My name is Goor, Father of the Galactic Federation bidding you welcome to a world unlike you own - mysterious, deadly - where only the brave survive, where the weak perish, where iron nerves and ruthless skills are your only friends. Come with me first and listen to my story, then close your eyes and teleport yourself through imagination into my world and begin the adventure that has no turning back - no surrender - only escape from ... PRISON CAPTURE ======= Far into the future, beyond the 22nd century came the time of darkness and death, where hope was destroyed by fear, evil had consumed good and the passion to kill was the new god. The rule of law became a myth of distant past and only upheld by the few. Jag Edwards was one such man working undercover in the open sewers they still called cities. It was his job to bust a powerful drug ring which used a bakery as a front to manufacture pure white heroin making more dough than any baker ever dreamed. Jag had been stalking the gang for weeks amidst the now daily routine of riots at fuel stations and clothing factories. So far, each day, a different member of the gang came and went carrying large brown parcels but never at the same time of day or night. Then the word came. "Make your move, Jag" said the Commissioner over his wrist transmitter, "its tonight or never. We got the word they're moving tonight - the whole gang is there." "Yes sir," said Jag. Here came the end of months of waiting and watching. Jag entered the building, and acting on the Termination Five Objective wiped out the entire gang in a furious shoot-out, wrecking the hide-out and leaving nothing but heroin covered bodies. But, he was set up! The security forces mysteriously arrived immediately afterwards to arrest this madman for shooting ten innocent flour covered bakers. The Star-Judge looked sternly over his eyeglasses directly at Jag who stood in chains on a plinth, showered in a bright force-field light. "The crime to which you have been found guilty," shouted the Star-Judge, "demands more than the death sentence can offer in retribution. Before I pass sentence have you anything to say?" Jag, head bowed, stood silent. He could not believe this was happening. His police record, his decorations in the army, his recent bid for enrollment into the "Starchaser Inter-Galactic Peace Army", all now stood for nothing. He slowly lifted his head and stared at the Star-Judge i total defiance. The sinews in each arm rippled, his face became tort with vehemence, beads of sweat glistened in his straw-like hair. 1 "I am innocent of these charges which I consider to be false and which cannot possibly be believed by the court." The small audience in morbid attendance stirred realizing the futility of his plea. The Star-Judge took off his glasses and with a sweeping gesture closed the 'Galactic Community Rule Book' and placed in on one side. "Very well," he sighed with almost a hiss, breathing out slowly with exasperation. "You show no contrition for your heinous crime. Yours is a position of trust, which to the communities detriment has turned you into a savage killer. The greater the power given, the greater the responsibility it demands. I sentence you to life abandonment on Altrax, and may your god have mercy on your soul. Take him away!" Jag again bowed his head. Why hadn't his superiors saved him? They were deliberately framing him to get him out of the way. Now his thoughts, as he was led from the court to a waiting "Sprinter", turned to his fateful destination - Altrax! ALTRAX ====== Altrax sits alone in quadrant seven of the Galactic Federation Territory set apart from orbiting moons, space colonies and warship ports, totally isolated from ordinary human existence. Once sought after for its mineral and plutonium deposits by "Interplanetary Development Corporation", it has long since been abandoned and is now solely used as a penal dumping ground for mass murderers and enemies of the Federation for which capital punishment has not been a deterrent. Inmates are never seen again. All awaits Jag Edwards. During his confinement Jag listened to the vile rumors of Altrax from the mocking security guards. "Ha, if the street gangs don't rip you to bits the lone runners will kill you for your clothes." Jag watches the guard light a cigarette. The light dies quickly as the air becomes thinner as they come closer to the planet. "Yeah, the only time anyone is seen again is when they find your body floating in low orbit ... ahh .. ha," roared the other guard revealing black teeth under black whiskers and the lunatic grin of the possessed. Time passes at an accelerated rate on Altrax with shorter nights than days. Darkness offers even more danger with increased gang activity and the added difficulty of moving about in the dark through treacherous streets. 2 Gangs of separate alien races battle for control of the city spawning tough violent leaders ready to confront any threat to their territory. A rat-like alien race of stooges move freely through gang land offering their service to the highest bidder. Pools of toxic waste and bottomless trenches matrix the planet with pits of metal spikes making many paths treacherous, and only able to be avoided with the help of stooges. Proximity mines and snare explosives are scattered in various areas detonating in chain reactions to devastating effects. Jag could only begin to guess how much of this was true. For years he had been hearing stories of inter-gang massacres and explosives that destroyed parts of the planet, but people neither cared or wanted to get involved. Neither had he, but now irony dictated that he would witness first hand whatever the planet had to offer. Suddenly, it was time. A metallic voice echoed across the chamber declaring that the craft was at tele-matt proximity. Jag was pushed from the craft across a black expanse towards a pool of red light before he could regain his balance, a beam of pure nuclear-ray energy tore Jag's atoms apart. As the agony of crude teleportation subsided, Jag fell to his knees on barren silver soil, yielding only an image of death lurking around every corner, its smell on every whisper of wind. Yet throughout the trial, and now, something whispered in the depth of his memory; a story he had heard in some sleazy neon pleasure ship some time ago. Two years ago an unfortunate pleasure craft had ignored the Altrax warning beacons and strayed into the security force-field net smashing its control center and finally crashing onto the planets surface. The craft was wrecked, but scans found no trace of the tiny one-man escape pod attached to the craft. Jag thought about the rumor that rival gangs are still fighting each other to be the first to find the pod, and make the first escape from the prison that had claimed so many lives. If the rumors are true, Jag Edwards must find the objects needed to survive, and escape when he finds the pod. Then the wrongs will be put to right. Just then, a shout goes out into the darkness and running can be heard. Jag, hands still chained, scrambled to his feet in an automatic survival response which in days to come will help save his life. Finuala Kavanaugh 3 INSTRUCTIONS ============ Menu Window.......Complex interaction is performed by means of selecting options from the menu window. To activate the menu press fire and up simultaneously. Options are selected using up and down. To activate press Fire. Message Tube......Information is passed to the player via the Message Tube. This includes results of actions and communications with other characters. Example...........Look at the menu window, it is displaying CONTROL ON STANDBY, now press fire and push joystick up simultaneously. The menu window is now displaying MENU OPERATIONAL SELECT OPTION. Pull the joystick down. The menu window is now displaying SEARCH THIS LOCATION. Press fire to activate this command. The prisoner will search the location. If nothing is found the message tube will display the message YOUR SEARCH REVEALS NOTHING. If an object is located the MESSAGE TUBE will tell you what the object is and by interacting with the MENU WINDOW as described above, objects can be picked up and used. Pockets 1 & 2.....These two windows act as the holding area displaying the objects which the player has discovered. The player can only carry two objects at any one time, but by interacting with the menu window new objects can be exchanged. Any item which the player drops will be displayed in the room where the exchange took place. These objects can be retrieved and used at any point in the game. 4 Lives/Energy......The player begins the game with three lives. Each life consists of a pyramid of energy which is reduced by time and injury. Eating food replaces energy. Escape Craft......As the six pieces of the escape craft are collected they Status are assembled and displayed. Time..............Many actions are dependent upon time at which they are performed (nightfall brings many dangers). It is vital to find some means of accurately tracking time. Score.............Progression and action increase the players score. Aliens............Each section of the city is inhabited by a different tribe of convicts. All encounters will result in physical violence. Defend yourself as best you can! Hazards...........The city contains many dangers which may bring sudden death or painful injury. Beware of hidden mines, acid pools, gaping trenches and other dangers. Fighting..........When you are attacked you can retaliate with a volley of punches and kicks. Rapidly moving the joystick from left to right will release you from a strangle hold. Stooges...........Amongst the many violent inhabitants of planet there are a few who may help you in your quest. Stooges are treated as outcasts though they can move freely around the city. You will have to trade goods for their dubious help or perform tasks to gain their support. Treat Stooges with suspicion! 5 That's it! Docs provided by The Next Generation and The Corsair. Courtesy of World of Wonders.