text: [Themes: thriller]
  
  > Go downward
  Between each pair of cars is an area which has always frightened you. Maybe it's the fact that the area is open save for a flimsy metal railing across the gaps; maybe it's the constant shifting of the floor beneath your feet. Safer areas lie south and north.
  
  You see a concealed maintenance access hatch in the floor here.
  
  You can also see an external ladder, a punched ticket and a small velvet box (which is empty) here.
  
  > cut box
  What do you want to cut the small velvet box with?
  
  > go east
  This is a tiny nondescript office, a hasty conversion from the original cabin that it was: the outlines of the bed and furnishings are still visible on the wall. A relief from claustrophobia lies west.
  
  After you've gathered your wits together, you notice that the "spider" is actually a piece of black paper folded into the shape of a spider. Obviously one of the reporters was bored and decided to play a little prank.
  
  A computer sits on a makeshift desk, a quiet hum emanating from its fan.
  
  The train just zoomed by the Los Angeles station.
  
  > go south
  Some of the acid sloshes out of the bottle of acid.
  
  Car 4, Mid
  The middle of the press car is even less interesting than the rest. Compartments are to either side of you, and the rest of the car lies south and north.
  
  > Go west
  This is a tiny nondescript office, a hasty conversion from the original cabin that it was: the outlines of the bed and furnishings are still visible on the wall. A relief from claustrophobia lies east.
  
  A computer sits on a makeshift desk, completely quiet.
  
  > examine computer
  It's an ancient VT100 terminal, which belongs more in a museum than in an office. These things haven't been used for, what, 50 years?
  
  The computer terminal is currently switched off.
  
  > go to the south
  You open the door to car 3.
  
  Car 3, Aft
  This tiny space near the junction to the next car is unremarkable, save the cramped stairway to the upper level and the door to the tiny lavatory west.
  
  The lavatory door is open.
  
  The door to the car junction slides shut.
  
  > go to the west
  Some of the acid sloshes out of the bottle of acid.
  
  This compartment leaves very little room for movement, but you're not here to do the macarena. A stainless-steel lavatory sits next to a tiny sink. A window west provides some light, which is nice as the fluorescent fixture above the mirror is not on.
  
  The exit is east.
  
  The train just rushed past the Fullerton station.
  
  > examine the fixture
  The light fixture is dark.
  
  > examine the lavatory
  (the lavatory door)
  It's a lavatory door, with a sliding bolt that changes the indicator on the outside from "Unoccupied" to "Occupied." High-tech stuff.
  
  > Shit
  Real adventurers do not use such language.
  
  The train just rumbled by the Anaheim station.
  
  > Go upward
  Better not. It would be very easy to be trapped up there.
  
  The train just barreled past the Santa Ana station.
  
  > go south
  Without any passengers, this car takes on a definite tomb-like atmosphere. A sealed passageway leads south, while the junction to the next car leads north.
  
  > examine the floor
  You see nothing special about the floor.
  
  The train just rumbled by the Irvine station.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  Wolfie (the paper spider guardian of computers)
  a small velvet box (which is open but empty)
  a diamond ring (being worn)
  a sport coat (being worn)
  a bottle of hydroxide (which is open but empty)
  some cans of soda
  a squirt bottle (which is closed)
  a quantity of pale blue liquid
  a strange red bulb
  a bottle of acid (which is open)
  a quantity of acid
  a small plastic tube (which is closed)
  some litmus powder
  
  > Go north
  You open the door to the car junction.
  
  Between each pair of cars is an area which has always frightened you. Maybe it's the fact that the area is open save for a flimsy metal railing across the gaps; maybe it's the constant shifting of the floor beneath your feet. Safer areas lie south and north.
  
  You see a concealed maintenance access hatch in the floor here.
  
  You can also see an external ladder and a punched ticket here.
  
  The door to car 4 slides shut.
  
  > examine the door
  Which do you mean, the door to car 5 or the door to car 4?
  
  > Door 4
  It's a sliding door, spring-loaded. The kind you have to hold open as you pass through.
  
  > get the red bulb
  (putting the small velvet box into the sport coat to make room)
  There is no more room in the sport coat.
  
  > drop the velvet box
  Dropped.
  
  The train just zoomed past the San Juan Capistrano station.
  
  > put the red bulb in the chest
  The strange red bulb fits snugly in the ice chest.
  
  > Close chest
  You close the ice chest.
  
  > look
  This car may have been a kitchen car, or perhaps it was temporarily converted into one for the purposes of this trip. In either case, the recent occupation by the terrorists has left it in shambles. Exits lead south and north.
  
  The lifeless bodies of the terrorists lie scattered around the car.
  
  The refrigerator must have been broken, as a heavy-duty ice chest sits in the corner.
  
  You can also see a small velvet box (which is empty) here.
  
  > Go north
  You open the door to the car junction.
  
  Between each pair of cars is an area which has always frightened you. Maybe it's the fact that the area is open save for a flimsy metal railing across the gaps; maybe it's the constant shifting of the floor beneath your feet. Safer areas lie south and north.
  
  You see a concealed maintenance access hatch in the floor here.
  
  You can also see an external ladder and a bottle of developing fluid (which is empty) here.
  
  The door to car 5 slides shut.
  
  > Go north
  You open the door to car 6.
  
  Car 6, the last car
  This is a tiny car-- a classic caboose, except it isn't red, and it doesn't have a potbelly stove. It's pretty much a lounge for the conductor and his assistants, except the conductor is conspicuously missing.
  
  You can see a train schedule, all of the passengers and a tool chest (which is empty) here.
  
  The door to the car junction slides shut.
  
  > ask the passengers about the terrorists
  One woman speaks up. "We haven't seen them since George stupidly went over to ask them for some water. Once they heard his knock, they made a big deal about marching up and down the train to make their point about who's in charge."
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying:
  Wolfie (the paper spider guardian of computers)
  a diamond ring (being worn)
  a sport coat (being worn)
  a bottle of hydroxide (which is open but empty)
  some cans of soda
  a squirt bottle (which is closed)
  a quantity of pale blue liquid
  a bottle of acid (which is open)
  a quantity of acid
  a small plastic tube (which is closed)
  some litmus powder
  
  > show the cans to the passengerd
  (first taking the cans of soda)
  They mumble amongst themselves, but the consensus is that they have no comment to make on the cans of soda.
  
  Something just happened, because you were just vaporized by a nuclear explosion.
  
  > Left
  A glass Pyrex beaker, maximum capacity 500ml, with something scrawled on the side in grease pencil. There's a glass probe fused to the bottom.
  
  You can't get close enough to see the contents, however.
  I beg your pardon?