S U S P E N D E D ----------------- - A Cryogenic Nightmare... A goodie from Infocom (again), in which you are in control of 6 robots. Here is the introduction: Contra Central Lottery Commission Headquarters Congratulations. You have been chosen as the winner of the semi-millenial Lottery, and as such will have the honor of serving as Contra's Central Mentality for the next 500 years. Naturally, this title brings with it certain responsibilities, not the least of which is ensuring the survival of life on this planet. To this end, in accordance with Procedural Substatute 2.5X:845A77b, you will be placed in a state of limited cryogenic suspension. In this sleep-like mode, your mind will monitor the Filtering Computers that maintain the delicate balance of our surface-side systems. Should an emergency occur which causes a Filtering Computer imbalance, you will be awakened. It will then be up to you to ascertain the problem and perform such remedial actions as you deem necessary. The penalties for failure are all too obvious. This briefing bas been prepared to familiarize you with your duties in your new role. It has been revised and amended to enable you to avoid the tragic errors of your predecessor, the lamentable George Franklin. This briefing suspensedes and countermands all previous briefings issued by the Lottery Commission. It may be material at this time to review the Franklin Incident. The report of the event appearing in the Contra Citizen of two months ago, while editorial in nature, sums up the circumstances succinctly: ...But Franklin was not destined to completed his tour of duty. After 467 years, he awoke by mistake and, not being extremely bright to start with, lost what little sense and sanity he had. He looked around the Underground Complex for an emergency, found none, and decided to create one of hix own. Overriding the three Filtering Computers, he directed the transportation system to kill whoever happened to be walking outside or riding in any of the mass transit systems. Psychologists believe that he must have possessed a twisted sense of humor - to have people maimed, run over, chased by robot-taxis provided him with pleasure for the moment. However, he soon tired of this, and decided to eliminate a larger section of the population in a far easier manner. Ever since weather had been controlled, dwellings had not been designed to withstand snow and sleet. Franklin altered the pressure in the Weather Towers near the cities, setting off ragingstorms and creating freezing temperatures. Thousands perished from exposure; thousands more became popsicles. The surviving authorities decided to send an extermination squad down into the Underground Complex to remove Franklin from his suspension capsule. They got there just in time. When they arrived, Franklin had the six maintenance robots snipping wires and causing havoc with the Filtering Computers and automated systems. In the tragedy's aftermath, several known malcontents protested that the system had proven itself infeasible; these complaints were dealt with summarily by the Authority, which assures all citizens that new improvements in the system and the method for selecting future central mentalities have eliminated any cause for alarm... With this in mind, you can well understand why the Authority insisted on a comprehensive briefing before you enter the Complex. You are therefore requested to read the following with the greatest car before entering the suspended state Ignatz Feroukin VP/Memos Addendum: The Office of Cloning and Personnel Development informs us that a number of replicates of you are currently under production, for use in the event that we find it necessary to remove you. This should in no way be construed as a reflection on you as a person; despite the fact that your psychological profile revealed a few characteristics which could be termed "deviant," we have only the highest expectations for you. Needless to say, however, the Authority desires no repeats of Franklin's performance. Therefore, remember: you can be replaced Robots:Communications & Characteristics --------------------------------------- If you want to talk to one of the six robots, type the name of it, a "," and what you want to tell it (read the 'PlayingInfocom' manual). After you have addressed a robot once, you don't have to type it's name more. Notice that you can use the ALL ROBOTS command, e.g: ALL ROBOTS, REPORT YOUR LOCATIONS. The following also works: BOTH SENSA AND IRIS,(do something). ARR = ALL ROBOTS, REPORT ARL = ALL ROBOTS, REPORT LOCATIONS IRIS ---- Iris is a visual robot, wohse mobility is limited. Her ability to describe things approaches what a human being might see in most circumstances. Since Frobozz Engineering Company built her, she was not designed to do a lot of grasping, carrying, etc., and has only two grasping, carrying, etc., and has only two grasping extensions. She has proved to be the butt of many design and implementation jokes on the planet's surface, one of which was "The eyes have it." Humor of this sort has, for obvious reasons, since been outlawed on Contra. Iris has limited mobility and her internal mapping does not extend throughout the Complex. This design restriction was based on the following consideration: Iris can wander about the areas in which she can perform a useful function. WALDO ----- Waldo is an industrious robot, built primarily for manipulation objects. Since his primary purpose is to manipulated objects, he has been provided with six grasping extensions. He travels by using a sonar-feedback mecha- nism and, when close or touching an object, can detect quite a bit about its inherent characteristics based on this sonar. In addition, he has a highly developed sense of touch and can prove to be a delicate workman. SENSA ----- Sensa is a peculiar mixtue of sensory apparatuses. She can detect vibrational activity, photon emission sources, and ionic discharges. She is also rigged to automatically perform such sensory tasks as the analysis of diffraction indexes. Sensa has five extensions, two of which are used exclusively for sensory input. The other three extensions are grasping extensions. AUDA ---- Auda is all ears, capable of processing and interpreting auditory signals within the Complex. Her presence there was required by the CLU (Consolidated Lisners Union), and thought Auda may not be very helpful in the high-tech sense, in case of human intervention, she is absolutely required. Auda has but one grasping extension. POET ---- Poet is a peculiar robot whose function was somehow altered over time by the Filtering Computers. Poet was originally intended as a diagnostic robot. He has been equipped with a diagnostic sensor which is activated when he has been directed to TOUCH something. Unless Poet is actually doing his tihng, he makes the best of what he perceives, translating his input into sometimes bewildering output. Despite the sometiems seeming lack of sense to his statements, they provide an accurate representation of reality. In addition to representation of reality. In addition to his "touching" extension, Poet has been provided with three grasping extensions. WHIZ ---- Whiz is an interfacing device between you and the Central Library Core, a huge data bank available to your queries. Whiz can PLUG IN to any of the four CLC peripherals and find information for you. This information pertains to objects and the Complex in general. The CLC contains no information about any of the rooms your robots can visit. Although Whiz is extremely helpful, he does not have his limitations. There was once a robot-joke about Whiz being a real airhead and, if he could have understood it, he would have taken offense. Whiz has two grasping extensions. NOTE ---- There is a seventh robot. Standing almost two meters tall and featuring sixteen grasping extensions, verbal circuits, and heavy-duty shielding against acid damage, this model is optimized for a multitude of applications. It should be mentioned that this robot was attended to by Georgory Franklin, who abandoned it within the Complex after brutally mangling it beyond recognition or hope of repair. The CLC is composed of several distinct parts: Whiz, the Peripherals, and the Library Core. Whiz can be plugged into the following Peripherals: The Index Peripheral - ask about object The Technical Peripheral - technical data on some objects. The Advisory Peripheral - When you need advice The Historical Peripheral - Historical references for certain objects found. Special Commands: ADVANCED - HARDER - EXPERT : the level of play CONFIGURE - You can configure your own game ! Only use this option if you have completed the game, so you don't spoil the fun. DRAG (robot) TO - to drag a disabled robot to a different area. IMPOSSIBLE - Beyond Advanced, beyond Configure - the ultimate challenge LISTEN - Activated Auda's Auditory Sensors. Whatever she hears from then on will be elayed directly to you. QUERY ABOUT - Whiz can query about an object once he's been plugged in. STOP - this stops a robot from continuing on its present course. Have fun..... The League