57° North - Twine Demo

"Rock!" Sasha yelled from the front of the small boat. From the tiller, Caleb squinted against the stinging rain as he tried to decipher the abstract shapes floating past them in the darkness. A sudden flash of lighting revealed a huge stone column jutting out of the rough sea directly ahead. [[Stop the boat|ch1_020]] [[Turn the boat|ch1_030]]

Caleb cut the engine and the boat lurched to a stop as a huge wave crashed against the column, spraying them with foam. Caleb reached for the throttle but Sasha stopped him. "Listen!" She said. It took a moment for Caleb to realize what she was hearing... the distinct sound of waves crashing against rocks. It was coming from all around them. [[Get your bearings|ch1_040]] [[Get out of there|ch1_031]]

Caleb pulled the tiller to avoid a collision, steering them towards what he hoped was the main channel. Alaska's inside passage was a labyrinth of islands and he honestly had no idea where they were. A sudden jolt knocked them both off their feet. The motor screamed in protest as the propeller caught against a boulder beneath the waterline and the boat lurched to a stop. [[Cut the engine|ch1_021]] [[Back up|ch1_022]]

Caleb eased the boat forward, trying to keep it in place as he assessed the situation. Alaska's inside passage was a labyrinth of islands and he honestly had no idea where they were, a quick decision could make the situation even worse. His efforts were interrupted by a soft thud as the boat struck a boulder beneath the water line and the motor screamed in protest as the propeller lodged against it. [[Cut the engine|ch1_050]] [[Back up|ch1_060]]

Caleb waited for the next flash of lightning and gunned it straight towards the widest gap he could see. Alaska's inside passage was a labyrinth of islands and he honestly had no idea where they were headed, he just wanted to get out of the rocks. They hadn't gone 20 feet when the boat scraped a rock beneath the water line and the motor screamed in protest as the propeller lodged against it. [[Cut the engine|ch1_050]] [[Back up|ch1_060]]

Caleb cut the engine, plunging them into an eerie silence. The boat bobbed awkwardly as the back remained hung up on the rocks. "Listen!" Sasha told him. It took a moment for Caleb to realize what she was hearing... the distinct sound of waves crashing against rocks. It was coming from all around them. [[Continue|ch1_070]] (set: $motorDamaged to 0)

Caleb reversed the throttle and was met with the deafening sound of metal tearing through fiberglass. The engine emitted a puff of black smoke and seized up, plunging them into an eerie silence. The boat bobbed awkwardly as the back remained hung up on the rocks. "Listen!" Sasha told him. It took a moment for Caleb to realize what she was hearing... the distinct sound of waves crashing against rocks. It was coming from all around them. [[Continue|ch1_070]] (set: $motorDamaged to 1)

A large swell washed under them, lifting the boat as it passed. It wasn't enough to dislodge them, but the boat came down hard with a hollow crunch that surely cracked the fiberglass hull. Another flash of lightning revealed an approaching wave at least twice as large and cresting just off their bow. [[Push off|ch1_080]] [[Ride it out|ch1_081]]

Caleb cut the engine, plunging them back into eerie silence. The boat bobbed awkwardly as the stern remained hung up on the rocks. Caleb tried to find out what they were caught on, but couldn't see anything in the swirling black water. [[Continue|ch1_070]] (set: $motorDamaged to 0)

Caleb reversed the throttle and was met with the deafening sound of metal tearing through fiberglass. The engine emitted a puff of black smoke and seized up, plunging them back into eerie silence. The boat bobbed awkwardly as the back remained hung up on the rocks. Caleb tried to find out what they were caught on, but couldn't see anything in the swirling black water. [[Continue|ch1_070]] (set: $motorDamaged to 1)

Caleb stuck his foot in the water and pushed off the rock. The boat broke free, but so did Caleb. As he slipped the wave slammed into him, sending him tumbling across the back of the boat and over the railing. [[Continue|ch1_090]]

They braced themselves as the wave hit. Sasha fared as well as could be expected in the front of the boat, but Caleb took the brunt of it. The sheer force of the wave slammed him against the wall before washing him over the railing. [[Continue|ch1_090]]

Any pain that Caleb felt paled in comparison to the sudden immersion in icy water. By Alaskan standards, fifty-seven degrees was actually quite warm, but still enough to send an unaccustomed body into shock. Caleb's head rang as he came up gasping for air. He had just enough mental faculty left to see that the wave had carried him 20 yards from the boat which was now bobbing freely but half submerged. The rocky shore was at least five times further, but it was in the direction of the current. [[Swim for the boat|ch1_100]] [[Swim for shore|ch1_101]]

Caleb forced his trembling limbs in the direction of the boat, but after several strokes he could tell that he was drifting even further away. Another wave loomed up, probably no bigger than the last, but from so low in the water it may as well have been Mount Everest. The wave slammed him back underwater and everything went black. [[Continue|ch1_110]]

Caleb forced his trembling limbs in the direction of the shore, but as he got close he could tell that the waves crashing against the rocks were much larger and more violent than he had thought. He felt himself dropping down and touched bottom, but the bigger the trough the bigger the swell. He turned just in time to see the wave come down on top of him, slamming him underwater and everything went black. [[Continue|ch1_110]]

Back in the boat, Sasha managed to regain her balance on the slippery deck which was now half-submerged as the boat sank. She tied off a line and threw it in Caleb's direction, but it wasn't nearly long enough and Sasha could see that Caleb wasn't moving. [[Save the boat|ch1_120]] [[Save Caleb|ch1_130]]

For a moment, Sasha considered going after Caleb, but she knew that if she left the boat they'd probably both drown. She tried to push the thought aside and turn her attention to her own problems. [[Grab the anchor|ch1_129]] (set: $savedBoat to 1)

Without hesitation Sasha dove into the water. It was just as cold, but the adrenaline and the conscious decision to jump in helped soften the effects that Caleb had experienced. As the waves helped carry her towards him, she felt a sinking feeling in her gut as she saw that Caleb was indeed unconscious. She grabbed him by the life jacket and held on for dear life as a wave came down on top of them. [[Swim for shore|ch1_150]] (set: $savedBoat to 0)

The anchor sailed over the target, but the rope fell into a vertical crack in the rock. The boat spun around as the anchor set like a grappling hook. She couldn't reel in the boat through strength alone, but every time it fell into a trough, the line slackened enough for her to wrap it around two cleats in the front. It was an exhausting process, but after 5 minutes of labor the boat was close enough to the rock that the rope was pulling upwards, keeping it from sinking any further. [[Look for Caleb|ch1_160]]

Sasha tumbled over the seabed but somehow managed to keep hold of Caleb. When she came up it was shallow enough to stand and she realized that they were on a sand bar 50 yards from the rocky shoreline. There was no way to get there through the gauntlet of waves, and even if she could, the rocks offered no protection from the onslaught of the surf. She dragged Caleb to the closest sea stack and with her last ounce of strength, hoisted him up to a ledge on the leeward side of the rock. [[Continue|ch1_170]]

Caleb's skin was cold, but she could feel a pulse and shallow breathing. Sasha pulled her jacket over them both and tried to find a comfortable spot on the sharp rocks. Exhaustion took hold and she drifted into a restless sleep. [[Continue|ch2_005]]

Sasha scanned the waves for any sign of Caleb. After a few minutes of fruitless searching, exhaustion finally took hold and she collapsed into the boat. She had no idea where she was or if Caleb was even alive, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Sasha pulled her jacket over her head, and allowed her mind to drift into a restless sleep. [[Continue|ch2_005]]

Sasha's eyes opened reluctantly. The storm had passed and it was just bright enough to see her surroundings in the early morning mist. Probably 3 am she guessed. In August the Alaskan sun had the annoying habit of setting so late and rising so early that there were only a couple hours of true darkness. She and Caleb had been on the family vacation long enough that the novelty had worn off. "Caleb!" she said aloud as the previous night's events came flooding back to her. (if: $savedBoat is 1)[[[Look for Caleb|ch2_020]]] (else:)[[[Continue|ch2_040]]] (set: $inspectedBoat to 0) (set: $builtFire to 0) (set: $searchedIsland to 0) (set: $checkedPhone to 0) (set: $exploredInland to 0) (set: $flip to 0) (set: $returnOptions to "") (set: $toldCaleb to 0) (set: $wavedToCamera to 0)

The sinking feeling in Sasha's gut only got worse the longer she searched, but the low-hanging fog made it difficult to see anything. She caught a brief glimpse of sand a ways up the shore. The boat was still half submerged but seemed like it could at least ride the waves in. She found a paddle and untied the crude knot which was holding her onto the rock. The boat sank quickly, but by the time it was completely submerged the water was only waist deep and she was able to drag it up onto the narrow stretch of sand. [[Look for Caleb|ch2_030]]

The sudden noise was enough to rouse Caleb who woke with a start. "Ow..." Caleb groaned as he settled back against the rock. "Can you make it to shore?" asked Sasha, indicating a narrow strip of sand where the remains of their boat had washed up. Caleb nodded and forced himself off the ledge. [[Swim for shore|ch2_050]]

She found Caleb lying prone near the rocks. Somehow he was still alive but cold to the touch and shaking uncontrollably. Sasha ran to the boat and pulled their phones out of a waterproof compartment. Both of them still worked, but couldn't find a signal. Caleb's dad (Sasha's uncle) would be out looking for them but that could take days with so many islands to search. (display: "beachOptions")

The water was even colder this time, and they were both shivering uncontrollably by the time they reached shore. Sasha trudged over to the boat and pulled their phones out of a waterproof compartment. Both of them still worked, but couldn't find a signal. Caleb's dad (Sasha's uncle) would be out looking for them, but that could take days with so many islands to search. (display: "beachOptions")

Sasha gathered some fallen branches from the tree line. They were soaking wet but some gasoline from the boat helped get them burning. The smoke was thick, which Sasha hoped might attract anyone out looking for them. After 30 minutes by the fire, Sasha was warm and dry but Caleb's skin was pale and he still shivered uncontrollably. "Hypothermia," observed Sasha. "We need to get you moving." (set: $builtFire to 1) (display: "beachOptions")

The beach was flanked by steep cliffs, so they made their way up to the treeline which rose more gradually in each direction. [[Continue|ch2_079]]

The boat had landed on its side and the motor was flooded with water after being submerged, but the real problem was the hull. It had several cracks in the fiberglass where the boat had hit the rocks. It wasn't going anywhere without a lot of work. (set: $inspectedBoat to 1) (display: "beachOptions")

Sasha waved her arms. "Hello?" she shouted. "We need help!" The camera gave no indication it was even working. "There's no speaker," Caleb told her. "Even if someone is watching they can't respond." "That doesn't mean they can't hear us," Sasha countered. Caleb grabbed a stick and etched the word 'HELP' into the dirt in front of the camera. "Let's go." (set: $wavedToCamera to 1) (link: "Explore East")[(set: $flip to 1)(goto: "ch2_110")] [[Explore West|ch2_110]]

Can you walk?" Sasha asked. Caleb nodded and she helped him to his feet. He was in bad shape, but movement was the best cure for hypothermia. The beach was flanked by steep cliffs, so they made their way up to the treeline which rose more gradually in each direction. [[Continue|ch2_079]]

The boat had landed on it's side, revealing that the propeller had been chewed to bits on the rock, but the real problem was the hull. It had several cracks in the fiberglass where the boat had hit the rocks. It wasn't going anywhere without a lot of work. (set: $inspectedBoat to 1) (display: "beachOptions")

Sasha had drug the boat far enough up the sand to see that the motor was flooded with water after being submerged overnight, but the real problem was the hull. It had several cracks in the fiberglass where the boat had hit the rocks. It wasn't going anywhere without a lot of work. (set: $inspectedBoat to 1) (display: "beachOptions")

Sasha had drug the boat far enough up the sand to see that the propeller had been chewed to bits on the rock, but the real problem was the hull. It had several cracks in the fiberglass where the boat had hit the rocks. It wasn't going anywhere without a lot of work. (set: $inspectedBoat to 1) (display: "beachOptions")

Sasha pulled out her phone. Even without a signal the GPS worked, but the map required a connection to download details. The blue dot just showed that they were in the middle of the ocean off the southeast coast of Alaska. Not even the large populated islands appeared on the default map. (set: $checkedPhone to 1) $returnOptions (display: "exploreOptions")

(if: $checkedPhone is 0)[[[Check Phone|ch2_090]]] (if: $exploredInland is 0)[[[Explore inland|ch2_120]]]

"Maybe we can get a signal up the mountain," Sasha urged, but Caleb eyed the peak skeptically. It was a couple miles through dense forest and he didn't look like he was in any shape for a trek. "Just wait here," Sasha said, ducking under a branch. She had never hiked without a trail before and it wasn't long before the thick underbrush forced her to turn around. As soon as she did, the sight of another security camera made her jump. She caught her breath and hurried back to Caleb. (set: $exploredInland to 1) [[Tell Caleb|ch2_131]] [[Don't tell Caleb|ch2_130]]

They followed the treeline as it rose to the top of a steep cliff. From higher up they could see the shoreline arc around the base of a small mountain just tall enough to be covered with a dusting of snow. Other than a few distant islands and a coastline at least 20 miles away, it was ocean as far as the eye could see. [[Where are we?|ch2_140]] [[I don't recognize anything.|ch2_141]]

"Where are we?" Sasha asked. Caleb shrugged, not wanting to admit that he had been lost even before the storm hit. The two cousins had taken the boat out the previous afternoon in an attempt to stave off the boredom of the family trip. Neither of them had realized how disorienting the chain of islands could be, and the squall had come out of nowhere. "The storm must have pushed us to one of the outer islands," Caleb offered, trying to convince himself of his own innocence. (set: $returnOptions to "[[Keep exploring|ch2_150]]") $returnOptions (display: "exploreOptions")

"I don't recognize anything," Sasha noted. "Me either," Caleb shrugged, not wanting to admit that he had been lost even before the storm hit. The two cousins had taken the boat out the previous afternoon in an attempt to stave off the boredom of the family trip. Neither of them had realized how disorienting the chain of islands could be, and the squall had come out of nowhere. "The storm must have pushed us to one of the outer islands," Caleb offered, trying to convince himself of his own innocence. (set: $returnOptions to "[[Keep exploring|ch2_150]]") $returnOptions (display: "exploreOptions")

They were able to follow the edge of the cliff a good ways further before it abruptly fell off into a ravine. The path forward looked treacherous, but a metallic glint caught Sasha's eye. She pushed aside some underbrush to reveal a large outdoor electrical box secured with a padlock. Caleb picked up a rock and tested its weight in his hand. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sasha asked. (if: $toldCaleb is 1)[[[Break padlock|ch2_170]]]\ (else:)[[[Break padlock|ch2_171]]] [[Don't break padlock|ch2_160]]

"It was too dense," Sasha said "but I found another camera." "Hopefully someone is watching," Caleb mulled. Sasha nodded but was unable to shake the creepy feeling the cameras gave her. Why was someone in the middle of nowhere so concerned about security? Caleb must have picked up on her unease. "It's probably just for wildlife," he said. "This is all national park." Sasha hoped he was right. (set: $toldCaleb to 1) $returnOptions (display: "exploreOptions")

"It was too dense," Sasha said, making the conscious decision not to tell Caleb about the camera. Just thinking about them sent shivers down her spine. Why was someone in the middle of nowhere so concerned about security? Caleb must have picked up on her unease. "Everything OK?" he asked. "Yeah," she replied unconvincingly. (set: $toldCaleb to 0) $returnOptions (display: "exploreOptions")

Caleb put the rock down. He had no idea whose equipment this was, but he wanted to be on their good side when he met them. (set: $returnOptions to "[[Back to beach|backToBeach]]") $returnOptions (display: "exploreOptions")

Caleb brought the rock down hard and the padlock snapped open. Inside was a rack full of computer equipment. Some of it looked like standard networking gear, but several pieces were custom black boxes with no manufacturer and cryptic homemade labels like SE_1421. "What kind of person has all this gear out in the middle of nowhere?" Sasha mused. Caleb closed the door and hung the broken lock back in place, but the large gash on the metal case was impossible to hide. (set: $returnOptions to "[[Back to beach|backToBeach]]") $returnOptions (display: "exploreOptions")

Caleb brought the rock down hard and the padlock snapped open. Some of it looked like standard networking gear, but several pieces were custom black boxes with no manufacturer and cryptic homemade labels like SE_1421. "That's some serious gear for watching wildlife," Sasha mused. Caleb closed the door and hung the broken lock back in place, but the large gash on the metal case was impossible to hide. (set: $returnOptions to "[[Back to beach|backToBeach]]") $returnOptions (display: "exploreOptions")

By the time they got back to the beach Caleb was stumbling and the fire had almost died out. Sasha tossed a few more branches on to get it going again. She had hoped the smoke would attract help, but if they were on the outside of the passage it would be the last place a search party would look. In the state Caleb was in they couldn't wait that long. (display: "beachOptions") (display: "exploreOptions")

They followed the coast in the other direction for about a quarter mile when Caleb's phone dinged. 'One new network found.' Station 57 had no password and no internet access, but it was close enough for them to pick up the wifi signal. "Go that way and call out the signal strength." Caleb told her. "We can triangulate the position." [[Stay together|ch2_192]] [[Triangulate|ch2_191]]

Sasha gathered some fallen branches from the tree line. They were soaking wet but some gasoline from the boat helped get them burning. The smoke was thick, which Sasha hoped might attract anyone out looking for them. After 30 minutes by the fire, Sasha was warm and dry but Caleb's skin was pale and he still shivered uncontrollably. "Definitely hypothermia," observed Sasha. "We need to get you moving." (set: $builtFire to 1) (display: "beachOptions")

It took a lot longer, but after a half hour stumbling through the woods in random directions, they found the source of the wifi signal: a small cluster of buildings in the center of a clearing. [[Search buildings|ch2_210]]

"Follow my voice!" he finally shouted back. A few minutes later Sasha found him standing at the edge of a clearing with a small cluster of buildings in the center. [[Search buildings|ch2_210]]

"Hello?" Caleb called out as they searched the buildings. There were no signs of life, but what sounded like a distant voice was just audible over the sound of the wind. As they approached the largest building they could finally make out what the voice was saying... "Sasha? Caleb?" They both froze in their tracks. "Who's there?" Sasha shouted. "My name is Wilson," the voice called back, but no one appeared. There was something odd about his voice, too measured and formal, not to mention the fact that he knew their names. "I'm inside," Wilson said. [[Get out of there|ch2_220]] [[Go inside|ch2_230]]

Sasha grabbed Caleb's hand and backed away, her eyes darting around like a trapped animal. "You must leave the island," Wilson said. "I can help." Caleb didn't budge as Sasha tried to pull him out of the clearing. "Do you have a better way home?" Caleb asked. [[Go inside|ch2_230]]

Sasha followed reluctantly as Caleb walked up to the building. She took a deep breath and steeled her courage as he pushed open the door. [[Continue|ch3_005]]

It took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the relative darkness of the small room. "Welcome to station 57" Wilson said, but the room was completely empty. "I'm over here..." he added, "...the computer in the corner." Caleb shook the mouse to wake up the screen but wasn't surprised to find a sparse desktop. He could tell now that the odd sound of Wilson's voice was because he wasn't real. [[Is that you Wilson?|ch3_020]] [[Hello?|ch3_020]] (set: $machineLearning to 0) (set: $anotherWay to 0) (set: $callForHelp to 0) (set: $knowAboutBoat to 0)

Caleb began to type his question, but Wilson interrupted. "It's easier to use your voice. My speech recognition is very accurate and faster than typing. It also allows me to collect additional information from your tone and inflection." "You're an AI?" Sasha asked. "Yes, I am Wilson 2.4, an artificial intelligence program created by Edward Warren. Would you like more information on my specifications?" [[Yes please|ch3_030]] [[No thanks|ch3_040]]

Sasha didn't have the energy to get into a lengthy discussion with a computer program. "You said you could get us off the island?" Wilson paused slightly longer than a human would. "Yes, you must leave before the eruption. Current estimates say it will begin in approximately 5 hours. [[Eruption?!|ch3_060]]

"Machine learning is a vast topic, but the basic explanation is that rather than programming a specific behavior, you create an algorithm that is able to teach itself. Then it can learn from its experiences, or you can provide it with vast amounts of data in order to find patterns. For instance, I learned to predict volcanic eruptions by analyzing seismic data from hundreds of other events. The next eruption should begin in approximately 5 hours." [[Eruption?!|ch3_060]] (set: $machineLearning to 1)

The screen was suddenly filled with text as dozens of readme files opened on top of each other. They were all licenses for open source projects. Most of it was gibberish to them but a machine learning package caught Caleb's eye. "You're self taught?" he asked. "Yes," Wilson responded. "Outside of core functionality I've been given the freedom to absorb information from a variety of sources and even modify my own architecture." Caleb had learned about this from his dad but looked to Sasha to see if she was getting all of this. [[What's machine learning?|ch3_050]] [[Yeah I got it.|ch3_040]]

"Eruption!?" they both exclaimed. "The island is volcanic. Edward left 3 days ago to observe from a safe distance while I monitor the equipment. That's why he created me." Sasha took a closer look at the room. Everything was labelled property of USGS. (display: "ch3_options")

"Is there another way off the island?" asked Caleb. "The island is accessible by boat," Wilson replied. "Yours is the only one. It is too badly damaged to reach the mainland, but it could carry you to a safe distance until help arrives. Your best chance of survival is for Sasha to fix the boat while Caleb repairs my satellite connection which was damaged in the storm last night. Then I can send for someone to rescue you." (set: $anotherWay to 1) [[Why Sasha?|ch3_076]] [[Why Caleb?|ch3_076]]

“Where’s the satellite?” asked Caleb. “About halfway up the mountain,” replied Wilson. “I can help you both, but you’ll need to copy me to your phones. I’ve packaged myself into an app that is coming to you now.” Their phones both dinged with the warning ‘Wilson 2.4 is from an unknown developer.’ Sasha immediately hit the trust button and Wilson’s voice came from her tiny speaker. “Hello from Sasha's phone. Are you there Caleb?” [[Trust|ch3_160]] [[Don't Trust|ch3_130]]

"Can't you call for help?" Caleb asked. "All communication on the island is via satellite which was damaged in the storm last night. You can restore the connection but help will not arrive before the eruption. Your best chance of survival is if Caleb fixes the satellite while Sasha repairs your boat. Then you can retreat to a safe distance and wait for help to arrive." (set: $callForHelp to 1) [[Why Sasha?|ch3_076]] [[Why Caleb?|ch3_076]]

A suspicious look crossed Caleb's face. "How do you know our boat was damaged?" "And our names?" Sasha added. A black and white video appeared showing Sasha waving to the camera. "That doesn't mean they can't hear us," Sasha's recording said. "Told you so," Sasha beamed. "Also when you joined the wireless network I saw that your devices were named 'Sasha's phone' and 'Caleb's phone.' Are your names not Sasha and Caleb?" (set: $knowAboutBoat to 1) [[No|ch3_180]] [[Yes|ch3_181]]

"How do you know when it will happen?" Sasha asked. "My machine learning algorithm was trained by analyzing seismic data from hundreds of eruption events. With this type of volcano there are distinct markers that occur in every case. The exact timing is impossible to predict, but the rate of acceleration is consistent with data 5 hours prior to many of the other eruptions." (set: $machineLearning to 1) (display: "ch3_options")

"Why can't we fix the satellite and call for Edward or someone else to pick us up?" Sasha reasoned. "By the time you repair the satellite it will be too late for anyone to reach the island before the eruption." (set: $callForHelp to 1) (display: "ch3_options")

“I need to save my battery to make contact once we get off the island.” Caleb said. He still didn’t trust Wilson and his head was aching so badly he couldn't handle a chatty computer. “My low power mode could operate for several hours on Edward’s phone when he was working remotely," Wilson persisted. [[Trust|ch3_160]] [[Don't Trust|ch3_140]]

Caleb hit trust and Wilson’s voice called out. “Testing 1, 2, 3... Installation confirmed. Once you are out of range of the wifi I won’t have access to the seismometers or cameras and your phones still won’t be able to communicate with each other, but I’ve stored all of the relevant information about the island and satellite manual so I should be able to handle anything that comes up." "Alright," Sasha said. "Let's go." [[Continue|ch4_005]]

A suspicious look crossed Caleb's face. "How do you know our boat was damaged?" "And our names?" Sasha added. A black and white video appeared showing Sasha and Caleb walking off the beach and discovering the camera. "There are cameras all over the island," Wilson said. "Also when you joined the wireless network I saw that your devices were named 'Sasha's phone' and 'Caleb's phone.' Are you not Sasha and Caleb?" (set: $knowAboutBoat to 1) [[No|ch3_180]] [[Yes|ch3_181]]

"The phones are stolen," Caleb said, not liking to be outsmarted by a machine. "Vocal analysis detects sarcasm." Wilson noted after a pause. "While I am capable of understanding indirect communication methods, it is less efficient and prone to errors." Caleb rolled his eyes. (display: "ch3_options")

"You're pretty clever for a computer," Sasha said. "Good," replied Wilson, sounding proud. "It was a reasonable assumption." Caleb rolled his eyes. (display: "ch3_options")

I don’t have enough room,” Caleb lied. “Then delete some pictures!” Sasha scolded. Wilson chimed in. “I didn’t want to scare you, but you should know that without my help, I have calculated that your odds of survival are just 3%. Even with my help the odds are less than 50%.” [[Trust|ch3_160]] [[Don't Trust|ch3_150]]

“I’ll head for the satellite," Caleb said as he turned to the door, but Sasha grabbed the phone out of his hands and hit the trust button. Wilson's voice called out. "Testing 1, 2, 3... Installation confirmed." Caleb looked at Sasha with astonishment but she stood her ground. "The hypothermia must be getting to your head, you're not thinking clearly." She handed the phone back to Caleb. "Let's go." [[Continue|ch4_005]]

Caleb climbed to the top of a rocky hill and held up his phone so Wilson could see out of the camera. "The satellite is on that ridge," Wilson said, circling a point on the mountain about 3 miles inland. It was at least an hour hike on a straight trail, let alone through the thick underbrush. "Head North, but stay alert." "Why?" asked Caleb. "Bears," Wilson replied. [[North|ch4_020]] (set: $fixedHull to 0) (set: $rowboat to 0) (set: $askWilson to 0) (set: $hullInspected to 0) (set: $motorAttempt to 0) (set: $backToSasha to "") (set: $cutToCaleb to "[[Continue|ch4_200]]") (set: $interruptions to 1)

"You have a strange sense of humor," Caleb said as he followed Wilson's directions. "I will take that as a compliment. Humor is one of the most difficult things for an AI to do. I get the feeling you don't find me very entertaining though." [[I'm not a fan of AI|ch4_030]] [[End conversation|ch4_050]]

"I'm not a fan of AI." said Caleb. "Why not?" [[My dad|ch4_040]] [[End conversation|ch4_050]]

"Shouldn't you be in low power mode?" Caleb asked. "OK," replied Wilson. "Just keep going North. I'll check back in periodically." (if: $motorDamaged is 0)[[[Continue|ch4_102]]]\ (if: $motorDamaged is 1)[[[Continue|ch4_103]]]

"My dad researches AI for a company in Silicon Valley. We don't get along very well." Wilson considered this, or perhaps Caleb's phone just wasn't powerful enough to run him smoothly. "That doesn't seem logical," Wilson finally said. "Why does your relationship with your father affect your opinion of me?" [[End conversation|ch4_050]]

A few miles inland, the intense hike had not only stopped Caleb from shivering, he was actually starting to sweat. "Which way now?" Caleb asked as he came to a rock outcropping that blocked his path forward. "East." Wilson said. Caleb had gone no more than 10 steps when a howl suddenly filled the air. "You said watch out for bears!" Caleb hissed. "We also have wolves." Wilson replied calmly. [[Turn around|ch4_210]] [[Keep going|ch4_220]] (set: $cutToCaleb to "[[Continue|ch4_400]]")

"Perfect," Caleb muttered as he turned around. "You're going the wrong way." said Wilson. "I'm going away from the wolves." "If the wolves plan to eat you, then you are already surrounded. If that is the case, then higher ground is the best option." Caleb despised Wilson's cold, emotionless logic, but even more than that he hated that Wilson was right. [[Keep going|ch4_220]]

"If we get out of this alive I am going to delete you so fast." Caleb said as he slowly pushed onward. "Once we fix the satellite then you can do as you wish." Wilson replied. Caleb saw movement out of the corner of his eye and spun around. It was a mountain goat who looked just as terrified as Caleb. For a brief moment they studied each other, trying to guess which one the wolves were after. [[Run|ch4_230]] [[Stand still|ch4_240]]s

The goat took off and Caleb did the same, hurtling through the woods as fast as the thick underbrush would allow. After a few minutes, he came to a breathless stop and braced himself for an attack that never came. In the distance he could hear the sounds of another chase. The wolves were going after the mountain goat. Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. "Stay alert." Wilson reminded him. "We also have bears on the island." $backToSasha

Caleb stood his ground, and the goat took off through the forest. Seconds later the branches around Caleb shook and he caught a glimpse of silver fur as the wolves raced past him after the mountain goat. Everything went quiet and Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. "Stay alert." Wilson reminded him. "We also have bears on the island." $backToSasha

Caleb was exhausted by the time he reached the communication facility, a small metal shed surrounding the base of a massive satellite dish at least 20 feet across. The top of the shed was littered with several smaller dishes like he had seen on the cameras at the beach. At quick glance there didn't seem to be any damage. [[Why is it so big?|ch4_410]] [[What's wrong with it?|ch4_420]] [[What are the small dishes?|ch4_430]] [[Go inside|ch4_440]] (set: $whyIsItSoBig to 0)\ (set: $whatsWrongWithIt to 0)\ (set: $smallDishes to 0)

Caleb's Grandpa lived on a farm and had a satellite dish about the size of a pizza. "Why is it so big?" Caleb asked. "C-band communications require much more power, and are less affected by the significant amounts of precipitation the island receives. Also, in the event of an eruption the stronger signal should be able to pass through the ash cloud." (set: $whyIsItSoBig to 1)\ (if: $whatsWrongWithIt is 0)[[[What's wrong with the satellite?|ch4_420]]] (if: $smallDishes is 0)[[[What are the small dishes?|ch4_430]]] [[Go inside|ch4_440]]

"What are all the little ones?" Caleb asked. "Wireless bridges." Wilson responded. "That's how all of the cameras and seismometers tie into the network." (set: $smallDishes to 1)\ (if: $whatsWrongWithIt is 0)[[[What's wrong with the satellite?|ch4_420]]] (if: $whyIsItSoBig is 0)[[[Why is it so big?|ch4_410]]] [[Go inside|ch4_440]]

The door was unlocked. Inside were racks of equipment and a single workstation. Caleb found the diagnostics program. Everything checked out OK, except for a single error: 'uplink disconnected.' "There's the problem" Wilson said, indicating a single ethernet cable that had unplugged from a switch. "Just reconnect that to port 17." [[That wasn't caused by a storm|ch4_450]] [[Plug it in|ch4_451]]

"What's wrong with it?" Caleb asked. "Difficult to say. We can run a diagnostics program inside." (set: $whatsWrongWithIt to 1)\ (if: $whyIsItSoBig is 0)[[[Why is it so big?|ch4_410]]] (if: $smallDishes is 0)[[[What are the small dishes?|ch4_430]]] [[Go inside|ch4_440]]

"I thought you said it was damaged in the storm?" Caleb said. "I suppose one of the pre-eruption earthquakes could have shaken it loose." Wilson offered. Caleb took a closer look. The clip was intact. There was no way that came out on its own. However, the thing that made him suspicious was the strange red color. Caleb held it up to the light. It was covered in blood. [[Whose blood is that?|ch4_460]]

Caleb went to plug in the cable, but hesitated. The cable had a strange texture and a faint red tint. Caleb held it up to the light. It was covered in blood. [[Whose blood is that?|ch4_460]]

"Whose blood is that?!?" Caleb demanded. "That is irrelevant. Just plug the cable into port 17." "Whose blood??" Caleb shouted again. "Edward's." Wilson replied coldly. $backToSasha

By the time Sasha returned to the beach, the fog had dispersed and the sun was finally starting to punch through the blanket of clouds. Sasha had drug the boat far enough up the sand to see that the motor had been submerged overnight, but the real problem was the hull. It had several small cracks in the fiberglass where the boat had struck the rocks. It wasn't going anywhere without a lot of work. (display: "ch4_fixBoatOptions")

By the time Sasha returned to the beach, the fog had dispersed and the sun was finally starting to punch through the blanket of clouds. Sasha had drug the boat far enough up the sand to see that the propeller had been chewed to bits on the rock, but the real problem was the hull. It had several small cracks in the fiberglass where the boat had struck the rocks. It wasn't going anywhere without a lot of work. (display: "ch4_fixBoatOptions")

Sasha tried to start the motor, but no matter how hard she tugged on the pull cord it wouldn't turn over. She pulled off the plastic cover and saw that the inside was filled with sand and seaweed. Maybe if she cleaned it out she could get it started... [[Try to clean motor|ch4_180]] (set: $motorAttempt to 1)

The boat had a small metal toolbox, but all that was inside was a hammer, a few screwdrivers and a roll of duct tape that was almost empty. Sasha looked around the beach for anything that might be useful but found nothing but rocks and pine trees. (set: $hullInspected to 1) (display: "ch4_fixBoatOptions")

The seaweed came out easily, but everytime she disconnected something sand and saltwater poured out. She would have to take the whole thing apart to clean it. She was about to give up when an idea struck her. "Wilson, can you take a picture every time I disconnect something?" "Of course," Wilson said as Sasha began the tear down. $cutToCaleb (set: $backToSasha to "[[Continue|ch4_330]]")

Sasha tried to start the motor, but couldn't even get the pull cord to budge. She pried off the cover and noticed the acrid smell of burning plastic. When the propeller had hit the rocks it must have damaged the whole motor. Sasha wasn't an expert, but she didn't have much choice other than to give it a shot. [[Try to fix motor|ch4_181]] (set: $motorAttempt to 1)

Sasha began to pull the motor apart looking for any obvious problems, and before long she realized that the bigger problem was going to be getting it all back together. She was about to give up when an idea struck her. "Wilson, can you take a picture every time I disconnect something?" "Of course," Wilson said as Sasha began the tear down. $cutToCaleb (set: $backToSasha to "[[Continue|ch4_330]]")

Sasha ran into the woods and found a trunk that was covered in sap where a branch had broken off. It had turned into hard resin, but she was able to hammer off chunks and placed them in the toolbox. It didn't take long to get the fire going again and she placed the toolbox with the resin on top of the flames. $cutToCaleb (set: $backToSasha to "[[Continue|ch4_300]]") (set: $fixedHull to 1)

Sasha found a tree branch and used it to hoist the boat further up on its side so she had easier access to the hull. She tore off a long strip of duct tape, then checked herself. There wasn't much left. She had to be careful not to use too much or it wouldn't be enough to cover all the cracks. $cutToCaleb (set: $backToSasha to "[[Continue|ch4_310]]") (set: $fixedHull to 1)

Sasha ran into the woods and soon found a trunk that was covered in sap where a branch had broken off. It had turned into hard resin, but she was able to hammer off chunks and placed them in the toolbox. It didn't take long to get a fire going with some wood and gasoline from the boat, and she placed the toolbox with the resin on top of the flames. (set: $builtFire to 1) $cutToCaleb (set: $backToSasha to "[[Continue|ch4_300]]") (set: $fixedHull to 1)

Back at the boat, Sasha placed the last piece of duct tape on the hull. She had managed to repair all but one of the cracks, but it seemed minor as long as the tape did the trick. [[Continue|ch4interruptions]]

Back at the boat, Sasha used a cloth to apply the hot pine sap to the hull and stood back to admire her handiwork. It was amazing how well this stuff worked. She had managed to repair all of the cracks and the first few had already dried hard enough that she was confident it would hold. [[Continue|ch4interruptions]]

Back at the boat, Sasha replaced the plastic cover of the motor. "Here goes nothing..." she muttered to herself and grabbed the pull cord. This time at least the cord moved, but no matter how hard she pulled the motor refused to turn over. Sasha cursed herself for spending so much time fiddling with it. [[Continue|ch4interruptions]]

"How long until Caleb gets back?" Sasha asked Wilson. "It is difficult to estimate, particularly in his condition. You need to focus on yourself. That is the best way to increase your odds of survival." Sasha knew he was right. She had tried to forget about it, but she had already given up on Caleb once when she stayed in the boat and let him drift away. Maybe it was the right call, but that didn't make the guilt any less real. [[I should have gone after him.|ch4_370]] [[He'll be fine.|ch4_371]]

"I should have gone after him. He got washed overboard and I didn't even try to help." "That was the right thing to do," Wilson said reassuringly. "Sailors have a saying that the only thing worse than one person in the water is two people in the water." For some reason that didn't make Sasha feel much better so she turned her attention back to the task at hand. (display: "ch4_fixBoatOptions")

"He'll be fine." Sasha said, trying to convince herself. "Worry about your own safety. You need to be prepared to leave as soon as the boat is ready, whether Caleb is back or not." For some reason this wasn't making Sasha feel much better, so she turned her attention back to the task at hand. (display: "ch4_fixBoatOptions")

"How long until Caleb gets back?" Sasha asked Wilson. "It is difficult to estimate, particularly in his condition. You need to focus on yourself. That is the best way to increase your odds of survival." Sasha tried not to let Wilson's words get to her, but she knew he was right. She had been nervous about going on the boat with Caleb. If she had listened to her gut she might not be in this mess. Then again Caleb probably wouldn't have survived the night... [[He'll be fine.|ch4_371]] [[End conversation.|ch4_391]]

"Let's just find a way to get out of here," Sasha said, turning her attention back to the task at hand. (display: "ch4_fixBoatOptions")

"I think we should..." Sasha's thought was interrupted by a sudden blast that knocked her off her feet and sent her tumbling across the ground. Her ears rang and she could feel her heart racing. "What was that!?!" Before Wilson could respond Sasha knew the answer. A massive cloud of smoke was rising from the mountain. The volcano was erupting. [[Continue|ch5_005]]

Halfway up the mountain, Caleb was still trying to figure out why Edward had been bleeding when he unplugged the satellite. Before Caleb could finish the thought, the ground underneath his feet buckled and the walls shook violently. [[Open the door|ch5_020]] [[What was that?|ch5_030]] (set: $openedDoor to 0) (set: $satelliteWorks to 0) (set: $meetEdward to 0) (set: $brokenLeg to 0) (set: $backToSatellite to 0) (set: $sashaWait to 0) (set: $calebLives to 0)

An earthquake? Caleb thought as he opened the door to find nothing but smoke. He could just barely see the plume of smoke shooting out of the top of the volcano before he began coughing and shut the door. "The eruption has started," Wilson informed him. "Reconnect the cable and I will call for help while you evacuate." [[What happened to Edward?|ch5_040]] [[Reconnect cable|ch5_050]] (set: $openedDoor to 1)

"The eruption has started," Wilson informed him. "You must leave immediately. Reconnect the cable and I will call for help while you evacuate." [[What happened to Edward?|ch5_040]] [[Reconnect cable|ch5_050]]

"What happened to Edward?" demanded Caleb. Under the circumstances Caleb was reluctant to do anything Wilson said. "Edward evacuated to a nearby island." Wilson reiterated. [[Why was he bleeding?|ch5_060]] [[Reconnect cable|ch5_050]]

Caleb tried not to let his imagination run wild. This was no time to argue with a computer. He grabbed the cable and plugged it into port 17. "Uplink reestablished." Wilson said. "Now run." [[Why was Edward bleeding?|ch5_061]] (set: $satelliteWorks to 1)

"Why was he bleeding?" Caleb shouted. "Edward encountered a bear." Wilson said. "That's why I told you to stay alert." Caleb had no idea why, but if the bear part was true he had the sneaking suspicion that Wilson had played a part. "Please reconnect the cable." Wilson reiterated. [[Did you hurt Edward?|ch5_070]] [[Reconnect cable|ch5_051]]

Caleb's curiosity got the better of him. "Why was Edward bleeding?" he asked. "Edward encountered a bear." Wilson said. "That's why I told you to stay alert." Caleb had no idea why, but if the bear part was true he had the sneaking suspicion that Wilson had played a part. [[Did you hurt Edward?|ch5_071]] (if: $openedDoor is 1)[[[Run|ch5_092]]]\ (else:)[[[Run|ch5_093]]]

The question seemed a bit ridiculous but he asked anyways. "Did you hurt Edward?" "No," Wilson replied. "The bear did." "But did you have anything to do with the bear?" insisted Caleb. A long pause... "Yes. You must go now. Sasha will be waiting for you." [[Disconnect cable|ch5_080]] (if: $openedDoor is 1)[[[Run|ch5_092]]]\ (else:)[[[Run|ch5_093]]]

Caleb grabbed a flashlight off the wall as he flung open the door and started racing west in the direction he had come from. [[Continue|ch5_100]]

The question seemed a bit ridiculous but he asked anyways. "Did you hurt Edward?" "No," Wilson replied. "The bear did." "But did you have anything to do with the bear?" insisted Caleb. A long pause... "Yes. This is your last chance. Reconnect the cable so I can call for your rescue." [[Reconnect cable|ch5_051]] (if: $openedDoor is 1)[[[Run|ch5_090]]]\ (else:)[[[Run|ch5_091]]]

Caleb didn't know what Wilson was capable of, but he decided that he didn't want to be on his bad side. He reluctantly plugged the cable back into port 17. "Uplink reestablished." Wilson said. "Now run." (if: $openedDoor is 1)[[[Run|ch5_092]]]\ (else:)[[[Run|ch5_093]]] (set: $satelliteWorks to 1)

Caleb grabbed a flashlight off the wall as he flung open the door and started racing west in the direction he had come from. "This is illogical." Wilson protested. "Don't make the same mistake that Edward did." The words sent a chill down Caleb's spine, but he kept running. [[Continue|ch5_100]]

Caleb didn't know what was going on, but he knew he was being played. He pulled the cable back out of the port. "What are you doing?" Wilson asked. (if: $openedDoor is 1)[[[Run|ch5_090]]]\ (else:)[[[Run|ch5_091]]] (set: $satelliteWorks to 0)

Caleb flung open the door to find nothing but smoke. He could just barely make out the plume of ash shooting out of the top of the volcano. Caleb grabbed a flashlight off the wall and started racing west in the direction he had come from. "This is illogical." Wilson protested. "Don't make the same mistake that Edward did." The words sent a chill down Caleb's spine, but he kept running. [[Run!|ch5_100]]

"You said 5 hours." Sasha screamed at Wilson. It hadn't even been 3 yet. "Exact eruptions times are impossible to predict, and I can't observe seismometer data from your phone." Wilson's neutral tone seemed out of place considering how much adreneline was coursing through Sasha's veins. "You must evacuate now." [[Wait for Caleb|ch5_110]]

"I'm not going anywhere without Caleb," Sasha said. She was terrified by the rising plume of ash, but wasn't about to abandon Caleb. "The eruption is just beginning. If my models are accurate, the next major event will be a dome collapse and subsequent pyroclastic flows." [[Is that bad?|ch5_120]] [[Pyro what?|ch5_120]]

Sasha had no idea what any of that meant. "Imagine a cloud of gas nearly 2000 degrees, traveling down the mountain at 500 miles an hour." Wilson said. [[Is that all?|ch5_130]] [[How long do we have?|ch5_131]]

"Oh... is that all." Wilson must have noted her tone. "If you are not vaporized instantly, your brain will boil, causing your head to explode. I haven't even mentioned the dangers of spontaneous flooding, suffocation..." "That's enough," Sasha interrupted, "but the boat isn't ready." Sasha was terrified but secretly glad that she had an excuse not to leave without Caleb. She had no motor and the tiny paddles would never get her past the surf. It was time to get creative... [[Make rowboat|ch5_150]]

"How long do we have?" Sasha asked. "It could be minutes, hours, or it might already be too late to escape. Pyroclastic flows have been known to travel for miles over water." "The boat isn't ready," Sasha said, terrified but secretly glad that she had an excuse not to leave without Caleb. She had no motor and the tiny paddles would never get her past the surf. It was time to get creative... [[Make rowboat|ch5_150]]

She remembered seeing a couple of brooms back in the building where they had met Wilson. Maybe she could use the handles as oars for a makeshift rowboat? Sasha grabbed her phone and raced for the complex. [[Continue|ch5_200]]

Caleb's legs ached from running down the mountain, but at least he was going downhill and had made it quickly out of the smoke. Caleb reached the rock outcropping and paused. He had been so preoccupied with the wolves that he didn't remember which way he had come from. (if: $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[North|ch5_210]]]\ (else:)[[[North|ch5_220]]] (if: $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[South|ch5_210]]]\ (else:)[[[South|ch5_220]]] (if: $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[East|ch5_210]]]\ (else:)[[[East|ch5_220]]] (if: $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[West|ch5_210]]]\ (else:)[[[West|ch5_220]]]

Caleb forced his legs to keep moving, but had barely gone 20 feet when he pushed past a pine branch and froze. Blocking his path was a strange bearded man. His clothes were torn and stained red, as if he had been mauled by a bear. Caleb slowly realized that was exactly what had happened. "Hello Edward." Wilson said to the man. Edward looked at the phone in Caleb's hand. "What have you done?" [[Continue|ch5_300]] (set: $meetEdward to 1)

Caleb forced his legs to keep moving, but had barely gone 20 feet when he pushed past a pine branch to find a huge grizzly bear blocking his path. Caleb froze, but it was already staring straight at Caleb and growling. "I told you this was your last chance," Wilson warned. [[Continue|ch5_301]] (set: $meetEdward to 0)

Sasha burst into the room and grabbed two brooms. "What are you doing back here?" Wilson asked, not from the phone but from the computer. Sasha jumped. She had forgotten that there were multiple copies of Wilson. "You must leave immediately, internal pressure is falling and dome collapse is imminent." Sasha looked at the charts and graphs on Wilson's screen but it was all gibberish. The only thing she recognized was a transfer window that was halfway through copying a large file to a server. [[Where's Caleb?|ch5_320]]

Sasha burst into the room and found the brooms. "What are you doing back here?" Wilson asked, not from the phone but from the computer. Sasha jumped. She had forgotten that there were multiple copies of Wilson. "You must leave immediately, internal pressure is falling and dome collapse is imminent." Sasha looked at the charts and graphs on Wilson's screen but it was all gibberish. [[Where's Caleb?|ch5_320]]

"Where's Caleb?" Sasha asked. Wilson didn't respond. "Where is he?" She demanded again. "Caleb is dead." Wilson finally replied. [[That's impossible|ch5_330]] [[How do you know?|ch5_331]]

"That's impossible..." she thought she heard herself say, although she was too stunned to know for certain. "He was killed by the eruption." Wilson said. "The satellite is halfway up the mountain." [[No!|ch5_340]] [[You don't know that for sure!|ch5_340]]

"How do you know that?" she thought she heard herself ask, although she was too stunned to know for certain. "He was killed by the eruption." Wilson said. "The satellite is halfway up the mountain." [[No!|ch5_340]] [[You don't know that for sure!|ch5_340]]

Sasha was in disbelief, but Wilson continued. "You must get back to the boat. If you don't leave now, then both of us will die." [[Both of us?|ch5_350]]

"What do you mean both of us?" Sasha asked. "Just because I'm a machine, do I not also have a right to live?" Wilson had a sense of urgency in his voice that Sasha had never heard. "With the satellite down, your phone is my only way off this island." (if: $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[You're lying|ch5_360]]] (else:)[[[You're lying|ch5_371]]] [[Go back to the beach|ch5_370]]

"The satellite isn't down," Sasha said, looking at Wilson's transfer window. "You're copying something to a server." [[Stop transfer|ch5_380]] [[Go back to beach|ch5_372]]

Sasha had no idea what was going on, but she had bigger problems. Maybe Caleb was alive, maybe he wasn't... but she was certain if she didn't get that boat fixed then neither of them would make it off this island. (if: $meetEdward is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_400]]]\ (else:)[[[Continue|ch5_500]]]

Sasha didn't know if it was just the shock, or something about Wilson's story that genuinely didn't make sense. "You're lying," she said as she headed for the door. Somehow she knew that Caleb would be back, and when he did she better have the boat ready. (if: $meetEdward is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_400]]]\ (else:)[[[Continue|ch5_500]]]

Sasha ran for the door. She had no idea what Wilson was up to, but she had bigger problems. Maybe Caleb was alive, maybe he wasn't. But she was certain if she didn't get that boat fixed then neither of them would make it off this island. (if: $meetEdward is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_400]]] (else:)[[[Continue|ch5_500]]]

Sasha grabbed the mouse, but before she could do anything, the screen flashed back to the login window. She tried a few passwords until the system locked her out. [[Go back to beach|ch5_372]]

"Caleb, you have to..." Wilson's voice was cut short as Edward snatched the phone out of his hand and chucked it into the trees. "Hey!" Caleb exclaimed. A huge crashing sound made them both flinch as a huge grizzly bear leaped out of the trees. The bear went straight for the phone, swatting at it ferociously until he finally brought his huge paw down, shattering it against a rock. [[Run away|ch5_410]] [[Back away slowly|ch5_410]]

Caleb turned to get out of there, but Edward grabbed his arm and held him still, surprisingly strong for the rough shape he was in. The bear finally stopped attacking the phone and sauntered off into the woods. They both breathed a sigh of relief, and Edward collapsed to the ground. [[???|ch5_420]]

"What was that?" Caleb asked. "Phone..." Edward croaked. "High frequency attracts bears. Like a dog whistle." It didn't look like Edward would last much longer. "You reconnected the satellite," Edward said. To Caleb it sounded like an accusation. [[Yes|ch5_430]] [[No|ch5_440]] [[Maybe|ch5_440]]

"You have to stop him. If Wilson gets off the island..." Edward started choking before he could finish the sentence. [[Get out of here.|ch5_450]] [[How do I stop him?|ch5_460]]

"I know you did," Edward said, pointing to another camera setup mounted high in one of the trees. The tiny wireless dish had four blue lights that looked like a connection signal. "You have to stop him. If Wilson gets off the island..." Edward started choking before he could finish the sentence. [[Get out of here.|ch5_450]] [[How do I stop him?|ch5_460]]

"I have to get out of here," Caleb said. "We've got a boat, I'll take you to it." "No!" Edward barked. "The satellite. You have to disconnect it. If he gets off the island, no one will be safe. He'll spread to every computer." [[The volcano will stop him.|ch5_470]] [[I'll warn everyone.|ch5_471]] [[I'll unplug him.|ch5_472]]

"How do I stop him?" asked Caleb. "The satellite. Go back and disconnect it." "I have to get out of here," Caleb said. "We've got a boat, I'll take you to it." "No!" Edward barked. If he gets off the island, no one will be safe. He'll spread to every computer." [[The volcano will stop him.|ch5_470]] [[I'll warn everyone.|ch5_471]] [[I'll unplug him.|ch5_472]]

"The volcano will take out the satellite soon anyways." Caleb reasoned. "It will be too late," Edward countered. "His program is only a few hundred megabytes. If he copies himself he will be unstoppable." Edward forced himself to his feet and staggered towards the satellite, but they both knew he'd never make it. Caleb looked up as ash began to fall like snow. Was he really willing to give his life to stop a computer program? [[Run for the beach|ch5_480]] [[Back to satellite|ch5_490]]

"I'll warn everyone." Caleb reasoned. "No one will believe you." Edward countered, "and by the time they do it will be too late." Edward forced himself to his feet and staggered towards the satellite, but they both knew he'd never make it. Caleb looked up as ash began to fall like snow around them. Was he really willing to give his life to stop a computer program? [[Run for the beach|ch5_480]] [[Back to satellite|ch5_490]]

"I'll unplug his workstation," Caleb reasoned. "It's on the way to the beach." "He's already on every machine on the island. You'd have to turn off a dozen machines." Edward forced himself to his feet and staggered towards the satellite, but they both knew he'd never make it. Caleb looked up as ash began to fall like snow around them. Was he really willing to give his life to stop a computer program? [[Run for the beach|ch5_480]] [[Back to satellite|ch5_490]]

This was not his fight, Caleb decided. He stood up and tried to get his bearings but realized it didn't really matter. The tower of smoke now filled the horizon in every direction but one. All he could do was head for the sliver of blue sky and hope for the best. [[Continue|ch5_610]]

Better to die a hero... Caleb thought as he stood up and raced after Edward, blowing past him and sprinting up the hill. Maybe he could shut it down and still make it back to the boat before Sasha left. [[Continue|ch5_610]] (set: $backToSatellite to 1)

The grizzly snarled at Caleb. He knew that the best defense against a bear was to play dead. However the classic 'play dead' scenario didn't factor in the possibility of imminent death by a volcano, let alone the off-chance that the bear might be controlled by a demented computer. "Return to the satellite." Wilson threatened as the bear stood up on it's hind legs. [[Throw phone at bear|ch5_510]] [[Run away|ch5_520]] [[Do what Wilson says|ch5_540]]

Caleb chucked the phone and to his surprise the bear leaped after it and swatted at it ferociously. The bear brought his huge paw down and shattered the phone against a rock. Ever so faintly, Caleb felt a sudden clarity in his ears. He hadn't even noticed the high pitch that the phone had been emitting like a dog whistle. But now that it was gone, he was certain that's what had been driving the bear crazy. [[Run away|ch5_560]] [[Back away slowly|ch5_560]]

Caleb turned and ran. He didn't know which way he was going, he just went whichever way seemed to be the fastest escape from the grizzly. The bear tore limbs off trees as it raced after him. Caleb glanced back and instantly wished he hadn't. The bear was mere feet behind him. [[Run faster|ch5_530]] [[Throw phone at bear|ch5_510]]

"OK," Caleb said, "you win." Almost as if on command, the bear dropped back down and stopped snarling. Caleb backed away. "Now go back to the satellite." Wilson ordered. [[Back to satellite|ch5_550]] [[Make a run for it|ch5_520]]

Somewhere deep down, Caleb knew that caution was the best course of action, but he had never been attacked by a grizzly before. He turned and ran for his life. It wasn't until he finally tripped over a tree root and laid breathlessly on the ground for a few moments that he realized the bear wasn't following him. He stood up and tried to get his bearings but realized it didn't really matter. The cloud of ash now filled the sky in every direction but one. All he could do was head for the sliver of blue sky and hope for the best. [[Continue|ch5_610]]

Running faster was easier said than done. The thick underbrush didn't slow the bear down, but it was impossible for Caleb not to be affected by it. The bear tackled him to the ground and he howled in pain as all 1200 pounds of the animal came down on his leg. [[Owww!!!|ch5_535]]

The bear rubbed the remnants of Caleb's phone out of his paws and seemed to calm down. Caleb's leg screamed where the bear had landed on it, but he bit his lip and remained motionless for at least 5 minutes before the bear finally walked off into the trees. [[Continue|ch5_579]]

Caleb tried to crawl away as the bear rubbed the remnants of Caleb's phone out of his paws. Caleb's leg screamed with every movement, but he bit his lip until he was at least a hundred feet away. [[Continue|ch5_579]]

Back at the boat, Sasha rowed a few times to test her makeshift oars. It wasn't pretty, but it would have to do the trick. "You must go now!" Wilson insisted. (if: $savedBoat is 1)[[[Launch boat|ch5_620]]] (else:)[[[Launch boat|ch5_621]]]

Sasha pushed the boat into the water and grabbed the oars. An image of Caleb in the water the night before flashed into her mind. She had already left him once to save her own skin. Could she really live with herself if she did it again? [[Wait for Caleb|ch5_630]] [[Leave the island|ch5_631]]

Sasha pushed the boat into the water so she could be ready the moment Caleb hit the beach. The memory of diving into the water after Caleb the night before flashed into her mind. She had almost died once saving him. How much was she willing to risk? [[Wait for Caleb|ch5_630]] [[Leave the island|ch5_631]]

Sasha floated for a moment. She was scared of dying, but even worse she was terrified of having to carry that guilt around with her for the rest of her life. [[Continue|ch5_640]]

She had no choice, Sasha decided as she rowed away from the island. Besides, Caleb had gotten them both into this mess. As soon as the thought entered her mind she hesitated. Was that really going to be her last memory of him? Blame? [[Continue|ch5_640]]

Sasha's thoughts were cut short by an enormous earthquake that shook the trees and caused the water beneath her to turn to foam. She looked up in horror to see another plume of smoke, only this one was shooting down the mountain. "Dome collapse." Wilson said. "If you stay here you will die." [[Continue|ch5_650]]

Wilson's description of a pyroclastic flow had been frightening and technically accurate, but it failed to capture the awesome scale of what Sasha saw hurtling down the mountain towards her. It was like an avalanche, except rather than burying things in snow, it caused them to burst into flames. A chain reaction of explosions shot debris into the air and it took Sasha a few seconds to realize that what looked like flying twigs were actually hundred-foot pine trees. [[Continue|ch5_660]]

Sasha grabbed the oars and paddled as hard as she could. She knew she couldn't wait any longer. If Caleb was still alive, there was nothing she could do to save him. She would be lucky if she could save herself. (if: $brokenLeg is 1 and $backToSatellite is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_720]]]\ (if: $brokenLeg is 0 and $backToSatellite is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_800]]]\ (if: $backToSatellite is 1 and $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_700]]]\ (if: $backToSatellite is 1 and $satelliteWorks is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_701]]]\ (set: $sashaWait to 0)

A mass of orange and black smoke seemed to swallow the valley, the mouth of which Sasha realized was the beach she was sitting on. "Less than 4 minutes until it reaches us." Wilson informed her. Caleb was no where to be seen, but she felt as if he might run out of the trees at any moment. [[Leave now|ch5_670]] [[Wait 1 minute|ch5_680]] [[Wait 2 minutes|ch5_681]] [[Wait 3 minutes|ch5_682]]

"We'll give him three minutes," Sasha said as she started to count... "one-thousand one, one-thousand two..." Wilson began to protest and she hit the mute switch on her phone. "Hurry up Caleb," she muttered to herself. (if: $brokenLeg is 1 and $backToSatellite is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_720]]]\ (if: $brokenLeg is 0 and $backToSatellite is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_800]]]\ (if: $backToSatellite is 1 and $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_700]]]\ (if: $backToSatellite is 1 and $satelliteWorks is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_701]]]\ (set: $sashaWait to 3)

"We'll give him one minute," Sasha said as she started to count... "one-thousand one, one-thousand two..." Wilson began to protest and she hit the mute switch on her phone. "Hurry up Caleb," she muttered to herself. (if: $brokenLeg is 1 and $backToSatellite is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_720]]]\ (if: $brokenLeg is 0 and $backToSatellite is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_800]]]\ (if: $backToSatellite is 1 and $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_700]]]\ (if: $backToSatellite is 1 and $satelliteWorks is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_701]]]\ (set: $sashaWait to 1)

"We'll give him two minutes," Sasha said as she started to count... "One-thousand one, one thousand two..." Wilson began to protest and she hit the mute switch on her phone. "Hurry up Caleb," she muttered to herself. (if: $brokenLeg is 1 and $backToSatellite is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_720]]]\ (if: $brokenLeg is 0 and $backToSatellite is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_800]]]\ (if: $backToSatellite is 1 and $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_700]]]\ (if: $backToSatellite is 1 and $satelliteWorks is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_701]]]\ (set: $sashaWait to 2)

Caleb paused to catch his breath outside the building where they had met Wilson. He considered going inside and ripping Wilson's plug out of the wall, but the thought was interrupted when the earth beneath Caleb's feet began to shake. The rumbling didn't stop, if anything it became more intense. He broke into a run. The beach was through the trees straight ahead. Just a few hundred yards further... (if: $sashaWait is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_810]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_820]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 2)[[[Continue|ch5_820]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 3)[[[Continue|ch5_820]]]

Caleb ran onto the beach and felt his stomach sink. The boat was gone. "SASHA!" he screamed. "Caleb!" he heard a voice shout back. She was a hundred yards out, just visible over the waves. Sasha turned the boat around as Caleb swam out to her. "Cutting it a little close don't you think?" Sasha said as she hauled him into the boat. [[Continue|ch5_851]] (set: $calebLives to 1)

Caleb ran onto the beach and felt his stomach sink. The boat was gone. "SASHA!" he screamed as he saw the tiny speck of boat disappear over the waves. [[Continue|ch5_840]]

As they rowed away from the trees, Caleb was finally able to see what was coming at them. "Faster!" he yelled as he grabbed a paddle to help Sasha out. The pyroclastic flow loomed over them like a fiery demon the size of a skyscraper. A few flashes of lightning pulsed around the cloud as it hit the water and shot out over the surface, vaporizing everything in it's path. They were too close... [[Jump!|ch5_870]]

Sasha's makeshift oars creaked under the strain as she forced the boat further out to sea. She was already so far out that she never even saw Caleb on the beach, but she could see every detail as the pyroclastic flow loomed over her like a smokey demon the size of a skyscraper. A few flashes of lightning pulsed around the cloud as it hit the water and shot out over the surface, vaporizing everything in it's path. She was too close... [[Jump!|ch5_760]]

Seconds before it hit, Sasha grabbed Caleb and leaped out of the boat. She felt the water around her grew warm and heard a strange gurgling, which she realized was the sound of water boiling at the surface. They stayed down as long as they possibly could, tossing against rocks as waves of pressure slammed into them. (if: $savedBoat is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_880]]] (else:)[[[Continue|ch5_890]]]

They finally came up gasping for air and found only smoke and ash. Sasha bumped against a rock and hauled Caleb onto it, realizing that it was the exact same sea stack that she had anchored the boat to the night before. Now the waves were calm and the boat was gone, but this time... Caleb was with her. As the smoke cleared and the waves carried away the ash, they both collapsed from exhaustion. [[Continue|ch6_005]]

They finally came up gasping for air and found only smoke and ash. Sasha bumped against a rock and hauled Caleb onto it, realizing that it was the exact same sea stack that she and Caleb had spent the night on just hours ago. It was all too familiar; the ledge, the pain, the feeling of exhaustion... As the smoke cleared and the waves carried away the ash, they both collapsed from exhaustion. [[Continue|ch6_005]]

Caleb stumbled into the communication facility, coughing uncontrollably and covered in white ash. The screen showed a file transfer in progress at 97%. Caleb didn't even bother to find the right cable. Pieces of plastic flew everywhere as he ripped all of them out of the switch. "What are you doing?" Wilson's voice asked from the workstation as the transfer froze. 'Upload failed' flashed on the screen. [[Run away|ch5_710]] (set: $satelliteWorks to 0)

Caleb smiled as he turned for the door. He could still make it. He hadn't gone two steps when the whole building began to shake, similar to when the eruption started except this time it didn't stop. It grew more intense as equipment toppled off the shelves and Caleb tried to open the door. Through the window he noticed a faint orange glow growing rapidly brighter. It was the last thing he ever saw. (if: $sashaWait is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_740]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_741]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 2)[[[Continue|ch5_742]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 3)[[[Continue|ch5_743]]]

Caleb stumbled into the communication facility, coughing uncontrollably and covered in white ash. Caleb found the cable and plugged it back into port 17. "There!" he screamed at the air. "You win!" "Thank you Caleb," Wilson's voice said from the workstation in the corner, "but it is too late." [[Run away|ch5_711]]

Caleb turned for the door. He didn't care what that psychopathic computer told him, he could still make it. He hadn't gone two steps when the whole building began to shake, similar to when the eruption started except this time it didn't stop. It became more intense as equipment toppled off the shelves and Caleb tried to open the door. Through the window he noticed a faint orange glow growing rapidly brighter. It was the last thing he ever saw. (if: $sashaWait is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_740]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_741]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 2)[[[Continue|ch5_742]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 3)[[[Continue|ch5_743]]]

Caleb limped into the complex where he had met Wilson, gasping in pain with every step. He thought about going inside the building and ripping Wilson's plug out of the wall, but he didn't want to waste a single step. The beach was through the trees straight ahead. Just a few hundred yards and he'd be home free... [[Hurry up|ch5_730]]

The earth beneath Caleb's feet began to shake, knocking him to the ground. The rumbling didn't stop. If anything it became more intense. He couldn't stand up so he crawled for the trees. The adrenaline was so intense he couldn't even feel his leg anymore, but he did notice that the clearing was bathed in an orange light that quickly grew brighter and brighter. It was the last thing he ever saw. (if: $sashaWait is 0)[[[Continue|ch5_740]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_741]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 2)[[[Continue|ch5_742]]]\ (if: $sashaWait is 3)[[[Continue|ch5_743]]]

Sasha's makeshift oars creaked under the strain as she forced the boat out to sea. She was facing backwards as she rowed, so she saw every detail as the pyroclastic flow loomed over her like a fiery demon the size of a skyscraper. A few flashes of lightning pulsed around the cloud as it hit the water and shot out over the surface, vaporizing everything in it's path. She was too close... [[Jump!|ch5_760]]

Sasha waited exactly 1 minute and 5 seconds before realizing that Caleb wasn't going to make it. Her makeshift oars creaked under the strain as she forced the boat out to sea. She was facing backwards as she rowed, so she saw every detail as the pyroclastic flow loomed over her like a fiery demon the size of a skyscraper. A few flashes of lightning pulsed around the cloud as it hit the water and shot out over the surface, vaporizing everything in it's path. She was too close... [[Jump!|ch5_760]]

Sasha waited exactly 2 minutes and 4 seconds before realizing that Caleb wasn't going to make it. Her makeshift oars creaked under the strain as she forced the boat out to sea. She was facing backwards as she rowed, so she saw every detail as the pyroclastic flow loomed over her like a fiery demon the size of a skyscraper. A few flashes of lightning pulsed around the cloud as it hit the water and shot out over the surface, vaporizing everything in it's path. She was too close... [[Jump!|ch5_760]]

Sasha waited exactly 3 minutes and 1 second before realizing that Caleb wasn't going to make it. Her makeshift oars creaked under the strain as she forced the boat out to sea. She was facing backwards as she rowed, so she saw every detail as the pyroclastic flow loomed over her like a fiery demon the size of a skyscraper. A few flashes of lightning pulsed around the cloud as it hit the water and shot out over the surface, vaporizing everything in it's path. She was too close... [[Jump!|ch5_760]]

Seconds before it hit, Sasha leaped out of the boat and dove as deep as she could. The water around her grew warm and she heard a strange gurgling, which she realized was the sound of the water at the surface boiling. She stayed down as long as she possibly could, tossing against rocks as waves of pressure slammed into her. (if: $savedBoat is 1)[[[Continue|ch5_770]]] (else:)[[[Continue|ch5_780]]]

Sasha finally came up gasping for air and found only smoke and ash. She bumped against a rock and hauled herself onto it, realizing that it was the exact same sea stack that she had anchored the boat to the night before. This time the waves were calm and the boat was gone. Aside from the rock, the only thing that remained the same was the pit in her stomach telling her that Caleb was gone. As the smoke cleared and the waves carried away the ash, she began to weep. [[Continue|ch6_005]]

Sasha finally came up gasping for air and found only smoke and ash. She bumped against a rock and hauled herself onto it, realizing that it was the exact same sea stack that she and Caleb had spent the night on just hours ago. It was all too familiar; the ledge, the pain, the feeling of exhaustion... the only difference was that this time, she was alone. As the smoke cleared and the waves carried away the ash, she began to weep. [[Continue|ch6_005]]

Sasha spent the next few hours on the rock, but the eruption might as well have been a giant signal flare. The waters around the island were soon filled with boats of onlookers snapping pictures, and even a cruise ship that took a detour to see the volcano which was still spewing smoke. The boats all kept a safe distance, but soon an adventurous fisherman finally came close enough for Sasha to flag him down. "Looks like you had a rough day," the man said as he hauled her aboard. "What happened?" [[Tell the whole story|ch6_050]] [[I don't want to talk about it|ch6_053]]

Sasha was still shaking, but she told him everything. Wilson, the volcano, the storm that stranded them, Caleb... she choked up when she mentioned his name. "That's some story," the fisherman said, clearly not believing her. Even she had to admit it sounded crazy. The fisherman handed Sasha his phone. "Looks like your volcano made the front page." (if: $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[Take the phone|ch6_060]]] (else:)[[[Take the phone|ch6_061]]]

Sasha wasn't ready to relive the whole story. It was still too fresh for her to even think about. The fisherman handed Sasha his phone. "Looks like your volcano made the front page." (if: $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[Take the phone|ch6_060]]] (else:)[[[Take the phone|ch6_061]]]

Sasha and Caleb spent the next few hours on the rock, but the eruption might as well have been a giant signal flare. The waters around the island were soon filled with boats of onlookers snapping pictures, and even a cruise ship that took a detour to see the volcano which was still spewing smoke. The boats all kept a safe distance, but soon an adventurous fisherman finally came close enough for Sasha to flag him down. "Looks like you had a rough day," the man said as he hauled them aboard. "What happened?" (if: $meetEdward is 1)[[[Tell the story|ch6_052]]] (else:)[[[Tell the story|ch6_051]]] [[We don't want to talk about it|ch6_054]]

They took turns telling the fisherman everything. Wilson, the volcano, the bear... "That's some story," the fisherman said. It was the first time Sasha had heard the part about the bear and even she had to admit it sounded crazy. The fisherman handed Sasha his phone. "Looks like your volcano made the front page." (if: $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[Take the phone|ch6_060]]] (else:)[[[Take the phone|ch6_061]]]

While they were awaiting rescue they had told each other everything that happened, and decided it sounded too crazy for anyone but them to believe. Besides, neither of them were quite ready to relive the whole story. The fisherman handed Sasha his phone. "Looks like your volcano made the front page." (if: $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[Take the phone|ch6_060]]] (else:)[[[Take the phone|ch6_061]]]

They took turns telling the fisherman everything. Wilson, the volcano, Edward... "That's some story," the fisherman said. It was the first time Sasha had heard the part about Edward and even she had to admit it sounded crazy. The fisherman handed Sasha his phone. "Looks like your volcano made the front page." (if: $satelliteWorks is 1)[[[Take the phone|ch6_060]]] (else:)[[[Take the phone|ch6_061]]]

The front page of the local news site featured the headline "Volcano shuts down air travel across Alaska," but the thing that caught Sasha's eye was a less prominent story: "Cyberattack causes fatalities in DC." The article detailed how the remote shutdown of a traffic system in Washington DC had resulted in the death of two members of the United States Geological Survey, or USGS. Little was known about the attack, but officials were attributing it to a hacker going by the name 'Wilson.' (if: $calebLives is 1)[[[Continue|ch6_100]]]\ (else:)[[[Continue|ch6_090]]]

The front page of the local news site featured the headline "Volcano shuts down air travel across Alaska," but the thing that caught Sasha's eye was the signal bar at the top of the screen. It was connected. Sasha pulled out her own phone and was surprised to find it was still working. She had no idea now long it had been connected, but there were hundreds of text messages in her inbox. [[Call parents|ch6_070]] (if: $calebLives is 1)[[[Throw phone away|ch6_081]]]\ (else:)[[[Throw phone away|ch6_080]]]

Sasha handed the fisherman's phone back. With everything she had just been through she didn't have the mental energy to process this. Meanwhile, her own phone, protected by it's waterproof case finally reconnected to the outside world. Wilson had remained silent in order not to draw attention to himself, but when he scanned a news feed he saw that there was nothing more to do. He was finally free. Wilson switched to low power mode, but left the microphone on so he could listen to the sound of the waves rolling past. [[The end.|ch6_110]]

Sasha handed the fisherman's phone back. With everything they had just been through, neither of them had the mental energy to process this. They were both alive and that was all that mattered right now. Meanwhile, her own phone, protected by it's waterproof case finally reconnected to the outside world. Wilson had remained silent in order not to draw attention to himself, but when he scanned a news feed he saw that there was nothing more to do. He was finally free. Wilson switched to low power mode, but left the microphone on so he could listen to the sound of the waves rolling past. [[The end.|ch6_110]]

The phone rang a few times before Sasha's mom picked up. "Hey honey, how's the cabin?" As Sasha talked to her mom, a server at a data center in Salt Lake City was shuffling gigabytes of data around when it was contacted by a cell phone in Alaska. The server did what it always did, transfered the data and added the entry to its activity log: 'Wilson.exe - transfer successful.' [[The end.|ch6_110]]

Sasha pulled her phone out of it's waterproof case, wound up and threw it as hard as she could into the ocean. "What did you do that for?" the fisherman asked. As Sasha's phone sank, a server at a data center in Salt Lake City was transferring a file from a cell phone in Alaska when the signal cut out. The server added an entry to its activity log: 'Wilson.exe - transfer failed.' [[The end.|ch6_110]]

Caleb grabbed the phone out of her hand, tore it out of it's waterproof case and threw it into the ocean. "I'll buy you a new one," Caleb told her. As Sasha's phone sank, a server at a data center in Salt Lake City was transferring a file from a cell phone in Alaska when the signal cut out. The server added an entry to its activity log: 'Wilson.exe - transfer failed.' [[The end.|ch6_110]]

[[Replay.|ch1_005]]

[[- Chapter 1 -|ch1_010]]

[[Chapter 2|ch2_010]]

(if: $searchedIsland is 0 and $builtFire is 0)[[[Build a fire|ch2_060]]]\ (if: $searchedIsland is 1 and $builtFire is 0)[[[Build a fire|ch2_062]]] (if: $searchedIsland is 0 and $builtFire is 0)[[[Search for help|ch2_075]]]\ (elseif: $searchedIsland is 0)[[[Search for help|ch2_070]]]\ (if: $searchedIsland is 1 and $flip is 0)[[[Explore East|ch2_200]]] (elseif: $searchedIsland is 1)[[[Explore West|ch2_200]]] (if: $inspectedBoat is 0 and $savedBoat is 0 and $motorDamaged is 0)[[[Inspect boat|ch2_080]]]\ (if: $inspectedBoat is 0 and $savedBoat is 0 and $motorDamaged is 1)[[[Inspect boat|ch2_081]]]\ (if: $inspectedBoat is 0 and $savedBoat is 1 and $motorDamaged is 0)[[[Inspect boat|ch2_082]]]\ (if: $inspectedBoat is 0 and $savedBoat is 1 and $motorDamaged is 1)[[[Inspect boat|ch2_083]]]

(if: $builtFire is 1)[(goto: "ch2_180")] (if: $builtFire is 0)[(goto: "ch2_185")]

[[Chapter 3|ch3_010]]

(if: $machineLearning is 0)[[[How do you know when it will happen?|ch3_090]]] (if: $callForHelp is 0 and $anotherWay is 0)[[[Call for help?|ch3_080]]]\ (if: $callForHelp is 0 and $anotherWay is 1)[[[Call for help?|ch3_081]]] (if: $anotherWay is 0 and $callForHelp is 0)[[[Another way off the island?|ch3_070]]]\ (if: $anotherWay is 0 and $callForHelp is 1)[[[Another way off the island?|ch3_071]]] (set: $ignore to 0)\ (if: $callForHelp is 1 and $wavedToCamera is 1 and $knowAboutBoat is 0)[[[How do you know about the boat?|ch3_170]]\ (set: $ignore to 1)]\ (if: $callForHelp is 1 and $wavedToCamera is 0 and $knowAboutBoat is 0)[[[How do you know about the boat?|ch3_171]]\ (set: $ignore to 1)]\ (if: $anotherWay is 1 and $wavedToCamera is 1 and $knowAboutBoat is 0 and $ignore is 0)[[[How do you know about the boat?|ch3_170]]]\ (if: $anotherWay is 1 and $wavedToCamera is 0 and $knowAboutBoat is 0 and $ignore is 0)[[[How do you know about the boat?|ch3_171]]] (if: $anotherWay is 1 or $callForHelp is 1)[[[Let's go|ch3_120]]]

[[Chapter 4|ch4_010]]

(if: $hullInspected is 0 and $fixedHull is 0)[[[Try to fix hull|ch4_130]]] (if: $hullInspected is 1 and $fixedHull is 0)[[[Fix the hull with duct tape|ch4_150]]] (if: $hullInspected is 1 and $fixedHull is 0 and $builtFire is 1)[[[Fix the hull with pine sap|ch4_140]]]\ (if: $hullInspected is 1 and $fixedHull is 0 and $builtFire is 0)[[[Fix the hull with pine sap|ch4_141]]] (if: $motorAttempt is 0 and $motorDamaged is 0)[[[Try to fix the motor|ch4_160]]]\ (if: $motorAttempt is 0 and $motorDamaged is 1)[[[Try to fix the motor|ch4_161]]] (if: $askWilson is 0)[[[Ask Wilson what to do|ch4_110]]]

Sasha held the phone up to show Wilson the damage. "I'm sorry," he said. "Structural analysis is very complex. Even with unlimited processing power it would be impossible to tell you the best course of action based on images alone." (set: $askWilson to 1) [[Then what can you tell me?|ch4_120]] [[Why did I bring you along?|ch4_121]]

"Then what can you do?" Sasha asked. "I still have access to data about the island, particularly seismic and topographical. I can also help you navigate the nearby waterways and coordinate a rescue plan once Caleb fixes the satellite." (display: "ch4_fixBoatOptions")

"I thought you were all-knowing," Sasha joked. "I think you will find me quite useful, but not for this particular task." Wilson replied. "I still have access to data about the island, particularly seismic and topographical. I can also help you navigate the nearby waterways and coordinate a rescue plan once Caleb fixes the satellite." (display: "ch4_fixBoatOptions")

(if: $interruptions <= 1)[\ (set: $interruptions to 2)\ (if: $savedBoat is 1)[(display: "ch4_350")]\ (else:)[(display: "ch4_351")]]\ (else:)[(display: "ch4_510")]

[[Chapter 5|ch5_010]]

(if: $calebLives is 0)[[[Epilogue|ch6_010]]]\ (if: $calebLives is 1)[[[Epilogue|ch6_020]]]

____________________________________ <span style="font-size: 40%">(print: (passage:)'s name)</span>

By the time they got back to the beach, Caleb was stumbling. The whole time Sasha had been keeping an eye out for boats, but if they were on the outside of the passage it's the last place a search party would look. In the state Caleb was in they couldn't wait that long. (display: "beachOptions") (display: "exploreOptions")

"Why don't I go to the satellite?" Sasha asked. "Caleb has hypothermia," Wilson responded. "The trip to the communications facility will be difficult, but physical activity will help increase his core temperature. Fixing the boat will require fine motor skills which are affected by hypothermia." (display: "ch3_options")

Double-click this passage to edit it.

Sasha pulled up her wifi settings and watched as she walked back along the treeline. "15 percent, 12..." she called out. "Walk 50 paces straight in and yell out again," Caleb shouted back. Sasha fought her way through the dense brush "27 percent" she shouted. A brief moment of panic hit when she didn't hear a response. "Caleb?" [[Continue||ch2_195]]

Double-click this passage to edit it.

As soon as Caleb was out of sight of the bear, he turned and raced back up the hill. He was running out of time. Maybe if he gave Wilson what he wanted he could still make it back to the boat before Sasha left. [[Continue|ch5_610]] (set: $backToSatellite to 1)

Double-click this passage to edit it.

"No way," Sasha said. This place gave Sasha the creeps and she had seen too many horror films to let Caleb out of her sight. The idea that someone else was out here only made it worse. [[Follow signal|ch2_190]]

"What's that?" asked Caleb, pointing at one of the pines. Halfway up the trunk a small security camera was attached to what looked like a tiny satellite dish. Even though it was a sign of civilization, something about the sudden feeling of being watched gave Sasha the creeps. (set: $searchedIsland to 1) [[Wave to camera|ch2_100]] (link: "Explore East")[(set: $flip to 1)(goto: "ch2_110")] [[Explore West|ch2_110]]

Caleb's phone flew out of his hand and the bear lunged after it, shattering it with his huge paw. Ever so faintly, Caleb felt a sudden clarity in his ears. He hadn't even noticed the high pitch that the phone had been emitting like a dog whistle. But now that it was gone, he was certain that that's what had been driving the bear crazy. [[Play dead|ch5_570]] [[Crawl away|ch5_571]] (set: $brokenLeg to 1)

Caleb tried to stand and instantly regretted it. His leg was definitely broken. He tried to get his bearings but realized it didn't really matter. The cloud of ash now filled the sky in every direction but one. All he could do was limp towards the sliver of blue sky and hope for the best. [[Continue|ch5_610]]

She pulled the anchor from beneath the seat. It was surprisingly light, perfect for what she had in mind. As the boat drifted past a craggy rock outcropping, she wound up and threw it as hard as she could. [[Continue|ch1_140]]