You reach your hand nervously into the spinning wheels and gears.
The mechanism of the machine churns all around your hand. You swallow with a dry throat, but nothing catches you.
Some of those gears look sharp!
Can you grab the computer? Roll to find out.
If you're wearing long sleeves, subtract one from your roll.
We rolled a 9, so even if we are wearing long sleeves (and I'm not, at least) we still would be 7 or higher, so:
Rolling a 6 or lower would have been a game over.
You stretch your arm into the depths of the machine.
Got it!
As you pull the little computer out, it pings in your hand. Is it thanking you?
You free your hand and turn off the electric motor. These old calculators sure made a racket!
The tiny computer has a screen about four inches across. You stare intently at it.
Your jaw drops as you read what's printed on it.
"I guess you got all my messages," the screen reads. "Thanks a lot. You saved me!"
You blink. "Uh, y-you're welcome," you stammer. "But—"
The screen changes. "No time for conversation. We have to defeat the Super Computer!"
You shake your head. Is this
machine your friend Peedee A.?
"Wait," you object. "You're Peedee A.?"
"Right. I'm a Personal Digital Assistant. PDA for short."
Write
PDA on your inventory list.
"I'd like to help you destroy the Super Computer," you tell it. "But mainly I just want to get out of here!"
"The only way to escape the hall is to destroy the Super Computer," the little machine prints.
Your heart sinks. You were afraid the PDA would say that.
"So...how do I do it?" you ask.
"It's easy!" the PDA declares.
As you stand there, still not quite believing all this, the little computer tells you what to do.
It explains that you have to go into virtual reality, using the futuristic computers in this very room.
"When you meet the Super Computer," it instructs you, "Just clench your fists and say the words 'Crash Code.' Then type in the Crash Code number."
It
does sound easy. "What's the code?" you ask.
"I don't know," the PDA confesses. "But the Super Computer hid the code in this room. I think it's on the abacus."
You notice the screen isn't glowing as brightly anymore.
"All this work has drained my batteries," the PDA tells you. "I'm afraid you're on your own now. Good luck!"
You stare as the little machine turns itself off. What are you going to do?
Examine the abacus?
Check out the futuristic computers?
Leave the Thinking Machines Room?
Inventory List:
Boomerang
Compass
Electric Motor
Fire Extinguisher
Key
Laser
PDA
Space Glove
Walkie-talkie
Map of 4th floor at 220
Map of 3rd floor at 205
Map of 2nd floor at 23
Running Total of Deaths/Game Overs: 15 total. 14 deaths (2 by robot arm, 1 by simulated crash, 1 by real crash, 2 by giant mosquito, 1 by electric door, 1 by giant germ, 1 by pendulum, 2 by snake, 2 by dinosaur skeleton, 1 by hungry aliens running the place,) 1 Game Over (lost in maze with Nature Scouts)