Transcript: The Lurking Horror – The People's Republic of Interactive Fiction

Start of a transcript of THE LURKING HORROR.
THE LURKING HORROR
An Interactive Horror
Copyright (c) 1987 by Infocom, Inc. All rights reserved.
THE LURKING HORROR is a trademark of Infocom, Inc.
Release 221 / Serial number 870918

>talk to hacker
Hmmm … the hacker waits for you to say something.

>hacker, hi
“Greetingage.” He turns back to his hacking.

>ask hacker about hacking
I don’t know the word “hacking.”

>examine pc
This is a beyond-state-of-the-art personal computer. It has a 1024 by 1024 pixel color monitor, a mouse, an attached hard disk, and a local area network connection. Fortunately, one of its features is a prominent HELP key. It is currently turned off.

>turn on pc
The computer powers up, goes through a remarkably fast self-check, and greets you, requesting “LOGIN PLEASE:”. The only sound you hear is a very low hum.

>login
What do you want to login?

>log in to computer
I don’t know the word “log.”

>type username
The computer responds “PASSWORD PLEASE:”

>type password
What do you want to type passwo?

>ask hacker about password
There seems to be a noun missing in that sentence.

>type 872325412
The computer responds “INVALID LOGIN” and then “LOGIN PLEASE:”.

>type 872325412
The computer responds “PASSWORD PLEASE:”

>type uhlersoth
The computer responds “Good evening. You’re here awfully late.” It displays a list of pending tasks, one of which is in blinking red letters, with large arrows pointing to it. The task reads “Classics Paper,” some particularly ominous words next to it say “DUE TOMORROW!” and more reassuringly, a menu box next to that reads “Edit Classics Paper.”

>edit classics paper
The menu box is replaced by the YAK text editor and menu boxes listing the titles of your files. The one for your paper is highlighted in a rather urgent-looking shade of red.

>press help key
You push the friendly-looking HELP key. A spritely little box appears on the screen, which reads: “Please click the box representing the file you wish to edit or view. I notice that one file is marked as urgent, so you should probably click its box.”

>click urgent box
You click the box for your paper, and the box grows reassuringly until it fills most of the screen. Unfortunately, the text that fills it bears no resemblance to your paper. The title is the same, but after that, there is something different, very different.

>read paper
The paper appears to be a facsimile overlaid with occasional typescript. The text is mostly in a sort of “Olde English” you’ve never seen before. What you read is a combination of incomprehensible gibberish, latinate pseudowords, debased Hebrew and Arabic scripts, and an occasional disquieting phrase in English.

As you look at it more closely, you find it hard to focus on the screen, but impossible to look away. Your finger strays toward the “MORE” box…

>save
Okay.

>press more
You touch the MORE box, and a new page appears.

The second page is much like the first, but around the edges, not when you look at it straight, it’s almost readable. There is something about a “summoning,” or a “visitor.”

>summon visitor
I don’t know the word “summon.”

>press more
You touch the MORE box, and a new page appears.

The third page is in the same script as the first, but laid out like a poem. There are woodcut illustrations which are queasily disturbing.

There is a translation, or notes for one, typed between the lines of the poem:

“He returns, he is called back (?)
The loyal ones (acolytes?) make a sacrifice
Those who survive will meet him (be absorbed? eaten?)
They will live, yet die
Forever will be (is?) nothing to them (to him?)

“His place (lair? burrow?) must be prepared
His food (offerings?) must be prepared
Call him forth (invite him?) with great power
Only an acceptable (tasteful?) sacrifice will call him forth
He will be grateful (satiated?)”

The rest is even more fragmentary.

>press more
You touch the MORE box, and a new page appears.

The fourth page is a photograph. You try to recoil from the screen, but cannot. Fascinated and repelled at the same time, you wonder: is that a mouth, and what is in it?

>examine photograph
I don’t know the word “photograph.”

>x photo
I don’t know the word “photo.”

>x page
Instead, you find your finger moving towards the MORE box, and you touch it. The screen feels oddly cold.

You faint, and when you awaken…

[Use $SOUND to toggle sound usage on and off.]

Place
This is a place. Things move about on a broken, rocky surface. Harsh sounds split the air. Something sticky grabs at your feet. There is no color, everything is drained of brightness, dull and lifeless. A path descends into a shallow bowl of black basalt.

>d
Basalt Bowl
You are at the bottom of a deeply cut, smooth basalt bowl. Dimly seen shapes crowd you on all sides. Ahead, in the focus of the movement, is a rock platform.

>forward
I don’t know the word “forward.”

>x shapes
I don’t know the word “shapes.”

>x platform
The platform is made of the same rocks as the surrounding terrain. In fact, you can’t tell whether it is natural or constructed.

The crowd around you begins to sway and groan. They are expecting something. You are drawn forward by the noise.

At Platform
You stand before a low rock platform, more like an afterthought of piled rocks or a glacial moraine than a work of artifice. You are pushed against the pile by the crowd around you.

One small stone stands out in the pile, smooth, shiny, and glowing with a blazing light.

>x stone
It’s a smooth, shiny piece of what might be obsidian. Scratched on it is a symbol.

>x symbol
The symbol, on close examination, appears to have been carved into the smooth stone, perhaps with a claw. The symbol is like nothing you’ve ever seen, and yet somehow you know it has meaning.

>take stone
Taken.

Suddenly, the dimness becomes darkness, and the crowd around you explodes with excitement. You are jostled and shoved from all sides. A low keening begins, building into a deafening, almost mechanical chant. The darkness before you compacts and deepens.

>eat stone
The food here is terrible, but this is ridiculous!

The darkness before you, now visible, is a creature. It towers over the now-silent crowd. The thing jerks this way and that, spraying a foul ichor. Its palps twitch expectantly, then pound impatiently against the rock. You can feel the smooth stone vibrating in your hand.

>show stone to creature
The thing is uninterested.

The thing now turns, sensing the presence of the stone. It quests almost blindly for it, then those surrounding you thrust you forward. The thing stoops, its mandibles grasping you. You are lifted towards its gaping maw. The stench and the sounds issuing from it are overwhelming, and you fall unconscious.

You are awakened by the thump of your head hitting the terminal in front of you. Falling asleep over term papers! It must have been a nightmare. Embarrassed, you glance around. Yes, the hacker is looking in your direction. He must have heard the thump.

Terminal Room, on the chair

A really whiz-bang pc is right inside the door.

Sitting at a terminal is a hacker whom you recognize.

>i
You are carrying a smooth stone and an assignment.

The hacker wanders over, trying to look nonchalant as he takes over your chair. “Losing, huh?” he asks wittily. He glances at your terminal, which displays a pattern of snow and unusual characters. He appears somewhat excited.

>x terminal
This is a beyond-state-of-the-art personal computer. It has a 1024 by 1024 pixel color monitor, a mouse, an attached hard disk, and a local area network connection. Fortunately, one of its features is a prominent HELP key. On the screen you see a menu box.

The hacker, mumbling under his breath, begins a flurry of activity. First the screen returns to something nearly normal, then windows begin popping up like toadstools after a rain. The screen looks a lot like the top of his terminal table (or the bottom of a trash can).

>read assignment
Laser printed on creamy bond paper, the assignment is due tomorrow. It’s from your freshman course in “The Classics in the Modern Idiom,” better known as “21.014.” It reads, in part: “Twenty pages on modern analogues of Xenophon’s ‘Anabasis.’” You’re not sure whether this refers to the movie “The Warriors” or “Alien,” but this is the last assignment you need to complete in this course this term. You wonder, yet again, why a technical school requires you to endure this sort of stuff.

The hacker types furiously, and the screen displays what to you looks like an explosion in a teletype factory. After a while he says. “Chomping file system. Your directory has gone seriously west. I fixed it.” He checks the screen. “It was mixed up on the file server with some files from the Department of Alchemy.” He grunts. “People’s names for their nodes are getting weird. This one is called ‘Lovecraft.’” He pauses. “Your paper is gone, though. Sorry. Maybe they could help you down there.”

>cry
I don’t know the word “cry.”

>x hacker
The hacker is sitting at your terminal, typing furiously. Every so often, he pauses briefly and twirls a lock of his hair. He is also humming under his breath. The hacker is dressed in blue jeans, an old work shirt, and what might once have been running shoes. Hanging from his belt is an enormous ring of keys. He is in need of a bath.

The hacker wanders back to his terminal and returns to his hacking.

>show stone to hacker
“Odd-looking thing. Are you a rock-jock?”

>take keys
“Hey! No snarfage, loser!” You determine that this means, “Stop!”

>ask hacker about keys
“I’ve accumulated a few keys over the years. I’m a licensed locksmith, which helps. I can get into any room at Tech.” He pulls the keyring out on its chain, and shows off a key you hadn’t noticed before. “This is a master key,” he says.

>ask hacker for master key
“Fat chance! This is a master key! What have you done for me lately?”

>save
Okay.

>punch hacker
I don’t know the word “punch.”

>ask hacker about department of alchemy
You can’t see any department of alchemy here.

The hacker turns to you and says, “I don’t know where I can get something to eat, what with all the snow.”

>feed hacker
(to the hacker)
You aren’t holding the hacker.

>feed assignment to hacker
“No thanks, keep it for now.”

>l
Terminal Room
This is a large room crammed with computer terminals, small computers, and printers. An exit leads south. Banners, posters, and signs festoon the walls. Most of the tables are covered with waste paper, old pizza boxes, and empty Coke cans. There are usually a lot of people here, but tonight it’s almost deserted.

Nearby is one of those ugly molded plastic chairs.

A really whiz-bang pc is right inside the door.

Sitting at a terminal is a hacker whom you recognize.

The hacker turns to you and says, “I’d hate to leave, with the machines so empty. On the other hand, I’m seriously starving.”

>
I beg your pardon?

>x pizza boxes
I don’t know the word “pizza.”

>read banners
How do you do that with a banners?

>s
Second Floor
This is the second floor of the Computer Center. An elevator and call buttons are on the south side of the hallway. A large, noisy room is to the north. Stairs also lead up and down, for the energetic. To the west a corridor leads into a smaller room.

>w
Kitchen
This is a filthy kitchen. The exit is to the east. On the wall near a counter are a refrigerator and a microwave.

Sitting on the kitchen counter is a package of Funny Bones.

>x funny bones
This is a package of Funny Bones, a snack food made with peanut butter and chocolate cake.

>take funny bones
Taken.

>open fridge
Opening the refrigerator reveals a two liter bottle of Classic Coke and a cardboard carton.

>take all
two liter bottle of Classic Coke: Taken.
cardboard carton: Taken.

>x carton
This is a cardboard carton with an incomprehensible symbol scrawled on the top.

>x symbol
It doesn’t look like Chinese, English, or any other language you know. The symbol looks oddly familiar.

>open it
Opening the cardboard carton reveals Chinese food.

>put carton in microwave
Inspection reveals that the microwave oven isn’t open.

>open microwave
The microwave oven is now open.

>put carton in microwave
Done.

>close fridge
Closed.

>close microwave
Okay, the microwave oven is now closed.

>x microwave
The microwave oven hangs over the kitchen counter. It has more complicated controls than your pc. There is an LED readout above the controls. The microwave is off and it’s closed.

>x led readout
The display is currently displaying the current time and the word “off.”

>x controls
There are controls labelled 0 to 9, WM, LO, MED, HI, START, CLEAR, and STOP. The timer display now reads 0:00.

>save
Okay.

>press hi
The bottom of the display now reads “high.”

>press start
Nothing happens, as there’s no time set on it yet.

>press 1
The timer display now reads 0:01.

>press 0
The timer display now reads 0:10.

>press 0
The timer display now reads 1:00.

>press start
The microwave starts up. The timer begins counting down.

The microwave stops. The timer display now reads 0:00.

>open microwave
The microwave oven is now open.

>x carton
This is a cardboard carton with an incomprehensible symbol scrawled on the top.

>touch carton
Fiddling with the cardboard carton has no effect.

>open carton
The cardboard carton is already open.

>x chinese food
This is a carton of cold Szechuan shrimp. Lovely red peppers poke out of the sauce.

>close microwave
Okay, the microwave oven is now closed.

>press hi
The bottom of the display now reads “high.”

>press 3
The timer display now reads 0:03.

>press 0
The timer display now reads 0:30.

>press 0
The timer display now reads 3:00.

>press start
The microwave starts up. The timer begins counting down.

The timer display now reads 2:00.

>wait
Time passes…

The timer display now reads 1:00.

>wait
Time passes…

The microwave stops. The timer display now reads 0:00.

>open microwave
The microwave oven is now open.

>x food
Which food do you mean, the Chinese food or the package of Funny Bones?

>x chinese food
This is a carton of hot Szechuan shrimp. Lovely red peppers poke out of the sauce.

>take carton
Taken.

>l
Kitchen
This is a filthy kitchen. The exit is to the east. On the wall near a counter are a refrigerator and a microwave.

>e
Second Floor

>n
Terminal Room

Nearby is one of those ugly molded plastic chairs.

A really whiz-bang pc is right inside the door.

Sitting at a terminal is a hacker whom you recognize.

>give chinese food to hacker
“Yuck! This isn’t warm enough!” He thrusts it back into your hands.

>x chinese food
This is a carton of warm Szechuan shrimp. Lovely red peppers poke out of the sauce.

>s
Second Floor

>e
You can’t go that way.

>w
Kitchen

>open microwave
The microwave oven is already open.

>put carton in microwave
Done.

>close microwave
Okay, the microwave oven is now closed.

>press hi
The bottom of the display now reads “high.”

>press 5
The timer display now reads 0:05.

>press 0
The timer display now reads 0:50.

>press 0
The timer display now reads 5:00.

>press start
The microwave starts up. The timer begins counting down.

The timer display now reads 4:00.

>wait
Time passes…

The timer display now reads 3:00.

>wait
Time passes…

The timer display now reads 2:00.

>wait
Time passes…

The timer display now reads 1:00.

>wait
Time passes…

The microwave stops. The timer display now reads 0:00.

>open microwave
The microwave oven is now open.

>take container
You can’t see any container here.

>take carton
Taken.

>close carton
Closed.

>e
Second Floor

>n
Terminal Room

Nearby is one of those ugly molded plastic chairs.

A really whiz-bang pc is right inside the door.

Sitting at a terminal is a hacker whom you recognize.

>give carton to hacker
“Ouch! This is ridiculous! You’ve overcooked it. Look at those poor shrimp! It’s ruined, chomper!” He throws it away.

>reload
I don’t know the word “reload.”

>restore
Okay.

>l
Kitchen
This is a filthy kitchen. The exit is to the east. On the wall near a counter are a refrigerator and a microwave.

The microwave oven contains a cardboard carton. The cardboard carton contains Chinese food.

>close oven
It’s already closed.

>open oven
The microwave oven is now open.

>close carton
Closed.

>close oven
Okay, the microwave oven is now closed.

>press hi
The bottom of the display now reads “high.”

>press 4:00
Why don’t you try setting the timer to that?

>set timer to 4:20
The timer display now reads 4:20.

>press start
The microwave starts up. The timer begins counting down.

The timer display now reads 3:20.

>wait
Time passes…

The timer display now reads 2:20.

>w
You can’t go that way.

The timer display now reads 1:20.

>wait
Time passes…

The timer display now reads 0:20.

>wait
Time passes…

The microwave stops. The timer display now reads 0:00.

>open microwave
The microwave oven is now open.

>take container
You can’t see any container here.

>take carton
Taken.

>e
Second Floor

>n
Terminal Room

Nearby is one of those ugly molded plastic chairs.

A really whiz-bang pc is right inside the door.

Sitting at a terminal is a hacker whom you recognize.

>give carton to hacker
“Ah! Serious food!” He plunges into the food with all the delicacy and table manners of a shark at a feeding frenzy. Soon a satisfied expression appears on his face. “Now, what was it you were wanting?” he asks.

>ask hacker for master key
“Well, I suppose I could loan you the master key for a while. Just don’t get into trouble, okay? I’ll find you later, when I’m done with all this, and get it back.” He hands you the key.

>i
You are carrying a master key, a two liter bottle of Classic Coke, a package of Funny Bones, a smooth stone and an assignment.

>take all
chair: Taken.
pc: Your load is too heavy.

>drop chair
Dropped.

>take pc
You take it, turning it off and unplugging it first.

>drop pc
Dropped.

>take chair
Taken.

Sitting at a terminal is a hacker whom you recognize.

There is a pc here.

>verbose
Verbose descriptions.

Terminal Room
This is a large room crammed with computer terminals, small computers, and printers. An exit leads south. Banners, posters, and signs festoon the walls. Most of the tables are covered with waste paper, old pizza boxes, and empty Coke cans. There are usually a lot of people here, but tonight it’s almost deserted.

Sitting at a terminal is a hacker whom you recognize.

There is a pc here.

>i
You are carrying a chair, a master key, a two liter bottle of Classic Coke, a package of Funny Bones, a smooth stone and an assignment.

>s
The hacker prevents you. “You can’t walk off with that! It’s Tech property!”

>drop chair
Dropped.

>hello
Cheery, aren’t you?

>push call button
Which call button do you mean, the up-arrow or the down-arrow?

>push up
The up-arrow begins to glow.

You hear the elevator begin moving.

>cool
I don’t know the word “cool.”

>;cool
I don’t know the word “;cool.”

>say “cool”
Talking to yourself is a sign of impending mental collapse.

The up-arrow blinks off.

>wait
Time passes…

The elevator doors slide open.

>s
Elevator
This is a battered, rather dirty elevator. The fake wood walls are scratched and marred with graffiti. The elevator doors are open. To the right of the doors is an area with floor buttons (B and 1 through 3), an open button, a close button, a stop switch, and an alarm button. Below these is an access panel which is closed.

>open panel
Opening the access panel reveals a flashlight.

The elevator doors slide closed.

>take flashlight
Taken.

>push 3
The button for the third floor begins to glow.

>wait
Time passes…

The elevator begins to move upward.

>x me
You are wide awake, and are in good health.

The elevator slows and comes to a stop. The button for the third floor blinks off.

>wait
Time passes…

The elevator doors slide open.

>n
Third Floor
This is the third floor of the Computer Center. An elevator and call button are on the south side of the hallway. Stairs also lead down, for the energetic. To the north is a glass wall beyond which you can see a computer room crammed with computer equipment. A stairway leads up.

The elevator doors are open.

>n
There is a glass wall in the way.

The elevator doors slide closed.

>look through glass
You see nothing special about it.

>x equipment
You see nothing special about it.

>u
You push through the door to the roof. You enter the freezing, biting cold of the blizzard.

Roof
This is the roof of the Computer Center. A door leads to the stairway. The roof is covered with tarred pea gravel and drifted snow. The wind howls around your ears. To the south and southeast you can dimly see the looming shapes of the Great Dome and the Brown Building.

>x brown building
I don’t know the word “brown.”

>take snow
That would never work!

Bitter, bone-cracking cold assaults you continuously. The temperature and the blizzard conditions are both horrible.

>d
You push your way into the welcoming warmth inside.

Third Floor
This is the third floor of the Computer Center. An elevator and call button are on the south side of the hallway. Stairs also lead down, for the energetic. To the north is a glass wall beyond which you can see a computer room crammed with computer equipment. A stairway leads up.

>d
Second Floor
This is the second floor of the Computer Center. An elevator and call buttons are on the south side of the hallway. A large, noisy room is to the north. Stairs also lead up and down, for the energetic. To the west a corridor leads into a smaller room.

>d
Computer Center
This is the lobby of the Computer Center. An elevator and call buttons are to the south. Stairs also lead up and down, for the energetic. To the north is Smith Street.

>d
Basement
Bare concrete walls line a wide corridor leading east and west. An elevator and call button are to the south. Stairs also lead up, for the energetic. From floor to ceiling run wire channels and steam pipes.

>x pipes
You see nothing special about the steam pipes.

>x channels
From floor to ceiling run wire channels and steam pipes.

>w
Aero Basement
This basement level room is made of smooth, damp-seeming concrete. Fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows. To the west is a stairway, and to the east the basement area continues.

Slouching nearby is an urchin. He’s a youngish teenager wearing a ski hat, running shoes, and a bulky, suspiciously bumpy, threadbare parka. He’s jumpy, and looks suspiciously at you.

There is a forklift here.

>show stone to urchin
He makes an unconvincing show of disinterest.

>ask urchin about stone
He doesn’t reply. He seems very nervous about talking to you.

The urchin looks around nervously, obviously thinking of flight, but decides against it.

>x urchin
This is an urchin. He’s a youngish teenager wearing a ski hat, running shoes, and a bulky, suspiciously bumpy, threadbare parka. He’s jumpy, and looks suspiciously at you.

>save
Okay.

>take parka
“Hey! Keep off, sucker! You can’t scare me!”

>scare him
How do you propose to do that?

>boo urchin
I don’t know the word “boo.”

>say “BOO”
You must address the urchin directly.

>urchin, boo
I don’t know the word “boo.”

>x forklift
This is a rusty old forklift. It looks like you could control it fairly easily, though.

>get on forklift
You are now in the forklift.

>operate forklift
I don’t know the word “operate.”

>turn on forklift
The forklift sputters to life.

>use forklift on urchin
I don’t know the word “use.”

>life urchin
There was no verb in that sentence!

>lift urchin
You can’t reach the urchin from within the forklift.

>w
The forklift won’t fit into the stairwell.

>e
Basement, on the forklift
Bare concrete walls line a wide corridor leading east and west. An elevator and call button are to the south. Stairs also lead up, for the energetic. From floor to ceiling run wire channels and steam pipes.

The urchin saunters nonchalantly into the room, notices you, and beats a hasty retreat.

>e
Temporary Basement, on the forklift
During the Second World War, some temporary buildings were built to house war-related research. Naturally, these buildings, though flimsy and ugly, are still around. This is the basement of one of them. The basement extends west, a stairway leads up, and a large passage is to the east.

There is a pair of electrician’s gloves and a crowbar here.

>take all
pair of electrician’s gloves: You can’t reach the pair of electrician’s gloves from within the forklift.
crowbar: You can’t reach the crowbar from within the forklift.

>exit forklift
You are now on your feet.

>take all
pair of electrician’s gloves: Taken.
crowbar: Taken.

>x gloves
This is a pair of electrician’s rubber gloves. They look well used but serviceable.

>x crowbar
You see nothing special about the crowbar.

>put on gloves
You put on the gloves. They’re a little big, but not really such a bad fit at all.

>turn off forklift
You’ll have to get in it first.

>get on forklift
You are now in the forklift.

>turn off forklift
The forklift coughs once, and dies.

>get of forklift
You used the word “of” in a way that I don’t understand.

>get off forklift
You are now on your feet.

>e
It is pitch black.

>turn on flashlight
The flashlight clicks on.

Dead Storage
This is a storage room. It contains an incredible assemblage of discarded junk. Some of it is so old and mouldering that you can’t be sure where one bit of junk stops and the next begins. It’s piled to the ceiling on ancient, rotting pallets; you can’t even see the east wall.

>x pallets
Looking more closely only emphasizes how completely entropy has taken over this room.

>search junk
You find many worthless items of hardware, old discarded memos and papers, but nothing of any use or value.

>w
Temporary Basement
During the Second World War, some temporary buildings were built to house war-related research. Naturally, these buildings, though flimsy and ugly, are still around. This is the basement of one of them. The basement extends west, a stairway leads up, and a large passage is to the east.

There is a forklift here.

>get on forklift
You are now in the forklift.

>turn on forklift
The forklift sputters to life.

>e
Dead Storage, on the forklift
This is a storage room. It contains an incredible assemblage of discarded junk. Some of it is so old and mouldering that you can’t be sure where one bit of junk stops and the next begins. It’s piled to the ceiling on ancient, rotting pallets; you can’t even see the east wall.

>move pallets
You have a little trouble using the forklift, but it’s not really all that hard. You start clearing junk, moving it around and trying to create a passage.

>g
You continue moving junk, becoming more proficient with the forklift.

>g
You’ve built a fairly narrow (about one forklift wide) path through the junk. You can see an opening into a further storage room beyond this one.

>e
Ancient Storage, on the forklift
What’s deader than dead storage? That’s what’s in this room. Most of the contents have collapsed or rusted back to the primordial ooze. There is mold growing on some of the unidentifiable piles. Stagnant puddles of water pollute the floor. You can now believe how old some of these foundations are said to be.

There is a closed, disused-looking manhole here.

>turn off forklift
The forklift coughs once, and dies.

>get off forklift
You are now on your feet.

>x manhole
It’s a steel ring set in the floor. It’s probably a manhole.

>open manhole
The only way would seem to be to remove the manhole cover.

>remove cover with crowbar
You lever the manhole cover aside, and crusted dirt falls into a dark, partly obstructed hole below.

>save
Okay.

>x hole
It’s a manhole. It’s very dark inside, but you can see that crude brick handholds provide a slippery path down. Cool air rises out of the hole.

>d
You push your way through cobwebs, damp fungus, and other obstructions.

Brick Tunnel
This is an ancient tunnel constructed of roughly mortared bricks and stones. A slippery and almost invisible set of handholds leads up. The tunnel continues a long way north and south from here.

>s
You make your way along the long tunnel.

Cinderblock Tunnel
This is a tunnel whose walls are cinderblock, with a concrete floor and ceiling. A metal ladder leads up to a closed metal plate in the ceiling, and the tunnel continues north, where the cinderblock walls become brick.

>u
The trapdoor isn’t open.

>open trapdoor
It lifts a few inches, but then hits something and goes no further.

>look through trapdoor
Pushing the plate up as far as you can, you can see part of a workroom or lab of some kind.

>open trapdoor with crowbar
It lifts a few inches, but then hits something and goes no further.

>i
You are carrying a crowbar, a flashlight (providing light), a master key, a two liter bottle of Classic Coke, a package of Funny Bones, a smooth stone and an assignment. You are wearing a pair of electrician’s gloves.

>n
You make your way along the long tunnel.

Renovated Cave
You are in a huge, cave-like construction. A path leads down to a floor partly covered with rough concrete. The walls and ceiling are high and reinforced with beams of wood, iron, and steel. In the center of the floor you can see a large, flat slab of granite. The only exit is behind you to the south.

>x slab
The slab is roughly circular, made of indifferently dressed New England granite, and about three feet high.

>open slab
How do you do that with a slab of granite?

>lay on slab
You aren’t holding the slab of granite.

>stand on slab
That would be a waste of time.

>d
Before the Altar
You are at the bottom of the cave. The huge slab of granite in the center is a sort of altar. It is carved with strange and disturbing symbols, the largest of which looks very familiar. Some of the symbols are obscured by rusty red stains. Nearby is an iron plate set in the concrete of the floor.

Lying to one side of the altar stone is a sharp, thin-bladed knife.

>x knife
This small knife is clean, sharp, and has a long, thin blade and a wooden handle. Only the tip of the blade appears at all dull or used.

>take knife
Taken.

>x tip
I don’t know the word “tip.”

>x symbols
Which symbols do you mean, the incised symbol or the carved symbol?

>incised
The symbol appears to be the oldest thing carved on the altar. It is beautifully incised in the rocks. Its age is apparent from its wear and the overlay of newer carvings and scratchings over it. The symbol looks oddly familiar.

>put stone on altar
Done.

>x carved symbol
The symbol, on close examination, appears to have been carved into the smooth stone, perhaps with a claw. The symbol seems just as odd as before.

>x grate
I don’t know the word “grate.”

>x plate
The plate is iron, about two feet square, and looks like it could be slid open. A curious feature of the plate is that it has upward projecting dents in it which appear to have been punched from below.

>save
Okay.

>take stone
Taken.

>open plate
You slide open the panel, revealing a dark pit below. Immediately, there is a response from below.

A low, guttural, groaning and snarling issues from the opening.

>x hole
The plate is iron, about two feet square, and open. A curious feature of the plate is that it has upward projecting dents in it which appear to have been punched from below.

A low, guttural, groaning and snarling issues from the opening.

>look down hole
You see nothing special about the iron plate.

A low, guttural, groaning and snarling issues from the opening.

>d
You can’t go that way.

A low, guttural, groaning and snarling issues from the opening.

>enter hole
You hit your head against the iron plate as you attempt this feat.

A low, guttural, groaning and snarling issues from the opening.

>drop funny bones in hole
Sounds of ghoulish excitement issue from the opening.

A low, guttural, groaning and snarling issues from the opening.

>i
You are carrying a smooth stone, a knife, a crowbar, a flashlight (providing light), a master key, a two liter bottle of Classic Coke and an assignment. You are wearing a pair of electrician’s gloves.

A low, guttural, groaning and snarling issues from the opening.

>undo
I don’t know the word “undo.”

>restore
Okay.

>look in hole
The iron plate is closed.

>take stone
Taken.

>trace symbol
I don’t know the word “trace.”

>compare symbols
You can only compare two things.

>compare carved and incised
Allowing for the different media in which the symbols are executed, they are identical.

>l
Before the Altar
You are at the bottom of the cave. The huge slab of granite in the center is a sort of altar. It is carved with strange and disturbing symbols, the largest of which looks very familiar. Some of the symbols are obscured by rusty red stains. Nearby is an iron plate set in the concrete of the floor.

>x stains
I don’t know the word “stains.”

>exit
Please use compass directions instead.

>s
You can’t go that way.

>up
Renovated Cave
You are in a huge, cave-like construction. A path leads down to a floor partly covered with rough concrete. The walls and ceiling are high and reinforced with beams of wood, iron, and steel. In the center of the floor you can see a large, flat slab of granite. The only exit is behind you to the south.

>s
Brick Tunnel
This is an ancient tunnel constructed of roughly mortared bricks and stones. A slippery and almost invisible set of handholds leads up. The tunnel continues a long way north and south from here.

>u
Ancient Storage
What’s deader than dead storage? That’s what’s in this room. Most of the contents have collapsed or rusted back to the primordial ooze. There is mold growing on some of the unidentifiable piles. Stagnant puddles of water pollute the floor. You can now believe how old some of these foundations are said to be.

In one corner of the room a manhole cover is partly buried in the dirt and crud.

There is an open manhole here.

There is a forklift here.

>verbose
Verbose descriptions.

Ancient Storage
What’s deader than dead storage? That’s what’s in this room. Most of the contents have collapsed or rusted back to the primordial ooze. There is mold growing on some of the unidentifiable piles. Stagnant puddles of water pollute the floor. You can now believe how old some of these foundations are said to be.

In one corner of the room a manhole cover is partly buried in the dirt and crud.

There is an open manhole here.

There is a forklift here.

>w
Dead Storage
This is a storage room. It contains an incredible assemblage of discarded junk. Some of it is so old and mouldering that you can’t be sure where one bit of junk stops and the next begins. It’s piled to the ceiling on ancient, rotting pallets. A narrow path winds eastward through the junk.

Slouching nearby is an urchin.

>show funny bones to urchin
He makes an unconvincing show of disinterest.

>show coke to urchin
He makes an unconvincing show of disinterest.

>ask urchin about parka
He doesn’t reply. He seems very nervous about talking to you.

>save
Okay.

>give funny bones to urchin
“My momma said never take nothin’ from no stranger.” He takes the package of Funny Bones anyway, disposing of it in record time. “On the other hand, I’m hungry,” he remarks.

>ask urchin about parka
He doesn’t reply. He seems very nervous about talking to you.

>show knife to urchin
He makes an unconvincing show of disinterest.

>give coke to urchin
“My momma said never take nothin’ from no stranger.”

>x urchin
This is an urchin. He’s a youngish teenager wearing a ski hat, running shoes, and a bulky, suspiciously bumpy, threadbare parka. He’s jumpy, and looks suspiciously at you.

>x parka
It bulges in odd places.

The urchin looks around nervously, obviously thinking of flight, but decides against it.

>x bulges
I don’t know the word “bulges.”

>u
Temporary Lab
This is a laboratory of some sort. It takes up most of the building on this level, all the interior walls having been knocked down. (One reason these temporary buildings are still here is their flexibility: no one cares if they get more or less destroyed.) A stairway leads down, and a door leads north.

There is a metal flask here.

>x flask
This is a large metal flask, about the size of a water cooler bottle. The metal flask is closed.

>open flask
You open the flask, and a cold, white mist boils out.

>close flask
You screw the flask closed.

>take flask
Taken.

The mist dissipates.

>n
You enter the freezing, biting cold of the blizzard.

Smith Street
Smith Street runs west towards the computer center here. To the south is a dilapidated grey wooden building. The street is an impassable sea of blowing and drifting snow.

>w
Smith Street
Smith Street runs east and west along the north side of the main campus area. At the moment, it is an arctic wasteland of howling wind and drifting snow. On the other side of the street, barely visible, are the lidless eyes of streetlights. The street hasn’t been plowed, or if it has been, it did no good.

Bitter, bone-cracking cold assaults you continuously. The temperature and the blizzard conditions are both horrible.

>w
Impenetrable snow drifts block the street.

>s
You push your way into the welcoming warmth inside.

Computer Center
This is the lobby of the Computer Center. An elevator and call buttons are to the south. Stairs also lead up and down, for the energetic. To the north is Smith Street.

You are beginning to tire.

The urchin saunters nonchalantly into the room, notices you, and beats a hasty retreat.

>turn off flashlight
The flashlight clicks off.

>drink coke
Delicious! Contains caffeine, one of the four basic food groups. Too bad they make it with fructose these days, instead of sucrose. You feel much more alert and awake now.

>i
You are carrying a metal flask, a smooth stone, a knife, a crowbar, a flashlight, a master key, a two liter bottle of Classic Coke and an assignment. You are wearing a pair of electrician’s gloves.

>d
You can’t go that way.

>w
Aero Basement
This basement level room is made of smooth, damp-seeming concrete. Fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows. To the west is a stairway, and to the east the basement area continues.

>w
Stairway
A dimly lit stairway leads up and down from here. A corridor continues east.

>d
Subbasement
This is the subbasement of the Aeronautical Engineering Building. A stairway leads up. A narrow crack in the northwest corner of the room opens into a larger space.

>x crack
You used the word “crack” in a way that I don’t understand.

>nw
It’s too tight a fit carrying the metal flask.

>drop flask
Dropped.

>nw
Tomb
This is a tiny, narrow, ill-fitting room. It appears to have been a left over space from the joining of two preexisting buildings. It is roughly coffin shaped. The walls are covered by decades of overlaid graffiti, but there is one which is painted in huge fluorescent letters that were apparently impossible for later artists to completely deface. On the floor is a rusty access hatch locked with a huge padlock.

>read letters
It reads “The Tomb of the Unknown Tool.”

>unlock padlock with key
The lock, though rusty and unwilling, opens, releasing the hatch.

>open hatch
The hatch is heavy, and its hinges are rusty, but you pull and strain and it opens with a scream of metal. Revealed below is a rusty ladder leading down. Warm, fetid air coils up out of the hole. There is a burned out (no, smashed) utility light set in the wall a few feet down.

>turn on flashlight
The flashlight clicks on.

>d
Steam Tunnel
This dank and grimy tunnel is largely filled with an imperfectly insulated steam pipe. The tunnel is uncomfortably hot and damp. You have gone from the arctic to the tropics. The concrete tunnel has odd molds and fungi growing on its walls and ceiling, and the floor is squishy. Torn clots of insulation litter the floor. Along the ceiling runs a thick tangle of coaxial cable. The tunnel heads east and west. A rusty metal ladder leads up.

You can hear, in the distance, a chittering, scratching sound.

>save
Okay.

>listen
You hear the chittering of rats.

The sound is louder. It sounds like small animals. Is it rats?

>yes
That was a rhetorical question.

The sound continues. It’s almost certainly rats.

>am I good or what?
I don’t know the word “good.”

>e
Steam Tunnel
This dank and grimy tunnel is largely filled with an imperfectly insulated steam pipe. The tunnel is uncomfortably hot and damp. A thick bundle of coaxial cable runs east to west along the ceiling. There is a pressure release valve on the steam pipe here.

The rat sounds are growing louder, but you still can’t see any rats.

>x valve
It looks pretty rusty, but appears to be in working order. It’s closed.

The rat sounds are growing louder, but you still can’t see any rats.

>open valve
It’s too rusty. You pull and strain, but nothing happens.

A troop of rats appears out of the darkness. The rats are momentarily startled by your presence, but soon the bolder ones begin to approach. There are more rats here than you have ever seen.

>open valve with crowbar
The valve, with a horrible scream of tortured metal, gives a little, and a small trickle of steam issues forth. This further agitates the rats.

The rats attack! Slimy, snarling, and hungry, they swarm over your feet, biting at your legs and clinging desperately to your feet.

>again
The valve screeches open. A jet spray of live steam issues from it, filling the tunnel in front of you. The rats are caught in the full force of the blast. Horrible squeals can be heard from the midst of the steam cloud, and scalded rats charge past you, all interest in anything but flight forgotten. One of their number remains, dead.

>take dead rat
As you take the dead rat, it moves, but then you realize that it’s only lice and fleas bailing out.

>close valve with crowbar
The valve closes, more easily than it opened.

>x rat
This rat appears to have been stepped on. A small trickle of blood has clotted around its mouth. Branded into its neck is a strange symbol.

>x symbol
The symbol, on close examination, appears to have been scarred into the hide of the rat. There is no hair growing on it, and although it looks like scar tissue, the color is wrong — a sort of purplish green. The symbol looks oddly familiar.

>compare scarred symbol to carved symbol
I don’t know the word “scarred.”

>compare rat to stone
That would be a waste of time.

>compare symbol to symbol
Allowing for the different media in which the symbols are executed, they are identical.

>l
Steam Tunnel
This dank and grimy tunnel is largely filled with an imperfectly insulated steam pipe. The tunnel is uncomfortably hot and damp. A thick bundle of coaxial cable runs east to west along the ceiling. There is a pressure release valve on the steam pipe here.

>x cable
The cable runs overhead in a fat bundle. It looks like the kind you’ve seen connecting nodes of the local net. This clump is pretty grotty looking, festooned with damp cobwebs, and stained with something that dripped from the ceiling.

>e
Steam Tunnel
The steam tunnel is narrow here, and its construction is more archaic. It’s now mostly brick, although the floor is concrete. The steam pipe and coaxial cable continue along their appointed paths. The tunnel is damp and even a little muddy.

>x mud
I don’t know the word “mud.”

>e
Steam Tunnel
The steam pipe and coaxial cable turn upwards and disappear into the ceiling here. The tunnel itself comes to an end in a grimy, damp, and dripping triad of crumbling brick walls. The south wall looks particularly decrepit.

>x south wall
The brick wall is in terrible shape. It’s aged and crumbling, with grooves between bricks where the mortar has fallen out.

>break wall with crowbar
It doesn’t do much but loosen a brick in the wall.

>g
It doesn’t do much but loosen a brick in the wall.

>pry brick with crowbar
The wall grudgingly yields to your efforts. A brick, less well mortared than its fellows, pulls out of the wall.

>x brick
Which brick do you mean, the broken brick or the new brick?

>new
It’s a new brick. It appears to be of relatively recent vintage.

>x broken brick
It’s a crumbling, broken brick. Little bits of mortar still cling to it.

>get all
broken brick: Taken.
new brick: You can’t get a good grip on the new brick with your fingers.

>press new brick
Pushing the new brick has no effect.

>pry new brick with crowbar
The wall grudgingly yields to your efforts. A brick, less well mortared than its fellows, drops to the floor on the other side, making a hole through the wall. You can see a rusty steel reinforcing rod in the hole.

>x rod
It’s rusty, obviously didn’t help the wall all that much, and runs up and down through the hole you have made.

>look through hole
There is an open space, a small room containing some machinery. You can’t see too well, though.

>s
You are trying to walk through a brick wall.

>reach into hole
You reach in and touch the reinforcing rod.

>pull rod
It’s pretty solidly mortared in.

>pry rod with crowbar
It’s pretty solidly mortared in.

>i
You are carrying a broken brick, a dead rat, a smooth stone, a knife, a crowbar, a flashlight (providing light), a master key, a two liter bottle of Classic Coke and an assignment. You are wearing a pair of electrician’s gloves.

>get new brick
You can’t see any new brick here.

>u
You can’t go that way.

>shine flashlight in hole
I don’t know the word “shine.”

>get cables
I don’t know the word “cables.”

>x cables
I don’t know the word “cables.”

>get cable
You can’t take that!

>climb
What do you want to climb?

>cable
You leap, grab the damp and moldy bundle of cable, and hang suspended off the floor.

>climb pipe
That would be a waste of time.

Your grip on the cable, never too secure, loosens, and you drop to the floor.

>pour coke on rod
You pour the Coke on the reinforcing rod, wasting it.

>w
Steam Tunnel
The steam tunnel is narrow here, and its construction is more archaic. It’s now mostly brick, although the floor is concrete. The steam pipe and coaxial cable continue along their appointed paths. The tunnel is damp and even a little muddy.

>w
Steam Tunnel
This dank and grimy tunnel is largely filled with an imperfectly insulated steam pipe. The tunnel is uncomfortably hot and damp. A thick bundle of coaxial cable runs east to west along the ceiling. There is a pressure release valve on the steam pipe here.

>w
Steam Tunnel
This dank and grimy tunnel is largely filled with an imperfectly insulated steam pipe. The tunnel is uncomfortably hot and damp. You have gone from the arctic to the tropics. The concrete tunnel has odd molds and fungi growing on its walls and ceiling, and the floor is squishy. Torn clots of insulation litter the floor. Along the ceiling runs a thick tangle of coaxial cable. The tunnel heads east and west. A rusty metal ladder leads up.

>w
Steam Tunnel
This dank and grimy tunnel is largely filled with an imperfectly insulated steam pipe. The tunnel is uncomfortably hot and damp. A bundle of coaxial cable runs along the ceiling, festooned with damp mold and cobwebs. The tunnel continues west.

>w
Tunnel Entrance
The tunnel continues west from here, becoming narrow, muddy, and forbidding. The walls no longer seem to be as finished as they were. The steam pipe and coaxial cable disappear into the ceiling at this point. The temperature has dropped considerably, as well.

>w
Muddy Tunnel
The tunnel you came through continues down, barely large enough to enter. It is made of sticky gelatinous mud that’s been pushed by something into a semblance of a passage.

>d
Large Chamber
This is a wide spot in the tunnel, just as wet and muddy as elsewhere. The walls are slimy as well. Numerous slots or indentations about two feet wide and a foot high open here and there. Thin, wire or ropelike growths emerge from a hole further down and enter each of the slots. There is background noise here, almost loud enough to hear clearly.

A small, furtive motion attracts your attention to the slots.

>x slots
The slots are narrow burrows apparently dug by hand out of the mud of the chamber walls. Most of the slots have a thin wire or rope heading into them. You begin to be quite certain that there is something moving inside the slot you are looking at.

There is motion in the slots. In fact, there is motion in almost all of them.

>listen
The noise, as you listen more carefully, resolves itself into voices. They are chanting, but the words are unknown to you.

Slowly, painfully, things emerge from the slots. They are pale, thin creatures with red mouths and staring eyes. Mold grows in their hair and wirelike streamers wrap their heads and join a bundle on the floor. You realize that these are urchins.

>cut wire with knife
The knife drives the wire into the mud, but doesn’t cut it.

>x urchins
These are not normal looking urchins. Their clothes are muddy and tattered. They are barefoot in midwinter, and covered with mud. Around their heads are draped the ropy growths that you’ve been noticing in this area. Although their eyes are open, they stare catatonically.

>enter slot
You squeeze your way into one of the slots. The mud coats you with a cold, slimy coat which makes it barely possible to breathe. You slide out with all the speed you can muster.

>d
The urchins lurch, almost as one, into your way, grabbing at you feebly but effectively. Their pale, limp hands can’t grab you, but they can stop you. There is no way past.

>l
Large Chamber
This is a wide spot in the tunnel, just as wet and muddy as elsewhere. The walls are slimy as well. Numerous slots or indentations about two feet wide and a foot high open here and there. Thin, wire or ropelike growths emerge from a hole further down and envelop the head of each urchin. The urchins are saying or chanting something repetitive and monotonal, almost machinelike.

There are urchins here.

>listen
The strange chant never stops. They don’t move their lips to make it. It resonates deep within their chests.

>u
Muddy Tunnel
The tunnel you came through continues down, barely large enough to enter. It is made of sticky gelatinous mud that’s been pushed by something into a semblance of a passage.

>d
Large Chamber
This is a wide spot in the tunnel, just as wet and muddy as elsewhere. The walls are slimy as well. Numerous slots or indentations about two feet wide and a foot high open here and there. Thin, wire or ropelike growths emerge from a hole further down and envelop the head of each urchin. The urchins are saying or chanting something repetitive and monotonal, almost machinelike.

There are urchins here.

>give rat to urchins
They ignore your offer, caught up in something only they can sense.

>show stone to urchins
They ignore your offer, caught up in something only they can sense.

>x wires
These are thin, fibrous, ropy growths. They look very tough.

>get wires
You can’t be serious.

>pull wires
You can’t move the wire.

>cut wire
What do you want to cut the wire with?

>knife
The knife drives the wire into the mud, but doesn’t cut it.

>hit urchin
They ignore you.

>hit urchin with brick
They ignore you.

>u
Muddy Tunnel
The tunnel you came through continues down, barely large enough to enter. It is made of sticky gelatinous mud that’s been pushed by something into a semblance of a passage.

>e
Tunnel Entrance
The tunnel continues west from here, becoming narrow, muddy, and forbidding. The walls no longer seem to be as finished as they were. The steam pipe and coaxial cable disappear into the ceiling at this point. The temperature has dropped considerably, as well.

>e
Steam Tunnel
This dank and grimy tunnel is largely filled with an imperfectly insulated steam pipe. The tunnel is uncomfortably hot and damp. A bundle of coaxial cable runs along the ceiling, festooned with damp mold and cobwebs. The tunnel continues west.

>e
Steam Tunnel
This dank and grimy tunnel is largely filled with an imperfectly insulated steam pipe. The tunnel is uncomfortably hot and damp. You have gone from the arctic to the tropics. The concrete tunnel has odd molds and fungi growing on its walls and ceiling, and the floor is squishy. Torn clots of insulation litter the floor. Along the ceiling runs a thick tangle of coaxial cable. The tunnel heads east and west. A rusty metal ladder leads up.

>u
Tomb
This is a tiny, narrow, ill-fitting room. It appears to have been a left over space from the joining of two preexisting buildings. It is roughly coffin shaped. The walls are covered by decades of overlaid graffiti, but there is one which is painted in huge fluorescent letters that were apparently impossible for later artists to completely deface. On the floor is a rusty access hatch which is open.

There is a padlock here.

>get padlock
Taken.

>x padlock
The padlock has been spray painted many times by graffiti artists. It’s currently fluorescent purple. In spite of the many coats of paint, the lock manages to be rusty and, in fact, almost slimy-looking. The padlock is unlocked.

>se
Subbasement
This is the subbasement of the Aeronautical Engineering Building. A stairway leads up. A narrow crack in the northwest corner of the room opens into a larger space.

There is a metal flask here.

>get flask
You’re holding too many things and can’t quite get them all arranged to take it as well.

>i
You are carrying a padlock, a broken brick, a dead rat, a smooth stone, a knife, a crowbar, a flashlight (providing light), a master key, a two liter bottle of Classic Coke and an assignment. You are wearing a pair of electrician’s gloves.

>l
Subbasement
This is the subbasement of the Aeronautical Engineering Building. A stairway leads up. A narrow crack in the northwest corner of the room opens into a larger space.

There is a metal flask here.

>u
Stairway
A dimly lit stairway leads up and down from here. A corridor continues east.

>u
Aero Lobby
This is the lobby of the Aeronautical Engineering Building. Stairs lead down and a corridor heads south towards the main building.

>s
Infinite Corridor
The so-called infinite corridor runs from east to west in the main campus building. This is the west end. Side corridors lead north and south, and a set of doors leads west into the howling blizzard.

There is a plastic container here.

There is a largish machine being operated down the hall to the east.

>x container
It’s a plain plastic container with something written on it. The plastic container is closed.

>read container
“Frobozz Magic Floor Wax (and Dessert Topping)”

>get container
You’re holding too many things and can’t quite get them all arranged to take it as well.

>drop rat
Dropped.

>get container
Taken.

>turn off flashlight
The flashlight clicks off.

>drop assignment
Dropped.

>get rat
Taken.

>e
Infinite Corridor
The so-called infinite corridor runs from east to west in the main campus building. The corridor extends both ways from here. Many closed and locked offices are to the north and south.

There is a largish machine being operated down the hall to the east.

>n
The offices are all closed, locked, and dark.

>s
The offices are all closed, locked, and dark.

>e
Infinite Corridor
The so-called infinite corridor runs from east to west in the main campus building. The corridor extends both ways from here. A stairway leads up, and a door leads out to the Great Court.

A maintenance man is here, riding a floor waxer.

There is a wall socket on one wall, and a heavy-duty power cord is plugged into it. The cord leads to a large floor waxer.

>xwaxer
I don’t know the word “xwaxer.”

>x waxer
It’s a large floor waxer, big enough to ride in, and in fact there is a maintenance man riding it. It actually looks sort of like a small bulldozer. A power cord connects it to the wall.

The floor waxer waxes away to the east.

>unplug cord
You pull at the power cord, but it won’t come loose!

A maintenance man is here, riding a floor waxer.

There is a glass-fronted emergency cabinet here.

>give container to maintenance man
He doesn’t react.

>x cabinet
It’s one of those little cabinets you see in institutional buildings that usually contains a fire hose and a fire axe. This one seems to only have an axe. It has a transparent window. There is writing on the cabinet.

>read cabinet
“In case of emergency, break glass.”

The floor waxer waxes away to the east.

>break glass
Wearing the heavy gloves, you confidently smash the glass with a blow of your hands!

>get ax
You’re holding too many things and can’t quite get them all arranged to take it as well.

>i
You are carrying a dead rat, a plastic container, a padlock, a broken brick, a smooth stone, a knife, a crowbar, a flashlight, a master key and a two liter bottle of Classic Coke. You are wearing a pair of electrician’s gloves.

>drop padlock
Dropped.

>get ax
Taken.

The floor waxer, approaching from the east, is now here.

>w
Infinite Corridor
The so-called infinite corridor runs from east to west in the main campus building. The corridor extends both ways from here. A stairway leads up, and a door leads out to the Great Court.

There is a wall socket on one wall, and a heavy-duty power cord is plugged into it. The cord leads away to the east.

There is a largish machine being operated down the hall to the east.

>w
Infinite Corridor
The so-called infinite corridor runs from east to west in the main campus building. The corridor extends both ways from here. Many closed and locked offices are to the north and south.

There is a largish machine being operated down the hall to the east.

>w
Infinite Corridor
The so-called infinite corridor runs from east to west in the main campus building. This is the west end. Side corridors lead north and south, and a set of doors leads west into the howling blizzard.

There is an assignment here.

There is a largish machine being operated down the hall to the east.

>d
You can’t go that way.

>n
Aero Lobby
This is the lobby of the Aeronautical Engineering Building. Stairs lead down and a corridor heads south towards the main building.

>d
Stairway
A dimly lit stairway leads up and down from here. A corridor continues east.

>d
Subbasement
This is the subbasement of the Aeronautical Engineering Building. A stairway leads up. A narrow crack in the northwest corner of the room opens into a larger space.

There is a metal flask here.

>nw
It’s too tight a fit carrying the fire axe.

>drop all
fire axe: Dropped.
dead rat: Dropped.
plastic container: Dropped.
broken brick: Dropped.
smooth stone: Dropped.
knife: Dropped.
crowbar: Dropped.
flashlight: Dropped.
master key: Dropped.
two liter bottle of Classic Coke: Dropped.

>get ax
Taken.

>get flashlight
Taken.

>nw
It’s too tight a fit carrying the fire axe.

>get all
two liter bottle of Classic Coke: Taken.
master key: Taken.
crowbar: Taken.
knife: Taken.
smooth stone: Taken.
broken brick: Taken.
plastic container: Taken.
dead rat: Taken.
metal flask: You’re holding too many things and can’t quite get them all arranged to take it as well.

>wear gloves
You already are.

>i
You are carrying a dead rat, a plastic container, a broken brick, a smooth stone, a knife, a crowbar, a master key, a two liter bottle of Classic Coke, a flashlight and a fire axe. You are wearing a pair of electrician’s gloves.

>drop rt
I don’t know the word “rt.”

>drop rat
Dropped.

>drop brick
Dropped.

>u
Stairway
A dimly lit stairway leads up and down from here. A corridor continues east.

>u
Aero Lobby
This is the lobby of the Aeronautical Engineering Building. Stairs lead down and a corridor heads south towards the main building.

A maintenance man is here, riding a floor waxer.

There is an assignment here.

The floor waxer waxes away to the east.

A maintenance man is here, riding a floor waxer.

>n
The offices are all closed, locked, and dark.

>open door
The offices are inaccessible.

>e
In a deft maneuver, the maintenance man steers the floor waxer into your path, blocking your advance.

>x maintenance man
He looks tired, bored, almost zombie-like.

The floor waxer waxes away to the east.

A maintenance man is here, riding a floor waxer.

There is a wall socket on one wall, and a heavy-duty power cord is plugged into it. The cord leads to a large floor waxer.

>save
Okay.

>cut cord with ax
The axe crashes against the floor, and the power cord severs! The whine of the floor waxer slows, and the maintenance man jerks to alertness.

>e
The maintenance man, growling foul-sounding imprecations, descends from the floor waxer and blocks your way.

The maintenance man stares with maniacal intensity at your throat.

>axe man
There was no verb in that sentence!

>cut man with axe
The fire axe chops into his chest, where it sticks. Ed Ames would be proud. The force of the blow staggers him a bit. He looks down at the axe with a certain perplexity, then pulls it free, the wound making a sickening sucking sound.

The maintenance man stares with maniacal intensity at your throat.

>g
You aren’t holding the fire axe.

>get axe
Taken.

The maintenance man stares with maniacal intensity at your throat.

>get axe
Taken.

The maintenance man stares with maniacal intensity at your throat. He grabs you by the throat and lifts you off the ground with one hand. The hand feels very cold. Just as you expire, you realize you have never seen him blink.

**** You have died ****

At first, you think “Maybe it was all just a bad dream,” but no such luck. It appears to be for real. That’s too bad, although something gnawing on your toes thinks it’s pretty wonderful, or at least fairly tasty.

Your score is 30 of a possible 100, in 352 moves. Graded on the curve, you are in the class of Senior.

Would you like to restart the game from the beginning, restore a saved game position, or end this session of the game?
(Type RESTART, RESTORE, or QUIT):
>restore
Okay.

>say hi
You can’t see any hi here.

>🙁
I don’t know the word “:(.”

>l
Infinite Corridor
The so-called infinite corridor runs from east to west in the main campus building. The corridor extends both ways from here. A stairway leads up, and a door leads out to the Great Court.

A maintenance man is here, riding a floor waxer.

There is a wall socket on one wall, and a heavy-duty power cord is plugged into it. The cord leads to a large floor waxer.

>cut zombie with knife
I don’t know the word “zombie.”

>cut maintenance with knife
The knife can’t reach him in the floor waxer!

>pour floor wax on ground
You can’t see any floor wax here.

The floor waxer waxes away to the east.

>open container
You pull off the seal and open the container, revealing a smelly, viscous liquid.

>pour liquid
It pours out and spreads like ants at a picnic. The floor is now covered from wall to wall with slippery floor wax.

>cut cord with ax
The axe crashes against the floor, and the power cord severs! The whine of the floor waxer slows, and the maintenance man jerks to alertness.

>z
Time passes…

The maintenance man, growling foul-sounding imprecations, descends from the floor waxer and heads towards you.

>z
Time passes…

The maintenance man lurches toward you with surprising speed. Just as he is about to grab you he slips on the wax. His hand whips by, inches from your throat, and he drops to the floor, screaming in frustration.

>cut maintenance with knife
The knife is pushed contemptuously aside, barely slowing his advance.

The maintenance man continues slipping, falling, standing, and so on. He reminds you of a badly made windup toy.

>cut maintenance with ax
The fire axe misses by a mile as the maintenance man slips again!

The maintenance man continues slipping, falling, standing, and so on. He reminds you of a badly made windup toy.

>e
You slip and slide on the wax. It’s like walking on wet ice. You can barely keep upright, but it’s worse for the maintenance man. His gait is so jerky that each time he takes a step he falls! His persistence is impressive, but you slip (literally) by before he can grab you.

Infinite Corridor
The so-called infinite corridor runs from east to west in the main campus building. The corridor extends both ways from here. Many closed and locked offices are to the north and south.

A disabled floor waxer looms nearby.

There is a formerly glass-fronted emergency cabinet here.

There is a padlock here.

The maintenance man continues slipping, falling, standing, and so on. He reminds you of a badly made windup toy.

>x waxer
It’s a large floor waxer, big enough to ride in. It actually looks sort of like a small bulldozer. The severed remnant of the power cord graces one end.

The maintenance man continues slipping, falling, standing, and so on. He reminds you of a badly made windup toy.

>get in waxer
You are now in the floor waxer.

The maintenance man appears to shorten and almost dissolve. There is a great commotion, as though he is undergoing a convulsion of some sort, and then he appears to explode into a crowd of small squealing creatures. These, seeing you, scuttle off in the opposite direction and disappear.

>l
Infinite Corridor, on the floor waxer
The so-called infinite corridor runs from east to west in the main campus building. The corridor extends both ways from here. Many closed and locked offices are to the north and south.

There is a formerly glass-fronted emergency cabinet here.

There is a padlock here.

>down
You are now on your feet.

>e
Infinite Corridor
The so-called infinite corridor runs from east to west in the main campus building. This is the east end. The corridor branches north and south here.

There is a largish machine down the hall to the west.

>s
Chemistry Building
This corridor is lined with closed, dark offices. At the south end of the corridor is a door with a light shining behind it. There is something written on the door.

>read door
Painted on the door, in calligraphy indistinguishable from any other door at Tech, is the phrase “Department of Alchemy.” You always used to wonder what was behind that door.

>open door
It’s locked.

>open door with key
It’s locked.

>unlock door with key
The key fits perfectly in the lock, but the lock doesn’t turn. The master key doesn’t work on this lock.

>open door with ax
You can’t see any ax here.

>i
You are carrying a plastic container, a smooth stone, a knife, a crowbar, a master key, a two liter bottle of Classic Coke and a flashlight. You are wearing a pair of electrician’s gloves.

The door opens partway, revealing a professorial man in a white lab coat. He smiles. “Good evening! I don’t get many visitors this late. You’re not one of my students, are you?” He ushers you into the room without waiting for an answer, closing the door behind you.

Department of Alchemy
This office is clinically clean, shiny, and modern. It looks like something out of a science fiction movie. A closed door to the north leads back into the corridor and an archway opens to the south.

Taped to the wall to the right of the archway is a sign-up sheet.

The professor is here.

>read sheet
This appears to be a sign-up sheet for the lab. Strangely, although few daytime segments are used, almost all of the nighttime ones are. Most seem to have been taken by two different people, the professor and another, presumably one of his graduate students. The name of the graduate student is oddly familiar.

The professor gazes at you in a bored and distracted way.

>compare name to symbol
I don’t know the word “name.”

>read name
I don’t know the word “name.”

>read student
How do you do that with a missing students?

The professor continues to gaze at you in a bored and distracted way.

>x professor
The man looks like a professor. He’s wearing a white lab coat, rather stained with chemicals, and a G.U.E. Tech class ring. He watches you with an ambiguously predatory air.

The professor continues to gaze at you in a bored and distracted way.

>x ring
He thrusts his hand into his pocket.

Suddenly, you remember why the graduate student’s name was familiar. He was a missing student, until his body was found smashed and broken at the base of the tallest building on campus.