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config.footer.left: '{restart link, label: "**⟲**"}'
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Part One]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/collage.jpg', alt: 'Collage'}
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align:center">
<p><b>MEMOROSA</b></p>
<p>By Enrique Henestroza Anguiano</p>
<p>For IntroComp 2019</p>
</div>
config.footer.center: "*{part}*"
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Jorge stepped onto the walkway]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/pods.jpg', alt: 'Pods'}
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align:center"><b>I.</b></div>
<div style="text-align:justify">
 Jorge stood, bleary-eyed and barefoot in his white bodysuit, next to the smooth, soundproof pod where he had spent the past thirty hours, its gleaming white interior belying the total darkness that had enveloped him when he was lying inside.<br>
 He pulled off his dampening helmet, a black, tight-fitting contraption with a paneled visor, and ran his hand first through the matted black hair on his head, then the bristly stubble forming around his neck and cheeks, bringing back a flush of color.<br>
 He narrowed his eyes for a moment to adjust back to the light, dim as it was. The pods were lined up in rows on either side of him, some of them humming as the memonauts inside lay in deep meditation, others open with blankets and pillows, awaiting activation.<br>
 Jorge {cycling link for: 'pod_reaction', choices: ['took a deep breath', 'shook out his body']}, then walked toward the door—it was time to debrief on his session.
</div>
e (pod_reaction === 'shook out his body'): e + 1
i (pod_reaction === 'paused for a moment'): i + 1
s (pod_reaction === 'shook out his body'): s + 1
n (pod_reaction === 'paused for a moment'): n + 1
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Levi walked up to the monitor]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/walkway_levi_stare.png', alt: 'Walkway'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 He stepped onto the walkway connecting the pod room to the grand atrium of Orsay 2048, the ornate, newly remodeled building in Paris that had once served as a train station, then a museum, and now a private research center for the Memorosa project.<br>
 Levi, Jorge’s experience director, was waiting for him with a wry expression, his swept back auburn hair and dark glasses coming into focus.<br>
 “You did well, Jorge,” he said. “But you lost the thread somehow toward the end, and we weren’t able to get it back.”<br>
 {cycling link for: 'thread_reaction', choices: ['“I see,”', '“No way!”']} replied Jorge, frowning, testing the feeling in his neck by shifting it slowly from side to side.<br>
 Levi walked over to the screening stations, motioning for him to follow. Jorge {cycling link for: 'rodin_reaction', choices: ['glanced distractedly', 'stopped to stare']} at the alcoves above, which bore a few remaining Rodin sculptures scattered among clusters of computer terminals housing the latest in quantum hardware, optimized to simulate a vast number of neural computations.
<div>
e: 0
i: 0
s: 0
n: 0
t: 0
f: 0
j: 0
p: 0
part: "Part One: The Memonaut"
config.footer.left: '{restart link, label: "**⟲**"}'
config.footer.center: "*{story.name}*"
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Jorge stood bleary eyed]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/orsay.jpg', alt: 'Orsay'}
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align:center">
<p><b>PART ONE: THE MEMONAUT</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
</div>
e (thread_reaction === '“No way!”'): e + 1
i (thread_reaction === '“I see,”'): i + 1
j (thread_reaction === '“No way!”'): j + 1
p (thread_reaction === '“I see,”'): p + 1
s (rodin_reaction === 'stopped to stare'): s + 1
n (rodin_reaction === 'glanced distractedly'): n + 1
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|The images continued flowing]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/monitor_levi_side.png', alt: 'Monitor'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 “Let’s see,” said Levi, walking up to the large 64K monitor at his station, finger motions on his tablet directing the passage across the screen of video fragments that varied from sketchy to hyperrealistic in stretches.<br>
 Jorge stood next to Levi as they observed the images passing by. He noticed waves crashing against a shore, individual flecks of sand visible through the foamy water. That must have been a memory from Normandy, he thought, the trip he'd taken with his friends before starting the graduate psychobiology program that would eventually bring him here.<br>
 It had been {cycling link for: 'normandy_reaction', choices: ['an escape', 'a pilgrimage']} to a part of nature that still remained intact, the brine and warmth of the ocean air leading him to wonder at the time if reality had somehow gotten it wrong, if the previous decade of drought had just been a bad dream.<br>
 Levi continued drawing motions over the tablet as Jorge inched closer to the screen.
</div>
t (normandy_reaction === 'a pilgrimage'): t + 1
f (normandy_reaction === 'an escape'): f + 1
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Jorge knelt closer to the monitor]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/monitor_blobs.jpg', alt: 'Monitor'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 The images continued flowing, some which Jorge could see clearly, others which he recognized only fleetingly. A car ride through an interstate in a desert lanscape with the roof down, a hurried walk through dense rain on the streets of Manhattan, a lazy afternoon on a patio, laughing with a group of friends.<br>
 He then glimpsed what appeared to be the quad from his college campus at night—little glowing rectangles on the screen like dorm windows lit up from the inside, a flurry of snow passing by in specks of static, and a flicker of a face that he immediately recognized as Caleb’s. This last image sent an electric feeling through his body, making him {cycling link for: 'caleb_reaction', choices: ['quickly turn away', 'smile wistfully for a moment']}.<br>
 Levi sped the recording further, searching, and after a while hit on something and slowed it to a crawl, a few frames per second.<br>
 “This is it,” he said, as large masses emerged, pulsating slowly on the screen. He stepped back and motioned for Jorge to come take a closer look.
</div>t (screen_reaction_1 === 'pensively'): t + 1
f (screen_reaction_1 === 'with confusion'): f + 1
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Jorge couldn't sleep]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/monitor_levi_stare.png', alt: 'Monitor'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 “Well, that’s a shame,” said Levi, looking down at his tablet. “Thirty hours is the longest we’ve had anyone in one of these, but we’re still hitting a wall. What’s the half-life of a memory, really?”<br>
 He typed in a few more notes, then folded the tablet and put it back in his pocket, hesitating before turning to Jorge.<br>
 “Look, go eat and get some rest. Maybe we’re closer than we know to a full capture. I’ll see you again in a few days.” He flashed a quick smile and strode off to the staircase near the back that led to the second floor research labs.<br>
 Jorge turned again toward the blank screen. He tried to shake off the feeling of having missed something {cycling link for: 'screen_reaction_2', choices: ['powerful', 'important']}, maybe a breakthrough of his own.<br>
  Then, listening to the rumbling of his stomach, he tucked his helmet against his side and made his way toward the cafeteria, through the atrium and its scattered screening stations, hungrier than he could remember having felt in a long time.
</div>
t (screen_reaction_2 === 'important'): t + 1
f (screen_reaction_2 === 'powerful'): f + 1
j (screen_reaction_2 === 'important'): j + 1
p (screen_reaction_2 === 'powerful'): p + 1
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|The voice startled Jorge]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/bedroom.jpg', alt: 'Bedroom'}
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align:center"><b>II.</b></div>
<div style="text-align:justify">
 That night in the memonaut quarters, Jorge couldn't sleep. The rooms were all in white, with bare walls and smooth sheets to calm the senses in preparation for long sessions in the pods. He tossed and turned, thinking of that pulsating image he hadn’t been able to place.<br>
 The Memorosa project was moving quickly, more memonauts coming in each month, though they were kept in the dark about the end goal. He’d studied the tech in graduate school: an intravenous cocktail sends the subject into a liminal state that activates memories, an isolation pod provides total immersion, and a dampening helmet registers brain waves while sending signals to quiet the conscious mind.<br>
 It enabled the capture of memories, but the side effects of the drugs were unknown, and the sessions had begun to jumble his {cycling link for: 'drug_reaction', choices: ['thoughts', 'senses']}. He would come out feeling like he’d lost long stretches of time, as if he'd experienced essential dreams that he couldn't grasp.<br>
</div>j (caleb_reaction === 'quickly turn away'): j + 1
p (caleb_reaction === 'smil wistfully for a moment'): p + 1
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Levi typed a few more notes]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/monitor_static.jpg', alt: 'Monitor'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 Jorge knelt down in front of the lower right corner of the screen, which appeared to show the most detail, and moved his face just inches away. An image was forming and melting slowly, rough outlines and slivers of shapes passing through each other. He couldn’t tell what it was, but he felt a wave of familiarity and caught a sob forming in the back of his throat, jolting him back. Why did this make him suddenly think so strongly of his {cycling link for: 'sister_father_choice', choices: ['sister', 'father']}?<br>
 “Well?” asked Levi, his eyes shifting from Jorge to the screen and back, expectantly.<br>
 “I don’t know what it is”, replied Jorge {cycling link for: 'screen_reaction_1', choices: ['pensively', 'with confusion']}, shaking his head as he stood back up next to Levi. “The farther back you go, the harder it is to see.”<br>
 Levi motioned again over his tablet, and the movement on the screen sped up again, nearing the end. The image remained for a moment before gradually disippating into a jumble of soft static. Then the screen clicked off.
</div>
n (drug_reaction === 'thoughts'): n + 1
s (drug_reaction === 'senses'): s + 1
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Levi told me that Camille left]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/hallway_antony_smile.png', alt: 'Hallway'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 Jorge felt parched and restless, and decided to slip out to clear his head. As he stepped into the hallway of the memonaut quarters, he was startled by a voice coming from his right.<br>
 “You’re awake, also?”<br>
 He quickly recognized Antony from the jocular tone and French-inflected grammar, and turned to face him with a smile. They’d met half a year ago during training as part of the inaugural memonaut group. Jorge was one of the few foreigners at the facility, and Antony loved to show off his English at every opportunity.<br>
 “Just a little thirsty,” replied Jorge. Antony was wearing a t-shirt and sweats, looking like he’d just had a night session at the facility's gym. Staying in shape was important, as the directors constantly stressed.<br>
 “Right,” said Antony. “But you know they don’t like us prowling at night now, right?” His voice lowered to a whisper. “Especially since Camille is missing for a few days. Some are saying she was taken away.”<br>
 Jorge let the comment sink in, giving Antony an {cycling link for: 'hallway_reaction_1', choices: ['incredulous', 'intrigued']} look.
</div>
j (hallway_reaction_1 === 'incredulous'): j + 1
p (hallway_reaction_1 === 'intrigued'): p + 1
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Jorge stood against the wall]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/hallway_antony_stare.png', alt: 'Hallway'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 “What?”, asked Jorge. “Levi told me that Camille left because something came up, a family emergency.”<br>
 “That’s not what the other memonauts are saying,” whispered Antony. He looked up and down the brightly lit hallway to check if anyone else was within earshot. “They say she saw something, bizarre, while she was in her pod during a session. It’s decommissioned now, the recordings stopped and everything.”<br>
 “What do you mean, something bizarre?”, replied Jorge, {cycling link for: 'bizarre_reaction', choices: ['his brow wrinkling in thought', 'a pained look crossing his face']}.<br>
 “I have no idea,” said Antony, gazing into the distance. “Maybe it’s nothing, <i>rien</i>. And they don't pay us to pose questions, you know.”<br>
 “Look,” he continued, “Between us, there's a weird vibe recently. You just got out of a two days session? Well, you'll notice it soon enough.”<br>
  “Ok, thanks,” said Jorge, a bit shaken. Antony smiled at him a little uneasily, then punched him lightly on the shoulder before walking off to his room.
</div>
t (bizarre_reaction === 'his brow wrinkling in thought'): t + 1
f (bizarre_reaction === 'a pained look crossing his face'): f + 1
pod_sneak_reason: 'memory'
pod_sneak_reason (j + f > t + p): 'camille'
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Jorge stepped into the atrium]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/hallway.jpg', alt: 'Hallway'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 Jorge stood against the white wall of the corridor, head down and arms crossed against the drafty chill, trying to gather his thoughts.<br>
[if pod_sneak_reason === 'memory'; append]
 <b><i>He figured Camille was ok, and if her pod was no longer storing data, then he could go in without a helmet and have a chance to finally experience his memories consciously</b></i>.<br>
 Maybe he could figure out what was missing, the morphing mass on the screen, and dive into the vivid dreams that had been kept just out of his reach. He wasn't sure what would happen without the helmet, but the opportunity seemed too good to pass up.<br>
[else; append]
 <b><i>He'd known Camille since long before Memorosa, and he owed it to her to find out what had happened</b></i>. They had met in New York when applying to enter the psychobiology program in France, Camille as eager to move back to her country as he'd been to escape his.<br>
 She had proven to be the most driven of their class, and he knew she didn't scare easily—something didn't add up. Since the pod wasn't recording, he might be able to investigate without anyone finding out.<br>
[continue; append]
 The hallway connected out to the main atrium, with the pod room accessible from there. Though researchers were always around, there might only be a few at this hour working at their stations. He’d need to make his way in undetected, since memonauts weren’t allowed to enter the pods on their own.<br>
 Jorge {cycling link for: 'hallway_reaction_2', choices: ['paused for a moment', 'rubbed his face briskly']}, then walked to the double doors at the end of the hallway leading out of the memonaut quarters.
</div>
e (hallway_reaction_2 === 'rubbed his face briskly'): e + 1
i (hallway_reaction_2 === 'paused for a moment'): i + 1
pod_sneak_access: 'carefully'
pod_sneak_access (e > i): 'boldly'
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Jorge snuck into the passage]]**"
config.footer.right (pod_sneak_access === 'boldly'): "**[[⟹|Jorge strode into the walkway]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/atrium.jpg', alt: 'Atrium'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 Jorge stepped into the grand atrium that connected the different areas of the Memorosa facility, with screening stations tucked into the left side near the pod room, the cafeteria and gym accessible off the right side, and a staircase in the back leading up to the second floor research labs and offices.<br>
 Standing in the shadows, he could see the soft light projected in from above, and he heard the tapping of fingers on tablets as a few researchers stood at their screening stations, replaying video as they pieced together stretches of memories from old sessions.<br>
[if pod_sneak_access === 'carefully'; append]
 <b><i>Over the last few months, Jorge had observed how people used the side doors scattered throughout the atrium</b></i>, and he remembered that the one just to his left led to a back passage that the cleaning staff used to enter the pod room.<br>
 He snuck quietly along the wall, {cycling link for: 'atrium_reaction', choices: ['thinking of what to say if someone stopped him', 'noticing the sounds and movements around him']}. When he reached the side door, he gently opened it and slipped into the passage.<br>
[else; append]
 <b><i>He figured that the best way to get to the pod room was to walk confidently through the screening stations</b></i>, and into the walkway leading to the pods. The researchers looked distracted, and it wasn't out of place for him to be around.<br>
 He strode past the screening stations while {cycling link for: 'atrium_reaction', choices: ['thinking of what to say if someone stopped him', 'noticing the sounds and movements around him']}, and breathed a sigh of relief when he made it to the walkway without a single glance in his direction.<br>
</div>
s (atrium_reaction === 'noticing the sounds and movements around him'): s + 1
n (atrium_reaction === 'thinking of what to say if someone stopped him'): n + 1
pod_sneak_solve: 'facts'
pod_sneak_solve (n > s): 'theory'
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Jorge stood before Camille's pod]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/passage.png', alt: 'Passage'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 Jorge had never been through this back passage before. He ran his hands along the white-painted metal slats that lined the wall as he crept through the narrow, curved path.<br>
 When he got to the back door leading to the pod room's side entrance, he tested the knob and verified that it was unlocked. He peeked through the keyhole, but it was too dim to see and he couldn't hear anything above the hum of the active pods.<br>
[if pod_sneak_solve === 'facts'; append]
 <b><i>Jorge had been sensing the smell of cleaning products as far back as the atrium, and realized that it was fainter here</b></i>. He kneeled down to study the floor and also saw that there were a few lightly wet footprints over the smooth tile, leading into the pod room and then back out. The cleaning crew must have already made its rounds here and left through the atrium to continue in a different part of the facility.<br>
[else; append]
 <b><i>The program was punctual about sessions, he remembered, each starting and ending on the hour</b></i>. He checked his watch and saw that it was a minute after 1 AM—a few more minutes and he'd reduce the risk of running into anyone. He stood still and closed his eyes to stay calm.<br>
 After a moment, he heard the click of a pod door lifting, footsteps, and the sound at a distance of the walkway door opening and closing.<br>
[continue; append]
 Jorge opened the back door slowly and stepped partway into the pod room. He saw nobody inside and, {cycling link for: 'passage_reaction', choices: ['gasping with relief', 'feeling a weight melt away']}, closed the door behind him.<br>
</div>
e (passage_reaction === 'gasping with relief'): e + 1
i (passage_reaction === 'feeling a weight melt away'): i + 1
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Part 2]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/pods.jpg', alt: 'Pods'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 Jorge stood again before the rows of pods, back where he'd started. He walked to a cabinet against the wall and pulled out one of the replacement body suits that they kept on hand, running his fingers over the feathery smoothness of the white material, then stepping into it.<br>
 The medical cabinet was next to the one with the suits. He'd seen the serum injected many times, and would have to do it from memory, since experience directors were meant to apply it. A few sealed vials looked ready to go, and he grabbed one along with a clean syringe.<br>
 Most pods were open and lit; a few were shut and activated, emitting a low hum. He spotted Camille's as the exception, shut and inactive.<br>
[if pod_sneak_reason === 'memory'; append]
 A wave of exhiliration swept over him as he opened and stepped into the pod, lying down with his head bare against the pillow. He was finally doing something for himself, searching for what he'd lost and couldn't even name.<br>
[else; append]
 He slipped inside, hoping that the conditions inside the pod would be close enough to trigger a similar reaction to Camille's. A wave of emotion came over him: determination to help his friend, along with a sense that he was exactly where he needed to be.<br>
[continue; append]
 <span style="color:limegreen"><b><i>As the pod closed above him and the serum began coursing through his veins, Jorge felt the distinct sensation of falling back in time<b><i>.</span>
</div>
part: "Part Two: The Past"
config.footer.center: "*{story.name}*"
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Jorge shielded his eyes against the bright sky]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/etretat.jpg', alt: 'Étretat'}
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align:center">
<p><b>PART TWO: THE PAST</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
</div>
pod_sneak_reason: 'memory'
config.footer.center: "*{part}*"
config.footer.right: ""
--
[if pod_sneak_reason === 'memory'; append]
{embed image: 'assets/cliff_marina_stare.png', alt: 'Cliff'}
[else; append]
{embed image: 'assets/cliff_camille_stare.png', alt: 'Cliff'}
[continue; append]
<br>
<div style="text-align:center"><b>III.</b></div>
<div style="text-align:justify">
[if pod_sneak_reason === 'memory'; append]
 “Jorge...”<br>
 “Hey, Jorge, what's the deal?”<br>
 Jorge shielded his eyes against the bright sky, blinking a few times to adjust to the light. His friend, Marina, stood looking at him, amused, head cocked to the side as she laughed at his apparent lapse.<br>
[else; append]
 “Jorge...”<br>
 “Hey, Jorge, are you ok?”<br>
 Jorge shielded his eyes against the bright sky, blinking a few times to adjust to the light. Camille stood looking at him, quizically, her arms crossed in concern at his apparent lapse.<br>
[continue; append]
 A swirl of breeze brushed his skin, salty with specks of water, and he noticed that they were on a grassy ledge above the beach.<br>
 This was Normandy, the summer before the start of his graduate program, the trip he'd taken with a group of friends as a last hurrah before they'd all set out on their own to different parts of the world.<br>
 He felt a warmth and a happiness that were difficult to describe, and he smiled at his friend. Then, a realization cast a shadow over his mind.<br>
 <b><i>She hadn't been on this trip.</b></i><br>
<br>
</div>
<div style="text-align:right">
 <span style="color:red"><b><i>To be continued. Thanks for playing!<b><i></span><br>
<br>
</div>
s (atrium_reaction === 'registering the sounds and movements around him'): s + 1
n (atrium_reaction === 'imagining what he would say if someone stopped him'): n + 1
pod_sneak_solve: 'logic'
pod_sneak_solve (f > t): 'emotion'
config.footer.right: "**[[⟹|Jorge stood before Camille's pod]]**"
--
{embed image: 'assets/walkway_agnes_stare.png', alt: 'walkway'}
<div style="text-align:justify">
<br>
 A few steps in, Jorge froze as Agnes, an experience director, emerged from the pod room. She must have just kicked off a session.<br>
[if pod_sneak_solve === 'logic'; append]
 “Hi there, Agnes”, said Jorge, trying to sound as causal as possible. <b><i>He thought for a moment and realized that Antony could be relied on to cover for him</b></i>. “I was just stopping by to pick up a beanie Antony left in his pod. He's wrapping up his workout, so I thought I'd help out.”<br>
 “Hi, Jorge,” said Agnes, eyeing him steadily behind her dark glasses. “Sure, you two are pals. But you know you're not supposed to be here.”<br>
 “I get it,” said Jorge, flashing a smile. “It must be the extra long session I finished today—still adjusting, I guess. Won't happen again.”<br>
 “Well,” started Agnes, hesitant. “Look, I'll let it slide. I have a lot to do, anyway, juggling schedules since Camille left so abruptly. I know it was a family thing, but I could have been told...” She sighed.<br>
 “Just don't tell anyone I saw you,” she finished, brushing past him as she hurried back into the atrium.<br>
[else; append]
 “Hi there, Agnes”, said Jorge, trying to sound as causal as possible. <b><i>He thought for a moment and remembered that Agnes was Camille's experience director—she might be having a tough time right now</b></i>.<br>
 “I was just stopping by to pick up something I left in my pod earlier,” he continued, gently. “Aren't things a bit scattered right now, all over? With Camille leaving, I bet it's been hard for you especially.”<br>
 “Hey,” said Agnes, “you know you're not supposed to be here, Jorge.” She fiddled with her dark glasses, seemingly unsure of what to do next.<br>
 “You're right, though,” she continued, sighing. “With Camille gone I'm juggling schedules and replacements, on top of everything else. I know it was a family thing, but...” She sighed.<br>
 “Look, just don't tell anyone I saw you, OK?” she finished. She smiled weakly, then brushed past him and hurried back into the atrium.<br>
[continue; append]
 Jorge paused, {cycling link for: 'passage_reaction', choices: ['gasping with relief', 'feeling a weight melt away']}, then entered the pod room.<br>
</div>