In this James Bond-inspired game, you play as Arthur Blonde, MI5's least-talented agent. Nevertheless, you're given a mission: go to Zdratz, Dynobia, find the hidden Zodiac base where the villainous Dr. Dipole and his new super-weapon are lurking, and destroy it. Everyone else was busy, so it's your turn. Good luck, agent Blonde.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1 of the game.
SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of an interactive fiction game. Please make an honest effort to play the game before reading this walkthrough.
The tunnels can be mapped fully with the googles, but you only need the route indicated by the geiger counter.
Map 4: Zodiac base
Walkthrough
Conference Room
You have three turns to get your bearings.
> x me. x table. x screen.
Sir Alastair McGuffin, operations chief of MI5, explains your mission: go to Zdratz, Djynobia, and destroy Dr. Dipole's new super-weapon.
And now you're there.
Central Square
Check out your inventory and start looking around.
> i. x key. x pen.
> x fountain. x token. take it.
> x Poseidon. x fishes. x water. x tourists.
> n.
Porte Cochere
> x casino. x arch. x doorman. greet doorman.
> n.
Casino
> x tables. x machines. x smoke.
> e.
VIP Room
> x Alexei. x wheel. x table.
> x croupier. x rake. x chips.
> w. s.
Porte Cochere
> ask doorman about Alexei.(He blows up when he loses.)
> ask doorman about roulette.
> ask doorman about casino.
> ask doorman about Zodiac.
> s. e.
Car Park
> x Aspic. x Alfa. e.
Street (at manhole)
> x manhole. se.
Street (at phone booth)
> x booth. x opening. x Raoul.
> push button. put pen in opening. z. z.
A green mist erupts from the pen, and Raoul flees from the stench.
> z. z.(The gas dissipates, and the payphone rings.)
> in.
In The Phone Booth
> answer phone.
You hear one of several random statements like "My uncle smells of pickles". Remember this as SECRET-PHRASE.
> take pen. x phone.
> x slot. x return. x keypad. x handset. x cord.
> out. s.
Alley
> x door. x peephole.
> knock on door.
> say SECRET-PHRASE.
> take key. x it.("24")
> n. ne.
Outside Cinema
> x disco. x cinema. read marquee.
> s.
Theater Lobby
I note there's nowhere to buy tickets, and the command BUY isn't supported anyway.
> x chandeliers. x man. greet man.
> s —or— e.(He stops you, asking for your ticket.)
> n. n.
La Discotheque
> x speakers. x lights.
> turn on left.(The black lights are now on.)
> turn off left.
> turn on right. x ball.(lit and turning)
> turn off right.
> s. sw. nw. w. w. w.
Promenade
> x trees. read sign.
> nw.
Base
> x mt. x hills. x tunnel.
> x station. x turnstile. x booth. x woman.
> greet woman.
> put token in slot. n.
Lower Station
> x car. w.
Lower Station (in the railcar)
> z. z.(The car starts moving.)
Funicular (in the railcar)
> x forest. z.
Funicular Tunnel (in the railcar)
> e. e.
Elevator
> x panel. x slot. w.
Tunnel
> z.(repeat waiting until another car is passing)
> w.
Funicular (in the railcar)
> z. z.
Upper Station (in the railcar)
> e.
Upper Station
> x mop. take it.
> e.
Mountaintop
> hit Vlacz with mop.(He's gone.)
> take briefcase. x it.(has button)
> open it. x counter.
> take counter and token.
> x bench. x forests.
> w.
Upper Station
If necessary, wait until the car is here.
> w.
Upper Station (in the railcar)
> z. z.(The car starts to move)
Funicular (in the railcar)
> z. z.
Funicular Tunnel (in the railcar)
> z.
Funicular (in the railcar)
> z. z.
Lower Station (in the railcar)
> e. s. se. e. s.
Hotel Lobby
> x rugs. x Serge. greet Serge.
> u.(He stops you: guests only.)
> show dull key to Serge.(ack. He takes it.)
The briefcase can emit a knockout gas three turns after you push its button.
> push briefcase button.
> drop briefcase. n. z. s.
Serge is now asleep.
The briefcase only had one dose of the gas, and you don't need it to help you carry anything. So if you've taken everything out of it, you might as well leave the empty briefcase here.
> search Serge.(You regain the room key.)
> u. u. e. s.(using the room key.)
Room 24
> x cat. pet cat.(You find a container on its collar.)
> open container. take film. x it.
> x bed. look under it.
> x desk. open drawer. take bulbs. x bulb.
> n.
Outside Rooms 23 & 24
You surprise Henri who makes a run for it. Follow him!
> w. d. d. n. e.
Car Park
Henri jumps into the Alfa Romero and heads east in it.
> enter car. e. se. ne. e. se. e. ne.
Dead End
The Alfa Romero crashed into an oak, and he's babbling in a stupor. Pay attention to what he says ("Reversing the cables will short out the whole...") while you grab his stuff.
> out. x Alfa. take magazine.
> x Henri. search him.(You acquire a ticket.)
> x oak. x ticket.(for the cinema)
> x magazine.(You acquire a piece of paper.)
> x paper.(appears blank)
Take your car back to the car park.
> enter my car. sw. w. nw. w. sw. nw. w.
Car Park
> out. e. se. ne. n.
La Discotheque
> turn on left switch.
> x paper.(A random four-digit number is now visible; remember it as KEYPAD-CODE.)
> turn off left switch.
> s. s.
Theater Lobby
> give ticket to taker.(He leaves entirely?)
> s.
House
Nothing to find here.
> x screen. x seats.
> n. e. u. w.
Projection Booth
> x projector. x recess.
> put cassette in recess.
> x screen.
Make a note of the randomized handwriting, eg: "SY CA PA". This walkthrough will refer to these later as the SCHEMATIC-CODES.
> take cassette.
> e. d. w. n. sw. nw.
Street
> open manhole. d.
Catacombs
> x sign.(radiation warning)
> turn on geiger. n. w. n. w. n.
Tunnel
Use the number you read on the paper under the discotheque's black lights.
> x door. x keypad. type KEYPAD-CODE.
> w.
Basement
> x table. x transmitter. take it.
> x specs. take them. wear them.
> e. s. e. s. e. s.
Catacombs
> turn off counter. u.
Street (near manhole)
A brunette in an Aston-Martin nearly flattens you. You should go after her.
> close manhole. w.
Car Park
This time, when you get to the fork, head southeast.
> enter car. e. se. ne. e. se. e. se. e.
Road (where Svetlana is)
You recognize KGB agent Svetlana Kilzalott, and she recognizes you too. She is not hostile.
> out. x her. greet her.
> ask her about herself.
> ask her about Aston. ask her about Zodiac.
> ask her about Dipole. ask her about Zdratz.
> x Aston. x engine. x wrench.
> take wrench.(The engine roars to life. Svetlana gives you something before speeding off to the east.)
> i. x goggles.
> wear goggles.(They're night-vision goggles.)
Take your car back to the car park once more.
> enter car. w. nw. w. nw. w.
> sw. nw. w.
Car Park
> out. w. n.
Porte Cochere
Note that if you're still carrying the briefcase, the doorman stops you. The briefcase isn't allowed inside. And, if you drop anything here, he hands it back to you. You can drop the briefcase in the square.
> n. e.
VIP Room
The transmitter controls this roulette wheel. If Alexei plays Red, turn the knob to Black and vice-versa.
> turn on transmitter.
> z.(If necessary, wait until Alexei places a bet.)
> turn knob to LOSING-COLOR.
> z.(Repeat until Alexei loses once.)
Alexei places his second bet.
> turn knob to LOSING-COLOR.
> z. z. z.(Alexei loses a second time.)
Alexei places his third bet.
> turn knob to LOSING-COLOR.
> z. z. z.(Alexei loses a third time.)
Alexei places his fourth bet.
> turn knob to LOSING-COLOR.
> z. z. z.(Alexei loses a fourth time.)
Several burly men remove the angry Alexei, and a pack of cards gets scattered. If you're wearing the spectacles, you see that a card, eg: the three of hearts, has circuitry inside it.
> x cards. take CIRCUITRY-CARD. x it.
> turn off transmitter.
> w. s. s.
Central Square
You should now be ready to invade the Zodiac base. You need the token, the card, the wrench, the three light bulbs, the goggles, and the knowledge of the three codes you saw in the theater.
> w. nw.
Base
> put token in slot. n. w.
Lower Station (in the railcar)
> z. z. z. z.
Funicular Tunnel (in the railcar)
> e. e.
Elevator
> put card in slot.(The elevator descends.)
> take card. w.
Lobby
> read sign.("Welcome to Zodiac, ... since 1949")
> n.
Junction
CAUTION: If you go west from here, you enter the crew quarters and get killed instantly. Don't do that.
> x pipes. e.
Engineering
> x dials. x panel. x bolt.
> turn bolt with wrench.
A red cable is plugged into a copper outlet, and a blue cable is plugged into a steel outlet. Do you remember what Henri said about reversing the cables?
> unplug red. unplug blue.
> put blue in copper. put red in steel.
> w. u.
Dome
Convert each of the three SCHEMATIC-CODES you got from the theater into a CITY, then put the three bulbs into those cities' plugs. Careful! If you get this wrong, you die.
CA = Cairo
LO = London
MO = Moscow
NY = New York
PA = Paris
PE = Peking
SY = Sydney
TA = Tel Aviv
TO = Tokyo
> x map.
> put bulb in CITY1.
> put bulb in CITY2.
> put bulb in CITY3.
The dome raises and two new exits are available to the north and east. The east exit is somewhat dangerous unless you switched the cables.
> look. x sign.("Escape Pod - Capacity: 1, Buttocks-Activated")
> n.
Escape Pod
> x jumpseat. x porthole.
> s. e.
Lair
> hit Dipole.
He acts first and his big bad weapon explodes. He's knocked out, alarms sound, the door opens, and the lights go out!
> wear goggles.
CAUTION: Don't waste time sightseeing. A few turns from now, explosions rock the base, and the mountain collapses on top of it. You don't want to be here when that happens.
> w. n.
Escape Pod
> sit on jumpseat.
*** You have won ***
Extras
Characters
You are Agent Arthur Blonde, MI5's least seasoned secret agent.
A doorman, an older gentleman, greets and monitors everyone entering the casino.
A croupier, a redhead of uncertain age, professionally runs the roulette table in the VIP lounge.
Alexei, a known Zodiac operative and degenerate gambler in his 40s, is playing roulette in the VIP lounge. He's winning quite often.
Raoul the Jackal, a incompetent Zodiac operative in his 20s, is standing nervously in the phone booth, waiting for something.
A ticket taker, an excessively muscular man in a too-small usher uniform, waits to take your ticket in the theater lobby.
A station attendant, a knitting elderly woman, sits in a glass booth beside the funicular's entry turnstile. She seems harmless, but she'll point a gun at you if you try to enter without depositing a token first.
Vlacz the Top-Heavy, a large-headed Zodiac assassin, points a gun at you when you step out onto a plateau atop Mount Borborygmus.
Serge, a Frenchman, is the hotel's concierge.
A cat with white and orange patches is room 24's only occupant.
Henri, Dipole's most trusted lieutenant, panics at the sight of you and ends up crashing his car into an oak tree.
Svetlana Kilzalott is a stunning brunette in red, a KGB agent, and a friend. She was trying to find the Zodiac base, but her cover was blown, and she suspects one of them sabotaged her car.
Dr. Dipole is the head of Zodiac, an international crime syndicate. You'll find him, his scar, and his new quantum de-molecularization weapon in his lair.
Background characters and mentions:
Sir Alastair McGuffin is the operations chief of MI5. He gives you your mission via the screen in the conference room.
Tourists in the central square head west towards the promenade.
Someone with a monotone featureless voice calls the phone booth and says a single cryptic phrase.
A shadowy figure looks at you through the metal door's peephole in the alley.
Henri mentions his momma and a Deirdre in his stupor.
Several burly men drag Alexei out of the casino's VIP room after he loses his cool.
Some henchmen are in the crew quarters. More henchmen collide into each other elsewhere in the base during the blackout.
Credits
This is the response to ABOUT or CREDITS:
Zodiac An Arthur Blonde Mission
Release 1 / Serial number 251201 / Inform v6.45 PunyInform v6.0.2
Many thanks to Shawn Sijnstra, R. J. Kowalski, Andrew Apted, and Garry Francis for input and playtesting.
Endings
You have died
if you walk into the crew quarters full of henchmen.
if you put the light bulbs into the wrong city sockets: the ceiling falls and crushes you.
if Dr. Dipole obliterates you so thoroughly even your atoms are destroyed.
if you take too long wandering the dark base: the base explodes and the mountain collapses down on top of it.
You have won
if you witness Dipole's weapon exploding, then escape from the Zodiac base before it explodes too.
Inventory
Items are listed in the order they're acquired in this walkthrough. You have no obvious inventory limits.
a car key. You're carrying it when you arrive in the central square.
You use the car key automatically when entering, driving, and leaving your car. Your car is the Aspic Morphea in the car park.
a ballpoint pen. You're carrying it when you arrive in the central square.
On the street outside the phone booth, push the pen's button, put the pen in the booth's opening, then wait twice. A green mist erupts from the pen, and Raoul flees from the stench. Two turns after that, the gas dissipates and the payphone rings. Enter the booth and answer the phone.
Note that the pen has only two charges of the stench mist, and that it's only effective in closed-in spaces like the phone booth.
a token. One token is in the fountain in the central square. A second token is in the briefcase, only accessible by using the first.
At the base, put a token into the slot; now you can go north through the turnstile.
For your first funicular visit, you don't need to bring in any special tools, but you should have the briefcase, second token, and geiger counter when you leave.
For your second funicular visit, you must bring the card, three light bulbs, the wrench, and the goggles. You also need to know the three two-letter codes from viewing the microfilm in the theater.
a dull metal key. To find this room key, after listening to the secret-phrase from the payphone (see pen), enter the alley, knock on the door and say the secret-phrase. Whoever's on the other side pushes the key out to you.
This key unlocks the door to room 24 in the hotel.
CAUTION: If you show the key to Serge, he takes it because you're not a registered guest. You can get it back when he's sleeping; see briefcase.
a mop. It's in the upper station.
On the mountaintop, hit Vlacz with the mop to defeat him.
a briefcase. It's on the mountaintop. You can take it after hitting Vlacz with the mop.
In the hotel lobby, push the briefcase's button, drop the briefcase, go north, then wait before returning. Two turns after you push the button, the case emits a knockout gas, so when you return to the lobby, Serge is asleep and no longer able to stop you from going upstairs.
Note that the briefcase only has one charge of knockout gas, so don't waste it!
Note also that the casino's doorman does not permit the briefcase inside, nor will he let you drop it beside him.
In the catacombs, turn on the counter and follow the indicated directions to find a keypad-locked door in a tunnel. Remember the route back.
a cassette of microfilm. In the hotel's room 24, it's in the container attached to the cat's collar. Pet the cat to find the container.
In the projection booth, put the cassette into the projector's recess. A schematic is projected onto the screen, which you can see from the booth. Remember the three two-letter codes you see; they're randomized. You need to know the codes for when you use the light bulbs.
three light bulbs. They're in the desk drawer in the hotel's room 24.
In the dome, put the bulbs into the correct three sockets. Each socket is named after a city. The handwriting you saw on the theater screen (see microfilm) are abbreviations of the three correct cities; eg: TA means Tel Aviv.
When the bulbs are correctly placed, the dome rises, opening up a north passage to an escape pod, and a east doorway to Dipole's lair.
a theater ticket. Acquire it by searching Henri at the dead end.
In the theater lobby, give the ticket to the ticket taker. Surprisingly, he not only gets out of your way, he also leaves the building.
a magazine. It's in the totalled Alfa Romero after Henri crashes it into an oak at the dead end.
Examine the magazine to acquire a piece of paper that was inside.
a piece of paper. Acquire it by examining or reading the magazine.
In the discotheque, turn on the left switch then read this paper under the black lights. The randomized four-digit number on the paper is the code for the keypad in the northwestern tunnel.
a transmitter. It's on the table in the basement under the casino.
In the VIP lounge, use the transmitter to make Alexei lose four times. To do that, turn the transmitter on, then after every turn Alexei places his chips, turn the knob to whichever color he didn't play (red or black) and wait for him to lose that round.
a pair of spectacles. These x-ray specs are on the table in the basement under the casino.
Wear the specs. In the VIP lounge, after Alexei drops his cards, examine the cards while wearing the specs to find one with circuitry inside. Take that card.
a wrench. It's in the engine of Svetlana's Aston-Martin. Just take it. After she almost runs you over, she and her car are on a road segment southeast of the fork.
In engineering, turn the bolt with the wrench to open the panel.
a pair of goggles. Svetlana gives them to you when you take the wrench out from her car's engine.
Wear the goggles (briefly) to learn they're night-vision goggles.
In the dark tunnels, you can wear the goggles to see where the exits are.
When the lights go out in the Zodiac base, wear the goggles and head for the escape pod.
a card. In the casino's VIP room, after forcing Alexei to lose four times in a row (see transmitter), a deck of cards gets scattered. While wearing the x-ray specs, examine the cards to note that one of the cards has circuitry inside it. Take that card.
In the elevator, put the card into the slot; the elevator descends and spits the card out. Take the card off the floor.
Note: You don't need the card to ascend. The elevator automatically takes you back up when you enter from the Zodiac base lobby.
a bolt. In engineering, it flies out of the panel when you turn it with the wrench.
