Dynamite Powers vs. the Ray of Night!
Mike Carletta
adventure black and white Colossal Cash Prize cover art IFComp 2018 IFComp Game parser sci-fi science fiction space adventure walkthrough
Dynamite Powers and Rosalind have escaped the Chinese water torture on Lord Infamy's dirigible. With the help of their new friend, Melcor, they led the revolt of the singing monkeys of Melodion and toppled Infamy's oppressive regime. Now the trio has learned the location of Lord Infamy's superweapon, the Ray of Night -- Mars! As Dynamite infiltrates the mysterious Martian base, he is ambushed by henchmen with paralyzing gas! We rejoin Dynamite as he awakens in a new deathtrap
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By the velvety purple rings of Uranus!

You stare lasers through the bars of your prison door at Lord Infamy.

"Commander Powers." Infamy's cold eyes taunt you. "This is the last time you'll trouble me." He pulls the chromed lever built into the control panel. Instantly, your cage drops a meter toward the frigid water below.

Infamy strides to the edge of the lake. "You're about to make the acquaintance of a few of my pets," he purrs. You can't stop yourself from glancing towards the churning waters. Martian razorfish!

"I intend to savor the experience. Every minute, you will be lowered a fraction toward your inevitable demise." Infamy smiles sinisterly.

A uniformed minion hurries into the room and whispers into Infamy's ear. He looks pained. "It seems I shall have to forgo that pleasure after all, Commander. More urgent matters require my attention."

Abruptly, the cage drops again. It sways slightly as it is jerked to a halt by the steel cable which suspends it. "Goodbye, Commander. And good riddance!" With a swirl of his cape, Infamy sweeps from the room.

"I'll get you yet, Lord Infamy!" you howl after him.

Dynamite Powers vs. the Ray of Night!

Episode 7: Fishing with Dynamite!

Cavern (in the titanium cage)
Two thirds of this large rock chamber is filled with an underground lake. It's churning with activity, and in the seething water, you can see flashes of silver.

A closed steel hatch is set into the north wall.

The control panel for the deathtrap is mounted on the rocky shore. A menacing chrome lever protrudes from it.

On the shore, your equipment is lying where Infamy's flunkies dumped it.
Menu
Welcome to Dynamite Powers vs. the Ray of Night!

Access the extras at any time with these commands:

ABOUT    Learn the story of Dynamite Powers vs. the Ray of Night! COLOR    Switch between the monochrome and colorized versions
ART      Display the cover art
CREDITS  Read the credits
HINTS    Access the hint menu
You look at what you're carrying with you
You are carrying:
a uniform (being worn)
an unbreakable nylon fiber rope (imprisoning your wrists behind your back)
a Sentinels of Outer Space insignia (being worn)
You look at the cage
The cage is large enough to confine a human being. It is composed of titanium bars so thick that even your mighty muscles would be unable to budge them. The bars form a grid too small for you to fit your hand through, but large enough for Martian razorfish to pass through unimpeded.

The door of your prison is securely locked. Beyond it, you can see the shore, and safety.

The cage is suspended four meters above the water.
You examine the insignia
The insignia of the Sentinels of Outer Space is pinned to your lapel. As you gaze at the stylized atom on the pin, you are once again reminded why you're proud to be a citizen of the League of Planets.
You look at uniform
The uniform of the Sentinels of Outer Space molds itself to your impressive physique. The trousers are charcoal and tight enough to scandalize the ladies. The tunic is a handsome dove gray, and has ivory braid across the chest. The insignia pinned to your lapel indicates your membership in the Sentinels of Outer Space.

Suddenly, sickeningly, the cage plummets another meter towards the water.

The cage is now suspended three meters above the water.
You look at the lever
The control panel seems to control the cage's descent.
You examine the equipment
Your small heap of belongings lies where Infamy's flunkies dropped it. If they've damaged anything, they'll face the wrath of Commander Dynamite Powers of the Sentinels of Outer Space!
You look at the pool
The underground lake is a natural formation. It's roughly twenty meters in diameter, and looks very deep. The cage is suspended in the center. Innumerable Martian razorfish flash through it, churning the water into foam.

The cage is now suspended three meters above the water.
You take the insignia
Using an undignified combination of your chin and the bars of the cage, you work the insignia free from your lapel. As the pin finally pulls free, it tumbles to the cage floor, and narrowly escapes being lost over the edge.
You take the insignia
Putting your back to the bars, you lower yourself to a sitting, then a lying, position. With infinite caution, you coax the insignia from the cage floor into your mouth. At last, you hold it securely between your teeth, with the pin pointed outward.

Suddenly, sickeningly, the cage plummets another meter towards the water.

The cage is now suspended two meters above the water.
You unlock door with the pin
Let's see - picking a lock with a pin in your teeth, while hanging suspended over a lake of ravenous Martian razorfish. Piece of cake for the Sentinels of Outer Space!

Carefully, you insert the end of the pin into the keyhole, and begin probing its innards. You align the tumblers, then slowly turn your head to disengage the bolt.

Whoops! As the bolt comes free, you sprawl face down through the suddenly-opening door. You're able to save yourself, but your Sentinels insignia falls into the water below and disappears. Shuddering, you work your way back into the cage, then rise to your feet.
Go outside
Yes, you might be able to cling to the outside of the cage with your tied hands. But things don't look any better out there. Better stay inside until you have a plan.
Swing cage
You grasp the bars with your tied hands, and lean back and forth in rhythm with the natural period of the cage qua pendulum. You are quickly able to build up an arc of 2 meters or so.
Keep going
Furiously, you continue pumping the cage back and forth. With an effort, you build up the length of the arc to 4 meters.
You continue
Furiously, you continue pumping the cage back and forth. With an effort, you build up the length of the arc to 6 meters.

As the cage slowly pendulums across the lake, it jerks and plummets another meter towards the water.

The cage is now suspended one meter above the water.
You continue
Furiously, you continue pumping the cage back and forth. With an effort, you build up the length of the arc to 8 meters.
Continue
Furiously, you continue pumping the cage back and forth. With an effort, you build up the length of the arc to 10 meters.
You keep going
Furiously, you continue pumping the cage back and forth. With an effort, you build up the length of the arc to 12 meters.
Go outside
Yes, you might be able to cling to the outside of the cage with your tied hands. But things don't look any better out there. Better stay inside until you have a plan.
Swing cage
Furiously, you continue pumping the cage back and forth. With an effort, you build up the length of the arc to 14 meters.

As the cage slowly pendulums across the lake, it jerks and plummets another meter towards the water.

The cage is now suspended mere centimeters above the water.
Continue
Furiously, you continue pumping the cage back and forth. With an effort, you build up the length of the arc to 16 meters.
Keep going
Furiously, you continue pumping the cage back and forth. With an effort, you build up the length of the arc to 18 meters.

The arc of the cage extends almost from the edge of the lake to the rock wall. At each end of the arc, your stomach does a small flip as you are briefly weightless. In the center of the arc, the razorfish-filled water rockets by mere centimeters below your feet.
Continue
Furiously, you continue pumping the cage back and forth. No matter how you try, however, you can't seem to increase its arc.

The arc of the cage extends almost from the edge of the lake to the rock wall. At each end of the arc, your stomach does a small flip as you are briefly weightless. In the center of the arc, the razorfish-filled water rockets by mere centimeters below your feet.
You jump
You screw up your courage, and fling yourself into space. For an instant, you think you're going to fall short, but you land half in and half out of the water. Flopping like the fish you're trying to escape, you pull your legs onto shore and roll a safe distance from the water. The area where you fell is a fountain of seething water, foam and fish.

You lay panting on the ground, while your heart and your breathing slow. The swinging cage plows into the lake and sends a spray of water over your supine form. Moments later, the cage sinks into the lake of death, and is gone.

When you've gathered your strength once more, you lever yourself to your feet, and look around.

Two thirds of this large rock chamber is filled with an underground lake. It's churning with activity, and in the seething water, you can see flashes of silver.

A steel cable runs up from the lake and into a featureless ceiling.

A closed steel hatch is set into the north wall.

The control panel for the deathtrap is mounted on the rocky shore. A menacing chrome lever protrudes from it.

Nearby, your equipment is lying where Infamy's flunkies dumped it.
You examine the equipment
Your ray gun is here, but it's destroyed and useless. There's a new-fangled ballpoint pen, a copy of Detective Comics #27 and lip balm in a white-and-black jar. Everything's been damaged beyond repair, and you angrily boot it all into the lake.

Wait! Here's your old Boy Scout knife!
You cut rope with the knife
(first taking the Boy Scout knife)
You perform an awkward pratfall, then pick up the knife in your bound hands.

The knife isn't open.
You open the knife
Working by touch, you carefully pry open the larger blade of the knife.
You cut the rope with the knife
You twist the knife upward, and saw awkwardly at your bonds. Your blade makes quick work of the ropes, and they soon fall to the ground. You are free once more.
You take the knife
You already have that.
You close the knife
You carefully close the knife.
Look around
Two thirds of this large rock chamber is filled with an underground lake. It's churning with activity, and in the seething water, you can see flashes of silver.

A steel cable runs up from the lake and into a featureless ceiling.

A closed steel hatch is set into the north wall.

The control panel for the deathtrap is mounted on the rocky shore. A menacing chrome lever protrudes from it.

You can also see some rope fragments here.
You look at the hatch
It's a door-sized stainless steel hatch with a handwheel. It's closed.
Turn wheel
You spin the wheel, and the hatch opens.
You go north
The hatch leads to a short, dark, ascending tunnel. You blunder your way through, eventually emerging through a second hatch.

You're in a small chamber above ground. Most of the room is the sterile white of laboratories everywhere, but the north wall has a large transparent bubble protruding outward. Outside, you can see the Martian surface and a distant dome. The only exit is the hatch leading back south.

An open steel hatch is set into the south wall.

A cube-like machine squats along the wall next to the bubble.

Along the west wall, a purpose-built table contains some sort of book.
You look at the book
The book seems to be a programming guide for the machine in this room. It is uncountable thousands of creamy loose-leaf pages long, permanently mounted in a metal bracket affixed to a table. The bracket has a small nameplate, which reads "Transmutation: A Mutant's Intro".
You read the book
Glancing through the book, you see columns on columns of five-digit numbers. Picking one at a random entry, you read:

Return code 77375: Edison circuit tripped

This is gibberish! Maybe if you knew what to look up.
You look at machine
The machine is almost a cube, and about five feet on each edge. The front of the machine displays three pictures, in a vertical column. Each picture displays the head, torso or legs of an alien creature!

The pictures display the head of a Martian kangasaur, the torso of a Martian kangasaur and the legs of a Martian kangasaur. To the left of each picture is a steel button.

Below the pictures, there's a mechanical readout of five digits. It currently displays "00000".

Mounted vertically on the right side of the machine, toward the bubble window, are three long tubes of frosted glass.
Keep going
You press the top button. The machine clanks, then a new picture flicks into place next to it. It shows the head of a frost turtle.
Keep going
You press the top button. The machine clanks, then a new picture flicks into place next to it. It shows the head of a megastrich.
You look at the megastrich
The top picture shows the head of a yellow-crested Jovian megastrich. Unlike its smaller Earth eponym, the megastrich is a carnivore. It chases down its prey with its powerful running legs, kicks it to death and (in a manner you'd prefer not to contemplate) spits a potent acid to pre-digest it. The purpose of the megastrich's stubby wings remains unknown, since no flying species are known to live on Jupiter.

Studying the picture carefully, you note the sharp coal black beak and peaked crest. Despite the creature's name, its crest is actually iron.
You look at the kangasaur
Which do you mean, the middle picture or the bottom picture?
Middle
The middle picture shows the torso of a violet-bellied Martian kangasaur. The kangasaur is the peak predator of this region of Mars, chasing the smaller red sand fleas with its powerful leaping hind legs and snatching them with its gecko-like tongue. Best of all, the kangasaur is a hypoxygen-breather!

Studying the picture carefully, you note the small charcoal forepaws and sleek belly. Despite the creature's name, its belly is actually slate.
You look up 00000 in the book
Return code 00000: Success

Huh. That's something we could use more of.
You examine the bubble
The bubble is a precise quarter sphere made of a tough, transparent plastic that protrudes outward from the north wall. It's big enough to walk into. In fact, the top is a couple of feet higher than your 6' 2" frame.

On close inspection, the sphere appears to be more than a window. Where it touches the wall, a bead of softer plastic mounted on the wall forms an airtight seal. And where the sphere meets the floor, it passes through another seal. Tracing the line with your eyes, you see that the floor seal forms a perfect circle, precisely bisected by the wall. Inside the circle, the floor is no longer the white tile of the main floor, but a soft silver.

You can see the rugged Martian landscape outside. In the distance, across some sort of ravine, there's an immense transparent dome.
Examine dome
The dome is hundreds of yards across. You can see structures inside, but you can't make out details.
You examine the marshbat
The top picture shows the head of a blue-eyed Venusian marshbat. Its resemblance to an Earth bat is superficial, at best. In the dense atmosphere of its native planet, it can fly indefinitely, navigating the steamy jungle by echolocation. It doesn't breathe, as such, but lands in the rich loam and extracts oxygen through organs in its legs.

Studying the picture carefully, you note the enlarged inky ears and intense eyes. Despite the creature's name, its eyes are actually gunmetal.
You examine the turtle
The top picture shows the head of a green-shelled Plutonian frost turtle, the largest creature yet discovered on Sol's ninth and newest planet. In Pluto's frigid night, even oxygen freezes, so the frost turtle retains its own atmosphere inside a transparent helmet that it can close at will. It navigates the nightmarish mountains of frozen gases using suction cup-like graspers on its two front limbs and traverses the soft snows of the plains using hind limbs that inflate to form snowshoes.

Studying the picture carefully, you note the clear helmet and scaly onyx head.
You examine the machine
The machine is almost a cube, and about five feet on each edge. The front of the machine displays three pictures, in a vertical column. Each picture displays the head, torso or legs of an alien creature!

The pictures display the head of a Plutonian frost turtle, the torso of a Martian kangasaur and the legs of a Martian kangasaur. To the left of each picture is a steel button.

Below the pictures, there's a mechanical readout of five digits. It currently displays "00000".

Mounted vertically on the right side of the machine, toward the bubble window, are three long tubes of frosted glass.
You examine the bottom picture
The bottom picture shows the legs of a violet-bellied Martian kangasaur. The kangasaur is the peak predator of this region of Mars, chasing the smaller red sand fleas with its powerful leaping hind legs and snatching them with its gecko-like tongue. Best of all, the kangasaur is a hypoxygen-breather!

Studying the picture carefully, you note the powerful leaping smoky gray legs and short pitch black tail.
You look at the bottom picture
The bottom picture shows the legs of a blue-eyed Venusian marshbat. Its resemblance to an Earth bat is superficial, at best. In the dense atmosphere of its native planet, it can fly indefinitely, navigating the steamy jungle by echolocation. It doesn't breathe, as such, but lands in the rich loam and extracts oxygen through organs in its legs.

Studying the picture carefully, you note the lethal cinereal gray talons and sleek waxy gills.
You look at the bottom picture
The bottom picture shows the legs of a green-shelled Plutonian frost turtle, the largest creature yet discovered on Sol's ninth and newest planet. In Pluto's frigid night, even oxygen freezes, so the frost turtle retains its own atmosphere inside a transparent helmet that it can close at will. It navigates the nightmarish mountains of frozen gases using suction cup-like graspers on its two front limbs and traverses the soft snows of the plains using hind limbs that inflate to form snowshoes.

Studying the picture carefully, you note the enlarged leaden hind limbs and short, spiked sable tail.
You examine the middle
(the middle picture)
The middle picture shows the torso of a violet-bellied Martian kangasaur. The kangasaur is the peak predator of this region of Mars, chasing the smaller red sand fleas with its powerful leaping hind legs and snatching them with its gecko-like tongue. Best of all, the kangasaur is a hypoxygen-breather!

Studying the picture carefully, you note the small charcoal forepaws and sleek belly. Despite the creature's name, its belly is actually slate.
You enter the bubble
As you enter the chamber, the silver floor gives slightly, making a satisfying ka-chunk! The machine chatters briefly, then new numbers ratchet into place: 69105.
You look up 69105
The programming guide is out of reach.
Leave
You get out of the plastic window.

You're in a small chamber above ground. Most of the room is the sterile white of laboratories everywhere, but the north wall has a large transparent bubble protruding outward. Outside, you can see the Martian surface and a distant dome. The only exit is the hatch leading back south.

An open steel hatch is set into the south wall.

A cube-like machine squats along the wall next to the bubble.

Along the west wall, a purpose-built table contains a programming guide.
You look up 69105
Return code 69105: Insufficiently mad science - add entropy

Huh. What the heck is entropy?
You look at the machine
The machine is almost a cube, and about five feet on each edge. The front of the machine displays three pictures, in a vertical column. Each picture displays the head, torso or legs of an alien creature!

The pictures display the head of a Plutonian frost turtle, the torso of a Martian kangasaur and the legs of a Plutonian frost turtle. To the left of each picture is a steel button.

Below the pictures, there's a mechanical readout of five digits. It currently displays "69105".

Mounted vertically on the right side of the machine, toward the bubble window, are three long tubes of frosted glass.
You enter the bubble
As you enter the chamber, the silver floor gives slightly, making a satisfying ka-chunk! The machine chatters briefly, then new numbers ratchet into place: 69105.
You examine the middle picture
The middle picture shows the torso of a green-shelled Plutonian frost turtle, the largest creature yet discovered on Sol's ninth and newest planet. In Pluto's frigid night, even oxygen freezes, so the frost turtle retains its own atmosphere inside a transparent helmet that it can close at will. It navigates the nightmarish mountains of frozen gases using suction cup-like graspers on its two front limbs and traverses the soft snows of the plains using hind limbs that inflate to form snowshoes.

Studying the picture carefully, you note the rugged ash gray graspers and sturdy shell. Despite the creature's name, its shell is actually pewter.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
a Boy Scout knife
a uniform (being worn)
About yourself
You glance down at yourself. You're wearing the dove gray tunic and charcoal trousers of the Sentinels of Outer Space.
You examine the bottom
(the bottom picture)
The bottom picture shows the legs of a green-shelled Plutonian frost turtle, the largest creature yet discovered on Sol's ninth and newest planet. In Pluto's frigid night, even oxygen freezes, so the frost turtle retains its own atmosphere inside a transparent helmet that it can close at will. It navigates the nightmarish mountains of frozen gases using suction cup-like graspers on its two front limbs and traverses the soft snows of the plains using hind limbs that inflate to form snowshoes.

Studying the picture carefully, you note the enlarged leaden hind limbs and short, spiked sable tail.
You examine the bottom picture
The bottom picture shows the legs of a yellow-crested Jovian megastrich. Unlike its smaller Earth eponym, the megastrich is a carnivore. It chases down its prey with its powerful running legs, kicks it to death and (in a manner you'd prefer not to contemplate) spits a potent acid to pre-digest it. The purpose of the megastrich's stubby wings remains unknown, since no flying species are known to live on Jupiter.

Studying the picture carefully, you note the muscular heather legs and deadly sooty black eviscerating claws.
You look at the middle
(the middle picture)
The middle picture shows the torso of a green-shelled Plutonian frost turtle, the largest creature yet discovered on Sol's ninth and newest planet. In Pluto's frigid night, even oxygen freezes, so the frost turtle retains its own atmosphere inside a transparent helmet that it can close at will. It navigates the nightmarish mountains of frozen gases using suction cup-like graspers on its two front limbs and traverses the soft snows of the plains using hind limbs that inflate to form snowshoes.

Studying the picture carefully, you note the rugged ash gray graspers and sturdy shell. Despite the creature's name, its shell is actually pewter.
You look at the middle
(the middle picture)
The middle picture shows the torso of a yellow-crested Jovian megastrich. Unlike its smaller Earth eponym, the megastrich is a carnivore. It chases down its prey with its powerful running legs, kicks it to death and (in a manner you'd prefer not to contemplate) spits a potent acid to pre-digest it. The purpose of the megastrich's stubby wings remains unknown, since no flying species are known to live on Jupiter.

Studying the picture carefully, you note the stunted argent wings and oyster feathered back.
You examine the middle
(the middle picture)
The middle picture shows the torso of a violet-bellied Martian kangasaur. The kangasaur is the peak predator of this region of Mars, chasing the smaller red sand fleas with its powerful leaping hind legs and snatching them with its gecko-like tongue. Best of all, the kangasaur is a hypoxygen-breather!

Studying the picture carefully, you note the small charcoal forepaws and sleek belly. Despite the creature's name, its belly is actually slate.
You examine middle
(the middle picture)
The middle picture shows the torso of a blue-eyed Venusian marshbat. Its resemblance to an Earth bat is superficial, at best. In the dense atmosphere of its native planet, it can fly indefinitely, navigating the steamy jungle by echolocation. It doesn't breathe, as such, but lands in the rich loam and extracts oxygen through organs in its legs.

Studying the picture carefully, you note the powerful jet black wings and dove breast.
You enter the bubble
As you enter the chamber, the silver floor gives slightly, making a satisfying ka-chunk! The machine chatters, then the plastic bubble rotates smoothly over your head, sealing into the circular groove behind you.

The fluorescent tubes mounted to the machine come to life, bathing you in a penetrating radiance. You involuntarily clamp your eyes shut, but you can still see the eerie glow. Looking about wildly, you see that your body casts no shadow.

"Walston rays!" you think. "But they're only a theory!" Your body spasms, and for a moment the world seems to twist like an Escher woodcut. When it steadies again, everything is different.

You've transformed into a nightmare jigsaw of a creature! From the shoulders up, you've become a Plutonian frost turtle. Your transparent vacuum helmet covers your head in a tight seal, but you can sense the neck muscles that will reopen it. From shoulders to hips, you have the body of a Venusian marshbat. Your gossamer wings fold tight against your body, but you can feel the new muscles used to flap them. Below the hips, you're now a Jovian megastrich. Your legs hold you as lightly as a feather in the weak Martian gravity, and you feel the urge to kick them with the sheer power.

New numbers ratchet into place on the front of the machine, and you can just make them out: 00000.

The Boy Scout knife falls to the floor.

The bubble begins to turn once more, continuing over your head and disappearing into the circular groove. A gap opens to the outside, widening until the situation has reversed: a quarter sphere protrudes into the interior of the lab, while you stand on the outside, exposed to the Martian elements.

You're standing in a rugged landscape of boulders and rocky outcroppings next to a small, square building. A transparent bubble projects inward into the building. Through the window, you can see the relative safety of the laboratory you just left.

The Martian surface extends in every direction, looking much the same as here, except to the north. There, across some sort of ravine, you can see a gargantuan transparent dome.

For a moment, you're frozen with panic. Then your hindbrain kicks in and slams your helmet shut. You convulsively breathe in, and realize that your reptilian reflexes have preserved enough oxygen inside the helmet to keep you alive.

You step out of the airlock, and onto the surface of Mars.
You examine the ravine
The ravine, if that's what it is, crosses the landscape jaggedly as far as the eye can see. You can't see into it at this distance, but there's clearly a gap.
Go north
You thunkathunk across the Martian plain, fatooming as you go.

You've arrived on the south side of a broad Martian canal. You can still see the laboratory in the distance, and across the canal you can see a huge transparent dome.
You examine the canal
Mars is covered with a fine tracing of these canals. They're not filled with water, of course - everybody knows there's no water on Mars! (Well, except underground.) Instead, they're filled with gray sand. You know that this fine powder is like terrestrial quicksand… you'd sink in it like a stone.
You fly
In the thick atmosphere of Venus, you could glide for hours on your marshbat wings. In the thinner atmosphere of Mars, you struggle aloft like an infant taking his first steps, make a short, ungainly flight across the canal, and crash-land into the softest pile of rocks.

This is the north side of the canal. To the south, the laboratory building now blends into the background perfectly. Further north, looming ever larger, is a titanic transparent dome.
You go north
You thunkathunk across the Martian plain, fatooming as you go.

At last, you've reached the base of the transparent dome. Up close, it's absolutely tremendous - bigger than Michigan Stadium! It's built into a circular crater that's hundreds of yards across.

An airlock provides access to the dome here. To the right of the airlock, mounted on the dome wall, is a device. Inside the airlock, you can see a manatee gray button mounted on a pedestal.

Inside, you can see a catwalk leading further north. Further in, there's some equipment of some kind mounted on a platform.

Back to the south, you can make out the canal of sand you crossed.
You examine the airlock
(the glass airlock)
The bubble design of the airlock is similar to the one in the laboratory building: a hemisphere of thick glass seals into a circle of soft plastic. Peering through the outer wall, you can see the airlock is in its neutral position; that is, it is sealed from both the interior and exterior of the dome. The circular floor is native Martian rock.

Inside, you see a manatee gray button mounted on a waist-high pedestal. Beyond that, you can see a catwalk leading out over empty space. Further in, there's equipment of some kind.
You look at the device
The device is mounted on the wall of the dome. It's little more than a black rectangle of plastic and metal. On its surface, glowing slightly, is the outline of a hand. Oddly, you see no wires.
Examine button
The pedestal is slender, metallic and about waist-high to a space adventurer. On its top surface is a small manatee gray button.

Unexpectedly, your muscles twitch and you feel a faint ringing in your ears. Are you coming down with something?
You touch the device
Intuiting the purpose of the device, you press your wing against the surface of the device.

The device emits a brief series of descending tones, like a sad trombone.
You enter the airlock
(the glass airlock)
There's a sphere of thick glass in the way.
About yourself
You've transformed into a nightmare jigsaw of a creature! From the shoulders up, you've become a Plutonian frost turtle. Your transparent vacuum helmet covers your head in a tight seal, but you can sense the neck muscles that will reopen it. From shoulders to hips, you have the body of a Venusian marshbat. Your gossamer wings fold tight against your body, but you can feel the new muscles used to flap them. Below the hips, you're now a Jovian megastrich. Your legs hold you as lightly as a feather in the weak Martian gravity, and you feel the urge to kick them with the sheer power.
Kick device
You wind up one sinewy leg and bash the rectangular device. Despite a devastating impact, the rectangular device is undamaged. Perhaps you should reserve your attack for a less durable target.
You kick the airlock
(the glass airlock)
Violence *is* the answer to this one!

You wind up one sinewy leg and bash the glass hemisphere. The glass fragments into a million pieces, releasing the air inside with a whoosh! The shattered pieces are swept past you like a whirlwind of razors. They disappear into the landscape, leaving you with only minor wounds.

With victory in your grasp, you smile, contorting your frost turtle features in ways they were never meant to move.

And as you rejoice, pain suddenly floods through you. Your whole body clenches like a fist, then melts like a Dali pocketwatch. When you open your eyes again, you're back in your familiar human body.

You immediately begin to choke on Mars' thin, poisonous atmosphere.
You enter the airlock
(the glass airlock)
You stumble into the airlock, avoiding the razor-sharp edges.

Outside the Dome (in the glass airlock)
You're inside a glass hemisphere that forms an airlock to the giant dome. In front of you, an intact quarter sphere separates you from the interior of the giant dome. Behind you, a broken quarter sphere exposes you to the Martian atmosphere.

There's a manatee gray button mounted on a pedestal in the center of the airlock.

You are choking on the poisonous atmosphere! You don't have much longer!
You examine the mirror
It's impossible to focus on the mirrored bowl below you, rather than what's reflected in it. In it, you can see a distorted view of the Martian sky crossed by the thin line of the catwalk. The central platform seems to hang directly beneath your feet. The solar disc is nowhere to be seen.
You examine tube
There's a round platform, surrounded by a railing, in the center of the mirror chamber. In its center, an ominous black tube juts at an angle toward the Earth. There are equipment consoles surrounding the tube, but you can't make out any detail at this distance.
About yourself
You glance down at yourself. You're wearing the dove gray tunic and charcoal trousers of the Sentinels of Outer Space.
Go north
This vertiginous aerie appears to be suspended in an infinite open space. In every direction you look, you see only the Martian sky. The platform itself is circular and about ten meters in diameter. It's surrounded by a wholly inadequate handrail.

A narrow catwalk extends back to the south of the platform, appearing to vanish into the sky. The catwalk continues across a gap to the north, studded with the cranes, gantries, and scaffolding towers of an active construction site. Steel cables, seeming as slender and fragile as spider silk, extend at intervals to anchor the catwalks and platform to thin air.

A console sits on the west side of the platform, studded with blinking lights, gauges, dials, instruments, indicators, and other doohickeys. Electrical cables connect the console with the tube. A drawer is set into the front of the console.

On the metal console is an Acme Mark III Deluminator Instruction Guide.

A metallic tube in the center of the platform towers over you. The tube points at the sky at a slight angle to vertical. The base of the tube is set into a complicated clockwork mechanism.
You examine Guide
It's a small volume made of battleship gray faux leather. In pearly letters, it's titled "Acme Mark III Deluminator Instruction Guide".

There's the humming of circuits opening, then Lord Infamy's voice booms from every direction:

"Commander Powers. I see you've escaped my pets. Again."

His voice drips with mock sympathy. "I fear this is only a momentary reprieve. I have two legions of my Midnight Horde on board this space dreadnought. That's enough to deal with any number of… your ilk."
You
can hear the pucker of distaste in his voice.

"Enjoy your last moments of freedom, and," he chuckles mirthlessly, "life. Perhaps you can spend it in contemplation of Earth's future…
an
eternity adrift in darkness.

"In the meantime, that's the engine of Earth's destruction right there! Feel free to examine it… you won't be able to do any harm.
It's
the heavy-duty model.

"I'm a tad busy preparing for my ascent. Rest assured, my friends and I will stop by as soon as I have a free moment. Then you and I can have a nice chat while I show you my new toy. And after that," -- Infamy's voice hardens and rises into a shriek-- "after I've destroyed your friends, your planet, and everything you hold dear… then we'll find out what a planetary deluminator can do to the last Earthman!"
You examine Infamy
Lord Infamy isn't here. On the whole, you prefer it that way.
You read Guide
You leaf through until you find the table of contents. You can read these sections:

Operational Overview
Technical Information
Safety Instructions
You read the introduction
Hello, despot!

Congratulations on your purchase of an Acme Mark III Deluminator!

Your new deluminator will provide you and your family with hours of delight-ful entertainment for years to come. However, incorrect operation can result in planetary extinction, so please read this manual carefully and completely before operation.

If you're in a hurry, just read the Quick Start section!
You read the quick start
Hello, abecedarian!

In a hurry to create your first "ray of darkness"Follow these simple steps:

1) Mount the Acme Mark III Deluminator and Acme Mark III Tracking Platform on a planetary surface, with a clear view of the object you wish to deluminate. Remember - you should never deluminate an inhabited planet!
2) Attach the Acme Mark III Deluminator and Acme Mark III Tracking Platform to an operating atomic pile.
3) Insert the seven Acme Mark III Lens Filters into the seven lens apertures inside the Acme Mark III Deluminator. Be sure that each lens filter is placed in the aperture with the corresponding label!
4) Aim the Acme Mark III Deluminator using the Acme Mark III
Tracking Platform.
5) Activate the Acme Mark III Deluminator using the big red button.

Have fun!

"Kiss the light goodbye!" Infamy shrills through the loudspeakers.
You open the drawer
The drawer slides open with oiled ease. The drawer is divided into seven compartments, which are lined with velvet. All of the compartments are occupied.

They contain some lenses with glass of different colors (white, black, gunmetal, pewter, iron, taupe and slate).
You get the lenses
lens with white-colored glass: You ease the white-colored lens gently out of one of the drawer's velvet lined compartments.
lens with black-colored glass: You ease the black-colored lens gently out of one of the drawer's velvet lined compartments.
lens with gunmetal-colored glass: You ease the gunmetal-colored lens gently out of one of the drawer's velvet lined compartments.
lens with pewter-colored glass: You ease the pewter-colored lens gently out of one of the drawer's velvet lined compartments.
lens with iron-colored glass: You ease the iron-colored lens gently out of one of the drawer's velvet lined compartments.
lens with taupe-colored glass: You ease the taupe-colored lens gently out of one of the drawer's velvet lined compartments.
lens with slate-colored glass: You ease the slate-colored lens gently out of one of the drawer's velvet lined compartments.
You examine black
(the lens with black-colored glass)
The lenses are each about ten centimeters in diameter. This one has black-colored glass.
You look at the compartments
The drawer is set into the front of the metal console. The drawer is divided into seven compartments, which are lined with velvet. All of the compartments are empty.

"You won't ruin my triumph," Infamy states coldly.
Break lens
Which do you mean, the lower hemispherical complex lens, the upper hemispherical complex lens, the lens with slate-colored glass, the lens with taupe-colored glass, the lens with iron-colored glass, the lens with pewter-colored glass, the lens with gunmetal-colored glass, the lens with black-colored glass or the lens with white-colored glass?
White
The white lens is too beautiful to destroy.
You read operational
Hello, dilettante!

Curious about how the Acme Mark III Deluminator works? Here's a brief overview. If you really want to know all the nitty-gritty, continue on to the Technical Information section!

The Acme Mark III Deluminator lets you turn light into darkness as a fun, family-friendly activity!

It works in three steps:

1) The chromatic disintegrator at the bottom of the Acme Mark III Deluminator separates natural starlight into its seven component beams, each of a different color.
2) Each of these beams passes through a different colored filter, transforming the beam to black.
3) The chromatic integrator at the top of the Acme Mark III Deluminator recombines the seven identical black beams into a ray of pure darkness!

Have fun, and keep spreading the dark!
You read technical
Hello, gearhead!

Eager to dig into the details of how the Acme Mark III Deluminator works? Let's start with a little background about light.

If you've ever seen a rainbow, you know that light is composed seven different colors: white, red, violet, blue, green, yellow and black. Natural starlight can be separated into these component parts using a chromatic disintegrator.

The fun starts when you transform the colored beams in different ways. For instance, when you filter blue light through a red lens, you'll get violet!

Why is this? Well, the colors are arranged in cycles of seven, called septaves. They're a lot like the octaves you find in music. You could number the colors like this:

0 = White
1 = Red
2 = Violet
3 = Blue
4 = Green
5 = Yellow
6 = Black

Filtering disintegrated light is like subtracting their numbers. So, filtering blue light (3) with a red lens (1) gives you violet light (2)!

But what if you filter red light (1) with a blue lens (3)? They subtract to (-2), and there's no color for that! Well, after you reach the bottom of a septave, another one begins, just like an octave in music. So, (-1) is the same as (6), and (-2) is the same as (5). So red light (1) filtered through a blue lens (3) creates yellow light (5)!

Finally, seven identical beams can be recombined and amplified into a coherent ray using a chromatic integrator.

Of course, you don't need to keep track of all these details. Acme makes it simple by labeling each lens aperture with the color of the lens that should be placed in it. As long as you're careful to follow these instructions, the Acme Mark III Deluminator will always emit a ray of pure darkness.
You read the safety
Hello, fussbudget!

Please follow these safety precautions when using your Acme Mark III Deluminator:

1) Do not immerse the deluminator. There is a small danger of chromaticution.
2) The Acme Mark III Deluminator is designed only for use with type G white starlight. Do not use with other star types.
3) Never look directly into the chromatic integrator.
4) Do not use on inhabited planets. This may cause the extinction of life on the deluminated planet.
5) Never use the deluminator to generate anything other than pure darkness. This may cause the deluminator to overheat. (For other colors, try the new Acme Mark IV Illuminator!)
6) Do not use the deluminator in the vicinity of a gas leak.

Failure to follow these safety precautions will void the warranty for the Acme Mark III Deluminator.

"How did you escape my razorfish?" Infamy wonders to himself. "No matter. It won't happen again."
Examine deluminator
(the deluminator tube)
The tube looks something like an electron microscope, but much larger. It towers at least four meters above the platform, and is thick enough that your arms won't reach all the way around it. The surface of the tube is highly polished obsidian chrome, and you can see your own concerned face peering back from its surface.

The tube is set into a clockwork mechanism, which holds it at an eighty-two degree angle from the horizontal. Sighting along the barrel of the tube, you can see the Earth. At this distance, it's only a pinprick of light in the fabric of the sky, but for a moment your heart swells with homesickness.

Looking down through the grating, you can see a hemispherical complex lens at the lower end of the tube. Craning your neck to see the top, you can see a matching lens.

A circular button and a square button are mounted at eye level on the north face of the tube.
You examine complex
Which do you mean, the lower hemispherical complex lens or the upper hemispherical complex lens?
You look at the lower complex
There's a complex, multi-faceted lens covering the entire lower end of the tube. It's made of transparent crystal, and is approximately hemispherical.
You examine the upper complex
There's a complex, multi-faceted lens covering the entire upper end of the tube. It's made of transparent crystal, and is approximately hemispherical.
You read technical
Hello, gearhead!

Eager to dig into the details of how the Acme Mark III Deluminator works? Let's start with a little background about light.

If you've ever seen a rainbow, you know that light is composed seven different colors: white, red, violet, blue, green, yellow and black. Natural starlight can be separated into these component parts using a chromatic disintegrator.

The fun starts when you transform the colored beams in different ways. For instance, when you filter blue light through a red lens, you'll get violet!

Why is this? Well, the colors are arranged in cycles of seven, called septaves. They're a lot like the octaves you find in music. You could number the colors like this:

0 = White
1 = Red
2 = Violet
3 = Blue
4 = Green
5 = Yellow
6 = Black

Filtering disintegrated light is like subtracting their numbers. So, filtering blue light (3) with a red lens (1) gives you violet light (2)!

But what if you filter red light (1) with a blue lens (3)? They subtract to (-2), and there's no color for that! Well, after you reach the bottom of a septave, another one begins, just like an octave in music. So, (-1) is the same as (6), and (-2) is the same as (5). So red light (1) filtered through a blue lens (3) creates yellow light (5)!

Finally, seven identical beams can be recombined and amplified into a coherent ray using a chromatic integrator.

Of course, you don't need to keep track of all these details. Acme makes it simple by labeling each lens aperture with the color of the lens that should be placed in it. As long as you're careful to follow these instructions, the Acme Mark III Deluminator will always emit a ray of pure darkness.

You hear weapons ratcheting over the loudspeakers.
You enter the tube
That's not something you can enter.

"Kiss the light goodbye!" Infamy shrills through the loudspeakers.
You examine square button
It's square.

"Are you comfy over there?" Infamy asks sardonically. It's probably a rhetorical question.
You look at disc
The disc is slightly smaller in diameter than the column and is made of a black metal with a matte finish. It has seven circular apertures in it, arranged in a regular heptagon. The apertures are about ten centimeters in diameter. Each has a small label etched into the metal below it. Going clockwise from the point closest to the column, the labels say "White", "Red", "Violet", "Blue", "Green", "Yellow", and "Black".

The apertures are all empty.
You put the gunmetal in red
(the second aperture)
The lens snicks into place.

"My next deathtrap will be inescapable!" Lord Infamy barks.
You put the slate in the green
The lens snicks into place.
You put the iron in the black
(the seventh aperture)
The lens snicks into place.
You check what you're carrying
You are carrying:
some lenses with glass of different colors (taupe, pewter, black and white)
a uniform (being worn)
You put the taupe in the white
(the lens with taupe-colored glass in the first aperture)
The lens snicks into place.
You put pewter in the black
(the seventh aperture)
You can only fit one lens in the aperture at a time.

"You won't ruin my triumph," Infamy states coldly.
You put the black in the blue
(the lens with black-colored glass in the fourth aperture)
The lens snicks into place.
You put white in violet
(the lens with white-colored glass in the third aperture)
The lens snicks into place.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a lens with pewter-colored glass
a uniform (being worn)
You look at disc
The disc is slightly smaller in diameter than the column and is made of a black metal with a matte finish. It has seven circular apertures in it, arranged in a regular heptagon. The apertures are about ten centimeters in diameter. Each has a small label etched into the metal below it. Going clockwise from the point closest to the column, the labels say "White", "Red", "Violet", "Blue", "Green", "Yellow", and "Black".

Looking closer, you see:
The first aperture (labeled White) contains a lens with
taupe-colored glass.
The second aperture (labeled Red) contains a lens with gunmetal-colored glass.
The third aperture (labeled Violet) contains a lens with
white-colored glass.
The fourth aperture (labeled Blue) contains a lens with
black-colored glass.
The fifth aperture (labeled Green) contains a lens with
slate-colored glass.
The sixth aperture (labeled Yellow) is empty.
The seventh aperture (labeled Black) contains a lens with
iron-colored glass.
You put pewter in the yellow
The lens snicks into place.

You hear Infamy's hollow laugh echo from all around you.
You examine the taupe button
The button is taupe-colored, and it's really big - about the size of your balled-up fist. Having seen it, you know that it's your destiny to push this button.
You read the safety
Hello, fussbudget!

Please follow these safety precautions when using your Acme Mark III Deluminator:

1) Do not immerse the deluminator. There is a small danger of chromaticution.
2) The Acme Mark III Deluminator is designed only for use with type G white starlight. Do not use with other star types.
3) Never look directly into the chromatic integrator.
4) Do not use on inhabited planets. This may cause the extinction of life on the deluminated planet.
5) Never use the deluminator to generate anything other than pure darkness. This may cause the deluminator to overheat. (For other colors, try the new Acme Mark IV Illuminator!)
6) Do not use the deluminator in the vicinity of a gas leak.

Failure to follow these safety precautions will void the warranty for the Acme Mark III Deluminator.

"You'll regret the day you crossed Lord Infamy!" Infamy howls.
You look at the disc
The disc is slightly smaller in diameter than the column and is made of a black metal with a matte finish. It has seven circular apertures in it, arranged in a regular heptagon. The apertures are about ten centimeters in diameter. Each has a small label etched into the metal below it. Going clockwise from the point closest to the column, the labels say "White", "Red", "Violet", "Blue", "Green", "Yellow", and "Black".

Looking closer, you see:
The first aperture (labeled White) contains a lens with
taupe-colored glass.
The second aperture (labeled Red) contains a lens with gunmetal-colored glass.
The third aperture (labeled Violet) contains a lens with
white-colored glass.
The fourth aperture (labeled Blue) contains a lens with
black-colored glass.
The fifth aperture (labeled Green) contains a lens with
slate-colored glass.
The sixth aperture (labeled Yellow) contains a lens with pewter-colored glass.
The seventh aperture (labeled Black) contains a lens with
iron-colored glass.
You take all lens
lens with taupe-colored glass: The lens snaps out of the aperture. lens with gunmetal-colored glass: The lens snaps out of the aperture. lens with white-colored glass: The lens snaps out of the aperture. lens with black-colored glass: The lens snaps out of the aperture. lens with slate-colored glass: The lens snaps out of the aperture. lens with pewter-colored glass: The lens snaps out of the aperture. lens with iron-colored glass: The lens snaps out of the aperture.
You put the Black in the white
(the lens with black-colored glass in the first aperture)
The lens snicks into place.

"You can't escape the Midnight Horde!" Infamy gloats.
You put white in the red
(the lens with white-colored glass in the second aperture)
The lens snicks into place.
You put the taupe in the violet
(the lens with taupe-colored glass in the third aperture)
The lens snicks into place.
You put slate in violet
You can only fit one lens in the aperture at a time.
You put the slate in blue
The lens snicks into place.

Suddenly, you know who Infamy reminds you of. He sounds like that new actor, Vincent Price. You and Rosalind saw him last year in "Tower of London". Except without the charm.
You put the gunmetal in the green
The lens snicks into place.
You put iron in Black
(the seventh aperture)
The lens snicks into place.

"My next deathtrap will be even more lethal," Infamy remarks dryly.
You check your inventory
You are carrying:
a uniform (being worn)

Out of one corner of your eye, you think you see the tube shift minutely. You swivel your head and study it carefully, but whatever happened isn't happening now.
Go south
But all the action's here!

Fwooosh! Clouds of steam erupt from motivators on the periphery of the vast mirror and the entire structure shudders slightly. Now there's a definite element of fear in Infamy's voice as he cries out, "What have you done?"
Wait
Time passes.

The hum of capacitors charging comes from every direction. It starts as a thrum that you feel through the soles of your shoes, but quickly passes from bass to treble, and ends as a long dog whistle. As it rises, you feel a prickle of charge fill your body and your hair lift away from your head.
You wait
Time passes.

Jagged shafts of lightning streak between the outer rim of the mirror and the Martian sky as the capacitors discharge! The sound reaches you a moment later, not as a boom, but as a sustained crackling in the thin atmosphere. The entire structure begins to shudder slightly as the titanic energies of the Ray of Night begin to release.

Through the loudspeakers, you hear Infamy gibbering in fear, but can't make out his words.
Wait
Time passes.

With a piercing shriek that permeates your body and vibrates your bones, the Ray of Night erupts! An almost-solid shaft of pure white lances out of the tube towards the gray pinpoint far above. For long moments, the Earth is bathed in wholesome white light.

……………………………………

Far, far away, half a world is illuminated. Some rise from their beds, blinking sleep from their eyes. Workers drop their hammers, shovels and slide rules. Drivers stop on freeways and emerge from their automobiles. Lovers pause in their caresses. Families drop their books, forget their radios and rise from their tables. Children forget their games and leave their toys. Time pauses, and for frozen moments the people of Earth look wonderstruck to the sky and an unexpected dawn.

……………………………………

You marvel after the beam as it plays harmlessly over your home planet. Tension drains from you as you realize you've thwarted Lord Infamy's plot and defanged the Ray of Night!

For several breaths, you stand stunned in the silent Martian landscape. Then Infamy screams from the loudspeakers: "Noooooo!"
Wait
You start to do that, but events are moving too quickly now.

The tube is radiating incandescent waves now, and you can feel the heat from the grating through your shoes. The black tube beside you glows silver, then white hot, and begins to slump into a liquid puddle. The complex lenses fracture into kaleidoscopes from the heat, showering you with fine glass particles. The platform itself melts and dips. The semi-liquid mass sags and falls toward the mirror below. The hole left behind glows silver at the edges and is ringed with liquid metal. You cling to the handrail to prevent sliding into the gravity well.

Suddenly, a new cataclysm shakes the platform. You stumble against the handrail, and hold on for dear life. The oscillations increase in amplitude until the whole structure is shaking like Galloping Gertie on a windy day. To the north, a gantry crane gives way, and falls across the gap to the northern catwalk.
You go north
Ignoring everything else, you head for the only escape route!

You scramble across the fallen crane, then stumble down the northern catwalk as it convulses beneath you, lurching from railing to railing like a broken-field runner avoiding tacklers. Behind you, the platform itself falls into the abyss with a howl of tortured steel.

At the end of the catwalk is Lord Infamy's mighty imperial dreadnought, Conquest. Its powerful coal-fueled engines are
already warming up, and sparks are spitting from the jet igniters.

The ship's heavy steel mooring lines are falling free, and, far above, you can hear sirens sounding and hatches clanging shut as Infamy's minions prepare the spaceship for takeoff.

Desperately, you cast about for some way to stop the departure - you mustn't let Infamy escape! Then, you spot it; there's an open hatch leading into the cargo compartment at the base of the ship! Hidden by the choking black smoke billowing from the jet igniters, you make a running dive through the hatch and roll into the steel compartment. Behind you, the hatch springs shut, and locking pins seal it in place.

Leaping to your feet, you seek desperately for the ladders that will take you forward to the crew compartments. Then you realize: this is no cargo compartment! You've entered the combustion chamber for the spaceship!

Looking up, you see Lord Infamy peering through a hatch into the engine compartment, far out of reach. He gestures to unseen workers and commands "Fire the jets!" With a smile seeping malice, he slams the hatch shut, and you hear the wheel spin and lock.

With only moments before the jets fire and incinerate you, you spin around, looking for an escape route. The crew has obviously been using this chamber as a recreation area. In their haste to prepare for takeoff, they've left a half-finished game of Monopoly on the floor in the center of the chamber. A pile of Mars Bars is nearby, as are several cans of Krueger's Special Beer, each with a bendy straw protruding from it. A "Frying Pan" electric guitar leans against a wall. An unopened can of Nescafé freeze-dried coffee and a half-empty tube of Burma-Shave lie discarded on the floor. A standing lamp with an ultraslate bulb casts an un-Earthly glow over the area.

Fuel jets begin to spew finely-divided coal dust. With a whoomp, the jets ignite, illuminating your upturned face and casting harsh, shifting shadows. You stare into the flames of imminent death. Then…

You've won this round! But don't forget to play…

"Boom! Goes the Dynamite!"

Episode 8 of "Dynamite Powers vs. the Ray of Night!"