There are a number of one-word commands which you can type instead of a
sentence. You can use them over and over as needed. Some count as a turn,
others do not. Type the command after the prompt (>) and press the RETURN
(or ENTER) key.
AGAIN - HITCHHIKER'S will usually respond as if you had repeated your
previous sentence. Among the cases where AGAIN will not work is if you
were just talking to another character. You can abbreviate AGAIN to G.
BRIEF - This command tells HITCHHIKER'S to give you the full description of
a location only the first time you enter it. On subsequent visits,
HITCHHIKER'S will tell you only the name of the location and the objects
present. This is how HITCHHIKER'S will normally act, unless you tell it
otherwise using the VERBOSE or SUPERBRIEF commands.
DIAGNOSE - HITCHHIKER'S will give you a brief medical report of your
physical condition.
FOOTNOTE - Occasionally, the text in HITCHHIKER'S will mention the
existence of a footnote. To read the footnote, simply type FOOTNOTE
followed by the appropriate footnote number (for example, FOOTNOTE 7).
This will not count as a turn.
INVENTORY - HITCHHIKER'S will list what you have You can abbreviate
INVENTORY to I.
LOOK - This tells HITCHHIKER'S to describe your location in full detail.
You can abbreviate LOOK to L.
QUIT - This lets you stop. If you want to save your position before
quitting, follow the instructions in the "Starting and Stopping" section.
You can abbreviate QUIT to Q.
RESTART - This stops the story and starts it over from the beginning.
RESTORE - This restores a saved position made using the SAVE command. See
"Starting and Stopping" for more details.
SAVE - This makes a "snapshot" of your current position onto your storage
disk. You can return to a saved position in the future using the RESTORE
command. See "Starting and Stopping" for more details.
SCORE - HITCHHIKER'S will show your current score and the number of turns
you have taken.
SCRIPT - This command tells your printer to begin making a transcript of
the story as you go along. A transcript may aid your memory but is not
necessary. It will work only on certain computers; read your Reference
Card for details.
SUPERBRIEF - This command tells HITCHHIKER'S to display only the name of a
place you have entered, even if you have never been there before. In this
mode, HITCHHIKER'S will not even mention which objects are present. Of
course, you can always get a description of your location and the items
there by typing LOOK. In SUPERBRIEF mode, the blank line between turns will
be eliminated. This mode is meant for players who are already know their
way around. Also see VERBOSE and BRIEF.
UNSCRIPT - This commands your printer to stop making a transcript.
VERBOSE - The VERBOSE command tells HITCHHIKER'S that you want a complete
description of each location, and the objects in it, every time you enter a
location, even if you've been there before. Also see BRIEF and SUPERBRIEF.
VERSION - HITCHHIKER'S responds by showing you the
release number and the serial number of your copy of the story. Please
include this information is you ever report a "bug".
WAIT - This will cause time in the story to pass. Normally, between turns,
nothing happens in the story. You could leave your computer, have a snack,
take a walk around the block, hitchhike to Procyon VII, spend fourteen
years working in the slime pits, and return to the story to find that
nothing has changed. You can use WAIT to make time pass in the story
without doing anything. For example, if you encounter an alien being, you
could WAIT to see what it will do. Or, if you are in a moving vehicle, you
could WAIT to see where it will go. You can abbreviate WAIT to Z.
>examine phone
You see nothing special about the telephone.
>Take screwdriver, toothbrush
flathead screwdriver: It slips through your fumbling fingers and hits the carpet with a nerve-shattering bang.
toothbrush: You're certainly picking the tough tasks. The floor acts like a trampoline on an ice rink, or like something they've been working on for years at Disneyland.
>inventory
You have:
a splitting headache
no tea
your gown (being worn)
It looks like your gown contains:
a thing your aunt gave you which you don't know what it is
a buffered analgesic
pocket fluff
>look
Bedroom
The bedroom is a mess.
It is a small bedroom with a faded carpet and old wallpaper. There is a washbasin, a chair, and a window with the curtains drawn. Near the exit leading south is a phone.
There is a flathead screwdriver here.
There is a toothbrush here.
>Take screwdriver, toothbrush
flathead screwdriver: Taken.
toothbrush: As you pick up the toothbrush a tree outside the window collapses. There is no causal relationship between these two events.
>look outside window
As you part your curtains you see that it's a bright morning, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the meadows are blooming, and a large yellow bulldozer is advancing on your home.