Enthar Seven for the BBC/Electron is a remarkable game, spread over nine worlds' and stylishly written with atmospheric descriptions. Robico produced some of the best adventures available for the BBC and it is amazing just how much its authors managed to cram into the machine's tiny memory. To really appreciate this game, you can't just walk through it, you really need to approach it with an open mind and just see where it takes you, then refer to this solution only when you get stuck!

At time of writing, there are no full instructions for Enthar Seven on the Internet. Acorn Electron World managed to find and preserve possibly the last remaining Electron version of the game in 2008 but sadly it had been parted from its original instruction inlay (which is presumably identical to the BBC's). If you have a scan of the BBC (or indeed Electron) instructions for Enthar Seven please consider sending it to us so we can reproduce it on the Acorn Electron World DVD.

General notes

Use the torch as sparingly as possible. The game's parser is reasonably extensive and several actions require the use of three words or more. The EXAMINE command only seems to apply to items that are already in your inventory or listed in their own sentence in a room's description. The inventory is limited to eight items, though this doesn't seem to be affected by wearing whatever you can (though don't wear the helmet without oxygen). Above all, SAVE as often as possible via an emulator.

Many commands can be abbreviated, such as:

I for IN;
O for OUT;
INV for INVENTORY;
G for GET;
DR for DROP;
EX for EXAMINE;
SEA for SEARCH;
L for LOOK;
PA or WA for PAUSE or WAIT.

Note that if you want to get somewhere quickly all the directional commands can be combined in one line, e.g. instead of typing N and then pressing RETURN, you could type N N N N and then RETURN if you wanted to go north four times successively. Similarly, you could type GET BASSOON OKAPI FLANGE and then press RETURN to pick up those three items at once. Pressing the SHIFT key scrolls through descriptions.

In addition to the commands listed above the following are also recognised:

rub; touch; press/push; pull; hit/break/smash; run; row; swim; jump/hop/leap; move; eat; drink; smell/sniff; put/place; insert; hold; swing; dig (though the shovel fractures if used in the wrong place); say/speak/utter; open; close; throw/hurl; read; enter; type; wear; remove; mend/repair/fix; where (a handy reminder where any objects you've left around might be, but you need to have seen them first); light/shine; turn/switch on/off; extinguish/unlight; wave; give; cross/traverse; clean; sit; stand; stick/affix; listen/harken (!); pour/empty; grin/smile/laugh; unbolt/undo/unfasten/unlock; sit; stand; mark/write.

Terms which produce a response, but don't seem to have any effect include: use; kill; back; forwards; left; right.

The beginning

Soak up the ambiance of the Pilot's Chair. Look out over the diodes. Listen to the drone of the craft's pulse engines. GET the HELMET and EXAMINE the PANEL. You will discover you are not a Pilot. Now STAND and EXAMINE the large display SCREEN hanging from the ceiling. (An alarm will begin to sound.)

Go S into a short, metallic corridor and W through the archway into a storeroom. SEARCH here and you will automatically find and pick up a torch. Return E and go S into the Engine Room. Here you are told "protruding from the east wall is a black socket". PUT TORCH INTO SOCKET and the torch will be fully charged up. Retreat N and go N again back to the Flight Deck. By now, the alarms will be going crazy. Go W through the archway and you will be entering a transporter, (signified by the pictures of disappearing men hanging around).

PUSH BUTTON. You will be plunged into darkness.

The Command Centre

LIGHT the TORCH and you will find you are standing in a hallway. Go W into a storeroom and GET the vacuum CLEANER. EXAMINE the CLEANER and you will see it has a dust bag. Type GET BAG FROM CLEANER to extract the bag, then GET BAG to pick it up. EXAMINE the BAG and note that there is a small tear in it.

Now SEARCH the storeroom and you will find and pick up a spanner. Go U onto the top shelf and GET the power CELL for the vacuum cleaner. Go D again and PUT CELL INTO CLEANER. Now go E and SE to a wide corridor. Continue SE to another corridor then go E and S to a grubby, unfurnished room. OPEN DOOR.

Go S into a small cupboard where you will find some gloves and a plaster. GET GLOVES then GET PLASTER and STICK PLASTER TO BAG. This deals with the tear in the bag. Now PUT BAG INTO CLEANER. The vacuum cleaner is now fully operational.

Go N, N and W then NW, NW and E to a chilly cubicle where you must stoop to avoid the ceiling. There is a large map here so EXAMINE MAP. You will be informed that the planet surface is divided into seven sections. GET MAP. When you touch it, it disintegrates and reveals an air duct in the wall.

Go N into the duct and D into a large, bleak room with a floor covered in dust. CLEAN FLOOR WITH CLEANER. Now LOOK again and you will discover your spring-cleaning has uncovered a trapdoor in the centre of the room. OPEN TRAPDOOR then go D into the derilict Power House. PULL the protruding LEVER and the Command Centre will surge into life.

TURN OFF TORCH (as you now have electric lights illuminating everything and you need the torch's power later!). Now go U, U, S and W to the hallway again. GET BAG FROM CLEANER and it will fall out again. GET BAG to pick it up. Now REMOVE PLASTER FROM BAG. The plaster will fall to the floor. Don't get it again yet.

The enormous hallway is the best place to leave items as it is adjacent to the portal. So, for now, DROP the CLEANER, DROP GLOVES and DROP TORCH. Let's now explore the rest of the Command Centre.

Go NW to a wooden set of stairs. Go U and U again to the top of them and then EXAMINE the SLOT next to the door. You will be informed that you need a "key" card to open the door there. Return D and D again then SE back to the hallway. Go N to a long passage and N again to a huge plain where you can see a massive spacecraft. That is your route home.

Go S and S again then SE and SE to the wide corridor. Continue E and E again to the Rest Room where an inviting armchair beckons. SIT in it and GET the CUSHION that is on it. A note falls from it as you do so. EXAMINE CUSHION and note the description. (i.e. 'The cushion is thickly padded.') Now GET NOTE and READ NOTE. You will be informed that the "key" card that you need is in a safe somewhere. You don't need the note any more so DROP NOTE. Now STAND back up.

Go E. You will still be in the Rest Room but now you will see a large painting. EXAMINE PAINTING then GET PAINTING. LOOK again and you will discover that a huge safe has now been uncovered. EXAMINE the MICROPHONE next to the safe and an engraving will inform you that the safe is voice-activated.

Go W then S to a carpeted landing. Now go D and D again to a tiled passageway. Now go E to the large wash room. EXAMINE the MIRROR to see your reflection (you are told it is screwed to the wall for a reason though!). Now EXAMINE the FOUNTAIN and DRINK the WATER it emits. Now head all the way back to the hall: W, U, U, N, W, W, NW and NW. DROP the CUSHION here then go S into a small cylindrical chamber with a keypad numbered s1 to s7.

If you do play Enthar Seven and only refer to this solution when you get completely stuck then this is the ideal opportunity to go exploring. Each of the keypad buttons will take you to a different 'world'. You cannot make a lot of progress in six of the worlds, and will be killed off extremely quickly in s5! Otherwise, PRESS S4 to be taken to The Research Centre.

S4 - The Research Centre

You appear in a dense thicket of plants. Go E to some rougher ground and NW to a path outside of a building. Follow the fence around this building W, N, N, N, N, E, E and E. In this location you are told 'A winding, dusty trail leads down to the north' and the correct direction is D which will take you by the side of a crater of scrap metal. Go NW and W to the top of a flight of steps. Go D this.

Inside of the crater, go N then climb U and U to the summit of the rubbish mountain. SEARCH and you will find the outer casing of a robot. EXAMINE the CASING to reveal that it is 'light enough for you to wear'. WEAR CASING and you will be effectively disguised. Go W and perch on the face of the mountain. SEARCH again and this time you will find an aerosol can. EXAMINE AEROSOL to discover it is matt black paint.

Go D, S, E, S, U, E, SE and S back to the long level path then E, S, S, S, S and W to the very south of the fence. EXAMINE the security CAMERA and you will find it is pointing at the ground in front of the gates. SPRAY the CAMERA WITH AEROSOL and the camera will malfunction, opening the gates to the Research Centre. A robot will come out to investigate but will believe you are also a robot. Go W onto the path.

Go N onto the small forecourt and N to the sign describing the building. You do not need to open the door here, just type N and it will automatically slide open. Go N so you are pressed flat against the revolving door then PUSH DOOR. The door will revolve. LOOK to discover you are midway through the revolution, then PUSH DOOR again. LOOK again to see you can now exit NORTH. Continue NORTH again to a three-way junction.

Follow the corridor W and W into a large laboratory. Head N to its end. Then GET FLASK and EXAMINE FLASK to find it is empty. Go N and N again to an anteroom for authorised personnel only. SAVE the GAME.

The Securibot has to be avoided. It visits the corners of the room in the pattern SE, SW, NE, NW... If it is not in the southeast corner, keep typing LOOK until it is, then go E to the Inventions Development Chamber. WAIT and the Securibot will go to the northeast corner. Go S and GET the DECIBOX.

Now go NE and S to the southeast corner. GET the TRANSLATOR left on the floor here then go N, W and W back to the anteroom.

EXAMINE TRANSLATOR to discover it is white, solid and cylindrical then EXAMINE DECIBOX to discover the words "Sound Emitting Device" graved along its side. Now return S, S and S then E, E, E and E to a tool cupboard. Here you will find a pair of pliers so GET PLIERS and EXAMINE PLIERS. Return W to the corridor then N and E to the metal ramp. Head D the ramp, and D again. Follow the corridor S and S one more time into another portal. PUSH the green BUTTON to return to the Command Centre.

DROP the FLASK, PLIERS and AEROSOL. You are still dressed as a robot so REMOVE the CASING and DROP CASING too. GET the TORCH and GET the SPANNER. Now return S into the portal.

S1 - The Caves

Now PRESS S1 to be taken to a long canyon. Go E and E through the canyon then N into the crevice. Go W and W along the ledge then continue N and E into an entrance hall. Go N then LIGHT TORCH before going any further. Go W into an alcove and GET the BOOTS you discover there. Return E then N into a cavern with porous walls. You are told the visibility here is poor and you can only see exits north and south, but there are actually also exits northeast and west. Go NE and S into one of the darkened exits.

You will now be in a minute grotto with a hole above you. Clamber U through it and then go E into a twisting maze of narrow walkways.

This maze cannot be mapped by dropping objects, so instead LISTEN, go E, LISTEN, go SW, LISTEN, go S, LISTEN then go S, D the ladder and D again. A 'short man with a long beard' patrols this area in an anticlockwise direction. If you're lucky, he might be at the bottom of the ladder when you arrive. If not, you'll have either to keep typing LOOK until he appears or go and find him.

Assuming he was at the bottom of the ladder now follow him by going S, S and E. When the Translator starts moaning about comfy boots, GIVE BOOTS TO MAN. He will put them on. Follow him N. The man will then drop a sweet and aludes to some 'Tree Spider'. GET the SWEET and head NW back to the bottom of the ladder. The man will stroll away.

Go U and U then N, W, W, D, N and SW back to the room with the porous walls.

Now go N into a musty corridor and N again into a chamber with a high ceiling. Check you have the Decibox then go N a final time into the Hall of Bats. They will swoop to attack you but the Decibox will drive them away.

DROP the DECIBOX then go E into a very narrow passageway. Go E again then D a flight of steps. Head E towards the Supplies. OPEN the DOOR and go IN. At your feet will be a pair of goggles. GET GOGGLES before going back OUT.

Go S to the southern end of the Supplies Room. Here you will find a small, worn mat. GET MAT. Now LOOK. You will see that, where the mat once was, is now a wooden trapdoor. UNDO the BOLT WITH SPANNER then OPEN TRAPDOOR before going D. DROP the BAG and GET the SHOVEL.

Now return U and go N, W, U, W, W and S back to the chamber with the high ceiling. DIG into the bat guano with the shovel and you will find a diamond. GET DIAMOND and DROP SHOVEL. Now go S and S to the room with the porous walls. There is a hidden exit here W into a passageway. Head NW to the room with the archway and then N through it into the portal. PUSH BUTTON to return to the hallway.

TURN OFF the TORCH. Now EXAMINE the SWEET and note that it is white and fifteen mm. Then EXAMINE the GOGGLES which are made of stong, smoked plastic. DROP the TORCH, SPANNER, SWEET, TRANSLATOR and the MAT. Now check that you have the diamond and the goggles. GET the GLOVES and return S into the portal.

S6 - The Radioactive Area

PRESS the S6 button to be transported to a outside location menaced by heavy clouds. Follow the path E then SE and walk NE around the shed. In the top half of the wall is some plate glass. CUT GLASS WITH DIAMOND and then LOOK to find a smooth round hole cut in it. Go IN to the shed and you will discover an oxygen cylinder. GET CYLINDER and exit OUT.

Return SW, NW and W back to the junction. Now go N. A sign will warn you of dangerous levels of radiation. Go N again onto a charred filthy landscape. Go through the opening NW and you will see a Geiger Counter (and hear it clicking - when it 'clicks repeatedly' this signifies radiation levels are high). GET COUNTER.

Return SE and NE. You will now be standing in a gale. Walk E into it and NE whereupon the Geiger counter will start pounding. WEAR GOGGLES and WEAR SHOES. Now DROP ALL the rest of your inventory and GET the BOULDER at your feet. Head SW, W and N (ignoring the protests about tiredness). You will then see a motionless, but distinctly evil, mutant. THROW BOULDER at it and it will be crushed.

You now need to go and get your inventory back so detour S, E and NE. GET ALL. And return SW, W and N.

Walk NW, W, NW and N through the Radiation Fields. In the ground you will see a tiny, copper coin. GET COIN and EXAMINE COIN to discover it is 'one Entharian dollar'. Retreat S, SE, E and N. A hideous lizard will threaten you but continue NE as the goggles will protect you from the poison it spits at your eyes.

Follow the path E and E to a fork around a granite tor. Go NE into a trench then SE, N and E to the entrance of a large field. You will see the first 'signs of (non-mutated) life' here. Go SE into the field and N to its eastern end. Here you will find a single, perfect flower. GET FLOWER and EXAMINE FLOWER. (SMELL FLOWER gives a clue to its later use!)

Now return W, W and S into the trench again. You now should climb NW, SW and SE to the crest of a high mountain. You can scale D the mountain using footholds so continue D and D again to the saltbed at its base. Go NW onto the baked salt and N up the flight of steps carved into it. Go D to the bubbling pool and GET the HAMMER out of it. (Your hands are protected because you are wearing the gloves.) EXAMINE HAMMER to determine that it is still usable.

Now return U and go S, SE and E. Here you will see the broken frame of an ancient boat. Head E again and then go IN to the boat. Inside of it go N and GET the OAR discarded therein. Go OUT.

Finally, return SW, W, U, U, U, E and E. You will see a domed cubicle at the road which is another portal. Go IN and PRESS BUTTON to be transported back to the hallway. Here, DROP ALL then GET COIN. Head back S to the portal.

S7 - The Registration Centre

This is the shortest section of the game. PRESS S7 to be transported to the Enthar Seven Computer Registration Centre. From the central hall, go W then W again to the southeast corner. Head NW where you will find a plastic ticket on the ground. GET TICKET and EXAMINE TICKET (It is embossed with the words 'Scanner Room'). Hanging on the wall next to you is a machine. EXAMINE MACHINE before continuing (It reads "Ti ke s").

Return SE, E and E back to the central hall. Now go S and S again into a pale blue corridor with signs directing you to the 'Holobooth'. Follow these SE and E to the far end of the corridor. The Holobooth costs one dollar so DROP COIN and a voice will beckon you IN. Once inside the booth, SIT. In front of you is a sign that asks you to GRIN - so do so. Your face will be holographically mapped and a hologram will then be developed for you. GET the HOLOGRAM and EXAMINE HOLOGRAM to continue.

Now STAND and OPEN the booth's DOOR before going OUT. Go W, NW, N and N to the long corridor again. Go NE to a small landing where arrows point D to the Visitors' Room. Go D the stairway then N to the end of the tiled passage. Head W into the Visitors' Room then SIT in the lilac chair within. You will find a Registration Form in this chair. GET FORM and EXAMINE FORM. It is filled in in the name of one Julian Lorvox and is waiting for a hologram to be attached.

Now STAND up and go E, S, U, U and SW to return to the central hall.

Go E and follow the sign E to the scanner room. You will see a slit cut into the wall here. EXAMINE SLIT and INSERT TICKET INTO SLIT to operate the door. Now go E again into the Scanner Room and S to the coloured scanning device. EXAMINE this DEVICE. You should now ATTACH HOLOGRAM TO FORM and PLACE FORM ON DEVICE. This will register you as Julian Lorvox with the Enthar Seven Computer Registration Centre.

Retrace your steps N and OPEN the DOOR. Go W, W and W then follow the signs to the teleport booth N, N, N and N again to enter it. PUSH BUTTON to return to the hallway.

You now need to GET HELMET and GET CYLINDER. EXAMINE the HELMET and you will see that there is a valve protruding from the rear to which the cylinder of oxygen should be attached. ATTACH CYLINDER TO HELMET. Now GET TORCH and GET SWEET before continuing.

It is now time to investigate one of the most complex areas of this adventure.

S3 - The Forest

Go S into the portal and PRESS S3. You will arrive in a forest of gigantic trees. The exits are illogical and, if you want to map it, you need to take along items you no longer need (i.e. the note, can, casing, gloves, mat, spanner and diamond). However, assuming you've done this, you will find that the following moves are correct: N, N and W. MOVE the LEAVES here and you will find a Flipper plate. EXAMINE PLATE and you will note that it has 'been worn smooth in two places'.

STAND ON PLATE and it will begin to hover and propel you onto the top of a ramp. WEAR the HELMET at this point (or else you'll be killed). Now go W onto a walkway of wooden boards. Go NW, N and NE to a giant tree trunk where the boards have rotted away. JUMP the gap and land in the wide ledge. Go N to a short, stumpy branch where you will find a large, triangular fan. GET FAN then go S and JUMP back to the walkway. Go SW, S, SE and E back to the Flipper Plate.

Go E, SE, E and N moving from the walkway to a catwalk to a small timber platform. Here, a creeper hangs from some branches. SWING ON CREEPER Tarzan-style to cross a divide and scramble to the other side. The creeper will break but this is not a problem. TURN ON the TORCH now and go N and W to a small chamber. Here is a long, thin plank of softwood. GET PLANK.

Return E and S then TURN OFF the TORCH before continuing.

On the thin shelf of wood, DROP the PLANK. LOOK to make sure the plank is now crossing the gap then CROSS PLANK and GET PLANK again. (You probably heard the 'splintering noise' as you stepped onto the plank and, indeed, it can only be used three times. Using it to reach the fan's location renders the game unwinnable.)

Now go S, W, NW and W back to the Flipper Plate again. Continue N and N and note the strange webs in the trees. You will recall that the man who gave you the sweet mentioned Tree Spiders. To cross the gap that is too wide to jump, DROP PLANK and CROSS PLANK again. On this side of the gap you will see a wooden funnel carved from a stump. EXAMINE FUNNEL. You will be told that it is 9mm in diameter. The sweet is 15mm in diameter so SUCK SWEET and EXAMINE SWEET. It will then be red and 12mm in diameter. SUCK SWEET a second time and EXAMINE SWEET once more.

It will now be blue and 9mm. PUT SWEET INTO FUNNEL and the door will swing open. Go N and, inside of the room, you will see a tiny, carved tray. The tray contains another sweet but, as moves as of the essence (the oxygen cylinder will only be a quarter full by now!), type GET SWEET FROM TRAY and then GET SWEET from the floor. EXAMINE SWEET then go N to a wide, spacious corridor. You will then be attacked by a large spider and immediately start to run.

You are told that you are running but you are actually suffering from the spider's poison. Type WAKE and you will realise you are in fact in the Tree Spider's larder. All of your possessions will have gone and you will be bound by a single strand of web. SEARCH and you will find a nail. Now type RUB WEB ON NAIL, RUB WEB ON NAIL and RUB WEB ON NAIL again to free yourself from the web. Go S.

You will now be in pitch darkness. Fortunately, all of your inventory is in fact at your feet so type GET ALL, and then TURN ON TORCH for a little illumination. You will find yourself in a maze of silken threads. Go S again into yet more interconnecting passageways. This is actually another puzzle based on the sweet sucking chaining problem. The first three colours were white, red and blue - and white here is S - so head in that direction.

Next you need red which is E and then blue which is SW. Now SUCK SWEET again. EXAMINE SWEET to find it is now yellow. This, from the location description, is the exit W. Repeat the SUCK SWEET, EXAMINE SWEET sequence and you will find it is now orange. So go SE. If all has gone well you will now be 'at the top of a long flight of narrow, wooden stairs'. (Sometimes you seem to end up at the initial location again. If so repeat the sequence without the sweet commands.)

Now TURN OFF the TORCH (as we have natural light) and go D the stairs D to the bottom with the hatch. Head E through this and GET the crystal VIAL before continuing N into a small alcove with a hole in the floor. Go D the hole into a corridor and go NE and E into a room where you need to stoop to avoid the ceiling. DROP the GLOVES to free up inventory space and GET the TWIG. EXAMINE TWIG to discover it is Y-shaped then return W and SW to the room lit by the fungus. Return S and S again to where you left the plank of wood. CROSS the PLANK. You may be getting messages stating you are starting to feel faint. You can ignore these for the time being. Go S and S again to the Flipper Plate. WEAR HELMET and STAND ON PLATE. It will descend back to the forest floor.

You can now safely REMOVE HELMET and return E and E through the forest before going E a final time to the clearing. Go IN to the cubicle and PRESS BUTTON to return to the hallway again.

DROP HELMET, DROP TORCH and DROP SWEET with all the other possessions. Now GET the FLASK and head SE, SE, E, E, S, D, D and E back to the wash room. You will be informed that the 'twig quivers in your hands', meaning that it would definitely interest dowsers. FILL FLASK here then return W, U, U, N, W, W, NW and NW.

Now WEAR SPACE SUIT and GET OAR and GET PLIERS. SAVE your game at this point.

S5 - The Barren Wilderness

Go S and PRESS S5. This part of the game is effectively a guided maze. It is impossible to manoeuvre without the twig so make sure you follow the indicated directions exactly otherwise death is inevitable and do not be tempted to drink water or use the fan when you see messages about heat or dehydration. Go E, E, SW, NE, E, E, S, S, D, D and S to a damp, greasy path. You will see a canoe approaching. Go S again to where the path finishes then HIDE in the thick hedgerow to avoid the hunters. Crawl W through the hedge and you will discover a bracelet. GET BRACELET. Two hunters will walk past the hedge at this point. Now return E and get OUT of the hedge. Return N to the damp, grassy path then ENTER CANOE.

Steer S and S again into the rapids. You will be informed that there is a gap in the rocks ahead if you head firstly SE then SW. Do so then go S and S again and you will be hurtled onto the river bank and lose your possessions in the crash. Compose yourself and GET your SPACE SUIT first and WEAR SPACE SUIT before you GET ALL the rest of your stuff.

Now EXAMINE BRACELET then EXAMINE BRACELET again and WEAR BRACELET. Wade SE through the swamp then go NE onto a long path away from it. Go NE again then E towards the distant hut. Climb UP the stairs on the exterior of the hut and note the chain hanging from the wall. If you EXAMINE CHAIN you will find it is securely locking the door. CUT the CHAIN WITH PLIERS then OPEN the DOOR and go IN.

Inside of the hut, you will find a lot of grime and a muffler. GET MUFFLER and EXAMINE MUFFLER to find it is knitted from a fine thread. Go OUT again.

On the veranda, head D and W onto the path. Continue SW, SE and SE back into the swamp. Wade S, S and S and you will reach a 12 foot man-eating plant. The vial you collected is filled with a deadly poison so POUR POISON ONTO PLANT to reenact the Witch's death scene from The Wizard Of Oz. Continue E onto a solid bank of earth then UP onto some flagstones and UP again onto a narrow path.

WEAR the GOGGLES (so there is more room in your hands!) then GET the SCREWDRIVER and go E and S into the portal. PRESS BUTTON to return to the hallway.

Believe it or not, but the end is nigh.

DROP the FAN, DROP OAR, DROP VIAL and DROP TWIG. Then GET the CUSHION and go SE, SE, E, E, S, D, D and E to the wash room again. You're about to unscrew the large mirror and need to cushion its fall so DROP CUSHION then UNSCREW MIRROR WITH SCREWDRIVER. It will fall safely onto it. You don't need the screwdriver any more so DROP SCREWDRIVER. GET MIRROR and return W, U, U, N, W, W, NW and NW back to the hallway.

Now DROP ALL before GETting the HAMMER; FLOWER; SWEET; TRANSLATOR; PLASTER; FLASK; MIRROR and MUFFLER. You should already be wearing the bracelet, space suit and bracelet. WEAR the MUFFLER as well. Then finally GET the TORCH. Go S to the portal once again.

S2 - The Lorvox House

PRESS S2 to be transported to the Lorvox House. From the concrete, head E to the base of the steps and go UP and UP again to the top of them. Now RING BELL. A Valetdroid will come to let you in and will greet you as 'master Julian'. Wander N into the entrance hall and N again. Head E into the dining area and climb UP onto the dining table. From here you can see a trapdoor set into the ceiling so OPEN TRAPDOOR.

Clamber UP between the low beams and crawl E into the far end of the attic. You will find a long wire running its length. EXAMINE the WIRE and you will discover a section of it has eroded. MEND WIRE WITH PLASTER. This has the effect of fixing the computer in the basement. Retreat W, D and D and go W back to the south hallway again.

Go W into the kitchen and OPEN the brightly-painted DOOR. Go W again, this time into a pantry. GET the crunchy BISCUIT then go E, E, N and N to the north hallway. As your inventory is a little taxed DROP BISCUIT and DROP SWEET here. Now go E into a small study.

There is a small, black diary in here so GET DIARY. EXAMINE the DIARY to find it consists of a single page. Attempt to READ the DIARY and you will find it indescipherable.

LOOK again and you will see there is also a faded document in the room. GET DOCUMENT and EXAMINE DOCUMENT. You will be informed it is the Last Will and Testament of Benjamin Lorvox. READ WILL to discover that Herrn. Lorvox wished to be buried at the Lorvox monument beyond the Yarryl Mountains. DROP WILL.

You can SIT in the swivel chair to discover the desk belongs to Benjamin too. STAND up again if you do so.

Go W and W again to the living area. SIT again to discover there is a hidden exit to this room underneath the coffee table. (You can't see it when standing.) STAND up again and go N to crouch in the cubby hole, where you will find a manual. GET MANUAL and EXAMINE MANUAL. The manual is instructions for the operation of a bracelet transporter device - that bracelet on your wrist in fact. READ MANUAL and you will discover two new commands - SET to 'remember' a position, and TELEPORT to teleport to it. DROP the MANUAL and return S then E to the north hallway.

Go N to the end of the hallway and U and U to the upper landing. Head S, S and S to the end of a long corridor painted with Staybright emulsion. Take the exit W into the nursery and GET the CRAYON there.

Earlier you collected a diary. Type RUB DIARY WITH CRAYON then READ DIARY and you will be told "Today I programmed a new key word into the safe back at the Command Center. It is 'Plaxar'." Aha, remember the voice-activated safe from the early part of the game? (You cannot SAY PLAXAR to it however as it will not recognise your voice!)

DROP CRAYON and DROP DIARY. Now retrace your steps E, N, N, N, D, D and S back to the hallway. GET your BISCUIT and GET SWEET. Now go N, E, E, D, D, N, N and E to end in a confined chamber containing a small computer. TYPE YARRYL at the keyboard then go W back to the spacious room with a portal.

SAY SET - because you need to return to this location - then go N into the portal.

The Yarryl Mountains

You are transported to the end of a long track. Go NW and N to a wider path over which towers huge mountains. Follow the path E and E around the base of the mountain, then NE and N to the entrance chamber of a tunnel.

Here you need to do an inventory shuffle so DROP ALL then GET TORCH and GET HAMMER. Go N then TURN ON TORCH to find you are at the northern edge of the tunnel, blocked all ways except back south, or so it appears. DROP the HAMMER then JUMP across the trench ahead. You then have to DROP the TORCH and JUMP back again, GET the HAMMER and JUMP across the trench again before you GET your TORCH again. The reason for this complicated manoeuvre is that only one item can be carried when jumping the fissure.

Now go S to a stone passageway. A crudely built wall blocks your way so SMASH WALL WITH HAMMER to make further progress. The hammer will be destroyed in the process but you do need to DROP HAMMER to get rid of it. Now head S into a minute chamber containing a scroll. GET SCROLL and EXAMINE SCROLL to find it is written in runes. READ SCROLL if you must then return N and N. You have to complete the 'only one item jump' bit again so DROP the TORCH, JUMP, DROP SCROLL, JUMP, GET TORCH, JUMP and, finally, GET SCROLL. Now go S to the entrance chamber again where you left all your inventory. TURN OFF the TORCH.

GET ALL your property then READ the SCROLL aloud a second time. The Translator will reveal that the scroll is the route to take through the Yarryl Mountains (W, NE, W, NW, N, SW, E, SE, E, E).

Now go S back to the mountain path and SW to where the mountain obscures the sun. Head W, U, U, U, N, NW and W. A warning sign will try to dissuade you from this last part of your quest. Ignore it and go W past it. SAVE the game.

Now you have the route through the Yarryl Mountains, you must punctuate it by eating. Hence the correct sequence of moves is W, NE, W, NW, N, EAT BISCUIT, SW, E, SE, E, E, EAT SWEET. There seems to be a random element in the game here too as sometimes a woman appears and robs you at least once and sometimes twice, making the game unwinnable. If this happens, then return to your last saved game and try again.

Now head NE onto a white, gravel path and go N and N toward a huge kennel from which growling can be heard. CLOSE the kennel DOOR.

Continue W and you will be at the base of the Lorvox monument. Follow the path N, NW and W to a weathered brass plaque. READ PLAQUE to discover the monument's dedication. Then OPEN DOOR and go S, S and S into the narrow passage inside the Lorvox monument. You will find a fat, white pill. GET PILL and EXAMINE PILL to discover it is a vaccination against most known diseases.

Now explore E which takes you into the Inner Sanctum of the crypt. Return W and go N, N, N, W, SW and S to the west side of the monument. READ this additional PLAQUE and note the dedication is to Benjamin Lorvox. OPEN this DOOR and go E into the entrance chamber. You will be treated to a slideshow of images of Captain Lorvox. Pass E by them into a tight passageway with sculptures on the ceiling and walls. Now head S and S again into darkness. Do not turn on the torch!

Go S again and you will be back in light and in a small anteroom where a laser beam protects the south wall. You now need to REFLECT BEAM WITH MIRROR (the goggles will protect your eyes from the resultant flash!)

Now we have to deal with another Securibot. Keep typing LOOK and note that it moves up and down the corridor, taking in five locations. Wait until the description says that it is guarding 'the section of corridor midway between the northern and southern extremities' then head W. Then go N and W into the alcove. Now keep typing LOOK until the Securibot is 'towards the southern end of the corridor'. Head E, N, N and W into the curving passageway.

Follow the passageway SW then go towards the sicky smell S. Go S one more time and you will be in the Inner Sanctum of the crypt with a rotting corpse putrifying before your eyes. The flower will mask the smell (which is otherwise fatal). EXAMINE the CORPSE to discover one decomposing hand is still clutching a Memomatic. GET MEMOMATIC FROM CORPSE. Now EAT the PILL and DRINK the WATER so that you can safely GET the MEMOMATIC.

Obviously we cannot return via the mountains as our food supply is exhausted, so here's where the bracelet comes into play. SAY TELEPORT and return to the Lorvox's basement. Return E to the computer room and TYPE CENTRE. Step back W now and go N. The portal will now send you back to the hallway.

The safe, the door and the spaceship

PUT CARD INTO SLOT to open the door then DROP CARD. Check you are carrying nothing and wearing the muffler and goggles. Then go E for a good view of the spaceship. Go N to the stormswept plain and continue N, N and N until you arrive at the bottom of a ladder leading into the craft.

Go U and U again then E into the small entrance chamber of the craft. Head into the corridor N.

You enter the Control Room of the massive spacecraft and head for the plush, black, swivel chair in the centre of the room. You slump into it, relaxing and closing your eyes, as the memories of all that has happened to you come flooding back. Then, charged with a renewed enthusiasm, you press the buttons on the console in front of you. A computer flickers into life: "Yes? You must be the new pilot."

"Computer, take us out of here," you demand triumphantly!

"What do you think I am, an autopilot? Take us out of here yourself," it replies. And with your ingenuity, I think you'll probably do it!

You've won!

Thoughts and unresolved issues

Apart from its vast number of locations the game is notable for the number of times where death occurs though, to be fair to the author, warning is usually provided by the location or object descriptions - try standing on the glass coffee table, for example.

Every item except the mat seems to have a use, though the fan might be a red herring (linked to the number of times the plank can be crossed) since waving it in the barren wilderness has no effect whatsoever, nor, for that matter, does drinking water in the same locations.

Unresolved issues:

1. Why does the planet only have five inhabitants (three of whom are dead) and who are the man in the caves and the woman in the mountains?
2. Power systems seem to be operating throughout the planet, but, strangely, not in the Command Centre.
3. Why does the author like sitting down so much?
4. Wouldn't Julian Lorvox have been registered already?
5. What happened to Meta Lorvox's body?
6. Who feeds the beast guarding the monument?
7. How come the blue flower is still growing and why doesn't it wither when picked?