New Gaia

by Samuel Isaacson

  The COMN stares at you with a steely expression, then leans forward as if interrogating you.

  “Alright then,” he says. “You are interested in finding problems, that’s for sure. Don’t you realise we have to do something about this? How about some solutions? What do you think I should do to solve this problem?”

  On the spot, you feel that you need to propose something. Do you suggest that the COMN uses all of his resources to release a new fleet into orbit (turn to 340), that he directs all work to increase the level of armour being carried by the existing fleet (turn to 76), or do you admit to him that you have no idea (turn to 3)?

  93

  “Interesting!” says the colonel, handing you a harness which you slot the weapon into.

  If at any point you are offered the chance to aim specifically at something (e.g. to take a headshot), you can use the Rutter-342 by taking 50 away from the section number.

  The four of you leave the Navy headquarters; turn to 354.

  94

  Through the door you find yourself in a small dining area. A table large enough for about six people has been cleared of any crockery and cutlery and has a single vase of orange flowers in its centre. A large abstract painting with large purple streaks on a red background fills most of the wall to your right alongside a small doorframe that looks like it leads onto a hallway area. A set of double doors to your left lead outside. In front of you, the room stretches round to the right into a kitchen area, and it looks like there are people in that area who haven’t spotted you yet.

  Do you go round to the kitchen area (turn to 209), or through to the hallway on your right (turn to 316)?

  95

  You refuse to slow down as you leave the colourful crossroads behind you and enter a row filled with the exotic scents of dozens of restaurants that line this avenue. You only recognise half of the cuisines on offer and wonder whether the emerging tastes on Mars would excite you or make you sick, although you’re immediately reminded that you don’t have time to think.

  As you approach another crossroads, you glance to your left and see two more people make eye contact with you and start to run in your direction. The road opposite you heading west leads away from your pursuers and looks to contain fewer crowds, so your instinct is to head north to the right. Do you head straight on (turn to 49) or to your right (turn to 203)?

  96

  “Now there’s a woman who seems above reproach, which is always a sign that something’s up in my game. There’s only one rumour I’ve ever heard about her, which makes me think it must be true,” she says with a smile on her face. “I heard that she has a secret door in her observatory; apparently, one of the microscopes on her desk is fake and if you push it forward it will reveal the door.”

  If at some point you find yourself alone in Ada’s observatory and would like to try to risk moving her fake microscope, you can do so by subtracting 50 from the section number you are on at that point. Now turn to 2.

  97

  Through this door is a large, luxurious bathroom. Two large, faux marble basins take up the wall to your left, with ornate taps that create an attractive waterfall set below a mirror that takes up the entire wall.

  Opposite them, to your right, is a large, L-shaped bath with three enormous shower heads overhead, and you imagine that the experience of showering there would be like the experience of stepping into a humid rainforest.

  There is a small chest on the wall in front of you, and it looks like someone has accidentally left out a pair of nail clippers, which you can take with you if you wish.

  Would you like to spend some more time searching this room more thoroughly (turn to 394), or will you leave and go through the decorative door (turn to 22), the plain door on the south wall nearest the west wall if you haven’t already (turn to 285) or the other plain door if you haven’t already (turn to 125)?

  98

  “Alright,” says David after a moment’s hesitation. “Let’s go back to force some answers out of her.”

  The three of you make your way back out to the observatory, pressing the buzzer when you arrive like you did before. You wait several minutes and get no response.

  “She must have gone off somewhere,” says Catalina. “Let’s break in and see what she’s been hiding!”

  David sighs deeply and then shrugs his shoulders. “Alright, needs must.”

  The three of you carefully skirt the wall until Catalina gives a low whistle and points out a window that’s been left slightly open. She reaches up and inside and manages to wedge it open far enough to squeeze in. She disappears for a moment and then comes back.

  “There’s no-one here,” she says. “In you come.”

  You and David look at one another and then follow Catalina’s lead, making your way back into the main room inside the observatory (turn to 379).

  99

  You march in through the door and are greeted by what looks like a very comfortable living area. Soft music is playing in the background, three large sofas and two armchairs are placed around a smart-looking rug, and warm lighting makes the entire area look like it would be very welcoming, were it not for the six assassins who leap over the sofas to attack you. Pauline and Catalina take on three of them together, and you are left to fight the remaining three.

  Fight each one in order. Each time your opponent does damage to you, you must add an additional point of damage for each surviving assassin.

  First assassin

  BODY 6

  SPIRIT 6

  Second assassin

  BODY 6

  SPIRIT 7

  Third assassin

  BODY 7

  SPIRIT 8

  If you win, record the codeword Arcadia if you don’t already have it and turn to 55.

  100

  As you scroll through the names you spot Ada Uovu’s name and can’t help but open her record. The file includes all sorts of information about her, such as her date of birth (28 July 2302), her childhood and education, career history and hobbies. You can’t imagine the effort it must have taken to develop this entire database.

  If you would now like to attempt to break the security to access the wider system, turn to 54. If not, you leave the room (turn to 213).

  101

  “That’s an excellent idea!” says David. “We’ll get you up there with a perfectly equipped, streamlined team as soon as possible.” At this point, he touches his hand to his ear and says, “Excuse me,” turning away to take a communication.

  A minute later he turns back to you with an expression of shocked disbelief.

  “It turns out-” he begins, stutters and then coughs before starting again. “It turns out the alien fleet has picked up speed and will be with us in a little under three hours. The time to get you on board and equipped will be tight but possible; let’s get a move on.”

  You are ushered into a private transport and rushed to the port, where you meet a team of six others who will join you on board. A ship has already been made available and final checks are underway. You are marched through every gate by a cohort of border patrol officers and forced onto the ship faster than you could have thought possible. You have one hour to get into orbit and prevent the fleet from arriving.

  Immediately as soon as you are seated in the cabin, a voice cuts into your thoughts via the onboard communication system.

  “Team,” says the voice of David, presumably speaking from the control tower, “the fleet has been consistently picking up speed and will be on top of you the moment you reach orbit. God speed.”

  Before you can respond, the voice has cut off and the engines have started. You grip the sides of the seat as you are forced back into it during lift-off, and the team starts shouting instructions at each other to ensure the best use of the short time you will have upon reaching orbit.

  You are unaware of the organic missiles aimed at your ship until it is too late. Five minutes after launch the ship fragments into countless pieces and you lose consciousnes
s long before you hit the ground.

  102

  You call out after her and she turns round, not closing the distance but seemingly willing to listen to what you have to say as you feel the heat of the observatory slowly catching fire behind you. You ask her to at least stop and explain what’s happening.

  “They’re coming!” she says. “I’m sending them a message of welcome right now!”

  She looks up to the sky, which currently looks the same as it did when you first arrived on Mars, holding out a small white box in her hand. If you didn’t know the truth of it you would think she was losing her mind, but the weight of what she’s said hits you.

  “May I see that transmitter?” you ask politely, and she seems excited to show you. She walks over and shows you the screen with an indecipherable message made up of what looks like coordinates and orders to be carried out.

  If you have the codeword Elysium, turn immediately to 400. If not, turn to 334.

  103

  You set off at a sprint, and follow the road round to the left, away from the hospital. The huge university building stretches for some distance on the east side of this street, and you find yourself running through crowds of students, tourists and the odd solitary worker. You realise you are drawing attention to yourself and risk a glance behind you to see if you can slow down at all. No chance! Your three pursuers seem to be gaining on you.

  After several minutes running, you reach a large crossroads. The left-hand avenue appears to head into an intense retail district, full of people and vibrant colours. The road to the right is quieter, with groups of students spread throughout it. A shuttle station on the right has gathered a small crowd. The road ahead stretches on, and the crowd thins a little.

  Do you head left (turn to 358), right (turn to 49) or straight on (turn to 312)?

  104

  You start to search around the empty room, and after a couple of minutes of staring at creamy-white walls your eyes begin to play tricks on you.

  “What’s going on?” asks Catalina. “We really need to be moving, not wasting time searching empty rooms!”

  Lose 1 SPIRIT point. You are about to admit defeat, when you think you spot a crack in the corner to the left of the door you came in by. Will you risk angering Catalina by investigating the crack (turn to 399), or will you retrace your steps and go through the door you passed earlier (turn to 367)?

  105

  The perimeter of the door looks to be snugly fitted into the structure. You reach out to run your fingers around it and the moment you make contact leap back with a yelp of pain – it has a live electric current running through it! Lose 4 SPIRIT points.

  Resigning yourself to the fact that the only way out will be to break the door, you brace yourself to try to smash it open with brute force (turn to 35).

  106

  You hurl yourself at the door and it flies back, clanging against the wall. You have no time to appreciate the room behind it though, as your vision is immediately filled with the sight of a woman wrapped in some sort of film, screaming at the top of her lungs in rage and launching herself at you.

  If you know the word to calm her down, turn each letter of that word into a number using the sequence A=1, B=2, etc, add them together and add it to 160, then turn to that section number.

  If you don’t know the word, she claws at you desperately and you will have to defend yourself.

  Mad woman

  BODY 8

  SPIRIT 10

  If you win, turn to 215.

  107

  You wait until someone leaves the group to head to the bar, and you step in their way. The gritty-looking man stares right at you, unblinking, and says, “Well, are you going to move?”

  “Only if you make me,” you reply.

  The entire gang behind him suddenly bursts out laughing and a grin breaks out on the man’s face. “You’ll fit right in!” he says. “Let me buy you a drink and you can get to know everyone.”

  You find the group to be warm and welcoming to the three of you, and you are invited to share how you came to be in New Gaia, which quickly turns into an extended round of questions about the old earth. After an hour of making new friends you don’t feel any closer to finding the location of your pursuers but do feel relaxed and refreshed. Gain 2 HEART points.

  You leave The Worker’s Rest. Will you now visit the farms (turn to 39), the bar on the top floor of the hotel (turn to 116) or return to the hospital (turn to 90)?

  108

  You open the door to a small bedroom containing only a wardrobe and a bed. There is someone asleep in the bed, and they stir as you open the door. You try to quickly sneak in and close the door silently.

  Make a combined BODY and MIND check at difficulty 19. If you succeed, turn to 85. If you fail, turn to 46.

  109

  He casually allows you to approach and is not expecting you to leap at him like you do. Resolve this combat, made easier by your surprise attack.

  Kwame

  BODY 6

  SPIRIT 3

  If you win, turn to 357.

  110

  Try as you might, you can’t get past the security screen so are forced to abandon your task and leave the room (turn to 213).

  111

  Through the door is a red-carpeted entrance hallway, lined with portrait photographs. You run straight through it and burst through the door at its end. Add 5 seconds to your TIME score.

  The corridor on the other side of the door presents a door to your left, which you ignore, and at the end of the corridor is a door to the right, which you run through. Add another 5 seconds to your TIME score.

  This door opens into a large room containing a stinking, organic mass, dark in the red light with luminous yellow spots revealing its shape. There is a door on the left-hand wall and so you run straight towards it and burst through. Add another 10 seconds to your TIME score and turn to 270.

  112

  “Oh!” says one of the guards. “You mean the new site on the east side?”

  You nod, which was the wrong thing to do; there is no new site, and the guards are told about all visitors in advance. They immediately lunge at the three of you and you are going to have to defend yourselves. One of the guards attacks Pauline and Catalina, and you will have to take on the other one.

  Farm guard

  BODY 7

  SPIRIT 9

  If you win, you enter through the gate (turn to 302).

  113

  Make a MIND check at difficulty 13. If you succeed, turn to 361. If you fail, turn to 89.

  114

  Tucs welcomes you into her warmly decorated office. As she relaxes into an armchair, her slim face framed by straight dark hair holds a neutral expression, and you get the sense that she is not used to a feeling of fear.

  “We have dealt with worse than this before, I’m sure,” she says. “Thank you for coming to me; the ASR is always ready to play its part in serving the common good. What would be most helpful?”

  Do you ask her about her perspectives on the influential people in and around New Gaia (turn to 268) or on the relationship between the ASR and the UDE (turn to 222)?

  115

  When you reach the third floor you find yourself walking towards the door and strolling out into the middle of a crowded thoroughfare. Turn to 17.

  116

  The front door of this impressive building has been made to look like one of the traditional luxury hotels in a European city, with carpeted steps leading up to grand, bronze-handled doors. There is even a man wearing a top hat and tails, who greets you as you arrive and opens the door for you.

  A young lady welcomes you as you enter and, when asked, shows you over to a lift and sends it up to the top floor for you, some 45 storeys into the air.

  The moment you step out of the lift you are glad you made this trip. The bar is floor-to-ceiling windows, and the views from up here are breath-taking. From the lift, all you can see outside is a shimmering, pinky glow that seems to
extend forever. The city itself only comes into view as you approach the window, and you walk around the perimeter, taking in the fascinating image of the city. The roofs of the buildings, which look identical from below, are each unique, revealing a life for a portion of society that is only visible from up here. The criss-cross of the shuttle tubes bathes the streets in a natural-looking glow, but this far up there are no lights and so you are able to see for miles in every direction.

  To the south you can see the port, with a ship already in dock, presumably either filling up with passengers or in the process of offloading its cargo. You even think that you might be able to see The Altimer just off to the side, through the unnatural haze of the dome. To the north, the Martian mountains loom up, covered in a reddish cloud. The farmlands sit between the city and the mountains, and you can see a large observatory built into the mountain itself. In every direction, the drone network that maintains the dome is visible, and every so often you see one rise up from the ground and take the place of one that drops down, presumably to recharge its power.

  Catalina suggests that you get a drink while you spend some time here and see if anything happens. You agree, and the three of you sit at a table overlooking the ship port while the drinks are prepared, a speciality of the hotel.

  When they arrive, the three of you can’t help but be impressed by the spectacle of the drinks, which almost glow with a luminous pink. You clink your glasses and all take a sip. You’ve never tried one before so you weren’t sure what to expect, but the combination of sourness and bitterness is surprising and you immediately start to feel strange. You put the glass down, and Pauline and Catalina both look at you in alarm; their drinks must also taste very odd.

  Make a BODY check at difficulty 15. If you succeed, turn to 287. If you fail, turn to 339.

  117

  You say that you are working for Ada as a security auditor to give her some comfort that her comms room is well protected, and he nods surreptitiously.

  “No need to say any more,” he says. “Although…there are some of us who won’t give you the chance to talk first so you might need this.” He pulls out a small packet containing a single pill. “Just a little something to build your strength up. Well, good luck with it all!”