kliffy/timemachine.xml
2011-03-03 11:42:18 -08:00

135 lines
5.9 KiB
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='Ask to explain'>
<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>