The jungle is every bit as humid and every bit as hot as you had expected. Everything is sticky. You're sticky, the leaves you brush past are sticky, the ground is both squelchy and sticky. Oh well, at least you're finally away from your desk and pursuing your life-long dream of being an adventurer! Best to push on through the stickiness, you're sure to [[stumble across something amazing soon|first sight]].(set: $route to 0)\ There's something exciting up ahead! Peaking out between the trees you can see the bright yellow stone of an angular structure. Could it be a whole new ziggurat, just waiting to be discovered? By you?! This is incredible! You're almost bouncing with excitement. [[Forge on!|Maze 1]]You walk between the hanging vines and what little light that was breaking through the tree canopy above seems to dissipate around you. The gloom is haunting but at least the temperature has dropped noticably. You're feeling less sticky, which is nice. Oddly, you would have thought the ground would be getting firmer but, if anything, it seems to be getting [[squishier...|quick sand]] (if: $route is 0)[\ (set: $route to (either:1,2,3))\ ]\ (set: $route2 to 0)\ The jungle ahead of you is thick with (print: (either:"vines", "trees", "mosquitoes")) but there seem to be three obvious paths ahead. To the(if: $route is 1)[ [[left|Maze 2]]](else:)[ [[left|outside trap crocs]]] the vines have grown like a curtains, tied back to make a path. (if: $route is not 1 and $hasphone is 1)[ *Bzzzzzt* don't go this way! ] (if: $route is 2)[ [[Straight ahead|Maze 2]]](else:)[ [[Straight ahead|outside trap sand]]] two trees have grown close enough to prevent any overgrowing of vines and brush but just far enough apart for you to squeeze through. (if: $route is not 2 and $hasphone is 1)[ *Bzzzzzt* don't go this way! ] The(if: $route is 3)[ [[right|Maze 2]]](else:)[ [[right|outside trap darts]]] hand path looks like some kind of wild animal has chewed right through the vegetation. (if: $route is not 3 and $hasphone is 1)[ *Bzzzzzt* don't go this way! ] (if: (history:) contains "Maze 2" and $hasphone is not 1)[ Wait a minute, I think you've been here before. Maybe it's time to sit down and [[have a think...]]](if: $route2 is 0)[\ (set: $route2 to (either:1,2,3))\ ]\ (set: $route to 0)\ You struggle on through the jungle, swatting flies out of the way, hoping that there aren't any really unpleasant creepy crawlies in the undergrowth around your feet and desperately wishing you'd brought some kind of air conditioning with you rather than this laptop. You reach a clearing and, again, there are three distinct paths ahead of you. To the (if: $route2 is 1)[ (if: $hasphone is 1)[[[left|Ziggurat]]](else:)[ [[left|Maze 1]]]](else:)[ [[left|outside trap crocs]]] the vines are trussed up like bunting under the tree canopy. (if: $route2 is not 1 and $hasphone is 1)[ *Bzzzzzt* says your mobile app. Don't go this way! ] (if: $route2 is 2)[ (if: $hasphone is 1)[[[Straight ahead|Ziggurat]]](else:)[[[Straight ahead|Maze 1]]]](else:)[ [[Straight ahead|outside trap sand]]] a fire seems to have ravaged through the vegetation scorching a clear route you could follow. (if: $route2 is not 2 and $hasphone is 1)[ *Bzzzzzt* says your mobile app. Don't go this way! ] (if: $route2 is 3)[\ (if: $hasphone is 1)[ \ (set: $right to "Ziggurat")\ ](else:)[ \ (set: $right to "Maze 1")\ ]\ ](else:)[ \ (set: $right to "outside trap darts")\ ]\ The [[right->$right]] hand path appears to have been made by some kind of stampeding animal. You find yourself hoping that whatever it was has disappeared off to bed for the night. (if: $route2 is not 3 and $hasphone is 1)[ *Bzzzzzt* says your mobile app. Don't go this way! ] Oh no! Crocodiles! Crocodiles everywhere! (set: $history to (history:))\ (set: $previous to $history's last)\ [[Back! Back!->$previous]]Oh god! Quicksand! (set: $history to (history:))\ (set: $previous to $history's last)\ [[Back! Back!->$previous]]Oh god! A dart trap! (set: $history to (history:))\ (set: $previous to $history's last)\ [[Back! Back!->$previous]]It just so happens that there's just a perfect stone for sitting on and having a think right here. This is a conundrum indeed. Lost in a jungle maze. No matter which way you turn there seems to be some kind of horrible demise awaiting you. (text-style:"shudder")[[[Bzzzz.]]](text-style:"shudder")[Bzzzzzzz.] (text-style:"shudder")[Bzzzzzzz.] (text-style:"shudder")[Bzzzzzzz.] Um, that's your phone, do you want to [[pick it up?]]It's <a href="https://www.waterstons.com/people/ross-dargan" target="_blank">Ross Dargan</a> from <a href="https://www.waterstons.com" target="_blank">Waterstons</a>! He's heard that you're on expedition and he thought you might be interested in a mobile application that could help you on your trip? He explains that using your phone's GPS he could help you to avoid walking into any traps. He's mapped out the quicksand, crocodile pits and snakes nests by looking on Google Maps and he can use ring fencing and notifications to help guide you through. It's just like something he's done for a <a href="https://waterstons.com/case-studies/tirone-mobile-protection-from-bears" target="_blank">Canadian company</a>. You hang up, enthused, and wait for Ross to finish his work. It takes about 45 minutes... he works incredibly quickly. You leap to your feet ready to [[continue on your adventure|Maze 1]]! (set: $hasphone to 1)The undergrowth thins and the vegetation begins to clear. As the thick humidity begins to dissipate you realise that you're coming to a huge clearing. You break free of the trees and take gigantic lungfuls of cool air. What a journey this has been so far and now... well... now you're here! At the base of a huge ziggurat. A stepped pyramid, thousands of years old, that reaches high into the air. You stand and marvel. How on Earth was this built so long ago? It seems a feat of impossible engineering. It makes your manufacturing job at the factory seem simple. This travelling has sure put things into perspective. Wiping the condensation from your brow you begin to examine the first step of the pyramid. It's about 20 feet up to the next step. You've got a couple of choices. You could walk to the [[right->walk around right]], or you could walk to the [[left->walk around left]]. Or I guess you could try to [[climb up->climb to first step]] to the first step. You set off around to the right, walking clockwise around the base of the gigantic pyramid. The grass beneath your feet is springy and you feel filled with the excitement of exploring. As you round the first corner of the pyramid you immediately see what must once have been a tree lined approach. The road leads to a set of normal, human sized stairs that lead to a dark entrance way cut into the first floor of the ziggurat. [[Climb the stairs!|Climb the stairs]]You set off around to the left, walking anti-clockwise around the base of the gigantic pyramid. The grass beneath your feet, initially springy and lush, starts to thin through until you're walking on bare soil. You continue on, kicking the dusty earth with the toes of your boots as you walk and watching the clouds of sand as they swirl. After a few minutes of walking you look up from your thoughts and realise that you've been kicking dust over some existing footprints! Someone else has been here before you! And probably recently considering how sharp these footprints are. This is both saddening, because you're not the first person to explore here, and heartening, because you might find a friend to explore with! You [[walk on]] a new bounce to your step. (set: $notalone to 1)You take a running jump at the wall hoping to do some kind of athletic parkour wall run. As you belt towards the wall at a rate of knots, dust kicking up from your heels, you briefly wonder if you've ever done anything like this before... [[Of course I have.]] [[Um...]]You climb the stairs two at a time. Adrenaline surging through your veins. This is so exciting! Reaching the top you let out a whoop of joy, turn 360 degrees to survey the landscape, and stop to examine the [[ziggurat's entrance->Ziggurat Entrance]]. You hit the wall at pace, your leading foot catches a solid foot hold, you leap higher, reaching with your hands and scrambling up. (link: "Higher.")[ (link: "Higher!")[ (link: "HIGHER!")[ (link: "REAAAAAAAAACH!")[ Your fingertips catch the edge and cling, like spiderman to the side of the ziggurat. You're basically there. (link: "You've just got to...")[ (link: "WAIT WHAT WAS THAT.")[ (link: "Something ran across your fingers.")[ A huge millipede peers over the step edge. It rears up, splaying terrifying mandibles, dripping with some kind of terrifying venom. You immediately let go of the edge, sliding gracefully down the side of the pyramid, screaming. Maybe just go around, eh? [[Left->walk around left]] or [[right->walk around right]]? ]]]]]]]You decide to just go for it. You belt, head first at the wall, roaring with passionate ambition. (link: "*Bloop*")[ You wink out of existence. You're in the darkness. You're cold. The air is filled with a cold, metallic tang. You become suddenly aware of a distant melodic chiming. A kind of back and forth like a conversation between two Xylophones. You shake your head as if to try to clear it. You're stilling running. Your foot hits the ground and... (link: "*Bloop*")[ You wink back into existence. You're standing on the first step of the pyramid. (link: "What.")[What. (link:"On.")[On. (link:"Earth.")[Earth. You peer over the edge of the pyramid and look down at where you used to be. The space you left behind seems shimmery like the air above hot tarmac. Well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth I guess. Even if some X-Files level craziness just happened. The step disappears off around the pyramid in both directions but there's an ominous looking, foot long millipede guarding the route around to the left. So [[right->Ziggurat Entrance]] it is. ]]]]]The entrance looms before you. It's dark in there. (if: $gotpetroltorch is 0 and $gotelectrictorch is 0)[In fact, it's so dark you can't see anything at all past the entryway. You've got two kinds of torch with you. You could turn on your [[electric torch]]. Or you could douse your [[adventurer torch]] in petrol and set it on fire.](else:)[Good job you've got your torch all prepped already! [[Let's go!->take a step]]] (if: $notalone is 1 and $gotsharepoint is not 1)[Hey, hang on, you know that there's at least one other person looking around this ziggurat, you could probably help each other out! You know, [[collaborate]].]You walk on, following the footsteps and humming gently to yourself. As you round the first corner of the pyramid you immediately see what must once have been a tree lined approach. The road leads to a set of normal, human sized stairs that lead to a dark entrance way cut into the first floor of the ziggurat. [[Climb the stairs!|Climb the stairs]]*Plink.* *Plink.* *Hummmmmmmmm.* Your torch flickers to life. It may be, possibly, a little too practical but at least you won't set yourself on fire with this. You [[take a step]] towards the temple. (set: $gotelectrictorch to 1)Oh yeah, now you feel like a **real** adventurer. The flames lick the air above you and the smell of petrol is intoxicating. What could possibly go wrong? You [[take a step]] towards the temple. (set: $gotpetroltorch to 1)Suddenly grateful of the laptop you've been carrying in your backpack you make yourself comfortable on the ziggurat's steps. You flip your computer open and connect to your phone, which, miraculously, has a full 4G signal in the middle of the jungle. A few months ago at work you had a couple of <a href="https://www.waterstons.com" target="_blank">Waterston's</a> collaboration and communication experts in to chat to you about how to better make use of the SharePoint installation your predecessor had put in. This is just the kind of thing <a href=https://www.waterstons.com/people/alex-bookless target="_blank">Alex</a> and <a href=https://www.waterstons.com/people/chris-grosberg target="_blank">Chris</a> were talking about! You create a new team site with Yammer integration, write instructions on how to sign up on a piece of paper and stick it to the side of the ziggurat. You use special ziggurat friendly glue, don't worry, you're not destroying valuable artifacts that belong in museums. Excellent, now you can collaborate with anyone else who happens to be searching around this marvel of a pyramid. You leave a quick note of hello in Yammer and [[stand back up->Ziggurat Entrance]], ready and waiting for adventure. (set: $gotsharepoint to 1)(link:"You take a step.")[You take a step. (link:"And then another step.")[And then another step. And another step and another and before you know it you're deep down the first corridor of the ziggurat. (if: $gotpetroltorch is 1)[Your torch casts a flickering sphere of light on the walls and ceiling of the corridor.](else:)[You cast your torch left and right, the cone of light illuminating the walls and the floor alternately.] The walls seem to be covered in carvings and hieroglyphics, an ancient form of writing. The builders of this magnificent pyramid obviously believed in some kind of gods who travelled the skies in huge, triangular flying ships. You wonder if the ziggurat inspired the ships or the ships inspired the ziggurat. (if: $gotsharepoint is 1)[ (font:"Courier New")[(text-style:"blink")[*Yammer Alert*] Hi! Just FYI: there's a seemingly bottomless pit at the very end of the first corridor, watch out for that. There's a lever in the mouth of the giant golden face on the right hand side. [Pull it and the pit will close allowing you to cross safely!]<pull| ]] []<pulled|Your torch catches on the far wall of the corridor. You're nearly at the end! It looks like a T-junction. I wonder which way you'll go when you [[[get there->fall into the pit]]]<pitlink|? ]] (click: ?pull)[ (replace: ?pulled)[You reach into the mouth of the giant golden face on the right hand side of the corridor. Closing your eyes and hoping for the best you poke around until you feel a lever. Grabbing hold of it you give it a mighty tug. A huge, rasping, scraping cacophony ensues but you see nothing change. ] (replace: ?pitlink)[[[get there->cross the pit]]]] You continue towards the end of the corridor. You're so excited that you're practically tingling. What magic could be around this (link: "corn...")[corn... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa a a a Aaaaaaaaargh! You fall for what feels like hours but is, probably, just seconds of panic. At some points you're falling so fast that it feels like you're not actually travelling [[down->falling down]] any more, but instead like you're zooming [[side ways->falling sideways]] or even spiralling [[upwards->falling up]]. That can't be right though, gravity doesn't work that way. Does it? ] (set: $felldownthepit to 1)Well, if something terrible was going to happen at the end of this corridor you seem to have averted it by pulling that lever. Excellent work. Onwards! [[Left->left corridor]] or [[right->try right corridor]]?Replaying the scenario in your head you think you've worked out what happened. You took a step and the floor opened up beneath you. That means it was a trap! A trap in a mystical ziggurat in the jungle! Amazing, this really is like Indiana Jones! Maybe you'll find a golden idol at the end of this adventure or maybe you'll find a crystal skull and everyone will be super disappointed? Or, more likely, you'll be sick - which way ARE you falling? [[Up->falling up]]? [[Side ways->falling sideways]]? (set: $down to 1) (if: $down is 1 and $up is 1 and $sideways is 1)[Oh, hang on, is that a light, above you?! It's getting [[closer.->falling outside]]]Good job you managed to keep a hold of your torch. There's not much to see in this pit but you do keep catching glimpses of more intricate carvings on the walls. It almost looks like a kind of musical notation. You bet that the music carved on the inside of a ziggurat is beautiful. (link: "*Bloop*")[ You wink out of existence. Non-existance is a funny thing. It's shockingly cold for starters. And it's dark. Even darker than the bottomless pit was. And your torch doesn't seem to be casting light any more. And there's this beautiful, tinkling, chiming melody of... well... it sounds like voices in the distance. (link: "*Bloop*")[ You wink back into existence. And you're falling sideways again. Hang on a minute. Seriously. Which way ARE you falling? [[Up->falling up]]? [[Down->falling down]]? (set: $sideways to 1) (if: $down is 1 and $up is 1 and $sideways is 1)[Oh, hang on, is that a light, above you?! It's getting [[closer.->falling outside]]] ]]Who knew that falling up was a thing. You certainly feel like you're falling up. Hang on, what's that? There's something falling next to you. If you reach you might be able to (link: "grab it.")[grab it... You attempt to swim through the air towards the falling object. It's not very effective but you keep trying and, eventually, after some super elegant aerial acrobatics (honestly) you manage to get a hold of (link: "it.")[it. It's a flip flop! And it's not one of yours! It's a VMWare flip flop. Well, that's a turn up for the books. But it does mean that there's someone else in here with you. Well that's exciting! You wonder if you'll cross paths with them at some point! (set: $notalone to 1) Oh, you think you've changed direction again. Which way now? [[Sideways->falling sideways]]? [[Down->falling down]]? (set: $up to 1) (if: $down is 1 and $up is 1 and $sideways is 1)[Oh, hang on, is that a light, above you?! It's getting [[closer.->falling outside]]] ]]Oh look! You're outside! (link: "Wait.")[Wait. What just happened? Your brain desperately tries to make sense of what's occuring. A little while ago you went in on the 'first floor' of the ziggurat and now you're... (link: "oh dear...")[falling down the outside of the pyramid. When you felt like you were falling upwards and sideways you really were falling upwards and sideways. This is crazy. And now you seem to be slowing down as you approach the ground. Oh, you're going to land, delicately, at the [[entrance to the ziggurat again->Ziggurat Entrance]].]]You head left. Left just feels *right*. Good old left. It's not let you down yet. What's that ratcheting sound? Presumably something helpful, right? Surely nothing to worry about. It sounds like a huge spring being wound up. Springs are always helpful, aren't they? (link: "*Plink*")[*Hummmmmmmmmmmm* Suddenly the darkness is permeated with bright, white light. The weird cranking stops and there's a kind of humming noise that seems to go with the *plink*. You can see every detail of the markings on the walls. They're beautiful - so intricate and seemingly full of information. There's more of that musical notation here. You stop to try to read some of it, singing what you believe the notes might be. La, la, hmmmm, la, (link: "hmmmm.")[hmmmm. (link: "*Plink*")[The hum stops, the light blinks out. That was odd. I guess a lot of odd things are happening here at the moment. (link: "*CLUNK*")[(text-style:"shudder")[*TWAAAAAAAANG*] The far wall of the corridor suddenly springs towards you pushing you back down the corridor, past the junction with the first corridor and down to the [[right hand end->right corridor]]. ]]]]Wishing you'd turned right you slowly pick yourself up from the floor and assess the damage. No broken bones. Maybe a couple of bruises but nothing serious. Reassured that you're in a good state to continue your adventure you look about you with new-found trepidation. Some of these traps hurt. There's a very sharp [[right turn->server room]] just ahead of you.You think about going right but, well, really, it doesn't feel quite 'right', do you know what I mean? So you turn around and go [[left->left corridor]] instead. Seriously, it's kind of important for the plot that you go [[left->left corridor]]. Thanks.(if: $visitedserverroom is not 1)[You round the corner and gasp in surprise. (set: $visitedserverroom to 1) You're in a room so beautiful you can hardly breath. There's just so... much... perfectly managed cabling. It's like an exquisitely tidy server room in here. Cable springs from wall sockets, runs into tightly bound rivers, and then splits and separates to become deltas and tributaries which disappear back into different sockets in the wall. This is incredible, the entire ziggurat appears to be fully Cat 5 cabled. There are small blinking green and blue lights everywhere. It's utterly majestic and totally bamboozling all at once. Who on Earth wired this entire ancient pyramid up? At least they did a really tidy job of it. But seriously [[what on Earth is going on here->end of first chapter]]? ](else:)[You're back in the server room. The lights are still twinkling, the cables are still heart stoppingly beautiful.] Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.You sit down and whip your laptop out. Logging back into SharePoint you quickly hammer out a Yammer reply to your mystery collaborator: (font:"Courier New")[(if: $felldownthepit is 1)[Hey! Totally fell down that bottomless pit. Turns out it's not bottomless just really confused about gravity. Thanks for the tip about the lever though.](else:)[ Hi! Thanks for the heads up on that pit. Managed to avoid going down it.] Anyway, found a server room up here. This place is totally crazy. Did you do all this cabling?] Then you open Visio and do a quick cabling diagram showing the main cable routes inside the room and upload that to your team site. Feeling pleased with yourself you hop back to you feet and stow your laptop again. You take another look around the room, scanning for clues. There are several labelled panels on the walls: [[ESB]], [[PLCs]], [[PWR]] and [[SQL]].You take another look around the room, scanning for clues. There are several labelled panels on the walls: [[ESB]], [[PLCs]], [[PWR]] and [[SQL]]. Oh, hang on, maybe you should make a note of this on [[SharePoint->post about the server room]]?Well folks, That is the end of chapter one of *The Great Quest*. If you enjoyed it then please look out for the next thrilling installment coming in October! In the meantime,why don't you give <a href="https://www.waterstons.com">Waterstons<a> a call on 0845 094 0954 to make a start upon your own <a href="https://www.waterstons.com">Great Quest<a>?