Race Against Time
Nov. 22nd, 2008 11:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
avevale_intelligencerI made it to the machine, despite more winding roads and some trouble with a black bear who seemed to think I was intruding on his nap time. It was another machine. I had no idea what it was for. The back story of the game talked about a long-vanished empire whose people had mastered the forces of nature and discovered the secrets of the cosmos and blah and blah and probably blah. I hadn't paid much attention, to be honest, and I really didn't think it was fair of the game to start bringing it up now.
“There seems to be some sort of device blocking the works,” mused the knight. “I wonder if I can get it out.” With one eye on the lava, which was almost up to the lip of the chasm, I really hoped he could.
The settlers were striking about something, but I didn't have time to find out what. Yes I did. I had to. Damn it, disease had broken out and I hadn't planted any herbalists. There were herbs, but I'd overlooked them. I clicked on the machine and the knight successfully extracted the widget, whatever it was. The machine promptly demanded another fifty lumps of wood. I almost screamed.
No, it was all right, I had enough. I clicked on the icon, wishing this damned kingdom could run to at least one lousy helicopter, and a cart duly set out. Before I could do anything about the pestilence ravaging my people, though, the hermit piped up.
“Bring me the device you have found,” he said. “I must examine it.” So off went the knight, back along the windy roads, and I let him get on with it while I shored up my infrastructure healthcare-wise. The problem with disease was that it was dependent on population growth, so once you'd got it, anyone you sent to deal with it ended up catching it if you weren't careful. Mind you, if that wood cart didn't pick up the pace, a few sniffles would be the least of my problems.
At this point Liliana popped in to remark that some of the customers had wondered about the swearing issuing from the back office. I asked her to apologise on my behalf.
“You're doing fine,” she said, glancing at the screen. As she spoke the cart arrived at the machine, and the interaction icon reappeared. The knight was still loafing around the hermit's hut, of course.
“I'm not,” I said, sending him back to the machine. “I'm imploding.”
“You shouldn't get so worked up,” she said. “You've got plenty of time.”
The lava was maybe two pixels away from my town. The timer was down to seconds. The knight got there. I clicked. The screen whited out again, there was another huge explosion, and I shut my eyes.
“It's all right,” said Liliana's voice after what seemed like several days. “You can look now.”
I opened one eye.
The chasm was gone. The land had closed up. The ailing settlers were happily trucking back to work. As I looked, the “Victory!” screen appeared.
“First of six missions,” I croaked.
“You did fine,” Liliana said. “Look, you need to watch this.”
The hermit was speaking again. “...this device is most intriguing,” he was saying. “It seems to be part of a very powerful machine.” As opposed to the Meccano toys I'd just seen, presumably. “I would be very interested to see any other parts you can find. I believe there may be some more in the wastelands to the east. Let me build a workshop in your settlement, and I will try to discover its purpose.”
“I am happy to assist in the advancement of knowledge,” said the knight. Pompous twit. “Especially if it will be of benefit to the kingdom.”
“Oh, I think I can promise you that,” said the hermit.
I let the game run on till the end of the day. Most missions run for at least a week, but this one had been done in a matter of hours, though god knows it felt longer. The citizens worked hard, piling up resources till the storehouse could take no more, and I knew that there would be enough stock for tomorrow. Usually at mission's end there would be no delivery, because the computer had to be left on, but multi-parters were downloaded all in a lump, so I could switch it off as normal tonight. A new type of building had appeared on the menu—hermit's workshop, of course. I'd see what that did tomorrow. For the moment, I was happy to stare at the little people doing their various things and just breathe.
“There seems to be some sort of device blocking the works,” mused the knight. “I wonder if I can get it out.” With one eye on the lava, which was almost up to the lip of the chasm, I really hoped he could.
The settlers were striking about something, but I didn't have time to find out what. Yes I did. I had to. Damn it, disease had broken out and I hadn't planted any herbalists. There were herbs, but I'd overlooked them. I clicked on the machine and the knight successfully extracted the widget, whatever it was. The machine promptly demanded another fifty lumps of wood. I almost screamed.
No, it was all right, I had enough. I clicked on the icon, wishing this damned kingdom could run to at least one lousy helicopter, and a cart duly set out. Before I could do anything about the pestilence ravaging my people, though, the hermit piped up.
“Bring me the device you have found,” he said. “I must examine it.” So off went the knight, back along the windy roads, and I let him get on with it while I shored up my infrastructure healthcare-wise. The problem with disease was that it was dependent on population growth, so once you'd got it, anyone you sent to deal with it ended up catching it if you weren't careful. Mind you, if that wood cart didn't pick up the pace, a few sniffles would be the least of my problems.
At this point Liliana popped in to remark that some of the customers had wondered about the swearing issuing from the back office. I asked her to apologise on my behalf.
“You're doing fine,” she said, glancing at the screen. As she spoke the cart arrived at the machine, and the interaction icon reappeared. The knight was still loafing around the hermit's hut, of course.
“I'm not,” I said, sending him back to the machine. “I'm imploding.”
“You shouldn't get so worked up,” she said. “You've got plenty of time.”
The lava was maybe two pixels away from my town. The timer was down to seconds. The knight got there. I clicked. The screen whited out again, there was another huge explosion, and I shut my eyes.
“It's all right,” said Liliana's voice after what seemed like several days. “You can look now.”
I opened one eye.
The chasm was gone. The land had closed up. The ailing settlers were happily trucking back to work. As I looked, the “Victory!” screen appeared.
“First of six missions,” I croaked.
“You did fine,” Liliana said. “Look, you need to watch this.”
The hermit was speaking again. “...this device is most intriguing,” he was saying. “It seems to be part of a very powerful machine.” As opposed to the Meccano toys I'd just seen, presumably. “I would be very interested to see any other parts you can find. I believe there may be some more in the wastelands to the east. Let me build a workshop in your settlement, and I will try to discover its purpose.”
“I am happy to assist in the advancement of knowledge,” said the knight. Pompous twit. “Especially if it will be of benefit to the kingdom.”
“Oh, I think I can promise you that,” said the hermit.
I let the game run on till the end of the day. Most missions run for at least a week, but this one had been done in a matter of hours, though god knows it felt longer. The citizens worked hard, piling up resources till the storehouse could take no more, and I knew that there would be enough stock for tomorrow. Usually at mission's end there would be no delivery, because the computer had to be left on, but multi-parters were downloaded all in a lump, so I could switch it off as normal tonight. A new type of building had appeared on the menu—hermit's workshop, of course. I'd see what that did tomorrow. For the moment, I was happy to stare at the little people doing their various things and just breathe.