Citadel

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Objective

At first you find yourself at the emergency entrance to the Citadel, in the underground part of it which had originally been constructed by the now extinct alien race once inhabiting B104-GS12. You have nothing with you as you did not expect having to leave the Scout. Your first task is to therefore find some means of defence and then start exploring the Citadel in order to unravel its mysteries.

The aim of the game is to escape from the Citadel. As you quickly realise you cannot single handedly restore order in the base, therefore you must also destroy it following the orders received while still on the X16.

Game interface

1. Parts of bomb found so far
2. Remaining health
3. Graph of heart rate
4. Compass showing direction
5. Current weapon
6. Remaining ammo
7. Keycards held

Story

In the 24th century the Earth lies within an intricate web of conquest, politics, and economic gain.

On the outermost points of this web lie the bridgeheads, which are the points of strategic importance for the Earth’s galactic defence and inter-planetary communication systems.

One of these bridgeheads was situated on a small distant planet orbiting Tau Ceti about 12 light years away from Earth and marked on stellar maps as B104-GS12. Once one of the “verge world” planets of the Earth’s galactic empire, it had originally become known for the discovery of stone structures created by a long gone, primitive alien civilization. A military training and research base was built on top of one of these vast, ancient underground structures. However, following rapid galactic expansion, the military base situated there lost its strategic significance and continued to exist for some time as a research facility into the alien culture and a re-fueling point for inter- stellar cargo travelling across the galaxy.

That did not last long as the facility was situated too far from the main transport routes. Further structures were added to the base and the site was transformed into a harsh penal colony. Two years later the colony was officially closed as B104-GS12 was supposedly in the path of a huge meteor swarm. This was however a fabrication sourced from the Military Council, who had their own plans for B104-GS12.

Consequently, the base became shrouded in mystery after being taken over by BioTec, a private company backed by the Earth’s Central Government and the Military Council. Some rumours started circulating among space cargo pilots about transports of sophisticated laboratory equipment and materials presumably used to modify and further expand the base, which BioTec internally referred to as the Citadel.

Away from prying eyes, inmates on death-row from other penal colonies were secretly transferred to the Citadel and used as additional slave labour to complete the modifications to the base. A few months later a huge, secret laboratory began to function there. While officially a BioTec verge world research facility, in practice it was an under-cover military funded lab in which ethically dubious and officially forbidden research into extreme biotechnological extensions to the human body took place. Most of the former inmates became subjects for the experiments.

At the start of 2305 all communication between the Citadel and the BioTec HQ on Earth stopped without any apparent reason. Efforts to restore the link failed, causing BioTec and the Military Council to convene and decide on sending a special landing force to B104-GS12 to establish what had happened.

A modern military spaceship, X16, with a crew of over 950, was dispatched to B104- GS12. While officially on a reconnaissance and training flight, the purpose of the mission had been kept secret and the crew were only briefed when they approached the destination. The orders from Earth were short and to the point: “Communications and control over the Citadel must be restored at all costs. If this is not possible then the Citadel must be destroyed”.

As the X16 approached the planet it repeatedly failed to make contact with the Citadel, which remained silent on all wavelengths. With final preparations for landing under way a decision was made to send a small reconnaissance unit “Scout 01” to investigate the base from a closer distance. Just before its launch the main ship’s defence and comms system went down for an unknown reason and initiated a lengthy diagnostic and reboot procedure.

You were one of the two pilots on board of the Scout. Being wary of the Citadel’s defence mechanism you and your co-pilot orbited the planet several times to take pictures and readings. As your Scout made a sweep of the planet something went drastically wrong. A rocket launched from the Citadel and headed directly for your mothership, blasting the unsuspecting and still defenceless X16 into oblivion, damaging the Scout and sending a horrifying shudder down your spine as you were forced to make an emergency crash landing on the planet’s surface.

Unfortunately, your co-pilot did not survive the crash. YOU are the only survivor, 11 light years from home, with no one aware of your fate and no one coming to the rescue any time soon. Amidst falling X16 debris you make your way towards an emergency side entrance to the Citadel, leading you to the underground post-alien part of it.

You know that your only chance for survival and of getting home might lie somewhere within the Citadel. Driven by the will to live you are ready to do anything that would ensure your survival. It’s you against the Citadel and whatever evil lurks within.