The first job today was to set out to sort out the lens towers – they are all marked on the map so there is no problem finding them. I’ve been to one already and seen it was covered in weeds. I tracked back to the 1893 landing ship and picked up the weedkiller I’d ignored earlier first, then set off to have a look at the other two towers. The first had a smashed lens – this sounded like a job for our glass expert Tiffany so I picked that up.

The next tower was missing its motor – a broken one was in inside a building nearby so I took that also.

Tiffany fixes the lens in no time.

And back in Olympus Edison does the same for the motor.

Now I have to walk back to all the 3 towers fixing them – first the motor. It takes a bit of time to figure out exactly where I need to be stood to get this to work but I get there in the end.

Replacing the lens is the same procedure near enough.

Finally I use the weedkiller on the 3rd tower and then go into the control room nearby. I have to enter alignment coordinates – I got a hint way back about using the time here so I get the time from my pocket watch and sure enough that works.

Sherman pipes up about a pumping station which we could now use to fill the canals so I go to have a look.

As soon as I walk near an interesting looking valve my party gets steamed to death. I think I’ll come back here later.

Instead I go to have a look at this laboratory. It takes some finding but is directly north of the NW most martian city.

In it I find a robot gem cutter who apparently needs some radium to be able to cut gems.

Once cut these gems form the heartstone for the martian prototype body. I have some radium I’ve been carrying around so I put that in. I don’t have a gem though so I need to find some azurite. Hearst was into gems so I’ll try him.

The prototype body is in the lab ready to go as soon as I get this heartstone.

Hearst does have some azurite..

but won’t give me it unless I do him a favour in typical adventure game style. He sent a photographer to get a photo of the cannon but he never came back. Rather than look for him himself, I’ve got to do it apparently. I picked the camera up ages ago so I offer it to him.

That isn’t enough – I have to get it developed which means taking the plate to the other side of the world.

Melies develops the photo straight off.

Hearst still isn’t happy but he gives me the azurite.

Cutter makes me my heartstone. I put it in the body and then carry it all the way to one of the dream machines.

Starting up the machine works and Chsheket is transfered into the body.

Sherman takes his leave.

And is replaced by Chsheket in the party.

Nellie mentions we need to make her look more human and suggests Sarah Bernhardt so I head for Olympus.

Apparently there is a machine we can use to spray a rubber flesh like substance onto the body but we need some rouge berries to dye it the right colour. I’ve seen the machine in the pumping station already. The rouge berries are in Argyre which is the one place I haven’t been so I head there next.

As I was probably told way back at the start of the game, I ‘m locked out of Argyre by a big metal barrier. Its conveniently next to a canal which puts me in mind of that barge with the cannons. First I’ll need to fill the canals again so its back to the pumping station.

I send Chsheket through on her own. Being metal the steam doesn’t affect her and she is able to restart the pumping station.

All the canals are full again and there is a convenient barge just outside. This is just a little one without cannons so I sail it off towards the big one.

On the way I’m attacked by my first canal worm. These aren’t as tough as they look but Spector does take some hits.

The bigger barge has a rail track down the middle which has got to be a clue. I still have the problem of the iron ore – I decide to head for the iron mines on the way back.

Sure enough the rail tracks match up when I get to the mine.

I use the drill I rescued Shermann with earlier to mine for some iron ore. This I shovel into a cart which I push back to the barge.

I sail it to the Olympus mines and push the cart all the way to Carnegie who can now finish his cannon apparently. All we need now is some of the explosive from the 1893 ship to propel the ship back again to Earth which he asks me to fetch.

I’m running out of tasks now  – I just need to fetch those berries and get the explosive. There is still the matter of the possessed humans at Argyre though so I expect I’m not all that near the end yet. I’ll have a go at finishing this off tommorow night but have a feeling I may need another day.