text: [Themes: Science Fiction, diabetes, amnesia, cyberpunk, transformation, unreality]
  
  > go downwards
  There are two holes here. You'll have to specify which one you want to enter.
  
  You flap your tail furiously, but are unable to escape. A wall of jagged teeth crashes shut around you.
  
   Freaks me out no matter how many times I see it." He claps you lightly on the shoulder, then turns to study the printout Cynthia has spread out on the lab bench.
  
  She flips through the pages briefly, running her fingers over the tiny raised bumps on one side, then shakes her head. "No change from last time. The analysis sweep still detects the possibility of an overload, but I can't pinpoint it."
  
  Justy nods grimly. "It's in there somewhere." To you, he adds, "Guess we need to do another run. Can't go to the Executives with a defective program, they don't take happily to that. Take a break, come back after you've recovered a bit. I'll be waiting."
  
  The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.
  
  The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.
  
  Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.
  
  You can also see an electric violin, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
  
  Cynthia leaves the lab to the northwest.
  
  > look
  Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.
  
  The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.
  
  > check your inventory
  You have a mouthful of gravel.
  
  A jellyfish balloons its way across the rift.
  
  > go to the east
  A school of tiny fish is disturbed as you pass through the jagged hole! Startled, they flee the grotto, scattering all about you before regrouping and, like a living comet, curving gracefully and uniformly away to the north.
  
  Precious little sunlight pierces this dark grotto from the west, muted by vague inky shapes that weave about the shadowy, porous rock surrounding you. You sense an opening in the south wall, and feel something deadly lurking there. Below you, a round opening snakes downward out of sight, into shades of deepest black.
  
  > Go south
  Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.
  
  You float in cold, empty blackness, a zone of bathypelagic void, emptiness in which nothing seems to exist, not even yourself.
  
  Far ahead, a luminous bulb weaves back and forth enticingly, as a will-o'-the-wisp. You feel drawn to it, and begin following it deeper into the darkness. An instant later, the light is yanked away abruptly, before you even have a chance to see the enormous mouth that swallows you whole.
  
   Freaks me out no matter how many times I see it." He claps you lightly on the shoulder, then turns to study the printout Cynthia has spread out on the lab bench.
  
  She flips through the pages briefly, running her fingers over the tiny raised bumps on one side, then shakes her head. "No change from last time. The analysis sweep still detects the possibility of an overload, but I can't pinpoint it."
  
  Justy nods grimly. "It's in there somewhere." To you, he adds, "Guess we need to do another run. Can't go to the Executives with a defective program, they don't take happily to that. Take a break, come back after you've recovered a bit. I'll be waiting."
  
  The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.
  
  The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.
  
  Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.
  
  You can also see an electric violin, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
  
  Cynthia leaves the lab to the northwest.
  
  > go upwards
  You zigzag back and forth, desperate to shake your pursuer.
  
  Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.
  
  The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.
  
  The shark follows, intent on devouring you!
  
  > Go east
  Precious little sunlight pierces this dark grotto from the west, muted by vague inky shapes that weave about the shadowy, porous rock surrounding you. You sense an opening in the south wall, and feel something deadly lurking there. Below you, a round opening snakes downward out of sight, into shades of deepest black.
  
  The shark, still in pursuit, attempts to squeeze into the narrow grotto. As its pointed snout passes across the threshold, a school of tiny fish is released! They attempt to scatter away, but many are pushed back into the grotto by the shark's advance. Soon the shark itself has become trapped in the grotto, but makes no effort to extricate itself, its attention still focused solely on you.
  
  More tiny fish are generated as the shark's presence in the opening triggers the event over and over again, its bulk trapping them in the grotto with you. The space around you becomes so tightly packed that it grows difficult to breathe, and still more fish are generated!
  
  In a split-second, a horrible snapping as the world, filled to capacity, ruptures, oozing pure data in a solid, swirling stream.
  
  Then the onrush of darkness...
  
  A tidal-wave of mental pictures swarms about as your mind seeks desperately to cling to them, to place them, to somehow piece back together the splintered fragments of reality.
  
  Justy unstraps you from inside the Sphere, and you climb out, remove the VR suit, and quickly dress, hanging the suit back on its rack.
  
  Cynthia walks in from the output station with a thick printout.
  
  "Wow, that was intense!" Justy exclaims. The smile on his face shows obvious satisfaction.
  
  Cynthia's fingers scrutinise the tiny indentations on the printout. "Here we go," she says. "Interpreter stack overflow on event #69105, releasing the school. Too many dynamic creations."
  
  "Never considered that," says Justy, shaking his head before facing you. "Well, I guess that's why we debug. Gimme me about half a chron or so to fix it. Take a break, you've earned it!"
  
  The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.
  
  The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.
  
  Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.
  
  You can also see an electric violin, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
  
  Cynthia leaves the lab to the northwest.
  
  > open the drawer
  You open the drawer, revealing a tool belt.
  
  > get the belt
  Your hands are full. You can't pick up anything more until you drop something else first.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying a cold slice of pizza, a lightstick, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet and a power X-Acto knife. You are wearing a technician's jumpsuit and a fingerwatch.
  
  > examine the belt
  A long, wide strap of cracked leather, adorned with a number of hooks, loops, and clips to hold things. The metal buckle bears the likeness of the Project logo.
  
  > get all except the pizza
  Cynthia's door: That's hardly portable.
  Justy: I don't suppose Justy would care for that.
  lab bench: That's fixed in place.
  the Sphere: That's fixed in place.
  metal door: That's hardly portable.
  amplifier: It's pretty heavy. You'd have to drop everything you're carrying before you could lift it. (It does have casters attached to the underside, though.)
  electric violin: You unplug the electric violin and pick it up. Justy's door: That's hardly portable.
  
  Waves of dizziness and nausea splash over you. It would be advisable to take your medication soon.
  
  > wear it
  You strap on the tool belt.
  
  You stagger about, temporarily forgetting where you are. Memories and thoughts flicker in and out of the encroaching fog. One in particular is quite urgent, but you seem unable to grasp it.
  
  > look at what you're carrying with you
  You are carrying a lightstick, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet and a power X-Acto knife. You are wearing a tool belt, a technician's jumpsuit and a fingerwatch.
  
  > Peel gelstrip
  You peel open the gelstrip.
  
  > insert the syringe in the hand
  That can't contain things.
  
  Amid fleeting consciousness, you sink to the floor, retching violently, your body convulsing spasmodically...
  
  You wake to find Justy's concerned face hovering over you.
  
  "Jesus, you scared the hell out of me! You're lucky I heard the commotion and managed to get Dr Shimada in time for a shot of glucagon, or you wouldn't have made it. Be more careful next time."
  
  He turns to go, adding, "Take it easy for awhile, you hear? When you've recovered a bit, the fish VR is ready for the next run."
  
  > examine the syringe
  The hairsbreadth point gleams menacingly. You are certain now that its contents were not insulin. What, then? And why the need for the shots? Jesus Christ, what did they DO to you?!
  
  Amid fleeting consciousness, you sink to the floor, retching violently, your body convulsing spasmodically...
  
  You wake to find Justy's concerned face hovering over you.
  
  "Jesus, you scared the hell out of me! You're lucky I heard the commotion and managed to get Dr Shimada in time for a shot of glucagon, or you wouldn't have made it. Be more careful next time."
  
  He turns to go, adding, "Take it easy for awhile, you hear? When you've recovered a bit, the fish VR is ready for the next run."
  
  > inject the syringe
  Gingerly you push the tiny point of the syringe through your skin, eliciting a faint pop, and into the thick vein on the inside of your right elbow joint. A press of the needle's switch, and the insulin flows away in your bloodstream.
  
  > Go west
  You open Dr Shimada's office door.
  
  With the Project approaching conclusion, Dr Shimada's workload has increased geometrically. Several open and disarrayed filing cabinets and the layer of paperwork covering her desktop and computer belie her typical attention to immaculacy.
  
  On your right is a small wooden shelf, bulging with assorted books.
  
  Dr Shimada works furiously at her desk.
  
  On Dr Shimada's desk is Dr Shimada's cellular phone.
  
  > ask Shimada about the syringe
  Dr Shimada waves you away impatiently.
  
  > Go east
  (closing Dr Shimada's office door on the way out)
  
  Fluorescent lights cast a harsh, blurry glare on bundles of cable stretching overhead, and on metal walls, not quite reflective. The glare breaks at a doorway in the south wall, and at the west end of the east-west corridor, outside Dr Shimada's office.
  
  On the north wall are a pair of closed elevator doors.
  
  > go east
  The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.
  
  The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.
  
  Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.
  
  You can also see an electric violin, a cold slice of pizza, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
  
  > enter the tank
  A rather strange request. You're not an android... are you?
  
  > look at what you're carrying with you
  You are carrying a lightstick, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet and a power X-Acto knife. You are wearing a tool belt, a technician's jumpsuit and a fingerwatch.
  
  > look at the knife
  A round-handled electrical cutting tool with a sharp, vibrating (and replaceable) blade. It's powered by its own internal fusion cell.
  
  > go to the southeast
  This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.
  
  Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.
  
  Hanging near the door is a painting by H.R. Giger.
  
  On your bed is a pillow.
  
  > remove the painting
  (first taking the painting by H.R. Giger)
  Taken.
  
  Now you remember why you hung it here in the first place: There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.
  
  > Cut niche
  What do you want to cut the niche with?
  
  > Knife
  Cutting that up would achieve little.
  
  > look in the niche
  The niche is empty.
  
  > feel the north wall
  You'll have to get into the shadowy alcove first.
  
  > go alcove
  You get into the shadowy alcove.
  
  In the shadowy alcove you can see plywood shelves.
  
  > pull the shelf
  You rattle the shelves slightly.
  
  > hit the shelf with the knife
  Pointless destruction. How typically human.
  
  > climb shelf
  You doubt the shelves would support you.
  
  > go outside
  You get out of the shadowy alcove.
  
  This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.
  
  Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.
  
  There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.
  
  On your bed is a pillow.
  
  > go to the northwest
  The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.
  
  The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.
  
  Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.
  
  You can also see an electric violin, a cold slice of pizza, an amplifier and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
  
  "Okay, this should do it," says Justy, glancing up at you. "Anytime you're ready, we can have another go at it."
  
  > get the amp
  It's pretty heavy. You'd have to drop everything you're carrying before you could lift it. (It does have casters attached to the underside, though.)
  
  > Go outside
  You get out of the shadowy alcove.
  
  This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.
  
  Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.
  
  There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.
  
  On your bed is a pillow.
  
  You can also see an amplifier here.
  
  > remove the shelf
  (first taking plywood shelves)
  That's fixed in place.
  
  > go to the southeast
  You'll have to get out of the shadowy alcove first.
  
  > Go outside
  You get out of the shadowy alcove.
  
  This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.
  
  Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.
  
  There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.
  
  On your bed is a pillow.
  
  You can also see an amplifier here.
  
  > examine  the knife
  A round-handled electrical cutting tool with a sharp, vibrating (and replaceable) blade. It's powered by its own internal fusion cell.
  
  > Go northwest
  The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.
  
  The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.
  
  Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.
  
  You can also see a painting by H.R. Giger, an electric violin, a cold slice of pizza and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
  
  > Go south
  A rather stark infirmary, with cold cement walls and floor lit by a single flickering fluorescent bulb. It feels more like a morgue than a medical facility. An exit leads north.
  
  You can see a metal gurney, an IV stand and a medical cabinet (which is empty) here.
  
  > Go southeast
  This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.
  
  Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.
  
  There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.
  
  On your bed is a pillow.
  
  You can also see a metal gurney and an amplifier here.
  
  > drop violin
  Dropped.
  
  > Go northwest
  The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.
  
  The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.
  
  Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.
  
  You can also see a painting by H.R. Giger, a cold slice of pizza and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
  
  > go northeast
  A small kitchen and dining area rolled into one.
  
  On the counter is a pair of metal kitchen tongs.
  
  You can also see a three-hole punch, a bow, a combination refrigerator/freezer and a microwave oven (which is closed and empty) here.
  
  > get the bow
  Taken.
  
  > Go southeast
  This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.
  
  Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.
  
  There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.
  
  On your bed is a pillow.
  
  You can also see an electric violin, a metal gurney and an amplifier here.
  
  > throw the bow
  Dropped.
  
  > cut the shelf
  What do you want to cut plywood shelves with?
  
  > Knife
  Cutting that up would achieve little.
  
  > Go southwest
  You get out of the shadowy alcove.
  
  This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.
  
  Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.
  
  There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.
  
  On your bed is a pillow.
  
  You can also see an electric violin, a metal gurney and an amplifier here.
  
  > stand on the gurney
  You lie down on the gurney.
  
  > drop all
  power X-Acto knife: Dropped.
  antitoxin caplet: Dropped.
  gelstrip: Dropped.
  hypodermic syringe: Dropped.
  lightstick: Dropped.
  bow: Dropped.
  
  > go to the southwest
  You get out of the shadowy alcove.
  
  This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.
  
  Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.
  
  There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.
  
  On your bed is a pillow.
  
  You can also see a metal gurney, an electric violin and an amplifier here.
  
  > Go northeast
  You get into the shadowy alcove.
  
  In the shadowy alcove you can see a bow, a lightstick, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet, a power X-Acto knife and plywood shelves.
  
  > get all
  plywood shelves: That's fixed in place.
  power X-Acto knife: Taken.
  antitoxin caplet: Taken.
  gelstrip: Taken.
  hypodermic syringe: Taken.
  lightstick: Taken.
  bow: Taken.
  
  > look up VR in the manual
  Which do you mean, virtual reality, VR suit, VR viruses or VR specification?
  
  > Virtual reality
  You find the following:
    A Brief History of Virtual Reality
  
  The concept of virtual reality is generally attributed to author William Gibson, but it was Jaron Lanier of VPL Research (now part of the BranMuffin World Conglomerate) who first coined the term "virtual reality".
  
  Early VR systems were used in CAD, medical and scientific research, robotics, and the training of pilots, but their most popular use has always been entertainment. The first VRs required users to don large, bulky goggles equipped with tiny monitors for each eye to enter a world of crude polygon graphics. Visual input and output equipment was limited to goggles, gloves and waist sensors.
  
  The invention of full-body suits, equipped with millions of tiny sensors, came about in the 1990s, through the use of fiber-optics and holographic imagery. VR hit home computers in the mid-1990s with the advent of VRML, a "markup language" that could be read by various "browsers" or "interpreters". Often these programs were built into headsets and gloves that could be connected to a computer via an adapter card. What is now called the First Generation of VR came to a halt when the viruses began to appear. Today, the Second Generation of VR is nearing birth, with full virtual sensory reality just around the corner. The Corporation is dedicated to protecting the integrity of this new technology through meticulous security measures, in order to avoid the fatal flaws of the First Generation of VR.
  
  SEE ALSO: VR Specification, VR Viruses
  
  > look up the vr viruses in the manual
  You find the following:
    Rather than simply crashing systems or corrupting files, the creators of early VR viruses took a more sinister purpose: By manipulating the operation of VR hardware, the viruses were able to produce incredibly bright lights and loud, high-pitched sounds that could actually blind or deafen people due to the equipment's close proximity to the sensory organs. Fear of this uncorrectable damage to persons instilled fear in the technology, ultimately pushing it by the wayside.
  
  > look up the vr specification in the manual
  You find the following:
    The storage structure of a sensory VR is modelled after an early world-building technique developed in the early 1980s, now forgotten. Objects, their properties and attributes, and the sim's functions and global variables are all stored in a specific format in order to ensure compliance with all VR systems.
  
  It is important to note that only those aspects directly pertaining to the behaviour of the VR world are stored here. Details of the presentation of such worlds are invoked in the stored VR, but undergo actual execution in a separate program, called an "interpreter". As various systems are developed to make use of sensory VR, this standardisation will permit fundamentally different sensors, central processors, etc. to invoke the same virtual world, with no need for specialised versions.
  
  The exact storage format is detailed as follows: 
  
  At this point, Justy's docs launch into a long, dull description of a stored VR, ridiculously simplified for the Executives:
  
  "The computer sees the stored reality as a series of ones and zeroes..."
  
  This continues for approximately 100 pages, but, lacking both the time and the patience, you stop reading.
  
  > cut the stick with the knife
  Yes, I suppose you could, but the liquid would just spill all over and make a mess.
  
  > go to the north
  Ironic proof against the aphorism that supercomputers are shrinking dominates this section of the lab. The walls and narrow walkways enclose the Project's brain, an enormous Cray ZMP-2010X whose size is directly proportional to its awesome processing power. Equally large racks of storage media occupy the four corners.
  
  > hit justy
  Your sense of right and wrong refuses to permit this.
  
  > shake justy
  Shake it, baby!
  
  > Examine monitor
  Justy created this graphical interface to suit the Project, replacing the hopelessly outdated "Windows 2000" O/S which came pre-installed.
  
  The desktop currently displays a mouse cursor, a "Launch" icon, a "Configure" icon, a "Report" icon, a "Debug" icon, a "System" icon and a "Flush" icon.
  
  > move the mouse
  (the ergonomic mouse)
  The mouse cursor glides in a graceful arc across the screen.
  
  > move the mouse to the Configure Icon
  (the ergonomic mouse to the "Configure" icon)
  The mouse cursor glides in a graceful arc across the screen.
  
  > examine mouse
  (the ergonomic mouse)
  A standard white two-button ergonomic input device.
  
  > Double click mouse button
  Which do you mean, the left mouse button or the right mouse button?
  
  > Left
  The mouse emits a pair of sharp, satisfying clicks.
  
  > Examine monitor
  Justy created this graphical interface to suit the Project, replacing the hopelessly outdated "Windows 2000" O/S which came pre-installed.
  
  The desktop currently displays a mouse cursor, a "Launch" icon, a "Configure" icon, a "Report" icon, a "Debug" icon, a "System" icon and a "Flush" icon.
  
  > move the mouse to the Report Icon
  (the ergonomic mouse to the "Report" icon)
  The mouse cursor glides in a graceful arc across the screen.
  
  > go northeast
  A small kitchen and dining area rolled into one.
  
  On the counter is a pair of metal kitchen tongs.
  
  You can also see a three-hole punch, a combination refrigerator/freezer and a microwave oven (which is closed and empty) here.
  
  > put the light in the freezer
  Alas, it is closed.
  
  > open the freezer
  Frosty air billows out around you.
  
  You open the freezer part of the combination refrigerator/freezer.
  
  > put light in the freezer
  You put the lightstick into the freezer part of the combination refrigerator/freezer.
  
  > Close the freezer
  You close the freezer part of the combination refrigerator/freezer.
  
  > ask Cynthia about bug
  "Do you have to ask me about EVERYTHING?"
  
  > go to the southwest
  Justy's quarters are just as sparsely furnished as yours, with only a bed, desk, and a few of Justy's personal belongings.
  
  The south wall is completely taken up Justy's film library.
  
  Hanging nearby is a framed sketch by M.C. Escher.
  
  The holovision set is on, displaying the "technical difficulties" still frame.
  
  > watch
  What do you want to watch?
  
  > Holovision
  The cute little "Technical Difficulties" still frame shows a distraught cameraman hopelessly tangled in a mess of cables. A cute little bouncy tune jingles in the background. (It would seem that no one can yet recall the name of that ex-football star.)
  
  > get the star wars
  Leave Justy's things alone.
  
  > remove Escher
  (first taking the sketch by M.C. Escher)
  There's nothing behind it.
  
  > drop the sketch
  Already on the floor.
  
  > look at the pizza
  Pepperoni.
  
  > go to the south
  A rather stark infirmary, with cold cement walls and floor lit by a single flickering fluorescent bulb. It feels more like a morgue than a medical facility. An exit leads north.
  
  You can see an IV stand and a medical cabinet (which is empty) here.
  
  > move stand north
  You push the IV stand along with you.
  
  The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.
  
  The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.
  
  Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.
  
  You can also see a painting by H.R. Giger, a cold slice of pizza and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
  
  > move it se
  You push the IV stand along with you.
  
  This is where you've lived the last five years of your life while working on the Project team. Comfortable, if a bit confined, the small enclosure is furnished with only a writing desk and bed. The walls are of solid cement blocks, with the exception of the north wall, where thick plasterboard gives the impression of having been put up hastily.
  
  Plywood shelves stand in a shadowy alcove in the northeast corner.
  
  There's a large, unsightly niche hacked into the thick plasterboard wall.
  
  On your bed is a pillow.
  
  You can also see a metal gurney, an electric violin and an amplifier here.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying a bow, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet and a power X-Acto knife. You are wearing a tool belt, a technician's jumpsuit and a fingerwatch.
  
  > look at the jumpsuit
  A standard-issue grey Project uniform, loose-fitting and comfortable, emblazoned with the Project logo.
  
  > Press logo
  You find nothing of interest.
  
  > remove the logo
  You can't see any such thing.
  
  You can't see any such thing.
  
  > remove the jumpsuit
  Unfortunately, you seem to have developed a sense of modesty, which serves to prevent you from doing that.
  
  > examine the rectangle
  As far as you can remember, there has never been a mirror here. It must have been removed before you came to the Project.
  
  Something is strange -- an echoing, shadowy air of inconsistency about the place where a mirror once hung, but you can't quite place it...
  
  > Go southwest
  (first closing the freezer)
  
  The heart of the Project, in the form of complex electrical devices linked together by a maze of coaxial cable, packs this small underground laboratory to capacity. Exits lead off in nearly every compass direction, and a set of disused cement steps descends into darkness.
  
  The Sphere looms in one corner, between the VR suit and a large glass tank.
  
  Justy works at the lab terminal, oblivious to all else.
  
  You can also see a painting by H.R. Giger, a cold slice of pizza and a lab bench (on which are the Project's technical manual, a computer workstation and an ergonomic mouse) here.
  
  > examine the light
  Clear liquid sealed in a vial of pale green plastic, capped at one end.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are carrying a lightstick, a bow, a hypodermic syringe, a gelstrip, an antitoxin caplet and a power X-Acto knife. You are wearing a tool belt, a technician's jumpsuit and a fingerwatch.
  
  > Examine watch
  Like anyone in today's highly time-controlled society, you have a small clock affixed to your right index finger, continuously winking the correct time, according to the International Chronometer.
  
  It has a built-in alarm which can be set to alert you with a painful little jolt when the timer expires. (It's also digital, which you always thought was pretty neat.)
  
  Currently, your fingerwatch reads "7362".
  
  > wear the vr suit
  (first taking the VR suit)
  "Ready to have another go at it?" Justy asks rhetorically.
  
  Placing your possessions on the lab bench, you change out of the technician's jumpsuit and into the VR suit and helmet. You climb into the centre of the Sphere and spread your arms and legs so Justy can lock them down. This done, he steps to the workstation and does something you can't quite see.
  
  "Okay, looks like we're all set for another run. Brace yourself!"
  
  He throws the switch, and you soon find yourself floating in liquid space...
  
  Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves.
  
  You experience a brief moment of sheer terror as you lose the ability to move your arms and legs, which quickly give way to fins and a flat, rudder-like tail. Freedom -- passionate, exhilarating freedom beyond any known to man -- pervades your spirit. Your vision is foggy, but your other senses appear strengthened.
  
  The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Beethoven's Emperor Concerto, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.
  
  Justy's voice rings clear through the barrier of illusion.
  
  "A quick play through is all we need, but make sure you win it. Sometimes you get interpreter crashes after a major memory reallocation. Wouldn't do to show a faulty world to the Executives."
  
  > Go west
  Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.
  
  Thin stalks of kelp fan lazily about this shallow stretch of ocean. They disperse somewhat to the east, where clumps of coral rise to form a towering reef. Westward, the ocean floor inclines rapidly toward the surface, narrowing the seawater corridor to a thin, flat wedge.
  
  Pebbles of gravel drift along the sandy floor, propelled by tidal currents.
  
  > Go east
  Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.
  
  Tall branches of pale blue coral poke up from clusters of seaweed, glittering in the sunlight that filters down through lapping waves. The reef clears away to what you for some reason perceive as east and west, perfectly calm, still. Almost eerily so. But Debussy's Arabesque no. 2, playing through in your mind, soothes away all tension.
  
  > Go west
  Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.
  
  Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.
  
  The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.
  
  A jellyfish balloons its way across the rift.
  
  > Go east
  Precious little sunlight pierces this dark grotto from the west, muted by vague inky shapes that weave about the shadowy, porous rock surrounding you. You sense an opening in the south wall, and feel something deadly lurking there. Below you, a round opening snakes downward out of sight, into shades of deepest black.
  
  The shark circles the grotto opening briefly before swimming back the way it came.
  
  > go west
  Swishing your tail, you propel yourself forward.
  
  Here the seafloor drops away abruptly as a watery rift slices downward out of sight between two jagged rock walls. Both sides of the fissure are crowded with the polyps of large anemones, flecked in sun-dappled pastel shades. Their many calyces grasp at you from all directions, but you wisely keep your distance.
  
  The reef rises to the west, and a cleft in the eastern wall is visible through the wriggling mass of gelatinous tentacles.