text: [Themes: Science Fiction, house setting, nonhuman protagonist, male protagonist, meta, dogs, female protagonist, artificial intelligence, dreams]
  
  > describe your surroundings
  Your cottage's living room is palatial compared to your bathroom. There is a pink marble counter and above it you've mounted a mirror on the wall. To the right of the mirror is a black glass plate. Between the counter and the shower is a white, porcelain toilet.
  
  On the marble counter are a plastic box and a toothbrush.
  
  FLIGHT CONTROL -> STATUS : TRUE
  
  From the direction of the living room, you hear Rover walking in your direction.
  
  > Go outside
  You are in the living room of a small cottage. Piped-in sunlight pours in through the room's single window, illuminating a framed picture on the opposite wall. The principal furnishing is a king-size purple futon which takes up almost all the floor space. From the living room you can see the entrance to the kitchen and bathroom. The cottage's front door is closed.
  
  On the purple futon is an alarm clock.
  
  You can also see Rover here.
  
  Janet: When Rover brings the probe back to the ship, it will automatically extract the data and send it back by
  ansible. Did you enter the ansible parameters?
  David: Yes, I had to do it manually, since the frequency
  and coordinates are encrypted. It's too bad they didn't
  have FTL communications when they built the probes
  -- it would have saved us the trip.
  Janet: Yes, but then Earth would get the information as well
  -- even encrypted, I wouldn't want it to fall into
  their hands.
  
  ACU -> DESELECT : TRUE
  
  Rover lies down with his front paws crossed.
  
  > examine the door
  The front door of the cottage is closed.
  
  CARGO BAY DOOR -> DIAGNOSTIC : TRUE
  
  > open the door
  Rover looks up when he hears the door begin to open. You swing the front door fully open, confident that Rover will walk about the park and then return. Rover is out in a flash.
  
  Janet: So, that's it. Rover goes out, gets the probe, and
  brings it back to the ship, and then the information
  is squirted back to MARSpace.
  David: Well, congratulations, Doctor Xiang, on a job well
  done. I say we celebrate tonight, and get up early
  for the launch tomorrow morning.
  Janet: It's a deal. Give me ten minutes to make the final
  commit, and I'll join you.
  David: I'll put the champagne on ice.
  
  > exit
  *    *    *
  
  Even mildly drugged and reclining on an overstuffed couch in the MARSpace human resources office, it's hard to relax in the presence of the MARSpace political officer conducting the final interview. You didn't catch her name, probably because she never mentioned it. After three such interviews and six months of background check, what more could they want?
  
  "Ms. Xiang, thank you for your cooperation. Your tests show no hint of disloyalty to the Republic or MARSpace. We hope you understand the need for these measures, particularly for personnel with access to the Valkyrie's command and control functions. Now that you are cleared, I can inform you that credible sources have warned that the project may have been infiltrated by..."
  
  You weren't particularly enjoying this dream, but being jarred awake by a violently shaking futon is even less pleasurable.
  
  As the bed bucks and tumbles, several scenarios flash through your mind: explosive decompression of the dome? Volcanic activity? Meteor impact? Before you can even consider your next action, you are thrown from the futon onto the living room floor. Light pours in from the window. It looks like the drapes were somehow torn away from the window.
  
  CARGO BAY DOOR -> ACCESS : TRUE
  
  Rover scratches his ears.
  
  > stand
  You are standing in the living room.
  
  ACU -> DEACTIVATE : TRUE
  
  Rover exhales with contentment and rolls over, legs outstretched.
  
  > close the door
  That's already closed.
  
  CARGO BAY DOOR -> DEACCESS : NIL
  
  > examine Rover
  He's not what you'd typically call a lapdog, although he'd beg (literally) to differ.
  
  ROVER -> DIAGNOSTIC : TRUE
  
  > examine the window
  Whatever woke you up this morning did some damage. The cottage's window is built to withstand damage, but thin cracks have appeared throughout it. The garden skylights are just coming on. They cast long shadows from a stand of Norwegian Spruce trees at the far side of the park.
  
  VIEWER -> DIAGNOSTIC : TRUE
  
  Rover looks at the front door.
  
  > examine the trees
  A line of tall, dark green trees stands at the far edge of the park.
  
  VIEWER -> DIAGNOSTIC : TRUE
  
  > examine the picture
  A picture of the Starship Valkyrie, still under construction in drydock. You notice that a few pixels have gone dark in the picture. Not a big deal, though. Probably only something you'd notice. There is small brass nameplate below the picture.
  
  DEEP MEMORY -> DIAGNOSTIC : TRUE
  
  > examine the futon
  Your futon is huge, and oh so comfy. The wooden frame supports a king-size mattress that is pulled out to form a bed.
  
  CASIMIR DRIVE -> DIAGNOSTIC : TRUE
  
  Rover walks around the room, occasionally sniffing various spots on the floor.
  
  > search the futon
  It's too early to delve into the dust-bunny infested recesses of the futon. Certainly not before some strong coffee.
  
  CASIMIR DRIVE -> MANIFEST : NIL
  
  > Close futon
  With a little effort, the futon folds up, snug against the wall, leaving more room to walk around the cramped cottage.
  
  CASIMIR DRIVE -> DEACCESS : TRUE
  
  Rover sniffs the window.
  
  > Smell window
  The window smells ordinary.
  
  VIEWER -> CHEMOSENSOR : NIL
  
  > Pet Rover
  You stroke Rover's back and he nuzzles up against you.
  
  ROVER -> SYNCH : TRUE
  
  > go to the kitchen
  The kitchen is small but functional, with a space-saver refrigerator and a glass-top electric range. There is an open drawer under the range. On the opposite wall there is a sink and under it, an open storage cabinet.
  
  You can see a food bowl (empty) and a water bowl (empty) here.
  
  ENGINEERING -> SELECT : TRUE
  
  From the direction of the living room, you hear Rover rolling around on the floor.
  
  > read the list
  Morning:
  X. Get up
  2. Shower
  3. Breakfast
  4. Take care of business
  5. Let Rover go walkies
  
  TASK MANAGER -> READLINE : TRUE
  
  From the direction of the living room, you hear Rover playing.
  
  > open the cabinet
  That's already open.
  
  FUEL STORAGE VAULT -> ACCESS : NIL
  
  From the direction of the living room, you hear Rover jumping around.
  
  > look in the cabinet
  In the cabinet are a reward nugget replicator and a 20 kilo bag of dog chow.
  
  FUEL STORAGE VAULT -> MANIFEST : NIL
  
  From the direction of the living room, you hear Rover snoring softly (in the sense that it probably can't be heard outside of the cottage).
  
  > examine the chow
  The open bag features a picture of a grotesquely (in your opinion) fat white husky seated at a fancy dinner table. In front of him, steak, turkey, and ham are piled high on silver dishes. He stares rapaciously at the feast, clenching a fork and knife in his paws. The bag is labeled "Fill your best friend's bowl with Happy Dogz Mix!"
  
  FUEL CONDUIT -> DIAGNOSTIC : TRUE
  
  From the direction of the living room, you hear Rover chewing something.
  
  > look in the bag
  In the 20 kilo bag of dog chow are some doggie kibbles.
  
  FUEL CONDUIT -> MANIFEST : NIL
  
  > go to bathroom
  Your cottage's living room is palatial compared to your bathroom. There is a pink marble counter and above it you've mounted a mirror on the wall. To the right of the mirror is a black glass plate. Between the counter and the shower is a white, porcelain toilet.
  
  On the marble counter are a plastic box and a toothbrush.
  
  FLIGHT CONTROL -> SELECT : TRUE
  
  > take the brush
  Taken.
  
  PIT SCRUBBER -> SELECT : TRUE
  
  > put the brush on the counter
  You put the toothbrush on the marble counter.
  
  PIT SCRUBBER -> TRANSFER : TRUE
  
  From the direction of the living room, you hear Rover scratching himself.
  
  > floss the teeth
  You floss your teeth and then swallow the tasty (and nutritious) floss. You feel so much better now.
  
  HULL PLATING -> LINK NODES : TRUE
  
  > remove the suit
  You take off your blue flight suit and it falls to the bathroom floor. You are naked.
  
  QUANTUM ISOLATOR -> DISENGAGE : TRUE
  
  > look at the mirror
  The mirror is covered with condensation.
  
  INSPECTOR -> DIAGNOSTIC : TRUE
  
  > wipe the mirror
  You wipe away the condensation and can see yourself in the mirror. You are naked.
  
  INSPECTOR -> NEUTRALIZE CHARGE : TRUE
  
  > look at the mirror
  You see yourself in the mirror: a young woman with dark brown hair, high cheekbones and a look of determination.
  
  INSPECTOR -> DIAGNOSTIC : TRUE
  
  From the direction of the living room, you hear Rover snoring softly (in the sense that it probably can't be heard outside of the cottage).
  
  > read letters
  There are only three letters: "ACU".
  
  127.0.0.1 -> READLINE : TRUE