!!! Changes after submission: !!! Bushes now capture receive instead of insert !!! Reworked xpq_entrance so that it does what it's supposed to. !!! Jumpsuit now scannable !!! Receptionist now implemented ! IF-Whispers 1 ! Segment 8 ! by Jacqueline A. Lott (Jacqueline) and Sam Kabo Ashwell (maga) Global flashback_count; Object the_void "The Void"; Object discarded_candy_wrapper "discarded candy wrapper" comm_lobby with name 'discarded' 'candy' 'bar' 'chocolate' 'max' 'chomp' 'bright' 'red' 'wrapper', author "Jacqueline and maga", description [; if (self has general) {print "No. No, you can't bear to look at the wrapper a second time.^"; rtrue;} else {print "A candy wrapper rests upon the floor, carelessly discarded by some thoughtless individual. Against the grime of the ground, the red candy wrapper is... colorful... and so shiny..."; style underline; print "^^The candy bars shine like tropical fish, even under the grimy, buzzing lights. Your eyes gleam with innocent awe in precisely the manner calculated by the marketing division. ~Mom, can I have a -~^^ A clout from a hand encrusted with cheap jewelry knocks you to the floor. ~Parasite! I should just damn well shoot you!~"; style roman; print "^^...And now someone has. From the stinkiest corner of hell, your mother is cackling with rotten-toothed glee.^"; give self general; flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; ], ! Another coder's object likes to PrintOrRun terminal_information on portable ! objects. The text should end without whitespace. terminal_information [; print "A wrapper for a Max Chomp candy bar, torn. Traces of chocolate are detectable on the interior aspect."; ], before [; ShootAt: if (self hasnt general) {print "But that wrapper hasn't done anything to you... yet.^"; rtrue;} if (old_man in comm_lobby && self has general) {print "~I hate you, Mother!~ you scream, aiming the weapon at the now-hated candy wrapper.^^ The old man's eyes flare with rage. ~I hate her more!~ he screams, and before you have time to realize what's happened, the old man snatches the wrapper from the floor, puts it in his mouth, chews (or rather gums) it a bit, then makes a big production of swallowing. ~All gone!~ he says with a toothless smile.^"; move self to the_void; rtrue;} else {print "~I hate you, Mother!~ you scream, aiming the weapon at the now-hated candy wrapper. Blind with fury, your finger squeezes the trigger, and a shower of sparks consumes the wrapper. When the smoke clears, the wrapper is gone.^"; move self to the_void; rtrue;} Attack: if (self hasnt general) {print "But that wrapper hasn't done anything to you... yet.^"; rtrue;} if (old_man in comm_lobby && self has general) {print "~I hate you, Mother!~ you scream with a raised fist in the general direction of the discarded candy wrapper.^^ The old man's eyes flare with rage. ~I hate her more!~ he screams, and before you have time to realize what's happened, the old man snatches the wrapper from the floor, puts it in his mouth, chews (or rather gums) it a bit, then makes a big production of swallowing. ~All gone!~ he says with a toothless smile.^"; move self to the_void; rtrue;} else {print "~I hate you, Mother!~ you scream with a raised fist in the general direction of the discarded candy wrapper. Blind with fury, you charge at the wrapper - but it's gone! Was it ever even really there?^"; move self to the_void; rtrue;} Listen: "The wrapper sits quietly upon the floor."; Take, Push, Pull, Open, Close, Search, Touch, Taste, Eat: if (self has general) {print "No, no that wrapper has already brought back enough bad memories. You can't bring yourself to pick it up, even if disposing of it in the nearest waste receptacle would make you a better citizen.^"; rtrue;} else {print "You reach out to ", (address) verb_word," the candy wrapper which has been carelessly discarded by some thoughtless individual. Your eyes come to rest upon the red of the wrapper. Against the grime of the ground, the wrapper is... colorful... and so shiny..."; style underline; print "^^The candy bars shine like tropical fish, even under the grimy, buzzing lights. Your eyes gleam with innocent awe in precisely the manner calculated by the marketing division. ~Mom, can I have a -~^^ A clout from a hand encrusted with cheap jewelry knocks you to the floor. ~Parasite! I should just damn well shoot you!~"; style roman; print "^^...And now someone has. From the stinkiest corner of hell, your mother is cackling with rotten-toothed glee.^"; give self general; flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; ]; Object discarded_cig_butt "discarded cigarette butt" outside_community_center with name 'discarded' 'tobacco' 'cigarette' 'cig' 'butt' 'fag', author "Jacqueline and maga", description [; if (self has general) {print "No. No, you can't bear to look at the cigarette butt a second time.^"; rtrue;} if (flashback_count > 0) {print "There's no image this time, no words: just the recollection of intense, stabbing pain. Your eyes fall to your forearm, which is covered in the tiny circular scars of cigarette burns.^^ That you can be sure about, at least. Could mean anything, though: torture, gang membership, some unfathomable kink. Circumstantial evidence at the most. And it's not going to get you fixed up. Forget about it.^"; give self general; give burn ~absent; MoveFloatingObjects(); flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;} else {print "The sight of the cigarette butt on the ground brings to mind a recollection of intense, stabbing pain. Your eyes fall to your forearm, which is covered in the tiny circular scars of cigarette burns.^^ That you can be sure about, at least. Could mean anything, though: torture, gang membership, some unfathomable kink. Circumstantial evidence at the most. And it's not going to get you fixed up. Forget about it.^"; give self general; give burn ~absent; MoveFloatingObjects(); flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; ], terminal_information [; print "A tobacco cigarette, partially smoked."; ], before [; ShootAt: if (self hasnt general) {print "But the cigarette butt hasn't done anything to you... yet.^"; rtrue;} else {print "~RAAAAHHHHRRRR!~ you scream, aiming the weapon at the now-hated cigarette butt. Blind with fury, your finger squeezes the trigger, and a shower of sparks consumes the tiny piece of trash. When the smoke clears, the cigarette is no more.^"; move self to the_void; rtrue;} Attack: if (self hasnt general) {print "But the cigarette butt hasn't done anything to you... yet.^"; rtrue;} else {print "~RAAAAHHHHRRRR!~ you scream with a raised fist in the general direction of the cigarette. Blind with fury, you charge at the butt - but it's gone! Was it ever even really there?^"; move self to the_void; rtrue;} Listen: "The cigarette butt lies silently on the ground."; Take, Push, Pull, Open, Close, Search, Touch, Taste, Eat: if (self has general) {print "No, no that cigarette butt has already brought back enough bad memories. You can't bring yourself to pick it up, even if disposing of it in the nearest waste receptacle would make you a better citizen.^"; rtrue;} if (flashback_count > 0) {print "You reach out to ", (address) verb_word," the cigarette butt. There's no image this time, no words: just a recollection of intense, stabbing pain. Your eyes fall to your forearm, which is covered in the tiny circular scars of cigarette burns.^^ That you can be sure about, at least. Could mean anything, though: torture, gang membership, some unfathomable kink. Circumstantial evidence at the most. And it's not going to get you fixed up. Forget about it.^"; give self general; give burn ~absent; MoveFloatingObjects(); flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;} else {print "You reach out to ", (address) verb_word," the cigarette butt. The sight of it on the ground brings to mind a recollection of intense, stabbing pain. Your eyes fall to your forearm, which is covered in the tiny circular scars of cigarette burns.^^ That you can be sure about, at least. Could mean anything, though: torture, gang membership, some unfathomable kink. Circumstantial evidence at the most. And it's not going to get you fixed up. Forget about it.^"; give self general; give burn ~absent; MoveFloatingObjects(); flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; ]; Object burn "burns" with name 'arm' 'tiny' 'circular' 'forearm' 'burn' 'burns' 'cigarette' 'cig', author "Jacqueline and maga", description "A series of burns mar the skin of your forearm, painful reminders of a memory you'd rather keep suppressed.", before [; Remove, Take: "Much as you might desire it, the burns will always be with you."; Touch: "You run your hand over the scars, painful reminders of a memory you'd rather keep suppressed."; ], found_in [; rtrue; ], has absent pluralname scenery; Object graffiti "graffiti" outside_base with name 'graffiti' 'concrete' 'wall' 'art' 'writing' 'paint', author "Jacqueline and maga", description [; if (self has general) {print "No. No, you can't bear to look at the graffiti again.^"; rtrue;} else {print "As your eyes linger on the crude scrawls, images surge forcefully into your mind...^^"; style underline; print "...A dark alley, a gang of adolescents, a decidedly uninspired ongoing work in the popular spraypaint-on-concrete medium, the age-old exchange of scathing wit:^^ ~No, "; style roman; print "your"; style underline; print " dad's a homo.~^^ ~I know you are, but what am I?~^^ And all of a sudden there's a blue-jumpsuited cop at either end of the alley, XPQ logos on their badges, tasers in hand. Behind the riot visors are the hard faces of men with a quota to meet, and indifferent to the smell of sizzling flesh. ~Looks like we gots us some delinquents,~ drawls the one with the moustache.^^"; style roman; print "God, do XPQ even hold any enforcement contracts? You shake the untrustworthy vision from your head.^"; give self general; flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; ], terminal_information [; print "Urban communication and/or art. The letters XPQ are legible."; ], before [; ShootAt: print "In a fit of hatred and rage for all that the XPQ has inflicted upon you, you draw your ray gun and spray the graffiti with a solid stream of... ray. Or laser. Whatever it is. Anyway, when the smoke clears, the damn letters are "; style underline; print "still "; style roman; print " legible. Damn the XPQ. Damn them to HELL!"; rtrue; Attack: print "In a fit of hatred and rage for all that the XPQ has inflicted upon you, you let out a satisfyingly savage cry and scratch at the graffiti on the wall. Do what you will, the damn letters are " ; style underline; print"still "; style roman; print " legible. Damn the XPQ. Damn them to HELL!"; rtrue; Listen: "The graffiti makes no sound whatsoever. Did you expect it to?"; Take, Push, Pull, Open, Close, Search, Taste, Eat: "Um, it's graffiti. Writing, on a wall. You can't ", (address) verb_word," it."; Touch: if (self has general) {print "No, no that graffiti's already brought back enough memories.^"; rtrue;} else {print "You ", (address) verb_word," the graffiti. As your eyes linger on the crude scrawls, images surge forcefully into your mind...^^"; style underline; print "...A dark alley, a gang of adolescents, a decidedly uninspired ongoing work in the popular spraypaint-on-concrete medium, the age-old exchange of scathing wit:^^ ~No, "; style roman; print "your"; style underline; print " dad's a homo.~^^ ~I know you are, but what am I?~^^ And all of a sudden there's a blue-jumpsuited cop at either end of the alley, XPQ logos on their badges, tasers in hand. Behind the riot visors are the hard faces of men with a quota to meet, and indifferent to the smell of sizzling flesh. ~Looks like we gots us some delinquents,~ drawls the one with the moustache.^^"; style roman; print "God, do XPQ even hold any enforcement contracts? You shake the untrustworthy vision from your head.^"; give self general; flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; ], has scenery; Object bushes "bushes" outside_base with name 'shrub' 'branch' 'branches' 'shrubbery' 'bush' 'bark' 'leaves' 'leaf' 'twig' 'plant' 'vegetation' 'plants' 'twig' 'twigs' 'stick' 'sticks' 'thick' 'bushes', author "Jacqueline and maga", description "The bushes growing along the wall are rather thick; there's no telling what could be hidden within their depths!", describe [; outside_base.s_to = XPQ_entrance; "^The bushes growing along the wall are rather thick; there's no telling what could be hidden within their depths!"; ], before [; Touch: "The branches of the bush are strong, twisted, almost sharp."; Climb: "The bushes are more of a shrub than a tree, and their branches are thin and can not support your weight."; Smell: "Mmm... green things."; Search: if (jumpsuit has concealed) {print "You push the branches aside here and there, and your snooping finally pays off. Apparently, in this day and age it is a social expectation that one strip off and discard one's work clothes - in this case, a blue XPQ jumpsuit - in the bushes outside one's place of work shortly after clocking off. Every moment in this grim dystopia brings new horrors to crush the human spirit.^^ Thinking that it might come in handy, you take the uniform.^"; give jumpsuit ~concealed; move jumpsuit to player; rtrue;} else {print "You search again, but come up empty-handed.^"; rtrue;}; Dig: "Seems as though you have better things to do, really."; Taste: "Hm. You're not sure that's safe."; Receive: print "Enh. Better not. Who knows if you'd be lucky enough to find ", (the) second, " again.^"; rtrue; Listen: "There's not so much as a breeze moving through the bushes. Silence."; Take: "How do you expect to take an entire bush? Really now."; ], has pluralname; Object dog_poo "pile of dog excrement" outside_base with name 'pile' 'of' 'dog' 'excrement' 'shit' 'poo' 'poop' 'crap' 'dung' 'doo' 'turds' 'turd' 'bottom' 'product' 'steaming', author "Jacqueline and maga", description [; if (self has general) {print "No. No, you can't bear to look at the dog excrement a second time.^"; rtrue;} else {print "You have an irresistibly crass urge to look at the dog excrement. Your eyes fix upon the pile of dung, which is still steaming in its freshness, and you feel yourself begin to float backward..."; style underline; print "^^~Mom, where's Muffin? He hasn't -~^^ Your mother's voice screeches from the next room. ~Frank, could deal with that damn brat?~^^ An unfamiliar man's voice. ~Muffin's making friends with a brick at the bottom of the Twelfth Industrial Sector canal, kid. In your school backpack.~^^ ~But... but why?~ you manage.^^ ~Vermin shat on the carpet tiles. Oh yeah, while I remember: it's in the front hallway. You know where the broom lives.~"; style roman; print "^^Suddenly the attack fades. You shake your head, as if in doing so you can shake away the terrible memories.^"; give self general; flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; ], terminal_information [; print "A quantity of canine scat, still warm."; ], before [; ShootAt: if (self hasnt general) {print "But the dog excrement hasn't done anything to you... yet.^"; rtrue;} else {print "~I hate you, Mother!~ you scream, aiming the weapon at the now-hated pile of dog crap. Blind with fury, your finger squeezes the trigger, and a shower of sparks consumes the poo. When the smoke clears, the pile of dung is gone.^"; move self to the_void; rtrue;} Attack: if (self hasnt general) {print "But the dog excrement hasn't done anything to you... yet.^"; rtrue;} else {print "~I hate you, Mother!~ you scream with a raised fist in the general direction of the dog's bottom product. Blind with fury, you charge at the pile - but it's gone! Was it ever even really there?^"; move self to the_void; rtrue;} Listen: "The dog poo sits there, quietly steaming."; Take, Push, Pull, Open, Close, Search, Touch, Taste, Eat: if (self has general) {print "No, no that dog's bottom product has already brought back enough bad memories. You can't bring yourself to pick it up, even if disposing of it in the nearest waste receptacle would make you a better citizen. And besides, you'd soil your hands.^"; rtrue;} else {print "For some unsettling reason, you reach out to ", (address) verb_word," the pile of dog crap. Your eyes fix upon the pile of dung, which is still steaming in its freshness, and you feel yourself begin to float backward..."; style underline; print "^^~Mom, where's Muffin? He hasn't -~^^ Your mother's voice screeches from the next room. ~Frank, could deal with that damn brat?~^^ An unfamiliar man's voice. ~Muffin's making friends with a brick at the bottom of the Twelfth Industrial Sector canal, kid. In your school backpack.~^^ ~But... but why?~ you manage.^^ ~Vermin shat on the carpet tiles. Oh yeah, while I remember: it's in the front hallway. You know where the broom lives.~"; style roman; print "^^Suddenly the attack fades. You shake your head, as if in doing so you can shake away the terrible memories.^"; give self general; flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; ]; Object jumpsuit "blue uniform" bushes with name 'blue' 'uniform' 'jump' 'suit' 'jumpsuit', author "Jacqueline and maga", description [; if (self hasnt general) {print "XPQ employees - whether they are flea circus stagehands, short-order cooks, genetically modified assassin cyborgs or some kind of weird future-dystopia job combining elements of all these - wear these blue jumpsuits when they are at work. In their free time they wear fuzzy yellow jumpsuits, which psychological research has indicated contributes to the illusion of comfortable liberty.^^ The blue jumpsuit comes with built-in truss and lumbar support for when ceaseless, futile toil inevitably breaks the malnourished body of the wage-slave wearing it. Who says that faceless, all-powerful megaconglomerates don't care?^"; give self general; rtrue; } else {print "Composition: synthetic fibres. Uniform of XPQ employee, clearance level Omicron Bunyip 8b. ^^~ATTENTION: Filing police report. An officer will contact you for further information, Harry Nodles. Note that damaging, modifying, or distributing to third parties of Omicron-rank XPQ materiel may cause loss of future profits to XPQ and constitutes a civil felony. Misuse of Omicron-rank XPQ materiel to impersonate an XPQ employee voids what pitiful rights remain to you and gives XPQ carte blanche to rape you with a tank cannon if they are so inclined.~^"; rtrue; } ], terminal_information [; print "Urban communication and/or art. The letters XPQ are legible."; ], before [; Eat, Taste: "I doubt the jumpsuit is edible. Next idea?"; ], after [; Wear: "You slip into ", (the) self, " which is large enough to fit comfortably over your other clothes."; ], has clothing concealed; Object xpq_entrance "Entrance to the XPQ Base" with after [; Go: if (self hasnt general && jumpsuit hasnt worn) {print "An XPQ security guard sits just inside the XPQ entrance, eyeing you with the officially mandated proportion of suspicion and contempt.^^ The XPQ guard wears a blue jumpsuit with a gleaming security division badge and big stompy boots. His build suggests a steady diet of hormone-fed steak. He also has one of those super-fancy rayguns that hover above your shoulder and responds to voice commands, identifies the range and defences of the target and selects ammunition accordingly, and dispenses snippets of tactical advice in spontaeneously crafted haiku.^^ ~All XPQ branches require the following security precautions from guests not affiliated or employed by any XPQ division or directly owned subsidiary,~ barks the guard as you stroll through the door. ~One invitation, visit schedule and statement of purpose signed by two XPQ staff not below Epsilon rank; two articles of currently valid ID of types recognised by XPQ; one retinal scan to be taken on entrance; one non-refundable administration fee of 150.00 dollars.~^^ Only an XPQ employee would bother to pronounce the decimal point. And to further drive home the point, you hear a dreadful haiku emanate from the guard's "; style underline; print "gun:^^"; style roman; print "~The late autumn mist^ Kisses the grass with dewdrops.^ If he moves, do 'im.~^^ You're not going to critique the composition or delivery, as he's pointing the AI gun in your general direction, and you're certain it's loaded with more than just (mostly) harmless syllabic poetry.^^ Slowly, you back out of the room. Even if you had the cash and the contacts, the retinal scan would quickly result in your painful death.^"; give self general; PlayerTo(outside_base,2); rtrue; } if (self has general && jumpsuit hasnt worn) {print "You poke your head around the corner slowly, hoping against hope that the guard has fallen asleep. Or died. Or something. But no, he's still there, still suspicious, still full of contempt, and " ; style underline; print "you "; style roman; print " still look like a visitor. Probably best to back out the door again and remain outside until you think of a plan.^"; PlayerTo(outside_base,2); rtrue; } else {print "An XPQ security guard sits just inside the XPQ entrance. He wears a blue jumpsuit with a gleaming security division badge and big stompy boots. His build suggests a steady diet of hormone-fed steak. He also has one of those super-fancy rayguns that hover above your shoulder and responds to voice commands, identifies the range and defences of the target and selects ammunition accordingly, and dispenses snippets of tactical advice in spontaeneously crafted haiku.^^ You half-expect for the guard to at least card you as you walk through the door, but it seems that the uniform identifies you as someone high-ranking, since he assumes something that might be interpreted as respect and makes no move to stop you.^^ ~The crane's wing aloft;^ This one prays that your footsteps^ May be even thus,~^^ ...creeps the guard's AI gun, which is clearly jonesing for a promotion to a mainframe somewhere.^"; give self general; PlayerTo(inside_base,2); rtrue; } ], author "Jacqueline and maga", has light; Object inside_base "Inside the XPQ Base" with description [; if (self hasnt visited && jumpsuit hasnt worn) {print "Once again you look upon the majestic sight of an XPQ base hub. It looks precisely like every XPQ hub everywhere: cyborg bandicoots (more security staff) snuffle back and forth across a floor of unfading sphagnum, and bioluminescence spells out the XPQ logo. Jumpsuited employees with perfect bodies (and brains almost entirely composed of pharmaceuticals) skip between the various moss-lined corridors leading away from the main concourse; the largest of these, beyond the ornamental fountain, lies east. The main exit out of the complex lies to the north.^^ There's a receptionist here, and she's glaring at you. You wouldn't be at all surprised if someone were to tell you that she's got a gun pointed at you from beneath the desk. Her sour expression is no doubt related to the fact that you look pretty out of place here.^^ ~Where is your agency issued jumpsuit, Comrade?~ she demands menacingly.^"; rtrue;} if (self hasnt visited && jumpsuit has worn) {print "Once again you look upon the majestic sight of an XPQ base hub. It looks precisely like every XPQ hub everywhere: cyborg bandicoots (more security staff) snuffle back and forth across a floor of unfading sphagnum, bioluminescence spells out the XPQ logo, a toothy receptionist beams enticingly at you. Jumpsuited employees with perfect bodies (and brains almost entirely composed of pharmaceuticals) skip between the various moss-lined corridors leading away from the main concourse; the largest of these, beyond the ornamental fountain, lies east. The main exit out of the complex lies to the north.^"; rtrue;} if (self has visited && jumpsuit has worn) {print "You're just inside the entrance of the XPQ base hub. Various moss-lined corridors leading away from the main concourse; the largest of these, beyond the ornamental fountain, lies east. The main exit out of the complex lies to the north. ^^ A toothy receptionist beams enticingly at you.^"; rtrue;} else {print "You're just inside the entrance of the XPQ base hub. Various moss-lined corridors leading away from the main concourse; the largest of these, beyond the ornamental fountain, lies east. The main exit out of the complex lies to the north.^^ There's a receptionist here, and she's glaring at you. You wouldn't be at all surprised if someone were to tell you that she's got a gun pointed at you from beneath the desk. Her sour expression is no doubt related to the fact that you look pretty out of place here.^^ ~Where is your agency issued jumpsuit, Comrade?~ she demands menacingly.^"; rtrue;} ], before [; if (noun ~= 0) rfalse; Sing: if (jumpsuit hasnt worn) {print "You glance nervously at the receptionist and reply, ~Um... I'm here to deliver a singing telegram.~ You draw yourself up to your full height, puff out your chest, and break into your best rendition of "; style underline; print "Death March of the Worker Ants,"; style roman; print " a known XPQ favorite.^^ ~Don't quit your day job,~ replies the receptionist, coolly. ~If you're a guest, do you have all the required documents? I don't recognize you, but if you're from another branch you'll know full well that there's proper protocol, and you're required to be in uniform when conducting agency business.~^^ She's proving difficult to convince.^"; rtrue;} else {print "You sing a known XPQ favorite, "; style underline; print "Death March of the Worker Ants,"; style roman; print " in a feeble attempt to fit in. The receptionist smiles awkwardly at you.^^"; rtrue;} Pray: "Nothing practical results from your prayer. And that's the problem with the world these days, isn't it? People have turned away from God and the Bible, and turned toward practical results. How can you ensure that YOUR family escapes this pit of sin? Send off to XPQ's Bible Study Series today and receive a 35% discount if you mention this...^^ ...what the hell were you thinking? You'll have to pull your ass out of this sling all on your own."; Listen: "You hear the hum of busy little worker agents, scuttling about conducting important - but no doubt evil - tasks."; ], n_to [; if (jumpsuit has worn) {print "You walk north. As you pass through the exit, the XPQ guard looks up and salutes, no doubt impressed by whatever rank it is that your uniform represents. You nod in the most condescendingly polite way you can muster as you walk past the guard and out of the base.^"; playerto (outside_base,2); rtrue;} else {print "You walk north, thinking that perhaps the best solution to dealing with the receptionist is to simply avoid her altogether. As you approach the exit, however, you see a very large guard with a very powerful gun, and decide that it is perhaps best to take your chances with the receptionist. She "; style underline; print "might "; style roman; print "have a gun, then again she might not.^"; playerto (inside_base,2); rtrue;} ], s_to 0, w_to 0, e_to 0, ne_to 0, nw_to 0, se_to 0, sw_to 0, d_to 0, u_to 0, cant_go "To someone not intimately familiar with the layout of the base, the interlacing corridors of this XPQ base would prove a challenging maze.^^ And you hate mazes with a fiery passion.", author "Jacqueline and maga", has light; !! We've sort of set it up for a problem with the receptionist, and we're vaguely !! (but only vaguely) sorry about that. There are a variety of ways to write the !! PC out of the predicament, no doubt, but for some reason we decided to leave !! that to the next person. Have fun! Object closet "closet" inside_base with name 'closet' 'storage' 'cupboard' 'wardrobe' 'door', author "Jacqueline and maga", description [; if (self has general) {print "No. No, you can't bear to look at the closet a second time.^"; rtrue;} else {print "You see nothing particularly special about the closet door, but you decide to open it and see if there's anything of interest inside. As you peer into the darkness beyond the door, your mind involuntarily thinks back to another closet...^^"; style underline; print "...A closet dark and confined, with only a tiny place to crouch between the gutted carcass of a vacuum cleaner and your third ex-stepfather's snuff magazine collection... the deafening clatter of stiletto heels running up the stairs inches above your head... and oh god, the choking dust that would have you begging for water by the end of the first day...^^"; style roman; print "You resurface from the memory, breathing heavily, and slam the door closed. It's okay. This closet really doesn't look that much like that one. Except for the fresh, knuckle-shaped bloodstains on the walls.^"; give self general; flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; ], terminal_information [; print "A recessed area for storing items. Currently, the door to the storage closet it closed."; ], before [; ShootAt: if (self hasnt general) {print "But the closet door hasn't done anything to you... yet.^"; rtrue;} else {print "~I hate you, Mother!~ you scream, aiming the weapon at the now-hated closet. Blind with fury, your finger squeezes the trigger, and a shower of sparks sprays across the door. When the smoke clears, you see that it is unharmed - must be made of some pretty sturdy stuff.^"; rtrue;} Attack: if (self hasnt general) {print "But the closet door hasn't done anything to you... yet.^"; rtrue;} else {print "~I hate you, Mother!~ you scream with a raised fist in the general direction of the closet. Blind with fury, you charge at the door - but it's gone! Was it ever even really there?^"; move self to the_void; rtrue;} Listen: "The closet doesn't make a single sound. Did you expect it to?"; Take: "The closet isn't exactly portable."; Touch, Taste, Eat: if (self has general) {print "No, no that closet has already brought back enough bad memories. You can't bring yourself to look at it, let alone ", (address) verb_word," it.^"; rtrue;} else {print "You reach out to ", (address) verb_word," the closet door. You see nothing particularly special about the exterior door, but you decide to open it and see if there's anything of interest inside. As you peer into the darkness beyond the door, your mind involuntarily thinks back to another closet...^^"; style underline; print "...A closet dark and confined, with only a tiny place to crouch between the gutted carcass of a vacuum cleaner and your third ex-stepfather's snuff magazine collection... the deafening clatter of stiletto heels running up the stairs inches above your head... and oh god, the choking dust that would have you begging for water by the end of the first day...^^"; style roman; print "You resurface from the memory, breathing heavily, and slam the door closed. It's okay. This closet really doesn't look that much like that one. Except for the fresh, knuckle-shaped bloodstains on the walls.^"; give self general; flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; Search: if (self has general) {print "No, no that closet has already brought back enough bad memories. You can't bring yourself to look at it, let alone ", (address) verb_word," it.^"; rtrue;} else {print "You reach out and open the closet door. As you peer into the darkness, your mind involuntarily thinks back to another closet...^^"; style underline; print "...A closet dark and confined, with only a tiny place to crouch between the gutted carcass of a vacuum cleaner and your third ex-stepfather's snuff magazine collection... the deafening clatter of stiletto heels running up the stairs inches above your head... and oh god, the choking dust that would have you begging for water by the end of the first day...^^"; style roman; print "You resurface from the memory, breathing heavily, and slam the door closed. It's okay. This closet really doesn't look that much like that one. Except for the fresh, knuckle-shaped bloodstains on the walls.^"; give self general; flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; Push, Pull, Open: if (self has general) {print "No, no that closet has already brought back enough bad memories. You can't bring yourself to look at it, let alone ", (address) verb_word," it.^"; rtrue;} else {print "You reach out to ", (address) verb_word," the closet door. You see nothing particularly special about the exterior door, but you decide to open it and see if there's anything of interest inside. As you peer into the darkness beyond the door, your mind involuntarily thinks back to another closet...^^"; style underline; print "...A closet dark and confined, with only a tiny place to crouch between the gutted carcass of a vacuum cleaner and your third ex-stepfather's snuff magazine collection... the deafening clatter of stiletto heels running up the stairs inches above your head... and oh god, the choking dust that would have you begging for water by the end of the first day...^^"; style roman; print "You resurface from the memory, breathing heavily, and slam the door closed. It's okay. This closet really doesn't look that much like that one. Except for the fresh, knuckle-shaped bloodstains on the walls.^"; give self general; flashback_count = flashback_count + 1; if (flashback_count == 3) {print "^The attacks are beginning to get more frequent; you must be going into withdrawal. You " ; style underline; print"have "; style roman; print "to get to XPQ and somehow extract a supply of cetaphenyl out of them. A supply? Right now you'd settle for a greasy handful of tabs cut with rat poison.^^ This isn't going to be made easier by XPQ having a contract out on your life. At least, if the chick who tried to kill you wasn't just in your head; the memories tend to violently distort. How dreadfully dystopic.^";} else {print "";} rtrue;}; ], has openable;