"Amongst the Stars" by Max Battcher

[This work is copyright 2009 Max Battcher.  Some Rights Reserved. It it licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike (by-nc-sa) license.]

Use American dialect and no scoring.

The release number is 2.  Release along with a "WMIFMonth" website and the source text.

The story creation year is 2009. The story genre is "Science Fiction". The story description is "I write this upon a poorly lit terminal in a leaky bathtub amongst the stars. I write to you in the hopes that you may leave me to my plight. I do not wish you to experience the things that I have seen...  I do not know if these things I have seen are real or mere nightmares caused by oxygen deprivation. I do not intend to leave it to some unfortunate stranger to seperate the facts from the cruel fiction.  Heed my warning and beware.  Heed my warning and be wary.  Heed my example and be wise.

I realize now that the beacon had not been destroyed as I had intended.  I can only speculate upon whose bow that beacon might next surface...

<Transmission Ends Here>".

When play begins, say "[the story description][paragraph break]".

Chapter 1 - A Home Amongst the Stars

Section 0 - A Pod Amongst the Stars

A room can be vacuum or pressurized. A room is usually pressurized. The Starry Expanse is a vacuum room. "The constellations tell a slow history of the galaxy. The stars light the dark for their time, as burning forges of the galaxy's better elements. Those elements become the building blocks of life. Perhaps the life that will eventually try to read the history of the galaxy... or at least some small parts of it, like this particular solar system you find yourself drifting through.  It's red star, quite distant from where you are, probably has its own long boring, history lesson.

On the plane of your travel to the east, relative to the galactic center, you make out the silhouette of your ship, its false mini-constellation an anchor against this foreign solar system. Filling your view of the west is a dull planetoid, mostly obscuring the system's red star."

In the Starry Expanse is a vehicle called The Pod. The description of the pod is "A cramped pod with few lights and fewer amenities. It feels like you have been here all your life. You can barely remember an elsewhere. Outside is nothing but the stars. Inside you are alone with your thoughts and your small supply of oxygen recycled many times over. [if the pod is in some pressurized room]The 'Airlock' button is lit.[otherwise if the pod is in the Dock]The 'Airlock' button is flashing merrily."

The player is in The Pod.

The container interior rule is listed before the room description body text rule in the carry out looking rules. 

This is the container interior rule: 
    if the actor is the player and the player is in an enterable thing (called current cage), carry out the describing the interior activity with the current cage. 

Describing the interior of something is an activity.

Rule for describing the interior of the pod: 
    say "The pod's windows slightly wash out the lights outside."

Instead of exiting when the player is in a vehicle and the location is vacuum:
    say "You would die a quick, harsh death if you tried to breathe out there."

Before going somewhere by the pod:
    say "You engage the pod's control system and watch the status lights flash as the pod executes its progression of thrusters...  The journey takes hours that weigh like days upon your mind."

The Airlock Button is a device.  The Airlock Button is scenery in the pod.

Instead of pushing the airlock button:
    if the airlock button is switched off, try switching on the airlock button;
    otherwise try switching off the airlock button.

Instead of switching off the airlock button when the pod is in some vacuum room:
    say "There is no signal from a nearby airlock."

Instead of switching on the airlock button when the pod is in some pressurized room:
   say "The room is already pressurized."

Cold Planet is a vacuum room. It is west of the Starry Expanse. "Filling your view of the galaxy is a cold, harsh planetoid at the edge of a foreign system. Your systems collect the data they were designed to search and once again you are reminded that you are a mere accessory to an automated task. Of course, you prefer the real view and the haunting solitude to poring over the final archived photos after the fact.

At this distance you notice the planetoid has a very thin wisp of a ring and it seems a beautiful detail that is precisely such a detail you doubt the machinery has been programmed to pay much attention to."

The red star is a backdrop. It is in the Starry Expanse and Cold Planet. "The red star is distant and boring."

The planetoid is a backdrop. It is in the Starry Expanse and Cold Planet. "The planetoid is yet another of the galaxy's seemingly vast numbers of cold, harsh planetary bodies." Understand "cold planet" or "planet" as the planetoid.

Instead of going nowhere when the location is vacuum:
    say "You can't afford the fuel to get too far from your ship."

[The Starry Expanse is a transient place that the player will never see again...]

After going from the Starry Expanse:
    change the east exit of Cold Planet to the Dock;
    change the west exit of the Dock to the Cold Planet;
    continue the action.

Odd Signal Found is an scene. Odd Signal Found begins when the pod is in Cold Planet for the first time.

When Odd Signal Found begins:
    say "'Captain, we've noticed an unusual signal originating on the planet. We suggest you come to the bridge for analysis.' intones Comms Officer Waverly over the pod's basic squawk box."

Section 1 - This Old Boat Amongst the Stars

Before going to the Dock for the first time, say "The pod snuggles its way alongside the hull of the ship, searching for its preferred little cubby hole. As it settles into the docking room it automatically starts to refuel itself."

A room can be liftable. A room is seldom liftable. 

The Dock is a liftable vacuum room. It is east of the Starry Expanse. "This dock is your dock, the Captain's personal dock.  It is bright and clean and also quite small, but well located with reference to your quarters and the bridge. Emblazoned against several walls are the name and designation of your ship, the USS Rosser. As can be expected of a ship named after a mathematician, this dock is home to only a simple science pod.  [if the dock is vacuum]The door is open and showcases a small slice of the stars outside.[otherwise]The door is closed and room is breathable.[end if][if Odd Signal Found has not happened]

You feel that there is something you may have forgotten to do."

Instead of switching on the airlock button in the Dock:
    say "You hesitate to repressurize the dock before you are finished using the pod."

Instead of switching on the airlock button in the Dock during Odd Signal Found:
  say "The dock slowly pressurizes.";
  now the Dock is pressurized;
  change the west exit of the Dock to nowhere;
  rule succeeds.

The Lift is a pressurized room. "The evolution of lift design remains a slow, glacial process. This personal transport lift is probably little different from any of its ancestors from even the remotest past. Which is to say that the lift is a small, theatrically lit box in which one stands waiting the passage across space. Wheras the art of lift design has not changed much in centuries, inertial dampers and artificial gravitational fields have vastly changed the ways in which lifts flow through edifices. The lift network of a modern ship resembles the circulatory system of a person and connects to nearly every room. You would hate to imagine what the ship would be like should the lift system ever fail."

In the lift is the manifest. The initial appearance of it is "For the benefit of new crewpersons and forgetful senior officers a manifest is here listing many common destinations on the ship." The description of it is "The Bridge is where senior officers handle important navigation tasks. The Medical Wing is where one may seek help with health problems. You may also need to visit a Dock for away missions. Certainly don't forget that your Quarters for sleep and rest are only a lift away." The manifest is fixed in place.

The Lift has a room called the position. The position of the Lift is the Dock.

The lift tube is a backdrop. It is not scenery. The initial appearance of the lift tube is "You can catch a lift to other places on the ship." When play begins: move the lift tube backdrop to all liftable rooms.

Before entering the lift tube, try going inside instead.

Instead of going inside in the presence of the lift tube:
    now the position of the lift is the location;
    move the player to the Lift.

Instead of going inside in the presence of the lift tube when the player is in a vehicle (called the conveyance):
    say "The lift is a personal transportation system. [The conveyance] will not fit inside of it."

Instead of exiting when the player is in the Lift:
    if the position of the Lift is pressurized then move the player to the position of the Lift;
    otherwise say "That room is currently inaccessible."

Before going outside when the player is in the Lift, try exiting instead.

Lifting is an action applying to one thing.
Check lifting:
    if the noun is not liftable, say "You can't take the lift there from here." instead.
Carry out lifting:
    say "[one of]One lift ride later...[or]The lift wooshes you to your destination.[or]More of your life passes in the confines of the lift.[purely at random]";
    now the position of the Lift is the noun;
    move the player to the noun.
Understand "go to [any room]" as lifting.
Understand "[any room]" as lifting when the location is the Lift.

The Medical Wing is a liftable pressurized room. "The Medical Wing is perhaps one of your least favorite parts of the ship. It always makes you just a little nervous, no matter your reason to visit. It's important to take care of the health needs of your diverse crew, and yet mostly associate this part of the ship with those medical issues that aren't so nice and rarely end so well." Understand "med" and "medical" as "[medical]". Understand "[medical]" and "[medical] wing" as the Medical Wing.

In the Medical Wing is a woman called Medical Officer Dunning. The description of it is "Medical Officer Dunning maintains a very strict, efficient med wing. Her angular, gaunt face and no-nonsense manner often lead to grim references." Understand "[medical] officer" and "[medical] officer Dunning" as Medical Officer Dunning.

The Brig is a liftable pressurized room. "The Brig is for those sorts of people that need to spend some time after some serious infraction against the world around them."

The Captain's Quarters is a liftable pressurized room. "Your Quarters are as you often leave them; nearly immaculate in order and cleanliness."

In the Quarters is an animal called The Cat. The description of it is "Perhaps it is The Cat's job to be your companion or perhaps it is your job to be The Cat's companion."

The Bridge is a liftable pressurized room. "The Bridge is a marvel of scientific endeavour. From here you and your crew can see the worlds and much of their majesty to the very finest detail possibly by many very powerful sensing organs of the ship. This is your seat of command and more often than not the place where decisions must be made."

[Waverly Hills in Louisville is an old TB Hospital that is the fascination of "ghost lovers", particularly the morgue tunnel.]

In the Bridge is a man called Communications Officer Waverly. The description of it is "Comms Officer Waverly is a boring, unimaginative man who does his job well but has little promotional prospects. At times you feel that the computer alone could do his job, but then you'd have one less scapegoat for major miscommunications." Understand "comms" as "[communications]". Understand "CO" and "[communications] officer" as "[communications officer]". Understand "[communications officer]" and "[communications officer] Waverly" as Communications Officer Waverly.

In the Bridge is a woman called Executive Officer Martinez. The description of it is "Executive Officer Martinez is your second in command and on a strong path to leading her own ship in the near future. You trust her to the end of the galaxy and are glad that she continues to work with you even well after earning her own captainship several times over in your eyes." Understand "XO" as "[executive officer]". Understand "[executive officer]" and "[executive officer] Martinez" as Executive Officer Martinez.

In the Bridge is a woman called Science Officer Murphy. The description of it is "Being a science-oriented vessel, more often than not Science Officer Murphy is in charge of operations. You certainly defer to her several Engineering degrees for many important matters."

[Webb is a last name involved in the Bourne novels.]

In the Bridge is a woman called Security Officer Webb. The description of it is "Security Officer Webb is a tall, dark imposing forcefield of a woman. Her presence is an unfortunate necessity of both a hostile universe and the wild, imaginative unreliable nature of humanity. You are a civilian captain of this ship and realize that technically means that Webb has a higher rank than you and you continue to captain this vessel at her consent. In all practical matters, however, she certainly recognizes that you are in charge."