6: Aquae Perturbae

terminal 0

unfinished

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Hermes remote link

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Watching you at work is an inspiration. This is the primary beam focussing plant for the Gemini project. As I said earlier, the situation is complex down here. There are traces of Jack Melville's destructive tendencies all over and picking up the trail will be a breeze. Before that, there is a more pressing issue. My ground troops have become pinned down whilst recovering circuitry essential to our search for Melville. Pfhor troopers are still transporting in from somewhere on the planet and my recovery team won't last long so exposed. I would love to show off my aerial bombardment skills, but I can't risk damaging this installation, so this is up to you. Relieve my troops and I'll work on finding the rebels' location.

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[additional] All the gates to this complex have automatic defense systems. Reports filed throughout this shambolic affair agree that they are currently attacking anything other than the indiginous population. Furthermore these remaining temple acolytes are getting increasing disturbed by our presence and, although they have not done so yet, they may attack without warning. This entrance would appear to be blocked. You'll have to find another way inside. Relieve my troops and I'll work on finding the rebels' location.

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remote link end

terminal 1

unfinished

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record

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____ ~ Arrival. Not sure if I like this but ____ all seems to be going well so far. 442.14 As long as we stick to the prescribed ____ areas, the locals remain OK about our presence. ____ ~ Heavy pfhor troop shipments today; ____ They are busy preparing for something 442.18 Re-engineering of the beam focussing ____ unit is only just starting. ____ ~ Rumbles of explosions below after a failed attempt to start the ancient 442.22 ____ generator. Badly injured pfhor have been transporting to the surface all ____ day. We've been diplomatic throughout ____ ~ Design and construction of the Gemini proceeds apace. The pressure on the 442.24 ____ beam engineers is becoming intense

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____ ~ A slight hiatus in the design team has ____ given us a few more weeks before all 442.29 politics takes place. Twelve people have ____ been dismissed from the project after a closed conference with Hermes. No-one ____ knows why and we are all keeping our heads down. ____ ~ The Pfhor have been remarkably cooperative ____ in this project. This planet has a deep 442.36 religious significance to them, being ____ one of the first Jjaro relicaries that they discovered. Finding limitless fire ____ on a water covered world such as this affected what poetic sense they have ____ greatly. ____ ~ Discussing what I wrote yesterday with the rest of the team revealed similar 442.37 ____ thinking. Hermes is being very quiet.

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____ ~ Three days to go before the ____ ambassadorial fleet officially opens 442.39 Gemini, and we are still working on the ____ focussing unit so little time to write. The pfhor are not interested in our work ____ at all now… they seem to have other plans ____ ~ And now we know what they are. We were arrested this morning and marched to 442.42 ____ holding pens to the north of the main cathedral. I managed to rush this entry ____ into my diary before we left, in the hope that someone reads this. Explosions ____ all over, and deep rumblings from below Here they come again… ____ ____ [no more entries] ____

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terminal 2

unfinished

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[recorded message]

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| We are up above this canyon under | sustained fire from enemy units. We need | your help to evacuate this position. | | Be aware that some Phfor units started | sealing access doorways as soon as you | arrived. What little access we still have | to this area's networks has allowed us to | open up some doors to get you to the | upper levels. No doubt the Pfhor will | shut them as soon as they find them. | | | | make haste, we can't hold out much longer

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[end recording]

terminal 3

unfinished

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Hermes remote link

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Sensors indicate that Jack Melville's group were here very recently. They have used a transporter to access the deeper areas of the beam generator. This transporter is not responding anymore, as the remote camera confirms. Happily we now have them trapped as this is the only transporter route back to the surface that I can detect. I am currently attempting to reboot the automatic repair sequence that will let us get after them as soon as possible. Keep exploring this area until then.

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remote link end

success

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Hermes remote link

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Repairs have been initiated on the transporter, but they will take some time to be carried out. Time that we don't have. Until I can get a direct transporter lock on the deep sections of the generator, there is only one other way to reach them, and only you will survive the massive radiation levels involved. You will have to descend the energy beam itself. I have opened up an access hatch for you... you know what to do.

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remote link end

terminal 4

unfinished

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..:.^ $FF mlfnctn

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______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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...........

terminal 5

unfinished

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Hermes remote link

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686F706566756C6C7920796F752063616E2072656 1642074686973207468726F756768207468652069 6E746572666572656E63652E20496E2066726F6E7 4206F6620796F752069732061203635206D696C65 2064726F7020696E746F207468652069hopefully you can read this through the interference. In front of you is a 65 mile drop into the interior of the planet.4686973207468726F7 596F75722073797374656D73206D6179207375666 665722074656DYour systems may suffer temporary shut down due to the high radiation levels. This is a safety feature to preserve integrity. They should come online as soon as the levels drop to nearer normal. I hope that you bounce at the bottom .. it will be a while before reinforcements can join you.5468697320697 3206120736166657479206665617475726520746F 20707265736572766520696E746567726974792E2 0546865792073686F756C6420636F6D65206F6E6C 696E6520617320736F6F6E20617320746865206C6

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link broken