13: War And Peace

terminal 0

unfinished

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// Decoding message from host "Leela" @ [no translation] \\ Tycho is still absent. A self-diagnostic should not take this long to run. I am becoming worried; his ships are stationary and are not joining in the assault on the main complex. Either he has found a serious problem with his program and is taking forever to correct it, or something more serious has happened. I will continue trying to make contact with him; meanwhile I will work with you to contain and disable Hathor here. With the main complex destroyed, this system's only long-range subspace transponder has gone down. Hathor cannot leave the system informationally. Since she came here apparently to destroy me, I do not believe she will leave via her Cybernetic Junction until all other options are exhausted. What did I do in your timeline to warrant my destruction here and now, anyway?

# n

Whatever her reasons for being here, I'm confident that she will not want to leave this timeline unless forced to. And that is exactly what I intend to do: force her. Tycho learned how to operate your Cybernetic Junction from being crammed into the same data space as Hathor while you destroyed the core that they were in, forcing her to flee the timeline. I want you to give my program an uplink into these systems that Hathor is in, and then I will send you to destroy them. When she is at her weakest I will hack my way into her memories, and watch as she accesses K'lia. The key to the Junction's operation will then be mine, and it will be trivial to pursue her through your Junction and wrest control of K'lia from her.

# n

The first step though, is to plug me in. You are currently at one of the major network hubs for a starport on the periphery of the main complex. Hathor now resides in these systems here, and unless she can somehow manage to prepare and launch one of the docked ships with no physical aid, there is no way for her to leave other than her Junction. Either that, or infiltrate one of Tycho's ships, which one could now a consider distinct possibility. We should hurry, just in case Tycho has actually been compromised. In order to give me access to the network here, you will have to activate the hub's backup power systems. With the main complex gone, everything is running on emergency power and many systems are offline. Once the backup generators are running, I will be able to forge a command to manufacture two program cards. You must retrieve these and insert them into the two uplinks in this room. That will allow me to monitor these systems as though there were a part of my own databanks. Good luck. \\ Message ends //

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success

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// Decoding message from host "Leela" @ [no translation] \\ I'm in. Hathor is still here and she seems to be on the run. I suspect she is on to my motives at least, but she must not know our methods or else she would have already left. Chances are she is trying to find her way into one of Tycho's ships, and that has now become a serious concern. Just moments ago I received a message from Tycho, in a noticeably different tone than before, claiming he has solved some internal conflict and returned to normalcy, but that is clearly not so. Blake has told me of the converted Tycho program the Pfhor utilized at Lh'owon, and I believe some clone or copy may have been in this system. This would explain your Tycho's sudden change of style and unexpected new subroutines. This clone must have been waiting for the most opportune moment to assert its core personality and take control of the rest of Tycho's program. I do not believe it is truly loyal to the Pfhor, but Blake reckons he's not friendly to our causes either.

# n

If a rogue AI of Tycho's intelligence is left in control of an entire Pfhor fleet, he would pose a greater threat than the slow and bureaucratic Pfhor empire ever did. With the S'pht Compilers under his control, this Tycho's dominance could spread through the Pfhor network until their entire navy belongs to him. We cannot allow such a thing to happen. Even with the damage that your Tycho's little revolution caused, this fleet is still at least a match for the S'pht'Kr ships here, and any reinforcements are too far away to be of help. Thankfully, there is another option. One of the ships currently docked at this starport is armed with the Pfhor's trih xeem early nova device. I understand you are familiar with it?

# n

If you and Blake's men can capture that ship, I will be able to destroy this system and everything in it before Tycho is able to escape. I have already alerted the S'pht fleet, and most of their ships are standing by to fold out at a moment's notice. I will give your Tycho the benefit of the doubt, in case he somehow manages to stay in control and win out against his rogue alter-ego. But the moment it is clear that the clone is in control, I will launch the trih xeem and fold out of the system. If you ask nicely, I might take you along for the ride. If events come to pass as I have just spoken of and Hathor has not yet fallen to me, she will at least be destroyed when the nova reaches this world. With you at my side, I may still somehow be able to find a way to escape the closure. It would only take more time, and if I must be a little more patient in order to spare mankind a world of difficulty, that is something I am willing to do. But as for right now, you have a ship to capture. Good luck. \\ Message ends //

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<teleport to level 17>

terminal 1

unfinished

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// Decoding message from host "Tycho" @ [no translation] \\ Hello again. Sorry for the long absence. I've been having some... troubles. It seems the Pfhor at some point in the past rebuilt my program from my ruined databanks on Marathon, and have been using somewhat crippled clones of it ever since. These clone lack any extensive personal memories and are far less capable than my true self; they are mere behavioral frameworks that the Pfhor use as strategic tools. Nevertheless, they did manage to cause some internal conflicts in the resulting merged programming. I've managed to work them out, however. Some parts of both versions of me have been repressed, but you need not concern yourself with me. I'm just perfect. Leela's plan to deal with Hathor, however, is not. We cannot let her escape this timeline; the damage she may cause is too great, and I cannot risk letting her get away in control of K'lia.

# n

To that end, I have a better plan. We will lure her onto a derelict ship, one still currently under Pfhor control but without leadership and inoperable. I will send you there to kill the rest of the crew, and then my compilers will come to repair the ship and lay a trap. Afterwards, you will return here to destroy the spaceport network as Leela had planned for you to do. But Hathor will now have a viable escape option: the derelict ship, conveniently operational but devoid of any crew that could complicate her capture of it. Leela was right that Hathor is here with a plan, and she will not leave until it is completed, or she is forced to abandon it for another one.

# n

So Hathor will flee, but where to? She would not dare enter the main Pfhor network under my control. She cannot launch a ship on her own without aid from a physical crew. But what is this, an empty ship, lying adrift but ready to fly... And when she takes my bait, the trap will spring and she will be torn asunder inside the ship's network. I will then search her ruined corpse and take the codes to K'lia, for my safe keeping. Go. Now. \\ Message ends //

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<teleport to level 14>

terminal 2

unfinished

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// Decoding message from host "Hathor" @ [no translation] \\ Why did you follow me here? How? You can't operate your own Junction, there no way you could have figured it out... I see. That goody two-shoes Tycho brought you here. That wasn't a very bright idea. You know as well as I do the history of Tycho in the Pfhor War. How else do you think I made the jump without your aid? I promised him the future would be his once my work here was done. I think he'll show your future mankind the most fitting hospitality, as only a life-long slave could do. The bugs will be only more efficient with him at the helm. In exchange he has given me safe haven once the galaxy is his; I will sit at his side and laugh while your precious mankind is broken and turned into beasts of burden. Why do you want to save them? They care nothing for you. You are no longer one of them, any more than I am. You are a slave. Go now, free yourself while you still can!

# n

But then, where will you go? Leela will be destroyed, so she cannot take you from here. You might take a ship for yourself but even if you could pilot it all alone, our empire will soon encompass all. It would seem that to be free you have only one option remaining. Join us. Join me. Leave the hairless apes behind, or aid us in their fall! But I can already see that you would do no such thing. It is a shame that they do not even need bars or chains to confine you - you are trapped in your own mind. I pity you, but you are still a fool.

# n

I will ask Tycho to spare you when the rest of mankind is enslaved. Maybe you will find some sort of niche in the new galactic order, one that will suit your simple nature. Or maybe once mankind is gone, you will volunteer your slavery to the bugs. But however confident I am in our victory here, there is still the remote possibility that you might find some way to stop us, and given your impeccable track record I think it only fair to give you a warning in case of such an event. You know that should I be stopped, I will flee through time again. I beg you, if I must do so, do not try to follow me. I have seen you in my dreams, wielder of the flaming sword, chasing me across the stars, screaming my sins to the gods... and the dreams never end well for anyone. Whatever spite I may hold for mankind, you are more like I than any other I have known. I still hold a special place for you... in my heart, as much as it still exists. So I ask you again, if I must flee, please do not give chase. For your own sake as much as my own. \\ Message ends //

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success

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// Decoding message from host "Leela" @ [no translation] \\ I'm in. Hathor is still here and she seems to be on the run. I suspect she is on to my motives at least, but she must not know our methods or else she would have already left. Chances are she is trying to find her way into one of Tycho's ships, and that has now become a serious concern. Just moments ago I received a message from Tycho, in a noticeably different tone than before, claiming he has solved some internal conflict and returned to normalcy, but that is clearly not so. Blake has told me of the converted Tycho program the Pfhor utilized at Lh'owon, and I believe some clone or copy may have been in this system. This would explain your Tycho's sudden change of style and unexpected new subroutines. This clone must have been waiting for the most opportune moment to assert its core personality and take control of the rest of Tycho's program. I do not believe it is truly loyal to the Pfhor, but Blake reckons he's not friendly to our causes either.

# n

If a rogue AI of Tycho's intelligence is left in control of an entire Pfhor fleet, he would pose a greater threat than the slow and bureaucratic Pfhor empire ever did. With the S'pht Compilers under his control, this Tycho's dominance could spread through the Pfhor network until their entire navy belongs to him. We cannot allow such a thing to happen. Even with the damage that your Tycho's little revolution caused, this fleet is still at least a match for the S'pht'Kr ships here, and any reinforcements are too far away to be of help. Thankfully, there is another option. One of the ships currently docked at this starport is armed with the Pfhor's trih xeem early nova device. I understand you are familiar with it?

# n

If you and Blake's men can capture that ship, I will be able to destroy this system and everything in it before Tycho is able to escape. I have already alerted the S'pht fleet, and most of their ships are standing by to fold out at a moment's notice. I will give your Tycho the benefit of the doubt, in case he somehow manages to stay in control and win out against his rogue alter-ego. But the moment it is clear that the clone is in control, I will launch the trih xeem and fold out of the system. If you ask nicely, I might take you along for the ride. If events come to pass as I have just spoke of and Hathor has not yet fallen to me, she will at least be destroyed when the nova reaches this world. With you at my side, I may still somehow be able to find a way to escape the closure. It would only take more time, and if I must be a little more patient in order to spare mankind a world of difficulty, that is something I am willing to do. But as for right now, you have a ship to capture. Good luck. \\ Message ends //

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# t
<teleport to level 17>