prompt
stringlengths
1
124
response
stringlengths
1
5.19k
You look at the button
The button is made of jade and is round and bright.
You look at the desk
The locked desk stands under an imitation red velvet banner.
You kill with the blade
smoothness. You deal 7 damage???but the weapon shatters. The Marquis swings his scythe???tearing your cape.
Go north
The rest of the room is south, and there's a particularly dusty looking corner to the east. The black ninja is not here.
You take the toy
You stretch your arms but they are still too much like teeny T. Rex arms so then you scrunch down in your swing and stretch out a leg and as you swoop up again you just are able to kick the toy! It flies into the air and onto your lap! But as you swing back Zoe leans over from the tall block and swats at the toy and you swat at her and the upshot is the toy goes flying again and it goes kerplunk into the playpen. This is the worst playdate ever. "I'll give her a call, then," the mom says.
Tip 4
Most monsters come in two varieties: normal and tough. It's significantly harder to defeat the tough variety. You can tell them apart by their appearance. (For example, normal skeletons have blue eyes, but tough skeletons have red eyes.)
You ask Luisa about the wasp nest
"You ascared of them wasps?" Luisa's face crinkles in a not very friendly grin, and she chuckles. "Girls are, sometimes. Listen, you: There's worse things than wasps."
Go west
The monkey scampers beside you. The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can go is back to the east. The monkey is standing close by.
You take all
cow bell: You acquire the cow bell, and assess it curiously. Much like the ones you used on the cows at home. leather tambourine: You acquire the leather tambourine, and assess it curiously. A hoop stretched with good-quality leather. silver bell: You acquire the silver bell. little gold dinner bell: You acquire the little gold dinner bell.
You ask Mary about the kitty
"Poor thing," she sympathizes. "I hope it doesn't get eaten by a troll."
Reminisce on hoodie
You close your eyes, and you dive deep into the memory evoked by the leavers hoodie. The sun is sitting low in the sky, and you and three friends are sitting in a circle, legs stretched out on the grass. This small square of greenery is a spot your group likes to come after school, when the weather allows. It's surrounded on all sides by ugly brick buildings, but it's still a breath of fresh air, and a good place to just relax before heading home. You're sitting next to your best friend, Maya. It's her birthday today - the sweet sixteen - and she hasn't let any of you forget it. "I told you!" she's exclaiming in her typical melodramatic manner. "I want to celebrate with alcohol! This is a milestone!" Your friend Alex laughs and shakes his head. "Maya, I think you're confusing sixteen with eighteen..." Maya waves her hand dismissively. "Shush. I want alcohol. We are getting our hands on some beer tonight, or I'm finding a new group of friends." You all know she's only joking... but she's a stubborn one. (You're somewhere different now - a difference place, a different time. You can sense that there's a lesson for you, at the end of this memory, but you can always PINCH yourself to go back to the present, and continue this memory later when you've learned more lessons.)
Go west
Dungeon (west cell) A woman's wasted corpse leans by one wall, almost buried with onions heaped around her head. This room's more root cellar than cell with all these bulbs piled inside. Eastward an open doorway leads to the dungeon.
You ask Frankie about notebook
Frankie says "I'm doing some observational analysis. I'd like to do some product synthesis of these bottles once I figure them out."
Go east
This store is mostly unfurnished, with a low, bare ceiling, cold floor covered in cheap carpeting, and blankets and rugs thumb-tacked up to hide the peeling wallpaper and crumbling drywall. The contents of the room are a cluttered mess, as this place seems to be more of a craftsman's think-tank and construction area than pure chamber for commerce like so many other shops in the Mall. There's a workdesk and mirror along the northern wall and a file cabinet across from it. A small window is visible behind some junk, and directly across from the entrance are seven masks attached to the back wall in a proud display. Attached to one of the naked support beams is a disco laser pointer. Audrey follows me.
Go downward
You descend the stairs down the looping stairs, entering a dimly-lit hall that extends to the east.
You get the apple
You pluck the metal fruit from its glassy stem. It rattles a little, as though there were something inside.
Go south
The catwalk stretches north, a narrow ribbon of metal grillwork dangling fifty feet over the factory floor and shuddering dangerously in time with the machines beneath it. There are no railings of any kind. At the far end you can see what looks like a wide balcony with several large banks of equipment. A large block of heavy equipment hangs in the air just a foot or two beyond the edge of the catwalk.
You examine the jamming
It's a state of the art electronic eavesdropping and jamming device, which can be used to eavesdrop the Martian broadcasts or to jam their signals. There's a knob in the front panel with two labels. The device itself is currently switched off.
You look at the telescope
An ancient brass telescope that nevertheless produces a much clearer vision than those of non-witches. Arthur bats at a shadow on the wall.
Go south
Tuck follows you to what remains of the foyer of the inner keep. To the west is a darkened hallway, to the east is a well-lit hallway and to the south are the closed double doors to the bailey. Without a functioning staircase, only a lift remains to provide access to the balconies above.
You go to the north
This is the place where guards stand on duty protecting the Temple and its occupants. A metal door fills the doorway to the east. In a corner of the room is a panel with two levers and two knobs. You can also see six temple guards here. Several guards arrive.
You go to the parlor
You head east to tight passage. Then northeast to rooted room. Then up to rose garden. You climb into the pale light... , emerging into rose garden. Then south to cloister walk. , emerging into cloister walk. Then west to the parliamentary chambers. , emerging into the parliamentary chambers. Then west to the state rotunda. , emerging into the state rotunda. Then south to the central courtyard. , emerging into the central courtyard. Then east to the ground floor helical staircase. , emerging into the ground floor helical staircase. Then up to the upstairs helical staircase. , emerging into the upstairs helical staircase. And then east to the private parlor. A sitting room of the family, in old times, and familiar territory to you now as well. Your bedroom is just south; other bedrooms, mostly smaller, in other directions. Nearby an open heavy door leads north to the bellroom. You can also see a bentwood table (on which is a jigsaw puzzle) here.
Go west
(first opening the hall door) It was a short hallway connecting three doors to the open Southern lobby. To the East was a glass wall and door dividing the hall from the boardroom. The mahogany door of Malcolm's office lay closed to the West. The door to the North led to the development lab where we performed all research on the Petrian device. On the wall, mounted next to the door was a security scanner.
Go south
This wide rectangle of concrete is littered with the chaotic fallout of everyday dairy farming. And its brown! The stark windows of the farmhouse stare accusingly down into the yard from the north, and, to the east, the roof of the main barn is outlined against the rising sun. Towering black cumulonimbus clouds pour forth vast quantities of tiny, hard hailstones onto Skebdale. The farm gate to the south-west is safely shut. A group of clucking chickens peck their way around the farmyard, desperately searching for grain.
You ask the boys about the compass
"Hello again," you say, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm back." "Was she gone?" the smaller boy says. "I din't notice." Trying to be casual, you ask the boys whether they might be willing to part with the compass they showed you. "Oh, that there's valuable," the larger boy says, scowling. "You got anything we'd want?" "I know what you're thinking about," you retort, "and the answer is no! But how about if I bring you something to trade for it?" "I'd take a million bucks for it," says the smaller, dirtier boy. "Or even a hundred bucks, I guess. In cash." The large boy nudges his companion. "Hey, show her what we stole offa that Boy Scout!" The smaller boy looks exasperated. "What does a girl care about that?" "Nah, c'mon." The smaller boy digs in his jeans pocket and hauls out a small hand-held compass, which he holds out to you - but not close enough that you could grab it. "Pretty nifty, hunh?" He closes his fist on the compass and jams it back into his pocket.
Go west
Upper Western Wall (in the golf cart) You are in the region of the Crater indicated by the title. (Atmospheric description not included) In the golf cart you can see Marius. Paul and the Venusian sit on the backseat, Paul with Marius on his lap. The tank pursues you!
Club floyd
Before you can answer, Ed hands you a list of tasks, an equally mysterious package you're told not to open, and a pocket teleporter device, for getting back if you get even more lost than you need to. "Getting here was the hard part, kid. But if you don't get everything on this list done before you get back here, that's okay." Before you can ask what list, Ed makes a hush-hush gesture. "It's organized by travel time, kid. Or it should be, once you find how to use it. Don't worry, just--don't lose it." He explains how some things just don't need to be traced electronically, and how there's lots of weird scenery to see if you're interested in that sort of thing, and since you got here without knowing, you couldn't get anywhere on the list WITH knowing. "Knowing what...?" "One other thing, kid. You might want to use that teleporter pretty quickly if you don't see anything to start. Say, no further than five blocks. Til you get your bearings." Ed stares at his computer, then snaps his fingers. "Oh, hey, I should push this button. Alphabetize this whole list, sort of. Make things easier for the rookie. What do you say?"
You go north
At the foot of the chimney are low and grimy cellars, built of decaying brickwork and seemingly unused for years. There are no bottles, or crates, unless they're stored through the passage to the south. Your length of rope is here. Its tail is just visible at the foot of the chimney.
You take the ring
You acquire the gold ring, and assess it curiously. A very very very very very very very very very very very very very curious object.
You give Handbook to Jenny
The Jenny of Tomorrow pores over the Style Handbook of Proper English, committing all of its details to memory. "French: Canceled. That was fascinating!" The Jenny of Tomorrow tosses her hair.
Winnable
The game is in a winnable state.
Go downwards
You descend the ladder. Backyard, Near Barn You've made your way to the rear of the backyard. Directly north, a large barn stands before you and to the northwest, a path leads through some brush toward the water. The backyard is south. Leaning up against the barn is a ladder. You see a window screen, a can of coke, a note, and a beer here. The wind starts to pick up and the temperature drops several degrees. It appears as if the storm is making its entrance.
Go west
The railing prevents you from going that way. An elderly couple strolls past you, hand in hand, clearly enjoying the sunset.
Assail ape
Your foe is astonished by your speed as you strike hard! You scored 5 points of damage! The INFERNAL APE moves with blinding speed, and its fangs sink deep! You have suffered 3 hits of damage!
You examine the bench
A weathered wooden bench. On the bench is a familiar gold wristwatch. Over the loudspeaker, you can hear a sound like heavy breathing.
You check your inventory
You are carrying: a pair of rocket pants
You learn the izyuk
Using your best study habits, you learn the izyuk spell.
Touch status
(the installation status display) There's nothing to feel.
You look at the stream
The river runs sluggishly here, winding its way through the mushroom forest. The mushroom-caps throw shadows on the river, making it dark and murky.
You open the doors
You push on the doors to the entertainment center but the parents have them all fixed in place.
You enter the church
Before everyone left, you celebrated every sabbath here. The altar stands against one wall, and an organ stands against the other. On the altar is The Founder's Testament. You can also see a gray cable (plugged into the organ) here.
You rub LAMP
You rub and rub but only wear through the gold tone finish on the cheap lamp.
You ask Ben about the musical
"I don't pretend to pay it all too much attention. I know it's called Twisty Passages and that Frederic Sheppard was supposed to finance it. My sister Elinor, who is writing the music for it, could probably tell you more; as could Alex, who is writing the script."
You go to the west
You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the sumptuously decorated chamber; south, to opposite the doorway; and east, to the wide courtyard.
You enter the bed
It's been a long day. You drape your jacket over the head of your bed and settle beneath the covers. Your room fades away as you will your eyes to close. But still your mind drifts, draws you back into the tides of memory, where you can only watch -- can only watch ---- watch the shimmer of the surgery room; watch Reden's eyes close a thousand times; watch the lights all around -- You wake in a cold sweat. The bells of Miller's Gate are ringing. Though this space of yours is small, you have done your best to furnish it with the comforts of home. In one corner is a dressing table, piled with stationery and assorted toiletries, and in another is the kitchenette. The only door leads back downstairs to the atrium. Far off, the bells continue to ring: four, five, six, seven. Seven in the morning. You're lucky you haven't overslept. You quickly get dressed and run through your morning routine -- Doctor Cavala will be waiting for you at the clinic.
You unlock the black cabinet with the brass key
[This command only takes one input. Ignoring "with brass key".)] You insert the small brass key into the lock of the black filing cabinet and turn it, successfully unlocking the black filing cabinet.
You look at the food
They're just desserts.
You go ladder
(The maintenance access hatch slams shut when you release it to move.) Handholds in the top of the car allow one to move carefully across the surface, but make no mistake about it: one slip means a short but unpleasant trip over the side. The handholds travel south or north along the length of the train, provided one does not get snagged on the numerous air vents and lights protruding from the surface.
You look
A fair bit of ether has snaked itself into the room. It combines with the hand-picked and market-researched atmospheric lights that still function to give off a very deep, defracted and soothing look to the room. Vibrant purples and deep blues dominate the walls and counters of the Sunglasses Hut. I worked at this place for a week once when I was fighting with my manager at the D&D store. I acquired a little bit of trivia regarding this place (for instance, the center display case will open if it's tapped upon) but nothing useful otherwise. Audrey is here.
You put the stake in the hole
(the wooden stake in the recess) You lodge the stake into the recess, and a bridge shimmers into existence, leading west.
Burn button
(the "Ask Me" button) I can just imagine the way the little laminate would crinkle and warp under the flame. I would you know, I really would. "Delicious tender surloin steaks, 89 cents a pound," our master of ceremony continues.
You put the sponge in the water
(first taking the sponge) (putting the snuffbox into the sack to make room) Taken. You put the sponge into the well. The sponge sinks into oblivion.
Yes
"Got it. You look smart enough to know the value of a little organization. Hey, stop on back if you need an extra hint, eh?" Pep talk time. "You got potential. You seem like someone who knows it's not just getting there, but HOW you get there." You've heard that truism before...but does it mean anything? You have no time to ask. Security whisks you away as Ed booms "And keep with it. Note what you found. Don't worry about the order, either!" It's not a huge list. You even have addresses of where to go. It can't be too hard, can it? A Futuristic Word-Play Gofering by Andrew Schultz Threediopolis, Sector 444 Everything here sort of looks like everything else and doesn't at the same time. Going one direction seems as good as going any other. You glance quickly at Ed Dunn's list: some things are in sector 444, but you can't see anything resembling them. [Note: the room descriptions are random and for amusement only. Type B to get rid of them or V to have them appear again.]
You look at the wheel
You quickly diagnose the concern here -- a significant portion of the rim has been smashed away. With this much wood missing, it's currently somewhat-ineffective qua wheel. You'll need to effect some repairs before it's fit to turn once again.
F.
You begin fighting. The rootling swipes at you with a thorny vine. You swing your sword and chop off a few small twigs. (You lose 3 hit points.)
You talk to the raven
"Shoo!" you try, waving your arms. The raven still doesn't move. You start to get the feeling he likes being where he is.
You take all
trenchcoat: Taken. hooded robe: Taken. length of rope: You pick up the length of rope. It's about twenty feet long, frayed in a few places but still sturdy enough.
Inventory
You are carrying: a suit of Chain-Mail (being worn)
You regard SPICES
It is a tiny container of SPICES that smelleth like a HOBLING bakery making PUMPKIN PIES.
Cur
The curtains lower from the ceiling. They almost reach the eye, but not quite, Dr. Law. There seems to be a snag in the motor.
You ask the nymph about Prince
"He's a grand fellow. I wish he were here to help me now."
You sell mom
[to Yagmar] Yagmar looks her over appraisingly, pokes at her a bit with a soup spoon, and shoves her in a sack. "Done and done," he says, rubbing his hands together. "Haven't had one of these in a while, so tell you what I'm going to do." He reaches around the back of the counter and pulls out a fine Italian three-piece suit with fine pinstripes. Very chic. Stunned, you try it on immediately. It fits to a tee. No one will ever mistake you for a lowly farm hand again, by God.
1
"Why did you kill Reden?" "Reden? You must mean the drunkard." Justinian places his hands on his hips and starts to pace. Justinian places his hands on his hips and starts to pace."He was..." he begins. "He was an unfortunate casualty. He kept coming to the outflow of the Channelworks. He tripped our alarm sigils. At first I believed he had discovered something. believed he had discovered something."In the end, we decided to let him drink in peace. But we were careless. One of our Noctis tanks... sprung a leak." sprung a leak."You recall the thin black strand that led you from Reden's haunt to the storage room. Reden's haunt to the storage room.Justinian lowers his eyes. "It was a hairline fracture. I didn't notice until it was too late. By then, he had already been exposed." had already been exposed.""Then Reden's death... was an accident?" had already been exposed.""Then Reden's death... was an accident?"Justinian folds his arms. "I would have taken more precautions in hindsight. I don't... Perhaps he didn't deserve to die. But I knew the risks when I set out to do this. If a few accidents are the cost of changing the world... so be it." 1) "Why did you kill Creditor Nacarat and the thugs?" 2) "Why did you kill Doctor Arturus?" 3) "Why did you start the epidemic?" 4) "Why did Carnicer try to kill me and Doctor Cavala?" 5) "How much does Doctor Serpens know?" 6) <Change the subject.> "What will you do with me now?"
You look at what you're carrying with you
You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, some faded photographs, a flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, a poker, and some fire tongs), a screwdriver, an old shovel, and an indecipherable map. You're wearing your clothes.
Go east
As you cross the railroad tracks, the air seems to lift slightly, becoming more breathable once again. The road carries you across a desolate heath of gray, windswept grass. To the south, the black, jagged outline of Anchorhead's steep roofs and sharp, leaning gables cuts across the horizon. The road forks here to the west and east, heading across the railroad tracks in one direction, out toward the seashore in the other.
You examine the serpent
It is the body of a serpent. Its bulk creates a wall of scaly flesh the height of two tall men. With rhythmic expansions and contractions, you can see that the creature is alive and breathing.
Footnote 1
If you want a game that involves taking people, try The Origin of Madame Time.
You look at the guard
This elderly man has a gleaming bald head and a sharp, witty grin. He sits in his booth and wears a paisley vest and a badge saying "Ask me anything--Wade."
You examine the system
A curious combination of metal and organics. A potbellied brass shell contains a living organism with pinkish, sparsely-furred flesh visible at the openings. Metal pipes lead out of the shell into the walls, and a metal switch controls whether it is on or off. There's an intake gill along the front, also made of metal. The only thing not protected by metalwork is the heater's mouth, which has a black beak as long as your hand.
You go outside
Identical passageways open to the west, south, north, and east. Threadbare tuxedoes are mounded around you waist-high.
You buy the box
(the old dented strongbox) You pick up the strongbox. The rest of the transaction is fuzzy in your memory. Money changed hands, and you got in your car. Afterwards, you kicked yourself for not asking the family's name or checking the street signs on your way out of the neighborhood. "It's kind of silly, I know, making up little story worlds like this. But it's always reminded me of my Uncle Ted, who says Great-Grandfather Bryant used to do it with him. Thought you might find it fun." You've never been an especially tidy person, and being self-employed has done nothing to improve your habits. Still, you keep your place clean, for the most part. It's just cluttered. The clutter is worse than usual at the moment, thanks to a portion of the contents of the strongbox scattered over the surface of your table. The strongbox itself sits open under the table. On the wooden table are a pile of letters, a memo book labeled "The End of the World", a composition book labeled "Morning in the Garden", a sketchbook labeled "The Tower of Hanoi", a stapled packet labeled "Going Home Again", an envelope labeled "Undelivered Love Letter", a wrinkled sheet of paper, and a wooden toy. (For information on the origins of this collection, type ABOUT. To return to this room from within a story, type RETURN.)
You jump on the ledge
That doesn't look far away. You take a quick look and with a little jump you land safely on the countertop. From up here, you can see the entire shiny place. Only the refrigerator top gives a better view. It makes you feel powerful and important, like perhaps you controlled the whole area and had a few cat soldiers to do your bidding as well. If it was softer and not so narrow, it would make a great bed. From here, you can jump up to the metal box. The most distinctive smell is the scent of Goodcat/Badcat. He is near. You hear several different scary sounds and then people talking, seriously.
You look at door
The door seems to lead out the east side of the Edifice.
You go west
To the north, a paved road ends in a long upward ramp overlooking a 50-foot-wide canyon. Passages lead south and east. The road continues west.
You go to the north
Several workbenches and racks of arcane electronic equipment have been dragged together to form a sort of open laboratory on this wide balcony overlooking the mill. A wide table dominates the area, strewn with precision tools, bits of wire, and scribbled calculations. To the south, a narrow catwalk hangs above the mill floor, and a metal ladder leads down into the machinery below. Prominent among the strange tools scattered across the table is a strange caliper-like instrument. On the workbenches are some notes and some arcane electronic equipment. One of the racks contains a number of circular mirrors, stacked side by side like dishes in a dishwasher. Tacked up on the wall is a large technical blueprint.
Turn wheel
You turn the wheel clockwise until it stops. The hose gradually depressurizes. Mr. Teeterwaller watches you expectantly.
You fill the cup with water from well
You put some water in the cup. This fills the cup to the brim. The water mixes with what was already there.
You read 14
(first taking Forbidden Libations) You open up Forbidden Libations. A list of which drinks are forbidden on each plain. The most well known is lead-sweetened port, a draught so potent only the Doge is permitted to drink it. He might have eventually ruled overwise, but since cracking open a crate of the stuff fifty years ago he hasn't appeared at any of the drink policy meetings.
You examine the corkboards
The markings writhe and change, never quite coalescing into formulae.
You examine sheets
They're tightly tucked into the bed.
Go west
Convention Center (Guest Relations) Halfway around the loop of the Convention Center lobby is the Guest Relations desk. A young man sits behind the desk. A crowd of people is making its way around you toward the entrance to the exhibit hall.
You look at leads
Round, cold; used for monitoring heartbeat and other vital functions. The leads are attached by wires to the monitors on one end and you on the other.
You examine the green table
A table with green and grey linens.
You examine the desk
You saw one of these in a movie once. The top recedes into the back of the desk, and you can hide a convict inside.
You go to the east
A lesser being would have no idea what's going on here. Their brains would probably get lightly scrambled if not completely fizzled out. But, for a highly trained inter-dimensional espionage operative, who has spent half his life travelling through the dimensions, exits are easy to spot. There is a travel pass here. Exits lead north, southeast, south, southwest, northwest, up.
You go to the east
Although it appears spacious from the outside, the house's interior feels cramped and gloomy. The walls seem too close together; the ceiling is too high. The doorways, leading in several directions, are narrow and filled with shadows, and the stairs leading up to the second floor are steep and rickety. This is not a house that makes you feel welcome. It is a house that makes you feel tiny and timid, and afraid of dark places. It is a house that makes you feel alone. The front door stands open to the south. Your luggage is still here, spread out all over the foyer.
Go upwards
"Wait..." You turn back as Arjang calls you. "What's that red feather you're carrying? It's beautiful, and if it's what I think it is..."
You open the cabinets
The cabinets are not, after all, still stocked -- much to your relief. There's nothing in there but an old book of matches.
You go to the south
As you step into the closet, a floorboard creaks. The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells powerfully of mold, and the floor is a little wobbly.
You look at the toolcase
Your toolcase is a flat grey plastic form, lined with shaped sponge foam. In the toolcase are a blast tab, a radio module, a timer, a scan scrambler, a minilamp, a toggle switch, a pushbutton, an acid pack, a voice module, a voice transmitter and a key transmitter.
You take it
Your load is too heavy, especially in light of your exhaustion. You are very thirsty now. You'd better have a drink soon.
South
This room is a little too undescribed. It's nice to have a break from all this puzzling, but it's almost too easy a break. It feels like the Nick, but you can't explain why. Your slider seems to vibrate a bit. A passage leads west back to the centrifuge, and another leads north. You see a plain cask here--someone has cut a small hole in the top.
3
Zeno's eyes widen, and he glances round at the steeply curving track. "Curses!" he says "Quite true! That throws all my my calculations out, and renders, I'm terribly sorry, all races completely invalid." [1] You could just give me -- I mean, the person on the outside lane -- a bit of a head start. [2] Well, I'm not racing again, I'm afraid.
You open cabinet
You open the video cabinet, revealing a video screen, a video disc player and six video discs (one "Episode Two", one "Jigsaw", one "Spider and Web", one "Symetry", one "War of the Worlds" and one "Best Chefs").
You turn the dial
You turn the dial gently with one finger, and it clicks around to display the setting LEAF.
Light match
(first taking the book of matches) (slipping the long steel key into the pocket of your trenchcoat to get a hand free) Taken. One of the matches starts to burn. You are at the southern end of a long, narrow crawlway leading northward into the mill. All around you, through the metallic walls, you can hear the oppressive thumping and grinding of heavy machinery. The air in here is hot and smells of burnt engine oil. A large metal valve wheel juts out from the middle of one of the many fat, sweating pipes lining the walls. Just to its left is a gauge of some sort.
You examine Tower
The places where the outside building have been grafted on are in full view, and here and there vents and ducts hang out like abandoned medical instruments. These people weren't content to appreciate the tower; they had to stitch themselves onto it, crowd in and subsume it, so that nobody else could have it. But the crown of the tower stands above all this. You can see details you've never seen before: the pinnacles are lined with delicate crockets, and a row of escutcheons are carved at the base of the arches.
You look at the cable
A short length of high-bandwidth wire.
You talk to Jess
You know that Jess is grieving much as you are grieving but she has tangled it up in a need to support others, and - you think - to be seen to be supporting others. She wants people to at look her and say to themselves "she's so brave" and then she can believe it for herself. But you don't want to be supported, you don't want to be the mechanism by which others distract themselves. Grief is not enobling in you. It seems to make you hard, ungracious, cold and churlish.
You examine the lamp
An old fashioned oil lamp.