Planetfall - Infocom (Part 1) Sent in by Martin Gardiner INTRODUCTION. In Planetfall you play the part of a lowly Ensign Seventh Class, basically a cleaner, on the spaceship Feinstein. You are scrubbing the deck, when all of the sudden there is an explosion, and by an accident of fate you happen to be standing near an escape pod right at that moment. You jettison from the Feinstein and land on the nearby planet of Resida, which appears to have been recently abandoned for no reason. Resida suffered a plague, which struck down many of its inhabitants. As a result, the scientists of Resida tried frantically to combat this disease. In the process of testing, several mutants were accidentally created, but they were put in a special room with mutant-proof walls. One of the mutants looks remarkably like a grue, it has slavering fangs and it lurks! Eventually, the scientists decided to let the computer do the rest, and all the surviving people on Resida were put in suspended animation. The computer promptly broke down, followed by the communications system, the course control for keeping the planet in its orbit, and the defence system. The repair robot, Achilles, fell to his robotic death while trying to get a part to repair the defence system. The only inhabitant on Resida now is the robot Floyd, and he has been turned off. Survival is your first concern, you'll need food and rest. Then you must repair many of the broken machines that you find, and also figure out why everyone is missing. WALKTHROUGH. You find yourself on Deck Nine, you have in your inventory a scrubbing brush, a chronometer, and are wearing your patrol uniform which contains your ID card. If you leave your post Ensign First Class Blather will appear and order you to return to Deck Nine. If you refuse you will be thrown into the Brig and will die when the Feinstein explodes. Whilst waiting on Deck Nine for the explosion, about eight game turns, you may be entertained (randomly) by the Ambassador from Blow'K-bibben- Gordo. Should he give you a brochure, drop it as it is not needed. After the explosion the escape pod door to port will open. "W" - into the Pod, you see some safety webbing. "GET IN WEB" - pod door closes. If you still have them, "DROP BRUSH", "DROP ID", "DROP BROCHURE" - they are now excess baggage. "WAIT" - until the Pod lands, and the emergency kit appears. "GET UP" - the Pod rolls into the sea and starts to sink. "GET KIT" - if you become hungry, open the survival kit and eat the goo. "OPEN DOOR" - water rushes in. "U", "U" - in Cleft in rock, going down from here will result in drowning. "U", "U", "U" - in Courtyard. "N", "NE", "E", "E", "E", "S", "S", "S", "SW" - in Tool Room. "GET LASER" - it contains an old battery. "DROP BATTERY", "GET FLASK", "GET PLIERS", "GET BAR" - it is a magnet. "E" - in the Machine Shop, you see a chemical dispenser with a spout. "PUT FLASK UNDER SPOUT". "N", "N", "N", "E" - in Storage East. "GET BEDISTOR", "W", "N", "E", "E" - in Teleport Booth 2. "DROP LASER", "DROP PLIERS", "W" - in Elevator Lobby. "PRESS BLUE", "PRESS RED" - you call both elevators. "W", "N" - in Admin Corridor, there is a crevice in the floor. "EXAMINE CREVICE" - you see a shiny steel key. "HOLD BAR OVER CREVICE" - you now have the key. You will soon get your first hunger/thirst message, you can eat the goo from the survival kit, but you should have time to complete the next task and then go to the Kitchen. "S", "W", "W" - in Mess Corridor, there is a padlocked door north. "UNLOCK PADLOCK", "GET PADLOCK", "OPEN DOOR", "N" - in Storage West, you see an extendable ladder. "DROP ALL" - including the magnetic bar, for should it come in contact with any of the access cards that you will find later they will become scrambled and rendered useless. "GET LADDER, "S", "E", "E", "N", "N" - in Admin Hallway, a rift in floor blocks progress north. "DROP LADDER", "EXTEND LADDER", "PUT LADDER OVER RIFT", "N", "W" - in a Small Office. "OPEN DESK" - find two access cards. "GET KITCHEN ACCESS", "GET UPPER ELEVATOR ACCESS". "W" - in Large Office. "OPEN DESK" - another access card. "GET SHUTTLE ACCESS", "E", "E", "S", "S", "S", "W", "W", "S" - in Mess Hall. "GET CANTEEN", "SLIDE KITCHEN ACCESS THROUGH SLOT" - door to south opens. "S" - in Kitchen, you see a machine. "EXAMINE MACHINE" - it has a button and below the spout is a niche the same shape as the canteen. "OPEN CANTEEN", "PUT CANTEEN IN NICHE", "PRESS BUTTON" - a brown liquid fills the canteen. "DRINK LIQUID" - you have quenched your thirst and satisfied your hunger. Refill the canteen, and close it. You've now found an unlimited source of food. Just make sure that you keep your canteen filled and you'll be O.K. "N" - the Kitchen door slides shut behind you as you leave. "DROP KITCHEN ACCESS". "N", "N" - back in Storage West. "GET BEDISTOR". "S", "E", "E", "E", "N" - in Upper Elevator. "SLIDE UPPER THROUGH SLOT", "PRESS UP BUTTON", "WAIT", "WAIT" - lift stops, doors open. "S", "NE" - in Comm Room. There is a malfunction in the cooling system, note the colour of the flashing light, it is random and will vary. "SW", "N" - in Upper Elevator. "SLIDE UPPER THROUGH SLOT", "PRESS DOWN BUTTON", "WAIT", "WAIT" - lift stops, doors open. "S", "W", "W", "N" - in Dorm D. By this time you should be getting tired, if not wait until you do so. It's important that you find a safe place to sleep, any of the dorm areas will do. "GET IN BED", "WAIT" - you will fall asleep. You will dream, and awake refreshed, but feel weak and slightly flushed, you have contracted the disease! "GET UP", "GET ALL" - you dropped all carried objects when you climbed into the bunk. "S", "E", "S", "S", "S", "S" - back in Machine Shop. Press the corresponding colour button that you last saw in the Comm Room, the flask fills with liquid. "GET FLASK", "N", "N", "N", "N", "E", "N" - in Upper Elevator. "SLIDE UPPER THROUGH SLOT", "PRESS UP BUTTON", "WAIT", "WAIT" - lift stops, doors open. "S", "NE" - in Comm Room. "POUR LIQUID IN HOLE" - note the colour of the flashing light, random again! "SW", "N" - in Upper Elevator. "SLIDE UPPER THROUGH SLOT", "PRESS DOWN BUTTON", "WAIT", "WAIT" - lift stops, doors open. "S", "W". By now you will be hungry again, so drink the liquid from the canteen. Then go back to the Kitchen, refill the canteen and return back here to the Corridor Junction. "S", "S", "S", "S" - back in Machine Shop. As before press the corresponding colour button that you last saw in the Comm Room, the flask fills with liquid. "GET FLASK", "N", "N", "N", "N", "E", "N" - in Upper Elevator. "SLIDE UPPER THROUGH SLOT", "PRESS UP BUTTON", "WAIT", "WAIT" - lift stops, doors open. "S", "NE" - in Comm Room. "POUR LIQUID IN HOLE" - note the colour of the randomly flashing light. "SW", "N" - in Upper Elevator. "SLIDE UPPER THROUGH SLOT", "PRESS DOWN BUTTON", "WAIT", "WAIT" - lift stops, doors open. "S", "W", "S", "S", "S", "S" - back in Machine Shop. For the final time press the corresponding colour button that you last saw in the Comm Room, the flask fills with liquid. "GET FLASK", "N", "N", "N", "N", "E", "N" - in Upper Elevator. "SLIDE UPPER THROUGH SLOT", "PRESS UP BUTTON", "WAIT", "WAIT" - lift stops, doors open. "S", "NE" - in Comm Room. "POUR LIQUID IN HOLE" - the coolant system warning light goes out, you have fixed the communications system. The console screen indicates that a help message is being sent. You have fixed the first system. "SW", "N" - in Upper Elevator. "SLIDE UPPER THROUGH SLOT", "PRESS DOWN BUTTON", "WAIT", "WAIT" - lift stops, doors open. "DROP FLASK", "DROP UPPER ACCESS" - you will not need to return to the upper level. "S", "W", "S", "S", "S", "SE" - in the Robot Shop, you see Floyd. "EXAMINE ROBOT" - he is switched off. "SEARCH ROBOT" - you find the Lower Elevator access card and take it. "TURN ON ROBOT", "NW", "N", "N", "N", "E", "S" - in Lower Elevator. By this time your valuable friend Floyd the robot should be bugging you for attention and loving. "SLIDE LOWER THROUGH SLOT", "PRESS DOWN BUTTON", "DROP LOWER", "WAIT", "WAIT", "WAIT" - lift stops, doors open. "N", "E" - on Kalamontee Complex Shuttle Platform, there is a shuttle south. "S", "E" - in Shuttle Alfie Control East. You see a control panel with a slot, lever, and a display. "SLIDE SHUTTLE THROUGH SLOT", "PUSH LEVER UP" - doors close and shuttle begins to move, the display changes to 5 as you begin to accelerate. "WAIT" - display changes to 10, repeat until display changes to 60. "PUSH LEVER DOWN" - lever is now in neutral position and the display shows speed constant at 60. "PUSH LEVER DOWN" - shuttle decelerates, the display changes to 55, repeat until you come to rest at the next station. The doors will open automatically. "DROP SHUTTLE", "W", "N" - on Lawanda Complex Shuttle Platform, there are shuttles to north and south. Make sure that Floyd is with you before you proceed. "E", "E" - at a Fork. "NE", "N" - in Repair Room, there is a small robot-sized door to the north. "FLOYD, GO NORTH" - when he returns Floyd tells you that there is a shiny fromitz board back there. "FLOYD, GET BOARD" - Floyd goes north again, returns with the shiny fromitz board and throws it to you. "S", "E", "N" - in Planetary Defense. You see a circuit board failure warning, and a small access panel. "OPEN PANEL" - you see four fromitz boards. "REMOVE SECOND" - removing the fried fromitz board leaves an empty socket. "DROP FRIED", "PUT BOARD IN SOCKET", "CLOSE PANEL" - you have fixed the planetary defence system. Two systems fixed, two to go!..... @~To be continued in the next issue of SynTax