GETTING THE HEADPHONES LIVING ROOM (back half) There's an armchair on the north wall. To the right of the armchair is an open sliding glass door leading north to a courtyard. A pet door has been installed as part of the sliding glass door. The floor is a dark wood, finely polished. There is some model railroad track inlaid into the floor here. A piano stands to the west, and further west you see a dance studio. There's a bust of Beethoven on the piano. A piano bench sits in front of the piano. The east wall is covered with bookcases, with a small desk built into the bookcases. On top of the desk is a computer. A wooden desk chair is in front of the desk. The living room continues to the south. On the music stand you see some sheet music. You see three empty boxes, two ordinary cans of spam, a magic carpet (rolled), and a rubber duckie here. >s LIVING ROOM (front half) You see three empty boxes, three ordinary cans of spam, and a magic carpet (rolled) here. You see Agador-Spartacus in the dining room by the west end of the table. He's wagging his tail. >e You go through the strands of beads. DINING ROOM (by the west end of the table) On the west end of the table you see a plate, a fork, a knife, a spoon, and a glass. Agador-Spartacus stands before you, wagging his tail affably. >ne The blue birds suddenly become alive. They fly off of the china cabinet doors and begin to flit about, making you feel as if you should sing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah". Then the blue birds land back on the china cabinet doors and grow still. DINING ROOM (by the china cabinet) You see Agador-Spartacus in the dining room by the west end of the table. He's wagging his tail. >n KITCHEN You see an envelope, a large stack of catalogs, a phone bill, a gold key, "The Bedtime Story Book", "The Boy Who Had No Words", a yellow feather, a small phone book, a short blue sock, a long black sock, a handwritten note, a bath robe, a pair of brown shoes, a short brown sock, a short black sock, some ballet slippers, a fake can of spam, a white pawn, a mug of black coffee, a plucked daisy, and a plucked tulip here. >w PHONE BOOTH, in the pantry You hear the computerized voice tell you (somewhat faintly since the receiver is hanging down on its cord) ... Press "1" to be enlightened. Press "3" to be cleansed. Press "4" to be uplifted. Press "6" to be inspired. Press "7" to be moved. Press "9" to be transmogrified. If you do not have access to a touch tone phone, please remain on the line and an operator will assist you. >press "7" You pick up the receiver. You press "7". The computerized voice goes on to tell you Please specify the destination to which you would like to be moved... Press "1" to go to the zoo. Press "2" to go to the beach. Press "3" to go to work. Press "4" to go to the store. Press "5" to go to the veterinarian's office. Press "6" to visit Mom. All other options will return you to the main menu. Please be advised that the previously mentioned destinations can be reached only through the Phantom Phone Booth object-oriented navigational system. >press "5" You press "5". You hear the sound of a motor grinding, the door slams closed, and the phone booth suddenly rises upwards very quickly. It passes the second floor landing and goes through the roof, flying high into the air. The telephone voice tells you, "Estimated travel time for this eight mile trip is four minutes, using standard travel speed." The phone booth flies east. After about four minutes of flying it sets itself down. The phone booth door pops open. PHONE BOOTH, by the veterinarian's office You see the entrance to a veterinarian's office to the east. >e You drop the receiver. VETERINARIAN'S OFFICE ENTRANCE To the west you see the phone booth. Directly to the east is a door marked: "Dr. Julie Takamine, D.V.M. Veterinarian". >e You open the door and walk inside. The door closes behind you automatically. WAITING ROOM The waiting room is filled with people sitting on chairs. Along the north wall is a receptionist's desk, which is currently empty. Several people are sitting on chairs, waiting for their turn to see the vet. There's a middle-aged lady wearing a house dress and holding a ridiculously furry Persian cat. A big man with an eye patch has a parrot on his shoulder. A teen-aged boy listens to music on his headphones while holding a white mouse. And there's a soulful- eyed young woman wearing a halter top and patched jeans who has brought in her pet rock. Mrs. McGillicuddy is here too, sitting next to the big man with the eye patch. She has a fishbowl on her lap. The inner door leading to the vet's office is to the east. The outer door is to the west. Mrs. McGillicuddy smiles and nods at you as you walk in. But she doesn't say anything to you because she seems to already be involved in a conversation with the young woman who's wearing the halter top. >wait Time passes... The soulful-eyed young woman in the halter top and patched jeans looks at Mrs. McGillicuddy's fish. "I'm getting bad vibes from your fish," the young woman tells Mrs. McGillicuddy. "Fitch?" says Mrs. McGillicuddy. "Are you related to that nice red- headed man who just came in with the ferret?" The young woman takes a look in your direction and then shakes her head. "I don't think so," she replies. "But I might have been his sister in a previous life." "Wife?" says Mrs. McGillicuddy. "Oh how nice. Well, it's nice to meet you Mrs. Fitch." >wait Time passes... A nervous-looking man with a yippy dog on a leash enters through the outer door and takes a seat in the waiting room. A short while later, the inner door to the vet's office opens and a skinny old man wearing a turban comes out with a cobra in a basket. He leaves through the outer door, and the middle-aged lady with the Persian cat stands up. But before she can get to the inner door, the man with the yippy dog slips into the vet's office and the door closes behind him. "Well that's not fair," says the lady with the cat. "I was here first! This sort of thing never used to happen when Dr. Julie had a receptionist working here. I suppose the doctor just never got around to hiring a new one. The last receptionist moved away when her husband got transfered to Toledo." "Trouble with libido?" Mrs. McGillicuddy asks. "The man or the dog? No wonder he looked so nervous." >wait Time passes... The parrot seems to have taken an interest in the young woman in the halter top and patched jeans. "Wha's happenin' babe?" the parrot says. "What's a hot tamale like you doing in a dive like this?" "Did you say something to me?" Mrs. McGillicuddy asks the big man sitting next to her. "Nay," says the big man, shaking his head. "'Twas naught but the parrot." "Ferret?" asks Mrs. McGillicuddy. "Are you related to Mr. and Mrs. Fitch too?" The big man with the eye patch shakes his head and grumbles something under his breath. It sounds a like "Ar-argh-gh." >wait Time passes... An attractive woman in a red dress enters through the outer door and takes a seat in the waiting room. She's carrying a tarantula in a cage. A short while later, the inner door to the vet's office opens and the man with the yippy dog comes out. He leaves through the outer door, and the middle-aged lady and the teen-aged boy and the big man all stand up. But before either any of them can get to the inner door, the woman with the tarantula slips into the vet's office and the door closes behind her. "Ar-argh-gh!" says the big man with the eye patch. "Totally uncool," agrees the boy with the headphones. They all sit down. The parrot says, "Now that was one foxy chick. I'd like to get me a piece o' that." "Did you say something to me?" Mrs. McGillicuddy asks the big man sitting next to her. The big man shakes his head. >wait Time passes... A school girl with a parakeet enters through the outer door and takes a seat in the waiting room. She's wearing knee socks and a plaid wool skirt. It looks like she's rolled the skirt up, bringing the hemline several inches higher than school regulations allow. Some time later, the inner door to the vet's office opens and the woman with the tarantula comes out. She leaves through the outer door, and everyone stands up. But before anyone else can get to the inner door, the girl in the school uniform slips into the vet's office and the door closes behind her. "Ar-argh-gh!" says the big man with the eye patch. "Bummer," agrees the boy with the headphones. They all sit down. The parrot is looking at the closed door, where he last saw the young girl in the school uniform. "Jail bait! Jail bait!" the parrot cries. "Did you say something to me?" Mrs. McGillicuddy asks the big man sitting next to her. The big man shakes his head and gives the parrot a fierce look intended to shiver his timbers. The parrot apologizes to the man and explains that he wasn't talking about the school girl, he was talking about the parakeet. The soulful-eyed young woman in the halter top and patched jeans looks at you. "I'm sensing that we're in an infinite yin-yang loop," the young woman tells you. "And I can sense that you're the only one empowered to get us out of it. Can't you do something?" "Did you say something to me?" Mrs. McGillicuddy asks young woman. "I really need to get a new battery installed in my hearing aid," Mrs. McGillicuddy sighs. >wait Time passes... An athletic-looking woman wearing a baseball cap enters through the outer door with an iguana and takes a seat in the waiting room. A short while later, the inner door to the vet's office opens and the school girl comes out, leaving through the outer door. The woman with the baseball cap gets into the vet's office before anyone else can. "Ar-argh-gh!" says the big man with the eye patch. "This is getting really boring," says the boy with the headphones. The parrot says, "Take me out to the ball game! Batter up, and toss that aluminum bat 'cause I got a woody! I'll kiss YOU on the strikes! And you can kiss ME on the b..." "Did you say something to me?" Mrs. McGillicuddy asks the big man sitting next to her. The big man shakes his head. The soulful-eyed young woman in the halter top and patched jeans looks at you. "I'm sensing that we're in an infinite yin-yang loop," the young woman tells you. "And I remember saying that before, too. And I can sense that you're the only one empowered to get us out of it. Can't you do something?" "Did you say something to me?" Mrs. McGillicuddy asks young woman. "I really need to get a new battery installed in my hearing aid," Mrs. McGillicuddy sighs. > give screwdriver to mrs mcgillicuddy "A Phillips screwdriver!" Mrs. McGillicuddy exclaims, clapping her hands. She searches in her handbag for the battery and the hearing aid. "Would you put the battery in for me please?" she asks, handing them to you. Using the Phillips screwdriver, you put the battery in the hearing aid. You give the hearing aid back to Mrs. McGillicuddy and she puts it into her ear. "Thank you so much," she says sweetly. A fairy princess enters through the outer door with a small unicorn. A short while later, the inner door to the vet's office opens and the person who previously entered comes out, leaving through the outer door. The fairy princess gets into the vet's office before anyone else can. "Ar-argh-gh!" says the big man with the eye patch. "If only the vet could find a new receptionist," says the boy with the headphones. The parrot looks at the young woman in the halter top and says, "My, aren't you a hot little tomato, would you like to ruffle my feathers tonight?" Mrs. McGillicuddy hits the big man on the head with her umbrella. "I heard that!" she declares in an outraged voice. "How dare you say such a thing to me!" ------------- Press space bar to continue ----------------- "Ar-argh-gh! Ar-argh-gh! Double Ar-argh-gh!" says the big man with the eye patch, jumping to his feet to get away from Mrs. McGillicuddy, who hits him repeatedly with her umbrella while trying to keep her fishbowl from sloshing on the floor. The parrot flies away from the umbrella and lands on the head of the teen- aged boy with the headphones. This causes the boy to drop his mouse. The mouse runs across the floor at the boy chases after it. This attracts the attention of the Persian cat, who jumps off the lap of the middle-aged lady. The cat starts chasing the mouse while the lady starts chasing the cat. The teen-aged boy manages to get the parrot off of his head, but the parrot is still hanging onto the boy's headphones with his claws. The parrot (flying with the headphones) chases the young woman in the halter top, the big man with the eye patch chases the parrot, and Mrs. McGillicuddy chases the big man with the eye patch while she hits him with her umbrella and tries not to slosh her fishbowl. They all run around in circles for a while until the headphones fall into the fishbowl. Then the mouse and the young woman with the halter top run out of the waiting room, exiting through the outer door. Everyone else runs outside too, except for you and Slinky. Slinky appears to have fallen asleep. ------------- Press space bar to continue ----------------- Everything is quiet for a while. Then Mrs. McGillicuddy comes back inside carrying the headphones, which are still sopping wet from having been in the fishbowl. The headphones have a small audio cassette player built into one of the ear pieces. Mrs. McGillicuddy takes an audio cassette out of the headphones and looks at it briefly. "Ice-T," she reads from the cassette label. "Sounds refreshing," she says as she puts the cassette in her handbag. Then Mrs. McGillicuddy hands the headphones to you. You notice that the tiny fish with a mustache is now swimming around INSIDE the water-logged headphones! "Everybody's gone home now," Mrs. McGillicuddy tells you, "But that young woman with the pet rock told me that you should take this fish on a long journey across the ocean. She's a psychic, you know. The woman, I mean, not the fish. And she's not really sick, she's just depressed because she needs to find a boyfriend. The fish, I mean, not the woman." The inner door to the vet's office opens, and a man leaves with a dachsund on a leash. A dachsund? You don't remember seeing a man with a dachsund. But while you're trying to figure it out, Mrs. McGillicuddy slips into the vet's office and the door closes behind her. ------------- Press space bar to continue ----------------- A few minutes later Mrs. McGillicuddy comes out of the vet's office with a satisfied smile on her face. She takes her seat at the receptionist's desk and tells you sweetly, "Dr. Julie will see you now."