Space… The Final Frontier. These are the… Well, yes, this is pretty much Star Trek. Star Trek, if the Enterprise had to stop occasionally to mine minerals and capture alien critters and then sell them to the nearest starbase.

But no, this is Binary Systems’ Starflight, one of my absolute favourite games of all time. See, I’m a space and sci-fi nerd (big surprise, another transfemme space/sci-fi/computer geek), and grew up watching reruns of Lost in Space, TOS (as the original Star Trek series is called to coordinate with the naming conventions of TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT, and now SNW), and then eventually TNG and Babylon 5. And during that time, I first saw screenshots and details from the star of this new adventure log: Starflight.

The above magazine page segment comes from Zzap64 issue 57, January 1990, as Starflight was being ported to Commodore computers. And this image of a robot with various communication options and a planetary scanning display stuck around in my head, attaining an almost mythic status in my imagination. I couldn’t find Starflight in any of my local computer game shops, so there it remained for the next six years, until…

The Genesis of my Starflight Experience

1995, going into 1996, was a bittersweet time for me. It was the year that my parents and I finally gave up on holding out for a Commodore Amiga revival and started looking at other options after being an exclusively Commodore family for years. And so we picked up Sega Mega Drives. I can’t remember why we went this route, but I suspect it’s to do with just how cheap MD games were by early 1996. And glad I am that we chose the Mega Drive as our gap-filler between Amiga and PlayStation, as lo and behold I discovered it had a port of Starflight.

I must have been so excited, finally getting to play the game that had lived rent-free in my head all those years. And you know what? It was exactly as amazing as I’d hoped it to be – even more so thanks to the Mega Drive version being an effective remaster by BlueSky Software.

I’ve tried to play the IBM PC/microcomputer original several times, but the interface and the way you interact with the game are so much clunkier. The gorgeous, spacey bursts of music that the Mega Drive version treats your ears to are also absent.

So, Starflight is a pretty special game to me. When my partner and I picked up a Mega Drive again in 2021 and started collecting for it, Starflight was high on the list of must-buys. That’s our copy up there, complete with the star map that I never had back in the day.

So, now that I’ve established my history with the game, let’s voyage a couple of thousand years into the future and to a blue planet called… Arth.

Stranded… All Alone in the Night.

If by the end of this adventure log, I’ve piqued your interest enough to give Starflight MD a whirl, then I hugely recommend you do so with a PDF of the Genesis version to hand. It is by far the better of the two manuals, PAL and NTSC-U.

The PAL version’s manual had to cram multiple European languages onto its pages alongside English, one column of text per language, so the backstory and instructions given are a cramped, uncomfortable read. The Genesis version not only features full-page text spanning 140 vertical pages, but also gorgeous illustrations and a scene-setting novella written by Robert Silverberg spanning roughly 30 of those.

So, Arth is a lost colony, cut off for centuries from what it calls ‘The Old Empire’, centred around ‘Old Earth’. At some point, the Earth Empire collapsed, leaving distant colonies to fend for themselves. And it just so happened that Arth had been colonised jointly by the major galactic races of the Empire: Human, Veloxi, Elowan and Thrynn. And perhaps united by the need to survive and thrive on their own, the peoples of Arth put aside their differences and worked together. And in time, they re-established the industrial and technical base to once again take the stars.

All Aboard the ISS Roger Wilco.

Sasha McAuliffe, wearing the pristine white and red vac-suit of a newly-commissioned Interstel Captain, walked briskly along the central spine of Arth’s orbital starport, the hub for extrasolar expeditions, mining, and trading, all overseen by Interstel.

In Interstel’s comfortable offices, she received the briefing given to all captains about to venture out into the depths of space. She smiled as she leaned back in her chair, watching the video briefing interrupted by banks of text. Sasha recognised some of the inspiring directives, for it had been cribbed directly from one of the Old Earth ‘TV shows’ that had survived in the former colony’s databanks and was still popular, especially as Arth once again took to the stars.

Of course, just as with that certain intrepid starship, she’d need a skilled command crew. Unfortunately, she’d been given only 50,000 credits to not only hire and train a crew but also outfit her shell of a starship. So, she might just have to take what she could and hope for the best? The personnel office beckoned.

Two hours later, she had her crew. They weren’t exactly… the best crew, with talent ratings only just reaching the minimum for Interstel service, but they were certainly enthusiastic enough and that went a long way with Captain McAuliffe.

There was Science Officer Spex, a reptilian Thyrnn with a pair of reading glasses jammed onto the base of his snout. The silver-tongued Thrynn weren’t exactly known for their scientific pursuits, but Spex was the exception. At least, since he really liked science and had been taking a ‘Master The Mysteries of Space Science in Three Easy Steps or Your Credits Back’ correspondence course.

Handling astrogation? Navigator Velooz, an earthy-shelled Velox standing over six and a half feet tall, almost twice the height of the males of her species. The insectoid crewbeing had saluted smartly after the interview, scuttling away and chittering excitedly.

“Och, jus’ call me Jonesy.”

A fellow human had been chosen for the position of ship’s engineer, a stocky, red-haired and bearded native of New Caledonia. New Caledonians boasted a disproportionate number of Interstel engineers in their number, a tradition whose origins were lost to the mists of time.

The communications station would be ‘manned’ by Communications Officer Sunblush. A member of the plant race known as Elowan, Sunblush’s melodic voice would surely soothe even the most ruffled feathers as she and her crew made contact with those strange new civilisations spoken about in the briefing.

“Beep-Beep. Ready-To-Serve-Captain.”

The responsibility of serving as the ship’s doctor fell upon the metal shoulders of an android who had been given the less-than-glamarous nickname ‘Seepy‘ after they leaked cooling fluid in the Personnel Office. Many frugal ship captains took along an android for their first voyages. Not truly sentient, their pre-programmed expertise in several fields proved a boon, though their inflexibility and inability to ‘learn’ further would eventually prove detrimental.

With her command crew assembled, it was time to head to the shipyard to christen and outfit her ship. She had chosen not to insist on additional training for her crew, trusting in their promises that they didn’t require any.

Tradition held that captains should name their own ships. For her vessel, Sasha had chosen the name of the ‘hero’ of her favourite Old Earth ‘point-and-click computer game’. And given the ramshackle nature of her ship, just a pair of thrusters, a stardrive, and a command bridge linked by a spine, it felt even more appropriate.

Now, time for upgrades!

The best part of 30,000 credits bought her a shield, some class two armour, a full consignment of cargo pods strapped to the central spine, an array of small, low-powered weaponry, and some nifty upgrades to the All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) parked in the ISS Wilco’s vehicle bay that would allow it to traverse ice, snow and water more easily than pure treads. Its cargo bay was also enlarged.

And with that, she was ready to go!

“Take us out, Ms Velooz. Steady as she goes.”

“Cht-cht… Aye, Captain.”

Tension and excitement filled the bridge as Captain McAuliffe gave the traditional command to depart the starport. As the ship’s engines ignited and it began to move, the docking bay doors ahead of her, emblazoned with ‘WARNING AIRLOCK’, slowly opened.

Out into the Wild Blue Yonder

The starry expanse of Arth’s home system lay before the crew of the Roger Wilco, who had been given no other mandate than ‘go out there and see what you can find.’ As the ship slowly orbited the central starport, Captain McAuliffe mused on what to do first. More credits to further upgrade her ship and buy additional Endurium fuel for more distant voyages wouldn’t hurt? There were also those reports of ‘Old Earth Ruins’ in a neighbouring system.

Hmm…

“Plot a course for Slush, Ms Velooz.”

“Cht-Cht… Aye, aye, Captain.”

Arth IV, or Slush, as it was more commonly called, was an ice-blue world at the outer reaches of the system. It was thoroughly unremarkable, though perhaps now, Sasha mused to herself, not yet realising she’d misread the briefing, that would change now that Old Earth ruins had been discovered on its slushy surface.

“Orbit established.”

The navigation computer’s distorted voice crackled through the command chair’s speakers as the ISS Wilco slid into orbit around Arth IV. Captain McAuliffe leaned forward, thoughtfully staring at the viewscreen, then nodded to herself; it was time for her science officer to display their talents.

“Give me a planetary scan, Mr Spex.”

“A-Aye, Captain.”

Sasha raised an eyebrow at the hint of nervousness in Spex’s voice. Then she waited patiently as the science officer’s clawed hands danced over the screens and panels, accompanied by hisses and other less-than-pleasant reptilian sounds of confusion and frustration.

“Well, Mr Spex?”

“Sss… U-Uh…” Spex’s tongue flickered out before him as he visibly struggled to interpret the data in front of him. “Well… it’s, uh…”

“Atmosphere? Hydrosphere? Lithosphere?”

“Uh… I… um… I have no idea, Captain,” Spex shoulder-plates moved in what could be construed as an apologetic shrug. “I don’t think my corresssspondence courssse covered this kind of world, hiss, yet.”

Sasha gave Spex a long look. Then she leaned forward and pointed at the view screen and the ice-blue curve occupying a third of it. “There are Old Earth ruins down there for us to explore, but first we need to make sure it’s safe for us to land.”

An uncomfortable silence greeted her statement, followed by a polite cough from Sunblush. Or at least, the sound of rustling leaves in place of a cough, followed by a diplomatic trill. “I believe the ruins were in the neighbouring star system, Captain.”

Sasha’s mouth opened and then snapped shut again as she considered the Comms Officer’s words. Then a slow blush spread up her neck and along her cheeks. Whoops! “Q-Quite right, Ms Sunblush,” she said, clearing her throat, red-faced. Then she smiled and shrugged, waving a hand at Spex. “We’ll try another world, Mr Spex, and then get you enrolled in a more advanced course once we get back home.”

“Aye, Captain.” Spex visibly relaxed as a course was plotted to the innermost planet, Speck.

This time, Spex had much more success, delivering a thorough report on Speck’s planetary composition. The tiny rock, bathed in searing heat from its close proximity to Arth’s sun, was a thoroughly miserable place to visit, though often a popular stop for first-time captains looking to do some mining and earn the creds for a longer, more distant voyage.

Despite its reddish-brown appearance and searing temperatures, Speck’s surface was surprisingly green with the planet’s surprising density of flora having adapted to the intense temperatures and radiation. Velooz brought the ship down to the surface with a little difficulty, but not enough to give her captain cause for concern.

The tracked ATV rolled down the starship’s ramp. Visible waves of heat rippled in their air as Sasha looked thoughtfully out of the co-pilot’s armour-glass window at the lurid green and brown landscape that stretched out before her. Then she engaged the mining scanner.

A-ha! Fiery read blobs indicated rich mineral deposits to be drilled and scooped up by the ATV. She fed the coordinates to Jonesy, piloting the ground vehicle, who grunted acknowledgement.

Chuff-chuff-chuff…

Antimony, silver, and even platinum filled the ATV’s ore bins as it made its way from one deposit to another. It was hard going, especially over the mountain ranges and with fuel, something to be managed too. But seven hours later, with the Wilco’s hold a third full, Sasha gave the order to take off and return home.

Unpleasant News

Sasha chewed her lip, the blood in her veins turning to ice as she read the latest news in the Interstel offices.

Arth’s star, long experiencing worsening instability, was now set to release a mega-flare within the next few years that will wipe out all life within the system. And worse yet, other systems may be suffering the same fate. A planetary evacuation plan had been put into action, with shipyards working around the clock to build colony ships. Debate raged on all the trideo networks whether this meant that Arth’s civilisations would have to become nomadic, settling in one system until its star threatened to flare.

The mood was sombre as the crew of the Roger Wilco went about their duties. Jonesy supervised the unloading of their haul of ore and its sale to now-hungry shipyards of Arth, netting more than 80,000 credits. Additional Endurium fuel was purchased, and a class two shield replaced the class one previously fitted to the ship. And Spex underwent intense training, eager to improve in time for the Wilco’s first extra-solar voyage.

Remnants of Old Earth, and First Contact

The infinite depths of interstellar space greeted the crew of the Roger Wilco as she engaged her Endurium Warp Drive. Their first extra-solar voyage was a short one, just to the neighbouring star system of Beta Arthi and the world marked as hosting Old Earth ruins.

“Uh…”

Yet again, Spex looked confused as he manipulated the biosphere scanner. Sighing to herself, Captain McAuliffe shook her head and waved a hand at the Earth-like world dominating the viewscreen. “Care to hazard a guess, Mr Spex?”

“Well, ssss, it’s blue,” Spex stated slowly, “with white, cloudsss, and that’s a good sign, yesss?”

A tittering ripple of leaves and chittinous clacking punctuated his report. Sasha shook her head, unable to keep a wry smile from touching her lips. “Good enough, Mr Spex. Log this planet for Interstel for a colonisation candidate, and let’s go take a look ourselves. But I’m warning you, if we decompress or choke to death on some weird alien fungus gas, I’m coming back to haunt your ghost.”

Thankfully, Beta Arthi IV proved to be a pleasant and temperate world, with rolling hills that sported clumps of tall, green trees. Most of them were terrestrial Earth varieties, imported centuries ago before the fall of the Empire. Seagulls circled above the coastline, competing for food with more alien varieties of life native to the world.

Sasha raised her binoculars, peering over the rise she and her away team had scaled. Below lay a cluster of now-ancient ruins, a colony that had not survived like Arth’s had. “And there it is…” she murmured to herself, “… a little piece of the Old Empire.”

In what had once been the Colony Control Centre, on sheets of plas-film yellowed with age, they discovered the fate of the colony. Small furry creatures delivered as cute pets for the colonists by a passing trader had devoured the colony’s stock of hyper-triticale, a staple foodstuff for many colonies, leading to mass starvation.

Still, they now had a lead: astronavigation coordinates to follow up on. Perhaps at this ‘Colony Control’, they might find the locations of other prime colony worlds for Arth’s refugees to settle on.

They had gone but a handful of light-years toward ‘Colony Control’ when the ship suddenly lurched, turning and spinning uncontrollably. “Report!” Sasha snarled, gripping her command chair’s armrests as the Roger Wilco struggled to maintain its structural integrity. Her stomach also struggled to hold down the contents of her lunch.

“We’re being pulled into a space-time vortex!” chittered Velooz, equally rattled. The view of space ahead of them on the viewscreen twisted and roiled like space itself was being reshaped in real-time. The navigator watched in horror as their spatial coordinates relative to Arth and the galactic core changed randomly.

And then it was all over, as abruptly as it had begun.

Sasha breathed a sigh of relief as the groan of the hull under extreme stress died away. She looked up, eyeing the cluster of five stars on her command console’s local starmap. They were… elsewhere. “Where are we?” she asked hoarsely, her stomach finally settling down.

“Cht-cht, we’re… here,” Velooz reported, snapping her mandibles sharply as she fed her nav data to the captain. “99 by 82.”

Bloop-bloop!

“Unidentified vessels on the scanner, captain!”

Spex’s voice held both nervousness and excitement. Sasha inhaled through her nostrils, exhaling slowly to keep her voice smooth and level despite her own spike of anxiety; were they friend or foe? “What do you have for us on them, Mr Spex? And Ms Sunblush? Stand ready to open a communication channel. All known languages.”

Aye, captain.”

The alien vessel was in visual range now, and it was big. Really big, almost over 100 times the mass of the Roger Wilco. Awe filled the crew as they beheld the space-capable titan. It was like a vast asteroid; its purple hull had a rock-like structure and appearance.

“Channel open, Captain.”

Sasha leaned forward in her chair, not once taking her eyes off the behemoth as she delivered the standard greeting.

What she received back amounted to a static-riven gurgle of only partially translated words – and a video signal from the captain of the asteroidal starship. An unfamiliar and somehow angry-looking aquatic squid-like creature glowered at them against the backdrop of bubbling water. The tone of the alien’s voice had certainly sounded angry, too.

Sasha frowned as she struggled to pick out decipherable words from the transmission. “Could you, uh, clear that up a bit, Ms Sunblush?” she asked as she replayed it a third time. Appalled? They were… appalled at something? Someone?

A shiver passed through the plantoid comms officer as she processed it through her own auditory organs and the ship’s linguistics computer. “It’s the best I can do, Captain,” she trilled defensively. “I’ve never heard a language like this before. It does not match anything like we have on Arth.”

“Well, uh, transmit this and let’s hope for the best,” Sasha said, gravelly, leaning forward again to regard the aquatic being’s video image. “As representatives of the people of Arth, we extend our best wishes and hope for equitable relations in the future.”

Another, even angrier-sounding message came back in response. Sunblush rippled in frustration – and a little fear. “Something else too about air-breathers… and… repent…” she reported. “They’re annoyed at us, Captain. I just don’t know…”

“They’ve raised their shields… They’ve got a weapon lock!”

Flashes of light erupted across the viewscreen, and the Roger Wilco lurched and shook as bolts of energy slammed into the hull. “Shields up!” Sasha yelled, picking herself up off the floor. “Get us out of here, Ms Velooz!”

“Aye, Captain! Coming about!”

There was no chance they could win a battle against a monster like that. Not with only basic armour and weaponry. For the sake of her ship and crew, she had to flee and hope that her ship was more nimble – and that Velooz’s piloting skills were up to the task.

The smaller vessel weaved as its engines burned like they had never done so before, putting incremental amounts of distance between them and the larger, slower vessel. The shields glowed and threatened to buckle as a couple of shots connected. Sweat beaded Captain McAuliffe’s brow as the seconds and then minutes dragged by. Then the warp drive flared to life as they put enough space between them and the massive vessel.

“We made it!”

Sasha grinned in relief, leaning back in her chair and thumping an armrest good-naturedly. “Good work, Ms Velooz. Mr Spex?”

“Aye, Captain?”

“Chart that vortex and get us back to home space, now.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Sasha leaned back, bracing herself for the nauseating vortex transition. It seemed space beyond Arth could be dangerous. What else would they encounter on their next voyage? Who else? And would they be able to save their homeworld and its people?

Only time would tell.

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I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this adventure log. It was a lot of fun to write, and it’s an example of the little narratives you can build up with your crew. Starflight is a role-playing game at heart, and it gives you the tools for some amazing space adventures.

If you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to support me in writing more long-form features, Pages of the Past, and Adventure Logs, then you can do so on my Patreon, via Kofi, or by picking up copies of my digital zine, Between the Scanlines.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time!