C.O.R.E from A 'n' F Software Attention: Andrew Angello Level: Commander Kuy Explorer 532 Distress signals received from Eroc 1 suggest that all human life present is threatened. Computer prognosis suggests that hostile Alien attack has been suffered. Signal was weak - expect to find a terminal situation - prepare accordingly. 'This is it', thought Andy as he read the transmissions from HQ. 'At last we have a chance to find out who is wiping out our asteroid colonies.' Too late - when Andy arrived all 720 service personnel were dead and he had to find out why. His only hope was the biological memory cells that were left on the asteroid but could he get through the defences and re-assemble the parts to re-create the colony's memory? 'This is going to require skill, speed and brains', he mused ... The Story """"""""" Attention: Andrew Angello Level: Commander Kuy Explorer 532 Heading: Sector 683 / 195 Classification: TOP SECRET - Use data Scrambler Time/Date: AST/34.26-3021.23.24 Subject: Distress signal/Deep Mined Asteroid Settlement Eroc 1 Text reads: Commander, New Orders Emergency Action Distress signals received from Eroc 1 suggest that all human life present is threatened. Computer prognosis suggests that hostile Alien attack has been suffered. Signal was weak - expect to find a terminal situation - prepare accordingly. Report to HQ upon arrival MISSION: recover all elements of the bio-memory unit and return these to Mothership for analysis Consult Galactic Commander's manual page 453 sectioon F8 for background on Eroc 1 - update FF36 Description """"""""""" CORE is a problem solver's game. The obvious is only rarely the easiest solution to a predicament! Experiment with the objects you find, combinations of THINGS often work wonders. Example: lasers will cut you to pieces unless you can stop them hitting you in the first place ... what stops a laser? Reflect on it a little! Walls are immovable, except when they're not! You can't walk through them, but can you walk over them? Think about it ... which is the whole message. THINK ABOUT IT! CORE has taken over five man years to produce and we're confident that there is enough stored away in these rooms to keep you busy for quite some time. Only the best will solve it, however, regardless of how good you think you are! P.S. One open hint: If metal detectors find only metal, what would find a buried metal detector? How could you know if it did? GALACTIC COMMANDER'S MANUAL """"""""""""""""""""""""""" Section F8 """""""""" Deep Mined Asteroids Early interstellar travel required vast quantities of chemical fuels that could only be mined on mineral asteroids. The Federation set up the Deep Asteroid Mining Project (DAMP) in 2657 and has maintained a presence on such locations ever since. Although the main purpose of these settlements has now been superseded by the increase in fusion power networks the colonial presence is still maintained for scientific and political reasons. Such settlements typically comprise 650 to 820 persons mainly engaged in scientific exploration of deep space. Subsidiary scientific evidence suggests that some of the DAMP asteroids have been colonised by alien forms in earlier epochs. This evidence is, at best, sketchy and inconclusive but there are those who theorise that such life forms may return to re-colonise their previous homelands. Commanders sent to investigate problems at such sites should consult Section F99 on standard DAMP equipment. Knowledge of equipment types is likely to be of great value. DAMP Locations Page reference Update code ------------------------------------------------- HSARC 5 454 AF36 TNAHPELE 3 455 AG94 ESUOH 21 456 BA13 ETTESSAC 5 457 BG78 EROC 1 458 FF36 TELGIP 12 459 DF26 TCARTNOC 4 460 FG23 REIPOC 25 461 AC62 DLIUB 17 463 DF56 KSED 0 464 GH13 Background on EROC 1 """""""""""""""""""" First colonised: 2613 Scientific Establishment: 720 persons Mining products: Urithium Seliegrunt Melindurint Level 0 of Eroc 1 was established within three months of first landing. All levels have a grid pattern of 16 by 16 cells but there is no common interconnection system. To date four levels have been established and all are still accessible without any special equipment whatsoever. The demand on batteries is large however and therfore large battery dumps are provided on all levels. Scientific survey data may suggest previous colonisation but this has not been verified by sci-dating or sub-sonic investigation. All visitors should use the Level 0 landing pad at N453/W193 and then report to Commander Eroc 1 on Channel 56/23. Section F99 """"""""""" Standard DAMP Equipment Type: Teleports The only way to travel between unconnected sectors of DAMP levels is by OTIM 351 Teleports. Control: Their computer controlled logic circuitry means that there is a preprogrammed destination for each port utilised. Method of Operation: Stand on the pad and wait for three seconds for full energisation. Emergency Operation: As above: these units have never been known to fail in field operations including all emergency situations. Type: Biolgical Memory Banks All DAMP data is continually dumped to these units allowing a complete record of all station operations to be maintained. Control: Write operations are described below. In order to Read these units they must be returned to HQ or suitably equipped motherships. Method of Operation: Writing to these memory banks is fully automatic. They take highest priority of all computer operations and should not be tampered with in any way. Emergency Operation: In any emergency situation these units are programmed to segment and then disguise themselves so that detection is difficult. GETTING STARTED """"""""""""""" Aim: You must assist Andy to find the bio-memory segments that have hidden themselves in the mine workings of the asteroid. Returning the complete bio-memory to a suitably equipped Mothership means that a suitable defence strategy can be found to combat future Alien attacks. One of the DAMP teleports will allow access to the Mothership. Actions to consider: There are many objects that Andy can use to help him. He will first need to collect a number of tools that will make his task easier. A number of the tools are hidden or buried! Movement around the mine workings can be by walking, through anti-gravity lifts and via teleports. Andy's head-up display panel can always been seen at the top of the screen. This gives all the read outs that Andy will need. By using his control computer Andy can select the different functions from this head-up display panel. Reading from left to right the display shows: - Direction indicators showing possible movements from the particular mining cell Andy is in. - The time elapsed since Andy's touch down and under this the select buttons. - The left button toggles the direction indicator/memory segments found display and the right button toggles the icon windows. - The battery indicator shows the amount of charge left in the current battery. Failure to change batteries will result in a dimming of the display. - The icon window has four separate display functions: a) Control panel - Help - Wait (Pause) - Load previous position - Save current position - this is only possible if Andy has found the cassette and it has a spare battery, and is in front of the computer. b) Action selectors - Pick up - Drop - Use object - Fire - if Andy has found the gun! c) Batteries in back pack display d) Items carried display (maximum four) - Under the iconographic display is a verbal signal window used to pass important control data. Map making """""""""" Many of the objects that Andy finds can be used in other locations to solve a problem or make life easier. It is essential therefore to have a good accurate map of the mineworkings. Andy's documentation didn't include such a map and therefore you will need to create one for him. There are four mine levels on Eroc 1 and each level has over 250 cell locations. Game Control """""""""""" This game can be controlled by both Keyboard and Joystick. Direction Joystick ------------------------------ Left Left Right Right Up (in doorway) Forward Down (in doorway) Back Menu toggle Back (not in doorway) and Left or Right to move selector Press fire to select icon Fire (if holding gun) Fire button All keys are re-definable To install a new battery you will have to find a replacement and pick it up. Then by holding the down key and moving to the icon selector icon press fire until the battery indicator is shown. Holding the down key and moving right highlight the battery to be installed. Again hold the down key and right until you highlight the icon selector and press fire. Select the "USE" icon as above and press fire. A new battery will be installed. The same procedure will select and use any object you think may be useful.