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Text Adventure Playthrough #9: Slouching Towards Bedlam

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*clunk*

The rotating tin cylinder within the phonograph vibrates slightly as a brass needle scrapes against it. The sound of a throat being cleared emerges from the machine’s hornshell speaker, followed by a thin, haunting voice.

“March the 16th.”

A deep, shaky breath.

“I dread to say it, but I believe I am going mad. The—*moments*—come more frequently now. I fear that I have found what I have sought, and I shall now pay the price for it.”

The scrape of a chair across flagstone. A sigh.

“Chaos treads the halls of Bedlam; her work is evident everywhere…”

Slouching Towards Bedlam
An entry in the 9th Annual Interactive-Fiction Competition
Copyright 2003 by Star C. Foster and Daniel Ravipinto
[First time players should type ‘about’. Credits are available via ‘credits’.]
Release 1 / Serial number 030925 / Inform v6.21 Library 6/10

Office
A massive cedar desk, well-polished and worn, looks elegantly out-of-place among the chaos. Papers, files, and books cover nearly every flat surface in the room.

There is a phonograph on the table near the window.

A black cube on wheels sits near the door to the south.

>

     
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Aha, here we go! Smile

>x desk, phonograph, black cube, table
maybe open desk or drawers?
play phonograph

     

See you around, wolf. Nerissa

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>x desk
A deep green blotter, dotted with black ink stains, sits in the center of the desk, mostly covered by files and papers. One side of the blotter seems slightly higher than the other.

The corner of a sandalwood box is visible beneath a stack of thick folders.

The desk contains a large central drawer, which is currently closed.

The phonograph continues to play.

“I discredit my profession; examining madness as if the world were a fluent thing and sanity as malleable as the warm wax of a candle.”

>x phonograph
A delicate device, its base is carved from oaken heartwood, bearing a small black plaque which reads “Columbia Phonograph Co., Ltd. of London”.

Two ivory arms emerging from the base lean inward, firmly grasping a rotating tin cylinder labeled March sixteenth. A brass needle scrapes against the cylinder’s surface.

From the base’s back emerges a small, black hornshell speaker, its surface delicately curved. The phonograph is currently switched on.

“The secret lays heavily on both my mind and heart. I have told no one; I despair a second opinion would confirm my worst suspicions. I have secured all my knowledge of these events within the mechanical assistant left by my predecessor. It was my hope that it would allow me to see the situation from a new perspective, and help me discover the key to my salvation.”

>x cube
Not a box but a cube; there is no hinge. A fine grid is engraved on its top, dividing it into a myriad of tiny squares. The cube sits on four black rubber wheels, attached by a set of brass leggings that seem capable of telescoping downward.

The only other feature of note is a small emerald, set in its side, beneath which is a plaque with the inscription “TRIAGE MK. III”.

“Alas, it has been to no avail. While I found the entry mode easy enough, and the thing seems filled with information regarding the hospital down to the point of minutiae, it seems helpless in the face of analyzing my current situation.”

>open desk
The large central drawer opens, revealing a manual and a flanged brass rod.

The sound of a chair creaking.

“It may be that I have simply not found that by which this growing mystery may be unlocked. Perhaps by subjecting the Triage to further experiential data, it may find something that I have missed. But I have little faith left at this point.”

“I have found a blessing in James. He has been nothing but kind and helpful in my short time here. I find myself wondering if, perhaps, he can be trusted enough to… but how can I punish him with this knowledge?”

A sigh.

“But how can I bear it alone?”

>

     
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> x blotter
> look under blotter
> x box
> get box
> open it
> get all
> read manual
> x rod
> x emerald

     

See you around, wolf. Nerissa

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>x blotter
A standard office blotter, its surface well used and covered with stains. One side of the blotter seems slightly higher than the other.

A sudden noise, as of something wooden being struck, comes through the phonograph.

“No. I can trust no one, in the end. Not even James. Perhaps soon…not even myself.”

>look under blotter
Beneath the blotter is a small key, easily taken. It carries a small tag labeled “2D”.

“I must stop here, I feel the faintness coming once again.”

A scraping noise, a click.

“May God have mercy ‘pon my soul.”

>x box
It is unexceptional, perhaps one handbreadth wide by three long. On its lid is a white paper label. Written upon it in a fine copperplate are the words “JOURNAL V. 4 - JANUARY THROUGH APRIL 1855.”

Having reached the end of the cylinder, the phonograph shuts itself off with a tiny “click”.

>get box
Taken.

>open it
The sandalwood box opens, revealing a tin cylinder labeled January eighth, a tin cylinder labeled January twenty-second and a tin cylinder labeled March second.

>get all
Triage: Triage is much too heavy to move about in such a manner.
tin cylinder labeled March sixteenth: The ivory arms slide easily apart and the cylinder leaves the phonograph with a slight “click”.
manual: Taken.
flanged brass rod: Taken.
tin cylinder labeled January eighth: Taken.
tin cylinder labeled January twenty-second: Taken.
tin cylinder labeled March second: Taken.

>x rod
A short rod of brass with a flange at one end (engraved with a ‘6’) and a series of tines at the other, perpendicular to the shaft.

>x emerald
Dark green to the point of blackness, it is the size and shape of an eye.

The emerald is currently switched off.

>

     
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Reading the manual opens up a separate interface used to navigate it. I thought it would be best to post the whole thing, so I’ve done that below

>read manual

                              TRIAGE PERSONAL ANALYTICAL ENGINE: OPERATOR’S MANUAL MK. III              
                                                                 
N = Next                                                   Q = Quit Menu
P = Previous                                               ENTER = Select
The manual has several headings:

> Cover
  The FUTURE is NOW…
  A brief catalogue…
  Analysis Mode
  Optional Expanded Input Mode

                                      Cover
                               
Emblazoned on the front is a charcoal drawing of a black box on wheels, beneath which is written the words:

OPERATOR’S MANUAL
TRIAGE PERSONAL ANALYTICAL ENGINE
PROFESSIONAL|INDUSTRIAL
MK. III.

                                  The FUTURE is NOW…                           
The FUTURE is NOW…

One glance at the TRIAGE line of PERSONAL ANALYTICAL ENGINES will show them to be the finest now available. Each one is made of the materials of superlative quality, its thousands of interlocking parts are HAND MADE and HAND ASSEMBLED.

From its alphanumeric kinograph display to its specially designed internal power and propulsion systems, the TRIAGE is simply the most advanced technology made available to professionals for the portable storage and analysis of complex information.

In fact, the TRIAGE is so incomparably the best machine made that all we ask an intending purchaser is to compare it with any other before buying.

For sale by all first-class mechanist’s shops.

                                  A brief catalogue…                          
A brief catalogue of the TRIAGE, both within and without…

- PANOPTICAL SCANNER: set within an attractive faux-emerald, TRIAGE’s latest version has updated both its scanning technology and methods such that it can visually analyze a given subject and begin processing within seconds.

- INCREASED CAPACITY OF BOTH MILL AND STORE: The TRIAGE line is now capable of analyzing, compiling and storing literally thousands of pieces of information simultaneously.

- LATEST CORE ENGINE WITH FOUR-FOLD INCREASE IN EFFICIENCY: TRIAGE has always been famous for its relational algorithms and its capability in connecting seemingly disparate data into a coherent whole. Our latest edition strives ever closer to perfection, improving the system’s already impressive functionality.

- SMOOTH-OPERATING FULLY ALPHANUMERIC KINOGRAPH DISPLAY: With its compact yet expansive 16x8 symbol display (each one capable of displaying any one of 36 characters), the TRIAGE speaks as well as it listens.

                                      Analysis Mode                             
ANALYSIS MODE

...is the TRIAGE’S default and most important mode of operation. Once activated by simply pressing its beautiful faux-emerald scanner, the system will run through its initializing phase and then notify the user that it is ready to begin.

The TRIAGE will then follow its identified operator of its own accord, utilizing path-finding and obstacle-avoidance algorithms of the latest design. The system is constantly aware of both its personal environment and the actions of its operator.

Once TRIAGE has locked on to its user, operation is simply a matter of making the system aware of particular subjects in the environment for analysis and storage. This can be accomplished by simply POINTING or GESTURING to the object in question.

Nothing more is necessary. The system will reply (via its kinograph display) of any pertinent data the operator might find of use.

Triage store data is organized as follows:

- CAT [category]: Triage maintains a strict hierarchy within which all subjects are stored - is the object in question alive? Is it a tool? Is it not yet recognized?

- UTIL [utility]: Of what immediate use is the object in question?  How may it be interacted with?

- PART [particulars]: Specific information on the object - completed analysis data is often stored here.

                              Optional Expanded Input Mode                        
OPTIONAL EXPANDED INPUT MODE

...can be utilized to directly enter information into the TRIAGE’S database store. Such data manipulation is not to be taken lightly, as all TRIAGE data must be kept as consistent as possible to prevent internal errors. However, advanced users may find it convenient to input information into the system immediately rather than allowing the system to accrue it via examination and analysis.

Expanded input mode requires the optional data input system, which is not sold with the basic TRIAGE. Contact your local mechanists” to special-order yours today.




     
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> press emerald
> point at rod

     
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Thanks for doing this, Luhr28!

We might as well also do:

>about

>x me

>put tin cylinder labeled January eighth in phonograph

>turn on phonograph

     
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>about
A few, brief notes:

- Regardless of how the game responds to them, all meta-commands (SAVE, RESTORE, RESTART, UNDO, QUIT) work as you would expect them to.

- Conversation is best handled by the following syntax:

ASK ABOUT <TOPIC>.
TELL ABOUT <TOPIC>.
, <ORDER>.

Note that it is advantageous to ask about the same topic multiple times.

- Hints and spoilers are available via the “hint” command.

- Slouching Towards Bedlam contains multiple endings - you may wish to go back and try different actions or attempting to reach different goals to see how your actions affect the story.

- Daniel Ravipinto can be contacted at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

>x me
That’s rather difficult without a mirror.

>put tin cylinder labeled January eighth in phonograph
>turn on phonograph
The phonograph switches on.

“January the 8th.”

“I am uncertain if this entry is made in joy or sorrow. I have just received word from Dr. Yeates that I am to be…promoted. I am uncertain if that term is the correct one. In any case, it seems that there has been an… incident with Bethlehem’s current superintendent, and a replacement is required. I have been chosen for the position, at least in the short term.”

>

Difficult without a mirror? Our protagonist seems rather pedantic.

     
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Sorry Vegetable Party, I missed your post!

>press emerald
From within the device comes a sharp clunk, followed by a gentle humming. The emerald blinks slowly—once, twice—then glows steadily. The grid of squares which makes up the thing’s screen pivot back and forth, seemingly at random, causing ripples of motion across its surface.

With a sudden purpose, they begin to flip, revealing hundreds of tiny symbols engraved on their surfaces. The squares continue for a moment, then begin to settle line by line like a fall of rain into a pattern…

INIT.CYCLE.COMP.
MILL.UNIT.ONLINE
STORE.DECRYPT/CO
MPRESS.BOOT.STAC
K.COMP.OP.SYSTEM
UNIT.VER.3.REG:.
DR..SIMON..BRAND
SET MODE:ANALYZE

“It is fairly obviously what has prompted this move. I have moved too far, too fast and in doing so have displeased the powers that be. While Yeates has supported my ... unorthodox theories well enough, he has warned me often that he cannot shield me from *all* of the backlash that may occur. I do not believe that his using this as a segue way to telling me of my transfer was entirely unconnected…”

>point at rod
The emerald eye examines the flanged brass rod returning with:

CAT:NONLIVING.TO
OL.UTIL:KEY.UNLO
CK.DEVICE.PART:I
D=PANOPTICONKEY.
CORRIDOR.6.(UPPE
R).PLACE.IN.PANO
PTICON.STAND.TO.
ACTIVATE/ACCESS.

“Bedlam seems both purgatory and paradise at this moment. I remember the history of the place well enough—of the Governors’ decision to renovate the site in ‘15 and the slow implementation of Urquhart and Bentham’s now infamous Panopticon Plan. In the end it was nothing more than a final stab at respectability for the site, which has now languished as a home for the hopeless, the poor, and the criminally insane for almost twenty years.”

>

     
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I assume there’s currently no time limit, so I suggest we:

>z (until reaching the end of the cylinder)
>get all
>put tin cylinder labeled January twenty-second in phonograph
>turn on phonograph
>z (until reaching the end of the cylinder)
>get all
>put tin tin cylinder labeled March second in phonograph
>turn on phonograph
>z (until reaching the end of the cylinder)
>get all

Then, or intertwined:

>point at desk
>point at phonograph
>point at table
>point at triage
>point at blotter
>point at box
>point at cylinder labeled March sixteenth
>point at emerald
>point at manual
>x folders then point at it

     
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Luhr28 - 07 April 2021 11:40 PM

Sorry Vegetable Party, I missed your post!

No problem. Thanks for taking the lead! I was so excited I jumped right in.

>point at key

For lack of a mirror, we could

>point at self

 

 

     
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Vegetable Party - 08 April 2021 03:26 AM

For lack of a mirror, we could

>point at self

Smart!

     
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>z
Time passes.

“But the technology!  Yeates told me of a visit he took in the ‘30s, when the place was still open as part zoo, part living drama. I paid little attention to his description of the patient’s conditions and instead seized upon the description of the central Tower and its prism-viewer, by which the entire complex could be overseen by a single man, the massive Archives with their engine-run filing system…now I shall see it with my own eyes, and I am both happy and sad at the thought.”

>z
Time passes.

“I have but a fortnight to prepare for the move. It has been made clear to me that this is a test—I must prove myself good, quiet, and respectable in the eyes of the Governors. With luck, I shall be back at Bedfordshire within half a year’s time, ready to take over when the good doctor announces his retirement.”

>z
Time passes.

“Perhaps this will not be so bad. In the public eye, I shall play their game and meanwhile, I shall continue my own research, utilizing whatever materials Bedlam has to offer…”

>z
Time passes.

Having reached the end of the cylinder, the phonograph shuts itself off with a tiny “click”.

>put tin cylinder labeled January twenty-second in phonograph
>turn on phonograph
The phonograph switches on.

“January the 22nd.”

“Arrived in London today in preparation for taking over my duties. The cab driver took what seemed a scenic route through Smithfield, then generally southward towards Newgate. I covered my nose as best I could as we passed the slaughterhouse that was the Market, though I noted a Mechanist’s shop—Du Mondes’—on Fleet, which I will try to visit at my earliest convenience, as my worst fears regarding the wireless have been confirmed.”

>z
Time passes.

“It probably says something profound about me that I set up the magnetophone first, while everything else remains boxed or is still on its way from Bedfordshire. As I feared, I found no signal whatsoever. A simple message of ‘Calling CQ’ went completely unanswered, which is unheard of, as there is *always* someone listening, particularly in such a city as London. I fear the buildings are blocking the signal, and I’ll require a booster of some sort.”

>z
Time passes.

“I understood the driver’s choice of route when we approached the prison from the north. A huge crowd was gathered for the public executions. I asked him about the particular individual sentenced to the gallows as we passed and he proceeded to tell me - at great length and with much relish - of the trial of one Mr. Emanuel Barthelemy. I wondered if today was something special, or if the spectacle of death always attracts such crowds.”

>z
Time passes.

“I heard a cheer go up from the top of the hill as we pulled to a stop in front of the flat. I shall not take this as an omen of any sort.”

>z
Time passes.

“What I’ve seen of the place is modest, but I am not at all surprised considering what I am paying for it. I intend to spend as little time here as possible, after all. Bedlam awaits me in the morning.”

>z
Time passes.

“A final note. It seems I left the majority of my unused cylinders at Bedfordshire. I shall have to write Yeates and ask that he send them down, or perhaps seek out where I may purchase them locally. In the meantime, I shall refrain from making a phonograph-entry until something truly momentous happens.”

>z
Time passes.

Having reached the end of the cylinder, the phonograph shuts itself off with a tiny “click”.

>put tin cylinder labeled March second in phonograph
>turn on phonograph
The phonograph switches on.

“March the 2nd.”

“It seems the Fates have listened closely and decided to give me a momentous occasion as quickly as possible. I am beside myself. Bedlam seems nothing more than a pit in which Her Majesty may place those she wishes to forget about. Such corruption dwarfs the imagination.”

>z
Time passes.

“Perhaps I overstate the case, but it was the simple ease with which the constable approached me that most horrified me. If such things as this happen as a matter of course, then the place has truly been in the hands of the mad for some time.”

>z
Time passes.

“I suppose I should have seen such things coming. The Insane Prisoners’ Act passed in ‘40 was vague enough that it could be used as a political tool, and McNaughton’s trial made it clear that the courts would do so when forced, but at least such things happened in the public eye.”

>z
Time passes.

“My predecessor clearly had some arrangement with the Bobbies regarding cases such as these. James told me that he met often with the constable, though he was not privy as to the content of these meetings.”

>z
Time passes.

“Simply put, I was asked to make the prisoner in their charge ‘disappear’ and told that I would be ‘well compensated’ for keeping things quiet. Part of me wishes I had put up more of a fight…had made an issue, or…”

>z
Time passes.

“But what choice have I?  It has been made clear to me that keeping things quiet is precisely what is expected of me in my time in Bedlam.”

>z
Time passes.

“I have placed Cleve—whose preternatural silence even as he struggled in his bonds gave the entire proceedings a sheen of unreality—in the abandoned upper level of the northern wing, keeping the key separate from the rest. James showed it to me on my arrival and stated that while it still remained secure, only a few of the rooms were to be considered ‘usable’.”

>z
Time passes.

“Still, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. I have complete singular access to an interesting patient. Perhaps this is the opportunity my studies have been waiting for…”

>z
Time passes.

Having reached the end of the cylinder, the phonograph shuts itself off with a tiny “click”.

     
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I had to complete a captcha to cram all that text in - a forum first for me. Somehow I don’t think there’s a “concise mode” for this game.

>point at desk
Triage’s beam flickers over the desk, briefly, then displays:

CAT:UNKNOWN/UNLI
STED.UTIL:NOT.AP
PLICABLE.PART:NO
NE.ITEM.IS.NOT.R
ECOGNIZED.BY.CUR
RENT.SYSTEM.STOR
E.REQUIRE.ADDITI
ONAL.INFORMATION

>point at phonograph
The machine analyzes the phonograph before replying…

CAT:NONLIVING.TO
OL.UTIL:RECORDIN
G.AND.PLAYBACK.O
F.AUDIO.INFO.PAR
T:PERSONAL.PROPE
RTY.OF.OPERATOR.
USED.FOR.DIARY.E
NTRY.RETRIEVAL..

>point at table
Triage’s beam flickers over the table, briefly, then displays:

CAT:UNKNOWN/UNLI
STED.UTIL:NOT.AP
PLICABLE.PART:NO
NE.ITEM.IS.NOT.R
ECOGNIZED.BY.CUR
RENT.SYSTEM.STOR
E.REQUIRE.ADDITI
ONAL.INFORMATION

>point at triage
A small beam of green light lashes out over Triage as Triage’s screen lights up:

CAT:TRIAGE.ANALY
TICAL.ENGINE.UTI
L:EXAMINATION.AN
D.ANALYSIS.OF.OB
JECTS.AND.DATA.P
ART:TRIAGE.MK.II
I.UNIT.CURRENT.O
PERATOR=T.XAVIER

>point at blotter
The emerald eye examines the blotter returning with:

CAT:UNKNOWN/UNLI
STED.UTIL:NOT.AP
PLICABLE.PART:NO
NE.ITEM.IS.NOT.R
ECOGNIZED.BY.CUR
RENT.SYSTEM.STOR
E.REQUIRE.ADDITI
ONAL.INFORMATION

>point at box
Triage’s emerald searches the sandalwood box, then…

CAT:UNKNOWN/UNLI
STED.UTIL:NOT.AP
PLICABLE.PART:NO
NE.ITEM.IS.NOT.R
ECOGNIZED.BY.CUR
RENT.SYSTEM.STOR
E.REQUIRE.ADDITI
ONAL.INFORMATION

>point at cylinder labeled March sixteenth
Triage’s beam flickers over the tin cylinder labeled March sixteenth, briefly, then displays:

CAT:NONLIVING.TO
OL.UTIL:RECORDIN
G.MEDIUM.FOR.COR
RECTLY.OUTFITTED
PHONOGRAPH.PART:
RECORDED.AUDIO.D
IARY.ENTRY=PLAY.
IN.PHONOGRAPH…

>point at emerald
Triage’s emerald searches Triage, then…

CAT:TRIAGE.ANALY
TICAL.ENGINE.UTI
L:EXAMINATION.AN
D.ANALYSIS.OF.OB
JECTS.AND.DATA.P
ART:TRIAGE.MK.II
I.UNIT.CURRENT.O
PERATOR=T.XAVIER

>point at manual
The machine analyzes the manual before replying…

CAT:NONLIVING.BO
OK.UTIL:MANUAL.H
OLDS.USEFUL.INST
RUCTIONS.PART:RE
COGNIZED.AS.TRIA
GE.MANUAL.READ.T
O.LEARN.HOW.BEST
TO.OPERATE…...

>x folders then point at it
They appear to be a random selection of patient’s files - each one labeled with a six-element alphanumeric code. None of them seems important.

The emerald eye examines the papers returning with:

CAT:NONLIVING.PA
PERS.UTIL:STORAG
E.MEDIUM.PART:ID
=GENERAL.FILES.O
N.HOSPITAL.PATIE
NTS.CURRENT.BUDG
ETARY.CONCERNS.A
ND.STATUS…....

>point at key
Triage’s beam flickers over the small key labled 2D, briefly, then displays:

CAT:UNKNOWN/UNLI
STED.UTIL:NOT.AP
PLICABLE.PART:NO
NE.ITEM.IS.NOT.R
ECOGNIZED.BY.CUR
RENT.SYSTEM.STOR
E.REQUIRE.ADDITI
ONAL.INFORMATION

>point at self
The emerald flickers from head to toe before returning:

CAT:LIVING…...
*CATASTROPHIC.ER
RROR.A042.CATEGO
RY.INDEX.OUT.OF.
RANGE.STACK.OVER
FLOW*PART:ID=DR.
THOMAS.XAVIER=CU
RRENT.OPERATOR..

>

     
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Ick, that 16x8 output is going to get tiresome real quickly… Gasp

Not sure what to think of this yet. No idea what we should be doing. Is 2D the room with that “interesting” patient?

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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