Timequest (Walkthrough)
TIMEQUEST
INTRODUCTION
Lieutenant Vettenmyer is mad, mad indeed. He's stolen an Interkron, the time machine of the Temporal Corps and used it to alter the past. This is a blatant violation of his oath, not to mention an imminent threat to civilization as you know it. He's returned the empty Interkron with the cryptic message, "Beware the Ides of March", a silent challenge to anyone (especially a Pri- vate, ordered by an infuriated General Drexler) to follow him.
The technicians have deduced from the machine's memory banks that Vettenmyer altered 10 crucial historical events in order to destroy civilization, as well as making jumps to at least 35 other timeplaces, purposes unknown. The Corps psychiatrists have surmised that he actually wants to be caught, and that he may have strewn clues throughout time that could lead to his capture. Your job is to visit those same places he did, unravel his schemes to get history back on track, and track him down to stop his madness.
The quests in the game will often cross paths, requiring you at times to complete part of one quest to obtain an item to continue another. If you need to go or do something elsewhere, I'll tell you about it in that segment of the walkthru, trying to keep it as linear as possible. You arrive at each time- place seconds after Vettenmyer left, and upon later visits you pick up the story seconds after you left. If you fail to stop his plan, your wrist trans- ponder will alert you and when next you attempt to use the Interkron, you will see an alternate future, trapping you in time.
2090 AD - HQ
This is where you start, in Drexler's office. You can just WAIT until the mad Vettenmyer makes his appearance, or get some information from Drexler about the painting on his wall - X PAINTING. ASK DREXLER ABOUT PAINTING. This gives you a little clue about what's to come. After Vettenmyer appears in his own slim, trim, Interkron and makes his speech, Drexler will give you the little pill as well as your marching orders. The sound effects during a time jump are nice, but TAKE PILL when you get tired of them.
The game is afoot, and your first stop should be 44 BC - ROME, as indicated by Vettenmyer's note. First, to get the Interkron going:
W. OPEN DRAWER. GET CARD. PUSH BUTTON. PUT CARD IN SLOT. TIMESET ROME 44.
Note: Hereafter, just use IN for PUSH BUTTON, and TS for TIMESET.
After fixing the malfunction in the Interkron (this off-disk copy protection occurs only before the first time jump of each game session), say goodbye to the 21st century, you may never see it again...even if you succeed in stopping Vettenmyer!
44 BC - ROME
You arrive here at 12:00 noon, and have until about 3:30 until Caesar becomes lion munchies. The Interkron materializes in the Cloaca Maxima, Rome's newly built sewer system. You've got to get to Caesar, but first you are going to compete in the chariot races in the famed Circus Maximus: OUT. U. SE. NE.
Inside the Gladatorium, WAIT one turn and the gamesmaster will make his
speech which will tell you what you need to do in order to gain a favor from
Caesar. You'll have to fix up that chariot, and win the 3:00 race:
GET JAR, PEG. SE. PUT WHEEL ON CHARIOT. PUT PEG IN HOLE. OIL AXLE.
You now have a lean, mean, racing machine - what a mechanical genius you are!
You could run a race or two before oiling the axle, or run one in your hot rod
before 3:00, but you don't want to be a show-off:
Z UNTIL 2:57. GET IN CHARIOT. Z.
The hostlers will hitch your chariot up to the horses, and you'll hear some interesting news about an animal abuse incident: some guy in a laurel wreath was whipping one of lions to appear in the parade...after a long description of your brilliant victory, you are taken to Caesar, with his wife Calpurnia and mistress Cleopatra in the Imperial box. You'll note that Caesar wears a gold bracelet, a miniature transponder given to all ten key historical figures by Vettenmyer in order to keep tabs on them. Remembering what Drexler told you about your own transponder, removing it will cause it to return to its origin. In this case, each transponder returns to Vettenmyer's headquarters when its wearer removes it, signaling Vettenmyer of a failure.
Now you can make small talk, or just WAIT until Caesar acknowledges you and grants you that all important favor. The parade of lions has begun, and one lion in particular seems to have a grudge against the guy with the laurel wreath. No time to waste: ASK CAESAR FOR WREATH.
A shocking request to the uninformed, and a ridiculously brave gesture on your part - how are you going to stop that cat? WAIT. The lion makes a run straight for you, and the incredibly brave guard drops his sword. TAKE SWORD. Now the lion is in the air, headed straight at you with its throat wide open.
FIGHT LION WITH SWORD.
Your incredible strategy of wearing the wreath to get the lion to turn on you worked! Caesar gives you his bracelet, Cleopatra hints at a later meeting to "thank" you, and you are carried back out in front of the Circus Maximus. A passerby, probably not a friend of Caesar's, lobs a piece of focaccia (let's just call it BREAD) at you. This is a key to the 800 AD Baghdad segment, where you're going to prove to the Sultan that his Vizier is not to be trusted.
TAKE BREAD. NW. D. IN. TS BAGHDAD 800.
800 AD - BAGHDAD
You arrive in a cave halfway between Baghdad and Babylon at 6:00 PM and you have until about 7:30 to prove to the Sultan Harun al-Rashid that his Vizier Yahya can't be trusted. Actually, the critical event won't occur until 4:30 AM, but by then your chance will have passed. Amazing, but it's only going to take about 3 minutes to walk to Baghdad. From the Interkron:
TS BAGHDAD 800. OUT. W. N. N. GIVE BREAD TO BEGGAR.
The beggar is the legendary Sultan himself, waiting to see if his own people will help one so destitute! As a reward, you are offered the opportunity to prove that one of his wives is cheating on him. He proposes a likely solution, that you go to the harem and try to get one of them to sleep with you. The down side is, he'll have to kill you for his dishonor if succeed. This solu- tion will not work, but you do need to get into the harem, so you must agree. WAIT until he asks you, then NOD. You'll be taken to the harem and the sultan will return at about 7:30 to observe the results. Timing is important here, your objective is to get the Vizier to come to the proper bedroom, then get evidence that he was there:
GET FIGS. Z (Until the wives go to their bath). W. GET VEIL. WEAR VEIL. E. S. GIVE FIG TO VIZIER. N. W. REMOVE VEIL. HIDE. Z (Until Yahya sneaks into the bedroom). GET SLIPPER. Z (Until Yahya leaves). U. SHOW SLIPPER TO SULTAN.
Every time I've played this segment, only wearing Jamila's veil (Green) from the west bedroom has worked. I found this by trial and error, I found no clue, except perhaps that the Vizier's gloves were green. As a reward for proving Yahya's disloyalty, you'll receive a turban with a ruby. The ruby is worth- less, but the turban is essential to the 1798 AD Dover/Cairo segment. Now to travel to 1940 AD Dover, to stop Hitler from launching an early invasion of Europe:
S. S. E. IN. TS DOVER 1940.
1940 AD - DOVER/ROME
To convince Hitler that Churchill will surrender, you must trick the Prime Minister into saying the code word "Cigar" during his radio address at 6:00 PM in Dover, then stop Hitler and Mussolini, who are listening to the address in Rome from hearing Churchill's immediate retraction. Simple, right? First, to 1940 AD Dover to cause the slip. From the Interkron:
TS 1940 DOVER. OUT. SE. N. Z UNTIL 6:00. Z. GET CIGAR. Z. Z. GET LIGHTER.
You've caused Churchill to say the code word, and you've gotten an important item, a lighter. Now to make sure his audience in Rome never hears Churchill retract his statement:
S. NW. IN. TS 1940 ROME. OUT. U. SE. N. N.
With your unassuming demeanor, everyone thinks you're just a janitor, so you can easily WAIT in the Sala del Mappamondo until the proper time. Just CLEAN whenever Hitler snaps at you, and soon you'll hear them say the code word. If you hadn't gone to Dover first, you'd still have time to go there now. When the radio address begins, WAIT until you cause (will cause) Churchill to say "Cigar", then UNPLUG WIRE. By the time Hitler gets the radio working, he's missed the retraction and will believe England will surrender!
Now, to 1215 AD Peking to help Genghis Khan into the city.
S. S. NW. D. IN. TS CAIRO 44.
1215 AD - Peking
The Mongols are laying siege to the city of Peking, but Vettenmyer has convinced Genghis Khan that he should abandon the siege and turn towards Europe. If you can get the city gates open and let the Mongols in, Peking will fall and Europe will be spared. You first need the password to enter, then a way to disable the guard force within. This involves a couple of quick side trips to Rome and Baghdad. From the Interkron:
TS CAIRO 44. OUT. N. Z.
Remember Cleopatra? When you saved her life in 44 BC Rome, she hinted at the possibility of a later meeting. Well, here you are...answer YES when she asks you to join her in the palace. Are you up to the challenge of a night with the Queen of the Nile? KISS CLEOPATRA. Nope, guess you just don't pass muster. She gives you a vial of aphrodisiac and invites you to return after taking it for five days. However, this is not SPELLCASTING 101, you don't get to spend all your time with the babes. Instead, you're of to 1215 AD Baghdad:
E. S. IN. TS BAGHDAD 1215. OUT. W. N. N. OFFER VIAL TO MERCHANT.
Say YES to his deal, and you receive one drachma, a 1,000 yuan note, and the password to enter the city of Peking. Wasn't that a better deal than a mere evening of pleasure with Cleopatra? (dead silence) Ok, I agree, but if you don't set time straight you'll be wiped out of existence anyway, so hop over to 1215 AD Peking:
S. S. E. IN. TS PEKING 1215. OUT. N. Z.
You arrive here at 12:00 noon, and have until 6:30 P.M. before the Mongols pack up and head for easier pickings in Europe. Exit the Interkron then N from the shrine, and a Mongol tour guide will direct you to Khan's tent where the situation is explained to you. You know how to enter the city, and that 1,000 yuan note is the key to getting the guards out of the way:
N. W. N. SAY TOWER GATE. N. W.
1215 AD Peking is pretty decadent, and that 1,000 yuan note is going to make 20 soldiers very happy. Cash up front is the Madame's policy, so say YES then SHOW YUAN TO MADAME. Once again, you're not going to have any fun...you just bought the services of these 20 hookers, but if you try anything it will be the death of you, as the Madame warns. Instead:
TELL GIRLS TO FOLLOW ME. E. S.
For a little fun, you could lead them east into the Buddhist temple first and give the priest a thrill, but the Mongols are waiting! Say YES to the Madame's question, and the girls will quickly take care of the guards. Now OPEN GATE, and in comes the barbarian horde. You are give Khan's bracelet as reward, then immediately ushered back outside the city. Oh, well, let's see if we can put the fear of God into Attila the Hun....
S. IN. TS PEKING 1361.
452 AD - ROME
Attila the Hun is waiting on the road to Ravenna, getting ready to sack Rome. Pope Leo is about to travel there to meet with him, convinced that he can persuade him to turn back with words alone. Vettenmyer has gotten Attila to demand action, a definite miracle from God as proof that he is too powerful to cross. It so happens that in about 350 years, the Chinese will invent fireworks, and some Buddhist priests in Peking will design a display that will amaze barbarians and children alike. However, they'll only allow a most holy person to enter their inner sanctum, so you must set yourself up as a saint.
From the Interkron:
TS PEKING 1361. OUT. N. E.
Here you join the line of mourners attending the funeral of a Shang emperor, being held in the cave at the end of the Sacred Way. This is the only time in history the cave will be open. The only way to get in is to get in line as one of the mourners. Unfortunately for you, the tradition is that the emperor's most loyal subjects get to be buried alive with their beloved sovereign, then drink poison in order to follow him into the hereafter. The official who will seal the tomb indicates that the tablets within may hold the secret to escape, but if you study the writings forever from a distance as I did at first, you'll get nowhere. Enter the tomb E and you'll be sealed in with a boulder.
Then:
PASS BASIN (No thanks!). SIT ON BENCH. MEDITATE.
You can read the four tablets if you wish, they are taken from real Chinese writings, and I felt they fit into the theme of the endgame. However, you can read them all day without success unless you're sitting on the bench. Now, there's a means of escape as well as a big emerald close at hand:
U. GET BASIN. POUR WATER IN STATUE'S MOUTH. GET EMERALD. S.
After getting flushed out of the cave, you're now ready to jump forward about 2000 years and establish yourself as a holy man:
W. S. IN. TS PEKING 452. OUT. N. N.
You meet a panhandling Buddhist monk who needs a donation to help build a new temple here. GIVE EMERALD TO PRIEST. There, that was easier than donating to those churches on television, and don't you feel good knowing you'll be for- ever immortalized as the founder of the first Buddhist temple in Peking? Now you're going to jump forward another 350 years, where you'll find the temple thriving and yourself a welcome visitor:
S. S. IN. TS PEKING 800. OUT. N. N. E. E. ASK PRIEST FOR MASK.
If you looked at the portrait in the temple before you donated the emerald in the past, it wouldn't bear the features it does now, and you wouldn't be seen by the priest as the reincarnation of the temple's founder and you wouldn't be admitted to the sanctuary now. Looking at the mask, you can see it's just the thing to convince Attila of the power of the Christian God in 452 AD Rome. If you have Churchill's lighter from 1940 AD Dover, you're all set:
W. W. S. S. IN. TS ROME 452. OUT. U. NW. W.
You arrived in this timeplace at 12:00 noon and Attila's army will attack at 3:30 P.M., but your little pyrotechnic display will convince him that Rome is no place for the Huns! Inside the Vatican you will meet Pope Leo, preparing to go out and face the barbarian leader. Answer YES to his question, then:
E. NE. W. Z. LIGHT MASK.
When Attila beholds your special effects miracle, he agrees to turn back and leave Rome alone. After a little thanks seasoned with a little chastisement from Pope Leo, you're left alone to continue your journey. More importantly, he gives you a valuable parchment from the Vatican library which will be a key to the 1519 AD Mexico quest. Next, return to the Interkron to head for 1215 AD Dover, to help put an end to the feudal system in Europe:
E. SW. SE. D. IN. TS DOVER 1215.
1215 AD - DOVER
King John, under pressure from his barons and with his treasury depleted from his recent war, has agreed to sign the Magna Carta and ensure the rights of the individual. This will lay the foundation for our democratic system, but Vettenmyer has convinced the King's nephew to help refill his coffers, and if the courier from Dover reaches Windsor Castle with the message King John will not have to submit to his subjects' demands. You arrive near the tavern in Dover at 12:00 noon, and must intercept the courier before he reaches the King at about 12:40 P.M. This time, you'll have a little help from Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, and the merry band of outlaws. From the Interkron:
TS DOVER 1215. OUT. SE. N. Z. S. GET ON HORSE. W. Z. GET SCROLL. READ SCROLL. NE. Z. Z. SW. SEARCH COURIER. OPEN POUCH. SHOW LETTER TO OUTLAW LEADER. Z. NW. Z. Z.
There! After the letter on the courier is cleverly altered by Friar Tuck, whatever it said obviously convinced King John that Otto would not support him. He signs the Magna Carta, and your work here is done. Return to the Interkron, and prepare to get Queen Elizabeth and Drake together in 1588 AD Dover. This requires a couple of side trips first:
SE. E. GET OFF HORSE. NW. IN. TS ROME 1519.
1588 AD - Dover
The Spanish Armada waits across the English channel, ready to invade England. Phillip of Spain is being backed by the Catholic church in Rome, who wants to see the Protestant Queen Elizabeth off the throne. The Queen renounced the Catholic church for not acknowledging her divorce, and the key to this segment is the fact that she'll have nothing to do with Catholicism, the Vatican, and especially the Pope. She is scheduled to meet Drake in the eastern bedroom upstairs from the ageless tavern in Dover, but Vettenmyer has altered the note she sent him so that Drake will have a liaison with a call girl in the western bedroom instead. To head off this disaster, you must get the queen to switch rooms, and you begin by jumping to 1519 AD Rome. From the Interkron:
TS ROME 1519. OUT. U. NW. W. Z. GET BOOK.
Pope Leo X and Michelangelo argue here in St. Peter's over the design of a statue destined to become the "Pieta." The Pope drops an autobiography, and if you want to X BOOK, you'll see nothing but pages about his greatness. Surely he wouldn't want to lose this, so GIVE BOOK TO LEO. In return, he'll give you an indulgence, good for a freebie at the souvenir stand. Leo dispenses these freely, which is probably why the souvenir vendor is going broke....
E. GIVE INDULGENCE TO VENDOR.
The vendor reluctantly gives you a plaque, which will certify that any room it is placed in has the Pope's blessing. Ah! Here's the thing to get Liz out of that bedroom 69 years from now, but you must make her think it was there before she arrived. Well, sounds like another time jump to me:
SE. D. IN. TS DOVER 1519. OUT. SE. N. N. OPEN DOOR. LIFT FLOORBOARD. PUT PLAQUE IN CACHE. REPLACE FLOORBOARD.
You've stashed the plaque in the cache, and now you're ready to 'discover' in the Queen's presence. By the way, if you hadn't replaced the warped floor- board, the innkeeper would have nailed it down and you wouldn't have been able to open it in the future. Return to the Interkron for a short trip:
W. S. S. NW. IN. TS DOVER 1588. OUT. SE. N. N. KNOCK. ENTER. BOW.
Oh, what a royal pain! For fun, try to OPEN DOOR without knocking, or doing anything in Her Majesty's presence before paying your respects. Now, to really get her goat:
LIFT FLOORBOARD. GET PLAQUE. SHOW PLAQUE TO ELIZABETH.
Leave the room W and watch the queen exert her authority, then Z UNTIL 6:00 and Drake comes up the stairs for his meeting. However, the reception is not quite what he expected from the note he received! Things are back on track, and the Spanish Armada will be defeated. If you completed the 452 AD Rome seg- ment, you now have the original writings of Plutarch, which will make the sailor who accompanied Drake very happy:
S. GIVE PARCHMENT TO SAILOR.
The sailor, actually a poet, gives you the helmet which Drake got from a conquered Spanish captain. This is a key to the 1519 AD Mexico quest and restoring the Quetzlcoatl myth. Return to the Interkron:
S. NW. IN. TS DOVER 1361.
1519 AD - MEXICO
In 1519 AD, the mighty Aztec nation was conquered by a small Spanish army, because the people there believed the leader of the expedition was sent by their god Quetzlcoatl and they could not stand before him. Vettenmyer has gone to great lengths this time to destroy the myth. You must initiate the legend in 1361 BC Mexico, reappear as the feathered god in 44 BC with a sign which their conqueror will bear almost 1500 years later, then watch history unfold properly in 1519 AD. You must have the Spanish helmet from 1588 AD Dover, which requires completing the 452 AD Rome quest, which first means solving the puzzle in 1940 AD Dover...this is a devious game! From the Interkron:
TS DOVER 1361. OUT. SE. W. SIT. Z. Z. ASK DRUID ABOUT KNOWLEDGE.
There...you know something the Olmec Indians of ancient Mexico don't, and which will save your neck when you pop in there. This side trip is worth five points, and it is not mandatory to finishing the game, but you're not supposed to know about the eclipse unless you read this walkthru! Return to your
Interkron:
E. NW. IN. TS MEXICO 1361. OUT. Z.
You're in hot water now! The Olmec was expecting a feathered serpent god, and a mere man stands before him...time to show him you're really Quetzlcoatl in disguise. TELL OLMEC ABOUT SUN. Z. The eclipse occurs on schedule, and the Olmec cowers in fright, giving you some breathing room. All your possessions, including his flint knife, lie outside the pot. You only have three turns before the Olmec skewers you, aren't you glad there's a GET ALL command?
U. GET ALL. IN.
Time stops in the Interkron, but if you step out into this timeplace again, guess what's for supper? You have established the premise that Quetzlcoatl appeared, changed into a man, and escaped an Olmec Indian cannibal. Now, the Toltec Indians await your return in 44 BC to show them the sign of their de- feat to come in 1519 AD, but you won't be convincing enough to fool them the same way twice. You must negotiate a dark maze in 800 AD Mexico to retrieve a costume hanging in a closet. The only point in history that the maze is light- ed is in 452 AD, and that's how to map the maze, gain a clue to Vettenmyer's hideout, and get one point. That's covered in another section, for now, just follow my lead:
TS MEXICO 800. OUT. E. NE. NW. E. NE. SE. W. SE. S. S. S. GET COSTUME. N. N. N. NW. E. NW. SW. W. SE. SW. W. IN.
Well, you're out of the maze, but you'll have to negotiate it twice more in other time periods to gather points and clues. Now to make your appearance in 44 BC Mexico then to 1519 AD to watch Vettenmyer's plan fail:
TS MEXICO 44. WEAR COSTUME. OUT. PUT HELMET ON PILLOW. IN. TS MEXICO 1519. OUT. Z. Z. Z. IN. TS PEKING 1940.
If you've noted the description of the mural each time you make a jump, you'll see how you affected history...nice touch, Bob! Now that Montezuma has chosen not to fight, your work here is done. Time for the most complex quest of the game, which is really two - 800 AD Rome, and 1798 Dover/Cairo/Rome.
800 AD - ROME (1)
You arrive here at 10:00 A.M., and Charlemagne is due to be crowned at noon, if he can be shown that he is worthy of the crown of emperor by seeing some sort of sign on the crown. You'll have to mug a priest, steal the crown, play a game with young Tut, convince Napoleon to help recover the crown, steal the crown again and return it before the priest wakes up. Simple! Here we go, to get some ether:
TS PEKING 1940. OUT. N. Z UNTIL 12:00. GET COCKTAIL. S. IN. OPEN BOTTLE. GET HANKY.
Yeah, with your violent mind, you probably thought you had to lob the bomb at the priests...well, I was thinking along those lines for awhile. But:
TS ROME 800. OUT. U. NW. W. N. POUR ETHER ON HANKY. COVER PRIEST WITH HANKY. GET CROWN. S. E. SE. D. IN.
Oh, stealing from a church! But, you'll return it before the priest awakens, and remember Drexler's last words? "Go anywhere, do anything..." Now, you're going to find the babe floating down the river in 1361 BC Cairo, so the little girl can take him home. The timescale may be a bit off here, but nobody's saying that this is that certain Israelite baby, right? Off you go:
TS CAIRO 1361. OUT. N. W. N. E.
Tut's sister wants the babe, and you've got no desires to babysit through time, so say YES. WAIT until the girl takes the bundle of joy into the palace, and young Tut will play Pharaoh. GIVE CROWN TO TUT. Easy come, easy go. You aren't going to even see that crown again for over 2500 years, and you won't get your hands on it for over 700 years after that. You do have a map, and if you have Churchill's lighter from 1940 A.D. Rome, you're set to go look at it and return with proof you were there:
E. S. IN. TS CAIRO 1215. OUT. N. W. S. S. PUSH PANEL. W. X MAP.
You should be in the room with deadly whirling blades and tiles inscribed with animal pictographs. Push them in the order the map describes, the se- quence is different each game. Now the way is clear to continue:
W. W. GET ANKH. E. E. E. N. N.
You couldn't get the crown, but Tut's ankh is proof you have been there. You have two problems now - the bridge is destroyed and you're still a little too big to reach the crown. Both of these problems are solvable once you finish the 1798 AD Dover/Rome segment and if you have the turban from the 800 AD Baghdad segment. Assuming you've followed this walkthru, you've solved the Sultan's problem in Baghdad and can proceed to 1798 AD Rome. Return to the Interkron:
E. S. IN. TS ROME 1798.
1798 AD - DOVER/ROME
You arrive in the sewers of Rome at 3:30 and have until 6:30 until Napoleon decides to invade England instead of Cairo. Before going to Napoleon's head quarters, make sure you have completed the first part of the 800 AD Rome segment, and that you have Tut's map and ankh. From the Interkron:
TS ROME 1798. OUT. U. GET ROCK. SE. THROW ROCK AT WINDOW. Z. Z. Z.
Your petty vandalism got you in to see Napoleon, and while you wait for him to judge you for your crime you hear the conversation between he and his aide. After this, he astutely determines that you needed to see him for an important reason. SHOW MAP TO NAPOLEON. Now he's interested, but he asks if you can prove that the map is genuine. Say YES, then SHOW ANKH TO NAPOLEON. Napoleon agrees to meet you in Cairo that fall and gives you back your map. He writes you a pass that will allow you into his tent at Cairo, but more importantly, will serve as proof of Napoleon's intention to invade Egypt instead of England. After you are ushered out, return to the Interkron:
NW. D. IN. TS DOVER 1798. OUT. SE. N.
You need the boarding hook that Admiral Lord Nelson is displaying, telling of his past exploits while fretting about Napoleon's attack plan. He suspects his nemesis will strike Egypt, but won't leave England unprotected without de- finite proof. SHOW PASS TO NELSON, and he's off to Cairo without hesitation, leaving his boarding hook behind. GET HOOK then return to the Interkron:
S. NW. IN. TS CAIRO 1798.
800 AD - ROME (2)
After convincing Napoleon to meet you in Cairo in order to recover the crown of Charlemagne, and getting Admiral Lord Nelson to take his fleet to Egypt, you're ready to jump to 1798 AD Cairo. You must have the turban from 800 AD Baghdad, Churchill's lighter from 1940 AD, Admiral Lord Nelson's boarding hook from 1798 AD Dover, and the pass that Napoleon gave you in 1798 AD Rome. From the Interkron:
TS CAIRO 1798. OUT. N. W. SHOW PASS TO SOLDIER.
Napoleon's waiting for you, as none of his men have returned from exploring the pyramid. The path to the King's chamber is the same, as is the sequence of tiles to stop the blades. You need a way to cross the chasm now that the bridge is gone, and you should have the right items. If you haven't already looked at the ruby set into the turban and unraveled it, either UNTIE TURBAN or LOOK AT RUBY. The turban unwinds into a long, strong strip of cloth. Re- trace your steps through the pyramid, Napoleon will follow you:
S. S. W. (Repeat the tile sequence to stop the blades). W. TIE TURBAN TO HOOK. THROW HOOK AT STRUT. SWING OVER CHASM.
Napoleon crosses after you, and spotting his heart's desire in the crevice, wastes no time in grabbing the crown. You're still not going to get it back yet, so leave the pyramid and return to the Interkron:
SWING ACROSS CHASM. E. E. N. N. E. S. IN.
As you may know, Napoleon's dream of becoming the next Charlemagne were never realized. If you visited Mussolini's headquarters in 1940 AD Rome, you'll recall there is a museum filled with Napoleonic memorabilia there. Now, you've caused the addition of Charlemagne's crown, which now has a suitable engraving that will serve as a sign to the waiting emperor in 800 AD Rome. A couple more jumps to steal the crown and put it in the chapel before the priest awakes:
TS ROME 1940. OUT. U. SE. N. GET CROWN. S. NW. D. IN. TS ROME 800. OUT. U. NW. W. N. PUT CROWN ON ALTAR. S. Z UNTIL 12:00.
Charlemagne accepts the crown, interpreting the engraving as a holy sign. Your job here is done, and you should have straightened out all ten of the events that Vettenmyer tried to alter. You still must track down Vettenmyer, but you need to get an item from 1940 Rome. If you looked at the painting in Drexler's office, you know what it is and where it should be, but it won't be there if you don't make sure the Academy lives. Return to the Interkron:
E. SE. D. IN. TS ROME 1361.
THE ACADEMY AND THE KEY
No use avoiding it, you're going to have to take a crash course in philoso- phy, spanning the entire 3300 years from 1361 BC to 1940 AD. The point of this long education is to prepare you for your role in the future, and to ensure that the Academy survives through the ages by giving your instructor someone to pass his knowledge on to. This is the true point of the game, as you will see. If you don't visit the Academy in every time period in order beginning at 1361 BC, you'll find it deserted in the future. From the Interkron:
TS ROME 1361. OUT. S. YES. U. N. IN.
No Rome, no city, nothing but a meadow and no one but an old man sitting on a log, awaiting the opportunity to pass on a little knowledge before he himself passes on. Listen to what he has to say, and the Academy survives. Return to this location at each time setting in order from 44 BC to 1940 AD. When you visit in 1940, the old man holds the original Key. ASK OLD MAN ABOUT KEY and he will give it to you, along with a strange explanation. This indeed is the Key to great knowledge, as you will see. But now, you must find Vettenmyer and stop him from activating his back-up plan which will kill both of you.
VETTENMYER'S CLUES
It's not necessary to collect all 19 clues to find Vettenmyer's hideout and deduce the password for entry, in fact, you may already know where he is. Each clue you collect is worth one point, with the exception of the last which is worth two. In addition, there are three mini-quests to complete to gather the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th clues, each worth extra points. Each clue has a numeric reference in it, and when you put the first letter of each clue in its proper order you'll have a two sentences of two words each. I'm going to direct you to each clue in order, then tell you what they spell out. From the Interkron:
1) TS BAGHDAD 1361. OUT. W. S. W. U. X VINE. D. E. N. E. IN.
2) TS BAGHDAD 44. OUT. X WALL. IN.
3) TS BAGHDAD 1798. OUT. W. N. N. X CARPET. S. S. E. IN.
4) TS PEKING 1588. OUT. N. N. E. LISTEN. W. S. S. IN.
5) TS ROME 1215. OUT. U. NW. LISTEN. SE. D. IN.
6) TS CAIRO 1519. OUT. X WALL. IN
7) TS PEKING 1519. OUT. N. N. Z. GET COOKIE. OPEN IT. X FORTUNE. S. S. IN.
8) TS DOVER 800. OUT. SE. X MESSAGE. NW. IN.
9) TS ROME 1588. OUT. U. NW. ASK WOMAN FOR LEAFLET. X IT. SE. D. IN.
10) TS DOVER 452. OUT. X RUNES. IN. (Whew! Don't lose your head!)
11) TS BAGHDAD 452. OUT. S. W. X JUG. N. E. IN.
12) TS CAIRO 1588. OUT. N. W. X GRAFFITI. E. S. IN.
13) TS CAIRO 452. OUT. N. W. X CARVING. E. S. IN.
14) TS MEXICO 452. OUT. E. NE. NW. E. NE. SE. W. SE. S. S. S. X GRAFFITI. N. N. N. NW. E. NW. SW. W. SE. SW. W. IN.
Ok, the easy clues are over, except for the 19th. To get the fifteenth clue, you must enter the Forbidden City in 1798 AD Peking. The eunuch who guards the entrance will tell you that the emperor will only see you if he owes you a favor, so you must do a service for an ancient emperor:
TS DOVER 1361. OUT. SE. S. S. GET SHELL. N. N. NW. IN. TS PEKING 44. OUT. N. E. N. BLOW CONCH. S. W. S. IN.
You've saved Peking from a barbarian invasion, which should absolve your guilt for allowing Genghis Khan into the city 1200 years later. The emperor gives you his seal, a token of his debt. You know what do now:
TS PEKING 1798. OUT. N. N. N. GIVE SEAL TO EUNUCH.
You're led to the emperor who repays the debt with one of the Chinese boxes, that you open to find more and more boxes, hopefully to finally reach the treasure within:
OPEN BOX. AGAIN. AGAIN. AGAIN. AGAIN. GET BAR. X BAR. S. S. S. IN.
Return to the Interkron to pursue the sixteenth clue. This involves doing a good deed for a destitute family in 1519 AD Baghdad, which will pay off 69 years later. You must have the drachma that the Chinese merchant gave you in the 1215 AD Baghdad bazaar for Cleopatra's aphrodisiac:
TS BAGHDAD 1519. OUT. W. N. N. BUY DATES. NE. W.
Here, a mother cowers in fear with her daughter and son. ASK MOTHER ABOUT GIRL to find out what's going on, then ASK MOTHER ABOUT MULE to learn how to control him. Now, to bring your cargo to the family:
E. GET TETHER. WHISPER TO MULE. SW. NE. W.
Ok, so they won't starve, but you want to hide the girl in the urn. The mule will eat any dates you dump on the floor, so lead him out of the house:
E. DROP TETHER. W. EMPTY URN. TELL GIRL TO GET IN URN. PUT DATES IN URN.
Now the girl's hidden, but the soldiers will spot the extra dates and the game is up. The mule will solve that problem:
E. GET TETHER. WHISPER TO MULE. W. DROP TETHER. Z UNTIL 12:01. E. SW. S. S. E. IN.
You've earned the family's gratitude, and if you ASK BOY ABOUT HIMSELF, you have an idea what's in store. You can go get the sixteenth clue now:
TS BAGHDAD 1588. OUT. W. N. N. Z.
Even if you had a drachma, you couldn't buy a badge from the vendor to stay in the city without citizenship papers. You are hauled off to the palace, but look, the vizier is the young boy whose sister you saved! He gives you a badge and you are returned to the bazaar, where you now can roam freely:
NE. X GRAFFITI. SW. S. S. E. IN.
The seventeenth clue requires navigating the temple maze one more time, this time in 1215 AD Mexico. Make sure you have the costume you got from the 800 AD Mexico maze, and the flint knife from the Olmec Indian in 1361 BC Mexico:
TS MEXICO 1215. OUT. E. NE. NW. E. NE. U. WEAR COSTUME. S. CUT THONGS.
Your disguise worked again, allowing you to free the warrior who disposes of the priest. Now you can see what Vettenmyer left on the altar:
X ALTAR. N. D. SW. W. SE. SW. W. IN.
The eighteenth clue is pretty easy to get:
TS DOVER 1361. OUT. SE. S. GET CHALK. N. NW. IN. TS CAIRO 800. OUT. N. GIVE CHALK TO MAN. X SLATE. S. IN.
And finally, clue number nineteen you've probably already discovered if you did the 1940 AD Dover/Rome segment:
TS ROME 1940. OUT. U. SE. X GRAFFITI. NW. IN.
Put the first letter of each clue in order: ZEKE IN TOWER. SAY EAST. The hardest clues to find involved the password, of course! If all 10 historical events are fixed and you have the Key, you're ready to face Vettenmyer and your destiny...time's wasting!
VETTENMYER'S HIDEOUT - ENDGAME
You've fixed Vettenmyer's mischief, setting history straight. You've gotten the Key from the old man at the Academy, and you know where the Lieutenant is operating from. Although his main plan has failed, he still has an Interkron and must be stopped from wreaking additional havoc. One more jump to make in this Interkron:
TS BAGHDAD 1361. OUT. W. S. E. SAY EAST.
There, you're in! If you had visited here before completing all 10 quests, this is as far as you could go. All ten transponders removed by the figures in history have returned to their places, and the door to the east is open. Go E and enter the Tower Room just in time to watch a future version of yourself dematerialize. He points at the time machine on the right as he vanishes, and you hear Vettenmyer coming up the steps. Timing is critical here - when you passed through the doorway, you made a little jump to 8:00 A.M. GET ON RIGHT PLATFORM, and you escape by jumping backward 57 minutes, to 7:03 A.M.
Z UNTIL 7:59. You hear the other you stumble on the step...GET ON LEFT PLATFORM. Your past self will enter, see you dematerialize and point at the right platform. So far, so good. You jump 62 minutes into the future, and it is now 9:01 A.M. Somehow, Vettenmyer has been knocked down, and the other you steps on a remote control which opens the case to the Doomsday device which appears to be enabled! Your Key fits the lock: PUT KEY IN KEYHOLE. The machine sequence is aborted, and the machine disabled. Vettenmyer recovers, grabs his laser, and takes aim. GET ON RIGHT PLATFORM. If you had tried to jump into the future again, Vettenmyer would destroy the left platform and you'd never show up, so you jump back 57 minutes instead. Just as you do, the other you will shout a number, different each game. Remember it, your live(s) depend on it!
You rematerialize at 8:05, and Vettenmyer is waiting. He straps you into the chair, and as in most plots where the hero meets the villain, it is obligatory that you WAIT while he rambles. He explains the secret of the Key, not knowing that you already used it to disable his machine in the future, then gives you a chance to die now or with him when the Doomsday machine goes off. All you have to do to live a while longer is guess the number he's thinking of, from one to a hundred. Normally, you'd have a 1% chance, but the other you already told you the number, so SAY it! Vettenmyer's crazy, but it appears he's honest and trustworthy, at least this time. He uses the remote control to open the case, then activates the Doomsday machine.
Now WAIT some more. Vettenmyer knows that you jumped into the future to 9:01, because you jumped as he entered the room at 8:01 A.M. When he turns his back to greet the other you, KICK VETTENMYER. The villain is knocked down, laser out of reach and remote control by your feet. You've bought the other you a moment in which to use the Key to disable the machine, so STEP ON REMOTE. Finally, you must tell the other you Vettenmyer's secret number, SAY it.
Vettenmyer has one more bright idea to go, but all you have to do is WAIT. Realizing that you must have gotten the Key from the old man at the Academy in 1940 AD Rome, he knocks you out to transport you there in his Interkron. You just WAIT while the story unfolds and Vettenmyer tries to change history yet again. TAKE CLOAK at the proper time, and the story concludes.
Personally, I smell a sequel -- who discovered time travel, locked it in a box, only to give the Key to an old man?
TIMEQUEST is published by Legend Entertainment and is distributed by Microprose Software, Inc.
