Introduction

The Zyroneans were an advanced, pacifistic civilisation, until the arrival of Kayleth and his obsessional craving for Chromazin, a rare mineral found in small quantities on the planet Zyron.

Now, Kayleth rules the Zyron skies with awesome power, using an Atomic Bisembler system to send down his powerful army of androids to enslave the Zyroneans and force them to claw-out the subterranean rocks to extract the precious one.

What is Kayleth?
Why are particular Zyroneans transported to the orbiting nerve centre of his domain, never to return?
How can this tyrant be eliminated?
Have you got the iron nerve and cunning required to defeath him before he completes the total destruction of your home planet?

You, a loyal Zyronean, have avoided capture long enough to set into motion a plan to liberate your beloved planet. However, as you are about to discover, event have overtaken you well laid schemes!!

The Nightmare

The Zyroneans were an advanced, pacifistic civilisation, until the arrival of Kayleth and the ensuing destruction!

Kayleth's craving for chromazin (a rare mineral), found in small qunatities on Zyron) led him to this part of the galaxy. He dominated the Zyronean skies with awesome power. Using Atomic bisemblers, he sent down his androids to enslave the population and force them to claw-out the subterranean rocks to extract the precious ore.

You, a loyal Zyronean, had avoided capture and were planning a way to rid the planet of Kayleth. However, as you are about to discover, events have overtaken your plans!

Your beginning: 340 a.K.

Your mind struggles to free itself for an endless void only to observe the birth of a nightmare world.

You awake to find yourself encircled by metal bands, upon a conveyor belt which is moving ever closer to a pair of cold, steel claws which rhythmically descend and spew out a charge of electric blue light. Desperately you search your memory for a clue to the events that led you to this alien place, but no recollection remains in your brainwashed mind.

Your instinct for survival flares hot in the centre of your mind, urging you to struggle to free yourself from the encroaching claws, for who knows what they will bring, an end to a vague feeling of loss and desolation or the rending apart of your soul?

You must survive and search out the reasons behind a life which began but a moment ago. But beware you are not what you appear to be!!

In your search you will discover various locations which will stir your memory and begin the process of remembrance - Kayleth's Starship, the anicient city of Zyron, the Zap selection centre, which houses a laboratory complex, bodybanks and mind facsimile apparatus; The chromazin mines and reprocessing plant; The prison town of Zymogg.

You will encounter the dreaded Mokki Ray (who eats bipeds between meals), The Rock Gullet and the vicious Zemps (if you can first survive the Destroyer Droids).

Others you may encounter include Broznak, your host at the Oblivion Inn, Yagmok and the Astechs (Asterion Technicians) and many other peculiar inhabitants of Zyron.

Your challenge is to rid your home planet of the leech who is draining it dry and in so doing, discover yourself!

Surviving

Kayleth has an extensive vocaulary of words which can be used to enter player commands.

To enter a command, just type in the action you want to perform, as an example, some possible commands are listed below:

1. GET CANNISTER
2. EXAMINE CLAWS
3. GO WEST AND NORTH THEN ENTER THE CITADEL
4. INSERT SERTA
5. ASK BROZNEK FOR QNUTS
6. START THE SKIMMER
7. DROP THE PHOTON CUTTERS
8. WEAR THE LENSES
9. REMOVE MASTA
10. TALK TO YAGMOK
11. PRESS CONTROL BUTTON
12. FIRE PLASMA AT DOOR

These are a few sample commands but as you can see they range from simple two word (VERB NOUN) instructions to multiple action commands.

Phrases of multiple action nouns should be separated from each other with the use of AND or by a comma:-

1. GET THE PYXIS AND OPEN IT
2. GET THE LENDS AND WEAR THEM
3. GET THE CORONA COAT, DROP THE C-EMZS

Several separate actions may be included in one command but actions should be separated by a comma or the word THEN. If a noun is repeated in an action, the noun may be replaced with the word IT or THEM if plural.

1. GET THE FUSE AND INSERT IT
2. DROP THE TAE AND THE HEADSET THEN GO UP
3. DROP ALL THEN GO IN
4. INSERT THE FUSE THEN BOARD SKIMMER

The use of the word THE is optional, no full stops are needed to end a command.

If you are new to playing adventures then stick to two word (VERB NOUN) commands until you get the feel of the game. You will find that the computer will soon tell you if you type a command it doesn't understand.

Special Word Commands

LOOK - This will redescribe your current location if you lose your bearings! (For a closer inspection of an object, use the word EXAMINE then the name of the object.)
I or INVENTORY - This will tell you what you are carrying.
QSAVE - This will save your current state of play, to RAM, so that if you should accidently be killed, you may QLOAD to return to the scene of the crime without reloading a saved game from tape.
QLOAD - Loads previously QSAVEd game.
QUIT - This command will ask you if you want to play again and also ask if you want to restore a saved game.
SAVE GAME - This allows you to save the current game position. The saved game can be restored, when you return to the adventure, by answering YES to "Do you want to restore a saved game?".
LOAD GAME - Does just that, from your saved game on tape.
WAIT - There may be times in the game where being able to wait has distinct advantages. This command will let the game move on one move - longer waits can be entered by WAIT 5; WAIT 10; these can be used if you are stranded by the tide whilst investigating the secrets of Yagmoks' Island.
BOM - Not as violent as it sounds! Typing BOM (Back One Move) allows you to do just that. Useful if you go momentarily insane and destroy or disguard a useful piece of equipment or find that you've jumped into a cul-de-sac full of snarling beasties!!

If your thoughtless actions result in death, wait for the title page and then type BOM as your first command, this will give you another chance of survival.

GET ALL - Gets all available objects in your present location, but will not, of course get objects you have yet to discover!!
DROP ALL - Does that, but be careful with it!!

Travelling And Exploration

We have already seen examples like GO NORTH AND THEN WEST but to save wear and tear on the digits, abbreviations can also be used for directions - N, S, SW, etc. Also U for UP and D for DOWN.

Hints On Play

The planet Zyron is suffering under the dictatorship of Kayleth. Everyone you meet is bound to be wary so you may have to prove your good intent before they will have anything to do with you!

Before you begin your quest, you will have to discover exactly what has happened to you in the recent past. There is definitely something not quite right with your head!! Solving this 'small' problem will open many doors and make the going a little less tough.

Finally, examine everything for clues or information on use, etc. The problems you will encounter will be logical and you won't be interfered with by hoardes of goblins, trolls or other illogical creatures who require you to perform obscure tasks to placate them!! (E.g. you won't have to wave the ham on rye in one hand whilst constructing a kitchen sink with the other in order to open a door!)

You would appear to be the only hope for your planet, and at the moment you're in no fit state to perform the task, so for the sake of Zyron, get your act together!

Note: A crack team of bug hunters have been in round the clock pursuit of these insidious creatures, only the most cunning and elusive bugs could have eluded their search and destroy tactics!!!

Loading

To load Kayleth from tape, make sure that PAGE=&E00 and then type CH."" and press RETURN. When the loading is complete, a message will appear asking if you wish to start a new game or load a saved game. To commence play, simply answer the prompt for a new game and you will be at the start of one of the most fascinating computer experiences available. If you wish to continue a Saved game, respond appropriately to the prompt and insert the cassette of your saved game (fully rewound) into your cassette recorder, press PLAY and then press RETURN as instructed on the screen.

Note that the Save and Load Game options will not function on the disk version of Kayleth due to memory constraints.