Scorpion's Tale

Trinity: As told by Scorpia

Scorpia

WARNING! This article contains spoilers. Avert your eyes!

Ah, I see you made it back from the depths of space, after all! But I must say that you look a little worn out, and a trifle green around the gills. Passing the Kobayashi test was a bit more than you bargained for, eh? No matter, just sit right down in your usual chair by the fire and listen to this: For you (and I wouldn't do this for just ANYONE, y'know!), I've arranged a little get-away-from-it-all trip. Yes, a very nice $599, all-expenses-paid, package tour of London, complete with some VERY interesting side excursions (let's hope no one asks why it's so cheap...it's only one-way, but we won't mention that little detail, hehehe).

Trinity, from Infocom, starts in London but takes you elsewhere pretty quickly. Although labeled 'Standard level', be aware that it does contain a few very tricky puzzles, and you're apt to be fooled by the ease with which you'll whip through the opening segment. Keep the following in mind: read the comic book carefully; it contains some valuable clues. Read the prose with attention, and remember that some objects you can pick up are not necessarily evident at first glance. Mapping is pretty straightforward, but do it with care. I must also point out that this is not a game for the squeamish. In order to complete Trinity, you will have to perform some unpleasant actions. Although it does contain some humor, this is overall a serious game, not a light-hearted one.

Ok, so here you are in London, on the last day of your tour. Maybe the last day of your life, too, since in a little while a nuclear device is going to blow the place away. Unless, of course, you find a way to safety before that happens. London is small, and almost everything you find here is important. In case you make a mistake (the game does take awhile to load), you might want to have a first save position right after bootup, as a time-saver in case you make an error before leaving the city.

Wander around, and see what you can find. Don't be in any hurry to feed the birds, but you might want to examine that bag of crumbs a little further. An abandoned pram, a soccer ball, a gnomon, a graceful paper bird, an umbrella; all have their little part to play in getting you to your date with destiny. Just remember not to leave anything behind if you can possible help it.

Once you pass through the door over Long Water, the game proper begins. Take your time here, and map out the area thoroughly. Do not go walking into dark places without a light source; you may not come out again. Once you have the whole place mapped out, you can begin putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

Several of the problems here are really simple; for instance, if it takes you more than two moves to dispose of the giant bee, shame on you! And getting across the Chasm's Brink is so obvious, it almost hurts. In the barrow, the way out is right at hand, all you need do is look for it. At the cottage, keep your ears open and search everywhere.

The crater, however, is a bit more devious. You do need to cool off that piece of metal. A little fling in a walk-in freezer is helpful, although you will have to make a quick side-trip on your way back.

The sun dial at the top of the stairs is obviously an important place. However, it seems your gnomon doesn't quite fit in. Probably because it turns the wrong way (you DID notice that, didn't you?). Now, how can you reverse that, I wonder? You'll probably be going up and around in circles before you find the answer to this problem.

But, once that gnomon is in place, interesting things start to happen, such as the lever that just popped up. It wouldn't surprise me that there is a connection between the lever and the dial (look closely, now). There might even be a connection between the dial and those crazy toadstools you noticed during your mapping expeditions. Experiment a little, it isn't difficult.

Ah, now you're getting some ideas, eh? Well, don't go running off through any doors just yet. Some of them can have nasty surprises in store for you! A good move would be to check that little comic book again, and of course, you should, as always, be prepared to do some waiting (just don't fall asleep typing in all those z's!).

Now, those little toadstool doors take you to different places (and, we hope, back again), where you must do something or pick up important objects. For instance, there is a door that leads to an underground tunnel. Here you find a walkie-talkie and a cute little lizard, who manages to elude your grasp, however hard you try to catch him. But you're smart enough to outfox a simple skink, aren't you? Especially when you have two light sources at your disposal.

That was an easy one, and so is the desert island. Tiny place, with not much in the way of scenery, and nothing nearby but a small islet sporting a lone palm tree. Could you swim out there? Maybe not, with crabs biting your toes, and that ominous fin cutting the surface. But hey, it's not really as bad as it looks! Remember, you have fingers; just don't wait too long.

Returning from the beauties of the South Pacific, you go from one extreme to the other when you now find yourself out somewhere on the Siberian tundra. Cold, isn't it? And what are all those rodents doing, rushing past you in a mindless stampede? Maybe you should find out. Maybe you could even take one home with you, if only you had something to keep it in (it's just a bit too large for your pocket).

After you've warmed up again, you can visit the playground. Umm, oops, looks like the door isn't on solid ground this time, though: you're up in mid-air and falling fast, very fast indeed. You have only one move between you and raspberry jam, so think hard on what you can do to break your descent Ah, that opened up a new line of thought, I see (Julie Andrews would be proud of you).

OOOF! A rough landing, but at least you (and everything with you) is still in one piece. Looking around, you notice that there aren't many places to visit here. Just as well, since, for more reasons that one, you stand out like a sore thumb. A quick trip to the shelter nets you a spade, but little else. Wait, here comes a little girl, and she seems fascinated by a certain object. Considering where you are and what's about to happen, why not be generous? Of course, that isn't going to get you home again, but what the heck! And come to think of it, how WILL you get back to the door in the sky, some 1400 feet over your head? This is a tough one! But....maybe that girl can help you; did you check out the building carefully?

That was close, and the next one is not going to be a picnic, either. First, you don't want to go walking through the door into outer space with no protection; it does unpleasant things to your body. That means you'll need to surround yourself with some kind of protection. And you'll need to breathe, too. I didn't come across any spacesuits, and you won't, either. So you'll have to find something pretty big to hold you, don't you think? Too bad this isn't Sorcerer; you could just wave a magic wand and conjure up what you needed.

That's half of the problem. The other half is getting back to the door again, after you have finished your really unpleasant task (I did NOT like this part of the game, at all). The satellite that floats into view is the key, if only you could somehow get near it or attract its attention in some way.

Now you're about ready for the big time, namely crossing the River. 1'11 bet you tried before, and got kicked out of the boat, huh? Well, you must admit, you don't quite look like a corpse in those nifty vacation shorts of yours. Maybe it's time to do some grave-robbing (why not, it's your own grave, after all). Just make sure you bring something sturdy, and that you don't overlook anything.

However, before you go sailing across the River Styx, you might want to recall the sayings of the magpie (if you haven't already). You've got everything you need, and there's only one logical place to do it, so just get along and finish up this bit of business.

And off you go, to the far shore, and the final toadstool (you may wish to save the game before you make the journey). This is the most complicated part of Trinity, and careful study of the map provided will be of great help to you in figuring out where to go and how to get there quickly; time, as always, is limited. What you actually need to do here will become apparent only after you have progressed well into this mini-scenario.

So you're in the tower (right next to the world's very first A-bomb; aren't you excited?). Check out the vicinity, and don't leave until it's safe. At the bottom of the tower is a locked box, and you'll have to get the key to that a little later (NO, it's not the key from the barrow!). And look who's here: your old pal, the roadrunner, who presents you with the ruby. Do what needs to be done with it (put it where the sun don't shine, hohoho), and you're off.

mmm...off where? Good question, as there are so many interesting places to go. Let's start off with a jaunt towards point Able. Of course, you don't want to get too close to it, but that abandoned jeep is worth looking at. Especially the radio.

Now that you can keep on top of things, it's time to move along elsewhere. In fact, I'd say it's about time for a visit to old McDonald's place (not to be confused with a certain fast food franchise).

Most of the rooms are empty, but the kitchen may be of interest, as well as the Assembly Room. Err, well, there IS that rattlesnake, and he's a mean one. Better get out of his sight, fast! Still, that's only a temporary measure; the only way to get rid of him is, well, I'm afraid it's time for another unpleasant action on your part. Yours IS the more important life here.

A visit to the windmill is in order, but I wouldn't bring too much up there, if I were you. You're going to end up all wet, and that's no fun at all. But you do need those binoculars. A lighthearted swim, and they're all yours.

With the map as your guide, you can whiz over the desert for a quick stop at point Baker. Careful now, you don't want anyone to catch sight of you (especially not the way you're dressed now!). There isn't much to be seen, though; if only you could somehow get a closer look at things. And don't overlook your speedy friend, either.

Back at the tower, you unlock the mystery box, and find all sorts of equipment inside, including a breaker (this is another good place to save). Play with it, by all means, but think about what you're doing here, and listen carefully.

Sooner or later (probably sooner), you'll want to climb back up the tower. Unfortunately, the spotlight makes this somewhat difficult, and in fact will bring you (and many others) to a sorry end. Why not visit point Pittsburg and see what you can do about that light? Just don't wake up that German Shepherd! And the roadrunner can be of immense help here, if you can keep him temporarily occupied with something else while you go on to bigger and better things.

So at last the ultimate moment arrives. You stand next to the bomb, contemplating four wires, as the countdown to detonation rings in your ears. Choose the wrong wire, and it means disaster; choose the right one, and, well, you'll find out. Not exactly a happy ending, but it could have been worse, much worse.

Ah well, I see by the invisible clock on the wall that time is just about up for this issue. As always, if you need assistance with an adventure game, you can reach me in the following ways:

On GEnie: Visit the Games Roundtable (type: SCORPIA to get there). On Delphi: Come by the GameSIG (found under the Groups and Clubs menu). On the Source: Send SMAIL to ST1030.

Via U.S. Mail: send your questions with a self-addressed stamped envelope (no SASE, no reply; SASE not required for correspondents outside the US) to: Scorpia P.O. Box 338 Gracie Station New York, NY 10028

Special note to Canadian readers: letters from Canada are taking an average of a week or more to reach me these days, so please be patient; I do get replies off as quickly as I can.

See you all next issue!

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