The Alien

Slowly the U.F.P. Research Vessel Thrasybulus breaks orbit. The planet below shows on the screens a seething hostile mass of browns and greys. You relax as your crew starts the procedure to prepare the ship for the long voyage through interstellar space.

Suddenly an alarm rings. You quick call all crew to the bridge, where Professor De Vries reports that the alien creature found on the planet below has escaped while she was running some tests on it. On the confusion of its escape, several of the lab animals also got away. It is imperative that the creature be recaptured, and you quickly give orders to search the ship.

A few short hours later you are crawling through the port ventilation shaft, searching. Engineer Benson whipped up some makeshift electric control prods to help recapture the alien, and you are holding one in front of you as you move slowly forward. The sultry voice of your lieutenant, Rebecca Davis, comes over your headset.

*"Commander, there are life form readings in your immediate vicinity. Be careful."

"Thanks, Becky. I'll watch out."*

You continue cautiously on into a side passage. Then you see the cause of your apprehension—one of the lab cats. Grinning with relief, you pick it up and turn around to leave. Then, silently from behind some pipes, a dark form moves out to block your exit. As you poke at it ineffectually with your prod, your only thought is "How did it get so BIG???"

Fleet Lieutenant Davis stares blankly at the console as a faint shriek comes over the intercom. One of the lights showing life forms fades slowly in black.

ALIEN is a game where you are put in command of a starship with a stowaway alien of unknown powers. It is up to you to capture, or if that is too dangerous, to slay the alien. The alien can be detected on your sensor screens, but many of the lab animals also escaped in the initial confusion, and your sensors cannot tell the difference between the life form readings. Under your command are the crew, with their special capabilities and skills. The alien is a deadly foe, and will metamorphose to more and more deadly forms as times goes on, so it is imperative to subdue it as soon as possible. As a final act of desperation, it is possible to self destruct the ship and escape in the shuttles.

In ALIEN, victory depends on careful planning and thought. Each crew member moves and acts separately, and only if you can learn to use your crew and their talents cleverly can you hope to defeat or capture the alien. While you attempt to capture lab animals, arm your crew, build weapons and search the ship, the alien will be stalking your crew and gaining strength. Good luck! (you will need it)

ALIEN is ready to run on your APPLE II or II + with 3.3 Disk Drive, 48K memory and Applesoft in ROM. One Paddle Controller required.

Source:

Back of Box - Apple II (US)