text: > look around
  Wide Trail (on Fred, facing southeast and trotting)
  This makeshift dirt road has obviously seen heavy use by large vehicles. Deep, bare ruts push through a jumble of slashed plants and trees. The trail leads from the forest to the northwest to the poachers' camp to the southeast.
  
  The jeep closes, almost upon you. You can see the men on the sides moving frantically, likely getting their guns ready to shoot.
  
  > Left
  You reach forward, lean to your left, and try to pull the bony plate of Fred's head to get it to go to the left. It grumpily turns to the east, leaving the ruts and bashing back into the forest. Unfortunately, you don't manage to disappear into the forest quite quickly enough to avoid a lucky shot from one of the men in the jeep, and you tumble to the forest floor, fatally injured.
  
  > Wait
  You hold on and allow Fred to continue doing what it's doing. Unfortunately, it's not moving quickly enough to outpace the jeep, which quickly slews around. The armed men inside get several good shots off as you trot down the trail, and one of them gets lucky.
  
  > Faster
  Although you're somewhat afraid of irritating it, you kick again, hoping to spur Fred out of its jolting trot. It responds, speeding up to a full, charging run! You can barely hold on as it hurtles onward toward the poacher camp.
  
  Poacher Camp (on Fred, facing southeast and running)
  The poachers' camp borders the wilderness here. Deep ruts in the ground mark the likely spot where their vehicle is parked when it's not in use. One large tent lies to the south. To the northwest a crude road leads back into the forest, and you could also reach the forest to the southwest over a short rise and across a stretch of open field. The main portion of the camp is to the east.
  
  One of the remaining jeeps roars into life, several armed men hanging on as the driver spins the wheel and tries to cut you off. The jeep is just to the left of Fred's head, blocking the way into the center of the poacher encampment.
  
  > Right
  You reach forward, lean to your right, and try to pull the bony plate of Fred's head to get it to go to the right. For a moment you're not sure it's going to cooperate, but at the last minute Fred veers off to the south, headed for the large barracks tent. You hear a few gunshots behind you, but they don't seem to hit you. You barrel though the tent, pulling the heavy fabric down and quickly ensnaring even the powerful notoceratops. You don't get a chance to find out what the poachers might do to you, as Fred, in its futile thrashing attempts to escape, crushes the life out of you.
  
  > Left
  You reach forward, lean to your left, and try to pull the bony plate of Fred's head to get it to go to the left. For a moment you're not sure it's going to cooperate -- that it's finally had enough of you tugging and prodding at it -- but at the last minute Fred lowers its massive head, puts on an extra burst of speed, bellows in fury, and charges to the left. You catch one glimpse of the men on the jeep, eyes wide, raising their hands in a futile instinctive attempt to ward off the charging beast. And then you're upon them, Fred's bony head slamming into the side of the jeep with a tremendous crash as you brace against the shock. The impact knocks the jeep clear over onto its side and sends men sprawling in all directions! You're thrown forward by the impact and take quite a thump from the back of the dinosaur's bony head plate. You start to slip off to the right, but manage to hang on -- barely -- with one hand.
  
  The jeep's engine cuts out with a heavy sound of clunking metal, and before any of the men can even lift their heads from the ground, you and Fred barrel east into the center of the camp.
  
  Fred barrels into the center of the camp in a berserk fury, charging at the tents and lashing out at the cages, whirling and stomping in a frenzy. You hold on for dear life, but when the taniwha rears and twists almost completely around, your grip loosens and you spin to the ground in a painful heap. You scramble to the side to avoid being trampled.
  
  This seems to be the center of the poachers' encampment. A banked campfire is in the center of a small cleared space here, a small, newer tent is set up to the north, and a collection of large cages is set to the south. To the east, a short trail leads down a slope to a beach, where the poachers keep their boats.
  
  In the general chaos you think you might again slip away unnoticed, but one of the cowering poachers to the west has apparently spotted you and is moving to intercept as Fred continues its destructive frenzy. You quickly shift to the side to avoid being stepped on, and consider your possible escape routes.
  
  > Go north
  You duck into the remains of the private tent to the north, hoping to hide and wait out the destruction. However, the notoceratops decides that the tent is not flat enough yet, and charges again, trampling you as well as a footlocker and camp stove.
  
  > Go south
  You duck into one of the cages, figuring that it should be safe from the rampaging notoceratops. Unfortunately, it also neatly traps you, and the poacher quickly slams shut the door and locks it again. Once order is restored, you don't stay a prisoner for long. However, you don't stay alive for long either.
  
  > Go east
  You scramble in what seems to be the only safe direction -- down towards the beach. In all the confusion, you can't see whether you're being followed or not, but the chaos won't last forever. You scan the shoreline, evaluating your possible escape options.
  
  This thin beach of grey sand curves around a shallow bay, with rough, broken rock blocking travel to the north and south. Waves lap at the shore in the mild breeze, rocking the boats moored here. A path rises up to the west towards the poachers' camp.
  
  A fairly large and weathered transport ship is here, partially hidden under frayed camouflage netting.
  
  A small speedboat, patched and covered with camouflage netting, is beached on the strand nearby.
  
  As you move toward the shoreline, the poacher you noticed earlier crests the top of the ridge, rifle slung over his back. He scans the shore, stops when he sees you, and starts down at a jog, unlimbering his weapon.
  
  > enter the speedboat
  You climb into the speedboat and glance around to familiarize yourself with the controls.
  
  The speedboat looks like it's seen better days -- its hull has been patched in numerous places and it's been covered with camouflage netting to keep it hidden. The motor looks pretty big, though. You're in a bit too much of a hurry to take much time going over the controls at this point, but the obvious ones include an ignition button and a steering wheel. A life preserver and attached coil of line sit at the aft end of the boat.
  
  The armed man starts to run, visibly agitated. "Get away from the boats, kid!" He snaps a shot at you, but he's not that good at shooting on the run, and he misses.
  
  > pull the line
  Another shot sings past your ear as you pull the line, life preserver, and Nagi into the boat. Wasting no time, you hunch back to the seat, plant yourself, and slam the lever all the way to "H". The boat leaps forward, throwing water into the sky and pushing a huge wake out to the sides as you rocket out into the bay, leaving the poacher on shore with no shot but wild ones. You can feel a power -- strong mana surrounding you with destiny, and you know somehow that his shots will lack all potency against you.
  
  Nagi scampers forward and leaps onto your shoulder, dripping seawater and chattering in ecstasy as you slew the craft towards the south. You know how it's going to be -- you'll make it back to Eruera, pick him up, and head for the closest Conservation Service coastal watch station. You know it, and as the air and sea rush past you, you seem to see the little Maori boy off on the horizon, smiling his wild, triumphant smile. You can feel his presence all the way as you roar down to the familiar shore where Eruera waits for you, waving and laughing in amazement, ready to hear your tale and leave this coast with you to find the station and rescue and, with luck, some justice.
  
  > Epilogue
  "The helicopter's just ahead, Tim." Eruera's crutch slows him down just a bit, but you still have to trot a little to keep up. You stop at the edge of the clearing, and Eruera turns to you and gently lifts Nagi from your shoulder. "I'll take care of Nagi for you until next year, OK?" He smiles reassuringly and claps your shoulder. "And don't worry, she'll remember you! These little ones do not often take a liking to people, but once they do their loyalty is legendary."
  
  You pet Nagi for a while, and she chirps and bleeks contentedly as you blink away some dust the helicopter must have kicked up when it landed. It's time, I guess. You shake Eruera's hand, turn away, and push through the growing wind as the helicopter's blades begin to spin up. As you approach, the pilot pushes the cockpit door open and beckons you aboard, a lopsided smile on his face. You step up, fasten your harness, and put on your helmet. Once the intercom is enabled, the pilot speaks. "So, you are the notorious Tim Cooper? The pkeh toa that caught the taniwha raiders?"
  
  "Yes, I'm Tim."
  
  The helicopter rises into the air and you wave at Eruera and Nagi as you tilt forward and pick up speed. "Kia ora, Tim! Good to have you aboard! We'll get you over to headquarters in about 45 minutes!" Very little time before you get to New Port Nelson and start your long hours of official debriefing and depositions.
  
  You take a moment to reflect back on the last two weeks. The memories blur together, but your almost unrecognizable Program t-shirt reads like a diary -- rips and green stains from the amazing adventure of that first day, grease spots from the paua skewers you scarfed down at the crazy celebratory beach barbecue after your rescue, the giant mudstain when you skidded down thirty steep feet of Te Apiti ravine on your back and side, in hot pursuit of a group of spiny-backed taniwha.
  
  The clearing is nothing but a light green dot in the darker green of the forest, far behind you, and you slump back in your seat. You can't believe it's over already; it seems like only a day or two since you got here. But you hold tight to one hope. Eruera was sure you could come back next year. "They're going to remember the name 'Tim Cooper'," he said, grinning. "I'll make sure of that! All you have to do is get your application in next year and you'll be on your way back." Back in the forest, back working with the taniwha and the Conservation Service. Back with Nagi. A year isn't so long to wait, right?
  
  Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, UNDO the last command, or read the EPILOGUE?