text: [Themes: Science Fiction]
  
  > Look around
  The centre is, or should be, a towering dome of stainless steel and coloured glass. This place would echo with the voices and foot steps of all the people within, hidden fountains adding to the effect. The scene that greets you now is one of complete devastation, as if some giant foot has stamped on the place repeatedly. Unlike everywhere else you have seen today, here is destruction and not aging. Rubble is lying everywhere.
  
  The path leads back to the west.
  
  > Go west
  You move west.
  Government Quarter
  
  > look
  With over ten square kilometres of structures, the government quarter should be building after building of steel, chrome and glass. Everything now is completely shattered; just barren and so bleak. Although difficult to see, you are in the main plaza which was a 500m square meeting place of seating areas, art work, gardens and picnic places. The only thing standing is a battered old lamp post, leaning over at a sharp angle.
  
  An ancient road to the southwest leads to the Rapid Transit System. A path extends north to the ruins of the administration building and away east to the flattened research and development centre.
  
  > Go north
  You move north.
  Administration Building
  Once a thousand golden floors high, now only a few low charred jagged walls remain. On your left, would have been the long counter behind which the many female receptionists stood. The whole area is now gone, completely open to the sky. On the opposite side was row after row of view screens now all destroyed, although amazingly one does seem to survive. As you move near the screen it makes a very slight humming sound, as if something you are carrying is giving it power.
  
  The path leads back to the south.
  
  > put the jewel on the screen
  You put the glittering jewel onto the view screen.
  
  As you stand near the screen, the rib you are carrying becomes red hot. You drop it onto the ground.
  
  > look at the screen
  An oblong of grey metal 1.5m in height, the view screens are used to interrogate the central database or look at an info disc. The viewer is glowing a light green colour. You can see the slot into which a disc would be inserted, the words 'Insert Disc' are lit in red. The glittering jewel is on the view screen.
  
  > puthe news-disc in the slot
  You insert the news-disc into the viewer, after a few seconds it begins to work.
  
  On the day of the Pathway project long distance test, the news appears to be pretty normal. It consists of the news, sports, weather, man eaten by killer hamster. The usual sort of stuff.
  
  It is the reports on the day following the test that you found particularly interesting. Stories started coming in from all over the city about large parts of the population who had simply vanished into thin air. Later in the day the 'problem' seemed to be spreading as cities all over the planet had reported mass disappearances.
  
  [Press ENTER to continue]
  Looking at the reports on the second day after the test, it seemed that nearly half the population of the planet was missing. This was not just limited to the human population, but any carbon based life. The skies, seas and land had also emptied of animals and birds.
  
  On the third day, the location of the problem had been identified - it was the testing chamber. Something must have gone terribly wrong with the test, but no one in the research and development section could be contacted. The military decided to take drastic action and made three attempts to destroy the testing chamber. With the disappearances continuing, soon not enough airmen were left to carry out the airstrikes.
  
  [Press ENTER to continue]
  
  > press enter
  The last reports are about civil disturbances breaking out all over the planet. The populace started blaming science and technology for the catastrophe; centres of knowledge and learning were attacked and destroyed. Law and order had suffered a complete breakdown and the very last story is about a force of the local volunteer army being sent to 'restore' order at the temple.
  
  For a long time you can do nothing; you just stand unable to take it all in. How could this have happened? What could have gone wrong with the test?
  
  Well, the answer must lie in the test chamber under the research and development building.
  
  [Press ENTER to continue]
  Administration Building
  Once a thousand golden floors high, now only a few low charred jagged walls remain. On your left, would have been the long counter behind which the many female receptionists stood. The whole area is now gone, completely open to the sky. On the opposite side was row after row of view screens now all destroyed, although amazingly one does seem to survive and appears to be in working order.
  
  The path leads back to the south.
  
  You can also see the tarc rib.
  
  > take the jewel
  You take the glittering jewel from the view screen.
  
  > take the rib
  You pick up the tarc rib.
  
  > examine the rib
  The Tarc rib is nearly 500mm long, serrated like a knife and metallic to the touch.
  
  > examine the screen
  An oblong of grey metal 1.5m in height, the view screens are used to interrogate the central database or look at an info disc. The viewer has no power and looks completely blank. You can see the slot into which a disc would be inserted, but with no power it is worthless.
  
  > Inventory
  You are wearing a ring, a pair of overalls and a gold chain, and you are carrying a journal, the glittering jewel and the tarc rib.
  
  > takthe news-disc
  
  > get the rib
  You pick up the tarc rib.
  
  As you stand near the screen, the rib you are carrying becomes red hot. You drop it onto the ground.
  
  > get the jewel
  You take the glittering jewel from the view screen.
  
  > get the rib
  You pick up the tarc rib.
  
  > put the rib on the screen
  You put the tarc rib onto the view screen.
  
  > take the rib
  You take the tarc rib from the view screen.
  
  > go south
  You move south.
  Government Quarter
  With over ten square kilometres of structures, the government quarter should be building after building of steel, chrome and glass. Everything now is completely shattered; just barren and so bleak. Although difficult to see, you are in the main plaza which was a 500m square meeting place of seating areas, art work, gardens and picnic places. The only thing standing is a battered old lamp post, leaning over at a sharp angle.
  
  An ancient road to the southwest leads to the Rapid Transit System. A path extends north to the ruins of the administration building and away east to the flattened research and development centre.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are wearing a ring, a pair of overalls and a gold chain, and you are carrying a journal, the glittering jewel, the tarc rib and a metal bar.
  
  > look at the bar
  It is a long, twisted piece of metal which was once part of a lamp post.
  
  > Go east
  You move east.
  Research and Development Building
  The centre is, or should be, a towering dome of stainless steel and coloured glass. This place would echo with the voices and foot steps of all the people within, hidden fountains adding to the effect. The scene that greets you now is one of complete devastation, as if some giant foot has stamped on the place repeatedly. Unlike everywhere else you have seen today, here is destruction and not aging. Rubble is lying everywhere.
  
  The path leads back to the west.
  
  > move the rubble with the bar
  Using the metal bar you start moving the rubble, after a while you unearth what must be the elevator shaft to the test centre.
  
  > go to the west
  You move west.
  Government Quarter
  With over ten square kilometres of structures, the government quarter should be building after building of steel, chrome and glass. Everything now is completely shattered; just barren and so bleak. Although difficult to see, you are in the main plaza which was a 500m square meeting place of seating areas, art work, gardens and picnic places. A battered old lamp post lies on the ground nearby.
  
  An ancient road to the southwest leads to the Rapid Transit System. A path extends north to the ruins of the administration building and away east to the flattened research and development centre.
  
  > go to the south-west
  You move southwest.
  Rapid Sidewalk Junction
  At one of the many junctions of the Rapid Transit System, when working you would just need to lean slightly to change direction. Away to the north is the city (your home), but you no longer recognise the outline. Only yesterday the horizon was filled with kilometre high buildings gleaming in the sunlight, now it looks like a set of broken jagged teeth. At the very edge of the walkway is the decaying body and for a moment you wonder if that is what will happen to you.
  
  The roadway continues north to the city and northeast to the government quarter.
  
  > Go south
  You move south.
  Rapid Sidewalk
  The Rapid Transit System, which is the size of a six lane freeway, stretches away to the north and south. When working all someone needed to do was step onto the roadway to be sped around the city, at hither to unknown speeds. Once the surface would have shimmered like quicksilver, now it is just a dull lifeless black colour. Far in the distance you can see the city, your home.
  
  The roadway extends to the north and south, southwest leads to the Temple of the Great David.
  
  > go southwest
  You move southwest.
  Passage
  As you enter the temple, it takes you eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dark after the bright sunlight. The broken bones of tiny rodents crunch underfoot as you make your way along this passage. It is dark and shadowy for the most part, illuminated poorly by the pale daylight at the end.
  
  The passage extends northeast to the outside world and southwest to an ancient gallery.
  
  > go southwest
  You move southwest.
  Ancient Gallery
  The walls about you are ancient and crumbling, yet modern looking portraits hang from them all the same. The faces depicted now appear normal but you are sure you can still hear their cries. Against one wall lies a large crystal, as tall as a man and wide as a chariot, in which is imprisoned the form of... something.
  
  A passage lies away to the south and another to the northeast, at the end of which a light shines faintly.
  
  > move crystal with the bar
  You pull the large crystal, but nothing happens.
  
  You can't move the large crystal.
  
  > examine the floor
  The marble flooring looks in reasonable condition.
  
  > examine the walls
  The walls about you are ancient and crumbling but you stood in this very spot yesterday!
  
  > hit the crystal with the bar
  [punch crystal with bar]
  Who do you think you are, Mike Tyson?
  
  > Go south
  You move south.
  Ruined Statue
  Above you towers a broken statue, ravaged by the passage of time. A crown of stone rests upon its brow, a large jagged hole as centrepiece. About you lurk malevolent shadows, seeming to move with a life of their own, though these are glimpses seen from the corner of your eye that vanish the moment you look closely at them.
  
  Passages in the ruined walls of this place lie to the north and west.
  
  > Go west
  You move west.
  Cage
  The centre of this circular chamber is a cage, sunken into the floor, in which the remains of some beast lie decomposing. Claw marks on the bars of the cage indicate the beast fought ferociously to escape its imprisonment, yet failed. And died.
  
  To the west there is a large chamber from which a humming sound emanates; to the east you can make out a statue.
  
  > go to the west
  You move west.
  Humming Chamber
  Once this was the great meeting hall. Rows of seats spiral outwards from a central podium where a speaker once stood to deliver speeches to a waiting audience. Most of the seats are smashed and little but splinters remain. Burn marks scar the floor and walls; in one place there is what appears to be a large quantity of books and scrolls which someone has attempted to burn but abandoned partway through. A faint humming sound can be heard, emanating from somewhere in the chamber.
  
  A passage extends northwest and another to the east.
  
  > examine the floor
  The floor has been subjected to a considerable amount of heat.
  
  > examine the walls
  The walls have been subjected to a considerable amount of heat.
  
  > touch the walls
  [push walls]
  You push the walls, but nothing happens.
  
  > search the walls
  [x walls]
  The walls have been subjected to a considerable amount of heat.
  
  > jump
  Wheee-boinng.
  
  > Y.
  Enter saved game to load: Restore failed.