scanned and compiled by Underdogs for Home of the Underdogs, http://www.theunderdogs.org

Installation Instructions and Reference Guide IBM and Compatibles
You must have 4,200,000 bytes free on your hard drive and 542,000 bytes of free memory to play Planet's Edge. Insert Planet's Edge Disk #l into your computer's floppy drive. Type the letter of the drive and a colon (i.e. A: or B:), then press Enter. Type INSTALL, then press Eater. The Install Program will choose a configuration and ask if you wish to use the current selections. If the selections match your computer system, press Y.If you wish to change the selections, press N.
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If you pressed N, tbe Select Vii Mode window will appear. Type the number t h a t corresponds to the video system in your computer. (An asterisk appears next to options the Install program detects. This does not necessarily mean your c o m p u t e r is equipped with these options.) Next, the Select Sound Support window will appear. Type the letter that corresponds to the sound card in your computer (Select PC Speaker if you have n o sound card installed). If a mouse is detected, you will be asked whether you would like to use it. You have the option of having the sound turned off when you start up Planet's Edge. You can turn the music on after the program is loaded by pressing Alt-M. Sound effects can be turned on with Alt-S. The Install program will ask for a path name. You may use the default (C:\PE) by pressing Enter, or create your own. The Install program will ask again if you wish to use the current configuration. Type Y if the current settings match your computer's configuration.

rvices

The Install program will begin installing Planet's Edge to your hard drive. When ready, it will ask for the next disk. If there are any errors, the Install program will report them. If you have any problems installing Planet's Edge, contact our Technical Support at (818) 999.0607 from 9am p12 noon and from 2 m 5pm Mon - Fri PST. W h e n installation is complete, the program will exit into the subdirectory in which planet's Edge was installed. Type PE to begin playing. Planet's Edge requires that you do not have your CAPS LOCK key activated. If for any reason you wish to change the settings or start a new game, type INSTALL from the Planet's Edge directory on your hard drive. This will allow you to change the video mode and sound support, and will give you the option of restarting the current game. It will not affect any of your saved games.

P.O. Box

Tech

Hollywood, CA 90078 port (818) 999-0807


Navigating the Menus
There are four ways of selecting options in the various windows in Planet's Edge. + * + + Click the mouse pointer on the name or icon of the option you desire, Type the first letter of the option from the keyboard, then press Enter. If there is an option that is highlighted, press Enter or click Select to select that to other options. option. Use the arrow keys to move the highlight If there is a number to the left of an option or item, press that number on the keyboard, or click the mouse pointer on the item's name. For options requiring a Yes/No answer, press Y or Left Mouse button for yes, N or Right Mouse button for no. Most windows can be exited by pressing the Escape key.

The Shipyards. This is where you outfit your ship(s) for interstellar travel. When you enter the Shipyards, any cargo you have aboard is off-loaded, in order to make it easier to work on your ship.
c or +

Left or Right arrows cycle between the different weapons and engines that can be put on your ship. Up or Down arrows cycle through the different sires for each item. Clicking the large red button or pressing Enter installs the part in the window on your ship.

4

Moonbase
After the introduction sequence (which can be skipped by pressing Escape) Mason Polk, Commander of Moonbase will give you a mission briefing, after which you will start at Moonbase. The eight areas of the Moonbase are:

The numbers below the parts window indicates the amount of space a given part will take on your ship. If the numbers are green it indicates that there is enough available s p a c e on your ship for that part. Because the number of control computers needed to run your ship increases exponentially for every part you put on your ship, every part will be larger than the previous. The numbers turn red when you do not have any space available for that part. E Clicking on an engine or pressing E removes one of the currently i n s t a l l e d engines.

The Moonbase 0 Q Q Q Shipyards Launching Pad Warehouse Crew Quarters @ Q Q Q Research Lab Save Game Load Game Quit to DOS

T h e Shipyard Q Storage Yard C Return to Moonbase 0 Select and install ships engines and Q Scrap current ship @ Ship's statistics area weapons Q Ship Q Storage Yard A Q Storage Yard B Planet's Edge Reference e World Computing w P l a n e t ' s Edge
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,Forward firing arc smallest hull size. It has a

ine Information
i s your vessel's top speed, acceleration speed, o d e , and computer status. Installing larger n your ship will raise your top speed: ize is the determining factor. Adding more mproves your turning ability. Acceleration f the combined thrust of your engines to your ship. However, the number of igation Computers necessary for your ship s e s exponentially with the number of engines

in all directions

1-O

The number keys (from 1 to 0) correspond with your ship's weapons and weapon mounts. Clicking on a weapon or pressing a corresponding number will remove it from your ship. All mounts on all ship types can handle a forward facing weapon, while certain ships will have mounts for left or right facing weapons, or even a turret. Pressing R gives your weapon a right facing mount, while pressing L turns it left. F will point the weapon forward, and T will turn it into a turreted weapon, if your ship has these capabilities. A turret takes up four times the space of nomad weapons. All weapons have a firing arc of 90". with the exception of turrets, which are capable of firing through 360". There are three ship Storage Yards. You can cycle through them by pressing A, B, or C or by clicking on the specific area. When you build a ship in the Warehouse it gets stored here. Clicking on a stored ship exchanges the stored ship for your current ship. It might be a good idea to keep a couple of different ship configurations here. Since there is a trade off between weapons capability and cargo capacity, having two specialized ships (one for transporting cargo, the other for fighting) might be a good idea. T h e ship's scrap area is accessed by pressing S or by clicking on the wrecking crane. This is where you can scrap the current ship in order to build another, should all the Storage Yards be filled. Scrapped hulls cannot be salvaged to replenish raw materials because of the effects of f a s t e r - t h a n - l i g h t travel on the structure of a ship. However, weapons a n d engines can be removed and refurbished for use on another ship. All weapons and engines are destroyed if they are still on a ship when it is scrapped! Pressing N allows you to recommission a ship with a different name.

R,L,F,T

ips have as many as ten mounts available for pons. Hull size 1 only has room for 2 weapons. same constraints for engines a n d Navigation mputers apply to weapons a n d Targeting

Weapons
:A11 ship's weapons can be placed into four basic categories: cannons, lasers, missiles, and bolts. The maximum range for any weapon is 8. The odds of hitting with any shipboard weapon except missiles is dependent on the skill of your crewmembers (See Crew Quarters). Because William's primary skills are in this area, he fires the weapons. If he dies the crewmember that has the next highest ship's weapons skill will fire. Range to target is also a factor with Cannons and Bolts. Cannons Cannons are simple projectile weapons and do the least amount of damage of the four weapon types. They only do half as much damage as an equivalent sized laser. H o w e v e r , they have the advantage of recycling and reloading the fastest of all weapons. The cannon is the smallest weapon, it does 1 point of damage. The slightly larger mass driver would do 2 points of damage. Each unit of range lowers the chance to hit by 5%. Lasers These multi-Megawatt coherent light weapons work in the same fashion as p e r s o n a l laser weapons. Because of the time needed to charge the capacitors that power these weapons, they fire only half as fast as the cannon weapons. Lasers are also the only weapons that lose significant power as the range to target increases. A basic laser does 2 points of damage at range 1. The larger X-ray laser does 4 points of damage at range 2 and 2 points at range 1.

A,B,C

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Missiles Missiles are dumb point-and-shoot weapons. The small ones are unguided and bear a closer relationship to torpedoes than to the smart missiles in Earth's arsenal. Larger missile weapons are guided, fire-and-forget smart missiles. Armed with small nuclear warheads, they pack a little more punch than lasers, and fire a little faster. A missile size 1 does 3 points of damage. Bolts The most powerful ship-based weapons are these bolts of focused energy. These weapons fire very slowly: about once for every four cannon shots, but they have twice the impact of lasers. The impact of bolts is rather uncontrolled. They will hit a random shield regardless of where you aim them. The Grav Bolt does 4 points of damage; there was mention in the ETS databases of a bolt weapon that would do 32 points of damage. One hit from this would vaporize a size I ship such as the Ulysses!!!

Rarity

Location

Alpha-Centauri Uncommon U s a g e : These are carbon-based organic compounds; the rough equivalent ofcompost. They are used in all low tech weapons, medical kits, and armor. They are used less in higher tech equipment. Aldhibain Uncommon Radioactives Usage: Low level radioactive materials, these are fissionable Uranium derivatives common to all low to medium tech atomic guns, starship engines, medkits, and they are also found in some higher tech powerpacks.
Crystals

Atria Uncommon Usage: Crystals consist of high quality silicon and quartz. They are used in all electronic gear and scanners. Most lasers use some, and most ship parts need some.
Heavy

Usage: This iron/tungsten/molybdenum alloy provides the basic structure of almost everything and is the major component of smaller ships. Alphard Uncommon Inert Gasses because they are not chemically active, Inert Usage: A mixture of noble gasses, Gasses are used in laser based equipment and gas powered projectile weapons. They are also used in medkits and ship engine cooling systems. While not very common, Inert Gasses are always found in large quantities.
S o f t Metals Common Sirius

Metals

Common

Sol

Usage: This amalgam of lead, aluminum and tin is used in almost everything especially in low tech projectile weapons, ammunition, and lasers.
Common Liquids

Chara Common Usage: Common liquids include such things as water and ammonia. They are used primarily in medical equipment, but they are also used heavily in ships and engines.
Unknown Extremely Rare Usage: A form of soft plastics, the usage for these solids is unknown at this time. A small amount was found on the ETS hulk, but there was no reference to them i n the databases.

H y b r i d Solids

The Moonbase scientists have also identified the following materials, and believe that you will need to find some of them in your travels in order to build some of the more powerful alien items. The Warehouse is where raw materials are stored for Moonbase. The raw materials can be used to create new items to outfit your crew, new weapons for your ship, or taken for trade with other planets. Across the top of the screen are tubes that show the relative amounts of raw materials you have on hand. Following is a list of all the materials that were listed in the ETS databases, along with the availability, location of the nearest system or sector that you can find supplies of each item, and what it is u s e d for.
Planet's Edge Reference Alien

Ankaq Sector Rare Usage: Alien Gasses have the same uses as Inert Gasses, except that they are used for higher tech variants.
Gasses

Alien

Alnasl sector Rare Metals Usage: Heavily used in larger ships and high tech weapons.
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Element

Rarity

Location

Alien Isotopes Very Rare Zaurak Sector Uses: The most exotic atomic guns, high power engines, and advanced defense mechanisms need this. Alien Isotopes are very rare and found in extremely small quantities. Alien Crystals Rare Alhena Sector Usage: Alien Crystals are a primary component of high tech electronics gear as well as high wattage lasers. They are a necessary component of larger ships as
well.

e Build Ship menu is for building parts to upgrade your ship or building entirely new ship hulls. Everything from more powerful engines and weapons, to completely new hulls can be built here. One of the most important things for you to search for is n e w ship plans, so that Moonbase engineers can build you larger, more capable, s h i p s which are so large that they could carry the Ulysses in their cargo hold. Any ship larger than a size 2 would be incapable of landing on the surface of the Earth.

Alien Organics Rare Ankaq Sector Usage: The primary use for these is heavy-duty medical supplies. Alien Liquids Rare Usage: Same as alien organics Izar sector

Rare Elements Very Rare Zaurak Sector Usage: These are only used in the most powerful engines. New Elements Very Rare Kornephoros Sector Usage: The highest tech weapons, ammunition, and ships require these elements. The Build Objects menu lists all the items that you can build (weaponry, armor, medicines, and other items), based on your technology level and the raw materials you have available to you. The Moonbase engineers are capable of replicating almost any weapon or armor you bring back to the Moon, provided you also have the materials and technology needed to fabricate it. The list of objects you can build will g r o w as you discover new items and technologies. The Cargo menu allows you to transfer items between your ship's cargo bays, and the Warehouse. According to the alien records that were aboard the ETS, there are h u g e merchant trading areas throughout the galaxy. You should be able to trade materials that Moonbase has a surplus of for rare materials and information. Transfer items to your ship by highlighting the item you want to take, and pressing the + key, or by using the Left Mouse button. To remove items from your ship, highlight them a n d press the -key, or the Right Mouse button. The available cargo space on your ship is indicated by the number at the top of the menu. The Take Objects menu allows you to equip your crew with the new items you made in the Build Objects area. At the top of the items window the crewmember's name and number of items they can still carry are displayed. Select the crewmember that you want to give the new item to, highlight the item you want the person to have, and press Enter, or click the Left Mouse button.

, The Crew Quarters are where the members of your crew are cloned. Should a crewmember be killed in the line of duty, this is where you would go to have them recreated. You can also use the cloning chamber to create crewmembers that have abilities more suited to your needs. Because cloning us not an exact science, each to the original. clone will have slightly different abilities when c A s you start the cloning process, you will get a display of each new clone's physical statistics and abilities. Body tells you how physically fit and how much damage a crewmember can take. Intelligence controls the number of skills a given clone can

loning New World Computing Planet's Edge Reference ew

Nelson

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There are sixteen skills and every crewmember has three of them as their basic skills. The sixteen skills are: Astrogation How well a crewman is able to pilot a ship. Ship's Beam Weapons This skill is needed to focus and hit with a ship's laser weapons. Ship's Bolt Weapons - This is the skill needed to successfully hit with a ship's bolt weapons. Ship's Projectile Weapons This is necessary to fire a ship's missile and gun weapons. Leadership A high leadership score enhances the abilities of the other crewmembers. Communications-This ability governs how well you can communicate with alien r a c e s and understand the output of the scanner. Diplomacy This skill helps in your negotiations with alien races for goods and information. Ship's Repair The higher the score in this category, the faster your ship is repaired after combat. Item Repair This controls your ability to repair personal items, like weapons and armor. Computers -How well crewmembers interface with both ship-board and alien computers. Hand Weapons A crewman's skill in using hand-to-hand weapons such as swords a n d daggers. Light Weapons A crewman's skill in using small arms like hand lasers and pistols Heavy Weapons A crewman's skill in using military issue weapons such as m a c h i n e guns and assault lasers. Xenohiology This skill will help should you need to treat an alien. First Aid This is the ability to successfully treat minor ailments. Surgery A high score in this skill is needed to treat major injury. Each crewmember has three primary skills, while the number of secondary skills is determined by their intelligence. Skill levels are gauged on a scale from 0 to 100 with 100 being totally competent in that area. A secondary skill will always be weaker than any of the three primary skills. William's primary skills are Astrogation plus two of these three; Ship's Beam Weapons, Ship's Bolt Weapons, a n d Ship's Projectile Weapons. Katya, as Weapons Officer, specializes in Heavy, Light, and Hand Weapons. Nelson, as Ship's Engineer, is especially adept at Ship Repair, Item Repair, and Computers. Osai gets First Aid, Surgery, and Xenohiology.

The Research Lab The Research Lab is where the Moonbase engineers and scientists will take the parts you discover and attempt to recreate the alien device. It is here that you can see a blueprint of the plans, and, gauge the scientist's progress as you bring parts of the device back to the moon. Also, as you encounter other cultures and gain more technical knowledge, you will see the Research Lab grow in size. Save Game This command will list the names of the games that you have already saved, along with a NEW command for creating saved games. Each saved game requires about 200,000 bytes of free disk space. Your current game is saved every time your crew b e a m s down. 8 Load Game The Load Game command displays the games you have saved and lets you load a s a v e d game. 0 Quit to DOS Exits Planet's Edge. Press or click twice to activate.

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Intersystem
t or +

and Interstellar Space Travel
This command lets you communicate with ships. The ship pictured in the lower left-hand caner is the one that you communicate with. If the ship is non-hostile, the Communicate command changes to Close Channel. This will let you break of communications after you have talk to them. If they are hostile, then you can attack them (see Space Combat).

Left and Right arrows control the direction of flight Up and Down arrows control the speed of your ship.

+ or J

N S e l e c t s the navigation console. W Selects the weapons console. E Selects engineering console. S S e l e c t s science console. The mouse can be used for directional control by clicking in the direction that you want the ship to travel. Speed can also be controlled with the mouse by clicking on the arrows that are between the Navigator and the Science Officer, All consoles can be accessed by clicking on the respective crewmembers

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Weapons Officer controls

Navigator Menu
Engage Auto-Pilot T h e Navigator controls the autopilot systems on your ship. In order to d i s e n g a g e autopilot and fly under m a n u a l control, you enter the autopilot menu and press Esc. The ship's a u t o p i l o t is auto-configuring. In interstellar space you have to use manual control on your first visit to a system. To enter a system, you must fly directly into the star you wish to visit, W h e n you enter any system, your autopilot will automatically record your c o o r d i n a t e s for future visits. Navigator's controls Pursuit Mode Upon receiving this order your navigator will follow the nearest ship until you give him the order to stop. This is an excellent way to find out what systems other ships are visiting. This command becomes Cancel Pursuit after pursuit mode has been enabled. View Starmap This can be accessed by pressing M. On the map, systems that you have visited are displayed in green. The map automatically keeps your ship at the exact center of the starmap. Enter Orbit This can be accessed by pressing 0. This option is activated as soon as a planet is displayed in the scanner. Your ship will automatically go to the planet and establish orbit. This command becomes Leave Orbit after orbit has been established. New World Computing Planet's Edge Reference

S c i e n c e Officer H e a l Crew
Heals up to half a crewmember's total damage to their Body score. Upon your return to Moonbase, all living crewmembers will be fully healed. Dead crewmembers must be re-cloned in Crew Quarters. Scan Target Your Science Officer will scan a planet while in orbit for raw materials, and beam d o w n locations.

Beam Down
This sends all the ships occupants to the ground. This becomes Touch Down while o r b i t i n g Moonbase. Not every planet has an acceptable beam down location.

Ship's Engineer
Ship Status This displays current weaponry and engines, and their status. It is a good idea to c h e c k this menu after battle as weapons and engines might have been destroyed.


tor Menu
Your navigator will program the `s computer to keep right behind argeted ship. Evade This will cause you to keep as much d i s t a n c e as possible between you and the enemy. If you are fighting multiple ships, they can outflank you by coming at you from both sides. Go slow/go fast T h i s menu controls the speed of p u r s u i t and evasion. Scanning an alien world.

Space Combat
As you travel from star to star, you will meet many other space faring races; some that are hostile pirates; others that are peaceful trading merchants. While not encouraged, piracy can be used as a tool to get materials that are not available in the s y s t e m s you have traveled. O n c e you give your weapons officer the order to attack, all personnel and s h i p ' s screens switch to combat mode,

anual Control This allows you to control the combat movements of your ship. Because of the scarcity of resources, the integrity of your ship is of primary importance. A size 1 ship hull has a shield strength of 10. Larger ships will have better shielding and more weapon capacity. The scanner in the lower left corner of the screen displays the statistics on the currently targeted ship. The scanner lists the size, speed, range from your ship, and current damage of the other ship. Should you find your ship out gunned, you can flee the battle by distancing yourself 30 lengths from the other ship(s) and giving your engineer the order to disengage.

Weapons Menu
Automatic Fire The weapons officer will have the c o m p u t e r fire upon the enemy as soon as you have aimed the ship and/or a weapon is read to be fired. Manual Fire This lets you decide when to shoot by pressing the Space Bar. Switch Target This all&s you to change targets when you are engaged by multiple ships. Self-Destruct To he used with caution Self-Destruct requires confirmation to enact, but it will ensure that any Moonbase technology will not fall into the hands of hostile aliens. New World Computing The Ulysses takes a hif to the starboard shields Planet's Edge Reference New World Computing


Planetary Exploration
The majority of your adventure is spent in exploring the surface of planets. Your primary objective while on the ground is to find out what happened to Earth. Secondary objectives are to contact aliens, and to increase technical knowledge. Here is some basic information about exploration, assuming that things on other worlds work in the same manner as the equipment on the ETS. Unlocked doors open automatically when a crewmember passes in front of them. Every object you may find should have an entry in the scanner's database if you examine it. Looking at an item gives you a general description; If you are more curious Searching will let you know if it is significant. Searching panels, levers and buttons may help you discover uses for them. If you pickup an item, then you can Examine it. You should also by to Talk to everyone in order to get information about the Centauri Drive. Use items on people you meet, in order to give things to them. Upon beaming down, the following control icons become available for communicating with the ground party. Palettes 1 and 2 are displayed initially, and can be swapped with palettes 3 and 4 by clicking the Right M o u s e Button. Icon Palettes Keypress Icon Palette 1 Press G 0
Press L Press D

at mode is exited by all characters taking a turn without being attacked. around the planet's surface is done by "sing the arrow keys, or by holding the use button down in the direction you want the crewmembers to go.

e possibility of meeting hostile aliens on the planet's surface cannot be denied. ere are four basic classes of weapons: Hand weapons, projectile weapons, beam batomic weapons. Hand weapons, like sword and maces, are for Projectile weapons are the most common weapons. Pistols, machine f various types are included in this category. Beam weapons, lasers and the like, are very accurate at long range. Subatomic weapons are powerful, but i n a c c u r a t e and hard to maintain. Weapons are also divided into two types, heavy t weapons. Light weapons are usually small, personal weapons. Heavy weapons are military-type assault weapons. Protection from weapons is in the form of armor. There are four classes of armor: Hand-to-hand, projectile, reflective, and subatomic. Hand-to-hand armor is primarily a defense against hand weapons. Projectile armor, which includes things like flak jackets and Kevlar armor, stops bullets and other types of shots. Reflective armor is a deterrent to beam weapons. subatomic armor is specially designed for radiation protection, although we believe that medieval plate armor might be even better than this specialized armor. Even though the armor absorbs some of the impact, damage is passed through. If you are wearing the wrong armor type, the protection is minimal.

Palette I

Press E Icon Palette 2 Press A Press u : Press T Press I ii Icon Palette 3 Press c 0
Press M

Get something from an adjacent square Look at an adjacent area Drops an item from inventory Examines an item in inventory A t t a c k / S h o o t someone or something Use an item from your inventory Talks to an adjacent person I n v e n t o r y of current character Enter Combat Mode (Control individual crewmembers)* Display short range map Exit from Planet's Edge Display long range map S a v e s a game Wield a weapon or wear a piece of armor L o a d s a saved game A c t i v a t e s Tele-trans
Planet's Edge Reference

Palette 2

H Palette 3

Press Alt Q Press Shift M

Icon Palette 4 P r e s s Control S Press w : P r e s s Control L Press B

Palette 4
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Ground patrol
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Below each crewmember icon is a bar showing the remaining amount of damage they can take, and a button that shows how much armor is remaining. The bar is lit from red to green, and as a crewmember takes more damage the bar gets shorter and more red. After about 50%. they have received more damage than can be healed with a first aid kit. The armor button starts out green, and as your armor takes more damage, turns blue, yellow, red, and then grey when the armor is destroyed.

Final Mission Notes from Commander Polk
If you check the Warehouse, you will notice that we have built a few extra items in order that you may outfit your crewmembers differently before you leave. You can also build a few more supply items there. In the Shipyards we also have a few extra items, so that you can customize the Ulysses to more suit what you may find out there. I cannot stress more the importance of visiting Alpha-Centauri first. By tracing the path of the ETS, it would appear that it came from near there. Also, according to the ETS databases, Alpha-Centauri is also the location of a large scientific outpost. The known sectors of the galaxy are a huge exploration project. Having a small idea of where to progress next in returning the Earth would be a great help. Good luck, and Godspeed!

General Key Commands Press Alt S P r e s s Alt M Press Alt Q Press Control s P r e s s Control L Space Key Commands Press++ Press * 4 Press SPACE P r e s s F1-F10 Press T Press M Press S Press N Press E Press W Press O Land Key Commands Press 1-4

Toggles sound effects on/off Toggles music on/off Quits Planet's Edge Saves your current game Loads a saved game Turns ship left and right Accelerate /Decelerate Fires all available weapons in combat Fires individual weapons Switch Target Display Star Map S c i e n c e Menu Navigation Menu Engineering Menu Weapons Menu Orbit planet Makes that character the leader. Press twice to View Character. Walk left, right, up and down Attack Activate Tele-trans and Beam up to ship Puts crewmembers in Combat Mode. This gives you control o v e r each player's movements individually. Drop item Examine item in inventory Get item Inventory Look at something Look at Small Map Look at Large Map Pass; Next person's turn in combat Search Looks at something with more detail; search dead body; search for hidden uses T a l k to another being Use an item on something or someone Wear/Wield armor or weapons Cycle through available Targets Planet's Edge Reference

Press c

Press D Press E Press G Press I Press L Press M P r e s s Shift-M Press SPACE Press S

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Press T Press u Press w Press Tab New World Computing


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Credits
Directed By Eric Hyman Jon Van Caneghem Designed By Eric Hyman Neal Hallford Kenneth L. Mayfield Jon Van Caneghem Programming Eric Hyman Technical & Creative Writing Neal Hallford Sound Todd Hendrix Art Direction Kenneth L. Mayfield Computer Graphics Kenneth L. Mayfield Jonathan P. Gwyn Louis Johnson Manual Pentegnath Productions Neat Hallford Manual lllustrations Kenneth L. Mayfield Jonathan P. Gwyn Map lllustrations Focus On Design Production Greg Malone Focus On Design Playtesters Benjamin Bent Dave Hathaway Paul Malone Paul Flatner Scott T. Smith Allen Treschler G o o b e r Buddy Ron Spitzer

90-Day Limited Warranty New World Computing Inc., warrants the original diskette on which this program is recorded to befree from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase. If such a defect should occur during this 90-day period, you may return the diskette to New World Computing, Inc. for a free replacement diskette. After 90 days, enclose $10.00 to cover costs of media replacement and shipping charges.


Chronology
This account is an attempt by the U.N.F.A. Central Committee to brief/y explain those events that have led to the apparent disappearance of planet Earth, This chronology has been compiled in hopes that it may be of use to the crew of the now c d oe named "Planet's 9 MAY 2045 Edge" mission.

Five hours prior to the scheduled launch of Unity, a Level 2 pre-flight diagnostic of the Ionic Propulsion System reveals a .976% deficiency in the drive's field strength. The countdown is halted. After seventeen h o u r s , the ship's 10 man crew is ordered to disembark the ship. The joint U.S. - New Soviet mission to Mars is placed on a 240 hour hold for an evaluation of the

problem.
An object discovered by ElectroOptical Blink Comparison Automated Sky Survey. The master sky survey computer (SkyServComp) designates the discovery `comet 2045 jun22:72:08:66tt O b 'ject I S resurveyed. Range and trajectory are t e n t a t i v e l y established; path is approximately hyperbolic. SkyServComp renames the apparently extrasolar object `ESO 2045At'. Consensus is reached soon after the first images are relayed from Moonbase: the pictures are somewhat f u z z y , but the object is judged to be a powered craft o f extrasolar origin. The object is now referred to as the `ETS' (extraterrestrial ship). Debate rages over whether or not to attempt to c o n t a c t the ETS. and what sort of message to send if the attempt is made. Due to the crisis, U.N.F.A. indefinitely suspendsthelaunchofthe Marsexpedition. 19 M Y 2045 A

: 1 M Y 05 5 A 24

16 MAY 2045 Numerous anomalies cause SkyServComp to bring ESO 2045-A to the attention of a human supervisor. No coma gasses are detected despite extraordinary : brightness, suggesting albedo on the order of polished metal. Dopplervelocitycalculationsconfirmextrasolar : : origin. Tracking observations differ significantly from calculated trajectories. No record of any probe or craft ever sent out from Earth can be made to match ESO 2045-A. 18MAY2045 ~ Various government offices are contacted. including the United Nations First Approach team headquarters, on darkside Luna. The base's 20 meter optical observation instrument is trained on the object, An Emergency Reaction Teleconference is convened, bringing government, academic and private experts from two worlds together in an electronic convention. 2

20 MAY 2045

Official United Nations messages of peace and 24 MAY 2045 friendship are relayed on all frequencies, but evoke no response. Refinements of the ETS's trajectory analysis indicate that with its present course and rate of deceleration, it will arrive near Earth's vicinity on or : : around 23 June. Transmissions graduallychangeintone. Withincreasing 25 MAy forcefulness a warning is sent and repeated that 3J N 2 4 U E 05 approaching the Earth without communication or ,, authorization may be considered a hostile act. 3


4 JUNE-

15 JUNE 2045 :

: :j 16 JUNE 2045 The United Nations First Approach bureau assembles a contact squad from their available astronauts, ~: : Officers Dean, Tsakafuchi. Ngatadatu and Mershova are selected and placed on standby. Captain Wes : Alan- Klarr is chosen as Captain, 2 J N 24 3U E 05

All known space-effective weapon systems are put under a unified United Nations command and brought to a high state of readiness. Strict orders are given to not initiate hostilities, and warnings are issued to all nations to take no unilateral military action under pain of severe UN counterreaction, Public reaction is predictably mixed. Millenarian movements stage a number of public demomtrations as general hysteria mounts

An immediate concern arises that Luna, without Earth's 26 JUNE 2045 g r a v i t y to anchor it, might be flying away on a new orbital path. Observations and calculations are quickly performed. Scientists are confused about the new data which seems to suggest that the Earth is still in place. A plan is devised to use weather satellites to further studythenew anomaly. Repeated gravitational studies indicate that the Earth's mass seems to be present. Base Commander Polk orders a logistical analysis in d e p t h of all remaining resources. 27 JUNE 2045

28 JUNE 2045

ETS reaches Earth, and establishes itself in orbit, It begins to mimic the peace and friendship messages relayed by earth in a series of "monkey transmissions". Tracked by all major stations on earth and Luna, the telemetry is fed instantly into a network for distribution to military, government and scientific centers.

W e a t h e r satellites are observed moving through the 29 JUNE 2045 space formerly occupied by Earth. Telemetry and 21:00 C.L.S.T. images from the satellites return unaffected , but their paths are warped just as they would have been by t h e missing planet's gravity. A scientific board concludes that the Earth has been t r a p p e d in a space-time warp whose exact nature is unknown. 23:43 C.L.S.T.

1 J N 2 4 Fast orbital interceptors launch from the Wu Chen 8U E 05 08:09 C.L.S.T station despite warnings from the U.N. Thepre-emptive strike is ineffective and is followed by a chilling ceasation of the ETS imitative transmissions. 23 JUNE 2045 11:19 C.L.S.T. ETS completes two circuits around the Earth and begins a third when observation instruments record a flash originating from the alien craft followed by a burst of radio static. Personnel at Moonbase at first believe that it is the ETS re-establishing communication, but the static crackle quickly becomes an overwhelming roar of white noise, pouring through every channel on every band of the electromagnetic spectrum. Data links with Earth suddenly fall silent. Most satellite telemetry is also lost in the same instant. Operators refuse to believe what the orbital instruments tell t h e m . Reports filter in from human observers at Luna nearside outposts. Every communication channel on Luna is occupied for ten minutes as U.N.F.A. base commandersolemnlyannounces thedisappearance : o f the planet earth.

Base Commander Polk orders a gig dispatched to the 30 JUNE 2045 wreckage of the ETS for fact-finding purposes. Captain Wes Alan-Klarr of the contact squad killed by radiation p o i s o n i n g . No new Captain assigned. More personnel sent to ETS to begin large scale 3 JULY 2045 investigation of the vessel and its contents. Several discoveries of importance are made, including the r e t r i e v a l of alien artifacts and information. The alien Standardized Symbolic/Cognitive Logic Unit 20 JULY 2045 found aboard the ETS is finally coded with English, G e r m a n and Japanese dialects. With a relatively low error margin it begins to translate alien scientific : : d o c u m e n t s into a comprehensible form. U.N.F.A. calls a crisis meeting to discuss the future of 29 JULY 2045 Luna. The entire population of Luna (823) is in ; attendance. It is announced that Luna only has the resources to maintain itself for three years before it collapses. Alternate plans are called for. 5

,,

:

i

:

:; i i

2 J N 2 4 D a y of Mourning proclaimed, Observers note that the 4U E 05 ETS was destroyed, but a sizable hulk remains, 4


To: Captain &Crew of U.N.F.A. Exploration Vessel Ulysses Recorded 0730 ZU 1 4 August 2045 P l e a s e note that the following document is a written transcript o f the transmission NLUN-ULY 2045.148 exchanged between t h e captain of the Ulysses and Luna Base Commander Mason P o l k . All information contained herein was transmitted with no linguicoding and on an unsecured channel

From: Mason R. Polk. C. - Cmdr Moonbase Re: Objectives of mission "Planet's Edge"

Begin

Transcript

Good morning Captain. Or at least let us hope that someday soon w e ' l l be able to have good mornings again. I ' m giving you this briefing verbally now. but it's being recorded and transcribed so that you can refer back to it later. This will also be i n c l u d e d in the "handbook" that Records is collating for you. Everyone on Moonbase knows roughly what's been happening over the last months. We've all been working double shifts ever since ETS blew up. When the Earth disappeared, I couldn't see any hope at all of anyone here at Moonbase being alivein six months. Idon'tknow how manytimestheargument's been madethatweoughtto be selfsufficient, but the people in charge back home kept putting off m a k i n g a commitment. so here we are... As base commander. I knew I had to keep people busy to help them cope with the shock. I had to keep morale up. Just between us, I admit that I myself was convinced that everything we were doing would turn out to be futile in the end. But I am not about to let our p e o p l e suffer a total loss of hope. T h e logistics staff has taken stock of our resources and options. It would seem that by exerting a maximum effort we could keep going for the next three years. I see on my monitor that that surprises you as well. The drawback is that this option required every gram of material, every watt of power, and every last waking man-hour be devoted to nothing but sheer survival. There would be nothing left over for anything but barely holding on to life, for just a few days longer, W h i l e I was sitting at my desk contemplating this bit of news, my autosec signaled that it had a report from Gregory Cole for me. As I read it, some wheels began to turn in my head. As you know, he found the alien ship a total wreckage...as far as we can tell the crew simply dissolved.

What I did next was to send more people down to that ship. I had a hunch that if Earth's mass was still out there, maybe the rest of the planet, and its people were... somewhere. Maybesomewherewhere w e could reach out and yank them back. The knowledge of how to do that existed in only one place, if it existed at all, and that was aboard the ETS. What I really wanted to tell you in this briefing is that some of us now think that there may be some hope after all. You, Captain, are going to be a large part of that hope. Lately, you've been helping out in the rebuilding of our shops and shipyards. A lot of that, and all the other activity that's been going on since the Event (oh yes, that's what we're recalling the ETS disaster now) has been concerned with survival, now that we're cut off from resupply. But most of our effort over the last four weeks has been devoted to decrypting documents and other information sources found aboard the ETS, and trying to figure out what it all means. A great deal of the data on that ship was lost or scrambled during the Event, due to the semi-volatile nature of its recording media, but some usable data remained. From that we've pieced together a partial picture of the culture the ET ship came from, and from that, I've come up with a plan. You will forgive me if the plan seems a little d e s p e r a t e , but we are a people in desperate situation. I also believe that it offers the only hope that I can see for saving all our lives and, m o r e importantly, restoring the Earth. "AutoSec Note: Iwantyou,Captain,to takeacrewoffour Klan's death is o f the best people we've got and head out noted as 30 June into the galaxy. The contact team is already 2045. Cause of w e l l suited to the mission and I believe their death listed as assistance would be invaluable. Since radiation Captain Klarr's death" the team has been very committed and they will follow your poisoning. o r d e r s explicitly as they followed his. A s you well know we have an extensive "Boneyard" of ship parts. lwantyou toputtogetherashipfromall thescrapwe have, and from any other ship you need to cannibalize, and from parts of the ETS that we were able to salvage. Oh yes, we were able to get a working star drive for you from the wreck. I want you to lift off next week by the twentieth, by Space Day. Since it's your life on the line, I'll leave the final configuration of your ship up to you. We've got the yards operating well. and the `Boneyard Crew' can quickly provide you with any ship that is physically possible for them to assemble. At the moment we can only build out of the parts we have on hand, but Chief Engineer Pleadwell has been pouring over the alien information we've salvaged, and she's promised miracle ships if we can just get her the resources, and the complete specs. 7


Your main mission is, of course, to help recover the Earth. There is a machine aboard the ETS that we're pretty certain caused the Earth's disappearance. Or I should say, there was a m a c h i n e . As the pictures sent back by Cole indicated, it melted into a slag heap and most of it was fused with the floor grates. The only reason we know that it was a part of anything is from the blueprints that the S.S.C.L.U. translated for us. After raking over the thing we have determined that the aliens, whoever they were. were in the m i d s t of conducting a scientific experiment with a new drive system, an experiment thatsadlywentverywrongand unintentionally shoved t h e Earth into some kind of space-time rift. At first Lt. Ngatadatu of the Contact team thoughtthatthedevice was a FTL (Faster Than Light) device but they concluded that the Centauri Drive's principles were far more complicated. Since our last s u r v e y indicated that it seemed to have come from near Centauri, the device has been nicknamed the 'Centauri Drive.' In any case, we b e l i e v e that our only hope lies in recreating that fatal experiment in our laboratories here on Luna. To do that. we'll need parts and more information and the only place that those commodities can be f o u n d is out there...somewhere. We need you to go out into the galaxy. Captain, and do whatever you have to do. Find the parts so that we can fix the `Centauri Drive.' The advice we can give you on how to go about doing this is limited. You'regoing to have to wing it a lot, my friend. Findoutwhatyoucan, m a k e the best decisions that you can, and if it comes down to the wire, play your hunches. Our Records people have compiled a star map for you with information retrieved from the ETS. As you will notice, it is a survey of the immediate "neighborhood" of 128 parsecs. We have only presented on it those star systems that have been crossreferenced against the ETS "active" systems database. If there are a n y closer inhabited stars. they have been uncontacted by the crew of ETS. You and your crew will have more in common with the ancient Greeks than you will with the astronauts of NASA or ESA. Like the argonauts you'll go sailing off into the unknown with virtually no contactwithusuntilyoureturn. Incidentally, that's why we christened your ship `Ulysses.' Before I end this transmission there is something I feel I need to tell you. Although we have determined by analysis that our somewhat u n w e l c o m e visitor was from a benevolent race, we have been able to determine that other races out there are not so friendly. Of the i m a g e s that we have managed to retrieve from the alien databanks, anumberseemtochroniclewhatcouldonlybecalledtechnological b a r b a r i s m . I am transmitting now what is undeniably a space battle in progress The picture should appear on the right hand of your screen.

The reason that I bring this up is so that you may be aware of the dangers that lie ahead for you and your crew out there. I realize that your are no innocent child, but at the same time I realize the certain n a i v e t e that comes when a people embark on a voyage to a new world. I also state this so that I can make clear the position of U.N.F.A. and that of the absent Earth. We are a peaceful people on a peaceful mission, but if your lives are unduly endangered, then you are authorized to use whatever force is necessary to achieve your mission objectives, A copy of these mission orders is to be kept in your handbook. I've lost a lot of sleep agonizing over the decision to send you out. B y committing our resources to this slim hope. we won't be able to keep going for three years... at most we will be able to keep alive for eight to twelve months more. By next week we'll be committed. As of Space Day we will irrevocably become members of the galactic c o m m u n i t y At this point there can be no turning back. When you lift, we'll be past the point of no return!

9


To the Captain of U.N.F.A. Exploration Vessel

Ulysses
Port of origin: Moonbase - Luna - Sol 3/1 To be commissioned and launched 20 August 2045 9

Secure technological intelligence data relevant to the accomplishment of the Prime Mission, and return it to Moonbase. Secure political and cultural intelligence data concerning galactic cultures relevant to the accomplishment of the Prime Mission, and return it to Moonbase.

------ MISSION ORDERS ------

5 You may 6 You may use force preemptively against elements previously determined to be consistently hostile, if contact is unavoidable, Secure materials, supplies, devices and components toenablefutureexpansionofyourvessel'sandcrew's capabilities. and return them to Moonbase. 10
11

- - - - - - - - - END OF ORDERS ----------Mason R. Polk, Cmdr Moonbase authcode alpha-436-hgst-9924-jm-6598

7


D.O.B.: 17 October 2013

Residence: Tulsa. O k l a h o m a : U.S.A. A g e : 31 H e i g h t : 184 cm M a s s : 93 kg
Gender: Male Academic credits:

D.O.B.: 16 February 2019 Residence: Toshimo-Ku. Tokyo: Japan
Age: 26 Height: 16.5 cm Mass: 59 kg Gender:

Female

2036 M.A. Linguistics/ Anthropology University of Tulsa 2 0 3 7 -Certificate of Xenological Studies S.E.T.I. Foundation Commission: U.N.F.A. Contact Specialist
Mission Duties:

Academic credits:

2037 B.S. Biophysics N a g a s a k i National University 2041 M.D. University of Edinburgh Medical Specialist

Commission: U.N.F.A. Mission Duties:

Ship's Pilot C o m m a n d e r . Contact Team Flight Communications

S h i p ' s Physician Ship's Chief Scientist

uthorization Code: A76-BV4.3

Confirmation Officer: Steed, Ben F.

Authorization Code: A76-BM7.8

Confirmation Officer: Steed. Ben F.

The following is on excerpt from the S.E.T.I. Journal, published May 24, 2044 The article was later reprinted in expanded form under the tit/e of "operation Disbelief" in the August issue of CLU's Cultural Review.
A f t e r a grueling ten-day session of simulated talks, negotiations, a n d near disasters, William Dean of the S.E.T.I. Foundation w a s a w a r d e d the golden diplomacy star awarded by the World Crisis Diplomacy League. Every year the league awards the winner of its yearly "competition" for best resolution of a geopolitical crisis. T h i s year's competition was of particular interest to Dean because of its unusual theme. "They decided to try something different this year and focused on a very fictional situation." Dean explained. "Instead of the usual Mid-East crisis, they posed a scenario which featured multiple alien cultures euding over the mineral rights possessed by the earth. Most people approached the problem wondering what their logic was. I however elt that they probably wouldn't operate under a "logical" process. You had to discover how they emoted to solve the situation." 1 2

In recent years, Ms. Tsukofuchi has gained worldwide attention for her /earning studies, studies which make her a prime candidate for dealing with whatever cultures we may find out there. The following transcript is derived from a biography about her years with the World Disaster Relief Team, While The World Waits by Marsha Walker.
W h e n she was seven, Osai's father thought that he had lost her. In t h e midst of the most destructive typhoon to ever make landfall on Thailand she had wandered off in the chaos, disappeared into the s c r a m b l i n g masses as they taped windows, barred doors, stored food. L i k e migratory birds, trees loosed from the earth and hurled headlong i n t o parked cars. And in that horrifying storm, by fortune, he found her i n a sheltering alleyway. Even as the city howled around her, she was m i m i c k i n g what she had watched her doctor father do on so many o c c a s i o n s . By a tenuous thread. she wos nursing a man back from the b r i n k of death. In the course of her life, Osai Lin Tsakafuchi has made a number of such selfless lifesaving rescues, often endangering her own welfare...
13


D . O . B . : 23 September 2009 Residence: Babolshanda. New Gwelo A g e : 35 H e i g h t : 193 cm Mass: 100 kg Gender: Male Academic credits 2 0 2 9 B.A. Statistical and P r o b a b i l i t y Mathematics lekiku College 2032 M.E. Material S c i e n c e Bafu University 2038 Ph.D. Physics W o r l d University Commission: U.N.F.A. Space Engineering Mission Duties: Ship's Engineer A l i e n Technologies Specialist

D.O.B.: 4 June 2020 Residence: Ploesti, Muntenia, Romania. U.S.E. A g e : 25 H e i g h t : 168 cm Mass: 69 kg G e n d e r : Female Academic credits 2 4 B.S. Organic 01 Chemistry Ars A c a d a e m i a . St. Petersburg 2041 Master of Somatic Arts -An Acadaemio 2043 -Certificate of Explosives Science Funze Acadaemio Commission: U.N.F.A. Combat Master 2nd Class Mission Duties: S h i p ' s Weapons Control G r o u n d Combat Specialist

Authorization Cocte: A76-BS2. 1 I C o n f i r m a t i o n Officer: Steed. Ben F
Confirmation Officer Note: Materials on Officer Ngofadafu's life are fairly s c a r c e as he has been fierce/y devoted fo retaining privacy. This is the s o / e public document that describes him in any detail. Published in an i s s u e of Africaas. August 10.2043, Pg. 45 in personalities section. I n an anachronistic setting of Zulu spears and Baeler Computer S y s t e m s , Nelson Ngatadatu works his curious magic that he calls "lifes p a c e engineering". Far more at home in his bungalow in the B o b o i s h a n d a than the life support domes of the Luna moonbase, it s e e m s utterly ironic that an individual so dedicated to the preservation of the past would play such a major role in the development of the future. Nelson, however, believes that there can be no contradiction. "Some believe that life is simply a now, a point that is constantly in n o t i o n without connection. But it is a line, yes?" He pauses for a moment to take a drink of orange juice. "Each mechanism is travelling in a line, alive with its own needs, its own personality, with its own desires, if you will. A good engineer will see this, understand and he or she will help the n a c h i n e reach that goal."
14

The following report was filed by her recommending officer when Katya A n n i n i n a Mershova volunteered for dufy on the Unity Mars mission. She was approved on August 14,2044. " T h e officer that now requests transfer to the Unis Projekt has led an e x e m p l a r y life as I hove watched her grow from a child into an incredible young woman. S t r i k i n g even as a child, she was a gregarious individual, known by m a n y of her relatives as a "vibrant nuisance". Half-German, she has always been very proud of her parents, though they were killed when she was ten. Her brother, Stavi, a tutor at the Ars Acadaemia in St Petersburg raised her. At a young age she became entranced with the idea of becoming a gymnast and she displayed incredible promise. She w a s even under consideration for a spot on the Olympic team until an accident left her with a shattered collarbone. Eventually she turned her m i n d to more serious pursuits and excelled in chemistry; she was a better chemist some think. She eventually entered our service and became a fine officer. I shall miss her contribution to our state."
15


To: Captain of Ulysses From: Maria Pleadwell Moonbase Chief of Engineering Re: Ship's Systems aboard Ulysses
Your ship's systems will be in a constant state of flux, since nothing like it has ever been built before, and we anticipate major refittings a l m o s t every time you come into dock. S o m e things will remain fairly consistent, however. The central core section of your ship, where you and your crew will be living and working, is a modified scout class cruiser of Terrestrial o r i g i n . Using a human built ship for your central core makes many necessary ship's functions much easier to engineer, particularly w i t h the extremely tight schedule we must work with. Atmosphere regeneration, food, waste recycling, bunk space, control e r g o m e t r i c s and so on are all standard and well known to you, so y o u shouldn't have any problems maintaining them. We are treating ship's components of alien origin as black-box modules. There seems to be a great deal of standardization in control input ports for engines, energy shields and so on. We can `plug them into' your ship as a unit and use them without really having to understand in detail how they work. From tests we've run it seems that the ET machines are either fail safe, or self-maintaining. You should seldom if ever need to effect a repair on them, as they n e v e r seem to break down under normal conditions. Of course, there is no guarantee that they won't break down if someone vaporizes them in combat. Laser beams and atomic b o m b s are not normal operating conditions. We hope. F r o m your command chair, you will have a good overview of the ship's bridge. including the main viewing screen and all of your crew's duty stations. The main screen can be used to monitor ambient space while you are in flight; also it can give you a computer generated tactical view simulation. This is particularly i m p o r t a n t during ship to ship combat operations, Using input from c e r t a i n extraterrestrial remote sensing instruments, you will also be able to visually monitor your crew on the main viewing screen while

`Also visible from your command chair is a smaller navigational screen. Your orientation computer will output directly to this screen, i d e n t i f y i n g the destination star system that lies closest to your c u r r e n t flight path. Most routine operations will be handled by your crew as you direct them. but you will also be able to monitor many of their operational screens and r e a d o u t s `overtheirshoulders.' as it were. This is a redundancy that will enable you to perform certain functions, such as m a n e u v e r i n g your ship during combat, yourself, directly from y o u r command chair. We've been unable to flighttest your Faster Than Light engine, for obvious reasons. Your pilot and engineer are u n d e r g o i n g intensive briefings on all we know about it. both fromthealiendocumentation. a n d from our own static tests. They will be able to control it at your orders. We know that this c u r r e n t engine can be i m p r o v e d upon, so you might keep your eyes open when `out there' for plans and raw m a t e r i a l s so we can soup you up. Good luck and God speed.


To: Personnel of Ulysses F r o m : Cpt. Gwen Stroud - Chief of Moonbase Logistics Re: Available equipment / supplies / small arms / munitions I have been directed by Base Commander Polk to make all e q u i p m e n t and supplies in stores available to your expedition. You may find the following items to be particularly useful. Note t h a t quantities of a// items are limited, though we have product i o n facilities to replenish or expand our inventory of certain items a s / i f resources become available. ~ARwnu~,;A~P~~:c,:~:~,,", inven control no. J58-8776-777p mod 3, 29-1-42 quantity on hand 109 boxes / 36 each - 3924 rounds N o t e : U n j a c k e t e d depleted uranium standard velocity loads, R e s o u r c e s for manufacturing in quantity available. m: Viral System inven control no. V43-8276-465k l-l-45 quantity on hand - 10 boxes / 4 each - - - 40 rounds Note:Uses Broad Spectrum Viral Infectious Agent V-2; kills or disables quickly but not instantly. Agent quickly becomes b i o - i n e r t after initial target injection. R e f r i g e r a t e if possible. R o o m temp shelf-life 6 months, Resources for manufacturing in very limited quantity available.
.~~,~~~,,;:m~~~~,~

tity on hand - 500 boxes/ 100 each---50000 ` S t r i k e anywhere' type matches, store and use with care.

I c n i r /lu i ai gIn n e da yIl mn tn
Inven control no. M67-1112-4522 quantity on hand - 100 N o t e : T o r c h e s may be used for incendiary and/or illumination purposes when atmospheric oxygen is available in concentrations between 30% and 65%. R e s o u r c e s for manufacturing in quantity available, Thrower, Type: individual Small Arm ;

inven control no. M45-5161-523y quantity on hand 12 Note:Use with caution in atmospheres with high oxygen concentrations. R e s o u r c e for manufacturing available.
Egg& ~~~~~I~~;,~;~

inven control no. B45-1356-152j quantity on hand 314 Note:To be carried by individuals at all times for self treatment a n d treatment of others. L i m i t e d but fairly sophisticated auto-diagnostic capability. Resources for manufacturing and replenishing in quantity available.
m&&&,, ,~"~,~I~~~ p&mm ;; :

inven control no. A87-8462-681m 25(sm) 26(me) 27(lg) 28 (xl) quantity on hand - manufactured as needed N o t e : S t o c k kevlar w/ titanium mesh reinforcing, nylon cover, P r o v i d e s good protection against low velocity soft metal p r o j e c t i l e s , shrapnel, edged weapons and concussion, P r o v i d e s limited protection against high velocity hard m e t a l projectiles, n Device, Ice Excavating, Thermal-type i n v e n control no. G65-5844-611dx quantity on hand - 1 Note:Shovel blade heats and vibrates to cut quickly through ice. D i f f i c u l t to manufacture with resources at hand.

inven control no. D56-3132-662z quantity on hand - 628 N o t e : P r o v i d e s complete protection against known toxic and d e b i l i t a t i n g aerosols and gasses. W A R N I N G - t h i s device does not provide breathing oxygen to u s e r , but acts as a filter of ambient atmosphere only. Resources for manufacturing in quantity available. ,;mk-&*, Pikor-type inven control no. W58-561 l-l 15a quantity on hand 4 Note:Multipurpose digging tool / close-in weapon. R e s o u r c e s for manufacturing in limited quantity available.


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model 1997 General Service Mark V i n v e n control no. F45-4651-511d quantity on hand 18 Note:General service side arm, limited range. U s e s 12 round clips. R e s o u r c e s for manufacturing in limited quantity available. . Pistol, Viral Agent Fg;:~skm;:,::,,:;:,`,,`:;:

A-, cal 9 mm

have underway

t h a t may be of benefit

inven control no. A25-5841-455x quantity on hand 1 N o t e : B r o a d Spectrum Viral Agent V-2 delivering hand weapon, P r o j e c t i l e s are CO, propelled. U s e s 8 round clips. T h i s weapon has limited range. Resources for manufacturing in very limited quantity available. .;Rq+&; C~~~,~~~~~,:~~;~~~~~e inven control no. 815-1222-l 12f quantity on hand - manufactured as needed. N o t e : S t a t i c load rating 40,000 newtons. Shock load rating 122,000 newtons E l o n g a t i o n 11%. Discard after one maximum shock event or three halfm a x i m u m shock events or if jacket is worn through, R e s o u r c e s for manufacturing in quantity available, ~~~,,~~~ inven control no. SEP-1244-258 Mark XXVII mod 2 quantity on hand - 314 Note:Fits UN SpecStandard Body Sizes G - M. P r o v i d e s individual wearer protection against low pressure a n d hard vacuum conditions. P r o v i d e s individual wearer protection against unbreatha b l e atmospheric conditions up to 2500 millibars, Temperature comfort range 80" K - 390" K. Temperature survival range 60" K - 450" K. S e m i - h a r d construction provides wearer some limited p r o t e c t i o n against impact and projectile injury, WARNING not to be considered protective against high l e v e l s of penetrating ionizing radiation, R e s o u r c e s for limited manufacturing available. .;&& E v n e t l nr m n i o a


Assault Automatic Weapons
These fire clip fed 8 mm expanding bullets at a high rate (600 rpm) and high velocity (900 m/s). A recoil damping system a l l o w s the weapon to be fired while held. T h i s is a purely alien design, one that was hinted at in the ETS documents. It takes the physical form of a belt with an attached power (?) and or control (?) box. The apparent effect is to surround the wearer with a force screen of virtual mass, It would function well against kinetic energy weapons, but poorly against b e a m Weapons.

Fragmentation Grenades
These cause damage primarily through the action of high velocity metal fragments propelled radially outward from the point of detonation. and secondarily through the concussive e f f e c t of the detonation.

Mass Gun
This is another alien design. Through a poorly understood process, t h i s w e a p o n generates a collapsing magnetic and/or electrical (?) field that propels a spherical projectile. Range, accuracy, muzzle velocity, efficiency and effectiveness compared with c h e m i c a l l y propelled projectile weapons unknown.

laser Assault

Rifles

The beamfromtheseweaponscausesdamagethrough thermokinetic shock. It vaporizes a spot on the surface of the target, turning it into superheated gas. The reaction from the expansion of this gas transfers energy to the rest of the target in the form of a concussive shock wave. Accuracy is limited only by the s i g h t i n g system and by the skill of the user. The effectiveness of this weapon is drastically reduced by foggy /dusty conditions, and by reflective surfaces on the target.

Nixol launcher
T h i s is a launcher for canisters of noxious, corrosive gas. Details of its functioning will be delayed, pending actual construction a n d testing.

S e m i - a u t o m a t i c Assaun Rifles
Fires 5 mm hypervelocity expanding bullets from an eighteen r o u n d clip. (Artist sketch shown below.)

Reflec Armor
Mirrored body armor that is quite effective against beam w e a p o n s , but is less effective against other types of assaults.

T r a u m a Kit
With the addition of alien medical technology, and certain hinted at materials and methods, we should beabletoupgrade the capabilities of your personal first aid kits to the point where they can effectively treat much more severe cases than they c a n now.

With additional information, plans, a n d improved manufacturing technology, we could also provide you with: Heavy Assaun laser Weapon
The sights on this weapon are not as easy to use as on the standard Laser Assault Rife, but it packs considerably more p u n c h in its beam.

P / e a s e realize that what we've outlined above just barely begins to s c r a t c h the surface of thepossibilities that galactic technology can open up for us. Artist's conception of a device found in the a l i e n data banks).
(Below:

High Velocity Augmented Pistol
The cartridge for this weapon uses the same bullet as the 9 mm model 1997 Mark V, but with a hypervelocity powder charge andasecondaryfiringchamberfora boostercharge,the bullet hasapproximatelyfourtimesasmuch kineticenergyasit leaves t h e muzzle.


To: Captain and crew of U.N.F.A. R e : Ship contact protocol

Exploration Vessel Ulysses

From: General Curtis Wade (Ret.) Lt. Cmdr Moonbase

powerful species of thinking beings in the galaxy, whose best efforts w o n ' t be able to match for thousands of years. However, the axy is a big playground, with room for a lot of kids, Including `mankind, if we can just pull off this stunt. I t seems from what we can understand of the ET's documents, you can run into just about anything in the depths of space. There are ships that will befriend you and trade with you; ships that will fire at you for no better reason than the cussedness of the creatures flying them, and ships that will ignoreyourveryexistence. Youcanfindwrecksand s p a c e junk floating between worlds too. There may even be `cops' k e e p i n g the peace in one or two little sections of this spiral arm. I f we were all powerful and had no conscience, a simple-minded strategyof blastingeverythinginsightwould betheeasiestandsafest course to follow. But this is no arcade game. This is real life. If you tried anything like that I'm pretty sure the galactic SWAT team would move tnandfinishyouoff in short order. On the other hand,thereare hungry sharks prowling the space lanes, and I'm afraid pacifists get swallowed u p too. The tactical advice I'll give you is to try the tit-for-tat method. Give everyone the benefit of a doubt at your first meeting... screens up, w e a p o n s hot, but ready to befriendsiftheywantto be. Will this be the best strategy all the time? Of course not. Nothing works all the time. But you're the best we've got, so we trust you to use your judgement a n d do the best that can be done.

In spite of the dire times, I envy each and every one of you. In spite of the circumstances, you are making history. As the first of Mother Earth's children to leave our own backyard, cosmically speaking, your names will shine alongside Armstrong, Collins, Aldrin, Messer, and PO as long as the human spirit exists. We are all behind you one hundred percent team.

Now, let's get down to brass tacks. The ship that you are flying, aside from being a bastard hybrid, is actually a more complicated bird than anything we've ever flown before. You have mankind's first FTL drive (albeit a borrowed one), you have powerful means of defence and offense, you have remote sensing devices that work like magic, and you have advanced automation systems that enable a small crew to handle all of the above and more. With all that in mind, I want to remind you to also k e e p in mind that you are taking baby steps. There are ancient and


To: Captain of the U.N.F.A Exploration Vessel Ulysses F r o m : Mason Polk - Cmdr Moonbase R e : Planetary Exploration and Alien Contact As Captain of the Ulysses. it is your duty to protect the safety of those under your command, and to lead them in thesuccessfulcompletion y o u r ship's mission. Y o u are no doubt aware that due to the nature of your mission and the heavy responsibility that accompanies it, as stated in your Mission Orders, you are forbidden to leave your ship other than after a return to Moonbase. This is to insure that there is always someone on board t o bring the ship and its cargo back, no matter what happens on a p l a n e t ' s surface. Furthermore, you are forbidden to put your ship at risk by landing on a plenet's surface, for the same reason. Fortunately, w e have acquired extraterrestrial technologies that will enable you to circumvent the difficulties arising from the seeming conflicts b e t w e e n your various orders. The first new technology is matter beaming. We don't yet understand it, but tests show that we can use it. It's range is limited, but it can transmit matter (including living human beings) from an orbital a l t i t u d e down to a planet's surface and back again. O u r researches into the alien documentation leads us to believe that most inhabited planets with interplanetary commerce have established `beam down' stations marked by a beacon that your t e l e t r a n s can detect and lock onto. Once your crew members are on the ground, you and they should keep one thought foremost in your minds... TAKE NOTHING FOR G R A N T E D . Humans have never done anything like this before. It will probably not be like people from two different terrestrial cultures meeting for the first time. The alien people you meet may indeed have a great deal in common with us, but to assume that to be the case in advance could easily prove fatal. Be circumspect. Avoid drawing attention to yourselves. Talk to those you need to talk to to a c c o m p l i s h your mission, but don't stir up trouble. Fortunately, a second ET technology will enable you to establish c o m m u n i c a t i o n with minimal difficulty.

P l e a s e take time to review the `scanner'" that you've all been using a n d getting familiar with over the last couple of weeks...

. ...You should be able to understand and be understood. at least as far as the actual words that are spoken go, but be careful not to misinterpret the cultural context of what is being said. If an alien tells y o u he'dliketo have you over for lunch, think twice before taking him up on it.

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To: Captain of U.N.F.A. Exploration Vessel Ulysses From: Major Nagaraja Kirumaki-Moonbase Internal Security Re: ET database analysis aka "Space Rumors" Due to the nature of the Event, virtually all of the documentation aboard the ETS was damaged to some extent. By correlating a bit of d a t a found here with a snippet of information found there. we have been able to build up an intelligence analysis of sorts. One thing that we are quite certain of, however, from our own scientists' analyses, is t h a t you will need to locate eight distinct components to enable us t o rebuild the Centauri Drive. The rest of this report has been prepared by sifting through all d o c u m e n t a t i o n of all types found aboard the derelict ETS. Since time was in critically short supply, and since we had no independent source for confirmation of any of the conclusions put forth herein, I cannot endorse the contents of this report with any high degree of confidence. The third command enabling technology is actually a blend of human and ET science. As Captain, you will have at your disposal c o m m u n i c a t i o n and surveillance devices of such power that you will b e able to follow your crew members' every move, visually, on your main view screen. It will be as if you were hovering about twenty m e t e r s over them as they explore the planet's surface. You will be in constant voice communication with them, and with your superior vantage point, you will often find yourself in a position to advise them a s to their best course of action. The ethics of what you will be attempting to accomplish are complex. To save the Earth and the human species is an overriding moral imperative, from a human point of view at least. If necessary, do whatever will accomplish the retrieval of the parts to the "Centauri D r i v e " . HOWEVER, many of us feel that the Golden Rule may in truth b e universal, and that you will in many cases accomplish more with p o l i t e n e s s than with firepower. When it comes down to the question o f when to fight, our considered advice is to try the `tough but fair' negotiation strategy or `tit for tat' as Gen. Wade says This strategy s h o u l d be as effective on the ground as it is in ship-to-ship meetings. If the other party initiates hostilities, however, then react immediately and decisively Some of the alien references that we worked from were clearly f i c t i o n a l , others were judged probably so. These works were useful in a way, as if we were trying to learn about the history of the United States of America's nineteenth century Civil War by reading Gone With The Wind. However, a better example of what we were working with might be; getting to know late Victorian England from the way it was depicted in War of the Worlds. There is just no way for us to be certain a t this point how accurate scenarios developed from these sources are. In addition to the works of fiction, there were incomplete charts and n a v i g a t i o n a l documents for various sectors in space and for certain planets. There was even a scrambled portion of what could only have been an encyclopedia, but while it helped to fill in some gaps, its f r a g m e n t a r y nature tended to raise more questions than it answered. O n c e again I urge you to view the report that I am presenting with some degree of skepticism. I can only hope that it turns out to be of at least some aid to you. First, concerning Galactography: even though the ETs have a FTL drive, it is not an infinitely fast drive. It appears that galactic cultures 29


range from a few dozen to a few thousand stars in extent. This is out of the `billionsandbillions' ofstarsinourgalaxyalone. Manyinterstellar c u l t u r e s `overlap' each other in space, thus any given volume may be simultaneously `in' several spheres of influence; thus you may encounter more than one type of ship at any given point in space. For navigational purposes, it seems that there is an interspecies convention to divide space into `sectors'. Cultural boundaries may or may not c o i n c i d e with sector boundaries, this point was not very clear. Since crossing sector boundaries may involve something like crossing a customs barrier. we advise you to restrict each of your forays to one s e c t o r at a time. S o l and Earth, by coincidence, lie very close to where at least eight differentsectorsconverge. We'vereachedsomesketchyconclusions about what conditions likely prevail in each of these sectors, and we will cover them later in this report (As to the significance of this convergence, we can't tell at the moment, but have reason to believe that Earth may have been under some kind of "contact e m b a r g o " . Fragments of data held in the ETS' computer banksseem to indicate that the experimenters had to acquire permission to enter t h e Sol system. The reasoning behind this was unfortunately withheld as was the identity of the person from whom permission had to be obtained). S a d l y , we must report that certain long held xenological theories are now known to be false. Advanced civilizations are NOT necessarily p e a c e f u l . Some are, some aren't, some are some of the time or only with some certain other species. All we can advise you is, whether in space or on the ground, keep your guard up and be prepared to d e f e n d yourselves or run away at all times. O n a brighter note, it seems that trade is widespread, and there are so many traders of so many species doing business, that you will probably not be too overly conspicuous on many of the planets you visit. You may be able to trade for many of the goods we need. We were unable to determine what the standard galactic medium of much light on whattrade exchange is (if any), nor are we able to shed g o o d s would be well received. Use your judgement and experiment. H e r e are the eight local sectors, listed by their apparent names, and w h a t conditions you may find in each:

Finally, we have one bit of very low confidence information, It seems t o indicate that the Event was no accident. It has been implied that someone or some group of people may have sabotaged the e q u i p m e n t that the experimenters were trying to use. Several suspect communiques were discovered in the ETS' black box that indicate c o v e r t communiques on a secured channel. And although we can t r a n s l a t e alien texts, we don't have keys to their confidential codes. In this transmission there is one phrase that we discovered that seems to have some significance as it is repeated several times... /premi...


Please use this page to make notes on any new developments t h a t the team may discover in relationship to alien cultures, ship modifications or other potentially useful information.

U.N.F.R.



