CODES FOR SPACE ROGUE

By MAD MEL

PARAGRAPH PAGE WORD SENTENCE  CODE
----------------------------------
3-22-1-1 = HELM
3-14-1-1 = FIRE
2-44-2-1 = TRAVELLERS
1-27-1-2 = TITANS
4-13-1-1 = RECHARGING
2-6 -7-2 = TARGET
3-41-2-1 = COLONIZATION
1-15-3-2 = THREE
2-37-3-1 = IMPERIAL
5-19-4-1 = DEADLY
2-46-5-2 = CHAMBERS
1-31-5-1 = WORKERS
5-7 -3-3 = HAVE
1-28-3-2 = FLASHY
2-1 -3-1 = SCOUT
4-25-6-1 = QUICKLY
1-4 -1-2 = BENEATH
1-21-2-2 = CONTROL
4-42-1-2 = PIRACY
1-20-5-1 = SHIELDS
3-5 -2-2 = LONGER
1-35-4-2 = SUICIDAL
2-16-1-3 = OPTIONAL
2-18-2-3 = INSTANCE
4-9 -2-2 = SEASONED
4-8 -1-3 = WHEN
2-24-4-2 = GATES
5-39-1-1 = SHOULD
5-12-5-1 = SHOWN
1-2 -4-1 = ROGUE
3-3 -6-2 = BETTER
1-10-1-2 = DOCK

GOOD LUCK....MAD MEL
================================================================

Space Rogue

                    The Stars of Opportunity
                         by Neil Shapiro


     My father is a jeweler famous throughout the Far Arm for
precious settings.  He can bring out the luster of a Denbian Zil
pearl or gather in the light from a Sigurian flame diamond and
send it in bright bursts to the eyes of a dazzled beholder.  My
family's been in the jewelry business for years, and my father
dreamed of a time when his only child would join him in the
workshop, learn how to fashion cabochons and necklaces.  But I
wanted none of it -- I wanted to go into space.
     This nearly broke my father's heart, but he supported me in
a future he could not imagine for himself.  He even paid my entry
into the Merchant Guild.  And many's the night he would indulge
me in my fascination with space.  He always found the time to
stand with me in the Arcturian twilight as I peered through my
telescope and regaled him with obscure facts about the Far Arm.
     On one such night, I centered the scope so that the star
Deneb shone in the middle of the field.

   "This is the home of the Duchess Avenstar," I said, moving
away from the telescope so father could look.  "Deneb used to be
the wildest system in the Far Arm -- the place used to be
swarming with pirates.  She tamed it, she and her Imperial
Guardsmen.  Now only the Scarlet Brotherhood dares approah.  And
even they think twice about it."
     Father looked up from the eyepiece and shifted restlessly
from foot to foot on the hard, pebble-strewn ground of our
estate, but I continued.
     "Avenstar's as tough as her cousin, Emperor Hiathra, was in
his prime.  But unlike the Emperor, Avenstar is genuinely
concerned about her people.  That's because she's blessed with
psionic ability and knows their innermost needs.  I wonder if
that is truly a blessing...but here, look again."
     "I don't know why you're so fascinated by all of this,"
father said.  "I hold stars in my hand every day--you dream about
those you can never touch..." Sighing, he bento over the
telescope once again, but I saw him shoot a guilty look toward
his workroom.  His work called to him as the stars called to me
and I knew that I would soon be alone under the stars of the Far
Arm.

                               ***

     Some time later, my dream of a spacefaring life became a
reality.  Father drove me to the starport and we stood together
in the boarding area beneath the prow of the trading vessel,
Princess Blue--my first ship!  He wore the old-fashioned formals
that the jewel-buying public thought so grand.  I was in my new
merchant-marine uniform.
     Father placed his hand on my shoulder and then smiled.
     "This is what you want," he said.  "Who knows?  Maybe some
of the things you learned in our shop will help you out there
among the stars."
     Then the ship's klaxon sounded and I hugged my father before
shouldering my kit bag.  Stepping onto the Princess Blue's
autoramp, I was whisked into the ship.

                               ***

     Now, adrift in space, my comrades gone, I stare blankly at
the main viewscreen of my small scout vessel.
     The stars swim outside, diamonds scattered on a black velvet
cloth.  I wish father could see them.  Then, he might understand
what drove me here.

                               ***

     The Princess Blue was a good ship to start a career upon,
with a good Captain and crew.  Her powerful Hawking Drives thrust
her effortlessly from one end of the Arcturian system to the
other.  The vibration of those drives was ever-present, like a
heartbeat, permeating everthing abourd ship.  We ate, we drank,
we lived and we slept to the sound of the engines.
     Then, the sound stopped.
     At first I was alarmed -- the sudden silence was unnerving.
Then I realized that the Captain had simply shut the Hawking
Drives down in preparation for a hyperspace jump -- my first
jump!
     The doors that covered the ship's glassine nose drew back
slowly and I viewed space directly rather than through an
electronic viewscreen.  Much of the crew was gathered here to
watch as we made our approach.  The view we shared was like a
gigantic, living painting that stretched from floor to ceiling
and wrapped around the curving walls of the fore deck.  I felt
for a moment as if I were falling into the star-strewn expanse
of space.
     There was a Malir gate somewhere out there and, though I
couldn't yet see it, I knew that the Princess Blue was drifting
toward it like a spear thrown at a target.  The Second Mate
looked at me, smiled, and pointed straight ahead.
     "There," he said, "where the stars shimmer and the light
bends and colors change.  If you squint your eyes, it'll soon
come into view."
     I gazed for several minutes, searching for a glimpse of the
still -distant gate.  I knew that in space the stars shone like
beacons, undisturbed by cloudy atmosperes, but the stars dead
ahead of the Princess Blue twinkled like the stars at night on
my own MiCon II.  That made me think of the nights with m,y
father and the telescope.  Now here I was at last.
     "I see it," I whispered. "I see the Malir Gate."
     The Second Mate turned and raised his glass of Zedian
champagne to me.  The light of the foredeck had been dimmed, but
the starlight streamed in and reflected rainbow spectra from the
sparkling liquid.  Colorful ribbons of light flickered on the
walls around us.
     "To your first gate," the Second Mate declared.  The crew of
the Princess Blue raised their glasses and echoed him.  The
crystal goblets shone like the stars shimmering beyond the gate.
     The Princess arrowed closer and closer until the stars
around the gate seemed to move -- as if a God had lit a celestial
fire below them hotter than their own nuclear flames.  They
shuddered like firefly lights in the heated air from a bonfire.
     In the center of this maelstrom, the Malir Gate tumbled like
a huge, six-sided cylinder.  I imagined the Captain of the
Princess Blue, with the First Mate standing beside him, huddled
in the ship's Go Room, his fingers dancing along the control
panel.  Then, the drives cut in again as the Captain made last
minute course corrections.  Knowing that we were seconds away
from the gate, my throat went dry -- a nervous dryness that even
the good Zedian champagne could not quench.
     The Princess Blue manuevered so that the open-end of the
cylindrical gate faced us.  At this angle, I could see the gate's
pulsating heart of orange, flaming energy.  We were so close to
the gate the stars were cut off from view by its sides.  The
gateway to the wormhole pulsated and flickered and the Princess
Blue inched toward it like a moth to a brilliant candle.
     "To the Captain, may he preserve us all!", the Second Mate
cried in a toast no less sincere for all of its ceremony.
     Even as he spoke, we were out of the universe of N-space and
into hyperspace.  We were in the wormhole, falling between the
stars.  In place of the stars, the wormhole surrounded us with
immense rings of light, hoops through which the Princess Blue
dove and weaved under her master's guidance.
     If the Captain went too fast or misjudged the convolutions
of the hyperspace trail, we would return to where we had entered
the gate, our fuel depleted.  If he did not travel swiftly enough
through the three-dimensional maze, then the strange, corrosive
atmosphere of H-space would eat its way through our hull -- we
would smell the sweetness of the gas with our last breath.
     Passage through the Malir Gates is tricky, and I was glad
the Captain was experienced in the ways of hyperspace travel.  My
senses reeled as we tumbled in a controlled spiral through the
corruscating hoops of the Malir Gate's H-space wormhole.  Then,
as I shuddered at the time it was taking, the hoops vanished and
the normal universe reappeared.  We emerged from the jump
unharmed and with plenty of fuel.  Then and there I made a vow
that I would become as accomplished a Malir jumper as the Captain
of the Princess Blue.

                               ***

     In the year to come, all of the gates linking the Far Arm
network of nine planetary systems would become familiar to me.
Unlike other gates, familiarity with a Malir Gate breeds neither
contempt nor contentment.
     The gates are the cornerstone of human space.  They are as
necessary as ships themselves, for without these gates our ships,
with their limited speeds, would be unable to traverse the vast
reaches of space.  The Hawking Drives push our ships to almost
unimaginable speeds, but the speed of light is a barrier we
cannot yet pass on our own.
     Luckily, there are networks of interconnected Malir Gates
throughout human space.  Each net has from nine to twelve
interconnected gates which enable starships to travel rapidly
from star to star.  But each net is almost totally isolated from
all other nets -- while some LongSleep ships move from net to net
without benefit of the Malir Gates, it can take such a ship many
years, even generations, to make its journey.  It is hardly a
surprise that the Emperor Hiathra himself has offered an imperial
Baronetcy to any Captain who discovers a gate linking one net to
another.
     So far, no Imperial Barons have been made through this
offer.  Each net of stars stands alone and nearly all of
mankind's worlds lie close to a net.

                               ***

     The Second Mate nudged my elbow as the stars, now in
different patterns and designs, flickered and then steadied as we
left the influence of the gate.  I coughed, reddened in
embarrassment, as I remembered my ceremonial duty and lifted my
newly-filled glass to toast the stars just outside the Princess 
Blue.
     "To the universe," I said somberly, "to the stars, to the
Malir to whom we owe so much, to the Captain, to the crew, to the
good ship Princess Blue."  My heart beat faster as the rest of
the crew, in one great roar, closed the ceremony of my initiation
as a spaceman with their full-throated, chorused reply: "To the
Princess Blue!"

                               ***

     The ship is a memory.  It tumbles through my mind in a crazy
pattern of regret and longing that twists and weaves more than
ever did a wormhole highway.  I remember the Princess Blue and
her crew.  I will not forget her.

                               ***

     It was during my twelfth month on the Princess that the
derelict ship was spotted.  I was on the watchteam as we swung
toward the Malir Gate in the Karonus System.  We had just sold
some exotic pets to the crew of Imperial Starbase Hiathra and had
realized quite a good profit.  I was already thinking of the trip
home and six months of leave, but my reveries were interrupted by
the Watch Officer's strident voice:
     "Manchi ship ahoy, Captain!"
     Instantly, all eyes turned toward the ship's computer
viewscreen.  The Manchi had been preying on ships in human space
for the past few months -- no one knew why.  Though a merchant
ship, the Princess blue was decently equipped.  We were hardly a
warship, but a merchant vessel must be prepared to defend itself.
We were nervous, but ready.
     Then, curiously, the Manchi ship passed us by like a huge
ghost.  Our sensors tracked it as it left visual screen range
but, finally, even the sensors could no longer detect its
presence.
     The Second Mate breathed a sigh of relief and pushed his
chair away from the sensor control console.  The Captain's hands
relaxed from their grip on the ship's throttles and the First
Mate leaned back from the Targeting Acquisition Computer console.
     "Secure from General Quarters," the Captain announced from
the Go Room.

                               ***

     In the Go Room an inertialess shield protected the Captain
from the effects of the Princess Blue's maneuvers.  Beside him,
the First Mate sat at the combat T.A.C.  During high speed
maneuvers the weapons systems would be under his command, safe
within the Go Room from the forces that would batter the rest of
us.
     This kind of shield works only on a limited area, the exact
size of the area determined by complex quantum math.  Some scout
vessels are small enough that their entire interiors can be
protected by such a shield, resulting in great maneuverability;
not so the Princess Blue.
     As part of my training, I had spent days in the Go Room
learning how to fly the Princess manually, using both her Cruise
Flight Mode and her Newtonian Flight Mode.  In cruise mode the
pilot only has to worry about the ship's direction and speed.  In
newtonian mode, the engines thrust only dead ahead, and course
changes, while swift and sure, must be made by rotating the ship
and firing the engines.  It's rather like doing vector
mathematics in your head.  Like most new pilots, I preferred the
cruise mode.
     The Captain of the Princess Blue actually preferred
newtonian flight because of the increase in maneuverability.  The
thought of doing so much vector addition and subtraction gave me
a headache.  Only after many months of practice was I able to
swing the Princess Blue in a clean 180-degree turn in anything
other than cruise mode.

                               ***

     "The Manchi has left sensor range," the Second Mate
reported, " but there's another ship, just coming into range
now!"
     "Manchi?" the Captain asked.
     "The Mate looked at the image forming on the viewscreen.
     "No," he said, "it appears to be an independent -- a scout
ship."  He threw a toggle switch.  "Automatic hailing frequencies
opend."  A pause as he checked his console.  "No reply."
     "Keep sending," the Captain said, "and I'll maneuver to
within 30 klicks.  Shields to max.  Go Room to take control of
the weaponry."
     On the electronic screen a small blue dot grew closer and
assumed the sleek, wedge shape of a scout vessel.  The scout
appeared to be adrift but undamaged.  The Second Mate confirmed
this via his instrumentation.
     "No sign of Hawking energies," the Mate read out.  "Main
reactors appear functional, however.  Shields are down.  I get no
indication of bio-electricity."  He tapped a few of this
console's switches.  "None at all."
     "Keep on the hailing frequencies," the Captain replied.
"We'll move to two klicks.  Put a remote on the screen."
     The Second Mate threw another switch and the viewscreen
showed us closing in on the scout, courtesy of one of the cameras
aboard the remote sensors that hovered like a loos cloud around
the Princess Blue.
     "A Manchi kill?" the Captain asked.
     "No, sir." The Second Mate shook his head.  "Sensors
indicate no damage to the hull or interior systems.  Whatever
happened to the scout probably wasn't the result of combat."
     "Your opinions, gentlemen?"
     "I don't like this," the First Mate responded, "not so soon
after stumbling upon a Manchi ship..."
     "You think it might be a trap?"
     "I don't know..." The First Mate leaned forward in his
cocoon chair, checking the status of the Princess' onboard
weaponry.  "If it is a trap, we can hold our own against two,
even three, bug ships long enough to dive into the Malir Gate and
get away."
     "It's true, Captain.  The bugs aren't about to follow us
there," the Second Mate chimed in.  A grim smile accompanied his
words as he added, "I've seen what happens to the bugs if the try
to Gate.  Ther isn't much left of them afterwards that isn't
liquid."
     "Moving to one klick," the Captain said.  Almost
imperceptibly, the Princess inched forward.  "Anything?" he
asked.
     The Second Mate checked his console again.
     "No sir.  Still no life readings, no attempt to communicate
or acknowledge our communications.  It seems to be abandoned,
sir.  Either that or the crew is dead."
     "All righ, thank you." the Captain answered.  "Who has EVA
duty?"
     I cleared my throat, "I'm on the duty roster today for
extra-vehicular assignment," I said.
     The Captain glanced at me.  For a moment I feared he was
going to question my competence, but all he did was nod.  "Suit
up and get over to the derelict," he said.  "Check it out and
report back."
     "Yes, sir!  Permission to leave the watchroom?"
     "Granted."
     I tore down the corridors to the engineering department and
suited up.  Trying to ignore my sweaty palms and dry mouth, I
locked the suit's permaglass helmet into place.
     This would be my first solo mission, but I had trained for
EVA.  I determined that I would be as quick and professional as
possible.
     Suited up, I made my way to the airlock.  As soon as the
airlock doors opened, I jetted toward the scout ship.  The
derelict grew larger and clearer as I approached.  I felt as if I
were falling toward it, although up and down were, of course,
meaningless.
     Then, I noticed something.
     "EVA Unit One to Princess Blue," I called.  "I have a good
visual on the scout vessel.  Her name is Jolly Roger and..." I
squinted to be sure.  "She looks intact.  No sign of damage or
obvious malfunction."
     "Carry on with your mission EVA One."  The Second Mate's
voice filled my helmet.  "Enter the Jolly Roger and report back.
I've conferred with the Captain -- if the vessel is not manned it
falls under the laws of salvage."  He laughed.  "That should make
the Princess' owners happy and increase all our shares as well."
     Above me the Princess Blue floated.  She dwarfed the tiny
scout ship.  I imagined that I could feel her gravity pulling me
to her, but any pull was simply that of longing to be home again
with my mates.
     Then, I heard a shrill voice:  "Manchi!"
     I glanced involuntarily around but the shouted voice was, of
course, coming through my helmet radio -- it was the Second Mate.
     "Princess Blue to EVA One," he said, his voice strained and
hurried.  "Sensors show Manchi ships closing in, armed and ready.
ETA... within minutes.  No time for you to return before shields
are raised and battle alert is sounded.  The Captain says ride it
out in that scout.  The bugs'll be targeting us.  It's unlikely
they'll bother a derelict.  We'll pick you up right after.  Going
to radio silence.  Acknowledge!"
     "Acknowledged," I replied, "and godspeed."
     "And to you."  The Second Mate's voice was a whisper.
"We'll tilt a few when this is over.  This is the Princess Blue
to EVA One -- out."
     I rushed through the airlock and into the Jolly Roger.  The
doors slid closed behind me.  The ship's sensors picked up my
presence and automatic life-supports began humming throughout the
ship.  A moment later, my suit gauges showed breathable air had
been restored so I removed my helmet.  Whatever had gone wrong
onboard Jolly Roger, it was not mechanical, for which I was very
grateful.
     I was alone inside the cramped scout.  Throwing myself into
the driver's seat, I switched on the master control console.  The
console's electronic viewscreen was functional and I toggled to
a true visual -- the Princess was so close there was no need ofr
electronic enhancments.  I gasped at what I saw.
     The Manchi had arrived, and not just two or three -- ten
Manchi ships dove out of the distance to surround the Princess
Blue.  The spaced themselves all around the merchant vessel,
their overlapping shields creating and impenetrable force sphere.
To maneuver directly into one of the Manchi shields would be
suicidal.  For the first time, I realized these were not mindless
bugs, but sentient, and quite ruthless, beings.
     I was just outside the Manchi encirclement.  The Princess
Blue was a goldfish trapped inside an invisible but deadly bowl.
     Switching on the ship's Target Acquisition Computer, I found
that the scout's missile bays were empty, and her weak garnet
lasers would be totally ineffective against such Manchi vessels.
I pounded my fists on the console and watched helplessly as the
battle began.
     The first Manch ship fired her lasers directly at the
Princess Blue.  The Princess' bow shield flickered visibly as it
absorbed the deadly beam.  Then a second Manchi fired, and a
third.
     The Princess Blue twisted and spun, and I knew that the
watchroom crew would be pressed hard in their seats as the
Captain tried desperately to maneuver away from the deadly
blasts, hoping against hope for some small opening in the globe
of enemy shields.
     Within seconds, all of the Manchi were firing their lasers
at the twisting, helpless merchant ship.  The Princess made a
desperate attempt to fire her missiles, but it was far too late
for that.  Her shield flickered one last time and then gave out.
All I could do was hold my breath.
     Suddenly, all the Manchi fired directly into the center of
their deadly sphere.  With a tremendous release of energy, as if
space itself had been ripped apart, the Princess Blue was
transformed int a rolling ball of energy, a miniature sun.  Then
the imitation sun cooled and vanished into dispersed vapors,
molten chunks and scattered clouds.
     The Manchi sphere pulled back, seperating into its component
ships.  I braced myself for the quick assault I was certain would
come.  Instead, the Manchi ships turned on their drives and dove
away through N-space leaving me alone.

                               ***

     For a time it seemed to me as if my entire world had died,
but I have made certain decisions, taken certain actions.  Under
the laws of salvage, I have taken possession of the scout ship
Jolly Roger in my own name and for my own purposes.  She is a
good, serviceable vessel, though I still do not know what
happened to her Captain or crew.
     I have spent the time since the Princess Blue's destruction
studying my ship, learning her capabilities, her limits, her
idiosyncracies.  Onboard, I found a book, an owner's manual,
complete with hand-written notes, apparently the work of the
ship's previous owner.  The manual has served me well as a course
in the running of this vessel.
     Now that I am the master of my ship, I will investigate why
the Manchi did what they did -- it makes no sense for them to
have destroyed a merchant vessel and its cargo.  I know that
uncovering the meaning of any Manchi act will prove difficult.
It may even be impossible, but I must try.  my resources are
limited, but there are ways to change that -- an independent
scout can thrive in the Far Arm if he uses his head.
     There are numerous outposts and bases scattered amongst the
nine systems of the Far Arm.  As a member of the Merchant Guild,
I will be able to buy and sell goods.  The long hours spent in my
father's showroom as a child, watching him haggle with diamond
merchants, listening to his sales banter with the customers, all
will prove useful, I am sure.
     I'll begin my career as a trader (and my investigations)
here in the Karonus System.  The Hiathra Imperial Starbase is
nearby and will be my first port of call.
     I have heard that the Imperium has placed bounties on the
heads of some of the more notorious pirates.  Perhaps I'll
augment my income by becoming a bounty hunter.  Then I will be
begin the refitting of my ship.  Her missile bays cannot -- must
not -- remain unstocked.  Her garnet lasers must be replaced by
more powerful beams.  Once I'm better equipped, I can move to the
Gryphon-Arcturus trade run.
     One way or another, I will survive and learn what must be
learned, do what must be done.  My path may be a long and arduous
one, but I will follow it to the end.  Survival is the only thing
that matters now -- if I do not survive, there can be no revenge.
     The Princess Blue will be avenged.  There are ghosts among
the stars, and I will lay them to rest.
I swear it.
=======================================================================
                    TYPED BY    THE  TWINS   OF TRILOGY

                           S P A C E   R O G U E
                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            
                     SPREAD BY MIDNIGHT MANIAC & MAYDAY

--------     
COMMANDS
--------

COMMANDS USED IN SPACE FLIGHT

 Joystick Movement and Attack Commands.

  * To turn, push the stick in the direction you want to turn.
  * To accelerate, press the [+] plus key.
  * To slow down, press the [-] minus key.
  * To fire a ready weapon, press the button.

 Keyboard Movement and Attack Commands.

 The keyboard allows full control of your Sunracer in flight. The
following keyboard cluster provides the maneuverability you need for a
heart-pounding dogfight or a delicate docking.


     W.......................Nose Down
     C.............Roll ship clockwise
     X.........................Nose Up
     Z...........Roll counterclockwise
     A.......................Left Turn
     D......................Right Turn
     S...................Stop Rotation

(+) plus key  - Accelerate
(-) minus key - Decelerate
Spacebar      - Fire Ready Weapon

 Additional Keyboard Commands

     G.......................give up; try to surrender to attackers
     J............................................jettison all cargo
     L................toggle between manual and automatic laser fire
     N...............................go to Navigation Control screen
     R............................................ready a new weapon
     T.......target base/ship with Target Acquisition Computer (TAC)
     V.................................toggle between "camera views"
Ctrl-E.............toggle between Cruise Flight and Newtonian Flight
Ctrl-S.....................................................save game
Ctrl-T..................toggle TAC display between graphics and data
    F1....................................................pause game


COMMANDS USED WHEN DOCKED AT BASES

 Moving with a Joystick:

  * Push the stick in the direction you want to walk. To walk to
    someone or inspect something, stand next to it, push the stick in
    its direction, and press the button.
  * Pushing the button while the stick is centered brings up a command
    menu.
  * In conversations, move the cursor bar by pushing the stick up or
    down. Highlight your response and push a button. During some
    conversations, you may be given the "OTHER..." option. Selecting
    the "OTHER..." option allows you to type in messages, such as
    secret passwords.

 Moving with the keyboard:

 To move, use the following keyboard cluster. Pressing Return brings up
a command menu. In conversations, use the keyboard cluster to move the
cursor bar and press Return to select the highlighted choice.


      Q      W      E
       \     |     /
        \    |    /
         \   |   /
          \  |  /
  A--------  S  --------D
           / | \
          /  |  \
         /   |   \
        /    |    \
       /     |     \
      Z      X      C



COMMANDS USED WHILE NAVIGATING

 Use the keyboard cluster or joystick to highlight a command from the
onscreen menu. Press Return or the joystick button to select the
highlighted command.

COMMANDS USED IN HIVE!

  * Use joystick or keyboard cluster to move/change facing
  * Use button or space bar to fire plasma rifle


---------------
CONGRATULATIONS
---------------

 When you bought this MANDENWORKS ship, you made a fine purchase!

 Your Sunracer scout ship embodies the research and manufacturing
efforts of Mandenworks employees on 217 worlds throughout the Imperium.
The Sunracer sets new standards for reliability, and can easily be
customized to meet your special needs.

 Sunracers travel the space lanes, their holds laden with manufactured
goods for the outposts and vital raw materials for the settled
homeworlds. Sunracers travel the ancient Malir gates, crossing
light-years of deep space in a breath. Sunracers even explore the
remote frontiers of the Far Arm!


---------
YOUR SHIP
---------

Class designation:	Sunracer (scout)
Length:			12 meters
Displacement:		14 tons
Armor:			300 units, upgradable (500 units maximum)
Beam:			Garnet laser (10mw/ns), upgradable as option
Missile:		standard launch tube
Shield(s):		Forward-1, upgradable
ECM:			available as option
Propulsion:		Radionix cold fusion reactionless drive
Acceleration:		0.20 G-standard(turbobooster upgrade available)
Turn (degrees/sec):	45
Cargo pods:		4(upgradable to 8)

 For nearly a decade the Mandenworks Sunracer-class model has been the
imperium's standard among the small, maneuverable ships of its class.
 With an extensive selection of options, four tons of cargo capacity,
and easy upgrade abilities, the Sunracer is the choice of scouts,
couriers, families, joyriders, and anyone looking for a small ship and
a price to match.


--------------------------------------------
FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND THE SUNRACER COCKPIT
--------------------------------------------


THE VIEWSCREEN

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| Engine					Combat Instrumentation|
| Instrumentation	TAC   Traffic display	      Armor Bar Graph |
|								      |
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

 Seated in the cockpit you can see a 90-degree field of view showing
the depths of space. Actually, this is your ship computer's simulation
of the view outside. All the stars, bases, asteroids, antimatter
shards, and drifting insterstellar grit are created by the computer to
represent real objects detected by the ship sensors.
 With this simulation you can vary the view....quite an advantage over
a mere porthole into space. Two alternate views are available.
 Cinematic view shows your ship travelling through space just as you
might see it in a sensotheater. Novice pilots understand their
maneuvers better when they see the effect on movement "cinematically."
 Chase view follows your ship at a distance, as though another ship
were chasing you.


ENGINE INSTRUMENTATION

 The left console contains engine instrumentation.

 The bar graph shows your current speed; the longer the colored bar,
the faster you are travelling. Beneath the bar graph is your speed in
meters per second. A negative number means you are flying backward. The
letters "CF" or "NF" indicate whether you are in Cruise Flight
Newtonian Flight mode; see below.
 The number beneath the bar graph is your actual speed in Newtonian
Flight mode. However, in Cruise Flight mode, it is your desired cruise
setting. The bar graph shows your actual speed in either mode.


COMBAT INSTRUMENTATION

 The right console contains combat instrumentation.

Ready Weapon

 On top, one of four symbols indicates your ship's ready weapon and its
status. The symbols represent your beam weapon and three kinds of
missiles. Here are the weapon symbols

 Beam wepon:	  It looks like a big exploding star

 Plasma torpedo:  It looks like a mass of jelly with little dots inside
		  it.

 SM-1		  It looks like a sharp nosed missile

 Nova missile	  It looks like a round nosed missile

 If your ship does not carry a given weapon, you will not see its
symbol. Broken weapons have inverse symbols.
 These weapons are described in the Combat section of this manual.

ARMOR BAR GRAPH - see the drawing.

 The bar graph beneath the weapon status field graphically shows how
much ship armor remains intact. The longer the colored bar, the more
you have left.

TRAFFIC DISPLAY - see the drawing.

 The three-space traffic light display indicates the status of up to
three other ships in your sector of space. Each lit light corresponds
to an active ship in your sector. The color of the lights show their
status.

GREEN:	The ship is friendly. Friendly ships typically hail you when
	they pass, as a courtesy.

VIOLET: The ship is attacking another ship, not you. You may happen on
	a battle in progress, between a merchant and a pirate, for
	example.

ORANGE: The ship is hostile to you and is attacking.


INCOMING MISSILE WARNING LIGHT

 The incoming missile warning light above the right console lights up
when an enemy is tracking your ship. You can dodge with an abrupt
maneuver just before it hits.


THE TARGET ACQUISITION COMPUTER (TAC)

 The TAC screen is located in the center console, below the main
viewscreen. It displays data collected by your Target Acquisition
Computer; a fifth generation system capable of discerning and tracking
all targets in your sector. With its visual and data modes, you can
locate and identify targets, get tactical readouts during combat, and
coordinate weapon fire. You will find the TAC to be in indispensable
tool for navigation and combat.


SELECTING A TARGET

 When you activate the TAC, it searches for any targets ships, bases,
or Malir gates in your sector. If there is more than one target, the
TAC will cycle from one target to the next with each key press.

 To help pinpoint your target's location, the TAC superimposes a "heads
up" cross hair on your main viewscreen. The cross hair appears as two
pairs of arrowheads, which slide along the edges of the viewscreen. If
your target is dead ahead, the arrowheads will be centered on the
viewscreen adges, and point inwards. As your target moves off to one
side, the arrowheads will follow. If your target moves off the screen
entirely, the arrowheads  will flip to point outward, and continue to
track.

DATA MODE

 In data mode, the TAC screen displays vital information on your
target. Depending on the type of target selected, 2 to 5 lines of data
are displayed.
 If you are targeting another ship, the following 5 lines of data are
displayed:

 1st line - Class Name and ID beacon. The ship's official class type
followed by a 3 letter/number unique ID beacon. Any messages
transmitted by the ship will be preceded by this ID beacon. Warning: if
this line is highlighted, this ship is attacking you!

 2nd line - Range in Meters. The distance to the targeted ship in
meters. Keep in mind tht many ships have passive stealth devices that
will render them invisible to the TAC beyond a range of about 10km. The
TAC will lose its lock on out-of-range ships and automatically
disengage.

 3rd line - Tactical Analysis. the Al module aboard your TAC
continuously gathers telemetry data on your target. It then performs a
sophisticated analysis on this data and determines the most likely
tactic the ship is employing.

 4th line - Armor Remaining. The amount of armor remaining on the ship.
The hull will rupture when all the armor is destroyed, and the ship
will perish.

 5th line - Onboard Systems. Single letter abreeviations indicate which
particular systems are onboard the ship. The six systems are: C -
Countermeasures (ECM), F - Forward Shield, A - Aft Shield, E - Engine,
B - Beam Weapon, M - Missile Lanucher. A highlighted letter indicates
that the system is damaged andnon-functional.

 If you are targeting a base or Mair gate, only the first two lines are
displayed. If you have no selected target, the TAC gives you data on
your Sunracer, with only the 1st, 4th, and 5th lines shown.

VISUAL MODE

 In Visual Mode, the TAC screen shows a close-up view of your target.
This can be useful for identifying targets, and for determining their
orientation relative to yourself. If you have no selected target, the
TAC screen shows your Sunracer.


--------------------
MANEUVERING IN SPACE
--------------------

 Your scout ship has two steering systems. In the more primitive mode,
Newtonian Flight (NF), your engines are fixed to thrust your ship
straight ahead. As long as you increase thrust, your velocity increases
in the current direction.

 To change course, you must turn the ship and increase engine thrust as
two separate actions. Turning your ship without adding thrust has no
effect on your course. Newtonian Flight maneuvering is not recommended
for novice pilots.

 Your ship's standard mode, Cruise Flight (CF), links the engines to
the steering system. When you turn, powerful electromagnets redirect
engine thrust to aid in the turn.

 in CF mode, thrust works as a cruise control. That is, you set the
speed you desire, and the engines thrust until you reach that speed.
When you change course, the engines thrust the ship in the new
direction, trying to keep a steady speed. Why wouldn't you always use
Cruise Flight mode? Newtonian Flight is useful in strafing runs during
combat, and in  slingshot maneuvres around gravity wells -- stars,
planets, and black holes.

 To strafe, plot a fly-by course past your target in NF mode. As you
pass, you can reorient the ship to keep the target in your viewscreen
while still following the original fly-by course. In Cruise Flight
mode, you would tend to ram your target instead.

 To slingshot aroung a gravity well, accelerate to a rapid speed on a
Newtonian fly-by course close to the well. The slingshot effect as you
leave the well can amplify your velocity tremendously -- useful when
you want to escape pursuit. (You can also put your ship into orbit
around the well.) Cruise Flight mode during a slingshot can result in
undesurable braking.


INERTIA

 in CF mode the illusion of smooth, inertialess flight can be very
convincing, especially at low speeds.

 However, Cruise Flight is subject to the same physical laws as
Newtonian Flight. Foremost among these is inertia. The tendency to
continue moving in a straight line affects every maneuver a pilot
makes.

 The faster you move, the higher your inertia. At high velocity, your
ship's control may feel sluggish and slow to respond. Gradual turns
swing wide, and sharp turns become impossible. There is nothing wrong
with the controls! You simply must overcome a greater amount of inertia
to change your heading.

 High-speed maneuvers are not recommended for novices. However,
seasoned pilots develop a sense of inertia, and can actually use it to
their advantage.

CARRIER:
 The main deck, marked by a landing stripe.

These four base types are described in the "Traveller's Recognition
Guide" later in this manual.


DOCKING WITH BASES

 Your Sunracer is not equipped to land on planetary surfaces. Dock only
in space, at one of the four recognized types of bases: starbases,
outposts, mining stations, and carriers.

 To dock your Sunracer at any base, simply "nudge" the base's docking
platform with the nose of your ship. Automated docking equipment will
take it from there. Be alert! Striking the wrong part of a base or
docking at too high a speed may result in armor damage.

 Here are the docking platforms for each kins of base.

Starbase:
 The brightly lighted axial pillar that connects the two pyramidal
halves.

Outpost:
 The bright inner wall containing the black access door.

Mining Station:
 Nudge any part of a mining station to activate its docking equipment.


COLLISIONS

 Your Sunracer's armor and forward shield are designed to absorb some
damage from collisions with solid objects. Remember. though, that the
damage you incur from collisions varies as the square of your velocity.

 In other words, if you hit an abstacle, your armor takes damage; if
you hit the same obstacle going twice as fast (relative to it), you
take four times as much damage as before!


------
COMBAT
------

 Scouts must often venture into lawless areas. Your Sunracer is very
capable od defending itself in unpleasant circumstances.
 Always keep in mind that if your ship has more than one weapon system,
you must choose one as your "ready weapon," using the ready weapon
display symbolically shows which weapon is ready.


DAMAGE

 Damage from enemy fire is incurred to either your hull armor or to
individual ship systems.

 Damaged ship systems appear on your dashboard readout in inverse
letters. If the engine is damaged, you ship reverts to backup
thrusters, and your acceleration is cut to one-quarter normal. if any
ship system is damaged, that system becomes non-functional.

 Your current armor is shown on the dashboard readout and on the bar
graph on the right console. If armor is reduced to zero, your ship is
destroyed.


WEAPONS

 Beam Weapons

Laser and particle beams are the standard weapons of ship combat. They
strike instantly, penetrate force shields well, and ammunition is both
free and unlimited.

 Lasers come in varieties, designated "garnet" (10 megawatts/second
output); "beryl" (15 mw/s); and "sapphire" (20mw/s). Despite the names,
these are not optically-pumped solid lasers but mode-locked gas
dynamic models with opaque dye Q-switches. Your Sunracer sports a
Taurietten garnet laser as standard equipment under full warranty.

 Particle beams are CMG (coherent monopole-guided) beams of heavy W
particles. Like sapphire lasers, they are rated for 20 mw/s damage.
However, unlike lasers, particle beams cut through defensive force
shields without any reduction in cutting power.

 Recharging: All beam weapons run on self-contained batteries that are
rechanged from the ship's power plant. If you fire before the battery
has recharged completely, your shots are reduced in strength. A short
time without firing allows the battery to recharge completely.

 Near the beam weapon symbol on your dashboard's ready weapon display
is a circular indicator. Its size shows the current recharge status.
The circle begins at full size; heavy fire reduces it to half size, and
then one-quarter size. This shows that the beam weapon is firing at
half or quarter power.

MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC FIRE: Beside the recharge circle on the ready
weapon display is a letter "M." This stands for "manual fire." Your
fire each shot manually.

 Though not widely available in most areas, automatic look-on and
firing equipment changes the letter to "A" for "automatic fire." With
this equipment you simply start the firing sequence, and the ship fires
every two seconds. You can even change ready weapons and fire a missile
while the beams continue firing.

 Missiles

Unlike beam weapons, missiles are expensive. Targets can jam their
telemetry or dodge them. And once you fire one, it's gone. But nothing
else matches their ability to inflict damage on the enemy.

 Your ship includes one standard missile-launch tube with automatic
reloading. It can hold a mix of up to 10 missiles or 20 plasma
torpedoes. If the missile system is damaged, you cannot launch.

 Reloading after a shot takes five seconds. When the tube is ready to
fire again, the ready light glows green in the center of your
dashboard's ready weapon display.

 Missiles accelerate at 2G standard, and carry 30 seconds' worth of
fuel. There are three types of missiles available for your Sunracer:

PLASMA TORPEDOES, balls of superheated gas, inflict a rated equivalent
of 75 megawatts of damage on a target. Plasma torps are cheap and
compact, but they are not true missiles. Rather, they are dumb weapons
without heat-seeking ability.

THE SM-1, for "Standard Missile 1," inflict 100 mw of damage. These
have heat-seeking ability, and target whatever enemy you have acquired
with the TAC. See "Using the TAC in Combat," below.

NOVA MISSILES, extremely deadly nuclear-tipped heat-seekers, inflict
250 mw of damage. Like the SM-1, the Nova zeroes in on whatever you
have selected with the TAC.


DEFENSES

 Armor

Armor, standardized on all ships as sloped superconducting ceramic,
spreads collision and energy damage equally throughout its structure.
Therefore, each ship's armor is numerically rated in standard units of
protection.

 Armor is affixed in individual plates. The Sunracer comes with four
plates (300 units) standard. Optional upgrades are available.


 Force Shields

 Force shields reduce damage from collisons and, less effectively, from
lasers. Originally designed to cope with navigation hazards such as
asteroids, shields work best against collision with physical objects
such as asteroids and missiles. Against lasers their effectiveness
drops by one class. Against particle beams they have no effect.

 Force shields are numerically rated according to their ability to
reduce damage to your armor. Shield #1 stops 1/2 of incoming damage; #2
stops 3/4; and #3 stops 7/8 damage. Shields cover half the spacecraft,
and so are described as either "forward" or "aft."


 ECM

 ECM (electronic countermeasures) uses X-ray cathode technology to jam
the enemy's targeting devices. Put more directly, it interferes with
the ability of heat-seeking missiles to target your ship.

 ECM, rated by its percentage of effectiveness, is available in three
levels: 25%, 50%, and 75%. The percentage indicates the ECM's chance to
jam the missile and send it off on an erratic course. If the ECM fails,
the missile targets you normally. Note that ECM does not reduce damage
from hits.


USING THE TAC IN COMBAT

 You'll find the Target Acquitition Computer a great ally when you
enter combat. It not only provides vital data for making tactical
decisions, but also coordinates the targeting and firing of your
weapon systems.

 Data Mode

 In Data Mode the TAC displays severa key pieces of information which
can aid in your tactical decision making.

 The Tactical Analysis (3rd line) provides an assessment of your
target's intent. Extensive combat studies have proven the TAC to be
99.8% accurate, so don't hesitate to rely on its judgement. The TAC
characterizes an enemy's intent as one of the following 10 tactics:

 Circle  -  The enemy is circling around you trying to stay out of your
	    arc of fire. Counter by circling behind the enemy.

 Close   -  The enemy is making quick fly-bys designed to offer good,
	    close shots. Fast ships often favor this tactic. Try to get
	    your shots in just after the enemy passes.

 Cruise  -  Your TAC displays this "tactic" for any ship not engaged in
            combat.

 Elude   -  The enemy is accelerating and turning away from your field
            of fire. Plot an intercept course - try to head him off.

 Flee    -  A running, zigzag course. The enemy has broken morale and
            is attempting to escape. You'll have to fly fast to catch
            him.

 Follow  -  The enemy mimics your maneuvers. This tactic is only
            effective if the enemy gets behind you.

 Pursue  -  The enemy is trying to catch you as quickly as possible. If
	    you don't want to be pursued, don't try to run away.

 Ram     -  Prepare for a collision!

 Stand   -  The enemy stops and faces you. Big ships often do this just
	    before they launch an attack.

 Swerve  -  An erratic, high speed maneuver that is designed to avoid a
	    collision or weapon fire. Don't waste missiles trying to
	    hit a swerving ship. Just stay at a distance and keep him
	    in your sights.

 The Armor Remaining display (4th line) is a prime indicator of an
enemy's battle worthiness. When this drops below zero, the hull
ruptures, and the ship will perish. Most ships will try to flee when
this nears zero. When you hit a ship with a missile or beam weapon,
note now much damage it takes. This will give you a feel for the
effectiveness of various weapons against shielded and unshielded
targets.

 The Onboard Systems display (5th line) reveals what functioning
systems the enemy can bring to bear. Monitoring this display offers
great tactical insight. For instance, if the enemy's engines are
damaged, he won't be able to pull hard-G maneuvers; if his ECM or
shields are damaged, he'll be vulnerable to missile attacks; if his
weapons are damaged, you've pulled hit teeth.

 Weapon Fire Coordination

Your TAC coordinates weapons fire to hit your selected target. For
smart missiles (SM-1 and NOVA), the TAC provides the heat signature of
your target. For beam weapons, the TAC checks for a clear,
line-of-sight path to your target. If the target lies out of the path,
is too far away, or is blocked by another object, your TAC will stop
the beam weapon from firing. This prevents needless discharging of the
beam weapon's batteries (and embarrassing attacks on friendly ships tha
fly unexpectedly in your path).

 Under certain conditions you may find it advantageous to disengage
your TAC. For instance, if your target has powerful ECM, it will likely
jam your smart missiles. However, if you launch a smart missile with
your TAC disengaged, the missile will act as an unjammable, dumb
missile. Aim well and it will always hit.


SURVIVING COMBAT

 Do not pick fights recklessly! Not only can this incur severe damage,
it also affects your reputation. Unlawful battle can bring police
retribution and the attention of bounty hunters.

 If you do not enter combat, remember several points that are essential
to your ship's safety.

 Standing still is deadly. It simplifies your targeting, but
unfortunately it also simplifies the enemy's. The veteran pilot keeps
maneuvering at all times.

 Some specific combat maneuvres that have proven useful include all the
tactics the opponents use, as displayed on your TAC. In addition, you
may create your own. For example, consider "overshooting." When an
enemy is pursuing, reverse thrust rapidly. The opponent often flies on
by, presenting a clear target profile.

 If there is terrain in your sector, use it! You can hide behind
asteroids; draw your enemy into collisions with antimatter shards; you
can even slingshot around stars or planets to put on extra speed for
escape or pursuit.

 If your target has shields, try to knock them down with beam weapons.
Then go in for the kill with missiles. Beam weapons can penetrate an
opponent's shields more effectively, increasing your chance to knock
out a critical system.

 If the opponent proves too dangerous, try to escape. If you can get
ten kilometers away from your enemy, his sensors will no longer be able
to detect you, and he must break off pursuit.

 You can improve your escape speed by jettisoning cargo. A full hold
reduces your acceleration dramatically, so in desperate circumstances
you can empty cargo bay contents into space and make a quick getaway.

 As a last resort, you can try to surrender. After a standard radio
call of surrender, pirate and merchant ships may plunder your cargo in
return for your life. Imperial ships require you to pay off your
bounty.



-------------------------------
NAVIGATION WITHIN A STAR SYSTEM
-------------------------------


 Navigation Control is the only way to travel the long distances
between bases; to view the layout of star systems; and to review the
status of your ship. Navigation Control also gives an overview of the
system you occupy, shows the locations of the Malir gates used to
travel between systems, and tells the date and time.

 Unlike the cockpit viewscreen, Navigation Control does not show you a
first-person view of your surroundings. The Navigation Control screen
shows, at upper left, a part of the system you currently occupy, with
your ship in the middle. Each system is subdivided into 1024 sectors in
a 32x32 grid. Each sector is 1.000.000 kilometers on a side. Sectors
are marked on the map with a grid of dots.

 The map is not a simple record, but an electronic database that is
constantly updated. As you journey across space, your ship moves to its
new position on the map. Note how the system's planets move along their
orbits with the passage of time.

 When you encounter another ship in a sector, Navigation Control alerts
you with a status message at the bottom of the panel. At upper right
are the commands you can give as follows:

 CHART lets you chart a course anywhere in the system. When you select
this command, brackets appear around the current sector. Using the
keyboard or joystick, move the brackets to the destination sector. The
computer lays in the course along the most direct route.

 HELM is only available after you have charted a course. Select the
Helm command to embark on the journey via autopilot. The Navigation
Control screen shows the time at each stage of the journey. Press a key
to stop the journey in the current sector.

 If you come under attack in a sector, your journey will be halted
automatically. You will only be able to resume your journey after you
have resolved the battle.

 In autopilot mode your Sunracer safely navigates the hazards of space
-- asteroids, antimatter shards, and so on. Be aware, however, that
your autopilot requires much more time to safely navigate these
hazards (particularly if your engines are damaged). A straight course
through hazards is not always the shortest one. For more about these
hazards, see later sections.

 STATUS shows your possesions; your reputation with the imperium,
pirates, and Manchi, based on monitoring of radio traffic; and your
ship's weaponry, armor, equipment, and state of repair.

 QUERY retrieves data, when available, about a given sector: bases,
significant hazards, even choice bits of lore or history.

 SCAN lets you see other parts of the system. When you select this
command, brackets appear around your current sector. Move the brackets
around the map; new areas scroll onscreen. You can choose a sector and
then Query for data about it.

 COCKPIT returns you to viewscreen.


---------------------------
TRAVEL BETWEEN STAR SYSTEMS
---------------------------


 Warp drive has yet to be invented. All spacecraft must travel at
sub-light speeds. Therefore, crossing the empty gulfs between systems
would take months or years.

 How fortunate then, that the ancient Malir gates link Imperial systems
through wormholes. Each pair of gates connects two star systems. Your
Navigation Control database shows each system's Malir gate(s).

 Your Sunracer has been approved by Imperial authorities for travel
through all known interstellar Malir gates. When using one of these
teleportation devices, keep several safety tips in mind.

  1. Known sentient beings that can use the Malir gates without harmful
effect include humans, Baakili, Sishaz-ahng, doven, Braunigala, and
ssathlar. When some other sentient races, such as the Manchi, use the
gates, they invariably die.

  2. The gates are long, hollow cylinders. Pilot your ship down the
center of the cylinder toward the glowing end. You must achieve a
minimum speed of 21 m/sec to activate the gate's wormhole effect.

  3. Once within the wormhole, remain within the glowing rings. When
you reach the end of the wormhole, you will be dropped back into normal
space by the Malir gate at the destination system. Should you stray
outside the wormhole before you reach your goal, the jump is faulty and
you reappear at the gate of origin.

  4. Move through the wormhole as quickly as possible. Corrosive gases
within the hole damage all known classes of hull armor.

 Imperial researchers have devised the null damper to counteract this
effect. However, for tarrif reasons null dampers are not available in
some parts of known space. Check with your Mandenworks dealer for more
information.



-----------------------------
TRAVELLER'S RECOGNITION GUIDE
-----------------------------


 Mandenworks offers this handy guide to the objects you may encounter
in space. Each entry shows the screen symbol that represents the object
in your viewscreen simulation or Navigation Control system maps.


 PLANETS

 There are three principal types of planets you may encounter.
Warning: Do not try to pilot your Sunracer into a planetary atmosphere.
The ship is not equipped for planetary exploration, and will burn up
due to air resistance and the heat of friction.


 SHIPS

 As space travel increases in popularity, the traveller encounters more
vehicles every day. For your safety and convenience, this section
describes some of the most widesoread types of ships.

 Abbreviations used: m = meter; t = ton; mw/s = megawatts per second;
Fwd = forward; degrees/sec = degrees per second; g = gravities
(standard units of acceleration).

TITAN

 Type:			Imperial
 Class Designation:	Heavy Cruiser
 Predominant color:	Green
 Length:		95 m
 Displacement:		2,232 t
 Armor:			1,000
 Beam:			particle (20 mw/s), turreted.
 Missile:		Nova
 Shield(s):		Fwd-3, Aft-3
 ECM:			50%
 Propulsion:		Imp. Shipyards positron drive
 Acceleration:		0.15 g
 Turn (degrees/sec):	10

 The glory of the Imperial fleer, the Titan-class cruiser reduces
piracy in a system by its mere presence. Titans lack nothing in
state-of-the-art armaments and defenses.

TANKER

 Type:			Merchant
 Class Designation:	Trader (50 t capacity)
 Predominant color:	Blue
 Length:		45 m
 Displacement:		371 t
 Armor:			360
 Beam:			Beryl laser (15 mw/s), turreted
 Missile:		SM-1
 Shield(s):		Fwd-1, Aft-2
 ECM:			20%
 Propulsion:		Varies
 Acceleration:		0.20 g
 Turn (degrees/sec):	15

 The vehicle of choice for the prosperous trader, this sturdy model
emphasizes cargo capacity but does not neglect defense. Though not
flashy, a Tanker fusing skillful defense tactics can often send a more
maneuvrable Dart packing.

CRUISER

 Type:			Imperial
 Class Designation:	Light cruiser
 Predominant color:	Green
 Length:		50 m
 Displacement:		478 t
 Armor:			435
 Beam:			sapphire laser (20 mw/s), turreted
 Missile:		SM-1
 Shield(s):		Fwd-3, Aft-2
 ECM:			30%
 Propulsion:		5 Radionix MEGA reactors
 Acceleration:		0.30 g
 Turn (degrees/sec):	25

 Whereas Titans patrol the lawless frontiers of space, Imperial
cruisers customarily anchor support fleets in settled systems. However,
heavy pirate activity can draw cruisers into deep space. They are a
match for any pirate vessel.

CORSAIR

 Type:			Pirate
 Class Designation:	Light Cruiser
 Predominant color:	Orange
 Length:		48 m
 Displacement:		434 t
 Armor:			405
 Beam:			Beryl laser (15 mw/s), turreted
 Missile:		SM-1
 Shield(s):		Fwd-2, Aft-2
 ECM:			25%
 Propulsion:		5 Radionix MEGA reactors;
 Acceleration:		0.30 g
 Turn (degrees/sec):	30

 Still extremely dangerous after more than two decades of service, the
Corsair model remains popular along the frontier and in lawless areas.
Facing a hostile Corsair, your best tactic is to surrender your cargo
and hope the pilot is in a friendly mood.

SCOW

 Type:			Merchant
 Class Designation:	Trader (10 t capacity)
 Predominant color:	Blue
 Length:		23 m
 Displacement:		74 t
 Armor:			210
 Beam:			Garnet laser (10 mw/s), turreted
 Shield(s):		Aft-1
 ECM:			---
 Propulsion:		Varies widely
 Acceleration:		0.25 g (varies)
 Turn (degrees/sec):	20

 More of these dependable workers travel the spaceways than any other
ship type. Scow place cargo capacity above all else.

DART

 Type:			Pirate
 Class Designation:	Fighter
 Predominant color:	Orange
 Length:		12 m
 Displacement:		16 t
 Armor:			245
 Beam:			Garnet laser (10 mw/s)
 Missile:		SM-1
 Shield(s):		Fwd-2
 ECM:			10%
 Propulsion:		Borelle High Performance
 Acceleration:		0.30 g
 Turn (degrees/sec):	45

 A ship for pirates on a budget -- no interior comforts, but it sports
a highly-tuned engine and astounding maneuverability. In combat with a
Dart, fly an erractic course and try to wear down its armor.

HUNTER

 Type:			Independent
 Class Designation:	Fighter
 Predominant color:	Green
 Length:		21 m
 Displacement:		90 t
 Armor:			350
 Beam:			Particle (20 mw/s)
 Missile:		SM-1
 Shield(s):		Fwd-3
 Propulsion:		3 Radionix MEGA reactors
 Acceleration:		0.31 g
 Turn (degrees/sec):	40

 With their particle beams and Fwd-3 shields, Hunters are efficient
killers. A favorite of bounty hunters, they are often found prowling
the lawless regions for prey.


 Not all ships you meet belon to the Imperium. The hostile aliens
called the Manchi pilot ships of bizarre design. By request of the
Imperial admiralty, Mandenworks offers what is known about these
aliens' principal ship types.

VULTURE

 Type:			Manchi
 Class Designation:	Light Cruiser
 Predominant color:	Violet
 Length:		49 m (est.)
 Displacement:		456 t (est.)
 Armor:			480 (est.)
 Beam:			sapphire laser (20 mw/s)
 Missile:		Plasma torpedo
 Shield(s):		Fwd-2, Aft-1 (est.)
 ECM:			---
 Propulsion:		Unknown
 Acceleration:		0.30 g
 Turn (degrees/sec):	25

 In every encounter with Imperial ships, Manchi Vultures have attacked
to kill, given no quarter, and have accepted surrender. Exercise
extreme caution.

WASP

 Type:			Manchi
 Class Designation:	Fighter
 Predominant color:	Violet
 Length:		11 m
 Displacement:		13 t
 Armor:			180 (est.)
 Beam:			Beryl laser (15 mw/s)
 Missile:		Plasma torpedo
 Shield(s):		---
 ECM:			---
 Propulsion:		Unknown
 Acceleration:		0.45 g
 Turn (degrees/sec):	50

 These incredibly fast and maneuverable fighters appear to double as
scouts, for they are often found deep inside Imperial space without
evident support craft. Pilots often display suicidal attack tactics.


BASES

 The life's blood of all star travellers, bases provide protection,
repair facilities, trading posts, and a friendly cantina. Only at bases
can you meet people, get your ship repaired, or purchase new equipment
and cargo.

There are four principal types of bases:

 STARBASES are the Imperium's grandest achievements, full cities in
space that can supply all of a traveller's needs. Each starbase is the
work of generations, and each draws the finest pilots and most
desirable trade goods in known space.
 Unlike other bases, Imperial starbases routinely check incoming ships
for contraband cargo. Any contraband discovered is immediately
confiscated.

 OUTPOSTS are centers of commerce for systems that have not yet
constructed a starbase. They offer no-frills service for the
traveller's immediate needs.

 MINING STATIONS -- solitary frontier depots -- pioneer new sections of
space and supply civization with vital raw materials. Many mineral-rich
planetoids host these rugged commercial stations. They are usually
operated by gigantic megacorporations as MiCon or ConVec.
 The new Imperial carrier serves as a platform for an entire squadron
of the Imperial fleet. It provides police protection and asserts
civilized authority in lawless areas. Private ships may dock at
carriers for security, supplies, and repairs.
 The first of these amazing new bases, the Koth, is named for the
heroic admiral who led the Imperium to victory in the Battle of binary
Stars. It is stationed in the Arcturus system in the Far Arm. Other
carriers are under construction.


HAZARDS OF ASTOGATION

 The pilot can encounter many hazards in the wilds of deep space. Some,
such as pirates, can be fought. Others are natural and can only be
avoided. Natural are summarized below.

 Antimatter shard fields form deadly obstacles. Antimatter atoms carry
electric charges opposite to those of conventional matter. When matter
and antimatter meet, the charges cancel out explosively, destroying
both.

 Conventional force shields provide little protection against
antimatter shards. The only safe tactic is to avoid them through slow
and painstaking piloting.

 ASTEROIDS are small boulders or ice chunks. Your ship's shield
provides effective protection against collision with an asteroid, so
long as you travel slowly.

 BLACK HOLES are the invisible remnants of massive stars. A black
hole's gravity is so strong that no ship -- in fact, not even light  --
can escape its fatal pull. Known black holes are noted in your ship's
database. However, theorists believe there may be many more uncharted
black holes, so beware.

 ION STORMS, dangerous clouds of charged particles, from whorls in
turbulent stellar winds. Traders sometimes report spoilage of cargo due
to ionization.

 NEBULAE are clouds of interstellar gas and dust. They slow ship
passage and therefore increase travel time. Some nebulae gases are
corrosive, and can eat away at your ship's hull armor.

 Should your destination lie within a hazard field, consider travelling
elsewhere for a time. Some destinations, such as planets, may orbit out
of the field with the passage of time.


----------------------------------
A TARVELLER'S GUIDE TO THE FAR ARM
----------------------------------

 THANK YOU for purchasing this spacecraft at a Far Arm dealership!
Merchants of the Far Arm count on your support to push back our
expanding frontier. And in return, you can count on the same
top-quality service and attention to detail offered in the busiest
sectors of the Imperial Arm.

 In the 2300-year history of the Imperium, the Far Arm is a newcomer to
the galactic stage. Our small but durable net of Malir gates was
discovered hardly a century ago. As late as 2217 the exploration ship
Leading Edge crashed in an ion storm in the Sigure system, its fate
unknown until a generation later.

 Though colonization proceeded over the next century, the sleepy Far
Arm attracted little attention until the ill-advised Rebellion, an
abortive uprising by seedy frontiersmen in the Gryphon system.

 The Imperium crushed these scoundrels at the famed Battle of Binary
Stars in 2303. For his heroism in this battle. Imperial Admiral Koth
received the Golden Sunburst of Valor, the only living person so
honored.

 The Far Arm's path to Imperial acceptance began when Emperor Hiathra
assigned our Deneb System to Duchess Avenstar. No one could have envied
the young Duchess har task of cleaning up the rowdiest system in the
Galaxy. But to the critics' surprise, Avenstar has turned Deneb into
one of the shining spots of the Far Arm, a safe harbor and prosperous
home for any citizen.

 Today the Far Arm is home to a dozen thriving bases in eight systems.
The Far Arm is represented in the 100-member Ruling Council on the
Imperial homeworld. Multi-system corporations like MiCon and ConVec
coexist peacefully with indeoendent operators on Ross, Lagrange, and
Trochal. All supply the raw materials that make possible YOUR standard
of living!

 While you travel the Far Arm, be sure to stop and visit these exciting
systems, all conveniently connected to the reliable network of Malir
gates:

 KARONUS: Site of magnificent Hiathra Starbase and the historic MicCon
I mining station. Piracy has been virtually wiped out in this sector.

 DENEB: Impressive Denebprime Starbase is the home of Duchess Avenstar.
Piracy has been much reduced under her wise rule.

 GRYPHON: ConVec East mining station welcomes all miners,
mineralogists, and tourists. See the deepspace monument commemorating
the Battle of Binary Stars.

 ARCTURUS: Micon II mining station awaits the visitor a taste for
industrial technology. At this writing, Arcturus hosts the Imperium's
fabulous carrier Koth, newest addition to the fleet and a shining
symbol of the rule of law in the Far Arm.

 NAR'SEE: Lagrange mining colony produces the finest titanium in the
galaxy. Nar'see's fields of antimatter shards have attracted much
attention in popular entertainment; but space is a big place, so
they're easy to avoid!

 BASSRUTI: The Free Guild Independent Outpost experiments with new
social attitudes toward taxation and authority. Meanwhile, the advanced
Bassruti Genetics Research Center is making exciting new discoveries
about the nature of life.

 SIGURE: Trochal Independent Outpost stalwartly holds down the frontier
against Manchi incursions. Piracy is no longer a significant problem.

 ZED: The MiCon IV outpost is proud to announce that the distinguished
gravitation physicist Zoriah Prosk is pursuing further research
breakthroughs in its laboratories. Another sign that the Far Arm is
attracting the movers and shakers of the Imperium!


FACTS AND FALLACIES ABOUT THE FAR ARM

 Our home has attracted attention throughout the Imperium, both in
action-adventure entertainment and, sadly, in the news of the MiCon III
tragedy. As you visit the Far Arm, take this opportunity to get the
facts!

 1. The Imperial government extends across the Far Arm. As governing
body, defense force, and police power, the Imperium retains authority
in all systems. So-called "lawless areas" are fiction. Of course, any
traveller in deep space takes certain risks. But deep space can be
risky in the Imperial Arm itself!
 The Imperial bounty system instituted by Duchess Avenstar has produced
a significant reduction in crime. By this system, a lawbreaker incurs a
bounty for each misdeed. This gives incentive for the Far Arm's clever
and well-armed bounty hunters to pursue and punish the wrongdoer.
 A criminal can also visit any Imperial starbase and pay off his
bounty, which (after processing fees are deducted) goes into a
restitution fund for victims.

 2. The Scarlet Brotherhood are not pirates. This guild of free traders
belives in the conduct of trade without onerous government restraints.
Past incidents of substandard behavior no longer represent the
Brotherhood's methods. Piracy has decreased every year since the failed
rebellion of 2303.

 3. There is no "Black Hand." We enjoy the action stories about this
supposed cult of "psychic assassins" as much as the next sentient
being. But believe us, no one in the Far Arm can kill you at a touch,
hypnotize you at a distance, or drive you crazy by looking at you. We
can all rest more easily for that!

 4. The Manchi threat is under control. The Far Arm's proximity to
Manchi space should not worry tourists. No Malir gate connects their
territories to ours, so Manchi ships can reach only the most distant
worlds, and only in small numbers. Imperial police are well able to
protect citizens from these mindless insects.
 Do not let Manchi hostility color your attitudes toward the many other
valued and trusted sentient races found throughout the Far Arm. By and
large these nonhuman races engage in honest trade, in material goods
and, inthe case of the Baakili Far Traders, information. Treat them
well and they treat you the same way.


BASE FACILITIES

 Because travellers speak different languages or percieve in different
bands of the spectrum, bases use a uniform code of symbols to designate
facilities.

REPAIR
 A wrench indicates a repair station. Move up to the counter, in front
of the friendly staffer on duty, and ask about repairs or supplies.
 If you asks for supplies, the staffer gives a price list of your ship
automatically while you are on base.

 If you ask for repairs to your armor or ship systems, the staffer
provides a speedy cost estimate according to how much damage you would
like repaired. If you pay the fee, the repairs will be performed
automatically while you are on base. Remember: It's cheaper to repair
than to replace!

TRADE
 A "$" symbol (family crest of the legendary trader Igon Stowellon,
whose exploits spawned ,much folklore) indicates a trading post. The
easiest and most widespread method of income in the Far Arm, trade
offers beginning spacefarers the opportunity to visit many systems and
serve the Far Arm community.

 Move up to the counter in front of the friendly trader and ask to buy
or sell merchandise.

 If you ask to buy, the trader gives you a manifest of cargo available
for purchase. All gods are sold in convenient one-ton shipping
containers. For raw materials like minerals or agriproducts, the weight
is simple bulk; for high technology items or luxery goods, much of the
weight is taken by frameworks, padding, and shield generators to
prevent damage in transit.

 If you ask to sell, the trader makes an offer on the cargo in each of
your holds.

OUTFITTING
 Look for the rocket symbol to find an outfitter, a dependable supplier
of weapon and defense systems, engine upgrades, and a wide selection of
equipment for that special need. Whether you want an armor upgrade, a
spare cargo pod or a turbo thruster, just go up and ask your friendly
Far Arm merchant. And remember, installation is free!

CANTINA
 In these convivial taverns and eateries, travellers from every sector
of space converge for good fellowship and conversation. You might run
into anyone from an Imperial captain to a Baakili Far Trader.


OTHER THINGS TO DO AT BASES

 On bases, you can talk to anyone. When you respond to a remark, the
responses you can make appear at the bottom of the screen. Select the
one you want. The conversation continues based on that selection, and
it may offer you further responses.
 You can examine or take items, or even pick the locks on locked doors
or safes. (The Far Arm Amalgamated Chambers of Commerce do not endorse
theft or illegal entry; this is mentioned for informational purposes
only.)
 You can get a list of your current possessions, the condition of your
ship, and your reputation with various factions in the Far Arm.
 To leave a base, move next to your ship's hatch and enter. Your ship
leaves the base automatically. You're ready to head elsewhere in the
exciting, enchanting Far Arm!



-------------------
PLAYING SPACE ROGUE
-------------------

What You Do In This Game

 Space Rogue is not just a spaceflight combat simulator it's a role
playing game.

 In the role of a space pilot you do lots of different things besides
fly your ship. You must pursue a career to generate income, so you can
undertake long-range goals beyond your immediate mission.

 Talk to everyone you meet. Some will offer you missions. Many have
information you need to survive.

 You have a reputation in the Far Arm, and what you do in the game
affects it. For exampl, if you come across a space combat between a
merchant and a pirate, you get involved on one side or the other, and
that affects your reputation with both merchants and pirates.

 Your personnel status screen shows your standings with the Imperium,
the Merchant Guild, and the pirates. These standings directly reflect
your dealings with these organizations and affect your ability to
travel peacefully in space, to gain the aid of others, and therefore to
achieve your goals in the game.

 Repute is your reputation as a combat pilot. Each victory in combat
increases your repute; however, as your reoute grows, it takes
progressively more (and more spectacular) kills to further increase
your repute. Repute also governs the likelihood that an opponent will
break morale and flee from combat.

WHAT DIRECTION TO TAKE

 As the game begins, you have the easiest way to make money and the
best way to get started in the game. Luxury and high-tech goods are
cheap at Karonus, whereas raw materials are expensive. In the distant
systems, just the opposite is true. You can exploit the differences to
make credits. See what cargo is available.

 Be wary of combining radically different kinds of cargo, as some types
have unusual effects on others. Some kinds of cargo are also
perishable; make sure you sell them quickly.

PIRACY. Raiding merchant ships is lucrative, and they usually surrender
rather than fight to the death. However, piracy brings a bounty on your
head, and the bounty hunters will descend in force unless you pay off
the bounty at a starbase. You need a fast, well-equipped ship for this
roguish life.

BOUNTY HUNTING. Search for and destroy pirate ships to collect Imperial
bounties. This is profitable but extremely dangerous. Only the
best-equipped ships try bounty hunting.

 If you pusue these activities, explore known space, and talk to
everyone you meet, you will eventually find a clear goal. You can
achieve that goal while following any career. But your methods will
vary according to whether you are a trader, pirate, or bounty hunter.


Good Luck !


             -----  AGAIN ANOTHER 100% POWER-TYPING  ----

                ---  DONE BY THE TWINS OF TRILOGY  ---
