HS201 Final

You are an RA in Emerson College’s Little Building. And you (text-style: "shudder")[HATE RATS.] Every day you get another call about rat sightings and you now have to set up counseling sessions for traumatized freshmen. Why do rats even exist, anyway? They serve no evolutionary purpose as far as you're concerned. They're just pests, the lot of them. In your mental tier-list of most helpful to least helpful Order in existence, they're ranked just above mosquitoes. It's literally called Rodentia. Like. That's not even a cool original name for an Order. Screw rats. As far as you care, humans are the most important species out there. Rats can't even build a bridge, much less be as smart as a human. Anyway, as you are looking into research about if bringing in therapy guinea pigs would be a good idea for treating rat-based trauma, you begin to feel your eyelids droop. It’s been a long, rodent-filled day. You begin to [[DOZE OFF…]]

You wake up feeling… weird. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter and started to see the sun rise and it feels like the veil between worlds is dangerously thin? That’s what you feel like. Do you go to your dresser to try and [[LOOK AT YOURSELF]] or do you try to [[GO BACK TO SLEEP]]?

You go to swing open your dresser to check in the mirror. Except your bed feels longer than usual, and when you look down, the drop is enormous. Beginning to panic, you look at your hands and your hands are not your hands anymore, but pink, scratchy claws. Oh my god. You reach for your face and feel fur, and let out a high-pitched squeak. You are a rat. The Long-Evans rat, Rattus norvegicus domestica, in fact. But that's not the problem right now. The problem is you are a rat. This is absolutely horrid, you squeak to yourself. Before you panic yourself silly, however, you [[HEAR MUSIC]].

You can't. You [[HEAR MUSIC]] that's way too loud for any of the freshmen on your floor to be playing at 2AM. It's quiet hours, dangnabbit. May as well go tell them to stop. You almost miss the fact that you have rat paws as you begin to stretch and make your way to the edge of your bed. And that your whiskers begin to twitch in your confusion. And that when you turn around in fear, you see a long rat tail following you. You are now a rat. You let out a frustrated squeak. Great. Now you also need rat therapy as well.

You start to crawl toward the sound. Why do you crawl, you ask? It’s because you are a rat and you hate this. There’s a hole in front of you that has light filtering out of it. [[GO OUT]].

From the tight passageway you enter a large, open space filled with music and chatter. The marble walls stretch on for eons, and the glass ceiling above you seems to have no limit. Beneath it are hundreds of rats bustling between rat-sized booths with little rat-sized signs. You can even make out a rat-sized stage from where you are. Above the crowd, a large banner reads: WELCOME TO RATCON 2019. You begin to think about whether this event is either independently funded by the rats or if Lee Pelton knows about RatCon and built the space for the rats. Either way, it'd explain the recent increase of rat sightings and tuition costs. Before you begin to head off, however, you feel the weight of something on your left side. It seems to be your [[RATSACK]]. Affixed onto it is a [[GOLDEN SCROLL]]. Wait. Your what?

When you touch the scroll, it flies up and hovers in front of you. It's a brilliant scroll, shining like the sun, and it gracefully unfurls itself to display a beautiful script written in pure silver. “$name, You hate rats even more than you hate being an RA on-call in LB, and now you have transformed into what you despise most. In order to return to your true form, you must first explore the glorious world of rats and their relationships with other species. Only then will you understand the rat's importance in evolution and achieve true humility. But beware, $name, for if the others find out you are not a rat, the consequences will be dire. Welcome to RatCon.” Almost before you’ve finished reading it, the scroll wraps itself back up, slapping you in the face as it does so, and disappears in a puff of [[GOLD SMOKE]].

Before we start this adventure, could I [[HAVE YOUR NAME?]]

(set: $name to (prompt: "What is your name?", "")) $name? Cool name, gamer. Now we're ready to get cooking. [[START]]

You worriedly look around to see if anyone else noticed that large puff of smoke, but besides the weird glances you get for the loud squeak you made when you got hit, no one else seems to notice the gold smoke dissipating in front of you. Well, now that mess is out of the way, why don't you go [[EXPLORE]] for a bit?

You dive deeper into the depths of RatCon. The crowd is pushing you forward as you join it, and you only can catch bits and pieces of booths that interest you: the scent of sweet nectar, a booth that has an image of a weird bug on it, and a group of rats near the stage, clamouring on about humans or something while holding handmade (pawmade?) signs. You duck into a nearby rest spot to take a moment and think, swiping a wrinkly ol' map from a sticky table. What are you interested in visiting? [[SWEET NECTAR ACRES]] [[SUFFIELD WILDLIFE CHARITY FUND]] [[RODENT'S RIGHTS ORGANIZATION]]

Ah, yeah. Your little rat throat is getting parched. May as well go get something to drink. You scurry on over to the food court and catch whiff of the sweet scent you smelled earlier. Following it leads you to this very rustic and charming booth. A friendly rat in a cowboy hat greets you. This rat’s name tag says ‘Greenwood.’ “Want to try some fresh nectar? It’s harvested from the Bornean pitcher plant, Nepenthes rajah, fertilized by the excrement of some of our very own mountain tree shrews and summit rats!” "What?" You [[RESPOND]].

You decide to head towards the Suffield Wildlife Charity Fund booth. The booth itself is sort of rickety and looks very much handmade. Plastered around the booth's front are a lot of rather disturbing pictures of emaciated rats with weird worms sticking out of them. Standing on her hind legs is a kangaroo rat, wearing a green apron and a nametag that says "Gummer." She greets you with a tone that’s far too excited for a booth like this. “Hi! Would you like to donate to botfly prevention for the less fortunate?” You [[STARE]] the rat with a blank expression. “What?”

You decide to move towards the raucous crowd you saw earlier. Dodging other rats scampering around, you make your way to the rodents that are holding signs in their front paws and teeth. As you near them, one of the rats picks up on your presence and scurries on over. "Hello, fellow rodent!" he says, his nose way too close to your mouth for your liking. You get the feeling that this behavior is a rat greeting and you do not like it. He pulls back a bit, sensing your unease. "Are you here to join the [[ANTI-HUMAN PROTEST]]?" The what now?

As you make your way towards the art booth, the wise words of Norman Lear flow through your mind. (text-style: "smear")+ (text-colour: "#ffffff") [$name, there is no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism. Turn back now, before the bourgeoisie take your hard-earned dollars for their own profit at the expense of the proletariat.] Wow! Thanks Mr. Lear! Or Marx. You're not quite sure at this point. You decide to make your way back to the [[BREAK ZONE]].

“Don’t you know?” Gummer says with a concerning look of politeness plastered on her face. “Recently, there's been an epidemic at the Suffield National Wildlife Area in Canada. These things," she says as she points at a particularly gross image of a worm wriggling its way out of a hole in the rat, "have never before been documented by scientists as parasites on these Ord's Kangaroo rats, and it seems to be a recent adaptation." You nod politely in response as she continues. "Botflies lay their larvae under the skin of various mammals, and their larvae cause damage to the host's skin or internal system as they feed on the host. What's especially devastating is the fact that my cousins in Canada are already part of an endangered species, so I'm trying to get conservation efforts going! Are you willing to [[DONATE]] to the fund?"

Reflecting back on what Gummer had said, you feel genuinely bad on what kangaroo rats in Canada have to go through. Their species are critically endangered in Canada, and they are very cute-looking. But is it right to stop evolution in the process? Are we only trying to save kangaroo rats because they look cute? Is it even worth it to play God and save these mice, you wonder. Then you realize that you don't have the time to engage in this ethical dilemma, because you are but a simple rat at RatCon. You have also unlocked the concept of [[PARASITISM]]. Awkwardly, you fish around in your RatPack for something that could constitute as money for rats. You drop what seems to resemble a coin into her hands, give a sheepish smile as she beams back at you, and scatter off back to the [[BREAK ZONE]] you were at earlier.

You look inside the RatSack first, ignoring the bright scroll. Inside, you have the following: INVENTORY ratPhone (click: "ratPhone")[- somehow, this is an actual working smartphone. Huh.] Round bits of metal (click: "Round bits of metal")[- this seems like rat currency...] RATCON Pass (click: "RATCON Pass")[- it says "RATCON 2k19, sponsored by GEICO." what?] (link-undo: "The Golden Scroll beckons you.")

Alright. Where to next? [[SWEET NECTAR ACRES]] [[SUFFIELD WILDLIFE CHARITY FUND]] [[RODENT'S RIGHTS ORGANIZATION]] [[I'M DONE LOOKING AROUND]]

You have seen all that you need to see of Ratcon, but you still don’t know how to turn back into a human. You wander aimlessly and listlessly for a while, before you come upon a plain door. There’s a piece of paper taped on to the wood. It reads: (font: "Comic Sans MS") [Final Level.] Well, there's nowhere to go but [[IN.]]

Parasitic relationships benefit one organism while harming the other. The botfly's larvae get such a good deal out of using the Ord's kangaroo rat body, but the rat is harmed by the worms living inside of them. Your ratPhone beeps as it logs this definition down. Huh, cool function. (link-undo: "Close the App.")

Greenwood looks sheepish. "Aw man, I've been asked this question multiple times today... Do you all in the States not know what pitcher nectar is?" You shake your head. "Alright then," he says. "The pitcher plant is a carnivorous plant that eats small creatures like us," he begins. "Now I can tell by the look on your face that this seems concerning! But don't worry. Those that ate us died off. Although these plants were probably preadapted to attract small rodents like us, we share a mutualistic relationship! It turns out that rat guano really helps a plant grow big and strong, so all the ones that used our waste as a food source were able to withstand the strong selection pressures that killed off the ones that just ate our kind." he chuckles. "That's why these types of pitcher plants have grown to have a special lid to collect our feces. It's like a human toilet. They've learned to rely on us over the years the same way we rely on them!" ...You're not sure if you want to drink the nectar at this point. "Well," says Greenwood, handing you a small acorn cup. "[[TRY IT]]!" Or you [[COULD NOT]].

Greenwood looks at you expectantly. You give him a rat-smile and down the cup like a shot to avoid the aftertaste but it tastes... surprisingly good? Huh. You give him a smile and give him some rat coins for the drink. Your ratPhone beeps. You pull it out and open the notification. The word [[MUTUALISM]] flashes across the screen. That's neat. You scatter off back to the [[BREAK ZONE]] you were at earlier.

Greenwood looks at you expectantly. You give an awkward no, then scurry on off, to anxious to go back. Your ratPhone beeps. You pull it out and open the notification. The word [[MUTUALISM]] flashes across the screen. That's neat. You make it back to the [[BREAK ZONE]] you were at earlier.

In a mutualistic relationship, both species benefit from the relationship. The pitcher plant is fertilized by rat poop, and the rats drink the nectar from the thriving plant. This relationship most likely developed after the pitcher plant had a nectar pre-adaption which attracted prey. Your ratPhone beeps as it logs this definition down. Nice work. (link-undo: "Close the App.")

(enchant: ?link, (text-colour: "#cfd2b2"))

"Yes," the rat elaborates. "We are tired of the way us rats under the species Rattus rattus have been treated by humans." The rat then begins to launch into a whole spiel about how rats are tired of their commenalistic relationship with humans, how humans have blamed them for disease and destruction when they are merely the messengers of ill-fate, that science shows human and rats can co-exist without any detriment to humans and with extreme benefits to rats. (text-style: "blurrier") ["And yet, the lengths humans go to eradicate our kind has been too much for us to bear. Do you get what I'm saying?"] You're aware of the science that shows rats and humans coming into a form of commensalism at many different points as they evolved together, but rats still carry diseases that harm humans even if rats don't directly harm. In fact, rats have huge competition against each other, you think to yourself. Rattus rattus is actually filling in the bush rat niche in Australia, causing huge concern. (text-style: "blur") ["Hey! did you get what I said?"] Eh. On second thought, rats themselves are fine, you guess, but they're on thin ice. They're still not that great, since some of 'em are pests. But you think back to your own dorm room and have a sneaking suspicion that if you kept it clean more often, there wouldn't be so many rats. "[[EXCUSE ME.]] Did you hear what I said?"

Oh, fishsticks. Jimmyjohns. He's caught on to the fact that you've tuned out. The other protesters have also drawn closer to you while you were zoning out. And you have to make sure they don't suspect you're human! Quick, say something! [["Well you see, in today's capitalist society..."]] [["My mom says I have to go back home now."]] [["Why not lobby to Congress for rat-kind?"]]

"My mom says I have to go back home now." The rat stops to give you a strange look of confusion, and you take this opportunity to dash on out of there. Your ratPhone buzzes in your RatPack as you stop behind a food stand, and you see the words [[COMMENSALISM and COMPETITION]] pop up onto the screen. You quietly sneak your way back to the [[BREAK ZONE]].

"Why not lobby to Congress for rat-kind?" The other rats stop their chanting and pause, staring at you. One of the rats come up to you slowly, and takes your rat hand in theirs, clasped tightly. They then fist-bump the sky and begin screeching in joy. You pause for a moment, thinking about both Ratatouille and that one scene in the Bee Movie where Barry B. Benson goes to court. You're pretty sure you know how this is gonna turn out. Your ratPhone buzzes in your RatPack, and you see the words [[COMMENSALISM and COMPETITION]] pop up onto the screen. Nice. Once the cheering has died down, you quietly sneak your way back to the [[BREAK ZONE]].

Commensalism is a symbiotic relationship between two organisms of different species in which one derives some benefit while the other is unaffected. Humans, provided they keep their living spaces clean, have no net benefit from rat species themselves. However, rats like the Rattus rattus thrive on human trash, and have behaviorally evolved to be wherever humans are. Competition is what it sounds like it is, a relationship where two organisms derive no benefit from each other and instead must compete for similar resources. Your ratPhone beeps as it logs these definitions down. Solid. You also remind yourself to go yell at the LB freshmen to clean more often. Maybe then you don't have to provide rat therapy. (link-undo: "Close the App.")

"Well you see, in today's capitalist society..." You begin to launch into the longest spiel known to rat-kind on socioeconomic policy in America. It's just everything you've ever learned from a theory class at Emerson rolled into a moving speech. You mention Marx. You mention Hegel. You even throw in some Nietzsche for fun. At the end of your spiel, the rats look at you and pause. They begin to crowd around you and you feel a bit nervous under their gazes. Suddenly, one of them shouts. "LET'S GO DESTROY ELON MUSK'S HOME AND EAT THE RICH!" The others squeak in agreement. You take this opportunity to sneak away, thanking Elon Musk and his stinky Tesla Cybertruck for existing as a focus point for the depravity of late-capitalism. Your ratPhone buzzes in your RatPack, and you see the words [[COMMENSALISM and COMPETITION]] pop up onto the screen. Nice. Once the cheering has died down, you quietly sneak your way back to the [[BREAK ZONE]].

You push the door open, revealing a small, dimly-lit room. You go in and see that on one wall there are two levers, between which is an empty compartment. Under one lever, there is a plaque that says “cooperate,” while a plaque beneath the other lever says “defect.” The door slams shut behind you, and a voice (text-rotate:3)+(text-style: "superscript")[(that sounds eerily similar to a certain technological entrepreneur)] fills the room with a booming [[ECHO]].

The prisoner’s dilemma involves ideas of RECIPROCAL ALTRUISM, an evolutionary behavior that involves one organism choosing an option that is not the most beneficial to itself in order to help another organism, with the idea that this aid will be returned at some future point in time. But will there be a future point in time? Is this your only chance at freedom? If this is a recurring test, will your opponent use a TIT FOR TAT strategy, matching whatever you did in the last turn? Do rats even think like that? All these questions, and yet no answers. [[Yet.]]

Remember: - If you and your partner DEFECT, you both get a 4 second timeout. - If you and your partner COOPERATE, you both get 1 pellet each. - If you DEFECT and your partner DOSEN'T, you get 2 pellets. - If you COOPERATE and your partner DOESN'T, you get a 8 second timeout. It’s time to make your decision. [[> Cooperate]] [[< Defect]]

You pull the cooperate lever. “Good choice. Your partner has also chosen to cooperate.” A large pellet of food drops into the compartment in the wall. Nice. You now have one pellet. Now you have another choice. [[>> Cooperate]] [[>< Defect]]

You pull the defect lever. “Good choice. Your partner chose to cooperate.” Two large pellets of food drops into the compartment in the wall. You now have two pellets. [[<> Cooperate]] [[<< Defect]]

You pull the cooperate lever. “Good choice. Your partner has also chosen to cooperate.” One pellet drops into the compartment. You now have two pellets. Now you have another choice. [[>>> Cooperate]] [[>>< Defect]]

You pull the defect lever. “Good choice. Your partner cooperated.” Two pellets drop into the compartment. You now have three pellets. Now you have another choice. [[><> Cooperate]] [[><< Defect]]

You pull the cooperate lever. “Good choice. Your partner has also chosen to cooperate.” One pellet drops into the compartment. You now have three pellets. [[PROCEED.]]

You pull the defect lever. “Good choice. Your partner chose to cooperate.” You gain two more food pellets. You now have four pellets. [[PROCEED.]]

The levers suddenly disappear from your view and you are encased in darkness. Then, a bright light blinds you for a second before in front of you appears a tiny hologram of none other than Elon Musk, emerging out of his holographic Tesla Cybertruck. You look on in horror as he dusts himself off and begins to speak. "That's right! I have been funding the Board of Trustees of Emerson College to conduct rat experiments on their own students. Those who pass my rat test get to turn back to their original form. Those who do not, well...They must work for me. Cooperation and reciprocal altruism is key for rats, as tested by scientists. Your failure to cooperate with your own brethren—right now, anyway—and thus, you must spend the rest of this semester as a rat. On the bright side, that means you can [[SKIP FINALS!]]"

You pull the cooperate lever. “Hm, wrong choice. Your partner chose to defect. You are in timeout for 4 seconds. 1… 2… 3… 4…” You now have three pellets. [[PROCEED.]]

You pull the defect lever. “Hm, wrong choice. Your partner also defected. You and your partner are in timeout for 8 seconds. 1… 2… 3… 4…” You now have three pellets. [[PROCEED]].

You pull the defect lever. “Hm, wrong choice. Your partner also defected. You and your partner are in timeout for 4 seconds. 1… 2… 3… 4…” You now have two pellets. [[<<> Cooperate]] [[<<< Defect]]

You pull the cooperate lever. “Hm, wrong choice. Your partner chose to defect. You are in timeout for 8 seconds. 1… 2… 3… 4…” You now have two pellets. [[<>> Cooperate]] [[<>< Defect]]

You pull the cooperate lever. “Good choice. Your partner has also chosen to cooperate.” You gain two more food pellets. You now have three food pellets. [[PROCEED.]]

You pull the defect lever. “Good choice. Your partner chose to cooperate.” You gain two more food pellets. You now have four pellets. [[PROCEED]].

You pull the defect lever. “Hm, wrong choice. Your partner also defected. You and your partner are in timeout for 4 seconds. 1… 2… 3… 4…” You now have two pellets. [[PROCEED]].

You pull the cooperate lever. “Too little, too late. Your partner has chosen to defect.” You are in timeout for 8 seconds. 1… 2… 3… 4…” You now have two pellets. [[PROCEED]].

The levers suddenly disappear from your view and you are encased in darkness. Then, a bright light blinds you for a second before in front of you appears a tiny hologram of none other than Elon Musk, emerging out of his holographic Tesla Cybertruck. You look on in horror as his little hologram stamps on the ground angrily, fuming and muttering obscenities at the Emerson Board of Trustees. "YOU HAVE NOT BESTED ME YET, RAT." He yells towards you. "YOU MAY HAVE FIGURED OUT THAT RAT SPECIES USE COOPERATION AS A FORM OF RECIPROCAL ALTRUISM TO SURVIVE, BUT YOU STILL HAVE YET TO BEAT MY FINAL FORM!" The hologram snaps his fingers and a puff of smoke appears. [[AS IT CLEARS...]]

You look on with a bit of relief for only a second before the terrible man opens his mouth again. "Haha, just kidding, you can’t skip a final unless you are physically and legally dead." Elon's cackle fills the room. You look at him in horror, and realize that from now on, you must forever live as a rat in this world, never returning to your body and never learning the importance of the rat in relation to themselves and other species. You have lost. RE[[START]]?

“Welcome, $name, to the final level. While outside you may have grasped how rats play an integral role with their environment and other species, here you will face your most daunting task yet: understanding how a species of rats interact with each other. In this task, the interactions will be simulated in a lab. In front of you are two levers: cooperate and defect. Through this wall, another rat of your own species faces this same choice. If you both cooperate, you will earn a meager prize, and if you both defect, a meager loss. If you defect and your opponent cooperates, you will receive a bounteous reward. But beware: if you cooperate and your opponent defects, you will face a steep price. Cooperation is key as a rat, but you are a human after all. Or at least, were.” There is a distinctly evil laugh before the voice fades away. Congratulations, you’ve unlocked the [[PRISONER’S DILEMMA]].

...there stands Elon Musk. He coughs awkwardly. "Alright, so there is no final form. It's just me. But! I do have riddles for you to solve—a questionnaire if you will—that are a culmination of your escapades so far. Answer correctly, and I will return you to your true form. Fail even one question, and you will forever work for my company in your rat form as a test subject." Before you begin, you can review the terms you've learned so far by checking your [[ratPhone]]. Elon clears his throat. "Now then." [[Let's get started.]]

"First question! In the stomach of termites, live protozoa that help the insects digest the food they eat. The protozoa benefit by getting food for itself, and the termite benefits by being able to live. What is this an example of?" [[> Mutualism]] [[> Parasitism]] [[> Neutralism]]

Elon looks unimpressed. "You've got it. This is an example of mutualism." He sighs. "Well, I should've chosen a harder example. Time for the next question! When a cockatoo lays their eggs, they will do so in the nest of another bird in hopes that the other bird will raise their children. They'll often remove an egg or two to decrease suspicion. What is this an excellent example of?" [[>> Competition]] [[>> Commensalism]] [[>> Parasitism]]

"WRONG," screams Elon Musk. "You've lost. Now, $name, renounce your humanity and join my rat space mission to Mars!" Oh no! You've lost to the clutches of Elon Musk. But I'll let you in on a little secret, you can [[retry]] if you'd like to escape your current rat fate.

Elon cackles. "This isn't even a term we've talked about, fool! Neutralism is when two animals have no interaction with one another, like penguins and grey rats. You've lost. Now, $name, renounce your humanity and join my rat space mission to Mars!" Oh no! You've lost to the clutches of Elon Musk. But I'll let you in on a little secret, you can [[retry]] if you'd like to escape your current rat fate.

Here are all the terms you have learned so far! Commensalism is a symbiotic relationship between two organisms of different species in which one derives some benefit while the other is unaffected. Competition is what it sounds like it is, a relationship where two organisms derive no benefit from each other and instead must compete for similar resources. In a mutualistic relationship, both species benefit from the relationship. Parasitic relationships benefit one organism while harming the other. (link-undo: "Elon grows impatient.")

Time rewinds... You find yourself back in front of Elon Musk. He's in the middle of his spiel. "...return you to your true form. Fail even one question, and you will forever work for my company in your rat form as a test subject." Before you begin, you can review the terms you've learned so far by checking your [[ratPhone]]. Elon clears his throat. "Now then." [[Let's get started.]]

"WRONG," screams Elon Musk. "You've lost. Now, $name, renounce your humanity and take part in creating the greatest thing known to man, the 80 hour work week!" Oh no! You've lost to the clutches of Elon Musk. But I'll let you in on a little secret, you can [[retry]] if you'd like to escape your current rat fate.

"WRONG," screams Elon Musk. "You've lost. Now, $name, renounce your humanity and take part in creating the greatest thing known to man, the 80-hour work week!" Oh no! You've lost to the clutches of Elon Musk. But I'll let you in on a little secret, you can [[retry]] if you'd like to escape your current rat fate.

You hear a little ding. Good job! Elon looks even more upset now. "Alright then, this one will trip you up! Humans and rats. Black rats consume the waste of humans, and have been for ages. Humans see rats as pests. What is this an example of?" [[>>> Amensalism]] [[>>> Commensalism]] [[>>> Mutualism]]

"WRONG," screams Elon Musk. "You've lost. Now, $name, renounce your humanity and be my test subject to see if we live in a video game simulation!" Oh no! You've lost to the clutches of Elon Musk. But I'll let you in on a little secret, you can [[retry]] if you'd like to escape your current rat fate.

"GAH." Elon seems really enraged now. Good job! He takes a deep inhale and composes himself. "Well then. Why are rodents important to evolutionary history? Why shouldn't I just eradicate all the creatures in the Order Rodentia with the snap of my fingers? Why shouldn't I play God? [[Because rats (and rodents) play an important part in evolution with other creatures in their environment and the environment themselves. Many animals rely on their existence just as they rely on ours.]] [[Because rats provide only positive interactions with other species, which is why they've gotten so far these days. Evolution have made rats evolutionary superior.]] [[They don't matter!]]

As you utter these words, the hologram fades out of existence as Musk lets out a horrible shriek. Suddenly, you are face-to-face with Lee Pelton in a white void. "Congratulations, $name," he says. "You have defeated my archnemesis, Elon Musk. He has terrorized my existence for far too long. I was the one who sent the scroll, and with your help, I am now at peace. Let us [[review what you have learned,]] before I send you back to your dorm."

"Ha! Your human-centric mindset has kept you from understanding the importance of other creatures and organisms in your environment! Rats have always been and will continue to be important to evolution, just as any other animal is! For your foolishness, you will now forever serve me as my PR for my company!" You have lost. RE[[START]]?

"Ha! Your evolutionary-biased mindset has kept you from understanding that evolution has no biases! It does not seek to make the "best version" of a creature, it just creates pressures that affect creatures in the moment that can adapt to new changes! Pitcher plants that use feces as a source of nutrients are in no way better than a pitcher plant that just eats rats! Rodents have always been and will continue to be important to evolution, just as any other animal is! For your foolishness, you will now forever serve me as my PR for my company!" You have lost. RE[[START]]?

"My objective with this world was not only for you to defeat Musk, my mortal enemy, but to also learn that rats and their rodent brethren play an important role in all sorts of environments. Their relationships with other creatures are of various forms of symbiosis, and between themselves they practice a form of reciprocal altruism that allows rats as a whole to survive through the ages. Rats and their relationships with other creatures and themselves are not only a product of evolution, but the constant interactions of these creatures consistently affect others, showing evolution in process. But most of all, you are now bestowed with humility. Rats are just as important as humans in this world, as are any other creature-" You [[squeak]] at Lee Pelton. Loving the summary here, but you miss opposable thumbs.

"Ah, I'm sorry for rambling." Pelton chuckles. "Go, my child. When you awake, you will only remember the lessons you have learned. Now, awaken." [[A bright light fills the room.]]

You open your eyes to the sunlight streaming out the room. Groggily, you get up and get ready for the day. As you brush your teeth, you can't help but feel you've had a weird dream last night, one you can't quite remember. All you know is that at some point Lee Pelton and Elon Musk were there. But you feel wiser, humbled, and at peace. You feel like you've done something significant and learned something new. On your way to class, you see a rat scurry by your feet, and you feel a deep sense of peace. The freshmen are in good paws. END. [[CREDITS]] RE[[START]]?

(align: "=><=")[RATCON ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ A game by Amy Yang and Andie Wong ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ Co-written by: Andie Coded and co-written by: Amy Thank you for playing!] (link-undo: "ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ <3")