Metallic Red

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "")}Areem looks up from the pan of onions he's tending. There's a moment where he can't place you, but as soon as he does he puts the pan down and throws his hands up in the air. "Hello!" He shouts over the noise of the kitchen. He wipes his hands on a towel hanging from his waist and pulls you into a hug. He smells of stale oil and fresh alliums. When he lets go he looks you up and down. "You look terrible, if you don't mind me saying. What are you doing here?" [["I had to come back to sort something out."->Areem conversation 1a]]

"Something that couldn't have been sorted out via FTL post and email? I find that hard to believe." [["There are some things that have to be done in person, aren't there?"->Areem conversation 1b]]

"I don't thing so, but you seem convinced that there are. Or somebody else convinced you that there are. You wouldn't be there otherwise." You shrug. "Nevertheless, you're here now so I offer you the most noble and profound gift that I can: Meaningful labour. Would you like a task assigned to you, my fellow initiate?" [["Yes please."->Areem conversation 2]] [["If there's anything I can help with."->Areem conversation 2]] [["I've not got anything better to do."->Areem conversation 2]]

Areem moves his gaze toward the shelving above his worktop. He pulls a large metal bowl and a few bottles from the shelf, then grabs a few handful of garlic and a few thumb sized chilli peppers from a pile on a nearby worktop. He dumps them all in front of you then walks off. [[Examine bottles->Areem conversation 3]] [[Examine chilli peppers->Areem conversation 3]]

Before you can touch your ingredients Areem returns with a stick blender that looks like a modernist assault rifle. "Someone left it in the fridge." he says. "Could you do the dressing for the salad? 500ml should be enough. " He revs the blender a couple of times to check it works, then leaves it on the worktop, winks at you, and leaves. [[Make the dressing->Dressing intro]]

{(if: $cleanConsole is 0)[[[Tidy the flight console->clean console]]<br>] (if: $cleanGalley is 0)[[[Tidy the galley->clean galley]]<br>] (if: $cleanBathroom is 0)[[[Tidy the bathroom->clean bathroom]]<br>] (if: $cleanBathroom + $cleanConsole + $cleanGalley is 3)[[[Return->$shipInterior]]]}

The flight console consists of several large displays and two harnessed, comfortable chairs for pilot and copilot. The large displays have become mismatched over time as they have broken and been replaced with off brand parts and the headrest adjustment for the pilot's chair has stopped working. Although there are a few mechanical controls around, including a flight yoke which can be folded up from the floor, the reality is that the ship can largely fly itself, even in emergency situations. Your main use of the console is to strap yourself into the less worn copilot's chair with a blanket and hook the auxiliary input of the large displays to your personal unit to read or watch movies. The cup holders are both full of 2/3rds empty bottles and tied to one of the arm rests there's a plastic bag overfilled with dehydrated dessert wrappers. You sort them by material type before floating them over to the recycling hatch on the other side of the ship. The blanket gets folded neatly before being tucked under one of the straps. You even find the energy to run a portable vacuum over the seat fabric itself. (set: $cleanConsole to 1)(display: "clean menu")

The galley contains the nutritional synthesiser and the hydroponics grow array, both mismatched units that integrate poorly with the rest of the workspace. Despite the sorry state of the equipment, the chard leaves in the hydro array pop vividly under the grow light, which cheers the whole scene. You cut away a few dried leaves and change the water in the fluid tank. The nutritional synthesiser looks to be in reasonably good shape but there are a few spatters around the output nozzle which you wipe down. As you're about to leave you notice that your [[jade figurine->jade figurine intro]] has nearly become detached from the wall and is in danger of floating free.

Your jade figurine is about the size of your finger. It's a roughly carved humanoid figure with two drilled holes for eyes. Like many small objects on the *Metallic Red* it is stuck down with velcro to avoid it floating free and getting lost. For whatever reason only a few strands of the velcro are still connected. You press it down again so that it's firmly in position. (set: $cleanGalley to 1)(display: "clean menu")

The bathroom is a fully sealed chamber lit up by multiple lights which deny every object a shadow. You normally set it to self clean after you're done in there, but the system never seems to clean the mirror properly and it becomes streaky and dim with dried on residue that builds up over time. You don't know why. It's the only optical mirror on board. Most of the screens can activate a high resolution camera display but the geometry always seems wrong. After wiping the mirror you realise how faint it had become. The image of your face it presents now appears shockingly vivid. You look at yourself for a moment, not really sure what to think. (set: $cleanBathroom to 1)(display: "clean menu")

{ (set: $shipInterior to "Ship Interior" + (string: $day)) } { (set: $browserContentChanger to (css: "font-style: italic;")) (if: $tabs is 1 and $day is 987)[ (set: $currentBrowserTitle to (display: "day" + (string: $day) + "title_" + (string:$tabs))) (set: $currentBrowserContent to (display: "day" + (string: $day) + "_" + (string:$tabs))) Remaining tabs: $tabs <br>The foremost one shows $currentBrowserTitle <br> <br>$browserContentChanger[$currentBrowserContent (if: $tarotdelivery is "ftl" or $tarotdelivery is "roboatelier" )[There is only one deck remaining.](else:)[There are only two decks remaining.]] <br> <br>[[Buy one->tarotbuy]] <br>[[Turn away from the console->$shipInterior]] ](elseif: $tabs > 0 and $preventclose is false)[ (set: $currentBrowserTitle to (display: "day" + (string: $day) + "title_" + (string:$tabs))) (set: $currentBrowserContent to (display: "day" + (string: $day) + "_" + (string:$tabs))) Remaining tabs: $tabs <br>The foremost tab shows $currentBrowserTitle <br> <br>$browserContentChanger[$currentBrowserContent] <p>(link:"Close the tab")[(set: $tabs to $tabs-1)(goto: "Check console")] <br>[[Turn away from the console->$shipInterior]] ] (else:)[ There are no tabs remaining on the console.(if: $day is 988)[ You notice your lower lip is trembling slightly and clench your teeth to steady it.] <p>[[Turn away from the console->$shipInterior]] ] }

an English translation of a Greek play.

You may be king, but I do have the right to answer you—and I control that right, for I am not your slave. I serve Apollo, and thus will never stand with Creon, signed up as his man. So I say this to you, since you have chosen to insult my blindness— you have your eyesight, and you do not see how miserable you are, or where you live, or who it is who shares your household. Do you know the family you come from?

an encyclopedia entry about chard.

Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris, aka Chard or Swiss Chard is a green leafy vegetable. Highly prized in the 20th century for its beautiful leaves and incredible flavour and nutrition. It is still used frequently in cuisine, especially during spaceflight due to its tolerance for hydroponic growing methods. Some small amount of chard seeds survived microwave quarantine procedures and entered the atmosphere of planetoid Jignesh Delta-3. They rapidly colonised the planet which is now colloquially known as The Chard Sphere.

a picture of a fighter jet, grounded and covered in graffiti and vegetation.

It's not clear when the photo was taken or how long the jet has been there. The picture is on a website that collects pictures of abandoned military aircraft and the description text contains hundreds of words about this specific jet, its history, how it crashed and how it came to be abandoned. You're used to objects being mass produced and fungible but this jet is uniquely identified with meticulous information about everything it has ever done. You consider that although the information isn't on this website, probably every flight this craft took is stored somewhere along with detailed records about its maintenance procedures and crew. Which makes it all the more eerie that it's now abandoned, sitting in a field somewhere, rotting, if metal can be said to rot.

a tarot deck featuring the major arcana.

The deck was created by an artist who works on a children's TV show about wordless, elaborately costumed human actors that navigate a simplified version of the universe, jumping fom shrunken planets and floating through the void of space until they arrive on other ones. Then singing and dancing and blinking their giant, neotenous eyes which you assume are controlled by robotic puppetry. The tarot deck itself doesn't look anything like the TV show, but the illustrations are youthful with strong linework and a sense of play. The deck can pair with any room projector to display common card meanings or even to do full interpretations of cards drawn.

(set: $preventclose to false)(set: $tabs to $tabs-1)Select delivery service: - [[FTL SubSpacePOST->ftldelivery]] - [[Local RoboAtelier->roboatelier]]

{(set: $tarotdelivery to "ftl")}Thank you for selecting FTL SubSpacePOST for your tarot delivery, we are calculating a delivery vector for your package. You will receive a notification when its trajectory is locked in. [[Return->$shipInterior]]

{(set: $tarotdelivery to "roboatelier")}Thank you for selecting Local RoboAtelier for your tarot delivery, we are transmitting the data file now. You will receive a notification when your Local RoboAtelier has received the plans and is ready to print. [[Return->$shipInterior]]

a forum post about buying your own tarot deck.

user ChopinItUp: Is it really bad luck to buy your own tarot deck?? I didn't know and I already bought myself one! user GreySeer: Sorry to say, but it really IS bad luck to buy your own tarot deck. I recommend you perform the cleansing ritual. user Babouji B Hybrid: I think being forbidden from buying your own tarot deck is just a superstition started by gatekeepers. Follow your intuition. It will guide you. user NCISCriminalMinds: Only losers believe in luck.

an archived newsletter post.

So I asked myself, what's the best way to cleanse a tarot deck that has been despoiled by an autodidact? Someone who is out to meddle and scheme. Someone who doesn't understand universal ordering and instead turns to the tawdry methods of dunya? The answer came to me one afternoon whilst I was in the local konbini after 6pm, perusing a selection of near dated herbs; Burn some sage.

a downloaded precautions manual for the life support systems of the PSV *Metallic Red*.

Under no circumstances should an open flame be present in the atmosphere created by the AhmedIncorporated ARD‑99 life support system. Any carbonised particulate will decrease the lifespan of the filtration and oxygen scrubbers. If an unexpected fire breaks out and you believe the system has been contaminated with particulate, please replace all filter consumables as a precaution and have an authorised AhmedIncorporated technician perform a full service as soon as possible.

an email from your father.

Do you not think that I need you too? You chose to go on your own, you chose to stay on that ship. What about me? What do I get to choose? Or do you just think I'm old now and it doesn't matter what I choose? You'll never be happy out there. I know it and you know it. You just think it's ok for me to be unhappy too.

an article about astrology.

It was believed that a human vessel was physically formed in the womb but did not contain a being until it took its first breath. Indeed, an ancient Greek word which could be taken to mean something equivalent to spirit, or soul, is *pneuma* which also means breath. At birth, the body inhaled the content of the universe at a point in space and time specific to its celestial configuration. So although every person's *pneuma* was formed of the same stuff that the universe is made of, the arrangement of that stuff is fixed on the body's first breath. It's that fixed alignment of ingredients which makes up each person's individual spirit and why it's possible to read the fate of that soul by studying the celestial realm.

a wellness page about the effects of spaceflight on the human body.

Space travel got you feelin' outta this world...but not in a good way? Here's the lowdown on how zero gravity throws your body outta whack: 1️⃣ Bon Voyage? More like Bone Adios! Microgravity makes your bones feel like they're on vacay...from calcium. This can lead to loss of bone density, faster than you can say "blast off!" 2️⃣ Muscle Meltdown: Remember those anti-gravity muscles you use for, ya know, standing? Yeah, they shrink in space like a deflated pool float. 3️⃣ REM Renaissance: Fluid shifts in the inner ear can result in a whole host of weird vibes, including loneliness and crazy dreams! Guard your mental health with calming scents and face masks.

a catalogue page for a jade figurine that looks identical to your own.

The Jade Figurine was created by an unknown culture at an unknown time. The style of craftsmanship is common across multiple planets and several similar examples are held in institutional collections. The Jade Figurine is owned by Cazmedir Plantagenet as part of the Plantagenet Arts and Antiquities Archive. Due to the sensitive physical and geopolitical nature of much of the archive, it is not available for public viewing. If you are an institution or private collector interested in viewing any part of the Plantagenet Arts and Antinquities Archive,

an online tool to help you calculate the amount of time you've been in space, allowing for variation due to time dilation.

According to your uploaded ship's logs, you have been in space for 3987 hours (approx 165 Earth days)

an email from your friend Riaz.

Riaz's Coffee Shop is open this Sunday, day 995 local system. I've got two coffees from TRAPPIST-1d; one is a funky ultra high pressure ferment with almond and banana notes, the other a super clean laser washed catui that tastes like black tea with honey in it. They should be great. Hope to see you there! Riaz

a retrospective about a computer game series you've not played

In a medium that's technically capable of showing almost anything, situating many of the plot's key scenes off screen is an unorthodox choice. In an interview with Digital Recipe Magazine narrative designer Ian James Remnant stated that he chose to have key events be relayed by third parties to give players the same level of disconnect as the player characters. "Players are so used to having agency, the ability to effect the world or control it. But when an event has already taken place and players only hear about it after the fact we begin to look at agency differently. No one can change the past, but we can use our agency to build a future."

an abstract from a scientific seeming paper about synthetic nutrition.

It is a safety requirement that all vessels capable of prolonged space travel have a functioning nutritional synthesiser on board. However, whilst all nutrisynths can indefinitely create substrate which fulfils all nutritional needs, there is growing doubt`*` in the community`**` about the long term risks of consuming substrate`***`. That's why we recommend the Palmyra range of of nutritional synthesisers from Aramco, featuring a proprietary silver ion antibacterial technology which no other brand can offer`****`.

a picture of yourself.

The picture is from about 9 months ago You're smiling, drinking something brightly coloured, but you look tired.

an encylopedia entry about refraction.

Refraction is the movement of waves as they pass through an opening or around an object. Refraction is the principle method used in X-Ray crystallography, which allows the determining of atomic and molecular properties of crystals. By measuring the angles and intensities of beams that have been diffracted, and comparing it to the original, unaltered path of the beam, conclusions can be drawn about the objects that the beam has passed through.

an email from your friend Riaz.

It's OK, I thought you might not be able to make it. I know you're out on your mission right now. Do you feel like it helps? Being alone in the expanse with nothing to do? I always think taking time off like that will help, but for me it never does so far as I'm aware. But then again maybe I've never really tried doing nothing. Something always appears to fill the time. I think you're doing the right thing though. I hope you get what you need. Take it easy.

an anthropological text about ritual.

There is evidence that their meanings were obscure to both officiant and congregation but the rituals were not systematic functions performed for external effect. Rather, they were intended to serve as transformative or transitional exercises which served to bring about a reconfiguration of the individual or individuals who took part in them. This is in contrast with doctrinal religions, which hinge on practices with clearer semiotic meaning and definite outcomes. Doctrinal religions rely on faith in the teachings and beliefs of the doctrine. In ritualistic religions, ritual is more important than faith.

an online playlist called Don't Be So Dramatic.

The stat counter on the page says that you have listened to the playlist 249 times in the last year.

A comment from a contractor who worked on building a colony on an uninhabited planet.

The scariest part is establishing the initial landing and setting up the tether for the orbital lift, after that it's nothing mind blowing. You can oversee almost all of the tunnel drilling remotely and the drills themselves are pretty smart these days. Sometimes something will need a repair that you have to commute to planetside to perfom but the tunnel complex will be airlocked and holding atmosphere by then so the risks are minimal. If you enjoy technical challenges and can cope with the loneliness and don't mind the hours then it's a solid job and I recommend it.

a review of one of the films you were watching.

The result is a film wherein all the characters find themselves tied up, confused. Presented with false information they cannot separate from the truth, partially because it is indistinguishable, but partially because the lies that it presents are the same ones that are essential to their continued functioning in the world, professionally and personally. When presented with two identical doors, with two identical sphinx telling you two contradicting lies about what are behind each, who wouldn't pick the lie that invokes a more liveable world? It is the decisions that these characters are forced to make that would propel the film forward for its first half, were it not for the script's lack of any recognisable model of human psychology.

a star map.

The map shows which planets in the local system are inhabited. A few of them have minor industrial colonies but the current local system is predominantly empty.

a reply to a comment thread on a music video that you were listening to.

CheepiePie: They didn't ban augury because it was unislamic, they banned it because they thought it was effective and in the hands of the common population it could destabilise the state. It's hard for any of us to understand after hundreds of years of materialist philosophy, but to these people divination was as real and believable a science as any other.

(if: $tarotdelivery is "ftl")[Your FTL SubSpacePOST trajectory has been calculated and locked in. Please do not alter your bearing whilst we complete the transfer. Are you ready to receive?] (if: $tarotdelivery is "roboatelier")[Your Local RoboAtelier has downloaded construction plans for your recent purchase. Are you ready to assemble?] - [[Yes->receive delivery tarot]] - [[No->$shipInterior]]

(if: $tarotdelivery is "ftl")[Local system mass driver Antigone-B1 is preparing to send your parcel... (live: 1s)[Ready(stop:)] Payload launch... (live: 3s)[Success(stop:)] Trajectory check... (live:4.5s)[OK(stop:)] Payload arrival... (live: 5s)[[7.34s]<eta|(stop:)] { (live: 7s)[ (replace: ?eta)[5.49s] (stop:) ] (live: 10s)[ (replace: ?eta)[2.11s] (stop:) ] (live: 12s)[ (replace: ?eta)[0.31s] (stop:) ] (live: 14s)[ (replace: ?eta)[Delivered] (stop:) ] }] (if: $tarotdelivery is "roboatelier")[Local RoboAtelier Ismene@MetallicRedDomestic is preparing to construct your recent purchase... (live: 1s)[Ready(stop:)] Printing components... (live: 3s)[Success(stop:)] Applying finishes... (live: 4.5s)[Success(stop:)] Final assembly... (live: 5s)[[7.34s]<eta|(stop:)] { (live: 7s)[ (replace: ?eta)[5.49s] (stop:) ] (live: 10s)[ (replace: ?eta)[2.11s] (stop:) ] (live: 12s)[ (replace: ?eta)[0.31s] (stop:) ] (live: 14s)[ (replace: ?eta)[Success] (stop:) ] }] (live: 15s)[[[Please retrieve your novel object->tarot retrieval]]]

You pull yourself away from the console and float down ship towards the (if: $tarotdelivery is "roboatelier")[RoboAtelier](else:)[parcel airlock]. Your new tarot deck is boxed and present (if: $tarotdelivery is "roboatelier")[in the center of the construction stage](else:)[on the new arrivals deck]. It(if: $tarotdelivery is "roboatelier")['s still warm to the touch](else:)[ smells slightly of welding fumes]. (set: $tarotdelivery to "delivered") [[Pick it up->$shipInterior]]

Your FTL SubSpacePOST trajectory has been calculated and locked in. Please do not alter your bearing whilst we complete the transfer. Are you ready to receive? - [[Yes->receive delivery]] - [[No->$shipInterior]]

Local system mass driver Antigone-G12 is preparing to send your parcel... (live: 1s)[Ready(stop:)] Payload launch... (live: 3s)[Success(stop:)] Trajectory check... (live:4.5s)[OK(stop:)] Payload arrival... (live: 5s)[[8.10s]<eta|(stop:)] { (live: 8s)[ (replace: ?eta)[4.89s] (stop:) ] (live: 10s)[ (replace: ?eta)[2.34s] (stop:) ] (live: 11s)[ (replace: ?eta)[0.39s] (stop:) ] (live: 13s)[ (replace: ?eta)[Delivered] (stop:) ] } (live: 14s)[[[Please retrieve your novel object->orrery retrieval]]]

The sound of the new parcel being shunted through the airlock transmits through the bulkhead as a low vibration and you feel the craft reorient itself away from the collection heading. You float down ship to the open parcel airlock. A brown box with the address glyph of the *Metallic Red* is waiting for you. You don't remember ordering anything. [[Open the box->orrery opening]]

Inside is a rectangular cuboid constructed from several layers of transparent polycarbonate. The layers are connected by dark bronze pins and within them are several finely machined mechanical gears made from the same metal. It looks like a mechanical clock, but instead of a traditional clock face there are concentric dials and seven hands, each with a differently coloured stone at the tip. On the back there are several more dials. A large handle sticks out from one of the sides. [[Turn the handle->orrery operating]]

As you turn the handle you watch the seven hands rotate at different rates. The internal gearing spins wildly. The ship's projector turns on and informs you that the device is a mechanical orrery, presumably a replica of an ancient mechanism given the presence of only seven planets. The hands represent different planets, the millions of kilometers of their orbits miniaturised to a few centimeters across. You keep turning. You notice that the dials are written in Greek but you can make out the symbols of the zodiac on one of the faces and numbers which correspond to Earth solar dates on another. The gears make a slithering, ticking sound as you rotate the system idly. [[Check the box for a note->orrery note]]

Inside the box is a standard shipping invoice that says the orrery was dispatched from an automated production facility orbiting nearby. It looks like it was incorrectly handled by the shipping system and delivered to you by mistake. You feel slightly put out. You never wanted an orrery before now but now that you have one you don't want to send it back, though you could obviously buy your own. The cost mentioned on the invoice is insignificant. You set the date on the back of the orrery to what you think is current and begin winding it backwards. [[Keep turning->orrery birthday]]

The planetary dials continue to rotate, various dates appear and you notice how few of them hold any particular significance to you. You note the date you started your current journey, then new years, which you remember spending with friends, further back to your last birthday. You keep spinning, back to your university days, to your childhood, to the day of your birth, then further back, your parents' birthdays, their parents'. The planets continue to rotate impartially. You move backward to a time where you have only vague historical references, old wars, nations, kings. Though you have no connection to them you consider that your ancestors were alive then also, doing whatever they were doing, all of which in some subtle way helped bring you to the here and now, holding a misdelivered orrery in deep space. You ask the ship to liase with the production facility to see if you're required to return the orrery. The answer comes back instantly that it won't be necessary and they apologise for any inconvenience. The orrery is yours now. You tuck it into some webbing. (set: $orrerydelivery to "delivered") [[Return->$shipInterior]]

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "")}You bite carefully into the cherry, it's incredibly sour and slightly mushy from dethawing but it's probably the first piece of fruit you've eaten in months. Around you dishes from the kitchen are being laid out and initiates are taking their places. The three initiates who you've sat next to are happily talking amongst themselves. The one next to you has both ears pierced and large gold hoops hanging from each ear, the one across from you has manipulated the hood of their robe so that it rakishly frames their face, the one diagonal from you seems shrunken into themselves, like they're ill or cold. They're talking about altering the fabric make up for robe fabrication. The first course is a tempeh salad, with spinach, sweet peppers, cabbage and the peanut salad dressing you made. [[Eat the salad->Dining salad]]

Everybody seem to be enjoying the salad, or at the least you don't hear anybody complain about the dressing. The initiates around you are now talking about tonsure. You catch the eye of the one with the dramatically manipulated hood and smile. They smile back. The second course is biang biang noodles with chopped mushrooms and pak choi and a nice spicy chilli oil. [[Eat the noodles->Dining second course]]

The noodles are more filling than you expect. After months of nutrient paste you have slightly lost track of how much food you normally like to eat. The initiate with the large hooped earrings accidentally spills some water and goes to get some towels to clean up the puddle which spreads to the edge of the table and drips down. The dessert is cardamom sticky rice with a blueberry compote. [[Eat the sticky rice->Dining dessert]]

{(set: $northText to "Dining") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "Kitchen") (set: $westText to "Hydroponics") (set: $southText to "")}The sunken in initiate offers to dish out some sticky rice for you. They brandish slightly larger spoonfuls than you might have requested, but you don't mind spending a bit of extra time to finish your portion. People start tidying up almost immediately. You find yourself carrying a stack of plates into the kitchen and leaving them by an initiate that's methodically loading the dishwasher. They raise their eyebrows at you.(set: $siteState to "postDinner")(set: $kitchenState to "tidyingBegins")(set: $diningState to "kitchenShift") (display: "Kitchen")

{(set: $spice to (random: 1,10)) (set: $salt to (random: 1,5)) (set: $sweet to (random: 1,15)) (set: $acid to (random: 1,15)) (set: $garlic to (random: 1,15)) (set: $water to (random: 50, 150)) (set: $pb to (random: 100, 200)) (set: $blended to 1) } It has been a while since you made the salad dressing, but you do your best to remember. Roughly chop the garlic, finely chop the chilli peppers, combine with soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar and some peanut butter. Mix it up with the stick blender, then top it up with water and peanut butter and season to taste. (display: "dressing bowl")

(set: $volume to $space + $salt + $sweet + $spice + $pb + $water + $acid)There's $volume ml of dressing in the bowl. The consistency looks (display: "thickness").(if: $volume < 510)[ [[Try a taste->Taste dressing]] [[Add soy sauce->Add soy sauce]] [[Add chilli peppers->Add chilli peppers]] [[Add lemon juice->Add lemon juice]] [[Add sugar->Add sugar]] [[Add peanut butter->Add pb]] [[Add water->Add water]] [[Add garlic->Add garlic]]](else:)[ Areem walks behind you holding a bag of mushrooms. "Damn, that looks good." he says, moving the mushrooms to his other hand so that he can remove the spoon he keeps in his top pocket. He dips it into the dressing and gives it a taste. You hold your breath waiting for his verdict. (display: "dressing verdict")]

(set: $maxScore to (max: $brightnessScore, $flavourScore, $flavourstrengthScore, $spiceScore, $thicknessScore ))He nods, satisfied with your contribution. {(if: $maxScore is $brightnessScore)["Mmm, zesty. Perfect amount of acid,] (else-if: $maxScore is $flavourScore)["Yum, the garlic is perfectly balanced,] (else-if: $maxScore is $flavourstrengthScore)["Perfectly salted, I wouldn't expect anything less,] (else-if: $maxScore is $spiceScore)["You've really showcased the chilli varietal we have right now,] (else-if: $maxScore is $thicknessScore)["Perfect consistency,]} take the bowl to the table and sit down, we're ready to serve." (set: $kitchenState to "serveDressing")(display: "Kitchen")

You grab a fresh teaspoon and sweep it through the dressing. It tastes (display: "brightness") up front, with a (display: "flavourstrength") (display: "flavour") flavour. There's a (display: "spice") aftertaste from the chillis. (display: "dressing bowl")

{(set: $ratio to $acid/$volume) (if: $ratio > 0.11)[very sour(set: $brightnessScore to 0)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.095)[sour(set: $brightnessScore to 1)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.08)[quite bright(set: $brightnessScore to 2)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.06)[pleasantly zingy(set: $brightnessScore to 3)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.04)[slightly bright(set: $brightnessScore to 2)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.03)[dull(set: $brightnessScore to 1)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.02)[quite dull(set: $brightnessScore to 0)] (else:)[very dull(set: $brightnessScore to 0)]}

{(set: $ratio to $salt/$volume) (if: $ratio > 0.11)[very salty(set: $flavourstrengthScore to 0)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.095)[slightly salty(set: $flavourstrengthScore to 1)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.08)[effectively salted(set: $flavourstrengthScore to 2)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.06)[nice(set: $flavourstrengthScore to 3)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.04)[slightly under salted(set: $flavourstrengthScore to 2)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.03)[quite under salted(set: $flavourstrengthScore to 1)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.02)[extremely underwhelming(set: $flavourstrengthScore to 0)] (else:)[very underwhelming(set: $flavourstrengthScore to 0)]}

{(set: $ratio to $spice/$volume) (if: $ratio > 0.08)[very spicy(set: $spiceScore to 0)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.065)[quite spicy(set: $spiceScore to 1)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.04)[spicy(set: $spiceScore to 2)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.03)[pleasantly spicy(set: $spiceScore to 3)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.02)[mildly spicy(set: $spiceScore to 2)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.015)[barely spicy(set: $spiceScore to 1)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.01)[minor(set: $spiceScore to 0)] (else:)[imperceptible(set: $spiceScore to 0)]}

{(set: $ratio to ($garlic/$sweet)) (if: $ratio > 4)[extremely garlicky(set: $flavourScore to 0)] (else-if: $ratio > 3)[somewhat garlicky(set: $flavourScore to 1)] (else-if: $ratio > 2)[slightly garlicky, but still sweet(set: $flavourScore to 2)] (else-if: $ratio > 1)[perfectly balanced(set: $flavourScore to 3)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.5)[garlicky but quite sweet(set: $flavourScore to 2)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.25)[somewhat sweet(set: $flavourScore to 1)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.125)[extremely sweet(set: $flavourScore to 0)] (else:)[very sweet(set: $flavourScore to 0)]}

{(set: $ratio to ($water+$salt+$acid)/($pb+$garlic+$sweet)) (if: $ratio > 3)[very thin(set: $thicknessScore to 0)] (else-if: $ratio > 2.3)[thin(set: $thicknessScore to 1)] (else-if: $ratio > 1.4)[a bit thin(set: $thicknessScore to 2)] (else-if: $ratio > 1)[very slightly thin(set: $thicknessScore to 3)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.5)[ideal(set: $thicknessScore to 2)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.4)[slightly thick(set: $thicknessScore to 1)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.3)[thick(set: $thicknessScore to 0)] (else-if: $ratio > 0.2)[quite thick(set: $thicknessScore to 0)] (else:)[very thick]}

(set: $salt to $salt + (random:5,10))You throw in a bit more soy sauce and mix it round. (display: "dressing bowl")

(set: $spice to $spice +(random:3,7))You roughly chop another half a chilli pepper and add it to the bowl before stick blending it. (display: "dressing bowl")

(set: $acid to $acid + (random: 5,10))(either: "You roll a lemon around on the steel worktop, slice it in half and crush it over the bowl.", "You grab a spare half a lemon and squeeze it into the bowl.") (display: "dressing bowl")

(set: $sweet to $sweet + (random: 3,7))You add some sugar to the mix. (display: "dressing bowl")

(set: $water to $water + (random: 30, 80))You add a bit more water from a nearby jug. (display: "dressing bowl")

(set: $pb to $pb + (random: 30, 80))You spoon in another tablespoon of pb, sliding the lump off the spoon with your finger. (display: "dressing bowl")

(set: $garlic to $garlic + (random: 3,7))(either: "You pull a clove out of the bulb with a knife tip, crush the skin off and throw it into the mix for the blender to puree.", "You smash a clove of garlic into the cutting board to deskin it and drop it into the mix.") (display: "dressing bowl")

The console reports that the ship completed its preprogrammed flight plan and docked at the orbital station three hours ago. Surface temperature on planet Telestrion is -40 degrees centigrade and adjusted to a 24 hour format the time is 16:30. Time to tidy up and leave. You might be gone for a couple of days. { (set: $bathroom to 1) (set: $galley to 1) (set: $sleepingq to 1)} (display: "gathermenu")

(if: $bathroom is 1)[[[Check the bathroom->gather bathroom]] ](if: $galley is 1)[[[Check the galley->gather galley]] ](if: $sleepingq is 1)[[[Check sleeping quarters->gather sleeping]] ](if: $bathroom + $galley + $sleepingq is 0)[<p>[[Enter the airlock->exit ship]]]

Most of your toiletries are already zipped into a waterproof vanity roll attached to an eyelet next to the mirror. You unclip it and roll it tight before putting it into your pack.(set: $bathroom to 0) (display: "gathermenu")

You fill your water bottle and half consider taking some nutrient paste with you. It shouldn't be necessary. They have gardens on the site. Before you leave you rip the jade figurine from its velcro backing and tuck it into a tiny flapped pocket on your shirt. The pocket closes securely with a snap.(set: $galley to 0) (display: "gathermenu")

You unclip a sliding drawer from the wall of your quarters and pull out the only shoes you brought that are appropriate for wearing in macrogravity, a pair of gold slip on sandals. You replace your Asics orbital tabis into the drawer they were in and secure it.(set: $sleepingq to 0) (display: "gathermenu")

The airlock closes the door behind you, cycles twice and sprays you with a light disinfectant mist. Then the final bulkhead slides back. You float out of the PSV *Metallic Red* for the first time in several months into an anonymous skybridge. The automated systems which allowed the ship to dock without human intervention mean that you're completely alone. You pull yourself along worn handrails towards an open elevator car.. [[Enter the space elevator->space elevator]]

The elevator has strapped chairs to help ease the transition from weightlessness. The seats themselves are past due for replacement with exposed foam and threadbare moquettes. You suspect they would never pass inspection by an orbital safety body, but the buckles themselves still seem sound and snap into place securely. There's just one button to [[press->site journey]], a translucent lozenge with an arrow pointing down.

The elevator car is fully shielded on all sides for protection from cosmic rays but there's an infographic display unit that shows distance to the planetary surface. The display says that the trip will take several hours. When you flip the display to an entertainment channel it just displays an error code that you don't understand. You spend a couple of minutes trying various combinations of commands to see if any of them work. None of them do. The only other functional channel is the external camera feed which shows the planetary surface gradually growing closer. [[Wait->site journey 2]]

There's really nothing else to do. Occasional high winds shake the tether and elevator car as you watch the camera feed and bounce around in your harness. The planetary surface is a smear of greys and reds which grow in size but never resolve into anything meaningful. The orbital elevator you're riding on and its ground control site are the only buildngs on the surface of Telestrion. Anything else is probably only of interest to geologists. [[Wait->site journey 3]]

You try to nestle your head into a comfortable position but no matter what you try either your skin is in contact with exposed metal, or your neck is bent at a dangerous angle. Despite the discomfort you nearly drift off, only realising how close to sleep you were when the sudden slowing of the elevator car jolts you awake. You feel a final moment of weightlessness as the car decelerates. When it stops you sink into your chair. You're planetside again. There's a sequence of thuds, a rushing sound, and then a green light illuminates. [[Get up->site surface]]

You unclip from the harness and nearly fall over trying to push yourself out of the chair. For the first time in several months your body is being subjected to a meaningful amount of gravity and your inner ear isn't used to it. You hold onto the handrails for support as you leave the elevator car and walk towards the final airlock. There's a sign in front of it. "No uninitiated may pass into the greater cave system. Enter this airlock and wait." The circular metal door slides open. Beyond it the walkway and artificial lighting end. There's a circular rock tunnel the same height and width as the doorway itself leading into darkness. Gravel has been piled on the floor to provide a flat surface to walk on. About 200 metres away at the end of the tunnel you can see a light. [[Head for the light->site tunnel]]

You start walking along the tunnel. The gravel crunches underneath you and slows you down. The air is moist. You hear the sliding door back to the elevator site slide closed behind you. The handrail that you held onto previously has gone, now you touch the cave wall for balance. As you get nearer to the light at the end of the tunnel a figure appears in front of it. [[Keep walking->approach the figure]]

The figure crunches towards you much faster than you can progress along the tunnel in your disoriented state. The gravel slides as you walk across it. When they're about 10 meters away the figure stops and shines a light at you. "The uninitiated can't pass." they say. The voice has a slight accent that you can't place. They're wearing a robe but the hood is down. [[Show your jade figurine->show the figure]]

You snap the secure pocket flap open and retrieve your jade figurine. Held up to the light in front of you it appears as a silhouette. "I see." says the voice ahead. They lower the light. "Come with me, I'll take you to the Hierophant. Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" [["I forgot."->follow the figure]] [["I didn't know I would end up here."->follow the figure]]

With the light no longer shining in your eyes you follow behind the figure. They walk slowly so that you can keep up. In the unlit tunnel it's hard to tell how far you've walked or in what direction. You try to focus on keeping your balance. Eventually you realise the tunnel must have subtly curved, because in front of you is a cave room that you couldn't see from the other end. It's lit with two other exits leading from it. On the wall is a row of hooks with identical robes. You grab one and pull it on over your head. By the time you're wearing it the figure that led you here has gone. [[Wait->Lobby]]

{(set: $shipInterior to "Ship Interior" + (string: $day))(if: $tabs is 0)[The PSV *Metallic Red* has no windows and makes absolutely no sound. (if: $tabs is 0 and $cleanConsole + $cleanGalley + $cleanBathroom is 0)[You decide to do some tidying before you go to bed. <p> (display: "clean menu") ] (else-if: $cleanConsole is 1 and $cleanGalley is 1 and $cleanBathroom is 1)[You feel tired after cleaning the entire ship. <p>[[Go to bed->sleep intro]]]] (else:)[It's day $day in the current local system. The Buraq class Personal Space Vehicle *Metallic Red* has no windows and makes absolutely no sound. You sometimes forget what it looks like from the outside, but internally it's a sequence of rectangular, low ceilinged rooms on a single plane. It's capable of self supported deep space travel for as long as its passengers can handle. It was already several decades old when you purchased it, but you did your best to give it a thorough cleaning and retrofitted as many systems as you could afford. At this point however, it feels more run down than it did on the day you first floated inside. <p>There's a [[red light->Check console]] blinking on a display up ahead] }

It's day $day in the current local system. PSV *Metallic Red* looks a little different since you tidied up last night. There are fewer bits of clutter floating around the rooms, more things tucked away in cargo nets. (if: $exercise is "")[{ (set: $elliptical to 1) (set: $pilates to 1) (set: $pingpong to 1)} The overall effect is pleasing and the new feeling of spaciousness energises you. You wonder if there's a form of exercise that you could do. [[Try the elliptical->elliptical]] [[Strap into the reformer pilates machine->pilates]] [[Activate the gravity pad and robo ping pong->pingpong]]](else:)[(if: $eatingpaste is 0)[(set: $eatingpaste to 1)You fill a pouch with paste from the nutrisynth and sip at it absent mindedly to recover from your workout] (if: $checkhydro is 1)[(display: "hydro blue") ](if: $tabs > 0)[There's a [[red light->Check console]] blinking on a display up ahead](if: ($checkhydro + $tabs) is 0)[You're tired and there's nothing else todo except go to bed. [[Go to sleep->sleep intro]]. ]]

It's day $day in the current local system. PSV *Metallic Red* floats silently in space. (if: $tarotdelivery is not "delivered")[You suspect that once it passes from your hands it'll be decommissioned but you don't mind old things. It's not that you admire the past, more that you prefer to own things that can be taken for granted. If you float through a bulkhead awkwardly and chip some of the paintwork, it's just another chip to be added to the litany of minor damages the craft has sustained over its working life. And the totality of damages is just what the ship is composed of. No one at this point could really imagine what the *Metallic Red* was like when it was new. There's some idea of a smell of new polymers and a lack of blemishes, but a ship like this is already a period piece. When it was first built, the concept of an object without history was entirely different to what it is now, and there's no way to think backwards into what it meant whilst surrounded on all sides by the ship as it currently stands. There's a [[green light->check deliveries]] flashing on the deliveries station.](else:)[You have to clean out one of your old flasks so that you can refill it with nutrient paste. (if: $checkhydro is 1)[(display: "hydro blue") ](if: $tabs >0)[There's a [[red light->Check console]] blinking on a display up ahead.](if: $checkhydro + $tabs is 0)[You don't want to stay up anymore, you want to [[sleep->sleep intro]]. ]]

It's day $day in the current local system. PSV *Metallic Red* is silent. (if: $tarotread is 1)[You feel restricted in your sleep sack until you manage to release the cinch straps and float out into the open air. The vague draft of the air recirculation system blows cold against your skin where you've been sweating. There's a [[tarot deck->read tarot]] floating next to you.](else:)[ (if: $tabs >0)[There's a [[red light->Check console]] blinking on a display up ahead. ](if: $checkhydro is 1)[(display: "hydro blue") ](if: $checkhydro + $tabs is 0)[You feel like the rations taste slightly more pleasant than usual tonight, the nutrisynth is obviously running smoothly. Soon after you finish you decide it's time to [[sleep->sleep intro]]. ]]

It's day $day in the current local system. PSV *Metallic Red* makes absolutely no sound. (if: $orrerydelivery is not "delivered")[There's a [[green light->check deliveries 2]] flashing on the deliveries station. ](if: $tabs >0)[There's a [[red light->Check console]] blinking on a display up ahead. ](if: $checkhydro is 1)[(display: "hydro blue") ](if: $orrerydelivery is "delivered" and $tabs + $checkhydro is 0)[When you go to get your rations from the nutrisynth machine it crashes and you have to restart it. By the time you're done with everything you want to [[sleep->sleep intro]].]

It's day $day in the current local system. PSV *Metallic Red* is travelling silently through space. (if: $tabs >0)[There's a [[red light->Check console]] blinking on a display up ahead. ](if: $checkhydro is 1)[(display: "hydro blue") ](if: $checkhydro + $tabs is 0)[(if: $tarotread is 1)[There's a [[tarot deck->read tarot]] floating next to you. ](else:)[You're ready to [[sleep->sleep intro]]. ]]

It's day $day in the current local system. PSV *Metallic Red* seems even more silent than normal. There's an [[orange light->site arrival]] blinking on a display up ahead.

{You put some fun music on, set the elliptical to the easiest setting and begin to glide, (if: $elliptical + $Pilates + $pingpong > 1)[(set: $elliptical to 0)but after a few strides a discordant grinding sound starts to come from the machine. The resistance increases further and further until the arms are barely moving. <p>You get off to take a look at what's happened. It looks like the resistance function has seized up. (if: $pilates is 1 or $pingpong is 1)[<p>] (if: $pilates is 1)[[[Strap into the reformer Pilates machine->pilates]]<br>] (if: $pingpong is 1)[[[Activate the gravity pad and robo ping pong->pingpong]]<br>] ](else:)[{(set: $exercise to "elliptical")}it's kind of boring but gets your heart rate up. You think about activating one of the screens so that you can watch some dramas, but you decide you'd rather just glide mindlessly, thinking about nothing. <p>[[Return->$shipInterior]] ] }

{You unfold the reformer Pilates machine from the wall and try to remember your old routine. (if: $elliptical + $pilates + $pingpong >1)[(set: $pilates to 0)You're just getting into it when one of the cables on the machine snags on a pulley, then snaps entirely when you try and free it, the pieces of the mechanism fly out into the ship and ping off various parts of the super structure. (if: $elliptical is 1 or $pingpong is 1)[<p>] (if: $pingpong is 1)[[[Activate the gravity pad and robo ping pong->pingpong]]<br>] (if: $elliptical is 1)[[[Try the elliptical->elliptical]]<br>] ](else:)[(set: $exercise to "pilates")It's tough. You remember being a lot stronger, but you're comforted by the idea that you'll get back there again if you keep up the practice. By the end of the session you already feel a little more limber <p>[[Return->$shipInterior]] ] }

{You pull the ping pong table from the wall and activate the electromagnets that allow the balls to simulate gravity, (if: $elliptical + $pilates + $pingpong >1)[(set: $pingpong to 0)for some reason no matter how many times you run the callibration the gravity is way too high. The ball plummets to the table almost instantly and refuses to bounce, the bottom of it slightly compressed from the high force. (if: $pilates is 1 or $elliptical is 1)[<p>] (if: $elliptical is 1)[[[Try the elliptical->elliptical]]<br>] (if: $pilates is 1)[[[Strap into the reformer Pilates machine->pilates]]<br>] ](else:)[(set: $exercise to "pingpong")the ball gun at the other end warms up and starts firing. You lunge from side to side to try and keep up with its relentless pace as the ship's computer keeps score on one of the wall units. Eventually you're exhausted and ask the machine to stop. The score is a tie. <p>[[Return->$shipInterior]]] }

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "")}"Come come - enter!" The voice responds instantly to your knock, and continues uninterrupted as you open the door. "The illustrious child of one of our most illustrious members, returned to our fold for a visit." The Hierophant's office could have been as big as the great hall, but it's a modest room. The walls are covered in book cases with hundreds of tomes, artefacts and keepsakes from his career. His desk is a single piece of stone that rises seamlessly from the solid floor of the chamber. There are no photographs of any people anywhere. "Before we talk more, I must ask, is your father well?" [["He's good. He sends his regards."->Hierophant 2]]

The Hierophant himself looks the same as he did last time you saw him, only aged. His eyes are more sunken now, the wrinkles around his mouth are more pronounced. "Excellent. We still think of him fondly. Our colony wouldn't exist without his scholarship and material contributions. His strength of will and focus are legendary." [["The mysteries have always been important to him."->Hierophant 3]]

"As they are to all of us." The Hierophant holds your gaze until you look away. For the first time since your arrival you feel as though you're underneath half a mile of solid rock on a planet with no atmosphere. "But... I sense you're looking for something more than just a reconnection with our community, warm as it is." [["I've really appreciated being here."->Hierophant 4]]

"Of course, our hostility to the uninitiated is only matched by our hospitality to those who have entered the light. We're all seekers here. If we couldn't enjoy each other's company our endeavours would have fizzled out a long time ago." [["Yes"->Hierophant 5]]

"And so, to business then. What has brought you here?" [["I don't want to be part of this anymore."->Hierophant 6]]

The Hierophant smiles warily. "But what could you mean by that?" he asks. "I don't want to be part of the organisation." you say. [["I want to leave. Can I leave?"->Hierophant 7]]

The air in the room is entirely still. A light flashes on a console somewhere, casting a rhythmic red haze across the Hierophant's features. "It's an unusual request for sure, but of course in a tradition as long as ours you are never the first of anything. There have been members who wanted to leave. Maybe many who believed they did leave. Many more who were forced to." He turns jovial again for a second. "I assume you're not being forced?" [["No, it's not that."->Hierophant 8]]

"Of course not. But something is troubling you. Something that you think will be eased by leaving. No?" [["I don't really want to talk about it. I just want to leave."->Hierophant 9]]

"I understand, and I wouldn't probe you for your justification for leaving. Not just because you don't want to discuss it." The hierophant knits his fingers together on the solid stone desktop in front of him. His face is a mask of total concern. "There have been members who wanted to leave, members who we would have liked to expel. But neither of these things are possible anymore than it would be possible to be unborn. You have been shown the mystery. I could tell you that you're no longer a member, I could ask for you to be removed from the site and your figurine confiscated, I could communicate to all extant initiates with whatever authority I have that you're persona non grata and I have been forced to do this before. None of these things would reverse your initiation, none of them would unshow you what you've been shown. You've been through something, the same thing that all of us have been through. We are all initiates here, and there's nothing that can undo that. We all share the ritual." [["I don't want to share it."->Hierophant 10]]

"Believe me when I say that I am sorry to hear that, but there's nothing I personally, can do. I can't free you from what you believe your association here means. If you want that it's something you'll have to undo for yourself." Your hand finds itself at the secure pocket which holds your jade figurine. [["How can I undo it?"->Hierophant 11]]

"I couldn't tell you." The hierophant leans back in his chair. "I really couldn't. I would if I could. But I can't know that." [[Remove the jade figurine->Hierophant 12]]

You reach under your robe to unsnap the pocket which holds your jade figurine. You place it on the table in front of you and get up to leave. But before you can fully turn away, the Hierophant speaks. You hear his voice without looking back at him. "I see. Very well then." Outside the Hierophant's office you can still hear the sound of the meeting happening in the Great Hall. They fade behind you as you walk up the stairs to the lobby, through the gravel filled corridors to the [[space elevator->Hierophant 13]].

As you wait for the elevator to run its decontamination cycle a wave of panic rolls through you. Your hand reflexively reaches to pat the secure pocket on your chest but it's empty and it takes you a moment to remember why. The elevator airlock slides open and you climb in, ready to return to [[The *Metallic Red*->End]].

(live: 5s)[(go-to: "Credits")]

Hello, thank you for playing the draft version of my game. Aside from letting me know about obvious problems like typos, bugs, getting stuck, passages not making sense, if you could answer the following questions I would appreciate it: <a href="https://forms.gle/dTLwJLZf6nZSBBBq9"; target="_blank">goolge form link hopefully it works</a> https://forms.gle/dTLwJLZf6nZSBBBq9 google form link in case the previous one didn't work Thank you!

(if: $checkhydro is 1)[There's a [[blue light->Check hydro]] blinking on the hydroponics array].

{[(set: $checkhydro to 0)](set: $hydro to (altered: _plant via _plant + (dm: "age", _plant's age + 24), ...$hydro)) (for: each _item, ...$hydro)[ (if: _item's age > 48 or _item's age > 120)[ (set: $checkhydro to 1) ] ] }

{[(set: $checkhydro to 0)](for: each _item, ...$hydro)[ (if: _item's age > 48 or _item's age > 120)[ (set: $checkhydro to 1) ] ] }(if: $checkHydroVisted is 0)[(set: $checkHydroVisted to 1)You have a basic hydroponics setup that you got from a younger cousin. They sold it to you when they moved in with their partner, who had a system that was uprated enough to provide for both of them. The plants you grow can be added to the nutrient synthesiser to improve the paste output.] (else:)[(either: "The hydro station gurgles quietly as it shuffles nutrient solution around.", "The hydro stations sits silently.", "The hydro station emits a faint hum.")] (either: "The lightbar radiates a beam of purest white.", "The lightbar throws out light of a purity and intensity that hurts to look at.", "The white tubing shines brightly under the light bar.")(if: $hydro's length is 0)[ All of the cups in your array are empty ](else:)[ It currently contains:(for: each _item, ...$hydro)[ (print: _item's age) hour old (print: _item's name)(if: _item's age > 120)[ which has been left too long and begun [[flowering->Bin the oldest plant]]](else-if: _item's age > 48)[ which is ready to [[harvest->Harvest the oldest plant]]]]] [[Check nutrient solution]] (if: $hydro's length <5)[[[Plant a seed->Choose seed2]]] [[Return->$shipInterior]] (if: $debug is 1)[Debug options: (link: "age plants")[(set: $hydro to (altered: _plant via _plant + (dm: "age", _plant's age + 24), ...$hydro))(goto: "Check hydro")] (link: "kill a plant")[(set: $hydro to $hydro - (a: $hydro's 1st))(go-to: "Check hydro")]]

Which seed would you like to plant? (for: each _item, ...$seedCatalogue)[(link: _item)[(set: $selectedSeed to _item)(goto: "Plant")] ]

You tweezer a $selectedSeed seed from the dispenser and gently squash it into some moistened rockwool, {(if: $hydro's length < 5)[then you press the assemblage into one of the empty pods. (set: $newPlant to (dm: "name", $selectedSeed, "health", 7, "age", 0 ))(set: $hydro to $hydro + (a: $newPlant)) ]} [[Return->Check hydro]]

(either: "There is a slight algae green tint on the viewer screen but the nutrient levels seem fine.", "The pH has gone slightly acidic so you add a small amount of potassium hydroxide from a dropper bottle you keep velcroed to the station.", "The pH has gone alkaline, you refill the pH UP tank so that the system can dispense more into the plants.", "The system indicates that nutrient levels have dropped, but that it's compensating automatically.", "The viewer screen seems faint, but otherwise the hydroponics system looks to be running optimally", "Everything seems fine. You idly scroll through some of the manual options that the system offers.") [[Return->Check hydro]]

They strip the young leaves off the plant and feed them to the nutrient synth unit. For the next few days you'll have added B vitamins, iron and folate in your rations.{ (set: $hydro to $hydro - (a: $hydro's 1st)) (set: $nutrisynth to $nutrisynth + 3) (if: $nutrisynth > 10)[(set: $nutrisynth to 10)] } [[Return->Check hydro]]

The oldest plant has been left too long and begun flowering. It's pretty, but if you add it to the nutrisynth it would make everything taste unbearably bitter. You seal it into the bin.(set: $hydro to $hydro - (a: $hydro's 1st)) [[Return->Check hydro]]

The synth unit is the newest thing on your ship and stands out from everything else by virtue of its ugly blue shell, which has a vibrancy that doesn't match anything in the room in tone or luminosity. You hated it when you picked it out but you have to buy a new one every hundred cycles or so because you never clean them regularly. You would make do without one, but you have to eat to stay alive. The readout says: { (font: "Courier New")[ (if: $nutrisynth < 3)[Your AhmedIncorporated NUTRITIONAL SYNTHESISER is outputting BELOW STANDARD nutritional substrate! Your needs are being met.] (else-if: $nutrisynth <= 7)[Your AhmedIncorporated NUTRITIONAL SYNTHESISER is outputting STANDARD nutritional substrate! Your needs are being met in the most efficient way possible!] (else-if: $nutrisynth > 7)[Your AhmedIncorporated NUTRITIONAL SYNTHESISER is outputting HIGH PERFORMANCE nutritional substrate! Your needs are being exceeded.] ] } [[Ship Interior]]

{ (set: $tabs to 4) (set: $hour to 0) (set: $day to 987) (set: $hydro to (a:)) (set: $nutrisynth to 7) (set: $seedCatalogue to (a: "Chard", "Mizuna", "Shungiku", "Mitsuba", "Shisho")) (set: $chard to (dm: "name", "Chard", "health", 4, "age", 300 )) (set: $hydro to $hydro + (a: $chard)) (set: $mizuna to (dm: "name", "Mizuna", "health", 4, "age", 0 )) (set: $hydro to $hydro + (a: $mizuna)) (set: $vibe to "neutral") (set: $preventclose to false) (set: $location to "") (set: $northText to "") (set: $westText to "") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $southText to "") }

<img src="metallic_red_images/metallictarot2.jpg" class=center><p class=menu-text>[[Start->before playing]] • [[Chapter Select]] • [[Credits]]</p>

(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Ship Interior987")]

Click to start on a different day. (link: "Day 987")[(goto: "Ship Interior987")] (link: "Day 988")[(set: $tabs to 4)(set: $day to 987)(display: "morning")(goto: "Ship Interior988")] (link: "Day 989")[(set: $tabs to 3)(set: $day to 988)(set: $tarotdelivery to "ftl")(display: "morning")(goto: "Ship Interior989")] (link: "Day 990")[(set: $tabs to 3)(set: $day to 989)(display: "morning")(goto: "Ship Interior990")] (link: "Day 991")[(set: $tabs to 3)(set: $day to 990)(display: "morning")(goto: "Ship Interior991")] (link: "Day 992")[(set: $tabs to 3)(set: $day to 991)(display: "morning")(goto: "Ship Interior992")] [[Day 993->site arrival]] (link: "Day 994")[(set: $siteState to "morning")(set: $kitchenState to "quietMorning")(set: $diningState to "morning")(goto:"Dormitory")] [[Return->menu screen]]

A game by <a href="http://riazmoola.com">Riaz Moola</a>, part of the Perndemonium series. Menu graphic by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dainkaplan/"">Dain Kaplan</a>. Sincere appreciation and thanks to alpha testers Gretel, JP and Annja. Please report any issues to theongoingrealityshow@gmail.com Thank you for playing my game. [[Return->menu screen]]

Early on add more stuff about the ship, introduce the nutrisynth and the hydroponics station an email from your friend pernilla saying she's never felt like she was out of control in that way dream about snakes Add part 1 part 2 separation and chapter selection Need to add the hydroponics system earlier Need to make it clear you're eating paste Move some of the early console days to later days or add new entries 992 is the awaken to the site day add a conversation in the site. But what about. Overheard conversation about getting angry with something.

{ (set: $unexploredChanger to (css: "font-style: italic;")) <div class="compass"> <div class="container"> <div class="item"></div> <div class="item"> (if: $northText is not "")[ (if: (visited: $northText))[ [[$northText]] ](else:)[ $unexploredChanger[[[$northText]]] ] ] </div> <div class="item"></div> <div class="item"> (if: $eastText is not "")[ (if: (visited: $eastText))[ [[$eastText]] ](else:)[ $unexploredChanger[[[$eastText]]] ] ] </div> <div class="item"> $location </div> <div class="item"> (if: $westText is not "")[ (if: (visited: $westText))[ [[$westText]] ](else:)[ $unexploredChanger[[[$westText]]] ] ] </div> <div class="item"></div> <div class="item"> (if: $southText is not "")[ (if: (visited: $southText))[ [[$southText]] ](else:)[ $unexploredChanger[[[$southText]]] ] ] </div> <div class="item"></div> </div> </div>}

Red light display, foremost turning away from the console isn't much of an option sometimes Perhaps add more plot and foreshadowing add more focus to the fathers letter add a phone xall from.the father in an early dream

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "")}"I'm afraid the hierophant needs more time to consider your presence here." they say in a low voice, as though it's a secret. "For now please eat with us. We can talk further tomorrow." [["Is there anything I can do?"->Laurel conversation 2]]

"I'm sure, speak with Areem in the kitchen."(set: $kitchenState to "talkToAreem") They hustle off down the corridor. (set: $laurelConvo to 1)(display: "Recreational")

(debug:)(display: "site conversation display") [[conversations test]]

{ (if: $descriptions is not an array)[ (set: $descriptions to (a: "responsibility", "steering", "whiteboard", "movement", "owl", "change", "robotics", "laurel")) (set: $convCounter to 1)] (set: $convChance to (random: 1,4))}(if: $convChance is 1 and $convCounter > 0)[ (display: "site description " + (nth: $convCounter, ...$descriptions)){ (set: $convCounter to $convCounter + 1) (if: $convCounter > $descriptions's length)[ (set: $convCounter to 0) ] }]

You overhear a voice saying: "I'm responsible for getting into that state, I'll take responsibility for what happens when I'm in that state. But I want to know, just for my own sake, which part of me is it that comes out then?"

An initiate nearby is writing something in big letters on a piece of paper. I'M STEERING THE HORSE WHERE THE HORSE WANTS TO GO

An initiate crossing the room mutters to a friend. "All I ever do is evaluate, modify, experiment, repeat."

An initiate on a video call in the corner says: "Spending time trapped makes you relish movement, even if you don't know where you're going."

A younger initiate is talking to an older one. "I saw an owl in daylight, on a branch. I pointed at it." "And how did it react?" "It flew away." The older initiate nods. "We will cover this in our next session on augury."

An initiate walks past chanting to himself. "I can't change things. I don't want to change things. I must change things. I can't change things. I don't want to change things. I must change things."

Two initiates are carrying a heavy maintenance robot between them. "If the robots switch off again next month I don't know what I'll do. I don't want to have to sweep again." "I would rather sweep than have to do a maintenance shift on these things."

The initiate with the laurel tattoo is talking to another initiate you feel like you might recognise but can't quite place. "It doesn't have to make sense. Things that make sense can tell us about how a human should be, but things that don't make sense can tell us about the experience of being a human."

One of the more senior initiates recognises you and starts to make small talk. It doesn't take long before they ask you about your father. "He's fine," you say. "I should probably get going though. I've got to check on something."

In maybe his most stirring formulation, he asserts that tragedy reveals a "conflictually constituted world defined by ambiguity, duplicity, uncertainty, and unknowability, a world that cannot be rendered rationally fully intelligible through some metaphysical first principle or set of principles, axioms, tables of categories, or whatever. Tragedy is the experience of transcendental opacity." Tragedy then shows more what it's like to be person, rather than, say, what a person should be. I can't change things. I don't want to change things. I must change things. I can't change things. I don't want to change things. I must change things. I dreamt I saw an an owl in daylight. on a branch, I pointed up at it as it sat there in a ray of sun. Rats on the riverbank. Mushrooms from the soil.

{ (if: $conversations is not an array)[ (set: $conversations to (a: "responsibility", "steering", "whiteboard", "movement", "owl", "change", "robotics", "laurel")) (set: $convCounter to 1)] (set: $convChance to (random: 1,4))}(if: $convChance is 1 and $convCounter > 0)[ (display: "site conversation " + (nth: $convCounter, ...$conversations)){ (set: $convCounter to $convCounter + 1) (if: $convCounter > $conversations's length)[ (set: $convCounter to 0) ] }]

An initiate nearby is writing something in big letters on a piece of paper. I'M STEERING THE HORSE WHERE THE HORSE WANTS TO GO

An initiate crossing the room mutters to a friend. "All I ever do is evaluate, modify, experiment, repeat."

An initiate on a video call in the corner says: "Spending time trapped makes you relish movement, even if you don't know where you're going."

An initiate walks past chanting to himself. "I can't change things. I don't want to change things. I must change things. I can't change things. I don't want to change things. I must change things."

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "Recreational") (set: $location to "Lobby") (set: $westText to "Upper Landing") (set: $southText to "") }(if: $siteState is 0)[(set: $siteState to "preDinner")]You're at the entrance to the site, like the tunnel you followed to get here it has been mechanically carved out of solid rock, but it's larger and rectangular. The floor is solid and the walls have been painted. A row of robes identical to the one you're wearing are hung from the wall.(if: not ((history:) contains (passage:)'s name))[] (display: "compass")

{(set: $northText to "Dormitory") (set: $eastText to "Hydroponics") (set: $location to "Recreational") (set: $westText to "Gym") (set: $southText to "Lobby") }You're inside the main living quarters on site. There's a large bookshelf against the wall and a few consoles with display units. The rest of the room is taken up by some communal floor couches finished in a plain grey fabric.(if: not ((history:) contains (passage:)'s name))[ The volumes on the bookshelf are mostly practical technical manuals related to the running of the site or more esoteric volumes. Titles about orbital symbolism, refractive divination, absence studies. There are a few books of spiritual poetry, but no fiction whatsoever.] (if: $siteState is "preDinner")[A pair of younger initiates are gathered around one of the display units.(display: "site conversation display")](if: $siteState is "postDinner")[Groups of initiates who don't want to go to sleep are lying on some of the couches, talking.(display: "site conversation display")](if: $siteState is "morning")[There's nobody here.](if: (history:) contains "Laurel conversation 2")[(set: $laurelConvo to 1)](else:)[(set: $laurelConvo to 0)](if: $exploredNorth + $exploredDining + $exploredGym + $exploredUnderground is 4 and $laurelConvo is 0)[ You're examining the bookshelf when you hear a shuffling behind you. It's the initiate who met you at the cave entrance. You notice they have a tattoo of a laurel leaf behind their left ear. [["Is the hierophant ready to see me?"->Laurel conversation 1]] [["When can I enter the great hall?"->Laurel conversation 1]]] (display: "compass")

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "Dormitory") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "Recreational") (set: $exploredNorth to 1)}There are several bunk beds here. (if: $siteState is "morning")[Clearly you're the last person to wake up, all of the other beds have been made and tidied.](if: $siteState is "preDinner")[They all share identical sheets, duvets and pillow covers in the same coarse weave and off white shade.(if: not ((history:) contains (passage:)'s name))[ Some have a dent in the pillow indicating that they are occupied, but most look indistinguishable. No one staying on the site has tried to customise their bunk with photos of family or any other keepsakes. Something that you didn't notice when you were last here.](display: "site conversation display")](else-if: $siteState is "postDinner")[The room has filled up, people are slouching around in their night clothes, carrying their toiletries and getting ready for bed. There's a robed initiate lying on one of the bunks reading. They give you a slow, kingly nod when you walk in and then go back to their book. The bunk you used to sleep in is free. [[Go to bed->sleep site]]] (display: "compass")

{(set: $northText to "Workshop") (set: $eastText to "Kitchen") (set: $location to "Hydroponics") (set: $westText to "Recreational") (set: $southText to "") }You're inside the hydroponics room, a much larger and more brightly lit chamber than most of the others on the site. Plants and even some smaller trees sit in large beds of gravel that appears to be made of the same stone as the walls of the cave complex. Probably leftover aggregate from construction of the site. The room smells damp, like a river bed.(if: not ((history:) contains (passage:)'s name))[ On one side of the room oyster mushrooms burst out of hanging columns of substrate. An automated maintenance crab creeps along one of the beds, harvesting radishes and placing them in a wicker basket on its top surface.](if: $siteState is "preDinner")[ The lights above are blindingly bright and clear. If you look up through the canopy of a nearby lemon tree and close your eyes, you could believe you're on earth somewhere.(display: "site conversation display") ](if: $siteState is "postDinner")[ The lights have been turned low to simulate night. You can hear a faint gurgle as the growth solutions are filtered for algae.](if: $siteState is "morning")[ The lights seem even brighter than they did yesterday.] (display: "compass")

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "Workshop") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "Hydroponics") }You're inside the workshops. The room is filled with fabricators and roboateliers sitting neatly on workbenches. Tools are obsessively organised on gridded pegboards stuck to the bare cave walls. There are smaller hatches leading from the room used by the maintenance crabs.(if: $siteState is "preDinner")[(display: "site conversation display")] (display: "compass")

{(set: $northText to "Dining") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "Kitchen") (set: $westText to "Hydroponics") (set: $southText to "") (if: $kitchenState is 0)[(set: $kitchenState to "areemBusy")]}(if: $kitchenState is "quietMorning")[You're inside the kitchen. Everything has been cleaned, wiped and put away. The metal worktops are so spotless you can see the myriad scratches they've accumulated over the years. Everything smells faintly like bleach and glows softly. The lights are off.](else-if: $kitchenState is "tidyingBegins")[You're inside the kitchen. The room is still busy, but the pace of activity has decreased as plates are scraped and worktops sprayed down.](else:)[You're inside the kitchen. The room is filled with steel worktops and cabinets, initiates with the sleeves of their robes pushed up are preparing dinner. There's noise and heat all over. ](if: $kitchenState is "talkToAreem")[ Your old friend Areem is here, stirring a pan of onions. [[Talk to Areem->Areem conversation 1]]](else-if: $kitchenState is "areemBusy")[ You recognise Areem, the head chef but they don't notice you as they're helping someone learn how to dice an onion.](else-if: $kitchenState is "serveDressing")[ The bowl of (link: "salad dressing")[(set: $kitchenState to "gotDressing")(goto: "Kitchen pickup")] you made is here.(set: $diningState to "serveDressing")] (display: "compass")

You pickup the bowl of dressing. (display: "Kitchen")

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "Dining") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "Kitchen")}(if: $diningState is "serveDressing")[(if: $kitchenState is not "gotDressing")[Initiates are beginning to set the room up for the meal. You should probably bring the salad dressing from the kitchen here.](else:)[The lights have been turned on and robed initiates are either sitting down at their benches, or rushing in and out of the room bringing in pots and large dishes. Someone grabs the salad dressing from you and decants it into several smaller containers, which are then picked up by several other initiates and distributed around the room. With your hands now empty you see little else to do except sit down. Several groups have formed at the tables, but you don't see anyone you recognise. A group of more senior Perses in the corner might be acquaintances of your father but you don't feel like fielding the kind of conversations they'll want to have. You sit down at the table nearest to yourself and help yourself to a sour cherry from the bowl on the table. [[Eat the cherry->Dining intro]]]](else-if: $diningState is "kitchenShift")[The room has largely emptied, the only table still lively is the one with the cooking shift, who are just getting started on the remains of the first course.](else-if: $diningState is "morning")[The dining room is empty. You must have slept through breakfast because everything has been put away.](else:)[There are several large metal tables with benches in the dining room, but the lights are off. Dinner probably won't be served for a little while.](set: $exploredDining to 1) (display: "compass")

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "Recreational") (set: $location to "Gym") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "")}(set: $exploredGym to 1)The site gym is mostly focused on bodyweight equipment with a few cardio machines. (if: not ((history:) contains (passage:)'s name))[ The hum of the air circulation is higher here as the atmospheric systems work to keep the humidity low. ]Pilates mats and rubber resistance bands are hung up on the wall. (if: $siteState is "preDinner")[Someone you don't recognise is spinning out a leisurely pace on a stationary bike whilst watching a video that shows a lot of mountainous scenery from an uninhabited planet.(display: "site conversation display")](else-if: $siteState is "postDinner")[Someone is doing a slow yoga routine to prepare for bed. They look very graceful.](else:)[The room is completely empty. All the equipment is tidied away.] (display: "compass")

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "Lobby") (set: $location to "Upper Landing") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "Staircase")}You're in a small ante chamber. It's poorly lit but you can make out text etched into the rock: "No uninitiated may pass into the Great Hall."(if: $siteState is "morning")[ The floor has been freshly mopped by one of the cleaning robots.] (display: "compass")

{(set: $northText to "Upper Landing") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "Staircase") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "Lower Corridor")}You're in a dark staircase. The steps themselves have been cut out of the rock directly and polished smooth. (if: $siteState is "morning")[](else:)[The ceiling is quite low and you feel at permanent risk of bumping into it.] (display: "compass")

{(set: $northText to "Staircase") (set: $eastText to "Hierophant's Chambers") (set: $location to "Lower Corridor") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "Great Hall")}You're in a dark corridor with a double height ceiling. To the North there are double doors set in a huge arch. To the East is a normal sized door. (if: $siteState is "preDinner")[In the darkness you can see a crack of light shining underneath the door to the east.](if: $siteState is "morning")[You can vaguely hear sound and commotion coming from inside the Great Hall] (display: "compass")

{(set: $northText to "Lower Corridor") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "Great Hall") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "")}(if: $siteState is "morning")[You can hear the noise of a communal meeting happening in the Great Hall. Presumably that's where everyone is this morning.](else:)[Each one of the double doors is wider than you are tall and suspended on huge hinges. There's a bolt across both of them which is locked in place.] (display: "compass")

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "Hierophant's Chambers") (set: $westText to "Lower Corridor") (set: $southText to "")}(set: $exploredUnderground to 1)(if: $siteState is "preDinner")[As you approach the door you hear voices behind it. One of them you recognise as the oddly accented initiate who met you at the entrance to the site. You assume the one you don't recognise is the new Hierophant. They're discussing minor administrative issues. You don't really feel like interrupting.](else-if: $siteState is "postDinner")[The light under the office door is gone. The Hierophant has his own quarters behind his office, not that you've ever seen them.](if: $siteState is "morning")[You can hear small sounds coming from inside the Hierophant's office. [[Knock->Hierophant 1]]] (display: "compass")

(set: $sleepscore to $tabs + $checkhydro)

{(set: $day to $day+1) (set: $exercise to "") (set: $shipInterior to "Ship Interior" + (string: $day)) (set: $tarotread to 1) (display: "age plants") (set: $eatingpaste to 0)}

(set: $dreampassage to "sleep" + (str: $day))You cinch down the belts on your sleeping sack (either: "tightly", "gently") and turn the light cycle to (either: "nocturnal", "twilight"). (either:"Sleep comes quickly.", "You float there for a while before passing out.", "You feel wide awake so you read for a while before turning in.", "You barely have time to think before you go under." ) (live: 5s)[(go-to: $dreampassage)]

You're in your childhood home. It's high summer. You are a child. You walk through a familiar door that opens onto the street in front of your [[house->sleep987 street]].

The street stretches out infinitely in either direction, longer than you remember, but directly in front of you is a steel latticed structure taller than any building on the road. The base of the lattice spreads across both sides of the street and onto the pavement. You begin to look up, your eye following the structure into the clear sky. It's an [[electricity pylon->sleep987_1]].

In the dream this is just how tall a pylon is and always has been, but if pylons this large existed in reality they would dwarf skyscrapers. The top of the pylon it is so distant that you can't make out any of the high voltage wires that connect it to the other pylons you've noticed, which are all just as tall. A tiny white object, maybe a plane at cruising altitude is the only other object in the [[sky->sleep987_2]].

{(set: $tabs to 4) (display: "morning")}The pylon itself is not electrified and there is no danger from touching it, but as you reach your hand towards one of the steel cross beams you feel as though a charge is building in the air around you. Your hair begins to stand up and you hear a low frequency vibration in the air. Your phone is ringing. You check the screen and see that the call is coming from your father. You put the phone away and try to will it to stop ringing. With great trepidation the very tip of your finger touches the [[pylon->awaken 987]].

You wake with a jolt. (display: $shipInterior)

You're in front of a vending machine. Your eyes sweep over the replica display cans, they are all variations of Coke and Pepsi. In your mind you realise that this is a very rare vending machine because it contains both Coca Cola and Pepsico products. You remember reading about it or hearing about or being told about it, a collaboration between two famous rivals. You have to choose between [[Coke->sleep988 coke]] and [[Pepsi->sleep988 pepsi]].

(set: $beverage to "Pepsi")You wave your card above the payment reader and tap the Pepsi symbol. There's a hissing sound from inside the machine, the sound of a high powered transformer warming up, reaching a crescendo and then instantly cutting off. A small door opens to reveal a can of $beverage in the can collection slot. You reach for the [[can->sleep988 taken]].

(set: $beverage to "Coke")You press your card firmly against the payment reader and palm the Coke symbol. There's a whirring sound from inside the machine, a physical motor runs, clunks and then clunks again. A can of $beverage drops into the can collection slot. You reach for the [[can->sleep988 taken]].

You effortlessly crack open the $beverage can, hearing the familiar sound but feeling no resistance from the ring pull. You realise that you're extremely thirsty. You raise the can to your lips and throw your head back. Nothing happens. The liquid doesn't seem to move. You move it away from your lips and raise it to your [[eye->sleep988 look]].

The liquid is stuck in the can. You knock it with your hand to try and shake it loose. You look at the machine again, the $beverage you ordered isn't there anymore. In fact all of the $beverage products are no longer there. The blue seven segment display above the coin slot begins to display a [[message->sleep988 message]].

The message flashes up sequentially on the display. It shows: "THIS VENDING MACHINE" "IS NOW OWNED BY {(if: $beverage is "Pepsi")[COCACOLA](else:)[PEPSICO]}" "WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK" "YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST" and then begins to repeat the message in a language you don't [[understand->sleep988 understand]].

You feel like you can translate the language on the vending machine display and that it isn't saying exactly the same thing that it said when you were reading it in English. There's something about a hostile takeover, an investment fund headquartered on an abandoned planet. You squint at the messages as they flash up, translating as you go. It sounds like the final decision on the takeover was based on the outputs from this specific vending machine. Maybe even your purchase. The can in your hand vibrates slightly, like one of those coasters that tell you that your meal is [[ready->sleep988 ready]].

The weight inside the can is shifting around with the vibration. You hold it to your waist, trying to look through the hole at the top to see what's happening in there. You need both hands to keep it [[still->sleep988 look closer]].

As you look into the dark hole made by the ring pull the weight of the can shifts towards you abruptly and you drop it on the floor. A thick, black, oily liquid begins to leak out. You go to kick the can [[away->awaken 988]]{ (set: $tabs to 4) (display: "morning") }.

As your foot contacts the can you realise you're dreaming and begin to drift to consciousness. (display: $shipInterior)

You are in the PSV *Metallic Red* trying to fix the nutrisynth machine. Your hand is deep inside it at an awkward angle, trying to screw a bolt back on. The bolt keeps on feeling like it's connecting, but then falls off and you have to stretch even more awkwardly to pick it up to try again. But it keeps falling off. You stretch further and [[try again->sleep989 again]].

This time you are sure that the thread has caught, but when you go to spin the bolt down it snags prematurely. The threads are crossed and a feeling of panic shoots through you. If the threads have crossed then maybe you've done permanent damage to the unit. If you can't fix it you'll run out of food within 14 days. You'll need to plot a course back home. Your fingers are sweating as you try to free the [[bolt->sleep989 bolt]].

Your entire arm is inside the machine, you can't see your fingertips as they try to get enough purchase on the bolt to be able to turn it. It slips underneath your fingers in a way that feels almost as though it's spinning but it never seems to work its way loose. You apply as much force as you can through your fingertips and the bolt shears off entirely in your hands. You're left holding the snapped half, the other half is still embedded in the machine. You hear a gigantic [[bang->sleep989 free]].

You are in the PSV *Metallic Red*. There's a repeated banging sound coming from somewhere. Like someone is hammering on a pipe that you're floating inside. You try to locate the sound. It's coming from one of the external bulkheads. You put your hand on the bulkhead and feel the vibration caused by the banging. The PSV *Metallic Red* has no windows, but proximity alarms should trigger if anything comes within one thousand kilometers of the hull, automated evasive action should trigger if anything comes closer than that. You check the ship's [[computer->sleep989 computer]].

Proximity alarms that you have never heard before are blaring, nearly deafening you, but over the tumult of the rise and fall you can still hear the banging on the ship's hull. The debris and potential impact report on the ship's computer says that a human sized object originating in dark space outside of the local group has been on a collision trajectory for the past 13 minutes. The banging on the hull is louder now. You look up from the computer and see the actual bulkhead of the ship begin to dent and [[deform->sleep989 deform]].

The wall of the ship in front of you starts to stretch further inwards with each bang, jerking inwards until it reaches to the opposite side, then curving further, encircling towards you. The space available shrinks on every bang as the ship distorts around, seeming to bend in half and then continue bending further. The entire vessel has compacted into a cylinder that you float within. You put your hand out to feel the opposing wall as another bang drives it towards you, enclosing you {(set: $tarotread to 0) (set: $tabs to 3) (display: "morning") } [[completely->awaken989]].

You wake up from the final bang with a jolt. (display: $shipInterior)

You are sitting in the passenger seat of the PSV *Metallic Red*. Your father is in the pilot's seat next to you with the harness disconnected and hanging loose. A brown paper bag is on the console between you with a smell of fast food coming from it. Your father is eating a burger. The ship is planetside and the airlock is disengaged with light streaming through it. You're terrified because he never let you eat gravity food in any of the PSVs he piloted, whether they were landed or not. "I think we'll be fine eating inside this one time." your father says, reading your mind whilst chewing on his burger. "I think this craft can take it." Take a [[bite->sleep990 burger]] of your burger or try to [[say->sleep990 talk]] something.

You take a bite of the burger you realise is in your hands. The contents slide around inside the bun. You watch him take another bite and a bit of sauce covered onion escapes the disintegrating bun and falls onto the flight console. Try to [[clean->sleep990 clean]] the console or ask why he's making a [[mess->sleep990 mess]].

"You would never let us eat in your ship," you say. You feel a level of physical annoyance that you can't convey with your words. Your father shrugs. "This isn't my craft." he says. You watch him take another bite, a bit of sauce covered onion escapes the disintigrating bun and falls onto the flight console. Try to [[clean->sleep990 clean]] the console or ask why he's making a [[mess->sleep990 mess]].

You grab a spare napkin and try to wipe away the onion and sauce from the console. Everything just smears around, as though the napkin itself was already covered in sauce. you hear your father speaking behind you. "Why try to clean it, this ship won't fly again." Ignore him and [[keep->sleep990 clean2]] cleaning or tell [[him->sleep990 fly again]] it willl.

"What are you doing?" you say, the words tumble out of your mouth before you can even really form them. "Why are you making a mess?" "This ship won't fly again." he says. Ignore him and [[keep->sleep990 clean2]] cleaning or tell him [[it will->sleep990 fly again]].

You try to clean the console, furiously rubbing at it with the napkin. The more you clean the more you realise how dirty it is, there are bits of burger, salt from fries, sauce sachets, and greasy wrappers all over. As you cast your eyes around more and more bits of detritus appear. You get up and walk towards the open [[airlock->sleep990 airlock]].

"Yes it will." you say. "Of course it will." Your father seems totally unbothered and keeps chewing his burger. He doesn't seem to react in any way. You want to shake him. Instead you walk towards the open [[airlock->sleep990 airlock]].

Light is pouring through the airlock into the dim ship interior. Maybe the first time that light has shone into the windowless PSV *Metallic Red* in decades. You reach the airlock and look outside. The light is overwhelming, but when your eyes adjust you look out at a pastoral landscape of green fields and hegerows. You turn back to look at your father; sitting in the pilot's seat and turned away from you. You cannot see his face. { (set: $tabs to 3) (display: "morning") }<p>You try to [[call->awaken990]] out to him.

You wake up with your voice catching in your throat. (display: $shipInterior)

It's the day of your initiation and you've slept in. You should have been at the Great Hall one day ago. You're moving through the site in a frenzy, trying to get your things together even though you hardly have any things here. You've been living at the site for a week, so how can you now be late? It doesn't make any sense but you can't hold the thought together properly through the panic. You grab your jade figurine and rush out of the sleeping quarters, through the empty living quarters, towards the [[stairwell->sleep 991 stairwell]]. The stone floors echo, the candles on the walls flicker.

You reach the stairwell to the initiation chamber, the sides are hewn roughly out of rock, but the stairs are chiselled with precision and well finished. You slip down the stairs, nearly [[flying->sleep 991 remember]].

You enter the Hall of Refraction. Ultrasonic clicks and red lascans fan the room sequentially. Elaborate sensing equipment and bundles of cables line the walls with panels of spiked dampening foam filling the gaps between them. Almost none of the original rockface is visible. A small circle of 7 candle stands have been placed in the middle of the room, the only real light. You walk forward and enter the [[circle->sleep 991 circle]].

Taking your place in the centre of the candle stands you can no longer make out the walls of the room. You wait there, out of breath. The ultrasonic clicks and laser patterns stop and the room goes silent. A circle of initiated members come into view beyond the candles, identically robed but with their faces individually obscured by a projector somewhere. The one directly behind you asks a [[question->sleep 991 fasted]].

"Have you fasted?" [["Yes."->sleep 991 kyreon]]

"Have you drunk the kykeon?" [["Yes."->sleep 991 kiste]]

"Have you taken from the kiste?" [["Yes."->sleep 991 calathus]]

"Place your figurine in the kalathus." [["Yes."->sleep 991 darkness]]

You put your jade figurine in the basket one of the initiates holds out. They place it on the floor and for a while you all stand at your positions in silence. Simultaneously the initiates surrounding you take a step forward and each blows out the candle nearest them. Total darkness descends. Your head begins to spin as your eyes fail to distinguish anything. The laser pattern and the ultrasonics fire up again. You know that there are other waves bombarding you, low dose x and radio waves. Several additional inputs gathered from the week you've been staying in the site are being studied and processed. DNA and gut biome measurements, a machine administered psychological analysis. All being fed into a compute engine somewhere. The light show stops and you retrieve your [[figurine->sleep 991 metallic]].

When you stand up you are inside the PSV *Metallic Red*. None of your alterations have been carried out but the worn pilot's chair has been replaced. There are several posters for old bands you've never listened to velcroed to the walls. The nutritional synthesiser is an Abqaiq model that you would never buy. There's a [[red light->sleep 991 sit]] blinking on a display up ahead.

The console prompts you to log in as someone you've never heard of. You stare at their name on the screen. You don't know them. You don't recognise the ship. The jade figurine in your hand grows so damp you feel like it must be dissolving. You sit on the floor as the projector turns off and the walls of the PSV *Metallic Red* disappear, replaced by the murk of the [[great hall->sleep 991 awaken]].

You can see the circle of initiated members again. You've lost track of which door you entered the room from. You want to leave but you can barely stand up. You get to your knees, then to your feet. The members surrounding you seem closer than before. You stand there dazed for a second. The one in front of you reaches inside their robes and pulls out a mirror. The surface is ancient, dim and warped. What do you see?{ (display: "morning") (set: $tabs to 4)} [[The hero->awaken 991]] [[The hero's confidant->awaken 991]] [[The tyrant->awaken 991]] [[The seer->awaken 991]] [[The messenger->awaken 991]] [[The chorus->awaken 991]]

Before you can answer, you wake from the dream. As you brush your teeth in front of the bathroom mirror it feels portentous, but you can't remember why. (display: $shipInterior)

You're in the company house. Whitewashed walls and dark wood flooring. All of the fabrics are undyed. There doesn't seem to be a single object made of plastic. The view out of the window is cloudy, but you can see the [[pebble->sleep 992 beach]] beach.

The stones are large, hard to walk on. Seagulls are wheeling silently ahead. The mist makes it impossible to tell where the sea ends and the sky begins. The beach is as flat as the land it emerges from. The sky is a huge upside down bowl that you are standing in the centre of. Two of your reports from your old job are [[coming out of the water->sleep 992 reports]].

The reports are two guys, both young. They finish each other's sentences. They are telling you about a plan to prevent your prophecised death. "It seems like it's going to work, the prototype was fine." "We need to get approval from the CTO." "Once we get signoff we will make a start on getting it production ready." "We'll let you know if we run into any [[blockers->sleep 992 blockers]]."

They walk away along the beach, shivering. You wonder for a moment about your prophesised death. You can't remember how you found out about it. Maybe the tarot deck? You realise you forgot the deck in the house and turn to jog back to get it, [[floating->sleep 992 tarot]] above the pebbles.

In the house it's night. Candles are lit all around the rooms and you search through them looking for the tarot deck. You get the feeling that maybe your death was prophesised by accident. If you can find the deck you can ask it if it made a mistake. You get to a cabinet with four drawers. You open the [[first->sleep 992 first drawer]] one.

The drawer is full of jade figurines. You close it and open the [[second->sleep 992 second drawer]] drawer.

The drawer is empty. You close it and open the [[third->sleep 992 third drawer]] drawer.

{(display: "morning")(set: $tabs to 0)}The drawer contains old photos. You close it and open the [[fourth->awaken 992]] drawer.

You snap awake, feeling like you were searching for something, but you can no longer remember what. (display: $shipInterior)

{(set: $northText to "") (set: $eastText to "") (set: $location to "") (set: $westText to "") (set: $southText to "")}You hang your robe on a hook next to your bunk and get under the blanket before triggering the privacy screens. The already faint sounds of the dormitory cease immediately. You haven't slept in a normal bed for months but before long you begin to drift off. (live: 6s)[(go-to: "sleep site2")]

(live: 3s)[(go-to: "sleep site3")]

You wake to a gentle chiming noise. It takes you a second to work out what's going on, but you realise the chime means someone outside your bunk is trying to get your attention. You disable the privacy screen which reveals the initiate with the laurel tattoo squatted down next to you. Behind them the other beds in the room are empty and made up. "Good morning." they say. "The Hierophant can see you now." Then they smile enigmatically and leave. (set: $siteState to "morning")(set: $kitchenState to "quietMorning")(set: $diningState to "morning") [[Get up->Dormitory]]

(set: $tarotday to "tarot " + (string: $day))(display: $tarotday)(set: $tarotread to 0)

You draw the topmost card: IIII The Emperor. An augmented reality projector turns on and overlays explanatory text on the wall behind the card. Perfect logic, total control, stasis built on a flawed foundation, no reign lasts forever, past momentum is not enough to coast on. You decide to [[take a shower->tarot 990 shower]].

You think about the tarot card whilst floating under the low flow sprinkler heads. Every thirty seconds they automatically deactivate to preserve water. You hit the button multiple times to turn them on again. [[Put the deck away->$shipInterior]].

You draw the topmost card: XXI The World. The projector beams the explanatory text onto the wall. Repayment and return, the final emanation, the circle squared. The beginning was nothing, the end must be nothing too, but a more complete nothing. [[Put the deck away->$shipInterior]].