Hackers of a different sort!

There’s a game I can no longer play on my computer since “upgrading” to Windows 2000. It’s a game that requires true DOS emulation, which is no longer supported. That’s a shame, because this is a program that’s been around longer than DOS, longer than Windows, longer than PC’s. I have the source code somewhere to the game, so maybe not all is lost and I can recompile it to work, but I don’t think so. I guess I’m just nostalgic, but this is probably my Favorite Game of All Time. I am willing to bet a nickel that no one here has ever heard of it, yet I have played it for decades. Hack!

“And your little dog, too!” is how the game has been referred to by people who know it. Hack has been around almost as long as computers. I used to play this in my college days when we had line printer terminals (imagine that, no monitors – just a keyboard and a printer) because it could handle the graphics. Here is what a few of the images look like:

This is me => @
This is a dragon => D
This is my dog (Brewster) => d
This is a killer bee! => k

Pretty cool, huh? I mean, the humble @ character, which we now so commonly use in e-mail addresses was once a hero, daring to go into the fiery pit of hell itself to find and return the Amulet of Yendor (that’s Rodney spelled backwards, in case you didn’t know). And along the way quaffing potions, stockpiling gold, zapping wands, slaying monsters. On occasion I would see a ? character, which is a scroll. After reading the scroll, I might have the ability to teleport, or my armor might be better, or my weapon sharper. I might also be cursed, where my armor would get holes in it. But the most interesting scroll of all would simply say “You are being punished.”

The first time I saw this, I had no idea what had happened. I looked in my stats, but nothing was different. Nothing was missing from my inventory. Huh. So I shrugged and moved on… and saw this: @__0 Now, in case you don’t know what that is, that is ME with a ball and chain on my leg! Suddenly, I couldn’t run away from monsters. I would fall down stairs, which would take away precious hit points. This was a bad thing. Of course it happened when I was doing so well, and of course I hadn’t saved my game. So I call up my brother in law, who tells me to pick it up and use it as a weapon. How about that – it’s a GREAT weapon! Granted, it’s not a perfect weapon for every occasion. I would rather attack some things at a longer distance than the chain reaches, but anything that comes within range I could hammer with this ball. Something that was such a punishment I managed to turn around to be a good thing, all it took was my willingness to try it, and a brother who had good advice.

So here’s the application. Sometimes we make mistakes in our lives. Say I was a drug user in the past. The consequences might seem unbearable. I might feel like I am being punished forever. All kinds of related things might happen – my friends might shun me, I might not be able to have kids, I may have a “reputation”. The past might be there all the time, dragging me down like a ball and chain. But I can clean up my act. I can use the strength gained from the experience to get me through other, even tougher problems. And when someone tempts me with something else, my now EX-ball and chain experience will help me crush it. “I survived worse” I can tell myself – and remind myself I am too good to fall for that again! I can be stronger for having survived, if I am only willing to try! I can teach others by my consequences! “Don’t let this happen to you!” I wouldn’t wish mistakes on anyone, but we ALL make them. Learn to use them!

@

James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Acts 20:22-23 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

Ephesians 6:19-20 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Acts 26:28-29 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

Philippians 1:12-14 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Hebrews 13:3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Timothy II 2:8-9 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.