Firstly, I suppose we should congratulate Falcon for managing to reach his Time Machine without running afoul of robots, cyberpunks, police officers or other distractions.
The book then makes sure to make me properly intimidated by reminding me of Yelov’s curriculum vitae, mentioning that :
- Yelov was a test pilot in the earliest days of time travel;
- His Siriun background gives him advantages over humans in the areas of unarmed combat and reflexes.
- His skill in the ‘simulated combat’ holo-battles is legendary.
Except for the ‘decent fellow’ bit, I can say that….
Actually, scratch the ‘hate to kill you’ part as well.
You know how a movie will actually draw your attention to a problem with the plot? Falcon actually ruminates on the ‘folly’ on imprisoning Yelov within the metaphorical ‘stone’s throw’ of his Time Machine, rather than literally ANYWHERE else on the planet.
[Aside : As I draft this post, I’m watching the final Death Star attack in Star Wars with my children and it still totally holds up as a masterpiece of film-craft]
[2nd aside : The Millenium Falcon swooping out of the sun’s light to save the day is one of the five best shots in the history of cinema, and I will NOT argue about this…]
Once I settle comfortably in my crash-couch I do not, unfortunately, have the opportunity to watch the entire series of Forever Knight, but must, rather, choose from the options given to me : asking for details of Cybertron (*ahem*) I mean Mechanon, the particulars of Yelov’s escape, or to contact Jobanque and ask whether other agents have been also sent on this mission.
I don’t see how whining to Jobanque will help, but any details on Yelov’s escape may give me a clue as to his next move, so I ask about that.
I won’t load a picture of the summary, I am told that Yelov’s Psionic Damper malfunctioned, meaning he controlled a security guard with his Power of Will. That guard killed three others before allowing Yelov to escape.
I then get the delightful tidbit that Yelov left a message stating that he would ensure my death would be a ‘painful’ one.
Before listening to a message that CAIN has just received, I quickly check for background information on Mechanon. CAIN confirms that :
- The Danikoi, the first known space travellers, colonized Mechanon.
- A group of Danikoi, knowing (for some reason) that their race was doomed, decided to allow a multitude of other planets and civilizations to use their advanced technolo……..HAHAHAHAHAHA. No, they rather built a factory planet to show off the glory of Danikoi advancement.
- However, in a development worthy of most science-fiction of the 50s and 60s, the robots took their brief, which was originally to ensure the continuity of Danikoi technology, to be interpreted as a command to eradicate any potential threats to the planet – ie. everyone.
- Luckily (for most of us) a nuclear disaster in 2291 rendered the planet a pile of useless metal scrag.
So – a combination of the Terminator franchise and Chernobyl.
In case you doubted that this book was written in the mid-80s.
Quickly returning from my bout of cultural nostalgia, CAIN’s message is a list of recent travels through time.
CAIN confirms that all other Time Machines are accounted for, and that I may safely assume that the ‘Unknown’ traveller is Yelov.
Briefly, CAIN also mentions that :
- The planet Thrix is the primary source of Polybdenum, the mineral which allows time travel.
- Crecy is the location of a crucial battle during Earth’s middle ages.
I didn’t really need CAIN’s advice regarding the second part, due to both the classic ‘Time Machine’ book from the 80s….
along with Warren Ellis’ classic graphic novel.
[Aside : I highly recommend both of these]
I need to decide whether to travel to Thrix, Mechanon or Crecy.
I really don’t know immediately what to do, so I seize the opportunity to ask CAIN for more information. My choices for further enquiry are :
- Did Yelov’s Time Machins carry a full load of Polybdenum?
- Does (or did) Mechanon have reserves of Polybdenum?
- What could be done at Crecy to change Earth’s history?
- Could anything be done at Crecy to affect me / Falcon?
I have no idea at this stage as to whether I’ll get the chance to ask more than one question.
Since the immediate priority HAS to be preserving Earth’s timeline, I ask whether Crecy is a place where Earth’s history could be fundamentally changed. CAIN says that a French victory ‘might’ have brought the Hundred Years’ War to a premature end but the effect on Earth’s timeline cannot be calculated. I don’t know whether this is because of the massive size of potential changes, or the small size of same.
Interestingly my choices have now narrowed, as I must choose between setting off for Crecy immediately or asking about potential effects on me of disruptions at Crecy. Since I never turn down further information, I ask about how meddling at Crecy could possibly affect me.
CAIN advises that the earliest of my known ancestors, Sir Thomas Chandos (who has a falcon as part of his crest (!!) ) was one of the combatants at Crecy and that, if he is killed, my existence will be cancelled.
I guess Falcon doesn’t need any more hints about Yelov’s plans for vengeance, and without even being presented with further options I instruct CAIN to set co-ordinates for Crecy in Earth’s past….
And we shall find out the results in my next post!
Endurance : 20, Evasion – +1, Thinkstrike – +1, All other modifiers – 0
Equipment (extra) – Keladi pills
Current paragraph – 313
Pop culture!
The 1999 Academy Awards (as relating to the films of 1998) were to some people contentious. People couldn’t grasp the idea that the Best Director and Best Picture could go to different movies.
In my not so humble opinion, Saving Private Ryan was better Directed than Shakespeare in Love. However, Shakespeare in Love had better acting, better costumes, better art direction and (far, far) better screenwriting. Therefore, overall, it was a better film.
If you haven’t watched it, do so. And then watch it again so you can pick up all the allusions to modern Hollywood (‘we must work together again some time’, ‘this is the business of show’, ‘the show must….’ “go on!”)
Falcon Gamebooks - Playthrough 