Overseer begins with a disturbing dream sequence, filled with images of chess pieces, clocks, syringes, jeweled eggs, and an elderly man jumping to his death. As the man falls, an image of a woman screaming, her face contorting into a freakish image, appears--and Tex Murphy jolts awake to the sound of his ringing vid-phone. Still dazed by the nightmare, he reaches over and switches on the phone. On the viewscreen appears the face of Chelsee Bando, Tex's on again/off again love interest. Knowing how disheveled and horrible he looks when he first wakes up, Tex leaps from the bed onto the floor, out of view of the vid-phone camera.

Tex's conversation with Chelsee gives a great impression of the relationship they share. No matter what conversation path you choose, the subject will arise that Tex is late--as usual--for their scheduled date. My personal favorite conversation path is as follows:

	Flat Refusal
	Give Fair Warning
	Not Ready to Rise and Shine
	Show Chelsee the Goods
	Sibling Revelry
	Apologize
	Really Beatlemaniac
	Looking for Nookie

You can, however, use any path you choose. The end result is the same. Tex will go to Chelsee's apartment for their date. When he shows up, Chelsee will invite him inside and get them each a drink (at Tex's request, of course). Once Chelsee comes back with the drinks, Tex decides to lay on some of that patented Murphy charm, implementing the standard "Movie Theater Yawn" move as he sits next to Chelsee on the couch.

Chelsee, however, has other ideas, and stops Tex dead in his tracks. There are some issues she feels need to be discussed before their relationship goes any further. Actually, it turns out to be only one issue--Tex's ex-wife, Sylvia. Chelsee calls Tex on the fact that he still wears his wedding ring, even though he and Syliva are divorced. She convinces Tex to tell the story of how he and Sylvia met, and why he can't seem to let go. Tex reluctantly agrees, and the story shifts to six years earlier, just after Tex was kicked out of The Colonel's detective agency. Tex has taken it upon himself to start his own detective business, and now he sits around waiting for his first client.

"Yeah, Chelsee, you wouldn't believe it, but I had a really nice office. Let me tell you about it."

Tex's shiny new office comes with all the trimmings. Well, actually, it didn't come with all the trimmings, Tex had to pay for it all, which is why he's up to his eyeballs in debt and getting antsy for a case. But, since he's got all this keen stuff, we might as well take a look around. Let's start out with the hub of any office: the desk, where you'll find a few interesting goodies.

	First of all, look at the water bottle and the ash tray to get an idea of what Tex was like in his younger days. Quite a far cry from the P.I. we know, eh?
	Now, find and look at the red book lying on the desk: Harley Fenwick's Little Red Book of Rules For a P.I. Sounds useful, so pick it up and examine it. This book plays a major role in Tex's P.I. career. Treat it like an American Express card: Don't leave home without it.
	Take a look at that black gadet on the right. This is Tex's new vid-phone, and you'll be using this a lot as well. If you look at the vid-phone, Tex will mention that he has a free trial subscription to the American Information Database, or A.I.D. Free is always fun, so let's try it out. Turn on the vid-phone, and click on American Information Database. Then click the Dial button. The phone will call up the A.I.D., and a computer voice will spew out some instructions. The only thing you can ask the A.I.D. about at the moment is Tex Murphy, so click that. When the A.I.D. asks "What other topic would you like us to research?" click Done, and then End Conversation.
	After a few seconds you should hear a compter voice saying "You have a fax." This means you have a fax (I'm such a big help, aren't I?). The fax machine is on top of the filing cabinet to your right if you're facing the front door of the office. If you can't find it, just look on top of all the filing cabinets until you see the thing pictured to the right. That's the fax machine. And, as luck would have it, you have a fax. Get the fax from the machine and examine it. It's the information you just requested from the A.I.D. Isn't modern technology wonderful?! Be sure to note Tex's address: 813 Fourth Street, New San Francisco. It'll help explain something later on. All information you request from the A.I.D. will show up in the fax machine. If you're ever stuck for a lead, don't forget to check the A.I.D. It holds some valuable information.
	Once you've looked at the fax, open the bottom drawer of the left filing cabinet. The one next to the cabinet with the fax machine. Get the object in the drawer and examine it. Say hello to Raymond! You'll need him later.
	To the right of these two filling cabinets, on a small table, is one of those clack-ball perpetual motion devices. Try it out for fun, and for another five points added to your score.
	Across the room from the two filing cabinets is a single filing cabinet. Go over to it and open the bottom drawer. Get the letter that's inside, and examine it. Ouch! Sounds as though The Colonel's not too happy with you right now.
	Fortunately, there's some better reading material in today's mail...the latest issue of Boyd's Life!! Pick up the magazine on the floor in front of the front door, and see what that crazy Boyd is up to this month.
	On the bookshelf, next to the other door, find and get the tape measure. It's on the shelf just above the large pot that Tex made during his high school pottery class. If you'd like to know the grade he got on the pot, give it a Look.

If you like, wander around the office and look at everything else. Tex has some lovely masks on his walls, and some interesting books gathering dust on his shelves. And let's not forget the collectable, commemorative Elvis plates Tex invested in for his retirement! What an ingenius financial decision!

Tex's Bedroom

When you're done rummaging in the office, look at the door next to the bookcase in Tex's office, and he'll tell you it's the way to his "walk-in closet and bedroom." Unfortunately, he doesn't mean that his bedroom has a walk-in closet. More like vise-versa. Open up the door, and find out for yourself what I mean.

	To find out Tex's answer to that age old question, "Boxers or briefs?" open up the small drawer at the bottom of Tex's closet. Then, to hear something...shall I say... "thought provoking," Look at what you find in the drawer. More on this story later...
	Anyway...back to the task at hand. On Tex's cot is a Parcheesi box. The Royal Game of India. Pick it up, and watch as Tex meets Sylvia Linsky for the first time.

Click here to continue...