text: > Go downwards
  As smoothly as you rose, you descend once more.
  
  You are in Mom and Dad's lab. As usual, the majority of the equipment in this enormous space is more or less a mystery to you. Also here are a few tables and terminals; a ring of windows near the ceiling looks out on the distant stars. Doors lead south into the storage room and west into the hallway.
  
  The hallway door is closed.
  
  The storage room door is open.
  
  You can also see Austin here.
  
  "Well, it's clear that the flying functionality is operational," says Austin.
  
  "Now let's test out some of that suit's other capabilities. The notes mention a fog power -- the flying worked when you decided to fly, so let's see what happens when you try to fog something. Why don't we start by having you just think FOG? I have a hunch that will probably cloud up the general area."
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Sure thing."
  2) "Oh, there's a useful superpower. 'They're getting away! Quick, Fog-Woman, worsen their driving conditions!'"
  3) "Okay, but all this moisture had better not make my hair really frizzy."
  
  > 2
  Austin rolls his eyes. "Yeah, you want those glamorous powers that they give women in the comic books... like shrinking, or turning invisible. Watch out, evildoers: it's Unobtrusive Lass!"
  
  > Fog
  At your mental command, fog swirls around you, billowing out and silently engulfing the room. Because of the size of the lab, however, it quickly thins into a light mist.
  
  "Excellent!" says Austin. "Looks like the suit can generate a limited amount of fog when you just give the basic mental command. It's not enough to do much in this room, but it might be quite handy in a more confined space."
  
  Austin walks to a corner of the lab, retrieving a huge wooden spool that probably once held some of the cables powering Mom and Dad's various big machines. He carries it casually, in one hand, the way you might carry a cup of coffee. He then sets it down in front of you, saying, "Perhaps the suit allows you to fog specific objects as well. Why don't you focus your thought on fogging this spool?"
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Alright, I'll give it a shot."
  2) "Why don't you focus your thought on not being so freaking bossy?" 3) "Hang on, I want to try something else first."
  
  > 2
  "Well, we're mighty testy today, aren't we? Look, it's not like all this has been easy on me either, and I've been doing a lot more of the actual work than you have. I'm fine with that, but it doesn't mean I'm willing to be your personal punching bag. So do whatever you want. When you're interested in learning how to use the skysuit, I'll be waiting."
  
  > Fog austin
  You concentrate on fogging Austin, but nothing happens.
  
  "Interesting," muses Austin. "Apparently, the fog power only works on one thing at a time."
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  a letter
  an envelope (which is open but empty)
  a skysuit (being worn)
  a legal pad
  a note
  an access card
  a sweatshirt
  a pair of sweat pants
  your sneakers
  
  > tell Austin about the the letter
  Austin takes the letter from you and reads it, his eyes widening.
  
  He gives the letter back to you. "Seems like every clue we find leaves us understanding less than we did before, doesn't it?" he says. "And I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get pretty freaked out. I mean, their disappearance was terrifying enough, but now these suits, and this stuff about us being in danger? I just don't know what to think, Em. Least of all about Aunt Nina. Hey, aren't you scheduled to assist her in lab work tomorrow morning? Maybe you could ask her about all this then."
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Sure."
  2) "Oh yeah, that'll be a fun conversation. 'Howdy Aunt Nina, how are you? Oh, and by the way, I was wondering why you betrayed our family?'"
  3) "I'll try, but Nina tends to get pretty wrapped up in her work. I may have to wait until after lab."
  
  > 3
  "Yeah, I've seen that in action," he laughs. "Well, at this point, the biggest part of the mystery is why she hasn't told us already. So I guess a few more hours won't kill us. I hope."
  
  > ask him about the fog
  "I suppose it's of limited use when it blocks your sight as well as that of others, but it's an interesting ability nonetheless."
  
  You notice that the mist has pretty much dissipated.
  
  > Fog austin
  At your mental command, fog swirls around Austin, silently engulfing him in a cloud of thick, grey vapor.
  
  "Verrrry funny," says the cloud. It blunders about the room for a few moments, finally bumping into and encompassing one of the lab's many tables. There is the sound of sliding papers, then a deep whoosh whoosh whoosh emanates from within the cloud, and you are buffeted by powerful waves of air. Within seconds, the cloud has cleared, revealing Austin waving a six-foot table as if it were an oriental fan.
  
  He sets the table down. "Okay, wiseass, you've made your point. Clearly, you can fog specific things, and even specific people. And I'm guessing that if you use it on somebody who can't overpower it, it'd probably be a pretty good weapon. I still think the spool would've been a better test subject, though," he says grumpily.
  
  "I think there's just one more power we have yet to test: the electrical blasts. Mom's notes are a little vague on this point -- it was probably more Dad's contribution -- but I'm betting that it works just like the specific fog, that you just decide what you want to blast and blast it. Of course, I'm not sure how much power you'll pack, so there's not many things in here it'd be safe to test on. How about we try this spool again? Either just blast it right here, or if you want to try it from the air, fly up to the ceiling and I'll toss the spool to you. I'm betting you can probably blow it to smithereens."
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "You got it."
  2) "Now that's more like it! KA-BLAMMO!"
  3) "My God, you mean I can actually shoot lightning with this thing? This is all so surreal."
  4) "How about we test your suit's resistance to electric shock, instead?"
  
  > 4
  Austin's usually confident expression collapses. "Uh, well... I have to say, Emily, the prospect makes me pretty nervous. I mean, it'd be great to find out that it works, but I'm not a hundred percent sure they finished building in that feature, and I don't think I'd want to be struck by lightning unless I was sure."
  
  > Blast austin
  You extend your hand, and panic soaks Austin's face. "Emily, wait, STOP! What are you doing?"
  
  "Well," you say, "I figure: here's me with electrical powers, and here's you with a suit that absorbs electricity. Let's give it a try!"
  
  "But we don't know that the earthsuit's electrical protection actually works! I sure haven't done any tests, considering the consequences of those tests failing. I mean, it'd be great to find out that it works, but I'm not a hundred percent sure they finished building in that feature, and I don't think I'd want to be struck by lightning unless I was sure."
  
  > pussy
  "Now who's the bossy one?"
  
  > Blast austin
  You extend your hand, and a sizzling bolt of bright blue electricity arcs between you and Austin. "Emily, no! Don't--" he says, then sees the buzzing, sparking current and screams in alarm. For a moment, you are both frozen in that tableau, and then Austin's body begins to convulse, his muscles spasming uncontrollably as the current races through them. A jolt of adrenaline hits you, but the skysuit interprets your muscle tension as a command to continue the lightning, and Austin's seizure goes on. Finally, with utmost willpower, you relax your muscles, and the power stops flowing. You run to Austin, but you know the truth even before you reach him: it's much too late. Your lightning has stopped his heart, and he lies lifeless on a lab floor that grows ever colder beneath you.
  
  > blast yourself
  Nothing happens. Apparently, the suit has some sort of safeguard against self-destruction. Guess you'll have to go back to the slitting-your-wrists idea.
  
  > fog yourself
  Thick, swirling fog coalesces around you, and you find yourself...
  
  A thick cloud of impenetrable mist surrounds you on all sides.
  
  > wait awhile
  Time passes.
  
  > say 'excuse yourself'
  A thick cloud of impenetrable mist surrounds you on all sides.
  
  (to yourself)
  There is no reply.
  
  The fog lifts, and you can see again.
  
  You are in Mom and Dad's lab. As usual, the majority of the equipment in this enormous space is more or less a mystery to you. Also here are a few tables and terminals; a ring of windows near the ceiling looks out on the distant stars. Doors lead south into the storage room and west into the hallway.
  
  The hallway door is closed.
  
  The storage room door is open.
  
  You can also see Austin and a large wooden spool here.
  
  > Blast spool
  You extend your hand, and a sizzling bolt of bright blue electricity arcs between you and the large wooden spool. With a thundering KER-POW, the large wooden spool disintegrates, leaving only a smoking scorch mark.
  
  Austin whistles. "Wow," he says. "That is one powerful blast. Looks like you could pretty much obliterate most any nearby object, unless it was well grounded and a very good conductor. Even then, it'd probably get pretty fried by the sheer voltage passing through it. I suppose it'd have less effect on very large objects -- the damage would probably be localized, but still significant. Basically, you pack quite a wallop!"
  
  "Well, I guess the suit checks out," says Austin. "We've tested every power mentioned in this notebook, and they all seem to work. I have no idea what Mom and Dad intended their original purpose to be, but they're not here to tell us, and the suits seem to fit us fine. So let me ask you this, Emily: How would you feel about using these suits to investigate the situation ourselves? I don't much feel like a superhero, but in a sense, that's what we are when we've got these suits on. Maybe we can explore avenues that aren't exactly open to the police. What do you say?"
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Okay, you've convinced me. Let's do it."
  2) "No. I'm sorry, but I just think it's a bad idea."
  3) "We can't be superheroes! We don't know a thing about investigating a crime! How is shooting lightning and lifting heavy things going to find us clues that the police can't find?"
  4) "I can't be a superhero! I don't have long, flowing hair or gigantic breasts!"
  5) "You can't be a superhero! You're not covered with steroid-enhanced bulges!"
  6) "I can't be a superhero! I'm scared to death of fighting!"
  7) "We can't be superheroes without snazzy-sounding code names, now can we?"
  8) "I can't be a superhero! I'm in horrible shape! I probably couldn't even run around the block!"
  9) "We can't be superheroes! What if we get hurt?"
  10) "We can't be superheroes! How will we wear these suits without being noticed?"
  
  > 4
  Austin laughs. "I don't think those things are really much of an asset in combat, do you? I bet you could demolish any of those Pam Anderson types."
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Okay, you've convinced me. Let's do it."
  2) "No. I'm sorry, but I just think it's a bad idea."
  3) "We can't be superheroes! We don't know a thing about investigating a crime! How is shooting lightning and lifting heavy things going to find us clues that the police can't find?"
  4) "You can't be a superhero! You're not covered with steroid-enhanced bulges!"
  5) "I can't be a superhero! I'm scared to death of fighting!"
  6) "We can't be superheroes without snazzy-sounding code names, now can we?"
  7) "I can't be a superhero! I'm in horrible shape! I probably couldn't even run around the block!"
  8) "We can't be superheroes! What if we get hurt?"
  9) "We can't be superheroes! How will we wear these suits without being noticed?"
  
  > 4
  Austin smirks, and rolls his eyes. "Let's find Mom and Dad first, then I promise I'll subscribe to bodybuilding magazines and start cranking the anabolics. Okay?"
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Okay, you've convinced me. Let's do it."
  2) "No. I'm sorry, but I just think it's a bad idea."
  3) "We can't be superheroes! We don't know a thing about investigating a crime! How is shooting lightning and lifting heavy things going to find us clues that the police can't find?"
  4) "I can't be a superhero! I'm scared to death of fighting!"
  5) "We can't be superheroes without snazzy-sounding code names, now can we?"
  6) "I can't be a superhero! I'm in horrible shape! I probably couldn't even run around the block!"
  7) "We can't be superheroes! What if we get hurt?"
  8) "We can't be superheroes! How will we wear these suits without being noticed?"
  
  > 3
  "But Emily, we already have. Without the skysuit, would we ever have found that note Mom left? She must have used the suit herself to get it up there. Anyway, it's better than just sitting around waiting for something to happen. Right?"
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Okay, you've convinced me. Let's do it."
  2) "No. I'm sorry, but I just think it's a bad idea."
  3) "I can't be a superhero! I'm scared to death of fighting!"
  4) "We can't be superheroes without snazzy-sounding code names, now can we?"
  5) "I can't be a superhero! I'm in horrible shape! I probably couldn't even run around the block!"
  6) "We can't be superheroes! What if we get hurt?"
  7) "We can't be superheroes! How will we wear these suits without being noticed?"
  
  > 7
  "Yeah, the whole 'secret identity' problem. I always thought it was a little silly for comicbook superheroes to hide their identities, but maybe we ought to do that, at least until we find Mom and Dad. Otherwise, there might be a lot of uncomfortable suspicions around us, not to mention around Mom and Dad's research."
  
  "I agree, but that doesn't answer my question," you say.
  
  "Oh, right. Actually, Mom and Dad seem to have thought of that, too. I tested wearing street clothes over the earthsuit before you got here; when enough of the suit is covered, the visible parts fade into transparency, and the cowl does some kind of holo-projection thing so that your hair and face look normal, too. It's really cool. You should give it a try sometime. The only problem is that you can't use the suit's powers when it's covered like that -- I think it uses mostly photoreceptors to power itself. But that's probably for the best, since without the cowls visible it'd just look like us doing those superpower things. Anyway, I hope that addresses your objection."
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Okay, you've convinced me. Let's do it."
  2) "No. I'm sorry, but I just think it's a bad idea."
  3) "I can't be a superhero! I'm scared to death of fighting!"
  4) "We can't be superheroes without snazzy-sounding code names, now can we?"
  5) "I can't be a superhero! I'm in horrible shape! I probably couldn't even run around the block!"
  6) "We can't be superheroes! What if we get hurt?"
  
  > 4
  "Cool code names, eh? Well, since it's an earthsuit and a skysuit that give us our powers, how about something that incorporates those elements? Like, I don't know... Earth-Man and Sky-Girl?"
  
  "First of all," you say, "why is it that you get to be a Man, and I'm just a Girl? Also, Earth-Man sounds like something a Star Trek alien would call you."
  
  "Okay, fine. What's your idea?"
  
  "I think rather than try to sound like cheesy comic book superheroes by appending things like 'Man' or 'Lass' or 'Captain' or whatever, we ought to keep it short and elegant. How about just Earth and Sky?"
  
  "Earth and Sky. I have to admit, those do sound pretty cool. Okay, Earth and Sky it is. So now that we have our cool code names, will you help me investigate this disappearance?"
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Okay, you've convinced me. Let's do it."
  2) "No. I'm sorry, but I just think it's a bad idea."
  3) "I can't be a superhero! I'm scared to death of fighting!"
  4) "I can't be a superhero! I'm in horrible shape! I probably couldn't even run around the block!"
  5) "We can't be superheroes! What if we get hurt?"
  
  > 4
  "Heh. I know what you mean. Still, with these suits, it's not like we really need to be in good shape. You can fly wherever you want to go, and this suit keeps me strong enough to run or jump or whatever without getting particularly winded. It probably wouldn't hurt us to start working out a little more, but it's not like we have to be Olympic athletes before we can use these suits."
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Okay, you've convinced me. Let's do it."
  2) "No. I'm sorry, but I just think it's a bad idea."
  3) "I can't be a superhero! I'm scared to death of fighting!"
  4) "We can't be superheroes! What if we get hurt?"
  
  > 3
  Austin turns serious. "Well me too, of course. Certainly we'll have an advantage over anybody we want to take on, but I have no illusions that it won't be dangerous. I'm scared, too. But I guess I just think that if we can find Mom and Dad, it'll be worth the risk."
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Okay, you've convinced me. Let's do it."
  2) "No. I'm sorry, but I just think it's a bad idea."
  3) "We can't be superheroes! What if we get hurt?"
  
  > 3
  "What if Mom and Dad are already hurt?" retorts Austin. "Anything that happens to us couldn't be any worse than the fears I know we've both had about them. Don't we owe it to them to take that risk?"
  
  Please select a reply:
  
  1) "Okay, you've convinced me. Let's do it."
  2) "No. I'm sorry, but I just think it's a bad idea."
  
  > 2
  Austin looks crestfallen, but reaches out to pat you on the shoulder. "Okay, Em. I understand, I really do. Why don't you just leave the suit here and head on home? I'll meet up with you tomorrow. Also, I'd appreciate it if you'd still talk to Aunt Nina tomorrow, and let me know what you find out. Sleep well, Emily."
  
  Part 2: Shake, Rattle, and Roar
  
  It's hard to imagine how Nina Icolari ever became friends with your parents. Where they are serious and straightforward, even to the point of stuffiness, she's fun-loving and mischievous. Mom and Dad are night owls, while Nina works best early in the morning. Your parents drink Coke, she drinks Pepsi, and so on. But all those differences vanish inside the lab, where your goofy Aunt Nina suddenly metamorphoses into a world-class biologist, a driven scientist doing some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. When she's working, it's almost impossible to distract her with anything else, which makes your task today a difficult one...
  
  This small chamber is an adjunct to the materials handling room, designed to allow observation and some degree of remote control over the equipment in that room. On the north wall is the long, rectangular pane of thick glass that separates the two rooms, and below that is a control panel. Opposite the edges of this large window, on the south side of the room, a couple of tall window-slats let in the sunlight. To the west is the door out to the hallway.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  a letter
  a buzzer
  an access card
  your sneakers (being worn)
  a pair of sweat pants (being worn)
  a sweatshirt (being worn)
  a legal pad