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Part four: aboard the Heart of Gold

These are Douglas Adams' original hints for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Adventure Game. Some questions have multiple answers and some are red herrings, so don't take the presence or absence of a question on a certain topic as an indication of what is important, and don't assume that long answers indicate important questions.

I've just arrived in Entry Bay Number Two. Where am I? What's going on?

Listen to Ford.

- Still stuck?

Read the sales brochure that's lying on the ground.

- Still stuck?

You've just been picked up by a fantastic new spaceship powered by something called an Infinite Improbability Drive. You might want to find out more about it.

Who are those people on the Bridge?

If you stick around until everyone enters the sauna, and pay attention to what everyone is saying, you'll find out.

- Still stuck?

The woman is Tricia MacMillan, also known as Trillian. She is an Earthwoman whom you met at a party in Islington not too long ago, at which time you totally failed to impress her. She eventually left the party with a guy named Phil... who is, you realise, the two-headed man standing next to her.

- Still stuck?

The man is Zaphod Beeblebrox, current President of the Galaxy, who has stolen this revolutionary new Infinite Improbability Drive-powered spaceship in order to locate the legendary lost planet of Magrathea. Zaphod and Ford know each other.

- Still stuck?

That you should be picked up in the vast emptiness of space by a ship inhabited by an acquaintance from your now-destroyed native planet as well as your travelling companion's semi-cousin can only be considered highly improbable. But then, with Infinite Improbability Drives at work, the infinitely improbable is not only possible but quite likely.

How can I enter the sauna?

From the Bridge, head to port.

- Still stuck?

T³ó±ð°ù±ð is no way to actually stay in the sauna.

- Still stuck?

T³ó±ð°ù±ðfore, once Ford, Zaphod, and Trillian enter the sauna, they will be effectively inaccessible to you for the remainder of the game.

Is Eddie (the shipboard computer) important?

Without Eddie, who would make all those fun announcements?

- Still stuck?

Eddie is the only one who can turn on the main drive.

- Still stuck?

But he won't obey your order to do that, only Zaphod's.

- Still stuck?

Eddie's help is indirectly necessary to obtain a cup of tea.

- Still stuck?

But in terms of solving puzzles, you can basically ignore Eddie.

Are the controls on the Bridge important?

Have you examined them?

- Still stuck?

The large receptacle is important.

- Still stuck?

Don't go on until you've figured out how to set up and use the spare Improbability Drive.

- Still stuck?

Seriously! Don't go any further unless you've figured out the spare Improbability Drive.

- Still stuck?

The large plug from the spare Drive can be plugged into the large receptacle.

- Still stuck?

But that isn't necessarily the right thing to do.

- Still stuck?

In fact, when you plug in the spare Drive at the wrong time, Eddie warns you that it's only for emergencies.

- Still stuck?

Notice that when you use the Drive while it's plugged into the large receptacle, both the large receptacle and the large plug are destroyed.

- Still stuck?

You can only use the Drive in connected-to-controls mode once during the course of the game.

- Still stuck?

See the question about the missile attack at the end of this section.

How does the Nutrimat work?

All you have to do is touch the touch-sensitive pad.

- Still stuck?

The Nutrimat does all the rest, and in seconds you'll have your very own cup of incredibly delicious Advanced Tea Substitute (ATS).

- Still stuck?

Well, maybe not so delicious. But at least useful.

- Still stuck?

Actually, there is a way to get something else from the Nutrimat.

- Still stuck?

It's a cup of tea (real tea, not ATS).

- Still stuck?

But first, you'll need something that isn't in the Galley.

- Still stuck?

In fact, it isn't even in the Heart of Gold.

- Still stuck?

Don't go on unless you have the Nutrimat/Computer Interface (not to be confused with the shipping carton for the Interface).

- Still stuck?

Use the interface.

- Still stuck?

Open the service panel and remove the circuit board. Now, put the Interface inside the Nutrimat. Finally, touch the pad!

- Still stuck?

Still having trouble getting tea? See the question about the missile attack. It's the last question in this section.

Is the Advanced Tea Substitute useful?

ATS is useful, although drinking it is a bad idea.

- Still stuck?

Have you examined it?

- Still stuck?

Have you discovered a need for a source of Brownian Motion?

- Still stuck?

See the question about the spare Improbability Drive.

Is the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster useful?

Don't go on until you're actually holding the Gargle Blaster.

- Still stuck?

Have you tried drinking it or examining it?

- Still stuck?

Have you read the Guide entry on Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters?

- Still stuck?

Read carefully what Zaphod says when he notices that his Gargle Blaster is missing.

- Still stuck?

T³ó±ð°ù±ð is absolutely no way that you can be holding a Gargle Blaster. The Nutrimat gives them only to Zaphod. You should never have developed this question.

Is the cup of nectar useful?

Have you ever heard the expression "nectar of the gods"?

- Still stuck?

Have you ever tried boiling water at very high altitudes?

- Still stuck?

Have you ever seen the 1993 remake of "Citizen Kane" starring Sly Stallone as Charles Foster Kane?

- Still stuck?

Have you ever felt like you developed hints that you shouldn't have?

Is the cup of tea important?

Don't go on unless you actually have the cup of tea.

- Still stuck?

Don't go on unless this cup of tea is real tea, not just Advanced Tea Substitute (ATS).

- Still stuck?

Have you ever examined the tea?

- Still stuck?

Because it has even more Brownian Motion than the ATS, it will make a better source of it for the spare Improbability Drive. Try it.

- Still stuck?

See the question about controlling where you go when you leave Dark, in the section called 'In the Dark.'

What's the story with the circuit board in the Nutrimat?

You can remove it from the Nutrimat.

- Still stuck?

Have you examined it?

- Still stuck?

You can flip any of the eight dipswitches.

- Still stuck?

You can even flip them while the circuit board is still in the Nutrimat.

- Still stuck?

Have you noticed the message in tiny letters on the board?

- Still stuck?

T³ó±ð°ù±ð is a way to read that message.

- Still stuck?

Don't go on until you've been on Damogran.

- Still stuck?

Don't go on until you've opened the toolbox.

- Still stuck?

"Read the message through the Magnifying Glass."

Is the shipping carton important?

Try examining or reading it.

- Still stuck?

Have you opened the carton?

- Still stuck?

The Sirius Cybernetics Corporation has apparently screwed up (a common occurrence) and put the wrong item inside the shipping carton.

- Still stuck?

You'll be able to find the Nutrimat/Computer Interface elsewhere in the game.

Is the strange gun important?

Have you examined or read it?

- Still stuck?

Don't go on unless you've been in the Lair.

- Still stuck?

Have you tried shooting the gun at the Beast?

- Still stuck?

Have you tried it several times?

- Still stuck?

The gun is completely worthless, useless, and unimportant.

Is it possible to enter the drive chamber, that is, to go aft from Corridor, Aft End?

Yes, but not without a fight.

- Still stuck?

You'll have to argue with the game for a few turns.

- Still stuck?

Usually, "Yes" or "No" responses are sufficient.

- Still stuck?

The proper sequence, from the Corridor, Aft End is "Aft." "Yes." "Yes." "Aft." "No."

- Still stuck?

However, there's more. See the next question.

Is there anything important in the Engine Room?

Have you gotten into the Engine Room? If not, you should do so before looking at the next hint.

- Still stuck?

The game claims that there's nothing interesting there.

- Still stuck?

However, after losing that argument with you, the game is probably a bit peeved and is acting petulant.

- Still stuck?

You'll have to be persistent if you want to find out what's in the Engine Room

- Still stuck?

Type "Look" three times. The game will then give in and describe the room and the stuff there.