Clouds move across the sky.
One looks like a
[[SEAGULL]]
[[OCTOPUS]]
The tentacles appear to move
||==
LANDSCAPE
EPOCH
SUN
SOUND
TEMPERATURE
=|||=
(color: #909090) [Golden
Anthropocene
Setting
Distant Traffic
23 °C]
|==|
[[READ]]The seagull seems to disintegrate
||==
LANDSCAPE
EPOCH
SUN
SOUND
TEMPERATURE
=|||=
(color: #909090) [Golden
Anthropocene
Setting
Distant Traffic
23 °C]
|==|
[[READ]]You dream about
[[TRAVEL BY PLANE]]
[[TRAVEL BY BUS]](color: #909090) [Matsuo Bashō: Collected Works]
the cry of the cicada
gives us no sign
that presently it will die
[[ENTER INN]]
[[FOLLOW CICADA]]
(color: #909090) [Matsuo Bashō: Collected Works]
i come weary,
in search of an inn—
ah! these wisteria flowers!
[[TURN PAGE]]You are in the living room of a plane. There is an announcement about needing to land to refuel.
Everyone waits outside the plane in the blizzard
[[YOU HAVE ANOTHER DREAM->bus2]]
[[YOU WAKE UP->Plane Wake Up]]The cicada leads you to an inn hidden inside a tree trunk.
[[FOLLOW IT INSIDE]]You can't find the bus stop. You follow a group of people who seem to know where to go.
You're on a bus, moving through a city made of other cities.
[[HAVE ANOTHER DREAM->plane2]]
[[YOU WAKE UP]]You want to sleep more but you have insomnia.
||==
TIME
LANDSCAPE WALLS
MOOD DESTINATION ETA
=|||=
(color: #909090) [1:32 AM
Carpet
Glass
Uncertain
Vending Machine
2 Min]
|==|
[[LEAVE ROOM]]Still half-dreaming, you open the door and enter the hallway.
The rhythm of walking puts you into a trance...
[[STARE OUT THE WINDOWS]]
[[LOOK DOWN INTO THE ATRIUM]]
You want to sleep more but you have insomnia.
||==
TIME
LANDSCAPE WALLS
MOOD DESTINATION ETA
=|||=
(color: #909090) [1:32 AM
Carpet
Glass
Impatient
Vending Machine
2 Min]
|==|
[[LEAVE ROOM]]
(align: "=><=")[[THE CONFERENCE->Start]]
The lobby is dark and cavernous.
You check in at the front desk.
The atrium is full of people attending a conference.
[[TALK TO ONE OF THEM]]Your room has a view that looks out on the city. The sound of traffic comes in through the window.
This makes it easier to
[[SLEEP]]"Hello. Are you here for a conference?"
(color: #909090) ["This is a performance of a conference. Each panel and presentation lasts one hour and is totally silent."]
[["How long does this last?"]]
[["Can I join you?"]](color: #909090) ["One week. We are all volunteers."]
"Why did you join?"
(color: #909090) ["The artist is paying for all the rooms and food and I like to travel."]
[["Can I join you?"->JoinCic]]
(color: #909090) ["I'm sorry no. I was on a waiting list for a year."]
"Your nametag is blank"
(color: #909090) ["They all are."]
[["How long does this last?"->How LongCic]]
(color: #909090) ["One week. We are all volunteers."]
"Why did you join?"
(color: #909090) ["The artist is paying for all the rooms and food and I like to travel."]
[[GO TO YOUR ROOM]]
(color: #909090) ["I'm sorry no. I was on a waiting list for a year."]
"Your nametag is blank"
(color: #909090) ["They all are."]
[[GO TO YOUR ROOM]]The space is dark and cavernous.
You check in at the front desk.
The atrium is full of cicadas attending a conference.
[[TALK TO ONE OF THEM]](color: #404040)[<html>From this height you can see the city lights stretch all the way to the horizon. Fr-m this height you can s-e the city lig-ts str-tch all the wa- to the h-ri--n.From th-- he-ght you c-n see the c--y lig--- st-e-ch all t-e w-- to the horiz -. ---- t--s he---- y-- --n see t-e -i-y li-hts - --- - a-- the - - -o --e -o-i-o-.-- - - --  --[[-]]   - - -[[-]]- - - - - -[[-]]   --  -- - -- -[[-]] - -   - - -  - -     -  -</html>](color: #404040)[<html>-- - - --  --[[-->wake]]   - - -[[-->wake]]- - - - - -[[-->wake]]   --  -- - -- -[[-->wake]] - -   - - -  - -   [[-->wake]]  -  --- - - --  --[[-->wake]]   - - -[[-->wake]]- - - - - -[[-->wake]]   --  -- - -- -[[-->wake]] - -   - - -  - -   [[-->wake]]  -  --- - - --  --[[-->wake]]   - - -[[-->wake]]- - - - - -[[-->wake]]   --  -- - -- -[[-->wake]]-- - - --  --[[-->wake]]   - - -[[-->wake]]- - - - - -[[-->wake]]   --  -- - -- -[[-->wake]] - -   - - -  - -   [[-->wake]]  -  --- - - --  --[[-->wake]]   - - -[[-->wake]]- - - - - -[[-->wake]]   --  -- - -- -[[-->wake]] - -   - - -  - -   [[-->wake]]  -  --- - - --  --[[-->wake]]   - - -[[-->wake]]- - - - - -[[-->wake]]  </html>]Palm trees and ferns rise up out of the lobby towards the glass ceiling.
Members of The Conference pretend to have conversations silently in the dark. You find music to listen to on your phone.
[[PLAY SOMETHING AMBIENT->KEEP WALKING]]
[[PLAY SOMETHING WITH BEATS->KEEP WALKING]]You are still sleepy and can't remember why you left your room. You decide to:
[[STARE OUT THE WINDOWS->windows2]] You are still sleepy and can't remember why you left your room. You decide to:
[[LOOK DOWN INTO THE ATRIUM->Atrium2]]
You see a sign on the wall indicating the vending machines are to the left down a long hallway.
You change your music to:
[[FIELD RECORDING OF THE OCEAN]]
[[FIELD RECORDING OF THE FOREST]]
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<div id="controls">[[<<->Presentation]] [[>>->slide1]]
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<div id="slides">OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
</div>
<div id="controls">[[<<->slide0]] [[>>->slide2]]
</div>
<div id="slides">
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<div id="controls">[[<<->slide1]] [[>>->slide3]]
</div>
<div id="slides">.......................
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</div>
<div id="controls">[[<<->slide2]] [[>>->slide4]]
</div>
<div id="slides">;',.',;.',;.',;.;,';.,'
','.;,'.;,.;'.;.',;.',;
;,'.;,.;'.;,.;;'.,;.','
;.';.';,.;'.;,.;;'.'.,,
.,;;'..,.;'.;,.;'.;,,''
.;,';.,;''.;,'.;;,'.;,'
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;,'...';.,;.';..,';.;'.
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</div>
<div id="controls">[[<<->slide3]] [[>>->slide5]]
</div>
<div id="slides">-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
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</div>
<div id="controls">[[<<->slide4]] [[>>->slide6]]
</div>
Crashing waves fill the hallway. The sound of seagulls seems to emanate from the rooms lining the walls.
You [[walk towards]] the fluorescent glow in the distance.Wind through the trees and birds fills the hallway. The rhythmic chirping of insects seems to emanate from the rooms lining the walls.
You [[walk towards]] the fluorescent glow in the distance.The humming of the vending machines grows louder. The sound of the birds becomes overwhelming.
It is as if they are swarming the machines, trying to get to the food. Waiting for you.
[[BUY CHIPS->Buy]]
[[BUY CRACKERS->Buy]]You throw some of the food onto the floor and quickly [[leave]] the room. You find yourself back near the mezzanine overlooking the lobby atrium.
On a higher floor, you can see what looks like a bar.
[[ENTER ELEVATOR]]<div id="elevator">(align: "=><=")[The doors softly close behind you.
|==
1
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</div>You arrive at the bar. A small sign reads: "Drinks free for The Conference participants".
You order a drink:
|=
[[ABSINTHE->drink]]
[[BEER->drink]]
[[CIDER->drink]]
[[GIN->drink]]
[[RUM->drink]]
=|=====
[[SAKE->drink]]
[[VODKA->drink]]
[[WHISKEY->drink]]
[[WINE->drink]]
[[WATER->drink]]You look around the bar. Few people are awake. Tables with small lamps are reflected in the large glass windows.
Suddenly you see The Conference performer you spoke with earlier. They are sitting alone.
"Hello, may I join you?"
(color: #909090)["Sure. Please [[sit]]."]"Has the performance ended for today?"
(color: #909090)["Oh, no. It is constant."]
"It runs all night?"
(color: #909090)["Yes. Actually, are you still interested in joining?"]
[[Yes]]
[["That depends on my role..."->Yes]](color: #909090)["Well. One of the other performers is sick. They were assisting with a Presentation."]
"What kind of presentation?"
(color: #909090)["You don't need to understand anything. You'd just change the slides on the projector."]
[[AGREE WITH ENTHUSIASM->AGREE]]
[[AGREE WITH ANXIETY->AGREE]]The doors open revealing a comletely obstructed hallway full of large potted ferns just like the ones in the lobby.
Did they just receive an order and are still placing them around the hotel?
You can't leave, and [[wait for the doors to close->ENTER ELEVATOR]]."What time tomorrow?"
(color: #909090)["It's very soon actually. The Conference is nocturnal. We sleep during the day. I can take you to the presentation room after we finish here?"]
"Ok."
You silently finish your drinks and [[get up to leave]].You are led through the darkened hotel to a large room filled with rows of chairs. At one end is a large projection screen and podium.
In every chair a member of The Conference is sitting and waiting.
(color: #909090)["Here [[take this]]."]
You are handed a small remote-like device with only two buttons.
Suddenly a final person walks into the room and behind the podium. The lights dim, and the projector turns on.
After a minute of silence, they look at you and give a small nod. [[You begin to slowly advance the slides.->Presentation]]
<div id="slides">░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
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</div>
<div id="controls">[[<<->slide5]] [[>>->slide7]]
</div>
<div id="slides">———————┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┼┼———————
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</div>
<div id="controls">[[<<->slide6]] [[>>->slide8]]
</div>
<div id="slides">≡≡≡≡≡≡≡═════════≡≡≡≡≡≡≡
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<div id="controls">[[<<->slide7]] [[>>->slide9]]
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<div id="controls">[[<<->slide8]] [[>>->thankyou]]
</div>
<div id="slides">
THANK YOU
</div>
<div id="controls">[[<<->slide9]] [[--->done]]
</div>
<div id="slides">
PRESENTATION 019
</div>
<div id="controls">[[--->Presentation]] [[>>->slide0]]
</div>
After a minute of waiting in the dark, the lights come back on, and everyone quietly files out of the room.
You approach the performer from the bar and begin to say...
[["Well, that w-"->leftalone]]
[["So what was the p-"->leftalone]]...but they make a gesture meaning "No talking please".
Everyone at the presentation walks away as a group and disappears around a corner.
You are left alone in the hallway.
[[RETURN TO THE ELEVATOR]]<div id="elevator">(align: "=><=")[The doors softly close behind you.
|==
[[1->thelobby]]
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]
</div>You exit the elevator.
||==
TIME
LANDSCAPE
INDOORS
OUTDOORS
DESTINATION
=|||=
(color: #909090) [2:53 AM
Forest
Lamps + Shadows
Heavy Rain
None]
|==|
[[WALK INTO ATRIUM]]Large palm trees rise into the upper floors. Small tables with lamps and chairs are scattered like islands of light.
The space is dark, but a lit walkway guides you to the center of the simulated nature.
[[SIT UNDER THE FERNS->SIT]]
[[SIT NEAR THE FOUNTAIN->SIT]]Looking up through the canopy you can see stars through the glass roof.
The pulsing lights of a plane slowly make their way across the opening.
You think you recognize the constellation
[[ORION->constellation]]
[[ANDROMEDA->constellation]]It is nearly 3:00 AM.
Your eylids feel heavy, and you drift off to sleep in your chair.
You dream about
[[THE MOON]]
[[THE BLACK HOLE ERA]]You are standing on the lunar surface.
From a distance you see seagulls gliding in a circle around the rim of a giant crater.
[[WALK TO THE CRATER]]It is 10+ duodecillion years in the future.
The universe consists mostly of black holes.
Your home is a modified artificial black hole.
[[YOU WAKE UP->bhwake]]You sit up in bed and yawn. The room is made of dark matter.
You appear to be floating in a void. Nothing here emits light.
It is too quiet.
[[LISTEN TO MUSIC->WAKE3]]
You play a recording of a busy cafe made inside a simulation.
You recognize the sound of someone calling out in the background.
[[HAVE ANOTHER DREAM->moon2]]
[[WAKE UP->wake4]]
You open your eyes to find the atrium full of other members of The Conference.
One of them is seated across from you, dimly lit by the small table lamp.
They point to a piece of paper on the table in front of you.
[[PICK IT UP]]After 10 minutes you arrive at the crater.
The interior is full of eggs.
[[WALK INSIDE THE CRATER]]The seagulls notice your approach and circle the rim faster, creating a wall.
They are protecting the eggs.
[[HAVE ANOTHER DREAM->blackhole2]]
[[WAKE UP->wake4]]INSTRUCTIONS
1. MEET IN THE ATRIUM AT 4:15 AM
2. FIND A CONVERSATION PARTNER
3. PRETEND TO TALK ABOUT PRESENTATION 032 WHILE SHARING AN EMPTY DRINK
4. ATTEND PRESENTATION 033
[[PUT DOWN]]The participant begins making a series of strange gestures, presumeably related to Presentation 032.
While doing this they pretend to speak without sound.
[[MAKE EYE CONTACT & NOD POLITELY->REACT]]
[[MAKE EYE CONTACT & LOOK PUZZLED->REACT]]During their pantomime, they occasionally pretend to take a drink from their empty glass.
It's hard to see their face in the low light, but the hands are almost glowing, tracing orbits in the air as if to explain something.
[[SIT AND WAIT]](color: #909090) [Matsuo Bashō: Collected Works]
octopus traps——
fleeting dreams under
summer's moon
[[TURN PAGE->HAIKU2]]Eventually they finish, stand up, and leave the atrium.
The sound of the fountain is peaceful.
You enjoy the new solitude.
[[READ->HAIKU]]<div id="theend">
[[THE END->CREDITS]]
</div>
(color: #909090) [Matsuo Bashō: Collected Works]
cold in the water
unable to sleep—
a seagull
[[SLEEP->theend]]<div id="theend">
[[BY CARL BURTON->RESTART]]
</div>
<div id="theend">
[[RESTART->Description]]
</div>
You are in the living room of the plane. There is an announcement about needing to land to refuel.
Everyone waits outside the plane in the blizzard
[[YOU WAKE UP->YOU WAKE UP]]You can't find the bus stop. You follow a group of people who seem to know where to go.
You're on a bus, moving through a city made of other cities.
[[YOU WAKE UP]](color: #3c3c3c)[<html>From this height you can see the city lights stretch all the way to the horizon. Fr-m this height you can s-e the city lig-ts str-tch all the wa- to the h-ri--n.From th-- he-ght you c-n see the c--y lig--- st-e-ch all t-e w-- to the horiz -. ---- t--s he---- y-- --n see t-e -i-y li-hts - --- - a-- the - - -o --e -o-i-o-.-- - - --  --[[-->-2]]   - - -[[-->-2]]- - - - - -[[-->-2]]   --  -- - -- -[[-->-2]] - -   - - -  - -     -  -</html>](color: #3c3c3c)[<html>-- - - --  --[[-->VEND]]   - - -[[-->VEND]]- - - - - -[[-->VEND]]   --  -- - -- -[[-->VEND]] - -   - - -  - -   [[-->VEND]]  -  --- - - --  --[[-->VEND]]   - - -[[-->VEND]]- - - - - -[[-->VEND]]   --  -- - -- -[[-->VEND]] - -   - - -  - -   [[-->VEND]]  -  --- - - --  --[[-->VEND]]   - - -[[-->VEND]]- - - - - -[[-->VEND]]   --  -- - -- -[[-->VEND]]-- - - --  --[[-->VEND]]   - - -[[-->VEND]]- - - - - -[[-->VEND]]   --  -- - -- -[[-->VEND]] - -   - - -  - -   [[-->VEND]]  -  --- - - --  --[[-->VEND]]   - - -[[-->VEND]]- - - - - -[[-->VEND]]   --  -- - -- -[[-->VEND]] - -   - - -  - -   [[-->VEND]]  -  --- - - --  --[[-->VEND]]   - - -[[-->VEND]]- - - - - -[[-->VEND]]  </html>]Palm trees and ferns rise up out of the lobby towards the glass ceiling.
Members of The Conference pretend to have conversations silently in the dark. You find music to listen to on your phone.
[[PLAY SOMETHING AMBIENT->VEND]]
[[PLAY SOMETHING WITH BEATS->VEND]]You are standing on the lunar surface.
From a distance you see seagulls gliding in a circle around the rim of a giant crater.
[[WALK TO THE CRATER->walkcrater2]]After 10 minutes you arrive at the crater.
The interior is full of eggs.
[[WALK INSIDE THE CRATER->insidecrater2]]The seagulls notice your approach and circle the rim faster, creating a wall.
They are protecting the eggs.
[[WAKE UP->wake4]]
It is 10+ duodecillion years in the future.
The universe consists mostly of black holes.
Your home is a modified artificial black hole.
[[YOU WAKE UP->bhwake2]]You sit up in an invisible bed and yawn. The room is made of dark matter.
You appear to be floating in a void. Neither your home or the black holes emit light.
It is too quiet.
[[LISTEN TO MUSIC->wake5]]You play a recording of a busy cafe made inside a simulation.
You recognize the sound of someone calling out in the background.
[[WAKE UP->wake4]]
THE CONFERENCE
A performance in a hotel at night
||==
STYLE
PLATFORM
DURATION
BY
=|||=
(color: #909090) [Text
Browser
5-10 min
Carl Burton]
|==|
[[CLICK TO PLAY->Title]]
A performance in a hotel at night
||==
STYLE
PLATFORM
DURATION
BY
=|||=
(color: #909090) [Text
Browser
5-10 min
Carl Burton]
|==|
[[carlburton.itch.io/theconference]]
Double-click this passage to edit it.<div id="splash"><img src = "images/scrollComp.png"></div>
<div id="clicktoplay">[[CLICK TO PLAY->DescriptionX]]</div>
Double-click this passage to edit it.[[KEEP WALKING]]