I'M WATCHING

Urgency: Must

Zub

Description: Zub

OwnerName: Alexis

Description: a fish in the black sea beyond the curved glass. It’s pale and hapless and stupid. It has no eyes to speak of. Its mouth gapes meaninglessly. On the other hand, it’s out there, happily breathing water, and I’m about to die.

Tag: 000 - START

Always

Description: Always

THE FISH

I'M WATCHING

Zub

Description: Zub

Description: Its creamy skin blushes gold in the light from the zub.

THE GLASS

I'M WATCHING

Zub

Description: Zub

Description: is a flattened bulge, like a Cyclopean eye or a snub nose. It’s almost a foot thick, but clear as good gin. I didn’t want glass at the front of my zubmarine, but it was one of the conditions of sponsorship. One of the easier ones, in fact.

DYING

I'M WATCHING

Zub

Description: Zub

Description: I might as well get on with it.


a stranger

NameAndLevel: a stranger 1

Description: A past yet to be revealed

ImageName: question

NameAndLevelDescription: a stranger

Tooltip: A past yet to be revealed


A frosty star

Urgency: Normal

THE FISH

I'M WATCHING

Zub

Description: Zub

Description: By accident or mischief, it’s nosing at the point where the zubmarine struck the rock. Cracks frost the glass around it. Winthrop’s head lolls lazily sideways. He might be looking at the impact point. He's dead. When the oxygen runs out, so will I be. When the zub hits the floor of the Underzee, I'll die. If I make it back to the surface, I'll still die, but not for another forty years. But I won't make it back.

Tag: START

ImageName: fish

Tooltip: The sea folds round you.

Type: QualityExplicitlySetMessage

Message: An occurrence! Your 'Fathoms' Quality is now 90!

ImageName: cloud

Tooltip: My last gulps of air. I should savour them.

Message: An occurrence! Your 'Oxygen' Quality is now 100!


a stranger

Description: A past yet to be revealed

Fathoms

NameAndLevel: Fathoms 90

Description: The sea folds round you.

NameAndLevelDescription: Fathoms

Oxygen

NameAndLevel: 100 x Oxygen

Description: My last gulps of air. I should savour them.

NameAndLevelDescription: Oxygen


WINTHROP'S FIST

Zub

Description: Zub

Description: is locked crab-tight around the hydroplane control. As long as it remains there, the Dandelion's nose will point downwards.

Always

Description: Always

I'LL TEAR IT FREE

WINTHROP'S FIST

Zub

Description: Zub

Description: though it may mean snapping the bones of his fingers.

I'LL WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE

WINTHROP'S FIST

Zub

Description: Zub

Description: for now.

I'LL SCREAM AT WINTHROP

WINTHROP'S FIST

Zub

Description: Zub

Description: who may be dead, but deserves a piece of my mind.


WINTHROP GOT YOU

Description: into this! Winthrop built the zub. Winthrop steered into the rock. Winthrop is dead and he’s STILL CAUSING TROUBLE

WINTHROP'S FIST

Zub

Description: Zub

Type: StandardQualityChangeMessage

Message: You've gained 10 x Fathoms (new total 100).

Message: You've lost 5 x Oxygen (new total 95).

Message: Only my breathing


a stranger

Description: A past yet to be revealed

Fathoms

NameAndLevel: Fathoms 100

Description: The sea folds round you.

Oxygen

NameAndLevel: 95 x Oxygen

Voices

NameAndLevel: 1 x Voices

NameAndLevelDescription: Voices


HE'S DEAD

I'LL LISTEN

Description: to what he has to say

Description: but he might be chuckling drily. "My friend," he might say, "this was only the most recent mistake we made."

Message: You've lost 2 x Oxygen (new total 93).

Message: No voice but my own


a stranger

Description: A past yet to be revealed

Fathoms

Description: The sea folds round you.

Oxygen

NameAndLevel: 93 x Oxygen

Voices

NameAndLevel: 2 x Voices


WINTHROP'S FIST

Zub

Description: Zub

Always

Description: Always

I'LL TEAR IT FREE

WINTHROP'S FIST

Zub

Description: Zub

I'LL WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE

WINTHROP'S FIST

Zub

Description: Zub

Description: for now.

I'LL SCREAM AT WINTHROP

WINTHROP'S FIST

Zub

Description: Zub


THE LAST EXTREMITY

I'LL TEAR IT FREE

WINTHROP'S FIST

Zub

Description: Zub

Description:
of Winthrop's terror clamped them tight on the stick. Each finger cracks like a - there is no suitable simile. They crack not like frozen twigs or walking-canes, but like a dead man's fingers wrenched, snapping, free.

I tug at the hydroplane controls. The stick doesn't move. Whatever damage the collision did has locked us on a downwards course. With the airlock crushed, I can't get out of the zub to repair it. There's only one way this will end.

Tooltip: He's dead. Shut up, Winthrop.

Message: An occurrence! Your 'Winthrop' Quality is now 1 - I've broken his fingers.!

Message: You've gained 10 x Fathoms (new total 110).

Message: Voices?


a stranger

Description: A past yet to be revealed

Winthrop

NameAndLevel: Winthrop 1 - I've broken his fingers.

Description: He's dead. Shut up, Winthrop.

LevelDescription: I've broken his fingers.

DescriptiveLevel: I've broken his fingers.:1

NameAndLevelDescription: Winthrop: I've broken his fingers.

Fathoms

NameAndLevel: Fathoms 110

Description: The sea folds round you.

Voices

NameAndLevel: 3 x Voices