Ruby Quest: Chapter 16

Ruby tells Tom she's pressed some buttons.

Tom says a minute or two ago, something started making noises from the pipe overhead. Every 30 seconds or so, a clanking, clattering sound echoes in the pipes, like something's passing through there.

"try breaking open the pipe and seeing what it is."

">try breaking open the pipe and seeing what it is."

The pipes here are all shielded with thick metal plates.

Tom wisely moves to the back room, where the pipe is exposed.

Tom lets fly with the crowbar and assaults the old pipe!

For better or for worse, the pipe is smashed wide open.

Just in time... the rumbling sound is coming this way again.

A perfect glass sphere comes tumbling down the shaft and lands softly, unharmed, on the soft yet utilitarian couch.

glassonsafe

Tom doesn't know quite what you're trying to say. Do you want him to UNLOCK THE SAFE WITH THE GLASS SPHERE?

Well gee, why didn't you just come out and say that?

Tom unlocks the safe using the GLASS SPHERE and the SAFE LOCK SOCKET.

Inside the safe, Tom finds... some sort of peculiar wooden disc.

"Go back into the tech room, put the disc into the mail slot and send it to Ruby."

">Go back into the tech room, put the disc into the mail slot and send it to Ruby."

Tom passes the strange disc to Ruby, who looks a bit startled to see it.

Ruby sets the wooden disc onto the peg in the clock-like device.

It fits perfectly.

To which symbol should Ruby point the disc?

"top one"

">top one"Ruby points the dial disc

to the top symbol. The sound of sliding metal comes from nearby.

Just as Ruby had hoped, the symbol must have opened the Z-Hatch!

TOM enters the room, looking pleased to see Ruby.

He carries the EXTENDABLE POWER CORD Ruby forgot in the other room.

"Hug Tom."

">Hug Tom."Ruby hugs Tom.

Tom goes a step further.

...Ruby returns to the clock.

She turns the dial away from the top symbol, and she can hear the Z-Hatch slam down again.

Ruby turns the dial to the bottom symbol. A faint sound of sliding metal can be heard through the plexiglass.

"It was at this point that Ruby realised that Tom is the one, and she threw herself at him, kissing passionately"

">666"Turn dial to the top. Go to the other side, leave

Tom behind. Ask Tom to turn the dial to the bottom again.

">>It was at this point that Ruby realised that Tom is the one, and she threw herself at him, kissing passionately"

">666"

Nice try, SATAN.

">Turn dial to the top. Go to the other side, leave Tom behind. Ask Tom to turn the dial to the bottom again."

Ruby uses the dial to open the Z-Hatch and heads towards the room on the other side of the glass.

Ruby's headis killing her.

Ruby wipes the blood off her forehead.

Tom didn't see.

"Knock on the glass, press your hand against the glass, show that you are not well."

">Knock on the glass, press your hand against the glass, show that you are not well."

no

tomcan't know

Ruby gets Tom's attention, then gets him to switch the dial to the bottom long enough for her to open the small slot in the wall and retrieve the fourth PAPER SCRAP. She signals Tom, and he switches it back again, opening the Z-Hatch.

Ruby returns to the Dummy room.

Tom begins to apologize for his earlier rash action. Ruby quickly dismisses it.

It's fine.Don't worry about it.

[artistic error in the previous panel, Tom didn't magically regrow his eye, I'm just tired and hurrying]

Ruby re-opens the Z-Hatch. Tom returns through it to the other side and plugs in the EXTENDABLE POWER CORD from the digital lock upstairs.

...not quite as planned.

Tom and Ruby make a boring excursion back downstairs, through the Z-Hatch, unplug the cord, pull it back to the proper side, change the dial to the symbol in the water, then climb back upstairs.

But it's very boring so let's just skip all that and get to the good part. It's what Ruby would want. She doesn't mess around.

Tom and Ruby prepare themselves...

but there's no one on the other side.

The monitor system appears to have been destroyed.

Ruby finally inserts the CROSS PEG into the cross-shaped recess in the wall.

The panel on the wall transforms before Ruby's eyes, folding open and revealing a small ladder of broad pegs, leading up to a newly-opened hatch in the ceiling.