Deuteros:Manual - DeuterosX/DeuterosX GitHub Wiki

=DEUTEROS: THE NEXT MILLENNIUM=

Designed and programmed by Ian Bird

Graphics by Jai Redman

Music by Matt Bates

ST music by Martin Walker

Game testing by Dave Cummins, Matt Bates, Richard Gallagher

Produced in association with Marjacq Micros

(C) Ian Bird 1991

==NOTE FROM THE EDITOR== ''I have taken the liberty of not only placing the original game manual into the Wiki, but I've also, for the sake of brevity, removed some repeated content that is already made available elsewhere in the Wiki and left reference links to it. I have also, in many places, corrected grammar and punctuation for ease of reading. -Dexee''

==INDEX==

==THE INTERIM== In 2200 AD a gigantic asteroid smashed into the Pacific Ocean with devastating results. All human life ceased to exist in the cataclysm which followed, except for a small colony of researchers living on the Moon. Their destiny was to recolonize the Earth and transform her devastated lands and seas into the gentle blue planet they had once known.

Massive resources were required; materials not available from the meager deposits on the Moon. The commander of Moon Base drew up his plans and colonized planets and moons throughout the Solar System. The technology of the day had filled the entire human genome and allowed the scientists of Moon Base to create specific human mutations which could live and multiply on other planets.

Eventually, with the Mother planet now restored and habitable, the commander ordered a mass exodus to Earth. Every man, woman and child would be needed to rebuild the civilization destroyed by the impact. All thoughts turned to this objective. Moon Base, so crucial to their survival, was abandoned. The outer colonies, with varying races of mutations, were forgotten.

For the first two centuries very little occurred on the outer colonies. The seperate races expanded and traded, each developing their unique cultures. Then a minor arguement flared up between the two most advanced and powerful races; the Hydroids and the Methanoids. The Hydroids were a rather unpleasant lifeform who seemed to have retained most of man's more hostile traits. On the other hand, the Methanoids were a calm, intelligent and resourceful culture, whose most consuming passion was for music. As long as the Hydroids kept to their planet, the Methanoids were happy.

For some years, the Hydroids had been surveying a small moon in Saturn's orbit and were now ready to colonize. The Methanoids were having none of it, worried at the speed at which the Hydroids were expanding. The situation was compounded by an incident following a concert given by the spectacularly popular Ulta ben-Cthug, a Methanoid composer. A Hydroid envoy had been invited to the concert, but had left after a few minutes, complaining that ben-Cthug's opening piece had caused them physical distress. The Methanoids were furious, and war followed swiftly, a bitter and prolonged war which was to last for over a century.

The Methanoids' intellect was to give them the ultimate advantage. Their tactics and weaponry improved with every battle, while the Hydroids were losing more and more of their colonies, and with them the resources to build more battle fleets. Finally, the Hydroids were pinned down to their last stronghold, the yellowed disk of Jupiter, and the Methanoids moved in for the kill. Their awesome fleet approached the beleaguered colony, the vast ships flanked by hundreds of battle drones. The Methanoid battle anthem boomed across the radio waves as the last battle begun.

Meanwhile, on Earth, the passing centuries had seen the rise of a new human civilization. Life on New Earth was desperately severe and humans had been softened by generations of relying on technology and science. Thoughts of spaceflight were long since forgotten and contact with the outer colonies was unheard of. No one knew ofthe frantic conflict between the Hydroids and Methanoids; no one would have been interested anyway. Their lives were a constant stuggle with one objective; recolonization of this harsh new world. Even Moon Base failed to stir any emotions; there were no records of such a place, no proof that it ever existed, and the one time home of the human race became a legend.

All this was to change with the works of a certain Dr. Darrill Trout. Born in the 29th Century, he became the head of research at the New World university, revolutionizing the world's thinking with works on spaceflight, politics and history.

Dr. Trout believed that Moon Base existed. He had evidence of this and other colonies beyond the asteroid belt. After many years of hard work, he published "Principles", a twenty six volume thesis on spacecraft design and construction. The latter two volumes dealt with a plan to build a second "Moon Base" on Earth for the control of an orbital stepping stone to the Moon and beyond.

The effect of "Principles" was spectacular. Work on the new Earth City began forthwith. Despite the feelings of some of the populace that space travel was both unnatural and undesirable, the project provided a much needed goal now that the prime objective had been achieved. By the year 3100 AD, the City was complete. Recruits were ready for training and eagerly awaited the arrival of the newly appointed commander...

Operation "Deuteros" was underway.

==GETTING STARTED== '''AMIGA''': Remove all peripheral devices such as printers from your computer before loading. Switch your monitor then your computer on. At the workbench prompt, insert the Deuteros boot disk into drive DF0 (A1000 owners should first boot with the Kickstart disk).

'''ATARI ST''': Remove all peripheral devices such as printers from your computer before loading. Place the Deuteros boot disk in drive 1 and switch your monitor then your computer on.

The game will load automatically, displaying the title screen. Press the right mouse button to see the opening sequence. If you wish to skip directly to the game, press the left mouse button.

If you have a second disk drive, you may use it to save or load the game without changing disks. You should have a blank disk ready before you start, but there is no need to format the disk.

==HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL==

If you are an experienced player, you may like to start playing the game by exploring the departments of Earth City for yourself. All essential information is available within the game, and maximum satisfaction is to be gained by working out for yourself how to use the equipment under your control.

Explainations of the control icons and descriptions of each of the departments of Earth City are given on the following pages. There is also an alphabetically arranged reference section, describing most of the various pieces of equipment found in Deuteros, and providing instructions on how they are used (see the index on page 3). As a new item is researched, you are advised to access the description in the STORES on Earth City (see page 19).

A complete step-by-step guide to building your first Orbital Factory is also provided, starting on (page 37).

==CONTROLS==

Deuteros is controlled using the mouse to point the cursor at the various CONTROL ICONS, then pressing the left mouse button to activate the icon. As the cursor moves over an icon, it's use is identified in text at the top left corner of the screen. Occasionally, the right mouse button is used to exit a menu. The keyboard is used only when naming craft or saved games.

==EARTH CITY==

===THE MASTER COMPUTER===

At the heart of Earth City lies a vast network of control and scanning systems. These are designed to give a centralized command base for all activites. The entire network is linked to one main Master Computer.

The Master Computer has been designed to give Control access to orbital factories, surface stations, spacecraft and communications, by generating visual displays through the activation of various graphic icons. It also supplies information on stocks, planetary deposit analysis and personnel.

==MASTER CONTROL PANEL==

The Master Control Panel is the main interface with the Master Computer. It consists of a series of icons, although only the first four will be online initially. THe active control icon will animate to provide a reference to Control.

===ADVANCE TIME===

At the bottom of the display is a digital date and clock readout which indicates the current time. Operations such as production and mining may take several hours or days to complete, so the option to Advance Time is given via this icon.

Activating the icon will advance time at a fixed rate. To stop the advance, press the left mouse button again until the cursor reappears.

For fine control, time may also be advanced by moving the cursor over the time display itself and pressing the left button. The advance will stop as soon as the button is released.

===DISK ACCESS===

This gives access to saving and loading your position. A seperate disk is required which must be formatted using the format function on this display. Up to five positions may be saved on one disk. Each may be given a name of up to ten characters.

The timer keeps track of how long you have been operating in days, hours and minutes. This time is saved along with your game and is shown in the index box. If you change save disks, remember to update the index by clicking on the disk Directory icon.

To save or load a position, simply click on the icon next to the required index label. If the request is valid, you will be asked to confirm with the operation. Any incorrect response will cancel the request.

'''IF YOU HAVE A SYSTEM WITH 2 FLOPPY DISK DRIVES''', the system will always use the second drive for saved positions (DF1: for Amiga, drive B for ST). This reduces the need to swap disks (ST owners note that this option is only available if you have 1MB or more of memory available).

When the ACC becomes available, you may set the refuel thresholds for shuttles and IOS from here. This gives the tonnage of fuel for each ship at which the ACC will continue to function. Below this level the ship will be held in dock until fuel is available. These settings are saved with your position.

Amiga owners have the can toggle the sound filter for improved sound quality by clicking the "LED"(Power) icon. Adjust to your taste. Connection to an external stereo hi-fi system or headphones is reccomended!

To exit the disk access display, press the right mouse button.

===NEWS BULLETINS===

A simple display of the most recent important events. The latest reports are highlighted. Each message is preceded by the date upon which the event occured. During early stages of play, the bulletin board may seem superfluous, but its importance will grow as you expand your systems. It can also serve as a reminder when a previously saved position is loaded from disk.

Emergency reports will cause the News Bulletin icon to flash accompanied by a warning buzz; time advance will be halted automatically. You are strongly advised to access news bulletins in this instance!

Below the reports window is a single icon which can be used to repeat the most recent Special Bulletin (if any).

===EARTH CITY===

Activating this icon takes you directly to Earth City, displaying all relevant icons for accessing its departments in the DEPARTMENTAL CONTROL PANEL (see below). This allows you to return to the surface to Earth from anywhere at any time.

===MASTER CONTROL===

This icon will appear when your first orbital factory is constructed above the Earth. It provides a display of all factories and their current status. Factories are named according to their host planet or moon. Clicking on any factory displayed will give you access to the departments at that location, via the DEPARTMENTAL CONTROL PANEL. Surface stations may be accessed only via the respective orbital factory. Note that Earth is a special case. Earth City is not controlled by it's orbiting factory, so may be accessed only via the Earth City icon.

This screen will also provide a display of all your IOS and their current status. Access to the cockpit of each craft may be gained by clicking on the ship's icon.

As this display gives access to so many of your facilities, it is used extensively. The right mouse button has been connected to the Master Control icon, and under most circumstances pressing this button will take you to this display, just as if you had activated the Master Control icon.

===DEPOSIT ANALYSIS===

This icon will become available at the appropriate time and is for information only. When activated it gives a graphic display of satellite and system charts, identical to the navigation systems for IOS spacecraft. Below the chart is a deposit analysis of the most abundant minerals available for mining, along with an indicator of any resident orbital factory.

To view the analysis on any planet or moon, simply move the cursor over the required location and press the left mouse button. While in a satellite chart, clicking on the planet zooms out to the system chart, showing all planets in the system. Selecting a planet from the system chart zooms into the appropriate satellite chart showing all moons of that planet. The analysis for the last location selected will be displayed.

===STOCKTAKER===

This is the main data base provided by the Master Computer. It supplies information on stocks of raw materials and equipment at all the orbital factories in the system. A further function gives a list of all teams of personnel along with their current location and status.

The '''SWITCH STOREROOM''' icon toggles the display between material stocks and equipment stocks.

'''MATERIAL STOCKS''' displays a list of all mineable minerals along with the location where active factories are currently in orbit. The figures before each location indicate the tonnage in the OF stores of the material highlighted in red. Simply move the cursor over the material names and press the left button to select a material. The figures will be updated to show the stocks.

'''EQUIPMENT STOCKS''' displays a selection panel on the right side of the screen along with the locations where active factories are currently in orbit. To make a selection, move the cursor over the panel and click the button for the required item.

'''TEAM ROSTER''' is available only from the Material Stocks display. Click on the ROSTER ON/OFF icon to display the team list. The roster is color coded: White team names are Mariners, blue refers to production teams, while research engineers are grey. Each line shows the rank and name of the team leader along with the number of staff remaining in the team. The small symbols indicate their condition: a small head-and-shoulders indicates that this is an active crew on a ship. The 'sleeping man' shows that the team is on a cryogenic pod aboard a ship. Planet and moon names indicate that the team is probably in the OF cryo stores at that location. Ship names are also color coded: green is for shuttle and red is for an IOS. Use the SCROLL UP (S121) and SCROLL DOWN(S122) icons to view other teams if you have more than twelve active.

==DEPARTMENTAL CONTROL PANEL==

Below the Master Control Panel is an array of icons which give access to the various departments of Earth City and Orbital Factories. The Master Computer will generate the appropriate icons for each location. If you are not in any particular location, no icons will be displayed. If in doubt as to your current location, it will be identified at the bottom right of your screen.

===PRODUCTION=== Selecting this icon will give a display of the production department for this location. It comprises of an item selection panel to the far right, a book of blueprints, a production progress indicator and a team status box.

Moving the cursor over the selection panel reveals the blueprint and name of each item. Clicking on this panel will cause that item to be produced. As play commences, only the Derrick, or Resource Mining Rig, is available for production. Other items must be first researched before they appear on the selection panel.

To produce anything, you must first have a team of artisans for production control. These may be supplied direct from the Training Department on Earth or from the ship Service Bays in orbital factories. Most items have a Tech Level. The controlling team leader must have the corresponding minimum rank for each Tech Level. Team leaders will be promoted as they gain experience by producing items. The higher the rank of artisans the faster they will produce selected items. Speed is also affected by the number of staff in the team. Each artisan team leader may supervise up to 200 staff. Finally, production teams may be moved to the ship Service Bays for transportation to another location. Simply click on the icon to the left of the team status box. If there is space available the team will be transferred to the Service Bay and production will be suspended.

All production requires raw materials. When a request is made for an item to the produced the stores are checked for any shortages. If deficiencies exist they are shown on the display. Otherwise the stocks will be removed from the stores and production will begin. When complete, the item will be transferred directly into the Equipment Stores ready for use. Note that some items, such as the AOC, are built in situ and not passed to stores.

===STORES===

Earth City, orbital factories, and surface stations all have storage capabilities for raw materials and equipment. The Stores display may be toggled between the two types of storeroom using the icon at the bottom of the display.

'''MATERIAL STORES''' gives a list of all possible raw materials. To the left of each is the amount currently in stock up to the maximum of 50,000T. The blue arrows indicate deposits available on the local moon or planet. The item selector panel allows you to find out how many of a particular item may be produced from the current stocks. When any item is selected, the stock figures are color coded to show which materials are required; green indicates sufficient for at least one of that item, while red indicates a shortage. Grey figures are not required for this item.

'''EQUIPMENT STORES''' gives a list of researched items along with their current stocks. Stores may hold a maximum of 15 of each item. Moving the cursor over the frame of any item will access the design library, providing a short description and function of the selected item. Press the left mouse button to close the description.

N.B. Amiga users with an unexpanded machine will note that this function will cause the item to be loaded from the DATA disk. Library access will allow production to display the seperate stages of manufacture of that item, while production of any other item will display a general purpose graphic.

===RESOURCE===

Resource centers are available on Earth City and surface stations. They control any mining rigs (derricks) and the surveying of fresh mineral seams. The rigs are responsible for the extraction of minerals.

The display shows a list of the deposits which may be mined at the current location. To the left are figures giving an estimate of the size of the current seam - NOT the current stock of that mineral. Once the seam has been exhausted the figure will change to show that a SURVEY is underway for a new seam. During this period no mining of that material will be achieved. Surveys will take varying times to complete depending on the rarity of the mineral.

When derricks have been manufactured they may be assigned to Resource from Stores by clicking on the ADD MINING RIG icon at the bottom right of the display. Control systems allow for a maximum of 8 derricks for each resource station. The more rigs assigned the faster minerals will be recovered.

===TRAINING===

Training is available only in Earth City and is responsible for supplying skilled personnel for the three professions: Research, Production and Mariners.

Earth City has a vast population. However, only a small percentage is available and suitable for recruitment. Recruits form a pool of available people which may not be replenished. The training department display gives the current size of the recruit pool to the left. There are three training areas to which recruits may be assigned, each door showing the area of training available. To train a team, point the cursor to the RECRUIT icon inside each door, and press the button, keeping it held down for a fast transfer. A maximum of 100 personnel may be trained in each area at any one time. Training will commence once the ADVANCE TIME function is activated.

When training is complete, the new team will be transferred to the respective department with the most promising student as the team leader. The training area doors will be opened for further recruits. If a team is already present in the department then all newly trained recruits will be added to the staff of the existing team. Teams may be brought to full strength this way. Training for Production and Research will not allow more recruits than necessary for the existing teams. When Mariners are trained, they will be first be split to maximize the teams in the Shuttle Bay. Any remaining recruits will form a new team. The shuttle bay cryogenics may hold up to four teams.

When first released from training the leader has the lowest rating for his profession. Higher ranks may only be achieved through experience in the field.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |Research||250+Leader||Technician||Doctor||Professor |- |Production||200+Leader||Apprentice||Engineer||Expert |- |Mariners||40+Leader||Pilot||Captain||Admiral |}

While teams are active natural losses of staff will occur, due to aging, disease or accidents. These losses will not occur while the team is stored inside a ship's cryo pod!

===RESEARCH===

As with Training, Research facilities are only available in Earth City. Research requires a trained team and is responsible for the design and blueprints for the Production department. Nothing can be produced until it is researched in this department.

At the bottom of the display is a team status box which gives information on the resident team. The speed at which items are designed is relative to the number of staff assigned to the team. Note also that each item has its own Tech Level which demands a minimum rating from the team leader.

To select an item for research, move the cursor over the selection panel to the right of the display. When the item name appears press the left button. Each drawer in the selection panel has a colored light, indicating the progress of research on that item. Red indicates that the item is completely unresearched. Yellow indicates that some progress has been made. Green shows that the item is fully designed and passed to the Production department. Selection of a green item will give a rundown of the requirements for manufacture, i.e. Tech level, raw materials and type of production facilities. Selection of red or yellow items will start the research work.

Research is also responsible for investigating objects you may find, and designing tools for problem solving. The team leader will inform you of any developments via the News Bulletin. Work on any new items must be requested by Control, so keep an eye on what the Research team is doing!

===SERVICE BAYS===

These are responsible for the servicing of all your spacecraft. Refueling, loading and unloading, engine fitting, crewing and general refits are all carried out here. Each Service Bay is directly linked to the Stores via a series of hydraulic elevators. Chassis and equipment may be moved to and from the Stores as required. Each Service Bay also has the capacity to house up to four teams of Mariners for transfer to and from spacecraft. Note that there are two types of Service Bay. One is specifically designed for Shuttles (bays) while the other is for larger spacecraft (docks). The space dock is only available at orbital factories; larger ships cannot be landed on Earth or surface stations.

An empty Service Bay may be used to build new vessels. Simply click on the '''NEW SHIP''' icon at the top of the display and a new chassis will be lifted from the Stores. Note that new ships require an engine and fuel before they are operational. While a ship is docked in any bay a computer generated image of the ship appears over the top of the gantry. Clicking on the sections of the image will move the gantry over the selected part of the ship, thus allowing access to each section.

'''CREW SELECTION''' displays the nose of the ship, the name and rank of the crew, if any, and the four team rooms where Mariners or Artisans may reside. Mariners are color coded red, Artisans blue. To assign a crew, move the cursor over one of the resident teams and press the left button. Remove crews by clicking on a vacant team room. Note that clicking on a resident team of Artisans will transfer them to the Production department.

'''POD MOUNTS''' allows the fitting and removal of the three different types of pods (see pg 33). Three different icons at the bottom of the display decide which type of pod is fitted to the ship. If the pod is already fitted, it will be removed and placed in Stores. To load or empty the pod, move the cursor over the graphic of the pod on the ship's chassis until INSPECT POD appears in the text description area and press the left button. A window will appear for the appropriate pod. Materials, equipment and teams may now be transferred to and from the pod. Press the right button to close the window.

'''ENGINE MOUNTING''' allows a newly commisioned craft to be fitted with an engine by clicking on the INSTALL icon. Damaged engines may be replaced in the same way. Of course, the old engine is scrapped and not placed in the Stores. The refuel bar beneath the gantry shows how much fuel is in the ship's tanks. The white figure shows how much is in stock. Click on the + or - to adjust the fuel level. While in the service bay, access to the ship's cockpit is gained by clicking on any part of the chassis.

'''DISMANTLE''' will initiate dismantling of the entire ship, placing all components into storage. However, the procedure will be halted if there is no vacant team room for the crew. Items held in grapples must be removed manually before selecting this function.

===SHUTTLE===

Only one shuttle may be active on each planet or moon. This icon gives access to the cockpit oft he shuttle, showing all necessary information on the status of the craft and any cargo it is carrying. The ETA reading shows the time at which its current maneuver is expected to be completed.

==SHIP CONTROL==

Most functions of ship control are performed in the cockpit. Not all ships have the same controls. The shuttle is restricted to its mother planet so no course setting is required. Each function is explained below (refer to diagram for the location of icons).

'''SERVICE SHIP'''

If the ship is docked, this will take you from the cockpit into the service bay.

'''DOCK, LAND, and LAUNCH'''

These are the manual override buttons for ship maneuvers.

'''POD CONTROLS'''

This panel shows all pods fitted to the ship. Select the appropriate pod mount to access the contents or controls for that pod. While the ship is docked, selecting a pod will take you to the service bay, with the gantry positioned over that pod mount.

'''SWITCH VIEW'''

The cockpit display has two modes, and by selecting the Switch View icon it is possible to toggle between a status display and a visual display of the exterior view (expanded computers only).

'''ENGAGE/DISENGAGE DRIVE'''

On interplanetary flights, the main drive must be engaged to travel to the preset destination. Minor maneuvers, such as docking, will engage the drive automatically.

'''SET COURSE'''

By selecting this icon it it possible to set the ship's destination. A series of charts will be displayed showing the local planets and moons. Anywhere in the system may be targeted. The display also gives an ETA (estimated time of arrival) for the selected destination. There are two types of chart: the satellite chart and the system chart. While in the satellite chart, clicking on any moon will select it as the destination, and the ETA will be calculated and displayed. Clicking on the subject planet will set the destination as that planet, but also switch the display to the system chart. In the system chart all the planets in the system are shown and may be selected as destinations. Clicking on a planet will also take you to the satellite chart for that locale. Pressing the right mouse button will close the display and log the last selected planet or moon as the ship's destination.

If you wish to change course while the ship is already in flight, disengage the drive first! Changing course may force the ship to come to a halt before turning to its new heading, extending the time it will take to reach the new destination. It may even be quicker to let the ship reach its present target before changing destinations.

==EQUIPMENT & DATA REFERENCE==

''Please see the index for the manual's equipment listings! -Dexee''

==HOW TO BUILD AN ORBITAL FACTORY== '''A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE'''

  • Your first priority as Earth City Controller will be to enlist and train personnel for each department. Go to the Training department and transfer recruits to each area, pointing to the right arrow in each of the doors and holding the left mouse button. You will be unable to run any departments until the recruits are trained, so click on the Advance Time icon until the doors re-open. The first batch of trained staff will be assigned automatically to their departments, but before you leave the Training department, transfer more recruits to each area.
  • The next step is to build the Resource Department up to its maximum output, and to research the other projects which will be needed to construct a shuttle and the sections of the Orbital Factory. Go to the Research department and select the Deuteros:S_Chassis. This is achieved by clicking on the button in the item selection panel on the right of the screen. The green button for the resource mining rig shows that it has already been researched; the red buttons denote projects awaiting research. Enter the Production department and click on the green button to select a Deuteros:Derrick.
  • Advance Time and you will see the derrick being built. When it is complete, and the derrick graphic disappears, go to the Resource department and add the rig, using the icon at the bottom right of the screen.
  • Repeat this procedure until your Resource department has a complement of 4 rigs.
  • Go to the Research department and select the Shuttle Drive. Now enter the Stores and click on the Shuttle Chassis (point the cursor at the text in the center of the screen). The item will be shown, along with a description of its use. Return to production and build a Shuttle Chassis. Advance Time. Build another 2 rigs. Advance Time. You will notice that the production team will be promoted to Engineer. The team's performance and capabilities have improved due to their experience in the field.
  • Go to the Stores and select the Shuttle Drive to view a description. You will be told that the drive requires fuel: return to Research and select Deuteros:MeH_Fuel. Once this has been researched, it will be produced automatically from your stocks of Methane and Hydrogen.
  • Return to Production and build a Shuttle Drive. Build another two rigs to bring Resources up to the maximum of eight. '''BUILDING A SHUTTLE'''
  • You are almost ready to send your first shuttle into orbit. Go to the Shuttle bay and you will see the trained marines available as crew. Above them is the New Shuttle icon which will bring the newly constructed chassis into the bay. Click on this icon. The shuttle will be lifted into view, while above the bay the New Shuttle icon will disappear, replaced by the Dismantle icon and a small representation of the three sections of the shuttle. Clicking on any part of this will allow you access to the Crew section, Pod mount, and Engine section. Assign a crew by pointing to any available team and clicking the mouse button. The team will be transferred to the Crew section of the shuttle.

There are three types of pods which can be installed in the shuttle. These are:

:#Deuteros:Supply_Pod :#Deuteros:Tool_Pod :#Deuteros:Cryo_Pod

Research each of these pods and then access their descriptions from the Mining store to view more information on the use of each type of pod.

You will also need to research and construct an Deuteros:OF_Frame. To transport an OF section into orbit, build a Tool and Equipment mounting. Install this mounting in your shuttle, then point to the pod - the words Inspect Pod will appear at the top left of the screen. Click the left mouse button to view the Equipment stocks and select OF Frame from the last. Now click the right mouse button to exit from this menu.

Now click on the Engine mounting icon at the top of the screen. You will move along the shuttle bay to the stern of the shuttle. Select the Install Drive Unit icon.

The shuttle is fueled by pointing to the + sign to the right of the fuel bar below the shuttle bay. Hold the left mouse button to transfer fuel. Hydrogen Methanol fuel is produced automatically at any factory where both resources are available.

'''CONTROLLING THE SHUTTLE'''

There is now a new icon available which will take you to the cockpit of the shuttle. From the cockpit, you may view a text display giving information on the location, fuel available, crew and cargo of the shuttle. By clicking at the bottom left corner of the cockpit, you will switch to the actual view from the shuttle cockpit. The controls for the shuttle are positioned around the cockpit window.

:# Service ship - this appears in the top left corner and will allow you to access the shuttle bay when the shuttle is docked. :# Dock - this is in the center of the screen under the window; use it to dock with an OF when in orbit. :# Land - this is to the right of the Docking icon and is used to land the shuttle from orbit onto a planet or moon base. :# Launch - this is to the right of the Land icon. Launches a ship from a base into orbit. :# Pod mounts - these appear in the bottom right of the cockpit screen.

Select Launch: the text will change to read: Climbing from Earth. Now Advance Time until the shuttle reaches Earth's orbit. Click on the pod mount to activate the OF frame. Note that a further seven frames are required to complete the factory.

When construction of the Orbital Factory is complete, the Master Control screen will become available, showing your new factory to the right of the master control icons. You will come to use this screen a great deal as the plot unfolds and your colonies spread throughout the solar system. Good luck!

==ADDENDUM A==

Extracts from "Principles" Vol. XXI, Dr. D Trout

'''Chapter 4''' ''"...and I have already theorized on the principles of interplanetary propulsion. You can see that the time taken to travel from one planet to another is well within the life span of a human being.''

''However, using the same propulsion system over the distances to neighboring stars would not be practical. For such exploration a craft which could approach the speed of light would be necessary. This in itself would create new problems.''

''For the sake of my explanation we shall take Proxima Centauri as our example, a star some four light years distant, i.e. it takes light from this star four years to reach us. You would imagine that a ship traveling at the speed of light would take four years to reach the star. Well, this is only true as long as you accept that time passes at varying rates.''

''To an observer on Earth, the ship traveling to Proxima will take four years to complete its journey. In fact, the physical mass of the ship will take four years. However, as the ship approaches the speed of light, time begins to pass more slowly. Now only do clocks slow down, but everything else is affected; the atomic processes we discussed earlier are slowed, including the mental and metabolic processes of the crew. To the crew, everything would seem normal except that they are aging more slowly than those on Earth.''

''When the ship arrives at Proxima, four Earth years will have passed, but due to the effects of time dilation, it will seem like only weeks to the ship and its crew!''

''Remote control computers for such a craft would require that they remain in the same time frame. For example, if our ship was to return directly to Earth at the speed of light it would arrive eight years into the future of our current time frame! Control would be lost resulting in the probable destruction of the craft.''

''Of course, 100% light speed is not actually attainable, but something approaching it would have the desired effect. Consider the formulae for..."''

'''Chapter 5'''

''"...but we have already proven that full light velocity is unreachable. Perhaps 99.9% is the maximum ever attainable.''

''I shall expand upon my theories a little later, but you will see that once light speed is approached it is a simple matter to exceed it, never actually reaching the velocity of light itself! I shall prove that any mass can travel at less than, or faster than but not equal to the speed of light.''

''For the time being, I shall revert to my earlier discussion of time dilation. We have seen that time slows down as we approach the speed of light. It would seem natural to assume that time would simply stop at this magical velocity. And beyond it? Backwards?''

''Hyperlight travel would allow a ship to travel back and forth between any locations in the universe, arriving in any time frame it wished. Remote control computers would no longer have the problem of losing track..."''