"Weishaupt Scholars" by Michael Martin [This source text, as a whole, is licensed under the Creative Commons by-nc-nd 3.0 license. The game *logic* - material that is not part of the game text - is available with under the more liberal Creative Commons Attribution License. For full details, see http://creativecommons.org/about/license/ .] The story headline is "An Interactive Secret History". The story genre is "Collegiate Fiction". The story creation year is 2007. The release number is 2.[* Weishaupt Scholars was developed over many releases of I7, but all released versions used Inform 7 version 4U65. Certain features of the language have since changed incompatibly. This is a slightly edited version of the original source text that is suitably modified to compile on currently available versions of I7. Edits made to the text will be clearly marked, but do not effect gameplay. This text has been tested on 5J39 with Reactable Quips Version 8, and it should compile without incident on any build version 5G67 or later. 4W37 and 4X60 are likely to be problematic.] The story description is "Oh sure, it sounds romantic as all get-out. Secret meetings, a shadowy power structure that reaches throughout the world, and they'll even pay your way through college to get there. Then they take you on once you're done, and you too can be a mover and a shaker. 'Training tomorrow's unlikeliest leaders,' they said. Of course, what this means in practice is the same grind everyone else has, plus being called away to do meaningless or incomprehensible tasks at all hours by people you are even now only dimly able to recognize. Well, it still beats working your way through college. Your Unknown Benefactors have been getting more insistent lately that you keep up your training, though. You haven't slacked; something is up. It just better not conflict with your upcoming physics test. --- Take on the roles of Hal, Benj, and Janet -- the three newest members of the shadowy conspiratorial group known only as the Weishaupt Foundation. Vie against rival conspiracies and your own baffling superiors to reach the Awful Truth." Include Basic Screen Effects by Emily Short. Include Reactable Quips by Michael Martin. Use American dialect, the serial comma, full-length room descriptions, memory economy, and no scoring. Release along with cover art, an introductory booklet, and a website. Release along with the source text.[*This is disabled for standard releases.] [ There was some stuff I wanted to do but never managed to handle properly. - ASK BIAN ABOUT LOYALTY and MORALITY in Ch 4 - too broad to write. - Gag: Bogus 'STALLMAN' object as with the truck in Ch 5 - not actually funny enough, and there are frankly enough Easter Eggs in this game as it is. - Benj should have some ability to confront Chatarras about the mind whammy, but the phrasing required for this baffled even the people who thought it was necessary.] Book I - Utilities and Rule Changes Part 1 - Game-specific rules Chapter 1 - Agents An agent is a kind of value. The agents are aHal, aBenj, aJanet.[* We can't have kinds of value have the same name as objects; the compiler gets all kinds of confused.] An agent status is a kind of value. The agent statuses are s_unknown, OK, RIVAL, CAPTURED, COMPROMISED, and NEUTRALIZED. The specification of agent is "A kind of value representing which player character is currently active." The specification of agent status is "A kind of value representing the status in the plot of an important character. These are displayed at chapter breaks as long as the status is not 'unknown to the player'." To say the name of (a - an agent): say "[if a is aHal]Hal[end if][if a is aBenj]Benj[end if][if a is aJanet]Janet" When play begins: change the right hand status line to "Agent: [the name of the current agent]"; The current agent is an agent that varies. The current agent is aHal. Hal's status is an agent status that varies. Hal's status is s_unknown. Benj's status is an agent status that varies. Benj's status is s_unknown. Janet's status is an agent status that varies. Janet's status is s_unknown. Bian's status is an agent status that varies. Bian's status is s_unknown. Chapter 2 - One-use topics [Many lines of dialogue need to only come up once. This code manages all that logic.] The last before quipping rule when the current quip is a quip listed in the Table of One-Use Quips: if the current quip has been exhausted, change the current quip to quip_covered; otherwise exhaust the current quip quip. To decide whether (q - a quip) has been exhausted: if there is a burncount corresponding to a quip of q in the Table of One-Use Quips, decide yes; otherwise decide no. To decide whether (q - a quip) has not been exhausted: if there is a burncount corresponding to a quip of q in the Table of One-Use Quips, decide no; otherwise decide yes. To exhaust the (q - a quip) quip: change (the burncount corresponding to a quip of q in the Table of One-Use Quips) to 1. Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext quip_covered "That topic's been well-covered already." quip_requiresfact "[bracket]Though you may have a reason to ask about this, [the name of the current agent] lacks the context or knowledge to at this time.[close bracket]" [Yeah, OK, so this would probably be nicer to have spread out through the source.] Table of One-Use Quips quip burncount quip_ar_benj a number quip_ar_alchemists quip_ar_jmission quip_ar_bmission quip_ar_balchemists sf_bself sf_blab sf_bgame sf_blawrence sf_bfringe sf_isubgenius sf_igame sf_ibian sf_ilawrence admin_cultists quip_2hhal quip_2hbenj quip_2hjanet quip_2hfnord quip_2hpager quip_2hdoors quip_2hessay quip_2hcult quip_thwork quip_2bjanet quip_2bfnord quip_2bpager quip_2bdoors quip_2bcultists quip_2bescape quip_tbfnord brief_qhal brief_qself brief_qcult brief_qceiling brief_qbenj brief_bceiling brief_qpager brief_qskinner brief_bskinner raid_card2 raid_benj raid_shades raid_trenchcoat raid_subgenius raid_hal raid_janet raid_psi dl_pizza dl_papers dl_journals dl_Benj dl_subgenius dl_research dl_consent dl_premeds dl_psych dl_Janet_captured dl_chain_of_command dl_friends dl_solution dl_league dl_ask_bian dl_t_papers dl_t_Benj dl_t_Janet dl_t_Self fb_grailkin fb_priory fb_c_bian fb_c_hal fb_c_benj fb_c_janet fb_c_self fb_c_saint fb_c_voice fb_c_teamup fb_c_mission fb_c_counter fb_c_subgenii fb_c_police fb_c_results fb_c_jesus fb_s_bian fb_s_hal fb_s_benj fb_s_self fb_s_voice fb_s_foundation fb_s_league fb_s_mission fr_health Part 2 - World Model extensions Chapter 1 - Improved doors A door is either automatic or non-automatic. A door is usually automatic. Before going through a closed automatic door (called d): say "(first opening [the d])"; try silently opening d; if d is not open, stop the action. Check attacking when the current agent is aJanet and the noun is a door (this is the can't kick doors down rule): say "The thing about kicking doors in is that it's really hard to unkick them afterwards." instead. Knocking is an action applying to one thing. Understand "knock [something]" or "knock on [something]" as knocking. Does the player mean knocking a door: it is likely. Before knocking an open door, say "Knocking on a door that's already open is kind of unnecessary." instead. Check knocking a door (this is the block knocking doors rule): say "You'd just as soon not announce your presence." instead. Check knocking a person (this is the redirect knocking a person to attacking rule): try attacking the noun instead. Check knocking (this is the generic block knocking rule): say "Knocking on that would be silly." Chapter 2 - Facts [We use these all over the place to represent player knowledge of things.] A fact is a kind of value. The facts are known and unknown. The specification of fact is "A simple variable representing whether or not a piece of information has been presented." Chapter 3 - Proper handling of "all" Rule for deciding whether all includes scenery: It does not. Rule for deciding whether all includes people: It does not. Chapter 4 - Suspects [Suspects are a special kind of person used to represent generic citizens in "Shadows Shadowed". Their outfits are set so that five individuals, of random gender and outfit, will appear each turn. One of them -- the culprit -- is always present. The others always look (a) different from the culprit, and (b) different from any suspect who appeared last turn. For additional implementation specific to that scene, consult Book II, Part 5.] Dye is a kind of value. The dyes are red, black, grey, yellow, beige, blue, and green. [Everything appearing after "shirt" is female-only. Anything appearing before "shirt", inclusive, is unisex.] Garment is a kind of value. The garments are hat, coat, backpack, pants, shorts, shirt, skirt, purse, dress, and blouse. To decide whether (g - a garment) has an article: if g is pants, no; if g is shorts, no; yes. To say (g - a garment) preposition: if g is hat or g is backpack or g is purse, say "with"; otherwise say "in". A suspect is a kind of person. A suspect has a dye. A suspect has a garment. Understand the dye property as describing a suspect. Understand the garment property as describing a suspect. The description of a suspect is usually "The people of the city all kind of blend into one another after a while." A suspect is always scenery. Rule for printing the name of a suspect (called s): say "the [specific outfit of s]". To say generic outfit of (s - a suspect): say "[if s is female]wo[end if]man [the garment of s preposition] [if the garment of s has an article]a [end if][dye of s] [garment of s]". To say specific outfit of (s - a suspect): say "[if s is female]wo[end if]man [the garment of s preposition] [if the garment of s has an article]the [end if][dye of s] [garment of s]". The culprit is a suspect that varies. When play begins: change the culprit to a random suspect; re-dress the culprit. To decide if the costume of (s - a suspect) is acceptable: let g be the garment of s; if s is male and g is greater than shirt, decide no; if s is the culprit, decide yes; if g is the garment of the culprit and the dye of s is the dye of the culprit, decide no; repeat through the Table of So Sixty Seconds Ago Outfits begin; if the g is the gar entry and the dye of s is the col entry, decide no; end repeat; decide yes. To re-dress (s - a suspect): while s is s begin; change the dye of s to a random dye; change the garment of s to a random garment; if the costume of s is acceptable, stop; end while. Table of So Sixty Seconds Ago Outfits col gar a dye a garment with 4 blank rows Chapter 5 - Vicinities and generic "GO" or "LEAVE" A vicinity is a kind of room. The specification of a vicinity is "A kind of room in which there is a natural direction to go (OUT)." Procedural rule when the location is a vicinity: ignore the block vaguely going rule. Rule for supplying a missing noun while going: if the location is a vicinity, change the noun to outside. Chapter 6 - Limbo [Limbo is our generic room for stuff that's kind of out of play but kind of not. It's largely a vestige of the days of I7 in which you couldn't entirely erase an exit.] Limbo is a room. "You have uncovered a serious bug; it should not be possible to end up here. Enter UNDO immediately upon entering or you will be unable to resume play." Instead of going to Limbo, say "You can't go that way." Chapter 7 - Endnotes [This is I6 code to replace the Game Over sequence so that it instead asks you if you want to see the ENDNOTES instead of seeing AMUSING things. This is totally not guaranteed to work on anything other than 4U65, but it does the job in 5J37 as well. Later versions of the I6 library may force this to be tweaked a bit.] Include (- Replace AfterGameOver; -) before the library. Include (- [ AfterGameOver i; .RRQPL; print "^Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game"; #Ifdef DEATH_MENTION_UNDO; print ", UNDO your last move"; #Endif; if (TASKS_PROVIDED == 0) print ", give the FULL score for that game"; #ifdef NI_BUILD_COUNT; if (deadflag == 2 && (I7_Amusing_Provided())) print ", read the ENDNOTES"; #ifnot; if (deadflag == 2 && AMUSING_PROVIDED == 0) print ", read the ENDNOTES"; #endif; ! NI_BUILD_COUNT #ifdef I7_SERIAL_COMMA; print ","; #endif; print " or QUIT?^"; .RRQL; print "> "; #ifdef NI_BUILD_COUNT; say__p = 0; #endif; #Ifdef TARGET_ZCODE; #IfV3; read buffer parse; #Endif; ! V3 temp_global=0; #IfV5; read buffer parse DrawStatusLine; #Endif; ! V5 #Ifnot; ! TARGET_GLULX KeyboardPrimitive(buffer, parse); #Endif; ! TARGET_ i = parse-->1; if (i == QUIT1__WD or QUIT2__WD) { #Ifdef TARGET_ZCODE; quit; #Ifnot; ! TARGET_GLULX quit; #Endif; ! TARGET_ } if (i == RESTART__WD) { #Ifdef TARGET_ZCODE; @restart; #Ifnot; ! TARGET_GLULX @restart; #Endif; ! TARGET_ } if (i == RESTORE__WD) { action = ##Restore; noun = 0; second = 0; actor = player; RestoreSub(); jump RRQPL; } if (i == FULLSCORE1__WD or FULLSCORE2__WD && TASKS_PROVIDED==0) { new_line; FullScoreSub(); jump RRQPL; } #ifdef NI_BUILD_COUNT; if (deadflag == 2 && (i == AMUSING__WD or 'ENDNOTES' or 'NOTES') && I7_Amusing_Provided()) { new_line; CarryOutActivity(AMUSING_ACT, 0); jump RRQPL; } #ifnot; ! NI_BUILD_COUNT; if (deadflag == 2 && i == AMUSING__WD && AMUSING_PROVIDED==0) { new_line; Amusing(); jump RRQPL; } #endif; ! NI_BUILD_COUNT #IfV5; if (i == UNDO1__WD or UNDO2__WD or UNDO3__WD) { #ifdef PREVENT_UNDO; print "The use of UNDO is forbidden in this game.^"; jump RRQPL; #ifnot; ! PREVENT_UNDO; if (undo_flag == 0) { L__M(##Miscellany, 6); jump RRQPL; } if (undo_flag == 1) jump UndoFailed2; #Ifdef TARGET_ZCODE; @restore_undo i; #Ifnot; ! TARGET_GLULX @restoreundo i; i = (~~i); #Endif; ! TARGET_ if (i == 0) { .UndoFailed2; L__M(##Miscellany, 7); } jump RRQPL; #endif; ! PREVENT_UNDO } #Endif; ! V5 L__M(##Miscellany, 8); jump RRQL; ]; -) Chapter 8 - Optional NPC in ASK and TELL The default converser is a person that varies. The default converser is yourself. Asking generically is an action applying to one topic. Understand "ask about [text]" or "a [text]" as asking generically. Telling generically is an action with past participle told, applying to one topic. Understand "tell about [text]" and "t [text]" as telling generically. Check asking generically (This is the check for only one sensible converser rule): if the number of persons enclosed by the location is two begin; repeat with candidate running through the persons enclosed by the location begin; if the candidate is not the player, change the default converser to the candidate; end repeat; end if. Check asking generically (This is the check for sensible converser rule): if the default converser is yourself, say "[bracket]I can't figure out who you want to talk to.[close bracket][paragraph break]" instead; if the default converser is not visible, say "[The default converser] isn't here anymore." instead. Check asking generically (This is the convert to asking it about rule): try asking the default converser about the topic understood instead. The check for only one sensible converser rule is listed in the check telling generically rules. The check for sensible converser rule is listed in the check telling generically rules. Check telling generically (this is the convert to telling it about rule): try telling the default converser about the topic understood instead. The convert to asking it about rule is listed last in the check asking generically rules. The convert to telling it about rule is listed last in the check telling generically rules. Before asking or telling or answering (this is the log latest converser rule): change the default converser to the noun. After going: change the default converser to yourself; continue the action. Part 3 - New Actions [Each character has a slightly different attitude towards the world, and this is reflected in their refusals to do various things.] Chapter 1 - New Handling of Old Actions This is the new block pointless activity rule: say "[if the current agent is aHal]That wouldn't have any relevant effects in the current situation.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]That wouldn't help.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]Pointless." instead. This is the new block giving rule: say "You'd rather keep [the noun] to yourself." instead. This is the new block swearing rule: say "[if the current agent is aJanet][random assent].[end if][if the current agent is not aJanet]The really choice profanity should be reserved for situations worse than this one, really." instead. To say random assent: choose a random row in the Table of Assent; say "[assent entry]". Table of Assent assent "Quite" "No doubt" "Indeed" This is the new block listening rule: say "[if the current agent is aHal]Nothing you hear seems relevant.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]You hear nothing unexpected.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]You don't hear anything that demands a response." instead. This is the new block saying sorry rule: say "[if the current agent is aHal]No need.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]Ehn, I wouldn't worry about it.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]You've done nothing worth apologizing for." instead. This is the new block singing rule: say "[if the current agent is aHal]This really isn't the place or time.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]This isn't a karaoke bar.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]Not your style." instead. This is the new block thinking rule: say "[if the current agent is aHal]You pause to gather your thoughts.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]You ponder your situation for a moment.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]That's [italic type]your[roman type] job." instead. This is the new block waking up rule: say "[if the current agent is aHal]You did that this morning.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]Hah. You wish.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]You already have." instead. The new block giving rule is listed instead of the block giving rule in the check giving it to rules. The new block pointless activity rule is listed instead of the block rubbing rule in the check rubbing rules. The new block pointless activity rule is listed instead of the block waving hands rule in the check waving hands rules. The new block pointless activity rule is listed instead of the futile to throw things at inanimate objects rule in the check throwing it at rules. The new block pointless activity rule is listed instead of the block tasting rule in the check tasting rules. The new block pointless activity rule is listed instead of the block kissing rule in the check kissing rules. The new block swearing rule is listed instead of the block swearing obscenely rule in the check swearing obscenely rules. The new block listening rule is listed instead of the block listening rule in the check listening to rules. The new block saying sorry rule is listed instead of the block saying sorry rule in the check saying sorry rules. The new block singing rule is listed instead of the block singing rule in the check singing rules. The new block thinking rule is listed instead of the block thinking rule in the check thinking rules. The new block waking up rule is listed instead of the block waking up rule in the check waking up rules. Understand "look out [something]" as searching. [This is for windows.] Understand the command "raid" as "search".[* The Scholars launch plenty of raids, but the only item the player is ever really cued to raid is the fridge.] Section Regarding the Rules of Engagement Attacking it with is an action applying to one touchable thing and one carried thing. Understand "attack [something] with [something]" as attacking it with. Check attacking it with (this is the can't attack with non-weapons rule): if the second noun is not the fighting technique, say "That's not a useful weapon." instead. Carry out attacking it with: try attacking the noun. Understand the command "slap" or "pwn" or "pwnz0r" or "kick" or "ninj" or as "attack". Understand "kung fu [something]" as attacking. Understand "kung fu [something] with [something]" as attacking it with. Understand "give [something] what for" as attacking. Understand "show [something] what for" as attacking. Understand the command "murder" or "kill" or "torture" as something new. Using excessive violence is an action applying to one visible thing. Understand "kill [something]" as using excessive violence. Understand the command "murder" or "torture" as "kill". Check using excessive violence (this is the can't kill what isn't alive rule): if the noun is not a person, say "You can't kill what isn't alive." instead. Check using excessive violence (this is the block excessive violence rule): say "[if the current agent is aHal or the current agent is aBenj]Extreme violence is really more Janet's forte.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]That level of violence really isn't necessary for these sorts of operations." This is the new reject violence rule: say "[if the current agent is aHal or the current agent is aBenj]Extreme violence is really more Janet's forte.[otherwise]That's one of the few places violence isn't the answer." instead. [The check life property for attacking rule is not listed in any rulebook.[*This rule was required in 4S08 but is no longer required.]] The new reject violence rule is listed instead of the block attacking rule in the check attacking rules. The new reject violence rule is listed instead of the block burning rule in the check burning rules. Instead of attacking yourself: say "That's never the answer." Instead of using excessive violence yourself: say "That's never the answer." Section Regarding the Oppression of Slashficcers and Promotion of Virtue Understand the command "oy" or "leeg" or "omg" or "wtf" as "bother". [The next two rules had their priorities shifted to before specific kiss rules in 4U65, so we have to fix that because otherwise fun messages don't happen.] Instead of kissing a male person when the current agent is aHal or the current agent is aBenj (this is the Hal and Benj are straight rule): say "You don't swing that way." Instead of kissing a female person when the current agent is aJanet (This is the Janet is straight rule): say "You don't swing that way." The Hal and Benj are straight rule is listed last in the instead rules. The Janet is straight rule is listed last in the instead rules. Instead of tasting a person, say "[if the current agent is aHal]That's rarely a suitable way to proceed.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]Ew. No.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]Going around licking people is inappropriate behavior for a conspiracy agent, even a trainee.[end if]". [This actually triggers on > HUG ME, but as it involves affection we mark it here.] Instead of kissing yourself: say "Oh, come on. Pull yourself together." Check searching a person: say "[if the current agent is aHal]You doubt you could get away with that.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]That's more than kind of unprofessional.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]You don't have the kind of enforcement powers to make that stick.[end if]" instead. Instead of searching yourself: say "Okay. [run paragraph on]"; try taking inventory. Understand "listen [something]" as listening. Chapter 2 - Facing The Great Indoors is a region. Understand "look [direction]" as facing. Facing is an action applying to one visible thing. Report facing: say "You see nothing interesting that way." The ceiling_proxy is a backdrop. The printed name is "ceiling". Understand "ceiling" as the ceiling_proxy. Does the player mean doing something with the ceiling_proxy: it is unlikely. Instead of examining the ceiling_proxy, try facing up. The ceiling_proxy is in The Great Indoors. The floor_proxy is a backdrop. The printed name is "floor". Understand "floor" as the floor_proxy. Does the player mean doing something with the floor_proxy: it is unlikely. Instead of examining the floor_proxy, try facing down. Instead of putting something on the floor_proxy, try dropping the noun. The floor_proxy is in The Great Indoors. Instead of pushing or opening the ceiling_proxy when the location is Psychology Lab: say "That would get you access to the crawlspace, but this isn't a good place to do that. Find somewhere more hidden." Instead of pushing or opening the ceiling_proxy when the location is in Knuth Hall: say "That wouldn't do you any good, and you don't think you can reliably reach it, anyway." Instead of pushing or opening the ceiling_proxy in the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room when the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is trapped, try going north. Instead of pushing or opening the ceiling_proxy when the location is in Priory Base, say "That would probably hide you pretty well, but you don't have any hope of actually getting into the ceiling without help. You also rather doubt that you're stealthy enough to move while in its crawlspace. Janet might have been able to manage it, but you can't." Before examining a direction: try facing the noun instead. Chapter 3 - Playing Playing is an action applying to one thing. Understand "play [something]" or "play with [something]" as playing. Check playing (this is the block playing rule): say "That's not something you can play." instead. Chapter 4 - Hiding A room can be exposing or concealing. A room is usually exposing. Hiding is an action applying to nothing. Understand "hide" or "take cover" as hiding. Check hiding (this is the block hiding rule): say "[if the location is concealing]Just being here hides you pretty well.[otherwise]There aren't any good hiding places here." instead. Chapter 5 - Cleaning [The CLEAN command usually maps to RUB. We want it to be the same as PICK UP, since that's important in Chapter 1.] Understand the command "clean" as something new. Understand the command "clean" as "take". Understand "clean up [something]" or "clean [something] up" or "pack up [something]" or "pack [something] up" as taking. [This usually requires a noun. When it doesn't, custom Understand rules will be used.] Chapter 6 - Picking Locks Lockpicking is an action applying to one thing. Understand "pick lock/locks on [something]" or "pick lock/locks in [something]" as lockpicking. Understand "pick lock/locks" or "defeat lock/locks" as lockpicking. Lockpicking it with is an action applying to two things. Understand "pick lock on [something] with [something]" or "pick lock in [something] with [something]" as lockpicking it with. Some lockpicks are a thing. Understand "lockpick" or "lock pick/picks" or "pick/picks" as the lockpicks. The description is "Your lockpicks are small, thin, flexible strips of metal. You've had a fair amount of practice with them, courtesy the Weishaupt Foundation, and you can defeat most mechanical locks as long as you have them." [We want to prioritize doors and containers when supplying missing nouns. Nothing else provides lockable, so we have no generic case.] Rule for supplying a missing noun when lockpicking: let n be the number of locked doors in the location; if n is 1 begin; change the noun to a random locked door in the location; stop; otherwise if n >= 2; say "You will need to be more specific about what lock you want to pick."; stop; end if; let n be the number of locked containers in the location; if n is 1 begin; change the noun to a random locked container in the location; stop; otherwise if n >= 2; say "You will need to be more specific about what lock you want to pick."; stop; end if; let n be the number of doors in the location; if n is 1 begin; change the noun to a random door in the location; stop; otherwise if n >= 2; say "You will need to be more specific about what lock you want to pick."; stop; end if; let n be the number of containers in the location; if n is 1 begin; change the noun to a random container in the location; stop; otherwise if n >= 2; say "You will need to be more specific about what lock you want to pick."; stop; end if; say "You don't see anything with a lock on it here." [Without these, > PICK LOCK ON defaults to the lockpicks themselves, which is silly.] Does the player mean lockpicking a locked door: it is very likely. Does the player mean lockpicking a locked container: it is very likely. Does the player mean lockpicking a door: it is likely. Does the player mean lockpicking a container: it is likely. Instead of unlocking something with the lockpicks, try lockpicking the noun. Check lockpicking it with (this is the can only pick locks with lockpicks rule): if the second noun is not the lockpicks, say "[The second noun] isn't really suited to picking locks." instead. Check lockpicking it with (this is the redirect to lockpicking rule): try lockpicking the noun instead. Check lockpicking (this is the check lockpicking ability rule):[* This rule should really be after the need lockpicks rule, but we want to emphasize to the player that Benj has lockpicking skills.] if the current agent is not aBenj, say "You generally relied on Benj to defeat locks for you." instead. Check lockpicking (this is the can't lockpick what isn't lockable rule): if the noun provides the property lockable and the noun is lockable, continue the action; say "[The noun] has no lock to pick." instead. Check lockpicking (this is the can't lockpick what isn't locked rule): if the noun is not locked, say "[The noun] is already unlocked." instead. Check lockpicking (this is the need lockpicks rule): if the lockpicks are not carried, say "You aren't carrying the proper tools." instead. Carry out lockpicking: now the noun is unlocked. Report lockpicking: say "You fiddle with your lockpicks and manage to defeat the lock on [the noun]." Instead of locking something with the lockpicks (this is the lockpicking is one-way rule): say "That would be an awful lot of work for no good purpose." Chapter 7 - Ineffectual Verbs and Honest Mistakes Praying is an action applying to nothing. Understand "pray" as praying. Report praying: say "[if the current agent is aHal]You never got the knack of praying; heck, your parents were so nonreligious you had accurate information on Eris and Cthulhu before you got it on God.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]You generally only catch yourself praying when you're in a blind panic; at the moment you're reasonably under control.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]You aren't really a praying woman, but you concentrate briefly to refocus your thought and balance." Dancing is an action applying to nothing. Understand "dance" as dancing. Dancing specifically is an action applying to one topic. Understand "dance [text]" as dancing specifically. Carry out dancing specifically: try dancing. Report dancing: say "[if the current agent is aHal]Bian's tried to have you play DDR before, and you can't even manage that.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]Your dancing is probably bad enough to violate international treaties.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]You prefer sparring to dance." Casting xyzzy is an action applying to nothing. Understand "xyzzy" as casting xyzzy. Report casting xyzzy: say "[if the current agent is aHal]There probably [italic type]are[roman type] some magical traditions out there based on Crowther and Woods, but you aren't really a member of any of them.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]That trick only works in adventure games.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]You briefly review the techniques for computing cross products: [cross product equation] And then the letters rotate. Seems easy enough." To say cross product equation: say "A[bold type]x[roman type] = B[bold type]y[roman type]C[bold type]z[roman type] - B[bold type]z[roman type]C[bold type]y[roman type]". Searching vaguely is an action applying to nothing. Understand "search" or "search room" as searching vaguely. Check searching vaguely (this is the block searching vaguely rule): say "[bracket]You can't just search generically. Use a command like LOOK to get a grasp on your surroundings as a whole, or EXAMINE [italic type](object)[roman type] for individual items of interest.[close bracket][paragraph break]" instead. Understand "talk to [something]" as a mistake ("[bracket]To converse with a character, use a command like ASK JANITOR ABOUT KEYS or TELL POLICEMAN ABOUT CRIME. To give a character orders, try a command like ROBOT, GO EAST.[close bracket]"). Understand "page" or "page [text]" as a mistake ("The Weishaupt Foundation's pagers are reception-only[if the pager is not carried]. Besides, you don't even have your pager right now[end if].") [> USE is useless. We block it here.] Understand "use" or "use [text]" as a mistake ("[bracket]USE is an overly generic verb; you must supply a more specific verb. If you want a list of commonly available rules, check the beginner's guide by typing HELP.[close bracket]"). Part 4 - Utility Phrases Chapter 1 - Handling Chapter Breaks [This displays a nice little status screen and chapter header.] To start chapter (chapter num - a text) named (chapter title - a text): clear the screen; say paragraph break; center "WEISHAUPT SCHOLARS"; say paragraph break; center chapter num; center chapter title; say paragraph break; if Hal's status is not s_unknown, center "[bold type]Active Agent: [the name of the current agent][roman type]"; [* As this is used for the main title as well, this suppresses the agent-specific status information for it.] say paragraph break; if Hal's status is not s_unknown, center "Hal's status: [Hal's status]"; if Benj's status is not s_unknown, center "Benj's status: [Benj's status]"; if Janet's status is not s_unknown, center "Janet's status: [Janet's status]"; if Bian's status is not s_unknown, center "Bian's status: [Bian's status]"; say paragraph break; center "[bracket]Press SPACE[close bracket]"; wait for the SPACE key; clear the screen; say paragraph break. [Generally speaking, all inventory is lost at chapter breaks and reassigned. This automates that.] The prop bin is a container. To strip the player: now every thing carried by the player is in the prop bin; now every thing worn by the player is in the prop bin. Chapter 2 - Directing the parser To have the parser notice (curio - an object): (- PronounNotice({curio});-) Chapter 3 - Glaring Gaps In The Inform Library To decide if (x - a number) is between (min - a number) and (max - a number): if x is less than min, decide no; if x is greater than max, decide no; decide yes. To blank out (t - a table-name) entirely: repeat through t begin; blank out the whole row; end repeat. To say no line break -- running on: do nothing. Chapter 4 - Workarounds for bugs in Inform 7 Build 4U65 [This chapter must be deleted when shifting to a version of I7 post-4X60. The code appears in the official release, but will just break things in a modern I7 system.] [A thing can be proper-named. Proper-named translates into Inform as "proper". The etherkey is a thing. The matching key of a door is usually the etherkey. The matching key of the office file cabinets is the etherkey. The matching key of the surplus file cabinets is the etherkey.] Book II - The game Part Prologue - Cross-chapter concerns Chapter 1 - Objects common to all agents The pager is carried. The description is "This is the pager the Weishaupt Foundation gave to you when you signed on. [if the current agent is aHal]It's got a vaguely Masonic sigil imprinted on it.[end if][if the current agent is aBenj]It lets them summon you without using any probably tapped phone lines. God only knows what else it does.[end if][if the current agent is aJanet]It lets your superiors summon you without tying you to any kind of exploitable regular schedule." Instead of dropping, throwing, putting, or inserting when the noun is the pager: say "This is not the sort of thing to leave lying around." Instead of giving or showing when the noun is the pager: say "This is not the sort of thing to be flaunting." Instead of attacking the pager: say "Your scholarship, to some degree, depends on this device and its masters. Best to leave it alone." Chapter 2 - PC descriptions [Some versions of I7 refused to allow you to directly set 'the description of the player', complaining of multiple assignment. We thus do it dynamically.] When play begins, change the description of the player to "[if the current agent is aHal]You won't be starring in any spy movies anytime soon, except maybe as Smug Bureaucrat #3. Still, you're living proof that athleticism isn't everything in this field[end if][if the current agent is aBenj][Benj's self-desc][end if][if the current agent is aJanet]You're in somewhat better shape, and a lot stronger, than you were a year or so ago before your initation, but you're still basically the same old Janet[end if]." Benj's self-image is a fact that varies. Benj's self-image is unknown. To say Benj's self-desc: say "[if Benj's self-image is known]Your self-image remains intact[otherwise]As good-looking as ever -- which in your case means good-looking enough that your friends marvel at how you remain single, but not good enough that you actually get any extra romantic attention"; change Benj's self-image to known. Chapter 3 - Scoring - or rather, tracking the outcome of events A Basic Event Outcome is a kind of value. The Basic Event Outcomes are beo_none and beo_completed. The Alchemy Raid Rating is a Basic Event Outcome that varies. The Alchemy Raid Rating is beo_none. The Social Fallout Rating is a Basic Event Outcome that varies. The Social Fallout Rating is beo_none. Slack Attack Outcome is a kind of value. The Slack Attack Outcomes are sao_none, sao_captured, sao_outwitted, and sao_outmaneuvered. Slack Attack Rating is a Slack Attack Outcome that varies. The Slack Attack Rating is sao_none. Ceiling Tile Outcome is a kind of value. The Ceiling Tile Outcomes are cto_none, cto_dodged, cto_deactivated, and cto_outmaneuvered. Ceiling Tile Rating is a Ceiling Tile Outcome that varies. The Ceiling Tile Rating is cto_none. Skinner Briefing Rating is a Basic Event Outcome that varies. The Skinner Briefing Rating is beo_none. Skinner Raid Outcome is a kind of value. The Skinner Raid Outcomes are sro_none, sro_captured, sro_hid, and sro_fought. Skinner Raid Rating is a Skinner Raid Outcome that varies. The Skinner Raid Rating is sro_none. Divided Loyalties Outcome is a kind of value. The Divided Loyalties Outcomes are dlo_none, dlo_turned, dlo_neutralized, dlo_recovered, dlo_strong, dlo_fired. Divided Loyalties Rating is a Divided Loyalties Outcome that varies. The Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_none. Shadows Shadowed Outcome is a kind of value. The Shadows Shadowed Outcomes are sso_none, sso_failed, sso_intercepted, and sso_discovered. Shadows Shadowed Rating is a Shadows Shadowed Outcome that varies. The Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_none. Final Briefing Outcome is a kind of value. The Final Briefing Outcomes are fbo_none, fbo_anticlimax, and fbo_completed. The Final Briefing Rating is a Final Briefing Outcome that varies. The Final Briefing Rating is fbo_none. Final Raid Rating is a Basic Event Outcome that varies. The Final Raid Rating is beo_none. To say accomplishments list: say "[if Alchemy Raid Rating is beo_completed] The team raided a secret society of alchemists operating out of the basement of the Chemistry building.[end if][if Social Fallout Rating is a beo_completed] Hal located and retrieved Bian's keycard.[end if][if Slack Attack Rating is sao_captured] Benj was captured by the SubGenii.[end if][if Slack Attack Rating is sao_outwitted] Benj tricked his way past the SubGenii cultists.[end if][if Slack Attack Rating is sao_outmaneuvered] Benj evaded the SubGenii cultists by finding an unguarded exit.[end if][if Ceiling Tile Rating is cto_dodged] Janet confronted the trapped briefing room head-on.[end if][if Ceiling Tile Rating is cto_deactivated] Janet found and deactivated the control systems for the trapped briefing room.[end if][if Ceiling Tile Rating is cto_outmaneuvered] Janet traversed the trapped briefing room by letting Benj trip the traps first."; if the Skinner Briefing Rating is beo_completed, say "[if Slack Attack Rating is sao_captured] Hal and Janet were dispatched to rescue Benj.[otherwise] Benj deliberately turned himself over to the SubGenii so that Hal and Janet could track them."; if the Skinner Raid Rating is not sro_none, say "[if Skinner Raid Rating is sro_captured] Janet was captured attempting to retreive Benj[end if][if Skinner Raid Rating is sro_hid] Janet evaded Benj's captors to rescue him[end if][if Skinner Raid Rating is sro_fought] Janet defeated Benj's captors to rescue him[end if][if Skinner Raid Rating is not sro_captured and Slack Attack Rating is sao_captured]. (Benj had already been interrogated anyway.)[otherwise].[end if]"; say "[if Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_turned] Hal convinced Bian to turn from her former masters in the League of de Molay.[end if][if Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_neutralized] Bian cut ties with the League of de Molay.[end if][if Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_recovered] Bian managed to save her position in the League of de Molay.[end if][if Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_strong] Hal and Bian came to a detente regarding their situation.[end if][if Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_fired] The League of de Molay cut ties with Bian."; say "[if Skinner Raid Rating is sro_captured and Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_failed] Janet failed to defend Bian from capture.[end if][if Skinner Raid Rating is not sro_captured and Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_failed] Janet failed to defend Hal and Bian from some kind of third-party assailants.[end if][if Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_discovered] Janet drew away a third-party attack on Hal and Bian.[end if][if Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_intercepted] Janet intercepted third-party assailants targeting Hal and Bian."; if Final Briefing Rating is not fbo_none, say "[if Final Briefing Rating is fbo_anticlimax] Benj fobbed off a crisis onto the professionals[end if][if Final Briefing Rating is fbo_completed and Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_failed] The team was sent to rescue Bian[end if][if Final Briefing Rating is fbo_completed and Shadows Shadowed Rating is not sso_failed] The team was sent to protect Bian by disrupting the Priory power structure[end if]."; if Final Raid Rating is beo_completed, say "[if Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_failed] Benj helped Bian escape from her captors and stabilized the local power structure[otherwise] Benj disrupted Priory activities and stabilized the local power structure[end if]."; This is the new announce the score rule: if Alchemy Raid Rating is beo_none begin; say "You have not yet reached any major plot points."; otherwise; say "The following notable events have occurred:[line break]"; say accomplishments list; end if. The new announce the score rule is listed instead of the announce the score rule in the carry out requesting the score rules. To say effectiveness rating: let r be 20; if the Slack Attack Rating is sao_outwitted, increment r by 20; if the Slack Attack Rating is sao_outmaneuvered, increment r by 20; if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_hid, increment r by 15; if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_fought, increment r by 20; if the Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_turned, increment r by 20; if the Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_neutralized, increment r by 15; if the Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_fired, increment r by 15; if the Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_intercepted, increment r by 20; if the Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_discovered, increment r by 15; say "[r]%". To say subtlety rating: let r be 0; if the Slack Attack Rating is sao_outwitted, increment r by 10; if the Slack Attack Rating is sao_outmaneuvered, increment r by 20; if the Ceiling Tile Rating is cto_deactivated, increment r by 10; if the Ceiling Tile Rating is cto_outmaneuvered, increment r by 20; if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_hid, increment r by 20; if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_fought, increment r by 5; if the Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_recovered, increment r by 20; if the Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_strong, increment r by 20; if the Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_neutralized, increment r by 5; if the Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_fired, increment r by 20; if the Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_intercepted, increment r by 20; say "[r]%". To say canonicality rating: let r be 0; if the Slack Attack Rating is sao_outwitted, increment r by 20; if the Ceiling Tile Rating is cto_dodged, increment r by 20; if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_fought, increment r by 20; if the Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_recovered, increment r by 20; if the Divided Loyalties Rating is dlo_strong, increment r by 20; if the Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_failed, increment r by 20; if r is 100 and Final Briefing Rating is not fbo_anticlimax, decrement r by 1;[* This Easter Egg ending forms the Last Lousy Point.] say "[r]%". Part 1 - Hal - Prelude Chapter 1A - Alchemy Raid Alchemy Raid is a scene. Alchemy Raid begins when play begins. When Alchemy Raid begins: start chapter "An Interactive Secret History" named "by Michael Martin"; change Hal's status to OK; change Benj's status to OK; change Janet's status to OK; change the current agent to aHal; strip the player; now the pager is carried by the player; Start chapter "Chapter 1" named "Prelude"; say "The map that Saint gave you worked out. It's all true. There really is a secret society of alchemists meeting underneath the Chemistry building. They actually have been siphoning materials from the labs. And they are, apparently, totally out of touch with reality. They're also apparently up to something. With luck, after this, they won't be anymore." When Alchemy Raid ends, change the Alchemy Raid Rating to beo_completed. The player is in Eye of the Storm. The Eye of the Storm is a vicinity. The description is "This place was never that organized to begin with, but in the aftermath of your little team's raid, it's even messier than usual. Tables and cabinets have been overturned in the melee which announced your presence -- a fat lot of good it did them, too. Death walks beside you; fortunately, she's on your side. Your lockbreaker has done his job, but you've still got your own part to play. The sharp scent of chemicals fills the air, but as best you can tell in the dim light, nothing's really been spilled. Those documents your secret masters want should still be intact[if unvisited]. You got the offer clear back in high school, and even now, it sounds like a sweet deal on paper. Secret meetings, a shadowy power structure that reaches throughout the world, and they'll even pay your way through college to grant you the privilege of joining it. Real knowledge, and the opportunity to put it to use. 'Training tomorrow's unlikeliest leaders,' they said. You'd get on-the-job training too, alongside your studies. You were never really much for the ROTC aspect of all this, and the direct violence is much more Janet's job, but really, if your Unknown Benefactors are going to have you spend your weekend stealing documents from a mad alchemical brotherhood, couldn't they at least have recommended that you do some wind sprints to get ready? The documents. Right. They've got to be around here somewhere[end if]." A thing called some cabinets are here. The description is "They're mostly ordinary looking file cabinets, though they have various runes and alchemical symbols painted on them[if open]. In the cabinets you can see [contents of the cabinets][end if]." The cabinets are scenery. The cabinets are closed, openable containers. Understand "cabinet", "drawer", and "drawers" as the cabinets. Some chemicals are here. The chemicals are scenery. The description is "Liquids and powders locked up in various containers. Many of them are in disarray, but no containers seem to have shattered." Instead of smelling the chemicals, say "The chemicals here all look properly sealed, but there's a sharp tang of [italic type]something[roman type] in the air." Instead of taking the chemicals, say "They belong to the university." Instead of tasting the chemicals, say "You may be a history major, but even you know that would be a bad idea." Before eating the chemicals, try tasting the chemicals instead. Before drinking the chemicals, try tasting the chemicals instead. Some air conditioning is here. The air conditioning is scenery. Understand "air-conditioning" or "vent" or "vents" as the air conditioning. The description is "You can't see the vents from here." Instead of listening to the air conditioning, say "Just a low drone." Some unconscious alchemists are here. The alchemists are people and scenery. Understand "alchemist" or "cultist" or "cultists" as the alchemists. The description is "They'll be out of commission for a while now." Instead of attacking the alchemists, say "That's Janet's job, already quite well done." Instead of listening to the alchemists, say "They're breathing, but can't even manage to groan in pain." Instead of kissing or tasting the alchemists, say "Hmm. No. First, most of them sounded like guys, even though it's kind of hard to tell through those ridiculous robes. Even ignoring that, you have a job to do. Even ignoring [italic type]that[roman type], you don't know what kind of hideous chemicals they've managed to get on them." Instead of taking the alchemists, say "Janet seems to have taken them just fine all by herself." Instead of searching the alchemists, say "They don't seem to be carrying anything interesting, and you don't recognize any of their faces. You'll need to find some kind of documentation to get reportable information on their membership." The default ask quip of the alchemists is quip_ar_alchtalk. The default tell quip of the alchemists is quip_ar_alchtalk. Instead of giving or showing something to the alchemists, deliver the quip_ar_alchtalk quip. The soft chanting sound is here. The chanting is scenery. Instead of listening to the chanting, say "Soft chanting wafts in from above. It's from far enough away that you don't have to worry. Probably. In any event, they don't seem to be coming in to challenge you -- you suspect they haven't even worked out that you're here." Instead of doing something other than listening to the chanting, say "It's a sound; you can't do much to it besides listen." Some papers are here. The papers are scenery. Understand "papers" and "scattered" and "rustling" as the papers. The description of the papers is "Working notes and other papers got scattered about the room while Janet did her work." Instead of searching or looking under the papers, say "You flip through them, but they aren't what you're looking for." Instead of listening to the papers, say "They're rustling a little in the wind of the air conditioning." Instead of taking the papers, say "These aren't the papers you're looking for." Some candles are here. The candles are scenery. Understand "candle" as the candles. The description is "These guys are definitely insane if they're burning candles in a chemistry lab." Instead of doing anything other than examining to the candles, say "They might be crazy enough to mess around with lit candles in a chem lab, but you're not. It's enough of a miracle that they survived the melee." Some runes and some alchemical symbols are part of the cabinets. The description of the runes is "Tsk. This is regular Modern English, just written down in the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. Sloppy, and it doesn't say much for how authentic the rest of this stuff is." The description of the symbols is "They seem authentic enough, but they do seem slanted heavily towards the ones that also appear in role-playing game supplements." Understand "rune/futhorc/futhark" as the runes. Some files are in the cabinets. The description is "Manila envelopes, each marked with a rune." Understand "envelopes" or "manila envelopes" as the files. The membership information is a thing. The printed name of the membership information is "membership file". The description is "Names and basic contact info for the alchemical cult that's been stealing material from the local chemistry labs, no doubt for some heinous scheme or other. That part wasn't really in the mission description." Understand "info" and "members" as the information. A man called Benj is here. "Benj, having gotten you in here and then gotten out of the way, is keeping an eye on your planned escape route." The description is "Benj looks pretty nondescript. You seem to recall he's a computer science major or something, but he'd fit in just about anywhere. He looks pretty nervous here, though." Instead of giving or showing the pager to Benj, say "That's really not relevant to him right now." Instead of giving or showing something to Benj, say "Benj is not amused. 'You're the one who knows what's significant here, not me.'" A woman called Janet is here. "Janet picks through the room, ensuring that what resistance there was stays neutralized." The description is "Janet supplies the brute force for your little team, and she's unnervingly good at it. She's also got a distressingly callous attitude towards humanity in general and possible rivals in particular, but that doesn't really distinguish her from the other pre-meds you know." Instead of kissing Janet, say "You like your spleen where it is." Instead of giving or showing something to Janet, say "Janet is unimpressed. 'Sorting these things out is your job.'" Understand "teammate", "lockbreaker", "Ben", and "Benjamin" as Benj. Understand "death" or "teammate" as Janet. The default ask quip of Benj is quip_ar_def. The default tell quip of Benj is quip_ar_def. The default ask quip of Janet is quip_ar_def. The default tell quip of Janet is quip_ar_def. Instead of giving or showing the pager to Janet, say "That's really not relevant to her right now." Understand "worthless/documents" as the files. Understand "other files/documents/envelopes" as the files. Understand "file" as the information. Instead of examining the files for the first time: say "Oy. These files are all written in modern English, just written down using the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc. The membership file you were looking for is easy enough to find, though."; change the printed name of the files to "other, worthless files"; change the description of the files to "The other files are mostly notes on experiments and ranting about the Mystical Marriage of fundamental forces of the Universe. You have better things to worry about than molecular fanfic."; have the parser notice the membership information; now the membership information is in the holder of the files. Instead of opening the files, try examining the files. Instead of searching the files, try examining the files. Rule for supplying a missing noun for smelling when in the Eye of the Storm: change the noun to the chemicals. Rule for supplying a missing noun for listening when in the Eye of the Storm: change the noun to the chanting. Some tables are scenery in the Eye of the Storm. "Fairly ordinary lab benches, though a number are overturned now." Every turn during Alchemy Raid (this is the raid atmospheric effects rule): if a random chance of 1 in 2 succeeds begin; choose a random row in the Table of Alchemical Mayhem; say "[incident entry][paragraph break]"; end if. Table of Alchemical Mayhem incident "One of the cultists appears to be stirring. Janet hops over and gently kicks him in the head with her steel-toed boot." "You hear soft chanting in the distance." "Somewhere, papers rustle in the air conditioning." "You hear footsteps somewhere above you. Someone must be working late." "The candles gutter a bit. That's odd. You could have sworn those were electric." Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext quip_ar_def "Now is not the time for idle chit-chat." quip_ar_runes "You're the one with the knowledge to decipher runes; it's not really the business of your teammates." quip_ar_escape "'Hey, is our escape route still clear?' 'Looks fine so far.'" quip_ar_benj "'You holding up OK?' 'Well enough, considering. I'm not really used to this kind of thing.'" quip_ar_alchemists "'Who are these guys, anyway?' 'You're supposed to be finding the documents that tell us this.'" quip_ar_jmission "'What exactly are we doing here?' 'We're disrupting the operations of these nutjobs and finding out who else is involved in their little coven.' 'Covens are for witches, not alchemists.' 'Whatever.'" quip_ar_bmission "'What exactly are we doing here?' 'Apparently, asking stupid questions and wasting time, instead of finding the information we need and getting the heck out of here.'" quip_ar_balchemists "'Who are these guys, anyway?' 'Finding that out was our mission. Aren't you supposed to be looking for some kind of membership information or something?'" quip_ar_alchtalk "They're in no shape to respond to you." Table of Ask Results (continued) NPC topic result Benj "Ben/Benj/himself/self/nervous/nervousness" quip_ar_benj Benj "battle/alchemists/documents" quip_ar_balchemists Benj "runes/writing/symbols" quip_ar_runes Benj "escape/route" quip_ar_escape Benj "mission/task/job" quip_ar_bmission Janet "battle/alchemists/documents" quip_ar_alchemists Janet "runes/writing/symbols" quip_ar_runes Janet "mission/task/job" quip_ar_jmission Persuasion rule for asking Janet to try doing something: say "Janet's busy with her own task here."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try doing something: say "It would probably be a bad idea to divert Benj's attention at this point."; persuasion fails. Alchemy Raid ends when the player is carrying the membership information. When Alchemy Raid ends: say "You look at Janet. She nods and gestures at the door. You run for it. You'll have to drop this off with your secret masters, and then you can deal with the things that are truly important..."; remove the membership information from play; pause the game. Before going when in Eye of the Storm: say "You have not yet completed your assigned task. You need to find the membership information for this alchemical cult." instead. Chapter 1B - Social Fallout Social Fallout is a scene. Social Fallout begins when Alchemy Raid ends. Social Fallout ends when the player is carrying the Skinner keycard. When Social Fallout begins: enable Chapter 1B hints; change the default converser to yourself; move the player to Isaac's Apartment. When Social Fallout ends: change the Social Fallout Rating to beo_completed. When Social Fallout ends: say "[if we have not examined the Skinner keycard]You take a look at the keycard. It looks like it's for the Psychology building; must be Bian's. [end if]'Hey, Bian left her keycard here.' 'Hm. She'll be needing that. And you'll be seeing her again before I do; I suppose you should take it with you.' 'You're probably right. Hopefully I'll be able to make next week. See you then.' You clear out."; remove the Skinner keycard from play; pause the game. Isaac's Apartment is a vicinity. "It's not palatial, but it's pretty big for a student apartment; that's why he tends to host the game nights on weekends. Of course, the game night has pretty much wound up by now, so there's mostly just [if the remnants are on the table]the remnants of the night's Risk game and [end if]snack fragments left." A man called Isaac is here. The description is "Isaac's an older student; you and Bian met him in your math class. You've been gaming with him weekly (well, almost weekly) ever since." A woman called Bian is here. The description of Bian is "You and Bian have been friends since high school, and you've known each other quite a bit longer than that. Her family immigrated here from Vietnam under less than ideal circumstances, and you suspect it's really only due to her intelligence (and the fellowships that brought) that she's able to afford going here." Instead of kissing Bian, say "You aren't that kind of friends." Bian is wearing a thing called a light blue dress. Bian is wearing a thing called a grey backpack. The description of the light blue dress is "It's a light blue dress. It fits her well, but is still fairly modest. That's typical for her fashion sense." The description of the grey backpack is "It's a backpack much like the ones the rest of you have. It's probably had the textbooks swapped out for games, unless she had to stay late on campus today." The Skinner keycard is a thing. The printed name is "keycard". The description is "It's a keycard to the Psychology building[if we have not examined the Skinner keycard]. It must be Bian's[end if]." Understand "Bian's keycard" as the Skinner keycard. Understand "square" and "plastic" and "key" and "card" as the Skinner keycard. A table is here. The table is scenery and a supporter. The description is "It has seen many epic battles." The remnants of the night's Risk game are on the table. Understand "game" or "mess" or "board" as the remnants. The description is "It looks like Blue won." The indefinite article is "the". The remnants are scenery. [We can't use "Instead of taking for the first time" kinds of rules here because we want to short-circuit it if Bian is off-stage.] The remnants have a number called cleanliness. The cleanliness of the remnants is 0. Instead of taking the remnants: if the cleanliness of the remnants is at least 2 or Bian is off-stage begin; if Bian is in Isaac's apartment, say "[bracket]BUG[close bracket] Bian should have already left by now!"; remove the remnants from play; now the Skinner keycard is on the table; say "You pack the game away in its box and pick it up to hand to Isaac. As you pick up the box, you notice a square of plastic beneath it. Some kind of keycard?"; otherwise if the cleanliness of the remnants is 1; say "You put the cards into neat stacks and fold up the board. It's ready to pack up now, but still not put away quite yet."; change the description of the remnants to "Neatly organized piles, ready to be picked up and put away."; otherwise if the cleanliness of the remnants is 0; say "You separate the game pieces into separate piles. It'll take some more work to clean it up."; change the description of the remnants to "The game components are organized, but still not very neat."; end if; increase the cleanliness of the remnants by 1. Instead of playing the remnants, say "The game is long since over." Before going when in Isaac's Apartment: if the remnants are not off-stage, say "You promised you'd clean the game up; you may as well make good on it." instead; otherwise say "You should probably check out that keycard-looking thing left with the game." instead. [CLEAN alone during this scene should mean either the remnants or the keycard.] Understand "clean" and "clean up" and "pack" and "pack up" as taking when Social Fallout is happening. Rule for supplying a missing noun while taking: if the remnants are enclosed by the location begin; change the noun to the remnants; otherwise if the Skinner keycard is enclosed by the location; change the noun to the Skinner keycard; otherwise if the location is Isaac's apartment; say "You've already done all the cleaning you can."; otherwise; say "[bracket]BUG: understood bare take outside of the Social Fallout scene.[close bracket]"; end if. Some snack fragments are on the table. The fragments are scenery. Understand "food" or "snacks" as the fragments. The description is "It looks like mostly bits of chips or cookies." Instead of taking the fragments, say "You start to sweep up the fragments, but Isaac interrupts. 'Leave those to me, Hal; you'll just get crumbs on the floor like that.'" Instead of eating the fragments, say "That seems like it would be vaguely unsanitary." Instead of tasting the fragments, try eating the fragments. Procedural rule when eating the fragments: ignore the carrying requirements rule. Fridge contents is a fact that varies. Fridge contents is unknown. A refrigerator is here. The refrigerator is a closed openable container and scenery. Understand "fridge" or "icebox" as the refrigerator. Instead of opening the refrigerator for the first time: change the fridge contents to known; say "You check the fridge, and find yourself hideously betrayed. 'Isaac? Why is the only drink you have diet grapefruit soda?' 'We drank all the good stuff ourself. You snooze, you lose.'" Instead of opening the refrigerator, say "You really don't need anything in there. Yuck." Instead of searching the refrigerator, try opening the refrigerator. The description of the refrigerator is "It's a refrigerator[if fridge contents is known] full of diet soda and similar abominations unto all humanity.[otherwise]. It keeps food cold. And drinks. We can't forget those." Bian is either active or passive. Bian is active. Before doing anything other than examining to Bian: now Bian is passive; continue the action. Before responding with when Bian is active: now Bian is passive. Every turn during Social Fallout: if Bian is in Isaac's Apartment and Bian is active begin; repeat through the Table of Clearing Out Lines begin; deliver the line entry quip; blank out the whole row; rule succeeds; end repeat; say "Bian waves and heads out the door. 'See you next week, Isaac. Catch you later, Hal.'[paragraph break]"; now Bian is passive; remove Bian from play; end if; if Bian is not in Isaac's Apartment and a random chance of one in 3 succeeds and the player is not carrying the Skinner keycard, say "Isaac [if the remnants are on the table]waits around for you to finish picking up the remnants of the game like you promised.[otherwise]tilts his head at the square of plastic on the table." Every turn during Social Fallout: if Bian is in Isaac's Apartment and Bian is passive, now Bian is active. Table of Clearing Out Lines line sf_1 sf_2 The SubGenius Warning is a fact that varies. The SubGenius Warning is unknown. Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext sf_1 "You're now wrapping up your wild tale of why you couldn't make the game night. '... and so, after a harrowing journey, I finally managed to make it here. It took a little longer than I'd expected, because I had to ensure I wasn't being traced. I wouldn't want to bring any secret wars here. Of course I would never skip out on you guys without explanation, but I was obviously incommunicado.' They seem unimpressed. Bian manages an 'I'm [italic type]touched[roman type] by your concern' before Isaac starts speaking. 'Really, I don't mind if you can't make a session, but if you have to cancel, it would be kind of nice if you called first. You don't have to pull some story out of one of Bian's RPGs.' Bian eyes Isaac for a moment. 'Hey, don't blame [italic type]me[roman type] for this. He was like this even when we were in high school together. It's his fault I started fringewatching to begin with.' You shrug. 'Clearly, the heavy responsibilities are all mine. Need any help cleaning up?' 'Be my guest.' Bian snickers. 'He's just trying to get an excuse to raid your fridge.'" sf_1a "You attempt your best look of wide-eyed innocence. It's actually kind of hard through glasses as thick as yours. 'I am shocked -- [italic type]shocked[roman type] -- that you would make such an insinuation.' Bian lifts an eyebrow and smirks. 'Insinuation? You wound me. That was a direct statement.' You bow deeply in reply. 'As you wish.'" sf_1b "You shrug. 'Sure, if you want. It's been a long day.' Bian smiles. 'I fear we've already thwarted you, but you'll find that out soon enough.'" sf_2 "Bian shoulders her backpack and straightens out her dress." sf_bself "You gesture at her backpack. 'Long day in lab, hm? How are you holding up?' 'Well enough; I'll probably have to work overtime later to make up for this.'" sf_blab "'What are they making you do that requires so much overtime, anyway? I figured Psych wasn't all that rough...' Bian shrugs. 'It's mostly sorting through poll results and the like. We can't really process anything until we've finished interviewing the subjects, which means the real work can't be done during normal hours.' 'So, you get mornings off, then?' 'I would, except I spend those asleep.' 'Tough life.' 'Just herding our freaking subjects should qualify me for a management position on its own.'" sf_bgame "'How'd the game go?' 'Lawrence won.'" sf_blawrence "'Where is Lawrence, anyway?' 'He took off about 15 minutes ago. I'll be leaving soon, too; it would be nice to get to sleep early for a change.'" sf_bsleep "'Well, sleep well, then.' Bian nods and smiles. 'Catch you later, Hal.' She heads out the door." sf_blab2 "'Take care of yourself. You don't want to burn out in your first year.' She smiles a little. 'I'll be fine. Don't worry.'" sf_bfringe "'Speaking of fringewatching, anything interesting going on in the crazier parts of the world?' 'Well, the SubGenius guys have been getting a lot more blatant lately. I can't tell you a lot about them because of that. Those guys are dangerous, Hal. Keep clear of them.'" sf_bsubgenius "'Wait. The SubGenius? Like, [apostrophe]Bob[apostrophe] the divine drilling equipment salesman and all that? These guys are [italic type]dangerous[roman type]?' 'Granted, I haven't seen a lot, but from everything I've seen, you don't want to even get near them.'" sf_baccept "'Fair enough.' She gives you a small, sarcastic curtsey. 'Thank you for your trust, good sir.' She heads out the door, and waves as she leaves. 'See you next week, Isaac. Catch you later, Hal.'" sf_bpress "'But--' She sighs. 'No buts. Look, ask me later. I really do need to get going. Catch you later?' 'Well, alright.' She heads out." sf_igame "'How'd the game night go?' 'Well enough. Decent turnout. Just about exactly the right amount of food.'" sf_ifood "[if fridge contents is not known]'What food is left?' Isaac gestures at the fridge. 'Check for yourself.'[otherwise]'What exactly possessed you to buy a case of diet grapefruit soda?' 'Lawrence brought it. I think there was some kind of 2-for-1 sale and that was the only thing left to get for free.' 'That is totally no excuse.' 'So show up on time next time.'" sf_isubgenius "'What's the bug in Bian's hair over the SubGenii?' Isaac shrugs. 'I'm guessing she's gotten some kind of details for her game that she doesn't want spoiled. She warned the rest of us, too.'" sf_ibian "[if the SubGenius warning is known]'Bian seems on-edge. Is there something wrong?' 'Not that I know of, besides generally having a lot on her plate[otherwise]'How's Bian doing?' 'A little edgy, maybe from work stress. Other than that she seems fine[end if].'" sf_ilawrence "'How's Lawrence doing?' 'Still trying to work off the weight he gained first semester. He's been trying to keep low-calorie snacks around, but he doesn't seem to eat them any more than the rest of us do.' 'I'm sure that's very effective.' 'Well, he does seem a little slimmer than a few months ago. Maybe he's exercising.'" sf_gossip "It's impolite to talk about people in front of their face." sf_ikeycard "[bracket]BUG: sf_ikeycard[close bracket]" sf_deftell "You've really carried on enough about yourself already tonight." The default tell quip of Isaac is sf_deftell. The default tell quip of Bian is sf_deftell. Table of Quip Followups (continued) quip option result sf_1 "Resignedly accept accusation" sf_1b sf_1 "Proclaim innocence" sf_1a sf_blawrence "Bid her goodnight" sf_bsleep sf_blawrence "Worry about her" sf_blab sf_bsubgenius "Accept explanation" sf_baccept sf_bsubgenius "Press for details" sf_bpress Table of Ask Results (continued) NPC topic result Bian "self/herself/backpack" sf_bself Bian "lab/psych/psychology/work/overtime" sf_blab Bian "game/risk/night" sf_bgame Bian "lawrence" sf_blawrence Bian "fringewatching/fringe" sf_bfringe Bian "card/keycard" quip_requiresfact Bian "subgenius/subgenii/bob" sf_bsubgenius Isaac "self/himself/isaac/game/risk/night/attendance" sf_igame Isaac "food/soda/fridge/refrigerator/pop/grapefruit/diet" sf_ifood Isaac "subgenius/subgenii/bob" sf_isubgenius Isaac "card/keycard" sf_ikeycard Isaac "bian/tran" sf_ibian Isaac "lawrence" sf_ilawrence Bian "me/hal" sf_deftell Isaac "me/hal" sf_deftell Rule for quipping when the current quip is sf_ikeycard and the remnants are not on the table: try silently taking the keycard; rule succeeds. After quipping when the current quip is sf_blab: change (the result corresponding to an option of "Worry about her" in the Table of Quip Followups) to sf_blab2. After quipping when the current quip is sf_bsleep or the current quip is sf_baccept or the current quip is sf_bpress: now Bian is passive; remove Bian from play. After quipping when the current quip is sf_bsubgenius: now the SubGenius warning is known. Before quipping when Bian is in Isaac's Apartment and the current quip is sf_ibian: now Bian is passive; change the current quip to sf_gossip. Before quipping when the SubGenius warning is unknown and the current quip is sf_isubgenius: change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. Part 2 - Benj - Slack Attack Slack Attack is a scene. Slack Attack begins when Social Fallout ends. Slack Attack ends when the Slack Attack Rating is not sao_none. When Slack Attack begins: change the current agent to aBenj; strip the player; now the pager is carried by the player; now the keycard is carried by the player; Start chapter "Chapter 2" named "Slack Attack"; say "You have to admit, it's a more interesting way than most to work your way through college. But you swear, ever since you took the Weishaupt Foundation up on their offer, you've become visible to every single wacko this side of Neptune. And if you didn't know better, you'd think the Universe itself was in on the gag. Take today, for instance. The religious fanatics worshipping some god named Bob (What was it Hal had called them? 'The Subgenie' or something...) have been getting more prevalent for [italic type]weeks[roman type]. But when they decide to take a more, ahem, [italic type]active[roman type] approach to recruitment, who's the first person they target? You. And your pager went off just as class ended, so you're going to have to dodge cultists all the way to the train. Well, at least life is never boring..."; enable Chapter 2 hints; change the default converser to yourself; move the player to Lecture Hall. Chapter 2A - The Map Lecture Hall is a room. The printed name of Lecture Hall is "Outside Lecture Hall". The description is "Most of Knuth Hall's second floor is taken up by the lecture hall in room 203. The rest of the floor is mostly taken up by little lounges (accessible to the east and west). Across from the main lecture hall is a staircase leading up and down." An LH_Proxy is scenery in Lecture Hall. The printed name of LH_Proxy is "lecture hall". Understand "lecture hall" or "hall" or "room" or "room 203" as the LH_Proxy. Instead of entering the LH_Proxy, try going inside. The description of LH_Proxy is "The number 203 is prominently displayed above the double doors." Lecture Hall is west of the Front Lounge, east of the Back Lounge, and up from the Lobby. The Lobby is west of the Front Door, east of the Back Door, and north of Building Administration. Before going up when the location is the Lecture Hall, say "Those are the grad offices; your keycard won't let you in there." instead. Before going inside when the location is the Lecture Hall, say "Class is over." instead. Instead of going nowhere from the Lecture Hall, say "You can go east or west to check out the student lounges, or up and down to different floors." The description of the Front Lounge is "The Knuth lounges generally only see students when there's homework due. Clearly nothing's due on Tuesday, because this place is pretty deserted. The stairs are back to the west." Instead of going nowhere from the Front Lounge, say "The stairs are back to the west." The description of the Back Lounge is "The Knuth lounges generally only see students when there's homework due. Clearly nothing's due on Tuesday, because the couches are all empty. The stairs are back to the east." Instead of going nowhere from the Back Lounge, say "The stairs are back to the east." Some overstuffed beaten up couches are a backdrop. The couches are in the Front Lounge and the Back Lounge. The description of the couches is "The lounges are full of overstuffed, beaten-up couches. You've done several problem sets at the last minute in these." Instead of entering the couches, say "You need to get out of here. You don't really have time to relax." Understand "couch" or "sofa" or "sofas" as the couches. The printed name of the Lobby is "Lobby, Ground Floor". The description of the Lobby is "Knuth Hall's ground floor mostly has TA offices and student services. The front and back doors are to the east and west, respectively, while the building administration's offices are to the south. A staircase provides access to the classrooms and lounges on the second floor and to the basement labs." The description of Front Door is "A sizable set of double doors provides the main entrance to Knuth Hall. The hallway is lined with bulletin boards announcing various student-group meetings and class review sessions. The doors themselves are to the east." Some bulletin boards are in Front Door. The bulletin boards are scenery. Understand "board" as the boards. The description is "If the review session flyers are to be believed, it looks like you'll need to keep next Thursday evening free." The fd_proxy is in Front Door. The fd_proxy is scenery. Instead of entering the fd_proxy, try going east. The description is "You can't see much of the outside through the window in the door." Instead of facing east in Front Door, try examining the fd_proxy. Understand "door" or "front" as the fd_proxy. The description of Back Door is "The west end of Knuth has a nondescript door that leads out into the parking lot on the edge of campus. The lobby itself lies back to the east." The bd_proxy is in Back Door. The bd_proxy is scenery. Instead of entering the bd_proxy, try going west. The description is "The back door is totally opaque." Instead of facing west in Back Door, try examining the bd_proxy. Understand "door" or "back" as the bd_proxy. The Basement Stairwell is down from the Lobby. "This staircase leads from the basement to the roof. Access to relevant floors is provided by the keycards each CS student carries. The door to the undergraduate labs lies to the east." Instead of going nowhere from the Basement Stairwell, say "You can go up to the lobby, or just go east to go through the door." The Comp Sci Lab is a room. The description of Comp Sci Lab is "A narrow corridor runs down the center of this floor. Doors on all sides lead into the computer labs. The stairwell is back to the west, while the corridor continues to the east." The Corridor is east of the Comp Sci Lab. "Both the Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering departments found themselves in need of additional lab space, so the space between them was excavated. This corridor allows people to walk directly between the buildings. Lamarr Hall lies to the east." Instead of going north when the location is the Comp Sci Lab or the location is Corridor, say "You have somewhere to go, and it's not the labs." Instead of going south when the location is the Comp Sci Lab or the location is Corridor, say "You have somewhere to go, and it's not the labs." The description of Building Administration is "The admins here handle all class registration and grade reporting as well as the user accounts for CS majors such as yourself." Instead of going nowhere from Building Administration, say "The exit is north." A door called the lab door is east of the Stairwell and west of the Comp Sci Lab. It is scenery, lockable and locked. The description of the lab door is "It's a plain white door with a metal handle. There's a scanner hidden in the wall to read your keycard and unlock the door as you approach it." Instead of knocking the lab door, say "Nobody answers you." After opening the lab door: the lab door autoslams in one turn from now; say "You pull the door open." After closing the lab door: now the lab door is locked; say "The door locks with a click as you close the door." At the time when the lab door autoslams: say "[if the player is in Basement Stairwell or the player is in Comp Sci Lab]The door slams shut and locks with a click[otherwise]You hear a door slam shut in the distance[end if]."; now the lab door is closed; now the lab door is locked. Instead of lockpicking the lab door, say "The doors in Knuth have electronic locks, and you haven't been trained to defeat those yet." Chapter 2B - Escaping with help The Knuth keycard is a thing. The indefinite article is "your". The printed name is "keycard". It is either unknown broken, known broken, unknown fixed, or known fixed. It is unknown broken. The description is "Your keycard is a nondescript rectangle of green plastic, about the size of a credit card but twice as thick. It's got a tiny transmitter in it that unlocks the doors to floors you're cleared to enter. Yours [if known broken]theoretically [end if][if unknown fixed]hopefully [end if]unlocks the basement computer lab in Knuth Hall." The Knuth keycard unlocks the lab door. Understand "key" or "card" as the Knuth keycard. Check dropping the Knuth keycard: say "The keycard is important; you're not about to leave it lying around." instead. Before opening the lab door when the lab door is locked: try silently unlocking the lab door with the Knuth keycard; if the lab door is not unlocked, stop the action. Check unlocking the lab door with the Knuth keycard: if the Knuth keycard is unknown broken or the Knuth keycard is known broken begin; say "You stand so that your keycard is adjacent to the scanner, but instead of unlocking the door, it just beeps angrily[if the Knuth keycard is unknown broken]. That's odd. Someone must have disabled your keycard[otherwise] at you[end if]."; now the Knuth keycard is known broken; stop the action; end if. After unlocking the lab door with the Knuth keycard: say "You stand so that your keycard is adjacent to the scanner, and the lock disengages with a loud click."; now the Knuth keycard is known fixed. Instead of going east when the location is the Corridor: say "You enter Lamarr Hall, walk past the Mechanical Engineering labs, and head out the back door. The streets seem deserted, but there's an soft, annoying buzzing sound clawing at the back of your mind from somewhere behind Knuth. It gets softer the further away you get. That seems like as good a reason as any to get away from here as fast as possible; you walk hurriedly to the train station and make your way to the Weishaupt Foundation facility."; change the Slack Attack Rating to sao_outmaneuvered. A woman called the administrator is in Building Administration. "An admin sits behind the counter." The description is "She's sitting across the counter from you, looking bored." Understand "admin" or "woman" as the administrator. Instead of kissing the administrator, say "Ew. No. Not only would that be terribly unprofessional, she's got to be 60 if she's a day." Instead of giving the Knuth keycard to the administrator: deliver the admin_card quip. Instead of showing the Knuth keycard to the administrator: deliver the admin_card quip. After quipping when the current quip is admin_card: if the Knuth keycard is known broken, now the Knuth keycard is unknown fixed. Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext admin_badask "If she knew anything, you'd be in [bold type]big[roman type] trouble. Best to let sleeping dogs lie." admin_badtell "You really try not to broadcast that." admin_cultists "'Ma'am, I'm being stalked by insane cultists. Do you suppose you could arrange some kind of escort for me?' She looks somewhat scandalized. 'As you well know, it is the policy of this university not to interfere with others' belief systems. Shame on you for trying to oppress them.'" admin_card "[if Knuth keycard is unknown broken]Your card is fine, as far as you know.[end if][if the Knuth keycard is known broken]You hand your keycard to the administrator. 'Could you check the status of this card for me?' 'Certainly, Mr...' -- she locks the keycard into the programmer and hits some keys -- 'Lowell. Hmm. That's odd. For some reason your lab access expired last weekend. Must have typoed when setting it up this semester or something.' She presses some more keys, extracts your keycard, and hands it back to you. 'Should be good as new.' 'Thanks.'[end if][if Knuth keycard is unknown fixed or Knuth keycard is known fixed]It's been reactivated already.[end if]" admin_greeting "'Hi.' 'Hello. May I help you?'" Table of Ask Results (continued) NPC topic result administrator "foundation/weishaupt/conspiracy/scholarship/internship" admin_badask administrator "cultist/cult/cultists/subgeniuses/subgenii/subgenie/subgenies" admin_cultists administrator "key/card/cardkey/keycard" admin_card Table of Tell Results (continued) NPC topic result administrator "foundation/weishaupt/conspiracy/scholarship/internship" admin_badtell administrator "cultist/cult/cultists/subgeniuses/subgenii/subgenie/subgenies" admin_cultists administrator "key/card/cardkey/keycard" admin_card administrator "hello/hi" admin_greeting Chapter 2C - The SubGenius Strikes! A Knuth spot is a kind of value. The Knuth spots are knuth_front, knuth_back, or knuth_both. The cultist location is an Knuth spot that varies. The cultist location is knuth_both. A window is a kind of thing. A window is always fixed in place. The specification of windows is "Represents a window. Windows can be looked through and share a number of other properties." A window called the Front Window is in the Front Lounge. "A sizable picture window overlooks the surrounding area, backlighting anyone sitting on the couches." The description is "[if the cultist location is knuth_back]You check out the window, but don't see anything overtly threatening. Just normal-looking students going about their business[otherwise]There are a fair number of students wandering about the streets. You can see about [end if][if the cultist location is knuth_both]half [end if][if the cultist location is not knuth_back]a dozen students wearing the smiling, pipe-smoking, 50s-style face that the cultists seem to use as a recognition symbol. One of them notices you looking down from the window. All of them scatter[end if]." A window called the Back Window is in the Back Lounge. "A smallish window lets a little light in." The description is "[if the cultist location is knuth_front]You check out the window, but don't see anything overtly threatening. Just normal-looking students going about their business[otherwise]There are a fair number of students wandering about the streets. You can see about [end if][if the cultist location is knuth_both]half [end if][if the cultist location is not knuth_front]a dozen students wearing the smiling, pipe-smoking, 50s-style face that the cultists seem to use as a recognition symbol. One of them notices you looking down from the window. All of them scatter[end if]." Before going east when the location is the Front Lounge, try attacking the Front Window instead. Instead of attacking the Front Window: say "The glass is shatterproof, and there's a pretty good fall to the pavement on the other side, anyway." Check attacking a window (this is the don't break windows rule): say "That would be both unsubtle and hazardous." instead. Instead of opening a window when in Knuth Hall, say "Knuth Hall is climate-controlled, so the windows don't open." Instead of searching a window (called the target), try examining the target. After examining the Front Window when the cultist location is not knuth_back: change the cultist location to knuth_back; the cultists regroup in three turns from now; the cultists spread out in five turns from now. After examining the Back Window when the cultist location is not knuth_front: change the cultist location to knuth_front; the cultists regroup in three turns from now; the cultists spread out in five turns from now. At the time when the cultists regroup: if the cultist location is knuth_back then change the cultist location to knuth_front; otherwise change the cultist location to knuth_back. At the time when the cultists spread out: change the cultist location to knuth_both. To have the SubGenii capture Benj at half strength: say "You push the door open and start working your way towards the tram station. You hear an annoying buzzing sound in the back of your mind. Normally you'd shake this off, especially given your bigger problems at the moment -- the cultists seem to have noticed you. In fact, there's a good half dozen or so closing in on you right now. Throwing stealth to the wind, you break into a run -- or try to. Something in the back of your mind is refusing to let you move. Your vision dims as they approach, no doubt to 'help' you..."; change Benj's status to captured; change the Slack Attack Rating to sao_captured. To have the SubGenii capture Benj at full strength: say "You push the door open and start elbowing your way through the crowd. You hear an annoying buzzing sound in the back of your mind. Normally you'd shake this off, especially given that you seem to have bigger problems at the moment -- there are an awful lot of people here, and they don't seem very friendly. Moving at all is pretty slow going, and your legs keep feeling heavier and heavier. Your vision dims as you fall to your knees, and the bystanders close in, no doubt to 'help' you..."; change Benj's status to captured; change the Slack Attack Rating to sao_captured. To have Benj outwit the SubGenii: say "Stealth is for people who aren't running late, but there's still no need to draw attention to yourself; you shove the door open and hit the street at a brisk walking pace. There aren't that many people here, actually, and you don't see any of the cultists, either. They must all be waiting at the door that they saw you see them scatter from. You smile slightly. They're too clever by half. There's an soft, annoying buzzing sound clawing at the back of your mind from somewhere behind you, but it gets softer the further away you get. That seems like as good a reason as any to break into a dead run away from Knuth Hall. You are swiftly on the train to the Weishaupt Foundation."; change the Slack Attack Rating to sao_outwitted. Instead of going east when the location is Front Door and the cultist location is knuth_both, have the SubGenii capture Benj at half strength. Instead of going west when the location is Back Door and the cultist location is knuth_both, have the SubGenii capture Benj at half strength. Instead of going east when the location is Front Door and the cultist location is knuth_front, have the SubGenii capture Benj at full strength. Instead of going west when the location is Back Door and the cultist location is knuth_back, have the SubGenii capture Benj at full strength. Instead of going east when the location is Front Door and the cultist location is knuth_back, have Benj outwit the SubGenii. Instead of going west when the location is Back Door and the cultist location is knuth_front, have Benj outwit the SubGenii. Part 3 - Janet - The Rivals Chapter 3A - The Ceiling Tile Test Before the Gauntlet is a scene. Before the Gauntlet begins when Slack Attack ends. Section 3A(1) - The Map The Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is south of the hallway door and down from the Crawlspace. The hallway door is south of the Meeting Room. The hallway door is an open, lockable, scenery door. Understand "exit" or "exit door" as the hallway door. The description of the hallway door is "[if the location is the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room]The hallway door to your north leads to the briefing room, which is where you're supposed to be going. It stands invitingly open.[otherwise]That door leads back to the trapped hallways." Instead of opening the hallway door when the location is the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room, say "The door already is open." Before doing anything other than examining, entering, going, listening to, or opening to the hallway door when the location is the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room, say "You'll have to go north first to get to the door." instead. The triple doors are north of the Foyer. The triple doors are undescribed, non-automatic, closed, lockable, and locked doors. The description is "The hall dead-ends at these doors. [description of the nameplates]". Understand "door" or "Hal's/Benj's/Janet's door" as the triple doors. Through the triple doors is the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room. Some nameplates are part of the triple doors. The description is "Each door has one of your names embossed on it in neat type[if quip_2hdoors has been exhausted]. Now that Hal has mentioned it, you can see the seams where the nameplates end and the doors begin[end if]." Understand "name" or "names" as the nameplates. More Crawlspace is east of the Crawlspace and west of Yet More Crawlspace. Index map with the Foyer mapped south of the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room. Crawlspace is concealing. More Crawlspace is concealing. Yet More Crawlspace is concealing. The description of the Foyer is "This is a dead-end hallway somewhere in the depths of the Weishaupt Foundation building. 'You will receive further instructions once you arrive,' according to the receptionist, [if Benj's status is captured]but Benj is nowhere to be found. Hal stands around, tapping his foot impatiently while[otherwise]but you're all here and no orders seem to be forthcoming. Hal taps his foot impatiently while Benj leans against a wall and[end if] you pace. The hall ends at three adjacent doors in the north wall." The Foyer is a vicinity. Section 3A(2) - The Gauntlet A man called Hal is in the Foyer. A man called Benj is in the Foyer. Hal is undescribed. Benj is undescribed. Understand "Harold" and "teammate" as Hal. Understand "Ben", "Benjamin", and "teammate" as Benj. The description of Hal is "He's pretty out of shape, even if you use normal standards instead of yours. Then again, he's had a bit of a paunch for as long as you've known him, and he wears glasses so thick you can barely see his eyes for the distortion, so you imagine your Unknown Benefactors didn't recruit him for his skills as a field agent. He's bright - no denying that - but you still don't really know why they'd be interested in him personally." The description of Benj is "Benj is one of the most nondescript people you've ever met. Plain brown hair, not too messy, not too neat, average height and build, the works. You're much better at sneaking in where you're not supposed to be, but you've never really managed the trick of looking like you belong where you aren't supposed to be. Neither has he, really, but you can easily see him doing it better than you. He seems to be breathing hard, as if he'd just run a race." Instead of attacking Hal, say "Violence is for rivals, not allies." Instead of attacking Benj, say "Violence is for rivals, not allies." Instead of kissing Hal, say "You try to avoid romantic entanglements with coworkers. Besides, he's not really your type." Instead of kissing Benj, say "You try to avoid romantic entanglements with coworkers." Instead of giving or showing the pager to Hal, deliver the quip_2hpager quip. Instead of giving or showing the pager to Benj, deliver the quip_2bpager quip. When Before the Gauntlet begins: pause the game; change the current agent to aJanet; strip the player; now the pager is carried by the player; start chapter "Chapter 3" named "The Rivals"; say "It may be silly and melodramatic, but it [italic type]is[roman type] pretty cool. Anyone can take the bus to this stop. Anyone can walk into this office building. But when they do so, not just anyone finds herself in a room capable of monitoring and controlling a thousand secret operations around the world. You aren't just anyone. Neither are Hal and Benj[if Benj's status is captured]. Where [italic type]is[roman type] Benj, anyway?[otherwise]."; enable Chapter 3A hints; change the default converser to yourself; if Benj's status is captured begin; remove Benj from play; change the down exit of the More Crawlspace to Limbo; end if; move the player to Foyer. Benj's ordeal is a fact that varies. Benj's ordeal is unknown. Hal's essay is a fact that varies. Hal's essay is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is quip_2bhal, the current quip is quip_2bbenj, the current quip is quip_2bbreath, or the current quip is quip_tbwork: change Benj's ordeal to known. After quipping when the current quip is quip_2hhal, change Hal's essay to known. Before quipping when the current quip is quip_2hcult: if Benj's ordeal is unknown, change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. Before quipping when the current quip is quip_2hessay: if Hal's essay is unknown, change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. Before quipping when the current quip is quip_2bcultists: if Benj's ordeal is unknown, change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. Before quipping when the current quip is quip_2bescape: if Benj's ordeal is unknown, change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext quip_2hhal "'What's new with you?' 'Not a whole lot. I got assigned a history essay the other day, but I'd be surprised if it took me more than five or six hours to go from blank page to finished product.'" quip_2hessay "'What's your essay on?' 'Fairly standard give-the-right-answer-in-five-pages-or-more stuff. I'm supposed to take a position on the extermination of the Native Americans throughout US history. I'm half-tempted to argue in favor of it just for spite.'" quip_2hbenj "[if Benj's status is captured]'Any idea where Benj is?' Hal shrugs. 'No clue[otherwise]You jerk a finger at Benj, who's leaning against the wall and panting. 'What's up with him?' Benj looks up long enough to glare at you. 'I can talk, you know.' Hal smiles. 'I suggest you ask him directly[end if].'" quip_2hjanet "'I'm not late, am I?' 'Nah. [if Benj's status is captured]Benj still hasn't shown[otherwise]We've just been standing here[end if].'" quip_2hfnord "'What brought you into this crew, anyway?' Hal lifts an eyebrow. 'They asked, and I figured that signing on would be my only way to find out what's actually going on out there.'" quip_2hpager "You flip your pager out. 'You ever wonder about these? I mean, it's not like we couldn't carry cell phones or something.' 'Not really.' You meet his gaze - or try to, anyway. His glasses are so thick it's hard to tell exactly where he's looking. 'That's garbage and you know it.' 'Suffice to say I think that's a question we shouldn't be asking.'" quip_2hcult "'Who are these cultists who were after Benj?' 'They're acting like the SubGenii.' Hal straightens up a bit, and starts going into Lecture Mode. 'The Church of the SubGenius was a parody religion back in the late 90s, making fun of televangelists. The basic idea was that the world was going to end on July 4th, 1999, and that only those who had sent them $30 would be spared devastation.' 'We're a good ways into the 21st century by now. Doesn't this hurt recruitment?' 'Well, they've still got a bit of a following, and it's not like anyone was particularly serious about it to begin with.' 'These guys sound pretty serious.' 'Very true. I don't think they're real.'" quip_2hdoors "'Doesn't it strike you as odd that they have three doors here with our names specifically on them?' 'Not really. You can see the gaps around where all our names are. They're just magnetic nameplates.' 'But...' 'So it looks like their standard cell size is three.' 'If you say so.' You don't really see the gaps around the nameplates, but maybe he checked more closely earlier." quip_thself "He basically knows about you already." quip_thfnord "He probably knows more than you do." quip_thwork "'I hope this is over soon. I've got a midterm to study for.' Hal is unimpressed. 'We've all got work. We're also all good at what we do. I'm sure you'll do fine.'" quip_2bhal "[if Benj's ordeal is known]You can't think of anything to ask Benj about Hal that you couldn't just as easily ask Hal directly.[otherwise]You jerk your finger at Hal. 'He managed to make it here without being out of breath. Have you gotten that out of shape? Or did you show up fleeing a mob or something?' Benj is not amused. 'Actually, yes. A group of cultists laid an ambush for me outside of Knuth Hall.' 'I... see. Never mind.'" quip_2bbenj "[if Benj's ordeal is known]'You holding up OK?' 'Well enough, considering[otherwise]'So, how's it going?' 'A group of cultists laid an ambush for me outside of Knuth Hall. I managed to give them the slip, though.' 'Clearly[end if].'" quip_2bjanet "'Do I look OK to you?' 'You're as OK-looking as ever.' 'Wow, no wonder the girls are all over you.'" quip_2bfnord "'How did you get tangled up with this crowd, anyway?' 'I needed the money.'" quip_2bpager "You flip your pager out. 'You ever wonder about these? I mean, it's not like we couldn't carry cell phones or something.' 'I figure cell phones are way too easy to tap or trace. Not that I know what these things do under the hood, anyway.'" quip_2bbreath "'[if Benj's ordeal is known]It's been a few minutes since you ran; haven't you recovered yet?' Just give me a few minutes. I'll be fine[otherwise]You look terrible. Why the panting and gasping?' 'A group of cultists laid an ambush for me outside of Knuth Hall. I managed to give them the slip, though.' 'Clearly[end if].'" quip_2bcultists "'What kind of cultists are we talking about here?' 'They appear to worship someone named 'Bob'. Hal's got them pegged as SubGenii; ask him about it.'" quip_2bdoors "'Doesn't it strike you as odd that they've got a set of doors set up here directly for us?' 'I'm not entirely sure how wealthy and powerful our Glorious Patrons are,' he replies, pronouncing the capital letters." quip_2bescape "'How'd you manage to escape the cultists?' '[if the Slack Attack Rating is sao_outwitted]I let them see me see them run from one door, then took the other one. They'd called reinforcements from there[otherwise]They forgot about the underground corridor to Lamarr Hall from Knuth. I took that[end if].' 'Cunning.' 'Thanks.'" quip_tbwork "[if Benj's ordeal is known]You suspect that given the day he's had, he's not going to be interested in hearing you griping about class.[otherwise]'Man, this is annoying. Our prof has given us two days notice on a midterm and...' Benj cuts you off. 'I just spent the last 30 minutes evading cultists outside my CS class.' 'OK, you win.'" quip_tbfnord "'I can't wait to be a full field agent. I've been hearing rumors about the kinds of toys they get...' Benj waves you off. 'This really isn't the best time.'" Table of Ask Results (continued) NPC topic result Hal "hal/harold/moore/self/himself/class/school" quip_2hhal Hal "benj/benjamin/lowell/ben" quip_2hbenj Hal "janet/o'connor/me" quip_2hjanet Hal "cultists/cult/subgenii/subgenius/church/bob" quip_2hcult Hal "benefactors/benefactor/foundation/weishaupt/conspiracy/scholarship/internship" quip_2hfnord Hal "essay/homework/history/assignment" quip_2hessay Hal "door/doors/names/name/plate/plates" quip_2hdoors Hal "pager" quip_2hpager Benj "hal/harold/moore" quip_2bhal Benj "ben/benj/benjamin/moore/self/himself" quip_2bbenj Benj "janet/o'connor/me" quip_2bjanet Benj "cultists/cult/subgenii/subgenius/church/bob" quip_2bcultists Benj "benefactors/benefactor/foundation/weishaupt/conspiracy/scholarship/internship" quip_2bfnord Benj "pager" quip_2bpager Benj "breath/breathing" quip_2bbreath Benj "door/doors/names/name/plate/plates" quip_2bdoors Benj "ambush/escape" quip_2bescape Table of Tell Results (continued) NPC topic result Hal "janet/o'connor/me" quip_thself Hal "benefactors/benefactor/foundation/weishaupt/conspiracy/scholarship/internship" quip_thfnord Hal "physics/orbital/mechanics/test/midterm/class/school" quip_thwork Benj "benefactors/benefactor/foundation/weishaupt/conspiracy/scholarship/internship" quip_tbfnord Benj "physics/orbital/mechanics/test/midterm/class/school" quip_tbwork Benj "janet/o'connor/me" quip_thself Before waiting in the Foyer: say "You settle in to wait for your orders. "; start the gauntlet; stop the action. To start the gauntlet: say "They aren't long in coming; the north doors swing open and you hear the PA system intone, 'Scholars unit 17E, report individually through the doors before you.' You [if Benj's status is captured]and Hal exchange a brief glance, shrug,[otherwise]all exchange glances[end if] and proceed through your doors[if Benj's status is captured]. Hopefully they'll see fit to tell you what's going on with Benj, too[end if]."; now the white door is open; if Benj's status is OK, Benj gets hit in one turn from now; move the player to the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room. Instead of opening or knocking the triple doors when in the Foyer: say "You should probably wait for instructions first. "; start the gauntlet. Before going when in the Foyer (this is the force gauntlet rule): say "You should probably wait for instructions first. "; start the gauntlet; stop the action. At the time when Benj gets hit: say "Benj shouts in surprise or pain in the next room." The description of the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is "This room is almost a hall; it's maybe ten feet wide and 30 feet long, and the doors are very nearly diagonally opposite one another[if unvisited]. The exit door stands open in the north wall[end if]. It's so aggressively unremarkable that it makes you suspicious. If rooms had eyes, this one's would be shifty." Instead of facing up in the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room: say "[if the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is not trapped]A hole in the acoustic tiles here leads into darkness.[otherwise]You see nothing interesting that way." The Pre-Run Gauntlet is down from More Crawlspace, north of the entrance door, and south of the exit door. "This room is much like the one you entered, but it is littered with shattered ceiling tiles. Closed doors lie to both the north and south." The entrance door is a closed, lockable, locked, scenery automatic door. Understand "hallway door" as the exit door. The exit door is a closed scenery automatic door. Understand "white door" as the entrance door. Through the exit door is the Meeting Room. Through the entrance door is Foyer. The description of the entrance door is "This white door is the one that Benj must have entered through." The description of the exit door is "Since Benj isn't here, you must assume that he eventually worked his way through." Instead of knocking the entrance door, say "That wouldn't help." Instead of knocking the exit door, say "That wouldn't help." Instead of knocking the white door, say "That wouldn't help." Some shattered tiles are in the Pre-Run Gauntlet. The shattered tiles are scenery. The description is "The ground is littered with broken ceiling tiles at all angles." Understand "ceiling tile/tiles" or "fallen ceiling tile/tiles" or "tile" as the shattered tiles. The description of the Crawlspace is "You don't have a lot of room to move here, but the tight space won't slow you down much, either. The crawlspace extends to the east, and there's a hole at the south end of the room where you came in." The description of More Crawlspace is "The crawlspace continues east to west here. [if Benj's status is OK]The 'floor' is littered with gaps. A pair of cables extends from each.[otherwise]Cables extend in pairs from the tiles beneath you and lead off to the west." The description of Yet More Crawlspace is "The crawlspace ends here, and extends out only to the west. [if Benj's status is OK]Uniquely, the floor here is complete and sound. [end if]Cables extend from some panels and lead off to the west." South of the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is the white door. Through the white door is the Foyer. The white door is a scenery lockable unlocked openable open automatic door. Understand "entrance" and "entrance door" as the white door. The description of the white door is "This door leads south, back to the foyer. You need to go north." Through the white door is the Foyer. Instead of going through the white door: say "As you turn towards the door you came in, it slams shut of its own volition and locks with a rather pointed CLICK."; now the white door is closed; now the white door is locked. The Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is either trapped, suspicious, or sprung. The Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is trapped. The fallen tile is a thing. "The ceiling tile lies on the floor, underneath the gap it left when it fell." The description is "An ordinary rectangle of acoustic tile, perhaps six square feet or so.". The printed name is "fallen ceiling tile". Understand "ceiling tile" or "fallen ceiling tile" as the fallen tile. Instead of taking the fallen tile, say "Not only is it useless, it's unwieldy." The gap is a backdrop. It is in the Crawlspace, the Pre-Run Gauntlet, and the More Crawlspace. The description is "A hole in the acoustic tiles here leads into [if in the Pre-Run Gauntlet]darkness.[otherwise]the room below." Understand "hole/gaps" as the gap. Instead of entering the gap: if the location is the Pre-Run Gauntlet then try going up; otherwise try going down. Instead of taking the gap, say "You can't take what isn't there." The hole is scenery. The description is "A hole in the acoustic tiles here leads up into darkness." Instead of entering the hole, try going up. Instead of taking the hole, say "You can't take what isn't there." Understand "gap" as the hole. Instead of going through the hallway door from the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room when the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is trapped: say "You take a couple of steps towards the north door, then catch something out of the corner of your eye. You leap backwards just as one of the ceiling tiles comes crashing to the floor right were you were standing."; now the fallen tile is in the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room; now the hole is in the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room; now the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is suspicious. Instead of going through the hallway door from the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room when the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is suspicious and the gadgetry is switched on: say "You hesitate a moment. The whole room is probably trapped. You're pretty sure you can evade all the traps - especially if they're all as simple as these tiles - but maybe you should investigate the room a little more first."; now the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is sprung. The gadgetry is a device in Yet More Crawlspace. The gadgetry is fixed in place and switched on. "Some kind of device squats here, with wires spreading out from it all over this crawlspace." Understand "device" as the gadgetry. The description is "It's a largish black box. About fifty cables come from it, burying themselves in the ceiling below. Two of those cables appear to connect to the gap off to the west you came in from." Instead of attacking the device, say "You probably shouldn't be going around smashing up your patron's equipment." Some cables are part of the gadgetry. The description is "About fifty cables come out of the gadgetry, burying themselves in the ceiling below and continuing off to the west. Two of them lead to the gap off to the west you came in from." Instead of taking, pulling, turning, or pushing the cables, say "They are firmly attached." Understand "wires" as the cables. Instead of cutting the cables, say "You don't have any appropriate tools." Instead of eating the cables, say "You're only [italic type]metaphorically[roman type] a rat in the walls here." Procedural rule while eating the cables: ignore the carrying requirements rule. Some other cables are a backdrop. The other cables are in the More Crawlspace and the Crawlspace. The description is "Cables lead out of the ceiling off to the east[if the location is More Crawlspace] and west[end if]." Understand "wires" as the other cables. Instead of taking, pulling, turning, or pushing the other cables, say "They are firmly attached." Understand "wires" as the other cables. Instead of cutting the other cables, say "You don't have any appropriate tools." Instead of eating the other cables, say "You're only [italic type]metaphorically[roman type] a rat in the walls here." Procedural rule while eating the other cables: ignore the carrying requirements rule. Understand the command "bite" and "chew" as "eat". Before going through the hallway door from the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room when the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is sprung and the gadgetry is switched on: change the Ceiling Tile Rating to cto_dodged; say "You advance towards the door once again, and again another tile falls loose right above you. It'll take more than a few trapped ceilings to stop you. This time, you dodge forward, and keep moving towards the door as they fall. This is madness; at least one in three tiles is trapped, but you're quick enough that none of them are a threat to you as long as you don't hold still. About halfway across, you notice a tripwire stretched across the hall about five feet from the exit door. That's at least a little clever, you suppose; they must have hoped you'd be watching the ceiling exclusively. You advance just a bit more and then do a diving roll over the tripwire, ending up right in front of the exit door. This triggers one last ceiling tile, of course, but you were expecting this. You snatch it out of the air as you complete the roll, then toss it aside and walk through the door." Before going through the hallway door from the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room when the gadgetry is switched off: change the Ceiling Tile Rating to cto_deactivated; say "With the trap machinery off, the room is much safer to cross now. Not completely safe, though. They left a tripwire about two-thirds of the way down the hall as a trap for the unwary. Easy enough to dodge, especially since you've got all the time in the world to do so. You breeze through the door at the end into the briefing room." Before going north from the Pre-Run Gauntlet: change the Ceiling Tile Rating to cto_outmaneuvered; say "You casually stroll out through Benj's door into the meeting room." Instead of going up from the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room when the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room is trapped: say "You can't go that way." The description of the Meeting Room is "This room is nondescript, but not as aggressively so as the gauntlet you just ran. You see a few chairs gathered around a projector." The Meeting Room is a vicinity. After going to the Meeting Room: now the hallway door is closed; now the hallway door is locked; continue the action. Instead of jumping when the location is the Crawlspace or the location is More Crawlspace or the location is Yet More Crawlspace, say "There isn't remotely enough room." Before the Gauntlet ends when the location is the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room. Chapter 3B - The Briefing Briefing is a scene. Briefing begins when the player is in the Meeting Room and Briefing has not happened. Briefing ends when mission readiness is known. Hal's talent is a fact that varies. Hal's talent is unknown. Mission readiness is a fact that varies. Mission readiness is unknown. A man called Benj is in the Meeting Room. "Benj is here, looking much the worse for wear." The description is "He looks like he's been repeatedly clobbered over the head and then punched in the face. Which, you suppose, he was." The default ask quip of Benj is brief_bunknown. The default tell quip of Benj is brief_bunknown. When Before the Gauntlet begins: if Benj's status is captured, remove Benj from play. A man called Hal is in the Meeting Room. "[if Benj is in the Meeting Room]Hal, on the other hand, is completely unscathed.[otherwise]Hal is somehow already here, waiting for you." The description is "Hal doesn't seem to have had any trouble at all. A good trick, that." A man called Saint is in the Meeting Room. "Your briefing officer, known only to you by his codename 'Saint,' stands behind the lectern." The description is "'Saint' is clearly of East Asian extraction, and you'd guess him to be in his late 30s. His general build implies that he's something of a desk jockey now, but he'd still be more formidable in combat than Hal." After examining Saint for the first time, say "As you understand it, he takes the handle 'Saint' to indicate that he's your liason to Higher Powers." Instead of kissing Saint, say "Not really your type, and besides, that could get you fired." Some chairs are scenery in the Meeting Room. The description is "Four severely functional folding chairs are gathered around the lectern. They do seem to be padded, at least." The chairs are an enterable supporter. The proxy_chair is scenery in the Meeting Room. The description is "One of four severely functional folding chairs gathered around the lectern." The printed name is "chair". Understand "chair" or "seat" as the proxy_chair. The proxy_chair is an enterable supporter. Understand "seats" as the chairs. [So that > TAKE SEAT and > HAVE A SEAT work. A nod is probably due to J. Robinson Wheeler here for his groundbreaking work in "Persistence de la Vision."] Understand "have [something]" as taking when the location is the Meeting Room. Instead of taking the chairs, try entering the proxy_chair. Instead of taking the proxy_chair, try entering the proxy_chair. Instead of entering the chairs, try entering the proxy_chair. Entering vaguely is an action applying to nothing. Report entering vaguely: say "No need." Understand "sit" or "sit down" as entering vaguely. Instead of entering vaguely when the location is the Meeting Room, try entering the proxy_chair. After entering the proxy_chair, say "You sit down." This is the exiting a chair rule: say "You stand up." Procedural rule when the player is on the proxy_chair: Substitute the exiting a chair rule for the standard report exiting rule. A lectern is scenery in the Meeting Room. The description is "It's a simple wooden stand to let briefing officers consult their notes." A projector is scenery in the Meeting Room. The description is "It's mounted to the ceiling, so you can't see much of it, but it looks ordinary enough." Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext brief_ninja "Saint pockets a PDA of some kind as you come in. 'I see you haven't been neglecting your physical training any. Nice work.'" brief_ninja_1 "You shrug. 'Presumably, in an actual mission, the things flying at me are going to be quite a bit harder to dodge.' 'Well, yes. Hopefully, that won't be necessary for this upcoming mission, though.' He gestures at one the chairs. 'Have a seat and we'll begin.'" brief_ninja_2 "'You [italic type]did[roman type] tell me to kick up my training regimen. I hope this suffices?' 'Quite handily. You should be more than ready for the intermediate-level material now.' Everything so far has been sub-intermediate? That's an interesting thought. Saint continues, gesturing at the chairs. 'That's not relevant for this situation, though. Have a seat and we'll begin.'" brief_deact "Saint pockets a PDA of some kind as you come in. 'Well handled. Of course, your teammate[if Benj's status is OK]s[end if] didn't wait for you, or it would have been nicer still.'" brief_deact_1 "'Presumably, in a real mission, we'd actually be able to communicate.' Saint shrugs. 'Well, yes. In any event, there's something we need you to look into.' He gestures to the chairs by the lectern. 'Have a seat.'" brief_deact_2 "'Scant praise, really. By the time I'd gotten to the controls, they'd already detected me[if Yet More Crawlspace is visited]. You said my teammates didn't take advantage of my work. I saw the ceiling over Hal's room; it was totally intact. He managed to avoid detection entirely.' Saint nods. 'Yes. Yes he did. We'll have more to say about that later[otherwise].' Saint shrugs. 'That's not always avoidable - and when it isn't, you'll be expected to neutralize the effects. Which you managed, in this case[end if].' He gestures at the seats in front of the lectern. 'Have a seat. I didn't only call you here for drills.'" brief_benjdoor "Saint seems to be studying some kind of PDA. He looks up as your door opens, and he raises an eyebrow as he pockets the device. 'Letting someone else do the hard work for you, hm?'" brief_benjdoor_1 "'I'm a definite fan of taking advantage of the mistakes of others.' Saint shrugs. 'Try to keep that for our rivals, if you would. In any event, we've got some work to do; have a seat.' He indicates the chairs in front of the lectern." brief_benjdoor_2 "'By the time I discovered it, it was unquestionably the safest way out.' Saint shrugs. 'That's reasonable enough, I suppose. Actual mission conditions are less likely to be that conveniently cut and dried, of course.' You manage a look that you hope conveys your opinion of the idea that you would need to be told this. He gestures to the chairs in front of the lectern. 'Speaking of which. If you would be so kind as to take a seat, we've got work to do.'" brief_capture "[if the player is on the proxy_chair]Saint nods at you. 'All right, let's begin[otherwise]Saint shrugs. '...or don't. We've got more important things to worry about. Let's get started[end if].' Hal interrupts. 'Shouldn't we wait for Benj to show up?' 'That would rather defeat the point -- one of the reasons you're here is that we've lost contact with him, and think a rival group has captured him. He'd been investigating the students that were nominally part of a SubGenius cult. You may have noticed them on campus lately.' Yes, they're rather hard to miss, even from a distance. 'We think they're the pawns or subjects of one of our rivals, but we don't know which ones. We're also not clear on what they're actually [italic type]doing[roman type]. Your task is twofold: first, you need to rescue him, and second, find out what they're up to and who they're working for.' He turns to Hal. 'Any questions from you?' Hal nods. 'Where exactly are we going and how are we getting there?' 'We're working on figuring out exactly where he is, collecting the data that we can get from his pager. We should have that ready in about fifteen or twenty minutes. Anything else?' 'Just why you're only asking me specifically for questions.' 'Because, unlike Janet, you're going to be spending those fifteen minutes elsewhere.' He turns to look at you. 'You may have noticed that Hal had no difficulty walking through the trapped hallways. [if the gadgetry is switched off]This wasn't because you switched the machinery off, either; he was already out here by the time you turned it off. [end if]This could indicate one of a number of things, and so we intend to narrow down just what that is.' He gestures. 'Hal, if you would be so good as to follow these gentlemen?' Hal heads off, flanked by three men in dark suits. Saint watches them go, then turns back to you. 'Any questions?'" brief_infiltrate "[if the player is on the proxy_chair]Saint nods at you. 'All right, let's begin[otherwise]Saint shrugs. '...or don't. I don't care[end if]. We've had a breakthrough, thanks to Benj. The information he's been giving us about the purported SubGenii cultists has let us work out where they seem to be basing their work.' Benj raises his hand. Saint looks at him. 'Yes?' 'There were an unusually large number of them outside of Skinner Hall today. Will that break any theories?' 'Unlikely -- we've worked out that they're based on the campus itself. You'll need to work out everything more specific than that. We need you to find out who they're working for and what, exactly, they're up to.' Benj makes a face. 'Well, I'll make dandy bait for them, if Janet can tail us afterwards.' You smirk. 'I like that plan.' Saint nods. 'Sounds good to me. Hal, any questions?' 'Not really.' 'Good. Moving on. You others may have noticed that Hal had no difficulty walking through the trapped hallways. [if the gadgetry is switched off]This wasn't because Janet switched the machinery off, either; he was already out here by the time she turned it off. [end if]This could indicate one of a number of things, and so we intend to narrow down just what that is. Hal, if you would be so good as to follow these gentlemen?' Hal heads off, flanked by three men in dark suits. Saint watches them go, then turns to you. 'Any questions?'" brief_noqs "'No further questions.' 'All right then. Nothing to do but wait for Hal to return, then.' He checks his watch and settles in. So do you." brief_qhal "'What exactly are you testing Hal for, here?' 'He might have actual clairvoyance, or just a danger sense even more finely honed than yours. Or, it might be something in between. He'll be taking some standard Rhine tests, and a couple of variant ones.'" brief_qpsi "[if Psi Test is unknown]'Are you testing Hal for psychic powers?' 'Yes and no. We're checking to see what exactly he has. It could conceivably be some form of clairvoyance, but it could easily be any of a dozen other things.'[otherwise]'You don't seriously believe in psychic powers, do you?' 'No. But they'd show up in our tests anyway, and if we somehow get a clairvoyant on our side, we fully intend to exploit this.'" brief_qself "'We're all still just interns. Can you really trust us with something like this?' 'It's a simple infiltrate-and-rescue against other college students. They may have unusual capabilities, but it's not like any of you are mundane either.'" brief_qcult "'What can you tell us about the opposition here?' 'Not a lot. They're taking some symbology from the old gag religion, the Church of the SubGenius, but they're too well-organized and doctrinally uniform to be the real thing. So all we can really see is that they have some very effective indoctrination technique[if Benj's status is OK].' He turns to Benj. 'If you're going to use yourself as bait, don't let yourself be under their control for long.' Benj smiles, perhaps a little grimly. 'I have no intention of that.'[otherwise]. It's extremely important, then, that we get Benjamin out as soon as possible. In fact, it may already be too late.'" brief_qbenj "'[if Benj's status is OK and brief_bceiling has not been exhausted]What exactly did you do to Benj in there?' Saint lifts an eyebrow. 'That would be five ceiling tiles, not to mention the tripwire he missed. He managed to catch himself before hitting the ground face-first, at least[otherwise if Benj's status is not OK and brief_qcult has not been exhausted]What's happening to Benj?' 'It's hard to tell. His captors taking some symbology from the old gag religion, the Church of the SubGenius, but they're too well-organized and doctrinally uniform to be the real thing. So all we can really see is that they have some very effective indoctrination technique. We need to get him out fast[otherwise if Benj's status is not OK]What's happening to Benj?' 'We don't know, but given how good they are at indoctrination, we need to get him out fast[otherwise]Will Benj be OK for the mission?' 'His job is just to get captured. He'll be fine[end if].'" brief_bceiling "'So, Benj, how many times [italic type]did[roman type] you get hit in there?' 'I don't want to talk about it.' Saint lifts an eyebrow. 'Five times, plus he missed the tripwire. He managed to catch himself before hitting the ground face-first, at least.'" brief_qceiling "'What exactly was the purpose of that little stunt back there in the hall?' 'We like to see how our agents will react to unexpected situations. It also brings out unsuspected talents, such as those Hal seems to have demonstrated.'" brief_qpager "'We're not going to be carrying our pagers on this mission, are we? It seems like a risk.' 'No, you won't[if Benj's status is captured]. Of course, Benj had his when he was captured, so it's a little late for that[end if].'" brief_qskinner "'What's the significance of Skinner Hall?' Saint shrugs. 'That's where the Psychology department is based, right? Other than that, no idea.'" brief_bskinner "'What's the significance of Skinner Hall?' 'The psych building? The SubGenii have been near it recently. Other than that, not a lot.'" brief_bunknown "Briefings usually go better if you ask the briefing officer questions instead." Table of Quip Followups (continued) quip option result brief_ninja "Darkly disparage obstacle course" brief_ninja_1 brief_ninja "Humbly acknowledge personal abilities" brief_ninja_2 brief_deact "Defend teammate[if Benj's status is OK]s[end if]" brief_deact_1 brief_deact "Dismiss praise as inappropriate" brief_deact_2 brief_benjdoor "Flippant justification" brief_benjdoor_1 brief_benjdoor "Serious justification" brief_benjdoor_2 Table of Ask Results (continued) NPC topic result Saint "hal/harold/tests" brief_qhal Saint "skinner" brief_qskinner Saint "cult/subgenius/cultists/church/subgenii/opposition/rival/rivals" brief_qcult Saint "psi/psychic/clairvoyance/sense/talents/test/questioning/power/powers" brief_qpsi Saint "trap/traps/ceiling/gauntlet/room/hall/tripwire/hallway/halls/hallways/door/doors" brief_qceiling Saint "pager/pagers" brief_qpager Saint "myself/self/mission/intern/me/Janet/scholar/scholarship" brief_qself Saint "benj/benjamin/lowell/ben" brief_qbenj Benj "skinner" brief_bskinner Benj "Benj/Benjamin/himself/trap/traps/tripwire/ceiling/gauntlet/room/hall/hallway/halls/hallways" brief_bceiling Table of Tell Results (continued) NPC topic result Saint "no" brief_noqs Saint "pager/pagers" brief_qpager Psi Test is a fact that varies. Psi Test is unknown. Instead of asking Saint about something when Skinner QA is not happening, say "Questions come after the briefing." Instead of giving or showing something to Saint when Skinner QA is not happening, say "Questions come after the briefing." Instead of asking Hal about something when the location is Meeting Room, say "Questions should probably be directed to Saint during the briefing." Instead of giving or showing something to Hal when the location is Meeting Room, say "Questions should probably be directed to Saint during the briefing." Instead of giving or showing something to Saint when Skinner QA is not happening, say "Questions come after the briefing." Instead of asking Benj about something when Skinner QA is not happening, say "Questions come after the briefing." Instead of giving or showing something to Benj when Skinner QA is not happening, say "Questions come after the briefing." Instead of showing or giving the pager to Saint, deliver the brief_qpager quip. After quipping when the current quip is brief_qhal or the current quip is brief_qpsi: change Psi Test to known. After quipping when the current quip is brief_qbenj and Benj's status is OK and brief_bceiling has not been Exhausted: exhaust the brief_bceiling quip. After quipping when the current quip is brief_noqs: change mission readiness to known. Instead of saying no or waiting or going during Skinner QA: deliver the brief_noqs quip. Instead of going when in the Meeting Room and Skinner QA is not happening: say "You're here for the briefing; you can't very well take off now." Before quipping when the current quip is brief_qskinner and Benj's status is not OK: change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. When Briefing begins: if the Ceiling Tile Rating is cto_dodged, deliver the brief_ninja quip; if the Ceiling Tile Rating is cto_deactivated, deliver the brief_deact quip; if the Ceiling Tile Rating is cto_outmaneuvered, deliver the brief_benjdoor quip. After quipping when the current quip is brief_ninja_1 or the current quip is brief_ninja_2 or the current quip is brief_deact_1 or the current quip is brief_deact_2 or the current quip is brief_benjdoor_1 or the current quip is brief_benjdoor_2: Skinner Briefing happens in one turn from now. At the time when Skinner Briefing happens: if Benj's status is captured begin; deliver the brief_capture quip; otherwise; deliver the brief_infiltrate quip; end if; change Hal's talent to known. Skinner QA is a scene. Skinner QA begins when Skinner QA has not happened and Hal's talent is known. Skinner QA ends when mission readiness is known or the time since Skinner QA began is 15 minutes. When Skinner QA begins: remove Hal from play. When Skinner QA ends: change mission readiness to known. When Briefing ends: say "Hal returns to the briefing room and wordlessly hands a card of some kind to Saint. Saint glances at the card and pockets it. 'All right. We're ready to go. [if Benj's status is captured]We've located Benjamin -- or, at least, his pager. He's in Skinner Hall, on the first floor. All you have to do is find your way in and get him out.' Hal smiles and pulls a keycard of some kind out of his pocket. 'Skinner Hall, you say? That works out rather nicely[otherwise]Benjamin, if you're going to be using yourself as bait, the SubGenii are holding a rally of some kind at the campus coffeehouse as we speak. Hal and Janet, be ready to tail him[end if].' The game is afoot."; pause the game. Chapter 3C - Raid on Skinner Hall Raid on Skinner Hall is a scene. Raid on Skinner Hall begins when Briefing Ends. Raid on Skinner Hall ends in victory when Outside Skinner Hall encloses Benj. Raid on Skinner Hall ends in disaster when Janet's status is COMPROMISED. When Raid on Skinner Hall begins: clear the screen; say paragraph break; if Benj's status is captured begin; say "Well, here you are. The Foundation tracked Benj to this building, and now you two are going to have to get him out of there. You don't know what kind of opposition there will be, but you've got your stealth and your superior fighting technique to see you through."; otherwise; say "Tracking the SubGenius after Benj handed himself over to them was laughably easy; and they've taken him here. You weren't able to get in before the front door closed and locked, but you should still be able to get in somehow. Security here isn't very good. Once you get in, your stealth and your superior fighting technique should see you through."; end if; change Benj's status to OK; enable Chapter 3B hints; change the default converser to yourself; strip the player; move the stealth to the player; move the superior fighting technique to the player; now Hal is carrying the Skinner keycard; move the player to Outside Skinner Hall. When Raid on Skinner Hall ends in victory: say "All right. Benj is out of danger, and out of the Psych department's clammy grip. Time to determine the extent of the damage."; pause the game; if the student is insensate, change the Skinner Raid Rating to sro_fought; otherwise change the Skinner Raid Rating to sro_hid; When Raid on Skinner Hall ends in disaster: change the Skinner Raid Rating to sro_captured; pause the game. Section 3C(1) - The Map Stealth is a proper-named thing. The description is "You've had a fair amount of training in moving quietly and being unnoticed, but you're not very good at looking like you belong in places you aren't. It's best to ensure that nobody gets a good look at where you are.[if Benj is carried][line break]You won't be very quiet while carrying Benj, though." Instead of dropping stealth, say "You have no intention of making any unnecessary noise." Instead of doing something other than examining or dropping to stealth, say "Although you have it, it's not the kind of thing you keep in a coat pocket." Superior fighting technique is a proper-named thing. The description is "You've only completed their basic hand-to-hand courses, but that's still granted you pretty good reaction times and an excellent grasp of how to knock out someone who isn't really expecting it. This usually means they shouldn't get to see you first, but that's why this boils down to what Benj used to call 'l33t n1nj4 sk1llz.'[if Benj is carried][line break]You won't be fighting very well while carrying Benj, though." Understand "l33t/leet/elite ninja/n1nj4 sk1llz/skills/skillz" as the technique. Instead of doing something other than examining to the superior fighting technique, say "Although you have it, it's not the kind of thing you keep in a coat pocket." To check for l33tn3ss: if the player's command includes "l33t/leet/elite", change the printed name of the technique to "L33t n1nj4 sk1llz"; if the player's command includes "superior/fighting/technique", change the printed name of the technique to "Superior fighting technique". Before doing something to the technique, check for l33tn3ss. Before attacking something with the technique, check for l33tn3ss. Darkened Lab is east of Psychology Lab, down from Skinner Crawlspace East. South of Darkened Lab is Outside Skinner Hall. Outside of Darkened Lab is Outside Skinner Hall. Skinner Crawlspace West is west of Skinner Crawlspace East and up from the Back of Lab. The Psychology Lab is east of Back of Lab. Darkened Lab is a vicinity. Outside Skinner Hall is a vicinity. Back of Lab is concealing. Skinner Crawlspace East is concealing. Skinner Crawlspace West is concealing. North of Skinner Hall is the main door. Inside of Skinner Hall is the main door. The main door is a closed lockable locked scenery non-automatic door. Through the main door is Darkened Lab. The description of the main door is "A pair of glass and metal double doors leads into Skinner Hall." The description of Outside Skinner Hall is "Skinner Hall, the campus psychology building, towers over you to the north. You always did get the feeling that the architects wanted the students to feel like rats; tonight, that seems more appropriate than usual." The SH_proxy is proper-named scenery in Skinner Hall. The description is "Skinner Hall is the campus psychology building. The architects seemed to be going primarily for 'impersonal' and 'imposing'; the general design is a cubical block of concrete 10 stories tall, with windows." The printed name is "Skinner Hall". Understand "skinner" and "skinner hall" and "hall" as the SH_proxy. Instead of climbing the SH_proxy, try going up. Before going up when the location is Outside Skinner Hall, say "You should probably try the doors before risking your neck climbing the walls." instead. Before going down when the location is Outside Skinner Hall, say "If you had the earth-moving equipment to do that, breaking into the hall would be a lot easier, yes. But you don't have it." instead. Instead of going nowhere from Outside Skinner Hall, say "You haven't even started your mission yet, much less completed it." instead. The description of Darkened Lab is "This room is dimly lit, and it's hard to see much. There seem to be a number of powered-down computer workstations, and a couple of printers or xerox machines or something. Light is coming in from the room to the west. The door you came in is to the south." Instead of going south from the Darkened Lab when Benj is not carried, say "You have not yet succeeded in your mission." Instead of going outside from the Darkened Lab when Benj is not carried, say "You have not yet succeeded in your mission." The description of the Psychology Lab is "The light seems unusually harsh in here, and the decor is more what you'd associate with medical experiments. It's not nearly sterile enough for that, though; this room is given over primarily to multimedia systems and electronics, and they can tolerate a bit more clutter." The description of Back of Lab is "This is a back corner in the west of the Psychology Lab. It has a reasonable view of the rest of the room, but has plenty of stuff to duck behind as well." Junk is a kind of device. Junk is scenery. The specification of junk is "Devices that are part of the background scenery, and which refuse to allow interaction." Instead of doing something other than examining to junk, say "Your job here is to rescue Benj, not to mess with the Psych department's toys." Junk is usually switched off. Some printers are junk in the Darkened Lab. The description is "Three laser printers sit in a row here[if Hal is in the Darkened Lab and the student is not distracted]. Hal is rifling through some documents in their output tray[end if]." Understand "laser" or "printer" as the printers. The printers are switched on. A xerox machine is junk in the Darkened Lab. Understand "machines" or "photocopier" or "photocopiers" as the xerox. The description is "Big, holds about a million spare sheets of paper, but there aren't any juicy secret documents in the hopper." Some workstations are junk in the Darkened Lab. Understand "workstation" or "computer" or "computers" as the workstations. The description is "You can't make out their precise model, but they look like your standard computers." Some electronics are junk in the Psychology Lab. The description is "This stuff isn't off-the-rack; these look carelessly hand-built." Instead of taking or attacking the electronics, say "These are very likely some hapless grad student's thesis prototypes. Leave them alone." Some multimedia systems are junk in the Psychology Lab. The description is "High end Macs fill a table, surrounded with tablet input devices, some fancy-looking things you assume are microphones, and an electronic piano keyboard." Understand "tablet" or "microphone" or "microphones" or "Mac" or or "Macs" or "computer" or "computers" or "system" or "keyboard" or "piano" as the multimedia. A light beam is scenery in the Darkened lab. The description is "[if Psychology lab is unvisited]Looks like someone is working late.[otherwise]Light leaks in from the main lab, making it possible to navigate." Instead of doing something other than examining to the light beam, say "It's just a beam of light." Some boxes are scenery in Back of Lab. "Large stacks of cardboard boxes make this corner of the lab relatively secluded. They're about the right size to be full of manila folders." Instead of opening, searching, taking or attacking the boxes, say "That would make a greater scene here than you'd like." Understand "box" and "stuff" as the boxes. [Ceiling tiles. Not just for the Foundation Base anymore.] Before going up from the Darkened Lab: if Skinner Crawlspace East is sealed begin; say "You carefully displace one of the acoustic tiles to clear [if the player is carrying Benj]you and Benj[otherwise]yourself[end if] a passage.[if the player is carrying Benj][line break]"; now Skinner Crawlspace East is leaky; end if; if the player is carrying Benj, manhandle Benj into Skinner Crawlspace East and follow him; if Janet's status is OK, continue the action; otherwise stop the action. Before going up from the Back of Lab: if Skinner Crawlspace West is sealed begin; say "You carefully displace one of the acoustic tiles to clear [if the player is carrying Benj]you and Benj[otherwise]yourself[end if] a passage.[if the player is carrying Benj][line break]"; now Skinner Crawlspace West is leaky; end if; if the player is carrying Benj, manhandle Benj into Skinner Crawlspace West and follow him; if Janet's status is OK, continue the action; otherwise stop the action. Before going down from Skinner Crawlspace East: if Skinner Crawlspace East is sealed begin; say "You carefully displace one of the acoustic tiles to clear yourself a passage."; now Skinner Crawlspace East is leaky; end if. Before going down from Skinner Crawlspace West: if Skinner Crawlspace West is sealed begin; say "You carefully displace one of the acoustic tiles to clear yourself a passage."; now Skinner Crawlspace West is leaky; end if. Instead of facing down in Skinner Crawlspace West when Skinner Crawlspace West is leaky, say "You can't see much more than a patch of floor from this angle." Instead of facing down in Skinner Crawlspace East when Skinner Crawlspace East is leaky, say "You can't see much more than a patch of floor from this angle." Instead of facing up in Darkened Lab when Skinner Crawlspace East is leaky, say "The hole in the ceiling is dark." Instead of facing up in Back of Lab when Skinner Crawlspace West is leaky, say "The hole in the ceiling is dark." The description of Skinner Crawlspace West is "[if the Crawlspace is visited]It's a lot more uncomfortable here than in the crawlspaces in the Weishaupt Foundation base[otherwise]It's pretty cramped in here[end if]. Nevertheless, if you've judged the distance correctly, you should be directly above [if the Psychology Lab is visited]the Psychology Lab[otherwise]that lighted room[end if]." Skinner Crawlspace West is either sealed or leaky. Skinner Crawlspace West is sealed. The description of Skinner Crawlspace East is "[if the Crawlspace is visited]It's a lot more uncomfortable here than in the crawlspaces in the Weishaupt Foundation base[otherwise]It's pretty cramped in here[end if]. You're vaguely above the darkened portion of room 107." Skinner Crawlspace East is either sealed or leaky. Skinner Crawlspace East is sealed. The floor gap is fixed in place, open, enterable, openable, and a container. "One of the ceiling tiles below has been dislocated, leaving a hole in the floor wide enough to let you go down." Understand "hole" as the floor gap. Instead of entering the floor gap, try going down. The description of the floor gap is "You can't really see much of the room below from here." Instead of doing something other than entering, closing, or examining to the floor gap, say "There's not much you can do to empty air." The ceiling gap is fixed in place, open, enterable, openable, and a container. "One of the ceiling tiles above has been dislocated, leaving a hole wide enough to let you go up." Instead of entering the ceiling gap, try going up. Instead of doing something other than entering, closing, opening, or examining to the ceiling gap, say "There's not much you can do to empty air." Understand "tile" and "tiles" as the ceiling gap. The loose tile is scenery. "Just another acoustic tile, though this one isn't in place." Instead of taking the tile, say "You won't be able to move it conveniently up here, other than to close the gap." A thing called the floor is scenery. The description is "You're crawling on a series of ceiling tiles. You can move quietly here, but only through dint of your extensive training." Understand "tile" and "tiles" and "gap" and "hole" as the floor. A thing called the ceiling is scenery. The description is "The ceiling is made primarily of acoustic tiles." Understand "tile" and "tiles" and "hole" and "gap" as the ceiling. Instead of closing the floor gap: if the location is Skinner Crawlspace East begin; now Skinner Crawlspace East is sealed; say "You shift the tile back into place."; stop the action; end if; if the location is Skinner Crawlspace West begin; now Skinner Crawlspace West is sealed; say "You shift the tile back into place."; stop the action; end if; say "[bracket]BUG[close bracket] Somehow closed the floor gap in a room where the gap shouldn't be!". Instead of closing the ceiling gap, say "You can't reach the tile you displaced from this end." Instead of opening the ceiling gap, say "There's already a gap in the ceiling." Instead of closing the loose tile, try closing the floor gap. Instead of pushing the loose tile, try closing the floor gap. Instead of pushing the ceiling, try opening the ceiling. Instead of pushing the ceiling gap, try closing the ceiling gap. Instead of pushing the floor, try opening the floor. Instead of pulling the floor, try opening the floor. Instead of inserting something into the ceiling gap when the noun is not Benj, say "That wouldn't achieve anything." Instead of inserting something into the floor gap, say "That would make more noise than you'd like." Every turn during Raid on Skinner Hall (this is the set eastern Skinner backdrops rule): if the location is Skinner Crawlspace East or the location is Darkened Lab begin; if Skinner Crawlspace East is leaky begin; now the floor gap is in Skinner Crawlspace East; now the loose tile is in Skinner Crawlspace East; now the ceiling gap is in Darkened Lab; remove the ceiling from play; remove the floor from play; otherwise; now the floor is in Skinner Crawlspace East; now the ceiling is in Darkened Lab; remove the ceiling gap from play; remove the loose tile from play; remove the floor gap from play; end if; end if. Every turn during Raid on Skinner Hall (this is the set western Skinner Backdrops rule): if the location is Skinner Crawlspace West or the location is Back of Lab begin; if Skinner Crawlspace West is leaky begin; now the floor gap is in Skinner Crawlspace West; now the loose tile is in Skinner Crawlspace West; now the ceiling gap is in Back of Lab; remove the ceiling from play; remove the floor from play; otherwise; now the floor is in Skinner Crawlspace West; now the ceiling is in Back of Lab; remove the ceiling gap from play; remove the loose tile from play; remove the floor gap from play; end if; end if. Every turn when the location is the Psychology Lab: now the ceiling is in the Psychology Lab. After going to Skinner Crawlspace East: consider the set eastern Skinner backdrops rule; continue the action. After going to Skinner Crawlspace West: consider the set western Skinner backdrops rule; continue the action. After going to Darkened Lab: consider the set eastern Skinner backdrops rule; continue the action. After going to Back of Lab: consider the set western Skinner backdrops rule; continue the action. Instead of opening the floor: if the location is Skinner Crawlspace East begin; now Skinner Crawlspace East is leaky; say "You shift a tile aside, making a gap."; stop the action; end if; if the location is Skinner Crawlspace West begin; now Skinner Crawlspace West is leaky; say "You shift a tile aside, making a gap."; stop the action; end if; say "[bracket]BUG[close bracket] Somehow closed the floor gap in a room where the gap shouldn't be!". Instead of opening the ceiling: if the location is Darkened Lab begin; now Skinner Crawlspace East is leaky; say "You shift a ceiling tile aside, making a gap."; stop the action; end if; if the location is Back of Lab begin; now Skinner Crawlspace West is leaky; say "You shift a ceiling tile aside, making a gap."; stop the action; end if; say "Messing with the tiles here would be unsubtle. Best to find a more secluded corner first." Instead of jumping when the location is in Psych Ceiling, say "Stealth! Stealth is [italic type]key[roman type]. And it's not like you have room, anyway." Section 3C(2) - Hal Hal's card is a fact that varies. Hal's card is unknown. A man called Hal is in Outside Skinner Hall. "Hal mills about, trying and failing to look inconspicuous." The description is "Something about a black trenchcoat and sunglasses on a spring evening seems a bit out of place. He is carrying a fair amount of equipment under there, though, so it's not entirely ridiculous. There's still no excuse for the sunglasses[if in Outside Skinner Hall]. He seems awful smug about [italic type]something[roman type], though[end if]." Instead of attacking Hal, say "Violence is for rivals, not allies." Instead of kissing Hal, say "You try to avoid romantic entanglements with coworkers. Besides, he's not really your type." Some documents are a thing. The description is "You can't really get a good look at them; presumably they were taken from the lab printers." Understand "document" or "report" or "reports" or "papers" or "paper" as the documents. Rule for deciding the concealed possessions of Hal: If the particular possession is the documents, no; otherwise yes. Instead of going to Darkened Lab when Hal's card is unknown: deliver the raid_locked quip. Instead of opening the main door, deliver the raid_locked quip. After quipping when the current quip is raid_card or the current quip is raid_door or the current quip is raid_locked or the current quip is raid_command or the current quip is raid_smug: deliver the raid_enter quip; change the initial appearance of Hal to "Hal is quietly flipping through some documents by the printers."; [Remove or change the conversation options relating to this.] choose row with result of raid_card in the Table of Ask Results; change result entry to raid_card2; choose row with result of raid_door in the Table of Ask Results; blank out the whole row; choose row with result of raid_smug in the Table of Ask Results; blank out the whole row; now Hal is in the Darkened Lab; now Hal's card is known; now Hal carries the documents; move the player to the Darkened Lab. Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext raid_card "'What was that card you showed Saint at the briefing?' 'It's our ticket into here.' He pulls the card out of his pocket and and opens the door in one smooth motion. 'Not bad at all. How'd you hack the card?' 'I didn't. A friend of mine forgot it on Sunday and I haven't seen her to return it yet.'" raid_smug "'What's up with the smug grin?' 'This.' Hal pulls a keycard out of his pocket with a flourish and unlocks and opens the door in one smooth motion. 'Nice. How'd you hack the card?' 'I didn't. A friend of mine forgot it on Sunday and I haven't seen her to return it yet.'" raid_door "'Any ideas as to how to get into this building?' 'I was thinking about taking the front door.' He pulls a keycard out of his pocket and proceeds to unlock the door. '...Sounds good to me. Where'd you steal the card?' 'It was left behind by a friend of mine on Sunday and I haven't seen her to return it yet.'" raid_locked "You try the door. Locked. 'Rats. We'll have to find a window to jimmy or something. Hal, how willing and able to climb are you?' Hal grins. 'Not very. Here's why.' He pulls a keycard out of his pocket and opens the door in one smooth motion. 'Been taking lessons in lockpicking from Benj, have we?' 'Nope. A friend of mine left her key behind on Sunday and I haven't seen her to return it yet.'" raid_command "'Alright, Hal. Get us in here.' Hal fishes a cardkey out of his pocket, holds it in front of the door panel, and then opens the door. 'Done. After you.'" raid_enter "'Fair enough. Let's go.' You head in, and follow Hal's lead to a laboratory. The key works there, too." raid_card2 "'Where did you find that keycard?' 'A friend of mine forgot it on Sunday and I haven't seen her to return it yet.'" raid_benj "'Do you think Benj is OK?' 'I won't know until I figure out what the SubGenii are up to.'" raid_inv "'What all are you carrying in that coat?' 'Microphones, lowlight cameras, document scanners, and lots of power supplies for all of those.'" raid_docs "[if the location is Darkened Lab]'What are you looking at there?' 'Just capturing now; reading later. Looks like status reports on indoctrination experiments, though.'[otherwise]'Do you expect to find secret documents lying around or something?' 'Well, it's a Psych lab, and our rivals have some kind of mind control, right? We can hope they're sloppy, at least.'" raid_shades "'Isn't it kind of hard to see in the dark with sunglasses on?' 'Normally, yes, but they have lowlight cameras attached to them.'" raid_trenchcoat "'I'm all for looking the part, but seriously. Why the trenchcoat?' 'I need the pocket space.'" raid_subgenius "'Who are these [']SubGenius['] anyway?' 'Normally? A joke religion. These guys? No idea, but it looks like the Psych department is involved somehow.'" raid_hal "'What are you planning on doing in there?' 'I've got equipment to quickly scan in any interesting documents they've got. I'll be trying to work out what they're up to.'" raid_janet "'Why am [italic type]I[roman type] out here in the middle of the night again?' 'You'll be doing your usual job of pacifying any resistance, I assume. Don't forget to actually rescue Benj at some point.'" raid_psi "'What was that test they had you take?' 'Nothing very exciting. I had to guess the images on cards I couldn't see, and then again, after I got to see the backs. They said they'd get back to me on the results.' 'Think there's anything to it?' 'Forty years or so of testing haven't ever found ESP. I somehow doubt that I'm going to be the first.'" Table of Ask Results (continued) NPC topic result Hal "smug/smugness/grin/smile" raid_smug Hal "card/keycard/briefing" raid_card Hal "building/Skinner/hall/inside/entering/unlocking/unlock/door/doors/lock/locked" raid_door Hal "sunglasses/glasses/shades" raid_shades Hal "coat/trench/trenchcoat/stealth/inconspicuousness/inconspicuous" raid_trenchcoat Hal "inventory/equipment/pocket/pockets/space" raid_inv Hal "Benj/Benjamin/Lowell" raid_benj Hal "subgenius/subgenii/cult/cultist/cultists/bob" raid_subgenius Hal "Hal/Harold/Moore/himself/self" raid_hal Hal "me/Janet/I" raid_janet Hal "documents/docs/doc/document/files/papers/paper/file/printer" raid_docs Hal "test/power/powers/question/questioning/interview/psychic/psi" raid_psi Persuasion rule for asking Hal to try taking inventory: if the student is not distracted, persuasion succeeds; say "Hal's a little busy at the moment."; persuasion fails. Instead of Hal trying taking inventory: deliver the raid_inv quip; rule succeeds. Rule for supplying a missing second noun when asking Hal to try unlocking the main door with: change the second noun to the Skinner keycard. Persuasion rule for asking Hal to try unlocking the main door with something: if the location is Outside Skinner Hall, persuasion succeeds; say "You're already in."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Hal to try opening the main door: persuasion succeeds. Persuasion rule for asking Hal to try going from Outside Skinner Hall: persuasion succeeds. Instead of Hal trying unlocking the main door with something: deliver the raid_command quip; rule succeeds. Instead of Hal trying opening the main door: deliver the raid_command quip; rule succeeds. Instead of Hal trying going north from Outside Skinner Hall: deliver the raid_command quip; rule succeeds. Instead of Hal trying going inside from Outside Skinner Hall: deliver the raid_command quip; rule succeeds. Instead of Hal trying going nowhere from Outside Skinner Hall: say "'Sorry, Janet, but we need to get in here.'" Section 3C(3) - Bian Bian's identity is a fact that varies. Bian's identity is unknown. A student is a woman in the Psychology Lab. She is either alert or distracted or insensate. The initial appearance is "[if alert]A young woman is surfing the web here.[end if][if distracted]The lab technician is now arguing spiritedly with Hal.[end if][if insensate]The student is sprawled insensate on the floor." The description is "A young East Asian woman about your age. Probably Chinese, possibly Thai or Vietnamese. She's wearing a simple cream-colored dress that doesn't restrict her movement much[if alert]. She's facing away from you, apparently checking some bulletin board or something on the web. She hasn't noticed you, but she's probably not all that deep in thought. Best to be careful[end if][if distracted]. As she argues with Hal, her facial expressions are shifting between irritation, fear, and disbelief[end if][if insensate]. She's unconscious on the floor at the moment, thanks to you. She'll probably wake up in fifteen to twenty minutes, by which time you'll be long gone[end if]." The student is wearing a cream colored dress. Understand "cream-colored" as the cream colored dress. The description of the cream colored dress is "It looks fairly nice, though not too expensive. It doesn't look like it would restrict her movement too much unless she tried to do gymnastics in it." Instead of searching the dress, try searching the student. The forum is in the Psychology Lab. The forum is scenery. Understand "bulletin" or "board" or "boards" or "forums" or "fora" or "thread" or "threads" as the forum. The description of the forum is "You're not willing to get close enough to see exactly what she's checking." Instead of facing west in Darkened Lab when the student is alert, say "Someone's working at a computer in the next room. They aren't watching the door, though, so it should be safe to sneak through." To recognize Bian: now Bian's identity is known; change the printed name of the student to "Bian"; change the initial appearance of the student to "[if alert]Bian is surfing the web here.[end if][if distracted]Bian is now arguing spiritedly with Hal.[end if][if insensate]Bian is sprawled insensate on the floor."; change the description of the student to "A young East Asian woman about your age. Hal seems to know her as 'Bian,' which sounds more Vietnamese than anything else. She's wearing a simple cream-colored dress that doesn't restrict her movement much[if alert]. She's facing away from you, apparently checking some bulletin board or something on the web. She hasn't noticed you, but she's probably not all that deep in thought. Best to be careful[end if][if distracted]. As she argues with Hal, her facial expressions are shifting between irritation, fear, and disbelief[end if][if insensate]. She's unconscious on the floor at the moment, thanks to you. She'll probably wake up in fifteen to twenty minutes, by which time you'll be long gone[end if]."; now the student is proper-named. Instead of taking an insensate student, say "She's fine where she is." [This is solely so that the command > PWNZ0R BIZNATCH WITH L33T N1NJ4 SK1LLZ works.] Understand "young" or "woman" or "biznatch" or "Bian" or "technician" or "lab technician" or "tech" as the student. Instead of attacking the student when the player is carrying Benj: say "Since you're balancing Benj in your arms, the best you can manage here is a spin kick. [if Bian's identity is known]Bian[otherwise]The woman[end if] seems to have heard you prepare, though, because she manages to duck out of the way.[line break]"; have Bian capture Janet. Instead of attacking the student when the student is alert: say "You quietly walk up behind her, and ready a rabbit punch to knock her out in one blow. Unfortunately, web forums aren't quite distracting enough to make this unnoticable. [if Bian's identity is known]Bian[otherwise]The girl[end if] suddenly kicks her chair back at you and stands up as you jump out of the way.[paragraph break]"; have Bian capture Janet. Instead of attacking the student when the student is distracted and the player is not carrying Benj: now the student is insensate; remove Hal from play; say "From your position in the doorway, you're perfectly placed to deliver a quick rabbit punch. She crumples to the ground, and you watch her fall. [unseemly gloat] Hal looks at you. 'Um. Will she be OK?' 'Of course. Friend of yours?' 'Since sixth grade. Let's get out of here -- I've got what I came for. Get Benj and I'll meet you back at headquarters.' He heads out to the south." To have Bian capture Janet: if the location is in Psych Ceiling begin; say "[line break][if Bian's identity is known]Bian[otherwise]The woman[end if] shouts '[bold type]REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE[roman type],' and all your muscles lock in place. Her voice seems to be speaking directly to your hindbrain. This can't be good.[line break]"; if the location is Skinner Crawlspace East and Skinner Crawlspace East is leaky begin; say "She pops her head up through the hole next to you and smiles. "; otherwise; if the location is Skinner Crawlspace West and Skinner Crawlspace West is leaky begin; say "She pops her head up through the hole next to you and smiles. "; otherwise; say "You hear some motion behind you, and then hear her voice again, a bit more clearly. "; end if; end if; say "'Ah, I see. [bold type]Why don't you just come down here and we can have a nice chat[roman type].' Really, it's not so bad. She seems nice enough..."; otherwise; say "'[bold type]BE STILL[roman type]', she shouts. You freeze up entirely at her voice -- it seems to be talking directly to your nervous system. This can't be good. [if the student is alert]You hear some scuffling from the darkened lab. That must be Hal bolting[otherwise]Hal turns and runs[end if]. Hopefully he got what he came for. [if Bian's identity is known]Bian[otherwise]The woman[end if] turns her attention back to you. 'Now then, [bold type]why don't we have a nice little chat[roman type]. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about.' [if the recorder is not carried]She hands you a tape recorder. You take it, and[otherwise]You[end if] nod cheerfully. She seems nice enough, after all..."; end if; change Janet's status to compromised; change Benj's status to compromised. To make some noise: if the student is not insensate and the student can see the player begin; say "[if Bian's identity is known]Bian[otherwise]The woman[end if] turns around at the noise and looks right at you. Oops.[line break]"; have Bian capture Janet; otherwise; if the student is alert and the student is on-stage begin; say "You hear [if Bian's identity is known]Bian[otherwise]the woman[end if] getting out of her chair and clearing her throat.[line break]"; have Bian capture Janet; end if; end if; Definition: A thing is shielded if a room in Psych Ceiling encloses it and Skinner Crawlspace West is sealed and Skinner Crawlspace East is sealed. To make a lot of noise: if the student is on-stage begin; if the player is shielded begin; say "You hear some kind of commotion and shouting from the rooms below you. It looks like you've been heard, though you can't make any details out through the heavy acoustic tiles. You and Benj both freeze to wait the ruckus out. Some minutes pass, and the area below is finally quiet. You wait a bit longer, and then faintly hear a door slam. The lab should be empty now."; remove the student from play; remove Hal from play; otherwise; say "You hear [if Bian's identity is known]Bian[otherwise]the woman[end if] yell 'What the Hell was that?' as Benj lumbers over the the ceiling tiles. Oops."; have Bian capture Janet; end if; end if. Before asking the student about, say "[if the student is insensate][The noun] won't be answering any questions for a while.[otherwise]You don't want to attract [the noun]'s attention." instead. Before telling the student about, say "[if the student is insensate][The noun] won't be answering any questions for a while.[otherwise]You don't want to attract [the noun]'s attention." instead. Before answering the student that, say "[if the student is insensate][The noun] won't be answering any questions for a while.[otherwise]You don't want to attract [the noun]'s attention." instead. Instead of searching the student when the student is insensate, say "She isn't carrying anything of interest." Before going from the Psychology Lab to the Darkened Lab when the student is distracted and the player is not carrying Benj: say "[The student] is just past the doorway. You stay in the doorway, just behind her." After going from Skinner Crawlspace East to the Darkened Lab when the student is in Darkened Lab and the student is not insensate: say "You drop down from the ceiling, a bit behind Hal but in full view of [if Bian's identity is known]Bian[otherwise]the lab technician[end if]. Oops.[paragraph break]"; have Bian capture Janet. Section 3C(4) - Benj A man called Benj is in the Back of Lab. Benj can be babbling or silent. Benj is babbling. "[if Benj is babbling]Benj is tucked away back here, in a daze, babbling into a tape recorder.[otherwise]Benj is here, dazedly looking around." The default ask quip of Benj is q_dazed. The default tell quip of Benj is q_dazed. Instead of examining Benj, deliver the q_dazed quip. Understand "Ben" or "Benjamin" as Benj. [This is messy, but necessary for "tape" and "tape recorder" to not require disambiguation.] Benj is carrying a recorder. The printed name of the recorder is "tape recorder". Understand "tape recorder" as the recorder. The description of the recorder is "This is a small tape recorder that Benj has been babbling secrets into. It has a small tape deck and very simple controls that permit it to be switched on and off." The recorder is a device. The recorder is switched on. The deck is part of the recorder. Understand "tape deck" as the deck. The printed name of the deck is "tape deck". The deck is an openable closed container. Inside the deck is a thing called a tape. The description of the tape is "This is the tape from the tape recorder Benj was talking into." Instead of attacking the tape, say "You need to analyze that tape to see what's been compromised. There's no reason to believe that's the only copy, after all." Some controls are part of the recorder. Understand "switch" or "record" or "play" or "stop" or "eject" or "button" or "buttons" or "control" as the controls. Instead of doing something to the controls, say "[bracket]You could TURN RECORDER ON or OFF, or you could OPEN or CLOSE it.[close bracket][paragraph break]" Instead of listening to the recorder, say "This model doesn't have speakers; it's for recording only." Instead of listening to the deck, try listening to the recorder. Instead of listening to the controls, try listening to the recorder. Instead of listening to the tape, say "Traditionally one uses a tape player for that." Instead of playing the tape: if the tape is in the deck, say "This recorder doesn't have speakers."; otherwise say "Traditionally one uses a tape player for that." Instead of playing the recorder, say "This recorder doesn't have speakers." Instead of playing the controls, say "This recorder doesn't have speakers." Instead of playing the deck, say "This recorder doesn't have speakers." Instead of inserting something that is not the tape into the deck, say "It won't fit." Instead of opening the recorder, try opening the deck. Instead of closing the recorder, try closing the deck. Instead of inserting something into the recorder, try inserting the noun into the deck. Instead of attacking the recorder, try attacking the deck. Instead of attacking the deck, say "[if the tape is in the deck]You want to recover that tape, so that you can see what's been compromised. There's no reason to believe that's the only copy, after all[otherwise]That would just be gratuitous[end if]." Before opening the deck when the recorder is switched on: say "(first stopping the recorder)"; try silently switching off the recorder; if the recorder is switched on, stop the action. Before switching on the recorder when the deck is open: say "(first closing the recorder)"; try silently closing the deck; if the deck is open, stop the action. Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext q_dazed "Benj stares blankly at you and smiles. You suspect he may be able to follow simple commands, but he's not really all here.[if command syntax is unknown] [bracket]To give a command to an NPC, use a command like > BENJ, GO EAST.[close bracket]" Command syntax is a fact that varies. Command syntax is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is q_dazed, change command syntax to known. Before Benj trying doing something, change command syntax to known. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try going: persuasion succeeds. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try exiting: persuasion succeeds. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try giving: persuasion succeeds. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try taking: persuasion succeeds. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try dropping: persuasion succeeds. [Commands that produce no good effect can be handled as failed attempts to persuade.] Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try dancing: if Benj is carried, say "Not while you're holding him."; otherwise say "He tries gamely to comply, but he's uncoordinated enough that you tell him to stop out of mercy."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try jumping: if Benj is carried begin; say "Not while you're holding him."; otherwise if Benj is in Psych Ceiling; say "Benj just looks at the top of the crawlspace, an inch above his head."; otherwise; say "He jumps. He can manage about a foot without tucking his legs, which isn't bad at all."; end if; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try attacking yourself: if Benj is carried, say "Not while you're holding him."; otherwise say "He looks at you funny. Even hypnotized, he's not stupid."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try attacking Benj: if Benj is carried, say "Not while you're holding him."; otherwise say "He looks at you funny. Even hypnotized, he's not stupid."; Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try using excessive violence: say "Direct experiment probably isn't the best way to see if they've been able to produce mindless killers."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try attacking something: say "There's no way that could be more effective than attacking [the noun] yourself, even if it were necessary."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try singing: if the student is not insensate and the student is on-stage, say "That could easily attract unwanted attention."; otherwise say "He attempts the theme song to the old Captain Archon's Space Patrol cartoon. Emphasis, alas, on 'attempts.'"; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try praying: say "Benj looks at you oddly and mutters something under his breath. You think you hear a reference to spaghetti in there somewhere."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try kissing: say "You're pretty sure exploiting someone of unsound mind like that would violate the sexual harassment guidelines."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try casting xyzzy: say "Benj looks at you oddly and mumbles something under his breath. You think you hear a reference to orange smoke in there somewhere."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try sleeping: say "Benj looks at you blankly. Maybe he can't take actions that can't be willed directly."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try waking up: say "He continues to look blankly into space."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try doing something to the stealth: say "That's not really something he can interact with."; persuasion fails. Persuasion rule for asking Benj to try doing something to the superior fighting technique: say "That's not really something he can interact with."; persuasion fails. Procedural rule: if the person asked is Benj, ignore the new block giving rule. Procedural rule when taking the recorder: if Benj encloses the noun, ignore the can't take people's possessions rule. Procedural rule when taking the tape: if Benj encloses the noun, ignore the can't take people's possessions rule. Instead of asking Benj to try dancing specifically, try asking Benj to try dancing instead. Before doing something other than examining, listening, or searching to Benj, now Benj is silent. Before taking something carried by Benj, now Benj is silent. Before Benj trying going, now Benj is silent. Every turn during Raid on Skinner Hall: now Benj is not handled. Instead of attacking Benj for the first time, say "You gently slap Benj on the cheek, but he doesn't seem to snap out of it." Instead of kissing Benj for the first time, say "What the heck; it works in fairy tales. You give Benj a brief peck on the cheek. It doesn't snap him out of it, though. Figures." Instead of attacking Benj, say "Nah, no reason to think that would work now. Best to get him into the hands of some competent psychologists." Instead of kissing Benj, say "That was really kind of a far-fetched idea to begin with." Instead of listening to Benj, say "[if Benj is babbling]Benj seems to be outlining his training sessions inside the Foundation[otherwise]He's not saying anything[end if]." Instead of searching Benj, say "Benj seems to be carrying [a list of things carried by Benj]." Rule for supplying a missing noun while listening when the location encloses Benj and Benj is babbling (this is the babble-sound rule): change the noun to Benj. The babble-sound rule is listed before the ambient sound rule in the for supplying a missing noun rules. Last persuasion rule for asking Benj to try doing something: say "Benj stares blankly at you."; persuasion fails. Unsuccessful attempt by Benj trying going: if the reason the action failed is the can't go that way rule, say "Benj stares blankly at the [if the noun is up]ceiling[otherwise if the noun is down]floor[otherwise]wall[end if]." Unsuccessful attempt by Benj trying taking: if the reason the action failed is the can't take what's already taken rule, say "Benj stares at [the noun] that he is already holding."; otherwise say "Benj just kind of looks baffled." Unsuccessful attempt by Benj trying dropping: say "Benj just kind of looks baffled." After Benj trying going: if the student is on-stage and the student is not insensate begin; if Skinner Crawlspace East encloses Benj or Skinner Crawlspace West encloses Benj begin; say "Benj crawls off to [the noun], making an distressing amount of noise. There's no way that can go unnoticed down below.[line break]"; make a lot of noise; otherwise; continue the action; end if; otherwise; continue the action; end if. To manhandle Benj into (attic - a room): say "With some difficulty (and an unpleasant amount of noise), you manage to manhandle Benj into the crawlspace between floors."; now Benj is in the attic; now Benj is not handled; make some noise. To manhandle Benj into (attic - a room) and follow him: say "With some difficulty (and an unpleasant amount of noise), you manage to manhandle Benj into the crawlspace between floors.[line break]"; now Benj is in the attic; now Benj is not handled; make some noise; if Janet's status is OK, say "You then swiftly follow him up. He now is on his hands and knees beside you, awaiting further instruction." After going to a room while the player encloses Benj: abide by the describe room gone into rule; make some noise. Instead of Benj trying going up from the Back of Lab, say "[if Skinner Crawlspace West is sealed]Benj studies the ceiling.[otherwise]In his current state, he's not really going to be climbing -- you'll have to carry him up yourself." Instead of Benj trying going up from the Darkened Lab, say "[if Skinner Crawlspace East is sealed]Benj studies the ceiling.[otherwise]In his current state, he's not really going to be climbing -- you'll have to carry him up yourself." Instead of Benj trying going down from Skinner Crawlspace West when Skinner Crawlspace West is sealed, say "Benj studies the floor beneath you; it hasn't been opened." Instead of Benj trying going down from Skinner Crawlspace East when Skinner Crawlspace East is sealed, say "Benj studies the floor beneath you; it hasn't been opened." Procedural rule: if the noun is Benj, ignore the can't take other people rule. Instead of taking Benj when the location is Skinner Crawlspace West or the location is Skinner Crawlspace East, say "You don't have the room for that kind of maneuver here." After taking Benj, say "Benj lies conscious but unresisting in your arms. However, your stealth and your combat skills are going to suffer noticably while you're carrying him." After dropping Benj, say "You set Benj down on the ground, and he placidly stands up, awaiting further orders." Report Benj trying exiting: if the noun is yourself begin; say "Benj manages to climb out of your arms and onto the ground."; stop the action; end if. After inserting Benj into the ceiling gap: if the location is Darkened Lab, manhandle Benj into Skinner Crawlspace East; if the location is Back of Lab, manhandle Benj into Skinner Crawlspace West. Every turn during Raid on Skinner Hall: If the student can see Benj and the student is not insensate and Benj is not carried begin; say "Whoops. [The student] seems to have noticed Benj.[paragraph break]"; have Bian capture Janet; change the DL Ugly Hack Flag to 1; end if. Section 3C(5) - Hal and Bian fight Confrontation is a scene. Confrontation begins when the player is in Darkened Lab for the first turn and Confrontation has not happened. Confrontation ends normally when the student is insensate or Janet's status is compromised or the student is off-stage. Confrontation ends in a timeout when the number of filled rows in the Table of Skinner Confrontation is 0. When Confrontation begins: Bian notices Hal in five turns from now. Before asking Hal about when the student is distracted, say "He's kind of busy at the moment." instead. Before telling Hal about when the student is distracted, say "He's kind of busy at the moment." instead. Before answering Hal that when the student is distracted, say "He's kind of busy at the moment." instead. At the time when Bian notices Hal: if Janet's status is not OK, stop; now the student is distracted; change the description of the forum to "Looks like she closed the browser before investigating Hal."; if the player is in Darkened Lab begin; say "Hal drops the papers he was looking at, making a noticable noise. Just then, the lights blink on, and a young Asian woman is standing in the doorway. 'What's going on here? [bold type]HOLD STILL[roman type].' You freeze up entirely at her voice -- it seems to be talking directly to your nervous system. This can't be good. Hal, on the other hand, seems mostly unaffected, except with surprise. He picks up the papers he dropped, and then says, '...Bian?' The woman -- Bian, it seems -- looks puzzled as well. '...Hal?' 'No time, gotta go, bye...' ... you didn't actually know Hal could run that fast. Bian's confusion doesn't last long. She turns back to you. 'Maybe you can help me out. [bold type]Why don't we have a nice little chat[roman type]. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about.' [if the recorder is not carried]She hands you a tape recorder. You take it, and[otherwise]You[end if] nod cheerfully. She seems nice enough, after all..."; change Janet's status to compromised; change Benj's status to compromised; change Bian's status to rival; otherwise if the player is in Psychology Lab; say "You hear a rustling sound from the darkened lab, probably Hal dropping some papers. The woman turns at the noise and suddenly looks right at you. 'Who are you? [bold type]HOLD STILL[roman type].' You freeze up entirely at her voice -- it seems to be talking directly to your nervous system. This isn't good. Hal, on the other hand, seems mostly unaffected, except with surprise. He picks up the papers he dropped, and then says, '...Bian?' The woman -- Bian, it seems -- looks puzzled as well. '...Hal?' 'No time, gotta go, bye...' ... you didn't actually know Hal could run that fast. Bian's confusion doesn't last long. She turns back to you. 'What was that all about? Maybe you can help me out. [bold type]Why don't we have a nice little chat[roman type]. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about.' [if the recorder is not carried]She hands you a tape recorder. You take it, and[otherwise]You[end if] nod cheerfully. She seems nice enough, after all..."; change Janet's status to compromised; change Benj's status to compromised; change Bian's status to rival; otherwise; if the player is not shielded begin; say "You hear a rustling sound from the darkened lab. "; make some noise; if Janet's status is OK and the player is in Back of Lab begin; say "[if Bian's identity is known]Bian[otherwise]The student[end if] starts. She then walks over to the dark part of the lab and switches the light on. She then clicks her tongue a bit. 'Hal, Hal, Hal,' she says. 'You just never know when to give up, do you?' You can hear Hal from the other room. 'Um. Hi, Bian.'"; recognize Bian; otherwise if Janet's status is OK; say "A woman's voice rings out. 'Hal, Hal, Hal,' she says. 'You just never know when to give up, do you?' 'Um. Hi, Bian.' Interesting. Looks like Hal knows her."; recognize Bian; end if; otherwise; say "You hear some hints of animated voices from beneath you. Uh oh. Looks like Hal's been found."; end if; now the student is in Darkened Lab; change the printed name of Darkened Lab to "Computer Lab"; change the description of Darkened Lab to "This room is now brightly lit, but the printers and xerox machines are as traditional as they were in the dim light. The main lab itself is off to the west. The exit is to the south."; remove the light beam from play; change the initial appearance of Hal to "Hal is likewise arguing with [if Bian's identity is known]Bian[otherwise]the student[end if]."; end if; if Janet's status is not OK, change the DL Ugly Hack Flag to 1. Every turn during Confrontation: if the student is distracted and Janet's status is OK begin; repeat through the Table of Skinner Confrontation begin; if the player is shielded begin; say "You hear the sounds of an argument in the room below."; otherwise; if Bian's identity is known, say "[continuing conversation entry][paragraph break]"; otherwise say "[introductory conversation entry][paragraph break]"; recognize Bian; end if; blank out the whole row; rule succeeds; end repeat; end if. To say unseemly gloat: repeat through the Table of Skinner Confrontation begin; say badass one-liner entry; rule succeeds; end repeat; say "[bracket]BUG: Out of badass one-liners![close bracket][paragraph break]". Instead of facing east in Psychology Lab when the student is distracted, say "Bian's just past the doorway, facing Hal, paying no attention to you. You could probably get through the doorway to the east without incident, if you were careful." Instead of facing east in Back of Lab when the student is distracted, say "Bian's clear out in the entry room, arguing with Hal. You've got the main lab to yourself." [If the player can hear anything here, Bian's identity must be known, so we don't really have to check.] When Confrontation ends in a timeout: if the player is shielded begin; say "The argument seems to be ending. You hear some motion, and a few sharp comments, and then silence. You wait a few more minutes to make sure, but it seems to be a sure thing; the coast below is clear."; remove Hal from play; remove the student from play; otherwise if the location is Psychology Lab or the location is Back of Lab; say "Bian heads over towards where Benj was, and as a result, walks right up to you. She lifts an eyebrow. 'Who are you? [bold type]HOLD STILL[roman type].' You freeze up entirely at her voice -- it seems to be talking directly to your nervous system. This can't be good. You hear some hurried footsteps -- Hal seems to have taken off with the data. That's a good thought, at least. Bian seems to soften a bit as she sizes you up. 'What [italic type]is[roman type] all this? Maybe you can help me out. [bold type]Why don't we have a nice little chat[roman type]. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about.' [if the recorder is not carried]She hands you a tape recorder. You take it, and[otherwise]You[end if] nod cheerfully. She seems nice enough, after all..."; change Janet's status to compromised; change Benj's status to compromised; otherwise if the location is Darkened Lab; say "Bian turns around to return to where Benj was, and finds herself face to face with you. She lifts an eyebrow. 'Who are you? [bold type]HOLD STILL[roman type].' You freeze up entirely at her voice -- it seems to be talking directly to your nervous system. This can't be good. Hal seems unaffected, bolting with the papers clutched to his chest. Well, at least the Foundation will be getting some information out of this. Bian seems to soften a bit as she sizes you up. 'What [italic type]is[roman type] all this? Maybe you can help me out. [bold type]Why don't we have a nice little chat[roman type]. I'm sure we have a lot to talk about.' [if the recorder is not carried]She hands you a tape recorder. You take it, and[otherwise]You[end if] nod cheerfully. She seems nice enough, after all..."; change Janet's status to compromised; change Benj's status to compromised; [Here we check to see if Janet's meddling has gone undetected.] otherwise if the location of Benj is Back of Lab and Benj is carrying the recorder and the deck is closed and the recorder is switched on; say "You hear more sudden footsteps and a door slamming. Hal must have bolted when Bian left. Bian mutters cheerfully to herself and to Benj, and then you hear some more footsteps and the main door closing. The coast should be clear now."; remove Hal from play; remove the student from play; otherwise; say "You hear more sudden footsteps and a door slamming. Hal must have bolted when Bian left. Bian then stops short, and you hear her say 'Wait a minute, what's this?' Looks like your meddling didn't go undetected.[line break]"; have Bian capture Janet; change Janet's status to compromised; change Benj's status to compromised; end if; [Confrontation can only end in timeout as the result of an every turn rule.] if Janet's status is not OK, change DL Ugly Hack Flag to 1. To decide if Janet is watching the drama unfold: if the location is in Psych Ceiling, decide no; decide yes. Table of Skinner Confrontation continuing conversation introductory conversation badass one-liner "[if Janet is watching the drama unfold]Hal tosses the cardkey he used earlier at Bian. [otherwise]You hear Hal's voice. [end if]'You left this behind the last time we played Risk.' [if Janet is watching the drama unfold]She catches it offhandedly. [end if]'Thanks, but you and I both know that's not why you're here. Seriously, Hal, what do you think you're doing, sneaking in here alone?'" "[if Janet is watching the drama unfold]Hal tosses the cardkey he used earlier at the woman. [otherwise]You hear Hal's voice. [end if]'Long time no see, Bian. You left this behind the last time we played Risk.' [if Janet is watching the drama unfold]She catches it offhandedly. [end if]'Yeah, almost a whole day. You and I both know that's not why you're here. Seriously, Hal, what do you think you're doing, sneaking in here alone?'" "'And... sweet dreams, Bian.'" "'I was expecting, at worst, a nascent cult. Not University-sponsored mind-control research.' 'Oh, don't be so dramatic. This is perfectly straightforward psychological research.'" "'I was expecting, at worst, a nascent cult. Not University-sponsored mind-control research. [italic type]Definitely[roman type] not University-sponsored mind-control research masterminded by my old high school friend Bian.' 'Oh, don't be so dramatic. This is perfectly straightforward psychological research.'" "'Yeah, coming in alone [italic type]would[roman type] have been kind of stupid, wouldn't it?" "Hal seems to be getting more aggravated. 'Are you kidding? How on [italic type]Earth[roman type] does your grad student expect to keep this under wraps? When the newspapers find out about this...' 'They won't care in the slightest, and it will be, at most, a human interest story on page D17. You have [italic type]no[roman type] idea who you're dealing with here, Hal!'" "Hal seems to be getting more aggravated. 'Are you kidding, Bian? How on [italic type]Earth[roman type] does your grad student expect to keep this under wraps? When the newspapers find out about this...' 'They won't care in the slightest, and it will be, at most, a human interest story on page D17. You have [italic type]no[roman type] idea who you're dealing with here, Hal!'" "'We'll just call this a basic refresher in physical education, then.'" "'Oh, I think I can guess.' Bian sighs. 'Look. I appreciate you bringing my card back. But you really shouldn't be here, and now I've probably lost a whole night of work. Let me shut a few things down and we can head back to the dorm.'" "'Well, Bian, if I were to hazard a guess, it would involve why you were the one that ran all the modern Secret History games...' The girl -- Bian, was it? -- sighs. 'Look. I appreciate you bringing my card back. But you really shouldn't be here, and now I've probably lost a whole night of work. Let me shut a few things down and we can head back to the dorm.'" "'Neither do you.'" "Bian says, 'Wait a sec, I'll be right back.'" "The girl says, 'Wait a sec, I'll be right back.'. Hal cries out 'Wait, Bian--' behind her." "'We'll handle the shutting things down part, miss.'" Part 4 - Hal - Divided Loyalties Divided Loyalties is a scene. Divided Loyalties begins when Raid on Skinner Hall ends. [Ah, the DL Ugly Hack flag. This is to get around the fact that the previous scene can end either during the Every Turn rules, or before them as the result of a player action. If it was due to a player action, then the conversation will step forward normally. Otherwise we'll need to force it since the chance to do so was already taken.] The DL Ugly Hack Flag is a number that varies. The DL Ugly Hack Flag is 0. When Divided Loyalties begins: change the current agent to aHal; if Bian's identity is known, change Bian's status to RIVAL; strip the player; now the pager is carried by the player; enable Chapter 4 Hints; change the default converser to yourself; start chapter "Chapter 4" named "Divided Loyalties"; say "Oh, man. This should have been a completely routine mission. Follow the other guys in, swipe some documents, then get out. That part was fine, and you made it out with a nice set of psychology research documents and internal memoranda from the 'League of de Molay.' That's the only good news, though. Not only does the League seem to have an actually functioning mind control system, complete with some kind of sonic will-sapping device, a key figure in the research is your old high school friend Bian Tran! The documents are in Saint's safekeeping now. They'll be analyzing the bits that can't be made public and trying to decide whether to co-opt, bury, or expose the psychology program. That bit's their problem. Your problem is now to figure out where you stand with your old friend. This must be why superheroes keep their identities hidden behind ridiculous costumes."; move the player to Student Lounge. Chapter 4A - The map Student Lounge is a vicinity. "The sofas are comfortable, and the tables can hold three large pizzas each. This room was really intended more for students to slack off in during off hours than for conducting conspiratorial after-action reports. But it will do. Anyone wandering past will just thing you two are talking politics or something." A supporter called some tables are scenery in the Student Lounge. The description is "They are made of the finest compressed particle-board, and have seen many all-nighters, as well as the occasional parties. You and Bian used to hold game nights here before Isaac managed to get his own apartment. Now probably isn't the best time to be thinking about that." Some pizza is scenery in the Student Lounge. Instead of doing something to the pizza, say "While it could hold three large pizzas, there are currently zero pizzas of any size on the table." Understand "pizzas" as the pizza. The sofa is scenery in the Student Lounge. The sofa is an enterable supporter. The description is "The sofas here are fairly comfortable, and are a uniform shade of brown, presumably to hide stains. Frankly, though, stains would probably improve their appearance." Understand "sofas" or "couch" or "couches" as the sofa. A woman called Bian is in the Student Lounge. Bian is scenery. The description is "You and Bian have been friends since high school, and you've known each other quite a bit longer than that. You hadn't really expected her to have taken the same kind of deal you did, though. Her family immigrated here from Vietnam under less than ideal circumstances, and you suspect she needs that scholarship from the League of de Molay to be able to attend here at all." [These recycle an action from the briefing before.] Understand "have seat" or "take seat" or "have a seat" or "take a seat" as entering vaguely when the location is Student Lounge. Instead of entering vaguely when the location is Student Lounge, say "You're already seated." Instead of exiting when the player is on the sofa, say "You're in the middle of a conversation." Instead of going when the location is Student Lounge, say "You're in the middle of a conversation." instead. Chapter 4B - Conversation Section 4B (1) - Emotional state [These default to Bian starting in a moderate position.] Bian has a number called desperation. The desperation of Bian is 5. Bian has a number called concordance. The concordance of Bian is 5. Bian has a number called irritation. The irritation of Bian is 4. [Decision routines for handling these qualities more directly. We can't use 'Definition: Bian is conciliatory if' adjectives because 'Bian' won't resolve right inside the quip table. In fact, we can't even refer to Bian in the quip table at all, and so need "To decide if" routines for all of them.] [High-desperation Bian believes she's going to get her scholarship cut off. Low-desperation Bian thinks her position in the League is secure or securable. Discussing Bian's past or the League's masters will increase desperation. Talking about her uniqueness will decrease it.] To decide if Bian is confident: if the desperation of Bian is less than 4, decide yes; decide no. To decide if Bian is troubled: if the desperation of Bian is between 4 and 7, decide yes; decide no. To decide if Bian is desperate: if the desperation of Bian is greater than 7, decide yes; decide no. [High-concordance Bian is well-disposed towards the Foundation. Talking about the Foundation will increase concordance. Treating Bian like a rival will decrease concordance. Concordance ratings can only increase if irritation is comparatively low.] To decide if Bian is hostile: if the concordance of Bian is less than 4, decide yes; decide no. To decide if Bian is wary: if the concordance of Bian is between 4 and 7, decide yes; decide no. To decide if Bian is allied: if the concordance of Bian is greater than 7, decide yes; decide no. [Low-irritation Bian is well-disposed towards Hal personally. If irritation is high, Hal cannot affect concordance at all. Bian will not move to allied unless irritation is low. Being nice in one's reactions will drop irritation. Hal will refuse to deliberately anger Bian, but being accidentally callous will bump it slightly. Buying Bian pizza will drop irritation to minimum.] To decide if Bian is conciliatory: if the irritation of Bian is less than 4, decide yes; decide no. To decide if Bian is irritated: if the irritation of Bian is between 4 and 7, decide yes; decide no. To decide if Bian is furious: if the irritation of Bian is greater than 7, decide yes; decide no. To decide if Bian starts in a strong position: if Janet's status is not OK, decide yes; decide no. To decide if Bian starts in a moderate position: if Janet's status is not OK, decide no; if the Slack Attack rating is sao_captured, decide yes; decide no. To decide if Bian starts in a weak position: if Janet's status is not OK, decide no; if the Slack Attack rating is not sao_captured, decide yes; decide no. To bump concordance by (amount - a number): let the maximum concordance be 10 minus the irritation of Bian; if the concordance of Bian is less than the maximum concordance begin; increase the concordance of Bian by amount; if the concordance of Bian is greater than the maximum concordance, change the concordance of Bian to the maximum concordance; end if. [Set starting conditions. Concordance is always moderate to start with; they're rivals, but coexistence seems necessary. We can't test it yet because of ugliness in the scenery machinery, but if we beat Bian senseless back in Chapter 3, her irritation will be increased by 2 (Hal should have stopped that) and her concordance will drop by 1 (the Foundation is mean). This test will be done before delivering the dl_prologue quip.] [Strong position means Janet and Benj were both captured. Low desperation, moderate concordance, low irritation. Bian's goal is to warn Hal off so as to protect him. Hal may try to lower concordance to keep them distant, or raise it, effectively turning himself.] [Moderate position means Benj was rescued, but not before Bian was able to get a fair amount of information about the Foundation out of him. She's a little worried about her scholarship, especially since the press has started snooping around the psych experiments. She's a little annoyed with Hal (noticably so if Janet resorted to violence) but doesn't consider this rational.] [Weak position means Benj was bait and Janet yoinked him and all evidence, *plus* Hal managed to blow all this to the press. Bian is mad at Hal for doing this; he's going to make her lose her scholarship! She'll be absolutely furious if Janet was violent.] When Divided Loyalties begins: Now Bian is active; If Bian starts in a strong position begin; change the desperation of Bian to 1; change the irritation of Bian to 1; otherwise if Bian starts in a weak position; change the desperation of Bian to 8; change the irritation of Bian to 6; end if; if the DL Ugly Hack Flag is not 0, step the DL conversation. [Ending conditions.] To decide which agent status is the Divided Loyalties result: if Bian is confident, decide on RIVAL; [remains in good standing with the League] if Bian is allied and Bian is desperate, decide on COMPROMISED; [Hal turns her] if Bian is desperate, decide on NEUTRALIZED; [Bian hides from the League] if Bian starts in a strong position, decide on RIVAL; [She's in good standing all around] decide on NEUTRALIZED. [The League puts her on probation.] [If Bian starts in a moderate position and Hal doesn't really do anything to push her, she should move to confident, thus remaining RIVAL. He should be able to push her to NEUTRALIZED. Compromised optional.] [If Bian starts in a strong position, she's not risking much, but hammering her might get her to hide.] [If Bian starts in a weak position, she's probably going to be NEUTRALIZED, but COMPROMISED is possible if Hal can up concordance, and so is RIVAL if he reminds her of her uniqueness.] Section 4B (2) - The conversational ground to cover [Bian will drive the conversation if Hal doesn't. These tables push her topics along.] A subject is a kind of thing. A subject has a table-name called the monologue. A subject can be covered or uncovered. A subject can be core or ancillary. A subject is usually uncovered. A subject is usually ancillary. The monologue of a subject is usually the Table of Placeholder Quips. The specification of subject is "Represents a series of quips that cover a topic in an NPC-directed conversation." The League situation is a core subject. The monologue of the League situation is the Table of League Sitch Lines. The Foundation situation is a core subject. The monologue of the Foundation situation is the Table of Foundation Sitch Lines. The sword of Damocles is a core subject. The monologue of the sword of Damocles is the Table of Sword Lines. Impending pizza is an ancillary subject. The current subject is a subject that varies. The current subject is the League Situation. To decide if (s - a subject) is exhausted: if the number of filled rows in the monologue of s is 0, decide yes; decide no. Table of Conversation Subjects subject The League situation The Foundation situation The sword of Damocles Table of Placeholder Quips quip a quip Table of League Sitch Lines quip dl_prologue league_monologue_1 league_monologue_2 Table of Foundation Sitch Lines quip wf_mono_1 wf_mono_2 Table of Sword Lines quip sword_mono Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext dl_prologue "[if Bian is conciliatory]Bian smiles weakly as you approach. 'Hi, Hal. Have a seat.' You join her at the table[end if][if Bian is irritated]Bian narrows her gaze at you as you walk in. 'Sit down, Hal, we need to talk.' You warily take a seat[end if][if Bian is furious]Bian glares at you as you walk in. 'You made it.' You sit down quickly. You've never seen her this angry before[end if]." league_monologue_1 "Bian looks at you evenly. 'I know you read the papers you took from my psych lab.'" league_monologue_1a "You shift a little. 'Actually, I mostly passed them on to my Unknown Benefactors unread.' She [if Bian is conciliatory]smiles[otherwise]grins evilly[end if]. 'By [apostrophe]Unknown Benefactors[apostrophe] here you mean [apostrophe]the Weishaupt Foundation,[apostrophe] I take it.' You try to not react to her knowing this. Judging by the way her smile broadened, you also fail miserably. 'Come on. You know full well that was be the first question I'd ask Benj.'" league_monologue_1b "'Well, yes. I still can't believe the Psych department let you run experiments like that in public.' 'It's legitimate research[if Bian is conciliatory]. [otherwise], dammit! [end if]All the subjects signed consent forms and waivers. Even your Benj[if Bian starts in a strong position] and Janet[end if].' 'Really.' 'Absolutely.'" league_monologue_2 "[bracket]BUG: league_monologue_2[close bracket]" league_monologue_2s "'Both Benj and Janet were pretty cooperative when I interviewed them. Janet's still kind of under the belief that she works for the Foundation, but she has some unusual ideas about your chain of command now.' 'Given how easy it is for you to find me, why bother with them at all?' Her look softens for a moment. 'All told, I'd just as soon leave you out of it.' You frown inwardly -- she's hiding something from you." league_monologue_2sa "You let that frown become external. 'That's not the whole story.' 'No, it's not. And it touches on matters I either don't want to talk about, or that I can't figure out at all. If it becomes relevant, we'll talk about it. It's not now. Moving on...'" league_monologue_2sb "You smile weakly. 'Given the circumstances, I suppose I should be grateful for small favors.' She looks concerned. 'It's not [italic type]that[roman type] dire.'" league_monologue_2m "'We got a pretty good description of your cell out of Benj, but he didn't know your full names. I knew there was a Hal involved, but I didn't know it was you[if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_fought and Janet's nature is unknown]!' Her eyes narrow. 'I assume it was Janet that saw fit to leave me unconscious on the floor overnight?' 'She's, um, kind of like that in general. If I'd known we were facing you I'd have been a lot pickier about rules of engagement.' She smiles just a little. 'Thanks, I suppose. You know, Benj is going to be scarred for life by her example. He's convinced that all pre-meds are just like her.' That wasn't really the reply you were expecting. 'Really?' 'Totally.'[otherwise]!'" league_monologue_2w "'I suppose I should congratulate you. You managed to tear apart our entire operation[if the location of the tape is not in Psych Labs and the location of the tape is not Psychology Lab] without even leaving us the tapes of the interviews[end if][if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_fought and Janet's nature is unknown].' Her eyes narrow. 'Who exactly was it who saw fit to leave me unconscious on the floor overnight, anyway?' 'That one is, um, kind of like that in general. If I'd known we were facing you I'd have been a lot pickier about rules of engagement.' She seems to calm down a bit. 'Thanks, I suppose[end if].'" wf_mono_1 "Bian continues. 'You also managed to get away with a bunch of reports and records.'" wf_mono_2 "'Most of that stuff is harmless, in that it's academic papers and results that were at some point intended for publication, but the other stuff...'" wf_mono_2a "'Wait wait wait. You can't think they'd want to publish the existence of your side? The last thing any of our benefactors would want is for journalists to be poking around about just what kind of influence is behind the funding of college students these days.' 'Why wouldn't they want to expose a rival?' 'It would make [italic type]them[roman type] more plausible. We can't have that.' 'Hmm. I hope you're right.'" wf_mono_2b "'Harmless? Those papers were [italic type]dynamite[roman type]. If you got those into a journal, they'd be down on the Psych department like a ton of bricks. This is going to be up there with the Milgram and Stanford experiments!' '... we're all going to be immortal founders of entire fields of psychology?' 'That wasn't what I meant and you know it.'" sword_s "Bian straightens up a little. 'Actually, at this point, I'm quite a bit more worried about you than me.' 'Me? How so?' 'Well, as near as I can tell, your cell got broken. Is the Foundation going to want to keep you on?'" sword_s1 "'Sure. I've got a contract, and since it's got to be public, it doesn't have any clauses that hint at the nature of my employers. My grades are all still fine.' 'That's a relief.' She means it, too; it's written all over her face." sword_s2 "'Benj and Janet might be in trouble, but I'm not. I did my job fine.' 'Yeah, but we know who you are and who you work for now.' 'Look at me, Bian. Do you really think they're going to turn me into Man In Black #17? I'm pretty clearly going to be ending up with a desk job.' '... hmm. True enough. That's good to know, anyway.'" sword_d "Bian looks kind of bleak. 'With the less-public information you got, my whole cell's been blown. There's no way they'll want to keep me on now. I'm going to get pink-slipped by the League.'" sword_d1 "You lift an eyebrow. 'So I'm supposed to believe you've been neutralized, and thus grant you free rein to continue the mind-control experiments elsewhere?' 'It's not like that - though I admit you have no reason to believe me. Proof will come soon enough, if I do get pink-slipped.' 'Oh?' 'My family can't afford this college without the de Molay scholarship. After this semester, I'll have to withdraw.'" sword_d2 "'Why would they do that? You might not be terribly useful as an agent against the Foundation, but you'd better believe there are more groups than us two out there.' 'They didn't really have me as an agent anyway.' '... wait. If you're not an agent, why should us knowing matter at all? You should be able to argue them into keeping you. What's the problem? And why did they want you to begin with?' 'Oh, that. That would be...' She suddenly stops, as if remembering something she really shouldn't have forgotten. 'Problem solved, actually. Good catch, Hal.'" sword_mono "Bian looks sideways at you. 'This is going to end up kind of awkward, isn't it.' 'No kidding. What are we going to do about Isaac and Lawrence?' 'Well, that part's easy, at least. We have to keep them out of it.' 'It's not their fight, I guess.' 'Not only that, do either of us know that they haven't signed similar deals? How many of us [italic type]are[roman type] there out there?' You put on your best Game Master voice. 'I'm sorry, Citizen. That information is above your security clearance.' That gets the smirk, at least. 'No doubt.'" dl_pizza "'So, this is kind of a subject shift, but, um, have you had dinner yet?' 'Not yet.' 'Up for pizza? My treat[if Bian starts in a strong position].' 'Really, if anyone should be treating, it's me.' 'As you wish[otherwise].' '... sure, sounds good[end if].' You make the necessary calls. It should be here soon enough." dl_papers "'What exactly are you doing running off secret documents on the Psych department printers, anyway? Isn't that a security risk?' Bian shrugs. 'The door's locked to our keycards, and most of what we're printing isn't all that secret.' 'How so?' 'These are official projects. We've been submitting reports on them to journals.'" dl_Benj "[bracket]BUG: dl_Benj[close bracket]" dl_Benj_free "'Is Benj going to be OK?' '[if Benj's connection is unknown]Who?' 'The guy you captured.' '[end if]He should be fine. If he's still spacing out, there's a reset trigger you can use.' 'Reset trigger?' 'Yeah. Just ask him [apostrophe]What good will $90 do you in Hell?[apostrophe] and he should revert to normality.' '...I suppose that's a sensible enough codephrase, considering.' Bian just bows in reply. Well, as much as one can bow while sitting." dl_journals "'What kind of journals publish results on practical mind control?' 'Psych journals, of course. This kind of thing has been a major issue in social science for decades.'" dl_subgenius "'OK, this is a stupid question, but I have to ask. Why the SubGenius?' 'It makes indoctrination easy to track. The research group can easily ensure it's not duplicating effort.' 'That sounds ominous. What exactly are you trying to spread here?' 'That's the other reason. The doctrine we're using is basically harmless.'" dl_research "'What exactly are you guys doing in that lab, anyway?' Bian lifts an eyebrow. 'Didn't you even glance at the papers? We're doing systematic research into indoctrination techniques and how to resist them. We're using devotion to the Church of the SubGenius as a test case.'" dl_research_1 "'And you can publish this stuff?' 'Oh, sure. Lots of journals will take articles on the topic.'" dl_research_2 "'Aren't there ethical issues involved in this?' 'Sure, but we get consent forms from everyone.'" dl_research_3 "'I see. It's pretty cool that you get to do real research as a frosh.' 'Yeah. That was actually part of my scholarship requirements. It's a bonus, as far as I'm concerned.'" dl_consent "'Are these [apostrophe]consent[apostrophe] forms signed before or after the indoctrination takes place?' 'Before, of course. That's totally obvious to any observer. Unless, that is,' she says, raising her eyebrows significantly, 'you think we can crack someone's will in five seconds flat, before the experiments even begin.' You really could have lived without that eyebrow." dl_premeds "'Hold it. You mean all pre-meds [italic type]aren't[roman type] like Janet?' Bian doesn't deign to reply." dl_psych "'Does the Psych department know what you're up to?' 'Basically. I mean, we try to get published in journals at their insistence, and we have to give them copies of all our subjects[apostrophe] consent forms.'" dl_questions "'What were the other questions you asked Benj?' Bian tsks at you. 'That would be telling.'" dl_Janet "[bracket]BUG: dl_Janet[close bracket]" dl_Janet_free "You're pretty sure Janet didn't actually get noticed. It wouldn't do to put yourself in a position where you could let extra information slip." dl_Benj_captured "'What did you do to Benj, anyway?' 'Oh, he's basically intact. He's possibly a bit confused about his chain of command, though, the poor thing.'" dl_Janet_captured "'What have you done to Benj and Janet?' 'Oh, they're basically intact. Possibly a bit confused about their chain of command, though. And you won't have to worry about Janet lurking outside your door or anything.'" dl_chain_of_command "'What do you mean, [apostrophe]confused about the chain of command[apostrophe]?' Bian shakes her head. 'That would be telling. I'm not about to let the Foundation know who to target. Sorry.'" dl_friends "'What are we going to do about Isaac and Lawrence?' 'That's one of the few easy questions. We have to keep them out of it.' 'It's not their fight, I guess.' 'Not only that, do either of us know that they haven't signed similar deals? How many of us [italic type]are[roman type] there out there?' You put on your best Game Master voice. 'I'm sorry, Citizen. That information is above your security clearance.' That gets the smirk, at least. 'No doubt.'" dl_solution "'What's this you've just remembered?' Bian blinks. 'It's not relevant here.' 'Garbage. You're hugely more confident than you were just a minute a go. What's going on?' 'Seriously. It's not important right now. And I can't talk about it - at least, I can't right now. I'll let you know if it becomes relevant.' 'But...' She narrows her eyes a bit. 'No buts.'" dl_league "'What can you tell me about this League of de Molay?' Bian [if Benj's connection is known]smirks a little. 'What can you tell me about the Weishaupt Foundation?' 'Touché.'[otherwise]lifts an eyebrow. 'I have no idea what you're talking about.' 'Oh well.'[end if]" dl_ask_hal "No need to ask; you know more about that topic than she does." dl_ask_bian "[bracket]BUG: dl_ask_bian[close bracket]" dl_ask_bian_s "'So, are you expecting a promotion or something?' 'That seems kind of unlikely, what with their research being stolen. Not that I'm naming names.'" dl_ask_bian_r "'Are you going to pull through OK?' 'I should be fine.'" dl_ask_bian_n "'Are you going to pull through OK?' 'I honestly don't know. I suspect I'm going to need to keep a low profile though to keep mundane investigators away.'" dl_ask_bian_d "'What's your status with the League?' Bian looks kind of bleak. 'With the less-public information you got, my whole cell's been blown. There's no way they'll want to keep me on now. I'm going to get pink-slipped.'" dl_t_papers "'Those papers you printed were awful official-looking.' 'Well, yeah. We've been submitting articles on our research to journals.'" dl_t_fnord "You weren't really planning on divulging secrets in the conversation." dl_t_Benj "'You know, Benj is a pretty unlikely agent. I have to wonder why the League would have focussed on him so intently.' 'As far as I know, that's total coincidence. The Psych students don't like the CS kids.' '... right. And the chances of your knowledge being complete?' 'Pretty near zero...' 'That's what I thought.' Bian smiles. '... as far as I know.' 'Curse you.'" dl_sorry "'Would it help if I felt bad about this?' 'Not really.'" dl_no_sorry "An apology wouldn't make a lot of sense in this context." dl_t_janet "You aren't really planning on divulging secrets, but [if Janet's status is OK]some vague information might help win her trust[otherwise]maybe you can get a few of your own[end if]. 'Does the name [apostrophe]Janet[apostrophe] mean anything to you?' [if Janet's status is OK]Bian looks at you carefully. 'It's the name of one of your cell members. What's she do?' 'She was the one that actually did the cloak-and-dagger bits on you.' 'MiB in training?' 'I'm not even sure about the [apostrophe]in training[apostrophe] part.'[otherwise]Bian smiles a bit. 'She's your little red-haired girl.' '[italic type]My[roman type] girl?' Her smile broadens. 'Oh, don't worry. You're not her type.' 'You asked this?' 'Are there questions I should be more, well, [italic type]profitably[roman type] asking?' '...right. OK, you win this round.'[end if][if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_fought and Janet's nature is unknown] Bian's eyes narrow. 'I assume she was the one who saw fit to leave me unconscious on the floor overnight?' 'She's, um, kind of like that in general. If I'd known we were facing you I'd have been a lot pickier about rules of engagement.' She smiles just a little. 'Thanks, I suppose. You know, Benj is going to be scarred for life by her example. He's convinced that all pre-meds are just like her.' That wasn't really the reply you were expecting. 'Really?' 'Totally.'[end if]" dl_t_self "'I'm going to be OK, incidentally. I've got a contract with them, and since it's got to be public, it doesn't have any clauses that hint at the nature of my employers. My grades are all still fine, and so there's not much the can do to me.' 'Good to know.' She appears visibly relieved." Table of Quip Followups (continued) quip option result league_monologue_1 "Confirm" league_monologue_1b league_monologue_1 "Deny" league_monologue_1a league_monologue_2s "Press for details" league_monologue_2sa league_monologue_2s "Let it pass" league_monologue_2sb wf_mono_2 "Object to harmlessness of papers" wf_mono_2b wf_mono_2 "Object to harmfulness of other stuff" wf_mono_2a sword_d "Suspicious Skepticism" sword_d1 sword_d "Friendly Support" sword_d2 sword_s "Yes, because you've got a contract" sword_s1 sword_s "Yes, because you didn't fail" sword_s2 dl_research "Practicality objection" dl_research_1 dl_research "Morality objection" dl_research_2 dl_research "No objection" dl_research_3 dl_ask_bian_d "Suspicious Skepticism" sword_d1 dl_ask_bian_d "Friendly Support" sword_d2 Table of Ask Results (continued) NPC topic result Bian "pizza" dl_pizza Bian "Ben/Benj/Lowell/Benjamin/captive/guy" dl_Benj Bian "Janet/Jan/O'Connor/woman/girl" dl_Janet Bian "chain/command" dl_chain_of_command Bian "journals/publish/published/publishing" dl_journals Bian "Bob/Church/SubGenius/cult/cultists" dl_subgenius Bian "consent/forms/waivers" dl_consent Bian "Psych/psychology/department/school/university/ethics/morals/morality" dl_psych Bian "premeds/pre-meds" dl_premeds Bian "papers/reports/records" dl_papers Bian "problem/solution" dl_solution Bian "Isaac/Lawrence/friends" or "gaming group" dl_friends Bian "Bian/self/herself" dl_ask_bian Bian "League" or "de Molay" dl_league Bian "Hal/me/myself" dl_ask_hal Bian "research/experiments" or "mind control" or "mind-control" dl_research Bian "questions" dl_questions Table of Tell Results (continued) NPC topic result Bian "papers/reports/records" dl_t_papers Bian "unknown benefactors" or "benefactors/foundation/weishaupt" dl_t_fnord Bian "Ben/Benj/Lowell/Benjamin/captive/guy" dl_t_Benj Bian "Janet/Jan/O'Connor/woman/girl" dl_t_Janet Bian "Hal/me/myself" dl_t_self [Emotional modifiers.] Before quipping when the current quip is dl_prologue: if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_fought begin; increase the irritation of Bian by 2; decrease the concordance of Bian by 1; end if. After quipping when the current quip is league_monologue_1a: bump concordance by 1. After quipping when the current quip is league_monologue_2m or the current quip is league_monologue_2w: if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_fought, decrease the irritation of Bian by 1. After quipping when the current quip is wf_mono_2a: decrease the desperation of Bian by 2. After quipping when the current quip is sword_d2: decrease the desperation of Bian by 7. After quipping when the current quip is dl_pizza: now impending pizza is covered; change the irritation of Bian to 1. After quipping when the current quip is wf_mono_2b: increase the irritation of Bian by 2. After quipping when the current quip is sword_s1: bump concordance by 2. After quipping when the current quip is sword_s2: bump concordance by 3. After quipping when the current quip is sword_d1: increase the irritation of Bian by 2. After quipping when the current quip is sword_mono: decrease the irritation of Bian by 2; bump concordance by 2. After quipping when the current quip is dl_Benj_free: bump concordance by 1. After quipping when the current quip is dl_consent: decrease the desperation of Bian by 2; decrease the concordance of Bian by 1. After quipping when the current quip is dl_premeds: decrease the irritation of Bian by 2. After quipping when the current quip is dl_friends: decrease the irritation of Bian by 2; bump concordance by 2. After quipping when the current quip is dl_league: decrease the concordance of Bian by 2. After quipping when the current quip is dl_t_Benj: decrease the desperation of Bian by 1. After quipping when the current quip is dl_t_Janet: if Janet's status is OK begin; decrease the irritation of Bian by 2; bump concordance by 2; end if; if the Skinner Raid rating is sro_fought, now Janet's nature is known. After quipping when the current quip is dl_journals: decrease the desperation of Bian by 1. After quipping when the current quip is dl_research_1: decrease the desperation of Bian by 1. After quipping when the current quip is dl_research_3: decrease the irritation of Bian by 1. [Relevant facts.] Benj's connection is a fact that varies. Benj's connection is unknown. [Replacing placeholder quips, or other sneaky reactions.] Before quipping when the current quip is league_monologue_2: if Bian starts in a strong position, change the current quip to league_monologue_2s; if Bian starts in a moderate position, change the current quip to league_monologue_2m; if Bian starts in a weak position, change the current quip to league_monologue_2w. Before quipping when the current quip is sword_mono: if Bian is desperate, change the current quip to sword_d; if Bian starts in a strong position, change the current quip to sword_s. After quipping when the current quip is dl_prologue: silently try entering the sofa. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_Benj: if Benj's status is not OK and the captives' fate is known begin; change the current quip to quip_covered; otherwise if Janet's status is not OK; change the current quip to dl_Janet_captured; otherwise if Benj's status is not OK; change the current quip to dl_Benj_captured; otherwise; change the current quip to dl_Benj_free; end if. The captives' fate is a fact that varies. The captives' fate is unknown. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_Janet: if Janet's status is not OK begin; if the captives' fate is known, change the current quip to quip_covered; otherwise change the current quip to dl_Janet_captured; otherwise; change the current quip to dl_Janet_free; end if. After quipping when the current quip is dl_Janet_captured or the current quip is dl_Benj_captured or the current quip is league_monologue_2s: change the captives' fate to known. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_chain_of_command and the captives' fate is unknown: change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. Questions context is a fact that varies. Questions context is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is league_monologue_1a: change questions context to known. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_questions and questions context is unknown: change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. Premed context is a fact that varies. Premed context is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is league_monologue_2m and the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_fought: change premed context to known. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_premeds and premed context is unknown: change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. Waiver context is a fact that varies. Waiver context is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is league_monologue_1b or the current quip is dl_psych: change waiver context to known. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_consent and waiver context is unknown: change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. Bian's escape clause is a fact that varies. Bian's escape clause is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is sword_d2: change Bian's escape clause to known. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_solution and Bian's escape clause is unknown: change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. Papers context is a fact that varies. Papers context is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is wf_mono_1: change papers context to known. After quipping when the current quip is dl_research: change papers context to known. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_papers and papers context is unknown: change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. Papers resolution is a fact that varies. Papers resolution is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is wf_mono_2 or the current quip is dl_papers: change papers resolution to known. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_papers and papers resolution is known: change the current quip to quip_covered. After quipping when the current quip is dl_papers: if there is a quip of wf_mono_2 in the Table of Foundation Sitch Lines begin; choose row with a quip of wf_mono_2 in the Table of Foundation Sitch Lines; blank out the whole row; end if. Friends context is a fact that varies. Friends context is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is dl_friends or the current quip is sword_mono: change friends context to known. After quipping when the current quip is dl_friends: if Bian is desperate or Bian starts in a strong position begin; do nothing; otherwise if there is a quip of sword_mono in the Table of Sword Lines; choose row with a quip of sword_mono in the Table of Sword Lines; blank out the whole row; end if. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_friends and friends context is known: change the current quip to quip_covered. Bian's plight is a fact that varies. Bian's plight is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is dl_ask_bian_d or the current quip is sword_d: change Bian's plight to known. After quipping when the current quip is dl_ask_bian_d: if there is a quip of sword_mono in the Table of Sword Lines begin; choose row with a quip of sword_mono in the Table of Sword Lines; blank out the whole row; end if. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_ask_bian: if Bian is desperate and Bian's plight is known begin; change the current quip to quip_covered; otherwise if Bian is desperate; change the current quip to dl_ask_bian_d; otherwise if Bian starts in a strong position; change the current quip to dl_ask_bian_s; otherwise if Bian is troubled; change the current quip to dl_ask_bian_n; otherwise; change the current quip to dl_ask_bian_r; end if. Janet's nature is a fact that varies. Janet's nature is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is dl_t_janet: change Janet's nature to known. Apology context is a fact that varies. Apology context is unknown. After quipping when the current quip is league_monologue_2w: change apology context to known; the time for apology passes in one turn from now. At the time when the time for apology passes: change apology context to unknown. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_sorry and apology context is unknown: change the current quip to dl_no_sorry. Hal's safety is a fact that varies. Hal's safety is unknown. Before quipping when the current quip is dl_t_self: if Bian starts in a strong position begin; if Hal's safety is known begin; change the current quip to quip_covered; end if; otherwise; change the current quip to dl_t_fnord; end if. After quipping when the current quip is dl_t_self or the current quip is sword_s: change Hal's safety to known. After quipping when the current quip is dl_t_self and Bian starts in a strong position: if there is a quip of sword_mono in the Table of Sword Lines begin; choose row with a quip of sword_mono in the Table of Sword Lines; blank out the whole row; end if. [Bian takes command if the player doesn't.] Bian can be active or passive. Bian is active. Before asking Bian about something: now Bian is passive; continue the action. Before telling Bian about something: now Bian is passive; continue the action. Before responding with: now Bian is passive; continue the action. To change the subject: repeat through the Table of Conversation Subjects begin; if the subject entry is covered or the subject entry is exhausted begin; blank out the whole row; otherwise; change the current subject to the subject entry; stop; end if; end repeat. To step the DL conversation: if Bian is active begin; if the current subject is exhausted begin; now the current subject is covered; change the subject; if the number of filled rows in the Table of Conversation Subjects is 0 then make no decision; end if; repeat through the monologue of the current subject begin; deliver the quip entry quip; blank out the whole row; make no decision; end repeat; end if; now Bian is active. Every turn during Divided Loyalties: step the DL conversation. Divided Loyalties ends when all core subjects are covered or when the number of filled rows in the Table of Conversation Subjects is zero. To say dl result dialogue: let r be the Divided Loyalties result; if Bian is confident and Janet's status is OK begin; say "I think I know what to do now, and so I should be OK. "; change the Divided Loyalties Rating to dlo_recovered; otherwise if Bian is allied and Bian is desperate; say "I'm pretty nervous about this whole situation.' 'You know, if it really does get that bad, let me know. I, um, know some guys who know some guys. We might be able to work something out.' Bian looks at you carefully. 'Yes, I suppose you do, and that you might. We'll have to talk more later about this. "; change the Divided Loyalties Rating to dlo_turned; otherwise if Bian is desperate; say "I'm going to have to keep a low profile for a while, and probably should be looking for alternate ways to afford college. "; change the Divided Loyalties Rating to dlo_neutralized; otherwise if Bian starts in a strong position; say "Good luck out there, Hal. "; change the Divided Loyalties Rating to dlo_strong; otherwise; say "We'll have to see what the League wants to do with me. Honestly, I'm not that cheerful about my prospects, though. I should probably start looking for new funding sources soon. "; change the Divided Loyalties Rating to dlo_fired; end if. When Divided Loyalties ends: say "Bian says, 'I think we've pretty much covered the ground we need to. [dl result dialogue]Until next time[if impending pizza is covered].' Your cell phone rings. One brief conversation later, you turn back to Bian. 'The pizza's here. Shall we?' 'Sure. Might as well call up Isaac and Lawrence, too; there's no way we can eat all this alone[end if].'"; change Bian's status to the Divided Loyalties Result; pause the game; Section 4B (Debug) - not for release Every turn during Divided Loyalties (this is the dump debug conversation information rule): say "[bracket]Current subject: [the current subject]. Bian's status: Desperation [the desperation of Bian], Concordance [the concordance of Bian], Irritation [the irritation of Bian][close bracket][line break]". Part 5 - Janet - Shadows Shadowed Chapter 5A - Opening and Map Shadows Shadowed is a scene. Shadows Shadowed begins when Divided Loyalties ends. When Shadows Shadowed begins: change the current agent to aJanet; enable Chapter 5 hints; change the default converser to yourself; strip the player; start chapter "Chapter 5" named "Shadows Shadowed"; say "It's been two months since you and your cell stumbled across Bian's psychology experiments. [if Janet's status is OK]Hal delivered the reports he captured to your superiors and... that was all. No action based on your intelligence. No warnings about possible reprisals. (No actual reprisals either, unless you count some nasty student newspaper articles. And you shouldn't, because Benj wrote half of them.) Three months ago they'd been concerned about your training level, but nothing's come of that either. The whole setup stinks. Are your superiors still actually working with you? So, when Hal contacted you and asked for a discreet escort home from an anime showing, outside the Weishaupt Foundation's knowledge, you weren't terribly surprised. He may have a better grasp of the situation than you do.[otherwise]On the other hand, maybe it wasn't so coincidental after all; once you found them, your superiors reassigned you and Benj to help the project out, under Bian's direction. That's been fairly easy work, actually; simple enough that you haven't had to check in at the Foundation in person since. Things might be heating up again soon, though. Bian asked for a secret escort back from some meeting tonight. Something must be up.[end if]"; move the player to Streets of the City; [This "step the SS conversation" call hinges on the fact that Divided Loyalties always ends during an Every Turn rule, and so the usual 'every turn during Shadows Shadowed' rule will not apply. At least we don't need another Ugly Hack flag.] step the SS conversation. The Streets of the City is a vicinity. "[if unvisited]You're loitering outside the student union auditorium. While this normally wouldn't be the best way to be inconspicuous, there are enough people milling around that one more bored student enjoying the night air will fit in fine[otherwise]It's comfortably cool out tonight, but the city itself is thronged with people. If anything is amiss, you're going to have to keep a sharp eye out. Doing that without losing them in the crowd itself is likely to be something of a challenge[end if]." The printed name is "[if unvisited]Outside Student Union[otherwise]The Streets of the City[end if]". A man called Hal is in Streets of the City. A woman called Bian is in Streets of the City. Hal is undescribed. Bian is undescribed. Instead of following Hal, say "[if Janet's status is COMPROMISED]That sort of happens automatically while you're following Bian.[otherwise]That's why you're here; anything else you do while following him is subordinate to that." Instead of following Bian, say "[if Janet's status is not COMPROMISED]That sort of happens automatically while you're following Hal.[otherwise]That's why you're here; anything else you do while following her is subordinate to that." Instead of using excessive violence or attacking Bian, say "[if Janet's status is COMPROMISED]Literally unthinkable.[otherwise]You're supposed to be a subtle escort; besides, at the moment she's not the problem." Instead of using excessive violence or attacking Hal, say "[if Janet's status is COMPROMISED]Bian seems to be on good terms with him, so no. Some niggling detail is gnawing at you, also, but you can't quite put your finger on it.[otherwise]Violence is for rivals, not allies." Instead of kissing Hal, say "He's not your type[if Janet's status is not COMPROMISED]. Besides, you try not to date people you work with[end if]." Instead of asking Hal about something, say "You don't want to draw attention to your interest in those two." Instead of asking Bian about something, say "You don't want to draw attention to your interest in those two." Instead of telling Hal about something, say "You don't want to draw attention to your interest in those two." Instead of telling Bian about something, say "You don't want to draw attention to your interest in those two." The description of Hal is "[if Janet's status is COMPROMISED]Pudgy blond kid, wearing a long black coat. He's an old friend of Bian's. Something about him seems familiar, but whatever it is is stuck at the edge of your mind.[otherwise]He's still as out of shape as ever. On top of that, he seems to have some pre-existing connection to this Bian. Maybe that's why the Foundation was interested in him. On the other hand, maybe that's why you seem to have been cut off from headquarters." The description of Bian is "[if Janet's status is COMPROMISED]She's your current superior. She's of pretty slight build, but she's reasonably light on her feet, and she's got very good presence. Still more likely to end up as a manager than an agent in the grand scheme of things, though.[otherwise]Bian's a East or Southeast Asian about your age. She's got a pretty slight build, but seems reasonably light on her feet." Instead of doing something other than examining or following to Hal, say "He's not really close enough." Instead of doing something other than examining or following to Bian, say "She's not really close enough." Instead of going when the location is the Streets of the City, say "You're already going where you need to to be able to keep an eye on [quarry]. If you want to follow some other person as well, you'll need to be more specific about it." Chapter 5B - The Cast of Thousands susp1, susp2, susp3, susp4, susp5, susp6, susp7, susp8, susp9, and susp10 are suspects and in Limbo. susp1, susp2, susp3, susp4, and susp5 are male. susp6, susp7, susp8, susp9, and susp10 are female. [We can't use, say, "man/in/a/an/the" for this because then > X THE MAN IN THE YELLOW HAT doesn't work. I'm not entirely clear on the mechanics of this.] Understand "man" or "in" or "with" or "a" or "an" or "the" as susp1. Understand "man" or "in" or "with" or "a" or "an" or "the" as susp2. Understand "man" or "with" or "in" or "a" or "an" or "the" as susp3. Understand "man" or "in" or "with" or "a" or "an" or "the" as susp4. Understand "man" or "in" or "with" or "a" or "an" or "the" as susp5. Understand "woman" or "in" or "with" or "a" or "an" or "the" as susp6. Understand "woman" or "in" or "with" or "a" or "an" or "the" as susp7. Understand "woman" or "in" or "with" or "a" or "an" or "the" as susp8. Understand "woman" or "in" or "with" or "a" or "an" or "the" as susp9. Understand "woman" or "in" or "with" or "a" or "an" or "the" as susp10. To record the previous extras: blank out the Table of So Sixty Seconds Ago Outfits entirely; repeat with s running through suspects in the Streets of the City begin; choose a blank row in the Table of So Sixty Seconds Ago Outfits; change col entry to the dye of s; change gar entry to the garment of s; end repeat. To repopulate the street: now all suspects are in Limbo; blank out the Table of Passerby entirely; choose row 1 in the Table of Passerby; change the rogue entry to the culprit; now the culprit is in the Streets of the City; repeat with N running from 2 to 5 begin; choose row N in the Table of Passerby; let r be a random suspect in Limbo; now r is in the Streets of the City; change the rogue entry to r; end repeat; sort the Table of Passerby in random order. To recast extras: record the previous extras; repopulate the street; let duplicates be 1; while duplicates is 1 begin; repeat through the Table of Passerby begin; let s be the rogue entry; if s is not the culprit, re-dress s; end repeat; change duplicates to 0; repeat with N running from 1 to the number of rows in the Table of Passerby begin; repeat with M running from (N + 1) to the number of rows in the Table of Passerby begin; let P be the rogue in row N of the Table of Passerby; let Q be the rogue in row M of the Table of Passerby; if the dye of P is the dye of Q and the garment of P is the garment of Q, change duplicates to 1; end repeat; end repeat; end while. Instead of doing anything other than examining, following, using excessive violence, or attacking to a suspect: say "You don't have time." Chapter 5C - Interludes, as the Cast of Thousands Appear To say dude (n - a number): choose row n in the Table of Passerby; let s be the rogue entry; change the current citizen to s; say generic outfit of s. To say specific dude (n - a number): choose row n in the Table of Passerby; let s be the rogue entry; change the current citizen to s; say specific outfit of s. To say interlude (n - a number): choose row n in the Table of Passerby; let s be the rogue entry; say s interferes. To say (m - a suspect) interferes: change the current citizen to m; choose a random row in the Table of Mundane Interference; say the event entry. Table of Passerby rogue a suspect with 4 blank rows The current citizen is a suspect that varies. To say dude: say "[generic outfit of the current citizen]". To say specific dude: say "[specific outfit of the current citizen]". To say dude his-her: if the current citizen is male, say "his"; otherwise say "her". To say dude him-her: if the current citizen is male, say "him"; otherwise say "her". To say dude sir-miss: if the current citizen is male, say "sir"; otherwise say "miss". To say dude he-she lc: if the current citizen is male, say "he"; otherwise say "she". To say dude He-She: if the current citizen is male, say "He"; otherwise say "She". To say dude man-woman: if the current citizen is male, say "man"; otherwise say "woman". To say quarry: if Janet's Status is COMPROMISED, say "Bian"; otherwise say "Hal". To say quarry he-she: if Janet's Status is COMPROMISED, say "she"; otherwise say "he". To say quarry his-her: if Janet's Status is COMPROMISED, say "her"; otherwise say "his". To say quarry companion: if Janet's Status is COMPROMISED, say "Hal"; otherwise say "Bian". Table of Mundane Interference event "You walk past a [dude] reading a newspaper. " "You are caught in a momentary crush, and a [dude] elbows [dude his-her] way past you. " "You slip past a [dude], struggling to keep an eye on [quarry]. " "They duck behind a [dude] for a moment. " "Hal and Bian part for a moment to let a [dude] through. " "You lose your quarry momentarily as they turn a corner. Once you catch up, you locate them a bit in front of a [dude]. " "A [dude] catches your eye as you continue. " "Intent on your pursuit, you almost trip over a [dude]. Mumbling an apology, you continue on. " "They shift to single file for a bit, long enough to let a [dude] pass. " "A [dude] shouting into a pay phone makes the next bit a little difficult to follow. " "A bumbling [dude] gets in your way, making it harder to see what's going on. You swear under your breath and maneuver around [dude him-her]. " "A [dude] tries to hand you a pamphlet of some sort. You reject [dude him-her] with a gesture, then continue. " "You gingerly step over a panhandling [dude]. " "The conversation gets a little harder to follow here, as you are stuck behind a [dude] with no polite way out. " "You cross a street at this point, along with a [dude]. " "They stop for a moment, as a [dude] asks them something about a bus stop. Hal says, 'One block that way, [dude sir-miss].' [dude He-She] thanks him and heads in that direction. " "A [dude] with a cell phone almost -- but not completely -- drowns them out. " "You duck past a [dude]. " "You slip into the gutter briefly to get past a [dude]. " "A [dude] breezes past you. " "A [dude] ducks past you. " "You breeze past a [dude]. " Chapter 5D - The Plot Thickens Every turn during Shadows Shadowed (this is the conversation step rule): step the SS conversation. To step the SS conversation: recast extras; repeat through the Table of Shadow Dialogue begin; if the script entry is not "", say "[script entry][paragraph break]"; blank out the whole row; stop; end repeat. [A number of these lines have substrings cut out of them as separate routines. This is to get around length limits in the Inform compiler and does not have any particularly deep meaning.] Table of Shadow Dialogue script "You stretch, looking over a [dude 1] to get a decent view of the doors. [quarry] should be coming out soon. Ah, yes, there [quarry he-she] is, right behind a [dude 2]. You casually put away the book you were pretending to read, and stand up. That's when you notice that [quarry he-she]'s chatting with [quarry companion]. Well, well. This could be more interesting than you thought. As they get into the crowd and start walking down the street, you place yourself about 10 feet behind them, ducking past a [dude 3]. 'I don't know,' Hal says. [interlude 4]'I can't see why they thought it was a good idea to turn [italic type]Guardian Application Tristán[roman type] into a full-length anime.' [interlude 5]Bian shrugs. 'If someone hired the studio to do it, there'd be no reason not to. Besides, I don't think it was [italic type]that[roman type] bad.'" "[quarry companion] turns to [quarry]. 'So, are your friends around?' [interlude 1][if Janet's status is not COMPROMISED]'You should always assume friends are around. It makes one feel so much more comfortable and happy.' You can't see Bian's expression, but a [dude 2] and a [dude 3] get out of her way real fast. 'Yeah, I just [italic type]bet[roman type].' [interlude 4]'Hmm. Something really is on your mind.'[otherwise]'I think I've got things covered. Besides, you're here.' [interlude 2]Hal doesn't sound convinced. 'Don't give me that.' He ducks around a [dude 3] and a [dude 4]. 'I don't think I've got the shape for a bodyguard. Unless there's something else on your mind?'[end if][paragraph break][interlude 5]Bian shrugs. 'I don't have anything specific to point at - just the general feeling I'm being watched all the time.'" "Hal doesn't seem convinced. 'Why is this odd?' [interlude 1]'I already know who [italic type]my[roman type] masters have watching me. Your side will obviously just ask [italic type]you[roman type], but there have been some very odd hints that I haven't quite been able to interpret.' [interlude 2]'That reminds me. How have you been weathering the aftermath of that mess two months ago?' [interlude 3][pre-truck dialogue]OOKOUTTHATTRUCK'SNOTGOINGTOSTOP![roman type]' The two of them, and a [dude 5], come to a sudden halt as a good-sized truck speeds through the intersection. Bian pulls out a cell phone. 'Right. That's one red-light runner that's getting reported.' [cue truck]She pauses, suddenly noticing something. '... How did you notice that, Hal? You were looking at me, not the road.' Hal shrugs. 'I probably cued on the engine sound or something.'" "[interlude 1]'So um, Hal. Did Isaac corner you before you left tonight?' 'Heh, yeah. [apostrophe]You stick together all the time, you're always [italic type]watching[roman type] each other, snipe casually whenever we're around... did you really think we wouldn't notice you're a couple?[apostrophe]' [interlude 2]'What did you tell him?' 'I kind of dodged the question.' [interlude 3]'I made a point to not attack the underlying premise, though.' [interlude 4]Bian nods. 'Great minds think alike. We should keep up the embarrassed silence bit. It serves our purposes, and it implies that they were right. We win both ways.' You duck past a [dude 5]. 'We got [italic type]really[roman type] lucky that they hit on a theory that's consistent but false.' Hal slows down a little. 'Hm. One thing still bothers me, though...'" "'What's on your mind, Hal?' [interlude 1]'Tell me you didn't do anything to Lawrence when denying it.' [interlude 2]'OK. [apostrophe]I didn't do anything to Lawrence.[apostrophe] Happy?' 'No!' [if Janet's status is OK]You actually haven't heard Hal that angry, ever. [otherwise]That's the angriest you've heard him so far. [end if]'I read the papers you guys had written. I know what you can do.' [interlude 3]'You know full well I don't [italic type]use[roman type] it on neutral parties, and we both already agreed that he is one. [bold type]LET THE MATTER DROP.[roman type]' You suddenly find yourself contemplating whether you'd rather have pizza or ramen for dinner tonight, and shake your head to restore your focus. You notice a [dude 4] and a [dude 5], nearby, also apparently dazed by the force of Bian's command. Hal, however, is unfazed. 'Wow. Intonation just so, posture, word choice... even your eyebrows are calculated to put your demands right into the hindbrain. Those psych studies you did are really impressive, though I suppose some of that was your benefactors. Too bad it doesn't work if you can see the wires.'" "Hal and Bian walk in silence for a while. Bian then suddenly says, 'You're a P.S.I. sensitive, aren't you.' [interlude 1]'... and you just blanched. Don't even [italic type]try[roman type] to deny it.' [interlude 2]'I'll have you know that my bosses checked, and they said I had no ESP capabilities of any kind.' [interlude 3]'Not what I meant. If they checked you with Zener cards, they'd show you doing well when you can see the card backs, but only chance when you couldn't.' Hal remains silent. You weave past a [dude 4], trying to keep them in sight. Bian breaks the silence. [interlude 5]'Pre-Sapient Interpretation. You're pulling more subtle info out of your vision and sound than usual. That's how you found the truck. That's how you can beat the Voice. And it's almost certainly why they sent you to keep an eye on me.'[psi hint]" "As they reach the next intersection, Hal and Bian are stopped by a [dude 1]. 'Hi there!' [quarry companion] pauses. 'Um, yes?' The [specific dude 1] presses a large pamphlet into [quarry companion]'s hand. 'Before we continue, please take this book.' '... this book is full of nothing but As, Ts, Cs, and Gs. What is this, some kind of DNA sequence?' 'Human Genome project. I'm open source!' 'Um... thanks.' They move hurriedly on. You can't help but notice that [quarry companion] kept the book, though. That could be ominous. You ensure that this nut is involved giving [dude his-her] spiel to a [dude 2] and a [dude 3] before slipping past. You don't want to lose [quarry]. Once the [specific dude 1] is out of earshot, [quarry] says, 'That may be the most profoundly idiotic campaign I've ever seen.' [interlude 4][quarry companion] nods. 'I have to wonder who's funding this.' [interlude 5]Hal suddenly stops. 'We turn right at the next corner.' 'What?' 'Hurry. No time.' '... right.' They both speed up. You make an effort to stay inconspicuous while following along, but it's getting harder at this speed." "" The truck is a thing. Before doing anything to the truck, say "It was gone too fast for you to even get the company it worked for, much less the license number." instead. To say cue truck: move the truck to Streets of the City; the truck reference vanishes in one turn from now. At the time when the truck reference vanishes: remove the truck from play. To say pre-truck dialogue: if Bian's status is RIVAL, say "'Well, I don't have to worry about where my tuition is coming from next quarter.' 'So you're still on with them.' 'I can't confirm that.' [interlude 4]'I suppose that's as good an answer as I can hope f...[bold type]L"; otherwise say "'I think I'm going to end up having to withdraw. The money's just not there.' [interlude 4]'Didn't you qualify for federal aid back in high school? You could [bold type]L". To say psi hint -- running on: If the tail status is not on-target, say "[paragraph break]Now that she mentions it, something about this whole scene has been bugging you; a regularity of some kind that shouldn't be there. Maybe you should keep a sharper eye out.[no line break]" Chapter 5E - Stalking Your Quarry [We keep track on who Janet's keeping an eye on.] Tailing status is a kind of value. The tailing statuses are no target, mistargeted, retargeting, or on-target. The tail status is a tailing status that varies. The tail status is no target. [In subsequent messages we cannot keep track simply of the suspect we're tracking, because they mutate every turn. So, we keep their outfits in a global.] The tail gender is a text that varies. The tail color is a dye that varies. The tail garment is a garment that varies. [The ringer will also notice Janet if she's on his case for long enough.] The current suspicion is a number that varies. The current suspicion is 0. The trigger suspicion is a number that varies. The trigger suspicion is 4. Every turn during Shadows Shadowed (this is the record target rule): if the tail status is retargeting begin; if the noun is not a suspect begin; say "[bracket]BUG: Retargeting rule triggered on a non-citizen![close bracket]"; end if; if the noun is male begin; change the tail gender to "man"; otherwise; change the tail gender to "woman"; end if; change the tail color to the dye of the noun; change the tail garment to the garment of the noun; end if. Every turn during Shadows Shadowed (this is the tailing status report rule): If the tail status is mistargeted begin; say "The [tail gender] in the [tail color] [tail garment] you were keeping an eye on doesn't seem to be in the vicinity anymore."; change the tail status to no target; otherwise if the tail status is on-target; increase the current suspicion by 1; if the current suspicion is 1 begin; say "The [specific outfit of the culprit] is still nearby."; change the description of the culprit to "[if the culprit is male]H[otherwise]Sh[end if]e mostly blends into the rest of the city, but something about [if the culprit is male]him[otherwise]her[end if] bothers you."; otherwise if the current suspicion is 2; say "The [specific outfit of the culprit] is still nearby."; change the description of the culprit to "This is definitely the same person you saw before."; otherwise if the current suspicion < the trigger suspicion; say "That [specific outfit of the culprit] has been taking exactly the same route as you (and thus [quarry]) for some time now."; end if; otherwise if the tail status is retargeting; if the noun is the culprit begin; change the tail status to on-target; otherwise; change the tail status to mistargeted; end if; [No target produces no message and no change in status.] end if. The record target rule is listed before the conversation step rule in the every turn rules. The tailing status report rule is listed after the conversation step rule in the every turn rules. [EXAMINEing, FOLLOWing, or ATTACKing a generic citizen will incite one to follow him or her.] After examining a suspect: if the tail status is not on-target begin; say "You shift your trajectory through the crowd to stay a little closer to [if the noun is male]him[otherwise]her[end if]."; change the tail status to retargeting; end if. Following is an action applying to one visible thing. Understand "follow [thing]" or "track [thing]" or "tail [thing]" as following. Check following: if the noun is not a person, say "Following inanimate things is pointless." instead; if the noun is not a suspect, say "You have no reason to follow [the noun]." instead; Carry out following a suspect: say "You shift your trajectory through the crowd to stay a little closer to [if the noun is male]him[otherwise]her[end if]."; change the tail status to retargeting. Instead of following a suspect when the noun is the culprit and the tail status is on-target: say "You are already following the [specific outfit of the culprit]." Instead of attacking a suspect: if the noun is the culprit and the tail status is on-target begin; say "You can if you need to, but at the moment you haven't been provoked. You don't want to be the one that starts any conflict."; otherwise; say "You're supposed to be preventing incidents, not starting them. You'll need to be in range to do any preventing, though. You shift your trajectory through the crowd to stay a little closer to [if the noun is male]him[otherwise]her[end if]."; change the tail status to retargeting; end if. Chapter 5F - Crisis Point Shadows Shadowed ends in discovery when the current suspicion >= the trigger suspicion. Shadows Shadowed ends in interception when the number of filled rows in the Table of Shadow Dialogue is zero and the tail status is on-target. Shadows Shadowed ends in disaster when the number of filled rows in the Table of Shadow Dialogue is zero and the tail status is not on-target. When Shadows Shadowed ends in discovery: change the current citizen to the culprit; say "It looks like you aren't the only one who's noticed the same faces showing up. The [specific dude] turns, noticing your attention. 'Is there a problem?' 'Not particularly,' you say. You note with interest that despite the fact that [dude he-she lc] is focusing mainly on you, he's still keeping on the same track as Hal and Bian. 'Just walking down the street.' 'In this crowd, you'd have already turned off somewhere else by now, given how far we've come. What's your story, girl?' You narrow your eyes. 'Don't be ridiculous. There's at least two or three other people I've seen this whole route too.' [dude He-She] starts to reach into [dude his-her] pocket. 'Wrong answer.'[paragraph break]"; give Shadows Shadowed win scenario; change the Shadows Shadowed Rating to sso_discovered; pause the game. When Shadows Shadowed ends in interception: change the current citizen to the culprit; say "Something's spooked Hal[if Janet's status is COMPROMISED], and Bian seems to be playing along[otherwise] and Bian[end if]. As they shift through the crowd, you begin to walk faster, leaving a wave of annoyed people in a wake. You're not the only one. Another wake follows behind that suspicious [dude], and [dude he-she lc] is a bit ahead of you. [dude He-She] is clearly closing in on [quarry] and [quarry companion]. Time to make your move. You close in on [dude him-her] and tap [dude him-her] on the shoulder. 'What's the rush, [dude sir-miss]?' [dude He-She] reaches into [dude his-her] pocket. 'Bad timing.'[paragraph break]"; give Shadows Shadowed win scenario; change the Shadows Shadowed Rating to sso_intercepted; pause the game. When Shadows Shadowed ends in disaster: change the current citizen to the culprit; say "Something's spooked Hal[if Janet's status is COMPROMISED], and Bian seems to be playing along[otherwise] and Bian[end if]. As they shift through the crowd, you begin to walk faster, leaving a wave of annoyed people in a wake. [SS disaster paragraphs] The next thing you remember clearly is your arm on fire with pain, as paramedics hand you a tube to breathe out of. You don't seem to have been moved, but [quarry] is nowhere to be seen."; change Janet's status to neutralized; change Bian's status to captured; change the Shadows Shadowed Rating to sso_failed; pause the game. To say SS disaster paragraphs: say "You're not the only one. Another wake follows behind a [dude], well ahead of you. [dude He-She] is clearly closing in on [quarry] and [quarry companion], and it doesn't look like you're going to be able to reach the [specific dude] before [dude he-she lc] reaches [quarry]. So much for subtlety. '[quarry]!' you shout. 'Behind you! The [specific dude]!' Said [dude] pulls several small objects out of [dude his-her] pocket as you shout, and throws one at you and one at [quarry] and [quarry his-her] companion. There isn't really enough room to dodge. You hear a 'pop' noise near your feet and smoke begins to pour out. It's strong stuff, whatever it is; you begin to cough and hack, and your eyes water. The rest of the bystanders seem affected as well. You have trouble moving." To give Shadows Shadowed win scenario: say "[dude He-She]'s far, far too slow. By the time [dude he-she lc] actually finishes drawing whatever it is -- a knife, it seems to be -- you're already placed to immobilize [dude his-her] arm. You quickly bind the arm with the knife and take [dude him-her] to the pavement. So much for subtlety. Time to play Spunky Damsel In Distress. 'Look out! [dude He-She]'s got a knife!' You've now got a small but appreciative crowd. 'Somebody with a cell phone. You. Call the police. I can't hold [dude him-her] down forever.' 'Right.' One of them runs off. Your assailant twitches a little under you. You tighten your hammerlock. 'Sit tight, we'll get this sorted out soon enough.' [dude He-She] grunts a little. 'I think not. It's only a matter of time before the Scion is safely in our hands. You can't stop it, and you will not keep me.' You hear a 'pop' noise beneath [dude him-her] and smoke begins to flow from under [dude his-her] body. It's strong stuff, whatever it is; you begin to cough and hack, and your eyes water. The rest of the bystanders seem affected as well. In your fit of coughing, you are unable to maintain your grip, and the mysterious [dude man-woman] wrenches free and makes [dude his-her] escape. You think. It's kind of hard to see. This is the cue for the police to actually arrive on-scene, and for you to spend the evening answering the same questions forty different ways. Oh well. At least you kept [dude him-her] off of [quarry]'s back...". Chapter 5 (Debug) - not for release Cheat-shadowing is an action applying to nothing. Understand "win scenario" as cheat-shadowing when the location is Streets of the City. Carry out cheat-shadowing: change the tail status to on-target. Report cheat-shadowing: say "You unerringly focus on the [specific outfit of the culprit]. ZOMG HAX!" Part 6 - Benj - The Living Weapon The Living Weapon is a scene. The Living Weapon begins when Shadows Shadowed ends. When The Living Weapon begins: change the current agent to aBenj; strip the player; now the player carries the lockpicks; enable Chapter 6A hints; change the default converser to yourself; start chapter "Chapter 6" named "The Living Weapon"; if Benj's status is OK, say sane Living Weapon opening; otherwise say brainwashed Living Weapon opening; move the player to a front row seat. To say sane Living Weapon Opening: say "What a month. First you [if the Slack Attack Rating is sao_captured]get kidnapped by zombies from the Psychology Department[otherwise]use yourself as bait[end if], get hypnotized (or something -- you don't really remember much after going into the Psych labs, and Janet's been snickering at you behind her face ever since you snapped out of it), and the Foundation stops paying attention. Then all Hell breaks loose as Janet and Hal are attacked, and you get a non-standard summons the next day. 'Assemble at room 203 of Knuth Hall at 6 PM tonight, and await both Saints[if the Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_failed]. Lives may depend on this.' Geeze, no pressure or anything. [otherwise].' Well, here you are. [end if]But the only Saint you know doesn't seem to be here yet. Neither is anyone else. You take a seat and wait for them to show up." To say brainwashed Living Weapon opening: say "What a month. [if the Slack Attack Rating is sao_captured]First Psych department zombies kidnap you, and then it turns out this is some kind of project led by Bian, and you and Janet are working under her now. [otherwise]Some kind of mission for your bosses, then you and Janet get reassigned to Bian for her group's projects. [end if]Not that this is a bad thing, mind; these days you're mostly doing memory tests and the like, though you have had a bit more trouble thinking straight lately. Bian's probably one of the best people you've worked for or with, though. She's also been kind of edgy this past week, and she didn't show up to your regular meeting today. You were starting to get a little curious about where she was when the lab phone rang. [if the Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_failed]When you picked it up, you heard a voice you didn't recognize. 'Bian's in trouble. Report to room 203 of Knuth Hall at 6 PM tonight. Wait for the Saints.' Well, that's one way to motivate you to show up.[otherwise]You picked it up, and the caller wasted no time. 'Benj, it's Bian. Something big has come up. Can you meet up with me and my boss at six? Come to 203 Knuth.' 'Will do.' And so, off you went. And here you are, sitting around at the meeting point, but you still don't see her, or her boss.[end if]" Chapter 6A - Briefing Final Briefing is a vicinity. "There does seem to be a certain similarity to these briefings after a time. You suppose it was too much to hope for that secret societies would get to have fancy multimedia projectors for their field presentations. Of course, had they done that, they wouldn't really be staying secret for long." The printed name is "203 Knuth". The final exposition is a fact that varies. The final exposition is unknown. Exposition Bomb is a scene. Exposition Bomb begins when the time since The Living Weapon began is one minute and Exposition Bomb has not happened. Exposition Bomb ends when the final exposition is known. Agent Ling is a man. Understand "Saint" as Ling. The description is "You [if Benj's status is OK]know him as 'Saint', but apparently he's 'Mr. Ling' outside of your cell. So much for that being a secret agent codename[otherwise]knew him as 'Saint' when you worked under him, but it seems like he's 'Mr. Ling' to others[end if]. He looks more relaxed than Chatarras, but still seems to be taking this seriously." Agent Chatarras is a man. The description is "Mr. Chatarras is a tall, confident man, apparently the one Bian answers to. He's got dark skin but you can't really place his ethnicity; it could be anything from South Asian to Pacific Islander to Hispanic. It's quite obvious from his expression that he's under a lot of stress." A woman called Bian is in Limbo. The default ask quip is fb_refusal. The default tell quip is fb_refusal. The description is "Bian's a harmless-looking East Asian girl[if Benj's status is OK], but something in the back of your mind fills you with fear and revulsion whenever you look at her -- some nameless warning from your subconscious that this woman is Bad News[otherwise]. You've been reporting to her for a while now; this is the first time since the transfer you've actually seen your old superior[end if]." A woman called Janet is in Limbo. The default ask quip is fb_refusal. The default tell quip is fb_refusal. The description is "Janet's tied her red hair back today, which is unusual, but she still looks as sharp as ever[if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED] even taking the cast on her right arm into account. You must admit, you've always sort of considered Janet to be invincible, and it's disconcerting at some level to see evidence that this isn't true[end if][if Benj's status is not OK and Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]. Nevertheless, you're glad she transferred with you to Bian's project, and it's nice to see her[otherwise if Benj's status is not OK and Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]. You're glad she transferred with you to Bian's project[otherwise if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]. She looks more determined than you feel, but being near her is nevertheless good for your morale[end if]." Instead of kissing Bian: if Benj's status is OK, say "Something in the back of your mind screams in protest at the very thought."; otherwise say "You don't really think of her that way.". Instead of kissing Janet, say "[if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]Even with the cast, she'd still[otherwise]You see no need to give her an excuse to[end if] kick your ass.". A man called Hal is in Limbo. The default ask quip is fb_refusal. The default tell quip is fb_refusal. The description is "[if Benj's status is OK]You aren't sure, but you think Hal may have lost a few pounds this month. The secret agent life must be doing him some good[otherwise]Hal is one of Bian's friends, it seems; you haven't seen much of him since you transferred over to her unit[end if][if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]. He looks distinctly worried[end if]." Some seats are supporters in the Final Briefing. The description is "Even in an empty room, these chairs are closely packed enough to make the lecture hall feel claustrophobic." The front row seat is a proper-named enterable container in the Final Briefing. The description is "This chair is much like all the others in this room, except that you are sitting in it." The printed name is "a front row seat". Instead of exiting when the player is in the front row seat: if Exposition Bomb is happening, change the final exposition to known; otherwise say "The briefing hasn't happened yet." Before going when the player is in the front row seat: if Exposition Bomb is happening, change the final exposition to known; otherwise say "The briefing hasn't happened yet."; stop the action. The seats and the front row seat are scenery. When Exposition Bomb begins: move Ling to Final Briefing; move Chatarras to Final Briefing; move Janet to Final Briefing; move Hal to Final Briefing; move Bian to Final Briefing; if Benj's status is OK begin; say "As you try to get comfortable in your seat, you hear the doors open again. Turning around to check, you find Saint walking in, flanked by Janet [if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED](who seems to have broken her right arm) [end if]and Hal. Saint stays near the door, checking his watch as your teammates head down to join you. You nod to Janet as she sits down, but Hal is slower, and has turned to watch the door. Following his glance, you see [if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]two more people show up; the psych student that seemed to be behind your kidnapping (Bian, you think her name was), and a man you don't know[otherwise]a man you don't recognize walking in[end if]. Saint takes a seat behind you[if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED], Bian settles in next to Hal,[end if] and the other man takes the stage and begins to speak. 'Taking a back seat, Ling?' Saint sounds unfazed. 'This is the League's mess, Chatarras, not ours. We're just along for the ride.'[paragraph break]"; deliver the fb_initial_free quip; otherwise; say "As you try to get comfortable in your seat, you hear the doors open again. It's your old boss, as well as your old teammate Hal. He didn't transfer with the rest of you. Your old boss gives you an unreadable look, and stays back by the door, checking his watch. Hal takes a seat a few away from yours as the doors open again, revealing [if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]three more members; Janet, your direct superior Bian, and a man you don't recognize, who must be Bian's 'Saint.' Janet sits down next to you, while Bian takes a seat between you and Hal[otherwise]two more people; Janet, and a man you don't recognize. You'd guess him to be the man who placed the phone call[end if]. Your old boss takes a seat a row behind you as the other man takes the stage and begins to speak. 'Taking a back seat, Ling?' He sounds annoyed. 'You've already pulled most of my cell here on your own, Chatarras. Mr. Moore and I seem to just be along for the ride.'[paragraph break]"; deliver the fb_initial_turned quip; end if; if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED begin; repeat through the Table of Quip Followups begin; if the quip entry is fb_c_police, blank out the whole row; end repeat; end if. Before going during Exposition Bomb: change final exposition to known; stop the action. Instead of waiting during Exposition Bomb, change final exposition to known. Instead of saying no during Exposition Bomb, change final exposition to known. Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext fb_initial_free "The man at the podium -- Agent Chatarras, apparently -- nods. 'All right, let's begin. As my esteemed counterpart, Agent Ling of the Foundation, noted, this is indeed a mess for the League, but the rest of you are caught up, too.' He flips an index card. 'In short, we have become a victim of our own success. The studies surrounding our uncontrolled grailkin have borne greater fruit than we could have ever expected, and as a result the project is undeniably compromised. The Priory of Sion, an old and mutual rival, has noticed this and already taken action. We need to stop them before their reports can filter up to their superiors. 'Fortunately, their locals are reasonably well concentrated, and our research has already been able to develop an effective countermeasure. [if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]However, they've captured Bian, and we need her to use it. You will need to find her and give her the materials she needs to cover her tracks[otherwise]You will need to infiltrate their facilities and place the countermeasures[end if].' He looks across the audience. 'Any questions?'" fb_free_english "'Could we have that from the top, in English?' Agent Chatarras looks at Saint. 'You haven't told them [italic type]anything[roman type], have you, Ling?' 'This only just became relevant to our cell now.' Chatarras shakes his head and sighs. 'All right. Bian Tran [if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]here [end if]is an agent of ours[if Bian's status is not RIVAL]. She still is, too, despite certain misgivings the Foundation has been placing in her mind.' You sneak a look at Hal, who is very carefully looking innocent. Chatarras continues. 'Bian [otherwise]. She [end if]has a rare talent for, shall we say, persuasion. The Priory of Sion, a longstanding rival of both our organizations, has been trying to maintain a monopoly on this talent, and Priory agents have recently discovered both her presence here and her importance. Fortunately, we can exploit her talent to throw them off the trail, quite possibly permanently[if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]. Unfortunately, they managed to capture her. We need to get her out and then use her talent to wipe out the evidence they've collected[end if]. I've left a fair amount of context out here, but I'll happily clarify anything you want details on.'" fb_gotit "'Let me see if I have this straight: You have some kind of secret project, but it's not secret anymore. You want us to cover it up before somebody we both don't like notices in a way we can't control[if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]. This will also involve finding Bian, who is missing and probably somewhere they control[end if].' 'That's the gist. If you need further details, feel free to ask more detailed questions.'" fb_initial_turned "The man at the podium -- Agent Chatarras, apparently -- smirks. 'I'm sure that would be news to them. As my esteemed counterpart, Agent Ling of the Foundation, noted, this is indeed primarily a situation for the League of de Molay, but the rest of you are going to be in the blast radius if this goes south.' 'In short, we have become a victim of our own success. The studies surrounding our uncontrolled grailkin have borne greater fruit than we could have ever expected, and as a result the project is undeniably compromised. The Priory of Sion, an old and mutual rival, has noticed this and already taken action. We need to stop them before their reports can filter up to their superiors. Fortunately, their locals are reasonably well concentrated, and our research has already been able to develop an effective countermeasure. [if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]However, they've captured Bian, and we need her to use it. You will need to find her and give her the materials she needs to cover her tracks[otherwise]You will need to infiltrate their facilities and place the countermeasures[end if].' He looks across the gathered agents. 'Any questions?'" fb_turned_english "'Er, yes. Could we have that from the top, in English?' [if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]Chatarras lifts an eyebrow at Bian. 'You haven't exactly been filling your charges in much, have you?' 'Actually, Saint, even [italic type]I[roman type] only got about half of it, and even then, only if I'm the [']uncontrolled grailkin['] that you're discussing.' Chatarras--apparently also 'Saint'--shakes his head and sighs. 'All right. Bian Tran here, the woman you've been working for, is one of our agents.' Wait, [italic type]what?[roman type] Chatarras continues as if this is of no importance whatsoever. 'She also has a rare talent for, shall we say, persuasion. The Priory of Sion, a longstanding rival of both our organizations, has been trying to maintain a monopoly on this talent, and Priory agents have recently discovered her presence here, and that she has the talent. Fortunately, we can exploit her talent to throw them off the trail, quite possibly permanently. [otherwise]Chatarras looks at you. 'Bian Tran, the woman you've been working for, is actually one of our agents.' Wait, [italic type]what?[roman type] Chatarras continues as if this is of no importance whatsoever. 'She's also got a very rare psychological ability that, until we found her, was the exclusive province of the Priory of Sion, an old rival of both the League and the Foundation. They've managed to capture her, and we need to get her out and use her talent to wipe out the evidence they've collected. [end if]I've left a fair amount of context out here, but I'll happily clarify anything you want details on. Ask about anything you'd like.'" fb_refusal "You should probably keep your questions to the cell leaders." fb_grailkin "'What exactly are the [']grailkin['] you mentioned?' Chatarras pauses. 'The short answer is that they're people with Bian's talent for command. Do you really want the long answer?' [If Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]Bian answers before you can. 'Yes. You've never really answered that even for me[otherwise]Hal answers before you can. 'Yes. I have a sinking suspicion about it, but I'd like to be proven wrong[end if].' 'The name itself comes from an old claim that the pre-Charlemagne kings of France were direct descendants of Jesus Christ...' Janet interrupts. 'Wait, wait. I've seen this movie.' Hal sighs. 'Yeah, this is what I was afraid of.' Chatarras scowls. 'The [italic type]relevant[roman type] part here is that the bloodline carries a talent for command. Until Bian, every member of the bloodline has been associated solely with the Priory of Sion, either voluntarily or by force. When anti-nobility sentiment swept France during the Revolution, the Priory fled with the grailkin to the colonies in French Indochina. Bian's family escaped their notice and control during the Vietnam war and came to America as refugees. That's where we found them.'" fb_priory "'This is the first I've heard of the Priory being an actual organization. What are we up against?' 'They're rather more... traditional than either of our groups. That makes them a bit more dangerous, but it also means they have trouble keeping information flowing properly. That's what's giving us our window to strike.'" fb_c_bian "'So, is Bian the only trainee you have here?' 'We've been trying to keep her under wraps, so the idea was to keep her in a mundane environment[if fb_c_subgenii has been exhausted].' 'That doesn't seem to have worked out so well.' 'Yes, well[end if].'" fb_c_hal "'What's Hal going to be doing?' '[if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]He's been helping work out where Bian could be[otherwise]He's going to help Bian make our countermeasure tapes. Bian has identified him as immune to the Voice and so can help out more readily[end if].'" fb_c_benj "'I'm not really a badass secret agent. [if Benj's status is OK]Why am I doing this[otherwise]Why trust Bian's safety to me[end if]?' 'We hear you're good at infiltration; both defeating security and not being noticed.' 'The SubGenii seem to have noticed me.' 'Actually, that's just that the Psychology Department doesn't like the CS Department.'" fb_c_janet "'[if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]Why am I being sent instead of Janet?' 'She'll be investigating another building[otherwise]Is Janet part of this?' 'Not with her broken arm. She's been helping Hal and me with the intelligence analysis[end if].'" fb_c_self "'This may be kind of a silly question, but who are you again?' 'I'm Chatarras, the Liaison Officer to this University.' He indicates Saint. 'Much like Ling over there is.'" fb_c_saint "'How do you know Saint?' 'I [italic type]am[roman type] Saint.' 'Er.' You look at Saint. Saint shakes his head. 'The name [']Saint['] is a job title. We're the students['] liaison to Higher Powers. So we cross paths occasionally, typically when our charges get in one another's way. Except you four were better than most at hiding it.'" fb_c_voice "'Can you tell me more about this talent of Bian's?' 'It's hereditary. It's supposed to make one the perfect leader. The Priory of Sion has been trying for centuries to restore the bloodline with the Voice of Command to the throne that was taken from it. In our investigations[if fb_grailkin has been exhausted]--' He is cut off as Janet explodes. 'Our ancient rivals are trying to put a [italic type]nineteen-year old Vietnamese-American girl[roman type] onto the [italic type]nonexistent throne of France[roman type]?' Chatarras looks at her with quiet amusement. 'How much stranger is that than half the stuff you've been shutting down on this campus?' 'Point. But [italic type]still[roman type]. You'd think they'd have been shut down ages ago.' 'In any event, with the research we've been doing with Bian[end if], it seems that this talent involves the ability to give short commands that will nearly always be obeyed. With more subtle applications, one can implant false memories or instill specific belief systems. We're still working out the applications, as well as how easily they can be mechanically duplicated or neutralized.'" fb_c_teamup "'Why is the League teaming up with the Foundation for this?' 'Several reasons. The Priory is a mutual enemy. Both our cells have tangled with one another quite a bit as it is, and there isn't really any point to being secretive about each other anymore. [if Benj's status is OK]Lastly, [end if]Hal and Bian both have personal reasons to see the Tran family made safely obscure again[if Benj's status is not OK]. And, of course, you aren't seriously thinking of leaving Bian in the lurch like this.' Before you can think about this at all you find yourself answering 'Of course not.' Chatarras smiles. 'And you'll be needing Bian to remove that little charm from you, too. Does that cover it?' 'Smashingly[end if].'" fb_c_mission "'There's a lot of people here. What, exactly, are we all doing?' '[if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]Hal and Bian will be preparing our countermeasures[otherwise]Hal and Janet have already been at work analyzing our tracking data[end if]. You, [if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]Janet,[end if] Ling, and I will be [if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]placing the countermeasures within the Priory facilities[otherwise]searching for Bian so that she can create and place the countermeasures. Once these are done we'll create more countermeasures in safety and place them at the remaining facilities[end if].'" fb_c_counter "'What are these countermeasures you're preparing?' '[if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]They aren't prepared yet; we need Bian to make them. That said, they will be[otherwise]Hal and Bian will be preparing[end if] [']meme-bombs[']--basically tape recorders designed to play back Bian's voice while she exercises her talent[if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]. You will be giving Bian the materials she needs to create them in the field[end if]. They will be timed to block the occupants['] memories of Bian, and to purge their records of it. If all goes well, by the time they report in to their superiors, all evidence of Bian's existence will be filed as innocuous.'" fb_c_subgenii "'[if fb_c_bian has been exhausted]If you were trying to keep Bian under wraps, why would you have her recruit enormous armies of brainwashed zombies[otherwise]Why were you building up enormous armies of minons on campus, anyway[end if]?' Chatarras smiles ruefully. 'That wasn't part of the plan. We wanted to study Bian's talent, and see how much of it could be duplicated or negated. There are defenses we already knew about...' -- he glances briefly at Hal -- '...but they didn't translate well. The campus Psychology department had the facilities we needed to study it, and we let them handle the logistics of the experiment. Happily, this means they'll also be taking the fall for the abuses that occurred. Even without that, the results were excellent, and astonishingly fast to come.'" fb_c_results "'[if fb_c_subgenii has been exhausted]What results were the Pysch department able to get[otherwise if Slack Attack Rating is sao_captured]When the SubGenii captured me, they had some kind of device that stunned me from a distance. What was that[otherwise]When the SubGenii were after me, they had some way of making me not want to move. What was that[end if]?' 'The early research the University did with Bian was able to isolate parts of the Voice to develop a sonic screamer device. It can't actually induce compliance the way the Voice itself can, but the will-sapping aspect is still quite strong.' 'Those sound useful. Can we have some?' Chatarras looks at you carefully. 'I think I can justify the risk. You'll have one, and earplugs to block the effects on yourself. Head to Skinner Hall on your way out.'" fb_c_race "It would be wildly inappropriate to ask about that, especially now." fb_c_jesus "'Are the grailkin actually descendants of Jesus?' Hal glares at you. 'Oh, for Christ's sake, Benj.' Chatarras shrugs. 'We've never particularly cared. The talent is real [italic type]now[roman type], after all.' [if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]Bian interjects. 'What about the Merovingian line of kings?' [otherwise]You lift an eyebrow. 'What about that line of kings?'[end if] 'The Priory's old enough that they could actually notice who had it then. It's pretty likely that at least some of them had the talent.'" fb_c_police "[if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]'I think I have a much larger question. Why are we getting involved at all?' 'Well, the Priory has been known to...' 'No, I don't mean like that. Why are [italic type]we[roman type] doing anything? This is a kidnapping case. Shouldn't we hand this off to the police?' 'Do you really trust the mundane authorities to do this?'[otherwise]'This sounds rather suspiciously like breaking and entering. What kind of legal risks are we taking?' 'Don't steal anything and at worst you're going to be trespassing. Ideally, however, you shouldn't get caught.'[end if]" fb_police_yes "'Absolutely. Dealing with this stuff is their job. It's not like they're going to pay any attention to any ramblings about [']grailkin['] anyway. Besides, don't you need her in order to generate the countermeasure anyway?' Chatarras pauses. 'What do the rest of you think of this?' Hal nods. 'Seems sound to me.' Saint shrugs. 'I can't object. It's certainly got less risk of exposure.' Janet just looks meaningfully at her cast. 'Right. Change of plan. I think this meeting is about over. Ling, Moore, stay here; the rest of you can leave until we figure out what we'll need.'" fb_police_no "'I suppose not.' 'Well, then. Any other questions?'" fb_s_bian "'How long have you known about Bian?' 'We'd heard they'd made some progress on the grailkin problem, but that's about it.'" fb_s_hal "'What's Hal doing here?' '[if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]He's been helping analyze what information we have to narrow down where Bian could be[otherwise]He's going to help make the countermeasures. I'm not fully clear on the details[end if].'" fb_s_benj "'Why me?' Saint smiles. 'Getting into places you aren't supposed to be is what we pay you to do.'" fb_s_self "'Do you take orders from this Chatarras guy?' 'No. We're just cooperating with the League for the moment.'" fb_s_voice "'What do you know about this [']voice[']?' 'Not really more than you've heard. In terms of its direct effects, you know more than I do.'" fb_s_foundation "'What's the Foundation's relationship to the League?' 'We both moved away from Freemasonry when they started becoming like the Elks. We didn't become separate entities until about 30 years ago. Mostly we try to stay out of each other's way, but that clearly didn't happen here.'" fb_s_league "'Can we trust these guys, Saint?' 'Maybe halfway. We didn't splinter until about 30 years ago. Most of our goals match up, still.'" fb_s_mission "'What are we doing here?' 'Chatarras is running this show; it's his fat in the fire. We're just backing him up.'" Table of Quip Followups (continued) quip option result fb_initial_free "Total bafflement" fb_free_english fb_initial_free "Vague comprehension" fb_gotit fb_initial_turned "Total bafflement" fb_turned_english fb_initial_turned "Vague comprehension" fb_gotit fb_c_police "Yes" fb_police_yes fb_c_police "No" fb_police_no Table of Ask Results (continued) NPC topic result Chatarras "grailkin/uncontrolled" fb_grailkin Chatarras "rivals/enemy/opposition/priory/sion/zion" fb_priory Chatarras "Bian/Tran" fb_c_bian Chatarras "Hal/Harold/Moore" fb_c_hal Chatarras "Janet/Jan/O'Connor" fb_c_janet Chatarras "Benj/Ben/Lowell/me/myself/self" fb_c_benj Chatarras "Chatarras/himself" fb_c_self Chatarras "Saint/Ling" fb_c_saint Chatarras "voice/talent/power/command/persuasion" fb_c_voice Chatarras "weishaupt/foundation/league/Molay" fb_c_teamup Chatarras "mission/job/task" fb_c_mission Chatarras "countermeasures/countermeasure" fb_c_counter Chatarras "zombies/army/subgenius/subgenii/experiments" fb_c_subgenii Chatarras "results/weapon/sonic/screamer/sonics/application/applications/psychology/department/psych/dept/weapons" fb_c_results Chatarras "race/ethnicity/ancestry" fb_c_race Chatarras "jesus/christ/kings/merovingian/merovingians" fb_c_jesus Chatarras "police/cop/cops" or "law enforcement" or "swat team/teams" fb_c_police Ling "Bian/Tran" fb_s_bian Ling "Hal/Harold/Moore" fb_s_hal Ling "janet/Jan/O'Connor" fb_c_janet[* This duplication is intentional.] Ling "Benj/Ben/Lowell/me/myself/self" fb_s_benj Ling "Saint/Ling/himself" fb_s_self Ling "voice/talent/power/command/persuasion" fb_s_voice Ling "weishaupt/foundation" fb_s_foundation Ling "league/Molay/Chatarras" fb_s_league Ling "mission/job/task" fb_s_mission Before quipping when the current quip is fb_c_jesus: if fb_grailkin has been exhausted, do nothing; otherwise change the current quip to quip_requiresfact. When Exposition Bomb ends: if fb_c_mission has been exhausted, say "'I'm clear. Everyone else ready?' You look around at your companions and get a series of curt nods. 'Shall we get to work?' Chatarras nods. 'Quite so. You all have your locations. "; otherwise say "'Let's get started.' [if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]Saint[otherwise]Janet[end if] interrupts. 'Actually, I'd like some more specific orders first.' Chatarras nods. 'You, [if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]Saint,[end if] Benjamin and I will each search one Priory facility in the area. "; say "Hal, you've done your part already in helping find these places, so you're done[if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED]. Bian, you've already contributed your voice to the project, and we're not letting you anywhere near the Priory[end if]. We'll contact you later. Everyone else, go to Skinner Hall to get [if fb_c_results has been exhausted]screamers, earplugs, and [end if][if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]your kits for Bian. If you find her, she will be able to make the memory scramblers[otherwise]the memory scramblers Bian made[end if]. Place the scramblers in their Public Address systems; there should be a switchboard somewhere, and you'll probably want to doctor the receptionists['] systems as well.' Hal stands up. 'Good luck.'"; Chapter 6B - Easter Egg Ending After quipping when the current quip is fb_police_yes: change the Final Briefing Rating to fbo_anticlimax; say "You and Janet stand and leave, as Ling and Chatarras start working out how best to report Bian missing."; pause the game; say "[paragraph break]The next you hear from them "; if Benj's status is OK, say "is a summons from your pager. Reporting to the usual location, you find Hal waiting for you. 'It's all under control.' He looks cheerier than you've seen him in a while. 'She's back, the records were ignored, she managed to... talk to the people that needed to hear her, and the Priory's operations here have been seriously disrupted. That's going to make things safer for us for quite some time.' 'Hopefully they'll still need to keep us on the payroll.' 'Well, yes. We're still in training, remember?' Actually, that's been slipping your mind a bit lately. 'The League knows all about us now, though.' 'Saint seems to think that won't be a problem. So that's two groups we won't have to worry about.' 'I hope you're right, Hal. At least whatever comes next, we'll be well-placed to deal with it.'"; otherwise say "is a phone call from Bian's cell. You try to keep the nervousness out of your voice when you answer. 'Hello?' 'Benj, it's Bian. I'm back, and I'm OK. How's your reception?' Relief fills you. 'Pretty good. Why?' 'OK. I'm a woman of my word, so listen carefully.' But you can't really make out what she says next. 'You should probably go report in the usual location now. Thanks a lot for your part in all this.' She then hangs up. You're practically through the doors at the Weishaupt Foundation office before you realize that you've been heading here instead of Skinner Hall. Janet and Saint are waiting for you. Saint nods as you walk in. 'Bian's safe and sound, by your suggestion. The League claims to be staying out of our way here for the foreseeable future, and the Priory operations here have been severely disrupted by the mundane authorities. So things seem to be mostly settled down for awhile.' 'You sound awful sanguine.' 'We aren't complete idiots. We've been studying the papers produced by Bian's colleagues, and we'd like to have our psychologists take a look at you to make sure you aren't a Manchurian candidate. If you would walk this way, please?' He gestures at a pair of unsmiling men in suits and mirrorshades near a back door. 'Uh, sure.' But even as you're heading to the test, you know you'll be OK. You've been thinking more clearly in the past half-hour than you have been in the past month. You'll be ready for anything, once they trust you enough to take it on."; end the game in victory. Chapter 6C - The Priory Base Section 1 - Map [Far too many of these names need "Priory" in front to avoid name conflicts with previous chapters.] Alleyway is northwest of Outside Priory Stronghold and down from Fire Escape. The lower fire escape door is east of Alleyway. The lower fire escape door is a closed automatic door. The lower fire escape door is scenery. The description is "Just a heavy white door, designed to keep fire on one side of it but let people through." Through the lower fire escape door is Priory Office. Instead of opening the lower fire escape door, say "These doors are designed to be exit-only. You can't open them from this side." A fire escape staircase is a backdrop. The staircase is in the Alleyway and the Fire Escape. The description is "Sturdy steel stairs and railings. It could easily let you evacuate a hundred people quickly and safely." [Lower floor] The Priory front door is north of Outside Priory Stronghold. Through the Priory front door is Priory Entrance. The Priory front door is a closed lockable locked door. The Priory front door is scenery. The description of the Priory front door is "The main entrance is a simple wooden affair, [if we have lockpicked the Priory front door]seemingly [end if]locked only with a simple mechanical key." Priory Entrance is south of Priory Reception and west of Priory Lobby. Priory Reception is south of Priory Office and east of Ground Floor Staircase. Priory Office is west of Priory Hallway. The warehouse door is north of Priory Office and south of Priory Warehouse. The Priory Warehouse is west of the Supply Closet. Priory Lobby is south of Priory Hallway. West of Priory Office is Alleyway. South of Priory Entrance is Priory Stronghold. The warehouse door is a closed lockable locked door. The warehouse door is scenery. Understand "unmarked" as the warehouse door. The description of the warehouse door is "This small, unmarked door [if Priory Warehouse is unvisited]doesn't look like it leads to a normal part of the office[otherwise]connects the main office to the back warehouse[end if]." Ground Floor Staircase is west of Priory Reception and below Upper Floor Staircase. [Upper floor] East of Upper Floor Staircase is Cubicle Farm Southwest. Cubicle Farm Southwest is west of Cubicle Farm Southeast. CF ESE is south of CF ENE and north of Cubicle Farm Southeast. CF WSW is south of CF WNW, west of CF ESE, and north of Cubicle Farm Southwest. CF WNW is west of CF ENE. Cubicle Farm Northwest is east of Exit Hallway, north of CF WNW, and west of Cubicle Farm Northeast. Cubicle Farm Northeast is north of CF ENE and west of North Passage. The upper fire escape door is east of the Fire Escape. The upper fire escape door is a closed automatic door. The upper fire escape door is scenery. The description is "Just a heavy white door, designed to keep fire on one side of it but let people through." Through the upper fire escape door is Exit Hallway. West of Exit Hallway is Fire Escape. Instead of opening the upper fire escape door, say "These doors are designed to be exit-only. You can't open them from this side." North Passage is west of Northeast Corner. Northeast Corner is north of Corridor North. Corridor South is south of Corridor North, north of Southeast Corner, and east of Restroom. Southeast Corner is east of South Passage. South Passage is east of Cubicle Farm Southeast. The closet door is west of Corridor North and east of Electrical Maintenance. The closet door is a closed lockable locked automatic door. The closet door is scenery. The printed name is "door". The description is "It says 'maintenance' on it." Understand "maintenance" or "electrical" as the closet door. Cubicle Farm Northwest, Cubicle Farm Southwest, Cubicle Farm Northeast, Cubicle Farm Southeast, CF WNW, CF WSW, CF ESE, CF ENE, Upper Floor Staircase, and Ground floor Staircase are concealing. A cube is a kind of room. The printed name of a cube is usually "Cubicle Farm". Cubicle Farm Northwest, Cubicle Farm Southwest, Cubicle Farm Northeast, Cubicle Farm Southeast, CF WNW, CF WSW, CF ENE, and CF ESE are cubes. The reception desk is a backdrop. The reception desk is in Priory Reception and Priory Entrance. The description is "This is an undistinguished but perfectly servicable reception desk, made of the finest imitation lumber. The phone line here probably connects to the main Public Address system. Past it, to the [if the location is Priory Reception]south, is the main entrance to the building[otherwise]north, is the place the receptionist sits[end if]. You could probably climb over it to get past it." Understand "table" or "receptionist's" or "phone" or "line" or "phones" as the reception desk. Instead of entering or climbing the reception desk: if the location is Priory Entrance, try going north instead; if the location is Priory Reception, try going south instead. Before going north from Priory Entrance, say "You clamber over the receptionist's desk to enter the employee area." Before going south from Priory Reception, say "You clamber over the receptionist's desk and find yourself in front of the main entrance." Understand the command "clamber" as "climb". Section 2 - Fixing up printed names and map stuff The printed name of the Priory front door is "front door". The printed name of Priory Entrance is "Entrance". The printed name of Priory Lobby is "Lobby". The printed name of Priory Hallway is "Hallway". The printed name of Priory Office is "Office". The printed name of Priory Reception is "Reception Area". The printed name of Priory Warehouse is "Warehouse". The printed name of the warehouse door is "door". The printed name of the upper fire escape door is "door". The printed name of the lower fire escape door is "door". Index map with Fire Escape mapped west of Exit Hallway. Index map with Alleyway mapped west of Ground Floor Staircase. Section 3 - Room descriptions The description of Outside Priory Stronghold is "[if unvisited and Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED]This is it. You haven't gotten a much clearer idea about where Bian is other than 'this building, maybe' but that will have to do. The rest of the recon -- and the rescue -- falls on you and your allies. [otherwise if unvisited]This is it. You haven't gotten a particular clear picture of where you're supposed to be hooking these memory scramblers other than 'in the building, at a phone hooked to the PA system and at the PA system's core' but that will have to do. The rest of this sabotage mission falls on you and your allies. [end if]This building looks pretty much like any other office building -- a fact of some credit to the Priory, given how most of your foes have been lately. The main entrance is to the north; an alleyway sneaks around the building to the northwest." Before going nowhere from Outside Priory Stronghold, say "You have not yet completed your mission." instead. The description of Alleyway is "It's not that filthy, as alleys go; there are some newspapers scattered about, stirred by breezes from the exit to the southeast, but that's about it. The stairs of a fire escape weave their way up the side of the building." The description of Fire Escape is "This is the top of the fire escape, one story up. A door to the east leads into the building itself." The description of Priory Office is "This is a reasonably busy-looking front office. File cabinets line the north wall, near an unmarked door. To the south is a receptionist area with a view of the main entrance, and a hallway leads off to the east. Another door, clearly marked with a neon EXIT sign, is in the west corner near the north wall." The description of Priory Entrance is "From the front, this looks like it could be the office of any medium-sized company. The receptionist's desk forms a north 'wall' of sorts here, making the main entrance less of a foyer and more of a hallway that turns sharply to the east." The description of Priory Lobby is "You're not sure what kind of company this pretends to be, but it looks like it expects a lot of visitors, and that those visitors will be waiting awhile. This visitors['] lobby is lined with sofas and tables, and could easily seat about 20. The main entrance is off to the west, while a small doorway in the north leads to the back part of the building." The description of Priory Hallway is "This hallway appears to divide the waiting area, to the south, from the rest of the office, to the west." The description of Priory Reception is "A flimsy partition makes it a little harder to see the back office to the north. A desk forms a wall of sorts to the south, but the main entrance is still quite visible past it. The building's staircase lies to the west." The description of Priory Warehouse is "This half of the building seems almost totally unused, or, if used at all, just as a dumping ground. Piles of cinder blocks and lumber moulder in the corners. A door to the south leads back into the operating portion of the building, while another small doorway leads east." The description of Supply Closet is "This room is packed with cabinets, canisters, and supplies[if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED], and it's stacked two deep. It's almost as if some other closet has been emptied into this one[otherwise]. It's not much different from the janitor's rooms on campus[end if]." The description of Cubicle Farm Southwest is "This looks disappointingly like an ordinary corporate workspace. Cubicles line the walls, and a well-defined hallway made out of cubicle walls leads north and east. An actual hallway leads to the west a short distance, leading to a stairway." The description of Cubicle Farm Northwest is "The cubicle farm continues through this area. describing a squarish path around this room. You're in the northwest corner now, and so can move east or south. The fire exit is to the west." The description of Cubicle Farm Northeast is "The cubicle farm continues through this area. describing a squarish path around this room. You're in the northeast corner now; the room continues to the west and south, and a corridor leads off to the east." The description of Cubicle Farm Southeast is "The cubicle farm continues through this area. describing a squarish path around this room. You're in the southeast corner now; the room continues to the west and north, and a corridor leads off to the east." The description of CF WNW is "The cubicle farm continues through this area. describing a squarish path around this room. A proper wall is to your west, but you can move north, east, or south freely." The description of CF WSW is "The cubicle farm continues through this area. describing a squarish path around this room. A proper wall is to your west, but you can move north, east, or south freely." The description of CF ENE is "The cubicle farm continues through this area. describing a squarish path around this room. A proper wall is to your east, but you can move north, west, or south freely." The description of CF ESE is "The cubicle farm continues through this area. describing a squarish path around this room. A proper wall is to your east, but you can move north, west, or south freely." The description of Electrical Maintenance is "This is about the size of a supply closet, but the walls are full of switchboards and powerboxes, not cleaning supplies. The public address system is almost certainly routed through here." The description of Corridor North is "You're walking down a north-south corridor with a door marked 'maintenance' to the west." The description of Corridor South is "You're walking down a north-south corridor with a unisex restroom door to the west." The description of North Passage is "This short hall connects the cubicle farm to the west to the hallway to the east." The description of South Passage is "This short hall connects the cubicle farm to the west to the hallway to the east." The description of Restroom is "This is a small unisex restroom, and looks much as you would expect; commode, sink, various stern warnings about hygiene." The description of Northeast Corner is "You're walking down a narrow corridor that leads west to the main cubicle farm and south to various supporting rooms." The description of Southeast Corner is "You're walking down a narrow corridor that leads west to the main cubicle farm and north to various supporting rooms." The description of Exit Hallway is "This narrow hallway leads west from the main part of the building to the fire escape." The description of Upper Floor Staircase is "This narrow hall gives you decent cover from anyone else on the floor. It opens into a cubicle farm to the east and leads down to the main offices. Past the cubicle farm, a good distance to the east, you can make out a corridor that turns north." The description of Ground Floor Staircase is "A small spiral staircase leads up from here to the upper story. The main offices lie to the east." Section 4 - Vicinity convenience The upper fire escape door is inside from Fire Escape. The lower fire escape door is inside from Alleyway. The Priory front door is inside from Outside Priory Stronghold. Outside Priory Stronghold is a vicinity. Priory Entrance is a vicinity. Outside from Priory Entrance is Outside Priory Stronghold. Priory Office is a vicinity. Outside from Priory Office is Alleyway. Supply Closet is a vicinity. Outside from Supply Closet is Priory Warehouse. Restroom is a vicinity. Outside from Restroom is Corridor South. Electrical Maintenance is a vicinity. Outside from Electrical Maintenance is Corridor North. Section 5 - Scenery Some newspapers are in the Alleyway. The newspapers are scenery. The description is "Scattered pages of old newspapers rustle gently in the breeze." Instead of taking the newspapers, say "You don't need the old newspapers." A commode is in the Restroom. The commode is scenery. Understand "john/toilet/bog/leak/piss/crap/shit" as the commode. The description is "The commode looks like it has been recently cleaned." Instead of entering or taking the commode, say "You don't need to, and even if you did, now is not the time or place." A sink is in the Restroom. The sink is scenery. The sink is a switched off device. The description is "The dispensers are out of soap. Typical." Instead of switching on the sink, say "You [if the guard is off-stage]still [end if]don't want to make unnecessary noise here." Some soap dispensers are in the Restroom. The dispensers are scenery. The description is "They're empty." Flushing is an action applying to one thing. Understand "flush [something]" as flushing. Check flushing (this is the block flushing rule): say "I'm going to pretend not to recognize that verb at this juncture." Instead of flushing the commode, say "You [if the guard is off-stage]still [end if]don't want to make unnecessary noise here." Some stern warnings about hygiene are in the Restroom. Understand "warning/sign/signs/comic/strip" or "comic strip" as the stern warnings. The description is "The centerpiece is a clipped comic strip featuring a lovingly detailed list of filth-borne diseases, starting at E. Coli and moving on from there." The warnings are scenery. Some cinder blocks are in the Priory Warehouse. The blocks are scenery. Understand "block" as the blocks. The description is "Just some dusty old blocks." Instead of taking the blocks, say "They're pretty heavy, and you won't be needing them." The lumber is in the Priory Warehouse. The lumber is scenery. The indefinite article is "some".The description is "Just some dusty old lengths of wood, maybe ten feet long each." Instead of taking the lumber, say "It's way too heavy and you'd have trouble maneuvering it in the halls and stairs. Besides, you can't think of a use for it." Understand "wood" as the lumber. Some office file cabinets are in Priory Office. The office file cabinets are closed, openable, lockable, locked, scenery containers. Understand "cabinet" as the office cabinets. The description of the office file cabinets is "They're painted black but are not particularly noteworthy." The printed name of the office file cabinets is "file cabinets". Instead of opening or lockpicking the office file cabinets, say "You aren't here for their paperwork." Some machinery is in Electrical Maintenance. Understand "switchboards" and "powerboxes" and "powerbox" and "switchboard" and "power box/boxes" as the machinery. The machinery is scenery. The description is "You can really only vaguely guess what this stuff does, though you can at least distinguish stuff that talks to phones from stuff that talks to high voltage. You went into Computer Science so that you wouldn't [italic type]have[roman type] to deal with messy physical objects like these." Some surplus file cabinets are in Supply Closet. The surplus file cabinets are openable, closed, lockable, locked, scenery containers. Understand "cabinet" as the surplus cabinets. The description is "These look like surplus file cabinets. You can't tell if they're empty or not." Instead of lockpicking or opening the surplus file cabinets, say "You aren't here for their paperwork, and anything moldering in here wouldn't be useful, anyway." Some canisters are in Supply Closet. Understand "chemical/chemicals/canister/label/labels" as the canisters. The canisters are scenery. The description is "You can't tell what's in these airtight canisters, but their faded labels show things that look like poison warnings. You hope it's just bleach." Instead of opening, smelling, eating, drinking, taking, or tasting the canisters, say "You didn't get a free ride through university for being an idiot." Some supplies are in Supply Closet. The supplies are scenery. The description is "The closet is stuffed with a random-seeming assortment of mops and brooms." Understand "mop/mops/broom/brooms/dustpan/dustpans" or "dust pan/pans" as the supplies. Instead of taking the supplies, say "If you want to act the part of the janitor, the outfit should really be enough." Some cubicles are a backdrop. The description is "These unadorned grey port-a-walls make it easy to stay hidden from anyone in the vicinity." Understand "cubes" and "cube" and "cubicle" as the cubicles. Chapter 6D - Starting the Raid Priory Raid is a scene. Priory Raid begins when Exposition Bomb ends. When Priory Raid begins: enable Chapter 6B hints; change the default converser to yourself; if fb_c_results has been exhausted begin; now the player is carrying the screamer; now the player is wearing the earplugs; end if; if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED, now the player is carrying the scrambler kit; otherwise now the player is carrying every meme bomb; change the Final Briefing Rating to fbo_completed; move the player to Outside Priory Stronghold; say "[bracket]The gloves are off now. This would be a good time to save the game.[close bracket][paragraph break]"; change the description of the player to "[if the uniform is worn]You present an usefully uninspiring figure in your janitorial coveralls[otherwise]You look exposed and out of place in hostile territory[end if]." Chapter 6E - Tools at your disposal A meme bomb is a kind of thing. Understand "filter" or "phone/telephone/line filter" or "telephone/phone line filter" or "scrambler" or "memory scrambler" as a meme bomb. The description of a meme bomb is usually "This innocuous looking device looks like a telephone line filter. However, if Bian's done her work right, they should wipe all knowledge of her from the people here. You'll need to place one on each end of the public address system in this office." The printed name of a meme bomb is usually "[scrambler-name]". The printed plural name of a meme bomb is usually "[scrambler-name]s". To say scrambler-name: if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED, say "meme bomb"; otherwise say "memory scrambler". Understand "place [things preferably held]" as dropping. Understand the commands "install" and "plant" as "drop". Two meme bombs are in Limbo. Instead of dropping, throwing, putting, or inserting when the noun is a meme bomb and the location is not Electrical Maintenance and the location is not Priory Reception and the location is not Priory Entrance, say "There isn't a good place to hook up the device here. You need two endpoints of the main communication system." Instead of dropping, throwing, putting, or inserting when the noun is a meme bomb and the location is Priory Entrance, say "You can't get access to the receptionist's phones from this side." Instead of putting a meme bomb (called the weapon) on the reception desk, try dropping the weapon. Instead of tying a meme bomb (called the weapon) to the reception desk, try dropping the weapon. Instead of putting a meme bomb (called the weapon) on the machinery, try dropping the weapon. Instead of inserting a meme bomb (called the weapon) into the machinery, try dropping the weapon. Instead of tying a meme bomb (called the weapon) to the machinery, try dropping the weapon. After dropping a meme bomb (called the weapon) in Priory Reception: now the weapon is scenery; say "You connect the [scrambler-name] to the main phone line at the front desk." After dropping a meme bomb (called the weapon) in Electrical Maintenance: now the weapon is scenery; say "You find the box that handles the public address system in the building and connect the [scrambler-name] to it." Before taking a meme bomb (called the weapon): if the weapon is scenery, say "It's already been placed." instead. Instead of dropping a meme bomb when a meme bomb is in the location: say "You've already placed a [scrambler-name] here." A sonic screamer is in Limbo. The screamer is a device. The screamer is switched off. The description is "This is a quickly-assembled device with speakers and some kind of chip on a breadboard. The Psych Department apparently created them to attempt to electronically duplicate Bian's voice of command; in practice it doesn't do much besides stun." Some earplugs are in Limbo. The earplugs are wearable. The description is "These earplugs don't actually seem to impede your hearing significantly. However, if Chatarras is right, they should block the frequencies the sonic screamer emits on." Instead of switching on the sonic screamer when the earplugs are not worn, say "Setting off a stun device while carrying it, unprotected, would be counterproductive at best." The screamer can be functional or burned-out. The screamer is functional. Instead of taking off the earplugs when the sonic screamer is switched on, say "Those are the only protection you have from the screamer." Every turn when the screamer is switched on: if the screamer has been switched on for at least ten turns begin; if the player can see the screamer, say "The screamer suddenly cuts out. It must have overloaded or run out of power or something."; now the screamer is switched off; now the screamer is burned-out; end if. After switching on the screamer, say "You can't hear anything more than a soft whine, but you've been near these things before. Nobody in your vicinity should be able to so much as stand up while this is on." After switching off the screamer, say "The whine stops." Instead of switching on a burned-out screamer, say "Nothing happens. It must be burned out." The scrambler kit is a thing. The description is "This is a small sealed packet that you are to give to Bian if you find her. It will let her build the memory scramblers that are your true mission." Instead of opening the kit, say "It won't do you any good; Bian needs it." Instead of dropping the kit, say "Better hang on to it; you'll need to give it to Bian eventually." Instead of giving or showing the kit to someone, say "The kit is for Bian's eyes alone." A janitor's uniform is in the Supply Closet. The uniform is wearable. The initial appearance is "A faded janitor's coverall hangs in a corner here." Understand "coverall" as the uniform. The description is "This faded grey coverall looks like a pretty nondescript maintenance uniform." Instead of smelling the uniform, say "It's not filthy, but you can still smell the residue of sweat and detergents." Instead of tasting the uniform, say "Ew. No. It's not that you don't know where it's been, but that you can make some pretty good guesses." After wearing the uniform, say "You slip on the janitor's coverall. You look a lot more nondescript now." A toolbox is a container in the Supply Closet. The initial appearance is "A toolbox is in the corner near the door." The description is "The toolbox is small, red, easy to hold, and open to the world at the top. [if the number of things contained by the toolbox is zero]There's nothing in it[otherwise]Inside it you see [a list of things contained by the toolbox][end if]." Understand "tool box" and "box" as the toolbox. Some safety guides are in the toolbox. The printed name is "papers". Understand "paper" or "papers" or "document" or "documents" or "guide" as the guides. The description is "These seem to be safety guides for janitorial staff, outlining what cleaning chemicals not to mix and how to report workplace accidents." After examining the guides at least three times: say "If there is some kind of secret meaning hidden within them, it eludes you." A key ring is in the toolbox. Understand "keyring" or "keys" as the key ring. The description is "This is a small key ring with four keys on it. It will probably let you into the parts of the building the maintenance guys belong in. It's also probably a lot less suspicious-looking than a set of lockpicks." The key ring unlocks the Priory front door. The key ring unlocks the warehouse door. The key ring unlocks the closet door. Chapter 6F - The Guard The guard is a man in Cubicle Farm Northwest. "A guard patrols the upper floor, and is nearby." The description is "He is an unsmiling, large man in a grey suit." Instead of attacking the guard, say "That idea is just all kinds of bad." The default ask quip of the guard is fr_subtlety. The default tell quip of the guard is fr_subtlety. Table of Guard Beat from-room dir precise desc vague desc Cubicle Farm Northeast west "northeast of the cubicle farm" "cubicle farm" Cubicle Farm Northwest south "northwest of the cubicle farm" "cubicle farm" CF WNW south "west of the cubicle farm" "cubicle farm" CF WSW south "west of the cubicle farm" "cubicle farm" Cubicle Farm Southwest east "southwest of the cubicle farm" "cubicle farm" Cubicle Farm Southeast east "southeast of the cubicle farm" "cubicle farm" South Passage east "south edge of the corridor" "far corridor" Southeast Corner north "south corner of the corridor" "far corridor" Corridor South north "middle of the corridor" "far corridor" Corridor North north "middle of the corridor" "far corridor" Northeast Corner west "north corner of the corridor" "far corridor" North Passage west "north edge of the corridor" "far corridor" Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext fr_subtlety "You don't really want to be attracting attention to yourself." To say vague guard loc: say vague desc corresponding to a from-room of the location of the guard in the Table of Guard Beat. To say precise guard loc: say precise desc corresponding to a from-room of the location of the guard in the Table of Guard Beat. Cubeville is a region. Cubicle Farm Northwest, Cubicle Farm Southwest, Cubicle Farm Northeast, Cubicle Farm Southeast, CF WNW, CF WSW, CF ENE, and CF ESE are in Cubeville. The cubicles are in Cubeville. Short Hall is a region. Corridor South and Corridor North are in Short Hall. Long Hall is a region. Short Hall, Northeast Corner, and Southeast Corner are in Long Hall. Top Floor is a region. Long Hall, Cubeville, Restroom, Electrical Maintenance, North Passage, South Passage, Upper Floor Staircase and Exit Hallway are in Top Floor. To decide if the cubicle farm is audible: if the location is in Cubeville, yes; if the location is Exit Hallway, yes; if the location is North Passage, yes; if the location is South Passage, yes; if the location is Upper Floor Staircase, yes; no. To decide if the far corridor is audible: if the location is in Long Hall, yes; if the location is Restroom, yes; if the location is Electrical Maintenance and the closet door is open, yes; if the location is Cubicle Farm Northeast, yes; if the location is Cubicle Farm Southeast, yes; if the location is CF ENE, yes; if the location is CF ESE, yes; if the location is North Passage, yes; if the location is South Passage, yes; no. Before going from a room in Cubeville when the guard is on-stage and the uniform is not worn and the screamer is switched off (This is the exposed when leaving a cube rule): if the guard can see the player begin; say "You walk out of the cubicle you were hiding in, right into the face of the guard.[paragraph break]"; defeat the player; stop the action; otherwise if the location of the guard is in Cubeville; say "You leave the cover of the cube, but the cubicle farm doesn't give you enough cover to move undetected. The guard sees you from the [precise guard loc].[paragraph break]"; defeat the player; stop the action; otherwise; say "You duck out from your hiding space[if the room gone to is in Cubeville] and into another cubicle to stay hidden from the patrol[end if]."; continue the action; end if; Before going to a room in Cubeville when the guard is on-stage and the uniform is not worn and the screamer is switched off and the location of the guard is in Cubeville (This is the exposed when entering a cube rule): say "You approach the cover of the cube, but the cubicle farm doesn't give you enough cover to move undetected. The guard sees you from the [precise guard loc].[paragraph break]"; defeat the player; stop the action. The exposed when entering a cube rule is listed after the exposed when leaving a cube rule in the before rules. After going to a room in Cubeville when the guard is on-stage and the uniform is not worn and the screamer is switched off: if the guard can see the player begin; say "You aren't really stealthy enough to slip past the guard into a cubicle next to him.[paragraph break]"; defeat the player; stop the action; otherwise if the room gone from is not in Cubeville; say "You duck into a cubicle to hide from the patrol."; continue the action; otherwise; continue the action; end if. After lockpicking in Corridor North when the location of the guard is in Long Hall: say "The guard notices that it's out of place for someone to be messing with lockpicks if they're actually supposed to be here.[paragraph break]"; defeat the player. Every turn during Priory Raid: if the screamer is switched off and the guard is on-stage begin; let patrol be the dir corresponding to a from-room of the location of the guard in the Table of Guard Beat; try the guard going patrol; if the location is in the Short Hall and the location of the guard is in the Long Hall and the uniform is not worn begin; say "There's nowhere to hide in this corridor. The guard sees you easily.[paragraph break]"; defeat the player; otherwise if the location is Electrical Maintenance and the closet door is open and the location of the Guard is Corridor North and the uniform is not worn; say "The guard can see in here without difficulty and notice that something is amiss.[paragraph break]"; defeat the player; otherwise if the location is South Passage and the guard can check the south and the uniform is not worn; say "There's nowhere to hide in this corridor. The guard sees you easily.[paragraph break]"; defeat the player; otherwise if the location is North Passage and the guard can check the north and the uniform is not worn; say "There's nowhere to hide in this corridor. The guard sees you easily.[paragraph break]"; defeat the player; otherwise if the location is Exit Hallway and the guard can check the north and the uniform is not worn; say "There's nowhere to hide in this corridor. The guard sees you easily.[paragraph break]"; defeat the player; otherwise if the location is not in Short Hall and the location is in Long Hall and the guard can see the player and the uniform is not worn; say "The guard rounds the corner and nearly crashes into you where you stand.[paragraph break]"; defeat the player; otherwise if the location is Electrical Maintenance and the closet door is closed; [The maintenance room is soundproof!] do nothing; otherwise if location of the guard is the location of the player; say "The guard walks by you, oblivious."; otherwise if the location of the guard is in Long Hall and the far corridor is audible; say "You can hear the guard walking in the [precise guard loc]."; otherwise if the location of the guard is South Passage and the location is in Top Floor; say "You can hear the guard walking out of the cubicle farm towards the eastern corridor."; otherwise if the location of the guard is North Passage and the far corridor is audible; say "You can hear the guard walking out of the eastern corridor towards the cubicle farm."; otherwise if the location of the guard is in Cubeville and the cubicle farm is audible; say "You can hear the guard walking in the [precise guard loc][if the location is in Cubeville and the uniform is not worn]. You shrink further into a cubicle to hide[end if]."; otherwise if the location is in Top Floor; say "You hear footsteps from the [vague guard loc]."; end if; end if. [These next two would be regions, but regions can't partially overlap, and these would.] To decide if the guard can check the south: let x be the location of the guard; if x is Cubicle Farm Southwest, yes; if x is Cubicle Farm Southeast, yes; if x is South Passage, yes; if x is Southeast Corner, yes; no. To decide if the guard can check the north: let x be the location of the guard; if x is Cubicle Farm Northwest, yes; if x is Cubicle Farm Northeast, yes; if x is North Passage, yes; if x is Northeast Corner, yes; no. To defeat the player: say "You hear a shout from the [precise guard loc], and turn to see the guard pulling something out of his vest. You try to dive out of the way, but too late; you feel a sting in your shoulder and start feeling very sleepy. As you fight to keep your eyes open, you hope that's just a sleeping drug..."; end the game saying "It's out of your hands now". Chapter 6G - The Captive A woman called Bian is in Electrical Maintenance. The default ask quip of Bian is fr_notime. The default tell quip of Bian is fr_notime. The description is "Bian's a harmless-looking East Asian girl[if Benj's status is OK], but something in the back of your mind fills you with fear and revulsion whenever you look at her -- some nameless warning from your subconscious that this woman is Bad News[otherwise]. Despite her capture, she seems mostly unharmed[end if]." When Priory Raid begins: if Janet's status is not NEUTRALIZED, remove Bian from play. Instead of switching on the screamer when Bian can see the player, say "[if Benj's status is OK]Stunning Bian would be impolite[otherwise]Not with Bian here[end if]." Section 1 - Discovery Bian is scenery. Every turn during Priory Raid: if Bian can see the player and Bian is scenery begin; now Bian is not scenery; if the screamer is switched on and the location encloses the screamer begin; say "Bian is standing in the back corner of the room when you walk in. She's not standing for long, though. Her legs seem to be giving out. 'Get that screamer out of here.' You switch it off and close the door. Bian stands up again. 'Thanks,' she says, looking you over. '[if Benj's status is OK]Benjamin, if I recall correctly. The bait.' 'And the locksmith. At your service.' 'Charmed[otherwise]Nicely done, Benjamin.' 'All in a day's work[end if].'[paragraph break]"; now the screamer is switched off; otherwise if the uniform is worn; say "Bian lifts an eyebrow at you as you walk in. 'How stupid do you have to be to let people get within earshot of me?' You interrupt before she can say anything else. 'That was kind of the point. The League has a message for you.' [if Benj's status is not OK]Bian's eyes light up. 'Oh, hi, Benjamin[otherwise]Bian looks you over carefully. 'Benjamin, wasn't it?' 'The same[end if].'[paragraph break]"; otherwise; say "Bian watches you walk in. 'Heh. I figured they'd send somebody. I didn't expect it to be you.' [if Benj's status is OK]'It's always the one you least expect.' 'No doubt[otherwise]You take a small bow. 'At your service.' 'Cut that out. You'll make them think this [']grailkin['] thing is real[end if].'[paragraph break]"; end if; say "You hand Bian the package Chatarras gave you. 'We've got some work to do before we go. Here.' Bian takes the package from you, opens it, and flips through a paper. She then smiles [if Benj's status is OK]maliciously[otherwise]grimly[end if]. 'OK. You can't be around when I do this. Step outside for a moment, please.'"; now the closet door is closed; remove the kit from play; end if. Section 2 - Removing the guard Bian's Revenge is a scene. Bian's Revenge begins when Bian is in Corridor South and Bian's Revenge has not happened. Bian's Revenge ends when the time since Bian's Revenge began is three minutes. Before going when Bian's Revenge is happening, say "Bian told you to stay put." instead. Before opening the closet door when Bian's Revenge is happening, say "That door is soundproof. Bian presumably wanted you to stay here for a reason." instead. When Bian's Revenge ends: remove the guard from play; remove Bian from play; now all meme bombs are carried; now the closet door is open; say "Bian opens the door again. 'All right. That guard won't be bothering us again. I need to clear out, but you've got one thing left to do.' She hands you two small devices that look like phone filters. 'These are meme bombs that will, if we can hook them into the public address system, get my voice to their whole cell and clear out all their knowledge of this. You need to place them for maximum effect. This electrical room has part of the PA system; you'll need to put one here and one at a place where the voices are likely to initiate. Check for secretaries, I guess.' You gingerly accept the meme bombs. 'OK. I take it you'll be taking off to build more of these for the others?' 'You bet. Good luck.' She ducks out."; Before going from Electrical Maintenance when Bian can see the player and Bian's Revenge has not happened: move Bian to Corridor South; say "As you head out, Bian suddenly says '[bold type]WAIT.[roman type]' Time passes. You turn to look at Bian, and she has an odd look on her face. 'I have a better idea. You wait in here for a few minutes. I'll be right back.' She slips out."; stop the action. After quipping when the current quip is fr_guard: move Bian to Corridor South. Table of Quip Texts (continued) quip quiptext fr_guard "'I can't wait in the hall. There's a guard out there. He'll notice something's amiss.' 'Ah, yes. Well, I can fix that. Wait in here for a few minutes. I'll be right back.' She slips out." fr_health "'Are you OK?' 'I'm fine. They don't want to hurt one of their precious Scions unless they absolutely have to to keep me under their thumb.' She does not look amused." fr_notime "There's no time for idle chat right now." Table of Ask Results (continued) NPC topic result Bian "guard/patrol" fr_guard Bian "status/health/OK" fr_health Table of Tell Results (continued) NPC topic result Bian "guard/patrol" fr_guard Chapter 6H - Finishing up Priory Raid ends when Electrical Maintenance contains a meme bomb and Priory Reception contains a meme bomb. When Priory Raid ends: if Benj's status is OK begin; say "That should do it. You clear out of the building and take a few busses to nowhere before heading back to the Foundation."; pause the game; say "[paragraph break]Hal is waiting for you when you get there. 'It's done,' you tell him. 'Good. This will disrupt the Priory's operations here, and that's going to make things safer for us for quite some time.' 'Hopefully they'll still need to keep us on the payroll.' 'Well, yes. We're still in training, remember?' Actually, that's been slipping your mind a bit lately. 'True enough. At least whatever comes next, we'll be well-placed to deal with it.'"; otherwise; say "That should do it. You clear out of the building and take a few busses to nowhere to confuse the trail."; pause the game; say "[paragraph break]On the third bus, you get a phone call from Bian's cell. 'Hello, Bian. Everything's done.' 'Great.' Yes, that's Bian all right. 'How's your reception?' 'Pretty good. Why?' 'OK. I'm a woman of my word, so listen carefully.' You can't really make out what she says next. 'You should probably go report in the usual location now. Thanks a lot for your part in all this.' She then hangs up. You're practically through the doors at the Weishaupt Foundation office before you realize that you've been heading here instead of Skinner Hall. Janet and Saint are waiting for you. Saint nods as you walk in. 'Bian's trail is covered. The League claims to be staying out of our way here for the foreseeable future, and the Priory operations here will be severely disrupted by the memory scramblers. So things seem to be mostly settled down for awhile.' 'You sound awful sanguine.' 'We aren't complete idiots. We've been studying the papers produced by Bian's colleagues, and we'd like to have our psychologists take a look at you to make sure you aren't a Manchurian candidate. If you would walk this way, please?' He gestures at a pair of unsmiling men in suits and mirrorshades near a back door. 'Uh, sure.' But even as you're heading to the test, you know you'll be OK. You've been thinking more clearly in the past half-hour than you have been in the past month. You'll be ready for anything, once they trust you enough to take it on."; end if; change the Final Raid Rating to beo_completed; end the game in victory. Part 7 - Bookkeeping Chapter 1 - Regions Knuth Hall is a region. The Lecture Hall, the Front Lounge, the Back Lounge, the Lobby, the Front Door, the Back Door, Building Administration, the Basement Stairwell, the Corridor, and the Comp Sci Lab are in Knuth Hall. The Weishaupt Foundation Base is a region. The Foyer, the Suspiciously Unremarkable Room, the Meeting Room, the Pre-Run Gauntlet, the Crawlspace, More Crawlspace, and Yet More Crawlspace are in the Weishaupt Foundation Base. Psych Labs is a region. Darkened Lab and Back of Lab are in Psych Labs. Psych Ceiling is a region. Skinner Crawlspace East and Skinner Crawlspace West are in Psych Ceiling. Psych Ceiling is in Psych Labs. Student Housing is a region. Student Lounge and Isaac's Apartment are in Student Housing. [Anytown is a region. Streets of the City is in Anytown.] Final Briefing is in Knuth Hall. Priory Base is a region. Priory Office, Priory Entrance, Priory Reception, Priory Lobby, Ground Floor Staircase, Priory Hallway, Priory Warehouse, Supply Closet, and Top Floor are in Priory Base. [The Psych Labs ceiling has special ceiling and floor objects, so rooms that have those don't get to be in The Great Indoors.] Eye of the Storm, Knuth Hall, The Weishaupt Foundation Base, Psychology Lab, Student Housing, and Priory Base are in the Great Indoors. Chapter 2 - Derandomization - not for release When play begins (this is the fixed random seed rule): seed the random-number generator with 31337. The fixed random seed rule is listed first in the when play begins rules.[* Without this, the identity of the Priory agent in Shadows Shadowed will not be fixed across debugging runs.] Book III - Supporting Materials Include Basic Help Menu by Emily Short. Include Menus by Emily Short. [We announce the presence of ABOUT at game start.] After printing the banner text: say "[bracket]First-time players should type ABOUT, even if they are familiar with IF.[close bracket][line break]" [We override the Basic Help Menu.] This is the WSIF help rule: change the current menu to the Table of About Menu Options; carry out the displaying activity; clear the screen; try looking. The WSIF help rule is listed instead of the help request rule in the carry out asking for help rules. [We also add a Return To Game link to the instruction options.] Table of Instruction Options (continued) title subtable description toggle "Previous Menu" a table-name a text quit rule [And now, our menus.] Table of About Menu Options title subtable description toggle "About Weishaupt Scholars" a table-name "Weishaupt Scholars is a much-belated expansion of my IntroComp entry from 2005. It's far too late to win its prize, but then, this has also granted me the freedom to rewrite the opening scenes without guilt. It is my first full-length work of interactive fiction. If this is the first work of Interactive Fiction you have played, a brief tutorial is available under 'Instructions'. Even if you are familiar with IF, the 'Special Commands' section provides information specific to this game, and should be read before play. Comments or bug reports will be gratefully received. At the time of this writing I can be reached via email at ." a rule "Acknowledgements" -- "Weishaupt Scholars could not exist without help from many others. Graham Nelson and Emily Short provided the Inform language (and 31,345 words of supplemental source text to complement my work). The IntroComp 2005 reviewers provided much helpful feedback about which kinds of interactions worked and which did not, and their reactions had a large impact on the shape of the full game. Benjamin Mullins provided extensive input and alpha-testing, and helped prod me to complete the work itself. Dan Uznanski and D. 'Zero' Ditmeyer provided additional beta testing. Josh Phillips provided the cover art." "Introduction to IF" Table of Instruction Options -- -- "Special Commands" -- "Weishaupt Scholars uses multiple viewpoint PCs. The status line indicates in the upper right which character is currently controlled. The PC will remain static over the course of an episode, but may change between them. Weishaupt Scholars has an episodic structure, in which the outcome of prior episodes influences the events in later ones. It is impossible to actually lose the game until the last chapter -- failures become part of the ongoing narrative, and will influence the nature of the final episode. A warning will appear once the game begins to play for keeps. As a general rule, if you want to replay episodes in order to get the 'best playthrough', save at chapter breaks. Finally, Weishaupt Scholars uses a hybrid ask/tell/menu system. When presented with a prompt, you may interact with NPCs in the traditional ASK/TELL manner. However, if an NPC replies (or initiates conversation) in a manner that demands a response, you will be provided a menu of options that will let you characterize your reply. If you're in a conversational situation and want to basically make small talk, try asking the character about him- or herself, with a command like ASK ALICE ABOUT HERSELF or ASK BOB ABOUT BOB. If you run out of ideas of what to talk about, try WAITing. Other characters may have something on their minds." -- "Warning for the Reality Impaired" -- "This game is a work of fiction based upon a pack of lies. Weishaupt Scholars makes various references, oblique and direct, to real-world organizations past and present, both for dramatic and satirical purposes. It also includes many that are merely the product of someone's fevered imagination. A more detailed documentation of the works that influenced Weishaupt Scholars and its world will be available once the game has been won." -- "Hints" Table of Hint Topics -- -- "Return to game" -- -- quit rule Table of Hint Topics title subtable description toggle "About the hints" a table-name "These hints are designed to allow progression, but they do not necessarily provide the best solution. After the game has been completed, your final evaluation will suggest other tacks to try based on your performance. Hints for chapters you have not reached will not be available until those chapters are encountered." a rule "Chapter 1" Table of Chapter 1 Hints -- -- "Previous Menu" -- -- quit rule -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Table of Chapter 1 Hints title subtable description toggle "The Eye of the Storm" Table of 1A Hints a text hint toggle rule "Previous Menu" -- -- quit rule -- -- -- -- Table of Chapter 3 Hints title subtable description toggle "Weishaupt Foundation Base" Table of 3A Hints a text hint toggle rule "Previous Menu" -- -- quit rule -- -- -- -- Table of Chapter 6 Hints title subtable description toggle "Knuth Hall" Table of 6A Hints a text hint toggle rule "Previous Menu" -- -- quit rule -- -- -- -- To scroll row (N - a number) in (T - a table-name): choose row (N + 1) in T; blank out the whole row; if there is a title in row N of T, change the title entry to the title in row N of T; if there is a subtable in row N of T, change the subtable entry to the subtable in row N of T; if there is a description in row N of T, change the description entry to the description in row N of T; if there is a toggle in row N of T, change the toggle entry to the toggle in row N of T; change the toggle entry to the quit rule; choose row N in T; blank out the whole row. To enable Chapter 1B Hints: scroll row 2 in the Table of Chapter 1 Hints; choose row 2 in the Table of Chapter 1 Hints; change title entry to "Isaac's Apartment"; change subtable entry to Table of 1B Hints; change toggle entry to hint toggle rule. To enable Chapter 2 Hints: scroll row 3 in the Table of Hint Topics; choose row 3 in the Table of Hint Topics; change title entry to "Chapter 2"; change subtable entry to Table of Chapter 2 Hints; change toggle entry to hint toggle rule. To enable Chapter 3A Hints: scroll row 4 in the Table of Hint Topics; choose row 4 in the Table of Hint Topics; change title entry to "Chapter 3"; change subtable entry to Table of Chapter 3 Hints. To enable Chapter 3B Hints: scroll row 2 in the Table of Chapter 3 Hints; choose row 2 in the Table of Chapter 3 Hints; change title entry to "Skinner Hall"; change subtable entry to Table of 3B Hints; change toggle entry to hint toggle rule. To enable Chapter 4 Hints: scroll row 5 in the Table of Hint Topics; choose row 5 in the Table of Hint Topics; change title entry to "Chapter 4"; change subtable entry to Table of Chapter 4 Hints; change toggle entry to hint toggle rule. To enable Chapter 5 Hints: scroll row 6 in the Table of Hint Topics; choose row 6 in the Table of Hint Topics; change title entry to "Chapter 5"; change subtable entry to Table of Chapter 5 Hints; change toggle entry to hint toggle rule. To enable Chapter 6A Hints: scroll row 7 in the Table of Hint Topics; choose row 7 in the Table of Hint Topics; change title entry to "Chapter 6"; change subtable entry to Table of Chapter 6 Hints. To enable Chapter 6B Hints: scroll row 2 in the Table of Chapter 6 Hints; choose row 2 in the Table of Chapter 6 Hints; change title entry to "Priory Base"; if Janet's status is NEUTRALIZED, change subtable entry to Table of 6B Rescue Hints; otherwise change subtable entry to Table of 6B Infiltration Hints; change toggle entry to hint toggle rule. Table of 1A Hints hint used "Your goal here is to locate the membership information for the alchemical cult you've just raided." a number "Pick through the scenery; you ought to find it eventually." "This section cannot be failed, so you can take your time." "Or you could keep grabbing hints. Spoilers follow this entry." "Open the cabinet and search its contents." "> OPEN CABINETS. SEARCH FILES. AGAIN. GET MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION." Table of 1B Hints hint used "Your goal here is mainly to visit with your friends. If you're stuck getting the plot to progress, read further." a number "Remember what you offered to help Isaac with?" "CLEAN UP GAME." "It's messy, though, so you may have to do it several times." "Once that's done, you might want to check out the item left behind." "Or ask Isaac about it." Table of Chapter 2 Hints hint used "Your goal here is to get out of the building without getting intercepted by the SubGenius cultists." a number "You basically have two options for this." "You could find a way out they aren't expecting." "Or you could trick them into leaving an obvious exit alone for long enough to escape." "For the first, explore the labs carefully." "You may need to get official help to explore the labs fully." "For the latter, try to work out a pattern in their behavior." "Or you could just get captured." Table of 3A Hints hint used "This scene mostly runs itself." a number "If you're still in the Foyer and are tired of chatting with your teammates, try going through the doors." "If you're stuck in the area past that, try advancing more than once." "The briefing itself will finish itself after a time. If you run out of questions, just WAIT." Table of 3B Hints hint used "Your goal in this scene is to rescue Benj." a number "This involves getting him out of Skinner Hall." "He's not as stealthy as you, though, so be careful about witnesses." "If you can't get him to move, you have two options." "In his current state, commands like BENJ, GO EAST will get him to move." "You can also command him to do various other things, which may or may not be of interest." "He's also compliant enough that you can just pick him up directly." Table of Chapter 4 Hints hint used "This scene mostly runs itself, so you can't get stuck." a number "Or rather, Bian will run the conversation if you don't." Table of Chapter 5 Hints hint used "Your goal in this scene is to protect your friend and co-conspirator." a number "To do this, pay attention to what's happening and look for things that are wrong." "You can then examine anything or anyone suspicious to see what they're up to." "Or you could use time control powers to UNDO or RESTORE before any disasters and then launch a pre-emptive attack." "But if you do that I expect you to feel guilty for at least three or four seconds." Table of 6A Hints hint used "As a briefing, this scene mostly runs itself." a number "If you run out of things to ask about, just WAIT until they send you off." Table of 6B Rescue Hints hint used "This scene is played for keeps; messing up here will end the game." a number "Your first task is to rescue Bian." "Getting in is easy enough; check your inventory and remember which character you're playing." "You'll need to evade detection, though." "Very careful timing will let you past the guards." "You'll hide yourself within the cubicles, but you can't move between them and stay concealed." "And there's no way at all of hiding in the upper corridors." "It would probably be easier to make the guard not notice you." "Search the lower floor first." "You won't attract attention if you're wearing the janitor's uniform." "Well, unless you do something obviously out of line." "Once you've got your meme bombs, you'll need to place them." "They belong at the endpoints of the Public Address system." "One of those places is the Electrical Maintenance room, like Bian said." "The other is the Reception desk near the main entrance." Table of 6B Infiltration Hints hint used "This scene is played for keeps; messing up here will end the game." a number "You need to infiltrate and place the two memory scramblers." "Getting in is easy enough; check your inventory and remember which character you're playing." "You'll need to evade detection, though." "Very careful timing will let you past the guards." "You'll hide yourself within the cubicles, but you can't move between them and stay concealed." "And there's no way at all of hiding in the upper corridors." "It would probably be easier to make the guard not notice you." "Search the lower floor first." "You won't attract attention if you're wearing the janitor's uniform." "Well, unless you do something obviously out of line." "They belong at the endpoints of the Public Address system." "One of those places is the Electrical Maintenance room on the top floor." "The other is the Reception desk near the main entrance." Table of Endnotes title subtable description toggle "Congratulations!" a table-name "Well done! You've completed a playthrough. The route through the plot you took was: [accomplishments list] Your effectiveness rating is [effectiveness rating].[line break]Your subtlety rating is [subtlety rating].[line break]Your canonicality rating is [canonicality rating]." a rule "Things to try" -- "The path you took through the game is only one of many possible. On a replay, you might want to try achieving some of these alternate outcomes: [Chapter 2 alternatives][Chapter 3A alternatives][Chapter 3B alternatives][Chapter 4 alternatives][Endgame alternatives]" "Silly things to try" -- "These are more Easter Eggs or silly responses than serious, plot-affecting suggestions. Have you tried...[paragraph break] ... reading the Alchemists['] worthless papers?[line break] ... raiding Isaac's fridge?[line break] ... XYZZY?[line break] ... As each character?[line break] ... Ordering Benj to sing, dance, or pray when he's suggestible?[line break] ... Attacking or kissing Benj when he's suggestible?[line break] ... Actually referring to Janet's 'l33t n1nj4 sk1llz' as such during the Skinner Raid?[line break] ... Taking inventory afterwards?[line break]" "History of the game" -- "[italic type]Weishaupt Scholars[roman type] was originally conceived in late 2000 as a serial comic strip, and was intended as an excuse to practice cartooning. This didn't really get very far in terms of drawing skill, and the project was shelved when grad school and other side projects crowded out the time for it. A complete script and story arc had been written by that point, however. I started paying serious attention to the IF community in early 2004, and in 2005 decided that I could probably turn my original scripts into a workable game. I set about redesigning the plot arc, fixing some annoying inconsistencies and errors along the way (Bian originally was named Binh, which is actually a boy's name, for instance) and generally producing a more multilinear plot. The plot dictated puzzles, and the earliest and easiest ones were implemented for IntroComp 2005. Reviews from the IntroComp were pretty unanimous - the opening scene was awful, the conversation system worked pretty well, and the many-episodic-games-in-one gimmick only encouraged people to quit the game early. By April 2006, with three months to the complete-implementation deadline and not a lot of workable game design, Inform 7 was released. As an experiment, I re-implemented the good bits of the IntroComp entry in I7, a feat which took perhaps two evenings from the ground up. Implementation then continued, off and on, over the next year, and now it has been finished. The plot actually stayed reasonably close to the original script - the 'canonicality rating' given at the end of the game indicates how close to the original script your playthrough actually was. The only places where I consistently ducked details from the comic scripts was Bian's name (which was an error in the original) and in consistently ducking Janet's last name in the game text - in a rather astonishing coincidence, the 2002 game 'Rent-A-Spy' starred a protagonist named [bold type]Jane[roman type] O'Connor, only one letter removed from Janet's canonical name, and working for an organization that would fit right in in the 'goodly numbers of medium-sized, practical, and not particularly cacklingly evil secret conspiracies' world of the Weishaupt Foundation. Although there are many references to the old comic through this history, this work is the definitive form of the story. You'll note I didn't link scans of the strip; this is intentional. For those who followed the strip before it was abandoned, this is how it ends." "List of influences" -- "Lots of conspiracies get name-checked or referred to casually over the course of the game. As noted, the groups in-game are entirely fictional. That said, the Weishaupt Foundation and the League of de Molay are intended as less-secretive, less-mystical incarnations or descendant organizations of the Bavarian Illuminati and the Knights Templar. The Priory of Sion appears under its own name; the particular crackpot conspiracy theory associated with them has gotten rather more press in recent years than they had when the script was written. (I first encountered it in [italic type]GURPS Illuminati[roman type], a survey of conspiracy theories by Nigel Findley for use in role-playing games.) The twist that leaves Bian as the last scion of the Merovingians is my own invention, though I wouldn't be surprised if someone else came up with it too. The Church of the SubGenius is real, though the self-proclaimed SubGenii in-game were simply the subjects of a psychological experiment. Bian's talent, and the defense against it, were both inspired by some passages in Larry Niven's novel [italic type]Ringworld[roman type], in which the Voice (well, a more realistic, restrained version) is a trained skill some diplomats learn. Lastly, the IF community and the various comp games over the past three years have helped familiarize me with the kinds of interactions that work and that don't, and with luck, I've been able to put this knowledge to work in this game." "Return" -- -- quit rule Rule for amusing a victorious player: change the current menu to the Table of Endnotes; carry out the displaying activity; clear the screen. To say Chapter 2 alternatives: if the Slack Attack Rating is sao_captured begin; say "Benj has several opportunities to escape the SubGenii. The easiest involves finding a non-obvious exit that the SubGenii have neglected to guard.[paragraph break]"; otherwise if the Slack Attack Rating is sao_outmaneuvered; say "There are two ways to defeat the SubGenii; you might try tricking them into leaving a main entrance unguarded instead.[paragraph break]"; otherwise; say "There are two ways to defeat the SubGenii; you might consider trying to find a non-obvious exit that the SubGenii have neglected to guard and they'll never realize you left.[paragraph break]"; end if. To say Chapter 3A alternatives: if the Slack Attack Rating is sao_captured begin; say "If Benj evades the SubGenii, you can exploit his misfortune to find a unique way through the trapped hallway at the Foundation.[paragraph break]"; otherwise if the Ceiling Tile Rating is cto_dodged; say "You can defeat the trapped hallway in several ways, not all of which involve brute force.[paragraph break]"; otherwise; say "Janet's extremely capable, and actually doesn't require subterfuge to defeat the trapped hallway.[paragraph break]"; end if. To say Chapter 3B alternatives: if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_captured begin; say "Janet's capture significantly affects the rest of the game. You should try putting yourself in a position where Bian can't find you, then ensure she can't catch you later.[paragraph break]"; otherwise if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_hid; say "If Janet fails to rescue Benj, the remainder of the game is significantly changed. Bian can also be confronted more directly, but don't give her a chance to strike back![paragraph break]"; otherwise if the Skinner Raid Rating is sro_fought; say "Violence is often the answer for Janet, but it doesn't have to be; Bian can be outmaneuvered as well as outfought. Make sure she can't use her talent on you, though! Solutions to previous episodes may hint at things to try.[paragraph break]"; end if. To say Chapter 4 alternatives: if Divided Loyalties Rating is not dlo_strong, say "If you can calm Bian's anger at Hal, and keep her afraid of the League and maybe give her reasons to trust the Foundation, or if you remind her of why the League wants her around to begin with, your conversation can affect Bian's standing with and relation to the League.[paragraph break]" To say Endgame alternatives: if the Final Briefing Rating is fbo_anticlimax begin; say "You found the Easter Egg ending; the one that gives the Last Lousy Point for Canonicality! This actually skips the last scene, so you might as well try actually doing it. Typing UNDO at the RESTORE/RESTART/ENDNOTES/QUIT prompt will give you a chance to not trigger this ending.[paragraph break]"; otherwise if Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_failed; say "Bian got captured in Chapter 5; you could try to prevent this.[paragraph break]"; otherwise if Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_intercepted; say "You caught your target in Chapter 5, and did so without being detected first. Nice work! if you don't manage this, Chapter 6 ends up being different.[paragraph break]"; otherwise if Shadows Shadowed Rating is sso_discovered; say "You caught your target in Chapter 5 so quickly that you wound up giving yourself away. Full points for sharp eyes, but you could try to play it safe a little longer first and catch him when he makes his move. If you take too long, though, it'll be too late![paragraph break]"; end if. Book IV - Scenario skipping - not for release test 11 with "search cabinets / open them / search files / get it". test 12 with "2 / clean game / g / g / ask isaac about card". test 2a with "d / w / w". test 2b with "e / x window / w / d / w / w". test 2c with "d / d / e / u / s / give card to admin / n / d / e / e / e". test 31a with "n / n / n / 1 / take seat / no". test 31b with "n / n / u / e / e / turn device off / w / w / d / n / 1 / take seat / no". test 31c with "n / n / u / e / d / n / 1 / take seat / no". test 32a with "n / w / hit woman". test 32b with "n / w / w / get benj / z / z / z / u / close hole / benj, e / e / open floor / benj, d / d / benj, s". test 32c with "n / w / w / z / z / z / z / e / e / hit Bian / w / w / get benj / e / e / s". test 4a with "z / 1 / z / 1 / z / z / 2 / z / 2 / z". test 4b with "ask bian about pizza / tell her about janet / ask her about isaac / z / 2 / z / z / z / z / 1 / z / 1 / z". [4b assumes 32b or 32c.] test 5a with "win scenario / z / z / z / z". test 5b with "z / z / z / z / z / z / z". test 5c with "z / z / z / z / z / z / win scenario". test warp6 with "test 11 / test 12 / test 2b / test 31a / test 32b / test 4b / test 5c". test warp with "test 11 / test 12 / test 2a / test 31b / test 32b".