This level is your first serious test to seeing whether you can go on in this game. This level is deceptively easy at first glance. However, when you see the reactor room, you better be on your guard since this "reactor" is the most dangerous "reactor" at this point in the game. 

• The only warning that I will emphasize here is the reactor room. To prevent spoiling the surprise, I think that I won't harp on this room until the proper time.

Opening Room

The opening room is guarded by three Class 1 Drones. Sounds rather lax for a hard level like this? :-)

There are homing missiles in this room. If you are out of homing missiles from the last level, pick them up, but don't use them...yet.

There are two doors leading to weapons caches.
 
 

• The blue door leads to an impressive array of weapons, including several missiles, two cloaking devices, proximity bombs, and a Spreadfire Cannon. All this is guarded by several Small Hulks, Medium Hulks, and Class 2 Drones. The Spreadfire Cannon is guarded by a trap with Class 2 Drones...caution is advised. However, you cannot access the yellow key from this area.
• The other door leads to a collection of vulcan ammo, vulcan cannons, and laser powerups. This area is mostly lava and is guarded by Class 1 Drones.

There are two doors as indicated on the map in another wing of this area, which is guarded by two Class 2 Drones and a Medium Lifter. One of the doors will lead you to the blue key, and the other will lead you to the red door. Theoretically, you can also get the blue key from that corridor, but is far more dangerous and is not recommended.

This blue key is very lightly guarded. This key is guarded by two Class 2 Drones in the corridors leading to the room and the two Class 2 Drones and Medium Hulk inside the extra life room. Just grab the key and run from the room through the corridor indicated to go to the correct blue door. This will also give you access to the weapons cache located in the opening room.

The extra life should be obtained after the enemies are destroyed. This extra life is relatively easy to get...some of the extra lifes in the later levels are impossible to get without losing a life.

There is an energy generator in this area.

This key is guarded by two cloaked Medium Lifters, a Spider Processing Robot, and a Super Hulk.  The U-shaped passage way is where you will meet most of the enemies of this room. The actual room is made of lava, and is guarded by the Super Hulk. It will attack as soon as you enter the room. You must destroy it before you can pick up the key. Be aware that the room is small enough that you can be easily taken out by a Homing Missile's blast radius. In addition, pick up the shield powerup located in this room after you destroy the Super Hulk.

This area is guarded by great amount of Small Hulks and Class 1 Drones, which will be floating around the labyrinth of corridors. Some of the Small Hulks will drop shield powerups when you destroy them, and there are also some free standing shield powerups.

The red key is located in a little room isolated from the rest of the labyrinth. It is guarded by a Class 1 Drone and a Super Hulk. The best approach to the key is from where you first enter the labyrinth at the vertical recess.

The hostages are also located in this area...they will be discussed next.

When you enter the hostage area, you will come under immediate attack from a Spider Processing Robot and a Super Hulk(ugh! how many more of those blasted Super Hulks does one have to face, anyway?) Destroy them and find a recess in the floor. That will be a secret door that will lead you to the hostages.

There is a cloaking device located in this secret area guarded by a Medium Hulk.

You may not want to rescue the hostages if you are not certain that you will be able to get out of the level with your life. You may just rescue the hostages anyway, since you may get lucky.... 

When you enter this room, the red door will shut behind you and lock. Once you enter this room and the door closes, there is no return. There is no item what one would consider "a reactor" in this level. Instead, you have a boss robot. This robot has ten times the resistance of a Super Hulk, the most dangerous enemy you have met so far. The robot's weaponry is two smart missile launchers. On the insane level, the robot will fire them continuously. The smart missile alone has the damage potential of a concussion or a homing missile, but the plasma trackers on the missile have a damage potential of 35 points per tracker at the Rookie level. With six trackers(210 points damage potential if all six trackers hit), there is a potential to lose a life with just one mistake in this level. This robot is also capable of cloaking and teleporting at will. In addition, this robot is guarded by four Class 1 Drillers and four Super Hulks.

Looks like the odds are against you in this room. The most important thing in this level is your sliding and circling skills. These will be the items that will enable you to defeat this room, one of the hardest reactor rooms in the game.

I have seen many approaches to defeating this room. Here's a list:

1. Get the upgrade to version 1.4a. This room is easier to beat in version 1.4a than in 1.0.
2. If you have the shareware version, this is the last level you will face. If you manage to defeat the minions without losing very many shields and all you have left is the boss robot, you can attempt to ram him with your ship to the outer area of the ring and start firing your spreadfire cannon while ramming him. This will only work with the Trainee difficulty level, and you will lose almost all your shields doing so. If you get down below 25% shields using this method, abandon this method immediately and use another method.
3. I have known somebody to defeat the boss robot from the corridor which you entered this room. How does he do it, I really can't fathom.
4. I have also known people to find a way to keep the red door open and grab shield powerups and other weapons and making surprise attacks in the room.
5. Interplay suggests that you circle the room with sliding and using your homing missiles to destroy the drillers, and ignoring the Super Hulks. You essentially take pot shots against the boss robot until he is destroyed, and you do not stop. This approach is feasible only is you have good endurance with your fingers or if you have a very good joystick, since if you stop while the plasma trackers are heading toward you, you are essentially blown to smithereens. This is the recommended method on Ace difficulty level.
6. (My method-Trainee and Rookie levels only) When you enter the room, immediately head for the door in the tower and fire one or two homing homing missiles to get some drillers out of the way. Go into the door, and hide inside the passage. Open the door, and you will see two or three Super Hulks in front of you. Use any primary weapon desired to destroy the Super Hulks, and use homing missiles for any drillers that come along. If you see any missiles firing, immediately duck back into the corridor. Once you have all drillers destroyed and at least three Super Hulks destroyed, immediately grab the shield powerups and the missiles that you are lacking. Then, go the the alcove with the cloaking device and immediately attack the boss robot with your lasers or spreadfire cannon in combination with your missiles. Silde if you see any missiles being fired.

If you get locked on by the plasma trackers, immediately slide in all directions while accelerating. This will throw the trackers out of lock. Keep repeating this method, and hopefully, you can get out with your hostages.

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