Four minutes to Midnight

Four minutes to Midnight

A hint sheet compiled by 8th Day.

At the start of the game the correct sequence to follow would be WEST, TURN OFF 
PUMPS, IN, RECRUIT DAVE, and OUT. Sue is the only one who can drive the bus. The 
pumps will need to be switched back on in order for you to fill the bus.
Use the bicycle if you wish to speed up the crossing of the long highway to the 
east of the petrol station. When in the city, Sue will need rescuing, you will 
need to have some strong character's for you to be able to unbolt the lift door 
on the first floor of the department store. You will also require a spanner, 
from the boot of the car which is in the tunnel.
It is advisable that you do not take any character's with you when you go up the 
cables in the lift shaft, they will fall. You will need to wear the gloves you 
found in the hotel, and jump at the top by the 2nd floor. Before all this 
though, get the rope, it should be in the warehouse which is south of the ground 
floor. On the 2nd floor move to and then open the window, get the object from 
the ledge. Recruit Sue, go to the store roof, tie the rope and descend to the 
street floor.
Using the lathe in the stores, turn the metal bit into a key. A high degree of 
engineering will be needed by the party to achieve this. We need the key for 
access to several buildings. To get Sue back through the tunnel, you will have 
to knock her out, but dont worry she will wake up on the other side. The phone 
that rings can be ignored, its a red herring.
Two tools and a high degree of engineering are required to repair the fairground 
generator. Insulated boots are to be worn here. When its fixed, go south until 
the bumper car arrives, ride this to the top of the big dipper and get out. You 
cannot return here so use your initiative and go down back to the base of the 
dipper. Now the bank vault, take the book but leave the money as you dont 
require it, and having Dave with you (the strongest) you will be tempted to take 
both objects, but this is not necessary. Your speed is tested when you enter the 
small town first. The bus runs out of petrol, go to the church and with the can 
that you also found, climb the gas-tanks and fill with petrol, then fill the 
bus, get in and drive away. This section is visited only once.
When you enter the computer centre, the madman can only be calmed by the party 
of Sylvia and Sue. You will need to wire up the computer in the command centre, 
first of all we need to get the computer there, a high level of strength is 
required as well as a trolley and the computer. Then insert the wires and turn 
on the power. For access to the computer menu you need a number from the pocket 
book, it is the entry found to be the odd one out under the A to Z headings 
namely DIAL 1922.
Everything should shortly be working in the computer centre, the correct input 
in response to the first prompt will be YES. You will now have to EXAMINE the 
screen after every action. Do not leave the room, the computer will self 
destruct. There is also a time limit set to disarm the three Nuclear strikes. 
The Disarm (or fire!!!) commands are found in the FOUR menu's. To Disarm the 
three strikes and score a certain % of marks the commands are:- TYPE 0XC, TYPE 
0YB, TYPE 0ZA. The computer will shut down after increasing your score.
A bottle of bacteria is now required from the plague centre. You need to 
depressurise the Vacuum chamber before opening it by pressing the correct button 
to turn it off. EXAMINE PANEL. When you encounter the road block, it will 
disperse if you have the bottle. To get through the Refugee camp only take one 
character at a time and keep an eye on your food level.

Some extra helpful tips:-

MAZE: (Icewarehouse) IN-SW/NE, OUT-OUT (from furthest room where rope is found).
MAZE: (approach to city) NORTH TO SOUTH-N/N/S, SOUTH TO NORTH-W 
MAZE: (desert - plague city) WEST TO EAST-W/NW, EAST TO WEST-W/E
MAZE: (desert - mountain pass) WEST TO EAST-W/SW/SE, EAST TO WEST-W/E.