lost

A man in a white gown stands next to your bed. He examines your eyes and your reflexes. Everything is fine. He is surrounded by a group of people you don’t recognize. When he asks your name, you hesitate. "The serum will take effect in a few minutes... try to relax." //What serum?// Your vision becomes blurry and your eyes feel heavy. Before you completely pass out, the man holds your head and ask you, “What year are we in?” You answer: [["2022"]] [["1783"]] [["1945"]]

You wake up in the middle of the night. The bedsheets are soaked in sweat and the pillow is on the floor. You don’t really remember what the dream was about, but it wasn’t a pleasant dream, that’s for sure. You haven’t slept well in the last few weeks. Everyone says it’s normal. You’ll be confused for the first weeks, but then you’ll be yourself again. The only problem is that you don’t really know what that means. You must have made some kind of noise in your sleep right before waking up, and the woman sleeping on the chair next to your hospital bed is awake and holding your hand. //Mom//. It is your mom. “It’s alright, sweetie. Try to go back to sleep.” But you don’t recognize her voice, nor her face. You are not oblivious to her presence. It’s not how it works. In fact, you feel safe, and the touch of her hand is warm and comforting. You know you love her, but there are no memories with her. There are no memories of anything. //I am safe now//. Were you not safe before? “I can’t sleep.” Even your voice is unfamiliar. (set: $present to 1) [[Try to remember]]

You wake up in the middle of the night. The bedsheets are soaked in sweat and the pillow is on the floor. You don’t really remember what the dream was about, but it wasn’t a pleasant dream, that’s for sure. You haven’t slept well in the last few weeks. Everyone says it’s normal. You’ll be confused for the first weeks, but then you’ll be yourself again. The only problem is that you don’t really know what that means. You must have made some kind of noise in your sleep right before waking up, and a woman stands at the door of your room, holding a candle. "Is everything allright, sir?" You don't recognise that woman. She is dressed in black and white, and wears a cap. "Everything is fine..." You don't remember her name. "Francesca, sir," she says. She is not offended. That morning, the housekeeper, an old woman that had been at the service of your family for decades, had to introduce herself too. All the maids were aware of your situation. "Francesca, that's right. You can go back to sleep, it's late." "Your mother has assigned us night shifts, sir. To take care of you until you recover." //Until I recover.// Although you know that Francesca and your mom have the best intentions, the way they are treating you - like someone that has to be protected - bothers you terribly. (set: $italy to 1) [[Try to remember...]]

You wake up in the middle of the night. The bedsheets are soaked in sweat and the pillow is on the floor. You don’t really remember what the dream was about, but it wasn’t a pleasant dream, that’s for sure. You haven’t slept well in the last few weeks. The number tattooed on your wrist won't let you forget who you are: //371,324GP// You look through the window to your left. Although it is dark outside, you can see neon lights in the buildings in front of you, and you hear a faint humming sound coming from outside. It is probably [[the HSFT]]. "Your vital signs are higher than usual," says your [[PRN]]. Her robotic voice lacks emotion. "I can prepare an antidote for you. The red pill will help you go back to sleep." Your PRA (Personal Robotic Assistant) turns a soft light on. Your PRN stands next to you, holding a red pill. [[You take the red pill.]] [[You don't want to go back to sleep.]]

You wake up in the middle of the night. The bedsheets are soaked in sweat and the pillow is on the floor. You don’t really remember what the dream was about, but it wasn’t a pleasant dream, that’s for sure. You haven’t slept well in the last few weeks. Everyone says it’s normal. You’ll be confused for the first weeks, but then you’ll be yourself again. The only problem is that you don’t really know what that means. When your eyes get used to the light, you distinguish the space aorund you. There are at least ten more beds around you. In each of these beds, a convalescent soldier. You can hear groans of pain that tell you that you are not the only one awake. You are wearing a white gown and you're covered with bandages. All your limbs are in place, which makes you a lucky man. However, you don't know where you are, or how you got there. There was a war- that you remember. But you are not sure who won, or with whom you were fighting. "Sergent, qu’est-ce qui ne va pas chez vous?" A nurse is by your bed. You don't know French. You don't even know if you're an ally of the French. "English?" you ask. "Je vais trouver quelqu’un qui parle anglais." Before you can tell her that you can't understand her, she leaves. [[Next|Nurse]]

You know your name. You know how to speak and walk. There’s also food you like and food you know you don’t like, even if you don’t really remember the taste. Music is different: you remember the lyrics to most songs you liked. You used to play the piano and remember the keys and notes. You often find yourself moving your fingers along the bed sheets, playing a silent melody. You know math, you can read, you know basic [[history]]; but don’t remember going to school. You look back at your mom. She has sat down again and is about to fall asleep. No one in your family wanted to tell you what happened. They have all visited you regularly, but you noticed they behaved in a weird way, and that they chose their words carefully. They refer to what happened as “the incident,” but won’t give you more details about it. You could [[go back to sleep]], or [[wait until she completely falls asleep and try to find something that helps you remember]].

(set: $whiteRoom to it + 1) (if: $whiteRoom is 1)[You wake up in a brightly lit room. You are still dizzy and confused. The man in the white gown is sitting down in a desk next to your bed. When he realizes that you are awake, he checks his watch and comes closer to you. "You shouldn't be back yet." He injects more serum in your left arm. "It is important that you remember." "Remember what?" But before you can fnish the sentence, you lose consciousness. [[Next|"2022"]]] (if: $whiteRoom is 2)[You wake in a brightly lit room. The man in the white gown is right next to you. "You are not getting the idea... The point isn't to find out who that kid is... You have to remind everyone what happens...." "What kid?" You ask, even more confused than before. "You aren't that kid. Just remember the important events." [[Next|Car accident]]]

A few minutes later, your mom has fallen asleep on the chair. You get rid of the multiple cables that are measuring your vitals and get out of bed. As you stand up, you feel a sharp pain on your left knee. When you look down, you see a huge bruise. But, of course, you don't remember what caused it. You look at your mom's purse. She probably has her car keys there. But, do you remember how to drive? //Probably//, you think to yourself. [[Search your mom's purse.]] [[Leave the room.]]

It's the year 2022. You remember Covid-19 and know that you spent months isolated at home. You passed the illness last year. It wasn't too bad. But you don't remember being with your family during that time, or anything you did during those months. You know politics and you know what's going on in Eastern Europe. And you remember the history you learnt in highschool. The Revolutions, the World Wars, the Cold War... but you don't remember your professors. [[Back|Try to remember]]

You carefully take her purse from under her chair and go through her stuff. There's a pair of sunglasses, chapstick, a wallet, the keys to your house and car keys. You take the car keys with you, leave the room and go into the hall. It looks like all hospital halls, with white walls and tall ceilings. It is late at night and everything is quiet. You close the door behind you and start walking down the hall. You are wearing a white and blue pajama that immediately identifies you as a patient .A nurse walks by you and gives you a weird look. You wonder if there's anything weird about your appearance. (set: $keys to 1) [[Go in the restroom|Go in the restroom 1]]

You leave the room and go into the hall. It looks like all hospital halls, with white walls and tall ceilings. It is late at night and everything is quiet. You close the door behind you and start walking down the hall. You are wearing a white and blue pajama that immediately identify you as a patient.A nurse walks by you and gives you a weird look. You wonder if there's anything weird about your appearance. [[Go in the restroom.]] [[Go back to your room.]] [[Continue walking.|Back to the hall]]

You find a restroom down the hall and go inside. When you look in the mirror, you can't help but gasp. The person in the mirror is a complete stranger. You don't look healthy. There are huge purple bags under your eyes, as if your nose had been broken a few weeks ago. It doesn't hurt, though. You wonder how long you have been at this hospital. [[Back to the hall]]

You are the third son of a modest family. You worked hard to provide for your family and became a famous artist. You know a lot about art. You spend most of your childhood studying the great Renaissance masters and learning to paint and carve. You know the theory, but can't remember your own masters. You look back at Francesca. She's staring at you with a concerned expression. She probably saw you zoning out and thought you were gone again. [["I'm allright, Francesca. You're dismissed."]]

Francesca hesitates and then nods with her head and leaves. You are left in complete dark. You oen the drawers in you desk until you find what you need to light up a candle. You should've know where that was. Yo sit at your desk and go through a pile of documents. Everything is unfamiliar and overwhelming. [[Read work contract]]

The High-Speed Flying Train is the great technological advance from the last past decades. After the depletion of fossil fuels and the failure of natural resources such as sunlight or wind, //radionuclear// energy became the main source of energy.

Your //Personal Robotic Nurse// is your robot assistant in charge of your healthcare. Hospitals disappeared hundreds of years ago, afer the Healthcare Crisis of 2884, when robots took over hospitals and health centers.

Te red pill calms your breathing and slows downs your heartbeat. In a few seconds, you close your eyes again and go back to sleep. You dream of a man in a white gown, an Italian painter, a car crash, and a war.

You take a manuscript that looks like a work contract and read it. Your name is written on the top right corner. The documents indicates your commitment to decorat a Florentine chapel with frescoes. It is signed by you, the Pope (Pio V), and the archbishop of Florence. In return, you'll receive a sumptuous amount of money. These are important people, and they'll be difficult to please. //Do I even know how to paint anymore?// [[Draw a in your sketch book]] [[Call Francesca]]

{(set: $whiteRoom to 0) (set: $keys to 0) (set: $italy to 0) (set: $present to 0)}

Your mom is still sleeping on the chair. Her purse is on the ground, right next to her. You wonder if there's something there that could help you remember. [[Search your mom's purse|Search purse]] [[Back to the hall]]

You keep walking until you reach the waiting room. It is empty except for one man sittinng on one of the chairs and watching the news on a small TV. "They are going to start a third war." "A war?" You look at the TV and see images of a missile, fire, smoke and destruction. There's also an image of soldiers evacuating people. "The Third World War." That sounds strange. You don't know what it is, but something //clicks// in your head. Like a déjà vu. "The war already happened," you say. You are sure it happened. Memories and facts aout the war come to your mind, as if you were watching a documentary. The man give you a weird look for a few seconds, then, he looks back at the TV. [[Leave the waiting room]]

You wander around the first floor of the parking lot. Nothing looks familiar, but that doesn't surprise you anymore. A taxi pulls over next to you. The driver rolls down the car window. "Do you need a ride?" [[Get in the taxi]] [[Go to the second floor|Second floor of the parking lot]]

You go up to the second floor of the parking lot and make the alamr go off again. You can hear it in the distance now. You walk towards it until you find a grey car. //My old car// You get in the car. The touch of the steering wheel feels familiar. However, there is something odd about it. //What happened to my new car?// You see yourself driving this car, when you look in the rearview mirror, you catch your own reflection. You hair is longer and it has a different color. You are much younger than now. [[Drive]]

{(if: $keys is 1)[You don't want to look for the car. There are hundreds of cars in the parking lot, and you don't even know which one you're looking for.] (else:)[You wish you had taken your mom's car keys with you.]} A taxi driver pulls over in front of you and rolls the window down. "Do you need a ride?" [[Get in the taxi]]

You leave the waiting room and continue walking down the hall.You see an exit to the street in front of you. You go outside, still in your hospital pajama. (if: $keys is 1)[The hospital has a huge parking lot. You the button on the keys hoping you'll be able to hear the alarm, but you can't hear anything. You also don't know the color or the license plate of the car. [[First floor of the parking lot]] [[Second floor of the parking lot]] [[You don't want to look for the car]]] (if: $keys is 0)[(goto:"You don't want to look for the car")]

You stand in front of a crowd. Congress is in sesion, and it is your time to vote. You hear someone talking in the background... something about machines... progress... technology. //It is time to commit to a new model of growth and development...// [[Yes|clinic]] or [[No|clinic]]

You don't tell him that you have no money. You'll figure that out later. "Where to?" You don't know. //Home?... Where is home?// You close your eyes, trying to remember... "Where are you going?" The driver asks again. "Can you take me to the nearest train station?" The driver nods and starts driving away. You are suddenly very tired... but there are too many thought in your head to let you rest. [[Try to sleep|go back to sleep]] [[Make conversation with the driver|Car accident]]

You pull out of the parking lot and start driving. The roads are getting busy, as people start leaving for work. You remember how to drive perfectly, however, you still feel like there is something wrong. You listen to the news in the radio. "The attacks have become stronger this morning, more than a thousand civilians have been evacuated by the army... the invading army remains firm in its advance... the conflict has already led to the intervention of five different countries..." //I would swear that war already happened// You stop at a red traffic light and suddenly see yourself in a different car. You're in the drivers sit, but you are not driving. In fact, the car is driving itself. //People stopped driving a few years ago... this grey car is a very old car//. But that vision jumps to a different vision of you being ejected from the vehicle. Your face breaks through the glass. You feel a sharp pain on your left knee. //A car accident? Is that what the "incident is"//. Memories start coming back to you in a rush. These new cars were a failure. They entered the market quickly and in a few years, almost everyone had changed their old "manual" cars to these new machine-control cars. //Artificial Intelligence is the future//. But they proved that machines did not react well in situations of danger, and these cars could be easily hacked, becoming a weapon. Then the radiobroadcasting is cut off by the voice of a woman. "Breaking news. The President's official residence has just been attacked.The state of healt of the President and his family is unknown. Rescue teams are already working on the site. The motives for the attack are still unknown, but there are people who already talk about World War III.." Immersed on your thoughts, you stop paying attention to the road. The traffic light is now green, but you don't move. You hear a car horn. then everything turns [[white|Clinic 1]].

The driver is listening to the news in the radio. "The attacks have become stronger this morning, more than a thousand civilians have been evacuated by the army... the invading army remains firm in its advance... the conflict has already led to the intervention of five different countries..." "Can you turn the volume up?" You ask. The driver does so. "It's going to get ugly." "What's the date today?" The driver gives you a weird look and then says, "October 20th, Monday." //October 20th... I can see that date in my history book...// You remember the exact page... you can even see the images, but the words are blurry. "It's the date of the attack on the President..." you whisper. "What did you say?" Then the radiobroadcasting is cut off by the voice of a woman. "Breaking news. The President's official residence has just been attacked.The state of healt of the President and his family is unknown. Rescue teams are already working on the site. The motives for the attack are still unknown, but there are people who already talk about World War III.." . The taxi driver turns around to look at you. "How did you know?" In that moment, you hear a carn horn. Then everything is [[white|Clinic 1]].

The man in the white gown holds your head. "What happened?" "There was a car crash..." "No. What happened. The year 2022. What happened? "The President was killed. The terrorist used a new type of technology that had never been used before. It went undetected through the security systems... It led to a war. The worst war humans had ever seen." "What happened then?" You are about to fall asleep again, but he shakes your head. "Nuclear weapons... destruction... Bunkers...Earth was uninhabitable for decades." The man in the white gown seems satisfied with your answer. He injects more serum in your left arm. “What year are we in?” You answer: (if: $italy <1)[[["1783"]]] (if: $war <1)[[["1945"]]] (else:)[[["3033"]]]

You find a sketchbook and open it. It is full of religious drawings and portraits of the saints and the Virgin. The drawings are signed and dated. There's a drawing of Borromini's Ectasy of Saint Teresa that you drew in 1777, a portrait of the Pope from 1780, or the sketch of the architectural plan of a church you designed and were planning to build in Paris. You start drawing with charcoal on a blank page. You hands move alone, and you draw with no efforts. Line after line. You stop thinking and wondering who you are for a few minutes. Drawing feels good, it feels right. Then, when you are done, you admire your work. It doesn't look like any of your previous drawings. Instead of a religious image, you drew something that you recognise as a steam train. //Steam train... invented in 1804... The Industrial Revolution...Mass production... But also explotation and poverty, people being substituted by machines, the division between masters and workers... the emergence of capitalism.// You find a calendar in one of the drawers. //1783... That cannot be right.// Where are you now? What year is it? [[Look through the window.]] [[Call Francesca|Call Francesca 1]]

You shout her name. She appears in your doorway in less than three seconds. "Francesca, what do you know about this work contract?" You hand her the contract. She takes it, but doesn't read it. "I'm sorry sir, I can't read." You are astonished. You could [[ask her about her background]] or [[just ignore it and red the contract for her]].

TBD

You read the contract out loud. "Your trip to Florence, sir," she answers. "You were planning to leave in two days." "To Florence?" "Yes, sir. You said it was a very important commission." "Do I know the Pope personally?" "I am not sure, sir. It is possible that you have been introduced during your stay in Rome." //During my stay in Rome...// "Francesca, where are we know?" "Paris, sir." //Paris... France.// Francesca sees the confusion in your face and adds, "You were born in Florence, sir. Lived in Rome for a few years, then moved to Paris to document the riots." [[Next|Riots]]

Suddenly, some of her words start making sense. The riots in France in 1783, would lead to the French Revolution in 1789... the public execution of the king Louis XVI by guillotine... The Independence War in America and the Treaty of Paris... "I'm documenting the Revolution?" "It's just the riots, sir. You drew some sketches about it." "Did I attend the execution of the king? Did I draw anything about it?" Francesca's face becomes white. "The king is alive. There hasn't been any executions." //Louis XVI was executed on January 21st, 1793... Then Napoleon, and the French Empire...// All the information seems to be popping up in your head: dates, historical facts, images... You feel overwhelmed. "Francesca, what year is it?" Francesca stares at you for a few seconds and stuttles when she answers, "1783, sir." Your feel like your head is spinning. "Where can I find more about this?" "You have history //books// in the library, sir." //Library... History books// That word doesn't have any meaning. "What's in the history books?" "History, sir." "How do I get access to those things?" "They are available for everyone, sir. You just need to know how to read." [[Go to the library]]

You get up from your desk and open your window. The sun is starting rise. You immediately recognise the streets of Paris. You close your eyes for a few seconds and picture the view of Paris in your head. You have no recollection of being in Paris before, but somehow you can picture these images in your head... almost as if they were photographs... //Photographs? It must be after the year 1816 then...// However, the view doesn't match what you see. //Where's the Eiffel Tower?... It should be somewhere around here...// You stick your head out of the window to look around better. //Eiffel Tower... 1889 then?// [[Go out]]

You shout her name. She appears in your doorway in less than three seconds. "Francesca, look at this, please." You hand her your drawing. "I have never seen anything like that, sir." "Where are we now?" "Paris, sir." She sees the confusion on your face and adds, "You are Italian sir, of course, but moved here to document the riots." [[Next|Riots]]

Francesca guides you through your own house to the library. She opens the doors for you. When you walk in, you're amazed. There are hundreds of books in more than twenty different shelfs. You pick one out. "//Robinson Crusoe// by William Defoe. What's the history in this one?" you ask Francesca. "That's a novel sir, //literature.// They tell stories." //Literature.// The word resonates in your head. You know what ficition means. The memories flash in your head... //Television... virtual reality... augmented reality...// Your vision becomes blurry and you start feeling dizzy. "These disappeared..." But you faint before you can't finish your sentence. [[Next|Clinic 2]]

You leave the house and start wandering around. Every time you think you recognize a building or a street, you find something unknown that throws you off. You find a small kiosk that sells a bunch of "bound pages." You don't know what those are. You call the vendor. "What are these?" "Today's newspaper" You pick one. //La Gazette de Paris. Monday August 13th, 1783.// That cannot be right. "What's in these?" "The main events of the last few days... But if you're looking for something different, I also have novels and..." "What are those?" The vendor gives you a weird look. "Books." Your head starts aching and your vision becomes blurry. You fall to the ground. [[Next|Clinic 2]]

When you open your eyes, the man in the white gown is next to you. "What did you learn?" "Humanism disappears with the Revolution... the machine becomes the centre of the world... it is the starting point of a mechanized world... it led to explotation and poverty... and illness... humans were replaced by machines and... Have you ever seen a book?" "What happened to the books?" "They disappeared. They were replaced by modern technologies... Did you know that people used to write books?" "Reading books is forbidden now. Most people don't know of their existence. What do you think is the reason for this?" "They tell human history. They give us knowledge... they make us different." "We have to keep going. We are running out of time. What year is it?" (if:$present <1)[[["2022"]]] (if: $war<1)[[["1945"]]] (else:)[[["3033"]]]

I STILL HAVE TO DEVELOP THIS STORY [[NEXT|"3033"]]