Heart of Ice: [CYOApocalypse]

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Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 399 posted:

Instead of answering, he rummages in a locker and brings forth a metal canister. Taking this outside, he approaches a thin stalk of ferns sprouting from the ground beside the barren area and sprays it with a chemical. It almost instantly withers. �I found a storehouse full of the stuff,� he cries gleefully, brandishing the canister. �It�s well to keep the surrounding area free of plant life, you see. The sanguivores travel rapidly through the trees, but they will not venture onto barren ground, where they are as clumsy as waterlogged tents flapping in a breeze.�

He presses the canister into your hand and urges you to keep it. You are on the point of commenting that the liquor he offered you is probably almost as toxic, but you decide not to offend him.

Record the canister of vine killer among your possessions, then decide whether you will ask if he has any food (turn to 378), or just say good-bye and go on your way (turn to 420).

Sanguivores are the toothy thing that we avoided a bit before finding Fax (LORE would have told us this after PSI...I think.) Anyhoo, that's done now.

Page 190 posted:

A haze begins to close over your vision. You haul out the canister, point it up into the mass of squirming roots above your head, and press the nozzle. An acrid fluid sprays out, soaking the plant. Some of it covers your fingers, causing the canister to slip out of your grasp. Ignoring the slight stinging sensation, you jab your hand against the root holding your throat. With a hushed and eerie rustling sound, the creepers pull away and shrivel up the shaft. You steady yourself against the wall and gratefully suck in lungfuls of the stale vine-scented air.

The canister fell by your feet. As you retrieve it, you notice something else glinting in the half-light. A barysal gun. You glance at the long-dead cadaver. The gun didn�t do him much good, but you might find a use for it. It has just one charge remaining; note this if you decide to keep it.

You can see now that there is no way you can hope to reach the surface from here. The shaft is blocked by the dead plant. You wriggle back down the shaft and take the subway carriage back to Marsay. Fax has long gone, of course.

If you go up to the ruins and continue your journey on foot, turn to 420.
If you wish to try one of the subway�s other destinations, you can choose between Kahira (turn to 50), Tarabul (turn to 31) and Giza (turn to 74).

: Well, I guess that's better than...death. As are most things.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'X' Sherman the Mutant

Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, PARADOXING, ROGUERY

Life Points: 10

Scads: 30

Possessions: Psionic Focus, Skudge Bars x5, vine killer, barysal gun [I]

Codewords:

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd

Ratatozsk fucked around with this message at 05:45 on Jan 15, 2016

# ? Jan 15, 2016 05:43

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 24, 2024 06:44

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

Well, we didn't lose any health and we gained an item. Let's keep pushing our luck. Giza should be close to Kahira but it isn't on our map: I'm curious about what's there.

# ? Jan 15, 2016 05:57

SatansOnion: Dec 12, 2011

Let's go to Giza and maybe take some tacky pictures at the Sphinx :dance:

# ? Jan 15, 2016 08:23

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

Giza to see what happened to the monuments.

# ? Jan 15, 2016 11:10

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 74 posted:

The carriage gathers speed. You sit at the front and stare through the window at the darkness rushing by. Hours pass before you see the glimmer of lights along the tunnel. The carriage glides to a halt at a station lit by dull red lights. You stand up, but the doors do not open. Instead the motilator gives a placid announcement: �We have arrived at a restricted area. We will now proceed to Maka, where you will be able to transfer to another vehicle for your onward journey. We apologize for any inconvenience.�

Again the carriage picks up speed, this time for a journey of less than two hours. Arriving at another terminal, you wait to see what other destinations the motilator will offer. On the map, only Tarabul continues to flash.

You can either take the subway there (turn to 31) or disembark and see where you are (turn to 375).

Given that we've chosen against Tarabul several times already...

Page 375 posted:

You step out of the carriage and set off along a deserted tunnel which soon brings you to a staircase. You climb until you can see a shaft of daylight filtering between toppled blocks of masonry. There is not much room, but you manage to squeeze through, emerging onto a broad expanse of tarmac with a few single-story buildings nearby. The air is crisply cool but there is no snow here. To the south, outlined against a china blue sky, you can see a cluster of ancient spires surrounding a high stone fortress wall.

A whine of jets begins to grow across the tarmac. Turning, you see a narrow-hulled flyer a few hundred meters away. On the stilts of its landing gear, gleaming in the pastel sunlight, it reminds you of an insect poised for flight. The nozzles of the flyer�s vertical jets are beginning to glow. It is about to take off.

If you hurry over and try to attract the pilot�s attention, turn to 102.
If you shelter in the subway entrance and watch the flyer leave, turn to 78.

: Wait, take me with you to the danger zone!

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'X' Sherman the Mutant

Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, PARADOXING, ROGUERY

Life Points: 10

Scads: 30

Possessions: Psionic Focus, Skudge Bars x5, vine killer, barysal gun [I]

Codewords:

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd

# ? Jan 16, 2016 20:08

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

Well, we have no skills relevant to flying a plane ourselves, so if we want to get anywhere we'll need a lift. Let's say hello.

# ? Jan 17, 2016 03:00

Tuxedo Ted: Apr 24, 2007

Let's run out and get sucked into the jet intake. I mean flag down the pilot.

# ? Jan 17, 2016 06:38

90s Cringe Rock: Nov 29, 2006

This route is cool. Danger Zone.

# ? Jan 17, 2016 11:48

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

Hitchhike.

# ? Jan 17, 2016 13:09

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 102 posted:

You are halfway across the tarmac when you realize your mistake. The pilot of the flyer has already engaged the boosters. You see him at the cockpit window, his face contorting in surprise and shock at the sight of you racing towards the craft. Your last image is of him jabbing desperately at the controls, but he is too late to abort the booster ignition. An instant later, a blast of white-hot gas bursts from the landing jets and billows up to press a wave of solid heat into your face. Blinding light burns into your retinas, followed by darkness and oblivion.

Lose 5 Life Points.

If you are still alive, turn to 122.

: THAT WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA!

Page 122 posted:

Note the codeword Talos.

Awareness returns slowly, the details of your surroundings emerging out of a blur. There is a white ceiling above you and soft fabric at your back. The air carries a faint smell of antiseptic. You can make out the low whine of air conditioning.

�You�re able to hear me?� booms a voice.

You wince, focusing on a face that looms above yours. The colors seem harsh, garish. Sounds come to your ears with a rasping undertone, as though filtered by electronics.

Another face comes into view, slender and handsome with a high forehead capped by a green circlet. He has a lopsided but not unfriendly smile. �How are you feeling?� he asks.

�I�ve got pins and needles,� you say in a voice still slurred by anaesthetic. Reaching across to rub your left arm, you feel the unyielding hardness of metal in place of flesh. You sit bolt upright with a thrill of horror, throwing off the sheets. You can only stare at what they have made of you: a being half of robotics, half of living tissue. A cyborg.

�It was all we could do to save your life,� explains the man wearing the green circlet. �You were caught in the jets as my flyer took off. I brought you up here. It was touch and go for a couple of weeks, but you should be all right now.�

�What�s left of me, that is,� you say bitterly. Turning to the window, you see a surprising profusion of stars in a flat black void. �Where are we, anyhow?�

The other man, the doctor, takes you by your still-living right arm and leads you to the window. A vast crescent globe of swirling grey and white hangs in space below you. �That�s the Earth,� he says. �You�re on al-Lat.�

The pilot joins you. �I know you are still shaken, but I must ask you some questions. You should not have been in Maka. How did you get there, and why?�

If you tell him the truth, turn to 144.
If you prefer to invent a convincing story, turn to 166.

: Just call me Rickenbacker.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'X' Sherman the Mutant Cyborg

Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, PARADOXING, ROGUERY

Life Points: 5

Scads: 30

Possessions: Psionic Focus, Skudge Bars x5, vine killer, barysal gun [I]

Codewords: Talos

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd

# ? Jan 18, 2016 02:35

Tuxedo Ted: Apr 24, 2007

Hell yes Cyborg upgrade!

Too bad we don't have tech skills to give ourself sweet mods and flame decals.

Anyway, these guys seem allright and we might be in space, so we got nothing to lose by telling the truth about Mom Computer.

# ? Jan 18, 2016 02:56

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 144 posted:

�I found a terminal of the intercontinental subway system, beneath the ruins of Lost Marsay. I tried to reach Giza, but I was unable to alight there and was left with no alternative but to travel on to Maka.�

He strokes his thumbnail across the cleft of his chin, deep in thought. �Why were you trying to reach Giza?� he asks at last.

The truth seems absurd, but you tell him anyway. �I was following the advice of Gaia.�

He gives you a sharp look. �Do not attempt to contact Gaia while you are on al-Lat. Our computer systems are secure from viruses, and that�s the way we�d like it to stay.� His face softens into an easy smile. �Still, I�m forgetting my manners. I am Riza Baihaqi.�

You shake hands. There is a moment of uncomfortable silence, then Riza says, �I can never atone for the guilt I feel. This dreadful injury you�ve suffered��

You raise your artificial arm and flex the fingers. There is a soft buzz of gears, but they seem dexterous enough. �It could be worse,� you admit. �These prosthetics will do as temporary repairs, at any rate.�

�You are putting a brave face on things, my friend,� says Riza. �But, in all truth, where on Earth could you hope to find a cure for your dreadful injuries?�

If you tell him about Du-En, turn to 188.
If you say you are keen to return to Earth, turn to 275.

: *Bzzt* *rrrrvvv* *bjjjjjj* So cool!

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'X' Sherman the Mutant Cyborg

Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, PARADOXING, ROGUERY

Life Points: 5

Scads: 30

Possessions: Psionic Focus, Skudge Bars x5, vine killer, barysal gun [I]

Codewords: Talos

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd

# ? Jan 20, 2016 06:12

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

Any enemy of Gaia is a friend of ours, probably. Tell them everything.

# ? Jan 20, 2016 06:20

i81icu812: Dec 5, 2006

He saved us! Brought us back from the brink of death.

Admittedly, he was responsible for our brush with mortality but we should be honest with him anyway.

I really like this game book. Easily the best in the series.

# ? Jan 20, 2016 06:30

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

That truth chip is functioning at nominal levels. Tell all.

# ? Jan 20, 2016 19:28

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 188 posted:

You explain what you have learned regarding Du-En and the Heart of Volent. �It seems far-fetched,� says Riza when he has heard you out.

�You look down dourly at the fusion of metal and flesh that is now your body. �Before my accident, it seemed a noble but distant goal. Now it has taken on a personal dimension. With the power of the Heart, I can restore myself.�

�And much more, if Gaia is to be believed,� says Riza. He takes you through to another room and sits you in front of a screen. �Here you have access to the information banks. Perhaps you can find out something that will help in your venture.�

You watch as he touches a few buttons. A list of files concerning the Heart of Volent appears on the screen. �I think I can take it from here,� you tell Riza.

He nods. �Good. I�ll come back in an hour or so and see how your work is going.�

~~If you have LORE, turn to 232.~~
If not, you can either check through the files on the screen (turn to 210) or go for a stroll and see what else you can find out here (turn to 254).

This update got eaten unexpectedly, so I'm putting this together from memory of whatever it was. This side-route earns us a codeword.

Page 210 posted:

Initiating a search of the files, you turn up a video almost two hundred years old. It shows an interview with Eleazar Picard, leader of the Volentine Cult, after he had fled from the unexplained destruction of Du-En. As you listen to Picard rambling about �the madness� and �the end of everything�, you begin to piece together the facts. Apparently there was some kind of cataclysm or riot in the city, from which Picard barely escaped with his life.

A hawk-faced man in a colonel�s uniform appears on the screen. He listens as Picard becomes slightly more lucid under the effect of truth serum: �It was the light at the end of Time, and my sanity is blinded!�

�How is it you escaped?� asks the colonel. �You alone and no one else?�

Picard replies, �I remembered the Truth.�

�What is the Truth?�

At this point, Picard�s eyes glaze and he starts to recite a catechism of his faith: �The Truth is a flame. What ignites the flame? The spark ignites the flame. What is the spark? The Heart of Volent!�

You scan forward through the rest of the interview, but Picard soon lapses into incoherence. A message at the end informs you that he died soon afterwards.

Note the codeword Lunar, then turn to 254.

Page 254 posted:

A young technician sees you wandering around bewildered and takes you on a tour of the laboratories. �The al-Lat station was originally intended as a base of pure scientific research,� he explains. �Luckily we were always designed to be self sufficient, so the degradation of Earth�s climate and population has not affected us.�

You pause beside a bank of supercooled chambers. �What research is going on here?�

�These are neural networks � artificial brains into which we are loading the original weather control programs used when Gaia was first set up. They are works of genius, unsurpassed even today. Naturally we cannot tap into Gaia herself, by reason of the viruses that have invaded the system. But these original programs are uninfected.�

�What is the purpose of the work?� you ask.

�We hope to terraform the planet Venus � that is, make it suitable for human habitation. Then we can colonize.�

You give a snort of incredulous laughter. �Why not use your skills on Earth? Although inhospitable, it is still a better place than Venus!�

He smiles. �We thought of that, of course. Any attempt to alter the Earth�s current climate might meet with Gaia�s displeasure, and al-Lat would be targeted by nuclear missiles against which we have no defence.�

If you argue that the Earth should not be callously abandoned, turn to 296.
If you offer to join the people of al-Lat and help with the terraforming project, turn to 317.

Ratatozsk fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Feb 10, 2016

# ? Jan 21, 2016 05:48

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

Earth First!

# ? Jan 21, 2016 05:58

90s Cringe Rock: Nov 29, 2006

Let's not join the space people. We have ultimate cosmic power, or whatever, waiting for us down on Earth!

# ? Jan 21, 2016 07:54

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

Helping with the terraforming project sounds like kind of a long-term endeavour, and we've got other things to do right now. Also, we don't have Cybernetics skill so I'm not sure how we'd help anyway. Speak up for Earth.

# ? Jan 21, 2016 08:44

Ajon: Aug 8, 2007; 'VRROOOMMM!!!' roared the car. 'SPRUITS!' said gramma.

gently caress Earth, let's help Venus.

# ? Jan 21, 2016 16:18

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 296 posted:

You round on him in shock. �And Earth will be left to die?�

�It is not our concern,� he replies with a shrug. �We are an independent state. The people of Earth must solve their own problems.�

You give a hollow laugh. �You are human! How can you abandon the planet that gave you life? To look on uncaring as she expires under shrouds of ice is inexcusable. If there were a disaster which made al-Lat uninhabitable, where would you go once the Earth is dead? Your indifference is short-sighted and stupid. You people are like survivors of a shipwreck, clinging to broken timbers in a stormy sea, gawping impassively while your ship sinks.�

He thinks for a long moment, then slowly nods. �Your arguments are passionate indeed.� He goes off and returns with a metal box-shaped device the size of a book. �This is my pet project. I call it Little Gaia. It is a miniature artificial brain programmed with Gaia�s original personality, when she was still sane.� He presses it into your hands. �Take it. It is the only aid I can give you, except to wish you luck. Now I must go to find Captain Baihaqi, who should be ready to take you home.�

Record Little Gaia among your possessions. You are left alone for a few minutes in the laboratory. You could use the computer here to contact Gaia herself.

If you wish to do that and you have CYBERNETICS , turn to 339; if you do not have CYBERNETICS , turn to 360 .
If you would rather just wait until Riza al-Baihaqi comes for you, turn to 382.

: It's not the size of the Gaia, it's how you use it?

*space tumble weeds roll by*

: What in the name of Ifni am I supposed to do with this?

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'X' Sherman the Mutant Cyborg

Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, PARADOXING, ROGUERY

Life Points: 5

Scads: 30

Possessions: Psionic Focus, Skudge Bars x4, vine killer, barysal gun [I], Little Gaia

Codewords: Talos, Lunar

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd

# ? Jan 23, 2016 04:33

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Ugh, Awful App messed up the previous post. I'll have that fixed in a day or two.

# ? Jan 23, 2016 04:34

Tuxedo Ted: Apr 24, 2007

Let's, uh, let's not get hacked by Gaia. Either she's gonna fudge up our new robody or mess with her little sister. Or just raise her awareness of some unmolested humans in spaaaaace. Wait patiently.

# ? Jan 23, 2016 05:04

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

Yeah, we were given a whole bunch of dire warnings against interacting with Gaia through the station's systems so let's not do that.

# ? Jan 23, 2016 05:26

Odysseus S. Grant: Oct 12, 2011; Cats is the oldest and strongest emotion
of mankind

Let's not do the thing that was told to be a bad idea. Wait it out.

# ? Jan 23, 2016 07:20

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

Patience, we'll get hacked soon enough.

# ? Jan 23, 2016 14:09

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 382 posted:

Riza explains your options for returning to Earth. �I�m going back to Maka quite soon, and I could drop you at Sudan. Of course, you�d have a long walk from there to Du-En.�

�Can�t you drop me any closer?�

�We can�t risk our flyers. There might be automated defences at Du-En which would shoot them down. If you know how to pilot it, I could lend you a one-man flyer which you could take down within eight hundred kilometres of Du-En. That�s the closest we can land you without risking the loss of a vehicle.�

�Not quite,� puts in one of the technicians standing nearby. �There�s a way you could be delivered straight into the city itself. We have an experimental matter transporter.�

Riza stares at the technician, then turns to you. �I wouldn�t recommend that. It�s only been used on mice so far, and over quite short distances.�

If you go with Riza to Sudan, turn to 275.
If you decide to risk the matter transporter, turn to 424.
If you have PILOTING and want to take the one-man flyer, turn to 442.

: Were any of those mice cyborgs?

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'X' Sherman the Mutant Cyborg

Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, PARADOXING, ROGUERY

Life Points: 5

Scads: 30

Possessions: Psionic Focus, Skudge Bars x4, vine killer, barysal gun [I], Little Gaia

Codewords: Talos, Lunar

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd

# ? Jan 24, 2016 03:56

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

Beam us down, Rizzy!

# ? Jan 24, 2016 04:22

Thuryl: Mar 14, 2007; My postillion has been struck by lightning.

Our Paradoxing skill might be relevant to not getting us permanently discorporated by an experimental matter transporter. On the other hand, maybe not, and we've got plenty of food stored up for a long journey. Go to Sudan.

# ? Jan 24, 2016 04:23

No Gravitas: Jun 12, 2013; by FactsAreUseless

I don't mind a philosophy experiment! Beam!

# ? Jan 24, 2016 07:06

90s Cringe Rock: Nov 29, 2006

Riza says it's been used on mice, not used successfully on mice, but it's a lot less walking. Beam us down.

# ? Jan 24, 2016 09:38

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

Untested quantum technology? ~~Sign~~ Beam Me Up!

# ? Jan 24, 2016 12:17

Sylphosaurus: Sep 6, 2007

Beam us down, let's see how many organs we get to keep!

# ? Jan 24, 2016 20:29

Cathode Raymond: Dec 30, 2015; My antenna is telling me that you're probably wrong about this.; Soiled Meat

This "transporter" is an obvious trap.

Plus, I heard Sudan is really nice this time of the Apocalypse.

# ? Jan 24, 2016 22:03

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

The upcoming update is pretty big so I'm putting that off until tomorrow when I've got a full keyboard again.

# ? Jan 25, 2016 18:32

Ratatozsk: Mar 6, 2007; Had we turned left instead, we may have encountered something like this...

Page 424 posted:

Riza leads the way to the transporter bay. You step onto the platform and a heavy glass partition closes behind you. There is no turning back now. Through the glass, you see Riza giving orders to the technicians, but no sound reaches your ears. Lights come on, bathing you in a dazzling glow, and you feel a wrenching sensation deep inside.

The light fades. Your first impression is of an icy wind that tears the breath from your lungs. A rolling snowscape stretches off in all directions as far as the eye can see. You are back on Earth, in the middle of the Saharan Ice Wastes. If the Riza set the co-ordinates properly, you should be only a few kilometers from Du-En.

Record the codeword Hourglass and turn to 125 .

: I feel fine! What could possibly being wrong? Insidious, creeping, lurking...

Page 125 posted:

At last you see a streak of dark rubble against the dazzling skyline. You fear it might just be a line of hills or even a trick of the light, but as you approach on quickened footsteps it is possible to make out the details of brooding towers, empty palaces and gargantuan snow-bound walls. You have arrived at the lost city of Du-En.

~~If you have the codeword Diamond, delete it and turn to 191.~~
Otherwise, turn to 213.

: Something smells weird. Like a sleazy jerk or something.

Page 213 posted:

Up ahead you can now see a small figure trudging through the snow, dwarfed by the high walls of the city. Approaching, you attract his attention and he turns. As he unzips his hood you are struck by sudden recognition. �Kyle Boche,� you mutter wryly. �What a small world.�

�So,� he says with a wide grin, �you have also come to seek the ultimate power!�

Turn to 191.

: Helllllloooooo there!

: I knew it!

Page 191 posted:

The gates of Du-En stand open to the elements, leaving the wide avenues piled under deep snow-dunes. The buildings are monoliths of dark stone, desolate remnants of a civilization long gone. Their vast scale and pitiless geometric decoration make them seem out of proportion to the human soul. You find them tyrannical and depressing.

�Impressive architecture, eh?� says Boche, looking to a high black tower whose fretwork dome shows like a fleshless head against the bleak white sky.

You see a thin swirl of smoke rising from a campfire in the main plaza of the city. �It seems we�re not the only ones to heed Gaia�s message,� you say dourly. �Come on, let�s introduce ourselves.�

Turn to 243 .

: Hi, I'm Jay, and I just moved here from space!

Page 243 posted:

Passing under a broken arch, you enter the central plaza. This is a broad area of snow-covered flagstones, roughly three hundred metres across, enclosed by ruined palaces that gleam like lead in the white haze.

There are several campfires built up against a fallen colonnade. As you get closer you see antique furniture and splintered doors crackling in the flames: plunder from the once great city of Du-En, lost art treasures beyond price. In this desolate place, their only value is the warmth they give.

A man steps forward from the fireside and pulls off his glove to shake hands. �Greetings. I am Janus Gaunt.�

While Boche makes the introductions, you take stock of Gaunt. He is younger than his grey hair would suggest, with an open friendly manner. His servants stumble along behind him in the snow, but they wear only thin clothes and you guess they are past feeling the cold. Gaunt sees you looking at them and nods. �These are my xoms �reanimated cadavers, loyal and tireless.�

Others are now emerging from their tents along the colonnade. A wizened old man with no legs who comes drifting through the air like a ghost is introduced as Baron Siriasis, a psionic from Bezant. Next comes a woman who walks with long feline strides, eyes glittering like jade in the wan afternoon light. She gives you a single guarded look and then turns away. �That is Thadra Bey of al-Lat,� says Gaunt. �And here is Commander Chaim Golgoth, an agent of United States Intelligence. The two strapping bronzed ladies behind him are Gargan XIII and Gargan XIV, sole survivors of a clone superwarrior group.�

Golgoth smiles and shakes hands. The Gargan twins watch you with a glare like Medusa�s sisters. �There�s also Vajra Singh,� adds Golgoth, nodding towards a large scarlet-and-black pavilion across the plaza. �You�ll meet him soon enough.�

~~If you have the codeword Scythe, delete it and turn to 89.~~
Otherwise turn to 111.

: Don't worry, that was just a path you bent over backwards to avoid.

: ...oh. Ok, I guess.

Page 111 posted:

After a cursory greeting, the others start to disperse back to their tents. Janus Gaunt tells you he has just brewed a pot of tea and invites you to join him. You are pleased enough to share the warmth of his fire, but when a xom hands you a teacup in its bloodless fingers you cannot suppress a shiver of dread.

�Don�t bother about them,� he says with a laugh. �They�re just robots, really, except that they�re made out of once-living tissue instead of plastic and metal. They�re powered by a small electrochemical implant in the chest cavity.�

�They are an abomination against nature,� says Boche flatly, draining his tea. �Where do we get firewood?�

Gaunt is taken aback by Boche�s rudeness, but replies courteously: �Take it from the buildings around the square. The mulberry window-shutters you are warming your hands over, for instance, date from tenth-century Persia. It is a pity to burn such artifacts as these, but the former owners have no more use for them.�

Boche rises with a grunt and trudges off, entering a narrow doorway. You follow to find him flashing his torch around. �Ah, here is some firewood already broken up for our convenience,� he says.

�It is mine,� purrs a voice of menace from the doorway. Thadra Bey stands there, muscles coiled taut in pantherish grace, a lethal dart-projector in her hand.

�Down!� roars Boche, cannoning into you from behind and sending you flying into Thadra Bey. You and she go rolling out into the snow, her dart singing through the air and narrowly missing Chaim Golgoth, who responds at once by drawing his barysal gun. In seconds all hell has broken loose, as the uneasy truce splinters apart. Thadra Bey rakes her fingers across your face and leaps away, leveling her dart-projector, and you hear Gaunt yelling to his xoms, �Defend me! Slay any who attack!�

For a moment it seems that the struggle for power will be decided here and now. Then a voice rips like thunder across the square: �Stop this senseless fighting now!� and, turning, you have your first view of the mighty Vajra Singh.

Turn to 300.

Page 300 posted:

Vajra Singh stands like a demon in the snow, a great slab of a man with a darkly saturnine face and eyes like a lion�s. His silver anti-laser armor gleams in the weak sunshine. He watches you all for a moment, scanning you as he might size up a pack of hyenas. Then he raises his huge hand-cannon and touches the fire button. The air is riven by a sound like a volcano erupting as a torrent of blistering white plasma streams from the cannon, juddering across the walls above and scattering chunks of smoldering masonry far out into the square. Everyone dives for cover. Still unleashing the barrage of crackling energy, Vajra Singh turns and directs it at the foundations of a building across the square. The heavy stone walls burst apart, and slowly the whole fa�ade collapses to leave only a burnt-out shell.

Vajra Singh touches a button on the side of the cannon and the blast cuts out. The roar dies to a low hum. You notice a small red light start to glow as the cannon powers down. �That weapon is the mantramukta,� Janus Gaunt whispers in your ear.

�This squabbling must cease!� snarls Vajra Singh as the others come out from hiding. �We must work together in the short term or we stand little chance of penetrating as far as the Heart. Is that clear?�

On the side of the mantramukta cannon, a green light winks on. Now you know that it takes a few seconds to rebuild its power after each blast. You see that Chaim Golgoth has noticed this too.

Seeing that the only reply is sullen silence, Vajra Singh goes on, �Here in the main square we shall remain in a state of truce. While exploring beneath the ruins, this truce is not in force. Also, no underlings or servants are to be taken on expeditions. This is a contest to see which of us deserves the ultimate power, not who is able to hire the most bodyguards.�

Janus Gaunt glances from face to face, then takes it on himself to answer. �We agree to these terms.� With a swirl of his majestic robes, Vajra Singh turns and strides off to his tent, where his three servants stand waiting.

If you have the codeword Hourglass, turn to 235.
If not but you do possess a medical kit, turn to 257. (If you have a Manta sky-car, you will find a medical kit in the storage locker.)
If you have neither Hourglass nor a medical kit, turn to 278.

: But I assured myself this would be Ok!

: What?

: Um, what a wonderful evening this is!

Page 235 posted:

You pass a restless night troubled by bouts of nausea. As the sky begins to show the dim silver burnish of predawn light, you rise and run trembling fingers through your sweat-matted hair.

~~If you have a pack of antidote pills, turn to 320.~~
If not, turn to 342.

Page 342 posted:

The truth dawns on you with chilling horror: you have a wasting disease. It will spread, gnawing away at you from inside. Now the race for the Heart takes on a vivid new importance, as it is only by obtaining its power that you can cure your body of the sickness.

~~If you possess a medical kit (or a Manta sky-car, which has a medical kit in its locker) turn to 257.~~
If not, turn to 278.

: drat you, O'brien! I hope you suffer...

Page 278 posted:

The sun lurches into view above the city walls �a disk as pale as watered milk. Out in the main square, the others are preparing to set off into the ruins. You see Golgoth clipping on his weapon-belt as he chats to the Gargan sisters. Apparently they have agreed to explore as a team. Surprisingly, Gaunt and Thadra Bey have also formed a group. Baron Siriasis and Vajra Singh both opt to search for the Heart alone.

Vajra Singh oversees the drawing of lots. �We shall set off into the ruins at fifteen-minute intervals determined by the lots,� he tells the others. �You can explore individually or in groups, as you prefer. Remember that the truce applies only here in the open. If groups encounter each other while in the catacombs below the city, they must negotiate or else do battle.�

If you wish to descend into the catacombs, turn to 385.
If you think a day�s rest is in order, turn to 363.

: Mate, you look a bit ragged.

: Yeah, you try getting broken down to a fundamental level and getting squirted through across semi-interplanetary distance and reassembled. It's no picnic.

Character Sheet posted:

Jay 'X' Sherman the Mutant Cyborg

Skills: AGILITY, CUNNING, PARADOXING, ROGUERY

Life Points: 5

Scads: 30

Possessions: Psionic Focus, Skudge Bars x4, vine killer, barysal gun [I], Little Gaia

Codewords: Talos, Lunar, Hourglass

Kills: Embracer, a guard, an Infernal Machine and the tiny man inside it, a pointy-toothed native, Ejada, the Moon Dog, Skarvench, our credibility as a tactician, any chance of furthering whatever the gently caress kind of relationship we had with Lucie, some unlucky guard, an enormous ceiling spider, a particularly punitive yet otherwise non-descript Judain, the physical manifestation of Hate, a nightcrawler, a particularly bulbous cactus, Necklace of Skulls, a necklace of skulls, some jerk vines

Failures: Root'd to death, despair!'d, swallowed and digested by a Colossus beetle, ate a pig and failed to avert an ecological cataclysm, slave'd and toil'd to death, pulmonary arrownation, stabbed in the eyes and left to "live" off the land, lightly dragon'd, tree'd from a great height x2, Countless Swords of the Westermen'd, gale'd, yardam'd, rack'd, pulp'd, flatten'd, eat'd (nobley), rubble'd, cul-de-sac'd, what-once-used-to-be-the-harbor'd, three magical bodyguards'd, orgy'd, bitter life-sucking cold'd, cascade of rubble'd, cold'd, celestial darkness'd, mutant plant'd

# ? Jan 27, 2016 03:47

CirclMastr: Jul 4, 2010

'Wasting disease' doesn't seem compatible with spending a whole day resting. Let's hop to it!

# ? Jan 27, 2016 04:25

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

We have some not wasting away to do! Onward!

# ? Jan 27, 2016 11:51

Cathode Raymond: Dec 30, 2015; My antenna is telling me that you're probably wrong about this.; Soiled Meat

Boy, that was a long one. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep all the names straight. Also, where did we get the wasting disease? Was it a side effect of that loving transporter I warned you all about or did some rear end in a top hat poison our tea?

Anyway, the way forward is clear: Grab your Barysal gun and charge the catacombs.

This is a pretty good one! I still think I like Down among the Dead Men the best, though. Because it has pirates.

# ? Jan 27, 2016 19:00

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 06:44

90s Cringe Rock: Nov 29, 2006

It was the keyword from the transporter, yes, but transporters own.

Have a nap. Recover our strength for after the others die in the early stages of exploration.

# ? Jan 27, 2016 19:30

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Heart of Ice: [CYOApocalypse]

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