Choice of Alexandria

"Choice of Alexandria" is an interactive novella written by Kevin Gold, the author of "Choice of Robots." This story puts you in control as your choices determine the outcome of the plot. The novella is entirely text-based, with no graphics or sound effects, allowing your imagination to take the lead. Set in 245 BCE, you play as a polymath librarian who has been invited to Alexandria to tutor Prince Ptolemy IV. However, the real Ptolemy IV was led astray by his advisor Sosibius, causing the downfall of the empire. But with your guidance, perhaps things will turn out differently.

As you navigate through the story, you have the option to focus on your responsibilities as a tutor or to pursue your passion for inventions. With the help of famous figures like Archimedes and Euclid, you can make groundbreaking discoveries such as the steam engine, the germ theory of disease, and even robotic automata, centuries ahead of their time.

But your choices don't just affect your own path. You also have the power to deplete the libraries of other cities to enrich your own, achieve popularity for your inventions, or protect the legacy of the empire. And most importantly, your actions will shape the character of Prince Ptolemy IV. Will he grow up to be hedonistic and selfish, or wise and just? The fate of the city of wonders is in your hands.

Throughout the novella, you can play as a brilliant inventor, a gifted speaker, or a life-saving doctor. Your choices will also determine if you can protect Prince Ptolemy IV from manipulators at court and save famous mathematicians like Archimedes and Euclid from untimely deaths. The story is based on the real life of Eratosthenes, an ancient genius who calculated the size of the Earth. And if you make the right choices, you can even save the Great Library and invent the steam engine two thousand years early.

With "Choice of Alexandria," you have the power to shape history and make a lasting impact on the world. Will you use your knowledge for personal gain or for the greater good? The choice is yours.