(set:$isTraveler to false)(set:$isWarrior to false)(set:$isSage to false)(set:$isMourner to false)(set:$isTwelve to false)(set:$isEleven to false)(set:$isSix to false)(set:$isFour to false)(set:$hasSpoon to false)(set:$hasCoin to false)(set:$hasBox to false)
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''A Brief Journey on Foot
at the End of the Universe''
[[Awaken]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:white))
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You become aware of yourself.
What were you just doing?
Casting your mind back, you recall that you were waiting to forget something. You have, of course, succeeded, but the weight of whatever it was still presses upon your subconscious. A sensitive mass, best left undisturbed.
Best to get your bearings.
[[Look around]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:#ffe6c2))
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A trackless waste dotted with stones stretches before you. You appear to be seated upon the ground, your back to a similar stone.
It's time to get moving, you think unprompted.
[[Stand up]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:(gradient: 180, 0,#94dbff,1,#ffe6c2)))
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You rise to your feet. Brief vertigo swirls in your head. Something is missing, something important.
Who are you?
Perhaps you are
[[a traveler]]
[[a warrior]]
[[a sage]]
[[a mourner]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:(gradient: 180, 0,#94dbff,1,#ffe6c2)))
(set: $isTraveler to true)
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Yes, that seems right.
In a past life you wandered the stars, free to experience anything at any time. You were unbound by the strictures of daily life, flitting about as it suited you. You were sometimes accompanied, often alone.
Those days are behind you now, but you still know how to wander. You select a direction at random and [[begin walking.]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:(gradient: 180, 0,#94dbff,1,#ffe6c2)))
(set: $isWarrior to true)
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Yes, that seems right.
In a past life you fought vigilantly, never faltering, opposing your foes and those who threatened the ones you cared for. You made difficult decisions and brought down fury upon countless enemies in the name of your creed.
Those days are behind you now, but you still know how to dedicate yourself. You face directly opposite the stone and [[begin walking.]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:(gradient: 180, 0,#94dbff,1,#ffe6c2)))
(set: $isSage to true)
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Yes, that seems right.
In a past life you imparted wisdom to those who sought it, disrupting the status quo wherever you went. You sought knowledge for its own sake, and used it to help those who asked whenever you could.
Those days are behind you now, but you still know how to seek something different. You orient yourself to the patterned sky and [[begin walking.]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:(gradient: 180, 0,#94dbff,1,#ffe6c2)))
(set: $isMourner to true)
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Yes, that seems right.
In a past life, you ran from the despair that followed you mercilessly. You frequently left behind those you loved, never by choice. Your face changed often, but writ large upon it was always the grief for innumerable friends swept away by the passage of time.
Those days are behind you now, but you still know how to lead a procession, even if you're the only one in it. You cast your gaze to the ground and [[begin walking.]](align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXX=")[=
Time passes.
As you walk, light fades from the sky. Nightfall brings an inky blackness, devoid of stars.
Devoid of stars?
You remember something else: it is the end. Not the end of the world, though this world will be included in the end. Not the end of an era, for no era will follow this one. The capital-E End of All Things.
(if:$isMourner is true)[A morose irony: you are the Universe's pallbearer.
]You ponder this as you [[continue to walk.]](enchant:?page,(bg:(gradient: 180, 0,#d44a1c,1,#522100)))
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(if:$isTraveler is true)[You wonder if this journey could be shortened at all. Reaching for your-
Hmm. That's odd: you recall having a vehicle that could convey you great distances, but the pocket where its key should rest is empty.](if:$isSage is true)[You're a bit curious about your present location. Perhaps you could take some readings with your-
Hmm. That's odd: you recall having a tool that could discern all sorts of information about your surroundings, but the pocket where it should rest is empty.
]A structure appears on the horizon, its right angles distinguishing it from the stones dotting the landscape. You [[draw nearer.]](enchant:?page,(bg:(gradient: 180, 0,#d44a1c,1,#522100)))
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You recognize the building from about a hundred paces.
It's your childhood home(if:$isTraveler is true)[, the sight of which puts you on edge](if:$isWarrior is true)[, the site of the most terrible decision you ever had to make](if:$isSage is true)[, which means you're on your planet of origin]. You know you won't find anyone inside. Come to think of it, you probably won't find anyone anywhere ever again.
[[You go inside.]](enchant:?page,(bg:#cb953a))
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(if:visits <= 1)[You cast your gaze around the interior of the long, narrow barn. At one end, elevated and enclosed by wooden poles, is the first bed you ever knew. (if: $isMourner is true)[Once, a woman you cared deeply for paid you a visit here. She soothed you, who had just awakened from a nightmare. You failed to save her in the end.]]
A small [[table]] rests in a corner. A [[shelf]] hangs from the far wall. Dawn light flows in through a [[window.]]
(if:$hasCoin is true and $hasSpoon is true and $hasBox is true)[Perhaps the objects you've recovered [[interact]] with each other somehow.](enchant:?page,(bg:#cb953a))
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The table is worn and rocks slightly as you lean over it.(if:$hasSpoon is false)[ A single [[spoon|take spoon]] rests askew on its surface.]
[[Return|You go inside.]](enchant:?page,(bg:#cb953a))
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(if:$hasBox is false)[Upon the shelf rests a small wooden [[box.|take box]] You do not recognize it, although it's possible you have overlooked its presence every single time you've visited here.](if:$hasBox is true)[The shelf is empty and coated in a layer of dust.]
[[Return|You go inside.]] (enchant:?page,(bg:#cb953a))
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(if:$hasCoin is false)[Upon the windowsill rests a single [[coin|take coin]]. ]The landscape outside is unchanged.
[[Return|You go inside.]] (enchant:?page,(bg:#cb953a))
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(set:$hasSpoon to true)
The heft of the spoon in your hand is at once familiar and disconcerting. You quickly place it in a pocket.
[[Return|You go inside.]] (enchant:?page,(bg:#cb953a))
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(set: $hasCoin to true)
You gingerly lift the coin and examine it.
It is unremarkable. One worn face is embossed with a head in profile, not of someone you recognize; the other, with a single stroke. (if:$isSage is true)[Some alphabets would consider this a number One. Others would consider it a vowel. Still others would consider it the vilest of oaths. Without context, it's impossible to say which the coin depicts.]
You toss it once, and then pocket it deftly.
[[Return|You go inside.]] (enchant:?page,(bg:#cb953a))
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(set:$hasBox to true)
The box is smooth to the touch: sanded and oiled, probably, but not varnished. It weighs almost nothing.
You keep it in hand. Its bulk would be ill-suited to even your most spacious pocket.
[[Return|You go inside.]] (enchant:?page,(bg:#cb953a))
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You attempt to open the box using the coin and spoon in combination. The box opens on its own, easily, revealing a wholly empty interior. You suppose that every puzzle has long since been solved, and cryptic causal relations between objects are a thing of the past.
You return the various objects to where you found them. It's time to [[move on.]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:(gradient: 180, 0,#94dbff,1,#ffe6c2)))
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You depart from what is now the last house in the universe.
Pocketing the various objects made you pay attention to what you're wearing for the first time since you awoke. It isn't what you'd expected.
Although, what //did// you expect?
[[a bowtie]]
[[a scarf]]
[[sunglasses]]
[[a technicolor dreamcoat]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:(gradient: 92, 0,#a95c1e,0.3159,#ffffff,0.665,#ffffff,0.9809,#a95c1e)))
(set: $isEleven to true)
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Yes, a bowtie. Bowties are cool.
It was rare to find someone who agreed with that sentiment, back when there were other people. Not that it matters now. What you're wearing is perfectly suitable for [[what you have to do next.]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:(gradient: 0, 0,#1b7926,0.1376,#ffffff,0.4153,#ffffff,0.5045,#888888,0.693,#1919e6,0.8611,#ea95cf,1,#7f19e6)))
(set: $isFour to true)
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You recall the scarf with fondness. It framed that face well.
That was rather early on. Occasionally, you worried it might have been a choking hazard. Not that it matters now. What you're wearing is perfectly suitable for [[what you have to do next.]](enchant:?page,(bg:#5a0b7f))
(set: $isTwelve to true)
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Ah, sunglasses. Wearable technology.
Of course, those were kind of silly, although they did serve quite well. Not that it matters now. What you're wearing is perfectly suitable for [[what you have to do next.]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:(gradient: 92, 0,#e61919,0.242,#e5e619,0.5096,#e61919,0.7465,#ea95cf,1,#e61919)))
(set: $isSix to true)
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That coat was a wild one.
Some people thought it was too confusing. You thought it suited your ethos perfectly. Not that it matters now. What you're wearing is perfectly suitable for [[what you have to do next.]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:(gradient: 180, 0,#94dbff,1,#ffe6c2)))
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You've been trying not to think about this. It's uncomfortably close to what you've forgotten, like a bruise on your cognition. And even if it weren't, it's an uncomfortable prospect all on its own.
The fact that you're here implies that you're to (if:$isTraveler is true)[take the last step off the ledge.](if:$isWarrior is true)[make the last, most fatal decision.](if:$isSage is true)[throw the switch on the last experiment.](if:$isMourner is true)[close the casket on Everything.]
Things won't grind to a halt on their own. That's not the nature of reality. You have to make that call, and nobody else is going to show up and do it for you.
But there's a little time yet. [[Another structure appears.]](enchant:?page,(bg:(gradient: 180, 0,#d44a1c,1,#522100)))
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It's considerably smaller than your home. A waist-height box with an inclined top surface. Your subconscious stirs uncomfortably.
Standing in front of it, you can see that the smooth metal surface bears a single familiar lever and an inscription in your [[first language.]](enchant:?page,(text-colour:black)+(bg:grey))
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Concentric circles. High information density.
"It is the end. I am building this for myself, as a metaphor. When I am done I will rest for a while, forget what I must, and remember as much as I can bear. Then I will return and do my duty."
You appear to have signed your name as well. You haven't told anybody your name for almost as long as you've been alive.
The lever beckons. [[Choose.]](align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXX=")[=
[[Yes|End it]]
or
[[no?|Wait]](align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXX=")[=
(if:$isTraveler is true and $isTwelve is true)[You're old and you're weary. You've seen all there is to see. This is it.
Decisively, you reach forward and](if:$isTraveler is true and $isEleven is true)[You have been running for your whole life. Running and remembering. It's time to stop running.
You place a hand out in front of you, and](if:$isTraveler is true and $isSix is true)[In the end, all that you've seen has humbled you. You were never meant to save everything forever. At the end of the day, someone has to tidy up.
With a steady hand, you](if:$isTraveler is true and $isFour is true)[You chuckle to yourself. All in all, it's a pretty clever joke. The last ever told, and you're telling it to yourself.
It's fitting. Almost absentmindedly, you](if:$isWarrior is true and $isTwelve is true)[It's fitting. You've thwarted this outcome before its time, but the time has finally come.
Wearily, you reach out and](if:$isWarrior is true and $isEleven is true)[You've held the line against sieges and armies before. But this time, there's only you and the echoes of yourself.
As though pulling a trigger, you](if:$isWarrior is true and $isSix is true)[At the very least, it's satisfying that you get to be the one to do this. Shaking your head, you briefly recall an admonishment from a long-gone foe.
Well, nothing for it now. Time to](if:$isWarrior is true and $isFour is true)[From head to toe, a wave of emotion washes over you. Every defense, every reckless jump, they've all led up to this.
But it was worth it, even still. You'd do it again, you muse as you](if:$isSage is true and $isTwelve is true)[You know where it's from, of course. How could you forget? The oldest friend you had, with you until the end.
As though embracing a long-lost love, you](if:$isSage is true and $isEleven is true)[Writing to yourself? Tacky at best. You must have been out of sorts.
Not that you'll get a do-over. You're committed. And so you](if:$isSage is true and $isSix is true)[Of course. Of course, of course. You've always been confident, and now is no exception. You wonder if nonexistence will be a novelty?
Excited by the prospect, you](if:$isSage is true and $isFour is true)[You crack a grin. You wonder exactly how you managed to set this up? If only you were here, you'd love to talk it over with yourself.
Perhaps you'll find out if you](if:$isMourner is true and $isTwelve is true)[You hum an old, sad tune to yourself. It would have more impact if you could screech it, amplified, out across the wastes.
But the time for grand gestures is past. Now's the time to](if:$isMourner is true and $isEleven is true)[Would that you could have a last meal. You wonder what this face likes to eat. A memory of finding out, long ago, brings tears to your eyes.
Before you can change your mind, you](if:$isMourner is true and $isSix is true)[Shame that this face will be another ephemeral one. It seems nice. You'd like to get to know it.
But instead, you](if:$isMourner is true and $isFour is true)[You laugh. You laugh uproariously, and you stand there laughing for a long time. You laugh so you don't cry.
And then, when you've laughed all the tears you have left, you] [[pull the lever.|ending]](align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXX=")[=
(if:$isTraveler is true and $isTwelve is true)[You have a duty of care. You can't just condemn the last fragment. You can't.
Rationalizing this will take time. You walk to a nearby stone, sit down, and](if:$isTraveler is true and $isEleven is true)[You aren't ready to let go. There has to be more to see! Denial is a strong force.
You bend over a nearby stone and start exploring it. You'll explore every damn stone on this planet if it lets you](if:$isTraveler is true and $isSix is true)[No, no, no! It can't be time yet. It's never been your time before, and you're not about to break that record.
You'd sooner break that nearby stone. Maybe that will help you](if:$isTraveler is true and $isFour is true)[You're full of life yet. You spin away from the panel, laughing hysterically at nothing. Then crying. Then laughing again.
Out of breath, you steady yourself against a nearby stone and begin to](if:$isWarrior is true and $isTwelve is true)[There must be a way to get something back. There must. You've spent billions of years on a problem before, and you may yet.
You steel yourself, back to a nearby stone, and work to](if:$isWarrior is true and $isEleven is true)[You won't let silence fall. Not just yet. You've spent too long resisting it.
You need to live a little more yet. You hunch beside a nearby stone and fight to](if:$isWarrior is true and $isSix is true)[Wait, wait, wait. This is //not// what you fought for. You'll be damned if you let yourself become this person.
Not again. Never again, you yell to a nearby stone. Not even if you](if:$isWarrior is true and $isFour is true)[You are rarely raised to anger. But the anger you feel now is familiar, directed inward at yourself.
You kick at a nearby stone. Pain lances through your foot. You don't care. Perhaps it will let you](if:$isSage is true and $isTwelve is true)[There must be more to learn. There must. In desperation, you focus hard on a nearby stone.
Any distraction will do, really. You just have to](if:$isSage is true and $isEleven is true)[You rub your chin and reach to straighten something that isn't there.
...Isn't there. Hmm. Yes, that might help. You calmly pace to a nearby stone and begin, again, to](if:$isSage is true and $isSix is true)[Just who do you think you are? you demand of yourself. Whatever you were doing earlier, your judgment was clouded. You were no better than that nearby stone, you gesticulate.
No, you see now. You understand! You'll figure this out! No puzzles? Everything's a puzzle! It's just about which answers you](if:$isSage is true and $isFour is true)[It would be one thing if there was nothing left. But plainly there's still something.
You approach a nearby stone. You've always been a teacher, and perhaps now it may save you. You'll teach life back into the world. You'll teach the rocks if you must. You'll teach until you](if:$isMourner is true and $isTwelve is true)[Her face tears through your mind. It all comes rushing back. You can't be this person again.
Through the tears, you lean against a nearby stone and pray that you will](if:$isMourner is true and $isEleven is true)[You remember them. They waited so long for each other, so many times.
You can wait too. Bitter tears rise in your throat. You swallow them. You focus on a nearby stone, vision swimming, and attempt to](if:$isMourner is true and $isSix is true)[You are struck by memories of your innumerable faces, some enduring for eons, some gone like a puff of smoke.
This face can't be the one that ends things. It just can't. You'll need to wear yourself away, like one of those nearby stones. You'll need to](if:$isMourner is true and $isFour is true)[Another face rises before your mind's eye. A face that waited patiently for a return you never guaranteed. A face that called out for you, though your own face had changed.
You will need to be patient, too, you think as you slide down a nearby stone. You will need to] [[forget.|Begin]] (align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXX=")[=
[[''A Brief Journey on Foot
at the End of the Universe''|Begin]]
composed by Phoebe Saul