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"Hurry up! We have to leave - NOW!" [["I know, I know... Just give me a minute."]] [["Coming!"]]

"We don't HAVE a minute! The whole thing's about to blow... Come on!" There's no way around it. You have to finish packing and get to the escape pod. [[What to pick?]]

You are frantically looking at your belongings, trying to figure out what to bring. So many items, no system... [[What to pick?]]

(set: $items to 0) You look at the items in front of you. You already got some clothes in the bag, but what else? The laptop? The family albums are on it. [[Bring the laptop]] [[Leave it.]]

(set: $items += 1) (set: $laptop to 1) You decide to bring the laptop. Who knows how long you'll be in the pod? It'll be nice to have some memories to look at. Maybe you should also bring [[a good book]] to read? Or a roll of [[duct tape]]. Duct tape is useful, right? Or would you need a [[flashlight]]? Just in case of a power shortage... Space is pretty dark. You currently have (print: $items) item in your bag.

(set: $laptop to 0) You reluctantly leave the laptop on the bed, while you try to convince yourself that the albums are safe in the cloud. Wait, when was the last time you syncronized the folders? Oh well, no time for that now. What else will you need? Maybe [[a good book]] for some entertainment? Or a [[small plant]], just to have a bit of life with you? You currently have (print: $items) item in your bag.

(set: $items += 1) (set: $ducttape to 1) You are not sure what you're gonna need out there, but duct tape seems like a good multi-tool. You grab it and stuff it in the bag. What else? Maybe [[a lighter]] or [[the watch your father gave you]]? You currently have (print: $items) items in your bag.

(set: $items += 1) (set: $flashlight to 1) You grab the flashlight. The aluminum is cold against your skin, but the flashlight itself is not too heavy. It's been a while since you charged it, but the LEDs in it don't use much power. Should you grab [[a lighter]] or [[the watch your father gave you]]? You currently have (print: $items) items in your bag.

You grab the only books in the pile and look at the covers. Should you bring [["100 Haiku"]] or [["Soldering for Dummies"]]?

(set: $items += 1) (set: $haiku to 1) You grab the small green book, thinking that a bit of poetry can't hurt. You should probably bring something practical too. Maybe some [[duct tape]] tape] or a [[flashlight]]? You currently have (print: $items) item in your bag.

(set: $items += 1) (set: $soldering to 1) If you have to be stuck in a pod for a few days, you might as well learn something useful. You should probably bring something practical too. Maybe some [[duct tape]] or a [[flashlight]]? You currently have (print: $items) item in your bag.

(set: $trex to 0) No time for nostalgia. This is about survival. Goodbye, old friend. You zip the bag closed, throw it over your shoulder, and [[run to the pod.]] to the pod.

(set: $items += 1) (set: $lighter to 1) A lighter seems a bit old-school, but fire could be useful. You struggle with the zipper of the bag, when your eyes fall on [[your old T-Rex plushie]]. You currently have (print: $items) items in your bag.

(set: $items += 1) (set: $watch to 1) You look at the watch and remember your graduation. Your dad handed you a small velvety box, put it into your hands and held your hands in his. The look of pride in his eyes was priceless. You stuff it in the bag, and your eyes fall on [[your old T-Rex plushie]]. You currently have (print: $items) items in your bag.

Oh man... The red faux fur is patchy, and the stuffing is not what it used to be. Still, it's your T-Rex. Its dark beady eyes look directly at you. "Don't leave mere here!" is the message you're getting from the stuffed toy. You currently have (print: $items) items in your bag. (if: $items is 2)[There is still room to [[bring the T-Rex]]] [[Leave the T-Rex]] (if: $items is 3)[Leave an item to [[bring the T-Rex instead]]]

The sirens are wailing, louder and louder, as you hurry to the pod and get in, just as the doors are closing. You see the other pod, the one with your family in it, has already left. You don't blame any of them. As long as they're safe, you'll find your way back to them. [[You take a look around you.]]

(set: $items += 1) (set: $plant to 1) You're not sure why the small potted cactus speaks to you, but you like the thought of a bit of green in the pod. You carefully stuff it into the bag. You should probably bring something practical too. Maybe some [[duct tape]] tape] or a [[flashlight]]? You currently have (print: $items) items in your bag.

The inside of the pod is plain. The walls look sterile and empty. Not at all like your homeship. Outside it's dark. An endless black space with sprinkles of stars and vague contours of distant galaxies. [[Unpack.]]

You unzip the bag and empty it on the bed. The gravity is low in the pod, so the items don't stay on the surface, but start floating in the direction they left the bag. You sit down on the plastic covered bed, and the transparent plastic creak from the friction. You brought (print: $items) items. (if: $laptop is 3)[The laptop floats just above the bed. That'll come in handy.](if: $ducttape is 1)[The silvery roll of duct tape reflects the cool lights of the pod. Good choice.](if: $flashlight is 1)[The flashlight has rolled out of the bag and continues over the edge of the bed.](if: $plant is 1)[You sigh as you notice the dirt and sand covering your belongings. The particles float in the air. The poor cactus looks a bit beaten up, missing most of its potting soil. Crap.](if: $haiku is 1)[The green cover of 100 Haiku catches your eye. You don't know much about poetry, but maybe it'll provide a bit of distraction.](if: $soldering is 1)[You see the Soldering for Dummies book. Now you'll finally get the hang of fixing loose connections! Or wait... Did you bring a soldering iron? No. You did not.] (if: $lighter is 1)[Between a couple of other items, you see the tip of the lighter. It's just a cheap one, the kind that you use up and throw out. You're not sure why you brought it, but being able to light a fire feels oddly comforting.](if: $watch is 1)[The crystal-covered dial of the watch reflects the ceiling lights. Of course there's a built-in digital watch in the pod, but that's not what this is about. Dad always knew where he was going. Maybe the watch can provide a bit of guidance. God knows you need it.](if: $trex is 1)[You can't help smiling when you notice the T-rex. It's floating in a weird position, the short flabby arms spread out. It looks a bit lost and confused, but you're glad you brought it.] [[Sit down on the bed.]]

(set: $items += 1) (set: $trex to 1) It might not be the most rational choice, but there's no way you're leaving your old friend. You stuff the flappy stuffed toy in your bag, throw it over your shoulder, and [[run to the pod.]]

You try to get comfortable on the bed. You take a deep breath and close your eyes. There's a constant deep hum in your ears. Other than that, it's quiet in the pod. Very quiet. [[Try to take a nap.]] [[Look out the window.]]

You move your belongings enough for you to lie down. You don't have the energy to remove the plastic cover right now. You just need to rest for a bit. Just a few minutes. [[You fall asleep.]]

You get up, walk a few steps to the front of the pod and look out the window. You see small spots of light spread across a vaste landscape of darkness. Far away you can see a nebula, spreading across the skies like cotton candy. But where is the other pod? [[Check the navigation system.]]

You look at the control panel to check if the navigation settings are correct. You are not exactly sure what to look for, but you see a couple of numbers and curves on the screen indicating a course. In the route field, it says "Auto: Emergency". [[Click the route field.]] [[Leave it be.]]

You doze off and wake up after a while. You don't know how much time passed. Half asleep you reach for your partner, but bump you arm into the wall instead. The wall is cold, and your back is sweaty from sleeping on the plastic. You get up. [[Check the navigation system.]]

A menu pops up. There's a possibility to input specific coordinates and another option named "Follow vessel". Could it be for following the other pod? [[Click follow vessel.]]

You are not entirely sure that "Auto: Emergency" is the right setting, but you don't have any better suggestion. Maybe the pod just needs to catch up on the other one. Maybe the auto pilot calculated different routes, so you got separated temporarily. [[Wait and see.]]

You get another menu where you can pick between a list of vessels. The only one on the list is called "EP-32017". You don't recognise the name, but it should be the closest escape pod, right? [[Click it.]]

A loading bar appears, and you can already imagine how you'll be seeing the outline of your family's escape pod soon. The loading bar is almost complete, when a message pops up on screen. The beep sounds do not sound promising, and the text only confuses you more. "No memory for calculating route. Drive corrupted." [[Try again.]] [[Smash your fist into the control panel.]] [[Leave it be.]]

You try to repeat the process. It's probably just a random error. Breathe. You see the bar loading, begging for it to finish. You get to 80 percent, and then the familiar message appears again: "No memory for calculating route. Drive corrupted." Shit. Is there something wrong with the harddrive of the computer system? Maybe it's locked in some way, so a new path can't be written to the harddrive. Maybe it's read-only? But why the hell would it be read-only? [[Look for a solution.]]

You smash your fist into the screen, hoping that it'll magically make the message disappear. No luck. The monitor flickers a bit, but the message is still there. You had this one chance to escape with your family. Now you're separated. God knows where they are. Or where you are. You feel the blood rushing to your face, the warmth spreading as tears press against your eyelids. You squint. Breathe deeply. Not now. You can't break. [[Look for a solution.]]

(if: $flashlight is 1)[[Grab the flashlight and look underneath the control panel.]] (if: $laptop is 1)[[Turn on the laptop.]] (if: $soldering is 1)[[Grab the book and look for information.]] You can't see how any of your items could be useful for fixing this problem. You stomach is rumbling. Maybe you should [[look for food.]]

You have been waiting for a while now. A long while. Still no pod in sight. (if: $watch is 1)[You pick up the watch from your dad. The hands are moving slowly, but you can see that you're been waiting for at least four hours. Still no sign of your family.] (if: $trex is 1)[You grab the T-Rex and hold it close to your heart. It feels a bit pathetic, but what the hell, nobody's looking.] Go [[look for food.]]

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You have to remove a panel to get to the computer hidden beneath the dashboard. After a bit of struggle, it snaps off, and you can see the components of the computer running the pod. Which one is the faulty drive? You notice something looking like a harddrive, placed near a fan. [[Fiddle with the wires.]] [[Find a way to turn off the computer.]]

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You open the book and look at the index. It does mention something about loose connections in circuit boards. The pictures show some images of burned components. There are some cylindrical thingies called capacitors. Apprently those can burn, ruining the functionality of a circuit board. Could that be the culprit? [[Look underneath the control panel]]

Maybe one of the wires is not plugged in properly, or... something. You try to push the wires into the plugs of the drive. One of them seems a bit loose. [[Give it a good push!]]

You let your finger slide over the metal frame holding everything in place. You feel something that feels like a button. [[Press it.]]

You have to remove a panel to get to the computer hidden beneath the dashboard. After a bit of struggle, the panel snaps off, and you can see the components of the computer running the pod. There's a lot of wires and visible circuit boards. You can see the outline of some capacitors, but it's hard to see if they are okay. (if: $lighter is 1)[[[Turn on the lighter to get a bit of light.]]] [[Feel your way.]]

(if: $plant is 1)[Bring the T-Rex [[instead of the cactus]]] (if: $laptop is 1)[Bring the T-Rex [[instead of the laptop]]] (if: $haiku is 1)[Bring the T-Rex [[instead of 100 Haiku]]] (if: $soldering is 1)[Bring the T-Rex [[instead of Soldering for Dummies]] ] (if: $flashlight is 1)[Bring the T-Rex [[instead of the flashlight]]]

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(set: $plant += 0) (set: $trex to 1) A prickly cactus or a fluffy T-Rex? Not a hard choice! You ditch the cactus, stuff your old friend into the bag and [[run to the pod.]]

(set: $laptop to 0) (set: $trex to 1) The laptop is just a piece of tech. There's no replacement for a childhood toy, so you substitute the T-Rex for the laptop. You stuff it in the bag, throw the bag over your shoulder, and [[run to the pod.]]

(set: $haiku to 0) (set: $trex to 1) You were never really into poetry, anyways. Rather bring something you really care about. You stuff the T-Rex into the bag, throw the bag over your shoulder, and [[run to the pod.]]

(set: $soldering to 0) (set: $trex to 1) Realising that you don't have time to pack a soldering iron, you ditch the book and stuff the T-rex into the bag instead. You throw the bag over your shoulder, and [[run to the pod.]]

(set: $flashlight to 0) (set: $trex to 1) Fuck it, there'll be lights built into the pod. If it gets dark in there, at least you can hug the T-Rex. You substitute the dinosaur for the flashlight, zip the bag, and [[run to the pod.]]

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The moment you press the button, the constant hum of the fans slowly fades, the pitch falling to a deem rumble. Then, quiet. You wait for a second. Then the light go out. You can't see anything, put you still have your finger on the button. [[Turn it on again.]]

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