***** NOTE ***** This solution does not expose all the various elements of the story, but rather shows you the quickest route from beginning to end. READ ONLY AS A LAST RESORT. *************** S.T.I.F.L.E. An Interactive Fiction by Jeff Watson Release 1 / Serial number 081103 / Inform 7 build 5T18 (I6/v6.31 lib 6/12N) SD Sleep Study Room (on the bed) YOU'RE NOT SURE WHY YOU DID THIS. You told your friends it was the eight grand the STIFLE foundation was offering as remuneration, but now, as the drugs flood into your system, something about that explanation doesn't ring true. Maybe it was what Jean said on the day you broke up, that you'd had so much trouble facing things that you'd put off dealing with the problems that might have saved your relationship, or if not that, at least ended it sooner, before the damage was done. So maybe that was why you came here. To prove something to yourself. But if it was your courage you wanted to test, why not go skydiving or sign up for that humanitarian program you heard about, the refugee camp thing, the one where a quarter of the volunteers ended up quitting after less than a month? Or even better, why not just call Jean? You can find no answers to these existential questions, no escape from the recursivity of your overanalytical and hypervigilant mind. But perhaps this "treatment," whatever it is, is just what you need to break the impasse. After all, the doctor said it was supposed to be a kind of therapy. "Electrostatic dream therapy," he called it. "If this round of tests works out the way we think it will, it's going to revolutionize psychiatry," he'd told you when you called about the Craigslist ad. So maybe you weren't being careless at all, signing up to be a guinea pig for this thing. Maybe this was your destiny, your way out of a lifetime of impossible-to-pin-down dysfunction. The thought gives you strength. The sleep study room is a rather bland hospital room with a single padded door to the south. An EEG machine sits in the corner next to the bed. A bundle of wires leads down from the bed and through a hole in the wall. There's a mirror on the east wall that you suspect is actually a window. This is getting creepy. Maybe this was all a mistake. You can see a padded door and a sleep technician here. >sleep You drift off to the near-inaudible whirr of the EEG machine. As your eyes flicker shut, you see the sleep technician bending over you, a quizzical, almost bemused expression forming on her face... Darkness It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing. Your stomach spins as you acclimatize yourself to the drug-induced dream environment. >turn on flashlight You switch the flashlight on. Origin Point PANNING THE FLASHLIGHT AROUND, you can see that you are standing in the midst of a large white room. You are vaguely aware that this is a dream, but you've never had a dream quite as lifelike as this. Everything here looks and feels real. There is an oak table in the middle of the room, a desk with a single drawer pushed up against a wall, and a heavy wooden door, above which is written the word "south" in large and crisp medieval lettering. There's also a small, precisely-cut human-sized opening in the floor next to the desk. A ladder leads down through the opening into a darkened room below. On the table are a notecard and a totem. >read notecard The notecard reads, "Your anxieties lie to the south. Relieve them by going elsewhere. The totem on this table will mnemonically transport you to relevant locations in your memory. Only handle the totem if you feel ready to make the journey. You may remain in this room for as long as you wish. How the therapy proceeds is entirely up to you. This notecard is meant for your personal reference and is available for consultation in this room only." The notecard becomes transparent for a brief moment, then returns to its original color. You hear a metal CLANK coming from beyond the door to the south. >take totem As you pick up the totem, it emits a strange sonic pulse. Your vision blurs. Something SNAPS-- Saarbrucken Room An ornate 30s-style ballroom, complete with massive chandeliers, thick tartan carpet, and space for plenty of dining and dancing. A wide entryway leads out to the dusty street beyond.Something about this place is very familiar to you. You can see a swinging kitchen door and a lonely janitor here. The nurse's voice rings out in your head. You get the sense that this is some kind of prerecorded message. "When using the totem system to get around your memory," she says, in a pleasant half-whisper, "remember that you can return to the STFILE Origin Point at any time by simply saying "origin". Make sure not to lose your totem, though, or the system will not be able to mnemonically track you." You look down at the totem in your hand and clutch it a little bit more tightly. >out Dusty Street The Saarbrucken Room, at least as it manifests itself in this dream, is a strange kind of building. Despite its grand interior, it stands alone in the midst of an otherwise unoccupied desert road. You can see a pickup truck (empty) and a signpost here. >enter truck You get into the pickup truck. >n Canyon (in the pickup truck) The dusty road to the south stops at the edge of this vast canyon. There is a telescope here. You can see a telescope here. >wait Time passes. >wait Time passes. >wait Time passes. >wait Time passes. >wait Time passes. >z Time passes. > Would Jean have understood what you meant by that? >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. BEEP! ZIP! --MNEMONIC SLEEP DISCONTINUITY ALERT-- A giant robot materializes behind you in the Canyon. It is about ten feet tall. It seems completely out of place here, like something from a cheap fifties sci-fi movie. It beeps and whirrs. Something BUZZES in the back of your head. Somewhere in the distance, you hear someone say, "oh, shit, not again." >z Time passes. The giant robot heads to the Dusty Street. >z Time passes. The giant robot arrives from the Dusty Street. One of its arms falls off. It bends over to retrieve it, then bumps past you. >z Time passes. The giant robot heads to the Dusty Street. >z Time passes. The giant robot arrives from the Dusty Street. Bleep! Boop! Blip! The nurse's voice, now with some sense of urgency, pipes in from the back of your head. "Dreamer: please return to the origin point to begin the waking process as soon as possible. Simply say, "origin" to return." >z Time passes. The giant robot heads to the Dusty Street. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. The giant robot arrives from the Dusty Street. A puff of smoke emanates from its head as it wheels around. >z Time passes. The giant robot heads to the Dusty Street. >z Time passes. The giant robot arrives from the Dusty Street. It falls over, then rights itself by extending its telescoping chest attachment. >z Time passes. The giant robot heads to the Dusty Street. The nurse's voice, now garbled, echoes in the back of your head: "Dream-- now-- imperative-- begin process-- urgent-- SKJKF kfd ndkfN FDKNKD--". >z Time passes. The giant robot arrives from the Dusty Street. It fires a laser out of one of its eyes and spins around moronically. >z Time passes. The giant robot heads to the Dusty Street. >z Time passes. Something at the back of your brain goes POP. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. The giant robot arrives from the Dusty Street. It doesn't seem to notice you, but appears to be on a mission of its own. >z Time passes. The giant robot heads to the Dusty Street. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. You start feeling light headed. It occurs to you that you should listen to the nurse and head back to the origin point PDQ. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >z Time passes. >s Dusty Street (in the pickup truck) The Saarbrucken Room, at least as it manifests itself in this dream, is a strange kind of building. Despite its grand interior, it stands alone in the midst of an otherwise unoccupied desert road. You can see a giant robot and a signpost here. The giant robot heads to the Parking Lot. >z Time passes. The giant robot arrives from the Parking Lot. Whirr! Whirr! >ask robot about bird The robot stops and opens a hatch in its stomach. A small reticulated arm extends from within and hands you a sack of birdseed. "Nourishment for your species!" it blurts, spinning on its tracks. The robot zips off on its merry way. >take birdseed You already have that. >n Canyon (in the pickup truck) The dusty road to the south stops at the edge of this vast canyon. There is a telescope here. You can see a telescope here. >exit truck You get out of the pickup truck. Canyon The dusty road to the south stops at the edge of this vast canyon. There is a telescope here. You can see a pickup truck (empty) and a telescope here. >look through telescope Looking through the lens again, you can see that the bird with the note in its beak is in the same spot on the other side, lounging in the sun. In a flash of genius, you sprinkle seeds from the bag of birdseed the robot gave you onto the ground. The bird immediately responds and flies over to your side of the canyon, dropping the note from its beak as it feeds. You pick up the piece of note-paper and prepare to examine it. >x piece This is the left half of a torn piece of note-paper. The upper portion of text reads, "Wake me." The lower portion reads, "TAP T". At the very bottom of the page is written the phrase, "THREE TIMES." You note that the handwriting is very similar to your own. >origin SNAP-- Origin Point The Origin Point contains a table, a single-drawer desk with a microphone bolted to its surface, a door marked "south", and a ladder leading down. On the table is a notecard. The voice in the back of your head again: "Please consult your SJKDNC-- JFKSNF-- for information on how to begin the waking process." >tap microphone three times The microphone unit WHINES loudly as you tap it. Your vision swirls and you peel open your eyes. The microphone feedback noise fades away and you come to in the sleep study room. You're back. At last! Sleep Study Room (on the bed) The sleep study room is a rather bland hospital room with a single padded door to the south. An EEG machine sits in the corner next to the bed. A bundle of wires leads down from the bed and through a hole in the wall. There's a mirror on the east wall that you suspect is actually a window. You can see a padded door here. The sleep technician is gone, but you're feeling wide awake. You lie there for a moment in bed, gradually reaquainting yourself with the real world. >get up You get off the bed. Sleep Study Room The sleep study room is a rather bland hospital room with a single padded door to the south. An EEG machine sits in the corner next to the bed. A bundle of wires leads down from the bed and through a hole in the wall. There's a mirror on the east wall that you suspect is actually a window. You can see a padded door here. >open door You open the padded door. >s purple hallway The hallway south of the sleep study room glows with purple luminescence. It is very unusual for a hospital hallway, and stretches for what seems like a hundred yards. At the north end is a heavy steel door. For the life of you, you can't remember coming down this hallway when you arrived. Indeed, you can't remember much about what happened before you got here. You wonder if you drove or took the bus. If you drove, you're in trouble, because you can't remember where you parked. A familiar person stands near the door at the far end of the hallway. You can see a steel door, a padded door and a lonely janitor here. >open steel door As you open the door, your mind reels. Suddenly, you find yourself propelled through what feels like a thick gelatinous goo. Your vision blurs. Something SNAPS-- Crystal Cavern You're back in the crystal cavern, the one from your memory of that National Geographic special. The giant quartz crystals loom around you. It's hotter and moister in here than before. The whine of the Origin Point microphone unit can be heard in the distance to the north. A red velvet carpet leads off into a darkened cave to the west. On the carpet is a yellow chicken feather. >w Your heart races as you walk toward the darkness at the end of the red carpet. A sense of anticipation and dread overwhelms you. As you step into the black, your head fills with electrical energy-- Office Your office. So this must still be a dream. You spent a lot of time here. Everything is exactly as you remember it: the smell, the slight buzz of the building's air conditioner, the temperature of the light passing through the slightly tinted windows. In your office is an Ikea desk with a small drawer. Your window looks out onto the city skylline. From the looks of it, you're quite high up. On the Ikea desk are a desktop computer, a framed photograph and a letter. You can also see a frosted-glass door here. >e As you step through the door into the hallway, the floor beneath you suddenly dematerializes. You plummet for what feels like a full minute, then SPLASH into quick-moving water. Underground River The rushing water in this sewer-like underground river sweeps you along for several hundred yards. You finally find yourself at the base of a ladder. The ladder leads up to a manhole above. >u Saarbrucken Kitchen A busy kitchen, packed with various chefs and servers, all of whom are either too busy to talk to you or who simply can't perceive you. As you walk amongst them, you begin to suspect the latter is closer to the truth. Indeed, you feel like something of a ghost walking through here. As you wait for one of the waiters to pass you by, you notice through the circular window in the door to the main hall that a wedding reception is underway. You peer out and see Jean, sitting at a table, the center of everyone's attention. You realize that this is Jean's wedding reception. A moment passes until you see someone striding toward Jean's table. It takes another moment for you to realize that it is YOU. You watch as your doppelganger approaches Jean unexpectedly. Your double looks drunk and angry. A fight breaks out and your double is thrown out of the party.The Saarbrucken Room is through the kitchen door to the east. You can see a swinging kitchen door here. >open door --MNEMONIC SLEEP DISCONTINUITY ALERT-- >e Saarbrucken Room An ornate 30s-style ballroom, complete with massive chandeliers, thick tartan carpet, and space for plenty of dining and dancing. The room is packed with people celebrating Jean's wedding. The tone of the celebration is somewhat muted in the aftermath of your double's appearance. A wide entryway leads out to the dusty street beyond. You can see a swinging kitchen door and Jean here. >out Dusty Street The dusty street is filled with dead bodies. Men and women of all ages, dressed in wedding clothes. Covered in blood. There's a message scrawled in blood on the wall of the Saarbrucken building. You can see Rene Descartes, a pickup truck (empty) and a signpost here. Rene Descartes heads to the Canyon. >enter truck You get into the pickup truck. Rene Descartes arrives from the Canyon, saying, "Common sense is the most fairly distributed thing in the world, for each one thinks he is so well-endowed with it that even those who are hardest to satisfy in all other matters are not in the habit of desiring more of it than they already have." >n Canyon (in the pickup truck) The dusty road to the south stops at the edge of this vast canyon. There is a telescope here. You notice the bird organized the birdseed on the ground into a rather intricate pattern of dots and dashes. You can see a bird and a telescope here. >exit You get out of the pickup truck. Canyon The dusty road to the south stops at the edge of this vast canyon. There is a telescope here. You notice the bird organized the birdseed on the ground into a rather intricate pattern of dots and dashes. You can see a pickup truck (empty), a bird and a telescope here. >x telescope The telescope affords you a view of the canyon and little else. Rene Descartes arrives from the Dusty Street, saying, "In order to improve the mind, we ought less to learn, than to contemplate." >look through telescope The telescope affords you a view of the canyon and little else. Rene Descartes heads to the Dusty Street. >ask bird about jean The bird asks you to think about why you left Jean in the first place. Rene Descartes arrives from the Dusty Street, saying, "I think; therefore I am." >look at telescope The telescope affords you a view of the canyon and little else. Rene Descartes heads to the Dusty Street. >x pattern The pattern is very linear and organized. It looks something like this: ".-- .- -.- . / ..- .--. / .. -. / -... . -.. --..-- / ... .-.. . . .--. -.-- .... . .- -.." >origin BLZSNAP-- Origin Point The Origin Point contains a table, a single-drawer desk with a microphone bolted to its surface, a door marked "south", and a ladder leading down. On the table is a notecard. The voice in the back of your head again: "Please consult your SJKDNC-- JFKSNF-- for information on how to begin the waking process." >tap microphone three times The microphone unit WHINES loudly as you tap it. Your vision swirls and you peel open your eyes. The microphone feedback noise fades away and you come to in the sleep study room. Sleep Study Room (on the bed) The sleep study room is a rather bland hospital room with a single padded door to the south. An EEG machine sits in the corner next to the bed. A bundle of wires leads down from the bed and through a hole in the wall. There's a mirror on the east wall that you suspect is actually a window. You can see a padded door here. The sleep technician is gone, but you're feeling wide awake. You lie there for a moment in bed, gradually reaquainting yourself with the real world. >wake up Back from whence you came... With gargantuan effort, you burst out of your many-layered dream and awaken -- in the sleep study room again, but this time, you know it's for real. A quick check of your reflection shows that you haven't aged a day. The nurse smiles at you. "That was quick. You were only out for fifteen minutes!" she chirps. The doctor enters the room a moment later. "How do you feel?" he asks. You want to say relieved, but that doesn't seem like the right word. Instead, you quote Descartes from your recent memory: "The senses deceive from time to time, and it is prudent never to trust wholly those who have deceived us even once," you say. The doctor nods. "I can see the therapy has worked," he says sagely as he helps you to your feet. You have the distinct feeling that you're never going to be the same...but you don't mind. As long as you can go home. And call Jean. You explored 10 out of 20 total rooms. You interacted with 0 out of 7 total characters. *** You have won *** In that game you scored 0 out of a possible 0, in 86 turns. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? >