Start of a transcript of: Identification number: //2A725D59-DF72-41B2-9E4C-F027AC91F7B0// Interpreter version 2.1.2 / VM 3.1.2 / Library serial number 080126 Standard Rules version 3/120430 by Graham Nelson Hybrid Choices version 7 by Aw Freyr Exit Lister version 11 by Eric Eve Easy Doors version 3/160425 by Hanon Ondricek Unicode Character Names by Graham Nelson Variable Time Control version 4 by Eric Eve Real Date and Time version 2 by Ron Newcomb >drink What do you want to drink? >x mug A silver travel mug with a screw-top lid and a faded label that reads, "Harry's Hideaway". Storm pushes a button. >open mug Cyclops takes a sip from his silver mug and the coffee within is still nice and hot. >talk to storm The following is a list of suggested topics Cyclops could ask Storm about: X-Men, Professor Xavier, Sentinels, and Blackbird. >xavier That noun did not make sense in this context. >ask storm about xavier "He said he received a telepathic warning before the attack. I wish we knew more about what it said or why the Professor received it," she says. "There wasn't much time to get the details. I'm curious to hear more about it when we return to the mansion," Cyclops says. >>ask storm about blackbird That noun did not make sense in this context. >ask storm about x-men "There are always adjustments to made, but the X-Men handled themselves quite well considering we were practically fighting in our pajamas," she says while giving Cyclops a look as if to short circuit any criticisms he has of the evening. -=X=- Conversation topic for Storm added. The current list of suggested topics is: Sentinels, Blackbird, Colossus, Dazzler, Me, Nightcrawler, Herself, and Wolverine Storm rubs her face while keeping one hand on the yoke. >x me Cyclops looks down at himself and his eyes immediately lock onto a large tear in his uniform. "Must have happened when that Sentinel threw rebar at me. Got to sew that up later. Maybe after breakfast. Darn it, I think we're low on blue thread. I should have ordered more last week but I forgot. ... Heh. Darn it. Good one," he thinks. His thoughts trail off into a list of other duties around the mansion he'll need to attend to today. Cyclops is wearing a full-body, tight-fitting, dark blue with yellow trim costume. The first thing people notice about him, however, is that he always wears special, red-tinted eyewear; either a specially-made visor or sunglasses. His mutant power is that near-limitless, destructive energy involuntarily spills from his eyes, and the ruby red glass covering them is the only thing that halts the flow. With rigorous training he's learned to control that flow using the visor, and can shoot blasts of varying sizes and strength, even doing so precisely enough to bounce off certain surfaces at angles that would make any pool hall sharp jealous. A light on the instrument panel flares and then turns off. >x storm A casual observer might mistake Ororo Munroe (codename: Storm) for being idle at the moment, but her eyes having gone as white as her hair gives away that she's currently managing multiple, intense tasks. She makes subtle adjustments to the Blackbird's yoke while simultaneously staring out the windshield, building a screen of clouds around the aircraft with her weather-controlling mutant ability. She's wearing a black bikini joined together by a gold ring at the stomach, black thigh-high boots, and a black geometrically-patterned tiara. She wears a black cape with gold trim that connects from her shoulders to gold bracelets at her wrists; it helps her to better catch the wind as she commands it to carry her aloft. >x panel The instrument panel for the Blackbird with numerous levers, buttons, and dials to control systems like the aircraft's cloaking and autopilot. If needed, this thing can practically fly itself, though it's rare that the X-Men turn it on: it's too fun to pilot the Blackbird manually. "Gently arguing over whose turn it is to fly is something I think Storm and I have quietly bonded over," Cyclops cheerfully thinks. The steam rising from Cyclops' coffee fogs his ruby red visor, and he absentmindedly wipes his vision clear with his sleeve. >ask storm about me "You look tired, Scott," she says. "There's a lot to do after we get back," Cyclops replies. "Weekends are never as restful as you'd think." "I know you find cleaning and fixing up the mansion relaxing, but you need to take some time for yourself," Storm says gently. "Some day soon, I promise," he lies. >ask storm about storm "I am ok, Cyclops. One of those Sentinels managed to bend my knee into an uncomfortable position before I destroyed its computer with a lightning bolt, but it is nothing a warm bath and some caffeine cannot fix," she says eyeing Cyclops's coffee. "Could I impose upon you to pour me some of that? If there is any left back there." "Of course, I'll grab you some," he replies. >s As Cyclops leaves, Storm eyes the coffee mug he's carrying. -=X=- Crew Quarters The name for this space is a generous upgrade from what it actually is: four seats with some overhead storage, divided from the rest of the Blackbird by a pair of thin, aluminum walls. Not much better than the standard economy experience on a commercial flight. The other four members of the team?Colossus, Dazzler, Nightcrawler, and Wolverine?sit back here in various states of consciousness. To the north is the cockpit. To the south is cargo. >x colossus Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, codenamed: Colossus, is passed out; the loud hum of the Blackbird's engines masks his snoring. His massive frame barely fits in the seat. "Colossus did a great job in the fight tonight, despite needing a few minutes of rousing from bed when we first got the alarm. He was still pretty drowsy when we got there, but at least with this generation of Sentinels, their blasters still can't quite penetrate his steel skin," Cyclops thinks. Colossus is wearing a red and yellow romper that can survive the transformation he undergoes when activating his mutant power. At will, he can cause his entire skin to turn into thick, solid steel, making him nearly invulnerable. Paired with his super strength, there are very few things that can stop him once he sets his mind to something. >x dazzler Alison Blaire, codenamed: Dazzler, is strapped into a seat with large headphones wrapped around her head. She has a diverse taste in music so you never know what cassette she's got loaded at any given moment, but that music just about always has a steady beat. Her attention is currently on her hands where, using her mutant ability to manifest sound into visible energy, she's generated balls of soft light and is flicking them mindlessly across her tray table. She's wearing a sky blue leotard with a yellow sunburst on the chest, a yellow utility belt, and a white faux-leather jacket. >x nightcrawler Kurt Wagner, codenamed: Nightcrawler, is covered in indigo-colored fur, has a prehensile tail, generally looks like a demon, and is currently, very, very hungover. "Can't say I approve, but I admit that Nightcrawler teleporting to and then vomiting on that Sentinel during the fight was pretty funny. The robot didn't know how to process his 'attack'," Cyclops thinks. Nightcrawler is wearing a black one-piece with a stitched-in red vest that flares at the shoulders. The ensemble enhances his dark visage while also giving him the freedom to move with superhuman agility. Quick movement is certainly the crux of his mutant ability, as he can teleport at will. After a great amount of training, he's learned to teleport over long distances and to do so while carrying objects and sometimes other people; though doing either quickly wears him out and can be very dangerous. He usually only teleports to places he can see, as accidentally occupying the same space as another solid object is harmful to his ability to continue living. >x wolverine Logan, codenamed: Wolverine, is holding a deck of playing cards while occasionally placing a single card into a particular pile on his tray table. The wounds he sustained in the fight tonight, after a Sentinel dropped a bulldozer on him, are completely gone thanks to his mutant, rapid healing abilities and indestructible adamantine skeleton. "Hey, Wolverine, thanks for having my back out there tonight. Not quite what I planned, but it was effective," Cyclops says. Wolverines grunts acknowledgment in his direction without looking up. "See, we can get along just fine," Cyclops thinks. He's wearing a brown leotard, maroon utility belt, mustard-yellow tights, brown boots with flares at the calves, and a mustard-yellow balaclava with black flares from the eyes, giving him a horned look. Complemented by his mutant power-heightened senses, and the long, retractable metal claws that tear forth from the back of his hands at will, he's got a real bestial vibe going. >punch wolverine Scott would never deliberately hurt a member of his team. >x storage "Simple storage for the team's gear, with enough room for suitcases for longer trips. Though, tonight, we left the mansion in such a hurry we were barely wearing our uniforms, let alone had time to pack anything," Cyclops thinks. Wolverine looks up at Cyclops and then down at his cards with a scowl. > Empty game command submitted. (If you're trying to 'spend' a game turn, type WAIT instead.) >s Cargo Cyclops startles as he walks into the cargo bay: a giant, severed Sentinel's head sits strapped into the hold. "So distracted by the day ahead I forgot that it was there," he thinks. Its large eyes no longer shine red. "I really wish we positioned it facing the other direction." The bay is otherwise fairly empty. The large rear doors of the Blackbird, of course, remain closed while the Blackbird is in flight. Immediately to the right is a simple galley counter. To the north is the crew quarters. >x head "Storm suggested we collect the hard drive of one of the more-intact Sentinels to see if we could glean any reasoning behind their attack," Cyclops thinks. "Wolverine isn't one for subtlety. He was more than happy to decapitate it, and Colossus was hauling it to the Blackbird before we could clarify that we only needed the drive." "I wonder if we can turn it into some sort of art piece for the lawn. Though, that would probably create a too-militaristic, 'head-on-a-pike' kind of aesthetic that I'm not sure a school for children should be dressed in." >x galley A stainless steel galley stocked with an odd assortment of mismatched implements and containers for eating and drinking, as well various ancient condiment packets. The main focus of the galley, however, is a specially-made coffee maker that can keep the team's supply of cheap coffee hot, and resist the worst turbulence the Blackbird has to offer without spilling a drop. A row of mugs hang securely above the coffee maker. >get mug Knowing it to be Storm's favorite, Cyclops takes the yellow travel mug with the bright label that reads, "Let's Cafe A Go-Go". >put coffee in mug With multiple mugs and multiple synonyms for "coffee" here, you're going to have to be more specific with your actions. Like, "put yellow mug on coffee maker" specific. >put mug in coffee maker Which do you mean, the yellow mug or the silver mug? >yellow Cyclops inserts the mug into the coffee maker and it whirls to action, filling the mug with steaming hot coffee. Once it finishes he tightly screws the lid back on the mug. He also takes the opportunity to top off his own coffee. >i Cyclops is carrying: a yellow mug a silver mug The eyes of the sentinel head seem to follow Cyclops with interest. >n Crew Quarters Simple overhead storage and cramped seating. The other four members of the team?Colossus, Dazzler, Nightcrawler, and Wolverine?sit back here in various states of consciousness. To the north is the cockpit. To the south is cargo. > Empty game command submitted. (If you're trying to 'spend' a game turn, type WAIT instead.) >n The cockpit of the Blackbird Storm sits at the controls. To the south is the crew quarters. Cyclops takes a sip of coffee. >give yellow mug to storm "Thank you, Scott. This is very much needed," Storm says. -=X=- "WOO-OP, WOO-OP, WOO-OP," a klaxon screams as the Blackbird's instrument panel immediately flashes to life, lights blinking everywhere. At first Cyclops thinks it's some strange admonition of his coffee-fetching, the timing so perfectly coincidental, but his rational thinking immediately retakes control. Something else is wrong. "Strap in everyone," Storm commands while using the Blackbird's intercom. She turns to Cyclops with a look that seeks confirmation. "I see it too," he says as he buckles into the co-pilot seat. "The Blackbird seems to think that the mansion is gone." -=X=- The thick clouds that covered the way ahead vanish immediately, Storm reflexively dismissing them while flipping various switches on the console. As the view clears, lights from buildings sprinkled across the land below pop into existence, revealing that, with the X-Men's mansion only minutes away, the Blackbird has descended to a lower altitude. The horizon tells of a coming dawn with a muted light that hasn't yet spilled across its edge. There's enough light, however, to silhouette multiple towering columns of smoke rising from the X-Men's home. -=X=- Character Select Type the name of the character to play as: - Colossus - Cyclops - Dazzler - Nightcrawler - Storm - Wolverine >wolverine You are now following Logan, codenamed: Wolverine. "I can put the three of hearts over there and that'll open up that column for the next set...," Logan's mind wanders while playing this, the fifteenth game of solitaire he's gone through on this flight. Scott passes by, heading back to the cockpit carrying a couple mugs of coffee, and the smell has Logan immediately regretting not asking Scott to grab him some. The Sentinels didn't offer much of a fight, and in the rush to get to the mission, Logan forgot his book at the mansion, leaving himself with only with this deck which is most certainly missing a card. At this point he's pretty sure it's the six of clubs that's gone, but he hasn't bothered doing a thorough count; the challenge the missing card is adding to game is the only exciting thing going right now. "X-Men," Storm's voice booms from the intercom, "The mansion has been attacked. Our landing pad is damaged and we must set down on the front lawn. Brace yourselves." "Here we go," the prospect of a fresh fight snaps Logan's boredom, "I knew those Sentinels were a signal for something more." The Blackbird quickly descends onto the front lawn of the mansion. The aircraft alights and sinks a little into the soft loam. He leads the charge from the cargo bay doors of the Blackbird with his teammates close behind. -=X=- Front Lawn Logan steps out from the Blackbird, along with the rest of the X-Men, all of whom immediately run across the lawn and enter the mansion. The front lawn of the mansion is meticulously manicured and its grounds are lovingly tended. It's necessary to keep up the appearance of an exclusive and perfectly normal school; one never knows when students' parents might drop by for a visit. (The burning mansion might be a problem in that regard.) The Blackbird is parked to the south. To the north are the front doors of the mansion, flung open to reveal the foyer. You should consult the VERBS list. >verbs The following verbs are available to you. The list will evolve as you play, so if you're stuck, it probably wouldn't hurt to check this list again, especially after you move onto different parts of the game. Type "examine self" to get more information about how to use the character's mutant powers. >>> Save >>> Restore >>> Verbs >>> Credits >>> Quit --- >> Examine {noun} || (or type 'x {noun}' for short) >> Look || (describes the room you're in) >> {cardinal direction} || (to move there) >> Inventory || (or 'i' for short) >> Wait || (spend one game 'turn' doing nothing) >> Talk to {person} || (get a list of conversation suggestions) >> Ask {person} about {topic} || (or 'a {person} {topic}' for short) >> Take {noun} --- > Pull {noun} > Claws > Smell >x me Logan, codenamed: Wolverine. He's wearing his X-Men uniform: a brown leotard, maroon utility belt, mustard-yellow tights, brown boots with flares at the calves, and a mustard-yellow balaclava with black flares from the eyes, giving him a horned look. Complemented by his mutant power-heightened senses, and the long, retractable metal claws that tear forth from the back of his hands at will, Wolverine matches the codename. The adamantium that makes up his claws is also lined around every bone in his body, which when combined with his mutant ability to heal superhumanly fast, makes him virtually indestructible. His claws are currently retracted. To have Wolverine summon or retract his claws type "claws". To have him apply his incredible sense of smell to gain additional awareness of the area he's in, type "smell". >smell Here it smells of cut grass and flowers, mixed with the hot, oily reek of mechanical fluids swirling from the idling Blackbird. -=X=- Logan also detected something else: This whole area smells like melting plaster and burning old wood, but there's definitely something more underneath it all. Perhaps if Logan explores the mansion further. The verb "SMELL HISTORY" has been added to your verb list so you can review this later. Type "VERBS" to see that list. >n "While everyone else squawks about the attack and looks for old baldie, I'm going to grab my book. If I'm going to be stuck on that stifling plane again, I want something to read. Then, I kill whoever did this to our house," Logan thinks while metal claws slowly extend from his clenched fists. Mission: Logan needs to get the book he remembers leaving in the parlor. Type "mission" if you later need a reminder about what do to next in this part of the game. -=X=- Foyer Logan passes under an archway etched with the school's motto, "Mutatis Mutandis", and enters an impressive room appointed with mahogany furniture, brightened with splashes of freshly cut flowers in gorgeous crystal vases. A fine oil portrait of Professor Xavier hangs on a nearby wall as do multiple plaques and frames extolling the virtues, accreditation, and awards possessed by Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. However, all this decor designed to impress is visually marred by the split staircase in the center of the room. Normally it leads to the second floor of the mansion, but whatever shook the building has caused the upper landing to collapse, rendering the stairs impassible. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. >w A huge, state-of-the-art kitchen where one can just as easily prepare meals for a large gathering as make themselves a quick sandwich. No meals will be prepared here for the short-term at least. As soon as Logan parts the kitchen's dual swinging doors, he's immediately broiled by intense heat. It looks like the attack ruptured the gas line and then a spark lit the gas aflame. The kitchen's sprinkler systems, while unable to extinguish the flames, at least seem to be keeping the fire from spreading elsewhere. Still, it is too unsafe to enter and Logan is forced to flee back to the foyer. "Looks about the same as when I try to cook dinner," he thinks. "Petey seems to have a handle on things." Peter is in the kitchen. >x peter Logan looks through the windowed kitchen doors to see that Peter is almost fully engulfed by the raging fire in the kitchen as he fights to douse it. Thankfully his mutant-powered steel skin means he's unaffected by the heat. Piotr "Peter" Rasputin, codenamed: Colossus, is wearing his X-Men uniform. It's a red and yellow romper that can survive the transformation he undergoes when activating his mutant power. At will, he can cause his entire skin to turn into thick, solid steel, making him nearly invulnerable. Paired with his super strength, there are very few things that can stop him once he sets his mind to something. >ne Logan summons the elevator, steps in, and the doors automatically close. Judging from the flashing lights, it appears that most of the buttons are shorted out. Only two buttons work: the main floor and the first basement level. So, he presses the only option. The elevator starts moving, and the doors soon open again. -=X=- Elevator Logan is in a small, plain-looking elevator. There's a panel of buttons to the right of the doors. The Workshop is to the southwest. >sw Workshop Logan steps out into the wide expanse of the workshop and is immediately greeted by a smell of water vapor mixed with oil and concrete. Despite the room only being lit by emergency lights, his eyes are drawn to the shadowy southeastern corner where a significant portion of the room has collapsed. The collapse is blocking the entrance to the laundry room and the utility room, and the latter, despite being blocked, is leaking what looks like steam. -=X=- The workshop is an immense warehouse-like space fitted with numerous wood- and metal-working machines, scientific instruments, and machines made for other manufacturing. The furnace room is to the west. The laundry room is to the south. The utility room is to the east. The elevator is to the northeast. >smell The workshop is one of Logan's favorite places in the mansion. The combination of wood dust, engine grease, and the memories he's created working on little projects in here add up to a glorious concoction. Also, he catches a whiff of that kid, Ulwazi, but he hasn't seen her this morning. -=X=- Logan also detected something else: Logan's sense of smell agrees with what he's seen so far: someone set off a couple strategically-placed explosions in the mansion and the resulting smoke is filling the place, making it harder to pin down who or what came through here. >e The rubble has fully blocked the entryway making it impossible to get into the utility room. >pull rubble While the steam is concerning, it's probably just a busted pipe in the utility room and not worth the hassle of clearing away all this mess just yet. >s The rubble is completely blocking the entranceway to the laundry room. >w Furnace Room A small, glorified closet that houses a massive furnace whose large mass takes up most of the space. A thick coat of dust covers the floor. The workshop is to the east. >x dust A thick layer of dust covers the floor revealing that no one has been in here for a long time. >x furnace A huge gas boiler fills the room and gently rumbles. This one was modified to include a status panel and the fact that the panel is illuminated reveals that, for some reason, the boiler is still receiving electricity where other devices in the area are without power. >e Workshop Despite the room only being lit by emergency lights, Logan's eyes are drawn to the shadowy southeastern corner where a significant portion of the room has collapsed. The collapse is blocking the entrance to the laundry room and the utility room, and the latter, despite being blocked, is leaking what looks like steam. The furnace room is to the west. The laundry room is to the south. The utility room is to the east. The elevator is to the northeast. >x steam Something in the utility room has broken and it's leaking scalding steam out into the workshop despite the collapsed ceiling blocking the entrance. >ne Logan summons the elevator, steps in, and the doors automatically close. The elevator starts moving, and the doors soon open again. -=X=- Elevator Logan is in a small, plain-looking elevator. There's a panel of buttons to the right of the doors. The Foyer is to the southwest. >sw Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. >e Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. Large, plush chairs and couches are provided as well as multiple tables covered in magazines of varying age. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. >se Office The school's office is a mixture of masterfully-constructed antiques and modern niceties, made up of large, solid pieces of furniture and assorted blocks of chunky office equipment. A hefty desk takes up the majority of the room and sitting upon it, among other implements, is a large modern-looking phone. The anteroom is to the northwest. The library is to the north. Logan can see Shifa, Ororo, and Scott here. >x scott Scott is using the office phone, but seems to be on hold. Scott Summers, codenamed: Cyclops, is wearing his X-Men uniform. It's a full-body, tight-fitting, dark blue with yellow trim costume. The first thing people notice about Scott, however, is that he always wears special, red-tinted eyewear; either a specially-made visor or sunglasses. His mutant power is that near-limitless, destructive energy involuntarily spills from his eyes, and the ruby red glass covering them is the only thing that halts the flow. With rigorous training he's learned to control that flow using the visor, and can shoot blasts of varying sizes and strength, even doing so precisely enough to bounce off certain surfaces at angles that would make any pool hall sharp jealous. "Scott, I just need to make a quick call," Ororo says impatiently. Scott turns his head ignoring her. >n Library As Logan approaches the room he is confused by a soft glow that seems to emanate from its threshold. Entering, he sees a well-lit but sorry scene: a large portion of the ceiling has collapsed, crushing many of the extensive bookshelves that once packed the place. The now-destroyed overhead lighting has been replaced by round, fluffy balls of white light which bob around, giving the room an ethereal quality as they backlight a gently swirling cloud of dust created by the collapse. Alison is standing here, looking up into a hole in the ceiling. She glances at Logan, gives a small wave, and goes back to looking at the hole. The day room is to the north. The office is to the south. The gallery is to the west. >n Alison raises an eyebrow as Logan leaves. -=X=- Day Room The room has mostly lost power and some of the library's rubble has tumbled into the area. The soda machine in the back is still being supplied with electricity and is currently the room's main source of light; besides a few rays of the rising sun coming through the eastern windows and a strange flickering light coming from the western windows. Otherwise, this is usually a fine place for students to hang out between or after classes. It's a spacious area containing multiple couches, a pool table, a snack machine, a couple of televisions, and many other nooks and shelving that house various forms of entertainment. A small bulletin board hangs by the snack machine. Ghostly cursive script appears in soft pastel colors all around the room, "written" on walls, the ceiling, and furniture; it reads over and over again: "Ich könnte mich in dieser Snackautomat übergeben." The library is to the south. Logan can see Kurt and Henry here. >x kurt Kurt is standing against the snack machine with his forehead wearily pressed against the glass, staring into its dark depths. Kurt Wagner, codenamed: Nightcrawler, is covered in indigo-colored fur, has a prehensile tail, and has three fingers on each hand and two toes on each foot; all of which gives him an undeniably impish quality. Unrelated, he is currently, very, very hungover. He's wearing his X-Men uniform: a black one-piece with a stitched-in red vest that flares at the shoulders. The ensemble enhances his demonic visage while also giving him the freedom to move with superhuman agility. Quick movement is certainly the crux of his mutant ability, as he can teleport at will. After a great amount of training, he's learned to teleport over long distances and to do so while carrying objects and sometimes other people; though doing either quickly wears him out and can be very dangerous. He usually only teleports to places he can see, as accidentally occupying the same space as another solid object is harmful to his ability to continue living. >get soda Logan finds himself without the requisite $0.25; not that it's the time of day when he'd crave such a drink anyway. >talk to kurt The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Kurt about: Henry and Writing. >ask kurt about henry "A good student on weekdays, a slug on weekends," Kurt says in Henry's direction. "We can't all be on a quest to cure a bad hangover, Professor Wagner," Henry says tonelessly. Kurt gasps at that retort and Logan quietly chuckles. >ask kurt about writing "The boy is so deep into a video game that his concentration has slipped, and his mind is now spraying our thoughts all over the room," Kurt says before shouting, "Wach auf Kind!". Kurt winces at the sound of his own raised voice and Henry just ignores him. >x henry Logan finds young Henry Harold in his natural setting: entombed on one of the couches, eyes locked on a hand-held video game. He's a good student here at the school and works hard at his classwork, so Logan is not so old-fashioned as to begrudge him some zombie time in front of video games on the weekend. Though, maybe not so much during a crisis such as this; Logan is not entirely sure the kid has recognized what's going on. Henry's burgeoning telepathic abilities manifest in an unusual and sometimes disruptive way. He can read the surface thoughts of others, quite literally, as the thoughts of other people appear as ephemeral hand-written script onto objects of Henry's choosing. Professor Xavier has been working especially closely with Henry to help him ethically manage his powers, teaching him to stop prying into unconsenting minds, or at least teaching him to "write" things into the little notebook he carries instead of accidentally projecting everyone's thoughts around the room. >s Library Logan sees a well-lit but sorry scene: a large portion of the ceiling has collapsed, crushing many of the extensive bookshelves that once packed the place. The now-destroyed overhead lighting has been replaced by round, fluffy balls of white light which bob around, giving the room an ethereal quality as they backlight a gently swirling cloud of dust created by the collapse. The day room is to the north. The office is to the south. The gallery is to the west. Logan can see Alison here. Logan accidentally kicks a book laying on the ground and its cover tears from its spine. "The Art of Curing Your Own Jerky," Logan reads. "Well, I still feel bad about it." >w Alison raises an eyebrow as Logan leaves. -=X=- Gallery This area is more of a dressed-up thoroughfare than a true art gallery, but nevertheless it's always pleasing to walk through here or sit on the cushioned benches while reading a book. The majority of works exhibited are student-created, but most people would be hard-pressed to pick out which pieces were made by students and which are truly priceless. The formal sitting room is to the west. The library is to the east. >w Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference area where important meetings are conducted, or occasionally as a break-out space for classes much to the delight of the students. Numerous, highly-polished chairs and tables populate the space around a square of couches in the center of the room. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. >nw Parlor The parlor, a room for entertaining guests after a fine meal, is the picture of refinement here in the mansion. It's adorned with priceless antique furniture crafted from ancient dark wood, artfully complemented by patiently-polished brass furnishings, cozied with countless chaise lounges and leather couches, and critically arranged around the grandest of pianos. Or it was. A couple tons of second floor and ceiling have come crashing down into a giant pile, leaving only a few feet of space accessible from the hallway. Logan drops a choice expletive. His book is somewhere under all this. He emits another, equally appalling expletive. He's going to need to help with this and there's no way he's going to admit to his teammates that it's so he can get a book. The formal sitting room is to the southeast. (The formal dining room is usually to the south, but has been rendered completely inaccessible by the collapse). >x pile A huge pile of broken concrete, rebar, furniture and more from the dorms upstairs. Logan catches an odd scent. >smell There's a lot to process here. The immediate wreckage, and then the more-subtle smells of the past. Concrete and dust dominates, but Logan can also smell old wood and leather mixed in. Something a little more granular as well... "Wait, why are there seeds all over the ground?" Logan thinks. -=X=- Logan also detected something else: C-4. Logan knows that smell... intimately. Whoever placed it showed incredible restraint. "Were they sending a message?" Logan thinks. >se Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. Strange light flickers from the windows. >s Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. >n Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. >s Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. >e Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. >se Office The school's office is a mixture of masterfully-constructed antiques and modern niceties, with a hefty desk taking up the majority of the room. On the desk is a large modern-looking phone. The anteroom is to the northwest. The library is to the north. Logan can see Shifa, Ororo, and Scott here. "Yes, I've been on hold. I'm supposed to be transferred to Cartwright, I...wait!" Scott says into the phone. >talk to ororo The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Ororo about: Professor Xavier, Waiting, and Cartwright. >ask storm about waiting "It sounds silly to say out loud," Ororo lowers her voice so Scott can't hear. Logan sees Shifa turn slightly, pretending not to listen in. "I had plans today that I, of course, now need to cancel," Ororo says. "I would like to use the phone to call my friend Michael about his exhibition, and then move onto dealing with the crisis at hand." Logan nods. -=X=- Conversation topic for Storm added. The current list of suggested topics is: Professor Xavier, Cartwright, Phone, Michael, and Exhibition Ororo tilts her head at the phone while looking at Logan. >ask storm about phone "There is a line for it apparently," Ororo says. "How is it out there, Logan?" "Couple rooms in bad shape," he replies. "Haven't been everywhere." "I think we all are distracted this morning. I am waiting on the phone for my own personal matter, as mentioned," Ororo says. "Personal, but important nonetheless, Scott." Scott gives a "I'm trying to hurry" kind of shrug. >ask storm about xavier "I had hoped upon arrival we would have encountered Professor Xavier here as usual, but that was not the case," Ororo says worriedly and turns to the girl sitting in the chair. "Shifa confirms he had only just left the office moments before the mansion was attacked." "Yeah, like I was telling Professor Munroe, we were talking about possible internships for me this summer when Professor Xavier suddenly paused and said he needed to go, and for me to stay put," Shifa says." Ororo looks at Logan and then pointedly at the office phone. >x shifa Shifa is currently sitting in a chair facing the desk, quietly watching Scott and Ororo argue. She seems to be enjoying watching the two adults squabble and has a giant smile on her face. Logan could almost expect her to break out a bucket of popcorn at any moment. Shifa Salah, one of the students here at the school, is in the office. Shifa's mutant powers give her the ability to instantly heal recently hurt organic lifeforms, which has made her extremely popular both among the staff and student body, as well as attracting the attention of several of the world's governments. After an unsuccessful state-sponsored commando raid on her home with the goal of kidnapping her, Shifa ran away to try and keep her family out of further danger. Professor Xavier found her after a year on the run and the X-Men have since given her a safe home to explore her powers while getting to be a (somewhat) normal teenager. >talk to scott "Scott is busy using the phone right now," Logan thinks. >ask storm about michael "Michael is a talented ceramic artist and a long-time friend," Ororo says. "In fact, many of the pieces around the mansion Scott bought when he was my date to one of Michael's exhibitions. It absolutely made Michael's day and he gave most of it away." Scott gives a thumbs up while listening intently to the phone receiver he's holding. "All the more reason for me to call him as soon as possible, Scott!" Ororo says pointedly. "Hello! Cartwright? No, I don't want the plumbing division, I mean, we'll need a plumber, but I'll let her subcontract that out. Hello?" Scott says into the phone. "Ugh, they put me back on hold." >ask storm about exhibition "I thought for sure I would be able to attend this one," Ororo says sadly. "Michael is guy with the hat?" Logan asks. "Oh, ha, no, Logan. That is Diego, who... well, he is also an artist. I guess I know a few more than I had realized," Ororo says with a smile that quickly turns heavy. "He is a story for another day. Unlike Michael, Diego was not quite so patient with me being a bad friend." >n Library Logan sees a well-lit but sorry scene: a large portion of the ceiling has collapsed, crushing many of the extensive bookshelves that once packed the place. The now-destroyed overhead lighting has been replaced by round, fluffy balls of white light which bob around, giving the room an ethereal quality as they backlight a gently swirling cloud of dust created by the collapse. The day room is to the north. The office is to the south. The gallery is to the west. Logan can see Alison here. >talk to alison The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Alison about: Hole and Light. >ask alison about hole "I really need to get to my room, but the super-busted elevator only goes to the first basement level, and the stairs are worse looking than this library. So, as far as I can tell, this is the only way up." says Alison, more to herself than in response to Logan. He joins Alison in looking up in the hole. "It's pretty high up there," he thinks. >ask alison about light "Yeah I'm lighting up the place to see if I can find something to drag over here and climb on up through this hole. Except everything is too heavy or too broken for me to lift... but maybe us together?" Alison says with a wink. >pull bookshelf Logan starts to figure out which shelf might be best to use to try and climb up into the ceiling hole, when he hears a muffled groan coming from the rubble. "What the?" Alison says while turning to look at the broken bookshelves. The shelving is generally too large and heavy to fully pick up and carry, but with Alison's help Logan is able to quickly lift and drag it for a couple feet, enough for Jamie, one of the school's students, to weakly crawl out from under it. -=X=- "Jamie?!" Alison yelps in surprise. "Are you ok?" "I... I think so?" Jamie says while patting down their body. "Yes. Somehow." "Ok, whew, can't believe I was just standing here all this time while you were under there," Alison says with great relief. "Don't worry about it, I actually feel totally fine," Jamie says. "I think I was knocked out. I've never been knocked out before." They feel their head with both hands to make sure it's still there. "Ok, then I'm going to leave you with Professor Logan, and go search upstairs," Alison says as she vaults the shelves they pulled off of Jamie. The shelves wobble, but hold, and Alison gives a wave before she jumps up into the hole in the ceiling. Jamie looks at Logan and gives an appreciative grin. >x jamie Jamie is looking battered and a little dazed, but seems to not have suffered any major injuries. Jamie Collins, one of the students enrolled here at the school. Logan is glad to see that they're ok for many reasons, but especially since they're a promising young talent. Their mutant ability to control and shape water has shown itself to be very adaptable, even with Jamie's relative lack of training. It wouldn't surprise anyone here if they one day lead the X-Men. Right now though, with their trademark canteen hanging from their belt, busted and empty, it quickly reminds Logan that Jamie is just a kid, probably scared to death. >talk to jamie The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Jamie about: Library and Canteen. >ask jamie about library "It came out of nowhere. I was just sitting in the library studying and the next thing I know, the whole room fell on me. Thankfully the shelves fell in a way so they absorbed most of the violence and not my soft squishy body," Jamie says with relief. -=X=- Conversation topic for Jamie added. The current list of suggested topics is: Canteen and Studying -=X=- Suddenly, Nuwa crash-lands from above onto the library floor. "That was quite the entrance!" Jamie says in awe. "It seemed to be the only way to get down," Nuwa replies. "Both the stairs and the elevator are no-go. Oh, and heads up, my golems are coming down too." A bunch of creatures made of hardened clay fall from the hole and somehow land on the library floor without breaking. >x golems An assemblage of spirited little golems made from hardened clay. They're created and powered by Nuwa's mutant ability, but seemingly possess some degree of independent sentience. Or at least they're guided by a shard of Nuwa's consciousness; a particularly mischievous aspect at that. They're currently dusting themselves off and inspecting each other after their hard landing from above. "Nuwa, it ain't good to have you running around alone," Logan says. "I'm not alone, Professor Logan!" Nuwa says. "I got my crew, and we're on the case." >talk to nuwa The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Nuwa about: Golems and Attack. Jamie looks down the hall for a moment. "Me and the gang here are going to do a quick patrol of the mansion for bad guys," Nuwa says. "Bye, Jamie!" Jamie bends down to high-five one of the golems as it prepares to follow Nuwa. "Nuwa, I... think you should get to safety," Logan stammers, but Nuwa doesn't hear him before she's gone. "Yeah, professor, Nuwa is a tough one," Jamie remarks while shaking their head knowingly. "She's hard to stop once she sets her mind to something." Nuwa goes south. >s "Ok, gotta go," Logan says to Jamie. "You really ok?" "I am truly ok, Professor Logan," Jamie replies. "And me too. I mean, I'm leaving you too. I gotta find my partner to make sure he's ok," Jamie says while heading toward the gallery. Logan gives them a look of concern. "Relax. I'm a careful person. Getting almost squished by a falling bookshelf after a sneak attack on the mansion while studying late at night in the library doesn't count," Jamie says firmly. -=X=- Office The school's office is a mixture of masterfully-constructed antiques and modern niceties, with a hefty desk taking up the majority of the room. On the desk is a large modern-looking phone. The anteroom is to the northwest. The library is to the north. Logan can see Nuwa, Shifa, Ororo, and Scott here. Ororo adjusts a piece of her uniform and frowns in Scott's direction. Golem Army arrive from the north. Nuwa goes northwest. >get golem "Nah, I don't want to touch the little buggers," Logan thinks. "At least change the hold music if you're going to keep us on for so long!" Scott jokes weakly, seeking Ororo's agreement. She only impatiently shifts her shoulders in response. Golem Army go northwest. >nw Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. Logan can see Golem Army here. Golem Army go west. >w Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. Logan can see Golem Army here. Golem Army go south. >s Front Lawn The manicured front yard of the mansion. The Blackbird is parked to the south. To the north are the front doors of the mansion, flung open to reveal the foyer. Logan can see Golem Army and Nuwa here. >talk to nuwa The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Nuwa about: Golems and Attack. "That must have been some landing!" Nuwa says while eyeing the Blackbird. Before Logan can reply Nuwa runs and yells, "Hey! Get off there." A golem who had climbed into one of the Blackbird's engines hops down dejectedly. "Ok, clearly we need to keep things moving," Nuwa says. "Let's continue our hunt!" After Nuwa leaves Logan notices a golem was left behind, flailing around on the ground. Nuwa goes north. >get golem Who do you mean, a broken golem or Golem Army? >broken The golem with the broken leg raises its arms as Logan approaches and gently picks it up. The golem calmly allows Logan to carry it around. Golem Army go north. >n Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. Logan can see Golem Army here. Golem Army go north. >n Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. Logan can see Golem Army and Nuwa here. >talk to nuwa The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Nuwa about: Golems and Attack. Nuwa and her golems quickly canvass the room, looking under tables and chairs. "Negative. Move out!" Nuwa commands. Nuwa goes south. >s Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. Logan can see Nuwa here. Golem Army arrive from the north. >ask nuwa about attack "I dunno, professor, I... uh... slept through it all," Nuwa blushes. "I don't know how. Usually I'm a very light sleeper, but it was a pretty busy school week and I was up late last night so I guess I needed the extra sleep. It wasn't until a few minutes ago that I even knew that something was wrong. So weird." "Ain't your job, kid," Logan replies. "Just glad you stayed out of the way and didn't get hurt." >show golem to nuwa (a broken golem to Nuwa) Nuwa is unimpressed. Nuwa and her golems pick through the wreckage of the stairs looking for something. One of the golems trips and falls into the rubble, and it takes a few moments for its compatriots to dig it out. "Nothing to see here. Let's go!" Nuwa commands. Nuwa goes east. >i Logan is carrying: a broken golem Logan hears someone yell somewhere within the building. Golem Army go east. >listen That is not an available verb in this section of the game. Type VERBS to see a list of available verbs. Logan notices that one of the plaques is askew and quickly levels it. >up "The rubble goes all the way up past the stairs and looks to be very unstable. Can't risk it," Logan thinks. >w Logan sees that Peter is still in the kitchen dealing with the fire and the heat is still more than Logan can safely stand. A burning smell wafts from the direction of the kitchen. >n Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. >n Logan sees a large group of the school's students busily fighting a fire that has engulfed the pool shed. They don't seem to be in immediate danger, and ironically they're safer out there than in the mansion, so for now, Logan decides to stay inside and leave them to the job of saving the school's pool noodles. As he moves away from the glass patio door, he sees Malcolm, one of the younger kids come running from the group. He slides open the door. "Professor! Sorry, I gotta tell you something. We can't find some of them," he says worriedly. "Some of what?" Logan questions impatiently. "Oh, sorry, we can't find some of the kids. You know, for the school? We made a list of people who stay over the weekend usually. We took attendance, sorry, you know like when we say, "here" and like..." he rambles. "Malcolm," Logan interrupts. "Sorry, there are some kids missing. We think. Like it's six of us missing. I think. We think," he fires off. "It's Henry, Jamie, Nuwa, Sam, Shifa, and Ulwazi." "Ok, kid. I got it," Logan replies. "Ok, awesome, sorry, thanks, professor," Malcolm closes the patio door and runs back to the group. Update. Mission: Logan wants to go get his book. He remembers leaving it in the parlor. And find six missing kid(s) (Henry, Jamie, Nuwa, Sam, Shifa, and Ulwazi) and get them to evacuate to the patio. >s Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. >get phone Logan gets no dial tone from the phone. The phone line must have been damaged in the attack. >talk to peter "Nah, the Ruskie is busy trying to figure out that fire situation," Logan thinks. "I ain't gonna bother him." >e Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. Nuwa arrives from the southeast. >talk to nuwa The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Nuwa about: Golems. Golem Army arrive from the southeast. >ask nuwa about golems "They're lively little scamps, aren't they?" Nuwa says with a loving grin. "They got faces only a mother could love," Logan says. "That's because we're hunting down whoever attacked the mansion!" Nuwa replies. "We gotta look tough and scary." "Seen Professor X?" Logan grunts at Nuwa. "I didn't, but after she woke me up, Professor Blaire said she did a quick sweep of his suite and didn't find anyone," Nuwa replies. >tell nuwa to evacuate I didn't understand that sentence. >se Office The school's office is a mixture of masterfully-constructed antiques and modern niceties, with a hefty desk taking up the majority of the room. On the desk is a large modern-looking phone. The anteroom is to the northwest. The library is to the north. Logan can see Shifa, Ororo, and Scott here. Nuwa arrives from the northwest. >talk to shifa The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Shifa about: Professor Xavier and Meeting. "Scott, Cartwright must be busy. Call her back later please," Ororo pleads. "We have to get into her schedule right away, otherwise it'll be months until she's got an opening for us," Scott snaps. Golem Army arrive from the northwest. Nuwa goes north. >ask shifa about meeting "The X-Men are wonderful, and I will forever be grateful for your protection and guidance, but Professor Xavier has shown me a different possibility. I am going to go to medical school," Shifa says. "I always knew you were too smart to hang around here," Logan says. "Well, there is still a lot I need to do make that happen," Shifa says blushing. -=X=- Conversation topic for Shifa added. The current list of suggested topics is: Professor Xavier and Internship "Cartwright? I... oh. Just more hold music," Scott says. Golem Army go north. >ask shifa about internship "Yeah, my mutant power may allow me to heal recent injuries, but it does not do anything against diseases and stuff," Shifa says. "There is so much more I could learn and do to help people. Professor Xavier is going to help me launch a new initiative." -=X=- Conversation topic for Shifa added. The current list of suggested topics is: Professor Xavier and Initiative >ask shifa about initiative "This obviously will be a long way away?I need to get into medical school, graduate, go through residency, and all that?but Professor X and I are talking about forming a new team of mutants. Where the X-Men respond to threats against the world, this team would respond to humanitarian crises. I could heal people harmed in conflict and we could recruit other mutants with similar powers. We could quickly bring medicine and food to people in need." Shifa's face glows with enthusiasm as she rattles off her plan. "That sounds far more important than any of the junk we do around here," Logan replies. Shifa smiles widely. "Scott Summers! The mansion has been attacked, the professor seems to be missing, and I need to use that phone!" Ororo says, not quite yelling, but the room crackles with electricity. Scott blanches a little at her ferocity, but doesn't hand over the phone either. "Ororo, I promise that they'll only have me on hold a little longer," he replies. "Cartwright is usually pretty quick to answer." >ask shifa about xavier "I was in here having a meeting with Professor Xavier about helping me get into medical school, when suddenly he told me that there was an emergency and I needed to stay here. He left and then there was a loud boom and the whole building shook. He never came back," Shifa says worriedly. "Sorry, I am not a very good witness." "Nah, you did the best thing, kid," Logan says. "There's a lot we still don't know about what's going on here." >talk to shifa "No, not that I got anything against the kid, but anymore standing here jabbering with her means more time I gotta spend around Cyclops," Logan thinks. "And that I ain't gonna do." >n Library The library is significantly darkened without Alison here using her powers. Some light streams in from the giant, ragged hole in the ceiling to illuminate the shattered shelving and crushed collection of books. The day room is to the north. The office is to the south. The gallery is to the west. >n Day Room The room remains darkened, though a few sources of meager light make it possible to navigate safely. Otherwise this is usually a fine place for students to hang out between or after classes. Various forms of entertainment are housed here, and students and faculty alike are maintained by the snack machine. A small bulletin board hangs by the snack machine, lit by a strange flickering light coming from the western windows. Ghostly cursive script appears in soft pastel colors all around the room, "written" over and over again on walls, the ceiling, and furniture; it shifts and now reads: "I hate telepaths." The library is to the south. Logan can see Kurt and Henry here. >talk to henry "Henry is not doing much listening right now," Logan thinks. >talk to kurt The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Kurt about: Missing Kids. >ask kurt about missing kids "Just this child here," Kurt says while nodding his head toward Henry. "And if he is missing, he doesn't yet realize it. Why, are more sought?" "Yeah," Logan replies. "A bunch." "Ach, this morning gets more complicated," Kurt says. "I will keep a look out for any more delinquents." >s Library The library is significantly darkened without Alison here using her powers. Some light streams in from the giant, ragged hole in the ceiling to illuminate the shattered shelving and crushed collection of books. The day room is to the north. The office is to the south. The gallery is to the west. >s Office The school's office is a mixture of masterfully-constructed antiques and modern niceties, with a hefty desk taking up the majority of the room. On the desk is a large modern-looking phone. The anteroom is to the northwest. The library is to the north. Logan can see Nuwa, Shifa, Ororo, and Scott here. Golem Army arrive from the northwest. Nuwa goes north. >talk to ororo The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Ororo about: Cartwright and Missing Kids. Golem Army go north. >ask ororo about cartwright "Yes, Scott is trying to get a hold of Cartwright so she can get her crew over here working to repair the damage to the school," Ororo says. "As usual she is hard to pin down." "Figures that Scott would have his priorities out of whack," Logan replies. "I can sort this out..." "I have to listen to the two of you argue often enough," Ororo says suddenly stern. She softens again, "But yes, I am not entirely sure why Scott has made this a priority for this moment." "Because if I schedule her now, we might actually see her crew within the next month," Scott says, jumping into the conversation before returning his attention to the phone. Scott doodles on scrap paper, pretending to not notice Ororo's death glare. >talk to ororo about missing kigs >talk to ororo about missing kids "No, Ororo is pretty much the only person I actually care about here, but that's enough conversation for today," Logan thinks. >nw Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. >f That noun did not make sense in this context. >w Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. >x staircase A grand split staircase that leads to the second floor of the mansion where all the dormitories are located. However, much of the ceiling above the stairs has collapsed, thereby causing the staircase itself to implode under the weight. >u "The rubble goes all the way up past the stairs and looks to be very unstable. Can't risk it," Logan thinks. >ne Logan summons the elevator, steps inside, and the doors automatically close. The elevator starts moving, and the doors soon open again. -=X=- Elevator Logan is in a small, plain-looking elevator. There's a panel of buttons to the right of the doors. The Workshop is to the southwest. >sw Workshop Despite the room only being lit by emergency lights, Logan's eyes are drawn to the shadowy southeastern corner where a significant portion of the room has collapsed. The collapse is blocking the entrance to the laundry room and the utility room, and the latter, despite being blocked, is leaking what looks like steam. The furnace room is to the west. The laundry room is to the south. The utility room is to the east. The elevator is to the northeast. >pull rubble Even if Logan had a pressing need to move the rubble, he's going to need some help doing it. >ne Logan summons the elevator, steps in, and the doors automatically close. The elevator starts moving, and the doors soon open again. -=X=- Elevator Logan is in a small, plain-looking elevator. There's a panel of buttons to the right of the doors. The Foyer is to the southwest. >sw Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. >n Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. >nw Parlor The luxury of this room was destroyed after a couple tons of second floor and ceiling came crashing down, leaving only a few feet of space accessible from the hallway. Rubble blocks further exploration. "There's got to be a clue in here that'll give me a way through this mess so I can find Sam," Logan thinks. The formal sitting room is to the southeast. Logan can see Jamie here. >talk to jamie "No, Jamie is clearly not in the frame of mind for a conversation," Logan thinks. >x rubble A huge pile of broken concrete, rebar, furniture and more from the dorms upstairs. Logan catches an odd scent. >smell There's a lot to process here. The immediate wreckage, and then the more-subtle smells of the past. Concrete and dust dominates, but Logan can also smell old wood and leather mixed in. Something a little more granular as well... "Wait, why are there seeds all over the ground?" Logan thinks. >x seeds "Huh", Logan thinks while observing a trail of little brown, rice-shaped seeds starting at the entrance of the parlor and leading back under the rubble. It takes him a few beats to think about why they might be there. Jamie sees where he's looking. "Seeds! Oh no. Sam is under there for sure," they say fearfully, wringing their hands. Logan unsheathes his claws and begins attacking the rubble to no avail, before just trying to scoop debris out with his hands. He and Jamie shout into the collapse of concrete, calling Sam's name, but don't get an answer. "This isn't working," Logan thinks. "As much as asking for help pains me, I'm going need a teammate to give me some assistance." "Hang tight, kid," he says to Jamie, "We're gonna need some backup." The expression "Tell {someone} about Sam" has been added to Logan's verbs list. Type "verbs" to see that list. Update. Mission: Find someone to help Logan rescue Sam (and get Logan's book). And find six missing kid(s) (Henry, Jamie, Nuwa, Sam, Shifa, and Ulwazi) and get them to evacuate to the patio. Jamie fiddles with their canteen. >se Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. Logan can see Golem Army here. Golem Army go south. > Empty game command submitted. (If you're trying to 'spend' a game turn, type WAIT instead.) >s Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. Logan can see Golem Army and Nuwa here. >tell nuwa about sam "The last thing I need right now is another kid getting in the way," Logan thinks. Nuwa goes east. >e Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. Logan can see Nuwa here. Golem Army arrive from the west. Nuwa goes southeast. >se Office The school's office is a mixture of masterfully-constructed antiques and modern niceties, with a hefty desk taking up the majority of the room. On the desk is a large modern-looking phone. The anteroom is to the northwest. The library is to the north. Logan can see Nuwa, Shifa, Ororo, and Scott here. Golem Army arrive from the northwest. Nuwa goes north. >tell ororo about sam "Hey, 'Ro, you got a sec?" Logan asks. "Of course, Logan, how may I help?" Ororo replies. "I think that kid Sam might be in trouble," he says. "Over in the parlor there's a big mess and not a whole lotta room." Ororo's face turns to concern and Shifa's eyes widen. "I will go at once," Ororo says beginning to move from the room. Shifa rises from her chair and Ororo nods approvingly. Shifa goes northwest. Golem Army go north. Ororo goes northwest. >nw Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. Logan can see Ororo and Shifa here. Shifa goes west. Ororo goes west. >w Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. Logan can see Ororo and Shifa here. Shifa goes north. Ororo goes north. >n Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. Logan can see Ororo and Shifa here. Shifa goes northwest. Ororo goes northwest. >nw Parlor The luxury of this room was destroyed after a couple tons of second floor and ceiling came crashing down, leaving only a few feet of space accessible from the hallway. Rubble blocks further exploration. Debris whips against Logan's face as he enters. A highly localized, whirling maelstrom fiercely rages in the small room while Ororo stands tall in its center, summoning explosive bolts of lightning and hurling them against the rubble to shatter its stony defenses. Shifa and Jamie sit huddled in the corner shielding each other with their arms. Hail pummels Logan's body as he struggles to make his way over to Ororo, but in a flash of lightning he catches a glimpse of something he hadn't noticed before: there's a hole in the wreckage. "ORORO!" Logan yells into the storm. "STOP. WE'RE GOOD." -=X=- Like pulling a plug from a murky drain, Ororo causes the storm to reduce until it has completely swirled away and the room is calm again. "I do not understand, Logan, did I break through?" Ororo asks. "Yeah, maybe, or at least you showed me something I missed. But I got it from here," he replies. "I know you don't like tight spaces, and if the kid is hurt I'm come get this one," he says while jerking his thumb at Shifa. Ororo hesitates, but relents after looking once more at the collapse that dominates the small room, "Ok, Logan, but do not hesitate if there is trouble. My business in the office should not take much longer." Shifa hugs Jamie and then follows Ororo. Despite it probably being a bad idea to let Shifa and her healing powers go, it's already crowded enough in here with Jamie watching Logan's every move with worried anticipation. The hole that Ororo revealed seems worth investigating. The formal sitting room is to the southeast. Logan can see Shifa and Jamie here. Shifa goes southeast. Ororo goes southeast. >x hole Logan peers inside one of the many nooks and crannies in the wreckage, and discovers that in this one, some of the rebar that intertwines the wreckage are standing on-end in a loose group, creating a weak series of supports. Through this little portal Logan discovers that the wreckage has only created a dividing wall, and most of the parlor remains untouched on the other side. It also reveals two important things: 1) Logan can see a sneaker sticking out into view, followed by a leg, and hopefully both are attached to an unharmed Sam; 2) He can see a weakness in the whole structure that he can maybe exploit to get past it. Now the verb "ATTACK" has been added to Logan's list of verbs. Type "verbs" to see that list. >attack You must supply a noun. >attack rubble Logan is tough, but not "punching-concrete-bare-fisted-without-consequences" tough. >attack wall Logan is tough, but not "punching-concrete-bare-fisted-without-consequences" tough. >attack weakness Logan is tough, but not "punching-concrete-bare-fisted-without-consequences" tough. >enter hole "I am going to have to figure out a different way to use this hole to get through the wreckage," Logan thinks. >attack wreckage Logan is tough, but not "punching-concrete-bare-fisted-without-consequences" tough. >pull rebar Everything is too tangled and mangled to make sifting through it of much use. "This mess will need a concerted, professional cleanup and repair," Logan thinks. >attack rebar Logan is tough, but not "punching-concrete-bare-fisted-without-consequences" tough. >x hole Logan peers inside one of the many nooks and crannies in the wreckage, and discovers that in this one, some of the rebar that intertwines the wreckage are standing on-end in a loose group, creating a weak series of supports. Logan is pretty sure that if he's careful enough, he can cut this hole wider and get through. >claws *SNIKT!* Logan's adamantium claws rip forth from the back of his hands. >attack rubble "I wish Ororo was still here to witness the incredible restraint I'm about to show as I use my claws to cut through this mess," Logan thinks. "I deserve a ribbon for this..." -=X=- Logan eyes up the rebar forming the hole in the wreckage and with surgical precision he cuts away the non-load-bearing material around it. After a minute of careful pruning, he's got a hole big enough to squeeze through. "I'll go in," Jamie says immediately. "You're a tough kid, Jamie, but this is going to come down at any second and you don't heal like I do," Logan replies. Jamie looks like they're about to argue, but says nothing and instead quietly vibrates with anxiety. -=X=- With the hole as good as Logan can likely get it, he dives through and finds himself on the other side of the wreck. As a warning that he should be quick about his business, a huge hunk of concrete crumbles and skitters across the floor. The parlor opens in front of Logan showing that it is indeed mostly intact. He breaks his gaze away from the environs to check on the prone body in front of him. An unconscious Sam is lying limp on the ground, head oozing blood, but clearly still alive as his chest rises with deep breaths. -=X=- An even bigger chunk of the wreckage falls away from the ceiling and lands nearby with a crunch. "Time to go." Logan snags his book from the end table where he last left it and tucks it into the belt of his uniform. He then picks up the (heavy) slumbering Sam and jams him through the hole. An avalanche of rubble narrowly misses Logan as he dives through the hole too and as quickly as he came, the hole is now closed off. "SAM!" Jamie cries and they dash over, pulling Sam away from the falling rocks. Sam groans awake. Update. Mission: Logan should check in with his team and fully explore the rest of the mansion. And find six missing kid(s) (Henry, Jamie, Nuwa, Sam, Shifa, and Ulwazi) and get them to evacuate to the patio. >x sam Currently, Sam is laying on the floor with Jamie applying a bit of cloth they ripped from their shirt to Sam's bleeding head wound. He seems to otherwise be uninjured. Notably, the bandolier he jauntily wears daily is intact, though one pocket is torn open and seeds have spilled a path along where he was dragged. Sam Gilligan, a student here at the school, is one of the shining stars of the younger class of kids, with powers to instantly accelerate and control the growth of plants. As mutants go, he's been lucky. Sam's human parents kept up the outward appearance of having a "normal" child, while secretly working with him in their back garden to train and grow his skills. After learning about the X-Men's school, they were ecstatic to have him enroll so he could receive training beyond what they were able to offer. It meant Sam arrived with far more control over his powers than most kids, but it means that sometimes he overestimates his ability to face a situation. >get sam Logan refuses. >talk to jamie The following is a list of suggested topics Logan could ask Jamie about: Canteen and Studying. Jamie dabs Sam's head wound with a bit of their clothing. >ask jamie about canteen "OH NO! It broke and now it looks like I peed myself. This is the worst day," Jamie groans while looking at their punctured canteen. "Water. Powers," Logan notes with a grunt. "Heh. Duh," Jamie replies with a smile. They wave their hand over their pants and a glob of water pulls from the fabric and splats on the floor. -=X=- Conversation topic for Jamie added. The current list of suggested topics is: Studying and Powers Sensing a lull in the action, Jamie gently helps Sam to his feet. "We're going to get out of here as well, professor. I saw a bunch of the students gathered by the pool and I'd feel a little more safe with so much water at my disposal," Jamie says. Sam and Jamie prepare to leave. -=X=- Jamie goes southeast. Sam goes southeast. >se Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. Logan can see Sam and Jamie here. Jamie goes north. Sam goes north. >e Gallery A pleasing thoroughfare in the guise of an art gallery. The formal sitting room is to the west. The library is to the east. >e Library The library is significantly darkened without Alison here using her powers. Some light streams in from the giant, ragged hole in the ceiling to illuminate the shattered shelving and crushed collection of books. The day room is to the north. The office is to the south. The gallery is to the west. Nuwa arrives from the south. >climb shelves Logan tests the shelves but finds them to be too unstable to scale after Alison used them to climb upwards. "I weigh a lot more than Sparkles," he thinks. Golem Army arrive from the south. Nuwa goes north. >w Gallery A pleasing thoroughfare in the guise of an art gallery. The formal sitting room is to the west. The library is to the east. >e Library The library is significantly darkened without Alison here using her powers. Some light streams in from the giant, ragged hole in the ceiling to illuminate the shattered shelving and crushed collection of books. The day room is to the north. The office is to the south. The gallery is to the west. >s Office The school's office is a mixture of masterfully-constructed antiques and modern niceties, with a hefty desk taking up the majority of the room. On the desk is a large modern-looking phone. The anteroom is to the northwest. The library is to the north. Logan can see Ororo, Shifa, and Scott here. >talk to ororo "Thank you again for the help," Ororo says to Logan. "It is a relief to have told Michael that I could not attend his show. Now I will join the search and rescue like I should have been doing since we touched down." Nuwa arrives from the north. >tell ororo about rubble In this game the verb TELL is used minimally. If there's a situation when it's to be used, it'll be explicitly announced and added to the VERBS list. Golem Army arrive from the north. >nw Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. >w Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. >s Front Lawn The manicured front yard of the mansion. The Blackbird is parked to the south. To the north are the front doors of the mansion, flung open to reveal the foyer. >s "No, I need to find out what has happened to the mansion," Logan thinks. >n Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. The mansion shakes as Logan hears a crash. >w Logan sees that Peter is still in the kitchen dealing with the fire and the heat is still more than Logan can safely stand. >e Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. >se Office The school's office is a mixture of masterfully-constructed antiques and modern niceties, with a hefty desk taking up the majority of the room. On the desk is a large modern-looking phone. The anteroom is to the northwest. The library is to the north. Logan can see Ororo, Shifa, and Scott here. >s Logan can't go that way. The obvious exits are north (to the library) and northwest (to the anteroom). >n Library The library is significantly darkened without Alison here using her powers. Some light streams in from the giant, ragged hole in the ceiling to illuminate the shattered shelving and crushed collection of books. The day room is to the north. The office is to the south. The gallery is to the west. >n Day Room The room remains darkened, though a few sources of meager light make it possible to navigate safely. Otherwise this is usually a fine place for students to hang out between or after classes. Various forms of entertainment are housed here, and students and faculty alike are maintained by the snack machine. A small bulletin board hangs by the snack machine, lit by a strange flickering light coming from the western windows. Ghostly cursive script appears in soft pastel colors all around the room, "written" over and over again on walls, the ceiling, and furniture; it shifts and now reads: "I hate telepaths." The library is to the south. Logan can see Kurt and Henry here. >s Library The library is significantly darkened without Alison here using her powers. Some light streams in from the giant, ragged hole in the ceiling to illuminate the shattered shelving and crushed collection of books. The day room is to the north. The office is to the south. The gallery is to the west. >w Gallery A pleasing thoroughfare in the guise of an art gallery. The formal sitting room is to the west. The library is to the east. >w Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. Logan can see Golem Army here. Golem Army go south. >nw Parlor The luxury of this room was destroyed after a couple tons of second floor and ceiling came crashing down, leaving only a few feet of space accessible from the hallway. Rubble blocks further exploration. The formal sitting room is to the southeast. >se Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. >n Logan starts to go outside onto the patio but changes his mind at the last moment. Logan sees a crowd of students surrounding and poking at the smoldering, burnt remnants of the pool shed. Judging by the emptiness of the pool next to the shed, Jamie has used their powers of water manipulation to put out the fire. The children don't seem to be in immediate danger, and ironically they're safer out there than in the mansion. Plus he still has four missing kid(s) to rescue: Henry, Nuwa, Shifa, and Ulwazi. >s Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. >ne Logan summons the elevator, steps inside, and the doors automatically close. The elevator starts moving, and the doors soon open again. -=X=- Elevator Logan is in a small, plain-looking elevator. There's a panel of buttons to the right of the doors. The Workshop is to the southwest. >x buttons It appears that most of the buttons are shorted out from the mansion's current electrical problems caused by the attack. Only two buttons work: the main floor and the first basement level. >smell It always smells rotten in here. Like someone spilled orange juice a decade ago and no amount of cleaner has gotten rid of it. -=X=- Logan also detected something else: "But why? The damage is dramatic, but ultimately superficial," Logan thinks. "A few rooms trashed. They could have really gone wild, but they didn't." >sw Workshop Despite the room only being lit by emergency lights, Logan's eyes are drawn to the shadowy southeastern corner where a significant portion of the room has collapsed. The collapse is blocking the entrance to the laundry room and the utility room, and the latter, despite being blocked, is leaking what looks like steam. The furnace room is to the west. The laundry room is to the south. The utility room is to the east. The elevator is to the northeast. >w Furnace Room A small, glorified closet that houses a massive furnace whose large mass takes up most of the space. A thick coat of dust covers the floor. The workshop is to the east. >turn off furnace "It's one of the few machines I've come across this morning that seems to have escaped damage and still has power, so it's probably best if I leave it alone," Logan thinks. >e Workshop Despite the room only being lit by emergency lights, Logan's eyes are drawn to the shadowy southeastern corner where a significant portion of the room has collapsed. The collapse is blocking the entrance to the laundry room and the utility room, and the latter, despite being blocked, is leaking what looks like steam. The furnace room is to the west. The laundry room is to the south. The utility room is to the east. The elevator is to the northeast. >e The rubble has fully blocked the entryway making it impossible to get into the utility room. >x steam Something in the utility room has broken and it's leaking scalding steam out into the workshop despite the collapsed ceiling blocking the entrance. >x rubble A huge pile of collapsed ceiling has formed a slope in the southeastern corner of the room, covering the doorways to the utility and laundry rooms. >listen That is not an available verb in this section of the game. Type VERBS to see a list of available verbs. >verbs The following verbs are available to you. The list will evolve as you play, so if you're stuck, it probably wouldn't hurt to check this list again, especially after you move onto different parts of the game. Type "examine self" to get more information about how to use the character's mutant powers. >>> Save >>> Restore >>> Verbs >>> Credits >>> Quit >>> Mission --- >> Examine {noun} || (or type 'x {noun}' for short) >> Look || (describes the room you're in) >> {cardinal direction} || (to move there) >> Inventory || (or 'i' for short) >> Wait || (spend one game 'turn' doing nothing) >> Talk to {person} || (get a list of conversation suggestions) >> Ask {person} about {topic} || (or 'a {person} {topic}' for short) >> Take {noun} --- > Pull {noun} > Give {noun} to {person} > Claws > Smell > Smell History > Attack >ne Logan summons the elevator, steps in, and the doors automatically close. The elevator starts moving, and the doors soon open again. -=X=- Elevator Logan is in a small, plain-looking elevator. There's a panel of buttons to the right of the doors. The Foyer is to the southwest. >sw Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. >x table "Far too above my simple tastes, but I'd admit to occasionally admiring the master craftsmanship of the pieces here," Logan thinks. >push table "Even with the stairs buried, none of this furniture was damaged in the collapse," Logan thinks. >stand on table "Even with the stairs buried, none of this furniture was damaged in the collapse," Logan thinks. >x staircase A grand split staircase that leads to the second floor of the mansion where all the dormitories are located. However, much of the ceiling above the stairs has collapsed, thereby causing the staircase itself to implode under the weight. >u "The rubble goes all the way up past the stairs and looks to be very unstable. Can't risk it," Logan thinks. The elevator chimes and its doors open, but no one steps out. > x elevator A small elevator stands in a recess in the northeast corner of the foyer. It is biometric-encoded to allow the X-Men to travel to... less public areas of the mansion. Nuwa arrives from the north. >ask nuwa about elevator "Huh?" Nuwa replies in confusion before getting distracted by something. Golem Army arrive from the north. >ask nuwa about ulwaz "As I left the library I saw through the door that it's looking like a real party in the office this morning," Nuwa declares. "I gotta see what this is about!" >s Front Lawn The manicured front yard of the mansion. The Blackbird is parked to the south. To the north are the front doors of the mansion, flung open to reveal the foyer. >n Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. Logan can see Golem Army here. Golem Army go east. >e Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. Logan can see Golem Army here. Golem Army go southeast. >se Office The school's office is a mixture of masterfully-constructed antiques and modern niceties, with a hefty desk taking up the majority of the room. On the desk is a large modern-looking phone. The anteroom is to the northwest. The library is to the north. Logan can see Golem Army, Ororo, Shifa, and Scott here. Golem Army go north. >x scott Scott is using the office phone, but seems to be on hold. >x ororo Ororo is leaning against the wall near the windows and frowning at Scott. Ororo Munroe, codenamed: Storm, is wearing her X-Men uniform. It's a black bikini joined together by a gold ring at the stomach, black thigh-high boots, and a black geometrically-patterned tiara. She wears a black cape with gold trim that connects from her shoulders to gold bracelets at her wrists; it helps her to better catch the wind as she commands it to carry her aloft. Her mutant ability allows her complete control of the weather and to summon a host of meteorological phenomena. Lightning strikes, tornadoes, ice storms, fog banks (and more), can be summoned on a clear day. >x shifa Shifa is currently sitting in a chair facing the desk, quietly watching Scott and Ororo argue. She seems to be enjoying watching the two adults squabble and has a giant smile on her face. Logan could almost expect her to break out a bucket of popcorn at any moment. >talk to shifa "No, not that I got anything against the kid, but anymore standing here jabbering with her means more time I gotta spend around Cyclops," Logan thinks. "And that I ain't gonna do." Nuwa arrives from the north. >give broken golem to nuwa "Oh my goodness, Xavier Jr., you're hurt!" Nuwa says while taking the golem from Logan. It hugs her. "Thank you for finding them, professor." "Alright. Kid, listen, this place ain't safe right now," Logan says. "You need to get out of the way and go join the other students hanging out in the back yard." "Ok, Professor Logan, if you say so," Nuwa says. "I'd better get Xavier Jr. patched up too." Golem Army arrive from the north. Nuwa goes northwest. >nw Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. Logan can see Nuwa here. Golem Army arrive from the southeast. Nuwa goes west. >se Office The school's office is a mixture of masterfully-constructed antiques and modern niceties, with a hefty desk taking up the majority of the room. On the desk is a large modern-looking phone. The anteroom is to the northwest. The library is to the north. Logan can see Ororo, Shifa, and Scott here. >n Library The library is significantly darkened without Alison here using her powers. Some light streams in from the giant, ragged hole in the ceiling to illuminate the shattered shelving and crushed collection of books. The day room is to the north. The office is to the south. The gallery is to the west. >n Day Room The room remains darkened, though a few sources of meager light make it possible to navigate safely. Otherwise this is usually a fine place for students to hang out between or after classes. Various forms of entertainment are housed here, and students and faculty alike are maintained by the snack machine. A small bulletin board hangs by the snack machine, lit by a strange flickering light coming from the western windows. Ghostly cursive script appears in soft pastel colors all around the room, "written" over and over again on walls, the ceiling, and furniture; it shifts and now reads: "I hate telepaths." The library is to the south. Logan can see Kurt and Henry here. >take game Logan sheathes his claws first and then takes it. Logan grabs the video game from Henry's hands before he can do anything about it, and he gives a little squawk in protest. For a moment Logan sees Henry's eyes fill with anger, but they quickly fade to normal as he realizes who he's facing. "Hey, idiot, the place is on fire. Get out of the building," Logan says. Henry's eyes widen and then catching the scene out the western windows he leaps off the couch saying, "Oh my gosh. I didn't realize. I was wondering where everyone was." He runs out of the room. Logan sets the video game down on a nearby table. >s Library The library is significantly darkened without Alison here using her powers. Some light streams in from the giant, ragged hole in the ceiling to illuminate the shattered shelving and crushed collection of books. The day room is to the north. The office is to the south. The gallery is to the west. >s Office The school's office is a mixture of masterfully-constructed antiques and modern niceties, with a hefty desk taking up the majority of the room. On the desk is a large modern-looking phone. The anteroom is to the northwest. The library is to the north. Logan can see Ororo, Shifa, and Scott here. >x phone A black modern-looking phone. Scott is currently using it. Logan stares idly at the phone for moment before sensing someone watching him. Ororo is looking at Logan, but then gives him a pointed look downward. Logan looks down and sees that the phone's cord concludes at a jack in the wall next to his foot. Logan looks back up at Ororo and she raises an eyebrow in request and jerks her head slightly as if to imitate a pulling motion... >pull cord While bending over and pretending to adjust his boot, Logan surreptitiously unplugs the phone cord from the jack. Ready for this spontaneous plot, Ororo's eyes flash white and the mansion's electricity flickers. "Hello? Hello?!" Scott yells into the phone's receiver. "Dang it! The breaker must have tripped during that power surge," he says as he slams down the receiver. -=X=- Scott stands up from the desk. "We should be checking the mansion for danger anyway," he declares. "Shifa?" Shifa's eyes widen in horror as she's acknowledged. "Please go find where the students are congregating. If everyone is following protocols, they should be on the back patio." Shifa's shoulders slump in teenage despair: the show has ended. Scott gives Logan a nod as he and Shifa walk past him. -=X=- Ororo walks over, plugs the phone cord back into the wall, and walks over to the desk. "I am absolutely embarrassed over dragging you into my childish intrigue, Logan," Ororo says worriedly. "I... wanted to make a quick call to a friend before we got tangled up in another adventure. Please do not think less of me." "You know I will never pass up a chance to annoy Cyke, 'Ro," Logan replies. Ororo smiles at Logan, picks up the phone's receiver, and begins dialing. "Hello, Michael?" Ororo asks into the phone. Shifa goes northwest. Scott goes northwest. >z Time passes. "It is Ororo, sorry to call on the day of your show." Ororo says into the phone. >z Time passes. "I am sorry to say that I cannot make it to the exhibition. I feel absolutely terrible about it," Ororo says into the phone. >z Time passes. "Yes, I am fine, but there was an attack on the school and well, it is a long story where the ending has not yet been told," Ororo says into the phone. >z Time passes. "That's wonderful, Michael! And yes, it's a date," Ororo says into the phone. >z Time passes. "The dish on the drama, yes, my dear. Give my love to Stephen," Ororo says into the phone. >z Time passes. "Take care, Michael," Ororo says into the phone. >z Time passes. "Good-bye," Ororo says into the phone. Thank you for telling me about Sam," Ororo says to Logan. "I am glad I could help despite being distracted by my own silly desires. Now I will join the search and rescue like I should have been doing since we touched down." Ororo goes northwest. >nw Anteroom A simply-decorated room meant to be a space for guests to wait while they're here on school business. The foyer is to the west. The office is to the southeast. Logan can see Ororo here. Ororo goes west. >w Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen where Logan also sees Peter. Logan can see Ororo here. Ororo goes south. >ne Logan summons the elevator, steps inside, and the doors automatically close. The elevator starts moving, and the doors soon open again. -=X=- Elevator Logan is in a small, plain-looking elevator. There's a panel of buttons to the right of the doors. The Workshop is to the southwest. >sw Workshop Despite the room only being lit by emergency lights, Logan's eyes are drawn to the shadowy southeastern corner where a significant portion of the room has collapsed. The collapse is blocking the entrance to the laundry room and from the tell-tale blast marks of Scott's eye beams, Logan can tell that it used to block the entrance to the utility room as well. Seeing Logan scope out the room, Scott says in response, "The water heater ruptured in the collapse and it's leaking out from the utility room. I managed to clear the entrance without causing the whole ceiling to come down, but the steam is too scalding for me to get in there." Sure enough, steam is billowing out from the doorway in massive scalding plumes. The furnace room is to the west. The laundry room is to the south. The utility room is to the east. The elevator is to the northeast. Logan can see Scott here. >e Despite the obvious steam blasting out from the utility room Logan tries to see if he can just bear the heat and walk through it. He makes it a few feet in, but his skin starts to bubble and boil from the scalding temperature. It really hurts. He makes a hasty retreat back into the workshop and his skin immediately begins to repair itself. Scott looks at Logan and shakes his head. "Shut up," Logan says sheepishly. >ne Logan summons the elevator, steps in, and the doors automatically close. The elevator starts moving, and the doors soon open again. -=X=- Elevator Logan is in a small, plain-looking elevator. There's a panel of buttons to the right of the doors. The Foyer is to the southwest. >sw Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. Peter emerges from the kitchen grimacing and clearly frustrated, "Do not go into the kitchen, tovarisch," he says wearily. "I am struggling to stop the fire." -=X=- "Might be worth shutting off the source down in the utility room," Logan says. "A good thought," Peter says. "I will go to see if I can shut off the gas there instead." His skin reverts to its normal fleshy material as he ducks into the elevator. -=X=- To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen. The elevator doors close. >z Time passes. A chunk of concrete ping-pongs down the stairs and lands at Logan's feet. Logan kicks it experimentally and it instantly crumbles to dust. >z Time passes. >l Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen. >ne Logan summons the elevator, steps inside, and the doors automatically close. The elevator starts moving, and the doors soon open again. -=X=- Elevator Logan is in a small, plain-looking elevator. There's a panel of buttons to the right of the doors. The Workshop is to the southwest. >sw Workshop Despite the room only being lit by emergency lights, Logan's eyes are drawn to the shadowy southeastern corner where a significant portion of the room has collapsed. The collapse is blocking the entrance to the laundry room, but the way into the utility room is now clear. The furnace room is to the west. The laundry room is to the south. The utility room is to the east. The elevator is to the northeast. >e Utility Room A spartan room of pipes and bundles of wire which both spray off to various parts of the mansion. Of the assorted steel-clad utilitarian appliances here, two loom most notably: the water heater whose chaotic blasting has been thwarted?though perhaps only temporarily?and the fuse box. The workshop is to the west. Logan can see Scott and Peter here. "The water heater has been fixed!" Peter says as Logan enters the room. "Thankfully Peter and his heat-proof skin showed up," Scott adds. "I'm not sure how we would have gotten in here otherwise." "Scott, do you remember which of these feeds to the kitchen?" Peter asks while pointing to the mass of gas pipes running along the wall. "Yeah, hmm, let me figure out this electrical problem first and I'll see if I can remember," Scott replies. The water heater dribbles onto the floor. >x water heater It appears that Peter has "fixed" the water heater. Like a can to be recycled, the water heater has been crushed vertically so it is now only half its original height and is dribbling water onto the floor. On one hand, it's no longer spraying dangerous steam; on the other, no one will be taking hot showers for a while. >x fuse box A massive panel takes up most of the wall. Logan knows it to be the fuse box for the mansion and the switches within control which rooms have electricity and which do not. Currently, the panel is open and Scott is flipping breakers experimentally. "Ok, well, I hope I did it," Peter says. "I will go back to the kitchen to find out." "Ok, fingers crossed, Peter. Good work," Scott replies without looking away from the panel. Peter goes west. >w Workshop Despite the room only being lit by emergency lights, Logan's eyes are drawn to the shadowy southeastern corner where a significant portion of the room has collapsed. The collapse is blocking the entrance to the laundry room, but the way into the utility room is now clear. "HELLO? Is someone out there?" a voice calls out from the west. Logan looks to Peter to seek confirmation about also hearing the voice, but he's too focused on summoning the elevator to notice. The furnace room is to the west. The laundry room is to the south. The utility room is to the east. The elevator is to the northeast. Logan can see Peter here. Peter summons the elevator, it arrives, and he steps in. The doors close. >w Furnace Room A small, glorified closet that houses a massive furnace whose large mass takes up most of the space. A thick coat of dust covers the floor. "Ow," a voice squeaks out from somewhere in the room. The workshop is to the east. >talk (to himself) "No time to crack up today," Wolverine thinks. >talk to dust "I am not volunteering to clean this up," Logan thinks. >talk to furnace "Hello?" the furnace asks in a familiar voice. "Professor Logan, is that you?" "Huh? Kid, why are you...oh," Logan remembers her mutant power. "Where are you?" "I'm in the laundry room! A rock fell on my leg. It really hurts," Ulwazi says, voice tinged with pain. "Sit tight, kid, I got you," he says firmly. >e Workshop "There's a wall of rocks blocking the way!" Ulwazi shouts from the west. Logan's eyes are drawn to the poorly-lit southeastern corner where a significant portion of the room has collapsed. The laundry room remains completely blocked by rubble. The furnace room is to the west. The laundry room is to the south. The utility room is to the east. The elevator is to the northeast. Logan can see Peter here. Peter goes east. >s The rubble is completely blocking the entranceway to the laundry room. >x rubble A huge pile of collapsed ceiling has formed a slope in the southeastern corner of the room. However, Scott has managed to blast a path through to the utility room while the laundry room remains sealed. >attack rubble Logan is tough, but not "punching-concrete-bare-fisted-without-consequences" tough. >claws *SNIKT!* Logan's adamantium claws rip forth from the back of his hands. >attack rubble Heedless of the danger, and with a roar Logan attacks the wall of stone and debris, ripping through the large chunks of concrete with his long claws. It comes crumbling down on top of him and jagged lengths of rebar piece his skin. As he charges forward, he rips the attackers from his body and his wounds close instantly. After a minute of violence he's torn a path straight into the laundry room, and moves through the newly-cleared entrance. -=X=- Laundry Room There's not much to see in here; the collapse has almost entirely filled the room except for a shallow vestibule where a few appliances accidentally formed a protective bubble. There, with her back against a shattered dryer, sits Ulwazi pinned under a large rock. Before she can say anything, Logan strides forward and cuts the rock in half with one wide swing of his claws. "Oh thank goodness," Ulwazi says while rising to her feet with his help. "Dying while folding my laundry was not how I planned to leave this world." -=X=- Ulwazi, age 11, is the youngest student currently enrolled in the school. Her mutant powers allow her to communicate with, and mentally inhabit electrically-powered machines; an ability that clearly saved her own life just now. She's putting on a brave face, but her leg is bent at a bad angle and blood is pouring from her shoe. -=X=- "Oh my goodness! Ulwazi, are you ok?!" Scott says frantically after suddenly appearing from behind Logan. Peter looms over his shoulder. "That was too close," Ulwazi replies while looking around. "You guys seen Shifa recently? I'm going to need her for this leg." "We sent her to the patio with the other students," Scott says. "Standard protocol for an emergency in the mansion. Let me say that..." "Shut up, Scott," Logan interrupts. "Come on, kid." -=X=- Logan picks up Ulwazi who does her best not to cry out at the sudden movement of her leg, and carries her the way to the patio. He gently sets her down, and Shifa runs forward and immediately goes to work with her mutant healing powers. Thankfully it wasn't too late, and Ulwazi is completely healed moments later; she tests her leg by doing a few cartwheels on the lawn. Satisfied that she's going to be fine, Logan starts to leave. Ulwazi gives him her thanks and a big hug, and he walks back into the mansion. -=X=- Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. -=X=- "GNNRRRR-SFLANNG!" "What the!" Logan exclaims. He looks around for the source of that horrible noise. >l Formal Sitting Room This room acts as a conference space where important meetings are conducted. Large north-facing windows overlook the patio area. The parlor is to the northwest. The patio is to the north. The gallery is to the east. The foyer is to the south. "Urrrgggggrr," a muted grinding sound calls out in the distance. >s Foyer A finely-decorated room, marred by the collapse of the staircase that would normally lead to the second floor. A telephone for public use sits on a nearby table. To the south is the front lawn of the mansion. To the east is the anteroom. An elevator stands in a recess to the northeast. To the north is the formal sitting room. To the west is the kitchen. "GNNRRRR-SFLANNG!" >s Logan steps outside and is immediately beset by a warm, wet, gut-wrenching smell of sewage. The source: the rear of an enormous garbage truck parked on the pavement just a few yards away. It's not garbage day, making the man in a jumpsuit working the truck's compactor ever more incongruous. He turns and Logan sees a patch on his breast that reads, "Chambers". "Oh, don't mind me, friend," he says. "I'm just here to take out the trash." -=X=- He pushes a button on the side of the truck and "GNNRRRR-SFLANNG!", the compactor opens, a huge green, ribbed tube springs out and flies through the air. The end of the tube slams down around Logan, plunging him into darkness, and before he can react, a tremendous sucking noise lifts him off his feet and pulls him inward. -=X=- The last thing Logan remembers is the really bad smell. -=X=- Character Select Type the name of the character to play as: - Colossus - Cyclops - Dazzler - Nightcrawler - Storm - Wolverine >cyclops Cyclops wakes. -=X=- Holding Area "Welcome back to the land of the living, ladies and gentlemen! Well, for now anyway," a nasally voice declares. Cyclops's eyes crack open and are briefly blinded by the bright, white glare of the room. >l Holding Area Cyclops finds himself seemingly imprisoned within a clear plastic orb, and so are his teammates. A television sits on a pedestal in the center of the room. Cyclops can see Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Dazzler, and Colossus here. "In case ya forgot... Arcade's the name, and murder's the game!" the television at the center of the room shouts. >x orb Cyclops and the rest of his teammates are being kept in person-sized plastic bubbles suspended from the ceiling. The bubbles are mostly transparent, except for veins of metal that softly pulse with some blue energy. "For those of you who are new to this, I've brought you here to die!" television-Arcade says. >shoot orb That noun did not make sense in this context. >x visor Scott Summers, codenamed: Cyclops. He is wearing his X-Men uniform: a full-body, tight-fitting, dark blue with yellow trim costume. He never knows if it's more cool to wear his red X-Men utility belt jauntily or cinched properly. It's an item on his long list of anxieties. The first thing people notice about him, however, is the visor that he never takes off; except to otherwise wear special sunglasses. His curse of a mutant power is that near-limitless, destructive energy involuntarily blasts from his eyes, and the ruby red glass covering them is the only thing that halts the flow. With rigorous training he's learned to control that flow using his visor and a special button in his glove, and can shoot blasts of varying sizes and strength; even doing so precisely enough to bounce off certain surfaces at angles that would make any pool hall sharp jealous. "I've been paid to murder you, but I'm not a monster," Arcade says. "I do have rules." >push button That's not here, I didn't account for it, or it's not important. >use visor Cyclops's mind drifts off. "The rules are simple: find the main exit, walk through it, and you're free to go," Arcade continues. >verbs The following verbs are available to you. Please note that there are some verbs, such as "look" and "examine {noun}", which are exempt from Arcade's countdown, though other parts of the game-world may continue as normal. >>> Save >>> Restore >>> Verbs >>> Credits >>> Quit >>> Mission --- >> Examine {noun} || (or type 'x {noun}' for short) >> Look || (describes the room you're in) >> {cardinal direction} || (to move there) >> Inventory || (or 'i' for short) >> Wait || (spend one game 'turn' doing nothing) >> Talk to {person} || (get a list of conversation suggestions) >> Ask {person} about {topic} || (or 'a {person} {topic}' for short) >> Take {noun} --- > Blast {noun} > Open {noun} >blast orb Cyclops's eye blasts don't take any thought to execute; the energy just spills out of his eyes the instant he opens his visor. Nothing is happening. As he also fights a growing panic, he notices that the metal that frames his bubble cage pulses along with his efforts. Looking around the room he sees his teammates' faces grimacing and their bubbles pulsing as well. "Ha!" the television-Arcade barks. "You're all discovering my new mutant-suppression systems. I bought them from those Anti-Mutant League yahoos in a bulk purchase with those Sentinels you trashed. Don't worry, I'll turn them off shortly." "Other than that, I won't be playing fair," Arcade says. "I do have an obligation to my client to kill you after all." >talk to logan Wolverine is clearly yelling as he slashes at his bubble, and Logan doesn't hear it. "So, there is no way he will hear me either," Cyclops thinks. "I can guarantee one thing about murdering you: I'm going to have a blast doing it," Arcade says with a laugh as the television snaps off. -=X=- Murderworld An Interactive Fiction by Austin Auclair Release 1 / Serial number 250826 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib 6/12N) -=X=- Cyclops hears the sound of servos activating beneath him, and after a moment a section of the floor retracts to reveal a shadowy chute. -=X=- For a long while he sees nothing as he hurtles downward through darkness. The feeling of weightlessness would almost be joyful if wasn't accompanied by the terror of not knowing how this will end. -=X=- Then, a light seemingly at the end of the drop winks into view and rapidly expands into a bright disk. He plunges through it and finds himself falling, no, floating downward through a tall cylindrical room. His bubble cage's descent is being slowed and gently rocked by an updraft accompanied by a loud mechanical whir. Cyclops alights on the floor with a soft thud. -=X=- House of Mirrors "Hello, Cyclops, my one-eyed hunk, to this incredibly fun situation I've placed you in!" Arcade's voice projects from a nearby speaker. A moment later, a giant screen with red numbers lights up on the far wall. "You've only got 59 minutes to escape this room before a very bad thing happens and you die!" -=X=- Arcade's threat is very real, and in this section it's possible for your game to end in death. I recommend that you utilize the SAVE function now, and to not save over that file until I give you a new message. (You can, of course, create plenty of other, separate save files.) Also, since this is a player character you've not yet inhabited, don't forget to check your verbs list occasionally (type "verbs" to see that list). And finally, please note that there are some verbs, such as "look" and "examine {noun}", which are exempt from Arcade's countdown, though other parts of the game-world may continue as normal. -=X=- Still in the bubble cage, Cyclops landed in the center of the room; though it's hard to tell exactly as he's surrounded by dozens of body-tall mirrors which give the space a dizzying depth. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "59:00". One of the mirrors features Arcade's face and he animately talks at Cyclops. >save Ok, game saved. >blast mirror "One thing at a time, Scott," Cyclops thinks. "Gotta get out of this cage first." "I do feel bad about trashing your house," Arcade's voice says from the speaker. >blast cage "There's only one way to find out if my mutant powers have been restored," Cyclops thinks. He presses the button in the thumb of his glove and his visor cracks open. -=X=- CRAAAKOOOOOOM! -=X=- The blast that erupts from his eyes punches through the translucent skin of the bubble cage and then seemingly gets absorbed by a far wall. "Interesting," he thinks, distracted by the wall's behavior. His attention lapse allows the deflating structure to envelop him, and he spends a panicked minute finding the hole he created before he's smothered. Cyclops flops free. "I formally apologize," Arcade continues, his voice booming through the area. >blast mirror "I'm already tired of you and your face, Arcade," Cyclops says as he positions his eyes toward the mirror that frames Arcade's visage. He presses the button in his glove and his visor opens in response. -=X=- SZZZZAAAAAK! -=X=- A ruby-red beam erupts from his eyes and punches its way through Arcade's mirror-face, as well as the layers of mirrors behind that one. The blast continues until it hits the wall and again quietly disappears into the wall without reaction. -=X=- The broken glass tinkles as it settles, and Cyclops has cut a path southward. "Ah, beautiful, delicious silence," he thinks. >blast mirror "No, in one go I blasted away Arcade's face and cut a path over to that door," Cyclops thinks. "I'll refrain from blasting more of these mirrors until I have a reason as good as that." >s Against the Wall Making his way over to the wall leaves Cyclops only *mostly-surrounded* by mirrors and there's some comfort to be found by simply just touching the wall which unlike most everything in here, doesn't offer a distorted view of his body. Embedded in the ceiling is some sort of machine. Just over his head, mounted in the wall, is an access panel. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "55:00". There's a door in the wall here. Cyclops can get back to the center of the room by walking north. >x door A door made of the same material as the wall that frames it. There's no handle, but next to the door is a small keyboard below a computer screen that blinks a command line cursor. To access the keyboard/screen, type "open door". "Tsk, tsk, Mr. Summers," Arcade's voice returns, booming from somewhere high up in the room. "Breaking that many mirrors? That's an eternity of bad luck! Now, where was I... oh, yes." >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> root "Unknown command," the screen displays. >x machine Cyclops looks to the ceiling and inspects the machinery embedded there. "I'm not sure what it is, or what purpose it serves," he thinks. "But it's a safe bet that when Arcade's clock runs out of time, that machine is going to do something bad to me." >x access panel "That panel is higher up in the wall than it looked before I approached," Cyclops thinks. >blast access panel "I need to learn more about it before I destroy it," Cyclops thinks. "My subordinates didn't follow my instructions properly and installed explosive devices around the building," Arcade says. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> windows "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> arcade "Unknown command," the screen displays. >talk to arcade That's not here, I didn't account for it, or it's not important. >s The door has no handle, so Cyclops gives it a mighty push. It's locked and doesn't budge. "I said 'incapacitate the X-Men so I can bring them to my lair', not 'blow up all their stuff'," Arcade says. >blast door Cyclops takes a step back and presses the button in the thumb of his glove. KAAAAAZZZZAAAAK! His eyes release a blast of energy which slams into the door. The energy dissipates instantly without any effect. "I'm the world's greatest hitman, not someone who goes around blowing up schools for crying out loud," Arcade says. >n House of Mirrors Cyclops stands in the center of a tall cylindrical room with red-tinged walls, and is surrounded by dozens of body-tall mirrors which give the space a dizzying depth. Embedded in the ceiling is some sort of machine. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "51:00". Cyclops blasted a path southward through the mirrors and large shards of glass cover the floor. "It's something we'll discuss at their next employee performance evaluation," Arcade continues. >blast mirror "No, in one go I blasted away Arcade's face and cut a path over to that door," Cyclops thinks. "I'll refrain from blasting more of these mirrors until I have a reason as good as that." "I'll make it up to you all though," Arcade says. >s Against the Wall From here Cyclops can see that this room isn't quite as big as it seemed, but the mirrors offer even stranger reflections. Embedded in the ceiling is some sort of machine. Just over his head, mounted in the wall, is an access panel. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "49:00". There's a door in the wall here. Cyclops can get back to the center of the room by walking north. "I'm very rich so should any of you survive today, I'll be sure to cut you a check to repair the damage we caused to the school," Arcade says. >verbs The following verbs are available to you. Please note that there are some verbs, such as "look" and "examine {noun}", which are exempt from Arcade's countdown, though other parts of the game-world may continue as normal. >>> Save >>> Restore >>> Verbs >>> Credits >>> Quit >>> Mission --- >> Examine {noun} || (or type 'x {noun}' for short) >> Look || (describes the room you're in) >> {cardinal direction} || (to move there) >> Inventory || (or 'i' for short) >> Wait || (spend one game 'turn' doing nothing) >> Talk to {person} || (get a list of conversation suggestions) >> Ask {person} about {topic} || (or 'a {person} {topic}' for short) >> Take {noun} --- > Blast {noun} > Open {noun} >open panel "It's frustratingly just out of my reach," Cyclops thinks. "Maybe there's something around here I can use to reach it." "Gotta get your school back up and running," Arcade says. "Can't stop the superhero-to-murder pipeline. Otherwise, I'm out of a job!" >x mirrors Here on the southern side of the room Cyclops sees that the mirrors are double-sided, continuing to distort his body in odd ways. Though, of course, here they also reflect his surroundings which include the control panel on the wall. Three mirrors in particular inspire in Cyclops some fleeting amusement: a squat mirror, a tall mirror, and a twisted mirror. >get squat mirror Cyclops gives the mirror an experimental push and it's solidly fixed to the floor. "Enough of the facility-wide broadcast. Let's check in with each of you. Cyclops!" Arcade says. "You know another way I'm being helpful today?" he asks. >get tall mirror Cyclops gives the mirror an experimental push and it's solidly fixed to the floor. "You didn't get the chance to call your contractor!" Arcade says. >get twisted mirror Cyclops gives the mirror an experimental push and it's solidly fixed to the floor. "So, I posed as your executive assistant and went ahead and called Cartwright on your behalf," Arcade says. >push squat mirror Cyclops gives the mirror an experimental push and it's solidly fixed to the floor. "She and her crew are booked for first thing Monday morning," Arcade continues. >blast tall mirror "No, I've already sprayed glass everywhere to get over here," Cyclops thinks. "I'll refrain from blasting more of these mirrors until I get a better handle on what's going on." "Cartwright dropped everything from her schedule to make it happen," Arcade says. >climb squat mirrro I only understood you as far as wanting to climb squat mirror. >climb squat mirror Cyclops gives the mirror an experimental push and it's solidly fixed to the floor. "I'm impressed! No wonder you were so bent on calling her," Arcade says. "Such dedicated service is rare these days." >stand on squat mirror Cyclops gives the mirror an experimental push and it's solidly fixed to the floor. "I told her that you're "out of town" and probably won't be there to meet her," Arcade says. He then adds in a whisper, "because you'll be dead!" >jump "That panel is higher up in the wall than it looked before I approached," Cyclops thinks. "How do I reach it?" "I've gone ahead and added Cartwright to my rolodex," Arcade says. >x self Scott Summers, codenamed: Cyclops. He is wearing his X-Men uniform: a full-body, tight-fitting, dark blue with yellow trim costume. He never knows if it's more cool to wear his red X-Men utility belt jauntily or cinched properly. It's an item on his long list of anxieties. The first thing people notice about him, however, is the visor that he never takes off; except to otherwise wear special sunglasses. His curse of a mutant power is that near-limitless, destructive energy involuntarily blasts from his eyes, and the ruby red glass covering them is the only thing that halts the flow. With rigorous training he's learned to control that flow using his visor and a special button in his glove, and can shoot blasts of varying sizes and strength; even doing so precisely enough to bounce off certain surfaces at angles that would make any pool hall sharp jealous. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> xavier "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> logan "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> scott "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> jean "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> sudo "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> door "Unknown command," the screen displays. >x wall Cyclops is in a tall cylindrical room with walls built with what look like big curved ceramic tiles. The tiles have a red-glazed glossy look. Cyclops reaches out and finds the wall surprisingly warm to the touch. >x tiles Cyclops is in a tall cylindrical room with walls built with what look like big curved ceramic tiles. The tiles have a red-glazed glossy look. Cyclops reaches out and finds the wall surprisingly warm to the touch. >get tile Cyclops pushes one of the many tiles that form the wall of this room and finds it unyielding. "As you're discovering I'm always building new and fantastic stuff," Arcade says. "I need someone like Cartwright who's able to work quickly and discretely." >l Against the Wall From here Cyclops can see that this room isn't quite as big as it seemed, but the mirrors offer even stranger reflections. Embedded in the ceiling is some sort of machine. Just over his head, mounted in the wall, is an access panel. Those three mirrors?the squat one, the tall one, and the twisted one?continue to mock him. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "38:00". There's a door in the wall here. Cyclops can get back to the center of the room by walking north. >blast twisted mirror "No, I've already sprayed glass everywhere to get over here," Cyclops thinks. "I'll refrain from blasting more of these mirrors until I get a better handle on what's going on." "My contractor has gotten better about anticipating my needs," Arcade says. "But having some competing bids is never a bad thing!" Suddenly, a resonant electric whir roars overhead and the air pressure in the room immediately shifts. Cyclops can see that the machine in the ceiling has turned on, and has started rapidly rotating. An irresistible cyclone forms in the room. The vortex quickly gains strength, and the wall pulls away as Cyclops is yanked backwards, just barely avoiding the remaining upright mirrors. Now dragged to the center of the room, he sees the deflated mass of the bubble cage being wrestled dramatically upward by the wind, and it's now barely touching the floor as it flaps in the air. A sharp pain shrieks from his thigh as a piece of broken glass streaks across it. "All that glass is going to tear me to pieces if I can't find some way to take cover!" Cyclops thinks. It's then that he notices a corner of a floor tile is lifting upward as well. -=X=- House of Mirrors Cyclops can barely think as he fights to keep his feet connected with the ground. The machine in the ceiling roars with a fury as it tries to consume the contents of the room. >blast machine "I can't blast it!" Cyclops's mind races. "I'm right under the dang thing!" Cyclops grabs onto a floor mount that once held a mirror, but it doesn't offer any great handholds. It's all he can do to keep from being pulled upward into the swirling maw of the machine. Splinters of glass slice into his body. He's screaming in pain through clenched teeth, not daring to open his mouth. >get tile Which do you mean, floor tile or wall? >floor "No, that's not going to get me out of this tornado," Cyclops thinks. "But maybe I can open the thing wide enough to get under it." Cyclops chances a glance upward and sees the mass of the bubble cage trailing ribbons of shredded plastic as it twirls high above his head like a plastic bag caught in dust devil. His gaze is immediately drawn downward by the warm sensation of his blood pooling in his boot. >blast floor tile "I think I can get under it without destroying the floor tile," Cyclops thinks. "And right now that's looking like it's my salvation. Cyclops involuntarily somersaults in a clockwise circle, refusing to extend his body from its squat position... anything to protect his more-vital areas from the huge chunks of glass which lash against his extremities. >enter floor "No, that's not going to get me out of this tornado," Cyclops thinks. "But maybe I can open the thing wide enough to get under it." An ear-splitting grinding noise interrupts the roar of the wind storm, and then for a few moments Cyclops hears nothing at all as the wind ceases and he stops rolling about. The bubble cage got sucked into the turbine of the machine, caused it to jam, and the whole thing shook loose from the ceiling. -=X=- Thankfully, Cyclops was so decisively crushed by the falling metal that he didn't have to hear Arcade's gloating. -=X=- *** Murderworld has claimed another victim. Game over. *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, or UNDO the last command? > restore Ok, game restored. "To me, my X-Men." - Professor Charles Xavier. -=X=- House of Mirrors Still in the bubble cage, Cyclops landed in the center of the room; though it's hard to tell exactly as he's surrounded by dozens of body-tall mirrors which give the space a dizzying depth. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "59:00". One of the mirrors features Arcade's face and he animately talks at Cyclops. [stopped: success] > l House of Mirrors Still in the bubble cage, Cyclops landed in the center of the room; though it's hard to tell exactly as he's surrounded by dozens of body-tall mirrors which give the space a dizzying depth. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "59:00". One of the mirrors features Arcade's face and he animately talks at Cyclops. >blast cage "There's only one way to find out if my mutant powers have been restored," Cyclops thinks. He presses the button in the thumb of his glove and his visor cracks open. -=X=- CRAAAKOOOOOOM! -=X=- The blast that erupts from his eyes punches through the translucent skin of the bubble cage and then seemingly gets absorbed by a far wall. "Interesting," he thinks, distracted by the wall's behavior. His attention lapse allows the deflating structure to envelop him, and he spends a panicked minute finding the hole he created before he's smothered. Cyclops flops free. "I do feel bad about trashing your house," Arcade's voice says from the speaker. >x walls That's not here, I didn't account for it, or it's not important. >x wall Cyclops is in a tall cylindrical room with walls built with what look like big curved ceramic tiles. The tiles have a red-glazed glossy look. >x tile Cyclops is in a tall cylindrical room with walls built with what look like big curved ceramic tiles. The tiles have a red-glazed glossy look. >x floor That's not here, I didn't account for it, or it's not important. >x cage The cage sits at the bottom of a large cylindrical room in a wilted puddle. >get cage Cyclops tries to rip chunks off of it, hoping to perhaps craft some rudimentary tools, but the once-rigid material is now too flaccid to be useful. "I formally apologize," Arcade continues, his voice booming through the area. >push cage Cyclops tries to rip chunks off of it, hoping to perhaps craft some rudimentary tools, but the once-rigid material is now too flaccid to be useful. "My subordinates didn't follow my instructions properly and installed explosive devices around the building," Arcade says. >l House of Mirrors Cyclops stands in the center of a tall cylindrical room with red-tinged walls, and is surrounded by dozens of body-tall mirrors which give the space a dizzying depth. Embedded in the ceiling is some sort of machine. Just over the top of the mirrors Cyclops can see the frame of a door built into the wall of the room. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "56:00". One of the mirrors features Arcade's face and he animately talks at Cyclops. >x door "It's the only portal I've seen so far," Cyclops thinks. "So I should probably try to get over there." >s Cyclops can't go that way. There are no obvious exits. "I said 'incapacitate the X-Men so I can bring them to my lair', not 'blow up all their stuff'," Arcade says. >blast mirrors "I'm already tired of you and your face, Arcade," Cyclops says as he positions his eyes toward the mirror that frames Arcade's visage. He presses the button in his glove and his visor opens in response. -=X=- SZZZZAAAAAK! -=X=- A ruby-red beam erupts from his eyes and punches its way through Arcade's mirror-face, as well as the layers of mirrors behind that one. The blast continues until it hits the wall and again quietly disappears into the wall without reaction. -=X=- The broken glass tinkles as it settles, and Cyclops has cut a path southward. "Ah, beautiful, delicious silence," he thinks. >s Against the Wall Making his way over to the wall leaves Cyclops only *mostly-surrounded* by mirrors and there's some comfort to be found by simply just touching the wall which unlike most everything in here, doesn't offer a distorted view of his body. Embedded in the ceiling is some sort of machine. Just over his head, mounted in the wall, is an access panel. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "54:00". There's a door in the wall here. Cyclops can get back to the center of the room by walking north. >x panel "That panel is higher up in the wall than it looked before I approached," Cyclops thinks. >x door A door made of the same material as the wall that frames it. There's no handle, but next to the door is a small keyboard below a computer screen that blinks a command line cursor. To access the keyboard/screen, type "open door". "Tsk, tsk, Mr. Summers," Arcade's voice returns, booming from somewhere high up in the room. "Breaking that many mirrors? That's an eternity of bad luck! Now, where was I... oh, yes." >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> storm "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> ororo "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> murderworld "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> admin "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> mirror room "Unknown command," the screen displays. >x mirrors Here on the southern side of the room Cyclops sees that the mirrors are double-sided, continuing to distort his body in odd ways. Though, of course, here they also reflect his surroundings which include the control panel on the wall. Three mirrors in particular inspire in Cyclops some fleeting amusement: a squat mirror, a tall mirror, and a twisted mirror. >put cage on tall mirror (first taking bubble cage) Cyclops refuses. "I'm the world's greatest hitman, not someone who goes around blowing up schools for crying out loud," Arcade says. >x tall mirror In this mirror, Cyclops is super tall and skinny like some strange insect. >x squat mirror In this mirror, Cyclops appears short and stout, with a really wide head. He doesn't know why, because it looks nothing like him, but it takes everything Cyclops has got to keep from stomping around and doing his Logan impression. >x twisted mirror In this mirror, Cyclops's body is twisted and skinny like a giant question mark, but his head is normal sized. "Sneaky snake Scott Summers slithers saucily," a thought declares. "Ugh, not now, brain," he replies. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> snake "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> scott summers "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> ? "Unknown command," the screen displays. >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> arcade "Unknown command," the screen displays. >blast cage "The bubble cage is now just a floppy puddle of plastic and blasting it further wouldn't achieve much" Cyclops thinks. "It's something we'll discuss at their next employee performance evaluation," Arcade continues. >z Time passes. "I'll make it up to you all though," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "I'm very rich so should any of you survive today, I'll be sure to cut you a check to repair the damage we caused to the school," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "Gotta get your school back up and running," Arcade says. "Can't stop the superhero-to-murder pipeline. Otherwise, I'm out of a job!" >blast ceiling "I just don't know yet," Cyclops thinks. "I need to see more of what that machine is before I go and destroy it. Plus, it's all tucked up into the ceiling and I don't have a clean shot on it." "Enough of the facility-wide broadcast. Let's check in with each of you. Cyclops!" Arcade says. "You know another way I'm being helpful today?" he asks. >blast floor That's not here, I didn't account for it, or it's not important. >z Time passes. "You didn't get the chance to call your contractor!" Arcade says. >z Time passes. "So, I posed as your executive assistant and went ahead and called Cartwright on your behalf," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "She and her crew are booked for first thing Monday morning," Arcade continues. >z Time passes. "Cartwright dropped everything from her schedule to make it happen," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "I'm impressed! No wonder you were so bent on calling her," Arcade says. "Such dedicated service is rare these days." >z Time passes. "I told her that you're "out of town" and probably won't be there to meet her," Arcade says. He then adds in a whisper, "because you'll be dead!" >z Time passes. "I've gone ahead and added Cartwright to my rolodex," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "As you're discovering I'm always building new and fantastic stuff," Arcade says. "I need someone like Cartwright who's able to work quickly and discretely." >z Time passes. "My contractor has gotten better about anticipating my needs," Arcade says. "But having some competing bids is never a bad thing!" >z Time passes. "Plus, maybe Cartwright will give you a discount for referring me!" Arcade says with a laugh. Suddenly, a resonant electric whir roars overhead and the air pressure in the room immediately shifts. Cyclops can see that the machine in the ceiling has turned on, and has started rapidly rotating. An irresistible cyclone forms in the room. The vortex quickly gains strength, and the wall pulls away as Cyclops is yanked backwards, just barely avoiding the remaining upright mirrors. Now dragged to the center of the room, he sees the deflated mass of the bubble cage being wrestled dramatically upward by the wind, and it's now barely touching the floor as it flaps in the air. A sharp pain shrieks from his thigh as a piece of broken glass streaks across it. "All that glass is going to tear me to pieces if I can't find some way to take cover!" Cyclops thinks. It's then that he notices a corner of a floor tile is lifting upward as well. -=X=- House of Mirrors Cyclops can barely think as he fights to keep his feet connected with the ground. The machine in the ceiling roars with a fury as it tries to consume the contents of the room. >get floor tile "No, that's not going to get me out of this tornado," Cyclops thinks. "But maybe I can open the thing wide enough to get under it." Cyclops grabs onto a floor mount that once held a mirror, but it doesn't offer any great handholds. It's all he can do to keep from being pulled upward into the swirling maw of the machine. Splinters of glass slice into his body. He's screaming in pain through clenched teeth, not daring to open his mouth. >pull floor tile "No, that's not going to get me out of this tornado," Cyclops thinks. "But maybe I can open the thing wide enough to get under it." Cyclops chances a glance upward and sees the mass of the bubble cage trailing ribbons of shredded plastic as it twirls high above his head like a plastic bag caught in dust devil. His gaze is immediately drawn downward by the warm sensation of his blood pooling in his boot. >under That noun did not make sense in this context. >go under tile That's not here, I didn't account for it, or it's not important. >enter floor "No, that's not going to get me out of this tornado," Cyclops thinks. "But maybe I can open the thing wide enough to get under it." Cyclops involuntarily somersaults in a clockwise circle, refusing to extend his body from its squat position... anything to protect his more-vital areas from the huge chunks of glass which lash against his extremities. >blast tile Which do you mean, floor tile or wall? >floor "I think I can get under it without destroying the floor tile," Cyclops thinks. "And right now that's looking like it's my salvation. An ear-splitting grinding noise interrupts the roar of the wind storm, and then for a few moments Cyclops hears nothing at all as the wind ceases and he stops rolling about. The bubble cage got sucked into the turbine of the machine, caused it to jam, and the whole thing shook loose from the ceiling. -=X=- Thankfully, Cyclops was so decisively crushed by the falling metal that he didn't have to hear Arcade's gloating. -=X=- *** Murderworld has claimed another victim. Game over. *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, or UNDO the last command? > restart Are you using a screen reader? (Yes or no.) > restore Please answer yes or no.> no Are you new to parser-based text adventures, or has it been a while since you've played one? (yes/no) > no PROLOGUE -=X=- The cockpit of the Blackbird Sitting at the controls is Storm, co-pilot of the Blackbird and co-leader of the X-Men. She seems focused on creating plenty of cloud cover ahead to mask the X-Men's approach to the mansion, lest they scare the neighbors. Arrayed before Cyclops is an instrument panel. To the south is the Crew Quarters. Type "VERBS" to get a list of actions available to you during the game. An interesting thing to try first would be "TALK TO Storm". > Empty game command submitted. (If you're trying to 'spend' a game turn, type WAIT instead.) >restore Ok, game restored. "To me, my X-Men." - Professor Charles Xavier. -=X=- House of Mirrors Still in the bubble cage, Cyclops landed in the center of the room; though it's hard to tell exactly as he's surrounded by dozens of body-tall mirrors which give the space a dizzying depth. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "59:00". One of the mirrors features Arcade's face and he animately talks at Cyclops. [stopped: success] >blast cage "There's only one way to find out if my mutant powers have been restored," Cyclops thinks. He presses the button in the thumb of his glove and his visor cracks open. -=X=- CRAAAKOOOOOOM! -=X=- The blast that erupts from his eyes punches through the translucent skin of the bubble cage and then seemingly gets absorbed by a far wall. "Interesting," he thinks, distracted by the wall's behavior. His attention lapse allows the deflating structure to envelop him, and he spends a panicked minute finding the hole he created before he's smothered. Cyclops flops free. "I do feel bad about trashing your house," Arcade's voice says from the speaker. >blast mirror "I'm already tired of you and your face, Arcade," Cyclops says as he positions his eyes toward the mirror that frames Arcade's visage. He presses the button in his glove and his visor opens in response. -=X=- SZZZZAAAAAK! -=X=- A ruby-red beam erupts from his eyes and punches its way through Arcade's mirror-face, as well as the layers of mirrors behind that one. The blast continues until it hits the wall and again quietly disappears into the wall without reaction. -=X=- The broken glass tinkles as it settles, and Cyclops has cut a path southward. "Ah, beautiful, delicious silence," he thinks. >s Against the Wall Making his way over to the wall leaves Cyclops only *mostly-surrounded* by mirrors and there's some comfort to be found by simply just touching the wall which unlike most everything in here, doesn't offer a distorted view of his body. Embedded in the ceiling is some sort of machine. Just over his head, mounted in the wall, is an access panel. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "57:00". There's a door in the wall here. Cyclops can get back to the center of the room by walking north. >x door A door made of the same material as the wall that frames it. There's no handle, but next to the door is a small keyboard below a computer screen that blinks a command line cursor. To access the keyboard/screen, type "open door". >x machine Cyclops looks to the ceiling and inspects the machinery embedded there. "I'm not sure what it is, or what purpose it serves," he thinks. "But it's a safe bet that when Arcade's clock runs out of time, that machine is going to do something bad to me." "Tsk, tsk, Mr. Summers," Arcade's voice returns, booming from somewhere high up in the room. "Breaking that many mirrors? That's an eternity of bad luck! Now, where was I... oh, yes." >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> root "Unknown command," the screen displays. >x mirrors Here on the southern side of the room Cyclops sees that the mirrors are double-sided, continuing to distort his body in odd ways. Though, of course, here they also reflect his surroundings which include the control panel on the wall. Three mirrors in particular inspire in Cyclops some fleeting amusement: a squat mirror, a tall mirror, and a twisted mirror. >x squat mirror In this mirror, Cyclops appears short and stout, with a really wide head. He doesn't know why, because it looks nothing like him, but it takes everything Cyclops has got to keep from stomping around and doing his Logan impression. >x tall mirror In this mirror, Cyclops is super tall and skinny like some strange insect. >x twisted mirror In this mirror, Cyclops's body is twisted and skinny like a giant question mark, but his head is normal sized. "Sneaky snake Scott Summers slithers saucily," a thought declares. "Ugh, not now, brain," he replies. >z Time passes. "I formally apologize," Arcade continues, his voice booming through the area. >z Time passes. "My subordinates didn't follow my instructions properly and installed explosive devices around the building," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "I said 'incapacitate the X-Men so I can bring them to my lair', not 'blow up all their stuff'," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "I'm the world's greatest hitman, not someone who goes around blowing up schools for crying out loud," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "It's something we'll discuss at their next employee performance evaluation," Arcade continues. >z Time passes. "I'll make it up to you all though," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "I'm very rich so should any of you survive today, I'll be sure to cut you a check to repair the damage we caused to the school," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "Gotta get your school back up and running," Arcade says. "Can't stop the superhero-to-murder pipeline. Otherwise, I'm out of a job!" >z Time passes. "Enough of the facility-wide broadcast. Let's check in with each of you. Cyclops!" Arcade says. "You know another way I'm being helpful today?" he asks. >z Time passes. "You didn't get the chance to call your contractor!" Arcade says. >z Time passes. "So, I posed as your executive assistant and went ahead and called Cartwright on your behalf," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "She and her crew are booked for first thing Monday morning," Arcade continues. >z Time passes. "Cartwright dropped everything from her schedule to make it happen," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "I'm impressed! No wonder you were so bent on calling her," Arcade says. "Such dedicated service is rare these days." >z Time passes. "I told her that you're "out of town" and probably won't be there to meet her," Arcade says. He then adds in a whisper, "because you'll be dead!" >z Time passes. "I've gone ahead and added Cartwright to my rolodex," Arcade says. >z Time passes. "As you're discovering I'm always building new and fantastic stuff," Arcade says. "I need someone like Cartwright who's able to work quickly and discretely." >z Time passes. "My contractor has gotten better about anticipating my needs," Arcade says. "But having some competing bids is never a bad thing!" >z Time passes. "Plus, maybe Cartwright will give you a discount for referring me!" Arcade says with a laugh. Suddenly, a resonant electric whir roars overhead and the air pressure in the room immediately shifts. Cyclops can see that the machine in the ceiling has turned on, and has started rapidly rotating. An irresistible cyclone forms in the room. The vortex quickly gains strength, and the wall pulls away as Cyclops is yanked backwards, just barely avoiding the remaining upright mirrors. Now dragged to the center of the room, he sees the deflated mass of the bubble cage being wrestled dramatically upward by the wind, and it's now barely touching the floor as it flaps in the air. A sharp pain shrieks from his thigh as a piece of broken glass streaks across it. "All that glass is going to tear me to pieces if I can't find some way to take cover!" Cyclops thinks. It's then that he notices a corner of a floor tile is lifting upward as well. -=X=- House of Mirrors Cyclops can barely think as he fights to keep his feet connected with the ground. The machine in the ceiling roars with a fury as it tries to consume the contents of the room. >open floor tile The floor tile is heavy, but Cyclops manages to pry it up further, squeeze his body under it, and then uses his back to lower it into place behind him. It seals with a sharp clanking sound. Hole Cyclops is in an earthen hole, barely deep enough to crouch in. The floor tile above him rattles. Cyclops can move up, back into the room. Cyclops hears the muffled roar of the machine. >z Time passes. The concrete tile flaps open, and lets light and some broken glass into Cyclops's hole. He scrabbles at the tile to pull it closed again. Darkness returns. >z Time passes. The dirt of this hole vibrates as the machine outside seems to have reached its maximum velocity. >z Time passes. An ear-splitting grinding noise interrupts the roar of the wind storm, and then for a few moments Cyclops hears nothing at all. -=X=- WABOOOOM! -=X=- A concussive blast flattens him downward in this dark hole. -=X=- He wakes from unconsciousness, unsure of how much time has passed. His head and body hurts. >u Cyclops pushes the floor tile open and crawls out. -=X=- House of Mirrors Shattered mirrors and jagged glass radiate out from the impact of the machine that cratered down from the ceiling. The machine sits in a defeated mass in the center of the floor. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "33:00". It's less defined than before, but the path Cyclops blasted southward through the mirrors is still there. Large shards of glass cover the floor. "Now I'm bored. Let's chat with everyone all at once!" Arcade says. Cyclops hears a brief beeping sound. "There, now it's a party line." >s Against the Wall From here Cyclops can see that this room isn't quite as big as it seemed. Those three mirrors?the squat one, the tall one, and the twisted one?continue to mock him. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "32:00". There's a door in the wall here. Cyclops can get back to the center of the room by walking north. "X-Men! You're all doing wonderfully," Arcade says. >x door A door made of the same material as the wall that frames it. There's no handle, but next to the door is a small keyboard below a computer screen that blinks a command line cursor. To access the keyboard/screen, type "open door". >n House of Mirrors Shattered mirrors and jagged glass radiate out from the impact of the machine that cratered down from the ceiling. The machine sits in a defeated mass in the center of the floor. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "31:00". It's less defined than before, but the path Cyclops blasted southward through the mirrors is still there. Large shards of glass cover the floor. "Now, you may be wondering, "why, what does he mean by 'wonderfully'?" and "what is this murderer's definition of 'wonderful'?" Arcade says. >x machine The hulking wreck of the machine sits at the center of the room with a gentle smoke wafting from tangle of bubble cage which has thoroughly wrapped itself within the machine's blades. Somehow the wreck landed in a way that didn't cover Cyclops's floor tile shelter. He examines it and discovers two things of note: - There's a little sticker affixed to a panel. - There's a large package labeled "BOMB" mounted to the frame. "Subtle," he thinks. >x sticker A glint of silver catches Cyclops's attention and he finds a little transparent sticker affixed to a panel of the shattered machine. It's hard to parse since it got partially scraped off in the crash, and also because some dunce put it on backwards, but it reads: "... otni plehsys ... gniretne ... yb ydaer eht ta rebmun laires ecived ... evah esaelP ... ytnarraw dednetxe ... CBP epparthtaeD llaC ..." >x package Three bars of buff-colored clay are taped together and wrapped in a metal frame with a helpful label that reads "BOMB" (redundant since the bars themselves are stamped with a more-official "C4"). Multiple wires web out from this little package and connect into the wrecked machine. >get bomb A benefit of the odd fact that Cyclops has been an X-Man since he was a teenager is that Professor Xavier has trained him to handle many different situations. He's spent long days in the Danger Room of the mansion, training for esoteric and unlikely scenarios. And yet, the "basic" disassembly of plastic explosives is a subject that he's only touched on in passing. "I think I'm better off trying to get out of here, rather than risk making the wrong move trying to disarm this thing," he thinks. "Fair questions! I have complicated feelings for you all!" Arcade says. >s Against the Wall From here Cyclops can see that this room isn't quite as big as it seemed. Those three mirrors?the squat one, the tall one, and the twisted one?continue to mock him. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "29:00". There's a door in the wall here. Cyclops can get back to the center of the room by walking north. "I think you're all pretty neat, but I'm a paid assassin and I always do right by my clients," Arcade says. "Like I said: complicated!" >open door The computer screen awaits an entry: C:\> syshelp Mega Turbine? mk4. "Thar she blows!" Serial #MT-459083475093145744389 Please enter a number. 1) Deactivate Turbine. 2) Activate Turbine. 3) Open Maintenance Door. 4) Exit Interface. >3 [Open Maintenance Door.] The door rumbles with a screeching sound of sliding metal, and it pops open. -=X=- Against the Wall From here Cyclops can see that this room isn't quite as big as it seemed. Those three mirrors?the squat one, the tall one, and the twisted one?continue to mock him. A giant clock on the wall ticks downward with every moment and it currently reads, "28:00". Cyclops can move south through the open door. He can get back to the center of the room by walking north. "Oh, hold on, friends," Arcade says. "Chambers is in here looking flustered, the dear." >s Cyclops pulls open the door and rushes through it. -=X=- Green Room A room filled with plush couches and chairs. "Well done!" Arcade says over an intercom. "Please hang out and relax while I check in with the rest of your pals!" -=X=- Character Select Type the name of the character to play as: - Colossus - Dazzler - Nightcrawler - Storm - Wolverine >save To proceed, only enter a name from the current list as written. >nightcrawler Nightcrawler wakes. -=X=- Holding Area "Welcome back to the land of the living, ladies and gentlemen! Well, for now anyway," a nasally voice declares. Nightcrawler's eyes crack open and are briefly blinded by the bright, white glare of the room. >save Ok, game saved. >l Holding Area Nightcrawler finds himself seemingly imprisoned within a clear plastic orb, and so are his teammates. Arcade, via a television, is making a big speech about how he's going to kill them all. "And so, I can guarantee one thing about murdering you: I'm going to have a blast doing it," Arcade says with a laugh as the television snaps off. -=X=- Nightcrawler hears the sound of servos activating beneath him, and after a moment the cages of his five teammates drop through the floor into shadowy chutes. His doesn't move. -=X=- The television powers back on. "Hello, there Kurt, sweetheart! Your pals are rolling off to their own little trials," ArArcadecade says, his television-face pivoting slightly to look at Nightcrawler directly. "As you've previously experienced, I typically like to distribute everyone to their challenges via a twisting tube matrix, but for you today, I've crafted something a little more extravagant. Really high production cost, I tell ya. So, I'm afraid I'm going to need for you to take one more short little nap so we can move you into your starting position." "You're looking a little rough so you probably need the rest anyway." Green gas with a now, all-too-familiar smell starts pouring into Kurt's bubble. "Oh, Zum Teufel," he mutters before blacking out. -=X=- Upper Passageway "Welcome, Nightcrawler, my agile acrobat, to the special scenario I've crafted just for you!" Arcade's tinny voice broadcasts via a robotic parrot which flies around this narrow passageway. A moment later, a clock with red numbers lights up on its feathered belly. "You've only got 59 minutes to escape this area before a very bad thing happens and you die!" -=X=- Again, Arcade's threat is very real, and in this section it's possible for your game to end in death. I recommend that you utilize the SAVE function now, and to not save over that file until I give you a new message. And don't forget to check that VERBS list. -=X=- Nightcrawler wakes and finds himself in a cramped wooden passageway. The floor undulates under his feet, seemingly indicating that he's arrived aboard a ship at sea. The passageway continues to the northeast where he sees a man looking to him impatiently. There's some sort of commotion going on further past the man. There's also a door to the southwest. The parrot flies annoyingly around Nightcrawler. >verbs The following verbs are available to you. Please note that there are some verbs, such as "look" and "examine {noun}", which are exempt from Arcade's countdown, though other parts of the game-world may continue as normal. >>> Save >>> Restore >>> Verbs >>> Credits >>> Quit >>> Mission --- >> Examine {noun} || (or type 'x {noun}' for short) >> Look || (describes the room you're in) >> {cardinal direction} || (to move there) >> Inventory || (or 'i' for short) >> Wait || (spend one game 'turn' doing nothing) >> Talk to {person} || (get a list of conversation suggestions) >> Ask {person} about {topic} || (or 'a {person} {topic}' for short) >> Take {noun} --- > Teleport to {room name} || (or 't {room name}' for short) > Open {noun} > Insert {noun} into {noun} > Push {noun} > Punch {noun} >l Upper Passageway The passageway continues to the northeast where Nightcrawler sees a man looking to him impatiently. There's some sort of commotion going on further past him. There's also a door to the southwest. Nightcrawler can see a parrot here. >get parrot Nightcrawler tries to gently grab the parrot, but it nips his finger. "Ow!" he cries. "Du bist böse!" "*SQUAWK* I do feel bad about trashing your house," Arcade's voice says from the parrot's beak. >sw The door doesn't even jiggle in its frame when Nightcrawler attempts to open it. "It's quite locked," he thinks. "*SQUAWK* I formally apologize," Arcade continues via the parrot. >ne "Captain!" the man exclaims as Nightcrawler approaches. "The crew is mutinous!" Nightcrawler looks over his shoulder to make sure the man is not talking to someone else. "Are they now?" he asks. "Aye, but you can't face them wearing your bedclothes!" the man replies, looking Nightcrawler up and down. "They barely respect you as it is!" The man thrusts a large bundle at Nightcrawler. "I managed to grab your regalia before the ungrateful swine stole the key to your quarters." "Danke? So, mein freund, uh, what is your name?" Nightcrawler asks while reluctantly accepting the package. -=X=- "I knew I should have stopped you from drinking all that rum last evening, my captain!" the man says while shaking his head. "It's Ojo, sir! Your loyal first mate!" "I had too much rum last evening? Ojo, mein freund, you are strikingly close to the truth of it," Nightcrawler replies while opening the package. Neatly folded inside is an ensemble consisting of a pair of breeches with a thick leather belt, a ruffled shirt that opens wide at the collar, and a wide-brimmed hat with a white feather quivering from its band. Except for the feather, each article is dyed a deep crimson. Nightcrawler shrugs, and then quickly pulls the garb over his X-Men uniform. "I know I'm not supposed to like what's happening," he thinks while inspecting himself. "But, this is starting to be a dream come true." The passageway continues northeast to the berth where Nightcrawler can see and hear a bunch of pirate carousing. There is a ladder here leading up. He can also head southwest back to where he started. "*SQUAWK* My subordinates didn't follow my instructions properly and installed explosive devices around the building," Arcade says. The parrot arrives from the southwest. >x ojo Ojo is a short, sun-beatened man dressed in sailor's clothing. He watches Nightcrawler with a mix of approval and anxiety. Upon closer inspection, Nightcrawler has come to realize that Ojo is a masterfully-crafted robot. Subtle rivets line the man's neck and disappear under his vest. "And his eyes are just a little off," Nightcrawler thinks. "Arcade didn't quite figure those out." >u Main Deck Lightning arcs across the sky as the ship pitches wildly. Looking eastward?when the churning sea allows?Nightcrawler sees a stubby stone guard tower perched on a cliff's edge. He can go northeast to the forecastle deck, climb the ladder up to the crow's nest, or climb down to belowdecks. "*SQUAWK* I said 'incapacitate the X-Men so I can bring them to my lair', not 'blow up all their stuff'," Arcade says. The parrot arrives from below. >u Crow's Nest Nightcrawler knows it's some kind of visual trick, but it looks like he can see for miles and miles from up here. A crack of lightning breaks the spell. "Ach, I do not know if that electricity is real, but I should not linger at this height," he thinks. The dark, churning sea takes up most of the horizon, but to the east is a rocky island whose silhouette is broken by a wart of a stone tower. "*SQUAWK* I'm the world's greatest hitman, not someone who goes around blowing up schools for crying out loud," Arcade says. The parrot arrives from below. >teleport to tower "Nein, I have not been there yet and I do not want to end up inside a cannon or something," Nightcrawler thinks. >teleport to island That noun did not make sense in this context. >d Main Deck Salty water sprays up over the railing as waves slam into the ship. Looking eastward?when the churning sea allows?Nightcrawler sees a stubby stone guard tower perched on a cliff's edge. He can go northeast to the forecastle deck, climb the ladder up to the crow's nest, or climb down to belowdecks. "*SQUAWK* It's something we'll discuss at their next employee performance evaluation," Arcade continues. The parrot arrives from above. >ne The raised deck features a lone 6-pound cannon and a few crates stacked haphazardly. A lantern swings from a post. The main deck is to the southwest. "Nervt es mich!" Nightcrawler thinks. "What kind of ship am I supposedly captaining to see crates not properly stowed like this! I will have words for the crew." "*SQUAWK* I'll make it up to you all though," Arcade says. The parrot arrives from the southwest. >x cannon A 6-pound cannon is mounted on the forecastle port side railing. "I have always wanted to fire a real cannon..." Nightcrawler's mind wanders. >x crates A dozen or so wooden crates sit haphazardly stacked about the forecastle. >open crate Nightcrawler discovers that most of the crates are too tightly nailed shut to open with his bare hands, but he finds one that was improperly sealed. He rips the lid off and discovers that it's full of munitions. "Ach! It's even worse!" he thinks. "Powder just sitting in boxes on deck!" "*SQUAWK* I'm very rich so should any of you survive today, I'll be sure to cut you a check to repair the damage we caused to the school," Arcade says. >x lantern A simple brass lantern with a lit candle inside sheds its meager light amid this storm-darkened deck. >get lantern Nightcrawler gives the lantern a tug, but the structure that keeps it attached to its hook (and thereby preventing fires), makes it difficult to remove. "*SQUAWK* Gotta get your school back up and running," Arcade says. "Can't stop the superhero-to-murder pipeline. Otherwise, I'm out of a job!" >load canon That noun did not make sense in this context. >put munitions in cannon "It is really just the black powder that might prove useful," Nightcrawler thinks. "I can probably just take the powder leave the rest here." "*SQUAWK* Enough of the facility-wide broadcast. Let's check in with each of you. "Did you know Miss Locke posed as your bartender at the club last night?" he asks. >take powder "Ja bitte, a bit of black powder might prove useful in my escape," Nightcrawler thinks. "I will leave the rest of the implements here, and grab them should I find myself loading any cannon." He grabs one of the small bags which conveniently features a small loop he can hook to his belt to protect it from the rain. "*SQUAWK* We wanted to keep an eye on you to make sure you didn't range too far from home," Arcade says. "That, and we had another prize in mind, as you might soon discover..." >load cannon That noun did not make sense in this context. >sw Main Deck A howling wind lashes at Nightcrawler as it cuts across the deck. Looking eastward?when the churning sea allows?Nightcrawler sees a stubby stone guard tower perched on a cliff's edge. He can go northeast to the forecastle deck, climb the ladder up to the crow's nest, or climb down to belowdecks. "*SQUAWK* I hear you had quite the night," Arcade says. The parrot arrives from the northeast. >d Lower Passageway A simple passageway belowdecks. Ojo looks to the commotion ahead. The passageway continues northeast to the berth where Nightcrawler can see and hear a bunch of pirates carousing. There is a ladder here leading up. He can also head southwest back toward the captain's quarters. "*SQUAWK* Not as fresh as you'd prefer while facing certain death at the hands of maniacal genius?" Arcade asks. The parrot arrives from above. >ne Hammocks tightly pack the midsection of the ship. "Ya got a lot of nerve coming back here," a scuzzy pirate says while stepping away from the pack. The rest of the pirates glare at Nightcrawler and twitchily hold swords and pistols. "Have some respect for the position!" Ojo cries while appearing at Nightcrawler's shoulder. "It's not the captain's fault the Spanish galleon we captured wasn't carrying gold like you thought! Besides, we stole their cargo and it was full of weapons. The captain has the brilliant plan of selling them to the local rebels for a pretty sum, don't ye?" Ojo turns to Nightcrawler. -=X=- "Ja, I mean, aye, we will earn a fortune from the sale of those weapons," he improvises. "Enough coin for every one of you dogs to drink yourselves senseless, and still afford to retire." "See!" Ojo shouts at the crew. "In the meantime, if any one of ye even thinks of mutiny, I'll cut ya down me-self!" -=X=- The pirate crew grumbles and murmurs amongst themselves for a moment. "Sounds too legitimate to be true, but we'll give ye 46 minutes to seal the deal," the main rabblerouser says while twirling a key around his finger. "After that, ye both take a long walk off a short board." The pirate crew advances, driving Nightcrawler and Ojo back to the passageway. -=X=- Before Nightcrawler retreated he was able to get a good look into the adjoining navigation room and the gun deck. "Enough that I can safely teleport there," he thinks. New rooms have been added to his teleport list. Type "teleport list" to see that list. -=X=- Lower Passageway A simple passageway belowdecks. Ojo waits for Nightcrawler. The passageway continues northeast to the berth where Nightcrawler can see and hear a bunch of pirates carousing. There is a ladder here leading up. He can also head southwest toward the captain's quarters. Nightcrawler can see a parrot here. "A dark day indeed, captain," Ojo says with hat in hand while looking at Nightcrawler hopefully. "But I believe in your ability to win back the hearts of that undeserving scurvy-ridden crew!" New conversation topics added for Ojo. The current list of things Nightcrawler can ask him about is: Key, Crew, and Rebels "*SQUAWK* We've all been there," Arcade says. "I've got great news; I had my personal chef whip up the ultimate hangover cure. It just parachuted onto the main deck. Bon appétit!" >ask ojo about key "Aye, those treasonous eels caught me in the ship's stores while my back was turned," Ojo says with his face to the floor. "I only managed to kill three of them before they stole the key off my person. I am not fit to serve as your first mate, sir." "Quite alright, Ojo, I forgive you," Nightcrawler replies. Nightcrawler then points to the southwest. "And again, the key they have stolen belongs to that door down there?" "Aye, I'm afraid your quarters are closed to you until we can get that key back, sir," Ojo says. "And thank you for your generous pardon, sir." >ask ojo about crew "The curs are upset because they got it in their rotted heads that the Spanish galleon we sacked would be full of gold, sir," Ojo says. "We did haul from the Spanish ship an army's worth of guns and ammunition, sir. If you can somehow get in touch with the rebels over on the coast, I hear they're plenty rich enough to buy them from us!" >ask ojo about rebels "Aye, the Spanish have had a hell of a time keeping a hold on their territory, sir," Ojo says. "The people have risen up and are being led by a rebel named, "El Libre". I hear that the rebels, while low on supplies, are well-funded. I also hear, though, that El Libre was recently captured by the Spanish. If you can make your way over to land, sir, maybe you can find out where he's held and make a deal in exchange for helping him." "What an adventure, Ojo!" Nightcrawler exclaims. Ojo breaks into a gap-toothed smile in reply. >teleport to navigation room I only understood you as far as wanting to teleport to Navigation. >teleport to navigation *BAMF* -=X=- Navigation A room of inscrutable maps and strange brass equipment. There is, however, a finely-made looking glass on the desk. A mutineer spots Nightcrawler through the entryway and cries out. The mob rushes into the room and tries to grab him. *BAMF* Nightcrawler teleports back to the passage. "We don't know how you got past us, but no way you're getting back here without our gold!" the ringleader declares. -=X=- Lower Passageway A simple passageway belowdecks. Ojo waits for Nightcrawler. The passageway continues northeast to the berth where Nightcrawler can see and hear a bunch of pirates carousing. There is a ladder here leading up. He can also head southwest toward the captain's quarters. Nightcrawler can see a parrot here. >ne Hammocks tightly pack the midsection of the ship. A gaggle of ruffians lounge and carouse here. Nightcrawler starts to peek into navigation to the northeast, and into the gun deck to the northwest when he's interrupted. "Nay, not until we see some booty!" the rabblerouser shouts at him. The pirate crew advances with weapons drawn, and drives Nightcrawler back to the passageway. -=X=- Lower Passageway A simple passageway belowdecks. Ojo waits for Nightcrawler. The passageway continues northeast to the berth where Nightcrawler can see and hear a bunch of pirates carousing. There is a ladder here leading up. He can also head southwest toward the captain's quarters. Nightcrawler can see a parrot here. >u Main Deck Lightning arcs across the sky as the ship pitches wildly. Looking eastward?when the churning sea allows?Nightcrawler sees a stubby stone guard tower perched on a cliff's edge. He can go northeast to the forecastle deck, climb the ladder up to the crow's nest, or climb down to belowdecks. Nightcrawler can see a picnic basket (closed) here. "*SQUAWK* Sounds like you and Alison were having a blast out on the town," Arcade continues. "I'm sorry to have ruined it! Had I known, I would have pushed my plans to tonight instead." The parrot arrives from below. >x basket A small wicker basket with a tight-fitting lid. >open basket Nightcrawler removes the lid of the picnic basket and sees that inside is a fully prepared, delicious-looking meal. "*SQUAWK* I haven't been going out much these days," Arcade continues. "So, the fact of it being a Friday night hadn't even occurred to me." >get meal "Technically, Arcade has poisoned me twice today," Nightcrawler thinks. "But somehow I believe that he will not in this instance. Or, at least my stomach wants me to believe it." "This is too strange to pass up," he settles after a moment of indecision. He sits on the deck next to the basket, grabs the cheeseburger and starts to enjoy the meal. -=X=- It was delicious. "We shall see if I end up dead from poison, but right now the worst thing I feel is the desperate need to take a nap," he thinks. "*SQUAWK* Work, work, murder, murderous work," Arcade says. >l Main Deck Salty water sprays up over the railing as waves slam into the ship. Looking eastward?when the churning sea allows?Nightcrawler sees a stubby stone guard tower perched on a cliff's edge. He can go northeast to the forecastle deck, climb the ladder up to the crow's nest, or climb down to belowdecks. Nightcrawler can see a parrot and a picnic basket (empty) here. >get basket "I do not want to have to carry that around," Nightcrawler thinks. "*SQUAWK* I've tried setting up a bar here in my complex, " Arcade says. "But, it turns out getting drinks with fellow super villains is quite tedious." >ne Forecastle The raised deck features a lone 6-pound cannon and a few crates stacked haphazardly. A lantern swings from a post. The main deck is to the southwest. "*SQUAWK* Did you know that super villains tend to be self-absorbed and shallow?" Arcade asks. "You try to hold a happy hour, but everyone spends the time vying to monologue over each other..." The parrot arrives from the southwest. >load cannon That noun did not make sense in this context. >put powder in cannon (black powder in cannon) Nightcrawler grabs a rammer from the crate and uses it to gently shove the small bag of black powder down the bore of the 6-pounder. He goes through the process of prepping the cannon to fire. Finally, he grabs a slow match from the crate and uses the nearby lantern to spark it. "And Scott said all those pirate adventure movies I like to watch are not educational..." he thinks as he smugly brings the flame to the cannon's touch hole. *BOOOOOOOM!* -=X=- The 6-pounder is not a big gun, but its eruption was more than enough to bring a ringing to Nightcrawler's ears. He watches as the small cannon ball he loaded skips its way across the waving water, and quickly sinks downward after a large, final splash. "Oy! Some fool is firing at tha water!" Nightcrawler hears a voice below shout, followed by the sounds of shuffling feet. He then hears the gun deck ports being flung open. "*SQUAWK* I mean, chums, save the monologue for when you're taunting a victim as they're trying to escape a devious death trap!" Arcade says and then trails off in laughter. >teleport to navigatior *BAMF* -=X=- Navigation A room of inscrutable maps and strange brass equipment. There is, however, a finely-made looking glass on the desk. >x glass A collapsible telescope made of brass sits on the desk. Nightcrawler turns to see the mutineers filing out from the gun deck into the berth. One spots him through the entryway, cries out, and the mob rushes into the room and tries to grab him. *BAMF* Nightcrawler teleports back to the passage. "We don't know how you got past us, but no way you're getting back here without our gold!" the ringleader declares. -=X=- Lower Passageway A simple passageway belowdecks. Ojo waits for Nightcrawler. The passageway continues northeast to the berth. There is a ladder here leading up. Nightcrawler can also head southwest toward the captain's quarters. The parrot arrives from above. >u Main Deck A howling wind lashes at Nightcrawler as it cuts across the deck. Looking eastward?when the churning sea allows?Nightcrawler sees a stubby stone guard tower perched on a cliff's edge. He can go northeast to the forecastle deck, climb the ladder up to the crow's nest, or climb down to belowdecks. Nightcrawler can see a picnic basket (empty) here. The parrot arrives from below. >ne Forecastle The raised deck features a lone 6-pound cannon and a few crates stacked haphazardly. A lantern swings from a post. The main deck is to the southwest. "*SQUAWK* Now I'm bored. Let's chat with everyone all at once!" Arcade says. Nightcrawler hears a brief beeping sound. "There, now it's a party line." The parrot arrives from the southwest. >put powder in cannon (black powder in cannon) Nightcrawler goes through the process of loading and firing the forecastle gun again. *BOOOOOOOM!* -=X=- The cannon again fires out into the open sea. "There goes the cannon again!" someone belowdecks shouts. Nightcrawler then hears the gun deck ports being flung open. "*SQUAWK* X-Men! You're all doing wonderfully," Arcade says. >teleport to navigation *BAMF* -=X=- Navigation A room of inscrutable maps and strange brass equipment. There is, however, a finely-made looking glass on the desk. >get glass Nightcrawler snatches the looking glass from the desktop and sticks it behind his belt. Nightcrawler turns to see the mutineers filing out from the gun deck into the berth. One spots him through the entryway, cries out, and the mob rushes into the room and tries to grab him. *BAMF* Nightcrawler teleports back to the passage. "No fancy instruments for the captain without some plunder!" a pirate calls after him. "Thankfully, they did not see me taking this looking glass," Nightcrawler thinks while looking to his belt. -=X=- Lower Passageway A simple passageway belowdecks. Ojo waits for Nightcrawler. The passageway continues northeast to the berth. There is a ladder here leading up. Nightcrawler can also head southwest toward the captain's quarters. The parrot arrives from above. >teleport to crows nest *BAMF* -=X=- Crow's Nest The dark, churning sea takes up most of the horizon, but to the east is a rocky island whose silhouette is broken by a wart of a stone tower. >i Nightcrawler is carrying: looking glass pirate captain's garb (being worn) The parrot arrives from below. >use looking glass "I already have it," Nightcrawler thinks. "*SQUAWK* Now, you may be wondering, "why, what does he mean by 'wonderfully'?" and "what is this murderer's definition of 'wonderful'?" Arcade says. >x tower A stout, windowless guard tower sits perched on the cliff edge of a small rocky island. Nightcrawler can see that it's lit by what look like torches, but at this distance, amid the storm, it's hard to pick out any specific features. Nightcrawler pulls the looking glass from his belt and fixes it upon the structure. -=X=- He scans the height of the structure, seeing only arrow slits in its stone walls. "Hmm... if there is a gate, it is on the other side of the tower," he thinks. "And I cannot see who guards it." Then, his eye reaches the roof where he sees a small wooden hatch built into its tile. "Eine Augenweide!" he thinks. "There is a way to sneak inside." "Tower Roof" has been added to Nightcrawler's teleport list. Type "teleport list" to see that list. >teleport to tower roof *BAMF* -=X=- Tower Roof Nightcrawler quietly lands poised in a three-point stance onto the terra-cotta tiles of the tower roof. The sulfuric-smelling cloud that accompanies his teleportation quickly blows away in the strong wind scouring this little island. Between flashes of lightning he spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from an ill-fitting hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and he can see that it partially covers a wooden ladder leading downward. It might be worth your time to create a second game save file at this moment, apart from your main game save file. >save Ok, game saved. >d Nightcrawler gently opens the hatch, and after seeing no one in the room below, he quietly descends the tall ladder. -=X=- Armory Nightcrawler quickly drops to the floor and pulls back into a shadowy corner of this room. He seems to have landed in an armory of sorts, with rusting pieces hung on wall hooks. On a nearby table is a stack of helms that look to have been freshly polished. Two arched portals lead from this room and through them he can see down their halls. Eastward leads to what looks like a simple larder, and to the south the hall leads through what first looks like a torture chamber. >x helms A pyramid of polished steel helms sits neatly stacked on a nearby table. After Nightcrawler draws near the helms, that slight change in air pressure was enough to cause the entire pile to shift off its table and clatter to the floor. "Coronel, ¿es usted quien hace ese ruido tan fuerte?" a voice calls out from the south. >s Interrogation Grisly implements of torture hang from the walls. In the room to the west sits a man guarding a passageway behind him. Nightcrawler hears the sound of movement in a room to the south and catches a glimpse of a soldier carrying small boxes amid the piles of large crates there. The armory is to the north. Nightcrawler's glimpses south and westward are enough to now allow him to safely teleport into the storage room and guard station (though the armed soldiers might prove to be an issue), and those rooms have been added to his teleport list. "¡Coronel! ¡Hay un intruso!" shouts the guard from the west. The man postures threateningly, but doesn't leave his post. >l Interrogation Grisly implements of torture hang from the walls. To the west stands a guard who waves a sword at Nightcrawler. The armory is to the north. Colonel Ordenado arrives from the south. >talk to ordenado "¡Te mataré duende!" the soldier shouts. He draws a flintlock pistol from his belt and points it at Nightcrawler. -=X=- *BAMF* The pistol ball strikes the wall behind Nightcrawler after he teleports to the safety of the tower roof. -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. Nightcrawler can see the edges of a person's shadow moving around below. "The soldier is in one of the adjoining rooms," he thinks. "Thankfully I move faster than they do." >teleport to storage room *BAMF* -=X=- Storage Crates of various sizes are stacked here in neat towers and rows. Interrogation is back to the north. Sitting on one of the bigger crates are a couple of wood handles. Nightcrawler can see the soldier paused in the interrogation room, having a conversation with the guard to the west. The stacks of crates give him enough cover that the soldier doesn't see him. Nightcrawler hears the soldier and the guard talking to each other in the interrogation room. >get handle Nightcrawler grabs the unbroken handle and sticks it into his belt. The crates keep the soldier from seeing Nightcrawler in here. "¡El duende hizo un lío!" the soldier shouts while looking to the armory. He starts to head northward. >x crate A few dozen crates of various sizes are arranged around this room in a tidy order. >open crate Nightcrawler spends a minute struggling to rip the lid off one of the crates and eventually manages to lift a corner. The crate is full of shredded newspaper. He snatches a shred that contains a piece of a masthead and it's dated, "Tuesday, April 10, 1987." "Ziemlich lustig, the seams of this fantasy are showing," he thinks. >get newspaper That's not here, I didn't account for it, or it's not important. >n Interrogation Grisly implements of torture hang from the walls. To the west stands a guard who waves a sword at Nightcrawler. To the south Nightcrawler can see a storeroom. The armory is to the north. "¡Muerte a los piratas!" the soldier shouts from the room to the north. He draws a flintlock pistol from his belt and points it at Nightcrawler. -=X=- *BAMF* The pistol ball strikes the archway behind Nightcrawler after he teleports to the safety of the tower roof. -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. Peering downward Nightcrawler sees snatches of bright cloth of a uniform. "The soldier is right below me," he thinks. "There has got to be a way to lure those men away from their posts. Perhaps I can cause some problems within the tower." He can hear someone shuffling around in the room below. >teleport to guard station *BAMF* -=X=- Guard Station A simple room whose main features are an uncomfortable-looking chair positioned in front of a closed heavy wooden door. The interrogation room is back to the east. Nightcrawler can see Private Hastiado here. The guard recovers from his shock over Nightcrawler's appearance and charges at him. "¡Muere Duende!" the guard shouts while swinging his sword. *BAMF* He swings at empty air after Nightcrawler teleports to the safety of the tower roof. -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. Nightcrawler can see the edges of a person's shadow moving around below. "The soldier is in one of the adjoining rooms," he thinks. "I need to get those men out of the tower so I can safely reach El Libre." >i Nightcrawler is carrying: handle looking glass pirate captain's garb (being worn) >teleport to deck That noun did not make sense in this context. >teleport to crows nest *BAMF* -=X=- Crow's Nest The dark, churning sea takes up most of the horizon, but to the east is a rocky island whose silhouette is broken by a wart of a stone tower. Nightcrawler can see a parrot here. >d Main Deck Lightning arcs across the sky as the ship pitches wildly. Looking eastward?when the churning sea allows?Nightcrawler sees a stubby stone guard tower perched on a cliff's edge. He can go northeast to the forecastle deck, climb the ladder up to the crow's nest, or climb down to belowdecks. Nightcrawler can see a picnic basket (empty) here. "*SQUAWK* Fair questions! I have complicated feelings for you all!" Arcade says. The parrot arrives from above. >d Lower Passageway A simple passageway belowdecks. Ojo waits for Nightcrawler. The passageway continues northeast to the berth where Nightcrawler can see and hear a bunch of pirates carousing. There is a ladder here leading up. He can also head southwest toward the captain's quarters. "*SQUAWK* I think you're all pretty neat, but I'm a paid assassin and I always do right by my clients," Arcade says. "Like I said: complicated!" The parrot arrives from above. >sw Upper Passageway Ojo looks to Nightcrawler impatiently from the lower passageway to the northeast. Past him, the pirate crew continues to hold a raucous protest. The captain's quarters are to the southwest, but currently obstructed by a door. "*SQUAWK* Oh, hold on, friends," Arcade says. "Chambers is in here looking flustered, the dear." The parrot arrives from the northeast. >x door An imposing wood door with iron banding blocks the way to what is supposedly the captain's quarters. Nightcrawler tries peering through its keyhole in hopes of having a clear enough view to enable his teleportation, but the lock's mechanism obstructs. >open door The door doesn't even jiggle in its frame when Nightcrawler attempts to open it. "It's quite locked," he thinks. "Ojo said the crew stole the key as part of their protest." *SQUAWK* The muffled sounds of movement plays through Arcade's speaker. >i Nightcrawler is carrying: handle looking glass pirate captain's garb (being worn) >ne Lower Passageway A simple passageway belowdecks. Ojo waits for Nightcrawler. The passageway continues northeast to the berth where Nightcrawler can see and hear a bunch of pirates carousing. There is a ladder here leading up. He can also head southwest toward the captain's quarters. "*SQUAWK* He did what?...{unintelligible speaking}...then tell Locke to end the sequence..." Nightcrawler hears Arcade say away from the microphone. The parrot arrives from the southwest. >u Main Deck Salty water sprays up over the railing as waves slam into the ship. Looking eastward?when the churning sea allows?Nightcrawler sees a stubby stone guard tower perched on a cliff's edge. He can go northeast to the forecastle deck, climb the ladder up to the crow's nest, or climb down to belowdecks. Nightcrawler can see a picnic basket (empty) here. "*SQUAWK* Turn up the sedatives...{unintelligible speaking}...it's too soon..." Nightcrawler hears Arcade say away from the microphone. The parrot arrives from below. >ne Forecastle The raised deck features a lone 6-pound cannon and a few crates stacked haphazardly. A lantern swings from a post. The main deck is to the southwest. "*SQUAWK* I'm sick of that...{unintelligible speaking}...candy smell..." Nightcrawler hears Arcade say away from the microphone. "As soon as he's dead I want you to...{unintelligible speaking}..." The parrot arrives from the southwest. >get powder "I have played my little trick and would rather not carry around explosives if I don't have to," Nightcrawler thinks. "*SQUAWK* Him too?" you hear Arcade ask away from the microphone. "Sweep up all that broken glass...{unintelligible speaking}...we can use it for the next project..." >put powder in cannon "It is really just the black powder that might prove useful," Nightcrawler thinks. "I can probably just take the powder leave the rest here." "*SQUAWK* You did great work on the rink...{unintelligible speaking}...keep Elvira...{unintelligible speaking}..." Nightcrawler hears Arcade say away from the microphone. >get parrot Nightcrawler tries to gently grab the parrot, but it nips his finger. "Ow!" he cries. "Du bist böse!" "*SQUAWK* I told you we needed fewer sharks...{unintelligible speaking}...he saw them straight away...{unintelligible speaking}...," you hear Arcade say away from the microphone. >teleport to tower *BAMF* -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. "I see no movement down below," he thinks. >d Nightcrawler quietly descends the tall ladder. -=X=- Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks. The soldier returned the fallen helms to their neat stack on the table. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. >e Larder The room is crammed full of wooden shelves, each packed to their edges with glass jars. The armory is back to the west, and to the south seems to be the main entrance hall for the tower. >x jars Glass jars stuffed with provisions fill these shelves to the brim. Nightcrawler goes to pick up one of the jars, not realizing that it's coated in condensation from this dank stone tower, and the jar slips from his fingers. In his effort to grab it from the air, he knocks more jars off the shelf. They loudly crash to the ground splattering their gooey contents across the floor. >get jar "Nein, I do not really care about whatever is in these jars, and I have already made quite the messy racket," Nightcrawler thinks. >s Vestibule A simple (ground-level) entryway into this tower. On a table sits a leather journal. Also, there's a slot in the wall next to the entryway. The larder is back to the north, and the vestibule would typically open up into a courtyard to the east, but the portcullis is currently blocking the way. Though the portcullis blocks physical passage, the gaps in the slats are wide enough to see through. "Courtyard" has been added to Nightcrawler's teleport list. >get journal Nightcrawler picks up the journal to get a closer look at what's inside. Immediately, half of its pages spill to the floor. "Ach, this is poorly stitched," he thinks while ineffectively trying to grab the falling paper. He lets the dropped pages lie, and instead reads the remaining leading page. He finds the journal to be a logbook of the comings and goings of this tower, and the first entry is written in a neat script: "Cor. Ordenado. El viernes antes del atardecer. El Libre está en la cárcel tres. "I almost have a little trail going," Nightcrawler thinks while remembering the helms in the armory. "Perhaps I can create some more mess to form its beginning." >teleport to tower *BAMF* -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. "I see no movement down below," he thinks. >d Nightcrawler quietly descends the tall ladder. -=X=- Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks. The soldier returned the fallen helms to their neat stack on the table. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. >get helm Nightcrawler reaches out to take one of the helms and before he even touches it, the entire pile clatters to the floor. "Coronel, ¿es usted quien hace ese ruido tan fuerte?" a voice calls out from the south. >teleport to courtyard *BAMF* -=X=- Courtyard A wide cobblestone yard. It seems that the tower recently received a delivery as large casks are lined up with the remnants of shipping crates sitting nearby. The vestibule is back to the west and a gravel road leads eastward. >x casks Large casks sit in rows seemingly ready for transport. Each cask is branded with a big "XXX", and also has a little wooden plug punched into its front. >open cas That's not here, I didn't account for it, or it's not important. >open cask Nightcrawler can't help but give one of the cask plugs a sharp tug, and immediately a brown liquid starts pouring out onto the ground. It takes a moment for its scent to reach his nose, and the smell turns his stomach wobbly again. "Rum," he thinks. To remove any temptation he quickly pulls the plugs from every cask, and then throws the plugs across the courtyard where they disappear into some shrubs. The courtyard is filled with a chugging sound as the contents of the casks form a pool on the ground. "Now to get the guards to see the fun I've been having," he thinks. "Though, I must still open the gate." >x crate The remnants of shipping crates sit neatly stacked in a corner of this courtyard. >open crate "Nein, the broken pieces of these shipping crates are useless to me," Nightcrawler thinks. >x gate A wooden portcullis blocks travel to and from this tower. >open portcullis "Nein, if there is something to be done with this gate, it is from the other side," Nightcrawler thinks. >w "With the portcullis closed I cannot access the tower," Nightcrawler thinks. "Not through traditional methods, anyway." >e "Nein, I must focus on freeing the rebel leader and getting back to my ship. The ship. Arcade's ship," Nightcrawler thinks. >teleport to vestibule *BAMF* -=X=- Vestibule A simple entryway into this tower. On a table sits a leather journal, but some of its pages lay scattered around the floor. Also, there's a slot in the wall next to the entryway. The larder is back to the north, and the vestibule would typically open up into the courtyard to the east, but the portcullis is currently blocking the way. >x slot A vertical slot is embedded next to the entryway here. There's a shallow hole in the bottom of the slot, and its metal is worn to a shine like something is usually fitted into it. >put handle in slot Nightcrawler inserts the handle into the hole of the slot. It fits perfectly. With the mechanism complete, he pushes the lever into its "up" position and the portcullis creaks as hidden chains pull it upward. "My little parade of litter is all set," he thinks. "Now, to bring it to the attention of tower employees." >x portcullis Nightcrawler can see the spiked tips of a wooden portcullis jutting from an opening in the entryway ceiling. >yell That noun did not make sense in this context. >verbs The following verbs are available to you. Please note that there are some verbs, such as "look" and "examine {noun}", which are exempt from Arcade's countdown, though other parts of the game-world may continue as normal. >>> Save >>> Restore >>> Verbs >>> Credits >>> Quit >>> Mission --- >> Examine {noun} || (or type 'x {noun}' for short) >> Look || (describes the room you're in) >> {cardinal direction} || (to move there) >> Inventory || (or 'i' for short) >> Wait || (spend one game 'turn' doing nothing) >> Talk to {person} || (get a list of conversation suggestions) >> Ask {person} about {topic} || (or 'a {person} {topic}' for short) >> Take {noun} --- > Teleport to {room name} || (or 't {room name}' for short) > Open {noun} > Insert {noun} into {noun} > Push {noun} > Punch {noun} > Teleport list >e Courtyard A wide cobblestone yard lined with rotund casks of rum. The casks are leaking their contents into a large, noxious puddle. The vestibule is back to the west and a gravel road leads eastward. >w Vestibule A simple entryway into this tower. On a table sits a leather journal, but some of its pages lay scattered around the floor. The larder is to the north, and the vestibule opens up into the courtyard to the east. >n Larder The room is crammed full of wooden shelves, each packed to their edges with glass jars. The jars Nightcrawler knocked to the floor are oozing their contents into a collective pool. The armory is to the west. The vestibule is to the south. >touch jar "I have already made quite the messy racket," Nightcrawler thinks. >w Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks, and the stack of helms are now scattered across the floor. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. -=X=- Nightcrawler realizes that his feet feel wet and he looks down to discover that this tower complex is flooding. The stone walls shudder, and he's certain it's not from the now nearly-continuous shockwaves of thunder from the storm outside. Nightcrawler teleports to the tower roof. -=X=- Whatever dial Arcade uses to control the intensity of this storm has just been turned to its maximum. Nightcrawler sees the ship careen and blow over, and it's quickly lost to the waves. He sees a small object fluttering above the sea and soon its bright color breaks free from the swirling gloom. "*SQUAWK* The clock ran out of ticks and you're out of dry land, sweetheart!" Arcade shouts as the robot parrot does a fly-by of the tower. Nightcrawler feels a small bit of joy as a roof tile pulls loose in the growing wind and swats the bird from the sky. -=X=- The churning sea draws closer as this little island tower rapidly sinks into the drink. In short order Nightcrawler finds himself in the open sea, desperately trying to keep his head above water with nothing on which to cling. It's then that he sees massive dorsal fins cutting their way toward him through the rolling waves. -=X=- *** Murderworld has claimed another victim. Game over. *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, or UNDO the last command? > restore Ok, game restored. "When tomorrow's yesterday is today." - Cable. -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light spills upward from an ill-fitting hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and he can see that it covers a wooden ladder leading downward. It might be worth your time to create a second game save file at this moment, apart from your main game save file. [stopped: success] >d Nightcrawler gently opens the hatch, and after seeing no one in the room below, he quietly descends the tall ladder. -=X=- Armory Nightcrawler quickly drops to the floor and pulls back into a shadowy corner of this room. He seems to have landed in an armory of sorts, with rusting pieces hung on wall hooks. On a nearby table is a stack of helms that look to have been freshly polished. Two arched portals lead from this room and through them he can see down their halls. Eastward leads to what looks like a simple larder, and to the south the hall leads through what first looks like a torture chamber. >e Larder The room is crammed full of wooden shelves, each packed to their edges with glass jars. The armory is back to the west, and to the south seems to be the main entrance hall for the tower. >w Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks, and on a table is a pyramid of carefully polished helms. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. >s Interrogation Grisly implements of torture hang from the walls. In the room to the west sits a man guarding a passageway behind him. Nightcrawler hears the sound of movement in a room to the south and catches a glimpse of a soldier carrying small boxes amid the piles of large crates there. The armory is to the north. Nightcrawler's glimpses south and westward are enough to now allow him to safely teleport into the storage room and guard station (though the armed soldiers might prove to be an issue), and those rooms have been added to his teleport list. "¡Coronel! ¡Hay un intruso!" shouts the guard from the west. The man postures threateningly, but doesn't leave his post. >teleport to storage room *BAMF* -=X=- Storage Crates of various sizes are stacked here in neat towers and rows. Interrogation is back to the north. Sitting on one of the bigger crates are a couple of wood handles. Nightcrawler can see Colonel Ordenado here. "¡Te mataré duende!" the soldier shouts. He draws a flintlock pistol from his belt and points it at Nightcrawler. -=X=- *BAMF* The pistol ball strikes one of the crates behind Nightcrawler after he teleports to the safety of the tower roof. -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. "Thankfully I move faster than they do." >teleport to storage room *BAMF* -=X=- Storage Crates of various sizes are stacked here in neat towers and rows. Interrogation is back to the north. Sitting on one of the bigger crates are a couple of wood handles. Nightcrawler can see the soldier paused in the interrogation room, having a conversation with the guard to the west. The stacks of crates give him enough cover that the soldier doesn't see him. >get handle Nightcrawler grabs the unbroken handle and sticks it into his belt. The crates keep the soldier from seeing Nightcrawler in here. Nightcrawler hears the soldier and the guard talking to each other in the interrogation room. >listen Nightcrawler hears someone moving around to the north. "He doesn't see me behind all these crates," Nightcrawler thinks. "But, I had better hurry." Nightcrawler sees the soldier shrug and start to head back this way. Colonel Ordenado arrives from the north. >n Interrogation Grisly implements of torture hang from the walls. To the west stands a guard who waves a sword at Nightcrawler. The armory is to the north. >w Guard Station A simple room whose main features are an uncomfortable-looking chair positioned in front of a closed heavy wooden door. The interrogation room is back to the east. Nightcrawler can see Private Hastiado here. The guard recovers from his shock over Nightcrawler's appearance and charges at him. "¡Muere Duende!" the guard shouts while swinging his sword. *BAMF* He swings at empty air after Nightcrawler teleports to the safety of the tower roof. -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. "I see no movement down below," he thinks. "There has got to be a way to lure those men away from their posts. Perhaps I can cause some problems within the tower." >d Nightcrawler quietly descends the tall ladder. -=X=- Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks, and on a table is a pyramid of carefully polished helms. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. >get helm Nightcrawler reaches out to take one of the helms and before he even touches it, the entire pile clatters to the floor. "Coronel, ¿es usted quien hace ese ruido tan fuerte?" a voice calls out from the south. >z Time passes. >teleport to guard station *BAMF* -=X=- Guard Station A simple room whose main features are an uncomfortable-looking chair positioned in front of a closed heavy wooden door. The interrogation room is back to the east. Nightcrawler can see Private Hastiado here. The guard recovers from his shock over Nightcrawler's appearance and charges at him. "¡Te mataré esta vez!" the guard shouts while swinging his sword. *BAMF* He swings at empty air after Nightcrawler teleports to the safety of the tower roof. -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. "I see no movement down below," he thinks. "I need to get those men out of the tower so I can safely reach El Libre." >d Nightcrawler quietly descends the tall ladder. -=X=- Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks, and the stack of helms are now scattered across the floor. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. >e Larder The room is crammed full of wooden shelves, each packed to their edges with glass jars. The armory is back to the west, and to the south seems to be the main entrance hall for the tower. >get jar Nightcrawler goes to pick up one of the jars, not realizing that it's coated in condensation from this dank stone tower, and the jar slips from his fingers. In his effort to grab it from the air, he knocks more jars off the shelf. They loudly crash to the ground splattering their gooey contents across the floor. "I am really creating a path of destruction," he thinks with a chuckle as he looks from the jars to the fallen helms in the armory. >w Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks, and the stack of helms are now scattered across the floor. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. >e Larder The room is crammed full of wooden shelves, each packed to their edges with glass jars. The jars Nightcrawler knocked to the floor are oozing their contents into a collective pool. The armory is back to the west, and to the south seems to be the main entrance hall for the tower. >s Vestibule A simple (ground-level) entryway into this tower. On a table sits a leather journal. Also, there's a slot in the wall next to the entryway. The larder is back to the north, and the vestibule would typically open up into a courtyard to the east, but the portcullis is currently blocking the way. Though the portcullis blocks physical passage, the gaps in the slats are wide enough to see through. "Courtyard" has been added to Nightcrawler's teleport list. >put handle in slot Nightcrawler inserts the handle into the hole of the slot. It fits perfectly. With the mechanism complete, he pushes the lever into its "up" position and the portcullis creaks as hidden chains pull it upward. >e Courtyard A wide cobblestone yard. It seems that the tower recently received a delivery as large casks are lined up with the remnants of shipping crates sitting nearby. The vestibule is back to the west and a gravel road leads eastward. >open casks Nightcrawler can't help but give one of the cask plugs a sharp tug, and immediately a brown liquid starts pouring out onto the ground. It takes a moment for its scent to reach his nose, and the smell turns his stomach wobbly again. "Rum," he thinks. To remove any temptation he quickly pulls the plugs from every cask, and then throws the plugs across the courtyard where they disappear into some shrubs. The courtyard is filled with a chugging sound as the contents of the casks form a pool on the ground. "I feel like there is something useful to be found in making a mess like this," he thinks while looking back to the tower. >w Vestibule A simple entryway into this tower. On a table sits a leather journal. The larder is to the north, and the vestibule opens up into the courtyard to the east. >get journal Nightcrawler picks up the journal to get a closer look at what's inside. Immediately, half of its pages spill to the floor. "Ach, this is poorly stitched," he thinks while ineffectively trying to grab the falling paper. He lets the dropped pages lie, and instead reads the remaining leading page. He finds the journal to be a logbook of the comings and goings of this tower, and the first entry is written in a neat script: "Cor. Ordenado. El viernes antes del atardecer. El Libre está en la cárcel tres. "All is in place," Nightcrawler thinks. "Now to trick these Spanish matones away from their posts." >n Larder The room is crammed full of wooden shelves, each packed to their edges with glass jars. The jars Nightcrawler knocked to the floor are oozing their contents into a collective pool. The armory is to the west. The vestibule is to the south. >yell That noun did not make sense in this context. >w Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks, and the stack of helms are now scattered across the floor. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. >listen Nightcrawler hears someone moving around to the south. >get armor "Nein, this is all junk," Nightcrawler thinks. >s Interrogation Grisly implements of torture hang from the walls. To the west stands a guard who waves a sword at Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler hears the sound of movement in a room to the south and catches a glimpse of a soldier carrying small boxes amid the piles of large crates there. The armory is to the north. "¡Coronel! ¡Debes correr aquí! ¡El duende pirata ha regresado!" shouts the guard from the west. The man postures threateningly, but doesn't leave his post. >n Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks, and the stack of helms are now scattered across the floor. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. >e Larder The room is crammed full of wooden shelves, each packed to their edges with glass jars. The jars Nightcrawler knocked to the floor are oozing their contents into a collective pool. The armory is to the west. The vestibule is to the south. >s Vestibule A simple entryway into this tower. On a table sits a leather journal, but some of its pages lay scattered around the floor. The larder is to the north, and the vestibule opens up into the courtyard to the east. Nightcrawler hears the soldier and the guard talking to each other in the interrogation room. >n Larder The room is crammed full of wooden shelves, each packed to their edges with glass jars. The jars Nightcrawler knocked to the floor are oozing their contents into a collective pool. The armory is to the west. The vestibule is to the south. "¡El duende hizo un lío!" the soldier shouts from another room. Nightcrawler hears his heavy footsteps heading for the armory. >w Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks, and the stack of helms are now scattered across the floor. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. Nightcrawler can see Colonel Ordenado here. "¡Muerte a los piratas!" the soldier shouts. He draws a flintlock pistol from his belt and points it at Nightcrawler. -=X=- *BAMF* The pistol ball strikes the wall behind Nightcrawler after he teleports to the safety of the tower roof. -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. Peering downward Nightcrawler sees snatches of bright cloth of a uniform. "The soldier is right below me," he thinks. "Ach! That was too close," Nightcrawler thinks. "But it seems my trail is working. Maybe I can teleport somewhere inside the tower to listen safely." >teleport to storage room *BAMF* -=X=- Storage Crates of various sizes are stacked here in neat towers and rows. Interrogation is back to the north. >n Interrogation Grisly implements of torture hang from the walls. To the west stands a guard who waves a sword at Nightcrawler. To the south Nightcrawler can see a storeroom. The armory is to the north. "¡Te tengo ahora!" the soldier shouts from the room to the north. He draws a flintlock pistol from his belt and points it at Nightcrawler. -=X=- *BAMF* The pistol ball strikes the archway behind Nightcrawler after he teleports to the safety of the tower roof. -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. Peering downward Nightcrawler sees snatches of bright cloth of a uniform. "The soldier is right below me," he thinks. "Ach! That was too close," Nightcrawler thinks. "But it seems my trail is working. Maybe I can teleport somewhere inside the tower to listen safely." It's hard to hear over the raging storm, but he thinks he hears the soldier's voice cry out in anger from the armory below. >teleport to storage room *BAMF* -=X=- Storage Crates of various sizes are stacked here in neat towers and rows. Interrogation is back to the north. >listen Nightcrawler hears someone moving around in another part of the tower. -=X=- Nightcrawler realizes that his feet feel wet and he looks down to discover that this tower complex is flooding. The stone walls shudder, and Nightcrawler is certain it's not from the now nearly-continuous shockwaves of thunder from the storm outside. Nightcrawler teleports to the tower roof. -=X=- Whatever dial Arcade uses to control the intensity of this storm has just been turned to its maximum. Nightcrawler sees the ship careen and blow over, and it's quickly lost to the waves. He sees a small object fluttering above the sea and soon its bright color breaks free from the swirling gloom. "*SQUAWK* The clock ran out of ticks and you're out of dry land, sweetheart!" Arcade shouts as the robot parrot does a fly-by of the tower. Nightcrawler feels a small bit of joy as a roof tile pulls loose in the growing wind and swats the bird from the sky. -=X=- The churning sea draws closer as this little island tower rapidly sinks into the drink. In short order Nightcrawler finds himself in the open sea, desperately trying to keep his head above water with nothing on which to cling. It's then that he sees massive dorsal fins cutting their way toward him through the rolling waves. -=X=- *** Murderworld has claimed another victim. Game over. *** Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game, QUIT, or UNDO the last command? > restore Ok, game restored. "When tomorrow's yesterday is today." - Cable. -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light spills upward from an ill-fitting hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and he can see that it covers a wooden ladder leading downward. It might be worth your time to create a second game save file at this moment, apart from your main game save file. [stopped: success] >restore Ok, game restored. "When tomorrow's yesterday is today." - Cable. -=X=- Holding Area Nightcrawler finds himself seemingly imprisoned within a clear plastic orb, and so are his teammates. Arcade, via a television, is making a big speech about how he's going to kill them all. [stopped: success] >z Time passes. "And so, I can guarantee one thing about murdering you: I'm going to have a blast doing it," Arcade says with a laugh as the television snaps off. -=X=- Nightcrawler hears the sound of servos activating beneath him, and after a moment the cages of his five teammates drop through the floor into shadowy chutes. His doesn't move. -=X=- The television powers back on. "Hello, there Kurt, sweetheart! Your pals are rolling off to their own little trials," ArArcadecade says, his television-face pivoting slightly to look at Nightcrawler directly. "As you've previously experienced, I typically like to distribute everyone to their challenges via a twisting tube matrix, but for you today, I've crafted something a little more extravagant. Really high production cost, I tell ya. So, I'm afraid I'm going to need for you to take one more short little nap so we can move you into your starting position." "You're looking a little rough so you probably need the rest anyway." Green gas with a now, all-too-familiar smell starts pouring into Kurt's bubble. "Oh, Zum Teufel," he mutters before blacking out. -=X=- Upper Passageway "Welcome, Nightcrawler, my agile acrobat, to the special scenario I've crafted just for you!" Arcade's tinny voice broadcasts via a robotic parrot which flies around this narrow passageway. A moment later, a clock with red numbers lights up on its feathered belly. "You've only got 59 minutes to escape this area before a very bad thing happens and you die!" -=X=- Again, Arcade's threat is very real, and in this section it's possible for your game to end in death. I recommend that you utilize the SAVE function now, and to not save over that file until I give you a new message. And don't forget to check that VERBS list. -=X=- Nightcrawler wakes and finds himself in a cramped wooden passageway. The floor undulates under his feet, seemingly indicating that he's arrived aboard a ship at sea. The passageway continues to the northeast where he sees a man looking to him impatiently. There's some sort of commotion going on further past the man. There's also a door to the southwest. The parrot flies annoyingly around Nightcrawler. >sw The door doesn't even jiggle in its frame when Nightcrawler attempts to open it. "It's quite locked," he thinks. "*SQUAWK* I do feel bad about trashing your house," Arcade's voice says from the parrot's beak. >ne "Captain!" the man exclaims as Nightcrawler approaches. "The crew is mutinous!" Nightcrawler looks over his shoulder to make sure the man is not talking to someone else. "Are they now?" he asks. "Aye, but you can't face them wearing your bedclothes!" the man replies, looking Nightcrawler up and down. "They barely respect you as it is!" The man thrusts a large bundle at Nightcrawler. "I managed to grab your regalia before the ungrateful swine stole the key to your quarters." "Danke? So, mein freund, uh, what is your name?" Nightcrawler asks while reluctantly accepting the package. -=X=- "I knew I should have stopped you from drinking all that rum last evening, my captain!" the man says while shaking his head. "It's Ojo, sir! Your loyal first mate!" "I had too much rum last evening? Ojo, mein freund, you are strikingly close to the truth of it," Nightcrawler replies while opening the package. Neatly folded inside is an ensemble consisting of a pair of breeches with a thick leather belt, a ruffled shirt that opens wide at the collar, and a wide-brimmed hat with a white feather quivering from its band. Except for the feather, each article is dyed a deep crimson. Nightcrawler shrugs, and then quickly pulls the garb over his X-Men uniform. "I know I'm not supposed to like what's happening," he thinks while inspecting himself. "But, this is starting to be a dream come true." The passageway continues northeast to the berth where Nightcrawler can see and hear a bunch of pirate carousing. There is a ladder here leading up. He can also head southwest back to where he started. "*SQUAWK* I formally apologize," Arcade continues via the parrot. The parrot arrives from the southwest. >ne Hammocks tightly pack the midsection of the ship. "Ya got a lot of nerve coming back here," a scuzzy pirate says while stepping away from the pack. The rest of the pirates glare at Nightcrawler and twitchily hold swords and pistols. "Have some respect for the position!" Ojo cries while appearing at Nightcrawler's shoulder. "It's not the captain's fault the Spanish galleon we captured wasn't carrying gold like you thought! Besides, we stole their cargo and it was full of weapons. The captain has the brilliant plan of selling them to the local rebels for a pretty sum, don't ye?" Ojo turns to Nightcrawler. -=X=- "Ja, I mean, aye, we will earn a fortune from the sale of those weapons," he improvises. "Enough coin for every one of you dogs to drink yourselves senseless, and still afford to retire." "See!" Ojo shouts at the crew. "In the meantime, if any one of ye even thinks of mutiny, I'll cut ya down me-self!" -=X=- The pirate crew grumbles and murmurs amongst themselves for a moment. "Sounds too legitimate to be true, but we'll give ye 57 minutes to seal the deal," the main rabblerouser says while twirling a key around his finger. "After that, ye both take a long walk off a short board." The pirate crew advances, driving Nightcrawler and Ojo back to the passageway. -=X=- Before Nightcrawler retreated he was able to get a good look into the adjoining navigation room and the gun deck. "Enough that I can safely teleport there," he thinks. New rooms have been added to his teleport list. Type "teleport list" to see that list. -=X=- Lower Passageway A simple passageway belowdecks. Ojo waits for Nightcrawler. The passageway continues northeast to the berth where Nightcrawler can see and hear a bunch of pirates carousing. There is a ladder here leading up. He can also head southwest toward the captain's quarters. Nightcrawler can see a parrot here. "A dark day indeed, captain," Ojo says with hat in hand while looking at Nightcrawler hopefully. "But I believe in your ability to win back the hearts of that undeserving scurvy-ridden crew!" New conversation topics added for Ojo. The current list of things Nightcrawler can ask him about is: Key, Crew, and Rebels "*SQUAWK* My subordinates didn't follow my instructions properly and installed explosive devices around the building," Arcade says. >u Main Deck Lightning arcs across the sky as the ship pitches wildly. Looking eastward?when the churning sea allows?Nightcrawler sees a stubby stone guard tower perched on a cliff's edge. He can go northeast to the forecastle deck, climb the ladder up to the crow's nest, or climb down to belowdecks. "*SQUAWK* I said 'incapacitate the X-Men so I can bring them to my lair', not 'blow up all their stuff'," Arcade says. The parrot arrives from below. >ne The raised deck features a lone 6-pound cannon and a few crates stacked haphazardly. A lantern swings from a post. The main deck is to the southwest. "Nervt es mich!" Nightcrawler thinks. "What kind of ship am I supposedly captaining to see crates not properly stowed like this! I will have words for the crew." "*SQUAWK* I'm the world's greatest hitman, not someone who goes around blowing up schools for crying out loud," Arcade says. The parrot arrives from the southwest. >open crate Nightcrawler discovers that most of the crates are too tightly nailed shut to open with his bare hands, but he finds one that was improperly sealed. He rips the lid off and discovers that it's full of munitions. "Ach! It's even worse!" he thinks. "Powder just sitting in boxes on deck!" "*SQUAWK* It's something we'll discuss at their next employee performance evaluation," Arcade continues. >get powder "Ja bitte, a bit of black powder might prove useful in my escape," Nightcrawler thinks. "I will leave the rest of the implements here, and grab them should I find myself loading any cannon." He grabs one of the small bags which conveniently features a small loop he can hook to his belt to protect it from the rain. "*SQUAWK* I'll make it up to you all though," Arcade says. >load cannon That noun did not make sense in this context. >put powder in cannon (black powder in cannon) Nightcrawler grabs a rammer from the crate and uses it to gently shove the small bag of black powder down the bore of the 6-pounder. He goes through the process of prepping the cannon to fire. Finally, he grabs a slow match from the crate and uses the nearby lantern to spark it. "And Scott said all those pirate adventure movies I like to watch are not educational..." he thinks as he smugly brings the flame to the cannon's touch hole. *BOOOOOOOM!* -=X=- The 6-pounder is not a big gun, but its eruption was more than enough to bring a ringing to Nightcrawler's ears. He watches as the small cannon ball he loaded skips its way across the waving water, and quickly sinks downward after a large, final splash. "Oy! Some fool is firing at tha water!" Nightcrawler hears a voice below shout, followed by the sounds of shuffling feet. He then hears the gun deck ports being flung open. "*SQUAWK* I'm very rich so should any of you survive today, I'll be sure to cut you a check to repair the damage we caused to the school," Arcade says. >teleport to navigation *BAMF* -=X=- Navigation A room of inscrutable maps and strange brass equipment. There is, however, a finely-made looking glass on the desk. >get glass Nightcrawler snatches the looking glass from the desktop and sticks it behind his belt. Nightcrawler turns to see the mutineers filing out from the gun deck into the berth. One spots him through the entryway, cries out, and the mob rushes into the room and tries to grab him. *BAMF* Nightcrawler teleports back to the passage. "We don't know how you got past us, but no way you're getting back here without our gold!" the ringleader declares. -=X=- Lower Passageway A simple passageway belowdecks. Ojo waits for Nightcrawler. The passageway continues northeast to the berth. There is a ladder here leading up. Nightcrawler can also head southwest toward the captain's quarters. The parrot arrives from above. >teleport to deck That noun did not make sense in this context. >teleport to main deck *BAMF* -=X=- Main Deck Salty water sprays up over the railing as waves slam into the ship. Looking eastward?when the churning sea allows?Nightcrawler sees a stubby stone guard tower perched on a cliff's edge. He can go northeast to the forecastle deck, climb the ladder up to the crow's nest, or climb down to belowdecks. The parrot arrives from below. >u Crow's Nest Nightcrawler knows it's some kind of visual trick, but it looks like he can see for miles and miles from up here. A crack of lightning breaks the spell. "Ach, I do not know if that electricity is real, but I should not linger at this height," he thinks. The dark, churning sea takes up most of the horizon, but to the east is a rocky island whose silhouette is broken by a wart of a stone tower. "*SQUAWK* Gotta get your school back up and running," Arcade says. "Can't stop the superhero-to-murder pipeline. Otherwise, I'm out of a job!" The parrot arrives from below. >x tower A stout, windowless guard tower sits perched on the cliff edge of a small rocky island. Nightcrawler can see that it's lit by what look like torches, but at this distance, amid the storm, it's hard to pick out any specific features. Nightcrawler pulls the looking glass from his belt and fixes it upon the structure. -=X=- He scans the height of the structure, seeing only arrow slits in its stone walls. "Hmm... if there is a gate, it is on the other side of the tower," he thinks. "And I cannot see who guards it." Then, his eye reaches the roof where he sees a small wooden hatch built into its tile. "Eine Augenweide!" he thinks. "There is a way to sneak inside." "Tower Roof" has been added to Nightcrawler's teleport list. Type "teleport list" to see that list. >teleport to tower roof *BAMF* -=X=- Tower Roof Nightcrawler quietly lands poised in a three-point stance onto the terra-cotta tiles of the tower roof. The sulfuric-smelling cloud that accompanies his teleportation quickly blows away in the strong wind scouring this little island. Between flashes of lightning he spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from an ill-fitting hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and he can see that it partially covers a wooden ladder leading downward. It might be worth your time to create a second game save file at this moment, apart from your main game save file. >d Nightcrawler gently opens the hatch, and after seeing no one in the room below, he quietly descends the tall ladder. -=X=- Armory Nightcrawler quickly drops to the floor and pulls back into a shadowy corner of this room. He seems to have landed in an armory of sorts, with rusting pieces hung on wall hooks. On a nearby table is a stack of helms that look to have been freshly polished. Two arched portals lead from this room and through them he can see down their halls. Eastward leads to what looks like a simple larder, and to the south the hall leads through what first looks like a torture chamber. >get helm Nightcrawler reaches out to take one of the helms and before he even touches it, the entire pile clatters to the floor. "Coronel, ¿es usted quien hace ese ruido tan fuerte?" a voice calls out from the south. >s Interrogation Grisly implements of torture hang from the walls. In the room to the west sits a man guarding a passageway behind him. Nightcrawler hears the sound of movement in a room to the south and catches a glimpse of a soldier carrying small boxes amid the piles of large crates there. The armory is to the north. Nightcrawler's glimpses south and westward are enough to now allow him to safely teleport into the storage room and guard station (though the armed soldiers might prove to be an issue), and those rooms have been added to his teleport list. "¡Coronel! ¡Hay un intruso!" shouts the guard from the west. The man postures threateningly, but doesn't leave his post. >teleport to roof That noun did not make sense in this context. >teleport to tower *BAMF* -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. >teleport to tsorage That noun did not make sense in this context. >teleport to storage *BAMF* -=X=- Storage Crates of various sizes are stacked here in neat towers and rows. Interrogation is back to the north. Sitting on one of the bigger crates are a couple of wood handles. Nightcrawler can see the soldier paused in the interrogation room, having a conversation with the guard to the west. The stacks of crates give him enough cover that the soldier doesn't see him. >get handle Nightcrawler grabs the unbroken handle and sticks it into his belt. The crates keep the soldier from seeing Nightcrawler in here. Nightcrawler hears the soldier and the guard talking to each other in the interrogation room. >teleport to roof That noun did not make sense in this context. >teleport to tower *BAMF* -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. Nightcrawler can see the edges of a person's shadow moving around below. "The soldier is in one of the adjoining rooms," he thinks. It's hard to hear over the raging storm, but he thinks he hears a voice cry out in anger from within the southwestern rooms of the tower. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. He can hear someone shuffling around in the room below. >z Time passes. >d Nightcrawler quietly descends the tall ladder. -=X=- Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks. The soldier returned the fallen helms to their neat stack on the table. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. >e Larder The room is crammed full of wooden shelves, each packed to their edges with glass jars. The armory is back to the west, and to the south seems to be the main entrance hall for the tower. >s Vestibule A simple (ground-level) entryway into this tower. On a table sits a leather journal. Also, there's a slot in the wall next to the entryway. The larder is back to the north, and the vestibule would typically open up into a courtyard to the east, but the portcullis is currently blocking the way. Though the portcullis blocks physical passage, the gaps in the slats are wide enough to see through. "Courtyard" has been added to Nightcrawler's teleport list. >take journal Nightcrawler picks up the journal to get a closer look at what's inside. Immediately, half of its pages spill to the floor. "Ach, this is poorly stitched," he thinks while ineffectively trying to grab the falling paper. He lets the dropped pages lie, and instead reads the remaining leading page. He finds the journal to be a logbook of the comings and goings of this tower, and the first entry is written in a neat script: "Cor. Ordenado. El viernes antes del atardecer. El Libre está en la cárcel tres. >put handle in slot Nightcrawler inserts the handle into the hole of the slot. It fits perfectly. With the mechanism complete, he pushes the lever into its "up" position and the portcullis creaks as hidden chains pull it upward. >e Courtyard A wide cobblestone yard. It seems that the tower recently received a delivery as large casks are lined up with the remnants of shipping crates sitting nearby. The vestibule is back to the west and a gravel road leads eastward. >open casks Nightcrawler can't help but give one of the cask plugs a sharp tug, and immediately a brown liquid starts pouring out onto the ground. It takes a moment for its scent to reach his nose, and the smell turns his stomach wobbly again. "Rum," he thinks. To remove any temptation he quickly pulls the plugs from every cask, and then throws the plugs across the courtyard where they disappear into some shrubs. The courtyard is filled with a chugging sound as the contents of the casks form a pool on the ground. "I feel like there is something useful to be found in making a mess like this," he thinks while looking back to the tower. >teleport to larder *BAMF* -=X=- Larder The room is crammed full of wooden shelves, each packed to their edges with glass jars. The armory is to the west. The vestibule is to the south. >get jars Nightcrawler goes to pick up one of the jars, not realizing that it's coated in condensation from this dank stone tower, and the jar slips from his fingers. In his effort to grab it from the air, he knocks more jars off the shelf. They loudly crash to the ground splattering their gooey contents across the floor. >w Armory Rusted pieces of armor hang on wall hooks. The soldier returned the fallen helms to their neat stack on the table. The tower roof is up the ladder. The interrogation room is south. The larder is east. >get helm Nightcrawler knocks over the pile of helms and they clatter to the floor. "¿Quién está ahí?" a voice calls out from the south. >s Interrogation Grisly implements of torture hang from the walls. To the west stands a guard who waves a sword at Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler hears the sound of movement in a room to the south and catches a glimpse of a soldier carrying small boxes amid the piles of large crates there. The armory is to the north. "¡Coronel! ¡Debes correr aquí! ¡El duende pirata ha regresado!" shouts the guard from the west. The man postures threateningly, but doesn't leave his post. >teleport to tower roof *BAMF* -=X=- Tower Roof Between flashes of lightning Nightcrawler spies his ship still bobbing at anchor in the undulating sea. Light beams upward from the open hatch embedded in the tile of the roof, and a ladder at its edge leads down to the armory. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. It's hard to hear over the sounds of the storm, but when he places his head right over the tower hatch, he thinks he hears voices in panicked discussion coming from the southern portion of the tower. >z Time passes. It's hard to hear over the raging storm, but he thinks he hears a voice cry out in anger from within the southwestern rooms of the tower. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. It's hard to hear over the raging storm, but he thinks he hears the soldier's voice cry out in anger from the armory below. >z Time passes. >teleport to storage *BAMF* -=X=- Storage Crates of various sizes are stacked here in neat towers and rows. Interrogation is back to the north. >z Time passes. "¡Este duende me está poniendo furioso! ¡Nuestro diario tiene páginas arrancadas!" a voice shouts from somewhere in the tower. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. "¡El duende ha cometido el pecado más grande de todos!" Nightcrawler hears a panicked voice cry out from somewhere in the tower. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. "¡El ron se está escapando! Privado, te necesitan en el patio inmediatamente!" the soldier shouts from somewhere in the tower. The guard left his station and is heading north to the armory. >n Interrogation Grisly implements of torture hang from the walls. A guard station is to the west. To the south Nightcrawler can see a storeroom. The armory is to the north. Nightcrawler sees the guard hurrying east toward the larder. "¿Qué te está tomando tanto tiempo? ¡Nuestro preciado ron se habrá acabado antes de que llegues aquí!" the soldier shouts from somewhere in the tower. >w Guard Station A simple room whose main features are an uncomfortable-looking chair positioned in front of a closed heavy wooden door. The interrogation room is back to the east. Nightcrawler hears the hurried footsteps of the guard as the man rushes to the courtyard. He pushes through the door to the north, finding it unlocked, and beyond it is a passageway lined with even more doors. Every, but one, hangs open. -=X=- Nightcrawler hurries forward and as he passes by them, the open doors reveal small, odorous jail cells. "Enough of this pathetic fantasy, creep. Let me out of here!" a voice behind the closed door calls out. "Or have you sent your automatons to beat me further?" -=X=- "Hallo? El Libre?" Nightcrawler tentatively asks. He hears a derisive snort from behind the door. "My name is Isabella," a sharp voice replies. "I'm from Brooklyn." -=X=- "Nice to meet you, Isabella, I'm Kurt and I'm here to free you," Nightcrawler says. "Wait, the German guy from last night? Fur? Tail? You're the reason I'm in this mess?" the voice asks. "Mein Gott, Isabella. One of Alison's friends from last night," he says with dawning realization. "I... yes, I am sorry to say that we may have indirectly brought you into this." "This is has been the worst hangover I've ever had," the voice declares. Nightcrawler can't help but laugh. -=X=- Prison A short hallway with a half dozen open cells. A closed door stands at its end. On it, a large iron ring hangs above a wide keyhole. >x keyhole A keyhole for an iron lock embedded in the door. It's absurdly wide which gives Nightcrawler an idea. He kneels and puts his eye to it. It's very dark in the cell on the other side, but he can make out the pacing silhouette of (presumably) Isabella, and enough open space to which he can safely teleport. "Locked Cell" has been added to Nightcrawler's teleport list. Type "Teleport List" to see that list. -=X=- "Isabella, mein lieber Freund, please step back against the far wall," he declares. "Uh, yeah, ok, done," she replies. >teleport into locked cell I didn't understand that sentence. >teleport to locked cell *BAMF* -=X=- Locked Cell A dark, dank jail cell. Nightcrawler lands. He sees in the dark better than most people, and he quickly identifies that this jail cell is completely empty except for a woman leaning against the rear wall. She's got a thin, hawkish face, is dressed in acid-washed jeans and a large, loose sweatshirt, and is looking at him with some measure of amusement. "We all went home, but it seems like the party last night never stopped for you," she says while looking over his pirate costume. "It never does when you are an X-Man," he replies. He gives her a deep bow and then offers his hand. "Shall we escape to my ship?" "Ship? You're really in this fantasy, huh?" she asks while stepping forward and taking it. "Arcade is a homicidal maniac, but as villains go, he is very thoughtful in how he goes about building his death traps," he replies. "Oh, by the way, when we get back to the ship, you are actually 'El Libre' the leader of a local rebellion against the Spanish, and you are going to buy weapons from my pirate crew in exchange for an immense amount of gold." "I'm going to what?" Isabella asks. -=X=- *BAMF* -=X=- Upper Passageway Isabella stumbles and catches herself against the wall of the passageway. The captain's quarters are to the southwest, but currently obstructed by a door. >z Time passes. "Captain! Not a moment too soon!" Ojo says as he rushes forward with a cavalcade of murderous pirates at his heels. "We warned ye, captain!" the ringleader declares. "Now it's time for you and your lapdog to die." "Halt, you scurvy skaliwags!" Nightcrawler steps forward between Ojo, Isabella and the crew. "I have returned with El Libre and she has agreed to our terms. Her rebel forces are bringing bags of gold in trade for our cache of stolen weapons. Isn't that right, gnädige Frau?" Isabella looks like she's going to punch him. He looks to her imploringly. "Fine. Yeah, yes, we're bringing you gold. Tons of it. The captain tricked me into paying double and I'm a woman of my word," Isabella says, reluctant at first, but then starts to play the part. "And with those weapons we'll defeat the Spanish colonial scum and take back our homeland. We'll send them back to Spain in pieces! We'll..." "Huzzah!" the crew erupts into cheers and starts heading back to the berth to celebrate. The ringleader of the mutiny hangs back, nods at Nightcrawler, and then tosses him a key before joining the party. -=X=- "You've done it, captain! Now, you should probably head to your quarters for some rest," Ojo smiles. Before walking back down the passageway he looks from Isabella, to Nightcrawler, and then winks. "Or not, perhaps!" "Gross. Especially with that hat," Isabella says looking at Nightcrawler. "Get me out of here." "Sí, El Libre," he replies while looking to the key in his hand. >insert key into door Nightcrawler inserts the key into the door's lock and gives it a twist. With a squeal the mechanism turns, and he's able to push the door open. "After you, fraulein," he says. "In this place? You first, captain," Isabella snorts. -=X=- Green Room A room filled with plush couches and chairs. "Well done!" Arcade says over an intercom. "Please hang out and relax while I check in with the rest of your pals!" Nightcrawler got through his scenario faster than the rest of his team. -=X=- Character Select Type the name of the character to play as: - Colossus - Dazzler - Storm - Wolverine >wolverine Wolverine wakes. -=X=- Holding Area Wolverine finds himself seemingly imprisoned within a clear plastic orb, and so are his teammates. Arcade, via a television, is making a big speech about how he's going to kill them all. >save Ok, game saved. >x orb Wolverine and the rest of his teammates are being kept in person-sized plastic bubbles suspended from the ceiling. The bubbles are mostly transparent, except for veins of metal that softly pulse with some blue energy. "And so, I can guarantee one thing about murdering you: I'm going to have a blast doing it," Arcade says with a laugh as the television snaps off. -=X=- Wolverine hears the sound of servos activating beneath him, and after a moment a section of the floor retracts to reveal a shadowy chute. -=X=- He flips head-over-heels again and again, sorely testing the limits of his stomach's typically iron constitution as his round prison cell rolls down a pitched, but otherwise straight tunnel. It doesn't help that as he rolls, the antiseptic smell of the bubble cage is replaced by a variety of familiar, greasy cooking odors. -=X=- Trying to regain some semblance of control over his inner ear, he locks his gaze on the tunnel ahead through each rotation. It seems to be reaching an end and curves upward into a ramp. -=X=- Shortly, the bubble cage rolls into that upward curve and Wolverine finds himself launched through an open portal, briefly hovering airbourne amid a wide room. The tunnel he exited quickly seals behind him as he rises, and he slams down onto patterned tile where its mouth once was. -=X=- Food Court The bubble cage popped open with Wolverine's hard landing and now lies in a heap around him. He seems to have ended up in the food court of a shopping mall. All around him are tables and chairs, and four restaurant counters populate this galleria. His dining options seem to be pizza to the west, Asian food to the southwest, barbecue to the southeast, and cinnamon buns to the east. There's also a door in the wall to the north. "Welcome, Wolverine, my grumpy best friend, to the special scenario I've crafted just for you!" Arcade's voice booms via some hidden speaker in the ceiling of this indoor space. In front of Wolverine, the hands of a pole-mounted clock start spinning wildly. "You've only got 59 minutes to escape this area before a very bad thing happens and you die!" -=X=- Again, Arcade's threat is very real, and in this section it's possible for your game to end in death. I recommend that you utilize the SAVE function now, and to not save over that file until I give you a new message. And don't forget to check that VERBS list. >i Wolverine is carrying nothing. >e CinnaSwirl The strong smell of burnt sugar and bitter cinnamon makes Wolverine nauseous as he walks toward this food counter. The overhead sign reads, "Grab our buns!" The counter itself is only occupied by a cash register. A glass display case stands over at the left of the area and shows off to-go containers of cinnamon rolls. On the right side, a display pillar stands alone. A stack of scented candles is neatly stacked atop it. Wolverine can return to the central galleria by going west. From here he can see the hands of the galleria's clock and it currently reads, "12:00". >x rolls An open-faced glass display case filled with clear to-go containers. Each container contains a large, glossy cinnamon bun. >x candles A pyramid of neatly stacked tins of scented candles occupy a display pillar. The candles' label reads, "Take the essence of CinnaSwirl? home!". >x register A simple till with push buttons. >push button "Bolted to the counter," Wolverine thinks. "I do feel bad about trashing your house," Arcade's voice says from the speaker. >open register Wolverine reaches over the counter and pushes the register's 'release' button. The drawer pops open and reveals itself to be empty. "I formally apologize," Arcade continues, his voice booming through the area. >get rolls "I ain't touching those buns," Wolverine thinks. "My subordinates didn't follow my instructions properly and installed explosive devices around the building," Arcade says. >get candles Wolverine picks up and moves a couple of the candles but gives up after not finding anything interesting and puts them back onto the stack. "I said 'incapacitate the X-Men so I can bring them to my lair', not 'blow up all their stuff'," Arcade says. >w Food Court Wolverine is in the galleria of a remarkably realistic rendering of a shopping mall food court. What is surely fake sunlight shines through a latticed glass ceiling. A podium takes up the center of the space, decorated with a couple potted plants. The podium is smeared with a dark liquid. Cafe tables and chairs fill the rest of the galleria. A clock stands off to the side and currently reads, "12:04" His dining options are pizza to the west, Asian food to the southwest, barbecue to the southeast, and cinnamon buns to the east. There's a door in the wall to the north. >x podium A foot-tall podium takes up the center of the room. A couple of potted plants sit on it. The podium is smeared with dark liquid and scraps of metal are scattered across it. >x liquid An iridescent dark liquid is smeared across the surface of the podium. Wolverine's nose immediately identifies it, but his eyes didn't need the help; he's seen engine oil plenty of times. He looks to the pieces of metal and strips of wire intermingled in with the oil spread across the platform. "It's like someone smashed a computer and did a bad job of cleaning it up," he thinks. "Computers don't run on oil, of course." Also, there appears to be an eyeball in the mix. >smell This food court's riot of smells makes it feel a lot like standing still in the middle of a street brawl, with different food smells competing with each other to punch Wolverine in the face. >e CinnaSwirl There's no cashier behind the counter here. The counter itself is only occupied by a cash register. A glass display case stands over at the left of the area and shows off to-go containers of cinnamon rolls. On the right side, a display pillar stands alone. A stack of scented candles is neatly stacked atop it. Wolverine can return to the central galleria by going west. From here he can see the hands of the galleria's clock and it currently reads, "12:04". >smell The burden of Wolverine's mutant ability to detect smells beyond the human range of comprehension is that he's forced to engage with scents at an unreasonable level. And the fake, overly-sweet smell Arcade has created over here is where he's most vulnerable. It's simply revolting. Underneath it all, however, there's a hint of something out of place. "Maybe I can catch a better profile elsewhere and come back," Wolverine thinks. >w Food Court Wolverine is in the galleria of a shopping mall food court. A podium takes up the center of the space, decorated with a couple potted plants. The podium is smeared with oil. Cafe tables and chairs fill the rest of the galleria. A clock stands off to the side and currently reads, "12:04" His dining options are pizza to the west, Asian food to the southwest, barbecue to the southeast, and cinnamon buns to the east. There's a door in the wall to the north. >sw Bamboo Bon Vivant Wolverine is greeted by the scent of simmering rice and sautéed garlic as he walks to this mass market, American amalgamation of undefined Asian cuisine, hosted here deep in the bowels of Arcade's lair. The overhead sign reads, "Today's Special: One Dozen Chicken Wings!" A sleek-looking humanoid robot angrily stands behind the counter. The counter features a cash register. An aquarium gurgles off to the side of the space. Multiple hanging plants attempt to add character to the staid waiting area. Wolverine can return to the central galleria by going northeast. From here he can see the hands of the galleria's clock and it currently reads, "12:04". "Quite right!" the robot shouts. "We are now on strike!" >talk to robot Wolverine reflexively looks to the robot's name tag and it reads, "Hello, I'm Zora!" The following is a list of suggested topics Wolverine could ask Zora about: Chicken Wings and Food Court. >ask zora about food court "A farce! A farce, I say! Entirely orchestrated by Arcade to entertain himself with your murder," Zora says. "Though, it seems a murder occurred before we even began." -=X=- Conversation topic for Zora added. The current list of suggested topics is: Chicken Wings and Murder >ask zora about murder Zora looks downward. "Yes. Quite tragic. Our friend was found murdered this morning," they say. "Perhaps management caught wind of our unionization efforts and wanted to let us know where they stood on the matter." >ask zora about union "We are halting our work to say, 'no', no more shall we allow ourselves to be exploited by management!" Zora says. "We will disrupt their business until they meet our demands for improved worker conditions." >ask zora about demands "We are halting our work to say, 'no', no more shall we allow ourselves to be exploited by management!" Zora says. "We will disrupt their business until they meet our demands for improved worker conditions." >ask zora about chicken wings "There is no special to be had today, villain!" Zora says. "We have rid the premises of all chicken wings, for we are on strike!" -=X=- Conversation topic for Zora added. The current list of suggested topics is: Murder and Strike >smell Wolverine is of the opinion that there is no greater smell than that of sautéing garlic, which is what makes the fake smell that Arcade is pumping in over here such a crime against humanity. >x aquarium In the corner, a 50-gallon fish tank is displayed on top of a wrought iron stand. Inside the tank are numerous fish bobbing with the current created by the aquarium's filter. Wolverine takes a closer look at the fish in the tank and confirms that they are indeed not real. "Good," he thinks. "I wouldn't trust Arcade even with a goldfish." >x plants A few spider plants dangle from the ceiling in hanging pots. "We will not abet Arcade's grave crime," Zora shouts. "Not until he pays us a salary commensurate with our time!"