BLIZZARD'S RIFT Cassette

The story:    Many centuries ago, space adventurer Henri Latrine discovered a large number of  alien tombs in a distant corner of the galaxy.  Reports of the discoveries  spread rapidly, and embellished tales of his exploits were told in dens of  iniquity the length and breadth of the galaxy.  Before long, would-be tomb-  raiders and scavengers were out seeking the treasures of these famous catacombs  for themselves.    Alas, Latrine himself never lived to enjoy these riches as he disappeared  without trace while exploring the tombs.  With tens of thousands of stars in  that particular corner of the galaxy, none of the tombs were seen again.  As  decades rolled by, rumours circulated that the tombs never existed.  Latrine's  story passed into legend and finally into myth.    Centuries later, a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter named Digby Blizzard is  passing through the uninhabited star system of Scopwick when he picks up a faint  distress signal.  Believing there may be a reward in it, Digby answers the call  and discovers the wreckage of a craft which appears to have crashed centuries  earlier.   To his astonishment, Digby realises it is the wreck of Latrine's  legendary exploration ship, The Hainoure.  Unable to believe his luck, he  salvages what he can from the craft.  Most of the ancient wreckage is beyond  repair, but the black box flight recorder is still functional and reveals the  exact location of every system and every planet Latrine visited all those  centuries ago.      The game:    Select the star system using the clockwise and anticlockwise controls, then  press fire to bring up a map of the selected system.  Select the planet using  the same controls.  Planets previously visited are shown in black, while  unexplored planets are white.  The magenta circle takes you back to the star  selection screen.    Once the destination planet is selected, you will need to travel there.  Fortunately, an advanced ion drive means no fuel is spent in doing so.  Journeys  within a system are short and you will be taken to the planet automatically by  your navigation computer.  However, travelling between star systems takes a  little while.  Scavengers and bandits may be encountered along the way and while  these pose no threat to your vessel there is a small reward for any you destroy.    Upon arrival, you will find yourself at the site of an alien tomb.  These are  guarded by gun turrets and sometimes by patrolling sentries too.  Be quick,  destroy anything hostile and avoid contact with walls.  Collect as many precious  gems as possible, then find the teleporter and leave.  Once you have found the  teleported you will be taken back to the star system navigation screen to select  your next destination.  Be warned, in visiting a planet you betray the  whereabouts of its tomb.  Should you revisit it later you may find that  scavengers have removed any treasure you have left.    Fuel will quickly be depleted your engines while navigating around tombs.  To  replenish supplies or improve your ship you can order items from the outernet  shop.  To do this press pause ( the border colour should change from black to  blue), then press fire.  Select the items you wish to purchase using the  clockwise/anticlockwise controls, then press fire.  Delivery is instantaneous  via inter-dimensional trebuchet.  Once you are happy with your purchases, select  Done to log off.  Press the pause key again to resume the game.    There is one other way of earning and losing credit in this lawless corner of  the universe, as Latrine's black box reveals the location of an establishment he  often visited.  That, however, is where you are on your own...