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.
