The Scene The year is 2112. Inter planetary research shows information capsules buried deep within the hearts of ancient stars. Knowledge that long dead civilisations left behind light years ago. And data retrieval is big business. The Terran Hardlight Corporation pay Runners billions of Creds to excavate star cores. There is just one problem. Adherents. Hostile alien cyborgs that are programmed to defend this knowledge. At all costs. Without mercy...... === Daniel Drager stood and stared out of the floor to ceiling window that looked out over the city of Korda. It was only ten o’clock in the morning, but the city was still shrouded in darkness. Although the wars had ended over five years ago the fires still raged in the Zenium refineries out at the Boundaries. Aided by the powerful winds created by fallout in the Northern regions, a dense, choking black smoke filtered out most of the natural light and Korda spent a lot of its time choking. Street corner preachers shouted that Hell’s doors had blown open but they were mainly veterans and were tolerated for that reason alone. The only light that penetrated the fog came from laser projections creating holograms in the sky. Logos and straplines mingled in the swirling smog....... Don’t you just love being out of control! There’s nothing quite like.... Another rain forest! Hackers had long ago discovered that the best way to get their protest across was in sabotaging large corporations advertising campaigns. It had started in the 1990’s with a spray can and as advertising methods had developed, the protesters kept ahead of the change. As these lights swept back and forth, Daniel could just make out Zenon Tower, the headquarters of Zenon Infomain. Since Zenon were his companyÕs main competitors, he often spent time staring out at the building, trying to think up ways of outdoing them. But if the truth was told, Zenon were slicker and quicker than the Terran Hardlight Corporation. Whenever a new star was discovered it always seemed to be Zenon who shipped out the Runner excavation teams first. How did they know? Who tipped them off? Dragers’ thoughts were interrupted by an image and voice on his Videoview. It was Sorbie, a short guy in glasses with lenses so thick that they made his eyes bulge like a bullfrog. Drager was always unnerved by this aspect of his assistant’s appearance. “May I come in Mr.Drager. We have just received a communication on the Vidimessenger. I think it is important you see it.” “Come,” Drager replied wearily. Surely, he thought, nothing else could go wrong now. The Redstar expedition was on its way to completion and the Terran Hardlight Corporation had not lost a large data download since the Abraxan incident. And that was over two years ago. But if experience had taught Daniel Drager one thing, it was to be prepared for the worst. Especially in this business. And Daniel prided himself on his ability. He placed his hand over a heat sensitive pad on his desk. Almost simultaneously the large panelled door to his office swung open and the squat figure of Sorbie walked in, clutching a disk in his fingers that sweated like sausages under a grill. With a hesitant look at his boss, Sorbie waited for approval before slipping the disk into a drive on Drager’s desk. Immediately the room rang out to the sound of combat, as the screen filled with the crossfire of lasers, the cries of men falling injured and the crackle of alien voices. A man’s face loomed up out of the dark, his features strained, exhausted. It was Leon Goeldring, team leader of the Redstar Archeos. Dispatched to the massive Redstar the previous month, his team was the Terran Hardlight Corporations latest and most costly investment. Huge swathes of data had been discovered by probes around Redstar, but this was over a year ago now and Drager had spent the ensuing eleven months negotiating clearance for the operation. It could not fail now. Leon shouted, his voice straining and barely audible above the noise.... “This is Leon Goeldring, team leader of the Archeos. The time is 20.30 hours on Thursday 22nd July. Our position is Cavern 1 in the Redstar complex. “We are currently under fire from Adherent missile installations. The situation is one of stalemate. While we have enough ammunition to defend our position, the Adherents have us pinned down. We’re not going anywhere. Request immediate rescue.” The image flickered on the screen then vanished. Sorbie looked at his boss. Drager let out a stream of air from between pursed lips..... “Put out an immediate request for NetRunners onto the Forum. Get the cheapest you can find. We can’t afford to lose any more money on this mess.” Sorbie nodded and made to leave the room. “Oh and Sorbie,” like a startled rabbit the short man froze, then turned to face Drager, “make sure that you vet them thoroughly this time. I don’t want any more psychowaste involved in rescue operations run by this company. The Abraxan episode cost us dearly. I don’t ever want to have to experience such an embarrassment again.” Sorbie stood rooted to the spot. Several beads of perspiration launched themselves on unique trails of discovery down his flabby face. It always affected him that way when someone mentioned the Abraxan incident. How was he to have known that Ergon Stread, the Netrunner he hired to carry out a simple operation on Zolan, was going to turn out to be a ‘roider on a meltdown mission. It was incredibly simple to get duplicated documents these days and he simply hadn’t had time to run all the necessary security checks, including a full Mediscan. Sorbie knew that the deaths of twenty-five runners would be on his conscience until the day he died and he hated it when Drager mentioned his error. He knew he was the laughing stock of the company. Drager made out as if the deaths mattered to him but Sorbie knew otherwise. All that mattered to Drager and the Corporation was hard data. If people had to die to get it, and they often did, then so be it. It was one of the unwritten rules of the data retrieval business. Struggling to keep his thoughts to himself, Sorbie murmured something under his breath and left the room. After the long trudge down the corridor back to his office, he settled himself and dictated the Netrunner request onto the Forum. The message flashed up on his console screen. In a few seconds dozens of Netrunners would be reading it: FORUM MESSAGE 237497539 TIME: 22.30 HOURS THURSDAY 22ND JULY FROM: THE TERRAN HARDLIGHT CORPORATION TO: ALL NETRUNNER PERSONNEL IMMEDIATE REQUEST FOR NETRUNNERS. THE ARCHEOS RUNNING TEAM ARE TRAPPED INSIDE THE REDSTAR, PART OF THE THELENIUM SYSTEM. PINNED DOWN BY ADHERENT FIRE. THC REQUEST ONE NETRUNNER FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION. OWN CRAFT ESSENTIAL. BONUSES PAID ON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION. ALL QUOTES TO THE TERRAN HARD LIGHT CORPORATION . DEADLINE:23.30 HOURS THURSDAY 22ND JULY Who would be able to accept such a mission? Pyrodactyl Mission Briefings Outline Brief Section One: Starting Up To load and run Pyrotechnica on your PC, follow these simple instructions. 1. Turn on your machine and wait for it to boot up. 2. Insert the PYROTECHNICA Disk. 3. Type D: (or whichever drive your CD-ROM is) and press Return 4. Type INSTALL and press Return 5. Follow the on - screen instructions. Outline Brief Section Two: Mission Objectives You must pilot your Pyrodactl through the corridors and chambers of the Red Star following this general mission brief. 1. Find a route through the defences that the Adherents have set up within the Red Star 2. Search for, and rescue all trapped wingmen which will activate their auto defence mechanism 3. To destroy as many enemy craft and defence installations as possible in order to weaken the Adherents power 4. Score as many points as possible and lead the high score table. Outline Brief Section Three: Pyrodactyl Controls You can control your craft using the keyboard or joystick. Your method of control is chosen from the Options screen (see Pyrodactl configuration, below). Whichever control method you prefer, the primary controls remain the same and are very simple: a movement control plus several others Movement Control (joystick or cursor keys). Move left, right, up and down to point the craft in the direction you wish to travel. Fire (joystick button 1, or space). Fires your Primary Weapon. Primary Weapon Selection Keys F1 Radar Homing Missiles F2 Infra Red Missiles F3 Rockets F4 Grenades Fire (joystick button 2, or S). Fires your Secondary Weapon. Secondary Weapon Selection Keys F5 Light Laser F6 Cannon F7 Heavy Laser F8 Mines Further Controls Speed Keys 1 to 9. 0 stops the craft. W Weapon view. E Toggles between external and internal view R Rotate to reverse view, operates whilst held down and in both internal and external views. P Pause game, press P again to restart. F Release Flares. C Release Chaff. B Slow craft (brakes) and move craft backwards. M Freeze game and display level map. You will be shown two views. Top down view lets you see the network from above. East West view lets you see it from the side. The lighter sections are nearer to you and the darker sections are farthest away. End Interrupt game and display in game menu Esc Launches escape pod H High Score Table Outline Brief Section Four: Pyrodactyl Configuration Once loaded, the game will begin with an intro sequence which can be skipped by pressing Return. Following this is the title page which again can be skipped by pressing Return. This will take you to the Main menu screen. Before your missions start, you may configure your Pyrodactyl to suit your personal requirements. Use a joystick, cursor keys or a mouse to move the highlighting effect and press fire, Return or a mouse button to select or toggle an option. (N.B. The game will automatically be configured for use with a keyboard unless you change it for use with a joystick. Although there is a joystick option, we strongly recommend that you control your Pyrodactyl using the keyboard controls.) To configure your Pyrodactyl, simply select Options from the Main Menu. You can then alter a wide range of in - game settings, as follows. Detail The level of graphics detail can be graded by using the cursor keys or joystick to move up and down the scale. N.B. Pyrotechnica will run faster with less detail selected. Music Volume Use cursor keys, joystick or mouse to move up and down the scale Sound Effects Volume Use cursor keys, joystick or mouse to move up and down the scale Controls Toggle through these options until your chosen control method is highlighted Calibrate Joystick This allows you to set up the trimmers on your joystick Return Takes you back to the Main Menu When you have re - configured the game to your satisfaction, select Return. This will take you back to the main menu. Select the One or Two Player option and you will be presented with another menu, which will allow you to change the level of difficulty or to load an earlier game. Choose the level of difficulty you prefer using the same method as before. Select Easy and you will start the game on Level One, Hard and it will begin on Level Three. The higher the difficulty, the more Adherents you will have to face. When you have made your choices you will then be shown a map display of the level about to be played. It allows you to see where your wingmen are trapped and the level entrance and exits. Following this display the game will start automatically and you are on your own....... If you want to change anything during gameplay hit the end key. You will then be shown the Play Interrupted Menu. This will allow you to make the following changes. Save Select this and save your current game. Options The same as before. Recalibrate Joystick This allows you to readjust your joystick trimmers. Abandon Game This will take you back to the main menu Continue Game This will allow you to pick up where you left off. Two Player Game Select the two player option and pit your wits against a friend. Take alternate turns over 3 rounds. Each round will begin on the next level from the last one, and each turn lasts 3 minutes or until your craft is destroyed. An on-screen timer will let you know how long you have left, and the winner is the Net Runner who amasses the highest score. Mission Profile Brief One: Pyrodactyl Information Console On the information console there are several features which will allow you to make full use of your craftsÕ capabilities and access all necessary game information. 1. Current View Shows the view that you have selected; Weapons View Choose this if you want to follow a particular weapon as it homes in on its target Map View Shows you where Adherents and Wingmen are. Try not to confuse them. Internal View Witness the action from inside the cockpit. External View See your craft in all its glory. 2. Shields Status This provides up to the minute information showing the level of protection your craft has left. All impacts, weapons strikes and collisions will reduce your shield strength. 3. Shield Warnings If you continue to get hit by enemy fire these three visual warnings will show the damage levels sustained by your craft. These are as follows... Engine Damaged When your engine is damaged your craft will fly at half speed. Weapons Failure When your weapons are damaged you can only use secondary weaponsÉ After your craft has sustained these levels of damage, you have one last chance to save yourself. A 5 second on- screen countdown will begin, accompanied by an audible alert message. Hit the escape key before the end of this time and you will be launched in the escape podÉFail and your craft will crash and burnÉ Escape Pod When you are in the escape pod your craft can only use secondary weapons. Primary weapons, counter measures and power ups are all rendered useless. 4. Score How many points you have scored. Score points by destroying enemy ships, releasing wingmen, activating power ups, reaching end of level and taking on the bonus level. 5. Lives left Start with three and work your way down. All lives end in the Escape Pod. Remember, when you are in the escape pod, you have no access to either primary weapons or defensive measures. 6. Chaff status Whichever direction you are moving in, chaff will always be dropped behind the craft WARRANTY LIMITATIONS Limited Warranty Psygnosis warrants for a period of 30 days from the date of purchase that this software product is free of defects in workmanship and material. In the event that this software product proves defective within that time period, Psygnosis will repair or replace the software product or refund your purchase price at our option. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES AND NO OTHER REPRESENTATIONS OR CLAIMS OF ANY NATURE SHALL BE BINDING ON OR OBLIGATE PSYGNOSIS. ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THIS WRITTEN WARRANTY. PSYGNOSIS SHALL IN NO EVENT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR THE INABILITY TO USE ANY OF OUR SOFTWARE PRODUCTS. Some states do not allow the exclusion of special, incidental or consequential damages or the limitation on duration of implied warranties so the above exclusion and limitation may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. EPILEPSY WARNING PLEASE READ BEFORE USING ANY VIDEO GAME OR ALLOWING YOUR CHILDREN TO USE IT A very small percentage of individuals may experience epileptic seizures when exposed to certain light patterns or flashing lights. Exposure to certain patterns or backgrounds on a television screen or while playing video games may induce an epileptic seizure in these individuals. Certain conditions may induce undetected epileptic seizures or epilepsy. If you, or anyone in your family, has an epileptic condition, consult your physician prior to playing. If you experience any of the following symptoms while playing a video game - dizziness, altered vision, eye or muscle twitches, loss of awareness, disorientation, any involuntary movement or convulsions IMMEDIATELY discontinue use and consult your physician before resuming play. Copyright Here at Psygnosis we are dedicated to bringing you the best in computer entertainment. Every game we publish represents months of hard work dedicated to raising the standard of the games you play. Please respect our endeavours and remember that copying software reduces the investment available for producing new and original games; it is also a criminal offence. This software product, including all screen images, concepts, audio effects, musical material and program code is marketed by Psygnosis Ltd who own all rights therein including copyrights. Such marketing of this product gives only the lawful possessor at any time the right to use this program limited to being read from its medium as marketed into the memory of, and expected by, the computer system to which this product is specifically adapted. Any other use or continuation of use including copying, duplicating, selling, hiring, renting, lending or otherwise distributing, transmitting or transferring this product in contravention of these conditions is in breach of Psygnosis Ltd’s rights unless specifically authorised in writing by Psygnosis Ltd. The product PYROTECHNICA, its program code, manual and all associated product materials are the copyright of Psygnosis Ltd who reserve all rights therein. These documents, program code and other items may not in whole or part be copied, reproduced, hired, rented, lent or transmitted in any way nor translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form without prior consent in writing from Psygnosis Ltd. Psygnosis and associated logos are registered trademarks of Psygnosis Ltd. PYROTECHNICA cover illustration is Copyright © 1995 Psygnosis Ltd. Psygnosis Ltd, South Harrington Building, Sefton Street, Liverpool L3 4BQ Tel: 0151 282 - 3000 Psygnosis Ltd (US Office), 675 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Tel 617 497 7794