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The story takes place in the year 2186 -- in a place
where no-one can hear you scream -- and opens with you
onboard the deep-space black-hole prospecting ship,
Starcross. You rendezvous not with Rama but with another
gargantuan starship from the outer fringes of the Galaxy.
Once you have successfully docked with the craft you
must gain entry to its mysterious interior. Inside you
find a complex, engaging world and come face to face
with aliens both harmful and helpful. The huge starship
has a greater purpose than mere cultural exchange however
-- it conveys a challenge that only you can meet.
This
is a toughie. One of the first Infocom adventures I
delved into, it remains one of my all-time favourites.
Response time is slow but reading the screens of text
helps pass the time while disk accessing takes place.
The
first task incorporates the anti-pirate device supplied
in the packaging. The computer wakes you to inform that
it has detected a large mass in the vicinity. Reading
the screen gives the co-ordinates of the mass and referring
to them on the map provided with the package gives the
bearing needed for interception. Without the map there
is no game.
The
next problem is docking with the mass and entering it.
A number of rods protrude from a likely looking airlock
and need to be manipulated correctly to gain entry.
Saving your position is highly recommended at this juncture,
as one mistake means failure.
Inside
the hulk there are many weird and wonderful creatures
to interact with, and strange objects to puzzle over.
Infocom's usual attention to detail is omnipresent and
most feasible inputs have been catered for.
Starcross
will nicely fill that space on your shelf -- intercept
it at all costs.
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