KIDNAPPING OF PICARD

Level by Franky

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth, with the help of Doggett TV's video walk

After the stage has been set with an opening FMV, you play as Captain Picard and begin by finding yourself in a Borg prison cell. Stand in front of the commode, use it if necessary, turn around in place and jump straight up to activate the jump switch to lower a block in the NW corner. This frees up some space so you can pull the console away from the door and reveal a crawl space.

Crawl until you can stand up, pull up left into a higher crawl space and drop down at the end. An on-screen hint makes you realize sheepishly that you've missed something, so pull back up into the crawl space and go N into the darkness until you stumble across the PISTOLS. Return, drop down and draw those pistols as you walk N and turn left at the corner to encounter your first Borg. Pick up the revolver ammo he dropped and open the nearby S door.

Enter the Regeneration Room to stir up a nest of Borg. You can't possibly defeat them all from down here, so sprint to the left back corner of the room, turn around to face N and jump up into the gravity well to grab and pull up onto one of two upper walkways. You're safe here from the withering gunfire, so run to the N end, go up the steps, note the on-screen hint and pull up even higher. Run to the S end of the room, where you'll find two pushblocks in the corners.

Pull the SW block two times and get into the revealed alcove for the FUSES (although it looks like just one fuse to me). Do the same with the SE block and hop over it for SECRET #1. Return to the N end, hop over the hole and continue around the corner to see that a Borg has materialized on the marked tile next to the pushblock. Shoot him for more revolver ammo and get back to the N floor hole. Hop down to the lower walkway and go along the W side to a marked floor tile. Shoot the vacant transporter there and pick up the LASER SIGHT, the REVOLVER and revolver ammo. You can't target the Borg waiting down below because of the protective railing, so go the long way around (retracing my steps didn't work for me) to the steps so you can get up higher.

Combine the revolver and lasersight and pick off the Borg one at a time as they show themselves. There are six of them, each one can be killed with three revolver rounds, you start with 24 rounds, so do the math and guide yourself accordingly. When all is quiet, get down to the ground floor and pick up the large medipack, 2 x revolver ammo and the PORTABLE DATA left behind by the Borg. Examine the latter to see the number code 3917. Go to the keypad in the S wall and punch in the code to open the door. Over the first tile (marked) in the passage is a ladder. Climb to an upper passage, turn around to see the jump switch, activate it to open the door at the end of the upper passage and climb back up. Run forward into the Ionic Engine Room to deal with six more Borg. They leave behind 3 x revolver ammo and 2 x large medipack, which means one of them was stingy and provided nothing.

In this large room, where everything looks pretty much the same, go to the engine nearest the SW corner and see that it has a color different from the others. It's actually a huge pushpiece, so push it E to reveal SECRET #2. Now go all the way over to the SE corner, where the console next to the marked tile is a disguised pushpiece. Pull it onto the marked tile, go around and pull it several times N onto a similar marked tile, climb the blocks to an E alcove and enter. Save your game before picking up another FUSES. Make sure your inventory now reflects 2 x Fuses, as it didn't for me on my first try.

Exit this room N, get down to the lower floor and go to the end of the S passage to find a ladder hole. Climb down, and the door at the end of the passage opens upon your approach. Shoot the waiting Borg ahead and take his revolver ammo, return to the doorway and shoot a second Borg E who also drops revolver ammo. Go back to where you shot the first Borg, time your way past the flame blower in the corner and shoot another Borg (who drops nothing).

You're in a maze of sorts, so continue E past the next flame blower, turn left at the corner past another flame blower to encounter a Borg, and try to make sure he doesn't die over the flames, which would make it more difficult for you to acquire his revolver ammo. Turn left into the W passage and follow around to find another Borg with revolver ammo. Enter the side passage he was guarding (timing the flame blower, of course) and crawl W to find a third FUSES (and make sure this is reflected in your inventory) and a button that opens a door somewhere. Make your way clockwise around the outer perimeter until you're headed E and see the opened door ahead.

Go on through and climb down the ladder at the end of the passage. The S door ahead opens as you approach, allowing access to a control room where the working Borg (and even the guards) are too busy to pay you any attention. Pull up onto the block to your right at the entrance and push the higher block down to the floor to reveal SECRET #3. Hop to the floor and move the block as far S as you can (until a ramp prevents your further progress). Climb the block and take a running jump SW into an alcove with a tightrope. First, pull down the wall switch to open the exit door, then get on the tightrope and make your way over to the opening on the E side of the room. Around the corner you'll find the fourth FUSES.

Drop to the floor and exit this room S. Follow the passage to a room with those horizontal thumpers you've been hearing for the past few minutes. Jump back and forth between the slopes separated by a trench containing deadly water, using the appropriate arrow key to bring you closer to the thumpers. Jump to land on a safe ledge beyond the slopes, climb onto the bridge and time your way past the thumpers (there are five sets) until you reach the plinth with a fifth FUSES. The door ahead opens, so go on through and follow to a hole with a gravity well.

Simply run off the edge and pick up the flares when you reach the bottom. Face the W wall and jump up into the gravity field. Grab the crawl space and pull inside. Follow to SECRET #4, drop back down, face the E wall and jump up to grab another, but lower crawl space. Enter and follow around to find what looks like SOLAR ENERGY but shows up as LOAD in your inventory. Drop down once more and find a wall switch at the end of the passage that opens the door to an apparent dead end. However, as you step forward a series of vertical thumpers is activated. Thankfully, they're slower than the horizontal ones were, so make your way past them while keeping in mind that their slightest touch is fatal.

The door ahead opens automatically. Place the Solar Energy on the corner plinth to open the next door, continue E to another automatic door and enter the Anti Matter Production Engines Room. Shoot at one of the eight guards posted on elevated stations E and W to wake them all up, then pick them off one at a time. When all are dead, go to the perch nearest the NE corner, as it's low enough for you to climb up for the STAR KEY. There's a mushroom-shaped structure not far from the S wall that you can shoot to reveal a second STAR KEY. The other similar structure near the N wall is as sturdy as a rock.

Use the Star Keys to open the E door and run off the edge onto a working elevator (it should be on its way up as you enter). Face the E wall with the up arrow key pressed so that when you reach the bottom you'll run off the elevator into a lower passage. Follow to a botanical garden where the guards appear to be asleep on their feet. Too much pixie dust in the air, perhaps. You may as well wake up all three by firing at one of them, as they leave behind 3 x revolver ammo when they die. The water here is not deadly, so dive into the NW quadrant and swim down the hole in the SW corner for SECRET #5.

Pull out onto a ledge and go to the N wall where you can hear dogs barking. Pull the contraption away from the opening, enter and push the button at the end of the passage. Be prepared to deal with -- not the dogs you hear, but assorted alien monsters, one of which bears a strong resemblance to a giant scorpion. It carries the UNIVERSAL KEY, which it leaves behind when it dies. When you pick it up you're attacked by another little monster that looks like a cross between a peacock and a baby dinosaur. Don't run into the crystal formations as you dart to and fro, as they will explode and kill you. As you explore the room for any other possible pickups, two giant bugs are aroused. 

Return to the S entrance, face N one block away from the entrance, jump up into the gravity well and grab on your way up to pull into the Genetic Laboratory. You can now see the source of all that barking, but fortunately the alien dogs are in a cell beyond a force field, so they can't get at you. Same goes for the monsters in the other cells. The two posted guards at the rear of the room are less than competent, so you should have no trouble disposing of them. Pull down the E wall switch to release three hairy snakes. Enter their cell, dispose of a fourth ineffectual snake and look around to find the LASER KEY dropped by one of the snakes. If it was one of those that made it into the hallway, you may need to light a flare.

Use the Laser Key in the NE keyhole to open the unoccupied cell next to it. Inside on the plinth is the ZODIAC KEY. You hear the secret sound as you approach the plinth, so shoot it for SECRET #6. The NW cell has nothing of interest inside, so return to the gravity well, bid farewell to the other caged critters and drop down to the previous room. Run forward to the N wall and use the Universal and Zodiac Keys to open the door. Follow the passage to a green-tinted room where you can place your five Fuses to open the next door.

When you step into the passage you will note that your weapons have disappeared from your inventory. Pick up the PISTOLS and push the button to open the door leading to the Hall of the Borg Queen. Step inside to alert a harpy, but if you go too far a flameblower guy will materialize behind you. Wait for the harpy to approach, kill it from where you are and see that it has dropped something. Don't save your game from this point on, for if you do then whatever the harpy dropped will have vanished when you reload.

Don't approach the pickup, but instead turn right a bit past the entrance, hop up E and follow around left to a ledge where you'll be relatively safe from three flameblower guys who have appeared below. Shoot them from this vantage point, but don't step on the lighter-colored tile or you'll die. Also, their flames can reach you even from up here. When they are all dead (you may have to hop down and get closer to defeat the third one), go and pick up the BATTERY dropped by the harpy. Go up the W steps and place the Battery to activate a portal behind you in the E wall. Go there and step inside to finish the level.