CHAMBER OF THE SCI-MUTANT PRIESTESS DOX A WORD TO THE WISE A long time after the Burn. It is the reign of the Tuner Netwerk. The SCI-Mutant Tuners discreetly control the world of the Normals, who fear and detest them utterly. For the Protozorqs, inhabitants of the Temple, the day of Atonement is at hand; the god Zorq has returned, as promised in the Book of Origins, appearing from the sky on board his flying object. In an explosion of crazed bloodlust, the horde wreaks havoc throughout the surrounding region. All of the Normal villages are razed, and their inhabitants exterminated. Every one, that is, except the young males, who are herded into the Mountain, the Temple of Zorq! Raven and his friend Sci Fi, two young Tuners, approach a Normal settlement where the Protozorqs, armed with fearsome Zapstiks, are wiping out the last pitiful pockets of resostance. IN spite of orders from the Foetus, Raven and Sci Fi fling themselves into the fray. The situation is hopeless, but thanks to his SCI-powers and astounding combat skills, Raven overcomes incredible odds and finally stands alone, surrounded on all sides by piles of broken and bloody Protozorq corpses. He turns to Sci Fi, but she's been dragged off to the Temple! The Netwerk orders Raven not to try and follow her into the mountain, bumt once again he defies the authority of the Foetus! At present Raven's in the very heart of the Temple of Zorq! Everywhere fanatical Protozorqs await the fateful words of their hideously deranged leader, Protizim Harssk, Guardian of the Protozorqal Shame. To find Sci Fi, destory the insane Protizim's bloodcurdling plot and, finally, hack a bloody trail to Zorq himself, you've got to be utterly determined, daring, ruthless, daring death at every turn! You'll need to use your SCI-Energy wisely; it could mean the difference between total victory and a horribly sticky end! First you must face the bizarre and terrifying Ordeals of Deilos. Will you emerge as Divo, Holder of the Egg and Messenger of the New Order, or will you meet a ghastly fate on the Altar of Atonement? The Master waaits, Raven. Your fellow Aspirants will show no pity. The repulsive Protozorqs will keep gloating guard at every door! The Chamber of the Sci-Mutant Princess, with its all-mouse easy-to-handle game system, its infinitely rich graphic animations and the strange splendour of its scenario, offers you an authentic future classic in the universe of computer games. Step into the Chamber of the Sci-Mutant Princess; Draconian commands it! The Management reminds all organic life-forms that thinking of any sort is no longer necessary. Anyone caught indulging in thought processes will be furthered for restraining as Brand X breakfast cereal. THE FORBIDDEN ORDERS OF DEILOS 1.- Sergeant Bullpup fills you in. (This section is reserved for use by life-forms wishing to soak up the socio-political background. The Management would like to point out that reading what follows is a bad move from a life-expectancy angle.) Sarge: As of right now, boy, you are RAVEN. Got it? You:.........(say "yes". If you are a girl, say "yes") Sarge: What's you say, Slobface? You:........(say "yes sir, sarge sir," quite fast) Sarge: RAVEN, that's YOU, is the HERO of this here "fun-packed game of thrills." That makes you happy, ain't thsat right? You:........(say anyhting you want. He can't hear you because I've turned his ear off.) The Sarge, a person with over-developed jaws, takes out his gum and sticks it behind his left ear, because: A: HIs right ear got torn off in a breathing accident. B: Who wants to know? Then the Sarge, whose eyes are piggish and closer together than his nostrils, picks up a dog-eared sheaf of documents and reads them out loud, because: A: He wants you to listen good, lunkhead. B: see A. Okay, Sarge. It's your baby. Raven's a Tuner. Tuners are Sci-mutants. Appeared after the Burn, same time as physical mutants. Normals hate mutants, specially Tuners, because can't tell apart from Normals physically. Normals rub out Tuner kids every time identified. Some Tuners escape detection. Escape. Form Netwerk. Live in hidden centers called Antennae. Defend selves. Remove Tuner kids from Normal communities before identified as Tuners. Normals fear and loathe Tuners. Yuk. Netwerk develops Hitachi-Gauss Amplifier, called Foetus, from human foetus. Allows long-distance telepathic links between Antennae. Netwerk now covers great part of inhabited world. Watch. Start intervening in Normal affairs to guide progress. Netwerk believes necessary to prevent Normals developing into powerful groupings, otherwise certain destruction of Tuners. Gasp. Netwerk maintains social stability discreetly. Normals loathe and fear Netwerk. Yuk. Netwerk will guide events until Normals no longer hate Tuners. Some Tuners disapprove Netwerk policy. Leave Netwerk. Are Defectivs. Hiss. Nunted by Netwerk because irresponsible and dangerous. Raven in young Tuner, training over. Ready to serve. Has Psy powers like all Tuners. Raven's powers destine him for Outside Teamwerk, contact with Normals to ensure satisfactory peaceful social evolution. Sent to new Antenna. Leaves with girl, Sci Fi. Sci Fi is Transrec, Tuner working with Foetus, link between Contact Teams and Antenna. Sci Fi is also Feeler: picks up Trouble Spots, directs Contact Team to Pacification Zone. Raven and Sci Fi in love. Cute. Sci Fi has Defectiv tendencies. Was removed brutally from loving Normal parents. Raven explains that was sad etc. bla bla, but Netwerk only hope for safe world. Normals too dangerous for selves and Tuners. Gulp. Cross region not totally under Netwerk care. Sci Fi feels Trouble Spot. Receive order from Antenna (thanks, Gauss) to observe, not intervene. Witness massacre. Physical mutants attack Normal village. Kill everyone except young men. Foetus transmits order to avoid contact. Too dangerous. Sci Fi and Raven disobey! Fight mutants. Sci Fi captured. Mutants have Zapstiks. Victims go up in smoke. Raven uses Sci combat power to kill mutants. Sci Fi gone! Grrr. Fleeing Normals fill in Raven: mutants are Protozorqs. Lived peacefully in mountain. Then carnage. Kill Normals, shouting "Death to Offa. Great is Zorq. Soon end of Shame." Only young men taken alive. Gauss establishes telepathic link with Raven. Sci Fi off the airwaves. Not dead but scrambled. Taken by force to mountain. Grr. Foetus forbids Raven to go after her. Was almost Defectiv anyway. Raven disobeys Netwerk. Finds new massacre, gets caught. Taken to mountain. Will and must find Sci Fi, take out Protozorqs. Banzai. Thanks, Sarge. Really most moving. THE SET UP THE SET UP RIGHT NOW (blood-curdling). (The following is reserved for those life-forms wanting to know what they're supposed to do, without wasting any more time on irrelevant issues. The Management reminds personnel that the possession of ideas or any attempt to contaminate others with them is an offense punishable by restraining as encyclopedias, and we all know what that means. Be a nice neighbour; flush that brain down the toilet.) So there you are in the mountain, Raven (that's you). The Protozorqs fling you into a dimly-lit slammer that smells like somebody just did something. Four Normals (you're not a Normal. You're a Tuner. That's a Sci-mutant with powers. Neat.) are slumped around, looking pretty glikky. You're in good shape, ready to shed quite a lot of blood to find your girl, Sci Fi, who's a prisoner someplace in the mountain. You decide rather wisely to keep your more spectacular powers, ones like "stroll around on the ceiling" for later, as you don't feel like getting mashed into pulp (nobody likes Tuners). But why not sneak a look into a mind or two? Well, well. These Normals sure have glikky thoughts today. One thrilling power you have works like this: the Foetus captures your subconscious impressions about a particular situation, and analyses them. So that, if you contact him, you'll get an idea what to do. It's your idea, processed by the Hitachi-Gauss Amplifier! If you try it now, for instance, he'll send you this message: "Pay Shunts (he's a glikky speler). That means it's better to wait and not use up too much psy-energy on trying out your powers. A slight eternity later, a bunch of Protozorqs shove you all through a maze of corridors. You go along the Passage of the Faithful, into the Ring anfd finally into the Master's Orbit itself! The Master of the Ordeals quits his Eye, surrounded by a bettery ofcrazed Protozorq fanatics. His mutant voice buzzes thickly from behind a terrifying mask! "YUGGA WAGGU! Offas, the day has dawned. The stench of shame will soon be wiped clean. Nourished by Deilos, Abysmal Power of the Humid Pit! Zorq has returned, as was written in the Book of Origins. Today you are become Aspirants, struggling to attain the blessed state of Divos, Messengers of the New Solution. Those who fail will have the honour to offer themselves up to Deilos! Who would be Divo must first triumph over the Five Ordeals. A skull of Vort will be awarded you for each Ordeal successfully overcome. To be a Divo, you must place five skulls in the Changer before one hour has elapsed! None may re-enter a Chamber of Ordeal that he has already overcome. Bear this in mind: none may do violence in the Orbit. YUGGA WAGGU!" The Master has spoken. Well, buzzed thickly. To each Aspirant he gives an object of some kind, directing him to one of the five Chambers of Ordeal. Finally, he turns to you, Raven... Can you win the Five Skulls of Vort? Is that the best way of getting to Sci Fi? What dangers await within the Chambers of Ordeal from whence wafts the fetid stench of grinning DEATH? Just what are these lunatic Protozorqs planning on anyhow, and can you stop them in time? (The management hereby informs all organic life-forms that the third and twenty-second words in each line of the following documents contain significant doses of "Brain-Slurp 17." Preceding documents also. Why not pull the same amusing gag on your loved ones?) THE BOOK OF ORIGINS & THE BOOK OF SHAME THE BOOK OF ORIGINS Within the Mountain lived the People. From the sky came Zorq, the Exalted One, and his familiar, Qriich, in their flying appliance. And Zorq spoke to the People, saying "I have chosen you who are less than nothing. Tomorrow you will be Sires of the New Race, and the Earth will be yours and you will obliterize all the peoples of the Earth in a frenzy of mindless bloodlust. And the People felt joy. "Let a female be brought to me," barked Zorq, and it was done fast. a female of the People, the meatiest, was brought before Zorq who impregnated her, saying "Female, you will gender the New Race. Our races will be one and all others will shortly be obliterized, for they are Offa." And the female was placed in the Spawnomatik according to Zorq's desire. In three hours she hatched a multiplicity of eggs which hatched forthwith. And the children did eat of their mother who thus fed her offspring that the Race might be the bloodthirstiest of all. And the children did eat of each other, down to the last. And Zorq spoke, saying "So much for that race." And the People felt sadness, for the New Race had contained a fairly major glitch. Zorq spoke again, saying "I leave you, for I must seek out the Komponent. Upon my return, we will try once more. Keep the Spawnomatik as a sign. But touch it not. Choose a Protizim from among you. He will be Protizim of the People and wil keep the Faith until my return." And Zorq and his familiar Qriich, did disappear into the sky in their flying appliance. THE BOOK OF SHAME The People of the Protozorqs selected a Protizim. And Protizim Krill kept the faith, the Spawnomatik and the Mountain which became the Temple. And when Krill terminated, Prass was chosen as Protizim. And Protizim Prass forgot the words of Zorq and took it upon himself to attempt the creation of the New Race, saying "Zorq has forsaken us, for he has found another People. But we have the Spawnomatik. Let us create the New Race ourselves. In this way we can obliterize all other peoples." And the People of the Temple believed him, saying "He's right." And Prass spoke, saying "Let a female be brought to me. And let it be a meaty one." It was done. And Prass did impregnate her, saying "Woof Woof." Then the female was placed within the Spawnomatik where she hatched a slimy multitude of eggs which hatched. The children did nibble apologetically at the flesh of their mother, after which they did snooze. Protizim Prass spoke again, saying "This Race couldn't obliterize a squashed gerbil, let alone Offa, for they are Vorts!" And the People felt disappointed, for they had been counting on something a little more assertive than Vorts. Prass spoke once more, saying "This is our Day of Shame. Our misery is deserved, for we have lacked faith in Zorq who is verily our true God. We must obliterize ourselves and our Vorts forthwith, for we are covered in Guilt." Then spoke a Protozorq, saying "Nay, we deserve no such gentle fate. Our People must live to bear the crushing burden of our Crime until Zorq returns to deliver us of Shame. And our Vorts will be our slaves, that we might see our Guilt before us every day! And when our God, Zorq, finally creates the New Race, then we will obliterize ourselves to wash us of our Sin. Only you, Prass, have the right to obliterize yourself today." And the People of the Temple agreed. And Deilos became temporary God in Zorq's absence, for Deilos is the Abysmal Power of the Humid Pit, and the Protozorqs deserved no better. And Protizim Prass did terminaterize himself, saying "Let me be woken up on the Day of the Collective Self- Obliterization." And thus did die Prass who spoke positively one last time, croaking "When Zorq returns, you wil take young Offa. And from amongst them you will select those most apt to carry the message of reborn hope to Deilos. And from among the Offa you wil take a female, whom you will name Saura, High Priestess, and who will genderize the New Race according to Zorq's desire, for Zorq is our God." It will be done. INSTRUCTION GUIDE (about time, eh?) LOADING THE PROGRAM 1) First, switch off. Wait five seconds, then follow the instructions specific to your machine. 2) During loading, do not touch either the keyboard or the mouse. ATARI ST Switch the computer back on and insert the disk. Double-click on the ERE.PRG icon (or AUTO, if its a self-loading program, then ERE.PRG) AMIGA Switch the computer back on. When asked for Workbench, insert the program disk. If the program is not on autostart, double-click on the disk icon, then on the "ERE" icon. PC AND COMPATIBLES Switch your computer back on. Start up as usual with the DOS disk, then replace it with the program disk. Type in "ERE" and hit RETURN. Note: For PC, if you don't have a mouse, use the keyboard as explained further on. YOUR MISSION Take part in fove ordeals, if you want. Find your friend Sci Fi. Smash the protozorq plot before it's too late. HOW TO PLAY Leave disk 2 in the disk-drive. To freeze the game momentarily, press ESC key to restart, hit any key. The Master of Ordeals (a Protozorq in a fetching mask) will hand you an object which could come in handy! Then he'll instruct you to go to a specific Ordeal. You can obey if you want, Raven. The Ordeals have begun and you have one hour to finish all five, should you decide to take part. If you have placed five Vort skulls within the Changer within the time-limit you will have won the highest honor awarded to any Offa: to be a Divo! Failure, on the other hand, will result in something too disagreeable to be discussed at this time. USING THE MOUSE: CONFIRM (with click or space bar) to activate your cursor. The indicator, at bottom right, will flash to authorize your CONFIRMation when it's your turn To act. MOVE the cursor with the mouse or the cursor keys (PC without mouse). A text zone, at bottom screen, will translate what you explore as your cursor moves. When exploring, make sure you take in everything. THE MOUSE CURSOR: The cursor turns RED when situated on a valid zone, and changes shape according to the kind of actions you can do. Circle with rays: basic cursor. There is nothing special here. Finger: use this cursor to choose ideas on your brain. Crossed arrows: indicates possible exits. Arrows in circle: indicates something to look at or manipulate. Human figure: character to select or act on. Emptying goblet: a full goblet ready to be emptied. Fly: move this to a precise area where you wish to go with "sticky fingers power. Open hand: place this on what you wish to manipulate with "psy shift" power. CONFIRM (click or space) when the cursor is on an element or character on whom you wish to act (inspect, talk to, attack, etc.). The BRAIN will then appear. This is your Tuner grey matter. It's full of ideas. They're in bubbles placed around the brain's surface. The ideas are those which come to mind in a particular situation. MOVE THE CURSOR from one idea to another. At bottom right of your screen, a text zone translates your idea. CONFIRM any idea you'd care to try. On the right-hand side of your screen you'll find the icons you'll need to play. From top to bottom: _____ 1 | | | | ----- _____ _____ 2 | | | | A | |->| | ----- ----- _____ _____ 3 | | | | B | | | | ----- ----- _____ _____ 4 | | | | C | | | | ----- ----- _____ _____ 5 | | | | D | | | | ----- ----- _____ _____ 6 | | | | E | | | | ----- ----- _____ _____ 7 | | | | F | | | | ----- ----- _____ _____ 8 | | | | G | | | | ----- ----- _____ _____ 9 | | | | H | | | | ----- ----- 1) OBJECTS IN THE ROOM: (the icon changes color when an object is available in the current room) Confirm this icon to open a window containing any objects available for taking. If you leave an object somewhere, you'll be able to pick it up again any time you come back, unless someone else has decided to take it in the meantime! The window won't display if no objects are available in the room. MOVE the cursor over the objects. The identity of each is given in the text zone at bottom right. CONFIRM to manipluate the object of your choice. 2) SCI POWERS: Confirm this icon to access the 8 powers you have trained long and hard to master! These Tuner powers will give you the winning edge in many situations. Be careful not to flash them around, though, since they'll prove that you're a Tuner, and no one likes Tuners! Each time you use a power, your SCI-energy will diminish, and who knows if you'll be able to stock up in this damn Temple! A. SOLAR EYES. Switch on this super-vision to see in the blackest darkness. It sure beats eating carrots. B. STICKY FINGERS. If you've ever dreamed of walking on walls, now's your chance! Just confirm this power and choose where you want to go with the cursor. C. KNOW MIND. Check out what that character over there is really thinking! Put the cursor on him (or her) to get the inside story. D. BRAINWARP. How to turn someone helplessly Moronic! Stupidize your enemy by putting the cursor on him. Unfortunately, it only lasts a second or two. E. ZONE SCAN. It so happens that some things are invisible to the naked normal eye. Zone Scan will tell you if anything is hidden in a particular room. These guys didn't reckon on a Tuner nosing around! F. SCI SHIFT. MOve small articles just by looking at them! Protozorqs, unfortunately, don't count as small objects. G. EV. That means Extreme Violence. This SCI Power turns you into a crazed killer! Just choose your unsuspecting vicitim with the cursor and then tear him apart. Lovely. H. TUNE IN. Your old teacher Gromek explained it this way: Development of the Hitachi-Gauss Amplifier led to perfecting of the Syntonization technique where the unconscious psychic emanations resonating from the subject are sorted and regulated by the Gauss. At the subject's request, the Amplifier should normally be in a position to provide the basis for a solution, that is to say, the beginnings of a satisfactory way out of a worrying situation, thanks to an analysis based on the results of the harmonization of psycho-energetic oscillatory phenomena. To put it a little more clearly, you can use this power to make the Gauss give you an idea for getting out of a jam! Since you're not an Encom, however, his messages may seem strange. This is normal. 3) WAIT. If the best thing to do is just to wait a while, then confirm on this icon. Time will pass. The wait will stop after a certain time or if somethig happens. 4) YOUR OBJECTS. Confirm this icon to check on what objects you have on you. A window will display, containing everything you have. Just click on the object you want to use. To use an object, click on it and choose one of the options on your brain. Some options (throw, give, place, etc.) you will have to designate the "target" of your action. 5) SCI ENERGY. When the pulsations get weak, that means your reserves are low. And no SCI Energy means no SCI Powers! So go easy on the EV! The icon flashes when SCI Energy reserves drop significantly or when insufficient for use of a power. 6) SAVE. Not your soul (Exxos deals with that), but the current game. Insert a clean formatted disk in the drive. Validate on the save icon. The game will save automatically. 7) LOAD. To load and play a game you've previously saved. Insert the disk containing the saved game you wish to play. Click on the load icon. The game will restart at the point where you saved it. 8) TIME. This is useful. For instance, you can calculate how much time you have left to get those 5 Vort skulls into the Changer. 9) INDICATOR which flashes when it's your turn to act: Click to take control of the cursor. SOME THINGS YOU'LL MEET IN THE CHAMBER PROTOZORQS: The People of the Temple! These splendid beings are the result of a mutation which took place just after the Burn. The Protozorq's chief personality trait is a fanatical loathing of Offa. And since you're an Offa... MASTER OF ORDEALS: A high dignitary among the Protozorqid People. His task is to organize the 5 Ordeals you're supposed to take part in. PROTIZIM HARSSK: Religious and political leader of the Protozorqs. Great indeed is his pride at being the Protizim during whose reign the Original Sin will soon be cleansed! Should you feel in need of an uplifting message, just consult the nearest Holo-Holo. THE PRIESTESSES: Their sacred duty is to guard the Books and intercede with Deilos on behalf of the People of the Temple. (If you become a Divo, you'll be seeing them, briefly, up on the second level where they live.) ZORQ: Protizim Harssk assures us that Zorq is back with the Komponent for the Spawnomatik. QRIICH: It's a kind of hovering squid, to be seen floating near Zorq. Probably a pet. SAURA: The High Priestess. She who holds the Blade of Sacrifice. Future genitor (along with the god Zorq) of the Race to Come. VORTS: A mistake. See the Book of Shame for shameful details. DEILOS: The Power in the Abyss, temporary God during Zorq's absence. DIVO: Triumph over the 5 Ordeals and place the skulls in the Changer in under an hour, and you get to be a Divo, Holder of the Egg and Messenger to Deilos! ASPIRANT: Like the other Offas taking part int eh Ordeals, you are an Aspirant, hoping to attain the glorious status of Divo! That is, from the Protozorq's point of view, the reason for your presence in the Temple. Should you fail to become a Divo, then, um...On the other hand, if you do attain Divo-hood, well, uh... THE 5 ORDEALS: What the Protozorqs brought you here for. You just go into one of the Ordeals, overcome the ghastly difficulties and win a skull. Insert 5 skulls into the Changer in under an hour, and you're a Divo! THE EGG: Awarded to an Aspirant who manages to place 5 Vort skulls in the Changer in under an hour. The Aspirant then receives the envied status of Divo and must report to the Chamber of Dreams. THE SECOND LEVEL: That's where Saura and the other priestesses go about their sacred duties. As an Offa, you have no right to even know of its existence, let alone consider the treacherous idea of finding a way to sneak up there! SCI-FI: Your friend. She's a prisoner somewhere in this damned Temple! You got yourself captured and sent to the Ordeals just to find and save her. GAUSS: Also known as the Foetus. The Hitachi-Gauss Amplifier links you telepathically to the nearest Tuner Network Center. The Gauss lives in a jar at the center. His telepathic voice is a little strange. HOLO-HOLO: To get a thrilling and inspirational message from Protizim Harssk just hook into a Holo-Holo. TURKEYS: They adore the priestesses. THE CHANGER: Situated in the Master's Orbit. This is where you can leave your skulls, if you wish. When a skull has been inserted, you can try your luck at the three-cup holographic game to exchange one of your objects for another of your choice. You'll need a sharp eye! ZAPSTIK: The awesome weapon that all Protozorqs carry. Offas don't have the right to use them! Zapstiks appear to be a left over from before the Burn. THE BURN: Tuner Netwerk research teams are still working to identify the nature of that hideous catastrophe which plunged our world into the chaotic nightmare we know today, friend. Trust the Netwerk. Imported by Midnight Maniac & Mayday of PARADOX