ||||
Floyd | >You're on the ground already! Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from Floyd | her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body. Floyd | Floyd | "You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, Floyd | "and now you will face the consequences!" Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "u" | ||||
Floyd | >Unsteadily, you soar upwards. Floyd | Floyd | Above Deep Corridor Floyd | Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the Floyd | ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north Floyd | and south. You're floating just beneath them. Floyd | Floyd | Mom floats a little further to the north, and throws her hands above Floyd | her head. Floyd | Floyd | "You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon Floyd | you!" shouts Dad from the ground behind you. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Austin] Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing south) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | Emily floats high above your head, near the pipes. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is in front of you, his face flushed with bloodlust. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is behind you, and Emily's departure has left your back Floyd | totally exposed to her. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "jump" | ||||
Floyd | >You launch yourself upward, and at the zenith of your leap, you grab Floyd | one of the pipes that runs along the ceiling. Floyd | Floyd | Above Deep Corridor Floyd | Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the Floyd | ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north Floyd | and south. You, in turn, hang suspended from the pipes. The earthsuit Floyd | lets you grip them tirelessly, but you still need both arms to do it. Floyd | Floyd | Emily floats nearby. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! You can hear one of Mom's flame jets behind you, and there's a Floyd | WHOOSH as Emily drops downward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that means Floyd | that the firebolt hits you squarely in the back, its heat washing over Floyd | the earthsuit! A few pieces of the earthsuit's insulation have started Floyd | to flake off altogether, revealing a strange mesh of organics and Floyd | circuitry that would be fascinating if your life wasn't in immediate Floyd | danger. A moment later, Emily returns to her former location. Floyd | Floyd | Dad throws his arms high into the air, and the water that had Floyd | coalesced around his body gathers itself into a gravity-defying ball Floyd | underneath you. Floyd | | inky says, "I think there is one other thing you have to think of" | |||
| inky says, "I say unhelpfully" | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "Hm" | ||||
| DavidW says, "yes" | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "Is it a, like, 'Austin, follow me' thing?" | ||||
| schep says, "no, not a command trick" | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "Or maybe we're doing it the wrong way around" | ||||
| Lucea says, "I already used my idea" | ||||
| DavidW | "They're bearing attachments that are obviously foreign to the powersuits! The skullcaps! Look!" | ||||
| Lucea says, "so unless there's something else we can get to collapse" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, we tried taking the skullcaps." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to dw), "well, we couldn't get at those" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "And punching them, of course." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I don't see us blasting them, as that's dangerous." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "And don't see fogging them as useful." | ||||
| schep says, "you did try fogging Mom" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Right, her as a whole." | ||||
| Taleslinger asks, "have we tried switching opponents?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "No, not sure how." | ||||
| schep says (to Floyd), "switch places" | ||||
Floyd | >(with Emily) Floyd | Not while you're hanging on to the pipe. Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from behind and below Floyd | you. Floyd | Floyd | SPLORSH! Dad thrusts his hands upward at you, and the ball of water Floyd | elongates itself, coming at you with the force of a firehose! Hanging Floyd | from the pipes, you can't avoid the waterspout, and it hits your legs! Floyd | You don't feel the impact of the water, but you have a feeling that Floyd | it's wreaking havoc on the parts of the earthsuit whose insulation has Floyd | been burned away by Mom's firebolts. A few pieces of the earthsuit's Floyd | insulation have started to flake off altogether, revealing a strange Floyd | mesh of organics and circuitry that would be fascinating if your life Floyd | wasn't in immediate danger. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "d" | ||||
Floyd | >You let go of the pipes and plummet back down to the floor. Taking Floyd | her cue from you, Emily swoops down as well. Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing south) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | You and Emily are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off Floyd | against one parent. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is in front of you, his face flushed with bloodlust. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is behind you, facing Emily. Floyd | Floyd | It feels a little hotter behind you. Floyd | Floyd | "You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Floyd | Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father, Floyd | and while he speaks, moisture coalesces seemingly from nowhere to form Floyd | an aura around his body, covering everything except his head in a Floyd | watery shell. As it collects, the water spins with incredible speed, Floyd | effectively becoming kinetic armor. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "switch places" | ||||
Floyd | >What do you want to switch places with? Floyd | | Taleslinger says, "emily" | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "emily" | ||||
Floyd | >"Emily!" you shout. "Change partners!" Floyd | Floyd | Your sister understands you immediately, and the two of you execute a Floyd | neat simultaneous turn, leaving you now facing Mom to the north, while Floyd | Emily looks south to square off against Dad. Floyd | Floyd | FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and a gout of flame comes too Floyd | fast to avoid, nailing you square in the stomach! The earthsuit is Floyd | definitely being affected by Mom and Dad's attacks. You're getting the Floyd | sense that sometimes it's impeding your movements rather than aiding Floyd | them, and the power in your limbs definitely seems to be waning. Floyd | Floyd | "You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, Floyd | "and now you will face the consequences!" Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Emily] Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor (facing south) Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | You and Austin are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off Floyd | against one parent. Floyd | Floyd | Your father is in front of you, his face flushed with bloodlust. Floyd | Floyd | Your mother is behind you, facing Austin. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "fog dad" | ||||
Floyd | >You concentrate, and a thick mist forms around your father, which he Floyd | immediately absorbs into his watery aura. Floyd | Floyd | "Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel Floyd | the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from behind you. Floyd | Floyd | "You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon Floyd | you!" shouts Dad. Floyd | | Taleslinger says, "hmm" | |||
| inky says, "I don't actually remember why this is helpful" | ||||
| schep says, "I don't think it is helpful, but it's a neat touch." | ||||
| inky asks, "clearly you have to get them to blast each other, so maybe you have to be switched to coordinate that?" | ||||
| inky says, "ha ha" | ||||
| inky says, "oh, it's not? I'd thought it was" | ||||
| schep says, "not sure. Maybe after the end we can see if we can win without switching places." | ||||
| DavidW says, "I still think the skullcaps have to be affected somehow first, then get mom and dad to blast each other." | ||||
| DavidW asks, "Have you examined the skullcaps themselves?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I thought we did." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x skullcap" | ||||
Floyd | >Which do you mean, Dad's skullcap or Mom's skullcap? Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "x dad's skullcap" | ||||
Floyd | >It's a black circle, maybe an inch thick and six inches in diameter, Floyd | crowning the top of Dad's head. Something about seeing him wearing Floyd | that little plastic yarmulke just strikes a deep chord of wrongness in Floyd | you. And it's not just the fact that you know he's an atheist. Floyd | Floyd | It feels a little hotter behind you. Floyd | Floyd | Dad throws his arms high into the air, and the water that had Floyd | coalesced around his body gathers itself into a gravity-defying ball Floyd | above his head. Floyd | | inky says, "well, the skullcaps are obviously the mindcontrolly bits, so if you could affect those I assume they'd just stop attacking" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "up" | ||||
Floyd | >Unsteadily, you soar upwards. Floyd | Floyd | Above Deep Corridor Floyd | Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the Floyd | ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north Floyd | and south. You're floating just beneath them. Floyd | Floyd | SSSSSSS! Floyd | Floyd | Blazing flames meet the onrushing torrent below you, and steam boils Floyd | angrily upwards. In moments, the heat is intense, and you have to shut Floyd | your eyes as you try to protect your exposed facial skin from the Floyd | scalding vapor. Just as the pain reaches a crescendo, the hissing Floyd | sounds stop, replaced by peaceful silence and the gradual ebbing of Floyd | the mist. When you open your eyes, the corridor is clear of steam and Floyd | your parents lie below, unconscious. Floyd | | inky says, "hey hey" | |||
| inky says, "I don't know why that worked, though" | ||||
| Taleslinger stares at screen. | ||||
| DavidW says, "Save!" | ||||
| Paul says, "They were both just about to let loose, and you flew upwards." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "um. Huh." | ||||
| schep says, "I think it's a timing thing. They both have to be attacking on the same turn, and some of your actions delay them a bit." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "cf5" | ||||
Floyd | >Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | | Taleslinger asks, "So, what did we do?" | |||
| inky says (to schep), "oh, hmm" | ||||
| Paul nods at schep. | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "repair suit" | ||||
Floyd | >(the skysuit) Floyd | The skysuit appears to be in perfect working order already. Floyd | | inky asks, "so changing places didn't actually help then?" | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Austin] Floyd | Floyd | Above Deep Corridor Floyd | Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the Floyd | ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north Floyd | and south. You, in turn, hang suspended from the pipes. The earthsuit Floyd | lets you grip them tirelessly, but you still need both arms to do it. Floyd | In the corridor below, your parents lie unconscious on the floor. Floyd | Floyd | Emily floats nearby. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "repair suit" | ||||
Floyd | >(the earthsuit) Floyd | Not while you're hanging on to the pipe. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "d" | ||||
Floyd | >You let go of the pipes and plummet back down to the floor. Taking Floyd | her cue from you, Emily swoops down as well. Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor Floyd | You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the Floyd | earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The Floyd | slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run Floyd | along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black Floyd | barrier seals the archway. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is nearby, waiting for you to do something interesting. Floyd | Floyd | Both your parents are sprawled on the floor here, defeated and out Floyd | cold. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "repair suit" | ||||
Floyd | >(the earthsuit) Floyd | The earthsuit appears to be in perfect working order already. Floyd | | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "take dad's skullcap" | ||||
Floyd | >Gingerly, you kneel down and pull on the cap, trying not to exert too Floyd | much pressure on your father's body, which suddenly seems very fragile Floyd | in the face of your earthsuited strength. The adhesive resists at Floyd | first, but then the cap pops free, and your father's eyes flutter Floyd | open. You pull back, ready for another attack, but the hatred that was Floyd | in his face is gone, replaced by recognition and relief. Floyd | Floyd | "Kids!" he cries, embracing you each in turn. "Where's Claire?" he Floyd | says, turning around and answering his own question. "Austin, please Floyd | take that thing off of her." Floyd | Floyd | You oblige, and in moments, your mother is awake and herself again. Floyd | Floyd | "Austin, give me those skullcaps, please," says your mother in a tone Floyd | that permits no dissent. She takes them from you, lays them on the Floyd | ground together, and fires a fierce, sustained blast of heat at them, Floyd | melting both into one anonymous lump of black plastic. Floyd | Floyd | Please select a response: Floyd | Floyd | 1) "Don't you want to study those rather than destroy them?" Floyd | 2) "What were those things?" Floyd | | Taleslinger says, "that em for you, a caring child :-)" | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "1" | ||||
Floyd | Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 1 Floyd | Floyd | "I never, ever want to see those things again, Austin. I desperately Floyd | hope that humanity never discovers that particular technology." Floyd | Floyd | Then she turns to your father. "Are you okay, honey?" Floyd | Floyd | "Yes, I think so," he answers. "The worst part was having to call that Floyd | alien 'Science Master' -- he's anything but." Floyd | Floyd | Mom smiles. "Well, your ego seems to have survived the experience Floyd | intact." Her expression turns grim again. "Listen kids, something Floyd | terrible is going on here." Floyd | Floyd | Please select a response: Floyd | Floyd | 1) "You know, Mom, we are in college. We're not really kids anymore." Floyd | 2) "Wait, wait, wait. What happened to you guys? You've been missing Floyd | for a month!" Floyd | 3) "Yeah, what is going on here? What are these guys drilling for?" Floyd | | ||||
| Lucea says (to floyd), "3" | ||||
Floyd | Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 3 Floyd | Floyd | "Salt," she says, grimacing. "See, bizarre as this sounds, our Floyd | kidnapper is from an extraterrestrial, nonhuman race. He's named Floyd | Esrrua, and he thinks of himself as a scientist, though he seems to be Floyd | somewhat of a laughingstock in his own planet's scientific community. Floyd | He's formed a bizarre plan to redeem himself by perverting an Floyd | experiment your Aunt Nina was working on -- he's extracting ancient Floyd | bacterial samples from salt crystals, and plans to release them into Floyd | the Earth's atmosphere. We have no clue what effect this will have, Floyd | but it sure seems like a bad idea." Floyd | Floyd | Emily chimes in before you can say anything: "If they're the same Floyd | bacteria Aunt Nina was working with, they're liable to turn everybody Floyd | into gigantic green monsters!" Floyd | Floyd | "WHAT?!" say your parents in unison. You and Emily explain the Floyd | incident with the earthquake, the bacteria, the monster, the Floyd | antibiotic, and the crushed football stadium. Hesitantly, you also Floyd | explain that Emily fired lightning into Nina's eyes, and that she Floyd | remained blind even after she transformed back into her human self. Floyd | Floyd | Dad closes his eyes. "Oh. Oh, poor Nina. I don't know how I can ever Floyd | forgive myself for creating the thing that did this to her." Then he Floyd | snaps to attention again. "So this experiment is even more dangerous Floyd | than we knew. If those bacteria get out, it could mean the end of Floyd | humanity as we know it!" Floyd | Floyd | Please select a response: Floyd | Floyd | 1) "Oh man, I knew there was a downside to this superhero thing. Floyd | Couldn't we just call the Avengers at this point?" Floyd | 2) "Great Scott! We've got to stop him! Where is he?" Floyd | 3) "Does this have anything to do with the alien bacteria lab that I Floyd | inadvertently wrecked?" Floyd | 4) "What theory is he trying to test with this experiment?" Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "3" | ||||
Floyd | Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 3 Floyd | Floyd | "The what, now?" Floyd | Floyd | "Oh boy," says Emily, "I smell another recap." Floyd | Floyd | You quickly summarize your experiences on the artificial planetoid Floyd | with the different environments. Floyd | Floyd | "So that's what Mrrueao was working on!" exclaims Dad. "He was far too Floyd | arrogant ever to share any information with us. How fascinating that Floyd | both he and Nina... well, time enough to ponder that later." Floyd | Floyd | Please select a response: Floyd | Floyd | 1) "But Dad, the bacteria I saw didn't turn anything monstrous! They Floyd | just enhanced intelligence and dexterity!" Floyd | 2) "Point taken. What do we do next?" Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "1" | ||||
Floyd | Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 1 Floyd | Floyd | "Really?" says Dad. "I wonder if the heightened radiation levels from Floyd | the nearby nuclear tests somehow--" Floyd | Floyd | "People, PLEASE!" says Mom. "Right now we've got to stop Esrrua, Floyd | rescue Thad Andrews, and get the heck out of here!" Floyd | Floyd | "Good point, dear." Dad examines your suits. "Austin, come here for a Floyd | moment. Emily, you too." Floyd | Floyd | Your father sizes up the damage to both your suits, and opens a Floyd | previously seamless panel on the back of each. He moves behind you Floyd | first, and though you can't feel anything, you know he is manipulating Floyd | parts of the suit that only he understands. Then he turns to Emily, Floyd | rapidly tapping relays and touchpads built into the skysuit and seeing Floyd | the muscles and tendons within the suit twitch in response. "There," Floyd | he says. "I've accelerated the self-healing process and run a quick Floyd | hack to restore functionality, albeit temporarily. We've got to get Floyd | you back home as quickly as possible, but first, we have some business Floyd | to take care of here." Floyd | Floyd | Mom says, "Honey, do you want to upload the--?" Floyd | Floyd | "Ah, right, of course," says your father. He faces each of you in Floyd | turn, pressing at the nape of each suit's neck until two ports open, Floyd | then plugging fingers into the ports for a few seconds each. As he's Floyd | doing this, he explains, "In the time that we stayed here, our suits Floyd | were upgraded with translation software that enabled us to understand Floyd | the alien's speech patterns. It cared little about ours, but wanted us Floyd | to understand its commands. We actually prototyped such a thing in Floyd | hardware, but that's been left in Thad's observatory back home. The Floyd | advantage of this software version is that I can transfer it directly Floyd | into your suits... and there, it's done. You'll need it, because I'm Floyd | afraid it's going to be up to you to face Esrrua." Floyd | Floyd | Please select a response: Floyd | Floyd | 1) "I understand. What would you like us to do?" Floyd | 2) "What? Why? Can't we at least face him together?" Floyd | 3) "What are you two going to do?" Floyd | | inky says, "hunh, I thought we managed to solve part one without blinding Nina" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "2" | ||||
Floyd | Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 2 Floyd | Floyd | "The risk is too great, Austin," says Mom. "He's had us under mental Floyd | control for some time, and if he were to regain it at a crucial Floyd | moment, you two would be doomed. Besides, we know this fortress, and Floyd | can take care of some important tasks while you're stopping the Floyd | experiment. Thad Andrews has to be rescued from his prison, those salt Floyd | crystals need to be melted so that the bacteria inside can be killed, Floyd | and we need to prepare the vehicle in the hangar so that we can Floyd | finally get out of here." Floyd | Floyd | "So here are your tasks," says Dad. "Stop that experiment! Subdue and Floyd | capture Esrrua and his assistants, if you can. Then meet us in the Floyd | Hangar on the top level of the fortress -- we'll have the escape Floyd | vehicle ready." Floyd | Floyd | Each of your parents gives you one last hug, then they send you south, Floyd | down a final transport tube, finally to face the creature behind all Floyd | this. Floyd | Floyd | | Paul says, "There was a continuity question at the beginning about blinding Nina -- we said yes." | |||
| DavidW says, "We lied to the narrator? For shame!" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "We didn't blind her at first." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Then we went back and did." | ||||
| inky says, "ha ha" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "And I forgot which was which when answering questions." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "So if we suck, it's my fault, I guess." | ||||
| Jacqueline asks, "But it's just a game. Try to get a full night's sleep tonight, okay, folks?" | ||||
| Paul says, "No suckage -- just a (slightly) different story fork." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "space" | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | "I have lost contact with the simian-hunters," said Maerr. "They are Floyd | either killed or free." Floyd | Floyd | The hairs rose on Science Master Esrrua's neck, and for the first Floyd | time, he detected a faint smell of fear on himself. "No!" he said. Floyd | "Not when the experiment is almost ready! Begin extraction!" Floyd | Floyd | Maerr keyed in a sequence on his control panel, and said, "Extraction Floyd | begun." Then his head whipped towards the door, ears at full alert. Floyd | Floyd | "Outside the door, Science Master Esrrua," he said. "I hear Floyd | something." Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | E A R T H Floyd | Floyd | A N D Floyd | Floyd | S K Y Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Episode 3: Floyd | LUMINOUS HORIZON Floyd | Floyd | Part Four Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Outside The Lab Door Floyd | This is a small, sterile room, about the size of a walk-in closet. The Floyd | floor here seems to be made of bare rock. You're facing a doorway Floyd | blocked by a smooth sheet of grey polymer. Behind you is a transport Floyd | tube entrance. Floyd | Floyd | Emily stands a few feet away from you, looking fierce. Floyd | | Jacqueline asks, "Oh, wait. We still need to do what? Track the cats and kill 'em?" | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "push door. hold speech." | ||||
Floyd | >You brace yourself and push against the door, but it's no use -- the Floyd | polymer doesn't even begin to buckle. Floyd | Sorry, but that's either not here or not important. Floyd | | Jacqueline asks, "Banish em?" | |||
| Jacqueline Something? | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "x door" | ||||
Floyd | >A smooth sheet of polymer completely fills the doorway to the north. Floyd | It even seems to have cut into the rock beneath it to create an Floyd | effective seal. Floyd | | schep says, "yeah, take care of the bad cats" | |||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Emily] Floyd | Floyd | Outside The Lab Door Floyd | This is a small, sterile room, about the size of a walk-in closet. The Floyd | floor here seems to be made of bare rock. You're facing a doorway Floyd | blocked by a smooth sheet of grey polymer. Behind you is a transport Floyd | tube entrance. Floyd | Floyd | Austin is alongside you, his earthsuit nearly blending in with the Floyd | surroundings. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "blast door" | ||||
Floyd | >KER-POW! Lightning arcs from your fingers to the grey polymer Floyd | barrier, but it is unaffected. Floyd | | Taleslinger asks, "are just jacq an me playing?" | |||
| DavidW | "Stop that experiment! Subdue and capture Esrrua and his assistants, if you can. Then meet us in the Hangar on the top level of the fortress | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "knock on door" | ||||
Floyd | >There is no answer. Floyd | | Lucea says, "I'm lurking" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Austin] Floyd | Floyd | Outside The Lab Door Floyd | This is a small, sterile room, about the size of a walk-in closet. The Floyd | floor here seems to be made of bare rock. You're facing a doorway Floyd | blocked by a smooth sheet of grey polymer. Behind you is a transport Floyd | tube entrance. Floyd | Floyd | Emily leans against the wall here. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "slide door" | ||||
Floyd | >That's not a verb I recognize. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "push door" | ||||
Floyd | >You brace yourself and push against the door, but it's no use -- the Floyd | polymer doesn't even begin to buckle. Floyd | | DavidW says, "I haven't played this chapter." | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x door" | ||||
Floyd | >A smooth sheet of polymer completely fills the doorway to the north. Floyd | It even seems to have cut into the rock beneath it to create an Floyd | effective seal. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "x rock" | ||||
Floyd | >Unlike the other parts of the fortress, the floor here isn't made of Floyd | alien polymer. Instead, the walls seem to rest on bare, uneven rock. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "hit rock" | ||||
Floyd | >You drive your mighty fingers into the stone beneath the door, Floyd | pulling them back to cut deep grooves into the living rock. You could Floyd | easily grip the bottom of the door now. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "lift door" | ||||
Floyd | >You squat, reaching into the grooves you've made in the stone floor Floyd | to grip the polymer sheet's bottom edge. With a deep breath, you Floyd | unbend your knees and thrust your arms upward. The lab door resists Floyd | your efforts with incredible power, but you manage to create an Floyd | aperture large enough for you and Emily to go through. You're not sure Floyd | how much longer you can hold the door up, though. Floyd | | inky says, "sometimes I guess you have to smash something other than your main target to enable you to more fully smash the main target" | |||
| inky says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Emily] Floyd | Floyd | Outside The Lab Door Floyd | This is a small, sterile room, about the size of a walk-in closet. The Floyd | floor here seems to be made of bare rock, pitted by Austin's powerful Floyd | fingers. Austin is holding up a grey polymer barrier with great Floyd | effort, creating an aperture to the north. Behind you is a transport Floyd | tube entrance. Floyd | Floyd | All of Austin's attention is focused on holding up the polymer sheet. Floyd | | ||||
| inky says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | >You scamper through the aperture, and Austin wrenches himself to the Floyd | other side of the door. It slams shut when he lets go of it. Floyd | Floyd | Esrrua's Lab Floyd | Even though this room is filled with clutter and equipment, it still Floyd | has about as much open floor space as half a basketball court. A large Floyd | window occupies much of its west wall, through which you can see Floyd | another room, where one of the cat-aliens stands before a broad Floyd | control panel. Byzantine machinery dominates all the other walls, and Floyd | at the far north end of both rooms, a teleportation curtain shimmers Floyd | and pulsates. Just behind you, to the south, the unbreakable polymer Floyd | sheet once again blocks the exit. A monitor window floats in the air, Floyd | displaying a view of the dilapidated road that winds just west of this Floyd | fortress. Several clear chambers, one of which is filled with a Floyd | swirling green cloud, reach to the ceiling. Floyd | Floyd | Austin stands next to you, his eyes taking in everything. Floyd | Floyd | In the center of the room stands another of the cat-aliens: a humanoid Floyd | figure, well over seven feet tall and heavily muscled. It whirls to Floyd | face you, and its oval-slitted eyes glare savagely. The creature bares Floyd | its teeth, flattens its ears, and drops into a crouch. This can be Floyd | none other than Esrrua. Floyd | Floyd | By Esrrua's side, a white, amorphous mass trembles, sending out eager Floyd | pseudopods in your direction. The thing is large, as tall as Esrrua Floyd | and half again as wide, but it is shapeless, constantly rippling its Floyd | boundaries like a gigantic, puffy amoeba. Floyd | Floyd | "SO!" shouts Esrrua imperiously. "Still more apelings come to plague Floyd | the progress of science! But you are too late! TOO LATE!" Floyd | Floyd | He turns toward the window and points at the control panel. "Maerr, Floyd | release the bacteria!" Floyd | Floyd | Turning back to you, he curls his lip. "I will not taint my paws with Floyd | your stink, dirty apelings, when my niarr can destroy you instead!" Floyd | Floyd | "DEVOUR THEM!" he shouts, and the white blob surges forward, long Floyd | pseudopods writhing at its perimeter! Floyd | | Paul says (to inky), "Heh" | |||
| Jacqueline has to buy more stuff to keep her internet going. | ||||
| Jacqueline returns with an Italian soda and a bagel, and recaps. | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "zap blob" | ||||
Floyd | >KER-POW! Blue lightning flows from your fingertips into the niarr, Floyd | and for a moment, the creature grows rigid, processing the incredible Floyd | energy of your blast. Then it swells, expanding to almost double its Floyd | previous size. The niarr extends its tentacles again, apparently Floyd | hungrier than ever! Floyd | Floyd | Meanwhile, your brother is pummeling the niarr, and the creature seems Floyd | to swell with every blow. It's now about quadruple the size it was Floyd | when you came in. Floyd | Floyd | Simultaneously, Maerr's paws skitter rapidly across the control panel, Floyd | and a hissing sound fills the air. "Bacteria released!" he shouts Floyd | triumphantly over an intercom, and the green gas roils upwards, Floyd | disappearing from its chamber. A moment later, the monitor displays a Floyd | hidden hatch opening in the ground next to the road, and a noxious Floyd | cloud of viridian vapor spews forth! The cloud expands in all Floyd | directions, not dissipating but rather multiplying, heading inexorably Floyd | towards the towns and cities of New Mexico, ground zero for the Floyd | upcoming worldwide infection. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | *** Humanity is doomed *** Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, UNDO your last move Floyd | or QUIT? | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo" | ||||
Floyd | > Esrrua's Lab Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | | inky says, "wow, ok, that was less turns than I expected" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "fog maerr" | ||||
Floyd | >You concentrate, and a thick cloud of grey fog envelopes Maerr. You Floyd | see the cloud moving frantically, and hear the alien's voice over an Floyd | intercom, crying, "Science Master Esrrua, I... I cannot see! I cannot Floyd | trigger the release sequence!" Floyd | Floyd | "NOOOOO!" screams Esrrua. "I cannot be thwarted when I am so close! Floyd | Apeling, I shall kill you myself!" With this, he springs forward, Floyd | claws extended and reaching for your face! Floyd | Floyd | Meanwhile, you hear Austin's fist slam into the niarr with a muffled Floyd | WHUMP! The skysuit's mask doesn't leave you much peripheral vision, Floyd | but it's enough to tell you that the white mass is growing at an Floyd | alarming rate, swelling in proportion to the force of your brother's Floyd | blows. It's now about double the size it was when you came in. So why Floyd | does he keep hitting it? Floyd | | Lucea says, "be back in a bit" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "[band-name] Eager Pseudopods" | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "fly" | ||||
Floyd | >The ceiling is low enough that all you could do is hover a foot or so Floyd | above the ground, so you don't bother. Floyd | Floyd | In an instant, Esrrua is upon you, his claws slashing through the Floyd | skysuit to tear open your throat with unerring precision. Floyd | Consciousness flows out of you as fast as the blood gushes from your Floyd | jugular vein. Your last sight is of Austin looking with horror at your Floyd | prone form and screaming, "NO!" Floyd | Floyd | Your brother's fists fly at your alien assassin... the bloated niarr Floyd | looms to consume him... blackness descends. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | *** You have fallen *** Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, UNDO your last move Floyd | or QUIT? | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo" | ||||
Floyd | > Esrrua's Lab Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "eeeagh" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "zap esrrua" | ||||
Floyd | >You extend both your hands, and KER-POW! A huge blast of lightning Floyd | jumps from your fingers, hitting Esrrua directly in the chest! His Floyd | body flies backwards, its fur all stood on end, and lands in a heap Floyd | just short of the teleportation curtain, still convulsing. Floyd | Floyd | Simultaneously, your brother directs a fierce karate kick at the Floyd | niarr, and it lands with a booming WHUMP! Once again, the creature Floyd | absorbs his blow, expanding like a water balloon hooked to a firehose! Floyd | The niarr now takes up almost half the room, and it practically Floyd | vibrates with absorbed energy. A thousand pseudopods shoot out from Floyd | its edges, grasping at him! Floyd | Floyd | You hear an anguished, inarticulate scream over the intercom, and the Floyd | sound of shattering glass. The cloud of fog is on the move, flowing Floyd | through the broken window, and a screeching voice emerges from within Floyd | it. "I cannot see you, murdering simians, but your stench is Floyd | unmistakable!" Floyd | Floyd | "Okay, so powersuit fabric isn't very breathable!" shouts Austin. Floyd | Floyd | Then the cloud charges at you, covering the distance with alarming Floyd | speed! Floyd | | Taleslinger says, "have we saved" | |||
| inky says, "the world? not quite" | ||||
| Alex says (to inky), "Awwwk! Word on the street is that the world is pink." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "We did, right when the parents died/" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "er, were knocked down, that is." | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "fog cloud" | ||||
Floyd | >(cloud of fog) Floyd | You concentrate on fogging cloud of fog, but nothing happens. Floyd | Floyd | Simultaneously, your brother directs a fierce karate kick at the Floyd | niarr, and it lands with a booming WHUMP! Once again, the creature Floyd | absorbs his blow! The thing is standing still, vibrating, obscuring Floyd | your view of the entire room now, all of its attention apparently Floyd | focused on keeping itself intact. Floyd | Floyd | With astonishing speed, Maerr's claws reach your face. You feel Floyd | lacerating pain as your flesh splits and tears, you hear your Floyd | brother's distant shouts, and quickly enough, you slip into blessed Floyd | unconsciousness. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | *** You have fallen *** Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, UNDO your last move Floyd | or QUIT? | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "undo" | ||||
Floyd | > Esrrua's Lab Floyd | [Previous turn undone.] Floyd | | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "zap blob" | ||||
Floyd | >KER-POW! Blue lightning flows from your fingertips into the niarr, Floyd | and for a moment, the creature grows rigid, processing the incredible Floyd | energy of your blast. Then it swells, to fill almost the whole room! Floyd | The thing is standing still, vibrating, all of its attention Floyd | apparently focused on keeping itself intact. Floyd | Floyd | WHAM! Austin's fist hurtles into the cloud and connects with Maerr's Floyd | chest! The alien's body flies out the back of the fog cloud, Floyd | dispersing the vapor and skidding backwards to land alongside Esrrua. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | KA-BLAMMO! Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | | Taleslinger asks, "Maybe we should switch an stop Austin (ehem) enlargement plans?" | |||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | The explosion was so sudden, so overwhelming that there was no time to Floyd | protect yourself, no time for anything but flying backwards into the Floyd | wall. When the blackness in your head lifts, the room is much changed. Floyd | Floyd | The niarr is gone, though the walls are smeared with white goo and a Floyd | sour smell hangs in the air. Gone as well are Esrrua and Maerr, Floyd | apparently blown through the teleportation curtain shortly before it, Floyd | too, disappeared. And now the room itself seems to be unraveling, Floyd | while a series of yowls repeat in the air, conveniently translated by Floyd | the software in your suit: Floyd | Floyd | "Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence commenced... Floyd | Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence commenced..." Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Esrrua's Lab Floyd | All of the equipment that was in this room is gone, and even the walls Floyd | themselves seem to be rapidly dissolving, melting away before your Floyd | eyes like film over a candle. Chunks of dirt and large rocks are Floyd | falling through the rapidly opening holes, and the room seems to be a Floyd | hair's breadth from collapsing outright! Floyd | Floyd | One beneficial side-effect of the ongoing room-erasure is that the Floyd | passage to the south has reopened, and a lucky thing, too, since Floyd | that's the only way out of here. Floyd | Floyd | Austin is beside you, looking deeply alarmed. Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | >Austin follows you. Floyd | Floyd | Outside The Lab Door Floyd | Holes are appearing in the walls of this room, but it's still more or Floyd | less retaining its shape for the moment. The doorway to the north is Floyd | blocked by thousands of tons of caved-in earth, but the transport tube Floyd | is unscathed, at least for now. Floyd | Floyd | Austin is running right behind you. Floyd | Floyd | The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm Floyd | alien voice keeps advising you: Floyd | Floyd | "Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Floyd | Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..." Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "enter tube" | ||||
Floyd | >You step into the tube, and there is a WHOOSH of air with the Floyd | sensation of upward motion; you step out into new surroundings. Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor South Floyd | You were last in this corridor on your way to battle Esrrua, and now Floyd | it is unraveling along with the rest of the fortress. The dissolution Floyd | has begin with the transport tube, which pretty much disappeared the Floyd | moment you stepped out of it, and the walls continue to eat themselves Floyd | with each passing moment! The corridor continues north, at least for Floyd | the moment. Floyd | Floyd | Austin steps out of the tube a second behind you. Floyd | Floyd | The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm Floyd | alien voice keeps advising you: Floyd | Floyd | "Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Floyd | Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..." Floyd | | DavidW says, "We need to go up, yeah" | |||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | >Austin follows you. Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor Floyd | The corridor has almost collapsed already -- the only things keeping Floyd | the ceiling from caving in are the pipes above you, which have bowed Floyd | to an alarming degree, dipping to less than a foot above your head. Floyd | Dirt and rocks fall between them in a constant rain. The south end of Floyd | the corridor has caved in completely. Even worse, a huge boulder has Floyd | rolled into the corridor, blocking your path completely! Floyd | Floyd | Austin is running right behind you. Floyd | Floyd | An enormous piece of rocky debris fills the corridor. Floyd | Floyd | The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm Floyd | alien voice keeps advising you: Floyd | Floyd | "Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Floyd | Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..." Floyd | | ||||
| Taleslinger says (to Floyd), "save" | Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "Nope." | |||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "fdkjfkd" | ||||
Floyd | >Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "SAVE" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Floyd), "cf6" | ||||
Floyd | >Enter saved game to store: Ok. Floyd | | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "c" | ||||
Floyd | >[now controlling Austin] Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor Floyd | The walls are a little more than half gone now, and continuing to Floyd | disappear rapidly! Even worse, the pipes above are themselves Floyd | dissolving, and the incoming earth narrows your space every second. Floyd | There's still time to make it north or east if you hurry. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is flying right behind you. Floyd | Floyd | An enormous piece of rocky debris fills the corridor. Floyd | | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "hit debris" | ||||
Floyd | >SMASH! With a mighty blow, you shatter the great rock into gravel! Floyd | With the boulder gone, you can see that as the walls continue to Floyd | unravel, the barrier to the east has melted away. A northern route Floyd | into unknown territory is also open. Floyd | Floyd | The room is just seconds away from collapsing! Floyd | | Jacqueline says (to Taleslinger), "Type >PUSH SAVE (not to Floyd) to save sequentially." | |||
| Taleslinger says, "ah, i forgot" | ||||
| DavidW asks, "ooh. North or east?" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Otherwise is screws up the numbering." | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "north." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "n" | ||||
Floyd | >Emily follows you. Floyd | Floyd | Deep Corridor North Floyd | Like the rest of the fortress, this corridor is about to cease Floyd | existing. The self-consumption virus is spreading from the south, and Floyd | coming closer and closer to the transportation tube at the north end Floyd | of the corridor. Rubble blocks the path south, and what looks like it Floyd | might have been another tube on the west wall, so that remaining tube Floyd | is looking like your best and only option. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is flying right behind you. Floyd | Floyd | The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm Floyd | alien voice keeps advising you: Floyd | Floyd | "Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Floyd | Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..." Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "I wonder if that's being said in that sexy StarTrek female computer voice." | |||
| DavidW says, "Let's assume so." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Okay." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "enter tube" | ||||
Floyd | >You step into the tube, and there is a WHOOSH of air with the Floyd | sensation of upward motion; you step out into new surroundings. Floyd | Floyd | T Junction Floyd | The decay has advanced considerably around you, and the entire Floyd | fortress looks on the verge of disintegration. Collapsed ceilings Floyd | block the way west and south, and the ongoing cave-in continues to Floyd | force you eastwards. The walls keep liquefying, and the ceiling here Floyd | is shuddering unsteadily. Floyd | Floyd | Emily floats out of the tube a second behind you. Floyd | Floyd | The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm Floyd | alien voice keeps advising you: Floyd | Floyd | "Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Floyd | Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..." Floyd | | schep says, "yes, except the cat version of that" | |||
| Jacqueline says, "MeroOOW." | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "e" | ||||
Floyd | >Emily follows you. Floyd | Floyd | East Corridor Floyd | Alarming holes keep blooming in the walls, and the ceiling sways Floyd | drunkenly. An archway offers escape to the south. Floyd | Floyd | Emily is flying right behind you. Floyd | Floyd | An archway leads south into shadow. Floyd | Floyd | The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm Floyd | alien voice keeps advising you: Floyd | Floyd | "Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Floyd | Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..." Floyd | | ||||
| DavidW says (to Floyd), "s" | ||||
Floyd | >You and Emily dash through the archway as the room falls apart behind Floyd | you! Floyd | Floyd | | Jacqueline says, "Crikey." | |||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||||
Floyd | [Please press a key to continue] Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | The fortress is disintegrating all around you, but the ceiling here is Floyd | open, and the pipe-covered vehicle hovers about eight feet off the Floyd | ground. The vehicle's floor is transparent, and through it you can see Floyd | Mom and Dad, along with an older man who must be Thaddeus Andrews, Floyd | urging you to enter via a large hatch. A quick jump and you're in, Floyd | with Emily swooping right behind you. The hatch closes, Dad Floyd | manipulates an alien device, and the vehicle rises higher. Through its Floyd | floor, you can see the last of the fortress consume itself into Floyd | nonexistence, with only a sinkhole in the desert to suggest anything Floyd | of Earth's first contact with an extraterrestrial species. Floyd | Floyd | "Austin!" says Emily, grabbing your arm, "We did it! We found Mom and Floyd | Dad, and basically saved the world in the process! The freaking world, Floyd | Austin! We are superheroes! We are a family of superheroes, and my Floyd | GOD, we rock!" Floyd | Floyd | Yeah. Saved the world. You did, didn't you? Floyd | Floyd | Life is going to be a whole lot different now. That's the thought that Floyd | keeps going through your head as you sail westward, in an alien Floyd | vehicle, with your super-powered family, into the luminous horizon. Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | *** You have won *** Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Floyd | Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, UNDO your last move Floyd | or QUIT? | Jacqueline says, "The FREAKING WORLD!" | |||
| inky says, "aw yeah" | ||||
| schep exclaims, "hooray!" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "We do indeed rock." | ||||
| schep asks, "dare I ask if there might be further adventures to come?" | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "yes!" | ||||
| Skyy decides it's time for some Skyy. | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "(Sadly, the name 'Sky' was taken.)" | ||||
| inky says (to Jacqueline), "yeah, try finger sky" | ||||
| Jacqueline asks (of schep), "Good question. Paul?" | ||||
| Paul says, "Not in the near future, at least. I would love to do it, but stupid real life is in the way." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "I hate that. Yeah." | ||||
| inky says, "you need to train your kid to write IF" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Stupid RL." | ||||
| Paul says (to Jacq), "I had ifMUD E & S avatars made for some xyzzy awards ceremony." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Ahh.... hence the name being taken. Heh." | ||||
| Lucea says, "heh" | ||||
| Paul says (to inky), "That day may come. He is already amazing me by reading." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "Now that I've played this game, I'm wondering if I couldn't find a way to train my cats to write IF. If cats can do science..." | ||||
| inky says, "awesome" | ||||
| inky says, "hee hee" | ||||
| inky says, "yeah, but based on this, your cats would write evil IF" | ||||
| Paul says (to Jacq), "I would totally pay to play an IF game written by a cat." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Paul), "Thank you so much for showing up for all three of these." | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Paul), "Commercial IF may yet be revived." | ||||
| Paul exclaims, "Thanks for inviting me, and more to the point, for choosing them to play!" | ||||
| Paul says (to Jacq), "We'll see." | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "It was neat to play a trilogy over three sessions." | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "want sequels!" | ||||
| Jacqueline says (to Paul), "No, seriously. All I have to do is teach Skookum to write and Taiya to beta test." | ||||
| schep has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge. | Paul says, "It's so fun to watch a session in progress. Though I am a bit sore from multiple wincings during this one." | |||
| Taleslinger says (to taiya), "No, sleeping on the keyboard is not beta-testing!" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "There are totally enough cats owned by Mudders. Maybe a Feline Whispers is in order." | ||||
| DavidW says, "IF Whiskers" | ||||
| Jacqueline says, "YAY" | ||||
| Jacqueline cackles. | ||||
| Paul says (to DavidW), "Yay" | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "Lucy would look at the screen and run away." | ||||
| Taleslinger says, "yay!" | ||||
| olethros disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | inky says, "ha ha" | |||
| inky has had his fill of playing for now, and goes back to the Lounge. | ||||
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