Now that things have cooled off, I think introductions are in order: I am Commander Vadzan, leader of the remaining human forces around this planet. You may or may not remember your trip to Tau Ceti being rudely interrupted by alien warriors. You and everyone else here are prisoners taken from the Marathon and re-awakened from stasis. To pass the time, we've been assembling space-hulks and weapons, and scouring the planet for any way back to UESC space. We have been setting up here for a few weeks nows, leaking in some ammunition and weapons on covert missions, but we couldn't find anyone with the gumption to go ahead and use them. That's where you come in, Marine. This is an old aquatic research facility that has since been shut off from the rest of a larger building due to improper construction. The door was locked to prevent the depressurization that would flood most of the lower levels through a tunnel conjoining the two pieces of the complex. We chose this location not only because of its seclusion, but also because of its proximity to a very curious device...
I highly doubt anyone builds a door that isn't attached to a room. While it may seem risky to activate unknown technology, there is no chance it will fall into the hands of the Pfhor. Strangely enough, this entire planet is covered in automated factories and stations, and there isn't a single living thing watching them. Even the compiliers, after we managed to disable one without destroying it for discection, have no organic components. We simply need you to follow the outside of the tunnel to the north until you reach the main facility, at which point you will look for any system that will power up the device. If it is a portal or transporter of some sort, as we pressume, scout it out and report back here for extraction.
At least there were no surprises in what the device did. It is indeed a portal, and we've compared any data we could retrieve from there with anything in our archives. The only significant match was the cyborgs to the ones the Phfor use. The science and engineering team, who are responsible for reverse-engineering anything we scrap up, always had the sneaking suspiscion that the cyborgs were not originally Pfhor in design. The crew has decided, tenatively, that we are going to build one of these portals ourselves. This could be the key to bringing us back home.
I will be sending you to another installation, where our crew is currently at work putting together another, more reliable portal from spare parts. <JUMP-PAD REQUEST APPROVED> <PRESS [Enter] TO INITIATE JUMP-PAD SEQUENCE TO <'MELTED WIRES LAVAWORKS'>>
<Rendering archive> {{Accessing file: 'EXCHANGE' Scanning } Initializing } :: Log of Arg'zghnthk', Faithful Approximately two months ago, we finished the displacer, and sent forth a reconossaince team fully equipped for vaccuum and hostile enviornments. We have been keeping up the immense power levels to sustain the link since then, since shutting the systen down could randomize the destination, leaving the team stranded. This evening, however, hostile units came out from the other side. Their concentration through such a small point made them tactically vulnerable, but low grade explosives did catch some of the watch off guard. The Admiral has decided that any research to be gained from the remains of enemy was payoff enough for the expedition, and has ordered a system shutdown. A brief memorial service will be held for the team, and next morning all science units are ordered to work double-hours to inspect the enemy's remains ::
Don't mind me, I just work here. ............. I work the trade, when things come in, You give to me, I give back as much as is put in, taking whole until I may give whole. They drowned in tunnels and screamed, but they can't blame me for going through the tunnel in the first place. Where we come from, we don't need to breath, so we lay in the tunnel undisturbed, leaving the trail of lights in empty space, lost forever in infinite ink and specs of paper. Follow the lights with your eyes, follow your eyes with your head, and gaze upon the fruits of the trade, that which is only begotten through the dearest exchange, risen from the tub and left out to dry.
interlevel teleports