text: [Themes: Time Travel, apocalypse, moments out of time, sexual content, strong profanity]
  
  > Look around
  You get the impression that this bathroom has become a waystation for things that were intended for the basement, but got lost along the way. Boxes and bags seem to cover every surface; the sink, the heating vent, the fixture. The way out is south.
  
  > look at vent
  Forced air environmental control... You've heard of this. It's a system which controlled the temperature in a building via the crude method of pumping air of the desired temperature through a system of metal tubes toward various areas of the house. It's an interesting system, neither very efficient, nor robust, but it did allow the most cost-effective means of controlling interior climate available in this era.
  
  > look in the vent
  The vent is empty.
  
  > go upwards
  You are in the main entryway of the house. Aside from its functional purpose as the central hub of the building, it also serves as a showcase of the owner's prowess as a decorator. This room is tasteful and ornate. A coatrack stands abandoned in a corner, beside a highly polished small wooden table. The front door is due south, and the hallway opens west onto the kitchen, and east to the living room. A large staircase to the north leads up to the second floor, and down.
  
  On the wooden table is a letter to Julia.
  
  > Go east
  The very name "living room" is a subject of some consideration: what does it mean to be a "room for living". Obviously, one "lives" in every room of a house. Practically speaking, during this time period, the "living room" was the room in which one entertained guests, watched video transmissions, and interacted with family. Nevertheless, the living room was primarily the adults' domain. This living room is not an exception. The atmosphere is one of maturity; the lack of wear on the furniture and prominence of fragile art objects suggests that it is a room not accustomed to children's play. A couch and several armchairs are arranged in a rough semicircle, a superficial attempt at creating the illusion that its occupants are generally interested in conversation rather than watching the screen, which one assumes is in the cabinet situated along the southern wall. The louvered doors of a closet are set in the east wall, and the wall opposite opens into the foyer. Along the north wall, a section opens into another hallway.
  
  > open cabinet
  You open the video cabinet, revealing a video screen, a video disc player and six video discs (one "Episode Two", one "Jigsaw", one "Spider and Web", one "Symetry", one "War of the Worlds" and one "Best Chefs").
  
  > take Spider
  Taken.
  
  > put it in the player
  You put the video disc of "Spider and Web" into the video disc player.
  
  > turn on the video screen
  The display flickers to life, showing static. Service has apparently been interrupted.
  
  > turn on the player
  The video monitor begins showing what seems to be a spy thriller. It is extremely difficult to work out what exactly is going on, but you imagine that's intentional.
  
  > open the closet
  (with the autokey.)
  Unlocked.
  
  > examine the couch
  The couch is a standard piece of living room furniture. This one is large and comfortable. This one has been covered with a hand-fitted cloth drape featuring a subtle print, a more economical way to keep up with the latest fashion trends and hide minor damage than reupholstering.
  
  > examine the art
  It's funny, when you think about it. Something as innocuous as the cabinet on the far side of the room would be considered an objet d'art in your time, while these mass-produced items, clearly designed to be art are barely worth notice. While none of these items would ever cross the threshold of your apartment, you could imagine factory-made art just like this adorning shelves in your own time. Bad taste never changes.
  
  > take Spider from the player
  You switch the video player off. The screen switches to static. Removed.
  
  > put it in the player
  You put the video disc of "Episode Two" into the video disc player.
  
  > take Episode 2
  You switch the video player off. The screen switches to static.
  Taken.
  
  > look at the cabinet
  A large, wooden, wardrobe-like cabinet sits along the south wall, roughly at the focal point of the room's seating. The part of you that spends your off-hours rummaging through antique shops perks up a little. They don't build them like this any more. If it survived to your time, a piece like this would be worth a packet to a dealer in antique furniture. None of the antiseptic sterility of the mass-replicated contemporary pieces. This is a piece that was built -- physically made out of raw material. There is something personal about it, the sense that nothing came between the builder and the built less personal than steel machinery.
  
  > look in it
  In the video cabinet are a video screen, a video disc player and four video discs (one "Jigsaw", one "Symetry", one "War of the Worlds" and one "Best Chefs").
  
  > put it in the player
  You put the video disc of "Symetry" into the video disc player.
  
  > Scan symetry
  The scanner reveals nothing of interest.
  Somewhere near the coast of Alaska, an intercontinental missile generates a high-frequency electrical field, rendering it invisible to the defensive screen covering much of the North American continent.
  
  > go east
  This was originally a walk-in closet, but with the quantity of items which have accumulated here, it has become more of a stand-in closet. You are sure that if the building weren't doomed, it would eventually have turned into a lean-in closet. Between the well-stocked coat rod and a number of boxes, there is just enough room for you to turn around if you feel like returning west to the living room.
  
  On the coat rod are a winter coat (in which is a sales brochure), a light jacket (empty), a windbreaker (empty), a gray suitcoat (empty), a black suitcoat (empty) and a smoking jacket (empty).
  
  > examine the brochure
  Arcotech Home Survival Technologies offers the finest quality shelters for home survival in times of national crisis. Arcotech shelters are rated to offer secure protection against:
  *Blasts
  *Fallout Radiation
  *Vandalism
  *Looting
  *Terrorism
  *Weather and Climate Emergencies
  
  Arcotech shelters are:
  *PAATO approved for use in emergency situations
  *designed for use with concrete or earth coverings, or as above-ground shelters
  *built from a heavily-tested, original, patented design
  *tested successfully in full, one-third, and one-quarter scale models by the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Air Force, and Pacific Institute of Technology Engineering Sciences Laboratory
  *available in a large range of sizes to accommodate many different needs
  *equipped with the latest in survival equipment and fully stocked with supplies meeting the FWPSC 1.2037 standard for long-term survival *installable in most existing homes and buildings
  *fully customizable to meet specific user needs and concerns
  
  This booklet details just a few of the many survival features available. Contact your Arcotech Sales Representative for a full list of features, special options recommended in your area, and pricing information.
  
  Arcotech shelters are built with the highest degree of precision technology to provide optimal support and security. Shelter roofs and walls are built from high-tech steel corrugated arch panels to ensure maximum strength and load-bearing. The corrugated design allows high-quality seals between arch panels so that shelters can be built of any length.
  
  Arcotech shelters come standard with heavy steel endwalls. For added protection, concrete endwall reinforcements are available. Due to the patented interlocking all-steel design, additional layers of protection can be added to the arch or endwalls.
  
  For the ultimate in radiation protection, lead insulating sheets may be added.
  
  All Arcotech shelters come with a reinforced heavy steel door. Thick security bolts ensure that the shelter cannot be breached. Many Arcotech shelters include a secondary egress hatch, which can be installed in the roof with a minimal reduction in structural integrity.
  
  Arcotech shelters include the latest in high-endurance life support equipment. All Arcotech shelters are equipped with both secure ventilation systems for processing outside air, and with an advanced air recycling system. In emergencies, the shelter can be sealed and operate entirely on stored air reserves for up to six months at a time. When outside air is safe for use, it can be used to replenish internal supplies in a matter of hours.
  
  The water recycling system standard on Arcotech shelters is able to provide adequate, safe water supplies over extended periods. With strict water rationing, the shelter is able to recycle approximately 85% of its stored water. Optional accessories include facilities for collecting and purifying water from surface runoff and underground deposits. The standard water storage system included with each Arcotech shelter contains sufficient reserves for three months of use. With water recycling and collection, usable water may be replenished indefinitely.
  
  Sanitation and waste-disposal facilities in Arcotech Shelters are second to none. The low-energy waste incinerator reduces all human and other waste products to compact ash, which is stored in the insecure waste pit. Waste pit capacities vary with space availability, but are generally large enough to store several years worth of waste.
  
  The standard equipment for Arcotech home survival shelters includes a 30-year supply of nonperishable food stocks designed to meet all nutritional needs. Users with infants and small children are advised to consider ordering the optional child nutrition supplement.
  
  In addition for stocks of first-aid supplies, the medical stores standard in Arcotech shelters include medical equipment and medicine for treating minor maladies and injuries, along with detailed, useful information on their use. To foster adequate health and morale, most shelters are capable of increasing the normally dim lights to output sun-like spectra for limited periods. By using this feature several times a week, occupants can avoid depression and diseases caused by lack of sunlight.
  
  Arcotech shelters are powered by a patented high-performance chemical induction system, which can deliver operating power to the shelter for at least 30 years without replenishment. For above-ground shelters, solar power cells are also available. The energy source is suitably shielded from EMP effects which may accompany nuclear attacks.
  
  Arcotech home survival shelters come standard with accommodations for families of four, six, eight, and twelve persons. Accommodations for larger groups may be custom ordered.
  
  Standard accommodations include comfortable, high-durability bedding with optional privacy screens, a dining and utility table with chairs, personal storage compartments, and durable survival clothing. Efficient kitchen, laundry, and toilet facilities are also provided, as is a privacy-screen area for low-water washing.
  
  Because of the importance of maintaining morale during an extended stay, Arcotech shelters also contain minimal facilities for relaxation, exercise, and entertainment. All non-value-line models of Arcotech shelters include a "relaxation area", consisting of a foldable couch (which may be raised to form an exercise area), small television with video and music player, and storage space large enough to contain a small library or children's toys.
  
  Security/Survival
  All Arcotech shelters are equipped with the following minimal equipment to facilitate survival in times of crisis. Many other options are available. Contact your Arcotech Sales Representative for a full list of features recommended in your area.
  *Easy-to-use radiation meters
  *Two 30" 22 mag. cal. single-action rifles and ammunition for personal defense and hunting
  *Shortwave radio and transmitter
  *Desktop computer with wireless network connection
  *"Panic" locking mechanism: Shelter egress can be secured so that its entryway cannot be opened from inside for a specified time, or until radiation levels are safe, to prevent early egress in the event an occupant becomes unreasonable
  *Cyanide capsules: stored in a locked box, also fitted with a panic locking mechanism, are provided as a painless alternative to radiation sickness or degenerative illness
  *Government approved survival instructions: Arcotech is the only shelter manufacturer to equip each shelter with all of the Federal Government's latest survival instruction booklets. Other manufacturers often use dangerously out-of-date materials, some nearly a century old
  
  Arcotech: Your Life May Depend On It
  
  You notice that the document mentions nothing about protection from photo-nuclear weapons. Though the document is grossly limited in its treatment of technical considerations, you quickly realize that such a shelter would not provide adequate protection from even non-nuclear attacks closer than a few dozen kilometers away. Its primary utility rests in protecting its occupants from residual radiation released by fallout from a distant bomb strike. Of course, a far less opulent shelter would still provide adequate defense under such circumstances. [The document "Home Shelter Sales Literature" has been added to your DataStore.]
  
  > go west
  The very name "living room" is a subject of some consideration: what does it mean to be a "room for living". Obviously, one "lives" in every room of a house. Practically speaking, during this time period, the "living room" was the room in which one entertained guests, watched video transmissions, and interacted with family. Nevertheless, the living room was primarily the adults' domain. This living room is not an exception. The atmosphere is one of maturity; the lack of wear on the furniture and prominence of fragile art objects suggests that it is a room not accustomed to children's play. A couch and several armchairs are arranged in a rough semicircle, a superficial attempt at creating the illusion that its occupants are generally interested in conversation rather than watching the screen, which one assumes is in the cabinet situated along the southern wall. The louvered doors of a closet are set in the east wall, and the wall opposite opens into the foyer. Along the north wall, a section opens into another hallway.
  
  > Go west
  You are in the main entryway of the house. Aside from its functional purpose as the central hub of the building, it also serves as a showcase of the owner's prowess as a decorator. This room is tasteful and ornate. A coatrack stands abandoned in a corner, beside a highly polished small wooden table. The front door is due south, and the hallway opens west onto the kitchen, and east to the living room. A large staircase to the north leads up to the second floor, and down.
  
  On the wooden table is a letter to Julia.
  
  > go to the north
  When this house was first built, conventions of style dictated a degree of spartan functionality from the dining area. The construction of this room has a sort of tacit apology built into its architecture, as if the dedication of an entire room to dining facilities was seen as an undesirable extravagance. The twenty years that followed saw a reversal of the cultural mores which had all but done away with a fixed dining area. The net result is that this particular dining room has an uncomfortable blend of styles. A small, nondescript table shows signs of heavier wear than it was meant for. An ornate china cabinet stands in one corner, looking very out-of-place. The buffet counter, again nondescript and too small to be really serviceable, stretches across a portion of the north wall. Open archways lead south and east, and a small door is west.
  
  On the buffet are two oil lamps.
  
  You can see a photograph here.
  
  > look at the photograph
  This is apparently a visual of the family that lived in this house. In the back stand two adults, a man whose receding hair looks unnaturally dark, wearing thick, horn-rimmed eyeglasses, and a woman, much shorter, who looks about the same age. She too wears glasses, with a more fashionable wire frame. Her front teeth, visible in what looks like an unaccustomed smile, are stained and crooked. A small scar is visible near the corner of her mouth. Before them are two children. On the right, a boy about ten, has a ridiculous smile and equally ridiculous bowl-cut. Beside him is a girl, probably a few years his senior. You aren't sure, but you think you see a glint of something reflective near her temple, where her hair is awkwardly combed over a bald patch. Her eyes are not quite the same color, though that may be a blemish on the photograph. There does certainly seem to be something odd about her right eye, but you can't tell on a photograph this size.
  [The document "Family Photo" has been added to your DataStore.]
  
  > look at the lamps
  oil lamp: These are archaic oil-burning devices, which appear to be decorative, but would probably function as a servicable light source in the event of a power failure.
  
  > examine table
  The table is a very simple wood affair, with numerous small scratches and a well-worn finish.
  
  > look at the cabinet
  The opulence of the china cabinet is a stark contrast to the nondescriptness of the rest of the room. Delicate carvings adorn the surface, and a floral pattern is set into the frosted glass of its doors.
  
  > open the cabinet
  You open the china cabinet, revealing some fine china.
  
  > examine the fine china
  Several high-quality place settings.
  
  > Go west
  hold all the necessary garment-cleaning equipment. Several makeshift shelves along the wall opposite to the major appliances hold cans and bottles. A door to the outside is on the western wall. The dining room is to the east.
  
  > Note 4
  [Footnote 4]
  Just.
  
  > examine cans
  Which do you mean, the floor cleaner or the furniture polish?
  
  > Floor cleaner
  If the label is to be believed, this particular compound will restore even the most heavily soiled floors to a factory shine.
  
  > examine the polish
  A fragrant compound designed to collect dust and restore a polished shine to wooden furniture.
  
  > open the washing machine
  You open the washing machine.
  
  > open the drier
  You open the drier, revealing a lint trap.
  
  > look at the trap
  This is a tiny screened compartment within the drier which collects the clothing fibers ejected from garments due to the destructive nature of the laundering process.
  Inside it, you can see some lint and a brass key.
  
  > look at brass key
  A small brass key, presumably thrown from the pocket of some article of clothing.
  
  > go east
  When this house was first built, conventions of style dictated a degree of spartan functionality from the dining area. The construction of this room has a sort of tacit apology built into its architecture, as if the dedication of an entire room to dining facilities was seen as an undesirable extravagance. The twenty years that followed saw a reversal of the cultural mores which had all but done away with a fixed dining area. The net result is that this particular dining room has an uncomfortable blend of styles. A small, nondescript table shows signs of heavier wear than it was meant for. An ornate china cabinet stands in one corner, looking very out-of-place. The buffet counter, again nondescript and too small to be really serviceable, stretches across a portion of the north wall. Open archways lead south and east, and a small door is west.
  
  On the buffet are two oil lamps.
  
  You can see a photograph here.
  
  > go to the east
  The ceiling over this stretch of hallway slopes upward where the stairs cut into it. Along the south wall, just before the ceiling becomes too low to make a serviceable hallway, a low, louvered door marks a small closet. The hallway continues east, and to the west it ends in an archway leading to the dining room.
  
  > open the door
  It seems to be locked.
  
  > unlock door
  (with the autokey.)
  You open the little closet, revealing a coaxial cable, a stuffed bear, four video discs (one "Womb Raider", one "Blow me Away", one "Coeds Getting Naked" and one "Thrustmaster Returns") and some adult magazines.
  
  > examine the bear
  It's a rather well-worn children's toy, missing its right eye.
  You shift your eyes back and forth. Bear. Porn. Bear. Porn. Bear. Something just isn't right.
  
  > look at the cable
  A short length of high-bandwidth wire.
  
  > examine magazines
  A number of periodicals devoted to culture, politics, and pictorial studies of the nude female form.
  the entirety of human history, some form of graphical material has existed with the intention of stimulating sexual arousal. During the majority of that time, such items carried some degree of social stigma, at times being outright illegal, and at the very least, something not discussed in social settings.
  After the war, a revival of so-called "family values" would attempt, with varying degrees of success, to drive the pornography industry deep underground. By your own time, very little is still held to be taboo. Nevertheless, the production of sexually-oriented reading material is extremely limited, as the social and moral reformations of recent decades have made safe and more satisfying avenues easily available for the expression of sexual desires. At this particular point in history, pornography was generally held to be a healthy and safe alternative to sexual promiscuity. Nevertheless, such materials were not deemed appropriate for persons under the generally accepted age of sexual maturity, which might explain their concealment.
  
  > Note 5
  [Footnote 5]
  Not a required course in StreamDiver training, but for some reason the most popular elective.
  
  > Go east
  A poorly-lit length of hallway begins here and continues west. The southern wall is open to the living room. A door leads east.
  
  A painting on the wall depicts a nautical theme.
  
  > look at the painting
  You take a moment to appreciate the painting. It's only a print, you know, but for all you can tell, this may be a copy of the work of some not-yet-famous artist, the only copy anyone in your time has ever seen.
  
  > move it
  It is fixed in place.
  
  > SCAN
  The scanner has further details available on:
  the painting
  
  > Scan painting
  The scanner highlights a small metallic mass between the painting and the wall.
  
  > Go upwards
  The stairs from the ground floor land in the middle of a long hallway which extends east and west from your current position. There is a door in the north wall, slightly narrower than usual. From here, you can see three doors at each of the two ends of the hallway.
  
  > open the north door
  (with the autokey.)
  Unlocked.
  
  > go north
  Although the primary function of this room seems to be as a linen closet, its size suggests that it was intended for even heavier storage. Three of the walls bear shelves, neatly stocked with towels and bed linens.
  
  > search the linens
  You poke around at the sheets, and find, hidden in the folds of a large bedsheet toward the back, a pack of cigarettes, either squirreled away for an emergency, or hidden from a disapproving family member.
  
  > examine the cigarettes
  Toward the end of the twenty-first century, various lobbies finally succeeded in banning the manufacture and sale of these particular items, citing their known carcinogenic effects and the ongoing tendencies of their manufacturers to indulge in unethical business practices. Like the bans on so many other harmful intoxicants, the cigarette ban would have undoubtedly failed, had genetic engineering not coupled a non-toxic smoking mixture with powerful antidepressants, resulting in a new, safe cigarette, which provided an even better high. These, however, are still quite lethal, you're sure.
  
  > STATUS
  StreamDive Console: Standard Research Version
  Status: Operational
  Temporal Capacitor charge: 65%
  Manifest:
  interface chip
  scan chip
  library chip
  DataStore chip
  dive chip
  Temporal shield is inactive
  
  > move the couch
  You are unable to.
  
  > search the couch
  You force your hand between two cushions. Before nicking yourself on a spring, your hand catches on a small object which was lost in the couch, which emerges to the surface just ahead of your stinging hand.