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

Um....maybe the Heart of Darkness got loose again?

The what?

The Heart Of Darkness. It's a somewhat dangerous experiment that's gotten loose in the past. It's also been a minor plot element in two or three previous CLI adventures. We're never sure when it'll surface again.

Hmmm...
So, we so far have a monster named after a book, and a literary quote - paraphrase, actually - on the wall. Looks like it's going to be an interesting adventure. I'm definitely glad that I have my book with me! *Provides : 'An Anthology of World Masterpieces* Let's see now, Dante Dante Dante... there we go, Dante's Divine Comedy, Book I: Inferno. Seems about right.
*Determined look* Let's go!

*GL heads west again and winds through the duct until he gets to the next junction. On the wall of this junction is scratched:

I'm Watching You! *

Ohhhh, that's creepy!

*Just at the far edge of hearing, a very faint thump-thump sound can be heard echoing through the ducts.*

*Rifles through the * Can't find anything about being watched in the Inferno... unless in the more religious sense, which doesn't seem right here.

I know - Hoffmann! *Flips to The Sandman* That _is_ creapy. And we seem to be dealing with a very well-educated foe here.

Now, from here, I think we go up.

*Looks up, and sure enough, there is a passage above.*

You know, this had me fooled when I played Zork way back when. I never thought of going up in the maze. It was only when I played it years later that I figured it out.

Someone want to give me a boost? Once I'm up there I can tie a rope to the skeleton and lower the other end down here.

*Looks up the shaft* That skeleton doesn't look very stable...
Try the one beyond it, see? *points* the one clutching that lever coming out of the wall.

*Puts down and links hands together at about a meter above floor level so as to offer a boost up*

*Steps in Penny's linked hands and can just reach the opening. Hauls himself up. Ties a rope to the skeleton holding the lever and throws the other end back down to the previous room.*

There you go! All secured!

*Turns back to look at the second skeleton.*

Hmmmmm. Don't remember that being there before. And I don't remember that lever, although, I did once misplace a lever in here somewhere...

Could we be in the wrong place then?

*Returns to annoyingly-chirpy-and-careless mode* Let's pull the lever and see what it does!

Oh no, no, we never pull unlabelled levers. In fact, we're even reluctant to pull labelled ones. You see, we often put levers in tempting places as security devices - most people can't resist pulling a lever. We connect the levers to things like, oh, high voltage electricity, or snowzar triggers, or muzak players - you know, all kinds of unpleasant stuff. And we even label some of them with misleading labels - things like "Unlock all doors" or "Disable Security" or "Play Maniacal Laughter". (I once got a nasty shock from pulling that last one). Anyway, I never pull levers unless I know exactly what they do.

You can come up now.

*The moment Penny puts any weight on the rope, it pulls the skeleton's left arm, which stretches out, pulling the whole skeleton towards the opening. The skeleton's right arm, which is around the lever, pulls the lever. A cage drops over GL.*

*Waits for the great noise and racket from above to die down, then gives the rope another test pull. Nothing moves this time*

Guess we're going up. *shrug*

*After a lot of scrambling around and almost kicking Affy in the face twice, manages to awkwardly haul herself to the upper level*


*Shouting down the shaft* Affy, wait a second before you start climbing, I'll tie this rope to something a bit more stable! *Undoes the rope from the skeleton and ties it securely to one of the bars of the cage* Alright, climb away!

*Gives the cage another look and turns to Garius* So you did pull the lever, without me! Unfair!

I wonder what this cage is for though... *another shaft opens above and a huge python drops into the cage, hissing viciously* ah, it's probably to keep this python from getting away and wandering around the vents. Very clever.

Ah yes, the old python in the cage trick. Second time I've fallen for that one this week.

*Pauses in his sprint around the cage to look a little more closely at the python. Stops, grins and holds out his arms towards the snake.*

Monty! So this is where you got to!

*The snake slithers into GL's arms and wraps itself around his body. They hug each other*


Not so hard, Monty!




Nice to see you after all these years. Get much business up here?

*The snake nods its head at the skeleton, then, with its tail, flicks open a small closet door, revealing a closet full of skeletons.*

Ah, good, good. I'd forgotten that we'd assigned you here, but it looks like it's working out okay for you. Say, you wouldn't want to let me out of here, would you?

*The snake slithers over to the lever and pushes it with its nose. The cage rises up into the ceiling again, lifting Affy neatly into the room as the rope tied to a bar of the cage rises with it.*

Oh, excuse me, I've been neglecting my social duties. Monty, this is Penny; Penny, this is Monty. Monty is an old friend from way back. We've saved each other's lives several times, but Monty wanted to retire from active duty, so we gave him this post up here.

Hello! *curtsy* Lady Pennywhistle, at your service - but Penny's quite alright.

*The snake gracefully nods it's head at Penny, then winks at Affy. It looks at GL and speaks*

Monty: SSSsss sssSSsss sssSSSSS ssssssSSssss sSsSSSSSSsss

GL: Hmmmm. Seems like Monty is slightly bored in his retirement and wants to come along. That okay with you folks? I suppose I'd better tell him what we are doing first.

*GL briefly explains about the growing Begader and the impending meltdown. Monty's eyes light up and his tongue flicks in and out of his mouth excitedly.*

Monty: SSSS! SSSS!!!

GL: Well, if it's okay with everyone, he'd definately like to come along.

Sure, why not?

Affy is away from any sort of computer access until Tuesday at the earliest, I think. We'll assume he is chewing PAG. (PAG is Prolonged Absence Gum, a product of CLI, which allows someone to be pulled along with the action when they are away in real life)

(

)

Monday, actually...

Goodness, we ARE referencing a lot of oldies here, aren't we? Monty, Heart Of Darkness, PAG,....if this were a comic book, this would be the fanboy's dream...


*Removes the chewed PAG from his mouth*

When we finish up here, we should probably figure out why the second skeleton is in place. But that can probably wait until after the Begader is dealt with. And the nuclear meltdown.

(Ah well, I didn't know any of these things, so it's all new to me. 'if this were a comic book'? But it could easily be!)


Let's get going then!




Um, which way?

(Okay, so not _easily_ - but you get the point)