Welcome to the SS Dawn Breaker. My name is Admiral Scar, and I will be debriefing you for this mission. You have each been selected based on your unique blend of talents and experiences to contribute to the fashioning of our "new world" on planet X. We have not made a mistake. You belong here. This is a great honor and a great responsibility. We trust that you will conduct yourself with honor and make wise choices. In just a few moments we'll administer your sleep sedative. Nurse Crighton will go over the process in your medical briefing. You'll be able to access more voice messages from me after you come out of the sedative. Good luck. Make us proud. [[Over and out.->Medical Briefing]]I'm here to provide you with some basic information about the health risks associated with this mission. Your upcoming journey will be physically and emotionally taxing, so please be aware of your limitations and take care of yourself. I will be adminstering your sleep sedative injections soon. This will reduce risks of health problems while in transit, but once you reach the site you will need to take extra precautions. We don't know the details of all that you will encounter when you get there, but we have provided basic medical supplies to cover a wide variety of illness and injury. Be mindful of the limits of this supply. The sleep sedatives are not dangerous, but be advised that some people do experience side effects such as dizziness, disorientation, mood swings, and halluciniations for some time after waking. [[My assistant->red pill]] and [[I->blue pill]] will be coming around to each of you. Take care of yourselves. Take care of each other. (set: $darkness to true) Your vision blurs at the edges. You feel like you're head is falling backwards while your feet are being pulled ahead. You lose track of the room. The sounds blur and fall away into nothing. Darkness. You dream about a pulsing light guiding you through a labyrinth. It leads on forever, each turn followed by another. But you fall behind and the light gets away from you. You start running after it, but you can't keep up. You start losing it around corners. It gets dimmer and dimmer until you can't see your hands in front of you face. You reach out but your hands do not find the walls. You are lost in [[vast darkness-->Wake up]]. (set: $light to true) Your vision blurs at the edges. You feel like you're head is falling backwards while your feet are being pulled ahead. You lose track of the room. The sounds blur and fall away into nothing. Darkness. You dream that you are asleep on a cloud. Floating through a calm night sky. The stars twinkle above you, illuminating tiny points of light into infinity. You drift below them on a slow pan. Your mind is empty. A sense of warmth fills your weary limbs as you relax into the soft, but supportive pillow below you. Gradually light begins to fill the sky. The stars are absorbed by a [[growing brightness->Wake up]] that fills your mind. You awake with a start at the sound of your name. You are lying on a cot in a circular room. Everything is white, sterile. Looking down you notice your ankles are strapped to the foot of your cot with padded restraints. As you sit up, your head spins. You fall back against the pillow. Gravity feels stronger here. Maybe you just aren't used to it. Breathing slowly, you look around the room. Your cot is one of six. In each bed one of your crew-mates is also coming out of sedation. Enter the names of your crew. <form> <input type="text" name="one"> <input type="text" name="two"> <input type="text" name="three"> <input type="text" name="four"> <input type="text" name="five"> <input type="text" name="six"> </form> These people will be your friends and family for the rest of your life on this planet. You should get to know them well now. <p>Go around in a circle and share something about yourselves.</p> [[A message is coming in over the loudspeaker.->Planet X]] You descend through the leafy canopy. Slowly lowering through the leafy canopy, your heart in racing. It feels like waves of green are closing above your head. Drowning in the forest. You look up one last time at the silouettes of your friends as the forest consumes the last of your light. Your eyes adjust to the dark as you descend. The silence is stunning. <h1>"Scratch"</h1> A sharp sound comes from above you in the trees. A figure crouched on a higher bough grabs your rope and with a flash of steel you are [[crashing]] through the understory. Double-click this passage to edit it.natives destroy suppliesWelcome to Planet X. Take some time to get to know your new home. Conditions on this planet may not be the same as they are on ours. It will take some time to get your bearings. You will have difficult decisions to make as you set up your new lives here. Know that even though we are far away, we are behind you 100%. We appreciate the sacrifices that you make to pave the way for the future success of our way of life. You ensure the success of our species. This is a great burden, but also a great priviledge. Your initial supplies will last for 5 years. At that point, you must be self-sufficient. Please record your experiences using one of the monitor stations for posterity. This GPS device is available to aid in your exploration. [[Over and out.->All together]]your supplies are destroyed stranded away from the group. Double-click this passage to edit it.<p2>Nominate the most intelligent person in the group to be the leader</p2> <p> Propose alternate sugggestions and vote to elect your captain for the mission </p> <p2> Hand the device to the captain</p> You push open the button for the main portal gate. [[Slowly the door rises.]] You have been sorted into two teams for exploration. Team One: Team Two: <p> Gather with your team mates</p> You push open the button to open the portal gate. <p> On the count of three, point to your new partner. If the admiration is reciprocated, you will be matched. If not, repeat until everyone has a match </p> You push the button to open the portal gate. The first pair is prepared to leave. A vast landscape spreads out before you. The station has been positioned a dozen yards in front of a cliff which drops off into a ravine. From your high vantage point you see that the ravine runs endlessly from east to west. The north, on the other side, resembles a salt flat with several large rock formations jutting out sporadically. No signs of vegetation anywhere make you nervous. Wind blasts your side as you step away from the protection of the station. Beneath your feet the ground is hard packed dirt. After struggling against the wind a few yards, you glance behind you. The station is hudddled into the side of a rock formation for protection. The drama of nature dwarfs your new home. Uncomfortable with this stark and uninviting landscape, you decide to make a plan. [[Go into the ravine->Ravine]] [[Examine the rocks->Rocks]]Your troop fights the wind to get to the rim. Peering over the edge reveals a deepening green to black. Vegetation should be welcoming in contrast to the barren landscape of the upper surface, but this forest seem to eat the light. <p2>Decide who's going first. Give them the device.</p2> Anchor your rope and lower yourself into the [[unkown->Unexpected Meeting]]. You skirt the edge of the station, trying to avoid the brunt of the wind with your team behind you. The sun carries a green tint here. The rocks cast long shadows across the plains. You make your way to the rock structure. Up close the surface has a grainy texture. You reach out and touch it. Under your fingers the rock crumbles. It turns to dust. The fragile surface cracks from the point of contact. The cracks grow deeper and spread across the structure. You turn and run as large slabs of rock begin to crash down around you. You see ***** lagging behind the group. <p> You consider turning back to hoist your [[teammate]] over your shoulder <p> But this will delay your [[own escape.]] Branches break beneath your body. Twigs scratch against your face. You grasp wildly at the air, trying to catch a hold of something. To stop your fall before you hit something harder. Your foot catches in something. A rope. A vine. But the rest of your body continues to hurtle forward, up-ending you, and leaving you dangling from your ankle. The lower part of your leg is tangled in some sort of netting. Looking up at it, you see the underside of a crudely-constructed platform made of a medley of metal parts. A hand reaches out from the platform and grabs your ankle. A pair of [[human hands]] begins to pull you up. A spark illuminates a face. Suddenly, a blast of bright light fills the room. It is a large cave. Piles of root vegetables line the walls. Rows and rows of something that looks like pheasant hangs from the cieling. Haunches of some other kind of meat as well. Food is overflowing from every direction. Clearly someone has been collecting this store for a long time. You're surprised to see nothing green or leafy in the storage cellar. The jungle is full of vegetation. But the plants here are of another sort entirely. (if: $searchparty is true)[You spy your friend tied up on the floor at the feet of a figure covered in filth with shaggy long hair. Strapped across his back is a knife. You have good aim. Maybe you could slide your [[pistol]] from its holster and take out the captors. There is something odd about the figure though. His posture. His stance. He looks almost [[human]].] (if: $captured is true)[The natives seem restless. One of them reaches for a vegetable and bites into it. Your stomach is growling again. Would they understand your plea for [[food?]] Your captor turns to motion to one of the others, and you see a hunting knife strapped across his back. Maybe they can't be reasoned with. Who's to say that those who look like humans are truly human afterall? If you could get the [[knife]] you could cut yourself loose.]**** is dead. <p>Please leave the group.</p> There is no time to mourn your loss. The station has been destroyed. The shadows grow long quickly, and darkness will be here sooner than you'd like. You need to venture into the [[Ravine]] to find food/shelter. You turn on your heels and lift ****'s arm over your head. The two of you struggle to get away. A cloud of dust rises as the rocks crash on top of the station. The two of you are enveloped in dust. The weight of your partner pulls you to the ground. Your head slams into the dirt. A crushing blow hits you across the thigh. Your head is ringing as you shut your eyes against the dust, waiting for the [[calm]]. (set: $death to true) You sprint for the rim at top speed. **** shouts from behind, but you keep your eyes trained on the horizon. At a safe distance, you glance over your shoulder to watch the remains of the station disappear under a growing [[cloud of dust]].You hear the others rushing towards you, and open your eyes. A gash eight inches long runs down the back of your left thigh. Your partner roles off of you with a grunt. You attempt to stand, but cry out in pain. Your ankle is shattered. You won't be able to walk on your own. Long shadows are falling across the plain. You don't know what happens here under cover of darkness, and it would be best to be inside when that time comes. The station behind you has been badly damaged, but it looks like one wing remains intact and could serve as a shelter. <h1>Look</h1> From near one of the distant rock structures you see three tiny figures moving across the plain. From this distance it's hard to make out their form, but they are moving at a rapid pace. The group decides to head for the station. <p>If someone volunteers to carry you, hold their hand.</p> You can make slower progress [[as a pair]]. Alternatively, you could wait for the creatures to arrive [[alone]], allowing the group to easily reach the station before they reach you. You hobble towards the door to the part of the station left standing. Words of encouragement come from all team members. The figures are moving fast. At this pace they will likely reach you before you reach the door. Giant beasts with thick black fur and giant teeth. A cross between a grizzly bear and wolf with the speed of a cheetah. The first team member yanks open the door ahead of you. He holds it back as more file in. Everyone is inside now except you and your partner. The beasts are right behind you. You hear their panting. Their low-throated growls. You feel the heat of their breath right on your heels. A <h>shot</h> rings out. One of your camrades has taken a stance in the doorway and is shooting at the beasts behind you. He hits the leg of the first beast, causing it to stumble. More shots. But the Beasts are strong. They continue the chase. Another teammate emerges from the door with a crowbar. Just as the second beast bites into the back of your partner's calf. You are on the steps, but the beast pulls you both down. The crowbar smashes into the skull of the beast, causing him to release his grip. Hands pull you into the [[station.]] Another shot in the third beast's foot causes him to slow. As the door is closing you see two stronger beasts turn on the third. His skull has been badly injured. They tear him apart. The rest of your team runs for the station. You struggle to your feet. You lift a foot and try to take a step. Your leg crumbles beneath the weight of your body. Pulling yourself along the ground with your arms you make slow progress. The three figures have made good time. They will reach you long before you reach the station. In fact, they may reach your team before they reach the station. But if you can lure them over to yourself, the rest of the group may have time to escape. <h> Hey </h> You wave your arms and yell. The beasts, something of a cross between a grizzley bear and a wolf, change course slightly. Within seconds they are upon [[you]]. As you're pulled onto the platform, you are flipped onto your stomach. With your check pressed against the wood, your hands arms and legs are yanked behind you and tied together. A face appears three inches in front of yours. The face is covered in dirt, dried blood, and hair. But, you can't help but think that this is a human face. Although not one that you've seen before. [["Who are you?"->Aliens]] The face stares back blankly, curiously. He brings his hand very close to your face and runs a finger delicately across your check. [[Release me!-->Captured]] (set: $captured to true) He blinks and then laughs. "Who are you?" He whispers. Lifting his fingers to his lips he lets out a long, high-pitched whistle. He lifts you off the platform and props your body up against a tree trunk. This is your first opportunity to see the native's whole body, and it is covered in mud. Another pair of feet lands with a soft thud to your left. Several more drop down from the trees above the platform. A pair of hands appears to your side on the platform, and another man pulls himself up from below. The group doesn't seem fased by your existence, but you have recieved no information on native populations. And they seem so familiar. So human. The group sits in silence. Occassionaly one of them will gesture to the others. They nod or shake their heads. They pat each other's shoulders. Your stomach growls. You haven't eaten since the sedation. You may be able to [[roll off the edge]] and escape, but you don't know what is waiting below. Maybe they would be friendly if you could only understand what they were saying, or if they could [[understand you]].Your captor blinks then stands up. All you can see is the heavy vegetation pushing in from all sides of the platform. Two steps on the platform and you hear him jump into the trees. The sounds of his sweeping through the branches grow faint. The light here is dim and getting darker. <h2> Silence </h2> You wonder whether the others will come to [[look for you]] soon. <p> Hand the device to someone else in the group. Go into another room and wait </p> (set: $searchparty to true) You all heard the crash. Maybe it was an accident. Maybe something is lurking, crouching, waiting for you in the dark. Either way, you need to see if your teammate has survived the fall. (if: $death is true)[You've already lost a comrade. Can you afford to lose another?] You have enough rope to tie the group together, and then all go down [[together->linked]]. Or, you could use the length of rope to send one [[scout]] instead. Keep in mind this places the fate of the group in this individual's hands. <p> Tell me about your leader. How well is your leader making decisions? </p> <form> <input type="text" name="leadership 1" size="100" > </form>Double-click this passage to edit it.You start quietly, barely over a whisper. "Please. I come from Planet Earth. I don't mean you any harm." Everyone turns to look at you. You speak a little louder, gaining confidence at the sound of your voice. "I'm hear with a group of people. We want are explorers." You get no response from the crowd. Now you are yelling. "Untie me! Don't you understand?" Your captor cups his hand over your mouth. A <h1> Howl </h2> is heard in the distance. The group jumps into action. Your captor throws you over his back and [[leaps]] from the platform. Double-click this passage to edit it.<p>Everyone links arms. If you break the chain, you'll fall to your [[death]] </p> The knots are tied tightly around everyone's waist and secured on a wide branch near the top of the ravine. One by one, you lower yourselves over the edge. You repel down the rock face grabbing hold of the saplings that jut out from its surface. As you lower,the side of the ravine becomes less steep, mossy boulders replace the smooth cliffside. You're descending past the tops of large trees rising from a ground beyond your view. Someone above you slips. Several crew members cry out as the rope pulls. But a hand from below steads your comrade. You continue the downward trek, shaken, but catious. Out of the corner of your eye, you spy something unusual. It looks like the side of a [[metal drum]]. But that couldn't be true. You know you are the only people on the entire planet. You must be [[mistaken]]. Your face is buried in the back of your captor's neck, so you can't see much. You feel his body beneath you navigating the network of jungle branches with agile grace. With another grand jump, he lands on solid ground. The impact causes you to bite the inside of your cheek. Now he's running. It's pitch black here. Finally he stops and swings you down. You land on solid rock. Damp and cold. You hear a consistent [[drip-->Storeroom]] break the silence. (if: $darkness is true) [The pain is beyond anything you've felt before. But it's over in a moment. Everything is over. Darkness. ] (if: $light is true) [A bright white light. It's over in a second. You think the line between life and death must indeed be thin. You're at peace. Then you open your eyes.] [[Over and Out.->The End]]You carefully climb over to where you thought you saw it. As you approach your suspicions are confirmed. What looks like one side of a metal oil drum has been hacked open and wedged into the crook between two branches. Water has pooled inside it. On the side of the drum a logo that reads "InvisionTech" is stamped into the metal. This was formed by human hands. You call to the others. You hear a [[sound]] from below. Soft, but consistent. The sound of something moving quickly through the treetops. You freeze and motion for the others to be quiet. Maybe that is your missing team mate. Or maybe it's something else. You're eyes are playing tricks on you. The important thing is to find your [[friend.]] You continue your climb. The trees seem to go down and down forever. No one can see how deep the ravine goes. Your arms are sore and aching. Your calves are getting weak. The light is almost gone. It's getting difficult to see where to place your feet. <h1>Look</h2> A hole in a particularly large boulder. This would provide some [[shelter]] from the coming night. You follow the sound down deeper into the jungle, moving quickly now because you don't want to lose the only clue you have. You stop short when you see solid ground below. A hard-packed dirt floor. Finally everyone reaches the ground level. You release your ties. You continue the never-ending journey through the now dark jungle. Everyone is tired and hungry. You have to feel your way down now, and the descent is slow. A <h1>howl </h1> breaks the silence. It sounds close. Someone screams from above. The rope yanks you backwards and you lose your footing. You slam down on the rock below where you were. Struggling to stand, you hear a low growl. Feel the [[warm breath->death]] on your neck right before its' jaws clamp down. The hole in the rock is only big enough for one person to squeeze through at a time. One by one you file through the opening. Once inside you feel your way through a narrow passageway, crawling on your stomach. The rock presses in on your body in the dark. The rock is cool and slightly damp. Slick. You reach what feels like a dead end in the passage. Then you push harder. The rock breaks free, falling with a echoed clunk into a much [[larger space.->Storeroom]]. You hear noises coming from somewhere beyond the opening. A shot rings out. The natives yell and run, throwing their arms over their heads. The captor brandishes his knife. Another shot. He falls to the ground. Another shot. One limps with an injured leg. Another shot. Three natives lie still on the floor. Pools of blood spread beneath them. The last native runs for the entrance to the cave. Another shot. He cries out and clutches his side, collapsing to the [[ground]]. Double-click this passage to edit it."I'm so hungry. Please. Can I have some food?" You speak softly. The captor turns to look at you. He blinks. "Please." You nod towards the pile closest to you. He looks down at the pile. He picks up one of the vegetables and holds it out. You nod. He walks cautiously towards you, lowers the vegetable in front of your mouth. You take a bite. Bitter and crunchy. You swallow. He does it again. After several bites, he pulls back and cocks his head to the side. He considers you carefully before pulling out his knife. He walks around behind you. With a slice of metal, you're [[free.]]You climb through the opening and into the chamber one by one. Picking the knife up off the ground, you cut the ties between you. You cut the ties to release your friend. You walk over to the nearest pile of vegetables, and examine one. The food in this room will last you for years. You look down at the body at your feet, lying face down in a pool of his own blood. You roll him onto his back and look into his eyes. Human eyes. [[The End]]Double-click this passage to edit it.You rub your wrists and ankles, feeling the bloud rushing back into your stiff limbs. The natives have gathered together on the other side and are whispering together, gesturing wildly. If only there was an easier way to communicate. Clearly they have developed a great knowledge of accessing the planet's resources. Your [[team]] could benefit greatly from their help. Double-click this passage to edit it.(if: $darkness is true) [The pain is beyond anything you've felt before. But it's over in a moment. Everything is over. Darkness. ] (if: $light is true) [A bright white light. It's over in a second. You think the line between life and death must indeed be thin. You're at peace. Then you open your eyes.] The rest of your team mourns inside the station. [[Safe]] because of your sacrifice.Shocked and scared the last surviving member makes it through the the door. You try to bar the entrance with something. Upturning the cots and jamming them against the door to create a baracade. The damage to the station is severe. No one is sure which areas have been affected or what remains. You have blocked one entrance, but no one knows if other entrances remain insecure. A quick survey reveals that the storage facility has been destroyed. Your food supply is gone. Medical aid is no longer available. There is always the option to [[abandon the mission]]. The escape pod with room for two seems to be in operational condition. That would mean going back on your obligation. It also carries no gaurantees of survival. There is a slim chance that you would be able to make it back to Earth given your limited understanding of how you got here in the first place. Without the sedation, it is also likely to be a long journey. ALmost certainly longer than you can survive on the meager supplies in the pod. But there would only be two mouths to feed. You could also raid the supplies in the pod and attempt to [[survey]] the total effect of the station's damage. <p2> Choose who will stay and who will go </p2> <p1> If you feel threatened, you could always use your pistol to [[take control]] </p1> The lucky two board the [[pod->New World]]<p> You are surveying the area of the station near the escape pod. It would be easy for you to just step inside and [[leave]] this miserable place behind. Surely with only one person the food would last you to Earth. You don't know these people. You don't owe them anything. You could be safe. You could be free. Or you can take the supplies from the pod for distribution and [[regroup]] with the others. </p>Everyone hears the roar of the pod taking off and rushes to the holding bay. You are stranded on a planet far from home with monsters at your doorstep and no hope of where your next meal will come from. Welcome to the [[New World]] Double-click this passage to edit it.As the pod climbs through the atmosphere the station grows smaller. The planet spreads out beneath you. Wild and beautiful from this distance. Unconquerable. Free. [[Over and Out.->The End]]Double-click this passage to edit it.<Shots> ring out. Standing over the bodies of your fallen comrades, you breathe heavily. It had to be done. The best chance of survival was for only one, and this way they didn't need to suffer for weeks and die of starvation. You climb into the pod and close the doors. Say goodbye to this [[New World]]