Gamebooks (Choose Your Own Adventure Style)

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Movie Mystery Madness Alternate Endings Part 7


And the final ending for the "extra" route is accusing the correct suspect.


"By process of elimination, or very good guesswork that is usually called intuition, you've determined that the knight is the murderer.  The ballerina and the alien provide alibis for each other.  Therefore, you know the alien was on the stairs the whole time, and he said the nurse never left the drawing room.  So, none of those three can be the murderer.


The ghost was evidently in the bathroom at some time because her costume was wet.  While in there, she heard the superhero in another cubicle, and the superhero said she only heard the bathroom door open once, so you know the ghost came in and did not leave.


That only leaves the knight, who also said she was in the bathroom, but no one saw her or heard her in there.  Furthermore, if she was in there, the superhero would have heard the door opening twice for the ghost and knight to enter, then again for the knight to leave.  That didn't happen.


The knight is the only person who doesn't have a real alibi.  'I'm sure the murderer was the knight', you say.  Everyone else makes their decision.  Most of them agree with you.  You were right.  Well done!  You've solved the murder mystery!"


This book would have been so much better if it really were Tina Warrior Princess murdering Wizard Zim in the library after bickering one too many times.  The potential of swapping the fake murder weapons with real ones was wasted. . .


The epilogue says Scooter becomes the co-star after the excellent performance.


Results So Far


3 Good Endings

0 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

3 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Movie Mystery Madness Alternate Endings Part 8


Becoming a production assistant means I get no pay and have to wear a fedora.  The 2AD says "All my PAs are kids, all unpaid.  The director thought that because it's a kids' movie, the PAs should be kids too".


I have no idea what New Zealand labor laws are like, but that's asking for trouble.  The director's policies are likely what led to the budget cuts and most of the cast leaving.


My first job is to get breakfast for a man called "Conrad Pringle".  He doesn't order potato chips like you'd expect.  Instead, he wants "Two poached eggs, bacon, hash browns, mushrooms on brown toast.  Coffee.  Got it?"


Chances are the budget cuts eliminated any possibility of having more than one kind of coffee.  But at least Conrad Pringle has a better showbiz name than Pi and his wife R-Squared. 


CHOICE #8 is to either get beans or mushrooms for Conrad Pringle.  Let's get the wrong item to see what happens!


This doesn't kick me off the movie set, despite Pringle's efforts.  "Beans!'  His lips curl and vibrate with fury.  'You got me beans instead of mushrooms.  Beans!  You want me to fart through every scene?"


George keeps me because they don't have enough people anyway.  The next job is to either "do the flushing" at the mansion, or "deliver the sides", whatever those mean.  That's CHOICE #9.


No, "flushing" doesn't involve cleaning the toilets.  Instead, it means to direct people to where they need to be, and only allow whoever's needed for the next scene.


After a while, I go in front of Alicia's trailer and hear her crying.  Scooter isn't sure whether she's actually sad, or practicing her acting.  CHOICE #10 asks me to do one of three things.  Tell George Alicia is sad, lie to George and say I couldn't find her, or knock on her trailer door.


Talking to Alicia reveals she has a lonely life as a child star.  The director ordered the extras not to talk to her out of character, and she doesn't have friends.  She's fascinated by my scooter, since a chauffeur takes her in a Lamborghini everywhere.  I suggest hanging out with her:


"Will you let me ride your scooter again if we're friends?'  'Yes, of course.  We can hang out together when you're not busy, play computer games, go for walks, maybe even go to a movie.'  Actually, that last one mightn't be a good suggestion for Alicia-too much like work, perhaps.  'Scratch that last one'.


She titters.  'You're funny.  I like you, Scooter'.  You smile.  At least she seems happier now.  You arrive at the house.  George is waiting in the entrance hall, pacing up and down.  He thanks you and gives you a thumbs-up when she steps inside onto the tiled floor.  Two make-up artists rush to attend to Alicia immediately.


George takes you aside.  'What happened?' he asks quietly.  You explain that you found Alicia upset, but don't go into details.  'She's done this on other films', George confides.  'You did fine to get her here.  Well done, Scooter.  I'll keep you on.  I need reliable, quick-thinking PAs like you".


Eventually, the two of us play a "Secret Bonus Level" of Dungeon of Doom and are never heard from again.




Results So Far


4 Good Endings

0 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

3 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Movie Mystery Madness Alternate Endings Part 9


Telling George about Alicia's problems doesn't help.


"Alicia does sound genuinely distressed, and you can't imagine how she could act her role in the film if she's so upset.  You decide to leave her alone rather than intrude.  She doesn't know you, and if you say that everyone is waiting for her and the filming can't start until she gets there, she might become even more upset.  That won't help.


Silently, you get back on your scooter and retrace your steps to the manor house.  George is standing waiting outside the front entrance.  'She's not there?' he asks.  'Oh, she is, but I heard her crying.  I-I didn't want to disturb her'.  'I told you to bring her back here if you found he, Scooter.  The show must go on, I said.'


'Yes, but-'.  'No buts.  She's a movie star, a professional.  She might be upset this minute, and chirpy as a bird catching a worm in the next.  I need her here.  Now.'  'I thought a few moments' privacy would help-'.


'No, it doesn't.  The director's inside getting red in the face with impatience.  We have a whole cast of actors and extras in there kicking their heels, a film crew with nothing to do except eat sandwiches and pick their noses'.


Sounds like you've done the wrong thing.  'I can go back and get her.'  'Too late.  I already gave you that task, and you didn't do it.  I'll ask someone else.  You're fired.' 


Unhappy, you leave, scooting down the long driveway and out onto the sidewalk.  The girl with the blonde ponytail and the clipboard pays you no attention as you zoom away.  You round the next corner and skid to a stop.  There's another movie crew outside the next manor house!  A convoy of movie trailers on the road are turning into a wide driveway, while another trailer is being unloaded outside.  A young guy with a clipboard beckons you. . ."


The epilogue text treats it as a failure at first, but then gives the line "But five minutes later, another opportunity presented itself. . .but that is another story. . ."  It doesn't take much for this 2nd movie crew to be better than one for the birthday party movie.


Results So Far


4 Good Endings

0 Deaths

2 Bad Non-Death Endings

3 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Movie Mystery Madness Alternate Endings Part 10


Dishonesty is the best policy for our next ending, or not.  Lying to George about Alicia gives us this result.


"You decide that Alicia needs her privacy, at least for a while.  After all, she must know that she should be at the manor house, but something has upset her and she can't go.  Maybe if she's left alone for a few minutes she'll be all right.  But if you tell George that Alicia is in her compartment, he might be angry that you didn't bring her back.


So, you decide to lie.  Silently, you get back on your scooter and retrace your steps to the manor house.  George is standing waiting outside the front entrance.  'She's not there?' he asks.  'No.  Do you want me to look somewhere else?'  'Yes.  We need to find her.  Everyone's waiting on her.  She's the child star.  We can't go ahead without her for this scene, and it's all set up for filming.  Go check the gardens, Scooter.  I'll get one or two other PAs to help in the search.'


Uh-oh.  You hoped to give Alicia a few minutes to recover before 'finding' her.  Now you've been assigned to check the gardens.  'What are you waiting for?  Go, go, go'.


Never mind.  You scoot off in the direction of the trees and shrubberies, thinking you'll give it ten minutes before returning to her trailer.  Hopefully by then she'll feel better.  You pretend to search the gardens, but before you return to her trailer, your walkie-talkie comes to life, startling you.


'Goldilocks found her', George says.  There's a chill to his voice.  'Great', you reply, but you don't feel great.  A pit of despair is opening up in your stomach.  'The odd thing is that she said she was in her trailer the whole time.'  'Um. . .'


'I don't want excuses, Scooter.  I don't know what you think you were doing, but it wasn't your job.  Get back here and leave your set box, walkie-talkie, and hat with Goldilocks.  You're fired".


Not even a chance at a 2nd movie crew this time.


Results So Far


4 Good Endings

0 Deaths

3 Bad Non-Death Endings

3 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Movie Mystery Madness Alternate Endings Part 11


Delivering the sides in CHOICE #9 means delivering food and drinks.  Not much happens apart from Scooter wondering if the previous movie was "filmed in Antarctica" because there are so many bearded men in this crew. 


CHOICE #11 is to either wait until the 1st scene is filmed to deliver the sides, or try to bluff my way past the kid blocking the way.


Bluffing makes Scooter tell the kid that I'm giving the water bottle to the 2AD.  Conrad Pringle, the surly guy from before, may be the one playing the father.  There doesn't seem to be a ninja this time because I'm not an extra in this alternate universe.  Bluffing was the correct path because George praises me for delivering everything on time.


CHOICE #12 comes when the alien begs to be let out during lockdown to avoid overheating in the costume.


Forcing the alien to stay doesn't generate an ending, but instead tempts my character to sneak away from the lockdown post and get some snacks.  CHOICE #13 is to either do so or wait there like I'm supposed to.


Unfortunately, trying to sneak away means George catches me and the alien escapes.  CHOICE #14 is to look near the trailers, or the trees.


Searching near the trailer doesn't give me any results at first.  Though I offer to have someone else become a substitute if a 2nd alien costume is available.  But the wardrobe department only made one.  "Goldilocks" allegedly finds the alien, and I'm fired for not "taking your job seriously".  There's more to the story than this:


"Wait, there's more:  As you scoot slowly away from the big house and all the activity inside, you see a smaller truck has cut across a lawn on one side and parked up under some trees.  That's kind of odd.  Why is it so far away from everything else?  On a hunch, and also because you've got nothing else to do with your day, you scoot closer, trying to see why it's there.


The sign on the side says Kooky Kostumes and one of the back doors is slightly open.  The first thing you see when you open it a little more is an alien costume.  It's exactly the same as the alien that got you fired.  Why did those people back at the big costume trailer say there was only one?  The second thing you see answers your question.


The truck is full of art and antiques.  Those people in deck chairs are thieves!  While the film crew is in lockdown they are ransacking the rest of the house and filling up this truck.  You need to tell George.  You reach for your walkie-talkie, but of course it isn't there.  You'd better scoot back.  But what if George doesn't believe you?  What if the person on the door won't let you in?  Your eye travels to the alien costume.  Of course!


It's a struggle, but you eventually squeeze in.  Then you scoot back to the house.  The guard on the door is the same kid you had to bluff past before.  At first you think he's going to try to stop you, but instead he looks amazed:  'How did you get outside again?  Get inside before I get fired.'


You sprint down the hall to the film set, where they're just finishing a take.  'That's a wrap!' someone yells, and then, 'Hey why are there two aliens?'  You wrestle off the alien head.  'George, I need to talk to you, urgently'.


George looks bewildered but heads over to listen.  'This had better be good, Scooter'.  He walks you off to one side of the set.  You quickly explain about the truck outside being filled with stuff from the house.  George looks disbelieving, then angry, then worried, then excited.  He should be an actor.  'If those thieves get away with stuff from this house, the film will be ruined.  We don't have any insurance and the owners would kick us out before we finish.  But maybe we can actually make this situation into movie gold.'  He snaps his fingers.


'Wendy!  Paddy!  Bring your hand-helds now.  Everyone else stay here.  Scooter-you're with me.'  George directs the two camera folk to circle round the building under cover of the trees.  'You head towards the truck, Scooter, and see what you can get them to say.  Oh, and here's a mike.'  He pins a small device to the green material of your costume.  'Now, action!'


You scoot quietly over the grass to the truck in time to meet the two people you'd talked to in deck chairs earlier just arriving there too.  One holds two paintings and the other hefts a chandelier.  They look at each other, at the things they are carrying and then the woman speaks up:  'We're just taking these things into storage.'  'Yes, storage!' chimes in the man.  'You'd better head back to the film set.  Someone was looking for you earlier.'


The woman puts the chandelier on the grass and swings open the back doors of the truck.  She looks inside and looks back at you, noticing you haven't gone.  'Can you just help me with this?' she asks you, beckoning you closer.  You take a few steps closer, wondering when George and the camera crew are going to turn up.  How long can you 'act natural' for?


Whump.  Someone pushes you forward into the back of the truck.  Slam.  The doors shut and click.  You fumble around in the alien costume, trying to wrestle the head off so you can try to get the doors open.  There's the sound of the two thieves getting into the front cab and doors slamming.  They're kidnapping you!


'Go, go, go, Jake!' says the woman.  'The motor's not turning over!' the man replies.  'That's because we disconnected the battery.'  That's George's voice.  'And smile, you two-you're on camera.  How does it feel to be caught on camera stealing heirlooms and kidnapping an alien?'


The footage of the two thieves goes viral and everyone is talking about the alien kidnap.  The studio brings in new writers and lots of money.  The alien gets a bigger part and you get to play part of the role.  They also put vents in the costume and give you plenty of breaks.  Best of all, the studio keeps it a mystery as to who is inside the costume.  You get to have a normal life without paparazzi following you everywhere".


Two thieves inadvertently give our movie a decent budget, even though its production has been as rocky as Waterworld's.  (Though much less interesting.)



Results So Far


5 Good Endings

0 Deaths

3 Bad Non-Death Endings

3 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Movie Mystery Madness Alternate Endings Part 12


Our next ending, obtained by looking for the alien in the trees in CHOICE #14, is. . .unusual for this otherwise-bland CYOA.


I wake up the alien, and he says the suit needs vents and fans.  He steals my scooter and heads off toward the mansion.  Unfortunately, another extra is ill, so finding the alien was useless.  It turns out to have been the superhero, and Goldilocks volunteers to take her place, because she's memorized "all eight pages" of the script.  George fires me for letting the alien out during lockdown.  Then things get weird.


"Unhappy, you scoot off down the long driveway toward the road.  Half way down, you see a silver saucer-like craft standing on five metal legs behind the trees, gleaming in the sunlight.  Odd, you think as you skid to a stop, that wasn't here when you arrived earlier.


You decide to go closer.  It's the size of one of the large trailers.  Small windows line the top half, while a ladder extends to the ground from the bottom half.  You reach up and touch the underside.  It's metal.  The budget certainly wasn't spared on this prop.  But you can't imagine what it's got to do with the murder mystery party.


The alien descends the ladder and waves at you.  You stare back.  How on earth did he get here before you?  Won't he be in even more trouble with George for skipping out again?  'Hey, alien', you say.  'Get back to the house.  They're all waiting for you'.  The alien beckons you from the foot of the ladder.


You scoot over, about to give him a piece of your mind.  He's cost you your (unpaid) job, and now he's AWOL again.  You reach the ladder.  'Listen, alien, I don't know what you think you're doing, but-'


The alien gestures upwards.  Does he want you to climb the ladder?  Well, you're not doing that, but you look up to see what he's pointing at.  Staring down at you from inside the craft is another alien.  What's going on?  The first alien grabs you, and, with unexpected strength, lifts you off the ground and shoves you up the ladder.


'Hey!  Stop!'  You turn and grab at the alien's plastic antennae.  But they don't feel plastic.  They feel real.  This isn't a kid in an alien suit.  The alien's mouth opens in a wide 'O' and it emits an inhuman moan.  You let go.  He-or she, or it-shoves you further up the ladder.  The alien above grabs you under the arms, and suddenly you're inside the craft. 


Before you can look around much, one of them jabs you in the arm.  A cold wooziness overcomes you.  Your last thoughts before you pass out are that you're being kidnapped by real aliens.  Why?  Do they want to eat you for dinner?  Conduct experiments on you?  Exhibit you in an alien zoo?"


Aliens not only exist in Movie Mystery Madness, but they coincidentally look exactly like costumes from a B movie.  This random abduction ending wouldn't be out of place in a Spanish CYOA, especially No Me Llames Tami.


I'm tempted to move all the other Bad Endings to Neutral just because this one is much worse than being fired from an unpaid job.  But at the same time, I don't want to break continuity, and the ending classification is informal anyway.



Results So Far


5 Good Endings

0 Deaths

4 Bad Non-Death Endings

3 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Movie Mystery Madness Alternate Endings Part 13


Staying in the building during lockdown in CHOICE #13 is a boring ending compared to the alien abduction.


"You decide to follow George's instructions and stay put.  It won't be for much longer anyway.  There's a reason you (and presumably other PAs on the other exits) have been given lockdown duty.  The director must want to be sure all the actors and film crew are present when he's ready to restart filming.  Hunger pangs claw at your stomach, but you wait patiently a few minutes longer.


'Break's over!'  someone calls.  Great, you think, leaving your post and heading toward the entrance ahll.  The second assistant director meets up with you on the way.  'No one in or out, Scooter?'  'No, George.'


He gives you a thumbs-up.  'You've done a fantastic job.  Just the PA I need-someone reliable.  I'll keep you on.  Now, go get some food.  There's plenty left.  The cheesecake is super yummy.'


You grin.  Sounds like you'll have more work coming your way.  Though it's probably still going to be unpaid".


As an epilogue bonus, I keep the fedora. 


Results So Far


6 Good Endings

0 Deaths

4 Bad Non-Death Endings

3 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Movie Mystery Madness Alternate Endings Part 14


Letting the alien out in CHOICE #12 has the same effect as getting food in CHOICE #13, so there are no new endings there.  Our last resolution for tonight is acquired by waiting until after the 1st scene to deliver the sides in CHOICE #11.


"You decide not to try to force your way in.  After all, maybe Knuckles and Mindy aren't inside yet.  They might arrive any minute, and you can give them the sides when they turn up.  Three minutes pass.  The only other people to enter the house are not those you're looking for.  'Don't you have something else to do?'  taunts the tall kid with the 3PA hat.  He sneers at you.


You have a sinking feeling in your stomach that maybe he deliberately did not let you inside.  But how you could ever know that [sic]?  Another minute passes.  You can hear sounds from inside the manor house.  They're indistinct.  Everyone must be behind a closed door somewhere.  You sit down on the house steps and wait.  At least you have a bottle of water to drink.


After an hour, lots of people come out of the house.  You gather it's some kind of break for the actors and film crew.  George, your boss, strides over and looks down at you from his great height.  'Where were you?  I told you to deliver the sides to Knuckles and Mindy.'  'I was here, waiting', you say.  'That dude wouldn't let me in.'  You indicate the tall kid who denied you entry.


The second assistant director glances at the other kid.  You see the boy's face go white.  'That's his mistake.  Your mistake is not convincing him that you needed to get inside to deliver something important to the crew.  I need people I can rely on.  Unfortunately, that means you're both fired.'


Unhappy, you leave, scooting down the long driveway and out onto the sidewalk.  Four people are there, shouting and waving placards reading 'We want more pay'.  It's the fired screenwriters, protesting the budget cuts that cost them their jobs.  One of them calls out that he'll have to become a novelist for a few extra dollars each week.  This movie is going to be a real mess.  Lucky you're out of it".


Novels don't give an hourly wage, screenwriters!  And "We want more pay" won't do you any good if you don't have a job to begin with.  Remember my speculation about New Zealand labor laws?  Now I'm wondering how the You Say Which Way economy works. . .


Results So Far


6 Good Endings

0 Deaths

5 Bad Non-Death Endings

3 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Movie Mystery Madness Finale


Turns out I was lying when I said the previous post would be the last ending for tonight.  Only one place to go, and you get there by serving Conrad Pringle the mushrooms in CHOICE #8.  He then asks you to get a "hot brick", but doesn't bother to explain movie set jargon.  If you ask someone else what it is in CHOICE #15, you learn that he meant a walkie-talkie battery and move on to CHOICE #9.  But if you take his instructions literally, you get a fitting send-off to the crummy book.


"What else could the actor mean but an actual brick?  You lift one from the flowerbed border and brush the dirt off.  Now, how to heat it up?  The catering trailer, obviously.  You race over there and rush inside.  'Pi, could you do me a favor, please?  I need this brick heated up in the oven.'  He looks at you oddly but takes the brick and places it in one of the ovens.  Several are operating at once, probably cooking foods at different temperatures.  There are a lot of people to feed on the set.


'Snack while you wait, Scooter?'  he asks.  'That'll be great.'  You choose a blueberry muffin and munch away on it.  It's good, the sweet blueberries melting in your mouth.  Delicious.  'Here's your brick', Pi says, handing you a wooden chopping board with the brick on it.  'Careful, it's hot'.  'Thanks, Pi.'


You race off, balancing the board on your scooter handlebars.  At the actors' trailer, you knock on the door of Mr. Pringle's compartment.  He jerks the door open.  'Have you got it?'  You present the chopping board with the brick sitting atop it.  'Your heated building material, Mr. Pringle.'


'What the blazes is this?'  he shouts.  His face turns red as a beet.  'Are you trying to make fun of me?  Are you trying to sabotage this movie?  Are you trying to ruin my career?'  Okay, so you made a mistake, but he's over-reacting.  Paranoid, even.  'No-'


He picks up the hot brick.  'Aargh!'  He lets it go.  It must be too hot to handle.  Unfortunately, it falls on his foot.  'Get away from me!  I'll have you fired!'  He hops on his other foot, shaking his burned hand".


If only a situation like this would pop up in a Spanish language CYOA, where taking some expression literally would confuse my readers!


And that's a wrap for Movie Mystery Madness.  Not nearly as macabre as I was hoping, with only minor consequences for failure at worst.  RefSteel probably has a few unflattering things to say about this one too.


As for the next CYOA, I'm not sure.  I'll have to buy some new Kindle books in a couple of days in order to find one.  If anyone can think of a free online gamebook, such as the No Me Llames Tami blog, then feel free to offer suggestions!  (In English or Spanish, of course.  Unless you want me to interpret a poorly Google Translated text from some other language. . .)


Results So Far


6 Good Endings

0 Deaths

6 Bad Non-Death Endings

3 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Between the Stars Part 1


I just bought a new set of You Say Which Way books.  Before long, I'll be the world's leading only expert on New Zealand interactive fiction.  This installment is by DM Potter.


"You are in a sleep tank on the space ship Victoria.  Your dreaming cap teaches you as you float.  You first put on a dreaming cap when you did the space sleep test.  Although you thought it looked like you had an octopus on your head, you didn't joke about it.  Nobody did.  Everyone wanted to pass the test and go to the stars.  Passing meant a chance to get out of overcrowded Londinium.  If you didn't pass you'd likely be sent to a prison factory in Northern Europa."


This is an unusual CYOA in that the setting is steampunk space travel.  The spaceship "Victoria", the city being named the original Latin "Londinium", and the fact that my character ate porridge in the orphanage are there to beat it into your head.


I was sentenced to transportation for stealing food, just like the Australian colonists.  But the new planet is too far away to reach quickly, so I ingested oxygenated "sleeping jelly".  Evidently I had problems with a prisoner with a scar on his face, which might come up again later.


I'm a 3rd class passenger, so I'm not entitled to "land and riches" upon arrival.  There's a chance to earn at least freedom if I take this next mission, but there's a chance it could take so long that I might be too old to appreciate it by the time I land.


CHOICE #1 is to either wake up and take this chance, or wait.


I decide to accept the 1st mission.  Sleepers are taught information to stimulate their brains and provide useful skills on the new planet.  These may include "medicine, robotics, farming, steam engineering, aviation, or anything else the makers of the Victoria need third class passengers to know".


A "hummingbot" appears and drains the remainder of the sleep jelly to avoid problems in a weightless environment.  A butler android says "May I assist you?"  I read that butlers used to be humans, but robots replaced them because they "don't steal your valuables" and "don't need to be paid", among other things.  It gives me a "toweling tunic", and I float along, noticing all the frozen passengers at about 14 years old.



The robot leads me to a room with artificial gravity.  Many years have passed while I was asleep, but I'm still young.  This sleep technology was used to preserve rich people for future medical treatments, or to serve prison sentences if the criminals bribed the right people. 


A person named "Trig" talks to me on the intercom, and is revealed to be a freckled redhead.  My character suspects he may have been a pickpocket on Earth.  Trig and I ride "electrified bicycles" to visit the Captain.  The scenery features some holographic portraits of steampunk Britannica back on Earth.  The ship itself looks like a giant bird, complete with metal feathers. 


My character's idea of a Captain is a "tall man with a beard, perhaps someone from the military".  It's actually a teenage girl with "long black braided hair arranged in a coil on top of her head".  She looks aristocratic, and apparently many other nobles are sleeping on this ship.  If my 19th century literature reading is any indication, this new planet will have a surplus of mediocre Anglican clergy, briefless barristers, and officers who paid for "crack cavalry regiments".


Captain Helen Gillian Wells says "Well, you took the idea of a female captain better than your crewmate there. . .It seems the robots have picked me to lead this mission.  Nobody programmed them to make a distinction about gender".  Her speech hints that some remnants of restrictive Victorian gender roles exist on Earth.  She tells us we've been asleep for 170 years.


Our mission is to repair the spaceship's magnetic field.  Evidently, I've learned something about this while sleeping, but Captain Wells has to explain the dangers of space radiation to Trig.  He does point out that the ship is using too much power and needs to slow down. 


We summon some hummingbots to enable us to see the robot crew, and spider-bots "about the size of a small dog" hold tools that repair the ship.  Trig doesn't like the idea of a "high-born girl" watching him while he works.


Aristocratic women on Earth seem to have the same duties as their 19th century equivalents.  ". . .look good, make a good marriage, and then organize social events and run her grand house.  On the new planet there won't be a lot of entertaining, and the marriage market might be a lot simpler".


I suggest putting scanners on a spider-bot to avoid wasting hummingbot fuel. 


CHOICE #2 seems like an obvious trap.  I could take Trig's stupid advice and "race around the Victoria on the transporters", or "Get on with the mission".