S T A R C R O S S
(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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