Hello John,
In case you haven't gotten past this issue yet, the "Open" option is only for opening a saved game. You can save the game you are on and open it later to continue play from the same point, without having to start from the beginning.
If you have saved a game, it should be listed under the LOCAL and TOUR folders, with a name like "one.ti", "lounge.ti" or whatever name you give it (they all end with the "ti" extension). You then click on the saved game file you wish to play. No files will be listed if you have not saved one, so no need to click on "Open" if that's the case.
To start the game from scratch when you haven't saved any games yet, click on the life ring once to "light" it so you can access its menu options if needed (and your bag, ship map, etc. when on the ship). Then move around the apartment, clicking on various items to inspect them (the ship model, book, cabinets, newspaper, desk items...). Eventually you'll have to switch CD-ROMs, when prompted, and will be on the ship. Have fun and I hope this helped!