8qq

Pure Fiction
PUHE FlCTl0N is the revolutionary adventure game system developed by Palace Sotwae. While standard adventure games 0ll0w a set story with a sequence 0 puzzles t0 solve, PUR FlCTl0N games simulale a 'game-world' which the player has complete reedom to explore. he entire 'game- world' is maintained c0ntinuously, so even if lhe player is on one planet, twqchaacters may be having a conversation 0r a ight 0n a diferent one.

PURE FlCTl0N games contain jndependent artiicially-intelligent'characlers that interact

with the player and each othe, both on and o- screen. Characters have individual
personalities and their eelings t0wards each other will change with events.

PUR: FlCTl0N is continually bein0 reined and improved t0 provide players with the most enjoyable and realistic games available.

Alan Grant
Alan Gant was born in 1949 in Bist0l. After studying at St. Andrews Universily and workin0 in a bank and as a bus conductor, he began wrjting romantic iction 0r DC

Thompson. The irst c0m;cs chaacter he w0ked

0n

.characters including Judge Dredd, Sontium Dog, Judge Anderson and Robohunter. He has w0rked

was Tarzan, belore he started at 2000 AD with co-aulhor John Wagner. Under a variety of pseudonyms he has written or some 0 the magazine's m0st famous

0n many other titles, including Batman,

B0b0c0p,

Puniser, The hcredible Hulk, The Silve Suer, l'lick Fxry, ie Lasl Amican, he Bogie tlan, Nightbreed, Psychonauls and the Batman/Judge 0redrl eamup.

il

I I

t1
PUHT/

A Fltlt0[t| Game

Written bY Alan Grant

Prograrned by Chris Stangroom
Graphics by Jo Walke Graphics Po$amming bY Pat Baoni

Title Music by Richard JosePh

Pure Fiction System designed by Chis Stangroom

With Thanks To:

Helen Goodwin
Paul Saunders

Keith CamPbell
Special Thanks To: Richard Bartle and MUD

for inspiration. Manual by Simon Birrell and Alan Grant

(c) 1991 Palace Software Ltd
Palace Software, The Old Forge Business Centre, 7 Caledonian Road, LONDON N1 9DX, GREAT BRITAIN

GONTENTS
How To Use This Manual 6 7
7

C?

o z,

-{ m = { q,

Demoniak Instructions For Complete Novices

Introduction
The Screen
Some SimDle Commands What The Game Will Understand Some More Examples

8 9

t0 l1
13 14 15

Combat Becoming Other Characters Other Special Commands

Demoniak For Advanced Users 0r Those Who Have Played Other Text Adventutes
Why This Game Is Different Multiple Characters
The Parser

16
16 17 18 19

Combat Communication With Characters

Special Powers Other Bits And Pieces

20
2L

22
23
Cente Pages

Disk, Pinter And Graphics QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

Gommand List

24

Demoniak By Alan Grant

Docto Cortex Johnny Sirius
Flame Proteus 33
35

Madlok Gor B-52

Sondra

36 37 38

40

4l
42

Prisoners Files

43

= o

S o m

How To Use This Manual

-Those of you who have never played a text adventure game before should be able to get stated by reading up to page 15 .

94

o
{ =

with standard adventure games can skip to the section DEMONIAK FOR ADVANCED USERS on page 16 for details of the fatures speclfic to PURE FICTION.
Players familiar

(f 6
-{

Once you are familiar with the game, all you should need is the QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE on the centre pages.

u, m

The biographies and prisoners files from page 32 onwards provide background story and some useful information. They can be read as
eouired.

6
= e |-

Demoniak Instructions For Gomplete Novices

Introduction
This section is intended for those who have no expedence of playing text adventure games. Those who have can read tEvNIRx pon lVaNCf,l USERS on page 16 .

= o
G? =
1r1

94

E o (:
I =' =

= -l

A PURE FICTION game such as DEMONIAK is an interactive story, where the user can guide the actions and fates of the characters. There is a clearly-defined goal for you to achieve to win the game, but you ae at liberty to take the plot in any direction that you wish.
DEMONIAK tells th story of a team of four superheroes: Johnny Sirius, the clean-cut man of action, Kyra Brand aka Flame, Madlok an enigmatic wizard and Sondra Houdini a psychic. The game begins with them being summoned together by famed scientist Doctor Cortex, who has a mission for them. The mission is to prevent Demoniak enteing our Universe by somehow sealing his gateway. When you have accomplished this, you have won the
8ame.

At any one time you control the actions of a single chaacter, and see the world through their eyes. Howver, you may become another chaacter (even an enemy of the team's) whenever you wish and see what is happening to them. Whn the game begins, you are playing Johnny Sirius.

o
=

o = m
f4
-{

The Screen
appears. The game will ask you whethe you want QUIT; type BEGIN and press RETURN or ENTER.

Load up the game

until the text

screen

with red and blue windows

to BEGIN,
RESTORE or

v,

rt

o F
tn m
=

bottom, o simply 'Press a Key'. When you have ead the text press the ENTER or RETURN key to see the next page.
Read until the cursor appears in the blue window at the bottom, and the words 'Sirius' and 'Cortex's Laboratoy' appear in the top red window. The game has now begun and is waiting for your input. On machines without colour the'windows will look different, but will be in the same places.

Remember that you are starting th game as Johnny Sirius and read the story. When the screen is full the word <MORE> will be written at the

Location of curently-controlled character

Name of currently-contolled character

Number of elapsed turns since the game began

<F-The Status Window

.-The Story Window

.-lnput window

will continue to appear in the central Story Window. The Status Window shows who you are playing at the moment and where they are. You type the action that you have decided the character should perform as an English sentence or phrase; this appears in the blue Input Window.
The story

Some Simple

Gommands
the

= o
C?

As an example, you will notice that the text refers to some laser guns in laboratory. You can make Johnny Sirius pick them up. Type

=
U 8 U, 5 = F lll .! S =
r =I r

GETTHEREDGUN
and press the ENTER o RETURN key. Ifyou type the wrong letter, you can use DELETE (BACKSPACE on some machines) to correct it. If you have typed the command correctly there should be a message in the Story Window to say that you have picked it up. One tun has now elapsed (look in the Status Window), the story continues, and the cursor will reappear when it is time for you to make anothe move.

(At some point in this first scene one of the characters will ask you for a word from this manual, to check that you aren't playing an illegal copy. When this happens you MUST enter the correct wor, nd"not a co"tttma.' . If you have itere ttre corrct word, the game will then continue as

normar.)

NOnfH. T find out the directions that you

curent location
SHOW EXITS

Let's try some othe commands. You can move to a new location in game using the command GO followed by a direction, for instance

tx)e:

the GO can travel in to ieave the

= = U,

The only way out of the laboratory is east, so try: GO EAST

The location given in the status line has changed to 'East Junction', and you have a new desciption in the story window.

z, o
q? = m

What The Game Will Understand

- DEMONIAK contains

4
= -l { T!' c?

a very large number of commands, and will understand quite complicated English sentences. However, its knowledge of vocabularv is inevitablv limitd. so if vou use a word it does not know it will reply:
YOU DO NOT NEED TO USE THE WORD...... The use of the particular word is therefore neither necessary or possible DEMONIAK.

>

in

m =
,!

Some Things To Try

FIND DOCTOR CORTEX (if vou're not in the same room as i,-:, him) KILL EVERYONE WTTH THE RED
SABRE FLEE

= |-. = trt

v,

r T

Attacldng you tellow teammembers may be fun, but they will soon deal with vou as vou deserve.
You ruu l.ur can use utc

= ,tr,

QUIT to stat again. Next time be nice to vour friends !

Some More

Examples
do:
will start a fight with the named

= o

A complete command list is given from page 24 onwards and a quick reference guide is in the centr pages. A few examples should give you a
flavour of what you can get your characters to
ATTACK THE UGLY GUARD

, i: V, = = -r rn = m X

=
Fl'l

chaacter.

FLEE is what you should do when the fight gets out of hand

GO can be used with all eight compass directions plus UP and DOWN. Becaqsgyou use this one p" 9ftqr, V9g can abbrevte GO NORTH, GO
NORTHEAST
CtC. tO

N/NE/E/SE/S/SW/WNWU/D.

GET is very versatile. DEMONTAK will understand sentences

GETTHEREDGUN

s ^' -^

3ilii?3Jil,1H#i,ilKiKE
PUT is the opposite of GET and can be used to put down obiects that
are carrying. It will work with some prepositionsPUT THE RED GUN ON THE WORKBENCH

you

t = ttn U)

PUT THE BOOK IN THE CUPBOARD

PRESS does

what

it

says

You may f,nd this one useful early on in the

game. ENTER is used for making your character go

into somewhee that is within

the curent location, for example:

ENTER SPACESHIP

GO OUT allows you to leave a location you have ENTERED.

TELL is used to talk to other chaacters in the game, mostly for giving o;ders. For example: TELL SONDRA 'GET THE RED GUN" will make Sirius ask Sonda to pick up the red laser gun. Sondra may ignore you to start with, until you have gained her trust. She will start to obey you later in the game, provided you have been behaving as a colleague should. Don't expect your enemies to do what you tell them!

11

o
= = u, '
The quote marks are essenlial; TELL SONDRA TO GET THE RED GUN

wlll NUI worK.

ASK is used for questioning charactes. For example: ASK SONDRA "WHERE IS FLAME ?' Because Sondra is psychic, she's quite likely to know. ASK CORTEX'WHAT IS WARP ?' ASK CORTEX "TELL ME ABOUT FREEZYASSOV'

u,

o
m =

o = v
t
rt !t

Luckily, Cotex is incredibly brainy. Other characters may not be

knowledgeable. Both TELL and ASK are optional. You can simply address the character: SONDRA 'WHERE IS FLAME?'
OI

so

x
E = |ct,

SONDRA "GET THE RED GUN'

GIVE is used for getting your character to give somebody something you are carrying. For instance:
GIVE THE PINK LASER TO SONDRA

INVENTORY is a special single-word command that will give you a list of what your character is carrying. It can be abbreviated to iust: INV

12

= ct

Gombat
ATTACK SONDRA would initiate a fight with her. KILL SONDRA would initiate a fight with the specific intention of murdering her.

(? =
C

rl1 94

While engaged in combat you can use specific commands to ght in

different ways. SHOOT THE HAIRY GUARD WITH THE GUN HIT THEJAILOR WITH THE CHAIR

(t
llt =
D -{

When the story details a particular blow that has been struck it adds the damage that has been inflicted in brackets. You stab the thickset guard (50). indicates that the thickset guard has had his stamina reduced by 50 points. When a character's stamina is low, they fall asleep. When it reaches zero, the character dies. You can find out you own stamina, and other information as well by typing SCORE. When somebody hits YOU the number in brackets gives you REMAINING
stamina-

Madlok the wizard has some spells which he can use in combat: CAST BLINDING SPELL ON AKONDRO CAST SLEEPING SPELL ON THE COOK

While you are playing Sirius you could try: MADLOK'CAST BLINDING SPELL ON AKONDRO"

13

z, o
C''it =

m
v?

Becoming 0ther Characters

While you could spend the whole game as Sirius, telling your team-mates what to do, it can be both useful and interesting to control other characters, particularly those with special abilities.
Start the game again (you can type QUIT to leave a game in progress). You are Johnny Sirius and you are in Cotex's laboratory. The people here with you are Doctor Cortex, Sondra, Flame and Madlok. Type: BECOME FLAME

c?

o
= = G':'

-{ m

will notice that the name in the Status Window changes to Flame. A description will be given of the new characte's current location in the Story window. As Flame is in the same room as Sirius, you will simply see a repeat of the description of Cortex's laboratory. Now type:
You
SCORE

a (?
o
:D
-.1 m

Quite clearly, you are a different person. You also have a new command
available: BURN

It can be useful to play Flame, paticularly in frghts

v,

in the same locations or even the igood guys' (and gals). You can become almost any character in the game including the minor ones, even if they'e on a different planet to your present character. There are about thee characters in the game who you are
You aren't restricted to characters unable to become. This is to stop you finishing the game too quickly
!

Each chaacter sees the wold through different eyes and the descriptions of people and places may change in subtly different ways depending on who

you are.

14

If you are following the plot of the game, then you should estrict yourself to playing the team- mmbers. However much of the fun of the PURE FICTION system comes from just experimenting and seeing what you can do as other characters. You could spend the whole game as the cook if you wanted to !

( =f
Other Special Commands
Sondra is the only character in the game with psychic abilities. Not only does she seem to know where almost everybodv is, she can also read their

o = m
4
r]I

minds

sEcol,n-sbNrRA
then: MINDREAD THE HAIRY JAILOR Notice the new Mindread Window. Only Sondra can do this. What you see in it is what the target chaacter is seeing (even though he's on another planet at the time l). As it happens, the Hairy Jailor is patrolling the cell corridor, so you will see descriptions of this as he moves, and of any passers-by. You can't control his actions, but it's very useful for frnding out what other people are up to.
STOP MINDREADING

Tvne:

o {
crt

n
'g
l-

C?

will get you back to normal.

(!

WAIT is useful. It makes the game continue with you player under computer contol until you press a key. It's used for skipping turns when you want to let events take their course. Pressing a key will make computer frnish the turn and return the cusor to the screen after a short delay. When you stop playing a particular character they evert to computer control. The computer will make them behave according to their pesonality and what has happened to them.

o
= = = trt ct,

STRANGE THINGS TO TRY

Try mindreading

somebody who

you're fighting with.

15

trt

= o m USgS

Demoniak For Advanced

or For Those who Have Played

P
=

Other Text Adventures

Why This Game ls Dierent
Demoniak is a combination of a text adventure game and a simulation. It is the first game to utilise the new PURE FICTION system. PURE FICTION simulates a game-world with independent and interacting characters, and
keeps track of all off-screen action.

:t

-.1

a:t
G':t

rr =

u, t = TI
rn

There are over fifty independent and intelligent characters in the game, and the user may BECOME any one of them at any time. Your view of the world will change slightly, dependlng on who you are.

t n1
= -{

While the user is controlling one character, all the othes will carry on with their lives in other game locations. You can see this by BECOMING different people in different places, or by MINDREADING them. MINDREADING, a facility only available to Sonda the psychic, effectively allows you to see what's going on in two places at once. While the game has a stoy and puzzles to solve, much of the fun of playing Demoniak comes from trying out weird things and inventing alternative ways to reach your goals. Many of things you can do even the
progammer doesn't know about, because they are consequences of the way the system has been designed.

16

trt

Multiple Gharacters
You can play (almost) any character in Demoniak, and switch control to them at any time using BECOME name
Try typing BECOME SONDRA

= o rn

I
=

at the start of the game. The nam of the currently-controlled character is displayed at the top in the Status Window. Their location is also shown. In this case Sondra is in the same location as the characte you started as, so you will see the desciption of Cortex's laboratory repeated.

(:?
-F

! |= m

You are not restricted to characters in the same location, or even to members of the team. You can become an enemy if you wish. We have prevented you becoming a few key characters; this is to pevent the game being ridiculously easy. Characters have different values role-playing statistics. Type
SCORE

C?

D D
{

for

stamina, dexterity and other

m a u,

to

see

them.

These variables are continually updated and affect gameplay, especially combat.

all

aspects

of

the

17

trt
The Parser
= C?

DEMONIAK contains a sophisticated parser with a large vocabulary. understand complex (and even recursive) sentences such as:
GET ALL THE RED THINGS EXCEPT THE LASER GET THE BOTTLE AND PUT IT ON THE TABLE

It can

-l -F m !

TELL CORTEX 'TELL SONDRA "FIND CRUCIFIX""

When the games does not understand a word you have typed it will leply:
You do not need to use the word ....

D v, ]n

AN EXAMPLE OF THE PARSER'S

CLEVERNES$
Demoniak contains one of the most intelligent parsers ever included in a computer game. Consider the command:

PUT THE KEY

CUPBOARD

IN THE BOX IN

THE

Situation 1: There is a key inside a box, and there is a cupboard in the same oom. The chaacte would open the box, rehieve the key and place it in the cupboad. Situation 2: There is a key in the room, and thee is a box in the cuoboard! The chaacter would get the key, open the cupboard, retrieve and open the box and put the key in it.

The linguistically ambiguous sentence is correctly interpeted and the appopiate

actions performed after the game has analysed the situation.

18

D
Combat
DEMONIAK contains some sophisticated combat routines. Statistics on the characters, any obiects used as weapons and the enviroment are examined to determine the outcome of a fight as it is simulated blow by blow.
ATTACK character (WITH object) KILL character (WITH obiect)
are commands used to initiate a fight. You can attack people with various weapons and objects, and you may fight up to three people at once.

tr,

D
=" C

P
=

o ct
rt
=

ATTACK, KILL, HIT, RETALIATE, FLEE, SHOOT, BITE, USE

A character's general state of health is represented by their STAMINA. Each blow they receive will inflict a certain amount of DAMAGE which is subtacted from their stamina. When you hit an opponent the damage is
given in brackets. When an opponent hits you the number in brackets is your REMAINING stamina. At a low stamina level a characte will fall asleep. At zero, they will die. Sleeping rechargs stamina.

The probability of a hit is calculated from the dexterity of the attacker, how many things they are carrying and the visibility. The amount of damage inflicted by a blow is calculatd by a formula that takes account of many factors, including:
* The weight, weildability and sharpness of the obiect used. * The strength of the attacker. * The health of the attacked (temperature, sickness etc.)

Madlok and Flame have exta abilities that are useful in combat. See SPECIAL POWERS on page 21 .
Once you have started a fight you can use WAIT to let events take their course if you don't wish to control each move.

A Fine Distinction
will give them
SHOOT GUARD WITH GUN a good blasting. KILL GUARD WITH GUN uses the gun as a club. A last resort

if

your gun has been broken

19

Gommunication With 0ther Characters

= C?

I 6?

rn

You can give oders such as:

TELL MADLOK'CAST BLINDING SPELL ON HAIRY GUARD' SONDRA "GET ALL GUNS. FOLLOW ME'
You can ask questions: ASK CORTEX "WHAT IS PROTEUS ?' CORTEX ''TELL ME ABOUT FREEZYASSOV'

o
= G = = e':t

You can talk to characters in other locations, but only if you are carrying communicators. You can address your team-mates by sayinS: TELL TEAM "......" The commands ASK, TELL and SAY are optional; you can use the form:
es. SONDRA "GET THE GUN"

o =
= = -l -F { m

TEAM "FOLLOW ME"

o -{
m

v
o
-

At the start of the game the other team membes will not trust you and will therefore ignore any orders that do not come from Doctor Cortex. This will change as the game progresses.

Ordering About
Because Demoniak's parser can handle recursive sentences, you can give orders to give ordes (to give
oders...).

7
c? -{ m

T v,

CORTEX "TELL SONDRA 'FIND

CRUCIFIX"' Suppose Sondra tusts Cortex but

doesn't tust you; the command could be very

indeed.

above

useful

CJ

Special Powers
SONDRA
Sondra is a psychic. You can say to her: SONDRA 'WHERE IS FLAME ?' and she will use her abilitis to tell you.

D
= c?

major feature of the game. Become Sondra and then try: MINDREAD THE HAIRY JAILOR The new window gives a description of what the target character is seeing and who they encounter. The hairy jailor spends most of his time patrolling a cell corridor, so you will see descriptions of the three cell-corridor locations as he moves.
She can also read minds, a

u, t m

o
F

'tl

will

STOP MINDREADING cancel the Mindread Window.

C)

m 7 q,

MADLOK
Madlok can cast spells: CAST BLINDING SPELL ON CORTEX mindreading a blind character Other spells: DUMBING CRIPPLING
!

The target will be blinded

(if the spell is successful); try

playing

BLINDING

SLEEPING

SUMMONING DEAFENING

HEALING

These can be abbreviated to BLIND chaacter, CRIPPLE character etc.

Fun With Madlok

Surprise your friends
!

BECOME MADIOK
CAST ALL SPELLS ON ME

FLAME
Flame has pyrotechnical abilities. She can:

BURN

which increases the damage she inflicts in frghts. Once ablaze she can also: BURN obiect

21

D Other Bits And Pieces z, . (D WAIT

rn
-{

P
CI

WAIT

m
-

This allows you to skip turns, while the game continues. It's especially useful in frglits, and duiing flight. To equest an input press a key, and the cursor will ieappear at the nexi oppotunity. A similar command is
SLEEP

E -{ u,
co

ON-GOING COMMANDS

There are sevetal commands you can use

movement and actions over Several turns.
You can follow somebody FOLLOW character.

to

guide you characte's

with: with:

m = o tt

You can search for something

v,

FIND object/character
You can go somewhete (if you character knows where

it

is)

with:

GO TO object The other on-going command is: FIGHT character which we have already looked at.
These commands are all cancelled STOP FOLLOWING character STOP FINDING obiect

with

STOP:

and so on.

SCORE

and QUICKSCORE reveal poperties of the currently-controlled characte. The PURE FICTION system uses and updates these as the game progresses. In addition thee are'hidden vaiables'such as the friendliness f dach chaacter to every other chaacter which are constantly adiusted but are concealed from the user.
SCORE

22

E Disk, Printer And Graphics

Saving The Game
The game can be SAVED at any point, so that you may continue where you left off another day. Just type:
SAVE

z, o lrl

P
tr,

and you will

be asked for a fllename. Have a blank formatted disk ready and

!

DON'T SAVE ONTO YOUR DEMONIAK GAME DISKS

You can reload a saved game

with:

F -g
= -{

v,

LOAD or
RESTORE

4
r T
co
g':l

Printing Out The Story

You can print out DEMONIAK on and off with:
as

you play it if you wish. Switch the printer

PRINTER ON PRINTER OFF

All

messages that appear in the mindread window are sent to the printer prefixed with an asterix '*'.

Graphics
Should you tire of the disk access needed each time a picture is printed you can use: GRAPHICS OFF GRAPHICS ON FUN WITH MADLOK BECOME SIRIUS
!

6 C,)

AIIACK MADLOK
BECOME MADLOK
CAST BLINDING SPELL ON SIRIUS BECOME SIRIUS

Doesn't the world

look different

23

D
E

THE COMMAND LIST

The following list gives all the commands you

=? C

will eve need while playing

Demoniak.

-{

]tl
6?

it at one sitting, but efer to it as and when paticular command. In most cases you should. be with a you need help ble to lust u3e the QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE and type the command as
You shouldn't attempt to read

part of an English sentence.

o
= = = trt

In each entry we have given:

1) The syntax.

GM

object TO character

Means you can type commands such as:

GIVE THE BOTTLE TO SONDRA

GIVE GUN TO MADLOK The Darse is one of the most flexible ever included in a computer Same and will understand many variations. For example you can sometimes use pronouns in place of a character (depending on the context) and multiple obiects and descriPtions:
GIVE ALL GUNS TO THE GUARD GIVE HIM EVERYTHING GIVE SONDRA ALL PINK THINGS

q, = {

is impossible to document all these variationsi type what seems natural, and moit of the time the game will understand correctly.

It

2) The purpose of the command, sometimes including hints on special

uses.

3) Other forms of the command. For example:

GIVE THE GUN TO SONDRA and HAND THE GUN TO SONDRA are equivalent. HAND is another form of GIVE. 4) Other commands that are related to this one.

24

@ 1991 Palace

QUICI( REFEF
DOCTOR CORTEX

FLAME

JOHNNl

AGAIN
ASK

EAT ENTR
EMIJ'TY

HELP

HIT
HOLD HOWL HUG INVENTORY JUMP KILL
KISS

ATACK BICOME BLIND

BOOGIE
BORE HOLE IN BREAK BRIEF

EXAMINE EXITS
FEEL

FIGHT FIND
FLEE FLY TO

BURN
CAST CLOSE

KNOCK

FOLIOW
GET

COLLECT COME WITH ME CRIPPI,E

CRY

GT INTO GIVE
GO

GO INTO
GO TO

DANCE DEAFEN DIG HOLE

GO WITH

DRINK DROP

GUL? HAND HEAL

LAND LAUGH LIGHT LOAD LOCK LOOK LOOK AT LOOK INTO LOOK ON MAKE HOLE IN MELT

Software Ltd-

rENCE GUIDE
slRlus.
MINDREAD MOAN NOD OPEN PICK UP
PLAY POST

MADLOK

SONDRA HOUDINI

SAVE SAY

SCOR SCREAM SHAKE

POUR
PRESS

SHOOT SHOUT SHRIEK SING

SLSEP

TOUCH TURN TURN GRAHPICS ON TURN GRAPHICS OFF TURN PRINTER ON TURN PRINTER OFF UNLOCK
USE

VERBOSE

PULL
, PUSH

SHOW
S?RAY STAL STOP STRIKE

PUT QUICKLOOK QUICKSCORE QUIT

READ

SUMMON
SUPERBRIEF

REMOVE
REST

SWITCH
TAKE TAKE OFF

WAIT WAKE WAKE UP WAVE WEAR WEIGH WHAT WHIP WHERE

RESTORE

wHo
YELL ZZZ

RETALIATE RUN

TELL

AGAIN
AGAIN
Repeat the last instruction.

CRIPPLE
BURN

Command used by Kyra Brand to start her body flaming.Not for use bv other
chaactets! Related Commands: BURN obiect

SI( character "speech"

Used

for asking

questions

to

other

chaacters. Other formsi characte "5peech"

Examples: ASK CORTEX "WHAT IS SUB-SPACE?' Related Commands: SAY TELL

BURN

Set light to an object. Flame does not need to use an object providing she has
previously been instructed to BURN.
Examples:

ob

ject/character (WITH ob ject)

ATTACI( character (WITH obiect)

BURN GOVERNOR WITH TORCH TELL FLAME "PLEASE BURN THE BOO('

Initiate combat with intent of rendering

character unconsciou\. Cdncel with:
STOP ATTACKING chaacte Examples: ATTACK GOR WITH TH STICK

CAST -ing SPLL ON character

ATTACK ALL THE GUARDS Related Commands:

Command available to Madlok for casting magic spells.F,ach spell cast wilt tie Madlok
a

little.

FIGHI KILL, HIT

BECOME character Switch player control to named charcter' You may BECOME almost any character in the game; where control has been restricted the game will respond with the message: 'For some reason you are unable to become
Example: BECOM MADLOK

Spells Available:

BLINDING
CRIPPLING DEAFENING

DUMBING
SLEEPING

SUMMONING HEALING Other Forms:

Most of these can be abbreviatecl:

BLIND SIRIUS
WHERE IS THE HERMIT ? CRIPPLE THE HAIRY GUARD CLOSE obiect (WITH object)
Close a container o a door. Examples: KEY CLOSE ALL BOTTLES Related Commands:

BLIND character Short form of

CAST BLINDING SPELL ON characte For sorcerels only !

Example:

CLOSE THE SMLL DOOR WITH THE

BLIND ALL THE CUARDS

Related Commands: CAST

OPEN

BOOGIE Anothe style of

DANCE
Related Commands:

COLLECT object Anothe form of GET.

COME WITH ME A command you can Sive to Someone. Example: SONDRA, 'COME WITH ME' Related Commands:

DANCE

BORE HOLE IN obiect Equivalent to MAKE HOL. BREAK obiect (with obi) Damage an object, optionally with the help of another.Use something healry I
Examples: BREK COMPUTER WITH THICK STICK Related Commands:

FOLLOW STOP CRIPPLE character Short lorm o

CAST CRIPPLING SP,LL ON character For sorceres only I

HIT
BRIEF
Short form of GO INTO BRIEF MODE.

Example: CRIPPLE EVERYONE Related Commands;

CAST

25

CRY
CRY
For when life gets too hard. Examples: CRY Related Commands: ENTER RECEI'TION Related Commands:

FLY TO

GO OUT EMPTY obiect Empty a container.

Examples: EMIYTY BOTILE

sHouT, MoAN, scREAM, HOWL,

DANCE
It',s

fun

Related Commands:

EXAMIN

ob

ject/character/place

BOOGIE

Used for taking a closer look at items

8ame. Mayreveal vital

operations.
Examples:

DEAFEN character Shot orm of

CAST DEAFENING SPELL ON character For sorcerers only !

clues. Examining a book and reading itare two different

EXAMINE SIRIUS EXAMINE ALL PINK THINCS
Related Commands: LOOK AT, RAD

in the

Example:
DEAFEN THE COOK Related Commands: CAST

EXITS
Equivalent to SHOW EXITS
Reveals

DIG HOLE (lN object)

Equivalent to MAKE HOLE.

the directions you can travel in to

DRINX obtecl Eat, drink and be mery Pat 2. The object must be a liquid.
Examples:

Ieave the current location. This is quicker than reading the whole location description again. Related Commands: SHOW FEEL object

DRINK WIN Related Commands:

ET

Another form of TOUCH.

DROP obiect Drop an object that you are carying. Each chaacter has a maximum total ,reight that they can carry (see SCORE). Othe forms:
DR PUT DOWN object PUT obiect DOWN
Examples:

FIGHT character (WITH obiect) Equivalent to ATTACK. Can be cancelled with:

STOP FIGHTING character Related Commands:

KILL, HIT, RTALIATE, ATTACK FIND place/obiect/chaacter

DROP EVERYTHING PUT DOWN THE GUN Related Commands: INVNTORY

Instructs your character to look for something. This will continue over
subsequent turns, and is cancelled by STOP FINDTNG place/obiect/character xample: FIND DOCTOR CORTEX Related Commands: FOLLOW GO W[TH, GO TO, LOOK FOR

PUI PICK UP, GET, TAKE, SCORE,

EAT obiect Food and drink will boost your stamina. You weight will be adiusted.
Examples: EAT EVERYTHINC EAT FOOD Related Commands:

FLEE (di)

Othe Forms:
RUN
To flee from a fight. Examples:
FLEE

DRINK ENTER place/object Alternative to typing

GO DIRECTION in specific cases, or for enteing objects.

FL NORTH

FLY TO planet

Command available only to Proteus, and since you cannot BECOME Poteus, it can only be part of an oder
Example:
PROTEUS ^FLY TO EAR'I'H'

ItC, LV

Examples: ENTR NROTEUS

FOLLOW
FOLLOW characte Makes your character follow somebody. He/she willtherefore move of their own
accord until you cancel with: STOP FOLLOWING character Usetul lor keeprnB vou ledm to8ether.
Examples:

INVENTORY
Other Forms:
mode
Examples:

GO INTO SUPERBRIEF MODE

VERBOSE

co

FOLLOW GOR TELL EVERYONE 'FOLLOW ME' GET object Pick up an object in yollr present location.

TO characte/dir/obi/place Alternative form of FIND. Alternative fom of FOLLOW.

cO WITII character
GULP

Other Forms:
G obiect TAKE object

To swallow air convulsively because ol

nervousness

or surpdse.

cOLLECT obiect HOLD object

Examples: GET THE STICK G THE STICK AND THE GUN

Example: GULP

HAND obiect TO character

Another form of GIVE.
THE

GET ALL RED THINGS AND

COMMUNICATOR ON THE BNCH
Related Commands:

HEAL chaacte Short form of

CAST HEALING SPELL ON character For sorcerers only I .xample:

PICK UB TAKE, DROB LEAVE GET INTO place Equivalent to ENTER

HEAL GOR Related Commands:

CAST

GM

object TO chaacte Hand over an obiect that you're carying to

HELP character
To help your friends if they're in a Examples: HELP MADLOK

somebod Other Foms:

fight

GM

chaacter object

HAND obict TO character

Examples:

SONDRA 'HELP ME!'

TELL MADLOK 'GIVE CORTEX

GUN'
GO direction/To To move between locations. Other fbrms:
place

GIVE ALL PINK THINGS TO SONDRA THE

HELP
To give a tew tips.

IIIT character/obie.t (WITH

To

object)

injue somebody or to damage an object. Using a hearT obiect woks better than bae
hands.
xamples:

direction

- Examples:

ie.

N/S/E/w/NE/Nw/SE/Sw/U/D

HIT THE LOOR WI TH THE STCK HIT THE GUARD HOLD object Another form of GET.

GO EAST NORTHWEST GO UP GO TO THE RECEPTION SW GO INTO mode To switch game into SUPERBRIEF, BRIEF or
VRBOSI, modes.These control the amount of repeated text the game will show.

OWL

(speech) To expess you dismay o ange. Related Commands: CRY, MOAN

SUPERBRIET:
descdptions.

Omits full

HUG chard( ler To slrow your affection towards a chaacter.

location
INVENTORY To show what objects your character
carYin8.
rs

BRIEF: Omits full location description after it has been shown once (default mode).

vERBOSE:Always prints
descdptions.

full

location

Other Forms:
SHOW INVENTORY

INV

27

JUMP
JI,'MP
LOOI( direction
Shows you the people location. Very useful I Example: LOOK NORTH
Too obvious to mention. Examples:

PLAY

in a

neighbouring

JUMP

l0LL

character (WITH obiect)

Si'inila

intention of killing your opponent.

Related Commands: ATTACK, FIGHI HIT, SHOOT

to

ATTACK but

with the

specific

LOOK AT chaacter/obiect Another fom of EXAMINE. LOOK INTO/ON obiect EXAMINE objects that are
objects.

in or on other

KISS chaiacter Related Commands: HUG

LOOI( FOR character/ob j ect/place Altenative form of FIND.

KNOCK ON object
Examples:

MA(E

KNOCK ON CELL DOOR KNOCK ON CUPBOARD

obiect Useful fo completing the game Make a hole in something. Example: MAKE HOLE IN THE WALL Delated Commands: BORE HOLE, DIG HOL

MAKE HOLE lN obiect LAND 0N planet

Command available only to lroteus. Example:
PROTEUS "LAND ON FREEZYASSOV''

LAUGH (speech)
.Related Commands:

MLT obiect (wlTH object)

Melt an object using something hot.

CRY MOAN, SHOUT

LIGHT object (WITH object)

To set something alight. Flame can do this when she's burning, or you could use a

MINDREAD character To eveal the location and activities of anothe charactel.Only Sondra has the
psychic powe to do this. Cancel r1ith: STOP MINDREADING (character) Example: MINDREAD GOVERNOR

torch.
Related Commands:

BURN

LOAD
To rc\tore d \dved Bdme. See page 23. Other Forms: RESTORE Related Commands: SAVE

MOAN (speech)
A variation on CRY.

NOD (HEAD TO character) Equivalent to replying'yes' to a question.

Examples:

LOCK obiect (WITH object) To lock an obiect using a key. If you only have one key then
LOCK object
is suflicient.

NOD
NOD TO CORTEX NOD HEAD TO GOVERNOR OPEN object (WITH obiect) To open a container, book or door. Example: OPEN THE BOTTLE

Examplei LOCK THE CUPBOARD Related commands: UNLOCK

LOOI(

at the current location. Repeats the description seen when you first entered, as well as the obiects
Look around

PICI( UP ob ject/chaacter A fom of GET where the desired obiect

is

not

being carried by anybody else.

PLAY game/object

and characters present.

Related Commands:

A athe specialised command for playing

games or musical instrumentsl

QUICKLOOK

28

POST
POST obiect REST

SHAKE
Another form of SLEEP.
RESTORE Load a previously saved game. See page 23, for details.

To send a lette. You should only post

lette6 of course.
Example: POST THE LETTER

PoUR liquid (ON/OVER/INTO object) To empty the liquid out of a container or to

pour it into another. The total weight of the containers and liquid ae codectly adjusted.
Examples: POUR WINE INTO GLASS POUR ACID ON THE FLOOR PRESS object

Other Forms: LOAD

Related Commands:

LOAD, SAVE RETALIATE WITH obiect Something to do if attacked. Alternatively,

USE

Well...let's just say that some things neecl to be touched.

Other Forms: PRESS ON OBJECT PULL obiect/character (direction)

The opposite of PUSH.
Examples:

FIGHT. Example: RETALIATE WITH LASER GUN Related Commands: FIGHT, ATTACK, HIT, SHOOI KILL

RUN (diection) Another form of FLEE.

SAVE

PULL DOOR PUSH ob ject/character (direction) The opposite of PULL.

Examples: PUSH MADLOK SOUTH

the current Same so that you can start at the same placenext time. See page 2 3. Related Commands:
Save

LOAD, RESTOR
SAY TO character "speech"

General communication with charactes.

PUT obiect DOI/VN Equivalent of DROP object. Other Forms: PUT DOWN obiect QUICKLOOK Reminds you of the objects and chaactes in the current location.
Related Commands:

Other Forms:
character "speech"
Examplesl
SAY TO

MADLOK 'BLIND TH GUARD' MOAN,

TELL, ASK, SHOUI CRY

SCREAM HOWL, SHRIK, YELL, I-AUGH SCORE

Related Commands:

LOOK

QUICKSCORE Like SCORE but a bit more concise.

Related Commands: SCORE

character. Seepages 22 and 19 for details. Related Commands:

QUTCKSCORE

Rveal statistics

on

curently-conirolled

SCREAM

QUIT

Another emotive variation on CRY. SHAKE HEAD (AT character) Equivalent to replying'no' to a question.
Related Commands:

Abandon the game. Think! Do you want to save the game first ? Related Commands:
SAVE, RESTORE, LOAD

NOD RtrAD obiect

as eading

For reading books, papers, Illes

it.

etc

SHAKE obtect
To shake an object.

UsingEXAMINE on a book is not the same REMOVE object Take off an item of clothing.
Related commands:

WEAR

29

SHOOT
SHOOT chaacte (WITH obiect) Use a gun to shoot somebody See the note on pae 19 about the difeence between KILL and SHOOT when using agun. Othe Forms:
SHOOT obiect AT character SHOOT direction AT chaacter Eiamples: SHOOT EVERYONE SHOOT LASER GUN AT THE GUARD

TELL
STRIKE characte (WITH object) Another form of HIT. SUMMON chaacter/ob ject Short, handy form of
CAST SUMMONING SPELL

Allows wizard to teleport an object o Derson ftom whee ever they ae in the game 'Some things he won't be able to manage,and the whole process is ather
tlnng.

ON ....

SHOUT (AT chaacter "sPeech") Anothe vaiation on SAY

SHRID.K (AT character "sPeech") Yet anothe variation on SAY

MADLOK "SUMMON THE PINK

GUN!'
Related Commands: CAST

Example:

LASER

SUPERBRIEF

SING (AT chaacter "speech") Who knows ? lt miSht come in handy.

SLEEP

Equivalent
MODE.

to Go INTO

SUPF.RRRIEF

Sleeping echa8es You stamina

Other Forms:
ZZZ
Related Commands: ZZZ, WAKE

SWITCH object ON/OFF

Used for switches. Other Forms:

Obviously, you should choose your place with care. lcy wastes are not a good idea!

SWITCH ON/OFF object TURN ON/OFF obiect

SwlTCH GRAPHICS/PRINTER ON/OFF Set options. SWITCH OFF GRAPHICS will

SIIOW INVENTORY / EXITS / SCORE

QUICKSCORE Other Folms: INVENTORY EXITS
SCORE

mean that pictures will never be displayed SWITCH ON PRINTR sends a coPY of thescreen text to the printe. See page 23 Othe Foms:
TURN GRAPHICS/PRINTER ON/OFF GRAPHICS ON/OFF PRINTER ON/OFF
Examples:

QUICKSCORE

SHOW object TO chaacter T show an object that you ae calying to

somebody.

SWITCH GRAPHICS ON TURN OFF THE PRINTER GRAPHICS OFF

SPRAY character (WITH obiect)

There aen't many things you can spray, but this WILL come in handy

TAKE object Another form of GET.

TA(E

OFF

STEAL object

Only spaceships can do this.

Example:
PROTEUS 'TAKE OFF PLEASERelated Commands:

Attempt to GET an object that somebody

else is carryinS

STOP FOLLOWING / GOING WITH / FINDING / LOOKING FOR /

FIGHTING / MINDREADING obiect/chaacte Ca;cels a previous 'on-going' command.

LAND
if ELL chaacte "speech"

KILLING

Directly equivalent to SAY TO. Use the

shoft fbm:
character "speech" to save typing.
Examples:

Examples: STOP MINDREADING STOP FOLLOWING SIRIUS STOP LOOKING FOR THE BOOK Related Commands:

TELL MADLOK "HEAL THE TEAM" SONDRA 'WHERE IS THE GOVERNOR ?"
Related Commands:
SAY

en r',U

FOLLOW/GO WITH/ FIND/LOOK FOR/ KILL/FIGHT

TELL
TELL chancter ABOUT item

zzz will be
using this as
a

Normally you
request:

ecovered. Related Commands:

CAST SLEEPING SPELL

CORTEX 'TELL ME ABOUT WARP" but you can use it to reveal information to another character: TELL SONDRA ABOUT DEMONIAK

WKE UP What to attempt if YOU fall asleep.

Related Commands: SLEEP

TOUCE obiect Normall, this acts the same as PRESS. But it has a special use if you ae blind or in a dark location.
Examples:

ltIAVE object
Equivalent to SHAKE.

WEAR object
To put on an item of clothinS. Related Commands:

TOUCH HANDPAD
Related Commands:
PRESS

REMOVE

TURN
See

WEIGII obiect/chaacte
Reveals the weiSht of an obtect or person.

SWITCH.

Related Commands:

UNLOCK obiect (WITH obiect) To unlock a container o doo.

Related Commands:

INVENTORY

WIIAT

IS

chaacter/object/item

LOCK
USE weapon

A question to ask somebody. Equivalent to: TEI-L M ABOUT character/obiect/item

a

If you are engaged in combat and have

Examples:
USE THE STICK

Example: CORTEX 'WHAT IS DEMONIAK?"

powerful weapon, then use it.

IlvHIP cha.acter To flght dity.

Related Commands:

Related Commands:

FIGHT, KILL, ATTACK

USE object TO action

HIT
WITERE IS chaacter/ob ject A question to ask somebody. Remember Sondra has psychic powers and Madlok has
ma8ic.
Examples:

Use

an object to facilitate a

nomal

commanq.
Examples:
USE STICK TO BREAK THE CUPBOARD USE A GUN TO KILL CORTEX

SONDRA 'WHERE IS GOR?"

USE COMMT'NICAIOR TO TELL GOR "FIND ME'

VERBOSE Equivalent to Go INTO VRBOSE MODE.

wHO

lS character

A question you miShl ask somebody Examples: SONT'RA "WHO TS t)EMONIAK?'

t/vAtT
A vey useful command. It means that you miss subsequent turns while you chaiacte is controlled by the compute. For example, if you don't wish to aim every single

YELL
Anothe emotive variation of CRY.

zzz
Another form of SLEEP.

blow in

fight then simply ATTACK you opponent then WAIT to see how things turn out. To cancel WAIT iust type a new command.Therc will be a delay while the
a

curent turn is nished. Also useful when

FINDing or FOLLOWing.

IflAKE ch

To try to awaken somebody who is asleep. Characters sleep when fatigued (ie. low stamina) and will not awaken until they have

31

By

Alan Grant

Born in dinburgh University's Biolab on January 1st, 2049, Doc is the only son of Boris "Pro" Cortex and Artifrcial Womb S-xi. Boris Cortex, a leading practitioner o Intelligence Engineering, regarded his own son as his life's major opus. Every theory o intellectual enhancement was applied to the boy from the moment of conception on. The rst year o

his lie, thanks to the wonders o Delayed Cell Specialisation, was spent as several pints of thick

biotic Daste on the bottom o a controversial Einstein Jar. Doc - or The Gunk, as his dad ondly nicknamed him - was ed a concentrated blend of amino acids and boiled fish while being sublected to a continuously changing low-charge Data Pulse rom a souped-up Cray Infrnity X competer. By the time he was allowed to embryonise he had an estimated lQ of approaching 1,000, was virtually addicted to
informational input, and tasted like very vinegary Sole lvlornay.

The embryo Doc's brain grew at an unpecedented rate" His body, alas'.didn't get the chance - for the brain appropriated every cell it could. The result was
something like a human tadpole.
Eventually, his rail physical frame proved unequal to the task o canying 24 pounds o Grade- gray matter around and Doc was ttd into the hoverchair that has ever since acted as his only means o mobility. His bodily functions are wired directly into the chair, so that he never needs to leave it.

At age 5 Doc invented the mathematics for a protoplasmic- sub-space drive and promptly announced his retirement rom the scientiflc world. Philosophy- had reared its udlv-head in his direction, and he no longer yeared to know Why? Now, it was Whye? The ensuing 31 years are shrouded in mystery, fable and downright
0ecepr0n.

purporting to be Doc took part in the popular worldwide Phone-ln VidQuiz. lt is fact that this person enioyed a three'month run in the Chamoion's Kiosk and carried off a cheque for more than one trillion dollars.

It is act that in 2060 a person

It is act that Doc travelled to the Himalayas, where he lived on yak's wool muffins, bricked up in a cave or three successive winters. But it is mere conjecture that Doceve met with the legendary Spirit Guardians o Earth, and a subject he refuses to even discuss. lt is downright nonsense to believe, as some claim to, that Doc himsel accidentally opened the gateway to the Universe Beyond and released the vile evils o Demoniak into our dimension.

33

In 2090 Doc Cortex reappeared at a hitherto unknown lab complex on Salisbury Plain. He made a single W appearance, beamed across the planet, where h announced that at last he had perfected a means of actually utilising the new
mathematics he'd invented decades earlier. Unortunatelv. he had inormation that 'our Uriverse was in the act o being invaded by the Hors of Demoniak, with the odds heavily stacked in favoud of the gatecrashers. Declining several invitations to
appear on Phoneln Quizzes, Doc declared his intention o putting together a team of heroes who would not only defeat Demoniak but banish him rom this Universe for all

tternity.
Can the Ultimate Intelligence defeat the Ultimate Evil? Doc says "Yes". But nobody's takine bets.

The rst hybrid born o a human/alien partnership, Johnny is lucky enough to be able to vrew things from hvo totally distinct viewpoints. One human eye and one that's more a cluster of spectrum"scanning

peppermints

Deeg'l'tak-ma-garrak, Johnny's ather, was Warrior in Charge o Hostile Reception when the [arth expedition landed in 2021.

on a 3-inch stalk tends to

help.

Whiie Deeg's heavily armed but primitive band

clubbed the othes o the expedition into pizza, Deeg immediate, overwhelming and inesistible attraction for each other. Despite be-ing 8 eet tall, muscular and sporting carbon"chip skins, Sirians aren't all that different

and Commander Eunice Starch discovered

an

rom humans. Ecstatically, Eunice conceived. Joyfully, she vowed to remain on Sirius (she picked up the ianguage quickly) until the birth. Cursing her slupidity' she translated eeg's reply: he gestation period or Sirians is 16 years buried up to the
neck in black sand. Johnnv Sirius was taken awav rom his mother at birth; it was tabu to allow a lunatac to ca for a child. He was brought up in the ways of the tribe by his father, taught to hunt, and ight, and drink copius quantities of alcohol. He's inherited one of his father's stalk eiyes and handsorire, vaguely crystalline looks; like all Sirians he could see in the darli, and away rom his planets ultra-dense gravity, was endowed with titanic strength.

From his mother he inherited his blonde hair and

particularly the works o Shakespeare.

a love of good literature,

Long troubled by a nameless desire to which he could put no name, Johnny poured leather combat suit and left his homeworld at age 16. to himel into his iight -A black meeting wrth TV GameShow producer Merv Guppi chance avel to Earth. led dire-ctly- to- his- firsi appearance 0n Johnny saved him {rom a vicious mugging populai His 60-mile reeall rom the edgeof show. ';Man fuone", the world's most as well as drawing an estimated TV neared, never been has record that sDace set a audience of over 5 billion for the repeat show He went on to climb Everest with his

hands tied behind his back, dive into a pool o dilute sulphuric acid, and drink 4 barels of Campbell's 80-shilling ale at one sitting.

When he received a call rom Doc Cortex he was in the midst o aining or his next Man Alone stunt - wearing a red tie to the annual meeting o Finchley Conservative Club.

35

Born Kyra Brand, Hell's Kitchen, New York, August 2070. Kyra's father was a Iow-grade ESP practitioner who made a name or himself locally giving tips or the robot races. Her mother sold space to the
homeless in the city's subways.

Kyra's pyrokinetic powers were flst noticed at the age o six months, when a cat which was tugging at her long red hair was found running screamtng in circles, its tail in flames. Her childhood was a nightmare or her parents, trying to bring her up as

normally as possible while always making sure

temper tantrum of a new tooth didn't turn the neighborhood into an inferno.

By the time she was 5 Kyra had learned to control her tenible power, and decided to change her name to Flame. Her very laudable aim, encouraged by both parents, was to grw up 10 become a super-heroine. Wearing her sell designed "hero suit" a

ic[ering orange body stocking with scarlet boots - and using her ability to produce, ignite and control fire, she would be o immense benefrt to Manktnd.

Alas, life is seldom so simple. Preliminary tests showed that there was a latent pool of public hostility towards beautiul and shapely teenage pyros. other women felt hopelessly inadequate i rescued by such maidens, and men's macho images were

shattered. The Fire Departments o several cities protested she was a hazard, and ottawa took out an injunction to prevent he ever saving anyone, or doing anything to any fire, in all of Free Canada. The public most definitely did not want a

flame-oowered teen-oueen on the loose.

Despite the deep pain she felt at her cruel relection, Flame did not become embittered. She devoted her remaining teenage years to honing her talents in her ather's asbestos-lined cellar, waiting...praying...hoping that one day a call would come and her true worth be realised.
Then Doc Cortex ohoned.

36

April

lsi,

far as Bernard Laszlow was concerned. First, it was his 35th birthday. Second, it was the day he was released rom New Strangeways after a

2087, was a day for triple celebration as

by no means leastly, he saw the article in the video-mag he stole om the

become apparent
news-vendor kiosk outside the

10-year sentence or jewel theft. Lastly, but as will

jail.

LIVING ALIEN

HOlVlE lN SALISBURY The eature went on to descrive ln rhapsodic terms the football-sized hunk of animate ainbow-hued crystalline matter which, if vid-mag journalists can be trusted to get their facts ight, was worth somewhere in the region of a trillion Western Currency Units.

JEWELS, Bernard read, his pulse quickening, FIND A

A keen burglar of great skill, cunning and greed, Bernard ound himsel standing outside the fortified walls o Salisbury Cathedral some 24 hours later, seperated rom the oblect o his desires by several walls, armed guards and an electronic security system that was the toast o the people named Chubb. By law, he aced the death penalty if he was caught stealing again. But what the heckl The word "trillion" was playing on an innite loop in his head. Talk about the Big One. This was the otally Naffing HUGE One. Slipping on his plastex gripper-gloves, Benad set to work. Avoiding the exteior guards, he scaled the wall. Disabling the roo alarms, he entered via an electrified skylight. The Laser Shield Net fell victim to his handy
Scrambler. Lowering himsel on a monofilament wire cradle, he hovered mere inches above the Living Jewel. lt was the most beautiful thing he'd never seen, its myriad colours constantly swirling, merging into each other, only to explode in new patterns an instant later. lMesmerised, Bernard stared. He smiled as he heard the aint hiss o gas... There was a slight sensation, as i of Ttme passing quietly, and when Bernard woke up he ound himself unable to move. This seemed to be due to the fact that his body was missing. His head was still there - he could see the tip of his nose - and looking down, he could see his intact spinal column dangling rom the base of his skull. Everything else was gone. Bernard screamed silently for a long time.

He stopped when a man in a hoverchair calling himsel Cortex appeared. Cortex explained, in layman's terms, that his new Sub-Space Drive was only operative if under the direct neural control of a human central nervous system. Unable to ind a voluntee for the process, he had planted the story about the Living Jewel, reasoning that it would do precisely what it did: attract a man o{ cunning and skill to try and
steal it. Bernard had a choice: either he could be handed over to the Law and face certai execution, or he could be stripped of all his flesh and his brain wied into the prototype spaceship. As Bernard was actually unconscious because o the knockout sas when the decision had to be taken, Cortex made it for him. "Goodbye, Bernard. -Welcome,

time.

Proteus," the scientist said warmly. Proteus screamed for a very long

37

"Burn the witch!" A hundred voices took u0 the cy and sent the savage words echoing round the firt streets and wooden ronts of the small town o Salem. Fear and hatred mingled in equal measure in the faces and hearts of the mob, jostling for position
but even now unwiiling to face the unflinching gaze of the woman tied to the stake in the midst of a heap o faggots. A gnarled hand tossed a flaming brand...

"Scum! Mindless cowardsl" Jessica Locke cursed, her utter contempt for her captors showing in every hissed word. She winced as the rooes bit bloodilv into her wrists, lashed tightly 1o the wooden stake behind her. Smoke drifted up a! the wooden bundles at her eet began to smoulder. A red tongue of ame licked at he heels, and she screamed out to her Lord and Master: "Satan! Great Black 0nel
I

save thy faithul servantll' But if he was listening, Satan gave no sign. The ames crept higher, flaring as a sudden breeze anned them. Jessica screamed as the indescribably agony of burning flesh coursed up her legs. "Dogs! You will pay

beg thee

or this, you and all your descendantsl Yay, even unto the thirteehth generationl' As one, the mob gasped. The swirling flame billowed, engulflng her, hiding her deathlhroes rom their terried eyes. But her voice - that thin, piercing, terrible voice - seemed to slice straight into their heads. "l curse thee, evey man, woman and child! | curse the fruit o{ thy loins down all the generationsl I die - but mark me,
I

will be avenged!"

Jessica Locke did die. The charred skeleton still on view in Salem Museum attests to that. But Jessica Locke had a son. And in time her son had a son, and then he had a son...right down unto the thirteenth generation. Hallowe'en, Bavaria, 2030. At midnight, every clock in the town o Arkainz stopped. The shadow of a monstrous bird flitted over the face of the ull moon. A distrausht maiden drowned herself. And the cry of a new- born boy broke the cold night silene. Matthew Amadeus Dameon Locke learned the story o the witch-woman Jessica before he could walk. He learned to hate normal people long before he went to kindergarten. And he knew that he had inherited "the dark power" a full thirteen months beore he allowed himsel his frrst human sacrifice.

As the ugly child grew into an ugly youth, and then an ugly man, his questing or demonic power intensifed. After a close call in Paris, when the New Murders in the Rue l\4orgue almost brought the police to his door, he fled to America. Changing his name to lvladlok, he grew a beard, adopted gaudy robes, and set himsel up as a Stage Magician with Travelling Freak Show. For decades he roamed the continent,
thrilling thousands with what they thought were clever tricks. There would be deaths in the neighborhood, rumours o oul Satanic rites...but before rumour could harden into suspicion, Madlok and his show were gone, leaving on the midnight wind, heading for pastures new.

And all the while Madlok was growtng in eldritch power, teaching himsel (with the aid

never forgot the stories o his childhood - o the woman who died in flames vowing vengeance. And he never or a moment doubted that somehow, someday, he would be the instrument of he revenge.

of summoned demons- the very darkest of the dark secrets. ln all the years he

Dawn.

Sunshine dapples through green Ieaves.

Screech o some exotic bird. A snake tastes the air with its tongue, and slides into the hollow tree. High

in the canopy the gorilla troupe wakes. The air is damp, fresh. Smell o ripe ruit. A simian nose wrinkles. Something else... Faint. Coming closer. Guttural growls rip rom a dozen throats. Hated smell. Sunlight glints on soil- smeared steel. A
hammer clicks, might have been an insect. Queasy scent of gun oil. The finger on the trigger makes no
shoulder. The big troupe leader roars, leaps rom his branch. Reaches out to clutch the next. His arm doesn't move. He falls in slow motion. He doesn't eel a thing as he hits the

A soft "shooffi", Pain stabs a grizzled

nolse.

soft forest floor. "This is crazy, Granger! There are less than a dozen gorillas left - in the only jungle in the world - and you just shot their leader!" "Tranquillised, Curtis. And it's precisely because there are so few left that I did it. l my theory proves correct, we can prevent their total extinction." "By biosurgically altering them? By turning them into surrogate humans? Better to leave lhem to die out in their natural home!" "Don't be absurd, Curtis. lt's our duty as humans - and neuro-scientists - to do all we can to preserve them. Now give the bearers a hand to pick him up, thee's a
good chap."

Wake. Cold bright light. Can't move. Can't struggle. Can't scream. Dead world? Bright ash 0f sharp metal. Warm wet blood. Where are his children? A voice: "Speak to us, Gor. Speak to us, Gor!" He tries. He can't. "l said you were crazy all along, Grangerl Look - you've turned him into some kind o monsterl That metal plate on his skull - the articial larynx - the wires and circuits you crammed into that poor head! And or what? Nothingl He can't speak he doesn't think any diferently! He isn't even a hal-decent robot! What a wastel"
Robot: Automation, oten in human shape. lvlachjne. What is a machine? Struggle? Can't? Where is the jungle? Do my circuits remember the jungle? lam Gor. Why have I circuits? I must tell them... Can't. Can't speak. Gor go home? What is Gor?
What is home? "You're a scientist, Curtis. You know experiments don't always work out." "But what are you going to do with him?"

"Hmm, We can't take him back, obviously. They'd never accept him. And if we put him on display, well * the authorities would nd out. And l'm sure I needn't remind you of the penalties..." "lt was your idea! I only said l'd help because you threatened to tell my wie aboutWell, lwas reluctant from the start!" "Tell you what have a word with your nephew, the space reighter captain. Best solution is if we dump him offworld somewhere. No comeback on us. A new start or him, what?"

Cold. Stars stare.

40

Tell them. Can't speak. l\ilachine what? Remember: sunlight dapples. Squawk of bird. Damp ur. Jungle is where? What is Gor? Gor is lost. Gor is sad.

Take just over a ton of hardened titanium flexisteel, 480 miles of hi-capability optical fibre and several thousand man-years o research and development. Combine, adding weaponry with a destructive factor o several kilotons. Program with basic ighting skills and an aggressive yet down-home personality based on John Wayne in any one of a dozen lms. Fuel the result with the now-banned man-made radioactive,
Blamuminium.

Point him in the direction of your enemies and stand well back. The B-series War Droid marked lVankind's last large-scale military involvement. They were created specifcally to fight against the gigntic insectoid lnhabitants o the Planet H"r"aA, whose hive mentality and fast impving technology were predicted by Earth computers to lead to an intergalactic war within a 50 year period. Trouble, as many a gardener would agree, is_ best nipped in the bud. Almost 5,000 of the fearsome war machines were airlifted to H';r;'aA, several o them itted with microcameras to relay the action back home The executive responsible or the drafting o the contract for the televisual rights now owns his own word, so successul .was the war with viewers. Evidently there's nothing the average human likes more than to see a giant insect pulverised or blown to smithereens. But the battle, which raged or five long years, was ar from one'sided. The insects fought back with style and erocity, and no tittle humour. Boob)'trapped bodies taped with- amusing messages were commonplace, and there was an outcry when their ambassddoioresented an enormous steel box made from melted down B-series to the government of Earth as a peace gesture.

ws dead. and more than 4,500 robots reduced to

Bv the end o the war lVian's craving or blood had been

sated

The entire population

scrap

The survivors were not

hailed with ticker tape, champagne and Hollyrruood starlets; they wouldn't have known what to do with them. Instead they had their loyalty tapes stripped out, and were hired out as mercenaries to any world willing to pay. By the early 2080s they had all been destroyed... save one. B-52. Even after a dozen wars, a hundred firefights, he is an imposing figure. Fully eight eet tall, the square line of his shoulders is broken only by his battery o micro'missile tubes. His head pitted with shraonel, the odd wire hanging out the back, is still held proudly. Chest-mounted sonic- disruptors look almost like huge secondary eyes, and if there's a stitfness t0 his arms it's solely due to the bazooka (left) and laser cannon (right) built into them. His body swivels- at the waist, throught 360 degrees, employing the secrets of advance-d gyroscopy; the same principle lies behind his massive tracked "feet"' He is not a robot to be rgued with, although his favour can be curried by showing.an eagerness to listen to his war memoirs. Should you ever hear his voice saytng: so contents of your wallet are suffrcient. The only thing B'52 hates more than killing someone he hasn't been paid for is the guy who didn't pay him.

how much ya payin'an'who'd ya want killed?", it is sound sense to ascertain that tne

41

Australas:a) and her mother a Tongan princess badly

Sondra's father was the richest man in Geater Tasmania (which by 2030 took in most o affected by fall-out from the nuclear bombs they dropped on nearby atolls (for test purposes only). lt may have been her mothe's genetic mutation that led to Sondra possessing quite remarkable ESP powers. lt may have been her father's insistence that she be brought up rom age 5 to age 16 by the membes of a shadowy .Japanese ninja group which

led to her remarkable Drowess as a martial artist. lt was certainly disgust at the amily ortune which turned her into a lVlarxist, and it was defnitely disgust with male chauvinism which turned her into a rampant lsome would say strident) eminist,

Tall, willowy, raven-haired and beautiul, Sondra could have had the world at her feet. Instead, she renounced her amily and her wealth and went to meditate under a Eucalyptus tree where, several months later, she received enlightenment. Eyes closed, concentrating intently on her rich inner world, Sondra at irst didn't register the arriual o a gang of XXXX lager-louts who, on their way home from a mind-numbing three week barbie/benderhrawl, stopped to taunt her.
Annoyed that their drunked humour should be ignored, the louts decided to string Sondra upside down rom the tree. One grabbed her arm, snarling "All right, darlin'

you're really up a gum tree now!" His parents still visit him each month in Darwin Hospital or the Limbless. The other louts rushed to their cobber's aid, and met,
basicallv. similar fates.

XXXXlouts the country over rose up in protest; Unthinkabll Unheard ol Hans the sheila!

a girl,

beating up on them?

Kept from trial only because of her father's position, a fact which disgusted her, Sondra undertook penance in the form o an Asian Lecture tour, visiting 5 villages a week or hvo years, preaching Women's Lib to women who need it badiy bu1 couldn't take it unless their countries' economies collaosed.

tven Sondra's dauntless character was beginning to feel daunted. And then she received the note from Cortex. The world needed a heroine...the galaxy needed a
saviour...and the women of the Universe needed just the kind of pep talk Sondra was determined to make sure she gave them.

42

Builik, Prison Governor

Mr

BuikkMan of Action
Mr Buikk is always called Mr. Any convict who foriets is sharply remhded by the appliance o a ba bed tash to hls rear quarters. Any g\rard vrho forgets is liable to flnd himself in the bunk fudhest rom the heatin
plpes.

Mn Buikk. is very fond of punishing people. He is also very large, aLmost as wide in girth as he is ta]], whlch makes it easy for him to punish most people without fear of retribution. It was in fact Mr Buikk,s love of administering punishment which brought him to Freezyassov; he was exiled here ater punishin several dozen prisoners to death in the aftermath o the Broadmoor Massacre. Rather than waste such a talent by charging him with murder, he was sent to take control of the Ice World's He11 Prison. How dld he adapt ? His record speaks for itself: in the 20 years since hls ppointment almost t 0,000 prisoners have been punished severely; four times that number have been less severel.y punished; every single prisoner has been punished at least once; Gor the goriUa leads the lash-count, with 4,000 black marks against his name; every single guard has been punished at least once; and not a single prisoner has ever escaped, or escaped punishment for attempting to escape.

The prisoners whisper among themselves fhat Mr

Buikk has gone mad and taken to punishing himsel-f on tnmped-up charges. But there's no proof of bhis... or if bhere is is, whoever has it is too afraid of punishment to come forward.

Prlsorer

l3 Bleealer

ald the word CushinA"

Ar alien vampire serving multiple life sentences for allen vampirism. Though fed on a diet of synthiblood, Bleeder yearns for a taste of the real thing. Come close enough and his razor claws and dagger teeth will make sure it's yours. Known adverse reaction to holy lighbs
.

Prisoner A: Cray Twins

Two vicious heads on one brawny body, known to their friends (none) as the Cray Twins, to their enemies (Iegion) as "*&$o/o@ll" and to everyone else as "tre mad two-headed killer " .

Prisoner g: Genlis Ilant

He used to be able bo, but now he can't - 50 long cold years on X'reezyassov have done literally that: froze his ass off. However, he still retains fond memories of his cannibalistic crimes and, however iII his other bits have fared, his teeth are in excellent condition.

eD

Prisoner

43

Lee I'a!. Beef

For a man who loved to wander the wide-open spaces of the galactic prairies - and managed to rustle more tran five million prairle-grazers while he wandered Lee has come to like the quiet 1ife. His 50 years inside have institutionalised him; now the mere thouiht of the wide-open galactic prairles starts him gibbering. Sti1l very handy with a lasso, though.

Prisorer

5r a'ak The

Stripper

An alien shapeshifter who uses the form of a beaubiful woman to lure his human victims, and the serrated edge of a usty beer can to behead them. And that's only for starters.

Prisoner 6: SUvy Tentacleg

multiple murderer, also guilty of severely atfusing Queen's English, speaking as he does with a fak pigeon Italian .accent in keeping with his posltion as
Interplanetary .Ma,floso

Boss. physicaUy weak but cunning and devious and totally amoral. Ie's octopoict.

Prisoner ?: .telloid

lvhat he lacks in skeleton, clelloid more than makes up for in abiliry to exude a potent acid which dissolves his victims prlor to digesting them. hagine I ga[ons of Rowntree's Raspbefif,/ cleUy slithering along the ceiling in a killing frenzy. Scream.

Prisoner

83

laze Blaze l(aroo

A vicious thug who's claimed his

innocence so many times he's actually come to believe it himself. If you can nrld yourself being taken in by his protestations, remember Gran and Grampaw Bruin; tJ]'e authorities are stiU countin the bits. His mutated body is able to refract light, turning hlm invisible for short periods, when he is at his most dangerous.

Prisorer 9: Kruslrer ginpsorl

l0 feet taU, built to match, Krusher has a mental condition which, enthely unprovoked, causes him to seize and crush heads. His aim is to reach 1,000 before he dies. He's on gg8.