"You speak the old reset code; she freezes, face and body motionless, and theres almost a palpable chill in the air as her internal motors turn off and she stops generating heat. "List Scenarios?" she asks in a frosty voice. YES OR NO? "Yes," you reply; and she lists them: First, that she kills herself. Second, that she kills you. Third, that she departs, seeking her artist. Fourth, that she departs, seeking other exhibits. Fifth, that you end as friends and confidants. Sixth, that you end as lovers. Seventh, that you take her place on the pedestal. Eighth, that you offer her a home with yourself. But whatever the ninth and further scenarios might be, it seems you are doomed not to hear of them: her vocal program stutters, and after a moment or two of waiting, you depart disappointed."
Galatea is an interactive fiction video game by Emily Short featuring a modern rendition of the Greek myth of Galatea, the sculpture of a woman that gained life. It took "Best of Show" in the 2000 IF Art Show and won a XYZZY Award for Best non-player character. The game displays an unusually rich approach to non-player character dialogue and diverts from the typical puzzle-solving in interactive f
"fine architecture of chin and cheekbone, brow and nose. If there is vulnerability, or the hint of a flaw, it lingers in her mouth and at the edges of her eyes. She looks a bit blank, as though caught up in some internal thought; her focus doesnt seem to be on you."
Galatea (video game)"So the tides disappoint you?" you ask. "Disappoint? Who am I to be disappointed?" She shrugs, laughing a little dryly. "Theyre only one of a million things about which I was wrong. So? The world is larger and less pretty than I thought. But I have no right to complain about what is."
Galatea (video game)"[Thinking about Galatea] A bit of an enigma, really. A complex piece by someone youve never heard of. Which suggests a pseudonym or perhaps a hoax, except of course that she doesnt remind you of the work of anyone in particular. There are superficial resemblances here and there. On the whole, though, shes unique."
Galatea (video game)"You put a hand on her back, between the shoulderblades, to feel her breath rising and falling, and the faint motion of implied muscle. When you take the hand away, however, she shivers."
Galatea (video game)"Do you know how to read?" you ask. "A bit," she remarks. Her voice is naturally low -- alto tones -- but theres something wrong with the modulation, as though at any moment she might start to scream. "I still have to say the words aloud sometimes, in order to get the sense out of them."
Galatea (video game)"And finally her substance has fled entirely, and she is only a shadow, passing around you in a cool whisper. "I am what you think I am; I am what your treatment makes of me."
Galatea (video game)