~~2Adventure Administration, 15 Hollycombe Close, Liphook, Hants, GU30 7HR ~~6 Interactive Adventure Story This is the part of the magazine where the readers take part in the development of a short story. What we would like readers to do is send your votes to the address at the top of the page, whereby you will decide the course of action taken by the characters in the story. ~~4Last result: 63% in favour of option B Remember: This file will be 'chopped' every so often before it gets too big! Back issues of the magazine will become available from us in the near future. ~~2 -------. ~~2 / ~~2 / OOEY GOES TO THE PLANET CRINGO ~~2 '------- There lies a world not far from the great star of Alceryon-9 where the beings known as Ingots roam. They live in harmony and, every day, enjoy the comfort of singing to the strange plants that grow there. But one Ingot knew differently to the others, he had roamed for a long time now and had begun to wonder what it was all about. Why did he need to roam so much. In fact, he'd never yet managed to reach Rome. He wondered really what his life was all about. A thought struck him; he'd been causing it a lot of pain lately and it had decided that now was the time to strike. He thought. "Hmmmm," he pondered, "Hmmm Hmmmmm. I wonder what it might be like to touch the stars that shine so brightly in the night sky." Upon which, Zooey, (the Ingot), began his plans for the Spacecraft. Months went by and Zooey found that he had only made one door for the Spacecraft so far, whereupon he crossed 'Large Tea Breaks' off his list of Important Things To Do. After a good solid years work, the Spacecraft was finished. A magnificent gleaming ship, resembling something not unlike an ice-cube. Zooey was proud of the craft. But now, he thought, I need a co-pilot. Someone I can rely on and trust in hours of danger. Someone who can help me win through my battle to find my real purpose. Someone who can fly this damn thing, because I don't think *I* can. The next day he placed an advertisment in the local plant and many eagle-eyed Ingots turned up for interviews. Zooey eyed the list of applicants with suspicion. Something wasn't right, "Funny name for an Ingot," he remarked to himself. Then realisation dawned. "Okay, who's first. Aha, Mr Blip. Take a seat," said Zooey, upon turning the list the right way up. "Can you fly an ice-cube?" asked Zooey, simply. "I'm sorry?" replied Mr Blip. "I said..." began Zooey. "I heard you!!! I just can't believe that you're asking me though! Can I fly an ice-cube? Can I fly an ice-cube? What kind of stupid question is that?" he said, raising his voice ever so slightly. Mr Blip stood up and walked away shaking his head and muttering just above his breath, "Look at all the flying-medals and awards on my jacket and *he* asks *me* if *I* can fly an ice-cube!! The cheek!!!" "Aha, that's good!!" shouted Zooey after Mr Blip, "We need a sense of humour on the ship." But Blip was gone. "Riiiiight, next! Hmmm, Mr Madman McMac. Come in, do." A very odd Ingot, wearing what could only be described as a contradiction in terms, entered the completely open space where Zooey was. He sidled along an invisible wall and sat down opposite our hero, with his ears crossed. "Fine," remarked Zooey. "Anyway, can you fly an ice-cube?" he asked, again. "Me? Well sometimes I just sing to the trees and other times I'm not sure *which* way to go." replied the strange Ingot. "Er, yes. Good. But 'can you fly an ice-cube' is what I'm getting at," continued Zooey. Madman McMac chuckled. "Well, well, well. If it isn't good ol' daylight again. Happens every day that, you know." Zooey sighed. "Ok. ok," said Zooey, reluctantly. "You're hired. My ice-cube needs someone like you." "Damn. I always rather liked pink myself," said McMac. "Yes. Lovely," remarked Zooey. Upon which they entered the Ice-cube. ---- "You know, I always entertained the idea that spaceships were supposed to have some kind of flight controls. But I must have been mistaken," said Zooey. "Hold on, er, I think I must have neglected to construct them." "I wonder how we get this thing started then," replied Madman McMac. They looked around them. Everywhere was ice, and there were no visible control panels or anything that could be used to make the craft shift even a metre. "Typical. I knew I'd forget something," said Zooey, and promptly began to sit down. A small cube of ice shot out of the cold floor and positioned itself underneath him, apparently there to catch him as he sat down. McMac sat down also, and a cube came out of the floor to meet him. "Aha, how ingenious of myself, thought-processor circuits," Zooey remarked with pride, (although Pride wouldn't admit to it afterwards). "I'm glad you're admiring all this, but I'd like to know when we leave, as it's very nearly feeding time for my pet octopus and, well, to be frank, I'm not sure if," said Madman. "If? If what?" asked Zooey, politely. "Just if. I'm never quite sure if. I think a lot of people feel the same way," replied Madman. "I'm sure they do," said Zooey, quickly, to try and avoid a conversation with the mad Ingot. At that point the ship lurched off the ground, without prior warning and out into the starry night, way above the planet surface, leaving Zooey and Madman a little stunned and perhaps an inch or two shorter. "Wow, this ice-cube really moves," remarked Madman. "Never known another one like it." Zooey peered out of the ice-cube and into space. There were no large visible objects such as worlds within view, other than his own, although some stars in the distance looked different to all the others, perhaps more colourful. "Hmmmm," he pondered, "Hmmmmmm. Well I know why the ship took off like that. It responded exactly to my thoughts." "Ah. I see," said Madman. "The thought-processor circuits kicked in and acted exactly on my thought," explained Zooey. "Oh right. Incredible," said Madman. "Yep, the moment I thought, 'Oh God, get me away from this mad Ingot', it flew straight up and away," said Zooey. "Oh right, I se....what?" asked Madman, ever so politely. "Anyway, we're up. So I guess now we have to pick our destination, we can't just sit here in the middle of space and see what happens, since not a lot generally *does* happen in the middle of the void really, does it?" said Zooey. "Er, well. I'm no great authority on the matter. But I'm sure if you speak to the person in charge then they'll be happy to...." began McMac. "Yes, you're right," interrupted Zooey, speedily. "Let's just see where we go, I'm going to pick one of those coloured stars out randomly and just concentrate on getting us there." Zooey looked out of the front of the ice-cube. "Let's see. Right, there's the orange and purple star, the green and blue star or the yellow and pink star. Hmmm, which one shall it be?" Zooey closed his eyes and began waving his arm around in front of him. ----====---- This is the point in the story at which we ask you, the reader, to cast your vote on where the story is going to go next. You have three choices at this time: ~~2a) Zooey's hand points to the orange and purple star. ~~4b) Zooey's hand points to the green and blue star. OR ~~6c) Zooey's hand points to the yellow and pink star. The choice is yours. Write your vote, (either the letter A, the letter B or the letter C), on the back of a postcard or envelope and send it to the address at the top of this document. Your vote must reach us by the end of the publishing week for this story, (i.e. by THIS saturday - David). Votes will not be counted in the second week of publishing. So get your votes in quickly. [cb1am1 - Evolution]