A Comprehensive Guide to the Pandora Directive

By
Steve Metzler

Introduction

Tips and Hints

DAY ONE – The
Search for Malloy

DAY TWO – Ladies in Waiting

DAY THREE – The Black Arrow Killer

DAY FOUR – Out of the Past

DAY FIVE – The Pandora Device

DAY SIX – South by Southeast

DAY SEVEN – Shadows in the Dark

DAY EIGHT – A Message from the Dead

DAY NINE – A Black Sun Ascending

DAY TEN – Just Desserts

Quirks and Questions

Copyright and Contact Details

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Introduction

My first time through the Pandora Directive I wound up
on Lombard Street, even though I had been aiming for Mission Street. Hmmm
… just like trying to navigate the real San Francisco without a map.
I subsequently had a look at a few of the existing walkthroughs, and felt
that though they managed to get you to the end of the game all right, they
didn’t adequately address the problem of steering the player through the
game’s much-touted ‘3 paths with 7 different endings’. So I tried, and
hopefully succeeded, in documenting all of the plot branches. Oddly enough,
I found 8 endings instead of 7, but they weren’t all different! (Author’s
Note: 10 November, 1997 – Got defintive statement from Access Software
relating to number of endings. See update to Quirks
and Questions)! This apparent discrepancy between what the printed
documentation claims and what actually happens is discussed further at
the start of DAY TEN and in Quirks
and Questions.

Each time you have to make a decision that will affect which path you
take, the choices are clearly marked as follows: 

The ending numbers are indicated in parentheses, ranging from 1 (the
‘nicest’) to 8 (the ‘darkest’). By the way, some of the reviewers of this
game have commented that going down the Boulevard (of Broken Dreams) path
is really out of character for Tex. I have to agree. It’s hard to believe
he’s capable of spewing out such abuse! Playing through this path may leave
you feeling pretty low.

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Tips and Hints

When a new object appears in the inventory, it
is always worthwhile to examine it. Another object may be revealed, extra
points may accrue, etc. In fact, if you don’t examine every item after
you obtain it, you are bound to miss out on important clues and conversation
topics!

To open a door, walk right up to it first until you can go no further.
Then when you open it, the next room will load automatically. If you stand
away from a door when you open it, you’ll then have to move forward again
before the next room will load.

Money isn’t a problem, as long as you find all the cash you’re supposed
to find, and don’t give any away unnecessarily. Most of the characters
are willing to take cash if you offer it. Don’t, as you’ll get nothing
in return except a ‘thank you’.

It is a good idea to save the game before attempting
to solve any of the puzzles. That way, you can try them over, and over,
and over again — which is what you must do if you want to go for the maximum
possible score. In the case of jigsaw puzzles (of which there are many)
the best strategy is to draw a diagram of all the pieces in their original
locations, numbering them in relation to where they fit in the final puzzle
(left to right, top to bottom). Then you just have to gather the pieces
in that order, and fit them into the puzzle area. The pieces snap into
place once you manage to manoeuvre them close to their correct positions.

The conversational choices (A, B, etc.) documented below are the ones
that I happened to pick to get me where I wanted to go. Other choices
may work just as well. Sometimes, only Tex’s opening line in a conversation
is relevant. Other times, all or none of what Tex says will make
a difference to the outcome! Feel free to experiment, but beware that what
often seems to be an innocuous choice comes out sounding quite harsh when
Tex actually voices it. In any case, it is always good practice to save
the game before you engage in any conversation!

Even though you can open all the dumpsters and some of the trashcans
in the various alleys, none of the dumpsters and very few of the
trashcans actually contain anything. So save yourself the effort, and don’t
bother to scrounge through them all as I did! It will be obvious at certain
points in the game where to look in the trashcans.

During the course of the game, Tex receives a lot of messages and calls
from Chelsee on his ‘vid phone’. These events are not documented here,
as they have no bearing on the outcome of the game and would add considerably
to the volume and complexity of the walkthrough (the timing and format
of these messages depends on the path taken through the game).

Presumably, you’ve read most of the background information provided
in the User’s Guide, and at least made a stab at the Game
Player level (I never went near the Entertainment level; but then, no self-respecting
adventurer ever would! You can still use this walkthrough on Entertainment
level, but you’ll have to skip the parts that don’t apply. Solutions to
some of the puzzles will also differ, but they’ll usually be easier. In
any case, who needs Entertainment level when you have a walkthrough)?

So without further ado …

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DAY ONE – The Search for Malloy

Examine Fitzpatrick’s
card. This gives you his address and allows you to call him (later, when
you have something to talk about!) on the vid phone.

Have a look at the rocking zebra. No points for this, but you find out
how Tex got his nickname. Enter Tex’s computer room and pick up the newspaper
clipping about Mac Malden. This puts the Police Station on the S.F. map.
Now go to Tex’s office and examine the picture of his ex-wife. Open the
top left desk drawer and get the Electronic Shop final notice. On the counter
behind Tex’s desk, look at the can of dog food, and pick up the jack-knife.
Then exit via the door that opens onto the fire escape, and go down to
the street.

Chelsee is behind the news-stand counter directly across the street.
Prepare for your first conversation. I found out later that blowing this
one was what put me on the Lombard Street path! I went right for the jugular
and made a date with Chelsee (which you must do anyway to progress in the
game), but first, you must win her heart! Talk to Chelsee:

Look at Rusty’s Funhouse. Notice the CopLock on
the door. Look at the door of the Acme Warehouse around the corner (you’re
going to have to get inside these places later on). Pick up the letter
addressed to the orphanage that was dropped by the mailbox in front of
the Golden Gate Hotel:

Pick up Nilo’s wallet from in front of the
ATM next to the Electronic Shop. Enter the Ritz Hotel through the front
door. Talk to Nilo:

Then Offer from Inventory … Cash (Offer $2100). Then: B, A, Offer
$100. Ask About … Newspaper photo of Malloy. End Conversation. Move the
vending machine. Pick up Nilo’s note from the table (between the sofas).
Get the crossword puzzle from the sofa and fill
it in. Post it via the mail drop in the lobby. Go upstairs and look
at the keypad outside Apartment A. Of course, Nilo never gave you the code!
March (indignantly) downstairs and talk to Nilo again:

Then Ask About … Code for Apartment A.

Now go back into the street and enter the sewer via the manhole near
the Acme Warehouse. Start walking through the sewer and open the first
box (on the ledge) to your right. Get the chisel.
Then make a left, and a right, and as you near the other ladder, get the
money belt from under a box to your left. Go up the ladder. You come out
behind Rook’s pawnshop. Go through the door in the chain-link fence, then
exit to the street via the hole in the wooden fence. Cross the street and
go through the door in the wooden fence behind the Ritz. Go to the top
of the fire escape and get in through the window. Enter the code that Nilo
gave you (4827) into the keypad next to Apartment A, and go inside to get
thumped on the head. Ouch! Thus ends Day One.

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DAY TWO – Ladies in Waiting

Open the top drawer of the drafting table and get the Acme Storage Co.
business card. Now you know where Malloy has some stuff stashed. Open the
next drawer and get the untranslated letter.
Two more drawers down is a child photo of someone named Regan. Move the
cushion on the chair and pick up the photo of Malloy with a llama. Open
the box and get the ‘Airport Of The Gods’ book.
Pick up the letter from the table next to the bed. You find out about David
Wright’s cabin. Open the drawer and get the pawnshop
ticket. Finally, pick up the scarf from the bed and
exit the room. Travel to Rook’s pawnshop. Talk to Rook:

Then Offer from Inventory … Receipt from pawnshop,
and pay Rook $250 to get the black dagger. End Conversation
and Exit to Chandler Ave. Go to the Brew & Stew and talk to Louie:

Offer from Inventory … Untranslated letter.
It’s in the Yucatec language, should have guessed
that (but you now know about Clint). Ask About … Scarf,
then Young blonde woman (her name is Emily), then Newspaper
photo of Malloy. End Conversation.

Enter the Electronics Shop. Great little cinematic piece here! Talk
to Zack:

Look at all of the items on the counter and behind the counter. Buy
the Visual Analyzing Apparatus and the Robco
battery pack (you are only allowed to buy what’s necessary in order to
complete the game, but it’s fun having a look at all of the items just
for the sake of it).

Now go visit Clint at the Cocoa Cabana (enter via hole in fence to left
of Golden Gate Hotel). Talk to Clint:

Ask About … Yucatec language, then Emily,
Gus Leach, and Gus Leach’s key. End Conversation. Go to the alley behind
the Fuchsia Flamingo. Use Leach’s key on door. Talk to Gus:

Use S.F. map to travel to Chelsee’s apartment. Talk to Chelsee:

Tex sneaks up to Emily’s room. She confides in Tex and presents him
with the torn-up pieces of a threatening letter.
Tex then gets booted out by Gus to end Day Two.

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DAY THREE – The Black Arrow Killer

Take a few steps forward, then turn around and look on the floor just
inside the door to the fire escape. It’s the prize money for the crossword
you filled in earlier!

Save the game, examine Emily’s note scraps,
and assemble the pieces (your first jigsaw puzzle. Refer to Tips
and Hints for a helpful jigsaw methodology). Now that you have pieced
together Emily’s threatening note, it’s time for
a visit to your old cop buddy, Mac Malden. Travel to the Police Station
and talk to Mac:

Ask About … Rusty’s Fun House, then Rusty’s
key, and Emily’s note (now you know about the
Black Arrow Killer). End Conversation. Go back to Rusty’s
Fun House. Use key to Rusty’s on the door. Now you may open the CopLock
by hooking up the tabs as in the diagram. Enter
Rusty’s and go behind the low shelves directly in front of you. Move the
lever on the floor. Enter the secret room and move the newspaper. Pick
up a piece of the ‘fake’ doggie doo. Climb the ladder to the roof, then
climb the water tower. Oh no, another lock we have to find the key for!
Open the trap door on the roof and go back down the ladder. Exit to the
street via the door next to the ladder. Now go to the alley behind the
Golden Gate Hotel. Talk to Gary: 

End Conversation. Go to Slice O’ Heaven and make a left. Enter the grey
door at the end of the street that is marked ‘EXIT’. Go up the stairs,
and all the way to the back. Move the top box on the left, and open the
box underneath it. Get the bottle of Scotch. Turn
around and start back down the hallway. Move the piece of corrugated metal
on the right, and exit via the door behind it. Travel back to alley behind
Golden Gate Hotel. Talk to Gary again:

Offer from Inventory … Bottle of Scotch. Ask
About … Newspaper photo of Malloy, then Malloy’s key. End Conversation.
Use Malloy’s key on the Acme Warehouse door. Look at Malloy’s crate (to
right as you enter). Look above the crate and notice the sliding crane
positioned over the crate. Go to the back of the warehouse and get the
peg leg from the chest. Now go to the wall panel, open it, and turn the
crane on. Lower it. Then use the peg leg with the hook on top of Malloy’s
crate to join it to the crane. Raise the crane. Pick up the map
of Asia from the pallet underneath the crate. Open Malloy’s crate and get
the photograph of Nazca and Malloy’s
tapestry. Go to Rook’s pawnshop and talk to the crusty old so-and-so again:

Ask About … Yucatec language. Pay Rook $30
to get the book. Then combine the ‘Yucatec Made Easy’
book with the Untranslated letter to obtain
a Translated Yucatec letter. Interesting. End Conversation. Travel to David
Wright’s cabin via the North America map. Get the crumpled page by
the tree, and the CD from the open drawer. Go up the stairs and move the
painting to reveal the security keypad. Try some keys to see how they light
up, but it won’t do you much good as you don’t have the code yet. Travel
back to Tex’s Computer room. Use the CD on Tex’s laptop computer. Using
the knowledge obtained from the crumpled page, drag the coloured squares
to form an arrangement as shown here. Make a
note of the amber squares that light up as a result (the code to the cabin
keypad)! Read the material on the PC. Travel back to the cabin and enter
the code into the keypad. Enter the room and move the floor panel to reveal
David Wright’s body. Open bottom left door of cabinet and get film. Pull
down the projection screen. Use film with projector. Turn on the projector
and watch the show. See Quirks
and Questions if you feel you really need to top up your point
total!

Travel to the Brew & Stew. Talk to Louie:

Ask About … Black Arrow Killer, then Bay City Mirror.
End Conversation. Go to alley behind Rook’s pawnshop. Open the trashcan
nearest the drainpipe and pick up the back edition of the Bay City Mirror.
Read the article about the Black Arrow Killer by Lucia
Pernell. Enter Rook’s via the back door. Ask About … Lucia Pernell and
Rook gives you her card. End Conversation. Go back to Tex’s office, turn
on the vid phone, and call Lucia Pernell:

EXIT. Travel to Brew & Stew. Meet with Lucia and learn about N.S.A.
involvement, Sandra Collins, and AUTOTECH. Upon returning to your office,
you see someone climbing down from the water tower on Rusty’s Fun House
roof.

Travel to Rusty’s Fun House roof and pick up the jacket that was left
on the air conditioning unit. You now have a cufflink monogrammed with
the initials ‘DH’, and your next puzzle, which is a photo of AUTOTECH.
Combine assembled photograph scraps with Visual Analyzing
Apparatus. Zoom in on street sign and number on door to obtain address
of AUTOTECH. Call Lucia Pernell again. Ask About …
Sandra Collins. End Conversation and EXIT. Travel
to Sandra Collin’s House and have a good look around her room. Pick up
the AUTOTECH security card from the floor next
to the sewing table (I missed this item the first time round, because it’s
mixed in with all the cosmetics scattered on the floor).

Travel to AUTOTECH. Pick up the hairbrush from the table, and get the
curtain cord from the door on the right. Pick up the visitor’s pass from
the floor (between the two chairs), and move the window at the reception
desk. Now combine the hairbrush with the curtain cord and use it to get
the clipboard that is otherwise out of reach. Note that visitor’s pass
#14 has the code 8338 associated with it. Use the visitor’s pass on the
security keypad, then enter the code. Go through the door and save the
game right away. You have to accomplish the following in short order …
turn left and go to the last door on the left. It’s a storage closet. Open
the door and look up. Get the box of soap. Look down and to the left and
get the mop. Then turn around and go to the mop bucket at the end of the
hall. Use the soap on the bucket, then use the mop on the bucket. As soon
as Tex finishes mopping the floor, open the fire exit door to sound an
alarm. Then make your way (quickly!) back to the storage closet. The guard
will run out and slip on the wet floor. You then stuff him in the closet,
and can continue your investigation at a leisurely pace.

Enter Dag Horton’s office (cufflink initials!) and get the padlock
key from the top of the bookshelf to the right (you have to elevate to
see it). Notice the photo of Dag and buddy hanging on the wall. Move the
book on his desk and get the scrap of paper
with Gary Lee scribbled on it (you’re right, Dag knows Crazy Gary!). Open
the bottom desk drawer and get Sandra Collin’s necklace. Open the CD player
and get the file cabinet key. Use it to open the bottom right file cabinet
drawer. Get the Llama cigarette tin, which contains the photos of the girls.
Looks like Dag was picking up where the original Black Arrow Killer left
off, but why?

Travel to the Brew & Stew. Talk to Louie: Ask About … Gary
Lee. End Conversation. Travel to alley behind Golden Gate Hotel. Talk
to Crazy Gary: Ask About … Dag Horton, and Roof of Fun House. End Conversation.
Travel to Fun House roof. Climb the water tower ladder (you must have the
padlock key). Turn on the viewing device and
watch the show!

Tex rushes over to the Flamingo to save Emily:

Tex then runs down to the street from Emily’s room, in search of her
assailant. Go to Rook’s pawnshop. Rook heard someone up on his roof. Travel
to the Fun House roof. You can see your target over on Rook’s roof. Save
the game! Crouch down as low as you can using the Ctrl key, and
quickly climb the stairs that lead over to Rook’s roof. Then hide behind
the air conditioning unit there. Now, slowly raise your elevation until
you can barely see the guy above the unit. When he turns around, make a
mad dash straight at him. A fight ensues, during which he drops
something. He plunges to his death, and you wind up at Cop Central talking
to your old pal Mac. A mysterious woman gets you off the hook. End of heart-stopping,
adrenaline pumping Day Three!

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DAY FOUR – Out of the Past

Lucia Pernell calls you as the day begins. End Conversation.

Go to Rook’s roof and retrieve the tracking device
that Dag Horton dropped during the fight. Travel to the street and turn
the device on. As you near the sewer, the frequency of the beeps will increase.
Go down the ladder and turn around. Take the first left, and halfway down
this section of the tunnel, the beeps will reach their maximum frequency.
On your left, about halfway up the wall, there is a block that you can
loosen with the chisel. Save the game. When you attempt
to retrieve the box from the niche in the wall,
there is a mine attached which must be deactivated thus.

Go back to your office, where you’ll be accosted by Jackson Cross’ men.
Save the game before you begin the conversation with Jackson Cross, because
if you make a mistake, it’s finito! Choose: A, C, C, B, A, B, C, B, A to
get max points and stay alive. You wind up back in your office, a little
worse for wear. Regan Madsen is there. Have a nice
little chat with Regan, and you at least wind up with another phone number.

Combine Brown paper wrapper with Visual Analyzing Apparatus,
and zoom in on lower left corner to find PB meter code. Talk to Mac. Ask
About … PB meter 3887412. End Conversation. Travel to the Post Office,
where some poor unfortunate recognises the photo of Malloy. Then travel
to the Garden House. Talk to the landlady:

She lets you into Malloy’s room. Get the puzzle
book from the nightstand. Open the top part of the desk and get edition
of the Cosmic Connection and the ETS
business card. Open the middle drawer and get the envelope addressed to
Elijah Witt, which contains another disc. Try
to open the closet door, but it’s locked. Travel to Tex’s Computer Room,
and use the disc on the laptop PC. You don’t have the password yet! Travel
back to the Garden House, and get the jeans from the chair (they weren’t
there before)! They contain a rental receipt that tells you where Malloy
is hiding out. Travel to the Waterfront Warehouse and watch the sequence
to end Day Four.

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DAY FIVE – The Pandora Device

Collect the fax from the machine that is on top of the filing cabinet.
Travel to the Waterfront Warehouse. Move box right in front of you, and
pick up the postal receipt. Get flight schedule
from floor. Get item #186 scrap from what’s
left of Malloy’s table. Move pallets in far left corner to reveal the safe.
Here’s how to open it. Get the containment
scrap and the small key. Travel to Garden House and use the small key on
the closet door. Get Malloy’s briefcase from the shelf, which contains
Malloy’s notebook and the Gate
of the Sun photo. Pick up the ‘There are Messages …’ book from the floor
of the closet. Travel to Tex’s Office and call Regan.
Meet her at the Imperial Lounge. This woman is mercenary! One minute she’s
grieving over the death of her father, the next she’s wondering what’s
in it for her. Regan reluctantly parts with her puzzle
box. Travel back to Tex’s Office. Listen to Lucia Pernell’s
message, then call her: Ask About … Anagrams.
She sends you a key via express courier. End Conversation.
Boy, are these guys fast! You’ve received the key before the conversation
was finished. Then Regan calls while you are standing there:

She tells you about OE, EW, and AE. Now
that you have a spare moment, combine Regan’s puzzle
box with Malloy’s tapestry, and solve the next
puzzle to open the puzzle box. This reveals Malloy’s device
piece #2 and some small metal pegs. Travel to the
Police Station. Talk to Mac: Ask About … Dag Horton/NSA connection. End
Conversation. Travel to the Morgue. Get the scalpel from the instrument
tray. Use it to open the door labelled G – I and get Horton’s wallet, which
contains a passcard. Also get the key
from the same drawer. Looks like we’re ready to pay another visit to our
good friends at AUTOTECH.

Travel to Horton’s Office at AUTOTECH. Use Horton’s
key to open the top left file cabinet drawer. Get the manila envelope,
which contains the BAK memorandum, a paper with
numbers, and yet another key. Go to the Evidence Room door, and use the
security system card on the keypad. Key in 773348,
and go into the room. Use the NSA key on locker B17 and get Emily’s
puzzle box. Open locker B15 and get the cash. Open locker E13 and get
the NSA ID badge. Then, use Pernell’s
key to open locker E36. Get the Operation Euphoria disc. Press the
OPEN button on the degaussing machine, and put Emily’s puzzle box inside.
Key in 1091 on the keypad and press ENTER. Repeat
this process with the cash and the Project Euphoria disc. It is now
safe to exit the room. Then travel back to Tex’s Office. Combine the
map of Asia with the flight
schedule. Then combine the pegs with the demagnetized
puzzle box. Finally, combine these two new items to get your next puzzle.
The locations on the map don’t really jive well with the positions on the
puzzle box, so here’s a diagram that shows
you the order in which the pegs must be placed (according to the flight
schedule).

When you have solved it, you are presented with Malloy’s device
piece #1 and a slide of the power cell (item #186). Finally, you have something
that merits a call to your employer, so call Gordon
Fitzpatrick: Ask About … Initials – AE, OE,
EW. Then, Archie Ellis. End Conversation. Call Archie Ellis. Respond
with C, C, A, A, A (Note: you must have found and examined the ‘Airport
of the Gods’ book, the Plains of Nazca postcard,
and the Gate of the Sun photo for Tex to give
the correct answers here)! Travel to the Cosmic Connection. After patiently
listening to Archie for a while: Ask About … Thomas Malloy, Power Cell
(Item #186), Roswell, and Ellis’ interview with Malloy. End Conversation.
Travel back to Tex’s Office and call Fitzpatrick again: Ask About … Roswell,
Roswell Security Clearance, Archie Ellis’ puzzle box, and Pandora Device.
End Conversation.

Tex sets off for Roswell. And that’s the end of Day Five.

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