text: [Themes: Time Travel, time travel]
  
  > go downwards
  A cramped space at the bottom of the stairs. A corridor can be seen to the north through the automatic door, and the stairs lead back up to the foyer.
  
  To the north is a closed automatic door.
  
  > Up
  A darkened foyer, presided over by a security desk near the north wall. Floating above it in the capacious darkness is a small landing. A set of stairs both rises up to meet it and stretches downwards into the dark.
  
  In the north wall is a closed automatic door.
  
  To the south is a set of automatic doors leading out into the inky night.
  
  > Down
  A cramped space at the bottom of the stairs. A corridor can be seen to the north through the automatic door, and the stairs lead back up to the foyer.
  
  To the north is an open automatic door.
  The automatic door softly slides closed.
  
  > go north
  (first inserting your ID card)
  You swipe your card through the slot, and hold your breath.
  The door slides open with a soft rattle.
  Perfect. Just as you'd hoped. The bastards hadn't even thought to disable your card.
  
  A long north-south corridor, much the same as those on the other floors. Three gray doors line the eastern wall. The first two have small glass windows, peering into darkened laboratories. The third is plain. All three are closed.
  
  At the north end a fourth door leads to the Deutsch lab.
  
  To the south is an open automatic door, leading back to the landing. The automatic door softly slides closed.
  
  > examine the doors
  There are three doors on the eastern wall of the corridor, the first two (to the south-east and east) lead to the Bostrom and Wallace labs. The third (to the north-east) leads to a small equipment room. At the north end is the door to the Deutsch lab. To the south, the plate glass automatic door to the landing stands closed.
  
  > Go north
  (first opening the door to the Deutsch lab)
  (first unlocking the door to the Deutsch lab)
  
  The lab is order and chaos. By the dim blue-green light of a few swirling screen savers, you can see the cluttered benches of your colleagues, frozen in the mess of academic creativity. Frozen exactly as they were when badges were flashed, when we looked on in disbelief as they took control of the lab. Yours however, is clean. The books and papers are in neat stacks. They have been working here.
  
  Nearby, against the north wall is the prototype, a six foot cylinder of brushed steel cladding. The door has been taken off and is nowhere to be seen. They have been working on it too. You wince at the sight.
  
  To the south, the door to the lab lies open.
  
  You can see a battery, a flashlight (which is empty) and a worn brass key here.
  
  > take all
  battery: Taken.
  flashlight: Taken.
  worn brass key: Taken.
  door to the Deutsch lab: The door to the Deutsch lab is locked in place.
  your bench: your bench is too heavy for that.
  
  > put the battery in the flashlight
  You put the battery into the flashlight.
  
  > look at the cylinder
  You had built the prototype to get a strong negative result, to show that the standard model of Quantum Mechanics led to demonstrably false claims involving reverse causation. You were mistaken. One by one, your experiments showed your preliminary calculations to have been correct. When the military removed you from your project, only one aspect remained untested  -- an aspect you had been loath to test before you could predict the results -- inconsistent observation.
  
  What would happen if anomalies were observed by those in the original time-line? Your prior experiments had heavily shielded the prototype from outside interaction to avoid the very possibility. And as the calculations came out time and again, that is the only reason you are alive today. When an observer in the original time-line has an anomolous observation, the wave function of the temporally relocated object collapses and the relocation retrospectively fails, preserving chronological consistency. There is just one side effect: total transformation of the object's mass into a burst of photons -- pure energy.
  
  You tried to tell them over and again. They assumed you were merely jealous of the takeover. Now, the night before their scheduled 'first main experiment', you have come to put an end to it all. To destroy your prototype and avoid tomorrow's nightmare.
  
  The prototype itself a six foot tall, four foot wide cylinder, clad with brushed steel. The frame and door were fitted with quantum shielding to prevent decoherence of the wave function, but now the door has been removed and any use of the machine is potentially disastrous.
  
  On close inspection, it appears that an attempt is in progress to move the control panel so that it can be operated from the inside. As it is, the protoype is currently not functioning, but you think you could probably complete the modification within a minute or two.
  
  > look at the books
  A few texts on Quantum Mechanics and String Theory that have served you very well.
  
  > examine papers
  A collection of photocopied journal papers that you had been reading a few weeks ago.
  
  You suddenly notice that your research notes are not here. You were sure they would be -- and would thus be destroyed in the blast. This is bad. Very bad.
  
  > enter the prototype
  The interior of the prototype is cramped and dark. On the wall you can see the half-installed control panel. Through the open hatch you can see some of the Deutsch lab.
  
  > look at the panel
  A brushed steel control panel with a blue LED timer, set to 0 seconds, and a shiny silver button.
  
  > set the timer to 15
  (the timed explosive device to that)
  Time until detonation: 15 seconds.
  (you probably don't want to be carrying the device when that occurs...)
  
  > examine the timer
  (the timed explosive device)
  A length of steel pipe filled with powder and fused with a digital timer. Not your most elegant piece of work, but it will hopefully do the job.
  
  > Complete modifications
  After a few moments, you realise that completing the modification will require a ribbon cable to connect the components. You know the type of cable well, but don't have any in the lab right now. Still, the equipment room in the corridor should have one.
  
  > Go outside
  The lab is order and chaos. By the dim blue-green light of a few swirling screen savers, you can see the cluttered benches of your colleagues, frozen in the mess of academic creativity. Yours however, is clean. The books and papers are in neat stacks. They have been working here.
  
  Nearby, against the north wall is the prototype, a six foot cylinder of brushed steel cladding. They have been working on it too. The door has been taken off and is nowhere to be seen.
  
  To the south, the door to the lab lies open.
  
  > go south
  A long north-south corridor, much the same as those on the other floors. Three gray doors line the eastern wall. The first two have small glass windows, peering into darkened laboratories. The third is plain. All three are closed.
  
  At the north end is an open door leading to the Deutsch lab.
  
  To the south is a closed automatic door, leading back to the landing.
  
  > look at the doors
  There are three doors on the eastern wall of the corridor, the first two (to the south-east and east) lead to the Bostrom and Wallace labs. The third (to the north-east) leads to a small equipment room. At the north end is the open door to the Deutsch lab. To the south, the plate glass automatic door to the landing stands closed.
  
  > Go northeast
  (first opening the door to the equipment room)
  (first unlocking the door to the equipment room)
  
  It is almost completely dark. Some faint light spills in from the west through the open door, allowing you to just discern the outlines of a series of shelves. By the door is a light switch.
  
  > turn on the light
  The fluorescent lights flicker hopefully, strobing rapidly across the scattered equipment. Then darkness. Nothing but a few fleeting after-images of the cluttered room.
  
  > turn on the flashlight
  The switch clicks, but no light is forthcoming. It looks as if you will need two batteries.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are carrying:
  a worn brass key
  a flashlight
  a battery
  a bright steel key
  an ID card
  a timed explosive device
  
  > Leave
  A long north-south corridor, much the same as those on the other floors. Three gray doors line the eastern wall. The first two have small glass windows, peering into darkened laboratories. The third is open onto an equipment room.
  
  At the north end is an open door leading to the Deutsch lab.
  
  To the south is a closed automatic door, leading back to the landing.
  
  > open door
  (the automatic door)
  (pressing the green exit button)
  The door slides open with a soft rattle.
  
  > open Bostrom
  It seems to be locked.
  The automatic door softly slides closed.
  
  > examine the brass key
  A well worn brass key. It opens the various equipment rooms in the complex.
  
  > examine the steel key
  A bright steel key. It unlocks the door to the Deutsch lab.
  
  > Go south
  (first pressing the green exit button)
  The door slides open with a soft rattle.
  
  A cramped space at the bottom of the stairs. A corridor can be seen to the north through the automatic door, and the stairs lead back up to the foyer.
  
  To the north is an open automatic door.
  The automatic door softly slides closed.
  
  > Up
  A darkened foyer, presided over by a security desk near the north wall. Floating above it in the capacious darkness is a small landing. A set of stairs both rises up to meet it and stretches downwards into the dark.
  
  In the north wall is a closed automatic door.
  
  To the south is a set of automatic doors leading out into the inky night.
  
  > Go up
  A small landing, hanging in the still darkness above the foyer.
  
  On the north wall lies a closed automatic door.
  
  > Up
  A small landing, hanging in the still darkness above the foyer.
  
  On the north wall lies an open automatic door.
  The automatic door softly slides closed.
  
  > put the card in slot
  The slot emits a small beep and your card is rejected.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are carrying:
  a worn brass key
  a flashlight
  a battery
  a bright steel key
  an ID card
  a timed explosive device
  
  > Press first
  The door slides open with a soft rattle.
  
  > go to the north
  A long north-south corridor, much the same as those on the other floors. Three gray doors line the eastern wall. The first two have small glass windows, peering into darkened laboratories. The third is plain. All three are closed.
  
  To the south is an open automatic door, leading back to the foyer.
  The automatic door softly slides closed.
  
  > look at the doors
  There are three doors on the eastern wall of the corridor, the first two (to the south-east and east) lead to the Saunders and Pooley labs. The third (to the north-east) leads to a small equipment room. To the south, the plate glass automatic door to the foyer stands closed.
  
  A quick noise from behind, then a strong grip on your wrist. The guard is back -- time has slipped away from you.
  
  Deaf to your protests, the guard handcuffs you and forces you into a dark sedan. You speed through the chill Boston night, head held in your hands, almost oblivious to the blur of the suburbs rushing past.
  
  Half an hour later, the car pulls up outside a non-descript building and you are dragged inside then thrown into a small cell to await questioning.
  
  > examine the doors
  There are three doors on the eastern wall of the corridor, the first two (to the south-east and east) lead to the Saunders and Pooley labs. The third (to the north-east) leads to a small equipment room. To the south, the plate glass automatic door to the foyer stands closed.
  
  > go to the north-east
  (first opening the door to the equipment room)
  Try as you might, none of your keys will unlock the door.
  
  > open Saunders
  It seems to be locked.
  
  > Go south
  (first pressing the green exit button)
  The door slides open with a soft rattle.
  
  A darkened foyer, presided over by a security desk near the north wall. Floating above it in the capacious darkness is a small landing. A set of stairs both rises up to meet it and stretches downwards into the dark.
  
  In the north wall is an open automatic door.
  
  To the south is a set of automatic doors leading out into the inky night.
  The automatic door softly slides closed.
  
  > go to the north
  (first pressing the button marked 'first')
  The door slides open with a soft rattle.
  
  A long north-south corridor, much the same as those on the other floors. Three gray doors line the eastern wall. The first two have small glass windows, peering into darkened laboratories. The third is plain. All three are closed.
  
  To the south is an open automatic door, leading back to the foyer.
  The automatic door softly slides closed.
  
  > Unlock equipment room
  The worn brass key turns smoothly in the lock.
  
  > go northeast
  (first opening the door to the equipment room)
  
  It is almost completely dark. Some faint light spills in from the west through the open door, allowing you to just discern the outlines of a series of shelves. By the door is a light switch.
  
  > turn on the light
  The lights come on after a brief flicker.
  
  By the flickering fluorescent lights, you see the crowded shelves of the equipment room.
  
  To the west, the door to the corridor lies open.
  
  You can see a length of ribbon cable here.
  
  > examine the cable
  A 10cm length of ribbon cable. It will do nicely.
  
  > take the cable
  Taken.
  
  > go outside
  A long north-south corridor, much the same as those on the other floors. Three gray doors line the eastern wall. The first two have small glass windows, peering into darkened laboratories. The third is open onto an equipment room.
  
  To the south is a closed automatic door, leading back to the foyer.
  
  > Go south
  (first pressing the green exit button)
  The door slides open with a soft rattle.
  
  A darkened foyer, presided over by a security desk near the north wall. Floating above it in the capacious darkness is a small landing. A set of stairs both rises up to meet it and stretches downwards into the dark.
  
  In the north wall is an open automatic door.
  
  To the south is a set of automatic doors leading out into the inky night.
  The automatic door softly slides closed.
  
  > Down
  A cramped space at the bottom of the stairs. A corridor can be seen to the north through the automatic door, and the stairs lead back up to the foyer.
  
  To the north is a closed automatic door.
  
  > go to the north
  (first inserting your ID card)
  The door slides open with a soft rattle.
  
  A long north-south corridor, much the same as those on the other floors. Three gray doors line the eastern wall. The first two have small glass windows, peering into darkened laboratories. The third is plain. All three are closed.
  
  At the north end is an open door leading to the Deutsch lab.
  
  To the south is an open automatic door, leading back to the landing. The automatic door softly slides closed.
  
  > fix the prototype
  (first entering the prototype)
  
  The interior of the prototype is cramped and dark. On the wall you can see the half-installed control panel. Through the open hatch you can see some of the Deutsch lab.
  
  You begin work completing the modifications...
  After a minute or so, you are done.
  
  > enter the cylinder
  The only exit is out to the Deutsch lab.
  
  > set the panel to 15
  You quickly type the number in to the control panel.
  
  > press the button
  You hold your breath and activate the prototype.
  
  > press the button
  You hold your breath and activate the prototype.
  
  > Go outside
  The lab is order and chaos. By the dim blue-green light of a few swirling screen savers, you can see the cluttered benches of your colleagues, frozen in the mess of academic creativity. Yours however, is clean. The books and papers are in neat stacks. They have been working here.
  
  Nearby, against the north wall is the prototype, a six foot cylinder of brushed steel cladding. They have been working on it too. The door has been taken off and is nowhere to be seen.
  
  To the south, the door to the lab stands closed.
  
  You can see a battery, a flashlight (which is empty) and a worn brass key here.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  a battery
  a flashlight
  a bright steel key
  a worn brass key
  an ID card
  a timed explosive device
  
  > get key
  (the worn brass key)
  Taken.
  
  > get the battery
  (the battery)
  Taken.
  
  > go south
  (first opening the door to the Deutsch lab)
  (first unlocking the door to the Deutsch lab)
  
  A long north-south corridor, much the same as those on the other floors. Three gray doors line the eastern wall. The first two have small glass windows, peering into darkened laboratories. The third is plain. All three are closed.
  
  At the north end is an open door leading to the Deutsch lab.
  
  To the south is a closed automatic door, leading back to the landing.
  
  > Go northeast
  (first opening the door to the equipment room)
  (first unlocking the door to the equipment room)
  
  It is almost completely dark. Some faint light spills in from the west through the open door, allowing you to just discern the outlines of a series of shelves. By the door is a light switch.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  two batteries
  a flashlight
  a bright steel key
  a worn brass key
  an ID card
  a timed explosive device
  
  > put the batteries in the flashlight
  battery: Done.
  battery: Done.
  
  > turn on the flashlight
  By the thin blue-white beam of your flashlight, you see the crowded shelves of the equipment room.
  
  To the west, the door to the corridor lies open.
  
  You can see a crowbar here.
  
  > get the crowbar
  Taken.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  > close the door
  You close the door to the equipment room.
  
  > Close deutsch
  (the door to the Deutsch lab)
  You close the door to the Deutsch lab.
  
  > go to the northeast
  By the thin blue-white beam of your flashlight, you see the crowded shelves of the equipment room.
  
  To the west, the door to the corridor lies open.
  
  > close the door
  You close the door to the equipment room.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  > set the panel to 300
  You quickly type the number in to the control panel.
  
  > Lock deutsch
  (the door to the Deutsch lab)
  The bright steel key turns smoothly in the lock.
  
  > Go northeast
  (first opening the door to the equipment room)
  (first unlocking the door to the equipment room)
  
  It is almost completely dark. Some faint light spills in from the west through the open door, allowing you to just discern the outlines of a series of shelves. By the door is a light switch.
  
  > close the door
  You close the door to the equipment room.
  
  > lock the door
  The worn brass key turns smoothly in the lock.
  
  > put the batteries in the flashlight
  battery: Done.
  battery: Done.
  
  > turn on the flashlight
  By the thin blue-white beam of your flashlight, you see the crowded shelves of the equipment room.
  
  To the west, the door to the corridor stands closed.
  
  You can see a crowbar here.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  > set the panel to 900
  The prototype's control panel only accepts between 1 and 400 seconds.
  
  > open Bostrom with the crowbar
  You swing the crowbar firmly into the door, but it barely leaves a mark.
  
  > go north
  The lab is order and chaos. By the dim blue-green light of a few swirling screen savers, you can see the cluttered benches of your colleagues, frozen in the mess of academic creativity. Yours however, is clean. The books and papers are in neat stacks. They have been working here.
  
  Nearby, against the north wall is the prototype, a six foot cylinder of brushed steel cladding. They have been working on it too. The door has been taken off and is nowhere to be seen.
  
  To the south, the door to the lab lies open.
  
  You can see a flashlight (which is empty) and a worn brass key here.
  
  > get the battery
  As you remove the battery, the light fails.
  Taken.
  
  > drop the battery
  (the battery)
  Dropped.
  
  > Go south
  A long north-south corridor, much the same as those on the other floors. Three gray doors line the eastern wall. The first two have small glass windows, peering into darkened laboratories. The third is open onto an equipment room.
  
  At the north end is an open door leading to the Deutsch lab.
  
  To the south is a closed automatic door, leading back to the landing.
  
  > Close deutsch
  (the door to the Deutsch lab)
  You close the door to the Deutsch lab.
  
  > go northeast
  It is almost completely dark. Some faint light spills in from the west through the open door, allowing you to just discern the outlines of a series of shelves. By the door is a light switch.
  
  > take the battery
  You already have that.
  
  > turn on the flashlight
  The switch clicks, but no light is forthcoming. Not surprising considering flashlights usually need batteries.
  
  > Lock equipment
  (the door to the equipment room)
  (first closing the door to the equipment room)
  The worn brass key turns smoothly in the lock.
  
  > Lock deutsch
  (the door to the Deutsch lab)
  (first closing the door to the Deutsch lab)
  The bright steel key turns smoothly in the lock.