(Infocom)
Ah, outer space! No dank and dusty dungeons here....but you can
be sure that the puzzles are no easier than they were in the Great
Underground Empire! So, settle in and get ready for lift-off!
There you are, floating around space in your ship, alarm bells
ringing in your ears. Obviously, something's about to happen. Get the
tape library, then get up and go Starboard into the Bridge. Push the
red button, which will shut off the alarm bell, and read the screen.
This will tell you which object on your map is the one to head for.
Now, there's no way I can tell you the exact coordinates, as the
destination changes from game to game. However, it isn't hard to
figure out what they are. Once you've done that, sit down in the
control couch and fasten the belt. Now you have to enter the course
into the computer, which is done as follows:
Computer, range is 'x', theta is 'y', phi is 'z'.
The computer will ask you to confirm the new course, which you do
by saying: Computer, confirm new program. After that, you're off!
And now it's time for the hallmark of all Infocom games: Waiting!
You'll sit in the couch, and wait until you arrive at the alien ship
and you are captured by it . Once your ship is down on the dock,
unfasten the belt, get up, and go Starboard into the storage room. Get
the suit, put it on, then get the line. Head Portwards back to the
bridge.
Fun times with airlocks begin now. Open the inner door, go out,
close the inner door, open the outer door, and go out. Get used to
doing that, because you'll be doing it again, and again! So, now
you're on the Red Dock, and there's a strange-looking sculpture here.
Closer examination, and a little thought, shows that it's a
representation of the solar system. Aha! Could it be...? You press the
fourth bump, and strange things happen. Press the small bump, and a
black rod appears...get the rod, and the outer airlock door opens!
Okay, go inside , and you are in a
Red Hall. At this point, you might want to save the game, and just
wander around, doing some mapping. Actually, I recommend that you do
so, since there will be a point in the game where I won't be able to
give you specific directional instructions. Now that you've checked
out the territory a bit, restore to your original entry point. You're
ready for the great rod hunt....because the object of the game is to
activtate and control the artifact, which is done via different
colored rods. Right now, you want the red one, so, go North, then West
into the Room on Ring Two. From there, North into the Zoo, and East
into the rat-ant cage.
The red rod is part of the nest, and you just can't reach over
and get it. This is one of the very few times in an Infocom where
violence is necessary: Throw the tape library at the nest, which will
be smashed. While the rat- ants look at you in terror, grab the red
rod and the tape library. Now it's time for the yellow rod, so head
along West, South, West, which will bring you to the Blue Hall. Go
South once and you're at the Blue Airlock. Open the door, go down,
close inner door, etc. When you reach the Blue Dock, go Aft until you
come to the Spider-like alien. It's quite intelligent and even
friendly.
Give it the tape library, and in return you will get the yellow
rod. Take that, and make your way back to the Blue Hall. You have two
rods, and you will be using them now. From the Blue Hall, go up, and
you're in the Grasslands. Go South to the Thin Forest, open the hatch
there, and go down into the Repair Room. Put the yellow rod in the
yellow slot. That turns on the lights in the Yellow Hallway. Put the
red rod in the SECOND red slot. Make sure it's the second; this will
provide a breathable atmosphere for you.
Now, get the metal square, and go up, then North, then down again
to the Blue Hall. From there, West to the Yellow Hall and Yellow
Airlock. You know the drill by now, but there's an extra feature this
time: You will have to try to open the outer door twice .
Also, while you're in the Yellow Airlock, pick up the basket; it will
come in very handy! Once on the Yellow Dock, tie the line to the suit
and then to the hook.
Head Portwards, get the pink rod, put it in the basket, then go
back Starboard to the dock, untie yourself, and return to the Yellow
Hall. Now, it's time for the blue rod. Go South twice, then East once.
You are in a laboratory with a mysterious silver globe floating in
mid-air. Inside the globe, although you can't see it now, is a blue
rod. It's easy to get, however. Take the two disks off the wall. Put
one on the floor, and one under the globe. It doesn't matter which way
you do it, the result will be the same. Put the basket on the globe,
then turn the dial to 4. Ta-da! .......The basket suddenly appears on
the disk on the floor, with the blue rod! Turn the dial to 1, then get
both disks, the basket, and the blue rod. Put the rod in the basket.
In fact, put all rods in the basket when you get them.
Okay, there's still plenty of rods to collect, so let's keep
moving! Head West, then North four times to the end of the hallway,
then West to the Room on Ring One, and South from there into the
Computer Room. Open the panel on the computer, then insert the metal
square into the slot. Turn on the computer, and you will get a gold
rod. Don't worry about all the displays; they aren't important to you.
Now comes more waiting. What you're waiting for this time is the
mechanical "mouse" that collects trash. So, move around until it makes
an appearance. As soon as it does, drop one of the disks .
The mouse will pick it up. After that, you must follow the mouse
around until it disappears into a secret door in one of the rooms.
There are several different rooms where the mouse can do this, so you
MUST follow it.
Wait there until it reappears and leaves, wait a little longer to
make sure it won't come back, then drop the other disk on the floor
and step on it. Zap!! You're in the Garage! . Pick up the disk, then empty the trash bin until you
find the green rod. Go North and you will be in the Room on Ring Four.
You are now in the Room on Ring Four. Now, this is why you had to
do some mapping on your own: You must get the other disk you dropped,
and there's no telling exactly in which room that was. So, you must
explore on your own until you find the disk. Once you've done that,
make your way to the Blue Hall where the airlock is. From there, go
North twice, then West into the Observatory. Drop off one of the
disks, then hike along East, South, East, East, South, East into the
Weasel Village, and then East once more to the Village Center.
Wait around a short while, and the Weasel chief will appear. He
will indicate that he wants your space suit. That's no problem, since
the air will remain breathable, and you don't need the suit anymore.
So, give it to him. Then, when he wants to give you something in
return, point to the brown rod he wears around his neck. He will give
it to you, and start to leave. Follow him!
Continue to follow him, until you arrive at the Center of the
Warren. Then climb down the ladder to the Green Airlock , and do the usual job with the doors. From the dock, go West to
the Umbilical, then West again to the Cargo Hold. Pick up the visor
fragment, then go Forward into the Control Room of the wrecked ship.
Move the skeleton, and you will find a violet rod. Now, drop the disk
on the floor, and step on it. If you attempt to leave the way you
came, the Weasels will kill you for disturbing their shrine.
So, now you've materialized in the Observatory, and it's time to
pick up another rod: Look at projector through visor. Aha! A clear
rod. Sneaky, huh? Get the rod, drop the visor, then move along East,
then South three times to the Melted Spot, then West into the Weapons
Deck. Get the genuine Ray-gun, and look inside it. Sonuvagun! A silver
rod! Get that, then East and North, and up to the Grasslands, 'cause
it's time to get this show on the road. Now, trek on South twice to
the Dense Forest, then East to the base of the tree. Climb the tree,
all the way up to the top, then jump to the Drive Bubble.
Insert the silver rod into the slot, then enter the bubble.
There's a white rod here; get that and put it into the white slot.
Under no circumstances should you insert the black rod into the black
slot!! That will shut everything down! Okay, the drive mechanism has
been activated; now you have to make the thing move. So, out, and up
to the top of the Bubble, and....jump! Isn't floating in air fun?
However, you still have some things to do yet, so shoot the gun at the
Drive Bubble three times, which will bring you to the Control Bubble.
Go Down, then put the gold rod in the slot, and enter the Bubble.
Inside, you will find the slots for the remaining rods. Put each rod
in the slot of its own color.
Now, at last, you're ready to bring the artifact to life! Touch
the large pink square, and the scene in the small one will change to
show the inner solar system. Now touch the brown spot until a picture
of Earth appears. Press the violet one until a ellipse shows , then press the green spot, and flashing lights
appear. And last, but certainly not least, the final move: Touch the
blue spot, which activates everything, and brings the alien ship
safely to Earth!
Of course, it isn't over yet! That final remark by the alien
sounded a little ominous....I have a feeling you'll be heading out
again into space sooner than you might think!
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