...murphel...

Hopefully back tomorrow. (Thank goodness I pre-made this picture.)

Happy July 4th!

139 - Use CAMERAS to watch ELLIOT

You use CAM.EXE and quickly find your your way to ELLIOT'S ROOM, circa 1 hour ago. At first, you think he's already dead on the BED, but events soon illustrate that he's quite alive. The events can be summarized as follows.

1. The GLASS TUBE that ELLIOT is in rises up, after which he wakes up.
2. He reads the NOTE on the floor to the LEFT.
3. He converses with and befriends the TEDDY BADGER by the DOOR. He probably names him.
4. Elliot collects a TANTO BLADE, some NINJA STARS, and VARIOUS MONIES from the floor.
5. He takes the LIGHT GEM (now your S.L.I.G.) from the TABLE, along with a LUNCHBOX labeled E.D.E.M.M. What the heck is that?
6. He takes a BOMB from beneath the table, placing it by the door.
7. He pulls out a GO SIGN and MUG from under the BED, tossing them across the room. He doesn't seem to want them.
8. Elliot kicks over the TABLE to use it as a shield, setting the BOMB by the DOOR before crouching behind his improvised barricade with the TEDDY BADGER.
9. The DOOR is partially destroyed by the BOMB.
10. Elliot and his TEDDY BADGER proceed out the door.

1. Elliot buys and drinks a few CANS OF ONE-UP. He then proceeds down the TUNNEL.
2. He meets a MILDLY CROSS-EYED CANDAEMON. They converse at length.
3. Elliot combines the JACK IN A BOX he just found with his TANTO BLADE.
4. For some reason the CANDAEMON consumes this JACK-KNIFE IN A BOX.
5. Elliot retrieves his TANTO BLADE and JACK IN A BOX from the CANDAEMON'S GAPING CHEST WOUND.
6. Elliot pulls off the CANDAEMON'S CLAWS, equipping them on his TEDDY BADGER (now a TEDDY BADGER WITH CLAWS).
7. He goes back, grabs the DEAD BODY version of himself, then picks up the CANDAEMON'S RADIO and proceeds into the next room, the CENTRAL HUB.
8. He appears to hear something, dropping the CORPSE ELLIOT, LIGHT GEM, and NINJA STARS by the STAIRS and quickly retreating to his TUNNEL.
9. Ah. This is when you and M. BISON enter the CENTRAL HUB.

Yeah, you remember this point. You came in, saw the CORPSE, collected the NINJA STARS and S.L.I.G., then used your SCREWDRIVER to pull off the VENT COVER, hiding inside as the MASS of CANDAEMONS and CANDIMPS came up. M. BISON played INANIMATE and you later descended to explore the DUCTWORK.

What happened since then? (You continue to watch, adjusting the quality of the picture so that it isn't so static-y.)

>Watch PROCEEDINGS

138 - Use PAINTBRUSH with IRONY

First things first. The most important thing to do right now is open PAINTBRUSH.EXE and draw a picture of RHYS trapped in a ROOM, like you were, and acting like a TOTAL FOOL, like he usually does. Hehehe. There's drool coming out of his mouth.

On a more serious note, you begin to wonder what's going on with him. Why did he brush you off with that MACHINE of his down in the DUCTWORK? Why is he here? Why are there FREAKING STATUES of him in the CENTRAL HUB of this FREAKING UNDERWATER COMPLEX? The sooner you can figure out what's going on with everything, the better.

You save your picture, wishing that you could upload it to whatever INTERNETS are extant in the present, creating the first in a series of WEBCOMIC PANELS which will enthrall and delight MILLIONS OF READERS. FREAKING MILLIONS.

You glance up to the ONSCREEN HEADER and look how long it has been since this COMPUTER was last accessed. If you're reading it right, it was 148 years, 3 months, 17 days, 6 hours, 35 minutes, and 20 seconds between the most recent previous access and your own, just a few minutes ago. But of course that's not possible. That would mean this COMPUTER was built in the 1800's. You scoff at the notion. YOU SCOFF QUITE LOUDLY AND CONFIDENTLY AND NOT IN ANY WAY SCARED OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MIND.

Then you check the HELP file.

It looks like a MAP of the UPPER LEVELS of this COMPLEX. Your current position is identified to be beside ROOM 1, ELLIOT'S ROOM. You see your own ROOM, number 4, off to the right. Apparently, the LADDER in the HUB leads up to a DOCKING LEVEL, where a BATHYSPHERE is docked (one of two that are supposed to be there). The STAIRS in the HUB lead down to... BELOW. That's not helpful at all.

And according to this WARNING, the HELP function has been disabled anyway.

Grr.

Well, you'll try the CAMERA FUNCTION next. With any luck, you'll be able to see what killed ELLIOT and maybe get a better view of what's going on around here.

>Use CAMERAS to watch ELLIOT

137 - Input PASSPHRASE

You pop in the PASSPHRASE (since multiple words can hardly be called a PASSWORD (Pshaw!)) and log on to the COMPUTER. You appear to have "basic level" access, whatever that means. Using old DOS commands, you look up a list of available files. They are

• help.txt
• cams.exe
• patient.exe
• status.exe
• lv2.exe
• elliot.txt
• paintbrush.exe
• telephone-s.exe

and a few .dll files, but there's not much you can do with them. First thing to do, you open the "Elliot" TEXT FILE. Perhaps it will answer some of your questions about that purple NINJA. 

You read the DOCUMENT.

"Elliot,

"If you're reading this then you've actually been following my instructions. Good. I thought you might just take the first opportunity to head up the ladder in the hub and escape in the bathysphere. But if you're reading this then you're one step closer to escaping the proper way and getting done what needs to be done.

"I promised your mother that I'd keep you safe and away from harm, but that seems increasingly unlikely with each passing moment. The best I can do, then, is to arm you against what you will be facing. I'd love to help you in person, but chances are that I am dead, along with your mother, and along with almost everyone you've ever known and loved (assuming you capable of love). My worst fears have been confirmed and I

"Elliot. No matter what everyone says, you do have a shred of decency inside you. Please, you have to do the right thing. I mean it. You HAVE to. Or so help me if you screw this up I will come back from the dead and kick

"Your Father,

"Doctor K."

"P.S. Make sure you grab the DOC_K SCHEMATICS before you go. Or else."

>Use PAINTBRUSH with IRONY