Gamebooks (Choose Your Own Adventure Style)

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Danger on Dolphin Island Part 1


"From the float plane's window, you can see how Dolphin Island got its name.  The island's shape looks like a dolphin leaping out of the water.  A sparkling lagoon forms the curve of the dolphin's belly, two headlands to the east form its tail and to the west another headland forms the dolphin's nose.  As the plane banks around, losing altitude in preparation for its lagoon landing, the island's volcanic cone resembles a dorsal fin on the dolphin's back".


Blair Polly must have played Super Mario Sunshine right before writing his new You Say Which Way.  Will our protagonist be framed for the crimes of a "look-alike" made of dark blue liquid?


All the other tourists are focused on the active volcano.  We land near a wooden wharf, and we spot "palm-thatched huts", a white-sand beach, and coconut palms.  Every tropical island cliche is here.  Is there the possibility of being sacrificed to a volcano god to top it all off?


My family is staying in a bungalow near the beach, but I'll be exploring instead.  My supplies include a "flashlight, compass, water bottle, pocket knife, matches, mask, snorkel and flippers as well as energy bars and binoculars".  More prepared than the typical CYOA lead, at least.


Two kids named Arthur and Sheila Adam and Jane approach me.  They're both wearing t-shirts and swim trunks.  (Though they're "swimming shorts" in New Zealandese).  Adam asks me what I'm reading, and I say it's a guide book.  It also says there might be the remnants of the pirate ship Port-au-Prince from the "early 1800s".  Jane wants to come with me because there are few kids her age, and Adam thinks he can help film with his phone.


CHOICE #1 is to either take Adam and Jane and reenact the Mauritius part of La Isla de los Dodos, or go solo and reenact the Maldives part of La Isla de los Dodos.


The book rationalizes the options like this:  "There is safety in numbers when exploring, and three sets of eyes are better than one.  But if you do find treasure, do you want to share it with two other people?"

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Danger on Dolphin Island Part 2


For the sake of entertaining the Peanut Gallery, and to satisfy my greed for imaginary treasure, I'll go solo.


I tell Adam and Jane "Thanks, but I'm a bit of a loner.  I think I'll check a few things out on my own first.  Maybe another time, okay?"  The two kids dig holes in the sand. 


I look at the guidebook and see two possibilities for shipwrecks.  The first is Smuggler's Cove, an inlet on the northern side of the island near areas with fierce waves.  To get there, I'll have to go through the jungle, around the volcano, and then to the sea. 


"Luckily for the island's birdlife, rats and other predators like stoats, ferrets, and snakes have never gained a foothold here.  Nonetheless, thanks to man, a number of bird species, including three species of lorikeets are listed as endangered".


Why wouldn't rats be here, considering all the shipwrecks? 


The other option for my treasure hunt is the dolphin's nose, where jagged rocks are difficult to see at high tide.  3 boats have crashed into them in modern times.  Dolphin Island must be between New Caledonia and the Cook Islands.


My character wants to go to Smuggler's Cove without a CHOICE, mostly because the jungle will provide some relief from the heat.  I see a lorikeet flying around, but soon hear Jane asking "Where's he gone?"  Adam says "He can't be too far in front.  I caught a glimpse of him a few minutes ago".  They're not referring to me because You Say Which Way protagonists are genderless, but they're nearby.


"You've been to the zoo plenty of times, and you're not sure your lion impression is that realistic, but you give it your best attempt. . .You hide behind a tree trunk and try monkey sounds this time.  'Oooh, oooh, oooh!' you howl doing your best to sound like a chimpanzee.  Surely they must know there aren't any monkeys here on the island."


Jane isn't fooled, and demands to know who's making the sounds.  Adam says "Besides, we can go wherever we want.  You can't stop us".  I may have to take back the Arthur and Sheila comparison.  These two are clingier than the La Isla de los Dodos companions.


Now that I'm forced to take the kids with me, we see a fork in the road.  Adam notices a sign that says we can go to a waterfall on the right, or continue ahead to Smuggler's Cove.  Jane wants to swim, but Adam wants to press on and find the treasure.  Guess what CHOICE #2 is.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Danger on Dolphin Island Part 3


We decide to find the treasure instead of swimming in a waterfall in CHOICE #2.  Jane and Adam tell us their parents are dentists.  "Nobody is ever happy to see them at work.  Their clients are either in pain or unhappy about how much it's going to cost.  It's no wonder Mom and Dead are happy to get away from all the grumbling".


They must be Americans, then, if the clients are worried about price.  I see a "cairn", a word uncommon outside of Skyrim.  When I scrape moss off the stones, the date 1806 is revealed.  Under the rocks, we see "Port-au-Prince".  Jane shouts "Crikey!  We're going to be rich!"  These kids are now Americans whose parents raised them on Crocodile Hunter reruns.


We see a yacht anchored 30 yards from the coast.  Jane suggests pretending to be tourists in order to prevent the crew from knowing we're hunting for treasure, but Adam replies by saying they are tourists.  Though the yacht crew might be more dangerous, and staying in the jungle could be safer.  This is CHOICE #3.


Staying in the jungle seems to be the way to go.  The crew of the yacht named the Moneymaker doesn't see us.  We see a man with Dolphin Island birds in a cage, so it's a smuggling operation.  Maybe smugglers should know better than to hide out in a place named Smugglers Cove, but then again this is a corny CYOA.


"Ouch!  Filthy bird just took a hunk out of my hand!'  he howls waving his hand in the air.  The other men laugh at their companion's misfortune. . .Horrible birds,' a parrot mimics.  'Horrible birds.  Horrible birds."


I say "Poachers.  The lowest of the low."  Adam agrees and clamps his jaw and clenches his fists.  "Life in cages.'  Jane explains Adam volunteers at an animal shelter, so he's passionate about people mistreating them.


CHOICE #4 asks me to either report the poachers at the resort, or look around Smugglers Cove first.  The smugglers are already leaving, so going back to the resort may not do much to stop them.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Danger on Dolphin Island Part 4


Jane, Adam, and I go snorkeling to try to look for the treasure.  We notice in old anchor in an undersea cave after dodging moray eels and other marine life.  A mention of "red lobsters" makes me wonder out-of-character.  Are there any lobsters that are red in the wild?  They usually only get that color when they're cooked.


Jane tells us we need scuba gear to go further into the cave.  I think of landmarks like a "palm with the crooked trunk".  Jane dives once again and finds part of a coin with the letters "CAR" on it.  My character says it stands for "Carolus", or Charles IV of Spain. 


Adam insists on reporting the poachers, but Jane says "What if the poachers are working with someone from the resort?"  It may also endanger our chances of finding the treasure first.  Adam's next plan is to sink the Moneymaker.  "Brilliant.  My brother the eco-warrior against three hardened criminals.  Good luck with that, sport".


Jane also points out that none of us are citizens of. . .whatever country Dolphin Island belongs to.  I offer to contact the authorities without dealing with resort management.  But reckless Adam says he'll sink the boat solo if he has to.  CHOICE #4 is to go along with him, or call the authorities.


Sinking the Moneymaker is a long ending, like in Between the Stars.


We decide to visit our families first and then attack later.  The idea is to release the trapped birds and then either open a valve or drill holes to let water come in.  Adam somehow tricked a maintenance man into letting him borrow a drill for "coconuts".


One smuggler remains on the Moneymaker as the other two get onto the "dinghy".  Jane wants to pretend to drown because she thinks even these poachers wouldn't let a kid die.  "Do ya'll [sic] doubt my acting ability?' Jane drawls in a mock Southern accent, her hands clenched to her chest, eyelids fluttering.  'I'll have ya'll [sic] know I'm a fine actor".


I sincerely doubt it.  Blair Polly doesn't know where to put the apostrophe in "y'all".  It's a contraction of "you all", people!  Jane's accent probably sounds like Kyra Sedgwick's character in The Closer.  When I watched that show, I thought "She must be from New York", and it turned out I was right.


Jane's impression goes like this:  "Help!  My legs have got cramp.'  To add effect, Jane sinks below the water briefly before clawing her way back to the surface and repeating her plea".  The smuggler dives into the sea after pondering what to do for a while.  I release the lorikeets while Adam drills.  The water isn't coming in fast enough, so Adam has a new plan.


"He grabs the bottle of mentholated spirits and starts pouring it all over the seat cushions.  'Hey!'  you yell, 'this isn't part of the plan!'  'It's the new plan B', Adam says, striking a lighter he's found by the stove and setting fire to one of the seats in the saloon.  'Let's hope these cushions are polypropylene.  Burns like crazy that stuff".


Is this ending going to be me being sent to prison for arson?  And Adam being sent to juvenile hall?  Either way, his plan works, and ammunition inside the boat is going off in a bang. 


"As you join the other tourists watching the burning boat, you edge closer to where the poachers are standing.  The head poacher is cursing at his companions as if the fire were their fault.  Jane, now fully recovered, sees that the two of you are back on the beach and comes over to join you.  'Good skills', she says.  'Ninjas one, poachers nil.'


Adam unzips a pocket in his shorts and pulls out three items about the size of small candy bars.  'Wrong again, Sis.  Ninjas three, poachers nil.'  And with that he drops a gold bar into each of your hands.  'One each. . .just don't let the poachers see them.'  'Where did you get these?'  you say, turning your back to the poachers.  Jane's eyes are bulging, but she wastes no time slotting her bar into the pocket of her shorts.


'When I opened a floor panel to drill a hole, they were just lying there.  I didn't see any point in leaving them behind.'  You have a closer look at the ingot and read the small writing stamped into it.  'One Ounce 99.9 per cent pure.'  'What's that worth, I wonder?'  Jane says.  'Last I heard gold was worth over twelve hundred US dollars an ounce,'  you say.  'Wow', Jane says.  'Being a ninja pays pretty good.'


Adam puts his bar back into his pocket.  'I'm going to donate mine to the Animal Rescue people.'  You think for a moment at what you'll do with your share, but then realize you've got pretty much everything you need.  You're on vacation on a beautiful island.  You've got friends.  Hey what else do you need?  You pass your ingot back to Adam.  'Here, give them mine too.  I'll just blow it otherwise.  It may as well do some good.'  Jane shakes her head.  'But, I need shoes and dresses and-and. . .Just joking', she says, handing her ingot back to Adam.  'I wouldn't feel right spending ill-gotten gold on myself anyway.'


Adam tucks the gold away.  'Thanks you two.  This will make a big difference.'  You shrug.  'It's only money.'  As the three of you watch the last of the boat disappear, you notice the sun is dipping below the horizon.  Reds, fiery oranges, and every color in between contrast the sparkling blue of the lagoon.  The rocky point, shaped like the dolphin's nose at the far end of the lagoon is just a silhouette.  'So what adventure are we having tomorrow?'  Jane asks.  'We've still got treasure to find remember?'  you say.  'Meet me here on the beach after breakfast?'


'Arrr me hearty', Jane says in her best pirate accent.  'Arrr', Adam says joining in the fun.  And with that the three of you head back to your families, excited at what tomorrow may bring".


Little did Adam and Jane know the so-called Animal Rescue is a front for smuggling exotic pets worldwide.  Not that they could, since their bodies were never found after botched treasure diving.


Just kidding.  That would be an interesting CYOA.  My CANONICAL ENDING for Danger on Dolphin Island may be the best outcome, in spite of my efforts to ditch my companions and indulge the sin of avarice.  The poachers are defeated, we free the lorikeets, and we donate money to save animals.  But what happened to the parrot?


1 Good Endings

0 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Danger on Dolphin Island Alternate Endings Part 1


Contacting the authorities in CHOICE #5 gives us a different, but still positive ending.  Jane thinks of using a radio from some other boat in the lagoon, and "looks like she's just eaten the last chocolate in the box".  Is that a New Zealand expression? 


Adam thinks the poachers will flee if they hear our transmission, but we might have a chance if we mess up their radio antennae by casting a wire onto it and then reeling.  Jane thinks it's a good plan.  "I'll admit, little bro's pretty good with a rod.  Streuth, she's worth a crack!"  It seems "Streuth" is short for "God's truth" according to a Google search, and is used in New Zealand and Australia.


"Two sets of eyes roll at the return of Jane's Aussie accent. . ."  Please let there be an ending where she does the "hon hon hon hon!" laugh when she tries to speak French.


Jane still insists we're ninjas, but "Fishing ninjas doesn't quite have the same ring to it".


My character is nervous about jumping from a "speeding boat", but Jane tries to cheer me up by saying it's like walking the plank.  Adam casts and is more successful than he imagined.


"But leverage is a wonderful thing and the line is stronger than you imagined.  It holds as the yacht tilts further and further over.  The remaining man on deck trips and nearly falls over the side as the deck beneath his feet is suddenly no longer level.  Then there is a wrenching sound as the bracket is ripped off the mast.  This time, as the deck tilts quickly back the opposite way, the man on deck is caught off balance again and goes flying over the rail.


You click the transmit button.  'Maritime radio, maritime radio, maritime radio', you repeat three times as instructed by Adam.  'Mayday.  Come in maritime radio.'  'This is maritime radio, what is the nature of your emergency?'  It takes you a few moments to explain the situation, but the operator agrees to call the police and pass on your message.


The man on the yacht is climbing up the ladder as Jane and Adam motor toward your boat.  You give them the thumbs up, switch off the radio and dive overboard.  A minute later Adam helps you out of the water and onto the runabout.  'Did you get through?'  he asks.  'Ninjas one, poachers nil', you say.  'The police are on their way.'  'Yippee!'  Jane yells.


You look over at the yacht and see the man looking around, still wondering what hit him and how he got tipped into the drink on a perfectly flat lagoon.  'Let's hope he doesn't notice the missing aerial before the police arrive', you say to the twins.  'What did you do with the antennae you caught?'  Adam points to the middle of the lagoon.  'It's now a dive feature over there at the bottom of the lagoon.'


After dropping off the runabout, returning the fishing gear, minus some trace and a lure, and grabbing some cold drinks, the three of you go and sit on the beach to wait for the police to show up.  As you wait, the two poachers and a man from the resort walk down the beach and climb into the dinghy.  'They'll be off to do the deal for the birds no doubt', Adam says.  You cross your fingers.  'I just hope the cops show up soon.'  Jane takes a long sip of her soda.  'Looks like we'll have to find the treasure tomorrow.'


'We've got all week', you say.  'The treasure's been here for 150 years.  I don't think it's going anywhere this afternoon.'  'Unlike our poacher friends', Adam says, pointing to the gray patrol boat entering the lagoon.  'It's going to be interesting to see how they explain all the birds on board".


The poachers are captured, though we don't burn their boat and get gold ingots this time.  My character can't do basic arithmetic.  The boat disappeared in 1806, and the characters have cell phone cameras, which certainly didn't exist in 1956.  Or maybe I'm just a hater. 


Results So Far


2 Good Endings

0 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Danger on Dolphin Island Alternate Endings Part 2


Going back to the resort in CHOICE #4 to report the poachers is just another path to CHOICE #5.  So CHOICE #4 doesn't matter apart from an extra scene.  A man with brochures at the resort is in league with the smugglers, and Adam cuts down a net to free a bird and use as evidence, like Jane suggests. 


My character happens to be a mental math genius, unlike Herman Gigglethorpe.  One link to a page labeled "It's all about the math" reveals this.  The protagonist explains the idea of Pi R Squared combined with a knot being 1.15 miles.  For the purposes of the calculation, Pi is exactly 3.14 and not the irrational number it really is.  I don't want to quote the whole page at you because it isn't an ending, but maybe the protagonist should spend their time proving unsolved theorems or something rather than dealing with petty criminals.


So with that dead end out of the way, I'll return to CHOICE #3 and pretend to be a tourist.  (Which I already am, as even the dialogue points out. . .)


I go for a swim, but it doesn't take long for Adam to shout "Hey!  What do you think you're doing?" when he sees the smugglers carrying a birdcage.  These are stupid poachers if they're committing their crime in plain view!


Jane and I agree that we need to stop Adam before he acts recklessly.  It's too late for that.  "These birds are protected, you brain-dead imbecile!  Let them go or I'll report you to the authorities!"  My character's response is "Subtle, your brother", which sounds slightly like Yoda to me.


"Without warning, Adam runs at the man on the beach and pushes him hard in the chest.  The man, standing with feet spread in front of the cage, loses his balance and tumbles back, trips over the cage and falls awkwardly on the ground".


Adam releases the lorikeets, and the furious smuggler says "Why you little brat.  Those birds were worth hundreds of dollars".  Out-of-character, I'd have to ask if each lorikeet is worth 3 figures, or whether they're sold in bulk for that price.  If it's the latter, it really is true that crime doesn't pay.


Adam is grabbed by a smuggler just before Jane kicks him in the knee.  He's free for a moment, but soon they capture him.  Adam tells us to get help.  The one whom Jane kicked in the knee says "Hey brats, if you don't want your friend hurt you'd better keep you're your mouths shut".  Blair Polly must not have cared about proofreading his dialogue.


CHOICE #6 is to try to help Adam directly, or look for help at the resort. 


Jane and I rub dirt on our faces because she's seen too many commando movies, and some fern fronds help too.  We form a plan to capture a man with a "cigarette in one hand and a walkie-talkie in the other" so we can perform a prisoner exchange.  This plan works after I snap a twig to make a noise, and then the man rushes into the net trap.  Jane slams him to the ground and kicks him.  We somehow know his name is Jimmy without him telling us.


"Oomph!  Oh for Christ's sake, the brats have got me, alright!  Do what they say and get me out of here while I still have some unbroken ribs."  Possibly the only reference to a real religion in any You Say Which Way.


To get Jimmy to move without freeing him, this happens:  "Netting encases him from head to calf and his arms are bound tightly to his sides.  He reminds you of a woman in a tight skirt as he takes small, awkward steps.  Whenever he slows down you prod him with a stick."


After a climb:  "You know, for a man standing on the edge of a waterfall with his hands tied behind his back you're not very bright are you?'  You nudge Jimmy a little closer to the edge with the stick.  'You sure you want to piss me off right now?"


The two other poachers untie Adam, and we push Jimmy into the waterfall.   Yes, he survives.  We see megapodes on the way back, which is a kind of bird that buries its eggs and makes heat from the soil incubate them. 


For reasons unknown, the volcano on the island is about to erupt judging by the next scene.  We also have to dodge a boulder fall on the way.  Adam hopes this volcano isn't another Krakatoa, and Jane asks "But were any ninjas hurt?"  All these kids care about are ninjas!  They'd love to be an extra in Movie Mystery Madness.


Is this going to be the kind of CYOA where the CHOICEs alter reality itself?  If drinking Coke instead of Pepsi in the middle of the story makes a volcano erupt, we're in No Me Llames Tami or La Isla de los Dodos territory.


CHOICE #7 is between the beach track and the jungle track.  The beach is farther away from the volcano, but there's the possibility of the smugglers catching up to us before we reach the resort.


Picking the beach option results in another long ending.


"Ten minutes later, when you feel another rumble beneath your feet, you're sure you've made the right decision."


Ash and rock burst out of the volcano, and there's a brief earthquake that almost knocks us down.  Jane responds with "Crikey!  Ground's jumping round like a kangaroo being chased by a pack of dingoes".  But we all know dingoes eat babies instead of kangaroos.


The volcano erupts and its lava destroys much of the area around it.  This lava also cuts off the path on land, so we have to swim around it using coconuts to float.  "Only the lushness of the green tropical plants stops the fire spreading wildly across the island.  Were it the dry season, heaven knows what sort of fires the lava flow would have started".  22 Minutos:  Tibicenas, perhaps?


To prevent the title of the book from being false advertising, some dolphins appear in the water.  "Then after a series of gravity defying leaps, each more spectacular than the previous, the pod swims west and the dolphins disappear".  No drill sergeant to be found here.


We spend some time diving for coins even though the volcano is erupting and get $32,400 worth.  Of course I find the "greed" ending when I'm not looking for it!  We hear the poachers shout "There those brats are!" and we rapidly go back to shore.  Now a tsunami is approaching, because my unrelated CHOICEs haven't already disturbed Dolphin Island's tectonic activity enough.  This tidal wave capsizes the Moneymaker and snaps the mast.


"Holy moly!'  you say, stealing Jane's favorite expression.  'Look at it go!"  It's also Blair Polly's favorite phrase, because Paulie overuses it in Dinosaur Canyon.


"Once the wave has gone, the three of you walk down to the water, amazed at how the area has been stripped clean of vegetation, and anything else the wave could take with it.  Much debris floats offshore.  'Our packs are gone', you say.  'And the gold'.  'And the poachers by the looks of it', Adam says.  'Unless they managed to grab something to keep afloat'.


You walk to the water's edge, searching for survivors.  There is no sign of the men.  Then as you're looking around, you see a glint of something in a tidal pool.  You hop over a couple rocks and bend down to investigate.  It's a gold coin.  Then you see another.  'Hey look' you say, holding the coin up between your thumb and index finger.  'Gold!'


'There's a couple over here too', Jane says, picking up a coin.  Then she does a little dance and twirls.  'They're all over the place!'  And she's right.  The tsunami has picked up coins from the seabed and thrown them up onto the shore.  The gold, being so heavy, got trapped in the cracks in the rocks and was left behind when the wave retreated.  As the three of you spend the next ten minutes searching, you wonder if this is the Port-au-Prince's treasure that the wave has picked up on its rush to shore.


'We could spend the rest of the day hunting for coins', you say, 'but we should probably get back to the resort and see how things are.  People could be hurt.  If things are okay, we can come back tomorrow.  Besides', you say, pulling a handful of coins from your pocket.  'We've got plenty already.'


So that's what you do.  Half an hour later, as you round a protective headland you see that the resort survived the tsunami and everyone is fine.  Even the volcano has gone back to sleep.  After reporting what happened to the yacht and answering a few questions over the phone with the police back in the capital, the three of you sit on the beach with a cold soda and watch the reds and oranges of the tropical sunset.  'Looks like we're coin collecting tomorrow', you say to the twins.


Adam gives you the thumbs up.  'Meet by the pool after breakfast?'  'Sounds like a plan', you say.  'Crikey', Jane says as the last of the sun dips below the horizon.  'We're gonna be rich!"


I can't emphasize enough how bizarre it is for my decisions to make a volcano erupt in this timeline, but not the one in the CANONICAL ENDING.  At least in a You Say Which Way, where there's usually more consistency than some of the Spanish CYOAs featured here.


The poachers are probably dead, along with most of the local wildlife, but no ninjas were harmed, so Jane doesn't care.  


Results So Far


3 Good Endings

0 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Danger on Dolphin Island Alternate Endings Part 3


Taking the jungle track in CHOICE #7 does not result in either a volcano or tsunami fatality.  We lock arms to get around streams and slick rocks.  This works until an earthquake knocks us down.  We fly off an 8 foot waterfall once we lose our footing.  Now we're stuck in a natural waterslide described as a "half-pipe". 


"If this slide had been at a fun park you'd be having the time of your life, but not knowing what is coming up next in the total darkness makes this the scariest thing you've ever experienced".  Fun park?  Is that New Zealandese for amusement park?


Toward the end of the underground waterslide, Jane comments that the water is salty, so we've reached the ocean.  She dives a few times to find a way out of the cave, and notices some fish swimming through a particular area. 


Unfortunately, the waterslide just sent us back to Smugglers Cove, and the poachers are still there. 


"Why don't you lazy sods give me a hand with the last couple of traps, then we can get out of here', he says.  'I've had a hard day.'  The two men laugh.  One of the men slaps Jimmy on the back.  'Well at least if you decide to give up poaching, you can always take up cliff diving!'  'Shut up, you drongo!'  Jimmy growls".


According to a search "drongo" can refer to a bird, but in this case it's an insult derived from a 1920s Australian horse that lost every race it participated in. 


We plan to defeat the poachers.  "Those poachers will kill us', Adam says.  'Only if we get caught', Jane says.  'And ninjas never get caught".  Then how do we know ninjas were black uniforms, Jane?


Adam manages to steal the yacht when the poachers are away, and looks like he's about to ram the dinghy before he turns away at the last second and captures it.  Jane shouts "Holy moly!" like Paulie.  I compliment him by saying "Good skills Captain Hook".  Adam calls maritime radio and tells the authorities about what happened.  My character is a bit useless in the story compared to the twins!


"What do we do with all the birds below?  Should we release them?'  Jane asks.  'Better keep them for the time being.  The authorities will need them for evidence', Adam says.  'They'll let them go once they've taken photos I'm sure.'  An hour and a half later, as the yacht rounds the headland and the first resort buildings appear, Adam points to the southwest.  'Nearly there.  One of you'd better get up the mast as far as the first set of spreaders.'


'Spreaders?'  Jane says.  'Those metal cross-members sticking out from the mast that are holding the rigging in place', Adam says.  'Oh, okay', Jane says crossing the deck and putting her foot in the first of the aluminum steps attached to the mast.  'Arrr, this should be fun me hearties.'  And with that she scampers up the mast like she's been at see all her life.


'I'll cruise along the reef, you tell me when you see a gap big enough for the boat to fit through', Adam yells up to his sister.  Jane, throwing one leg over the spreader like it's a horizontal bar in gym class, wraps her arm around the mast and concentrates on the reef.  A few minutes later she calls out.  'Gap ho!'  Jane points to a spot on the reef where the water is calmer.


'Okay', Adam says swinging the bow around towards the gap.  'I see it.  Yell out if I get off course'.  'Aye aye, Captain Hook'.  Within minutes the boat is inside the reef and you're dropping the anchor.  Tourists watch from the beach.  A float plane sits by the wooden jetty.  You notice that two of the people on the beach are dressed in uniform.  When the anchor is on the bottom, Adam tells you to pay out a bit of extra rope and then tie off to the sturdy post near the boat's bow.  Then he puts the motor in reverse and digs in the anchor before turning off the engine.  'Welcome to paradise', he says with a smile.  'The dinghy will be leaving for shore in exactly one minute'.


'Aye aye', you and Jane say in unison.  'Hey', Jane says.  'Before we go ashore, look what I found below.'  Jane shows you a small canvas bag filled with American dollars.  'Wow', you say with eyes agog.  'Where did you find that?'  'In the main cabin, under some socks'.  'So what do we do with it?'  Adam asks.  'Turn it in?' 


You look at Adam and smile.  'Why don't we discuss that as we row ashore?"


Going to the jungle instead of the beach means that the volcano is less violent.  Notice how there's no lava flow or tsunami threatening us here.  And nobody talks about donating money to Animal Rescue in other endings where we find loot.


Is there any ending where the poachers win?  They're 0 for 4 right now.


Results So Far


4 Good Endings

0 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Danger on Dolphin Island Alternate Endings Part 4


In CHOICE #6, Jane and I go back to the resort for help.  We trek through the jungle to avoid poacher booby traps, though we soon find a rubber net anyway.  I somehow get the idea to use it as a slingshot to throw coconuts at the smugglers.  One is directed at the man using binoculars:  "The coconut screams out of the jungle.  It is nearly upon him before he drops the binoculars and reacts.  Unfortunately for him, he's too slow.  The coconut doubles him over as it smacks into his pot belly.  Then he staggers back and falls over the railing and splashes into the sea".


Adam leaps into the ocean with his hands tied once the poachers are sufficiently distracted.


"Thankfully, the men are too busy dodging coconuts and helping their friend to get back on board to notice that Adam has jumped ship.  Adam floats on his back, slowly kicking his way to shore.  As you fire another nut, you see Jane has nearly reached him.  She cuts the rope binding Adam's wrists.  Another nut hits the cabin top just as the men pull their friend aboard.  One of the men yells out 'The boy!'


'Fire!'  you yell sending another nut flying through the air.  This one shatters a tray of food and drinks sitting in the cockpit.  Glass goes flying.  'Let's get out of here', the injured man says as he drips on deck.  'Get that anchor up!'  Jane and Adam are running up the beach.  Soon you'll have a full crew of gunners again.


'Load!'  Jane says as she grabs another coconut.  'Let's teach these guys a lesson!'  With three of you the firing is much faster.  Nuts zip through the air every fifteen seconds or so.  Adam scouts around for more nuts, but after another five minutes you've exhausted your ammo.  'We'd better get out of here before they come ashore', you say. 


'They'd better put the fire out before their boat burns you mean', Adam says.  You look at Adam.  'What did you say?'  'Before I escaped I found a lighter and set the bunk in the front cabin on fire.  It's polyurethane foam so it should burn like crazy'.


'Holy moly!'  Jane says with a grin.  'My brother the arsonist.'  Now that Adam's mentioned it, you can see a few wisps of smoke coming from the front hatch.  The men have seen it too.  One of them grabs a fire extinguisher from the cockpit and disappears below.


'Let's get out of here', Jane says.  'I've had enough adventure for one day'.  You look at the twins and smile.  'There's always tomorrow me hearties".


So it seems the poachers are defeated, but they may not be turned in to the maritime police.  And there was no chance of accidentally conking Adam on the head.  If these were La Isla de los Dodos coconuts, we'd be serving life sentences for murder right now.


Notice how there's no volcanic eruption this time.


I neglected to tell the Peanut Gallery earlier that CHOICE #1 doesn't matter.  Yes, taking Adam and Jane with you instead of rejecting them at the beginning has exactly the same result apart from a different scene before CHOICE #2.  The most important decision in a You Say Which Way that determines which main story branch you take is pointless in Danger on Dolphin Island.  Even La Isla de los Dodos and No Me Llames Tami knew better than that!


Results So Far


5 Good Endings

0 Deaths

0 Bad Non-Death Endings

0 Neutral Endings

0 Inconclusive Endings

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Danger on Dolphin Island Finale:  Dead Ends


Going to the waterfall doesn't lead me to more branching paths.  CHOICE #8 from there has two options that lead to routes I've already covered.  Going to Smugglers Cove has the same outcome as doing so in CHOICE #2, and getting scuba gear leads to Adam being captured by the poachers, resulting in CHOICE #6.


This may be the worst You Say Which Way I've read.  There aren't any branches, unlike even other low-stakes fare like Movie Mystery Madness.  The worst example here is rejecting Adam and Jane at the beginning, only for them to cling to you anyway.  La Isla de los Dodos, despite its lack of editing and insane decision consequences, at least has different scenarios for you to see based on the CHOICEs.


"Danger" is a misnomer, because there's no ending where you fail.  The smugglers are hapless, and even the volcano is helpful.  I'd compare it to Rings of Saturn, but that book still has losses, it's just that failure sends you back in time instead of killing you.  (e.g. shooting Drill Sergeant Flipper with the harpoon gun)  


The next book will be Secrets of Glass Mountain, the final You Say Which Way in this bundle and the sequel to an Alternate Ending in Between the Stars.  In this thread's timeline, think of it as Nier to Between the Stars's Drakengard.

[Herman Gigglethorpe]

You Say Which Way:  Secrets of Glass Mountain Part 1


"With the screech of diamonds on smooth black rock, a troop of Highland Sliders comes skidding to a stop ten yards from you and your schoolmates.  'That's what I want to do when I leave school', says Dagma.  'Being a Highland Slider looks like so much fun'.  Another classmate shakes his head.  'Yeah, but my cousin went mining and struck it rich on his first trip out.  Now he owns two hydro farms and his family live in luxury.


You look around the small settlement where you grew up.  It's a beautiful place, high on the Black Slopes of Petron.  Far below, past the sharp ridges and towering pinnacles, the multicolored fields of the Lowlands stretch off into the distance.  At the horizon, a pink moon sits above a shimmering turquoise sea".


Welcome to Secrets of Glass Mountain!  This is a follow-up to the Alternate Ending in Between the Stars where I chose to land on this planet along with Eva the shape-shifting intelligent plant after goofing off with Trig on an electric bike and warping through a black hole because of it.  But everyone here has forgotten the history of the Victoria, so chances are there won't be too many references to the first book.


CHOICE #1 gives me two career paths.  Sliders are guides for travelers, and fend off Lowlander attacks.  But the real money is in diamond mining.


I sign up as a Slider cadet, because in what other book would you find those?  An officer yells "Eye front, cadets!' and orders us to make it to the top of the training slope within 10 minutes, or flunk out.  The narration says the officer "looks like he eats black glass for breakfast.  His dome shaped skull is covered in scars and half his right ear is missing".  But only the Rings of Saturn protagonist knows what a tough drill sergeant is.


We slide using boots locked together with a metal rod, along with tow lines.  These black rocks have less friction than ice, and there's also low visibility because of a purple fog.  All the cadets seem to make it to the top, thanks to our training with geometry, "guide sticks", and other stuff. 


The officer now tells us to go to the bottom, and the winner will be troop leader.  Dagma the girl is probably the main competitor.  "Luck's got nothing to do with it.'  Dagna snarls.  'Sliding is about skill.  If you're going to rely on luck you should take up mining."


"Guide sticks" are as tall as humans, and are made from a wood "obtained by trading crystals with the border tribes".  Crystals and a diamond hook are at each end, and they're used to manage friction.


CHOICE #2 is between two paths down the slope.  Most of the competitors, including Dagma and the male companion Gagnon, are taking a safer route.  But there's a riskier option that may be faster.