text: > look at your surroundings
  Wires and pieces of metal indicate that highly complex experiments must have once been performed in this room. Now, though, they lie scattered haphazardly here and there: Someone has cleared this place out. There are open doors to the north and south, and the exit to the lab lies east. A door to the west is closed.
  
  Not all of the experiments are gone; near the west door is a platform, raised slightly off the floor. A control panel is attached to the wall near the platform.
  
  There is also a large fan set into the east wall. The fan is on, and a strong breeze is blowing through the lab.
  
  The breeze ruffles the trig homework.
  
  > go east
  As you move east, you feel an electrical impulse course through you. The space around you seems to fold in on itself.
  
  Gray Matter, Level Four
  
  > examine Machine
  This machine is just as steampunk as everything else here, although there are several parts to it that look at least somewhat recognizable.
  
  For one, the machine has a switch that can be set to "Sequence" or "Series." It is currently set to "Series," although you could easily move it to the other setting by flipping the switch.
  
  There is a button labeled "Alternate" that is currently pushed on.
  
  The machine also has a dial that can be set to "Constant," "Identity," "Squared," or "Reciprocal." It is currently set to "Reciprocal."
  
  There is a small circular hole near the button. A brass rod has been inserted into it.
  
  Finally, there is a warning light on top of the machine. The warning light is dark.
  
  > look at the rod
  This brass rod is short and, for a rod, relatively thick. It has the number 69,105 written on it.
  
  > switch the switch
  You flip the switch to "Sequence." Some of the numbers on the golden path change. The warning light is still dark.
  
  > examine the path
  The path is level with the floor of the room you are currently in. It consists of golden steps that seem to run on forever. Each step has two numbers appearing on it, although from here you can only read the numbers on the six closest steps. The first numbers on the steps are 1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, and 1/6. The second numbers are 1, -1/2, 1/3, -1/4, 1/5, and -1/6.
  
  > go south
  As you approach the golden path you take another look at it.
  
  The path is level with the floor of the room you are currently in. It consists of golden steps that seem to run on forever. Each step has two numbers appearing on it, although from here you can only read the numbers on the six closest steps. The first numbers on the steps are 1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, and 1/6. The second numbers are 1, -1/2, 1/3, -1/4, 1/5, and -1/6.
  
  As you near the path, though, the second step swaps places with the fifth step. Then the sixth step swaps places with the first step. Other steps swap places with each other, and you stop, watching, as the entire path appears to rearrange itself.
  
  Then a mechanical voice intones, "Rearrangement failed." The steps continue to swap places with each other for a while. When they finish you realize from their numbers that they are back in their initial order.
  
  You move towards the path once more. Just before you reach it, though, it shifts: The heights of the steps change. The first step is now up. After that, the second step is down, the third step is up, the fourth is down again, and so on, up, down, up, down... for as far as you can see. Each down step looks like it goes below the level of the floor of this room, and each up step looks like it is above that level. However, each down step isn't quite as far down as the one before, and each up step isn't quite as far up as the one before. After a while, despite the up and down steps, the path looks almost flat.
  
  Then you walk out onto the path. The limit shoes react to the contact with the first step: They propel you to the next step, and the next, and the next - faster and faster. Soon you are moving so fast the path is a blur, and then you can't even see it anymore.
  
  You find yourself hurtling through space, only to land in...
  Zero
  This is more of an abstract space than a physical place. Besides the hole leading back up to the real axis, you sense nothing here.
  
  > Go upwards
  You make your way up.
  
  The dark blue expanse of space now contains a plane that stretches as far as you can see in all directions. It includes both the real axis you are standing on and the imaginary axis you can see off in the distance, and it is filled with starry, twinkling lights.
  
  > look at Machine
  This machine is just as steampunk as everything else here, although there are several parts to it that look at least somewhat recognizable.
  
  For one, the machine has a switch that can be set to "Sequence" or "Series." It is currently set to "Sequence," although you could easily move it to the other setting by flipping the switch.
  
  There is a button labeled "Alternate" that is currently pushed on.
  
  The machine also has a dial that can be set to "Constant," "Identity," "Squared," or "Reciprocal." It is currently set to "Reciprocal."
  
  There is a small circular hole near the button. A brass rod has been inserted into it.
  
  Finally, there is a warning light on top of the machine. The warning light is dark.
  
  > get the rod
  You remove the brass rod from the circular hole. A mechanical voice intones, "Riemann Rearrangement Mode deactivated."
  
  > set the dial to the identity
  You turn the dial to "Identity." Some of the numbers on the golden path change. The warning light is now glowing.
  
  > look at the path
  The path is level with the floor of the room you are currently in. It consists of golden steps that seem to run on forever. Each step has two numbers appearing on it, although from here you can only read the numbers on the six closest steps. The first numbers on the steps are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The second numbers are 1, -2, 3, -4, 5, and -6.
  
  > set the dial to constant
  You turn the dial to "Constant." Some of the numbers on the golden path change. The warning light is still glowing.
  
  > examine the path
  The path is level with the floor of the room you are currently in. It consists of golden steps that seem to run on forever. Each step has two numbers appearing on it, although from here you can only read the numbers on the six closest steps. The first numbers on the steps are all the same: 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, and 1. The second numbers are 1, -1, 1, -1, 1, and -1.
  
  > Continue
  You push the button on. Some of the numbers on the golden path change. The warning light is now glowing.
  
  > set the dial to squared
  You turn the dial to "Squared." Some of the numbers on the golden path change. The warning light is still glowing.
  
  > examine the path
  The path is level with the floor of the room you are currently in. It consists of golden steps that seem to run on forever. Each step has two numbers appearing on it, although from here you can only read the numbers on the six closest steps. The first numbers on the steps are 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, and 36. The second numbers are 1, -4, 9, -16, 25, and -36.