text: [Themes: Fantasy, Science Fiction, moral dilemma, skeleton, death, steampunk]
  
  > Look around
  You are aboard HMT Problem, a dinky-class trolley impressed
  into Her Majesty's service. On the deck are a harpoon cannon, an anchor, and the Captain's treasure box.
  
  The captured Admiral, bound in rope, pesters you with whatever thought happens to be running through his skull at the moment. His cold,
  empty, unblinking eye sockets glare at you mercilessly—or at nothing
  in particular; it's hard to tell with skeletons.
  
  "Quit your lollygagging and drop anchor," the Captain commands.
  
  > Ma'am
  Your handbook has all the commands you'll need to carry out your duties.
  
  a trolley.
  
  > die of the shame
  a trolley.
  
  > look at the box
  It's small, like a jewelry box, and unadorned. You don't see a lock.
  
  > open the box
  Your curiosity overwhelms your sense of duty. Once you're sure the Captain isn't looking, you open the lid ever so slightly and peer inside.
  
  On a piece of black velvet rests a single medallion—or you should
  say,
  half of one. It appears to be the left half of a silver Jolly Roger.
  
  Having seen enough, you quietly close the lid. What's so special about a broken charm? Your transgression has raised more questions than it answered.
  
  > look at the cannon
  Of your various prior positions, you spent the longest as a harpoonswain aboard the Quandary. So long, in fact, and
  acquiring so much practice, you earned yourself the nickname 'Gertie the Mark' for always hitting a target in range. Perhaps if you had still been there, had they not let you go after that mixup with the soup and the chamber pot, your skill might have saved them from being wrecked by pirates. It's a nice thought, anyway.
  
  This one's a standard issue harpoon cannon. It's currently empty. Conveniently, a harpoon rests on the deck beside it.
  
  > look at Admiral
  He hasn't aged well, even for a skeleton. Cottonous mould grows in his joints and crevices, and his coat is a patchwork of filthy shreds and tatters. You'd sooner mistake him for a common beggar-thief than for the feared Admiral of the enemy fleet.
  
  The Captain ambushed him during your most recent border skirmish with the enemy. After a lengthy battle, it was decided you'd ride the rails ahead of the wounded fleet and deliver him to the Queen, where he'll inevitably stand trial for his crimes.
  
  > get admiral
  You've already taken him prisoner.
  
  > examine captain
  Captain Lionetta strikes an imposing figure in her scarlet coat, her hair neatly tucked beneath her three-point hat. A single gold stripe
  is displayed prominently on her collar, a symbol of her rank. You
  think returning with the enemy's Admiral in chains may well earn her another one.
  
  Bold, ambitious, and charismatic, she inspires you to be the best railor you can be.
  
  > GLOSSARY
  CROSS: The places where two tracks meet, or cross.
  
  DEADLYNDS: An area of the moorsea devoid of life. Not even the
  heath grows there. It's rumoured the rebellion against the Empire is hiding their base of operations in the deadlynds.
  
  HOTLINE: Any track containing a HOTWIRE, or the wire that provides
  the energy for locomotion (it's not yet understood how this works).
  The hotwire is named for how it burns hot to the touch. The other type of track is a DOCKING TRACK, in which the hotwire has been snipped to allow the trolley to come to a stop.
  
  IRONS: Another name for the rails. The phrase PRESSING HER HARD
  AGAINST THE IRONS is an expression meaning to ride the trolley at a maximum speed. Those who maintain the tracks are called
  IRONSWORKERS.
  
  JOLLY ROGER: A symbol used by pirates for mysterious ends. It's
  usually depicted as a skull over a pair of crossed bones.
  
  MOORSEA: A great expanse of moors. It's thought to stretch
  thousands upon thousands of miles, though none have explored beyond
  the deadlynds. Only a complicated network of tracks left by an unknown civilization enables travel, as the moors are covered by a toxic plant called the HEATH.
  
  RAILOR: A member of a trolley's crew.
  
  SPLIT: A type of cross where it's possible to change tracks. To
  JUMP THE SPLIT means to change tracks, while to RUN THE SPLIT means to continue without changing.
  
  SWITCH: A device that allows the trolley to change tracks at a
  split. The expression FLY THE SWITCH means to push the switch while
  the trolley is still in motion, typically with the aid of a long pole. This technique will not work if the trolley is travelling at too fast
  a speed.
  
  TAFF: The railing along the front of the trolley, over the bow.
  Many trolleys carry a harpoon cannon, which is usually secured to the taff.
  
  TIES: Planks of wood that lie perpendicular to the rails and
  secure them in place. Because of their uniform spacing, the term has become a standard unit of distance. The term can also be used to measure speed when counting the number of ties the trolley passes per second. The phrase COUNTING TIES refers to the fact that when travelling slow enough, one can easily count the ties appearing behind the trolley.
  
  TRACKWARD: The direction the trolley is moving. Its opposite is BACKWARD.
  
  TROLLEY: A single mechanical carriage used to travel the rails.
  Long ago, people rode multiple carriages joined together called
  trains, but they proved unwieldy in battle, difficult to defend
  against pirates, and subject to frequent wrecks due to the large
  number of crosses. Trolleys are easily repaired or replaced, and only require crews of two to ten railors.
  
  > wait
  Suddenly, a Ditch
  It isn't long before the Captain calls down to you again. "First Mate Gertie! The track is incomplete, and the line is bearing us into a ditch! What's our speed?"
  
  You race to the rear of the deck and lean over the stern. The ties are coming too quickly to count, so you estimate as best you can. "Ten, maybe fifteen, sir."
  
  "Bloody hell," the Captain swears, and you tense. You can count on a butcher's hand the number of times you've heard her resort to such language. Death looms ahead.
  
  "We can't fly the switch at this speed," she continues. "To arms, Gertie, and wait for my signal! You'll have to harpoon the switch when it's in range, but before we run the split." You take up your post by the cannon.
  
  The Admiral rattles his bones aggressively in an attempt to draw your attention. It works. "What a beautiful day for a trolleywreck," he
  says with that same irritating sneer.
  
  "Three hundred ties and closing!" the Captain shouts, her gaze fixed firmly trackward. You focus on the task in front of you.
  
  > wait
  The wind collects in your coat.
  
  "One hundred ties!"
  
  You hold your breath. Just a little further.
  
  > wait
  "Now, Gertie! Shoot the switch!"
  
  > Shoot switch
  You squeeze the trigger, and the harpoon finds its mark. The timing couldn't be closer; you feel the rails sliding to their new positions beneath your feet just as the Problem reaches the split. She
  bucks and swivels over to the new line, maintaining her speed while settling into her new course.
  
  "Great shot!" the Captain cheers, dropping to the deck. You beam with pride, but it's to be short-lived. She goes on to explain that without a rope tied to the harpoon, you've lost yet another valuable piece of equipment.
  
  "Don't fret, my dears," the Admiral interrupts. "I happen to have some very sturdy rope on me. All you have to do is untie me, and it's yours."
  
  The Captain raises a fist. "I'd sooner use your bones for harpoons." Her threat silences him for at least a full minute, maybe two.
  Her threat silences him for at least a full minute, maybe two.## The Fool On the Approach
  By mid-afternoon, you reach the outskirts of Innocence Lost. Here the buildings are little more than ragged tarps stretched over the husks
  of trolleys and other scavenged materials. The roof of one dwelling,
  an ancient caboose, makes use of an old flag to patch a hole, its bold red hue long since faded to a dirty shade of terra cotta. You're reminded of a blanket your mother had made to keep you warm at night. Back then, the Empire's flags were always in abundance, and few seemed to mind the ones that went missing. Now, no one dares remove a single flag, not since the guard began removing hands.
  
  The Captain's voice distracts you from your thoughts. "First Mate Gertie, there's a fool on the approach!" Sure enough, you see a man dancing on the track, cradling his bottle of spirits like it's his partner in a very sloppy waltz. Ordinarily you'd ring a standard warning, but the trolley's bell went the way of her roof.
  
  Something near him catches the sunlight—a switch! "Look Captain!" you shout excitedly. Then you remember the harpoon. "We could at least try to fly the switch."
  
  The Captain shakes her head. "I have a better idea. Load the Admiral's bones into the cannon. We'll save this fool's life if we can."
  
  "You must be joking," the skeleton says, his tone no longer so abrasive. "The drunkard earned his fate the moment he drank himself dim."
  
  "As did you earn your fate," the Captain replies, "when you raised a banner against the Empire." She turns back to you. "We're three
  hundred ties away and closing fast. There's no time to argue. Load a bone, and prepare to fire."
  
  The skeleton's grin gives way to genuine worry. Your instructions are clear, yet you find yourself hesitating.
  
  > get the bone
  Which do you mean, the left arm, the right arm, the left leg, the
  right leg or the spine?