Gun Mute: Download Now

>look
Dingy Backstreet Saloon
The air is thick with smoke and precious little light seeps in through the grimy windows. The tables are cracked and uneven - deserted, save one that seats an old, grubby storybot.

A cloaked form leans hunched over the bar, snoring quietly. The bartender, you presume.

>x storybot
A relic from ancient times – a plastic figure vaguely resembling a woman. Its clothes have long since degenerated into rags. You notice a slot in its upraised palm, just the right size to accept a coin. The storybot sits slumped back in its chair, eyes closed.

>inventory
You are carrying a rusted six shooter and a handful of coins. You're wearing a heavy overcoat, a battered pair of jeans and some sturdy boots.

>put coin in slot
You sit opposite the storybot and slip a coin into its palm. It twitches a couple of times and then opens its eyes with a dry click. With the hiss of unhealthy hydraulics, it sits upright and meets your eye.

Its mouth drops open and a recorded voice emerges. "Hello. Would you like to hear a story?"

>yes
"Yeah," you drawl, curious, but not that enthusiastic.

The storybot's mouth flicks open again. "Perhaps you would like to hear the story of Mute Lawton? A quiet man with a passionate heart, he faced great odds with only a six shooter and a steady hand. An execution loomed over him like a black shadow, but his resolve was set."

You look at the storybot more carefully. Could this old contraption have something to share other than the usual fairy tales of the Old World? Did someone reprogram it, or, somehow, did it learn new stories itself? But its glassy eyes stare back at you stupidly. Just a machine. That's all.

>ask about mute lawton
"Yeah," you say, trying not to sound as interested as you really are, "tell me about that guy."

And then, to your great disappointment, the storybot starts to jerk epileptically, its head thrown back, its eyes flicking open and closed. "Error! Story not found. Please download TADS 3 game file or zipped Windows executable as required."

>hit storybot
You hit the storybot's plastic head with the palm of your hand. It ceases moving and slumps back into its chair. Damn it. That sounded like a half-interesting story. You quickly look over the storybot for a way to retrieve your coin, but it doesn't look like you'll be getting a refund. You still have enough change for a drink, though, and that is why you came here.

>give coin to bartender
Sighing, you stand up from your seat and walk over to the bar.

[Gun Mute: a TADS 3 shoot-em-up. Thank you for reading.]

Update: I'm surprised to realise that this game already seems to be all over the Internet. Read more at: Gnome's Lair, Indie Games: The Weblog, TIGSource, the IFDB, Jay is Games and Mobygames.