Resident data ends at 6398, program starts at 6398, file ends at 2c258

Starting analysis pass at address 6396

End of analysis pass, low address = 6398, high address = 25950


[Start of text]

S001: "    E       U       I       N
D       L       S       O       S"
S002: "
An Interactive Self-Discovery
Copyright 1996, 1997 by C.E. Forman (ceforman@worldnet.att.net)
All rights reserved, and don't you forget it.
[Type HELP to learn the secrets of the universe.]
"
S003: "951024"
S004: "5/12"
S005: "a"
S006: "You can't go that way."
S007: "the"
S008: "the"
S009: "the"
S010: "the"
S011: "the"
S012: "the"
S013: "the"
S014: "the"
S015: "the"
S016: "the"
S017: "the"
S018: "the"
S019: "Darkness"
S020: "It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing."
S021: "As good-looking as ever."
S022: "Nameless item"
S023: "your former self"
S024: "A long, wide strap of cracked leather, adorned with a number of hooks,
loops, and clips to hold things. The metal buckle bears the likeness of the
Project logo."
S025: "DELUSIONS"
S026: "DELUSIONS"
S027: "DELUSIONS"
S028: "cracked power coupler"
S029: "cracked power couplers"
S030: "A minute crack down one side of the plastic renders it useless."
S031: "You dart downward, almost grazing the seafloor, then flash back up
again."
S032: "You swim a short distance, but the reef quickly becomes too thick and
tangled to navigate."
S033: "Thin stalks of kelp fan lazily about this shallow stretch of ocean. They
disperse somewhat to the east, where clumps of coral rise to form a towering
reef. Westward, the ocean floor inclines rapidly toward the surface, narrowing
the seawater corridor to a thin, flat wedge."
S034: "You propel yourself in that direction, but don't feel as though you're
actually moving."
S035: "Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward
out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are
crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel
shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely
keep your distance.

The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through
the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles."
S036: "Its enormous grey-green body is soft and oval, encircled at the base by
eight deadly sucker-studded tentacles."
S037: "The tide buffets you constantly in the tight confines between mounds of
brown sand which barely break through the watery surface. Clouds of sediments
and silt whirl about you, stirred by the cresting waves, and it's difficult to
maneuver.

An insistent, claustrophobic panic taps at your consciousness, advising you to
seek deeper waters to the east rather than attempt to venture westward, closer
to the shore."
S038: "Sandbars block your path."
S039: "There are two holes here. You'll have to specify which one you want to
enter."
S040: "The cliffs surround you on all sides."
S041: "A pair of jagged holes in the wooden surface, one on your right and one
on your left, lead deeper into inky darkness."
S042: "It's a tiger shark, and it's peering at you rather hungrily! Remoras
cling to its underside, intent on finishing off whatever will be left (if
anything)."
S043: "Precious little sunlight pierces this dark grotto from the west, muted
by vague inky shapes that weave about the shadowy, porous rock surrounding you.
You sense an opening in the south wall, and feel something deadly lurking
there. Below you, a round opening snakes downward out of sight, into shades of
deepest black."
S044: "The ceiling of the grotto is in your way."
S045: "Your progress is halted by porous rock walls."
S046: "You float in cold, empty blackness, a zone of bathypelagic void,
emptiness in which nothing seems to exist, not even yourself."
S047: "Wet sand packed below you. Orange fire above, blazing down through an
aquamarine sky laced with white, billowy wisps, beautiful yet horribly alien
and terrifying."
S048: "The ancient, rotting timbers of a sunken galleon arch overhead, dull
grey and ominously silent."
S049: "Incidentally, there were plenty of great opportunities for really bad
fish jokes in that scene, but I resisted the temptation. You can thank me for
that by voting this game into first place."
S050: "Yes, I'm aware that this is no longer applicable now that all the votes
are in, but I left it in for the sake of completeness. Okay? OKAY?!"
S051: "It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing."
S052: "It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing."
S053: "It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing."
S054: "This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while
working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small
enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid
cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard
gives the impression of having been put up hastily."
S055: "The door is to the northwest."
S056: "Hanging near the door is a painting by H.R. Giger."
S057: "an"
S058: "an"
S059: "Typical of high-tech user-oriented electronic devices, its controls are
limited to a single power switch and a fader for volume control. It's powered
by its own fusion cell as well; no cord is required."
S060: "A flexible black rod used to play the violin. (It has a metal star on
one end, too.)"
S061: "Just a simple mattress and box springs."
S062: "There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard
wall."
S063: "A square depression, roughly fifteen centimetres to a side and ten deep,
carved into the wall in a way that is not aesthetically pleasing in the least
(which is why you hung the painting over it)."
S064: "A small electrical component to provide power flux from a fusion cell to
the primary circuitry. It doesn't look to have ever been used."
S065: "The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices
linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground
laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a
set of disused cement steps descends into darkness."
S066: "The VR suit, a full-body outfit of spandex and kevlar, hangs on a rack
against one wall. It fits tightly and is strung with a network of millions of
tiny sensory-output devices."
S067: "The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass
tank."
S068: "The Sphere is a human-sized anti-gravity gyroscope, encased in
soundproof glass. VR sensors connect to status monitors, the lab terminal and
the mainframe supercomputer in the next room by a thick bundle of coaxial
cables. A fail-safe lever protrudes at an angle from one side."
S069: "A precautionary feature built into the Sphere for the testing of VRs.
Most simulations have a method of accessing the lever from the inside as well.
(The lab sim, for instance, simply incorporates a virtual duplicate of the
physical lever itself.)"
S070: "the"
S071: "This thick volume is the Project's documentation, most of which has been
filled in in bits and pieces as developments have occurred. A lot of it is
hopelessly out of order, despite Dr Shimada's efforts to outline an index
(which was some time ago). The cracked black leather binder bears the Project
logo."
S072: "A twentieth-century user would have called this a "personal computer" or
"PC", although the elimination of the "lone programmer" concept has since made
that acronym outdated.

It's an 8-gigahertz multimedia package with a 16-terabyte hard drive, 12 gigs
of RAM, and a 96-megabyte cache. The CPU case is disproportionately tiny next
to the keyboard and monitor, larger only out of human necessity.

Dr Shimada ordered this system some time ago, when increased processing speed
became necessary if the Project's deadlines were to be met. It arrived less
than a week ago, and it's already obsolete."
S073: "ENTER SEARCH CRITERIA:"
S074: "ERROR: No programs meeting search criteria were found."
S075: "SEARCH RESULTS:

     [3-> CYNTHIA -> GAMES -> CHESSMAESTRO VERSION 8.21]"
S076: "ERROR: Invalid password. Access denied."
S077: "an"
S078: "A standard white two-button ergonomic input device."
S079: "A triangular button pointing to the left."
S080: "A triangular button pointing to the right."
S081: "ERROR: VR Sphere is not currently occupied."
S082: "ERROR: Print queue is full."
S083: "Report generation process initiated."
S084: "ERROR: Paper out."
S085: "The "Flush" icon depicts a little toilet bowl. (That's Justy's sense of
humour for you.)"
S086: " "
S087: "eye"
S088: "ear"
S089: "nose"
S090: "mouth"
S091: "hand"
S092: "A graphical push-button labelled "OK.""
S093: "One of the tools Justy uses to create and debug a VR."
S094: "A rather stark infirmary, with cold cement walls and floor lit by a
single flickering fluorescent bulb. It feels more like a morgue than a medical
facility. An exit leads north."
S095: "The door is to the north."
S096: "A flat metal stretcher with wheels attached."
S097: "an"
S098: "A round-handled electrical cutting tool with a sharp, vibrating (and
replaceable) blade. It's powered by its own internal fusion cell."
S099: "A thick strip of gelatinised gauze, laced with antibiotics and
blood-clotting agents, all of which have really long medical names, like
"protoprocoaguloeolytothromboplastinol.""
S100: "an"
S101: "A small white caplet with a red band around the centre."
S102: "dark-clothed man"
S103: "the"
S104: "Morrodox"
S105: "Morrodox is at the terminal in the VR lab, with his back to you."
S106: "Justy's quarters are just as sparsely furnished as yours, with only a
bed, desk, and a few of Justy's personal belongings."
S107: "The door is to the northeast."
S108: "The south wall is completely taken up Justy's film library."
S109: "Justy's collection of science-fiction films includes the complete "Star
Wars" saga, the "Terminator" trilogy, and both the 2001 remake and classic 1926
versions of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis.""
S110: "Hanging nearby is a framed sketch by M.C. Escher."
S111: "The charcoal sketch depicts a stream, flowing upwards at impossible
angles through a square-edged canal before cascading downward from a minaret to
begin the process anew. (Unlike your Giger, though, this isn't the original.)"
S112: "The faint glow of the lightstick reveals a light switch at the bottom of
the stairs."
S113: "It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing."
S114: "A large holovision set dominates the west wall."
S115: "the"
S116: "Cynthia's quarters are just as sparsely furnished as yours, with only a
bed, desk, and a few of Cynthia's personal belongings."
S117: "The door is to the southeast."
S118: "Just in case you care, this is the first work of I-F to feature a major
NPC with a tattoo. (No, the disembodied hand in "The Lurking Horror" doesn't
count.)"
S119: "System flushing process initiated."
S120: "Betcha can't say that three times real fast!"
S121: "Above Cynthia's desk hangs a 3-D picture."
S122: "an"
S123: "An unrecognisable (to you) symbol, an eight-pointed star with a single
letter at each point (two at each of the diagonals), done in black ink. It's
hard to see clearly against Cynthia's dark skin."
S124: "The door is to the south."
S125: "One of the larger exabyte systems, though you're not familiar with the
exact configuration. Its most familiar feature is a built-in printer, with a
recycling slot for immediate paper reprocessing."
S126: "The curved recycling slot forms the "mouth" of a cutesy little picture
of a smiling planet earth."
S127: "Hmmm, escaping the confines of the Project basement by crawling through
the recycling slot... Might've made a fine puzzle."
S128: "Pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and
pages and pages of system messages."
S129: "A small kitchen and dining area rolled into one."
S130: "The door is to the southwest."
S131: "On the counter is a pair of metal kitchen tongs."
S132: "Clear liquid sealed in a vial of pale green plastic, capped at one end."
S133: "Pepperoni."
S134: "Old, broken-down conveyors and bins of ancient, rotting hardware --
useless, outdated, or both -- pack this vast sub-basement from wall to cement
wall. Only a small area at the bottom of the stairs, about three metres square,
is free of the oppressive clutter."
S135: "If there are any exits other than the stairs, they're blocked by the
mounds of old hardware and conveyors."
S136: "A light switch is affixed to the wall at the foot of the stairs."
S137: "an"
S138: "Fluorescent lights cast a harsh, blurry glare on bundles of cable
stretching overhead, and on metal walls, not quite reflective. The glare breaks
at a doorway in the south wall, and at the west end of the east-west corridor,
outside Dr Shimada's office."
S139: "The corridor runs east to west, with a doorway to the south."
S140: "On the north wall are a pair of closed elevator doors."
S141: "Dank and cold, these facilities contain only the usual fixtures --
toilet, shower stall, and a dripping, rust-stained washbasin. On the wall above
the last is an off-colour rectangle, where a mirror once hung, but no longer."
S142: "With the Project approaching conclusion, Dr Shimada's workload has
increased geometrically. Several open and disarrayed filing cabinets and the
layer of paperwork covering her desktop and computer belie her typical
attention to immaculacy."
S143: "On your right is a small wooden shelf, bulging with assorted books."
S144: "All of the great works, eastern and western, of literature, philosophy,
and religion (on CD-ROM, of course)."
S145: "A page-length three-hole punch, used to punch three holes (hence the
name) in pages to be added to the Project binder."
S146: "The digits 1 through 9 are arrayed in a 3x3 matrix like a keyboard's
numeric cluster, with 0 and a "REDIAL" button below."
S147: "A large button, labelled "REDIAL." What more do you need to know?"
S148: "Shimada's private quarters, decorated in traditional Japanese fashion,
feel almost cozy, a sharp contrast to the somber aridity and claustrophobic
sparseness of the rest of the lab. The floor is covered with reed tatami mats,
and a flower vase hangs in a suspensor field within a small alcove in the far
corner.

It's almost like stepping into a VR sim. Only the door leading out to Shimada's
cluttered office spoils the illusion."
S149: "The door is to the north."
S150: "A futon is spread out in the middle of the floor."
S151: "A quilt-like mat on which Dr Shimada must sleep."
S152: "A Japanese painting adorns the west wall."
S153: "Exquisitely rendered in the "ukiyo-e" style, it depicts a 16th-century
village. The simple lining and delicate colouring beautiful in their
simplicity, yet meticulously detailed with supple brush strokes."
S154: "There is also a kyodai (a chest of drawers) in the southeast corner."
S155: "The top is bare except for a mirror attached to a stand of polished
mahogany."
S156: "The edges of the blade curve about in a way that makes them exactly
twice the length from the polished black handle to the tip."
S157: "The world is a spherical frame whose core is yourself. Bent and
flattened images of the lab sim -- cement walls, steel gurney, hypodermic
needle, the Sphere itself -- superimpose themselves about the inner walls,
which warp and twist with unreal fury.

Not far off in every distance, random pixel clusters scatter and disperse in
plethoric explosions of colour. The blackness beyond is illimitable and
terribly, terribly final."
S158: "Direction no longer exists."
S159: "an"
S160: "You shudder as your gaze falls on the tiny piece of circuitry that once
held your mind in its grasp."
S161: "Remember, kids, electrical cutting tools, if improperly used, are very
dangerous. Never attempt to drill into your own skull with one, unless you have
the assistance and supervision of a responsible adult."
S162: "Real I-F players don't need to peek at the text, you wretched cheating
worthless Nazi motherfucker."
S163: "A standard-issue grey Project uniform, loose-fitting and comfortable,
emblazoned with the Project logo."
S164: "Simply typing "SET ALARM" will do the trick, as the watch has been
simplified to better adapt the game for a two-hour play session."
S165: "yourself"
S166: "You're a fish. Specifically, a yellow-finned grouper. Quite a
nice-looking one too, as fish go."
S167: "It's a graphic novel entitled "Brink", about a soulless police officer,
in a dystopian future society, who tracks a group of terrorists intent on
bringing about the second coming of Christ."
S168: "Those of you who like really big words pertaining to art can call it
"post-modern neo-impressionist techno-bio-futurist surrealism.""
S169: "Incidentally, M.C. Escher's name is legally owned by Cordon Art
Incorporated, so it's technically illegal for it to be included here.
Therefore, I'd like to take this opportunity to mention that I am using it for
satirical purposes only. Neener neener neener, grubby lawyers can't touch me
now!"
S170: "That's for me to know, and you to find out."
S171: "C.E. Forman was one of the foremost authors during the Second Age of
Interactive Fiction. His works, now classics, include an interactive MiSTing of
Matt Barringer's "Detective", "Delusions", "Shelton", and "The Windhall
Chronicles" (with co-author Jeff Cassidy). He also had numerous articles
published in the I-F e-zines SPAG and XYZZYnews. Forman died in 1999, along
with millions of other victims of the Great Cancer."
S172: "In the late 20th and early 21st century, contaminated air and drinking
water, combined with chronic human exposure to electromagnetic radiation from
widespread use of devices such as computers and microwaves, led to a severe
outbreak of thousands of forms of cancer. The resulting epidemic, which came to
be known as the Great Cancer, killed nearly a third of the world population,
but ultimately led to hundreds of medical breakthroughs in fighting the
disease. Because of this, most cancers today are easily curable, but the quests
to defeat other diseases, such as AIDS and diabetes, were held back by the
urgency of the outbreak."
S173: "The Project's technical manual would probably have information about
that."
S174: "Dunno. Never heard of him."
S175: "They're rumoured to exercise near-dictatorial control of the
Corporation. Dr Shimada is the only person you know who has ever seen them."
S176: "Just someone I knew in high school."
S177: "The Project's central terminal is located in the VR lab and is
interfaced with the Cray ZMP-2010X and Sphere, but is otherwise isolated from
the rest of the Corporation (for security purposes). Control of the various
system components is handled through a GUI (Graphical User Interface) which
serves as the Project's operating system.

SEE ALSO: Configure Icon, Cray ZMP-2010X, Debug Icon, Flush Icon, Launch Icon,
Report Icon, Sphere, System Icon"
S178: "The Cray ZMP-2010X, located in the Output Station, provides central
processing, storage, and printing functions to the VR operating system. It is
interfaced with the lab terminal via coaxial cables and fiber-optic bundles.
Printing of the current system status is controlled via the "report" function
of the O/S. Due to the severe paper shortages, it is necessary that the
previous printout be recycled (through the built-in slot attached to the
printer).

SEE ALSO: Lab Terminal, Report Icon"
S179: "The "configure" icon allows the operator to change sensory output
settings for a VR. Changes made during a session do not take effect until the
sim is reloaded.

All users have access to this program."
S180: "The "flush" program purges the system in the event of a critical error
in the active VR. Once purged, the sim is wiped clean from the system and must
be re-installed from archival storage.

Due to the drastic nature of this program, only Dr Shimada has access to it."
S181: "The "launch" program activates the currently loaded VR sim and runs it.
Input and output devices are the Sphere and VR suit, and they must be occupied
for this module to run.

All users have access to this program.

SEE ALSO: Fail-Safe Lever, Sphere, VR Suit"
S182: "The "system" icon grants access to a number of operating system
programs, allowing the user to load, unload, and archive sims, or to search the
contents of files.

All users have access to this part of the system, but it is password
protected."
S183: "The "debug" icon provides access to the VR compiler, editor, and
debugger.

Access to these programs is restricted to Dr Shimada and myself."
S184: "The "report" icon generates a print job queued to the Cray ZMP-2010X.
The default print job is the system status report, which lists the settings of
the current VR sim.

SEE ALSO: Cray ZMP-2010X"
S185: "Well, it's true!"
S186: "The Sphere is an anti-gravity gyroscope that provides the sim user with
the weightlessness necessary for the virtual experience to take over. The
Sphere is the focal point for all sim-related activity within the system.

SEE ALSO: Cray ZMP-2010X, Fail-Safe Lever, Lab Terminal, VR Suit"
S187: "Built into one corner of the Sphere is a fail-safe lever that may be
pulled to prematurely shut down a sim when a person is inside. This feature is
equipped with its own fusion cell and is of vital importance in the event of
power outages or other system glitches. If a sim is not shut down properly
using the fail-safe mechanism, permanent damage to the brain is likely to
result from the abrupt termination of the human-computer synapse.

SEE ALSO: Android, Sphere"
S188: "VR androids, manufactured by other divisions within the Corporation, are
another protective tool, used in the early stages of VR sim debugging. Equipped
with limited neural-network processors, they are strapped into the sphere and
used to perform preliminary VR diagnostics to avoid the dangers to a human
brain in the event of any serious bugs in a virtual sensory reality.

SEE ALSO: Debug Icon, Fail-Safe Lever, Sphere, VR Viruses"
S189: "Rather than simply crashing systems or corrupting files, the creators of
early VR viruses took a more sinister purpose: By manipulating the operation of
VR hardware, the viruses were able to produce incredibly bright lights and
loud, high-pitched sounds that could actually blind or deafen people due to the
equipment's close proximity to the sensory organs. Fear of this uncorrectable
damage to persons instilled fear in the technology, ultimately pushing it by
the wayside."
S190: "The storage structure of a sensory VR is modelled after an early
world-building technique developed in the early 1980s, now forgotten. Objects,
their properties and attributes, and the sim's functions and global variables
are all stored in a specific format in order to ensure compliance with all VR
systems.

It is important to note that only those aspects directly pertaining to the
behaviour of the VR world are stored here. Details of the presentation of such
worlds are invoked in the stored VR, but undergo actual execution in a separate
program, called an "interpreter."  As various systems are developed to make use
of sensory VR, this standardisation will permit fundamentally different
sensors, central processors, etc. to invoke the same virtual world, with no
need for specialised versions.

The exact storage format is detailed as follows:"
S191: "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser-brain."
S192: "             -- Princess Leia, The Empire Strikes Back"
S193: "                       Human kind"
S194: "    Cannot bear very much reality."
S195: "-- T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton (1936)"
S196: "Our memories are card-indexes consulted,"
S197: "and then put back in disorder by"
S198: "authorities whom we do not control."
S199: "-- Cyril Connolly, The Unquiet Grave (1944)"
S200: ""I only decide about my Universe," continued the man quietly."
S201: ""My Universe is my eyes and my ears. Anything else is hearsay.""
S202: "    -- Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe"
S203: "Things persisted in not being what they seemed."
S204: "                       -- Frank Herbert, "Dune""
S205: "Bach"
S206: "Air for the G-String"
S207: "Toccata in D Minor"
S208: "Art of Fugue"
S209: "Fugue in D Minor"
S210: "Goldberg Variations"
S211: "Beethoven"
S212: "Symphony no. 1 in C Major"
S213: "Symphony no. 2 in D Major"
S214: "Symphony no. 3 in E-Flat Major"
S215: "Symphony no. 4 in B-Flat Major"
S216: "Symphony no. 5 in C Minor"
S217: "Symphony no. 6 in F Major"
S218: "Symphony no. 7 in A Major"
S219: "Symphony no. 8 in F Major"
S220: "Symphony no. 9 in D Minor"
S221: ""Moonlight" Sonata"
S222: "Emperor Concerto"
S223: "Brandenburg Concerto no. 5"
S224: "Bizet"
S225: "Les Toreadors"
S226: "Borodin"
S227: "String Quartet no. 2"
S228: "Brahms"
S229: "Hungarian Dance no. 5"
S230: "Lullaby"
S231: "Chopin"
S232: "Waltz in A-Flat Major"
S233: "Polonaise in A-Flat Major"
S234: "Minute Waltz"
S235: "Nocturne no. 1"
S236: ""Tristesse" Etude in E"
S237: "Fantaisie-Impromptu"
S238: "Copland"
S239: "Fanfare for the Common Man"
S240: "deFalla"
S241: "Ritual Fire Dance"
S242: "Debussy"
S243: "Arabesque no. 2"
S244: "Faure"
S245: "Requiem"
S246: "Gershwin"
S247: "Rhapsody in Blue"
S248: "Gliere"
S249: "Russian Sailor's Dance"
S250: "Grieg"
S251: "Piano Concerto in A Minor"
S252: "Peer Gynt Suite"
S253: "Handel"
S254: ""Largo" (from the opera "Xerxes")"
S255: "Messiah"
S256: "Haydn"
S257: ""Emperor" String Quartet"
S258: ""Emperor" String Quartet (now a single melody as a solo, of course)"
S259: "Serenade"
S260: "Ippolitov-Ivanov"
S261: "Caucasian Sketches"
S262: "Khachaturian"
S263: "Sabre Dance"
S264: "Liszt"
S265: "Les Preludes"
S266: "Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 in C Sharp Minor"
S267: "Liebestraum"
S268: "Mendelssohn"
S269: "Spring Song"
S270: ""Midsummer Night's Dream" Overture"
S271: "Mozart"
S272: "The Magic Flute"
S273: "Symphony no. 40 in G Minor"
S274: ""Elvira Madigan" Love Theme"
S275: "Musical Joke"
S276: "Rondo alla Turca"
S277: "Mussorgsky"
S278: "Night on Bald Mountain"
S279: "The Great Gate at Kiev"
S280: "Pachelbel"
S281: "Canon"
S282: "Ponchielli"
S283: "Dance of the Hours"
S284: "Rachmaninov"
S285: "Prelude in C Sharp Minor"
S286: "Piano Concerto no. 2"
S287: "Ravel"
S288: "Bolero"
S289: "Respighi"
S290: "Circus Maximus"
S291: "Rimsky-Korsakov"
S292: "Procession of the Nobles"
S293: "Rossini"
S294: "William Tell Overture"
S295: "Rubinstein"
S296: "Melody in F"
S297: "Schubert"
S298: ""Unfinished" Symphony"
S299: "Schumann"
S300: "Traeumerei"
S301: "Strauss"
S302: ""Blue Danube" Waltz"
S303: "The Hero's Battlefield"
S304: "Voices of Spring"
S305: "Stravinsky"
S306: "Rite of Spring"
S307: "Infernal Dance of King Kastchel"
S308: "Tchaikovsky"
S309: "Waltz from "Sleeping Beauty""
S310: "Humoresque"
S311: "Piano Concerto no. 1 in B-Flat Minor"
S312: "String Quartet in D"
S313: "1812 Overture"
S314: "Nutcracker Ballet"
S315: "Vivaldi"
S316: "Four Seasons"
S317: "Concerto RV 532 in G Major"
S318: "Wagner"
S319: "Ride of the Valkyries"
S320: "John Williams"
S321: "theme from the "Star Wars" saga"
S322: "a haunting, lilting melody of your own composition"
S323: "No, not THAT kind of G-string. Pervert."
S324: "Thou shalt not kill."
S325: "              -- God"
S326: ""Delusions" Help Menu

     Some Notes on "Delusions"
     Acknowledgments
     Revision History
     SPECIAL CONTEST!
     Hints
"
S327: "The Secrets of the Universe"
S328: "Notes on "Delusions""
S329: "Acknowledgments"
S330: "Revision History"
S331: "Contest Info"
S332: ""Delusions" Hints"
S333: ""Delusions" Hints

     Debugging the Fish VR
     In the Project Laboratory
     Trapped in the Lab Sim
     The Endgame
"
S334: ""Delusions" Hints"
S335: "Debugging the Fish VR"
S336: "In the Project Laboratory"
S337: "Trapped in the Lab Sim"
S338: "The Endgame"
S339: "Debugging the Fish VR

     What's going on?
     How do I get the gravel?
     How do I escape the octopus?
     How do I escape the shark?
     How can I tell which hole to enter?
     Justy still claims there's a bug, but I can't find it!
"
S340: "In the Project Laboratory

     What should I do when I start feeling weak?
     How do I get a light into Factory Storage?
     What should I do in Factory Storage?
"
S341: "Trapped in the Lab Sim

     What happened? Where am I?
     Who is Morrodox?
     Why does Morrodox keep calling me "QueensRook"?
     What am I supposed to be "learning" here?
     How do I use the computer?
     How do I keep from passing out all the time?
     How do I counteract Morrodox's injection?
     How do I remove Morrodox's implant?
     Why can't I get a grip on some objects?
     How can I escape the Lab VR?
"
S342: "The Endgame

     I'm back! Now what should I do?
     Cynthia locked me up! How do I escape?
     How do I stop Cynthia?
     How should I deal with Justy and Dr Shimada?
     How can I find Morrodox?
     Where can I find the new system password?
     What should I do with Morrodox?
"
S343: "Debugging the Fish VR"
S344: "(1/2)  Distract it somehow."
S345: "(1/2)
Go where it can't get to you."
S346: "(1/3)
It's always random, and guessing never works."
S347: "(2/3)
Drop the gravel into one of the holes."
S348: "(1/4)
You're looking for a way to overload the VR."
S349: "(2/4)
The most obvious way is by creating an infinite progression."
S350: "(3/4)
Have you noticed the school of fish? Their release is an event triggered each
time the grotto entrance is passed."
S351: "In the Project Laboratory"
S352: "(1/4)
There's a lightstick in the freezer. Ever seen one of these before (in real
life)?"
S353: "(2/4)
Know your physics? Heating the lightstick causes energy to be released in the
form of light."
S354: "(3/4)
You can heat up the lightstick in the microwave."
S355: "(1/2)
Search the old hardware bins (repeatedly)."
S356: "Trapped in the Lab Sim"
S357: "(1/2)
Something else went wrong with the Fish VR. You never made it back to the real
world."
S358: "(1/3)
If you let him talk enough, he'll tell you."
S359: "(2/3)
Morrodox is a second-generation VR virus. The Project has been sabotaged!"
S360: "(1/2)
It's a clue to Morrodox's manner of thinking, and thus his origin."
S361: "(1/10)
Your whole identity is an illusion. Morrodox wants you to see that."
S362: "(2/10)
Investigate everything in the lab sim, and you'll start to become aware."
S363: "(3/10)
Have you noticed the things that have the "echoing, shadowy air of
inconsistency" about them? Concentrate on those."
S364: "(4/10)
Some things can't be deduced immediately. Build up your awareness and try them
again. (It's a progressive process.)"
S365: "(5/10)
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!! Read further only if you're completely stuck."
S366: "(6/10)
The first glimmers of awareness appear when you examine the suspended-animation
tank in the lab."
S367: "(7/10)
Next, look at Cynthia's 3-D picture, and your violin and Giger painting."
S368: "(8/10)
Now study the hypodermic needle, the elevator doors, and the android body in
factory storage (several times)."
S369: "(9/10)
Finally, look at the door to your quarters, your hands (when they start
shaking), and the place where a mirror once hung."
S370: "(1/13)
The Project's technical manual provides an overview. Look up the various icons
you see on the screen."
S371: "(2/13)
Using the mouse, you navigate the system just like a real GUI interface, but
you must type what you want to do, as this is a text-based game. (The author
finds the irony here extremely amusing.)"
S372: "(3/13)
For example, "POINT THE MOUSE CURSOR AT THE LAUNCH ICON."  Now "CLICK THE LEFT
MOUSE BUTTON.""
S373: "(4/13)
Clicking only highlights the icons. Use a double-click to open them."
S374: "(5/13)
The parser accepts a wide variety of phrasings. For example:

     POINT THE MOUSE AT THE REPORT ICON THEN DOUBLE-CLICK THE LEFT BUTTON
     MOVE CURSOR TO REPORT THEN DOUBLE-CLICK LEFT
     DOUBLE-CLICK THE LEFT MOUSE BUTTON ON THE REPORT ICON
     DOUBLE-CLICK ON THE REPORT ICON WITH THE LEFT MOUSE BUTTON
     DOUBLE CLICK LEFT ON REPORT
     LEFT DOUBLE-CLICK REPORT
     DOUBLE LEFT-CLICK REPORT"
S375: "(6/13)
You can use either the right or left mouse button. Both behave identically."
S376: "(7/13)
The other GUI controls -- windows, message boxes, entry fields, and checkboxes
-- are manipulated similarly."
S377: "(8/13)
A window can be closed by double-clicking on it, or simply by saying "CLOSE
WINDOW.""
S378: "(9/13)
A message box can be closed by double-clicking on it, by clicking on its "OK"
button, by saying "CLOSE MESSAGE BOX.""
S379: "(10/13)
Entry fields can be closed by double-clicking, or by saying "CLOSE ENTRY
FIELD." You can also type something when an entry field is present: "TYPE
HELLO", for instance. (Don't use quotation marks -- they're not recognised.)"
S380: "(11/13)
Checkboxes turn their settings on or off when SINGLE-CLICKed (or simply
CLICKed). You can examine a checkbox to see if it's marked or unmarked, or you
can simply "TURN <checkbox> ON/OFF.""
S381: "(12/13)
Windows, message boxes, and entry fields are all modal. That is, once one
appears, you can't click outside it until you close it first."
S382: "(1/4)
Two things cause this: the drug you took (which you thought was your insulin)
and the implant on your head."
S383: "(2/4)
Since the drug acts fastest, getting rid of it should be your first priority."
S384: "(3/4)
Once you've done that, you'll be able to successfully deal with the implant."
S385: "(1/6)
Morrodox gives you a new dose each time you pass out."
S386: "(2/6)
Have you tried waking up before he has a chance to do this?"
S387: "(3/6)
Try setting the alarm on your fingerwatch."
S388: "(4/6)
Something is different when you wake up prematurely. Search the lab, but don't
alert Morrodox."
S389: "(5/6)
Swallow the antitoxin tablet in the cabinet."
S390: "(1/11)
Cut it out using the power X-Acto knife."
S391: "(2/11)
You'll have to find a way to keep from blacking out from the pain, of course."
S392: "(3/11)
This is a virtual sensory reality! Perhaps you could reprogram the sim
configuration from inside."
S393: "(4/11)
Double-clicking on the "report" icon generates a report at the output station.
Reading it provides a hint."
S394: "(5/11)
Use the computer in the VR lab to eliminate your sense of touch. (Refer to the
question about the computer if you're having trouble here.)"
S395: "(6/11)
Double-click one of the mouse buttons on the "configure" icon, then click on
the hand checkbox."
S396: "(7/11)
The change doesn't take effect until the lab sim is reset (which happens
whenever you pass out from the implant). If you make changes once, the system
remembers them, so you don't need to do it every time."
S397: "(8/11)
Don't forget to close the window, or Morrodox will know you've been tampering
with the system."
S398: "(9/11)
Better reset the alarm on your watch too, so that you can wake to take the
antitoxin again (since you're going to pass out from the implant)."
S399: "(10/11)
NOW you can cut out the implant. But you'd best be prepared to stop the
inevitable bleeding."
S400: "(1/9)
You can't until you keep from blacking out all the time."
S401: "(2/9)
Once you've disposed of both the drug and the implant, you'll have enough time
to search for what you need."
S402: "(3/9)
Checking the printout reveals a potential for sim overload, as in the fish VR.
Perhaps you could exploit this."
S403: "(4/9)
By now Morrodox's ramblings and your own surfacing memories should make you
suspicious of the other Project members. Search their quarters."
S404: "(5/9)
There's a curious box beneath Cynthia's desk."
S405: "(6/9)
There are two ways to open it -- by breaking it, or by cutting it open with the
X-Acto knife."
S406: "(7/9)
In the past, Morrodox has kept a close watch on you to ensure that you stay
alive (virtually speaking, of course). If you were to die before he could save
you, you would either crash the sim (and thus escape) or die for real."
S407: "(8/9)
Only one way to find out. Kill yourself with the needle gun."
S408: "The Endgame"
S409: "(1/2)
You should see Dr Shimada, as Justy suggests."
S410: "(1/8)
The door is barred from the other side by the iron latch. Perhaps you could
force it open from this side?"
S411: "(2/8)
You could use the electromagnet from factory storage to attract the locking
mechanism, thus opening the door."
S412: "(3/8)
The electromagnet's power coupler is broken. But there's a replacement
somewhere."
S413: "(4/8)
It's on top of the shelves in your quarters."
S414: "(5/8)
Shaking the shelves is too forceful. Perhaps a series of slighter, more
persistent vibrations would get it down."
S415: "(6/8)
Your violin will accomplish what you need! Put your amplifier on the shelves,
and play the violin with the volume turned on a high setting (above 5)."
S416: "(7/8)
The power coupler is fragile. Put the pillow in the alcove to catch it."
S417: "(1/4)
You can't by yourself. Alert Project security."
S418: "(2/4)
Did you listen to the struggle going on outside? Dr Shimada tried to call them
already, but Cynthia stopped her."
S419: "(3/4)
You'll find Dr Shimada's cellular phone in Factory Storage, where Cynthia threw
it."
S420: "(1/8)
Use the VR system's built-in search engine."
S421: "(2/8)
Did you read the Project technical manual? Double-click the "system" icon."
S422: "(3/8)
Once you've found the password, Dr Shimada will help you navigate to the search
engine. (See the next question if you're having trouble with the password."
S423: "(4/8)
Remember, Morrodox is a virus, so he's attached to another program in the
system."
S424: "(5/8)
His ramblings provide all kinds of clues about his origin."
S425: "(6/8)
"Knight moves", the "Dark Ruler", the name "QueensRook"..."
S426: "(7/8)
Cynthia attached Morrodox to her chess program! (Type "CHESS" at the search
engine.)"
S427: "(1/4)
Cynthia had Morrodox change Dr Shimada's password, but she probably wrote the
new one down somewhere."
S428: "(2/4)
There are indentations on the pad of notebook paper, but top page is torn off."
S429: "(3/4)
Rub the pad of notebook paper with the pencil to make the indentations
visible."
S430: "(1/2)
Whatever you want to do."
S431: "For Your Amusement

     Have you tried...?
     Did you know...?
     If you're interested...
     What the judges thought
"
S432: "For Your Amusement"
S433: "Have You Tried...?"
S434: "Did You Know...?"
S435: "If You're Interested..."
S436: "Comments on "Delusions""
S437: "(1/18)
Kissing, throwing, smelling, listening, talking, or attacking while in the Fish
VR?"
S438: "(2/18)
Killing one of the Project team members early in the game?"
S439: "(3/18)
Cutting off your fingerwatch with the X-Acto knife?"
S440: "(4/18)
Repeatedly searching through the bins of old hardware, especially after you've
found the electromagnet?"
S441: "(5/18)
Answering one of the "Jeopardy" clues? While the match is in progress?"
S442: "(6/18)
Tuning the violin? Tuning something else?"
S443: "(7/18)
Asking the characters about each other, God, Morrodox, the Project or the
Executives?"
S444: "(8/18)
Asking the game (using "WHO IS/WHAT IS") about the following: H.R. Giger, M.C.
Escher, Justy, Cynthia, Dr Shimada, yourself, Morrodox, the Executives, the
Great Cancer, the "Jeopardy" contestants, C.E. Forman?"
S445: "(9/18)
Setting the timer on the fingerwatch immediately after becoming trapped in the
lab sim?"
S446: "(10/18)
Deactivating your other senses, besides touch?"
S447: "(11/18)
Deactivating all five senses at once?"
S448: "(12/18)
Eating the pizza after deactivating your sense of taste?"
S449: "(13/18)
Entering the suspended animation tank? After you've discovered you're an
android? In the lab sim with Morrodox?"
S450: "(14/18)
Attacking Dr Shimada in her quarters?"
S451: "(15/18)
Powering the electromagnet and leaving it in the niche BEFORE Cynthia locks you
in your quarters, so that the locking mechanism on the door won't stay closed?
After hanging the painting back over the niche?"
S452: "(16/18)
Typing Cynthia's password before you've learned it?"
S453: "(17/18)
Sharpening the pencil with the X-Acto knife, when the knife is switched on?"
S454: "(1/7)
...that there are 80 possible tunes to be played on the violin, the same number
played by the wireless in "Curses"? (Well, Release 12 anyway.)"
S455: "(2/7)
...that there is an index in the Project technical manual, listing all the
valid topics?"
S456: "(3/7)
...that there are 29 inside jokes or allusions to aspects of I-F in
"Delusions"? (How many can YOU find?)"
S457: "(4/7)
...that your character in "Delusions" is left-handed? (See if you can figure
out why this is true.)"
S458: "(5/7)
...that the timestamp on this game file is an inside joke about a popular
television series?"
S459: "(6/7)
...that there are seven possible endings to "Delusions"? They are:

Destroying yourself and the VR equipment.
Killing Justy and Dr Shimada.
Killing yourself.
Not entering the Sphere to save Morrodox.
Watching Morrodox die inside the Reality Core.
Killing Morrodox in the Reality Core.
Saving Morrodox."
S460: "
The H.R. Giger Gallery:
http://www.ucs.usl.edu/%7Ebpd5896/giger.html"
S461: "The World of M.C. Escher:
http://www.texas.net/escher/"
S462: "Virtual Reality Links:
http://www.ph.unimelb.edu.au/"jpc/vr.html"
S463: "The Violinmakers' Homepage:
http://www.centrum.is/hansi/"
S464: "Information on Diabetes Mellitus:
news:misc.health.diabetes"
S465: "The Cray Homepage:
http://www.cray.com/"
S466: "Fritz Lang's "Metropolis":
http://www.msstate.edu/M/title-exact?+=metropolis"
S467: "William Gibson:
http://ee.oulu.fi/"thefinn/gibson/gibson.html"
S468: "

"Do I *have* to look like [Star Trek's] Data?...Morrodox is cool, but he talks
way too much."

-- Daphne Brinkerhoff"
S469: "

"Fascinating. I am not generally fond of Cyber-whaetver (perhaps because I work
with computers so much), but I am liking this."

-- Matthew Crosby"
S470: "

"Your game is fitting well into the 'good but incomprehensible' theme of this
competition."

-- Neil deMause"
S471: "

"Excellent excellent excellent game. I was very impressed -- it felt more like
an Infocom game than any other game in the contest...one of the few games from
the contest that I will play again."

-- Dave Gatewood"
S472: "

"Congratulations...to C.E. Forman, for a gripping, intriguing, thrilling game
in 'Delusions' (and also for correctly guessing my identity!)"

-- Leon Lin ("Kissing the Buddha's Feet")"
S473: "

"Certainly [Delusions] was [an] original game, but it was also very preachy,
had many self-serving comments directly from the author, and had far too few
clues on what actually had to be done."

-- Andrew D. Pontious ("Small World")"
S474: "

"Basically excellent in every respect -- brilliant idea, (almost) flawlessly
executed, great plot, well-thought-out puzzles. Just a gem in every
respect...The game was so good that it almost made me wonder if the anonymous
author was a former Infocom implementor in disguise...The idea of Satan as a
virus, the world as a VR construct, and God as a blind, black, bitter woman may
be a little skewed theologically, but it made for totally engrossing IF."

-- Paul O'Brien ("Wearing the Claw")"
S475: "

"Now this was a game. Not a two-hour game, mind you. The atmosphere was, to say
the least, mind-blowing."

-- Brad O`Donnell"
S476: "

"I thought the pacing was *terrible*. Far too much in a short period of play. I
felt harried, hurried, and I pretty much lost the remnants of my patience when
[Morrodox] started streaming nonsense at me...After two hours I was relieved,
because I could stop playing."

-- Andrew Plotkin ("Lists and Lists")"
S477: "

"The story's freakin' INCREDIBLE...Wonderful characterization and prose, great
story bringing up interesting ideas on the nature of reality, believeable
history...I just really loved it all around."

-- Dan Ravipinto ("Tapestry")"
S478: "

"It's clear how much effort went into filling out the details, and it's nicely
ironic to see just how absorbing and enchanting 'virtual reality' can be
*without* the kind of technology envisioned within the game. When they come up
with full 5-sense immersive VR I'll be the first to try it out, but until then,
I can settle for this."

-- Suzanne Skinner"

[End of text]

[End of file]