diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5a5387
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# ZING: Z-machine Implementation for ruNning Games
diff --git a/src/encoding.rs b/src/encoding.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..686cf72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/encoding.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+struct ZChar(u8);
+struct ZsciiChar(u8);
+
+struct ZsciiString(Vec<ZsciiChar>);
+
+/// Returns:
+/// - a result that wraps a ZsciiString, erroring if the slice terminates before the string ends
+/// - a usize indicating how many bytes were consumed
+
+pub fn decode_zchars(zchars: &[u8]) -> Option<(ZsciiString, usize)> {
+    fn cut_string(zchars: &[u8]) -> Option<Vec<u16>> {
+        for (i, word) in zchars.chunks_exact(2).map(|c| u16::from_be_bytes([c[0], c[1]])).enumerate() {
+        }
+    }
+    let zchars = slice_string(zchars);
+    // let mut index: usize = 0;
+    // let mut out = Vec::new();
+    // loop {
+    //     let word = u16::from_be_bytes([zchars[index], zchars[index + 1]]);
+    //     let end_bit_set = word & 0x8000 != 0;
+    //     let chars = [
+    //         (word & (0b11111 << 10)) >> 10,
+    //         (word & (0b11111 << 5)) >> 5,
+    //         (word & (0b11111 << 0)) >> 0,
+    //     ].map(|c| ZChar(c as u8));
+    //     out.extend(chars);
+    //     index += 2;
+    //     if index >= zchars.len() - 1 { break (Err(out), index); }
+    //     if end_bit_set { break (Ok(out), index); }
+    //     // TODO: finish
+    // }
+}
+
+
+/// Returns: 
+pub fn decode_instruction(memory: &[u8], address: usize) {
+
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 8cd17b0..242897e 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #![allow(dead_code)]
 
+mod encoding;
+
+use std::fs::File;
+
 // see §11 (page 61) of the spec
 #[repr(usize)]
 enum HeaderFields {
@@ -40,10 +44,44 @@ enum ExtensionTableFields {
     UnicodeTranslationTableAddr = 3,
 }
 
+#[repr(u8)]
+enum InputStream {
+    Keyboard = 0,
+    File = 1,
+}
+
+#[repr(u8)]
+enum OutputStream {
+    Screen = 1,
+    Transcript = 2,
+    Memory = 3,
+    InputRecord = 4,
+}
+
+struct AllOutputStreams {
+    screen_enabled: bool,
+    transcript_enabled: bool,
+    transcript_path: Option<File>,
+    memory_stack: [usize; 16],
+    memory_stack_length: usize,
+    input_record_enable: bool,
+    input_record_path: Option<File>, 
+}
+
 struct ZMachine5 {
     memory: Box<[u8]>,
 }
 
+impl AllOutputStreams {
+    fn print(&mut self, memory: &mut [u8]) {
+        if self.memory_stack_length > 0 {
+            
+        } else {
+
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn main() {
     println!("Hello, world!");
 }