6: the dogs are dead

Good job back there at Nutbas. It looks like you were the only one of your team to make it through the Icarian tunnels alive. We're here on the front line, we're holding our own but we won't be able to keep this up forever. Since you managed to get into the Icarian fortress we'll have to give you the mission directives. Somewhere in the fortress you're in is a man named Ortiz. He's the general of the Icarian forces on this moon, and if he succeeds Icarus may take control of this moon. Our Intelligence indicates there are ruins of an advanced alien race on this mysterious moon. The republic of Icarus cannot be allowed to reap any benefits of the alien technology. Kill Ortiz at all costs.

To these means we have purchased a large number of weapons on the UESG surplus market. We have also procured a MMg-X4 type teleporter. We are running experriments now and estimate we will be able to teleport (!) weapons to you soon. It is ,however, too soon to begin transporting organic material [Read as: Backup troops] so you'll have to make due on your own. On a side note we should be able to communicate with most of the computer interface terminals in the fortress now that you've inserted the de-scrambler chip. <<Weapons breifing follows>>

Well that's about it. Go kill Ortiz. Cmdr. Trent, over and out.

******************************************* *Until completeion of evacuation directive* *#44 standard type 7 short-range organic * *and non-organic teleport approved. * ******************************************* ******************************************* *Prepare for teleport. Auto sequence * *engaged, buffers online. Sequence begin. * *Teleport now..... * ******************************************* **************** **RRe%778hnn28** **uunn^993n>>,** **)),>>,u^%6v2** ****************

Lt. Monroe, FCU IAG Icarus Progress report to General Ortiz #004 Latest excavations have yeilded a greater result that we could have hoped for. We've struck a large chamber, labeled on the sattellite Ultra scan as Jh-12, which contains many "structures". We have yet to determine what is within the constructed buildings we've found but it is clear that no living being has been down here in thousands of years. In other news we have discovered why alpha band transmissions have been scattering when sent by or to this moon. There is a kind of energy field down here more powerful than previously believed possible. Further investigation is warranted.

Lt. Monroe, FCU IAG Icarus Progress report to General Ortiz #005 We've discovered some cleverly hidden passages which are clearly not natural. They seem to have been carved out of the rock using a type of excavating process which is beyond us. The utter perfection of the tunnels in their square shape indicates a precice hand cut the passages. Perhaps this was done by somekind of computer program, we simply do not know. PFC Maya Ruiz discovered some moss growing on a pile of rock which fell from the ceiling. It seem incomprehensible that anything could survive in this stale envoronment. I suggest the general requsitions a Astro-Biologist to further study the moss. If Tyermoplyae invades as Chandel suggests we may have to retreat into the ruins as a precaution.

Lt. Monroe, FCU IAG Icarus Progress report to General Ortiz #006 The past week has been exciting to say the least. We followed the tunnels as far as we could go, clearing rock slides as was needed, and we fould another large area. Although smaller than the previous chamber, and not as refined as the entryway, this new site is revealing secrets already. We found the slightly damaged remains of a robotic "drone". It appears that it was devices such as this which carved out the tunnels and passageways so perfectly. We have discovered what appears to be a door leading into one of the structures, this may be a way into the network of buildings which are so numerous down here.

Lt. Monroe, FCU IAG Icarus Progress report to General Ortiz #007 We did it. We broke through the door today and into what at first appeared to be a storage building network. After about ten minutes we reached the end, careful not to damage anything, and we found a truly awe inspiring sight. The latest structure is made out of what appears to be brick(!) and it has no door. There is a functional terminal here, it displays a repeated message in about a thousand different languages. Most are known, latin, greek and Sumerian, but a few are completely alien. Although age has degraded most of the Read Only message we have a partial translation courtsy of PFC Ruiz: "%#^ Violat*$%n@! ot)**&%##@$9 Danger" the rest is gibberish generated by decaying wires and buffers older than the human race.

Lt. Monroe, FCU IAG Icarus Progress report to General Ortiz #008 While attempting to repair the damaged terminal down here PFC Ruiz noticed a faint humming noise eminating from behind a wall near the structure. She and PFC Blakeman attempted to do a ultrasound of the wall to dissern what was behind it, only to be shunted into comas due to reverbarating sound waves shooting through their craniums. Tommorrow we will detonate a small ammount of TNT near the wall to try and open the way to whatevers behind it. Perhaps we shall discover why there are so many containment forcefeilds in the immediate area. We will remote detonate the TNT from the surface at 0700hrs tommorrow. Ammendment: Detonation commensed as planned but when Sgt. Pozz jumped into the dark pit we heard only a splash and a scream. He says he injured his leg on a underwater rock and a plan to rescue his is underway as I write this. The command has informed the general that Thermoplyae has broken our defense line at Nutbas and will be here soon. We must hurry to find some secret of this place which might save us.

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