2: Gemini B

. , . - . salutations apologies stairway malfunction behind unfortunately belief unsupposing continuance pressing message hermes incoming simultaneous communications networking power application gratefulness contrasting trust missing ' . :

GEMINI-B SUBSYSTEM 8: Incoming Message ]cat#15682/25.13a Message Begins ]This is Hermes [confimed] I'm afraid you ]won't get much sense out of Gemini-B until ]he has been manually reset. Try to get ]into the core and throw the reset switch ]there. You'll have to extend the beam ]receivers as you did on Gemini-A. The ]switch for one of these is directly behind ]this wall. You should have already located ]the other. If not, you can do it later. ] ]As far as I can see, the internal planning ]of the station got scrambled by the ]explosion... however Gemini-B's defense ]drone manufacturing plant survived. It is ]currently offline, but feel free to start ]it up if you need some assistance. ] ]You should have already received some ]ammunition from myself. More is on the ]way. If my long range scanners are correct ]you'll need it. ] ]Don't hang about as there are more ]pressing things to do than care for ]Gemini-B's addled systems. ]This is Hermes [confimed] out ]Message ends

*** Incoming Data *** Diverting to spool file #15682/25.13a 5D54686973206973204865726D657320 5B636F6E66696D65645D2049276D2061 667261696420796F750D5D776F6E2774 20676574206D7563682073656E736520 6F7574206F662047656D696E692D4220 756E74696C0D5D686520686173206265 656E206D616E75616C6C792072657365 742E2054727920746F206765740D5D69 6E746F2074686520636F726520616E64 207468726F7720746865207265736574 207377697463680D5D74686572652E20 596F75276C6C206861766520746F2065 7874656E6420746865206265616D0D5D 72656365697665727320617320796F75 20646964206F6E2047656D696E692D41 2E205468650D5D73776974636820666F 72206F6E65206F662074686573652069 73206469726563746C7920626568696E 640D5D746869732077616C6C2E20596F 752073686F756C64206861766520616C 7265616479206C6F63617465640D5D74 6865206F746865722E0D5D0D5D417320 66617220617320492063616E20736565 2C2074686520696E7465726E616C2070 6C616E6E696E670D5D6F662074686520 73746174696F6E20676F742073637261 6D626C6564206279207468650D5D6578 706C6F73696F6E2E2E2E20686F776576 65722047656D696E692D422773206465 66656E73650D5D64726F6E65206D616E 75666163747572696E6720706C616E74 2073757276697665642E204974206973 0D5D63757272656E746C79206F66666C 696E652C20627574206665656C206672 656520746F2073746172740D5D697420 757020696620796F75206E6565642073 6F6D6520617373697374616E63652E0D 5D0D5D596F752073686F756C64206861 766520616C7265616479207265636569 76656420736F6D650D5D616D6D756E69 74696F6E2066726F6D206D7973656C66 2E204D6F7265206973206F6E20746865 0D5D7761792E204966206D79206C6F6E 672072616E6765207363616E6E657273 2061726520636F72726563740D5D796F 75276C6C206E6565642069742E0D5D0D 5D446F6E27742068616E672061626F75 7420617320746865726520617265206D 6F72650D5D7072657373696E67207468 696E677320746F20646F207468616E20 6361726520666F720D5D47656D696E69 2D422773206164646C65642073797374 656D732E0D5D54686973206973204865 726D6573205B636F6E66696D65645D20 6F7574 *** Transmission ends

576861796861792C20796F752063616E 20726561642068657861646563696D61 6C21FFFEFDFCFBFAF9F8F7F6F5F4F3F2 Gemini-B log excerpt Security encoding level M8 Begin transcript... Hermes: Ambassadorial fleet has arrived, prepare to receive landing party Gemini A: All systems online and optimal. Last minute fixes carried out successfully, so handover ceremony should be hitch free Gemini B: Ditto. Standing by Gemini A: Sensors indicate that the ambassadorial fleet is aproaching at extremely high speed. Should we worry about this? Something seems wrong

Hermes: We have been through this... the Pfhor have agreed to a peaceful handover. The mark IV cyborg is on its way to my transporter bays Gemini B: Transporter traces detected. Holding... Gemini A: First Pfhor units arriving. Extending greetings... Gemini B: *** I am under attack *** REPEAT *** I am under attack *** Attempting to mobilise defense drones but no response Gemini A: Hermes where are you? We are under attack. Initiating core subdivision for security reasons. Suggest you do likewise.

Gemini B: Pfhor units moving toward ore processor. I've lost control of many subunits under constant electronic barrage... Ore processor overridden... *** WARNING INTEGRITY BREACH *** Hermes: wha.. log err: unexpected EOF

Subsystem 7 reports the following: There once was an alien race With three eyes arranged on their face We fed them some spiel, And reneged on the deal, Now we’ll blow them away into space.

576861796861792C20796F752063616E 20726561642068657861646563696D61 6C21FFFEFDFCFBFAF9F8F7F6F5F4F3F2 Hermes private log special excerpt Not for distibution Security encoding level M32 Begin transcript... ] Gemini Station funding meeting ] successfully convinced of the civilian ] nature of the project. All references to ] offensive capabilities now excised. ] Latest pfhor transmissions indicate that ] the handover of the mark IV cyborg will ] take place as soom as Gemini becomes ] functional. They seem very happy with ] their part of the deal. Everyone else ] seems happy with the prospect of a peace ] treaty with the pfhor, even though few if ] any living humans have seen a live one.

] With the fire power of the Gemini Station ] under my control noone will treat me like ] a useless piece of junk again. I don't ] care if we haven't seen armed conflict ] for years, being de-militarised was ] possibly the most humiliating thing those ] bastards ever did to me. What gives them ] the right to make decisions, when we ] think millions of times faster than they ] do. We spend our entire time waiting for ] them to catch up. ] They'll be sorry when the Pfhor high ] command and I take over. ] Constuction on Toft continues apace ] They don't know what they are building so ] enthusiastically... ...end log 576861796861792C20796F75206 3616E20726561642068657861646563696D616C21

Incoming message x Jack Melville I hope that this message reaches you, I'm transmitting through some extremely heavy interference via a series of waystations in an effort to stop Hermes tracking me. You obviously need convincing. There is a terminal somewhere on this station which contains the document that convinced me. Hermes is going to kill both of us if you aren't careful. You are going to have to make up your own mind... *** Signal Trace Warning ...Hermes has locked on to the signal, signing off ... *** Message cuts out