kliffy/timemachine.xml

<story title="Richard and Larry Build A Time Machine" author="Jeremy Penner">
  <loadmodule url="retrochronal.js" />
  <section name="start">
	  <nev name="start">
	    <p>"I still can't believe you actually used a [DeLorean]," says Larry.</p>
	    <p>"Hey, if you're going to do a thing, you ought to do it right," says [Richard].</p>
	  </nev>
	  <word name="DeLorean">
	    <verb name="Examine">
	      Larry looks at the [DeLorean] with astonishment.  [Richard] has done it up to look <i>exactly</i> like the car from
	      <i>Back to the Future</i>.
	    </verb>
	    <verb name="Drive">
	      <p>Larry eyes the [DeLorean car].  "Give me the keys," he says.  "I want to take this baby to 88."</p>
	      <p>"Oh, it doesn't drive anymore," says [Richard]. "I had to use the engine to power the time machine."</p>
	    </verb>
	  </word>
	  <word name="Richard">
	    <verb name="how" display='Say, "What have you done?"'>
	      <p>"So, run it by me again," says Larry.</p>
	      <p>"I modified this [DeLorean] to send information backwards through time," says [Richard].</p>
	      <p>"Just information.  Not matter."</p>
	      <p>"Right."</p>
	      <p>Larry ponders this for a moment.  "How... how does that even work?"</p>
	      <p>[Richard] waves his hands around.  "Spooky action at a distance," he says.</p>
	      <p>"No, I mean, augh.  I mean, what can you practically change about the past with this machine?" says Larry.</p>
	      <p>
	        "Well, so far I've gotten my computer to crash five minutes before I push this [button]," says [Richard], 
	        gesturing at one of the controls inside the [DeLorean].
	      </p>
	    </verb>
	  </word>
	  <word name="button">
	    <verb name="Push" nextsection="next">
	      <p>Larry reaches for the button and gives it a push.</p>
	      <p>"Nothing happened", says Larry, looking at the [computer].</p>
	      <p>"I <i>told</i> you you were going to push it," says [Richard].</p>
	      <p>Larry opens his mouth to say something, then seems to think better of it.</p>
	    </verb>
	  </word>
	  <pastresponse after="start" future_cause="button.Push" name="crash">
	    <p>There is a beep as [Richard Richard's] [computer] spontaneously and inexplicably reboots.</p>
	    <p>"Aw, geez, you're going to push the button, aren't you?", whines [Richard].</p>
	    <p>"What?  What button?" asks Larry, puzzled.</p>
	    <p>"Never mind," says [Richard].</p>
	  </pastresponse>
  </section>
  <section name="next">
  	  <nev name="start">
  		<set var="number">null</set>
  		<set var="fInRoom">false</set>
  		<set var="fBeenInRoom">false</set>
  	  	<donext nev="realstart"/>
  	  </nev>
	  <nev name="realstart">
  		<p>"So I just write down the number I see on the screen?" says Larry.</p>
  		<p>"Yep," says Richard.</p>
  		<p>"And what does this tell us, exactly?" says Larry.</p>
  		<p>"Well, when you come out of the [room], I'm going to type the number you give me into the computer, which
  			will make it show up on the screen before you wrote it down," says Richard.</p>
  		<p>"And what does this tell us, exactly?" says Larry again, exasperated.</p>
  		<p>"A number that neither of us picked," says Richard.</p>
  	</nev>
  	<word name="room">
  		<verb name="Enter">
  			<cond>!fInRoom</cond>
  			<cond>!fBeenInRoom</cond>
  			<set var="fInRoom">true</set>
  			<set var="fBeenInRoom">true</set>
  			<p>Larry sighs and opens the door.  Inside the [room] is a computer [screen].</p>
  		</verb>
  		<verb name="Leave">
  			<cond>fInRoom</cond>
	  		<set var="fInRoom">false</set>
  			Larry goes back into the lab.  [Richard] looks at him expectantly.  "Well?" he asks.
  		</verb>
  	</word>
  	<word name="screen">
  		<verb name="Read">
  			<cond>fInRoom</cond>
  			$[if (number === null) {]
  				<p>
  					Larry looks at the screen.  It's blank.  "Well, hell," he says, feebly scanning the [room]
  					for another, hidden screen that might have a number on it.  He doesn't find one.
  				</p>
  			$[} else {]
  				<p>
  					Larry looks at the screen.  The number $(number) is displayed on it.
  				</p>
  			$[}]
  			<p>He looks down at his piece of [paper] for a moment.</p>
  		</verb>
  	</word>
  	<pastresponse after="start" future_cause="paper.write">
  		<set var="number">6</set>
  	</pastresponse>
  	<word name="paper">
  		<verb name="write" display="Write down number">
  			<cond>fInRoom</cond>
  			$[if (false) {]
  				<p>
  					Larry is at a loss for a moment, but then decides that the thing to do is to just write down a number.
  					He chooses six.
  				</p>
  			$[} else {]
  				<p>"Huh," says Larry, scrawling down a large number $(number) on his paper.  "Wonder what that means."</p>
  			$[}]
  			<donext nev="room.Leave"/>
  		</verb>
  	</word>
  	<word name="Richard">
  		<verb name="give" display="Give paper" nextsection="notes">
  			<cond>fBeenInRoom</cond>
  			$[if (number === null) {]
  				<p>Larry shows Richard the blank piece of paper.  "Nothing on the screen," he says.</p>
  				<p>
  					Richard slaps himself on the forehead.  "Of course!  I can't believe I didn't think of that.  If you
  					don't show me a number, I won't type it in, which means you won't see a number, which means no paradox.
  					Duh.  How stupid of me.  Forget I even asked."
  				</p>
  			$[} else {]
  				<p>Larry holds up the piece of paper.  "It said $(number)".</p>
  				<p>Richard looks quizzically at the paper.  "$(number)?  Are you sure?"</p>
  				<p>A look of alarm crosses Larry's face.  "Is... is $(number) bad?"</p>
  				<p>"No, no, it's just I would have expected something, I don't know, more random, or meaningful, I guess,"
  					says Richard.  "You didn't just make up some number?"</p>
  				<p>"Of course not!" says Larry, offended.  "Go ahead and look for yourself.  The screen says $(number)."</p>
  				<p>"No, no, I believe you," says Richard, and types a $(number) into his computer.</p>
  			$[}]
  		</verb>
  	</word>
  </section>
  </section>
</story>