Colonists
Andrew Fuller
science fiction
You signed up for the United Space Exploration Federation in the hopes that you would be one of the proud few chosen to head a colonization mission to Alpha Centauri Six. When the rosters were announced and your name was on it for crewman aboard the U.S.E.F. Intrepid, you did not think even the cryogenic sleep chambers would calm you down. You are about to embark on a life a excitement and adventure!
%
You awaken inside your cryogenic chamber, cold and alone. You can see through a foggy glass door facing north in the Cryogenic Chamber Room. The room outside is pitch black except for a blinking red dot across from your chamber.

You can see a glass door and a button here.
About yourself
As good-looking as ever.
You look at the button
It opens your chamber.

The button is currently switched off.
Go north
(first opening the glass door)

The Cryogenic Chamber room lights flicker on, seeming to stuggle with a faltering power supply. The room is eerily lit by the dying lights. A broken up computer voice says "Good mor...ing pioneer 612... welcome to ... new colony planet. Refreshers are .... the east....cryogenic illness sh.... pass shortly. When y... are ready .... head... cargo bay....debriefing by... "
The message cuts off. You see a bathroom to the East and a door to the North.

You can see a glass door, other cryogenic chambers, your Cryogenic Berth (empty) and a blinking red light here.
You look at light
The blinking light appears to be on a control panel mounted to the wall. The panel seems to monitor the cryogenic chambers.
Go east
A small compartment off of the Cryogenic Chamber. There is a large showering area past a row of lockers on one side and wash basins with mirrors on the other.

You can see a shower (empty) here.
You take a the shower
Taken.
You examine the shower
They are dimly lit by a single row of halogen lights. It appears that no one has ever utilized the showers. You see two vents high up in the ceiling.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a shower
You look at the vents
They are too high up to be reachable.
You stand on the shower
You can only get into something free-standing.
You look at the lockers
The lockers have been smashed open. One has its door hanging on by a hinge.

In the lockers is an uniform.
You wear the uniform
(first taking the uniform)
You put on the uniform.
About yourself
As good-looking as ever.
You examine the basins
Water basins used to wash up with mirrors above them. They are dry as a bone
Go west
The Cryogenic Chamber room lights flicker on, seeming to stuggle with a faltering power supply. The room is eerily lit by the dying lights. A broken up computer voice says "Good mor...ing pioneer 612... welcome to ... new colony planet. Refreshers are .... the east....cryogenic illness sh.... pass shortly. When y... are ready .... head... cargo bay....debriefing by... "
The message cuts off. You see a bathroom to the East and a door to the North.

You can see a glass door, other cryogenic chambers, your Cryogenic Berth (empty) and a blinking red light here.
You examine other
(the uniform)
It is smeared with something you hope is dirt
You examine the chambers
All the other chambers have smashed windows and are broken. Blood is smeared across a few of them. Yours appears to be the last one intact.
You go to the north
The corridor runs East to West with the door to the Cryo Chamber to the South. It is dimly lit and has discarded trash littering its corners. Dust has settled on the walls and floor but it appears something has swept a path in the center by walking. A message is written on the North wall.
You read the message
Someone has smeared a dark substance on the wall with thier hand. It reads: "Avoid the Beast!"
You look at the trash
Broken equipment, discarded boxes, and torn uniforms. Nothing useful.
You go east
The corridor banks ninety degrees, causing it to run West to North. The lights are flickering and there is quite a large pile of refuse in the corner. There is a door on the south wall of the corridor with a plaque above it marked Engine Room 2.
You read the note
(In hastily written scrawl)  Sometimes I just wait... and it goes the other way....
Wait
Time passes.
Go south
Pipes, valves, and air ducts clutter the walls and ceiling of the corridor. You can see the dull glow of a terminal through a layer of soot covering its screen. To the south lies the Engine Room.

You can see Active Terminal here.

The echos of the Beast arrives from the south.
You examine Beast
The beast has found you.

A pale gaunt man in the shredded ruins of what must have once been the ship's uniform stands in front of you. Choose your next move carefully...it may be your last. You can't run!
You run
You'll have to say which compass direction to go in.
Colo2
Ok.
Go north
The corridor runs North to South with a door on the western wall. A plaque above the door says Kitchen. Flickering overhead lights illuminate claw marks gouged into the eastern wall of the corridor.
West
The kitchen looks as if a tornado has blown through it. All the cabinets have been opened, food stuffs have been consumed and the boxes torn to shreds and scattered through the room. A refrigerator lays on its side in one corner. The oven appears to be the only appliance that was too heavy to be moved. On the wall across from the kitchenette area is a terminal. Doors are on both the East and West wall.

You can see an oven (closed), a refrigerator (closed), a cabinets (empty) and Active Terminal here.
You open the oven
You open the oven.
You look in the oven
The oven is empty.
You open the fridge
Two unblinking pairs of blood red eyes stare up at you. It appears some sort of six legged rat creature has been making its home in the fridge.
You take the rat
The creature hisses at you and bolts from the kitchen.
You close the fridge
You close the refrigerator.
Look around
The kitchen looks as if a tornado has blown through it. All the cabinets have been opened, food stuffs have been consumed and the boxes torn to shreds and scattered through the room. A refrigerator lays on its side in one corner. The oven appears to be the only appliance that was too heavy to be moved. On the wall across from the kitchenette area is a terminal. Doors are on both the East and West wall.

You can see an oven (empty), a refrigerator (closed), a cabinets (empty) and Active Terminal here.
You look at the Terminal
The faintly lit screen glows an eeiry green. The screen reads: ---U.S.E.F. INTREPID TERMINAL LOG---
Day 4: This is Co-Pilot Marquet de Pistrix. All the water in our tanks is gone... it must have depressurized while we were in space. I have drank the few cannisters of water in the kitchen, but I will have to find some more soon. I think I saw a swamp outside... maybe I can filter some of that water. Thankfully there is still plenty of food in the kitchen. I still have not been able to get enough power from the ship to send out a distress beacon to the other colonists or to wake up the crew. I'll keep trying.
Day 7: It's been a week and this log is the only communication I have, even if it's fairly one sided. Two of the three water filters on the ship were duds and the third seems to struggle with that swamp water. When we get out of this remind me to send a scathing letter back to the requisition officer in charge of this expedition.
Day 8: The third filter is caput. I dont think it was doing much anyways. I woke up today with a pounding headache.
You go north
The corridor banks ninety degrees from South to West. Surprisingly the lights are maintaining their power levels. Unfortunately they are providing good lighting for a rotting human carcass propped up in the corner.

You can see Rotting Human Carcass here.
You examine Carcass
It's been here a while. Half of the body is missing. The other half looks gnawed upon by something.... bigger than a rat.
You get all
(Rotting Human Carcass)
Why would you do that?
Go west
The corridor goes East to West. The North side of the corridor is a stairway with stairs leading both up and down. A plaque labels the stairs direction. A large painting of the three colony ships sent out is mounted on the southern bulkhead.

You can see a painting here.
You examine the painting
Three beautifully rendered colonist interstellar crafts are flying in formation through deep space. A bronze engraved plate on the bottom reads "The Serenity, the Normandy, and the Intrepid: God Speed On Your Journey To Alpha Centauri Six."
You read the plaque
Ships Bridge: Up. Cargo Hold: Down.
You go west
The corridor banks ninety degrees from South to East. An unhappy face has been drawn on the wall in a crusty reddish brown substance.
You look at the face
Someone has a sick sense of humor.
You go south
The corridor runs North to South. The lights out in this corridor and shadows lie heavily in all the corners. Light spills in from the adjoining corridors and play upon a shadowed door on the eastern wall and a ladder well on the western wall.
Go east
The kitchen looks as if a tornado has blown through it. All the cabinets have been opened, food stuffs have been consumed and the boxes torn to shreds and scattered through the room. A refrigerator lays on its side in one corner. The oven appears to be the only appliance that was too heavy to be moved. On the wall across from the kitchenette area is a terminal. Doors are on both the East and West wall.

You can see an oven (empty), a refrigerator (closed), a cabinets (empty) and Active Terminal here.
You go south
The corridor banks ninety degrees, causing it to run East to North. The lights are flickering and there is quite a large pile of garbage in the corner. There is a door on the south wall of the corridor with a plaque above it marked Engine Room 1.
You examine the garbage
Just a bunch of junk.
Go south
Tubes, levers, and fittings clutter the walls and ceiling of the corridor. You can see the dull glow of a terminal through a layer of soot covering its screen. To the south lies the Engine Room.

You can see Inactive Terminal here.
You get the Terminal
That's fixed in place.
You look at the Terminal
The bottom of the terminal has been smashed in and its power source torn out. Gore has been smeared all around the base of it. The screen is black.
Examine tubes
They are tubes.
You look at the levers
They are air rusted tight.
You examine the fittings
They are fittings.
You get all
(Inactive Terminal)
That's fixed in place.
Go south
The Heinlein Quantum Drive that powers deep space colony ships fills the majority of the room. It appears a fire broke out in here some time ago as the drive is powered down and scorch marks cover three quarters of the room. You can feel a draft blowing from the far corner behind the burnt-out drive.

You can see a burnt drive here.
You look at Drive
As you inspect the Heinlein Drive you see a narrow path leading to a vent heading east. You may be able to squeeze in - but it's doubtful you could get back out.
You go to the east
You can see a light to the east.
You examine the ladder
The ladder has rusted spots but seems sturdy enough. Its too dark to see down but you can see a faint glow somewhere up above.
Up
The corridor on this level runs North to South but both directions have collapsed in. The ladder well is on the western wall. An active terminal is glowing on the eastern wall.

You can see Active Terminal here.
You examine terminal
The faintly lit screen glows an eeiry green. The screen reads: ---U.S.E.F. INTREPID TERMINAL LOG---
Day 10: This is Marquet de Pistrix. All the food in the kitchen is gone, the other levels of the ship have collapsed so I can't get to the storage there. Every day my head pounds like im standing next to a Heinlein drive with no sound barrier. What little food was left in the kitchen was stolen by some small animal. Something akin to a rat I think...maybe if I could catch it...
Day 11: I hear voices. I think its the crew calling out from their cryo sleep....They wont stop screaming. I know its my fault! I know I crashed the ship! Something on the back of my neck has started to grow....SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!!!!!!! !!!! !!!!!!!!!
Go down
The corridor runs North to South. The lights out in this corridor and shadows lie heavily in all the corners. Light spills in from the adjoining corridors and play upon a shadowed door on the eastern wall and a ladder well on the western wall.

You can see an echos of the Beast here.
Go south
Pipes, valves, and air ducts clutter the walls and ceiling of the corridor. You can see the dull glow of a terminal through a layer of soot covering its screen. To the south lies the Engine Room.

You can see Active Terminal here.
You examine the pipes
They are pipes.
You examine the air ducts
They are air ducts.
You examine the valves
They are rusted tight.
Go south
The Heinlein Quantum Drive that powers deep space colony ships fills the majority of the room. It appears a fire broke out in here some time ago as the drive is powered down and scorch marks cover three quarters of the room. You can feel a draft blowing from the far corner behind the burnt-out drive.

You can see a broken drive here.
You look at Drive
As you inspect the Heinlein Drive you see a narrow path leading to a vent heading west. You may be able to squeeze in - but it's doubtful you could get back out.
You go west
You can see a light to the west.
Go west
A small compartment off of the Cryogenic Chamber. There is a large showering area past a row of lockers on one side and wash basins with mirrors on the other.
You go west
The corridor banks ninety degrees, causing it to run East to North. The lights are flickering and there is quite a large pile of garbage in the corner. There is a door on the south wall of the corridor with a plaque above it marked Engine Room 1.

You can see an echos of the Beast here.
You go down
Debris clutters the lower rungs. You cant go any further
Up
You see a large round room with a long conference table surrounded by chairs. A long cracked window runs along  the western wall. A historic painting is mounted across the room from the window on the eastern wall. North of the room is a door with a plaque labeled "Ship's Bridge"

You can see a bridge door, a conference table, Chairs and a historic painting here.
You look at the painting
The painting is a Japanese print of a large blue wave sweeping across the scene. The wave is here much more than a mere oceanic circumstance. It's a monster, a giant leviathan threatening with its fangs the agile and audacious ships that cross, flexible, the Japanese seas. The terrible ocean's claw is so powerful that it seems to threaten to devour even the sacred Mount Fuji, presented at the background as another victim of the evil wave.
The placard beneath it reads: KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI "The Wave", c.1830
You examine the window
The ship looks like it crash landed on a planet. You can see thick foliage growing up around the ship. Mountains run across the skyline, maybe you're in a valley?
You break the window
Your attempts are futile. Even cracked it is meant to withstand the pressures of deep space.
You examine table
A long conference table made of some shiny alloy. Nothing is on it.
You look at the chairs
They are chairs.
You examine the plaque
It says "Ship's Bridge"
You open it
It seems to be locked.
You unlock it
What do you want to unlock the bridge door with?
You go to the east
The corridor banks ninety degrees from South to West. Surprisingly the lights are maintaining their power levels. Unfortunately they are providing good lighting for a rotting human carcass propped up in the corner.

You can see Rotting Human Carcass here.

The echos of the Beast arrives from the south.
You search rotting
You find nothing of interest.

The beast has found you.

A pale gaunt man in the shredded ruins of what must have once been the ship's uniform stands in front of you. Choose your next move carefully...it may be your last. You can't run!
Go down
The ships cargo bay is a wide open room capable of housing multiple pieces of heavy equipment necessary to colonize a planet. It appears the bull dozer that was loaded inside broke its holding chains during the crash and split the double doors sealing the Northern wall from the loading dock. The control panel for the cargo bay doors is off to the side of the dozer. A broken fork lift is off to one side of the hold. Debris and equipment is scattered across the hold. An active terminal sits next to the stairwell.

You can see a Cargo Hold Door, Active Terminal, a bull dozer, a broken fork lift and a control panel here.
You look at the Terminal
The faintly lit screen glows an eeiry green. The screen reads: ---U.S.E.F. INTREPID TERMINAL LOG---
Day 22: This is.. I'm not sure anymore. The tumor on my neck has stopped throbbing but I can feel something squirming inside....growing I think. The screams of the crew have stopped but... the things I have done... I wont go back to the bridge... The captain just stares at me... accuses me.... I hid my keycard above some room plaque...I dont remember which one... I dont want to...
Day 25: The screams were replaced... I am not Marquet anymore...I am powerful... but hungry... always hungry....the voice agrees with me.... keep feeding....
Day 28: I found a demon walking the corridors. He wore a uniform I should remember, but my bodiless benefactor..the voice in my head told me what to do with this trespasser. He hid for a while but I found him, typing on a terminal like I am. Ha! Demons can't spell! I blacked out but when I came to he was disemboweled....like all demons should be. I smashed his terminal in case he was trying to summon more devils. The voice agrees...the voice agrees...
You examine the control panel
The control panel for cargo bay doors has deep rents slashed across the top of it. Crusted blood is smeared along its side. This panel is inoperable, but it reminds you that there are auxillary controls for the door in the Ship's Bridge.

The echos of the Beast arrives from above.
You look at the dozer
It is firmly wedged in the double doors. You can see through the back and front windshield into the loading bay and on to the outside world.

The beast has found you.

A pale gaunt man in the shredded ruins of what must have once been the ship's uniform stands in front of you. Choose your next move carefully...it may be your last. You can't run!
You examine the plaque
Ships Bridge: Up. Cargo Hold: Down.

The echos of the Beast arrives from below.
Go down
The ships cargo bay is a wide open room capable of housing multiple pieces of heavy equipment necessary to colonize a planet. It appears the bull dozer that was loaded inside broke its holding chains during the crash and split the double doors sealing the Northern wall from the loading dock. The control panel for the cargo bay doors is off to the side of the dozer. A broken fork lift is off to one side of the hold. Debris and equipment is scattered across the hold. An active terminal sits next to the stairwell.

You can see a Cargo Hold Door, Active Terminal, a bull dozer, a broken fork lift and a control panel here.
You look at the fork
The pilot's seat is crushed by its protective frame and a metal bar is jammed into its controls. The compartment in the rear looks undamaged.
You examine the compartment
The battery pack in its rear looks salvageable.
You look at the dozer
It is firmly wedged in the double doors. You can see through the back and front windshield into the loading bay and on to the outside world.
You look at the equipment
The Gas Tank looks salvageable. If you could find a lighter you may be able to COMBINE it with the gas tank to jury rig something.
You look at the control panel
The control panel for cargo bay doors has deep rents slashed across the top of it. Crusted blood is smeared along its side. This panel is inoperable, but it reminds you that there are auxillary controls for the door in the Ship's Bridge.
You look at the plaque
You feel a keycard resting on the top of the plaque.
You examine the claw
Deep gouges in the metal wall, whatever did this was strong.
You examine the keycard
You unlock Door with the keycard
You unlock the bridge door.
You go north
(first opening the bridge door)

A large cockpit window is straight ahead from the door. Two piloting couches are in front of a control board under the window. On both the Eastern and Western Walls are cryochambers. Next to the door sits a glowing terminal.

You can see a bridge door, Piloting couches, a Western Cryochamber (empty) and Active Terminal here.
You examine terminal
The faintly lit screen glows an eeiry green. The screen reads: ---U.S.E.F. INTREPID TERMINAL LOG---
Day 17: I couldnt take it anymore. The crew...sleeping in their chambers wouldn't stop screaming in my head. I killed them. I killed all the ones who accused me with thier eyes, may god have mercy on my soul. But I... I was so hungry... something is wrong with me... maybe it was the water, maybe... This bulge on my neck wont stop growing.
It feels like it's shooting tendrils through my body... and the dreams!
Day 20: I'm in hell. I crashed the ship and this is hell. The nightmares that plague me last into my waking hours. The Captain is my own personal tormentor...mocking me from his throne. I'm locking the bridge...I dont want the Captain to follow me....
You look at Cryochamber
(the Western Cryochamber)
Above the chamber is labeled "Co-Pilot Pistrix, Marquet de". It looks like the chamber survived the crash unscathed.
You look at couches
Crossing seatbelts help to keep the pilot secure while the ship is in the free fall of space.
You examine the window
Through the spiderweb of cracks you can see a boggy lake and field of tall grass. Off to the west the field of grass is butted up against a thick forest. Mountains run across the skyline, you must be in a valley.
You examine eastern
Above the chamber is labeled "Captain Rogers, Steven". The chamber itself is a burnt out husk. The scorched remains of a skeleton are still slumped inside.
You examine the skeleton
The blackened remains of Captain Rogers smell faintly like crispy chicken.
You examine the control board
There are so many screens, flipswitches, and dials here you wouldnt know where to start. Half of the board is burned out anyways.
You eat captain
(first taking the scorched skeleton)
That's hardly portable.
Look around
A large cockpit window is straight ahead from the door. Two piloting couches are in front of a control board under the window. On both the Eastern and Western Walls are cryochambers. Next to the door sits a glowing terminal.

You can see a bridge door, Piloting couches, a Western Cryochamber (empty) and Active Terminal here.
You look at the seatbelts
They are seatbelts. They go click
You look at Gas Tank
The Gas Tank looks salvageable. If you could find a lighter you may be able to COMBINE it with the gas tank to jury rig something.
You take Tank
You already have that.
You examine Western
Above the chamber is labeled "Co-Pilot Pistrix, Marquet de". It looks like the chamber survived the crash unscathed.
You search Western
The Western Cryochamber is empty.
Go south
You see a large round room with a long conference table surrounded by chairs. A long cracked window runs along  the western wall. A historic painting is mounted across the room from the window on the eastern wall. North of the room is a door with a plaque labeled "Ship's Bridge"

You can see a bridge door, a conference table, Chairs and a historic painting here.
You examine the oven
You can see a pilot light inside.
You open the fridge
You open the refrigerator, revealing a Six Legged Rat Creature.
You look at the rat
The creature hisses at you and bolts from the kitchen.
You combine the flamethrower with rat
(first taking the Six Legged Rat Creature)
The creature hisses at you and bolts from the kitchen.
You examine the fridge
A horrid smell is wafting from inside. It sounds as if something is moving inside.

In the refrigerator is a Six Legged Rat Creature.
You look at the flamethrower
Dear MacGuyver, enclosed is a rubber band, a paper clip, and a drinking straw. Please save my dog.
Light flamethrower
This dangerous act would achieve little.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
MacGuyver's Flamethrower
a Keycard
a Battery Pack
a shower
an uniform (being worn)
Go east
The corridor runs North to South with a door on the western wall. A plaque above the door says Kitchen. Flickering overhead lights illuminate claw marks gouged into the eastern wall of the corridor.
Clear debris
It is fixed in place.
You combine the battery pack with the control board
(first taking the control board)
That's hardly portable.
You get the Terminal
That's fixed in place.
You close Door
You close the bridge door.
You lock Door
What do you want to lock the bridge door with?
Keycard
You lock the bridge door.
You open Door
It seems to be locked.
You unlock it
What do you want to unlock the bridge door with?
Keycard
You unlock the bridge door.
You open it
You open the bridge door.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
MacGuyver's Flamethrower
a Keycard
a Battery Pack
a shower
an uniform (being worn)
Wait
Time passes.
Go south
The corridor runs North to South. The lights out in this corridor and shadows lie heavily in all the corners. Light spills in from the adjoining corridors and play upon a shadowed door on the eastern wall and a ladder well on the western wall.

You can see an echos of the Beast here.

The echos of the Beast goes down.
Go downwards
Debris clutters the lower rungs. You cant go any further

You can see an echos of the Beast here.
You look at your surroundings
Debris clutters the lower rungs. You cant go any further

You can see an echos of the Beast here.

The echos of the Beast goes up.
You examine Beast
The echos of the Beast goes down.
You wait for a while
Time passes.

The echos of the Beast goes up.
You wait
Time passes.

The echos of the Beast goes east.
Go east
The kitchen looks as if a tornado has blown through it. All the cabinets have been opened, food stuffs have been consumed and the boxes torn to shreds and scattered through the room. A refrigerator lays on its side in one corner. The oven appears to be the only appliance that was too heavy to be moved. On the wall across from the kitchenette area is a terminal. Doors are on both the East and West wall.

You can see an echos of the Beast, an oven (empty), a refrigerator (in which is a Six Legged Rat Creature), a cabinets (empty) and Active Terminal here.