You are Jeffery O’Connell, a fourteen-year-old boy with long unkept brown hair that partly obscures your vison as it lazily droops over your eyes, wearing an orange workman's jumpsuit with strips of reflective tape you stand in the cockpit of your father's fishing tug-boat, which smells of salt water and putrid fish. leaning on the cane in your left-hand and staring through the windows at the horrific blackness of the endless ocean, watching for any sign of rescue, or trouble.
Your father decided that both of you along with his best friend Kyle needed to go out on a fishing trip like you used to before the accident nearly a year ago, and despite being fully healed your back and nearly useless left leg are in constant pain. both Mom and your little sister Bridget died that day and all Dad can go on about is that you’re now a cripple; don’t do this, don’t do that, you can’t do that anymore. You wish that he would just stop.
It has been nearly a week or so since you last saw daylight, or Dad, and almost as long since you have had anything to eat. It all went wrong not two days into the trip when something punctured a hole in the hall and the engine died, then this strange blackness showed up.
Off in the distance a cluster of strange clouds flicker violently, nearing with each flash, Dad needs to know about this, he is in the **Engine Room** two levels down in the underbelly of the ship past **The Cargo Hold**.
Inspect your surroundings of [[The Bridge]]?
go [[To The Ship Deck<-Outside]] onto the deck?
or go [[Below Deck<-Down Stairs]] and look for Dad?
(set: $Stomach to "Empty")
(set: $FoodBowl to "Empty")
(set: $LowerBoat to "No")
(set: $Present to "No")
(set: $Engine to "Off")
(set: $Wrinch to "No")
(set: $Attempt to "No")
(set: $OnDeck to "No")
(set: $Net to "Good")
(set: $Clue to "No")
(set: $ClueFound to "No")(If: $OnDeck is "No") [Passing through the light wooden and glass door with pealing white paint you find yourself standing on the rocking deck of the boat. ]
The deck is lit by a pair of work lights mounted above the door to **The Bridge**, casting harsh shadows with its eerie pale-yellow light upon the deck of the ship, the pitch black darkness seems to press against the light and creeps along the edge. Freezing cold water splashes into the air and rains upon the deck soaking your clothes and chilling you to the bone.
[[The Bridge<-Go Back Inside]]?
There is a large pile of sopped fishing net laying in a heap on the backend of the deck and is obviously the source of the rancid smell of decaying fish.
Would you like to [[Inspect the Net]]?
(if: $LowerBoat is "No") [ There is also a single life raft with peeling white paint contacted to old fraying ropes and rusty pullies, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice. Would you like to (if: $Attempt is "No") [ [[Inspect the Life Boat]]?] (if: $Attempt is "Yes") [ [[Life Boat, part 2<-Try again]]? ] ]
(if: $LowerBoat is "Yes") [ The life raft bay sits empty after you foolishly lowered that rickety old boat into water only to be crushed to splinters as a wave smashed it into the side of the ship. It was a good thing you weren’t in it. ]
(set: $OnDeck to "Yes")Using the stairs aggravates your injured leg and back, causing your muscles to cramp and jolt you with sharp pain. This is just a fact of life now, but it’s probably best to not push it.
This is the middle of the ship, the **Crew Quarters**. it is warm and comfortable here. Though the trail of blood from Dad and Kyle’s struggle upstairs leads into **The Kitchen**.
At stern of the ship is [[The Kitchen]], which a pleasant smell of food emanates and over powers the smell of rot from above.(if: $Stomach is "Empty") [ Your stomach growls with hunger. ]
And at the bow of the ship is a door that leads to [[The Sleeping Quarters]].
Go [[Above Deck<- Upstairs]] to **The Bridge**?
Or downstairs to [[The Cargo Hold]] where Dad is?A large heap of fishing net lays on the ship's deck, torn and tattered it is useless junk and the rank with the smell of rotting fish so strong it is hard not to gag.
Go [[The Bridge<-Back inside]]?
Or [[To The Ship Deck<-Leave it be]]?
(if: $Net is "Good") [ Or attempt to [[Throw Net Overboard<- Throw the Net Overboard]]? you only have one usable hand as you need the cane for support and lifting something heavy like this will likely aggravate your injury and getting tangled up in it could be a problem.]
(if: $Net is "Bad") [ [[End, Drown to Death<-Continue]] pulling the net over the edge of the ship, even though it's dangerous?
Or pull the [[Pull Net Up<-Rank Fishing Net]] back up? It might cause problems when Dad gets the Engine running again. ]
The smell of salt water and putrid fish lays heavy in the air. Vast blackness and eerie storm awaits outside, Dad in **The Engine Room**, two levels down, needs to know about this.
Broken bits of the radio and shards of glass from the broken compass mix with pools of thick red blood smeared across the floor, leading down the stairs, the after math of Dad and Kyle’s struggle what would seem a day ago though it is hard to tell with everything being pitch back all of the time.
Inspect [[Locked Stearing Helm<-Stearing Helm]]?
go [[To The Ship Deck<-Outside]]?
or go [[Below Deck<-Down Stairs]]?
(Set: $OnDeck to "No")Using the stairs aggravates your injured leg and back, causing your muscles to cramp and jolt you with sharp pain. This is just a fact of life now, but it’s probably best to not push it.
The **Cargo Hold** in the belly of the ship his partly flooded with frigid water that comes half way up your shin and makes your bones feel like they’re cracking open.
On the side of the room furthest from the stairs is a tangled mass of junk propped against the hall.
Go back [[Below Deck<- Upstairs]]?
Inspect [[Hall Breach<-Pile of Junk]]?
Or go inside the [[Engine Room]] where Dad is?
**The Kitchen** is small and littered with dirty dishes, plates, bowls, pots, and silverware left to be tossed about with the rocking of the ship.
A [[Inspect Stew<-Stew Pot]] sits upon the stove, it must be were the heavenly smell is coming from.(if: $Stomach is "Empty") [ your stomach growls violently. ]
[[Main Room<-Leave]]?
**The Sleeping Quarters** is a sparce room with enough bunks mounted to the walls for six men. On the Wall of room hangs a picture of your family, Mother, Father, yourself, and and your baby sister from a few years ago on vacation to the grand canyon.
Look at [[Family Photo]]?
[[Sit on the Bunk]] and rest for a moment.
Or [[Main Room<-Leave]]?The **Steering Helm** is wrapped tightly with a metal chain and will not budge. a large old and **Rusty Padlock** secures the wheel in place. Perhaps with the right tool it can be broken off?
[[The Bridge<-Back]] Standing before the **Steering Helm** you heft the wrench and bring it down upon the **Rusty Lock**. After a few resounding blows that causes sharp pain in your ears with each hit the **Rusty Lock** breaks free and you pull the chain free.
(if: $Wrinch is "Yes") [ [[Away From The Storm<-Next]] ]After putting the sparkplug into place both Dad and you clime the stairs togeather, and with him sporting your weight as you clime the pain in your left leg hasn't been this bareable since befor the car accident.
Reaching the Bridge a sad grimice crosses Dad's face as he takes in the seene of his crime against his best friend.
The storm is nearly upon you and large waves are already making the boat rock violently with the rapid flashes of sinister lightning and their defening cracks.
Taking a deep breath Dad crosses to the helm and unfastiens the chain, letting it drop to the ground with loud metalic thump. closing his eyes and tilting his head up in prayer he turns the ignition key. click, click, click.
Dad Mumbles words of prayer and asks Mom to see the both of you through the storm. A massive wave that will broadside the ship and capsize it at anymoment speeds toward you and is already displaceing water around the ship, roaring even louder than the storm.
Turning the key one more time the engine roars to life, viberating its living defiance up through your feet.
(if: $Net is "Good") [ Spinning the wheel into action Dad points the bow of the crippled ship into the violent storm. The monstrous wave batters the fragile ship, but she shrugs it off with a defiant groan.
[[End, Break Through The Storm<-Next]] ]
(if: $Net is "Bad") [ Dad Spins the wheel into action but quickly finds that it is stuck, and as quickly as it came to life the engine comes to a grinding halt, sending putrid black smoke smelling of burning rubber throughout the ship so think that it is hard to breath as you cough and choke on it.
[[End, Swallowed By The Storm<-Next]] ]
The storm is nearly upon you and large waves are already making the boat rock violently with the rapid flashes of sinister lightning and their defening cracks.
A massive wave that will broadside the ship and capsize it at anymoment speeds toward you and is already displaceing water around the ship, roaring even louder than the storm.
Without any power from the crippled engine you decide that your best chance for survival is to ride with the waves, so you frantically steer the ship away from the storm, pointing your stern into the oncoming wave.
Your plain to ride the waves works, though you failed to foresee the consequence of being drug further into the storm where the violent waves toss the boat from side to side, filling the fragile ship full of water.
[[End, Swallowed By The Storm<-Next]]
After battling the violent sea far past the point of wanting to collapse from exhaustion the first rays of sunlight seen in days warms your cold face. The ship has never been in worse shape and the **Hall Patch** broke in the storm letting in so much water that the ship will soon sink.
(if: $LowerBoat is "No") [ But you and your father make it to the **Life Boat**. Rowing to safety you both watch as the Ship named after your late mother Loura sinks into the sea. By no means are you safe, but now that you have broken free of the storm your odds of rescue are going up. ]
(if: $LowerBoat is "Yes") [ The **Life Boat** would have probably saved your lives if you had not let your foolish pride overcome you. But with no **Life Boat** both you and your father sink into the sea with the ship. ]
[[Starting Point<-Would you Like to Play Again?]]
The monstrous wave batters the fragile ship, causing it to groan in agony, and with each consecutive wave the groans of the helpless ship grow more desperate until the horrendous sound of metal rending itself apart, splits the ship in two.
You and the broken ship sink into the cold dark water. (if: $Net is "Bad") [The **Fishing Net** must’ve got wrapped up in the propellers.]
[[Starting Point<-Would you Like to Play Again?]]This is the middle of the ship, the **Crew Quarters**. it is warm and comfortable here. Though the trail of blood from Dad and Kyle’s struggle upstairs leads into **The Kitchen**.
At stern of the ship is [[The Kitchen]], which a pleasant smell of food emanates and over powers the smell of rot from above.(if: $Stomach is "Empty") [ your stomach growls with hunger. ]
And at the bow of the ship is a door that leads to [[The Sleeping Quarters]].
Go [[Above Deck<- Upstairs]]?
Or downstairs to [[The Cargo Hold]]?On the wall hangs a family photo from a few years ago when you took a vacation as a family to the Grand Canyon, everyone was so happy back then. Giving your sister a piggyback ride made her so happy, she was talking about a few years later when that car crashed into us, killing her and Mom, the same day I became a worthless cripple.
Something is strange though; this picture wasn’t here before you set sail. [[Investigate Photo]]?
Or [[The Sleeping Quarters<-Leave]]?
The **Engine Room** in the belly of the ship has a strong odor of burnt rubber permits the room, which is partly flooded with frigid water that comes half way up your shin, making your bones feel like they’re cracking open and your skin is being stabbed by thousands of needles.
A broad shouldered and muscular man wearing the same orange jumpsuit with reflective tape as you, sits on a stool near the engine, his dark brown hair is matted in places to his head with engine grease. Blankly staring at the engine, Marty O’Connell, Dad, absently scratches at his several day-old stubbled face, smearing even more grease on it.
(if: $FoodBowl is "Empty" and $Present is "No")[ Talking to him in this state will not accomplish anything. Perhaps if you brought him something it might snap him out of it? ]
(if: $FoodBowl is "Full") [ [[Give Stew to Dad]] ]
(if: $Present is "Yes") [ [[Give Present to Dad]] ]
[[Exit The Engine Room<-Leave]]?(if: $FoodBowl is "Out") [ (if: $Stomach is "Empty") [Your stomach growls watching Dad slerp down a few prescious spoon fulls of stew.] (if: $Stomach is "Full")[ Dad vigorously slurps down a few spoonful’s of stew.]
A look of shocked horror crosses Dad’s face and he lets the bowl slip from his fingers and with a wet slap it spashes frigid water onto the both of you.
The echos of the droped bowl have long since pased as you both looked at where the bowl sank into the water in silence when he slowly looks up at you, his teary eyes haunted and filled with grief.
I'm sorry my son, I should have never let it come to this.
Do you [[Confrunt]] him about his cannibal stew, or [[Comfort]] him and let him know that you understand. ]
(if: $Present is "Out") [ Dropping the note he excitedly tears the red wrapping paper with a green string bow from a small box. Dad opens the lid and after a moment of pure joy he slumps in his stool sobbing unconcrollably. [[Comfort]] him. ]
On you way out of the **Engine Room** you snag a large pipe wrench from a toolbox beside the door and hobble up the painful stairs to **The Bridge**.
[[Rusty Padlock<-Next]]
(set: $Wrinch to "Yes")You killed your best friend and ate him! You are a monster! I’m the son of a monster! This storm is punishment for your sins, and dying in this storm is the best thing that could happen to me, to the world.
You storm out of the **Engine Room**, snagging a large pipe wrench from a tool box next to the door on your way out. There is only one thing to do.
[[Use Wrinch to Break Hall Patch<-Next]]
(if: $FoodBowl is "Out") [ It'll be okay Dad, I Still Love you.
Tears of anguash well up in his puffy, red eyes.
I promised your mother that i would always protect you, but i can't anymore. The ship is dead, i'm sorry, I tried to keep your hope alive but this is the end for the both of us. Atleast well will all be togeather again soon.
Even it we can't fix the engine there has to be something! I will find a way to save us, there is always hope Dad.
Tears pore down you face as you fight back a sob.
Don't give up on me! [[Take the Wrinch]] and flee to **The Bridge** ]
(if: $Present is "Out") [ After several minutes of sobbing and clutching the present to his chest he wipes the tears from his eyes with the back of his large, rough fisherman's hand, smearing black engine grease across his entire face.
I did't know how to tell you that I can't fix the engine.
choking on a sob he looks you directily in the eye with fresh tears of pure joy, his rough and several day-old stubbled face contorted into a pained smile as he outstreaches his arms to show you the gift box and the spark plug within.
Mom is watching over us.
(set: $Engine to "On")
[[Towards The Storm<-Next]] ]
(if: $Stomach is "Empty" or $FoodBowl is "Empty") [ Peering over the rim you find that there is still some warm stew left in the pot, though as you stir it with a metal ladle you find human bones beneath the surface, that must be Kyle.
(if: $Stomach is "Empty") [Your stomach growls harder. ]
[[Fill a Bowl]] anyway? ]
(if: $Stomach is "Full" and $FoodBowl is "Full") [The Stew Pot is Empty, except for the human bones, Kyle's Bones.]
[[Main Room<-Leave]]Using the stairs aggravates your injured leg and back, causing your muscles to cramp and jolt you with sharp pain. This is just a fact of life now, but it’s probably best to not push it.
The smell of salt water and putrid fish lays heavy in the air. Vast blackness and eerie storm awaits outside, Dad in **The Engine Room**, two levels down, needs to know about this.
Broken bits of the radio and shards of glass from the broken compass mix with pools of thick red blood smeared across the floor, leading down the stairs, the after math of Dad and Kyle’s struggle what would seem a day ago though it is hard to tell with everything being pitch back all of the time.
Inspect [[Locked Stearing Helm<-Stearing Helm]]?
go [[To The Ship Deck<-Outside]]?
or go [[Below Deck<-Down Stairs]]?
(Set: $OnDeck to "No")You ladle out a bowl full of human stew. What do you do with it?
[[The Kitchen<-Leave it]]
(if: $Stomach is "Empty") [ Your stomach growls in loud anticipation. It has been days since you have eaten, and you need to [[Eat the Stew<-eat some]] to keep your strength up if you have any chance of being rescued, no matter how repulsive it is to. ]
(if: $FoodBowl is "Empty") [ Dad is the one who made this, I should [[Take Stew<-take some]] to him. It is repulsive, but he needs to keep his strength up if he is going to get the engine fixed. ]As you eat the food, your mind and your stomach are at odds. You know that eating another human is wrong and repulsive, but your belly is warm and happy.
Dad always said that you and Kyle should get to know each other better, though you doubt that this is what he had in mind.
[[Inspect Stew<-Next]]
(set: $Stomach to "Full")I should get this to Dad before the stew of Kyle gets cold.
[[Inspect Stew<-Next]]
(set: $FoodBowl to "Full")**The Bunk** is not particularly comfortable but any opportunity to get off of your bum leg is a relief.
[[The Sleeping Quarters<-Get up]]?
(if: $Present is "No" and $Clue is "Yes") [ or [[Investigate a Lump in the Bunk]]? ]After digging around under the mattress for a moment your efforts are reworded with a small box wrapped in red paper and bound with a green string and bow, along with an accompanying note.
[[Read Note]]
(set: $ClueFound to "Yes")Written on the back of the frame was the word “Nest Egg”. Mom used to do scavenger hunts with you and your little sister, leaving clues around to guide us to the presents she hid.
(if: $ClueFound is "No" ) [ She couldn’t have possibly hidden something on the boat could she? ]
(if: $ClueFound is "Yes" ) [ Nest Egg must mean bed. Mom must’ve hid this present on the boat some time ago. ]
(if: $Present is "No") [ [[Investigate a Lump in the Bunk<-Perhaps the bunks]]? ]
(set: $Clue to "Yes")
[[The Sleeping Quarters<-leave]] Holding the bowl up to his face, it takes a moment before he notices you with a start and accepts it with a sad smile.
[[Talk To Dad<-Next]]
(set: $FoodBowl to "Out")(if: $Wrinch is "No") [ A large bunch of cobbled togeather parts from whatever was laying about the ship is wedged against a breach in the hall, though effetive, it is still leaking considerably. if anything was to happen to this makeshift hall patch the ship would sink.
Go back up to the [[Below Deck]] or into the [[Engine Room]]? ]
Before you is a large bunch of cobbled together parts from whatever was lying about the ship, wedged against a breach in the hall. Raising the wrench high above your head you bring it down upon the rubbish keeping the boat from sinking.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
[[End, Sink the Ship<-Next]]Refusing to admit that you have limitations you push through the searing pain and heave the soggy ropes with all your might. With a sudden bust of movement, you send the raft over the edge and it plummets towards the water.
Hearing it splash against the water you are filled with a strong since of triumph and hurry to the edge of the ship dispite the pain to see your handy work and to get in it before it floats away.
Reaching the edge of the ship your hopes of escaping this doomed ship is quickly turned to dread as you watch a wave of water pick up your life boat and smash it into splinters against the side of the ship with a resounding crack.
[[To The Ship Deck<- Back]]
(set: $LowerBoat to "Yes")Inspecting the **Life Boat** you find that despite being partly filled with salt water and the fact it’s so old the paint is peeling, the boat itself and its oars looks, and feels sturdy enough to hold out water to make a break for help.
Do you attempt to [[Life Boat<-Lower it]]? you only have one usable hand as you need the cane for support and lifting something heavy like this will likely aggravate your injury.
Or leave it alone for now and [[To The Ship Deck<-Think About it]]?
The **Cargo Hold** in the belly of the ship his partly flooded with frigid water that comes half way up your shin and makes your bones feel like they’re cracking open.
On the side of the room furthest from the stairs is a tangled mass of junk propped against the hall.
Go back [[Below Deck<- Upstairs]]?
Inspect [[Hall Breach<-Pile of Junk]]?
Or go inside the [[Engine Room]] where Dad is?Written in a beautiful, flowing cursive that could only be mom’s is a not that says:
My beautiful boys, I know that you will never give up that engine that is always in need of new parts, so like Prometheus I give you fire to bring light to your time of need in your darkest night.
With tears in your eyes you clutch the present close, Greek Mythology was always Moms favorite. You should take this to Dad.
[[The Sleeping Quarters<-Next]]
(set: $Present to "Yes")Shaking the palm sized present in front of his face causes something heavy inside to thud softly against the inside of it. Dad comes to with a start as he notices you in the room for the first time.
Taking the box from you he furrows his brows in confusion and reads the note.
[[Talk To Dad<-Next]]
(Set: $Present to "Out")With the use of only one hand due to needing to hold the cane to keep you standing, you struggle with lifting the boat out of its bay. Struggling with the rope sends sharp searing pain throughout your back and left leg and you drop the boat back into place as you scream in agony, barely maintaining your footing as you wobble back and forth. The pain still throbs through your body and your left hand holding the cane shakes violently as your muscles spasm.
Do you [[Life Boat, part 2<-Push through the Pain]]?
Or admit that you are a cripple and [[To The Ship Deck<-Leave it be]]?
(Set: $Attempt to "Yes")Despite the danger you grab a hand full of slimy rope, pulling it to the side of the ship you throw it overboard.
[[End, Drown to Death<-Continue]] pulling the net over the edge of the ship?
Or [[To The Ship Deck<- Stop]], this was a bad idea.
(set: $Net to "Bad")
With the use of only one hand due to needing to hold the cane to keep you standing, you struggle with dragging the net overboard and it soon sends sharp searing pain throughout your back and left leg, but you nearly have it off the ship, so you pull it one more time.
With a last hard tug the **Fishing Net**’s own weight drags the remaining heap over the edge, but a gnarled piece of net snags on your shoe.
You scream for help and fight desperately to free your foot, but only manage to get more of the net tangled around you as it drags you overboard into the deep dark of the cold sea.
There alone in the dark your pride drowned you, [[Starting Point<-Would you Like to Play Again?]]The makeshift patch gives away and water quickly floods the ship and it sinks as you drown. At least you made sure that you and your Dad couldn’t hurt anyone else.
[[Starting Point<-Would you Like to Play Again?]]The deck is lit by a pair of work lights mounted above the door to **The Bridge**, casting harsh shadows with its eerie pale-yellow light upon the deck of the ship, the pitch black darkness seems to press against the light and creeps along the edge. Freezing cold water splashes into the air and rains upon the deck soaking your clothes and chilling you to the bone.
[[The Bridge<-Go Back Inside]]?
There is a large pile of sopped fishing net laying in a heap on the backend of the deck and is obviously the source of the rancid smell of decaying fish.
[[Inspect the Net]] again?
(if: $LowerBoat is "No") [ There is also a single life raft with peeling white paint contacted to old fraying ropes and rusty pullies, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice. Would you like to (if: $Attempt is "No") [ [[Inspect the Life Boat]]?] (if: $Attempt is "Yes") [ [[Life Boat, part 2<-Try again]]? ] ]
(if: $LowerBoat is "Yes") [ The life raft bay sits empty after you foolishly lowered that rickety old boat into water only to be crushed to splinters as a wave smashed it into the side of the ship. It was a good thing you weren’t in it. ]
(Set: $Net to "Good")