The Gorreven Papers — 23 of 23

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.