h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So it appears, but which, just in time or a bit too early?

Matina has a snowzar...

So she did. I didn't get the feeling that she was mentally stable, really....maybe this is a person that we should help.

*transmission to Eleven* ::Re-activate the riddles and fill in the outer corridor as if it were a cave-in.::

*inputs commands to the spidercambot to leave the vicinity of the well-wrapped intruder and head for the chandelier in the main salon*

*calls up a file on the monitor, turns to the salonistas and points at the image that comes up on the screen*

*The image is a map. It shows the spiral stairs, the moshe pitte, the corridors leading to the set of rooms in which they stand*

*several passages lead away from this place. One path becomes branchy and convoluted and is labeled TLPAA. Another passage meanders off the side of the screen. A third meanders, comes to an underground lake fed by a likewise underground river, and continues again on the other side, where it segues into a large room. Two passages lead out of this room. One has an arrow labeled A.C. The other appears to descend in a series of flights of steps and is labeled AL2*

*excitedly points at the monitor*

Look! AL2! Isn't that where we are meant to be headed?

Looks like we shall have to cross that lake.

Can we have that printed off please?

Would AC be Aroma Café?

Quite possible, might say likely.

Might mean Armoury Chamber, or Admin Cupboard, or Accounting Corridor, or Apprentices Creche, or Abandoned Chasm, or Army Checkpoint, or Alarm Contraption, or Arithmetic Class, or Appeal Court, or Associated Company, or Apothecary/Chemist or .....

*drones on and on*

But it's about the same direction and distance as the Aroma Café would be. And there used to be a tunnel connection between the atelier and the Aroma Café. I wonder if the IIEM is still working?

And the lake shouldn't be a problem -- we have a raft!

Lil. Not only are we in old, creepy ruins, but we're also in CLI. Whatever you do, don't say that anything "shouldn't be a problem."

But with that said, I don't feel that any problems we encounter would be insurmountable.

*Mention of the raft brings a smile to GDZ's face*

*Mention of the raft brings a look of relief to Caer's face*

I'm a strong swimmer and don't object to a bit of the front crawl, but I would prefer to stay dry when adventuring.

Yeah, there's nothing like trenchfoot.

*innocently* Can the Heart of Darkness swim? Chesworth, what's the scale here? How big is this lake?

I wonder if Admin Level 2 has something to do with Bluebottle's waterworks? He had some very elaborate stuff what with two swimming pools and the sewers and all.

*Looking around*

*sends the image to print, creating 3 copies*
*hands one to Affi, one to GDZ and one to Titania*

*Eleven re-enters the room carrying a small stoppered plastic vial and a very small slim object not unlike a cell phone*
[Eleven]Chesworth apologizes to her employers for speaking earlier, but in extreme situations, like a total breach of security, she feels it was warranted.

We've created a roof-fall in the outmost corridor and enabled several riddle gates well ahead, on tunnels leading into this complex from the mines. We believe these will greatly delay STUMPED staffpeople from intruding.

*hands Garius the vial and other object* Here are a dozen spidercambots and a remote control. Chesworth recommends you use the lanyard to hang it around your neck. We've just programmed them to acept verbal directions, but you can recall them with that orange button.

*turns to Lil* The lake is about half a kilometer wide. There's just one embarking point and one landing place, and it's perfectly dark at the landing end because we had to install a door in the far corridor, but the door isn't locked.

Chesworth feels she should remain here at our command center, but I will come with you, and a squad of securitybots will meet us at the far side of the lake.

*turns to Affi* We have a full complement of weapons of your design. Would you care to arm? There are more than enough for all members of your party.

CLI weapons from the future?

*looks at map*

Eh - why did we get three print-outs? Are we splitting up?

I think it's just redundancy, Titania. In case one map gets accidentally damaged, we'll still have others.

All I have is my nanogun. I've mentioned to Garius about ordering a new weapon, but maybe this would be a good time to acquire something a little bigger. What would y'all recommend?

Erm... and how DEEP is this lake?

My carameliser is useful, especially since I attached the freeze facility, but I'm happy to have advice on another weapon.

More powerful than the nanogun? It's already a superior level weapons creation device.

But seriously....how much more advanced are these weapons? I mean, on the one hand we could probably use the extra firepower. On the other hand....

*Raises his OmeGauntlet hand and shoots at a wall four times, the resulting blasts creating four perfectly spaced cocentric circles of ice on the wall, looking very much like a target*

....learning to handle new stuff might also decrease our chances. But then again, it's been a while since we've had a weaponry upgrade. So let's see what you've got.

*Affy's eyes suddenly open wide with excitement*

Oh! Chesworth! Did you ever implement those new ideas I had for version 3 of my OmeGauntlet? The one that allows for low-level energy-wave surfing through a Snowzar function enhancement and the "Thing Automaton" feature? I wouldn't have to relearn a weapon with that.