text: [Themes: Science Fiction, music, space, aliens, strong NPCs]
  
  > look around
  Another hexagonal room, this time with just one exit, leading south through a plaster door. The room is exceptionally blank, as a sort of minimalistic museum.
  
  In the center of the room, a six-sided glass table takes most of the space. The surface is crystal-clean, a mocking at the passing of time.
  
  > Rotate table
  It is fastened to the floor.
  
  > Go south
  A hexagonal room, lined in plaster and steel, with six doors opening into six more locations. Three of them look dead, while the others
  glow or flicker to different rhythms. To the south is the dark tunnel leading to the railway station; to the northwest and north the functioning exits.
  
  > go northeast
  (first opening the northeast door)
  There is no power. This door can't be operated.
  
  > Go northwest
  Another hexagonal chamber, this time rather larger than the previous ones. A set of lounge chairs dots the place, each of the seats resting empty in front of a terminal. To the north, a four-by-two-meter screen almost entirely covers the wall. This is probably the main bridge of the ship.
  
  > examine terminal
  A series of terminals and consoles. You can't understand the symbols
  on their keyboards and screens, you can't understand the purpose of
  any of them, and you can't understand how to activate them. Enough said.
  
  > examine the screen
  The screen is dark.
  
  > look at the chairs
  The many chairs, more than a dozen, are each facing a different console, as would suit any regular ship commanding bridge.
  
  > go south
  In here rails depart into several holes that plunge into darkness. A set of secondary tunnels leaves from the north and northeast while, to the west, a much larger highway is lit by a strong flashing strobe.
  
  A lone wagon, an open boat hanging over rails, sits undamaged at the end of the ramp.
  
  On the lone wagon is a rusty console.
  
  > Go northeast
  After a while, and along a narrow, dimly lit tunnel, you find yourself in a rather peculiar environment.
  
  This six-sided room reminds you of the chess training grounds in which you used to spend your spare time during your first years in Brouguoise, before they hired you at the University of Monarch: The size, roughly the same; the white, featureless walls -- a sort of dramatic fashion of the times in which the Campus was built; the
  plain, cold light that fills the place. But most of all, what strikes you as a perfect mimic is the object filling the center of the room.
  
  Two men, seated and facing each other, play a game around a six-sided table, in an everlasting match.
  
  > examine the game
  They are made of stone. Sitting, immobile, staring at the center of
  the table, in a replica of a very slow, endless game of chess.
  
  You begin wondering. What has happened to these people? Is this
  really a sculpture or...?
  
  As an answer, you hear a faint beep coming from the north.
  
  > examine the men
  They are made of stone. Sitting, immobile, staring at the center of
  the table, in a replica of a very slow, endless game of chess.
  
  > Go north
  A six-sided room, again. Each wall is covered in a myriad of tiny bulbs, each one the size of a bee's eye. Most of the lights are off.
  On the east wall, a ten-by-twenty centimeter spot just below a small viewscreen bears a series of five symbols, printed in an obscure,
  alien language. The room is then empty, except for a large cubic
  device placed against its northern wall.
  
  > examine the symbols
  A series of five symbols, printed in a language you don't comprehend. Obviously alien.
  
  > examine the device
  It looks like an examination table.
  
  Another, stronger beep fills the room. All of a sudden, many of the dormant lights come to life and the whole room is turned into a dance floor. The air starts circulating -- probably the air conditioning kicking in -- and something appears above the large cubic device and
  on the small viewscreen.
  
  > say hello
  (to LOGAN)
  I don't know what you are referring to.
  
  > examine the device
  A cone of green light goes from the ceiling to the table's top. Inside it, a smaller beam runs to cover all its surface. It reminds you of a 3D scanner you once toyed with in Brouguoise.
  
  > put the disc on the device
  Hesitantly, you put the golden disc onto the table's top. As soon as you retract your arms, the green beam starts covering the disc's surface, scanning it in the process. When it's done, a metallic voice comes out of somewhere:
  
  LOGAN://"Galaxy Ex-NOVA -- -cal. Ghjugaak, hysndee akim akimaa tota"//
  
  A series of sounds follows -- waves, wind, thunder -- then you can slowly hear some... music coming out of the device.
  
  This is the music recorded on the disc, you murmur. It
  is... it is trying to learn from disc.
  
  A long array of spoken words -- many of which you never heard before, some guttural, others quite musical, mixed with ones from your own language -- closes the show. At the end, the green light vanishes, in its place a holographic image.
  
  The last word from the speakers, the very voice of this station's main computer, you guess, is: "LOGAN."
  
  [You have earned the Play It Again, Ektor achievement]
  
  > examine LOGAN
  LOGAN://"Akjhs jsjns sksws LOGAN, xxxxx hs kl exact, Milky Way,
  Earth."
  
  > look at the hologram
  The hologram hovering on the device's top looks like... the galaxy of Andromeda.
  
  On the large cubic device is a golden disc.
  
  > set the course to the andromeds
  LOGAN://"Cannot compute. Kfosule dohhs match."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the earth
  You tell the computer what you know about the galaxy, the planets and the stars. At first, its responses are as understandable as a Council Member's speech, but then, word by word, his alien language starts mixing with your own.
  
  Impressive. It's really learning just from listening to me.
  
  The holographic picture on the cubic device changes.
  
  > look at the hologram
  The hologram now shows a couple of human beings, probably a man and a woman, depicted in a rough style. They seem to be holding each others' hands.
  
  On the large cubic device is a golden disc.
  
  > ask LOGAN about LOGAN
  LOGAN://"Cannot compute. Sample doesn't match."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the people
  You look at the two figures and start belaboring, as lightheartedly as it gets in these hard times, about the human race. You speak about the ages, the history, the legacy of mankind. At the end, you fail to keep a tear from rolling down your cheek.
  
  LOGAN seems unimpressed as, again, it goes on calculating the many facets of your own existence.
  
  A new, dark hologram fills the space above the examination table on
  the cubic device.
  
  [You have earned the Communication Breakdown achievement]
  
  > examine hologram
  The hologram shows -- unmistakably -- a Hyerotrope.
  
  On the large cubic device is a golden disc.
  
  > ask LOGAN about Hyerotrope
  LOGAN://"This is the vessel in which you entered the Arcadia.
  This is the vessel that you will need to leave it. This
  galaxy is shrinking. You must go."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the andromeda
  LOGAN://"According to your statement, this galaxy is named Andromeda. It is currently shrinking due to the effect of the omega
  supernova."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the supernova
  LOGAN://"The event swallowing the galaxy is known as the omega supernova. It has been calculated that the result of a disruption in the mass effect of major stars can lead to a supernova chain reaction that can disintegrate a galaxy in less than 500 of your years. The
  mass effect disruption has usually been triggered by the entities you call Hyerotropes. The Hyerotropes increase the rate of
  expansion of the ultimate supernova by locally manipulating the gravitational constant, changing the nature of the universe in that region of space. The galaxy of Neulan was annihilated in 230
  years by the same omega supernova effect."
  
  > ask LOGAN about Neulan
  LOGAN://"The Arcadia was launched from the Sector 17f, Bahgfdy
  system, Sldrtt planet, as a means to escape the omega
  supernova that started annihilating the Neulan Galaxy. It
  traveled for eleven of your years before being stranded in this
  section of space."
  
  > Achievements
  Achievements for Andromeda Apocalypse:
  
  A Hell of a Storm    (You watched the sky turn dark)
  A Dark Omen    (You have seen the dark side of the
  sky)
  The Leaper    (You have jumped through the void)
  Invisible Killer    ( -???- )
  The Dweller    (You have reached the bottom)
  To Shed a Light    (You have turned the lights on)
  Ticketless Ride    (You have taken the train)
  The Fisher    (You have seen the fish)
  The X Marks the Spot    (You have crossed over)
  Play It Again, Ektor    (You have played a record)
  Communication Breakdown    (You know how to have people
  listen to you)
  A Matter of Time    ( -???- )
  A Matter of Size    ( -???- )
  Archaeologist    ( -???- )
  Cuboctahedron    ( -???- )
  Flying the Egg    ( -???- )
  To Be a Scientist    ( -???- )
  Sinking the Ship    ( -???- )
  The Shining    ( -???- )
  Hellen Ripley    ( -???- )
  Indiana Jones    ( -???- )
  Survivor    ( -???- )
  Gettare Rinors    ( -???- )
  
  > examine the screen
  The viewscreen is filled with alien diagrams.
  
  > ask LOGAN about Gettare Rinors
  LOGAN://"I cannot compute, sorry."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the gettare sldrtt
  LOGAN://"I don't know what to say about that. Maybe you want to play a game, instead?"
  
  > ask LOGAN about the sldrtt
  LOGAN://"Actual Sldrtt population: Zero. Actual Bahgfdy population: Zero. Actual Neulan population: Zero. Actual Neulan size and scope: Zero".
  
  There are no survivors. The Hyerotropes take all. Andromeda is at
  least the third galaxy being devoured.
  
  > ask LOGAN about the chess
  LOGAN://"The 'statues' you encountered are the remnants of the Arcadia's 33,000 inhabitants. The corpses have been turned to
  rock-like formations due to the long exposure to a sterile, cold environment. They are now what you call fossils."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the whales
  LOGAN://"I don't understand, Ektor Mastiff."
  
  > ask LOGAN about stranded
  LOGAN://"The Arcadia has been pierced through by a series of
  unknown objects during its trip through the galaxy of
  Andromeda. Due to the major damage sustained, the Arcadia stopped traveling and being fully functional some time ago. It is now
  in power reserve mode. The Arcadia has been traveling from the
  galaxy of Neulan trying to escape the omega supernova."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the power
  LOGAN://"Due to the time of confinement of the Arcadia since it
  has been stranded in this portion of the galaxy, the
  power management system has dropped to minimal terms and now is
  working on reserve. The remaining charge is 0,00076% and the OS
  and life support systems are running on solar power."
  
  > ask LOGAN about Time
  LOGAN://"Computing. Converting origin years to Ektor Mastiff's years. Computing...
  
  The Arcadia has been stranded in Andromeda for one-million-three-hundred-and-fifty-three-thousand years.
  (Calculations rounded up to the nearest thousand)."
  
  Your sight blurs for a second.
  
  One million years? This ship has been here for over
  one-fucking-million YEARS?! Here's what turned those men to
  statues...
  [You have earned the A Matter of Time achievement]
  
  > ask LOGAN about the life
  LOGAN://"The emergency life support system has been active since you entered the Arcadia, in response to Protocol 23,346 on Life
  Protection Measures. You can now freely walk and interact with the Arcadia as long as the ELSS is active and protecting your health. The ELSS will be functional for 13 hours circa, or until power charge depletion."
  
  > ask Logan about the os
  LOGAN://"LOGAN is acronym for Ljhdt Ohsret Gaet Abbskp Neuklg. I am
  the operating system of the Arcadia. I can give assistance on
  basic ship maintenance and security options and answer a large number of queries. At present state, the Arcadia is in power reserve
  mode and my abilities have reduced to 0,023%.
  
  You can ASK me ABOUT things, or SHOW things to ME, or just say LOGAN,
  . Logan can hear you and provide responses throughout all of
  the Arcadia. You are welcome to TALK to me whenever you like or need."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the scanner
  LOGAN://"I cannot compute, sorry."
  
  [Hard time interacting with LOGAN? Remember you can TALK to him in rooms for comments on the environment. You can SHOW things to him or ASK him ABOUT subjects. Also, the formal "LOGAN, " is usually
  best to get explanations on the words he says in bold type.]
  
  > ask LOGAN aboutthe commanders' quarters
  LOGAN://"That's beyond my grasp."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the observatory
  LOGAN://"I don't understand, Ektor Mastiff."
  
  > examine the symbols
  The five symbols must mean LOGAN in a language you can't grasp. Given the time you could try and learn a new alphabet, but the impending supernova is more of a concern, now.
  
  > show the ticket to LOGAN
  LOGAN://"I detect nothing special."
  
  > show the clothes to LOGAN
  LOGAN://"I don't have any comment on that, Ektor Mastiff."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the forebridge
  LOGAN://"I cannot compute, sorry."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the Train
  LOGAN://"That's beyond my grasp."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the the birds and the the bees
  LOGAN://"I don't understand, Ektor Mastiff."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the power
  LOGAN://"Due to the time of confinement of the Arcadia since it
  has been stranded in this portion of the galaxy, the
  power management system has dropped to minimal terms and now is
  working on reserve. The remaining charge is 0,00076% and the OS
  and life support systems are running on solar power."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the davidw
  LOGAN://"That's beyond my grasp."
  
  [Hard time interacting with LOGAN? Remember you can TALK to him in rooms for comments on the environment. You can SHOW things to him or ASK him ABOUT subjects. Also, the formal "LOGAN, " is usually
  best to get explanations on the words he says in bold type.]
  
  > talk to LOGAN
  LOGAN://"This is the scanning and computing lab. I'm using this to learn your language."
  
  > Go south
  This six-sided room reminds you of the chess training grounds in which you used to spend your spare time during your first years in Brouguoise, before they hired you at the University of Monarch: The size, roughly the same; the white, featureless walls -- a sort of dramatic fashion of the times in which the Campus was built; the
  plain, cold light that fills the place. But most of all, what strikes you as a perfect mimic is the object filling the center of the room.
  
  Two men, seated and facing each other, play a game around a six-sided table, in an everlasting match.
  
  LOGAN://"Lt. Hesld and Capt. Ttscy. Their bodies were the last
  to become inert. They wanted it this way."
  
  > talk to LOGAN
  LOGAN://"This is the main control room for the commanding crew. It is now unavailable due to damage sustained. Time has put too much
  of a burden on the delicate instruments."
  
  > Go southwest
  In here rails depart into several holes that plunge into darkness. A set of secondary tunnels leaves from the north and northeast while, to the west, a much larger highway is lit by a strong flashing strobe.
  
  A lone wagon, an open boat hanging over rails, sits undamaged at the end of the ramp.
  
  On the lone wagon is a rusty console.
  
  LOGAN://"This is the sternbound hub for the railways of the
  Arcadia. I'm afraid that most of the routes are either clogged
  or powerless."
  
  > Go west
  As you enter the brilliant avenue of steel and plaster, you are choked with panic.
  
  The wide tunnel is an unbelievably perfect replica of a place you know far too well. The curving ceiling, the polished walls, the shining lights that strobe in your eyes: All is coming at you from the recent past, from your last steps into what you once dared call civilization.
  
  Sea, west of Brouguoise and back home in Capital Monarch, to all the people in town known as "Belmont and Keller", after the avenues it
  runs through. No cars, no traffic and no toll booth, but all the rest is here, replicated tile-by-tile.
  
  It takes you about three minutes to recover from the shock. After
  that, memories of a gone world start tumbling in your forehead like a cascade of freezing water.
  
  Gone, you sigh. Gone. Gone. Gone.
  
  A giant gate, several bars lining up like matches in a box, blocks the way to the west, where the tunnel continues.
  
  LOGAN://"The tunnel leads to the docks. Let me open the gate
  for you, Ektor Mastiff."
  
  > ask LOGAN about Hesld
  LOGAN://"They were the last officials of the crew of the
  Arcadia. They jettisoned the remaining life-pods and then
  commanded LOGAN to stop the life support system. They died of
  exposure to extreme cold and their bodies are still in the position they had in their final moment."
  
  > go to the west
  (first opening the bars gate)
  Each of the bars is ten centimeters wide and can easily survive an explosion. You must find some other way to operate it.
  
  > open Gate
  LOGAN://"Roger that, Ektor Mastiff."
  
  With a soft, pneumatic sound, the bars of the gate lift to the
  ceiling, into which they almost completely sink.
  
  > go west
  Through Belmont and Keller, other side of the gate
  The tunnel runs east to west, into a very big chamber.
  
  The bars of the gate are lifted and now stick into the ceiling like a giant's teeth.
  
  > go west
  You begin to realize the actual size of the giant structure you have shipwrecked on the very moment the open space in front of you is revealed.
  
  At least six hundred meters wide, two hundred high and... well, three kilometers long, the hangar could probably harbor all of your skyscraper block in Monarch with spare room for a garden and a supermarket. The place has been trashed by some unknown force, a lot
  of its old content scattered around and devastated.
  
  The docks are to the northwest, west and southwest, while south and north the enormous chamber continues, among debris, spare ship parts, crates and boxes of every kind and size.
  
  LOGAN://"Welcome to the docks, Ektor Mastiff."
  
  > talk to LOGAN
  LOGAN://"I have no comments for this place, sorry. If you want you can SHOW things to me or ASK me ABOUT anything you want."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the docks
  LOGAN://"I don't know what to say about that. Maybe you want to play a game, instead?"
  
  > go west
  The mouth of the ship is open and shouting at the universe. All of the bulkheads are retracted, leaving a unique sight for your sore eyes. In absence of an atmosphere, the sky is crystalline and every shadow is intense as if painted with a black varnish. A soft wind caresses your skin and you shiver at the thought of its origin.
  
  I'm breathing and feeling warm in actual absence of an atmosphere.
  This is beyond science. It's magic, you consider.
  
  The remnants of what you'd call a foundered ship are jabbed into the pavement near the open bay. A broken wing emerges from the metal floor like a rampaging shark aimed at a flying prey.
  
  LOGAN://"The mouth of the docks was opened the last day of the
  Arcadia. The Commanders asked for it, so that the
  external environment could fill the ship and put an end to all remaining life. The ELSS kicked back in action as you entered
  the ship. To oblige me to open the docks, the Commanders had to override the security system protocols. Otherwise, it wouldn't
  have been possible for me to go on and kill the crew."
  
  > ask LOGAN about Commanders
  LOGAN://"You met their remnants in the room adjacent to my CPU. They are Lt. Hesld and Capt. Ttscy."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the security
  LOGAN://"The protocols forbid LOGAN to harm in any way an inhabitant
  or guest of the ship. The same protocols compel me to start the
  ELSS as soon as a life-form enters the Arcadia. The crew
  overrode the SSL from the Forebridge main console."
  
  > look at the wing
  The wing pops out of the ground. A compartment stands loose just at
  the point where it encounters the main body of the foundered ship.
  
  > open Compartment
  There is no lid: it probably flew off during the accident.
  
  > examine it
  In the compartment is a translucid bar.
  
  > Examine bar
  The bar is one-and-a-half meters long. Its surface is glossy.
  
  > ask the floyd about the bar
  LOGAN://"This is a radioactive bar used as fuel for small ships."
  
  You can't see any such thing.
  
  > go to the south
  Docks, south
  After a -- long -- walk, you reach this corner of the docks area.
  
  This is the southernmost side of the giant mouth opening into the sky. Apart from broken equipment and trashed boxes, the place is worthless.
  
  Or maybe not.
  
  In the darkest corner of the hangar, a solitary, forgotten cabinet stands evidence of a former life.
  
  LOGAN://"During the large amount of time the docks have been
  left open, a lot of debris have drifted in here. The
  gravitational mass of the ship is enough to attract even
  medium-sized starships."
  
  > open the cabinet
  You open the forgotten cabinet, revealing a white jumpsuit.
  
  > get it
  The cabinet seems to be firmly fixed in place.
  
  > examine it
  An old-as-time white jumpsuit, incredibly dusty and crinkled.
  
  > show it to LOGAN
  LOGAN://"This is the regular anti-radiation suit for the technical
  crew of the Arcadia. It may come in handy for sustaining high temperature as well as freezing. You can use it in case of ELSS malfunction."
  
  > wear it
  You push yourself inside the jumpsuit. It fits perfectly.
  
  > ask LOGAN about the debris
  LOGAN://"Much of the debris which entered the docks and pierced
  through the shell all around the Arcadia consists of rocks.
  Part, though, is composed of the jettisoned life-pods or fragments of the Arcadia bailout ships."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the bailout
  LOGAN://"As the ship began regaining mass after exiting the warp zone, it was more and more unlikely that escape pods could overcome
  the gravitational pull. In the end, only 3% of the shuttles got free
  of it, while the rest stood trapped in this zone. Almost all of the Arcadia's passengers died a slow death a few hundred meters
  around the ship wreckage."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the escape
  LOGAN://"The shuttle bays of the Arcadia are all empty. The
  survivors of the ship's stalling have fled an amount of time
  ago. You must find another vessel. I can suggest you take the
  same 'route' as the one you took to get here."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the route
  LOGAN://"An object similar to the one you came from has been
  held captive in the Arcadia for examination. You can find it in
  bay 7, level 1, port section."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the object
  LOGAN://"A specimen of the sphere-kin you call the Hyerotropes
  has been caught in the gravitational pull of the Arcadia
  on the first year of its confinement in this galaxy."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the gravitational
  LOGAN://"The mass of the spaceship Arcadia is enough to cause a
  strong gravitational pull when not subject to warp drive. Being stranded here, the pull started growing as the subsequent
  cemetery of debris grew bigger around the ship. On day 3,777 of Arcadia's confinement, the object you call the
  Hyerotrope punctured the Arcadia on level 9, port section, and
  was then moved to the large bay 7 for inspection. It has been contaminating the Arcadia since then."
  
  > ask LOGAN about Hyerotrope
  LOGAN://"This is the vessel in which you entered the Arcadia.
  This is the vessel that you will need to leave it. This
  galaxy is shrinking. You must go."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the confinement
  LOGAN://"The Arcadia has been pierced through by a series of
  unknown objects during its trip through the galaxy of
  Andromeda. Due to the major damage sustained, the Arcadia stopped traveling and being fully functional some time ago. It is now
  in power reserve mode. The Arcadia has been traveling from the
  galaxy of Neulan trying to escape the omega supernova."
  
  > Go north
  The mouth of the ship is open and shouting at the universe. All of the bulkheads are retracted, leaving a unique sight for your sore eyes. In absence of an atmosphere, the sky is crystalline and every shadow is intense as if painted with a black varnish. A soft wind caresses your skin and you shiver at the thought of its origin.
  
  The remnants of a foundered ship are jabbed into the pavement near the open bay. A broken wing emerges from the metal floor like a rampaging shark aimed at a flying prey.
  
  > go to the north
  Docks, north
  After a -- long -- walk, you reach this corner of the docks area.
  
  This is the northernmost side of the giant mouth opening into the sky. There is nothing here but debris and piles of broken crates.
  
  > search debris
  You rummage through the debris, but succeed only in raising a lot of powder.
  
  > Go east
  Hangar, north
  After a -- long -- walk, you reach this corner of the docks area.
  
  The place is a mess. Crates and equipment pieces are scattered all around the floor, remains of a devastating incident. The hangar continues south, southwest and west.
  
  A sort of egg-like pod shines, through the debris, under a transparent tube coming off of the ceiling.
  
  > look at the pod
  A glass and metal egg-shaped pod, containing just a seat.
  
  > talk to LOGAN
  LOGAN://"The nav-pod is the fastest way to travel the
  Arcadia. You can enter it and command for destinations
  throughout the ship. Unfortunately, many hubs are clogged, unavailable or not reachable due to the power reserve mode."
  
  > Go south
  At least six hundred meters wide, two hundred high and three
  kilometers long, the hangar could probably harbor all of your skyscraper block in Monarch with spare room for a garden and a supermarket. The place has been trashed by some unknown force, a lot
  of its old content scattered around and devastated.
  
  The docks are to the northwest, west and southwest, while south and north the enormous chamber continues, among debris, spare ship parts, crates and boxes of every kind and size.
  
  > go south
  Hangar, south
  After a -- long -- walk, you reach this corner of the docks area.
  
  The place is even more of a mess than the north side of the harbor. Crates and equipment pieces are scattered all around the floor,
  remains of a devastating incident. The hangar continues north, northwest and west.
  
  A tall hatch hides behind crates on the south wall of the hangar.
  
  LOGAN://"The hatch to the south once led to the third station of the Arcadia. Now, after the devastation of the docks, it is
  unusable."
  
  > go north
  Hangar, north
  The place is a mess, but not as much as the south side. Crates and equipment pieces are scattered all around the floor, remains of a devastating incident. The hangar continues south, southwest and west.
  
  A sort of egg-like pod shines, through the debris, under a transparent tube coming off of the ceiling.
  
  > go pod
  You get into the pod.
  
  LOGAN://"This is a nav-pod. You can use it to travel to different sections of the ship. The one still available, at least: the power leakage has made many hubs no more accessible.
  
  Do you want me to push you somewhere? Try: LOGAN, 29port."
  
  > examine tube
  The tube enters the ceiling and disappears into a dark hole.
  
  > ask LOGAN about the 29port
  LOGAN://"Actually, bay 2, level 9, port section is the port hangars. You are here already."
  
  > 71port
  LOGAN://"Navigating!"
  
  The nav-pod is sucked into the tube and sent running through dark tunnels. In a few minutes you find yourself in...
  
  The Reliquary (in the pod)
  There is a place, in your heart, where you are sure all the grievous moments will play a ghastly rehearsal for the rest of the life you still have to live. A place where the same striking images follow one after the other as a sort of stop-motion nightmare with just three frames.
  
  your world. The second, the very moment you unknowingly said goodbye
  to Andy and to everything you had.
  
  The third is now flickering in your face as a film about to burn.
  
  A dark, metal-plated room. The ceiling ten meters above. The floor a matrix of ebony-colored tiles. A cave, you would call it. A cave of
  the soul.
  
  And then a sphere: A dark, shiny sphere -- your enemy, your nemesis -- breathing slowly in the east side of the room, its thousand
  luminescent tentacles strangling reality and changing it at its will.
  
  The Hyerotrope, the end of all life.
  
  Half buried in the ground, as per the first time you met each other in the fiery depths of drowning Monarch, its four dots are blinking in
  the dark.
  
  LOGAN://"This is your vessel, Ektor Mastiff. This is the only
  way you have out of this galaxy."
  
  But you don't listen. There's a voice in your head whispering deathly words.
  
  "What for," you ask yourself. "This is just... just..."
  
  LOGAN://"Unfortunately, it seems that the corruption has done
  too much damage to the ship. The object you call the Hyerotrope
  has sunk into the floor."
  
  [You have earned the Flying the Egg achievement]
  
  > look at Hyerotrope
  The Hyerotrope has sunk into the ground far more than the one you discovered in the depths of Monarch. A door is open on its side, half hidden by the floor but still enterable to the east. Four red dots
  line up above the opening, eyes you cannot inquire.
  
  > examine dots
  The four dots are all lit. This means the Hyerotrope is alive and kicking.
  
  > go east
  (First getting out of the pod)
  The Reliquary
  A dark, metal-plated room. The ceiling ten meters above. The floor a matrix of ebony-colored tiles. A cave, you would call it. A cave of
  the soul.
  
  A pod is ready, here, waiting for passengers.
  
  A dark, shiny sphere breathing slowly in the east side of the room,
  its thousand luminescent tentacles strangling reality and changing it at its will.
  
  The Hyerotrope, the end of all life.
  
  Half buried in the ground, its four dots are blinking in the dark.
  
  As you would expect, the Hyerotrope door opens around you and lets you in.
  
  The translucent walls of this Hyerotrope are no different from any others you have seen. The half-sphere in which you stand is empty and static.
  
  LOGAN://"The corruption has gone too far. The vessel is
  trapped in the floor of the ship."
  
  You check the walls of the Hyerotrope, but there is no reaction from them.
  
  LOGAN://"It seems you are stuck here, Ektor Mastiff. I'm sorry to inform you that the omega supernova will be reaching the
  Arcadia in less than three hours."
  
  You shrug.
  
  Whatever the route I take, what will be the difference? World's
  gone. The damn galaxy is gone. And it won't stop here. It will devour everything. Where can I go? And what for?
  
  LOGAN://"Although -- there could be a way. One last trick..."
  
  But you are not listening. In your mind, and in your eyes, there is only one image...
  
  The thin air of the evening is picking at you, leaned against the rail of the balcony, shoulders tossed at the first darkness in ages.
  
  Your friend and colleague Andy Re's is here, leaning against the banister and looking at the city.
  
  > look at Andy
  Your best colleague and, most of all, your best friend. He shares your studies and your passions. If you ever had a brother it would have
  been him. He looks a bit battered. The events of the last few days
  must have put a lot of stress on him.
  
  > Chin up
  You prefer following the flow of the conversation.
  
  Andy turns to face you. He seems resolute, but also tired to death.
  
  "You understand the importance of what we are doing, right?"
  
  You nod.
  
  "You understand the importance of your delivery, right?"
  
  You smile, uncomplaining.
  
  > talk to Andy
  "So?" Andy baits you.
  
  "So... I don't know. I don't know why it can't be you. I mean: The Committee will trust you more than me, being the veteran and so on..."
  
  "A veteran? I've been walking in the Campus seven months more than
  you. If that's being a veter..."
  
  "You know what I mean," you stop him.
  
  "Actually," he smiles, turning to face the city again, "I don't.
  What's up, Doc?"
  
  > examine city
  The city goes on forever, until the curve of the horizon or the ocean puts an end to its travels. There are thousands of lights, shining
  more than the stars themselves.
  
  > talk to Andy
  You fill your lungs and wait for the fresh air to make you dizzy. You are in need of more energy and can't tell if you'll ever find enough.
  
  "Fact is," you start, "I'm not exactly sure about our motives, Andy."
  
  "Our motives? What are you talking about, man? This may be the most important discovery in our history and you need a motive to
  go public?"
  
  "Yeah, I need it. They don't seem to be paying much attention, don't you think? Have you heard from them, lately? Everybody knows what we are doing but nobody cares. That's a fact."
  
  "So you need the psychological support..."
  
  > Again
  "It's not like that. Don't paint me as an idiot. I mean... Did you
  ever think about it? No noise, mate. No noise at all. You know how it sounds to me?"
  
  Andy turns to face you again. "Nope," he sais. "How does it sound?"
  
  "Sounds like it's pointless. I mean: All the time spent, the research. And no one gives a damn. No one called. No one paid attention. And
  this sounds like it's pointless. Why are we doing this? What's the research for? Ten years, mate. Ten years and now we know something
  big, no one fucking cares."
  
  "Can I ask you a question, Ektor?" Andy leaves the balcony, enters his room and comes back a moment later with his copy of the files you are holding in your hands.
  
  > say no
  (to Andy Re's)
  You prefer following the flow of the conversation.
  
  "Go on," you say.
  
  "What do you think it is our job is made of? Being a scientist." You pause a second. "Knowing something and then having to tell the world?"
  
  "Well, no..."
  
  "Well, yes. That is exactly what I think being a scientist
  means. Spreading the news. Having... secrets, stories untold that you have to tell. It's all about that. When you know something
  that you think is important, or even half-important, you have to tell the world, Ektor. You have to spread the news and give away the
  secret. Even if the world doesn't care. Especially if the
  world doesn't care."
  
  He rushes through the pages of the Report, flipping them like a card dealer, stopping only when the back-cover is uppermost. Then, with a patient smile filled with the stubborn resolution you've known for so much time, he points at you and says:
  
  "Maybe it is our only meaning, Ektor. Letting the knowledge survive. Even if it has to survive us."
  
  Suddenly there is a flash on the horizon, followed by a low, terrible rumble.
  
  It's a hell of a storm, that one, you think. And it just
  came to our doorstep.
  
  The translucent walls of this Hyerotrope are no different from any others you have seen. The half-sphere in which you stand is empty and static.
  
  LOGAN://"Do you hear me, Ektor Mastiff? There is indeed a
  solution to your problem. I can't see restrictions to make it
  happen."
  
  [You have earned the To Be a Scientist achievement]
  
  > ask LOGAN about the corruption
  LOGAN://"The object you call the Hyerotrope began
  converting the structure of the ship since it first was laid in
  bay 7."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the converting
  LOGAN://"The object you call the Hyerotrope grows a sort of
  tentacular micro-extensions which cut into matter and transform it
  into an unknown brilliant substance."
  
  > ask LOGAN about brilliant
  LOGAN://"The substance has been analyzed but comparing it with
  acquired specimens was not possible. This OS is not designed to
  make hypotheses, so no computing was executed."
  
  > ask LOGAN about solution
  LOGAN://"A fierce enough shock could liberate the vessel
  from the structure so you could escape."
  
  > ask LOGAN about the shock
  LOGAN://"The only way I can think of is activating the ship's self-destruction system. It will deflagrate taking down the
  bridges from 10 to 1 sequentially. The resulting shocks should be enough to free the Hyerotrope and thus free yourself. This system
  would be destroyed in the process, but there is no protocol I
  would break to let you do it."
  
  > ask LOGAN abouthe self-destruction
  LOGAN://"To activate the self-destruction sequence, you have to first get back to the Forebridge, in bay 2, level 9 port section."
  
  > ask LOGAN about destroyed
  LOGAN://"The primary purpose of LOGAN is to sustain life aboard the Arcadia. Your life is put in danger by the incoming
  supernova. The only thing I can do is try and help you out of
  the ship. Canceling me in the process is no problem, as I have no further duties to accomplish. After all this time, I suppose
  some rest wouldn't hurt."
  
  You have the feeling the computer has winked, somehow.
  
  > Examine bar
  The bar is one-and-a-half meters long. Its surface is glossy.
  
  > Exit
  A dark, metal-plated room. The ceiling ten meters above. The floor a matrix of ebony-colored tiles. A cave, you would call it. A cave of
  the soul.
  
  A pod is ready, here, waiting for passengers.
  
  A dark, shiny sphere breathing slowly in the east side of the room,
  its thousand luminescent tentacles strangling reality and changing it at its will.
  
  The Hyerotrope, the end of all life.
  
  Half buried in the ground, its four dots are blinking in the dark.
  
  > talk to LOGAN
  LOGAN://"I am fascinated by the nature of the objects you call the Hyerotropes. What puzzles me most is the matter-transforming device they put into effect as soon as they settle somewhere."
  
  > look at Hyerotrope
  The Hyerotrope has sunk into the ground far more than the one you discovered in the depths of Monarch. A door is open on its side, half hidden by the floor but still enterable to the east. Four red dots
  line up above the opening, eyes you cannot inquire.
  
  > examine the tentacles
  into the floor and walls of the room. Its light is cyanotic and cold.
  
  > show the bar to LOGAN
  LOGAN://"This is a radioactive bar used as fuel for small ships."
  
  > enter the pod
  You get into the pod.
  
  LOGAN://"Want me to speed you somewhere, Ektor Mastiff?"
  
  > 29port
  LOGAN://"Navigating!"
  
  Hangar, north (in the pod)
  The place is a mess, but not as much as the south side. Crates and equipment pieces are scattered all around the floor, remains of a devastating incident. The hangar continues south, southwest and west.
  
  > go outside
  You get out of the pod.
  
  Hangar, north
  The place is a mess, but not as much as the south side. Crates and equipment pieces are scattered all around the floor, remains of a devastating incident. The hangar continues south, southwest and west.
  
  A sort of egg-like pod shines, through the debris, under a transparent tube coming off of the ceiling.
  
  > go to the east
  Through Belmont and Keller, other side of the gate
  The tunnel runs east to west, into the docks of the ship.
  
  The bars of the gate are lifted and now stick into the ceiling like a giant's teeth.
  
  > go to the east
  Sea, west of Brouguoise and back home in Capital Monarch, to all the people in town known as "Belmont and Keller", after the avenues it
  runs through. No cars, no traffic and no toll booth, but all the rest is here, replicated tile-by-tile.
  
  The bars of the gate are lifted and now stick into the ceiling like a giant's teeth.
  
  > Go east
  In here rails depart into several holes that plunge into darkness. A set of secondary tunnels leaves from the north and northeast while, to the west, a much larger highway is lit by a strong flashing strobe.
  
  A lone wagon, an open boat hanging over rails, sits undamaged at the end of the ramp.
  
  On the lone wagon is a rusty console.
  
  > talk to LOGAN
  LOGAN://"This is the fore-hub of the rails. From here, you could
  travel to a lot of destinations. Many are inaccessible at the moment, though, due to damage or decay of the lines."