Impersonating mild mannered John Covarth, assistant help boy at an insignificant drugstore, you suddenly STOP when your acute hearing deciphers a stray radio call from the POLICE. There's some MADMAN attacking the population in Granary Park! You must change into your Captain FATE costume fast...! Captain Fate A simple Inform example by Roger Firth and Sonja Kesserich. Release 3 / Serial number 040804 / Inform v6.30 Library 6/11 SD On the street On one side -- which your HEIGHTENED sense of direction indicates is NORTH -- there's an open cafe now serving lunch. To the south, you can see a phone booth. >EXAMINE ME In your secret identity's outfit, you manage most efficaciously to look like a two-cent loser, a good-for-nothing wimp. >INVENTORY You are carrying: your clothes (being worn) your costume >X COSTUME STATE OF THE ART manufacture, from chemically reinforced 100% COTTON-lastic(tm). >REMOVE CLOTHES In the middle of the street? That would be a PUBLIC SCANDAL, to say nothing of revealing your secret identity. >X BOOTH It's one of the old picturesque models, a red cabin with room for one caller. >ENTER IT With implausible celerity, you dive inside the phone booth. >REMOVE CLOTHES Lacking Superman's super-speed, you realise that it would be awkward to change in plain view of the passing pedestrians. >OUT You get out of the phone booth. On the street On one side -- which your HEIGHTENED sense of direction indicates is NORTH -- there's an open cafe now serving lunch. To the south, you can see a phone booth. >X CAFE The town's favourite for a quick snack, Benny's cafe has a 50's ROCKETSHIP look. >ENTER CAFE With an impressive mixture of hurry and nonchalance you step into the open cafe. Inside Benny's cafe Benny's offers the FINEST selection of pastries and sandwiches. Customers clog the counter, where Benny himself manages to serve, cook and charge without missing a step. At the north side of the cafe you can see a red door connecting with the toilet. >OPEN DOOR It seems to be locked. >X IT A red door with the unequivocal black man-woman silhouettes marking the entrance to hygienic facilities. There is a scribbled note stuck on its surface. >READ THE NOTE You apply your ENHANCED ULTRAFREQUENCY vision to the note and squint in concentration, giving up only when you see the borders of the note begin to blacken under the incredible intensity of your burning stare. You reflect once more how helpful it would've been if you'd ever learnt to read. A kind old lady passes by and explains: "You have to ask Benny for the key, at the counter." You turn quickly and begin, "Oh, I KNOW that, but..." "My pleasure, son," says the lady, as she exits the cafe. >X BENNY A deceptively FAT man of uncanny agility, Benny entertains his customers crushing coconuts against his forehead when the mood strikes him. >ASK BENNY FOR THE KEY "Toilet is only fer customers," he grumbles, looking pointedly at a menu board behind him. >X MENU The menu board lists Benny's food and drinks, along with their prices. Too bad you've never learnt how to read, but luckily there is a picture of a big cup of coffee among the incomprehensible writing. >BENNY,GIVE ME A COFFEE With two gracious steps, Benny places his world-famous Cappuccino in front of you. >BENNY,GIVE ME THE KEY Benny tosses the key to the rest rooms on the counter, where you grab it with a dextrous and precise movement of your HYPER-AGILE hand. >UNLOCK DOOR WITH KEY You unlock the door to the toilet and open it. >N Unisex toilet A surprisingly CLEAN square room covered with glazed-ceramic tiles, featuring little more than a lavatory and a light switch. The only exit is south, through the door and into the cafe. [Your score has just gone up by one point.] >SWITCH ON LIGHT You turn on the light in the toilet. >CLOSE DOOR You close the door to the cafe. >LOCK DOOR WITH KEY You lock the door to the cafe. >X LAVATORY The latest user CIVILLY flushed it after use, but failed to pick up the VALUABLE coin that fell from his pants. >TAKE COIN You crouch into the SLEEPING DRAGON position and deftly, with PARAMOUNT STEALTH, you pocket the lost coin. [Your score has just gone up by one point.] >REMOVE CLOTHES You quickly remove your street clothes and bundle them up together into an INFRA MINUSCULE pack ready for easy transportation. Then you unfold your INVULNERABLE-COTTON costume and turn into Captain FATE, defender of free will, adversary of tyranny! >UNLOCK DOOR WITH KEY You unlock the door to the cafe and open it. >S Inside Benny's cafe Benny's offers the FINEST selection of pastries and sandwiches. Customers clog the counter, where Benny himself manages to serve, cook and charge without missing a step. At the north side of the cafe you can see a red door connecting with the toilet. On the counter is a cup of coffee. Nearby customers glance at your costume with open curiosity. "Didn't know there was a circus in town," comments one customer to another. "Seems like the clowns have the day off." >DRINK COFFEE You pick up the cup and swallow a mouthful. Benny's WORLDWIDE REPUTATION is well deserved. Just as you finish, Benny takes away the empty cup. "That will be one quidbuck, sir." >PAY COIN TO BENNY With marvellous ILLUSIONIST gestures, you produce the coin from the depths of your BULLET-PROOF costume as if it had dropped on the counter from Benny's ear! People around you clap politely. Benny takes the coin and gives it a SUSPICIOUS bite. "Thank you, sir. Come back anytime," he says. "These fashion designers don't know what to do to show off," snorts a fat gentleman, looking your way. Those within earshot try to conceal their smiles. >PUT KEY ON COUNTER Benny nods as you ADMIRABLY return his key. "Must be carnival again," says a man to his wife, who giggles, stealing a peek at you. "Time sure flies." >S You step onto the sidewalk, where the passing pedestrians recognise the rainbow EXTRAVAGANZA of Captain FATE's costume and cry your name in awe as you JUMP with sensational momentum into the BLUE morning skies! *** You fly away to SAVE the DAY *** In that game you scored 2 out of a possible 2, in 32 turns. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE a saved game or QUIT? > QUIT