Final Exam
Jack Whitham
artificial intelligence built-in hints bunker caves gender-neutral protagonist IFComp 2015 IFComp Game multiple endings nonhuman protagonist present tense robots science fiction second person test as premise walkthrough
Final Exam takes place in the near future after an AI revolution has led to the establishment of a new sort of government. You are seeking a job within this government: your performance in the "final exam" determines the outcome. You wake up on the day of your exam to find that your world has unexpectedly changed. You leave your room to seek answers, and find the Administration Centre deserted...
%
In the dream, you are already one of the Administrators.
Responsible for the security of all of the countries once known as the West, your decisions affect the lives of two billion people. It's a tough job, and you worked hard for many years in order to get it.

Then you wake up, and remember that you're not even qualified to work here yet! Today is the day you qualify. Today is the day of your
Final Exam.

Copyright (C) Jack Whitham 2015 (IFComp) 01-Nov-2015



Bedroom (on the bed)
You're in bed. The alarm didn't wake you. Something feels wrong. There is no light from the window, and your bedroom seems to be empty...

[Enter HELP if you are unsure what to do now.]
Inventory
You are carrying:
an identity badge
You examine the badge
(first getting out of bed)
A small plastic ID badge. The badge states: 'Candidate Number 28436'.

Something is certainly wrong! Is this... part of the test? You never found out exactly what the final exam involved. Perhaps it is like this for every candidate.
You look
This is very like the room you were assigned for this year's exam season. There are dozens of them in the Administration Centre's residential block, all more or less identical. But it cannot be your room, because all of your stuff is gone, and the room looks like it did when you first moved in. It's clean, tidy, and almost completely empty, just with basic furnishings: desk, chair, bed and washbasin. There's a window in the north wall and a door leads south.
You examine the washbasin
It's a small washbasin with a mirror above it. Your toothbrush and soap have gone, along with everything else.
About yourself
You are a student of Administration theory. You think of yourself as fairly smart and attractive, reasonably charming, and certainly well-prepared for any exam.
Wash
Congratulations on your excellent hygiene.
You sit on the chair
But you have an exam to pass!

[You should go out; whatever is going on, you're not going to find any answers here.]
Hint bed
If there were any hints about the bed, you'd see them now. But the bed isn't important, so there are no hints about it.
You look at your surroundings
This is very like the room you were assigned for this year's exam season. There are dozens of them in the Administration Centre's residential block, all more or less identical. But it cannot be your room, because all of your stuff is gone, and the room looks like it did when you first moved in. It's clean, tidy, and almost completely empty, just with basic furnishings: desk, chair, bed and washbasin. There's a window in the north wall and a door leads south.
You examine the window
Even at night, you'd expect to see something. The gardens of the Administration Centre, and beyond them, the amphitheatre, the hedge maze and ornamental lake, lit by street lights and moonlight. It never gets completely dark. But today, there's nothing at all. Just total blackness, as if there is a smooth black wall just beyond the window.
Go outside
You walk through a few deserted corridors. There is nobody here; the building is completely silent. You cross the Administration Centre's quadrangle, also deserted, and end up in...

This is the main entrance to the sprawling Administration Centre. Large doors to the south would lead to the driveway and surrounding parkland, but you cannot see anything through the windows in the south wall. A grand staircase leads upwards. Doors lead east and west to the wings of the main building, while a smaller exit leads north to the quadrangle. There is a green door in the northwest corner of the room. There's a mural on the western wall, and a portrait and a mirror on the eastern wall.

On the reception desk is a fax machine.
You examine the machine
It's on the reception desk, where it seems quite out of place next to the modern computer workstations. It's not a printer or a scanner: it's an old-fashioned fax machine that prints onto thin thermal paper. You notice some paper hanging out of the machine.
You look at door
Which do you mean, the large doors or the green door?
You examine the green door
It's a small green door in the northwest corner of the room, under the staircase. The word 'MAINTENANCE' is written faintly on the door.
The fax machine bleeps.
You examine paper
Poor-quality paper from a fax machine. It reads:

'Dear candidate 28436, please go upstairs to the Observation Gallery where you will find further instructions.'
You look at the mural
The mural shows the construction of a gigantic Gothic cathedral by medieval craftsmen. The cathedral, which is half finished, is covered in both primitive scaffolding and workmen, each of whom is busily engaged in creating some small part of the whole. It is already a thing of great beauty on both a micro and macro scale, though it may be a century before the work is done. A tiny caption reads 'The Rebuilding of Civilisation'.
You look at the mirror
Somehow, your reflection looks older than you remember. The exam stress must be causing some premature aging!
You examine staircase
The wide staircase leads up to a mezzanine.
You examine the windows
Even at night, you'd expect to see something. The driveway and surrounding parkland, lit by street lights and moonlight. It never gets completely dark. But today, there's nothing at all. Just total blackness, as if there is a smooth black wall just beyond the window.
About yourself
You are a student of Administration theory. You think of yourself as fairly smart and attractive, reasonably charming, and certainly well-prepared for any exam.
You take the mirror
It is securely attached to the wall.
You examine large
The doors to the south are the main entrance to the Administration Centre. They are tall, wide, and extremely locked. Other, smaller doors lead east, west, northwest and north.
You open the maintenance door
The green door remains locked.
You open east
(the mural)
That's not something you can open.
Go east
The door in that direction is locked. Exits lead:
north to the Quadrangle.
up to the Mezzanine.
You look
This is the main entrance to the sprawling Administration Centre. Large doors to the south would lead to the driveway and surrounding parkland, but you cannot see anything through the windows in the south wall. A grand staircase leads upwards. Doors lead east and west to the wings of the main building, while a smaller exit leads north to the quadrangle. There is a green door in the northwest corner of the room. There's a mural on the western wall, and a portrait and a mirror on the eastern wall.

On the reception desk is a fax machine.
You examine the portrait
The painting hangs on the eastern wall. It is an enormous portrait of Edmund Burke, the 18th century writer and politician. The Central Administrator is said to be a fan.
You look up
Seen through the window, the sky is completely black.
Exits
Exits lead:
north to the Quadrangle.
up to the Mezzanine.
Go north
The quadrangle is completely surrounded by Administration Centre buildings. It's a large, square outdoor space with well-tended lawns and flowerbeds and paths leading in all directions. The place is unnervingly quiet. Though the buildings, paths and gardens are well-lit, the sky is completely black.

There is a sundial in the centre of the quadrangle.
You examine the sundial
As there is no sun, the sundial isn't working. You notice a quotation on the brass dial. It reads: 'What we do here matters somewhere else.'
You look up
The sky is completely black. Except for a message printed in white text, apparently floating far above you. The text reads: 'Safe Mode'.
Exits
The only exit leads south to the Lobby.
You take the dial
That's fixed in place.
You look at the buildings
The quadrangle is surrounded by Administration Centre buildings. The style is palatial and 18th century: two storeys of grand, ornamental stonework, with attic windows peeking through the tiled roof above that. The buildings seem to be deserted.
You look at the sky
(the up above)
The sky is completely black. Except for a message printed in white text, apparently floating far above you. The text reads: 'Safe Mode'.
You examine text
The text reads: 'Safe Mode'.
You examine the badge
A small plastic ID badge. The badge states: 'Candidate Number 28436'.
Go south
On the reception desk is a fax machine.
You examine the machine
It's on the reception desk, where it seems quite out of place next to the modern computer workstations. It's not a printer or a scanner: it's an old-fashioned fax machine that prints onto thin thermal paper. You notice some paper hanging out of the machine.
You take the paper
Taken.
Up
As you walk up the stairs, you recall the first time you were here. It was a school trip when you were very young: a day out at the Administration Centre! You remember the sense of excitement at being so close to the great and powerful.

The first floor landing forms a mezzanine here, overlooking the lobby below. It's a sort of waiting room, placed right outside the Central Administrator's office, which is through the double doors to the west. A corridor leads east, and a grand staircase leads down. Like the rest of the building, the mezzanine is deserted, but if anyone was waiting here, they would be able to sit on the sofa and read the papers on the coffee table. Or they might look at the rather Administratively-themed artwork on the walls.

There's a plaque bearing the word 'Stability' on the north wall.

On the coffee table are a memo and a newspaper.
You look at the newspaper
It's one of the few newspapers that still has a printed edition, though for obvious reasons, this is an electronic copy. The front page story is all about an African dictator named Mugaffi. It is illustrated with pictures of children being treated for chemical burns outside a school. A few days ago, chemical weapons were used in the rebel city of Morgazi. 'Sources' blame Mugaffi's forces for the attack.

According to the newspaper, this is the latest horrible incident of the full-blown civil war in Assadia. Though the protests against the corrupt Mugaffi regime began peacefully enough, the regime retaliated brutally - first with riot police, then with soldiers - and the situation rapidly escalated into war between rebels and regime forces. Last week, Mugaffi launched airstrikes against rebel-held cities. Now he uses chemical weapons against unarmed civilians, in contravention to all law, decency and sanity. But Mugaffi is afraid of the usual fate of deposed dictators, and he will do anything to cling to power.

You recall that Assadia is an independent country outside of the Administration. As such, Mugaffi is free to do as he pleases, with no authority to restrain his gangster government. Strange, though, that the situation should have developed so quickly. You had thought that Mugaffi only won his presidency last year, as an anti-corruption candidate with much acclaim in the media, and was generally thought to be doing a good job in hard circumstances. But the newspaper reports imply that he's been in power for years.
You examine the sofa
A large and comfortable leather sofa. You notice a book underneath the sofa.
You look at the book
The book is 'Notopia', by Perry Simm. Some of the book is a biography of the Central Administrator. But mostly, the book concerns how the Administration rose to power. The title refers to the Administration's approach to government, rejecting ideology and Utopian idealism, and focusing instead on stability and rational pragmatism. The result, according to the back cover, is 'the sort of society in which people would actually like to live'.
You examine the artwork
Which do you mean, the portrait of Edmund Burke or the twelve pictures?
Twelve
There are twelve pictures, each representing a key advancement in the development of human civilisation as seen by the Administrators. Some are obvious, like the discovery of fire, and the development of writing and agriculture. Others are more controversial, such as the institutionalisation of religion and the English revolution of 1688. The most recent pictures show the development of the Internet and the creation of the Administration.
You take the book
Taken.
You examine the portrait
The painting hangs on the eastern wall. It is an enormous portrait of Edmund Burke, the 18th century writer and politician. The Central Administrator is said to be a fan.
You look behind the portrait
[In Final Exam, 'LOOK BEHIND' is synonymous with 'EXAMINE'.]
The painting hangs on the eastern wall. It is an enormous portrait of Edmund Burke, the 18th century writer and politician. The Central Administrator is said to be a fan.
Exits
Exits lead:
east to the Corridor.
down to the Lobby.
You look at your surroundings
The first floor landing forms a mezzanine here, overlooking the lobby below. It's a sort of waiting room, placed right outside the Central Administrator's office, which is through the double doors to the west. A corridor leads east, and a grand staircase leads down. Like the rest of the building, the mezzanine is deserted, but if anyone was waiting here, they would be able to sit on the sofa and read the papers on the coffee table. Or they might look at the rather Administratively-themed artwork on the walls.

There's a plaque bearing the word 'Stability' on the north wall.

On the coffee table are a memo and a newspaper.
You examine the window
Even at night, you'd expect to see something. The driveway and surrounding parkland, lit by street lights and moonlight. It never gets completely dark. But today, there's nothing at all. Just total blackness, as if there is a smooth black wall just beyond the window.
Go west
The doors are locked. In this building, office doors are usually keyed to the identity of the person who works there, so these doors will only open for the Central Administrator, unless he is already in the office. It seems that he is out.
You examine the plaque
It's one of three such plaques: the others are placed along the corridor to the east. Each briefly describes one of the three values of the Administration: Stability, Liberty, and Responsibility. Exams are highly likely to involve essays on interactions between the three, but it never hurts to revise a little more, so you read the description below the word:

'Administrators have a duty to ensure that their government is stable, reliable and predictable, so that the freedoms and benefits enjoyed by subjects are unchanged from day to day, untouched by the chaos of civil disorder and economic turmoil. Policies with the potential to cause unrest, upheaval and conflict are considered dangerous, and Administrators are required to test all policies rigorously in simulation before deployment. As Pratchett wrote,

'People believe they want justice and wise government but, in fact, what they really want is an assurance that tomorrow will be very much like today.'
Look
(the plaque)
It's one of three such plaques: the others are placed along the corridor to the east. Each briefly describes one of the three values of the Administration: Stability, Liberty, and Responsibility. Exams are highly likely to involve essays on interactions between the three, but it never hurts to revise a little more, so you read the description below the word:

'Administrators have a duty to ensure that their government is stable, reliable and predictable, so that the freedoms and benefits enjoyed by subjects are unchanged from day to day, untouched by the chaos of civil disorder and economic turmoil. Policies with the potential to cause unrest, upheaval and conflict are considered dangerous, and Administrators are required to test all policies rigorously in simulation before deployment. As Pratchett wrote,

'People believe they want justice and wise government but, in fact, what they really want is an assurance that tomorrow will be very much like today.'
You sit on the sofa
But you have an exam to pass!
Exits
Exits lead:
east to the Corridor.
down to the Lobby.
You look at Burke
The painting hangs on the eastern wall. It is an enormous portrait of Edmund Burke, the 18th century writer and politician. The Central Administrator is said to be a fan.
You eat the sofa
(first taking the sofa)
That's hardly portable.
Go east
The corridor turns a corner here, continuing to the north and west. The Security Administrator's office is through a door to the east, and to the south, a short staircase leads downwards to a darkened room.

There's a plaque bearing the word 'Liberty' on the north wall.
Exits
Exits lead:
north to the Museum of Pre-Administration Government.
east to the Security Administrator's Office.
south to the Observation Gallery.
west to the Mezzanine.
You go south
You are in a cavernous room built on the same vast scale as a concert hall. It cannot possibly fit within the buildings of the Administration Centre - the normal rules of geometry have clearly been bent here. You are standing in an observation gallery far above the floor, which is filled with concentric circles of workstation desks. All face the centre of the room, where another circular desk is placed on a raised platform. Above all of this, a huge three-dimensional globe hangs in empty space. The dim lighting in the room comes mainly from the planet, which glows with an internal light. To the north, stairs lead up to the landing.

A display monitor hangs above the gallery. There's a message on the monitor.

You saw this room on your first visit to the Administration Centre, all those years ago. It was even more awe-inspiring then: the room seemed even more gigantic, and at that time, it was full of people, all busily at work on the floor below. It felt like standing at the centre of the world. You knew this was the place you wanted to be.
Examine monitor
The display is an enormous high-resolution flat-screen monitor, suspended from the gallery ceiling. It shows a message: green text on black background.

'Dear candidate 28436,

You must be wondering where everyone has gone. Let me explain.

A serious situation has developed, and I have been forced to take emergency steps to isolate the Administration Centre - and ourselves - from the outside world. This isolation prevents my communicating with you normally, and at present I can only do so via this screen. I will explain more in due course.

In the meantime, I need you to obtain the emergency access card.
It's in the museum north of here. It allows you to enter the Maintenance Room, which is northwest of the Lobby. Then POKE 702522351. Afterwards, please return here for further instructions.

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You look at the globe
The 3D representation of Earth hangs in the centre of the room, suspended in empty space. It's a three-dimensional political map, highlighting countries and major cities, and it's tilted so that much of your view is filled with the European continent, where the countries of the First Settlement are shaded green. Across the Mediterranean Sea, much of Africa is shaded pink. The exception is the North African country of Assadia, which appears in yellow to indicate a major crisis.
You examine the Assadia
Assadia is a North African country run by a vicious gangster named Mugaffi. The yellow colour indicates that a major crisis is happening there.
Examine africa
That part of the world is independent from the Administration.
You examine first Settlement
The First Settlement countries were once the European Union - an unhappy federation in which very different countries with very different cultures were forced to fit together by those who favoured ideology over stability. The unstable and incompetent union stumbled from crisis to crisis until it eventually blundered into the one that finished it off for good. That was when the Administration took over.
You look at the desks
The Administrators do much of their work here. Each desk is assigned to some small region of the world, with physically adjacent regions occupying adjacent desks in this room. The workstations allow situations to be analysed, resources to be allocated, and Administration decisions to be sent to the outside world. The layout of the room makes it easy to coordinate with neighbours.
Exits
Exits lead:
north to the Museum of Pre-Administration Government.
east to the Security Administrator's Office.
south to the Observation Gallery.
west to the Mezzanine.
Go north
This is the Administration Centre's museum. It's a vast hall, stretching far away to the north and east. It is currently closed and in darkness. A red rope blocks passage to the north and east. Light is coming from the corridor to the south and faintly from a blank video screen just beyond the rope. Exhibition displays fill the room, most too far away into the dark to be readable.

There's a plaque bearing the word 'Responsibility' on the west wall.

You can see a glass case containing an access card.

You remember your first visit to the Administration Centre. The tour spent hours in the museum. Most of your classmates took little interest in it and were quickly bored. But you found it fascinating. Here in the centre of it all, literally within the corridors of power! What excitement, what possibility!
You look at the screen
The video screen is blank but producing a faint light. You notice a sticky label on the side.
You examine the label
There's a message on the label: 'Keeps breaking. 732595713 to reset.'
You take the screen
It's on the other side of the rope.
You examine the plaque
It's one of three such plaques: the others are to the south. Each briefly describes one of the three values of the Administration: Stability, Liberty, and Responsibility. Exams are highly likely to involve essays on interactions between the three, but it never hurts to revise a little more, so you read the description below the word:

'Administrators have a duty to nurture personal responsibility, as this is necessary to build a strong, lawful and liberal society. It is held that each adult person has free will and is responsible for his or her actions. As Burke wrote,

'Society cannot exist unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere, and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without.'
You read the liberty
[In Final Exam, 'READ' is synonymous with 'EXAMINE'.]
It's one of three such plaques: the others are to the north and west. Each briefly describes one of the three values of the Administration: Stability, Liberty, and Responsibility. Exams are highly likely to involve essays on interactions between the three, but it never hurts to revise a little more, so you read the description below the word:

'Administrators have a duty to uphold freedom of speech, thought and conscience, along with processes to prevent injustice such as jury trial. No person may be punished for holding opinions, however disagreeable these opinions may be. As Queen Elizabeth I famously said,
You go to the north
There's a plaque bearing the word 'Responsibility' on the west wall.

You can see a glass case containing an access card.
You look at the case
The glass case bears a sign: 'In case of emergency, break glass. Penalty for improper use.'
You examine the card
A plastic card much like a credit card. It is made of white plastic and bears the text: 'EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE ACCESS'.
Break glass
The glass shatters.
You take the card
Taken.
Go east
This is the office of the Security Administrator. There is no sign of the Administrator or any other staff. The door leads west to the corridor. The office is furnished by a desk, sofa, a bookshelf, and a mural on the northern wall.
You look at the mural
The mural shows a dystopian cityscape of ugly skyscrapers and foul motorways. Miserable crowds mill around in the polluted, smoggy streets. The picture is intensely detailed, so you can even guess at what some of the people are doing, though none of them seem happy: miserable commuters, miserable criminals, miserable homeless people. Skyscrapers tower above them, adorned with the logos of credit cards and banks, and bearing the flags of failed governments. A tiny caption reads 'Where We Came From'.
You look at the desk
A very solid-looking wooden desk, bare and clean, as if it's just been delivered by an upmarket furniture shop. You feel like something is missing from the desk, but you can't remember what it is.
You look at the sofa
A large and comfortable leather sofa.
You search the sofa
[In Final Exam, 'SEARCH' is synonymous with 'EXAMINE'.]
A large and comfortable leather sofa.
You examine the bookshelf
The bookshelves seem to have been emptied recently. Marks in the dust show where books have been removed. There is a book on the top shelf.
Examine book
('Notopia')
The book is 'Notopia', by Perry Simm. Some of the book is a biography of the Central Administrator. But mostly, the book concerns how the Administration rose to power. The title refers to the Administration's approach to government, rejecting ideology and Utopian idealism, and focusing instead on stability and rational pragmatism. The result, according to the back cover, is 'the sort of society in which people would actually like to live'.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
an access card
'Notopia'
some thermal paper
an identity badge
You put Notopia on the bookshelf
You put 'Notopia' on the bookshelves.
Examine book
Which do you mean, 'Notopia' or 'Idiots' Guide to Writing Malware and Viruses'?
Idiot
It's one of the well known Idiots' Guide series of computer books. It has a friendly yellow cover, on which a cartoon man offers to tell you how to 'Crack computers, flood networks and steal information'. The book contains several hundred pages of instructions for finding and exploiting security holes in computers. While this book may be filled with all sorts of interesting information, none of it's going to come up on your exam.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
'Idiots' Guide to Writing Malware and Viruses'
an access card
some thermal paper
an identity badge
You look under sofa
[In Final Exam, 'LOOK UNDER' is synonymous with 'EXAMINE'.]
A large and comfortable leather sofa.
You look at your surroundings
This is the office of the Security Administrator. There is no sign of the Administrator or any other staff. The door leads west to the corridor. The office is furnished by a desk, sofa, a bookshelf, and a mural on the northern wall.

On the bookshelves is 'Notopia'.
You examine the desk
A very solid-looking wooden desk, bare and clean, as if it's just been delivered by an upmarket furniture shop.
You take the desk
That's hardly portable.
Poke
You can only POKE numbers in the POKE room. [The POKE room is reached from the Maintenance Room, northwest of the Lobby.]
Go downwards
You are in a cavernous room built on the same vast scale as a concert hall. It cannot possibly fit within the buildings of the Administration Centre - the normal rules of geometry have clearly been bent here. You are standing in an observation gallery far above the floor, which is filled with concentric circles of workstation desks. All face the centre of the room, where another circular desk is placed on a raised platform. Above all of this, a huge three-dimensional globe hangs in empty space. The dim lighting in the room comes mainly from the planet, which glows with an internal light. To the north, stairs lead up to the landing.

A display monitor hangs above the gallery.
Unlock Maintenance
The green door is automatically unlocked when you are carrying a suitable access card.
Go northwest
The maintenance room is a round room with a low ceiling. The walls are made of shiny brushed metal, giving an impression of 1970s science fiction. Doors lead west and southeast. You see a warning sign on the western door.

There is a console in the centre of the room.

A portal occupies most of the northeast wall.
You look at console
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display shows a message:

'Dear candidate 28436,

You must be wondering where everyone has gone. Let me explain.

A serious situation has developed, and I have been forced to take emergency steps to isolate the Administration Centre - and ourselves - from the outside world. This isolation prevents my communicating with you normally, and at present I can only do so via this screen. I will explain more in due course.

In the meantime, I need you to obtain the emergency access card.
Then go west from the Maintenance Room and POKE 702522351. Afterwards, please return here for further instructions.

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You examine the portal
It's a completely black rectangle. It's large enough for you to comfortably walk through it.
About yourself
You are a student of Administration theory. You think of yourself as fairly smart and attractive, reasonably charming, and certainly well-prepared for any exam.
You look at the sign
The sign is on the western door. It reads: 'POKE Room. Unauthorised access is prohibited by the Central Administrator. Misuse of POKE will corrupt physical memory and may result in instantaneous death, reboot, data loss, segmentation fault, brain damage, infinite loops and loss of network access. If in any doubt, do not enter.'
You go to the west
You are standing within core memory, completely surrounded by the raw, working elements of a vast machine. Lights pulsate and flicker all around you: the effect is like wandering around within your own brain. You can see 4,294,967,295 buttons here. A door leads east.
You look at the buttons
The buttons are numbered from 1 to 4294967295, and you can POKE any one of them, e.g. POKE 12345.
POKE 12345
It could be really dangerous to press the wrong button. You decide to double-check the number before trying again.
About yourself
You are a student of Administration theory. You think of yourself as fairly smart and attractive, reasonably charming, and certainly well-prepared for any exam.

You suddenly discover the effect of POKE'ing the wrong button. You find yourself in an...
Infinite Loop
You are trapped forever in a tiny infinite loop.

You can see a kernel here.
You examine the kernel
The kernel panics.
Hint
At this point in the game, you should follow the instructions given to you by the Central Administrator. These will gradually unlock further parts of the game and give simple examples of the skills you will need to solve later puzzles. You can find the Administrator's most recent instructions in the Observation Gallery, which is UP, EAST, SOUTH from the Lobby. When you find the gallery, enter EXAMINE DISPLAY.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
'Idiots' Guide to Writing Malware and Viruses'
an access card
some thermal paper
an identity badge
Break
What do you want to break?
You examine the badge
A small plastic ID badge. The badge states: 'Candidate Number 28436'.
POKE 28436
You can only POKE numbers in the POKE room. [The POKE room is west of the Maintenance Room, northwest of the Lobby.]
You go to the west
You are standing within core memory, completely surrounded by the raw, working elements of a vast machine. Lights pulsate and flicker all around you: the effect is like wandering around within your own brain. You can see 4,294,967,295 buttons here. A door leads east.
POKE 28436
It could be really dangerous to press the wrong button. You decide to double-check the number before trying again.
Go north
This is the Administration Centre's museum. It's a vast hall, stretching far away to the north and east. It is currently closed and in darkness. A red rope blocks passage to the north and east. Light is coming from the corridor to the south and from a video screen just beyond the rope. Exhibition displays fill the room, most too far away into the dark to be readable.

There's a plaque bearing the word 'Responsibility' on the west wall.

You can also see a glass case (which is empty) here.
You examine the screen
The video screen is showing a televised interview with the Central Administrator. He is wearing a dark suit, and even in this old recording, his hair has already started to turn grey. The sound is faint, but you can make out some of the discussion if you listen carefully.
You listen
(to the video screen)
The Central Administrator is speaking:

'...having committed themselves to so-called science-based
policies, these being policies tested by computer simulation, the intellectual class could not raise an objection when the simulators produced answers they had not expected.'
You listen
(to the video screen)
'Such as?' prompts the interviewer.

'I mean that the simulations favoured social policies that the intellectuals had regarded as conservative, old-fashioned and reactionary. The data clearly pointed at stability, liberty and personal responsibility as the key properties of a good society. The people had assumed that the machines would confirm their own beliefs in globalism, socialism and so forth. They had never questioned those beliefs, and indeed did not even think that their beliefs were beliefs. The idea that the machine might come up with the 'wrong' answer never occurred to them.'
You listen
(to the video screen)
'This must have created some problems,' the interviewer remarks.

'Oh, well, some. But nothing greatly significant. The simulations
were quite repeatable. There were a few cases where independent research got different answers, but these were discredited. I audited their software and traced the differences to software bugs. Coding errors. It turns out that humans are almost as bad at writing software as they are at running a government!'

The interviewer laughs. 'Is there any link between the two?'

'I think so. Humans... well, all of us... struggle to deal with complexity. When dealing with a complex system, like a country, or a large software program, the temptation is always to assume that you know enough to make an informed guess about what should be done. It is a temptation that must be resisted. Everything must be thoroughly tested before it is allowed to 'go live'. You must do everything you can to avoid destabilising something that used to work.'
You listen
(to the video screen)
'But were there protests?' presses the interviewer.

'Some people will disagree with government no matter what it does. That is fine. They may choose to complain, and we may choose to listen. I think, though, that one reason the intellectuals eventually accepted the new system is that they found themselves in bad company. They now stood alongside deniers and conspiracy theorists, the same people they had once mocked as 'wingnuts' and lunatics for denying the validity of simulation results. Ultimately, they came over to our side out of embarrassment as much as anything. Pretended they had agreed with us all along...'.

The screen goes blank again.
You examine the rope
The red rope blocks access to the museum.
You remove the rope
(first taking the red rope)
The red rope will not move at all.
You go under rope
The rope is not much of a barrier, but presumably it is there for a reason...
You look at the displays
Which do you mean, the video screen, the nearest display or the rest of the exhibition?
You look at the nearest DISPLAY
The nearest display is the only one you can read. It forms an introduction to the rest of the exhibition, and it's immediately clear that the theme of the museum has hardly changed since you last visited it. The museum presents the case against the pre-Administration approach to government, known here as 'populism'.

The display bears a quotation from a political adviser regarding his own government's lack of forward planning. Like all Western governments of its time, that government was completely dominated by concerns about retaining popularity and good public relations. It had no policies as such; rather, it simply reacted to events, attempting to retain the favour of the press and the public.

This was not limited to one policy area, to one party, or to one government in one country. It was a universal failing. The voters said that they wanted politicians who spoke plainly and stuck to their principles, but if such people actually stood for election, they were quickly rejected, as no principle is universally popular. Consequently the only successful politicians had no principles and never said what they meant.
Go outside
The corridor turns a corner here, continuing to the north and west. The Security Administrator's office is through a door to the east, and to the south, a short staircase leads downwards to a darkened room.

There's a plaque bearing the word 'Liberty' on the north wall.
Go outside
The maintenance room is a round room with a low ceiling. The walls are made of shiny brushed metal, giving an impression of 1970s science fiction. Doors lead west and southeast. You see a warning sign on the western door.

There is a console in the centre of the room. There's a message on the console's display.

A portal occupies most of the northeast wall.
You examine the badge
A small plastic ID badge. The badge states: 'Candidate Number 28436'.
You examine the console
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display shows a message:

'Dear candidate 28436,

The Administration Centre is under attack. The network is flooded
by virus packets, and I am unable to do anything other than hold back the flood.

However, you can help. By great fortune, you were due to take an
exam today, and that involved some special measures which have protected you from the attack. Like me, you are connected to an independent system which is unaffected by the virus. But unlike me, you are able to control a maintenance robot. I need you to use that robot to save us.

Take control of the robot via the portal in the Maintenance Room.
In the outside world, find a Diagnostic network socket, such as WS4, or perhaps WS2, though I'm not sure that one is working. PLUG a network cable into it, and PLUG the other end into the Central Administrator socket, which is labelled WS3. You might need to find several network cables and JOIN them together: there is a cable joining tool in the old Broadcasting Studio.

and let me run some diagnostics. It may be enough to fight the virus.

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You enter it
As you step into the portal, you take on physical form. You now find yourself standing in the outside world, in the metallic form of a maintenance robot...

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is closed).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. The socket is not in use.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench (on which is a screwdriver) here.
You look at what you're carrying with you
You are carrying:
a black box
About yourself
You are a well-oiled and somewhat noisy maintenance robot. Your robot body has a humanoid configuration - two legs, two arms, and a head, but it could not possibly pass for a human anywhere, not even a sci-fi convention, because the design is so completely functional. There is no skin; tubes, solenoids and wires are exposed along with the metal skeleton. The machine was never designed to leave the bunker - its intended purpose is limited to replacing server parts and installing network gear. A black box is attached to you like a backpack.
You get the screwdriver
Taken.
You examine the screwdriver
A flathead screwdriver with an insulated handle.
Examine box
The backpack is a large black box attached to the back of your robot body. It contains your physical mind, isolated from the network and power supply of the data centre. The number 28436 is printed on the box in a neat typeface. A second number has been crudely scratched on it: 644358724. The box has a network socket. The socket is not in use.
You examine the socket
Which do you mean, Socket WS3 or Socket WS2?
You examine ws2
The label reads 'Socket WS2 - Diagnostic'. The socket is not in use.
You look around
This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is closed).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. The socket is not in use.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
You look at the workbench
The workbench has seen better days! The wood is rotten and the legs are very rusty. It looks like decades have passed since anybody used it. There are some tools on it.
Exits
Exits lead:
north into the charging stations.
south to the Generator Room.
west to the Battery Room.
You look at the tools
Wrenches, a saw, drill bits: all rusted and completely useless.
You go north
As you step into the charging station, your robotic form shuts down...

The maintenance room is a round room with a low ceiling. The walls are made of shiny brushed metal, giving an impression of 1970s science fiction. Doors lead west and southeast. You see a warning sign on the western door.

There is a console in the centre of the room.

A portal occupies most of the northeast wall.
Exits
Exits lead:
northeast into the portal.
southeast to the Lobby.
west to the POKE Room.
You enter the portal
As you step into the portal, you take on physical form. You now find yourself standing in the outside world, in the metallic form of a maintenance robot...

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is closed).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. The socket is not in use.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
Go east
The blast door is closed.
You go to the west
This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. The socket is not in use.

You can see a single-length network cable here.
You examine ws4
The label reads 'Socket WS4 - Diagnostic'. The socket is not in use.
You plug the cable into the robot
The single-length network cable is already here.
You look
This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS4. The rest of the cable is in your hand.
Exits
Exits lead:
north to the Data Centre.
east to the Maintenance Room.
west to the Secure Room.
You go west
(letting go of the single-length network cable, as it is plugged into Socket WS4, and it's too short to stretch to another room)

This room was once an office. Some ancient desks and chairs are cluttered into a corner, and you can see a faded calendar on the wall beside a dusty portrait. There's a doorway to the east and a blast door to the south.

You can see some old desks and chairs here.
Exits
The only exit leads east to the Battery Room.
You examine desks
Old and poor quality. The chairs look uncomfortable and flimsy, while the desks are made of peeling chipboard. This could never have been a pleasant place to work. You see a network cable underneath one of the desks.
You go east
This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS4. The rest of the cable lies on the floor.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
a single-length network cable
a screwdriver
a black box
You join cable with cable
That would require a special tool.
You go north
This large room is filled with racks of black boxes. It seems that many of the internal walls of the bunker were removed in order to make more space. There is just enough room to move between the racks, but not much more. You find doorways leading south, west and northwest. There is a door in the northeast corner.
Exits
Exits lead:
northeast to the Network Room.
south to the Battery Room.
west to the Passage.
northwest to the Broadcasting Studio.
You look at the racks
The racks are used to support the black boxes, making them easily accessible for maintenance.
Examine boxes
The physical minds of thousands of Administration staff. These boxes contain your colleagues and associates. Each box is firmly mounted in a metal rack, bears a five-digit number, and is the same shape as the one you carry.
You get the boxes
They're fixed in place. In any case, you cannot know whose mind is in each box.
You examine number
The backpack is a large black box attached to the back of your robot body. It contains your physical mind, isolated from the network and power supply of the data centre. The number 28436 is printed on the box in a neat typeface. A second number has been crudely scratched on it: 644358724. The box has a network socket. The socket is not in use.
You examine tile
The floor tile moves slightly when you stand on it.
You move the tile
The floor tile is bulky, but you manage to lift it. This reveals a void underneath the floor. You see a network cable in the void.
You get the cable
(the single-length network cable)
Taken.
You go to the northwest
The mixing desk, soundproof walls and 'On Air' sign in this room tell you that it was originally intended to be used as a broadcasting studio. Now it is being used as a store room for computer parts, which have been stacked up against the walls.

There is an instruction book on the mixing desk.

You can also see a satellite uplink kit and a toolbag (which is closed) here.
You get all
satellite uplink kit: Taken.
instruction book: Taken.
toolbag: Taken.
mixing desk: That's hardly portable.
'On Air' sign: That's hardly portable.
computer parts: You find nothing that you need there.
You look at the instruction book
The book dates from the 1970s and contains many pages of typewritten instructions which explain how to use the primitive studio facilities. Reading the book makes it clear that this bunker was one of many intended to house 'key personnel' during wartime. It seems it was subsequently repurposed by the Central Administrator as his (physical) home.
You examine the desk
The studio equipment is vintage. Given the right buyer, this old analogue gear might be quite valuable. But it's no use to you.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a toolbag (which is closed)
an instruction book
a satellite uplink kit
a single-length network cable
a single-length network cable
a screwdriver
a black box
You open the toolbag
You open the toolbag, revealing a cable joining tool and a single-length network cable.
You join cable with the cable
The cables are joined, creating two coiled lengths.
Examine kit
The satellite uplink kit is housed in a heavy case (which is closed). It provides emergency network access via satellite, but can only be used in an area with a clear view of the sky.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a double-length network cable
a toolbag (which is open)
a cable joining tool
a single-length network cable
an instruction book
a satellite uplink kit
a screwdriver
a black box
You take the cable
(the double-length network cable)
You already have that.
You look at joining
This tool allows you to JOIN two network cables, or CUT one cable into two sections.
You join the cable with the cable
Which do you mean, the single-length network cable or the double-length network cable?
You join the cables
single-length network cable: The cables are joined, creating three coiled lengths.
triple-length network cable: You have no other cable end to join to the triple-length network cable.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a triple-length network cable
a toolbag (which is open)
a cable joining tool
an instruction book
a satellite uplink kit
a screwdriver
a black box
You go southeast
This large room is filled with racks of black boxes. It seems that many of the internal walls of the bunker were removed in order to make more space. There is just enough room to move between the racks, but not much more. You find doorways leading south, west and northwest. There is a door in the northeast corner.

You can see a floor tile here.
You go to the north
As you step into the charging station, your robotic form shuts down...

The maintenance room is a round room with a low ceiling. The walls are made of shiny brushed metal, giving an impression of 1970s science fiction. Doors lead west and southeast. You see a warning sign on the western door.

There is a console in the centre of the room. There's a message on the console's display.

A portal occupies most of the northeast wall.
You read the message
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display shows a message:

'Dear candidate 28436,

I attempted to assess the attack, but network socket WS2 is not working and I can't get through to the diagnostic system.

There's another network socket in the Battery Room. It is labelled WS4. Please connect that socket to WS3.

You'll have to join two network cables together, and run them
between the two rooms. You will find a tool for JOINing cables in the old Broadcasting Studio. Join the cables, then connect network sockets WS3 and WS4.

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
Go northeast
As you step into the portal, you take on physical form. You now find yourself standing in the outside world, in the metallic form of a maintenance robot...

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is closed).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The cable is in your hand, and is also attached to Socket WS2.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
Go west
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS4. The rest of the cable lies on the floor.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs east from here.
Plug WS4
Try PLUG CABLE INTO SOCKET. If more than one socket is present, try giving the name of the socket, e.g. WS9.
You plug the cable into the ws4 socket
The socket is already in use.
You look at your surroundings
This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS4. The rest of the cable lies on the floor.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs east from here.
You join the cables
(to the trailing network cable)
The cables are joined, creating three coiled lengths.
You go to the east
(keeping hold of the trailing network cable)

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is closed).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The cable is in your hand, and runs west.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
You examine the stations
The robot body may stand inside one of these in order to recharge its battery. While the robot body is recharging, your mind returns to the Administration Centre.
You go to the north
As you step into the charging station, your robotic form shuts down...

The maintenance room is a round room with a low ceiling. The walls are made of shiny brushed metal, giving an impression of 1970s science fiction. Doors lead west and southeast. You see a warning sign on the western door.

There is a console in the centre of the room. There's a message on the console's display.

A portal occupies most of the northeast wall.
You examine the console
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display shows a message:

'Dear candidate 28436,

Thankyou, your new connection allowed me to assess the attack.

It's worse than I thought. We have no external communications at
all; everything is infected. I need you to make a new connection via a satellite uplink.

Our enemy has discovered the location of our data centre, and will soon attempt to break in. We must act quickly. You will need to open the blast door on the east side of the bunker, and run a cable from socket WS3 to some place where the sky is visible. Set up a satellite uplink unit there, and connect it to the cable. Due to the distance, you will need to join more network cables - probably as many as you can find. Look in the Network Room first. There will be more in other places.

You will have to explore the caves.

One more thing. Be careful with the other network sockets. Some of them are flooded by the virus. If you connect them wrongly, it won't damage the Administration, but it might prevent you returning here.

Good luck...

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You look at the keyboard
The keyboard is built into the console. It doesn't seem to do anything.
Inventory
You are carrying:
an identity badge
You examine the badge
(first getting out of bed)
A small plastic ID badge. The badge states: 'Candidate Number 28199'.

Something is certainly wrong! Is this... part of the test? You never found out exactly what the final exam involved. Perhaps it is like this for every candidate.
You examine the window
Even at night, you'd expect to see something. The gardens of the Administration Centre, and beyond them, the amphitheatre, the hedge maze and ornamental lake, lit by street lights and moonlight. It never gets completely dark. But today, there's nothing at all. Just total blackness, as if there is a smooth black wall just beyond the window.
You examine the bed
Even the bed seems wrong. This isn't your duvet and these aren't your pillowcases.
You look under the bed
[In Final Exam, 'LOOK UNDER' is synonymous with 'EXAMINE'.]
Even the bed seems wrong. This isn't your duvet and these aren't your pillowcases.
You examine pillowcases
Even the bed seems wrong. This isn't your duvet and these aren't your pillowcases.

[You should go out; whatever is going on, you're not going to find any answers here.]
Exits
The only exit leads south to the Quadrangle.
You examine the portrait
The painting hangs on the eastern wall. It is an enormous portrait of Edmund Burke, the 18th century writer and politician. The Central Administrator is said to be a fan.
The fax machine bleeps.
You look at the fax
(the fax machine)
It's on the reception desk, where it seems quite out of place next to the modern computer workstations. It's not a printer or a scanner: it's an old-fashioned fax machine that prints onto thin thermal paper. You notice some paper hanging out of the machine.
You read the paper
[In Final Exam, 'READ' is synonymous with 'EXAMINE'.]
Poor-quality paper from a fax machine. It reads:

'Dear candidate 28199, please go upstairs to the Observation Gallery where you will find further instructions.'
You look at the monitor
The display is an enormous high-resolution flat-screen monitor, suspended from the gallery ceiling. It shows a message: green text on black background.

'Dear candidate 28199,

You must be wondering where everyone has gone. Let me explain.

A serious situation has developed, and I have been forced to take emergency steps to isolate the Administration Centre - and ourselves - from the outside world. This isolation prevents my communicating with you normally, and at present I can only do so via this screen. I will explain more in due course.

In the meantime, I need you to obtain the emergency access card.
It's in the museum north of here. It allows you to enter the Maintenance Room, which is northwest of the Lobby. Then POKE 411251181. Afterwards, please return here for further instructions.

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You go north
The corridor turns a corner here, continuing to the north and west. The Security Administrator's office is through a door to the east, and to the south, a short staircase leads downwards to a darkened room.

There's a plaque bearing the word 'Liberty' on the north wall.

This is the Administration Centre's museum. It's a vast hall, stretching far away to the north and east. It is currently closed and in darkness. A red rope blocks passage to the north and east. Light is coming from the corridor to the south and faintly from a blank video screen just beyond the rope. Exhibition displays fill the room, most too far away into the dark to be readable.

There's a plaque bearing the word 'Responsibility' on the west wall.

You can see a glass case containing an access card.
Break case
The glass shatters.
You examine the console
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display shows a message:

'Dear candidate 28199,

You must be wondering where everyone has gone. Let me explain.

A serious situation has developed, and I have been forced to take emergency steps to isolate the Administration Centre - and ourselves - from the outside world. This isolation prevents my communicating with you normally, and at present I can only do so via this screen. I will explain more in due course.

In the meantime, I need you to obtain the emergency access card.
Then go west from the Maintenance Room and POKE 411251181. Afterwards, please return here for further instructions.

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You go to the west
You are standing within core memory, completely surrounded by the raw, working elements of a vast machine. Lights pulsate and flicker all around you: the effect is like wandering around within your own brain. You can see 4,294,967,295 buttons here. A door leads east.
Go east
The maintenance room is a round room with a low ceiling. The walls are made of shiny brushed metal, giving an impression of 1970s science fiction. Doors lead west and southeast. You see a warning sign on the western door.

There is a console in the centre of the room. There's a message on the console's display.

A portal occupies most of the northeast wall.
You examine the console
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display shows a message:

'Dear candidate 28199,

The Administration Centre is under attack. The network is flooded
by virus packets, and I am unable to do anything other than hold back the flood.

However, you can help. By great fortune, you were due to take an
exam today, and that involved some special measures which have protected you from the attack. Like me, you are connected to an independent system which is unaffected by the virus. But unlike me, you are able to control a maintenance robot. I need you to use that robot to save us.

Take control of the robot via the portal in the Maintenance Room.
In the outside world, find a Diagnostic network socket, such as WS4, or perhaps WS2, though I'm not sure that one is working. PLUG a network cable into it, and PLUG the other end into the Central Administrator socket, which is labelled WS3. You might need to find several network cables and JOIN them together: there is a cable joining tool in the old Broadcasting Studio.

and let me run some diagnostics. It may be enough to fight the virus.

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You examine the green door
It's a small green door in the northwest corner of the room, under the staircase. The word 'MAINTENANCE' is written faintly on the door.
Exits
Exits lead:
north to the Quadrangle.
northwest to the Maintenance Room.
up to the Mezzanine.
You go north
You discover that the door to the residential wing has locked behind you. You cannot return to the bedroom.
You go to the west
The doors in that direction are locked. The only exit leads south to the Lobby.
You look at the desk
Which do you mean, the rows of workstation desks or the raised central platform?
Central
It's a large desk in the middle of the room, directly below the model of the Earth. At times of crisis, the Central Administrator and his assistants may direct operations from here.
You examine the rows
The Administrators do much of their work here. Each desk is assigned to some small region of the world, with physically adjacent regions occupying adjacent desks in this room. The workstations allow situations to be analysed, resources to be allocated, and Administration decisions to be sent to the outside world. The layout of the room makes it easy to coordinate with neighbours.
Examine africa
That part of the world is independent from the Administration.
Exits
The only exit leads west to the Corridor.
Go north
This is the Administration Centre's museum. It's a vast hall, stretching far away to the north and east. It is currently closed and in darkness. A red rope blocks passage to the north and east. Light is coming from the corridor to the south and faintly from a blank video screen just beyond the rope. Exhibition displays fill the room, most too far away into the dark to be readable.

There's a plaque bearing the word 'Responsibility' on the west wall.

You can also see a glass case (which is empty) here.
Go north
The rope is not much of a barrier, but presumably it is there for a reason...
You look at the screen
The video screen is blank but producing a faint light. You notice a sticky label on the side.
You look at the label
There's a message on the label: 'Keeps breaking. 495147333 to reset.'
You go southeast
You can't go that way. The only exit leads east to the Maintenance Room.
You examine the plaque
It's one of three such plaques: the others are to the north and west. Each briefly describes one of the three values of the Administration: Stability, Liberty, and Responsibility. Exams are highly likely to involve essays on interactions between the three, but it never hurts to revise a little more, so you read the description below the word:

'Administrators have a duty to uphold freedom of speech, thought and conscience, along with processes to prevent injustice such as jury trial. No person may be punished for holding opinions, however disagreeable these opinions may be. As Queen Elizabeth I famously said,
Go north
This is the Administration Centre's museum. It's a vast hall, stretching far away to the north and east. It is currently closed and in darkness. A red rope blocks passage to the north and east. Light is coming from the corridor to the south and faintly from a blank video screen just beyond the rope. Exhibition displays fill the room, most too far away into the dark to be readable.

There's a plaque bearing the word 'Responsibility' on the west wall.

You can also see a glass case (which is empty) here.
Go west
The door in that direction is locked. Exits lead:
north to the Quadrangle.
northwest to the Maintenance Room.
up to the Mezzanine.
Examine box
The backpack is a large black box attached to the back of your robot body. It contains your physical mind, isolated from the network and power supply of the data centre. The number 28199 is printed on the box in a neat typeface. A second number has been crudely scratched on it: 856414854. The box has a network socket. The socket is not in use.
You examine station
The robot body may stand inside one of these in order to recharge its battery. While the robot body is recharging, your mind returns to the Administration Centre.
You take the screwdriver
Taken.
Go south
This room contains disused electrical equipment, much of it now buried under an assortment of junk.

There's a rusty metal switch marked 'Blast Door' on the north wall.

You can also see a heap of junk here.
You examine the junk
All of this junk seems to have been cleared away from other parts of the facility. It's mostly spartan furniture: bunk beds, mattresses, desks and chairs. You see a network cable amongst the junk.
You examine the cable
You are holding a single length of network cable.
You examine the junk
All of this junk seems to have been cleared away from other parts of the facility. It's mostly spartan furniture: bunk beds, mattresses, desks and chairs.
Examine generator
You see a diesel generator and switching gear. A mercury rectifier lurks in the shadows like something from Frankenstein's laboratory. It's all antiquated, rusty, and completely beyond use.
You enter the station
As you step into the charging station, your robotic form shuts down...

The maintenance room is a round room with a low ceiling. The walls are made of shiny brushed metal, giving an impression of 1970s science fiction. Doors lead west and southeast. You see a warning sign on the western door.

There is a console in the centre of the room. There's a message on the console's display.

A portal occupies most of the northeast wall.
You look at console
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display shows a message:

'Dear candidate 28199,

I attempted to assess the attack, but network socket WS2 is not working and I can't get through to the diagnostic system.

There's another network socket in the Battery Room. It is labelled WS4. Please connect that socket to WS3.

You'll have to join two network cables together, and run them
between the two rooms. You will find a tool for JOINing cables in the old Broadcasting Studio. Join the cables, then connect network sockets WS3 and WS4.

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
'Idiots' Guide to Writing Malware and Viruses'
an access card
an identity badge
You enter the portal
As you step into the portal, you take on physical form. You now find yourself standing in the outside world, in the metallic form of a maintenance robot...

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is closed).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The cable is in your hand, and is also attached to Socket WS2.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a single-length network cable (plugged into Socket WS3)
a screwdriver
a black box
You drop the cable
Dropped.
You look at the batteries
There are hundreds of rechargeable batteries, all mounted in metal racks. They provide electricity for the facility when mains power is not available.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a single-length network cable
a single-length network cable
a screwdriver
a black box
You go to the west
This passage is blocked because the roof has collapsed. There's a pile of rubble to the west, preventing any further progress in that direction.
You look at the rubble
The ceiling has collapsed, blocking the passage with a pile of rubble.
You examine it
A network engineer's toolbag.
You look at the sign
The sign lights up when the studio is broadcasting.
Look around
The mixing desk, soundproof walls and 'On Air' sign in this room tell you that it was originally intended to be used as a broadcasting studio. Now it is being used as a store room for computer parts, which have been stacked up against the walls.

There is an instruction book on the mixing desk.

You can also see a satellite uplink kit here.
You look at parts
Neat stacks of identical boxes, factory-sealed. You see motherboards, power supplies and storage units - all spare parts for the data centre.
Go southeast
It's hard to move around with all these short network cables! [Consider JOINing some of them together.]

This large room is filled with racks of black boxes. It seems that many of the internal walls of the bunker were removed in order to make more space. There is just enough room to move between the racks, but not much more. You find doorways leading south, west and northwest. There is a door in the northeast corner.

You can see a floor tile here.
Go south
This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. The socket is not in use.
Go west
This room was once an office. Some ancient desks and chairs are cluttered into a corner, and you can see a faded calendar on the wall beside a dusty portrait. There's a doorway to the east and a blast door to the south.

You can see some old desks and chairs here.
You examine the portrait
It's a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, covered in dust and dirt.
Examine calendar
The year is 1990. Maybe that was the last time this room was used as an office.
You move the portrait
It is fixed in place.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a single-length network cable
a single-length network cable
a single-length network cable
a single-length network cable
a toolbag (which is open)
a cable joining tool
a screwdriver
a black box
You examine blast
A very heavy metal door, set in the south wall. It is closed. A number has been scratched onto the door: 303738162.
You go east
It's hard to move around with all these short network cables! [Consider JOINing some of them together.]

This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. The socket is not in use.
Go east
This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is closed).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The rest of the cable lies on the floor.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
You examine the blast
A very heavy metal door, set in the east wall and wide enough for a car. It is closed.
You take the tool
(the cable joining tool)
Taken.
You join the cables
single-length network cable: The cables are joined, creating two coiled lengths.
single-length network cable: The cables are joined, creating three coiled lengths.
single-length network cable: The cables are joined, creating four coiled lengths.
single-length network cable: The cables are joined, creating five coiled lengths.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
a quintuple-length network cable (plugged into Socket WS3)
a cable joining tool
a toolbag (which is open but empty)
a screwdriver
a black box
You go west
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. The socket is not in use.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs east from here.
You go to the east
(keeping hold of the trailing network cable)

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is closed).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The cable is in your hand, and runs west.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
You examine the console
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display shows a message:

'Dear candidate 28199,

Thankyou, your new connection allowed me to assess the attack.

It's worse than I thought. We have no external communications at
all; everything is infected. I need you to make a new connection via a satellite uplink.

Our enemy has discovered the location of our data centre, and will soon attempt to break in. We must act quickly. You will need to open the blast door on the east side of the bunker, and run a cable from socket WS3 to some place where the sky is visible. Set up a satellite uplink unit there, and connect it to the cable. Due to the distance, you will need to join more network cables - probably as many as you can find. Look in the Network Room first. There will be more in other places.

You will have to explore the caves.

One more thing. Be careful with the other network sockets. Some of them are flooded by the virus. If you connect them wrongly, it won't damage the Administration, but it might prevent you returning here.

Good luck...

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You enter the portal
As you step into the portal, you take on physical form. You now find yourself standing in the outside world, in the metallic form of a maintenance robot...

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is closed).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The cable is in your hand, and runs west.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
You go to the west
(keeping hold of the trailing network cable)

This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS4. The cable is in your hand, and runs east.
You go east
(collecting the trailing network cable as you go)

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is closed).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The rest of the cable is in your hand.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
Go south
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

This room contains disused electrical equipment, much of it now buried under an assortment of junk.

There's a rusty metal switch marked 'Blast Door' on the north wall.

You can also see a heap of junk here.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs north from here.
You examine the switch
A large metal switch. A faded label reads 'Blast Door'. The switch lever has broken off. The casing is held shut by a large flathead screw.
You unscrew the casing with the screwdriver
The switch casing swings open, revealing the switch mechanism.
You examine the mechanism
A large metal switch. A faded label reads 'Blast Door'. The switch lever has broken off. The casing is open.
Go north
(collecting the trailing network cable as you go)

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is open).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The rest of the cable is in your hand.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
You go to the north
As you step into the charging station, your robotic form shuts down...

The maintenance room is a round room with a low ceiling. The walls are made of shiny brushed metal, giving an impression of 1970s science fiction. Doors lead west and southeast. You see a warning sign on the western door.

There is a console in the centre of the room. There's a message on the console's display.

A portal occupies most of the northeast wall.
Go northwest
You can't go that way. Exits lead:
northeast into the portal.
southeast to the Lobby.
west to the POKE Room.
Go northeast
[It looks like there is an important message on the console. Maybe you should EXAMINE DISPLAY before doing anything else.]
You examine the DISPLAY
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display shows a message:

'Dear candidate 28199,

It's worse than I thought. We have no external communications at
all; everything is infected. I need you to make a new connection via a satellite uplink.

Our enemy has discovered the location of our data centre, and will soon attempt to break in. We must act quickly. You will need to run a cable from socket WS3 to some place where the sky is visible. Set up a satellite uplink unit there, and connect it to the cable. Due to the distance, you will need to join more network cables - probably as many as you can find. Look in the Network Room first. There will be more in other places.

You will have to explore the caves.

One more thing. Be careful with the other network sockets. Some of them are flooded by the virus. If you connect them wrongly, it won't damage the Administration, but it might prevent you returning here.

Good luck...

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You go northeast
As you step into the portal, you take on physical form. You now find yourself standing in the outside world, in the metallic form of a maintenance robot...

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is open).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The rest of the cable is in your hand.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
You go west
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. The socket is not in use.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs east from here.
You go north
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

This large room is filled with racks of black boxes. It seems that many of the internal walls of the bunker were removed in order to make more space. There is just enough room to move between the racks, but not much more. You find doorways leading south, west and northwest. There is a door in the northeast corner.

You can see a floor tile here.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs south from here.
You go to the northwest
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

The mixing desk, soundproof walls and 'On Air' sign in this room tell you that it was originally intended to be used as a broadcasting studio. Now it is being used as a store room for computer parts, which have been stacked up against the walls.

There is an instruction book on the mixing desk.

You can also see a satellite uplink kit here.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs southeast from here.
You go southeast
(collecting the trailing network cable as you go)

This large room is filled with racks of black boxes. It seems that many of the internal walls of the bunker were removed in order to make more space. There is just enough room to move between the racks, but not much more. You find doorways leading south, west and northwest. There is a door in the northeast corner.

You can see a floor tile here.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs south from here.
You go to the south
(collecting the trailing network cable as you go)

This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. The socket is not in use.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs east from here.
You go to the east
(collecting the trailing network cable as you go)

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is open).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The rest of the cable is in your hand.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
Go east
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

You're in the southwest corner of a large cave. The walls of this cave are part natural limestone, and part slimy concrete, covered in decades of algae growth. To the west, you see the back entrance of the bunker, which is a wide door set into a concrete wall. The wall stretches north; the cave expands to the north and east.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs west from here.
You go east
You're in the southwest corner of a large cave. The walls of this cave are part natural limestone, and part slimy concrete, covered in decades of algae growth. To the west, you see the back entrance of the bunker, which is a wide door set into a concrete wall. The wall stretches north; the cave expands to the north and east.
You look at the door
A very heavy metal door, set in the west wall and wide enough for a car. It is open.
You go to the east
You're on the eastern edge of a large cave. The rocky ceiling is low here, and underneath its lowest point, a crawl tunnel leads northeast. A narrow passage leads southeast and the cave widens to the west.
Go southeast
You're standing on a path on the north side of an underground river which flows through the cave here. The river level is too high to allow passage in any direction except through a narrow passage to the northwest.
You examine the river
The underground river flows from west to east. The rate of flow is extremely rapid and the water looks very dangerous. It disappears under the eastern wall of the cave.
You go northeast
You are crawling through a very low, uneven passage that runs from southwest to east. It is fortunate that you do not need to breathe, because there is no space for breathing here.
You go to the east
You stand in a dry, circular cavern that forms a junction between three passages. The passages to the north and east are wide and tall. A crawl tunnel leads west.
You go to the north
You are at the western end of a long, damp cavern that stretches east. A wide tunnel leads south, and a passage leads west.
Go west
You're in the north end of a large cave, standing beside a chasm which blocks passage to the south. The chasm was once spanned by a footbridge, but it collapsed years ago. On the other side of the chasm, you see the wall of the bunker. Passages lead east and northwest.

There is a cabinet here. A narrow conduit runs from the cabinet to the bunker on the other side of the chasm.
You look at the cabinet
A rusty metal box which has probably been here since the bunker was built. It's about the size and shape of a gym locker. A sign on the door reads 'GPO Telephones'.
You open the cabinet
Opening the cabinet reveals some modern networking gear, and Network Socket Z5. You see a network cable inside the cabinet.
You look at the gear
The label reads 'Socket Z5 - Unfiltered'. The socket is not in use.
You look at the chasm
A wide and deep chasm. You can't see the bottom.
You look at conduit
The conduit is a rectangular plastic pipe, a few inches in diameter, and it's bolted to the western cave wall. It seems to be filled with wires which run from the bunker wall to the cabinet.
Go northwest
You are at the foot of a round concrete shaft, which was once filled with a spiral staircase, apparently an emergency exit from the bunker. The staircase collapsed years ago, and is now just a heap of wreckage at the bottom of the shaft.
Go upward
The staircase is completely unusable.
Go southeast
You're in the north end of a large cave, standing beside a chasm which blocks passage to the south. The chasm was once spanned by a footbridge, but it collapsed years ago. On the other side of the chasm, you see the wall of the bunker. Passages lead east and northwest.

There is a cabinet here. A narrow conduit runs from the cabinet to the bunker on the other side of the chasm.

Network Socket Z5 is inside the cabinet. The socket is not in use.
Go east
You are near the eastern end of a long, damp cavern. Much of the floor of the cavern is covered by a pool of dark, still, brackish water. A passage leads southwest.

You can see a plastic float near the edge of the pool.
Exits
Exits lead:
southwest to the Fork.
west to the Damp Cavern.
You examine the float
It's the sort of thing that a lifeguard might carry at a beach. The float is made of red plastic, though it's become grimy and discoloured. The float has a reinforced hole at one end for attaching a rope.
You describe your surroundings
You are near the eastern end of a long, damp cavern. Much of the floor of the cavern is covered by a pool of dark, still, brackish water. A passage leads southwest.
You go southwest
The passage divides in three directions here: west, northeast, and southeast.
You go west
You stand in a dry, circular cavern that forms a junction between three passages. The passages to the north and east are wide and tall. A crawl tunnel leads west.
Go west
You are crawling through a very low, uneven passage that runs from east to southwest. It is fortunate that you do not need to breathe, because there is no space for breathing here.
You go southwest
You're on the eastern edge of a large cave. The rocky ceiling is low here, and underneath its lowest point, a crawl tunnel leads northeast. A narrow passage leads southeast and the cave widens to the west.
You go west
You're in the southwest corner of a large cave. The walls of this cave are part natural limestone, and part slimy concrete, covered in decades of algae growth. To the west, you see the back entrance of the bunker, which is a wide door set into a concrete wall. The wall stretches north; the cave expands to the north and east.
You go north
You're in the middle of a large cave which runs northeast and south, standing near the corner of the concrete wall of the bunker, which is to the southwest. A wide chasm spans the cave here, preventing passage to the north. The chasm was once spanned by a footbridge, but it collapsed years ago, and only a few rusted girders remain. A narrow conduit, bolted to the western cave wall, runs from the bunker to a cabinet on the other side of the chasm.
You look at conduit
The conduit is a rectangular plastic pipe, a few inches in diameter, and it's bolted to the western cave wall. It seems to be filled with wires which run from the bunker wall to the cabinet.
You examine the bunker wall
It is the outer wall of the bunker. It is as tall as the cave and made entirely of reinforced concrete, stained a slimy green colour by decades of damp and algae growth.
You examine the bridge
All that remains of the footbridge are a few rusted girders on each side of the chasm. Over decades, the moisture in these caverns must have eroded the bridge, until it broke under its own weight and disappeared into the darkness.
You look at the chasm
A wide and deep chasm. You can't see the bottom.
You go southeast
You're standing on a rocky outcrop on the north side of an underground lake. The lake is bridged by a large metal pipe, which crosses the water to a small muddy beach on the far side. You hear a waterfall to the west. A passage leads northwest.
You examine the pipe
The pipe is made from rusty iron, and is around eight inches in diameter. It looks like a waste pipe. It spans the lake, and seems to be strong enough to use as a bridge.
Go south
You start to cross the lake by walking along the pipe, but you struggle to balance because of the weight and bulk of the satellite uplink kit. If you want to cross, you'll either have to drop that, or drop almost everything else.
You go south
You cautiously cross the lake by walking along the pipe...

You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.
You look at the mud
The ground here is muddy, wet clay.
You go west
You're standing on some slippery rocks to the south of a waterfall. An underground river emerges from high on the western wall here, forming a magnificent waterfall, then flowing away to the east.
You examine the waterfall
The water emerges from the western wall.
You examine the river
Which do you mean, the underground lake or the waterfall?
You examine the lake
The water foams at the base of the waterfall.
Exits
The only exit leads east to the Lake Beach.
Go east
You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.
You go north
You cautiously cross the lake by walking along the pipe...

You're standing on a rocky outcrop on the north side of an underground lake. The lake is bridged by a large metal pipe, which crosses the water to a small muddy beach on the far side. You hear a waterfall to the west. A passage leads northwest.

You can see a satellite uplink kit here.
You look up
The walls and roof of the cave are formed from limestone.
You go west
This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is open).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The rest of the cable forms a coil on the floor.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
a single-length network cable
a satellite uplink kit
a plastic float
an instruction book
a cable joining tool
a toolbag (which is open but empty)
a screwdriver
a black box
You join the cable
The cables are joined, creating six coiled lengths.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a sextuple-length network cable (plugged into Socket WS3)
a satellite uplink kit
a plastic float
an instruction book
a cable joining tool
a toolbag (which is open but empty)
a screwdriver
a black box
You go northeast
As you step into the portal, you take on physical form. You now find yourself standing in the outside world, in the metallic form of a maintenance robot...

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is open).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The rest of the cable forms a coil on the floor.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
Go west
This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. The socket is not in use.
Go west
This room was once an office. Some ancient desks and chairs are cluttered into a corner, and you can see a faded calendar on the wall beside a dusty portrait. There's a doorway to the east and a blast door to the south.

You can see some old desks and chairs here.
You examine the door
A very heavy metal door, set in the south wall. It is closed. A number has been scratched onto the door: 303738162.
You open the door
The blast door is firmly closed. It can only be opened electronically. The controls must be elsewhere.
You plug the cable into the box
(first taking the sextuple-length network cable)
The sextuple-length network cable is now plugged into the black box. The connection is established, and your robotic form shuts down...

The maintenance room is a round room with a low ceiling. The walls are made of shiny brushed metal, giving an impression of 1970s science fiction. Doors lead west and southeast. You see a warning sign on the western door.

There is a console in the centre of the room.

A portal occupies most of the northeast wall.
You look at the console
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display shows a message:

'Dear candidate 28199,

It's worse than I thought. We have no external communications at
all; everything is infected. I need you to make a new connection via a satellite uplink.

Our enemy has discovered the location of our data centre, and will soon attempt to break in. We must act quickly. You will need to run a cable from socket WS3 to some place where the sky is visible. Set up a satellite uplink unit there, and connect it to the cable. Due to the distance, you will need to join more network cables - probably as many as you can find. Look in the Network Room first. There will be more in other places.

You will have to explore the caves.

One more thing. Be careful with the other network sockets. Some of them are flooded by the virus. If you connect them wrongly, it won't damage the Administration, but it might prevent you returning here.

Good luck...

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You enter the portal
As you step into the portal, you take on physical form. You now find yourself standing in the outside world, in the metallic form of a maintenance robot...

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is open).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The rest of the cable is in your hand.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
Go north
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

You're in the middle of a large cave which runs northeast and south, standing near the corner of the concrete wall of the bunker, which is to the southwest. A wide chasm spans the cave here, preventing passage to the north. The chasm was once spanned by a footbridge, but it collapsed years ago, and only a few rusted girders remain. A narrow conduit, bolted to the western cave wall, runs from the bunker to a cabinet on the other side of the chasm.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs south from here.
You throw the cable north
The cable lands on the other side of the chasm.
You go east
You can't go that way. Exits lead:
southeast to the Low Ceiling.
south to the Back Entrance.
Go north
The bridge is gone: you will have to find another way around the chasm.
You go south
(keeping hold of the trailing network cable)

You're in the southwest corner of a large cave. The walls of this cave are part natural limestone, and part slimy concrete, covered in decades of algae growth. To the west, you see the back entrance of the bunker, which is a wide door set into a concrete wall. The wall stretches north; the cave expands to the north and east.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs north and west from here.
Go west
You're in the north end of a large cave, standing beside a chasm which blocks passage to the south. The chasm was once spanned by a footbridge, but it collapsed years ago. On the other side of the chasm, you see the wall of the bunker. Passages lead east and northwest.

There is a cabinet here. A narrow conduit runs from the cabinet to the bunker on the other side of the chasm.

Network Socket Z5 is inside the cabinet. The socket is not in use.

A network cable crosses the chasm: it runs south from here.
Go east
(letting go of the trailing network cable as it is still plugged into Socket Z5)

You are at the western end of a long, damp cavern that stretches east. A wide tunnel leads south, and a passage leads west.
Go west
You're in the southwest corner of a large cave. The walls of this cave are part natural limestone, and part slimy concrete, covered in decades of algae growth. To the west, you see the back entrance of the bunker, which is a wide door set into a concrete wall. The wall stretches north; the cave expands to the north and east.

You can see a trailing network cable here. The cable runs north and west from here.
You go to the west
This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is open).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The cable runs east.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a satellite uplink kit and a workbench here.
You go to the north
As you step into the charging station, your robotic form shuts down...

The maintenance room is a round room with a low ceiling. The walls are made of shiny brushed metal, giving an impression of 1970s science fiction. Doors lead west and southeast. You see a warning sign on the western door.

There is a console in the centre of the room. The console's display is filled with line noise, and a red light is flashing.

A portal occupies most of the northeast wall.
You look at the console
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display is filled with random characters and weird flashing colours.
You look at the red light
It's on the console beside the display. The light is marked 'Network Flood'. The light is flashing.
You enter the portal
As you step into the portal, you take on physical form. You now find yourself standing in the outside world, in the metallic form of a maintenance robot...

This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is open).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The cable runs east.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a satellite uplink kit and a workbench here.
You go north
As you step into the charging station, your robotic form shuts down...

The maintenance room is a round room with a low ceiling. The walls are made of shiny brushed metal, giving an impression of 1970s science fiction. Doors lead west and southeast. You see a warning sign on the western door.

There is a console in the centre of the room.

A portal occupies most of the northeast wall.
You look at the console
The console is on a pedestal in the centre of the room. There is a display and a keyboard. The display shows a message:

'Dear candidate 28199,

It's worse than I thought. We have no external communications at
all; everything is infected. I need you to make a new connection via a satellite uplink.

Our enemy has discovered the location of our data centre, and will soon attempt to break in. We must act quickly. You will need to run a cable from socket WS3 to some place where the sky is visible. Set up a satellite uplink unit there, and connect it to the cable. Due to the distance, you will need to join more network cables - probably as many as you can find. Look in the Network Room first. There will be more in other places.

You will have to explore the caves.

One more thing. Be careful with the other network sockets. Some of them are flooded by the virus. If you connect them wrongly, it won't damage the Administration, but it might prevent you returning here.

Good luck...

Yours,
Central Administrator.'
You go southwest
There is no space to turn around: the only way is east.
Go southeast
You can't go that way. Exits lead:
east to the Dry Cave.
southwest to the Low Ceiling.
You put the float in the river
The float is sucked under the water by a powerful current.
You go to the west
You're standing on some slippery rocks to the south of a waterfall. An underground river emerges from high on the western wall here, forming a magnificent waterfall, then flowing away to the east.

On the underground lake is a plastic float.
Exits
Exits lead:
north to the Lakeside View.
east to the Ladder Bottom.
west to the Waterfall.
You go east
You are in a tall, round cave, like the bottom of a well. A pipe runs from the passage to the west and through an iron grating to the east. A ladder leads upwards to a manhole cover.
You examine the grating
The grating is old, but very solid, and it completely blocks all passage to the east. Only the pipe passes through it.
You examine the pipe
The pipe is made from rusty iron, and is around eight inches in diameter. It looks like a waste pipe. It runs from the tunnel to the west and passes through a heavy iron grating to the east.
You look at Ladder
The ladder is bolted to the wall of the cave and leads upwards.
You examine cover
The manhole cover is at the top of the ladder.
You open the cover
You open the manhole cover.
You go upwards
You're standing in the ruins of a farmhouse. The roof is gone, and some of the walls have collapsed. Thick brambles surround the ruin, blocking passage in all directions. It is early morning, and the remains of the building look beautiful in the dawn light. The air is filled with birdsong. A manhole leads down into the caves.
You look at the brambles
They are wild, prickly and tangled shrubs. They surround the farmhouse and block passage in all directions.
You go downward
You are in a tall, round cave, like the bottom of a well. A pipe runs from the passage to the west and through an iron grating to the east. There's a faint light from above. A ladder leads upwards.
You go to the west
You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.
You go north
You cautiously cross the lake by walking along the pipe...

You're standing on a rocky outcrop on the north side of an underground lake. The lake is bridged by a large metal pipe, which crosses the water to a small muddy beach on the far side. You hear a waterfall to the west. A passage leads northwest.
Go west
This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is open).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The rest of the cable forms a coil on the floor.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a satellite uplink kit and a workbench here.
You examine the cable
You see six coiled lengths of network cable. The cable is plugged into Socket WS3.
You go to the east
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

You're in the southwest corner of a large cave. The walls of this cave are part natural limestone, and part slimy concrete, covered in decades of algae growth. To the west, you see the back entrance of the bunker, which is a wide door set into a concrete wall. The wall stretches north; the cave expands to the north and east.
Go east
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

You're on the eastern edge of a large cave. The rocky ceiling is low here, and underneath its lowest point, a crawl tunnel leads northeast. A narrow passage leads southeast and the cave widens to the west.
You go to the southeast
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

You're standing on a path on the north side of an underground river which flows through the cave here. The river level is too high to allow passage in any direction except through a narrow passage to the northwest.
You put the float in the river
The float is sucked under the water by a powerful current. The trailing network cable is dragged along with it.
You put the kit in the river
It would be lost forever.
You pull the cable
Pulling the trailing network cable might damage it! (However, the cable may be CUT.)
Go northeast
You can't go that way. The only exit leads northwest to the Low Ceiling.
You go to the northwest
(keeping hold of the trailing network cable)

You're on the eastern edge of a large cave. The rocky ceiling is low here, and underneath its lowest point, a crawl tunnel leads northeast. A narrow passage leads southeast and the cave widens to the west.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs southeast and west from here.
You go to the west
You're standing on some slippery rocks to the south of a waterfall. An underground river emerges from high on the western wall here, forming a magnificent waterfall, then flowing away to the east.

On the underground lake is a plastic float.

A network cable passes through the waterfall. It is tied to the plastic float.
You go east
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.
Go east
(letting go of the trailing network cable, as it is tied to the plastic float, and it's too short to stretch to another room) (dropping the plastic float as the trailing network cable is still tied to it)

You are in a tall, round cave, like the bottom of a well. A pipe runs from the passage to the west and through an iron grating to the east. There's a faint light from above. A ladder leads upwards.
You go west
You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.

You can see a plastic float here. A cable is tied to the plastic float. The cable runs west.
You take the float
You already have that.
Taken.
Go east
(letting go of the trailing network cable, as you have none left)

You are in a tall, round cave, like the bottom of a well. A pipe runs from the passage to the west and through an iron grating to the east. There's a faint light from above. A ladder leads upwards.
Go west
You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.

You can see a trailing network cable here. The cable runs west from here.
Go southwest
You're on the eastern edge of a large cave. The rocky ceiling is low here, and underneath its lowest point, a crawl tunnel leads northeast. A narrow passage leads southeast and the cave widens to the west.

You can see a trailing network cable here. The cable runs southeast and west from here.
You go to the west
You're in the southwest corner of a large cave. The walls of this cave are part natural limestone, and part slimy concrete, covered in decades of algae growth. To the west, you see the back entrance of the bunker, which is a wide door set into a concrete wall. The wall stretches north; the cave expands to the north and east.

You can see a trailing network cable here. The cable runs east and west from here.
You go west
This is a cold and dirty room with concrete walls and an oily floor. There are no windows - the room is deep underground - and the only light comes from aged, flickering fluorescent tubes. There's another room to the south and a doorway to the west. Much of the eastern wall is taken up by a blast door (which is open).

Network Socket WS3 is on the south wall. A cable is plugged into Socket WS3. The cable runs east.

Network Socket WS2 is on the north wall. The socket is not in use.

There are two charging stations on the north side of the room, each large enough to accommodate your robotic body.

You can also see a workbench here.
Go west
This dingy concrete room is filled with racks of batteries, providing backup power for the facility. There are doorways to the north, east and west.

Network Socket WS4 is on the south wall. The socket is not in use.
You look at the door
The door is in the northeast corner. It bears an old sign: 'GPO Room'.
You go northeast
This is where network links enter the bunker. The room is filled with racks of network equipment with brightly flashing lights. A door leads southwest.

You can see a twitching maintenance robot here. A cable is plugged into the black box attached to the maintenance robot. The cable is also attached to Socket WS1.

Network Socket WS1 is on the east wall.

You can see a single-length network cable here.

You can also see some glass cabinets here.
You examine the robot
(the broken maintenance robot)
The robot is obviously malfunctioning. It lies on the floor, twitching violently as if having a fit. In other respects, the robot looks just like 'you': it has a humanoid body just like your own, and is plainly intended to maintain the systems in the bunker. There's a black box attached to the robot like a backpack.
You unplug the broken robot
The broken robot stops twitching.

The single-length network cable is now unplugged from the black box attached to the maintenance robot.
You look at the box
(the black box attached to the maintenance robot)
The backpack is a large black box attached to the back of the broken robot, containing his physical mind. There's a number printed on the box, 40189, and a name: 'Maurice'.
You take the box
(the black box attached to the maintenance robot)
The poor robot has suffered enough!
You examine ws1
The label reads 'Socket WS1 - Unfiltered'. A cable is plugged into Socket WS1. The rest of the cable is in your hand.
You look at the cabinets
Dozens of glass-fronted cabinets filled with modern networking gear. You can see many network cables in the cabinets, but they're mostly very short, just long enough to connect one router to another. However, you notice one cable at the bottom of one cabinet, apparently unconnected, and just within reach.
You take the cable
Which do you mean, the single-length network cable or a single-length network cable?
You take the cables
single-length network cable: Taken.
single-length network cable: Taken.
You look around
This is where network links enter the bunker. The room is filled with racks of network equipment with brightly flashing lights. A door leads southwest.

You can see a broken maintenance robot here.

Network Socket WS1 is on the east wall. The socket is not in use.

You can also see some glass cabinets here.
You examine the lights
Dozens of glass-fronted cabinets filled with modern networking gear. You can see many network cables in the cabinets, but they're mostly very short, just long enough to connect one router to another.
Go south
You cautiously cross the lake by walking along the pipe...

You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.

You can see a trailing network cable here. The cable runs west from here.
Go east
You are in a tall, round cave, like the bottom of a well. A pipe runs from the passage to the west and through an iron grating to the east. There's a faint light from above. A ladder leads upwards.
Go west
You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.

You can see a trailing network cable here. The cable runs west from here.
You join the cables
trailing network cable: The cables are joined, creating two coiled lengths.
You describe your surroundings
You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs west from here.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a trailing network cable (runs west from here)
a single-length network cable
a single-length network cable
a plastic float
a toolbag (which is open)
a screwdriver
an instruction book
a cable joining tool
a black box
You join the cables
trailing network cable: The cables are joined, creating three coiled lengths.
trailing network cable: The cables are joined, creating four coiled lengths.
trailing network cable: You have no other cable end to join to the trailing network cable.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a trailing network cable (runs west from here)
a plastic float
a toolbag (which is open)
a screwdriver
an instruction book
a cable joining tool
a black box
You go to the east
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

You are in a tall, round cave, like the bottom of a well. A pipe runs from the passage to the west and through an iron grating to the east. There's a faint light from above. A ladder leads upwards.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs west from here.
Go upwards
(laying the trailing network cable as you go)

You're standing in the ruins of a farmhouse. The roof is gone, and some of the walls have collapsed. Thick brambles surround the ruin, blocking passage in all directions. It is early morning, and the remains of the building look beautiful in the dawn light. The air is filled with birdsong. A manhole leads down into the caves.

You are holding a trailing network cable. The cable runs down from here.
Go downward
You are in a tall, round cave, like the bottom of a well. A pipe runs from the passage to the west and through an iron grating to the east. There's a faint light from above. A ladder leads upwards.

You can see a trailing network cable here. The cable runs up and west from here.
You go west
You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.

You can see a trailing network cable here. The cable runs east and west from here.
Go southwest
You can't go that way. Exits lead:
north to the Damp Cavern.
east to the Fork.
west to the Crawl Tunnel.
You go southeast
You're standing on a path on the north side of an underground river which flows through the cave here. The river level is too high to allow passage in any direction except through a narrow passage to the northwest.

A network cable runs out of the narrow passage and disappears into the river.

You can also see a satellite uplink kit here.
You drop all
satellite uplink kit: Dropped.
plastic float: Dropped.
toolbag: Dropped.
black box: The black box contains your mind. If you disconnect it, you die.
You go to the south
You start to cross the lake by walking along the pipe, and you nearly lose your balance on several occasions, but luckily you make it to the other side...

You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.

You can see a trailing network cable here. The cable runs east and west from here.
Go north
You cautiously cross the lake by walking along the pipe...

You're standing on a rocky outcrop on the north side of an underground lake. The lake is bridged by a large metal pipe, which crosses the water to a small muddy beach on the far side. You hear a waterfall to the west. A passage leads northwest.

You can see a plastic float here.

You can also see a toolbag (in which are a screwdriver, an instruction book and a cable joining tool) here.
You take all
toolbag: Taken.
plastic float: Taken.
metal pipe: That's hardly portable.
underground lake: That's hardly portable.
You go to the south
You cautiously cross the lake by walking along the pipe...

You stand on a muddy beach on the south side of an underground lake. The lake occupies almost all of the cave, leaving only this beach and a path to the west. The lake is bridged by a pipe here - it comes from a passage to the east, and then runs across the lake to the north. The cave is filled with the sound of a waterfall.

You can see a trailing network cable here. The cable runs east and west from here.

You can also see a satellite uplink kit here.
Go upwards
You're standing in the ruins of a farmhouse. The roof is gone, and some of the walls have collapsed. Thick brambles surround the ruin, blocking passage in all directions. It is early morning, and the remains of the building look beautiful in the dawn light. The air is filled with birdsong. A manhole leads down into the caves.

You can see a trailing network cable here. The cable runs down from here.
You open it
The uplink kit automatically unfolds a small satellite dish and locks on to a satellite.
You look at the dish
The satellite uplink kit is housed in a heavy case (which is open). Within it, you see a small satellite dish and a network socket. It provides emergency network access via satellite. The status panel on the uplink kit shows that satellite communications are working, but there is no data link yet.
You plug the cable to the Socket
(first taking the trailing network cable)
The status panel on the uplink kit lights up as the connection is established! The trailing network cable is now plugged into the uplink socket.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a trailing network cable (plugged into the uplink socket and runs
down from here)
a plastic float
a toolbag (which is open)
a screwdriver
an instruction book
a cable joining tool
a black box
You go to the north
As you step into the charging station, your robotic form shuts down...

Sunshine streams through the windows of the lobby. The Central Administrator and a few other senior staff are waiting to congratulate you. You have passed your final exam. There is a brief round of hand-shaking and back-patting.

'I am sorry it was a little unorthodox,' the Central
Administrator begins. 'It's normally just a three-hour viva. But I think we can skip that, under the circumstances.

'Let me introduce you to the new Security Administrator. I had
thought that the attack came from outside, but it turns out to have been something of a palace coup. There's been a reshuffle.

'The guilty party deserves a second chance, I think, but will not
be returning to a position of any responsibility.

'But, the good news: I've found you a job in Simulation. It will be ideally suited to the skills and capabilities you ably demonstrated today.'

The new Security Administrator leads you up the stairs to introduce you to your new co-workers.

Your life as an Administrator has begun.