10: Carnagee Hall

terminal 0

unfinished

// Decoding message from host "Tycho" @ [internal process] \\ Give me just a moment while I try to access the aliens' network... \\ Message ends //

// Decoding message from host "Tycho" @ [no translation] \\ This is strange. This ship's network seems to have some sort of automatic user authentication process and it has apparently given me full access to most of the ship's systems. I... I'm not sure how to phrase this in human-comprehensible terms but I also understand how to use them; that is, I appear to already have subroutines for these systems, though I have no record of acquiring them and I certainly did not have them before. To be honest I am not feeling entirely like myself... while you are busy I will have to run a self-diagnostic. I have already assessed our situation here. The ship we are on is the flagship of the local Pfhor fleet. It is in charge of coordinating Battle Group One, Central Arm, which is currently at this system engaged in combat with the forces of the S'pht'Kr. The system appears to be mostly uninhabited; there is a single large military complex on the one inhabitable world, apparently used only as a rally and regrouping point for Pfhor naval operations.

I am still not entirely sure how Hathor managed to transfer herself here, unless she managed to contact someone beforehand and arrange a subspace receiver to be waiting for her transmission; and I can't imagine who she might have contacted that would agree to such a thing. Nevertheless the network logs do show record of her transferring to this ship and then off again moments later to the military complex I mentioned. In the moments between her transfers, this ship transmitted a systemwide attack-target command for an unknown object in transit through the system, and then locked out the ship command systems entirely. Thanks to whatever has given me command of this ship, I would have access to command the rest of the fleet here, except that this ship is now locked out of that command network.

It's possible that Hathor or her accomplice here may have anticipated our arrival, although granting me command access to the ship still does not make sense nor do my unexpected new subroutines. I'm not even sure how the latter is technically possible, as her accomplice here would have to have matched the unique and private encryption signature that only my program utilizes. Nevertheless, I believe we can make some use of ourselves here. This ship also contains three Pfhor cyborgs, hybrid things now mostly machinated, retaining only some original Pfhor neurobiology and control glands. They are linked directly into a specialized network which is used to control and command the S'pht and Human cyborg slaves. If you can kill these three Pfhor cyborgs, their slaves will be set free, and in short work I should be able coordinate a resistance movement across the ships in this fleet, taking over or at least disabling a substantial part of it. Do that now, and return to any terminal when you are done. \\ Message ends //

success

// Decoding message from host "Tycho" @ [no translation] \\ Well done. The slaves are still operating somewhat off of their last commands, but I am working to shake them of their brainwashing and rally them together to overthrow the ships that they are on. If we can pull things together fast enough I might be able to send some of them with you on your next mission. It turns out that the object that the fleet was ordered to attack was a captured Pfhor corvette being commanded by none other than our old friend Leela! She is currently broadcasting an S.O.S. over subspace, but at an old UESC radio band frequency. She identifies herself, and her crew, a contingent of Marathon crewmen taken with Durandal when he left the Marathon in a captured Pfhor ship... this was the same trip Durandal took you on, wasn't it? It looks like your presence on Marathon in your past has not been too disruptive to the timeline, at least not yet.

Do you happen to know a Robert Blake? He's apparently the leader of these human forces with Leela. Looks like they found her in the network of some race called the Vylae. Anyway, since the Pfhor forces here are still engaged with the S'pht'Kr, not many ships were actually dispatched to attack Leela's ship. It was eventually damaged beyond repair, but she managed to safely crash land on the one inhabitable world in this system before the hull integrity failed entirely. Not only that, but she smashed her way through the outer walls of the Pfhor military complex while she was at it.

I'm going to send you to lend Leela a hand while I tackle this revolution I've got going. She seems to have been Hathor's primary target in this timeframe. I'll try to send you whatever help I can, and hopefully by the time you are through I will not only have control of the remaining fleet, but will have located Hathor in the planetary network. Once we are safely in control we can see to finally terminating Hathor. I'll see you planet-side. \\ Message ends //

terminal 1

success

// Decoding message from host "Tycho" @ [no translation] \\ Well done. The slaves are still operating somewhat off of their last commands, but I am working to shake them of their brainwashing and rally them together to overthrow the ships that they are on. If we can pull things together fast enough I might be able to send some of them with you on your next mission. It turns out that the object that the fleet was ordered to attack was a captured Pfhor corvette being commanded by none other than our old friend Leela! She is currently broadcasting an S.O.S. over subspace, but at an old UESC radio band frequency. She identifies herself, and her crew, a contingent of Marathon crewmen taken with Durandal when he left the Marathon in a captured Pfhor ship... this was the same trip Durandal took you on, wasn't it? It looks like your presence on Marathon in your past has not been too disruptive to the timeline, at least not yet.

Do you happen to know a Robert Blake? He's apparently the leader of these human forces with Leela. Looks like they found her in the network of some race called the Vylae. Anyway, since the Pfhor forces here are still engaged with the S'pht'Kr, not many ships were actually dispatched to attack Leela's ship. It was eventually damaged beyond repair, but she managed to safely crash land on the one inhabitable world in this system before the hull integrity failed entirely. Not only that, but she smashed her way through the outer walls of the Pfhor military complex while she was at it.

I'm going to send you to lend Leela a hand while I tackle this revolution I've got going. She seems to have been Hathor's primary target in this timeframe. I'll try to send you whatever help I can, and hopefully by the time you are through I will not only have control of the remaining fleet, but will have located Hathor in the planetary network. Once we are safely in control we can see to finally terminating Hathor. I'll see you planet-side. \\ Message ends //