"The Big Floaty Thing What Kicks Our Asses"
A number of terminal picts contain text relevant to the Marathon 2 Story. Michael Hanson <hanson@cs.stanford.edu> provides the text for part of the Juggernaut pict (pict. resource 12602).
The mailed fist of Battle Group 7's air combat wing
is the 723rd Heavy Air Cavalry, armed with the Dreaded
Utfoo Heavy Assault Craft. The World Killers, led
by Aohl Tfear, are personally responsible for routing
the combined planetary armed forces of Nebulon as well
as handing general humiliating defeats to the Nar.
In the rather unwieldly language of the Nar it is
called "Gaze in Stunned Disbelief at the Tool of
Our Destruction." In Nebulonese it is known as "The
Big Floaty Thing What Kicks Our Asses." I believe
the Phfor call them Juggernauts.
Yes I think I would have to agree with the Nebulons ;-)
Update: see below for a more accurate deciphering of this text.
Gabe Rosenkoetter <acrosenk@artsci.wustl.edu> provides the text from
the Simulacrum pict (pict. resource 11812).
Words with [?] are not clear. Genitalia is also spelt as given in the pict.
SUB-STANDARD PFHOR OPTICAL
ORAL BONE-HUBS[?] RECEPTOR ORBS[?]
NON-TERRAN INTERNAL HYPER-EXPLOSIVE
ORGANS/DUCT WORK GENETIC IMPLANT
BINARY PODIAL DIGITS EXTERNAL GENITAILIA
SANS CHITINOUS COVER NOT PRESENT
Benjamin Elgin <belgin@osiris.ac.hmc.edu> writes concerning the
text in the Juggernaut pict (pict. resource 12602).
"I'd always read it as "Adml Tfear" (i.e. Admiral Tfear) rather that "Aohl Tfear". Makes sense to me..."
Well I must admit after straining my eyes once more over this pic I would also tend to agree it does look like Adml. We know from a terminal on "Bob's Big Date" that Tfear was an Admiral. So the abbreviation Adml does make sense.
So did Tfear have a first name?You must hurry. The Pfhor fleet is close enough that I can identify its flagship as the battleship Khfiva. If the Khfiva is still admiral Tfear's vessel then there is no chance that I can best him in the coming battle. Tfear is a brilliant strategist and the Pfhor's oldest active admiral. I'm sure his list of decorations and victories would only bore you, so get back to work.<Bob's Big Date (Terminal 4: 1st message)>
Brian Jaeger <pepino@indy.net> points out that in the
Simulacrum pict (pict. resource 11812) from Marathon 2 the text should
read:
SUB-STANDARD ORAL BONE NUBSand
HYPER-EXPLOSIVE CYBERNETIC IMPLANT
Loren Petrich <petrich@netcom.com> provides the pict text for the second
terminal on "Ne Cede Malis"
Vacuum Seal 37 MAG X 14 MARATHON INFIVACB 52796.COLIN ORIGINAL DESIGN: M. DAVID LONGO: GRATITUDE EXPRESSED TO GREG KIRKPATRICK RANDY THE SMARTY PANTS 1234567890 CHRIS GEISEL MORETEXT -QUITE A LOOSE OPERATION MARATHON RULES ALL PLAYERS RULE: ON TO THE FUTURE *break
In a Story forum post the ever observant MrHen <marathon@mrhen.com> points out that the last line of the pict text on the second
terminal on "Ne Cede Malis" should read .;break, not *break.
The full correct text is therefore:
Vacuum Seal 37 MAG X 14 MARATHON INFIVACB 52796.COLIN ORIGINAL DESIGN: M. DAVID LONGO: GRATITUDE EXPRESSED TO GREG KIRKPATRICK RANDY THE SMARTY PANTS 1234567890 CHRIS GEISEL MORETEXT -QUITE A LOOSE OPERATION MARATHON RULES ALL PLAYERS RULE: ON TO THE FUTURE .;break
Callie21V <callie21v@hotmail.com> makes an excellent attempt at deciphering the pict text in the first terminal of Fatum Iustum
Stultorum. It's the one about the S'pht'kr defenders? You can read his account in this Story forum post or directly below.
Original image:
Image with blue channel suppressed and contrast heightened:
Here goes my attempt at deciphering it (undecipherable stuff is denoted by asterisks). Corrections are encouraged. There do appear to be some spelling/grammar errors, as with the other pict text, since this stuff wouldn't receive the same level of proofreading scrutiny as the term messages proper.
[Main paragraph. "Achievement" seems to be missing an "e." Line 2 Word 6 could logically be "pinnacle," but it looks more like it ends in "al." The paragraph does end with an ellipsis, as indicated.]
Defender
The Elite Guard of the Ruling Family of the
[Parts of Defender, clockwise from upper left. The one missing word might be an acronym, like "GPA" or "OPF," although it almost looks like the word "gas." Could SEALED
***
SEMIORGANIC JOINT
MOLECULARLY ALIGNED
FOCUSED PLASMA BEAM
ANTIGRAVITON
ENVIRONMENT
HYPERWAVE
S'pht'Kr Elite Guard
Powered Armor
S'pht'Kr are equipped with the ******** of S'pht
technological achievment - the powered armor
******** ******* ** ** Defender. *** ** *******
with a fusion generator that in turn powers its
anti-graviton generator, ************ drive, and
the devastating focused plasma beam. Many
other features too numerous to list are contained
within its molecularly aligned ceramic armor.
Among others this includes the truly amazing
******* field projector...
ENVIRONMENTAL
CHAMBER
PROJECTOR
ELEMENT
CONECTION INTERFACE
CERAMIC PLATE
FOCUSING LENS
FOCUSING
PYLON
INTERARCTION BEAM
PROJECTOR
NETWORK
ANTENNA
McNutcase <mcnutcase@gmail.com> in a Story forum post takes a new look
at the Juggernaut pict (pict. resource 12602) in Marathon 2 and starts an interesting relook at the Juggernaut text.
Two errors are noted in the original deciphering. Firstly the word 'general' should be 'several' and the word 'Pfhor' is incorrect, it is in fact a four letter word. In another post Document suggests that the four letter word may be 'Bobs'. Which does make sense.
Thus the full text now reads:
The mailed fist of Battle Group 7's air combat wing
is the 723rd Heavy Air Cavalry, armed with the Dreaded
Utfoo Heavy Assault Craft. The World Killers, led
by Adml Tfear, are personally responsible for routing
the combined planetary armed forces of Nebulon as well
as handing several humiliating defeats to the Nar.
In the rather unwieldly language of the Nar it is
called "Gaze in Stunned Disbelief at the Tool of
Our Destruction." In Nebulonese it is known as "The
Big Floaty Thing What Kicks Our Asses." I believe
the Bobs call them Juggernauts.
In terms of the Warpeado pic. He suggests the following:
Warpeado
The Warpeado was
especially built
to rip the Nebulon
war ?machine? a new
asshole. It is a
high yield neutron
bomb propelled by
a single stage
solid fuel rocket.
It's ?caused? the
passing of many
a Nebulon...
it'll do you an
injury, mate!
The N-Cannon pic text proves much more elusive
N-Cannon
The sheer ??????
pulses ??????
????????? ??????
was ????????????
the N-Cannon
?????? the ? ? ?
Nebulon pulse
?? ????? ???????
It is a ??????,
???? ?????.
Versions of the
????????? ??????
?????? the
?????? ????????
units ?????