Q. How can I get past the mold-encrusted door preventing exit from the Mechanica Lab?
A. First, you need to have opened the extremely corroded cabinet in the Mechanica Lab. It contains the combination of the lock in the Chem Lab Crawlspace that is preventing access to the Chymic Lab. You need a reagent flask from the Chymic Lab (saline) in order to perform the fungicide synthesis ritual (that was concealed in the same extremely corroded cabinet):

> recall rituals
> recall fungicide synthesis
"A BANE for MUSHROOMS, LICHEN, and OTHER FUNGI: Prepare your chymic retort with
mustard seed and a sample of fungus, in a saline bath. Seal; turn on burner, and heat to a gentle
simmer. Invoke the Binding of Antipathy, thus attuning the mustard's toxic qualities to your
sample. Decant."

Once you have the combination:

> recall facts
> recall crawlway access combination
"I've sealed off the chymic lab access so that nobody stumbles into anything. If you need in:
Mars, Luna, Jupiter. -JA".

Go the the Chem Lab Crawlspace and:

> open lock
The lock dial is inscribed with the astrological planets, in the familiar European tradition.

[Try "SET DIAL TO VENUS".]

Ah:

> set dial to mars
> set dial to luna
> set dial to jupiter
> u

Now you can:

> take saline
> find mustard seed
> take mustard seed (one of the few occasions 'take it' doesn't work)
> take mushroom
> go back (to where you were before issuing FINDs. Another very useful command)

And now I think we have everything we need to make the fungicide. The retort is right here: Click here to show/hide ritual steps

Cool. The mushroom is still usable.

> go to mechanica lab
> pour fungicide on door
> n

And now we find ourselves in Lab Hall Southwest. A good many rooms can be reached from here without needing to solve any more puzzles, so time to do some more exploring, swabbie!

Return to the main walkthrough