From the book "Time Lost - A Computer Adventure". Written by Joseph C. Giarratano, Arlan Keith Andrews, Sr. and Kris Austen Andrews - Time Lost: A Computer Adventure is a unique book in that it is a blend of fiction, comic book, and programming book. This is the C64 version (there was also an Atari version, a Timex/Sinclair 1000 and perhaps others).

You are in a horrible prison of the Warlord and are attempting to escape with some of your fellow prisoners. But to escape, you must leave through the River of Death by passing through the Gates of Destruction. In this game, you can help 100 prisoners to escape by guiding them through the gates. No one has ever gotten all 100 safely through. You guide each prisoner's boat down the river and through the gates, steering the boat left or right. Because the current is so swift, there's no way you can stop the boats. You must maneuver them just right to pass through the gates-if possible. Watch out for the rocks at the edge of the river. They will also make you lose a prisoner if one touches them. You'll also notice that the shoreline changes as the game progresses. This represents the tide exposing and covering some rocks t the edge. Good luck!