Möbius
J.D. Clemens
cover art IF Competition 2006 IFComp Game laboratory setting male protagonist replay puzzle science fiction SF single puzzle space station time travel walkthrough Xyzzy Awards 2006
Another mission. Just when you had settled in for a nap.
%
"Attention! Attention! We have arrived on station. Drop Team
Beta: Review your mission profile and report to Primary Transport Room."

Drop Team Beta - That means you.

Damn.

Möbius

(First time players should type "about".)

You must have dozed off for a few minutes; you had only meant to lie down for a few seconds between tasks. Hopefully no one saw you, since sleeping on duty will land you in the brig.

Sitting up, you are relieved to find that you are alone in your quarters.

Your Quarters (on your rack)
Your sparse quarters barely merit description. The gray metal bulkheads remain bare since you haven't even had the energy to hang pin-ups. The standard sleeping rack rests against one wall, across from the standard work desk holding your sidearm and your Tactical Display Unit.

You would really like to get away from here for a while, away from the your team members who clearly despise you.

The hatch to the passageway is to the port side (commonly called west by the rank and file not concerned with the long traditions of the Galactic Marines).
You look at Unit
The Tactical Display Unit (TDU) is a small binocular unit which fits over your eyes and displays critical mission information. It incorporates the standard communications array which can be used to contact the ship and other teammates during a mission. It is currently switched off.
You turn it on
You stumble to your feet, retrieve your TDU, and put it on, activating it automatically.
You wear it
That's already on.
You look at the mp
You access the profile on your TDU:

We have received a distress signal from scientists involved in project Möbius. We have been unable to establish further communication. Drop Team Beta is instructed to transport to the project's laboratory to investigate. The team will provide medical and technical assistance as needed.

The project is studying the creation of various temporal distortions (further details classified per Statute MSC-1316). Damaged equipment may result in the release of multitemporal radiation, so all TDUs have been configured to monitor radiation levels.

Drop team should take minimal gear: TDU, sidearm, and basic specialty-specific equipment.
--- End Mission Profile ---

Good. This mission shouldn't be too bad, and since your only specialty is security you won't even have to trudge to the armory for equipment.
You examine the desk
The desk is the usual all-purpose workspace, but since you try to avoid working here it is currently just a storage space for your sidearm. A small tag on the side says "Titaniumcase".
You open the desk
The desk has no drawers; it is essentially a slab of metal with legs.
Look around
The usual quarters: bulkheads, sleeping rack, desk holding your sidearm. The hatch to the passageway is to the port side.
You take the sidearm
You retrieve your sidearm from the desk.
You look at it
It is a standard anti-personnel energy weapon, fully charged (as per regulation).
You examine rack
Your rack is just a utilitarian bunk. You probably couldn't fall asleep on it except for all the extra work they make you do.
Go west
You open the hatch and step out into the passageway, remembering (of course) to close the hatch behind you.

The passageway outside your quarters resembles all passageways in the Solaris: dull, clean, functional. Like all Scout ships (and
other government projects) it was designed without any unneeded amenities, like comfort. The head is directly across from your quarters, while the armory, mess, and other useful places are aft. The rest of your team has quarters along this section (while Drop Team Alpha is located nearer to the bridge). The Primary Transport Room is forward from here.
F.
You brace yourself and step into the transport room.

The main focus of the room is the transport pad, which covers most of the floor. The transport is controlled remotely, to help prevent unauthorized use. A few monitors and diagnostic equipment surround the pad, but otherwise the room is empty.

Sergeant Jacobson is staring at you impatiently. Behind him you see Medic Davis giving his medical kit a final inspection and Specialist Thorne adjusting his technical sensor settings.

"So you finally decided to show up, eh Private?" the Sergeant sneers at you. You are the last to arrive, naturally. "Have you read the mission profile?"
Y.
"You will address me as Sergeant!" barks the Sergeant.
Y sergeant
"Finally, the jackass is ready. Ok, let's get ready for transport! Watch the MRL readings; we'll transport back if they become critical."
You wait
Time passes.

"Communications check... Good, TDU communication is functioning. Remember not to shoot the scientists..."
You examine Jacobson
The sergeant's jaw is as as hard as his ass. He is giving the final mission briefing.

"Begin transport sequence."

The transport begins. At least scientists won't be shooting at you, or, at any rate, they're probably not very good shots...

After the usual brief nauseating sensations, you regain your composure and look around.

Möbius Laboratory
You're glad you weren't in here during whatever happened to this place. The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

You are the first to be transported, as always, in order to make sure that the area is secure. If you are still alive in a minute or two, the rest of the team should join you.

been configured to monitor radiation levels.
You examine the head scientist
Grotesque burns cover her face, which may have been attractive. She is in slightly better condition than her clothing, but will not survive long without help. She clutches a metallic rod in one fist, stretched out toward the reactor.
You look at the rod
The absorbing rod is a dark metal, and very heavy for its size. You have seen absorbing rods and cones (apparently identical except for their shape) used in reactors to absorb radiation emissions.
You examine the Reactor
The reactor is a large cylinder slightly larger than you. It has clearly been damaged, and glows brightly in a way that you are sure it shouldn't. Radiation shielding covers the outside and looks like it can be opened for access.

It's strange that the rest of your team hasn't arrived yet.
You look at the assistant
He is younger than the scientist, though disfiguring burns make this a bit uncertain. You guess he will be dead in half an hour without care. His lab coat seems essentially unburned; if it had been buttoned the rest of him might have fared as well.
You take coat
You're only trained for security; you should contact the ship before taking any action.
You take the rod
You manage to pry the rod out of the scientist's hand.
You open the Reactor
An angry beep from your TDU warns you of intense radiation buildup in the temporal reactor shielding; since you do not want to die, you decide not to touch it.

You can't possibly handle this by yourself. What the hell happened to the rest of the team?
You open the cabinet
The cabinet has no seams or handles; there is no obvious way to open it.

With a deafening Boom! the temporal reactor finally goes
critical and explodes.

You look around, surprised that you are not dead. Not even hurt, as far as you can tell. In fact, you seem to still be in the laboratory, which looks much as it did when you first transported here.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

One thing is different: Another marine is standing here, looking around.
You examine the marine
He looks exactly like you, with the same red uniform, and carries his sidearm and his TDU.

The other marine looks closely at the head scientist.
You search the coat
The lab coat is mostly white, with a blue trim at the cuffs. The coat must be heat resistant to have survived (like most Marine uniforms). The assistant must do the dangerous work, since the scientist is not wearing any protective gear.

The other marine looks closely at the reactor.
You search cabinet
The emergency cabinet is a solid metal panel set into the wall, with no apparent seams or handles.

The other marine looks closely at the technical assistant.
You look at the array
The video and audio input panels are still recognizable, but most of the communications array has been burned away. Presumably the scientists sent their distress call before the destruction happened.

The other marine tries to communicate on his TDU.
Examine transporter
(the personal transporter)
This transporter is a smaller version of the ones used by Marine ships, and is suitable for transporting a single person. This is apparently the only way of accessing the lab, and unfortunately has been damaged beyond use.

The other marine manages to pry the rod out of the scientist's hand.
You look at the table
The table is made of highly polished metal, now scraped and discolored. Among the wrecked equipment you can see a partially burned notebook, a wrench, and a radiation damper.
You read the notebook
This seems to be a record of the Möbius Project's results. Much of
the
notebook is burned, but you can make out a few fragments. The scientists seem to be trying to create loops in time, allowing several versions of an object to exist simultaneously. Apparently there have been problems, involving unduplicated objects being pulled into one part of the loop. These objects remain visible, but can not be touched. The temporal reactor also seems to have become unstable.

The rest of the fragments are technical jargon, much beyond your comprehension.

The other marine tries to communicate on his TDU.
You examine the damper
The radiation damper is a thick magnetized box with a pulse switch on the front. It can safely be attached to a radiated metallic object and then activated, emitting a brief intense pulse which temporarily neutralizes radiation which has built up on the surface of the object.

The temporal reactor finally goes critical and explodes again.

You seem to have survived the explosion again, but it seems to be causing some sort of loop in time. The other marine must be a previous version of yourself.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You take the damper
You retrieve the radiation damper from the utility table.

Your previous self looks closely at you.
You examine the self
Your uniform is a bit creased, but fortunately no one has disciplined you for this yet. Otherwise, you look the same as always.

Your previous self looks closely at the lab coat.
You turn on the damper
The radiation damper emits a happy beep, then makes a faint sizzling sound before growing quiet.

Your previous self looks closely at the emergency cabinet.
You open the Reactor
You touch the temporal reactor, and quickly pull your hand back in pain. Although no longer radiated, the temporal reactor is still intensely hot.

Your previous self looks closely at the head scientist.
You take the coat
You manage to pull the coat off of the assistant without hurting him more.

Your previous self looks closely at the communications array.
You open the Reactor with the coat
You probably need to wrap the lab coat around your arm or something first.

Your previous self looks closely at the personal transporter.
You wrap the coat around the arm
You wrap the lab coat around your arm.

Your previous self looks closely at the utility table.
You open the Reactor
Möbius
An Interactive Twist by J.D. Clemens
You open the Reactor
Identification number: //F4AC2E84-CAF7-4FC0-8D48-DAA23392ACFE// Standard interpreter 1.0 (6b) / Library serial number 060709
Standard Rules version 1/060430 by Graham Nelson
Menus by Emily Short
Case Management by Emily Short
Changed Implicit Action by Emily Short
Basic Screen Effects version 2 by Emily Short
Locksmith version 2 by Emily Short

Your hand protected by the lab coat, you manage to open the reactor shielding, leaving a faint shadow of the previous shield. Just inside the opening you can see a small receptacle, which looks like it is meant to hold a small rod or cone.

Your previous self looks closely at the notebook.

That's already open.

Your previous self looks closely at the radiation damper.

The temporal reactor finally goes critical and explodes again.
You get the coat
Your hand merely passes through the lab coat.

Your previous self retrieves the radiation damper from the utility table.
You get the rod
You manage to pry the rod out of the scientist's hand.

Your previous self attaches the radiation damper to the reactor.
Wait
Time passes.

Your previous self looks closely at himself.
You wait
Time passes.

Your previous self activates the radiation damper.
You wait
Time passes.
(You could also simply wait for death.)

Your previous self touches the reactor, and quickly pulls his hand back in pain.
You wait a while
Time passes.

Your previous self manages to pull the coat off of the assistant.
Wait
Time passes.
You wait
Time passes.

Your previous self wraps the lab coat around his arm.
You wait awhile
Time passes.

Your previous self manages to open the reactor shielding.
You put rod in the Reactor
The temporal reactor is closed.

The temporal reactor finally goes critical and explodes again.

The lab is restored again. Although you are enjoying the peace away from your ship, the exploding reactor is starting to become tiresome.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You wait for the death
You settle in and wait.
Your previous self's hand passes through the space where the lab coat once was.

Your previous self manages to pry the rod out of the scientist's hand.
He now unsuccessfully tries to insert something into the closed reactor.

The temporal reactor finally goes critical and explodes again.

You are back where you started. Maybe you need to put something in the reactor to absorb the radiation.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You get the damper
You retrieve the radiation damper from the utility table.
You get the coat
You manage to pull the coat off of the assistant without hurting him more.
You wrap the coat around the arm
You wrap the lab coat around your arm.
You open the Reactor
As you are about to touch the temporal reactor, you are seared by the intense radiation which has built up in it; you quickly lose consciousness.

Although you do not witness it, you assume that the reactor exploded again.

You are back where you started. Maybe you need to put something in the reactor to absorb the radiation.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You get the rod
You manage to pry the rod out of the scientist's hand.

Your previous self retrieves the radiation damper from the utility table.
You wait for a while
Time passes.

Your previous self attaches the radiation damper to the reactor.
You turn on the damper
Your hand merely passes through the radiation damper.

Your previous self manages to pull the coat off of the assistant.
You wait
Time passes.

Your previous self wraps the lab coat around his arm.
You wait
Time passes.
(You could also simply wait for death.)
You turn on damper
Your hand merely passes through the radiation damper.
You drop the rod
You drop the absorbing rod on the floor.
You put the rod in the Reactor
The temporal reactor is closed.
You put the rod in the Reactor
The temporal reactor is closed.

The temporal reactor finally goes critical and explodes again.

You are back where you started. Maybe you need to put something in the reactor to absorb the radiation.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You get the damper
You retrieve the radiation damper from the utility table.

Your previous self manages to pry the rod out of the scientist's hand.
You turn the damper on
The radiation damper emits a happy beep, then makes a faint sizzling sound before growing quiet.

Your previous self's hand passes through the space where the radiation damper once was.
You get the coat
You manage to pull the coat off of the assistant without hurting him more.
You wrap it around the arm
You wrap the lab coat around your arm.
You open the Reactor
Your hand protected by the lab coat, you manage to open the reactor shielding, leaving a faint shadow of the previous shield. Just inside the opening you can see a small receptacle, which looks like it is meant to hold a small rod or cone.
You wait a while
Time passes.

Your previous self's hand passes through the space where the radiation damper once was.
You wait awhile
Time passes.

Your previous self unsuccessfully tries to insert something into the closed reactor.
You look at the Reactor
The shield of the reactor is open, revealing a central chamber too bright to study. A small receptacle sits empty just inside the opening; it looks like it is meant to hold a small rod or cone.

Your previous self unsuccessfully tries to insert something into the closed reactor.
You wait
Time passes.

Your previous self unsuccessfully tries to insert something into the closed reactor.

The temporal reactor finally goes critical and explodes again.

You are back where you started. Maybe you need to put something in the reactor to absorb the radiation.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You wait for death
You settle in and wait.

Your previous self retrieves the radiation damper from the utility table.

Then he attaches the radiation damper to the reactor.

A moment later he activates the radiation damper.

Next he manages to pull the coat off of the assistant.

He now wraps the lab coat around his arm.

After that he manages to open the reactor shielding.

He then looks closely at the reactor.

The temporal reactor finally goes critical and explodes again.

You are back where you started. Maybe you need to put something in the reactor to absorb the radiation.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You turn it on
The radiation damper emits a happy beep, then makes a faint sizzling sound before growing quiet.
You put the rod in the Reactor
You insert the absorbing rod into the receptacle; this should control the radiation once the shielding is closed.
Close Reactor
You close the reactor shielding; hopefully the reactor is now safe.
You contact the ship
There is still no reply.

A bright but silent explosion appears from the reactor, and then all goes black.

You are back in the lab, which looks much as it did when you first beamed in, but your previous self is still here. You're sure you fixed the reactor, so something else must be going on.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You examine panel
The control panel is closed, but hinges at one edge and a small gap at the other suggest that you could open it. Presumably the reactor controls are inside.

Your previous self retrieves the radiation damper from the utility table.
You open it
An angry beep from your TDU warns you of intense radiation buildup in the control panel; you hesitate before touching it.

Your previous self attaches the radiation damper to the previous reactor.
You get the wrench
You retrieve the wrench from the utility table.

Your previous self activates the radiation damper.
You open the panel
As you are about to touch the control panel, you are seared by the intense radiation which has built up in it; you quickly lose consciousness.

Although you do not witness it, you assume that the reactor exploded again.

Another explosion. Maybe there is a previous version of the reactor, just like there is of you.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You get the damper
You retrieve the radiation damper from the utility table.

Your previous self looks closely at the control panel.
You turn it on
The radiation damper emits a happy beep, then makes a faint sizzling sound before growing quiet.

Your previous self retrieves the wrench from the utility table.
You open the panel
You touch the control panel, and quickly pull your hand back in pain. Although no longer radiated, the control panel is still intensely hot.

Your previous self touches the control panel, and quickly pulls his hand back in pain.
You get the coat
You manage to pull the coat off of the assistant without hurting him more.

Your previous self touches the control panel, and quickly pulls his hand back in pain.
You put it on the arm
You wrap the lab coat around your arm.

Your previous self's hand passes through the space where the lab coat once was.
You open the panel
Your hand protected by the lab coat, you manage to open the control panel, revealing two buttons.

Your previous self reaches for the previous reactor and is seared by the intense radiation built up in it; he slumps to the floor.
You look at buttons
(the control panel)
Inside the control panel you see two buttons, one labeled "Reactor Shield" and the other "Emergency Cabinet".

The radiation damper is attached to the control panel.
You examine Cabinet
In the cabinet you see a first aid kit, a rations patty, a mini blaster, and an absorbing cone.
You examine the cone
The absorbing cone is a dark metal, and very heavy for its size. You have seen absorbing cones and rods (apparently identical except for their shape) used in reactors to absorb radiation emissions. The rod shape is the more recent model; cones are primarily stored as backups now.

The temporal reactor finally goes critical and explodes again.

Here again. Maybe you need some help from your previous self.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You get the wrench
You retrieve the wrench from the utility table.

Your previous self attaches the radiation damper to the control panel.
You open the panel with the wrench
The wrench merely passes through the control panel.

Your previous self manages to pull the coat off of the assistant.
You wait
Time passes.

Your previous self manages to open the control panel.
You put rod in Reactor
You insert the absorbing rod into the receptacle; this should control the radiation once the shielding is closed.

As you withdraw your arm, you feel your skin blister from the radiated shielding; you feel like you are about to collapse.

Your previous self looks closely at the emergency cabinet.
You get the damper
You retrieve the radiation damper from the utility table.

Your previous self manages to pry the rod out of the scientist's hand.
You put the damper on panel
You attach the radiation damper to the control panel, being careful not to get too close.

Your previous self retrieves the wrench from the utility table.
You turn it on
The radiation damper emits a happy beep, then makes a faint sizzling sound before growing quiet.
You put it on Reactor
You need to remove the radiation damper from the control panel first.

The wrench, held by your previous self, passes through the space where the control panel once was.
You get the damper
You remove the damper from the control panel.

The wrench, held by your previous self, passes through the space where the control panel once was.
You wait for the death
(You could also simply sleep.)

You settle in and wait.
Your previous self's hand passes through the emergency cabinet button.

Your previous self somehow reaches through the control panel and presses the reactor shield button and you see the faint shadow of the previous shield slide open.
After that he inserts the absorbing rod into the receptacle of the previous reactor and is blistered by the radiated shielding.
Next he somehow reaches through the control panel and presses the reactor shield button and you see the faint shadow of the previous shield slide closed. Hopefully his version of the reactor is now safe.

He then succumbs to radiation exposure and collapses.

The temporal reactor finally goes critical and explodes again.

You are back where you started. Maybe there is something besides the absorbing rod which can fix the reactor.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You wait for death
You settle in and wait.

Your previous self retrieves the radiation damper from the utility table.

He then attaches the radiation damper to the control panel.

He now activates the radiation damper.

Now he removes the damper from the control panel.

After that he attaches the radiation damper to the previous reactor.

The temporal reactor finally goes critical and explodes again.

You are back where you started. Maybe there is something besides the absorbing rod which can fix the reactor.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
Sleep
You settle down for a nap, hoping this will all go away.

Although you do not witness it, you assume that the reactor exploded again.

You are back where you started. Maybe there is something besides the absorbing rod which can fix the reactor.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You get the damper
You retrieve the radiation damper from the utility table.

Your previous self settles down for a nap.
You turn on the damper
The radiation damper emits a happy beep, then makes a faint sizzling sound before growing quiet.
You get the coat
You manage to pull the coat off of the assistant without hurting him more.

Your previous self retrieves the radiation damper from the utility table.
You wrap the coat around the arm
You wrap the lab coat around your arm.

Your previous self attaches the radiation damper to the control panel.
You open the panel
Your hand merely passes through the control panel.

Your previous self activates the radiation damper.
You open the panel
Your hand merely passes through the control panel.

Your previous self settles down for a nap.
Press emergency
(the emergency cabinet)
You are unable to.
You get the cone
You retrieve the absorbing cone from the emergency cabinet.
You open Reactor
As you are about to touch the temporal reactor, you are seared by the intense radiation which has built up in it; you quickly lose consciousness.

Although you do not witness it, you assume that the reactor exploded again.

You are back where you started. You still haven't gotten the reactor fixed in both sides of the loop.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
Sleep
You settle down for a nap, hoping this will all go away.

Although you do not witness it, you assume that the reactor exploded again.

You are back where you started. You still haven't gotten the reactor fixed in both sides of the loop.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your previous self is standing nearby.
You get the damper
You retrieve the radiation damper from the utility table.

Your previous self settles down for a nap.
You turn it on
The radiation damper emits a happy beep, then makes a faint sizzling sound before growing quiet.
You get the rod
You manage to pry the rod out of the scientist's hand.

Your previous self attaches the radiation damper to the control panel.
You put the rod in Reactor
You insert the absorbing rod into the receptacle; this should control the radiation once the shielding is closed.

As you withdraw your arm, you feel your skin blister from the radiated shielding; you feel like you are about to collapse.

Your previous self settles down for a nap.
You get the damper
You retrieve the radiation damper from the utility table.

Your previous self somehow reaches through the control panel and presses the emergency cabinet button and the cabinet slides open.
You put it on Reactor
You attach the radiation damper to the temporal reactor, being careful not to get too close.

Your previous self manages to pry the rod out of the scientist's hand.
You turn it on
The radiation damper emits a happy beep, then makes a faint sizzling sound before growing quiet.

Your previous self somehow reaches through the control panel and presses the reactor shield button and you see the faint shadow of the previous shield slide open.
You get the coat
You manage to pull the coat off of the assistant without hurting him more.

Your previous self inserts the absorbing rod into the receptacle of the previous reactor and is blistered by the radiated shielding.
You wear it
You put on the lab coat. Now if you just had a helmet, some gloves, and a thick lead box you would be safe from explosions.

Your previous self somehow reaches through the control panel and presses the reactor shield button and you see the faint shadow of the previous shield slide closed. Hopefully his version of the reactor is now safe.

Then he succumbs to radiation exposure and collapses.
You put the coat on the arm
You wrap the lab coat around your arm.

Your previous self somehow reaches through the control panel and presses the reactor shield button and you see the faint shadow of the previous shield slide closed. Hopefully his version of the reactor is now safe.

Then he succumbs to radiation exposure and collapses.
You open Reactor
Your hand protected by the lab coat, you manage to open the reactor shielding, leaving a faint shadow of the previous shield. Just inside the opening you can see a small receptacle, which looks like it is meant to hold a small rod or cone.
You get the cone
You retrieve the absorbing cone from the emergency cabinet.
You put it in Reactor
You insert the absorbing cone into the receptacle; this should control the radiation once the shielding is closed.
Close Reactor
You close the reactor shielding; hopefully the reactor is now safe.
You wait awhile
Time passes.

Instead of the reactor exploding, you feel a strange twisting...

Although you do not think that the reactor exploded, you find yourself back in the original laboratory. Yet things feel different somehow.

Möbius Laboratory
The walls and most of the equipment are charred and twisted, including the communications array and a personal transporter. A utility table is still bolted to one wall, next to a small cabinet labeled "For Emergency Use Only".

The central feature is a large cylindrical machine, with the words "Temporal Reactor" stenciled on the front. A closed control panel protrudes from the wall next to the reactor.

The head scientist and her assistant are lying on the floor near the reactor, severely burned and unconscious. They will certainly die without immediate medical help.

Your other self seems to have disappeared.
You get the damper
You retrieve the radiation damper from the utility table.

A shimmering catches your attention, and to your relief you see the rest of your team finally arrive.

"I see you haven't managed to kill yourself yet," the sergeant sneers at you.
You wait awhile
Time passes.

Medic Davis quickly assesses the scientist and the assistant. Seeing that they need critical care, he calls for an immediate transport and all three disappear.
You wait for a while
Time passes.

Specialist Thorne rushes over to the reactor and attaches a sensor. After studying the sensor, he pulls out another gadget and connects it to the reactor.

"Luckily I have the right equipment to fix this," he informs the sergeant. "Otherwise it would probably have gone critical and exploded."
You wait for a while
Time passes.

After adjusting some settings, Thorne activates the gadget, which makes several beeps before quieting. Thorne looks pleased, retrieves his devices, and nods to the sergeant.

"I heard about a guy who got caught in a temporal explosion once. He and the reactor got stuck in a loop and the repair crew had to figure out how to repair both versions of the reactor. Worse, protocol seemed to require that they retrieve both copies of his body, which was a real pain."
You wait
Time passes.

"All right," barks the sergeant, "I think we're done here." Activating his TDU, "Transport control: Drop Team Beta ready for retrieval."

A moment later you feel the usual dizzying sensation...

Fortunately, this transport is much less eventful, and you find yourself back aboard the Solaris. You had actually begun to
enjoy the solitude of the lab, but you resign yourself to the drudgery and contempt that surely awaits. You decide not to tell any of your shipmates about your experience, since they probably wouldn't believe you, but at least you know that you were able to single-handedly fix a reactor and escape a temporal paradox.

During your ordeal you experienced twenty-three time loops, making you about 3 hours and 50 minutes older than your twin brother (if you had a twin brother).