Fascination - Doing the Pool Boy

Written by Ilmari

Let’s begin

I am now assuming the role of Doralice May, a captain on a Paris-Miami flight. Fayard Nichols, a man dying on the flight had given me a suitcase to take care of and entrusted me to deliver its contents - vial full of inhibitor destroying chemical - to Jeffrey Miller, the CEO of Quantum Enterprises.

Taking my first look of the game, the interface seemed pretty simple. I had a hand icon to move, and if I found a hotspot, a text appeared telling me what I had found. Pressing the hotspot with left mouse button did something (took an object, used an object etc.). If I took the object, my hand changed into the image of the object, which I could then use on another object. If I instead pushed the right button, I put the object in my inventory, which was simply a list of items. It couldn’t be easier!

One of the most obvious things I could try in my room was to take a shower. Since this is one of those kind of games, I got to see some full-frontal nudity.

Don’t we all do weird poses in the shower? Just in case someone is videoing us

I could also try to get out of the room, but Doralice would not do it, unless she had found the vial.

If I hadn’t read manual, the game would still have given me the code for the suitcase

Alright, I thought, let’s open the briefcase, because the game so wants us to. Clicking on it, I opened up a window with the rotating lock. After giving the correct code (AARGH), a new window opened, showing me the innards of the briefcase. It contained some pajamas, which held nothing of interest, if one doesn’t count a packet of comdoms (yes, comdoms), which Doralice didn’t even pick up. In addition, there was an electric toothbrush, which I could click and open up a new window.

One more window and the screen will be crowded with them

I was obviously meant to do something with the toothbrush, but since I couldn’t get it to work, I started to check what else I could find in the room. There was a can of water I could use to pour some water in a glass, which I could then drink. There was also a fridge, with more drinks, like orange juice and Kahlua, which I could make Doralice drink. There was also an ice cube tray I could fill with water, insert into fridge and make some ice cubes. Finally, I could pull the plug of the fridge from the socket. I couldn’t attach the toothbrush to the socket, because European electrical devices don’t work with American sockets.

I could also pick up a phone and call reception, who informed me that I would find a phone directory in bureau in my room. I opened up the bureau, and found a number for Quantum Unlimited Labs - unfortunately, the CEO was too busy to talk to me. Luckily, the bureau also contained an electrical adapter.

Does she have a portable fax machine?

Unplugging the fridge and plugging the adapter, I could then insert the electric toothbrush in the adapter. This opened up a secret compartment in the toothbrush, where the vial was hidden,

Note how the mouse pointer has changed from hand to vial

When I used the vial in different parts of the room, it became obvious that Doralice was trying to hide it (don’t ask me why I couldn’t just put it where I had found it). Since the game allowed me to do such complex tasks like melting and then again making ice cubes, I had been sure I would have to make ice cubes at some point. And indeed, I could put the valuable vial in the ice cube tray, pour some water on it and hide it in the fridge.

Having found the vial and hidden it, I could finally leave the room and move on to lobby. With nothing better to do, I started to pick up some items. Firstly, I found a newspaper telling about the death of Mr. Fayard - considering that it was described in my inventory as “1 NEWS”, I suppose I’ll find at least another one. Beneath the newspaper, I found a quality journal.

We haven’t had these for a while, so a caption contest! 10 CAPs for the best retort

The pictures in this high-class magazine had been taken by someone called Lou Dale. Rather surprisingly, the magazine even contained his/her phone number. Unfortunately, someone had torn off the latter part of the number.

Beneath the magazine of good taste, I found a Who’s Who directory, where I could get the personal phone number of Jeffrey Miller, the CEO of Quantum Laboratories.

Next time I want the personal line of Marc Zuckerberg, I know where to look

The game obviously wanted me to call the CEO, especially as Doralice refused to leave the hotel. But first I collected more items in the lobby. An ashtray contained a token and someone had left their keyring to a table. When I showed the keyring to the receptionist, she gave me a key for a locker in the changing booth of the hotel pool.

I don’t know if there’s something wrong with the image,
but it looks like she’s wearing almost nothing over her torso

I called Jeffrey Miller, who asked me to come and meet him in his office. He also gave me an entry code to the building.

Just after that, an old friend of Doralice, flight captain Robaire de la Cafetiere called and invited her to the pool. That name sounds incredible. It’s like someone not knowing any French language would have suggested it. Well, I guess there are many Johnny Pubs living in England and all Italians are called Luigi Pizzerias.

Finally a topless male

Polyamory is in fashion

After Doralice kissed Robaire, I decided to check the changing booth (actually, I’d thought Doralice would have already been there to change her clothes - or is she just walking around in bikini all the time?). The booth had only one locker I could interact with. In that booth I discovered a broken walkman. Although I could use the walkman for nothing, I could open its battery compartment with the token I had.

 

This is an adventure game - surely I should take it!

Returning to the pool, I started a conversation with the topless lady sitting by the bar. She was Prisca, the chief hostess of Doralice. Prisca had been questioned about the death on the plane by a strange person.

Cat? Wheel chair? This is getting so James Bond

Prisca had managed to steal from the man in the wheelchair a flashlight, which she promptly gave to me. It contained no battery, but luckily I had just found one - what a coincidence. She also told me she had taken a pendant from him, but she had already dropped it somewhere.

I also talked with the barmaid, who offered me some drinks.

Considering that she’s already had some Kahlua, Doralice must hold her liquor well

I could also order some coffee, take a sugar, add it to the cup and stir the coffee with spoon. Furthermore, I could just take a piece of sugar and leave it in my inventory

There was also a hat which I could take, but I couldn’t put it in my inventory. I could give the hat to Prisca, so that I could turn on the switch that had been hidden behind the hat. The switch activated some light in the pool, which revealed a glinting object - the pendant Prisca had lost. The pendant was marked as “Adam” and it contained a transmitter - I wonder where the corresponding “Eve” was.

With all things to do exhausted, I finally decided to leave the hotel. Robaire asked to see Doralice later in the evening in her lace underwear. After setting up the date in the bar at eight, Doralice left.

The producers sure liked feminine silhouettes

This is also a perfect opportunity to stop this post. So far the plot has been of the B-variety, but it is quite nice to find actual adventure game puzzles in a Coktel Vision game. Maybe they are learning something!

Session time: 3 hours
Total time: 3 hours

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: There’s a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no points will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. Please...try not to spoil any part of the game for me...unless I really obviously need the help...or I specifically request assistance. In this instance, I've not made any requests for assistance. Thanks!