Charon 5 docs
                            by MERKWooD/MAAD

THE GAME

The year is 2065. A group of scientist discover a spacecraft entering the
outer edges of your star system. A command force is sent into the area to
investigate. Through their investigations it is quickly determined to be
a derelict space ship from another star system. The ship was known as
Charon 5. The symbols on the bow indicate that she once belonged to a
squadron of intergalactic colony ships whose occupants either abandoned her
when they reached their final destination, or when destroyed en route.

A search party is sent to Charon 5 after the initial Command Force decides
that no danger is posed by the ship. The mission is to study and catalogue
what they find, and try to determine the reason for the abandoned ship.

Entry is finally made into Charon 5 by blasting the airlock, as every other
method to open it failed. The team makes great progress uncovering
information about the aliens who once lived aboard Charon 5. They discover
new things about the ship, and about new technologies that promise to vastly
improve the quality of life.

One day everything goes wrong. By accident some alien lifeforms with obvious
intelligence but probably not the original occupants of Charon 5 are awakened.
Soon after seizing control of the ship, the herd the scientist into a level
deep in Charon 5. As soon as the scientists are imprisoned, the aliens
destroy the airlocks on all levels including much of the control circuitry
necessary to use the interlevel airlocks. The interlevel airlocks are not
damaged, but because of the missing circuitry they are non-functional. They
state no reasons for their actions, nor do they give any demands in exchange
for the release of their hostages.

The Command Force decides that they could slip in on person on a rescue
mission with the necessary support equipment to repair the damaged airlocks
and control circuitry, but it would be a dangerous job. The person to be
selected may not be succesful. The person selected must be a superior thinker
and above all possess quick reflexes. After reviewing many candidates, they
have chosen YOU.

CONTROLS

Your mode of transportation within Charon 5 will be a H.U.M.A.N. (Highly
Useable Maneuverable ANdroid). This is a vehicle designed specifically for
this rescue mission. It has been designed with this particular environment
in mind.

H.U.M.A.N. uses the joystick to control his movement, fire weapons, and use
the computer terminals and components warehouses that are located throughout
Charon 5.

The joystick is used to manoeuver H.U.M.A.N. around the levelsof Charon 5.
Pushing forward on the joystick will cause the grafic representation of       
H.U.M.A.N. to move up. Pulling down will cause H.U.M.A.N. to move left or 
right. Pressing the joystick button while in one of these motions will fire
a shot once per square in the direction travlled.

You start the game with only one H.U.M.A.N. (remember this is a rescue 
mission, If you die, you are dead! No resurrection!) You will die if you run out of energy. 
out of energy. There is energy monitor on the upper left of the screen.
You can collect energy by running over the tiles of the floor on each of
the levels of Charon 5. You collect 10 units of energy per tile. Once you
have collected the energy of the tile, it will change to a darker color
signifying a "dead" tile. You can get energy from a tile only once. You
start the game with 160 units of energy, which decreases at a rate of 20
units per second. If you use your weapons, your energy decreases by 10 units
per shot. Any touch by an alien will automatically activate your shield,
thereby killing the alien, but reduce your energy by 100 units for its use.

TERMINAL MODE

The Terminal Mode of H.U.M.A.N. is engaged when you log onto one of the
ship's computer terminals (identified as a diamond outline on a square). You
log onto a terminal by positioning H.U.M.A.N. over the diamond and pressing
the joystick button at the same time. When you have done so, you will be
presented with a computer screen that indicates by way of a picture your 
current location and your inventory of tools carried. You are asked if you
would like to locate the parts necessary to repair the airlocks and circuts.

Answer "yes" by pushing the joystick button, "no" by pulling down on the 
joystick. You can retrive and up to ten components, but it is on a LIFO
(Last In First Out) system. This means the last component you store is the
first you are able to retrieve and use. You can view your store of           
components and their locations by pushing the joystick left or right to 
display the components stored in those locations.

Beware! Sometimes components to be used on upcoming levels are stored on
preceding levels. They are readily identified by appearing in a different
color from the rest of the level. If you pick these up last, you will not be
able to finish the level because you cannot use that component unil you get
to its level. You will be unable to retrieve the other components until the
last one you picked up is used. The terminal will not dispense a second 
component until the first is either used or destroyed. Therefore exercise
caution when picking up components.

CONNECT MODE

You are in this mode when reassembling the blasted airlocks and reconnecting
the damaged circuts. This mode is entered by matching your component with 
the airlock to be repaired. Once you have found the airlock, you log onto the
connection terminal to start the process by positioning yourself over the
diamond with an X through it.

You will be presented with the terminal which displays location. tools which
may be stored at that location, and other information applicable at that
location. To replace the airlock and reconnect the circuts, press the 
joystick button. To leave, pull down on the joystick. To display your store 
of components, push the joystick to the right.

The first storage chamber ia called "Acess Store", because this chamber 
contains the only component that you can use. The others are labelled
"Read Only" because of the LIFO storage system. If you have the required
component and wish to replace the damaged component, push the joystick button
to the start process. Once you have entered the connection stage of the 
process you cannot leave until your work is finished or the component is
destroyed. The damaged component is replaced by alinging your blue component
with the yellow connection. Beware! If you touch the red connectors, you
will damage your component. Two touches will destroy the component beyond
use. It will then be necessary to obtain a new one.

The joystick controls movement in this mode. Pushing right will move you 
forward, left will move you backward. Pushing up or down will move you up or
down on the screen. In order to move only in small increments (one line at
a time), move the joystick along the diagonals (at 45 degrees to the left/
right or up/down directions). Pushing and holding the joystick button at any
time will accelerate the movement. Once connection has been established you 
will automatically withdraw from the connection level and reappear at the
terminal level. You will be notified of any tools that may have been in the
storage of the old airlock. Instructions will be given on their use when you
recieve them.

During the Terminal Mode and the Connection Mode there is no usage of your
energy supplies.

TOOLS

There are two types:
TurboSpeeder: Accessed by hitting the space bar anytime (except in Terminal
or Connection Modes). This will provide a short period of increased 
acceleration.

AutoLinker: Used in Connection Mode. If you have one in your inventory, the
terminal will automatically ask if you would like to use it. Answer "yes" by
pressing the button, and "no" by pulling the joystick down. If you use the 
AutoLinker, it will connect the components for you automatically.

Once a connection is made, you can leave the terminal mode by pulling the 
joystick down signifying "log out". Once you have logged out, you will still
be on the airlock location. Once you move one way or the other (be careful,
you may end up in a dead end!) the airlock will appear. If you do get into a
dead end, press the Help key, then the Escape key at the same time. This will
reset the level, but not the energy grid... once you have used up energy,
it is gone.

A repaired airlock will be replaced with a solid line. We dont want to take 
the time to replace the actual airlock with a working one because of the 
urgency to rescue the people. We replace with a solid piece of metal to 
repair the connections. If the current travelling the circut to the 
interlevel airlock is blocked by that location, then you will see the current
represented by a different color travel along the circut, until it reaches 
the next break, or completes the the circut by activating the interlevel lock

The interlevel lock is at the end of the circut. It is easily identified by
the star type pattern on the floor around it. To activate the interlevel lock
, position yourself in the center and press the joystick button. You can 
identify the next level because it is a different color from the one that you
left, and the new name in the middle of the bar at the top of the screen.

SCORING

You recieve 10 points for every creature that you kill, either your weapons
system or your shield.

You recieve 100 points for every airlock that you repair.

MERKWooD/MAAD