Blue Lacuna — 194 of 467

Section - The Bridge Control

[A tree trunk accessible from both the east top and bottom of the chasm provides an explanation for how the power system works, and allows the player to control the bridge.]

Every turn: if bridge is being debugged, say "**h: [bridge-height of bridge-control] / [if bridge is raised]raised[else]lowered[end if] / [if bridge has power]powered[else]not powered[end if] / [if bridge-control is locked]locked[else]unlocked[end if] / Chasm Edge is [if Chasm Edge is eastsided]eastsided[else]westsided[end if]**".

The bridge-control is a setpiece in Chasm Edge. It has a number called bridge-height. The bridge-height of the bridge-control is -1. It is either locked or unlocked. It is locked. It can be lockable. It is lockable. The description is "[bridge-control-desc].". Understand "tree trunk" or "trunk" or "heavy" or "log" or "pole" or "handle/handles" or "mechanism" as bridge-control. The printed name is "heavy tree trunk". The dream-text of bridge-control is "logs with handles on either end". After going to Chasm Edge: move bridge-control to location; continue the action. After going to Chasm Floor: move bridge-control to location; continue the action. Check touching bridge-control: say "Just plain wood, painted red." instead. Check attacking bridge-control: say "It's solid, sturdy wood; you couldn't do much damage to it without an axe." instead. Instead of vague locking bridge-control, try turning bridge-control. Instead of vague unlocking bridge-control, try turning bridge-control. Instead of vague locking bridge: try turning bridge-control. Instead of vague unlocking bridge: try turning bridge-control.

To say bridge-control-desc:

say "A heavy tree trunk [if bridge-control is unlocked and bridge has power and bridge-height of bridge-control > 0]rises[else if bridge-control is unlocked and bridge has power]sinks[else]sticks[end if] ";

if location is Chasm Edge, say "[if bridge-control is unlocked and bridge has power and bridge-height of bridge-control > 0]up from[else if bridge-control is unlocked and bridge has power]down into[else]out of[end if] a hole in the ground near the edge";

else say "[if bridge-control is unlocked and bridge has power and bridge-height of bridge-control > 0]up into[else if bridge-control is unlocked and bridge has power]down from[else]down from the top of[end if] a man-made hollow in the side of the chasm wall";

say ". A [o]handle[x] [if location is Chasm Edge]at its top[else]protruding from the side[end if] looks designed to turn it; currently, the handle is [if bridge-control is locked]parallel to the chasm edge[otherwise]at right angles to the chasm edge[end if]";

say ". Near the chasm is an outflow [o]vent[x][if the pressure of the related pipe of the bridge pressure gauge is 1 and bridge-control is unlocked], emitting nothing[otherwise if the bridge has power and bridge is unlocked], venting steam[end if][if puzzle mode], and a pressure [o]gauge[x][end if]".

Instead of turning bridge-control:

say "[if bridge has power]You twist the handle and the trunk rotates easily[else]Your grasp the handles and strain, and the trunk slowly rotates[end if] until the handles are [if bridge-control is locked]parallel to the chasm edge[else]at right angles to the chasm edge[end if]. As you do, you feel something [if bridge-control is locked]scrape open[else]lock into place[end if]";

if bridge-control is locked, now bridge-control is unlocked; else now bridge-control is locked;

if bridge has power and bridge-control is unlocked, say ". The steam from the outflow vent [if pressure of the related pipe of the bridge pressure gauge is 1]stops flowing[else]decreases a little[end if] and the trunk starts moving";

if bridge has power and bridge-control is locked, say ". The steam from the outflow vent [if pressure of the related pipe of the bridge pressure gauge is 1]starts wisping out again[else]increases a little[end if] and the trunk stops moving";

say ".".

Instead of pushing bridge-control:

if bridge is raised and Chasm Edge is westsided and location is Chasm Edge, say "(first crossing the bridge)[command clarification break]";

if bridge is lowered and Chasm Edge is westsided, say "You can't reach it from this side of the chasm." instead;

if bridge-control is locked, say "You push on the handle, but the log does not budge." instead;

if bridge-height of bridge-control > 0, say "You push against the handle, managing to keep the log stationary for a moment, but pressure starts to build beneath you and finally you're forced to let it go." instead;

if bridge-height of bridge-control is 0, say "The trunk has sunk almost to the level of the ground; you can't seem to push it any farther down." instead;

say "You push down on the handle, but the trunk seems to be descending on a pillar of steam, and you can't appreciably make it move faster.".

Instead of pulling bridge-control:

if bridge is raised and Chasm Edge is westsided and location is Chasm Edge, say "(first crossing the bridge)[command clarification break]";

if bridge is lowered and Chasm Edge is westsided, say "You can't reach it from this side of the chasm." instead;

if bridge-control is locked, say "You pull on the handle, but the log does not budge." instead;

if bridge-height of bridge-control > 0, say "You pull against the handle, but the trunk seems to be rising on a pillar of steam, and you can't lift its massive bulk any faster." instead;

if bridge-height of bridge-control is 0, say "You pull the handle, but nothing happens. Straining, you pull harder, and at the end of your strength feel the log lift up a tiny amount, but then collapse again when you loosen your grip. It feels as if you are pulling the full weight of the trunk." instead;

say "You pull against the handle, but the weight of the trunk is just too great; it continues slowly descending on a bed of steam.".

Check taking bridge-control: say "The trunk seems to be attached to some apparatus buried in the ground." instead.

[The log sinks gently on a cushion of steam, even when the power's been disabled.]

Every turn when bridge-control is unlocked and bridge-height of bridge-control < 0:

increase bridge-height of bridge-control by 1;

if player is in Chasm Edge or player is in Chasm Floor, say "The tree [o]trunk[x] [if location is Chasm Edge and Chasm Edge is westsided]on the far side of the chasm[otherwise if location is Chasm Edge and Chasm Edge is eastsided]near your feet[otherwise if location is Chasm Floor]in the window[end if] [if bridge-height of bridge-control is -3]begins[otherwise]continues[end if] to sink[if bridge-height of bridge-control is 0], finally coming to a stop[grndbit] with a hiss of steam[end if].". To say grndbit: if location is Chasm Edge, say " at ground level".[aar]

[When there's power, the log slowly rises again after sinking.]

Every turn when bridge-control is unlocked and bridge-height of bridge-control > 0 and bridge has power and current episode is not Earthquake and current episode is not Water Works:

increase bridge-height of bridge-control by 1;

if player is in Chasm Edge or player is in Chasm Floor, say "The tree [o]trunk[x] [if location is Chasm Edge and Chasm Edge is westsided]on the far side of the chasm[otherwise if location is Chasm Edge and Chasm Edge is eastsided]near your feet[otherwise if location is Chasm Floor]in the window[end if] [if bridge-height of bridge-control is 2]begins[otherwise]continues[end if] to rise[if bridge-height of bridge-control is 5], finally coming to a stop[waistbit] with a hiss of steam[end if].". To say waistbit: if location is Chasm Edge, say " at waist-height".

[When the log has sunk completely, the bridge lowers.]

Every turn when bridge-height of bridge-control is 0 and bridge is raised and bridge-control is unlocked:

if ambience_on is 1 and player is in Chasm Edge or player is in Chasm Floor or player is in Volcano Floor or player is in Sloping Meadow or player is in Rockslide, say "[if location is not Chasm Floor and location is not Chasm Edge]Off at the chasm you see the bridge lower[else]With creaking sighs, rope whirs through pulleys and the bridge lowers[end if] itself, until finally the last plank snaps into place[if location is Chasm Edge] at the bottom of the ravine[otherwise if location is Chasm Floor] at your feet[end if] and it has become a [o]staircase[x].";

now the bridge is lowered;

adjust chasm bridges;

now bridge-height of bridge-control is 1.

[When the log has risen completely, the bridge rises.]

Every turn when bridge-height of bridge-control is at least 5 and bridge is lowered and bridge-control is unlocked:

if ambience_on is 1 and player is in Chasm Edge or player is in Chasm Floor or player is in Volcano Floor or player is in Sloping Meadow or player is in Rockslide, say "[if location is not Chasm Floor and location is not Chasm Edge]Off by the chasm you see the staircase raise[else]With creaking sighs, rope whirs through pulleys and the staircase raises[end if] itself, until finally the last plank snaps into place[if location is Chasm Edge] across from you[otherwise if location is Chasm Floor] above your head[end if] and it has become a [o]bridge[x] across the chasm.";

now the bridge is raised;

adjust chasm bridges;

now bridge-height of bridge-control is -4.

The bridge outlet vent is an outflow tube. The bridge outlet vent is part of the bridge-control. The related pipe of the bridge outlet vent is the red pipe.

The bridge pressure gauge is a pressure gauge. The bridge pressure gauge is part of the bridge-control. The target pressure is 1. The related pipe is the red pipe.