infocom/hints/solutions/starcross.txt

               STARCROSS Part One

 Ah, outer space!  No dank and dusty dungeons here....but you can
be sure that the puzzles are no easier than they were in the
Great Underground Empire!  So, settle in and get ready for
lift-off. There you are, floating around space in your ship,
alarm bells ringing in your ears. Obviously, something's about to
happen.  Get the tape library, then get up and go Starboard into
the Bridge.  Push the red button, which will shut off the alarm
bell, and read the screen. This will tell you which object on
your map is the one to head for. Now, there's no way I can tell
you the exact coordinates, as the destination changes from game
to game.  However, it isn't hard to figure out what they are. 
Once you've done that, sit down in the control couch and fasten
the belt.  Now you have to enter the course into the computer,
which is done as follows:  Computer, range is x, theta is y, phi
is z.  The computer will ask you to confirm the new course, which
you do by saying:  Computer, confirm new program.  After that,
you're off! And now it's time for the hallmark of all Infocom
games: Waiting!  You'll sit in the couch, and wait until you
arrive at the alien ship and you are captured by it <however, you
can enjoy the verbose descriptions while you wait>.  Once your
ship is down on the dock, unfasten the belt, get up, and go
Starboard into the storage room. Get the suit, put it on, then
get the line.  Head Portwards back to the bridge. Fun times with
airlocks begin now.  Open the inner door, go out, close the inner
door, open the outer door, and go out.  Get used to doing that,
because you'll be doing it again, and again!  So, now you're on
the Red Dock, and there's a strange-looking sculpture here.
Closer examination, and a little thought, shows that it's a
representation of the solar system.  Aha!  Could it be...? You
press the fourth bump, and strange things happen.  Press the
small bump, and a black rod appears...get the rod, and the outer
airlock door opens! Okay, go inside <close outer, open inner,
etc.>, and you are in a Red Hall.  At this point, you might want
to save the game, and just wander around, doing some mapping. 
Actually, I recommend that you do so, since there will be a point
in the game where I won't be able to give you specific
directional instructions. Now that you've checked out the
territory a bit, restore to your original entry point.  You're
ready for the great rod hunt....because the object of the game is
to activtate and control the artifact, which is done via
different colored rods. Right now, you want the red one, so, go
North, then West into the Room on Ring Two.  From there, North
into the Zoo, and East into the rat-ant cage. The red rod is part
of the nest, and you just can't reach over and get it.  This is
one of the very few times in an Infocom where violence is
necessary: Throw the tape library at the nest, which will be
smashed. While the rat- ants look at you in terror, grab the red
rod and the tape library.  Now it's time for the yellow rod, so
head along West, South, West, which will bring you to the Blue
Hall.  Go South once and you're at the Blue Airlock. Open the
door, go down, close inner door, etc.  When you reach the Blue
Dock, go Aft until you come to the Spider-like alien. It's quite
intelligent and even friendly.  Give it the tape library, and in
return you will get the yellow rod.  Take that, and make your way
back to the Blue Hall.

                 STARCROSS Part Two

 You have two rods, and you will be using them now.  From the
Blue Hall, go up, and you're in the Grasslands.  Go South to the
Thin Forest, open the hatch there, and go down into the Repair
Room.  Put the yellow rod in the yellow slot.  That turns on the
lights in the Yellow Hallway.  Put the red rod in the SECOND red
slot.  Make sure it's the second; this will provide a breathable
atmosphere for you. Now, get the metal square, and go up, then
North, then down again to the Blue Hall.  From there, West to the
Yellow Hall and Yellow Airlock.  You know the drill by now, but
there's an extra feature this time:  You will have to try to open
the outer door twice <it's balky>. Also, while you're in the
Yellow Airlock, pick up the basket; it will come in very handy!
Once on the Yellow Dock, tie the line to the suit and then to the
hook.  Head Portwards, get the pink rod, put it in the basket,
then go back Starboard to the dock, untie yourself, and return to
the Yellow Hall. Now, it's time for the blue rod. Go South twice,
then East once. You are in a laboratory with a mysterious silver
globe floating in mid-air.  Inside the globe, although you can't
see it now, is a blue rod.  It's easy to get, however.  Take the
two disks off the wall.  Put one on the floor, and one under the
globe.  It doesn't matter which way you do it, the result will be
the same.  Put the basket on the globe, then turn the dial to 4. 
Ta-da!  The basket suddenly appears on the disk on the floor,
with the blue rod!  Turn the dial to 1, then get both disks, the
basket, and the blue rod.  Put the rod in the basket. In fact,
put all rods in the basket when you get them. Okay, there's still
plenty of rods to collect, so let's keep moving!  Head West, then
North four times to the end of the hallway, then West to the Room
on Ring One, and South from there into the Computer Room. Open
the panel on the computer, then insert the metal square into the
slot.  Turn on the computer, and you will get a gold rod.  Don't
worry about all the displays; they aren't important to you. Now
comes more waiting.  What you're waiting for this time is the
mechanical "mouse" that collects trash.  So, move around until it
makes an appearance. As soon as it does, drop one of the disks
<either one>.  The mouse will pick it up.  After that, you must
follow the mouse around until it disappears into a secret door in
one of the rooms.  There are several different rooms where the
mouse can do this, so you *must* follow it. Wait there until it
reappears and leaves, wait a little longer to make sure it won't
come back, then drop the other disk on the floor and step on it. 
Zap!! You're in the Garage!  <Hurray for transporter disks!>. 
Pick up the disk, then empty the trash bin <yuck!> until you find
the green rod.  Go North and you will be in the Room on Ring
Four.

                 STARCROSS Part Three

You are now in the Room on Ring Four.  Now, this is why you had
to do some mapping on your own: You must get the other disk you
dropped, and there's no telling exactly in which room that was.
So, you must explore on your own until you find the disk.  Once
you've done that, make your way to the Blue Hall where the
airlock is.  From there, go North twice, then West into the
Observatory.  Drop off one of the disks, then hike along East,
South, East, East, South, East into the Weasel Village, and then
East once more to the Village Center.  Wait around a short while,
and the Weasel chief will appear. He will indicate that he wants
your space suit.  That's no problem, since the air will remain
breathable, and you don't need the suit anymore.  So, give it to
him.  Then, when he wants to give you something in return, point
to the brown rod he wears around his neck.  He will give it to
you, and start to leave. Follow him!  <Think of all this
following around as good practice for "Deadline."> Continue to
follow him, until you arrive at the Center of the Warren.  Then
climb down the ladder to the Green Airlock <yep, another one!>,
and do the usual job with the doors.  From the dock, go West to
the Umbilical, then West again to the Cargo Hold.  Pick up the
visor fragment, then go Forward into the Control Room of the
wrecked ship.  Move the skeleton, and you will find a violet rod. 
Now, drop the disk on the floor, and step on it. If you attempt
to leave the way you came, the Weasels will kill you for
disturbing their shrine. So, now you've materialized in the
Observatory, and it's time to pick up another rod:  Look at
projector through visor.  Aha! A clear rod.  Sneaky, huh?  Get
the rod, drop the visor, then move along East, then South three
times to the Melted Spot, then West into the Weapons Deck. Get
the genuine Ray-gun, and look inside it. Sonuvagun!  A silver
rod!  Get that, then East and North, and up to the Grasslands,
'cause it's time to get this show on the road.  Now, trek on
South twice to the Dense Forest, then East to the base of the
tree. Climb the tree, all the way up to the top, then jump to the
Drive Bubble. Insert the silver rod into the slot, then enter the
bubble. There's a white rod here; get that and put it into the
white slot.  Under no circumstances should you insert the black
rod into the black slot!!  That will shut everything down!  Okay,
the drive mechanism has been activated; now you have to make the
thing move.  So, out, and up to the top of the Bubble,
and....jump! Isn't floating in air fun? However, you still have
some things to do yet, so shoot the gun at the Drive Bubble three
times, which will bring you to the Control Bubble.  Go Down, then
put the gold rod in the slot, and enter the Bubble. Inside, you
will find the slots for the remaining rods.  Put each rod in the
slot of its own color. Now, at last, you're ready to bring the
artifact to life! Touch the large pink square, and the scene in
the small one will change to show the inner solar system.  Now
touch the brown spot until a picture of Earth appears.  Press the
violet one until a ellipse shows <it *must* be an ellipse!>, then
press the green spot, and flashing lights appear.  And last, but
certainly not least, the final move: Touch the blue spot, which
activates everything, and brings the alien ship safely to Earth!
Of course, it isn't over yet! That final remark by the alien
sounded a little ominous....I have a feeling you'll be heading
out again into space sooner than you might think!