Vorticon VI 

                                                
Episode Four:  Secret of the Oracle  

    This is probably one of the best keen games in all.  Secret of the Oracle is the first in the Goodbye Galaxy series.  In it, you must rescue 
 

                                                                   
                                        Commander Keen:  Goodbye Galaxy! 
                                                    An ID Software Production 
                                                    Commander Keen in "Secret of the Oracle" 
                                       Copyright (c) 1991, Id Software Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, USA. 
                                                    Distributed by Apogee Software Productions 
  

  
                                            Story 
Billy blaze toils in his backyard workshop, busily constructing his latest invention: the Photachyon Transceiver. Put in simple words, it is instantaneous radio -- point to anywhere in the galaxy and you can pick up a signal as if you were right there. After picking up a lot of very bad alien sitcoms, Billy hears a strange message, spoken in the language of Omnispeak that the Vorticons taught 
him.... 

 
Brrzzz...Giggg...oment of great triumph...Frzzt...Ast the Milky Way will be...Huzzzz...terly destroyed..Pyuneeeeeeg...can stop us now. We will remake the galaxy in the name of Gannalech. Power to our race! Power to the Shikadi! 
 

Then the radio is silent. 

"So the Shikadi are planning to destroy the galaxy, huh?" thinks Billy. "Sounds like a job for... COMMANDER KEEN!" 

Billy once again dons his brother's football helmet, contemplating three questions: 

Who the heck ARE the Shakadi? 
Where are they? 
How are they planning to destroy the galaxy? 

 Climbing into the Bean-With-Bacon Megarocket's cockpit, Billy sets up the launch sequence for Gnosticus IV, the home of the Gnosticenes, guardians of the Oracle. They owe him a favour, and he needs to get some questions answered.  The launch sequence begins.... 
 
"Suppertime, Billy!" announces his Mum as she walks out to the workshop. 
 

"Aw, nuts!" spouts Billy. He realises there isn't enough time to stop the sequence and cover the ship! Thinking quickly, he pulls out his Neural Stunner, points it at the door and waits. 
 

One Zzzzzap!  later and his Mum is frozen in the doorway. 

"Whew," says Keen. 
 

"Honey? What's the matter?" says Billy's Dad, coming out the back door. 

 
"Double nuts!" mutters Billy. He peaks past his Mum, takes aim and... 
 

Once at Gnosticus IV, a Council Page runs up to him. 
 
 "Oh, Captain Keen!" he begins. 
 
 "That's Commander Keen," Billy corrects. 
 
 
 "The Shikadi were here, and they kidnapped the members of the High Council and took them to the Shadowlands far to 
        the west." 
 
 
"They didn't kill them?" Keen asks. 
 
 
  "Impossible. They are immortal," says the Page. "So they just made sure they weren't available to activate the Oracle." 
 
 
 "Well, I'll just go get them," Keen says, turning with heroic determination. 
 
 
  "Um, but Captain Keen, they also left a bunch of horrible creatures and traps to guard them," says the Council Page. 
 
 
 "Well, I'll just go get them CAREFULLY, then," Keen says over his shoulder. 
 
 Keen turns to walk out the door, stops, turns and addresses the Page. 
 
 "And if you call me Captain Keen again, I'm taking you with me." 
 
 Keen boldy heads out the door, as the Page mutters, "Sorry." 

Commander Keen hops in his Bean-With-Bacon Megarocket and heads for the Shadowlands.... 
 
 
 

                                            Ending 
Wow, this is really an impressive way to activate this monolith of ancient wisdom. 
 
Click 
 
Everyone be silent. The Oracle is about to speak.  Hmmm. Maybe it's got a dead battery or something. 
 
The Shikadi are a race of shadow beings from the far side of the galaxy. 
 

They are building an Armageddon Machine and are plannign to blow up the galaxy with it, 
                            then rebuild it to suit their needs. 
 
 

They live on the third planet of the Korath system, which is 71,000 light years from 
                            Gnosticus IV. The Armageddon Machine is almost complete. 
 

And this is what they look like. 
 
These Shikadi are toast! 
 
Thanks for the scoop, Oracle. I'm outta here. 
 
I hope it doesn't rain on my folks... 
 
Meanwhile, back on Earth... 
 

Don't miss "The Armageddon Machine," the shocking conclusion of "Goodbye, Galaxy!" where you'll see: 

     what the Shikadi look like 
     the insides of the "Omegamatic" 
     lots of weird robots and aliens 
     cool shots of galaxy exploding 
     plus one or two big surprises! 
 

 
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