,Discovery
Brandon Badger
[[Start->The Awakening]]
[[Quote->Quote]]You awaken to find yourself all alone in a pitch black environment. There is a slight chill in the air, leaving goosebumps all over your skin. The minutes of unsettling silence around you wears you down as you begin to panic. You fall to the ground, shaking, hoping that someone or something can take you far away from this place. As you are about to lose hope, a faint light appears far in front of you.
[[Approach the light->Light]]
(set: $Importance to 0)
(set: $Fears to 0)
(set: $Happiness to 0)
(set: $Robber to 0)
(set: $Lying to 0)
(set: $Start to false)
(set: $Doubts to 0)
(set: $Review to false)
(if: $Start is false)[(set: $Start = true)You approach the light. It begins to speak: "To find the exit to this place, you will have to find yourself. Follow the path ahead of you, and stay true to yourself."]
(else:)[(set: $Doubts = 0)You find yourself back to where you first encountered the light. It seems as if you will have to go through the trail again.....]
[[Walk Forward->Importance]]
You walk forward along a path of light. You approach a small pond. There is a small river that is trickling into the water, causing a ripple effect throughout. You feel at ease, calmer than you've ever felt before. You hear a voice from afar ask,
"What's most important to you?"
[[Family->Family]]
[[Friends->Friends]]
[[Myself->Myself]]"Family? You say family is most important? (font: "Courier New") [This is my idea of family, actually, a sticky morass you can't chew your way out of.] You only are acquianted with your family because you are forced to. How can you be sure that you actually like them? Can you be sure that you'd be close to them if they weren't your family? Are you sure that family is most important to you?"
[Yes]<Fears|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Fears)[\
(set: $Importance = 1)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Fears")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(Set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Importance")\
]"Friends? You find friends to be the most important to you? Are you sure that your closest friends are worth your praise? Friends seem to come and go constantly throughout your life. You never know if your close friends now will even be acquaintances with you in ten years. Are you sure friends are what is most important to you?"
[Yes]<Fears|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Fears)[\
(set: $Importance = 2)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Fears")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(Set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Importance")\
]".....Yourself? Quite a bold statement. Most would lie even if they did indeed agree with your answer. However, are you sure that you hold the greatest value to your life? Is there no one else in this world that deserves your affection and praise other than you? Are you sure that you are what is most important?"
[Yes]<Fears|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Fears)[\
(set: $Importance = 3)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Fears")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(Set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Importance")\
]Upon hearing you confirm your answer, the distant voice vanishes. A new path of light appears before you, so you begin to travel to find your next question. As you continue walking, the light path begins to fade. The chilling breeze from before reappears, as does the unnerving silence. Once the path fades entirely, you turn around in hopes that you can find your way back to the pond. However, you are yet again left helpless in the dark.
You are relieved as a voice breaks the unyielding silence:
"What are you most afraid of?"
[[Getting old->Old]]
[[Being Alone->Alone]]
[[Indecisiveness->Indecisiveness]]"Getting old? You fear growing old? Everyone grows old. It is the natural course of life. While you unfortunately grow weaker and weaker until your death, you also become wiser in the process. All good things must come to an end, even your life. Is getting old really what you fear most?"
[Yes]<Fears|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Fears)[\
(set: $Fears = 1)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Happiness")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(Set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Fears")\
]"Being alone? Is solitude truly that scary? Yes it is true that humans need interaction, but alone time can truly be beneficial to your health as well. It gives you the opportunity to truly reflect on yourself and your experiences. Is being alone truly what you fear?"
[Yes]<Fears|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Fears)[\
(set: $Fears = 2)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Happiness")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(Set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Fears")\
]"Indecisiveness? Is indecision that bad? Sure decision-making can be a daunting task, however it is through those experiences that you define yourself as a person. Only through hard decision making can you truly find what you desire in life. Is indecisiveness really that scary?"
[Yes]<Fears|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Fears)[\
(set: $Fears = 3)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Happiness")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(Set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Fears")\
]Upon hearing your answer, the path of light emerges, and you are treated with the sounds of nature while surrounded by several tress with glowing white leaves. You feel a huge sense of relief as you proceed down the renewed path. You reach a small clearing in the forest where you are greeted with your next question:
"What brings you the most happiness?"
[[Money->Money]]
[[Companionship->Companionship]]
[[Accolades->Accolades]]"Money? You say that wealth and fortune makes you the most happy. While the thrill of buying and purchasing your way through life would make anyone feel joy, are you sure that joy will persist? Are you sure that having money will continue to make you happy in the long-term future? Are you sure that money truly brings you the most happiness?"
[Yes]<Happiness|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Happiness)[\
(set: $Happiness = 1)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Robber")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Happiness")\
]"Companionship? You believe that bonds you forge with others is what truly brings you the most happiness? Are you sure that this happiness would persist if you had nothing to your name except your bonds? If you had no money, house, car, or anything else, would you truly be able to be sufficiently happy with the bonds you share with others? Is companionship truly what makes you the most happy?"
[Yes]<Happiness|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Happiness)[\
(set: $Happiness = 2)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Robber")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Happiness")\
]"Accolades? You believe awards and recognitions bring you the most happiness. Are you certain that being acknowledged for what you do will truly bring you the most joy. Imagine if you had to invest all of you time and money into obtaining this praise, leaving anything or anybody behind to get there. Now that you have achieved your praise, and you sure you would be truly happy without anyone else to celebrate it with? Are you sure that accolades brings you the most happiness?"
[Yes]<Happiness|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Happiness)[\
(set: $Happiness = 3)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Robber")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Happiness")\
]As the distant voice fades, the winds start to pick up speed. You attempt to follow the path ahead of you, struggling to even stand because of the winds. You reach the edge of a cliff. You cautiously look down to find that you are unable to see the bottom. A voice comes from below:
"You are walking on a busy street, and see what you believe is a man
robbing someone. What do you do?"
[[Immediately rush over to help->Help]]
[[Call the police->Police]]
[[Ignore it->Ignore]]"Rush over to help? That is a very brave thing to do. However, are you sure you should do that? What if the robber has a weapon to subdue the victim? What if the robber attacks the victim because he notices that you are approaching? Now instead of simply robbing this poor person, their life is now forfeit. Are you confident enough in yourself that you believe you will make the situation better by intervening? Are you sure that you should rush over to help?"
[Yes]<Robber|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Robber)[\
(set: $Robber = 1)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Check Doubts")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Robber")\
]"Call the police? It is indeed their job to handle these things, but are you sure that is the right course of action? What if they are unable to arrive on time, and the robber gets away with stealing, or something even worse. Are you willing to put all of your faith in someone else instead of taking action yourself? Are you sure that calling the police is the best course of action?"
[Yes]<Robber|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Robber)[\
(set: $Robber = 2)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Check Doubts")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Robber")\
]"Ignore it? Quite the honest answer. It really is none of your business anyways. However, are you okay with knowing that someone was in danger, and you did nothing to try to help out another one in need? Is ignoring the situation truly the right path?"
[Yes]<Robber|
[No]<Doubt|
(click: ?Robber)[\
(set: $Robber = 3)\
(if: $Review is true)[(go-to:"Check Doubts")]\
(go-to:"Check Doubts")\
]
(click: ?Doubt)[\
(set: $Doubts += 1)\
(go-to:"Robber")\
](if: $Review is false)[The winds finally die down until they fade completely. You begin to walk away as a sudden force behind you pushes you off of the cliff into the abyss. As you are falling through the darkness, a distant voice speaks,]
(if: $Review is true)[Upon answering the question that brought doubt upon yourself, the ground caves in from underneath you. As you are falling through the darkness, a distant voice speaks,]
(if: $Doubts >= 3)["You seem to be conflicted as to who you are. Stand behind your ideals through this trial, and only then will you be set free."
[[Continue->Light]]]
(else:)["You seem to hold true to your values and morals. Let us review your choices."
[[Continue->Review]]](if: $Importance is 1)["You claim that *Family* is what is most important to you."]
(if: $Importance is 2)["You claim that *Friends* are what is most important to you."]
(if: $Importance is 3)["You claim that *You* are what is most important to you."]
(if: $Fears is 1)["You claim that *Getting Old* is what you fear most."]
(if: $Fears is 2)["You claim that *Being Alone* is what you fear most."]
(if: $Fears is 3)["You claim that *Indecisiveness* is what you fear most."]
(if: $Happiness is 1)["You claim that *Money* brings you the most happiness."]
(if: $Happiness is 2)["You claim that *Companionship* brings you the most happiness."]
(if: $Happiness is 3)["You claim that *Accolades* bring you the most happiness."]
(if: $Robber is 1)["You claim that *Immediately Rushing Over* to help a victim being robbed is best."]
(if: $Robber is 2)["You claim that *Calling the Police* to help a victim being robbed is best."]
(if: $Robber is 3)["You claim that *Doing Nothing* to help a victim being robbed is best."]
"Are you sure that you wish to be judged off of these answers?"
[[Yes->End]]
[[No->ChooseDoubt]]
"You hold true to your ideals. That is what is most important. Who am I to judge whether your beliefs are right or wrong. Go now, you are *free*."
(link: "END")[<script>window.close()</script>](if: $Doubts >= 2)["You seem to be conflicted as to who you are. Stand behind your ideals through this trial, and only then will you be set free."
[[Continue->Light]]]
(else:)["Which question brings you doubt?"
(set: $Review to true)
(set: $Doubts += 1)
[[Importance->Importance]]
[[Fears->Fears]]
[[Happiness->Happiness]]
[[Robber->Robber]]
[[All of them->Light]]](font: "Courier New") [This is my idea of family, actually, a sticky morass you can't chew your way out of.] - Lauren Beukes, Moxyland
[[Return->Title]]