Gamebooks (Choose Your Own Adventure Style)

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Once Upon an Island Alternate Endings Part 9


Before I begin the CYOA snark, I'll mention some trivia.  Arapawa Island is a real place, unlike Dolphin Island.  It's known for unique breeds of livestock, and is the place in Maori mythology where the giant octopus Te Wheke o Muturangi was killed.  (Though the spelling of the octopus's name seems to vary).  The spelling was changed from Arapawa to Arapaoa in 2014 to be more accurate to its Maori etymology.  I'll use the old spelling for consistency's sake in these posts.


D.M. Potter wasted an opportunity.  Given the island's significance in Maori tradition, you'd think she'd have a giant octopus kill the player instead of a squid.  You can't argue that it's for realism's sake because this book has a time traveling dog.


CHOICE #6 is meaningless in terms of game mechanics because going right instead of left eventually sends me back to the fork in the tunnel.  But when I travel in that direction, I meet a familiar figure. . .


"In a few minutes you begin to hear old fashioned music. . .The man standing in the doorway is much older than the pictures you've seen, but you still recognize him, and when he speaks you know his voice."


"Max blurts out, 'But. . .you're dead!'  'Well, Max-my career is dead, but I'm alive and well".


This rock star "lives in a fabulous cave that makes you think of the inside of a genie's bottle.  The cave walls are covered in richly colored fabrics, and Oriental rugs cover the floor".  He disliked fame, so he moved to Counterfeiter Island when he saved enough money.  Stella is astute enough to wonder why he knows Max's name, and he says it's because we already met before because he hypnotized us to forget that we met.


Now it's time to reveal who this singer is.  Drumroll, please!  *Noises play*  "Okay', says Max, 'but only if I can jam one more tune with the King". 


After meeting Elvis Presley in a side path, I have to backtrack to CHOICE #5 and burn that woodpile.  We succeed too well and end up melting our water tank by mistake.  CHOICE #13 is to either spend the night and go back to the fork in the tunnel in CHOICE #6, or explore the surface of Counterfeiter Island.


Doing the latter gives us another long ending that I don't need to type out in full.  We eat some apples and climb a walnut tree to see Arapawa Island.  I pick up a bone carving that looks like a whale.  We see a boy named Jack who came to Counterfeiter Island to get some apples, but he offers to take us to Arapawa after he's done. 


But he may not be telling the truth.  Jack is wearing "trousers made of a rough grey material and a cotton shirt with wooden buttons that look handmade.  Maybe he is from some alternative, back-to-nature community?"  His necklace is the same as the carving I have.  Jack's father is involved in whaling, and we see a ship attacking a whale that manages to get away.  When I show my carving to Jack, he touches his and we're suddenly swimming with no boat.  Max thinks Jack is a ghost.


A man points a shotgun at us near "a small old house", and says he doesn't have a phone.  We leave and look for Aunt Maddy's house.  There, we see Damon and Sandy, the ones who marooned us on Counterfeiter Island.  They're talking about how she'll give up.  We sneak to the back door, and go inside because it isn't locked.  Without any better ideas, I rub my carving and immediately the shotgun man appears and rescues Maddy.  It's unclear whether it's supposed to be magic or a coincidence at first.


But Shotgun Man is really Jack.  He explains that his father's generation was the last to go whaling in New Zealand. 


"Now Maddy', says Jack, 'why did these stupid people who are tied up on your porch want to tie YOU up?'  Maddy sighs.  'For years I've been researching ways to generate power from the tide.  It's a natural source of energy with almost no environmental problems.  Finally I have some very promising results.  My colleagues have been talking to some private companies and they have been offered a lot of money to sell our technology.  That's not what I intended.  I want this technology to be used by everyone-not patented by a few companies who just want to make lots of money from it instead of giving people cheap electricity'.


You and Jack look at each other and smile-you connected across 60 years in one day.  Silently, you hand him his carved whale.  'I made this when I was 11 years old', he says.  'The day I took you across in my boat I was so excited I was going to have friends my own age on my island.  You showed me your carving just as we were about to land-as I looked at it you all seemed to fade away-I could even sort of see you in the water.  My boat landed and all I had was a sack of apples.  I put the carving in the walnut tree that same summer.  I went back often to see if you had reappeared, and when I got older I built the hut there in case you or some other group were marooned there and I wasn't around.' 


He laughs to himself.  'Well guys, welcome to Arapawa.  And now we've had the welcome party-what do you want to do with yourselves?'  'I'm thinking of serious sleeping and eating', says Max, and everyone laughs.  'Sounds good to me', says Maddy.


'When you've done with that you'd be welcome to come over to my cove and try some surf casting', says old Jack.  'I would take you back to the little island, but I've leased it to a film crew who are doing a project in the caves.  They, and one other tenant over there, like their privacy.  It's odd you didn't meet them though.'


The rest of your time on the island is a blur of land and sea adventures.  You are almost eaten by a giant squid, you rescue a sailor, and you explore abandoned homesteads and find a ship wreck.  You catch your own fish and, finally , swim with the dolphins!  The End (sort of!)"


Jack's carving time loop confirms that the timeline is fixed, and you cannot change it in Once Upon an Island.  The counterfeiters get away with their crimes because no one suspects their real intentions.  And there's a montage of more exciting events.


But there is one more ending.  An ending so mundane and anticlimactic, the Peanut Gallery members will heckle and jeer in disbelief.


Results So Far


6 Good Endings

3 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Once Upon an Island Finale


Staying with my mother's friend in CHOICE #1 goes to CHOICE #14.  The following paragraphs are like a dungeon master saying "Are you sure you REALLY want to do this?"


"Your mother's friend teaches mathematics.  As soon as you arrive at her house she gives you a long test.  Then she organizes a three week course in algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.  She says you will have a great time, but you wonder if things might have been a little more fun if you had chosen to go to Arapawa Island in New Zealand".


CHOICE #14 is to either a last chance to go to Arapawa Island, or be Martin Prince and solve math problems.  Our final ending comes when I pick the latter.


"Question One:


A New Zealand giant squid can drag someone your weight and strength down to the bottom of a three mile trench in four minutes.  How many minutes would it take for two giant squid to drag you down to a watery grave?


Question Two:


You find a device which moves you backwards and forwards in time.  You find out that you move back one hundred years every time you hit the back button and you move forward fifty years every time you hit the forward button.  You travel back 300 years and find yourself being chased by a giant eagle.  The Haast's eagle was the largest eagle ever known to have lived and has been extinct for two hundred years.  How many times do you have to hit the forward button to avoid being a meal for a giant eagle?


Question Three:


When Lost in Lion Country you find yourself left alone with the safari picnic basket.  There are 50 ham sandwiches inside the basket.  One hyena will be satisfied after 10 ham sandwiches and will head off to sleep in the sun.  How many hyena can you hold off until help arrives?"


No "The End", but there is an Answers page.  I'm not posting that. . .yet.  


Lost in Lion Country was published in 2014 after reader demand for a safari CYOA, so this ending must have been a later addition to the book.


Once Upon an Island can match the Spanish CYOAs for strangeness.  What other book has time travel dogs, a hypnotist Elvis Presley, and an ending that punishes your cowardice with word problems?  Its lack of focus prevents it from being among the best Choose Your Own Adventures, but I'm tempted to give it 4 stars on Goodreads for its creativity.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Lost in Lion Country Part 1


"You only jumped out of the Land Rover for a second to take a photo.  How did the rest of your tour group not notice?  You were standing right beside the vehicle taking photos of a giraffe.  It's not like you walked off somewhere.  The next thing you know, dust is flying and you are breathing exhaust fumes as the Land Rover races off after the pride of lions your group has been following all morning".


My character's reaction to this is to smack their forehead and say "This is not good" in an understated fashion.  My out-of-character reactions will probably involve gratuitous Lion King references.  In Lost in Lion Country, I'm stranded in the Serengeti.  Hopefully my character didn't take geography lessons from Toto songs:  Kilimanjaro is to the east of this region.


Hyenas are approaching, and CHOICE #1 is where to hide from them.  My options are either climbing an acacia tree or go down into a dry creek bed.


I decide to take my chances with the creek bed.  No use being trapped by hyenas in a tree.  I try to head north toward a village that the safari group went past earlier.  Getting my bearings is difficult because the creek bed isn't straight.  The narration has me draw a clock on the ground with the noon position pointing towards the sun.  Since Tanzania is in the Southern Hemisphere, the 1 o'clock position would point north.  (There's more to it in the text.)


If I were in a Lyttle Lytton caliber book, my character would be in serious trouble because the watch would say things like "Lion o'clock".  But this is a Blair Polly scenario so I should be fine. 


My character may be a birdwatcher.  I had a field guide to birds on the Land Rover before they left me behind, and I suspect the animals in the acacia trees are Fischer's Love Birds.  Half an hour later, I think I'm safe from the hyenas and climb onto the savannah.  I see wildebeest, zebras, elephants, giraffes, impalas, and gazells.  No big cats. . .yet. 


I see some figures in the distance and hope they might be humans, but it's a group of baboons.  I'm forced to climb a tree when more hyenas approach.  Helping one of the baboons in the tree seems to be a wise move.  The baboons throw branches at the hyenas, causing them to leave.  One baboon starts looking for bugs in my hair, and it's obvious the monkeys aren't hostile.


CHOICE #2 is to continue following the creek, or stay with the baboons.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Lost in Lion Country Part 2


My character rationalizes the fun option of staying with the baboons thus:  "They seem much better at spotting danger than you are.  After all, you never saw the hyenas coming".


The mother baboon gives me "a big fat grub", which I eat.  If it works for Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa, it works for me.  My reaction is "Yum peanut butter', you say as the taste explodes in your mouth".  I thought the exploding flavors only applied to crackleberries, but then again the plums in Once Upon an Island also have an explosive taste.  Maybe You Say Which Way protagonists are all supertasters.


Some time later, a male baboon "makes a low whoop", and we travel in a single file line.  They follow the creek, so perhaps I'll end up in the same place I would have reached by ignoring the baboons.  They lead me to a tent where several people are making a nature documentary, because they stop at the same spring every night. 


Koinet the Maasai guide is introduced to me:  "Would you like something to eat?  You must be starving if you've been walking all day".  I tell him grubs taste like peanut butter, and Koinet smiles.  Meanwhile, "the white man looks at you like you are nuts".


Koinet gives me a meat stew, and I ask him to take me back to Habari Lodge where my family stays.  The white man doesn't know the place, but tells me "habari" means "hello" in Swahili.  But Koinet is familiar with the area and says it's a two hour drive.  CHOICE #3 is to either go with him in a Land Rover, or fly in a balloon with Marie and the white man (now named Pierre).  There's a nice part about how tropical sunsets are short, unlike where my character lives.


Koinet's CANONICAL ENDING is a bit long to quote in full.  My character seems to be afraid of heights, though this wasn't mentioned before the CHOICE.  Out-of-character, I picked it because Koinet is the guide and probably knows what he's doing more than Pierre and Marie. 


Koinet says it's too dangerous to cross one area of the river because it has hippos everywhere.  He points out they're more dangerous than lions, to which I respond that cows kill more people than sharks.  Koinet says "Just goes to show that any animal can be dangerous if you don't watch out".  Koinet drives around crocodiles and crosses the banks. 


I take a few pictures of lions eating a gazelle, whose "mouths are red with blood".  Pierre and Marie's balloon keeps up with us and lands safely. 


"You wonder what your family is doing.  Are they out somewhere looking for you?  Have they got helicopters out scouring the Serengeti?  An hour later you get your answer.  As you come out from behind a line of trees you meet your family coming in the opposite direction in the distinctive black and white zebra patterned Land Rovers the lodge uses.  Your family are standing up in the back hanging on to the roll bars scanning the savannah for any sign of you.


Koinet stops his Land Rover in the track and you fling the door open.  You can't believe your eyes.  Your whole family is there.  When they see you they yell for the Land Rover to stop and then rush towards you with outstretched arms calling your name.  Tears of joy are flowing.


'So are we going to do another safari tomorrow?' you ask.  'I know a couple of good spots we could check out'.  Everyone laughs and gives you a big hug.  Then they thank Koinet for driving you back.  Koinet smiles and then reaches into his pocket.  He hands you a string of red beads.  'Here, for you, a souvenir of your adventure'.  'Thanks Koinet', you say, putting the beads around your neck.  'I've got Pierre and Marie's address here in Tanzania.  I'll send you some photos once I've got them printed.  I've got a couple good ones of you'.


Koinet smiles, waves one last time and drives off into the Serengeti.  You climb into the back of the black and white Land Rover.  As the Land Rover starts to move off, you yell 'STOP!'  The Land Rover skits to a halt.  'What's the matter?' your family asks.


'I just wanted to make sure everyone is here.  We wouldn't want to make the same mistake twice now would we?'  You do a quick headcount.  'Right, all present and accounted for.  Let's get back to the lodge.  I need a shower and a big bowl of ice cream".


My CANONICAL ENDING turned out well.  I made friends with Koinet, took some photos, and reunited with my family.  But the family seems to have no individuality at all.  No mom, dad, or siblings.  They all speak and act in unison.


Results So Far


1 Good Endings

0 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Lost in Lion Country Alternate Endings Part 1


Our first alternate universe involves flying in Pierre and Marie's balloon.  Marie explains how hot air balloons work to the intended target audience of children, not snide Realms Beyond commenters.  The balloon has "a roar like a jet engine" when the burner sends in more hot air.  Not having been in a hot air balloon, I cannot confirm whether they sound like that.


Marie and Pierre's plan is to film wildebeest, hopefully without them noticing us.  We see hippos, crocodiles, storks, elephants, wildebeest, zebras, and antelopes.  Pierre interrupts this adventure by saying "Marie, please release a sandbag, there is something wrong with the burner".  The ignition is malfunctioning.  We could land near some trees, but my weight is just enough to get the balloon stuck among them. 


"A good sized branch is right in front of you.  Maybe if you jumped out of the basket onto the branch, the balloon will lighten and have enough lift to clear the tree.  You could save the day".  And that introduces us to CHOICE #4:  Jump out of the balloon, or stay inside.


"You are on your hands and knees on the inside wall of the basket.  The tree branch is right there in front of you.  The branch is reasonably wide and there is another smaller branch you'll be able to hang on to for stability.  You rise slowly into a crouch and then jump.  'No!' you hear Marie yell from behind you.


But it is too late to heed her warning.  You are already out on the limb.  You wrap your legs tight around the branch and grip the smaller branch for balance.  With the sudden reduction of weight, the basket shoots up and smacks you in the side.  Before you can regain your balance you are falling.  You try to grab hold of another branch as you fall, but miss.  Your head smacks into something hard.  Your head is spinning and your ribs ache.


The ground is coming up fast.  Then everything goes dark.  You have made an unwise decision by climbing out of the balloon without first checking with the balloon's pilot.  Remember when he said for you to stay below the rim of the basket?  That was there for a reason.  The cane basket is designed to protect those inside it like a crash helmet protects your head if you fall when you are riding your bike".


Well played, Blair Polly.  This is a rare example of a red herring immediately before a CHOICE.  The lines preceding CHOICE #4 suggest that you jump.  But Marie does warn you earlier to "Stay down below the rim of the basket".  (The "he" in the ending text is a typo, I guess.)  And there's a public service announcement presented when you suffer a humiliating Death.


Results So Far


1 Good Endings

1 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Lost in Lion Country Alternate Endings Part 2


Staying in the balloon and listening to Marie is the way to go in CHOICE #4.  The book even tells me I've made "a wise decision".  Pierre kicks a branch to get the balloon out of the tree.  The narration notes that it's more dangerous to land a balloon than to fly one, but there are at least no power lines to worry about in the Serengeti. 


"Once enough air has escaped, Pierre tells you it is safe to climb out of the basket.  You all run over to the top of the balloon and start rolling it up, forcing the remaining air out of the mouth at the bottom.  It is less than a minute before Koinet drives up in the Land Rover.  'How did you find your first flight?'  he asks you as he joins in the rolling.  'The flight was wonderful', you say.  'I'm not so sure about the landing'.  Koinet smiles.  'I thought I might have to rescue you all for a moment'.


'Ignition wouldn't fire for some reason', Pierre says.  'We might have to go into town for parts before we launch again'.  The four of you set to work packing everything up and loading it into the covered trailer attached to the back of the Land Rover.  Once everything has been put away, you jump into the back seat with Marie.


On the drive back you look through the shots you got on your camera.  Marie leans over and has a look too.  'Some of those are great', she says.  'You could be a wildlife photographer when you get older if you keep taking pictures like these'.  You are pleased that a professional thinks your pictures are good.  Maybe you will study to be a photographer one day.  What a great job that would be, travelling to exotic countries and taking photos of the many beautiful and unusual animals there are in the world.


After getting back to camp, Pierre takes the faulty burner apart and finds the part that needs replacing.  It's just a simple valve.  He gives the damaged piece to Koinet who will pick up a replacement in town after he drops you back at the lodge.  You are pleased to be heading back to the lodge at last.  You miss your family and are sure they will be worrying themselves sick.


Koinet unhooks the trailer and climbs in behind the wheel.  You sit with your camera at the ready in the passenger seat.  Hopefully there will be some photo opportunities on the way to the lodge.  Two hours and thirty eight photographs later, the Land Rover pulls into the lodge compound.  You see your family members talking to a man in uniform.  When they see you, they all rush over and surround you.  They are asking you so many questions at once you can't hear yourself think.


'Slow down', you say.  'I'll answer all your questions in a few minutes.  Let's find a computer so I can transfer my photographs.  Then I'll give you a slide show and tell you all about my adventure in lion country".


At least my family members are implied to ask different questions, rather than acting in unison.  And the player character has a future in photography. 


Results So Far


2 Good Endings

1 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Lost in Lion Country Alternate Endings Part 3


This time, I separate from the baboon troupe in CHOICE #2.  They don't care when I move away because they're too busy searching for bugs to eat.  My character now fears cobras, puff adders, and pythons, all of which live in the Serengeti.  The big cats may be distracted by wildebeest.  One branch from a tree destroyed by elephants seems to make an effective spear when combined with my pocket knife.  I also rip off some of my shirt to use as a strap for my spear, in case I need to climb a tree to escape a beast.


CHOICE #5 is a real dilemma, and you could make a case for either decision.  Filling my water bottle is possible, but the pond is stagnant and slimy.  There are also many insects, "animal droppings and hoofprints" around.  Continuing toward the village without getting water might save me from nocturnal predators if I get to a village sooner.


Let's drink this suspicious water and see what happens!


"The water looks a bit dirty but you're thirsty and it is the only water you hae found since you were left behind.  You use your hand and sweep the insects off the surface and then lower your bottle into the water.  The water that fills your bottle has bits of plant material and other things floating around in it but at least it is wet.


You have a couple sips to try it out.  It doesn't taste quite as bad as it looks.  After drinking your fill you top up the bottle again and put it in your daypack before slinging your spear back over your shoulder and moving off.  You climb the creek bank and have a look around to get your bearings.  You decide to leave the creek bed and head north, hoping to reach the village before it gets dark.  The winding creek is making your journey much longer than it would be if you were walking in a direct line.


You walk across the savannah quickly, scanning the terrain as you go.  Off in the distance you see a large group of antelope grazing.  Thankfully no predators are in sight.  Walking is easier now that you've left the uneven ground of the creek bed, but it is hot, and you are thirsty.  Sweat drips down your forehead and back.  The more you drink, the thirstier you get.  Your mouth stays dry no matter how much water you have.  Before you know it your bottle is almost empty.


You don't feel very well.  Your stomach hurts and your vision is getting blurry.  The next thing you know, your hands are on your knees and you are throwing up into the dust.  The water must have been contaminated.  Now you are wishing you'd never had any to drink.  As you throw up again you drop to one knee.  You have never felt so sick in your life.  By the time you finish throwing up your forehead is burning with fever.  You curl up in a ball on the ground to try to make the pain in your stomach go away.


You are getting dizzy and feel like you are about to faint.  Then blackness closes in".


All signs point to Death. . .until one line in the brief epilogue text.  "Hopefully someone will find you before a predator does".  That makes it Inconclusive.


A safari may not be an original setting, but so far it's been executed well.


I wonder if one Death will be by sleeping sickness.  One reason parts of southern Africa seem like pristine wilderness is that Italian attempts at colonization in 1887 unintentionally brought a rinderpest outbreak.  The deaths of cows wiped out the herder cultures living in these areas, creating habitats for tsetse flies.


Results So Far


2 Good Endings

1 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Lost in Lion Country Alternate Endings Part 4


When I refuse to drink infected water in CHOICE #5, it's time to move on.  The narration suggests running water because the rocks and gravel might purify it.  At least more than a stagnant pond, anyway.  One hour later, and I find a circular Maasai village with huts and a fence.  The Maasai are friendly and no doubt see me as a curiosity.  One man says "Welcome to our village".  It's the only English he knows, according to his granddaughter.  "I learned a little English from the missionaries.  My name is Abebi.  Here drink this, you must be thirsty".


Abebi says Habari Lodge is 2 hours away, though there are several different paths.  She says she sees a tour about once per week, but that's not guaranteed.  CHOICE #6 is to either wait until tomorrow with the Maasai, or try to get back to Habari Lodge before dusk.


I stay with Abebi's family for the night.  Her hut is made of hardened mud, sticks, and a thatch roof.  As thanks, I give Abebi a candy bar.  She likes the chocolate, but there's no explosion in her taste buds.  "She closes her eyes and rises up onto her toes as the taste sensation runs through her".  Not as fanatical about chocolate as the cast of Dragons Realm, but she's still happy to have it.  How this chocolate didn't melt in the Serengeti heat, I'm not sure.


Abebi takes me to watch the sunset.  She points out cheetahs and says they sometimes steal the village's goats.  A Land Rover appears carrying Dr. Nelson.  Abebi explains that he's not a medical doctor, but understandably doesn't know the word "paleontologist" immediately:  "He studies old bones and fossils.  He is a. . .um. . .".


Dr. Nelson hands out candy to the kids, and talks to Abebi's grandfather in the "local dialect".  He says "So you're the one everyone's been looking for.  I heard a report on the radio a couple of hours ago when I was in town picking up supplies.  Your folks are very worried".  He can't take me to Habari Lodge immediately because he has to bring antibiotics to an assistant with an infected foot.  Dr. Nelson can use a satellite phone to call my family.  Going anywhere at night is a bad idea because there are poachers.


Of course there are poachers.  What kind of nature-themed CYOA would it be without poachers or smugglers?


CHOICE #7 is to go with Dr. Nelson, or walk to Habari Lodge. 


Even when I tell Dr. Nelson I'm walking, he offers to take me part of the way.  He says walking would be suicidal if the lions weren't busy hunting farther north.  He agrees to call Habari Lodge to let them know I'm coming, and they may send a Land Rover. 


I see a suspicious fire and vultures circling.  The reason becomes apparent quickly:  a dead rhino without a horn.  The poachers who are responsible are rounding up Habari Lodge guests near the compound.  I see this with the zoom feature on my camera.  CHOICE #8 is to either sneak to Habari Lodge, or return to the Maasai village and ask for help.


Sneaking is successful, though the full ending is too long to quote.  I take a few pictures of the poachers for evidence.  Apparently, they're also a jewelry theft ring, because the poachers are making the guests remove theirs.  The poachers aren't looking at me, so I eavesdrop on them.  "You better give us everything!  If we find out you are lying, we will beat you!"  One man throws a wallet towards the leader of the poachers.


I sprint between Land Rovers as the gangsters are distracted trying to pull a ring off a woman's finger.  A phone is available on a filing cabinet.  The one who answers the emergency call at least understands "emergency, poachers, guns, Habari Lodge, and help".  The poachers aren't wasting any opportunities, and also swipe the groceries. 


Unfortunately, the poachers spot me and kick the door, causing glass to fly everywhere.  One grabs my arm and throws me in front of my family.  "Stay!  Stay here or I will shoot you!"  When I try to offer an alibi, he says "Shut up!  No talking!"


The poacher's truck stalls sooner than I had hoped, because I sabotaged its fuel tank with dirt. 


"Sounds like a helicopter', the lodge manager says.  He turns and looks at you.  'Did you call the police?'  You nod.  'I used the phone in the office.'  The police helicopter hovers over the compound and then slowly descends into its center.  The guests run back onto the veranda as the dust swirls around.  The lodge manager runs over and has a quick word with one of the policemen, then runs back to join the others.  The helicopter lifts off again and heads toward the poachers' truck.



'Well those poachers will be out of action for a while thanks to your bravery', the lodge manager says as he rests his hands on your shoulder.  'Even those idiots won't be stupid enough to argue with the big machine gun the police have on board that chopper'.  Your family gathers around.  They all give you a big hug.  'Can I use your computer?' you ask the lodge manager.  'I've got some evidence the police can use on my camera'.  'Sure', he says.


You run up the steps and into the office.  Once you've retrieved your camera from under the couch, you take out the memory card and slot it into the lodge's laptop.  you take a copy of the pictures and paste them onto the desktop.  'There you go.  Now the police will have all the evidence they need to convict those awful men'.


'Well you've certainly done very well for someone lost in lion country', the manager says.  All your family are smiling.  They seem to agree.  'We'll have to leave you behind more often!"


My family acts and talks collectively again.  Is my character adopted?  They're the only one with individuality.


In case the machine guns on the police helicopter seem excessive, real poachers tend to be heavily armed, often with assault rifles.


And there's a goofy title reference in the manager's dialogue.




Results So Far


3 Good Endings

1 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Lost in Lion Country Alternate Endings Part 5


Returning to the Maasai village in CHOICE #8 creates another long ending.  There are a couple of paragraphs of me running and drinking water, until I see what may be a lion's tail in the grass.  I dash toward the tree and climb it, trying to fend off the lion with my spear.  A man riding in a Land Rover shoots at it and makes the lion run away.


I meet a man with skin that "shines like ebony", and has the "brightest and friendliest" smile I've ever seen.  Could he be Koinet?  The narration doesn't name him for now.  He says he's trying to find the poachers, and I tell him they're at Habari Lodge.  His Land Rover is equipped with a machine gun:  "Believe me, when it comes to dealing with these heavily armed criminals we need it".  The plan is to wait for the poachers to leave Habari Lodge and then attack.  They'll leave me here until the enemies are defeated.


"You are about to be left in the Serengeti once again.  Only this time you will have a ring side seat to something few people will see on holiday, a poacher group being brought to justice.  The faint sound of a motor starting brings all the rangers to the alert.  All but two of the rangers jump into the vehicle.  The other two get on the back deck to operate the big machine gun.


Inside the vehicle, the men roll down their window and point their guns outside ready for action.  'Let's go!' one of the men on top of the ranger's Land Rover yells.  The ranger's vehicle revs up and races down the hill.  You pull your camera out of your bag and move to a spot where you can watch the action below.  The poachers have come out of the lodge and have turned onto a track that heads west towards the hills.  The rangers are gaining on them.  You snap pictures of the action.


When the ranger's big gun opens up, the ground around the flatbed truck erupts with puffs of dirt.  Some of the bullets hit their front tires.  Their truck swerves sharply, and then starts to roll.  The men on the back leap for their lives just as the truck lands on its side and slides through the dirt.  Rangers pile out of their Land Rover and surround the poachers.  Two are pulled from their wrecked cab.  With a machine gun pointing at them, the poachers see sense and give up.  They raise their hands above their heads and sink to their knees.


It is not long before the rangers have the poachers in handcuffs.  You figure it is safe to go down to the lodge, so you put your camera into your daypack and pick up your spear.  You can't wait to see your family.  When you enter the compound all the guests and staff are lined up along the veranda, their hands tied in front of them.  Your family are shocked to see you.  They have heard all the shooting but don't know what is going on.


You start untying people.  As people are untied, they help others.  Everyone gives you a big hug as you release them and ask how it is that you are here.  'I'll explain later', you say.  'Once I've loaded my pictures onto my laptop, I'll give you a slide show and tell you the whole story.' 


You wave your family towards the dining room.  'Let's all go and have something nice and cold to drink.  It sounds like everyone's got a tale to tell.  This has turned out to be quite some holiday!"


The poachers are stopped by land instead of by air this time.  No Maasai vs. poachers here, just some anonymous rangers with a machine gun.  And the rest of my family members still don't have individual lines.


Results So Far


4 Good Endings

1 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Lost in Lion Country Alternate Endings Part 6


Staying with Dr. Nelson the paleontologist in CHOICE #7 is another ending, not a branching path.  My character is amazed at how dusty his Land Rover is, to which Dr. Nelson responds "You wouldn't believe I gave this vehicle a good clean before I left town.  The fine dust seeps in, even with the windows closed".


Dr. Nelson says he's discovered some early human remains in the gorge over the past decade.  I ask "Don't you ever miss TV?"  Dr. Nelson says "Living here is like watching a reality show.  There are always interesting things happening all around you if only you take the time to look.  We see so many animals, and have the excitement of our discoveries."


The narration compares my situation to "an episode of Survivor or one of those documentaries on the Discovery Channel".  Probably the latter more than the former.  I haven't voted anyone out of the Serengeti in any CHOICE.  Dr. Nelson lets me take some photos of elephants and hippos. 


Dr. Nelson introduces me to his Californian assistants Jeremy and Alice.  Jeremy's the one with the infected foot.  It's "red and oozing pus".  Dr. Nelson helps me call Habari Lodge.  The only dialogue we get from them is "a familiar voice" that says "We've been so worried!"  I like to think they're talking in unison again.  To pass the time, I offer to help dig for tools and remains in the gorge.


Since this is a CYOA, my character finds a stone tool in the first load.  Alice didn't see anything like that for a week. 


"Alice takes the tool you found and writes a description of it on an index card with the date and time.  She places the adze on the table besides the others and then asks for your details and adds those to the card too before slipping it under your find.  'Well you're part of the team now', she says.  'This piece will end up in a museum somewhere and your name will stay with it.  How cool is that?'


You find yourself grinning.  You have to admit you like the idea of having your name attached to a scientific expedition.  It's like being a part of history.  You are keen to get digging again.  Time seems to go by fast when you're hunting for artifacts.  Each new shovel full of dirt could contain the next big discovery.  After half a dozen more wheelbarrow loads, you all go back to check on Jeremy and have a drink.  This is turning into one of your best holidays ever, despite being left behind by the safari.


When you hear the sound of a vehicle coming up the track, everyone rises to their feet.  It's the Land Rover from the lodge.  As soon as the vehicle stops, its doors fly open.  Your family rushes over to greet you.  'I didn't realize you were all coming to pick me up!' you say, pleased to see them.  'Of course we all came.  We wanted to make sure you weren't left behind again!"


I'm glad that this ending is here, since it makes the setting more versatile than the usual safari stuff.  If this were No Me Llames Tami, I would have dug up some cursed artifact instead, resulting in a cruel Bad Non-Death Ending.  Poli would find the Ark of the Covenant.


Results So Far


5 Good Endings

1 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

1 Inconclusive Endings