eclectic_boy

I'm on Boltbus on a shopping trip to New York. To pass the time, I just entered boingboing's "Summarize 2008" contest. I decided to do it as a text adventure.

You are standing in a field. There is a signpost here.

>READ SIGN

The sign reads "Now entering 2008"

> AHEAD

You approach a polling place. There are supporters standing outside the door offering you literature.

>TAKE LITERATURE

[The Obama flyer and Clinton pamphlet] Taken.

> READ LITERATURE

You are now Informed. [Your confusion level has just gone up 1 point]

> CAST PRIMARY VOTE

Done. As you leave the polling place, you emerge on the ocean shore.

>LOOK

Waves crash against the sand. A distant speedboat is approaching, rapidly. There is a gun mounted on its bow.

>SAY "AHOY"

"Avast, ya swab! Be this the Gulf of Somalia?"

>SAY "NO"

The pirate vessel speeds off. A figure is running along the shore towards you.

>EXAMINE FIGURE

She's wearing a track suit covered in flag designs, and carries a flaming torch

>FREE TIBET

A squad of security personnel divert the runner into an armored vehicle before she can get near you. The vehicle speeds off. The wind seems to be picking up.

>LOOK AT SKY

You see a hurricane. A warning announcement comes over the beach's loudspeakers, saying everyone must evacuate Galveston.

>EVACUATE

You flee to Georgia. You are standing on a main avenue, lined by stores and houses. Tanks are rolling towards you.

>SHOUT "HELLO" IN GEORGIAN

A curse in Russian is your reply. The tanks get closer.

> RUN INTO HOUSE

There is a homeowner here. He is looking at a piece of paper and crying.

>READ PAPER

It is titled "variable rate mortgage", but as you try to read it your eyes begin to glaze over at the complex financial terminology.

>SAY "CAN I HELP?"

The man looks up at you gratefully. "Well, you could give me some money..."

>GIVE MAN MONEY

You don't have any cash, only stock certificates and oil futures.

>SELL STOCKS

Join the club. They're suddenly not worth very much.

>SELL OIL

Funny, you were sure you were getting a bargain when you bought it in June for only $100/barrel. Now it's worth $35. You give the man the money you raised and walk out of the house. There is a general election here.

>VOTE OBAMA

You have elected a President. [Your hope just went up by one point.] You hear a loud noise.

>LISTEN

There is gunfire coming from the direction of Mumbai.

>HELP VICTIMS

You donate to Doctors Without Borders and continue to watch the siege on television.

>CHANGE CHANNEL

There is a governor with too much hair here. He is covered in scandal. This reminds you of a governor with no hair who also got covered in scandal several months ago.

>SIGH AT THE WORLD

Congratulations! You have reached the end of level 2008. Press [Return] to begin the next level.