Hybrid

HYBRID

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SPECIAL FEATURES



+ OVER 200 ROOM S

+ MULTIPLE ROBOT MERGE FACILITY

+ WEAPON SILOS, POWER PODS, TELEPORT CONSULES





THERE'S A SLIM CHANCE - BUT IT MIGHT JUST WORK!



A complex and deeply developed strategy game brought together to generate the battleground of the future.

HYBRID is a combination of superb graphics and original techniques to emulate those fevered imaginations

hitherto found only in nightmares. HYBRID challenges your ability to master this superior space adventure.

The superb detail and engrossing strategy is a feast for the imagination.





THE GAME



You have control of three highly developed battle droids. You must use them to their full strengths to destroy

the direct menace of the Aliens.



To complete your mission you will need to join the three Hybrids together to form one superior and deadly unit.

This can only be achieved in four cells which are to be found within the complex. When they are united they are

automatically teleported to the cell of an Alien.



Having successfully destroyed the Alien the three Hybrids are separately transported back to the complex. Once

more they must attempt to meet up and form together. Your mission is to achieve this four times and destroy

each Alien in turn. The Aliens become progressively harder to destroy as they each absorb the life energy of

a dying comrade.





THE CHARACTERS



Hybrid 1



The brain has weak armour, low fire-power rating, moderate movement and limited speed shot (only single shots

available) which make this Hybrid appear very weak. However, it has the ability (using the 'teleport' key) to

teleport itself and the other Hybrids anywhere on the same screen. It has access to certain teleporter

machines situated around the complex.



Hybrid 2 (3 X 3)



The robot is the largest and strongest of the 3 Hybrids. It has a high percentage of armour and high fire-power

rating. The robot is best employed knocking out structures thus clearing the route for the others. It also has

access to certain teleport machines around the complex.



Hybrid 3 (2 X 2)



The xylon has a medium percentage of armour and a moderate fire-power rating. The speed shot is quick and

multi-shots are available. Its greatest asset is its ability to switch on bridges. Again this Hybrid has

access to certain teleport machines placed around the complex.





THE COMPLEX



Hazards



Guns, cannons, sureshot, beacons, mines, electro wire, electro streams plus many loathesome aliens of various

ability.



Status



Power: each Hybrid has 5 cartridges of energy. Loss of control occurs when a Hybrid's energy bank is empty. As

fire power rating is reduced, partial loss of control will result. The battle is lost when all 3 Hybrids have

empty energy banks.



Energy: this is needed to move and is scattered around the complex (denoted by the letter E). Energy can be

picked up and used immediately. The Hybrids can exchange energy by standing one on top of the other, the

player should then press the Energy key. Energy is lost by being hit by alien droids or by bumping into walls.



Armour: this is needed for protection and can be picked up. (Again armour is scattered around the complex and

denoted by the letter A). The percentage will increase by a set amount.



Fire-power: this dictates how strong the weapons are. The fire-power * can be increased by picking up fire

power units scattered around the complex (denoted by the letter F). No. 1 is the weakest and No. 5 is the

strongest. Each Hybrid has its maximum and minimum fire power rating.



Streams: these are streams of electric current through which the Hybrids cannot pass. However, within the

complex there are bridges to help you cross these streams. You activate these by using the switch.



Switches: to activate a bridge the xylon picks up a flashing cube and takes it to receptor cube also flashing

and marked by a cross.



Keys: all keys are definable.



NB: The Hybrids must work together, as certain operations can only be done by specific characters. One

character alone cannot complete the game.



To Load: See label.





THE STORY



Long before the State had come into existence, the Earth was ruled as a single empire. The last Emperor was

Jaled IV and under his dominion the Earth flourished as never before. It was a Golden age, a time when

prosperity ripened in every town and in every country. The powers of technology that had long threatened to

destroy mankind were at last harnessed and the forces of destruction were turned towards man's benefit.

Science truly became an art and the levels of technological achievement were higher than they had ever been

before or would in the future. It was after Jaled died that the decline began. He had left no successor and

rival factions warred for control of the Earth. For a millenium chaos and anarchy reigned and the period

became known as the Dark Years. Much of scientific knowledge was lost during this time, and the achievements

of the golden age became almost as legend.



It was during the last years of Jaled's reign, however, that the aliens came to Earth. Where they had

originally come from nobody knew, they had powers beyond belief, mental abilities that defied analysis and

physical strength that was beyond imagination. It had taken the total might of the old Empire to contain their

menace; they had seemed indestructible. They wreaked a swathe of destruction across the Earth before the

scientists had finally overcome them. They hadn't exterminated the aliens, they weren't capable then, but they

had managed to hold them in stasis, in a galactic gaol that was impregnable and escape-proof. The Empire had

finally subdued them by blanketing their mind-control abilities, how this was achieved nobody was sure, it was

knowledge lost through the years of anarchy.



All this Prator Jonson knew. He was commander-in-chief of the State Security and he was a very worried man. He

looked across his aluminium desk, an antique from Empire days, and stared deeply into the Venusian's eyes. He

wasn't lying, he could tell that, after all it was his job. Jonson had had enough experience in dealing with

Venusians not to doubt their strange abilities. They were humans, descended from the original colony, but over

the years they had developed strange talents. Maybe it had something to do with the atmosphere or being closer

to the sun, Jonson didn't know, but he did know that their uncanny sixth sense had helped him often in the

past. He snapped out of his thoughts as the old man started speaking again.



"And I am not the only one, our whole synod has felt this unholiness, there is a great evil that is growing in

strength and its malevolance is focused on mankind. We have never felt such a s disturbance before, the

creatures from which this surge is coming are like nothing we have ever encountered before. It is almost as if

they were made of pure energy and pure hate. And they are growing I stronger by the day. You have little time

Commander, I warn you, I those chains that hold this evil in bondage are crumbling. They must be destroyed,

you must not allow them to escape!"



The Venusian's words echoed Jonson's own thoughts, these creatures must be destroyed within the gaol. He could

not allow them to escape, the Earth had to be protected at all costs.



"Don't worry Saldor," he said to the Venusian more confidently than he felt, "this time we're going to get the

job done properly."



Ancient technology had been able to control the alien minds but had not been capable of exterminating them.

Jonson hoped that modern technology was now capable of it. Science had developed along a different path and

although they had not become as advanced as their predecessors they had managed to produce machines of far

greater destructive capability. The commander was convinced that they now had the firepower to terminate the

menace once and for all.



It wasn't going to be easy though, to get to the aliens in the first place they would have to get through the

defences that the old Empire had built into the gaol. These were designed not to keep the aliens in, but to

keep any rescue party out. The defences were considered to be impregnable at the time of construction, they

were intended to hold the aliens in captivity throughout eternity. The Empire hadn't foreseen that the aliens

would slowly grow in their mind power. So that one day they would be able to throw off their cerebal shackles

and seek revenge on their gaolers.



Prator Jonson was putting his faith, and the fate of the Earth in the hands of his team of Hybrids. The Hybrids

were a top secret project that was known to only five people within the state. There were three of them, half

droid, half organic and totally deadly. Their independent intelligence units were totally organic, these were

meshed in a revolutionary electro-synergetic mind held with their metal bodies. More than twenty years of work

had gone into the three prototypes that they now had. Jonson had not had the opportunity as yet to test their

capabilities in the field, he was almost glad of the crisis. It was going to be a baptism for them, a baptism

of fire. There were three of them, each with his unique abilities. There had been military droids in the past

of course, banned in the old Empire they had been used to devastating effect during the myriad wars of the Dark

Years. But none of them could compare to the Hybrids, the State technology had even surpassed Empire standards

of excellence. What made them particularly special was there ability to merge together to form a single

fighting unit - The Hybrid. A fighting unit with more firepower, more armour and more speed than an Imperial

battle cruiser. The first unit had the ability to teleport, not just himself but the other two units as well.

The second was strong, incredibly strong, he had more firepower and protection them any single military unit

in the history of earth. He had to be powerful, after all, conventional fision weapons had not been capable of

destroying the aliens in the past. The third unit, although low in firepower and armour, was incredibly fast

and super intelligent. He had the computing power of the State security computer and was in constant and

direct link with it. Through him Jonson could control and co-ordinate the operations of all three of them.



He thanked the old Venusian and shut the door firmly behind him. Walking back to his desk he flicked a single

switch.



"Randall," he said softly, "its a Red."



"A genuine Red."



"The real thing, cancel that field test, we've got a proper job for them." He flicked the switch back up and

lit a thin, black cigar. He watched the smoke curl lazily across the office and a glint came into his eye,

after all these were his babies, they'd get the job done.







JOHN BIGELOW



© Starlight Software, © 1987 Ariolasoft UK Ltd.



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