Messages

[You are both dead]

    You decide that it is now or never.  Grasping Katarina by the hand, you shout “hurry!” and push off down the tube towards the talisman.  Katarina is less enthusiastic about flying towards the monstrous Sgruck, however, and her hesitation acts like an anchor, swinging you into the wall of the tube.  She in turn looses her footing, and now you are both careening out of control, bouncing off the walls of the tube towards the Sgruck!  Through the chaos you catch a glimpse of the Sgruck swallowing the jade talisman as it advances down the tube.  Katarina screams in complete terror, and soon great globules of floating blood go bouncing down tube.

You are both dead

[You are dead]

        Suddenly you are in the midst of a great medieval battle.  All around you is the din of metal clanging on metal, of voices shouting and screaming in agony or triumph.  Faceless warriors behind helmets and masks slash viciously at similarly clad warriors.  You cannot fathom how they can tell who is on who's side, but perhaps for them it doesn't matter?

   You are drawn from your thoughts by an axe narrowly missing your face.  You roll to the ground, instinctively sweeping your leg out to trip up the warrior attacking you.  He stumbles back and is soon smote by yet another warrior.  He falls to the ground, motionless, and you begin to sigh in relief.

   And then the black tendrils of smoke begin to pour out of the eye slots of his helmet.

   You are instantly on your feet again, running.  One warrior swings a sword at you, but you are able to dodge just in time.  Another waves a mace, but you are able to dive through his legs.  An arrow smites a warrior to your left, and more black smoke begins to billow out.  You grab his shield, using it to frantically push your way through the fray.  More and more warriors fall, and the black smoke seems to choke the air.  There is no sign of the ace of spades or the jade talisman.

   And then a half-fallen warrior manages to slice your leg with his sword.  You try to stumble onwards, but the cut is deep and your leg will not respond to your will.  Another pair of warriors locked in mortal embrace careen out of control and knock you over.  There is the sound of baying, as if a pack of a thousand wolves just caught the scent of prey.

   You crawl beneath the feet of the dancing warriors, sometimes trampled and sometimes stabbed.   The black clouds form a layer of fog that entirely covers the ground now, and from the fog begin to rise the metallic spikes.

   In just moments you are seized by great clawed hands and your body is quickly torn to pieces.

You are dead

[If you decide to race the Sgruck for the talisman, turn to PAGE 56]

   You decide to race back to the airlock and attempt to retrieve Katarina from space.  You fly through the tubes connecting the pods like a bullet, being sure to lock all the doors behind you as you proceed.  You pass the jade talisman, floating in the middle of the tube on your way to the cargo bay.  From there, you turn left, and shoot through the last tube to the airlock. 

   Thankfully there is a helmet waiting for you there.  You fix it securely onto your suit, mash at the buttons on your chest until a reassuring draught of air starts to blow on your face, and then punch at the button on the wall.  The far door blows open and there is a great whoosh of air sweeping you out into space.  At the last moment you manage to grab onto the lip of outer airlock door, and by that point the surge of air has subsided.  You pull yourself around the door frame and emerge into the open vastness of space.

   You are amazed at the sheer scale of the universe.  The gas giant planet looms massively above you.  A carpet of stars stretches below you out into infinity.  And the molecule-like space station of pods and tubes stretches a surprising distance behind you.  You try to get your bearings in order to determine where it was that you saw Katarina, but the complexity of the station has you puzzled.  You resolve to float through the interlacing pods in an attempt to find her.

   At the extremity of the space station the vastness of space seems to tie your stomach in a knot, but once inside the web of pods and tubes of the space station you feel somewhat sheltered.  Occasionally you get close enough to a tube or pod to bounce gently off of it, and peering through the windows you find that you recognize a few pods.  You find the exercise area where you first encountered the Sgruck, but it is empty.  You suddenly wonder whether you would be able to notice the tell-tale sign of the black vapour cloud against the infinite blackness of space....

   But such thoughts are instantly washed from your mind as you turn to see Katarina twirling by above you, still in her teddy pyjamas, blonde hair dancing like a solar corona.  In a great stroke of luck she is heading in your direction.  You calculate your jump carefully, not intending to intercept her but to parallel her course.  Soon you are gliding side-by-side through the geometric womb of the space station.

   â€œHa ha!” Katarina laughs, thrilling at the sensation of twirling through space.  “Who are you?”

   You laugh as well, and tell her your name.  “Come here often?” you ask, winking.

   She laughs some more, thoroughly enjoying the moment.  “Have you ever done anything so incredible?”

   â€œOnly once, around Saturn,” you reply.

   Katarina bursts out laughing so loud that she actually sprays condensation onto the outside of your helmet.  You wonder for a moment at the physics of that, but decide not to question the parameters of the dream-world.

   â€œOh!” she says, suddenly serious.

   You turn to follow her gaze and realize that you are leaving the confines of the station and heading directly towards the glowing gas-giant!  You contemplate in horror Newton's first law of motion, and suddenly wish you had squandered your education on 18th century French poetry instead.

   But you quickly realize that Katarina was not suddenly aware of the physics of space.  What you had assumed was just a dark cloud on the planet's surface resolves itself into a flailing nightmarish creature at much greater proximity.  It snarls at you and waves its claws at you angrily.

   â€œI don't like it!” Katarina says, burrowing her head into your shoulder.  “Make it go away!”

   You look left and right, trying to think of options.  There is nothing to grab onto, nothing to push against.  There is nothing out here at all except you and Katarina, the gravity defying Sgruck, a space suit, and a pair of teddy pyjamas.

   Wait!  The space suit!  The air-tank seems to be attached to a backpack that comes off!  You remove the pack as quickly as you can, positioning it between you and the Sgruck.  It shrieks a bloodthirsty cry of triumph, and then shoots a clawed appendage out towards you.  A vicious claw punctures the tank, suddenly sending you and Katarina spiralling back towards the space station.

   â€œHold on!” you shout, trying to control your direction.  You see a well-lit blur spinning wildly ahead of you and realize it must be the open airlock cabin.  Sensors start flashing red inside your helmet, warning you of impending oxygen loss, but you are almost there....

   In a terrific stroke of luck you manage to shoot back into the airlock just as your air runs out!  A few mashed buttons later and the airlock is closed and pressurized once more.  You remove your helmet and take a grateful breath of recycled station air.

   â€œPhew!  That was close!” you say, noticing that Katarina is still hugging you.

   She looks up at you and you wink back.  You feel her body relax, and a hint of a smile returns to the corners of her mouth.

   You open the inner airlock door, expecting to see a Sgruck lurking to ambush you, but the tube back up to the cargo bay is silent and empty.

   â€œWhat is this place?” Katarina asks.   

   â€œIt's all just a dream,” you tell her truthfully.  “We need to find your jade necklace.  Will you help me find it?”

   Katarina looks down at her chest, noticing that the talisman is not where it should be.  “Yes,” she says.  “Where can we find it?”

   â€œHopefully just up ahead.”

   You clasp hands and shoot together through the long tube towards the cargo bay.  You bang your head awkwardly colliding with the far doors.  Katarina smirks, but manages to contain her laughter.

   You rub your aching head.  “I forgot I locked it,” you mutter.  Before unlocking the door you peer carefully through the tiny windows to see if there is any danger on the other side.  It seems safe.

   You cautiously enter the cargo bay.  There are two exits from this pod.  The first goes back to the canteen and has the jade talisman floating in the connecting tube.  The second leads back to the command centre.

   â€œHere goes nothing,” you say, opening the door to the first tube.  There is the jade talisman, floating tantalizingly in the middle of the tube.  But at the far end of the tube there is a cloud of black vapour that suddenly resolves itself into the fearsome outline of a Sgruck.  It bellows a challenge to you.  Do you accept?

   This is it.  Or is it?  Do you dare race the Sgruck for the talisman floating innocuously between you?  Or do you lock the door and bolt with Katarina for the axon chute back in the command centre, trusting that it will reunite you with the talisman in some other dream world?

If you decide to race the Sgruck for the talisman, turn to PAGE 56

If you decide to lock the door and bolt for the axon chute on the command centre monitor, turn to PAGE 13

[If you decide to return to the axon chute at the carpet stand, turn to PAGE 60]

   Blackness.  Then suddenly you are standing in a busy market.  Men and women wearing colourful costumes push by you on all sides, each with their face hidden behind a kind of veil.  An exotic kind of music fills the air, and there is the smell of perfume and cooking food.

    You push your way through the throng, constantly looking around.  A fat man tries to sell you a carpet.  You are about to shove it away when you notice the ace of spades woven into it.  “Maybe later,” you mutter, taking a mental note of where the carpet seller's stand is located within the larger market.

   You move on, passing merchants hawking musical instruments, exotic birds, funny platform shoes and ornamental weapons.  You pause at a stand selling jewelry, scanning the merchant's wares for the jade talisman, but it doesn't seem to be here.

   â€œSomething catches your eye, good sir?” the merchant asks.

   â€œNo.  These are all cheap trinkets,” you say.  “I'm looking for something special, made of gold and jade.”

   â€œAh!  A discerning buyer!  I might have just what you are after.”  The merchant flourishes his hand, and then reaches into his sleeve to pull out a gaudy looking brooch.  “Perhaps you find this pleasing?”

   â€œNo,” you say flatly.

   â€œPerhaps this then?” the merchant asks, producing a bejewelled lamp.

   You shake your head, turning to look over the crowd for some sign of Katarina.  The merchant grabs your arm forcefully, begging you not to leave until you have seen his finest wares.  You try to ignore him, but suddenly the jade talisman is thrust just inches from your face.

   â€œLet me go!” you tell the man, but his grip only tightens.

   â€œSir must try it on, yes?” the man says, leaning close to you.

   You dare not touch the talisman, so instead you try to push the man away by the face.  Only your hand goes right through the veil, revealing nothing but emptiness inside.  Suddenly the clothes just fall into a heap on the ground, while the talisman falls onto a display hook at the front of the merchant stand.  You look around, wondering if anyone in the crowd noticed what just transpired, but everyone seems to be going about their business as usual.  You turn back to the pile of clothes and are horrified to see tendrils of black vapour beginning to emanate from them.

   Quickly you push your way back into the crowd towards the carpet sellers.  In your haste you knock the veil off an old lady, who also collapses as a pile of empty clothes.

   â€œOh shit,” you mutter aloud as this pile too begins to give off black tendrils of smoke.

   You carefully squeeze your way through the throng towards the carpet seller once more when you suddenly see Katarina.  Her blonde hair is twirling as she dances to the exotic music in the centre of the square.  Staring at her, you notice that there seems to be no relationship between her movements and the rhythm of the song.

   You have only moments to make a decision.  Do you shove your way through the last of the crowd to get to the axon chute at the carpet seller's, or do you grab Katarina now and try to dodge past the coming Sgruck to get back to the jade talisman?

If you decide to return to the axon chute at the carpet stand, turn to PAGE 60

If you decide to grab Katarina and go for the talisman, turn to PAGE 27

[Turn to PAGE 34]

        You decide that there is no option but run back up the stone steps for the jade talisman.  The Sgruck bounds after you, baying triumphantly.  At the top of the stairs you turn and fling the stone dagger at it, striking it right in the mouth.  It howls in pain for a moment before melting into a cloud of black vapour.

   Your heart is pounding harder than the rain upon your head.  You turn and to your great surprise you see Katarina back upon the stone lintel above the altar.  She is staring at you with half-vacant eyes, head tilted to the side. 

   â€œKatarina!” you call.  “Jump down to me.  We have to get you out of here!”

   But Katarina just continues to stare.  “What is the fluid that runs up hills?” she asks cryptically.

   Your brow furrows at the riddle, not knowing what to make of it.  Only too late do you notice the tendrils of black vapour creeping up the stairs and snaking around your legs.  Instinctively you dash for the talisman, but a clawed hand shoots out of the black cloud and seizes your leg.  A disembodied mouth appears from the fog, teeth open wide for the kill.

   In desperation you toss a broken piece of stone statue into the gaping maw and then attempt a frenzied crawl towards the pedestal with the talisman.  You are jerked backwards and feel an intense pain in your leg, but then you are surging forwards again and seize the talisman with a last ditched effort.

   All goes dark as you float through the weightless void.

Turn to PAGE 34

[If you decide to pursue Katarina, turn to PAGE 5]

        You might not get another chance as good as this, given that Katarina and the jade talisman are both within relative proximity.  Sgrucks be damned, you decide to push your way through the crowd towards Katarina.  In mere moments you are standing in the open space that she has cleared with her whimsical twirling.

   â€œKatarina,” you call gently, but she does not acknowledge your existence.  You call her name again, and then try to grab her outstretched arm as she twirls past.  She has surprising strength, however, and you are soon swept up into a kind of awkward dance with her.

   You look into her face, but her eyes are glazed as if she is entranced.  You call her name again, dragging your feet to bring the spinning at last to a stop.  “The dance is over now,” you say, trying to plausibly bridge your two realities.  “Oh no!” you gasp in mock surprise.  “You've lost your jade necklace!”

   Katarina's eyes suddenly focus on you before turning to look down at her chest.  She looks around, confused, but you hold her hand tightly in yours.  “We have to find it....” she says absently.

   â€œYes,” you agree, looking around.  There are already menacing growls coming from somewhere in the thick crowd.  “This way, I think.”  You lead her on a circuitous route that will bring you back to the jewelry stall, hopefully after the Sgruck has left to follow the trail of your scent.  But the crowd becomes thick, and the going difficult.  There is fierce howling now, although from where in the crowd you can not tell.  Katarina winces at the sound, and tries to pull away from you.

   â€œWe're almost there!” you tell her.

   â€œWho are you?!” she shouts back, succeeding in pulling her hand away.

   â€œThere's no time for that now,” you say, trying to keep your voice down.  “We were travelling together and I'm trying to save you, and you have to trust me right now.”

   But Katarina slides behind a man with a hand cart, separating you from her.

   â€œI don't even know you,” she says accusingly.  “Where have you brought me?  What are those terrible noises?”

   â€œThey're just nightmares,” you say, extending your hand in desperation.  You are not twenty paces from the jewelry stand.  “Come on.  Please!  I'll explain it all to you in two minutes.”

   Katarina stares deeply into your eyes, and her expression seems to soften slightly.  She seems just on the verge of taking your hand again, when suddenly the Sgruck bellows  from somewhere right nearby.  Katarina panics and flees into the crowd.  You have only moments to decide what to do.

If you decide to pursue Katarina, turn to PAGE 5

If you decide to make a final dash for the jade talisman, turn to PAGE 64

[If you decide to head to the axon chute on the screen in the command centre, turn to PAGE 46]

   You decide to try to get by the Sgruck and back down to the statue axon chute.  You fake left, and then right, but the Sgruck mirrors your movements exactly.  Then it begins to creep up the stairs towards you as if it is floating upon the ghostly black cloud that surrounds it.

   It is now or never.  You remember that the axon chute statue was on the right of the stairway, so you jump into the undergrowth to your left.  The slope is steep and the mud is slick, so you are immediately lying on your back and sliding blindly through the thick leaves.  Above your head you see plants being scythed out of the way by great monstrous claws, but the Sgruck can not quite match the force of gravity in this dream-world.  You collide with the statue at the bottom more by accident than by design, and instantly the dream-world vanishes into a void of blackness.

   And then just as suddenly you are seated in the cockpit of some kind of space craft.  You are surrounded by screens and buttons, and out the port-side window a giant gas planet looms large.  All is still but for the gentle beeping of instruments. 

   You unstrap yourself from the seat, noticing as you do that you are wearing a full space suit except for the helmet.  With the strap removed you float weightlessly above the floor.  You push yourself through the air towards the door at the back of the cockpit, and it opens automatically for you to pass through. 

   After a long tube you pass through another door into a kind of command centre filled with monitors and instruments.  As you float by you notice that one of the monitors shows an ace of spades symbol.  Several doors lead out from this room.  You explore each in turn, floating through a canteen and some sleeping quarters and an airlock and a cargo bay.  In one of the connecting tubes you find the jade talisman suspended mid-air, and are careful to avoid it for the time being.  The ship or space station or whatever it is appears to be completely deserted.

   You are coasting along through an exercise area when you notice black tendrils of smoke drifting out of a ventilation pipe in the ceiling.  You back away slowly, silently floating through the air towards the door.  There is the sound of claws scratching on metal, and the duct begins to deform.  A few more feet to go....

   Suddenly the Sgruck bursts out of the ventilation pipe and lands on the floor, apparently unaffected by the lack of gravity in space.  It turns towards you, shrieking, but you have already reached the door.  It closes automatically, and you quickly press an adjacent button with a locking symbol on it.  The Sgruck reaches the door moments later but is frustrated by the barrier.  It bangs and claws at it, but the material of the door holds firm.

   You do notice wisps of black smoke slipping past the door at the edges and resolve to leave before the Sgruck can use its nightmarish magic to bypass the door.  You decide that your best course of action is to rush back to the axon chute in the command centre. 

   It is at this precise moment that the glint of blonde hair in sunlight catches your eye outside a portal window.  Moving closer, you are amazed to see Katarina free floating in open space, unprotected by any kind of equipment.  Her hair waves every which way, and she is in fact wearing what look like teddy bear pyjamas.  She smiles girlishly at you before disappearing from view.

   You stare into the empty vacuum in disbelief.  Should you still rush back to the axon chute in the command centre, or should you proceed to the airlock and try to retrieve Katarina?

If you decide to head to the axon chute on the screen in the command centre, turn to PAGE 46

If you decide to go to the airlock to try to retrieve Katarina, turn to PAGE 44   

[The end]

        You decide to dash after Katarina, come what may.  People block your way right and left, and in frustration you pull off their veils to get by as they crumple to the ground as heaps of empty clothes.  Finally you find her, cowering beneath a fruit stand in a corner of the market.

   â€œI'm not going to leave you here,” you tell her, crouching down to her level.  “Bad things have happened, but I'm here to make it right.  I've come back for you.  I always will come back for you.”

   Katarina looks you in the eye, wiping away a tear.

   â€œYou're not going to leave?” she asks.

   â€œNever,” you say.

   She takes your hand, and together you stand.

   A silent crowd has gathered, forming a semi-circle around the fruit stand.  One by one they pull back their veils, collapsing into heaps of clothes and black smoke.  There is a vicious growling from all sides as a pack of Sgruck begin to take shape.

   â€œYou're not going to leave?” Katarina asks, trembling.

   â€œNever,” you repeat.

   Suddenly the black creatures surge forward in unison, and you are both slain in moments.

The end

[If you choose to rush back to the sign-post axon chute, turn to PAGE 65]

        Before the Sgruck can strike you dive for the manhole axon chute as if diving for the safety of a base in baseball.  As soon as you touch it the world around you goes black, and you have an odd feeling of weightlessness again.

        You are suddenly standing in a forest at night.  A few inches of snow carpet the forest floor, and the leaf-less trees stretch skeletal limbs into the sky, casting claw-like shadows in the bright moonlight.  You shudder in the chill air, wondering why you cannot dream up a winter coat to suit the landscape.

   You begin to trudge along, cursing as your feet are occasionally ensnared by a hidden root or fallen branch.  At length you emerge onto a narrow lane way and discover a single set of footprints in the snow.  The feet are smaller than yours and appear to be bare.  The left foot seems to drag slightly, and there are drops in the snow of something dark every other step.  You follow the footprints, quickening your pace.

   The lane way crosses another and there is a wooden signpost with an indecipherable word and an ace of spades carved into it.  There is also another set of prints crossing the first at right-angles, these ones much larger with claws.  Judging by how the snow from the first set has been pushed over the new set, you conclude with some relief that the monstrous footprints were laid down first.  But they are worryingly fresh, nonetheless.

   You continue to follow the small footprints.  Over a small rise you perceive a new light up ahead, this one orange and flickering.  It appears to be a house with flames beginning to lick from the roof, and the footprints you are following lead directly to it.  Any eerie howl echoes through the night.

   You begin to sprint towards the burning house.  Flames glow from several windows, and you see the unmistakable silhouette of a woman wandering through the second storey.

   â€œKatarina!” you shout, charging through the door.  The smoke is thick, but you can still see well enough to notice that the front room of the house is surrounded by eight doorways.  One must lead to a stairway, but above the growing roar of flames you can hear a menacing scratching sound against the other side of several other doors.  One of the doors shakes visibly and the two-inch end of a claw bursts through, sending splinters of wood flying towards you.

   You are acutely aware that you have not yet found the jade talisman and that chasing Katarina up and down stairwells might well prove a wild goose chase again.  On the other hand, the number of Sgrucks on your trail seem to be growing.  Do you dash back to the axon chute at the sign-post and try your luck again, or do you dare to start trying doors?  With the flames growing in intensity there is not much time to decide.

If you choose to rush back to the sign-post axon chute, turn to PAGE 65

If you choose to start opening doors, turn to PAGE 59

[If you choose to go back for the jade talisman, turn to page PAGE 31]

    You are suddenly standing in a thick jungle with vines dangling from impossibly tall trees.  A steady rain falls, turning the forest floor into a quagmire of mud.  A sudden flash of lightning casts a surreal intense light over the thick undergrowth, and for the first time you notice that some of the tree trunks are actually ancient stone columns swallowed by parasitic plant growth.  A bombastic crack of thunder follows several seconds later, indicating that the heart of the storm is not far off.  You are already nearly soaked, but the rain is at least warm.

    You begin to push your way through the thick vegetation, slipping frequently on the unreliable ground.  Thick spiderwebs glue themselves to your face as you stumble onward, blinding you further.  You need to get out of this thick undergrowth or you will never be able to see far enough to find Katarina.

   Another flash of lightning reveals an ancient stone stairway ascending a hill, although it is half choked by plants spilling over from the sides.  You push your way towards it.

   At the base of the stairs are two stone statues of mythical creatures.  They stand silent sentries, empty eye sockets facing forward.  You notice the ace of spades serves as a helmet crest for the creature on the right.  You also notice the faintest traces of muddy footprints ascending the stairs, but the rain blurs the last remnants before you can inspect them in detail.

   You begin to climb.  The rain seems to be coming down harder now.  Lighting flashes more frequently and the thunder rages like an angry beast. 

   You emerge onto the summit of the hill, which is more open than the slopes.  In a flash of lightning you notice what looks like a stone altar ahead, and the outline of someone tied to it squirming at their bonds.  You rush over, slipping on the wet paving stones.

   It is a bearded man, bound and gagged.  He has long soaking hair bound into a pony-tail, which is draped unnaturally over the top of the altar, directing the water to fall off of it as if from an open faucet.  At first he looks terrified at your approach, and then confused.

   â€œOor ooo?” he shouts over the din of rain through his gag.

   You notice a stone knife on an adjacent pedestal.  Curiously, there is the jade talisman as well, its golden chain wrapped around the dagger.  Careful not to touch the talisman you free the knife and use it to cut the ropes holding the man.  He sits up, pulling off the loosened ropes and gag.  You tell him your name, and then ask him his.

   â€œEnrico,” he says, feeling over his bare chest as if checking for wounds.  He looks around furtively as if looking for something.  Or someone.

   â€œIs there anybody else here?” you ask, following his gaze.

   â€œYou want my advice, my friend?” he asks, continuing to survey his surroundings.

   â€œAnd what is that?”

   Enrico stares you long and hard in the eye.  “Run,” he says, and he slips off the altar and into the thick growth of the hill's far slope.  You are left alone on the hill-top to contemplate his words.

   Another flash of lightning, and suddenly there is a blonde figure pacing along a stone lintel above the altar.  She has dishevelled hair and is wearing a white dress.  Curiously, she does not seem to be getting wet.

   â€œKatarina!” you call, but she does not respond.  Her head is cocked at an awkward angle, and she seems to be staring vacantly into space.  “Katarina!” you call again, but to no avail.

   There is another flash of lighting, but this time the thunder seems to be accompanied by the feral growling of a vicious animal.  From down the slope there is the unmistakable scream of a man, and then something that sounds like bones snapping.  You look back up to the stone lintel, but Katarina is now gone.  You look around, confused.

   Whatever got Enrico will soon be coming for you, too.  Katarina had the good sense to disappear, and your instincts tell you that you should too.  You begin to back down the stone staircase, when suddenly there is a deep, gravelly challenge from behind you.  You turn, and in a flash of lightning you see a nightmarish creature.  The brightness of the illuminated surrounding jungle contrasts with the ghastly creature's intense blackness.  Tendrils of black smoke wrap around a beast of many limbs.  It seems to have an exoskeleton or is encased in black armour, replete with jagged spikes of almost impractical length.  Great twisted claws extend from the tips of its limbs, and razor sharp teeth bristle from multiple sneering mouths.  The Sgruck has no apparent eyes, which only adds to its grim menace.

   You have lost Katarina and are now left with two unappealing options.  You can dash back up the steps and grab the jade talisman, waking you from this nightmare but effectively condemning Katarina.  Or you can attempt to dodge past the Sgruck to reach the axon chute at the base of the stairs, hopefully giving you a new chance to find Katarina in a different dream.  What should you do?

If you choose to go back for the jade talisman, turn to page PAGE 31

If you choose to go for the axon chute back at the statue, turn to PAGE 28

[The End]

    â€œWe have to get out of this house,” you tell Katarina.  “Or that Sgruck is going to eat us alive.”

   â€œWhat's a... a Sgruck?” she asks absently.

   â€œIt's a....  Well, because you're stuck in a...  Uh, never mind that now.  There's something dangerous on the other side of that door, and we need to get out of this house.”

   â€œWho are you?” she asks, looking around at the burning room as if noticing her surroundings for the first time.

   You tell her your name as you kick out the window.  “We met on the plane, don't you remember?”

   She shakes her head in confusion.  She looks scared.

   â€œWe have to jump for it,” you tell her.  You are relieved to find a porch roof outside the window with a relatively shallow pitch.  “C'mon!  We can make it!”

   But Katarina is now eyeing the door that is rattling on its hinges.  A malicious growl can be heard on the other side, and ghostly tendrils of blackness begin to float from the cracks around the frame.  Seemingly entranced, Katarina is reaching for the door knob.

   â€œHey!” you shout, grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her to look at you.  “Snap out of it!” you shout.  “That thing is going to eat you alive.  We have to get out of here!  We have to get away!”

   â€œBut... my necklace....” she says, one hand on her chest, the other hand reaching for the door.  You notice that the flying sparks are suddenly making their mark on her, burning tiny circles in her sheet and skin.

   â€œWe have to leave it,” you tell her.  “Let it go, Katarina.  You have to trust me.”

   Tears run down her cheek, but she lets you pull her away from the door and out the window onto the porch roof.  The two of you manage to climb down a decrepit trellis and then you are dashing through the snow towards the sign-post up the road.

   â€œSlow down!  I haven't got shoes on!” Katarina cries, feeling the shifts in temperature for the first time.

   â€œThere's no time!” you call, looking back to see a pack of Sgrucks emerge from the burning house to bound after you.  The sign-post is just ahead.

   â€œI can't...  I can't make it!” Katarina pants as you pull her forward.

   â€œYes you can.  We can make it.  Together.”

   She looks at you differently than before, and suddenly she has strength in her legs once more.  You make the final dash to the sign-post just before the pack of Sgrucks can close in for the kill.  Together you fall through the blackness of the axon chute.

   Suddenly you are on a sunny beach with palm trees.  You both look around in disbelief.  Katarina is now wearing a sun dress, and you notice that you are wearing a bathing suit and a Hawaiian shirt.  Someone is playing a ukulele nearby, although the beach itself is deserted.

   The jade talisman is probably lost forever.  The beach is peaceful for now, but the Sgruck will eventually find your trail again.  You need to find the next axon chute before they corner you.

   But Katarina is not looking around the beach for symbols or danger.  She is staring only at you, and despite yourself you can't help but stare back into her beautiful eyes.

   â€œThey're going to follow us here,” you tell her.

   â€œMaybe,” she says, grabbing you by the hand.  You begin to walk along the peaceful beach, into what you realize is a gorgeous sunrise. 

   â€œMaybe we could spend a little time here,” you say to her, continuing to look over your shoulder.  “You know, relax for a bit and get to know each other.”

   â€œI'd like that,” she says.

   There is a black storm cloud hovering over the sea in the distance, but for now the sun shines pleasantly.  You will spend the rest of your lives roving from dream to dream, searching for islands of apparent safety such as this one, with the malicious Sgruck never far from your heels.  But just as the storm cloud on the horizon has a silver lining, at least you will face this uncertain future together.

The End

[The Sgruck consumes your soul. You are now both dead.]

       â€œWe have to go for the jade talisman,” you tell Katarina.  “It's our only way out.”  She looks at you quizzically, but says nothing.

     You look around the room for something to use as a weapon.  There is a bed, a dresser, and a rocking chair, all half consumed by flames.  You burn your hands ripping the drawers out of the dresser but find nothing of use but great piles of odd socks.  Grimacing, you instead kick the burning chair, cracking off its half-burnt arm, which you retrieve.

   â€œDo you trust me?” you say, extending your hand towards Katarina.

   She tilts her head, seemingly staring right through you.  But at length she nods, extending her hand as well.  You grasp it and then, breath held, burst through the door, burning chair arm held out in front of you. 

   Unbelievably, the Sgruck between you and the jade talisman is gone!  You pull Katarina towards the talisman at the end of the hall, noticing that with each step she seems to resist with greater force.  You are only a few steps from the talisman, but she is weeping now.

   â€œIt will all be over soon,” you tell her over your shoulder.

   â€œI know,” she says through choking sobs.

   You turn to look at her and see the Sgruck towering right over her, teeth bared.  In a flash its sword-like claw shoots through her chest and into yours.  Your last sight is of Katarina's vacant eyes suddenly focusing on you as if in recognition before going completely vacant once more.

The Sgruck consumes your soul.  You are now both dead.

[You live the rest of your wretched life dwelling on your failure.]

        You awaken in the hospital once more to the sound of the chirping monitors.  Only now you discover that it is you who is hooked up to them.  A nurse marvels that you've come to at all, and reports that you have been comatose for several weeks.

   Confused, you ask after Katarina, but the nurse only shakes her head and leaves.

   You are overwhelmed with a sense of bitter disappointment.  You have failed, and now your life is more empty and meaningless than ever.  Tears drop silently down your cheeks.

   You decide that you can bear the incessant beeping no longer.  Feebly you toss the thin blankets off your bed, determined to leave this den of false hope.  That is when you discover the bloody stump just below your knee.

You live the rest of your wretched life dwelling on your failure.

[Turn to page 34]

        Fear seizes you and you dash for the statue as the haunting sound of claws scraping on pavement close in behind you.  You lunge for talisman but fall short as the Sgruck grabs your foot.  You are reduced to clinging to Enrico's bronze leg as the shadowy creature mauls your limb while baying with what must be a second mouth.  You scream in pain, flailing with one last desperate effort at the talisman above you.  In a stroke of luck you grasp the talisman and all is dark once more.

Turn to page 34

[If you choose to go for the jade talisman, turn to PAGE 8]

        You are suddenly standing on deteriorating concrete with knee-high weeds growing up through the cracks.  A large slab of a building just in front of you dangles dangerously by a couple rusty threads of re-bar.  A sudden gust of ghostly wind sweeps a cloud of sand from a road strewn with burnt-out vehicles.

   You have no sense of bearing, and instead wander aimlessly through the abandoned streets.  Graffiti wall-papers the gutted buildings, but you can not decipher its language.  Empty windows yawn black like empty eye sockets in a mound of skulls.  The streets are eerily silent but for the creaking of rusty steel in the wind.

   You emerge into a small plaza and notice a bronze statue in the centre.  It seems out of place in these ruins due its apparent pristine condition, except for a perfect hole right through the chest.  Drawing closer you notice that it portrays a bearded man with long hair drawn into a pony tail.  There is a plaque on the plinth supporting the statue that reads “Enrico”, and from the metal hand dangles a golden chain with the jade talisman.

   There is probably some psychological significance to this monument, but there are no further clues to help you decipher it.  At least you've found the talisman.  Now for Katarina.  Your eye wanders around the plaza, scanning for some other sign of differentiation.  Suddenly a flit of movement catches your eye along a second-storey arcade.  A lone figure with dishevelled blonde hair seems to sleepwalk her way from one end to the other.

   â€œKatarina!” you call out, stepping towards her.  The blonde figure walks on as if she doesn't hear.  You see a flight of stairs through the gloom of a doorway and sprint up them two at a time, emerging onto the arcade only seconds later.  You look left and right, but it is completely empty.

   Scratching your head, you turn back to the plaza.  Eerily, you see Katarina pacing the plaza down below.  How...?

   Quickly you bound back down the stairs, only to discover the plaza abandoned once more.  You turn to look back up at the arcade and see Katarina walking entranced as if she had never been interrupted.

   You look left and right, considering your options.  Somehow you will have to keep Katarina in your sight as you move from one level to another, or you will be caught in this repetitive loop forever.  Perhaps you could somehow pile some debris up against the wall in order to scale it....

   Scanning the ground for something large but light enough to carry your eye stumbles upon a manhole cover with a rusted ace of spades symbol embossed upon it.  It's best not to touch the axon chute, you think to yourself, instead continuing your search. 

   Your efforts are suddenly interrupted by a loud guttural growl.  With a sinking feeling you look up to see the outline of something large lurking in the shadows of the stairwell.  It is hard to make out any details as the creature seems to absorb light rather than reflect it, but you can make out a myriad of sharp protrusions that give the creature an air of purest menace.  In your peripheral vision you see Katarina continuing her pacing, oblivious to the life and death struggle about to take place in the plaza below.

   The Sgruck could strike at any second, and it is blocking the only known path to Katarina.  Your options are limited to making a dash for the jade talisman or trusting in the luck of the manhole axon chute.  What do you choose to do?

If you choose to go for the jade talisman, turn to PAGE 8

If you choose to go for the manhole axon chute, turn to PAGE 11

[The Dream-Roving Dalliance]

I'm just thinking out loud here, but I *might* need an extra week to completely flesh out all the possible paths in this one. 

-------------------

The Dream-Roving Dalliance

   The clinical chirping of hospital instruments bores deep into your ears as you grasp Katarina's comatose hand.  Her face is half-bruised, and the other half is bandaged.  Her blonde hair is matted, the vibrant colour somehow draining away over her long days of decline.  Beneath the abrasive smell of sterility there is the faintest whiff of decay.

   You turn to the ancient Mind-Melder who is sitting pensively on the other side of Katarina's bed.    Her face is deeply wrinkled, but her eyes are bright as gemstones.  “The nurses whisper about Katarina circling the drain, and the doctors won't give me the time of day,” you confide.  “They will only talk to next-of-kin, but they haven't been able to find any.”

   â€œHave you known her long?” the Mind-Melder asks in a slow, measured tone.

   You instinctively reach for the bruises on your own face.  “No,” you say flatly.  “We had just met before the accident.”

   â€œIt is dangerous without a real connection,” the Mind-Melder muses.  “Quite dangerous.”

   â€œI don't care.  It's her only chance.”

   â€œProbably...”

   â€œPut me in,” you say.

   The grating beeps of the monitors count out the long seconds of silence between you.

   â€œThere are things you need to understand,” the Mind-Melder says.

   â€œI think I understand,” you say impulsively.

   â€œThen there are some things that bear repeating,” the Mind-Melder sighs.  “First, you will be dream-roving in a world of melded-minds, which can be unstable even in the best of circumstances.”

   â€œI know that,” you say impatiently.

   â€œI will hypnotize you,” the Mind-Melder continued.  “And as a part of your hypnosis I will plant trigger symbols to help you interpret the dream-scape.  First, you need a means of egress.  Some sort of trinket that you can recognize that will pull you out if you get into trouble.”

   You point at the jade talisman hung around Katarina's neck on a golden chain.

   â€œNext, you need another symbol to help you identify an axon chute.”

   â€œA what?”

   â€œAn axon chute,” she explains.  “In our own dreams the consciousness skips from scenario to scenario when it collides with an axon chute.  It can be anything: a doorway, an object.  You need a way of recognizing them in order to navigate the dream-scape.  Some sort of symbol.”

   â€œThis,” you say, indicating the ace of spades tattoo on your lower arm.

   â€œAlright.  Now listen carefully.  When you insert you will need to find the avatar of Katarina's consciousness as quickly as possible.  And then you will need to find the jade talisman.  While grasping her hand in one of yours and the jade talisman in the other there is a chance that you can drag her back into this world.”

   â€œOK.”

   â€œBut there is a chance that she is already too far gone to produce an avatar...” the Mind-Melder warns.

   â€œI know that.”

   â€œAnd there is a chance that she might not trust a stranger,” the Mind-Melder continues, her wrinkled brow furrowing further as she arched an eyebrow.

   â€œI know that too.”

   â€œVery well.  If you get into trouble you will need to grasp the jade talisman alone.  You will awaken, but I'm afraid the strain of a second attempt will be too much for the young lady's mind given her current condition.  In such a scenario she will likely be lost forever.”

   â€œI understand.”

   â€œYou must be quick,” the Mind-Melder goes on in a more hushed tone.  “Oh so very quick.  For there are things that lurk in the subconsciousness that are free to roam rampant when the consciousness fails.  Dark things.  Nightmares from another time, passed down through the generations like a genetic disease.  Some of us bear more of them than others, but in the young lady's state they will be free, and they will be hungry.  They go by many names, but the oldest is the Sgruck.  It should go without saying, but if you should die as you dream-rove you will never find the talisman...”

   â€œAnd I will never wake up,” you conclude.

   â€œAnd if you rove for too long then the talisman will fade from your consciousness, and you will be trapped forever in your melded nightmare.

   â€œI understand the risks.  Put me in,” you say again.  Katarina seems to fade more with every passing minute.

   â€œHave you not been listening to my words?” the Mind-Melder whispers, the soft sounds echoing as if through a tunnel.  The beeps of the instruments have somehow faded to the primal thumping of blood rushing through conduits.  You feel dizzy and disembodied all at the same time.  “It is time to choose,” the all pervasive whisper echoes.  “Will you find her in walls or beyond them?”

   You try to look into Katarina's face for a clue, but there is nothing now but a black void.  The first pangs of self-doubt stab into your mind, but you suppress them ferociously.  You may have barely known her, but there was a connection with the golden girl in the seat next to you before the crash.  You just need to trust in your instincts to reconnect with her in her hour of need.  So what do you choose?

If you choose within walls, turn to PAGE 2

If you choose beyond walls, turn to page PAGE 19

[You are dead]

        Suddenly you are in some kind of under sea vehicle, and it is in desperately bad repair!  You struggle with the exit hatch, but the water pressure on the other side is too great for you to budge it.  Water sprays in through the joints in the walls, rising remorselessly in a frothy churn now reaching your waist.  There is not enough time.  You splash about, frantically searching for the talisman in the debris that litters the floor, but it does not want to be found.

        Then there is a steady tapping on the portal glass.  You turn, a sense of dread bubbling up faster even than the frigid water.  There is Katarina, blonde hair floating in whimsical tendrils in the ocean current, smiling serenely back at you through the glass.  You move to the tiny window and pound on it, the water already at your chest.  Katarina puts her hand up against the other side of the glass, revealing the golden chain snaking through her fingers and the jade talisman tangling teasingly below.  She tilts her head to the side, staring passively at your predicament.

You have just moments to process the full implications of this betrayal before you are submerged beneath the icy brine and are seized by the panicked throes of instinct.

You are dead

Congratulations, Sinitrena.  A well-deserved victory! 

You're asking a question of real-life people that would be much more valid to ask of purely fictional characters. It's easy to say someone should sacrifice themself for the good of his family, that they should act heroic and whatnot. No, it was as easy as "We all go, or none of us." Think about it. Could you leave your parents behind? Your children? Your wife? With the explicit knowledge that you would never see them again, ever? Even if they did not get arrested?

I agree that I would never willingly leave my children behind.  And probably not my wife (on most days)  .  But my parents?  Yeah, I could live with that.  Not because I don't love them and we're not close, but because I don't see them as integral to my future.  And I think they'd be ok with it.  My dad left his parents behind when he dodged the Viet Nam draft and fled to Canada.  Two of my grandparents emigrated leaving their parents behind (only one was still alive for a brief visit twenty years after), and two of my great-grandparents emigrated without ever seeing their parents again.  It's just a natural part of the life-cycle from my perspective, so I struggle with the concept of people willingly sacrificing the future of their children for the sake of sticking around grandparents.  On the other hand, I suppose it's a little sad that close-knit-family is a foreign concept to me.   

[Best Character:]

Best Character: I'm going with Mandle's Joseph (with no offence intended towards Sinitrena's family  ).  I liked that he had off-the-cuff feelings, but then revised him as he contemplated more.  He also had an interesting strategy for cheating death and an obvious flare for the melodramatic. 

Best Story: I'm going with Sinitrena, because it kept me guessing until the end.  To be fair, Mandle's piece kept me guessing as well (When is he going to find another dead cat?!?), but I think the suspense was more authentic in Sinitrena's piece.   Will they be arrested?  Will the plan fail?  Will time run out for our heroes?

Best Setting: Well, they're both the same setting, aren't they?  I guess I'm going with Mandle for a more detailed description of the actual physical border, the people standing on either side of the line, and its surrounding infrastructure.

Best Writing: We swing back again to Sinitrena for her ability to interlace the inner thoughts and feelings of all the characters in both first- and second-hand. 

Best (or Worst!) Bureaucracy: I think I've gotta give an edge to Sinitrena in this category for her description of the police system for checking papers.  It really was a mug's job, arresting many innocents just to catch a few rule-breakers, but at the same time having to know that they were missing all kinds of others.

OK, question time.  Mandle: what was the real reason that the mother wanted Joseph to read War and Peace?  I couldn't figure it out either....

Sinitrena: Why did it matter if the grandparents arrived?  I understand that they were jumping the border too, but I don't understand why it would make sense for the whole family to return just for the safety of the grandparents.  They're old - surely they understood the risks and were prepared to accept the consequences of failure so that their progeny could have a better life? 

Aaaaand, don't you feel just a little bit responsible for the decision to build the wall, what with whole families stampeding over at a time?