Seastalker

Seastalker

             SEASTALKER(Infocom)

As  you  sit  quietly  at the workbench in your research laboratory, you're
startled  into  action  by  the  sound  of the videophone alarm bell. You'd
better act quickly, because your buddy Tip Randall is raising the roof. The
first  thing  to  do  is  turn  on  the videophone. As soon as you do that,
though,  you  realize  that  the  picture is fuzzy. That's easy to correct;
simply  adjust the videophone. There is Commander Zoe Bly, looking worried,
and  telling  you  about  an urgent problem at the undersea Aquadome. You'd
better pick up the microphone, then turn it on.

After  asking  Bly  about the problem, question her about the monster she's
seen.  Bly  is sounding ever more desperate, so tell her goodbye. Suddenly,
however,  something's  wrong with the videophone, and your score drops by 3
points!

Now  is  the  time to go to the Computestor for a clue. First, turn off the
microphone  and  drop the microphone onto the workbench. Then, head for the
Computestor  and  turn it on. Since the machine is now ready for questions,
ask  it about the videophone. Hmmmm...the problem could be one of many, but
you  suspect  that  something  may  be wrong with the electrical panel. The
panel  is  just down the hallway, so go to the panel, and examine it. Well,
well,  apparently  the  circuit  breaker  is  open.  By  fixing the circuit
breaker,  you  regain  your  3  points. However, you are starting to wonder
whether  treachery  is afoot here in the lab. It's time to have a chat with
your assistant, Sharon Kemp.

Go  to the office and confront Sharon with your suspicions. Her answers are
evasive,  and  she  seems  very  nervous.  Since time is growing short, you
decide  to  leave  Sharon  and head for your sub, the "Scimitar." Realizing
that  the  sub won't start unless you have the atomic catalyst capsule, you
first  examine  the  work counter. There is the capsule, so you grab it and
head for the Scimitar.

Once  settled in the pilot's seat, with Tip nearby, you decide to check the
sub for any problems. Pushing the test button gives you a positive readout,
but  you're  still  apprehensive. You will need to open the access panel in
order  to enter the sub's crawl space, but you don't have a tool. Maybe Tip
has such an item? Tip comes through, handing you a Universal Tool. Open the
access  panel,  and  carefully crawl into the space. A check of the voltage
regulator  reveals  that  it is damaged. Use the tool to fix the regulator.
Now all is A-OK, and you won't have any problems going full throttle to the
Aquadome.

You're  ready  to get underway, so crawl out of the space, close the access
panel,  close  the  sub's  hatch,  and  put  the  catalyst capsule into the
reactor.  After closing the reactor, you'll need to turn on the reactor and
fill  the  docking tank with seawater. Once the tank is filled, turn on the
engine,  open  the  tank gate, then open the throttle. Push the joystick to
the east, and you're off!

The surface of Frobton Bay isn't the safest spot around, so the first thing
you  need to do is set your depth to 5 metres and set the throttle to slow.
You'll want to check the sonar occasionally to make sure you're not heading
toward  any  obstacles.  Your  sequence  of moves must be accurate to avoid
destruction.

One  quick  way  to  reach  the  seawall  opening is to follow these moves:
Northeast,  then  three  Norths, then Northeast again, then wait. The alarm
bells  may  be ringing, but you'll safely avoid a submerged obstacle. Then,
suddenly, an approaching ship is detected by the sonar. You'll have to stop
waiting and set your depth to 15 metres to dive below the ship. Wait again,
and you'll chug right on through the seawall opening into the ocean.

Be  sure  to  save the game here, since you won't want to cross Frobton Bay
again!  You can turn on the autopilot now, since the sub will head straight
for  the Aquadome. Because you fixed the voltage regulator, you can set the
throttle  to  fast  without  overheating.  Wait now, as you continue diving
deeper  and deeper. To check out an enormous whale, aim your searchlight to
starboard.  The  trip will take a little while longer, so you might want to
ask  Tip  about  that  magazine he's reading. A close study of a particular
article  in  the magazine reveals that Dr. Jerome Thorpe (an Aquadome staff
member)  has  succeeded  in  creating mutant sea creatures. Further, Thorpe
announces  in the article that he plans to marry your lab assistant, Sharon
Kemp!  You're  beginning  to  understand  who's  behind  the  attack on the
Aquadome, and you're even more anxious to arrive.

Wait  a  while longer, and then, as you near the structure, your sonarphone
rings.  It's  Commander  Bly,  asking  to speak privately with you when you
arrive.  You  wait  a  few  more  turns, and the sub slows to a stop in the
docking  tank.  Open  the throttle to slide into the cradle. You wait while
the water in the tank empties, and you save the game again.

Before  opening  the  hatch  and exiting the sub, you pick up the emergency
oxgyen  gear...just  in  case. Leave the Scimitar and head straight for the
Aquadome's Reception Area where Bly and her crew await you. Greet them, and
then  take  a  quick  look  around.  Your explorations are interrupted by a
sudden  realization  that  something  is wrong with the air supply. Quickly
using  the  oxygen gear you so intelligently brought with you, head for the
Dome Center. Commander Bly and several crew members are gasping for breath,
so time is short. Use the universal tool to open the access door to the air
supply  assembly. Instantly noticing that something has been unscrewed from
an  important cylinder, you pick up the object. It is an electrolyte relay.
Put  the  relay  into the cylinder, and close the access door. Your efforts
are successful, and the air supply is now functioning properly.

As  you  return  to  the  Reception Area, you observe Doc Horvak with Bly's
oxygen gear. You're suspicious, so when Bly ask you to accompany her to the
office,  you  go with her. She volunteers some interesting information: She
suspects  sabotage  in  the  Aquadome  and  shows you certain evidence. The
evidence  consists  of  a black box which you open and examine. This device
could  be  used to interfere with the Aquadome's sonar, and Tip has an idea
about how to trap the saboteur.

Go  to the Storage Room with Tip and discuss his idea. Before you reach the
storage  area,  you  notice  the special Fram Bolt Wrench lying under Bly's
desk.  Realizing that the wrench must have been used to tamper with the air
supply, you show it to Doc Horvak. His reaction proves most interesting.

Now  you  need to do some serious thinking. Conversations with various crew
members  will assist you in your search for the traitor. Ask everyone about
everyone  else,  check the locker in the men's dorm, set the black box onto
the sonar, and observe everyone's behavior.

Commander  Bly will offer to supply you with a bazooka so that you can hunt
the monster (the "Snark"). Get that from her and have Tip install it on the
sub's  extensor  claw.  Find  Doc  Horvak and show him the magazine article
about  Thorpe. Doc will come up with some interesting conclusions, and will
offer  to  prepare a special tranquilizer gun for you. Get the dart gun and
have Tip install that as well.

During  your explorations and conversations, Mick Antrim will check out the
Scimitar  then  return  and ask you whether you'd like to have an Emergency
Survival  Unit  installed  in  the sub. You agree, then poke around a while
longer  until the unit is in place. It's time to think about improving your
navigation and sonar -- the Snark will be difficult to capture or kill. You
ask  Tip  about  installing  a fine grid and a fine throttle control in the
sub, and he agrees to do so.

You're  about ready to head out into the ocean again, but you still haven't
come  to  a firm conclusion about who the Aquadome traitor is. Once in your
pilot's  seat,  however, you notice that the survival unit installed by Amy
and  Bill  is  equipped with a nasty looking syringe. Grabbing the syringe,
you  head  for  Doc  Horvak and ask him to analyze it. His analysis reveals
that  the  hypo  is filled with arsenic! You'd better confront Amy and Bill
with this evidence before you do anything else.

The  instant  you  show  the  syringe to Bill, he turns and runs away. He's
heading  for the sub, and you race to the office to view his actions on the
station  monitor.  As  you  watch  Bill climb down the inside ladder of the
docking  tank,  you  realize you have only seconds to trap him. You quickly
turn off the docking tank electricity so Bill can't open the gate. He knows
he  can't  get out now, so he surrenders. You turn the electricity back on,
and leave the office.

Cheers  follow  you  as  you  head  back to the Scimitar. After filling the
docking  tank with water, you turn on the engine and open the gate. Turning
the  joystick  to the South, you open the throttle. Save the game, and head
out into the ocean.

You're  finally  ready  to  confront  the  Snark and, perhaps, the evil Dr.
Thorpe.  Exit  the  Aquadome's  docking  tank  by going South, then set the
throttle  to  medium. Turn Southeast and wait until you reach the Snark and
the  Sea Cat (piloted by Dr. Thorpe). Thorpe will taunt you with his power,
and admit his plan to wreck the Aquadome.

Suddenly, Thorpe's transmission breaks off, and Sharon Kemp begins to speak
to  you.  She  explains  how she only went along with Thorpe to try to trap
him,  and  she's  ready  to help you capture the Snark. Sharon has a lot of
interesting  things  to  tell  you,  but you don't have time to talk to her
right now. The Snark is moving quickly toward the Aquadome, ready to batter
it to bits.

Here  is one method you can use to put the Sea Cat out of commission before
Thorpe  has  a  chance  to attack you: East twice, then check your sonar to
make  sure  you're in position. Set throttle to slow, then turn South. Head
Northwest four times. Oh oh! Dr. Thorpe has recovered consciousness and his
voice  is  crackling  over  the  sonarphone. Ignore him, and head Northwest
twice more. The sub will be just to the East of the Sea Cat, so, all on one
line,  enter the following command: West then aim bazooka at power pod then
shoot power pod with bazooka.

There!  You've  done  it! The Sea Cat is out of commission and Thorpe's out
cold  again.  Sharon  guides the Snark to its hidden cavern so that you can
safely  study  it  later.  You've  completed  your  mission  and  saved the
Aquadome!

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