text: [Themes: Science Fiction, virtual world]
  
  > look at your surroundings
  A flat plain of black sand sprouts dark obelisks reaching to the sky.
  The sky itself is a mixture of stars, real and unreal--fractal images
  along with glowing dots shine softly together. Two portals, black voids
  in the landscape, are to the north and south.
  
  You can see a metal loop (on which is a spider) here.
  
  The spider shifts to a slightly different position.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  a piece of paper
  
  You hear a popping noise from far above.
  
  > touch the paper
  You feel nothing unexpected.
  
  An intense burst of white noise disappears as quickly as it came.
  
  > look at the boxes
  Simple cardboard boxes, numbered and in order, from 0001-9999. They are
  visual representations of storage locations of data. Even though they
  look small, each box has the memory capacity of a large library.
  
  > listen to the hum
  The box is empty.
  
  You can't see any such thing.
  
  > open the box 9999
  The box is empty.
  
  In the distance you can hear the sound of metal shifting.
  
  > stand on the cube
  That's not something you can enter.
  
  In the distance you can hear the sound of metal shifting.
  
  > examine cube
  A floating red cube, slowly rotating clockwise. Molded into each side,
  like a child's lump of clay, is a humanlike face, complete with facial expressions and moving lips. It looks like it is trying to say
  something, but the words don't come out.
  
  > think
  A floating red cube, slowly rotating clockwise. Molded into each side,
  like a child's lump of clay, is a humanlike face, complete with facial expressions and moving lips. It looks like it is trying to say
  something, but the words don't come out.
  
  What a good idea.
  
  > Kiss cube
  The cube looks very confused.
  
  > touch the cube
  Keep your hands to yourself!
  
  A sound like creaking floorboards can be heard from far above.
  
  > go east
  effect. Crystals protrude from the wall at odd angles. Sparks of
  electricity are passed back and forth. The entire room vibrates and
  hums like a large electric generator. Portals are placed in all the
  main directions.
  
  You can see a rotating humanfaced cube here.
  
  For half a second you hear a crackling noise.
  
  > examine doll
  A ragged yet cheerful looking doll, with a dark face.
  
  The spider idly plays with the doll it is carrying.
  
  > examine doll
  A dazzling array of color and shape.
  
  The spider idly plays with the doll it is carrying.
  
  A ragged yet cheerful looking doll, with a dark face.
  
  > North
  "Error, access denied."
  
  A loud warbling noise briefly echoes into the room.
  
  The spider idly plays with the doll it is carrying.
  
  > show the paper to the spider
  The spider is unimpressed.
  
  > South
  "Error, access denied."
  
  > examine paper
  It feels more like a piece of plastic than a piece of paper because of
  its virtual nature. It is blank.
  
  The spider shifts to a slightly different position.
  
  > drop the doll
  "Error, access denied."
  
  The spider turns to face a different direction.
  
  > Turn
  What do you want the spider to turn?
  
  > jump
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  The spider turns to face a different direction.
  
  > Syntax
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  The spider shifts to a slightly different position.
  
  > List
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  You hear a popping noise from far above.
  
  > Help
  "Commands for your security level: none."
  
  After a short pause, the spider emits a few beeps and says, "Processing
  new special command."
  
  > Help
  "Commands for your security level: ERASE, STATUS."
  
  > Erase
  What do you want the spider to erase?
  
  > erase you
  "Erase procedure begun...complete, successful."
  
  > erase the loop
  "Access denied."
  
  > Help
  "Commands for your security level: ERASE, STATUS."
  
  > Erase doll
  "Access denied."
  
  A loud warbling noise briefly echoes into the room.
  
  The spider idly plays with the doll it is carrying.
  
  > Status spider
  "Access denied."
  
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  The spider shifts to a slightly different position.
  
  > erase the paper
  "Erase procedure begun...error, illegal object, warning system active,
  sentac pulse active..."
  
  The world becomes liquid and void, without form...
  
  > enter the loop
  Please give one of the answers above.
  
  > erase the cube
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  The spider idly plays with the doll it is carrying.
  
  > Help
  "Commands for your security level: ERASE, STATUS."
  
  > touch the cube
  Keep your hands to yourself!
  
  For half a second you hear a crackling noise.
  
  > erase wall
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  Which do you mean, the north wall, the south wall, the east wall, the
  west wall, the northeast wall, the southeast wall, the northwest wall
  or the southwest wall?
  
  > erase east wall
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  "Not understood."
  
  > Erase box 482
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  In the distance you can hear the sound of metal shifting.
  
  > erase the spider
  "Access denied."
  
  The spider shifts to a slightly different position.
  
  > erase the mental block
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  The spider idly plays with the doll it is carrying.
  
  > show you the doll
  "Error, access denied."
  
  You hear a popping noise from far above.
  
  The spider idly plays with the doll it is carrying.
  
  > erase the error
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  The spider turns to face a different direction.
  
  > erase the access
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  The spider shifts to a slightly different position.
  
  > Inventory
  "Error, not understood, command not in syntax list."
  
  You are carrying:
  a piece of paper
  
  The spider idly plays with the doll it is carrying.
  
  > Hint
  N = next subject                                                  P =
  RETURN = read subject                                          Q = re
  sume game
  There is help on the following:
  
  > Escaping the containment grid
  Granite rock
  Voiceless cube
  Circuit board
  Degenerating body
  Scan of sector
  Cube with voice
  Halted program
  Flashing paper
  Sphere
  Cube's message
  Unconsciousness
  Fragments of void
  Degenerating body, 2nd time
  Finishing the game
  
  > Go north
  N = next subject                                                  P =
  RETURN = read subject                                          Q = re
  sume game
  There is help on the following:
  
  > Granite rock
  Voiceless cube
  Circuit board
  Degenerating body
  Scan of sector
  Cube with voice
  Halted program
  Flashing paper
  Sphere
  Cube's message
  Unconsciousness
  Fragments of void
  Degenerating body, 2nd time
  Finishing the game
  
  > go to the north
  N = next subject                                                  P =
  RETURN = read subject                                          Q = re
  sume game
  There is help on the following:
  
  > Voiceless cube
  Circuit board
  Degenerating body
  Scan of sector
  Cube with voice
  Halted program
  Flashing paper
  Sphere
  Cube's message
  Unconsciousness
  Fragments of void
  Degenerating body, 2nd time
  Finishing the game
  (Press ENTER to return to the main menu, or H for another hint.)
  
  (1/12) Look around. There may be an item somewhere that can help the
  cube.
  
  > ask the cube about the boxes
  The cube moves its lips slightly but it seems unable to talk.
  
  A loud warbling noise briefly echoes into the room.
  
  > read the cube
  A floating red cube, slowly rotating clockwise. Molded into each side,
  like a child's lump of clay, is a humanlike face, complete with facial expressions and moving lips. It looks like it is trying to say
  something, but the words don't come out.
  
  > turn the cube
  That would be less than courteous.
  
  > take all
  box: All the boxes are bolted to the floor.
  boxes: That's hardly portable.
  
  > go south
  Many plain boxes with numbers printed on them fill this room. The
  ceiling, floor, and walls are a simple dull gray. A low pitched whine
  can be heard from somewhere high in the room. Black rectangles allow
  exit to the east and west.
  
  A sound like creaking floorboards can be heard from far above.
  
  > drop the paper
  Dropped.
  
  > Go west
  A flat plain of black sand sprouts dark obelisks reaching to the sky.
  The sky itself is a mixture of stars, real and unreal--fractal images
  along with glowing dots shine softly together. Two portals, black voids
  in the landscape, are to the north and south.
  
  You can see a piece of paper and a metal loop (on which is a spider)
  here.
  
  For half a second you hear a crackling noise.
  
  The spider shifts to a slightly different position.
  
  > take all
  metal loop: Much too large to take.
  portals: That's hardly portable.
  obelisks: That's hardly portable.
  doll: The spider won't let you near it.
  piece of paper: Taken.
  
  > Break loop
  Violence is impossible in that way while in virtualspace.
  
  > go north
  effect. Crystals protrude from the wall at odd angles. Sparks of
  electricity are passed back and forth. The entire room vibrates and
  hums like a large electric generator. Portals are placed in all the
  main directions.
  
  You can see a rotating humanfaced cube here.
  
  An intense burst of white noise disappears as quickly as it came.
  
  > go south
  Many plain boxes with numbers printed on them fill this room. The
  ceiling, floor, and walls are a simple dull gray. A low pitched whine
  can be heard from somewhere high in the room. Black rectangles allow
  exit to the east and west.
  
  You can see a piece of paper here.
  
  > get the paper
  Taken.
  
  In the distance you can hear the sound of metal shifting.