Part I: I’m Not Weird
Okay, let’s see what we’re dealing with!
Welcome to FINDING MARTIN (Version 1.12)
A text adventure game written by G.K. Wennstrom, 2005
Developed using HTML TADS 2.5.9 Copyright (c) 1993, 2000 by Michael J. Roberts
Before the game begins for real, we are given what is probably one of the more unique customization options I’ve seen:
SET-UP FOR MENU PREFERENCES:
Type the number of your selection below and then press [Enter].
You may change this preference during the game by typing MENU.
1 = Whatever
2 = Vegetarian
3 = Kosher
4 = Kosher vegetarian
5 = No beets
Q = Quit program
RESTORE = Restore previously saved game
I appreciate the author accommodating those who might have one of those preferences. Maybe I’ll see what happens if I change this later. For now, let’s just go with:
> 1
Your menu preference will be set to WHATEVER.
Next comes a rather more conventional prompt:
OPPORTUNITY TO READ INSTRUCTIONS:
Type the number of your selection below and then press [Enter].
You may return to this screen during the game by typing HELP.
1 = Read General Instructions (for those unfamiliar with text adventure games)
2 = Read Special Note (for experienced players)
3 = Start playing game
Q = Quit program
RESTORE = Restore previously saved game
Well, I’ve played a *few* text adventure games in my time on this planet, so let’s skip right to:
> 2
SPECIAL NOTE FOR THIS GAME:
The beginning of this game is reasonably “forgiving” in the sense that the opportunities to solve puzzles are likely to stay open to you as you try different strategies to solve them. You may encounter a few instances (easily repaired with the UNDO command) in which you will need to avoid breaking or losing items that might be needed later.
However, as you progress deeper into the game, you will discover some unusual forms of travel that take you on journeys to remote locations miles away, and to destinations that are even weirder than “far-away”. Once you begin to travel on these journeys, you will find the game behaving in a “cruel” manner, in the sense that it’s easy to miss windows of opportunity that are needed in order to win the game. You are likely to discover that you have regrets about a move that you made on a journey that happened a long time ago, too long ago for you to fix conveniently with the UNDO command.
Therefore it’s recommended that you save your game at a variety of different points, so as to avoid the tedium of starting over from the beginning. The best time to save a game is right before going on a journey. Rest assured that you will need an older saved game sooner or later!
You will find that the command AGAIN or G is not always your best option for repeating commands in this game. On many systems the [F8] key or the [up arrow] can be used to repeat your last command more intelligently, allowing the game to reevalute the situation using the most up-to-date information. For example, if you have two bowls and you take one of these bowls, repeating this command by typing it again (or by using [F8] or the [up arrow]) will allow the game to understand that you now want to take the other bowl. But using AGAIN or G could cause the game to think that you mean the same bowl that you have already taken, which will give an error message saying that you already have the bowl. Also, [F8] or the [up arrow] gives you an opportunity to fix typos. Pressing [F8] or the [up arrow] more than once will allow you to repeat even earlier commands.
Definitely useful to know before we start for real. I’ll be saving often, then. and that thing about AGAIN: I wonder if that’s still true in IF systems today?
As a final note it should be pointed out that this game uses quite a bit of computer memory. You might encounter problems if you try to surf the web in a separate window while still playing the game. So if you want to use some Internet research to help solve a game puzzle, be sure to save the game first. If you’re an experienced player, you might be using a TADS interpreter with a “gam” file instead of a stand-alone “exe” file. If this is the case you might be more likely to encounter virtual memory problems, and therefore it’s recommended that you load the interpreter first and then load the game as a second step, rather than double-clicking on the “gam” file itself. Windows 2000 or Windows XP users may need to set their system to use backwards compatibility with Windows 98 or 95. Also you can edit your interpreter screen options to limit the amount of memory used to keep old text on the screen display. But saving the game frequently is your best protection if you think that memory problems might be an issue on your system.
I hope that this is less relevant now than it would’ve been 20 years ago? Certainly haven’t thought about Windows XP in ages!
Whew, that’s quite a lot. And we’ve still got the actual main intro to go!
========= FINDING MARTIN (Version 1.12) =============
It all began with a telephone call…
It’s been 14 years since you and Martin were roommates at college. After graduation Martin moved back to his home town in a remote part of New Mexico, so over the years you and he have kept in touch mostly by e-mail. You’ve always been quite fond of Martin, considering him to be the most bizarrely interesting person you know. Sort of an eccentric genius, someone compelled to push the limits of ordinary reality to the breaking point.
It was something of a shock when you got a phone call from Martin’s sister Rachel, whom you’re fairly certain that you’ve never met. But Rachel seemed quite comfortable introducing herself to you, and she quickly jumped into an explanation of Martin’s situation and why she needed your help.
As you listened to Rachel’s story, you learned that Martin’s been living alone in their family’s old house. It’s been several years since their mom closed up her business in New Mexico and moved to New York City, so Martin makes a point of calling and visiting her regularly. But Mom hadn’t heard from him in a couple of weeks and she was worried about him, so she called Rachel.
Rachel went on to tell you that she drove down from the city to check the old family house, but there was no sign of Martin. Turned out he’d stopped showing up at work too. Mom was now convinced that Martin had gotten himself into trouble and needed to be rescued. And for some reason that you can’t quite figure out, Rachel decided that you’re the one who should go and find him.
Of course, that’s how it always works in these games. There is never a clear reason why it has to be the protagonist doing the quest rather than someone closer to the person needing rescuing. Then again, we wouldn’t really have a game otherwise!
”So how soon can you get there?" Rachel asked. You could have sworn you heard her foot tapping as she waited impatiently for your answer.
After an awkward pause, you explained to Rachel that you’re not a private detective and you don’t know any of the usual ways to go about looking for a missing person. But Rachel assured you that the “usual ways” would be a waste of time in this situation, and that only someone considerably weirder than usual would be able to help.
Not quite sure whether to take this remark as an insult or a compliment, you stayed silent for a few moments. Perhaps you’d be better off not getting involved, you thought to yourself. But your friendship for Martin was the factor that pushed your indecision aside, and you reluctantly agreed to try to find Martin.
So now you find yourself standing alone on the doorstep in front of Martin’s house. You try to concentrate so that you can remember what Rachel said about how to find the spare key to the front door, but instead you’re wondering why some woman you’ve never even met thinks that you’re weird.
You look down at yourself and decide that you don’t look particularly weird. Except for the fact that this morning you accidentally put on socks that don’t quite match. So that only makes you a little bit weird, right?
You just hope that you’re weird enough to find Martin…
Well, am I weird? Hmmm…well, I play text adventure games. I suppose that makes me weird! (By normal standards, I mean.) And who hasn’t grabbed mismatched socks on accident, anyway?
DOORSTEP
The door is north of you. To the right of the door you see an unlit streetlamp attached to the wall. Further to the right you see a large picture window. There is a doorbell on the wall, just under the streetlamp.
To the east you see a thin strip of garden running along the front of the house.
To the west, there is a wall where the shape of the house sticks out towards the street.
A sidewalk lies to the south.
Hmm, so we’ve got to find our old friend in his weird house. How hard can it be? Surely this house can’t connect to as many places through time and space as Meldrew Hall?
Okay, let’s get some IF essentials out of the way:
>XYZZY
I don’t know the word “xyzzy”.
Aw, darn.
>SCORE
Score: 0 out of 360 Turns: 0 Menu: Whatever
360 points, hmmm? At least in my experience, more recent games tend to stretch their points further than classics like Zork. Seems like we’ve got quite the task ahead of us, indeed.
>X ME
You look about the same as always.
>I
You are carrying:
some khaki trousers (being worn)
a brown sock (being worn)
a black sock (being worn)
a pair of brown shoes (being worn)
a flannel shirt (being worn)
>X SHIRT
It’s a plaid flannel shirt.
>X TROUSERS
The khaki trousers are sturdy but comfortable. They have plenty of pockets.
>SEARCH POCKETS
You’d have to be more specific about how you want to search.
Grrr. What did you think I meant, game?
>LOOK IN POCKETS
You see nothing in the trouser pockets.
>X BROWN SOCK
It looks like an ordinary brown sock.
>X BLACK SOCK
It looks like an ordinary black sock.
>X SHOES
The brown shoes are well-worn loafers.
I’ll assume these are probably irrelevant until I find something to suggest otherwise.
Now let’s have a real look at some of the scenery around here:
>X WALL
Which wall do you mean, the north wall, or the west wall?
>WEST
The west wall is one of the walls of the house. It’s off-white, a rough adobe surface.
>X DOOR
The front door is closed. It has a lock that requires a key on this side.
Oh, dear, a locked door is the first puzzle. Let’s just hope it’s easier to bypass than the locked door in the other currently active let’s play!
>X LAMP
The streetlamp, currently off, is made of amber glass in a copper-colored metal frame. Through the broken glass you can see a spider web.
>X WEB
It’s a fine looking spider web.
>TURN ON LAMP
There’s no switch here, it must be inside the house.
>X WINDOW
You can’t see inside the picture window because the curtains are closed.
>X CURTAINS
The curtains are a heavy brocade of deep autumn colors. They are currently closed.
>OPEN CURTAINS
You can’t reach the curtains when the picture window is closed.
>OPEN WINDOW
You can’t open the picture window from the outside.
>X DOORBELL
The doorbell is a round, red button.
>RING DOORBELL
Ding Dong!
You wait for a while but there is no response from inside.
Of course it wasn’t going to be that easy. It never is.
That’s all there is to do here, I think. We still have some ways to go outside, however. I think a driveway will be quicker than the garden, so let’s go:
>S
SIDEWALK
Here at the end of the sidewalk is a mailbox.
The doorstep is to the north.
The front lawn is to the east.
>X MAILBOX
The mailbox is made of wood and shaped like a windmill. It’s painted mostly red with a black roof. The four realistic-looking windmill blades are also painted black. At the top of the mailbox is a hinged roof which is currently closed.
>OPEN MAILBOX
You fiddle with the hinged roof for a while but you can’t figure out how to open the mailbox. There must be some sort of trick to it.
Well, Martin is weird, but weird enough so that even his mailbox doesn’t work like normal?
>X BLADES
The craftsmanship of the windmill blades is excellent. They look as if they were real working windmill blades that could turn.
I know a hint when I read one!
>TURN BLADES
The windmill blades turn, and the mailbox plays a little tune that you recognize from your scouting days as “The Happy Wanderer”:
I love to go a'wandering,
along the mountain track,
and as I go, I love to sing,
my knapsack on my back.
Val-de-ree..., Val-de-ra...
Val-de-ree, Val-de-ra-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha,
Val-de-ree..., Val-de-ra...
My knapsack on my back.
At the end of the song the roof pops open!
Hmm, will we find a leaflet?
>LOOK IN MAILBOX
In the mailbox you see an envelope and a large stack of catalogs.
>GET ALL FROM MAILBOX
envelope: You take the envelope out of the mailbox.
large stack of catalogs: You take the large stack of catalogs out of the mailbox.
>X ENVELOPE
The envelope appears to be from the telephone company. It has “FINAL NOTICE” stamped on the front in red letters.
>OPEN IT
The envelope is now open. In the envelope you see a phone bill (folded).
>GET BILL
You take the phone bill out of the envelope.
>UNFOLD IT
You unfold the phone bill.
>X IT
It’s a final notice from the telephone company saying that Martin’s local and long distance telephone services will be disconnected if payment is not received by the due date. You notice that the bill was sent a week and a half ago and that the due date has already passed.
Well. Seems we’ve definitely got more confirmation that Martin has gotten into serious trouble.
>X CATALOGS
There doesn’t seem to be anything worth reading in the large stack of catalogs, so you soon lose interest.
I’ll take the hint, though I guess I’ll know what to use if I need to get a Babel Fish in this game!
>E
FRONT LAWN
The lawn is wild and unkempt. It looks like the grass hasn’t been trimmed in a long time.
To the north is the garden and to the west is the sidewalk.
To the east is a flagstone path headed toward the side of the house.
Not much to do here, it seems. Looking at the grass just repeats the room description. Since I seem to be moving around the grounds counterclockwise, let’s continue eastward:
>E
FLAGSTONE PATH (by the lawn)
A flagstone path leads north towards the side of the house.
To the east is a large patch of thorny bushes.
The front lawn is to the west.
>X BUSHES
The bushes are thick and thorny. You wouldn’t be able to force your way through them.
Another room with nothing much to do, yet. Maybe we’ll be able to trim those bushes later? In any case, we don’t have the necessary equipment to do so.
>N
FLAGSTONE PATH (by the garden)
A flagstone path leads north towards the side of the house.
To the east is a large patch of thorny bushes.
The thorny bushes have become so overgrown that the path northward is blocked.
The front garden is to the west.
>X BUSHES
The bushes are thick and thorny. You wouldn’t be able to force your way through them.
Yeah, I feel like we’re definitely getting past those bushes eventually. But not yet!
>W
FRONT GARDEN
The garden runs along the wall of the house here. It’s a haphazard collection of rocks, green plants, and weeds.
There are some interesting lawn ornaments here.
The front lawn is to the south and the doorstep is to the west.
To the east is a flagstone path headed toward the side of the house.
I know what’s supposed to draw our attention here, but let’s look at the other stuff first:
>X PLANTS
There’s a wild sense of disorder to the weeds and the plants with no clear distinction between the two.
>X ROCKS
The rocks are an interesting collection of different shapes and colors.
>LOOK IN ROCKS
You look in the rocks but can’t find anything.
>X ORNAMENTS
The ornaments are large stone statues shaped like penguins wearing t-shirts. The t-shirts indicate that their names are Huey, Dewey, Louie, Stewie, and Chuck.
>X HUEY
You see a large stone statue shaped like a penguin wearing a t-shirt. The t-shirt indicates that his name is Huey. He looks mischievous.
>X DEWEY
You see a large stone statue shaped like a penguin wearing a t-shirt. The t-shirt indicates that his name is Dewey. He looks mischievous.
The other three repeat the same description, just changing the name. I wonder if we can grab those?
>GET ORNAMENTS
The ornaments are too heavy to take with you, but you probably could move them one at a time just enough to see if there’s anything underneath.
>MOVE HUEY
You move Huey and find nothing underneath.
>MOVE DEWEY
You move Dewey and find nothing underneath.
>MOVE LOUIE
You move Louie and find nothing underneath. You see something moving out of the corner of your eye.
>LOOK
FRONT GARDEN
The garden runs along the wall of the house here. It’s a haphazard collection of rocks, green plants, and weeds.
The front lawn is to the south and the doorstep is to the west.
To the east is a flagstone path headed toward the side of the house.
You see Huey, Louie, Stewie, Chuck, and Dewey here.
Hmm, they definitely moved. That wasn’t the same order they were in a few turns ago.
>MOVE HUEY
You move Huey and find nothing underneath. But you think you see something moving out of the corner of your eye.
>MOVE CHUCK
You see a key! You quickly snatch it up.
(The lawn ornaments look as if they are trying not to snicker.)
Was Chuck just the “odd one out” for not rhyming? Or is there more going on here? In any case, I can wait to try more later - the key’s mine!
>X KEY
The gold key looks like an ordinary house key.
>W
DOORSTEP
>UNLOCK DOOR
(with the gold key)
The front door is now unlocked.
>N
The front door is closed.
I thought we already started implicitly opening doors by 2005? (grumble)
>OPEN DOOR
The front door is now open.
>N
LIVING ROOM (front half)
On the south wall you see the front door, which is currently open. East of the door is a wall switch and a picture window currently covered by heavy curtains. A long shelf runs across the south wall under the window. There is some model railroad track mounted on the shelf.
On the west wall is a large, comfortable-looking sofa. To the right of the sofa is a doorway, which leads west to a hallway.
The polished dark wood floor is adorned with a fine oriental rug in the center of the living room.
To the east you see a very large video screen.
The living room continues to the north.
Ooh, only the first room of the house, and lots to play with! First let’s look at the stuff we saw from outside.
>X SWITCH
The switch is pushed down.
>PUSH SWITCH
The switch is now pushed up. You see some light coming from outside the front door.
>OPEN CURTAINS
You pull the cord and the curtains open.
>S
DOORSTEP
>L
DOORSTEP
The open door is north of you and a streetlamp shines golden light on the pavement below. Further to the right you see a large picture window. There is a doorbell on the wall, just under the streetlamp.
To the east you see a thin strip of garden running along the front of the house.
To the west, there is a wall where the shape of the house sticks out towards the street.
A sidewalk lies to the south.
No, I don’t have any clue why we did either of those things. And I’m not sure what the spider web is for yet, either. Just be glad they’re both easy to reverse.
>N
LIVING ROOM (front half)
>X SHELF
Wooden shelving runs along the south wall. Mounted on the shelving is some model railroad track that runs along the entire length of the shelving.
The track enters the front half of living room from the southeast corner and continues west along the wall, dropping somewhat to pass under the picture window and then dropping to floor level to pass in front of the door. The track is inlaid into the floor there. The track then rises back onto the shelving again. At this point the shelving widens to form a platform by the sofa. Then the track goes west, exiting through a tunnel-shaped opening in the west wall.
Okay, that’s complicated, but it looks like there’s some kind of model train set in here? That’s cool.
>X SOFA
The peach-colored sofa has an old-fashioned rounded look: ornately-carved wooden legs and a generous abundance of pillows and cushions. The fabric is a smooth satin-like material which appears to have held up well after years of use.
>X PILLOWS
There are many pillows and cushions, all covered with the same peach-colored fabric as the rest of the sofa.
>SEARCH PILLOWS
As you search through the cushions and pillows, you see something shiny. It’s a pocket watch! You take the watch.
>X WATCH
It’s a brass pocket watch on a chain.
The cover of the watch has an engraving of an old-fashioned locomotive. Puffs of steam are shown rising from the engine smokestack. The watch cover is currently closed.
There is a stem at the top of the watch.
Oh, I think this is the gadget i was remembering existed. I’ve clearly forgotten the details, though. Presumably that image means it has something to do with the railroad tracks?
>X STEM
The stem is a small knob attached to the top of the pocket watch. The stem can be pushed, pulled, or turned.
>OPEN WATCH
You open the watch cover.
On the face of the watch you see an image of Galileo Galilei. Galileo’s arms show the time as 12:00.
>X GALILEO
The image on the watch, Galileo Galilei, looks like a scientist who has helped to lay one of the foundation pillars of physics. An absolute giant in his field. Even so, he appears to have some time on his hands. His arms show the time as 12:00.
I’m sure I’ll have occasion to mess with this more later. Anyway, let’s see what else is here:
>X RUG
The oriental rug is an abstract pattern with delicate swirls of orange, gold, and red on a dark brown-black background. Gold-colored fringe decorates the edges of the rug.
Of course, we have to try:
>MOVE RUG
Moving the oriental rug doesn’t reveal anything.
>GET RUG
First you’d have to roll it up.
>ROLL RUG
You roll up the oriental rug. On the back of the rug you see a tag.
>X TAG
The rug tag reads: "Unlawful to remove this tag.”
The doorbell rings.
You walk to the front door. The door is open. You see a package delivery man in a light brown uniform standing on the doorstep. He’s carrying a small package.
You sign for the package and take it. Then you close the door.
Hmm, that’s weird. I’ll deal with that in a moment.
>GET RUG
You take the oriental rug.
>X RUG
The oriental rug is rolled up. On the back you see a tag.
Okay, now let’s look at our delivery:
>X PACKAGE
The small package is addressed to Martin. The return address shows that the package is from K. McGillicuddy at SED Limited.
>OPEN IT
You open the package. There’s a can of spam inside! You take the can and let the empty box drop. The empty box is now on the floor.
>X BOX
The empty box is rather small.
>GET BOX
You take the empty box.
>X CAN
It’s an ordinary can of spam.
>OPEN IT
There’s no point in opening an ordinary can of spam – you’ve always found spam to be unappetizing.
I know you’re dismissing it, but I’m an adventure game protagonist. That means I’m going to grab every remotely portable object in sight. Of course I’m keeping the can and the empty box.
Anyway, there was one more point of interest here:
>X SCREEN
The video screen is blank.
You feel a bit sorry for the blank video screen, looking so empty and unfulfilled. Sort of like a pocket without a pocket watch.
Well, I wasn’t going to mess with the watch yet, but if you’re gonna give that clear of a hint…
>PUT WATCH IN POCKET
(first closing the watch)
The pocket watch is now in one of the trouser pockets.
The video screen begins to show the movie “High Noon”. “Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling…”
Fitting. Remember,when we looked at the watch ahnds, it was set to 12:00. Presumably, there is some way to change the time.
>GET WATCH
You take the pocket watch out of one of the trouser pockets. The back of the watch feels somewhat rough.
>X BACK
You turn the watch over to look at the back, which is engraved with these words:
"To my son Martin,
who shares my
love of gadgets.
Always remember this:
When you lose this watch,
look under the bed
and in the sofa cushions."
Then you turn the watch over again so that the front is facing you.
Well, I was probably already going to look under any theoretical beds anyway, because it’s a convenient place for hiding stuff in adventure games. But thanks for the hint!
>X SCREEN
The video screen is blank.
You feel a bit sorry for the blank video screen, looking so empty and unfulfilled. Sort of like a pocket without a pocket watch.
Yes, it looks like the screen only works so long as the watch is in our pockets.
Anyway, I think we’ve been quite thorough here. Let’s move onto one more room for this session:
>N
LIVING ROOM (back half)
There’s an armchair on the north wall. To the right of the armchair is a sliding glass door leading north to a courtyard. A pet door has been installed as part of the sliding glass door.
The floor is a dark wood, finely polished. There is some model railroad track inlaid into the floor here.
On the west wall is a piano. There’s a bust of Beethoven on the piano. A piano bench sits in front of the piano.
The east wall is covered with bookcases, with a small desk built into the bookcases. On top of the desk is a computer. A wooden desk chair is in front of the desk.
The living room continues to the south.
>X ARMCHAIR
The armchair is a matching piece to the sofa, with smooth satin-like fabric in a peach color and several pillows and cushions.
Well, it worked once:
>SEARCH CUSHIONS
Looking under the armchair cushions reveals nothing.
>X DOOR
Which door do you mean, the sliding glass door, or the pet door?
It’s gonna be one of *those* games, huh?
>GLASS
The sliding glass door is closed but not locked. The lock doesn’t require a key.
A pet door has been installed as part of the sliding glass door.
>X PETDOOR
The pet door has been installed as part of the sliding glass door. It can swing open and closed as needed.
>OPEN GLASS DOOR
The sliding glass door is now open.
Yay! I’ll likely be going through this door in Part II.
The doorbell rings.
You go into the front half of the living room and walk to the front door. You open the front door to see a package delivery man in a light brown uniform standing on the doorstep. He’s carrying a small package.
You sign for the package and take it. Then you close the door. You return to the back half of the living room.
Really, again?
>OPEN PACKAGE
You open the package. It’s another can of spam. You take it and let the box drop. The empty box is now on the floor.
>X CAN
It’s an ordinary can of spam.
>OPEN IT
There’s no point in opening an ordinary can of spam – you’ve always found spam to be unappetizing.
I’m keeping the can, though I’ve left the second box on the floor. If I find I need a bunch of empty boxes for some weight puzzle, I’ll know where to find them!
>X TRACK
Some model railroad track enters the back half of the living room through an opening in the west wall, just left of the piano. The track is inlaid into the floor here. The track heads east into the room, curving gradually northwards until it heads due north.
Now heading north, the track rises onto wooden shelving as it approaches the right side of the armchair. The shelving widens into a platform next to the armchair, just before exiting through a tunnel-shaped opening in the north wall.
Through the sliding glass door you see the track continuing north into the courtyard, quickly dropping to ground level and then making its way across the ground there.
Note that this section of track does not directly connect to the one we saw in the front half of the living room. In fact, it seems to come from somewhere not connected directly, given there’s no west exit here.
I wonder, is this the sort of puzzle where we’ll be unable to get some of our stuff someplace, and have to move it via these tracks? Although, if there is a train somewhere, I haven’t found it yet. Certainly leaves the opportunity wide open for a future puzzle!
>X PIANO
The piano is a spinet, made from blond wood. The music stand attached to the piano is empty. There’s a bust of Beethoven on the piano.
>PLAY PIANO
You should sit down on the piano bench first.
>OPEN PIANO
The piano is already open.
Doesn’t hurt to check!
>X BENCH
The piano bench is made of the same blond wood as the piano. It has a padded seat with hinges. The piano bench legs have scratch marks on them.
>OPEN SEAT
You try to open the piano bench seat, but it seems to be stuck. Apparently the wood has become warped over the years.
>X LEGS
Which legs do you mean, the piano bench legs, or your foot?
>PIANO
The piano bench legs are covered with scratch marks. One leg in particular appears to have served for many years as a favorite scratching post for one or more cats.
Oh, martin is a cat person?
My opinion of him has been lowered slightly. Dogs are better than cats.
>SIT ON BENCH
You’re now sitting on the piano bench.
>PLAY PIANO
Since there’s no sheet music on the music stand, you play the only song that you know by heart.
You play “Home on the Range” on the piano, singing along as you play:
"Home, home on the range,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard
A discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.”
How much do you want to bet that there is sheet music lying around here someplace?
>STAND
You stand up. You’re no longer on the piano bench.
>X BUST
The bust of Beethoven is made of white marble. His stubborn personality can be seen in the determined set of his forehead, nose, ears, and chin.
>X FOREHEAD
A distinctive forehead, very Beethoven.
>X NOSE
A distinctive nose, very Beethoven.
Similar messages for the chin and ears. I don’t know what this is for, yet.
>X DESK
The desk is built into the bookcases. A computer sits on top of the desk. The desk has a small drawer.
The doorbell rings.
You go into the front half of the living room and walk to the front door. You open the front door to see a package delivery man in a light brown uniform standing on the doorstep. He’s carrying a small package.
You sign for the package and take it. Then you close the door. You return to the back half of the living room.
Is this just going to keep happening every few dozen turns?
>OPEN PACKAGE
You open the package and take out yet another can of spam. The empty box is now on the floor.
>X CAN
It’s an ordinary can of spam.
Okay, where were we before we got so rudely interrupted? Right, the desk and bookcase.
>X DRAWER
The desk drawer is closed.
>OPEN IT
The desk drawer is now open. Inside the drawer you see two audio cassettes. One has a red label and the other has a green label. There is no writing on the labels.
>GET CASSETTES
Which cassettes do you mean, the red audio cassette, or the green audio cassette?
Both of them, game? (I’ve definitely played games where that would’ve worked.)
>RED
You take the red audio cassette out of the desk drawer.
>GET GREEN
You take the green audio cassette out of the desk drawer.
>X RED
Which red do you mean, the envelope, or the red audio cassette?
(I was confused reading this at the time, but rereading this compiling the transcript I saw that the letters on the phone bill envelope were red.)
>CASSETTE
It’s an audio cassette with a red label. The label on the red audio cassette is blank.
Well, we have no clue what to expect when we find some way to play these. Wonderful!
>X BOOKCASES
The books in the bookcases are mostly fiction. You are particularly interested in a section of children’s story books that includes “Go Dog Go”, “The Bedtime Story Book”, and "The Boy Who Had No Words”.
Built into the bookcases is a small desk with a computer on it.
This post is nearing the limit, so we’ll look at these next time. Meanwhile let’s look at the last point of interest in this area:
>X CHAIR
Which chair do you mean, the desk chair, or the armchair?
>DESK
The desk chair is made of wood, ornately carved in a pattern that matches the wooden legs of the sofa.
>X COMPUTER
The computer is turned off.
>TURN ON COMPUTER
You turn on the computer.
>X COMPUTER
The computer is turned on. You might want to you sit down on the desk chair so that you can use the computer.
Okay, we’ve done a lot here already, and have lots more to try. Next time I’ll take a closer look at the children’s books, as well as see what’s on that computer. Then we’ll explore the area past the glass door.
I’m going to try and check inventory and score after each update, to keep us straight on what we’ve done.
>I
You are carrying:
some khaki trousers (being worn)
a brown sock (being worn)
a black sock (being worn)
a pair of brown shoes (being worn)
a flannel shirt (being worn)
an envelope
a large stack of catalogs
a phone bill
a gold key
an oriental rug (rolled)
three cans of spam
an empty box
a pocket watch
an audio cassette with a red label
an audio cassette with a green label
>SCORE
Score: 10 out of 360 Turns: 150 Menu: Whatever
Unfortunately this game doesn’t seem to be notifying me when my score goes up, and there’s no “FULL SCORE” either. I think I got 5 points for finding the key, and another 5 for activating the screen in the fromt area?
