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Part One
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 {however, you can enjoy
the verbose descriptions while you wait}. 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 {close outer, open inner, etc.}, 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 activate 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.
STARCROSS
Part Two
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 {it's balky}. 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
{either one}. 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! {Hurray
for transporter disks!}. Pick up the disk, then empty the trash
bin {yuck!} until you find the green rod. Go North and you will
be in the Room on Ring Four.
STARCROSS
Part Three
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!
{Think of all this following around as good practice for
"Deadline."}
Continue to follow him, until you arrive at the Center of
the Warren. Then climb down the ladder to the Green Airlock {yep,
another one!}, 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.
Son of a gun! 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 {it *must* be an ellipse!}, 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!
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 {however, you can enjoy
the verbose descriptions while you wait}. 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 {close outer, open inner, etc.}, 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 activate 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.
STARCROSS
Part Two
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 {it's balky}. 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
{either one}. 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! {Hurray
for transporter disks!}. Pick up the disk, then empty the trash
bin {yuck!} until you find the green rod. Go North and you will
be in the Room on Ring Four.
STARCROSS
Part Three
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!
{Think of all this following around as good practice for
"Deadline."}
Continue to follow him, until you arrive at the Center of
the Warren. Then climb down the ladder to the Green Airlock {yep,
another one!}, 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.
Son of a gun! 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 {it *must* be an ellipse!}, 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!