Earth And Sky 3: Luminous Horizon
Paul O'Brian
cover art female protagonist graphics IF Competition 2004 IFComp Game IFComp Winner multiple protagonists science fiction superhero Xyzzy Awards 2004
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Episode 3:
LUMINOUS HORIZON

Welcome to LUMINOUS HORIZON!

1) Information about this game
2) If you've played other Earth And Sky games...
3) Disable conversation menus
4) Restore a saved game
5) Start a new game
6) Quit the game
2
Please make a selection: 2

It's Continuity Time! Please answer a few questions to help establish what happened in your sessions with earlier Earth And Sky games:

Have you played Part 1, Earth And Sky, to completion?
Y.
Please answer yes or no.>
Great! Was Aunt Nina blinded at the end of your game session?
Yes
Please answer yes or no.>

Have you played part 2, Another Earth, Another Sky, to completion?
Yes
Please answer yes or no.>
Excellent! Were Emily and Austin together at the end of your game session?
Yes
Please answer yes or no.>

And that marks the end of the continuity questions. Thanks for your participation!

Welcome to LUMINOUS HORIZON!

1) Information about this game
2) If you've played other Earth And Sky games...
3) Disable conversation menus
4) Restore a saved game
5) Start a new game
6) Quit the game
5
Please make a selection: 5

There is heat. There is glaring light outside your closed eyes. You are aware of uneven, rocky ground beneath you, its prickles and points muffled by the thick earthsuit that covers your body. You slowly sit up, opening your eyes to an arid landscape of rocks and scrub. How did you get here?

Then the memories erupt. Your parents' disappearance a month ago. Your discovery of their creations, suits that give you and your sister Emily fantastic superpowers. Using those powers to save your campus when longtime family friend Nina Icolari turned into a raging behemoth, transformed by a prehistoric bacteria sample gone amok. When Aunt Nina recovered, she also recovered memories that had been suppressed by mysterious interlopers, memories that led you and Emily to Professor Thaddeus Andrews' remote observation post in the Sierra Nevadas. There, you found an astonishing teleportation device, apparently built by your parents. The device took you to another world entirely, an artificially constructed planetoid built solely for the purpose of testing hyper-evolutionary bacteria, perhaps related to the microbes that affected Aunt Nina.

Emily was transported to the other side of the planetoid's outer structure, where you found the alien scientist in charge of the experiment. That scientist explained to the two of you that his rival Esrrua had stowed a spy-creature aboard the experiment, and that Andrews had tried to intervene in the ensuing fight, only to be captured by Esrrua himself. Your parents had followed to rescue Andrews, pursuing the spy-creature through another teleportation portal... the same one that brought you here. But although Emily is beside you, struggling to her feet and no doubt reliving her own memories, your parents are nowhere to be seen. In fact, besides the bushes and the distant mountains, the area is quite featureless.

Where are you?

Earth And Sky: Episode 3

Scrub bushes and sparse grasses provide a little ground cover for the otherwise rocky, sandy soil of this area. Other than the jagged mountains looming a few miles to the east, this spot seems entirely barren.

A damaged road sign lies at your feet.

Emily hovers a few inches above the ground here.
You read the sign
This highway sign reads ALAMOGORDO 23. Its steel post appears to have been twisted and deformed by some incredible force, so much so that you can't tell where the sign originally stood.
About yourself
Sporting your earthsuit, you look every inch the superhero. Well, except without the caricatured physique.
You talk to Emily
"That teleportation thing is so strange, isn't it?" you say. "I feel like I just woke up from this amazing dream right into another dream."

Emily snorts. "Yeah, some amazing dream. I pretty much spent the entire time in a prison cell."

"Okay, sure, but come on, how often do you see aliens and robots and space stations and all that kind of stuff?"

"I guess," she says sullenly.

Time to change the subject. "So," you ask, "any ideas on what we should do next?"

"Well, if it were me, I'd probably explore around this area a bit first, at least do what we can to figure out where we are."

"What do you mean, if it were you? You planning to just hang out and let me do all the work again?"

Emily glares at you. "Fine. We should explore this area first. I think we were sent here for a reason, and we just need to find out what's special about this spot."
You look at your surroundings
Scrub bushes and sparse grasses provide a little ground cover for the otherwise rocky, sandy soil of this area. Other than the jagged mountains looming a few miles to the east, this spot seems entirely barren.

A damaged road sign lies at your feet.

Emily hovers a few inches above the ground here.
You examine the mountains
The mountains are a few miles distant. Their sharp, jagged peaks feel different, harsher than the solemn ridges of your familiar Sierra Nevadas.
Go east
You consider heading towards the mountains, but something just feels wrong about that. If you were supposed to find your parents there, why wouldn't the teleporter have sent you there to begin with?

What the--? For a second there you could swear you saw the air shimmer in the heat, except that there's no heat.
You go to the north
You can see nothing but more scrub in that direction. You take a few steps, then turn around when you realize the uselessness of aimless wandering.
You go east
You consider heading towards the mountains, but something just feels wrong about that. If you were supposed to find your parents there, why wouldn't the teleporter have sent you there to begin with?
You jump
You leap straight up to get a higher perspective on your surroundings. At the zenith of your leap, you can see a black, winding stripe of road some distance to the west. The mountains to the east are craggy and forbidding, and the rest of the landscape is desolate. Then gravity pulls you back down to where you started.
You jump west
With practiced ease, you launch yourself up and westwards, soaring over acres of terrain and landing by a decaying road. Emily follows your trajectory, and lands alongside you.

You are standing on a decrepit country highway, just barely paved, and even that probably happened twenty years ago. The road is deserted -- it's obviously seldom used, if at all. The crumbling asphalt leads north and south in a distracted, wandering fashion.

Emily stands here, looking around.
You look at the asphalt
If you were hoping to give some new shock absorbers a really good test, this is the road you'd want to visit. It's twisty, uneven, and littered with potholes.
You talk to Emily
"This doesn't make any sense!" you exclaim. "Why would our parents have followed Professor Andrews into the middle of nowhere? Why would he have been here in the first place?"

"Danged if I know," says Emily, "but maybe there's more here than meets the eye. We are talking about aliens, after all -- maybe they're able to conceal things in ways we don't understand. You know, like the Klingon cloaking device or something."

"Better not tell any of your academia friends you know that much about Star Trek."

"Oh, it's okay. I can just claim I'm being a cultural critic."
You go to the north
It's likely you'd find somebody after following the road, but it might take a long, long time, and would probably take you off the trail of your parents, too.
You talk to Emily
"I hate to admit it," you say, "but I'm stumped."

Emily smirks. "Well, even though you know more about superheroes and science than I do, looks like it's up to me to get us out of this one. Lucky for you, I have an idea.

"Follow me," she says, and flies back to your original landing place. With a prodigious leap, you arrive next to her a moment later.

Scrub bushes and sparse grasses provide a little ground cover for the otherwise rocky, sandy soil of this area. Other than the jagged mountains looming a few miles to the east, this spot seems entirely barren.

A damaged road sign lies at your feet.

She closes her eyes, and fog begins to coalesce around her. Within moments, a thick cloud of vapor swirls around you both, thinning a minute or two later to a light mist, refracting the sunlight and clinging persistently to the outlines of a structure you can just barely see.
You look at the structure
The remnants of your sister's fog cloud cling tenaciously to the outlines of a mid-sized fortress, cloaked almost imperceptibly among the shrubs and grasses. The fog is particularly thick around the doors, which look quite solid indeed.
You enter the structure
Not while those doors bar your way.

What the--? For a second there you could swear you saw the air shimmer in the heat, except that there's no heat.
You open door
The doors seem to be quite locked.
You smash the door
SLAMMO! You rear back and direct a roundhouse punch at the doors, which fly open and warp on their hinges with the force of your blow! The cloak of invisibility around the fortress flickers, then blinks out altogether, revealing the entirety of the building, standing incongruously in the middle of the empty landscape.
You examine the structure
Now that it's visible, the fortress doesn't look nearly as mysterious, though it certainly still looks quite solid. Basically, it's more or less a large bunker, made of the same indestructible polymer that constituted the cat-alien's research station. The fortress doors have been smashed open.
You enter the structure
You and Emily step into the fortress, hoping for the best.

Maerr's ears swiveled to attention at the distant crash. He locked eyes with Science Master Esrrua, and leaned towards the microphone. "Should we halt the procedure?"

"Of course not, you tail-raiser," hissed Esrrua over the com-link. "It's likely nothing, and besides, there are security robots. Seal the room."

Maerr's eyes narrowed. He growled low in his throat, but said nothing. His gaze still on Esrrua, he moved the vertical lever downwards. The sound of servos and a resonant thump told him that the lab was now sealed from the outside world, even as the glass partition separated himself and Esrrua. "Sealed."
You look around
[Please press a key to continue]

Episode 3:
LUMINOUS HORIZON
You press the green
[Please press a key to continue]

SKREE! SKREE! SKREE!

The instant you cross the threshold, an earsplitting, discordant screech begins repeating through the corridor, and security robots emerge at the end of the hall, skittering towards you with alarming rapidity!

"Holy crap!" shouts Emily over the din. "I'll keep the robots busy, Austin -- you figure out a way to shut off that godawful noise!" With that, she goes to work, frying robot after robot with her electrical blasts, even as more and more emerge to replace their fallen comrades.

The entry corridor of the fortress looks innocent enough, just a simple passageway leading north, with some mangled iron doors at the south end. At the moment, though, what with the rampaging horde of security robots, maybe it doesn't seem so innocent after all. Down the length of the corridor, alarms shriek and red lights flash in perfect synchronization.

A transparent bubble on the wall protects a panel of electronics and urgent-looking lights, lights that pulse with the rhythm of the screeching alarm.

SKREE! SKREE! SKREE!

Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground.
You jump
You can't think of a compelling reason to wreck the ceiling.

SKREE! SKREE! SKREE!

Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground.
You examine the robots
The robots are insectile and frightening, gliding swiftly towards you on four articulated limbs attached to a central platform. Rising from this platform is a central body-stem, from which extend two arms that end in glittering needle points. There seems to be an inexhaustible supply of these things.

SKREE! SKREE! SKREE!

Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground.
You examine the bubble
The bubble is clear but looks quite strong. It completely covers the panel, and shows no sign of being openable.

SKREE! SKREE! SKREE!

Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground.
You punch it
CRRASH! Your piledriver fist shatters the bubble into thousands of tiny shards!

SKREE! SKREE! SKREE!

Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground.
You examine the panel
The lights of the panel flash in perfect synchronization with the sounds of the alarm. Although you can discern no obvious operating mechanism, you have a hunch that this panel somehow controls the alarm.

SKREE! SKREE! SKREE!

Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground.

Emily slips for a moment, almost slamming to the ground before finally catching herself and floating upward again!
Punch panel
THUNK! You put a significant dent in the alarm panel, but the alarm plays on.

SKREE! SKREE! SKREE!

Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground.
Switch
What do you want to switch?
You switch emily
She's not something you can switch.

SKREE! SKREE! SKREE!

Your sister is here, fiercely tossing lightning bolts and fogging the robots. The automatons are piling up, but there seems to be an endless stream of replacements, and Emily can't manage to gain any ground.
Blast panel
KER-POW! ZZZORK! The alarm panel's casing splits with the force of your lightning bolt, and for a moment all the lights in the corridor flash at strobe intensity. Then they go out, and the alarm sound abruptly stops as the lights flicker back to life. Instantly, the security robots cease their attack and scuttle out of sight, leaving their fallen comrades behind.

The last dead robot clanks to the ground, and then the corridor is silent, except for a low hum that seems to come from far beneath you.
You examine the robots
[Please press a key to continue]

When the alarm stopped, Science Master Esrrua flicked his tail in Maerr's direction without looking up from his work. "You see? The security bots have solved whatever problem was occurring."

"I regret that you are wrong, pridemate. My displays indicate that living, non-iueeoorr creatures roam the first level."

Esrrua scowled. "Piss! Very well, then, let us make sure they remain there. This procedure is too important to interrupt. Shut down the transport tubes!"

Maerr's paws raced over the panel. "They are disabled," he said.

"Good! Now, let us continue. Open containment chamber."

Maerr moved the horizontal lever from left to right, and the containment chamber on the other side of the glass partition between Esrrua and himself slid open. "Opening."

Episode 3:
LUMINOUS HORIZON

The entry corridor looks quite the worse for wear from the recent battle. Not only are the southern doors warped and mangled, but the extent of the passageway leading north is scorched, scratched, dented, and littered with nonfunctional security robots.

An alarm panel adorns the wall here, thoroughly fried by your lightning bolt.

Austin taps his foot nervously beside you.
Go north
Austin follows you.

Here, away from the battle scars of the entry corridor, it's easier to see the patterns that dance along the walls: graceful black swirls laid over a softly glowing grey background. From where you stand, paths lead east, west, and south.

Austin is alongside you, his earthsuit nearly blending in with the surroundings.

Directly opposite the southern corridor, a tall cylinder interrupts the north wall. The tube runs floor to ceiling, with an opening in the front, a foot or two taller than you are.
You look at the cylinder
The tube is made of the same material as the walls, and is the same color, light grey with black swirls.
You enter the tube
Confidently, you step into the tube. You stand there. You wait. Nothing happens, and there's no space above or below you to fly into, so you step back out again.
You talk to Austin
"Nice job on that bubble," you say.

"And my compliments on your panel-electrocution," replies Austin.

An awkward silence follows.
Change
[now controlling Austin]

From where you stand, paths lead east, west, and south.

Emily is nearby, waiting for you to do something interesting.

Directly opposite the southern corridor, a tall cylinder interrupts the north wall. The tube runs floor to ceiling, with an opening in the front, a foot or two taller than you are.
You talk to Emily
"So listen," you say, "about this tube... the design of it looks a little familiar to me. I think it might be related to these transportation tubes I saw on the alien sphere. You step inside it and some kind of gravity control mechanism raises or lowers you to another level. It's really a rather fascinating technology, and I have some ideas as to how it might have been accomplished. Certain subatomic particles have been theorized, and to some extent observed, to have anti-gravitic properties, and it's possible that--"

"So," Emily interrupts, "you're saying we should step into this tube?"

"We already tested the tube, remember? I have a feeling that it won't be taking us anywhere. We'll have to find some other way into the lower levels."
Punch floor
THOOM! You bring your mighty foot down on the ground, causing a minor tremor. Nothing useful seems to result.

"Whoa!" says Emily, settling back down to the ground. "Thought you could knock me off my feet, huh? Too bad for you I can fly." She sticks her tongue out at you.
Look around
From where you stand, paths lead east, west, and south.

Emily is here, watching you.

Directly opposite the southern corridor, a tall cylinder interrupts the north wall. The tube runs floor to ceiling, with an opening in the front, a foot or two taller than you are.
Go east
Emily follows you.

This is a short corridor, leading west to the T junction and dead-ending in a blank wall to the east. Light in these corridors is ambient, radiating evenly from the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Emily is nearby, waiting for you to do something interesting.

An archway leads south into shadow.
Go south
Emily follows you.

This is a huge room, thousands of square feet, with its ceiling high enough to be invisible in the darkness -- in other words, a room very much like your parents' lab back home, and pain pierces you at the thought. However, where your parents' lab is occupied by clutter and machinery, this room is rather bare, except for the large device in the center. At least, you suppose it's bare, but the only light in here is what leaks through the archway leading north; shadows rule everywhere else.

Emily stands a few feet away from you, looking stricken for a moment, then composing herself.

A sizable machine dominates the room, two stories tall and covered in a nest of pipes. It has the unmistakable appearance of a vehicle. You tell Emily so, and she just nods and says, "Whatever you say, Austin," in that way she has.
You look at the vehicle
The vehicle is large and sleek, roughly rectangular in shape but tapering a bit at one end. Its entire surface is covered in a mazy tangle of pipes. Pipes wind around each other and down every side and edge, some terminating in a flare at the ground and others opening dark holes at the ship's untapered end. The whole thing looks a bit like an unfortunate collision between a shoebox and a French horn. No entrance is apparent anywhere.
You examine the pipes
Based on their configuration, you surmise that these pipes must have something to do with propulsion and stabilization of the craft.
You enter the pipes
Unless you manage to acquire a shrinking power, the pipes are too small to enter.
You talk to Emily
You've said all you can think of to say to Emily for the moment.
You go to the north
Emily follows you.

This is a short corridor, leading west to the T junction and dead-ending in a blank wall to the east. Light in these corridors is ambient, radiating evenly from the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Emily is here, watching you.

An archway leads south into shadow.
You go west
Emily follows you.

From where you stand, paths lead east, west, and south.

Emily is nearby, waiting for you to do something interesting.

Directly opposite the southern corridor, a tall cylinder interrupts the north wall. The tube runs floor to ceiling, with an opening in the front, a foot or two taller than you are.
You go west
Emily follows you.

This is a short corridor, leading east to the T junction and dead-ending in a blank wall to the west. Light in these corridors is ambient, radiating evenly from the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Emily leans against the wall here.

A tall archway provides an exit to the south.
You go to the south
Before you break the plane of the archway, you look where you're going, and what you see stops you cold. The room beyond the archway is home to rank upon rank of security robots. There must be hundreds of them, standing alertly in thick regiments. The robots have clearly noticed you -- their bodies swivel to follow your every movement, but they do not advance. Down one of the aisles formed by the regiments, far at the back of the room, the lights of a large machine march in perfect rhythm.
You look at the machine
The machine is at the back of a big room, so you can't make out much -- mostly just that it's large and festooned with flashing lights. The whole thing is maybe the size of a concession stand, with yellow sliding doors on its front, flanked by black walls that curve smoothly away. Given its placement and its shape, you suspect that it serves the purpose of creating the security robots, and perhaps controlling them as well.
Punch machine
The large machine is too far away.
You go south
"Austin!" shouts Emily. "What's the matter with you? You saw how tough it was to fight off those robots in a narrow corridor -- stepping into that room would be suicide!"

Please select a reply:

1) "Oh, right. Good point."
2) "I can take 'em! I've got SUPER-POWERS!"
3) "But how do we know they'll attack?"
2
Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 2

"Super-powers maybe, but you're not invincible, dummy. Those robots would massacre you, and I'd like you around for a while longer."
Go south
Emily just says, "Think again, Austin."
Blast machine
You look at the machine. It seems so far away, but the robots prevent you from getting any closer. If you're going to blast it, you'll have to do it from here.

You thrust your hand toward it, willing the skysuit to do its lightning bolt thing. There's a tiny tingle, then a little more, but no lightning. Dammit. Just too far away. You drop your hand.

No! You've come through an incredible amount of craziness to find your parents, and here you are, and you are not going to be stopped by this! You thrust your hand out again, and this time you keep your arm extended, feeling yourself starting to sweat within the skysuit.

"My God, of course!" says Austin. "You're holding the charge, aren't you? But Emily, be careful! I think your suit's insulation should protect you, but don't push it too far! What you're doing could be dangerous!"

Suddenly, with a crackle and a bright flash of light, arcs of electricity are dancing between your fingers and the floor near the machine. They're still a few yards away from the big device, but they begin to creep closer... closer...
I beg your pardon?
Continue
You can't bear to let the charge build any further, and you drop your arm, steeling your resolve to start over. The electrical arcs vanish, and you can breathe again. So you take a deep breath, close your eyes, and extend your arm.

"Careful, Em," says Austin.

Suddenly, with a crackle and a bright flash of light, arcs of electricity are dancing between your fingers and the floor near the machine. They're still a few yards away from the big device, but they begin to creep closer... closer...
You fly
You can't bear to let the charge build any further, and you drop your arm. The electrical arcs vanish, and you can breathe again.

The ceiling is low enough that all you could do is hover a foot or so above the ground, so you don't bother.
Blast machine
So you take a deep breath, close your eyes, and extend your arm.

"Careful, Em," says Austin.

Suddenly, with a crackle and a bright flash of light, arcs of electricity are dancing between your fingers and the floor near the machine. They're still a few yards away from the big device, but they begin to creep closer... closer...
Wait
You wait, letting the charge build, and soon the air swims with acrid ozone. Your tongue feels like it's been coated in copper, and your breath comes in quick gasps. The electrical arcs brighten, inching ever closer to the machine, until they're just a few feet away from making contact.
You wait for a while
You can barely keep your arm straight as your muscles begin spasming of their own accord. The buzz of the electricity drones relentlessly in your ears, and through the red mist that's rapidly obscuring your vision, you can see that your electrical charge is just inches away from the huge machine.

Distantly, you can hear Austin shouting encouragement. "You're almost there, Emily! If you can just hang on a few seconds more, you'll get it!"
Wait
ZZZORK!
KA-BOOM!

Your blast reaches the machine, which explodes in a gratifying shower of sparks, like a special effect on the old Star Trek. I did this amazingly hard thing, and the image that comes to my mind is of Star Trek? These are your last thoughts as you slip out of consciousness.

[now controlling Austin]

This is a short corridor, leading east to the T junction and dead-ending in a blank wall to the west. Light in these corridors is ambient, radiating evenly from the walls, floor, and ceiling.

A tall archway provides an exit to the south.

The bright current flowing from Emily's fingertips vanishes, and she crumples to the floor.

"Emily!" you cry, rushing to her. She doesn't respond. You reach down to pick her up -- she feels light as a sheet of paper in your earthsuited arms. Her head lolls, and then her eyelids begin to twitch.

"All that electroshock, and I'm still in a rotten mood," she says, opening her eyes and smiling weakly up at you. You release the breath you didn't know you were holding, and lower her back down to the ground, steadying her until she can stand up on her own. She looks tired, but none the worse for wear after her ordeal.

The same can't be said for the distant machine, its lights extinguished and smoke pouring from between its doors. Every robot in the room seems to have been affected by the machine's destruction -- they all slump slightly forward in the same inactive, defeated pose.
Go south
Emily follows you.

The lights are still ambient and sourceless but much brighter in this room, a cavernous space housing hundreds of security robots. The sound and vibration you felt in other rooms of the fortress is quite a bit stronger here, so much so that you can't hear or feel your own footsteps. At the south end of the room, a ruined robot controller sends plumes of noisome black smoke up to the high ceiling. A tall archway leads north.

Emily is here, watching you.
You look at the controller
This machine is about the size of a concession stand, with yellow double-doors in the front and black polymer walls that curve smoothly away. It is structurally intact, more or less, but it is obviously quite defunct. Its lights have gone out, and black smoke seeps from between its doors. Now that you're closer to it, you can see that the machine isn't just resting on the ground, but instead rises up from it, almost as if it were a part of the floor.
You open doors
You step up to the doors, prying your fingers into the seam between them. With muscles made mighty by the power of the earthsuit, you pull, and the doors slide apart with an earsplitting SKREEEK! of protest, releasing a cloud of evil-smelling black smoke directly into your face. By the time your coughing fit ends, the smoke has dissipated, and you can see a small, dim space beyond the open doors.
You enter the controller
Emily follows you.

Here in the guts of the former robot controller, there's barely room for two people to stand up, and even then, they have to be hunched over. Disappointingly, the walls are just more reflective polymer, betraying no information about the inner workings of the device. In fact, the only complicated-looking thing in here at all is the floor, which is a small metropolis of gleaming, interlocking metal pieces, with handle-like protrusions rising prominently from each edge. It's hard to find anywhere to put your feet where you won't be crushing something. The noise and vibration you felt in the outer room are even stronger in here. You can exit through the aperture made by the wrenched-open doors.

Emily is alongside you, resplendent in blue and white.
Smash floor
THOOM! You flatten some of the gears and blocks with a potent stomp, but the floor remains in place.
You pull protrusions
These cramped quarters make it difficult for you to find a place to stand where you can pull the floor up. The fact that Emily is crammed in here with you makes it impossible.
You ask Emily,  to go outside
"Okay, but just this once, because it is way too cramped in here." She floats serenely out.
You pull the protrusions
With one knee bent and your other foot resting almost all the way outside the chamber, you lean forward, gripping the handles at the furthest edge from the door. You brace yourself, and strain against the floor, willing it upward with every ounce of power in your tired muscles. At first, the floor seems immobile and your effort hopeless, but then you hear the sounds of metal pieces grinding against each other, and you feel the seam begin to give. There is a tearing, then another, and suddenly, an enormously satisfying KKKKRRRKK! as thousands of tiny clockwork pieces smash together and the floor peels backwards like a banana skin, folding into an inviting carpet in front of the robot controller.

The lights are still ambient and sourceless but much brighter in this room, a cavernous space housing hundreds of security robots. The sound and vibration you felt in other rooms of the fortress is quite a bit stronger here, so much so that you can't hear or feel your own footsteps. At the south end of the room is the robot fabricator, whose former floor is now folded in front of it like a welcome mat. A tall archway leads north.

Emily leans against the wall here.
You enter
Emily follows you.

Here in the guts of the former robot controller, there's barely room for two people to stand up, and even then, they have to be hunched over. Disappointingly, the walls are just more reflective polymer, betraying no information about the inner workings of the device. You're balancing precariously on a thin metal rafter joist, all that's left of the floor you ripped away. Loud, constant machine noise comes from below, where you can see small, blocky robots milling about purposefully, on a floor that's at least five stories down from here. As well as the obvious way down, you can also exit through the aperture made by the wrenched-open doors.

Emily hovers above the hole you've made in the floor.
Go downward
You step off the joist and plummet towards the floor below...

Two sets of ears snapped alert. "Something has been torn," said Maerr.

"Status," growled Esrrua, his back hunched and his narrow-slitted eyes focused on the crystal held sterile in its transparent container.

"The intruders have reached the drilling room."

Science Master Esrrua emitted a strangled sound. "This is intolerable!" he spat. "Reactivate the transport tubes and send the simian-hunters through them. Instruct them to exterminate the prey immediately. No sport."

"I shall so instruct, though you know their independent natures."

"They will obey or die. These interruptions must cease! Open transfer chamber."

Once again Maerr manipulated the panel, and a quick symphony of servos played. "Simian-hunters released. Transfer chamber opened."

Episode 3:
LUMINOUS HORIZON

You land on the floor with a WHUMP that you can barely hear due to the incredibly high noise level in here.

Emily follows you.

A low, teeth-rattling vibration and a deafening hum fill this room, so loud you feel like you've got knitting needles jammed in your ears. The sonic barrage makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else, but the huge apparatus dominating the north half of the room demands your notice. It's a giant, threaded cone, pointed towards the ground and held by a sturdy frame -- obviously a drill, even if it wasn't poised above an immense hole in the floor, which in fact it is. The drill's operating mechanism isn't readily visible, as you're finding is typical of this alien technology. On the opposite wall, a pile of polished crystals reaches up towards the high ceiling. Between these two monoliths, dozens of small, squarish robots buzz around you constantly, frenetically working at various tasks. A wide archway leads west, and a hole in the distant ceiling provides access to the upper level of the fortress.

Emily stands here, looking around.
You examine the robots
The robots mill around you constantly, each busily working at its prescribed task. Some float up from inside the hole, hauling rocks; others polish these rocks until crystal shines through; others cut the larger crystals into rectangular blocks; and still others sort the crystals into their respective piles.
You examine the crystals
The pile of crystals is actually two adjoining piles. One consists of larger specimens, hewn roughly into rectangles, stacked atop one another, and refracting the light quite beautifully. Oddly, the crystals aren't particularly gemlike, looking more like polished glass trinkets with air-bubbles trapped inside them. The other pile appears to be remnants from the first, and ranges from fair-sized, irregularly shaped hunks to powdery heaps.
Punch drill
WHAM! You can't hear the impact, but you certainly feel it as you slam a powerful fist into the frame that supports the drill. It bends perilously, setting the auger at a crazy angle to the ground.
You keep going
WHAM! You can't hear the impact, but you certainly feel it as you slam a powerful fist into the frame that supports the drill. It breaks the rest of the way, and the drill topples to the ground with a CRRASH that looks a lot more impressive than it sounds in this earsplitting room. Your action seems to have affected neither the activity level of the robots nor the noise level of the room.

>WHAM! You can't hear the impact, but you certainly feel it as you slam a powerful fist into the frame that supports the drill. It breaks the rest of the way, and the drill topples to the ground with a CRRASH that looks a lot more impressive than it sounds in this earsplitting room. Your action seems to have affected neither the activity level of the robots nor the noise level of the room.
Look around
A low, teeth-rattling vibration and a deafening hum fill this room, so loud you feel like you've got knitting needles jammed in your ears. The sonic barrage makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else, but the huge apparatus dominating the north half of the room demands your notice. It's a giant, threaded cone, pointed at the wall and lying on its side, thanks to the action of your super-strength and violent tendencies. Apparently, it used to be a drill, but it seems unlikely that it'll be doing any drilling in the near future. The results of its handiwork are still evident in the immense pit that it dug. On the opposite wall, a pile of polished crystals reaches up towards the high ceiling. Between these two monoliths, dozens of small, squarish robots buzz around you constantly, frenetically working at various tasks. A wide archway leads west, and a hole in the distant ceiling provides access to the upper level of the fortress.

Emily is nearby, waiting for you to do something interesting.
You look in the pit
Darkness.
You say the echo
(to Emily)
There is no reply.
You get the crystal
It would be easy enough to haul around one of these big hunks of crystal. It would be difficult to find a reason to do so.
You take the drill
That's hardly portable.
You take the robot
They're hardly portable.
Punch crystals
You aim a devastatingly powerful blow at one of the crystals, which shatters dramatically into fragments.
Blast crystals
You extend your hand, and a sizzling bolt of bright blue electricity arcs between you and the crystals. With a thundering KER-POW, one of the crystals disintegrates, leaving only a smoking scorch mark.
You go west
Austin follows you.

You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a wide archway emits loud, droning noise.

SLAM! says the archway, and suddenly an implacable black barrier fills it, blocking your way back to the drill room.

"Oh dear," says Austin.

There is a WHOOSHing sound at both ends of the corridor, and bright colors overpower the hall's neutral tones. At the north end, it's a petite Asian woman hovering just above the floor in a bodysuit of fiery orange and yellow, intricate flame patterns curling across it that mirror the fire dancing around her hands. Opposite her, at the corridor's south end, stands a tall, fair-skinned man, also in a bodysuit, this one a swirling grey latticed with thin streaks of bright purple.

At this point, three realizations hit you. One, these bodysuits are just like yours, right down to the cowls and masks. Two, if you and your brother represent air and earth, these two must represent fire and water. And three, these are your parents. You've found your parents at last. Alive. But your joy turns to dread as you see the malice in their eyes.

"Humans!" shouts your mother imperiously, "You have invaded the facilities of Science Master Esrrua! Prepare to suffer the consequences! You will meet your death at the hands of FIRE AND RAIN!

Please select a reply:

1) "Mom! It's us! It's Austin and Emily! We're here to rescue you!"
2) "Snap out of it, you guys! You're Claire and Scott Colborn! We're your kids!"
3) "Wait. What?"
4) "You named your super-team after a James Taylor song? That is so Baby Boomer!"
4
Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 4

A burst of flame from your mother's hands is her only answer, and you dodge just in time.
You get the oedipal
[Please press a key to continue]

Deep Corridor (facing north)
You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black barrier seals the archway.

Your father is behind you, facing Austin.

Your mother is in front of you, her firelit eyes glaring at you with naked hatred.

You and Austin are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off against one parent.

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body.

"You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father from behind you.
You kill the fire
(Mom)
That action doesn't fit your code of ethics.

Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above her head.

"You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, "and now you will face the consequences!"
Blast fire
(Mom)
A blast of lightning from you would stop her, alright. It would probably kill her. The thought sickens you; even though she's out of her mind, she's still your mother. You have to find another solution.

FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and a gout of flame shoots outward from it. You manage to avoid the brunt of the blast, but some of the flames still touch your shoulder! The skysuit seems to be holding up pretty well so far, but the sooner you can get out of this, the better.

"You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon you!" shouts Dad from behind you. Apparently Mom and Dad have spent the last month enrolled in a crash course at the School Of Supervillain Clich?s.
Fog mom
You concentrate, but even as the mist forms around your mother, the waves of heat that pulsate from her burn it off immediately.

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body.

From behind you comes the sound of water swirling and crashing, like a waterfall in a fast river.
Blast pipes
Your lightning powers don't normally work on objects that far away. You know now that if you hold a charge for a very long time, you can sometimes go further, but in this instance it hardly seems worth it.

Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above her head.

SPLORSH! You can hear one of Dad's water jets behind you, and there's a WHOOSH as Austin leaps upward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that means that the water jet hits you squarely in the back, sending you sprawling towards Mom! You manage to recover in the air and float backwards again, but your bones are still aching from the impact. The skysuit seems to be holding up pretty well so far, but the sooner you can get out of this, the better. A moment later, Austin returns to his former location.
You go up
You launch yourself upward, and at the zenith of your leap, you grab one of the pipes that runs along the ceiling.

Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north and south. You, in turn, hang suspended from the pipes. The earthsuit lets you grip them tirelessly, but you still need both arms to do it.

FSSSH! You can hear one of Mom's flame jets behind you, and there's a WHOOSH as Emily flies upward to avoid it. A moment later, Emily returns to her former location.

"You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father from below you, and while he speaks, moisture coalesces seemingly from nowhere to form an aura around his body, covering everything except his head in a watery shell. As it collects, the water spins with incredible speed, effectively becoming kinetic armor.

"And I thought they repeated themselves a lot before they turned into supervillains!" shouts Emily.
Blast pipes
Your lightning powers don't normally work on objects that far away. You know now that if you hold a charge for a very long time, you can sometimes go further, but in this instance it hardly seems worth it.

Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above her head.

"You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon you!" shouts Dad from behind you.
You talk to em
It's true that lots of the great superheroes talk to themselves, but you don't have any exposition you need to do at the moment.

FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and a gout of flame comes too fast to avoid, nailing you square in the chest! Cracks are beginning to show in the skysuit's outer covering as its insulation wears away under the strain of the attacks.

From behind you comes the sound of water swirling and crashing, like a waterfall in a fast river.
You talk to Austin
He is too far away.

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body.

SPLORSH! You can hear one of Dad's water jets behind you, and there's a WHOOSH as Austin drops downward to avoid it. A moment later, Austin returns to his former location.
You fly
Easily, you soar upwards.

Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north and south. You're floating just beneath them.

Austin is next to you, hanging onto one of the pipes that runs along the ceiling.

Mom floats a little further to the north, and throws her hands above her head.

"You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father from behind and below you.
Blast pipes
KER-POW! Lightning arcs from your fingers to the pipes, but they are unaffected.

FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you and fire jets upward. There's no room to maneuver up here, and the fire hits you directly in the legs! Cracks are beginning to show in the skysuit's outer covering as its insulation wears away under the strain of the attacks.

"You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind and beneath you, "and now you will face the consequences!"
You talk to Austin
"Austin!" you cry, "I don't know what to do!"

"I know!" he shouts in an anguished voice. "They're obviously being controlled somehow! We can't use our powers against them! We have to find a way to snap them out of this state!"

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from below you, as the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body.

"You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon you!" shouts Dad from the ground behind you.
You talk to Austin
"What did you have in mind?" you yell over the din.

"Try talking to them!"

Mom floats a little further to the north, and throws her hands above her head.

Underneath you and to the south comes the sound of water swirling and crashing, like a waterfall in a fast river.
You talk to Mom
She is too far away.

FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you and fire jets upward. There's no room to maneuver up here, and the fire hits you directly in the legs! A few pieces of the skysuit's insulation have started to flake off altogether, revealing a freaky mesh of organics and circuitry beneath.

SPLORSH! You can hear one of Dad's water jets behind you, and there's a WHOOSH as Austin drops downward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that means that the water jet hits you squarely in the back, sending you sprawling towards Mom! You manage to recover in the air and float backwards again, but your bones are still aching from the impact. A few pieces of the skysuit's insulation have started to flake off altogether, revealing a freaky mesh of organics and circuitry beneath. A moment later, Austin returns to his former location.
Go downwards
With a mental command, you descend. Taking his cue from you, Austin plummets back to the floor.

Deep Corridor (facing north)
You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black barrier seals the archway.

You and Austin are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off against one parent.

Your father is behind you, facing Austin.

Your mother is in front of you, her firelit eyes glaring at you with naked hatred.

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body.

"You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father from behind you.
You talk to Mom
"Mom!" you cry. "Wait! Wake up! Stop!"

"SILENCE!" shouts your mother. "None may command us save Esrrua himself!"

Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above her head.

"You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, "and now you will face the consequences!"
Continue
You already know how useless that is. Better think of something else.

FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and you just manage to dodge the gout of flame that flies out from it!

"You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon you!" shouts Dad from behind you.
You talk to Dad
You'd have to be facing him to do anything like that.

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body.

From behind you comes the sound of water swirling and crashing, like a waterfall in a fast river.
You talk to Austin
It's true that lots of the great superheroes talk to themselves, but you don't have any exposition you need to do at the moment.

FSSSH! You can hear one of Mom's flame jets behind you, and there's a WHOOSH as Emily flies upward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that means that the firebolt hits you squarely in the back, its heat washing over the earthsuit! The earthsuit seems to be holding up pretty well so far, but the sooner you can get out of this, the better. A moment later, Emily returns to her former location.

"You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father, and while he speaks, moisture coalesces seemingly from nowhere to form an aura around his body, covering everything except his head in a watery shell. As it collects, the water spins with incredible speed, effectively becoming kinetic armor.
You talk to em
"Talking didn't work!" you say. "What else you got?"

"Okay, okay -- wait! Look at Dad's costume!"

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from behind you.

"You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones, "and now you will face the consequences!"
You look at mom's costume
You'd have to be facing her to do anything like that.

It feels a little hotter behind you.

"You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon you!" shouts Dad.
You look at the dad's costume
Dad's superhero suit is designed like yours, a skintight body stocking with a cowl and mask attached. Unlike the firesuit, its patterns don't directly represent its powers, but the thin streaks of bright purple on its opalescent grey background suggest rainfall well enough. One thing looks out of place, though: a black circle covering the top of his head, looking like nothing so much as a thick plastic yarmulke.

FSSSH! You can hear one of Mom's flame jets behind you, and there's a WHOOSH as Emily flies upward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that means that the firebolt hits you squarely in the back, its heat washing over the earthsuit! Cracks are beginning to show in the earthsuit's outer covering as its insulation wears away under the strain of the attacks. A moment later, Emily returns to her former location.

Dad throws his arms high into the air, and the water that had coalesced around his body gathers itself into a gravity-defying ball above his head.
You punch the yarmulke
Which do you mean, Dad's skullcap or Mom's skullcap?
Dad'S
Your muscles tense, but you know you can't do it. Even though he seems to have gone insane, he's still your father; a hit from you might kill him, and you're not that Oedipal. You have to find a way to save him instead.

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from behind you.

SPLORSH! Dad leans forward, thrusting both arms towards you, and the ball of water that was suspended above his head elongates itself, coming at you with the force of a firehose! There's no time to dodge, and the blast hits you directly in the chest! You don't feel the impact of the water, but you have a feeling that it's wreaking havoc on the parts of the earthsuit whose insulation has been burned away by Mom's firebolts. Cracks are beginning to show in the earthsuit's outer covering as its insulation wears away under the strain of the attacks.
You take the dad's yarmulk
Which do you mean, the rainsuit or Dad's skullcap?
You take the dad's skullcap
You lunge at Dad, trying to snatch the cap from his head, but he pivots fluidly, and your hand snatches at air.

It feels a little hotter behind you.

"You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father, and while he speaks, moisture coalesces seemingly from nowhere to form an aura around his body, covering everything except his head in a watery shell. As it collects, the water spins with incredible speed, effectively becoming kinetic armor.
You take mom's skullcap
You lunge at Mom, trying to snatch the cap from her head, but she flies neatly and rapidly out of your way, leaving you grasping at air.

FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and you just manage to dodge the gout of flame that flies out from it!

"You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, "and now you will face the consequences!"
Blast the mom's skullcap
A blast of lightning from you would stop her, alright. It would probably kill her. The thought sickens you; even though she's out of her mind, she's still your mother. You have to find another solution.

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body.

"You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon you!" shouts Dad from behind you.
Inventory
You are carrying:
a skysuit (being worn)

Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above her head.

From behind you comes the sound of water swirling and crashing, like a waterfall in a fast river.
You talk to Emily
It's true that lots of the great superheroes talk to themselves, but you don't have any exposition you need to do at the moment.

FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and a gout of flame shoots outward from it. You manage to avoid the brunt of the blast, but some of the flames still touch your leg! The skysuit is definitely being affected by Mom and Dad's attacks. The sense of lightness you usually feel is wavering intermittently and you can feel your command of fog and electricity slipping from you.

SPLORSH! You can hear one of Dad's water jets behind you, and there's a WHOOSH as Austin leaps upward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that means that the water jet hits you squarely in the back, sending you sprawling towards Mom! You manage to recover in the air and float backwards again, but your bones are still aching from the impact. The skysuit is definitely being affected by Mom and Dad's attacks. The sense of lightness you usually feel is wavering intermittently and you can feel your command of fog and electricity slipping from you. A moment later, Austin returns to his former location.
You talk to Austin
"What are you talking about?" you bellow.

"They're bearing attachments that are obviously foreign to the powersuits! The skullcaps! Look!"

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body.

"You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father from behind you.
You talk to Austin
"What are you talking about?" you bellow.

"They're bearing attachments that are obviously foreign to the powersuits! The skullcaps! Look!"

Mom floats a little higher into the air, and throws her hands above her head.

"You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, "and now you will face the consequences!"
You go up
Unsteadily, you soar upwards.

Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north and south. You're floating just beneath them.

FSSSH! A fiery bolt from your mother cooks the spot where you were just standing!

"You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon you!" shouts Dad from the ground behind you.
You jump
Austin has better things to do.

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from below you, as the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body.

Underneath you and to the south comes the sound of water swirling and crashing, like a waterfall in a fast river.
You examine dad
Dad was always the quieter parent, usually lost in his own thoughts or deeply absorbed in his work. Now he's wearing a skintight grey bodysuit with bright violet streaks, leaping about wild-eyed, and shouting as if he's channeling Laurence Olivier's Hamlet. His attacks may be robotic, but they are nonetheless ruthless; you have no doubt that he will kill you if he can.

Something about the rainsuit he's wearing seems a little odd.

It feels a little hotter behind you.

SPLORSH! Dad leans forward, thrusting both arms towards you, and the ball of suspended above his head elongates itself, coming at you with the force of a firehose! You nimbly dodge the brunt of the blast, but part of the spout still hammers at your  leg. You don't feel the impact of the water, but you have a feeling that it's wreaking havoc on the parts of the earthsuit whose insulation has been burned away by Mom's firebolts. Cracks are beginning to show in the earthsuit's outer covering as its insulation wears away under the strain of the attacks.
Go upwards
You launch yourself upward, and at the zenith of your leap, you grab one of the pipes that runs along the ceiling.

Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north and south. You, in turn, hang suspended from the pipes. The earthsuit lets you grip them tirelessly, but you still need both arms to do it.

Emily floats nearby.

You feel increased heat radiate up at you from the north.

SPLORSH! The water that was above Dad's head shoots outward with the force of a firehose into the spot you just vacated, then rains harmlessly to the ground.
Go downward
You let go of the pipes and plummet back down to the floor. Taking her cue from you, Emily swoops down as well.

Deep Corridor (facing south)
You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black barrier seals the archway.

You and Emily are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off against one parent.

Your father is in front of you, his face flushed with bloodlust.

Your mother is behind you, facing Emily.

FSSSH! You can hear one of Mom's flame jets behind you, and there's a WHOOSH as Emily drops downward to avoid it. A moment later, Emily returns to her former location.

"You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father, and while he speaks, moisture coalesces seemingly from nowhere to form an aura around his body, covering everything except his head in a watery shell. As it collects, the water spins with incredible speed, effectively becoming kinetic armor.
Go downwards
You're on the ground already!

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother, as the flames from her hands spread to encompass the rest of her body.

"You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, "and now you will face the consequences!"
Go up
Unsteadily, you soar upwards.

Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north and south. You're floating just beneath them.

Mom floats a little further to the north, and throws her hands above her head.

"You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon you!" shouts Dad from the ground behind you.
You jump
You launch yourself upward, and at the zenith of your leap, you grab one of the pipes that runs along the ceiling.

Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north and south. You, in turn, hang suspended from the pipes. The earthsuit lets you grip them tirelessly, but you still need both arms to do it.

Emily floats nearby.

FSSSH! You can hear one of Mom's flame jets behind you, and there's a WHOOSH as Emily drops downward to avoid it. Unfortunately, that means that the firebolt hits you squarely in the back, its heat washing over the earthsuit! A few pieces of the earthsuit's insulation have started to flake off altogether, revealing a strange mesh of organics and circuitry that would be fascinating if your life wasn't in immediate danger. A moment later, Emily returns to her former location.

Dad throws his arms high into the air, and the water that had coalesced around his body gathers itself into a gravity-defying ball underneath you.
You switch places
(with Emily)
Not while you're hanging on to the pipe.

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from behind and below you.

SPLORSH! Dad thrusts his hands upward at you, and the ball of water elongates itself, coming at you with the force of a firehose! Hanging from the pipes, you can't avoid the waterspout, and it hits your legs! You don't feel the impact of the water, but you have a feeling that it's wreaking havoc on the parts of the earthsuit whose insulation has been burned away by Mom's firebolts. A few pieces of the earthsuit's insulation have started to flake off altogether, revealing a strange mesh of organics and circuitry that would be fascinating if your life wasn't in immediate danger.
Go downward
You let go of the pipes and plummet back down to the floor. Taking her cue from you, Emily swoops down as well.

Deep Corridor (facing south)
You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black barrier seals the archway.

You and Emily are standing back-to-back, each of you facing off against one parent.

Your father is in front of you, his face flushed with bloodlust.

Your mother is behind you, facing Emily.

It feels a little hotter behind you.

"You have infected the outer layers of Science Master Esrrua's Mind Outpost, but its core must remain inviolate!" declaims your father, and while he speaks, moisture coalesces seemingly from nowhere to form an aura around his body, covering everything except his head in a watery shell. As it collects, the water spins with incredible speed, effectively becoming kinetic armor.
You switch the places
What do you want to switch places with?
Emily
"Emily!" you shout. "Change partners!"

Your sister understands you immediately, and the two of you execute a neat simultaneous turn, leaving you now facing Mom to the north, while Emily looks south to square off against Dad.

FSSSH! Mom aims an open hand at you, and a gout of flame comes too fast to avoid, nailing you square in the stomach! The earthsuit is definitely being affected by Mom and Dad's attacks. You're getting the sense that sometimes it's impeding your movements rather than aiding them, and the power in your limbs definitely seems to be waning.

"You have awakened the Hounds Of Esrrua," Dad intones from behind you, "and now you will face the consequences!"
Fog dad
You concentrate, and a thick mist forms around your father, which he immediately absorbs into his watery aura.

"Those who dare to disturb the work of Science Master Esrrua must feel the heat of his displeasure!" snarls your mother from behind you.

"You shall feel the power of Science Master Esrrua rain down upon you!" shouts Dad.
You examine the skullcap
Which do you mean, Dad's skullcap or Mom's skullcap?
You look at the dad's skullcap
It's a black circle, maybe an inch thick and six inches in diameter, crowning the top of Dad's head. Something about seeing him wearing that little plastic yarmulke just strikes a deep chord of wrongness in you. And it's not just the fact that you know he's an atheist.

It feels a little hotter behind you.

Dad throws his arms high into the air, and the water that had coalesced around his body gathers itself into a gravity-defying ball above his head.
Up
Unsteadily, you soar upwards.

Smooth black pipes the diameter of SUV tires hang suspended from the ceiling in this cramped space, running parallel down its length, north and south. You're floating just beneath them.

SSSSSSS!

Blazing flames meet the onrushing torrent below you, and steam boils angrily upwards. In moments, the heat is intense, and you have to shut your eyes as you try to protect your exposed facial skin from the scalding vapor. Just as the pain reaches a crescendo, the hissing sounds stop, replaced by peaceful silence and the gradual ebbing of the mist. When you open your eyes, the corridor is clear of steam and your parents lie below, unconscious.
Repair suit
(the skysuit)
The skysuit appears to be in perfect working order already.
Repair suit
(the earthsuit)
Not while you're hanging on to the pipe.
You go downwards
You let go of the pipes and plummet back down to the floor. Taking her cue from you, Emily swoops down as well.

You are at the bottom of a tall, narrow, north-south niche in the earth, like a slice taken out of the warehouse-like drill room. The slice gets narrower towards the top, though, where thick pipes run along the length of the ceiling. To the east, a reflective black barrier seals the archway.

Emily is nearby, waiting for you to do something interesting.

Both your parents are sprawled on the floor here, defeated and out cold.
Repair suit
(the earthsuit)
The earthsuit appears to be in perfect working order already.
You take the dad's skullcap
Gingerly, you kneel down and pull on the cap, trying not to exert too much pressure on your father's body, which suddenly seems very fragile in the face of your earthsuited strength. The adhesive resists at first, but then the cap pops free, and your father's eyes flutter open. You pull back, ready for another attack, but the hatred that was in his face is gone, replaced by recognition and relief.

"Kids!" he cries, embracing you each in turn. "Where's Claire?" he says, turning around and answering his own question. "Austin, please take that thing off of her."

You oblige, and in moments, your mother is awake and herself again.

"Austin, give me those skullcaps, please," says your mother in a tone that permits no dissent. She takes them from you, lays them on the ground together, and fires a fierce, sustained blast of heat at them, melting both into one anonymous lump of black plastic.

Please select a response:

1) "Don't you want to study those rather than destroy them?"
2) "What were those things?"
1
Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 1

"I never, ever want to see those things again, Austin. I desperately hope that humanity never discovers that particular technology."

Then she turns to your father. "Are you okay, honey?"

"Yes, I think so," he answers. "The worst part was having to call that alien 'Science Master' -- he's anything but."

Mom smiles. "Well, your ego seems to have survived the experience intact." Her expression turns grim again. "Listen kids, something terrible is going on here."

Please select a response:

1) "You know, Mom, we are in college. We're not really kids anymore." 2) "Wait, wait, wait. What happened to you guys? You've been missing for a month!"
3) "Yeah, what is going on here? What are these guys drilling for?"
3
Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 3

"Salt," she says, grimacing. "See, bizarre as this sounds, our kidnapper is from an extraterrestrial, nonhuman race. He's named Esrrua, and he thinks of himself as a scientist, though he seems to be somewhat of a laughingstock in his own planet's scientific community. He's formed a bizarre plan to redeem himself by perverting an experiment your Aunt Nina was working on -- he's extracting ancient bacterial samples from salt crystals, and plans to release them into the Earth's atmosphere. We have no clue what effect this will have, but it sure seems like a bad idea."

Emily chimes in before you can say anything: "If they're the same bacteria Aunt Nina was working with, they're liable to turn everybody into gigantic green monsters!"

"WHAT?!" say your parents in unison. You and Emily explain the incident with the earthquake, the bacteria, the monster, the antibiotic, and the crushed football stadium. Hesitantly, you also explain that Emily fired lightning into Nina's eyes, and that she remained blind even after she transformed back into her human self.

Dad closes his eyes. "Oh. Oh, poor Nina. I don't know how I can ever forgive myself for creating the thing that did this to her." Then he snaps to attention again. "So this experiment is even more dangerous than we knew. If those bacteria get out, it could mean the end of humanity as we know it!"

Please select a response:

1) "Oh man, I knew there was a downside to this superhero thing. Couldn't we just call the Avengers at this point?"
2) "Great Scott! We've got to stop him! Where is he?"
3) "Does this have anything to do with the alien bacteria lab that I inadvertently wrecked?"
4) "What theory is he trying to test with this experiment?"
3
Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 3

"The what, now?"

"Oh boy," says Emily, "I smell another recap."

You quickly summarize your experiences on the artificial planetoid with the different environments.

"So that's what Mrrueao was working on!" exclaims Dad. "He was far too arrogant ever to share any information with us. How fascinating that both he and Nina... well, time enough to ponder that later."

Please select a response:

1) "But Dad, the bacteria I saw didn't turn anything monstrous! They just enhanced intelligence and dexterity!"
2) "Point taken. What do we do next?"
1
Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 1

"Really?" says Dad. "I wonder if the heightened radiation levels from the nearby nuclear tests somehow--"

"People, PLEASE!" says Mom. "Right now we've got to stop Esrrua, rescue Thad Andrews, and get the heck out of here!"

"Good point, dear." Dad examines your suits. "Austin, come here for a moment. Emily, you too."

Your father sizes up the damage to both your suits, and opens a previously seamless panel on the back of each. He moves behind you first, and though you can't feel anything, you know he is manipulating parts of the suit that only he understands. Then he turns to Emily, rapidly tapping relays and touchpads built into the skysuit and seeing the muscles and tendons within the suit twitch in response. "There," he says. "I've accelerated the self-healing process and run a quick hack to restore functionality, albeit temporarily. We've got to get you back home as quickly as possible, but first, we have some business to take care of here."

Mom says, "Honey, do you want to upload the--?"

"Ah, right, of course," says your father. He faces each of you in turn, pressing at the nape of each suit's neck until two ports open, then plugging fingers into the ports for a few seconds each. As he's doing this, he explains, "In the time that we stayed here, our suits were upgraded with translation software that enabled us to understand the alien's speech patterns. It cared little about ours, but wanted us to understand its commands. We actually prototyped such a thing in hardware, but that's been left in Thad's observatory back home. The advantage of this software version is that I can transfer it directly into your suits... and there, it's done. You'll need it, because I'm afraid it's going to be up to you to face Esrrua."

Please select a response:

1) "I understand. What would you like us to do?"
2) "What? Why? Can't we at least face him together?"
3) "What are you two going to do?"
2
Select an option or 0 to say nothing >> 2

"The risk is too great, Austin," says Mom. "He's had us under mental control for some time, and if he were to regain it at a crucial moment, you two would be doomed. Besides, we know this fortress, and can take care of some important tasks while you're stopping the experiment. Thad Andrews has to be rescued from his prison, those salt crystals need to be melted so that the bacteria inside can be killed, and we need to prepare the vehicle in the hangar so that we can finally get out of here."

"So here are your tasks," says Dad. "Stop that experiment! Subdue and capture Esrrua and his assistants, if you can. Then meet us in the Hangar on the top level of the fortress -- we'll have the escape vehicle ready."

Each of your parents gives you one last hug, then they send you south, down a final transport tube, finally to face the creature behind all this.
Space
[Please press a key to continue]

"I have lost contact with the simian-hunters," said Maerr. "They are either killed or free."

The hairs rose on Science Master Esrrua's neck, and for the first time, he detected a faint smell of fear on himself. "No!" he said. "Not when the experiment is almost ready! Begin extraction!"

Maerr keyed in a sequence on his control panel, and said, "Extraction begun." Then his head whipped towards the door, ears at full alert.

"Outside the door, Science Master Esrrua," he said. "I hear something."

Episode 3:
LUMINOUS HORIZON

This is a small, sterile room, about the size of a walk-in closet. The floor here seems to be made of bare rock. You're facing a doorway blocked by a smooth sheet of grey polymer. Behind you is a transport tube entrance.

Emily stands a few feet away from you, looking fierce.
You examine the door
A smooth sheet of polymer completely fills the doorway to the north. It even seems to have cut into the rock beneath it to create an effective seal.
Blast door
KER-POW! Lightning arcs from your fingers to the grey polymer barrier, but it is unaffected.
You examine the rock
Unlike the other parts of the fortress, the floor here isn't made of alien polymer. Instead, the walls seem to rest on bare, uneven rock.
You hit the rock
You drive your mighty fingers into the stone beneath the door, pulling them back to cut deep grooves into the living rock. You could easily grip the bottom of the door now.
Lift door
You squat, reaching into the grooves you've made in the stone floor to grip the polymer sheet's bottom edge. With a deep breath, you unbend your knees and thrust your arms upward. The lab door resists your efforts with incredible power, but you manage to create an aperture large enough for you and Emily to go through. You're not sure how much longer you can hold the door up, though.
You go north
You scamper through the aperture, and Austin wrenches himself to the other side of the door. It slams shut when he lets go of it.

Even though this room is filled with clutter and equipment, it still has about as much open floor space as half a basketball court. A large window occupies much of its west wall, through which you can see another room, where one of the cat-aliens stands before a broad control panel. Byzantine machinery dominates all the other walls, and at the far north end of both rooms, a teleportation curtain shimmers and pulsates. Just behind you, to the south, the unbreakable polymer sheet once again blocks the exit. A monitor window floats in the air, displaying a view of the dilapidated road that winds just west of this fortress. Several clear chambers, one of which is filled with a swirling green cloud, reach to the ceiling.

Austin stands next to you, his eyes taking in everything.

In the center of the room stands another of the cat-aliens: a humanoid figure, well over seven feet tall and heavily muscled. It whirls to face you, and its oval-slitted eyes glare savagely. The creature bares its teeth, flattens its ears, and drops into a crouch. This can be none other than Esrrua.

"SO!" shouts Esrrua imperiously. "Still more apelings come to plague the progress of science! But you are too late! TOO LATE!"

He turns toward the window and points at the control panel. "Maerr, release the bacteria!"

Turning back to you, he curls his lip. "I will not taint my paws with your stink, dirty apelings, when my niarr can destroy you instead!"

"DEVOUR THEM!" he shouts, and the white blob surges forward, long pseudopods writhing at its perimeter!
Zap blob
KER-POW! Blue lightning flows from your fingertips into the niarr, and for a moment, the creature grows rigid, processing the incredible energy of your blast. Then it swells, expanding to almost double its previous size. The niarr extends its tentacles again, apparently hungrier than ever!

Meanwhile, your brother is pummeling the niarr, and the creature seems to swell with every blow. It's now about quadruple the size it was when you came in.

Simultaneously, Maerr's paws skitter rapidly across the control panel, and a hissing sound fills the air. "Bacteria released!" he shouts triumphantly over an intercom, and the green gas roils upwards, disappearing from its chamber. A moment later, the monitor displays a hidden hatch opening in the ground next to the road, and a noxious cloud of viridian vapor spews forth! The cloud expands in all directions, not dissipating but rather multiplying, heading inexorably towards the towns and cities of New Mexico, ground zero for the upcoming worldwide infection.
Fog maerr
You concentrate, and a thick cloud of grey fog envelopes Maerr. You see the cloud moving frantically, and hear the alien's voice over an intercom, crying, "Science Master Esrrua, I... I cannot see! I cannot trigger the release sequence!"

"NOOOOO!" screams Esrrua. "I cannot be thwarted when I am so close! Apeling, I shall kill you myself!" With this, he springs forward, claws extended and reaching for your face!

Meanwhile, you hear Austin's fist slam into the niarr with a muffled WHUMP! The skysuit's mask doesn't leave you much peripheral vision, but it's enough to tell you that the white mass is growing at an alarming rate, swelling in proportion to the force of your brother's blows. It's now about double the size it was when you came in. So why does he keep hitting it?
You fly
The ceiling is low enough that all you could do is hover a foot or so above the ground, so you don't bother.

In an instant, Esrrua is upon you, his claws slashing through the skysuit to tear open your throat with unerring precision. Consciousness flows out of you as fast as the blood gushes from your jugular vein. Your last sight is of Austin looking with horror at your prone form and screaming, "NO!"

Your brother's fists fly at your alien assassin... the bloated niarr looms to consume him... blackness descends.
Zap esrrua
You extend both your hands, and KER-POW! A huge blast of lightning jumps from your fingers, hitting Esrrua directly in the chest! His body flies backwards, its fur all stood on end, and lands in a heap just short of the teleportation curtain, still convulsing.

Simultaneously, your brother directs a fierce karate kick at the niarr, and it lands with a booming WHUMP! Once again, the creature absorbs his blow, expanding like a water balloon hooked to a firehose! The niarr now takes up almost half the room, and it practically vibrates with absorbed energy. A thousand pseudopods shoot out from its edges, grasping at him!

You hear an anguished, inarticulate scream over the intercom, and the sound of shattering glass. The cloud of fog is on the move, flowing through the broken window, and a screeching voice emerges from within it. "I cannot see you, murdering simians, but your stench is unmistakable!"

"Okay, so powersuit fabric isn't very breathable!" shouts Austin.

Then the cloud charges at you, covering the distance with alarming speed!
Fog cloud
(cloud of fog)
You concentrate on fogging cloud of fog, but nothing happens.

Simultaneously, your brother directs a fierce karate kick at the niarr, and it lands with a booming WHUMP! Once again, the creature absorbs his blow! The thing is standing still, vibrating, obscuring your view of the entire room now, all of its attention apparently focused on keeping itself intact.

With astonishing speed, Maerr's claws reach your face. You feel lacerating pain as your flesh splits and tears, you hear your brother's distant shouts, and quickly enough, you slip into blessed unconsciousness.
Zap blob
KER-POW! Blue lightning flows from your fingertips into the niarr, and for a moment, the creature grows rigid, processing the incredible energy of your blast. Then it swells, to fill almost the whole room! The thing is standing still, vibrating, all of its attention apparently focused on keeping itself intact.

WHAM! Austin's fist hurtles into the cloud and connects with Maerr's chest! The alien's body flies out the back of the fog cloud, dispersing the vapor and skidding backwards to land alongside Esrrua.

KA-BLAMMO!

The explosion was so sudden, so overwhelming that there was no time to protect yourself, no time for anything but flying backwards into the wall. When the blackness in your head lifts, the room is much changed.

The niarr is gone, though the walls are smeared with white goo and a sour smell hangs in the air. Gone as well are Esrrua and Maerr, apparently blown through the teleportation curtain shortly before it, too, disappeared. And now the room itself seems to be unraveling, while a series of yowls repeat in the air, conveniently translated by the software in your suit:

"Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence commenced... Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence commenced..."

All of the equipment that was in this room is gone, and even the walls themselves seem to be rapidly dissolving, melting away before your eyes like film over a candle. Chunks of dirt and large rocks are falling through the rapidly opening holes, and the room seems to be a hair's breadth from collapsing outright!

One beneficial side-effect of the ongoing room-erasure is that the passage to the south has reopened, and a lucky thing, too, since that's the only way out of here.

Austin is beside you, looking deeply alarmed.
Go south
Austin follows you.

Holes are appearing in the walls of this room, but it's still more or less retaining its shape for the moment. The doorway to the north is blocked by thousands of tons of caved-in earth, but the transport tube is unscathed, at least for now.

Austin is running right behind you.

The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm alien voice keeps advising you:

"Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..."
You enter the tube
You step into the tube, and there is a WHOOSH of air with the sensation of upward motion; you step out into new surroundings.

You were last in this corridor on your way to battle Esrrua, and now it is unraveling along with the rest of the fortress. The dissolution has begin with the transport tube, which pretty much disappeared the moment you stepped out of it, and the walls continue to eat themselves with each passing moment! The corridor continues north, at least for the moment.

Austin steps out of the tube a second behind you.

The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm alien voice keeps advising you:

"Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..."
You go north
Austin follows you.

The corridor has almost collapsed already -- the only things keeping the ceiling from caving in are the pipes above you, which have bowed to an alarming degree, dipping to less than a foot above your head. Dirt and rocks fall between them in a constant rain. The south end of the corridor has caved in completely. Even worse, a huge boulder has rolled into the corridor, blocking your path completely!

Austin is running right behind you.

An enormous piece of rocky debris fills the corridor.

The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm alien voice keeps advising you:

"Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..."
FDKJFKD
Enter saved game to store: Ok.
Hit debris
SMASH! With a mighty blow, you shatter the great rock into gravel! With the boulder gone, you can see that as the walls continue to unravel, the barrier to the east has melted away. A northern route into unknown territory is also open.

The room is just seconds away from collapsing!
You go north
Emily follows you.

Like the rest of the fortress, this corridor is about to cease existing. The self-consumption virus is spreading from the south, and coming closer and closer to the transportation tube at the north end of the corridor. Rubble blocks the path south, and what looks like it might have been another tube on the west wall, so that remaining tube is looking like your best and only option.

Emily is flying right behind you.

The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm alien voice keeps advising you:

"Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..."
You enter the tube
You step into the tube, and there is a WHOOSH of air with the sensation of upward motion; you step out into new surroundings.

The decay has advanced considerably around you, and the entire fortress looks on the verge of disintegration. Collapsed ceilings block the way west and south, and the ongoing cave-in continues to force you eastwards. The walls keep liquefying, and the ceiling here is shuddering unsteadily.

Emily floats out of the tube a second behind you.

The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm alien voice keeps advising you:

"Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..."
Go east
Emily follows you.

Alarming holes keep blooming in the walls, and the ceiling sways drunkenly. An archway offers escape to the south.

Emily is flying right behind you.

An archway leads south into shadow.

The walls continue to dissolve before your eyes, and that eerily calm alien voice keeps advising you:

"Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues... Critical state reached... Self-consumption sequence continues..."
You go south
You and Emily dash through the archway as the room falls apart behind you!

The fortress is disintegrating all around you, but the ceiling here is open, and the pipe-covered vehicle hovers about eight feet off the ground. The vehicle's floor is transparent, and through it you can see Mom and Dad, along with an older man who must be Thaddeus Andrews, urging you to enter via a large hatch. A quick jump and you're in, with Emily swooping right behind you. The hatch closes, Dad manipulates an alien device, and the vehicle rises higher. Through its floor, you can see the last of the fortress consume itself into nonexistence, with only a sinkhole in the desert to suggest anything of Earth's first contact with an extraterrestrial species.

"Austin!" says Emily, grabbing your arm, "We did it! We found Mom and Dad, and basically saved the world in the process! The freaking world, Austin! We are superheroes! We are a family of superheroes, and my GOD, we rock!"

Yeah. Saved the world. You did, didn't you?

Life is going to be a whole lot different now. That's the thought that keeps going through your head as you sail westward, in an alien vehicle, with your super-powered family, into the luminous horizon.