Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter

Story

Players of the original game are never told the hero's name, but are prompted to type in their own. The default name "Roger Wilco" - a reference to the radio call "Roger, Will Comply" - became the de facto name of the hero in the later games of the series. Roger's name was fitting in that, in keeping with his portrayal as an "everyman," he took his name from the fake radio call. If someone says "Wilco" or "will comply," "Roger" (or "received") is assumed. It is not necessary to say "Roger, Wilco" and that is considered the sign of an amateur in aviation circles. Roger is a member of the cleaning crew aboard the scientific starship Arcada, which houses a powerful experimental device called the "Star Generator" (a barely concealed reference to the Genesis device from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). Roger awakens after a nap in a broom closet to find that the ship has been boarded and taken possession of by the sinister Sariens. Using a keycard found in the body of a dead crew member, he finds his way to an escape pod and escapes from the Arcada. After crash landing, he finds himself in the dry and barren wasteland of the planet Kerona. After making his way through the desert and an underground cave system, he receives an order from an insectoid alien to kill a monstrous creature called Orat. After successfully completing this task, he returns to the alien and presents him with a piece of Orat's flesh as proof of his success. As a reward, the alien lets him into an underground complex inhabited by more aliens, and hands Roger a skimmer, a small flying vehicle that glides a few feet over the sandy ground (similar to the landspeeder in Star Wars). The alien tells Roger that there is a city where he can travel to find a way off the planet. After crossing a rocky part of the planet, Roger reaches the town of Ulence Flats and goes to the local bar. While playing a video slot machine, Roger wins enough money to buy a spaceship and a navigation droid. He learns from a bar patron where the Sariens' spaceship, the Deltaur, is located and flies to the coordinates. He then infiltrates the ship by, among other things, using his jetpack, dodging a droid, climbing into a ventilation shaft, locking himself in a trunk, getting stuck in a washing machine, disguising himself as a Sarien by wearing one of the Sarien uniforms, and other tactful, creative methods. He then finds a way to the star generator, programs it to self-destruct, and escapes the ship just before it explodes. At the end of the game, Roger's efforts are rewarded when he receives the Golden Mop as a token of eternal gratitude from the Xenon people.