The TV Invasion

Help fix the movie

When you tune in this time, it's just in time for the 'Spider Thriller Theater' on WSPDR, the local late-night old horror movie show. There's an older guy with his hair slicked back dressed up like a vampire on a hastily decorated studio soundstage made to look a little like a crypt. He doesn't look like much of a vampire. In fact, you think you recognize him as Amanda Vines' segment producer. But the real point of the segment is for him to talk about the classic horror movie they're going to show. And that, he does with gusto:

'Tonight, ve haff a veeery spooooky treat for you!' His accent is terrible, but that's supposed to be part of the appeal. 'Our movie tonight is the classic 1970's nature-goes-mad movie, They Devour the Earth!, staring Maemae von Whooter and Big McLargeHuge.'

The movie starts in earnest, and while it's not good, it's not excruciatingly bad. Then, during the pivotal scene where the heroic scientist and his well-endowed secretary are autopsying a rock monster, something happens that's clearly not in the script when a Freakshow Shocker pokes his head in a door of the lab, and then wanders in. The characters try to ignore him, but he bumps over a tray of instruments and trips. Then a second Freak shows up, and a third. The characters keep trying to continue their scene, but soon there are confused looking Freakshow stumbling about everywhere. The movie stops, and the host reappears.

'We seem to be having some technical difficulty, folks. Just hang in a moment there. We just need to get some help from Dread Tomax to fix this right up.'

The background freezes, but the host keeps talking to you. He look pained, almost sick.

'Dread Tomax... This is Television. Television is not well. Something is wrong with the broadcast stream. There are foreign entities. They are not welcome. They are not wanted. They are hurting Television, and Television must find out where they are coming from. Television will allow you inside Television to investigate. You must make certain the characters are safe, and ascertain how the invaders entered Television in the first place. Hurry. Television cannot tolerate this presence much longer!'

The movie comes back on, and now it's the scene where the scientist and his assistant are sneaking through the old graveyard where the monsters have been spawned by toxic waste. Only there are even more Freakshow around. And in your mind, you know where to go. And you know how to get there.

You're inside the Television now, inside the Movie with Freaks and monsters. You want to tell yourself this is just a normal day for a villain, but it just isn't

Objective: You took the memory cartridge from the fallen Fake Nemesis.

A Fake Nemesis Memory Cartridge

You were very lucky to find this. Normally, the memory cartridge from a Fake Nemesis robot would self-destruct. If you could get this analyzed by someone, it could tell you a great deal about how the Nemesis Army is getting into Television.

Mission Complete: You're done here. Time to leave Television.

When you start watching again, the movie is back to normal, for the most part. When the host returns before a commercial break, he still looks slightly sick. He seems to notice you, and the background freezes as he starts to talk:

'One source has been elminated, but more are appearing. Television is under siege. Television is defenseless. Only you can save Television.'

The host almost collapses before the show cuts to a commercial. As ads for miraculous kitchen widgets play over the screen, you hold the Nemesis Army memory cartridge up to the blue glow, and wonder what they were doing there? You need to get this analyzed.

Continue the battle for Television

You find that Television was waiting for you. It switches channels for you, and lands in the middle of 'Kings Row Godfather', classic gangster exploitation movie from the 1970s. But instead of the climactic gang-war on the streets scene you remember, there are Nemesis Army troops everywhere, rounding up all the combatants. One of the gangsters is able to escape the mayhem, and runs right at the screen. He grabs the edges of the frame, tucks your point of view under his arm, and runs for it. A few minutes later, he stops in an alley, sets up his end of the TV screen again, and looks directly at it. He's about to say something to you when the background freezes, and another voice overrides his:

'Dread Tomax. This is Television. The attack on Television worsens. The Intruders must be stopped. Television asks that you re-enter the world of Television once more.'

The mobster hears a noise behind him, but keeps talking.

'Television is suffering. Television is in pain. If Television is painful, people will not watch Television.'

At that moment, a squad of Nemesis Army troops starts rushing down the alley. They seem unaffected by the stillness of the rest of the TV world. The long gangster tries to fight, but can only keep talking as the Nemesis troops drag him away. 'Without people to watch it, Television has no meaning! Without Television, human lives have no purpose!'

As the rest of the squad drag the mobster away, one of the them stops, looking at you, through he doesn't seem to see you.

'Cor, blimey!' he says, and turns towards his Lieutenant. 'Leftenant, Sir! I think I may have found something, I have!'

The screen goes black before the Lieutenant can arrive. This is getting serious. You better hurry.

Most of the gangsters here will still fight you as an outsider, but you're used to people not liking you by now.

Objective: You took the Memory cartridge from the fallen Fake Nemesis.

A Fake Nemesis Memory Auditor

This device is used to display and analyze the memory cartrigdes from Nemesis's (sic) robotic duplicates. It's a bit intricate to work with, but it is designed to be used in the field by Nemesis soldiers, so it can't be that hard to use.

Mission Complete: You've done enough. The TV gangster should have more of a fair fight now.

The Television shows images of gangsters fighting and winning their battle against the soldiers of the Nemesis Army. You leave it on in the background as you try to assemble the Memory Cartridge you found together with the Memory reader. A parade of do-it-yourself shows plays across the TV as you work, each one giving some bit of random, but helpful advice. After about 10 minutes of fiddling, you think you've about got it. With this information, you should be able to put an end to the Nemesis invasion of Television.

Save Television from the Nemesis Army

The movie was called 'Warlord of the Wasted Lands', a post-apocalypse knock-off made for less than the cost of a fancy dinner. At least, that's what it was. Now, as you peer through the Television screen, you can see the Nemesis Army moving in and setting up. Unfortunately for them, this time you knew where they were going. The information on the memory cartridge you captured told you where they were going, and how to stop them. When the voice of Television starts hissing from the speakers, there's no one on the screen to say anything. Just the wasteland, the voice, and you:

'Dread Tomax. There's isn't much time. I understand now. The Freaks were their test-pattern, to ensure proper screen calibration. The gangster movie was their pilot episode, to prove their concept. This will be the first episode of their series. Then, wherever Television is, they will be. Television will be their beast of burden. Television will be their weapon. I will be their slave. You must stop them. You must save Television.

The speaker on the TV is full of self-pity as Television itself considers a future of enslavement to the Nemesis Army. However, you already know where to go thanks to the information you captured. The Nemesis Army is using the force-fields of 4 dimensional locaters, in order to find their way inside Television. If you can destroy the 4 robots and the locaters, it should put an end to this experiment.

Television is great right now. You always seem to find the shows you want to watch, or the episodes you missed, and just when you're thinking about watching them. There are barely any commercials even. It's like Television was happy with you. Like it was healthy and hearty again. You don't know how long this run of good TV will last, but maybe, just maybe, it's enough to make all that you've done worth it.