In this hypertext adventure, you are one of the last few heroes of humanity, grappling with the ecological disaster that the world has become. A mysterious meteorite, the Heart of Volent, offers the possibility of reversing the damage, but where there is power, there is conflict...
In 2015, worsening conditions in the world's climate led to the first Global Economic Conference. It was agreed to implement measures intended to reverse industrial damage to the ecology and replenish the ozone layer. By 2031, an array of weather control satellites were in orbit. For added efficiency, and as a mark of worldwide co-operation, these were placed under the control of a supercomputer network called Gaia: the Global Artificial Intelligence Assembly. The Earth's climate began to show steady improvement.
The first hint of disaster came early in 2037, when Gaia shut down inexplicably for a period of seventeen minutes. Normal operation was resumed but the system continued to suffer 'glitches'. One such glitch resulted in Paris being subjected to a two-day heat wave of such intensity that the pavements cracked. After several months, the fault was identified. A computer virus had been introduced into Gaia by unknown means. The system's designer began programming an antivirus but died before his work was completed. The crisis grew throughout that year until finally, following the death of five thousand people in a flash flood along the Bangladesh coastline, the Gaia project was officially denounced. Unfortunately it was no longer possible to shut it down.
By the mid twenty-first century, global weather conditions were in chaos owing to Gaia's sporadic operation. Ice sheets advanced further each year. Australia was subject to virtually constant torrential rain. The centre of Asia had become an arid wasteland. The political situation reflected the ravages of the climate, with wars flaring continually around the globe. Late in 2054, computer scientists in London tried to hack into Gaia and locate the replicating viruses in the program. Gaia, detecting this, interpreted the action as an attack on its program and retaliated by taking over a range of defence networks which allowed it to launch a nuclear strike. London was completely destroyed.
By the end of the century Gaia had routed itself into all major computer networks, taking control of weather, communications and weapons systems all across the planet. Periods of lucidity and hospitable climate were interspersed with hurricanes and arctic blizzards. The US President gave an interview in which he likened Gaia to a living entity: 'She was intended as mankind's protective mother, but this "mother" has gone mad.'
Spiralling decline in the world's fortunes left much of humanity on the brink of extinction. The population fell rapidly until only a few million people remained scattered around the globe -- mostly in cities where food could still be artificially produced.
It is now the year 2300. The rich stand aloof, disporting themselves with forced gaiety and waiting for the end. The poor inhabit lawless slums where disease is rife. Between the cities, the land lies under a blanket of snow and ice. No one expects humanity to last another century. This is truly 'the end of history'.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best in interactive fiction,
By Gaetano Abbondanza (Claremont, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Heart of Ice (Paperback)
This has got to be one of the best gamebooks ever written. The story takes place several hundred years in the future in a post-apocalyptic setting. Gaia, a supercomputer that was designed to combat global warming and other climate problems by regulating the world's climate, has gone "mad"- whether from a virus, a malfunction, or some other reason, it has used its abilities to produce devastating consequences for the world. In the time that the story takes place, most of the world's population has been wiped out, save for a few scattered pockets of civilization. YOU play the role of a survivor in this harsh world. Rumors about the Heart of Volent- a meteorite that fell to earth centuries ago- reach you. The one who finds it will supposedly obtain unimaginable powers. You set out to find the heart- but there are others who seek it as well, for reasons which may be disastrous for everyone else should they succeed. The story is extemely descriptive, involving, and well developed. The characters are more well devoloped than what you'd find in most gamebooks. As far as gameplay goes, the difficulty level is about right- challenging, but not extremely difficult. Multiple pathways, i.e. many different possible directions for your character to take, make this a book you can read many times with different results. If you like gamebooks, this is a must read; if you've never read a gamebook but you enjoy science fiction, I definitely recommend this as well, since the story reads almost like a novel. Dave Morris really produced a winner with this one, and Russ Nicholson's detailed illustrations are a nice touch.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Return of an old favourite,
This review is from: Heart of Ice (Paperback)
Wow! I remember playing this book years ago and it's still just as enjoyable. Far more enjoyable then your average game book. If you are only going to play one, make it this one!
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