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DRILLER |
Incentive Software 1987 | |
Written by Major Developments | |
Manual HTML'd by David Batty |
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CONTENTS
1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
WARRANTY If Driller fails to load, please return the actual disc or tape only, ensuring it is protected
NOTICE (c) 1987 Incentive Software Limited The enclosed software product, all associated artwork and documentation is copy- ![]() is a trademark of Incentive Software Limited. FULL COLOUR DRILLER POSTERS These are available on request. Supplied unfolded in poster mailing tube, inclusive of 2
INTRODUCTION Welcome to the 'Driller' Experience! INTRODUCING ![]() The revolutionary new system designed and developed by Major Developments, the The full perspective of the alien environment, complex gameplay and vast detailed Oh, and good luck!
![]() Ian Andrew (Publisher) 3
GETTING STARTED This package contains: (i) The tape or disc 'Driller' (ii)The instruction manual 'Federation Briefing' (iii) A 3D mapping model of the moon 'Mitral' (iv) A reference card showing loading instructions and control options 'Driller' is set on an alien moon that orbits another world in a region of our galaxy that Due to the size and the three dimensional nature of the playing area we have (i)Unfolded Map
![]() (ii) Completed Structure ![]() The resulting polyhedral model is a representation of the 18 mining platforms that LOADING INSTRUCTIONS and the CONTROL OPTIONS are given on the enclosed To get straight into Driller turn to the section headed "Your Mission" on page 24, 4
SEVERAL YEARS AGO The child Lesleigh glared curiously at its teacher. The teacher's single eye shone back, Lesleigh was bright a fast learner, a seeker of knowledge that would take the child EARTH - A DYING PLANET Earth is our mother planet that lies in a solar system very far from the Vasculan star. There are few certainties about Earth and the culture of its peoples, except the The people of Earth were irresponsible and lacked vision in their abuse of the The destruction of the world and the termination of their existence seemed the only It was tragic that great amounts of time and wealth were being spent on petty Some Earth scientists developed bombs they were frightened to use, while others 5
EVATH - A FRESH HOPE
A probe returned from a long lourney to the solar system dominated by the star There was one drawback. Evath was so far from Earth, that the journey, in any The trip would have to be made utilising the present spacecraft and the problem Discreet enquiries brought forth no shortage of volunteers. Three hundred parents Through generations, the safety and security of these tiny lives was assured as new Life on the 'Exodus' was of a high quality. The shipwas large enough to accommodate And so the 'Exodus' landed on its intended destination.The guardians taught all they 6
THE DEVELOPING NATION
The colony on Evath was slow in developing into a civilised state. After all, it started as It was left to the oldest colonists, namely 'The Elders', to tighten their control over the Years passed, and the Elders died. New Elders were appointed to take their place, The Elders had some respect remaining, and with a thinning band of supporters, This proved to be the shock that brought Evath back to its former promise. And
with Ketars were not pitied for long; a labelled 'Ketar' was banished and forgotten about; The Elders formed a force that replaced the army and stood for law and order, as well 7
ENERGY
Man's energy problems came to an end with the fortunate discovery of a new source of Detailed analysis revealed that they were a prime source of energy, and although The crystals were named both because of their shimmering red colour (ie. their For years Rubicon crystals were used in every aspect of an Evathian's life,
without a The crystals were not as complex or as baffling as the scientists first
thought them to Yet what could have been the predicted disaster proved to be quite the
opposite. With new wealth and a freshly optimistic outlook, Evath's expanding and
prospering Meanwhile, the manufacture of the crystals continued and with experience, new 8
AN INTERLUDE
Lesleigh was twelve years old, already a full-grown adult, and ready to start
work for Lesleigh's grandfather had been a member of the Federation, but not for long.
He Lesleigh was not bitter or seeking retribution, but instead wanted to become
part of 9
MITRAL
The twin moons orbiting Evath were named, Mitral and Tricuspid. They were not The Ketars, branded criminals who were banished from the planet, were quick
to Life on Mitral was tough, as one might expect when the community was made up
of As each exile made his home on Mitral, the colony grew with the additional
supplies This colonisation took place over many years, for supplies were hard to come
by. The The Ketars had no real background on Mitral of mining techniques and their 10
A MAIDEN VOYAGE
(i) Lesleigh Skerrit poured a half glass of milk and replaced the polyform carton
in the Padding silently across the floor, Lesleigh reached for the light-switch and
entered Montigue Yarbro smiled at his employee as Lesleigh crossed the room, pulled
a "Pleased to meet you Skerrit;' smiled Yarbro, "I've been waiting for this
occasion for "No. I don't mind," lied Lesleigh, "I'm not sleepy." Yarbro yawned, scratched his chin. "I wish I could say the same. Still, the matter is an important one. We've
come to There was little relief evident in Lesleigh's harrowed expression. "It's just
what I've "It doesn't," said Hoppe drily, "On the contrary, the State's guarantee is
that all Lesleigh acknowledged with a wry grin. Yarbro produced a tidy sheaf of papers and flicked through them briefly. After
a few "No, Sir." replied Lesleigh. "You've done very well," explained Yarbo. "That's basically why we're here.
We've Lesleigh frowned. "What sort of offer?" "An offer you can't refuse," laughed Montigue, stroking his moustache. "Or an
offer His grating, slightly weak laugh made Lesleigh feel distinctly ill at ease. "It is, very simply, a promotion. But a promotion unlike any seen before in
the State. Hoppe ground his cigarette into the ashtray and lay back, "Do you accept?" "Of course," said Lesleigh. "Of course I accept. It just takes a moment to
sink in, "Actually," intoned Hoppe sombrely, "you had little choice. Your forms have
already Lesleigh shrugged. "I suppose my response is hardly unexpected." "No," said Yarbro, "We knew you would accept. You have ambition as well as "But why me? I've had no extra training, no Federation training." 11
"We have decided, this year, to try and encourage the Elders to accept a new "And if I don't come up to scratch, you won't be able to let the best from
next year "Thafs correct", said Hoppe, "You see, the Elders are a stubborn bunch.
They're "Exactly," saId Yarbro, "So you have to prove that the system we are proposing
will Failure, Lesleigh realised, would mean a lot of pressure on already weary shoulders. "When do I start?" "Tomorrow," said Yarbo, "Come and see me at my office, I'll fix up a uniform
etc. There "Well this is difficult you see. We have arranged a small task for you. It
involves a "What's that?", asked Lesleigh. "It involves the Ketars," explained Hoppe. "You might not know this, but they
have He paused. "Combined together, these elements tell a pretty disturbing story," Yarbro
said. "You "Why? What trouble is the gas, why did they evacuate?" "The gas looks set to ignite. If it does, Mitral will, simply, explode. The
whole moon will "Now you might not think that concerns us much," said Hoppe. "But it does.
Tests Lesleigh breathed deeply, "When is the gas likely to ignite?" "Not long," said Yarbro, "Our scientists have guessed about two to two and a
half Lesleigh remained silent for a few moments before speaking. "What about training, what sort of training do I get?" "You don't need any training," said Yarbro. "Everything you need to know, you
have 12
"Okay", mumbled Lesleigh, "I accept. Just let me come and talk it over in
the "That's fine," said Yarbro, rising to his feet. "Here's my office number
and the building He produced a scrap of paper and placed it on the desk. "Nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Okay?" "Fine. Thanks." Yarbro smiled and removed his coat from the hanger. "See you tomorrow then. I won't be in the office but Mr. Hoppe will. He'll
take care of Am 39th Quasary, 328 The harsh white glare of VascuIan streamed through half-open blinds, casting a row of flickering bars over the desk like a cage of light and shadow. Guarding his eyes, Trent Hoppe assembled his notes coolly, creased the
corner and At his side, Lesleigh Skerrit brushed a loose wisp of hair from eyes that
were wearied Hoppe lit a cigarette and replaced the platinum, opal-studded lighter in
his trouser "How do you feel?" "Fine, just slightly nervous." "Oh, that's understandable. I admit, my first mission wasn't as difficult
as yours, but I He laughed thinly."You'll get over it. Everybody does." Hoppe puffed on
his cigarette "Yes, Mr. Yarbro explained the timing; he's going to fetch me a timetable
before I "No, I'll be handling that. I'll get you a copy in a minute," said Hoppe.
"But first, how "I'd love to see it; what's it called?" "The 'Bellastania' or the 'Last Hope' as it has been nicknamed, would you
believe? A Lesleigh paled. "I don't like to think of me being the last hope." "Don't worry," reassured Hoppe. "You'll manage, the task is quite simple
really." He He threw a switch and a dull hum sprung up. Lesleigh's ears determined the source of the emission. Eyes automatically
flicked to "Take a look," suggested Hoppe as the shutters slowed, the electronic hum faded. Lesleigh accepted the invitation and stepped towards the window,
elbows fell to the Tiny, yellow figures scurried here and there. Lesleigh smirked, regarding
their 13
"What are they doing now?" Hoppe strode over to the glass and rested his palms against it, eyes
pivoting into the He studied their actions for a moment before answering. "Packing, I think. See those trolleys? They're carrying supplies." "What sort of supplies?" "Food, things like that." Lesleigh watched one particular trolley as it rolled across the hangar, its
operator "Must be a !ot of food," joked Lesleigh, squinting in an attempt to
determine the "What was that?" A Skull? And below it a cross? Two crossbones perhaps? Skull and crossbones? Lesleigh's mind spun. Skull and crossbones........ A blur beneath the logo, a word perhaps. A word written in red. And then
Lesleigh Lesleigh studied the blur intently before the trolley disappeared beneath
the belly of Two words and a skull and crossbones. All written in red. Poison? Maybe, Danger Poison? Or.......'Danger - Explosives'? Explosives? Why are they loading explosives aboard?" asked Lesleigh calmly. Hoppe
pushed "Yes I'm certain." Silence. Hoppe glanced at his watch with deliberation. "Oh Christ;" he muttered, snapping his fingers. "The meeting, I've got to
get to the He looked at Lesleigh. Their gazes met, locked. "I'll have to go now," he said. "I'll be late for the meeting." Lesleigh took the hint. "I'll take a look around, and go and see Johnstone." "Yeah fine. I'll see you later." They filed out of the office. Hoppe closed and locked the door behind them. Lesleigh found Johnstone in the stores. He was enbying a few moments rest
until The frantic completion of the vessel over the previous few weeks had
certainly The ex-scientist brightened, though, when Lesleigh entered. Offerings of
coffee, or "Just spending a bit of time with myself" he smiled gazing at the dusty
floor. "Never Lesleigh sat down on the lid of a crate, gingerly, afraid it might not hold the weight. "How's the packing going?" "Fine, fine." Johnstone glanced at his watch. "Just a lot of hard strenuous
exercise He lifted a coffee to his lips and sipped at the steaming liquid. "To tell the truth, I'll be glad when it's all over." "Have you got the timetable with you?" asked Lesleigh. "That's what I came for." "No. Mr. Hoppe said he'd fetch it for me. He's doing it on that copier." "He's in a meeting just now;' said Lesleigh. "I've just left his office." "A meeting? He never mentioned a meeting to me", muttered Johnstone. "Nevermind, there's a lot of surprise meetings cropping up this week. They've always got something new to discuss." 14
Lesleigh's mind barely heard what Johnstone had said. The connection between
"Have you any idea why they'd be taking explosives aboard?", asked Lesleigh.
"Why "Explosives?" Johnstone looked puzzled. "They wouldn't need explosives, not
on a He paused to think, then grinned. "Oh I know what you mean. Those crates with the skulls on, is that what you've "Yeah, I saw someone loading them onto the ship just two minutes ago." "They're not explosives," explained Johnstone. "Food, simply food. Mr. Yarbro
told "How do you know that explosives haven't been left in by mistake?" "Because he said so. He said they contained food, I believed him." "So you didn't open them?" Lesleigh asked. "No!" Johnstone sounded annoyed. "No, I didn't open them. If I went around
opening He looked away and plucked a cigarette from a leather pouch. "I'm sorry for sounding ratty," he admitted. "You're bound to feel concerned.
After all, "It's not that," said Lesleigh. "It's the fact that if an explosive was left
in by chance and Lesleigh paused then continued. "I must do my best to prevent disaster. I've been selected, chosen." Johnstone inhaled smoke and then shot Lesleigh a glance. "You think that the destruction of New-Asia would be a disaster? You do don't you?" Lesleigh looked bewildered, slightly hostile. "Of course I do." "Well I've a better one for you." He paused. "I did some research into the size and nature of the blast from Mitral, if it
was "What is this disaster? Does it go further than the destruction of New-Asia?" "Oh yes, much further," Johnstone continued. "You see, if Mitral did explode,
the "You sure?" "Pretty sure, mind you're not to tell nobody about this, right?" "Yeah, Okay." Johnstone paused to sip coffee. "And if we were pushed out of orbit, we'd drift away from the sun. The
temperature of Lesleigh rose coldly. "It's only a theory mind," said Johnstone, smoothing his hair back. "Only a theory." "I'll come and see you later," said Lesleigh, as soon as I've got the timetable from Hoppe.""Okay." Lesleigh staggered weakly from the store room and began to ascend the stairs. 15
(ii) lotania A bitter wind cast clouds of fine sand into the chill air, like a wave of
foaming ocean, The few, water-starved clumps of scrub which dotted the bleak landscape leant
Silence reigned in the valley tonight. Silence and Peace. Normally, Kirst Ellan would have relished the silence, the peace. But not
tonight. Montigue Yarbro lit a cigarette, inhaled and blew the smoke into the night. It was Ellan who spoke first. "Which force do you represent? Law - the League? Military? Federation?" "Federation." Kirst squinted into the valley. "I suppose you've come to find out why we
abandoned "No, we've already determined why you left," said Yarbro. "This is an informal
"What do you want to know then?" "Nothing. I have all the information I need for the time being. I have not
come to "What sort of partnership?" asked Kirst Ellan. "What do we get out of it?" "Protection and safe accommodation," explained Yarbro. "As soon as you have
Ellan thought, but his moment of contemplation produced only the bland
question. "Hijack a ship. I will accompany you but obviously as a silent partner. The
act must "Which ship?" "The 'Last Hope'. Maiden Voyage. Its mission is to take one passenger to
Mitral and "Why?" Ellan asked. "What is the point of the voyage - what will this
'passenger' be "The 'point' is to reverse the process which you yourselves started and were
unable "And you don't want that to be reversed?" "No," "Why?" Montigue Yarbro sighed and breathed deeper. His breath hung in the air and
"Well, Mr. Ellan, there are many faults in Garistia today. There is no room
for 16
"To progress, the human race needs to tighten the reins, strengthen
the beams, "How do you intend to change all this?" asked ElIan. "The destruction
of one ship "Oh yes it will." He coughed. "Garistia is ruled over by a board of
frail old men, as you "A dictatorship. You wish to be a - dictator?" asked ElIan. "Is that what you want?" "No, not exactly. I want a dictatorship true, but I do not
particularly wish to be a "How can you possibly hold the board to ransom?" asked Ellan, "when
Mitral "I know. This is the whole point. Once New-Asia has been obliterated,
I can then, and He continued. "You see, the whole of Garistia relies on Rubicon crystals to survive.
Everything runs "But," said Ellen. "You could do that already? The explosion could be
prevented and "Yes, yes I do. You see, these crystals have now been discovered in
New-Asia. When There was a long thoughtful pause. Ellen asked, "When do we start? I am sure the rest of the camp will
agree to your Yarbro smiled. "Good, the hijack will take place in two days. Your men will be
provided with He continued. "When the crew are dead, we will head for the stores. Hidden amongst
the supplies He rose and extended his hand. "I will leave now and return in the morning." They shook hands firmly. "I'll look forward to your visit," said Ellan. 17
(iii) The titanic vessel, the 'Bellastania', crawled onward through the vacuum that
existed The ship also known as the 'Last Hope' was not a gift to the sight; it was
neither The tirst day of the voyage had passed uneventfully. After initial
hostilities, the crew Assured that it was safe to engage in normal conversation, Lesleigh had asked
one The Bellastania was too bulky to land on Mitral's densely-covered platform
surface. The Ketar craft approached the docking station of the larger vessel with
caution, The speed of both vessels began to diminish; they matched and locked. A necklace of landing lights flickered aboard the larger ship. On the Ketar ship, the present course was aborted and a fresh one selected.
X-axis Slowly the station woke. The hijack had begun... The Bellastania's bridge was empty, devoid of human life. Not that a human
A whirring fan blew a continuous draught; plastic blades rotated silently behind a metal grille, creating a tunnel of air that curled the sheets of a note pad that was open on the worksurface. A light strip hung from the ceiling to illuminate the abandoned room. A tiny red rectangle winked; organic life had returned. With a jolt, the exit-
hatch rose His eyes flicked to a display above his head. He had been in the canteen
enjoying a An echoing metallic thud followed by several harsh crashes. It was,
unmistakably, The first... Someone may have been trying to get out. Very dubious as the
shuttle Nailla had reluctantly suspected the latter, and now, scrutinising the complex
The crew congregated on the bridge. Thea Kell still had a drink in her hands.
She 18
Ede Slaye had been repairing a loose ceiling tile in the stores
when he'd heard the Nailla swiftly entered a command into a grey keypad and paused to
think. He Slaye dug a hand into his pocket for a cigarette but found it
empty. He considered Thea Kell strode around the console to her station. "What's in the
dock?" she asked, "A law ship? Maybe it's a check up," mumbled Slaye, "Have you
tried contacting Nailla forced aweak smile, "I think it's very unlikely. I've
despatched warning signals, "If they're in, the dockcom must have recognised them. They must
have communi- "They could have burned their way through I suppose," said Nailla,
"maybe even The bridge fell silent. The banging from below had momentarily
ceased. Lesleigh "What sort of weaponry have we aboard." The engineer shrugged. "No firearms, nothing like that. We're not allowed to carry them
in case someone Slaye glanced at Lesleigh. "Why do you ask?" "Because we may need some form of defence. I mean, they're
obviously Ketars, "If it is Ketars, how did they get in? They haven't the technology," asked Slaye. "I can't answer that one.", replied Lesleigh, "But It must be
Ketars, it has to he. Mr "But why hijack us?" asked Thea. "I can't understand why they'd
want to. We carry no "Maybe they think we're carrying something important," said
Lesleigh, "They "Yep," said Thea, "I have an idea. And we wouldn't even have to go
anywhere near "What is it then?" asked Slaye. "Well we bleed air you see," explained Thea. "This ship has the
right facilities for "What do we do in the meantime?" asked Lesleigh, "Where can we go?" "Two choices." interrupted Slaye, "We could, if necessary, hide in the
shuttle. It has "Alright then," said Lesleigh, "How do we bleed the air?" Thea said "I'll do it, I've handled it on other vessels before. It's
sometimes used to 19
locate leaks or fractures in the hull." "Right then.", said Lesleigh, "Watels, you go and get five suits from the
lock. Make "Right" Lesleigh continued, "Slaye and NailIa you go and open the valves. I'll go
and fetch NailIa nodded in agreement, "Okay." They began to file from the bridge. They clattered down access corridor #3. Alongside their shadowy figures,
oily pipes, Nailla stooped beneath a metal outcrop and drew himself into the recess. He
A rectangle of red pierced the darkness as the entrance-hatch rose. Without
a sound The heat was overpowering as they entered. Steam rose from the thousands of Nailla paused to regain his breath and composure, wiping the perspiration
from his "Right," said Lesleigh as he stumbled towards the hatch, "make sure you
loosen all Acting upon his advice, Nailla reached for the first wheel and attempted to
twist it. Thea Kell closed the hatch after her and walked into the room, surveying the
rows of Her fingers darted over the keyboard, changing the steady flow of recycled
water Pete Watels flinched as the oxygen bottle slipped from his shaking fingers
and Holding his breath, Watels wrenched the hatch wide, the customary squeal
ripping With a grin, Lauder unslung the rifle from his shoulder. The three short
bursts of Lesleigh gripped a handrail and descended the framework staircase, cautious
not to 20
Dim light filtered in from above, reflecting faintly off tarnished rails and unpolished grates. Decaying wooden crates were stacked high to the ceiling; several had toppled and half-spilled their contents. Lesleigh reached the foot of the staircase and kicked a stray can of
tomatoes over Kirst Ellan peered around the bend in access-corridor #15 for any
indication of life, Sighing he turned the corner, his confidence relying on the rifle he
clutched Ellan relaxed just a moment too soon. The hatch immediately before him rose smoothly and settled in the ceiling. His heart skipped a beat. A figure stepped into the light and then was gone, engulfed by the fleeting shadows. His finger automatically locked onto the trigger. Pressure was applied.
The barrel Without thinking Ellan sprinted down the corridor, booted feet pounding
off oily Lesleigh scrambled frantically into the dingy store and leapt immediately
for the Kirst Ellan entered the store and caught sight of the rapidly disappearing figure. He snapped the rifle into the air. Smoking splinters erupted as the barrel bolted twice. Slivers of wood and
clouds of ElIan lowered the barrel and fired three wild bursts into the ungainly
sprawl of crates Wilson and Morton ran into the store, both unhooking their rifles. "Who is it?" asked Morton. "Skerrit, I think," replied Kirst. "You go round that side and take a look
I'll watch the Wilson stepped around the stack cautiously, his weapon held in front of
him. He Lesleigh's fist caught him heavily in the stomach and he doubled up, air
whooshing Morton automatically drew the rifle from his shoulder. His finger snapped
over the Fingers wrapped around Wilson's hair and jerked him roughly into the
shadow of the The barrel of Morton's rifle jolted and flared. A multitude of charred,
smoking rings Ellen appeared behind Lesleigh, his figure half-obscured by the dry
clouds of It whipped over LesIeigh's head and snapped taut. ElIan immediately
dragged both 21
and locked two fingers between metal and skin. Morton appeared at the entrance to the alleyway, the stubby rifle held in
one hand. Lesleigh dropped heavily to bruised and aching knees, vision misting
over. Ellan Lesleigh bent to retrieve the rifle, fingers groping for the strap.
Morton appeared in "Get the gun" he snapped. Lesleigh was up on two feet in seconds, supported weakly by the musty
crates. Ellan crawled for the rifle, fingers curled slowly around the barrel. Morton threw Lesleigh a punch and responded by dragging the ex-trainee
into the Ellan grabbed the rifle and rose, verifying the gauge. He began to turn. Lesleigh elbowed Morton in the stomach and lashed out at Ellan, catching
him in the Lesleigh lashed out again. The Ketar exploded messily through the glass, a lethal shower of silvery
shards Ellan just caught sight of the churning tanks, felt the heat on his skin,
before he Morton knelt and snapped a knife from his sock, wielding it, he rushed. Lesleigh swiftly surveyed the grates for a weapon. Nothing. Nothing at all. Dodging the knife, Lesleigh crashed awkwardly against the wall, barely
missing the Something hissed. Morton stooped, stumbled and snatched the knife from the grates. Lesleigh glanced at the wall which his exhausted figure had smashed
against. The Morton rushed again. Thinking quickly, a hand reached for the first flare
and Morton slowed, frowned. The barrel rocked. The flare whooshed, coughing a trail of dense, purple smoke in its wake.
The charge Lesleigh allowed the flare to fall before leaning against the metal,
gasping for Lauder released the limp body of Thea and allowed it to slump to the
grates. He Lesleigh hurried across the floor of the store and towards the staircase.
Without A shadow passed over the hatch. The harsh crackle of gunfire rang throughout the vessel. Lesleigh halted and stared at the hatch, gasping for breath. NailIa,
Slaye? Dead? At the foot of the staircase, Wilson moved into the light. In one hand he
held a knife, Lesleigh glanced at the leering figure and then back up at the hatch. A
pair of legs, 22
fell from the hole as a figure began to ease itself onto the walkway. One hand locked onto the rail, one foot gripped the bar. Lesleigh strained and raised an aching leg onto the metal. Wilson watched as the shadowy figure vaulted the gap to crash heavily
onto the top Lauder dropped from the hatch, unhooked his rifle. Automatically he
opened fire, Lesleigh fell to the floor in a shower of dust and blackened wood.
After lying still for a The skull and crossbones. Yarbro fell from the hatch and, regaining his senses, forced the
barrel of Lauder's "Don't shoot," he snapped, "Not in the stores." Lesleigh reached for the crate, fingers groping for the seal...
Lauder saw the hand Two holes blew in the wood. Two wisps of smoke floated from the holes. Lesleigh backed off, into the shelter of the stack. The crate began
to smoke, its Lauders boots echoed off the steps as he descended the stairs, the
stocky rifle Something flitted into view. The rifle bolted, punching a steaming hole into the metal of the
hatch. Lesleigh The hatch began to rise. The wood hissed loudly, tiny flames licking the deadly interior. With
a gasp, the crate The hatch clicked back into the floor. Yarbro shouted something inaudible to Lauder and began to haul himself
back into Lesleigh reached the bridge as the first of several minor explosions
rocked the One finger hit the control and the hatch went up; Lesleigh ducked
beneath. Lesleigh Yarbro hauled himself up the swaying corridor as a series of powerful
explosions With a hiss of engines, the shuttle discharged from the dock. Rockets
fired once, The docking-station crumpled in on itself, bursts of flame from the
wreck silent in the The bridge exploded equally soundlessly. Only seconds later the
remainder of the Unperturbed, the tiny shuttle streaked towards its destination,
leaving a graveyard It took Lesleigh only forty seven minutes to reach Mitral. The
procedure of landing a Lesleigh checked the excavation probe and the pod it contained for
damage, but The main task was just beginning.... 23
YOUR MISSION
Evath has two moons, Mitral and Tricuspid. Mitral has been heavily mined by an Your Overall Mission is to make safe each of the 18 sectors of Mitral by positioning a In order to achieve this you will need to:-
As a sub mission : Amass a high a success rating as possible! You have just landed on one of Mitral's artificial surfaces. You are within your ![]() 24
CONTROL CONSOLE
![]() 25
CONTROL CONSOLE - DETAILS
1. VIEWING WINDOW: A dense and durable Transpex screen providing you with a survey of the immediate surroundings. 2. TRANSPORT INDICATOR: A visual image corresponding to your current mode of transport. 3. MOVEMENT/ATTACK INDICATOR: Arrow on Display - Movement Mode, Cursor and Lasers on Display - Attack Mode. (NB) It is also possible to fire lasers in Movement Mode, but only to the centre of the viewing window when the cursor is on. 4. PLAN VIEW: Shows the direction of your viewing window from above i.e. lines facing up - heading north. 5. ANGLE TURN: measures the size of any rotational movement (5-90 degrees). 6. STEP SIZE: Measures the size of one movement in the direction you are facing (1-250 standard distance units (SDUs)). 7. VERTICAL EXTENSION: Indicates the extension of the central body of the probe above the outer tracks. The central body may be elevated to a fixed height. Shows "J" if currently in the reconaissance jet. 8. ENERGY REMAINING: A bar graph with length proportional to the total energy stored in on board Rubicon crystals. Energy is required for various operations; if this ever reaches zero (no graph visible) your craft will be disabled and you will be stranded. 9. SHIELD STRENGTH: A bar graph with length proportional to the effectiveness of your vehicle's armour. Decreases if damage is inflicted on your craft. 10. X,Y CO-ORDINATES: Pinpoint your exact position on each platform - can be helpful when determining where to place a rig. A platform can be thought of as a grid or square with each side equal in length to 8128 SDUs. 11. VERTICAL HEIGHT: The perpendicular distance from the central body of your vehicle to platform level. 12. COUNTDOWN: Before the meteor strikes Mitral. If the countdown gets to zero, and even one sector remains unsafe... 13. SUCCESS RATING: Indicates your degree of success so far. 14. OPERATION LIGHT INDICATORS: This shows when your current command is being processed. 15. SIDE VIEW: Shows the side view of your viewing window in relation to your position i.e. lines facing to the right indicate looking forward. Lines down indicate looking at the moon's surface. 16. MESSAGE DISPLAY: Miscellaneous information from your console computer. Defaults to a message indicating the stability of the current sector. 17. AREA INDICATOR: Provides you with the name of the sector in which you are currently situated. 26
INFORMATION SCREEN
When the information screen is accessed, the viewing window is temporarily replaced ![]() AREA: Each sector is named to aid mapping and orientation. This displays the name of the present sector. RIG STATUS: This advises whether a rig is positioned or not. As only eighteen rigs are available, you may only place one rig per sector. GAS FOUND: The amount of gas found beneath the current sector, shown in cubic feet after the drilling rig is in position. The units are one of the few archaic remnants of half- forgotten Earth usage that still exist in modern Evathian culture. PERCENTAGE TAPPED: The percentage of total gas you have been able to tap. The nearer the exact gas centre, the greater amount of gas released. 50% or more is needed to render a sector safe. GAS TAPPED: The total amount of gas that the rig has accessed, i.e. gas found x % tapped=gas tapped. TOTAL SECTORS: Displays "18" - the total number of sectors to clear. SAFE SECTORS: The number of sectors that have been successfully drilled to tap over half their total gas volume. LOAD/SAVE: Retrieve/store your game position from/to tape or disc. ABORT MISSION: When the odds are too great or time is too short. Emergency only- don't do it! 27
DRILLING
To tap the pocket of gas beneath each platform, you must place a drilling rig over it. By pressing the appropriate key on your console, a signal is emitted, which informs Drilling rigs are very costly in terms of materials and workmanship - if you make an The closer you get to the centre of each underground gas accumulation, the more The drilling rigs bore down to the gas deposits using a narrow, concentrated laser Because of the high production and replacement costs, the Federation cannot ![]() 28
EXCAVATION PROBE
![]() ARMOUR: Durable, heavy duty platonium/lead alloy plating. ENERGY: Powerful energy reserves stored in Rubicon crystals. MOVEMENT: You can travel forwards backwards, turn left or right as well as being able to make 180 degree U-turn. The speed of the probe can be changed by altering the step-size if forward/backward movement, or the angle of turn. The main body of the probe may also be tilted to either side and it can rotate fully activated from your control console. The cursor acts as a pointer towards which your lasers are targeted when you discharge them. The lasers are concentrated beams of high-frequency light rays that have valuable destructive properties! However, their effect can vary and is not always predictable. DRILLING: The probe contains the means to transmit teleporting signals to Evath necessary to position drilling rigs - This is the most essential part of your mission, and is dealt with in detail on page 28 (Drilling). DOCKING
At least one jet has been left on Mitral by the Ketars and should you locate one, you can 29
RECONNAISSANCE JET
![]() ARMOUR: No specialised armoured cover - vulnerable to attack, will not withstand repeated damage. ENERGY: High energy reserves stored in Rubicon crystals. WEAPONRY: High Intensity High-frequency quadruple dual action lasers. MOVEMENT: You will find that the control consoles for both the probe and the jet are very similar. The controls and their functions are similar, with a couple of exceptions. Firstly, the jet is not restricted in vertical movement, so whereas the probe could The six jet rocket engines (two at the rear and, four underneath), allow the craft to fly 30
LASER BEACONS
The Ketar defence system includes laser beacons that are positioned If you are detected within the range of a laser beacon, you will be attacked! Laser If under attack, your options include:
SKANNERS
Little is known about these except that they orbit Mitral and are likely to be armed. ![]() ![]() A Ketar Skanner
A typical laser beacon
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ENERGY AND YOUR MISSION
Whatever transport you are using at a particular time, e.g. probe or reconnaissance jet - your lasers, shield, light and motion are all dependent on Rubicon crystals. However, time and use will decrease your stores of energy and the beam of an attacking laser will decrease the strength of your shield. The manufacture of Rubicon relies on the presence of sunlight during the process, and for this reason you will find that stores of them are more concentrated on the lightest side of Mitral, the face that is illuminated most brightly by Vasculan. When you reach the dark side of the moon, energy could be in short supply! The crystals that you will find on Mitral are those intended for the purpose you have in mind. Their stores of energy are easily transferred to the Rubicon you have on board. Just by shooting a crystal relays the energy along the laser beams (which have the same light wavelength), back to your vessel. The storage crystal is usually destroyed thus, and your own are replenished. There are two varieties of Rubicon crystals that have been left by the Ketars: they are similarly shaped but have different functions:- One increases your total energy count, whereas the other increases the strength of your shield. The process for both is the same because the shield utilises the same energy in another way. Experience will teach you the difference in appearance between the two crystal types. Be warned that some Ketar technology is alien to you and occasionally standard procedures like these can prove unpredictable. For example, Rubicon crystals are sometimes arranged to alter their overall effect. PLAYING HINTS
1. Familiarise yourself with the controls and functions of your vehicle. A good place to do this is on the first sector. 2. Try using all the possible directions of movement and vision. Don't forget you can look under, over and behind many objects. 3. Draw a map of your travels - the more detailed and accurate your map the greater your chances of success. 4. Clues to the puzzles can be found not only in this booklet but also throughout the game. 32
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