text: [Themes: Western, Guns, violence, steampunk, mute protagonist, gay, Gay/queer protagonist]
  
  > Look around
  Rolling dunes stretch in every direction, ending in a distant horizon broken only by a few low, jagged mountains. A small pile of sticks burns here, sending a thin trail of black smoke into the ruddy dawn sky.
  
  A pot of some strange green fluid sits bubbling on the fire.
  
  The plainswoman sits meditatively by the fire, her spear resting across her lap.
  
  > ask the woman about the fluid
  There's a reason they call you Mute Lawton.
  
  > Point to spear
  You point at the spear.
  
  "A fine weapon," the plainswoman says, "far superior to your crude firearm."
  
  Something grey and amorphous squirms up between your toes. You step to the side.
  
  > Point to pot
  You point at the pot of strange green fluid.
  
  The plainswoman adopts a serious expression. "It is the highest aspiration to see one's consciousness join the Atmospheric Network, and the greatest magnanimity that they deign to help those of us still in physical form."
  
  You squint as a cloud of airborne dust passes by.
  
  > Drink
  (the pot of strange green fluid)
  You bring the pot to your lips and gulp down the bubbling green liquid. It smells foul, and it's burning hot. The roof of your mouth tingles unpleasantly as you set the pot back down on the fire.
  
  The plainswoman studies you carefully as you grimace, the tingling in the roof of your mouth seeming to spread upwards, into your brain, dancing psychedelically before your eyes. And then arcane symbols rise through the white noise oppressing your mind: ++GPS UPLINK VERIFIED++TEMPORARY THERMOBOT NETWORK++SEARCHING FOR USER...++USER LOCATED++CREATING INSTINCTUAL IMPRINT++CLOSING CONNECTION++THANK YOU FOR USING GPSNET++
  
  The vision fades. Gradually you become aware of your surroundings again, the plainswoman watching you with mild concern.
  
  "You find the one you fear for?" she asks.
  
  You nod. Yes, you know where he is now. The way ahead is now obvious.
  
  (If you'd prefer not to be notified about score changes in the future, type NOTIFY OFF.)
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying nothing, and are wearing a pair of dusty black jeans and a gun belt (which contains a six shooter and numerous bullets).
  
  Something slick and black scuttles past on several asymmetrical legs, before disappearing beneath a rock.
  
  > F.
  From the peak of this rocky hill you can see the town you once called home sprawl out over the landscape ahead. Ramshackle iron and wood buildings are almost piled on top of one another, clustering around the shattered concrete dome of the old reactor.
  
  > look at reactor
  A cathedral-like dome of grey concrete, pocked with gaping holes and coated in sickly weeds.
  
  > look at the buildings
  From abject poverty to dehydrated affluence: the town's rooftops are
  
  > examine the town
  decorated with an eclectic array of vents, steam pipes, satellite dishes and good old-fashioned rust-eaten holes.
  
  From abject poverty to dehydrated affluence: the town's rooftops are decorated with an eclectic array of vents, steam pipes, satellite dishes and good old-fashioned rust-eaten holes.
  
  > F.
  You're at the entrance to a street of low wooden buildings and corrugated iron shacks. A small corral encircles part of the dusty ground here, home to a single broken robot and a trough of stagnant water.
  
  Vicious Sue faces you with one hand on her six shooter, smirking.
  
  Claw-Hand Hank stands by the water trough, legs apart, his one good hand ready to draw.
  
  "Well, well, well," Sue says, looking you over. "Look who it ain't. Sheriff said you'd be through here. But me, I didn't think you were quite so stupid."
  
  Hank spits out a wad of tobacco and chuckles, fingering the buckle of his gun belt with his good hand.
  
  > look at the robot
  Once some sort of multi-legged farming machine, it now disintegrates into the ground, rubber hoses and shattered circuit boards visible through its corroded sides.
  
  Hank bares his half-rotten teeth in a leering smile.
  
  > take the cover
  There's no cover here.
  
  Hank's good hand twitches slightly.
  
  > examine sue
  A hawkish woman in jeans and a close-fitting jacket. Her vulturine eyes peer out from beneath the rim of her stetson, flitting between your face and your hands.
  
  Hank touches his fingertip to the handle of his gun, then draws it back again uncertainly.
  
  > look at the trough
  A shallow metal container, stained with mould and filled with putrid green water.
  
  Sue catches your eye and smiles evilly.
  
  > look at the robot
  Once some sort of multi-legged farming machine, it now disintegrates into the ground, rubber hoses and shattered circuit boards visible through its corroded sides.
  
  Hank unconsciously squints his left eye as he stares at you.
  
  > draw
  You whip your gun out of its holster in a single fluid motion.
  
  Vicious Sue and Claw-Hand Hank go for their guns. Sue has drawn her six shooter in a flash, but Hank fumbles with his holster.
  
  > shoot sue
  You fire at Vicious Sue, hitting her square in the stomach. She freezes for a moment, as if unsure what's happened, and then falls to the ground.
  
  Hank finally manages to draw his gun. He takes careful aim at you, squinting his left eye.
  
  > Shoot hank
  You shoot Claw-Hand Hank in the face. His head jerks back with a puff of splintered teeth and he collapses into the water trough.
  
  > Reload
  (your six shooter)
  You quickly empty the spent casings from your six shooter and replace them with live bullets.
  
  > Holster
  (your six shooter)
  You slip your six shooter back into its holster.
  
  > Kiss sue
  You'd sooner kiss a vampire spider-snake.
  
  > find the dark tower
  What do you want to look that up in?
  
  > F.
  This narrow, dusty street ends in a slat-fronted building bearing the name Rowdy Juanita's Saloon. A broken-down tractor rests here, its dismantled engine spilling out onto the ground.
  
  Deputy Gene stands in front of the saloon, brandishing a double-barrelled shotgun.
  
  "If you're planning on rescuing Elias," Gene snarls, "you're gonna have to shoot your way through the whole damn town. I'd turn back now if you don't want to end up sleeping in a pine box with a tombstone pillow!"
  
  Gene takes careful aim at you with his shotgun, about to fire...
  
  > take the cover
  You can't have that; it's part of the broken-down tractor.
  
  With a powerful report, Gene fires. The buckshot blast catches you square in the chest. The last thing you see is the pink mist that was your lungs only an instant earlier.
  
  > hide
  (behind the broken-down tractor)
  Okay, you're now taking cover behind the broken-down tractor.
  
  With a powerful report, Gene fires, buckshot striking the side of the tractor.
  
  "You ain't gettin' no further than this!" the deputy screams.
  
  > draw
  You whip your gun out of its holster in a single fluid motion.
  
  With a powerful report, Gene fires, buckshot striking the side of the tractor.
  
  "Fight like a man!" Gene shouts. "And stand the fuck still!"
  
  > Shoot gene
  You can't get a good shot while you're taking cover.
  
  Gene breaks open the shotgun. Two smoking cartridge cases are ejected from the breach.
  
  > stand
  Okay, you're now standing.
  
  Gene slots two new shells into his shotgun and closes the breech. He takes careful aim at you once more.
  
  > Shoot gene
  You and Gene both fire at the same time. And your bodies hit the dirt within a few seconds of one another.
  
  > draw
  You whip your gun out of its holster in a single fluid motion.
  
  With a powerful report, Gene fires, buckshot striking the side of the tractor.
  
  "Come out with your hands up!" Gene yells. "So I can shoot you!"
  
  > wait
  Time passes...
  
  Gene breaks open the shotgun. Two smoking cartridge cases are ejected from the breach.
  
  > wait
  Time passes...
  
  Gene slots two new shells into his shotgun and closes the breech. He takes careful aim at you once more.
  
  > wait
  Time passes...
  
  With a powerful report, Gene fires, buckshot striking the side of the tractor.
  
  Gene growls with frustration. "Get out from behind there, Mute! I gotta deal out some double-barrel justice!"
  
  > wait for a while
  Time passes...
  
  With a powerful report, Gene fires, buckshot striking the side of the tractor.
  
  "Fight like a man!" Gene shouts. "And stand the fuck still!"
  
  > stand
  Okay, you're now standing.
  
  Gene breaks open the shotgun. Two smoking cartridge cases are ejected from the breach.
  
  > look at the shotgun
  A standard-issue WPSF side-by-side double-barrelled shotgun.
  
  > take the shotgun
  You prefer to have six rounds to play with.
  
  > Reload
  (your six shooter)
  You quickly empty the spent casings from your six shooter and replace them with live bullets.
  
  > Forward
  Rowdy Juanita's Saloon is a homely place, and mostly clean. A shady refuge from the wasteland sun, a shaft of harsh light shines in through the doorway, enveloping countless dancing motes of dust in its glare. A multitude of round tables are dotted around the carefully polished bar, and sturdy wooden beams criss-cross the high ceiling.
  
  Rowdy Juanita stands behind the bar, a six shooter in each of her upper set of hands, a third being reloaded by her lower arms.
  
  "Hi Mute," Juanita says cheerfully. "Watch out! The sheriff reprogrammed me to shoot you on sight!"
  
  And with that she starts firing wildly with both guns, wood splintering and glass shattering around the bar.
  
  "It's a good thing I can't shoot worth a damn," Juanita says. "You should be safe as long as you don't get too close to me."
  
  > draw
  You whip your gun out of its holster in a single fluid motion.
  
  "I'm really sorry about this," Juanita says. "Believe me, the last thing I want to do is to shoot up my own bar."
  
  > shoot juanita
  You don't want to shoot Juanita. She's always been nice to you, and it's not her fault if she's been reprogrammed to blow your brains out.
  
  You flinch as a bullet whips past your head. "Sorry!" Juanita calls out, apologetically.