Crack It!

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Text File | 1998-03-19 | 31.6 KB | 817 lines

close box You close the metal and glass container, sealing in several of the hyperactive creatures. [Your score has just gone up by 10.] The creatures continue to crawl all over you and sting you. The venom from the creatures is building up in your body. Your head is spinning, you are exhausted, and your skin has taken on a greenish cast. s Rocky Area inject me You press the hypo against your arm and feel a sharp sting as the needle enters your skin. Then you hear a soft hissing sound as the selected drug (Antitoxin) is injected into your bloodstream. When you pull the hypo away, you see that the needle remains deployed, ready for another injection. The antitoxin is acting on the venom in your body. You feel much better, but you are still a little queasy. put rod in sphere As you bring the crystal rod near the glowing red sphere a tentacle of red energy reaches out from the sphere and makes contact with the rod. A feeling like a mild electric shock runs from the rod into you, and the rod shines briefly with an intense red light. Immediately afterward, the force field, sphere, and the rod change color from red to blue with a sizzle and a crackle. The antitoxin restores you to health. s You step through the force field into the obelisk room. Obelisk Room s Corridor You hear a barely audible humming sound. The crystal rod has changed color from blue to red. s Lab A sinister looking machine dominates the room. Attached to the strange device is a control unit and a rectangular platform. put box on platform You put the container on the platform. examine screen Press top button Press the top part of the middle button Press the top part of the middle button Press the top part of the middle button Press the right part of the 2nd from bottom button Press the top part of the middle button Press the top part of the middle button Press the right part of the 2nd from bottom button Press the right part of the 2nd from bottom button Press the bottom button The instant you press the button, the room fills with a low buzzing sound that climbs in pitch until it is a shrill electronic whine. A few seconds later, a section of wall behind the machine slides open. An articulated servo arm emerges and glides over to the specimen cage. The arm has two "hand" extensions: a two-fingered claw and a long hypodermic needle. The claw opens the top of the specimen cage and the needle randomly injects one of the creatures inside of the cage. Then the claw closes the cage and the arm retracts. Intrigued, you look inside the specimen cage. One of the creatures looks ill. It moves slowly and scratches feebly at the floor of the cage. As you watch, two more creatures seem to catch the same "illness." It spreads like wildfire, until all of the little beasties look quite sick. They aren't even eating their goo. examine beasties You look in at the creatures in the specimen cage. They continue to be lethargic. You look closer. After a few seconds, you see that they are actually ... changing! They seem to be mutating before your eyes! The end result of the mutation appears to be creatures that are gray in color, with six legs and bodies covered with hard chitin. Their mouthparts are surrounded by feelers. They have flexible whip-like tails. By the renewed sounds of scratching and scrabbling from inside the specimen cage, you deduce that the creatures have resumed their normal level of activity. take box You take the metal and glass container. n Corridor n Obelisk Room put rod in sphere As you bring the crystal rod near the glowing red sphere a tentacle of red energy reaches out from the sphere and makes contact with the rod. A feeling like a mild electric shock runs from the rod into you, and the rod shines briefly with an intense red light. Immediately afterward, the force field, sphere, and the rod change color from red to blue with a sizzle and a crackle. n You step into the shifting patterns of blue light, feeling a slight tingle as your body passes through the force field. Rocky Area n You set off in a northerly direction. After a while, a series of sheer rock walls funnels you into a canyon and then into another open area like the one you encountered upon first entering the zoo. Rocky Area You see a metal trough here. In the metal trough you see some green goo. You hear a barely audible humming sound. The crystal rod has changed color from blue to red. The ground is crawling with insect-like creatures. There seem to be millions of them. They immediately start crawling up your legs and over your body. You feel sharp pain in a dozen locations as the nasty little beasts bite you with their mandibles and stab you with the barbs at the end of their scorpion-like tails. The venom from the creatures is building up in your body. You feel a touch under the weather, a little light headed and tired. open box Multiple openings appear around the sides and the top of the odd metal and glass container. The container is now open. The creatures continue to crawl all over you and sting you. The venom from the creatures is building up in your body. You feel a touch under the weather, a little light headed and tired . The creatures inside the specimen cage make a mad rush out of the specimen cage and melt into the swarming hordes outside. You watch expectantly, and are soon rewarded with the sight of several creatures slowing down and moving in a feeble, erratic fashion. The illness spreads quickly, the effects vectoring into the general population with startling rapidity. The Heechee didn't fool around when it came to engineering fast-spreading, airborne viruses. Within a few moments, most of the creatures surrounding you have taken ill and are in the throes of metamorphosis. inject me You press the hypo against your arm and feel a sharp sting as the needle enters your skin. Then you hear a soft hissing sound as the selected drug (Antitoxin) is injected into your bloodstream. When you pull the hypo away, you see that the needle remains deployed, ready for another injection. A stubborn minority of the now mostly listless creatures continues to attack you in a somewhat desultory fashion. They are stinging you as if their hearts weren't in it. The venom from the creatures is building up in your body. You feel a touch under the weather, a little light headed and tired . The antitoxin restores you to health. n Even though most of the creatures are in the process of transformation, there are enough active, stinging beasties to ensure that you still can't make it very far without a great deal more antitoxin in your hypo unit. A stubborn minority of the now mostly listless creatures continues to attack you in a somewhat desultory fashion. They are stinging you as if their hearts weren't in it. The venom from the creatures is building up in your body. You feel a touch under the weather, a little light headed and tired . Almost all of the creatures have finished their transformation. The beasties are beginning to skitter about just as frenetically as before. The antitoxin restores you to health. n You wade through a seemingly endless number of the now-harmless creatures and reach a new area of the rock plain... [Your score has just gone up by 20.] You are forced to abandon the specimen cage during your hike over the parched rock plain. It is too heavy to be lugging over extended distances. Rock Shelf You are on a vast rock shelf. The area appears to be devoid of life, and the air above the rocks shimmers with heat. The shelf extends in every direction as far as you can see. n You stumble off in a northerly direction, the heat making you slightly disoriented. After a seemingly endless hike that takes you in a confused, weaving path through the desolate terrain, you see a glowing red force field portal hovering in the far distance. You change course and head directly for it. Rocky Area You are on a rocky plain that appears to extend in all directions without end. A double sun shines in a bright blue sky. To the north is a shimmering red force field portal. put rod in sphere As you bring the crystal rod near the glowing red sphere a tentacle of red energy reaches out from the sphere and makes contact with the rod. A feeling like a mild electric shock runs from the rod into you, and the rod shines briefly with an intense red light. Immediately afterward, the force field, sphere, and the rod change color from red to blue with a sizzle and a crackle. n You step through the force field into what looks like another obelisk room. Obelisk Room A dark obelisk towers over you. To the south is a shimmering blue force field portal. A glowing sphere, the same color as the force field, hangs in the air beside the portal. A corridor leads northwest. nw Corridor You are in one of the long, circular corridors that seem to be so common on board this vessel. A sensor eye hangs from the ceiling above you, scanning back and forth. The corridor runs northwest to southeast. A metal door leads west. The door is closed. You hear a barely audible humming sound. The crystal rod has changed color from blue to red. press button You lean on the button, which gives way with a satisfying click. You hear motors hum for a second, and then the door slides open a few centimeters. After another hesitation, the door slides all the way open. A section of the corridor wall irises open. You hear a strange click-clack, click-clack coming from inside the opening, the sound of metal claws on the surface of the deck. Seconds later an enormous, hulking robot fills the corridor. It walks in on eight articulated metal legs that move with a kind of fluidity and grace you wouldn't associate with a machine of that size. The monstrous alien robot turns to face you, then stops. w You step into the equipment room. Equipment Bay This is a vast space filled with strange equipment. There are Heechee earth movers and cargo transporters, scout cars with balloon tires, ground effect vehicles, and piles upon piles of complicated looking machinery. This must be where the Heechee stored the equipment used for building the zoo environments and collecting the specimens and raw material from the target planets. Exits lead north, east, and south. Hanging from the roof is one of the malevolent sensor eyes. One piece of machinery catches your eye. It looks like a particle beam gun, perhaps used for drilling or taking core samples. It is mounted on a heavy tripod. You see some heavy equipment here. examine gun The particle beam gun is a complicated looking device that vaguely resembles an old fashioned air cooled machine gun. On the back end of the weapon (or tool) is a grip and a trigger. A thick, insulated cable leads from the gun to a heavy box (perhaps a power source). The gun is secured on a metal tripod by a force clamp. examine clamp The particle beam gun is secured to the tripod in a vertical position by a force clamp, a simple ring of blue metal. The air above the clamp (and around the gun) shimmers in a peculiar way, almost as if it is refracting light differently. You surmise that this effect is due to the force field that holds the gun on the tripod. After a moment of study, you notice a rectangular metal key that protrudes from a small semi-circular module on the clamp. You hear the ominous click-clack, click-clack of metal claws. The horrible alien robot enters the equipment bay, moving towards you with ponderous grace. It seems to sense the particle beam gun and stops dead in its tracks about five meters away from you. It makes whirring and chirping noises as it evaluates the situation. turn key You turn the key. The blurry field around the clamp and the gun disappears. The gun settles onto the tripod. The robot seems to sense that the clamp has been released and retreats to a position across the room. It seems unsure of what to do next. [Your score has just gone up by 10.] The robot makes a scouting trip around the rest of the equipment bay, as if reconnoitering the area. take gun You take the gun from the tripod, noting that it remains secured to another piece of heavy equipment by a thick cable. The length of the cable limits your ability to move more than a few meters in any direction without dropping the gun. [Your score has just gone up by 10.] The robot moves forward about half a meter, as if to see what your reaction will be. A few seconds later it retreats to its previous position. shoot eye You aim the gun at the sensor eye and pull the trigger. After the gun powers up you see a beam of blinding white light lance out and hit the sensor. You hose the sensor down with the particle beam, watching as the eye droops and melts. When you have reduced the sensor to a cauterized stump, you release the trigger. The destruction of the sensor eye has an immediate effect on the robot. It appears to be completely blind. [Your score has just gone up by 20.] The robot trips over a piece of heavy equipment with a loud CLANG! and then scrambles back to its feet. shoot robot You aim at the robot and pull the trigger. The beam of white light jumps out and touches the machine, causing the blue metal under the beam to bubble and smoke. The desperate creature blindly scuttles around the room, bumping into walls and tripping over heavy equipment. This time the robot is blind, and moves slowly enough that you can follow it relentlessly with the particle beam, carving chunks off in a leisurely fashion. Eventually you reduce the machine to a collection of smoking, twisted metal parts. [Your score has just gone up by 25.] n You set the particle beam gun down on the deck. The corridor narrows and then ends, leaving you inside a small blue room. Seconds after you enter the room, the corridor entrance irises shut. You are stranded. Computer Room This is a small blue room. The air around you seems to crackle with electricity. The deck underfoot vibrates slightly, and you hear a low, resonating humming sound that gives the impression of great power held in check. Narrow passageways lead to the northeast and northwest. Immediately before you is a large equipment housing of some kind. An access panel on the front of the housing is closed. open panel You wrestle with the panel for a moment. Eventually it opens to reveal a complex matrix of crystal pathways. Nested among the geometric patterns, not quite flush with the surrounding matrix, are six rectangular crystal cores. The cores are all glowing softly with different colored light: you can see orange, red, purple, green, blue, yellow. take green core You tug gently on the green crystal core. You hear a soft click, and the crystal core begins to emerge from the matrix with a whine. As more of it becomes visible, the glowing light inside of it begins to fade. When the data core finally stops moving, it has extended about eight centimeters and is almost completely dark. nw Computer Room This is another small room. Narrow passageways lead to the northeast and southeast. Immediately before you is a large equipment housing with a closed access panel. The ship's computer speaks: "You must not touch anything in this room!" The pumps continue to labor, drawing air out of the computer rooms. open panel You wrestle with the panel for a moment. Eventually it opens to reveal a complex matrix of crystal pathways. Nested among the geometric patterns, not quite flush with the surrounding matrix, are six rectangular crystal cores. The cores are all glowing softly with different colored light: you can see orange, red, purple, green, blue, yellow. take green core You tug gently on the green crystal core. The crystal block emerges from the matrix and goes dark. The ship's computer speaks: "Do not cause any more damage than you already have!" The pumps continue to labor, drawing air out of the computer rooms. nw You can't go that way. ne Computer Room This is another small room. Narrow passageways lead to the southwest and southeast. Immediately before you is a large equipment housing with a closed access panel. The ship's computer speaks: "Human!" The voice now sounds a little on edge. "You must not touch anything!" The air is getting a little thin. open panel You wrestle with the panel for a moment. Eventually it opens to reveal a complex matrix of crystal pathways. Nested among the geometric patterns, not quite flush with the surrounding matrix, are six rectangular crystal cores. The cores are all glowing softly with different colored light: you can see orange, red, purple, green, blue, yellow. take green core You tug gently on the green crystal core. The crystal block emerges from the matrix and goes dark. The air is getting thinner. se Computer Room This is another small room. Narrow passageways lead to the northwest and southwest. Immediately before you is a large equipment housing with a closed access panel. The ship's computer speaks: "Human! Desist!" open panel You wrestle with the panel for a moment. Eventually it opens to reveal a complex matrix of crystal pathways. Nested among the geometric patterns, not quite flush with the surrounding matrix, are six rectangular crystal cores. The cores are all glowing softly with different colored light: you can see orange, red, purple, green, blue, yellow. Your ears pop as the air pressure continues to decline. take green core You tug gently on the green crystal core. The crystal block emerges from the matrix and goes dark. [Your score has just gone up by 15.] "14 minutes to detonation." take blue core You tug gently on the blue crystal core. The crystal block emerges from the matrix and goes dark. "I just detected a series of anomalies in the ship-board power distribution grid, the artificial gravity generators, and the first and third stardrive control units. I think processing for those systems has been shunted to back-up cores. Those systems feel like Engineering systems to me. You're on the right track." "13 minutes to detonation." sw Computer Room "12 minutes to detonation." take blue core You tug gently on the blue crystal core. The crystal block emerges from the matrix and goes dark. "Engineering systems across the ship went down for a few microseconds. It seems as though the processing for those systems just switched automatically to a backup core. You're definitely on the right track!" "11 minutes to detonation." nw Computer Room This is a small blue room. The air around you seems to crackle with electricity. The deck underfoot vibrates slightly, and you hear a low, resonating humming sound that gives the impression of great power held in check. Narrow passageways lead to the northeast and southeast. Immediately before you is a large equipment housing of some kind. An access panel on the front of the housing is open. "10 minutes to detonation." take blue core You tug gently on the blue crystal core. The crystal block emerges from the matrix and goes dark. You hear a grinding noise as the doors in the southern computer rooms iris open, followed by another mechanical sound as a new door opens in the forward computer room. [Your score has just gone up by 15.] se Computer Room s Equipment Bay You see a particle gun, a giant robot and some heavy equipment here. s Central Corridor You are in another central corridor that runs north to south. Hanging from the ceiling of the corridor is a sensor of some kind. It looks like a malevolent eye. A black band scans back and forth like a mechanical pupil. s Central Corridor A bulkhead is set into the corridor walls. A metal door in the bulkhead is open. The ghostly voice of the Oldest One reverberates through the ship. "In 25 minutes we will vanish into a cloud of plasma." s Central Corridor You are in another long, circular corridor that runs north to south, but there is something different about this one. Hanging from the ceiling of the corridor is a sensor of some kind. It looks like a malevolent eye. A black band scans back and forth like a mechanical pupil. s Central Corridor You are in another long, circular corridor that runs north to south, but there is something different about this one. Hanging from the ceiling of the corridor is a sensor of some kind. It looks like a malevolent eye. A black band scans back and forth like a mechanical pupil. s Cargo Bay e Corridor e Terminal Room In the receptor you see a crystal cube. The ghostly voice of the Oldest One reverberates through the ship. "In 20 minutes stardrive engines will overload. I must regard my mission as a failure. I hope my Masters will understand." take cube You tug on the green crystal cube. It comes loose from the jack in the matrix. The screens begin blinking out one by one and you hear a desperate wail as the alien intelligence loses its grip on the ship's computer systems. Then there is silence. You have done it! You've stopped the countdown! Now you must return to the forward part of the ship, find the bridge, and figure out how to fly the ship home... [Your score has just gone up by 25.] w Corridor w Cargo Bay n Central Corridor n Central Corridor n Central Corridor n You go through the bulkhead doorway. Central Corridor n Equipment Bay You see a particle gun, a giant robot and some heavy equipment here. n Computer Room nw Computer Room This is a small blue room. The air around you seems to crackle with electricity. The deck underfoot vibrates slightly, and you hear a low, resonating humming sound that gives the impression of great power held in check. Narrow passageways lead to the northeast and southeast. Immediately before you is a large equipment housing of some kind. An access panel on the front of the housing is open. ne Computer Room This is a small blue room. The air around you seems to crackle with electricity. The deck underfoot vibrates slightly, and you hear a low, resonating humming sound that gives the impression of great power held in check. Narrow passageways lead to the north, southwest, and southeast. Immediately before you is a large equipment housing of some kind. An access panel on the front of the housing is open. You notice that an entrance leading north has appeared where there was only a blank wall before. n Bridge This is a large, open room that is obviously the control center or bridge of the starship. The bridge is unusual in its construction in that it is all rectilinear lines and angles except for the rounded control consoles. The most surprising thing is a bank of huge windows looking out on the stars. The Heechee were never big on windows, and seemed to prefer enclosed spaces with curvy, organic lines suggestive of tunnels or caves. The only exit is to the south. One of the round control consoles is directly in front of you. read paper On the slip of paper you see the following notes and scribbles: Authentication: AERIE Combination: 31432 The symbols from the first obelisk room (the blob zoo) The symbols from the second obelisk room (the ape men zoo) Write down the 'ape men zoo' symbols The symbols from the third obelisk room (the insect-thing zoo) look at console You examine the console. You see a control panel and course selection system that you recognize from your old adventures as a Gateway prospector. Course codes consisting of four Heechee number symbols identify pre-programmed destinations. You can enter a course code using the four little window displays, then engage the FTL engines by pressing the large "GO" button in the upper right hand corner of the panel. Press bottom part of Left button Press bottom part of 2nd button from Left Press bottom part of 2nd button from Left Press bottom part of 2nd button from Left Press top part of 3rd button from Left Press top part of 3rd button from Left Press top part of 3rd button from Left Press top part of 3rd button from Left Press bottom part of 4th button from Left Display should now look like 'ape men zoo' symbols Press the big button [Your score has just gone up by 40.] Landing Site Pale sunlight falls from an overcast sky onto a carpet of ice. The flat surface extends to the horizon and is broken only by the scar of the escape ship's impact. The ship is here, and remains imbedded a few meters in the torn ice. Natural paths wind away to the north, east, and west. Beyond an access panel in the ship's hull, you see the ship's drive mechanism. A squat, round metal clamp lies nearby, thrown from the escape ship upon its landing. You see a compass here. PART III: take all clamp: Taken. [Your score has just gone up by 5.] compass: Taken. [Your score has just gone up by 5.] wait Time passes... The pictures fade into a meaningless jumble of light and color. When they are gone, the creature tilts its head and pauses, as if waiting for you to do something. After a few moments, it straightens up and slides away to the east. e Ice Plains You stand in a stark, open, ice-covered plain. Around this area, a few projections of ice poke out of the ground, but generally the level scenery remains undisturbed. In the distance, you see ice mountains that catch the shimmering sunlight. Natural paths wind towards the north, and west. The crystalline creature notices that you are following. It waits for you to catch up, and then moves off towards the north . n Ice Plains You stand in a stark, open, ice-covered plain. Around this area, a few projections of ice poke out of the ground, but generally the level scenery remains undisturbed. In the distance, you see ice mountains that catch the shimmering sunlight. Natural paths wind towards the north, east, south, and west. The crystalline creature notices that you are following. It waits for you to catch up, and then moves off towards the east. e Village You are standing in the center of a bustling village where the shelters seem to have been carved directly out of the native ice. The largest of these shelters lies to the south. To the east, a fissure splits the ground, and a ramp slopes down into it. You also see an open area filled with ice sculptures off to the southeast. After staring at the creatures for a time, their similarity to spinal cords becomes increasingly pronounced. Because of this, you decide to call them 'Kords'. A smaller Kord, apparently a child, approaches an elder and displays a fuzzy picture of a stick in its head. A bud pops out of the larger Kord's spindly body. This bud slowly lengthens into a shape very similar to the stick, and then drops off. The child forms two small pincers. It uses them to grab the stick that the elder has made. Then it slithers to one side, happily banging the stick along the ground. Your guide awaits you outside the large building to the south. When you walk into the village, it slides inside. s Large Dwelling Other than its inhabitants, the interior of the shelter is completely empty. The walls slope inward and come to a point at the ceiling, much like a tent. They are smooth as glass and show no chips or scratches where they were carved from the ice. A very old Kord is resting against the south wall. Your guide sits in front of it, as an acolyte would sit before his holy master. You see your guide picting quick-moving images to the old Kord. The pictures in its head show your ship's arrival, followed by your encounter with the guide. The other Kord, motionless up to this time, slowly rises and approaches you. Images flicker and flash randomly in the old one's head. Then the shapes and colors settle down and begin to tell a story... [Your score has just gone up by 10.] The old Kord moves away and settles against the south wall again, its story done. Your guide slides out the door back into the village. n Village You see a child here. The child is holding a stick. examine child The young Kord's crystal body is tinged with light blue arcs of electricity. It is about half the size of the full-grown Kords, which all seem to come to about your waist. It has two small pincers with which it holds a white stick. It bangs the stick everywhere, but seems especially fond of rubbing it against its head, which makes the stick produce an annoying high-pitched whine. e Fissure The Kords have taken advantage of the natural fissure to create a meeting place. Many of the creatures are clustered around a pit, inside of which you see some white, grainy dust. The ramp leading out of the crevasse to the west is the only exit. take dust As you walk towards the pit, a Kord moves to intercept you. It doesn't seem aggressive, but it does block your forward progress. Irritated, you glare at the Kord. In response, it picts a story... [Your score has just gone up by 10.] w Village You see a child here. The child is holding a stick. se Ice Garden You stand in a garden of ice sculptures, each piece more beautiful than the last. The craftsmanship displayed here is unparalleled by anything you have seen on Earth. All of the statues look fragile, but some seem compact enough to lift. The garden is divided into two sections by a path that straggles from the northwest to the south. take all lamprey carving: Taken. worm carving: Taken. ship carving: Taken. gem carving: Taken. bowl carving: Taken. cutter carving: Taken. s Workplace This is a small cleared niche of the ice garden. Oddly-shaped blocks of ice sit and await transformation into art. A Kord sits here in front of a large unformed block, chipping away at it with a wicked looking cutting tool. The creature appears to be the artist who created the ice masterpieces to the north. The Kord notices the carving of the rough gem in your possession. The artist seems disturbed and draws as far away from the gem as it can. show gem to kord You hold the carving of rough crystal up for the artist's inspection. It stops its work and seems to ponder for a few moments. Then it starts to pict another story... [Your score has just gone up by 10.] As the story ends, the artist returns to its work. The artist takes a slice off the top of the block. The piece falls to the ground and shatters. show cutter to kord The artist stares at the carving of the cutting tool. A bud begins to form on its body immediately under the cutter that he already wields. As the bud grows, the cutter starts to come loose, and then it falls to the ground. You bend over to pick it up, and as you do so, the ice carving slips from your hand and shatters on the ground. The Kord returns to work. [Your score has just gone up by 10.] show bowl to kord You hold the ice bowl up for the artist's inspection. The Kord looks at the bowl, and then retreats a couple of meters. Suddenly a bud erupts from its body. It grows and curves into an exact copy of the carving. You drop the ice bowl onto the ground, where it shatters. Then you take the crystal bowl that the Kord offers. [Your score has just gone up by 10.] The artist gouges out a chunk from the center.