$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ S E N T I N E L W O R L D S 1 : F U T U R E M A G I C $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ A game by Electronic Arts. Game designer: Karl Buiter. (c) 1988. Karl Buiter FAQ/Walkthrough + Game manual Version 1.0 written by Mario "macCro" Zamic on September 21th, 2001 (c) Mario Zamic 2001, 2002. All rights reserved. Contact me: mazamic@inet.hr ============================================================== INDEX Chapter 1 Credits Chapter 2 The original game manual (Included because this game is abandonware and could be dowloaded) Chapter 3 Sentinel Worlds Paragraphs Chapter 4 Walkthrough ============================================================== ************************************************************** CHAPTER 1: CREDITS ************************************************************** I would like to thank GameFAQs for posting my other walkthroughs and for doing it so fast. In this document I've used some materials generously typed by GTR> and Wanker - big thanks. I would also like to thank Al Giovetti for writing FAQs long long time ago... Thanks to Marino and Alen for sharing this wonderful game with me. ************************************************************** CHAPTER 2: THE ORIGINAL GAME MANUAL (Typed by GTR>) ************************************************************** SENTINEL WORLDS I FUTURE MAGIC U S E R S M A N U A L Another in the continuing series of fastdocs by GTR> -------------------------------------------------------------- Mission Dossier I. Excerpt from report by Patrick Blane, Federation Undersec- retary for Caldorrian Affairs, 2/3/2994: PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL SCRAMBLE CODE B3Q8## To Her Excellency the Ambassador to Caldorre, I am delighted to report a successful conclusion to our negotiation with shipping magnate William Grager. He agrees to provide transportation for shipments of food from Caldorre and Norjaenn to our new outposts in the Rouyn and Mistassini systems. In return, the Federation provides protection for the shipments and the compensation package that you and I designed. He's a shrewd old horsetrader,but I played him like a violin. I think this will mean promotions for us both. Keep the champagne cold until I get there. II. Weak and fragmentary message received at Federation Comm Center on Caldorre, 5/23/2995. ...MAYDAY MAYDAY CALDORRE DO YOU RECEIVE THIS IS THE TRANSPORT BARGE "NEW MOON" OUT OF NORJAENN TOWN WE HAVE BEEN ATTACKED [...] LIKE NOTHING WE'VE EVER SEEN [...] OUT OF NOWHERE [...] ENGINES ARE CRIPPLED OUR CARGO PODS HAVE BEEN [...] LOSING FUEL HURRY CALDORRE WE'RE SITTING DUCKS OUT HERE MAYDAY MAYDAY [...] OH NO OH MY GOD THEY'RE COMING BACK [end of transmission] III. Transcript of the appearance of Caldorre System Repre- sentative Elizabeth Nguyen before the Federation Subcommittee on the Transport Raids, 10/23/2995: "Gentle sentients, "Since the first Raider attack earlier this year, Grager Transport has lost seventeen ships. The Federation has lost gigacredits' worth of badly-needed supplies for the new settlements. And eighteen men and women of my system have lost their lives. "According to William Grager, the attacks are swift and brutal. The raiders appear out of hyperspace, rake the ships with some sort of energy weapon, and disappear before they can be identified. They make no attempt to contact the ships, or to capture them, or to salvage their remains. The destruction of this vital shipping route seems to be their only intention. "The Federation must rethink its strategy. The current defensive posture, although well-intentioned, has been ineffective. The Dreadnought-class escort ships that you have supplied are too slow and heavy to respond to these lightning fast attacks. Only a more maneuverable ship, such as the Interceptor-class vessels, might stand a chance against the Raiders. "On behalf of the Caldorre system, I demand that you find out who these Raiders are. It is an atrocious affront to justice when terrorism is permitted to rage unchecked in civilized space. "Gentle sentients, no matter what you do, I beg you, do it quickly. We can spare no more lives to these monsters." IV. Address by Cynthia Rodrigues, Federation Mission Coor- dinator on Casparis, to the crews of eight Federation Interceptor-class vessels, 1/27/2996: "Let me begin by congratulating each of you on your talents and dedication. You have been chosen from amoung thousands of volunteers, and have passed--some would say, 'survived'--a grueling training program that has tested and honed skills vital to the success of the mission. "Most importantly, you have encountered the four other people whose skills and temperaments were found by our tests to be the most compatible with yours. You came here as strangers to each other, but the training you have undergone together has forged you into partners and friends. Your lives will depend on your ability to rely on each other. "Let me review some of the details of your mission. A hyperspace barge will transport you and your ships from the Federation Central Base to the Caldorre system. This trip will take six months, during which your crew will be placed in cold sleep in order to conserve supplies. When the barge reaches the Caldorre system, you will be awakened, and your ship cast off to begin its mission. "From that point on, the course you take will be up to you. You may decide to remain in space to protect the transport ships. In this way, you can challenge the raiders in battle, and, if you are victorious, even board their ships--although I must remind you that no one has ever returned from such an attempt. With these tactics you can learn about the raiders first hand--and still collect the bounties we offer for each raider ship that you destroy and each transport that you lead to safety. "Or you may choose to go planetside to collect intelligence on the raiders. You'll find information on the streets and in parks, in restaurants and bars--wherever people gather. Along the way, you may find the clues that will let you put together the pieces to this deadly puzzle. "Don't forget that, to some extent, you must learn to fend for yourselves on this mission. While we have armed and supplied you, your party will have to earn money so that you can buy additional training, equipment, and weapons. While this requirement is in part a consequence of recent budget cuts, it has the benefit of forcing you to immerse yourselves more fully in the local culture, which cannot help but to add to your store of information. "In closing, let me send with you the best hopes of your teachers who remain behind. May you have good hunting and a successful return!" Commander's Reference Manual Section 1. Assembling the Crew Prior to departure for the Caldorre System, you will use the StarCrew Development System to review your five-person crew for the mission. This sophisticated cybernetic personnel tracking system enables you to examine each crew member's characteristics and skills. If you wish, you can enlist new personnel for any or all of the crew positions at this point. Finally, you will christen your Federation Interceptor-class spacecraft, and embark on your mission. 1.1 Crew Duties The five current members of your party are displayed by the StarCrew Development System in the following order: Pilot, Navigator, Communications, Engineer and Medic. The shipboard duties of each crew member are explained below: Pilot: Handles the ship's guns during space combat. Navigator: Guides the ship through real space or hyperspace. Interprets long-range scanner input. Executes boarding and orbiting procedures. Communications Officer: Establishes contact with targeted ships and programs the ship's computers. Engineer: Repairs any damage the ship takes in combat. Medic: Heals injuries suffered by all crew members, except when performing as the team leader. 1.2 Assigning a New Crew Member You can look at the dossier of any current crew member by entering the number next to that person's name. If you choose to erase that record and enlist another person instead, select option #3 from the crew member's profile and the StarCrew Development System displays the photographs of all personnel who are currently available to join the mission. Press the number that corresponds with the face of the person you wish to add to the crew. 1.3 Reading a Crew Member's Profile The crew profiles reflect the most up-to-the-minute information about each crew member's equipment, experience, skills rating, and physical condition. Profiles are dynamically updated by information from telemetric sensors, which is interpreted and quantified by the StarCrew personnel analysis programs. If you are looking at the profile of a crew member that you have just added to the crew, start by entering that person's name at the top of the screen. Here is a guide to reading the rest of the information on the screen: Class: The new crew member's function in the crew. A new crew member automatically takes the class of the old one. Level: Levels are ranked as follows: Rank Experience Points Required Combat Cadet Initial Rank Senior Cadet 25 Command Cadet 100 Ensign 225 Combat Ensign 400 Senior Ensign 625 Command Ensign 900 Lieutenant 1225 Combat Lieutenant 1600 First Lieutenant 2025 Senior Leiutenant 2500 Command Leiutenant 3025 Lt. Commander 3600 Commander 4225 Combat Commander 4900 Senior Commander 5625 Captain 6400 Combat Captain 7225 Senior Captain 8100 Command Captain 9025 Crew members attain higher ranks during the course of their duty. The higher their rank, the more effective they are at doing their job. For example, a Communications Officer with more experience will be more successful at re-programming the ship's computers. A higher experience level also increases the crew member's Maximum Trauma Rating, which is measured in "hit points". In addition, for each two additional experience levels attained, there is a 5% increase in effectiveness with any type of weapon. Experience above class level: This is the number of experience points the crew member has above his or her rated level. This amount is reduced to zero when he or she has enough points to advance to the next highest level. Current Armor: At the beginning of the mission, each crew member has his or her uniform as armor. The screen displays the armor's degree of protection against the four classes of weapons: the higher the number, the greater the armor's effectiveness against that class of weapon. Current Weapon: This is the weapon with which this person is currently equipped. Members start out with only their hands as weapons. Preparatory to orbiting or boarding, they can get weapons from the ship's armory. You must then equip crew members with weapons using the Crew Command System. See Section 3. Health Status: The number in paranthesis is this person's Maximum Trauma Rating. It is initially calculated as the person's strength plus their stamina, and then is increased as higher experience levels are attained (See Stamina). The first number is the current number of hit points. Party's Current Cash: The party begins with 200 CR. They can use their cash to buy equipment and supplies, and to acquire increased training for party members The party can increase its cash by the following means: -Federation bounties for destroying raiders' vessels -Enabling transport ships to safely reach their system destination -Delivery of scientific cargoes -Mining minerals on the planets surface -Selling items encountered during the party's travels These aspects of the adventure are explained in greater detail in section 2. 1.3.1 Assigning Characteristics When recuiting a new member, you specify the characteristics you wish the crew member to have by assigning between 10 and 20 points for each characteristic from a total "well" of 70 points. The characteristics are as follows: Note: If you make a mistake, you can use the backspace or the "up arrow" key to backup and change the assigned points. Strength: Effectiveness in battle. High strength means that more damage is done when the person uses a contact or edged weapon. Also added to stamina to determine initial Maximum Trauma Rating. Stamina: How long the person can last in battle. The higher a person's stamina, the more their Maximum Trauma Rating is increased as they attain higher ranks. Dexterity: The rate at which the person can attack using any weapon. It also determines the speed with which the medic can heal injuries. Comprehend: Ability to learn new skills. The higher a person's comprehension, the more new skills they acquire as they are promoted. Charisma: Ability to communicate with and influence others. Confers greater effectiveness in encounters with other characters. You should specify characteristics for a new member that are relevant to the role he or she will play in the party: the communicator's profile should reflect high comprehension and charisma, while crew members who are expected to fight should have high strength and dexterity, etc. Should you wish to improve your crew's characteristics, you can visit the Caldorre Towers, where you can take advantage of training facilities - for a price. For example, using the aerobics gym increases stamina; a trip to the plastic surgeon increases charisma, etc. 1.3.2 Assigning Skill Points Federation training provides each crew member with one skill point in contact weapons and one in edged weapons (out of a maximum in all skill categories of seven). During the recruitment of a new member, you can assign one additional skill point in any of the following areas: Contact: Effectiveness with blunt or clubbing weapons. Edged: Proficiency with cutting or slashing weapons. Projectile: Effectiveness with projectile weapons. Blasters: Proficiency with the blaster class of weapons. (Each point a person has in one of the above skills is reflected in a 5% increase in their combat effectiveness rating with that class of weapon. See Appendix 1 for more information about weapons.) Tactics: Skill in using any weapon. Every 2 points allocated to this skill results in a 5% increase in the combat effectiveness with any weapon. Recon: Ability to discern objects and locations using the long-range scanner in the Ground Command Helmet. Gunnery: Ability to aim the ship's lasers effectively. This skill is useful only to the team pilot. ATV Repair: Ability to make repairs on the ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle). Mining: Expertise in locating valuable mineral deposits on a planet's surface. Athletic: Overall physical and mental potential. At the start of the mission, each characteristic can only be increased 3 points above its original level by means of training. This "ceiling" is increased by one for each point gained in athletic skill. Observation: Ability to notice useful details about encountered beings. Bribery: Effectiveness in using the party's cash to influence encountered characters to do what you want them to do. As the crew members gain promotions, they will also gain skill points, which you can assign as you like, using the Crew Command System. (See Section 3.) The rate at which they gain additional skills is determined by their comprehension level. Section 2. The Federation Spacecraft Command When the hyperspace barge arrives in the Caldorre system, you will be revived by the automatic systems on board. After a brief orientation from the barge captain, your ship's systems will come up to normal, and you will be cast off from the barge. Although you have received the standard hypno-holographic training in the operation of the Interceptor-class ships, it is advisable that you thoroughly review this section of the manual so that you will be familiar with the operation of your ship. +------------------------------------+--------------------+ | | | | | Long | | Short Range Display | Range | | | Display | | | | +------------------------------------+--------------------+ | | | | | | | Ship Status Display | Scanner | | | Radar | | | | +------------------------------------+--------------------+ Figure 2. Interceptor class view screen This state-of-the-art multichannel sensor display is your interface with your ship, your crew, and the area of space in which you find yourselves. Its screen is divided into quadrants, explained below: Short-Range Display: On this display, your ship is color coded green. Your fellow Interceptors are purple; convoy ships are yellow; merchant ships are blue; and Raider ships are red. At the lower left corner of this display are your ship's current coordinates and rate of speed. Other status messages also appear in this part of the display. These are explained in later sections. (In CGA mode all Federation Interceptors are turquoise, convoy and merchant ships are white, and Raider vessels are red.) Long-Range Display: Ships in the surrounding region of space are displayed using the same color coding as above. Press L to cycle through the five levels of magnification. Level 1 is the most powerful. Your ship is always located in the exact center of this display as in the SR display. Scanner Display: When a target has been selected, this portion of the display show information about the targeted ship. (See section 2.4 for more about targeting.) Ship Status Display: This stylized diagram shows the condition of all ship systems as a percentage of total. These readouts are as follows: -Upper left: Description of ship's weapons and engines -Middle left: Conditions of the ship's computer, the effectiveness level of each program, and the current system targeted by your lasers -Lower left: Remaining fuel and condition of the ship's hull -Lower right: condition of the lasers, engine, and shield 2.2 Command Modes The different command modes are shown on the indicators in the center right of the screen. They are as follows: 2.2.1 Talk (TLK) When you have targeted another ship, pressing T directs your communications officer to open hailing frewquencies. The communications system on the Interceptor-class ships uses a modified version of the Intelligent Text Communications system (ITC), which transmits encoded short-burst messages in place of digitized speech. Thus, when you encounter another ship that wishes to respond to your communication, you are presented with a menu of topics. For each topic, you select from a library of phrases. 2.2.2 Programming the Ship's Computers (PRG) Your Interceptor class vessel is equipped with the MAI-7000 cybernetic ship control system. It supports four principal programs: Move: Controls the speed and direction of the ship. The better the Move program is, the more closely you can shadow a targeted ship--see Section 2.4.3. Target: Aims the lasers at the selected target. Evade: Adjusts the ship's trajectory to avoid enemy fire. Laser: Fires lasers at selected portions of the enemy crafts. The effectiveness of these programs is rated on a scale of one to eight. When you press P to enter this mode, you can order your communications officer to rewrite ("hack") one of these programs to fit the circumstances. The more experience this officer has, the more success he or she will have. If the officer is very inexperienced, an attempt to hack a program can actually decrease its efficiency. Note: If you decide not to "hack" one of the programs, you may escape from this by pressing the "X" key (see reference card for more information on keyboard commands). You can also choose to implement one of the four sub-modules of the Laser program, which enable you to direct the lasers at the targeted ship's hull, engine, computer, or lasers. For example, you might target the raider's hull to destroy the ship, or its laser to keep it from doing any more damage, or its engines so that you can immobilize and board it. 2.2.3 Federation Communiques (FED) Pressing F displays the Federation Communications channel. This channel shows the location and status of transport convoys, alerting you to convoys that are in danger. It also continuously displays messages from the Federation that may be of use to you, as well as a map of the entire system. 2.2.4 Bridge (BRG) Depending where you are in space, pressing B to enter this mode accomplishes one of three things: -If you are in open space, it directs the navigator to prepare to enter hyperspace. (See Section 2.3.2.) -If you are within docking range of a planet's spaceport, it enables you to use spaceport facilities and orbit the planet. (See Section 2.5) -If you are in close proximity to an enemy ship with disabled engines, it effects boarding procedures. Before you board, you'll have a chance to visit your ship's armory to provide your crew with weapons. Remember you must target a ship before you can board it (See Section 2.4.1) 2.3 Navigation 2.2.1 Sub-Light Speed Navigation in regular space is controlled by an array of four keys. The "left" and "right" arrow keys turn the ship correspondingly; the "up" arrow fires the thrusters to increase the speed one level; and the "down" arrow fires the retros, which reduce the speed one level. The maximum possible speed is level 10; however, this is diminished if your engines have been damaged. 2.3.2 Hyperspace Hyperspace is used for interplanetary and cross-system travel. You specify the destination by aligning a set of crosshairs on a system map. Once hyperspace travel is completed, you may have to fine tune your position at sub-light speeds. For a combat cadet-level navigator, one hyperspace jump consumes 500 fuel units. As the navigator gains higher rank, hyperspace travel becomes more fuel-efficient. 2.4 Weaponry and Battle Procedures 2.4.1 Targeting Press the space bar to target ship's sensors on any ship that is visible in the short-range display. Press the space bar repeatedly to cycle through the visible ships. When a ship is targeted, its picture and status appears in place of the scanner display in the lower right part of the main display. Targeting is a necessary perequisite for the following activities: -Using the Talk mode -Boarding an enemy ship -Shadowing another ship 2.4.2 Laser Control Initiating inter-ship laser combat with a specified enemy ship is a two-step process: First you target the enemy ship by pressing the space bar, then you arm the ship's lasers by pressing Enter. At this point, the ship's programming takes over. Firing is automatic until you "de-target" the enemy, destroy it, or move out of range - or until your own lasers are disabled. Even if no ship is targeted, your ship's computers will fire automatically on enemy ships as they come within range if your lasers are activated. 2.4.3 Shadowing When you press S to shadow a targeted ship, your ship's autopilot takes over and attempts to match the course of the targeted ship turn for turn. The higher the level of the "Move" computer program, the better you will be at matching the other ship's moves. 2.4.4 Damage to Ship Systems Damage to ship systems has the following effects: Engine: The ship's top speed is reduced from 10 to a number corresponding to the remaining percentage of engine function. For example, if your engine condition is 42%, your maximum speed is 4. Lasers: Speed of laser recharging and firing is decreased in proportion to the damage suffered by the lasers. Computers: Since the computers ultimately affect all ship functions, many systems are affected by damage to the computers. When there is computer damage, the ship moves more slowly, it is slower to switch targets, you will get hit more often by enemy fire, and less damage is done by your lasers. Hull: When hull condition reaches 0%, your ship undergoes explosive decompression. This has a permanently negative impact on the viability of the entire crew. If your fuel is depleted to zero, or if your engines are less than 10%, you can press H to call a tug that will bring you to Caldorre for refueling and repair. If the team has sufficient funds, they will be charged 2000 CR. Otherwise, the Federation Mission Command considers that such action can only be the consequence of serious crew incompetence and disciplinary action will be taken. 2.5 Spaceport Contact Procedures There are a number of useful facilities to be found at the spaceports of Caldorre and Norjaenn. Before landing on either of these planets, you may wish to avial yourself of them. (Since Ceyjavik is a research facility, it has no spaceport facilities.) 2.5.1 Leave this Spaceport 2.5.2 Visit your Ship's Armory The ship's armory contains a standard complement of weapons, armor and other valuable objects. It can also be used to store item that you acquire during the mission but do not wish to carry around with you. At the beginnin of the mission the armory contains the following items: 3 flight jackets 1 dagger 1 power fist 1 cyro cutlass 1 auto pistol 2 auto pistol cartridges 1 arisian lens 1 holophone Once you have chosen a weapon from the armory and given it to a crew member, you must use the Crew Command System to equip that member with it before it can be used in battle. See Section 3. 2.5.3 Orbit the Planet Initiates the landing process. By the use of the crosshairs, you select the location on the planet that you wish to visit and hit the "Enter" key to accept your choice of landing sites (or by using the # 1, 2, or 3 if you wish to visit one of the 3 Caldorre towers). If landing on other than a Caldorre tower, the crew will utilize the ATV to travel planetside. 2.5.4 Visit Recruitment Center In the unfortunate event that one of your crew should be lost in combat, you must visit the Recruitment Center on Caldorre as soon as possible. Until you replace the lost crew member, your ship's functions will be impaired as follows: Pilot: Ship cannont engage in space combat. Navigator: Ship cannot travel in hyperspace. Long-range scanner only operates at level 5. Federation Communication Channel system map is rendered inoperative Communications Officer: You cannot recieve Federation messages, hack ship's computer programs, or communicate with targeted ships. Engineer: Damage to ship cannot be repaired until you return to drydock. Medic: Wounded crew members cannot be healed. Because replacement members have not undergone the special mission training program, they have characteristic ratings of 14 for all categories: strength, stamina, etc. Also, they cannot function as expedition leaders when the crew is on foot. There must always be at least one of the original crew members in the mission. If the original five crew members are all lost, whether in a single tragedy or one at a time, the mission is at an end. 2.5.5 Visit Science Foundation Your party can obtain funds by accomplishing Science Foundation research missions. When you land at the specified location and place the equipment, the Foundation will credit your party's account with 700 CR. 2.5.6 Visit Space Miner's Guild Another way to obtain small amounts of money for your mission is to use the All Terrain Vehicle to mine valuable ores on the planets' surface. These minerals are typically found in the mountainous regions of the planets of this system. The Miner's Guild is currently interested in these three minerals: -Kokodite: Crumbly yellow ore. Used in ceramic components of spaceship booster engines. -Cryolote: Iridescent black crystals. When refined, forms the power source for most energy weapons. -Elionium: Radioactive greenish dust. Acts as a catalyst in tissue-cloning procedures. When you have picked up a quantity of ore, visit the Space Miner's Guild to drop it off and be reimbursed. 2.5.7 Enter Fuel Depot Refueling is available at the rate of 20 CR per 100 fuel units on Caldorre, and 30 CR per 100 units on Norjaenn. 2.5.8 Enter Dry Dock (Only at Caldorre) When your ship has been damaged in battle, and you can't wait for your ship's engineer to effect repairs, visit the dry dock. Federation trained technicians can repair your ship at the following rates: System Price Improvement ====== ===== =========== Shields 5 CR 5 % Hull 7 CR 5 % Engine 15 CR 5 % Computer 20 CR 5 % Lasers 10 CR 5 % Section 3. Crew Command Center You can press C to access the StarCrew Command Center from shipboard, ATV, or when exploring on foot. Use this system to inspect crew profiles, trade weapons and items, equip weapons, and set the crew order. Each of these functions is explained below: 3.1 Return to Active Duty 3.2 Looking at Crew Profiles Choose this option when you wish to see a crew member's rank, experience, characteristics, and skills. You should select this option when crew members receive promotions in order to allocate the new skill(s) they've acquired. 3.3 Trading Weapons and Items Weapons, Armor, and items carried in backpacks can be redistributed amoung crew members by means of this option. If a crew member is killed, use this option to give their possessions to their crewmates. Remember a crew member can only carry one type of Armor at a time though. 3.4 Equipping Weapons Although a crew member may be carrying a weapon, it can't be used in combat until you equip the person with it. Choose this option as soon as you obtain a new weapon so that crew members will be ready for battle at any time. 3.5 Setting the Crew Order (Only available from GCH) This option determines the order in which crew members advance when on an enemy ship or indoors. The first crew member speaks to the characters the party encounters - so if you were trying to get information, you might want that person to be someone with high charisma and comprehension. If you were expecting trouble, you would probably want a strong fighter to take the point. Section 4. The All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) The All-Terrain Vehicle is a self-contained vehicle whose extremely rugged armor and versatile sensor systems make it suitable for exploring the possibly hostile surface of an alien planet. +-------------------------------------+-------------------+ | | | | | | | Top View | Navigation | | Monitor Display | Display | | | | | | | +------------------+------------------+-------------------+ | | | | | | | | | Viewscreen | Message | ATV Status | | Display | Display | Display | | | | | | | | | +------------------+------------------+-------------------+ Figure 4. ATV Display Screen Top View Monitor Display: This area of the screen gives you a top-view display of the ATV's immediate surroundings. Friendly animals are indicated by a blue dot, hostile ones by red. Mineral deposits appear as a light-blue dot. (In CGA all animals are red dots and minerals are white.) Navigation Grid Display: This is a stylized display of the surroundings along with a readout of your current coordinates. ATV Status Display: This display shows the remaining fuel. When an encounter is selected, it shows a picture of the encountered creature and a catalog of its natural weapons. Message Display: A text summary of the current sensor readings appears here. When the sensors indicate that there is an action to be taken, such as mining a mineral deposit or healing an injured animal, a menu appears here from which you can select this action. Viewscreen Display: This portion of the screen displays a representative view of the current surroundings. 4.2 Navigation To navigate the ATV, you use the same quadrant of keys that you use to steer your spaceship. Although the ATV is well-armored, it is subject to mechanical breakdown, especially when driven for long periods over rugged ground. The length of time repairs will take depends on the composite ATV repair skill level of the entire crew. To enter a structure, maneuver the ATV around until it is facing the structure. If the structure can be entered, the message display will give you the opportunity to do so. When your party is exploring on foot, as when you enter a structure from the ATV, board another ship, or enter a spaceport, you will use the Ground Combat Helmet (GCH), explained in the next section. Section 5. The Ground Combat Helmet (GCH) The GCH provides a multi-channel interface with your party's defense, attack, and information capabilites. It is custom designed for the individual wearer and is programmed with your crewmate's names and Federation characteristic profiles. This information automatically adjusts itself as your party becomes more experienced. (Figure missing) Figure 5. Helmet Display Screen Point-of-view Display: This portion of the display shows the area immediately in front of you (as group leader) as a matrix of two-dimensional planes. The display is reoriented as the party moves through its surroundings. Around the periphery of the display is the following information: your name; which level of the structure you are currently exploring and your directional facing; your current maximum trauma rating; and your currently equipped weapon, its status, and its damage potential. Top View Radar Display: Superimposed on this display is a top-view diagram ofthe GCH's automatic sonar pulse readings, which also reorients itself as your party moves. The team leader appears in green. Crew members are shown in yellow, with their order in the party denoted by the number of dark pixels on each blip. Friendly beings appear as blue blips, and hostile ones appear in red. (In CGA the team leader is turquoise, crew members are white, all others are red.) Indoor Long-Range Display: By pressing L, you can use the GCH radar system to scan a 20 move square map section. This readout is displayed in place of the viewscreen and message displays. As the members of your team improve their recon skills, you will be able to discern other items on this display, as follows: Cumulative Recon Skill Locations Displayed 2 Weapons shop 4 General stores 6 Training facilities 8 Ship's docked location 10 Access points to new map locations 12 Elevators between levels 14 Armories 16+ Chests and footlockers Communications Channel Display: The left portion of this lower right display window shows a text listing of the available communications channels. Crew members appear on this listing in their crew order. This display also shows a picture of the currently targeted being, and that being's complement of weapons. Message Display: A text summary of the current surroundings appears here. When one of your part makes a voice-channel comment, it is also displayed here. When there is action that can be taken, such as an area in this structure that you can choose to enter, a menu in this portion of the display gives you the opportunity to do so. Viewscreen Display: A composite picture of the current surroundings appears in the lower-left portion of the display. 5.2. Command Options 5.2.1 Battle Status Press B to see your combat statistics. The readout shows the crew order and each member's hit points and experience over grade level. 5.2.2 Crew Command Press C to inspect crew profiles, trade weapons and items, equip weapons, and set the crew order. The Crew Command System is explained in section 3. 5.3 Intelligent Text Communication System The GCH uses a version of the same Intelligent Communication System found in the Interceptor-class starships. When you initiate communications with a member of your crew or an encountered being, you are presented with a menu of relevant phrases. You select from these phrases in response to the other party's replies. The ITC is context-sensitive in its display of phrases. You may find that there is more information to be obtained on a particular subject after a period of time has passed. 5.3.1 Crew Member Channels When you select one of your crewmates' communications channels, that person's picture appears on the screen (see your Reference Card for more information on selecting crew member channels). If you select your team leader's channel you will be able to use any abilities that they might possess. By selecting your Medic's channel you will be provided with a menu that gives you the option of selecting the order in which you wish to heal your crew. 5.3.2 Encounter Channel You can only communicate with encountered beings whom the sensors deem to be friendly. Remember that Federation regulation 334-MV1 paragraph Q specifies stiff penalties for attacking any person so designated. 5.4 Battle Procedures The GCH interface enables you to target a hostile being and to use your currently equipped weapon to combat it. Use the space bar to target a hostile being. You cannot target a being that is not in your line of sight. Press "Enter" for the team leader to fire on a hostile being. Your other team members handle their own firing. Weapon range for each class of weapon is as follows: Contact and edged weapons have a range of two squares on the short range display; projectile weapons and blasters have a range of four squares. (Figure missing) Figure 6. Caldorre Planet map Section 6. Survey Results on Caldorre System The following Information is excerpted from the Official Report of the Federation Survey Party of 2990. 6.1 Caldorre 6.1.1 History of the Caldorre System When the first Federation exploration teams entered the Caldorre system in 2709, they found to their surprise that its most Earthlike planet (for which the system was named) was already inhabited by a highly advanced and technologically literate culture. In fact, the Caldorrians detected and hailed the Federation ship before it even knew there was life on the planet. The Federation explorers found the Caldorrains eager for contact with space-farers. Communication proved easy, since the Caldorrians spoke a much corrupted descendant of an obsolete language called Anglish -- a precursor of modern Commonspeak. From this, and from the fact that this region of space was known as a destination for early deep space travellers, it was theorized that Caldorre was originally settled by a lost Earthish colony ship hundreds of years before. In 2720, Caldorre and Norjaenn became fully-represented members of the Federation of Planets. Relations between the heartworlds of the Caldorre system have generally been friendly. The Caldorrians value the influx of culture, trade, and industry brought by the Federation, while the Federation finds Caldorre a useful stopping point for outbound expeditions, as well as a valuable trade and population center in its own right. In addition, the system offers food and mineral resources that are vital to continued Federation expansion in this area of space. 6.1.2. Geography and Lifeforms Caldorre's major landform is a single huge continent that girdles the planet's equator. Except for the polar regions, the climate is generally humid and temperate. The planet is widely and luxuraintly forested, possessing many of the characteristics of an Earthish rain forest. Known animal life includes cave bears, gorillas, and dust snakes, all of which have been know to be hostile to human beings. 6.1.3 Politics and Culture Small communities of tribal humans are found at various locations on the planet. It is a point of contention among Federation scientists as to whether these are descendants of the same colony ship that established the Tower culture, or whether they are the evidence of a separate human landing on Caldorre. The attitude of the tribal dwellers toward the Tower inhabitants can generally be described as benignly oblivious. The only other human life on Caldorre is centered in the three huge Towers which rise several kilometers above the surface of the planet. The top of each Tower is a docking port, through which atmospheric crafts enter the Tower. Below that are hundreds of levels which house all aspects of human industry, commerce, and recreation. The lower level fall into several different basic types: -Bar and Club levels house establishments that cater to visitors' needs for recreation and conversation. -Store levels provide weapons and other supplies for visitors. -Apartment and Office levels comprise living and working quarters for Tower inhabitants. The facilities of interest to travellers on these levels include the aerobics studios, plastic surgeon, weight gym, library, and tennis/racquet courts. The citizens of Caldorre never leave the Tower where they live, and only know of the rest of their world's surface by means of geoeducational holograms. Their sole industry is providing services for space travellers. Caldorre boasts the most complete Federation-run spaceport in the region, with facilities capable of repairing and resupplying any class of spacefaring vessel. (Figure missing) Figure 7. Norjaenn Planet Map 6.2 Norjaenn 6.2.1 Geography and Lifeforms When the original Federation exploration party surveyed Norjaenn in 2709, they theorized that its soil must be extremely fertile because of the mineral rich god that shrouds the planet for a portion of the year. With the help of Federation development contracts, the planet's extremely rich grain and livestock industries now make it the breadbasket of the entire region. Landforms include one large continent and numerous islands, the largest of which is located to the northwest. The land is mostly meadowland and rolling hills, with a ring of steep, thickly wooded mountains located on the main continent. There are two seasons on Norjaenn: "misting," when fine rains sweep the farming areas of the planet for several months at a time, and "graintime," when the weather is predominatly clear and temperate. Aside from the cattle, which are a hardy variant of the Talmanian "Tusker" breed, large lifeforms are rarely found outside of the mountainous areas. They include cave bears and grey bats, both of which can be dangerous to travellers. 6.2.2 Politics and Culture The political forces on Norjaenn are perennially embroiled in land-use squabbles of Byzantine complexity. The two main groups, the Ranchers and the Farmers, have a long standing political rivalry. Each group is made up of approximately ten feudal clans, each of which has its own alliances and rivalries. Currently, the two groups are abiding a treaty which apportions the usable land. Representatives of each family meet together once a year under a pledge of sanctuary to decide planetary affairs. No one knows how long this uneasy peace will last. Observers fear that war could break out again at any provocation. Human life on Norjaenn is mostly found in scattered farming communities. The center of trade and culture is the two town Tolte. The planet has a Level 2 spaceport, with full supply capability, but no repair facilities. (Figure missing) Figure 8. Ceyjavik Planet Map 6.3 Ceyjavik Ceyjavik, the most remote planet in the Caldorre system, has a wild and inhospitable climate that makes it ill-suited to human colonization. However, the fragile system of animal life that manages to survive such conditions is of interest to science, and so the Federation has established a biological research laboratory on Ceyjavik. 6.3.1 Geography and Lifeforms Ceyjavik's surface is mostly ocean, with two polar continents that are home to numerous live volcanoes. These volcanoes continually spew molten debris, which congeals in the frigid sea to form the scattered bergs of buoyant lava that are the other major landforms on the planet. The volcanoes also spew vast quantities of a bluish gaseous sulfur compound which is harmelss when it reaches the surface, but is toxic when concentrated in the volcanic caves. The planet is subject to intense and long-lasting seasonal storm systems. Winds can reach 200 to 300 kph during a severe storm, and a meter of snow frequently falls in the course of a standard day. This heavy precipitation coats the floating bergs with a thick layer of frozen snow, so that they appear as icebergs by the time they reach equatorial latitudes. The following life forms are found on Ceyjavik: -Ice Tiger: Large, white and roughly tigerlike. It lives in the coves of the larger and more stationary bergs and eats sea creatures which it captures by swimming. The ice tigers are normally amiable. -Bush Rat: This small rodent protects itself by remaining still, whereupon its thick scrubby coat causes it to resemble a small shrub. -Seals: These are peaceful, intelligent creatures that live primarily in the water and occasionally on the beaches. Early accounts also contain unsubstantiated reports of such creatures as blue fliers, red lizards, and lava snakes. 6.3.2 Politics and Culture The only inhabitants of Ceyjavik are the 50 or so scientists who staff the BORKIN Laboratory (Biological and Research Kinetics). The station consists of a base camp with a landing pad for orbital vehicles, and two outpost labs that are carved into stationary bergs. These outposts consist of a cat observation facility, and a sea life/aquarium area. They are linked by an underwater tunnel. Ceyjavik has no facilities for supplying or repairing space vessels. Federation ships are advised to bring their own supplies when visiting Ceyjavik. Appendix 1: Weapons This section describes weapons commonly used in the Caldorre system. The going price and damage range are listed for each weapon. Purchase or sale of weapons marked with an asterisk is not allowed under Federation Regulation M-435-B3N, subparagraph L. Contact Weapons (Range: 2 moves): Weapon Damage Range Price ------------- ------------ ----- Hands 1 - 4 --- Power Fist 2 - 10 40 Sonic Mace 3 - 12 90 Gyro Pike 4 - 16 160 *Neuron Flail 10 - 30 --- Edged Weapons (Range: 2 moves): Weapon Damage Range Price ------------- ------------ ----- Dagger 2 - 6 20 Cryo Cutlass 4 - 8 50 Power Axe 3 - 12 120 Energy Blade 5 - 20 200 *Edged Spinner 14 - 28 --- Projectile Weapons (Range: 4 moves): Weapon Damage Range Price ------------- ------------ ----- Auto Pistol 2 - 8 100 Shotgun 3 - 12 300 *HyperUzi 6 - 24 --- *AK 4700 7 - 28 --- *Gauss Rifle 8 - 32 --- *Thermocaster 10 - 40 --- Blasters (Range: 4 moves): Weapon Damage Range Price ------------- ------------ ----- Hand Laser 6 - 30 900 *LR Laser 8 - 40 --- *Plasma Gun 10 - 50 --- *Neutron Gun 20 - 60 --- Ammunition: Item Rounds Price ------------- ------ ----- Auto Pistol 50 40 Shotgun Pak 35 60 Uzi Magazine 35 100 AK Magazine 30 110 Gauss Magazine 25 210 Thermal Pak 20 370 Crysprism 25 900 Armor: Item Price ------------- ----- Uniform --- Flight Jacket 100 Steel Mesh 190 Flak Jacket 550 Kevlar Suit 870 Laser Reflect 950 Combat Armor 3500 Future Magic Art Notes: One afternoon, while I was busily "pixelating" on my computer, Karl Buiter poked his head into my cube. On his face was a big smile and in his hand was a thick stack of papers; his script for Sentinel Worlds. We sat and discussed it a while and I came away with the notion that this would be a rather nice, short, and relatively undemanding art project involving 30 to 40 pictures, some map graphics, and a few spaceships. I told him I really hadn't done too many portraits of people but he assured me that there would only be a few major characters. Well, a year and a half later, I've done over 150 pictures, 3 entire world environments, and a ton of portraits. So much for initial notions. Reading Karl's script was a lot like reading a thorough movie scripts or short novel. Each character was unique, well-developed, and colorful. I felt that the hardest job was to come up with faces and places that would portray the depth of his vision. Following that was the fact that each picture, person, and landscape had to fit in an 80 by 80 area with 16 EGA colors of IBM/Tandy's choice. We talked at length about who should look like what, who needed a bigger nose, and if a towel was really necessary. It felt like I was a casting director for a Hollywood movie. Before long, Karl had my preliminary art up and running, and we were on our way. Three things stood out in rendering any of the pictures of SW1: FutureMagic. One, they had to be unique and distinctive. For the player, the picture of Alex Kann would BE Alex Kann and I didn't want there to be any mistaking him for someone else. Number two was dramatic situations. The pictures don't always appear and when they do it's usually at a key scene. I'd have to take advantage of that because I couldn't rely on panning scenes or establishing shots. Third but foremost was quality. Karl is a quality game designer and programmer, hence nothing short of the best possible execution would do. We've tried hard to accomplish these goals and make Sentinel Worlds I:FutureMagic a magically enjoyable experience. We hope you'll find yourself agreeing that we did. Graphic Artist: Michael Kosaka Notes by the sound designer ... When Karl asked me to handle the sounds for FutureMagic, 2 problems immediately surfaced. First, the program was to run primarily on the PC single speaker system, the most limiting of all the available home entertainment computers. Second, Karl wanted top-notch rock/pop music, citing examples of Michaal Jackson, Robert Palmer. It seems to me that if I were capable of cranking out that kind of music, I would be making albums and not videogame soundtracks; so, leaving the second problem to puzzle over for later, I concentrated on the first. I set about creating a music driver that would simulate many instruments at once, particulary drum sounds (which was important to Karl, a drummer himself). Though only one "instrument" plays at any given time, they are swapped around so fast that it gives the impression that more than one voice is playing. Voices can be created with varying rates and depth of tremolo, in order to simulate guitar/synthesizer sounds; and other effects intended to portray snare, bass, and tom-tom drums. As far as the sound effects themselves went, well that was much simpler; it's pretty easy to come up with sounds of weapons that haven't been built yet; but, I think that a gyro pike really will sound something like that. Once the driver was "perfected", the task of composing music finally arrived. Not only was I to come up with Top 40 tunes (except for the "old west" piece), the band I hired had to fit into the one and a half inch pc speaker and the members had to take turns 240 times a second being heard! I experimented with drum riffs inspired by examples provided by Karl and built songs up from there. And, I also used this project as a chance to create original music of the type I wanted to do myself anyway -- but please don't tell Karl. Sound Designer: Dave Warhol Designed and programmed by: Karl Buiter Computer Graphics: Michael Kosaka Sound and Music: Dave Warhol Producer: Dave Albert Assitant Producers: James Bailey, Michael Meischied, Chris Wilson ============================================================== ************************************************************** CHAPTER 3: SENTINEL WORLDS PARAGRAPHS (Typed by Wanker) ************************************************************** NOTE: You may be misled if you start reading these paragraphs! Karl Buiter deliberately added many false paragraphs to prevent this to be a story- spoiler. (macCro) Don't start reading these paragraphs. It'll ruin the game. You gotta have this to solve the game, which is why I typed it up rather than the Docs, (it's also shorter). 1. "Of course I know who's behind the raids, " Brennan says, "I've known all along. Every single one of those raiders is the lowest of the low, the kind of vile slime that hates puppies an hunts space bunnies. You know the kind don't you? Here let me clue you in: The raiders are the kind of folks who read paragraphs they shouldn't be reading! "Now tell me, why do I always have to do the Federations dirty work? I'm gonna get me a job where I don't have to tell folks not to do what they ain't supposed to do..." 2. The rancher stares at you and your crew long and hard before answering. "Ranchers and Farmers been fightin' for the last ten years. There's a piece of land we both have a hankerin' for, cause it's loaded full of Kransite. Folks in the Rouyn system will pay you enough for a lousy handful of the stuff to let you retire. Federation don't know about Kransite and won't recognize either sides claim to the land. You can see for yourself. It's right here on your chart, at Norajaenn 1235, 1108." 3. "I suspect you're right in that assumption. Even my ship with the latest in fuel-efficient engines, cannot travel beyond two or three systems from here without refueling. From what I can tell of the raider craft, their technology is not particularly sophisticated, not even as advanced as your primitive interceptors." 4. "The beasts eat our children," the Warhakan leader explains. "Our weapons are useless against their scales. You must help us. They have slain all who venture near them. We believe there to be only a dozen or so, but we are powerless against their ravages. The Federation promised to help us in times of need...go to Caldorre 1012, 622 and slay them if you would honor your word!" 5. "We dig because a great evil persuades us to dig. The evil stands above us like the shadow of the moon. The people dig, but our hearts do not dig. We dig with our teeth clenched, but I say to you: One day the teeth shall bite." 6. "If you want to know about the raiders, I'll let you in on a little secret," says Grager in a low voice. "Most of them do themselves in before you can get one word out of them. But I managed to get a hold of one that had a mind of his own: In a few words, this one was scared. I don't resort to torture, I assure you, but a little persuasion with these types isn't out of line." Grager flashes you a grin, takes a long sip of his cocktail, then continues. "This guy told me that they're equipping their ships with a modified weapons system that has twice the firepower of a Federation starship. That's all I could get out of him. He wouldn't tell me where his base was or whose boots he licked. I showed my appreciation by letting him ride with us: we strapped him to the prow of the ship." 7. "Let's see now...Sentinels, eh? They're supposed to be a bunch of old men in blue robes somewhere on Norajaenn. My grandpa said he saw them once, when he was on a hunting trip. Tried to talk to them, but they just and didn't make a sound. Gramps was a pretty good tracker, but all he found was a few bushes stripped clean of fruit. Not a trace of the old guys. He also claimed that he saw some funny lights in the hills that night, and on a couple of other nights too." 8. "Forget about the Sentinels, young man. Looky here, I usually don't go in for Fed types but my daughter, she's just crazy about 'em. I reckon it's the uniforms or somethin'. Anyway, you just relax. Ma will cook us up some nice vittles and we'll sit down and have a nice meal, and then maybe we'll let you two young'uns alone for a spell. 9. "Before I tell you where to find the Sentinels you must find a way to resolve the differences between the Ranchers and the Farmers. Their dispute is tearing our town apart. I stand to lose my livelihood if they keep at each other the way they have been. A lot of folks are in the same boat. An outsider might make them listen to reason, but no one from Tolte can make them sit down together. You stop them from trying to kill each other and I'll help you out." 10. The rancher scratches his chin and gives you a long hard look. "Well I reckon we been fightin' ever since I was a boy...Norajaenn was settled nigh unto a hundred years ago, and the two sides been fightin' at least a third of that time. When the almighty Federation, in it' infinite wisdom, decided that this was the place to be, it decided it was the place for both farmers and ranchers. So they plopped us down in the same spot, maybe twenty families of each persuasion, and waited to see who survived. Sort of an evolution thing, I reckon. only problem was both sides survived and now they're fightin' over the same piece of land. Farmers can just up and plant their crops wherever they please, whereas we ranchers have to stake out a piece of grazing land well-suited to our critters. Farmers won't move and we can't move, so I reckon we'll just have to fight it out until they either move or we move em." 11. "To find the Light, it is necessary that you unlock the Gates Of Truth. The gates are hidden to those in whom the Light is but a dull glow, but to those in whom the Light shines forth, the Gates stand forth with an unparalleled luminosity. There the Masters wait in solitude." 12. The Warhakan stares resolutely. "They are sometimes accompanied by others, not like themselves. They offer to trade with us but we refuse. With such as they, we will have nothing to do." 13. "Look," he says, "there probably isn't anything in that hunk of spacejunk. I bet you could sift throughout until your fingers bled, your knees buckled, and all the chrome flaked off your new digital watch and you still wouldn't come up with one stinking clue. But by all means, go ahead, I won't stand in your way." 14. "Yes," she says in a trembling voice, "there is a door to the tower that's unguarded. It's a loading port of some sort. I can't tell you where it is, but there is someone who knows and who'd be willing to tell you. His..." With a gasp she clutches her throat. You stare in horror as the blood streams from her eyes. She staggers for a moment, giving you enough time to step out of the way of her falling corpse. 15. "Kedro? Only a year ago he was one of us. But something came over him, sudden-like. Some folks thought it was some space-virus or something, but I never bought that. If you ask me, he just became..." he pauses, tapping his forehead, "well, a little touched." 16. The old man winks at you and nods his head sagely. "Verily, the world is an oyster, thou shalt not want." 17. "Well, I won't do it for charity but I'm willing to make a deal," he says, taking another slug of Red Reactor. "You get me a Federation contract-and make it binding-and I'll get em for you, guaranteed. You come here with a signed piece of paper and we'll talk." 18. "If the Federation muscles in and you're not 100% on their side, you don't get no favors. No, I'm not satisfied with the way I've been treated. It's just not fair competition, you know? An advantage is an advantage, I don't care how you look at it. An honest trader like me doesn't stand a chance." 19. "Quit readin the damn paragraphs when you're not supposed to." 20. "Our paths will cross again someday. It is our destiny. When it does, I hope to be ready for him. For now, he fears me greatly although with his knowledge of the dark arts his evil master has taught him he could surely kill me. Yet he fears me. He tried to get me to go with him, to talk to this 'Master' of his, but I didn't. He said I had the Light or some such mumbo jumbo, but I told him I wasn't interested in hearing about it. All I know is that someday he's going to have to face up to the mischief he's created or face up to me, his brother." 21. "I did see somethin' strange once. They moved at an incredible speed. The cattle were scared, and me and my boys had to do everything we could to keep em from bolting. Weird, let me tell you. You could kinda see through em, see, only they were a kinda sickly green color. That was back when my wife was still livin, an' when we came home, she said we looked like we'd seen a ghost or somethin. All in all I guess we were purty scared, yup. That was the only time though. "Oh yeah, the next 21 is 45..." 22. Delik lowers his blaster then returns it to it's holster. "Well, you don't seem like the dishonest type, but I don't like someone who goes back on their word and I don't like gettin' snaked. A deal's a deal. I expect the next time we meet you'll have the credits. I don't think I need to threaten a Fed." Motioning to his hired help, he turns and mounts the stairs. 23. You enter the access code and wait with a little impatience as the computer translates. With a quick flicker a holographic representation of the tower appears before you. A flashing arrow points to a portal on the south side. Words appear below the image: "2210A2: Security Clearance 'Lanka'." 24. "Yes sir, he handed me the Caldorre candy bar and said 'Read the ingredients carefully.' So I opened the thing up and lo and behold theres these numbers scrawled on the inside: 1792,955. I looked up and he was gone, you know, vanished. 25. "Follow me into darkness and know that power is truth! I shall give you the knowledge by which you shall bring the world to it's knees and recognize your personal divinity! I hold the reins of the world out to you. Do not turn them down. Do not choose destruction when I offer you full life! Do not choose weakness over your right to rule! Do not die for others when immortality lies within your grasp!" 26. "I'm pretty sure he's in these caves," Kann explains. " We were on a three-day drive a week ago, camped out at night when he disappeared. Two of my men saw the kidnappers carry him off, and swear that the bunch that got him were Farmers. Recognized em by the they ran. Next morning we checked out the tracks, what was left of them, and sure enough the prints weren't from any boots a rancher would wear. I heard a bunch of Farmers, even old Grayper himself, were heading for Striker Rift, so I put two and two together and figured that's where they were hiding my boy." 27. "If you ask me there's something really fishy going on in that Rift. It seems like Farmers sure are heading there a lot these days, even when there's nothing of value there anymore. Several of us have seen em sneaking out there at night. Oh, there's something else weird about all this: we've been picking up strange transmissions on our radios. Stuff I can't understand. I sure don't like hearin' what I can't understand." 28. "Well, I don't know if they actively help the raiders, but maybe indirectly. You know for a little information on the placement of military escorts-you know like your ship-these merchants get safe passage. It's hard to believe we have such treacherous colonists in our midsts, but they really exist. If there were some way we could catch the whole lot of em, we might just bag a few more raiders every month." 29. "The raiders you seek are in an underground colony on the ice planet. Malcolm brought them here from earth and breeds them for his army. There's a secret chamber within the towers from which you can transport you and your crew into the ice domain. There you will encounter Malcolm and his minions. Beware the counter-winding staircase! I can tell you no more." 30. "They live in the lost hills. I ran across them when I was a youngster. I was hiking in along a ledge and lost my footing. When I woke up, I was lying down in a dark cave, with a bunch of old men in blue robes standing around and muttering in some foreign language. My leg hurt something awful, and my head didn't feel much better. One of the guys, his name was Kedro, made me lie down and started chanting over me. Before I knew it my leg stopped hurting, and my head stopped trying to explode. "I've been back twice, but each time Kedro stopped me and told me to go home. He said something about the light being bright in me, but that he could not teach me. Hell I never asked him to. But that was all he would ever say. So I stopped going back there." 31. "Why, he is one in whom the light shines with a fierce dark intensity that I have never before seen. He is called Malcolm Trandle and he was once a Sentinel. Surely you must not judge the Sentinels harshly by comparing them to Malcolm, for he left their ways for the ways of evil. The Sentinels are the keepers of the light. They find those in whom the Light shines brightly and they nurture it. Why, they found me many, many aeons ago, on a far distant world where all have my appearance, but where I was the only one in whom the light shone brightly. There was another in whom it shine darkly and he they destroyed. "In Malcolm Trandle the light once shone brightly. Once it shone with a radiance that would illuminate a galaxy. But when the Sentinels took up residence on a planet called Earth by its people. Malcolm began to change. A darkness crept into him and he began to treat the poor primitives who lived on that world as cattle and playthings. Before any of the other Sentinels knew what had transpired, Malcolm had gathered a small army of these pitiful savages and decided that he should be the ruler of the Sentinels. He stole me from the dwelling of Kedro, and he stole the book of spells as well. You see, although the light shines brightly in me, I wield it but slightly. Those around me, however, can wield it far beyond their normal capacity. Malcolm feared Kedro as long as Kedro had me with him. And Malcolm feared the book even more. Ahh, how he feared the book! So he stole us and brought us to this light forsaken corner of the cosmos. "The delicious irony of it all my friend, is that Malcolm stole me in order to increase his power, but it could never happen. He took possession of the planet called caldorre because he sensed a power here beyond understanding. The three towers that stand on that planet have stood since time immemorial. The builders of those towers powered them with a generator of dark light. What Malcolm did not understand was that as I amplify Light so I destroy Dark Light. The dark Light is, how do you say it? Allergic to me. So Malcolm had to hide me away, far away where no pursuit might find me. And here I have lain for three thousand years and more." 32. "These beasts may be found toward the setting sun. Let me show you on this drawing where they reside..." A comparison between the crude Warhakan map and Federation charts shows the approximate location of the invasion to be at Caldorre 640,736. 33. "The Book is a Book of Spells. It is an artifact of light that Malcolm Trandle stole when he stole our friend the Key of Thor. When we came to retrieve both Malcolm used a great dark light to rob us of our youth and minds. He could not extinguish our minds completely but our youth is lost forever. The light is bright in you. Perhaps we can teach you what you need to know in order to defeat Malcolm, but we cannot do so without the book. There are some basic abilities we still remember and which we will impart to you now. By talking(!) from your heart to yourself or to others you can focus the light to heal injury to yourself. You can sense the presence of other users of light, or those in whom the light shines either brightly, or with the dark pallor of evil. You may probe the minds of others, to know that which they most wish to conceal. "In order to teach you more we must have the book of spells. Malcolm has hidden the book in a special location on the planet Earth. You may reach this location only through a transporter in one of his towers. You must go and retrieve the book." 34. "We dig to protect ourselves from the evil that surrounds us. We suffer only betrayal at the hands of the Warhaka. Once we are secure again in our Mother Soil, we shall strike forth with the fury of the storm. The evil shall not escape us, and none shall stand in our way." 35. "Malcolm resides in his battle station. You are now ready to confront him. While his knowledge is great and his power greater, he too has lost his youth. Your vigor should enable you to face him in a duel, much like the one you fought with his puppet Shadar. But this time the stakes will be life or death. You must seek him out with your abilities and then confront him. If you succeed in destroying him his world will crumble. Remember that the battle station and the population of the towers are but creations of his evil power. They will vanish with his demise, and you will be destroyed in the ensuing chaos if you remain in his lair. Go now." 36. "The raiders you seek are the descendants of the earth people Malcolm brought with him to these worlds. You must capture one of these and bring him before the Gates of truth. There you will probe his mind to find the entrance to Malcolms domain. Enter his domain, find the Book by using the ability to seek out users of the light, then bring the book back at once. Do not try to confront the betrayer now, for his power is too great. Go now." 37. "How are the raids ruining me?" Grager gives you a quizzical glance, then stares at his well trimmed fingernails. "The Caldorre system is my system. I own all trade rights to the system. The Federation has granted me the right to collect a tariff on all commercial shipping to and from the Caldorre system. In return all commerce is directed towards furthering the Federation's expansion into the Rouyn, Malartic, and Noranda systems. While such an arrangement is not without precedent, it is highly unusual and greatly coveted by all in my profession. I suspect some of my rivals would like to see me fail in this endeavor. "I do not intend to fail. As we speak, my crew is installing better laser turrets on your Interceptor and my programmers are upgrading your software. It's the least I can do." 38. Kann stares at you with a steadiness even you find disquieting. "They probably removed him from the face of the planet. We were on a three day drive a week ago when he disappeared. Two of my men saw the kidnappers and swear that they were Farmers. I heard a bunch of Farmers, even old Grayper himself were heading for Striker Rift. It's common knowledge that the Farmers have a secret starbase tucked away in Shadow Rift. Where he is now I don't know, but there'll be hell to pay!" 39. "They woke us up one night shrieking and howling. I never saw such a scene in all my life. My Pa grabbed the weapon he kept by hid bed and ran out into the darkness. I saw the bright flashes of his shots, but the green things ignored him. To this day I still don't know what they came for. They didn't touch a thing at the shop. I was frozen, I was so scared. What scares me to this day is the eerie way my brother stood by the window, as calm as can be. His hand was outstretched as if he was making contact in some weird way. The expression on his face...I suppose that was the beginning of it all." 40. The globe rises slowly, pulsating with a raw energy that completely illuminates your surroundings. "I am the Key of Thor. Tremble before me vermin! I shall use you and your pitiful mechanical conveyances to fulfill my destiny. We shall go to Norajaenn 1875,1060 where the Sentinels, reside and crush them. Let us go!" 41. With a wicked smile Riker presses the green button on the console of his raider craft. You hear the sound of metal grating against metal in the distance, and a muffled scream..."She's all yours boys," he says with an evil grin, "be sure to take along a spoon." 42. The Gates of Truth stand open before you. Three old men dressed in scarlet robes sit just beyond the threshold. As you cross over, one of the old men smiles at you. That's when you notice his mouth is filled with several rows of sharp, pointed teeth... 43. Ruawl accepts the proffered bribe and grins. "Sentinels? Yeah I know of them. You Feds don't want to mess with those guys. They look at you sideways and your brain explodes. I saw them stop a cave bear once, just by sneezing. Whatever you do shoot first when you see one. If you can kill one or two, maybe the rest will cooperate. If not you guys are history. "They can be found at Caldorre 3015,827. The key thing is to remember that the next 43 is 75..." 44. "Malcolm came to this system in order to increase his powers and extend his reach. For millennia he has plotted and raised his warriors. He needs more time to prepare. When your people began to settle this system he perceived them as a threat, fearing he might be discovered. He populated the towers with illusions and service machines hoping that it would become a waystation for travelers. But when your people decided to settle on Norajaenn it was too much for him to tolerate. He now sends out his raiders in the hopes of driving away those who would dwell here leaving him free to pursue his evil ends. That would spell disaster for all sentient beings." 45. Face to face with Lochinvar Avrensis, you begin to wonder if you were wise in seeking him out. He is a huge man, without an ounce of fat on his body. His three bodyguards carry Neuron Flails, and look as though they eat Federation Marines for breakfast. "So you boy are trying to stop the raids eh?" Avrensis says. "Why? What gives you the right to interfere in a private quarrel? This ones between me and that wimp Grager. We haven't attacked the Federation, just his ships. Bet you don't know how he got the trade rights to begin with, do you? Well it ain't because he's a public servant... "Tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna let you boys walk outa here in one piece, this time. But if you cross me again, your mamas are gonna be grieving for years. Now you tell the Federation to keep it's nose out of this one. If they keep interfering me and my Keeshan allies are gonna escalate this little fracas into a full scale galactic war. Now scram!" 46. "There's only one way to get to our home base and it takes a hell of a pilot to pull it off. You've got to start off the top of one of Caldorre tower #2 and hyperspace through the Gates of Truth. I can't tell you the exact coordinates for the Gates, they have been programmed into my ships computer in a language I don't understand. But I think a good hacker could get the info. I can tell you the security code for that section of prog..." Suddenly the raider gasps and blood streams from his eyes and nose. With a gurgling sound he crumples to the floor at your feet,dead. 47. "Why do I hate Ranchers?" The farmer spits on the ground. "Those scum killed two of my boys in front of my eyes. All my boy did was complain about one of their steers tramplin' his cat...The Ranchers think they own the whole planet. They'll see. Pretty soon we'll take care of em all." As the old man turns to go a crumpled piece of paper falls from his pocket. When he leaves you pick it up. It says:"Meet at the base at Shadow Rift a 0900. Ships are all fueled. This time we take them out." It's signed "Riker". 48. The apparent leader of the beasts stares at you, and motions for the others to leave. "Welcome pale ones. We are the Koshol and we have returned to claim the land from which we were driven by the Warhaka. For three generations we have waited. Now we are striking back. They are treacherous but we are strong. They must die. It is right that they should die. You need not die, go and do not meddle in our affairs." 49. "The beasts were just there one morning," the slender Warhakan explains, "we did not see them come or by what means they arrived. Now we are being invaded by these fearsome creatures. We have seen them uproot trees with little effort. None dare approach them for fear of the possible consequences. "When your people first came to this world you said you would help settle any disputes. We ask for your aid in helping us stop this invasion. "One final word of caution: Remember, the next 49 is 53..." 50. "My name is Sheelana," the girl says. "Pa told em it was okay to talk with you. He says a Fed is a good catch, but I don't want to catch anyone. I just want to be with Joshua Kann. Pa won't stand for it cause he's a Rancher. But I don't see what difference it makes. They're not doin the raiding. It's the Sentinels. You can find their base at Norajaenn 979,522. Remember the next 50 is 42." 51. The screen of the computer flickers brightly and then goes blank. After a couple of seconds it comes to life again, filled with the image of an alien species you have never seen before. Below the image of the green skinned creature is the following text: "The keeshan race hails from an unknown part of the galaxy. They are extremely warlike and possess starship technology far beyond that of the Federation. Emissaries to the Keeshan have returned with their personalities erased. Each has repeated the same message:'Cease your expansion or face extermination'. "What little information we have on the Keeshan is because of recording equipment on the emissary ship of the first unfortunate ambassador. The other seven emissaries have returned in drone ships of unknown technology. "Unable to access additional data without security clearance. Password:_________" 52. "We dig for evil. We must find the evil. We must destroy the evil. Three killing seasons before I have vision. It come to me in sleep. Night star glow with evil. Vision show me evil to lead me to destroy evil. I leave my father. I leave my people. Few come with me on journey to evil. We hide in silver boat that sails to star. Vision guide me to boat. Boat sail to evil. We find evil here. Evil is down below the earth. Here." 53. "Striker Rift is one of the canyons that some thought was loaded with Kokodite. Lemme see now, that wall chart should show it...Yeah, right here. Norajaenn 1169,677. That's where Grayper and his boys were headed." 54. Just as you turn to walk away from the mysterious craft,a whooshing noise catches your attention. A small hole appears in the side of the craft, widening into a portal through which a good sized human could walk. A metallic voice says "ENTER!". The inside of the vessel is unlike anything that you have seen. Bank upon bank of flashing lights greet your eyes in every direction. Sitting in the middle of the craft is a green creature you recognize as Keeshan. Its features are so alien that you cannot guess its disposition towards you and your crew. "Greetings, marines," it says in the same flat metallic voice. "The time has come for contact. It seems Avrensis has told us a distortion of the fabric in order to have us pursue his goals. He will be treated accordingly for his deceit. It does not pay to deceive the Keessha. Our mindcouncil wishes to hear of the Federation, for ignorance is not the basis for decisions. You will bring your leaders to Ceyjavik 1002, 767 immediately. We shall await you there." The Keeshan extends a arm-like appendage towards one of the flashing panels, and suddenly you and your crew are outside the alien ship, which shimmers and vanishes. 55. As soon as you finish typing "Clytemnestra" into the raider computer, the raider begins laughing. "FOOLS," he says. "Now we're going just where you wanted to go. Home. When my Master sees I've brought him a handful of Feds, he'll be delighted. I'll bet I get promoted for this one. In case you guys are having any thoughts about fighting your way through, you ought to know that there are 10,000 combat veterans waiting for you where we're going. So settle back and enjoy the trip, Dolts!" Within a few seconds the small raider vessel begins to tremble and shake. Suddenly you are slammed into the walls as the craft accelerates at an unbelievable rate. "Don't worry, you'll wake up soon", the raider says as you slip into unconsciousness. 56. The Book of Spells rises to hover near your eyes. "I hold the knowledge of how to defeat your enemies. But the Sentinels hold the power to teach you the knowledge contained within me. We must find them, for time grows short as the evil one's power grows. "When we reach them you will gain the ability to confuse your foes, to sense any being's presence, to make your enemies become your allies and the ability to nullify your enemies strengths. But we must reach them first." With that the book moves into your backpack, which feels no heavier. 57. The bloodstained journal is written in a neat, cramped hand: "The Ice Tigers have begun acting strangely ever since we saw the comet. First they wouldn't eat, then they began eating everything in sight. Normally herbivores, they began devouring Bush Rats and the seal-like creatures that play on the bergs. "It's been a week since the comet has passed and ALL the fauna are exhibiting signs a odd behavior. Just yesterday Nelson Karamatu, the chief botanist, noticed that the kelp beds are growing very quickly, becoming so dense that the creatures that normally swim through them get stuck and die in them instead. "I think that Nelson is losing his mind. Today he told me that the kelp is eating the creatures that get stuck. I am going to recommend that he and Virginia take an extended leave when we get back to the base. "Last night we lost Slade and Johnson. They went of to explore one of the side tunnels here and never came back. Slade was the minisub pilot. We may be stuck here until a rescue team can come to our aid. Luckily, Nelson knows how to work the comm gear. "Nelson is dead! He was mauled by an Ice Tiger this morning. We tried to save him, but it was no use. Everything is going wrong. We've lost four of our original crew of nine. Everything down here has turned hostile. I hope we can make it back to the minisub." There are no more entries in the journal. 58. The star pilots eyes dart about the confined spacecraft. "Raiders? I don't know anything about them. I just fly cargo to Malar..." When he sees the log book in your hands he seems to collapse. "Oh what's the use? Yeah, I know about the raids. In fact, I fly on some of them, when my turn comes up. Do you have any idea what it's like to work for Grager? He takes 60% off the top. He does it to every freighter in the system. When Avrensis offered us a chance to get back at him and break his monopoly a few of us jocks decided 'why not'? We only shoot down the ships piloted by his Sarankhan slaves. We won't hit a ship with a human pilot. In fact on the last three raids we've..." A look of horror crosses the young man's face. He claws at his nose and eyes, making a strangled gurgling sound. As blood pours from his eyes, he drops to his knees, then falls flat on the floor, dead. 59. Stepping out of your ATV into the alien landscape, you and your crew are greeted by the sight of seven tall, green opaque creatures with six limbs. Each of the four upper appendages hold Thermal Casters pointed at you! "Greetings marines," the tallest one says. "Welcome to Keesha, and your doom..." 60. The bartender accepts your generous tip and says, "Yep, I see some strange types pass through here. Why last week I saw that young Kann cub and a pretty young Farmer girl here, all dressed up to look like Caldorreans. Didn't fool me of course. The girl seemed real intent on getting Josh to look at a little brown book she had. I didn't see what it was, but I heard her say something about 'taking it to the Masters'. She also dropped a napkin with some writing on it. All it says is 'the next 34 is 69.'" 61. The Key of Thor rises quickly to hover in the air before your eyes. "I will ride in your backpack. We must find the Sentinels. Before Malcolm hid me here, Kedro and the band of Sentinels from that planet earth came to rescue me. Malcolm dealt them a blow that left them helpless, their minds confused forever. I can restore the knowledge, but I must see them to do so. Help me find them so we can put an end to the Dark Light of Malcolm! "The Sentinels have the power to wield the light just as you do. On Earth, the name the people gave to it was 'magic'. Have you heard of it? You have it in you, but you clearly do not have the knowledge to wield it. Kedro does. The Sentinels do. The light can let you mend people, it can let you change their nature, it can let you confuse them or strip them of their knowledge. It is the only way Malcolm can be defeated." The key vanishes into your backpack, but strangely, it feels no heavier. 62. "The beasts may be found towards the setting sun, beyond the sky pillars of emptiness where your vessels dock. Here let me show you..." A comparison of the crude Warhakan map shows the approximate location of the invasion to be at Caldorre 1012,622. 63. "Those ships been comin' and goin' for the last three months. I seen at least thirty of em take off yesterday. They don't fly like any ship I've ever seen. Just sorta raise up off the ground a bit, shimmer for a second, then jes vanish. They don't take up a lot of room neither. You can see for yourself-Norajaenn 1363,932. Be careful though. The pilots carry mean looking hardware..." 64. "Bring me the Book of Spells and I'll make you wealthy beyond your wildest dreams," Malcolm says. "You will find it in the Sentinels' caves. Just beyond their dwelling. But be careful. The Sentinels are more powerful than they let on. Be sure never to look at them directly. Instead try to look at their reflections in a shiny surface. Bring me the Book and the raids will stop." 65. The dials on the time machine flutter while the whole room is filled with a throbbing, pulsating sound. The screen holds an image of an ancient city and tall buildings. It is a depressing vision of metal and cement, with narrow streets covered with antique wheeled vehicles. Crowds of people stand about. There are many strange names on the windows of the old buildings. One in particular catches your eye-Library of the Congress. A button larger than all the others, seems to beckon. It is marked 'Begin Sequence'. When you press it, the number 50 appears, flashes for a moment, and is replaced by the words: "the next is____." 66. "Concentrate all of the light towards your enemy," the old man says. "Visualize his face then the space behind his eyes. When his visage is covered by the image of the Light, say his name three times and squeeze the stone as hard as you can. Your enemy will die." 67. As soon as you step through the Gates you feel a tremendous sense of tranquility. A gentle humming sound seems to fill your mind and all your aches and pains subside. In the distance you see a group of young women in flowing robes approaching. One of them is holding a sign. It reads:"The next 22 is 6." 68. Read 33 69. "You fools!" Malcolm screams, "can't you see what you've done? You've freed the most horrible power the cosmos has ever seen. The Sentinels have been held in check by the Gates of Truth since before your race clawed it's way out of the primal ooze. Your ancestors called them "daemons" and feared them above all else. And rightly so for they delight in slaughter and mayhem! "There is but one hope now. Use the Key of Thor, for it has the power to bind them. That's how we managed to lock them into the stronghold of Truth. Unveil the Key in their presence and then take them across the Gates. Once there you will be able to walk back across the threshold while they must remain. Go now and undo the damage you have wrought!" 70. Grayper shrugs his shoulders and puts his glass on the counter. "I just don't know marine," he says wearily, "i just don't know. Once it all seemed so simple but now nothing makes sense to me anymore. When Kann was my enemy, I felt fulfilled, as if I had a purpose in life. No you tell me he's never been my foe. Instead you tell me to beware of Avrensis, the same Lochinvar who is godfather to my eldest daughter and who has supported the Farmer cause for two generations. I don't know who to believe...Go seek him out and ask him your questions yourselves. You will find his stronghold at Caldorre 3015,827." 71. Upon seeing the tip you left the waitress grins and says, "Not many marines have that kind of money. You should come here more often." She glances around and then whispers in your ear, "The password is EOS." She smiles and quickly scurries off to wait on a group of star pilots who appear to be well in their cups. 72. "She's a beauty, ain't she?" The old farmer says with a gleam in her eye. " I built her myself from a drawing in a history book. Called em Panzers. That cannon'll blow a hole the size of a spaceship in just about anything. Hasn't got much fuel, but enough to get to Striker Rift. Go ahead and take her. Guess you got more need for her than me. And boys...good luck!" 73. "The raiders you seek are the descendants of the Earth people Malcolm brought with him to these worlds. Capture one and use the ability we have taught you to probe his mind for the entrance to Malcolms domain. Once in his domain, find the book by using the ability to seek out users of the light. Then bring the Book back to us. Do not try to confront the Betrayer now, for his power is too great. Go." 74. Next to the hideously mutilated body you find a single word written in blood:"Sentinel". 75. As you step outside the door, your senses are assaulted by two overpowering stimuli: noise and odor. The roar of primitive combustion based vehicles is deafening, and the smell of the city makes you nauseous. Turning back to look at the time machine, you see to your dismay that it is slowly fading away. It appears you'll have to find another way to return! 76. Upon seeing the tip you left the waitress sneers and says, "Thanks big spender. I hope you choke on the ice cubes." 77. "Cave bears lost their appeal for me many years ago," Alex says. "Now I hunt far more dangerous prey. My quarry walks on two legs and kills people just by glancing at them. Soon you will track them as well, for mankind must eventually face the threat of the Keeshan." He turns away, and walks back to his ship. 78. "Well I see you've discovered our little secret," Kann says glancing quickly at Grayper. "I suppose there's no point in pretending any more. The quarrel between the Ranchers and the Farmers is just a matter of convenience for both of us. As long as both groups covet the same land, They won't try to expand to other regions of Norajaenn. This planet is rich Kansite. To humans it's little more than an exotic table salt. To the Keeshan, however, it's a narcotic of sublime proportions. They will gladly trade all of their wealth just for a handful of the substance. Grayper and I have been working a sizeable deposit for years now. It can be found about 12 sectors to the northwest of Tolte. The Federation should thank us for our efforts. The Keeshan are a warlike species, but as long as they're supplied with Kansite, they lose interest in conquest." 79. The interior of the raider vessel is unlike any you have ever seen. The bridge consists of a single couch shaped for an inhuman form. There are miles of cables and wires coming out of the couch, all leading into a box about the size of a small footlocker. Lying in the middle of the couch, seemingly unconscious, is the strangest being you have ever laid eyes on. It's body is absolutely transparent, while it's internal organs are a deep shade of purple. The raider gestures towards the form and says "Meet my co-pilot. It's a Verashhki, from the ringlet nebula. It navigates better than any shipboard computer I've ever seen, and has the ability to blink the ship in and out of normal space. We can come and go as we please, because we're always here, just not in the same dimension as you Feds. Grager found out about them while doing some trading in that system. He brought back a few and has been having us fly raids so he can up the price of the stuff he exports to Rouyn. I don't mind doin it. It pays more than a cargo run. Besides," He says with a laugh, "it's a hell of a lot safer than flying a cargoliner these days." 80. As you begin to slip into unconsciousness, the last thing you remember in Kedro, teeth gleaming, motioning to the others and saying "Come children. It's been so long since we've had a good meal..." 81. The blue light of the terminal casts a dim glow in the darkened chamber. "Accessing" appears in the center of the screen. After what seems like an eternity, but is really a few seconds, the screen clears and the following message appears:"Security Violation. Access denied. Erasing Data Banks." The captured raider breaks out into maniacal laughter then chokes it back as a look of horror crosses his features. "But Master," he babbles, "I did as you told me. They have destroyed the records. All is..." he clutches at his face and then screams a short terrifying scream before dropping to the floor, dead. 82. "The Warhaka lie," the reptilian Koshol Leader hisses. "We have lived here many, many generations. The pale ones arrive two generations ago and seek to destroy the People by hunting and smashing our eggs. Koshol no leave land of hatching. Warhaka must die. If Warhaka leave, Koshol pursue. Egg-smasher always return. Warhaka flying machine no save egg-smasher. We go to flying machine home and then smash them. Machine home not far. Follow setting sun four day journey." 83. "You have destroyed the Master," the Key exclaims. "Why you must be the new Sentinels! At last! Your coming has been foretold, you know. That's wonderful. I never much cared for the old Sentinels. They had nasty habits, what with those hideous teeth and their thirst for warm blood... They could be quite revolting at times you know. This could be the beginning of a new age! Let's go back to Earth. We can take over the Federation. I know how to get there from the gates of truth. The Gates let one travel anywhere if you know their secret. All you really need to know is that the next 83 is 12." 84. The Caldorrean looks about nervously, and then motions you to a table in a dimly lit corner. "It just won't do to be seen with Federation marines," he says quietly. "If my co-workers saw me I'd be cited for off-world contact and I might lose my job. However, I've lost two friends in these raids and I'd like to see them end. The raiders are warping in from the Rouyn system. Their ships are of Malartic construction, and use a special hyperdrive engine that saves fuel. You should go see Flock at the charging station of the drydock area for more information. He has spent time in Rouyn and has seen what the Malartic craft can do firsthand. Tell him 'Kronos' sent you..." 85. "There is no Malcolm you fool!" Kedro says impatiently. "He's just a bogey we made up to placate the Keeshan until the time was right to conquer their planet. Those creatures believe in magic and sorcery, so we created a magician to keep them from investigating the Caldorre system too closely. It worked pretty well till you marines came along and botched it up. "Kedro reaches over to the glowing terminal on his right and punches in a code. "Now we have to launch an all-out attack on their planet and wipe out half their population. It's a shame, for they made wonderful servants. "There, it's done. Within hours there won't be much left of the Keeshan Homeworld. Now we must attend to you my meddling marine friends." Kedro beckons to other blue-robed Sentinels,, who wheel over a large tubular apparatus. Kedro fiddles with the device for a moment, then points it at you. "Goodbye," he whispers. With a loud pop, the device bathes you in an eerie, red light. Fade to Black. 86. The scene that greets you as you enter the cavern is not for the weak of heart. The Ranchers have lined the cavern walls with grisly trophies of their war with the farmers. Two of your crew fall ill at the sight of the heads on the wall. Now you understand the reports of missing children. On the table in the center of the room is a Federation chart of Ceyjavik. Just to the north of the bio-research village is a small dot labelled HQ. Below it, written in a neat, cramped hand, are the words:"the next 86 is 19." 87. "Dear fellow, we are all creatures of the Light, every blessed one of u!. Everything that lives is of the Light. In some it shines with an intensity that matches the stars, while in others it is but a feeble glow. It shines brightly in you dear fellow, and with a radiance that warms my very core. "How can one in whom the Light shines so brightly not know of the Light? You mystify me, you do! Can it be that your kind has forgotten? Ah well, that will be for others to explain, for I am not a teacher, I am not the pedagogue." 88. The dying raider looks at you and whispers, "Find Malcolm. He dwells beyond the Gates of Truth. Tell him the Sentinels have returned. He'll know what to do." ************************************************************** CHAPTER 4: WALKTHROUGH by macCro ************************************************************** INDEX 4.1. ME AND THE SENTINEL WORLDS 4.2. GETTING STARTED 4.3. CHARACTER CREATION 4.4. ARM YOUR CREW 4.5. EASY MONEY 4.6. GAINING EXPERIENCE AND RANK ADVANCE 4.7. GENERAL HELPFUL INFO 4.8. THE THREE TOWERS OF CALDORRE 4.9. GAME SOLUTION 4.1. ME AND THE SENTINEL WORLDS (by Mario "macCro" Zamic) Back in 1989. I was 15 years old and I had Commodore 64 as my home computer. One day a friend of mine came to me with a game he just have purchased - Sentinel Worlds 1: Future Magic, a Commodore 64 version. I was a fan of role-playing games even back then (continued much later with numerous PlayStation and PC RPGs), and my favorite ones were The Secret of the Silver Blades and Bard's Tale - even though I never managed to finish either of them. Then came Sentinel Worlds - in my oppinion the best role playing game for Commodore 64 ever made. Me and my friend spent numerous nights playing this dazzling game. It is so addictive once you get inside the story and you just can't stop. We made many maps and filled many papers with game data (too bad I lost everything so I had to do it all again this year - never mind, I liked it). Sentinel Worlds is exactly the same on PC as it is on C64 so I felt like I'm using my old computer. It's the first game I have downloaded when I bought my PC and is definitely one of my all time favorite RPGs, like FF8, Suikoden 1&2, Legend of Legaia, Xenogears or Wild Arms 2. I think the main reason is the story by Karl Buiter which is really great, and in times it feels like a novel or a movie scenario. Maybe only few people will come looking for this FAQ, but nevertheless, I felt that I should write it. 4.2. GETTING STARTED Adjust game speed according to your computer's performance. Get a pen and a paper - you may need to draw some maps here. Read the game manual carefully. Do not read the paragraphs before the game. 4.3. CHARACTER CREATION This is the way I created my crew members. You don't have to follow my example and feel free to experiment, but I think the following advices will come in handy. First, character's comprehend. It is the most important because with comprehend 20 you can assign 4 pts to your skills once you reach new level. Secondly, give 20 to medic's dexterity - this is highly reccomended and I mean it. When you put your medic with DEX 20 at #3 in your party he Zoom-heals in battle. So, do it. Consider high charisma rating for your communications officer - it helps you get more replies from the beings you encounter and talk to. I suggest that you leave Strength and Stamina 10 for the moment and increase them gradually in the towers of Caldorre. 4.4. ARM YOUR CREW As in other fighting-based role playing games, you need good weapons and armor. If you have assigned 20 to character's dexterity at the characters' creation, you will be able to enter Sky Elk Club on Level 793 of Caldorre's 3rd tower and get two Energy Blades there (EDGED weapon, great at the start of the game). The way to enter the bar is to put member with dexterity 20 as a squad leader (position #1). Afterwards, I suggest you to visit Western Town on Norjaenn (x1728 y992). There are shotguns and armor in the ranchers' bar in the northeastern part of town, another shotgun is in the southwestern office in the office building. You can find a chest with weapons in the farmers' bar in the southeastern room and another one is in the ofworlders' bar (Mark's Cantina) in the northeastern room. There is also armor and weapons in your ship's armory (accessed before you board a ship). Get everything and arm yourself the best you can. Armor is equipped automatically, while you have to equip weapons yourself. You are now prepared to face the challenges of the SENTINEL WORLDS. 4.5. EASY MONEY I suggest you two ways to earn money: you get 700 credits for delivery of science equipment and it's the easiest way, even though a bit boring, or you can board raider ships and get Tesselators, which can be sold for 600 credits each. Later in the game when you get to ............. money won't be a problem. 4.6. GAINING EXPERIENCE AND RANK ADVANCE Ahhh, the fighting. The essence of every role-playing game. It's a good idea to stick with space ship-to-ship combat at first, till you go up a couple of ranks. Be sure to increase important character stats when you go up a level. Focus on the weapons, tactics and reconnaisance at first, then build other statistics. Don't forget to "build" your characters at Caldorre towers. You have the details in the game manual above. 4.7. GENERAL HELPFUL INFO * Yeah, put your medic as a member #3 in your crew so (s)he can heal all the party members in battle. * Use game solution only when you're stuck. The best experience is when you play on your own. * The Ultimate Weapon Shop is on Ceyavik, at X2112 Y480. * By killing blue dots (animals) on planet surface you lower your energy level (needed later in game), and you raise it by healing injured animals. * You exit all the menus by pressing "X". * Talk to party members using the function keys and "T". * Check your map regularly when you're exploring on foot. * Once in ............. , visit armories, get out and enter again - all armory contents will be renewed. Great for equipping all crew members and getting valuable items. 4.8. THE THREE TOWERS OF CALDORRE Three enormously tall buildings on Caldorre created by game's No.1 villain Malcolm Trandle. I listed all the facilities in the towers below: TOWER 1: Level 801 Tower's spacecraft bay 800 Barracuda Bar (character Ruawl is inside) 799 Tennis club (increases your DEXTERITY) 798 Aerobics (increases your STAMINA) 797 Thompson Inn, Weight gym (increases your STRENGTH), Wallace Bar 796 General store, weapon shop 795 Library (increases your COMPREHEND) 794 Plastic surgeon (increases your MICHAEL JACKS... CHARISMA) 793 Vainamoin Club (crew leader must have 20 CHARISMA pts) Levels below are restricted to public. TOWER 2: Level 801 Tower's spacecraft bay 800 General store, weapon shop 799 Plastic surgeon 798 Aerobics 797 Tennis club 796 Barracuda Bar 795 Thompson Inn, Weight gym, Wallace Bar 794 Library 793 Vylkka Club (crew leader must have 20 STRENGTH pts) Levels below are restricted to public. TOWER 3: Level 801 Tower's spacecraft bay 800 General store, weapon shop 799 Thompson Inn (character Alex Kann is inside), Weight gym, Wallace Bar 798 Aerobics 797 Library 796 Barracuda Bar 795 Plastic surgeon 794 Tennis club 793 Sky Elk Club (crew leader must have 20 DEXTERITY pts) Levels below are restricted to public. 4.9. GAME SOLUTION Look for the turquise ship which will hail you aboard once you target it and press "T" button (talk). This is a space yacht of a Caldorre system's top tycoon - William Grager. Find him on the second level of the ship and talk to him, he will tell you about the cargo ships being raided in Caldorre system. Go back to your ship which has been upgraded by Grager's crew - you can fight Raiders now. After you destroy a couple of raiders, there will be a message on the Fed channel requesting Federation help on Caldorre. Orbit Caldorre and visit location x1151 y769. Enter a hut inside the village. Talk to Warhaka leader and he will tell you the location of the "beasts" (x1012:6 y622:9). Go back to space with "O" button and orbit the planet again, then enter the cave (however, be sure your ammo supply is full). You are going to encounter some cave bears, but they shouldn't be much of threat. Koshols ("beasts") reside in the northern part of the cave; there are some items to pick up in their rooms and a chest at x1013:7 y621:12 (opposite of Koshol temple). Enter temple and talk to Koshol leader. He tells you all about why they dig on Warhakan land. Go back to Warhakan village and end the dispute by talking to Warhaka leader. Back in space, board raider ships and make raiders surrender in battle in order to interrogate them (NOTE: this could be the most frustrating task - either they won't surrender or your crew kills them too fast, so it's a good idea to un-arm your weapons except for the crew leader; also note that once you enter the enemy ship, the self destruct mechanism activates and you have only 1000 federation seconds (about 2 minutes) to get the hell out of there before it blows). Once they surrender, talk to them ("T"). You have to interrogate many raiders in order to complete this federation mission (NOTE: "many" could mean 20 or 25, I can't be sure - be patient, it's the only way!). Your next mission is to investigate a distress call from a ship orbiting ice planet Ceyavik (Safari Ship). Since there's obviously no one aboard, orbit the planet and land to x729 y426. Follow the ice canyon and target the blue dot - you will see a dead Eckirrt Kann, hunter and brother of Norjaenn's rancher leader Robert Kann, and also the owner of the Safari Ship. You can gather experience fighting some nasty ice tigers in the nearby buildings. In the first north building there are some items and a chest at x730:11 y426:6. Another chest is in the command center at x730:5 y426:5. Continue along the canyon behind the buildings till you reach the hatch that leads to the underground lab. There's an armory at x732:17 y422:16 (you should see it on your map ("L") if you have raised your characters' RECON) with hyperuzi and a couple of AK-4700 (best weapon to the point), and maybe it's a good idea to go and buy some ammo for them. Get EA passcard at x732:7 y422:2 (may be used a bit later). Proceed south and check the light blue dot - it's a scientist Virginia Karamatu. Talk to her and she will tell you about the submarine (it's all written in the game manual though). Enter the area below at x732:10 y422:18. Follow the undersea tube untill you reach the exit (if you continue down the hall you can enter a special, not-story-related level which can be accessed if you got EA passcard). Enter a submarine at the level below at x731:16 y417:10. Go north in the undersea bay. There's a chest with ammo at x701:18 y379:12. Exit is at x701:16 y378:9. Go south to another exit and south again. Cross the bridge and move south to exit at x701:17 y379:16. From there go north and cross another bridge continue north to another map and go to higher area exit at x701:15 y378:13. Follow the cave and go down again. Go down once more at x701:15 y378:3. Look at the map - you should be at the level with labirynth. Proceed with caution - there are many dangerous green dragons in the area! Cross another bridge and head north. There's a chest (with AK-4700 and a Gauss Rifle) on the bridge. Stick to the left (west) side of the map and enter a big room at x701:9 y375:14. Talk to Key of Thor untill he joins you. Teleport back to the labs and go outside and back to space (with "O"). Fly to Caldorre and visit Barracuda Bar at Tower 1 (level 800). Talk to Ruawl and offer him the bribe twice. He will tell you to find Jason Depard in Western Town (Toltte) on Norjaenn. Go there and talk to him (he is in the Mark's Cantina). Depard will help you only if you resolve a dispute between the Ranchers and the Farmers. Go to Farmers' bar and talk to a farmer (usually the first dark blue dot when you enter) and he will tell you where to find Grayper (the Farmers' leader). Go to Ranchers' bar and talk to a nearby rancher. Go outside, press "O", orbit the planet and go to x1169 y677. Enter a canyon and follow it. At the end of the canyon is an entrance to a cave. Once in a cave, save your game and go south. You'll meet Robert Kann (the Ranchers' leader) - talk to him. Proceed to chest at x1168:3 y682:5 and further south to Grayper. Talk to him. Go south and enter new area. There's an armory at x1168:9 y682:9. Save game and go forward. Talk to Shadar the cruel. He starts an energy battle. After a few minutes, Jason Depard will chase Shadar off. Talk to Jason. He tells you that Shadar is his brother and the location of the Sentinels. Leave the cave and visit location x992:6 y1121:13. Go through the maze and follow the second path from the right side. The entrance to Sentinel temple is at x992:5 y1120:7. Talk to Kedro, Sentinel leader. Back to space, board the raider ship, target a raider, press "T" and select "Probe mind" to find out the location of Raiders' Battlestation. Go to location x2220 y1321 and warp to x3884 y3305. You're inside the Battlestation - save your game right now. The enemy is very powerful here and you should have contact or edged weapons equipped - there are so many raiders here and if you use guns or lasers, your ammo will run out fast (at least till you find armories here). The way to get to Book of spells is x1792 y956, x1793 y956, x1793 y957, x1792 y957, x1792 y958, x1791 y958, x1790 y958, x1790 y959, x1789 y959, x1788 y959, x1787 y959, x1787 y958, x1786 y958. Arm yourself with thermocasters and combat armor in armories along the way. You have reached x1786 y958; now take the elevator and SAVE. Move north. There's a guardian with a thermocaster that is very difficult to beat (Taylor, seen earlier in the game on Norjaenn). Here's how you'll do it: equip all members with long range guns - for example, thermocasters. Approach Taylor one dot below visibility, then press up and quickly press SPACE to target Taylor. Turn around 180 degrees and press UP arrow. When you have successfully targeted Taylor, repeat the procedure untill you can go through. This may be the most difficult moment of the game, so patience, patience please, and reboot your game if a crew member dies. Go to book now and talk to it. Go back to level up and enter new area on the same screen. It will take you back to ship bay. Exit the Battlestation, orbit Norjaenn and visit Sentinels (remember, at x992:6, y1121:13). Find your way to Kedro and talk to him again. You are ready to face Malcolm Trandle now. Warp back to Battlestation. To find Malcolm go through x1792 y956, x1791 y956, x1790 y956, x1789 y956, x1789 y955 (visit an armory), x1788 y955, x1788 y954, take elevator to level 3, go to x1787 y954, x1787 y953, x1786 y953, x1785 y953, x1785 y952. There's an armory in which items can be renewed each time you enter it. Final battle: when you are ready, go to level up to face Malcolm. Now SAVE your game and fight him. It's "the mind-probing battle". It may seem pretty unclear how should you fight, but it's actually quite simple: hold right arrow untill ATT appears on the screen borders, then hit left arrow. It could last a while, but eventually you'll win. Return to your ship to complete the game. You are a true hero! T H E E N D NOTE: Sentinel Worlds 2 was never published, but Karl Buiter made another great space RPG - Hard Nova. It's also an abandonware and can be found on Internet. (c) Mario "macCro" Zamic 2001, 2002. All rights reserved. mazamic@inet.hr