It turns out that the fuel the Chemist has spent so long concocting down in The Garlic Tree's basement is much more powerful than even he could ever have envisaged. Upon splashing a generous portion into the Time Machine's inner bowels, our pioneers clambered aboard and clung on for dear life. With an intense rattle and a thundering roar the world began to spin around them, and before they could pause for breath there was silence.
And it was a strange kind of silence. Not the type where there's a distant sound of cars humming by on a busy road or a solitary bird softly crowing from a distance, but the type where there is truly nothing. After a few moments of adjusting to his new surroundings, the Cat gathered with some alarm that they had found their way to the Dawn of Time itself.
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| Overview of Stop #1: The Dawn of Time |
Never had the voyagers anticipated they'd travel quite so far back. But despite their shock and trepidation, they weren't about to miss out on the chance of a thousand lifetimes. Peering around, the Chemist was astounded to see that the early universe was not the empty vacuum it is typically painted to be. Instead a busy crossroads met his eye:
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| Rocket crossroads |
Enclosed by the Railroad Crossings, the adventurers have stumbled upon a congested corner of the galaxy where unmanned Coin-Operated Rockets are chugging along. Some of the rockets are still in motion as indicated by the trails of Dotted Tiles at the rear, while others are at a standstill. It seems that queues were prevalent even when the universe was still in its embryonic stage!
And keeping every rocket in check is the Train Conductor. His job is to ensure that these unpiloted vehicles don't step out of line and collide. So far so good, although given that the universe is going to be around for a long time he's going to get very sore lips from blowing that whistle!
There is some serenity in this sector of space, and it can be found on the other side of the Chemist and the Cat's location:
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| Moon landing |
Contrary to the belief that the Moon was first visited by man during the 20th century, we have clear evidence that it was actually occupied right from the get go. The Moon Landing and its bright red exterior has docked on a rocky terrain that resembles a City Sidewalk, and the craft looks imperious on the small surface of the Moon.
And the single astronaut has not only planted her flag but also her comfy seat. She's the Deck Reader and having made such an effort to get to the Moon is now enjoying a cool glass of cola and a good read. Her puppy dog has also made the trip and is clearly exhausted from the excursion having curled up for a snooze.
Space being a place largely devoid of activity, there's not much more for me to describe (except for a rather dainty Digital Solar System which is yet to learn how to expand). However I should point out that the Chemist and the Cat have managed to find a recipe to take home with them:
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| Time Machine including addition of Rocket Fuel Punch |
The Rocket Fuel Punch is the staple diet of those rockets (along with the coins to operate them!) and so is a fine choice for the crew to take back to the present day. It sits proudly alongside the Biscuits and Gravy which the Cat demanded be brought with them from home. Not only will the punch fuel the customers at The Garlic Tree but also provide a vital back-up should the worst happen and the Time Machine runs out of puff.
But with the journey only just getting under way, that won't be happening any time soon!
A space themed layout was one I had on the storyboard from the outset. It's not something I've seen anyone attempt on a large scale in all my time playing Restaurant Story, although there's good reason for that. There's very little in the way of space based content in the market, which made this a very difficult challenge, even allowing for some artistic licence.
The biggest dilemma I faced was unsurprisingly with regards to the Moon Landing. At 80 gems it is one of the most expensive items in the game's history, and upon its release I went as far as to describe it as taking 'the gong for the biggest rip-off the game has ever seen'. Never did I think I'd pay up for it, but here we are. It would have been difficult for me to have the Chemist and the Cat visit outer space without it, and so I reserved a large chunk of my gem budget to take it.
The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine
19/03/16 Introduction
Beyond the Moon Landing it was mostly a case of filling floor space with tile designs. The circles and crosses of various colours are supposed to represent some of the abstract consternations we see in the skies and which are lurking in deeper space. With these I was able to take up a lot of the scene, and was pretty happy with the outcome.
Now onward to stops a little closer to home!
Next: Stop #2 - The Animal Kingdom
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