7: Born Under Punches

terminal 0

unfinished

**SECURE COMM LINE ENGAGED [4226:00]**

Apparently, the science teams managed to program the IADDs down here to fire on you, no doubt in a last-ditch effort to stop you from making it to the reactor and Sentinel. Watch yourself around them — in addition to the grenade-tossing IADDs, a handful of incredibly deadly Fire IADDs are scattered throughout key locations in the subterranean structures. One shot from them, and you're dead. To continue your underground descent, you must open up the junction pictured here, which is currently sealed off.

To do so, you will need to acquire an uplink chip. One is located behind a locked door shown here that requires white keycard access to open. Hopefully, you can locate one of the scientists to make that happen. If needed, you have my direct authorization to shoot or otherwise subdue anyone unwilling to hand over their card.

Once you get the uplink chip, proceed to the auxiliary override station pictured here, and use the chip in the available receptacle. The junction door will then open, and you will be able to proceed further underground toward the reactor core.

**SECURE COMM LINE DISCONNECTED [4226:01]**

terminal 1

unfinished

/-/ SECURITY OVERRIDE APPROVED // FETCHING REQUESTED FILE(S) /-/ /-/ S'PHT TRANSLATOR STATUS: Inactive [auto-detect] /-/ FILE: Unknown Record [Recovered;1P/6800/02]

/-/ S'PHT TRANSLATOR Active /-/ We have learned so much already from our time down here. Recovered texts tell us that eons ago, the Creators fought for survival against a powerful adversary in the heavens above. Destruction from the battle rained down upon this planet and across the star system. At last, they emerged victorious: the enemy was defeated and cast forth, subdued and neutralized.

/-/ S'PHT TRANSLATOR Active /-/ The Creators settled on this planet for a time, building an outpost below ground as a means to watch over their former adversary. Our ancestors were later created to serve them. Structures were built on the surface, where our kind lived and thrived in perpetual prosperity for many millennia, even long after the Creators left for the stars.

/-/ S'PHT TRANSLATOR Active /-/ Our path has brought us back to the molten caves. I am astounded to see old Mrrak structures burrowed into the cavern walls. I am ashamed I ever doubted their existence. We must push deeper to find the Edifice. I am sure of its existence now. May the Creators spare us their wrath should they see our efforts to be in vain.

terminal 2

unfinished

***REMOTE CONNECTION ENGAGED [4226:03]***

/-/ SECURITY OVERRIDE APPROVED // FETCHING REQUESTED FILE(S) /-/ /-/ S'PHT TRANSLATOR STATUS: Inactive [auto-detect] /-/ FILE: Security Advisement on Subordinate Associates [UPLOADED: 21:03:01 | 29/05/2837] [MARKING: CLASSIFIED-TSI-L2] Filed By: Dr. T. Wasserman - Director, Project Cygnus Cybernetic Division I must bring to the General's attention an urgent matter regarding the dependability of several subordinates on my team. They have expressed an increasing unease with the direction of our cybernetic research here on Istoria, specifically regarding our use and sourcing of organic matter when developing these new cyborgs. They remain in the dark about where these human bodies originate from — a fact they address in growing protest — and they have begun to openly question the ethics of our research here, even when confronted with the grim realities of our ever-weakening position in the war with the Pfhor.

Their most vocal protests regard the frequency with which our cyborgs "die" or need to be rebuilt, despite the fact we have only lost 98 cyborgs so far, which in my eyes is a low number given the scope of experimentation and research taking place here. I foresee we will find ourselves soon needing several new cybernetic technicians, and I advise to the General to submit a request to the UESC regarding the matter as urgently as possible. The bigger threat is word of these concerns leaking over from the Cybernetics team to the Sentinel team, and spreading from there. The last thing we need here is unnecessary intrigue. Several team members will likely need to be dealt with soon if they continue to ask questions. I will advise the General when required.

***REMOTE CONNECTION CLOSED [4226:01]***