>WAIT
Time passes...

The one-man space scooter glides into the station's docking port. The retro thrusters fire automatically, and the scooter glides to a halt. The space door closes, the docking port fills with air, and the scooter's hatch opens.

>LOOK
Scooter, in the pilot's couch

You are in a cramped one-man space scooter. Through the viewport, you see the docking port of Space Station BG-12. The scooter's hatch is open, leading to port.

You can see a toolbox here.

>OPEN THE TOOLBOX
You can't reach it from the couch.

>PORT
You'll have to stand before you can leave.

>GET OUT OF THE COUCH
You are standing again.

>OPEN THE TOOLBOX
It's locked.

>PORT
Docking Port

This is the huge docking port of the space station. Only one ship is here at the moment, a one-man scooter, so the docking port seems unusually empty. A tube leads down toward the heart of the station.

>DOWN
Main Hallway, Sector M

This is the station's main corridor, which continues port and starboard. A tube leads up toward the docking port.

>STARBOARD
Main Hallway, Sector N

This is the station's main corridor, which continues to port and starboard. A room lies to fore, and a tube leads down to the next level of the station. Lying at the base of the wall is a key.

>TAKE THE KEY
Taken.

>EXAMINE IT
The key is one of those new all-purpose keys that molds itself to any lock. A typical example of Garfoogian ingenuity.

>FORE
Sick Bay

Like the rest of the station, the medical facility is deserted, even though regulations require that the sick bay be staffed around the clock, ten chrons a day! The only exit is aft.

At the far end of the room, inside a steel cage, is a Thoosian Fussbudget, apparently asleep.

>WAKE THE FUSSBUDGET
It jumps to its feet, all twelve of them. "Hey, what's going on? Who are you? Lemme outta here!"

>OPEN THE CAGE
The cage is locked.

"Open the cage!" begs the Fussbudget, clawing at the bars. "I'm claustrophobic! I'll starve to death! I wanna go jogging!"

>UNLOCK THE CAGE WITH THE KEY
This seems to be one of those new sophisticated all-purpose-key-proof locks.

"Break the bars! Get an acetylene torch! Find a teleporter! I've got an appointment with my lawyer in five minutes! I'm allergic to cages!" The Fussbudget begins sneezing wildly.

>AFT.PORT.UP.ENTER THE SCOOTER.UNLOCK THE TOOLBOX WITH THE KEY
Main Hallway, Sector N

Main Hallway, Sector M
You are beginning to get hungry.

Docking Port

Scooter

The toolbox is now unlocked.

>OPEN THE TOLBOX
[I don't know the word "tolbox."]

>OPEN THE TOOLBOX
Opening the toolbox reveals an identity bracelet, a hacksaw, and a tube of nutrient paste.

>TAKE ALL FROM THE TOOLBOX
identity bracelet: Taken.
hacksaw: Taken.
tube of nutrient paste: Your load is too heavy.

>INVENTORY
You are carrying:
an identity bracelet
a key
a box of radioactive isotopes
a tri-video cassette

>DROP ALL BUT THE IDENTITY BRACELET THEN TAKE THE HACKSAW AND THE TUBE
key: Dropped.
box of radioactive isotopes: Dropped.
tri-video cassette: Dropped.
You are now quite hungry.
hacksaw: Taken.
tube of nutrient paste: Taken.

>EAT THE PASTE
Mmmm...one of your favorites...anchovies and peanut butter. You empty the entire tube, and your hunger dissipates.

>PORT.DOWN.STARBOARD.FORE
Docking Port

Main Hallway, Sector M

Main Hallway, Sector N

Sick Bay

"It's about time you got back. You think it's fun being locked in a cage? What if there was a fire?"

>CUT THE BARS WITH THE HACKSAW
You cut through one of the bars. The Fussbudget sticks its head through the gap. "Come on, cut some more! I'm almost out...do you think these edges where you cut the bars are sharp?"

>AGAIN
You cut a second bar. The Fussbudget squeezes through and leaps to the floor. "Thanks, bud. By the way, I'm a Fussbudget." It hops across the room and pokes four or five eye stalks cautiously through the doorway. "Where is everyone? Hey, that looks like a tube of nutrient paste you've got there."

>GIVE TUBE TO THE FUSSBUDGET
The Fussbudget grabs the tube, wildly squeezes it with all six hands, and then throws it to the deck. "Empty! If I don't eat something soon I'll get sick."

>AFT
Main Hallway, Sector N

The Fussbudget gangles after you.

>PORT
Main Hallway, Sector M

The Fussbudget gangles after you.

>PORT
Main Hallway, Sector L

This is sector L of the station's main corridor. The corridor continues to port and starboard. Rooms lie fore and aft. The Fussbudget bounds after you.

The Fussbudget suddenly notices your identity bracelet. "Hey, a bracelet. If you gimme it, I can get us lotsa food, whaddya say, huh?"

>GIVE BRACELET TO FUSSBUDGET
The Fussbudget grabs the bracelet and dashes forward.

>FORE
You bounce off the invisible security barrier.A recording says "Restricted area - identification required. Within, you can see the Fussbudget, wearing the bracelet, greedily devouring a whole crate of Mondoweed fruits.

>FUSSBUDGET, GIVE ME THE BRACELET
The Fussbudget, without looking up or pausing for a second, tosses you the bracelet.

>PUT IT ON
You are now wearing the bracelet.

>FORE
Store Room

This is a small storage room of some sort. A hallway lies aft. There is an adapter plug here.
The Fussbudget is just shoving the last few fruits into its huge mouth. "All the food is gone," it says with its mouth full. "Where am I gonna sleep tonight?"

>AFT.AFT
Main Hallway, Sector L

The Fussbudget gangles after you.

Director's Office

This is the office of the station manager. There is a file cabinet standing next to a desk.

Sitting on the desk is:
a portable computer
The Fussbudget bounds after you.

>TURN ON THE PORTABLE COMPUTER
Nothing happens.
The Fussbuget shivers. "Does it seem chilly in here? I hate drafty places." A look of concern crosses its face. "Do you think the heating units have failed?"

>EXAMINE IT
The portable computer has a keyboard, a screen, and a power cord. The screen is blank.

>LOOK BEHIND THE FILE CABINET
There is nothing behind the file cabinet.
The Fussbudget fretfully rubs most of its hands together. "If I don't get some sleep I'll catch a cold. See ya." It bounds away.

>LOOK UNDER DESK
There is a power socket under the desk.

>PLUG THE PORTABLE COMPUTER INTO THE POWER SOCKET
The cord ends in a nine-prong plug, but the outlet will only accept five-prong plugs.

>FORE.FORE
Main Hallway, Sector L

The Fussbudget is snoring loudly in the corner.

Store Room

There is an adapter plug here.

>TAKE
[adapter plug]
Taken.

>EXAMINE IT
The adapter seems designed to fit nine-prong plugs into five-prong outlets.

>AFT.AFT.PLUG THE COMPUTER INTO THE ADAPTER.
Main Hallway, Sector L

The Fussbudget is snoring loudly in the corner.

Director's Office
Sitting on the desk is a portable computer.
Done.
Done.

>TURN ON THE COMPUTER
The computer beeps and the screen lights up, saying, "Please type password."

>OPEN THE DESK
Opening the desk reveals a slip of paper.

>READ THE SLIP OF PAPER
(Taking the paper first)
"Buy milk. Dentist at 3300. New password is 133."

>TYPE "133"
The screen says "Password accepted. Type 7 for memo file, 11 for correspondence file."

>TYPE 8
The computer merely beeps.

>TYPE 7
The last page of the memo pad appears on the screen:

"22-Bozbar. All personnel have teleported down to the planet. I'll join them within the chron or two, but I wanted to say goodbye to this old station; it's too bad the engineers couldn't stop that reactor build-up. By the way, the latest reading for Critical is 6900."

>TIME
Adjusted Galactic Standard Time: it's exactly 6897.

>FORE
Main Hallway, Sector L

The Fussbudget is snoring loudly in the corner.

Suddenly, a giant thermo-fusion ion fireball engulfs the entire station.

*** You have died ***

Your score is 9 points out of a total of 80, in 92 moves. This gives you
the rank of pot scrubber.