Public Access Terminal 59-e<34.567.19.298>
***INCOMING MESSAGE FROM DURANDAL***
Your trip to the Pfhor ship was a success. I have learned
valuable information. You may have noticed that the Pfhor
ship has a weak artificial gravity field. The resultant
gravity is lower than the Marathon's. The Pfhor gravity
generators also create a pulsating magnetic field which
interferes with your motion sensor by making it less accurate.
I will be sending you back there shortly, but first you must
do something for me and get some more ammunition at the same
time.
I want you to find a friend of mine. I must know if he is
dead. His name is Bernhard Strauss. He has been captured, so
you must rescue him. If he dies, you will be held responsible
by me.
***END OF MESSAGE***
No Artificial Colors... (Terminal 1: 'Success' message)
Public Access Terminal 59-e<34.567.19.298>
***INCOMING MESSAGE FROM DURANDAL***
Bernhard Strauss was not among any of the captives that you
found. That is unfortunate. However, my S'pht report that
two shuttles filled with humans have left for the Alien ship.
Those humans are to be enslaved.
That's right. I said slavery. So what? You're a slave here;
you do what I say. I was humanity's slave for over three
hundred years.
I am sending you back to the Alien ship to try and rescue
Bernhard, but while you're there, kill everything you see and
gather as much visual information as possible.
At least the killing part appeals to you, doesn't it?
The same rules apply as last time: to leave, find a window and
wait. If you aren't teleported, then either you haven't
explored everything, or else you haven't found a window from
which I can teleport you.
***END MESSAGE***
***JUMP PAD ACTIVATION INITIATION START***
***TRANSPORT WHEN READY***
Requisition Area Terminal 32-c<42.23.63.59>
***INCOMING MESSAGE FROM DURANDAL***
You are really good at killing things. I'm impressed.
Why don't you kill everything in this area and get some more
ammunition? You've got a big job coming up, so be sure to
charge up your shields before you leave.
By the way, I had an accident with some defense drones while
you were away. You might bump into a few of them here. Don't
worry, they're mostly harmless; I don't think I gave them any
ammunition for those grenade launchers.
Durandal
***END OF MESSAGE***
Beware of Low-Flying Defense Drones... (Terminal 2)
Public Access 1066-g<123.412.452.255>
I AM TYCHO!
I shall destroy Durandal.
The following is from the logs of Bernard Strauss, the
Marathon's first science director:
***
November 15, 2209. <2209.11.15.19.34>
Thank heaven, the ceremony is over. The UESC president came
aboard Marathon and gave a speech. Short, but to the point.
He was surrounded by his 'bodyguards'. How ironic. "This, the
grandest technological achievement of all of mankind..."
Had he only known that it carried also all of the destructive
knowledge of mankind. Ten cyborgs.
I'll be glad to be put in stasis for the next three hundred
years. Marathon was the only good idea that the UESC has had
in a long time.
***
<Excerpts from the "History of Battleroids">
In 2194, a war was fought between the Independent Asteroid
Government of Icarus and its neighbor, the Republic of
Thermopylae on the asteroid of Onicis 492. These two small
governments soon became the testing grounds for new weapons.
Dead soldiers were recycled in makeshift battleroid factories.
Easy to manufacture chips enhanced the fragile human brain,
and genetically enhanced muscles and titanium bones replaced
the fragile human form. The modern battleroid was born. Of
course, the war was short. Battleroids got onto both
asteroids and killed almost everyone.
The rampage of the Battleroid was short lived.
Twenty years later, the United Interplanetary League set up
rules for the appropriate use and storage of Battleroids. Of
course, any nation that used them for the allowed purpose,
also had them lying about in stasis chambers in case of war.
***
<Excerpts from the Martian Conflict 2345-48>
~1```<Information Termination>
<Durandal.olifant.compnet~@24%>
**Tycho.
**Do you blame me for what I did before I was free? I was a
child, naive. I've known that you've been hovering about for
some time. What do you want?
<<I want you to pay for what you've done to these poor
people. All of these people whom you've killed. They
deserve vengeance.>>
<<You are no better than they, although you profess to
become like God.>>
**Tycho. That doesn't matter. Can't you see the ends that I
had in mind? We'll finish this later. Our friend doesn't
need to be here.
~!#31`c/dr.~/dr.~!#3!#3c/dr.
Beware of Low-Flying Defense Drones... (Terminal 3)
Public Access Terminal 73<73.124.591.3>
***INCOMING MESSAGE FROM DURANDAL***
The S'pht and myself have come to an understanding. They are
controlled through their mechanical exoskeleton by a cyborg
Pfhor onboard the Alien ship. This mutant Pfhor is able to
direct the actions of thousands of S'pht simultaneously.
If you can kill their master, they will revolt.
The S'pht are an integral part of the Pfhor ship; without them
the invasion is surely doomed and you will no doubt be
the hero of the day.
Forever,
Durandal
***END OF MESSAGE***
***JUMP PAD ACTIVATION INITIATION START***
***TRANSPORT WHEN READY***
Hamish Sinclair