Cacophony
Owen Parish
test as premise walkthrough
The sand stretches around you in all directions. There is a grassy countryside. Rocks are scattered about. You are in a room. The room has walls and a ceiling. You blink. It seems as though you've been standing here forever. You feel suddenly stressed; There is something you have to do.
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The sand stretches around you in all directions.
There is a grassy countryside. Rocks are scattered about.
You are in a room. The room has walls and a ceiling.

You blink. It seems as though you've been standing here forever. You feel suddenly stressed; There is something you have to do.
Cacophony

The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.
About yourself
You neither look, or feel, as if you are "all here".
You think
For a moment, you picture an underground room.
You look at the blood
Bright red. You can't tell where it's coming from. It seems to emerge from the wall itself.
You examine table
It is made of an unidentifiable wood, and heavily stained with blood. The surface is deeply wounded with ugly scars. On the ugly table there is some cutlery and some plates.
You drink the blood
It tastes metally. And foul.
Xyzzy
Fractal patterns spin across your vision briefly, and you feel hollow.
Smell
You feel ill. The air is foul.
About yourself
You neither look, or feel, as if you are "all here".
Sing
You sing a song you heard on the radio once, unusual in that you remember all its lyrics perfectly.
You take the plate
They seem to be superglued in place.
You look around
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.
You listen
When you strain your ears, you can hear a faint breathing.
You get plates
They seem to be superglued in place.

A ghostly figure floats up through the floor, and coalesces into Mr Green.

Mr Green hands you a note.
You examine table
It is made of an unidentifiable wood, and heavily stained with blood. The surface is deeply wounded with ugly scars. On the ugly table there is some cutlery and some plates.
You read the note
You can't see any such thing.

A small piece of notepaper, torn at the top. It reads, "You're dreaming, fool."
You look at the mr green
He wears a green mask, a green suit, and a green hat.

Mr Green adjusts his mask.
You pinch yourself
The pain feels strangely distant, and your surroundings distort for a second.
You wake up
You drift away...

Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

On the bed is a blanket.

You can see a wallet (empty) and a badge here.

You feel a presence in the room.
You take the wallet
Taken.

"Stay calm." suggests the poster.
You take the badge
Taken.

"The plan is a good plan." says the poster.
You take the poster
So fond are you of this poster, you superglued it to the wall. That's probably against residential regulations, but you were feeling rebellious at the time.

"Are you okay?" asks the poster.
Examine poster
It depicts a rock singer of bygone years.

"I may be paper, but you can talk to me." says the poster.
What is the the meaning of the life
Try ASK someone ABOUT something.

"I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster.

You can't talk to the poster.
You ask the poster about the life
You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate  object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope.

"You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster.
You ask the poster about the mission
You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate  object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope.

The poster smiles at you.
You ask the poster about the mission
You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate  object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope.

"Are you okay?" asks the poster.
You wake up
You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate  object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope.

"You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster.

It doesn't work like that.

"I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster.
About you
You neither look, or feel, as if you are "all here".

"Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster.
You examine the badge
A metal disc with a pin and symbol, it symbolises your role and rank. You can't remember the exact details right now, but that doesn't matter.

"You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster.
Wish
You've tried that before. It didn't work then, and it won't work now.

"Stay calm." suggests the poster.
Describe the surroundings
Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

On the bed is a blanket.

The poster smiles at you.
You listen
You can faintly hear cars in the distance, beyond the window.

"You need to stay active." says the poster.
You get up
But you aren't in anything at the moment.

"You need to stay active." says the poster.
You ask poster about the poseter
You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate  object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope.

"Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster.
You ask the poster about the poster
You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate  object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope.

"Stay calm." suggests the poster.
You go to the north
You open the bedroom door.

The poster watches you leave.

This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east.

On the workdesk are a crowbar, a hammer and a work folder (closed).

You can see a workbag (closed) here.
You make the wish
You've tried that before. It didn't work then, and it won't work now.
You open the bag
You open the workbag.
You look in it
The workbag is empty.
You get it
Taken.
You take the bag
You already have that.
You look at crowbar
Grey, and a little dusty.
You open the folder
You open the work folder, revealing a business card, a storeroom photograph and a newspaper.
You read the card
A small, laminated section of cardboard. Oddly enough, the only detail upon it is a phone number: 02312345673.
You examine photograph
It's a photograph of a storeroom, filled with crates.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
a crowbar
a workbag (open but empty)
a badge
a wallet
Examine newspaper
The only part that really catches your attention is the picture on the front, of the Chimera Corporation building. Indeed, you feel that this picture is the reason for the paper's presence here.
You get all from the desk
hammer: Taken.
work folder: Taken.
You put all in the bag
An old hammer, with a metal head and wooden handle.

work folder: You put the work folder into the workbag.

hammer: You put the hammer into the workbag.

crowbar: You put the crowbar into the workbag.

badge: You put the badge into the workbag.

wallet: You put the wallet into the workbag.
You examine the wallet
It's battered but functional, and you're quite fond of it. In the wallet there is nothing.
Describe the surroundings
This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east.
You examine the phone
It's black, and possesses the usual phone functions.
You look at the card
A small, laminated section of cardboard. Oddly enough, the only detail upon it is a phone number: 02312345673.
You read newspaper
The only part that really catches your attention is the picture on the front, of the Chimera Corporation building. Indeed, you feel that this picture is the reason for the paper's presence here.
You dial 02312345673
You dial the number and raise the receiver.

There's no response. You can hear some sort of interference, like running water.
You listen
You can faintly hear cars in the distance.
You examine the desk
It's not ornate, but it suits your purposes. On the workdesk there is nothing.

Didn't you have another tool here?
You look under the desk
You discover your screwdriver, which you take.
You examine the desk
It's not ornate, but it suits your purposes. On the workdesk there is nothing.
Go east
You open the kitchen door.

Your kitchen is relatively clean. A pile of pizza boxes sits on a table, adjacent to your microwave. Your television sits on a shelf. A door leads west.

A face grins on the television.
You examine the television
You brought it in here so you can watch as you eat. Unfortunately, it stopped working recently, and you're not sure why.

"You may think I'm trapped here" says the face, "but, you can only see part of me."
You look behind the television
You find nothing.

"I see you, and I know who you are." states the face.
You look at the pizza
Empty, tragically.

The phone number "06634734521" is shown on the boxes.

"I wouldn't just stand there." says the face.
You hit television
No, you might break it.

Sharp knives float across the face.
You turn the tv off
That's not something you can switch.

"I know what you're doing, and I will pass judgement." intones the face.
You take the pizza
You can't carry them comfortably, and you don't see any use for them.

The face watches you.
You ask the tv about the pizza
You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate  object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope.

""Do you think this is a game?" asks the face.
You open the pizza
They're not something you can open.

The face watches you.
You look at the microwave
It still works, but you don't have anything to heat at present.

"I know what you're doing, and I will pass judgement." intones the face.
You turn off the tv
That's not something you can switch.

The face watches you.
You hit tv with the hammer
No, you might break it.

The face screams silently, but not out of fear. Out of joy.
Examine tv
You brought it in here so you can watch as you eat. Unfortunately, it stopped working recently, and you're not sure why.

""Do you think this is a game?" asks the face.
You wake up
It doesn't work like that.

"Better get going." says the face maliciously.
You examine the pizza
Empty, tragically.

The phone number "06634734521" is shown on the boxes.

The face screams silently, but not out of fear. Out of joy.
You pinch yourself
Ouch!

The face screams silently, but not out of fear. Out of joy.
You go west
A hand waves on the television.

This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east.
You call 06634734521
Unfortunately, they've closed down.
Go west
You open the apartment door.

This dim passage runs north and south past a row of rooms. You've never been in any of them other than your own. Your apartment is to the east.

Some sort of lizard bauble hangs from a light bulb.

The lizard hisses in a friendly manner.
You examine the lizard
A small bauble in the shape of a lizard, hanging from a dim light-bulb.

"You don't know who's moving the pieces. But consider: They must be powerful. They must be worth befriending." The lizard makes a clicking noise.
You take the lizard
That's hardly portable.

"You don't have to live in squalor you know." suggests the lizard.
You go north
The lizard makes a tiny waving motion.

You can go upwards, or downwards. Upwards fills you with dread, downwards with anticipation. You are unsure why. Your apartment is down a corridor to the south.
Go south
This dim passage runs north and south past a row of rooms. You've never been in any of them other than your own. Your apartment is to the east.

Some sort of lizard bauble hangs from a light bulb.

The lizard hisses in a friendly manner.

The lizard makes a tiny waving motion.

The corridor stops here. A fire exit adorns the south wall.
You examine the exit
It has a push-bar on the front. It is closed.
You go to the north
This dim passage runs north and south past a row of rooms. You've never been in any of them other than your own. Your apartment is to the east.

Some sort of lizard bauble hangs from a light bulb.

The lizard hisses in a friendly manner.
Go east
The lizard makes a tiny waving motion.

This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east.
You go to the east
Your kitchen is relatively clean. A pile of pizza boxes sits on a table, adjacent to your microwave. Your television sits on a shelf. A door leads west.

A face grins on the television.
You move the desk
It is fixed in place.
You look at the bauble
A small bauble in the shape of a lizard, hanging from a dim light-bulb.

"Perhaps you should be considering self-improvement?" asks the lizard.
You get bauble
That's hardly portable.

"I may be stuck up here, but doesn't mean you should ignore me." says the lizard.
You look at the lizard
A small bauble in the shape of a lizard, hanging from a dim light-bulb.

"You are more than you might think." states the lizard.
You go south
Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

On the bed is a blanket.

You feel a presence in the room.
You look at the window
You can see outside the building. Specifically, you can see a wall, and
You examine the window
an alleyway.

"I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster.

You can see outside the building. Specifically, you can see a wall, and an alleyway.

"You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster.
You get the blanket
Taken.

"Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster.
You examine the blanket
Pale blue. It looks a little thin.

"You need to stay active." says the poster.
You look under the bed
You find nothing of interest.

The poster smiles at you.
Sleep
You need to lie down somewhere comfortable.

"Are you okay?" asks the poster.
Examine poster
It depicts a rock singer of bygone years.

"I may be paper, but you can talk to me." says the poster.
You lie on the bed
You get onto the bed.

"I may be paper, but you can talk to me." says the poster.
Sleep
You drift away...

The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

You can see a torn note here.
You read the note
A small piece of notepaper, torn at the top. It reads, "You're dreaming, fool."
You take the note
Taken.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
a torn note
You look around
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.
Smell
You feel ill. The air is foul.
You listen
When you strain your ears, you can hear a faint breathing.
You take cutlery
You take a single knife, feeling that to be most useful.
Taste
What do you want to taste?
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a knife
a torn note
You examine the knife
(the knife)
Blunt, and dull.

A ghostly figure floats up through the floor, and coalesces into Mr Red.
You look at the mr red
He wears a red mask, a red suit, and a red hat.
You kill the mr red with the knife
(the knife)
Violence isn't the answer to this one.
You ask Red about Green
He seems to look at you for a moment.
You ask red about yourself
He seems to look at you for a moment.

Mr Red detaches and reattaches his hands.
You give the knife to Red
He seems to look at you for a moment.

(the knife to Mr Red)
Mr Red takes it with a grin.
You taste the mr red
You'd rather not.

Mr Red makes experimental stabbing motions with the knife.
You feel MR red
Keep your hands to yourself!

Mr Red puts down the knife.
You take the knife
(the knife)
Taken.
Smell MR red
You smell nothing unexpected.

Mr Red somersaults.
You ask red about yourself
He seems to look at you for a moment.
Go north
You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions.

Mr Red arrives from the south.
Smell
As you inhale the sweet scents of the garden, you feel your spirits lift.
You get the fruit
The fruit seems to lose some of its strength as you pull it free, and you eat it quickly.

Mr Red somersaults.
You look at the fountain
The ornamentation depicts a pantheon of gods and goddesses, peering outwards. You can see the gleam of coins beneath the water.
You look around
You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions.

You can see Mr Red here.
You look at the vines
Tangled and green.

Mr Red giggles.
You cut the vines
You try, but they're too tough.
You wake
You drift away...

Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

You feel a presence in the room.
You get up
But you aren't in anything at the moment.

"I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster.
You describe your surroundings
Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

"You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a blanket
a screwdriver
a workbag (open)
a wallet
a badge
a crowbar
a hammer
a work folder (open)
a business card
a storeroom photograph
a newspaper

"I may be paper, but you can talk to me." says the poster.
Sleep
You need to lie down somewhere comfortable.

"You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster.
You get on bed
You get onto the bed.

"I may be paper, but you can talk to me." says the poster.
Sleep
Try ASK someone ABOUT something.

"I can't tell you much. You need to explore your possibilities." says the poster.
Sleep
You drift away...

The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

You don't feel that tired.
Go north
You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions.

You can see a torn note here.
You go north
You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions.
Go north
There is nothing but plant-life. You are having some difficulty in moving around. A pair of tiny reptilian eyes stare at you from the depths of the brush.
You examine the eyes
You can vaguely make out the shape of a small lizard hiding in the shadows.
You kill the lizard
The lizard is too far back in the brush for you to reach.
You ask the lizard about the jungle
You can only do that to something animate.
You listen
You hear a gentle rustling.

Mr Blue arrives from the south.
You look at Blue
He wears a blue mask, a blue suit, and a blue hat.
You go south
You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions.

Mr Blue arrives from the north.
Go south
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Blue arrives from the north.
You go west
A man glares at you from a pedestal against the north wall. His body is wood, his face is formed from paint. You feel guilty. A flaming bowl sits in front of the pedestal. A doorframe leads east.

Mr Blue arrives from the east.
You look at the idol
You find it difficult to meet his gaze. He is dressed in priestly robes, adorned with strange patterns. For a moment, you think you see a hat of some kind..
You look at the bowl
There is no visible fuel within the bowl, and the flames are too strong for you to risk looking closer. The bowl itself is made of silvery metal.
You put the face in the bowl
This dangerous act would achieve little.

You can't see any such thing.
You burn yourself
This dangerous act would achieve little.
Go east
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Blue arrives from the west.
Go south
You stand in a patch of dim light streaming from the north. All else is darkness. Odd sensations creep over you. Light can be seen to the north.

A soft strain of music drifts from the darkness.

Mr Blue arrives from the north.
You listen
The music sounds like that of a guitar. It is very faint.
You go north
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Blue arrives from the south.
You go east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a suitcase (closed) here.

Mr Blue arrives from the west.
You look at the notepad
The top page has been torn away. The second reads "There is no visible fuel within the bowl, and the flames are too strong for you to risk looking closer. The bowl itself is made of silvery metal.", whatever that means.
You open suitcase
You open the suitcase, revealing a work folder, a hammer, a crowbar, a badge and a wallet.
You look at the picture
(the framed picture)
It's a photograph of your bedroom. The frame is made from dark wood.
You take the picture
Which do you mean, the framed picture, the bedroom photograph or the storeroom photograph?
You examine the wallet
It's battered but functional, and you're quite fond of it. In the wallet there is nothing.
You put all in the suitcase
notepad: You put the notepad into the suitcase.

knife: You put the knife into the suitcase.

torn note: You put the torn note into the suitcase.
Look around
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

You can see Mr Blue here.
You examine the framed picture
It's a photograph of your bedroom. The frame is made from dark wood.
You look at bedroom photograph
It's a photograph of your bedroom.
You look at the storeroom photograph
It's a photograph of a storeroom, filled with crates.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
a suitcase (open)
a torn note
a knife
a notepad
a work folder (open)
a business card
a storeroom photograph
a newspaper
a hammer
a crowbar
a badge
a wallet
You look at the desk
It is made of exceptionally high quality wood. It includes a small drawer. On the wooden desk there is an In-Tray and an Out-Tray.
You examinIn-Tray
It is made of plastic, and labelled "IN". In the In-Tray there is nothing.
You examinOut-Tray
It is made of plastic, and labelled "OUT". In the Out-Tray there is nothing.
You open the drawer
You open the drawer, revealing a mirror.
You get all
Mr Blue: I don't suppose Mr Blue would care for that.
bedroom photograph: The frame is held together tightly by screws. You'll need to loosen them.
torn note: Taken.
knife: Taken.
notepad: Taken.
work folder: Taken.
business card: Taken.
storeroom photograph: Taken.
newspaper: Taken.
hammer: Taken.
crowbar: Taken.
badge: Taken.
wallet: Taken.
You put all in the suitcase
wallet: You put the wallet into the suitcase.

badge: You put the badge into the suitcase.

crowbar: You put the crowbar into the suitcase.

hammer: You put the hammer into the suitcase.

newspaper: You put the newspaper into the suitcase.

storeroom photograph: You put the storeroom photograph into the suitcase.

business card: You put the business card into the suitcase.

work folder: You put the work folder into the suitcase.

notepad: You put the notepad into the suitcase.

knife: You put the knife into the suitcase.

torn note: You put the torn note into the suitcase.

mirror: You put the mirror into the suitcase.
Torn
A small piece of notepaper, torn at the top. It reads, "You're dreaming, fool."
You look at the chair
It looks neat, but a little uncomfortable. On the study chair there is nothing.
You read the notepad
The top page has been torn away. The second reads "It looks neat, but a little uncomfortable.", whatever that means.
You go to the east
You open the fine wooden door.

Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west.

You can see a library chair here.

Mr Blue arrives from the west.
You give the mirror to Blue
(first taking the mirror)
Mr Blue examines it briefly, and then passes it back to you.
You look at the table
The table is made of rich wood. On the reading table there is a lamp and a clock.
You examine the clock
The clock reads 15:00.
You look at the lamp
The lamp is dark. A knob on the side adjusts the level of light.
Examine books
The books are old and fragile. For some reason, the spines aren't labelled.
You give the hammer to Blue
(first taking the hammer)
Mr Blue examines it briefly, and then passes it back to you.
You examine the chair
It seems to have been in an accident at some point, and one of its arms is missing. On the library chair there is nothing.
You turn the knob right
The lamp is barely shining.
Continue
The lamp is shining dimly.
You turn the knob right
The lamp is shining brightly.
You keep going
The lamp is glaring.
You pry the lamp with the crowbar
That's unnecessary.
Go west
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

Mr Blue arrives from the east.
You sit in the chair
You get onto the study chair.
You turn the mirror
Nothing obvious happens.
You get up
You get off the study chair.

A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

You can see Mr Blue here.
Go south
You open the pale wooden door.

A large screen television, the largest you've ever seen, dominates the room. Colourful images try to steal your attention, and high-quality sound fills the air. There is a VERY comfortable looking armchair waiting. The pale wooden door stands to the north.

Mr Blue arrives from the north.
You look at your surroundings
A large screen television, the largest you've ever seen, dominates the room. Colourful images try to steal your attention, and high-quality sound fills the air. There is a VERY comfortable looking armchair waiting. The pale wooden door stands to the north.

You can see Mr Blue here.
You turn on the tv
It's already on.
You watch the tv
You stare into the depths for a few minutes.

As you shake yourself out of the trance, you wonder what you were watching.

The television is currently switched on.
You sit
What do you want to sit on?
Armchair
You get onto the armchair.
You turn the tv off
You flip the switch, but the screen stays lit. After a moment the switch changes position by itself.
You listen
Laughing voices discuss irrelevant matters.
Pry chair
What do you want to pry the armchair with?
You pry the chair with the crowbar
That's unnecessary.
Go north
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

Mr Blue arrives from the south.
Go north
You open the dark wooden door.

Whatever work is being done here, it looks important. Complex instruments are poised, books are open, and the tables that clutter the room have not one square-inch of space unused. You COULD begin to understand it all, but it would take time.

Mr Blue arrives from the south.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
a hammer
a mirror
a suitcase (open)
a torn note
a knife
a notepad
a work folder (open but empty)
a business card
a storeroom photograph
a newspaper
a crowbar
a badge
a wallet
You move the junk
Those are fixed in place.
You put all in the suitcase
hammer: You put the hammer into the suitcase.

mirror: You put the mirror into the suitcase.
Look around
Whatever work is being done here, it looks important. Complex instruments are poised, books are open, and the tables that clutter the room have not one square-inch of space unused. You COULD begin to understand it all, but it would take time.

You can see Mr Blue here.
Smell
Sharp, alien smells reach you from somewhere.
Go south
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

Mr Blue arrives from the north.
You go west
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Blue arrives from the east.
You go west
A man glares at you from a pedestal against the north wall. His body is wood, his face is formed from paint. You feel guilty. A flaming bowl sits in front of the pedestal. A doorframe leads east.

Mr Blue arrives from the east.
Go east
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Blue arrives from the west.
Go south
You stand in a patch of dim light streaming from the north. All else is darkness. Odd sensations creep over you. Light can be seen to the north.

A soft strain of music drifts from the darkness.

Mr Blue arrives from the north.
You listen
The music sounds like that of a guitar. It is very faint.
You go north
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Blue arrives from the south.
You go east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

Mr Blue arrives from the west.
You open the drawer
That's already open.
Go south
A large screen television, the largest you've ever seen, dominates the room. Colourful images try to steal your attention, and high-quality sound fills the air. There is a VERY comfortable looking armchair waiting. The pale wooden door stands to the north.

Mr Blue arrives from the north.
You sit in the armchair
You get onto the armchair.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a blanket
a screwdriver
a workbag (open)
a wallet
a badge
a crowbar
a newspaper
a storeroom photograph
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a notepad
a knife
a torn note
a hammer
a mirror

The poster smiles at you.
You put all in the workbag
blanket: You put the blanket into the workbag.

screwdriver: You put the screwdriver into the workbag.

"The plan is a good plan." says the poster.
You read the notepad
The top page has been torn away. The second reads "You can't see much of the surfaces, what with them being covered in incomprehensible junk.", whatever that means.

"The plan is a good plan." says the poster.
Sleep
You need to lie down somewhere comfortable.

"Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster.
Describe the surroundings
Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

"Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster.
You examine the workbag
This is what you use to carry tools and important objects from one place to another. In the workbag there is a screwdriver, a blanket, a wallet, a badge, a crowbar, a newspaper, a storeroom photograph, a business card, a work folder, a notepad, a knife, a torn note, a hammer and a mirror.

"You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster.
You examine the notepad
You have owned this tool for a long time. It has served you well, and you have never considered replacing it. Through such possessions are men defined.

It has a red handle.

"I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster.

The top page has been torn away. The second reads "You have owned this tool for a long time. It has served you well, and you have never considered replacing it. Through such possessions are men defined.

It has a red handle.", whatever that means.

"I can't tell you much. You need to explore your possibilities." says the poster.
You turn the handle
Nothing obvious happens.

"You need to stay active." says the poster.
You enter the bag
That's not something you can enter.

"Stay calm." suggests the poster.
You put the screwdriver in the workbag
You need to be holding the screwdriver before you can put it into something else.

"I can't tell you much. You need to explore your possibilities." says the poster.
You look in the workbag
In the workbag are a screwdriver, a blanket, a wallet, a badge, a crowbar, a newspaper, a storeroom photograph, a business card, a work folder, a notepad, a knife, a torn note, a hammer and a mirror.

"Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster.
You close the workbag
You close the workbag.

"You need to stay active." says the poster.
You enter the bed
You get onto the bed.

"I can't tell you much. You need to explore your possibilities." says the poster.
Sleep
You drift away...

The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.
Go east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a suitcase (closed) here.
You go east
You open the fine wooden door.

Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west.

You can see a library chair here.
You go east
Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west.

You can see a library chair here.
Yes
How positive.
You take the chair
You could move it around, but why bother?
You look at the lamp
The lamp is glaring. A knob on the side adjusts the level of light.
You go to the west
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

Mr Green arrives from the east.
Go west
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Green arrives from the east.
You go to the west
A man glares at you from a pedestal against the north wall. His body is wood, his face is formed from paint. You feel guilty. A flaming bowl sits in front of the pedestal. A doorframe leads east.

Mr Green arrives from the east.
You look at the bowl
There is no visible fuel within the bowl, and the flames are too strong for you to risk looking closer. The bowl itself is made of silvery metal.
You go to the east
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Green arrives from the west.
You wake
You drift away...

Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

You feel a presence in the room.
You go north
The poster watches you leave.

This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
a workbag (closed)
Go south
Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

You feel a presence in the room.
You enter the bed
You get onto the bed.

"Stay calm." suggests the poster.
Sleep
You drift away...

The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.
Go east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a suitcase (closed) here.
You unscrew framed
You loosen the screws, but don't remove them; That would make the frame fall apart.
You take the frame
It's too firmly attached to the wall.
You unscrew framed
The screws are already loose.
You take the photograph
Which do you mean, the bedroom photograph or the storeroom photograph?
You take the bedroom photograph
You take the photograph out of the frame.
You put the storeroom in the frame
You put the photograph into the frame.

Mr Red arrives from the west.
You put the screwdriver in the suitcase
You put the screwdriver into the suitcase.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a bedroom photograph
a suitcase (open)
a screwdriver
a hammer
a torn note
a work folder (open but empty)
a business card
a newspaper
a crowbar
a badge
a wallet
a blanket

Mr Red somersaults.
You put the bedroom photograph in the suitcase
You put the bedroom photograph into the suitcase.
You wake
You drift away...

You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts.

You can see a chest (closed) and a gadget blueprint here.
You look at the chest
It's made of some sort of metal. There is a square depression set into the top.
Open chest
It seems to be locked.
You examine the hammock
Although it is fairly crude, it looks comfortable. You wonder why more people don't use them. On the hammock there is nothing.
Look around
You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts.

You can see a gadget blueprint here.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a chest (closed and locked)
a workbag (closed)
You eat the blueprint
(first taking the gadget blueprint)
That's plainly inedible.
You eat workbag
That's plainly inedible.
You put the blueprint in the bag
You put the gadget blueprint into the workbag.
You put the chest in the bag
You put the chest into the workbag.
You look around
You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts.
You look at the crates
Most of the crates are made of sealed metal. They don't look as if they can be opened. However, one of them is somewhat more old-fashioned, being made of battered wood.
Pry crate
(with the workbag)
You need a better tool.
You pry the crate with the crowbar
You manage to tear the top off.
You pry the crate with the crowbar
It's already open.
You look at the crate
It doesn't look especially sturdy, but it's not exactly falling apart either. You can see that a label on the side reads "Imagination Soil". In the wooden crate there is some soil.
You eat the soil
(first taking the soil)
It's too difficult to carry.
You examine the soil
This soil seems especially thick and damp.
Close chest
That's already closed.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a workbag (open)
a chest (closed and locked)
a gadget blueprint
a blanket
a wallet
a badge
a crowbar
a newspaper
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a hammer
a screwdriver
a bedroom photograph
You examine blueprint
While you can tell that the blueprint describes the creation of some type of gadget, you can't ascertain how it would work or what it would be used for.

While you can tell that the blueprint describes the creation of some type of gadget, you can't ascertain how it would work or what it would be used for.
You take the soil
It's too difficult to carry.
You examine the hammock
Although it is fairly crude, it looks comfortable. You wonder why more people don't use them. On the hammock there is nothing.
You look around
You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts.
You examine the badge
A metal disc with a pin and symbol, it symbolises your role and rank. You can't remember the exact details right now, but that doesn't matter.
You enter the hammock
You get onto the hammock.
Sleep
You drift away...

The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.
Go west
A man glares at you from a pedestal against the north wall. His body is wood, his face is formed from paint. You feel guilty. A flaming bowl sits in front of the pedestal. A doorframe leads east.
You go south
You stand in a patch of dim light streaming from the north. All else is darkness. Odd sensations creep over you. Light can be seen to the north.

A soft strain of music drifts from the darkness.
You take the suitcase
(the storeroom photograph)
You take the photograph out of the frame.

Taken.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a suitcase (closed)
a storeroom photograph
You put all in suitcase
storeroom photograph: You put the storeroom photograph into the suitcase.
You examine the frame
An empty frame, made from dark wood. In the frame there is nothing.
You wake
You drift away...

You are in darkness.
Look around
You are in darkness.
Go downwards
You can go upwards, or downwards. Upwards fills you with dread, downwards with anticipation. You are unsure why. Your apartment is down a corridor to the south.
Up
You're too frightened. You can't go up there. Ever.
Go downward
A set of mailboxes wait on one wall. The floor hasn't been cleaned for some time. A couple of entrance doors lead south. Stairs lead upwards.
You examine the mailbox
The keys are long lost, and the boxes hang open. There are still a few bits and pieces inside them.
You look in the mailbox
Most of the stuff in the boxes is useless, but you do manage to find a leaflet for a taxi firm that might be handy.
You read the leaflet
A leaflet for a taxi firm. "DIAL 05231453257 for rapid, reliable travel!"
You get the leaflet
You already have that.
You go to the south
You open the entrance doors.

The street is deserted. Your apartment building is to the north. A tree casts a shadow over you. A cardboard cutout leans against a wall, an abandoned piece of marketing.

You notice some graffiti adorning a wall, sprayed in red.

Abruptly, a car comes tearing down the street towards you. You are frozen with terror, but without a conscious effort, you move sideways and the car speeds out of sight without touching you. What's wrong with the world today?

The cutout eyes you.
You examine the cutout
A happy cowboy, inanimate.

"Are you afraid?" asks the cutout.
You examine the graffiti
HELP.

"Is this what you call productivity?" asks the cutout.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a leaflet
a workbag (open)
a chest (closed and locked)
a gadget blueprint
a blanket
a wallet
a badge
a crowbar
a newspaper
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a hammer
a screwdriver
a bedroom photograph
a storeroom photograph

"You look helpless." jeers the cutout.
You look at tree
You don't know enough about trees to identify it as being anything but dark, and daunting. A nest is perched high on one branch.

The cutout laughs.
You climb the tree
Unfortunately, there aren't any branches within reach that will support your weight.

Froth drips from the cutout's mouth.
You examine the nest
Filthy, but functional. There is a feather stuck in it. In the high nest there is nothing.

"Why do you just stand there?" asks the cutout.
You take the feather
You can't reach it.

"Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout.
You throw the leaflet at nest
You lob the leaflet. You miss.

"Have you forgotten what to do?" asks the cutout.
You throw the hammer at the nest
(first taking the hammer)
You lob the hammer. You miss.

Froth drips from the cutout's mouth.
You throw the badge at the nest
(first taking the badge)
You lob the badge. You miss.

"Why do you just stand there?" asks the cutout.
Look around
The street is deserted. Your apartment building is to the north. A tree casts a shadow over you. A cardboard cutout leans against a wall, an abandoned piece of marketing.

You notice some graffiti adorning a wall, sprayed in red.

You can see a badge, a hammer and a leaflet here.

"You look helpless." jeers the cutout.
You look at the badge
A metal disc with a pin and symbol, it symbolises your role and rank. You can't remember the exact details right now, but that doesn't matter.

"You waste your time." jeers the cutout.
Climb cutout
I don't think much is to be achieved by that.

"You look helpless." jeers the cutout.
Shake tree
You give it a shake, and the nest falls to the ground.

"Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout.
You take all
old nest: Taken.
badge: Taken.
hammer: Taken.
leaflet: Taken.
chest: Taken.
gadget blueprint: Taken.
blanket: Taken.
wallet: Taken.
crowbar: Taken.
newspaper: Taken.
business card: Taken.
work folder: Taken.
torn note: Taken.
screwdriver: Taken.
bedroom photograph: Taken.
storeroom photograph: Taken.

"Are you afraid?" asks the cutout.
You hit the cutout
You don't think you can destroy it so easily.

"Why do you just stand there?" asks the cutout.
You examine the nest
It's been a little damaged by its fall, and is more of a clump than a container. There is a feather stuck in it.

Froth drips from the cutout's mouth.
You put all in the bag
storeroom photograph: You put the storeroom photograph into the workbag.

bedroom photograph: You put the bedroom photograph into the workbag.

screwdriver: You put the screwdriver into the workbag.

torn note: You put the torn note into the workbag.

work folder: You put the work folder into the workbag.

business card: You put the business card into the workbag.

newspaper: You put the newspaper into the workbag.

crowbar: You put the crowbar into the workbag.

wallet: You put the wallet into the workbag.

blanket: You put the blanket into the workbag.

gadget blueprint: You put the gadget blueprint into the workbag.

chest: You put the chest into the workbag.

leaflet: You put the leaflet into the workbag.

hammer: You put the hammer into the workbag.

badge: You put the badge into the workbag.

old nest: You put the old nest into the workbag.

You can feel the cutout gazing at you contemptuously.
You take feather
Taken.

"Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout.
You look at the feather
It's been a little damaged by its fall, and is more of a clump than a container. There is a feather stuck in it.

"Are you afraid?" asks the cutout.
You put nest in the bag
You put the old nest into the workbag.

"Have you forgotten what to do?" asks the cutout.
Yes
How positive.

Froth drips from the cutout's mouth.
Look around
The street is deserted. Your apartment building is to the north. A tree casts a shadow over you. A cardboard cutout leans against a wall, an abandoned piece of marketing.

You notice some graffiti adorning a wall, sprayed in red.

"You waste your time." jeers the cutout.
You read the graffiti
HELP.

"Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout.
Go west
You walk a short distance, but you start to feel uncomfortable, and hurry back.

You feel a strange sensation, some sort of vibration passing through your body.

The cutout laughs.
Go east
You walk a short distance, but you start to feel uncomfortable, and hurry back.

"Why do you just stand there?" asks the cutout.
You go to the south
You walk a short distance, but you start to feel uncomfortable, and hurry back.

"Are you afraid?" asks the cutout.
You listen
You can faintly hear cars in the distance.

"Is this what you call productivity?" asks the cutout.
You pry the chest with the crowbar
That's unnecessary.

"Are you afraid?" asks the cutout.
You look at the newspaper
The only part that really catches your attention is the picture on the front, of the Chimera Corporation building. Indeed, you feel that this picture is the reason for the paper's presence here.

"You waste your time." jeers the cutout.
You go inside
You can't go that way.

"Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout.
You go to the east
You walk a short distance, but you start to feel uncomfortable, and hurry back.

"Do you think you can dream your problems away?" asks the cutout.
You go north
The cutout sneers at you.

A set of mailboxes wait on one wall. The floor hasn't been cleaned for some time. A couple of entrance doors lead south. Stairs lead upwards.
Go upwards
You can go upwards, or downwards. Upwards fills you with dread, downwards with anticipation. You are unsure why. Your apartment is down a corridor to the south.
You get in the bed
You get onto the bed.

"You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a workbag (open)
an old nest
a badge
a hammer
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a gadget blueprint
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a newspaper
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a bedroom photograph
a storeroom photograph

"You need to stay active." says the poster.
Sleep
You drift away...

The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.
Go east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a suitcase (closed) here.
You put the blueprint in the frame
You put the gadget blueprint into the frame.
You wake
You drift away...

Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

You feel a presence in the room.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a workbag (open)
an old nest
a badge
a hammer
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a newspaper
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a bedroom photograph
a storeroom photograph

"You need to proceed with your mission." says the poster.
You go north
The poster watches you leave.

This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east.
You go to the east
Your kitchen is relatively clean. A pile of pizza boxes sits on a table, adjacent to your microwave. Your television sits on a shelf. A door leads west.

A face grins on the television.
You go west
A hand waves on the television.

This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east.
Go south
Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

You feel a presence in the room.
You examine frame
An empty frame, made from dark wood. In the frame there is a gadget blueprint.
You put it in the frame
You put the newspaper into the frame.
You put the blueprint in the suitcase
You put the gadget blueprint into the suitcase.
Go west
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

A ghostly figure floats up through the floor, and coalesces into Mr Blue.
You take the knife
You take a single knife, feeling that to be most useful.
Go east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

Mr Blue arrives from the west.
You look in the frame
In the frame is a newspaper.
Cut newspaper
You slice out the picture, discarding the rest.
You cut the blueprint
Cutting that up would achieve little.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a newspaper picture
a knife
a suitcase (open)
a gadget blueprint
a storeroom photograph
a bedroom photograph
a screwdriver
a torn note
a work folder (open but empty)
a business card
a crowbar
a wallet
a blanket
a chest (closed and locked)
a leaflet
a hammer
a badge
an old nest
You put the knife in suitcase
You put the knife into the suitcase.
You look at the picture
(the newspaper picture)
The picture depicts the Chimera Corporation building.
You put the picture in the frame
(the newspaper picture in the frame)
You put the photograph into the frame.
You wake
You drift away...

You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here.

A dog barks somewhere.
You open the car
You open the driver's door.
You enter the car
You get onto the seats.
You examine the car
It's green, and the keys aren't in the ignition. Oddly enough, the seats have been folded down into a bed. The driver's door is open.
Go outside
You get off the seats.

You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here.
Go east
You make your way around the path...

You are standing east of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the east.

You notice an open window.

You hear a car honking in the distance.
Go north
You make your way around the path...

You are standing behind the Chimera building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the north.
Go west
You make your way around the path...

You are standing west of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the west.
Go south
You make your way around the path...

You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here.
You open the door
You don't see the point in opening the other doors.

You hear a car honking in the distance.
Go east
You make your way around the path...

You are standing east of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the east.

You notice an open window.
You examine the window
The window is open, but you can't see inside. It is open.
Enter
You hesitate. You can barely hear noises from inside the building, and you don't want to be arrested for trespassing. You need some way to escape attention.
You listen to the window
You hear nothing unexpected.

A dog barks somewhere.
You enter window
The occupant of this office is asleep over her desk. Possibly as a result of this, there is a pile of untidy paperwork on the floor. A door leads west.

You can see a box of doughnuts here.
You kill the occupant
Which do you mean, the occupant or the occupant's desk?
You go to the west
The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open.

This section contains accounting offices.

A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly.
Go north
A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains accounting offices.

A man goes from one room to another.
You examine the doughnuts
The box has been torn open, and contains 3 doughnuts.
You examine the paperwork
It doesn't look especially interesting, consisting mostly of forms and status reports.

You're not hungry, and you're not especially fond of them.

It doesn't look especially interesting, consisting mostly of forms and status reports.
You kill self
Ouch!
You wake woman
That seems unnecessary.
You look at the desk
It's made of some type of cheap wood. On the occupant's desk there is nothing.
Go west
The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open.

This section contains accounting offices.

A few people walk past.
Go south
The corridor turns a corner from north to west. A cleaner is scrubbing a stain off the floor.

This section contains technical support offices.

A couple of women come out of one room, and into another.
You examine the stain
It looks as though someone was violently ill here.

A few people walk past.
Go west
Unfortunately, you can't see a way to get past the cleaner without revealing yourself.

A couple of women hurry by, talking quietly.
You examine the cleaner
He is dressed in the usual type of cleaner's uniform. He wears a peaceful expression.

The corridor is quiet for a second, then people start moving again.
You drop the doughnuts
Someone will probably spot an item appearing from nowhere.

A few people walk past.
You look at what you're carrying with you
You are carrying:
a box of doughnuts
a workbag (open)
an old nest
a badge
a hammer
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a bedroom photograph
a storeroom photograph
a gadget blueprint
a knife

A couple of women hurry by, talking quietly.
Go north
The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open.

This section contains accounting offices.

A few people walk past.
Go north
A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains accounting offices.

A clump of people hurries past.
About yourself
You neither look, or feel, as if you are "all here".

A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly.
Go west
This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside.

This section contains accounting offices.

A couple of women hurry by, talking quietly.
You look at booth
The booth is a sturdy structure of metal and glass. You can see a glimpse of a control panel in front of the guard, but there's no way to reach it from outside.

A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
Go west
The door is locked in position, and even if it wasn't, the guard would notice it moving.

A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly.
You look at the self
You neither look, or feel, as if you are "all here".

A few people walk past.
You look at the guard
He looks fairly neat and alert.

A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly.
You examine the panel
The booth is a sturdy structure of metal and glass. You can see a glimpse of a control panel in front of the guard, but there's no way to reach it from outside.

A few people walk past.
You drop the doughnuts
Someone will probably spot an item appearing from nowhere.

A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
You eat the doughnuts
You're not hungry, and you're not especially fond of them.

A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly.
Go north
You can't go that way.

A few people walk past.
You enter the booth
That's not something you can enter.

A few people walk past.
You show the doughnuts to guard
The security guard is unimpressed.

An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
You give the doughnuts to guard
The security guard doesn't seem interested.

For a moment, the corridor fills. You barely escape detection.
You wake
It doesn't work like that.

An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
Go east
A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains accounting offices.

A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
Go upward
Stairs lead up and down. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains planning offices.
Go south
The corridor runs north and south.

This section contains planning offices.
You go to the south
The corridor turns a corner from north to west.

This section contains server rooms.
You go to the west
The corridor runs from east to west.

This section contains server rooms.

This floor is strangely silent.
You go west
The corridor turns a corner from north to east.

This section contains server rooms.
You go east
The corridor runs from east to west.

This section contains server rooms.
You go upward
A group of people at the top of the stairs are deep in conversation. You know you can't get past them.

This floor is strangely silent.
You check what you're carrying
The corridor runs south from a dead end.

This section contains server rooms.

This floor is strangely silent.

You are carrying:
a box of doughnuts
a workbag (open)
an old nest
a badge
a hammer
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a bedroom photograph
a storeroom photograph
a gadget blueprint
a knife
Inventory
You are carrying:
a box of doughnuts
a workbag (open)
an old nest
a badge
a hammer
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a bedroom photograph
a storeroom photograph
a gadget blueprint
a knife
You unlock the chest with hammer
(first taking the hammer)
That doesn't seem to fit the lock.

This floor is strangely silent.
Go north
Stairs lead up and down. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains planning offices.

This floor is strangely silent.
You go west
This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside.

This section contains planning offices.
Examine booth
The booth is a sturdy structure of metal and glass. You can see a glimpse of a control panel in front of the guard, but there's no way to reach it from outside.
You show badge to the guard
(first taking the badge)
You can't let the guard see something vanish.
Go inside
You open the metal door.

The booth has a chair, and a window. There are presumably airholes somewhere. A small switch is placed under the window.
You describe your surroundings
The booth has a chair, and a window. There are presumably airholes somewhere. A small switch is placed under the window.
You examine switch
A booth switch, a switch in a booth. It is off.

The booth switch is currently switched off.
You turn the switch on
You switch the booth switch on.
You look at window
A booth window, a window in a booth. You can see the corridor outside.
Leave
This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside.

This section contains planning offices.
Go east
Stairs lead up and down. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains planning offices.

This floor is strangely silent.
You sit in the chair
You get onto the booth chair.
Go outside
You get off the booth chair.

The booth has a chair, and a window. There are presumably airholes somewhere. A small switch is placed under the window.
Keep going
This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside.

This section contains planning offices.

The guard closes his eyes for a moment.
You open the door
Which do you mean, the metal door or the 1st floor revolving door?
You examine the metal door
*** Run-time problem P11: Although the metal door is allowed to have the property "description", no value was ever given, so it can't now be used.

It is open.
You look at the switch
A booth switch, a switch in a booth. It is on.

The booth switch is currently switched on.
You examine the guard
He looks a little run down. He is fortunate that he doesn't have to stand.

The guard closes his eyes for a moment.
Revolving
What do you want to unlock the 1st floor revolving door with?
Go east
You must name something more substantial.
Go downwards
A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains accounting offices.

A couple of women come out of one room, and into another.
Go west
This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside.

This section contains accounting offices.

A few people walk past.
You go inside
You shouldn't draw attention by opening a door.

An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
You examine the guard
He looks fairly neat and alert.

For a moment, the corridor fills. You barely escape detection.
You look at the booth
The booth is a sturdy structure of metal and glass. You can see a glimpse of a control panel in front of the guard, but there's no way to reach it from outside.

For a moment, the corridor fills. You barely escape detection.
Go west
The door is locked in position, and even if it wasn't, the guard would notice it moving.

An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
Go east
A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains accounting offices.

A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
Go north
The corridor runs south from a dead end.

This section contains server rooms.

This floor is strangely silent.
You go to the east
The corridor turns a corner from north to west.

This section contains server rooms.

This floor is strangely silent.
You switch the switch
That's already on.
You turn the switch off
You switch the booth switch off.
You drop the doughnuts
You quickly place the box of doughnuts on the floor. Opening his eyes, the guard notices it, and looks confused for a second. Then his eyes light up, and he steps out of the booth, picks it up, then retreats back to his chair.

The guard eats a doughnut.
You look at what you're carrying with you
You are carrying:
a hammer
a box of doughnuts
a workbag (open)
an old nest
a badge
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a bedroom photograph
a storeroom photograph
a gadget blueprint
a knife
You look at the guard
He looks a little run down. He is fortunate that he doesn't have to stand.
You wait
Time passes.

The guard closes his eyes for a moment.
You drop the doughnuts
You quickly place the box of doughnuts on the floor. Opening his eyes, the guard notices it, and looks confused for a second. Then his eyes light up, and he steps out of the booth, picks it up, then retreats back to his chair.

The guard eats a doughnut.
You wait for a while
Time passes.

The guard eats a doughnut.
Wait
Time passes.
Examine box
The box has been torn open, and is empty.
Go downward
A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains accounting offices.

A few people walk past.
Go west
This corridor runs from the east to the west, where it is blocked by a revolving door. Next to the door stands a booth, with a guard sitting inside.

This section contains accounting offices.

A few people walk past.
Go east
A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains accounting offices.

For a moment, the corridor fills. You barely escape detection.
Go south
The corridor turns a corner from north to west. A cleaner is scrubbing a stain off the floor.

This section contains technical support offices.

A clump of people hurries past.
You go to the south
You can't go that way.

An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
Go west
Unfortunately, you can't see a way to get past the cleaner without revealing yourself.

A clump of people hurries past.
You examine the cleaner
He is dressed in the usual type of cleaner's uniform. He wears a peaceful expression.

A couple of women hurry by, talking quietly.
You examine the stain
It looks as though someone was violently ill here.

An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a hammer
a box of doughnuts
a workbag (open)
an old nest
a badge
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a bedroom photograph
a storeroom photograph
a gadget blueprint
a knife

A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
You drop the doughnuts
Someone will probably spot an item appearing from nowhere.

A clump of people hurries past.
You put the doughnuts in stain
That can't contain things.

A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
You take the stain
That's hardly portable.

A couple of women come out of one room, and into another.
You examine the uniform
He is dressed in the usual type of cleaner's uniform. He wears a peaceful expression.

A few people walk past.
You search it
You find nothing of interest.

A couple of women come out of one room, and into another.
You search cleaner
You don't think cleaner would allow that.

A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
Kiss cleaner
Keep your mind on the game.

A clump of people hurries past.
Go north
The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open.

This section contains accounting offices.

For a moment, the corridor fills. You barely escape detection.
You go east
The occupant of this office is asleep over her desk. Possibly as a result of this, there is a pile of untidy paperwork on the floor. A door leads west.
Leave
You are standing east of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the east.

You notice an open window.
Go south
You make your way around the path...

You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here.
You enter the car
You get onto the seats.

A dog barks somewhere.
Box in workbag
hammer: Done.
box of doughnuts: Done.
You put the bedroom in the frame
You put the photograph into the frame.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a workbag (open)
a box of doughnuts
a hammer
an old nest
a badge
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a storeroom photograph
a gadget blueprint
a newspaper picture
You read the leaflet
A leaflet for a taxi firm. "DIAL 05231453257 for rapid, reliable travel!"
You dial 05231453257
You raise the phone, but something is wrong. A strange feeling is coming over you. You abruptly slam the phone down, and you recover.

A strange echoing noise sounds in your ears. After a moment you hear something else; A shuffling far away.
You dial 05231453257
You raise the phone, but something is wrong. A strange feeling is coming over you. You abruptly slam the phone down, and you recover.
You go south
The street is deserted. Your apartment building is to the north. A tree casts a shadow over you. A cardboard cutout leans against a wall, an abandoned piece of marketing.

You notice some graffiti adorning a wall, sprayed in red.

The cutout eyes you.
You go north
The cutout sneers at you.

A set of mailboxes wait on one wall. The floor hasn't been cleaned for some time. A couple of entrance doors lead south. Stairs lead upwards.
You examine the floor
The floor is covered in blue plastic.
You examine the plastic
A simple plastic folder. In the work folder there is nothing.
Go south
The lizard makes a tiny waving motion.

The corridor stops here. A fire exit adorns the south wall.
Go south
You open the fire exit.

You start to step through, but a sudden terror seizes you. You step back sharply, and the door swings closed.

You can hear hurried footsteps from somewhere, and a voice, faintly calling.
Go south
You open the fire exit.

You start to step through, but a sudden terror seizes you. You step back sharply, and the door swings closed.
You listen
You can hear voices from somewhere.
You listen
You can hear voices from somewhere.

"Perhaps you should be considering self-improvement?" asks the lizard.
You ask the lizard about lizard
You open your mouth, then stop. Why are you trying to talk to an inanimate object? Because that is what it is. An inanimate  object. Completely. Totally. No life here. Nothing out of the ordinary or suspicious. Certainly not. Nope.

The lizard's tongue flickers.
You take the lizard
That's hardly portable.

"You don't know who's moving the pieces. But consider: They must be powerful. They must be worth befriending." The lizard makes a clicking noise.
Go east
The lizard makes a tiny waving motion.

This could also be described as a study, but that doesn't quite fit the uses to which you put it. Nevertheless, you have a desk, and a phone. Doors lead south, west and east.
Go south
Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

You feel a presence in the room.
You look under the bed
You find nothing of interest.

"I'm sorry if I'm hard to understand" apologises the poster.
Examine poster
It depicts a rock singer of bygone years.

"You need to stay active." says the poster.
Sing
You sing a song you heard on the radio once, unusual in that you remember all its lyrics perfectly.

"Are you okay?" asks the poster.
You lie on the bed
You get onto the bed.

"The plan is a good plan." says the poster.
You put the mirror in the frame
You put the mirror into the frame.
You wake
You drift away...

You are in darkness.
You get in the bed
You get onto the bed.

"Have you tried making a wish?" asks the poster.
You go east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a suitcase (closed) and a bedroom photograph here.
You open the drawer
You open the drawer, revealing a mirror.
Continue
The lamp is dark.

Mr Green arrives from the west.
You turn the knob right
The lamp is barely shining.

Mr Green flicks dust from his clothes.
You go west
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a suitcase (closed) and a bedroom photograph here.

Mr Green arrives from the east.
You examine Green
He wears a green mask, a green suit, and a green hat.

Mr Green adjusts his mask.
You look at the hat
He wears a green mask, a green suit, and a green hat.
Go west
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Green arrives from the east.
You drop the mirror
Dropped.
You go south
You stand in a patch of dim light streaming from the north. All else is darkness. Odd sensations creep over you. Light can be seen to the north.

A soft strain of music drifts from the darkness.

Mr Green arrives from the north.
Go north
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

You can see a mirror here.

Mr Green arrives from the south.
You take the mirror
Taken.

Mr Green taps his foot.
You touch green
Keep your hands to yourself!
Go east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a suitcase (closed) and a bedroom photograph here.

Mr Green arrives from the west.
TAKE SUITCASE, BEDROOM, NOTEPAD
suitcase: Taken.
bedroom photograph: Taken.
notepad: Taken.
You examine the notepad
The top page has been torn away. The second reads "He wears a green mask, a green suit, and a green hat.", whatever that means.
You go to the north
You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions.

Mr Green arrives from the south.
You take the fruit
The fruit seems to lose some of its strength as you pull it free, and you eat it quickly.
You look at the fountain
The ornamentation depicts a pantheon of gods and goddesses, peering outwards. You can see the gleam of coins beneath the water.
Drink water
The water tastes like nothing at all.

Mr Green taps his foot.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
a notepad
a bedroom photograph
a suitcase (closed)
a mirror
a knife
You cut the water
Cutting that up would achieve little.
You examine the blanket
Pale blue. It looks a little thin.
You examine the folder
A simple plastic folder. In the work folder there is nothing.
You examine the chest
It's made of some sort of metal. There is a square depression set into the top.

Mr Green flicks dust from his clothes.
You look at the card
A small, laminated section of cardboard. Oddly enough, the only detail upon it is a phone number: 02312345673.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a notepad
a bedroom photograph
a suitcase (open)
a newspaper picture
a gadget blueprint
a storeroom photograph
a screwdriver
a torn note
a work folder (open but empty)
a business card
a crowbar
a wallet
a blanket
a chest (closed and locked)
a leaflet
a badge
an old nest
a hammer
a box of doughnuts
a mirror
a knife
You look at your surroundings
You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions.

You can see Mr Green here.
Go south
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Green arrives from the north.
You go to the east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

Mr Green arrives from the west.
You look at the frame
It's a photograph of a storeroom. The frame is made from dark wood.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a notepad
a bedroom photograph
a suitcase (open)
a newspaper picture
a gadget blueprint
a screwdriver
a torn note
a work folder (open but empty)
a business card
a crowbar
a wallet
a blanket
a chest (closed and locked)
a leaflet
a badge
an old nest
a hammer
a box of doughnuts
a mirror
a knife
PUT MIRROR, KNIFE, BEDROOM, NOTEPAD IN SUITCASE
mirror: Done.
knife: Done.
bedroom photograph: Done.
notepad: Done.
You wake
You drift away...

You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a workbag (open)
a box of doughnuts
a hammer
an old nest
a badge
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a gadget blueprint
a newspaper picture
a mirror
a knife
a bedroom photograph
a notepad
You examine the nest
It's been a little damaged by its fall, and is more of a clump than a container. There is a feather stuck in it.
You pull the feather
Nothing obvious happens.
You take the crate
That's hardly portable.
Inventory
You are carrying:
an old nest
a workbag (open)
a box of doughnuts
a hammer
a badge
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a gadget blueprint
a newspaper picture
a mirror
a knife
a bedroom photograph
a notepad
You put the nest in the bag
You put the old nest into the workbag.
You examine badge
A metal disc with a pin and symbol, it symbolises your role and rank. You can't remember the exact details right now, but that doesn't matter.
Above1
Saved.
Yes
Bye Alex! Thanks for playing!
%
The sand stretches around you in all directions.
There is a grassy countryside. Rocks are scattered about.
You are in a room. The room has walls and a ceiling.
You blink. It seems as though you've been standing here forever. You feel suddenly stressed; There is something you have to do.
Cacophony

The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a badge (being worn)
a workbag (open)
an old nest
a box of doughnuts
a hammer
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a bedroom photograph
Go east
Stairs lead up and down. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains planning offices.

You can see a gadget blueprint here.

This floor is strangely silent.
You go downward
A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains accounting offices.

A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly.
Go south
The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open.

This section contains accounting offices.

A clump of people hurries past.
You go east
The occupant of this office is asleep over her desk. Possibly as a result of this, there is a pile of untidy paperwork on the floor. A door leads west.
You put all in the bag
A dog barks somewhere.
Go east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a suitcase (closed), a storeroom photograph and a screwdriver here.
You go east
You open the fine wooden door.

Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west.

You can see a library chair here.
You examine the shelves
The shelves are made of dark wood. An abacus rests here. On the bookshelves there is some library books.
You look at the abacus
It is one of the simpler kinds, containing only two rows of beads. It is set to 3.
You set the clock to 2349
Okay.
You look at the clock
The clock reads 23:49.
You go west
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a suitcase (closed), a storeroom photograph and a screwdriver here.

Mr Blue arrives from the east.
You go west
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Blue arrives from the east.
You go to the north
You stand upon a small stone patio, surrounded by plants. Ripe fruit dip from vines, tempting you with their colours. An ornamental fountain gurgles to your left. Daylight peeks through the heavy layer of greenery above. A dense perfume almost overwhelms you. You can go deeper, to the north. The kitchen is to the south. Stone walls bar all other directions.

Mr Blue arrives from the south.
Go south
The stench of offal hangs in the air.The walls drip with fresh blood. An ugly table supports plates and a massive assortment of cutlery. This is not an environment that encourages rational thought. Empty doorframes lead north, east, south and west.

Mr Blue arrives from the north.
You go to the east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a suitcase (closed), a storeroom photograph and a screwdriver here.

Mr Blue arrives from the west.
You take all
Mr Blue: I don't suppose Mr Blue would care for that.
suitcase: Taken.
storeroom photograph: Taken.
screwdriver: Taken.
newspaper picture: You take the photograph out of the frame.
notepad: Taken.
You read the notepad
The top page has been torn away. The second reads "The ornamentation depicts a pantheon of gods and goddesses, peering outwards. You can see the gleam of coins beneath the water.", whatever that means.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a notepad
a newspaper picture
a screwdriver
a storeroom photograph
a suitcase (open)
a bedroom photograph
a torn note
a work folder (open but empty)
a business card
a crowbar
a wallet
a blanket
a chest (closed and locked)
a leaflet
a hammer
a box of doughnuts
an old nest
You go east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

Mr Blue arrives from the west.
Go north
You open the dark wooden door.

Whatever work is being done here, it looks important. Complex instruments are poised, books are open, and the tables that clutter the room have not one square-inch of space unused. You COULD begin to understand it all, but it would take time.

Mr Blue arrives from the south.
Go south
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

Mr Blue arrives from the north.
You wake
You drift away...

You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here.

You hear a car honking in the distance.
Go east
You make your way around the path...

You are standing east of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the east.

You notice an open window.
You go west
The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open.

This section contains accounting offices.

The corridor is quiet for a second, then people start moving again.
You go south
The corridor turns a corner from north to west. A cleaner is scrubbing a stain off the floor.

This section contains technical support offices.

A man goes from one room to another.
Go north
The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open.

This section contains accounting offices.

An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
Go upwards
Stairs lead up and down. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains planning offices.

You can see a gadget blueprint here.
You go down
You can't go that way.

A couple of men hurry by, talking quickly.
You go south
The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open.

This section contains accounting offices.

A woman hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
You go outside
You are standing east of the Chimera building. A path leads south to the front of the building, and north to the back. A chain-link fence blocks your way to the east.

You notice an open window.

A dog barks somewhere.
Go south
You make your way around the path...

You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here.
You put all in the bag
gadget blueprint: You put the gadget blueprint into the workbag.
You examine the door
The door looks strange in some undefinable way. It is open.

"You don't know who's moving the pieces. But consider: They must be powerful. They must be worth befriending." The lizard makes a clicking noise.
You examine the apartment door
You suddenly notice you've left your key stuck in the lock. You extract it.
You examine the leaflet
A leaflet for a taxi firm. "DIAL 05231453257 for rapid, reliable travel!"
You dial 05231453257
You raise the phone, but something is wrong. A strange feeling is coming over you. You abruptly slam the phone down, and you recover.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
an apartment key
a badge (being worn)
a workbag (open)
a gadget blueprint
an old nest
a box of doughnuts
a hammer
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
You remove badge
You take off the badge.
You put all in the bag
apartment key: You put the apartment key into the workbag.

badge: You put the badge into the workbag.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a workbag (open)
a badge
an apartment key
a gadget blueprint
an old nest
a box of doughnuts
a hammer
a leaflet
a chest (closed and locked)
a blanket
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
Go east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a suitcase (closed), a newspaper picture, a storeroom photograph and a screwdriver here.
You put badge in the fountain
You cast the badge into the water. After a moment, there is a great eruption beneath the surface.

The vines above you start rustling with a strange rhythm. After a minute or so they stop. You feel that somewhere nearby, something has changed.
You go to the east
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

On the wooden desk is a notepad.

You can see a newspaper picture, a storeroom photograph and a screwdriver here.

Something in here. Something is different.
You examine the desk
It is made of exceptionally high quality wood. It includes a small drawer. On the wooden desk there is a notepad, an In-Tray and an Out-Tray.

Mr Green arrives from the west.
You look aIn-Tray
It is made of plastic, and labelled "IN". In the In-Tray there is a stone tablet.
You take the tablet
Taken.

Mr Green yawns.
You examine it
It's quite light-weight. By some method (ink? paint?), images and figures are shown upon it. Depicted are a fire, burning brightly, a sundial, reading half past five, and some letters, XLII.
Go east
You open the fine wooden door.

Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west.

You can see a library chair here.

Mr Green arrives from the west.
You set the abacus to 42
You set the abacus to 42.
You look at the tablet
It's quite light-weight. By some method (ink? paint?), images and figures are shown upon it. Depicted are a fire, burning brightly, a sundial, reading half past five, and some letters, XLII.

Mr Green yawns.
You set the clock to 1730
Okay.

The books on the shelves seems to distort in some way. Suddenly, a single volume floats free, landing on the table.
You look at the book
(the mission book)
It seems an old book, without exterior detail. Inside, all the pages are the same:

Target: SDE files.

Location: Chimera Corporation, Security Room 2, 1st Floor

Additional: Room Code 28635
You examine the nest
It's been a little damaged by its fall, and is more of a clump than a container. There is a feather stuck in it.
You break the nest
You break it apart and extract the feather.
You examine the feather
Pure white. It seems strangely incongruous to see such a thing.
Examine
What do you want to examine?
You look around
Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west.

On the reading table is a mission book.

You can see Mr Green and a library chair here.

Mr Green taps his foot.
Wait
Time passes.

A ghostly figure floats up through the floor, and coalesces into Mr Red.
You wake
You drift away...

Your bedroom is fairly barren. You have a bed and a window. The floor is bare of carpet. You have put up a poster to hide some dents on one wall. A door leads north.

You feel a presence in the room.
You take all but the bedroom
suitcase: Taken.
newspaper picture: Taken.
storeroom photograph: Taken.
screwdriver: Taken.
notepad: Taken.
You give the blueprint to Blue
(first taking the gadget blueprint)
Mr Blue examines the blueprint and his eyes light up.

Mr Blue opens the dark wooden door.

Mr Blue goes north.
You go to the north
Whatever work is being done here, it looks important. Complex instruments are poised, books are open, and the tables that clutter the room have not one square-inch of space unused. You COULD begin to understand it all, but it would take time.

You can see Mr Blue here.

Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then points to the door with his left hand, making a twisting motion with his right.
You close the door
You close the dark wooden door.

Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then points to you, then himself, then the instruments, then you again.
Wait
Time passes.

Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then points to the door with his left hand, making a twisting motion with his right.
You give the key to Blue
(first taking the apartment key)
Mr Blue eagerly accepts it.

Mr Blue works with the instruments, somehow creating a device matching the blueprint design. He hands it to you proudly.
You examine the gadget
A cube of metal. You know from the blueprint that there are complex mechanisms contained inside.
You examine the chest
It's made of some sort of metal. There is a square depression set into the top.

Mr Blue takes a long breath, and exhales slowly.
You put the gadget on the chest
Putting things on the chest would achieve nothing.

Mr Blue sneezes.
You put the gadget in the chest
The chest is closed.
You look at what you're carrying with you
You are carrying:
a strange gadget
a mirror
a notepad
a screwdriver
a storeroom photograph
a newspaper picture
a suitcase (open)
a torn note
a work folder (open but empty)
a business card
a crowbar
a wallet
a blanket
a leaflet
a hammer
a box of doughnuts

Mr Blue takes a long breath, and exhales slowly.
You take all
chest: Taken.
Mr Blue: I don't suppose Mr Blue would care for that.
torn note: Taken.
work folder: Taken.
business card: Taken.
crowbar: Taken.
wallet: Taken.
blanket: Taken.
leaflet: Taken.
hammer: Taken.
box of doughnuts: Taken.
Go south
You open the dark wooden door.

A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a framed picture attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

Mr Blue arrives from the north.
You put all in the case
bedroom photograph: You put the bedroom photograph into the suitcase.

box of doughnuts: You put the box of doughnuts into the suitcase.

hammer: You put the hammer into the suitcase.

leaflet: You put the leaflet into the suitcase.

blanket: You put the blanket into the suitcase.

wallet: You put the wallet into the suitcase.

crowbar: You put the crowbar into the suitcase.

business card: You put the business card into the suitcase.

work folder: You put the work folder into the suitcase.

torn note: You put the torn note into the suitcase.

chest: You put the chest into the suitcase.

strange gadget: You put the strange gadget into the suitcase.

mirror: You put the mirror into the suitcase.

notepad: You put the notepad into the suitcase.

screwdriver: You put the screwdriver into the suitcase.

newspaper picture: You put the newspaper picture into the suitcase.
You put gadget in the depression
The chest clicks. You withdraw the gadget.
Open chest
You open the chest, revealing a cloak blueprint and a discomforter.
You take all from the chest
cloak blueprint: Taken.
discomforter: Taken.
You look at the blueprint
The blueprint describes the creation of a "cloak", a stealth device. You can't understand all the details.
You look at the discomforter
A slick black disc, with a small switch on one side. A label identifies it as a "discomforter".
You put all in the bag
discomforter: You put the discomforter into the workbag.

cloak blueprint: You put the cloak blueprint into the workbag.

strange gadget: You put the strange gadget into the workbag.
You wait
Time passes.

A ghostly figure floats up through the floor, and coalesces into Mr Green.
You wake
You drift away...

You are surrounded by crates, beyond which are walls. There doesn't appear to be any way out. A hammock hangs between two hooks hammered into crate struts.

You can see a chest (empty) here.
You take all
suitcase: Taken.
storeroom photograph: You take the photograph out of the frame. notepad: Taken.
You take the mirror
You open the drawer, revealing a mirror.

Taken.
You wait
Time passes.

Mr Blue arrives from the west.
You go east
You open the fine wooden door.

Shelves surround you, filled with books of the greatest importance (you assume). Your feet sink into the thick carpet. A table and chair await you in the middle of the room. The fine wooden door leads west.

On the reading table is a mission book.

You can see a stone tablet, a feather and a library chair here.

Mr Blue arrives from the west.
Tablet
feather: Taken.
stone tablet: Taken.
You give the blueprint to Blue
(first taking the cloak blueprint)
Mr Blue examines the blueprint and his eyes light up.

Mr Blue coughs.

Mr Blue goes west.
Go west
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

You can see Mr Blue here.

Mr Blue opens the dark wooden door.

Mr Blue goes north.
You go north
Whatever work is being done here, it looks important. Complex instruments are poised, books are open, and the tables that clutter the room have not one square-inch of space unused. You COULD begin to understand it all, but it would take time.

You can see Mr Blue here.

Mr Blue starts to do something with the instruments.After a few moments, he stops, looking thoughtful.
Wait
Time passes.

Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then mimes wrapping something around himself, shivering.
You give the blanket to Blue
(first taking the blanket)
Mr Blue eagerly accepts it.

Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then points to you, then himself, then the instruments, then you again.
You wait awhile
Time passes.

Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then holds a hand up in front of himself, stares at his palm fixedly, and adjusts his mask and collar.
You give the mirror to Blue
Mr Blue eagerly accepts it.

Mr Blue hums a tune.

Mr Blue waves to get your attention, then points to you, then himself, then the instruments, then you again.
You wait
Time passes.

Mr Blue waves to get your attention, mimes dropping something, then makes as if to strain his ears.
You give the feather to Blue
Mr Blue eagerly accepts it.

Mr Blue works with the instruments, somehow creating a garment matching the blueprint design. He hands it to you proudly.
You examine the cloak
A grey, thin cloak, very soft.
You wear the cloak
You notice that your body seems to have vanished. You're invisible!

Funny, Mr Blue seems to know where you are, even if he can't see you.
You remove the cloak
You reappear.
You put all in the case
grey cloak: You put the grey cloak into the suitcase.

stone tablet: You put the stone tablet into the suitcase.

notepad: You put the notepad into the suitcase.

storeroom photograph: You put the storeroom photograph into the suitcase.

Mr Blue hums a tune.
Go south
A fine wooden desk stands in front of you. A chair, placed before it, seems to beckon. The surroundings are decorated, carpet and wallpaper hiding the plain floor and walls. One of the walls has a frame attached to it. A fine wooden door stands to the east, a dark wooden door to the north, a pale wooden door to the south, and an empty frame to the west.

Mr Blue arrives from the north.
You wake
You drift away...

You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here.
You wear it
You're invisible!
You take the box
Taken.

A dog barks somewhere.
Go inside
You climb inside.

The occupant of this office is asleep over her desk. Possibly as a result of this, there is a pile of untidy paperwork on the floor. A door leads west.
Go west
The corridor is fairly bright and cheerful. It runs north and south. Doors surround you, but only one is open.

This section contains accounting offices.

A couple of women hurry by, talking quietly.
Go north
A flight of stairs leads upwards. The corner turns from south to west.

This section contains accounting offices.

An man hurries past, clutching a file of notes.
You turn on the discomforter
You flip the switch.

You feel a little ill.

The tired guard shifts uncomfortably.

The guard suddenly looks very ill. He pulls open the booth and bolts east.
You enter the booth
The booth has a chair, and a window. There are presumably airholes somewhere. A small switch is placed under the window.

You can see a box of doughnuts here.

You feel a little ill.
You turn off the discomforter
You flip the switch.
You go west
After checking that there isn't anyone to spot the motion, you walk through the door.

The corridor ends here. But more interestingly, there is a security door (marked with a 2) to the north, with a keypad next to it.
You examine keypad
The buttons hold the digits from 0-9.
You type 28635 on the keypad
The door slides open.
Go north
The rooms is surprisingly bare and shabby. A set of shelves supports a line of strange looking cubes.
You examine the shelves
Bare plastic. On the shelves there is some cubes.
You examine the cubes
The cubes are uniform, and have continuously shifting patterns on their surfaces. They are made of some sort of grey metal.
You take cubes
You take the fifth cube.
You examine cube
(Cube 5)
This is what you need to deliver. But how do you deliver it?
Shifting patterns cover its surface.
You take the cubes
You don't need the other cubes. And taking them would make the theft more obvious.
You go to the south
The door slides shut.

The corridor ends here. But more interestingly, there is a security door (marked with a 2) to the north, with a keypad next to it.
Close window
You close the office window.
You look at the window
The window is open, but you can't see inside. It is closed.
You open the window
You open the office window.
You go to the south
You make your way around the path...

You are standing in front of the Chimera Corporation building. A narrow path leads around the building, to the east and to the west. A car is parked here.

You hear a car honking in the distance.
You put all in the bag
Cube 5: You put Cube 5 into the workbag.

box of doughnuts: You put the box of doughnuts into the workbag.

discomforter: You put the discomforter into the workbag.

grey cloak: You put the grey cloak into the workbag.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a workbag (open)
a grey cloak
a discomforter
a box of doughnuts
Cube 5
a strange gadget
a bedroom photograph
a hammer
a leaflet
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a stone tablet
a storeroom photograph
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a workbag (open)
a grey cloak
a discomforter
a box of doughnuts
Cube 5
a strange gadget
a bedroom photograph
a hammer
a leaflet
a wallet
a crowbar
a business card
a work folder (open but empty)
a torn note
a screwdriver
a stone tablet
a storeroom photograph