I Wonder

Welcome to I Wonder! This is a game about letting the mind run , so without further ado, [[let's get into it!]]

This game was created firstly to satisfy the whole Twine Narrative project (shoutout Professor Potter) requirement for one of our big grades. Secondly, it was created to indulge some of the weirdest corners of the internet and my own mind as we wander through wondering. This game serves as a metaphor for all the empty information that we fill our minds with as we powerbrowse through innumerable fun facts and odd tidbits of articles, the ceaseless white noise of the internet. The tone of the game was chosen to reflect the general chaos of the world wide web, and the fact that this game exists is a testament to our society progressing even further technologically. Also, though, //it's not that deep//. I hope you enjoy! With that said, [[let's get into it!|start]]

You just did! Good job! Not a huge one for exposition I see, but that's alright. Very cool. Just a big player, not a big observe-all-this-hard-work-and-intellectual-meat-er. [[Woo start!|start]]

Let's start with some light questions to ease into things... I wonder [[how big the moon is?|moon]] I wonder [[when spaghetti was first created?|spag]]

Nice. Big space nerd over here, huh? According to the interwebs, the moon was 'created' about 4.6 billion years ago when the earth hit a big ol rock named Theia from space. The moon has a radius of 1.08 miles. Happy now? [[Yes!!|ohrlly]] [[no.|good]]

It was way harder than I expected to find a clear answer from the internet on this one. So, since everybody on the internet has a different hot take on where spaghetti came from I will regurgitate some of the broadest and easiest facts about spaghetti's creation. Thin pasta made from the flour of hard wheat which was then boiled has existed since like 400 AD in the times of the Roman Empire. The noodles didn't meet their counterpart of sauce until around 1800, however, so if you enjoy sauced spaghetti that was invented way later. Point is, that spaghetti exists and we all like it. [[Go spaghetti!|attitude]]

Oh //really?// So you just took it in stride that the moon, the giant glowing rock we see in the sky basically every night, has a radius of 1.08 miles. Maybe you just glossed over it. Maybe you weren't even reading my hard work in the first place. You can go back [[here|moon]] if you like.

Good. You shouldn't be satisfied. I like you. You've got a real keen edge to yourself if you can pick up on bogus moon facts. Or maybe you just weren't satisfied regardless. However, Anyone who //was// satisfied in the beginning should be extremely //dissatisfied// with themselves right now (hello other pathway peoples :)) But yes, either way, we're all here right now, so we can get the straight fax on the moon. The moon has a radius of about 1,080 miles, which, if you recall your days of geometry, means it has a diameter of roughly 2,160 miles. [[nice|nice]] [[Come on man, again with the fake moon facts?|repeat]] [[Did you even account for rounding with your diameter estimation???|estimation]]

Nice! Thank you for trusting me. I am glad you could recognize that you learned something and that too many fake moon facts would have just gotten played out. Now that we've gone through some mild wondering, let's dig deeper! Let's [[wonder some more.|conspiracy]]

Wow, I understand I may have broken your trust earlier and you think I'm full of it, but wow. Two fake moon facts in a row would just be too played out. Think on your feet; I'm sure you'll catch up. Maybe you were never that trusting in the first place, though. Maybe it's not your fault; maybe everything //is// a lie. You're right. We should get crazier. I'm talking nanobots in the cereal type crazy... Let's [[wonder some more.|conspiracy]]

Yes. Or mostly. In all honesty, the moon's real radius and diameter are 1,079.4 and 2158.8 miles, respectively. I thought the difference was negligible enough to bump them up by a mile or two to make prettier numbers. I respect your drive to know the truest of facts about the moon. Maybe you wanna be an astronaut. Very cool! Although, if you don't have your moon facts memorized by heart maybe astronaut [[isn't the path for you|good]]

I wonder... [[if birds are real?|birds]] [[if the moon landing was real?|moon2]] [[wait!! I wanted to hear about spaghetti too! Or maybe even again because I love spaghetti and everything about it!|troll]]

I like your attitude. It is clear to me from your predetermined response that you've got a lot of enthusiasm. [[Go me! Let's wonder some more! |conspiracy]] [[Wait!! I wanted to learn about the moon too.|moon]]

Funnily enough, they aren't. Guys, I'm not even lying. I thought this would be a quick couple of Googles and articles bada bing bada boom. But the first article I read made a great case for the whole movement and ever since that I fell down the rabbit hole. Birds aren't real. Thanks to the directors of the CIA getting tired of being pooped on by birds a couple decades back, our avian friends were kidnapped and obliterated. They were replaced with about 12 billion government surveillance drones designed to look exactly like birds. The people who unearthed these facts also sell cool, unironic "birds aren't real" t-shirts. (I'm sure if you say the word bird near any phone or surveillance device [in other words, a //BIRD//,] you'll get an ad for one as soon as possible, if you're interested). What a movement, unearthing this ground shattering conspiracy. [[Wow, my ground is certainly shattered|ground]]

Ugh, I already told you I drew the line at one fake moon fact. Too much fake moon stuff! [[Keep up.|conspiracy]]

Yeah? Do you really? Well how bad do you truly want to learn about spaghetti, because I can tell you right now this will not be a fun path back to that tasty Italian dish. [[I'm out. This does not sound like fun you are right.|conspiracy]] [[Not only am I a dedicated culinary learner, but I am tired of you trying to control my life. Don't tell me what I want.|askedforit]]

Alright, well you asked for it. [[Yes, I did.|toobad]] [[Even though I totally did ask for it, this ominous message has made me regret asking for it, and I retract my previous asking for it. And now, with respect to asking for it, I am not|toobad2]]

Welp, your brazen attitude has carried you this far. Let's see what we can do to diminish your spirits. [[Welcome to hyperlink hell, my friend.|hell]]

Too bad, my friend. You did, in fact, ask for it and now here we are, [[trapped in hyperlink hell together.|hell]]

This is it. Welcome to hell. [[This is not fun.|hell1]]

Yeah, you're right. This is not fun. Look at you: a big, brazen spaghetti explorer stranded out here with absolutely no spaghetti information. [[Yeah man, this sucks, you're not even doing what your game was made to do.]]

Good. I didn't want my game to do that anyways. Hell is better. Between you and me, I didn't even link this to the spaghetti facts (Or did I? I didn't.)(Or did I didn't??). I created this pathway purely to send you down a rabbit hole of clicks and eventually force you to backtrack by restarting your browser or pressing that small back arrow like eighty times. [[Eighty times?! Why wouldn't I just backtrack now?|cuz]] [[I call your bluff, sir, and I will raise you one-hundred-and-sixty clicks.|bluff]]

Because you love spaghetti, and I know you won't leave while even the smallest glimmer of hope of learning some very simple and intersting spaghetti facts exists. Even now I am exploiting your clicks, wasting your time, prolonging your stay in my possibly 'clickbait' (there's gotta be at least forty puns I could make with that word in the context of this game) hell. [[You bastard!|yes]] [[I'm clicking back now, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!|deadend]]

Wow I did not expect you to call my bluff . You know what I'll give you an [[out|conspiracy]] right here if you sincerely want it. If you are a person of your word, however, you did promise me some clicks anyways. [[Back to hell!|yes]]

Yes! I am a bastard! Feel the rage! Embrace this hell! [[AHHHHHHH!!!!!|studies]]

Okay, I cannot stop you. But even if you were doing that you definitely wouldn't be here, so [[make up your mind spaghetti explorer.|cuz]]

In my miscallaneous internet research, I actually found that a good scream could help with all your anger. So maybe don't scream, maybe just internalize your rage for maximum hell effect. [[*silent rage*|more]]

Yeah! Rage! Hell! [[This sucks!]]

This sucks so much! [[This is really very truly hyperlink hell!]]

Yes, it really very truly is! And they're not even appearing on the same page! Different page each time this guy has no programming expertise! [[This is hell all around]]

[[...]]

[[Let me out, asshole!|asshole]]

Wow, asshole, okay... I know you can do better. [[You suck.]] [[Cunt!]] [[You live a pathetic existence and this small waste of my time is only a testament to that as you spent a much greater amount of time creating this whole clickhell than I will every spend on your sad, stupid little game. I am closing my tab goodnight you horrible troll.]]

Weaksauce. Not much else to say. It's like you're not even mad you're trapped in this hell with me. [[I'll get angrier I promise!!|asshole]]

Wow! Okay! from like 5 to 105 you really just escalated your insult a thousand fold. That's too fast an escalation! Learn how to argue, because that was just plain offensive for everyone here. [[Okay, I'm sorry. That was much too fast an escalation.|asshole]]

Hmph. okay. You win. That hurt. You're a great arguer and just... you win have your spaghetti facts I didn't know you cared so deeply. [[okay, thank you that's all I wanted.|yaknow]]

You know the things you say online can really hurt, okay? There's another person on the other side of the screen just remember that. [[You're right I came on too harsh and I apologize, even though I think we both got a little carried away with our online interaction.|kind]] [[...|alright]]

Alright jerk have your [[spaghetti facts|prank2]]

Just kidding, you're still in hell I run this place either acknowldge you're wrong or click forever. [[okay, I apologize.|spag]] [[Dude what you were trolling me??? How you gonna act all hurt just like that|convo]] [[screw you, asshole|wecan]]

You're right. I am sorry I was trolling you and I clearly upset you. I think I just got a little carried away with all this internet stuff. Thanks for the time to hear me out and squash all this beef. [[You're a good friend|spag]]

Okay. [[We can play this game|hell]]

I wonder... [[What this game is about?]] [[Why I haven't started playing yet?]]

I don't know about you, but all this ground shattering and deep thinking has got me hungry. And you know the perfect solution for hunger? //Food for thought.// Let's get metaphysical all up in hee-ah. [[Okay!|god]]

I wonder? [[What happens after you die?|death]] [[If there is a God?]] [[Whether Plato's divided line and allegory of the cave serve as an accurate scale for physical objects and metaphyscial ideas in our universe?]]

... Kinda depends on what you believe in. See [[If there is a God?]] for more.

It does! And it does a really good job of it, too! Anyobody who hasn't read The Divided Line from Plato's //Republic// should definitely check it out. And if that isn't clear enough, then you have the allegory of the cave (which serves as a clearer blueprint/metaphorical example) to clear everything up. [[Wow! Very interesting!]]

Maybe. [[Informative, thank you.|god]]

Yes! It is! I truly love your enthusiasm! [[So, are you going to tell me anything real about Plato and his line?]]

Yes I did!!! [[No, you *didn't*!|argue]]

:( Okay, you caught me... I never read Plato's //Republic//. [[You intellectual poser!]] [[It's okay, we all make mistakes.]]

I may be a poser but I can still make you [[forgive me for that!|argue]]

Thank you for being //so// kind and understanding! You fill my heart with a deep love that only an anonymous internet player like yourself could. [[You're welcome, I meant every word.]]

Check your privelege. I told you basically everything you needed to know about that. [[No you didn't.]]

This has been quite an exprience together, hasn't it? I think we both learned a little bit about the world, and a little more about ourselves, too. I wonder... [[If this stupid game will ever end?]] [[If I can stay here and keep learning forever?]]

It just did. Congratulations! Fireworks! I hope you're happy. If you feel this lacked luster, maybe you should reconsider your tone when you wonder. [[Just a thought.]]

You cannot. I hope you enjoyed this game, though! Thank you for playing it all the way through!

What? I thought you left. You were literally just wondering about when the 'stupid' game would ever end and it did. There's nothing else here for you stop [[following links]] and revel in your choice to end the game.

Seriously. Stop. Even I don't know what's going to happen if you [[continue clicking.]]

<img src="https://imgs.smoothradio.com/images/191589?crop=16_9&width=660&relax=1&signature=Rz93ikqcAz7BcX6SKiEC94zJnqo=" /> You are so, so, so lucky that the music is copyrighted. I hope this discourages you from being so brazen and hard-headed in the future. Game, set, match. Thank you for playing! I hope you enjoyed! (This is actually the end :)

I am glad we talked this out. This has been a very positive interaction overall;[[here are your spaghetti facts.|spag]]