Key & Compass presents:
The Orion Agenda
by Ryan Weisenberger

• Maps
  • Map 1: Station One and Village Approach
  • Map 2: The Village
  • Map 3: South of Village and Outpost 132
• Walkthrough
• Extras
  • Characters, Credits, Endings, Inventory
• Thank You to my Patreon supporters
• External links:
  • This game at IFDB, IFWiki, and ifwizz.
  • Tweet about this walkthrough on Twitter.

Maps

Map 1: Station One and Village Approach

Notes:

• To enter the shuttle, you must enter shuttle or enter ship, but leaving is as simple as e or out.
• "Low-G Gym" is renamed to "War Rally" on your return to the station.

Map 2: The Village

Map 3: South of Village and Outpost 132

Walkthrough

Bottom of a Hole

> verbose.

> x me. x jumper. i. x mud.

> think.

Central Control

> x monitors. (You are summoned to the General's office.)

> d. n. n.

Hallway

General informs you that we've lost contact with Monitor Outpost 132. You and Lt. Rebecca Crusoe will take a shuttle down to the outpost, investigate, and report back here. He hands you a requisitions form and leaves. He is never seen again.

> i. x form. (It's unsigned.)

> x Rebecca. (She carries a pack.)

> show form to Rebecca.

She says we'll need to find a ranking officer to sign it. And by "we", she means you, because she'll soon tell you she's going to wait in her room.

> e.

Colonel Calvert's Office

> x Calvert. give form to Calvert. ("put it on the pile")

> x papers. x stains.

> ask Calvert about coffee. ("make sure it's hot")

> w. s. e. e.

Low-G Gym

There's nothing and nobody here right now, but I wanted you to see that this location is used for large meetings.

> w.

Cafeteria

> x dispenser. read sign.

> dispenser, hot coffee. (You now have some.)

> w. n. e.

Colonel Calvert's Office

> give coffee to Calvert. ("I owe you one")

> give form to Calvert. (He signs it.)

> w. w.

Requisitions Office

> x kiosk. read sign. put form in kiosk.

> take case. x it. open it.

> x card. x scanner. x tracking. (finds Rebecca.)

> x disguise. x translator. (earpiece with knob)

> x knob. (four settings: Off, Bejourn, Orion, and Altairi.)

> x manual.

The manual is a series of menus. Read all of them. When you're done, head for your room:

> e. s. s. s.

My Room

Ignore your generic furnishings and just use the terminal to look up topics.

> x terminal.

> consult InfoNet about Rebecca.

> consult InfoNet about McEllis. (uh-oh)

> consult InfoNet about Altairi.

> consult InfoNet about Orion 3.

> consult InfoNet about outpost.

> consult InfoNet about me.

> consult InfoNet about Calvert.

> consult InfoNet about Centauri 8.

> consult InfoNet about Bejourn.

> consult InfoNet about League.

> consult InfoNet about SciCorps. (est. by Luke Anthony)

> consult InfoNet about Luke Anthony. (very reclusive)

> consult InfoNet about station.

> consult InfoNet about InfoNet.

Let's go get Rebecca:

> n. se.

Rebecca Crusoe's Room

> ask Rebecca about herself.

> ask Rebecca about Altairi. tell Rebecca about McEllis.

> ask Rebecca about outpost.

> show case to Rebecca. (She'll follow.)

> nw. n. w.

Space Dock

> x arm. x shuttle. x doors.

> enter shuttle.

Inside of the Shuttle

> x seat. sit on seat. x screen. x panel.

> take card. put card in slot.

The shuttle takes you to a clearing north of the output, activates its cloak, and opens the hatch.

> stand.

> wear disguise.

> turn knob to Orion. wear translator.

> e. se.

Field

CAUTION: If you're not wearing the disguise past this location, you'll be killed.

> x village.

> s.

You're surprised by a hunting party who tell you a war is imminent. You're taken to their village for your safety and they leave you in a guest house.

Rebecca tells you to find a way over the village wall and she'll do the same.

Guest House

> e.

Street, West of Square

> x house. x street. x square. x fountain.

> e.

Village Square

> x fountain. x statue. (serpent)

> x coin. x glyph. take coin.

> x cannon. (barrel is empty)

Go find Rebecca, then:

> show coin to Rebecca.

She tells you the coin's glyphs mean Good and Evil. Return here and continue:

> s.

Street, South of Square

> x house. s.

Dilapidated House

> x man. ask man about himself. (He's Rzyar.)

> x window. x poles. (meter long each)

> x table. (stones: square, round, pointed, shiny)

> x square stone. (It has a glyph on it.)

> ask man about stones.

He says you must prove you have the values of each stone. When all the stones are gone, he'll help you.

Go fetch Rebecca, then:

> ask Rebecca about stones.

> ask man about compassion. (Show you care about his people.)

> ask man about truth. (Just stop lying to him.)

> ask man about knowledge. (Show what's wrong around here.)

> ask man about skill. (Points at poles; just beat him at his game.)

> ask man about poles. (Pick them up and we play a game.)

> take poles. ("play a game of skill?")

>> yes (You must balance your pole on your head longer than he does.)

Note that you must actively balance the pole; don't just type "z" or "wait".

> balance pole. g. g. g. g. g. (It falls; you lost.)

> n. n. n.

Street, North of Square

You're not getting out this way.

> x gate. x guards. e. e.

Clinic

> x girl. x doctor. ask doctor about girl.

> ask doctor about himself. x beds. x window.

> scan girl. (You learn what's wrong, for example: a vitamin A deficiency)

> w. s. s. s.

Shop

> x shopkeeper. ask shopkeeper about herself.

> x food. x stalks. x mush. x roots. x cubes.

> x jars. x counter.

> scan stalks. scan mush. scan roots. scan cubes.

Buy the food that will most help the sick girl. For example, if the girl has a vitamin A deficiency, buy the food that's high in vitamin A.

> buy BEST-FOOD. ("Are you sure?")

>> yes

You buy the item with the coin.

> n. n. n. e.

Clinic

Go fetch Rebecca again, then:

> Rebecca, distract doctor.

> give BEST-FOOD to girl.

The girl won't be cured instantly; you'll want to come back later.

> w. s. e.

Temple

> x priest. (He asks if you want to hear the sermon.)

>> yes

> ask priest about war. ("Speak no more of this")

> ask priest about Grahtur. (Read his passage in the Book.)

> x frescoes. x glass. x altar. x cloths.

> x stand. x prayer cards. ask priest about cards.

> take cards.

> x war card. (Xzxxe looks human and wears a SciCorps uniform?)

> x peace card. x harvest card. x disease card.

> x fertility card. x death card.

> s.

Garden

This is just a pleasant location to enjoy.

> x flower. x vines. x creature. x bushes. x wall.

> w. w. w. w.

Meeting Hall

> x litter. x map. x glyph. (raised)

Fetch Rebecca.

> ask Rebecca about glyph. ("Gate of God")

> push glyph. (southwest passage opened)

> sw.

Secret Armory

If you do things right, you only need one stick of explosive.

> x stick. take it. ne.

Meeting Hall

> push glyph. (The passage closes.)

> e. ne.

Village Square

> put stick in cannon.

> ne. e.

Clinic

The girl, Hreaw, is getting better. She gives you a bracelet and whispers "Thank you."

> x bracelet.

> w. w. w. w.

Recreation Center

> x ladder. x equipment. x lines.

> take ladder.

> e. se. s. s.

Dilapidated House

> put ladder under window.

> show bracelet to man. (Compassion stone fades away.)

> show war card to man. (Knowledge stone fades away.)

> ask man about McEllis. (You're smarter than Rzyar thought.)

Fetch Rebecca.

> Rebecca, light cannon. (She agrees to.)

> take poles.

>> yes

> balance pole. g.

The explosion startles Rzyar and he drops his pole. Skill stone fades away.

> z. z. (Rebecca returns.)

> remove disguise. (Truth stone fades. You re-don your disguise.)

With the table clear of stones, Rzyar unlocks the window.

> climb ladder. open window.

> s. (Rzyar tosses a strange cube to you as you go.)

Outside Village Wall

Rebecca follows you out. The way forward is quite clear.

> sw.

Dense Forest

> x cube. x markings.

> show cube to Rebecca. (Each side has an Orionion god's name.)

> s. e.

Canyon

Rebecca pushes the wall, opening it.

> e.

Spiral Stairwell

You can't close the entrance, so don't worry about that.

> remove disguise. (Rebecca does likewise.)

> u.

Observation Room

> x window. x telescopes. s.

Planning Room

> x maps. x table.

> e. open door. (locked)

> s.

Narrow Hallway

> s.

Databank

> x screen. (no problems reported)

> x equipment. ask Rebecca about screen.

> n.

Narrow Hallway

> n.

In the planning room, you discover Daryl McEllis and several people, both human and Orionion, in SciCorps uniforms. Rebecca hands an envelope of access codes to Daryl. They plan to invade Station One in a war against SciCorps. Will you join them?

>> no

Daryl's men remove your inventory, then toss the cube and you into the pit we saw in the beginning of the game.

Bottom of a Hole

> search mud. (You find the cube and clean it off.)

> x cube. x markings.

After you read all six names, the cube whines, glows, and heats up briefly. Then a rope end drops into the pit.

> climb rope.

Calvert and Rzyar have rescued you, homing in on your cube. You learn McEllis has taken over Station One. You sneak back in via a maintenance airlock.

Airlock

> n.

Maintenance Bay

> x droid. e.

Laundry Room

> x uniforms. search uniforms. g. g. g.

General is the highest rank available, so wear that uniform.

> wear General's. w.

Maintenance Bay

You must wear a General's uniform here. The droid politely refuses orders from all lesser ranks.

> open hatch. (doesn't budge)

> droid, open hatch. ("Right away, General Stark.")

> n. n.

Central Control

The room is empty of people and on automatic.

> d. n. n.

The General's Office

You finally find the book that the priest mentioned. It's your final clue on how to resolve this.

> x fabrics. x desk. x bible. x comment.

> s. s. e. e.

War Rally

CAUTION: If you say the wrong name to the wrong people or do anything else, you will die.

> say Xzxxe to Daryl.

> say Fregda to people.

The Orionians rebel! They attack the SciCorps people and then — hull breach! Everyone runs to the shuttles. Daryl and Rebecca escape in a private shuttle; you and others escape in another.

Hours later, on Orion 3, you talk with Calvert about the future.

*** The End ***

Extras

Characters

SciCorps:

• The General gives you your first field assignment.
• Lt. Rebecca Crusoe is your partner in your mission.
• Col. Taylor Calvert is a great field agent who was promoted to endless paperwork.
• Unnamed SciCorps officers and the station janitor are going about their business in Station One.
• Daryl McEllis is the base commander of Outpost 132 but is secretly planning a massive rebellion against SciCorps.
• Unnamed SciCorps officers defected to McEllis.
• A RT-143 repair droid is waiting for orders in the maintenance bay.

Orionians:

• A hunting party encounters you in the field. Their leader orders Qweso and Ptrey to escort you and Rebecca back to their village.
• Rzyar is an old man living in the dilapidated house. He seems to know a lot more than he should.
• Jerewa is a shopkeeper. She owns the shop.
• Doctor Gesfsan is in charge of the clinic.
• Hreaw is a very sick girl in the clinic.
• A priest is praying in his temple.
• Unnamed guards guard the main gate of the village.
• Unnamed Orionians have joined McEllis's cause.

The Orionian gods:

• Xzxxe is the god of war.
• Fregda is the god of peace, who made the sun, moon, and sky.
• Jsra is the god of harvest, who made the fields, forests, and streams.
• Vreta is the god of disease.
• Yeirre is the god of fertility, who made the creatures, men, and women.
• Phirra is the god of death.
• Good and Evil created Orion and the six gods.

Mentioned:

• Luke Anthony established SciCorps, but little is known about him since he's very reclusive.
• Grahtur the Lightbringer was an Orionian prophet.

Credits

Part of the response to ABOUT:

The Orion Agenda
by Ryan Weisenberger (email redacted) Copyright 2004
Release 9 / Serial number 040930 / Inform v6.30 Library 6/11
ORLibrary release 1.3C (2004.06.08)

Standard interpreter 1.1 (4F) / Library serial number 040227

CREDITS:

Written, Designed, and Implemented by Ryan Weisenberger

Third party Inform modules:

• ORLibrary - Jim Fisher
• OutofRch - Marnie Parker
• Scenic - Richard Barnett, Joe Mason, Roger Firth, Stefano Gaburri
• ExpertGrammar - Emily Short
• Info - Jesse Burneko
• CheckOut - Roger Firth
• Utility, DoMenu, AltMenu, Hints - L. Ross Raszewski

Beta-Testers:

• Diane Weisenberger
• Jeff Hibser
• Alexandre Owen Muniz
• Jacek Lenkiewicz
• Mark Wickham

I'd also like to thank my wife for putting up with not having a husband during the several weeks that I was writing this game, and thanks to all the beta-testers, who without their excellent feedback, this game would not be what it is.

Endings

• I have died
• if the hunting party sees you out of disguise,
• if you agree to join McEllis's cause and betray SciCorps, or
• if you fail to follow Grahtur's advice at the War Rally.
• The End
• if you correctly follow Grahtur's advice at the War Rally.

Inventory

You have an inventory limit of five items, but during normal play, you'll never notice the limit.

• a requisition form. The General gives it to you when you report to his office. Unfortunately, it's unsigned. In Colonel Calvert's office, give Calvert some hot coffee first and then the unsigned form; he will sign it. Take the signed form to the requisitions office and put the form in the kiosk. An equipment case will be deposited on the floor in exchange.
• some hot coffee. Acquire it from the cafeteria's dispenser with the command: dispenser, hot coffee. Take it to Calvert's office and give it to Calvert. He will now be willing to sign your unsigned requisition form when you give it to him.
• Note: The dispenser can dispense many other drinks including Nebula beer, Ursal brandy, apple juice, cranberry juice, orange juice, fresh lemonade, dry martini, nonfat milk, lowfat milk, whole milk, cherry soda, vanilla soda, regular soda, earl grey tea, herbal tea, no tea, Sol vodka, distilled water, red wine, and white wine. Feel free to drink any of them.
• an equipment case. In the requisitions office, put the signed requisition form in the kiosk. An equipment case will be deposited on the floor in exhange. Open the case. It contains six useful items. When you're ready to take the shuttle down to the planet, go to Rebecca's room and show the case to her. She will now follow you into the shuttle.
• a field manual. It's in the equipment case. Read it and all its sections in the menus. There's a lot of useful information and advice.
• an autonav card. It's in the equipment case. When you and Rebecca are in the shuttle, sit down on a seat, take the card, and put it in the slot of the control panel. The shuttle will automatically drive itself from Station One and to a clearing near Outpost 132.
• a medscanner. It's in the equipment case. You can scan people and food items with it. In the clinic, ask Rebecca to distract the doctor then scan the sick girl to find out what's wrong with her. Now go to the shop, scan all four food items that are on sale to find out which food provides the nutrients that the girl is lacking. Using the coin, buy the appropriate food.
• a tracking device. It's in the equipment case. With it, you can track Rebecca to find out where she is when you need to find her.
• a native disguise. It's in the equipment case. Soon after your shuttle lands on the planet, wear the disguise. It's best to do this while still in the shuttle. Much later, in the dilapidated hut, remove the disguise briefly in front of the old man, Rzyar, to demonstrate Truth to him. The Truth stone will fade away. Even later, when you reach the outpost, remove the disguise.
• an electronic translator. It's in the equipment case. Soon after your shuttle lands on the planet, set its knob to Orion and wear the translator; it's an earpiece. You will never need the other settings. The translator lets you speak and hear in Orion, but doesn't help you with written glyphs. Any time you want a glyph translated, you'll need to bring Rebecca to the glyph's location and ask her about the glyph.
• a coin. It's in the village square's fountain. If you ask Rebecca about the coin's glyphs, she'll tell you that one side means 'Good' and the other side means 'Evil'. In the shop, use the coin to buy the food that will best help the sick girl; see medscanner and food.
• four types of food: some brown stalks, some blue mush, some yellow roots, and some green cubes. These four foods are all for sale in the village shop. Scan each with your medscanner to learn their nutritional properties. After scanning the sick girl in the clinic, buy the one food that has the best chance of helping her. You'll need the coin to make any purchase and there's no exchanges. Ask Rebecca to distract the doctor, then give the food to the sick girl.
• a stick of explosive. Take a stick from the barrel in the secret armory and put it in the cannon in the village square. Find and bring Rebecca to the dilapidated house, then ask her to light the stick. Immediately, take the poles and play the old man's game of balancing a pole on top of your head. The boom from the cannon will startle the old man and he'll drop his pole, conceed the game, and get rid of the Skill stone.
• a delicate bracelet. You can get this from the sick girl in the clinic several turns after giving her the food that heals her. Show this bracelet to Rzyar and he'll get rid of the Compassion stone.
• a set of prayer cards (which contains a war card, a peace card, a harvest card, a disease card, a fertility card, and a death card). Examine them all. Show the war card to Rzyar to get rid of the Knowledge stone. (By the way, if you show the war card to Rebecca, she claims it's a strange coincidence which frankly isn't very convincing and is an early clue that she's in on whatever plot McEnnis is up to.)
• a wooden ladder. It's in the recreation center. Bring it into the dllapidated house and lean it under the window. After Rzyak has got rid of all four stones and unlocked the window, climb the ladder, open the window, and go south to escape the village.
• a pair of poles. They're in the dilapidated house. Take them and say yes to start a game with Rzyar, where you both balance a pole on your side and whoever can balance their pole longest, wins. You will need to cheat a little to win. First, put a stick of explosive in the village square's cannon. Second, bring Rebecca to the dilapidated house and ask her to light the stick. Third, while she's on her way, immediately take the poles and start the game. Balance pole repeatedly until you hear the explosion. The sound will startle Rzyar enough to drop his pole, lose the game, and make the Skill stone fade away.
• a cube. Rzyar gives this to you just as you leave the village. Show the cube to Rebecca to learn that the six gods are represented on the cube's six faces.
• a Private's uniform, a Lieutenant's uniform, a Sergeant's uniform, and a General's uniform. Find these one at a time by searching the uniforms in the laundry room. Wear the General's uniform over your jumper; you can drop the others. While wearing a high-ranking uniform, you can now order the droid to open the hatch.

Honorable mention:

• a jumper. You're wearing it, but it is not listed in your inventory. You may not remove it ever, even in your room or when you wear another uniform.

Thank You to my Patreon supporters

This walkthrough was funded via Patreon with

• the support of Robin Johnson, Ville Lavonius, Andrew Schultz, Kenneth Hon, Jason McIntosh, Carl Muckenhoupt, Mark Musante, and Phil Tatro;
• the generous support of Janice M Eisen and Matthew Foxley;
• the very generous support of Karl Ove Hufthammer;
• the extremely generous support of Emily Short, Allen Garvin, Jesse McGrew, Jacqueline Ashwell, Marius Müller, and Jennifer Rexrode;
• and the invisible support of several anonymous patrons.