Floyd is back in the boffoid sequel to Planetfall. Stationfall by Steve Meretzky Interactive Fiction Plus Science Fiction Advanced Level Instruction Manual & "Feelies" [The front cover shows a space-suited member of the Stellar Patrol stepping through a triangular window cut into the box. A backdrop of outer space can be seen through the window, while the Space Station you are about to visit floats above and to the right of the Stellar Patrol recruit. The recruit is humanoid, but all other features are hidden by the helmet's visor, jumpsuit, backpack, gloves and sneaker-like boots. The recruit carries a clipboard in hand, but some of the pages held by the clipboard are starting to slip away, floating around him/her.] --------- Assigned to each STATIONFALL package: your STATIONFALL disk, a set of blueprints for a Gamma-Delta-Gamma Class deep space station; three highly bureaucratic forms; and your Stellar Patrol patch. [The game components are shown sitting on a stack of square cardboard boxes, each one stamped with "Request for Stellar Patrol Issue Regulation Black Form Binders Request Form Forms". A clipboard with an Inventory sheet rests near them. The patch shown in the picture is different than what actually came in the package. Instead of a round fabric patch, patch that's shown appears to be more like a stick-on decal, cut to follow the shape of the "triangle and halo" design of the Stellar Patrol logo.] What a trotting krip! Since your incredible heroics in "Planetfall", where you risked life and limb to save the planet Resida, things have hardly changed at all. Sure, you were promoted to Lieutenant First Class, but this only meant that your dull life of cleaning grotch cages was replaced by an equally dull life of paperwork. Now you've got another assignment tailor-made for a grotchbrain: pilot a spacetruck to a nearby station to pick up a load of trivial forms. Trot and double trot! But all is not lost. By a happy twist of fate, your companion for the journey is your old pal Floyd! That's right, it's the same mischievous little robot, crayons and paddleball at the ready, who was your helpful buddy in "Planetfall". Getting to the space station is easy. But once there, you find it strangely deserted. Even the seedy space village surrounding the station is missing its ragtag tenants. A spooky alien ship carrying only an empty pedestal rests in a docking bay. An ostrich and an Arcturian balloon creature are found, abandoned but in perfect health. The commander's log describes the mysterious breakdown of machinery, demonstrated by a roving hull-welder who seems bent on your destruction. And finally even Floyd begins acting oddly... Steve Meretzky, whose interactive fiction successes include The "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (TM) and "Leather Goddesses of Phobos" (TM), won a Best Computer Software Designer award for "Planetfall". Infocom fans, consistently rating "Planetfall" among their favorite computer games, have been begging for a sequel. Even if you've never played "Planetfall", you will enjoy Stationfall: the puzzles will challenge your intellect, the humor will keep you laughing, and Floyd will win your heart. GET INSIDE A STORY. GET ONE FROM INFOCOM! It's like waking up inside a story! Infocom's interactive fiction takes you to the center of a world jam-packed with surprising twists, unique characters, and ingenious puzzles. For the first time, you're more than a passive reader. You talk to the story, typing in full English sentences. And the story talks right back, communicating entirely in vividly descriptive prose. What's more, you can actually shape the story's course of events through your choice of actions. With hundreds of alternatives at every step, your adventure can last for weeks and even months. Find out what it's like to get inside a story. Get one from Infocom. Because with Infocom's interactive fiction, there's room for you on every disk. INFOCOM 125 CambridgePark Drive., Cambridge, MA 02140 Interactive Fiction Plus is available for most personal computers. Call us at 617-576-3190 for availability information. Manufactured and printed in U.S.A. (C)1987 Infocom, Inc.Warranty information enclosed. STATIONFALL, PLANETFALL, and LEATHER GODDESSES OF PHOBOS are trademarks of Infocom, Inc. THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY is a trademark of Douglas Adams. --------- The Stellar Patrol patch: [This is a round fabric patch, about 2 inches in diameter, with a border of gold thread. The logo of the Stellar Patrol printed on it: "Boldly Going Where Angels Fear to Tread" printed on a red triangle with a picture of a few planets in the center. The triangle shows a "halo" in front and behind it, which is actually the orbital path of a spaceship. Just below the triangle is your rank: Lieutenant First Class.] --------- The Official Blueprints: [The blueprints are of the Deep Space Station that you will be visiting. For simplicity's sake, only the major areas and significant items are listed on each sheet. They are issued by the Stellar Patrol Corps of Engineers, with most of the work being done by Lt. Cmdr. Milo Sputter, though Cmdr. Trip Flagstone worked on about three of them.] * * * * * * Blueprint envelope: Stellar Patrol of the Third Galactic Union OFFICIAL BLUEPRINTS [Stellar Patrol logo] The blueprints herein are printed and disbursed solely for the uses and purposes of the Stellar Patrol of the Third Galactic Union as outlined in the Stellar Patrol Blueprint Rules and Regulations Handbook or as determined by an authorized disburser of these blueprints or by any commanding officer provided that such uses or purposes are in a manner consistent with the rules and regulations of the Stellar Patrol. Failure to comply with said rules and regulations with regard to the confidentiality of Stellar Patrol blueprints will be treated as an act of treason and punishment determined accordingly. All local restrictions apply. * * * * * * First blueprint: KEY [This blueprint provides the legend for the rest of the blueprints. In addition to items like sinks and chairs, it shows the following items of note: Elevator, Utility shaft and air duct, open doorways, Auto-doors, Security Auto-doors, horizontal air vents and access hatches. * * * * * * Blueprint 1 of 9: [This is a horizontal cross-section of the station, showing that at the Galactic North, East and South points, Sub-Modules can be attached. On the blueprint, Scientific, Military and Diplomatic Sub-Modules are connected to the main Command Module at the North, East and South points, respectively.] NOTE (I): Only connecting tubes to official Stellar Patrol Deep Space Station Sub-Modules may be attached to the Command Module at these places. Command Module Diameter = 36 meters Volume = 24,429 cubic meters Usable floor area = 6,823 square meters Normal complement Station Commander = 1 Officers = 6 Crew = 36 Total Personnel = 43 * * * * * * Blueprint 2 of 9: [This blueprint identifies the functions of each level of the Command Module. These will be listed on the individual blueprints that follow. Outside on the bottom of the Command Module are the Cooling Fins.] * * * * * * Blueprint 3 of 9: LEVEL ONE: Garden and Observatory Dome. LEVEL TWO: Mess Hall with Food Preparation Units and Food Dispensing Units, Library, Meeting Rooms, Main Storage. * * * * * * Blueprint 4 of 9: LEVEL THREE: Gym, Theatre with Stage and Projection Booth, Chapel, Library. (Theatre capacity: 61) * * * * * * Blueprint 5 of 9: LEVEL FOUR: Male Barracks, Female Barracks, SanFac, access to Bay #3. * * * * * * Blueprint 6 of 9: LEVEL FIVE: Command Center (Station Monitor & Control, Deep-Space Communications Center, and the Station Commander's Office, Briefing Room and Quarters), Sick Bay, PX, Brig, Robot Shop, File Room, Workshop, Storage, access to Docking Bay #2, three Sub-Module Connections. * * * * * * Blueprint 7 of 9: LEVEL SIX: Officers' Quarters and SanFac, Auxiliary Barracks and SanFac, access to Docking Bays #1 and #4, Armory, Shipping Room. * * * * * * Blueprint 8 of 9: LEVEL SEVEN: Printing Plant, Paper Recycling Plant. * * * * * * Blueprint 9 of 9: LEVEL EIGHT: Power Plant, Oxygen Generation, Water Purification, Arti-Grav. LEVEL NINE: Main Computer, Computer Control, Water Tanks (for storage and cooling). --------- The Official Documents: [The three forms are printed on green paper similar to that used on 20th- century tractor-fed dot matrix printers. Overall dimensions are just under 7" by 11". Each of the forms has the following two sections in common:] [Distribution list at the top:] GREEN: Issuee BLUE: Issuer WHITE: Issuee's Cmdr. CANARY: Issuer's Cmdr. PINK: Files BUFF: Backup files GRAY: Dbl Bckp Files COFFEE: Tpl Bckp Files CREAM: Records Officer IVORY: Asst. Rec. Ofcr. EGG: Jr. Rec. Ofcr. MAUVE: Form Ombudsman * * * * * * [Fine Print/"legalese" at the bottom:] This form is printed and disbursed entirely for the uses and purposes of the Stellar Patrol of the Third Galactic Union and may only be used for those express uses and purposes or for any other use and purpose with which the user may be instructed to comply by an authorized disburser of this form or by any commanding officer, provided that such use is in a manner complying with the rules and regulations of the Stellar Patrol and the laws of the Third Galactic Union, unless superseded by any local laws and customs where such local laws and customs apply under the Supremacy Conventions of the Patrol, the Union, or such other parties as the uses of this form may dictate. In addition and furthermore, the use of this form in no way expresses any license bestowed upon the printer, the disburser, the user, or on anyone or any party to accept or use this form or any of its parts. This form is regulated by all pertaining regulations as codified in Stellar Patrol Omnibus Form and Paperwork Policy Book, as published on 5/15/11339 and amended on four hundred and thirty-seven subsequent occasions, and is considered a legally-binding document in a court of law or in a court of basketball or any other court you can think of. This form was designed and printed under the auspices of the Stellar Patrol Forest Planet Management and Printing Offices, or maybe it was the Printing Planet and Forest Management Offices, or perhaps the Florist Plants and Painted Manacled Officers! Does anyone really give a hoot? Does anyone who isn't really insane read this far into the fine print? I mean, you have to be really off your rocker batty nutso to get even halfway through the second line! Imagine what it's like for a poor Ensign Fourth Class, having to write ream after ream of this trot day after day, month after month, year after kripping year! It's enough to turn your brain to guacamole! No, wait! It's worse than that! It's enough to turn your brain to quivering Gishenite jello-puddles!!! Aaarrrrgghh!!!! * * * * * * Form #1: Assignment Completion Form QX-17-T Issued: Date: 4.12.11349, Time: 4254 Issue's rank: Lt. First Class Issue's Patrol ID number: 1451-352-716 Description of Assignment: Take a spacetruck from the Deck Five cargo bay. Proceed to Space Station Gamma Delta Gamma 777-G 59/59 Sector Alpha-Mu 79. Pick up 24 pallets of Request for Stellar Patrol Issue Regulation Black Form Binders Request Form Forms. This is a Top-PRIORITY assignment! [Large rectangular box with the caption "Validation Box (do not write in this space)".] Additional Data: Astrogator's navigational data (time:course) 4300 - 4349: 632 4350 - 4399: 609 4400 - 4449: 587 4450 - 4499: 565 4500 - 4549: 544 4550 - 4599: 523 4600 - 4649: 503 4650 - 4699: 483 4700 - 4749: 464 4750 - 4799: 445 4800 - 4849: 427 4850 - 4899: 409 4900 - 4949: 392 4950 - 4999: 375 5000 - 5049: 359 5050 - 5099: 343 5100 - 5149: 328 5150 - 5199: 313 5200 - 5249: 299 5250 - 5299: 285 5300 - 5349: 272 5350 - 5399: 259 5400 - 5449: 247 5450 - 5499: 235 5500 - 5549: 224 5550 - 5599: 213 5600 - 5649: 203 5650 - 5699: 193 5700 - 5749: 184 5750 - 5799: 175 5800 - 5849: 167 5850 - 5899: 159 5900 - 5949: 152 5950 - 5999: 145 6000 - 6049: 139 6050 - 6099: 133 6100 - 6149: 128 6150 - 6199: 123 6200 - 6249: 119 6250 - 6299: 115 6300 - 6349: 112 6350 - 6399: 109 6400 - 6449: 107 6450 - 6499: 105 6500 - 6549: 104 6550 - 6599: 103 6600 - 6649: 103 6650 - 6699: 103 6700 - 6749: 104 6750 - 6799: 105 6800 - 6849: 107 6850 - 6899: 109 6900 - 6949: 112 6950 - 6999: 115 7000 - 7049: 119 7050 - 7099: 123 7100 - 7149: 128 7150 - 7150: 133 7200 - 7249: 139 7250 - 7250: 145 7300 - 7349: 152 7350 - 7350: 159 7400 - 7449: 167 7450 - 7450: 175 7500 - 7549: 184 7550 - 7550: 193 7600 - 7649: 203 7650 - 7650: 213 7700 - 7749: 224 7750 - 7750: 235 7800 - 7849: 247 7850 - 7850: 259 7900 - 7949: 272 7950 - 7950: 285 8000 - 8049: 299 8050 - 8050: 313 8100 - 8149: 328 8150 - 8150: 343 8200 - 8249: 359 8250 - 8250: 375 8300 - 8349: 392 8350 - 8350: 409 8400 - 8449: 427 8450 - 8450: 445 8500 - 8549: 464 8550 - 8599: 483 8600 - 8649: 503 8650 - 8699: 523 8700 - 8749: 544 8750 - 8799: 565 8800 - 8849: 587 8850 - 8899: 609 8900 - 8949: 632 8950 - 8999: 655 9000 - 9049: 679 9050 - 9099: 703 9100 - 9149: 728 9150 - 9199: 753 9200 - 9249: 779 9250 - 9299: 805 9300 - 9349: 832 9350 - 9399: 859 9400 - 9449: 887 9450 - 9499: 915 9500 - 9549: 944 9550 - 9599: 973 * * * * * * Form #2: Robot Use Authorization Form JZ-59-G Issued: Date: 4.12.11349, Time: 4257 Issue's rank: Lt. First Class Issue's Patrol ID number: 1451-352-716 Applicable robot pool: Deck Five Instructions to issuee: This form should be presented at the robot pool indicated above. If no such pool exists, return this form to its issuer along with eight completed copies of Missing or Non-Existent Robot Pool Report Form GY-98-M. At the indicated robot pool, this form should be given to any party or parties thereabouts responsible for the discharge of robots, or, if the indicated pool is automated, to the appropriate automated system or systems.Instructions to robot pool: One robot may be discharged into the care of the issuee of this form for such purposes as are specified under the Stellar Patrol Omnibus Robot Use Policies and Procedures Book. Copies of this form should be sent to the issuee's immediate superior, the ship's Records Officers, Archives One, Two and Three, the issuee's permanent record file, and the files of the indicated robot pool. Instructions to robot: [underlined bar code in three rows] * * * * * * Form #3: Class Three Spacecraft Activation Form HB-56-V Issued: Date: 4.12.11349, Time: 4257 Issue's rank: Lt. First Class Issue's Patrol ID number: 1451-352-716 This form is applicable to the following Class Three vehicles: TRANS-SPACEDOCK TUGBOAT FORMS TRANSPORT SPACETRUCK, SIX-METER FORMS TRANSPORT SPACETRUCK, NINE-METER FORMS TRANSPORT SPACETRUCK, TWELVE-METER TITANIUM-HULL SWAMP WALKERD EEP-SPACE TRANS-ION PARTICLE PLUCKER AMBASSADORIAL SHUTTLE, ONE-PERSON AMBASSADORIAL SHUTTLE, TWO-PERSON AMBASSADORIAL SHUTTLE, MORE-THAN-TWO-PERSON-OR-ONE-PERSON-PLUS-ANY-NUMBER-OF- NON-HUMANS SCOOTER, INTRA-SYSTEM, CAPTAIN ZOWIE MODEL ZERO-ENERGY PUDDLE-SITTER, SITTING DUCK BRAND SEMI-OOFING GIGBUNG-POWERED DOUBLE-FOOZ --------- Stationfall Official Technical Manual (Instruction Manual): Page 1 If you've never played Infocom's interactive fiction before, you should read this entire instruction manual. If you're an experienced Infocom player, just read Section I: About Stationfall. --------- Page 2 Table of Contents Section I: About Stationfall Preface to the Story -- Page 3 Sample Transcript and Map -- 4 About the Author -- 5 Section II: About Infocom's Interactive Fiction An Overview: What is interactive fiction? -- 6 Starting and Stopping -- 7 * "Booting up" * Saving and restoring * Quitting and restarting Communicating with Infocom's interactive fiction -- 8 * Basic sentences * Complex sentences * Talking to characters in the story Special Commands -- 9 Tips for Novices -- 10 Eleven useful pointers about interactive fiction Common Complaints -- 11 We're Never Satisfied -- 12 If You Have Technical Problems -- 12 Quick Reference Guide -- 13 This briefly describes the mostimportant things to know about interactive fiction. Copyright and Warranty Information -- 14 --------- Page 3 SECTION I: ABOUT STATIONFALL Preface to the Story After the fall of the Second Galactic Union in 1716 GY, a ten-thousand-year dark age settled upon the galaxy. Interstellar travel was non-existent, and many star systems descended into a near-barbaric state, burning fossil fuels for energy and growing food directly from exposed topsoil. In 11,203 GY, a treaty between the growing empires of Tremain and Gallium formed the Third Galactic Union. A pseudo-military branch of the Union government on Tremain was created. Called the Stellar Patrol, its ships began exploring the galaxy, searching for the human civilizations that are the remnants of the Second Union. You are a native of Gallium, one of the most politically powerful but culturally barren worlds of the Union. Your great-great-grandfather was a founding officer of the Stellar Patrol, and for five generations, your family has served in the Patrol. It was always taken for granted that you would sign up as soon as you came of age. Once you joined the Patrol, you discovered that the exciting career promised in all the Patrol recruitment brochures was nonsense. Your life was drudgery and demerits. The only time you got to see an exotic planet was right after a big parade, when they needed a detail to sweep up all the confetti. Then came your big moment: shipwrecked on a seemingly deserted world, you met an exuberant robotic companion named Floyd. Together, the two of you discovered the secret of that mysterious planet, Resida, and saved it from near destruction. The story of that heroic deed was told in "Planetfall". As a result of your heroics, you were offered, and quickly accepted, a juicy promotion. Goodbye Ensign Seventh Class -- now you were a Lieutenant First Class! No more scrubwork! No more bathroom details! No more cleaning of the grotch cages! Finally, your life in the Stellar Patrol would be as exciting as those brochures had promised! Oh, how naive you'd been. Your daily routine simply replaced tedious scrubwork with tedious paperwork. Since your planetfall on Resida, five long years have dragged by, without a single solitary event worthy of note. Why, just look at today's "thrilling" assignment: scooting over to Space Station Gamma Delta Gamma 777-G 59/59 Sector Alpha-Mu-79 to pick up a supply of Request for Stellar Patrol Issue Regulation Black Form Binders Request Form Forms... --------- Page 4 Sample Transcript and Map This transcript is not from Stationfall, but will give you a good general idea of how Infocom's interactive fiction works. It contains some simple puzzles and their solutions. The player's commands appear in capital letters after each prompt (>). The map represents the terrain in the sample transcript as you might have drawn it. [Sample map not included.] >WAIT Time passes... The scooter glides into the station's docking port. The retro-thrusters bring the scooter to a halt. As the docking port fills with air the scooter's hatch opens. >LOOK Scooter, in the pilot's couch You are in the cramped one-man space scooter. Through the viewport, you see the docking port of Space Station BG-12. The scooter's hatch is open.You can see a toolbox here. >OPEN THE TOOLBOX You can't reach it from the pilot's couch. >STAND UP You are standing again. >OPEN THE TOOLBOX It's locked. >LEAVE THE SCOOTER Docking Port This is the huge docking port of the space station. Only one ship is here at the moment, a one-man scooter, so the docking port seems unusually empty. A tube leads down toward the heart of the station. >DOWN Main Hallway, Sector M This is the station's main corridor, which continues to port and starboard. A tube leads up toward the docking port. >STARBOARD Main Hallway, Sector N This is the station's main corridor, which continues to port and starboard. A room lies to fore, and a tube leads down to the next level of the station. Lying at the base of the wall is a key. >TAKE THE KEY Taken. >EXAMINE IT The key looks like one of those new all-purpose keys that molds itself to any lock. A typical example of Garfoogian ingenuity. >FORE Sick Bay Like the rest of the station, the medical facility is deserted. This is odd, for regulations require that the sick bay be staffed around the clock, ten chrons a day! The only exit is aft. At the far end of the room, inside a steel cage, is a Thoosian Fussbudget, apparently asleep. >WAKE THE FUSSBUDGET It jumps to its feet, all twelve of them. "Hey, what's going on? Who are you? Lemme outta here!" >OPEN THE CAGE The cage is locked. "Open the cage!" begs the Fussbudget, clawing at the bars. "I'm claustrophobic! I'll starve to death! I wanna go jogging!" >UNLOCK THE CAGE WITH THE KEY This seems to be one of those new sophisticated all-purpose-key-proof locks. "Break the bars! Get an acetylene torch! Find a teleporter! I've got an appointment with my lawyer in five minutes! I'm allergic to cages!" The Fussbudget begins sneezing wildly. >AFT.PORT.UP.ENTER THE SCOOTER.UNLOCK THE TOOLBOX WITH THE KEY Main Hallway, Sector N Main Hallway, Sector M Docking Port You are beginning to get hungry. Scooter You can see a toolbox here. The toolbox is now unlocked. >OPEN THE TOOLBOX Opening the toolbox reveals an identity bracelet, a hacksaw, and a tube of nutrient paste. >TAKE ALL FROM THE TOLBOX [I don't know the word "tolbox."] >OOPS TOOLBOX identity bracelet: Taken. hacksaw: Taken. tube of nutrient paste: You're carrying too much weight already. >INVENTORY You are carrying a hacksaw, an identity bracelet, a key, and a box of radioactive isotopes. You are wearing a Patrol uniform. >DROP ALL BUT THE HACKSAW AND THE BRACELET THEN TAKE THE TUBE key: Dropped. box of radioactive isotopes: Dropped. Patrol uniform: You'll have to remove it first. Taken. You are now quite hungry. >EAT THE PASTE Mmmm...one of your favorites...anchovies and peanut butter. You empty the entire tube, and your hunger dissipates. >OUT.DOWN.STARBOARD.FORE Docking Port Main Hallway, Sector M Main Hallway, Sector N Sick Bay "It's about time you got back. You think it's fun being locked in a cage? What if there was a fire?" >CUT THE BARS WITH THE HACKSAW You cut through one of the bars. The Fussbudget sticks its head through the gap. "Come one, cut some more! I'm almost out...do you think these edges where you cut the bars are sharp?" >AGAIN You cut a second bar. The Fussbudget squeezes through and leaps to the floor. "Thanks, bud. By the way, I'm a Fussbudget." It hops across the room and pokes four or five eye stalks cautiously through the doorway. "Where is everyone? Hey, that looks like a tube of nutrient paste you've got there." >GIVE THE TUBE TO THE FUSSBUDGET The Fussbudget grabs the tube, wildly squeezes it with all six hands, and then throws it to the deck. "Empty! If I don't eat something soon I'll get sick." >AFT Main Hallway, Sector N The Fussbudget gangles after you. >PORT Main Hallway, Sector M The Fussbudget gangles after you. >PORT Main Hallway, Sector L This is the station's main corridor, which continues to port and starboard. Rooms lie fore and aft. The Fussbudget gangles after you. It suddenly notices your identity bracelet. "Hey, a bracelet. If you gimme it, I can get us lotsa food, whaddya say, huh?" >GIVE BRACELET TO FUSSBUDGET The Fussbudget grabs the bracelet and dashes forward. >FORE You bounce off the invisible security barrier. Within the room, you can see the Fussbudget, wearing the bracelet, greedily devouring a whole crate of Mondoweed fruits. >FUSSBUDGET, GIVE ME THE BRACELET Without looking up or pausing for a second, the Fussbudget tosses you the bracelet. >PUT ON THE BRACELET You are now wearing the bracelet. >FORE Store Room This is a small storage room of some sort. A hallway lies aft. You can see an adapter plug here.The Fussbudget is just shoving the last few fruits into its huge mouth. "All the food is gone," it says with its mouth full. "Where am I gonna sleep tonight?" >AFT.AFT Main Hallway, Sector L The Fussbudget gangles after you. Director's Office This is the office of the station manager. It is simply furnished, with a file cabinet and a desk. There's an electrical outlet on one wall.Sitting on the desk is a portable computer and a slip of paper. The Fussbudget gangles after you. >READ [What do you want to read?] >SLIP OF PAPER [taking the slip of paper first] "Buy milk. Dentist at 3300. New password is 133." >TURN ON THE PORTABLE COMPUTER Nothing happens. The Fussbudget shivers. "Does it seem chilly in here? I hate drafty places." A look of concern crosses its face. "Do you think the heating units have failed?" >EXAMINE THE COMPUTER The portable computer has a screen, a keyboard, and a power cord. The screen is blank. The Fussbudget says, "See ya later, bub. I'm gonna go catch some winks." It gangles out. >PLUG THE POWER CORD INTO THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET The cord ends in a nine-prong plug, but the outlet will only accept five-prong plugs. >FORE.FORE Main Hallway, Sector L Store Room The Fussbudget is snoring loudly in the corner. You can see an adapter plug here. >TAKE [the adapter plug] Taken. >EXAMINE IT The adapter seems designed to fit nine-prong plugs into five-prong outlets. >AFT.AFT.PLUG THE ADAPTER INTO THE SOCKET. PLUG THE CORD INTO THE ADAPTER. Main Hallway, Sector L Director's Office Sitting on the desk is a portable computer. Done. Done. >TURN ON THE COMPUTER The computer beeps and the screen lights up, saying, "Please type password." >TYPE "133" The screen says "Password accepted. Type 7 for memo file. Type 11 for correspondence file." >TYPE 7 The last page of the memo pad appears on the screen: "22-Bozbar. All personnel have teleported down to the planet. I will be joining them in a chron or so, but I wanted to say goodbye to this old station; it's too bad we couldn't stop that reactor build-up. By the way, the latest reading for Critical is 6900." >TIME Adjusted Galactic Standard Time is exactly 6897. >FORE Main Hallway, Sector L Suddenly, a giant fireball engulfs the entire station. **** You have died ***** Your score is 9 points out of a total of 80, in 92 moves. This gives you the rank of pot scrubber. --------- Page 5 About the Author Steve Meretzky (1957- ) was born and raised in Yonkers, NY, where his early hobbies included rooting for the New York Mets and against Richard Nixon. Historians of interactive fiction point to Meretzky's first job, packing nuts and bolts for his father's hardware business, as the formative moment of his writing career. Most others think that there's absolutely no connection, and that all historians of interactive fiction are fruitcakes. Meretzky arrived at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in September of 1975 to pursue a career in architecture. MIT's Department of Architecture convinced Meretzky that he should pursue a career in Construction Management. Following his unexpected graduation, several construction firms convinced Meretzky that he should pursue a career as a game tester for Infocom. Finally, by 1982, Marc Blank had convinced Meretzky that he should pursue a career as an author of interactive fiction ("implementor" in Infocom lingo). While at Infocom, a heart-warming interoffice romance blossomed between Steve and the Sales Department's Elizabeth Rock. Married since September of 1985, Steve and Betty have no children, but they do have a garage door opener that they're very proud of. Other works of interactive fiction by Steve Meretzky: Planetfall (1983) Sorcerer (1984) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1984) (with Douglas Adams) A Mind Forever Voyaging (1985) Leather Goddesses of Phobos (1986) --------- Page 6 SECTION II: ABOUT INFOCOM'S INTERACTIVE FICTION An Overview: What is interactive fiction? Interactive fiction is a story in which you are the main character. Each interactive story, such as Stationfall, presents you with a series of locations, items, characters, and events. You can affect the direction of the story by moving from place to place, using the objects you find, and interacting with the other characters. An important element of interactive fiction is puzzle-solving. Think of a locked door or a ferocious beast not as a permanent obstacle, but merely as a puzzle to be tackled. (Find the key that unlocks the door, or figure out what tune will charm and tame that beast.) In Stationfall, time passes only in response to your input. Nothing happens until you type a sentence and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key, so you can plan your turns as slowly and carefully as you want. In the story, time is kept in millichrons, the galactic standard. A thousand millichrons make up on chron, and ten chrons make up one day. In addition to keeping track of the time, Stationfall measures your progress by giving you a score. You'll get points for solving puzzles and for reaching certain new locations. A perfect score of 80 is your goal; making sure you have fun getting there is ours. --------- Page 7 Starting and Stopping Starting the story: To load Stationfall, follow the instructions on the Reference Card in your package. On your screen, you will see a description of the opening location of the story, Deck Five, followed by the prompt (>), indicating that Stationfall is waiting for your first input. Here are a few inputs for you to try at the first several prompts. After typing each input, don't forget to hit the RETURN (or ENTER) key. >INVENTORY >EXAMINE THE PATROL UNIFORM >WALK STARBOARD >DROP THE CHRONOMETER You should now have a feel for interacting with the story. You decide what to do next. Saving and restoring: It will probably take you several days to complete Stationfall. Using the SAVE feature, you can continue the story at a later time without having to start over from the beginning, just as you can place a bookmark in a book you are reading. Even if you aren't about to stop playing, it's useful to SAVE before (or after) trying something dangerous or tricky. That way, even if you get lost or "killed" in the story, you can return to your saved position. To save your place, type SAVE at the prompt (>), and then press RETURN (or ENTER). Then follow the instructions for saving and restoring on your Reference Card. Some computers require a blank SAVE disk, initialized and formatted. Using a disk with data on it (other than Stationfall saves) may result in the loss of that data, depending on your computer. You can save your position as often as you like by using additional blank disks. Any time you want to return to a saved position, just typed RESTORE at the prompt (>), and hit RETURN (or ENTER). Then follow the instructions on your Reference Card. You can then continue the story from your SAVE. You can type LOOK for a description of where you are. Quitting and restarting: If you want to start over from the beginning, type RESTART and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. (This is usually faster than re-booting.) Stationfall will ask you to confirm this command. If you want to stop entirely, type QUIT and press RETURN (or ENTER). Once again, Stationfall will ask to make sure this is really what you want to do. Remember, when you RESTART or QUIT, you must first SAVE if you ever want to return easily to your current point in the story. --------- Page 8 Communicating with Infocom's Interactive Fiction In Stationfall, you type your commands in plain English each time you see the prompt (>). Most of the sentences that Stationfall will understand are imperative sentences. See the examples below. When you have finished typing your input, press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. Stationfall will then respond, telling you whether your request is possible at this point in the story, and what happened as a result. Stationfall recognizes your words by their first six letters, and all subsequent letters are ignored. For example, Stationfall would not be able to distinguish among SPACEShip, SPACEStorm, and SPACESickness. To move around, just type the direction you want to go. Directions can be abbreviated: NORTH to N, SOUTH to S, EAST to E, WEST to W, NORTHEAST to NE, NORTHWEST to NW, SOUTHEAST to SE, SOUTHWEST to SW, UP to U, and DOWN to D. IN and OUT will also work in certain places. Stationfall understands many different kinds of sentences. Here are examples, using objects and characters that don't actually appear in Stationfall: >WALK TO THE NORTH >WEST >NE >DOWN >TAKE THE METEORITE >OPEN THE HATCH >READ THROUGH THE MANUAL >LIE DOWN ON THE ACCELERATION COUCH >EXAMINE THE SHINY LASER RIFLE >PUT THE POWER PACK IN THE RIFLE >SHOW MY ANTENNAE TO THE ALIEN AMBASSADOR >SHOOT THE MENACING ALIEN WITH THE SHINY LASER RIFLE >ASK THE SENTIENT CRAB ABOUT THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPE You can use multiple objects with certain verbs if you separate them by the word AND or by a comma. Some examples: >TAKE THE MEGAFUSE AND THE TANGERINE >DROP THE BOTTLE OF ARGON, THE SPOON, AND THE LEMMING FOOD >PUT THE MATTER AND THE ANTI-MATTER IN THE BOX You can include several commands on one line if you separate them by the word THEN or by a period. Each command will be handled in order, as though you had typed them individually at separate prompts. For example, you could type all of the following at once, before pressing the RETURN (or ENTER) key: >PUSH THE BUTTON. ENTER THE SPACE SCOOTER THEN SHUT THE HATCH If Stationfall doesn't understand one of the sentences on your input line, or if an unusual event occurs, it will ignore the rest of your input line. The words IT and ALL can be very useful. For example: >LOOK AT THE OXYGEN TANK. TAKE IT. PUT IT ON. >TURN ON THE HYPERSPATIAL COMPUTER. PROGRAM IT. TURN IT OFF. >PICK UP THE ENERGY TABLET. SMELL IT. SWALLOW IT. >TAKE ALL >TAKE ALL THE TOOLS >DROP ALL THE TOOLS EXCEPT THE WRENCH AND THE PHOTON SPANNER >TAKE ALL FROM THE CARTON >PUT ALL IN THE POCKET OF THE JUMPSUIT >GIVE ALL BUT THE BATTERY TO THE BROKEN CYBORG The word ALL refers to every visible object except those inside something else. If there were an apple on the ground and an orange inside a cabinet, TAKE ALL would take the apple but not the orange. There are only three kinds of questions that Stationfall understands: WHO IS (someone), WHERE IS (something), and WHAT IS (something). Here are some examples you can try in Stationfall: >WHO IS PLATO? >WHAT IS A GRUE? >WHERE IS EVERYBODY? When you meet intelligent creatures in Stationfall, you can talk to them by typing their name, then a comma, then whatever you want to say to them. Here are some examples: >ZEKE, HELLO >CAPTAIN MEASEL, TELL ME ABOUT THE ASTEROID >UNCLE OTTO, GIVE ME YOUR WALLET >BOY, RUN HOME THEN CALL THE POLICE >GALACTIC OVERLORD, PICK UP THAT PLANETOID. EAT IT Notice that in the last two examples, you are giving the character more than one command on the same input line. But remember, many creatures in the story don't care for idle chatter. You can use quotes to answer a question, type something on a keyboard, or say something "out loud." Examples: >SAY "HELLO" >ANSWER "YES" >TYPE "520" Stationfall tries to guess your intention when you give incomplete information. When it does so, it will tell you. For example: >UNLOCK THE CONTROL PANEL [with the key] The panel is now unlocked. or >SHOOT THE SEVEN-HEADED PURPLE ALIEN [with the seven-headed purple alien gun] A bolt of energy vaporizes one of the alien's heads. Unfortunately, it continues to advance, and there isn't a six-headed purple alien gun in sight. If your command is ambiguous, Stationfall will ask you to clarify. You can answer these questions simply by supplying the missing information at the very next prompt. For example: >SHOW THE HOLOGRAM Whom do you want to show the hologram to? >THE BUG-EYED MONSTER The monster takes one look at the hologram of the slime pits of its homeworld, has an acute attack of homesickness, and runs off in search of a travel agent. or >GIVE THE MELON TO THE ALIEN Which melon do you mean, the honeydew melon or the moldy Venusian melon? >MOLDY The alien, grateful for such a delicious homeworld delicacy, gives you its time travel belt. --------- Page 9 Special Commands Below are explanations for a number of useful one-word commands. In many cases, these will not count as a turn. Type the command after the prompt (>) and press the RETURN (or ENTER) key. AGAIN -- This will repeat your previous input. For instance, typing SHOOT THE LASER AT THE RADIUM-POWERED ROBOT then typing AGAIN would be like trying to kill the robot twice in a row. You can abbreviate AGAIN to G. BRIEF -- This command tells Stationfall to fully describe a location only the first time you enter it. On subsequent visits, Stationfall will tell you only the name of the location and any objects present. Stationfall will begin in BRIEF mode, and remain in BRIEF mode unless you use the VERBOSE or SUPERBRIEF commands. SUPERBRIEF tells Stationfall to display only the name of a place you have entered, even if you have never been there before. In this mode, Stationfall will not even mention which objects are present. Of course, you can always get a full description of your location and the items there by typing LOOK. In SUPERBRIEF mode, the blank line between turns will be eliminated. This mode is meant for players who are already familiar with the geography. The VERBOSE command tells Stationfall that you want a complete description of each location, and the objects in it, every time you enter a location, even if you've been there before. DIAGNOSE -- Stationfall will give you a report of your physical condition. FOOTNOTE -- Occasionally, the text in Stationfall will mention the existence of a footnote. To read the footnote, simply type FOOTNOTE followed by the appropriate footnote number (for example, FOOTNOTE 7). This will not count as a turn. INVENTORY -- Stationfall will list what you are carrying and wearing. You can abbreviate INVENTORY to I. LOOK -- This will give you a full description of your location. You can abbreviate LOOK to L. OOPS -- If you mistype a word, such that Stationfall doesn't understand it, you can correct yourself at the next prompt by typing OOPS and the correct word. For example, if you typed HAND THE CHAIN SAW TO GARNDMA and were told "[I don't know the word 'garndma']" you could type OOPS GRANDMA rather than retyping the entire sentence. QUIT -- This lets you stop. If you want to save your position before quitting, follow the instructions in the "Starting and Stopping" section on page 7. You can abbreviate QUIT to Q. RESTART -- This stops the story and starts it over from the beginning. RESTORE -- This restores a previously saved position. See "Starting and Stopping" on page 7 for more details. SAVE -- This puts a "snapshot" of your current position on your storage disk. You can return to a saved position in the future using the RESTORE command. See "Starting and Stopping" on page 7 for more details. SCRIPT -- This command tells your printer to begin making a transcript of the story. A transcript may aid your memory, but is not necessary, and will only work on certain computers. Read your Reference Card for details. STATUS -- This command gives you the following information: your current mode of descriptiveness, your score, a ranking based on that score, and the current time in the story. Note that your score and the time can also be found on your status line at the top of the screen. SUPERBRIEF -- This command tells Stationfall to give you the sparest level of description. See BRIEF above. TIME -- This will give you the current time in the story. UNSCRIPT -- This tells your printer to stop making a transcript. VERBOSE -- This command tells Stationfall to give you the wordiest level of description. See BRIEF above. VERSION -- Stationfall responds by showing you the release number and the serial number of your copy of the story. Please include this information if you ever report a "bug" in the story. WAIT -- This causes time in the story to pass. Since nothing happens until you type a sentence and press RETURN (or ENTER), you could leave your computer, take a trip to Rigel Seven, then return to the story to find that nothing has changed. You can use WAIT to make time pass in the story without doing anything. For example, if you met an alien robot, you might WAIT to see if it will say anything; if you were aboard a moving space scooter, you might WAIT to see where it goes. You can abbreviate WAIT to Z. --------- Page 10 Tips for Novices 1. Draw a map. It should include each location and the connections to adjoining locations. When you find yourself in a new place, make note of any interesting objects there. (See the small sample map that goes along with the sample transcript on page 4.) Remember, there are 10 possible directions (NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST, SOUTHEAST, SOUTHWEST, UP, and DOWN) plus IN and OUT. 2. EXAMINE all objects you come across in the story. 3. TAKE and carry as much as you can carry. Most objects that you find are important for solving one or more of the puzzles you'll run into. 4. SAVE your place often, so that if you mess up or get "killed," you won't have to start over from the beginning. See page 7 for more instructions. 5. Read the story carefully! There are often clues in the descriptions of locations and objects. 6. Try everything you can think of - even strange or dangerous actions are fun and may provide clues; you can always save your position first. Here's a silly example: >GIVE THE BASKETBALL TO THE LION The lion takes an experimental bite out of the basketball but spits it out. It continues to gnaw on your leg. Thus, you discover that giving something more edible to the lion (that slab of raw meat?) might save your leg. 7. There are many possible routes to the end of Stationfall. If you get stuck on one puzzle, move on to another. Some puzzles have more than one solution; other puzzles don't need to be solved at all. Sometimes you will have to solve one puzzle in order to obtain the item(s) or information you need to solve another puzzle. 8. Play Stationfall with a friend! As the dual-brained worm beasts of Nebulon are fond of saying, "Two heads are better than one." 9. If you get completely stumped, you can order a hint booklet and map using the order form in your package. You don't need this booklet to enjoy the story, but it will help you solve the puzzles. 10. Read the sample transcript on page 4 to get a feel for how interactive fiction works. 11. You can word a command in many different ways. For example, if you wanted to make a wish, you could type in any of the following: >DROP THE COIN DOWN THE WISHING WELL >TOSS THE COIN INTO THE WELL >PUT COIN IN WELL If you type a sentence that Stationfall doesn't understand, try rephrasing it or using synonyms. If Stationfall still doesn't understand, you're probably trying something that isn't important for completing the story. --------- Page 11 Common Complaints Stationfall will complain if your input confuses it completely. Stationfall would then ignore any further sentences on your input line. (Certain events, such as being attacked, will also cause Stationfall to ignore any additional sentences on your input line, since the event may have changed your situation drastically.) Some of Stationfall's complaints: I don't know the word "_______". That word is not in the story's vocabulary. Sometimes using a synonym or rephrasing will help; more likely, you're just barking up the wrong tree. Stationfall recognizes over 800 words, all that you need to use and most that you're likely to use. However, Stationfall uses many words in its descriptions that it will not recognize in your inputs. Thus, you might read, "The moon casts violet shadows across the crater." but discover that Stationfall doesn't understand the words MOON or SHADOW or CRATER in your input. When this happens, you can assume that you don't need to refer to those things to complete the story; they are only there to create a more vivid image of your location. You used the word "_______" in a way that I don't understand. Stationfall knows the word but couldn't use it in that sense. Usually this is because Stationfall knows it as a different part of speech. For example, if you typed GO TO THE LOWER LEVEL, you are using LOWER as an adjective, but Stationfall might know LOWER only as a verb, as in LOWER THE ROPE. There was no verb in that sentence! Unless you are answering a question, each sentence must have a verb (or one of the special commands). Among the most important verbs that Stationfall understands are TAKE, DROP, PUT, GIVE, LOOK, READ, EXAMINE, OPEN, CLOSE, ENTER, EXIT, EAT and WEAR. There are many more. Remember, you can use a variety of prepositions with your verbs. (For example, LOOK can become LOOK AT, LOOK INSIDE, LOOK BEHIND, LOOK UNDER, LOOK THROUGH, and so on.) There seems to be a noun missing in that sentence. This usually means your sentence was incomplete, such as EAT THE BLUE or PUT THE BOOK IN THE. There were too many nouns in that sentence. An example is CARVE MY INITIALS ON THE TREE WITH THE KNIFE, which has three noun "phrases," one more than Stationfall can digest in a single action. I beg your pardon? You pressed the RETURN (or ENTER) key without typing anything. You can't see any ______ here! The object you referred to was not visible. It may be somewhere else, or it may be present but in a closed container. The other object[s] that you mentioned isn't [aren't] here. You referred to several objects in the same sentence, and at least one wasn't visible. You can't use multiple [in]direct objects with "_______". You can use multiple objects (that is, nouns or noun phrases separated by AND or a comma) or the word ALL only with certain verbs, such as TAKE, DROP, and PUT. For example, EXAMINE will not work with multiple objects; you couldn't say EXAMINE ALL or EXAMINE THE BOWL AND THE SWORD. That sentence isn't one I recognize. Usually, this means that the syntax (sentence structure) you used is not among the 300 or so syntaxes that Stationfall understands. For example, SIT UNDER THE TREE and SKIP AROUND THE MAYPOLE are syntaxes that wouldn't be recognized by Stationfall. There's a limited amount of space in the program, so syntaxes that are less common or not useful aren't included. Try rephrasing the sentence. --------- Page 12 We're Never Satisfied Here at Infocom, we're constantly trying to "push back the envelope" and explore the possibilities of this fledgling medium. Your input is important. If you like or disliked the story, or some section of it, or if you found a bug, or if you think a certain puzzle was too hard or too easy, or if you have some other suggestion, drop us a note! We love every excuse to stop working, and a letter from you is just such an excuse! Write to: Infocom 125 CambridgePark Drive Cambridge, MA 02140 Attn: FLOYD If You Have Technical Problems You can call the Infocom Technical Support Team to report "bugs" and technical problems but not for hints to solve puzzles, at (617) 576-3190. If your disk develops a problem within ninety (90) days after purchase, we will replace it at no charge. Otherwise, there is a replacement fee of $5 (U.S. funds). If you call to report a bug, please provide your release number, which you can find by typing VERSION. Please return your registration card if you'd like to be on our mailing list and receive our newsletter, The Status Line. --------- Page 13 Quick Reference Guide 1. To start the story ("boot up"), see the separate Reference Card in your Stationfall package. 2. When you see the prompt (>) on your screen, Stationfall is waiting for your input. There are four kinds of sentences or commands that Stationfall understands: A. Directions: To move from place to place, just type the direction you want to go: NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST, SOUTHEAST, SOUTHWEST, UP, DOWN, IN, or OUT. B. Actions: Just type what you want to do. Some examples: READ THE BOOK or OPEN THE DOOR or LOOK THROUGH THE WINDOW or GIVE THE BALL TO THE CAT. More complex sentences are described in "Communicating with Infocom's Interactive Fiction" on page 8. C. Commands to other characters: Talk to characters in the story by typing their name, then a comma, then what you want to say to them. For example: FRED, HI or OLD MAN, GIVE ME THE TROMBONE. D. Special commands: These give you information, such as INVENTORY, or affect the state of the program, such as VERBOSE. A list of these appears in the "Special Commands" section on page 9. 3. After typing your input, you must press the RETURN (or ENTER) key before Stationfall will respond. 4. Your screen will display a special line called the status line. It tells you your current location, your score, and the current time (if known). 5. You can pick up and carry many of the items you'll find in the story. For example, if you type TAKE THE TUBE OF JELLY, you will then be carrying it. Type INVENTORY to see what items you have. 6. When you want to stop, save your place in the story, or start over, read "Starting and Stopping" on page 7. 7. If you have trouble, refer to the specific section of the manual for more detailed instructions. --------- Page 14 Copyright and Warranty Information Limited Warranty This software product and the attached instructional materials are sold "AS IS," without warranty as to their performance. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the computer software program is assumed by the user. However, to the original purchaser of a disk prepared by Infocom and carrying the Infocom label on the disk jacket, Infocom, Inc. warrants the medium on which the program is recorded to be free from defects in materials and faulty workmanship under normal use and service for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase. If during this period a defect on the medium should occur, the medium may be returned to Infocom, Inc. or to an authorized Infocom Inc. dealer, and Infocom, Inc. will replace the medium without charge to you. Your sole and exclusive remedy in the event of a defect is expressly limited to replacement of the medium as provided above. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. THE ABOVE WARRANTIES FOR GOODS ARE IN LIEU OF ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND OF ANY OTHER WARRANTY OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF INFOCOM, INC. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IN NO EVENT SHALL INFOCOM, INC. OR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION AND PRODUCTION OF THIS COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROGRAM BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SUCH AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF ANTICIPATED PROFITS OR BENEFITS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS PROGRAM, OR ARISING OUT OF ANY BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. N.B. After the warranty period, a defective Infocom disk may be returned to Infocom, Inc. with a check or money order for $5.00 U.S. funds for replacement. Copyright The enclosed software product is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by Infocom, Inc. It is published exclusively by Infocom, Inc. The distribution and sale of this product are intended for the use of the original purchaser only and for use only on the computer system specified. Lawful users of this program are hereby licensed only to read the program from its medium into memory of a computer solely for the purpose of executing the program. Copying (except for one backup copy on those systems which provide for it -- see Reference Card), duplicating, selling, or otherwise distributing this product is a violation of the law. The manual and all other documentation contained herein arecopyrighted and all rights reserved by Infocom, Inc. These documents may not, in whole or part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without prior consent, in writing, from Infocom, Inc. Willful violations of the Copyright Law of the United States can result in civil damages of up to $50,000 in addition to actual damages, plus criminal penalties of up to one year imprisonment and/or $10,000 fine. Stationfall, Leather Goddesses of Phobos and A Mind Forever Voyaging are trademarks of Infocom, Inc. Planetfall and Sorcerer are registered trademarks of Infocom, Inc. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a trademark of Douglas Adams. (C) 1987 Infocom, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. (C) 2000 Activision, Inc. Reproduced with permission. All right reserved.