j1.transcript

Copyright (c) 1984 Infocom, Inc. All rights reserved.

Welcome to junior-level interactive fiction from Infocom!

In this story, you're the hero or heroine, so we'll use your name!

Please type your first name.

> JIM
Hello Jim! Now type your last name.

> LAWRENCE
Is Jim Lawrence right? > YES
Then let the story begin!























SEASTALKER: JIM LAWRENCE AND THE ULTRAMARINE BIOCEPTOR
Junior-level interactive fiction from Infocom
Copyright (c) 1984 Infocom, Inc. All rights reserved.
SEASTALKER is a trademark of Infocom, Inc.
Revision number 8 / Serial number 840424

"Jim, snap out of it!" cries Tip Randall, bursting into your laboratory.
"The alert signal is on!"
As you look up from your top-secret plans for the SCIMITAR, a submarine
for capturing marine life on the ocean floor and still being tested,
you notice the alarm bell on the videophone ringing. Someone's trying
to reach you over the private videophone network of Inventions Unlimited!

(lab center)
You're at your workbench in the center of your laboratory, a small
part of the Lawrence Research Lab in the town of Frobton. The videophone
screen looms overhead, with its alarm bell ringing.
Tip is here.
A microphone is sitting on your workbench.

Okay, Jim, what do you want to do now?
> ANSWER THE ALARM

Why not turn on the videophone?
The alarm bell continues to ring.

What next?
> TURN ON THE VIDEOPHONE

As the alarm bell stops ringing, a picture of a woman holding a microphone
appears, and you can hear her voice from the speaker. But both sound and
picture are fuzzy.
(Your score just went up by 1 point!)

What next?
> TUNE IT

Ah, that's better! You recognize the woman as Commander Bly, who's in charge of
the Undersea Research Station of Inventions Unlimited, called the Aquadome,
just off the Atlantic coast. "Jim! Jim!" she's saying. "This is the Aquadome
calling the Lawrence Research Lab! We have an urgent problem!"
(Your score just went up by 1 point!)

What next?
> TALK TO HER

She can't hear you unless you pick up your microphone and switch it on.

What next?
> PICK UP THE MIKE AND SWITCH IT ON

(Your score just went up by 1 point!)
You are now holding the microphone.

Okay, the microphone is now on.

What next?
> TALK TO COMMANDER BLY

"Jim! Jim! Our transparent dome enclosing the Undersea Research Station is
being battered by a huge monster!"

What next?
> BLY, SHOW ME THE MONSTER

The Aquadome's camera pans, and the monster comes into view on your videophone
screen. It resembles a huge sea slug, about 5 meters tall. Its clawed tentacles
pound and scratch at the dome.

What next?
> BLY, TELL ME ABOUT THE MONSTER

"Some of our divers saw it while exploring the undersea environment. They
nicknamed it the Snark. This is the first time it has approached the Aquadome,
and it may be the last time, Jim! I'm not sure how long our plastic dome
enclosure can withstand such a battering!"

What next?
> BLY, ATTACK THE MONSTER

"Jim, this is a peaceful research facility. We have no weapons."

What next?
> BLY, LEAVE THE AQUADOME

"Our emergency escape bell would be vulnerable to a monster as big as the
Snark. Ditto for SCUBA gear, deep-sea diving suits, or jet-propelled
observation bubbles."

What next?
> BLY, WAIT THERE FOR ME

"Okay, Jim, but hurry!"

(Are you tired of seeing "What next?" Well, you won't see it any more.)


> HANG UP

"I hope to see you soon, Jim."

Something's wrong! The picture vanished from your videophone screen, and the
sound conked out!
Tip says, "That's strange! Maybe you should use the Computestor."
(Oh no! Your score just went down by 3 points!)

> GO TO THE COMPUTESTOR

You can't walk away while you are holding the microphone!

> PUT IT ON THE TABLE

Okay.

> GO TO THE COMPUTESTOR

It's in the north part.
(north part)
You're in the north part of your laboratory. A Computestor stands here to help
test your inventions.

> USE IT

The Computestor is off!

> TURN IT ON

The Computestor is ready for questions.

> ASK IT ABOUT THE VIDEOPHONE

"Symptoms: no picture, no sound.
Possible causes:
1) Failure of the transmitter at source.
2) A short in the undersea coaxial cable linking transmitter to the Lawrence
Research Lab, if signal is coming from Aquadome.
3) Sunspot interference or satellite malfunction if transmitter is at earth's
surface.
4) Failure of the video receiver.
5) Overload in the Electrical Panel (circuit breaker popped).
6) Sabotage (circuit breaker open)."

> GO TO THE CIRCUIT BREAKER

It's in the corridor.
(corridor)
You're in a corridor, with your laboratory to the west, a storage closet to the
south, and Kemp's office to the east. An Electrical Panel fills most of the
north wall.

Tip follows you into the corridor.
(If you want a clue, find Infocard #3 in your SEASTALKER package. Read hidden
clue #1 and put "Electrical Panel" in the blank space.)

> CHECK THE BREAKER

(If you want a clue, find Infocard #3 in your SEASTALKER package. Read hidden
clue #1 and put "Electrical Panel" in the blank space.)

> CLOSE IT

Okay, the circuit breaker is now closed.
(Your score just went up by 3 points!)

> GO BACK TO THE LAB

(lab center)
You're at your workbench in the center of your laboratory, a small part of the
Lawrence Research Lab in the town of Frobton. The videophone screen looms
overhead.

Tip follows you into the lab center.
Sitting on the workbench is:
  a microphone
  a diagram
As you re-enter the lab, Tip says, "Look, Jim! The videophone's working again!
There's a normal test pattern on the screen!"

> TIP, GO TO THE SUBMARINE

"I think you can do that better yourself."

> GO TO THE SUB

(SCIMITAR)
You're in the pilot's seat of the SCIMITAR, its operating control panel before
you.
A wraparound viewport, both fore and aft, provides a view ahead and astern. You
can also observe your surroundings with a sonarscope and a hydrophone listening
device. There's a sonarphone for communication. You'll discover other features
when you need them.
Tip is sitting behind you, reading a magazine.
The power reactor is off and open.
(Your score just went up by 1 point!)

> TURN IT ON

(If you want a clue, find Infocard #3 in your SEASTALKER package. Read hidden
clue #3 and put "catalyst capsule" in the blank space.)

> GO TO THE CAPSULE

It's in the west walkway.
(west walkway)
You're at a work counter, next to the control gear used to operate the test
tank.
The test tank (which is now empty of sea water) is located in a large work
room, just south of your laboratory, with concrete-block walls on three sides
and a high metal roof. Most of its floor is dug out and lined with steel, to
form the huge tank used for developing and testing underwater gear and the
pilot models of your submarine craft.
There's a walkway around the tank on three sides -- north, west and south. On
the east side, a steel gate forms the wall of the room.

Tip follows you into the west walkway.
Sitting on the work counter is:
  a catalyst capsule

> TAKE IT

(Your score just went up by 5 points!)
You are now holding the catalyst capsule.

> GET IN THE SUB

You have to go north to board the SCIMITAR.

> GO NORTH

(north walkway)
Tip is off to the south.

> BOARD THE SCIMITAR

(SCIMITAR)
Tip is sitting behind you, reading a magazine.
The power reactor is off and open.

> PUT THE CAPSULE IN THE REACTOR

Okay.

> CLOSE THE REACTOR THEN TURN IT ON

Okay, the reactor is now closed.

Electrical systems now activated.
(Your score just went up by 5 points!)

> READ THE INSTRUMENTS

Main instruments:
depth finder, hydrophone, sonarscope, and temperature gauge.

> LEAVE THE TANK

The tank is empty!

> FILL IT

The sea water quickly fills the tank, up to the level of the walkway.

> LEAVE IT

The gate is closed!

> OPEN IT

Opened (by remote control).

> LEAVE THE TANK

The engine is off!

> TURN IT ON

You can immediately hear the powerful thrum of the hydrojet turbine.
(Your score just went up by 5 points!)

> LEAVE THE TANK

You can do this by setting the throttle to the speed you want (slow, medium, or
fast) and by moving the joystick in the compass direction you wish to go.

> SET THE THROTTLE TO SLOW

You shouldn't leave the tank with the hatch open!

> CLOSE IT

Okay, the entry hatch is now closed.

> SLOW

Okay, now that the throttle is set, try pushing the joystick to the east.

> PUSH THE STICK EAST

The SCIMITAR glides smoothly out of the tank onto the surface of Frobton Bay.
You're heading east at 1 sea square per turn.
(Your score just went up by 5 points!)
(This might be a good time to use the command: SAVE.)

A speedboat came out of nowhere and almost hit you! It's dangerous on the
surface of the bay.

> QUIT

Your score is 24 points out of 100, in 44 turns.
This score gives you the rank of a fair adventurer.
(If you want to continue from this point at another time, you must "SAVE"
first.)
Do you want to stop playing now? > YES