The Hadean Lands/The Hadean Lands CD-ROM (Zarf).iso/more-zarf-games/Tangle.z5

Z-code for Z-machine | 1998-03-03 | 221KB | 4,086 lines

Resident data ends at 9644, program starts at 9644, file ends at 35e10

Starting analysis pass at address 9644

End of analysis pass, low address = 9644, high address = 1efd8


[Start of text]

S001: "Spider And Web"
S002: "
Interactive Fiction
Copyright 1997-8 by Andrew Plotkin.
(First-time players should type "about". For credits, "credits".)
"
S003: "You can't go that way."
S004: "970818"
S005: "6/6"
S006: "a"
S007: "---"
S008: "the"
S009: "The "
S010: "the "
S011: "a "
S012: "The "
S013: "the "
S014: "an "
S015: "The "
S016: "the "
S017: "some "
S018: "The "
S019: "the "
S020: "some "
S021: "N = next subject"
S022: "P = previous"
S023: "  Q = resume game"
S024: "Q = previous menu"
S025: "RETURN = read subject"
S026: "Score: "
S027: "Moves: "
S028: "Time: "
S029: "You can't go that way."
S030: "your former self"
S031: "yourself"
S032: "Darkness"
S033: "those things"
S034: "that"
S035: " or "
S036: "nothing"
S037: " is"
S038: " are"
S039: "is "
S040: "are "
S041: " and "
S042: "whom "
S043: "which "
S044: "(considering the first sixteen objects only)
"
S045: "
Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game"
S046: ", give the FULL score for that game"
S047: ", see some suggestions for AMUSING things to do"
S048: "[Your interpreter does not provide "undo".  Sorry!]"
S049: ""Undo" failed.  [Not all interpreters provide it.]"
S050: "Please give one of the answers above."
S051: "[You can't "undo" what hasn't been done!]"
S052: "[Can't "undo" twice in succession. Sorry!]"
S053: ""Oops" can only correct a single word."
S054: "It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing."
S055: "To repeat a command like "frog, jump", just say "again", not "frog,
again"."
S056: "You seem to want to talk to someone, but I can't see whom."
S057: "To talk to someone, try "someone, hello" or some such."
S058: "I didn't understand that sentence."
S059: "I only understood you as far as wanting to "
S060: "You seem to have said too little!"
S061: "You can't use multiple objects with that verb."
S062: "You can only use multiple objects once on a line."
S063: "You excepted something not included anyway!"
S064: "You can only do that to something animate."
S065: "That's not something you need to refer to in the course of this game."
S066: "I didn't understand the way that finished."
S067: "Sorry, you can only have one item here. Which exactly?"
S068: "(Since something dramatic has happened, your list of commands has been
cut short.)"
S069: " (closed, empty and providing light)"
S070: "no pronouns are known to the game."
S071: "Are you sure you want to restart? "
S072: "The game file has verified as intact."
S073: "The game file did not verify as intact, and may be corrupted (unless you
are playing it with a very primitive interpreter which is unable properly to
perform the test)."
S074: "You're carrying too many things already."
S075: "You can't put something on top of itself."
S076: "You can't put something inside itself."
S077: " for a while, but don't achieve much."
S078: "You can only get into something freestanding."
S079: "But you aren't in anything at the moment."
S080: "You'll have to say which compass direction to go in."
S081: " is now in its normal "brief" printing mode, which gives long
descriptions of places never before visited and short descriptions otherwise."
S082: " is now in its "verbose" mode, which always gives long descriptions of
locations (even if you've been there before)."
S083: " is now in its "superbrief" mode, which always gives short descriptions
of locations (even if you haven't been there before)."
S084: "Darkness, noun.  An absence of light to see by."
S085: "seem to be something you can unlock."
S086: "seem to be something you can lock."
S087: "This dangerous act would achieve little."
S088: "Nothing practical results from your prayer."
S089: "The dreadful truth is, this is not a dream."
S090: "Digging would achieve nothing here."
S091: "You jump on the spot, fruitlessly."
S092: "You would achieve nothing by this."
S093: "There's nothing suitable to drink here."
S094: "But there's no water here to carry."
S095: "Real adventurers do not use such language."
S096: "Violence isn't the answer to this one."
S097: "There's not enough water to swim in."
S098: "There's nothing sensible to swing here."
S099: "That would be less than courteous."
S100: "Is that the best you can think of?"
S101: "You lack the nerve when it comes to the crucial moment."
S102: "I don't think much is to be achieved by that."
S103: "You aren't feeling especially drowsy."
S104: "You discover nothing of interest in "
S105: "[Gluing in inference with pattern code "
S106: "You are carrying nothing of importance."
S107: "You are carrying nothing worthy of attention, except"
S108: " is now in its "brief" printing mode, which gives long descriptions of
places the first time you visit, and short descriptions when you return."
S109: " is now in its normal "verbose" mode, which always gives long
descriptions of locations (even if you've been there before)."
S110: "
Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game"
S111: ", give the FULL score for that game"
S112: " is vertical; it can't support anything."
S113: "You hear nothing special, beyond a ventilation grille's constant hiss."
S114: "You're as well hidden as you can manage already."
S115: "That's not very practical at the moment."
S116: " isn't in your hands; it's inside "
S117: "Just yourself, somewhat the worse for rough handling. But you're feeling
much, much better for being free."
S118: "Just yourself, somewhat the worse for rough handling. And worse yet that
you are restrained in this chair, hand and foot, with sensor leads pasted to
your temples."
S119: "panel ceiling"
S120: "You bend and leap. Your fingers brush the ceiling panels, but not
strongly enough to do anything."
S121: "You bend and leap. Your hands slam against the ceiling panels, but they
hold firm."
S122: "You hear nothing, which is after all the point."
S123: "The ceiling is a foot out of your reach."
S124: "The ceiling panels are rough to the touch."
S125: "The acoustical panels won't move."
S126: "Wide rectangles cover the ceiling with the grey, dimpled texture of good
acoustical insulation. Between the panels are"
S127: " the glowing strips which illuminate the area"
S128: " the dim flickers of the lighting strips"
S129: ". You notice that to the southeast, beyond the red boundary line, the
ceiling panels are also striped with the characteristic glitter of a scan web"
S130: ". One of the panels is missing, leaving a dark gap"
S131: "; some blood is smeared at its edge"
S132: "Wide rectangles cover the ceiling with the grey, dimpled texture of good
acoustical insulation. Between the panels are"
S133: " the glowing strips which illuminate the area"
S134: " the dim flickers of the lighting strips"
S135: ", and also the characteristic glitter of a scan web"
S136: "The ceiling is lined with scan-web in addition to the lighting strips.
The web's wide spacing indicates a metal-resonance scan."
S137: "The webbing is part of the ceiling. It's out of reach."
S138: "The web is too fine to discern by touch."
S139: "glowing strips"
S140: " strips of plastic cross the ceiling panels."
S141: "The strips are cool, despite their light."
S142: "The floor is featureless white tile"
S143: ", except for the red dotted line to the southeast"
S144: "The tiles are cold and just faintly gritty."
S145: "The walls are faced with tough white composite. They are smooth and
blank"
S146: ", except for one ventilator grille near the ceiling"
S147: "The walls are cold and unyielding."
S148: "The composite absorbs the blow without a hint of a thud."
S149: " (Or did you mean that figuratively?)"
S150: "A plastic grille is visible high on the wall, just below the ceiling.
One corner is stamped "VEN DUCT "
S151: "You can't see anything behind the closed grille."
S152: "A dim, unceasing hiss flows from the grille."
S153: " is beyond your reach, on a different wall than the one you stand near."
S154: "black plate by the door"
S155: "A featureless, dull black rectangle is embedded in the wall beside"
S156: " The lockpick is clinging to the plate."
S157: "contact pad"
S158: "It's a dull white rectangle, about the width of two of your fingers."
S159: "gun"
S160: "ShiftToEnd: shiftercache isn't empty!"
S161: "You have failed to make a difference"
S162: "The curtain goes up, revealing stagehands. [BUG]"
S163: "The curtain comes down and hits you on the head. [BUG]"
S164: "...glaring light --"
S165: "You are suddenly nowhere at all. [BUG]
"
S166: "You think you're waking up, but that's not how life works. [BUG] [please
note "
S167: "-- glaring light..."
S168: "You fall out of your chair. [BUG]
"
S169: "
A killing light slams you behind the eyes. Images fall through it, helplessly
-- door, hall -- leap -- open door -- chair --

But the light doesn't let you go.
"
S170: "That is unlikely to get a response."
S171: "You can't do that when you're not holding "
S172: "Pulsing yourself unconscious? You'd never live it down."
S173: "You reverse the gun and fire a pulse into the optimal spot, between your
eyes.
"
S174: " showers a corona of sparks. You can see subcircuitry beneath the
surface, briefly outlined in blue light."
S175: " a corona of sparks. Lacking a nervous system, however,"
S176: "You have nothing suitable to write with."
S177: "Talking to yourself might draw attention."
S178: "To simplify the problem of dialogue in interactive fiction, the "tell"
and "ask" commands are not used in this game. Type "about" for details."
S179: "You can't connect something to itself."
S180: "You can't touch something to itself."
S181: "Spider And Web"
S182: " is copyright 1997-8 by Andrew Plotkin. It may be copied, distributed,
and played freely.

"
S183: "For acknowledgements and credits, please type "credits".

"
S184: "An introductory note: To simplify the problem of dialogue in interactive
fiction, the "tell" and "ask" commands are not used in this game. Your
conversational options are limited to "yes," "no," and saying nothing at all.
Trust me -- this isn't as big a deal as it sounds.

"
S185: "Also, after some consideration, I have decided not to implement body
parts -- head, arms, legs, hands -- as separate objects. If you feel a desire
to refer to yourself, "me" will suffice.

"
S186: "It is possible to make a fatal mistake in this game, but you will
immediately know you have done so. You can always "undo" after death, and then
fix the mistake. Therefore, the game is best played straight through. Accept
any non-fatal mistakes that you may make; you will have a second chance. If you
back up and replay each scene for maximum efficiency, avoiding all mistakes,
certain aspects of the game will be lost.

"
S187: "However -- you will eventually reach a point where things become
dangerous. You'll know when. Beyond that, you're playing for keeps and
heartbeats count. Save early and often.

"
S188: "Spider And Web"
S189: "So Far"
S190: "A Change in the Weather."
S191: " It's not. In a certain sense, this is my first conventional game. In
another sense, it's the strangest game I know, and understanding what's
happening is entirely your problem.

"
S192: "This game is free. But if you feel like sending me money, I won't
refuse. If you feel like sending me comments or bug reports, I'll be ecstatic.
As of the beginning of 1998, I am at

"
S193: "   Andrew Plotkin
   7529 Murray Hill Rd #322
   Columbia, MD 21046
   USA
"
S194: "This game was created using the Inform adventure development system,
which was created by Graham Nelson. You can get Inform, as well as other text
adventures, from the Interactive Fiction archive:
"
S195: "I did not, I swear, create this game to be an entry in the Third
Interaction Fiction Competition. I did briefly consider entering it... when the
entry deadline came around at the end of August 1997, I thought I might be able
to finish by the submission deadline a month later. Maybe I could have. It
would probably have been a mistake. In any case, I decided not to try.

"
S196: "Spider And Web"
S197: " actually hit me in February 1997, on a stretch of road crossing under
Route 32, as I was walking towards Borders. There were ducks nearby. I don't
think the ducks had anything to do with the idea; but they get listed in the
credits anyway.

"
S198: "did"
S199: " have something to do with the idea. In particular, his story "Casting
Fortune."

"
S200: "Lovely Alex, for inspiring me to quit my job and therefore giving me the
time to write this.

"
S201: "Beta testers: Julian Arnold, Miron Schmidt (and his arm), C. E. Forman,
Michael Kinyon. Beta-and-a-half testers: Adam Thornton, Stephen Granade, Lucian
P. Smith.

"
S202: "Omega testers: Send me bug reports, and your name could win valuable
real estate in this listing!

"
S203: "Come to think of it: In February, the ducks wouldn't have been there.
Well, you get the idea.
"
S204: "The following information is internal data, of interest only to the
author.
"
S205: "
What is your favorite color? [BUG]"
S206: "You say nothing, which is dull city. [BUG]"
S207: "You say "Yes," nodding vigorously. [BUG]"
S208: "You say "No," rolling your eyes. [BUG]"
S209: "You fail to answer the question which has not been asked. How Zen.
[BUG]"
S210: "The man says, "That was a rhetorical question." [BUG]"
S211: "The man says, "Don't be so negative." [BUG]"
S212: "You blink away sharp edges of memory, and the dim walls slowly emerge
into your sight once again. Dark metal walls and air uncomfortably cool. And
cool metal bands around your wrists and feet and forehead.

"
S213: "He leans forward over his desk, through the glow of his monitors and
controls. Impatience tightens his face.
"
S214: "You blink away memory. The dim room comes again into focus, and the man
behind the desk.
"
S215: "You are in a dim room, bounded by metal walls, and you sit restrained in
a steel chair. Across from you is a desk covered with panels of
instrumentation. The man faces you from behind it.
"
S216: "The desk is panelled with ranks of controls and instruments. All, of
course, are angled just too low for you to read.
"
S217: "The walls are naked metal, unadorned. They give your eyes nowhere to
rest."
S218: "There is a doorway off to the side, to the south.
"
S219: "
The man follows your gaze, and raises an eyebrow.
"
S220: "
The man follows your gaze, and shakes his head.
"
S221: "The doorway is too far to the side of your vision. You cannot clearly
see what lies in the whiteness beyond it.
"
S222: "The chair is every bit as uncomfortable as its designers must have
intended. Metal slats dig into your thighs and shoulders. Your head is strapped
back, with too many cold itches where the leads are pasted on. And, of course,
the steel bands that bind your hands and feet. You can hardly forget those."
S223: " (imprisoned in the chair)"
S224: "Your hands and feet are locked in place."
S225: "Not likely. You might wiggle a finger or two."
S226: "The chair is far stronger than you."
S227: "You can't do that while sitting in it."
S228: "The metal under your fingers is chill and slick with sweat."
S229: "You can't see your temples, nor reach with your hands, but the itch has
never quite faded where the sensor leads are pasted on. The contacts are cold,
too. And behind the cold is an echo of the blinding light."
S230: "You hold no wish dearer. But while your hands are restrained, it won't
happen."
S231: "If you could move your hands, you would have scratched hours ago."
S232: "Steel cuffs encircle your wrists and ankles, locking you to the chair.
The heft of the bands leaves nothing to chance."
S233: "The metal is cool, slick with sweat, and utterly immobile."
S234: "You twist your limbs against the metal bands."
S235: " It does as much good as you expected.
"
S236: " You succeed only in scraping your raw wrists further.
"
S237: "
The man smiles faintly at your efforts.
"
S238: "
Noticing your movements, the man begins to speak. Then he cuts himself off and
waves the words away.
"
S239: "He is greying of hair and lined, lined hard, not wrinkled. His pale
uniform fits as comfortably as skin. It is immaculate; it bears no insignia but
the emblem of his nation."
S240: "On the desk in front of him, you see "
S241: "he"
S242: ""Perhaps you don't understand who's in charge here.""
S243: "
The man performs some western swing music. [BUG]
"
S244: "The man wears the light tan uniform of his nation, and its emblem on his
breast."
S245: "
Your toolcase is lying nearby, closed."
S246: "
Your toolcase is lying nearby, open and empty."
S247: "
Your toolcase is lying open nearby. Inside"
S248: "Your toolcase is a flat grey plastic form"
S249: ", lined with shaped sponge foam. "
S250: "You open the toolcase, and find it empty."
S251: "The toolcase is whining for its home! [BUG]
"
S252: "The toolcase is lined with foam padding, neatly shaped into hollows for
the various tools that the case holds."
S253: "The foam padding is part of the case."
S254: "The foam is shaped to hold your four tools (lamp, scan scrambler, blast
tab, acid pack), your five triggers (button, switch, timer, voice remote, key
remote), the two remote transmitters, and the lockpick. But aren't you a little
busy to be worrying about that?"
S255: "The number and shapes of the hollows aren't important."
S256: "The pick is a silver rod the size of your ring finger -- not true
silver, of course, nothing so easily scanned. It's splayed at one end into a
flat disc"
S257: " of conductor-web matrix. The status dot is blue.
"
S258: "You'd better not. You'd probably fry the lockpick's subcircuitry."
S259: "The pick is in standby; it'll activate when you put it on task."
S260: "The rod is smooth and light, quick to pick up the heat of your fingers."
S261: "The rod isn't flexible, you understand."
S262: ", other than a brief red flash of the status dot."
S263: "The pick locks itself rigidly to "
S264: ". Its status dot flashes to yellow."
S265: "The pick comes free with a faint magnetic snap. The status dot flashes
red once, and goes blue."
S266: "The pick comes free with a faint magnetic snap."
S267: "
The lockpick goes mad and unlocks the gates of hell! [BUG]
"
S268: "
The lockpick's status dot is sliding towards green.
"
S269: "
The lockpick's status dot fades to pure green, but then it flashes red twice.
The door does not move.
"
S270: "
The lockpick's status dot fades to pure green, but then it flashes red twice.
The door does not move.
"
S271: "
The lockpick's status dot fades to pure green, and flicks steady blue.
"
S272: "The lockpick screams that it's busy! [BUG]
"
S273: "The lockpick widens at the top, ending in a coin-sized disc with the
woven gleam of conductor-web matrix."
S274: "The familiar weave slides across your thumb."
S275: "mauve"
S276: "You can't connect something to itself."
S277: "You can't connect two negative links together."
S278: "You can't connect something to itself."
S279: "You can't connect two positive links together."
S280: " doesn't have a link; it works through "
S281: "purple"
S282: "It's a small purple cube, which contains enough stabilized gel to blow a
foot-wide hole in approximately anything. There's a minus link on one edge"
S283: "You yank your fingers from the link as the"
S284: " blast tab goes off"
S285: "Crack!"
S286: "crack"
S287: "Crack!"
S288: ". You feel no pain; just the white tide of shock and cold that rolls
across you, and washes the blood away.
"
S289: "Crack!"
S290: "crack"
S291: " overhead, and pieces of acoustical panel slap down on you."
S292: " You plummet to the ground with them, clutching grey fragments in your
bloodied fists."
S293: "Crack!"
S294: ", tearing a hole right through the door. Your positioning was precise;
the locking mechanism is shredded, and the door begins to sag open...
"
S295: "crack"
S296: "Crack!"
S297: ". You feel no pain; just the white tide of shock and cold that rolls
across you, and washes the blood away.
"
S298: "***"
S299: " You have died "
S300: "***"
S301: "Crack!"
S302: ", sending pieces of the toolcase whistling about.
"
S303: ", blasting shrapnel out of the duct and across the hall.
"
S304: " a shattered hole in the side of the cabinet"
S305: " a shattered hole in the top of the cabinet"
S306: "an"
S307: "brown"
S308: "It's a small brown cone, covered with tiny pores. It contains a
pressurized capsule of a rather clever catalytic acid, which eats through most
metals like a blowtorch but is harmless to anything else."
S309: " (Well, fairly harmless. It does itch miserably.)"
S310: " There's a minus link on one edge"
S311: "The status dot flashes blue. Unsurprisingly, nothing happens."
S312: "The acid thingie switches off. [BUG]"
S313: "The status dot flashes green. Unsurprisingly, nothing happens."
S314: "hiss"
S315: " overhead; acrid fog leaks down from the hole.
"
S316: "hiss"
S317: " overhead; acrid fog leaks out of the vent.
"
S318: "The acid capsule goes off with a piercing "
S319: "hiss."
S320: " An acrid mist fills the corridor. The door, however, is untouched; its
coating must be steadfastly inert.
"
S321: "The acid capsule goes off with a piercing "
S322: "hiss."
S323: " An acrid mist fills the room. Cabinets twist and buckle in the spray,
falling to rags of metal, spilling papers across the floor.
"
S324: "The acid capsule goes off with a piercing "
S325: "hiss."
S326: " An acrid mist fills the room. The locker doors etch and burn; holes
appear, gape wide, and a thousand things peer through from behind.
"
S327: "The acid capsule goes off with a piercing "
S328: "hiss."
S329: " pits and scars, but is not seriously damaged. The filing cabinet, in
contrast, twists and buckles, falling to empty rags of metal.
"
S330: "The acid capsule goes off with a piercing "
S331: "hiss."
S332: " An acrid mist fills the room. The walls scar and decay, layers of metal
falling away to show more metal beneath. The chair crumples like wet paper; in
moments there is nothing of it but rags of corrosion.
"
S333: "You hear a brief, piercing hiss from somewhere nearby.
"
S334: "The acid capsule goes off with a piercing "
S335: "hiss."
S336: " The toolcase is blown open, and an"
S337: " The spray blasts your fingers, stinging; an"
S338: "

You watch, awed and pleased at once, as the steel wrench sublimes away."
S339: " pits and scars, but apparently the metallurgy is more advanced than
your people predicted. The door is not seriously damaged."
S340: " Disappointingly, there is no vulnerable metal nearby."
S341: "orange"
S342: "It's a small orange pyramid, traced with conductor matrix. It can detect
and scramble scan-web on any frequency... or so the theory is drawn."
S343: " It's active and humming faintly."
S344: " Now, you suspect, it's an expensive paperweight. You must have brought
it into a countermeasure induction field."
S345: " There's a minus link on one edge"
S346: "The scrambler vibrates very gently against your fingers."
S347: "You catch a fading whiff of burnt insulation."
S348: "The scrambler hums gently to itself."
S349: "The scrambler's status dot flickers black."
S350: "The scrambler's status dot goes green, and an almost inaudible whine
begins within it."
S351: "The scrambler's status dot flickers black."
S352: "The scrambler's status dot flashes briefly yellow."
S353: "The scrambler's status dot flickers black."
S354: "The scrambler shuts down, and its status dot goes blue."
S355: "yellow"
S356: "It's a small yellow tube with a lens at one end"
S357: ". There's a minus link on one edge of the tube"
S358: "You see some lamp guts. An electroluminescent element, presumably."
S359: "The minilamp glows for a moment, then goes out."
S360: " box with a button on one side and a plus link on the other."
S361: "The link dot flashes green in confirmation, but as "
S362: " isn't linked to anything, that's all."
S363: "That's not something you can switch off."
S364: " box with a two-way toggle switch on one side, and a plus link on the
other."
S365: "The link dot flashes green in confirmation, but as the switch isn't
linked to anything, that's all."
S366: "The link dot flashes blue in confirmation, but as the switch isn't
linked to anything, that's all."
S367: " box with two dials on one side, and a plus link on the other."
S368: " Both the green and blue dials are set to "
S369: "You can set the timer's green dial or its blue dial."
S370: "The status dot goes green, but as the timer isn't linked to anything,
that's all.
"
S371: "The status dot goes blue, but as the timer isn't linked to anything,
that's all.
"
S372: "
The timer goes insane and stops the universe! [BUG]
"
S373: "
The timer goes clank and clunk! [BUG]"
S374: " flashes once, and the indicator flashes to "
S375: "The timer whimpers, "Stop me!" [BUG]
"
S376: "The dial can be set from 1 to 20."
S377: " (Press the dials to activate them.)"
S378: "Nothing happens; the contact doesn't click no matter how hard you thump
it. The timer seems to have failed completely now."
S379: "Nothing happens; you squeeze harder, until the contact finally clicks. "
S380: " lights as you press it. The timer's indicator flashes to "
S381: " goes out, and the timer's indicator goes blank."
S382: "Both dials go out, and the timer's indicator goes blank."
S383: "The timer goes bingle and bongle! [BUG]"
S384: "green"
S385: "blue"
S386: " box with a short antenna on one side, and a plus link on the other."
S387: " box with a short antenna on one side, and a plus link on the other."
S388: " disc with a key to press on one side, and a short antenna on the
other."
S389: "You press the transmitter key. As you expected, nothing happens; the
cursed thing is still broken, jammed, or sabotaged."
S390: "'s link dot flashes green in confirmation, but as it isn't linked to
anything, that's all.
"
S391: "You press the key, and the status dot flashes green, but you perceive no
other effect.
"
S392: "That's not something you can switch off."
S393: " square with an audio pickup on one side, and a short antenna on the
other."
S394: " The audio keywords are printed along one edge."
S395: "'s link dot flashes green in confirmation, but as it isn't linked to
anything, that's all.
"
S396: "You say the keyword, and the status dot flashes green, but you perceive
no other effect.
"
S397: "'s link dot flashes blue in confirmation, but as it isn't linked to
anything, that's all.
"
S398: "You say the keyword, and the status dot flashes blue, but you perceive
no other effect.
"
S399: "The keywords for the voice transmitter are "tango" to switch on, and
"waltz" to switch off. In your voiceprint only, of course."
S400: "The keywords are only there as a reminder."
S401: "It's your lockpick, yes. A silver rod the size of your ring finger,
splayed at one end into a flat disc of conductor-web matrix. You can't make
out, from this distance, whether it's undamaged."
S402: "The lockpick widens at the top, ending in a coin-sized disc with the
woven gleam of conductor-web matrix."
S403: "It's an ordinary-looking pen. It's hard to tell from this distance, but
the nib appears to be missing, and there seems to be a dark stain on the tip of
the casing."
S404: "Something tripped out on the acid, dude. [BUG]"
S405: "
The man shakes his head again. "This is clearly flying to nowhere. You want to
be stubborn; well." He touches a sequence of controls.
"
S406: "Whatcha gonna call your bomb? [BUG]"
S407: "
"Yes, your acid compound. It sounds fascinating; I'd like to play with it
sometime." He cocks his head. "If you ever give us any to play with. You didn't
really spray it everywhere"
S408: ""A compound that eats metal, is harmless to organics, "
S409: "and"
S410: " is undetectable by our best chemical forensics people? I think it
rather more likely that you never set the capsule off at all."
"
S411: ""I thought not. We certainly didn't find any traces of the stuff." The
man touches a control.
"
S412: ""Well, we didn't find any traces of the stuff. I think it rather more
likely that you never set the capsule off at all." The man touches a control.
"
S413: "
"No -- no -- we've found no trace of your acid pack "
S414: "or"
S415: " of its contents. Believe me, our chemistry people would be delighted if
we had." The man touches a control before you can respond.
"
S416: "
He is frankly impressed. "It works that quickly?"
"
S417: ""there is no trace of any acid having been used in this complex"
S418: " -- much less gaping scars on our doors"
S419: ". And we found the wrench sitting on the crate, unharmed"
S420: ""Lovely. I must watch the results sometime. Because," he adds, "
S421: ""Pity of that. I must see the actual results sometime. Because," he
adds, "
S422: ""Nothing forthcoming? After inventing that remarkable show for me?
Because," he adds, "
S423: "
"And the noise went completely unnoticed," says the man, an eyebrow raised."
S424: "I"
S425: " have been in this building all day, and I don't recall my lunch hour
being quite so noisy." The man presses a control.
"
S426: ""No, I rather think it wouldn't have. "
S427: "I"
S428: " have been in this building all day, and I don't recall my lunch hour
being quite so noisy." The man presses a control.
"
S429: ""Don't be absurd," he continues, as if you had answered. ""
S430: "I"
S431: " have been in this building all day, and I don't recall my lunch hour
being quite so noisy." The man presses a control.
"
S432: "
The man sighs. "I would be very pleased if you would stop playing with your
toys, and get back to what truly happened." He presses a control before you can
reply.
"
S433: "
The man is staring at you as if at a joke he doesn't, quite, understand. "And
then you died.""
S434: "The man shakes his head in disgust.
"
S435: ""No, you, let's see, you just grew a new hand, cleaned up all the blood,
reassured the guards that the 'bang' was all in their heads..." The man shakes
his head in disgust.
"
S436: "The man shakes his head in disgust.
"
S437: "
"Yes, yes, you're dead. And I'm the Bright-Wings come to take you away to the
Isles. Can we dispense with this?" He presses a control on his desk.
"
S438: "
"No, I see, you're dead and this is your life running back before your eyes. I
must say you had very dull taste in decor." He presses a control on his desk.
"
S439: "
On the whole, it was worth the trip. The plains really were broad and
grain-gold, if scarred with fences and agricultural crawlers. The mountains
were overwhelming. And however much of the capital city is scarred with squat
brick and faceless concrete hulks, there are still flashes of its historic
charm.

"
S440: "This alley, however, has no time for charm. It ends in flat bare dirty
brick, and a door which lacks even the courtesy of a handle. Not that you'll
wait on courtesy.
"
S441: "How'd you get into that nasty stuff? [BUG]"
S442: "How'd you get through that nasty stuff? [BUG]"
S443: "The door opens, only it's ajar. Ha! [BUG]"
S444: "
"Don't be absurd," he says. "You're no more a sightseer than the Old Tree in
Capitol Square; and if you'd had enough sense to walk away from that door, you
wouldn't be here. You don't and you didn't and are; we caught you. And you're
going to start by telling me how you got through that door. Do you understand
me?""
S445: "The man nods briefly -- a man satisfied with the least important detail.
He touches a control. Once again, a faint whine begins to drill through your
temples.
"
S446: "The man blinks, and gazes at you. "That's a lie. You're not stupid.
Understand me --"
S447: "The man flattens his hands on the desk, stares at you. "Listen to me --"
S448: " this machine can be set to a deeper probe. I don't want to do that,
because I would get only a partial set of images before you lapsed into autism.
This approach is more productive. ...Isn't it?""
S449: "The man nods, apparently satisfied, and touches a control. Once again, a
faint whine begins to drill through your temples.
"
S450: "The man's lips tighten. "I believe you. I won't waste any more of your
time, then." He touches a sequence of controls.
"
S451: "The man shakes his head. "Let's try again."

He touches a control. Once again, a faint whine begins to drill through your
temples.
"
S452: "
"This is tedious," the man says. "Of course you didn't walk up and stand there
rattling the door like a nightclump. Nor did you blow through the keyhole."
Clenched knuckles rap on the desk, tension at odds with his patient tone. "Nor,
I add, did you break into this place barehanded and bare naked. You had
something which opened that door, and you used it. Was it this?"

His fist opens abruptly. Something rod-shaped gleams silver in his palm."
S453: "
"Some sort of electronic key? An inductive code-scanner?" He holds the silver
rod out towards you.
"
S454: ""I thought it might be." He turns the rod over in his fingers, once.
"Small. But clearly functional. ...Show me."
"
S455: "is"
S456: " yours. A guard found it inside, just before we caught you, and it's
nothing of ours. So don't pretend you didn't carry it in."
"
S457: "is"
S458: " yours. A guard found it inside, just before we caught you, and it's
nothing of ours. So don't pretend you didn't carry it in. Now let's try again."
"
S459: "Not through a brick wall, you don't."
S460: "It's a narrow dead end here, with walls rising oppressively high in
three directions. The alley is quite empty, bare even of trash."
S461: " police are as efficient about litter laws as about everything else they
do.) You can retreat to the south."
S462: "The alley ends here."
S463: "
A plain metal door faces you to the east, near the alley's end"
S464: "It's a naked sheet of metal, a foot taller than you, as wide as your
outstretched arms. No handle, no keyhole, no label, no sign. No obvious way to
open it at all, unless the black plate embedded beside it will serve."
S465: "The door is very definitely closed.
"
S466: "You scrape your knuckles without result. There isn't even any sound;
it's like knocking on the side of a mountain.
"
S467: "The door is flush with the wall, and there's no space around the edges
to work your fingers into.
"
S468: "There's no space under the door.
"
S469: "A featureless, dull black rectangle is embedded in the bricks beside the
door. It's about the width of your palm. No fool could doubt the plate has
something to do with opening the door, but it doesn't bear a clue about how to
do it.
"
S470: "
The lockpick is clinging to the plate.
"
S471: "
The plate begs for mercy. [BUG]
"
S472: "You're in the entrance of a narrow brick alley, which runs further in to
the north. To the south a broad street courses by, congested with traffic and
bicycles, although none of them seem to notice you."
S473: "This is a dull section of the city, run a bit down, which is why you're
nosing around in alleys. You can see tenement steps on the far side of the
street. A few children in school uniforms lean there, but you can't see much
through the cars that crowd by."
S474: "You can't leave. You have a job to do.
"
S475: "You leave door and alley behind, and set off to see what else this fine
city might hold.
"
S476: "Traffic pours down the street -- bicycles, the boxy cars of local make,
the occasional pedestrian taking his chances."
S477: "The children are on the far side of the street."
S478: "The walls are brownish brick, not recently washed. They stretch at least
two stories above you."
S479: "The bricks are narrowly mortared. There's not a bit of hold to grasp."
S480: "It's just bricks. They stop for the door, and the small plate next to
it, but everywhere else they're implacably solid."
S481: "The bricks are rough, and not very clean."
S482: "The door opens, only it's ajar. Ha! Ha! [BUG]
"
S483: "
The man turns the lockpick again in his fingers. "This is nice, this truly is.
We have nothing like it." A thoughtful blink. "...And this was the only piece
of equipment you carried?""
S484: "The man winces. "I truly can't believe that. If you had one such clever
trick, you had others."
S485: ""Naturally not. I look forward to examining the others."
S486: "The man drops his eyes for a moment, then meets yours again... perhaps
with a hint of a smile. "And you remain stubborn. It matters little."
S487: "The man shakes his head. "Suddenly silent... I had thought we were doing
well. But"
S488: " I truly won't believe that you brought no other clever tricks."
S489: " Not," he adds, "that they did you good in the end.""
S490: ""They did? Little enough, as you're the one in the chair." He shakes his
head dismissively. "Let's continue. You entered the complex..."
"
S491: ""No." He shrugs sympathetically. "Let's continue. You entered the
complex..."
"
S492: "He raises an eyebrow. "Embarrassed? Clever tricks or no, it was still
one of you and all of us, and we're not "
S493: "that"
S494: " weak. Are we." A sharp look from those eyes. "Let's continue. You
entered the complex..."
"
S495: "
"And then all the guards came thundering down on you? Captured before you'd
done anything at all?""
S496: ""You certainly were not. There was no alarm and we both know it. Now
let's have it again."
"
S497: ""Of course not. So don't pretend you set off any alarms. Now let's have
it again."
"
S498: "Now the man does look impatient. "There was no alarm -- not then, and
not later -- and we both know it. Now let's have it again."
"
S499: "
"We've been over this. We track all metal within the critical zones. I know
you're good; you surely noticed the ceiling web.""
S500: " metal past it. Stop wasting my time." He punches a control, harder than
necessary.
"
S501: " metal past it. Stop wasting my time." He punches a control, harder than
necessary.
"
S502: ""As you like. But it's there, and you didn't"
S503: " metal past it. Stop wasting my time." He punches a control, harder than
necessary.
"
S504: "
"This is tiring. I've been in this base all day and I heard no alarm." The man
touches a control before you can respond.
"
S505: "
The man raises an eyebrow. "None of those guards saw you until much later.
Shall we try it again?""
S506: ""That was a rhetorical question." The man touches a control.
"
S507: "
"...with the metal of the wrench hidden from our ever-watchful scan web. A
wonderful artifact, your little orange pyramid." The man spreads his hands in
assumed awe, then shakes his head. "I don't think your techniques are quite
that good. You could muffle the metal signature, I would say, but not
perfectly. It would leave eddies. Small ones -- within the error tolerances of
our scan, enough to hide the wrench for a few minutes -- but after that? A
dozen acceptable errors within ten minutes is... not acceptable at all.

"And we picked up no such suspicious sequence; and therefore, you did not"
S508: " the wrench across that line. Did you."
"
S509: "He stares at you for a moment. "Even if you claim your scrambler works
perfectly," he continues, "...we found the wrench sitting on the crate in the
closet." He smiles briefly.
"
S510: "He reaches for his controls. "And besides," he adds, "we found the
wrench sitting on the crate." He smiles briefly.
"
S511: "He reaches for his controls. "And besides," he adds, "we found the
wrench sitting on the crate." He smiles briefly.
"
S512: "
"We've been over this. You could only have prevented us from detecting the
wrench for a few minutes -- and we "
S513: "know"
S514: " where you left it, anyway." The man touches a control before you can
respond.
"
S515: "
"Now, I know this is a small point; but you actually left that bolt wrench on
the"
S516: " crate. That's where we found it. I have to get these minor matters
clear, you understand, or the important ones will never be straightened out."
"
S517: "
"Now, I know you're not that careless."
S518: ". It's a small matter but I can't let it slip."
"
S519: "
"I believe you're forgetting something." The man gazes at you levelly. "Our
forensics people went over the area very thoroughly after we captured you. And
we found evidence that you'd been up in that open ceiling panel in the
northwest corner. Did you think you could hide that from us?""
S520: "
The man leans back, watching you.
"
S521: ""You did? You can cover up memories, perhaps..." Unexpectedly, he
smiles. "But 'Blood speaks loud where words fade away.' Eh? Now, this time, the
truth."
"
S522: ""Not, certainly, if you're going to go bleeding all over the place. Now
show me."
"
S523: "He shakes his head. "You can't. You can cover up memories, perhaps..."
Unexpectedly, he smiles. "But 'Blood speaks loud where words fade away.' Eh?
Now, this time, the truth."
"
S524: "
"You're forgetting the blood traces again. Don't pretend you didn't jump up"
S525: " to that missing panel. Now, what did you do there?"
S526: "" The man touches a control before you can respond.
"
S527: "
He looks almost amused. "Yes, yes. You swung from a ceiling panel, you bled a
drop of blood, we found a drop of blood, everything is made clear as
sunlight.""
S528: "no,"
S529: "" the man breathes, and now he doesn't look amused at all. "You were,
what, just bored? Taking a bit of exercise? You were up there for a "
S530: "reason,"
S531: " don't tell me you weren't. There isn't anything in that space now; we
checked four times. So you jumped up there to take something away. I want to
know "
S532: "what."
S533: "not?"
S534: " I'm astonished," the man breathes, and now he doesn't look amused at
all. "You weren't just taking a bit of exercise?" He exhales. "There isn't
anything in that space now; we checked four times. So you jumped up there to
take something away. I want to know "
S535: "what."
S536: "Don't"
S537: " give me that look," the man breathes, and now he doesn't look amused at
all. "You were, what, just bored? Taking a bit of exercise? You were up there
for a "
S538: "reason,"
S539: " don't tell me you weren't. There isn't anything in that space now; we
checked four times. So you jumped up there to take something away. I want to
know "
S540: "what."
S541: "
"You're dodging the question," the man says, more calmly now. "The ceiling
panel." He touches a control.
"
S542: "did"
S543: " search the space above the missing panel.... four times. Whatever your
mysterious package is, you didn't leave it up there." He touches a control.
"
S544: "
"Yes, yes, but we've been going back over your trail. Whatever your mysterious
package is, you didn't leave it behind." He touches a control.
"
S545: "
"After all that, the bloodstains, you think we didn't search the space over the
ceiling gap?"
S546: " Four times, as I believe I mentioned."
S547: "." He reaches for his controls before you can speak.
"
S548: "
"Of course, by now -- that is, by then -- there was once again an observer
covering the alley door. Your original diversion was clever but brief. So you
certainly didn't re-open the door, much less leave and then re-enter." He
touches a control.
"
S549: "
"That would be the logistics office. Five agents working at the time, very
diligent men and women. None of whom recall their door popping open on them."
He shakes his head. "Your electronic key is a lovely toy, but you don't have to
play with it for my sake." He touches a control.
"
S550: " in a bare tiled corridor, white tiles and cold white walls. The ceiling
is acoustical panelling divided by"
S551: " strips of plastic. The hall runs north and east, with a branch curving
away to the southeast."
S552: "You return up the hallway as it curves around to the south.
"
S553: "The white corridor begins here, and curves away north."
S554: " metal face of the entrance door stands closed to the west.
"
S555: "It's a naked sheet of metal, a foot taller than you, as wide as your
outstretched arms. Beside it is a black plate which is twin to the one
outside."
S556: "The door is very definitely closed."
S557: "You scrape your knuckles without result. There isn't even any sound;
it's like knocking on the side of a mountain."
S558: "The door is flush with the wall, and there's no space around the edges
to work your fingers into."
S559: "
You reach the outside world, and win. Er. I think. [BUG]"
S560: "
The door slides open, and daylight spills over you. So does a sharp buzzer;
and, moments later, three armed guards.
"
S561: "
A buzzer sounds. Moments later, three guards charge towards you, weapons drawn.
"
S562: "The hallway runs both east and south from here. There's a featureless
metal door to the west, which is closed; a more normal one stands"
S563: "
One of the ceiling panels is missing, leaving a rectangular gap. You are
clinging to the lip of the hole; your feet dangle a foot above the ground.
"
S564: "The northern door is comfortingly ordinary -- white paint, hinges, and a
handle which needs nothing more sophisticated than fingers. The door is"
S565: "The door to the west is metal. It has no handle; another black plate is
visible beside it. The door is closed."
S566: "
The door opens, revealing a speakeasy. [BUG]"
S567: "
The metal door slides open. Beyond, several people are working at cluttered
desks. One looks up absently, and then stares; and then a loud buzzer echoes
down the hall. Moments later, three guards charge towards you, weapons drawn.
"
S568: "
A buzzer sounds. Moments later, three guards charge towards you, weapons drawn.
"
S569: "A bare expanse of dirty concrete is visible through the gap."
S570: "The concrete ceiling is out of reach."
S571: "The concrete is rough and unfinished."
S572: "The concrete ceiling is out of reach."
S573: "A plastic grille is visible high on the wall, just below the ceiling.
It's hanging open"
S574: ", but you can't see in from this low angle."
S575: ". In the duct behind it, you can see "
S576: "You can't see into the grille from down here."
S577: "The ventilation duct appears empty."
S578: "The grille is barely a foot wide."
S579: "Your position is precarious enough without that kind of juggling."
S580: "You can't see anything in the ventilation duct."
S581: "You reach into the duct with one arm...
"
S582: "The ventilator grille isn't important."
S583: "You shift your weight to one hand and reach out -- almost... you swing
yourself desperately, kicking. Your fingers brush the grille. You claw at it, a
wild swipe -- and the grille flops open.
"
S584: "With a bit more flailing, you manage to flip the grille up into place."
S585: "
One of the ceiling panels is missing, leaving a rectangular gap above you."
S586: "The hole is about two feet by three. Through it, you can see the actual
concrete ceiling, a few inches above the acoustical panelling."
S587: " A few drops of your blood are smeared at the edge of the hole."
S588: " (hanging from the ceiling)"
S589: ", hanging from ceiling"
S590: "You can't very well jump when you're hanging by your hands."
S591: "You bend and leap. Your fingers brush the edge of the hole -- catch, and
you concentrate on holding on. Your feet swing gently a foot above the floor.
"
S592: "Uh!"
S593: " A sharp edge is digging into one finger. You shift your grasp hastily,
but a few drops of blood smear across the hole's lip.
"
S594: ", and painfully massage your forearms"
S595: "You can't reach that while you're hanging from the ceiling by your
hands."
S596: " while you're hanging from the ceiling by your hands."
S597: " while you're hanging from the ceiling by your hands."
S598: " while you're hanging from the ceiling by your hands."
S599: " while you're hanging from the ceiling by your hands."
S600: " while you're hanging from the ceiling by your hands."
S601: " while you're hanging from the ceiling by your hands."
S602: "The space above the ceiling panels is only a few inches high. You can't
fit into it."
S603: "From down here, you can see nothing through the hole except the concrete
directly above it."
S604: "Your position is precarious enough without that kind of juggling."
S605: "You're already holding on to the edge of the hole."
S606: "
You shift your grip slightly, to ease the strain."
S607: "
You move your hands a bit, one at a time, to ease the strain."
S608: " And a nearby ventilator grille seems to be hissing directly into your
ear."
S609: "
The tendons of your fingers are complaining."
S610: "
Your arms are beginning to feel numb."
S611: "
You grimace, and ignore the pain in your arms. You've been through worse."
S612: "The hole is a foot out of reach."
S613: "(with one hand, hanging by the other)"
S614: "Your arms stretch from the hole to forever! [BUG]
"
S615: "
The space above the hole is hovering in midair! [BUG]"
S616: "You strain, pulling yourself up with your arms, until you can see over
the lip of the hole. The space over the acoustical panelling is only a few
inches high; but it spreads out around you into darkness."
S617: "

The space is empty as far as you can see."
S618: "

A small package, wrapped in cloth, is sitting on the panelling, just a few
inches from your face."
S619: "You can't see anything in the space above the panelling."
S620: "You reach up into the space with one arm...
"
S621: "You can't refer to the hole that way. [BUG]"
S622: "It's an oblong bundle of cloth, a bit larger than your palm."
S623: "Whatever's inside the bundle is rigid and rather heavy."
S624: "A smear of your blood is visible on one of the light-strips that edge
the missing panel."
S625: "The smear of blood is out of reach."
S626: "The blood only smears further as you rub at it."
S627: "The smear of blood is out of reach."
S628: "your"
S629: "Your pulse gun is a little smaller than the guards' weapons. Its outline
is sharp, clean, and beautiful."
S630: "This room is small and, perhaps, rarely used -- not dirty, but not quite
as clean and white as the corridors. The door to the south is"
S631: ".

Two rough wooden crates are backed in a corner of the closet."
S632: "The only exit is south."
S633: " is nailed shut. You can't pry it open with your hands."
S634: " can't help you lever the crate open."
S635: "Even the smaller crate is too heavy to move."
S636: "It's a heavy steel wrench."
S637: "You step across the line and continue down the corridor.
"
S638: "As you step across the line, a sharp buzzer echoes through the
corridors.
"
S639: "You step across the line and continue down the corridor... into the
sight of six guards or so, who are posted at the next intersection.
"
S640: "The corridor angles here, and crosses a boundary of some sort as it
does. A few strides down the southeast branch, a dotted red line crosses the
floor. You can retreat from the boundary to the west."
S641: "The corridor angles here, and crosses a boundary of some sort as it
does. A few strides down the southeast branch, a dotted red line crosses the
floor. You can retreat from the boundary to the west."
S642: "It's just a red marking, painted on the floor tiles southeast of you.
The line is"
S643: "You toss the wrench across the line.
"
S644: "You toss the wrench across the line; a sharp buzzer immediately sounds.
"
S645: "To the southeast, beginning above the boundary line, the ceiling is
lined with scan-web in addition to the lighting strips. The web's wide spacing
indicates a metal-resonance scan."
S646: "The webbing is part of the ceiling to the southeast. It's out of reach."
S647: "The door opens, only it's ajar. Ha! Ha! Ha! [BUG]"
S648: "
The man nods with consideration. "And off you went, through our secure zone
like a scalpel through cheese. A plastic scalpel," he adds, smiling"
S649: ", "so I don't know why you turned on"
S650: " that charming countermeasure device. Even if you "
S651: "had"
S652: " been carrying metal, your orange miracle could only have hidden it for
a few minutes. Thus -- you had none. At"
S653: " that charming device. As I said, it couldn't have hidden metal for any
length of time. Thus -- you had none. At"
S654: " least our scan-web keeps spies from carrying guns with them when they
stroll through our bases." He pauses a moment. "Or does your side have
nonmetallic guns now?"
"
S655: "
"We've been working on an optical pulse gun core for years, of course. But no
luck, and we'd be very surprised if you'd beaten us to it. I don't suppose you
have?"
"
S656: " We would know if you had such things, and you would know that we
would...""
S657: ""No. We would know, and you would know that we would...""
S658: ""No, I didn't think you'd answer. But you don't."
S659: ""Come, you don't have to freeze up over such a simple matter."
S660: " We would know if you had such things, and you would know that we
would...""
S661: " A silence draws out, and you look to find the man staring at a far
wall, as if you and your chair had dissolved away. Then, thoughtfully, "For all
the effort we put into secrets, my people and yours, do we ever manage to keep
any?" His eyes are on you again."
S662: ""Yes, and here you are. Because you don't have "
S663: "this"
S664: " one. And this is the secret that matters. You didn't get it, and we can
keep it just a little longer."
"
S665: ""No, and here you are. Because you don't have "
S666: "this"
S667: " one. And this is the secret that matters. You didn't get it, and we can
keep it just a little longer."
"
S668: "His smile is open now. "Point taken. But"
S669: "His smile is chilly. "Point taken... for now." His eyes shift up to your
temples. "But"
S670: " here you are. Because you don't have "
S671: "this"
S672: " secret. And this is the one that matters. You didn't get it, and we can
keep it just a little longer."
"
S673: ""A little longer is all we need."

He shakes his head sharply. "A bit more time here, as well."
S674: " And please don't waste any more of it with fantasy."
S675: " And I hope you'll be a little more forthcoming; I "
S676: "will"
S677: " I hope you'll continue to cooperate."
S678: " Your next move must have been..."
"
S679: "
"The squad on Mobile Three, the ones you say stumbled into you. You do have
their images right; I know you saw them. But they say they never saw you. Did
they lie?""
S680: ""And you're the expert," he says, scowling. ""
S681: ""Ah. They'll be hurt to hear so. "
S682: "But for right now, I'm talking to you. So try it again."
"
S683: "Thank you. Now let's have it again."
"
S684: "The man taps the desk absently. "I don't know what you think to gain.
This is the part of the story that I "
S685: "can"
S686: " verify; Mobile Three was there, even if you slipped by them. The sooner
you run through it, the sooner we can leave."
S687: " Or rather," he adds, "the sooner I can leave. You can sit there all
night."
S688: " I doubt you're enjoying this either."
S689: "
"No, understand, this isn't in question. The guards did not see you, not
toenail or eyebrow. They heard a noise, something clattering across the floor,
in the eastern dead-end corridor. That's what they investigated. That's what
you're trying to explain here. Clear?""
S690: "The man stares at you. "Enough. I don't need your cooperation." He
touches a sequence of controls.
"
S691: "The man stares at you. "Do you have "
S692: "any"
S693: " sense of self-preservation? I'm doing this the long way because I don't
like shredding people. If you play stubborn enough, I'll stop." He punches a
control, harder than necessary.
"
S694: "
"Except they didn't see you there." The man touches a control before you can
respond.
"
S695: "
"So, most of the story. The guards heard a noise where nothing should have
moved; they ran to investigate. But they did not report seeing "
S696: "you."
S697: " Nor a further rain of mysterious tools on their backs."
S698: " Much less a security door opening behind their backs."
S699: " I don't think we need to make things any more complicated.""
S700: "Curiosity raises a brow. "We do? By all means, go on."
"
S701: "Impatience sparks in his eye. "Now, please."
"
S702: "
"The point of distracting the guards, I assume, is so that they "
S703: "wouldn't"
S704: " And they said nothing about a suddenly-open door, either."
S705: "" The man touches a control before you can respond.
"
S706: "am"
S707: "
"Well, except she says she had no idea you existed." The man touches a control.
"
S708: "
"I don't think so. There were people up and down the west corridor during that
interval. You weren't seen back there. Besides, it would hardly be elegant,"
and he smiles very suddenly. "We've had that part of the story. Repeating it
would be redundant, yes? Bad art.""
S709: ""You don't think so? You must not have had my fiction tutor.""
S710: ""Well, I suppose art isn't the nearest thing to your mind right now."
The man's eyes drop reflectively for a few seconds. "It wouldn't be. I'm
sorry." He touches a control before you can think of a thing to say.
"
S711: ""Well, I suppose art isn't something you care about much," the man says
shortly. He touches a control.
"
S712: " You did not expect to hear a chuckle in this room. "For all the stakes,
it comes down to you telling stories, doesn't it? You spin me a story, and I
listen.""
S713: " And you've been telling it well."
S714: " -- I can't expect better, I suppose."
S715: " -- I can't blame you, I suppose."
S716: " Anyway." He blinks. "This verse isn't yet right." He touches a control.
"
S717: ""Ah, a pity. Under that banner, this might almost have been a pleasant
process..." He gazes somewhere for a moment. "But I suppose this is too
serious, for you, to be a story." He shakes his head, and touches a control.
"
S718: ""Surprised? Or just stage fright?"
S719: " Don't fear -- you've been telling it well."
S720: " You've been reluctant enough, yes. Well, I'm still listening
regardless."
S721: "
"Stories or none, I know you haven't been back to the west corridor." The man
touches a control.
"
S722: ""That's a little much even for you."
S723: ""You're usually more subtle than this."
S724: " The guards never reported seeing any open doors, much less your clever
shadow."
"
S725: "
"Stalling isn't going to help. No open doors, no getting caught."
"
S726: "
Impatience is plain between his eyes, now. "Yes, you had time to get inside.
But the door, did you notice, would have come open in full view of Mobile
Three? You "
S727: "did"
S728: " notice, in truth, that's what you showed me."

He shakes his head. "But Three says they didn't see you at all, and they
certainly didn't see you fooling around with that door, and they "
S729: "certainly"
S730: " didn't enact that tableau at the end. With the guns." He seems
particularly disgusted with that touch, for some reason. "Is it, what, you just
enjoy a dramatic scene?"
"
S731: ""Spare me." He touches a control.
"
S732: ""Then what? You promised your mother six blatant lies every day before
luncheon? No, don't answer that." He touches a control.
"
S733: "am"
S734: " sorry I asked." He reaches for his controls.
"
S735: "
"No, no. The guards didn't see the door open; they didn't see you duck inside;
and they didn't see that lockpick fall on the --"

The man's face goes entirely blank for a moment, and then he's playing controls
faster than you can follow. "Mobile Six? Get back there and check the closet
again -- no, "
S736: "inside,"
S737: "did"
S738: " --" Confused noises come from the desk. "Assume there's no time at
all!" the man says, and it's not a shout only because his voice is so low. And
then he turns his gaze back to you.
"
S739: "
"Now, I know you're not that careless."
S740: ". It's a small matter but I can't let it slip."
"
S741: "
"A streetcorner dazzler would be proud. You distract Mobile Three with "
S742: "; when they follow the noise, you walk up the corridor. Yes?"
"
S743: " to Security's attention." He turns a palm out, displaying the silver
rod in his hand. "And it looks, instead, a great deal like your lockpick. Not
that they knew what it was at the time, of course. But we may as well correct
the detail of which object you threw." He touches a control.
"
S744: ""...no, because what the guards found looked a great deal more like your
lockpick." He turns a palm out, displaying the silver rod in his hand. "Not
that they knew what it was at the time, of course. But we may as well correct
the detail of which object you threw." He touches a control.
"
S745: "The man turns a palm out, displaying the silver rod in his hand. "The '"
S746: "' looked a great deal like your lockpick. Or at least it did when the
guards brought it to Security's attention. It hardly matters, as they didn't
know what it was at the time; but we may as well correct the detail." He
touches a control.
"
S747: "
"The object that the guards heard was this rod. You aren't going to convince
anyone that it was "
S748: "; they brought it straight to me, you understand, to my hand. Well," --
he flicks fingers -- "to my hand, after Security had scanned it seven ways.
Naturally. But here it is." He touches a control before you can reply.
"
S749: "' that the guards heard was the lockpick."
S750: "" He sounds somewhat acid himself."
S751: " "I realize you're enjoying your story, but there must be other details
you can embellish." He touches a control before you can reply.
"
S752: "
"Very dramatic -- a play worthy of a storytale spy. But somehow, I think the
guards would have noticed being blown apart." The man touches a control before
you can respond.
"
S753: "
"A play worthy of a storytale spy. But somehow, I think the guards would have
noticed being sprayed with a chemical that would melt their guns, scar the door
beside them, and -- what was it? -- make them itch miserably." The man touches
a control before you can respond.
"
S754: "There are three guards around the corner, coming towards you. You'd
rather not stick your head out to look more closely."
S755: "Footsteps are approaching, from somewhere up the corridor, to the "
S756: " talking quietly, something about the mysterious lab they're
protecting."
S757: " talking quietly, something about the terrible pay."
S758: " talking quietly, something about blind-eyed scientists."
S759: " talking quietly, something about the same old white walls."
S760: " Their footfalls are quiet and steady."
S761: " You catch soft murmuring, some laughing remark about the mysterious
lab."
S762: " You catch soft murmuring, some wry remark about boredom."
S763: " You catch soft murmuring, some remark about uniforms."
S764: "The guards are up the corridor to the "
S765: "Whoever is making the noise is not visible."
S766: "
The footsteps move out of a branch corridor to the north -- a trio of guards,
still heading this way. You dodge back out of their line of view, flattening
yourself inside the west side of the tee."
S767: "
You duck back into the northwest hall as the guards come around the corner. A
quick glance reveals that they are heading west now, towards you."
S768: "
The guards come around the corner. Well-trained guards, of course, look both
ways when they enter an intersection. For a moment you stare at them staring at
you. Then they draw their weapons.
"
S769: "
The guards come around the corner. One glances south, and begins to wave to the
woman at the end of the hall. The other two do not, and find themselves looking
right at you. They hesitate only for the barest fraction of a second.
"
S770: "
You see the puppetteers working the guards. [BUG]
"
S771: "
Distant footsteps sound somewhere to the "
S772: "
You hear footsteps somewhere to the "
S773: "
The footsteps seem to be approaching.
"
S774: "
The guards have nearly reached the corner that conceals you.
"
S775: "
You hear the guards coming closer.
"
S776: "Three guards are at the end of the hall, to the east. They are
inspecting something on the ground -- two are kneeling, the third standing over
them. Their backs are towards you at the moment."
S777: "They are speaking too softly for you to hear."
S778: "The guards develop an obsession with nothing. [BUG]
"
S779: "
One of the guards pulls out a comm and begins speaking into it.
"
S780: "
One of the guards stands up; in the movement she turns, and sees you. Without
pausing she draws her gun and shouts for you to freeze.
"
S781: "There are three guards around the corner, hurrying towards you -- or
rather towards the door that just opened in front of them."
S782: "
The guards charge into the junction, looking in every direction at once."
S783: " You dodge for the northwest corridor, but not fast enough; shouts rise
behind you, and the guards give chase.
"
S784: "The white corridor runs east to west here, with a branch leading off to
the north, and a"
S785: " You are poised against the wall, just inside the western hallway, out
of sight of the guards to the north."
S786: " You can see that the east hall reaches a dead end a short distance
away."
S787: " Three guards stand in the dead end, their backs to you."
S788: "If you cross the north hallway in front of the guards, they'll certainly
see you."
S789: "You leap across the intersection, into the dead end. Behind you, the
guards begin to shout.
"
S790: "You leap across the intersection, into the dead end. Behind you, the
guards begin to shout.
"
S791: "You stroll down the dead end to where the guards are. They turn, look
you up and down, and all simultaneously pile on top of you.
"
S792: "
As you step into the intersection, three guards walk out of the northeast
branch. For a moment they stare at you staring at them. Then they draw their
weapons.
"
S793: "You consider the possible results of walking right up to three armed
guards."
S794: "You step out into the intersection and casually walk up to the guards.
They casually draw their pulse guns and point them at you.
"
S795: "That area of the dungeon isn't built yet. [BUG]"
S796: "You step out into the intersection, into the guards' faces. They
converge and roll over you without any hesitation at all.
"
S797: "You hold your breath and slip around the corner, out of the guards' line
of sight. And pause... and there is no cry of alarm. You exhale -- silently --
and stroll off to the north.
"
S798: "You dash down the west corridor, as quickly as you can.
"
S799: "You begin edging down the west corridor, away from the guards. But quiet
as you are, you're no more than halfway to the next junction when one of them
turns around.
"
S800: "You move down the west corridor; but as you approach the junction, you
hear voices. The corridor where you were captured sounds like it's still being
searched. You don't dare even look; you slide back to the tee intersection, as
quietly as you can."
S801: "Hallways lead west, east, and north."
S802: "From here, you can only see a short hallway which ends by a metal door."
S803: "The dead end is shadowed and dark."
S804: " clatters down the hall into the dead end.
"
S805: " clatters down the hall into the dead end. The guards whirl around, of
course, and see you instantly.
"
S806: " clatters down the hall into the dead end. The guards, intent on the
open door, do not seem to notice.
"
S807: " clatters down the hall into the dead end.
"
S808: " clatters down the hall into the dead end.
"
S809: "
"Did you hear that?" comes a voice from the north. "Sounded like it was coming
from the wiring closet," another guard says, a frown in his tone.

The footsteps begin to hurry. The three guards round the corner, and run down
the east hall -- without a glance at where you huddle in the western branch.
"
S810: "(Because of the guards, your list of commands has been cut short.)"
S811: "The door to the south is metal. As usual, it has a black sensor plate
beside it."
S812: "You hurl yourself towards the open door, snatching at the lockpick as
you go by. Nearly -- but your fingers close wrong, and the silver rod clatters
to the floor behind you as you dive over the threshold. The door slides closed;
you are left in quiet dark.
"
S813: "
A moment later, the door slides open again. A surprising number of pulse guns
are aimed through it, all at you.
"
S814: "
The door snaps open. You have a brief glimpse of frightened-looking
technicians, surrounded by obscure equipment, before someone hits an override
and the door snaps shut again.

Someone must have hit an alarm, as well, because a sharp buzzer sounds.
"
S815: " at the far end of the corridor, to the south,"
S816: " snaps open -- and closed again. Someone must have hit an override.

Someone must have hit an alarm, as well, because a sharp buzzer sounds.
"
S817: "
A sharp buzzer sounds somewhere.
"
S818: "
The metal door hisses open. The guards to the east spin, at the noise. They
stare at the door and at you.
"
S819: "
The metal door slides open. To the north, the footfalls of the guards cease,
startled by this apparition. Then they begin again -- hurrying.
"
S820: "
The footsteps suddenly freeze. Then they begin again -- hurrying.
"
S821: "If you move within reach of the door, you'll be in full view of the
guards."
S822: "You do a lockpick dance in front of the guards. [BUG]"
S823: "If you move within reach of the plate, you'll be in full view of the
guards."
S824: "This bare stretch of hallway angles from the northwest to the east;
another short hall leads south."
S825: "You move back to the junction, but duck hastily as you glimpse movement
up the north corridor. Three guards, heading towards you -- fortunately they
didn't seem to see you. You flatten yourself inside the west side of the tee,
out of their line of view.
"
S826: "You consider the possible results of walking right up to three armed
guards."
S827: "You step out into the intersection and calmly walk up to the guards.
They calmly draw their pulse guns and point them at you.
"
S828: "That area of the maze isn't built yet. [BUG]"
S829: "You return up the corridor, across the red line.
"
S830: "You take half a step and nearly trip as you turn. A woman is standing to
the south, at the end of the hall. She leans on the frame of an open door,
talking to someone in the room beyond. If you continue, she will certainly
notice you."
S831: "You move south, light on your feet as you can be. But luck isn't up to
hope. Before you are halfway down the hall, the woman catches your movement
from the corner of her eye. She glances over, and then frowns, and then shouts
and ducks inside the door. A buzzer sounds loudly.
"
S832: "Hallways run northwest, east, and south."
S833: "To the south, at the end of the hall, a woman is leaning on the frame of
an open door. She is facing into the door, talking with someone inside; she has
not noticed you."
S834: "You can't quite hear over the distance and the hiss of ventilation. From
the few words you can catch, she's arguing over how to structure the
translation database, or something of that sort. It means nothing to you."
S835: " clatters down the hall towards the woman. She looks down at it; then up
the hall, as you dodge back behind the corner. You hold yourself motionless...

And a moment later, a guard comes around the corner, pulse gun drawn.
"
S836: "She glances up the hall at the sound of your voice. She frowns slightly,
and then shouts, and ducks inside the door. A buzzer sounds loudly.
"
S837: "The Highwayman"
S838: " in Loreena McKennitt's voice. [BUG]"
S839: "
You catch a movement to the south. At the end of the hall, a woman is leaning
on the frame of an open door. She is facing into the door, talking with someone
inside; she has not noticed you.
"
S840: "
The woman shakes her head again, and you barely duck behind the junction corner
as she glances around.
"
S841: "The corridor ends here, blank, with a single steel door on the north
wall. The door is"
S842: "You move back to the junction, but backpedal hastily as you glimpse
movement up the north corridor. Three guards, heading towards you --
fortunately they didn't seem to see you. You drift back into the cover of the
east hallway."
S843: "You leap across the intersection into the west corridor. But there
really was no hope that the guards would overlook you. Behind you, they begin
shouting.
"
S844: "The hallway only returns to the west."
S845: "The door to the north is metal. As usual, it has a black sensor plate
beside it."
S846: "You slide hastily through the closing door. This time, you are careful
to keep a firm grip on your lockpick.
"
S847: "
The door opens, revealing a Mafia den. [BUG]"
S848: "
You see the door to the east, in the dead end, slide open."
S849: "
The wiring closet takes exception to your demand. [BUG]"
S850: "
The door to the east closes completely.
"
S851: "
The door begins to slide shut as soon as the pick loses its link.
"
S852: "The metal door to the north isn't important."
S853: "The door opens, only it's ajar. Ha! Ha! Ha! [BUG]"
S854: "
"Very neat. Behind the backs of the guards, and leave them to mumble over the
lockpick -- not that they knew what it was at the time, of course. And you slip
north into the core areas.""
S855: "
"There's only one place here you're truly interested in."
"
S856: ""I assume you went straight to the lab, then?"
"
S857: "" says the man, almost patiently."
S858: " "I assumed Security was later, because the lab is your primary
objective. Was, to say." His voice slows, again contemplative, unsettling to
you. "Your story is "
S859: "predictable."
S860: "The man watches you carefully, as though you would ever give anything
away. "I will assume that you went straight to the lab, and Security not until
later."
"
S861: ""That makes no sense. We both know your goal."
S862: ""Certainly you did. We both know your goal."
S863: ""There is tension, but the flow is clear. The hero will extract the
secret plans and escape; I wouldn't believe you if you said anything else.
Except, of course, you didn't escape."

He is still seated, but his eyes are the eyes of a man pacing. "This isn't a
story."
S864: ""There is tension, but the flow is clear. The hero will extract the
secret plans and escape; I wouldn't believe you if you said anything else.
Except, of course, you didn't escape."

He is still seated, but his eyes are the eyes of a man pacing. "This isn't a
story."
S865: "He muses, "There is tension, but the flow is clear. The hero will
extract the secret plans and escape; I wouldn't believe you if you said
anything else. Except, of course, you didn't escape."

He is still seated, but his eyes are the eyes of a man pacing. "This isn't a
story."
S866: "imagination?"
S867: " Do you realize what this technology will be used for?" He seems as
astonished at the outburst as you.
"
S868: "do,"
S869: ""Naturally. You were sent for, and so you came." That must be a quote.
"Implications are someone else's job."
S870: "think"
S871: " about it. A fine time to be starting..."
S872: " 'Clean War.' No troops, no civilian blood. One man at a time, slipped
into an office or a palace, beyond any hope of wall or guard. Or not even a man
-- a grenade, a canister of gas. The end," wryly -- "of security. I'd be out of
a job." His eyes are distant, and again you feel that you are the least
important thing in the room.

"Bad enough if we get it first. We'll take you apart, or just threaten to.
Harsh but quick. It would be over, we'd have won. But if your people get it
too, if you'd gotten out with the data, do you realize...?"
"
S873: ""Yes, you said. And you don't --" He stops. ""
S874: ""Yes, suddenly the light shines on you. "
S875: ""Of course you don't. You just march. But see... "
S876: ""Look, then! Both sides! I know you can... "
S877: "listen."
S878: "He is very still, watching you think. ""
S879: "Knives at each other's throats. How long could "
S880: "that"
S881: " last? Two years, five. Eventually it would be too tempting, some
premier or on-commander who poses too much immediate threat." Somehow his eyes
are holding yours. "Then it "
S882: "would"
S883: " be literal knives at each other's literal cursed throats. Whole
governments beheaded overnight. Same for anyone who tries to move up, take
charge. It wouldn't end. Could you swear, honestly, that anyone left on your
side wouldn't keep using it on anyone left on our side? Senate-men? Troops?
Farmers?"
"
S884: "The man seems to -- not sag, but sink down from somewhere briefly above.
"If you think that, there's nothing I can say to you. Let's continue. The lab."
"
S885: "There is a long pause; and then the man smiles... not at you. "And in
spite of that, or anything -- I march too. Let's get back to that. The lab."
"
S886: ""Well, truly, think on that. If you can." The man seems to put something
aside. "Let's continue. The lab."
"
S887: "
There is regret in the man's eyes. "Lies again -- in such a small thing? I
thought we knew each other better than that, in this room."
"
S888: "
The man sighs. "No. No guards. Save your"
S889: " for a more interesting part of the story."
"
S890: "
"This is not a victory for you, you must see. You know I am not a fool"
S891: ", and yet you spin these absurdities for me"
S892: ", and I thought you had learned not to spin these absurdities for me"
S893: ". The guards did not see you, not yet. Can we continue without more such
obstacles?""
S894: "
"Enough! You are making this intolerable. You will continue without being seen,
and without other fabrication, do you understand?""
S895: ""Then I will not repeat the obvious."
"
S896: "The emotion drops behind a visible wall, and his eyes are as you first
saw them. "No matter. The guards did not see you in that corridor, either.
Please refrain from having them do so."
"
S897: "His head comes up sharply. "Then I will not waste further time." He
touches a sequence of controls.
"
S898: "He nods slowly. "We do, and I see it unsettles you. And so you try to
push me away with an obvious lie." A frown. "I know you have never feared me;
but you need not fear yourself, either. Anything you learn about me will also
be the truth. You may still want to lie to me -- about meeting those guards,
thus -- but I don't need to lie to you."
"
S899: "His jaw tightens. "This is not a game you I will let you play much
longer. But there is more I need."
"
S900: "
"The guards from Station Two did not know you were there. None of the guards
did, not until the end."
"
S901: "do"
S902: " understand, do you not? The guards from Station Two did not see you.
Not once! Now, again."
"
S903: ". I might think you would weary of that scene"
S904: "
"Now, I know you're not that careless."
S905: ". It's a small matter but I can't let it slip."
"
S906: "
"The happy ending, of course. You blow the lock and walk inside, and the plans
are free to your hand." The man pauses. "Indeed, I wonder why you didn't do
that, when you were actually there. I don't doubt your gel tab was powerful
enough to do what you claim. It wasn't that -- you didn't simply fail to think
of it, did you?" The man half-laughs in surprise."
S907: " So fixated on your lockpick to open your way, that you didn't think to
use force. Until I gave you another chance." He is laughing, now, softly."
S908: " "I should have known. I wonder that your people sent you at all; they
must have had sharper tools. Well. Your loss; our... victory."
"
S909: " "I know what that is like; everyone must, I suppose. You took advantage
of enough lapses in "
S910: "our"
S911: " attention, to get as far as you did. We shall call it even."
"
S912: " "You must feel embarrassed. No matter. It did not happen, and there's
an end of it."
"
S913: "did?"
S914: ""Then why didn't you?" He considers. "I suppose you were told not to
leave footprints. But surely the lab had priority? The information, getting it
out, had to be more important than whether we knew you'd been there."
"
S915: ""Then..." He is staring past you. "You would have blasted the door if
you could have... so you didn't have the tab anymore--" His fingers are moving
before his words are finished. "You've been--"
"
S916: "The man is shaking his head. "I hope, one day, to have one of your
superiors in that chair. I would truly like to understand how they set their
priorities."
"
S917: "less"
S918: " important?" The man is shaking his head. "I hope, one day, to have one
of your superiors in that chair. I would truly like to understand how they set
their priorities."
"
S919: "
"As I said -- an obvious move, and it would have worked. But there is no hole
in our door."
"
S920: "
"Worth the attempt. But our doors were all replaced last year; the power of
your chemical agents is no secret to our... chemical agents." His face is still
deadly serious, but an eyebrow quirks for a moment. "Even the common doors
cannot be penetrated by your catalytic acid"
S921: ". The lab door, of course, is more carefully protected than that."
"
S922: "
"Even if you could have cut that door with your acid, you did not try."
S923: " I have already said: our forensics people found no sign that the stuff
has been used within the building."
S924: " Our forensic chemists have checked the building; there is no sign that
the stuff has been used on the lab door, or anywhere else."
S925: "
"Do we need to keep dwelling on that acid?"
"
S926: "The corridor from the east ends here, and a single door looms to the
west. It's no larger than the doors you've seen elsewhere; but it somehow
looks... heavy. Unyielding. Reinforcing struts cross the door's face, and the
surface is sheathed with some black coating.
"
S927: "
The end of the hallway is still well-lit.
"
S928: "You follow the corridor's curve to the southeast.
"
S929: "The corridor runs only southeast from here, and the lab door is west."
S930: "The door is no larger than the doors you've seen elsewhere; but it
somehow looks... heavy. Unyielding. Reinforcing struts cross the door's face,
and the surface is sheathed with some black coating. However, the black plate
beside the door is quite standard.
"
S931: "You duck through the closing door, keeping the lockpick firmly in hand.
"
S932: "
The door opens, revealing a closet full of monsters. [BUG]"
S933: "
There is a clank somewhere, but the door does not move."
S934: "clunk"
S935: " somewhere. A moment later, the door swings towards you. The scent of
ozone brushes through the doorway.
"
S936: "The door is reinforced with thick square bars, which run down and along
its entire front. The struts are coated with the same black material as the
rest of the door."
S937: "Resting on the bars, against the door,"
S938: "The bars are as rigid as the steel they certainly are."
S939: "You could easily climb the bars, but it would gain you little. There is
nothing above within reach of the door."
S940: " on top of one of the struts. It remains there, leaning against the
surface of the door."
S941: ", next to the things already there."
S942: "The door and its struts are coated with some dead-black material. You do
not recognize it."
S943: "The black surface gives very slightly to your touch -- soft, but thin,
over steel."
S944: "The black coating does not slide over the structure beneath."
S945: "You cannot mark the black coating."
S946: "The black coating is fixed in place."
S947: "The corridor heads east from here, but quickly curves out of sight to
the southeast."
S948: "The white corridor runs south and east from here, with a wide branch
curving northwest towards the laboratory."
S949: "

You jerk back from the intersection, a reflexive startled leap; there are six
guards down the hall to the south. They do not seem to have seen you."
S950: " You are standing just inside the northwest branch, out of sight of the
guards to the south."
S951: "
You can see brighter light shining around the curve to the northwest.
"
S952: "The hallway curves west until it reaches the black door.
"
S953: "You duck across the intersection. The guards to the south, distracted by
their own business, do not notice you; so you continue unchallenged to the
east.
"
S954: "You leap across the intersection. To the south, the guards begin to
shout.
"
S955: "You step out into the intersection, and begin walking towards the
guards. They in turn begin running towards you -- weapons drawn.
"
S956: "You peer carefully around the corner. The corridor to the south ends at
a door, and angles sharply to the northwest from there. The guards are
clustered around the door."
S957: " One is holding some instrument to his ear, occasionally speaking to it.
But the other five are still watching the hallways; you quickly pull back out
of their view."
S958: " They are looking at each other, gesturing quickly."
S959: " You catch three of the guards disappearing around the corner, northwest
from the others. The other three watch them go."
S960: " You see three of the guards moving towards you. You quickly pull back
out of their view."
S961: " There are now only three of them, but they are watching both the north
and northwest corridors with added vigilance. You quickly pull back out of
their view."
S962: " Three of the guards are coming up the corridor. You quickly pull back,
but they are too close for quickness; they have seen you.
"
S963: "You see a self-guided banjo. [BUG]"
S964: " The six are arranging themselves to watch both north and northwest,
three and three. You quickly pull back out of their view."
S965: " They are watching both north and northwest, three and three, and you
quickly pull back out of their view."
S966: "One of the guards is talking quietly. The words, of course, are drowned
out by the ever-present ventilation."
S967: "You hear footsteps receding slowly."
S968: "You hear footsteps approaching slowly."
S969: "You hear footsteps to the south, very near."
S970: " clatters down the hall towards the guards. You duck back behind the
corridor's corner as footsteps approach. When the guards do see you, they are
not pleased.
"
S971: "
You hear voices among the guards to the south.
"
S972: "
One of the guards says "Yes, with'."
"
S973: "
You hear footsteps from the south -- moving away from you, fortunately.
"
S974: "
To the south, you hear a door slide open, then closed.
"
S975: "
You hear voices among the guards to the south.
"
S976: "
One of the guards says "Yes, with'."
"
S977: "
You hear footsteps from the south -- moving towards you.
"
S978: "
Footsteps to the south are getting closer.
"
S979: "
Three guards come around the corner. You are left in plain view, flattened
against the wall, smiling at them apologetically.
"
S980: "
To the south, you hear a door slide open, then closed.
"
S981: "The scrambler shouldn't be on -- this scene will be unsolvable. [BUG]
"
S982: "The door opens, only it's ajar. Ha! Ha! Ha! [BUG]"
S983: "You could have used the blast tab, did you realize? It would have
punched through the door, I'm sure. You would have been in and out."
S984: "And you didn't use the blast tab. Just walked away."
S985: " By that much you missed starting a war. Or ending the one we've got."

The man stops, gives you a measured glance. "This is a war, for all that we're
not shooting."
"
S986: " think more like me than my own by-commander does. I think: if this is
peace, why are the armies getting larger?"
S987: " But if this is peace, why are the armies getting larger?"
S988: ""Consider: if this is peace, why are the armies getting larger?"
S989: " And even more money on secrets than on simple guns.""
S990: "A one-sided smile. "I'll make a note of that, for our estimates of your
budget schedules."

He passes that off with a tense wave."
S991: "After a moment, he grants you an open palm, and a flash of a smile.
"Ever on guard -- even with your side's budget schedules."

He passes that off with a tense wave."
S992: " You've thought about this technology."
S993: " You say you haven't thought about this technology."
S994: " It could put our footprints on the moons. We could walk to other stars
as easily as to the bathhouse. Oceans and mountains wouldn't be walls..." Again
he is watching you intently.

"That, I think, is what our masters are afraid of. They'll face death before
living without walls. You, is that why you're here? Why you're willing to
unchain a war of assassination?"
"
S995: ""Your hesitation, I think, I fear more than... no. Business first."
S996: "" He takes a breath, and calms.

"You left the lab without using your explosive. You came back to Security. To
get your precious lockpick, for the lab door?" The silver rod flashes between
his fingers; you had forgotten he was holding it."
S997: ""But for other reasons as well, I think. Show me."
"
S998: ""Perhaps other reasons as well, but I think the pick must have been
first in your mind. Show me."
"
S999: ""Perhaps other reasons as well, but I think the pick must have been
first in your mind. Show me."
"
S1000: "
"It would take an impressive level of incompetence to disable a scan-web when
entering a room, and then fail to deal with it effectively when walking out."
S1001: "
"An amateur, I think, could have walked through a doorway without ever seeing
the scan-web above it."
S1002: " You haven't impressed me thus far, but I don't truly think you're
incompetent."
S1003: " And you've demonstrated that you're not an amateur."
S1004: "
"You didn't set off the alarm going in, and you weren't found inside, so you
must have suppressed the scan-web coming out as well. Yes?" He does not wait
for a reply.
"
S1005: "
He looks irritable. "No, no scan-web alarms. Not then, not at all."
"
S1006: "
"Yes, the wonderful scan-scrambler. But"
S1007: " it cannot be miraculous. The high-sensitivity webs around Security
could be fooled; but the scrambler's presence would leave eddies. Glitches, you
understand. More than a few of those in a handful of seconds, and the watchdogs
get suspicious. As you showed me -- the alarms would ring." He raises an
eyebrow. ""
S1008: "Please, again, and using the magic less clumsily."
S1009: "In fact, you couldn't have made it up the corridor with the scrambler
active. Let's just take it as read that it wasn't."
S1010: "
"We went back, you must know, and looked at every stray spark in the scan-data.
We know how you used the scrambler. On and off, briefly enough to never upset
our systems. And it did "
S1011: "not"
S1012: "
"Mm," the man says slowly. "This grows complex."
S1013: " your scrambler leaves traces -- submerged in the scan noise if you use
it briefly, as you have been doing, but traces nonetheless. We have since
analyzed every sequence of the scan-web data. The results are quite precise;
you used the scrambler four times. Four blips, on and off, you understand."
S1014: " So your story, in which you used it"
S1015: " Besides, I doubt you would have used the device unnecessarily.
Standing around flipping it on and off, or dashing through a room for a cursory
glance, would not be worth the risk to you."
S1016: ""

He shrugs. "We can play guessing-games all afternoon; but matters would go
faster if you stuck to the facts."
"
S1017: "
"I described the situation, did I not? The data shows that you used your
scrambler precisely four times, not "
S1018: " And I do not think you wasted any of those uses."
S1019: "
"Ah. We know that you used your scrambler four times."
S1020: " But that hardly aids your cause if you merely stood in the hallway
while doing it."
S1021: " But it would be a waste to visit only "
S1022: " in that process. And you do not seem to be the sort who wastes
resources."
S1023: "
"I'm afraid we would have picked up the glitches from extensive scrambler use,
even down the hall from the Security web."
"
S1024: "
"And away you went." The man hesitates, and continues. "That was unnerving, you
in this room. "
S1025: " And when you sat down, the... shadows... I've not seen that before. "
S1026: "If I hadn't gotten the resonance damped, matters might have been very
bad." He does not say for whom, you notice. ""
S1027: "Was that a true memory? The readings were odd, but that might have been
the emotional loading of the chair, the controls -- were you truly in here?"
"
S1028: " But why?" The man frowns, distant. "Nothing in here you could want;
the lockpick was in storage, and my office must have been--" His gaze falls
again on you, locked in your chair. "There's nothing in here but... unless
you..." He is scowling now, and he stares at you.

And then he leaps to his feet, looks more closely. "You "
S1029: "expected"
S1030: "...!" For an instant he seems about to move towards you, and then he
seizes himself, and hurls himself back on his controls. Fingers flying in
sequence, and he pays you no attention at all.
"
S1031: ""Mmm." He examines his controls again. "I shall assume that's the
truth. Interesting. Well, we must try again, then."
"
S1032: "." But he says it without much rancor."
S1033: "

He examines his controls again. "Well, I'll assume the readings were transient.
We should try it again."
"
S1034: "
"The same strange readings, I'm afraid. I don't believe you came in this room
at all. This is, after all, the one memory you could certainly fake; you're
here "
S1035: "now."
S1036: " But the stresses give you away." He considers for a moment, nods
absently, and reaches for his controls.
"
S1037: "
"I am beginning to think you did enter this room, after all."
S1038: ", the one you saw in the storage room,"
S1039: " and holds it up for your inspection.
"
S1040: ""Ah? There's one guard who can testify otherwise -- or will be able to
soon, I should say."
"
S1041: ""That's better. One of my people is still recovering from its effect."
"
S1042: "The man turns the pen reflectively. "Well, and I hope not. There's one
guard who can testify otherwise -- or will be able to soon, I should say."
"
S1043: "
"No, you've forgotten the pen again."
S1044: " The crystal was intact when you left"
S1045: ", as we discovered shortly thereafter."
"
S1046: "
"Now, I know you're not that careless."
S1047: ". It's a small matter but I can't let it slip."
"
S1048: "
"You certainly know better to play with controls that you could only mishandle.
And "
S1049: "I"
S1050: " certainly didn't find this board gooflocked when we began this
session."
"
S1051: "
"And there we found you, lying helpless, several hours later." He shakes his
head. "Not a very exciting ending to your tale. I found the truth of it much
more dramatic.""
S1052: ""You disagree? Well, perhaps anticlimatic from your perspective.
Certainly an escape would have been much more satisfying. But anything has to
be better than a paralyzed coma."
"
S1053: ""Ah, not responsive even as an art critic? Ah well."
"
S1054: "
"Now, you know you kept that clever device, and used it much more effectively
than that."
"
S1055: "
"Impressive, but hardly realistic. I just came from my office, and it's quite
as tidy as it should be."
"
S1056: "
"Nicely put," he nods, "but not exactly factual." He nods towards the door,
across the hall, although neither of you can see directly. "No damage visible."
"
S1057: "
"You may wish, of course." The man smiles appreciatively. "But the walls are
sound, the chair is whole, and you are in it. Your tale cannot change that." He
reaches for his controls.
"
S1058: "This is the end of a short hallway, which runs southwest back to the
main corridor. Three large doorways open to the north, east, and south."
S1059: "Scrambler mysteriously active. [BUG]
"
S1060: "Before you can move, a buzzer begins sounding up and down the halls.
Moments later, you hear guards running in your direction.
"
S1061: "As you enter the room, a buzzer sounds briefly once.
"
S1062: "As you step into the room, a buzzer begins to sound.
"
S1063: "
You can barely see a band of scan-web over the doorway, just inside the room."
S1064: "doorway"
S1065: "The white hallway waits outside. You can see a band of scan-web running
above the doorway."
S1066: "You step gingerly under the scan-web band. Silence. You recall, with
some relief, that the man failed to turn it back on after the guard left.
"
S1067: "You roll past the man's reach and dive towards the door. Over your
shoulder you see him start after you, and then swerve and reach for his desk.

A buzzer sounds sharply as you dash into the hall.
"
S1068: "As you leave the room, a buzzer sounds briefly once.
"
S1069: "As you leave the room, a buzzer begins to sound.
"
S1070: "whatever [BUG]"
S1071: "The hall just runs southwest to the intersection."
S1072: "The room to the east is unexpectedly luxurious, with a dark wooden desk
and rich panelling. It seems to be occupied mostly by cabinets."
S1073: "east"
S1074: "The room to the north is walled in bare metal."
S1075: " A squat metal chair and a control-covered console face each other;
there is nothing beside."
S1076: " A control-covered console faces the spot where your chair squatted."
S1077: "north"
S1078: "The room to the south is filled with lockers; there is a table at the
far end."
S1079: "south"
S1080: "Just inside each of the three doorways, on the ceilings of the three
rooms, you see a glittering band of scan-web. The web's narrow spacing
indicates a tight scan -- capable of picking up resonance signals off even a
naked human body."
S1081: "The corridor runs north and south, like every other hallway in this
place. A short hallway branches off to the northeast. To the west is a blank
metal door, with attendant black plate beside it."
S1082: "
You can see brighter lights shining in the security annex to the northeast;
there is a murmur of voices as well.
"
S1083: "
The door snaps open, and you find yourself staring at an armed guard. He seems
to recognize you; at least, he loses no time into bringing up his pulse gun."
S1084: "
The door in the middle of the corridor, to the"
S1085: ", snaps open. A startled-looking guard leans out. He's not startled
enough to hesitate before he begins firing at you."
S1086: "The ceiling is a solid sheet of acoustical insulation. Light comes from
glowing discs, deeply inset behind wire grilles. A band of scan-web runs along
the ceiling in front of the doorway."
S1087: "You bend and leap, and your head thumps solidly into the ceiling."
S1088: "You bend and leap. Your fingers brush the ceiling, but not strongly
enough to do anything."
S1089: "The ceiling is a foot out of your reach."
S1090: "The ceiling is a foot out of your reach."
S1091: "The ceiling insulation is layered over something unyielding."
S1092: "The ceiling is rough and slightly soft."
S1093: "The ceiling absorbs your blow in silence."
S1094: "A band of scan-web runs along the ceiling in front of the doorway. The
web's narrow spacing indicates a tight scan, capable of picking up resonance
signals off even a naked human body."
S1095: "The scan-web only covers the area just inside the door. You can't reach
it from the desk."
S1096: "The ceiling is a foot out of your reach."
S1097: "The room is illuminated by discs of glowing plastic, recessed in the
ceiling and covered by wire grilles."
S1098: "The glowing discs are shielded behind wire grilles."
S1099: "Heavy wire meshes protect the lights."
S1100: "Dark wood panelling surrounds you, a refuge from the harsh white
visible to the west. A massive mahogany desk sits in one corner. The rest of
the room is mostly metal cabinets, but"
S1101: "Some rich wood, in pleasingly irregular spans, polished but naturally
dark."
S1102: "Your fingers glide over the wood."
S1103: "You pound the wood. The sound is muffled almost to silence; insulation
must lie under the beautiful grain."
S1104: "A heavy silence lies behind the wood -- high quality soundproofing, at
least."
S1105: "No span of the panelling seems likely to move."
S1106: "You can't see any unusual cracks or spaces in the panelling. But then,
it would be unusual if you could."
S1107: "The faint herbal flavor of some polishing compound drifts from the
wood."
S1108: "Three-drawer metal cabinets stand in rows along each wall. The drawers
are the normal size for file folders; there is a tiny black plate on the front
of each one."
S1109: "You pull on a few of the handles, but all the drawers seem to be
locked."
S1110: "All the drawers are already closed."
S1111: "The cabinets are too heavy to move."
S1112: "tiny black plate"
S1113: "Each cabinet drawer has a tiny, rectangular black plate embedded in its
front."
S1114: "The plates are fixed in the drawers."
S1115: "The desk is an imposing mass, plain of line but precisely crafted. "
S1116: " (standing on the desk)"
S1117: "much"
S1118: "You peer hopefully under the desk, but even there the floor is
relentlessly tidy."
S1119: "The bookcase is hand-carved, hung with wooden ivy vines and tiny
berries. Volumes of technology journals fill some shelves; but others display
antique folios, leather-bound collections of plays, and a small array of
dawn-tales and fireside stories."
S1120: "You find nothing but books on the shelves."
S1121: "You feel intricately carved wood."
S1122: "The bookcase is too heavy to move."
S1123: "You see the complete works of Gahtmahan, "Nightclumps and
Wind-Whispers," a volume of Connaeus woodcuts... if you had time, the shelves
would be worth a closer look. You don't."
S1124: "The books are unlikely to help with what you need to do."
S1125: "No, none of the books is a trigger for a secret door. You're just a
little disappointed."
S1126: "
(I hope you weren't expecting some kind of "Rito and Imita" in-joke.)"
S1127: "sketches"
S1128: "
The drawing has been removed from the wall, revealing a magnetic mounting pad
on the back.
"
S1129: "The sketch reads, "This space intentionally left Zarf." [BUG]"
S1130: " against the wall, where it clings."
S1131: "Grey waves beat below an indeterminate, cloudy sky. Nearly lost in the
distance is a raft -- a tiny shape bearing away beneath a wind-torn white
sail."
S1132: "The sketch is in soft talc-pencil, but nonetheless the stars shine out,
hard distant facets in a jewel-black expanse. One moon is high and one is
rising; they too are in bright focus, every crater and mare. The cool burning
moons'-light tints the sky silver from behind."
S1133: "A young man looks out from precise ink stippling. His expression is
serious, and dark eyes meet yours with near-visible force."
S1134: " You have never seen his face before."
S1135: " You recognize his face now; you have seen it, older but no less
serious, across his desk this long day. His eyes have not changed at all."
S1136: "A magnetic pad is visible on the back of the sketch. It's nothing
unusual; it just keeps the thing on the wall where it belongs."
S1137: "You are in a dim room, bounded by metal walls."
S1138: " A steel chair squats on a low pedestal;"
S1139: " A scarred pedestal stands empty where the chair was;"
S1140: " facing it is an instrument-covered desk. Otherwise the room is
sterile. The bright hallway waits to the south."
S1141: "You feel a chill of memory in your bones."
S1142: "The walls are naked metal, unadorned. They give your eyes nowhere to
rest."
S1143: "The desk is a standard modular composite design. The surface is
panelled with ranks of controls and instruments."
S1144: "You can't climb on the desk without slamming into dozens of controls
that you have no idea what they do."
S1145: "You can't reach the desk from the chair."
S1146: "The desk is covered with dials, readouts, screen panels, sliders, and
dozens of other instruments. You can put no form nor name to any of them."
S1147: "You can't see the desk clearly from the chair."
S1148: "There are a few labels scattered among the controls, and they seem to
have a biological bent: "Neurotrans.", "Hippocamp.", "EKG", "Amygdala". But the
whole leaves you as uncertain as the parts.
"
S1149: "You feel another distant chill."
S1150: "You can't reach the desk from the chair."
S1151: "The controls are dark now, and inert."
S1152: "You flip a few controls around. The displays change in arbitrary ways
-- involving an increasing amount of red.
"
S1153: "It's just a blank, acid-scarred disk of metal. The voice module seems
to be embedded in the surface."
S1154: "The pedestal under the chair isn't important."
S1155: "The chair is ugly. Steel slats are riveted to a heavy metal frame, and
the whole rests on a steel column rising from a pedestal on the floor.
Restraints are welded to the arm and foot rests; wires hang limply from the
head support."
S1156: " (in the chair)"
S1157: ", in the chair"
S1158: "You jerk out of the chair, stumbling as you pull against restraints
that are not there."
S1159: "

The half-visible figure is gone."
S1160: "The chair does not move on its base."
S1161: "You sit down in the chair. It is not comfortable."
S1162: "You feel another distant chill."
S1163: "There is a half-remembered cool pressure around your wrists, your
ankles, your forehead."
S1164: "For a moment, someone is visible, facing you across the desk."
S1165: "The human outline bends over the desk, then regards you again. A sense
of wordless sound moves across you."
S1166: "The half-visible figure frowns and does something to its controls--"
S1167: "

The chill is gone. You are alone in the room.
"
S1168: "You stare at the metal bands, until you are certain they are not
fastened around your limbs."
S1169: "The heft of the bands leaves nothing to chance."
S1170: "The metal restraints are much stronger than you."
S1171: "Leads hang from the headrest. There is a sensor contact on the end of
each one."
S1172: "The figure is nearly not there -- like shadows at the edge of your
sight, or a dream of blindness. It crawls away from your vision; your eyes feel
thick and strained.
"
S1173: "You can almost hear words, but they too drift on the edge of
understanding."
S1174: "Your words do not reach the figure."
S1175: "You cannot move to reach the figure."
S1176: "Your words do not reach the figure."
S1177: "Your words do not reach the figure."
S1178: "This narrow room is lined with steel lockers. There is a plain table at
the south end, and the doorway to the north exits to the corridor."
S1179: "The locker doors vary in size, from palm-length cubbies to a closet
apparently large enough to walk into."
S1180: " All the doors are closed. Each locker has a four-digit number on it."
S1181: " One medium-sized locker, number "
S1182: "All the lockers are already closed."
S1183: "You thump a locker door. It sounds quite sturdy."
S1184: "You look at a random locker. The number "
S1185: "The numbers are printed on the locker doors."
S1186: "It's just a plastic worktable, a slab built onto the south wall. "
S1187: "The table doesn't look strong enough to support your weight."
S1188: "The table is a slab extending from the south wall. It can't be moved."
S1189: ". The nib looks a bit sharp, though"
S1190: "; there is a dark stain on the tip"
S1191: "With its nib broken, the pen isn't going to write much."
S1192: "The pen's nib isn't a normal ball tip. It seems to be a sliver of some
indigo crystal -- a needle-sharp sliver."
S1193: "Mightier than the sword, my butt. [BUG]"
S1194: "You can't do that if you're not holding the pen."
S1195: "The pen isn't flexible, you understand."
S1196: "The sliver of crystal breaks off against "
S1197: "You press your fingernail against the sliver of crystal, which snaps
away instantly and is lost."
S1198: "The indigo needle slices through your skin as if through water. The
prick is trivial; but then icy cold races up your nerves, followed by numbness,
and the world folds away into chill dark.
"
S1199: "The sliver of crystal dissolves instantly on your tongue, without
flavor. Then a wash of icy numbness runs down your throat, and up over your
eyes, and the world folds away into chill dark.
"
S1200: "There is a small dark stain of blood on the pen's tip."
S1201: "You scrub at the stain until it's gone."
S1202: "All the alarms go off at once, including the grandfather clock. [BUG]"
S1203: "
The harsh buzz continues. Within moments you also hear footsteps hurrying
towards you.
"
S1204: "
The harsh buzz continues. Within moments you also hear footsteps hurrying
towards you.
"
S1205: "
A buzzer begins sounding up and down the halls. Moments later, you hear guards
running in your direction.
"
S1206: "
A moment after you step into the room, the scrambler emits a sharp squeal. Then
a sharper crackling noise -- and then a thread of smoke, as its quiet vibration
ceases.
"
S1207: "Fried equipment on the loose! [BUG]
"
S1208: "How did you get into all three? [BUG]"
S1209: "The door opens, only it's ajar. Ha! Ha! Ha! [BUG]"
S1210: "He considers. "You were searching the storage room for your lockpick,
of course. I'm afraid I had it at the time. ...Although whoever left the pen
lying out is due a reprimand. Sloppy, and you provided an excellent
demonstration of why." His smile is, for the first time, self-satisfied. It's
more frightening even than you expected -- but quickly gone.

"
S1211: ""And you entered my office looking for... what?"
S1212: " Obviously not to duck in for a single breath of air, as you just
showed me. What, then?"
S1213: " I'm sure it wasn't my artwork -- that's still there, and petty
vandalism is beneath you in any case. What, then?"
S1214: " Passcodes, keys, open drawers and indiscretions?"
"
S1215: ""I'm not at all sorry to have disappointed you. I am good at my job,
and I am careful, which is the same thought. If you could have caught me loose,
caught me blind or far-eyed, you might have succeeded. You did not." And there
is a brief silence.
"
S1216: ""What, then, my books of dawn-tales? I wonder if I understand you at
all." His gaze rests on yours, deceptively light. After a moment he continues
as lightly.
"
S1217: " You are endlessly inventive in your lies"
S1218: ", and more subtle than most in trying to mislead me"
S1219: " You speak me the truth as best you can"
S1220: " are stubborn as Tarn ice to my questioning"
S1221: " are plain with me, when you could drag your feet and slow my
questioning"
S1222: "; you flex like grass, sometimes stubborn as stone, sometimes easy with
your answers"
S1223: ", more than once over these past few hours;"
S1224: ". You have striven to keep this session calm, and I do not think it was
out of fear of my anger"
S1225: ". Your eyes never, never waver from mine.""
S1226: "

He leans back in his own chair, bearing your gaze. "I have tried to treat you
as an equal, a companion in our work. That is technique, of course; we both
know that. But it is also sincere"
S1227: ". And I think you have taken it in that faith. We "
S1228: "are"
S1229: " faces reflected in the mirror of our countries' border. I think you
understand that." He nods."
S1230: ". ...You are different, I think. You are convinced your side is right,
and ours is wrong, and that you must win. Perhaps I should envy that
conviction. It is my own burden that I cannot even do that." He shakes his
head."
S1231: ". You may not be brilliant -- you make mistakes -- but you are
determined. You hold that strength to what you believe"
S1232: " know you are intelligent, as well as determined. You hold those
strengths to what you believe"
S1233: ", and in that you are not so different from me"
S1234: ", even if what you believe seems -- well. As I said"
S1235: "."

He shrugs, and offers a smile as honest as you have seen. "Well? Have I done
well? It is my job to know everything about you, after all."
"
S1236: " reaches again for his controls. "But we are nearly done. You have only
a few more seconds; and you have yet to show me what becomes of your mysterious
cloth-wrapped package.""
S1237: "He bows in place, both palms open. "I am delighted."

And then he"
S1238: ""No? Or is this merely the final lie?" He smiles again, to show he is
joking.

And then he"
S1239: ""One last bout of silence?" He shrugs, and"
S1240: "
"Cutting matters a bit short, aren't we? There's someone you forgot to meet.
And we did not capture you with your tools -- much less that fascinating
package."
"
S1241: "
"The guard shot you? And then shot himself, one must suppose. No. He has not
yet regained his wits, but I think when he does, he will tell a different
story."
"
S1242: "
"Well done." The man is applauding softly. "A heroic end to your shining tale;
and in the large, an accurate one. But not precise."
S1243: "
"Yes, yes, but you still have not bought the details."
S1244: " The guard, for a beginning, was left in considerably worse shape than
you have admitted. But that is of less concern."
S1245: " You fell into our hands without those fascinating tools you have been
showing off all this time. And without the package, you understand, the one you
found in "
S1246: "my"
S1247: " corridor ceiling. I am very curious to know what you did with those
things."
"
S1248: " We were certainly not fools enough to ignore the broken cabinet
drawer"
S1249: " -- not after you left it standing open"
S1250: " You did not leave your things scattered about the hallway"
S1251: "; and nothing inside the cabinet drawer, either"
S1252: ". We have found no sign of those fascinating tools, or of that package.
I am very curious to know what you did with them."
"
S1253: "
"Everyone was watching. You didn't have your precious acid. You didn't have
anything when you were captured; you still haven't told me where you put it
all. I still want to know."
"
S1254: "
"No. You didn't have your clever little explosive. You didn't have anything
when you were captured; you still haven't told me where you put it all. I still
want to know."
"
S1255: "
"Enough. No magic tricks, no bursts of acid, no explosions; just the truth."
"
S1256: "
"Believe me, we would have been delighted to find you lying unconscious in the
hallway. We were not so lucky."
"
S1257: "Footsteps are approaching."
S1258: "You lean around the corner and hurl "
S1259: " at the guards. Shouts chase you back. You have a bare second before
the guards fall into the intersection -- from both the east and northwest --
dropping to the ground, guns out and braced.
"
S1260: "
You throw yourself to a halt, nearly stumbling, as you hear footsteps
approaching from the northwest... and then the guards behind you become audible
as well. You duck around the southern corner and glance about desperately.
"
S1261: "
The guards to the east are drawing closer.
"
S1262: "
The guards to the northwest are drawing closer.
"
S1263: "
A group of guards comes around the corner from the east. One begins to salute
lazily up the northwest corridor; then they spot you, all at once, and all at
once they hurl themselves at you. You are pinned before you can begin to
retreat.
"
S1264: "Footsteps are approaching."
S1265: "The guards are off to the northwest."
S1266: "Several guards are arrayed in the intersection -- crouched, sheltered
by the corners, or prone on the floor. They all seem intent on taking you
down."
S1267: "The guards are well-trained to shoot first, talk later. That's the
beauty of pulse guns."
S1268: " up the corridor. It clatters into the intersection, and you hear
startled words from the guards around the corner."
S1269: " up the corridor. It clatters among the guards, and they shift
reflexively to let it pass."
S1270: " around the corner, off to the north... for the moment."
S1271: ", aiming blindly up the corridor -- precision doesn't matter now. And
then the crackle of pulse charges begins to echo. You hear someone fall, good,
a mark; you are ducking behind the filing cabinet, you have no attention to
spare.

"
S1272: "Sparks shower off the cabinet. You lean around and snap off more shots;
clean misses. Pulses flash by you. You peer into the hail, and aim -- two down,
three --

"
S1273: "There is a weightless impact of darkness, and you are borne down in a
sparkling corona.
"
S1274: "
The footsteps to the north are closer now."
S1275: " The guard glances swiftly that way, and then shouts hoarsely.
"
S1276: "
The footsteps to the north are closer now.
"
S1277: "
"Hold you!" comes a shout from the north. You take a quick glance; several
guards have come around the corner. Their narrow eyes take in"
S1278: ", and they bring up their weapons.
"
S1279: "
The pulse-guns to the north begins crackling."
S1280: " The guard and you, still scuffling, are both unconscious within
moments.
"
S1281: " You dive for cover behind the cabinet, but a bolt slaps into you
before you are halfway there.
"
S1282: "This set has been struck for the night. Go e, nw, or s. [BUG]"
S1283: "This bare stretch of hallway angles from the northwest to the east;
another short hall leads south."
S1284: " You are backed into the southern branch."
S1285: "You leap around the corner and charge the guards. You almost get within
twenty feet before their pulse guns cut you down.
"
S1286: "You back down the corridor, as silently as you can.
"
S1287: "Hallways run northwest, east, and south."
S1288: "The hall runs a few yards to the south, and then dead-ends. There is a
closed door to one side."
S1289: " clatters down the hall into the dead end."
S1290: "The door at the end of the south hall is closed."
S1291: "The door is at the end of the hallway, to the south."
S1292: "The hallway ends in a blank white wall. A metal door stands"
S1293: "
A large group of guards is visible to the north.
"
S1294: "You make a break up the hallway -- only to come into view of two groups
of guards, at once. Their pulse guns knock you sprawling before you can duck
back.
"
S1295: "You charge the guards and all their guns. It doesn't work.
"
S1296: "You can only return to the north, or face the western door."
S1297: "A discarded filing cabinet is standing by the wall. "
S1298: "It's a standard three-drawer file cabinet. "
S1299: " (standing on the filing cabinet)"
S1300: "The cabinet is too heavy to lift."
S1301: "You give the cabinet a tentative push; it moves, with a metallic
screech which freezes you with alarm."
S1302: "You give the cabinet a tentative pull; it moves, with a metallic
screech which freezes you with alarm."
S1303: "The drawer won't come out any farther."
S1304: "You yank on the drawers; two are locked, but one comes open with an
internal clank. The drawer is empty."
S1305: "The door to the west is metal. It has no handle; another black plate is
visible beside it. The door is"
S1306: " open; you can see a large room beyond, busy with computer terminals
and moving figures."
S1307: "The guard is still standing in front of the doorway."
S1308: "
The door opens, revealing a phone booth. [BUG]"
S1309: "A plastic grille is visible high on the wall, just below the ceiling.
It's hanging open"
S1310: ", but you can't see in from this low angle."
S1311: ". In the duct behind it, you can see "
S1312: "You can't see into the grille from down here."
S1313: "The ventilation duct appears empty."
S1314: "The grille is barely a foot wide."
S1315: "Your position is precarious enough without that kind of juggling."
S1316: "You can't see anything in the ventilation duct."
S1317: "You lever the grille open with your fingers.
"
S1318: "
The guard stands in the open doorway, staring wildly, but also reaching for his
gun."
S1319: "
The guard is backpedalling, levelling his gun at you."
S1320: "
The guard is sprawled unconscious on the floor."
S1321: "He is young, with short dark hair. His uniform is tightly creased and
perfectly clean. And the confusion is rapidly clearing from his eyes, as he
reaches for the pulse gun in his holster.
"
S1322: "He is young, with short dark hair. He lies sprawled on the floor,
unconscious, uniform mussed now."
S1323: " His gun has fallen on the floor nearby."
S1324: "You hurl yourself off the cabinet, pen clutched in your fist; your
weight drives it into the guard's shoulder."
S1325: "You feint, and then jab the pen into the guard's shoulder, as hard as
you can."
S1326: " His reflexive counter hurls you into the wall.

But then he shivers, once, and slides to the ground, and remains there.
"
S1327: "Not while he's trying to shoot you."
S1328: "You pat the body down quickly, but nothing is immediately apparent. And
you don't have time for a more thorough search."
S1329: "Not likely, particularly when he's trying to shoot you."
S1330: "You hurl yourself off the cabinet, knocking the guard to the floor with
your full weight.
"
S1331: "You knock the guard's feet out from under him.
"
S1332: "You land a fierce blow, driving the guard into the wall.
"
S1333: "You lash at the guard; he staggers back.
"
S1334: "That would be redundant; he's not waking up soon."
S1335: "That would be redundant; he won't be waking up soon."
S1336: "Somewhere, a guard sings "O Sole Mio." [BUG]"
S1337: "
The door snaps open suddenly, and the uniformed figure of a guard begins to
step through. "No, what's "
S1338: "frustrating"
S1339: " is that you can't tell us what's in that blood-cursed lab," he is
saying, back over his shoulder.

Then he sees you. He fumbles for his pulse gun.
"
S1340: "
The guard's gun is in his hand.
"
S1341: "
The guard tracks you carefully, and squeezes the trigger. Blackness slaps
through you like a wave of cold iron.
"
S1342: "
The guard pulls himself to his feet, and levels the gun again.
"
S1343: "
The guard hurls himself backward, rolls to his feet, and brings up his gun.
"
S1344: "
The guard gathers himself and aims again.
"
S1345: "
The guard squeezes his trigger convulsively. Blackness slaps through you like a
wave of cold iron.
"
S1346: "guard's gun"
S1347: "the"
S1348: "His gun lies near his limp hand."
S1349: "It's a standard pulse gun, a typically sharp-lined weapon. Quiet,
compact, capable of knocking a person unconscious across the length of a
corridor -- perfect for indoor guard duty."
S1350: " The gun is in the guard's holster."
S1351: "You grab for the gun; but the guard twists it out of your reach."
S1352: "You strike at the guard's gun, trying to knock it from him; but he
evades you."
S1353: "You see nothing unusual about the guard's uniform."
S1354: "He doesn't look like he's interested in that kind of thing."
S1355: "You don't have time. Stripping a limp body is impossibly awkward."
S1356: "*** You have been captured ***"
S1357: "The key to escape is the key to escape. [BUG]"
S1358: "The man breathes out slowly; his eyes are soft with realization. "The
ventilation duct. The "
S1359: "ventilation"
S1360: "Still staring past you, he thumbs a switch on his desk. "Mobile Eight?"
he says to the air. "Get down to the hallway where our friend was captured--"
There is a muffled interruption. "Yes, I know you have. You missed a leaf. Open
up ventilation grille "
S1361: " and search inside. There should be a number of microelectronic tools
inside, and a small bundle wrapped in cloth. Report to me immediately." He
flicks the connection closed.

"
S1362: "The man spreads his hands apologetically. "I must look like a great
fool," he says to you.
"
S1363: "He continues, "It's my own fault."
S1364: " I can plead an excuse; we rebuilt our ventilation system from the
ground up, less than half a year ago. It's fenced and webbed and wired so that
a grain of sand couldn't sneak through -- but only at the external intakes and
the junctions. We never thought to check for an object cached just inside a
vent. We never thought it would be a "
S1365: "danger"
S1366: "
He shrugs. "And it wasn't a danger, in fact, was it?"
"
S1367: " We got you; you didn't get into the lab, much less get out afterwards.
You moved a package from one hiding place to another. I still can't see--"

A flashing light interrupts him. The man touches it, and nods. "I'll see soon.
They're bringing it in."
"
S1368: "The man absently waves you to silence.
"
S1369: "The man absently waves you to silence.
"
S1370: "
A chime sounds. The man pounces on his controls, and then gestures impatiently
towards the doorway.

"
S1371: "A guard enters. She gives you only a brief professional glance.
Approaching the desk, she lays out a handful of small items.

"
S1372: "The man nods, dismissing her without a thought, and then stares. "This
was all? Where's the package?"

"With'?" asks the guard, puzzled.

"Never mind. Go." His eyes are blazing on you as the guard slips out the
doorway. "You. You have lied to me, and I am "
S1373: "tired"
S1374: "enough"
S1375: "
"You have not told me where the package really is.""
S1376: "
By the man's expression, your last chance is wearing thin."
S1377: ", and curse all your blood," says the man flatly. His finger stabs
down."
S1378: "several"
S1379: "You can see the flat grey shape of your toolcase. And the "
S1380: " boxes which are the pushbutton, timer, and toggle-switch triggers. And
the "
S1381: " disc-shaped key transmitter, and the square "
S1382: " voice transmitter. That's all. There is, of course, no cloth-wrapped
package."
S1383: "You say the keyword. The man jerks like a lightning-struck tree at the
sound of your voice, but it is too late.

"
S1384: "hiss"
S1385: " from the pedestal beneath your chair. Acrid mist sprays out around
your feet. The man is leaping up, but you can already feel a shifting beneath
you. The metal slats sag... and crumple...

You tear your limbs from the dissolving steel bands.
"
S1386: "You say the keyword, but nothing happens. "
S1387: "
The man jerks like a lightning-struck tree at the sound of your voice. He
stares at you, and down at his desk. Then, with a vicious curse, he begins
slamming controls.
"
S1388: "What? You can't escape twice! [BUG]"
S1389: "Scraps of metal lie around the pedestal, still visibly decaying."
S1390: "Rags of metal are scattered around the pedestal -- nothing else is left
of the chair that held you. They are dissolving to hissing mist as you watch."
S1391: "There's no point; soon there won't be anything left of them."
S1392: "There's barely enough chair left to step on, much less sit on."
S1393: "
The scan scrambler emits a sudden frantic shrilling, which is echoed by a
buzzer through the halls of the building. Apparently it's a trick that can't
work twice.
"
S1394: "
A buzzer sounds, suddenly and for no apparent reason.
"
S1395: "
The remains of the chair continue to shrivel.
"
S1396: "
There is now nothing left of the chair at all.
"
S1397: "
There is a quiet chime from the direction of the desk. The unconscious man does
not stir. The chime is repeated; a moment later, it changes to a sharp buzzer.
"
S1398: "
A buzzer sounds suddenly through the corridors. Your time is running tight.
"
S1399: "
Your legs are beginning to itch fiercely.
"
S1400: "
The itch in your legs is nearly unbearable.
"
S1401: "
Your legs still itch. Just a bit.
"
S1402: "The voice module seems to have welded itself into the corroding metal."
S1403: "You cannot pry the voice module loose."
S1404: "The voice module's link isn't visible."
S1405: "The man is no longer interested in anything you have to say."
S1406: "The man is on his feet, staring at you -- stunned, and with perhaps,
somewhere underneath, a flicker of doubt."
S1407: "The man is sitting calmly behind his desk. He seems to have found a
gun. It is levelled at your chest."
S1408: "The man is stretched on the floor, dazed and unmoving. The lines of his
face are merely age, now."
S1409: "You run your hands over his uniform, but you find nothing."
S1410: "You run your hands over his uniform; "
S1411: " It would be too much to ask, of course, that he be carrying a gun. But
-- of course -- he was too careful to make such a mistake. You hadn't doubted
that."
S1412: "A limp body would be impossibly awkward, especially if you were in a
hurry. Which you might be."
S1413: "Satisfying though it might be, there's no more need."
S1414: "A sudden rush echoes in your ears, and you feel a grimace straining
your lips. The man falls back -- just a fraction -- and then your fist slams
into his belly. You shiver as he folds up, and coldly aim another blow at the
the back of his skull. The man's body hits the floor; he lies still."
S1415: "The man falls over and snores. [BUG]"
S1416: "
The man breaks from his stunned pose with a shudder. He vaults over his desk,
and drops towards you with vicious speed.
"
S1417: "
You twist aside as the man's hand flashes for your temple.
"
S1418: "
In grim silence, the man lashes out with one foot. You stumble; something is
horribly wrong with your knee, and you crash to the ground, feeling pain
somewhere very far away. He is on you immediately, twisting your arm back; and
then, with great precision, he cracks your head against the hard, cold tiles.
"
S1419: "
He smiles. "You came back," he says, and shoots you.
"
S1420: "The uniform is strained where its wearer lies awkwardly."
S1421: " It is pale, and bears no insignia but the emblem of its nation."
S1422: "It's a fine thought, but stripping a limp body is impossibly awkward.
And the guards aren't very likely to mistake you for their chief, no matter
what you're wearing."
S1423: "
You stumble to a halt, as you plow into a group of hard-eyed guards. They
apparently grudge the many times you slid past them; now they waste no time
taking you down."
S1424: "
A group of hard-eyed guards bursts in from the hallway. Their guns are out;
pulsefire is slashing into you almost before you see them."
S1425: "A group of hard-eyed guards bursts in through the door"
S1426: "The door snaps open, and a group of hard-eyed guards bursts in"
S1427: ". Their guns are out; pulsefire is slashing into you almost before you
see them."
S1428: " in the middle of the corridor, to the south,"
S1429: " in the middle of the corridor, to the north,"
S1430: " down the corridor, to the southwest,"
S1431: " snaps open. A group of hard-eyed guards bursts out, scanning the
corridor, guns levelled. Of course they see you immediately."
S1432: "
A group of hard-eyed guards down the corridor spots you. Pulsefire slashes
through you before you can react."
S1433: "
A group of hard-eyed guards bursts into view at the intersection"
S1434: ". They spot you instantly, and open fire."
S1435: "
A group of hard-eyed guards bursts into view at the intersection"
S1436: ". They spot you instantly, and open fire."
S1437: "
A group of hard-eyed guards spots you from across the corridor. Their guns are
out; pulsefire is slashing into you almost before you see them."
S1438: "The corridor turns here, running south and west. A single metal door
stands north; it is"
S1439: "You move down the west corridor; but as you approach the junction, you
hear voices. The corridor to the south sounds like it's still got a full squad
of guards. And they'll be alert, now. You don't dare even look; you slide back
to the corner, as quietly as you can."
S1440: "The door to the north is metal. As usual, it has a black sensor plate
beside it."
S1441: "
The door snaps open. You have a brief glimpse of a nervous-looking janitor,
surrounded by dusty crates, before he hits an override and the door snaps shut
again.

He must have hit an alarm, as well, because a sharp buzzer sounds.
"
S1442: " at the far end of the corridor, to the north,"
S1443: " snaps open -- and closed again. Someone must have hit an override.

Someone must have hit an alarm, as well, because a sharp buzzer sounds.
"
S1444: "
A sharp buzzer sounds somewhere.
"
S1445: "The corridor cuts around a sharp angle, from the northwest to the
north. To the south, in the end wall, is the standard featureless metal door;
it is"
S1446: "The door to the north is metal. As usual, it has a black sensor plate
beside it."
S1447: "You have barely room to spread your arms; this tiny square chamber is
lined with cables, pipes, wires, and junction nodes. The only exit is the"
S1448: " door to the south, which has a small white pad beside it."
S1449: "
Resting on one of the larger junction nodes"
S1450: "
The largest junction node is a shattered ruin.
"
S1451: "Cables and wires of all descriptions fill the room; they thread up the
walls, across the ceiling, and through various junction nodes."
S1452: "The cables and wires are securely anchored."
S1453: "You can't do any significant damage without a great deal more time."
S1454: "You could easily climb some of the cables, but it would gain you
little. There is nothing above of any use."
S1455: "One junction node is particularly large; several heavy power cables
feed through it."
S1456: "The junction nodes are all sealed."
S1457: " one of the larger junction nodes."
S1458: " the node, next to the things already there."
S1459: "It's a door like all the rest. There is a white contact pad on one side
of the jamb. The door is"
S1460: " You stare at the door in some embarrassment; of course it won't open
without power.

You sit down calmly to wait. It isn't too long before the guards come with
crowbars to investigate the problem."
S1461: "The largest junction node has been reduced to shattered ruin."
S1462: "The inside is a tangle of torn cabling."
S1463: "There's no good surface left on the smashed junction node."
S1464: "There's no such thing as negative energy. [BUG]"
S1465: " leaving you in stifling blind darkness"
S1466: " leaving you in a stifling darkness which is pierced only by the lamp's
thin beam"
S1467: "Darkness"
S1468: "After several seconds, the lighting strips return to life, but they are
very dim and pulsate unevenly. You find barely enough light to pick silhouettes
out of the gloom. And the silence is oppressive. You realize that the constant
hiss of ventilation died with the lights, and it has not returned.
"
S1469: "
You freeze; there is movement up the corridor, to the "
S1470: ". It sounds like yet another group of guards, moving slowly but
steadily in the darkness.
"
S1471: " footsteps up the corridor, to the "
S1472: "You can just make out the movement to the "
S1473: ", buried in shadows. It's impossible to tell how many guards there
are."
S1474: "You can hear the faintest sound of shuffling"
S1475: "Their attention is just what you want least."
S1476: "It might be better to stay quiet."
S1477: "Your shot crackles down the corridor, and you hear the welcome thump of
bodies diving for cover. You cannot tell if you scored a hit."
S1478: "You fire again into the shadows, in the direction of the guards."
S1479: "It might be better to stay quiet."
S1480: "
Through the north doorway, you can see a huge bustle of activity -- guards
examining the chair, bent over the controls, and kneeling around the
unconscious figure on the floor. And, a few of them, watching the door. Several
hair-triggered guards have slashed pulse-fire into you before you or they know
what is happening."
S1481: "
Four guards are waiting for you at the door, guns drawn. You briefly think how
little hope there was that the exit would be unguarded. Then pulse-fire slaps
darkness through you."
S1482: "
You tear up the hall, chased by pulse-fire.
"
S1483: "
As you come around the corner, you see at least a dozen figures moving north
from Security. Undoubtedly they were drawn by the gunfire. They do not
hesitate."
S1484: " into the teeth of the guards. They scatter in surprise; but there are
enough of them to take you down in their cross-fire."
S1485: "
There is a large group of guards here, advancing slowly "
S1486: " through the darkened hallways. You press silently against the wall.
Unfortunately, the hallways aren't as dark as all that, and you are spotted
immediately."
S1487: "
You here a sharp whisper from the "
S1488: ": "There!" Pulse-fire crackles towards you, and this time its aim is
precise."
S1489: " are very close now. You consider suddenly that dangling in the middle
of the corridor is about as exposed a position as you could manage. They,
apparently, realize the same thing at the same time."
S1490: " are very close now. You press silently against the wall. But the
hallways aren't as dark as all that, and you are spotted immediately."
S1491: "
You freeze; there is movement up the corridor, to the "
S1492: ". It sounds like yet another group of guards, moving slowly but
steadily in the darkness.
"
S1493: "
You can hear footsteps approaching again, off to the "
S1494: "
A group of guards appears in the intersection to the west. They pause for a
moment, and two come grimly down the hall towards the closet. They are very
pleased to find you still there.
"
S1495: "
Two guards appear suddenly in the doorway, silhouetted against the flickering
shadows. They were probably looking to discover what made the power fail; they
are certainly very happy to discover you.
"
S1496: "
A group of guards appears in the intersection to the north. They pause for a
moment, and two move tentatively down towards where you are. They make out your
shape almost immediately.
"
S1497: " silhouettes of guards appear in the doorway. Two of them move
cautiously into the room, and within moments they see you.
"
S1498: " to one side -- straight into the path of a lucky shot."
S1499: " You twist aside as shots crackle past you; they are trying to pin you
down."
S1500: " A pulse splashes on the wall in front of you."
S1501: " Pulse-fire slices past you, and you "
S1502: " nearly upon you. You can make out figures in the darkness.
"
S1503: "
You're about to run out of options -- the intersection to the southeast is
occupied. The guards there are not moving. They're watching in both directions,
with their backs to a closed metal door. They don't seem to have seen you; you
slide deeper into the shadows nonetheless.
"
S1504: "
There is a group of guards huddled to the southeast.
"
S1505: "
A burst of pulse-fire crackles past your face, and you fall back hastily. The
intersection to the southeast is occupied; and the guards must have heard your
gunfire.
"
S1506: "
Pulse-fire stitches the corridor from the southeast.
"
S1507: "
You can see unconscious forms to the southeast.
"
S1508: "
Pulse-fire stitches the corridor from the southeast.
"
S1509: "The guards are still figures in the gloom."
S1510: "The guards are up against the walls, firing at you."
S1511: "There are still at least three guards standing."
S1512: "You can see two guards firing at you."
S1513: "The guards to the southeast are crumpled and scattered across the
floor. None are moving."
S1514: "You hear footsteps approaching from the west, and whispers to the
southeast."
S1515: "You hear an occasional whisper from the southeast -- just sibilants in
the darkness."
S1516: "You hear only the crackle of pulse-fire."
S1517: "Their attention is just what you want least."
S1518: "The guards are off to the southeast."
S1519: "Two of the guards are unconscious in as many heartbeats. You shift your
gun, straining for a better target among the shadows, and fire again. A third
figure jerks and collapses. Then pulses are raining up the corridor at you, and
you flatten yourself into cover."
S1520: "You spray pulses down the corridor, and manage to knock down three of
them. Then you are driven behind the corner by their return fire."
S1521: "You snap off another shot, and see another guard crumple in the
southeast corridor."
S1522: "You line up your gun, but the shadowy figure dodges out of your line of
fire."
S1523: "You swing around the corner, firing quickly but without haste. One of
the remaining guards to the southeast drops; then the other."
S1524: "You lay a few more pulses into the unmoving bodies, for luck."
S1525: "It might be better to stay quiet."
S1526: "
A shot slashes by your head, and you pull further back around the corner.
"
S1527: "
Pulse-fire crackles off the wall behind you.
"
S1528: "
Another burst of shots from the southeast forces you against the wall.
"
S1529: "
The guards to the southeast are still shooting at you.
"
S1530: "
Six guards are standing by the door, peering into the darkness.
"
S1531: "
Six guards are standing by the door, firing into the darkness.
"
S1532: "
Three guards are standing in the angle, with three more motionless on the
floor.
"
S1533: "
Two guards are crouched in the angle, surrounded by unconscious bodies.
"
S1534: "
Unconscious guards litter the floor here.
"
S1535: "They look like six unconscious guards."
S1536: "You grab at a few nearby pockets, but you find nothing of immediate
value."
S1537: "You give the nearest body a shove. It makes you feel a little better,
but it's not very helpful."
S1538: "You leap at one of the guards, but she twists adroitly aside."
S1539: "You spray a few more pulses around, for nothing but your own
satisfaction."
S1540: "You fire a pulse into the nearest guard; she twitches and collapses.
You spin around, trying to line up on the others."
S1541: "You fire a pulse into the nearer guard; she twitches and collapses. You
spin around; the other is lining up on your back. The shot goes straight past
your ear as you hurl yourself aside; then your finger tightens again, and the
last guard is unconscious."
S1542: "It might be better to stay quiet."
S1543: "
You hurry down past the sprawled forms of the guards."
S1544: "
You turn and dive back towards the guards. This time they are not so surprised,
and their aim is steady."
S1545: "
Hesitating when surrounded by armed guards is not the best idea. A shot slams
directly into the back of your neck, and another into your chest, and the
darkness hits like an iron hammer."
S1546: "
You hurry down past the sprawled forms of the guards."
S1547: "
You hit the corner at a dead run, trying to break through the guards before
they can react. You nearly do; but there are too many of them, and pulse-fire
is faster than you."
S1548: "
You hit the corner at a dead run. The remaining guards break and fall aside,
trying to aim and roll for cover simultaneously."
S1549: "The guards' guns are the same sharp-lined model you've seen elsewhere."
S1550: "You already have a gun, and you can't waste time disarming the
unconscious."
S1551: "The guards seem to have their guns well in hand."
S1552: "
This is the wrong part of the story. [BUG]
"
S1553: "You can't see the guards; they're around the curve to the southeast."
S1554: "You can hear voices coming from the southeast."
S1555: "
A large crowd is standing here, debating how to deal with you. Your
reappearance presents a happy resolution to their discussion."
S1556: "
The door begins to swing shut as soon as the pick loses its link.
"
S1557: "
You spin around, ready for pursuit, but no one appears.
"
S1558: "
You hear a voice from around the curve: "Wait."
"
S1559: "
You hear a startled "What?" from the southeast.
"
S1560: "
Voices drift up the hall. "It's only one..." "...armed, took down nearly..."
There appears to be some little debate.
"
S1561: "
"Look then, we'll get a pulse grenade, is that...?"
"
S1562: "
"Fine." "Fine then." "...Fine." Some of the guards sound a bit peeved.
"
S1563: "
Something small and metallic rolls around the curve. It stops at your feet. You
are reaching to heave it back when a corona of pulse-fire crackles out, and
snaps you back against the wall."
S1564: "
Several guards hustle up the corridor in best military style. They seem
surprised to see you standing; but they take care of the situation very
handily."
S1565: "
The voices start discussing dwarven literature. [BUG]"
S1566: "
You see something small and metallic rolling up the hallway, towards the door.
Before you can move, a corona of pulse-fire crackles out and sprays across the
room."
S1567: "
Several guards hustle up to the door in best military style. Peering in, they
seem surprised to see you standing; but they take care of the situation very
handily."
S1568: "
There is a muffled pounding on the door.
"
S1569: "
There are several guards standing outside the door. They are quite startled by
the door's sudden opening, but their guns are ready nevertheless."
S1570: "
The door suddenly swings open. Several guards peer in, along with several
pulse-gun muzzles."
S1571: "
You're messing up my timing. [BUG]"
S1572: "
The console's display goes abruptly dead. "
S1573: "
You hear voices outside. "Well?"
"
S1574: "
"The lock circuitry is knotted," comes a mumble from outside the door. "...must
have done something..."
"
S1575: "
"We've got shock grenades. Should we blast?" There is a pause, and someone
replies, "No, wait on that. Whatever's in the lab, the tech crowd will burst
themselves if we fill it full of shrapnel."
"
S1576: "
A voice says, "Someone ask around for a gas cutter."
"
S1577: "
"Got anywhere with the lock?" you hear. There is an irritated mutter in reply.
"
S1578: "
"One of the techs thinks there's a cutter in South Storage," someone reports.
"
S1579: "pop"
S1580: " from the other side of the door. It is followed by vicious swearing.
"
S1581: "their"
S1582: " equipment never fails just when it's needed," someone mutters.
"
S1583: "
You catch, "...could be doing in there?" "Cursed if I know. They don't tell me
what kind of toys they play with."
"
S1584: "
"Got it!" you hear. The door does not move. "Or, perhaps not," the voice
continues irritably.
"
S1585: "
"Understand, it's been too long. Are there any explosives, things of that sort
in there?" Someone farther away replies, "No, not that we've been told of."
"
S1586: "
You hear running footsteps outside. "Found another one!" Someone exhales in
relief.
"
S1587: "
There is a tight hiss from outside. "There it runs," someone says.
"
S1588: "
"Keep it steady, understand. We only need a hole big enough to fire through."
"
S1589: "
A tiny red spot appears on the door. It quickly glows brighter, orange and
yellow; and then metal drips away from a white-hot hole. The shots that come
through moments later are astonishingly well-aimed.
"
S1590: "
You're taking way too long about this. [BUG]"
S1591: "
"Look at the power readout. Something's going on in there," comes a worried
mutter from outside. A louder voice calls, "Has the cursed Chief finished his
cursed nap yet?"
"
S1592: "
"Yes, he cursed has." The tone is dry and amused, but the familiar voice chills
you. "What's the situation?"
"
S1593: "
"It's under control, with'," someone says calmly. "The target is trapped in the
lab. We're bringing up a cutter."
"
S1594: "
There is a choking sound. "Trapped in the-- in--" In all the hours you spent in
his chair, you never heard that voice lost for words.
"
S1595: "
"There's only one entrance, with-commander. We're standing in front of it," the
voice continues, a little nervously now. "The walls are armor plate underneath.
The ventilation system is secure. We haven't been briefed on any explosive or
cutting equipment in the lab inventory. There's simply nowhere to go."
"
S1596: "Nowhere,"
S1597: "" the familiar voice begins, but someone interrupts: "The power is
showing a dropoff, look at that."

"All right," the man continues after a moment. "All right. Blast the door down.
Now, please."

Orders, apparently, are orders. There is a deafening roar; the door tears into
flying shards of metal. A hail of pulse-gun fire follows the blast in. You
don't stand a moment's chance."
S1598: " is entirely gone, which leaves the question of how you can see it.
[BUG]
"
S1599: " The edge of the paper is burning."
S1600: " The paper is still burning, and more than half consumed."
S1601: "The paper is nearly consumed in flame."
S1602: "The paper is a ghost of its former self. [BUG]"
S1603: " The paper is scorched dark brown, unreadable in places."
S1604: "Fire crawls up the last corner of "
S1605: " is submerged in the greater fire.
"
S1606: " flickers out, leaving black ashes and a final wisp of smoke.
"
S1607: " -- sorry about the dull message. [BUG]"
S1608: "ash"
S1609: "some"
S1610: "heaps of ash"
S1611: "It's the blackened, brittle remains of some paper."
S1612: "The ash still smells faintly of burning."
S1613: "You add to the ash already in your hand."
S1614: "You carefully brush the ash into your hand."
S1615: "There is no question what this place is. The room is high, brightly
lit"
S1616: " -- this part of the building must have its own power supply --"
S1617: " and filled with arcane, half-built, and unlabelled machinery. The
heavy door stands"
S1618: " to the east; there is a small white pad and an access panel beside it.
"
S1619: "
At the center of the chaos, and its focus, is a great silver platform which is
wrapped in a glittering cage of scan-web. A control console stands next to it.
Cables run out across the floor, from the platform to the console, from the
console to the walls, and tangle around a low cabinet off to one side.
"
S1620: "
Much paper and clutter rests on a long wooden table against one wall. The table
also supports a notably large black device. "
S1621: "
Much paper and clutter rests on a long wooden table against one wall. A few
flames lick at the papers. The table also supports a notably large black
device. "
S1622: "
A long wooden table by one wall supports a notably large black device. The
table is also covered with papers, many of which are burning brightly.

"
S1623: "
A long wooden table by one wall supports a notably large black device. The
table is also covered with papers, most of which are burning brightly.

"
S1624: "
A long wooden table by one wall supports a notably large black device. The
table is also covered with papers, all of which are burning brightly.

"
S1625: "
A long wooden table by one wall is burning fiercely. You can see a black device
distorting within the flames.

"
S1626: "
A long wooden table by one wall is burning fiercely; the flames are spreading
up one wall. You can see a black device distorting within the flames.

"
S1627: "By the other wall is a clear space ringed with red, with some sort of
mat inside it."
S1628: "There is no door but the one you entered by."
S1629: " from outside the cage, while the cage is closed."
S1630: "The platform is a huge disc, nearly ten feet wide; it crowds the rest
of the room's clutter out against the walls. The disc is a handspan tall.
Cables run from beneath it all across the room. It is made of some
mirror-bright metal; the top is incised with a fine concentric pattern, which
seems to reflect the lights overhead into an infinite rainbow shaft.
"
S1631: "A glittering canopy of scan-web hangs from the ceiling. It runs
entirely around the platform in a wide-draped ring. The web is fine-woven,
finer than you've ever seen -- it must run down to molecular scale, with the
waveform analysis of the wrap-around scan. A six-foot-wide flap on one side of
the cage is"
S1632: " (standing on the platform)"
S1633: ", on the platform"
S1634: "You can't leave the cage while the flap is closed."
S1635: "The platform is empty, but for yourself."
S1636: "You can't enter the cage while the flap is closed."
S1637: "You step through the open flap and onto the platform."
S1638: "You peel the flap of web away from its magnetic seals; it hangs open."
S1639: "You pull the flap back against its seals, closing yourself in the
cage."
S1640: "You push the flap back against its seals."
S1641: "There is a free-standing console next to the cage, facing it, with a
view off to the side of the padded mat. On the console are two buttons, a grey
oval of contact-pad substrate, a small rectangular display above the oval, and
a readout strip. Hand-written labels are marked by each control."
S1642: "The display is lit with a complex, multispectral waveform. "
S1643: "A faint hum is coming from somewhere."
S1644: "A loud hum is coming from somewhere."
S1645: "Scribbled between the grey oval and the display is the phrase
"Destination waveform." The upper button says "Ready," and the lower button is
labelled "Light the fire.""
S1646: "You'll have to say exactly what you want to push."
S1647: "The upper button is labelled "Ready.""
S1648: "There is a faint hum, and the display lights with a brightly colored
waveform. "
S1649: "The lower button is labelled "Light the fire.""
S1650: "The hum intensifies, coming from all around you."
S1651: "The hum fades to near-inaudibility. "
S1652: "It's an unmarked oval of grey substrate, the same material as the
contact pad by the door. A label above the oval reads "Destination waveform.""
S1653: "As the pressure on the oval moves, the waveform on the display mutates
-- wave components slide up or down, shift color, change frequency. You cannot
interpret the result... but a leap into the dark must be better than staying
here."
S1654: "The waveform on the display changes its configuration again."
S1655: "The display shows a complex waveform. Several different components
slice across the rectangle, like a rainbow of mountain ranges. You haven't the
least understanding of what they mean."
S1656: ""Cannot initialize: "
S1657: ""Unexpected failure: "
S1658: "You peer at the strip, on the other side of the scan-web and upside
down. It reads, "
S1659: "The console readout blinks, and then repeats, "
S1660: "The console readout blinks; it now says, "
S1661: ""Shut down for logic adjustment.""
S1662: "unit NZ73 functioning erratically.""
S1663: "central systems failed self-test.""
S1664: "central systems not functioning.""
S1665: ""Central systems are not active.""
S1666: ""Accumulators charging: pulse in "
S1667: " Note: scan-web coverage not yet complete."
S1668: ""Unable to initiate: scan-web coverage not complete.""
S1669: "There are wrist-thick cables running everywhere. Some lead beneath the
platform, to the equipment around the room, to the control console, to the
walls, to a nest of cable around a low cabinet off to one side."
S1670: "You shift a few of the cables around, but they're all well-anchored at
both ends."
S1671: "The cables are heavy black rubber; you cannot damage them."
S1672: "The cabinet is gray sheet metal, with rows of holes running down the
sides."
S1673: " Clearly it is a modular rack, meant to have arbitrary equipment bolted
inside and rearranged when necessary. The front is closed."
S1674: "The cabinet is stuffed with blocks of subcircuitry and nests of
ribbon-wiring."
S1675: " There is a gap at one point, however, as if a single logic plate had
been removed."
S1676: " The logic plate has been slotted into place."
S1677: "Everything in the cabinet is bolted in place."
S1678: "You can't put anything else in the cabinet."
S1679: "The low cabinet is too heavy to move."
S1680: "A corona of sparks showers out of the cabinet. Blue light crackles
along the subcircuit paths and across the ribbon wiring."
S1681: "It's just a red marking, painted on the floor around the mat."
S1682: "By one wall is an empty space, with a thick mat of padding inside it. A
bright red line has been painted around the mat.
"
S1683: "The mat seems to be fastened down."
S1684: "It's a featureless cube of polished steel."
S1685: "It's like hitting a solid block of metal."
S1686: "There is a long wooden table against one wall"
S1687: ". It is covered with astonishing piles of paper -- scraps, notes,
diagrams, all spread unevenly around in varying stages of sortedness and
immediacy.

At one end of the table is a notable black device."
S1688: ". It is covered with astonishing piles of paper -- scraps, notes,
diagrams, all spread unevenly around in varying stages of sortedness and
immediacy. Flames lick at a few of the papers.

At one end of the table is a notable black device."
S1689: ". It supports a notable black device, and also astonishing piles of
paper -- scraps, notes, diagrams -- many of which are burning brightly."
S1690: ". It supports a notable black device, and also astonishing piles of
paper -- scraps, notes, diagrams -- most of which are burning brightly."
S1691: ". It supports a notable black device, and also astonishing piles of
paper -- all of which are covered with sheets of fire."
S1692: "; it is burning fiercely. You can see a black device distorting within
the flames."
S1693: "; it is burning fiercely, and the flames are spreading up the wall. You
can see a black device distorting within the flames."
S1694: "
Also on the table, near the flames, you see "
S1695: "
Also on the table, amid the flames, you see "
S1696: "You cannot approach the table to search it thoroughly. But you can make
out"
S1697: " piles of useless papers covering the table, and a notable black device
at one end."
S1698: "The wooden table is too heavy to move."
S1699: "There is nothing interesting under the wooden table."
S1700: "You can no longer reach the table, or anything on it."
S1701: "You can see nothing of the piles of papers but waves of flame."
S1702: "The remaining papers on the table consist of schedules, personal notes,
diagrams of unimportant equipment -- power supplies and the like -- blank
sheets, and an amazing number of rounds of a children's paper game, all dots
and curves."
S1703: " A few of the papers are on fire."
S1704: "You can see nothing of the piles of papers but waves of flame. You'll
never get anything from the table now."
S1705: "You can't reach the table from inside the cage."
S1706: "You quickly sort through the papers, as best you can from your briefing
lectures."
S1707: "You hastily sort through the papers, working around the flames as best
you can, moving important-looking papers to the floor."
S1708: " In a few moments, you have piled up a single stack of the most
critical diagrams, tables, formulae, and notes. Everything else is left
scattered across the table in more disarray than when you started.
"
S1709: "
While sorting, you discovered a logic plate buried under a spread of scribbled
diagrams."
S1710: " You snatch it away from the flames."
S1711: "You have already sorted out everything that looks useful."
S1712: "You shuffle papers around, avoiding the flames. "
S1713: "You find a logic plate underneath a spread of scribbled diagrams."
S1714: "There is nothing else underneath the paper except more paper."
S1715: "Carefully avoiding the flames, you"
S1716: " randomly pull out a scrap of paper. But you'll have to search more
carefully to find anything worth carrying away."
S1717: " randomly pull a scrap of paper out of the useless piles that remain on
the table."
S1718: "You've already taken some scrap paper. You'll have to search more
carefully to find anything worth carrying away."
S1719: "You've already taken some of the scrap paper, and you already know
there's no value in what's left on the table."
S1720: " against one of the papers on the table. The fire catches within
moments."
S1721: " has set one of the other papers on the table alight.
"
S1722: "
More of the papers on the table are burning now.
"
S1723: "
The flames on the table spread.
"
S1724: "
With a hiss, fire leaps to another pile of paper. Most of the papers on the
table are now aflame.
"
S1725: "
The surface of the table is a sheet of fire, in-swept and pulled high in the
center.
"
S1726: "
The wall above the table is beginning to catch. You can feel heat shining on
your skin.
"
S1727: "
The table itself is burning hotly now.
"
S1728: "
Flames are crawling up the wall. Smoke is thick across the ceiling --
fortunately, high enough that you are still below it.
"
S1729: "It's a logic plate like most, though fairly large -- wider than your
two spread hands. Circuit paths are dimly visible inside the smoky resin, and
the edges sparkle with link bands."
S1730: "A corona of sparks surrounds the logic plate. Blue light crackles along
the circuit paths."
S1731: "The black device doesn't have the half-built, rigged quality of the
other machinery nearby. It is curved, polished, and sleek. It has faired vents
along the top. There is a round alcove in its front,"
S1732: " tiny switch, which is glowing red"
S1733: "You can feel warmth radiating from "
S1734: "You can feel heat radiating from "
S1735: "You can feel intense heat radiating from "
S1736: "The device is a bit too heavy to move."
S1737: "You can feel warmth radiating from the alcove."
S1738: "You can feel heat radiating from the alcove."
S1739: "You can feel intense heat radiating from the alcove."
S1740: "The surface is streamlined smooth."
S1741: " is blisteringly hot; you can't touch it."
S1742: " is warm as you take it from the alcove, although it cools quickly."
S1743: "It's a fat glass pot with a spout and a close-fitting lid, which leaves
the spout open. There is a wooden handle on one side. "
S1744: "
An oily, burning odor fills the room, although you cannot see any smoke.
"
S1745: "The pot is empty; but the inside bottom surface seems to be crusted
with some burnt substance."
S1746: "The burnt crust is stuck to the bottom of the pot."
S1747: "The glass is burning hot; you jerk away."
S1748: "You feel the heat radiating from the glass. Fortunately, the handle is
cool."
S1749: "You feel blistering heat radiating from the glass. Fortunately, the
handle is merely warm."
S1750: "There is a burnt crust of some dark substance caking the bottom of the
glass pot."
S1751: "An oily, burnt odor rises from the pot."
S1752: "A powerful odor emanates from the pot -- oily, burnt, but aromatic
nevertheless."
S1753: "You can't reach through the spout to the burnt substance."
S1754: "The tiny switch begins to glow red as you turn it on."
S1755: "The tiny switch turns black again."
S1756: "There's not much you can do with "
S1757: "The walls are faced with tough white composite."
S1758: " Flames are licking up the wall above the table. It takes a while for
composite to catch, but apparently it has."
S1759: "The ceiling is high, more than twice as high as the panelling you have
seen elsewhere. You cannot see what it is made of."
S1760: "The ceiling here is far out of reach."
S1761: "It's still huge, it's still heavy, and it's"
S1762: " There is a small white pad beside it, and an access panel."
S1763: "It's a dull white rectangle, about the width of two of your fingers.
There's an access panel below it."
S1764: "There is a sharp blue spark somewhere under the surface of the pad."
S1765: "There is a small access panel next to the door, below the contact pad."
S1766: " It is open; you can see a layer of subcircuitry inside."
S1767: "You see subcircuitry behind the open panel."
S1768: "You can't put anything in the panel."
S1769: "You pull the panel open, revealing a layer of subcircuitry."
S1770: "You can't analyze subcircuitry with the unaided eye."
S1771: " showers a corona of sparks. Blue light crackles along the subcircuit
paths."
S1772: " into the circuitry, which makes a very satisfactory crunching sound."
S1773: "You smack the circuitry with the heel of your hand. It makes a very
satisfactory crunching sound."
S1774: "It's a nearly blank sheet, with a few sums scribbled on it."
S1775: "It's no more interesting than the last one."
S1776: "Your people probably already know that 844.625 times 6.283 is
5306.779."
S1777: "You have no notion what any of it means, but it all matches the profile
you were given of material relevant to the work done here."
S1778: "Nowhere..."
S1779: "" the familiar voice begins, and there is a terrible silence.

Then, "Blast it down," he says, very quietly. And screams, ""
S1780: "BLAST IT!"
S1781: "
But a light is pouring out of the scan-web cage, a sourceless glow that seems
to shine straight through solidity, as if metal and plastic were starlit ice.
The light builds and builds...
"
S1782: "snap"
S1783: " without any fuss on the padded mat"
S1784: "

You shake your head in slow wonder. Unfortunately, a moment later, the guards
outside recall you to yourself. There is a deafening roar; the door tears into
flying shards of metal. A hail of pulse-gun fire follows the blast in. You
don't stand a moment's chance.
"
S1785: "
But a light is pouring out around you, a sourceless glow that seems to shine
straight through solidity, as if metal and plastic were starlit ice. The light
builds and builds...
"
S1786: "
Beyond the light you see the door burst open, with a distant, dreamlike roar.
The lucent faces that crowd through seem to move in slow motion. Their guns are
firing, but the pulses are frozen in space. You can see their eyes slide across
you, the cage around you"
S1787: " -- the flames that are devouring everything"
S1788: "
Then blackness slaps into you with a silent "
S1789: "snap"
S1790: ". You can dimly feel yourself falling to a padded surface, and the
shouts of the guards go on -- until you are hauled to your feet, and the muzzle
of a pulse-gun is pressed to the back of your head.
"
S1791: "
Then the world vanishes. Blackness slaps into you with a silent "
S1792: "snap"
S1793: "On the whole, it was worth the trip. The plains really were broad and
grain-gold, if scarred with fences and agricultural crawlers. The mountains
were overwhelming. And however much of the capital city is crusted with squat
brick and faceless concrete hulks, there are still flashes of its historic
charm. You've seen spires above the streets -- tiny green parks below tenements
-- hidden jewels of fountains beyond walls. Any bland alley can conceal
balconies wrought into iron gardens, fiery mosaics, a tree or bed of flowers
nurtured by who knows who.

"
S1794: "This alley, however, is a total washout. It ends in flat bare dirty
brick, and you've found nothing but a door which lacks even the courtesy of a
handle. Maybe you should call it a day.

"
S1795: "That isn't a direction you can go in."
S1796: "That isn't a direction you can throw things."
S1797: "write to"
S1798: "read"
S1799: "send message"
S1800: "increment"
S1801: "decrement"
S1802: "be a '::' superclass"
S1803: "make use of"
S1804: "apply 'ofclass' for"
S1805: "recreate"
S1806: "destroy"
S1807: "copy"
S1808: "copy"
S1809: "<unknown attribute>"
S1810: "name"
S1811: "create"
S1812: "recreate"
S1813: "destroy"
S1814: "remaining"
S1815: "copy"
S1816: "call"
S1817: "print"
S1818: "print_to_array"
S1819: "animate"
S1820: "absent"
S1821: "clothing"
S1822: "concealed"
S1823: "container"
S1824: "door"
S1825: "edible"
S1826: "enterable"
S1827: "general"
S1828: "light"
S1829: "lockable"
S1830: "locked"
S1831: "moved"
S1832: "on"
S1833: "open"
S1834: "openable"
S1835: "proper"
S1836: "scenery"
S1837: "scored"
S1838: "static"
S1839: "supporter"
S1840: "switchable"
S1841: "talkable"
S1842: "transparent"
S1843: "visited"
S1844: "workflag"
S1845: "worn"
S1846: "male"
S1847: "female"
S1848: "neuter"
S1849: "pluralname"
S1850: "before"
S1851: "after"
S1852: "life"
S1853: "n_to"
S1854: "s_to"
S1855: "e_to"
S1856: "w_to"
S1857: "ne_to"
S1858: "se_to"
S1859: "nw_to"
S1860: "sw_to"
S1861: "u_to"
S1862: "d_to"
S1863: "in_to"
S1864: "out_to"
S1865: "door_to"
S1866: "with_key"
S1867: "door_dir"
S1868: "door_try"
S1869: "vehicle_name"
S1870: "invent"
S1871: "partinvent"
S1872: "plural"
S1873: "add_to_scope"
S1874: "list_together"
S1875: "react_before"
S1876: "react_after"
S1877: "grammar"
S1878: "orders"
S1879: "initial"
S1880: "when_open"
S1881: "when_closed"
S1882: "when_on"
S1883: "when_off"
S1884: "description"
S1885: "describe"
S1886: "article"
S1887: "cant_go"
S1888: "found_in"
S1889: "time_left"
S1890: "number"
S1891: "time_out"
S1892: "daemon"
S1893: "each_turn"
S1894: "capacity"
S1895: "short_name"
S1896: "short_name_indef"
S1897: "parse_name"
S1898: "articles"
S1899: "inside_description"
S1900: "play"
S1901: "Pronouns"
S1902: "Quit"
S1903: "Restart"
S1904: "Restore"
S1905: "Save"
S1906: "Verify"
S1907: "ScriptOn"
S1908: "ScriptOff"
S1909: "NotifyOn"
S1910: "NotifyOff"
S1911: "Score"
S1912: "FullScore"
S1913: "Inv"
S1914: "Take"
S1915: "Drop"
S1916: "Remove"
S1917: "PutOn"
S1918: "Insert"
S1919: "EmptyT"
S1920: "Give"
S1921: "Show"
S1922: "Enter"
S1923: "GetOff"
S1924: "Exit"
S1925: "VagueGo"
S1926: "Go"
S1927: "LMode1"
S1928: "LMode2"
S1929: "LMode3"
S1930: "Look"
S1931: "Examine"
S1932: "LookUnder"
S1933: "Search"
S1934: "Unlock"
S1935: "Lock"
S1936: "SwitchOn"
S1937: "SwitchOff"
S1938: "Open"
S1939: "Close"
S1940: "Disrobe"
S1941: "Wear"
S1942: "Eat"
S1943: "Yes"
S1944: "No"
S1945: "Burn"
S1946: "Pray"
S1947: "Wake"
S1948: "WakeOther"
S1949: "Kiss"
S1950: "Think"
S1951: "Smell"
S1952: "Listen"
S1953: "Taste"
S1954: "Touch"
S1955: "Dig"
S1956: "Cut"
S1957: "Jump"
S1958: "JumpOver"
S1959: "Tie"
S1960: "Drink"
S1961: "Fill"
S1962: "Sorry"
S1963: "Strong"
S1964: "Mild"
S1965: "Attack"
S1966: "Swim"
S1967: "Swing"
S1968: "Blow"
S1969: "Rub"
S1970: "Set"
S1971: "SetTo"
S1972: "WaveHands"
S1973: "Wave"
S1974: "Pull"
S1975: "Push"
S1976: "Turn"
S1977: "PushDir"
S1978: "Squeeze"
S1979: "ThrowAt"
S1980: "Tell"
S1981: "Answer"
S1982: "Ask"
S1983: "Buy"
S1984: "Sing"
S1985: "Climb"
S1986: "Wait"
S1987: "Sleep"
S1988: "Consult"
S1989: "parse_input"
S1990: "AskFor"
S1991: "GiveR"
S1992: "ShowR"
S1993: "begin_action"
S1994: "end_turn_sequence"
S1995: "daemon_priority"
S1996: "supporter_describe"
S1997: "vehicle_status_name"
S1998: "ceiling_reachable"
S1999: "Hide"
S2000: "Transfer"
S2001: "connector"
S2002: "KnockOn"
S2003: "work_target"
S2004: "startup"
S2005: "init_scene"
S2006: "begin_scene"
S2007: "end_scene"
S2008: "variant"
S2009: "just_in"
S2010: "shortout"
S2011: "ShootAttack"
S2012: "AttackWith"
S2013: "WriteWith"
S2014: "BaseTouchTo"
S2015: "query"
S2016: "answer_wait"
S2017: "answer_yes"
S2018: "answer_no"
S2019: "time_limit"
S2020: "first_time"
S2021: "number2"
S2022: "VagueSay"
S2023: "Tango"
S2024: "Waltz"
S2025: "orders_counter"
S2026: "data_cache"
S2027: "save_pos"
S2028: "restore_pos"
S2029: "escape_pos"
S2030: "Empty"
S2031: "work_timer"
S2032: "Detach"
S2033: "is_active"
S2034: "shutdown"
S2035: "color_name"
S2036: "color_word"
S2037: "show_status"
S2038: "mod_start"
S2039: "mod_stop"
S2040: "link_target"
S2041: "answer_general"
S2042: "fried"
S2043: "set_active"
S2044: "door_attempts"
S2045: "ThrowDir"
S2046: "dir_name"
S2047: "scramble_counter"
S2048: "blips"
S2049: "HideBehind"
S2050: "agitated"
S2051: "here_counter"
S2052: "num_missed"
S2053: "smoking"
S2054: "temperature"
S2055: "discoloration"
S2056: "burnedness"
S2057: "stage_list"
S2058: "adjust_temp"
S2059: "ash_and_gone"
S2060: "print_discoloration"
S2061: "heat_source"
S2062: "cage_barrier"
S2063: "just_a_pile"
S2064: "heat_barrier"
S2065: "parse_used_scrapword"
S2066: "Version"
S2067: "InvTall"
S2068: "InvWide"
S2069: "GoIn"
S2070: "About"
S2071: "AboutCredits"
S2072: "StabAttack"
S2073: "WriteVague"
S2074: "NoSuchVerb"
S2075: "DebugQuery"

[End of text]

[End of file]