Crack It!/Crack It!.iso/CONTENT/GATEWAY2/GATEW2WF.TXT

Text File | 1998-03-13 | 54KB | 1,536 lines

Time passes...
   As your body accustoms itself to the upward motion of the
room, a guidething rises from the floor and speaks. "Greetings.
Welcome to the Place of Seeing. Please do not be alarmed by the
room's motion. If you have made this trip before, you know that
we are travelling up to the surface to get an unobstructed view
of the sky."

 wait
Time passes...
   A few of the Heechee with you begin to look around nervously.
One of them asks, "Will the ceiling open up to the sky?"
   The guidething responds, "Do not be alarmed. Although the dome
cover will open, the transparent shield underneath will remain
to protect us from the elements."

 wait
Time passes...
   Another Heechee speaks up. "What of the lift tube? There's all
that space underneath us. What if we drop?"
   The guidething swivels to point towards the Heechee. "The lift
for the Place of Seeing has impeccable safety standards. Along
with brakes and a variety of other failsafes, it boasts a
gravity lens as the ultimate back-up.
   "Sensors placed throughout the shaft will detect if any object
is falling faster than is safe. They will uncover and actuate
the lens at the bottom. So you see, even if all the safety
measures failed and the Place of Seeing somehow went into
free-fall, we would land at the bottom safely."

 wait
Time passes...
   The room settles and you feel your stomach jump a bit. The
domed ceiling suddenly peels back to reveal a bright sky. The
brilliance comes not from daylight, however, but from an
uncountable number of stars.

 look at telescope
The telescope is attached to a mechanical arm, which can swing
across the length and breadth of the ceiling. This gives the
telescope access to the entire sky. The controls are very
simple. They consist of a digitized display of the stars above,
and five buttons which identify and locate the five major
constellations.
   The giant telescope slides on its giant arm into position. A
few Heechee wander over to look at the attached screens.
   The guidething speaks up. "As any child knows, when the
Heechee entered into the Black Hole, they brought thousands of
stars and planets to keep them company. That is what you see
above you. Since this was not a natural phenomenon, they had
the opportunity to shape the heavens. Artists of the age
created the five main constellations, which you can view
through the telescope."

 look at the telescope
            Press left button
            Press 2nd button from left
            Press middle button
            Press 2nd button from right
            Write down shape of Aesthemis constellation
            Press right button
            Press the squere in the top-left corner

 wait
Time passes...
   The domed ceiling closes and the telescope returns to the
center of the room.
   "We'll be descending now," says the guidething. "Please stay
still until we reach the bottom. Thank you."

 wait
Time passes...
   The room slows, and then stops. The doors slide open. "Thank
you for coming. Please exit though the doors. Another trip is
scheduled in five minutes." The guidething floats back down to
the ground and shuts down.

 w
You exit through the lift doors back into the city.

City Streets

 sw
City Streets
   You stand on a crowded walkway. Buildings are all around, and
the streets wander between them. Wherever you look, Heechee
bustle back and forth, pushing and jostling you. The streets
widen here to form an open square. In the center, a Heechee
speaks to a gathered crowd. You see exits to the north,
northeast, east, and northwest.
   You step into a crowd gathered around a colorfully dressed
Heechee. He seems to be in the middle of a speech.
   The speaker says, "Sterigma wasn't just an ancient priest of a
long dead religion. He was a prophet in the true sense of the
word."

 wait
Time passes...
   The speaker waves his hands and says, "Sterigma spoke about
'the enemy' in his verses, but the Heechee had no enemies when
he was alive. Was he speaking in metaphors, or did he glimpse
the future?"

 wait
Time passes...
   The speaker states, "It's obvious to even those Heechee who do
not want to acknowledge his wisdom that Sterigma foretold the
Assassin threat. Take, for example, the second verse of his
collected prophecies..."

 wait
Time passes...
   The speaker solemnly recites:
   "They will come, the Dark Ones will.
   Upon black wings will they ride the sky,
   Knives of fire will fall,
   Boiling seas will flood the farmlands,
   And stone will crack from hammer blows;
   Then will the void open to accept us, protect us."

 nw
City Streets
   You stand on a crowded walkway. Buildings are all around, and
the streets wander between them. Wherever you look, Heechee
bustle back and forth, pushing and jostling you. To the west,
you see a sign pointing to the 'Place of Moving'. You see exits
to the north, east, southeast, and west.

 w
Quad
   The attendant speaks a few words into his headset. He
immediately returns to his work and takes no more notice of
you.

 wait 2 hours
Time passes...

 wait 2 hours
Time passes...

 wait 30
[I assume you mean 30 minutes.]
Time passes...

 ne
Theatre
   Seats encircle a platform in the middle of this domed chamber.
The seats are deserted. It looks like a theatre-in-the-round,
however the stage is rather small and completely empty.
   The room is deserted. You choose a seat near the back and sit
down.
   Heechee begin to file in the doors and take seats around the
platform in the center. Some of them stare at you rudely as
they pass by, but most are friendly and cheerful. Many greet
you before they sit down.

 sit
You're already sitting.

 wait 30
            Press YES until you get 10 pts.
[I assume you mean 30 minutes.]
Time passes...
   More Heechee enter and sit around the room. Although the room
is not crowded, more than half the seats are taken now.
   The lights dim, and the crowd hushes. Suddenly a column of
light erupts from the platform on the floor. The light resolves
into images - holograms. Music floods from unseen speakers, and
the audience settles into their seats.
   The image of a male Heechee appears in the column. The music
softens and he begins to speak. His voice is clear and deep. It
seems to entrance the audience; no one stirs.
   The speaker continues his tale. "The ancient Heechee were
explorers of a young galaxy. They dedicated themselves to the
search for traces of life. They found, as they suspected, that
life in the galaxy was a precious thing, and that intelligent
species other than their own simply did not exist."
   "Then they made a great discovery. Orbiting a small planet,
they observed cities that dotted its surface. This planet,
however, was far removed from any star system and completely
covered with ice."
   "No life remained on the planet. Something had thrown the
planet out of the orbit of its sun, and the resulting conditions
 had destroyed all life. This was the Heechee's first experience
 with the remains of a Foe kill. This is why they had never
discovered other intelligent life. The Foe had arrived first,
and obliterated it. The Heechee stopped the search and fled into
 the black hole. Until the arrival of the human, the Heechee
were the only known sentient life in the galaxy to escape
detection, and therefore extinction."
   The lights come up. Almost as one, the audience stands and
stretches, and then heads for the door. Some wave at you as
they leave. Soon, you are left alone in the theatre.
   Heechee begin to file in the doors and take seats around the
platform in the center. Some of them stare at you rudely as
they pass by, but most are friendly and cheerful. Many greet
you before they sit down.
   More Heechee enter and sit around the room. Although the room
is not crowded, more than half the seats are taken now.
   The lights dim, and the crowd hushes. Suddenly a column of
light erupts from the platform on the floor. The light resolves
into images - holograms. Music floods from unseen speakers, and
the audience settles into their seats.
   In the darkness of the theatre, a figure slips into the seat
beside you. Radiance from the column of light flickers over his
features, but even as close as you are, you can't get a good
look at him.
   At that moment the lights go up. You see your companion
perfectly, for the few seconds he remains. With what looks like
a pained expression, Macropterous leaps to his feet and strides
to the door. Other members of the audience look over to you and
wave their greetings. Some come over and look at you curiously,
but then file out the doors. Soon you are left alone in the
theatre.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

 sw
[Getting off of the seat first.]
You make your way out of the theatre.

Quad

 e
City Streets

 e
City Streets
   You stand on a crowded walkway. Buildings are all around, and
the streets wander between them. Wherever you look, Heechee
bustle back and forth, pushing and jostling you. You see exits
to the east, south, and west.

 e
City Streets
   You stand on a crowded walkway. Buildings are all around, and
the streets wander between them. Wherever you look, Heechee
bustle back and forth, pushing and jostling you. There is a
large set of doors to the east with a sign that reads 'Place of
Seeing' above them. You see exits to the north, east, south,
southwest, and west.

 n
City Hangar
   This room is a long vertical tube that reaches up to a dark
sky, far above. A variety of spacecraft ring the tube, mostly
accompanied by their Heechee pilots. Your ship sits in a berth
to one side.

 in
Heechee Ship
   After you climb inside the hatch, you slip the metallic card
that you carry into a slot on the control panel. It slides out
of sight, and a new course code appears.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

 sit
You sit in the chair and swing it around to face the new
navigation panel.
            Press the destination without a label
            Press the big button

 out
[Getting off of the chair first.]
Landing Site
   A hill blocks the low, harsh sun. The orange twilight
illuminates a land of scoured sand and rock. Atop the hill, the
silhouette of a strange temple looms over you. Rough stone
spires rise on either side of the path that leads up to this
temple. Grayish-green vines, the only visible life, are tightly
twined around the spires. Your ship sits behind you.
   A small metallic object perched on a nearby stone spire seems
to wake up. Lights on its face blink as it lifts up into the
air. It floats over to you and says, "Welcome all, to the
ancient site of the Temple of Sterigma. I am the guidething
assigned here, and I will describe this site to you."

 n
The guidething floats beside you as you climb up the rough
path.

Temple
   The temple looks old, far more ancient than anything on Earth.
Carved from huge blocks of stone, the work is masterful, but
more primitive than any other Heechee art you've seen. The
interior carvings seem to follow themes; each wall concentrates
on one of the four basic elements. In the center, a raised
plaza contains four stone circles.
   The guidething floats in a gentle circle and says, "Although
the Temple of Sterigma is one of the smaller historic sites of
the ancestral Homeworld, it is nevertheless interesting,
especially because of the beliefs of its builders."

 Turn the stone disks
            Press the buttom-left disk
            Press the buttom-left disk
            Press the upper-right disk
            Press the upper-right disk
            Press the buttom-right disk
            Press the buttom-right disk
            Press the buttom-right disk
            Press the upper-left disk
            Press the upper-left disk
            Press the upper-left disk
   [Your score has just gone up by 15.]
The depression in the center of the floor opens to reveal
stairs leading downward. You descend into a giant cavern filled
with technology. Cloaked figures work silently throughout. One
of them notices you and guides you through a doorway into a
small chamber.

Inner Sanctum
   Modern technology covers the walls, but behind the machines
you catch glimpses of the temple's ancient wall carvings. A
huge screen on the north wall dominates the chamber. It is
currently dark. In front of you, there is a long stone table.
   Behind the table sits a cloaked Heechee.
   The Heechee behind the table looks up.
            Select: 'What is the 'White Hand?'
            Select: 'Differently, you say.'
            Select: 'What's the difference?'
            Select: 'Where does it go?'
            Select: 'This is all very interesting, but it has nothing to do
                                                           with my problems.'
            Select: 'How do you know so much, smart guy?'
            Select: 'Well, I guess so.'
            Select: 'What components are missing?'
            Select: 'Can you tell me how to obtain these components?'
            Select: 'Tell me about this Cohesion Field Generator.'
            Select: 'Tell me about this Gravity Lens.'
            Select: 'Tell me about this Nav Data Chip.'
            Select: 'Where do you think I might get a Field Generator?'
            Select: 'Where would I find one ot these Gravity Lenses?'
            Select: 'Where would a Nav Chip be located?'
            Select: 'What do I do once I've got the stuff?'
            Select: 'Allright, I;ll do it. Stand back and watch my dust.'

 out
One of the cloaked Heechee opens the door and escorts you back
out into the temple.

Temple
   The guidething twirls around a stone spire and says, "The
ancient Heechee were relatively primitive. Unlike the present
day inhabitants of the Core, the Heechee that created this
temple were as interested in religion as they were in science."

 s
   The guidething follows you out of the temple and down the
hill.

Landing Site

 in
The guidething lands lightly on a flat spire and shuts down.

Heechee Ship
   After you climb inside the hatch, you slip the metallic card
that you carry into a slot on the control panel. It slides out
of sight, and a new course code appears.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

 sit
You sit in the chair and swing it around to face the new
navigation panel.
The transport lifts up and flies a few kilometers over the
surface of the barren world. It touches down at the base of a
rocky hill.
            Press the destination without a label
            Press the big button

 out
[Getting off of the chair first.]
Landing Site
   To the north, a hill pushes up from the harsh, uneven ground.
A path winds from where you stand up to a natural cavern. There
are several of the rough stone spires here, and they are all
covered with tenacious ivy-like vines. Other than the vines,
however, there doesn't seem to be any plant life here. Your
ship sits behind you.

 n
Dig Site
   Much of the cavern is littered with stone debris. The walls
are mostly hidden by rubble, and the rocky ground is covered
with dirt. It looks like an attempt to excavate the area had
been started, and then abandoned. The most prominent feature of
the cave is a stone column which is badly cracked and in
imminent danger of collapse.
   On the front of the column, you see a small black box. A red
light on its face blinks rapidly.

 plant seeds
You touch the seeds to the soil surrounding the column.
Immediately, roots spring out of them. The ironweed explodes in
growth. It grabs at the column and quickly crawls up its
surface. Soon, the column is covered with the tenacious vine,
as is much of the ceiling. Only then does the ironweed slow its
rate of growth and finally stop.
   [Your score has just gone up by 15.]

 press button
You press the button on the black box. It stops flashing and
the box falls to the ground. The column immediately begins to
fall apart, but the ironweed wrapped around it holds the pieces
together. The ceiling rumbles, but stays where it is.
   You also notice a small shiny object fall from one of the
cracks. It lands on the ground next to your feet.

 take all
field generator: Taken.
   [Your score has just gone up by 5.]
shiny object: You grab the object from the rubble at your feet.
It looks like a badge of some sort.
   [Your score has just gone up by 5.]

 s
Landing Site

 in
Heechee Ship

 sit
You sit in the chair and swing it around to face the new
navigation panel.
            Write down 'Temple Site's' code
            Press the 'Administration Planet' code
            Press the big button

 out
[Getting off of the chair first.]
Docking Area
   This is the docking area for the Place of Administration, the
hangar where you originally landed in the Core. Other ships are
berthed against the walls, and Heechee technicians mill around
them. A phalanx of small, sleek probes are set aside off in a
special berth. Behind a window high in the north wall, you can
make out a command area. Below it, you see a stout metal door.
A hallway leads to another large chamber to the east.
   One of the technicians approaches you.
With that, the technician returns to tinkering around with one
of the berthed ships.

 wear badge
You put on the science badge.

 n
You step up to the thick metal door. A spherical sensor pokes
out of the wall and seems to sniff you all over. It focuses on
the science badge, sniffs a bit more, and pings. The sensor
retracts, the door opens, and you step through.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

Command Center
   The window in the southern wall overlooks the entire docking
area. Under it, you find a long counter filled with various
instruments and controls. One console, set to the side, is
labelled 'PROBE TARGETING'. The room is deserted. Stairs lead
down to the docking area.

 look at console
            Press the bottom of the left button
            Press the bottom of the left button
            Press the bottom of the left button
            Press the top of the button 2nd from the left
            Press the top of the button 2nd from the left
            Press the top of the button 2nd from the left
            Press the bottom of the button 3rd from the left
            Press the bottom of the button 3rd from the left
            Press the bottom of the button 3rd from the left
            Press the top of the button 4th from the left
            Press the top of the button 4th from the left
            Press the top of the button 4th from the left
            Press the top of the button 4th from the left
            Code should look like 'Temple Site's' code
            Press the big button
You hear a loud roar as one of the probes from the hangar fires
into the air.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

 s
Docking Area

 in
Heechee Ship

 sit
You sit in the chair and swing it around to face the new
navigation panel.
            Press the 'City Hangar' code
            Press the big button

 out
[Getting off of the chair first.]
City Hangar

 s
City Streets

 s
City Streets
   You stand on a crowded walkway. Buildings are all around, and
the streets wander between them. Wherever you look, Heechee
bustle back and forth, pushing and jostling you. You see exits
to the north, east, south, and west.

 e
Alleyway
   You are standing in a dark, deserted alleyway off of the main
street, which lies to the west. In the rock wall to the north,
a doorway opens on a shadowed stairway. It leads down, out of
sight.

 n
You walk down the stairs. With each step, you notice a nasty
smell, gradually getting stronger. You emerge into a sewer.

Sewer
   A stream of bubbling sludge divides this chamber lengthwise. A
horrible smell wafts up from it, reminding you of ammonia and
sulphur. Holes in the wall periodically spew glops of green
slime. They drop into the pit and slowly sink into the sewage.
On the other side of the chasm, you see an open maintenance
shaft.

 put generator in sludge
You place the generator on the semi-solid sewage. It slowly
begins to sink.

 press button
You press the button on the black box and a red light flashes
in response. The generator stops sinking as the slimy surface
immediately congeals. You touch your finger to the sewage and
discover that it is as hard as rock.
   [Your score has just gone up by 15.]

 n
You carefully walk over the hardened sewage. When you reach the
ledge on the other side, you climb into the open maintenance
shaft.

Shaft
   You are crouching inside of a maintenance shaft. Smaller
shafts lead from this main one, but most seem to dead end after
a few meters.

 n
Tube Junction
   You squat at the end of the maintenance shaft. It opens onto a
vertical tube that has the circumference of a large room. The
tube extends up beyond your range of vision, and down to a
floor that is barely visible far below. Rungs are placed in the
wall at one meter intervals. As you glance up and down the
shaft, you notice rings of sensors set into the walls every
twenty meters or so.

 wear pod
You strap the pod onto your back with the attached harness.

 jump down
You leap into the middle of the lift tube from your safe haven
in the maintenance shaft. As you plummet downwards, you see the
sensors in the wall start to light up as you pass them.  The
ground rushes towards you. It doesn't look good. Then,
suddenly, you hear a loud buzz.
   A metal disk opens in the floor below. Inside, you see a
mysterious sparkle of light. Suddenly, your rate of
acceleration slows. Gravity seems to have reversed itself. You
come to a halt in midair, about a meter from the floor,
hovering just over the open metal disk. You can now make out a
small, curved, reflective lens just inside.
   The metal disk begins to close.
   [Your score has just gone up by 20.]

 take lens
You slide the lens out of the socket. As soon as contact is
broken, the lens stops glowing and you fall to the ground.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

 open pod
You open the pod.
   The metal disk seals itself tight.

 put lens in pod
You put the gravity lens in the pod.

 up
You grab onto the rungs in the wall and haul yourself up about
twenty meters.

Lift Tube
   This tube has the circumference of a large room. It extends up
beyond your range of vision, and down to a floor far below.
Rungs are placed in the wall at regular meter intervals. You
see rings of sensors set into the walls every twenty meters or
so.

 up
You laboriously climb up the rungs about twenty meters.

 up
You laboriously climb up the rungs about twenty meters.

 up
You heave yourself into the maintenance shaft and sit there a
moment, panting.

Tube Junction

 s
Shaft

 s
You retrace your cautious steps over the sewage.

Sewer
   On the sewage you see a field generator.

 press button
You depress the button. The light stops flashing, the sewage
becomes liquid again, and the generator begins to sink.

 take generator
You snatch the sinking field generator from the surface of the
sewage.

 s
Alleyway

 w
City Streets

 n
City Streets
   You stand on a crowded walkway. Buildings are all around, and
the streets wander between them. Wherever you look, Heechee
bustle back and forth, pushing and jostling you. There is a
large set of doors to the east with a sign that reads 'Place of
Seeing' above them. You see exits to the north, east, south,
southwest, and west.
   The doors to the Place of Seeing open and the sign above them
dims. Heechee pour out of the room beyond.

 n
City Hangar

 in
Heechee Ship

 sit
You sit in the chair and swing it around to face the new
navigation panel.
            Press the 'Temple Site' code
            Press the big button

 out
[Getting off of the chair first.]
Landing Site
   A small metallic object perched on a nearby stone spire seems
to wake up. Lights on its face blink as it lifts up into the
air. It floats over to you and says, "Welcome all, to the
ancient site of the Temple of Sterigma. I am the guidething
assigned here, and I will describe this site to you."

 look at scrape marks
The marks look like something crashed here and then was hauled
away up into the temple.
   The guidething floats in place about three feet away from you
and says, "Although the Temple of Sterigma is one of the smaller
 historic sites of the ancestral Homeworld, it is nevertheless
interesting, especially because of the beliefs of its builders."

 n
The guidething floats beside you as you climb up the rough
path.

Temple

 down
The depression in the center of the floor opens to reveal
stairs leading downward. You descend into a giant cavern filled
with technology. Cloaked figures work silently throughout. One
of them notices you and guides you through a doorway into a
small chamber.

Inner Sanctum
   Behind the table sits a cloaked Heechee.
   The Heechee behind the table looks up and speaks.
            Select: 'Hey! What'd you guys do with the prob? I retargeted it
                                            and you went and dragged it off!'
            Select: 'I've got the generator and the lens. What do I do now?'
            Select: 'What's a TransWarp Drive?'
            Select: 'Who's this Solifluction guy?'
            Select: 'What kind of accident did he have?'
            Select: 'Why didn't they make the drive when he was still alive?'
            Select: 'Didn't anyone else learn his theories?'
            Select: 'Raphide? I got a message from him about my lectures. He
                             wanted me to speak about the Shield Generators.
                                             Is he the same guy?'
            Select: 'Where can this Raphide hide? Isn't he dead?'
            Select: 'How did Fogram rescue Astatine?'
            Select: 'What's Fogram doing with Astatine now? Where is he?'
            Select: 'What's going to draw out Raphide?'
            Select: 'How am I going to get a message to Raphide?'
            Select: 'How do you know all this? What's to keep Raphide from
                                                          calling me a liar?'
            Select: 'All right, I'm off to do some good.'

 up
One of the cloaked Heechee opens the door and escorts you back
out into the temple.

Temple
   The guidething floats in place about three feet away from you
and says, "The ancient Heechee were relatively primitive. Unlike
 the present day inhabitants of the Core, the Heechee that
created this temple were as interested in religion as they were
in science."

 s
   The guidething follows you out of the temple and down the
hill.

Landing Site

 in
The guidething lands lightly on a flat spire and shuts down.

Heechee Ship

 sit
You sit in the chair and swing it around to face the new
navigation panel.
            Press the 'City Hangar' code
            Press the big button

 out
[Getting off of the chair first.]
City Hangar

 s
City Streets

 w
City Streets
   You stand on a crowded walkway. Buildings are all around, and
the streets wander between them. Wherever you look, Heechee
bustle back and forth, pushing and jostling you. You see exits
to the east, south, and west.

 w
City Streets
   You stand on a crowded walkway. Buildings are all around, and
the streets wander between them. Wherever you look, Heechee
bustle back and forth, pushing and jostling you. To the west,
you see a sign pointing to the 'Place of Moving'. You see exits
to the north, east, southeast, and west.

 w
Quad
   The attendant speaks a few words into his headset. He
immediately returns to his work and takes no more notice of
you.

 s
Lounge
   Your escort is slumped against the wall, fast asleep.
   You see a pouch here.
   On the table you see a thermos.

 wait
Time passes...

 wait
Time passes...

 wait
Time passes...

 wait
Time passes...

 wait
Time passes...

 wait
Time passes...

 wait
Time passes...

 wait
Time passes...
   The light next to the lecture hall door turns green.

 w
You swing open the doors to the west and step inside.
   The lecture hall is immense. It is filled with chairs which
are, in turn, filled with Heechee. Although you have become
accustomed to interacting with the aliens in groups of two or
three, the experience of addressing such a large population of
them is somewhat unnerving.
   You also notice that projectors are set in the domed walls and
ceiling. The disembodied heads of yet more Heechee float in
front of them; you can only presume that they are Ancient
Ancestors - the dead Heechee whose personalities have been
copied into electronic storage.
   You slowly make your way along a bridge to a dais suspended
above empty air. Thousands of Heechee eyes, both organic and
electronic, bore into you. For the moment, all you can do is
stand motionless. After a few nervous stutters, you address the
assembly.
   You step down from the dais to the sight of thousands of
Heechee flapping their wrists. You assume that it represents
applause. Soon, you pass through the doors into the lounge and
breathe a sigh of nervous exhaustion.
   [Your score has just gone up by 15.]

 n
Quad

 e
City Streets

 n
Your Quarters
   On the wall, you see a communication device. It is blinking
rapidly.

 look at screen
The communicator is very simple. It contains a large display
screen and an information transfer jack. You see no way of
inputting messages; you seem only to be able to receive them.
          Select: 'He's still alive and kicking, like I told you.'
          Select: 'No. I've learned that Fogram saved him from the accident.'
          Select: 'Because I learned all this, and more, from Covergence.
                                              He's a current council member.'
          Select: 'This all sounds a little fishy. First you tell me you
                                   killed him, and now that you find out
                                         he's not dead, you want ME to do it'
          Select: 'Tell you what I'm gonna do. I'll kill this Astatine for
                                        you, but I want something in return.'
          Select: 'It's not that I don't feel for the guy. I've just got my
                                    own problems. I have to get out of here.'
          Select: 'Well, although bashing on Fogram is attractive, I really
                          need something else: the TransWarp Drive theories.'
          Select: 'It's a long story. I need to intercept a
                                                     Faster-Then-Light ship.'

 s
City Streets

 w
Quad
   The attendant speaks a few words into his headset. He looks up
and says, "I've scheduled a lecture for an hour from now. An
escort should be here shortly. Please wait here for him." He
immediately returns to his work and takes no more notice of
you.

 w
You step up to a massive metal door. On the front is a curious
panel covered with buttons.
            Press the buttons marked with 'X'
        X 0 0 0 0
        0 0 0 X 0
        0 X 0 0 0
        X 0 X 0 0
        0 0 0 0 X
        It should look like the Aesthemis constellation
You step through the metal door into a gleaming laboratory.
   [Your score has just gone up by 15.]

Laboratory
   Scientific equipment fills this room, all organized and set
neatly in place as if it hadn't been touched by living hands
for some time. In the center of the room is a pedestal.
Flanking the pedestal are two strange objects that look like
big lamps. There is a panel on the wall that has a dark silver
datastore plugged into it. A display screen on the far wall
oversees everything. It is dark.
   A strange device is resting on the top of the pedestal.
   You see a visor here.

 wear visor
[Taking the visor first.]
You slip the visor around your head. The filters remove all
color and make everything appear disturbingly fuzzy. Suddenly
you can make out beams of light coursing from the lamps over
the pedestal.

 take device
You reach for the belt-shaped object on the pedestal. As your
hand approaches the projectors, a jolt of pain runs up your
arm. You jerk the hand back and nurse your wound. Suddenly, the
screen above you lights up and the image of an Ancient Ancestor
fades into view.
            Select: 'Are you Astatine?'
            Select: 'What's all this stuff in here?'
            Select: 'What's all this other junk?'
            Select: 'Sure. Fire the baby up.'     Write down the code (#####)
            Select: 'Thanks for the tip. I'll run it right away.'

 look at keypad
                  Type in the code he gave you (#####)
You hear the hum of unseen machinery powering up.

 wait
Time passes...
   You hear the hum of charging generators, but nothing visible
changes.

 wait
Time passes...
   The humming gets stronger. Although the visor filters out quite
 a bit of color, you notice a change in the intensity of the
light beams passing over the pedestal. You also notice that they
 don't bend quite as far around the Curved-Light prototype as
they did before.

 wait
Time passes...
   The beams have definitely closed the distance to the device. It
 doesn't seem to be deflecting them with quite the same force as
 before.

 wait
Time passes...
   The beams barely pass around the prototype now. You are also
very aware of the hue-shift that you noticed before.

 wait
Time passes...
   The light doesn't bend in the slightest and smacks directly
into the device.

 take device
You gently lift the prototype from the pedestal.
   [Your score has just gone up by 15.]
   The beams of light shift back to their original hue, but not
position. Because the prototype is absent, they continue to
strike the pedestal head on.

 take visor
You remove the visor from around your head. The headache that
had been developing immediately disappears.

 touch screen
You gently touch the holo-screen on the wall. As soon as your
finger hits, the screen lights up and the image of an Ancient
Ancestor fades into view.
            Select: 'Secret police?'
            Select: 'I'm just someone who wants to help you. I know how much
                                    pain you're in and I want to end it.'
        Select: 'Believe me. Raphide sent me. He knows what happend and
                                                              wants to help.'
        Select: 'Tell me what to do. Can you disengage your datastore?'
        Select: 'Thank you. Your suffering won't last much longer.'

 take datastore
You gently detach the datastore from its housing.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

 e
Quad

 e
City Streets

 n
Your Quarters
   On the wall, you see a communication device. It is blinking
rapidly.

 look at screen
The communicator is very simple. It contains a large display
screen and an information transfer jack. You see no way of
inputting messages; you seem only to be able to receive them.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]
           Select: 'Yes, I have Astatine in the secured datastore. Now what?'
       Select: 'What exactly is this 'datastore' thing?'
       Select: 'Man, are you slimy or what? You gave your buddy to
                                           Fogram? With friends like you ...'
           Select: 'Are you going to stick around and tell your story to the
                                  authorities? I can't convince them myself.'
       Select: 'So you've hid in your hole for hundreds of thousands of
                    years while Fogram played you for a dupe? What a maroon.'
       Select: 'This doesn't tell me ANYTHING about the TransWarpDrive.
                                      That's the real reason I did all this!'
       Select: 'I'm willing to forgive you, and bring Fogram to justice.
                                                         You just rest easy.'
You remove the datastore from your communicator's data transfer
jack.

 s
City Streets

 e
City Streets
   You stand on a crowded walkway. Buildings are all around, and
the streets wander between them. Wherever you look, Heechee
bustle back and forth, pushing and jostling you. You see exits
to the east, south, and west.

 e
City Streets
   You stand on a crowded walkway. Buildings are all around, and
the streets wander between them. Wherever you look, Heechee
bustle back and forth, pushing and jostling you. There is a
large set of doors to the east with a sign that reads 'Place of
Seeing' above them. You see exits to the north, east, south,
southwest, and west.

 n
City Hangar

 in
Heechee Ship

 sit
You sit in the chair and swing it around to face the new
navigation panel.
            Press the 'Temple Site' code
            Press the big button

 out
[Getting off of the chair first.]
Landing Site
   A small metallic object perched on a nearby stone spire seems
to wake up. Lights on its face blink as it lifts up into the
air. It floats over to you and says, "Welcome all, to the
ancient site of the Temple of Sterigma. I am the guidething
assigned here, and I will describe this site to you."

 n
The guidething floats beside you as you climb up the rough
path.

Temple
   The guidething bobs up and down and says, "Although the Temple
of Sterigma is one of the smaller historic sites of the
ancestral Homeworld, it is nevertheless interesting, especially
because of the beliefs of its builders."

 down
The depression in the center of the floor opens to reveal
stairs leading downward. You descend into a giant cavern filled
with technology. Cloaked figures work silently throughout. One
of them notices you and guides you through a doorway into a
small chamber.

Inner Sanctum
   Behind the table sits a cloaked Heechee.
   The Heechee behind the table looks up and speaks.
        Select: 'Raphide spilled his guts. He was a dead end. He said
                     that Fogram stilled Solifuction, so he's gone and so are
                                                       his theories.'
        Select: 'What do you mean? What's the difference? When Raphide
                                 said it, he made it sound rather final.'
        Select: 'So you're saying that Solifluction is still alive?'
        Select: 'Why didn't he just kill him to begin with?'
        Select: 'Where could he hide Solifluction?'
        Select: 'Where are these DataVaults located?'
        Select: 'I take it there's more than one Heechee in the vaults.
                                  How do I find Solifluction once I'm there?'
        Select: 'What kind of defenses do the DataVaults have?'
        Select: 'All right, I'll do it. Let me guess: You'll wait here?'

 out
One of the cloaked Heechee opens the door and escorts you back
out into the temple.

Temple
   The guidething twirls around a stone spire and says, "The
ancient Heechee were relatively primitive. Unlike the present
day inhabitants of the Core, the Heechee that created this
temple were as interested in religion as they were in science."

 s
   The guidething follows you out of the temple and down the
hill.

Landing Site

 in
The guidething lands lightly on a flat spire and shuts down.

Heechee Ship

 sit
You sit in the chair and swing it around to face the new
navigation panel.
            Press the 'Administration Planet' code
            Press the big button

 out
[Getting off of the chair first.]
Docking Area

 e
Reception Area
   The high, bright blue walls of this chamber are almost
blinding. To the north, you see two huge doors. A sign next to
them says, "High Council Room". A busy-looking Heechee sits
behind a desk to the east, studying an appointment book.
Occasionally, he looks up, but only to see if you've left yet.
Just beyond a decorative plant, you see a small exit to the
southeast. A sign there reads simply, "Do not enter". A hallway
leads back to the docking area to the west.

 se
Hallway
   This appears to be an ordinary hallway, but something doesn't
seem quite right. Along the wall are dozens of tiny lenses whose
 function is not immediately evident. Stairs lead back up to
the reception area to the northwest and the hallway opens to a
dark room to the east.

 wear visor
You slip the visor around your head. The filters remove all
color and make everything appear disturbingly fuzzy. Suddenly
you can make out beams of light forming a web that blocks
further progress into the corridor.

 press stud
You press the stud. The prototype starts to hum and vibrate.

 e
Cautiously, you inch down the hallway. As you come even with
the first lens, you feel a sudden stabbing pain in your hand.
You look down and see a trickle of blood from a razor-sharp
wound. Slowly, you return to the western end of the hallway and
think over your options.

 wear prototype
You put on the prototype.

 e
You step into the web of light beams, half expecting them to
cut you to ribbons. Instead, the beams warp around you,
sometimes passing on both sides, but never actually touching
your flesh. You move slowly, carefully, but nothing stops you
from crossing the hallway into the chamber beyond.
   [Your score has just gone up by 15.]

Vault Entrance
   This is a stark room that smells musty, as if it has been a
long time since people used it. Official-looking signs are
placed everywhere. A transparent case is affixed to the north
wall. Inside it, you see a information console labelled,
'INDEX'. Another transparent shield in set into the east wall.
Behind it, a frayed, tightly-coiled cable is periodically
shooting off sparks. An open doorway in the east wall leads to
another chamber, while the hallway lies back to the west.

 remove visor
You remove the visor from around your head. The headache that
had been developing immediately disappears.

 wait
Time passes...
   A frayed cable sparks and flares behind the transparent shield.
 The electricity leaves small black pock-marks on the face of
the shield.

 wait
Time passes...
   An especially large spark fires off behind the shield. It
scorches the shield and leaves behind a long burn. The
transparent material warps and blackens.

 wait
Time passes...
   A panel opens in the wall and a workthing trundles out. It
examines the damaged shield closely. Then it removes the shield
and carries it off through the panel in the wall, which
immediately closes again.

 take coil
You grasp an insulated section of the cable and unroll it.
You're left holding a sparking, frayed end of the coil.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

 attack case with coil
You touch the frayed cable to the transparent case. There is a
blinding flash, and the cable bucks and jumps in your hand.
When you recover your vision, you discover that you have made
an ugly black scorch mark across the case.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

 wait
Time passes...
   You hear a soft buzz from the prototype, indicating that the
power is about to run out.

 wait
Time passes...
   The prototype becomes inert. You hear a whirring as the
battery starts to recharge.

 wait
Time passes...
   The panel opens and the workthing appears. It examines the
scorched case and removes it from the wall. The workthing turns
around and carries its new burden back inside the panel.

 look at index
        Type in: 'traitor'
The index whirs for a moment. The screen lights up with the
number '#####'.
        Write down this number.
   [Your score has just gone up by 25.]

 e
You drop the frayed cable and it winds itself back up around
the coils.

DataVault
   Rows and rows of Heechee datafans sit on countless shelves.
These shelves stretch off into the distance, much farther than
you can see. You get a chill looking at the infinite number of
fans, knowing that each was a Heechee, sentenced to eternal
nothingness. The door you entered leads west back into the
anteroom. Beside the door, you see a keypad and a chute.

 look at keypad
        Type in the number (#####) you wrote down.
A workthing appears beside you. It immediately rolls deep
inside the Vaults. Soon, you lose sight of it.

 wait
Time passes...
   The workthing rolls back from the depths of the vault. In its
claw, it holds a datafan. After it slows to a stop in front of
you, it drops the fan into your hand and disappears into a
hidden panel.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

 connect datafan to port
You click the datafan into the universal port.

 press download
The box hums as it downloads the information from the datafan
to the datastore. The blue light on the side of the datastore
begins to blink.
   [Your score has just gone up by 15.]

 look at data indicator
It's a small blue light on the side of the datastore to
indicate if the storage unit is currently holding an active
personality. It is blinking.

 put datafan in chute
[Removing the datafan from the universal port first.]
You toss the datafan into the return chute. The datafan
disappears from sight.

 w
Vault Entrance
   You hear a small ping as the prototype's battery completes its
recharge cycle.

 press stud
You press the stud. The prototype starts to hum and vibrate.

 w
Although you feel a slight tingling sensation, nothing stops
you from crossing the hallway into the chamber beyond.

Hallway

 nw
Reception Area

 w
Docking Area

 in
Heechee Ship

 sit
You sit in the chair and swing it around to face the new
navigation panel.
            Press the 'Temple Site' code
            Press the big button

 out
[Getting off of the chair first.]
Landing Site
   A small metallic object perched on a nearby stone spire seems
to wake up. Lights on its face blink as it lifts up into the
air. It floats over to you and says, "Welcome all, to the
ancient site of the Temple of Sterigma. I am the guidething
assigned here, and I will describe this site to you."

 n
The guidething floats beside you as you climb up the rough
path.

Temple
   The guidething floats in place about three feet away from you
and says, "Although the Temple of Sterigma is one of the smaller
 historic sites of the ancestral Homeworld, it is nevertheless
interesting, especially because of the beliefs of its builders."

 down
The depression in the center of the floor opens to reveal
stairs leading downward. You descend into a giant cavern filled
with technology. Cloaked figures work silently throughout. One
of them notices you and guides you through a doorway into a
small chamber.

Inner Sanctum
   Behind the table sits a cloaked Heechee.
   The Heechee behind the table looks up and speaks.
        Select: 'Yes, but it wasn't easy. He'd better know these
                                         theories you've been talking about.'
Heechee Ship
   [Your score has just gone up by 50.]

 out
Corridor
   This is another access corridor like the one you discovered
outside the probeship when it docked with the Artifact. The
corridor is about ten meters long. One end connects to the hull
of your transport. The other end terminates in a heavy
bulkhead.  A metal door is set into the bulkhead to the
northeast. It is closed.

 press blue button
You lean on the button, which gives way with a satisfying
click. Ancient machinery grinds to life and the door slides
open.

 ne
You go through the bulkhead doorway.

Corridor
   This is another long corridor illuminated by the diffused blue
light radiating from the walls, ceiling, and floor. The walls
are covered with the same pattern of rectangular plates and
organic looking, spidery veins of metal that you have seen
before. The corridor runs northeast to southwest.

 ne
Cargo Bay
   You hear a whispered call from above. You look up and see
Diana gesturing frantically from the storage area. Quickly, you
climb the ladder.
Diana disappears down the ladder, holding the crystal rod. You
follow her into the cargo bay. By the time you get there, she's
gone.
   [Your score has just gone up by 15.]

 wear prototype
You put on the prototype.

 press stud
You press the stud. The prototype starts to hum and vibrate.
Suddenly you vanish. Except for a telltale shimmer, your body
is completely invisible!

 w
Corridor
   You are in another glowing blue corridor that runs east to west.
   A uniformed terrorist leans against the wall, holding a
nasty-looking laser rifle.

 w
Dream Room
   This room is all swirls, curves, coils, and curvilinear
patterns. In shape it is a smaller, more circular version of
the huge cargo bay to the east. The room is dominated by a
large metal couch that extends from one of the walls. Poised
somewhat threateningly over the couch is an articulated metal
arm that is covered with wires and machinery. The arm ends in a
round bulb that hovers a meter or so above the raised part of
the couch.
   [Your score has just gone up by 20.]

 lie down
You sit on the couch and start to feel woozy...
        Select: 'Quit your playing around and listen up.'
        Select: 'We are Assassin. We know of your coming, and we are
                                                       here to instruct you.'
        Select: 'Of course. You are pitifully primitive, but will
                     provide us with some entertainment. Do you agree to do as
                                                             we ask?'
        Select: 'Come to the bridge. You will arrive at our home soon.
                     When you do, we will instruct you on the procedure to
             pilot your craft into the Kugelbitz'
   [Your score has just gone up by 20.]
You get up from the couch and try to shake the fuzziness from
your head.

 e
Corridor
   A uniformed terrorist leans against the wall, holding a
nasty-looking laser rifle.

 e
Cargo Bay

 s
Corridor

 s
Corridor

 s
You climb inside the probeship.

Ship
   In the medikit cabinet you see your radio.

 take radio
You grab the radio and flip it to frequency one. The radio comes
 to life with a burst of static.
   [Your score has just gone up by 10.]

 n
You exit the probeship.

Corridor

 n
You go through the bulkhead doorway.

Corridor

 e
You can't go that way.

 n
Cargo Bay
   A message crackles over the radio. It says, "Wait for the
command."

 e
Corridor
   A message crackles over the radio. It says, "Where's the boss?"

 e
Terminal Room
   You see a safe here.

 put radio down
You place the radio on the ground next to the safe.
   [Your score has just gone up by 30.]

 w
Corridor

 w
Cargo Bay

 wait
Time passes...
   You hear a soft buzz from the prototype, indicating that the
power is about to run out.

 wait
Time passes...
   The prototype becomes inert. You hear a whirring as the
battery starts to recharge. You fade back into visibility.

 wait
Time passes...
   You hear a small ping as the prototype's battery completes its
recharge cycle.

 press stud
You press the stud. The prototype starts to hum and vibrate.
Suddenly you vanish. Except for a telltale shimmer, your body
is completely invisible!

 w
Corridor
   A uniformed terrorist leans against the wall, holding a
nasty-looking laser rifle.

 w
Dream Room

 sit
You sit on the couch and start to feel woozy...
        Select: 'We wish for you to serve us again. You must give your
                                      men instructions that we will provide.'
        Select: 'Tell them, "secure the ship and make it safe. Open all
                     viewports and activate sensors". We wish them to see
                                                       their future.'
You get up from the couch and try to shake the fuzziness from
your head.

 e
Corridor
   A uniformed terrorist leans against the wall, holding a
nasty-looking laser rifle.
   A message crackles over the guard's radio. It says, "Secure the
 ship and make it safe. Open all viewports and activate sensors.
 Don't ask questions, just do it."
   [Your score has just gone up by 40.]

 e
Cargo Bay

 e
Corridor

 e
Terminal Room
   You see your radio and a safe here.
   In the safe you see a hypo unit, an animal skin, an autodoc and
 a crystal cube.
   The hypo unit has a hypo needle.

 take all
your radio: Taken.
hypo unit: Taken.
animal skin: Taken.
autodoc: Taken.
crystal cube: Taken.
   [Your score has just gone up by 20.]

 put cube in matrix
You hear the familiar voice of the alien intelligence. "There
is not much time left, human. In 20 minutes the stardrive
engines on this ship will overload and we will all turn into
plasma."
   [Your score has just gone up by 100.]



                THE END - 1600/1600 pts.