: STAR PORTAL
; Game and Text Copyright 1988 by Michael Detlefsen

MESSAGE 1
You don the Envirosuit and seal the helmet.
END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 2
You unseal the helmet and remove the Envirosuit.
END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 3
You thumb the switch and a powerful beam of light illuminates the area.
END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 4
You toggle the switch to turn the Perma-Charge off.
END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 5
You $VERB$ tunelessly for a few moments, then lose interest.
END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 6
You can't breathe the atmosphere here!  You'd better do something quick!

END_MESSAGE

message 7
You are in a vacuum and you are not wearing your Envirosuit!  You are going
to die unless you do something quick!

END_MESSAGE

message 8
The lever disappears from beneath your hand and is once again parallel to the
floor.  You notice this curious fact only for an instant, as you realize that
the atmosphere seems to consist of some highly corrosive gas, which has just
eaten your lungs away!  Your adventure is at an end.  Better luck (or maybe
judgement) next time........

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 9
The lever disappears from beneath your hand and is once again parallel to the
floor.  Nothing seems to have happened.  You briefly consider the possibility
that the portal is now non-functional, but discard that notion due to the
continued secrecy concerning the artifact.  Disappointed, you turn to exit the
booth.

You freeze!  The large room has disappeared, replaced with a grey blankness!
Cautiously you move to the booth entrance and look out.  You still see nothing
but the greyness until you look down and see the sheer cliff extending down to
disappear into the haze.  It is clear that there is no way to get out of the
doorway, for the cliff begins less than a centimeter from the edge of the
exit.  And it doesn't look as though there is anywhere to go.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 10
The unbreathable gas has overcome you!  You gasp for a few more seconds, then
everything goes dark.....

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 11
You have suffocated!  You need to bring something to breathe next time.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 12
You can't breathe!  You'd better do something quickly!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 13
Your suit air-tester light (ATD) is a reassuring green.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 14
You suit air-tester light (ATD) is flashing red.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 15
You are floating in interstellar void.  Nice going.  Since you don't have 
any means of propulsion, you keep drifting for quite some time.  Six thousand
years later, you are pulled into the gravity well of a small planet.  You make
an attractive streak across the sky when you burn up in the atmosphere.  The 
natives take the event as an omen, and ban the twirking of varnits on gatrh-
day.  You should feel ashamed.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 16
You are falling at an accelerating rate towards what you imagine to be the
surface of the planet, although you cannot see it.  Nothing happens for quite
some time, until you hit the surface. 

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 17
You take a good grip on several of the bones of the alien skeleton, and manage
to shift it slightly.  It moves enough to bring an object into view.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 18
You bend over and lift the rock, mumbling under your breath about bringing a
fork lift next time.  

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 19
You try to swim down, but the you can't force yourself more than a foot below
the surface before you pop back up.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 20
You let go of the rock and promptly zoom to the surface.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 21
You let go of the rock and zoom up until you hit the ceiling.  You reflect a
moment, realizing that this is not the brightest moment of your life.  You feel
a wetness spreading across your body and you find your suit has been sliced
open by the sharp rocks on the ceiling.  It takes about six minutes to drown.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 22
You pick and browse among the items in the rubble, and come up with a crumbl-
ing pack.  The straps have torn ends, and match the similar ones on the alien
skeleton.  You come to the not unreasonable conclusion that this pack belonged
to the dead being.  The pack disintegrates as you lift it, and a rope falls
out.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 23
You hear a voice coming from the panel.  It says "?".

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 24
The panel speaks again. "??!"  It's a bit more insistent this time.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 25
A klaxon goes off in your ear, sending you a meter into the air, and making
you drop everything you were carrying.  The whole ship shakes.

After several seconds, you are forced to the floor by sudden acceleration.
After a bit, the g forces slack off, but remain much higher than you are used
to and you climb awkwardly to your feet.  You look out the now active view-
screen and see rapidly thinning atmosphere, which gradually turns to a star-
field.  Your hearing begins to return.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 26
You jump back as a door silently opens.  Lights begin to glow within the
craft, but you can't see any details from here.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 27
You cautiously enter the small craft, through the double doors of the airlock,
You turn quickly as the doors quietly close you in.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 28
You touch the device to the circle, and the double door hisses open.  You see
shrubbery outside.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 29
You take a step forward, and as you fall into the star, you realize that your
first guess was correct!  It takes only a few seconds for you to burn to a
crisp.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 30
You take a deep breath and scream as loud as you can.

"YOW.  AEIIEGH!  HIEEEEYAH!"

The alligator-thing leaps about six centimeters straight up in the air 
(the best he can do), and disappears into the nether regions of the swamp.  
You can hear splashing noises of the retreat for quite a while.

You jump back in surprise as a small creature falls out the tree that the 
alligator-thing was under.  It climbs to its feet in the muck, shakes itself
violently several times, turns around twice, and comes over to you and licks
your hand.
 
END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 31
You touch the shape and the panel says "!".   The starfield moves rapidly, and
a spacecraft appears on the viewscreen.  It becomes larger, and then fills the
screen entirely.  You hear a subdued clanging noise, and the pulsing shape
dims and then disappears.  The double door of the airlock opens.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 32
It's just your ordinary, mysterious alien circle.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 33
You manage to heave the rock far enough to squish the white thing!  You take a
look and shift your gaze to let your stomach settle down a bit.  There is white
ick over quite bit of the surrounding area.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 34
The white thing advances nervously in your direction.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 35
The white thing starts waving sharp mandibles at you, and it begins to make
growling noises!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 36
The White thing jumps on you and hacks and slashes you to the size pieces just
right for white thing mouths!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 37
You touch the flashing shape.  Nothing happens for several minutes, then the
top of the box lifts up and folds away behind the box.  Within the box lies a
creature that looks amazingly like a large squirrel.  It would mass about
35 kilograms.

You jump back in alarm as a whisker twitches!  The eyelids snap open and the
creature regards you with great interest. 

"You're back," it says.  Then with a closer look, "You aren't Merrivale, you're
a new one!"

It crawls out of the box, becoming more steady as it stretches.  It glances at
a bank of lights, turns to you and says, "Where's the Pilot?".  At your 
puzzlement, the creature dashes from the room.  Through the doorway you can
see him opening the door across the hall and disappearing into the other room.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 38
You find the newly-awakened being frantically studying the various instruments
in the control room.  He is chattering to himself in what is apparently his
native tongue.  He sounds upset.

He turns to you and says, "We must get out now!  The orbit of this ship is so
low that there isn't much time!  I've been in deep-sleep much longer than I
should have, something must have happened to the Pilot."

He runs past you and disappears down the passageway.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 39
The being is closely examining the command panel, mumbling to himself.  He
looks up as you come in.

"I don't suppose you know how to run one of these things, do you?"

At your negative response, he looks back at the panel and shrugs, then stabs
a digit at several of the shapes.  The small craft lurches, and through the
viewport you see the larger craft shrinking rapidly and finally disappearing.

The creature turns to you and says, "My name is Daar Thercek.  At least that is
as close to my name as Merrivale could come; he never learned to speak *my*
language.  Higher frequencies, you know.  We should know in a few moments if we
will be able to slow down enough to avoid burning up in the atmosphere."

He settles down to watch the panel.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 40
You feel the ship getting warmer and warmer, and the gravity starts
fluctuating wildly.  The ship's systems are starting to go!

The lights go out!

The ship begins tumbling out of control, and you are thrown about the
interior.  You lose conciousness and are battered to death as the ship is
consumed in a blazing entry into the planet's atmosphere.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 41
"I'm a passenger on that ship.  My, ummm, profession, you would call it, is a
collector of information.  My race is known for its curiosity.  I was in deep-
sleep waiting for the next destination."

He looks at you.  "My profound thanks for being in the right place at the
right time."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 42
Daar looks at you.  "Merrivale.  Yes, well he is another of your kind.  We met
quite some time ago on the forest planet.  He stayed for a while and I learned
many new things from him, including his language, since he could not make the
right sounds to speak mine.  After a time, he grew restless and left through
the Portal.  This was many of your years ago."  

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 43
Daar considers.  "He was on the ship when I went into deep-sleep."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 44
He looks at the device.  "This is from the ship.  The Pilot always carried
it.  It controls the doors of the shuttlecraft."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 45
The command panel chirps several times, and Daar look anxiously at several of
the indicators.

"We made it!  We will be landing shortly at the last destination that was 
programmed by the Pilot.  I haven't the expertise to change any of the co-
ordinates."

Several minutes later you feel a slight jar as the craft grounds, and all the
systems shut down.  Daar opens a panel in one wall and removes an environmental
suit much like your own, and procedes to put it on.

The double doors of the airlock open.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 46
Daar takes one look and says, "No thanks, I can't swim.  You'll have to do
this one on your own."  He proceeds to start looking around the room.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 47
Daar looks at the skeleton and says, "Yes, that is the Pilot.  It looks like
it has been dead quite some time."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 48
You can't see anything more than light reflecting from some small metallic
surface in the distance to the west (on the other side of the quicksand).

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 49
You have sunk about three meters into the quicksand.  At this point, you lose
interest in following the process any further.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 50
You manage to force the battery into the almost too-small space.  The alien
device vibrates for a moment in your hand, and then is still.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 51
You pry the battery out of the end of the device.  The purple area gives a 
weak flash, then colors fade from within the circles.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 52
The red-colored area on the alien device is pulsing at rate of once every four
seconds or so.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 53
The red-colored area on the alien device is pulsing at rate of once every two
seconds or so.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 54
The red-colored area on the alien device is pulsing about once a second.

END_MESSAGE
 
MESSAGE 55
The red-colored area on the alien device is pulsing several times a second.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 56
The red-colored area on the alien device is blinking frantically.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 57
You try to force your way to the north through the high jungle-like plants,
and find that they won't budge.  Strange.  There seems to be a lot of static
electricity here, also.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 58
You start to move toward the north.  The device in your hand emits several 
loud chirps. You hear a faint humming sound replying from the thick, high 
shrubs to the north.  The shrubbery quivers a bit as the force field 
disappears.  You push your way through to the north.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 59
Daar looks dubiously at the area to the west.

"I think I'll pass on this one.  But you go right ahead."

He climbs onto a handy tree branch and waits.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 60
Odie looks to the west, climbs onto the one dry spot, turns around three
times, sits down, and watches you.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 61
Daar runs around and finds a long branch that can be broken off. He holds it
out for you to grab.  Fortunately, it is long enough.  After several minutes 
of effort, you are back on the relatively safe edge of the quicksand.  You
watch the branch being sucked under the quicksand and feel lucky it isn't you.

END_MESSAGE 

MESSAGE 62
You look at the only large tree you can get to, and see that it is much too
small for you to climb.  All the large ones are out of reach.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 63
Daar grabs one end of the the rope, climbs up the thin tree, crosses to a 
larger one, ties the end securely to a large branch.  He then returns to the
ground and watches you with interest.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 64
You take a firm grip on the end of the rope, take a deep breath, and launch
yourself across the quicksand.  After a dizzying swing, you reach the opposite
side of the quicksand bog.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 65
You take a firm grip on the end of the rope, take a deep breath, and launch
yourself across the quicksand.  After a dizzying swing, you reach the opposite
side of the quicksand bog.

Daar excitedly jumps up and down several times, then runs up the tree and 
reclaims the rope.  As he climbs down, he slips on one of the branches.  It
breaks off and hits Odie smartly on the head as it falls to the ground.   Daar
manages to keep himself from plummeting to certain injury, and returns to
safety.

Odie rubs his head.
Daar gives Odie an apologetic grin.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 66
You sit watching Odie splashing around the edges of the quicksand with his
big feet.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 67
Odie looks at you in disbelief, backs up and sits down firmly.  You guess he's
not going with you.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 68
The gun makes a strangled buzzing noise, spits a few small sparks, and a cloud
of green smoke erupts from the barrel.  You decide not to rely on the Saturday
morning cartoon shows anymore.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 69
You press the fire button, but nothing happens.
(Maybe if you put the power pack back in?)

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 70
You are surprised by a group of vaguely lizard-like beings, busily grabbing
everything in sight and stuffing the things into large boxes.  They freeze for
a moment and then make gobbling noises to each other.  Several of them start
towards you.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 71
Several of the aliens coming towards you start to unfold large nets.  Guess
what they are for.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 72
The lizard beings throw the nets over you!  You are caught!  They drag you
out to the center of the street dump you on the pavement.  A few minutes later
a hovercraft vehicle whooses down the way and you are loaded on board with the
rest of the booty.  A ten minute trip across the sand dunes gets you to a
spaceship, where you are hustled aboard and confined to a cage.

You sit pondering your fate, and remember the words of Lt. Kosei: 

"A doorway to the stars, but who would use it?"

Who, indeed?  These beings don't seem to use it, else why the spaceship?  From
your observations thus far, these creatures seem to be scavengers, and not the
beings who made or even used the Portals.

You have a lot of time to think before you are taken from your cage, carried 
off the ship and installed in a much larger cage, where thousands of lizard
beings come to see you in the years to come.

For you, the adventure is over.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 73
You see the reptilian creatures milling around the door, unable to get in.
They are probably still making gobbling noises, but the door is soundproof,
and you hear nothing.  They are shaking their claws at you, and kicking the
door.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 74
You run though the doorway, with the lizards only a few paces behind you.
A transparent door glides across the entrance, stopping the reptiles.  You
watch nervously for a few minutes until you see that the door stays closed.

You sit down to rest a few minutes.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 75
You look at the lizards banging on the door and decide now is not the time
to make a break for it.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 76
Another lizard being runs up from down the street, and jabbers at the rest,
amid much arm waving.  An argument seems to ensue for several minutes, then
one of the creatures kicks the door a last time, and they all depart to the
west.  You look through the door,  and down the block they are busily load-
ing the last of a stack of cartons on a hovercraft.

All the lizards pile on board the craft and it leaves violently enough to
dislodge one of the cartons.  The craft doesn't return to retrieve it, but
streaks off into the desert at a high rate of speed.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 77
You enter the room and a transparent door glides silently closed.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 78
You walk towards the transparent door, and it glides silently open.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 79
You hear a faint roaring sound from out in the desert.  You look out over the
sand-locked buildings and see a trail of light ascending the sky.  You pause
and give thought to what kind of being would prefer to avoid the challenge of
the Portals, and confine themselves to crawling between the stars in a metal
can, pawing through the discarded rubbish of another race.

You turn and enter the Portal.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 80
Daar looks at you and says, "I can't help you with that."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 81
Daar is so busy examining the surroundings that he doesn't hear you.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 82
Daar looks at you with a twinkle in his beady little eyes and remarks, "If I
told you everything, what kind of a challenge would your adventure be?"

END_MESSAGE
 
MESSAGE 83
Odie looks blankly at you and replies, "Arf."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 84
Odie's reply is to turn around three times and take a nap.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 85
He rushes over and licks your hand.  (Ugh).

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 86
Odie looks around, blinks several times, and a bluish spherical force field 
materializes around him. 

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 87
Odie hiccups several times, and the force field blinks out.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 88
You take a closer look at the flashlight.  It hasn't changed much from the
last time you looked.  It is presently turned on.  If you keep looking into the
bright end like this, you'll burn out your eyeballs.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 89
You see a lot of random trash here.  If you were a fire marshall, you would
condemn this joint.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 90
You pick up the trash.  It might come in handy if you want to wanted to make 
your neighbors move (if you had any, that is).

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 91
The lizards come to a sudden halt as you enter the Portal.  It seems that 
they won't come near the thing.  They hiss and gobble in frustration, then 
settle down to watch you.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 92
A close look at the ice wall reveals a small opening near the bottom, where 
the ice has not quite closed the gap to the floor.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 93
You shine the light into the opening.  The wall doesn't seem to be extremely
thick, but thick enough so that you couldn't kick it down.  There is what
looks to be a room on the other side, and you see a vague hint of a shape in
there, too far from the narrow opening to make out any details.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 94
There is a snowstorm in progress.  It doesn't prevent you from travel, but the 
light is not very bright, as the sun is obscured.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 95
The snowstorm has stopped.  There are still some snowflakes falling, but the
sun has come out.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 96
You try to light the wood by focusing the solar rays on it with the contact
lens, but the sun is not bright enough.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 97
You focus the rays of the sun on the wood, and after a few moments you see a
wisp of smoke, then it bursts into flame.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 98
The trash ignites and burns with a fierce heat, melting a part of the ice
wall.  The fire consumes the trash and the branch, leaving only a few ashes
on the floor.  There is now a much larger opening in the wall, big enough to 
crawl through.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 99
The rubbish won't ignite.  Maybe you need an actual flame to do the job.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 100
Here's a free clue: You'd better drop the stuff before you try to burn it.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 101
You and your companion set off to further explore the Universe, and to find 
the Builders of the Portals.  You may also find Henry Merrivale, the elusive 
star-adventurer who has preceeded you.  And maybe see Odie again!

Good Luck! 

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 102
You wander around in the ruins a bit, but find nothing interesting, so you
go back out into the street.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 103
There is absolutely nothing out there anyone could be interested in, unless 
you crave flat, dusty, featureless, lifeless, and boring adventures.  And you
would end up right back here anyway.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 104
You survey the area again, before you step into the booth.  You remember what
this place reminds you of.  It resembles (although on a grander scale) all of
those temporary camps from which exploratory probes were made on some of your
expeditions on Earth.  You imagine they looked a lot like this after they were
abandoned.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 105
The tree branch is not dry enough to burn.  Sorry.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 106
You see a burst of steam from the tree branch you are carrying.  The heat has
boiled the moisture from the wood!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 107
The rock hits the ice wall without doing any damage whatsoever.  You could 
likely do this for the next three weeks without much in the way of results.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 108
You enter the pool.  It's deep enough so that your light doesn't reach bottom.
The rock has given you a more or less neutral bouyancy.  You could probably
go down now.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 109
The door seems to be firmly attached to the rest of the building, and it
doesn't budge.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 110
You take a closer look at the lens and decide that the scratches aren't all 
that bad.  You could wear it (for whatever strange reason) for a short while.
You insert the lens in your eye.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 111
Daar looks at Odie and says, "Looks like a normal, warm-blooded mammal of a
type found on many planets."  He takes a closer look and says in a puzzled
tone "This one, however,....".  His voice trails off and his eyes glaze over
momentarily.  He blinks several times and continues, "seems more stupid than
most."

Odie stops staring at Daar and resumes his wandering.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 112
He thinks for a moment.

"Probably harmless."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 113
There is not enough light here to set the branch on fire.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 114
The burning wood was extinguished by the lack of oxygen!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 115
"They are a great mystery to all of the life-forms I have talked to.  By 
visiting many worlds, I have managed to make a few educated guesses based on 
artifacts and legends."

"The Portal Builders were, or are, an ancient race that explored this galaxy
by means of the transmitters (if that is the way they work) alone.  There is
no evidence that they had spaceflight of any kind.  There aren't any clues to
indicate if they still exist, or where they may have come from.  I have had
the good fortune to talk with two Portal travellers other than Merrivale, and 
the evidence seems to be that the Portals are not entirely random."
 
END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 116
You move the skeleton again.  It's a novel form of exercise, because that's
all it accomplishes.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 117
You search the rubble again, and find rubble.  Surprise!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 118
You lose conciousness as you slide beneath the surface of the quicksand.

You are quite surprised to awaken some time later, on the edge of the quick-
sand.  Looking around, you find no apparent explanation for your survival.  
Odie is sitting a short distance away regarding you with in a bored fashion.
Apparently this isn't as fun as watching you thrash about in the quicksand.
He yawns.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 119
You are not one of the galaxy's brightest stars, intellectually speaking.
Not content with escaping death by mysterious means, you actually walked right
into the quicksand again!  I give up.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 120
Daar looks at the markings, pulls a well-used book from within his suit, flips
through pages for a few moments, scratches his head, and says, "Well, I'm not
very well versed in this rare dialect, but it seems to say: 'The creature that
pulls the farming implement is not very fast, but the dirt can afford to wait.'" 

He frowns.  "Does that mean anything to you?" 

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 121
You don't have a permit.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 122
You startle a small lizard.  He sticks out his tongue at you, runs across the
ground, and with a flurry of loose dirt disappears to the east between two of 
the larger examples of paperweights to be found in the area.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 123
You begin to dig, attacking the soft ground with vigor.  The alien shovel has a
nice balance to it, and you make rapid progress.  In no time at all, you have
excavated a passage eastward between the two large rocks.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 124
You hear a scratching noise and look up to see the lizard staring at you from
the top of one of the boulders.  He sticks out his tongue, winks at you, and
vanishes from sight.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 125
This thing is a dirt shovel, not an ice shovel.  

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 126
The pebble opens three little eyes, glares at you, and scuttles out of reach.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 127
You better bring a forklift next time you're in these parts, because that's
what it's going to take to move this thing.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 128
It says:

"(*%$$#)*&    (*%#&$#
    (^%!|+|+|
%@+&&%^%#-----
   ."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 129
Wow! The largest sandbox you've ever seen!  You dig energetically for many
minutes without any visible result.  You get the idea that under all this 
sand is a lot more sand.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 130
Sorry, but something called $NAME$ doesn't seem to a prominant part of the 
landscape.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 131
Sorry, nobody here by that name.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 132
Nothing happens.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 133
OK.  

Happy?

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 134
You're not allowed to dig without the proper implement.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 135
You can't stick things in your eye with your suit on.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 136
The contact lens is irritating your eye.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 137
You eye has been irritated so much, you can't see anything with it!  You
better do something quick, before you fall into a Nexialist tiger-thing trap.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 138
You aren't going to be warned again!  We're not playing games, you know!!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 139
You are in excruciating pain!  You can't see anything!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 140
You can't remove the lens with your suit on!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 141
You really done it this time.  You're so blind that you couldn't even see the
danger!  Maybe you aren't really cut from the same cloth as Allen Quartermain
after all.  You should get all your books from the Chartered Accountancy
section of the lending library from now on.

By the way.....

END_MESSAGE 

MESSAGE 142
There are two ornaments.  One is at the nw corner, and is spherical, about 
eight centimeters in diameter, and has a rough finish.  The other is at the
sw corner, but otherwise seems identical to the other.  They are mounted on 
corner posts about forty centimeters high.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 143
You turn the NW ornament.  There is a subdued click.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 144
You turn the SW ornament.  There is a subdued click.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 145
You see a floor a irregularly-shaped native flagstones.  They are fitted
together with great skill, but not with a lot of color sense.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 146
You examine the porch closely and see that it has a short wall surrounding it,
and two endposts at the northwest and southwest corners.  There are ornaments
on the posts.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 147
You hear a slight scraping sound from nearby.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 148
You push the flagstone and it yields to your effort, sinking flush with the
surface of the floor.  You wait apprehensively for several moments, but nothing
happens.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 149
Which one?  The NW ornament, or the SW ornament?

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 150
You push tentatively at the closed door.  There is a sudden feeling of static
elctricity in the air, and you feel as if some one has hit your funny bone, 
but all over your body.  It feels as if someone is walking through your brain.

A voice says "Wait."

END_MESSAGE 

MESSAGE 151
You hear a throat being cleared and then: "OK, I think I've got it now.  Earth,
bipeds, lots of water, right?"
  
There follows several more seconds of coughs and throat clearing.  Then, in a
loud booming voice:


"I am the great and powerful OZ, and I am the guardian of the Sacred Mystic
Sword of the Ancients.  Many have tried to solve the Three Riddles and gain
entrance to the Sacred Shrine of Ar-Zuhlazni, but none have succeeded.  The
penalty for not answering the riddles correctly is a slow and lingering
death.  And I can do it, too."

There is a significant pause.

"Do you wish to try your luck? (You may address me as OZ)"

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 152
You hear a throat being cleared and then: "OK, I think I've got it now.  Earth,
bipeds, lots of water, right?"
  
There follows several more seconds of coughs and throat clearing.  Then, in a
loud booming voice:


"I am the great and powerful OZ, and I am the guardian of the Sacred Mystic
Sword of the Ancients.  Many have tried to solve the Three Riddles and gain
entrance to the Sacred Shrine of Ar-Zuhlazni, but none have succeeded.  The
penalty for not answering the riddles correctly is a slow and lingering 
death.  And I can do it, too."

There is a significant pause.

"Do you wish to......   Gosh, your dog has big feet!"

There is a moment's embarrassed silence, then the voice speaks again.

"Sorry.  Do you wish to try your luck?  (You may address me as OZ)"


END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 153
"OK, take a hike, then.  Someone else will be along in a millenium or so, and
THEY will get the Sacred Mystic Sword of the Ancients.  What a fool you'll
feel then, I'll tell you!"

The presence disappears.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 154
The presence pops back.

"Changed your mind, eh?  Well, just to show I'm a reasonable presence, I'll
forgive you.  But don't kick my door again."

"Now.... ready for the first Riddle?"

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 155
"Huh?", says the presence, clearly startled. "Now, you don't want to be too 
hasty and do something you'll regret.  There are a lot of advantages to 
retaining bodily integrity, you know.  It won't count against you if you
change your mind and decide not to foolishly match your wits with mine.  I'll
give you another chance."

"Do you wish to attempt the Three Riddles?"

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 156
You pick up the Mystical Sword.  Hmmm.  It isn't nearly as impressive now that
you see it up close.  In fact, it's rather plain and ordinary, as well as 
being a good deal smaller than you were lead to believe.  To tell the truth,
it's only a knife.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 157
Your brain starts hurting.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 158
You ARE desperate, aren't you?

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 159
OK. 


Think.  Think.  Think.
   Think.    Think.        Think.
Think.        Think.



Nothing.


END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 160
"Wait!" 

The invisible presence speaks as you start to leave the room.

"May I come with you?  I've been here forever, or so it seems.  And it's very
dull to hang around here waiting for what is generally a pretty low class of
creature to come in and try to get the treasure.  Now that there is no reason
to guard the Sacred Shrine, there is no reason for me to stay."

"Please?"

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 161
"Thank you, thank you!", the presence babbles. "You won't regret this, I 
promise!"

You sigh, remembering the last time someone told you that.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 162
You can almost feel the presence wilt and fade away.  After a few moments,
it is gone.  Way to go, creep.  You just lost 25 points.  Now how do you 
feel?

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 163
OZ takes close look at Odie.

"Hmmm, the animal seems to exist in more dimensions than the rest of you.  In
fact- ".  His voice trails off.

"No.  No, I guess I was mistaken.  He looks pretty normal to me.  Relatively."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 164
OZ looks(?) at Daar.

"One of his kind tried for the Sacred Sword a long time ago.  He chickened out,
like all the rest."

Daar huffs.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 165
"Sorry, I don't know anything about that.  I've led sort of a sheltered life."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 166
OZ speaks suddenly.

"I can't bring myself to return to that room.  I'll just wait here, and join
you when you return."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 167
OZ greets you sadly.

"It seems I can't go through the Portal.  I'm going to journey around this 
world, and see what I can learn.  Maybe I'll see you again if you return this
way."

"Good luck.  It has been a pleasure to meet you."

OZ wanders off, unseen.  You return to your quest, a wiser and more confused
sapient.  And somewhat relieved.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 168

From the other side of the room comes the sound of throat clearing.  

OZ speaks:

"There is one little detail I forgot to mention, come to think of it.  You 
also have to answer a riddle to get *out* of the Sacred Shrine."  You can 
almost feel the smirk. "And I haven't forgotten this one."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 169
There is a long pause.  Then OZ speaks in a dejected voice.

"Hmmm.  This never happened before.  You are the first creature crazy enough
to actually want to try.  Actually, uh, well, you see, I've forgotten the 
Three Riddles To Gain Entry to the Sacred Shrine.  I misplaced them five or
six thousand years ago.  I'm only an apprentice Guardian, you know.  I never
thought things would get this far."

The voice brightens.  "Hold on, though!  It seems only fair to let you go in
anyway!   Nobody will know.  I haven't seen the followers of Ar-Zuhlazni in 
twenty-three centuries.  If they were really interested in this place, they
would have dropped by before now, right?  So, I'll disconnected the alarms,
and make the door permeable to your type of matter!"

Something in the vicinity of the door clicks, and the door itself flickers.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 170
OZ speaks, "Here is the riddle:"


'What weeps tears without an eye, and makes everything visible and does not 
see its own garment?  At the time when it approaches its death that which cuts
off its head revives it?'


"OK, what's the answer?"



END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 171
"Congratulations, you've done it!  I'm really happy about this.  I have, in
the short time we have been associated, become rather fond of you.  You may
pass through the door now."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 172
The stairs really do appear to be infinitely long, you know.  Perhaps you 
should go back up.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 173
You try to move the altar, and can't quite manage it by yourself.  Daar comes
over and lends a shoulder, and slowly the metal altar moves from its resting
place.  You have uncovered a passage leading down.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 174
This is getting you nowhere.  It is very evident that the stairs were not
finished, and therefore do not lead anywhere.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 175
I'm warning you!  This place would be littered with the bones of adventurers
that had not turned back, save for the fact that you are the first to make it
this far!  This thing has no end!!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 176
That's it!  I wash my hands of the whole affair.  If you want to wander around
down here for the rest of your life, that's your business!  I give up.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 177
Hmm.  That's strange.  I could have sworn that the stairs hadn't been 
finished.  That's one on me all right!  Tell you what: I'll give you 10 points
extra just to show that I'm not going to hold a grudge.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 178
They look pretty much like your generic shrubbery found on all your better
planets.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 179
You and Daar manage to move the metal altar back where you found it.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 180
That's not a complete sentence.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 181
You see a collection of native stones, arranged to make a level surface for
the porch walkway.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 182
Daar thumbs through his translating notes again.

"Loosely speaking, you understand, it seems to translate to your word 'PULL'."

He puts the book back in his pocket and looks at you expectantly.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 183
You pull the handle.  There is a loud popping noise and a large panel in the 
wall beneath the recess opens.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 184
You pull the cap on the cylinder, and the auto-ignite sparks the flare into
brilliance.  Wow!  This thing is bright!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 185
You unscrew the fasteners.  The panel, hinged at the bottom, folds outward.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 186
You open the scissors.  Snick.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 187
You open the corkscrew.  Real useful, at the moment.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 188
You fold out the blade that opens bottles.  It has a flat on the end.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 189
You fold out the knife blade.  It's pretty sharp.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 190
You close the knife.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 191
You'll have to close it first.  Only one feature at a time may be used.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 192
Daar looks at the knife.

"Yes, a common tool in most of the civilized parts of the galaxy.  Tools of
this type are almost always red in color, and the shield with the cross is
the logo of the planet where it was manufactured."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 193
Hmmm.   There is a door to the east.  You could swear it wasn't here when
you passed this way earlier.  Unless you haven't been this way before.  In
that case, you notice there is a door to the east.  Take your pick.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 194
OZ speaks:

"You cannot leave until you answer the question!"

"Do you wish to try the riddles?"

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 195
Try as you might, you cannot move the altar, although is seems to rock a bit.
You obviously don't have the strength.  You pause for a moment to recover your
breath.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 196
Daar raises one eyebrow and says, "He didn't ask *me* the riddle!"

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 197
The door seems to be an integral part of the wall.  You don't see any hinges
or anything.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 198
You don't need to $VERB$ anything in this game.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 199
You pull on the broken antenna, and a small part of it comes away in your 
hand.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 200
A great way of relieving frustration, but it doesn't accomplish anything else.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 201
You are on a long, straight stairway.  You can go either up or down.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 202
You ask Daar about the message and he replies:

"Hmm, pigeon Attakit.  Literally translated it means 'Having Been Being
Under Construction'."


END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 203
It's not real obvious what you want to use for such a strange action.  Maybe
if you specified a particular tool.....

Have you always felt a compulsion to take things apart?

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 204
You have just wandered into a maze of twisty little passages, all alike, except
for the ones that are different.  You'll never get out of here!  HA, HA, HA, 
HA, HA!

Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist
  Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist 
   Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist
     Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist 
       Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist
        Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist 
       Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist
     Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist
   Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist
 Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist
Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist
  Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist 
   Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist
     Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist 
       Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist
        Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist 
       Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist           Twist


END_MESSAGE


MESSAGE 205
A fake message.

END_MESSAGE


MESSAGE 206
You drop the $NOUN$, and carefully count the seconds until you hear a 
sound from the chasm.  You get to 12 before you hear a faint rattle.  So 
much for the $NOUN$.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 207
This reminds you of one of those tours back on Earth (remember Earth  - where
you started from?), where the tour guide says "Now, just to show you how dark
it is in a cave, we're going to turn out all the lights."  Then all the idiots
sit around going "Oooooh, it's dark!".  You wonder how long you would last
here without your trusty Perma-Charge.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 208
Just kidding.  No mazes here in the caverns.  
[  A little Dungeon Master's joke  |-)  ]

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 209
You are in the dark.  You can't even see your hand in front of your face.
Idly, you wonder how long it would take you to become acclimated to total 
darkness.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 210
You are standing on the bridge (it feels like the bridge, anyway).  It's dark.
If there were any firelies, you'd have seen them by now.  Idly, you whistle
a tune.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 211
By golly, you eyes ARE becoming used to the darkness!  As you peer around in
the almost total absence of light, you become aware of a faint glow far below
you.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 212
You turn off the light.

You're not going to be able to see very well without a light, you know.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 213
It's not very safe to move around without a light.  You'd better hang around
here.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 214
It's too dark!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 215
It's a very faint glow, so faint that you wait a while to make sure that it
is really there.  After a while, you convince yourself that there *is* a very
dim light source, quite some distance down.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 216
You can't see any kind of a glow with the light on.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 217
You toss it into the darkness and watch it as it plummets into the abyss.  
As it tumbles down, it passes close to part of the western wall of the chasm,
briefly revealing an opening in the west wall far below the bridge (you have 
excellent eyesight!).

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 218
The flare dims, sputters a few seconds, and goes out.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 219
You step smartly to the north of the bridge, and head for the bottom of the
chasm.  You have time to count to twelve before you concentrate on bouncing
off of various rocks.  You do this for a while, and then.......

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 220
You walk to the position just south of the bridge, and immediately realize
you have made a tactical error.  You plummet into the darkness, wishing you
had listened to your mother.  She always told you to carry a parachute.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 221
OK, the rope is now tied to the bridge.  The bridge can't get away now!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 222
OK, you untie the rope.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 223
You swing around on the rope for awhile, but all you see is darkness.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 224
Daar follows you down the rope.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 225
Incredibly, you see Odie follow you down (how does he _do_ that?).

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 226
You try that, and you'll probably bash your brains out on the chasm wall.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 227
You start to enter the Star Portal, but are interrupted by a bright light from
behind you.  You turn swiftly and are startled to find your companion, Odie,
glowing with a cold clear bluish light.  His shape distorts and grows in
several directions, becoming more indistinct as the seconds pass.  The figure
finally stabilizes(?) as a wavering, oval distortion with a severe case of the 
sparklies.  You and Daar trade apprehensive looks.

"My friends," a warm voice says from the distortion.  "You have comported
yourselves with ingenuity and perseverance on this quest.  We have rarely found
companions for the Game that were as pleasant as you."

"You see the final Star Portal in this sequence before you.  It will take you
to the next stage of the journey.  I wish you good fortune, and I hope you 
will remember your old friend Odie.  Perhaps we will meet again, someday."

The shape changes color to a light orange, and rapidly shrinks to nothingness.

There is silence for a while.

Daar says, "I'll miss him.  He was good company."

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 228
With an exasperated expression, Odie growls and keeps you from stepping off 
into the darkness.  Better listen to him.  It's a long way down, and you
wouldn't be coming back. 

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 229
You curse and mumble for four or five minutes, wishing you had paid a lot
more attention at the Basic Lockpicking for Adventurers classes.  Finally
you are rewarded by the snick of the lock tumblers.  You've done it!  The
door creaks a bit as it swings slowly open.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 230
You step towards the entrance to the Portal, and are greeted by a tingling
of a force field!  It prevents you from going into the Star Portal!  

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 231
You've already done that!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 232
You see a good-sized rock here.  It's the smallest rock you have seen on this
planet, it probably only weighs 15 kilos or so.  If you were feeling pretty 
adventurous, you could possibly carry it around without actually dropping it 
on your foot.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 233
Uh-oh!  Your flashlight just went out!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 234
Your flashlight is getting dim.  Just thought you'd like to know.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 235
You see a rope tied to the bridge here.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 236
It's tied to the bridge!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 237
It's an old-fashioned kind of lock, the kind that uses a key about 15 centi-
meters long.  It may be made of brass, judging from the color.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 238
It's generally accepted that it is not a good idea to try to climb a rope when
you are holding one end, and the rope isn't vertical.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 239
Yes, it's a door, all right.  Night school wasn't a waste, after all!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 240
You'd better be *real* careful who you do that to, because it's very difficult
to figure out whose help you are going to need to get through this!

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 241
Descretion is the better part of valor.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 242
I don't think you should do that to someone who isn't actually attacking you.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 243
Hey, watch it!  You may have to borrow money for the telephone from someone
before this is all over.  You wouldn't want a silly little misunderstanding
about this to ruin your chances, would you? 

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 244
Atentu!  Vi ne murdus vivajn estaj>ojn.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 245
I should take away points for such an unfriendly thing, but I won't.  This is
*not* (with maybe a small, one-time only exception) one of those hack-and-
slash kind of things.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 246
Daar looks at you for a moment, looks heaven-ward, shakes his head and goes 
back up the tree muttering something under his breath.  The only word that 
you catch sounds vaguely like "meleagro"- something.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 247
Something is holding you back.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 248
It's locked.

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 249
With what?  Your bare hands?

END_MESSAGE

MESSAGE 250
It's not quite that simple.  You need to furnish more detail!

END_MESSAGE




REM END ******************************************

END OF FILE
