Spring has arrived, and it is your duty as a worker ant to find food for the larvae of the Queen to grow.
But you must return before nightfall; otherwise, you could perish in the cold.
As you head out, the sun hits your body, and you feel like [[waiting->Sun-bathing]] here, but you could also [[keep->road juncture]] going.
(set: $time to 0) You feel the strength flow through you and feel ready to [[go->road juncture]] on.
(set:$time+=1)
(set:$body=1)You see your comrades separate into two paths in front of you.
One leads towards what seems like [[concrete-> Houses]], while the other trails into the [[forest->Forest Entrance]].As you start making your way down this path, it becomes clear nothing around here will be suitable to bring back to the colony, making yourself and the other ants on this path head for the [[forest->Forest Entrance]] instead.
(set:$time+=1)As you enter the forest you notice (if:$time is 0)[a [[leaf->Safe Leaf]] on the ground suitable to be brought back to the colony, as well as](else-if:$time<2)[a [[leaf->Lost Leaf]] on the ground on the other side of a trail of mucus by a snail, as well as] an intriguing [[new kind of food->Colony Entrance]] you have never seen before which almost looks transparent.
Most of the other ants are going [[deeper->Deep Forest]] into the forest, though.You harvest the honeydew from the aphids on the tree and start making your way [[back->Trails Back-Honedew]] to the colony.
(set:$food to "honeydew")Here there are many [[pollen grains->Pickup Pollen]] to bring back for the colony as well as aphids on spruce trees to harvest [[honeydew-> Pickup Honedew]] from.
(set:$time+=1)Once you have gathered the honeydew, you follow your fellow ants up to a fork in the road. On one side, there is a dry [[clearing->Dead Clearing]], and on the other, a muddy [[trail->River-Honedew]]. You start going down the trail and realise that it is muddy because of the river adjacent to it. As you note this to yourself, you loose your footing and fall in the [[river->Honeydew Arrival]]!Congratulations, you have fulfilled your duty! The colony is pleased with the $food you brought back.
Make sure you keep giving food to the colony and try to take a different route next time to vary your task.You pick up the leaf with little effort and can either [[take->Arrival]] it back to the colony, or [[continue->Noise or Trails or Continue]] into the forest.
(set:$food to "Leaf")Although you are able to take the leaf, you realize that the trail of mucus the snail left behind, the one you walked on to grab this leaf, took away your pheromones, the chemical you need to find your way back to the colony!
Feeling a void inside of you, you have to [[make your way->Other Ants]] through the forest with no guidance from your comrades.
After engaging in the clearing, a massive creature comes into sight[...]<elip|
(click:?elip)[A hungry Ant-Eater!]
|text2)[(transition: "dissolve")[But thanks to the heavy scent of the pollen you are carrying, the Ant-Eater cannot smell you and you are able to [[continue->Arrival]] on your way to the colony.]]
(live:5s)[(show:?text2)(stop:)]After engaging in the clearing, a massive creature comes into sight[...]<elip|
(click:?elip)[A hungry Ant-Eater!]
|text2)[(transition: "dissolve")[It had smelled you coming and was waiting to feast. There is no escape.
Another ant in another life will have to bring back food in your stead.]]
(live:5s)[(show:?text2)(stop:)]You pick up a pollen grain and are ready to make your way [[back->Trails Back-Pollen]] to the colony.
(set:$food to "pollen grain")Once you have gathered pollen grain, you follow your fellow ants up to a fork in the road. On one side, there is a dry [[clearing->Safe Clearing]], and on the other, a muddy [[trail->River-Pollen]]. There is water nearby, the mud makes you slip into it, and unfortunately, you lose the pollen grain as you [drift]<f| in the stream of water.
(click:?f)[(transition:"dissolve")[Thankfully the stream takes you close to your colony. You can get back safely, only without any food for your Queen.
Make sure to try to bring back food next time by exploring a different route.]]After walking alone in the forest for some time with your leaf, you sense unfamiliar ants nearby.
You either [[go closer->Meet Other Ants]] to these ants or continue [[searching->Forest Loop 1]] for your colony.
(set:$time+=1)Upon your arrival, these ants turn their attention to you because of your lack of pheromones.
You can tell this is not your original colony.
It seems they are willing to [[adopt you->Adopted]] and take you in their colony as they watch the leaf you carry. You can try to [[leave->Attacked]] and find your original colony.(if:$time>=8)[You have been lost for a long time and night has fallen, you collapse to the ground, [[exhausted->Cold Death]].]
(else:)[You can try to [[walk past->First Left]] an enormous tree stump or [[make your way->First Right]] through thick moss ahead of you.]They accept you as one of their own as you offer them the leaf you had.
You will now continue your adventures under your new Queen and venture out to bring back food for her larvae.As you try to turn away, tens of ants rush after you and, because of the burden of the leaf you carry, catch up to you.
You cannot win this fight and [succumb]<end| to the numerous ants after the leaf you were carrying.
(click:?end)[(transition:"dissolve")[Another ant in another life will have to bring back food in your stead.]]As you venture into the forest, you hear shuffling nearby, which you can [[go towards->Enemy Ants]]. You also see your comrades gather towards the [[trails->Trails Back Leaf]] back to the colony and a path that goes even [[deeper->Strayed Too Far Ending]] into the forest.You investigate the shuffling you heard only to find that a rival colony is here!
Right as you see them, they turn to face you and attack you. Against this many foes you think about [[giving up->Dies]].
|saved)[But you persist!]
(live:9s)[(show:?saved)(stop:)]
|rescue)[(transition: "dissolve")[And your comrades, only a few spaces away, come to your [[rescue->Saved]].]]
(live:10s)[(show:?rescue)(stop:)]You follow your fellow ants up to a fork in the road. On one side, there is a dry [[clearing->Safe Clearing Leaf]], and on the other, a muddy [[trail->River-Leaf]]. Without seeing the time pass by, you have ventured very far in the forest[...]<elip|(click:?elip)[ too far in the forest.
|nite)[(transition: "dissolve")[It is already night time, and as the Queen warned you, you will not survive in the cold.]]
(live:4s)[(show:?nite)(stop:)]
|end)[(transition: "dissolve")[Another ant in another life will have to bring back food in your stead.]]
(live:9s)[(show:?end)(stop:)]]You see no escape possible and succumb to their attack.
Another ant in another life will have to bring back food in your stead.They fend off the hostile ants, and you are able to fall back to your colony, but you realise you [lost]<l| your leaf in the battle.
(click:?l)[(transition:"dissolve")[Even if you brought back nothing today, your Queen tells you to try again and take a different path.]]As you try to make your way through the clearing, a massive creature comes into sight[...]<elip|
(click:?elip)[A hungry Ant-Eater!]
|text2)[As it starts to attack all of you, you quickly hide under your leaf and run away. As it is distracted by other ants, you take this chance, alongside a couple of other ants, and successfully make it [[back->Arrival]] to the colony.]
(live:4s)[(show:?text2)(stop:)]You start going down the trail and realise that it is muddy because of the river adjacent to it. As you note this to yourself, you loose your footing and fall in the [river]<fall|!
(click:?fall)[(transition:"dissolve")[You grab on to the leaf you are carrying, and as you hit the water, you manage to float on top of it as the stream takes you [[back->Arrival]] to the colony.]]Exited to please your Queen with this exotic find, you hurry back to the colony. You present it at the heart of the colony and only then realize that this new food is toxic for your kind. The entire nest is already contaminated, which leads to your colony dying out.
You learn the name of this "food" to be PLASTIC.
|text)[*Think of your little friends trying to get food before you liter yours away.*]
(live:10s)[(show:?text)(stop:)]You want to show the colony the food you discovered. You can [[stop by->Poison Averted]] the entrance of the colony to show the warrior ants first, or [[directly->Poison Colony]] go to the Queen.You show this new food to the knowledgable warrior ants at the entrance of the colony. They directly take it from you and throw it away!
They tell you that this kind of "food" is called PLASTIC and is lethal for the Queen. Although you didn't bring back any decent food, you can still try again tomorrow.
|text)[*Think of your little friends trying to get food before you liter yours away.*]
(live:10s)[(show:?text)(stop:)]
As you walk around the tree stump, there seems to be a [[path->Left-Left]] straying away, which you could take, but your original sense was to walk around the [[tree stump->Left-Right]].
(set:$time+=1)It is impossible to know what direction you are going under this moss, added with the loss of your sense of direction from your lack of pheromones. You could [[continue->Right-Left]] to force your way through this moss or turn towards a nearby [[opening->Right-Right]].
(set:$time+=1)Having lost all sense of direction, you follow this path only for it to lead you where you [[started->Forest Loop 1]], next to the other ant colony.
(set:$time+=1)Disoriented after losing your connection to the colony, you continue around the tree stump without stopping and end up where you [[started->Forest Loop 1]], next to the other colony.
(set:$time+=1)After struggling to advance, you reach the end of the moss.
Luckily, you sense familiar ants nearby!
You rush towards them to find your [[colony->Arrival]].Tired of rummaging through this moss, you get out of the mossy patch, only to see you are back where you [[started->Forest Loop 1]], next to the other ant colony.
(set:$time+=1)
(align:"=><=")[On her Majesty's [[yummy->Colony Start]] service]Fortunately, the honeydew you gathered allows you to float atop the river, and as it happens, takes you close to the entrance of your colony, which you are able to return [[to->Arrival]].It is piercing cold now, and without the heat your colony provides you, you freeze to death.
Another ant in another life will have to bring back food in your stead.