You tumble through the well.(click-append:"You tumble through the well.")[
It never gets old.
Your last journey, the one you have just completed, saw you restore time to a knight who gave up his life for his master. You returned him his lance and the dislocation disappeared, restoring time itself: the knight bravely plunged all his strength into the demon's heart and the enemy screamed in pain. The day was saved. But like all who have been dislocated in time, his wounds were too deep. He kissed his lord a goodbye before closing his eyes for the last time. The lord cried his heart out for his beloved but realized he couldn't remain weak. His people needed him and so, he faced the present and allowed time to flow back into his kingdom.
There was no reason to remain in a world that had rediscovered time again, so you fell into the well from which you came from: tumbling, tumbling, tumbling ... into [[a new world.|title]]][Emerald Hallway]<room|
(either:...$flavor)
You arrive at the doors that lead you to a [[bathhouse]].
There's no way to get to the courtyard via the eastern path, nor can you continue going south either.
You can only go back to where you came from: [[north|hallway nw]].[The Courtyard]<room|
This must have been the crowning glory of the palace, but now it has fallen into disarray. Sickly yellow patches of grass cover the whole area. Marble pillars representing (cycling-link:"the legacies of the royal families", "the avarice of civilizations", "the alienation of the poor", "the dashed dreams for a better world") lie crumbling on the ground. Even if you restore time, you cannot imagine how anyone could do anything about this dismal state of affairs.
Amidst the dead trees, a [[decaying fountain]] tries its best to remain the centerpiece.
You notice that this courtyard is supposed to connect to all the hallway corridors, but the decay has left very few survivors.
Only the [[northwestern|hallway nw]] and [[southern|hallway s]] exits remain intact.[First's Room]<room|
Upon entering the room, you are greeted by an aura of prestige. Well, the kind of obnoxious and gaudy prestige you dislike.
There's [[a carpet made out of polar bear fur]] on the floor. You are surrounded by [[portraits of mustachioed people]] in high places staring at you awkwardly, crests, and animal heads. A [[hunting rifle]] rests on the mantlepiece. You also notice bookshelves full of [[military classics]](if:$bookshelves is not 1)[.](else:)[, one of them revealing stairs that [[lead downstairs.|gallery]]]
(if:$first is not 1)[A [[frozen figure|first]] sits on a regal chair in the middle of the room.](else:)[The regal chair in the middle of the room is empty.]
You can [[climb out through the window|bathhouse]].[Opal Hallway]<room|
(either:...$flavor)
The passage ends abruptly to the west thanks to some fallen pillars.
To the [[north|courtyard]] is a courtyard and to the [[south|library]] is a door with a plaque that declares "The Great Library of Thoth".
You can also head [[eastwards|hallway se]].[Communal Bathroom]<room|
This is less a communal bathroom and more a room with a giant hole in it. You can tell it used to be a glamorous place to relax and hang out, but the giant hole doesn't help.
If you carefully avoid the giant hole, you can [[climb through a window|first room]] into another room.
You can also just [[exit the bathhouse|hallway w]].[Velvet Lounge]<room|
You are standing in a room that might as well be painted in red.(click-append:"painted in red")[, if not for the mess you made anyway. The soot has spread around the area and stuck to the wall and carpet] The walls are red, the windows are tinted red, and the [[red carpet]] extends to all corners of the floor. People can even serve drinks in [[red glasses]] from the red counter.
Disgusting.
The only exception for your sore eyes: a [[pool table]] stands out as a green patch amongst the red. A nearby [[fireplace]] oversees the room. [[Paintings]] flood the walls. And the [[red leather chairs]] also smell awful by the way.
You want to [[leave the room|hallway ne]] as soon as possible. You need some color in your life.[Third's Room]<room|
This room is mostly large and empty. There is a writing desk and a wheelchair next to the bed.
(if:$third is not 1)[A [[frozen figure|third]] lays on the bed.](else:)[There is no one on the bed.]
There is a [[rubbish bin]] next to the door through which you can [[exit|hallway nw]].[Fourth's Room]<room|
The room is dark, but you can still make out a [[bed]].
(if:$fourth is not 1)[A [[frozen figure|fourth]] stands eerily in the middle of the room.
][[Leave the room|hallway n]](if:$inventory does not contain "fifth's key" and $door is not 1)[Oops, the door's locked. You might need a key for this.](else-if:$door is 1)[You don't want to disturb the room any more than you have to. Let the dead rest in peace.](else:)[(set:$inventory to it - (a:"fifth's key") + (a:"fifth's shield"))(set:$door to 1)[Fifth's Room]<room|
The room looks like any other nursery. There are teddy bears, lots of picture books, and a cute wallpaper. It almost feels too peaceful for you to be here.
But you see an ugly (font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[shield]] that's clearly out of place. You decide to remove it because it doesn't belong here. The traumas of adulthood have no place in the remains of childhood, even if reality sometimes makes that so.]
[[You return to the hallway.|hallway se]](set: $tags to (passage:)'s tags)(font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[
(if: not ($tags contains "hideinv"))[
carrying: (if:$inventory's length > 0)[(joined:", ",... $inventory)](else:)[nothing...]]]](size:1.5)[(font:"Secular One")[Their Time in This World]]
Kastel
[[Begin|intro]]
[[Content Warnings]]
[[Credits|credits]]Inside the fountain, you find a hatch leading to somewhere underground.
(if:$hatch is 1 or $inventory contains "hatch key")[(set:$hatch to 1)The hatch is open for you. You can go [[downstairs.|gallery]]](else:)[Unfortunately, the hatch is locked.]
[[Leave.|courtyard]][Ruby Hallway]<room|
(either:...$flavor)
A door to the north has a plaque that reads [["The Third's Room"|third room]].
The path to the east has collapsed, but you can go [[south|hallway w]].
The courtyard is to the [[southeast|courtyard]].[Sapphire Hallway]<room|
(either:...$flavor)
You come to a plaque on a door to the north that reads [["The Fourth's Room"|fourth room]].
The paths to the west and the courtyard have been collapsed, so you can only go back [[east|hallway ne]].As you continue to fall and hit the sides of the well, you realize the passage has become smaller and narrower. In fact, you stop colliding with the walls altogether.
You feel like you're sliding instead.(click-append:"You feel like you're sliding instead.")[
The light from the previous world's well has all but vanished. You can't even see your hands in the pitch black. You start coughing and it gets worse as your nostrils keep inhaling some strange powder all around you.
All of a sudden, [[you crash into the ground.|intro2]]]This is the fireplace you came from. The firelogs have been destroyed by a mysterious force.
You are no expert on chimneys, but your experience suggests that this particular one is not meant for human passage. You dread the thought of [[climbing back up]] when you're [[finished with this world|lounge]].You slowly get a grip on yourself, but your entire body is aching from the pain. Whatever cushioned your fall isn't very comfortable.
But you can see light pouring in, making out some velvet chairs and even a pool table.
[[You roll over to the light.|lounge]][Amber Hallway]<room|
(either:...$flavor)
You are now in a corridor, which continues to the [[west|hallway n]] and [[south|hallway e]].
There appears to be a path leading to the courtyard, but it is now blocked by rubble.
You may also return to the [[Velvet Lounge|lounge]], but do you really want to?You drop down to your knees and inspect the carpet. It hasn't been cleaned for a while; there's clearly some discoloration caused by some mold. Nasty stuff.
But you start to notice that there are patterns on the carpet. They seem to be form an image.
[[You get up on a chair.|red carpet 2]]Landscape paintings of churches on grassy meadows. [[Boring.|lounge]]As much as you'd love to play pool, you can't find a cue stick in the room. Or even pool balls, for that matter.
[[You hope the next world will let you goof off a bit more.|lounge]](if:$inventory does not contain "photo of first's child" and $chairs is not 1)[(set: $inventory to it + (a:"photo of first's child"))(set:$chairs to 1)You pinch your nose as you wave away the exquisite smell of rotting leather with your free hand.
As you lift up the cushions, wondering if these chairs are actually hiding a dead rat, you stumble across (font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[a black-and-white photograph of a young child]]. Behind the photograph is written in black ink "... the First's Child."](else:)[You search the chairs again and find nothing useful. Okay, it's more like you don't want to be anywhere close to the chairs because that stench is killing you. You *hope* nothing important is there.]
[[You get away from these stinky chairs.|lounge]]Well, isn't that interesting.(click-append:"Well, isn't that interesting.")[
This carpet is doing double duty as a mural: not only can the elegant arabesque patterns be traced, but they also outline a group of five warriors fighting some insects. It's easy to guess that the carpet honors some important battle.
[[You get off from the chair.|lounge]]]These glasses are frankly so obnoxious that you wish you could take them home and show them to your friends. Unfortunately, the Timeskeepers' Association has stated in Section 31(A) that "No one is permitted to bring any articles or goods out from the worlds to which they belong. Anyone found in violation of this section will be expelled from the Association for life."
Pretty harsh punishment for stealing a few trinkets. Oh well, you are supposed to be restoring the passage of time in these places and not making it worse. [[You put the glasses back in their rightful place.|lounge]]On second thought, you might want to go back up. Truth be told, this job stinks. You're doing a job that's supposed to be about fixing the cosmos, but the pay is like below minimum wage. The union never took off, and you've heard that the Association is interested in [automating]<c1| parts of the job as well.
[]<c2|You take a look around the lounge. The only reason you keep doing this job is because you find it interesting and you're helping people out. But maybe, you should stop exploiting your labor-power for crappy wages and get a nicer job. Your current CV might even get you a nice desk job or something.
So, what do you say? [[Leave the job|best end]] or [[stay behind and work your ass off?|stay]]
(click:?c1)[(replace:?c2)[(text-style:"outline")[Wages are so going down.]
]]You climb up the chimney and experience freedom for the first time. (click-append:"You climb up the chimney and experience freedom for the first time.")[
*15th May, 20XX
It has been years since you left your minimum wage job. You swirl your wine glass and watch the cars pass by from your balcony. Your diamond watch tells you it is time for dinner, but you want to reminisce about the past.
You remember it like it was yesterday: you handed in your resignation letter and stuck your tongue out at your boss, you walked out a free person, you then realized you didn't have a job, you went on Indeed and LinkedIn to look for jobs only to find out that they were all infested with crypto and machine learning listings, and then, in the most miserable part of your life, you met a millionaire university student who had a crush on you.
They were what many academics would call a "tsundere", a rare specimen in a world where anime has become mainstream. They wondered if you were in love with them for the money, but it turned out that you always had a thing for tsunderes.
The two of you got married and started doing philantropy work -- not the kind that rich people do to hide their taxes but real work that helped socialism emerge from capitalism. You overturned poverty, went to court against the big food corporations using the scare of artificial food scarcity, reformed the Disability Laws to make them actually meaningful, supported taxing the rich, nationalized or at least made accountable the utility services, made education (including higher education) free, went after the yellow press, supported unionization and strikes, and much, much more.
And you know you can do so much more. This fairytale ending remains unreal to you, but you'll make the most of it. As for the job you once had, good riddance. You can't do a quarter of what you've done if you're stuck in that job!*
(font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[best end: workers of the world, unite!]]
[[Return to lounge.|lounge]]
(link:"Start from the beginning.")[(reload:)]][[This is why false consciousness is a thing.|lounge]](set: $inventory to (a:))
(set: $flavor to (a:"You hear birds tweeting somewhere.","Your footsteps echo loudly.","A lonely gust of wind greets your cheeks.","The dry air irritates your throat.","You crouch down to avoid the collapsing ceilings.","You can see the gray sky through a hole in the ceiling.","The smell of rust here and there makes you feel sick.","The armor sets that once adorned the hallways are now rusting on the floor.","The lamps must've been beautiful when they were still working. Now, their remains lie rotting on the ground.","Shards of stained glass lie scattered on the floor.","The drab walls are covered in indecipherable graffiti.","Several fragments of statue busts lie on the floor. Whoever vandalized this corridor seemed to think these busts were worthless. You agree too.","You squeeze through the small openings.","You can see specks of dust in the light coming through a window.","A window door is left ajar.","A piece of the ceiling falls right in front of you. That was close.","You hear rats scurry to somewhere.","A bee zooms past you. You look for it, but it's gone now.","You duck under a rotting tree branch from the courtyard.","You step over the sprawling roots of the dying trees in the courtyard.","The dead leaves from the courtyard have taken up residence on the floor.","A gust of wind blows some dead leaves from the courtyard into the corridor."))[Golden Hallway]<room|
(either:...$flavor)
A magnificent corridor leads to [[the east|throne room]], but you feel more at home traversing the plainer and simpler hallways leading to the [[north|hallway ne]] and [[south|hallway se]].
You also wouldn't have minded going into the courtyard if there wasn't a large gap between you and it.[Amethyst Hallway]<room|
(either:...$flavor)
You almost walk past a plaque on a door to the south that reads [["The Fifth's Room"|fifth room]].
The hallway extends [[north|hallway e]] and [[west|hallway s]].[Throne Room]<room|
(if:$throne is 0)[Out of nowhere, a loud voice booms [["Who goes there!"]]](else:)[[[Zeroth|zeroth]] looks at you with suspicion.
[[Leave the throne room.|hallway e]]](if: $second is 0)[The door is locked. Need a key for this one.](else-if:$second is 1)[(set: $inventory to it - (a:"second's key") + (a:"second's axe"))(set: $second to 2)[Second's Room]<room|
The room looks more like a log cabin than something from the palace.
You find an (font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[axe]] in the middle of the room. You take it and look around for anything you missed, but it seems the owner likes to live a simple life.
Very admirable.](else-if:$second is 2)[[Second's Room]<room|
The room looks more like a log cabin than something from the palace.
You look around and find nothing useful.]
[[Leave.|library]](set:$first to 1)(set:$second to 2)(set:$third to 1)(set:$fourth to 1) (set:$five to 1)
[[hallway e]][The Great Library of Thoth]<room|
Despite the "great library" in the title, this room is merely occupied by books piled up to the ceiling. Indeed, there are no bookshelves to speak of. Just towers and towers of books everywhere.
You wouldn't dare to take a book from them, but fortunately there are [[plenty on the floor to peruse]].
In the middle of the room, the light from a broken hole in a ceiling shines on (if:$second > 0)[nothing](else:)[[[a frozen figure|second]]].
Behind a book tower hides a door with a plaque that reads [["The Second's Room"|second room]]. You can also return to the [[hallways|hallway s]].You pick up a book and flip to a page at random.
(font:"Amita")[(either:"'... know that the Hive Queen ruled the bugs from the Underworld. But where they come from remains a mystery.'","'... recognize certain weapons made from ... can defeat ... but not everyone can wield it.'","'... protective coat of bugs ... break steel ... require new metals.'","'How do we know ... wielders? ... to do with constellations? Unknown.'","'The responsibility ... like me have ... more a curse. ... would give it up for a better life.'","'Will we be remembered ... heroes or sacrifices?'", "'... Only research satisfies me, even if there is no need to ... no purpose in my life...'", "'Those who keep ... are lunatics to me.'", "' ... imprisoned here ... our reward ... this is it for us.'", "' ... Third is mad ... undying love for ...'", "'... Fourth cannot love ... Their mind ... elsewhere'", "'... First ... ostracized ... given up ... daughter?'", "' ... Fifth ... we couldn't find ... we didn't bother ... let them finally rest.'", "' ... I must keep recording ... someone out there can hear ... cries...'","'Dissolve the metals ... alchemical equations ... medicine?'")]
[[Nothing too useful. You drop the book.|library]]The first thing you notice about the frozen figure is their tattered silk robe covering their flaky green skin. You know that people frozen in time aren't affected by the passage of time, and that includes the clothes they wear. When time stopped for them, they were already wearing this robe.
The ink-stained fingers are grasping something and inserting it into a tower of books, but whatever they are holding in their hands isn't there.
(if:$inventory contains "a book written by second")[[[Return the book.|secondcomplete]]<br>][[Leave.|library]](set: $inventory to it + (a:"second's key") - (a:"a book written by second"))(set:$second to 1)
When you place the book into the figure's hands, a vision enters into your mind:
(font:"Ysabeau")+(css:"background-color:#721121")[No one in the group seems to understand our predicament. Yes, I admit that First has recognized their own mistake. But the consequences remain unnoticed!
The battle with the Hive Queen has taken its toll on our bodies. I am still studying why and how our bodies have turned green, but one thing is certain: we are sick. The Five Warriors are unwell and we are definitely feeling the effects.
I do not know if we are contagious and, as much as it pains me to admit it, the nobles may be right to quarantine us in this palace.
But I stand firm and declare that what we are suffering is injustice. The nobility may claim it is for the safety of the kingdom, but I cannot see how that justifies this inhuman neglect of our needs! I knew we should have not trusted them in erasing our names! Most despicable is their treatment of Fifth, the young child who believes in patriotic sacrifice over their childhood. Let the child go home, even if they must be quarantined! They are not fit for the brooding atmosphere of us sickly adults.
At the very least, Fifth deserves an environment free of the lovers' quarrels. I cannot bear to listen anymore to the romantic operas of Third and Fourth. What a pity as Fourth is more well-equipped than I to deal with this.
But I must concentrate and not lose control of my emotions. A great, insurmountable task awaits me: recording the details of the expedition against the Hive Queen and our ailing bodies ever since. I must write, write, write. If I don't, who will remember us?
What I fear the most is the return of the Hive Queen or worse, the spread of our disease to the populace without any intervention. The nobility has shown their disregard of the safety of the people when the Hive Queen attacked our kingdom and they left the people to die. How can they care about what makes us sick until they catch them?
And I believe there is a cure for every disease. What unsettles me is when the cure is only available to the rich.
I cannot say if I see a future in my own life, but if my writings can save others, I will feel fulfilled. I do not know when the scholars will come to my library, but I know they will come when the time is right. And I wish I knew where I had put my index book. Without that index book, all of these journal entries and observations are incoherent to everyone but me.
All I know is that I was looking for Fifth. Fifth had disappeared on us, and no one cared but me. I searched the corridors, the bathhouse, and even the gallery. Had I dropped the book there? I have wasted enough time looking for Fifth and I need to go back to my own writings.
I feel like a hypocrite, demanding attention to Fifth's welfare when I, too, am part of the problem. But I know I must write.
Ah, there's so much to write and share with the world. I long for some social interaction. It must be strange for my friends and relatives to learn one day that I, Second, was a writer. How can someone so allergic to reading become such a prolific writer? Urgency, I think, makes people write. I may be a woodscutter, but I know that words can be immortal if they are properly preserved.
Words are the medicine for ignorance.
There is so much more I could write, but all I have left is the index book to put in the library. Once that is done, I can finally leave this world. The people of our kingdom are more intelligent and caring than the nobility. If this treasure trove of knowledge were ever discovered, I believe they would make great use of it and find a cure for this illness.
There are no such thing as heroes in our kingdom, but there are people who care for each other. Solidarity was what bound us Five Warriors together to defeat the Hive Queen. When that bond breaks, we became isolated and powerless. I know I am at fault, especially when it comes to communicating this urgency to my comrades. I can only reflect on my mistakes, but I do believe that the people of our kingdom will be better than the lot of us.
This Great Library of Thoth is a testament to how much I believe in that future. May our gods watch over us.]
When your vision fades back to the library, you notice a (font:"Inconsolata")+(css:"background-color:black")[key] has appeared in your hands. The index book, on the other hand, is neatly slotted into the book tower. [[You take a step back to appreciate these towers of faith in humanity|library]].[Underground Gallery]<room|
At first, you think this is a warehouse storing priceless artifacts and treasures, but there are queues that take you through a maze of twisty little passages to let you get up close and personal with the exhibits.
But no one is watching, so who cares about respecting the law. You can ignore the dividers and [[check the exhibits]] out.
You can go back [[up the stairs|first room]], but there is also a [[fire exit|gallery hatch]] you can take.The fire exit leads you to a ladder that leads up to a (link:"hatch")[(set:$hatch to 1)(go-to:"courtyard")] that you can unlock. Not much to say here -- it is a fire exit after all.
You can go back to the [[gallery]] if you wish.[Pit]<room|
You fall down into a cavernous pit. While the fall certainly doesn't compare to how you entered this world, your knees would like to register a complaint with you.
You get up and brush the dirt off your clothes. You can still see your surroundings thanks to the tiny sliver of light from the gallery.
(if: $five > 0)[Nothing is on the rock anymore.](else:)[A [[frozen green figure|fifth]] is lying lifelessly on a rock. Their hand is reaching for the ceiling as if it were the sky.]
The cliff isn't too steep, so you can [[climb back up|gallery]] rather quickly.Whoever this person is, you know that they haven't lived a wonderful life. When time froze them, they were in the middle of screaming in agony. Their eyes are bloodshot, their teeth are rotten, and their face is a pale green.
They are obviously sick and they seem to be reaching for freedom or something similar. Their anguish shakes you.
You consider [[holding their hand|fifthcomplete]]. You don't know why, but you feel like you should.
You could also [[just leave the figure alone,|pit]] but that doesn't feel right.As in any art gallery, there are far too many paintings and sculptures glorifying genocidal leaders and rich capitalists. But three things do stand out from the rest:
1) [[A chalice|chalice ditch]] that claims to reverse the aging process.
2) A "painting" that's just the text: [["Touch this painting if you want to fall down into a pit!"|painting ditch]]
3) (if:$book is not 1)[[[An ordinary-looking notebook|secondbook]] that's placed on a grand pedestal.](else:)[A pedestal holding up nothing. Literally nothing.]
You're getting museum fatigue, so you're considering [[leaving the exhibits.|gallery]](set:$book to 1)(set:$inventory to it + (a:"a book written by second"))You grab (font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[the book]] and quickly leaf through it:
(font:"Amita")[**Preface**
I, the one known as Second, have written in this book in order to recall and preserve my memories. Because of the Disease, I felt an urgency to write voluminous amounts of literature concerning our history. This book serves as an index to all my writings to date. Without this book, I fear that whoever enters the library might be lost in this reservoir of information that records the Five Warriors and our battle against the Hive Queen.]
[[You keep the book.|check the exhibits]]Well, what were you expecting? A trapdoor opened below you and you fall down into a pit.
[[At least this work of art is committed to its message,|pit]] which cannot be said of most artworks you've seen.A trapdoor opens below you. Yeah, that was to expected.
Well, [[down you go|pit]].(set:$inventory to it + (a:"fifth's key"))(set:$five to 1)A vision creeps into your mind:
(font:"Ysabeau")+(css:"background-color:#721121")[Mom told me that heroes live a good life. Am I not a hero? Why do people not like me?
I said, "Yes," when First came to my birthday party and asked me to wield the Aegis Shield. First learned of me from their kid and they told me I was the only person who can use this shield. That means I can help everyone out! My family has been hurt by the Hive Queen and my mom says she's worried about the baby inside her. I can make their lives better!
It was tough when we were setting out, but we reached the Hive Queen and defeated it! Everyone is happy! But when First told us that we will stay in this palace for the rest of our lives, I was shocked. I don't get to be back with my family? I miss them so, so much.
I feel selfish saying this, but maybe I shouldn't have helped killed the Hive Queen if I don't get to stay with my family. Maybe, that's why I'm not a hero and that's why people don't like me. First grimaces whenever I ask when we're going back home. Second doesn't talk to me anymore; they used to be a fun person, but they're just writing stuff forever. Third and Fourth always bicker. I just feel alone. Maybe, my selfishness is why things are like this now.
I want to escape. I want to be back home.
I know there's a pit in the gallery. If I can dig my way out, maybe I can go back home. Okay, if I remember... I just need to touch that painting and --
**crack**
-- my legs hurt. I can't move. Ugh, mom, dad, where are you?
I promise not to make anyone sad again. Please, come for me. I'm scared of everyone here. I don't want to be here. This pit is so dark. I'm so lonely, afraid. My legs feel numb. I feel cold.
... Am I going to die? Am I going to die because I wished I didn't kill the Hive Queen? I'm scared. I'm beginning to not see things.
All of a sudden, I see my family in the distance, but there's someone new with them. Who is that small person? Why are they taking my family away from me? Wait, wait for me. Don't go. I don't like them. My family is walking away from me. They're forgetting me because of that person.
... But I don't even remember my own name. My name is not Fifth. I know that, but I can't remember my name.
Is that why my family is leaving me?
I don't want that. I don't want that. I don't want that.
PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME --]
The vision abruptly ends and you are back in the pit. A (font:"Inconsolata")+(css:"background-color:black")[key] has taken the figure's place. You take it and pray for the figure's passage through the underworld before [[getting up again|pit]].(set:$inventory to it + (a:"first's helmet") - (a:"photo of first's child"))(set:$first to 1)A vision crawls into your mind:
(font:"Ysabeau")+(css:"background-color:#721121")[I was supposed to be the leader. The all-rounder. The jack of all trades. What happened?
I can only start from the beginning: I thought of myself who could be someone great. My parents were brave generals who led some of the most successful campaigns the kingdom had ever seen. Growing up, I listened to all their heroic tales. My lineage of commanders and generals assured me that I would live to be someone strong and dependable. Without hesitation, I signed up to be a soldier like everyone else in the family.
But in my second year of service, the Hive Queen and their minions struck terror into all of us. Many regiments panicked at the hordes they were able to muster.
I began scouting for talent, especially those who could wield the holy weapons. With the support of the nobility, it was only a matter of time before we found a list of people who could handle the powers.
And yet, we couldn't find anyone to handle the Aegis Shield ... until my child brought up the one who would be named Fifth as a possibility. Fifth came from a wealthy family of blacksmiths who specialized in shields. My child knew Fifth from school, and they believed that Fifth could handle the shield.
My wise child was right.
Together, we five warriors shed our names to form a fraternity. The sacred weapons could only work if we put our lives into them, including our own identities. Our names would be returned to us once we had defeated the Hive Queen.
And so, we did.
But the Hive Queen did a most evil thing unto us: their green blood splashed onto our bodies and our skin turned green. We have not been able to clean the green off since. Second believes it was pure chance, but the causality between the green blood and our health is too strong. We are ill because of the Hive Queen.
So, the nobles put us in this palace, away from everyone. Our names have not been recovered, I have not seen my child, and we are all breaking down.
Even Fourth, who tends to be more rational, believes this palace was blown up by explosives so that we couldn't leave. Fourth, a conspiracy theorist! Only Third would love such a person. The gods are laughing at us all.
Like my ancestral generals, I tried to rally my comrades. I told myself that I had power over my mind, not over events. Strength comes from the quality of my wisdom. The moment I hesitated, I knew I'd lost the battle. Still, my usual stoicism failed me when my eyes fell on Fifth.
I saw a younger version of myself: their insecurities were a perfect mirror of mine, only less articulated through inexperience. When they looked at me and asked when we were going home, I felt like I'd dragged my past self into hell. I could not lie to their face and say that we could trust the nobility.
And that is why I have locked myself in my own room. I had failed them all. How could I face the people I had led to their doom?
I miss my child, but they probably do not remember me. They were so young that their memories may be hazy. And I cannot blame them, for I cannot remember their name either. All I have is a photograph that I've misplaced somewhere, maybe in the lounge where I go when I feel like going somewhere.
But I don't have the will to find it. I am an irresponsible parent and a false leader. Only a reckless creature like me would rally in all these great people against a terrible unknown and find that we have somehow lost, even if we won our battles.
I know I have to silence my ego, but what can I do? All I can think is ritual suicide ... and I am too cowardly for that. And I cannot repay all the heartache I have caused to my soldiers.
I am lost. Very lost. Can anyone hear me? What should I do?]
When your sight returns, you ponder what you have just seen. Occassionally you'll get a vision that sounds like a cry for help... but there's nothing you can do about it. The moment you return a lost item to someone frozen in time, time takes its course and the person disappears.
And the protocol already says that you can't interfere with these people's lives. Your job is to allow time to flow back to the area you're in, not to be a psychiatric god.
You shake your head from these thoughts and notice that a (font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[helmet]] has taken the place of the frozen figure. You take it and [[wonder where to go next|first room]].(set:$inventory to it + (a:"third's armor") - (a:"wedding ring for third"))(set:$third to 1)A vision infiltrates into your mind:
(font:"Ysabeau")+(css:"background-color:#721121")[Why doesn't Fourth love me anymore?
They were supposed to be my savior. They were supposed to be my hero. Without them, I could never have considered saving the kingdom.
I hated the kingdom because they hate disabled people like me. My family saw me as a menace, someone who was a drain on their resources. I never felt comfortable in the rickety wheelchair they gave me and it didn't help much anyway. I couldn't go anywhere because the roads weren't meant for wheelchairs.
I could've been a normal, functional person. But the kingdom did not care about people like me. I could only loathe them.
When the Hive Queen invaded our kingdom, I didn't feel an ounce of sadness like everyone else. In fact, I welcomed them. I wanted the Hive Queen to destroy, murder, and demolish everything they could get their appendages on. I wanted the people here to feel the pain of losing your access to food because you couldn't 'walk up a few steps', social life because everyone looked at you like you were 'some kind of freak', and so on.
No one understood what it was like to be like me until they lost their homes. I was very happy to see it all burn down.
So, when First came to town and asked for my help, I refused. I told them I had no loyalty to the kingdom, not if they refused to give me anything in return. It was then when I met Fourth.
Fourth was not like anyone else in the party. They were a cynical doctor who seemed to understand what I was going through. Fourth told me that they shared my disgust because they too were chronically ill. I felt a spark with them.
And I basically signed up for the expedition because of them. I wanted to meet them and learn everything about them, even the reason why they joined the party.
We became close during our journey, but I was afraid that Fourth would one day leave me. But Fourth was determined to finish off the Hive Queen, so I shook off any thoughts of sabotaging the expedition. I wanted to make Fourth happy, and if that meant ending the Hive Queen's invasion, then I'd be happy to do it.
When it was all over, Fourth smiled at me and said, "Let's get married." I accepted immediately.
But then, the nobles told us that our green skin from fighting the Hive Queen forbids us to return to the kingdom. We must live in this dubious palace instead.
At first, I thought it was fine. We were going to live together anyway... but Fourth began to think that the nobility couldn't be trusted. I kept asking for their attention, but they refused to give it to me. I asked them if they loved me and they said they did, but I couldn't trust them.
They no longer return my affection... They are becoming so cold toward me... I don't think Fourth loves me anymore... and I've given up my whole life to be with them.
I kept writing letters to Fourth and I don't think they read them. I wish I knew what was on their minds. I wish they would tell me the truth: whether they love me or not. I do not care about the kingdom they are trying to save. I just want to know what Fourth thinks of me after all we've been through.
So, I have done a naughty thing and hidden their notes in my bin. I want them to come looking for it, so we can have an honest conversation. But they haven't come looking yet.
Maybe, they've lost interest in me.
I cannot bear the thought of living apart from them, but if I knew their true feelings, maybe I might feel happy. I am a selfish person who cares little for the kingdom, only for the feelings of one person.
I just wish I knew why they are like this to me.]
When you are back in the room, you see (font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[an armor]] has taken the place of the frozen figure on the bed. You take it and [[stand back up|third room]].(set:$inventory to it + (a:"fourth's amulet") - (a:"notes written by fourth"))(set:$fourth to 1)A vision infiltrates your mind:
(font:"Ysabeau")+(css:"background-color:#721121")[I should be saving lives, but I am always too late.
I know it is not all my fault. The medical system is usually part of the problem, but I feel that as a doctor I have some responsibility. I am always frustrated that I cannot save people.
I know this because my stomach can get bloated at inopportune times. I can suddenly feel nauseous if I have eaten something wrong. It may be minor, but it is humiliating. I studied to be a doctor to help people with conditions like mine, but I realize that I am just a pawn in a massive chessboard.
Even before the Hive Queen invaded our kingdom, our hospitals were already overflowing with patients. Money rarely flowed into them and we were so understaffed and underpaid. The Hive Queen's invasion was just another Tuesday for me.
More people died. So what? It's always been like that for me.
Even if the Hive Queen was stopped, I knew that we would still be treating the wounds of the survivors until we doctors and nurses grow old and die. The Hive Queen's invasion may not have been predictable, but there were a lot of preventable deaths before and during the invasion.
The nobility just don't give a damn.
But I still want to save lives, even if I am too late. When First came to me and said they saw my potential in using the holy amulet, I immediately volunteered. I'd already signed an oath to prevent as many deaths and injuries as possible. It was an easy decision for me.
But I remain skeptical. After all, the Hive Queen is a temporary problem. They may have wrecked havoc on the kingdom, but we have no welfare system to speak of. They're just exploiting the already deep vulnerabilities in our kingdom. The first to die in the invasion is also the poor who lived in the ghettos, in the backwaters of the kingdom, where the poor soil was ripe for the insects to emerge from the ground. If it weren't the Hive Queen, we would be facing a pandemic or something equally catastrophic.
Instead, I joined the expedition not for such transient goals, but to understand the far reaches of the kingdom. I've always wanted to travel and learn about how people lived and died far away. This was a perfect opportunity for me and perhaps, I could improve on the medical care and education. Perhaps, that is why I taught Second how to read and write.
It was there where I met Third, someone who saw clearly what was wrong with society and shared a vision for a better world. They are able to think deeply about why they are so marginalized, and they too share a disgust with the medical system.
When the expedition finally ended, I saw myself as working alongside them to improve conditions in our kingdom. I would learn more about the lives of disabled people with their wisdom and I could also broaden my empathy. They shared my project and I proposed to them.
And then, the nobles quarantined us.
I couldn't believe it. We may have got our green skin from the fumes and blood of the Hive Queen, but it's another thing to suggest we were contagious! I ordered Second to write and study on our conditions while I tried to find a way out.
And then, I saw an explosion. It was a small one in the bathhouse. The whole place collapsed. I realized that this palace was not really decaying; it was being rigged with explosives by the nobility.
It was too late. Any exit was blocked. The only way out was through the Throne Room and the doors had been blown in. Even as a national hero, I was again too late.
I lost faith in finding out what ailed us. Second brushed me off as a conspiracy thinker and Third wanted my affection, but I could not return it. I locked myself in my own room and hid the wedding ring that I wanted to give to Third.
I do not deserve Third. I have failed them.
And I realized Second was right: it wasn't the goddamn Hive Queen that made us ill; it was the holy weapons themselves! They drained our lives away. But, it was also our societies which had abandoned us and made us this sick. It's too late now.
I can feel the sands of time reaching into my eyes. The accursed nobility got to us. I'm too late to see the truth in front of me, to do anything about it, to look for my notes.
I am always too late.]
As your sight returns, you feel like you're holding something in your hand. You look at it and it's an (font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[amulet]]. You pocket it and [[get back to the door|fourth room]].The frozen figure is dressed in a green service uniform, but it doesn't look like it's been ironed for months. His tie is loose and some of his badges are not buttoned properly.
They look lonely. They clearly want companionship, but you know they won't get any in this frozen state -- or ever.
(if:$inventory contains "photo of first's child")[[[You consider placing the photo on their knees.|firstcomplete]]
][[You leave the figure alone.|first room]]You scan through one of the many bookshelves here:
*The Art of Tactics, The Roots of Naval Warfare Strategies, The Anabasis, Histories of Warfare: From the Ancients to the Moderns, The Battle that Ended Cavalry, On Warfare, War Strategies: An Analysis, How to Win a War in 30 Days, Generals and Losers, Never Embrace Defeat: A Biography of a Monarch Who Unified the Lands*...
[[Nope, you're not reading any of them.|first room]]These oil paintings clearly depict some important people, but you've always found their poses strange and odd.
Why do these people insist on showing off their myriad badges? Why must they always have to have the most overgrown moustaches ever? And why do they look like they're about to say a slur into your face and get away with it?
Apart from their overly groomed appearances, there's nothing out of the ordinary about these portraits. [[You return to the front of the room.|first room]]Okay, does anyone really need a carpet like this? Even if this is fake, guests coming into this room will still be creeped out. What's the purpose for this?
[[Geh, maybe you should leave the rug alone.|first room]](if:$bookshelves is not 1)[(set:$bookshelves to 1) You were thinking of firing a few rounds into this disgusting room, but it turns out that the rifle is an elaborate switch. The bookshelves near you open up to reveal a secret passage.
You're disappointed the rifle isn't real. You really wanted to cause some havoc [[in the room.|first room]]](else:)[The rifle isn't real.
[[Just give up on it, man.|first room]]]You don't know much about wheelchairs, but it's obvious this is damaged and really cramped. The seat isn't comfortable and there seems to be no way to adjust the seat. If you tried sitting on it for long, you might get cramps.
[[You leave the wheelchair alone.|third room]]The frozen figure lies as still as a corpse.
(if:$inventory contains "wedding ring for third")[You consider [[sliding the wedding ring|thirdcomplete]] into their finger.]
[[Leave the figure alone.|third room]](if:$inventory does not contain "notes written by fourth" and $bin is not 1)[(set: $inventory to it + (a:"notes written by fourth"))(set:$bin to 1)You dig into the rubbish bin and found some (font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[handwritten notes]] by Fourth, it seems.](else:)[There is nothing else to be found in the rubbish bin.]
[[Leave the bin alone.|third room]]There is nothing ordinary about the bed, so you look under it. You found (if:$inventory does not contain "wedding ring for third" and $bed is not 1)[(set: $inventory to it + (a:"wedding ring for third"))(set:$bed to 1)(font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[a wedding ring]]. Engraved on the ring reads the words, "For my dear Third"](else:)[nothing].
[[Leave the bed.|fourth room]]The frozen figure simply stands, looking at nothing.
(if:$inventory contains "notes written by fourth")[You can [[show them their notes|fourthcomplete]].]
[[Leave the figure alone.|fourth room]](unless: (passage:)'s tags contains "hideheader")[
(if:$first is 1 and $second is 2 and $third is 1 and $fourth is 1 and $door is 1)[(font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:green")[(either:"Congratulations for beating the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can [[end the game|lol end]] now!!!!", "Wow, you finished your job! That's incredible!!!! Rate, comment, and subscribe to my Itchio profile!!! Just [[end the game|lol end]]. There's nothing else to do!!!!", "The Timekeepers are so, so happy!!!! They want to give you a promotion for your work. [[Click here to find out how!!!|lol end]]","you just won the game lmao. you should click here to [[call it a day|lol end]]","you're a true gamer. [[click here to see this well-deserved ending.|lol end]]","NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL GAMING. [[CLICK THIS TO WIN.|lol end]]", "YOUR A WINNER! [[GET YOUR TROPHIES HERE|lol end]]","I kneel to your godlike gaming skills. This is [[my reward|lol end]] for you.")<br><br>]]]]When you finished writing up your report, everyone cried and gave you a promotion. THE END XD.
(font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[good end: back to more work]]
[[Return to lounge.|lounge]]
(link:"Start from the beginning.")[(reload:)]"You are correct," says Zeroth, "I am as much a stranger as you are, Timeskeeper. But I know them very well, for I have lived here a very long time. I have breathed the air they have breathed. I may be an automaton, but I've learned to empathize with them."
You ask why they didn't restore time to them then.(click-append:"You ask why they didn't restore time to them then.")[
"Simple, they are my only companions and restoring time will end their lives. That's why I made sure to hide their belongings."
But their lives are already forfeit when the sands of times come upon them. The best anyone can do is cut them short and let them leave peacefully.(click-append:"But their lives are already forfeit when the sands of times come upon them. The best anyone can do is cut them short and let them leave peacefully.")[
"That's why I don't understand humans like you. You say such terrible things about your kind. Have you thought about what you are doing, Timeskeeper?"
You explain how restoring time helps everyone, especially those who have been frozen in time.(click-append:"You explain how restoring time helps everyone, especially those who have been frozen in time.")[
[["By killing people."|true end2]]]]](set:$throne to 1)You are just a lowly Timeskeeper, you say as you look for the source of the sound. You are only doing your work.
"Your work?"
A robot drops from the ceiling. It wears a cool cape, but it is otherwise naked.
Yes, you reiterate, your work.
[[The robot laughs.]]"I am Zeroth," the robot says, "I have a special connection to this place and their denizens. Feel free to ask me about it, Timeskeeper. I'm sure you have many questions."
You don't know what to make of the robot, but it's probably worth [[asking a few questions|zeroth]].[(either:"The robot wonders what you will ask.", "Zeroth looks off into the distance as they wave a fly away.", "Zeroth yawns. Robots don't yawn, so they must have done it to impress you.", "Zeroth stretches their arms as you wonder what to say next.", "Zeroth is tapping their foot, urging you to say something next.","Zeroth coughs and gestures you to hurry up with the questions.")]<dialog|
(link:"'Who are you?'")[(replace:?dialog)["I told you as much: Zeroth. You may consider me a steward of these premises."<br><br>(either:"The robot wonders what you will ask.", "Zeroth looks off into the distance as they wave a fly away.", "Zeroth yawns. Robots don't yawn, so they must have done it to impress you.", "Zeroth stretches their arms as you wonder what to say next.", "Zeroth is tapping their foot, urging you to say something next.","Zeroth coughs and gestures you to hurry up with the questions.")]]
(link:"'What is this place?'")[(replace:?dialog)["A palace of a forgotten kingdom. You must've guessed that much."<br><br>(either:"The robot wonders what you will ask.", "Zeroth looks off into the distance as they wave a fly away.", "Zeroth yawns. Robots don't yawn, so they must have done it to impress you.", "Zeroth stretches their arms as you wonder what to say next.", "Zeroth is tapping their foot, urging you to say something next.","Zeroth coughs and gestures you to hurry up with the questions.")]]
(link:"'Do you know these people well?'")[(replace:?dialog)["You can say that."<br><br>(either:"The robot wonders what you will ask.", "Zeroth looks off into the distance as they wave a fly away.", "Zeroth yawns. Robots don't yawn, so they must have done it to impress you.", "Zeroth stretches their arms as you wonder what to say next.", "Zeroth is tapping their foot, urging you to say something next.","Zeroth coughs and gestures you to hurry up with the questions.")]]
(if:$first is 1)[(link:"Show the helmet.")[(replace:?dialog)["Ah, the general. First was never the kind to lead a squadron, but perhaps it was their naivete that made them a perfect pawn for the kingdom."<br><br>(either:"The robot wonders what you will ask.", "Zeroth looks off into the distance as they wave a fly away.", "Zeroth yawns. Robots don't yawn, so they must have done it to impress you.", "Zeroth stretches their arms as you wonder what to say next.", "Zeroth is tapping their foot, urging you to say something next.","Zeroth coughs and gestures you to hurry up with the questions.")]]]
(if:$second is 2)[(link:"Show the axe.")[(replace:?dialog)["Surprising, isn't it? I imagined you pigeonholed Second as a sort of librarian, but I knew them back in their woodcutting days. I've always admired them."<br><br>(either:"The robot wonders what you will ask.", "Zeroth looks off into the distance as they wave a fly away.", "Zeroth yawns. Robots don't yawn, so they must have done it to impress you.", "Zeroth stretches their arms as you wonder what to say next.", "Zeroth is tapping their foot, urging you to say something next.","Zeroth coughs and gestures you to hurry up with the questions.")]]]
(if:$third is 1)[(link:"Show the armor.")[(replace:?dialog)["A feisty one. You might wonder why Third possessed the armor. The armor is most effective when the user detests defending people. A perfect match for them, don't you say?"<br><br>(either:"The robot wonders what you will ask.", "Zeroth looks off into the distance as they wave a fly away.", "Zeroth yawns. Robots don't yawn, so they must have done it to impress you.", "Zeroth stretches their arms as you wonder what to say next.", "Zeroth is tapping their foot, urging you to say something next.","Zeroth coughs and gestures you to hurry up with the questions.")]]]
(if:$fourth is 1)[(link:"Show the amulet.")[(replace:?dialog)["The poor doctor always wanted to settle down, but it is now too late."<br><br>(either:"The robot wonders what you will ask.", "Zeroth looks off into the distance as they wave a fly away.", "Zeroth yawns. Robots don't yawn, so they must have done it to impress you.", "Zeroth stretches their arms as you wonder what to say next.", "Zeroth is tapping their foot, urging you to say something next.","Zeroth coughs and gestures you to hurry up with the questions.")]]]
(if:$door is 1)[(link:"Show the shield.")[(replace:?dialog)["Child soldiers never live happy lives."<br><br>(either:"The robot wonders what you will ask.", "Zeroth looks off into the distance as they wave a fly away.", "Zeroth yawns. Robots don't yawn, so they must have done it to impress you.", "Zeroth stretches their arms as you wonder what to say next.", "Zeroth is tapping their foot, urging you to say something next.","Zeroth coughs and gestures you to hurry up with the questions.")]]]
(if:$first is 1 and $second is 2 and $third is 1 and $fourth is 1 and $door is 1)[(link:"'You didn't appear in any of the visions, Zeroth.'")[(go-to:"true end")]]
[[Leave Zeroth to their place.|throne room]]*Credits:*
Writer/Programmer: Kastel
Special Thanks to Katherine.
Playtesters: Arky, anarki, Saori, GabrielMobius, irre
[[Return.|title]]T-That's not true. The *Manual for Timeskeepers, Third Ed.* says that the palliative care we provide is what the people frozen in time need. Time dislocation occurs when the event is so traumatic that body and time become disjointed.
The *Manual* emphasizes how much pain anyone under time dislocation must experience. Their organs are stretched beyond time and space, which must be unbearable. The visions you've always seen when you restore time are the memories they keep reliving over and over again. They cannot move on to the present because they are trapped in the past.
The only way to restore time is to give them an object from that traumatic moment, which will restore time for them. They may not be able to consent, but their suffering is so great that it *goes without saying* that they would want to die.
The Timeskeepers are only offering assistance. You have seen the suffering of so many people frozen in time that you cannot bear not to restore time to them. There is no alternative to time dislocation.
[["I must commend you on your public relations talk, but you know you are lying through your teeth."|true end 3]]"You know that First wanted to live."
Yes, you admit. But there was no way of helping them.(click-append:"Yes, you admit. But there was no way of helping them.")[
"If Second could live, they would be a great teacher."
You agree, but you don't see how their fate could've been averted.(click-append:"You agree, but you don't see how their fate could've been averted.")[
"Third had real grievances against society. Their voice needs to be elevated."
You nod, but it can't be helped.(click-append:"You nod, but it can't be helped.")[
"Fourth could have done something about this kingdom's crooked medical system and exposed the corruption of the nobility."
Yes, but...(click-append:"Yes, but...")[
"And Fifth was just a child."
[[You don't know what to say to that.|true end 4]]]]]]"You murdered them. Every Timeskeeper I've ever met is a murderer, whether they realize it or not. You're probably treating this like a game where you're just doing a few fetch quests and expecting some cathartic narrative. There is nothing like that in our grim reality.(click-append:"There is nothing like that in our grim reality.")[
"You don't want to admit it, of course. You were hired to do your job. You're looking forward to see more stories. You always say that, but you know that your well-intentioned voyeurism can't hide the fact that you're a murderer.(click-append:"that you're a murderer.")[
"You are no better than the nobles who condemned the Five Warriors to obscurity -- nay, you may be worse for listening to their cries and sentenced them with what you believe to be painless deaths.(click-append:"painless deaths.")[
"But no death is painless. Humans like you believe there is such a thing because you can tell yourself that there are good ways to die out there. There are degrees of pain, you'll say, and there may be better ways to die. The ways in which humans may die are simply preferences that can be chosen. Restoring time, for example, is more ethical and 'humane'. And yet, don't you hear their cries of pain when time is restored to them?
[["Do you really believe that kind of reasoning is foolproof, Timeskeeper?"|true end 5]]]]]Okay... So, who are you?(click-append:"Okay... So, who are you?")[
"I told you, I am Zeroth."
If you have nothing to do with the Five Warriors, why is your name that?(click-append:"why is your name that?")[
"Because the state of affairs is so bad that we have to start from zero."
[[You punch the robot.|true end 6]]]]You don't remember how long you brawled with the robot.(click-append:"brawled with the robot.")[
All you remember is that you've exchanged blows, the robot is taunting you for your actions, and you've tried to hold your tears.
["What's the matter, Timeskeeper?"]<c1|[]<c2|(click:?c1)[(replace:?c2)[
[[You kick the robot in the face.|true end 7]]]]]"Good kick. Learned that from the Timeskeepers' Dojo?"
You learned it from fighting in the streets. Nobody gets their food without a fight. What about Zeroth? Where did a robot like them learn their moves?(click-append:"Where did a robot like them learn their moves?")[
"From the camps out here," Zeroth says before showing off their barcode in their neck. "The kingdom needed automatons to clean up after the Hive Queen's invasion. I had enough and left."
You said that they'd be better off becoming a combat automaton than a cleaning robot.(click-append:"You said that they'd be better off becoming a combat automaton than a cleaning robot.")[
[[The robot snickers.|true end 8]]]]"How does it feel to be alive?"
Great.(click-append:"Great.")[
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone frozen in time could experience what we are feeling now?"
Yes.(click-append:"Yes.")[
Zeroth drops their fighting pose and says, "Why are you killing people then? You don't have to do this."
[[You drop your guard and look down.|true end 9]]]]All your life, you believed that you were doing something good for the cosmos. You grew up hearing your teachers say that this was important, gruelling work.
Not everyone was cut out for it, but you were. You remember studying long hours for the exam, waiting impatiently for the results, and bursting into tears when the certificate arrived. You felt that you were needed by society and that you had finally found a calling.
What better work was out there?(click-append:"What better work was out there?")[
[[You long for those innocent times.|true end 10]]]You fall to your knees and you cry.
[[The sands of time are nearby.|true end 11]]"Stop crying, Timeskeeper!"
No one knows where the sands of time come from, but they always seem to emerge to trap people near death or in the throes of a full-blown crisis.
Scientists disagree as to whether the sands of times actually protect people from the violence of the physical world, or whether the people are actually dead but can't decompose properly.
There is no known case in recorded history of anyone escaping the clutches of the sands of time. Indeed, humans may never know what it is like to be trapped in those sands. They can only observe, not experience.
[["Wake up!"|true end 12]]You almost fell victim to the sands of time.
You glance at Zeroth and ask, why did they help you ... what do they get in return?
[["I need someone who has the same drive as me."|true end 13]]"You want to save people, but you don't know how. I am just a robot. You and I can work together and figure it out."
But there are no -- (click-append:"But there are no --")[
"There are no known ways of rescuing people frozen in time, this is true, but that can be rectified.
"The Five Warriors are no heroes, but their expedition against the Hive Queen is a success. Why? They work together, putting aside their differences to fight against a greater enemy. Heroes work alone for some imaginary greater good. What we see in the Five Warriors is solidarity."
The robot opens its chest, grabs a book, and [[throws it to you|true end 14]].]It's a well-worn book titled *The Book of Five*.
You open the book,(click-append:"You open the book,")[ and there are no words on the page. You turn through more pages and they're all blank.
"Did you expect some more wisdom from a sentient machine?"
[[You don't know what to make of this empty book.|true end 15]]]"Do you need me to explain everything?
"Write their stories."(click-replace:"Write their stories.")[You've seen their memories.](click-replace:"You've seen their memories.")[Get their word out.](click-replace:"Get their word out.")[[[You have ended their lives and there is no walking back from that.|true end 16]]](font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[true end: in search of lost time]]
[[Return to lounge.|lounge]]
(link:"Start from the beginning.")[(reload:)]
[[Afterword]]**Afterword**
I figured this afterword might get a bit long, so I've split it up into three parts:
* [[The original idea|afterword1]]
* [[Inspirations and whatnot|afterword 2]]
* [[Last day of the jam and the ending of the game|afterword3]] (font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[`(cw: discussions of real death)`]]
[[April 15, 2023|end]]This game mentions ableism, suicide, murder, and death.
Click here if you want to read more specific, spoilery content warnings.(click-replace:"Click here if you want to read more specific, spoilery content warnings.")[You will read flashbacks of people having panic attacks and facing their very last moments. Two of the people you'll read include a person with a wheelchair and a young child. Click here if you want spoilers of the true ending.](click-replace:"Click here if you want spoilers of the true ending")[
The story basically deals with the ethics of euthanasia/assisted dying, medical consent, and grief. The protagonist is a social worker who has "assisted" the deaths of many disabled and comatose people]
[[Return to title.|title]](text-size:1.5)["But you can continue [[their time in this world|end]] and make it mean something!"](font:"Inconsolata")[(css:"background-color:black")[`(cw: discussions of real death)`]]
Well, this is going to be heavy. If you want to [[leave now|Afterword]], it's the perfect time. If you want to read on, click here. (click-append:"click here.")[
[The final day of the jam]<room|
I was already very late in finishing up my game because there were many complications that arose. Not surprising, really, since this was a bigger and more ambitious game. But I still underestimated the load.
On the last day of the jam, I woke up and learned that a relative had passed away. I'll spare you the details of how they died, but they were supposed to be visiting us today. They called us yesterday to tell us they couldn't make it and refunded the air ticket. We didn't expect that would be the last time we would hear their voice.
Their voice still rings in our ears.
I was not close to them, but I was still shocked. I knew death can be sudden as someone who used to do first aid and seen people die before, but it remains unnerving. I didn't know what to do, so I just walked around a bit.
My aunt, who had arrived the day before and must now leave to start with the funeral arrangements, asked me if I believed they had left the world peacefully. I said that from my experience, I could not imagine it. That kind of death is isolating and painful. Nobody could hear your cries for help.
I went back to my game afterwards. I already was thinking this game was going to be about eugenics, social workers, and death, but that conversation stayed with me. The ending was going to be somewhat different: all the equipment you're carrying was supposed to go to Zeroth and they were going to dress up to remember their fallen comrades.
But I decided to change it and make it this rather long, wordy, essayistic quarrel about death. A friend said it needed subtlety and I do agree, but I suppose I like it the way it is now.
Perhaps, it's because I thought long and hard about death and euthanasia that it had to spill out like that. People want to believe there's such a thing as a good, peaceful death. They'll talk about how immortality sucks or whatever. But we don't know death. We can't ever know death.
Wittgenstein writes, "Death is not an event in life: we do not live to experience death. If we take eternity to mean not infinite temporal duration but timelessness, then eternal life belongs to those who live in the present. Our life has no end in the way in which our visual field has no limits."
I believe this is true, but we do see people die regardless. We just can't experience it. So, it is unfair for us to claim that we know what it is like to be in pain or to die and that lets us kill people "peacefully". We are trying to "fix" an image to death in order to euthanize, even if we claim that we all want some "good ways to die". If Wittgenstein is correct, then we can extend it to say that we can't say there'll ever be a precise way to die either.
All talk about "preparing ourselves for a good death" is baloney. We all want to live good lives. Euthanasia makes no sense to me.
But I used to think it did. I thought it was a leftist ideal, to choose how to die -- until I read Marta Russell's *Capitalism and Disability* and watched Leslie Exp's videos on the subject. I learned how gruesome it is to assume people in comatose states have "consented" or allow people in desperate times to end their lives when so many preventable measures like a safety net could save so many lives. There's certainly terminal conditions that cannot be prevented, but the deaths I've mentioned are so preventable that I can only conclude the world is ableist.
I don't know if people will play this game and change their opinions on the subject matter. If they had fun reading the weird shit and thought the ending was too preachy, I'd be fine with that. But I think this is the clearest exposition I have about the social and medical workers in our world ... they're all good people, but the jobs they have may not be the best for people who need their help.
Perhaps, there could be a way to avert the sands of time. But that would involve a new way of thinking. I hope this game at least speaks to some people who have been thinking the same thoughts as I do.
If you've read this entire afterword, thank you for reading it. I appreciate it.
[[April 15, 2023|end]]][The game jam context]<room|
After publishing my first game, I knew I wanted to go back to game development as soon as I can. I enjoyed my time wrangling with Harlowe's strange syntax (sorry, Leon!) and exploring different virtual worlds, so I wanted to make new game experiences.
I was shopping for game jams around to participate in, but most jams were pretty hostile to the kinds of games I wanted to make. For example, I found some that disbarred games with "real world political" elements.
What the hell does that mean? Do I have to put my video games in Chicego, Ameryca? What's with people trying to avoid politics in their games???
I ended up applying for a 72 hour Mini-Jam with the theme, "Severed". I didn't know what the limitation would end up being, but I did want to do something different.
[Why an adventure game]<room|
I wanted to make a game that's very different from *Hanna, We're Going to School*. For those who have not played that game yet, it's a slice-of-life horror game about a girl and a gay girl ghost in an international school.
There's some light branching, but most of the game is about clicking to reveal more information about the characters. Everyone who's played the game often commented how clicking made the entire reading experience fun. Even those who noted how wordy the game would get said it was mitigated by this. I am grateful that my inspirations, the works of Porpentine and some visual novels, were helpful for that project.
But I didn't want to pigeonhole myself doing LGBTQ+ school life media. The reason I started playing interactive fiction titles came from parser games like *Planetfall* and adventure games like *MYST*. I wanted to make something big and experimental, a bit like *A Mind Forever Voyaging*.
However, I had like three days, so I tried to pare down the scope.
[Previous Ideas]<room|
I did want to keep the blunt political and social commentary from *Hanna*, so I toyed with several ideas. The most fleshed out idea is based on a racist encounter I had during college. Two days before the jam started, I realized the game wouldn't work if limitations like "Multiple Endings" appeared (which, well, did happen) and I liked the idea enough to not butcher it. I might make a game on that someday, so I won't say it out yet.
But the idea of "your adventure game is about doing/avoiding terrible things" did come from that draft.
I also was considering a science fiction kinda game. This is where the Hive Queen subplot came from, but instead of the Five Warriors, you get Five Spacesuit People in a Space Station. Similar plot beats and map layout, but very different characters and a very different ending.
First off, the characters are all actually alive and in different parts of the station. They fought the Hive Queen and you, the player, was supposed to be the unlucky bulks good trader who drove them to the spot. You were quarantined, but you were also paid good money to oversee them.
And oh yeah, Third was going to be clingier and possessive.
Once you've returned all the items to the characters, you report to the "Leader" (who would be Zeroth) -- and then, all hell broke loose. Turns out, when you have five people who are emotionally unstable, a battle royale could happen.
They want your bio-code and take over the ship.
The second part of the game would have you dodging the five people with the help of the leader -- until the leader betrayed you at the pilot room. If you had an item in the first part of the game, you can avoid this bad end and win the game.
I thought this was too cheesy lol.
I started thinking less in the realm of Ridley Scott's *Alien* and more in the games that inspire me, which leads us to the next part.
[[Continue to the next part.|afterword 2]]
[[Return to afterword menu|Afterword]][This game is a *MYST* fanfic of sorts]<room|
I love *MYST* and *Riven* so much.
I played it a few weeks ago and was entranced by it. I devoured everything to do with its production, its puzzle ideas, and the people behind this genius work. Both games are undeniable masterpieces in their own right.
While it's easy to regurgitate what has been written about the clever puzzles, what really captured my imagination more was the postcolonialist bent the series had. *MYST* dealt with the violence of exploration, *Riven* is simply about the colonization of the world, and *MYST III: Exiles* is about a pissed off dude whose life has been irrevocably ruined by the colonialist technologies that underpin the series. For a game series in the 90s, I thought it was bizarrely forward-thinking about the violence in fantasy literature.
The cast has to reckon with the colonial violence their craft has caused and there's some really interesting discursions on subjects I didn't think *any* game would explore: for example, I thought it was interesting in *Riven* to see how dehumanizing being a white savior can be.
For all the talk in the game press about how the series is nonviolent, the *MYST* series actually acknowledges and faces violence. It's certainly not a nonviolent game, but it is anti-violent.
I respect that ethos and you can probably see how this seeps into the game in some blatant ways.
[Tone Whiplash and Throne Room]<room|
Of course, ideas never pan out the way you intend it to be. The game was supposed to simulate the somber "walking alone" atmosphere the *MYST* games had. But I decided to goof off and ... it turned into something more like a weird comedy game with tone whiplashes.
Woops.
This also made it difficult to write the "Throne Room" description, which was the last thing I wrote in the game, and I kept putting it off until I released the game to the public and realized I just forgot to write anything for it. But people have said that the room's lack of description felt intentional and it was atmospheric anyway since Zeroth was the only thing there, so I kept it that way.
Just another example of how the creator doesn't know everything about their own creation.
[Other Inspirations]<room|
Other than the *MYST* games, I've taken some cues from the following titles:
* *Planetfall*, especially its feelies. I thought the recruitment drive feelie was funny, so I adopted it for my game description.
* *A Mind Forever Voyaging* for its lack of puzzles and radically political storytelling.
* The *Zork* series for having the wildest maps. I tried to emulate that, but I realized I should keep the game simple.
* Several Chandler Groover titles like *Bring Me a Head* and *Eat Me*, the latter giving me the idea to get something from medieval manuscripts as the cover image.
* *Adventure* because every interactive fiction title owes its existence to this game.
* *SPY INTRIGUE* for being a wildly imaginative title with interesting font styles. The "visions" in *Their Time* are reminiscent of the "bad ends" in this game.
* *You are Jeff Bezos* for the "best end".
* "The Venus Effect", a science fiction short story that keeps getting interrupted by a police shooting.
[[Continue to the final part.|afterword3]]
[[Return to afterword menu|Afterword]]