Silverfish

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<center><h1>Chapter 1</h1></center> \<center>"The Belly of the Beast"</center> <hr> You’re probably wondering what a highly respectable starship captain such as myself is doing chained to a post in the brig of a smuggler's vessel. I ask myself the same thing at least once a week. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The name's Kouri. Keomi Kouri. 24, Sagittarius, blood type O... what else do you want, my social security? That makes two of us. I come from a fairly typical background. Born in an engine room during a reactor meltdown, grew up in a spacebound merchant caravan with my three fathers (I'm 95% certain that none of them are biological, but hey, family goes deeper than blood), bought myself a Solarfish with my pickpocket money! ...crashed the Solarfish into Deimos... Dated a Europan in my senior year of highschool until I found out her infrasound vocalizations were giving me organ damage. Got a cool new liver out of it. You know, a perfectly normal childhood. And yet how far I've come, for such humble beginnings. A captain of my very own space vessel, manned by the most loyal and reliable crew a personage of my standing could hope to ask for, and a considerable reputation for my years. Of course, getting executed by smugglers would pretty much nullify all that. [[>Continue|Intro2]]

<center>v1.001</center> \<hr> ''Inventory'' <<inventory '$inventory'>> <hr> ''[[= = = Help = = =|Help]]'' ''<a href="https://exonova.neocities.org/walkthrough-silverfish.html" onclick="window.open('https://exonova.neocities.org/walkthrough-silverfish.html')">= Walkthrough =</a>'' ''<a href="https://exonova.neocities.org/games.html" onclick="window.open('https://exonova.neocities.org/games.html')">= More Games =</a>'' ''= = = = = = = = ='' <hr>

''= = =HELP= = ='' ''There is text on the screen but no buttons, how do I continue?'' If there is nothing but text on the screen, click the screen with your mouse (on PC) or your finger (on smartphone) to continue. More text will pop up, and eventually you will be given a button or text box. ''How do I use the text box?'' Select the text box, type in an action, then hit enter or return. ''Nothing I type into the text box is working?'' Although it is not case-sensitive, text box actions are very specific when it comes to wording. Try different ways of wording things. Actions like 'look at x', 'talk to x', 'take x', 'go to x', 'use x' and 'yes/no' are common word formats. //Make sure there are no spaces at the beginning or end of your text.// If you are truly stuck, check the <a href="https://exonova.neocities.org/walkthrough-silverfish.html" onclick="window.open('https://exonova.neocities.org/walkthrough-silverfish.html')">Walkthrough</a>. <<return "Back">>

Jokes aside, Varr isn't wrong. If we’re gonna get out of here, I’m gonna need to come up with a plan. Starting with checking out my surroundings. <<textbox "$actionbrig1" "" "Brig 1b">> (Type "look around" in the text box and hit enter or return)

<<if $actionbrig1.toLowerCase() == "look around" or $actionbrig1.toLowerCase() == "look">> \The cell is dark. Metal floor, metal walls. Varr is chained up to my left, rhos tail twitching impatiently. <<if $ceresianfriend is false>>The Ceresian has turned his body to face the wall, and refuses to speak to me anymore. <<else>>To my right is a male Ceresian, chained to another post, trembling.<</if>> <<if $terransdrunk is true>>Through the cell field, three armed Terrans sit playing Saturnian poker, horribly drunk on Oberoni blue spirit.<<else>>Through the cell field, three armed Terrans sit around a table, drinking and playing some kind of game.<</if>> I could talk to Varr for ideas. <<textbox "$actionbrig2" "" "Brig 1c">> <<else>>\Jokes aside, Varr isn't wrong. If we’re gonna get out of here, I’m gonna need to come up with a plan. Starting with checking out my surroundings. <<textbox "$actionbrig1" "" "Brig 1b">> (Type "look around" in the text box and hit enter or return. Read the HELP page on the side bar if you are having difficulty.) <</if>>

<<if $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "talk to ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "talk ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "speak to ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "speak ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false>> \"Hey, mole man." I call over to the stocky little person. The Ceresian turns his head in my direction, startled. Their people have no eyes, and resemble Terran moles; but the front of their skull holds all of their sharp audio sensory organs, which they usually turn in the direction of their focus like a big radar dish. He launches into a stream of high-pitched chittering and clicking sounds from the base of his throat. "Merde." I curse. "My UT got crunched in the fight. Varr, can you understand him?"<<set $UTstat to true>> "I can." Varr confirms. "At the moment, he is on a tirade about backstabbers and... something to do with a brother, I think." "Hey." I turn back to the Ceresian, interrupting his rant. "Know anything I can use to get out of here?" The Ceresian responded, and after a while, Varr spoke up, "He says yes, but would first like our assurance that we will help him escape as well." "Hm..." I think about that for a moment. Having a Ceresian on my side could be helpful, or a hinderance, considering I know nothing about this individual. <<textbox "$actionbrigceresian1" "" "Brig Ceresian1a">> <<elseif $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "talk to terrans" or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "terrans" or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "talk to terran" or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "terran" or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "talk terrans" or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "talk terran" or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "speak to terrans" or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "speak terrans" or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "speak to terran" or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "speak terran">> \"Hey, amis!" I shout. "Whatcha playing?" "Quiet, radrat." One of them shouts back. I stretch my neck to get a better view of the game they're playing. Looks like Saturnian poker. An idea starts to form in my mind. The beginnings of a plan. One that requires getting the Terrans to raise the stakes on their game. Or, I guess I could just keep shouting until they get mad enough to come in here and shut me up. <<textbox "$actionbrigterran1" "" "Brig Terrans1a">> <<elseif $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "talk to varr" or $actionbrig2.toLowerCase() == "varr">> \I point out my observations to Varr. "Any ideas?" I ask my crewmate. "Not that I don't have a master plan here or anything." "You could speak to the Terrans out there." Varr responds. "Perhaps if you can get them in here, we may be able to overpower them. Or, you could talk to our cellmate, the Ceresian. He may have some insight, considering he has been in here longer." <<textbox "$actionbrig2" "" "Brig 1c">> <<else>> \The cell is dark. Metal floor, metal walls. Varr is chained up to my left, rhos tail twitching impatiently. <<if $ceresianfriend is false>>The Ceresian has turned his body to face the wall, and refuses to speak to me anymore. <<else>>To my right is a male Ceresian, chained to another post, trembling.<</if>> <<if $terransdrunk is true>>Through the cell field, three armed Terrans sit playing Saturnian poker, horribly drunk on Oberoni blue spirit.<<else>>Through the cell field, three armed Terrans sit around a table, drinking and playing some kind of game.<</if>> I could talk to Varr for ideas. <<textbox "$actionbrig2" "" "Brig 1c">> (Try something else) <</if>>

<<newinventory '$inventory'>> <<newinventory '$varrinventory'>>

<h1>_Solar System Archives</h1> \_Archives available: _Inner System , _Outer System , _Kuiper Belt _Note: _Inhabited Moon Archives nested within _Planet Archives _Inner System    [[>Mercury|Mercury Archive]]    [[>Venus|Venus Archive]]    [[>Earth|Earth Archive]]    [[>Mars|Mars Archive]]    [[>Ceres|Ceres Archive]] _Outer System    [[>Jupiter|Jupiter Archive]]    [[>Saturn|Saturn Archive]]    [[>Uranus|Uranus Archive]]    [[>Neptune|Neptune Archive]] _Kuiper Belt    [[>Pluto|Pluto Archive]]    [[>Makemake|Makemake Archive]]    [[>Haumea|Haumea Archive]]    [[>Eris|Eris Archive]] <<if $chapter1 is true>>[>Back]<</if>>

_''Mercury'' _Hot, rocky, metallic, crystalline, thin atmosphere _''Moon(s)'' _None <hr> _''Mercurians'' _Physical Description: Quadrupedal, tall, multi-legged, hard and silvery carapace. Somewhat resemble mantids. Biochemistry is metallic and crystalline. _Culture: Highly advanced, particularly in the robotics industry. Inventors and manufacturers of Mercurian Adaptive Androids; robots designed to intigrate with and serve alien species. _Language Type: Crystal resonance, auditory(formal), touch vibrations(informal) _Reproductive Method: Asexual, lay metallic eggs _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Silverfish Computer Archives]]

_''Venus'' _Hot, lush, organic, rocky, volcanic, thick atmosphere, boiling oceans _''Moon(s)'' _None <hr> _''Venusians'' _Physical Description: Bipedal, reptilian, somewhat feline features, four ears, long tail. Skin tones range in a variety of greens, yellows and blues. _Culture: Advanced in biomechanics, ecologically-conscious, prefer natural spaces. Highly social, live in large family groups. The five sexes are referred to as: δ (delta/deltam/deltis), ζ (zeta/zetam/zetis), ξ(xi/xim/xis), ρ(rho/rhom/rhos), and ψ(psi/psim/psis). _Language Type: Vocal _Reproductive Method: Sexual, genetic information from each of the five reproductive sexes must be present, lay soft eggs, require amino pools to incubate _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Silverfish Computer Archives]]

_''Earth'' _Mild, lush, varied, rocky, oceans _''Moon(s)'' [[>Luna|Luna Archive]] <hr> _''Terrans'' _Physical Description: Bipedal primates with a varied range of hairlessness _Culture: <a href="https://youtu.be/oHg5SJYRHA0" onclick="window.open('https://youtu.be/oHg5SJYRHA0')">Extended Terran Culture Archives</a> _Language Type: Vocal _Reproductive Method: Ask your mentor _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Silverfish Computer Archives]]

_''Mars'' _Rocky, desert, scrubland, oceans _''Moon(s)'' _Phobos _Deimos <hr> _''Martians'' _Physical Description: Quadrupedal, multi-legged, soft carapace. Resemble hymenopteran insects. _Culture: Highly advanced in construction. Live in matriarchal, eusocial colonies consisting primarily of female workers, a queen, and a few brood males. Once at war with the Terrans until a treaty was made. _Language Type: Pheromones and body movements _Reproductive Method: Sexual, lay soft eggs that hatch into larvae, become pupa and eventually mature into adults. _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Silverfish Computer Archives]]

_''Luna'' _Icy, rocky, frozen oceans, tidally locked, low gravity <hr> _''Lunaea'' _Physical Description: Propulsive, hexapedal, segmented, resemble large tardigrades. Related to Terran tardigrades, share an ancestor of microscopic tardigrades that arrived on a cluster of extra-solar comets. _Culture: Float about in the low-gravity. Reside on the Earth-facing side of the moon, but dome cities were constructed on the dark side for ice mining purposes. _Language Type: Body movements _Reproductive Method: Sexual or asexual depending on the species, lay eggs that can go into a hybernative desiccation state and survive extreme conditions _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Earth Archive]]

_''Ceres'' _ Icy, rocky, uninhabitable surface, humid and lush subterrain _''Moon(s)'' _None <hr> _''Ceresians'' _Physical Description: Bipedal, furry, no eyes, four large clawed forearms. Somewhat resemble moles. _Culture: Highly advanced in mining and metalwork. Originally evolved underground, where there is an enclosed environment heated by geothermals and protected from the hostile surface. Eventually their technology advanced enough to move to the surface in dome cities, and then out into the asteroid belt surrounding their home. Prolific miners, harvest rare metals and ice in the asteroid belt. Live in large familial colonies of many worker males and a few queens. _Language Type: Vocal _Reproductive Method: Sexual, live birth. Females, called queens, are rare and five times the size of the males. _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Silverfish Computer Archives]]

_''Jupiter'' _Gaseous, extreme temperature gradient, forests of gaseous plants _''Moon(s)'' [[>Ganymede|Ganymede Archive]] [[>Callisto|Callisto Archive]] [[>Io|Io Archive]] [[>Europa|Europa Archive]] _75 Uninhabited Moons <hr> _''Jovians'' _Physical Description: Pulsative, dexterous prehensile tentacles. Resemble jellyfish. Come in a wide variety of colors. _Culture: Tribal. Primarily colonize the temperate sphere of clouds. Get around by propelling through the thick, soupy atmosphere of Jupiter, utilizing the air sacs in their bodies for floatation. _Language Type: Flashing colored lights. _Reproductive Method: Asexual, produce larvae that enter a polyp stage, attaching themselves to floating plants until mature. _Status: Planet-Bound [[Back|Silverfish Computer Archives]]

_''Saturn'' _Gaseous, extreme temperature gradient, liquid hydrogen and helium ocean at core _''Moon(s)'' [[>Titan|Titan Archive]] [[>Enceladus|Enceladus Archive]] _80 Uninhabited Moons <hr> _''Saturnids'' _Physical Description: Semi-bipedal, squat, made of dense rock and metal. Resemble rhinoceros. _Culture: Do not have visual or auditory sensory organs, navigate their surroundings by reading electrical currents. They live at the bottom of the ocean surrounding the solid core. Aggressive and territorial. _Language Type: Electrical currents _Reproductive Method: Sexual, males are highly diminutive, underdeveloped and non-sentient; once accepted by a female, they latch onto their bodies permanently, taking in nutrients and providing genetic material. _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Silverfish Computer Archives]]

_''Uranus'' _Gaseus, cold, floating ice islands _''Moon(s)'' [[>Titania|Titania Archive]] [[>Oberon|Oberon Archive]] [[>Umbriel|Umbriel Archive]] _24 Uninhabited Moons <hr> _''Uranians'' _Physical Description: Semi-bipedal, multi-legged, long forelimbs tipped with tendrilled fingers. Resemble Diplocaulus. _Culture: Strong fingers capable of digging deep into rock evolved to root themselves to the ice islands in the strong winds of Uranus. Older Uranians remain rooted permanently, the younger individuals keep them sustained. _Language Type: Flashing lights _Reproductive Method: Sexual, give live birth to underdeveloped young that reside in pouches until mature _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Silverfish Computer Archives]]

_''Planet Name'' _Terrain Description _''Moon(s)'' _None <hr> _''People'' _Physical Description: _Culture: _Language Type: _Reproductive Method: _Status: [[Back|Silverfish Computer Archives]]

_''Planet Name'' _Terrain Description _''Moon(s)'' [[>Dysnomia|Dysnomia Archive]] <hr> _''People'' _Physical Description: _Culture: _Language Type: _Reproductive Method: _Status: [[Back|Silverfish Computer Archives]]

<<if $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "yes" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "agree" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "agree to" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "i agree" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "agree to help" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "i agree to help" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "i will help you" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "help ceresian" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "agree to help ceresian" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "agree with ceresian" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "accept">> \<<set $ceresianfriend = true>>"Yeah, sure." I tell the Ceresian, nodding sincerely. "You give us some intel, we'll help you escape. The Ceresian brightens as much as a faceless person can, and starts to chirp excitedly. "He says the chains are made of a special alloy his people mine in the belt." Varr translates. "They are extremely strong, but highly reactive to a compound found in standard issue coolant." "Thanks for the chemistry lesson, but how does that help us?" I ask. The Ceresian points his nose up at a pipe just above our heads. It has a small crack in it, and a tiny droplet of yellow liquid threatens to fall from it. "He says that is a coolant pipe." Varr answers. "If we can get more of the coolant to flow out, we could dissolve these chains." "Damn, not a bad idea." I say, mulling over how we could accomplish this. Varr has a long, prehensile tail. I could ask rhom to try the pipe. <<textbox "$actionbrigceresian2" "" "Brig Ceresian1b">> <<elseif $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "no" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "disagree" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "disagree with" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "i disagree" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "i can't help you" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "do not help" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "do not help ceresian" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "disagree with ceresian" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "decline">> \<<set $ceresianfriend = false>>"Nah, no one likes a third wheel." I shrug. The Ceresian looks about as frustrated as a faceless person can look, and refuses to speak any more. [[>Continue|Brig 1b]] <<elseif $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "talk to terrans" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "terrans" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "talk to terran" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "terran" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "talk terrans" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "talk terran" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "speak to terrans" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "speak terrans" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "speak to terran" or $actionbrigceresian1.toLowerCase() == "speak terran">> "Actually," I say, "I'mma try talking to the douchebags outside instead." <<set $actionbrig2 to "talk to terrans">> [[Continue|Brig 1c]] <<else>> \"Hey, mole man." I call over to the stocky little person. The Ceresian turns his head in my direction, startled. Their people have no eyes, and resemble Terran moles; but the front of their skull holds all of their sharp audio sensory organs, which they usually turn in the direction of their focus like a big radar dish. He launches into a stream of high-pitched chittering and clicking sounds from the base of his throat. "Merde." I curse. "My UT got crunched in the fight. Varr, can you understand him?" "I can." Varr confirms. "At the moment, he is on a tirade about backstabbers and... something to do with a brother, I think." "Hey." I turn back to the Ceresian, interrupting his rant. "Know anything I can use to get out of here?" The Ceresian responded, and after a while, Varr spoke up, "He says yes, but would first like our assurance that we will help him escape as well." "Hm..." I think about that for a moment. Having a Ceresian on my side could be helpful, or a hinderance, considering I know nothing about this individual. <<textbox "$actionbrigceresian1" "" "Brig Ceresian1a">> (Try something else) <</if>>

<<if $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "try the pipe" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "ask varr to try the pipe" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "ask varr" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "tell varr to try the pipe" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "varr" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "use tail" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "ask varr to use tail" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "tell varr to use tail" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "tell varr to use rhos tail" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "ask varr to use rhos tail" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "talk to varr" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "pipe">> \"I've seen you rip a can of djoda beans in half with that tail, Varr." I mention. "Think you can make that crack in the pipe bigger?" "I imagine the metal of this pipe is tougher than tin, but I will try." The Venusian responds. Varr begins to maneuver rhos strong tail from its resting spot, twisting and snaking upwards as high as it could go. The thin, tapered end of it reaches the pipe, and Varr begins pushing at the weak spot. I can see the metal buckling under the pressure. After a while of working at it, the metal finally bends just enough, widening the crack. A gush of yellow liquid pours out, falling in a stream, hitting Varr on the back of rhos neck and dripping down onto the chains. Already the metal was beginning to fizzle. "I'm gonna ignore the fact that it looks like you're being pissed on by a spaceship. Excellent work, sailor." I commend Varr. "Now that we have a solution for the chains, what's our next step?" "Without chains, we would be better prepared to handle the Terrans out there." Varr offers. Rho looks over at the Ceresian when he begins to click. "Our little friend would like to point out the vent, and offers to travel through it to the control room and unlock the cell field remotely." Both are solid plans, both with some risk. Even without chains, the Terrans are armed, and have the upper hand in a fight. <<if $terransdrunk is true>>Granted, now that they're wasted, maybe we could take them pretty easily. <</if>>If I let the Ceresian carry out his plan, we could catch the Terrans by surprise; but there's no real assurance he won't just leave us behind, or worse, warn the smugglers of our plan. <<textbox "$actionbrigceresian3" "" "Brig Ceresian1c">> <<elseif $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "talk to terrans" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "terrans" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "talk to terran" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "terran" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "talk terrans" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "talk terran" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "speak to terrans" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "speak terrans" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "speak to terran" or $actionbrigceresian2.toLowerCase() == "speak terran">> \<<if $terransdrunk>>\"I'll keep that in mind, but I'm gonna continue antagonizing those drunk Terrans out there instead." <<set $actionbrigterransdrunk1 to "talk to terrans">>[[>Continue|Brig Terransdrunk1b]] <<else>>\"I'll keep that in mind, but I'm gonna try the douchebags outside for now." <<set $actionbrig2 to "talk to terrans">>[[>Continue|Brig 1c]]<</if>> <<else>> \"Yeah, sure." I tell the Ceresian, nodding sincerely. "You give us some intel, we'll help you escape. The Ceresian brightens as much as a faceless person can, and starts to chirp excitedly. "He says the chains are made of a special alloy his people mine in the belt." Varr translates. "They are extremely strong, but highly reactive to a compound found in standard issue coolant." "Thanks for the chemistry lesson, but how does that help us?" I ask. The Ceresian points his nose up at a pipe just above our heads. It has a small crack in it, and a tiny droplet of yellow liquid threatens to fall from it. "He says that is a coolant pipe." Varr answers. "If we can get more of the coolant to flow out, we could dissolve these chains." "Damn, not a bad idea." I say, mulling over how we could accomplish this. Varr has a long, prehensile tail. I could ask rhom to try the pipe. <<textbox "$actionbrigceresian2" "" "Brig Ceresian1b">> (Try something else) <</if>>

<center><h1>You Lose</h1> \Sucks to be you.</center> <hr> ''Restart from beginning:'' in the Side Bar, click RESTART ''Restart from save:'' in the Side Bar, click SAVES ''Continue from better point:'' in the Side Bar, click the Left Arrow button to wind back to an earlier point in the game

<<if $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "talk to ceresian" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "agree with ceresian" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "accept ceresian's proposition" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "accept ceresian’s proposition" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "ceresian" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "talk to ceresian" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "let ceresian leave" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "vent" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "ceresian plan" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "leave through vent" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "ceresian sus" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "ceresian was the imposter" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "ceresian is the imposter" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "go through vent" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "agree" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "go vent" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "go to vent" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "use vent" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "ask ceresian to vent" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "ask ceresian to use vent" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "accept ceresian's plan" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "accept ceresian’s plan" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "agree to vent">> \"I'm gonna trust you with my life on this one." I tell the Ceresian. "You get us out of here, and we'll get you off this ship, swear on my dear ol' mémé, bless her soul. But if you betray us, well... let's just say you look a whole lot like a species Venusians hunt for their meat back on their home world." I warn, glancing at Varr pointedly. The Ceresian nods shakily, turning his head towards Varr warily for a moment. Now free, Varr hurries to bring handfuls of coolant over to begin dissolving my chains, and the Ceresian's. I glance out the energy field; the Terrans are still engrossed in their game off in the corner. "Alright Ceresian," I say as I walk over to the vent, working to pry it open, "you're up." The Ceresian scrambles over, ducking down into the open vent. Varr and I stand back, watching the little person disappear into the ventillation system. "I hope this was not a mistake." Varr rumbles. [[>Continue|Brig Ceresian1d]] <<elseif $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "terrans" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "talk to terrans" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "attack terrans" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "fight terrans" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "yell at terrans" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "shout at terrans" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "antagonize terrans" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "call terrans over" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "handle terrans" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "handle" or $actionbrigceresian3.toLowerCase() == "taunt terrans">> \"We can take these Terrans." I say confidently. "No problem." Now free, Varr hurries to bring handfuls of coolant over to begin dissolving my chains, and the Ceresian's. I glance out the energy field; the Terrans are still engrossed in their game off in the corner. "Alright, sit back down and pretend you're still chained up." I tell Varr and the Ceresian. "I'm gonna talk to those guys, try to lure them in here. Be ready to fight." "The Ceresian wishes to inform us that he is an engineer, not a fighter." Varr says. "Be ready to cower, then." [[>Continue|Brig Terrans Unchained1a]] <<else>> \"I've seen you rip a can of djoda beans in half with that tail, Varr." I mention. "Think you can make that crack in the pipe bigger?" "I imagine the metal of this pipe is tougher than tin, but I will try." The Venusian responds. Varr begins to maneuver rhos strong tail from its resting spot, twisting and snaking upwards as high as it could go. The thin, tapered end of it reaches the pipe, and Varr begins pushing at the weak spot. I can see the metal buckling under the pressure. After a while of working at it, the metal finally bends just enough, widening the crack. A gush of yellow liquid pours out, falling in a stream, hitting Varr on the back of rhos neck and dripping down onto the chains. Already the metal was beginning to fizzle. "I'm gonna ignore the fact that it looks like you're being pissed on by a spaceship. Excellent work, sailor." I commend Varr. "Now that we have a solution for the chains, what's our next step?" "Without chains, we would be better prepared to handle the Terrans out there." Varr offers. Rho looks over at the Ceresian when he begins to click. "Our little friend would like to point out the vent, and offers to travel through it to the control room and unlock the cell field remotely." Both are solid plans, both with some risk. Even without chains, the Terrans are armed, and have the upper hand in a fight. <<if $terransdrunk is true>>Granted, now that they're wasted, maybe we could take them pretty easily. <</if>>If I let the Ceresian carry out his plan, we could catch the Terrans by surprise; but there's no real assurance he won't just leave us behind, or worse, warn the smugglers of our plan. <<textbox "$actionbrigceresian3" "" "Brig Ceresian1c">> (Try something else) <</if>>

<<set $ceresianvent to true>><<set $ceresally to true>>It feels like we've been waiting for ages. I'm getting restless, worrying the Ceresian might have been caught, or might be in the middle of betraying us. I was distracted by my alternative backup plan-making when, suddenly, I notice something strange occurring outside the cell. "Are you seeing this?" Varr asks, rhos fiery blue eyes gazing out in the same direction as my focus. "Yeah, is that gas coming through the- oh. Yup, that's exactly what it is." I stare in wonder as the wispy blue vapors drift down and coat the three Terrans outside. They don't even seem to notice, so engrossed in their game. In just a few moments, all three pass out cold, falling out of their chairs and onto the floor. In the next moment, the sound of a fan bursts out, and the blue vapors are sucked into the wall just before the cell field blips out of existance. "I'll be damned." I say, getting to my feet and staring at the three unconscious Terrans. "Ol' mole man actually did it." "Impressive." Varr concurs. After a moment, the Ceresian appears once again, through the exit door. Seems the control room wasn't too far away. He looks pretty proud of himself, chirping away hapilly. "Now that we are free," Varr says, nodding to the Ceresian. "Shall we make our escape?" "Indeed, my good reptile," I grin, "it's time for the fun to begin." [[>Continue|Brig Loot1]]

<<set $ceresiannovent to true>><<set $ceresally to true>><<if $terransdrunk is true>>As soon as all three of us are seated once again, our arms behind our backs as though we were still bound, I launch into the next step of my plan. "Damn, you guys really can't hold your liquor, huh?" I laugh loudly. "Ya'll look like 16-year-old first-timers after a single sip of watered-down engine room vodka." One of the Terrans spins around, glaring at me. Well, he's trying to. He looks like he can't quite pinpoint where my voice is coming from. "Hey, lay off!" He wails, with far more emotion than a sober person would. "I work 90 hours a week, I never have time to drink, I'm out of practice!" "Boo hoo. Your mamas sure raised a bunch of sob stories." "You leave my mother out of this!" The drunkest one lifts her head off the table, tears streaming from her eyes. "She did her best!" When the blue spirit hits, it hits hard. "Her best is a smuggler brig guard low-life who can't even get //drinking// right?" I sneer. "Grade A parenting." The extremely drunk guard nearly falls over herself trying to stand up, fumbling to pull her gun out of its holster. She stumbles over to the cell field and shrieks through it, "You take that back!" They're far too easy, this drunk and this emotionally open from the alcohol's side effects. It doesn't take much more taunting to get all three to the cell field, scrambling to swipe the cell keycard with fingers refusing to respond to their commands. I wait patiently for them to enter the cell. One of them falls to his knees and struggles to get back up, the other holds onto the wall for stability, and the third stumbles forward, trying to figure out how to work her blaster with shifting vision and impaired motor skills. Suddenly, my unbound arm whips up and snatches the blaster from the drunken guard, right from her fumbling hands. Before it can even register to the guard, I turn the blaster on her and shoot her right in the chest, the green blaze of the laser lighting up the dreary cell like a flash of lightning. The first guard had barely crumpled to the ground by the time I fired off quick shots at the standing guard, and finally the one on his knees. All three collapse into heaps, unmoving. The cell is quiet, just the slight crackling of the three smoking corpses. The air fills with the acrid smell of burning hair. "Excellent shooting, captain." Varr compliments me. The Ceresian seems equally impressed. I dip into a bow, blowing off the steam coming from the end of the blaster. [[>Continue|Brig Loot1]] <<else>>\As soon as all three of us are seated once again, our arms behind our backs as though we were still bound, I launch into the next step of my plan. "Hey, assholes!" I shout. "I know ya'll aren't exactly rich in the brain industry, but can you at least //try// to learn how to play a real game?" One of the Terrans, seemingly a bit annoyed, turns around and gets out of his chair, hand on his holstered weapon. "Pal, I'm down 60 credits and I got a headache. I didn't ask for babysitting duty, yet here I am. You wanna keep trying my mood?" "And I didn't ask to sit here and watch you idiots play the most boring game of Saturnian poker I've ever seen, yet here we are." The Terran that had gotten up from his seat strode closer, until he stood just outside the cell field. His expression is irritated, and beyond him, the other Terrans have their hands on their own weapons. "You've got exactly 5 seconds to smarten up." The first one snarls. "Between all of us, I wouldn't exactly trust any of you three to know what 'smart' looks like." I say with a grin. "I mean really, you think anyone with a brain bouncing around in their skull ends up on smuggler vessel brig guard duty?" That gets the other two on their feet. The alchohol they've had thus far seems to be fueling their rage all the more, their faces red with it. One of them grabs the cell keycard, and goes to disable the field. The field comes down with a blink, and the three Terrans stride into the cell. The first one points his weapon directly at my forehead. "The boss meant to have you all executed in front of his clients as an example later," He growls, "but I don't think he'll mind being left with only two." "I see now why they made you a guard down here instead of the glorious bridge patrol," I say humbly, "you don't even know how to hold a blaster properly." The Terran's eyes go red with anger. In his rage, he hyperfocuses on his preparation to shoot. Outside of his tunnel vision, he misses the quick movement of my unbound hand as I lash out and snatch the blaster right from his grasp. Before he can react, I've already flipped the blaster around and shot him in the chest, the green blaze of the laser lighting up the dreary cell like a flash of lightning. The remaining guards fire off their own blasters at me, but I have the dead guard's body in my grasp, using it as a shield; their shots hit his body, spasming under the impact. I fire my own shots out from behind my shield, hitting the two Terrans before they can prepare to shoot again, and they collapse to the ground, unmoving. When the dust settles, I release the first guard to crumple to the ground. The cell is quiet, just the slight crackling of the three smoking corpses. The air fills with the acrid smell of burning hair. "Excellent shooting, captain." Varr compliments me. I dip into a bow, blowing off the steam coming from the end of the blaster. [[>Continue|Brig Loot1]] <</if>>

_''Ganymede'' _Icy, rocky, subterranean ocean teeming with life <hr> _''Ganydia'' _Physical Description: Propulsive, subterranean aquatic, two prehensile forelimbs, several fins. Resemble dragons. _Culture: Primitive. Territorial, solitary, mysterious. _Language Type: Vocal, high-frequency _Reproductive Method: Sexual, lay egg sacs _Status: Planet-Bound [[Back|Jupiter Archive]]

_''Callisto'' _Temperate, rocky, dark, teeming with bioluminescent wildlife <hr> _''Callistae'' _Physical Description: Bipedal, long arms, short black fur, covered in brightly-glowing bioluminescent spots. Somewhat lupine in appearance. _Culture: Highly intelligent, empathetic, passive. Highly elusive and mysterious, tend to appear when a pure soul needs help. _Language Type: Patterns of flashing lights _Reproductive Method: Asexual, grow younglings in polyp form from organs on their backs. _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Jupiter Archive]]

_''Io'' _Hot, highly organic and lush, thick atmosphere <hr> _''People'' _Physical Description: Multipedal, colorful, fungus-like, bodily tendrils. Resemble Devil’s Finger fungi. Move like starfish walking on tiptoe. _Culture: Live in large familiar clusters. Very interconnected with the natural world, aiding local plants with nutrient distribution. _Language Type: Scents _Reproductive Method: Varies, 3,248 sex varieties on record, all emit spores that enter a polyp stage before maturity. _Status: Planet-Bound (Exceptions are individuals that have hitched rides with other races) [[Back|Jupiter Archive]]

_''Europa'' _Icy, oceanic, cryogeysers <hr> _''Europans'' _Physical Description: Semi-bipedal, semi-aquatic. Resemble furry pterodactyls with velociraptor heads. _Culture: Primarily live on top of the ice sheets, but are equally at home underwater, where they fish for their food. _Language Type: Vocal, infrasound _Reproductive Method: Sexual, lay furry eggs which are kept in pouches. _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Jupiter Archive]]

_''Titan'' _Rocky, dusty, thick atmosphere, temperate <hr> _''Titans'' _Physical Description: Quadropedal, two prehensile tendrils at either side of the mouth. Resemble giraffes with a hagfish for a head. _Culture: Nomadic people, who travel across the continent following the migrating trees that produce their primary food source. Ecologically conscious. _Language Type: Psychic link when wrapping tendrils together(advanced), infrasound(basic) _Reproductive Method: Symbiotic relationship with the migrating trees; the pollen from the trees fertilizes the eggs of the Titans, while the Titans carry the pollen between the trees, which fertilizes the seeds of the trees. _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Saturn Archive]]

_''Enceladus'' _Icy, thin atmosphere, sub-surface ocean, cryogeysers <hr> _''Enceladans'' _Physical Description: Metallic, mirror-like shells that reflect harmful rays. Resemble hermit crabs. _Culture: Live in large communes _Language Type: Vocal, consists of clicking sounds _Reproductive Method: Sexual, lay live young that are kept in the father's shell until mature enough to form their own shells. _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Saturn Archive]]

_''Titania'' _Rocky, cold desert, cold jungle, ice water sources <hr> _''Titanians'' _Physical Description: Metachronal, multi-legged, hairy carapaces. Resemble centipedes. _Culture: Masters of subterfuge. _Language Type: Body movements _Reproductive Method: Sexual or asexual, carrying eggs and larvae on their backs. _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Uranus Archive]]

_''Oberon'' _Lush, temperate, paradisical <hr> _''Oberoni'' _Physical Description: Somewhat resemble bald Terrans with long tails, large eyes and flat noses. Skin tones range in a variety of pastels, blue being the most common. Have an assortment of feathers along key regions of their bodies. _Culture: Proficient in electrical manipulation. Gentle, connected to nature. _Language Type: Vocal _Reproductive Method: Sexual, give birth to live young _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Uranus Archive]]

_''Umbriel'' _Rocky, dark, cool forest, cold lakes <hr> _''Umbriela'' _Physical Description: Bipedal, resemble frogs. _Culture: Friendly, like to hoard. Go into long hibernation periods. _Language Type: Vocal _Reproductive Method: Sexual, 32 known sexes, give birth to live young _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Uranus Archive]]

_''Planet Name'' _Terrain Description <hr> _''People'' _Physical Description: _Culture: _Language Type: _Reproductive Method: _Status: [[Back|Neptune Archive]]

_''Planet Name'' _Terrain Description <hr> _''People'' _Physical Description: _Culture: _Language Type: _Reproductive Method: _Status: [[Back|Pluto Archive]]

_''Dysnomia'' _Rocky, crystalline, strong energy fields, electrical storms <hr> _''Dysnomians'' _Physical Description: Glowing, floating ball of pure energy. _Culture: Interact with the world around them by manipulating energy fields. Most carry metal hoops that float around them, keeping manipulatable metal with them at all times. They are considered the most highly intelligent of all people. _Language Type: Pure data, sent electronically _Reproductive Method: Do not reproduce; the planet itself births them via its energy fields _Status: Space-Faring [[Back|Eris Archive]]

<center><h1>Silverfish</h1></center> \<center>v1.001</center> \Welcome to ''Silverfish'', an interactive fiction game. Interactive fiction (or a 'text adventure') is a type of computer game in which the player interacts with textual environments. (Click anywhere to continue) Before we begin, I'd like to direct your attention to the ''SIDE BAR'', an important feature to the game. If you don't see the side bar, hit the right arrow button in the top left corner of this screen. In this side bar, you will find your inventory, useful links, your saves, and the option to restart the game from the beginning. Once you have familiarized yourself with the Side Bar and game interface, click the button below to continue. [[>Continue|Intro]]

"Is now really the best time to be rehearsing your autobiography?" I glance over to the source of the deep, rumbling voice. Varr, one of my crew, sits chained to my left. A Venusian; more at home in space than most of rhos kin, who tend to prefer natural habitats. Never misses a chance at being on the landing party, though. Heart of dirt, I suppose. "It’s called ‘character development’, Varr." I say. "It's very important. You don't want to be a brick, do you?" "I think we have been in space too long." Varr snorts out the slits of rhos nostrils. "The radiation is messing with your head." "Hey, I’m not the one who talks to plants." "Maybe that is your problem. Not enough fresh oxygen, hm?" "As much as I enjoy our banter, my good reptile; perhaps we should focus on getting out of here?" "Aye, if you have finished with story time." "I'm flipping you off in my mind right now, Varr. If you concentrate real hard, maybe you'll see it." [[>Continue|Brig 1a]]

<<if $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "raise the stakes" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "raise stakes" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "poker" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "poker face" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "up the stakes" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "saturnian poker" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "suggest" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "p-p-poker face" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "play poker" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "play saturnian poker" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "up stakes" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "tell terrans to raise the stakes" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "tell terrans to up the stakes" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "get terrans to up the stakes" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "get them to up the stakes" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "get terrans to raise the stakes">> \<<if $grumpyterran is not true>>"Look, I don't want to tell you guys how to play your game," I say loudly, "but back home we like to play Saturnian poker a bit more dangerously." One of the Terrans, seemingly a bit annoyed, turns around and gets out of his chair, hand on his holstered weapon. "Pal, I'm down 60 credits and I got a headache. I didn't ask for babysitting duty, yet here I am. You wanna keep trying my mood?" "Hey, fair enough. I just thought you might wanna make 'babysitting duty' a little bit less drab." "Why the hell would you care if we're having a good game?" Another Terran cuts in. "Oh, for my own entertainment too, of course." I say with a grin. "I feel like I'm watching a game of Monopoly here." "How do your people play, then?" The third one asks, voice bored. "Alright, so back home we call this Lush Poker..." I launch into an explanation of the game, which involves drinking copious amounts of alcohol every time a player folds or loses a hand. When a player goes bust, they have to drink the whole bottle. "Usually we drink Venusian sourwine back home, though." "I got a big bottle of Oberoni blue spirit in my locker." One of them says. "That'll suffice." I say. A downplay, in all honesty. A side effect of drinking copious amounts of blue spirit, as most Terrans are unaware, is similar to ecstasy. Getting these idiots drunk //and// high only increases the odds in my favor. [[>Continue|Brig Terransdrunk1a]] <<else>> \"Why the hell would you care if we're having a good game?" Another Terran cuts in. "Oh, for my own entertainment too, of course." I say with a grin. "I feel like I'm watching a game of Monopoly here." "How do your people play, then?" The third one asks, voice bored. "Alright, so back home we call this Lush Poker..." I launch into an explanation of the game, which involves drinking copious amounts of alcohol every time a player folds or loses a hand. When a player goes bust, they have to drink the whole bottle. "Usually we drink Venusian sourwine back home, though." "I got a big bottle of Oberoni blue spirit in my locker." One of them says. "That'll suffice." I say. A downplay, in all honesty. A side effect of drinking copious amounts of blue spirit, as most Terrans are unaware, is similar to ecstasy. Getting these idiots drunk //and// high only increases the odds in my favor. [[>Continue|Brig Terransdrunk1a]]<</if>> <<elseif $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "keep shouting" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "keep yelling" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "shout" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "yell" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "keep talking" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "talk" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "keep shouting at terrans" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "keep shouting at terran" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "keep yelling at terrans" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "keep yelling at terran" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "keep talking to terrans" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "keep talking to terran" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "antagonize terrans" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "antagonize terran" or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "antagonize">> \"I'll have you know, the radiation from the reactor meltdown only altered 16% of my DNA." I argue against the 'radrat' comment. One of the Terrans, seemingly a bit annoyed, turns around and gets out of his chair, hand on his holstered weapon. "Pal, I'm down 60 credits and I got a headache. I didn't ask for babysitting duty, yet here I am. You wanna keep trying my mood?" "And I didn't ask to sit here and watch you idiots play the most boring game of Saturnian poker I've ever seen, yet here we are." The Terran that had gotten up from his seat strode closer, until he stood just outside the cell field. His expression is irritated, and beyond him, the other Terrans have their hands on their own weapons. "You've got exactly 5 seconds to smarten up." The first one snarls. [[>Continue|Brig Terransangry1a]] <<elseif $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "talk to ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false or $actionbrigterran1.toLowerCase() == "talk ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false>> \Maybe I'll try talking to the Ceresian instead. <<set $actionbrig2 to "talk to ceresian">> [[>Continue|Brig 1c]] <<else>> \"Hey, amis!" I shout. "Whatcha playing?" "Quiet, radrat." One of them shouts back. I stretch my neck to get a better view of the game they're playing. Looks like Saturnian poker. An idea starts to form in my mind. The beginnings of a plan. One that requires getting the Terrans to raise the stakes on their game. Or, I guess I could just keep shouting until they get mad enough to come in here and shut me up. <<textbox "$actionbrigterran1" "" "Brig Terrans1a">> (Try something else) <</if>>

<<set $terransdrunk to true>>It all only takes about an hour. All three of these Terrans seem to be terrible at poker, each of them winding up drinking a lot of blue spirit real fast. The faster you drink that stuff, the harder it hits you. Near the end of it, two of them are sagging in their chairs, the third resting her head on the table and crying about her childhood. Our guards now thoroughly inebriated, I have plenty of time to decide my next move. If I can get the Terrans in here, I might be able to take them on now; or I can try something else. <<textbox "$actionbrigterransdrunk1" "" "Brig Terransdrunk1b">>

<<set $grumpyterran to true>>This is one of those fork-in-the-road moments where, if you're smart, you'll think about which turn you're gonna make, just in case one of those roads drops off a blind cliff. If I keep antagonizing these Terrans, they'll definitely come in here guns-a-blazin. I could definitely cool them back down if I wanted to try something else, though. <<textbox "$actionbrigterranangry1" "" "Brig Terransangry1b">>

<<if $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "antagonize" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "keep antagonizing" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "argue" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "yell" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "shout" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "sass" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "keep arguing" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "keep yelling" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "keep shouting" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "keep antagonizing terrans" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "keep antagonizing terran" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "antagonize terrans" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "antagonize terran" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "yell at terrans" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "yell at terran" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "shout at terrans" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "shout at terran" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "argue with terrans" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "argue with" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "sass terrans" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "sass terran" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "argue with terran">> \"Between all of us, I wouldn't exactly trust any of you three to know what 'smart' looks like." I say with a grin. "I mean really, you think anyone with a brain bouncing around in their skull ends up on smuggler vessel brig guard duty?" That gets the other two on their feet. The alchohol they've had thus far seems to be fueling their rage all the more, their faces red with it. One of them grabs the cell keycard, and goes to disable the field. "What exactly is the plan here, captain?" Varr mutters to me. "Honestly, I'm just making it up as I go." I answer. "Wonderful." Varr grumbles back. The Ceresian looks horrified. The field comes down with a blink, and the three Terrans stride into the cell. The first one points his weapon directly at my forehead. "The boss meant to have you all executed in front of his clients as an example later," He growls, "but I don't think he'll mind being left with only two." "I see now why they made you a guard down here instead of the glorious bridge patrol," I say humbly, "you don't even know how to hold a blaster properly." The Terran's eyes go red with anger. In retrospect, none of this was a particularly fantastic idea. Maybe if the chains were off, I could have gotten the upper hand. Maybe if they were drunk enough, I could have used their sloppiness against them. But as it stood, none of those things were the case. Just a buzzed, angry, trigger-happy Terran with all the power over my life and my death. He pulls the trigger. [[Continue|Death Screen]] <<elseif $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "cool down" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "calm down" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "cool" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "calm" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "surrender" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "chill out" or $actionbrigterranangry1.toLowerCase() == "chill">> \"Hey, hey. Chill out." I say. "I'm really not trying to start anything. But the version of Saturnian poker my people play is a hell of a better time, and I just thought you might wanna make 'babysitting duty' a little bit less drab." To my credit, the irritated Terran seems to simmer down a bit at that, and the others look curious. <<set $actionbrigterran1 to "raise stakes">> [[Continue|Brig Terrans1a]] <<else>> \This is one of those fork-in-the-road moments where, if you're smart, you'll think about which turn you're gonna make, just in case one of those roads drops off a blind cliff. If I keep antagonizing these Terrans, they'll definitely come in here guns-a-blazin. I could definitely cool them back down if I wanted to try something else, though. <<textbox "$actionbrigterranangry1" "" "Brig Terransangry1b">> (Try something else) <</if>>

<<if $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "talk to terrans" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "antagonize terrans" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "terrans" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "antagonize" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "shout" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "yell" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "taunt" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "argue" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "talk" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "taunt terrans" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "get terrans in cell" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "get terrans in the cell" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "get terrans in here" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "get the terrans in here" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "get the terrans in cell" or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "get the terrans in the cell">> \"Damn, you guys really can't hold your liquor, huh?" I laugh loudly. "Ya'll look like 16-year-old first-timers after a single sip of watered-down engine room vodka." One of the Terrans spins around, glaring at me. Well, he's trying to. He looks like he can't quite pinpoint where my voice is coming from. "Hey, lay off!" He wails, with far more emotion than a sober person would. "I work 90 hours a week, I never have time to drink, I'm out of practice!" "Boo hoo. Your mamas sure raised a bunch of sob stories." "You leave my mother out of this!" The drunkest one lifts her head off the table, tears streaming from her eyes. "She did her best!" When the blue spirit hits, it hits hard. "Her best is a smuggler brig guard low-life who can't even get //drinking// right?" I sneer. "Grade A parenting." The extremely drunk guard nearly falls over herself trying to stand up, fumbling to pull her gun out of its holster. She stumbles over to the cell field and shrieks through it, "You take that back!" They're far too easy, this drunk and this emotionally open from the alcohol's side effects. It doesn't take much more taunting to get all three to the cell field, scrambling to swipe the cell keycard with fingers refusing to respond to their commands. I wait patiently for them to enter the cell. One of them falls to his knees and struggles to get back up, the other holds onto the wall for stability, and the third stumbles forward, trying to figure out how to work her blaster with shifting vision and impaired motor skills. "Now, Varr." I whisper. [[Continue|Brig Terransdrunk1c]] <<elseif $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "talk to ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "talk ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "speak to ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false or $actionbrigterransdrunk1.toLowerCase() == "speak ceresian" and $ceresianfriend is not false>> \I don't feel overly confident taking on the Terrans just yet. Pissing drunk or not, they still have all the fire power in the room. Maybe I'll try talking to the Ceresian, see if he has any insight. <<set $actionbrig2 to "talk to ceresian">> [[>Continue|Brig 1c]] <<else>> \It all only takes about an hour. All three of these Terrans seem to be terrible at poker, each of them winding up drinking a lot of blue spirit real fast. The faster you drink that stuff, the harder it hits you. Near the end of it, two of them are sagging in their chairs, the third resting her head on the table and crying about her childhood. Our guards now thoroughly inebriated, I have plenty of time to decide my next move. If I can get the Terrans in here, I might be able to take them on now; or I can try something else. <<textbox "$actionbrigterransdrunk1" "" "Brig Terransdrunk1b">> (Try something else) <</if>>

"We should see if these guards hold anything of value on their persons." Varr suggests. "They have blasters, and perhaps other useful items." <<if $ceresally is true>>The Ceresian seems wistful at the idea of searching corpses. I suppose we won't be asking him to do any of this kind of dirty work. <</if>> <<textbox "$actionbrigloot" "" "Brig Loot2">>

<<if $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "loot guards" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "loot" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "look the guards" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "loot terrans" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "loot the terrans" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "search" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "search bodies" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "yes" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "okay">> \After picking up the blasters, we search the bodies of the guards for anything useful. I discover a blue key card<<if $terransdrunk>>, a mostly-empty bottle of Oberoni blue spirit,<</if>> and a knife. <<if $ceresally is true>>I toss one of the three blasters at the Ceresian, who scrambles to catch it. "I don't care if you shoot or not," I say, "you're gonna want the option." The Ceresian doesn't argue, instead he reluctantly shoves the blaster in his belt. "Now then, it's time to get off this rustbucket." [[>Continue|Smuggler Hallway1a]] <<else>>"Now then, it's time to get off this rustbucket." [[>Continue|Smuggler Hallway1a]]<</if>> <<pickup '$inventory' 'Blaster'>><<pickup '$inventory' 'Blue Key Card'>><<pickup '$inventory' 'Knife'>> <<if $terransdrunk>><<pickup '$inventory' '1/3 Bottle of Blue Spirit'>><<pickup '$varrinventory' 'Blaster'>><</if>> <<elseif $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "no" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "continue" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "do not loot" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "nah" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "don’t loot" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "don’t" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "don't loot" or $actionbrigloot.toLowerCase() == "don't">> \"No time to be searching bodies." I say. "I don't know the roster schedule, we need to get out of here pronto." "I suppose that is fair." [[>Continue|Smuggler Hallway1a]] <<else>> \"We should see if these guards hold anything of value on their persons." Varr suggests. "They have blasters, and perhaps other useful items." <<textbox "$actionbrigloot" "" "Brig Loot2">> (Try something else) <</if>>

While the Terran fumbles around with her blaster, and the other two are distracted, Varr's prehensile tail lashes out and snags the cell keycard from the floor. In the blink of an eye, rho swipes the keycard over my chain lock, releasing me from bondage. Not a second after the chains snap open, my arm whips up and snatches the blaster from the drunken guard. Before it can even register to the guard, I turn the blaster on her and shoot her right in the chest, the green blaze of the laser lighting up the dreary cell like a flash of lightning. The first guard had barely crumpled to the ground by the time I fired off quick shots at the standing guard, and finally the one on the ground. All three collapse into heaps, unmoving. The cell is quiet, just the slight crackling of the three smoking corpses. The air fills with the acrid smell of burning hair. "Excellent shooting, captain." Varr compliments me. I dip into a bow, blowing off the steam coming from the end of the blaster. I set it down for the moment, crawling over to swipe the keycard over Varr's chains to release rhom. <<if $ceresianfriend is true>>The Ceresian, though fearful, faces me expectantly. Even though I didn't use his advice, I did promise to help him escape. I should release him.<<elseif $ceresianfriend is false>>I glance at the Ceresian, who seems to be facing me, full of hope that I have changed my mind about helping him escape as well. I could release him, if I wanted.<<else>>I glance at the cowering Ceresian, who trembles in his corner. I suppose I could release him as well, if I wanted.<</if>> <<textbox "$actionbrigterransdrunk3" "" "Brig Terransdrunk1d">>

<<if $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "release ceresian" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "release" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "take ceresian" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "agree" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "yes" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "do" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "do release">> \<<set $ceresally to true>>I reach over and swipe the keycard over the Ceresian's chains. They pop open, and the little mole person looks relieved. He better not slow me down. [[>Continue|Brig Loot1]] <<elseif $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "do not release ceresian" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "do not release" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "no release" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "leave ceresian" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "disagree" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "no" or $actionbrigterransdrunk3.toLowerCase() == "do not">> \<<set $ceresally to false>>I ignore the Ceresian. I can't afford any dead weight on my escape. He seems despaired, but that's show biz, baby. It's harsh out here. Every person for themselves. Dog eat- you get the picture. [[>Continue|Brig Loot1]] <<else>> \While the Terran fumbles around with her blaster, and the other two are distracted, Varr's prehensile tail lashes out and snags the cell keycard from the floor. In the blink of an eye, rho swipes the keycard over my chain lock, releasing me from bondage. Not a second after the chains snap open, my arm whips up and snatches the blaster from the drunken guard. Before it can even register to the guard, I turn the blaster on her and shoot her right in the chest, the green blaze of the laser lighting up the dreary cell like a flash of lightning. The first guard had barely crumpled to the ground by the time I fired off quick shots at the standing guard, and finally the one on the ground. All three collapse into heaps, unmoving. The cell is quiet, just the slight crackling of the three smoking corpses. The air fills with the acrid smell of burning hair. "Excellent shooting, captain." Varr compliments me. I dip into a bow, blowing off the steam coming from the end of the blaster. I set it down for the moment, crawling over to swipe the keycard over Varr's chains to release rhom. <<if $ceresianfriend is true>>The Ceresian, though fearful, faces me expectantly. Even though I didn't use his advice, I did promise to help him escape. I should release him.<<elseif $ceresianfriend is false>>I glance at the Ceresian, who seems to be facing me, full of hope that I have changed my mind about helping him escape as well. I could release him, if I wanted.<<else>>I glance at the cowering Ceresian, who trembles in his corner. I suppose I could release him as well, if I wanted.<</if>> <<textbox "$actionbrigterransdrunk3" "" "Brig Terransdrunk1d">> <</if>>

More gameplay coming soon!

Not gonna lie, its a tad nerve-wracking, heading blindly down the dark corridor of an enemy ship. Hard not to jump a bit at any little sound, considering it might be someone heading around a corner. The lighting is horrendous, deep shadows cast like a fleeing octopus. Varr doesn't seem worried, but then rhos kind can naturally see in the dark. I never liked the idea of getting cybernetic eyes for myself, even if they do come with night vision features; I mean, imagine getting your whole eyeball scooped out just like that? Nah, these ol' stormy grays are //au naturale//. "

<<if $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "go to engine control room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "engine control room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "engine room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "go to control room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "go to engine room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "control room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "go to the engine control room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "go to the engine room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "go to the control room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "head for the engine control room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "head for engine control room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "head for the control room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "head for control room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "head for engine room" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "head for the engine room">> \"Let's head for the engine room." I decide.<<if $ceresally is true>> "Lead the way, mole man."<</if>> Not gonna lie, its a tad nerve-wracking, heading half-blind down the dark corridor of an enemy ship<<if $ceresally is true>>, even if I do have a guide<</if>>. Hard not to jump a bit at any little sound. You never know. That next weird clink might just be someone with a laser rifle rounding the corner. The lighting is horrendous, deep shadows cast like a fleeing octopus. Varr doesn't seem worried, but then rhos kind can naturally see in the dark<<if $ceresally is true>>, and the Ceresian lives without sight anyway<</if>>. I never liked the idea of getting cybernetic eyes for myself, even if they do come with night vision features. I mean, imagine getting your whole eyeball scooped out just like that? Nah, these ol' stormy grays are //au naturale//. "A set of lockers along this wall, captain." Varr points out, cutting into the silence. "Shall we stop and search them for weapons?" <<textbox "$smugglerhallway1b" "" "Smuggler Hallway Engineroom1a">> <<elseif $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "go to bridge" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "go to the bridge" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "take the bridge" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "take bridge" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "head for the bridge" or $smugglerhallway1a.toLowerCase() == "head for bridge">> \Result B <<else>> \The dark, dank hallway is barren of life. Somewhere I hear a quiet drip, echoing in the silence. The coast is clear. We step out into the darkness, and begin heading down the corridor. "Alright, I got a few ideas," I say quietly, "but I'mma need an idea on the layout of this ship before we try any of them." The Ceresian began chittering, moving his four arms animatedly. <<if $UTstat is true>><<else>>"Merde." I curse. "My UT got crunched in the fight. Varr, can you understand him?" <</if>>"He says he knows the model of this ship," Varr translates. "So long as the smugglers have not made a major overhaul, he should be able to get us where we would like to go." "Fantastic, so he's not entirely dead weight." I press my hands together. "Our ultimate goal here is to gain control of the bridge. Way I see it, we can go the cautious route and head down to the engine control room; mess with some shit down there, get as many guards as we can to go handle the emergency before trying to take the bridge. Or, we can head straight for the bridge, hope to catch them by surprise before they realize we escaped. I imagine there'll be plenty of lockers to loot for <<if $inventory.has('Blaster')>>more <<else>><</if>>weapons either way we choose." "I have your back, whatever your decision, captain." Varr assures me. <<textbox "$smugglerhallway1a" "" "Smuggler Hallway1b">> (Try something else) <</if>>

<<if $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "loot" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "loot locker" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "search locker" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "locker" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "search the locker" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "loot the locker" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "search for weapons" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "search locker for weapons" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "loot lockers" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "search lockers" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "lockers" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "search the lockers" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "loot the lockers" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "search lockers for weapons" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "search" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "yes" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "agree">> \<<if $controlroom is not true and $controlroomlocked is not true>><<set $locker1loot to true>>"Yeah, but let's make it quick." I say. "Don't need Robbie the Guard coming to get his breaktime Pillager bar only to find us rifling through his shit." I mutter, "//Gods, please let there be a Pillager bar.//" There are five lockers along the wall, and only two of them are locked. One is empty, but the remaining two have some decent goodies. An assault rifle, a pack of grenades, and a sandwich. It's rehydrated ham and cheese and I'm not ashamed of pocketing it. I'm starving, and the owner's gonna be dead pretty soon anyway.<<pickup '$inventory' 'Assault Rifle'>><<pickup '$inventory' 'Ham & Cheese Sandwich'>> <<if $ceresally is true>>I glance down and see the Ceresian holding something in his hands, feeling it over in a clear attempt to figure out what it is. I lean over to see it better in the darkness. "Oh. Oh, darlin', you can uh... you can put that down." I wince the second I realize the furry little creature is holding a rather... risqué magazine. Looks a bit sticky too. The Ceresian seems confused. <</if>>"Alright, we got the goods." I say, taking a bite out of the sandwich. I hand the grenade pack over to Varr. "Here, you're better at throwing." <<pickup '$varrinventory' 'Grenades'>> "Do not sell yourself short, captain." Varr says with faux solemnity as rho clips the grenade pack to rhos belt. "There was that time you nearly hit the general vicinity of the target with a throwing axe." I flip the Venusian off in response. I turn back to close the locker, and I spot something. "Hey, what's this little note?" I crane my head to read the words written in marker on the wall of the locker. "'''EN-C Pass: BlueRoosterz4ever'''." I roll my eyes. "Come on Robbie, the 'Roosters are way past their golden days."<<set $encpass to true>> "This sounds like a password." Varr points out. "It does. As much as it hurts my Stone Angel-loving heart, we should remember this exactly." "Agreed. Now then," Varr straightens up, "shall we proceed to the engine room, or do you feel more confident in taking the bridge with these weapons?" <<textbox "$hallwayengineroom1a" "" "Smuggler Hallway Engineroom1b">> <<elseif $controlroom is true>>\<<set $locker1loot to true>><<set $wentback to true>>There are five lockers along the wall, and only two of them are locked. One is empty, but the remaining two have some decent goodies. An assault rifle, a pack of grenades, and a sandwich. It's rehydrated ham and cheese and I'm not ashamed of pocketing it. I'm starving, and the owner's gonna be dead pretty soon anyway.<<pickup '$inventory' 'Assault Rifle'>><<pickup '$inventory' 'Ham & Cheese Sandwich'>> <<if $ceresally is true>>I glance down and see the Ceresian holding something in his hands, feeling it over in a clear attempt to figure out what it is. I lean over to see it better in the darkness. "Oh. Oh, darlin', you can uh... you can put that down." I wince the second I realize the furry little creature is holding a rather... risqué magazine. Looks a bit sticky too. The Ceresian seems confused. <</if>>"Alright, we got the goods." I say, taking a bite out of the sandwich. I hand the grenade pack over to Varr. "Here, you're better at throwing." <<pickup '$varrinventory' 'Grenades'>> "Do not sell yourself short, captain." Varr says with faux solemnity as rho clips the grenade pack to rhos belt. "There was that time you nearly hit the general vicinity of the target with a throwing axe." I flip the Venusian off in response. I turn back to close the locker, and I spot something. "Hey, what's this little note?" I crane my head to read the words written in marker on the wall of the locker. "'''EN-C Pass: BlueRoosterz4ever'''." I roll my eyes. "Come on Robbie, the 'Roosters are way past their golden days."<<set $encpass to true>> "This may be the password for the terminal." Varr points out. "Probably is. As much as it hurts my Stone Angel-loving heart, we should remember this exactly." "In this case, shall we try the control room again?" Varr asks, "Or do you feel more confident in taking the bridge with these weapons?" <<textbox "$hallwayengineroom1a" "" "Smuggler Hallway Engineroom1b">> <<elseif $controlroomlocked is true>>\<<set $locker1loot to true>>There are five lockers along the wall, and only two of them are locked. One is empty, but the remaining two have some decent goodies. An assault rifle, a pack of grenades, and a sandwich. It's rehydrated ham and cheese and I'm not ashamed of pocketing it. I'm starving, and the owner's gonna be dead pretty soon anyway.<<pickup '$inventory' 'Assault Rifle'>><<pickup '$inventory' 'Ham & Cheese Sandwich'>> <<if $ceresally is true>>I glance down and see the Ceresian holding something in his hands, feeling it over in a clear attempt to figure out what it is. I lean over to see it better in the darkness. "Oh. Oh, darlin', you can uh... you can put that down." I wince the second I realize the furry little creature is holding a rather... risqué magazine. Looks a bit sticky too. The Ceresian seems confused. <</if>>"Alright, we got the goods." I say, taking a bite out of the sandwich. I hand the grenade pack over to Varr. "Here, you're better at throwing." <<pickup '$varrinventory' 'Grenades'>> "Do not sell yourself short, captain." Varr says with faux solemnity as rho clips the grenade pack to rhos belt. "There was that time you nearly hit the general vicinity of the target with a throwing axe." I flip the Venusian off in response. Varr chuckles. "Now then, let us continue to the bridge." [[>Continue|Smuggler Hallway1b]]<<set $smugglerhallway1a to 'go to bridge'>> <</if>> <<elseif $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "do not loot" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "no loot" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "do not search locker" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "do not search lockers" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "do not search" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "no" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "refuse" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "disagree" or $smugglerhallway1b.toLowerCase() == "do not">> \<<set $locker1loot to false>>"Nah, not worth the risk." I say, "Don't need Robbie the Guard coming to get his breaktime Pillager bar only to find us rifling through his shit." [[>Continue|Smuggler Engineroom1a]] <<else>> \"Let's head for the engine room." I decide.<<if $ceresally is true>> "Lead the way, mole man."<</if>> Not gonna lie, its a tad nerve-wracking, heading half-blind down the dark corridor of an enemy ship<<if $ceresally is true>>, even if I do have a guide<</if>>. Hard not to jump a bit at any little sound. You never know. That next weird clink might just be someone with a laser rifle rounding the corner. The lighting is horrendous, deep shadows cast like a fleeing octopus. Varr doesn't seem worried, but then rhos kind can naturally see in the dark<<if $ceresally is true>>, and the Ceresian lives without sight anyway<</if>>. I never liked the idea of getting cybernetic eyes for myself, even if they do come with night vision features. I mean, imagine getting your whole eyeball scooped out just like that? Nah, these ol' stormy grays are //au naturale//. "A set of lockers along this wall, captain." Varr points out, cutting into the silence. "Shall we stop and search them for weapons?" <<textbox "$smugglerhallway1b" "" "Smuggler Hallway Engineroom1a">> (Try something else) <</if>>

Double-click this passage to edit it.

<<if $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "continue to engine room" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "proceed to engine room" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "go to engine room" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "engine room" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "continue" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "proceed" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "continue to control room" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "proceed to control room" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "go to control room" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "continue to engine control room" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "proceed to engine control room" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "go to engine control room" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "control room" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "engine control room">> \<<if $controlroom is not true>>"Lets go cause problems on purpose." I grin. <<if $ceresally is true>>The Ceresian faces me with concern.<</if>> [[>Continue|Smuggler Engineroom1a]] <<elseif $controlroom is true>>"Lets go cause problems on purpose." I grin. <<if $ceresally is true>>The Ceresian faces me with concern.<</if>> [[>Continue|Smuggler Controlroom1a]]<</if>> <<elseif $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "go to bridge" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "go to the bridge" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "take the bridge" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "take bridge" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "head for the bridge" or $hallwayengineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "head for bridge">> \I run my finger along the assault rifle. "Y'know what? I'm fueled up on sandwich, we got this bad boy, and your grenades; let's do this." [[>Continue|Smuggler Hallway1b]]<<set $smugglerhallway1a to 'go to bridge'>> <<else>> \<<if $controlroom is not true and $controlroomlocked is not true>>"Yeah, but let's make it quick." I say. "Don't need Robbie the Guard coming to get his breaktime Pillager bar only to find us rifling through his shit." I mutter, "//Gods, please let there be a Pillager bar.//" There are five lockers along the wall, and only two of them are locked. One is empty, but the remaining two have some decent goodies. An assault rifle, a pack of grenades, and a sandwich. It's rehydrated ham and cheese and I'm not ashamed of pocketing it. I'm starving, and the owner's gonna be dead pretty soon anyway. <<if $ceresally is true>>I glance down and see the Ceresian holding something in his hands, feeling it over in a clear attempt to figure out what it is. I lean over to see it better in the darkness. "Oh. Oh, darlin', you can uh... you can put that down." I wince the second I realize the furry little creature is holding a rather... risqué magazine. Looks a bit sticky too. The Ceresian seems confused. <</if>>"Alright, we got the goods." I say, taking a bite out of the sandwich. I hand the grenade pack over to Varr. "Here, you're better at throwing." "Do not sell yourself short, captain." Varr says with faux solemnity as rho clips the grenade pack to rhos belt. "There was that time you nearly hit the general vicinity of the target with a throwing axe." I flip the Venusian off in response. I turn back to close the locker, and I spot something. "Hey, what's this little note?" I crane my head to read the words written in marker on the wall of the locker. "'''EN-C Pass: BlueRoosterz4ever'''." I roll my eyes. "Come on Robbie, the 'Roosters are way past their golden days." "This sounds like a password." Varr points out. "It does. As much as it hurts my Stone Angel-loving heart, we should remember this exactly." "Agreed. Now then," Varr straightens up, "shall we proceed to the engine room, or do you feel more confident in taking the bridge with these weapons?" <<textbox "$hallwayengineroom1a" "" "Smuggler Hallway Engineroom1b">> (Try something else) <<elseif $controlroom is true>>\There are five lockers along the wall, and only two of them are locked. One is empty, but the remaining two have some decent goodies. An assault rifle, a pack of grenades, and a sandwich. It's rehydrated ham and cheese and I'm not ashamed of pocketing it. I'm starving, and the owner's gonna be dead pretty soon anyway. <<if $ceresally is true>>I glance down and see the Ceresian holding something in his hands, feeling it over in a clear attempt to figure out what it is. I lean over to see it better in the darkness. "Oh. Oh, darlin', you can uh... you can put that down." I wince the second I realize the furry little creature is holding a rather... risqué magazine. Looks a bit sticky too. The Ceresian seems confused. <</if>>"Alright, we got the goods." I say, taking a bite out of the sandwich. I hand the grenade pack over to Varr. "Here, you're better at throwing." <<pickup '$varrinventory' 'Grenades'>> "Do not sell yourself short, captain." Varr says with faux solemnity as rho clips the grenade pack to rhos belt. "There was that time you nearly hit the general vicinity of the target with a throwing axe." I flip the Venusian off in response. I turn back to close the locker, and I spot something. "Hey, what's this little note?" I crane my head to read the words written in marker on the wall of the locker. "'''EN-C Pass: BlueRoosterz4ever'''." I roll my eyes. "Come on Robbie, the 'Roosters are way past their golden days." "This may be the password for the terminal." Varr points out. "Probably is. As much as it hurts my Stone Angel-loving heart, we should remember this exactly." "In this case, shall we try the control room again?" Varr asks, "Or do you feel more confident in taking the bridge with these weapons?" <<textbox "$hallwayengineroom1a" "" "Smuggler Hallway Engineroom1b">> (Try something else) <<elseif $controlroomlocked is true>>\There are five lockers along the wall, and only two of them are locked. One is empty, but the remaining two have some decent goodies. An assault rifle, a pack of grenades, and a sandwich. It's rehydrated ham and cheese and I'm not ashamed of pocketing it. I'm starving, and the owner's gonna be dead pretty soon anyway. <<if $ceresally is true>>I glance down and see the Ceresian holding something in his hands, feeling it over in a clear attempt to figure out what it is. I lean over to see it better in the darkness. "Oh. Oh, darlin', you can uh... you can put that down." I wince the second I realize the furry little creature is holding a rather... risqué magazine. Looks a bit sticky too. The Ceresian seems confused. <</if>>"Alright, we got the goods." I say, taking a bite out of the sandwich. I hand the grenade pack over to Varr. "Here, you're better at throwing." "Do not sell yourself short, captain." Varr says with faux solemnity as rho clips the grenade pack to rhos belt. "There was that time you nearly hit the general vicinity of the target with a throwing axe." I flip the Venusian off in response. Varr chuckles. "Now then, let us continue to the bridge." [[>Continue|Smuggler Hallway1b]]<<set $smugglerhallway1a to 'go to bridge'>> <</if>> <</if>>

The engine room is cast in an eerie red light. Someone is tinkering with something at the far end, but we easily sneak by them, shrouded in shadow, footfalls drowned by the roar of the ship's massive engines. The control room sits at the far corner; pitch black, save the dim light of the various terminals. We stand in front of the door to the control room. Through the glass panel, I can see the primary terminal within. This wouldn't be my first sabotage, I know exactly what kind of chaos I can cause with that thing. I reach for the door, but to my surprise, it won't budge. "//Merde//," I curse, "it's locked." <<if $inventory.has('Blue Key Card')>>"The guard you took that key card from." Varr speaks up. "He had grease on his face. He may have worked down here as well." "You think that card might work here?" "Worth a try." I take the blue key card from my pocket and swipe it across the lock on the door. To my surprise, the light turns green, and the door clicks open. It's like I have plot convenience on my side or something. <<if $ceresally is true>>"Lizards and mole men, we are //in//."<<else>>"I knew there was a reason I hired you, Varr."<</if>> [[Continue|Smuggler Controlroom1a]] <<else>><<set $controlroomlocked to true>><<set $controlroom to false>>"I suppose sabotage is out of the question." Varr says. "We will have to head for the bridge after all.<<if $locker1loot is not true>> But we should hit that locker we passed on the way first.<</if>>" <<textbox "$engineroom1a" "" "Smuggler Engineroom1b">> <</if>>

<<set $controlroom to true>><<drop '$inventory' 'Blue Key Card'>> \<<if $wentback is not true and $encpass is true>>We creep into the control room, glancing at each terminal as we pass by. All I really need is the main terminal, though. The largest screen, nestled in the corner. I stride up to it and swipe the holo-interface. The screen comes to life, but across it flashes the exact words I was hoping not to see. <center>= = =ENTER PASSCODE= = =</center> \"Well, I guess we couldn't have it //too// easy." I sigh, glaring at the screen. The letters taunt me. Try telling me inanimate lettering can't act like it's better than you, and I'll tell you about that time I tried to hack into my middle school adversary's MyFace. "Try the password we found in the locker." Varr suggests. <<if $ceresally is true>>Rho glances down for a moment when the Ceresian starts chittering agitatedly. "He says just smash the terminal. But I feel he may just be getting anxious."<</if>> "Right..." <<textbox "$controlroom1a" "" "Smuggler Controlroom1b">> <<elseif $wentback is true and $encpass is true>>We head back into the control room, silent as ever, and face those big orange letters once again. They continue to taunt me. <center>= = =ENTER PASSCODE= = =</center> \"Try the password we found in the locker." Varr suggests. <<if $ceresally is true>>Rho glances down for a moment when the Ceresian starts chittering agitatedly. "He says just smash the terminal. But I feel he may just be getting anxious."<</if>> "Right..." <<textbox "$controlroom1a" "" "Smuggler Controlroom1b">> <<elseif $wentback is not true and $encpass is not true>>We creep into the control room, glancing at each terminal as we pass by. All I really need is the main terminal, though. The largest screen, nestled in the corner. I stride up to it and swipe the holo-interface. The screen comes to life, but across it flashes the exact words I was hoping not to see. <center>= = =ENTER PASSCODE= = =</center> \"Well, I guess we couldn't have it //too// easy." I sigh, glaring at the screen. The letters taunt me. Try telling me inanimate lettering can't act like it's better than you, and I'll tell you about that time I tried to hack into my middle school adversary's MyFace. "We do not have time to sit here trying word combinations." Varr says. "We should move on." "Much as it pains me, you're not wrong." I say. "Guess we can go check out that locker, now that we've got time. Or head straight to the bridge. <<textbox "$controlroom1a2" "" "Smuggler Controlroom1a2">> <</if>>

<<if $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "go to bridge" or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "go to the bridge" or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "take the bridge" or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "take bridge" or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "head for the bridge" or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "head for bridge">> \"Let's go start ourselves a coup." I grin. <<if $ceresally is true>>The Ceresian seems nervous about this idea, picking at his claws.<</if>> [[>Continue|Smuggler Hallway1b]]<<set $smugglerhallway1a to 'go to bridge'>> <<elseif $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "loot" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "loot locker" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "search locker" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "locker" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "search the locker" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "loot the locker" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "search for weapons" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "search locker for weapons" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "loot lockers" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "search lockers" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "lockers" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "search the lockers" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "loot the lockers" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "search lockers for weapons" and $locker1loot is not true or $engineroom1a.toLowerCase() == "search" and $locker1loot is not true>> \"Yeah, let's go loot those lockers." I agree. [[>Continue|Smuggler Hallway Engineroom1a]]<<set $smugglerhallway1b to 'loot'>> <<else>> \The engine room is cast in an eerie red light. Someone is tinkering with something at the far end, but we easily sneak by them, shrouded in shadow, footfalls drowned by the roar of the ship's massive engines. The control room sits at the far corner; pitch black, save the dim light of the various terminals. We stand in front of the door to the control room. Through the glass panel, I can see the primary terminal within. This wouldn't be my first sabotage, I know exactly what I can do with that thing. I reach for the door, but to my surprise, it won't budge. "//Merde//," I curse, "it's locked." "I suppose sabotage is out of the question." Varr says. "We will have to head for the bridge after all.<<if $locker1loot is not true>> But we should hit that locker we passed on the way first.<</if>>" <<textbox "$engineroom1a" "" "Smuggler Engineroom1b">> (Try something else) <</if>>

<<if $controlroom1a.toLowerCase() == "action">> \Result A <<elseif $controlroom1a.toLowerCase() == "smash the terminal" or $controlroom1a.toLowerCase() == "smash" or $controlroom1a.toLowerCase() == "smash terminal" or $controlroom1a.toLowerCase() == "hulk smash">> \ [[Smuggler Hallway Engineroom1a]]<<set $smugglerhallway1b to 'loot'>> <<else>> \<<if $wentback is not true and $encpass is true>>We creep into the control room, glancing at each terminal as we pass by. All I really need is the main terminal, though. The largest screen, nestled in the corner. I stride up to it and swipe the holo-interface. The screen comes to life, but across it flashes the exact words I was hoping not to see. <center>= = =ENTER PASSCODE= = =</center> \"Well, I guess we couldn't have it //too// easy." I sigh, glaring at the screen. The letters taunt me. Try telling me inanimate lettering can't act like it's better than you, and I'll tell you about that time I tried to hack into my middle school adversary's MyFace. "Try the password we found in the locker." Varr suggests. <<if $ceresally is true>>Rho glances down for a moment when the Ceresian starts chittering agitatedly. "He says just smash the terminal. But I feel he may just be getting anxious."<</if>> "Right..." <<textbox "$controlroom1a" "" "Smuggler Controlroom1b">> (Try something else) <<elseif $wentback is true and $encpass is true>>We head back into the control room, silent as ever, and face those big orange letters once again. They continue to taunt me. <center>= = =ENTER PASSCODE= = =</center> \"Try the password we found in the locker." Varr suggests. <<if $ceresally is true>>Rho glances down for a moment when the Ceresian starts chittering agitatedly. "He says just smash the terminal. But I feel he may just be getting anxious."<</if>> "Right..." <<textbox "$controlroom1a" "" "Smuggler Controlroom1b">> (Try something else) <<elseif $wentback is not true and $encpass is not true>>We creep into the control room, glancing at each terminal as we pass by. All I really need is the main terminal, though. The largest screen, nestled in the corner. I stride up to it and swipe the holo-interface. The screen comes to life, but across it flashes the exact words I was hoping not to see. <center>= = =ENTER PASSCODE= = =</center> \"Well, I guess we couldn't have it //too// easy." I sigh, glaring at the screen. The letters taunt me. Try telling me inanimate lettering can't act like it's better than you, and I'll tell you about that time I tried to hack into my middle school adversary's MyFace. "We do not have time to sit here trying word combinations." Varr says. "We should move on." "Much as it pains me, you're not wrong." I say. "Guess we can go check out that locker, now that we've got time. Or head straight to the bridge. <<textbox "$controlroom1a" "" "Smuggler Controlroom1b">> (Try something else) <</if>><</if>>

<<if $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "go to bridge" or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "go to the bridge" or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "take the bridge" or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "take bridge" or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "head for the bridge" or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "head for bridge">> \"Let's go start ourselves a coup." I grin. <<if $ceresally is true>>The Ceresian seems nervous about this idea, picking at his claws.<</if>> [[>Continue|Smuggler Hallway1b]]<<set $smugglerhallway1a to 'go to bridge'>> <<elseif $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "loot" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "loot locker" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "search locker" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "locker" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "search the locker" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "loot the locker" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "search for weapons" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "search locker for weapons" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "loot lockers" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "search lockers" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "lockers" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "search the lockers" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "loot the lockers" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "search lockers for weapons" and $locker1loot is not true or $controlroom1a2.toLowerCase() == "search" and $locker1loot is not true>> \"Yeah, let's go loot those lockers." I agree. [[>Continue|Smuggler Hallway Engineroom1a]]<<set $smugglerhallway1b to 'loot'>> <<else>> \<<if $wentback is not true and $encpass is true>>We creep into the control room, glancing at each terminal as we pass by. All I really need is the main terminal, though. The largest screen, nestled in the corner. I stride up to it and swipe the holo-interface. The screen comes to life, but across it flashes the exact words I was hoping not to see. <center>= = =ENTER PASSCODE= = =</center> \"Well, I guess we couldn't have it //too// easy." I sigh, glaring at the screen. The letters taunt me. Try telling me inanimate lettering can't act like it's better than you, and I'll tell you about that time I tried to hack into my middle school adversary's MyFace. "Try the password we found in the locker." Varr suggests. <<if $ceresally is true>>Rho glances down for a moment when the Ceresian starts chittering agitatedly. "He says just smash the terminal. But I feel he may just be getting anxious."<</if>> "Right..." <<textbox "$controlroom1a" "" "Smuggler Controlroom1b">> (Try something else) <<elseif $wentback is true and $encpass is true>>We head back into the control room, silent as ever, and face those big orange letters once again. They continue to taunt me. <center>= = =ENTER PASSCODE= = =</center> \"Try the password we found in the locker." Varr suggests. <<if $ceresally is true>>Rho glances down for a moment when the Ceresian starts chittering agitatedly. "He says just smash the terminal. But I feel he may just be getting anxious."<</if>> "Right..." <<textbox "$controlroom1a" "" "Smuggler Controlroom1b">> (Try something else) <<elseif $wentback is not true and $encpass is not true>>We creep into the control room, glancing at each terminal as we pass by. All I really need is the main terminal, though. The largest screen, nestled in the corner. I stride up to it and swipe the holo-interface. The screen comes to life, but across it flashes the exact words I was hoping not to see. <center>= = =ENTER PASSCODE= = =</center> \"Well, I guess we couldn't have it //too// easy." I sigh, glaring at the screen. The letters taunt me. Try telling me inanimate lettering can't act like it's better than you, and I'll tell you about that time I tried to hack into my middle school adversary's MyFace. "We do not have time to sit here trying word combinations." Varr says. "We should move on." "Much as it pains me, you're not wrong." I say. "Guess we can go check out that locker, now that we've got time. Or head straight to the bridge. <<textbox "$controlroom1a2" "" "Smuggler Controlroom1a2">> (Try something else) <</if>> <</if>>