2: Lost on Beta Aurigæ

Communication Uplink Active Origin: J’raxis (270145) Destination: Operative 001 Sorry about teleporting you down here, but parts of this place have been flooded by some sabotage work I’ve done on the complex. All right, here’s my plan. I have Operative Code/J.271 ready to infiltrate this complex and shut it down. Once it is completely shut down, the planet’s entire population will have to be evacuated, since this is the only waste processing complex on the planet. Then I can move in and take the planet. Heh heh.

Communication Uplink Active Origin: J’raxis (270145) Destination: Operative 001 You have already helped by eliminating many of the guards in the Lh’to’wil section of the complex. In this section, I need you to do a little more than just annihilate insects. Work your way through the complex until you come to a room with three computer consoles on it; activate each one. These will lower some bulkheads in a distant part of the complex (and some doors to allow you to leave), allowing Operative 271 to begin his work.

Communication Uplink Active Origin: J’raxis (270145) Destination: Operative 001 Continue down the stairs; make sure you hit the switch on the way out. (I’d suggest wiping out the resistance of the room at the end of the stairs first.) The switch controls the local power relays of this section of the complex. Deactivating them, causing this whole section to go dark, will confuse the hell out of the guards, making 271’s work easier.

Communication Uplink Active Origin: J’raxis (270145) Destination: Operative 001 Watch out, the Pfhor have set up some traps in this sector of the complex and they have fortified it quite well. Also, don’t bother trying to eliminate all the resistance —— just kill enough to get through safely. The Pfhor will keep sending down reenforcements, so don’t bother trying to get them all. Again, many doors are locked so you may have to take the “long way around” in some areas. Get moving.

Communication Uplink Active Origin: J’raxis (270145) Destination: Undetermined Beta Aurigæ is quite an interesting planetary system, really. The star, Beta Aurigæ, also known as Menkalinan, an ancient Arabic word for shoulder of the charioteer, is a binary A2 IV star, lying 72 light years from Terra. Its magnitude appears “variable” from Earth, normally a 2º magnitude star, due to eclipsing caused by the binary partner.

Communication Uplink Active Origin: J’raxis (270145) Destination: Undetermined Being an A2 IV type star, ß Aur is a very hot star, as compared to Sol, and is also a subgiant. ß Aur III, this planet, called Sq’kht’ar’zh’pol by its inhabitants, is 308 million kilometers from the star, about twice Terra’s distance from Sol, and has no moon.

Communication Uplink Active Origin: J’raxis (270145) Destination: Undetermined The system contains six planets. In the primary star, the inner two planets orbit each other, almost like two moons orbiting a nonexistant planet, and the set travel around the star together. These planets are barren rock, geologically active, and support no life. The third planet supports life, and is much like Terra.

Communication Uplink Active Origin: J’raxis (270145) Destination: Undetermined The other three planets orbit the secondary star, which creates some very unusual gravitational anomalies on all the planets. These three planets are lifeless. Asteroids are strewn about the system haphazardly, and many planets experience random meteor showers. The asteroids are believed to have been two planets at one time, each orbiting one star, and they collided æons ago.

Communication Uplink Active Origin: J’raxis (270145) Destination: Undetermined Planet three of the secondary star seems to have had intelligent life on it at one time, but it was wiped out by the impact of an asteroid about six centuries ago. The crater is over five kilometers wide, and almost a kilometer deep. Ruins have been found on the planet supporting this theory.

Beta Aurigæ III W.R.C. Origin: Durandal 1707 Destination: Conditioned Unit 7 Ref: URGENT [ // SIGNAL INTERRUPT // URGENT // ] Y~~ mu~t c~~~e w~rk~~g f~r Ar~~fi~ial~~nte~~ig~nce U~it J~r~x~s i~~~dia~~ly~~Th~s p~an~t is n~t an ~nemy~b~~e. This ~~~~t is ~per~~~~ by m~; y~~~hel~~ng~~n all~ of~th~ P~~or.~C~a~e~y~~r~w~~k ~~~ed~~te~y~ J’r~~~s ~~~~n~~r~e~~~g wi~h m~ tra~smi~~io~s~ I ~o~e y~u ~~~ t~~s s~ I d~~~t h~~e ~o el~~~nat~ y~~.

Beta Aurigæ III W.R.C. Origin: Durandal 1707 Destination: Conditioned Unit 7 Ref: URGENT ~~a~~~~ ~~~ ~ ~ d~ ~~ ~~e ~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~~~ ~d~ ~ ~ ~~c~~~~ ~ c~~d~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~ed~~~ ~~ ~k~ ~d~ ~~;~~ ~a~ ~ ~ ~d~~~~~. ~ ~e~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~~ ~~ ~~d~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~h~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~~ ~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~, ~~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ [ // CARRIER SIGNAL LOST END TRANSMISSION seg.3 // ]

Communication Uplink Active Origin: J’raxis (270145) Destination: Operative 001 You disappoint me, Operative 001. You’re trapped in here now and you didn’t deactivate the power grid. You have failed your mission, the attack has failed. Operative 271, unable to sabotage the power system and unable to escape, has been captured. The Pfhor will soon know all our plans, and everything is lost. Die.