
rest
You lie back down and close your eyes.  The rest does you good as you feel a little better.  

rest
You lie back down and close your eyes.  The rest does you good as you feel a little better.  

stand up
You lift yourself off the floor and look around.  
Dark Chamber
The room is pitch black...  except for some small blinking lights on a wall.  (In an ancient temple?!?)


x lights
As you look closer you realize they are like an old style computer panel, except hundreds of small lights.  There is enough ambient light from them to display several push buttons.  

x buttons
You see a red button with a black and blue button on opposite sides, a yellow button above, and a green button below.  

press blue button
You hear a slight click as the button turns on...  as well as the lights.  
Computer Chamber
The chamber glows with a bluish light.  The east wall is a computer function display.  To the north is a long stairway leading up.


press green button
You hear a slight click as the button turns on.  

press yellow button
The yellow button turns on for a short time, then turns back off.  Futher along the wall a niche appears.  

x niche
The niche is a rectangular hollow in the wall.  Gold and silver touch pads are on the side of the niche  

press silver pad
The niche has a holographic image of a ceremonial knife.  Gold and silver touch pads are on the side of the niche.  

again
(press silver pad)
The niche has a holographic image of a glock pistol.  Gold and silver touch pads are on the side of the niche.  

again
(press silver pad)
The niche has a holographic image of a plastic gun.  Gold and silver touch pads are on the side of the niche.  

press gold pad
Both the silver and gold touch pads fade away.  The plastic gun becomes solid and sits in the niche.  

take gun
You take the plastic gun from the rectangular niche.  As soon as you do that, the niche fades away.  

u
You feel the rush of wind as something carries you up the stairs so fast, the steps seem to vanish.  The inertial field slows and deposits you at the entrance of a small temple.


Medieval Village
The ruins you remember are in worse shape and occupied by peasants likened to medieval England.  Tents and shacks are scattered randomly as well as the villagers who are talking - in English!
The villagers shout obscenities at you and yell praises to the wizard, while a few boldly throw rocks in your general area.  The wizard is here.  

Before you can react, an old man dressed in a gaudy gown shouts at you, "You came from The Temple!  Death to you for defying THEY!"  He starts throwing sacks of gunpowder, which explode at your feet.  

shoot wizard with gun
You feel silly aiming a toy as a weapon, but as soon as you pull the trigger the wizard falls down.  As you look at the gun baffled, the villagers examine the wizard.  

   "The wizard sleeps!"  "That one pointed at him and the wizard fell!"  "He must be a warlock!"  "Maybe an ancient one?"  "I did not see him enter The Temple!"  "I do not recognize him."
   The villagers continue talking and getting excited.  They surround you and start shouting praises.  You get frustrated and yell, "Pipe down!"
   "Type down?"  "No, he said 'Tip down'!"  "You mean bow down?"  They start bowing when someone else says, "Wait!  He said sit down!"  The villagers all sit down around you babbling.
   You shout at the villagers, "Quiet!" and making almost as much noise as before start saying, "Shh!"  "Quiet!"  "Shush!"  "Shh!"  Finally they are all silent.

The villagers look at you expectantly.


ask villagers about wizard
"He is the wizard!"  "Dummy!  That guy wants to know his name!"  "I don't know his name!"  "Not him, the wizard's!"  "I don't know his either!"  One of the people jumps up and shouts, "I know!  He is of the Politics!"  Someone grabs him and say's "Sit down!"


w
As you leave the villagers to head west, they decide to stand up and get back to work in the fields.

Communal Dining Hall
Large trees denuded of branches form the main external framing with the walls made of poorly joined wood siding.  Two holes in the roof allow the smoke from the firepits to dissipate without interfering with the occupants.  Several low tables are scattered around the room, where it appears you sit on the ground to eat.


x firepits
Both have hot coals from the wood and dung burning in the center.  One has a large thick clay pot dangling over the fire, while the other has an animal roasting on a spit.  

e
You move east.
Medieval Village
The ruins you remember are in worse shape and occupied by peasants likened to medieval England.  Tents and shacks are scattered randomly as well as the villagers who are talking - in English!
The villagers are working their fields, and a few wave their hands at you.  The wizard is here.  The wizard starts to shake his head, blinking his eyes, as he begins to recover from being stunned.


x wizard
The old man is dressed in a gaudy gown reminiscent of cartoon magicians, with magic symbols stitched into the cloth.  The wizard is lying unconscious.  "Ancient One!" the wizard whispers at you.  "Forgive me!  I did not...  I assumed...  Please, come into my house that I might speak privately with you."  He walks toward the shack to the east, looking back at you hopefully.


e
Wizard's House
The shack is much like other impoverished shelters without any modern amenities.  A single bed and some pieces of furniture occupy the room.    
The wizard is here.  "Thank you for sparing my humble life," the old man apologizes.  "Please, sit, and I will try to explain."

The only place to sit is on the bed, and you gingerly sit on the edge.  The wizard starts to pace back and forth, wringing his hands in front of him.  "I have been zealously guarding the temple.  The legends speak of the ancients bringing us salvation from THEY.  I did not realize that you would be coming from the temple directly; I thought you would arrive from the sky."

He pauses in his pacing and looks down at you, or more accurately, at your feet.  "I have tried to be a good politic, keeping the old knowledge away from the people.  Now you are here, and I must fulfill my duty."  Looking directly at you, he states with conviction, "We must go to the gathering place".

The wizard walks over to the east wall and presses a plank, which causes part of the wall to swivel outward.  Just outside the wall is a metal platform with a single bar wrapping three sides of the platform.  The wizard steps on it, gesturing you to stand on it with him.

e
The wizard spreads his arms and chants, "Arise and Fly us to the home!  Deliver us to the base!"  The platform floats straight up to a height of about ten meters.  You think out loud, "voice activated hovercraft of some sort".  The wizard responds, "Surely you are an ancient one!  Only they understood the things THEY forbade."

The platform then swung north for a very short distance to hover directly over a deep ravine that has a river flowing east.  The village and the temple you came from quickly shrink away and the platform follows the path of the river, which had curved south.  On the horizon you see a needle-like tower.  You are not sure how far away or how high it is.



Anti-Gravity Platform 
Below you is a deep ravine with a river running south, with slight bends and twists.  The Peruvian forests cover the land on either side of the ravine.  Looking at the southern horizon, you see a metallic glint beyond the mountains, occasionally obscured by clouds.


ask wizard about politics
"We have been trained by teachings of the ancients to help prevent the old knowledge from being used."  He pauses, with an unfocused gaze ahead, "When we are with the others, we can discuss this further."


wait
Time passes...
The ravine has widened and a rocky beach on the eastern side is wide enough for the occasional river wake to lap only a small portion of the sand.


wait
Time passes...
There is evidence of a paved road that came from the east and follows the river, but is now sadly deteriorated.
The river slightly widens and you see a dilapidated hotel approaching.  Further south the river drops several meters down a waterfall.  The platform approaches the abandoned parking lot and settles down at the far west corner of the lot.

Anti-Gravity Platform 
The platform is at the far western end of the hotel parking lot.  The lot itself was once solid concrete, but now many cracks with wildflowers and weeds cover the ground.
Wizard strides off to the east.  

e
You move east.
Parking Lot
It was once solid concrete, but now many cracks with wildflowers and weeds cover the ground.  One solitary pickup sits with the hood open near the loading dock at the north end of the lot.  To the east is the hotel itself.
  The wizard is here.  Wizard strides off toward the hotel and enters it.  

e
You move east.
Foyer
A solitary couch frame with boards secured where the springs should have been sits in the middle of the room.  Surprisingly, the picture window the couch faces is still intact.  The front desk counter is bare, the room mailboxes are empty, and all evidence indicates that the hotel hasn't functioned as a public building for quite some time.  To the north is, or was, the manager's office.  The main hall continues to the east.
  The wizard is here.  Wizard strides off to the east.  

e
You move east.
Main Floor Hall 
Interesting how some features of the hotel indicate great age, yet others of advanced technology.  The picture window looking south is intact, yet the interior walls have faded paint or little remaining wallpaper valiantly sticking in place.  The carpet should have been worn to nothing, yet is resilient and very easy on the feet.  The hall is "L" shaped with the long part extending east-west, then around the corner to the north.  Directly north of you is an open doorway to the dining hall, and to the west is the foyer. 
  The wizard is here.  Wizard strides off to the north.  

n
You move north.
Dining Hall
Large enough to hold parties of thirty, the hall is set up for only twelve people.  Light streams in from the picture window on the north wall.  The west wall has a pair of swinging doors leading to the kitchen.
Seven wizards are here, talking to each other with animation.  The wizard is here.  

l
The wizard from the village announces, "Ancient one, may I introduce our chief wizard, Brogo"
Brogo turns to face you, and bows his head briefly, the tip of the hat just missing your nose.  He looks at you directly, "How may we assist the ancient one?"


ask brogo about they
"Near the end of the age of the ancient ones, THEY arrived - the needle fell from the sky and pierced the blood of the earth.  All knowledge which should have been banned was attacked.  We keep the transport near the building to demonstrate that such knowledge should not be sought after.  Once the ancients even tried to pursue that knowledge and this place suffered damage.  The politics of old knew that wizards must arise and stop the folly."  Brogo pauses and lifts his head up and clasps his hand against his chest.  "It has been prophesied that an ancient one will protect us from THEY and restore the land to its former glory"


ask brogo about warlocks
Brogo quickly looks around the room, much like a guilty child who tries to hide from mother, then with a voice that belies the words, "They are a renegade group of wizards who use the old knowledge against all prescriptions.  You should not trust them."


ask brogo about temple
Brogo looks at the wizard from the village, "Did you not tell the ancient one about that?"

"I thought that your eminence should explain all, and not my humble self", replied the old man.

"Very well," Brogo states.  "The temple once was an object for superstitious worship long before the ancient ones.  However the ancient ones knew that from there one of their own must come forth to protect us and rescue us from THEY.  It has been our sacred duty to keep desecrators out and await the arrival of you."


ask brogo about ancient ones
"The early politics even in the time of the ancients, tried to keep too much knowledge from the people.  But the ancients kept pursuing beyond the boundaries of what should be known.  Different peoples tried to warn, and prophesied the destruction of the land.  THEY came and stopped the knowledge, but THEY also caused much heartache and suffering - a penance we must endure until we are ready for redemption.  Some ancient ones recognized the need to wait and prepared the present politics as wizards: we who enforce the law and teach what is permissible."

While Brogo was talking, a brown cloaked figure enters the room from the kitchen doors.  A hood covers the head and face, so you can't determine the gender.  The wizards try to act superior, yet you can tell they fear this individual as they make room.  The person selects a chair and swings it from a table to sit near a wall, then sits down in a reclined slouch, hands folded over the waist.


ask brogo about warlocks
Brogo looks out the corner of his eyes at the brown cloaked figure, and with a slight tremor in his voice, "Warlocks have the authority to disseminate knowledge as they see fit."

The cloaked figure puts hands behind its head and briefly chuckles.


ask figure about warlocks
Under the hood you see a smirk as the warlock shakes the head slightly.  The index finger of the right hand raises slightly then drops back to be folded on the waist.  You get the feeling the warlock will talk to you later, but not here.

w
You work your way past the wizards and push through the swinging doors into the kitchen.

Kitchen
Someone is living much better than the villagers!  The commercial gas range and oven are made of gleaming metal.  A dishwasher is giving off steam, a load in the process of being cleaned.  The fridge and freezer are not connected to any power source yet definitely are functional.  Pots and pans hang from the ceiling, along with other cooking utensils.  To the south was the manager's office, to the west are a set of double doors, along the north wall are stairs leading down, and to the east are swinging doors.

The brown cloaked figure follows you into the kitchen.  With a chuckle, she flips her hood back and nods back toward the dining area.

"A bit pretentious, don't you think?" she smiles at you.  "I am certain you have a lot of questions that just receive rhetoric and no clear answer.  Come with me to my room and I'll try to answer your questions the best I can."

She starts leaving the kitchen south, when you ask, "Who are you?"

"I'm one of the warlocks those pompous fools fear, but you can call me M'greet," she replies as she leaves the room.
Warlock saunters out to the south.  

s
You move south.
Office
The office are completely cleaned out of any business furniture.  The only things remaining is a single wooden chair and a small coffee table.  The warlock is casually walking.  Warlock saunters out to the south.  

s
You move south.
Foyer
A solitary couch frame with boards secured where the springs should have been sits in the middle of the room.  Surprisingly, the picture window the couch faces is still intact.  The front desk counter is bare, the room mailboxes are empty, and all evidence indicates that the hotel hasn't functioned as a public building for quite some time.  To the north is, or was, the manager's office.  The main hall continues to the east.
The warlock is casually walking.  Warlock saunters out to the east.  

e
You move east.
Main Floor Hall 
Interesting how some features of the hotel indicate great age, yet others of advanced technology.  The picture window looking south is intact, yet the interior walls have faded paint or little remaining wallpaper valiantly sticking in place.  The carpet should have been worn to nothing, yet is resilient and very easy on the feet.  The hall is "L" shaped with the long part extending east-west, then around the corner to the north.  Directly north of you is an open doorway to the dining hall, and to the west is the foyer. 
The warlock is casually walking.  Warlock saunters out to the east.  

e
You move east.
Main Floor Hall 
You are at the eastern side of the "L" shaped hall with the long part extending east-west.  The hall continues directly north to rooms 11 through 14.  A stairwell near the corner goes up to the second floor.  To the east is room 10.  The warlock is casually walking.  Warlock saunters out to the east.  

e
You move east.
Room 10
Two beds occupy most of the room.  The double bed has been made, while the twin bed is covered with several large canvas bags waiting to be filled with whatever the warlock intends to "distribute".  A large dresser sits between the beds where normally a night stand would.  The open closet is filled with different garments.  The door to the bathroom is locked, and you have no real desire to investigate further.  The single window on the east wall have been covered over with heavy drapes ensuring privacy.
The warlock is seated on the foot of the double bed, her face looking directly at you.  

ask m'greet about they
M'greet stretches out on the bed with her hands behind her head, and looks up at you.  "Ah, a history lesson.  Understand that even though I have been trained for this event, I don't know everything, but I'll explain the best I can.
  "Sometime between your timeframe and before the aliens - THEY as the populace calls them - science had altered the human genome to cure and prevent certain diseases.  You do not have these changes, and was the 'ancients' hope that you will be able to get close enough to the tower without detection.
  "The alien ship came out of nowhere, or so the oral history says, and literally punctured itself into the earth, north of the frozen Ritika continent and west of the southern tip of our continent.  Through the ocean depths, it extends through the crust and into the mantle.  What you see on the horizon is that ship - thousands of kilometers high into space and yet less that a kilometer in diameter.  Within days, traditional electro-magnetic energy devices and weapons were neutralized or attacked.  Exotic energy sources are the only remnants of technology, such as our anti-gravity platforms.  Even those are under strict use and kept from public 'consumption'.
  "The 'ancients' tried all sorts of tricks and technology, but were unable to get close enough to the needle tower, as it is called now.  Even this building suffered with an accident with their research - don't ask me what, that's outside my education."

M'greet sits back up and continues, "Their plans lead to the temple.  They wanted an intelligent person from the past to be able to use the clues they left to build a device to literally cause the alien ship to leave the planet.  I don't understand the technology, but it is up to you to acquire the components to be brought here and assembled before I send you to the tower."


w
As you are about to leave the room, M'greet stands up and raises a hand signaling you to wait.  "Somewhere near the village you came from, hidden in the earth, is a device to make a special part needed to implement the 'ancients' plan.  Use the wizard's anti-gravity platform.  It's voice activated - simply direct it back to the village.  I'll wait for you in the storeroom."
  With her trademark smirk she gives you a slight push out the door.  "I need to set a few other things up here.  Hurry back."

Main Floor Hall 
You are at the eastern side of the "L" shaped hall with the long part extending east-west.  The hall continues directly north to rooms 11 through 14.  A stairwell near the corner goes up to the second floor.  To the east is room 10.  M'greet closes the door behind you and you hear the lock engage.  

w
You move west.
Main Floor Hall 
Interesting how some features of the hotel indicate great age, yet others of advanced technology.  The picture window looking south is intact, yet the interior walls have faded paint or little remaining wallpaper valiantly sticking in place.  The carpet should have been worn to nothing, yet is resilient and very easy on the feet.  The hall is "L" shaped with the long part extending east-west, then around the corner to the north.  Directly north of you is an open doorway to the dining hall, and to the west is the foyer. 


w
You move west.
Foyer
A solitary couch frame with boards secured where the springs should have been sits in the middle of the room.  Surprisingly, the picture window the couch faces is still intact.  The front desk counter is bare, the room mailboxes are empty, and all evidence indicates that the hotel hasn't functioned as a public building for quite some time.  To the north is, or was, the manager's office.  The main hall continues to the east.


w
You move west.
Parking Lot
It was once solid concrete, but now many cracks with wildflowers and weeds cover the ground.  One solitary pickup sits with the hood open near the loading dock at the north end of the lot.  To the east is the hotel itself.


w
You move west.
Anti-Gravity Platform 
The platform is at the far western end of the hotel parking lot.  The lot itself was once solid concrete, but now many cracks with wildflowers and weeds cover the ground.


rise fly to village
Below you is a deep ravine with a river running south, with slight bends and twists.  The Peruvian forests cover the land on either side of the ravine.  Looking at the southern horizon, you see a metallic glint beyond the mountains, occasionally obscured by clouds.  The platform follows the river upstream towards the village.  
Anti-Gravity Platform 
The platform is at the north end of the village.  

s
You move south.
Medieval Village
The ruins you remember are in worse shape and occupied by peasants likened to medieval England.  Tents and shacks are scattered randomly as well as the villagers who are talking - in English!
The villagers are working their fields, and a few wave their hands at you.  

w
You move west.
Communal Dining Hall
Large trees denuded of branches form the main external framing with the walls made of poorly joined wood siding.  Two holes in the roof allow the smoke from the firepits to dissipate without interfering with the occupants.  Several low tables are scattered around the room, where it appears you sit on the ground to eat.


x roast
One of the villager's tending the spit, smiles and offers you to take a piece of meat.  

take meat
You gently tear off a piece of meat.  The villager nods his head as to offer another piece.  

take meat
You gently tear off a piece of meat.  

take meat
You gently tear off a piece of meat.  The villager is starting to frown and you realize you might be getting greedy.  

e
You move east.
Medieval Village
The ruins you remember are in worse shape and occupied by peasants likened to medieval England.  Tents and shacks are scattered randomly as well as the villagers who are talking - in English!
The villagers are working their fields, and a few wave their hands at you.  

x tents
Animal hide and cloth bound by rope form the exterior of the tents the villagers live in.  The shacks are poorly constructed wood buildings, the largest appears to be the communal dining hall to the west.  To the east is a moderate size shack that has symbols painted near the door frame - symbols like on the wizard's robe.  As you look around in more detail, you see a narrow brush-covered trail to the southwest.  

sw
You move southwest.
Mountain Path 
The mountain brush leans over the path, yet is clear enough to indicate that individuals would walk single file along it.  Though the brush is high enough that you cannot see where it winds to, you can see back to the village to the northeast.  The trail bends downward toward the northwest.


nw
You move northwest.
Mountain Path 
The brush covered trail continues to wind downward toward the north.  It bends up to the southeast behind you.  To the south some of the brush is low enough for you to see the horizon - and a metallic glint behind the mountains.


x glint
You are not certain how far away it is, or it's height, but you can barely make out what appears to be a needle-like structure.  An occasional cloud passes before object, so you surmise it might be hundreds of kilometers away.  

n
You move north.
Mountain Path 
The mountain path is decreasing in inclination and you can see it becoming wider, not because of traffic, but the soil is more rocky as it winds northeast.  The trail rises behind you to the south.


ne
You move northeast.
Ravine Overlook
No guard rail protects the novice from leaning too far over and falling into the deep ravine below you northward.  However you believe you could easily climb down with your experience.


d
You move down.
Cliffside 
Directly above you is the overlook.  You easily negotiate the rockface and can reach into your backback if you needed to.
A flash of green-ish light appears to be reflecting off something below you to your left.  Moving a little closer you see it is a green gemstone partially buried in the stone and dirt.  

take green gemstone
You take the green gemstone.  

e
You move east.
Cliffside 
The rock face is fairly easy for you to negotiate along.  The only direction without any hand or foot holds is up.


e
You move east.
Cliffside 
The rock face is fairly easy for you to negotiate along.  However at this location the only accessible direction is to the west.
A flash of greyish light appears to be reflecting off something above you to your left.  Moving a little closer you see it is a grey gemstone partially buried in the stone and dirt.  

take grey gemstone
You take the grey gemstone.  

w
You move west.
Cliffside 
The rock face is fairly easy for you to negotiate along.  The only direction without any hand or foot holds is up.


w
You move west.
Cliffside 
Directly above you is the overlook.  You easily negotiate the rockface and can reach into your backback if you needed to.


w
You move west.
Cliffside 
The rock face is fairly easy for you to negotiate along.  Although you find you cannot proceed any further west or directly up.


d
You move down.
Cliffside 
The rock face is fairly easy for you to negotiate along, but to the west is a large rock outcropping that is impassible.
A flash of light appears to be reflecting off something to your right.  Moving a little closer you see it is a clear gemstone partially buried in the stone and dirt.  

take clear gemstone
You take the clear gemstone.  

e
You move east.
Cliffside 
You proceed quickly and smoothly along the rock face, with all directions traversable.


d
You move down.
Cliffside 
The rockface is starting to increase in steepness and you consider getting ready to use your climbing tools, if you decide to continue downward.  A smooth outcropping blocks you from proceeding east.
A flash of blue-ish light appears to be reflecting off something above you to your rightt.  Moving a little closer you see it is a blue gemstone partially buried in the stone and dirt.  

take blue gemstone
You take the blue gemstone.  

d
You move down.
Cliffside 
Hand holds are harder to find and you consider going back up, but after further examination you think you can rappel down to the next face.    
A flash of yellow-ish light appears to be reflecting off something above you to your left.  Moving a little closer you see it is a yellow gemstone partially buried in the stone and dirt.  

take yellow gemstone
You take the yellow gemstone.  

d
You are not proceeding downward without a secured rope.  

open backpack
You open the backpack.  A climbing rope and some pitons are inside the backpack.  

take piton
You take a piton out of your backpack.  

hit piton with hammer
With a couple quick blows, you secure a piton into the rock face.  

take rope
You take a coil of rope out of your backpack.  

tie rope to piton
You secure the rope to the piton and prepare to rappel down.  

d
With a few quick jumps, you proceed down the rockface to the limits of the rope.  
Cliffside 
The rocks on this wall are larger and more accessable for hand and footholds, in spite the vertical pitch.  Below you can see a small ledge outcropping that you can rest at.  Rappelling down here was easy, but the climb back up will be strenuous.
A flash of brownish light appears to be reflecting off something directly below you.  Moving a little closer you see it is a brown gemstone partially buried in the stone and dirt.  

take brown gemstone
You take the brown gemstone.  

d
You move down.
Small ledge on cliffside
The ledge is large enough for you to sit down and take a breather.  Looking up you see that you've progressed roughly a quarter of the way down toward the ravine.  However the downward path has become a negative angle, too steep for your skill level, especially without assistance.  What is odd is the cave opening on this north face - not too small for you to enter - but the fact that this strata is not where caves are usually found.


s
You move south.
Small cave
In of itself, there is nothing special about it.  A small and narrow tunnel continues up into the rock southward.  An old firepit sits inside near one corner of the cave.
There is a small pile of cloth tucked in a corner of the cave.  

x cloth
Someone had carefully folded this pile of cloth, maybe used as blankets and pillows, however something inside the pile causes it to bulge up instead of lying flat.  

search cloth
The neatly folded cloth disintigrates into a pile of thread-bare patches of cloth.  And a flashlight is revealed from under the stack.  

take flashlight
You take the flashlight.  

s
Small and narrow tunnel 
You can see a little light filtering into the tunnel from the cave you first entered.  Otherwise the tunnel is pitch black.


s
You move south.
Steep and narrow tunnel 
A small ball of light illuminates the steep and narrow tunnel.  To the north, you could proceed back down toward the cave.  The tunnel opens to a larger area to the south, from which you hear dripping water.  A small bend in the tunnel leads up to a very narrow tunnel, possibly a "chimney" vent.


u
You move up.
Small and tight tunnel 
The chimney vent is very tight around you, but the rock is unusually climber friendly.


u
You move up.
Records Room
The chimney vent continues up but far too small for you to enter.  What is astounding is this room - the stone floor has been polished to a smooth glaze, the walls are a steel alloy, and the ceiling is painted white.  Metal file cabinets fill the room and a desk with a keyboard is built into it sits in the middle of the room.


x desk
The desk is a plain four leg table with a keyboard built into the surface.  Further examination of the keyboard shows a small blinking light next to a button labeled "Retrieve"  

press retrieve

   "Wednesday, August seventh, twenty-three oh seven." announces a tired feminine voice.  "We hope that someone human is listening to this message.  In the final days we set up this base for our descendants to prepare for a final assault against the alien intruders.  To summarize, eight months ago the alien craft came driving straight into the earth approximately 875 kilometers west of the Antartica Peninsula and towers over five thousand kilometers into space.  Thankfully it has not affected the earth's rotation, but the aliens are affecting our lives destructively.  What they want, no one has been able to determine, but what they are accomplishing is shutting down all our technology.  There is a growing movement among the population to reject our scientific accomplishments and the politicians have been caving in to public opinion.  The military and many scientists of many nations have banded together to fight in any way possible, but many times our weapons backfired against us.

   "This is the last base that we have been able to maintain some technology, in spite of the proximity of the alien ship.  Scattered in the rock face leading here are several barite crystals - machined and nano-programmed for insertion into the convertor.  The process will form a YBCO variant magneto resonator with an integrated superconductive lattice..."     What the heck is that?     "...which must be coupled into an anti-gravitic power module.  We have been discretely training some people to appear as magicians who will maintain the necessary knowledge how to use this against the aliens.

   "The convertor has been hidden away in a maze in the cavern system.  Politically speaking, you must remain conservative and not liberal to get the correct results.  With this, I must deactivate the computer and power down the interface."

The blinking light next to the "Retrieve" key shuts down and the keyboard starts to fade away.  Another voice delivers a brief message, "Elapsed time from last recording, 310 years, 309 days, 4 hours, 11 minutes."


Well that answered all your questions - Hah!  

d
You move down.
Small and tight tunnel 
The chimney vent is very tight around you, but the rock is unusually climber friendly.


2307...  plus 310... plus 309...  June 13, 2618.  Well, now you know when you are.  

d
You move down.
Steep and narrow tunnel 
A small ball of light illuminates the steep and narrow tunnel.  To the north, you could proceed back down toward the cave.  The tunnel opens to a larger area to the south, from which you hear dripping water.  A small bend in the tunnel leads up to a very narrow tunnel, possibly a "chimney" vent.


Politics?!  What kind of clue is that?  Conservative, liberal?  ...  Blue, red? ...  


s
You move south.
Cathedral Cavern
This cathedral cavern puts all other caves that you've been in to shame.  The colors of the rock formations ripple from the ball of light coming from the flashlight.  Stalactites over 300 feet long suspend over stalagmites pointing up at them.  Pools of water cover the floor, and drain toward an opening to the south.  You feel that if you were to go that direction, you might not be able to get back up - a last resort to leaving the area.  Behind you to the north, is the tunnel leading back up to the outside world.  To the southeast and southwest are two other tunnels.


... Left wing, right ...  wing ...  Ah!  

sw
Winding Caverns 
Stalactites and stalagmites and the columns formed from merged ones make for negotiating the tunnel more difficult.  You came in from the northeast, and openings lead to the southwest and northwest.


nw
Winding Caverns 
Stalactites and stalagmites and the columns formed from merged ones make for negotiating the tunnel more difficult.  You came in from the southeast, and openings lead to the north and northeast.


ne
You move northeast.
Convertor Room
This larger cave appears to be shaped into a rectangular room, but nature seems to have re-shaped is somewhat.  Stalactites and stalagmites are thick on the ceiling and floor.  Metal pipes pass from floor to ceiling and are coated with mineral deposits.  Some pipes from the ground bend over to a large piece of equipment, the likes you've never seen.


x equipment
The machine is old.  Some of the material is simply tarnished, while some parts are rusting.  Mineral deposits from the ceiling are starting to form stalagmites on the top surface.  There is a small status panel on the side of the machine that is still operational.  The machine is closed.  

read panel
STANDBY  

open machine
The machine is now opened.  

put all gemstones in machine
You place all the gemstones you've found into the machine.  

close machine

The machine hums with power, and the accumulated mineral deposits flake off onto the floor.  

wait
Time passes...

A base thrum passes from the machine through the floor pipes, and the machine goes silent.


open machine
The machine is now opened.  

x machine
The machine is old.  Some of the material is simply tarnished, while some parts are rusting.  The small status panel on the side of the machine has gone dark.  The machine is open.  A YBCO object is inside the machine.  

take ybco object
You take the YBCO object from the machine.  

sw
Winding Caverns 
Stalactites and stalagmites and the columns formed from merged ones make for negotiating the tunnel more difficult.  You came in from the northeast, and openings lead to the southeast and north.


se
Winding Caverns 
Stalactites and stalagmites and the columns formed from merged ones make for negotiating the tunnel more difficult.  You came in from the northwest, and openings lead to the northeast and southwest.


ne
You move northeast.
Cathedral Cavern
This cathedral cavern puts all other caves that you've been in to shame.  The colors of the rock formations ripple from the ball of light coming from the flashlight.  Stalactites over 300 feet long suspend over stalagmites pointing up at them.  Pools of water cover the floor, and drain toward an opening to the south.  You feel that if you were to go that direction, you might not be able to get back up - a last resort to leaving the area.  Behind you to the north, is the tunnel leading back up to the outside world.  To the southeast and southwest are two other tunnels.


s
You move south.
Water overflow slide
The stone floor has been worn to a glass-like surface and with the water flowing rapidly below your feet it immediately feels like ice.  So much so you slip and fall - like a giant amusement park slide, you glide along the floor, proceeding at a rapid rate through twists and turns, bumps and dips.  For the moment, you have managed to regain control of your descent and come to a stop somewhere in the depths of this drain tube.    The tunnel extends downward toward the northwest.


nw
You move northwest.
Slide pool
Water from the drain tube accumulates into a pool of water about waist deep, which flows out north into a river.  There is enough stone not eroded partially surrounding the pool which you can walk on.    Thankfully you were able to avoid falling into the pool.
  A canoe is partly in the water.  

move canoe into water
The canoe is floating in the water.  

enter canoe
You sit in the canoe, which displaces only slightly more into the water.  

n
With a few short strokes of the paddle, you glide out of the cave into the river.

Ravine River 
Both the north and south cliffs of the ravine are unclimbable.  Some vegetation lines the very narrow river banks.  Directly south is the cave that brought you to the river.  Upstream is heavy with boulders blocking passage west.  The river is moving slowly eastward, bending slightly to the south further downstream.  You could drift down, but would be very time consuming.


e
A few strokes of the paddle pushes the canoe faster down the river.

Ravine River 
The river performs a gradual bend from west to south.  The cliffs of the ravine are unclimbable.  The narrow river banks have some vegetation, with an occasional burst of color from blooming plants.  The river is moving slowly allowing you to drift down, however you don't want to move that slow.  

s
A few strokes of the paddle pushes the canoe faster down the river, with most of the strokes on the port side as the river bends south.

Ravine River 
The ravine slightly widens and a rocky beach on the eastern side is wide enough for the occasional river wake to lap only a small portion of the sand.  The river twists slightly in different directions, but overall continues to drift south, however you don't want to move that slow.  Some catfish were lingering on the river bed, when the shadow of the canoe causes them to swim away.


s
You paddle a little bit faster down this stretch of the river.


Ravine River 
The river slightly widens and you see a dilapidated hotel approaching on the east.  Tucked under a concrete wall is a boat dock.  Further south the river drops several meters down a waterfall.  

e
A couple strokes brings you right next to the dock.

Boat Dock
A solitary dock extends into the river.  It is sheltered by a concrete wall and ceiling.  The dock connects to a door in the east wall.


exit canoe
You leave the canoe, which floats nearby the dock.  

e
You move east.
Store Room
The area near the door to the west is fairly barren, however the south and east walls are covered with shelving.  In the northeast corner of the room are stairs leading up.
Several metal boxes sit on the middle of the floor.  The warlock is sitting crosslegged on the floor near the metal boxes.  

give ybco object to warlock
"Good.  The YBCOVMR," she enunciates each letter.  The warlock is seated cross-legged on the floor, then opens the boxes with her keycard and examines the contents, looks at the YBCO object, then back in the box.  She reaches for a bundle of papers, flips through them, then looks at you.

You look back at her.

The warlock, staring at you sighs, "Here, you read this and tell me what to do."

Flipping to what appears to be the assembly instructions, you start reading, "Locate the quantum phase discriminator and connect to the polarized end of the YBCO variant magneto resonator.  Ensure the subharmonic amplifier is turned off, then attach to the discriminator.  The quantum amplifier installs on the other end of the resonator, neutrino coupler opposite of the subharmonic amplifier."  You continue reading with a blank look on your face, mirrored in the warlock's.  "Do not connect the anti-gravitic power module until ready to activate." is underlined and in bold text at the bottom of the instructions.

"My training did not include how to put this together, or what all these parts are", she admits.  She sets aside one piece and says, "I know that this is the power module - hang on to it and, well, you'll know when to use it."  Together you manage to assemble, through trial and error, something you call the UNIT.

You stand up and reach out to give M'greet a hand up.  She grabs your hand firmly, "Thanks!", her smirk back in place.  Slapping the dust from her backside, she says, "Better put the parts in your sack, it'll be easier to carry.  Follow me, we need to send you on your way to the aliens' ship."
She looks at your clothing, "You won't survive with that.  Get a suit and meet me in the conference room."  Warlock saunters out to above.  

u
You move up.
Kitchen
Someone is living much better than the villagers!  The commercial gas range and oven are made of gleaming metal.  A dishwasher is giving off steam, a load in the process of being cleaned.  The fridge and freezer are not connected to any power source yet definitely are functional.  Pots and pans hang from the ceiling, along with other cooking utensils.  To the south was the manager's office, to the west are a set of double doors, along the north wall are stairs leading down, and to the east are swinging doors.
The warlock is casually walking.  Warlock saunters out to the south.  

s
You move south.
Office
The office are completely cleaned out of any business furniture.  The only things remaining is a single wooden chair and a small coffee table.  The warlock is casually walking.  Warlock saunters out to the south.  

s
You move south.
Foyer
A solitary couch frame with boards secured where the springs should have been sits in the middle of the room.  Surprisingly, the picture window the couch faces is still intact.  The front desk counter is bare, the room mailboxes are empty, and all evidence indicates that the hotel hasn't functioned as a public building for quite some time.  To the north is, or was, the manager's office.  The main hall continues to the east.
The warlock is casually walking.  Warlock saunters out to the east.  

e
You move east.
Main Floor Hall 
Interesting how some features of the hotel indicate great age, yet others of advanced technology.  The picture window looking south is intact, yet the interior walls have faded paint or little remaining wallpaper valiantly sticking in place.  The carpet should have been worn to nothing, yet is resilient and very easy on the feet.  The hall is "L" shaped with the long part extending east-west, then around the corner to the north.  Directly north of you is an open doorway to the dining hall, and to the west is the foyer. 
The warlock is casually walking.  Warlock saunters out to the east.  

e
You move east.
Main Floor Hall 
You are at the eastern side of the "L" shaped hall with the long part extending east-west.  The hall continues directly north to rooms 11 through 14.  A stairwell near the corner goes up to the second floor.  To the east is room 10.  The warlock is casually walking.  Warlock saunters out to above.  

u
You move up.
Second Floor Hall 
You are at the eastern side of the "L" shaped hall with the long part extending east-west.  The hall continues directly north to rooms 21 through 24.  A stairwell near the corner goes down to the main floor.  To the east is room 20.
The warlock is casually walking.  Warlock saunters out to the west.  

n
You move north.
Second Floor Hall 
The hall continues north-south, with room 21 to the west, and room 22 to the east.

open room 21 door
You open the room 21 door.  

w
You move west.
Room 21
Two double beds occupy most of the room.  A night stand sits between the beds.  The closet is open with several different silvery-white garments hanging up.  The door to the bathroom was removed, however there are no fixtures in the room, just drain holes.  Except for the missing toilet facilities, it looks much like a typical hotel room.
Searching among the suits you find one that looks like it would fit you.  

take suit
You select a suit that looks about your size.  

wear suit
After removing your backpack and belt, you put the suit on over your clothes.  Within seconds the most comfortable temperature and humidity brush against your body.  The suit provides no obstruction to your placing the backpack and belt back on.  

e
You move east.
Second Floor Hall 
The hall continues north-south, with room 21 to the west, and room 22 to the east.



s
You move south.
Second Floor Hall 
You are at the eastern side of the "L" shaped hall with the long part extending east-west.  The hall continues directly north to rooms 21 through 24.  A stairwell near the corner goes down to the main floor.  To the east is room 20.


w
You move west.
Second Floor Hall 
The second floor hall is "L" shaped with the long part extending east-west, then around the corner to the north.  The north side of the main corridor where you are at has an open doorway to a conference room.  To the south between the windows is a door to the deck.  

n
You move north.
Conference Room
Most of the north wall and the northern part of the east and west walls are missing and open to the air along with about a third of the ceiling.  Otherwise the room is empty.  Except for an object you can only guess as a capsule.
The warlock is crouched near the open capsule.  

l
The warlock kneels down by the capsule and somehow triggers it to open up.  "This unit is gravitic, like the platform is, but designed for very fast travel.  You will arrive very close to the alien ship.  Hopefully you'll be able find access and install the device.  Hightail it out of there as fast as possible, wouldn't want you to be launched as well."


put unit in backpack
You put the unit inside the backpack.  

put power module in backpack
You put the power module inside the backpack.  

put backpack in capsule
You put the backpack inside the capsule.  

lie on capsule
After you lay down inside the capsule, the warlock closes it.  The display in front of your face turns on, showing a three dimensional view of the capsule and the room around you.  "Levitation active," states a voice near your ears.  You feel no weight change and the capsule raises above the hotel through the hole in the roof.  "Drive active, mach six in five seconds", intones the voice.

Over a period of about an hour you watch the holographic image of the ground racing below you, maybe less that a hundred meters.  Quickly you race over the ocean as you rapidly approach the towering ship.  "Descent active," the voice intones.  As the capsule opens up, the voice states, "Re-entry will activate the return trip."

Alien Mound
The ground around you is several meters above the ocean.  If not for the special suit, you'd be freezing your tail off as you can see Antarctica from here.  Normally you would call this rocky terrain, but further examination make it seem almost wooden in texture.  Where the capsule landed is probably the smoothest spot around.  To the east is the tower, about five hundred meters to where you will seriously start to climb instead of walking.  

take backpack
You take the backpack from the capsule.  

wear backpack
You put on the backpack.  

e
(Getting off the capsule first)
You move east.
Base of Climb
You realize that the ground isn't rock but a root system, making the aliens plant-like.  Looking up at the climb you see several grip locations, however you will need to break out your tools to get started.  You don't look up too long since the metal surface towering thousands of kilometers above gives even you vertigo.  

eat meat
You chew on the meat, savoring the flavor and feeling rejuvinated.  

u
You'll need to start the climb up with a piton.  

take piton
You take a piton out of your backpack.  

hit piton with hammer
With a couple quick blows, you secure a piton into the wood.  

u
The climb is slow as you search for hand and foot holds.  Three additional times you need to pull out a piton to assist in the climb.  
Mid-Point
About fifteen minutes of climbing and spiking pitons to get halfway up.  You look down about fifty meters.  

take rope
You take a coil of rope out of your backpack.  

tie rope to piton
You secure a rope to a piton near you.  

take piton
You take a piton out of your backpack.  

hit piton with hammer
With a couple quick blows, you secure a piton into the wood.  

u
The climb is slow as you search for hand and foot holds.  Again it take three additional pitons to assist in the climb.  
Against Hull
You are now over a hundred meters above the ground.  One of the main tap roots emerges from a circular opening in the hull.  Coming from the opening is an odor like a composter.  

in
You move in.
Inside - Below Controls
The hull was very thin to what you thought it should be.  Whatever the aliens intended must have failed.  You believe that they were killed slowly by insects as spider webs fill much of the area.  A mere twenty meters above you is the only sign of any active controls, still requiring a steep climb.  You don't dwell too much on the thought that you have been hammering into an alien being.  

take piton
You take a piton out of your backpack.  

hit piton with hammer
With a couple quick blows, you secure a piton into the wood.  

u
The climb is slow as you search for hand and foot holds.  With the dead "branches", it only takes your last two pitons.  
Control Area
Various shades of green and blue lights flash along the metal surface nearest you.  Still towering above you, possibly the full length of the ship, is the "trunk" of the alien.  The branches may have been it's appendages, but they show signs of rot.  

eat meat
You chew on the meat, savoring the flavor and feeling rejuvinated.  

take rope
You take a coil of rope out of your backpack.  

tie rope to piton
You secure a rope to a piton near you.  

put power module into unit
The two pieces fit snugly together into one assembled unit.  

turn on assembled unit
The assembled unit rips out of your hands and attaches itself above you to the metal surface.  A voice echos from the device, "Lanamento em dez minutos."  You don't know the language, but decide to leave fast!

rappel d
You proceed down the rope with large leaps as fast as you dare.  
Inside - Below Controls
The hull was very thin to what you thought it should be.  Whatever the aliens intended must have failed.  You believe that they were killed slowly by insects as spider webs fill much of the area.  A mere twenty meters above you is the only sign of any active controls, still requiring a steep climb.  You don't dwell too much on the thought that you have been hammering into an alien being.  A nylon rope is securely tied to a piton.   Echoing in the room, the device recites "oito minutos".

pull rope
You pull on the release rope, and coil it back up to return it to the backpack.  "Seis minutos"

out
You move out.
Against Hull
You are now over a hundred meters above the ground.  One of the main tap roots emerges from a circular opening in the hull.  Coming from the opening is an odor like a composter.  

tie rope to piton
You secure a rope to a piton near you.  

rappel down
You proceed down the rope with large leaps as fast as you dare.  
Mid-Point
About fifteen minutes of climbing and spiking pitons to get halfway up.  You look down about fifty meters.  A nylon rope is securely tied to a piton.   

rappel down
You proceed down the rope with large leaps as fast as you dare.  
Base of Climb
You realize that the ground isn't rock but a root system, making the aliens plant-like.  Looking up at the climb you see several grip locations, however you will need to break out your tools to get started.  You don't look up too long since the metal surface towering thousands of kilometers above gives even you vertigo.  A nylon rope is securely tied to a piton.   

w
You reach the base of the mound and run like a bat out of hell to the capsule.  
Alien Mound
The ground around you is several meters above the ocean.  If not for the special suit, you'd be freezing your tail off as you can see Antarctica from here.  Normally you would call this rocky terrain, but further examination make it seem almost wooden in texture.  Where the capsule landed is probably the smoothest spot around.  To the east is the tower, about five hundred meters to where you will seriously start to climb instead of walking.  Also here is a capsule.  

put backpack in capsule
You put the backpack inside the capsule.  

lie on capsule
The capsule automatically closes as you lay down inside the capsule.  The display in front of your face turns on, showing a three dimensional view of the capsule and the land near the alien ship.  "Levitation active," states the voice as it rises about a hundred meters.  "Drive active, mach six in five seconds", intones the voice.

Over a period of about an hour you watch the holographic image of the ground racing below you, as you return to the hotel.  "Descent active," the voice intones.  As the capsule opens up, the warlock states, "Welcome home".

M'greet gives a big grin and slaps you on the back.  "It's great to have that threat final gone.  I hope you'll help me re-introduce the knowledge of the past!"  You look up in the sky and see a final glitter of light as the ship vacates the atmosphere heading back into space.  

You scored 16 out of the maximum 16!
That is 100% of the game!
Well done - you scored maximum points!

[Press any key to end]