(For all the people who don't have a clue what this is all about, please check out the thread Most Common Theme in Adventure Games.)


Chapter one, Introduction

You switch off the computer and go to bed. It's hard to fall asleep after finishing the game. There's a lot to think about, the game was very interesting, or maybe confusing is a more fitting term!
The next morning your clock radio awakens you. It's a news bulletin. The Netherlands defeated Italy in the European Championships with a score of 3-0! Immediately you are wide awake.
After a quick shower you dress to go to work, no time for breakfast now. Time is running out on you. Rushing outside, you're just able to get on the bus to your work. Half an hour later you arrive at the office building where you work.

>enter building

You're not playing computer games, this is the real world!
Oops, you realize you did fall back to your gaming habits.

Walking into the building, you see some colleagues from the office. You greet them and some greet you, but most of them are just staring at you in a peculiar way. You're not still wearing the dunce hat, are you? You put your hands on your head, no, the dunce hat is gone. So why are they looking at you in such a strange manner? You take the elevator to the 13th floor and go to your desk.

The desk looks very orderly, you're sure that's not the way you left it the last time you were here! After turning on the computer, you try to log in. Somehow you're not able to do so. The phone rings....
It's the boss, "Mr. Playor, come to my office please!"
That's nice of him, in all the years you worked here, this is the first time you are invited to come to his office! This can only mean one thing, a promotion. You better go to his office quickly.
You hurry to the office, the manager looks at you.
"Mr. Archibald Graham Playor, it's so kind of you to honour us with a visit. Especially after all the weeks you didn't show up here at work, without any notice of you being ill or any other reason for you not coming. I'm glad to say you're fired, over there in the corner is box with your personal belongings, take it and leave the premises. The security people will guide you out. Goodbye Mr. Playor!"
You're baffled, you pick up the box and walk out. Two guards accompany you to the first floor and out of the door. Clouds are gathering, it looks like a thunderstorm is building up. You look what's inside the cardboard box, it's just your collection of bright yellow rubber duckies. You throw the box into a garbage container and you go home.

Back home, you see the front door is open, through the window a young woman can be seen sitting in the living room. Who is she, why is she in your house?
You go in, knowing you will be able to deal with girl! Before you realize what's happening you are on the floor, held down in an amazingly tight grip, "Don't try anything stupid Archie, after I release you, you'll sit down and listen to me!" Hmm, it could be worth listening to her, even if it's just to get out of this unpleasant position. She loosens the grip and you sit down on the couch.

"Listen Grasshopper and listen very well, I'll be saying this only once. My name is Gina, I work for the Confucius Information Authority."
"The Confused Information Authority?"
"I told you to listen, you idiot. The game you played the last weeks was merely a test to see how well you perform under stress and strange situations. You passed, although you made some strange decisions, to put it mildly. The director wants you to find out more about a strange phenomenon. You know everything on earth is caused by cycles, don't you? The cycle of earth going around the the sun, the cycle of the seasons, the cycle of fashions, the cycle of life and death and many, many more. All of these cycles we know now and we can predict them, but there's one cycle we can't predict. Many people call it the Chaos Cycle, we however prefer to use the term Pandora Pendulum.... It will be your task to find the origin of this mischievous mayhem and I will be helping you. Do you accept this task?"

Totally overwhelmed by the situation and Gina's perfume you nod.

"Alright then, I've some cute gadgets for you. A u-phone with PomPom navigation software, these cool shades and a pen. You will have to find the source of all erratic events. The best way to do so, is to go and talk to the people who are influenced by it most. I'll leave now, I'll contact you later. Bye Archie!"

Before you can say anything Gina is gone, you look at the nice toys she gave you. The shades are really cool, you put them on and you feel like a man in black. You try the pen, but there's no bright light coming out of it as you push the button, bummer. The u-phone shows two pictograms, the PomPom navigation program and a file called ComicBook.pdf.
The thunderstorm that was building is starting now, thunder and lightning follow each other in an increasing speed.
You start the navigation program on the u-phone, there's only one destination available, the sanatorium. You press the icon.


Chapter 2, the sanatorium.

You're in front of the sanatorium, the main gate is closed. The thunderstorm is reaching its peak, rain falls down like waterfall...



Bernard

Bernard,

Have you realized how brave we are when we have a save chance? Maybe you should've pressed your save button of real life last night.

Oh, Bernard

Is this a new adventure game?

Darleen, please read Bernard's first post:

Thanks, Again...Ana

Darleen -- the link above shows a recent thread that started out as a discussion of the most common themes in adventure games, and then spontaneously became a sort of group variant of a text adventure that used those common themes. This "text adventure" used the ideas and contributions of several GameBoomers, as you can see if you look through the 25 pages of the old topic.

A new chapter of the text adventure is opening on this thread, and anyone who wants to be part of it is encouraged to join in!

I'm confused already.

I think that "more will follow" means that Bernard will be posting more of the story/situation soon.

Are you/we sure that Bernard hasn't left the next paragraph/action to the next player who wishes to join in so as to continue this 'thread'?
RayBres and Darleen, the idea was and is that anyone who wishes to join in this new 'creation' of an Adventure Game storyline would/could now add the next part of the story to what Bernard has started, taking this storyline off into the world we all 'live' in as we play our varied adventure/rpg games and it makes for one whacky tale with the added laughs of things done in other games or items collected and how they may be used.......take a look at the 'other thread' and you will soon get the idea of how it is played. BTW, how's the weather back there in your area of Chicago? I was born and raised there, retired here to CA in '94.
Love, Betty Lou

Hi all Bernard will be posting the introduction to a new adventure - watch this space! When he does, please join in!

Well guys and girls, the introduction is finished. Sorry it took so long but life can be like an adventure game, it never stops to surprise you!
All of you are welcome to join and co-write the new story! Don't be shy, this is an opportunity to realize the dream of writing your own game.


Bernard

To your north is the main gate. To the south is a road winding away, bordered by tall trees. To the west is a path leading along the wrought iron fence. To the east is a forest, with a clearing in the distance where you can see several large, strangely-shaped stones.

>Open gate.

The gate is locked.

>Examine gate.

The gate is made of wrought iron, like the fence. You see an intercom attached to a stone column to the right of the gate.

>Use intercom.

You push a button. Nothing happens. You push another button. Silence. “Is anybody there?” you shout into the intercom. More silence.

>Inv

Inventory contains:

A wire retainer
A live hamster
Shades
A pen
A piece of paper with the letter “S” in parser tongue
A fake Aztec statue
An emerald
A thermal detonator
You are also carrying your u-phone

>Use hamster with intercom.

The hamster ignores the intercom.

>Use fake Aztec statue with intercom.

You bash the intercom with the statue. One of the intercom buttons pops out. Inside you see a frayed wire.

>Use shades.

You put on the shades, which makes it almost impossible to see at all, with the dark and the rain. Thunder rumbles overhead, and you glance to the east. Lightning suddenly strikes, illuminating the clearing with the gigantic stones. You are astonished to see an infrared image appearing on one of the stones. You remove the shades and examine them closely as water drips down your nose – do the shades have a function you didn’t know about? They look perfectly normal.

Suddenly, a garbled voice comes out of the intercom.

“…attempted escape…odd…fireplace…symbol of Cthulhu…”

There’s the sound of static from the intercom, and then it goes dead.

>_

>Examine intercom.
The intercom button has popped out & inside you can see a frayed wire. Maybe you can repair it.

>Look in inventory. “Ah” you think to yourself “maybe the Wire Retainer might do the trick”.

As you take it out of your pocket you hear the sound of a large yawn followed by coughing & spluttering. You then hear the Retainer slowly breath in very deeply & then breath out again “At last” it says “it’s good to get some air into my lungs…. erm, well it’s good to get some air but brrr! it’s sure cold here. ”

“Listen Retainer” you say “I need to use you to try & repair this intercom wire just for a few moments so that I can contact someone in the sanatorium to open the gate.”

“That sound wonderful “ the Retainer replies “that’ll soon warm me up……….Just a minute!…..What sanatorium?....Where are we?........ Where is everyone?.............. How did I get into your pocket? The last time I remember I was hanging from a tree in a greasy handbag that stank of rancid butter, going moldy. Uh! I felt so ill!”

“I’m sorry about that” you say “but it was to keep you safe. You’ve must have been asleep for quite a long time & a lot happened. I’ll tell you about it here & there when I’ve got time but right now I need to get through this gate.”

You tell the Retainer about losing your job, Gina & your current ‘assignment’.
The Retainer extends his sympathies, formally introduces himself as Dean Gum Tooth & requests that you call him Dean.

>Use Dean on intercom wire. The wire now buzzes into life.

>Press remaining button on intercom. A shrill female voice answers “Yes?” You answer explaining that you are doing some research & would like to interview some of the patients.

“Who are you?” the woman asks. “Mr Archibald Graham Player” you say suddenly realising this is not going to work. “MR?” the voice replies “you don’t sound like a man, have you got an identity card?” “No” you say & the voice sneeringly retorts “well, you can’t come in then!”.

>Take Dean, who is now warm & satisfied, & put back in inventory.

You have an identity card at home but the trouble is you have a man’s name, your mugshot is of a St Bernard dog & at the moment you are female & attired in a beautiful ornate Egyptian headdress. What can you do?
>

>Put on shades

You put the shades back on.

>Use retainer on intercom

"Yeesh lady...er...mister....person...." complains Dean, "I was just starting to warm up!" Grumbling, the retainer hooks into the intercom again.

A croaking male voice answers, “Yes?”

>Ask Dean to speak for you.

Dean explains that you are doing some research and would like to interview some of the patients.

“Who are you?” the man asks.

“Mr Archibald Graham Playor,” responds Dean, in an unmistakably male voice.

The intercom crackles again. "Have you got an identity card?”

"I'm sorry," you complain, forgetting yourself for a moment, "but didn't I just have this conversation? With a woman?"

"Did you?" returns the troubled voice on the other end. "Did you indeed? Oh dear, oh dear, not again...things have been so hectic lately. In fact, I could have sworn I was just speaking to...well, never mind that. Mr. Fink-Nottle, you'll find your identification card in the box near the entryway. I'll send Bertram down to show you up, and then I can speak to you about your new duties. Now then, how do I turn this silly thing--"

Before you can say anything in response, there is a sharp click from the intercom, and the line goes dead. Lazily, the gate swings open.

>er..

The command "er.." is unrecognized.

>Take retainer

You place Dean back in your inventory.

>Enter gate

You enter through the gate, which closes behind you. To your left is a small box marked "Employee IDs". In front of you is a flight of stairs leading to the main entrance to the sanatorium, which is barred and locked with a stout padlock.

>Take ID

You rummage through the Employee IDs until you find one labeled "Edmund Fink-Nottle". Apparently Edmund is a 13-year-old 5' 10" tall male Daschund with red hair and green eyes. At the bottom of the ID card it lists his job description as "Cleaning Lady."

Just as you finish reading the card, you hear a clinking at the door as a tall, dark figure unlocks the sanatorium's padlock and swings open the front door. He walks down the stairs to greet you solemnly.

"Ah," says the butler, looking at your shades. "You must be Mr. Fink-Nottle. The master asked me to bring you to his study. I assume, of course, you have your ID?"

>Give ID to butler

The butler squints at your ID for a disturbingly long time before shaking his head and handing it back to you with a taut nod. "Yes, well, that all looks to be in order. I didn't recognize you at first behind the glasses and the hat, but clearly the likeness is unmistakable! Come in."

You follow the butler down a long, dark, wood-paneled hallway. The corridor is lit at intervals with lamps that throw a web-like pattern over the walls and ceiling. A few paintings hang on the walls, showing lonely landscapes with dead, gnarled trees and formless shadows.

You turn a corner and almost trip over a thin girl wearing a hospital gown and holding a blue stuffed rabbit. “I-I’m sorry, miss…” you stutter.

“Edna,” says a squeaky voice that comes from the direction of the stuffed rabbit. “Her name is Edna.” Edna’s eyes remain completely blank.

You follow the butler up a winding staircase and down another corridor. This corridor has windows, one of which has been recently smashed. Buckets and towels have been placed under the window in an attempt to contain the rain that is pouring through the broken glass. The butler pauses in front of a door, opens it, and announces you. He then holds the door open for you. “Dr. Pinkibender will see you now,” he says.

>Enter room.

You enter the room, which is rather small, with books stacked in piles and a desk that takes up half the room. Next to the desk is a fireplace that seems cavernous for such a small space. Behind the desk is a thin man with a bulbous nose, wearing a tan suit and a deer-stalker hat. Traces of ash are on his lower left sleeve. He is smoking a pipe, and bears a striking resemblance to a Great Dane.

He looks at you with kind, sad eyes.

“You bring both life and death,” he says. “Shall we abandon pretence? I know that your skill as a cleaning lady is, shall we say, nonexistent. Is there something else you can offer me?”

>Give emerald to Dr. Pinkibender.

The eyes of the man across the desk become, if possible, even sadder. “I didn’t look for a bribe from you,” he says. “Did you mean to insult me?”

>Give hamster to Dr. Pinkibender.

The hamster ignores Dr. Pinkibender.

>Give thermal detonator to Dr. Pinkibender.

“Aha!” says the man behind the desk as he gingerly accepts the thermal detonator. “Yes, this IS a little beauty. Is the baradium core intact?”

>_

He shakes the detonator roughly and places it back on his desk with a sigh. "Ah, what a pity. There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom! I see I have my work cut out for me--but no matter. I would ask you why you have come here, but I suspect you're not sure yourself. Fortunately, I pride myself on my deductive reasoning, and I hope you will indulge me by allowing me to put my skills to work."

He steeples his long fingers and peers at you, apparently waiting for confirmation. You nod silently, and he continues in a brusk tone.

"I see that you are of Egyptian origin. You are photophobic, and wield the disastrous last name of Fink-Nottle, for which you curse your parents on a fortnightly basis. That it is not an Egyptian name you owe to a mistake on your birth certificate which in the end cost three others their lives--all unbeknownst to you. You are skilled in the art of disguise, and through a remarkable feat of legerdemain you stole a rare emerald from beneath the watchful gaze of the British Guard. Seeking refuge from those pursuing you for theft--and perhaps with some guilt in your heart--you come here to seek employment and to help those of infirm mind and few resources. You carry a small hamster with you, no doubt feeling residual karmic guilt over some small indiscretion in a previous life of yours."

You're not sure, but you suspect that almost everything the doctor just said has been wrong. Rather than say so, however, you merely raise your eyebrow a bit to indicate appropriate awe. Seeing this, the doctor gleefully stands and crosses to the fire, where he crosses his hands behind him and continues briskly.

"Speaking of which, down the stairs, through the library and down a short hallway you will find our staff room, in which you will find includes a variety of vending machines, a poorly stocked pantry, a small table, a black-and-white television and...a microwave. We did have a stove some time ago, but you will find that--following a rather deplorable incident involving silly string and a sausage-in-a-bun--it was rendered nonfunctional.

I am afraid that since that time we have not allowed open flames in the Sanatorium. I am sure you will...understand." He looks into a mirror hanging over the fireplace and, seeing the direction of your gaze, he taps the stem of his pipe on the edge of the mantle, turns, raises the pipe to his lips, and blows a bubble from the other end.

"Habit, I'm afraid," he explains. "I have been forced to do without matches, of course, and I find the act of chewing tobacco to be most distasteful. I hope I do not flatter myself by saying that I possess an iron will and a most useful butler, who when the effort is needed can be quite persuasive. With firm dilligence I was able to distract myself from the need for tobacco--but I soon found myself craving something to chew on. This suffices, and is infinitely more dignified than a rubber bone." By this point, you're struggling very hard not to burst into an uncontrollable fit of giggles: fortunately, Dr. Pinkibender mistakes your expression for garden-variety bemusement, and smiles condescendingly as he returns to stand behind his desk.

"Obviously my powers of deduction have left you at a loss for words: such is the effect I invariably have upon people. But I have held you here long enough. I suspect you are both hungry and tired.

Normally you would eat in the staff room, but for today you are a guest. Bertram shall arrive momentarily: he will lead you to the dining room, where you shall find supper and a small assortment of items I believe you will find useful.

Afterwards Bertram shall lead you to your room, where you will reside for the remainder of your stay--when you are not working, of course. Tomorrow I shall introduce you to the unfortunate souls you have come to assist."

You thank the doctor for his hospitality, and he shrugs politely. "You should expect nothing less. As my guest, I cannot treat you otherwise." There is a sharp knock at the door, and the butler enters, stooping slightly to fit through the doorway. He shifts to a corner by the door and waits silently.

"Ah, Bertram," says the doctor warmly. "You will escort Mr. Fink-Nottle to the dining room, where he shall eat, and then to his room, where, I hope, he shall not eat."

"Very good, sir," replies Bertram dryly. He turns to open the door for you. As you get up to leave, the doctor comes forward and shakes your hand, then speaks in a slightly apologetic tone.

"You will, I trust, excuse me that I do not join you; but I have dined already, and I do not sup." He returns to his desk, sits, and starts polishing his thermal detonator. Your interview over, you follow the butler through the doorway, which closes firmly behind you, leaving you in the gloomy darkness of the hallway, the plodding drip of water near the windowsill somehow matching the cadence of Bertram's footsteps.

>Where have I heard that before?

Query is inspecific. Please restrict search.

>Where have I heard "I have dined already, and I do not sup?"

Searching

Source match: Journal of Jonathan Harker. Relevance: unkown.

>You know, the parser may have been an evil, manipulative jerk, but at least he was useful...

The phrase "useful" is unrecognized.

>Of course it is.
>On an unrelated note, that was a pretty nice trick Dr. Pinkibender pulled with the mirror.

"Ah," says Dean. "Yes. A trick. That's what that was. Trick of the light. I'm glad you noticed. Very good catch, that was. I'm quite impressed."

>Well, I, for one, thought it was a most fascinating illusion, Mr. Plastic Retainer. Clearly some of us do not appreciate fine art.

"Clearly," retorts Dean, subsiding into stubborn silence.

REM I think he DID get that bit right.

REM Yes, well, I did say almost.

Google "I have dined already, and I do not sup."

The word "google" is unrecognized. Did you mean "giggle"?

>I miss the old parser. Okay, it was corrupt but at least it was competent!

I am a parser in training, studying parser tongue for the past 300 years. You chose to reject the use of a fully qualified parser at the beginning of this adventure. Do you wish to register a complaint with the Management about my performance?

>Parser-in-training, are you honest and trustworthy?

Only fully trained, qualified parsers are advanced enough to be untrustworthy. You may trust me.

>Parser-in-training, do you have an identity?

You may call me Clarence.

>Clarence, can you tell me why Dr. Pinkibender's reflection doesn't show up in his mirror?

Combining "Useless Trivia" database with "Partially Tested Guessing Function." These are the possibilities:

• The mirror is, in reality, an interdimensional portal and not a mirror.
• Dr. Pinkibender is a physical anomaly who absorbs light.
• The mirror's surface is distorted so that a person must stand to the side, rather than in front, in order to have his image reflected.
• Dr. Pinkibender is a vampire.

Bertram has arrived at the dining room, and motions for you to enter.

>Enter dining room.

The dining room is huge, with a wooden-beamed ceiling and many windows. There is a dinner buffet set up in the middle of the room, and tables both large and small are arranged around it. The room is full of people -- some are clearly staff members in uniform, others appear to be patients.

One patient seems to be holding court, as though she is royalty. Other patients are characterized by an extremely odd appearance, having features that make them seem animal-like. One patient is part man, part bear. Another has the body of a woman and the head of a duckbilled platypus. Yet another patient has the face and torso of a woman and the arms and legs of an aardvark. A staff members sits next to them at the table, pouring out glasses of red wine.

>_

As she does, a male staff member is busy taking them 2 at a time & placing one in front of each of the patients sat round the various tables in the room. On seeing you, the young woman, smiles, & beckons you over.

As you approach, Bertram appears to introduce you both “Mr Fink-Nottle this is Ronnie, Ronnie this is our new staff member Mr Edmund Fink-Nottle, who tonight is dining as our guest” He then turns to you & says “I will return later to escort you to your room”.

After Bertram has gone Ronnie offers you the 1 remaining glass of wine.

The glass is unusually light & you realize it is plastic. On seeing your puzzled expression Ronnie explains that it is to make sure that there is no possibility of anyone cutting themselves. “Are many of the patients likely to do that?” you ask. “Well, no more than the staff members” she replies with a hint of surprise “accidents can happen”.

With that she calls to the staff member who was distributing the wine “Marlene, come & meet Mr Edmund Fink-Nottle”. Marlene ambles over to you & in a very clipped tone says quite curtly “Nice to meet you MR Fink-Nottle. “Likewise” you reply slightly taken aback by the hint of hostility “but please just call me Eddie”.

At that, Marlene relaxes & smiles as he says in a friendlier tone “Ah, so you ARE one of us. Welcome to the madhouse Eddie, come & eat”.

He leads you over to the lavish dinner buffet & as you set your wine down he hands you a large paper plate & a napkin. There is no sign of any cutlery save for a container full of plastic dessert spoons & the large plastic serving spoons resting on top of the many bowls of sumptuous looking dishes dotted between others piled high with various fruits, cooked vegetables, diced ham, chicken & beef as well as an assortment of savory snacks. “I’ll leave you to help yourself” says Marlene “enjoy!”

You’re now feeling quite hungry & dollop a large serving of what looks like spaghetti bolognese onto the sturdy paper plate.

Just then you are aware of a lot of movement & the sound of rustling in your pocket. After setting your meal down you reach in to discover that the hamster is in the throes of shredding the piece of paper with the letter “S” in parser tongue.

>Move shredded pieces of paper with “S” in parser tongue to other pocket.
>Examine shredded pieces of paper with “S” in parser tongue. They are all blank but for one which thankfully has the "S" intact except for a missing serif.

>Examine hamster. It has a small piece of paper with the serif in its mouth.
>Take small piece of paper with serif. “Ouch!” You retrieve the serif & move it to your other pocket but the hamster has bitten you.

>Examine your finger. There is a tooth puncture mark & blood is beginning to gush from the wound.

>Use napkin on blood. As you wrap the napkin around your finger you suddenly start to hear a loud furor of whimpering, crying & screaming & swing around to see the staff members quickly round up the now wild eyed & panic stricken patients & escort them out of the dining room.

After a few minutes you hear the noise of the distressed patients echo into the distance & Ronnie returns. On seeing your finger she gasps at the blood soaked napkin wrapped around it. “Oh! So that’s what caused it!” she says “we have no choice now, we will have to sedate them all which will set them back so much after all our hard work. But how…….? ”

You take some savory snacks & put them in your pocket. When you hear the sound of munching you show the occupied hamster to Ronnie. “I see” she says as she strokes it lovingly with her finger. “But, we can’t afford for the cute little thing to draw blood from you again in front of the patients, here, take this” Ronnie reaches into the pocket of her uniform & brings out a hamster muzzle.

>Take hamster muzzle & put in inventory.

Ronnie reaches into her pocket again & hands you something else.

>Take something else. It’s a band aid.

>Take blood soaked napkin & put in inventory.

> Use band aid on finger. That seems to stem the flow of blood.

Ronnie suggests that you should now eat & drink before Bertram returns. After what's happened you now eye the plate of what looks like spaghetti bolognese with suspicion. On seeing this & as if reading your thoughts Ronnie starts to laugh “Oh Eddie, you are too funny, there’s no meat in it let alone blood, in fact there’s no meat in the buffet at all, the ham, chicken & beef are all soya bean products otherwise we would have a permanent riot on our hands.” .

Feeling relieved you take a plastic dessert spoon, pick up your plate of food & glass of wine & sit down at one of the tables to tuck in. “It’s obvious Dr Pinkibender hasn’t told you too much about this place yet & the problems of our clientele” Ronnie says sympathetically “but I must go now to help the other staff”.

Just before she leaves you ask her what Marlene meant by “one of us”. She explains with a chuckle that he probably thought you were a psychologist as they always insist on being addressed formally by their full name. With that Ronnie leaves the room.

You finish your meal which is surprisingly delicious & the wine exquisite. You get up & walk over to the table with the dinner buffet.

>Take clean plastic dessert spoon.

>Take banana

Bertram now enters to escort you to your room

>

Bertram leads you to your room, he opens the door and lets you in.

"Sorry sir, you'll have to sleep in the isolation chamber, it's the only room available at the moment. Maybe there will be a more appropriate room for you tomorrow."

Bertram leaves and closes the door. The door has no handle, you will be locked inhere until someone opens the door from the outside!
The walls of the room are padded with rubber tiles, one of the walls has a small window. There's a mattress on the floor covered with a paper blanket. In a corner there's a papier-maché bedpan.

>look window

The window is made of an indestructible plastic, through it you can see an old graveyard, what an uplifting view! The sun shines a red light at the horizon, it won't be long before darkness sets in.

>look bedpan

There's nothing special about it, but using it is the last thing you would do.

>look walls

At first sight there seems to be nothing interesting, only teeth marks in the rubber padding. However, as the sun is slowly disappearing behind the horizon, a kind of pattern is revealed by the shadows. It's hard to see what it is meant to be.

>use banana with teeth marks

After the banana is peeled, you rub it onto the wall. With the plastic spoon you remove the excess banana pulp and you toss it into the bedpan. The pattern is now clearly visible, it shows all sizes of triangles and spirals. With the u-phone you take a picture of it. E-mailing it to Gina would be a good idea! Than you realize she didn't give you her number.
It's getting dark and there's no light source in the room. The best thing is to go to sleep and wait what the next morning will bring you.


Chapter 3: Gina at the library

After you've left Archie, you go to the local CIA office and speak with the the Commanding Office Manager. You inform him how you're talk with Archie went and tell him you do want to do some research of your own. The COM gives you permission to do so and tells you to visit Dr. Cute in the Gadgets Laboratory.
You leave the office and you chat a bit with the COM's secretary Mr. Pennysaver. The elevator takes you to the seventh floor where the lab of Dr. Cute is. He welcomes you with a facial expression he calls a smile. Once again you wonder why this goblin was given the name Cute.
"Hi there Gina, good to see you again! Even prettier than last time, let me take a good look at you."
He's wearing some strange glasses and you decide to take them from him.
"That's rude Gina, you ruined my little pleasure completely! However, I've got something for you. We just invented this, we call it Carte Blanche."
He shows a completely white card, the size of a credit card. Wow, if that's not a scientific breakthrough!
"I see you're not overly enthusiastic, but this is revolutionary. The card is covered with electronic ink, in combination with your u-phone, you can download all kinds of ID's from our database and the card will look like it's real. I'll give you two of them, one for you and one for your partner. By the way, what's he like, should I be jealous?"

You mumble some soothing words and go back to the elevator. Floor 3, the Oracle offices. The IT-manager tells you all the computer terminals are down at the moment, due to some aggressive ants eating the cables.
Great, no access to information here! Maybe a library could provide you with some info. With the elevator you go down to the entrance hall. At the information desk you ask for the Yellow Pages. There's a 24/7 library not to far away from here, the advertisement promises they have really old books there. You add the address to your u-phone.

>use u-phone

The PomPom navigation shows two destinations, your favourite sushi restaurant and the library. Well, the library is open all of the time and something to eat would be nice, you decide to go to the sushi bar.
Two hours later you come out of the restaurant feeling great, was it the food or the sake? Never mind, to the library now.

With the help of the u-phone you arrive at the 'Darn Large Library'. To your surprise the door is actually open! You've encountered too many locked doors in previous adventures. There's a librarian sitting at his desk, it looks like he's sleeping. His name is on a badge, Red Nolatter. There's some kind of bell on the desk and a small key.

>use key with bell

You wind the bell and it starts to ring. The librarian slowly opens his eyes and looks at you.
"Oh no, what do you want this time of night?"

"Please tell me where I can find the really old books."

"They're on the second floor, but you are not allowed to go there, only persons with special authorisation are welcome there. You're not one of them are you?"

"Yes I am!"

"Prove it!"

After turning around, you use one of the cards with the u-phone. Contact is established with the ID database. The best ID available is the UGLI ID, the United Guilds of Library Inspectors. The data is downloaded and the card now shows your photo, the name Gina Bookbanner and the logo of UGLI.

>show card to librarian

"All right, all right, I didn't know you are one of the censors! I will help you as much as I can. What are you looking for?"

"Red, I want to go to the P-room of the really old books floor. You better help me and quick, or else I will report you for sleeping in the library."

He looks at you in a bewildered way and hands you a floor plan of the building. Using the stairs you arrive at the second floor. All of a sudden you realize you didn't give Archie your phone number. You try to call him but there's no connection, he must have switched off his phone, or out of reach in an isolated area. You will try again later. The floor plan shows the the P-room is located opposite of the L-space.
You're getting a little hungry again, you wish you had taken a banana with you.

Enter Library P-room.

As Gina, you have entered a long room with an arched ceiling and bookshelves on either side of an infinite corridor. You walk down the corridor, gaping at shelf after shelf of leather-bound books. On several of the shelves are neatly handwritten signs: "Please do not touch the books! They are extremely fragile!"

>Examine Books

Ignoring the sign, you pull out books from one of the shelves. Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Paradiso, Purgatorio, Pilgrim's Progress, Proverbs, Psalms. You had no idea that so many classic religious works begin with the letter "P."

You turn around and see a shelf with only two books on it. Clearly, these are distinguished tomes. One is called Pinkibender's Folly. You open it to the table of contents. One chapter in particular catches your eye: "Why Stop with Bats? From Vampires to Chimeras."

>Take Pinkibender's Folly.

You place the book in your handbag, where it rests alongside the Carte Blanche card. The second book looks more ancient than any other you have seen so far. It has worn edges and gold lettering. On the bottom left of the cover, in gold, is what appears to be a chest, or box. On the top right is what might be the gold image of a pendulum clock. The book's title is: The Pandora Pendulum.

You are seized with excitement! This may actually provide some answers!


Meanwhile, back at the Sanitarium...


As Archie, disguised as Edmund Fink-Nottle (a cleaning lady), you awaken from a deep sleep, still in the tiled room. The hamster has worked its way out of your pocket and is consuming what is left of the banana, peel and all. Obviously, you haven't been feeding the little guy enough. A sudden attack of conscience assails you.

>INV

A wire retainer
A live hamster, now out of your pocket
A hamster muzzle
Shredded paper
Shades
A pen
The letter “S” in parser tongue with a missing serif
A serif that was once part of an “S” in parser tongue
A fake Aztec statue
An emerald
Blood-soaked napkin
Fink-Nottle ID card
Partly eaten savory snacks
Plastic dessert spoon smeared with banana
You are also carrying your u-phone

>Feed hamster

You give the hamster all of the savory snacks except for an apple turnover, which you happen to favor. The spoon smeared with banana has left some banana in your pocket, but you give the hamster the spoon and let him eat the last remnants.

>Talk to Dean.

You remove Dean from your pocket. "Do wire retainers ever get hungry?" you ask, wondering if you should give him the apple turnover you are craving for yourself.

"No," says Dean, "don't worry about feeding me. But it is time you started thinking about the needs of the beings in your inventory. For instance, do you know how dangerous it was to carry around a thermal detonator? I have had to exert tremendous magical powers to keep it from exploding repeatedly. Two days ago I magically dismantled it and fed the baradium core to the hamster."

"You what?" you exclaim in horror. "What were you thinking? Nobody should recombine elements in my inventory but me! Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" says Dean respectfully, with just a hint of sarcasm. "Next time I'll be sure to let us be blown to smithereens, which means that you will fail in your mission, and the universe will implode. Again."

The hamster sighs in satisfaction and falls asleep on the floor next to the bedpan.

"So is the hamster dangerous, now that he has a baradium core in his stomach?" you ask conversationally.

"The core is well-padded by all that body fat," says Dean. "And who knows what kind of shape it's in now, after soaking in the digestive acids."

>Take hamster.

You gingerly put the sleeping hamster back in your pocket and take a bite out of the apple turnover.

>Shout "help"!

Why is it taking so long for someone to come and open up the door to the isolation chamber? You try shouting, but you can tell that the sounds are muffled by the tiles in the walls.

"Ahem, may I make a suggestion?" says Dean. "Try unscrewing the emerald."

>Examine emerald.

Perhaps you should have spent more time examining your inventory. You can see that the emerald is actually made of two pieces, with only the finest of lines showing where the pieces fit together.

>Unscrew emerald.

You open up the emerald and a strong odor of Pine-Sol fills the isolation chamber. Nothing else happens.

>Talk to Dean.

"This was helpful?" you ask.

"You want them to think you really do know how to clean a room if you're going to keep your job here," says Dean.

You hear a sound coming from the corridor outside the chamber.

>_

There is a click, and the door opens. Bertram looks in at you impassively for a moment before nodding politely.

"Awake and prepared, I see," he says. "But I suggest you use the house brand of cleaning solutions: I'm afraid some of our residents are allergic to pine."

"Ah," you say apologetically, reattaching the emerald and moving quickly to leave the room. "You're right, of course: I should have thought to ask."

"Well then," says Bertram, turning to shut the door behind you, "I believe it is time to show you to your duties. Follow me."

Meanwhile, at the Library...

As Gina, you glance at the title page of the book, which reads:

The Pandora Pendulum:

Furthering the Pandora myth: the Significance of the Pandora Pendulum in Post-Neo-Modernist Escher-Freudberg Langstein Rituals As They Relate to Hippogriff Polymorphism; Or, All The Good Subjects Are Already Taken

by Andrew Beloffus Cantankerous Daley III, Esq.

You realize, with trepidation, that this is not a book: it's a thesis.

>Read book

Bracing yourself for a few very boring hours, you shuffle past the horribly dry, pompous foreword and begin reading the introduction. Surprisingly, it's almost readable:

ON THE PANDORA PENDULUM: A BACKGROUND

Ask the average plebian, "Who was Pandora?" and, after they've eliminated "Yes," No," and "Great!" as possible answers, the most they will be able to tell you is that she opened a box. If you are particularly lucky, they might even think they know what the box contained. A very few--some happy few--may be able to relate many other exciting details.

None of them shall mention the Pandora Pendulum.

To this writer's mind, such literary forgetfulness on the part of the common people ranks amongst the saddest failures of our modern education system--but we digress.

Here then, is the story as presented in most modern treatises on Mythology: that Zeus, seeking to punish mortals for the theft of fire, gave to man the gift of Pandora, the first woman; that, having been accepted, Pandora's only act of note was to open a jar (or sometimes box) containing an assortment of evils, which immediately flew out into the world; that seeing the evils she had unleashed, Pandora closed the box, shutting only Hope inside; and that, all in all, mankind considered Zeus' thoughtful gift to be rather a mixed blessing.

We shall put aside, for now, accusations of misogyny, questions as to Pandora's state of mind, or the odd tendency for gods to punish humans for inevitably bowing to their innate curiosity. Rather, we shall prefer to look at the logical fallacy inherant to the story: that hope would be shut inside Pandora's box, where (presumably,) it resides to this day. The obvious question, of course, is: how does hope come to reside in the world, if it is also shut inside a box? Is the box keeping Hope away from mankind, or keeping it safe and close-by?

Many doubtful answers exist, but (as shall be shown exhaustively herein,) the answer is simple: "Hope" was entirely symbolic. The item contained within the box was no emphemerous thing, but solid, mechanical in nature, and quite remarkable. It was, in fact, the device known as the Pandora Pendulum.

What then, of the evils released into the world? Were they, also, metaphorical? Unfortunately, on this point the ancient texts are entirely silent. Not one reference to other mysterious devices exists. However, we can speak with some accuracy of the nature of the Pandora Pendulum, as--until around 86 B.C.--a device claimed to be the actual Pandora Pendulum resided somewhere at the Lyceum, just outside of Athens.

Scholars were divided as to the authenticity of the device, but fairly unanimous in their description of its unusual features. It was, in essence, a solid gold pendulum; a golden sphere suspended by a very long, invisible (or nearly invisible) line from a thin, also golden fulcrum, and supported by two curved golden rods of equal length. These rods rested on a base of simple, dark polished wood, neither ornate nor embellished in any way, save that the wood itself was of a unique variety unidentified by any scholars. Here, however, is where the similarity to worldly things is at an end, for in every other way, the Pandora Pendulum was almost beyond belief.

As any modern physicist can tell you, the period of a standard pendulum is dependent upon its length, with the amplitude of the pendulum's swing decreasing over time due to friction and atmospheric drag. Apparently Pandora's Pendulum is somehow immune to such forces, as its amplitude never diminishes. This particular feature has long held appeal for many physicists and amateur inventors, as (if true) the pendulum would be a simple perpetual motion machine.

More remarkable still, careful measurement by philosophers of the day--who admittedly were as much religious scholars as scientists--showed that the amplitude--or width--of the swing was gradually increasing at a nearly imperceptible rate--so slowly that reliable measurements took some decades to complete.

The reason for this acceleration is unclear. The ancients initially surmised that some unknown mechanism actually introduces extra energy into the system, gradually increasing the amplitude of the pendulum's swing. Others since have suggested that, rather, some unknown force--usually inexpertly rendered as "inverse friction," or occasionally as "antigravity"--must be acting to accelerate the movement of the pendulum.

Extended tests were rendered impossible, however, with the discovery that the golden sphere was entirely imperterbable: whatever force was exerted upon it, the sphere (referred from here on as the pendulum's "bob") would continue in its course, as if possessed of incredible inertia. Indeed, it is rumored that some of Archimedes' more fanciful inventions were powered by this very force, the pendulum's movement producing an apparently infinite amount of power along a predictable pathway.

Sadly, the Pendulum mysteriously disappeared during the sacking of the Lyceum in 86 B.C., and was subsequently lost to the world--and nearly to history, as well. Not, however, before the Pendulum could burrow its way into the religious teachings of various well-respected Greek scholars.

One branch of philosophers in particular, concluding thousands of hours of cloistered study, claimed that the pendulum was created before the dawn of time, initially at perfect equilibrium, and was set into motion at the creation of the world. More fantastical still, they went on to claim that, at some time far in the future, the bob will inevitably complete its fated circle and pass entirely OVER the pendulum's fulcrum, either bringing the world to an end, or (in some versions of the myth,) turning it inside-out.

What comfort, then--what hope--can we expect from a device whose final swing shall be the death knell for the universe? Merely the logical conclusion that--despite the existence of so many evils in the world--so long as the pendulum is still swinging, the world shall continue to exist.

To your profound relief, your reading is interrupted by your phone ringing.

Playing as Gina, you take Pandora Pendulum book.

You add the Pandora Pendulum book to your inventory. The image of the pendulum swinging over the fulcrum, you know now, will continue to haunt your dreams. You must, at all costs, stop that from happening.

>Enter L-space.

You walk out of the P room and enter the area labeled "L-space." This room is full of odd corners, with shelves all forming L shapes. Whereas the previous room was beautifully kept, this one is full of cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, and books strewn across the floor. You wander around for several minutes, until you realize that you are completely lost. Before you is a shelf full of books, all of which have the word "Limbo" in the title.

>_

Sorry to interrupt, I haven't had time to read the start of the sequel her. I promise I'll do it tomorrow.
But I wanted to ask - Where is the Name The Game thread
I miss it although I usually fail to guess it correctly

iva, it is taking a break. It will be back soon.

Ana

Just wanted to say that I've followed the thread & will get back to contributing (hopefully in about 3 weeks!) At the moment I have a lot of work to do & haven't even had time to play anything, but do try & fit in a visit to GB as often as poss!