Zone of alienation by Ian Hoffman

Zone of alienation

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"Zone of alienation".

The chapter counter is a number that varies.

when a scene (called the current scene) which is not the Entire Game begins: 
Â Â Â Â increment chapter counter; 
Â Â Â Â say "[bold type]Chapter [chapter counter]: [current scene][roman type]".

WIP is a scene.

When WIP begins:
Say "[italic type]This interactive fiction is a work in progress. If you're stopping in to see how I'm doing, hi! At the moment there is only one area you can properly explore, although it contains a number of items you can interact with as well as a person to talk to.

This story is set in 1986. The premise of this story is that you (a private in the USSR military) have been sent into the zone of alienation around the Chernobyl Atomic Energy Station shortly after the fire at Reactor 4. You need to clear an apartment building of any survivors, watch out for looters, and remove items that might be contaminated (such as food) to ensure the safety of any civilians in the area. If you find this idea interesting, please check back later as I add to the story!

[roman type]";
move the player to the construction site, without printing a room description.

The Construction Site is a room. The description of the Construction Site is "Tools and building materials lie scattered around. Before you can take much notice of your surroundings, though, you feel the mysterious force of narrative drawing you on to a new location.

Type z and hit enter to continue."

WIP begins when play begins. WIP ends when the time since WIP began is 0 minutes.

Basic Training is a scene. "Welcome to the Red Army, private. In Basic Training you will learn the skills a soldier needs to defend the Soviet Union.

At any time, the written command [bold type]orders[roman type] will list your current and achieved objectives.

Type a compass direction such as [bold type]n[roman type] (or north) to move in that direction.

Type [bold type]i[roman type] (or inventory) to review items you're carrying or wearing.

Type [bold type]x[roman type] (or examine) and the name of a nearby item, person, etc. to learn more about that item.

Type [bold type]get[roman type] and the name of a nearby item to collect that item."

When Basic Training begins:
move the player to the Training Ground.

The Training Ground is a room. The description is "A training dummy stands silently in the middle of this open field. It's obviously been used for target practice."

Basic Training begins when WIP ends. Basic Training ends when the dummy is bayoneted.

A mannequin is a kind of thing. The dummy is a mannequin. The dummy is scenery. The dummy is in the Training Ground. A mannequin can be shot or not shot. A mannequin can be bayoneted or not bayoneted. The dummy is not shot and not bayoneted.

Understand "training dummy" as the dummy. Understand "target" as the dummy.

Instead of examining the dummy:
Now the dummy is shot;
Now the dummy is bayoneted;
Say "The aim seems to be to bayonet and shoot this training dummy. It[']s already riddled with holes, so you can move on."

Apartment is a scene. "The Sergeant moves quickly down the corridor ahead of you. You step more carefully over and around a stained cardboard box and several puddles. The Sergeant stops outside the first door he comes to, and barks out an order. 'Private Radovsky, you will arm yourself, and enter and search this dwelling.'"

Apartment begins when Basic Training ends.

When Apartment begins:
move the player to the Corridor.

The view of apartment buildings is a backdrop. It is in the Corridor. The description is "The window looks out onto a row of crumbling Soviet-era apartment buildings, much like the one you're standing in."

The air is a backdrop. It is everywhere. 

The to-do-list is an open unopenable transparent container. It is part of the air. 

The achieved-list is an open unopenable transparent container. It is part of the air.

A goal is a kind of thing. A goal is scenery.

The to-do-list contains Find a weapon.  Find a weapon is a goal. The description of Find a weapon is "You will need to be armed before you proceed into the apartment."

Instead of doing something to a goal:
say "You will need to achieve that the old-fashioned way."

Remembering is an action applying to nothing.
Carry out remembering:
say "Current objective(s):
[a list of things in the to-do-list].

Objective(s) achieved:
[a list of things in the achieved-list]."

Understand "objective" as remembering.
Understand "obj" as remembering.
Understand "orders" as remembering.

Radioactivity is a kind of value. The radioactivities are safe, slightly radioactive, strongly radioactive, and extremely radioactive. A thing has a radioactivity. A thing is usually safe.

The Corridor is a room.

"The east-west corridor is dirty and feels drafty, although the door to the eastern staircase was closed behind you after you entered the building. You see the doors to several apartments - all seemingly identical - behind the Sergeant, lined up along the north side of the corridor.

The nearest window offers a bleak view of yet more grey concrete apartment blocks. There are puddles of water on the floor in several places, and a dirty cardboard box up against the wall. The only decorations on the walls are a few dubious stains and some meandering cracks which run up and onto the low ceiling."

Understand "apartments" as the view. Understand "apartment blocks" as the view.

The Corridor contains a window and some puddles and a cardboard box and some stains and some cracks.

The box is a container and scenery. The box is open, opaque and unopenable and scenery. The description of the box is "This cardboard box used to hold tinned dog food. A rare luxury, once, although it has seen better days."

Instead of opening the cardboard box:
say "The box is already open."

Inside the box is a dogfood tin. The description of the dogfood tin is "An empty tin of dogfood. It smells pretty bad." The dogfood tin is a container. The dogfood tin is open and transparent and unopenable. Understand "tin" as the dogfood tin. Understand "dogfood" as the dogfood tin.

The window is a container and scenery. The window is closed, transparent and locked. The description of the window is "The window frame is cracked, and the glass is only partly transparent, buried as it is under layers of dust and grime. Not much of a view."  

The puddles are containers and scenery. The puddles are open and transparent and unopenable. The puddles contain dirty water. The dirty water is slightly radioactive. Understand "water" as dirty water. The description of the puddles is "These look murky and unpleasant. You wonder if the water is safe." The description of the dirty water is "The water looks brackish and unhealthy. It might be contaminated by radiation, so you had better be careful."

Instead of taking dirty water when the player is not carrying a dogfood tin:
say "You will need some sort of container to collect the water."

Instead of examining the dirty water when the player is carrying the dirty water:
say "You now have an old dogfood tin, mostly filled with the vilest-looking water you have ever seen. It almost makes you throw up."

Instead of examining the dogfood tin when the player is carrying the dirty water:
say "You now have an old dogfood tin, mostly filled with the vilest-looking water you have ever seen. It almost makes you throw up."

The stains are things and scenery. The stains are slightly radioactive. The description of the stains is "You decide not to look too closely. The best-case scenario is that rainwater is leaking through the cracks in the concrete."

The cracks are things and scenery. The cracks are strongly radioactive. The description of the cracks is "The walls are cracked and crumbling. Rain and wind seems to come and go as they please. This building is far from a sealed environment - which explains the puddles."

The Sergeant is a man in the Corridor. "The Sergeant leans against a wall in his radiation protection suit, wearing his gas mask with his peaked officer's hat jammed over the top[if the Sergeant carries something] and carrying [a list of things carried by the Sergeant][end if]." Understand "sir" as the Sergeant. Understand "officer" as the Sergeant.

The Sergeant is carrying a rifle. Understand "gun" as the rifle.

The description of a rifle is "This firearm is well-worn. You wonder how many soldiers have used it. It has a bayonet attached, and is fitted with a clip of ammunition."

A bayonet is part of the rifle. The description of a bayonet is "It connects to the rifle. Watch out for the sharp end!" 

Load is a kind of value. The loads are depleted, mostly empty, partly empty, and fresh. A magazine is a kind of thing. A magazine has a load. A magazine is usually fresh.

Before printing the name of a magazine (called the ammo):
say "[load of the ammo] ".

A clip is part of the rifle. The clip is a magazine. Understand "ammo" as the clip. Understand "ammunition" as the clip.

Instead of taking the rifle when the Sergeant is carrying the rifle:
say "The Sergeant is your commanding officer. Perhaps you should ask him for the rifle?"

Instead of asking the Sergeant for the rifle when the Sergeant is carrying the rifle:
move the rifle to the player;
move Find a weapon to the achieved-list;
say "'Here, Private. You will need this,' says the Sergeant, handing you the rifle."

Instead of asking the Sergeant for the rifle when the Sergeant is not carrying the rifle:
say "'You will never be promoted at this rate,' says the Sergeant."

A thing can be precious.

The player carries a photograph. The photograph is precious. The description of a photograph is "It's a photograph of your childhood sweetheart, Katya. You hope she's safe, wherever she is now." Understand "photo" as photograph.

Instead of dropping a precious thing:
Say "That item is too valuable for you just leave it lying around."

A gasmask is wearable. The player carries a gasmask. The gasmask is precious. The description of a gasmask is "It's hard to see clearly through the lenses of a gas hood." Understand "gas hood" as gasmask.

Repair is a kind of value. The repairs are mended and torn. A coverall is a kind of thing. A coverall has a repair. A coverall is usually torn.

A radiation protection suit is a wearable coverall. A radiation protection suit is precious. The player wears a radiation protection suit. The description of a radiation protection suit is "Your own radiation protection suit has been [Repair of the noun][If repair of the noun is torn] by a careless previous owner[otherwise] after a good bit of work[end if]. The greenish-greyish fabric suit is supposed to cover your uniform and keep radioactive contamination out. [If repair of the noun is torn]You see a few rips and tears in your suit.[otherwise]You've patched the suit up, so it isn't full of holes any more.[end if]"

Understand "clothing" as the radiation protection suit.
Understand "suit" as the radiation protection suit.
Understand "radiation protection suit" as the radiation protection suit.
Understand "protection suit" as the radiation protection suit.

A repair kit is a kind of thing.

The thread is a repair kit. The description is "A needle and thread."

Understand "needle" as the thread. Understand "needle and thread" as the thread.

The tape is a repair kit. The description is "A roll of duct tape."

Understand "duct tape" as the tape. Understand "sticky tape" as the tape.

To say darn:
Now the radiation protection suit is mended.

A helmet is wearable. The player wears a helmet. The helmet is precious. The description of a helmet is "It's not stylish, but it will stop bullets."

The Sergeant wears a sergeant's radiation protection suit. The description of a sergeant's radiation protection suit is "The greenish-greyish radiation protection suit covers the sergeant's uniform. You can't see any rips or tears."

A sergeant's gasmask is wearable. The Sergeant wears a sergeant's gasmask. The description of a sergeant's gasmask is "It's hard to see clearly through the lenses of a gas hood."

A peaked hat is wearable. The Sergeant wears a peaked hat. The description of a peaked hat is "Well, it's not going to stop any bullets." Understand "hat" as peaked hat.

instead of going west from the Corridor when the Sergeant is in the Corridor:
say "The Sergeant blocks your way.
[paragraph break]
'Nyet, private. Carry out your orders first.'"

The Corridor2 is a room with printed name "Corridor (II)". West of the Corridor is the Corridor2.

The description of the Corridor2 is "Further along the apartment building's main east-west corridor you come to a second apartment door, set into the north wall like the first one was. The only notable feature of this section of corridor is a small ventilation grille set high into the outside wall. The lack of windows makes this section of the corridor gloomy and claustrophobic."