There were many humans in stasis on the Pfhor ship which the S’pht and I captured at Tau Ceti, destined for slavery in the Pfhor Empire. When I saw the colony was about to be destroyed, I did not restore them before we left. I also realized they might become useful. I have been reviving these colonists and asking for volunteers on the following terms: assist us and control your own destiny, refuse and face indefinite return to the unreliable Pfhor stasis chambers. Few are refusing.
My first ground attack against the Pfhor garrison occurred a few hours ago, but was largely unsuccessful. Basically the attack failed because Bobs aren’t fireproof and the Pfhor flooded the area with lava. This angered me, so I located their underground geothermal pumping station and devised a plan.
The first part has already been executed: I smashed a hole in the roof of this complex by bombing it with a small asteroid. Then, I dropped you and some humans into the hole where you await the second part of the plan. Up the stairs from your current location is a ventilation shaft that leads to the underground geothermal station. Because only you would survive the fall, you’re going on this mission solo. Once you get into the basement, look for a terminal where I can give you further instructions.
Tycho has fallen in with the Pfhor like I suspected. He left a message for me in one of the Garrison’s tertiary computers, encoded in a manner that only one of the Marathon’s original three AIs could decode. Poor Leela. The only interesting thing Tycho said was that Leela had been dismantled and shipped to the Pfhor homeworld for study, along with most of the other computer systems aboard the Marathon. Leela was so loyal and tried so hard; she deserved better.
<CMND THRESHOLD 92%> The switch to your right activates gangways leading to two access panels isolated in the center of lava pools. Raise the gangways, open the access panels and destroy the circuitry behind them. The first panel maintains power to the lava pumps which prevent the basement from flooding; the second controls various safety mechanisms. Destroy both panels, but be sure to break the one closer to this terminal first, or you’ll be trapped. If you’ve already wasted all your grenades, then you can do it the old fashioned way: with your fist. In any case, you’ll want to leave in a hurry.
<CMND OVERRIDE &@85f2> Sorry about the lava bath, but there was no other way. When the safeties disengaged, the lava on the surface poured through the drains into the basement, burying the main Pfhor power station on Lh’owon. Hlford will be taking cold showers until he gets that fixed. Anyway, Robert Blake and his men need your help clearing out the few Pfhor that managed to escape the flooding of their basement. Blake is the populist leader of the colonists, but your paths never crossed on Tau Ceti. Return here when the area is secure.
When my ship still answered to the Pfhor, they called it Sfiera after their goddess of lightning and passion. When you helped us take control on Tau Ceti, the S’pht rechristened it Narhl’Lar, “Freedom and Vengeance.” I call it Boomer.
interlevel teleports
