
                                 RESCUE ON FRACTALUS! 

                                       BY ATARI/LUCASFILM


                       WANTED: AIR PILOTS 

                        All right! Listen up! you've got a right to know
                       why you're here -- why they suddenly need us Air
                       Pilots. 

                        A life and death struggle is raging throughout
                       this grubby galactic quadrant. It's us against the
                       Jaggies and they've just upped the stakes. They've
                       dug in on Fractalus, the most inhospitable planet
                       this side of the Kalamar system. It's a neat trick.
                       Our highly trained Ethercorp pilots were holding
                       their own in space battles, but down on Fractalus
                       it's a different story. We're losing anywhere from
                       five to fifty Space Pilots at a clip. Our job's to
                       rescue those spacers. 

                        Go ahead--laugh. I admit it's funny. Five years
                       ago, the Corps couldn't phase us out fast enough.
                       "No need for Air Pilots in Ethercorps," they said.
                       "Those dogs have had their day." Well, great, but
                       those Space Pilots can ONLY fly space. To be fair,
                       they'll save us in the end, but now we have to save
                       THEM--especially those golden "Ace Pilots." We
                       can't win without them! 

                        Here's how it works. They've rigged up a Mother
                       Ship to ferry us within booster range of Fractalus.
                       That's where it gets sticky. The Jaggies have got
                       defenses on that planet--gun emplacements,
                       saucers-- the works. And Fractalus is one hot
                       cauldron of craggy mountains and canyons, covered
                       by the worst air you've ever flown in. It's thick
                       cyantric acid--it'll dissolve your flight suit
                       within minutes. Finally, there's the planet's hyper
                       rate of rotation. The nine minute days have driven
                       more than one pilot nuts. 

                        But there's good to go with the bad. You'll have
                       Valkyrie Fighters, the best pure flyers we've got.
                       And don't call them V-Wings--that's not correct
                       terminology. To make room for those Space Pilots
                       they had to strip out a lot of the offensive
                       weaponry. But they did install a Dirac Mirror
                       Shield. It can take a big hit, but you pay for each
                       one out of your energy reserve. 

                        The one offensive weapon they left us is hot: the
                       AMB -- Anti-Matter Bubble -- Torpedo. It'll destroy
                       a target if it hits anywhere near it! 

                        Finally, each Valkyrie's been fitted with the
                       Etheric Navigation System, a computer-enhanced
                       viewscreen which overlays your forward main window.
                       It lets you see where you're going in Fractalus'
                       acid fog atmosphere. 

                        That's it. Get going. Forget the past--just go get
                       us a future. 

                       YOUR MISSION 

                        Sorry. No time for a briefing now. Ethercop pilots
                       are down--out of action. They need help--fast! 

                        First, we toss you out of the Mother Ship,
                       straight down to Fractalus. That part's all
                       automatic. But you're on your own when you hit the
                       atmosphere. 

                        Your job is to fight through the Jaggi defenses
                       and find stranded pilots. They won't be jumping up
                       and down waving at you. So, use your instruments
                       and viewscreen to find their crashed ships. They'll
                       wait inside until you land in range. 

                        The rescue's a snap. As son as you shut down your
                       engines, the pilot will come running and knock on
                       your rear airlock door. Let the spacer in. 

                        When you pick up your quota of pilots, or run out
                       of energy it's back to the Mother Ship. As you get
                       better, we advance you to higher Levels--the more
                       hellish parts of Fractalus. 

                        Got it? Prepare for Mother Ship Launch. 

                       CODE RED! 

                       1. Insert your cartridge for Rescue on Fractalus!
                       into your Atari 5200 SuperSystem. Turn on your
                       system and TV. Place the overlay on your controller
                       and plug it into jack 1. 

                       2. Set the difficulty level: Use the Level # key
                       to raise the level; the Level * key to lower it. 

                       3. Press START to begin the game. Your ship will
                       be launched automatically. 

                       4. Use the joystick to fly the Valkyrie Fighter
                       when you enter the atmosphere of Fractalus. You'll
                       know you're on your own when the message MANUAL
                       appears at the top of the screen. 

                       5. Jaggi Gun Emplacements appear as green domes on
                       the mountain peaks. Watch for cross hairs to appear
                       on the Main Window when an enemy is near. Line the
                       enemy up in the cross hairs on the Main Window or
                       Targeting Scope. Launch a torpedo by pressing any
                       of the red fire buttons. 

                       6. Locate a pilot by watching for a "blip" on the
                       Long Range Scanner or a flashing green beacon on
                       the surface of Fractalus. Fly towards the pilot
                       keeping your ship's altitude low. 

                       7. Pilot in range: Watch the Long Range Scanner on
                       your instrument panel. When the pilot "blip" is
                       centered near the bottom of the Scanner, press the
                       LAND (1) key to land the ship. Press the SYSTEMS
                       (2) key to turn off your engines and shields. The
                       screens will display: PILOT IN RANGE. If the pilot
                       is not in range the screen displays: PILOT TOO FAR.
                       Take off again by pressing THRUST (6) and move your
                       ship closer. 

                       8. Rescue the pilot: Press the AIRLOCK (3) key to
                       open the airlock when the pilot knocks on the door.
                       The air lock automatically closes after the pilot
                       climbs safely inside. 

                       9. Take off: Press THRUST (6), and search for the
                       next downed pilot. 

                       10. The Mother Ship will return to your sector to
                       check on your progress. If you're in trouble--low
                       on energy, taking a lot of heat--the Mother Ship
                       will try to show up sooner. When it's near, the
                       Mother Ship light on the control panel will begin
                       flashing and the message MOTHER SHIP! will appear
                       at the top of the screen. If you've rescured your
                       quota of pilots or are low on energy press the
                       BOOSTERS (7) key to fire the boosters. Your ship
                       will automatically leave Fractalus and dock with
                       the Mother Ship. 

                       SCORING 


                                Event                      Point Value

                       Each second of flight.......................1
                       Gun emplacement destroyed.................100
                       Saucer destroyed..........................250
                       Pilot picked up...........................200
                       Ace picked up............................2000
                       Pilot returned to Mother Ship (bonus).....500
                       Pilot returned over quota (bonus)........1000
                       Level Completed...................Level X 200

                        Note: If you return to the Mother Ship before you
                       have rescued your quota of pilots you may continue
                       at the same level, but you will not receive a bonus
                       for completing that level. If you continue at a
                       lower level, you forfeit your previous score. 

                       INSTRUMENT DETAIL 

                       1. Score
                       Resets automatically when you begin a new game. 

                       2. Compass
                       Gives you a sense of direction when making turns or
                       finding your way back to an overflown pilot. 

                       3. Wing Clearance Bars
                       Shows how far the nearest mountain is to the tips
                       of your wings. Helpful for making tight turns in
                       canyons. 

                       4. Thrust Level
                       Shows your engine thrust level. The more lights
                       turned on, the higher the thrust. 

                       5. Dangerous Altitude
                       This column lights up when your ship moves close to
                       the ground. All lights are lit when you land. 

                       6. Artificial Horizon
                       Indicates your ship's current bank (left/right) and
                       climb (up/down) 

                       7. Altimeter
                       The red bar represents the attitude of the terrain.
                       The light blue bar shows your ship's altitude. Your
                       altitude above the ground is determined by the
                       amount of light blue showing. If there isn't any
                       light blue, you've either landed or crashed (or
                       you're about to). 

                       8. Targeting Scope
                       Targets Jaggi gun emplacements and saucers, and
                       downed ships. When there is more than one object,
                       the cross hairs target the closest one. 

                       9. Main Window
                       Enhances visible light with computer imagery. 

                       10. Cross hairs
                       Appear on the Main Window to target any visible
                       enemy. A second set of cross hairs on the Targeting
                       Scope is always displayed. 

                       11. Enemy Lock-On Indicator
                       These lights flash while the lock-on system is
                       analyzing stray radiation. When an enemy gun
                       emplacement begins to lock up on to your ship,
                       these lights go out, then turn on again one by one,
                       starting at the left. When all six lights are on,
                       the gun emplacements will fire. You can cause the
                       gun emplacements to "lose lock" by evasive
                       maneuvering. 

                       12. Energy Level Indicator
                       Displays the energy level and changes color as your
                       energy level is depleted; flashes and beeps when it
                       gets critically low. Additional energy is available
                       from each rescued pilot's energy cell. Your energy
                       cells will be completely recharged each time you
                       return to the Mother Ship. 

                       13. Long Range Scanner
                       The Scanner picks up the pilot's emergency beacon
                       and displays it as a blip. The V shape on the
                       Scanner shows the field of view in front of your
                       ship; your position is at the bottom of the V. When
                       you are within two units of a downed pilot the
                       Scanner will begin flashing and beeping
                       continuously. Then you can pick up the pilot. 

                       14. Shields On
                       This light indicates when your Dirac Mirror
                       Shields--a low power version of the Mother Ship's
                       invisibility shield--are activated and drawing
                       power. The shield surrounds your craft with a
                       powerful Dirac wave which reflects all known forms
                       of energy-- however, it can't handle the side of a
                       mountain at full throttle! 

                       15. Mother Ship
                       This light flashes, a bleep sounds, and a MOTHER
                       SHIP! message appears at the top of the display
                       when the Mother Ship is in range. You should pick
                       up more than half your quota of pilots before the
                       ship reappears. 

                       16. Air Lock Open
                       Light indicates when the air lock is open. 

                       17. Range to Pilot
                       Shows the relative distance to the pilot indicated
                       on the Long Range Scanner. When no pilot is sensed,
                       "0" is shown. 

                       18. Enemies Destroyed
                       Shows the number of gun emplacements and saucers
                       you have destroyed. 

                       19. Pilot Quota/Rescued
                       Shows the number of pilots you must rescue and
                       bring back to the Mother Ship in order to advance
                       to the next level. Every time you pick up a pilot,
                       this number is decreased. It flashes when you've
                       reached your quota and counts the number of pilots
                       you've rescued beyond your quota. An admirable
                       feat! 

                       FLIGHT CONTROLS 

                       JOYSTICK
                        You control your Valkyrie Fighter with the
                       joystick and number keys on the controller. Since
                       your ship is a true flyer, go easy on the joystick.
                       Experienced pilots make small adjustments with the
                       joystick rather than forcing it from side to side. 

                            - START Starts the game 

                            - RESET Restarts the game from the beginning.
                            The current score is lost. During the game,
                            RESET only works after pressing PAUSE. 

                            - PAUSE Freezes the screen during a mission. 

                       6 THRUST INCREASE
                        You can select eight different engine thrust
                       levels. The faster you fly, the faster the Valkyrie
                       Fighter responds to flight control. And the higher
                       the game level the faster you fly! After you've
                       landed, this key becomes your "launch key"--press
                       it and your engines will lift you off the surface. 

                       9 THRUST DECREASE
                        Decreases your ship's thrust, but doesn't turn off
                       the engines. 

                       7 BOOSTERS
                        Fires the booster rockets to return to the Mother
                       Ship if it's orbiting in your planetary sector. You
                       can't leave Fractalus without firing your
                       boosters--you will only get as far as the upper
                       reaches of the planet's dense cloud cover. 

                       1 LAND
                        When a pilot is in range, this key will put the
                       ship into an automatic landing maneuver. If your
                       altitude is too high, the message TOO HIGH will
                       appear. Fly to a lower altitude and try again. 

                       2 SYSTEMS
                        After you land, use this key to turn all systems
                       on and off. If you leave your shields and engines
                       on, the powerful energy field around your ship will
                       burn any nearby life forms to a crisp. Knowing
                       this, the downed pilots will not leave their ship
                       until your engines are off. Don't turn the engines
                       on again until the pilot is safely inside and the
                       air lock door is closed. 

                       3 AIR LOCK
                        You must open the air lock doors to let the pilot
                       inside. The air lock will automatically close when
                       the pilot is safely inside the ship, or if the
                       engines are turned on. 

                       0 DEMO
                        Press this key to observe video recordings of
                       missions flown by Droidcraft (the screen message
                       will read DEMO DROID). These droids are not skilled
                       enough to rescue pilots. They are only used to
                       clear out the dreaded Jaggi gun emplacements. 

                       Good luck! 

                       *
                       Increases starting level of game. 

                       #
                       Decreases starting level of game 

                       JOYSTICK
                       All FIRE buttons = Launch AMB Torpedo 


                                 Dive

                                   ^
                                   |
                       Bank                  Bank
                       Left    <--   -->     Right

                                   |
                                   v

                                 Climb

                       THE GOOD STUFF 

                       AIR PILOT'S CRIB SHEET 

                       LANDING 

                        When you first land, you will hover on your
                       shields a few centimeters above the ground. While
                       "hovering" you can turn your ship towards the
                       pilot's crashed ship. If you've managed to land in
                       range, turn your systems off and you'll get the
                       message PILOT IN RANGE. The downed pilot will now
                       run towards your ship, even if you can't see him
                       (if you can see his ship, you'll see the pilot). If
                       you turn your systems on again before the pilot is
                       safely inside your ship, the shield's high energy
                       field will vaporize him! 

                        If you land beyond a downed ship, the message SHIP
                       OFF SCOPE will appear on the screen. If this
                       happens, turn your systems back on-- don't lift
                       off--note the current heading on the compass, and
                       execute a 180 degree turn. If you are still too far
                       away, use the thrusters to move within range. 

                        Before taking off with your pilot, it's a good
                       idea to destroy the wrecked ship. This will keep
                       the Jaggies from stealing our technological
                       secrets. 

                       ACE PILOTS 

                        If you see a pilot wearing a purple helmet running
                       towards you, you've just rescued an Ace Pilot. Ace
                       Pilots are worth ten times more than a regular
                       pilot--2000 points vs. 200 points. They are also
                       packing more power in their energy cells. And
                       they're rare--not many get shot down. After all,
                       they ARE Aces! 

                       LEVELS 

                        When you first begin the game, you may select a
                       level from 1 through 16. After you complete a
                       mission, you will continue at a higher level; in
                       fact, you may skip up to three levels at a time if
                       you are extremely brave. The bonus for completing a
                       level will be higher if you skip levels. 

                        Levels 1 through 3 are training levels. For Level
                       1, you enter a sector of Fractalus that has been
                       cleared of the dreaded Jaggies by our Droidcraft. 

                        On Levels 2 and 3, you enter the planet's
                       atomsphere above a region which has only a few
                       Jaggie gun emplacements. 

                        The higher levels (4 and above) you have more
                       emplacements, saucers, and pilots, and the Jaggies
                       become even more aggressive, tenacious, and
                       accurate. 

                        Levels 1 through 15 will take place near
                       Fractalus' South Pole where it's summer during this
                       time of year. This will save you from the
                       mindshattering short day ordeal since the sun never
                       sets on that part of the planet. 

                       JAGGI GUN EMPLACEMENTS 

                        On Levels 2 and above, you will find Jaggi Gun
                       Emplacements on the peaks of some mountains. These
                       automated emplacements fire high-energy ion beams
                       at your ship. You can avoid being hit with some
                       slick evasive flying or by knocking out the
                       emplacements. Your Dirac Mirror Shield will reflect
                       most of the enery from a direct hit but your energy
                       level will drop and you will be thrown off course. 

                        Since gun emplacements will still be able to hit
                       your ship while you are on the surface, be sure to
                       destroy any in the vicinity before landing to
                       rescue a pilot. 

                       SAUCERS 

                        On Levels 4 and above, the enraged Jaggies will
                       fly their inertialess saucers directly into you.
                       These "suicide" saucers can either be shot down
                       with your AMB torpedoes or dodged. If they hit your
                       shields, they will drain off more energy than a gun
                       emplacement hit. The saucers tend to occupy the
                       higher altitudes, although they have been known to
                       dive into the canyons when especially irritated. 

                       NIGHT FLYING 

                        On Level 16 and above, you'll be dropeed closer to
                       Fractalus' equator. Here--as you streak through the
                       nine minute days and nights--you'll have a chance
                       to work on your NIGHT FLYING skills. When night
                       flying, you're "flying blind," so to speak--there's
                       not enough light to activate your Main Window
                       viewscreen. So, you'll have to rely upon your
                       instruments and wits alone. 

                       MODIFIED VALKYRIE CLASS FIGHTER 


                       Powered by:    Twin 27,000 kg F-27 Firedrake 
                                      afterburning turboject engines.

                       Boosters:      Twin 80,000 kg ARD/VARC anti-
                                      matter reaction drives.

                       Wing span:     12.8 meters

                       Wing area:     67.1 square meters

                       Length:        18.4 meters

                       Mass:          20,315 kg

                       Max Cruising
                       Speed:         8,640 km/h (mach 7.2)

                       Range:         2,150 km at mach 3.4 cruise/climb

                       Accomodation:  Crew of 1; 20 passengers

                       Shields:       Dirac Mirror Shield

                       Sensors:       Long Range Etheric Navigation 
                                      System

                       Armament:      Anti-Matter Bubble (AMB) Torpedo 
                                      generator.

                       First Flight:  February 29, 2184

                        Progressive development of the F-27 Firedrake
                       yielded a small family of twin-engined, twin
                       tailed, V-Wing designs. The largest of these, the
                       Valkyrie Class Fighter, was originally used as a
                       light bomber and ground attack craft, but has been
                       modified for behind-the-lines combat in the Jaggi
                       War of '84. 

                       IMPORTANT! 

                        Flying rescue missions means defeating the
                       stubborn Jaggi defenses. So, you may wonder: "Who
                       are the Jaggies? What are the like? What if I'm
                       captured by them?" 

                        First, the name Jaggi is a short, pronounceable
                       word for J'hagga Ri Kachatki--an "intelligent" life
                       form from the star system Tepdi Vad Neroleil
                       Rahcre, located in the distant, outlying dark
                       sector of our galaxy. 

                        Second, don't worry about being capture--they
                       don't take prisoners. That much we do know about
                       them. Experience also teaches us they're tenacious,
                       suicidal fighters, choosing to do battle in the
                       most inhospitable environments. Fractalus is an
                       ideal example. 

                        Although the Ethercorps have yet to capture or
                       recover a complete Jaggi, we do have this report
                       from Ethercorps intelligence. 

                        Twenty hours ago, Lieutenant Ace, Yolea Malura,
                       crashed on Fractalus. This morning, her Commander
                       made Etherwave contact with her. This is a
                       transcript of her final transmission: 

                        "Lieutenant Malura to Mother Ship. Hope you can
                       read me. I've been down here in this atmosphere so
                       long it's starting to get to me. I kept the air
                       locks closed as best I could, but they were pretty
                       torn up. 

                        "During the nights I see brief flashes of other
                       ships fall to the surface, but during the days
                       there's nothing to see but this awful yellow
                       acid--smog. I had my shields on for awhile, until I
                       realized the Jaggies could still track me. I'd fry
                       anyone trying to rescue me... so I turned them off
                       and waited. You'll never believe how LONELY it is
                       down here, waiting--but it's not quiet. The acid
                       makes a continuous sizzling sound, very faint but
                       always there, as it eats away at the hull of my
                       ship. 

                        "Hey, what's that! I think I see a pilot running
                       towards me! I knew you guys wouldn't let me down!
                       Wait. There's something weird here. He doesn't look
                       quite right--his helmet's green? Commander! We
                       don't have any...MY GOD! What the...it's a...it's
                       going to.... [scream]." 

                        There was nothing more except Etherwave static.
                       And we haven't been able to raise her on the
                       Emergency Frequency. Get those spacers off that
                       hellhole and fast! 

                       CREDIT 

                        RESCUE ON FRACTALUS! was created by the Lucasfilm
                       Computer Division Games Group. David Fox directed
                       the project and created the concept, transition
                       scenes, animation, and documentation. Loren
                       Carpenter of the Lucasfilm Computer Graphics
                       Project did the 3-D fractal landscape image
                       generation and co-created the concept. Charlie
                       Kellner was responsible for animation, music,
                       sound, and flight dynamics; Gary Winnick provided
                       animation; David Levine provided support; and Peter
                       Langston, the Games Group Leader, contributed to
                       the concept and designed night flying, music, and
                       sound. Special thanks to George Lucas. 

                       * Trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. and Atari Corp.
                       (c) 1984 Lucasfilm Ltd. and Atari Corp. All Rights
                       Reserved. 

                       Rescue on Fractalus!, Fractalus, Ethercorps,
                       Etheric Navigation System, Etherwave, Jaggi,
                       Jaggies, J'hagga Ri Katchatki, Tepdi Vad Neroleil
                       Rahcre, Modified Valkyrie Class Fighter, V-Wing,
                       Firedrake, Droid, Droidcraft, ARD/VARC, Dirac
                       Mirror Shield, Anti-Matter Bubble (AMB) Torpedo,
                       Kalamar and the names of all their characters and
                       game elements are trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd.
                       Atari, Corp. authorized user. 

                       Trademark and (c) 1984 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights
                       Reserved. 

                       Atari 5200 and 7800 are trademarks of Atari, Corp.,
                       Sunnyvale, CA 94086. 

                       END 

                       Typed by Keita Iida 


                                                      

