All pertinent information dealing with installation and the operation of inventory, game navigation, etc. is available in the accompanying game manual.
It is important to note that all inventory items are shown in bold red type in the walkthrough content at the time they are found.
This walkthrough may not offer the shortest route through the game, or even the most logical route. It does provide a complete and comprehensive guide to playing the game while simultaneously enjoying the wonderful Syberia story.
In the opening cutscene you (as Kate Walker) arrive at Valadilene, high in the French Alps, in the middle of a rain storm. Kate witnesses a somber funeral procession marching along the town's main street. The procession is led by a bizarre looking automaton drum major, who is beating a dirge on a toy drum. Are all the mourners automatons? How strange. And, what beloved Valadilene resident are they mourning?
Kate briskly enters the nearby hotel, intending to get in and get out, back to New York City, as soon as she has solidified a deal to purchase the old Voralberg Manufacturing Company.
In the lobby of the hotel, turn to the bulletin board at Kate's right and left click on it to reveal a welcome brochure. The content of the brochure outlines the history of Valadilene and the Voralberg family's 800 year old business of manufacturing luxury mechanical toys. The brochure's content previews the construction aspects of building mechanical key-driven automatons and reveals a bit about specific family members including Anna Voralberg, the current owner of the Voralberg factory.
Kate will need someone to carry her heavy suitcase, which sits on the floor next to the outside door. Use the magnifying glass cursor on the front desk to prompt Kate to go over to the desk and have a look at the call bell which is, not surprisingly, an automaton. Pick up the tiny gold key to the of the call bell on the desk surface. It will disappear into your inventory. Right click to open your inventory and left click on the key. It will appear in the lower left corner of the screen. Don't click on it again. Rather, click on the key hole in the automaton's back. You'll see the cursor change to a half circle with an "X" in the center. Look for another hot spot where the cursor is a half circle with no "X" in the middle. Then click on the red button. The hotel manager will appear behind the desk. Use the magnifying glass on the manager to begin conversation, and click on the "Kate" icon when the notepad appears screen left. Kate finds she is assigned to Room 6 on the next floor.
When you close the notebook, using the left pointing arrow at the bottom of the page, Kate will ask to see her room. Click on Kate's suitcase over where it sits by the hotel's outside door. Kate will walk over to it and attempt to pick it up. She decides she definitely needs help. Click on the hotel manager again. Kate will walk back over to the desk and when the notebook appears, click on "Help." The hotel manager apologizes and in a short conversation, asks if Kate has come to buy the factory.
A small boy (named Momo) is sitting at a table in a back corner of the lobby. He loudly protests that the factory is Anna's house and Han's house and later, that Hans is not dead. The hotel manager sends Momo out of the lobby and explains that the funeral procession Kate witnessed earlier was for Anna Voralberg. The hotel manager is concerned that the factory will shut down now that Anna has been laid to rest. He expects that Kate has arrived to stop the factory from closing down. On the way up to Kate's room, she expresses surprise that Anna is dead. Inside Room 6 Kate is told that there's a letter for her on the bedside table.
Walk over to the table, pick up and read the FAX from Edward Marson, of Marson and Larmont Associates: Attorneys at Law. The FAX advises Kate that the law firm, which represents the Monopolistic Universal Toy Company, is counting on her to successfully negotiate the purchase of Voralberg Manufacturing from Anna Voralberg. Before you exit, record the telephone number written on the FAX (12458902) and hear Kate explain that she'll need to tell Marson about Anna's death. Use your cell phone to call Marson. He'll say he wants you to contact the local Notary in lieu of Anna's not having any heirs to the factory. Put the cell phone away.
If you click on the door to Kate's left, you'll find it is not accessible, nor can you unpack your luggage. (Don't bother with either the door or the suitcase again.) Go to the door and click on it to find yourself out in the hallway. You can't do anything more upstairs, so go back down to the front desk and talk to the hotel manager about all the items displayed on the notebook's list. You will get a second FAX from Marson to Maitre Alfolter, the Notary, explaining that Hans Voralberg is long since dead and that Momo was more or less adopted by the enigmatic Anna Voralberg. When Kate asks about the robots, she is instructed by the hotel manager that the word "robot" is verboten in Valadilene and she's cautioned to use the word "automaton" instead. Kate asks about Anna and the hotel manager explains that she was a very much loved member of the community.
After the conversation has ended, read the FAX to Alfolter and walk over to the back table where Momo was sitting earlier. Pick up the objects that fell on the floor when Momo stormed out of the lobby. They appear to be gears (cog wheels) of some sort. Click on the table where Momo sat to see two smaller cog wheels. Put them in inventory along with the others. You notice the impression of six wheels of varying sizes on the table top. That image will help you later, but it is not a puzzle you need to solve here. Exit the table view and follow up on your comment to look around Valadilene. Go out the hotel door where you first entered.
The rain has stopped. The damp, autumn air is almost palpable. Go screen right up the hill and, in the next screen, click on the old man sitting on the bench beside the road. During the conversation with him, you learn that the children are leaving Valadilene when they reach adulthood. Things are just not the same as they used to be. (Don't be tempted to revisit this old gent while you are in this segment of the game. He has nothing further to say and can't assist you.) Continue on up the hill toward the church. Click on the gates to open them and discover that they are locked. Kate vows to come back to the church when Anna's funeral is over.
After your conversation with the baker, continue on left screen where you see a more officious looking building. Pick up the Valadilene Gazette from the bench to the left of the office building's entrance. Read about Anna's sad passing. Go to the door. You'll find another automaton acting as a combined security system and doorbell.
Put the second FAX in his hand. Click the lever on his chest to lower his head into the correct position. Then pull the lever to the right. You'll see a cutscene of the inside of the office and the FAX will disappear into your inventory. Walk screen forward into the Notary's outer office and notice that it is empty. Click on the door left screen and enter Mr. Alfolter's private office. He greets you and asks you to sit down. Choose the left chair. Talk to Mr. Alfolter about all the items in your notebook. He tells you the sale is not so straight forward as it would seem. He says there is an heir! He reads you a letter from Anna which states that her brother Hans is still alive after all. Hans is the rightful heir to the Voralberg estate including the factory. Hans, unfortunately, is living in Syberia. Read the letter and listen as Alfolter advises Kate to investigate the Voralberg archives.
Leave the office and the building. Go screen right toward the hotel until you receive a phone call from boyfriend, Dan. You tell him you'll have to stay longer. After the call, go back to the hotel and talk to the manager about "Mission" and "Hans," from your notebook. You'll be staying a little longer it seems and the hotel manager will fill you in on a detail or two about Hans' alleged fatal accident and his final resting place in the local cemetery.
Leave the hotel again and go screen right back up the hill to the church gates. You'll find them open this time. Go inside and immediately answer a call from Mr. Marson. You tell him about Hans, but not about where Hans is purported to be living. Mr. Marson is becoming a mite aggressive about sealing the deal on the Voralberg factory. After the call, go screen right around the church all the way down the walk to the back. (You can try the front doors of the church, but they will never open.) At the rear entrance, simply climb the stairs and walk in.
Click screen front to move into the rear of the room and examine the crucifix mounted on the rear wall, above the altar. Click on the crucifix to reveal a niche carved into the wall. Take the key. To the left of the altar alcove is a cabinet with a key mechanism visible on the right side. Walk over to the cabinet and use the magnifying glass for a close up. Try to turn the winding key to discover, "It's jammed." If you try the drawers, you'll find they are locked. Wait a sec! Check out that keyhole to the upper right on the first drawer. Try the key you just found in the niche behind the crucifix. Open the top drawer to find assorted clerical clothing and, to the left, a red punch card. Pick it up. Open each of the remaining four drawers and remove the purple, green, and blue punch cards. The third drawer holds a special surprise. When you can see a white object in back of the opened drawer, turn that big key on the side of the side dresser to retrieve the important first Voralberg key and an informative scroll.
On your way back up the walk, stop at the first door and examine the locking device. If you pull the lever on the right, Kate will tell you that something is missing. You already know that though, right? You have the cog wheels to complete this puzzle in your inventory.
Open your inventory. Pick up the first medium cog wheel at top left.
Put this cog wheel on the second peg above the bottom permanent cog wheel. Next, pick up the tiny cog wheel and place it on the first peg above the bottom right cog wheel, between it and the medium wheel you just placed. Pick up the small cog wheel and place it on the peg under the upper left permanent wheel. Place the large cog wheel on the remaining peg. Pull that lever again. Easy, huh? You'll enjoy the surprise elevator ride to the top of the church and find yourself in the church attic's mechanical and storeroom.
Walk screen forward to explore the area and see a small green bird on a window sill. If you approach, she'll fly away. Notice the nest of eggs on the box? There's no action here, however. Use the magnifying glass on the automaton that appears to be part of an elaborate pipe organ arrangement. Hmmm, an interesting concept you might just recall later. Use the purple punch card from your inventory on the slot in the automaton's back. Then view a cutscene of the automaton atop Hans' tomb in the cemetery, elegantly doffing his top hat. An interesting aperture appears in his hat as he sweeps it down in a low bow.
Use the elevator to come down. Walk around to the front of the church and screen left again, on your way down the broad path to Hans' tomb. Click your magnifying glass on the aperture in the rusty top hat (take time to admire that graphic detail) and hear Kate say that you need a key. Take the Voralberg key from your inventory and use it on the aperture in the top hat. The bars of the tomb will descend. Enter Hans' tomb. Open the drawer. Take the newspaper and the Valadilene music cylinder.
Leave the church yard and go back down the hill to the Notary's office again. Stop momentarily at the coat rack in the outer office and pick up the telescopic key from the umbrella stand to the right of the outer door.
Leave the Notary's office and go on down toward the hotel, looking closely for a break in the wall along the right side of the street, just before you reach the hotel. There's an iron gate there with two automatons acting as gate keepers. Use the telescopic key and lay it in the outstretched hands of the small automaton at the top of the gate. If you haven't already, be sure to wind the key on the larger automaton lower down. Then pull the lever to the right. When the gate swings open to reveal a garden area, walk down the path to the central fountain.
1. The left path (from where Kate entered) leads to the Voralberg factory, machine floor, and Anna Voralberg's office.
2. The second path to the left leads to an open warehouse/storage area.
3. The third path to the left leads to the Voralberg train station.
4. The fourth path leads to the Voralberg mansion and gardens.
5. The last leg, where Kate is now standing, leads back to Valadilene.
Go down the first path to Kate's left. Enter the Voralberg Automaton Factory. (Notice the rusty sign on the covered bridge?) Walk immediate screen right inside the factory, against the factory's outer wall. At the end of this side wall aisle is a wooden door. Open it and enter the water wheel control area. Go forward and pull the chain hanging from the ceiling to the right of the window. Then go screen left and pull the upright lever beside the pipe laying horizontally along the floor. You'll notice that this action has started the water wheel turning and it engages the apparatus below. You can't do anything more here right now as you've turned on the power, so leave the room. Go immediately screen left, back to the factory entry area. Go screen left twice in front of the staircase. Kate will briefly answer a phone call from her chatty mother.
After the phone call, approach the assembly line structure which is straight ahead of Kate. Note the fork lift automaton standing beside it. Activate the fork lift and note carefully the action steps it performs on its work route, even though it is empty handed. As the fork lift returns to its station, notice in the cutscene, a small wooden door behind Kate. When the fork lift automaton stops in its original position, go screen right and then back through that door to the automaton workshop. Notice the nearly completed automaton suspended on a mechanized framework above Kate's head. Use the hot spot to go to the back work area and pull the lever midscreen, which operates the pulley system to that overhead framework. The automaton is lowered to a sitting position on the work bench. He is obviously already animated, but wait a sec, he has no lower legs!
Go around to stand in front of the automaton and click on him to engage him in conversation. Model XZ2000 is familiarly known as Oscar. He doesn't like cryptic names. Go down the entire conversation list from your notebook. You learn from Oscar that you need to check out Anna Voralberg's office above the machine floor of the factory. Oscar is a train engineer. He needs his legs quite desperately, just as soon as you can cause this to happen! The train, at the Valadilene Station just may be capable of going all the way to Syberia. You also learn that automatons have a "soul auxiliary" that robots do not possess. You will learn later what that means. Kate will tell Oscar that Anna has died and explains what death means. Oscar sees this as an unfortunate detour to the possibility of attaching his legs. He charters Kate to create new legs in the factory, but cautions that they must be the correct model, without "functional idiosyncrasies." Oscar gives you the outsized Oscar's card. You'll have to figure out just what to do with it.
Exit the conversation screen and leave the room via the wooden door. Go screen right twice and go up the stairs. Go through the lighted doorway to Kate's left to enter Anna Voralberg's office. Go in behind the desk. Read Anna's unfinished letter to Hans. Take a good look at Hans' train design. When you are finished, walk out from the desk to the cabinet against the wall screen right. Click on the book second from the right, on the top shelf. The middle shelf will revolve, revealing a music box which is playing a sad tune. When the music stops pick up another music cylinder. Put the Valadilene music cylinder from your inventory in the music box; the one from Han's tomb. Following the revealing cutscene between Anna and Hans as children, remove the Hans/Anna mechanical toy and it will be added to your inventory.
Go screen forward to leave the office. Go screen left to the stairs leading up to a small platform. At the top of the stairs, stand in front of the assembly line control panel. Note that the needle in the large upper dial is vibrating which indicates that the factory's power is on. Take out Oscar's card and place it in the slot under the engraved Voralberg name. Move the six levers to the right until you see number three come alive with a red light indicator. Also note that dial number three on the left panel now displays a yellow light. That's all you can do for now. Go back down the stairs and continue on past Anna's office to the main floor of the factory. Go out through the middle screen main entrance and return to the central fountain.
Take the next path to Kate's left. Walk on down to the covered warehouse area to see a large gray metal barrel on a platform. Go to the lever on the post back and right of the platform, and click on it. An automated crane will appear and rapidly transport the metal barrel through the doorway in the factory wall.
Go back to the fountain and return down the second path to the factory. Once inside, go left twice and activate the fork lift automaton. The fork lift follows its familiar route and will take the barrel delivered from the outside warehouse, out on the floor to the assembly line. Go back to the control panel upstairs on the platform to the left of Anna's office. Verify that the punch card Oscar gave you is in the control panel's center slot. The number three red light is shining on the right side panel. And, the yellow light shows in the number three position on the left panel. You're ready to make some legs! Click the lower left lever with the black knob to the light gold color. Then pull the opposite black lever on the right. A new set of legs for Oscar will be produced on the assembly line, in a fascinating cutscene.
Leave the control panel and return down the stairs to the factory floor. When you get to the floor, go screen right over by the first position of the assembly line. Kate should be standing beside the first pillar structure in front of the main entrance doors. Now, go screen right to the last row of assembly lines until you can see Oscar's new legs in the receptacle at the end of the line. Pick up Oscar's legs in a close up. Exit the view. Take Oscar's the legs back screen twice and screen left twice to the automaton workshop, where Oscar is not so patiently waiting.
Take the new legs out of your inventory and offer them to Oscar. Oh, oh! He just may tell you immediately that you have made the wrong legs.
If this happens, just go back up the stairs to the control panel and make sure you select the light gold color in the color window. Pull the lever to the right again and, when the cutscene ends, go back down to the end of the assembly line (main floor, screen right) and get the correct pair of Oscar's legs. When you have the right pair, take them to Oscar in the workshop. He will immediately attach them and express his profound gratitude to Kate. Then he's off to find his train.
Come back down the steps and go screen right around to the back of the mansion. Try the back door nestled in amidst the thick growth of ivy. Its permanently locked also. Try operating the automaton ladder. Looks like another key is needed. Go screen right and in the next screen, go down the garden path screen right toward a vast topiary maze. Talk to the woman working beside the path. She will complain about having to do without automaton help. (She will not have anymore to say to you, so don't bother with her again either.) You may as well go on down the path and take a look at the pond and the statue also, but there's no action there.
Go through the iron gates behind the kneeling woman. Go forward once. Turn right and enter the open gated niche where you will find a wall fountain. There's a second Voralberg key in the fountain's basin. Take it. Exit the screen and go back out and screen forward to the automaton ladder. Use the key from the fountain on the ladder. Climb the ladder to the open window in the attic dormer. Inside, go screen left to see an old school room desk and stool. Open the desk to get the ink bottle and Anna's diary. Read the diary to learn about Anna's life with Hans, his accident, the dysfunctional relationship the children had with their father, and Hans' eventual escape. Anna decided to stay behind and live out her life in Voralberg with her father.
After you've put away the diary, explore the attic. In the dark rear corner of the room, find an even darker alcove with a hanging light bulb. Click on it and Momo will appear in the outer part of the room. He asks you to draw him a mammoth, like Hans' picture. He gives you the paper and pencil he is holding. You can talk to Momo about everything. He says he'll tell you a secret if you will just please draw him a mammoth. Kate appears to be at a loss when it comes to producing a drawing for Momo, but there is a way to create the drawing.
Go back to the dark alcove where you turned on the light. On the wooden beam screen right, there's a small image of a mammoth, drawn in what appears to be white chalk. Click on it to get a clear, close image. Use your pencil and paper on the close up to develop a tracing of the mammoth image. Exit the screen, the alcove and take the picture back to Momo. The picture is in your personal inventory. Just use the hand icon in the menu bar to access the picture and give to Momo. He tucks it happily away and asks you to follow him. In a cutscene, he disappears around the corner of the house moving in the direction of the fountain.
Go out the window. Go screen left around to the front of the house. Yeeesh, where has Momo gotten off to? Take the path back to the fountain to see Momo dash down the path toward Valadilene's city street. In the street, go forward once to see Momo again, running up the street toward the Notary's office. Follow him up the street past the Notary's office to the end. You will see Momo waiting in front of another locked gate. He fumbles with a key, unlocks the gate and disappears inside. Again, follow him. You find yourself on one of several stone bridges over a river.
Cross the bridge and climb the stairs to a shady plaza area. Take the stairs back screen to continue. Walk screen right crossing a log bridge with a rope handrail. In the next screen you'll see a row boat pulled up on the shore. If you click on the board Kate will exclaim that its a shame its full of holes. Continue screen right to find Momo waiting patiently for your arrival. Talk to him about everything appearing in your notebook although some subjects may be repeated.
Go up the stairs screen right and try to push the turnstile beside the wooden dam. Kate finds that she is unable to do this alone, so go on back down to Momo and address him again with the "Help" command from your notebook. He will respond by going up and trying to move the turnstile himself, but succeeds only in breaking off one of the spokes. He throws it down angrily and stalks away. Pick up the broken spoke. Leave the area again. You can ask Momo for help again but he'll just tell you the dam is broken. Go back down the path to the row boat. Try to take the oar laying beside the boat. Kate can't reach it. Use the broken spoke from inventory to pull the oar closer. Kate won't pick it up as its ......"all dirty and wet." Go back up the path and ask Momo for "Help" again. He'll come on down to the row boat, pick up the oar and carry it off screen right up the path. Ask Momo for "Help" again. This time he'll go up, push the oar through the pedestal, move the turnstile, and raise the dam to lower the river.
Go back down the stairs. Momo is gone. Take the path back and screen left of where Momo was standing. If you tried this earlier you'll now see that the path across the stream is accessible. Take the path up into the rocks to see the gaping mouth of a very dark cave. Keep going forward to an open area with stalagmites and stalactites. Click on the large stalagmite in the enter screen to move forward and around it. See a dark brown object on the cave floor back screen. Use your magnifying glass to have a closer look. Its the mammoth doll, Hans' mammoth doll perhaps? Pick up the doll.
When you arrive back on the main street, go down to the break in the right screen wall and go back toward the fountain. Take path number 4 (screen back and right, not extreme right) to the train station. Go on inside and walk screen front. Take the stairs up, over and down to the other side of the standing train. (Don't bother to go down to the maintenance man who is whistling and sweeping. He won't speak with you, ever.) Instead, come down the stairs screen front to the apparatus with the large wheel on it. Turn the wheel. Pull the lever on the side of the machine in front of Kate. Turn the wheel again to retract the winding mechanism, Go back up across the bridge and come down the front side to the platform toward the station's entrance. Click on the train to board it. Click on the compartment door of the passenger car and meet Oscar again.
Talk to Oscar using your notebook. When you ask about "Mission" you'll find you are going to need a ticket to travel with Oscar. Oscar leaves. Go out behind him to the ticket booth on the platform, screen left.
Talk to the ticket agent who looks amazingly like Oscar. :) Ask him about your "Mission" again. After some considerable hassle reminiscent of Alice's crazy tea party, Oscar relinquishes both a ticket and a train release permit.
Get back on the train to get a call from Dan again. He's surly and impatient this time. He wants Kate to come home to accommodate his priorities. Luckily you and Kate have other, much higher, priorities. Reenter the passenger car and talk to Oscar. Choose "Mission" and give Oscar your ticket. He says to keep the ticket. More rules...oh, gad! You can pursue this by offering Oscar the train release permit, only to find it has to be signed by the train's owner or, in other words, Anna's official representative, the Notary. Leave the car and go screen left. Go screen right down the platform and on out to the fountain and the village main street, directly screen front. When you are standing in the street, go screen left to the Notary's office.
Once inside the office click front screen to go forward to the Notary's office door. Click on the door to hear that he is resting. He must be really tired! Use the magnifying glass on the colored levers you see on the secretary's desk behind you. When Kate is repositioned behind the desk, click on the top hat of the little automaton holding the stamp with the red top. When the hat opens, use your ink bottle to refill the ink supply. Take the train release permit out of your personal inventory and place it on the desk blotter. Push the big red button and, after the stamp of approval has been applied by the obliging little automaton, pick up the approved permit.
Retrace your steps back to the train, by going screen right from outside the Notary's office and back through the gate in the stone wall. At the fountain, take path number 4 (back screen right) to the train station. Go back down the platform to the ticket booth and get on the train at screen right. The ever obedient Oscar awaits you. Take out the Notary approved train release permit and hand it to Oscar. Click on Oscar again after he first responds. Use "Mission" from your notebook. Oscar wants the ticket too, of course. Give him the ticket. Now he doesn't want the ticket. You must keep it because all the departure requirements have not been fulfilled. Kate must find the three spaces in the luggage compartment for two very important objects. You must place these objects before the train will be completely ready to leave the station. Go screen forward into the display compartment. The pedestal in the center of the room may hold one object and the wooden shelf on the table, screen right, may hold another. Do you suppose the mammoth doll is likely one of these precious items?
Take the mammoth doll out of inventory and try it on the side table shelf there by the bedroom/caboose door. Then, go back across the room to the pedestal in the center. Put the Hans/Anna Mechanical Toy on the pedestal. Use the first cylinder you found in the niche under the top of the pedestal. Then place the Valadilene voice cylinder on the shelf of the left display case behind the pedestal. You have to get the correct cylinder to play in the pedestal, so go back to Oscar and use "Mission" on him again. Give him your ticket. If you have placed the correct cylinder on the display case shelf and the one in the pedestal, you'll be ready to depart in this marvelous train.
Note: Though the game is set up to humorously confuse you about which cylinder to use, you can keep track of where you got them by recording the color on the lip of each cylinder with the place you found it. At this juncture, you must see (from the music cylinder) the cutscene about Hans and Anna at the mammoth cave before you can go back to Oscar and successfully give him the ticket. Then you are off across the countryside on a long, scenic journey until you come to a stop at Barrockstadt.
Leave the train, exiting down the steps screen left. Walk screen right to examine the front of the train. Continue going screen right past the front of the train and descend a set of stairs. Continue screen forward and then screen left, past the ruins, and down the first path beside the river. You will see a "winding machine" atop the city walls that appears to Kate to be like the one back at Valadilene station. Kate remarks that she's got to find some way of "getting the train up there." If that sounds totally implausible, she really means she needs to move the train forward to the gigantic gates ahead.
Go forward to the gates of the city, just to take a look around at the surroundings and what potentially might lie ahead for you. Return down the ramp and back to the train. As you walk forward toward the middle of the train, Oscar will appear at the entry to the passenger car and ask you to come over. He has some information for you. When Oscar quickly goes back inside, follow him into the passenger car. Wonder what could have come up during the short span of time since you left him? Inside, Oscar tells you there's a message for you from the Rectors at the University. They want to talk to you.
Before you leave, talk to Oscar about the "Mission" again to learn more about moving the train and the winding machine you saw up on the city wall. Be sure to talk to him about "Bird." Leave the train again screen left, and go to the bridge with three stairways. Walk up the stairs to screen left and down to the platform. Go screen right and forward until you see a ladder with several birds pecking away at the ground beneath it. The birds get excited and aggressive when Kate gets too close. Its fairly obvious you'll have to find something with which to get rid of them, or maybe come back when they are gone.
Go back to the bottom of the stairs and forward down the path that leads into the jungle foliage screen left. Keep going forward into a foyer area where you see a gray metal door at the rear of the screen. If you go over and try opening the door, you will find that Kate can't enter yet. Instead, go back down the path to the bridge and stair area. Go up the stairs again and go straight across and up the other side. Go forward to the platform and go screen left. Walk to the ancient looking service kiosk you see at the left edge of the platform near the river's edge. You'll need a key to operate the kiosk's controls but for now just remember where it is.
Go out the doors screen right. Then, go screen left around the building. Go screen right, up the stairs of the building across the square from the train station. You will pass between two impressively huge mammoth statues and into an enclosed plaza. Click on the small tower structure in the center to approach it. Walk screen left to the doorway opposite where you came across the small bridge. Before you can operate the door mechanism, it appears you'll need another object. Possibly something egg-shaped? Exit across the bridge again and go toward the stairs between the two sabre-toothed tiger statues, to the building at the back.
You'll see a rude man standing to the left. Talk to him. (You only need talk to him once.) This young student considers himself to be quite a ladies' man. One encounter with him is quite enough for Kate. Go up the stairs and enter Barrockstadt University. Go screen left two times and enter the second red paneled door straight ahead of you. You find yourself in the presence of the estimable Rectors. Go forward and speak to them. They are short on time and patience and wish to know why the train hasn't yet left the Barrockstadt station. Kate explains the train's winding requirement. The Rectors do not want Kate to go to the city wall. Kate explains she must do this and the Rectors relent and see her trip to the wall as the only way to conform to the city's rules regarding getting the train out of the station as quickly as possible. Ask the Rectors all the questions displayed in the notebook. Kate is admonished to uphold tradition, and explains she is not a student.
Well, the Rectors sure aren't much help are they? So, leave them for now and go screen forward outside the door. Go back into the next room with the paneled door and find yourself in the Library. Walk around the mezzanine to screen right. Climb the ladder you see there. Take the book titled "The Illustrated Dictionary of Plants and Mushrooms." Read about the Yangala-Cola Mushroom which enhances vision. The mushroom guide will be moved to your inventory. Leave the Library and go screen right twice, back to the University's entry foyer. Walk up to the mammoth via the central steps and then click on the stairway center back screen to climb the stairs. Go screen forward to find yourself in the University Auditorium. Click on the stairs leading down into the pit. You'll see a film projector mounted above. Then, go up the stairs and around to screen right to find a locked door. This short tour will come in handy later. Leave the Auditorium (Don't mind that guy star gazing amidst the seats, ever.) and come back down the stairs to the foyer area.
Go screen right. You'll see an old gentleman checking out a mammoth sculpture. Go speak to him. Ask him all questions in your notebook. He's Cornelius Pons, Head of Palezoology. He asks you a pertinent question and says you need to attend one of his lectures. Cornelius, it turns out, went to school with Hans Voralberg. He mentions Hans' obsession with a doll, the mammoth doll. He tells you the Youkols (ancient tribe) may have made the mysterious doll. Cornelius explains that birds are migrating to the station from all parts of the world, including the strange Amerzone Cuckoo. Those Amerzone cuckoos must be the pesky birds at the base of the ladder in the station?
Go back to the Library to see if you can find a book on the Amerzon Cuckoo. Where the ladder is still standing on the mezzanine, you'll find a young student who, rude as he may be, mentions he must be ready for Cornelius Pons' lecture. Maybe you'd better attend that lecture when the time comes. For now, it would seem wise and appropriate to present a certain mammoth doll to Professor Pons. It may open some doors for you quite literally!
Leave the University (you should get a call from Kate's boss, Mr. Marson about now) and go across the plaza, outside and across to the train station. Inside the station, go screen left up the stairs and then go back screen to the train. Climb aboard and go back to the display area of the train to retrieve the mammoth doll. Get off the train again and retrace your steps across the bridge (bear screen right), across the plaza, and back into the University. Inside, go screen right and right again down the hall to the Professor.
Show the mammoth doll to the Professor. He recognizes it to be Han's doll. The Professor asks you to attend his lecture and gets your cell phone number so he can call you when he's ready. Meantime, he's taken the mammoth doll on a short term loan basis to examine it more carefully in his Laboratory. He leaves for the Lab. Walk forward behind the Professor and follow him into the Lab.
Go screen left to a glass front cabinet and remove the Barrockstadt Voice Cylinder. It will be added to your inventory. Walk back to the center of the room and walk screen forward. In the next screen, use your cursor to find a hot spot at the far end, screen right, of the first row of work tables. When Kate walks over there, take the Yangala-Cola Powder from the table. This stuff is going to come in mighty handy! You've already read about the mushroom's powers. Go to the table where the Professor is standing and speak with him Click on "Mission" to hear a little more about his upcoming lecture. Leave the Lab and go screen left to the Library on the other side of the foyer. When you enter the Library, go down the stairs and note the young man at screen right (rear) has moved over one seat. Wonder why? Use your cursor to find the hot spot on the table where the young man first was sitting. Click on it to pick up Alexander Valembois' book entitled "Amerzone: Souvenirs d'une expedition." Doesn't this little "turkey" look familiar? Remember the hostile flying fowl under the ladder? The Amerzone Cuckoo's favorite food is Sauvignon grapes, both vine and fruit. Interestingly enough for your purposes, the silly bird makes itself drunk if it eats too much. Learn also that the parasitic cuckoo lays her eggs in another bird's nest, as she cannot be bothered with raising her own young. Seems as though we've seen a sort of scale apparatus on that structure in front of the University that might just accommodate such an egg, if you could find one.
The Sauvignon grape is rare in the wild, but the University has managed to grow the grapes in the Botany Collection. Sounds like a trip back to the jungle area in the train station might be in order.
Go back out of the Library, the University, across the plaza to the train station. Back inside the station, go up on the bridge and in the middle, come down screen front. Walk forward along the platform until you see a man standing on the stream's sandy bank. Speak to him. When you have the opportunity, ask about all the items in your notebook. The man is the Barrockstadt station master. He may just have a bit of a guilty conscience about something. He wanted you to move the train, but he's no real help. He tells you that he is also the ornithologist and curator of the station aviary. He mentions a mysterious mechanical eagle that collects cuckoo eggs, but its been broken for years and he's not physically able to fix it. Finally, you ask about Sauvignon and he's secretive about where the grape vines can be found. He abruptly leaves.
Walk down the bank toward the water and pick up the hook from the sand. Go back up top and screen right, back to the bridge. At the top of the bridge, go right toward the main station entrance. You'll see the station master on the bridge. Speak to him again to review your conversation if you need to. He did tell you to "go see the old guy with the fossils." So, go back to the laboratory at the University (down the hall screen right of the University foyer) and ask Professor Pons about "Sauvignon" from your notebook. All of a sudden everyone seems ignorant about those pesky grape vines. Now you have to go talk to those uncooperative Rectors again.
Leave the laboratory and go screen forward and then left screen, all the way to the Library door. Go screen left back to the Rector's hall. Inside, approach the Rectors again with your "little problem." Ask them about "Bird," and "Sauvignon." The Rectors say there are no Sauvignon vines in Barrockstadt. They mention a garden behind the station. It's a secret though.
When you've exhausted the conversation with the Rectors, go back to the train station, straight up to the bridge where the station master is standing.
Ask him about "Sauvignon." Learn about the little smuggling operation going on at Barrockstadt. Ask the station master to open the gate to the garden and then follow him there over the bridges and down the path where you earlier found the locked gray metal door. After cautioning you to keep quiet, the station master leaves you along in the garden. Its a wonder how well blackmail works, huh?
Go out through the now open door and into the garden. Continue forward along the path to the edge of the forest (white barked birch trees). Use your cursor to get the Sauvignon grapes from the vines straight ahead of Kate. Return along the path, into the station and out to the base of the stairs. Go screen right and forward, back to the cuckoos under the ladder. Give the rude little meanies the Sauvignon grapes. Shortly, they will begin eating them which gives you the opportunity to climb the ladder. Continue on up above the train where you see the eagle automaton that Professor Pons spoke about. Go look at the bird's nest on the eagle's back. You can't reach the oddly colored oversized egg. Darn it! Go back to the bridge. Cross to the second arch and the station master will hail you to give you a bottle of wine. No point in pursuing conversation to ask about how to reach the cuckoo's egg. The station master has nothing new to add at this point.
Go back to the Laboratory in the University. When you reach the Lab, walk forward one screen until you can see all the rows of work tables. Then click on the end sink in the first row screen right and get that test tube holder. Leave the Lab and go back to the station. Cross the bridges and go right to the ladder again. Climb up and use the test tube holder on the cuckoo's egg from the nest.
Go back to the square in front of the University where the small tower is. You likely realize by now that this little structure must be the Bandstand the Hans designed and constructed while he was a student at the University. When you arrive at the Bandstand, go left to the door with the golden egg in the scale apparatus. Place the cuckoo's egg in the empty receptacle. The scale will balance itself perfectly. Click on the wheel to open the door. Step inside. Click on the reddish area on the floor to descend to the machine room of the Bandstand. Now that's an interesting looking device. It looks rather like a music box. Notice the pedestal to the right with two levers. Pull the longer lever to set the Bandstand's long silent automatons to playing a mournful melody.
Go back to the train and play the Barrockstadt music cylinder in the pedestal in the display car. Hear Anna's sorrowful message to Hans about the death of their father and the terrible war. Leave the train and cross the bridges to return to the kiosk down at the left screen end of the station platform. Click on the smaller sign on the right side of the kiosk's upright posts. Write down the number to "contact in case of problems" (2766-6742). You can call the number and get a bureaucratic runaround if you'd enjoy that, but you'll end up having to manually operate the river's locks anyway.
For now, exit the close up and go screen left on the platform.
Go screen forward, then screen right two times, out the station door. When you have walked past the glass doors, continue on down the steps ahead of you. To left screen you'll see an old man and woman on a barge. Go to them and strike up a conversation. Ask about everything, but particularly ask about "Help" and "Money." The woman tells you they'll use the barge, but they can't help because the locks are closed. They want $100.00 to tow the train with the barge, if you can get the locks open.
Now, if you can just get the locks open and come up with $100.00 you'll be in business. Maybe you'll finally be able to get the train moving out of Barrockstadt. Go screen right up the stairs and back into the station. Go across the bridge. Leave the train station and go back to the University. Go to the Rector's hall and talk to them about "Money." They want you to fix the Bandstand before they'll give you money. But you've already fixed the Bandstand and its operating quite nicely, filling the University square with music. Ask the Rectors then about "Mission" and the other subjects. After that, ask them about "Money" again. This time they'll give you a bag of money.
Leave the University and go back to the station. Go screen right inside the station and back out the side door, down the stairs, to the old couple at the barge. After some minor hassle about the broken telephone at the kiosk and the complicated instructions for operating the lock, the old couple will toss you a key. Hooray! You can use the key and manually operate the lock. Pick up the key from the platform.
Return up the stairs, through the station, down the platform's length to (screen left) the kiosk. You'll get a phone call from your mother. She's seeing Franck Malkovitch and is largely social climbing, as usual. Don't take her conversation too lightly, however. ;) When she lets you go, continue on to the kiosk. I wonder when you'll get that call from Professor Pons telling you that he has completed the examination of the mammoth doll and he is ready to start his lecture?
When you're at the kiosk, in close up, use the key. Do you remember the instructions from the cell phone call to that "contact number?" You can't use your cell phone now, but if you need to hear the instruction again, or if you haven't called the number yet, click out of the close up and key the numbers into your cell phone (2766-6742).
There are instructions on how to operate the locks beside the kiosk's keypad but, unfortunately, they are in a language you don't understand.
The water in the canal should lower, draining away into another part of the locks. Go back down left screen and talk to the old couple again about "Locks." When the cutscene ends, where you see the barge enter the locks, run back up to the kiosk keypad. You'll see the barge is already there.
You'll see the barge rise to the level of the outer channel and leave the locks. Go back over the bridge to the center and go down on the train side of the bridge. Continue as if to go out to the wall and the winding machine. Before you get to the stairs, you'll see the old couple and their barge off to screen left. Talk to them again. Ask them about "Mission." You are to return to the train, "attach chain" and they'll be ready to tow the train forward. Then ask about "Help." The old man will complete the conversation by throwing a heavy chain from the barge's deck over to the station platform.
Go to the end of the chain and attempt to pick it up. Kate thinks probably something is missing. Maybe something like that incredibly heavy iron hook you've been packing around almost since you arrived in Barrockstadt? Attach the hook to the chain and in a cutscene, the barge will pull the train up to a position near the city's outer wall.
You'll get another phone call, at last, from Professor Pons. He's ready to start the lecture in the main hall at the University. As you go back there, talk to the station master about "Train" and the "Mission." Go on over to the University and up the stairs in the foyer (left) to the auditorium. The lecture is about to begin and Kate finds a seat near the top. She listens attentively to Pons' rather lengthy lecture.
After the lecture, go to the Laboratory as the Professor asked. Talk to him to pick up the mammoth doll. Choose "Mission." You learn the Professor believes that Hans may have gone on to Siberia in search of the Youkols and, perhaps, living mammoths!
When the conversation is over, pick up the "Legend of the Ivory Ark" from the work table. Then reclaim the mammoth doll from the other end of the table. Leave the professor and go to the Rector's hall. Talk to them about "Mission" and "Train." Thank them and leave the University.
Go back and talk to Oscar on the newly positioned train. Time to wind up the train again. Talk to Oscar about "Mission, Help, Hans and Train." Take time to put the mammoth doll back on the pedestal in the display car. Then leave the train on the opposite side, screen right.
Go to the mechanism in the foreground and pull the lever. Turn the wheel as you did the first time back at Valadilene. Pull the lever again to wind the train.
Get back on the train and talk to Oscar again. Click on "Mission." Oscar informs you that all is ready for the train to leave and asks Kate to sit down. In a cutscene Oscar leaves the car and the train moves forward; but just to the wall, where it stops again.
Leave the car screen right on the steps, and walk over to the small building beside the track. Now you need an exit visa! Will this run-around ever end? Oscar is obviously procedurally obsessive! You can talk to him on all subjects except "Bird." You learn only that the person who issues the exit visas may be hanging out around some guard post nearby. You have to get an exit visa; its the rule. No way around it. Leave Oscar and go around to the back of the small building. See that door over screen left in the stone wall? Go over there. Open the door and enter the maintenance/mechanical area. Go up the stairs to receive another call from your girlfriend, Olivia. She wants to know what's going on with Dan. Sounds like she thinks Dan is pretty darn cute. Kate brings her up to date on what's happening and tells her it "won't be long" until she is home.
You can't go through the gate, so go screen forward down the walkway atop the wall. Open the metal doors at the end to enter a workshop lookout room. Yikes! See that uniformed man over there standing behind the telescope? Go talk to him. He's an administrative type all right. Looks more than a bit like Adolph Hitler, don't you think? He even assumes a pseudo-Hitler stance. No coincidence for sure.
Talk to him about everything. He doesn't want to issue you a visa as it is dangerous beyond the wall. Does the Captain seem a bit paranoid to you?
Stop here and have a look through the telescope to discover that the Captain is seeing things that definitely are not there. The cossack horseman he sees is only a dead and fallen tree trunk. Exit the telescope and click on the eye glasses with the cracked lens, from the battered desk.
While you are in the close up, pour a couple of glasses of Sauvignon wine. Exit the close up. Flatter the Captain and offer him a glass of wine. He still won't let you have the departure visa you need. When he walks back to the window, use the Yangala-Cola powder and the wine bottle to refill the two glasses. Only the Captain's will accept the mushroom powder. Exit the close up and speak to the estimable Captain again. You talk him into another drop of wine. He drinks the wine in a mutual and pleasant toast. You convince the Captain to take another look through the telescope. He's astonished that the enemy is really only a dead tree. He then apologizes and hands over the departure visa. Captain Malatesta has finally saved the day!
Leave the Captain and find your way back down to the train. Go to the small building and give Oscar the visa. He will give you a ticket. Oscar boards the train. Follow him and give him the ticket he just gave you. He accepts it and off you go........finally! The winding machine turns and the train responds by turning the cross key mechanism to lift the massive gate. The train is on its way to.......well, just where are you now?
Exit the train and go screen right. Go to the front of the train and Oscar will hail you. Talk to him. Looks like you'll have to find another winding machine in this dark, oppressive place. The air is polluted with heavy metal waste from mining operations.
You're off to find a winding machine. Go screen left, then screen right twice, to climb the ladder on the right leg of one of the giant automatons straddling the train tracks. In the control cabin, click on the open cabinet upper left, to extract the Komkolzgrad voice cylinder, Han's Designs of the giant automatons and a T bar handle. Note the exaggerated red circle on the graphic.
On the lighted control panel to Kates' right, put the T bar handle in the center slot and push the lever up two times. Press the red button. You'll see a cutscene as the automaton moves ahead. The winding machine in the automaton's leg is activated and the train is again readied to move. There is much to be accomplished in Komkalzgrad before you can leave, however!
Move the lever on the control panel down once to reposition the automaton. Exit the closeup and go down the steps to see a metal shelf ahead of you on the side of the building. Jump over there and have a look through the hole in the wall. You can't access the area right now, so go back up to the control panel. Move the lever down once more. The automaton returns to the original position.
Exit the control panel and descend again to the platform. You'll see a shadowy, bent figure scuttle into the inner red lit corridor of the platform. Follow that man! Go to the inner door below the red light and try to open it. No dice. The door is locked. Kate will indicate that there might just be another way around. Leave the area and go screen left, then screen right to get on the train. You may have noticed that Oscar was missing from his perch in the train engine's cab.
Inside the train, go all the way back to the caboose to find poor ol' Oscar bound and gagged! Click on his mouth to have Kate free him. Someone has attacked Oscar and has stolen his precious hands. Oscar describes his attacker as a "monster with a weapon." Could this be the shadowy figure you saw suspiciously exiting the platform?
Talk to Oscar about everything in the notebook. Kate surmises that the attacker might have been Hans Voralberg. In any case, the train can't leave the Komkolzgrad station because Oscar's hands are part and parcel of the necessary mechanism to move the train. Before you leave Oscar to his perpetual self-absorbed mumblings and get off the train, don't forget to pick up those metal shears (tin snips) from the carpet. Stop in the next compartment and play the Komkolzrad music cylinder if you like. This is as good a time as any. Kate will place it on the display case shelf afterward.
Leave the train and walk back to the giant automaton at the front of the train. Climb the ladder to the control panel. At the panel, push the lever up one time. The automaton will position itself beside the metal shelf you examined earlier. Hop over there and this time, use you metal shears to enlarge that raggedy hole.
Leave the room through the hole. Go back to the control panel on the automaton and pull the lever down once. When the automaton returns to its starting position, return to the platform. Go down to the end of the train where you see the elevator again. You will get another apologetic call from Dan. Continue to the elevator and descend once more to the mining tunnels Click on the generator. Place the clever little spark plug between the two upright prongs. Pull the lever below and to the right and "then there was light!" Hooray!
Walk down the tunnel. You'll see a rat disappear off into a tunnel screen right. Keep Kate walking forward to the elevator at the far end of the tunnel. Ride the elevator to the next floor. When you arrive, walk to the heavy metal door at screen left and try it to find that its locked. Click on the lock control system at the left of the door to open it. Enter the open hatch to find that you've unlocked the door under the red light on the station platform.
Turn around and go back inside. Go screen right, where you find the hot spot. Go up the staircase you see in the next screen. Walk screen right and examine the automaton seated at the enormous pipe organ. It looks like Hans Voralberg was very productive in Komkolzgrad, indeed! Get a close up of the organ keyboard and the automaton's hands. Do those hands look a bit of a misfit for this svelte female automaton? Wonder if they were originally designed for a certain obsessive train engineer?
Take the screwdriver resting on the organ at screen left. Leave the organ and come back down the stairs. Go screen forward to the area where you entered. Then, go screen forward again past the heavy door. In the next screen, go screen left. Notice the ladder to Kate's left. Go to it. Get a closeup. Use your screwdriver to remove the obstructing metal placard and climb up the ladder. Walk to the door at the left and click on it to enter a control area for the mines. There's a suspiciously familiar looking older man, wearing a mask, who is sitting at the console. Click on him to talk to him about the rude snatching of Oscar's precious hands. Notice that he calls Kate, "...little missy." This expression surely won't make any points with Kate.
This strange man has integrated the entirety of the mine's abandoned machinery into that pipe organ you just saw. He needs Oscar's hands so the automaton can play the organ. Talk to this Borodine, city director, on all the items in your notebook. Borodine has created the organ complex in order that he could be positioned to write and invite operatic soprano, Helena Romanski, to come back to Komkolzgrad and give a solo performance. Borodine is obsessively in love with Helena. If Kate can get Madame Romanski to come back and perform at Komkolzgrad, he'll give back Oscar's hands. He tells you to start looking in the shrine he has created for her.
After the cutscene where the Helena shrine module is lowered to the floor, continue to question Borodine until all conversation is spent. When you have finished talking to him, turn around and leave the control room. Go back down the ladder. In the next screen, walk to the back and climb the steps to the module which Borodine lowered earlier.
Inside the Romanski shrine, walk screen forward twice to the draped dressing room area. Click on the open drawer screen left. Read Helena's scrapbook and learn about the events surrounding her initial visit to Komkolzgrad. Learn also about her great good friend, Franck Malkovitch, the Russian tenor. Hmmmm, doesn't that name sound familiar somehow? Could Helena have gone off to America after her retirement from the stage also?
When you've finished with the scrapbook, click on the letters hidden beneath it and read of Borondine's many attempts to contact Romanski in Moscow. Now it appears that is most logical to begin looking for Helena in Moscow. Leave the shrine and walk screen left to leave the area. In the next screen go screen right and then go left out through the now open heavy metal door, to the station platform. Continuing forward, and then screen left, go back to the train. Go to Oscar in the caboose. Click on "Mission" in your notebook, then "Help." Kate tells Oscar they must accept Borodine's offer and Kate must leave to find Helena Romanski. But how is Kate going to leave Komkolzgrad without the train?
Leave the train. Go back down the platform and enter the door beneath the red light. Go screen forward, then left, back to the ladder at Kate's left which leads up to the control room and Borodine. Climb the ladder and walk forward to the cage on the other side of the grating. Click on it to learn that it is a gateway to a monorail system, but it is controlled from another position. Wonder where that could be? Call your mother. She knows Franck Malkovitch, remember? She consults with Franck who is very nearby. He recalls that Helena went on to Aralbad, not Moscow. She just might still be living there. Go back toward Borodine's control room door and you will get another phone call from Dan. He's apologizing again. Kate seems even more removed. Go on into the control room and speak to Borodine again. Talk to him about everything, including Aralbad, a once famous spa. He tells you about a drunken old soldier guarding the space platform on the high plateau here at Komkolzgrad. You will need him to find out more about the monorail and the possibility of alternate transportation to Aralbad.
After the conversation, leave the control room and go through the monorail gate. The director has activated the monorail. After the cutscene, walk around the center rail in the next screen and forward to screen right.
You'll get another phone call from Olivia. Olivia provides no helpful information but she does observe that Kate seems more independent and confident. Interesting that she is seeing Dan socially, isn't it? Keep Kate going forward and then screen left to the stairway. Climb up to the plateau. Walk screen right along the walkway and click in the center of the round space capsule at upper screen right. Continue up the short staircase to enter the capsule. You'll see the old soldier (and his companion vodka bottle). Its obvious he doesn't care much about housekeeping.
Take a step screen forward to start a conversation with the old soldier. When the preliminaries are finished, use your notebook and choose all topics. Boris Chorov, ex-cosmonaut is concentrating on drinking. You are able to learn about Souyouz to a minor degree. After the topics have been exhausted, walk over and pick up the vodka bottle near the entry on the floor. This triggers a cutscene where Boris staggers out the door and falls over the railing. Go back inside and get the key from the shelf above and to the right of Boris' desk. Also, pick up and read the space project cancellation letter.
Go outside and around screen front where Boris has fallen into a container. What is that shrieking noise anyway? Use your action cursor on the wheel behind the Boris' container. Then, go screen right to the area of the launch platform. Go screen left around the center and up the stairs to another large control room. Go to the console with the display monitor, screen right. Pick up the Voralberg key. Insert the key in the cross shaped slot on the console. You can try a few buttons and lever, but best you open the rather obscure panel at the lower right. Looks like someone has disconnected the terminal. Click on the wires to reconnect them and activate the monitor (screen glows green). While you're over there, pick up the blood testing apparatus to the right of that panel; the small square gray thing. Then, push on the button with the CCW (counter clockwise) arrows to find that you'll be needing a blood sample. Are they kidding? This is harder than trying to figure out how to draw a mammoth any day! How and from whom does Kate obtain a blood sample. Seems logical that ol' Boris might need a blood test, doesn't it?
Go out and back across the launching area to where Boris is unconscious in the container. Go up the stairs above where Boris is. Click on the console to the left of the hoist extending out over the container. Use the key from Boris' office shelf on the silver button to the right on the panel. Pull the middle horizontal lever to the left to move Boris' container to the left. Then, push the far left vertical lever up to move the container forward, away from the console. Push the remaining vertical lever up to shower Boris with cold water and sober him up. Perhaps a lucid conversation is possible after all.
Go back down the stairs and around to talk to Boris. He'll need for you to whisper quietly though! Use all the conversation choices from the notebook to make sure you get the entire story on Hans Voralberg and his participation in the now defunct space project. Boris warns you about Borodine being dangerous too, and suggests you leave quickly. The subject of Souyouz scaring the birds comes up again; it might be worth remembering. You also learn that the airship is programmed to take vacationers to Aralsbad. Boris doesn't know if the airship still works but he lets Kate know it has an automatic piloting system.
Boris goes for a nap. Go screen right into the launch area. Continue to the back right where you see birds flying above and go up the stairs. Use the airship key from your inventory to enter the gondola of the airship. Note: If you don't have the airship key, go back and talk to Boris again. Pull the vertical lever to the right of the automaton at the ship's wheel. Well, darn it, it doesn't work. Leave the gondola and come back down the stairs. Walk around to the left (left screen) of the central launch assembly and meet Boris again. Talk to him about the airship. Boris will make a deal with you if you can help him "get to the stars." He'll tell you how the airship works.
Use the blood testing kit from your inventory on Boris to get a sample of his blood. Ouch! While Boris goes to the capsule, you go right screen and up the stairs to the large control room where you got the blood sample kit.
Reinstall the blood testing kit in the receptacle on the console. Push the first button on the left to see the crane raise a capsule out of the floor. Push the next button with the hypodermic syringe. Whoops! Boris' blood alcohol level is too high and your sample goes pfftttt...! Just click on the blood tester again to get a sample of Kate's blood. Push the syringe button once again. Now the light above it glows. Push the next button with the revolving arrows which results in Boris being able board the space ship with a short test drive on the centrifuge. Wait a moment of two for Boris' to prepare himself. He'll ask you to "Press the launch button." Push the last button with the up arrow, to commence count down.
Boris manages to partially keep his part of the bargain on helping you with the airship instruction.......something about "cranking." After Boris makes his long-anticipated and spectacular lift off in the space ship for his flight to the stars, leave the control room. Seems we need to look for a crank that Boris manage to throw out in the knick of time. At the bottom of the stairs, go screen left. Ahead of Kate, near the boxes at the left of the screen, you'll see a reddish object on the ground. Click on it to see Kate obligingly pick up the crank handle. Go screen left twice to the outer platform. Go forward as if to descend the stairs where you entered Boris' area earlier. Stop there. In this screen you'll see the red light screen left and another stairway. Go up those stairs. That's Souyouz you've been hearing all along. The eagle is up there on a railing, screeching like the true eagle he is. At the top of the stairs, go back screen and use the crank handle on the red button you see on the pedestal. Wow! Sooyouz goes after those nuisance birds with a true vengeance!
After the cutscene, go all the way back across the platform, across the launch area, and up the stairs to the airship. Just open the door this time. Inside the gondola pull that upright lever to the right of the automaton again to engage the motor and drop the lines. Off you go on an impressive, scenic ride to Aralbad.
Leave the gondola when the airship comes to rest in Aralbad. It surely appears the glory days at this famous spa and vacation retreat have long since faded away.
Come down the stairs and walk screen forward to the fountain square where you receive a call from an angry and impatient Mr. Marson. Afterward, go screen left past the fountain and enter the Hotel Kronsky. Talk to the manager, Mr. Smetana, about all the items in your notebook. Mr. Smetana seems accommodating, but you're not staying. He's not so accommodating about revealing the names of current or past hotel guests, however, including Helena Romanski. After you've completed all items in the notebook, click on Smetana again to learn about the bolted door and tight hotel security.
Walk screen left away from the desk. Then, go screen forward and try to enter the gates ahead of you. No way will that happen for now. While standing at the gates, turn left and open the broom closet door. Take the detergent from the fourth shelf down. Back out of the closeup, cross the lobby and leave the hotel. Go to the fountain and use the detergent in the fountain. Go back to the hotel. Just to the right of the entry you'll see a large window covered with dark red draperies. Click on them to open them. Now, go hit the bell on the front desk. Smetana will come over and eventually will notice that the fountain in the square is spewing copious amounts of soap bubbles. He'll rush off to mop up the square, leaving you alone at the desk.
Go behind the desk. Get a closeup of the guest registry. Note that Helen Romanski's resident code is 1270and Hans Voralberg's code is 1478. Pick up and read the Edenor Hotels - Kronsky Hotel brochure. Note the code hand written in red (46433643). Leave the closeup and press the red button on the edge of the desk. Great! It operates the gate to the guest rooms. You can now pass through and into the pool area with no problem. Go through the archway screen left. You're in the hotel lounge. Walk forward and click on James, the nurse automaton. When he's finished chastising you, talk to him about everything except Aralbad, in your notebook. Madame Romanski is out on the pier taking her daily constitutional. He's mum about Hans Voralberg and wants you to be also. You can take a look at the bar console if you like, but its not operable until you've done a bit more sleuthing.
Go back out of the lounge, the way you entered. Go around the swimming pool screen right and then go screen left. Talk to the swimmers playing a game of Chess. (They're not really communicating with Kate. They never will, so don't bother using your precious time to approach them again.) Go screen forward and then through the open door screen right, at the end of the pool. Pick up the Kronsky hotel card on the floor with the access code 0968. Leave the room. Go screen left twice to reenter the lounge. Go to the gates on the right and click on the control console to the right of the gates. Key in 0968 and pull the lever on the right side. The gates open and you can walk through.
1. Enter the lounge area screen left.
2. Talk to James via the note book.
3. Try Helena's resident code on the pier gates.
5. Go screen right to the open locker room.
6. Pick up the paper with the access code.
7. Return to the pier gates and try the again.
Before you go outside, put on the mask you see hanging on the hook to the right side. Go forward out on the boardwalk. Go out to the gazebo at the end of the pier to, at last, meet Helena Romanski. She's got a headache though, and wants to go inside. Turn to go get James when Smetana catches up with you to cause a ruckus about your being out on the pier. Helena scolds him mildly and sends him on his way.
Step down from the gazebo and see a ship's bell to the left and in front of Kate. Go over to the bell. Click on the chain (low) to ring the bell and call James. Hmmm. That didn't seem to work. James is not showing up. Well, maybe he's hard of hearing. Click on the bell itself to remove it and place it in your inventory. Go back down the boardwalk, closer to the hotel, where you will see another bell stand. Place the bell on the hook and pull the chain. Still no James. Go back inside the lounge and talk to James. Turns out he hears the bell but won't come out to retrieve Helena because a gusty and damaging salt wind is blowing. After a suggestion that James use Kate's gas mask, James goes to get Helena, while Kate is again occupied talking to her momsie on the cell phone.
Soon James arrives with Helena comfortably seated in the wheel chair. Talk to Madam Romanski about everything. Helena doesn't seem to remember Borodine, the director at Komkolzgrad. She feels she is too old to sing anymore, but definitely lights up when Hans Voralberg is mentioned. He was her "dearest sweetheart." You also learn of a strange cocktail concoction that just might restore Helena's singing voice. George, a barman at the Muritz in Paris, is the only one in the world who knows the recipe. He invented it. Kate talks Helena into traveling to Komkolzgrad. Helena had come to Aralbad to find a cure for migraine headaches which caused her to give up her career. She decided to just stay on at Aralbad. When the discussion is over its pretty obvious that Kate must try to precisely duplicate the "Blue Helena" cocktail.
Go to the bar console and first find the note tucked up among the bottles above the console. Look at the musical score and just take note of the liquors categorized in the upper treble range, those in the lower bass range and the subtle symbol and color differences beside the names of the liquors.
Leave the lounge area after you've tinkered around with the console controls a bit just for fun. There are more items to pick up and more info to gather before you can whip up that delectable cocktail for Helena. While standing in the middle of the room, facing the pool, exit out the door at the back of the screen. Go F, L, F, F down the hall to the room at back screen. Pick up a crystal dish (wine glass) from the table front screen. Leave the room and return to the lounge. In a closeup of the console, place the vodka bottle from your inventory in the right side receptacle above the console (top shelf).
After the phone call, take the crystallized honey from the console and leave the lounge. Go out the door back screen and go R, F, F, L to the small square spa in back of the chess playing swimmers. Go behind the spa and turn the wheel on the pipes. You see the spa steam. Take the crystallized honey from your inventory and quickly place the honey in the steamy water to liquefy it again. If it doesn't work the first time, just try it again.
push in the I/O stop.
push the vodka key; second from left.
click the clef key, at right, over to the treble/right side.
push the blue curacao key, third from the left.
push the daisy/honeycomb button to add the liquid honey.
push the lime (lemon) stop.
push the snow flake stop to add ice.
push the shaker at far right.
After the cutscene, Helena drinks the Blue Helena and briefly tries its effect on her voice, but she doesn't believe she will be able to sing on the stage ever again. After the conversation, when Helena calls James "a sniveling little creep," click on Helena again and the put the crystal dish (wine glass) at the end of the bar near where the automaton track ends. Click on Helena again and turn down the volume on your system! :) Helena is a believer once again! She can surely belt out an impressive aria now!
After the cutscene, when Helena is wheeled off to prepare for the trip back to Komkolzgrad, leave the lounge by the rear door again. Go screen forward up the stairs and exit the hotel through the lobby. Return to the airship screen right. You'll get another phone call just after you enter the airship. Its Olivia. She reluctantly confesses that she's been "seeing" Dan and she feels guilty. Kate is reticent. She doesn't want to talk about it considering the scene she's involved with, and she quickly hangs up. The next cutscene reveals the arrival of Helena and James.
Soon enough, you're all aloft in the airship headed off to Komkolzgrad to hear Helena on stage in full regalia, singing her entire favorite Russian aria!
Suddenly, Helena is completely imprisoned in a large cage, surrounded with steel bars. Could Borodine, the Komkolzgrad director, have intended to imprison Helena forever?
Go up the stairs ahead of you and talk to Helena. You must free her as quickly as possible. Go to the padlocked door of the cage and get a closeup. Use the metal shears to free Helena. The next thing you must do is retrieve Oscar's precious hands so you can leave Komkolzgrad.
Go to the automaton at the organ and use the screwdriver to get Oscar's hands. Go back down the stairs and screen forward back to Helena. After a quick discussion, Helena enters the opened doorway to the platform and you are trapped by the director again as the doorway is barred to Kate. Kate gives Oscar's hand to Helena and tells her to return to the train and tell Oscar to get ready to leave. Helena leaves.
Go to the elevator screen right. Reenter the elevator to the mine shaft. Move forward twice to hear the shaft collapsing behind you. Turn around. Notice the air shaft to the right near the front of your screen. Click on it. You can't get in there with your bare hands and you have nothing left in your inventory.
Continue forward to the head of the tunnel and pull the lever screen right (hard to see) to call the elevator. Oh gad! The elevator arrives armed with a ticking time bomb. In a cutscene, run like the very hounds of Hades are after you, back down the tunnel. The bomb explodes. It blows up the elevator and the tunnel partially collapses. Ah, but the good news is that it also blew open the air shaft! Go to the air shaft and get the heck out of there and back on the train.
Leave the car and go to the engine to talk to Oscar. Kate will have none of his policy for supplemental passengers and he quickly understands that Kate's sharp tone means he'd better do as she says and get the train moving. Now.
Get back on the train to receive another call from Dan. Kate gives him an opportunity to speak up about what happened with Olivia. He finally does. Kate tells Dan they may talk about things when she gets home, but she doesn't sound optimistic. She says goodbye.
When Kate is free to move about again, leave the train and go rear screen toward the front of the train. Then go forward right screen to find Oscar at the end of the platform. Talk to him. Then use your notebook to cover all subjects. Afterward, go to the train's winding mechanism and use the wheel and the lever to wind it again. Be sure to use the wheel to retract the rod completely. You haven't found Hans Voralberg yet, though.
Go back over to Oscar and ask him about the "Mission." He'll tell you to get on the train, get comfortable and off you will go. Afterward, Smetana arrives with a message for Kate about a mysterious package that has arrived and can be picked up at the hotel's front desk.
Go to the front desk of the hotel and look at the open box on the counter down near the television set. Wow! Its an automaton mammoth. Pick it up.
Your cell phone rings. Its Mr. Marson. Kate cuts him short and the hotel's telephone rings on the counter. Its for Kate, a call from Helena Romanski. Go to the hotel lounge again and speak with Helena. She suggests you walk out to greet the plane which is arriving with supplies for the hotel.
Go outside on the boardwalk without the gas mask, this time. Why, there's Hans Voralberg sitting on the bench! Talk to him. He says he's going away, far away to Syberia. As he is the legal heir to the Voralberg estate, Kate still needs his signature on the sales contract for the factory there. He obligingly signs the contract and is eager to go away from Aralbad on the train.
You receive a call from Marson again. You don't need him to send reinforcements. The deed is done and you have Hans' signature on the sales contract. Marson wants Kate home the next day. It appears to be time to head for New York at flank speed.
Kate parts company with Hans and goes out on the pier to the plane. All of a sudden it appears that Kate has changed her mind about going home. There doesn't seem to be all that much worth going back to now, does there? Kate rushes back to the platform to see the departing train. She jumps on the train and is off on a new journey with Hans Voralberg.
It looks like Kate has made a life-changing decision. She really does love adventure and the company she's been keeping. She has decided to pursue this sojourn to the end. I wonder what wondrous sights and new dilemmas await her in mysterious Syberia...................?


text:
Jonathan Chait Reads More American Enterprise Institute Research so We Don't Have to
Twitterstorm delong: November 3, 2011
Ezra Klein Writes the Review of Ron Suskind's Confidence Men That I Wish I Had Written...
EK:
Obama's Flunking Economy: The Real Cause: Ron Suskind's Confidence Men… is an investigation. The crime is homicide… the victim… Barack Obama's presidency…. The villain… "the boyish man in the too-long jacket at Obama's right hip, bunched cuffs around his shoes, looking more than anything like a teenager who just grabbed a suit out of his dad's closet."… "That's Treasury secretary Tim Geithner," Suskind says, "looking sheepish."
That "looking sheepish" is a common Suskind trick. His book doesn't just have good guys and bad guys. It has good guys who look like good guys, and bad guys who squirm beneath the weight of their badness…. Of Larry Summers, Obama's first director of the National Economic Council, Suskind says that his personality "recalls that of Nixon and Henry Kissinger, or, more recently, Dick Cheney."… By contrast Peter Orszag, Obama's first budget director, "could think in numbers, talk in full sentences, and work nonstop."… When Treasury economist Alan Krueger passes around a pack of slides, each is "a chart of blazing, graphed insight."…
I mentioned this was a murder mystery…. Suskind's investigation leads him right to Obama's senior staff…. [N]o single adviser better encapsulates Suskind's criticisms, and the contradictions in his argument, than Larry Summers….
It is not enough, of course, to say that Summers's personality is reminiscent of Richard Nixon's, or that "people think he knows more than he does." What Suskind needs to prove is that Summers, as director of the National Economic Council, gave Obama bad advice…. [If] Summers used his influence to steer Obama toward better ideas, we should be applauding him.
Suskind ultimately identifies two opportunities…. [Suskind] says a successful nationalization of Citigroup would been the moment when "the American people would see that 'government could do this right'"…. Summers, contrary to what you might gather from Suskind's description, was in favor of nationalizing Citigroup….
Suskind recounts a White House meeting in which Romer tried to persuade the President to pursue a second round of stimulus…. Obama harshly dismisses her. In the next passage, however, Suskind reports on a subsequent meeting when "Summers stepped up, offering, almost word for word, the position Romer had voiced previously." So if Summers was really the Svengali Suskind presents him as, if he really had such mastery over the President and the policymaking process, Citigroup would have been nationalized and the administration would have been more aggressive in its pursuit of more stimulus. Neither happened…. Summers wasn't persuasive enough to save Obama's presidency….
In his conclusion, Suskind seems appreciative of the replacements Obama chose. "Following the midterms," reports Suskind, "the president seemed to be assembling the team he'd originally wanted." He quotes an anonymous Obama adviser who says, "Rahm and Larry especially, but others on senior staff as well, didn't have a strong appreciation of what got [Obama] elected, the power of it and how to harness it." He says that the housecleaning left Obama looking "oddly liberated."… That was almost a year ago. Today, President Obama's poll numbers are weaker than ever….
The truth of the matter is this: every member of the White House's economic and political team was closer to every other member than any of them were to the swing votes in the Senate. Tim Geithner and Christina Romer have their differences, but they're mostly talking the same language. Put them in a room with Senators Ben Nelson, Scott Brown, and Susan Collins—all of whom would have rejected a strong new stimulus—and they may as well be Martians.
It is easy to tell the story of what the White House did wrong in its response to the financial crisis: it underestimated it…. But early mistakes can be corrected…. The problem is political. Having very publicly passed a very big policy that you promised would revive the economy, the country blames you when the economy does not, in fact, revive. Your policies are discredited and your opponents are emboldened….
The combination of stimulus, TARP, and aggressive monetary policy quickly broke the recession. We went from losing 800,000 jobs a month in January 2009 to losing 39,000 jobs a month in January 2010. By March 2010—the same month Obama signed his health care bill into law—we were adding jobs again….
It's possible that if Obama had chosen a different set of advisers, they could have changed the outcome around the margins. The initial stimulus could have focused more on jobs and less on tax cuts, and the President could have emphasized that more would likely be needed. The Obama administration could have moved more quickly to nominate its own director for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac back when Democrats had sixty seats in the Senate, and that would have given it more freedom to ramp up its housing policy even in the absence of congressional action.
But… the fundamental constraints… have… been… political. They know they need to act. But they can't act, or at least they can't act at the scale necessary to really change the economic situation. Republicans won't let them….
The question, then, is whether the administration could have done more to plan for its inevitable political weakness when it was at the height of its powers…. A major omission in Suskind's book… is that it makes little mention of the Federal Reserve…. The White House made two major mistakes here. One was leaving two seats on the Fed's Board of Governors unfilled…. [T]he White House was slow to nominate…. [T]he most straightforward path to energizing the Fed isn't adding two new members to its Board of Governors, but replacing its chairman. And the White House had an opportunity to do so in 2010…. Obama chose to renominate Bernanke…. Bernanke has been much more cautious in accelerating the recovery than he was in combating the initial crisis…. At this point, even quite mainstream voices have come to worry over Bernanke's apparent timidity….
This raises the question of whether the Obama administration made a mistake in reappointing Bernanke…. As it is, both major channels for economic change are clogged, and there appears to be little immediate hope of unblocking them. The president is but one actor in the drama of American politics, and he is quite constrained in his capacity to make—or remake—American policy…
Posted on November 03, 2011 at 14:32 in #economics, #monetaryeconomics, #politics, Obama Administration | Permalink | Comments (16)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl