00000000: 00 10 38 09 03 0C 01 09 00 67 08 13 08 57 69 74 |..8......g...Wit|
00000010: 68 6F 75 74 20 77 61 72 6E 69 6E 67 2C 20 74 68 |hout warning, th|
00000020: 65 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 73 74 72 61 69 67 68 74 |e three straight|
00000030: 20 76 61 6C 6C 65 79 73 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 | valleys of the |
00000040: 6E 6F 72 74 68 65 72 6E 20 68 65 6D 69 73 70 68 |northern hemisph|
00000050: 65 72 65 20 66 6C 61 72 65 20 62 72 69 6C 6C 69 |ere flare brilli|
00000060: 61 6E 74 6C 79 20 69 6E 74 6F 20 6C 69 66 65 3A |antly into life:|
00000070: 20 74 68 65 79 20 61 72 65 20 74 68 65 20 65 6E | they are the en|
00000080: 6F 72 6D 6F 75 73 2C 20 61 72 74 69 66 69 63 69 |ormous, artifici|
00000090: 61 6C 20 73 75 6E 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 69 6C 6C |al suns that ill|
000000A0: 75 6D 69 6E 61 74 65 20 74 68 69 73 20 77 6F 72 |uminate this wor|
000000B0: 6C 64 2E 20 41 74 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 6D 65 20 |ld. At the same |
000000C0: 74 69 6D 65 2C 20 69 74 20 62 65 63 6F 6D 65 73 |time, it becomes|
000000D0: 20 65 76 69 64 65 6E 74 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 | evident that th|
000000E0: 65 20 6F 6E 63 65 20 66 72 6F 7A 65 6E 20 63 79 |e once frozen cy|
000000F0: 6C 69 6E 64 72 69 63 61 6C 20 73 65 61 20 69 73 |lindrical sea is|
00000100: 20 6E 6F 77 20 61 6C 6D 6F 73 74 20 63 6F 6D 70 | now almost comp|
00000110: 6C 65 74 65 6C 79 20 74 68 61 77 65 64 2E 20 20 |letely thawed. |
00000120: 4F 6E 6C 79 20 61 20 66 65 77 20 63 68 75 6E 6B |Only a few chunk|
00000130: 73 20 6F 66 20 69 63 65 20 64 72 69 66 74 20 74 |s of ice drift t|
00000140: 68 72 6F 75 67 68 20 74 68 65 20 67 72 65 65 6E |hrough the green|
00000150: 69 73 68 20 77 61 74 65 72 73 2E 00 20 52 41 4D |ish waters.. RAM|
00000160: 41 27 53 20 69 6E 74 65 72 69 6F 72 20 69 73 20 |A'S interior is |
00000170: 6E 6F 77 20 66 75 6C 6C 79 20 76 69 73 69 62 6C |now fully visibl|
00000180: 65 2E 20 59 6F 75 20 61 72 65 20 77 69 74 68 69 |e. You are withi|
00000190: 6E 20 61 20 68 6F 6C 6C 6F 77 20 63 79 6C 69 6E |n a hollow cylin|
000001A0: 64 65 72 20 70 65 72 68 61 70 73 20 74 65 6E 20 |der perhaps ten |
000001B0: 6B 69 6C 6F 6D 65 74 65 72 73 20 77 69 64 65 2C |kilometers wide,|
000001C0: 20 61 6E 64 20 61 74 20 6C 65 61 73 74 20 74 68 | and at least th|
000001D0: 72 65 65 20 74 69 6D 65 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 6C |ree times that l|
000001E0: 6F 6E 67 2E 20 54 68 65 20 74 75 62 65 20 6F 66 |ong. The tube of|
000001F0: 20 6C 61 6E 64 73 63 61 70 65 20 74 68 61 74 20 | landscape that |
00000200: 65 6E 63 6C 6F 73 65 73 20 79 6F 75 20 69 73 20 |encloses you is |
00000210: 6D 6F 74 74 6C 65 64 20 6F 72 2C 20 70 65 72 68 |mottled or, perh|
00000220: 61 70 73 2C 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20 73 6D 6F 6F 74 68 |aps, only smooth|
00000230: 20 73 75 72 66 61 63 65 73 20 6F 66 20 76 61 72 | surfaces of var|
00000240: 69 65 64 20 63 6F 6C 6F 72 2E 20 4F 6E 20 74 68 |ied color. On th|
00000250: 65 20 67 72 65 61 74 20 70 6C 61 69 6E 2C 20 63 |e great plain, c|
00000260: 72 69 73 73 2D 63 72 6F 73 73 69 6E 67 20 6C 69 |riss-crossing li|
00000270: 6E 65 73 20 66 6F 72 6D 20 61 20 66 61 69 6E 74 |nes form a faint|
00000280: 6C 79 20 76 69 73 69 62 6C 65 20 67 65 6F 6D 65 |ly visible geome|
00000290: 74 72 69 63 61 6C 20 6E 65 74 77 6F 72 6B 2E 20 |trical network. |
000002A0: 46 72 6F 6D 20 52 41 4D 41 27 53 20 73 6F 75 74 |From RAMA'S sout|
000002B0: 68 65 72 6E 20 68 75 62 2C 20 74 68 65 20 6D 61 |hern hub, the ma|
000002C0: 73 73 69 76 65 20 73 70 69 72 65 20 6B 6E 6F 77 |ssive spire know|
000002D0: 6E 20 61 73 20 62 69 67 68 6F 72 6E 20 72 69 73 |n as bighorn ris|
000002E0: 65 73 2C 20 73 75 72 72 6F 75 6E 64 65 64 20 62 |es, surrounded b|
000002F0: 79 20 74 68 65 20 66 6F 75 72 20 6C 69 74 74 6C |y the four littl|
00000300: 65 20 68 6F 72 6E 73 2E 00 46 61 69 6E 74 20 61 |e horns..Faint a|
00000310: 74 20 66 69 72 73 74 2C 20 62 75 74 20 72 69 73 |t first, but ris|
00000320: 69 6E 67 20 69 6E 20 62 6F 74 68 20 76 6F 6C 75 |ing in both volu|
00000330: 6D 65 20 61 6E 64 20 70 69 74 63 68 2C 20 61 20 |me and pitch, a |
00000340: 77 68 69 73 74 6C 69 6E 67 20 73 6F 75 6E 64 20 |whistling sound |
00000350: 73 65 65 6D 73 20 74 6F 20 63 6F 6D 65 20 66 72 |seems to come fr|
00000360: 6F 6D 20 65 76 65 72 79 77 68 65 72 65 2E 20 53 |om everywhere. S|
00000370: 6F 6F 6E 20 69 74 20 69 73 20 6C 6F 75 64 2C 20 |oon it is loud, |
00000380: 65 76 65 6E 20 70 69 65 72 63 69 6E 67 2E 20 54 |even piercing. T|
00000390: 68 65 6E 20 73 75 64 64 65 6E 6C 79 20 69 74 20 |hen suddenly it |
000003A0: 73 74 6F 70 73 2E 20 49 6E 20 74 68 65 20 6E 6F |stops. In the no|
000003B0: 72 74 68 65 72 6E 20 68 65 6D 69 73 70 68 65 72 |rthern hemispher|
000003C0: 65 2C 20 74 68 65 20 62 72 69 6C 6C 69 61 6E 74 |e, the brilliant|
000003D0: 20 6C 69 67 68 74 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 73 74 | light of the st|
000003E0: 72 61 69 67 68 74 20 76 61 6C 6C 65 79 73 20 6E |raight valleys n|
000003F0: 6F 77 20 66 61 64 65 73 20 72 61 70 69 64 6C 79 |ow fades rapidly|
00000400: 2E 20 41 63 72 6F 73 73 20 74 68 65 20 70 6C 61 |. Across the pla|
00000410: 69 6E 73 2C 20 74 68 6F 75 73 61 6E 64 73 20 6F |ins, thousands o|
00000420: 66 20 63 72 61 62 20 61 6E 64 20 73 70 69 64 65 |f crab and spide|
00000430: 72 2D 6C 69 6B 65 20 63 72 65 61 74 75 72 65 73 |r-like creatures|
00000440: 20 72 75 73 68 20 74 6F 77 61 72 64 20 74 68 65 | rush toward the|
00000450: 20 63 79 6C 69 6E 64 72 69 63 61 6C 20 73 65 61 | cylindrical sea|
00000460: 2E 00 20 46 72 6F 6D 20 62 6F 74 68 20 73 68 6F |.. From both sho|
00000470: 72 65 73 2C 20 74 68 65 79 20 68 75 72 6C 20 74 |res, they hurl t|
00000480: 68 65 6D 73 65 6C 76 65 73 20 69 6E 2E 20 49 6E |hemselves in. In|
00000490: 20 61 20 73 68 6F 72 74 20 74 69 6D 65 2C 20 74 | a short time, t|
000004A0: 68 65 72 65 20 61 72 65 20 6E 6F 6E 65 20 6C 65 |here are none le|
000004B0: 66 74 2E 20 45 6E 65 72 67 79 20 63 72 61 63 6B |ft. Energy crack|
000004C0: 6C 65 73 20 66 72 6F 6D 20 74 68 65 20 74 69 70 |les from the tip|
000004D0: 20 6F 66 20 62 69 67 68 6F 72 6E 20 61 73 20 74 | of bighorn as t|
000004E0: 68 65 20 6C 61 73 74 20 6C 69 67 68 74 20 66 61 |he last light fa|
000004F0: 64 65 73 2C 20 61 6E 64 20 52 41 4D 41 20 69 73 |des, and RAMA is|
00000500: 20 6F 6E 63 65 20 61 67 61 69 6E 20 70 6C 75 6E | once again plun|
00000510: 67 65 64 20 69 6E 74 6F 20 75 74 74 65 72 20 64 |ged into utter d|
00000520: 61 72 6B 6E 65 73 73 2E 00 53 75 64 64 65 6E 2C |arkness..Sudden,|
00000530: 20 6D 61 73 73 69 76 65 20 64 69 73 63 68 61 72 | massive dischar|
00000540: 67 65 73 20 66 72 6F 6D 20 74 68 65 20 74 69 70 |ges from the tip|
00000550: 20 6F 66 20 62 69 67 68 6F 72 6E 20 69 6C 6C 75 | of bighorn illu|
00000560: 6D 69 6E 61 74 65 20 52 41 4D 41 27 53 20 69 6E |minate RAMA'S in|
00000570: 74 65 72 69 6F 72 2C 20 61 73 20 69 66 20 77 69 |terior, as if wi|
00000580: 74 68 20 6C 69 67 68 74 6E 69 6E 67 20 62 6F 6C |th lightning bol|
00000590: 74 73 2E 20 54 68 65 20 6F 63 65 61 6E 20 73 68 |ts. The ocean sh|
000005A0: 69 66 74 73 2C 20 61 6E 64 20 79 6F 75 20 67 6C |ifts, and you gl|
000005B0: 69 6D 70 73 65 20 74 68 65 20 63 68 75 72 6E 69 |impse the churni|
000005C0: 6E 67 20 77 61 74 65 72 73 3A 20 64 72 69 76 65 |ng waters: drive|
000005D0: 6E 20 62 79 20 73 6F 6D 65 20 47 2D 66 6F 72 63 |n by some G-forc|
000005E0: 65 2C 20 74 68 65 20 73 65 61 20 68 61 73 20 72 |e, the sea has r|
000005F0: 69 73 65 6E 20 6E 65 61 72 6C 79 20 35 30 30 20 |isen nearly 500 |
00000600: 6D 65 74 65 72 73 20 74 6F 20 6D 65 65 74 20 74 |meters to meet t|
00000610: 68 65 20 73 6F 75 74 68 65 72 6E 20 73 68 6F 72 |he southern shor|
00000620: 65 2E 20 52 41 4D 41 20 6D 75 73 74 20 62 65 20 |e. RAMA must be |
00000630: 74 75 72 6E 69 6E 67 21 20 52 41 4D 41 27 53 20 |turning! RAMA'S |
00000640: 6D 61 6E 65 75 76 65 72 20 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 68 |maneuver would h|
00000650: 61 76 65 20 63 61 75 73 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 73 |ave caused the s|
00000660: 65 61 20 74 6F 20 66 6C 6F 6F 64 20 74 68 65 20 |ea to flood the |
00000670: 73 6F 75 74 68 65 72 6E 00 20 70 6C 61 69 6E 2C |southern. plain,|
00000680: 20 68 61 64 20 74 68 65 20 73 6F 75 74 68 65 72 | had the souther|
00000690: 6E 20 73 68 6F 72 65 20 6E 6F 74 20 62 65 65 6E |n shore not been|
000006A0: 20 63 6F 6E 73 74 72 75 63 74 65 64 20 74 6F 20 | constructed to |
000006B0: 63 6F 6E 74 61 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 6F 76 65 72 |contain the over|
000006C0: 66 6C 6F 77 2E 20 53 68 6F 72 74 6C 79 2C 20 74 |flow. Shortly, t|
000006D0: 68 65 20 74 65 6D 70 65 72 61 74 75 72 65 20 69 |he temperature i|
000006E0: 6E 20 74 68 65 20 69 6E 74 65 72 69 6F 72 20 72 |n the interior r|
000006F0: 69 73 65 73 20 74 6F 20 61 6E 20 61 6C 6D 6F 73 |ises to an almos|
00000700: 74 20 75 6E 62 65 61 72 61 62 6C 65 20 6C 65 76 |t unbearable lev|
00000710: 65 6C 2E 20 54 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 6E 6F 20 |el. There is no |
00000720: 6C 6F 6E 67 65 72 20 61 6E 79 20 63 68 61 6E 63 |longer any chanc|
00000730: 65 20 6F 66 20 63 6F 6D 6D 75 6E 69 63 61 74 69 |e of communicati|
00000740: 6F 6E 20 77 69 74 68 20 45 4E 44 45 41 56 4F 52 |on with ENDEAVOR|
00000750: 3A 20 74 68 65 20 73 68 69 70 20 68 61 73 20 62 |: the ship has b|
00000760: 79 20 6E 6F 77 20 62 65 65 6E 20 62 75 72 6E 65 |y now been burne|
00000770: 64 20 61 77 61 79 20 62 79 20 74 68 65 20 73 75 |d away by the su|
00000780: 6E 27 73 20 68 65 61 74 2E 00 41 73 20 74 68 65 |n's heat..As the|
00000790: 20 74 65 6D 70 65 72 61 74 75 72 65 20 6F 6E 63 | temperature onc|
000007A0: 65 20 61 67 61 69 6E 20 64 72 6F 70 73 2C 20 79 |e again drops, y|
000007B0: 6F 75 20 70 72 65 70 61 72 65 20 79 6F 75 72 73 |ou prepare yours|
000007C0: 65 6C 66 20 66 6F 72 20 74 68 65 20 65 78 68 61 |elf for the exha|
000007D0: 75 73 74 69 6F 6E 20 6F 66 20 79 6F 75 72 20 73 |ustion of your s|
000007E0: 70 61 63 65 73 75 69 74 27 73 20 6C 69 66 65 20 |pacesuit's life |
000007F0: 73 75 70 70 6F 72 74 20 73 79 73 74 65 6D 73 2E |support systems.|
00000800: 20 59 6F 75 72 20 77 61 69 74 20 77 69 6C 6C 20 | Your wait will |
00000810: 62 65 20 61 20 73 68 6F 72 74 20 6F 6E 65 2E 00 |be a short one..|
00000820: 07 00 00 00 4F 01 FC 02 55 04 1C 05 6C 06 7D 07 |....O...U...l.}.|
00000830: 07 15 84 B0 10 01 1B 04 1C 05 27 11 04 27 73 00 |..........'..'s.|
00000840: 00 01 02 24 07 15 84 38 0B 01 1B 02 1C 03 27 72 |...$...8......'r|
00000850: 00 02 15 07 15 81 2C 10 01 1B 00 1C 01 27 51 00 |......,......'Q.|
00000860: 27 71 00 00 01 02 01 00 00 |'q....... |
..8......G...WITHOUT WARNING, THE THREE
STRAIGHT VALLEYS OF THE NORTHERN HEMISPH
ERE FLARE BRILLIANTLY INTO LIFE: THEY AR
E THE ENORMOUS, ARTIFICIAL SUNS THAT ILL
UMINATE THIS WORLD. AT THE SAME TIME, IT
BECOMES EVIDENT THAT THE ONCE FROZEN CY
LINDRICAL SEA IS NOW ALMOST COMPLETELY T
HAWED. ONLY A FEW CHUNKS OF ICE DRIFT T
HROUGH THE GREENISH WATERS.. RAMA'S INTE
RIOR IS NOW FULLY VISIBLE. YOU ARE WITHI
N A HOLLOW CYLINDER PERHAPS TEN KILOMETE
RS WIDE, AND AT LEAST THREE TIMES THAT L
ONG. THE TUBE OF LANDSCAPE THAT ENCLOSES
YOU IS MOTTLED OR, PERHAPS, ONLY SMOOTH
SURFACES OF VARIED COLOR. ON THE GREAT
PLAIN, CRISS-CROSSING LINES FORM A FAINT
LY VISIBLE GEOMETRICAL NETWORK. FROM RAM
A'S SOUTHERN HUB, THE MASSIVE SPIRE KNOW
N AS BIGHORN RISES, SURROUNDED BY THE FO
UR LITTLE HORNS..FAINT AT FIRST, BUT RIS
ING IN BOTH VOLUME AND PITCH, A WHISTLIN
G SOUND SEEMS TO COME FROM EVERYWHERE. S
OON IT IS LOUD, EVEN PIERCING. THEN SUDD
ENLY IT STOPS. IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHER
E, THE BRILLIANT LIGHT OF THE STRAIGHT V
ALLEYS NOW FADES RAPIDLY. ACROSS THE PLA
INS, THOUSANDS OF CRAB AND SPIDER-LIKE C
REATURES RUSH TOWARD THE CYLINDRICAL SEA
.. FROM BOTH SHORES, THEY HURL THEMSELVE
S IN. IN A SHORT TIME, THERE ARE NONE LE
FT. ENERGY CRACKLES FROM THE TIP OF BIGH
ORN AS THE LAST LIGHT FADES, AND RAMA IS
ONCE AGAIN PLUNGED INTO UTTER DARKNESS.
.SUDDEN, MASSIVE DISCHARGES FROM THE TIP
OF BIGHORN ILLUMINATE RAMA'S INTERIOR,
AS IF WITH LIGHTNING BOLTS. THE OCEAN SH
IFTS, AND YOU GLIMPSE THE CHURNING WATER
S: DRIVEN BY SOME G-FORCE, THE SEA HAS R
ISEN NEARLY 500 METERS TO MEET THE SOUTH
ERN SHORE. RAMA MUST BE TURNING! RAMA'S
MANEUVER WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE SEA TO FL
OOD THE SOUTHERN. PLAIN, HAD THE SOUTHER
N SHORE NOT BEEN CONSTRUCTED TO CONTAIN
THE OVERFLOW. SHORTLY, THE TEMPERATURE I
N THE INTERIOR RISES TO AN ALMOST UNBEAR
ABLE LEVEL. THERE IS NO LONGER ANY CHANC
E OF COMMUNICATION WITH ENDEAVOR: THE SH
IP HAS BY NOW BEEN BURNED AWAY BY THE SU
N'S HEAT..AS THE TEMPERATURE ONCE AGAIN
DROPS, YOU PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE EXHA
USTION OF YOUR SPACESUIT'S LIFE SUPPORT
SYSTEMS. YOUR WAIT WILL BE A SHORT ONE..
....O...U...L.}...........'..'S....$...8
......'R......,......'Q.'Q.......
×
C64 Image
> CLICK IMAGE PREVIEW FOR FULL MODAL