Clarion Sun by Lincoln Dunn

Clarion Sun

Played 1,907 times
View game source (spoilers!)
Download the .z8 file
Source Code

"Clarion Sun" by lincoln

Use no scoring.

The lobby is a room. "The lobby is desolate and in disrepair as if it had suddenly been forgotten.  You cannot remember your name, but something about the place seems familiar. 

You make it to your feet, scanning the poorly lit room, searching each corner for shadows. The white walls have been stained yellow, the smell of mildew and decay lingering. The floor is covered in trash and rubbish. There is a torn banner in the center of the room which reads YOUR ALLY IN CONSCIOUSNESS PRESERVATION. 

You see doors to the north, east , and west. Though trembling, you decide to take a look around."

The desk is a thing. The desk is a supporter. The desk is scenery. The desk is in the lobby. 
The vase of flowers is a thing. The vase of flowers is on the desk. The vase of flowers can be examined. The description of the vase of flowers is "There is a note attatched to the vase, muddled cursive. The note reads TO ANNE: SMELL THEM ONE LAST TIME, SEE YOU SOON LOVE."
The picture frame is a thing. The picture frame is on the desk. The picture frame can be examined. The description of the picture frame is "A white man with grey hair in front of a computer screen. The man is smiling but his eyes seem empty and tired. The bottom of the frame reads DR AARON SWARTZ."
The west hall is a room. The west hall is west of the lobby. "The west hall is bleeding with flourescent light.  Once your eyes settle, you notice muddy footprints leading down the hall."
The snack room is a room. The snack room is east of the grey door. The snack room is west of the west hall. "A couple of tables remain. The grey wallpaper is peeling. There is a large puddle of water in the corner stemming from a leaky sink. You catch a glimpse of yourself walking by the soda machine." 
The soda machine is a thing. The soda machine is scenery. The soda machine is in the snack room. The soda machine can be examined. The description of the soda machine is "There is a mirror attached to the machine. You see yourself, yet are not surprised. Who else could it be after all?"
The grey door is a thing. The grey door is a door. The grey door is scenery. The grey door is west of the snack room and east of the portrait room. The grey door is locked. The silver key unlocks the grey door. 
The portrait room is a room. The portrait room is west of the grey door. "Faces line the walls, computers sitting beneath their bulbous cheeks. A plaque on the wall reads CLARION SUN INC. The eyes in the paintings seem to follow you."
The torn portrait is a thing. The torn portrait is in the portrait room. The description of the torn portrait is "The painting has been ripped off, the word TRAITOR carved into the frame along with a few strange symbols. You admire their curvy elegance."
The office is a room. The office is north of the portrait room. "Overturned cubicles everywhere and shattered computers. You jump when you notice the automaton in the corner. It comes to life and stares at you with great interest."
The droid is a man. The droid is in the office. The description of the droid is "Two blue eyes glowing in the dark, face slightly illuminated. You see that the droid's metallic body has rusted, head squeaking as its gaze follows you around the you.  As you look more closely you realize the droid's legs have been critically damaged."
Understand "ask about what happened" or "ask about who did this" or "ask about what's happening" as "[what happened]".
After asking about "what happened":
	say "The droid says 'Dr Swartz left me seeing as my service was complete. Only he and Finch are left and Finch can't seem to keep off the drink.' His voice is filled with radio static."
Understand "ask about Dr Swartz" as "[Dr Swartz]".
After asking about "Dr Swartz":
	say "The droid says' You don't know Aaron Swartz? Founder of Clarion Sun Inc? You know nothing of his work here? Unless...Oh yes. I thought you looked familiar.'"
Understand "ask about why I look familiar" as "[why I look familiar]".
After asking about "why I look familiar":
	say "The droid says 'I am not at liberty to discuss that. Protocol dictates that I refrain from speaking about you, even when I am speaking TO you. If I do not follow protocol, I risk self destruction. Mr Finch did not even know about you. I can only discuss some of Dr Swartz's work. Do you have any questions about it?'"
Understand "ask about Mr Finch" as "[Mr Finch]".
After asking about "Mr Finch":
	say "The droid says 'Oh have you met him? Finch was Swartz's second in command until they had a...bit of a falling out. Dr Swartz had no choice but do unleash the virus upon him.'"
Understand "ask about the virus" as "[the virus]".
After asking about "the virus":
	end the story saying "the droid stutters then becomes silent. His blue eyes turn red and a countdown begins. 3....2....1...BOOM. The droid self destructs and you die. DEFEAT."



Understand "ask about his work" as "[his work]".
After asking about "his work":
	say "The droid says 'In laymen's terms: immortality. Dr Swartz pioneered the first method of uploading one's consciousness to a computer. A truly remarkable task, even though my programming does not allow me to understand why. You should meet him. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to see that his experiment worked. He may even upload you again.'"
Understand "ask about where he is" as "[where he is]".
After asking about "where he is":
	say "The droid says 'Upstairs. Check the printer if you need a key. He left it there in case anyone was left. He may not want to talk to you. If not, ask him about me.'"
Understand "ask about Clarion Sun" or "ask about Clarion Sun Inc" as "[clarion sun]".
After asking about "clarion sun":
	end the story saying "the droid begins to speak but stutters and become silent. His blue eyes turn red and a countdown begins...3....2....1....BOOM. The droid self destructs and you die. DEFEAT"
		


The table is a thing. The table is in the office. The table is a supporter. The table is scenery.  The printer is on the table.
The printer is a thing. The printer is a container. The printer is openable. The printer is closed. The golden key is a thing. The golden key is in the printer.
The janitor's closet is a room. The janitor's closet is south of the west hall. "The smell of chemicals burn your nose. The closet is filthy. Noone's done cleaning here in quite some time."
The window is a thing. The window is in the janitor's closet. The window can be examined. The description of the window is "Another building next to yours. You stick your head out and see the concrete below. The air outside doesn't taste any better, empty night of little warmth."
The cabinet is a thing. The cabinet is in the janitor's closet. The cabinet is a container. The cabinet is openable. The cabinet is closed.
The notecard is a thing. The notecard is in the cabinet. The description of the notecard is "Blue lines have bled across the paper. The notecard reads Dr SWARTZ IS NOT TO BE TRUSTED HE HAS TRAPPED US."
The east hall is a room. The east hall is east of the lobby. "The hall is dark. You crouch and find the edges of the tunnel, imagining all the things your hand could feel along the way."
The break room is a room. The break room is north of the east hall. "The room is empty but tidy, cleaner air than in the rest of the building. You jump when you notice the man in the corner, a small figure hunched over muttering to himself. He has a nametag which reads Thomas Finch. The smell of alcohol is overwhelming."
The metal table is a thing. The metal table is a supporter. The metal table is in the break room. The can of food is a thing. The can of food is on the metal table. The can of food is edible. Mr Finch is a man. Mr Finch is in the break room.
The description of Mr Finch is "Slightly bald, the man's eyes seem to be falling out of his head. He is holding a bottle of whiskey which he takes a pull of every minute or so."

Instead of taking something which is on the metal table:
	say "Mr Finch says 'I wouldn't eat that if I were you. It's been sitting here open since the sky people left.'".
Test me with "take food."
TALKING! is a scene. TALKING! begins when asking about.
When TALKING! begins:
	say "The strange man mumbles something about the blue bag. He keeps repeating the words 'sky people'.";
	now the blue bag is unlocked;
	now the silver key is in the blue bag.
Understand "ask about the blue bag" as "[the blue bag]".
After asking about "the blue bag":
	say "Mr Finch says 'I locked it remotely. Heard you bumbling around and I got scared. There's a key in there that should get you past the snack room. Just that damn robot back there. It was nice having him around at first but then he started driving me up the fucking wall. But yeah. Go get that key. Try to find the other one. I haven't been able to make it past that damn rusted door since I've been stuck here. Give it a try I guess. Use it to find that bastard doctor. Get the data pad and you may get out alive.'"

Understand "ask about sky people" as "[sky people]".
After asking about "sky people":
	say "Mr Finch says 'Have you been asleep for the last year? You missed the exodus? I didn't even know anyone was left.'".
Understand "ask about who he is" as "[who he is]".
After asking about "who he is":
	say "Mr Finch says 'Someone that deserves damnation. I can't believe the things I've done' He begins to sob."
Understand "ask about exodus" as "[the exodus]".
After asking about "the exodus":
	say "Mr Finch says 'They left! They all fucking left me. I couldn't do it. I couldn't...go too. They're gone don't you see? The world went to shit so they all put themselves inside of computers. You should see what happened to the city.'"
Understand "ask about the city" as "[the city]".
After asking about "the city":
	say "Mr Finch falls to his knees. He pulls a gun out of his pocket and you leap back. Mr Finch says 'I...I used to work here you know. God the things I did. Do you know what's happening?'"
Understand "ask about what he did" as "[what he did]".
After asking about "what he did":
	end the story saying "Mr. Finch lets out a primal scream and shoots you in the chest. The End."
Understand "ask about what's happening" as "[what's happening]".
After asking about "what's happening":
	say "'Mr Finch says 'Just leave me alone. God. I can't get them out of my head.'";
	now Mr Finch is off-stage.

The disheveled office is a room. The disheveled office is west of the break room. The disheveled office is north of the lobby. "Broken liquor bottles and overturned cubicles, the result of some madness. The room smells of piss. There is a small light flashing in the corner..."
The computer is a thing. The computer is in the disheveled office. The computer can be observed. The description of the computer is "A website. The top of the page reads ANTHROPERMANENCE IS THE FUTURE. A picture of the lobby catches your eye. It is in pristine condition, quite unlike earlier. The man in the suit is there, surrounded by other men and women who are smiling. The people are holding memory units which glow in their hands. You try scrolling down but the monitor is frozen."
The supply closet is a room. The supply closet is east of the break room. "Stacks of paper and various filing cabinets, the closet looks fairly untouched. You almost feel relaxed...almost." 
 The blue bag is a thing. The blue bag is in the supply closet. The blue bag is a container. 
The blue bag is openable. The blue bag is closed and locked.
The wallet is a thing. The wallet is in the blue bag.  The description of the wallet is "You take out an ID, a man with sunken eyes staring back at you from the card. It is not government issued. The top of the card reads CLARION SUN INC. There is no name beneath the man's name."
The manager's office is a room. The manager's office is north of the rusted door. "A big room for a big man, a hulking hunk of oak sits before you. Someone has broken in, vandelized the place with graffiti. There is a retro computer in the middle of the room with an axe in it."
The oak desk is a thing. The oak desk is scenery. The oak desk is a supporter. The oak desk is in the manager's office. 
The axe is a thing. The axe is in the manager's office. The axe is scenery. The axe can be observed. The description of the axe is "It's stuck in there pretty good. You try removing it, but it won't budge."
The laptop computer is a thing. The laptop computer is on the oak desk. The laptop computer can be examined. The description of the laptop computer is "A countdown begins. 3...2...1..."
After examining the laptop computer:
	end the story saying "The screen is wired and explodes. DEFEAT."


The rusted door is a thing. The rusted door is a door. The rusted door is scenery. The rusted door is north of the break room and south of the manager's office. The rusted door is locked.  The golden key unlocks the rusted door. 
The landing is a room. The landing is east of the manager's office.  "Open and spacious, more glorifyed hallway then room. Chairs and couches line the walls, a nice place to have nice conversation. Also, what a view."
The wide window is a thing. The wide window is in the landing. The wide window can be observed. The description of the wide window is "The streets are a ghost town, parked cars abandoned and the distance empty. Yet everything is extraordinarily clean, swept streets and pristine sidewalks."
The north hallway is a room. The north hallway is north of the landing. "Hallways open into more hallways, the light from the landing illuminates your path."
A staircase is a kind of door. A staircase is usually open. A staircase is seldom openable. Understand "stairs" or "stair" or "staircase" as a staircase. Understand "upstairs" or "downstairs" as a staircase.
The description of a staircase is usually "the north staircase leads up."
The north staircase is north of the north hallway. "The stairway is dark. Some sort of liquid is dripping down each step. The noise echoes through the empty chamber."
The upper landing is a room. The upper landing is above the north staircase. 
The body is a thing. The body is in the upper landing.  The body can be observed. The description of the body is "You found the source of the leak. The man's throat was slit, his life left to drain down the stairs. You see a piece of paper in his hand."
The piece of paper is a thing. The piece of paper is in the upper landing. The piece of paper can be observed. The description of the piece of paper is "The note reads 'I CAN NO LONGER SIT AND SAY NOTHING WHILE THAT LUNATIC DESTROYS US.'"
The common area is a room. The common area is north of the upper landing. "The room is in pristine condition with a nice sitting area. A freshly brewed pot of coffee sits on top of the counter. Someone has been here recently."
The manual is a thing. The manual is in the common area.  The manual can be observed. The description of the manual is "The front reads 'THE UPLOADER.' As you flip through the manual, you notice that many pages have been removed while other pages have been destroyed by thick black pen. The same sybmols from the portrait room dance across the paper."
The technology center is a room. The technology center is east of the common area. "Broken hard drives and storage units are spread across the ground, a man on the floor sifting through shattered parts. When you enter, he turns to face you. He grins and gets to his feet. You know it is the man you seek."
The data pad is a thing. The data pad is on the square table. The description of the data pad is "What you need to escape!"
 
Dr Swartz is a man. Dr Swartz is in the technology center. The upload key is a thing. Dr Swartz is holding the upload key. The square table is a thing. The square table is a supporter. The square table is in the technology center. The description of Dr Swartz is "An old man holding a glowing memory key."
Understand "ask about the dead man" or "ask about the man" as "[the dead man]".
After asking about "the dead man":
	say "Dr Swartz says 'Oh, him? He tried to break in. He tried to murder me. I haven't been downstairs since I...disposed of him. I cannot bear the sight of blood. One of the good things about digital existence!' 
	He laughs nervously and glances at the data pad."
Understand "ask about the droid" or "ask about droid" as "[the droid]".
After asking about "the droid":
	say "Dr Swartz says 'Ah yes. My old friend, old servant. If only the betrayal hadn't happened.'"
Understand "ask about the betrayal" as "[the betrayal]".
After asking about "the betrayal":
	say "The man laughs a bit and looks at you. Dr Swartz says 'Jesus. You did forget everything. The schism? The exodus? The war? You don't even know who you are.  I guess it worked.'"
Understand "ask about who I am" as "[who I am]".
After asking about "who I am":
	say "Dr Swartz says 'The original test. The first person we digitized...The first immortal. That is why I brought you back. And because we have a history.'"
Understand "ask about our history" or "ask about history" as "[our history]".
After asking about "our history":
	say "Dr Swartz turns to you, eyes full of tears. 'You...you were my brother...are my brother. We worked on this together, built this company, saved the lives of many, many people. I brought you back to see if it was possible, to see if someone could return to the world as themselves. Now I know the answer. Now I know why I must stay. I cannot be uploaded. I must be alone.'"
Understand "ask about why he has to stay" as "[why he has to stay]".
After asking about "why he has to stay":
	say "Dr Swartz says 'Because now I know that the system may not be safe, that some day someone may come and turn the servers off, killing everyone in the system. Since you had your memory wiped, do you want to know more about being uploaded?'"
Understand "ask about being uploaded" or "ask about uploading" as "[being uploaded]".
After asking about "being uploaded":
	say "Dr Swartz says 'It is bliss, a beautiful world where you will find infinite pleasure in an infinite life. Just take this, unlock and open the device in the next room, and you'll have eternal happiness. The choice is yours, brother.'
	He places the upload key on the table.";
	now the upload key is on the square table.
Instead of taking the data pad:
	end the story saying "Dr Swartz leaps on you before you can make it out of the room. He puts his hands around your neck and you feel the life draining from you. As the light leaves you, you suddenly wish that you had just let yourself be uploaded. DEFEAT."

The upload center is a room. The upload center is north of the technology center. "The room is nearly pitch black. The machine in front of you is massive, glowing lights and blinking buttons running its black hull. The thing looks oddly like a coffin. You step forward to examine it.

You see the uploader."
 The uploader is a thing. The uploader is in the upload center. The uploader is a container. The uploader is scenery. The uploader is openable. The uploader is locked. The upload key unlocks the uploader. 
The description of the uploader is "As you get closer you see instructions and a place to use the key Dr Swartz gave you. The instruction read 'Unlock, Open, Enter Immortality.'"
After opening the uploader:
	end the story saying "You lower yourself into the device, a strange liquid flowing over your body. The top of the device begins to slowly close and you begin to leave your form. As you fade out, you hear the sound of Dr Swartz screaming in the tech center.
	
	GAME OVER. YOU HAVE ESCAPED. VICTORY."