"The Gorreven Papers" by "Derek T. Jones" The story genre is "Fiction". The release number is 2. Release along with cover art, an interpreter, and the source text. [TO THE READER: If you haven't played the adventure yet, be warned that reading the source text will give away all its surprises and twists!] Section 1 - Introduction em dash translates into Unicode as 8212. ellipsis translates into Unicode as 8230. When play begins: say "This should never have happened.[paragraph break]"; say "You've told yourself that a thousand times. You are our most intrepid agent. If anyone could retrieve the Gorreven Papers, you could.[paragraph break]The Gorreven Papers! To think of them was unspeakable; to speak of them was unthinkable.[paragraph break]You took all the precautions you could have taken. Some places just aren't built to be broken into.[paragraph break]Or out of.[paragraph break]You have become intimately familiar with the four bare walls of your cell and the dirty yellow light bulb that glares down from the ceiling. Your cell has no door, but an alert guard blocks the doorway twenty-four hours a day[unicode em dash]or at least as far as you can tell. You have to sleep sometimes. They leave the guard in a doorless doorway so that he will constantly remain alert. No napping on the other side of a supposedly secure steel door. It isn't surprising. If you had wanted to keep yourself prisoner you would have done the same.[paragraph break]"; say "You were brought in here blindfolded after a good beating. It gives you headaches just trying to remember any of the turns you took on the way in. But now you're on the inside of this complex. On the same side of those electric fences as the Gorreven Papers. If you can't get out of here with the papers, you may as well not go out at all, because your life won't be worth a fake dollar bill. None of our lives will." [Uncomment this when developing with the Skein, since the blessed Transcript is only correct with this random seed.] [When play begins: seed the random-number generator with 1943.] Section 2 - Breaking Badly [The other pre-existing meaning of 'break' is to 'attack', meaning to damage the subject if possible. Some things are easily breakable, but things made of glass can only be broken if the player has access to something hard enough to break glass. Introduce "smash" as a verb which conveys the player's intent to break something glass-like.] Understand the command "break" as something new. Understand the command "smash" as something new. Breaking off is an action applying to one visible thing. Understand "break off [something]" as breaking off. Understand "break [something] off" as breaking off. Breaking it off of is an action applying to two visible things. Understand "break [something] off [something]" as breaking it off of. Understand "break [something] off of [something]" as breaking it off of. Check breaking off: if the noun is not part of an object: say "But [the noun] isn't part of anything."; stop the action. Carry out breaking off: say "You can't see how to break off [the noun]." Check breaking it off of: if the noun is not part of the second noun: say "But [the noun] isn't part of [the second noun]."; stop the action. Carry out breaking it off of: say "You can't see how to break [the noun] off of [the second noun]." Smashing is an action applying to one visible thing. Understand "smash [something]" as smashing. Understand "break [something]" as smashing. Smashing it with is an action applying to two visible things. Understand "smash [something] with [something]" as smashing it with. Understand "break [something] with [something]" as smashing it with. An object can be glasslike. An object is usually not glasslike. An object can be glass-smashing. An object is usually not glass-smashing. Check smashing: if the noun is glasslike: say "You might be able to smash it with something strong enough."; otherwise: say "It doesn't seem like [the noun] is the kind of thing you can smash."; stop the action. Check smashing it with: if the noun is not glasslike: say "It doesn't seem like [the second noun] could be used to smash [the noun]."; stop the action; otherwise if the second noun is glass-smashing: continue the action; otherwise: say "The [second noun] isn't hard enough to smash [the noun]."; stop the action. Detaching is an action applying to two visible things. Understand "detach [something] from [something]" as detaching. Understand "remove [something] from [something]" as detaching. Check detaching: if the noun is not part of the second noun: say "[The noun] isn't attached to [the second noun]."; stop the action; otherwise if the noun is the sharp piece of metal and the second noun is the cot: continue the action; otherwise if the second noun is not a thin-handled implement: say "[The noun] won't come off easily."; stop the action. Carry out detaching: say "You twist [the noun] off of [the second noun]."; now the noun is carried by the player. Section 3 - Of Guards and Guns Shooting is an action applying to one visible thing. Understand "shoot [something]" as shooting. An object can be gunworthy. An object is usually not gunworthy. Check shooting something: if the pistol is not carried by the player: say "You don't have a gun."; stop the action; otherwise if the shot count of the pistol is zero: say "You're out of bullets."; stop the action; otherwise if the noun is not gunworthy: say "There's no point. Save your bullets for something that needs them."; stop the action; otherwise if the noun is a person and the noun is dead: say "He is already dead."; stop the action. Carry out shooting something: decrease the shot count of the pistol by one. [There are three different overlapping concepts here, all related to a level of concern, but all with different purposes in game. The vigilance has to do mostly with Krugnik, allowing him to look down the hallway. The panic level is mostly about the power outage. The discernment is all about the disguise. There are places where the overlap might lead to bugs; for example, the fact that alarmed and panicked are two different states, but should probably not be.] Vigilance is a kind of value. The vigilances are distracted, inattentive, alert, and suspicious. Panic level is a kind of value. The panic levels are unconcerned, bothered, upset, and panicked. Discernment is a kind of value. The discernments are ignorant, fooled, disturbed, and alarmed. A guard is a kind of man. A guard can be alive or dead. A guard is usually alive. A guard has a vigilance. The vigilance of a guard is usually alert. A guard is always gunworthy. An ordinary guard is a kind of guard. An ordinary guard has a panic level. An ordinary guard has a discernment. An ordinary guard is usually unconcerned and ignorant. Understand "guard" as an ordinary guard. The printed name of an ordinary guard is "the[if dead]dead [end if] guard". Instead of examining a guard (called the sentry): if the sentry is alive: if the sentry is unconcerned: say "The guard gives you a glance. He seems to be [discernment]."; otherwise: say "The guard is [panic level], and gives you a quick look that is more glare than glance."; now the sentry is mentioned; otherwise: say "He's quite dead." Instead of giving the secret papers to a guard (called the sentry): if the sentry is dead: say "He's not interested in anything, being dead."; otherwise: say "He accepts the papers with a frown, followed quickly by a double-take. He looks at you, eyes wide. 'These are the[unicode ellipsis]and you are[unicode ellipsis]the SPY!' he shrieks, and immediately shoots you through the heart."; end the story finally. This is the encountered guard rule: if the player can see an ordinary guard (called the sentry) and the sentry is alive: if the sentry is not unconcerned or the power is switched off: now the the sentry is the panic level after the panic level of the sentry; if the panic level of the sentry is bothered: say "The guard is on edge in the wake of the power outage you caused. He is nervous and trigger-happy and staring wide-eyed into the dark. Fortunately he can't see your face yet, and he acknowledges you with a simple nod."; otherwise if the panic level of the sentry is upset: say "The guard's eyes seem to have adjusted to the dark. He sees your face, and his eyes grow wider still. [run paragraph on]"; now the sentry is panicked; otherwise if the player is wearing the uniform: if the sentry is ignorant: if the sentry is not mentioned: say "Looks like the guard isn't paying close attention to your face."; otherwise if the sentry is fooled: if the sentry is not mentioned: say "Your disguise appears to be holding; the guard isn't suspicious yet."; otherwise if the sentry is disturbed: if the sentry is not mentioned: say "Now the guard seems to be [if the sentry is not mentioned]a little disturbed, [end if]trying to get a good look at your face."; otherwise if the sentry is alarmed: say "The guard suddenly draws his weapon. 'You're not Krugnik! Who are you? And what have you done with him?' Startled, you make the fatal mistake of glancing up and making eye contact. [run paragraph on]"; now the sentry is panicked; now the sentry is the discernment after the discernment of the sentry; otherwise: say "A look of shock comes over the guard's face as he sees you standing there in your "; if the player is wearing the coveralls: say "gloriously conspicuous prison coveralls, the bright orange triangle glowing like a beacon. Making a wonderful target."; now the sentry is panicked; otherwise: say "your stunning nakedness."; now the sentry is upset; if the sentry is panicked: say "'The SPY!' shrieks the guard, and before you can react, he has shot you conclusively through the heart."; end the story finally. The encountered guard rule is listed last in the every turn rulebook. Instead of attacking a guard (called the target): if the target is dead: say "He's already plenty dead."; otherwise if the pistol is carried by the player and the shot count of the pistol is greater than zero: say "You use the gun. [run paragraph on]"; try shooting the target; otherwise if the sharp piece of metal is carried by the player: say "You use the piece of metal that worked so well before. Sadly, between a sharp piece of metal and a .38 caliber pistol, the firearm comes out on top. He perforates you soundly long before you get within striking distance."; end the story finally; otherwise: say "You attack, your bare hands grasping for his throat. But this turns into a monumental failure as he triumphantly drills you through the skull with his sidearm."; end the story finally. Carry out shooting a guard (called the target): say "You fire, point blank; he was not ready and you were. He is thrown against the far wall by the impact. He slumps to the ground, painting a bloody stripe down the wall behind him, his face frozen in a death mask of bewilderment."; now the target is dead. Section 4 - Escape from the Cell The Bare Cell is a room. "A dirty yellow light bulb glares down from the ceiling. A dingy, ill-maintained cot with a thin and moth-eaten mattress sits against the far wall[if unvisited]. The Marriott this isn't[end if]. [if Krugnik is alive]A guard stands in an open doorway to the north[otherwise]An open doorway to the north leads into a long dark hallway[end if]." The player is wearing the pair of prison coveralls. The description of the coveralls is "A one-piece drab gray pair of coveralls with an enormous neon orange triangle on the chest, probably to indicate your special status." Krugnik is a guard in the bare cell. Krugnik wears the crisp dark green uniform. Krugnik carries a pistol. The pistol is glass-smashing. Krugnik wears an identification card. The description of the card is "It bears a picture of the cell guard[if the card is worn by Krugnik]. From here that's all you can see.[otherwise], with the name 'S. Krugnik' beneath it. On the other side is a magnetic stripe.[end if]" Understand "ID card" as the identification card. Understand "ID" as the identification card. Rule for writing a paragraph about Krugnik when Krugnik is alive: now Krugnik is mentioned. Krugnik can be apoplectic or self-controlled. Krugnik is self-controlled. Understand "gun" as the pistol. Understand "cell guard" as Krugnik. Understand "guard" as Krugnik. Every turn while the player can see Krugnik and Krugnik is alive and Krugnik is not apoplectic: if Krugnik is distracted: say "The guard shakes his head and rouses himself, returning his steely gaze to you."; now Krugnik is suspicious; otherwise if a random chance of 3 in 4 succeeds: now Krugnik is the vigilance before the vigilance of Krugnik; if Krugnik is distracted: say "The guard looks out down the north hall." The pistol has a number called the shot count. The pistol has shot count four. Instead of examining the pistol: if the player is carrying the pistol: if shot count of the pistol is one: say "There is only one bullet left."; otherwise: say "There are [shot count in words] bullets remaining."; otherwise: say "It's an ordinary pistol. If you had it in your hand you could examine it better." Instead of asking Krugnik for anything: say "He stares at you coldly until you stop babbling."; now Krugnik is suspicious. Persuasion rule for asking Krugnik to try doing something: say "He sneers at you and is silent."; now Krugnik is suspicious; persuasion fails. Instead of putting Krugnik on the cot when Krugnik is dead and Krugnik is not on the cot: say "With considerable effort you drag the body onto the cot and arrange it so that it faces away from the open door."; now Krugnik is on the cot. The cot is an enterable supporter in the bare cell. Rule for writing a paragraph about the cot: now the cot is mentioned. The mattress is part of the cot. The sharp piece of metal is a part of the cot. Instead of examining the cot: say "The thin mattress is spotted with stains of sweat and blood and sits atop a creaky metal frame that is on the verge of coming apart[if the metal is part of the cot]. In one corner a piece of metal that forms the flange has begun to detach[otherwise]. One corner sags, the worse for wear since you broke off a piece of its support[end if]." Instead of pushing the piece of metal when the metal is part of the cot: say "You can push it up against the frame, but it doesn't stay, and sags out again. It looks as if it might break off if you pull it." Instead of pulling the piece of metal when the metal is part of the cot: say "You pull on the piece of metal experimentally. It creaks away from the frame, weakening the remaining connection further. If you pull it again, it might break off." Instead of doing it for the second time: try breaking off the piece of metal instead. Understand "frame" as the piece of metal. Understand "flange" as the piece of metal. Instead of examining the piece of metal: if the piece of metal is a part of the cot: say "It is a piece of the cot's frame, about the length of your hand, sticking off to the side a little. The cot is not in good shape and this is one reason. It is almost completely broken off and is only barely connected to the cot at one end. One side of it is very sharp and dangerous."; otherwise: say "It makes a nice informal knife; just about the right size and very sharp." Carry out detaching the metal: try breaking off the piece of metal. Instead of breaking the piece of metal off of the cot: try breaking off the piece of metal instead. Instead of breaking off the piece of metal when the metal is part of the cot: say "You give the piece of metal a hard yank and twist and it breaks off suddenly with a soft popping sound. [run paragraph on]"; if Krugnik is alive and Krugnik is not distracted: say "The guard has been watching the entire operation. 'Murderous scheming dog,' he snarls. His face twists into a mask of rage; his pistol is suddenly in his hand and he uses it to drill a .38 caliber hole through your skull. The black curtain of death falls with merciful speed."; end the story finally; otherwise: say "Immediately you palm the incriminating evidence in your other hand. However, the sound alerts the guard, who whirls around with his gun drawn. 'What was that noise?' he demands. [paragraph break]'I hurt my hand on the cot,' you grumble, holding up the hand you just used. Fortunately it is sporting a small trickle of blood, incurred when the metal came loose too suddenly. 'I wanna doctor.' It is of course the very last thing you want but it is important that you project an image of whining helplessness.[paragraph break]He snorts and returns his gun to its holster. 'You're barely important enough to be kept alive. Forget the doctor.' You wonder what he has been told. It is true that you are too dangerous to be kept alive at much expense."; now the piece of metal is carried by the player; now Krugnik is suspicious. Instead of attacking the piece of metal: try breaking off the piece of metal. Instead of going north when the player is in the cell and Krugnik is alive and Krugnik is not distracted: say "He laughs an unpleasant laugh and plants a booted foot in your gut. The force sends you bouncing back across the room."; now Krugnik is suspicious. Instead of doing it for the second time: say "He is not as amused this time. He produces his pistol and beats you about the face with it. 'Keep that up,' he promises, 'and you'll learn about the other end of this gun!'"; now Krugnik is suspicious. Instead of doing it for the third time: now Krugnik is apoplectic. Check taking when Krugnik is alive: if the noun is carried by Krugnik or the noun is worn by Krugnik: if Krugnik is distracted: say "While he is distracted, you try to take [the noun] from him with a light-fingered touch. But it's no good[unicode em dash]the guard snaps back to attention. [run paragraph on]"; now Krugnik is apoplectic; otherwise: say "As you reach toward [the noun], the guard glares at you with his beady eyes and you are forced to abort your gesture, feigning an arm cramp."; now Krugnik is suspicious; stop the action; otherwise: continue the action. Instead of going north from the Bare Cell when Krugnik is alive and Krugnik is distracted: say "Since he is looking down the north hall, you are hard not to notice as you move into that very same hall."; now Krugnik is apoplectic. Instead of examining Krugnik when Krugnik is alive and Krugnik is not distracted: say "He's wearing [a uniform] with [an identification card] pinned to its upper right breast. In a holster on his belt is a pistol. He gazes at you, [vigilance]." Instead of doing it for the third time: say "'What are you looking at?' he snarls. 'Face the other wall.'"; now Krugnik is suspicious. Instead of doing it for the fifth time: say "Fingering his pistol, he lets you know in no uncertain terms that you are not to cast your loving gaze on him again or there will be a consequence."; now Krugnik is suspicious. Instead of doing it for the sixth time: say "He pistol-whips you around your head and neck until you lose consciousness. It is some time before you reawaken, staring up at the single light bulb in the ceiling."; now Krugnik is suspicious. Instead of doing it for the seventh time: now Krugnik is apoplectic. Every turn when the player can see Krugnik and Krugnik is apoplectic: say "His face twists into a mask of rage; his pistol is suddenly in his hand and he uses it to drill a .38 caliber hole through your skull. The black curtain of death falls with merciful speed."; end the story finally. Section 5 - Krugnik's Demise Instead of examining Krugnik when Krugnik is alive and Krugnik is distracted: say "A drop of water falling from a cooling pipe in the hallway has briefly attracted his attention. He has turned his back on you completely, even though his fingers still rest on the grip of his gun. At the base of his skull, doughy rolls of fat bristle with short black hairs." Instead of attacking Krugnik when Krugnik is alive and the piece of metal is carried by the player: if Krugnik is not distracted: say "It might have been a good idea if it hadn't been right in front of his eyes. [run paragraph on]"; now Krugnik is apoplectic; otherwise: say "You come up swiftly behind him and plunge the sharp metal into the back of his neck, through his carotid artery and out the front of his throat. This prevents him from screaming but not from fighting back. You hang onto his back, waiting for him to expend his last few seconds of life; he fires his gun twice but both shots are wild. You are safe. In a moment more he is growing cold in a pool of his own blood."; now Krugnik is distracted; now Krugnik is dead; now the identification card is in the location of the player; now the pistol is in the location of the player; now the uniform is in the location of the player. Instead of attacking Krugnik when Krugnik is alive: say "You lunge at him, your bare hands grasping for a hold on his throat. [run paragraph on]"; if Krugnik is not distracted: say "He's looking right at you, though, so he laughs in contempt and fends off your attack easily. He follows up with an extended beating. However few his qualities, you admit to yourself that he is in excellent physical condition. Shortly thereafter you lose consciousness. It is some time before you reawaken, staring up at the single light bulb in the ceiling."; now Krugnik is suspicious; otherwise: say "He is not paying attention at the moment and you manage to get a grip on the back of his thick neck. His response is immediate; he slams backward into the wall, crushing you against it, then wrenches you off his back, throwing you with one swift motion onto the floor. [run paragraph on]"; now Krugnik is apoplectic. Instead of attacking Krugnik when Krugnik is dead: say "He's already dead." Instead of examining the uniform when Krugnik is alive: say "It's a clean, well-pressed dark green uniform. The guard's bulk fills it out, stretching some of the pleats." Instead of examining the uniform when Krugnik is dead: say "You can still smell his odor on the collar and armpits. Blood is spattered down the front which is very annoying but there isn't much you can do about that." Instead of wearing the uniform when the player is wearing the coveralls: try taking off the coveralls; continue the action. Instead of wearing the coveralls when the player is wearing the uniform: try taking off the uniform; continue the action. Instead of wearing the identification card when the player is not wearing the uniform and the player is not wearing the coveralls: say "You're not wearing anything you can pin it onto." After wearing the uniform for the first time: say "You struggle into his uniform. You are roughly the same height, but he was considerably larger at the middle, so the uniform bags somewhat. By tightening the belt, you look passable. It is unfortunate for the guard that it had to come to this but that is what happens to obstacles. [run paragraph on]"; try examining the uniform. Instead of taking a dead guard: say "There's no reason to burden yourself with that." Section 6 - Into the Complex The Long Dark Hallway is north of the Bare Cell. "The lighting is minimal here; there is only one dull blue light recessed into the wall midway down its length. The hallway extends to the north and south. There is a wet odor and you can see a few dark puddles gleaming here and there on the floor." The puddles are scenery in the Long Dark Hallway. "They reflect the blue light in wrinkled flashes." The Upper Stairwell is north of the Long Dark Hallway. "At the top of a stairwell containing a descending spiral staircase. The stairs are metal with a little peeling grip tape at the edges. It is rather dark at the top; a harshly buzzing blue light burns away fiercely about halfway down. There are pipes nearby and one of them is dripping steadily. There is a damp metal smell everywhere. A long dark hallway extends to the south." The grip tape is scenery in the Upper Stairwell. "It's seen better days, but is still rough enough to prevent accidental slips on the otherwise smooth stairs." The pipes are scenery in the Upper Stairwell. "A thin trickle of water meanders down the sides of the pipes." The Middle Stairwell is down from the Upper Stairwell. "Halfway down a spiral staircase. There is a bright blue light set into the wall. A littering of dead bugs is visible on the stairs below." The dead bugs are scenery in the Middle Stairwell. "Some are newly dead, others are no more than bits of wing and leg." The Lower Stairwell is down from the Middle Stairwell. "At the bottom of a spiral staircase. Halfway up, the blue light burns and buzzes. It is fairly dark here but you can see the outline of a doorway to the east." The blue light is a backdrop. "It glows in its enclosure behind a sturdy wire cage." It is in the Long Dark Hallway, the Upper Stairwell, the Middle Stairwell, and the Lower Stairwell. Section 7 - Halls of Woe The Dimly Lit Hallway is east of the Lower Stairwell. "A wide corridor extends to the south, with some light coming from its far end. To the west is the stairwell. There is a bad smell coming from a narrower passage that continues to the east." After going to the Dimly Lit Hallway for the first time: say "You stop a moment and let your eyes adjust to the darkness."; continue the action. The Filthy Corridor is east of the Dimly Lit Hallway. "[if unvisited]As you enter the narrower passage, you are obliged to stop and adjust to the rank smell[unicode ellipsis]something is rotting or decaying. [end if]Cells line both sides of this corridor. The jail cells lack the individual light bulb that your own cell had. You feel honored. A flickering flourescent light with a broken cover illuminates the area in a way that gives a surreal cast to everything it touches. The only exit is west to the dimly lit hallway." The jail cells are scenery. The description is "Most of the occupants are[unicode ellipsis]not alive. Those that are, you are half-inclined to put out of their misery." The jail cells are in the Filthy Corridor. Carry out examining the jail cells for the first time: say "You squint deeper into the darkness. All of the cells have a little doorbell-like device. Above each one is a sign. [run paragraph on]" The lumpy shape is a thing in the Filthy Corridor. The shape can be detached or connected. It is connected. The shape can be seen or unseen. It is unseen. Instead of entering the jail cells: say "You don't see how to, and you don't want to." Instead of examining the lumpy shape: If the shape is connected and the shape is unseen: say "It's on the floor, extending out under the bars of one of the cells. [run paragraph on]"; if the shape is unseen: say "You bend lower to take a closer look[unicode ellipsis]Ugh. It's a decaying human arm. [run paragraph on]"; now the shape is seen; say "It makes your usually strong stomach twist a little to look at it[if the shape is connected]. It seems to be connected to a lumpy shape inside the cell. You can guess what that might be[end if]."; Instead of taking the lumpy shape: if the lumpy shape is seen: say "There's no reason to bring that with you."; otherwise if the lumpy shape is connected: say "You pull at it gingerly; there is some resistance, but then it suddenly breaks free. The motion stirs up the still air and you nearly gag with the strength of the smell. You drop it in disgust."; now the lumpy shape is detached. The sign is scenery in the Filthy Corridor. "It reads, 'RING WHEN READY TO COOPERATE.'" The Gently Inclined Hallway is south of the Dimly Lit Hallway. "The hallway inclines upward gently. The light is brighter as the hallway continues to the west." The Wide Corridor is west of the Gently Inclined Hallway. "The corridor ends in a huge doorway to the south that fills the hall." Ferkvank is an ordinary guard in the Wide Corridor. Rule for writing a paragraph about Ferkvank: if Ferkvank is alive: say "A guard leans idly against the wall."; otherwise: say "The body of a guard lies crumpled on the floor."; now Ferkvank is mentioned. Section 8 - The Elevator The enormous vault door is south of the Wide Corridor. The enormous vault door is a door. The vault door is north of the Vault Anteroom. The vault door is closed and locked. The vault door is unlocked by the card. The description of the vault door is "It is huge and made of steel, though at that size it could be made of tin and it would be nearly as secure. It is [if the vault door is open]standing open[otherwise]closed tight[end if]. There is nothing on its surface except for a thin vertical slit." The thin vertical slit is part of the vault door. Instead of examining the slit: say "It looks about as tall as a credit card." Instead of inserting the identification card into the slit: say "You slip [the identification card] into [the slit]. [run paragraph on]"; silently try unlocking the vault door with the card. After unlocking the vault door with the card: say "There is a clicking sound within the door, followed by the clank of huge steel bolts being drawn back. [run paragraph on]"; try opening the vault door. After opening the the vault door: say "It takes five long seconds for it to open, and then it swings wide, opening to the south." The Elevator is a room. It has a number called the floor. The floor of the elevator is 1. The Elevator can be tried or untried. The Elevator is untried. The description of the Elevator is "You're standing in a stainless steel elevator. To say that it looks 'heavy-duty' is an understatement. There is a panel of buttons on the wall labeled 1 through 4. Button number '[the floor of the Elevator]' is currently lit." Someplace Else is a room. Table of Elevator Floors level location 0 Someplace Else 1 Vault Anteroom 2 Elevator Alcove 3 Dingy Hallway 4 Guard Tower The elevator exterior is a backdrop. It is not scenery. It is in the Vault Anteroom, the Elevator Alcove, the Dingy Hallway, and the Guard Tower. The initial appearance of the elevator exterior is "The entrance to a freight elevator is nearby. [run paragraph on]" The call button is a backdrop. It is not scenery. It is in the Vault Anteroom, the Elevator Alcove, the Dingy Hallway, and the Guard Tower. The call button can be lit or unlit. It is unlit. It has a number called the floor. The floor of the call button is 1. Instead of examining the call button: say "It is [if the call button is unlit]not[end if] lit." Instead of pushing the call button: if the call button is lit: say "The button is already lit."; otherwise: if the floor of the call button is the floor of the elevator: say "The button lights briefly and there is the sound of a bell; the elevator is already here."; now the call button is unlit; otherwise: say "You push the button and it lights up."; let the destination be the location of the player; let the requested floor be the level corresponding to a location of the destination in the Table of Elevator floors; now the floor of the call button is the requested floor; now the call button is lit. Before entering the elevator exterior, try going inside instead. Instead of going inside in the presence of the elevator exterior: let the resting place be the location corresponding to a level of the floor of the elevator in the Table of Elevator floors; if the location of the player is the resting place: move the player to the Elevator; otherwise: say "The elevator isn't here. There's only an empty concrete shaft." After going to the Elevator when the floor of the Elevator is 1: say "The enormous vault door grinds shut behind you. [run paragraph on]"; now the vault door is closed; continue the action. Understand "push [number]" as pressing button. Understand "push [number] button" as pressing button. Understand "push button [number]" as pressing button. Pressing button is an action applying to one number. Check pressing button: if the player is not in the elevator, say "You aren't in the elevator." instead; if the number understood is the floor of the elevator, say "You press the lit button. Nothing happens." instead; if the number understood is less than 1 or the number understood is greater than 4, say "There is no such elevator button." instead; if the power is switched off, say "The buttons are unlit. Nothing happens. Turning off the power seems to have disabled the elevator." instead. Carry out pressing button: say "There is the sound of a mighty motor and [run paragraph on]"; if the number understood is less than the floor of the elevator: say "the floor briefly drops out from under you. [run paragraph on]"; otherwise: say "your knees buckle with the force of the lift. [run paragraph on]"; if the elevator is untried: say "To your shock, there is no inner door. The concrete bricks of the elevator shaft go hurtling by in a blur. You don't like to think about what might have happened if you had chosen to lean against that wall. [run paragraph on]"; if the number understood is 4: say "The ride seems to take quite some time. [run paragraph on]"; say "With a bone-jarring stop, the ride comes to an end."; now the floor of the elevator is the number understood; now the elevator is tried. Check exiting when the player is in the Elevator: rule succeeds. Instead of exiting when the player is in the Elevator: try going outside. Before going outside in the Elevator: let the other place be the location corresponding to a level of the floor of the Elevator in the Table of Elevator floors; move the player to the other place instead. This is the departing elevator rule: if the the location of the player is the location of the elevator exterior: let the resting place be the location corresponding to a level of the floor of the elevator in the Table of Elevator floors; if the location of the player is the resting place: if a random chance of one in two succeeds: say "Behind you there is a roaring sound as the elevator rushes away."; now the floor of the elevator is zero. This is the arriving elevator rule: if the call button is lit: if a random chance of one in three succeeds: if the location of the player is the location of the call button: say "There is a quiet bell sound and the elevator slides into view. The light on the button goes off."; now the floor of the elevator is the floor of the call button; now the call button is unlit. The departing elevator rule is listed in the every turn rulebook. The arriving elevator rule is listed after the departing elevator rule in the every turn rulebook. Section 9 - The Second Level The Elevator Alcove is a room. "A fresh-smelling, well-lit, carpeted hallway that continues to the east." The Closet Hall is east of the Elevator Alcove. "You're standing in a carpeted hallway that has a janitor's closet to the south and a wide office door to the north, with the name 'Commandant Velchny' stenciled on the door. The hallway continues to the west." Every turn when the player is in the Closet Hall: if a random chance of 1 in 4 succeeds: say "A cockroach scuttles under the closet door." The Janitor's Closet is a room. "[if unvisited]It is pitch dark; after a moment of fumbling, you find the switch and turn on the light. One dull yellow light bulb illuminates the cramped confines of the closet. A cockroach flees across the floor to a dark corner. The broom catches your eye; there's something unusual about it.[otherwise]You're standing awkardly in a crowded janitor's closet[end if][if the broom is shifted]. The south wall has dropped into a trough in the floor, revealing a brightly lit octagonal chamber beyond[end if]." After going south from the Closet Hall to the Janitor's Closet: say "You enter the janitor's closet and close the door carefully behind you."; now the closet door is closed; continue the action. The closet door is a door. It is north of the Janitor's Closet and south of the Closet Hall. It is closed and locked. It is unlocked by the set of keys. The heavy-duty lock is part of the closet door. The heavy-duty lock can be pristine or ruined. It is pristine. It is gunworthy. Section 11 - MacGyver's Mop and Shovel A thin-handled implement is a kind of thing. Instead of examining a thin-handled implement (called the handle) when the dustpan is part of the handle: say "It's sporting a dustpan attached to the end of its handle." The mop is a thin-handled implement in the Janitor's Closet. The broom is a thin-handled implement in the Janitor's Closet. The pail, the vacuum cleaner, some dirty rags, and the dustpan are things in the Janitor's Closet. Instead of examining the dustpan when the dustpan is part of a thin-handled implement (called the stick): say "The dustpan is fixed onto the end of [the stick]." Instead of examining the dustpan: say "The dustpan ends in a round, hollow, cone-shaped handle." Instead of putting the dustpan on a thin-handled implement (called the handle): try tying the dustpan to the handle instead. Instead of putting an object on a thin-handled implement: say "You can't see how to attach [the noun] to [the second noun]." Instead of tying the dustpan to a thin-handled implement: say "You twist [the noun] snugly onto to the end of [the second noun]."; now the noun is part of the second noun. Section 10 - In Which a Broom Provides Unexpected Leverage The broom can be standing or shifted. The broom is standing. The Octagonal Chamber is a room. The Octagonal Chamber can be revealed or hidden. It is hidden. Instead of examining the broom for the first time: if the Octagonal Chamber is hidden: say "You're not sure what it is that catches your eye about it. Something about the way that it is standing conspicuously upright while the other implements lean at various angles into the corners of the closet."; otherwise: say "The broom stands conspicuously upright. Now that you know it's a disguised lever, it's clear that it's not leaning against anything for support." Instead of examining the broom: if the broom is shifted: say "The broom is canted over at a twenty-degree angle with no visible means of support."; otherwise: say "The broom stands upright." Instead of taking the broom: try pulling the broom. Instead of pushing the broom: if the broom is shifted: say "The broom is already pushed over."; otherwise: if the Octagonal Chamber is hidden: say "You expect it to fall over into a corner like the other tools. Instead, it resists at first, then begins to move smoothly on its own, canting toward the west wall. You can hear a loud clicking noise. Shortly afterward, the closet's rear wall drops into the floor, revealing a new exit to the south."; now the Octagonal Chamber is revealed; otherwise: say "You give the broom a brisk push. It leans smoothly toward the west, as the south wall drops away."; now the broom is shifted. Instead of pulling the broom when the Octagonal Chamber is hidden: say "You pull the broom toward yourself, but it resists, sticking upright out of the floor, apparently fastened by its bristles." Instead of doing it for the second time: say "You pull at the broom, but it remains stiffly upright, a short distance from the far wall." Instead of doing it for the third time: say "You pull at the broom but nothing happens. Annoyed, you give the broom a push. [run paragraph on]"; try pushing the broom. Instead of pulling the broom: if the broom is shifted: say "The rear wall of the closet rises out of the floor, and once again you are standing in a cramped, ill-lit room."; now the broom is standing; otherwise: say "It's already upright, and does not move any closer to you." Instead of going to the Octagonal Chamber when the broom is standing: if the Octagonal chamber is hidden: say "You can't go that way."; otherwise: say "The way south to the chamber is no longer visible." Instead of examining the closet door: say "The door sports a heavy-duty lock." Carry out shooting the lock: if the lock is pristine: say "You shoot the lock of the door point-blank. It makes a terrible noise[if the lock is locked], but the door stays locked[end if]. It's unclear whether even the right keys would open it now.[paragraph break]"; now the heavy-duty lock is ruined; if Velchny is alive: say "From the other side of the office door behind you comes a muffled curse. You hear someone stirring[unicode ellipsis]the noise has attracted attention."; now Velchny is in pursuit; otherwise: say "You waste another bullet on the lock but to no apparent effect." Instead of examining the lock: if the lock is ruined: say "The mechanism of the lock is dented and misshapen beyond repair."; otherwise: say "It appears to be a solidly built tumbler lock with a reinforced keyhole." Instead of unlocking the closet door with the set of keys when the heavy-duty lock is ruined: say "You're unable to fit any of the keys into the bullet-twisted lock mechanism. The door remains firmly locked." Section 12 - Velchny's Office [Things that are 'parts' are invisible but addressable. Things that are closed reveal their contents on opening, but do not intrinsically say something is in them until they are opened.] Velchny's Office is a room. The office door is a door. It is south of Velchny's Office and north of the Closet Hall. It is closed. The desk is a supporter in Velchny's office. The drawer is an openable part of the desk. The drawer is closed. The set of keys are in the drawer. Instead of examining the desk: say "It's an ornate mahogany desk with a drawer set into the left front." Instead of searching the desk: try examining the desk; say "You search the drawer. [run paragraph on]"; try searching the drawer; set pronouns from the drawer. Instead of opening the desk: try opening the drawer. The filing cabinet is in the office. It is fixed in place. It is openable. It is closed. In the cabinet is a sheaf of papers. Instead of examining the filing cabinet: say "It's a short, simple utilitarian filing cabinet made of thin steel and painted the same drab color as the uniforms. It has a single unlocked drawer." Instead of examining the sheaf of papers: say "It's a sheaf of papers in a plain manila folder with the words 'The Gorreven Papers' written in marker on the outside. Nothing else is in the drawer. There are some faint oily stains on the folder, which seems to be covered with a fine layer of dust, or perhaps a grainy powder."; set pronouns from the papers. Carry out taking the sheaf of papers: say "At last! The object of your quest. You snatch at the manila folder. As you lift the folder in haste, you notice that it feels unusually light. A single sheet of typing paper flutters to the floor. Curious, you retrieve it and read what is written on it:"; say "[paragraph break][italic type]Congratulations, treacherous fool![paragraph break]So you think you have the Gorreven Papers, eh? You think you can violate the paramount sanctity of my personal office and lay your filthy hands on the papers that will decide the destiny of nations?[paragraph break]I'm afraid you're about to learn a little lesson. Unfortunately the price is your own miserable life.[paragraph break]The paper you are now holding is saturated with a powerful neurotoxin that is absorbed through the skin. By this time you have already assimilated a fatal dose[unicode em dash]even if you are a very fast reader. Ha! Ha![paragraph break]Know as you die that you have been outsmarted by the inimitable Commandant Velchny![roman type][paragraph break]"; say "You try to release the paper, but the neurotoxin has already done its work[unicode ellipsis]You cannot unclench your fingers. You try to cry out but your jaw is frozen. Breathing is becoming difficult; you try to run but your legs only jerk feebly and you topple over, crashing to the floor like a tin soldier. Your last fervent hope as your heart succumbs to the paralysis is that Velchny will burn in hell[unicode ellipsis]and that you will not be there with him[unicode ellipsis]"; end the story finally. Section 13 - Commandant Velchny Commandant Velchny is a guard in Velchny's office. The printed name of Velchny is "[if Velchny is dead]the late [end if]Commandant Velchny". Velchny can be occupied, alerted, or in pursuit. Velchny is occupied. Velchny can be wounded, recovering, or healthy. Velchny is healthy. After going to Velchny's office when Velchny is alive and Velchny is healthy and Velchny is not in pursuit for the first time: if the player is not wearing the uniform: say "Before you have the door open even halfway, you can see that Velchny already knows who you are. 'You are somewhat more resourceful than I had expected,' he admits, pointing the barrel of his huge hand-held cannon at your head. 'Unfortunately for you, this now makes you much more of a liability than an asset. Goodbye, my foolish little spy.' And with that, the cannon in his hand roars your death knell."; end the story finally; otherwise: say "Velchny is sitting at his desk and glances up, annoyed. 'How many times,' he begins, 'must I tell you drooling Neanderthal peons to knock before[unicode ellipsis]' His eyes focus on your face. 'You[unicode em dash]you[unicode em dash]' he chokes, groping for his weapon."; set pronouns from Velchny; now Velchny is alerted. Instead of examining Velchny: if Velchny is dead: say "You see nothing special about the late Commandant Velchny. Death, indeed, is the great equalizer."; otherwise if Velchny is wounded: say "He is lying on the floor, his muscles still clenched in suspiciously vital tension."; otherwise: say "Velchny's furious glare burns into you. [run paragraph on]" Every turn when Velchny is alive: if Velchny is alerted: now Velchny is in pursuit; otherwise if Velchny is not occupied: if Velchny's office is unvisited and the office door is closed: say "You hear the creak of the commandant's door. [run paragraph on]"; now the office door is open; if the location of Velchny is not the location of the player: if Velchny is healthy: say "You hear the thudding of the commandant's boots. [run paragraph on]"; otherwise if Velchny is recovering: say "You hear a shuffling noise. [run paragraph on]"; move Velchny to the location of the player; if Velchny is wounded: now Velchny is recovering; otherwise if Velchny is in pursuit and the player can see Velchny: if Velchny is not healthy: say "Suddenly you hear Velchny laughing softly, his voice choked with blood. 'Do you think I am so weak as that?' he asks. 'Foolish decadent American! Now you are going to die.' You hear the roar of his hand-held cannon; it is your death knell."; otherwise: say "Commandant Velchny levels his massive revolver at you. 'You've made yourself worthless, spy!' he snarls, and shoots you multiple times through the heart."; end the story finally; Carry out shooting Velchny: decrease the shot count of the pistol by one; if Velchny is healthy: say "He isn't ready and you are; you shoot him through the upper right part of his chest. He spins around, clutching the wound, and then falls to his knees. 'Though you kill me, spy,' he manages, 'you'll never get[unicode ellipsis]the Gorreven Papers!' But his eyes flicker toward the filing cabinet. He groans once more and then crashes to the ground. His fingers still seem to twitch."; now Velchny is wounded; now Velchny is alerted; [but not in hot pursuit] otherwise if Velchny is alive: say "Just for insurance, you plug him again, this time with a bit more accuracy: directly through the heart. He utters one final scream of despair, convulses, and lies still. You wait patiently for all signs of life to cease before you are satisfied that he is dead."; now Velchny is occupied; now Velchny is dead; stop the action. Section 14 - The Octagon The Octagonal Chamber is south of the Janitor's Closet. "An enormous octagonal chamber, floodlit with half a dozen halogen lights, in contrast to the dingy janitor's closet. The walls are smooth; the only exit is north through the janitor's closet. The primary feature is the huge pedestal in the center of the room, surrounded by a moat filled with a pungent, steaming liquid of some kind." The pedestal is a supporter in the Octagonal Chamber. The moat is in the Chamber. It is fixed in place. Instead of examining the moat: say "It's about six feet wide, and completely surrounds the pedestal. An engraved warning on the outside edge of the floor around the moat indicates that the steaming liquid within it is sulfiric acid." The steaming liquid is scenery in the Chamber. Understand "acid" as the steaming liquid. Instead of examining the liquid: say "It fills the moat, and must be heated somehow, since steam rises off of it. The pungent smell of sulfur drives up into your nostrils." Instead of inserting an object (called the victim) into the moat: say "In a few moments the acid has dissolved [the victim]."; now the victim is nowhere. Before examining the pedestal for the first time: say "Evidently the person who designed this setup never read Poe's [italic type]The Purloined Letter[roman type]. [run paragraph on]" Some secret papers are nowhere. The printed name of the secret papers is "Gorreven Papers". The indefinite article of the secret papers is "the". The secret papers can be intact or destroyed. They are intact. Instead of examining the pedestal: say "The pedestal is sitting in the center of the moat, covered in wide yellow and black stripes, with the words 'GORREVEN PAPERS[unicode em dash]DO NOT TOUCH' emblazoned on it in red. [run paragraph on]"; if the secret papers are nowhere and the secret papers are intact: now the secret papers are on the pedestal; if the secret papers are on the pedestal: say "On the top, nearly at eye level, you can see the folder that apparently contains the Gorreven Papers."; otherwise: say "Nothing is on the pedestal." Instead of taking the secret papers when the papers are on the pedestal: say "You stretch and reach but your fingers can't even reach the edge of the pedestal, since you have to stand on the safe side of the moat. You can't get them that way." Instead of examining the papers when the papers are not carried by the player: say "You can't examine the papers without having them in hand." Table of Snitch Responses Count Response 1 "Unthinkable!" 2 "Unspeakable!" 3 "Oh, very well. You flip open the manila folder and[unicode em dash]no, you find you can't do it. It wouldn't be right." 4 "Fine! Fine. You open the folder and take a peek. It's all pretty much unintelligible technical gibberish to you. It could be tremendously powerful in the right hands, but yours are not those hands. You close the folder with a guilty twinge of conscience." The papers have a number called snitches. The snitches of the papers is zero. Instead of examining the papers: increment the snitches of the papers; if there is no count of the snitches of the papers in the Table of Snitch Responses: say "The papers are still in the folder and all's well."; otherwise: say the response corresponding to the count of the snitches of the papers in the Table of Snitch Responses; say "[paragraph break]" Instead of entering the moat: if the secret papers are not destroyed: say "No, no, not while there is still hope!"; otherwise: say "With the Gorreven Papers irretrievably gone, that seems like[unicode ellipsis]a pretty good idea. You plunge headfirst into the steaming sulfuric acid, and the temporary pain of your dissolving body distracts you from the unbearable anguish of having lost the Gorreven Papers."; end the story finally. Retrieving it with is an action applying to two visible things. Understand "take [something] with [something]" as retrieving it with. Understand "take [something] using [something]" as retrieving it with. Understand "get [something] with [something]" as retrieving it with. Understand "get [something] using [something]" as retrieving it with. Carry out retrieving it with: try taking the noun; if the player carries the noun: say "You were able to take [the noun] without the help of [the second noun]."; otherwise: say "Using [the second noun] made no difference." Instead of retrieving the papers with: if the second noun is not the mop: say "Holding [the second noun] at arm's length, you strain and stretch but still cannot touch the folder. You need something longer."; otherwise if the dustpan is part of the mop: say "The dustpan-mop combination, like a long-handled shovel, works like a charm. In moments you hold in your hands the coveted Gorreven Papers."; now the player carries the secret papers; otherwise: say "Now that you are attempting to retrieve the papers with [the second noun] alone, you feel less sure about the wisdom of the idea than you did in the beginning. You can reach them, touch them with the end of [the second noun], but you can't support them securely. You try the mop end, the handle end again[unicode ellipsis]maybe[unicode ellipsis]almost got them[unicode ellipsis][paragraph break]"; now the secret papers are destroyed; now the secret papers are nowhere; say "Oh no. NO. [italic type]NO![roman type][paragraph break]"; say "The[unicode ellipsis]the Gorreven Papers[unicode ellipsis]fell into the moat[unicode ellipsis]they dissolved before you could react. They're [italic type]gone[roman type]. You have more than half a reason to dive into the moat after them yourself. Not good. [italic type]Not good[roman type]." Section 15 - Pour Me Another A decanter is a kind of thing. A decanter can be filled or empty. A decanter is usually empty. Understand the command "pour" as something new. Understand the command "dump" as something new. Understand "dump [something] into/in/on/onto [something]" as pouring it onto. Understand "pour [something] into/in/on/onto [something]" as pouring it onto. Pouring it onto is an action applying to two visible things. Check pouring it onto: if the noun is not a decanter: say "[The noun] isn't something that can be poured."; stop the action; otherwise if the noun is not filled: say "[The noun] is empty."; stop the action. Carry out pouring it onto: say "Carefully you pour [the noun] [if the second noun is a container]into[otherwise]onto[end if] [the second noun]. [run paragraph on]"; now the noun is empty. Section 16 - That's the Breakers The Dingy Hallway is a room. "It smells somewhat of stale beer and sweat. The dirty and worn carpet is peeling away from the floor in several places. One or two cockroaches regard you studiously. The hallway continues east and west." The Warehouse is west of the Dingy Hallway. "A small warehouse that smells of solvents, rusty metal and oil. As you look around you can see various implements of torture. The only exit is east." A pair of thumbscrews, a coil of barbed wire, an electric cattle prod, an iron maiden, and an early American bear trap are in the Warehouse. The bear trap is glass-smashing. The prod is glass-smashing. The can of poison is a decanter in the Warehouse. It is filled. [Handle a couple of otherwise confusing reactions to opening or closing the can] Instead of opening the can of poison: say "[The poison] can't be opened. Instead it has a spill-proof spout allowing its contents to be poured." Instead of closing the can of poison: say "[The poison] can't be closed. Instead it has a spill-proof spout allowing its contents to be poured." Instead of examining the can of poison: say "It's [if the can is filled]a can filled with liquid poison[otherwise]empty[end if]." The description of the iron maiden is "Looks like someone is nostalgic about the Bad Old Days." The description of the bear trap is "Yikes! Wonder what they do with this? Best to not think about it." Instead of taking the iron maiden, say "It's too heavy." instead. Instead of taking the barbed wire, say "Ouch! You can't pick that up." instead. The wall panel is in the Warehouse. It is openable. It is closed. It is fixed in place. A row of power switches is a switched on device in the panel. The switches are fixed in place. The switches are switched on. The printed name of the switches is "row of power switches". After switching off the power for the first time: say "There is pitch darkness; then a few feeble emergency lights flicker on. 'Where's the power?' roars a distant voice. 'The spy's escaping!' shrieks another. 'Release the hounds!' bellows a commanding voice."; now the dogs are released. [This is from the original adventure, and it's here to avoid all the odd states that would result from the power going on and off, and because the power outage was used to imply the level of alarm. It might be fun to let it ride, especially if tied into Inform's strong handling of light, and let the entire complex have different levels of alarm and reaction based on how often the power has been switched on and off.] Instead of switching on the power when the power is switched off: say "Why? It's time to escape. NOW! Why else did you turn them off?" Instead of examining the panel when the panel is closed: say "It's a closed panel, flush with the wall, with a hinge on the side." Section 17 - The Barracks The Barracks is east of the Dingy Hallway. "You're standing in what looks like the guards['] barracks. It smells even more strongly of beer and sweat. The long room continues east and west, with open doorways at either end. To the north is an opening to a courtyard. [if the power is switched off]The place is in an uproar. Guards are scrambling to their feet, grabbing their guns and shouting. Best to keep your head low[otherwise]Several guards are sleeping on their cots. You're gratified to see that their cots are not much more luxurious than the one you had in your cell. Periodically a guard enters or leaves. The light is low; in one corner you can hear a couple of guards gambling[end if]." Whittler is an ordinary guard in the Barracks. Rule for writing a paragraph about Whittler when Whittler is alive: if the power is switched off: say "A guard near you is staring vigilantly around in the darkness, fingering his weapon."; now Whittler is mentioned; otherwise if Whittler is alarmed: say "The guard stares at you open-mouthed from the edge of the cot. HIs whittling drops to the floor. He stands up. [run paragraph on]"; otherwise if Whittler is ignorant: say "The guard sits on the edge of his cot, idly whittling something."; otherwise: say "The guard pauses from his whittling to glance at you. Your disguise appears to have [discernment] him." Every turn when the player is in the Barracks and Whittler is dead: say "Killing the guard seems to have been an unwise move. 'What happened?' shouts someone. 'There's the murderer!' yells another voice. 'Kill him!' screams a guard, and his advice is taken enthusiastically by his compatriots. Within seconds you are perforated by a dozen different bullet wounds. The last sounds you hear are the continued firing of angry guns."; end the story finally. [Because there are other guards in his area, and Whittler is occupied, he gradually forgets about the disguise when the player is not around. This is important to the game, too, because Whittler is at a crossroads, and otherwise the player has a hard time exploring this level.] Every turn when the player cannot see Whittler and Whittler is not ignorant and a random chance of one in two succeeds: now Whittler is the discernment before the discernment of Whittler. Section 18 - The Kennels The Kennels are east of the Barracks. "[if the Kennels are unvisited]As you enter the room you have to duck because the ceiling is only five and a half feet tall. Clearly this is an area not often entered by humans. All around you, hideous demonic dogs[unicode em dash]Rottweilers, Dobermans, pit bulls, and German Shepherds[unicode em dash]are snarling and biting the bars of their cages. They're looking at you with bloodlust in their eyes; they know there's something wrong about you. Maybe they've been taught your scent.[otherwise]You're crouching within the low-roofed kennels.[end if] To the west are the barracks. Down the north side of the room are rows of cages containing the vicious dogs. The dogs are all fed automatically; ducts extend from a big hopper on the east side of the kennels into each dog's dish in its cage. The cages all have doors on the north side, leading out into the courtyard. Presumably this is for quickly releasing the dogs if an intruder gets in[if the Kennels are unvisited][unicode em dash]or gets out. Something to think about when you're trying to escape[end if]." Some cages are an openable container in the Kennels. They are fixed in place and transparent. They are closed. Some dogs are in the cages. The dogs can be alive or dead. The dogs are alive. The description of the dogs is "a pack of[if the dogs are dead] dead[end if]dogs". The dogs can be confined or released. The dogs are confined. Rule for writing a paragraph about the cages: now the cages are mentioned. Instead of opening the cages: say "They don't open from this side." Instead of entering the cages: say "You can't get in from this side." The hopper is a container in the Kennels. It is fixed in place and transparent. The dog food is in the hopper. The indefinite article is "some". The dog food can be poisoned or nutritious. It is nutritious. The big red button is in the Kennels. It is fixed in place. Instead of examining the big red button: say "Beneath it, stenciled in the metal, it reads: 'PUSH TO FEED.'" Instead of pushing the red button when the dog food is not in the hopper: say "Machinery grinds noisily but nothing happens; the hopper is empty." Instead of pushing the red button when the dog food is in the hopper: say "There is a clanking sound of machinery; the level of dog food in the hopper drops as the dog food pours into the individual dishes in the kennels. The dogs forget you and start eating ravenously. [run paragraph on]"; if the dog food is poisoned: say "It's pretty potent poison; within minutes they are dead. All of them."; now the dogs are dead; otherwise: say "They lick their lips and grumble with satisfaction. Yet even after this they still look like they want to kill you."; now the the dog food is nowhere. Instead of putting the poison on the dog food: try pouring the poison onto the dog food. After pouring the poison onto the cages: say "The dogs sniff at it suspiciously. They don't seem to like its smell, and they growl at you suspciously and then back away. Not one of them takes a taste. After a moment the puddle of poison evaporates and is gone." After pouring the poison onto: say "After a moment all traces of the poison are gone."; if the second noun is the dog food or the second noun is the hopper: now the dog food is poisoned; otherwise if the second noun is the dogs: say "The poison has only splattered onto a few of the most curious ones, close to the cage bars. They sneeze and lick at their fur. A minute later they choke, stiffen, and die. The remaining dogs keep their distance, growling at the bodies, and at you." Instead of examining the dogs: if the dogs are alive: say "They are snarling furiously, saliva dripping from their jaws."; otherwise: say "They are all lying stiffly in various contorted poses. All dead." Proximity is a kind of value. The proximities are upon you, imminent, approaching, and distant. The dogs have a proximity. The proximity of the dogs is distant. Every turn when the dogs are alive and the dogs are released: if the dogs are upon you: say "The dogs are at your heels. You cannot run fast enough. They have you. Within seconds you are buried under a snarling, salivating canine chaos[unicode em dash]they all want a piece of you, and that's just what's happening. The pain and fear is tremendous and your only consolation is that it does not last long."; end the story finally; otherwise if the dogs are imminent: say "A pack of snarling dogs bursts in upon you!"; [Do this only so that the player might futilely examine or shoot the dogs right before they attack.] move the dogs to the location of the player; otherwise: if the dogs are approaching: say "In the distance you hear dogs baying."; now the dogs are the proximity before the proximity of the dogs. Before attacking the dogs: if the dogs are dead: say "They're all dead."; stop the action. Instead of shooting the dogs: try attacking the dogs. Instead of attacking the dogs when the player carries the pistol: if the shot count of the pistol is zero: say "You beat at their heads with the butt of your unloaded gun. [run paragraph on]"; otherwise: say "You pump your remaining ammunition into the pack. [run paragraph on]"; now the shot count of the pistol is zero; if the dogs are released: say "But it's just not enough. The pack overwhelms you, tearing out chunks of your flesh, crunching your bones[unicode ellipsis]fortunately it does not last long."; end the story finally; otherwise: say "But it only kills a few. There are far too many others left alive, and the deaths do not subdue them but rather make them all the more furious." Instead of attacking the dogs: if the dogs are released: say "You reach for the throat of the lead dog with a vague idea of choking it somehow. But the dog's neck feels like it's made of solid muscle. It hurls itself at you and bears you to the ground in a single motion, jaws clamped viselike around your right wrist. The rest of the pack joins in a fury. You don't last long, which is a small mercy."; end the story finally; otherwise: say "You can't quite reach them through the bars. They all retreat to the far corners of their cages and snarl at you.". Section 19 - The Guard Tower The Guard Tower is a room. "You're in the top of a tall guard tower that overlooks the entire aboveground part of the complex. There are wide windows in all four directions, glassless openings in the walls. A breeze blows through the room, keeping it cold." An object can be windowlike. An object is usually not windowlike. Some windows are scenery in the Guard Tower. They are windowlike. Looking out of is an action applying to one visible thing. Understand "look out of [something]" as looking out of. Understand "look out [something]" as looking out of. Check looking out of: if the noun is windowlike: continue the action; otherwise: say "That's not something you can look out of."; stop the action. Carry out looking out of the windows: say "You can see a twelve-foot chain-link fence extending all around the perimeter of the complex. Beyond the fence, to the north only, is a dense woods. If you can get into that woods they will never catch you.[paragraph break]To the south you see a guarded entrance. Beyond it there is a wide expanse of gently rolling ground and a paved road. You'll have to go a long way before being able to hide yourself in that direction.[paragraph break]To the east you can see what appear to be kennels, probably for attack dogs. Closer to the guard tower itself is a structure that is probably the barracks. Beyond the east fence is a wide, flat plain with nowhere to hide.[paragraph break]Beyond the west fence you see a muddy, shallow river that issues from the north woods. Beyond the river there is only flat, open ground. The woods to the north look more promising. Next to the guard tower is a building that looks like a warehouse." Instead of examining the windows, try looking out of the windows. Instead of searching the windows, try looking out of the windows. A powerful searchlight is in the Guard Tower. It is fixed in place. It is glasslike. It is gunworthy. The searchlight can be working or broken. It is working. Understand "light" as the searchlight. [Inform gets confused by the permutations of tower, guard, etc. when setting this up, so I gave the tower guard a name. But I don't like the approach. Documentation suggests using the phrase "called" to help. But that didn't help.] Grubnok is an ordinary guard. Grubnok is in the Guard Tower. Rule for writing a paragraph about Grubnok: if Grubnok is dead: say "The corpse of the late tower guard slumps against the wall."; otherwise: say "A tower guard paces slowly from one corner of the room to the next, his boot leather creaking."; now Grubnok is mentioned. Understand "tower guard" as Grubnok. Every turn when the player is in the Guard Tower and the searchlight is broken: if the player can see a guard (called the sentry) and the sentry is alive: say "The guard whirls around. 'What do you think you're doing?' he demands. He suddenly looks you right in the eye."; now the sentry is mentioned; now the sentry is panicked. Instead of examining the searchlight: say "The base of the light appears to contain large backup batteries, so it can function even in a power outage. The light is fastened to the floor, made so that it can swivel around and shine its powerful beam out any one of the window openings[if the searchlight is broken]. It also happens to be broken beyond any simple repair[end if]." Carry out shooting the searchlight: say "You fire at the searchlight with [the pistol]. [run paragraph on]"; say "The glass and the bulb shatter into fragments which go flying everywhere."; now the searchlight is broken; now the searchlight is not gunworthy. Carry out smashing the searchlight with: say "The glass and the bulb shatter into fragments which go flying everywhere."; now the searchlight is broken; now the searchlight is not gunworthy. Section 20 - Bad Fences, Bad Neighbors A fence is a kind of thing. A fence is always fixed in place. A fence has an object called the other side. The other side of a fence is usually nowhere. Instead of examining a fence (called the obstacle): say "It's about twelve feet high, made of a chain-link construction that is somewhat thicker than what you're used to seeing. The bottom of [the obstacle] goes straight to the ground and appears to be securely buried underneath; not easy to tear up. It also sports a sign reading 'HIGH VOLTAGE[unicode em dash]KEEP OFF.'"; if the power switches are switched off: say "You hope that turning off the main power grid took care of that. Only one way to find out." Section 22 - The Courtyard The Courtyard is north of the Barracks. "[if the Courtyard is unvisited]You're outside, standing under a starry night sky graced with a thin crescent moon. It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the thin light, but you can see by it. [end if]The entrance to the barracks is to the south. [if the searchlight is broken]With [the searchlight] in the guard tower broken, the night is likely to remain as dark as it is. A good cover. [otherwise]Periodically [the searchlight] in the guard tower blinks on and sweeps in the direction of some night noise. [end if]Far away you can see chain-link fences glinting in the moonlight." [These less-crisp mappings feel more appropriate here, in the context of an open area. If the player is in the east part of the courtyard and they want to go north, their path will take them to an area that is basically the north part of the courtyard, in an inverted-U-shaped pattern.] The East Courtyard is east of the Courtyard. It is east of the North Courtyard. The West Courtyard is west of the Courtyard. It is west of the North Courtyard. The North Courtyard is north of the Courtyard. It is north of the East Courtyard. It is north of the West Courtyard. The Wasteland is a room. The east fence is a fence in the East Courtyard. The other side of the east fence is the Wasteland. Rule for writing a paragraph about the east fence: say "A twelve-foot chain-link fence rises from the ground. On the other side you can see a wide, flat plain with nowhere to hide." The west fence is a fence in the West Courtyard. The other side of the west fence is the Wasteland. Rule for writing a paragraph about the west fence: say "A twelve-foot chain-link fence rises from the ground. Beyond it you can see a muddy, shallow river, and beyond that, nothing but open ground." The North Woods is a room. The north fence is a fence in the North Courtyard. The other side of the north fence is the North Woods. Rule for writing a paragraph about the north fence: say "A twelve-foot chain-link fence rises from the ground. Close to the other side is a dense, dark woods, whose nearer trees have been felled in order to keep back overhanging branches. It looks like a good hiding place." Section 21 - Escape, From the Complex or This Vale of Tears [This is it. The climbing of a fence in the courtyard is the last action possible in the game. After that, the judgement. The deep indentation is necessary, since Inform doesn't provide a convenient way to do early-return: ending the story finally and stopping the action are commands that act on the higher-level interpreter cycle.] Instead of climbing a fence (called the obstacle): if the power switches are switched on: say "You grab hold of [the obstacle], preparing to haul yourself up and over. But a horrible vibrating burning sensation leaps through you. [The obstacle] is electrified! You try to let go but your muscles are paralyzed! A final scream bursts from your throat and you can hear your flesh sizzling as you die."; otherwise: say "You climb up [the obstacle], your fingers finding a sure grip in its links. You brace yourself for a shock, but nothing happens; the power is still off. [run paragraph on]"; if the searchlight is working: say "But halfway up [the obstacle], the burning beam of [the searchlight] from the central guard tower stabs down upon you. It must have been independently powered! Like a cockroach caught in the middle of a bathroom floor, you leap away, lunging toward the darkness. But [the searchlight] follows you, and you hear the popping sounds of gunfire. An instant later your body is torn by bullets. Like an actor on a stage, you perform your death scene beneath the spotlight."; otherwise: say "You drop safely on the other side, finding yourself in [the other side of the obstacle]."; move the player to the other side of the obstacle; if the player is not in the North Woods: say "There's no place to hide under the moonlight in the wide, pale wasteland. Your figure is a clearly defined moving shape upon it. You run at top speed, seeking to place yourself beyond the reach of any sniper. It is a valiant effort[unicode em dash]if somewhat quixotic. You're barely a hundred yards away when you're spotted and a rifle shot sends you stumbling to the ground. The shots that follow push you painfully into oblivion."; otherwise: say "The woods are just ahead and you slip away into their depths. They will never catch you. [run paragraph on]"; if the secret papers are carried by the player: say "And you have [italic type][the secret papers]![roman type] You've done it! Escaped from their compound, taking the Papers right out from under their noses. You have saved the free world[unicode ellipsis]again, if you do say so yourself.[paragraph break]"; say "After you lose yourself a little in the woods, you walk more slowly, enjoying the smell of the pines and the feel of the Papers secure in your hands. It is a wonderful night. The future seems bright, and the world seems safer[unicode ellipsis]because it is."; otherwise: say "But there's something that mars your triumph. You don't have [the secret papers]. [run paragraph on]"; if the secret papers are destroyed: say "Of course, they don't either, so that's some consolation. You may have saved our side from certain defeat, but you haven't truly won us a victory. You trudge quietly into the woods, regretful and reflective."; otherwise: say "And they still do. You've escaped, but with what? Your miserable life[unicode em dash]which, now, may not be worth the trouble you took to save it. You slink, shameful, into the woods, like a weasel, trying desperately to think of other things."; end the story finally.