You stand in Ulam Parth's drab, oak-paneled office. The furnishings are of real wood -- the mark of a very rich man. Before you stands a large black desk, before it is a leather chair, behind it a huge recliner. The room is windowless, and has only one exit: a door to the south. On one wall hangs an ancient Van Gogh original, on another wall is a lavish wet bar and liquor cabinet. You stand in the fourth floor hallway of the Pollar West Office Building, which houses the top administrative section of Argrath Intelligence. Other buildings house different sections of the agency; your personal office is located two blocks down in the Halvorsen Enterprises Building. No agent knows where everything is located. To the north is the door to Parth's office, to the east is an oak door, to the west is a mahogany door. The elevator door is to the south. The hall is in a shambles. Smoke, splintered wood, broken glass, twisted bits of rubble lie strewn all about. It would seem that there has been an explosion here. This is Wilhelm Tinker's cluttered office. The tiny, white-walled room is filled with seas of paper and piles of electronic and mechanical junk -- Tinker's `projects.' Atop a small metal desk in the center of the room is a computer terminal, humming softly and casting a dim amber glow over the poorly lit room. Herr Wilhelm Kesselflicker, otherwise known as Tinker, sits here on a chair, awaiting you. As you enter his office, he rises enthusiastically and greets you heartily. `Hello, Telan! Here, I have something to give you!' You are in the main elevator of the Pollar West Office Building, which is ten stories high. There are ten slots in the wall into which security clearance cards must be inserted to gain access to a floor. To the north is the exit door. You are in the carpeted lobby of the Pollar West Office Building. The lobby is sparsely furnished and thinly populated, with most of the people here rushing through, trying to get business done as quickly as possible. There is a revolving door that leads to the sidebelt to the north. The elevator is back to the south of you. You are standing on the moving sidewalk-conveyor belt (called `sidebelt') along Lortan Avenue, which is travelling northbound. All you have to do is wait, and the sidebelt will take you north. You could walk there, of course, but you don't have to. You can step of the belt into the street to the east, into the Rennal Turnan Building to the west, and to step onto the southbound sidebelt, you go to the south. You are moving along the southbound Lortan Avenue sidebelt on the west side of t northbound sidebelt. You are travelling along the north-bound moving sidebelt on the west side of Lortan Ave. At this point, the street makes a junction with 3rd Street, and the sidebelt turns. To step onto the 3rd St. sidebelt go northwest, to step onto the southbound Lortan Ave. belt, go south. To the north is a pedestrian walkway over the street; the belt travels right over it. To the west is Graham's Bookstore and News-stand. If you step to the east, you will be in the middle of Lortan Ave., which is heavily populated by fast moving traffic at all times. Also, a pedestrian overpass crosses the street here; to cross the street, go up. You are standing in the middle of Lortan Avenue, dodging traffic. People are yelling out the windows of their vehicles to get the hell out of the way or they won't be responsible for what happens to you. You may vacate these hazardous premises to the north, south, east, and west. You travel along the east side of bustling Lortan Avenue, on the north-bound sidebelt. The belt moves on to the north; to step onto the south-bound belt, go south. To the west is Lortan Ave. itself, behind you to the south is the Parleer Steel Building, a mundane office building. To the east is the Neptune Oxygen Warehouse for the area. The huge steel building stores the area's oxygen, which comes from oxygen farms on the moons of Neptune. The building contains a small public observation room, but the rest is off-limits, and heavily guarded. This building is obviously very important to the city, and terrorists could wreak havoc on the entire area if they got any control over it. This huge building stores the oxygen farmed on Neptune's moons for consumption in this part of the city. It is slowly released into the domed city after being mixed carefully with nitrogen and other various gases. You are now standing in the warehouses' public observation room, which contains many boring posters and informational placards about the Neptune air-farming company and the uninteresting adventure of air-farming. A locked steel door leading to the east is marked `AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY', and is guarded by an armored policeman wielding a stun stick and energy gun. To the west is Lortan Ave. and its sidebelts. The west wall of the room is dominated by a huge plate glass window through which is air-mixing process can be seen in progress. You are moving along the southbound sidebelt on the east side of Lortan Avenue, in downtown Lortan City. It is a calm day, as all are under the dome, and the air has a slight perfume smell to it (an additive -- Lortan City air is `bottled'). If you step to the north, you will be on the northbound sidebelt, if you continue to travel to the south, you will find yourself in the lobby of Parleer Steel Building, a mundane office building. To the west is busy Lortan Ave., to the east is the massive Neptune Oxygen Warehouse. You stand in the bustling lobby of the Parleer Steel Building, a high-rise office building. You have no business here, and find it uninteresting. You may leave to the north. You move along on another stretch of sidebelt on Lortan Avenue's east side, travelling south. To the west is Lortan Ave., to the north is the northbound sidebelt. To the east is the Opal Towers hotel, the finest in Lortan City. The hotel literally towers over this stretch of roadway, and glistens in the artificial light. The hotel, you hear, only admits people -- even to its lobby -- by reservation. You move along another stretch of northbound sidewalk on the east side of Lortan Ave. The street itself is to the west, to the south is the southbound sidebelt. To the east is the magnificent Opal Towers Hotel, but I doubt they would appreciate your presence without a reservation. The Opal Towers is a very exclusive (read: expensive) inn; you probably (actually, definitely) can't afford it. Anyway, at this point in the sidebelt, Lortan Ave. intersects with 3rd Street. This belt continues to travel to the north -- it crosses 3rd St. by passing over a pedestrian overpass. The 'belt also turns to the northeast. You slide along on the west side of Lortan Ave., moving south. To get onto the northbound belt, step onto it to the north. To the east is the street and to the west is Graham's Bookstore and Newsstand. You are living very dangerously by being here. Cars and trucks zip by you at very high speed -- vehicles usually don't have to account for pedestrians or intersections due to complicated road planning. But you, you fool, are standing in the middle of the busiest street in town, dodging cars with soon-to-be limited success. That means that unless you exit stage north, south, east, or west, you will be flattened by a bus or something. This is the lobby of the Rennal Turnan Building, a small office building. The building is rather old, and in decline. Very few people inhabit the lobby at the moment. You see an old cleaning lady over in one corner vacuuming the carpet, but other than that, the place is practically abandoned. The exit is to the east. You stand in Graham's Bookstore and Newsstand, a large shop that sells what you'd expect -- books and newspapers. Books, which had gone out of style a hundred years ago on Earth, have experienced a resurgence due to the low income of most UFP citizens. Books and papers are a cheap form of entertainment, and sell well in the year 2167. The shop's hottest item is the daily newspaper, the `Sentinel'. You stand in the mind-bogglingly beautiful lobby of the Opal Towers Hotel. Huge hanging ferns, glistening fountains, polished walkways leading to gleaming balconies -- such are the less impressive features of this lobby. However, it seems that you are not welcome. A bellcap keeps tugging on your sleeve, insisting in a bad imitation of old-French, `M'sieu, but you do not have zee reservation. You must leave and call for one soon, oui? Mon dieu! Would zis crazy trespassing man leave!' I think you get the idea. The exit is to the west. that you are not welcome here. You are on the 3rd Street westbound sidebelt, on the south side of the street. To the north is the street itself, to the west is more belt. To step onto the opposite 'belt, go east. At this point, 3rd Street begins to leave downtown, and there are no buildings of interest. You are moving along the 3rd St. eastbound sidebelt on the south side of the street. To the north is the street proper, you may step onto the westbound belt by going west. At this point, 3rd Street intersects with Lortan Ave. The belt passes over Lortan Ave. on a pedestrian overpass, and also splits off and joins the southbound Lortan Ave. by turning to the southeast. This is the westbound 'belt on the south side of 3rd Street, near an intersection with Lortan Ave., on the east side of the intersection. The belt continues to go west over the street on a pedestrian overpass, and turns off to the southwest, where it joins with the Lortan Ave. southbound sidebelt. You may also step onto the street by going north, and onto the eastbound 'belt by stepping east. This is the eastbound 'belt on the south side of 3rd Street, near an intersection with Lortan Ave., on the east side of the intersection. Step to the west to get on the other belt, and go north to step onto busy 3rd Street, which is a dangerous endeavor. This is Lortan Avenue, where it intersects with 3rd street. This is an incredibly dangerous place to be in, doubly so because there's no fast way to get out of it. The only exits are to the north and south (which lead to other stretches of Lortan Ave.) and east and west (which lead to 3rd Street). It is very likely (I'm not much of a gambler, and I'd bet on it) that you will be converted to breakfast food by a speeding vehicle of some sort very soon. This is 3rd Street, which is smaller but just as dangerous as Lortan Ave. Motorists pay you no heed, and whizz by at dizzying speeds. Exits (which it would be advisable to utilize) are available to the north, south, east, and west. This is 3rd Street, which is smaller but just as dangerous as Lortan Ave. Motorists pay you no heed, and whizz by at dizzying speeds. Exits (which it would be advisable to utilize) are available to the north, south, east, and west. You are on the 3rd Street westbound sidebelt, on the north side of the street. To the south is the street itself, to the west is more belt. To step onto the opposite 'belt, go east. At this point, 3rd Street begins to leave downtown, and there are no buildings of interest. You are moving along the 3rd St. eastbound sidebelt on the north side of the street. To the south is the street proper, you may step onto the westbound belt by going west. At this point, 3rd Street intersects with Lortan Ave. The belt passes over Lortan Ave. on a pedestrian overpass, and also splits off and joins the northbound Lortan Ave. by turning to the northeast. You are on the 3rd Street westbound sidebelt, on the north side of the street. To the south is the street itself, to the west is more belt. To step onto the opposite 'belt, go east. At this point, 3rd Street intersects with Lortan Ave., and the 'belt passes over the street on a pedestrian overpass and continues to the west. The belt also turns to the northwest, joining with the Lortan Ave. northbound 'belt. You are on the 3rd Street eastbound sidebelt, on the north side of the street. To the south is the street itself, to the east is more belt. To step onto the opposite 'belt, go west. You stand in the simple but dignified lobby of the Simpson Building, which contains among other things contains InterPlanetary Human Simulations, Inc., maker of the IP-39 android. To the east is the street exit, the elevator door is to the south. This is O'Blarney's Tavern and Restaurant, a raucous, high-spirited place, with good food and drink and fine entertainment on most nights. This, however, is not on of those nights in your opinion. Some obnoxious Skunk Rock band has taken the stage and is making an awful racket. It must be Teen Week or something. O'Blarney's menu is short and simple: a meal (no one ever knows what they're gonna get until they get it) and beer or wine. At a table near you, you see a group of suspicious-looking thugs eating and talking about something. You travel along another northbound Lortan Ave. sidebelt. Exits from this 'belt are typical (street to east, south 'belt to south); to your west is the Simpson Building which contains IPHS's offices. At this point along the 'belt, Lortan Ave. intersects with 3rd Street. The belt passes over 3rd St. on a pedestrian overpass, so you don't have to worry about traffic. The belt also splits off and turns to the southwest, joining with the westbound 3rd Street 'belt. To the east is the street, to the west is the Simpson Building, home of IPHS, inc. If you step to the north, you will be on the northbound 'belt. You stand dodging traffic on busy Lortan Avenue. It would be a good idea to get off the street. Exits are to the north, south, east, and west. You travel along another northbound Lortan Ave. sidebelt. Exits from this 'belt are typical (street to west, south 'belt to south); to the east is O'Blarney's Tavern and Restaurant, one of you favorite spots. At this point along the 'belt, Lortan Ave. intersects with 3rd Street. The belt passes over 3rd St. on a pedestrian overpass, so you don't have to worry about traffic. The belt also splits off and turns to the southeast, joining with the eastbound 3rd Street 'belt. To the west is the street, to the east is O'Blarney's Tavern and Restaurant. If you step to the north, you will be on the northbound 'belt. You stand in Armand's Haberdashery, a quaint store that deals in men's furnishings, which is run by a small man named Armand. Although you have shopped here on occasion, you see nothing of interest today. The exit is to the east. You travel along another northbound Lortan Ave. sidebelt. Exits from this 'belt are typical (street to east, south 'belt to south); to your west is Armand's Haberdashery, a small but expensive shop. You are standing on a Lortan Ave. southbound 'belt. To the west is Armand's Haberdashery, to the east is the street. If you step to the north, you will be on the northbound 'belt. You stand dodging traffic on busy Lortan Avenue. It would be a good idea to get off the street. Exits are to the north, south, east, and west. You move along another stretch of northbound sidewalk on the east side of Lortan Ave. The street itself is to the west, to the south is the southbound sidebelt. To the east is the famous Arcturus Health Club, but I doubt that you could get past the lobby since you don't have a membership card. Anyway, at this point in the sidebelt, Lortan Ave. intersects with 4th Street. This belt continues to travel to the north -- it crosses 4th St. by passing over a pedestrian overpass. The 'belt also turns to the northeast. You move along on another stretch of sidebelt on Lortan Avenue's east side, travelling south. To the west is Lortan Ave., to the north is the northbound sidebelt. To the east is the fabulous Arcturus Health Club, famous for its unique mega-stimulation mineral baths, which contain highly intoxicating vapors from minerals flown in from Charon, Pluto's icy moon. Too bad you aren't a member. This is the lobby of the exclusive Arcturus Health Club. In this healthy-looking room, ferns garnish every corner and suggestive posters of briskly exercising women adorn the paneled walls. Jealously, you watch the toned, happy, healthy club members walk by, glistening and fresh after an intoxicating mega-stimulation mineral bath. Sigh. The exit is to the west. This is the lobby of the Wickerson Building, a mundane office building. You have no business here, and the only obvious exit is back to the east. You travel along another northbound Lortan Ave. sidebelt. Exits from this 'belt are typical (street to east, south 'belt to south); to your west is the Wickerson Building, a typical office complex. You are standing on a Lortan Ave. southbound 'belt. To the west is the Wickerson Building, to the east is the street. If you step to the north, you will be on the northbound 'belt. AAAHHHH!!! Look out! You fool, you're still in the middle of Lortan Avenue, the busiest street in town. Yhe only exits are to the north and south. premises to the north, south, east, and west. This is 4th Street, which is smaller but just about as dangerous as Lortan Ave. Motorists pay you no heed, and zip by at dizzying speeds. Exits (which I would advise you to make use of) are available to the north, south, east, and west. This is the westbound 'belt on the south side of 4th Street, near an intersection with Lortan Ave. Actually, it's not a true intersection -- 4th St. ends here, and motorists have to turn onto Lortan Ave. The sidebelt turns off to the southwest, where it joins with the Lortan Ave. southbound sidebelt. You may also step onto the street by going north, and onto the eastbound 'belt by stepping east. This is the eastbound 'belt on the south side of 4th Street, near an intersection with Lortan Ave., on the east side of the intersection. Step to the west to get on the other belt, and go north to step onto busy 4th Street, which is a dangerous endeavor. You stand in the lobby of the Renwick Enterprises Building, which contains the Equipment Distribution office of Argrath Intelligence, which is run by John Abraham. To the east is the main exit, to the north is the elevator. You travel along another northbound Lortan Ave. sidebelt. Exits from this 'belt are typical (street to east, south 'belt to south); to your west is the Renwick Enterprises Building. You are standing on a Lortan Ave. southbound 'belt. To the west is the Renwick Ent. Building, to the east is the street. If you step to the north, you will be on the northbound 'belt. You are standing in a very dangerous spot -- where 4th St. intersects with Lortan Avenue. Traffic from both busy streets speed by you, shortening your likely life span considerably. Exits lead in four directions: north, south, southwest, and northwest. You are on the 4th Street westbound sidebelt, on the north side of the street. To the south is the street itself, to the west is more belt. To step onto the opposite 'belt, go east. At this point, 4th Street makes a `T' intersection with Lortan Ave. Here the westbound belt ends, but it turns to the northwest, joining with the Lortan Ave. northbound 'belt. You are on the 4th Street eastbound sidebelt, on the north side of the street. To the south is the street itself, to the east is more belt. To step onto the opposite 'belt, go west. This is the lobby of a high rise office building, of which you do not even know the name. The exit is to the east. You travel along another northbound Lortan Ave. sidebelt. Exits from this 'belt are typical (street to east, south 'belt to south); to the west is a high-rise office building. You are standing on a Lortan Ave. southbound 'belt. To the west is a high-rise office complex, to the east is the street. If you step to the north, you will be on the northbound 'belt. You stand dodging traffic on busy Lortan Avenue. It would be a good idea to get off the street. Exits are to the north, south, east, and west. You travel along another northbound Lortan Ave. sidebelt. Exits from this 'belt are typical (street to west, south 'belt to south); to the east is the Halvorsen Enterprises Building, where your office is. At this point along the 'belt, Lortan Ave. intersects with 4th Street. The belt passes over 4th St. on a pedestrian overpass, so you don't have to worry about traffic. The belt also splits off and turns to the southeast, joining with the eastbound 4th Street 'belt. To the west is the street, to the east is the Halvorsen Enterprises Building. If you step to the north, you will be on the northbound 'belt. You are in the lobby of the Halvorsen Enterprises Building, an oridinary office building. Your office is in this building, which can to be exited to the west. There is an elevator to the north. This is the busy Lortan Avenue Monorail Station. Monorail is the only form of public transportation in Lortan City, and most everyone uses it quite often. The station is always filled with people of all descriptions. Near you is the ticket booth, the street exit is to the east. There is no monorail in the station at this time. If you want to ride one, you must wait. The monorail is in the station now admitting passengers. You travel along another northbound Lortan Ave. sidebelt. Exits from this 'belt are typical (street to east, south 'belt to south); to the west is the Lortan Avenue monorail station, to the north the belt goes to the Arctaven Interplanetary Building and ends. From then on, Lortan Ave. is an expressway with no pedestrian access for a stretch of about half-a-mile. You are standing on a Lortan Ave. southbound 'belt. To the west is the Lortan Ave. monorail station, to the east is the street. If you step to the north, you will be on the northbound 'belt. You stand dodging traffic on busy Lortan Avenue. It would be a good idea to get off the street. Exits are to the north, south, east, and west. You travel along another northbound Lortan Ave. sidebelt. Exits from this 'belt are typical (street to west, south 'belt to south); to the east is the Harfeld Center, a mundane office building. Ahead to the north, the 'belt goes to the Starky Tubing Building, another office complex and ends. You move along on another stretch of sidebelt on Lortan Avenue's east side, travelling south. To the west is Lortan Ave., to the north is the northbound sidebelt. To the east is the Harfeld Center, an office building. mega-stimulation mineral baths, which contain highly intoxicating vapors from minerals flown in from Charon, Pluto's icy moon. Too bad you aren't a member. This is the lobby of Harfeld Center, an office complex. You have no business here, and the only exit you can see is to the west. This is the sparsely- but well-furnished lobby of the Arctaven Interplanetary Building, a building which bears a close resemblance to the Pollar West Building down the street. To the north is an elevator, to the south is the sidebelt. AAAHHHH!!! Look out! You fool, you're still in the middle of Lortan Avenue, the busiest street in town. Yhe only exits are to the north and south. premises to the north, south, east, and west. This is the lobby of the Starky Tubing Building, a mundane office building in which you have no business being. There is an exit to the south. This is the lobby of Quality Apartments, a building of much higher class (and rent) than your own apartment building. You do not live here, so you can't get in the elevator. The only exit is to the west onto Holm Drive. You are travelling along the eastbound sidebelt on the north side of 3rd Street. Exits are to the south and east, and the westbound belt can be accessed by stepping to the west. You are on the 3rd Street westbound sidebelt, on the north side of the street. To the south is the street itself, to the west is more belt. To step onto the opposite 'belt, go east. there are no buildings of interest. This is 3rd Street, which is smaller but just as dangerous as Lortan Ave. Motorists pay you no heed, and whizz by at dizzying speeds. Exits (which it would be advisable to utilize) are available to the north, south, east, and west. You are travelling along the eastbound sidebelt on the south side of 3rd Street. Exits are to the north and east, and the westbound belt can be accessed by stepping to the west. You are on the 3rd Street westbound sidebelt, on the south side of the street. To the north is the street itself, to the west is more belt. To step onto the opposite 'belt, go east. there are no buildings of interest. This is Amy Wilstein's Boutique of the Baroque, which you consider a glorified junk store. The shop is filled with various little baubles and trinkets, all of which are sold for ridiculously high prices to visiting tourists. The exit is to the south. You are on the 3rd Street eastbound sidebelt, on the north side of the street. To the south is the street itself, to the east is more belt. To step onto the opposite 'belt, go west. To the north is Amy Wilstein's Boutique of the Baroque. This is a typical stretch of westbould 'belt along 3rd Street. To the east is the eastbound belt, to the south is 3rd Street, to the north is Amy Wilstein's Boutique of the Baroque, a gift shop. This is 3rd Street, which is smaller but just as dangerous as Lortan Ave. Motorists pay you no heed, and whizz by at dizzying speeds. Exits (which it would be advisable to utilize) are available to the north, south, east, and west. This is the eastbound 'belt on the south side of 3rd Street, near an intersection with Lortan Ave., on the east side of the intersection. Step to the west to get on the other belt, and go north to step onto busy 3rd Street, which is a dangerous endeavor. To the south is the huge Lonn Jameson Building, home of the megacorporation, Amalgamated Automatons. You travel along a typical stretch of westbound 'belt on the south side of 3rd Street. To the north is the street, to the east is the eastbound 'belt, and to the south is the huge Lonn Jameson Building, headquarters of the massive Amalgamated Automatons company. You stand in the cavernous lobby of the Lonn Jameson Building, home of the huge company, AA. Before is a cascading, ornamental fountain which dominates the gleaming white lobby. Behind a stainless steel desk, a receptionist seems to know who you are, though you've never met her before. Very politely, she explains that no one has time to see you now, and you may stay in the lobby if you like, but it may be quite a wait, so perhaps you should just leave. The exit is to the north. There has been a firefight here. The fountain has been shut down, and there is blood and signs of gunshots on the walls. There is quite a crowd here, and Law Enforcement officers are checking the place over. This is Sam's Spoon, a greasy two-bit diner. Sam's is a quality place in this part of town, though its limited menu consists only of cheeseburgers and cream soda. There are several tables open. The exit is to the south. You have travelled quite a distance along 3rd Street, and have left the downtown area. You are no longer on a sidebelt, rather, you are walking along a concrete sidewalk. To the north is a diner named Sam's Spoon, to the south is 3rd St. To the west, the sidewalk heads back toward downtown. At this point, 3rd Street turns and becomes Holm Drive. The sidewalk turns to the northeast. You have walked down 3rd Street quite a distance, and are now in a more `seedy' part of town. Exits from the street, which is still quite busy, lead to the north, south, and west. At this point, 3rd St. turns to the northeast and becomes Holm Drive, which travels north-to-south. You have travelled quite a distance along 3rd Street, and have left the downtown area. You are no longer on a sidebelt, rather, you are walking along a concrete sidewalk. To the south is an empty, boarded up building, to the north is the street. To the west, the sidewalk heads back toward downtown. The sidewalk turns and continues to the northeast. This decrepit building is empty, except for you and a few rats. The exit is to the north. You are walking along a stretch of sidewalk on Holm Drive, a street of mostly low- to middle-income housing. To sidwalk continues to the north, and turns to the southwest. The street is to the east. Although Holm Drive is not a heavily trafficked street, it still isn't very safe to run around in the middle of the street. (Didn't your mother ever tell you that?) Exits are to the north, east, west, and southwest. You are walking along a stretch of sidewalk on Holm Drive, a street of mostly low- to middle-income housing. To sidwalk continues to the north, and turns to the southwest. The street is to the west. To the east is the Quality Apartments Building. You are in the gritty lobby of the Kilsmith Apartment Building. At least there's one building in town that's cheaper than the one you live in. The only exit is to the east, since you don't live here and have no access to anywhere else. You are walking along a stretch of sidewalk on Holm Drive, a street of mostly low- to middle-income housing. To sidwalk continues to the south, and turns to the northwest. The street is to the east. To the west is the grimy Kilsmith Aptartment Building. Although Holm Drive is not a heavily trafficked street, it still isn't very safe to run around in the middle of the street. (Didn't your mother ever tell you that?) Exits are to the south, east, west, and northwest. You are walking along a stretch of sidewalk on Holm Drive, a street of mostly low- to middle-income housing. The sidwalk continues to the south, and turns to the northwest. The street is to the west. to the east is the Westside Apartments Building. This is the plain lobby of the Westside Apts. building in which you live. There is an exit to the west and stairs going up. This is the mundane lobby of the DeMilo Office Building, which is completely uninteresting. The exit is to the south. You travel along yet another stretch of 'belt on 4th street. To the south is 4th St., to the west is the westbound 'belt, to the east is more eastbound belt. To the north is the DeMilo Office Building. You are on the westbound sidebelt again, along 4th Street. To the north is the DeMilo Building, to the south is 4th St., to the east is the eastbound 'belt. This belt continues to the west. This is 4th Street, which is smaller but just about as dangerous as Lortan Ave. Motorists pay you no heed, and zip by at dizzying speeds. Exits (which I would advise you to make use of) are available to the north, south, east, and west. You travel along yet another stretch of 'belt on 4th street. To the north is 4th St., to the west is the westbound 'belt, to the east is more eastbound belt. To the south is Argle Blas Shoestore. You are on the westbound sidebelt again, along 4th Street. To the south is the Argle Blas Shoestore, to the north is 4th St., to the east is the eastbound 'belt. This belt continues to the west. You are in the very chic and expensive Argle Blas shoestore, which is filled with posh little shoes of all descriptions. You don't see anything you like. The exit is to the north. You are in the huge, noisy, smoke-filled Law Enforcement Station #8. You see cops all over the place, but none seem to be doing all that much. Lortan City Law Enforcement officers are notorious for their laziness. A particularly fat and sweaty cop smoking a cigar tells you to "get lost buddy, if ya ain't got no business here!" The exit is to the south. You have travelled quite a distance along 4th Street, and have left the downtown area. You are no longer on a sidebelt; rather, you are walking along a concrete sidewalk. To the north is the area Law Enforcement Station, to the south is 4th Street. To the west, the sidewalk heads back toward downtown. At this point, 4th Street turns and becomes Holm Drive. The sidewalk turns to the southeast. This is 4th Street, which is smaller but just about as dangerous as Lortan Ave. Motorists pay you no heed, and zip by at dizzying speeds. Exits (which I would advise you to use) are available to the north, south, southeast and west. You have travelled quite a distance along 4th Street, and have left the downtown area. You are no longer on a sidebelt; rather, you are walking along a concrete sidewalk. To the north is the street, other exits lead to the southeast and west. This is the elevator of the ten story Simpson Building. On the wall are ten slots, one to a floor, into which access cards are inserted in order to get the lift to go to the respective floor. Before you to the north is the elevator door, above you is a trap door which opens up into the elevator shaft. This is the third floor of the Simson Building. You are in an east-to-west hallway, to the east is the office of IPHS Inc. Behind you to the south is the elevator. This is the office of Interplantary Human Simulations, Inc., maker of the IP-39 android. The office is in quite a state of disarray, several secretaries are at work getting paperwork together, filling out various police reports, etc. Harold Werdt, president of the company is here, yelling at a reporter to `please get the heck out of here! I have no comment,' he says. The reporter leaves. Werdt doesn't seem to happy to see you. `Whaddaya want?' he asks. Werdt is here, eagerly talking to droves of reporters. When he sees you, however, he leaves their midst, and strolls over to you. `Gott in Himmel, am I glad to see you. Guten Tag!' he greets you, shaking your hand. The exit from this room is to the west. You are in the dark, greasy elevator shaft of the Simpson Building. You stand perilously on the roof of the elevator car; the only way to go is up the elevator cable, or down into the car through the trap door. You are in the elevator of the Renwick Ent. Building. There are five access card slots in the wall, one for each floor this elevator serves. The exit door is to the south. This is the fifth floor hallway of the Renwick Enterprises building, which contains AI's Distribution Bureau. To the north is the elevator, to the east is the office of John Abraham, head of Distribution. This is the immaculate office of John Abraham, who is perhaps the most competent agent of AI. Before you is a huge desk covered with orderly piles of equipment requisitions and other papers. Behind you, to the west is the exit. John Abraham rises from his seat behind the desk and greets you as you walk into the room. `Hello, agent Telan. Do you have your requisition papers? You are in the main elevator of the Pollar West Office Building, which is ten stories high. There are ten slots in the wall into which security clearance cards must be inserted to gain access to a floor. To the north is the exit door. This is the elevator that carries people up and down in the Halvorsen Ent. Building. This elevator serves eight floors, and has eight slots in the card that correspond to the appropriate floor. The slots are used as a security measure; anyone that belongs on a floor has an access card for it. The elevator door is to the south. This is the dimly lit hallway of the drab Halvorsen Enterprises Building, which is poorly maintained but charges low rent. It is typical of Argrath that your office was placed here, in perhaps the least respected and most unpleasant office building on Lortan Avenue. To the north is the elevator, which is old but reliable enough; to the east is your tiny office, which you almost never use. In fact, you are surprised with yourself to find that you are near it at all. This is your depressingly small, dark office on the third floor of the not well-regarded Halvorsen Ent. Building. Your tiny workspace, no bigger than a cubicle really, is windowless and in need of a few coats of paint. The walls and ceiling are stained and smoky, and the floor sags slightly in the middle. In one corner is your desk, littered with ignored paperwork and cigarette butts. You notice with little chagrin that someone has stolen your chair. You are relieved though that they left your prized movie poster of Humphery Bogart in the ancient movie Casablanca untouched. It would be a tragedy if it were ruined. The exit from this miserable place is to the west. You stand in the plain hallway of the Westide Apartment Building, in which you live. Westside Apts. is not luxurious, but it is adequate. Rents are not high, but neither is the quality of the rooms. You find little to complain about (which is a rarity), and are particularly appreciative of the fine maintenance staff, which consists of a man and his unobtrusive nephew. To the south is the door to your apartment; a flight of stairs leads down. This is your small studio apartment, which is thinly furnished and not very homy, to say the least. The quality of your dwelling reflects the meager salary you get from AI; it's barely enough to live on, even in this place. In one corner is your unmade bed, on one wall is the kitchen area, which consists mainly of a refrigerator, table (no chairs), and a sink. You can't even cook here. Near your bed is your dresser, near it is the door to your bathroom (which we don't really need to deal with in the context of this game). There are no windows from this, the cheapest room that Westside Apts'. management offers. To the north is your exit door. This appears to be a reception room for some office complex. Before you is a desk, behind which sits a cold-looking secretary; on the north wall is a large bookcase; there are doors to the south, west, and east. The room is brightly lit, and furnished in the most modern styles. You notice a suspicious-looking red flag in the corner. You also notice that there are several armed guards in here, all wearing the Communist emblem, gun sights trained on you. Perhaps it isn't a good idea to snoop around behind locked doors. This room appears to have been vacated since the blast; only the secretary is here. The room has been damaged, and blood stains three walls. You surmise that the door was blown off its hinges and several bomb fragments flew through here. As soon as you enter this dark, freezing-cold closet the door slams shut and locks. As hard as you try, you cannot open it. You are trapped; obviously a commie trap, or perhaps this was set by II? You don't have much time to think about it since you notice a funny smell in the air, and by the time you realize that it is poison gas, you slump to your knees and pass out. Unfortunately, I don't think this is knockout gas... This appears to be a large meeting room of some sort. In the center of the chamber is a large table with many chairs. On the west wall are planetary maps of the Union of Free Worlds and the Federation of Communist Planets. In one corner is the red communist flag -- suddenly you are shocked. Could it be? It seems so! This seems to be the HQ of the Knights of the Red Flag, most infamous communist terrorist agency in the Solar System, right next to the administrative offices of Argrath Intelligence!! There are doors to the south and east from this room. This is a bare hallway, with an exit to the south and doors to the north and west. This is the office of Tolya Ivanoff, leader of the Knights of the Red Flag, the most feared and hated communist intelligence group in the solar system. Your mind reels with fear and surprise to find that such a dangerous organization is headquartered right next to your own agency's offices. You have little time to worry about that, however, for General Ivanoff is sitting behind his desk right now, his pistol trained on you. He smirks, and laughs. "Michael Telan! Such a fool you are! You will never rescue Parth, or IP-39!" This is a small guardroom which is used to guard two prison cells, the doors to which are to the north and west. There is an exit to the east. Before you stand two Communist guards armed with laser rifles. They sneer degradingly and take aim. In one corner is a red flag -- emblem of the communist intelligence organization the Knights of the Red Flag -- you are sickened to know that their office is so near Argrath's main offices. This is a tiny concrete cell used by the Knights of the Red Flag to incarcerate prisoners before they can be flown to Titan, where they will be handed over to the FCP gov't. The exit door is to the south. This is a dirty, cold, concrete cell used by the Knights of the Red Flag to store prisoners before shipment to Titan. The exit door is to the east. This is the elevator that serves the Arctaven Interplanetary Building, which houses Indemnity Intelligence, a rival firm. There are ten slots in the wall. The exit door is to the south. You have climbed the elevator cable to the top of the elevator shaft, and, fortunately, you have found a door that is open before you to the north. You may jump across to the north, or climb back down toward the disabled car. You stand huffing and puffing beside the open elevator door on the 10th floor of the Simpson Building. Your arms are sore and your hands blistered after that grueling escape. Heart still pounding, you look up and are startled to see a man wearing black, face covered by a stocking, lunge vengefully at you. Quickly, before you can react, the man deals a sharp karate blow to the base of your neck and you fall to the floor, out cold... You are in the elevator of the Renwick Ent. Building. There are five access card slots in the wall, one for each floor this elevator serves. The exit door is to the south. This is the elevator of the ten story Simpson Building. On the wall are ten slots, one to a floor, into which access cards are inserted in order to get the lift to go to the respective floor. Before you to the north is the elevator door. above you is a trap door which opens up into the elevator shaft. This is the elevator that carries people up and down in the Halvorsen Ent. Building. This elevator serves eight floors, and has eight slots in the card that correspond to the appropriate floor. The slots are used as a security measure; anyone that belongs on a floor has an access card for it. The elevator door is to the south. This is the elevator that serves the Arctaven Interplanetary Building, which houses Indemnity Intelligence, a rival firm. There are ten slots in the wall. The exit door is to the south. The escalator takes you up to this, the second floor hallway of the Opal Towers Hotel. The hallway stretches for a great distance, and a long row of closed doors is before you. You don't really have any business being here -- I'd leave before a maid attacks you or something. The escalator leads back down into the lobby. The door to room 212 is to the north. Here Wood Street's progress is blocked by a fifty-foot stone fence; an attempt by the dwellers of the richer neighborhood that lies beyond it to block the "undesirables" from their midst. The street continues to the south, and there are buildings to the east and west; an unmarked tenement to the west, a seedy place called Eric's massage parlor to the east. This seedy place is one of society's evils that really makes you sick. You refuse to even take a look around this immoral place, this affront to family entertainment. The exit is to the west. This is a dirty, rat-infested tenement lobby, which seems uninhabited save for derelicts, insects, and vermin. A bum, who appears to be sleeping, lies in a corner, adding his share to the unearthly stench that fills the air. There is a rickety staircase leading up into the deeper darkness of the tenement building. This is Wood Street, the heart poverty-sticken slum area of Lortan City. The area is dim and damp all day long; no artificial sun lights the ruined tenements and abandoned lots. The air is stale and poorly mixed; poor air for poor people, paid for by miniscule federal funds. This once was the mining district, before the ore ran out, and the ancient remnants, the tipple piles, scarred earth, and soot, dust, and dirt everywhere add to the gloom of this depressed sector. The street, with no sidewalks or traffic, pedestrian or vehicular, continues to the north and south; to the east is the monorail station, to the west is an empty lot. This is an empty lot inhabited only by vermin and imposing heaps of waste rock and mine refuse. The lot continues to the south, the street is to the east. Here dismal Wood Street ends. The street continues to the north for a stretch, to the south and west are dark empty lots, to the east is a squalid, low tenement building. This lot is completely worthless; the ground is hard, rocky, and bumpy, and the area is to depressed and poor for construction to be worthwhile. The lot continues to the north and southeast. The street is to the east. This is the sooty, decrepit lobby of a building that seems to have been abandoned for years. Garbage and trash lie strewn about, and the floorboards creak pitifully as you walk. There is a gaping hole leading out to the west, and a rickety staircase leads up. This is a simple empty lot with no landmark save a broken lamp-post and a pile of rotting garbage, neither of which hold your interest very long. Wood Street is to the north, and the lot continues to the northwest. You stand in the filthy, dank hallway on the second floor of this godforsaken slum tenement. The walls are stained with grime and soot, the reminders of this areas' mining history. Right away you know that this dreary building is on Wood Street, in the oldest section of town. There is a door to the north and a stairway leading down. This is a small room in a squalid tenement building. The floor is strewn with trash and refuse, and huge brown rats dart to and fro among the debris. There is a door exiting this room to the south. You are presently locked in a large cage in the northwest corner of the room. You are in the Lortan Ave-Wood St. monorail. The car is filled with people, and there is no place for you to sit down. The monorail will begin moving shortly. This is the Wood Street Monorail Station. This station is almost empty, except for a few derelicts and city workers who have to work in this area. Near you is the ticket booth, the street exit is to the west. There is no monorail in the station at this time. If you want to ride one, you must wait. The monorail is in the station now admitting passengers. This is a filthy hallway, reeking of cheap gin and more unpleasant things. A stairway leads downward, and you notice a small apartment to the west. This is a small, thinly furnished apartment, fairly dirty but relatively clean for this area. The exit is to the east, there is a closet to the south. Two burly thugs are sitting at a table playing cards. Two dead thugs lie on the floor. You stand in the small apartment's tiny closet wondering why you would ever want to be there. This is a nearly empty, dimly lit room. Its bare steel walls and shadowy emptiness give the room an eerie atmosphere of anxious secrecy. There are doors in all of the four principal compass directions, including an elevator door to the north. In one shadowy, gunmetal-grey corner you are almost startled to see a squat, blinking robot. The machine, nearly four feet tall, with two primitive grippy arms sits immobile on the floor, humming. It is looking your way. "Bleep! Hello! Bleep!" it blurts, comically but at the same time menacingly, "Identify yourself! What is your name? Bleep!" Suddenly its tiny but deadly torso-mounted laser weapons turn your way. "What is your name? I repeat. Bleep!" DNNNNN ü 5 L This is the office of Tolya Ivanoff, leader of the Knights of the Red Flag, the most feared and hated communist intelligence group in the solar system. Your mind reels with fear and surprise to find that such a dangerous organization is headquartered right next to your own agency's offices. ;
Eric's MassagYou are in a bare, white room. The room is starkly and very brightly lit by powerful but unseen lamps, making you instantly uncomfortable. The high-ceilinged room is unfurnished but for two items: a wooden chair bolted to the floor against the wall upon which hangs item number two, a colorfully rendered portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, whom, you have been taught, was a notorious terrorist leader on 20th Century Earth who disappeared during the Nuclear Cataclysm. There is a door leading to the west. You have entered a long north-south hallway. There are doors to the north, west, and south, and exits through the east and west walls. This is the small laboratory of Dr. Farsi. The tiny room is jam packed with inscrutable masses of scientific apparati, gizmos, and whatchamacallits. You know very little about science and care even less -- this room is enough to give you a throbbing headache. There is a door to the west. You have entered a strange, spookily lit room, decorated by ornate and ancient hanging carpets and tapestries. The room smells vaguely of incence and pungent sour yogurt. Before you, against one gilded wall, stands a huge golden, bejeweled throne, towering over you with awesome majesty. Atop the throne nestled amongst a web of tubes, wires, and machine parts, sits a wizened and wrinkled old man, aged and immobile, but scowling with the hate of youth. Before you sits the fabled Ayatollah Knomeini of a past age, preserved by an obscene tangle of medical apparatus. Suddenly, you notice the many armed guards at his side, and as their bullets riddle you, you realize just who controls II... This is a small lounge room, with a few chairs and a large sofa circling a low, artificial-wood table. On the sofa, a small large-nosed man wearing glasses snoozes loudly and soundly; nothing could wake him up. The man wears the white lab coat of a scientist, and a name tag on his coat identifies him as "Doctor Farsi -- head of Android Operation." This room 212 of the Opal Towers Hotel. It is very nicely furnished and in fact quite luxurious, just as you had expected. It is, however, a typical hotel room, laid out in the flabbergastingly boring typical way that all hotel rooms are bound seemingly by law to unfailingly follow. The room is also in quite a state of disarray, as if three rather sloppy people have been inhabiting it. Clothes and junk lie on the floor, through which travels a path to the door to the south.This room has been stripped of all typical hotel furnishings and appears to be a secret meeting or storage room for II. The room is lit only by a bare lightbulb and contains a small folding table and a few folding metal chairs. Also in the drably furnished room is a huge, coffin-shaped crate which appears to have no normal door. On top of the crate is a keyboard. Also, a pedestrian overpass crosses the busy street here. To climb the stairs of the overpass and go across the street to the other sidebelt, go up.
