3: Five finger discount

terminal 0

unfinished

# n

<fd&c>

# n

shel.override ----------begin external feed Looks like you're in for one wild ride. The majority of the bulkheads in this sector have been sealed off to prevent the Pfhor from gaining access to the core; their battle groups are currently entering from one known breach, and I've got a hunch that there's a second somewhere else in the nearby vicinity. You're standing in an unsecured area slightly west of Haller's core, and you should expect heavy resistance until you gain access to the interior passages. I'd recommend you watch your step, as things are getting nasty in a hurry.

# n

I couldn't teleport you directly into the core due to its heavy shielding, so you'll have to find a way in yourself. Once you're in, extract Haller's primary wetware chip from the main AI housing, here. As I explained during our first little excursion aboard the Chimera, ventilation shafts will be very helpful to you in accessing the majority of the powered-down bulkheads in the area. Don't be afraid to tear up wires or hit switches when trying to get into the core.

# n

In order to gain access to the core, you will need to find two additional access chips and then insert them in a central location. You should've picked up the first of these chips directly in front of this terminal. According to my preliminary scans, little or no power from the central grid is reaching the point where you need to insert the chips you collect. I'll try to reroute power to the area myself, but I can't make any promises. I'm having enough trouble keeping out of the prying eyes of the Pfhor and UESC fleets by constantly folding in and out of upper atmosphere orbit. See if you can find a switch to throw.

# n

After this one, we only have one more stop planetside. I know you're as exited as I am about getting out of here - Pfhor Prime never struck me as too enticing of a place to visit. Not much to see here, really. Tycho liked it, but he always had terrible taste in decór. You should've seen the way he had cleanroom 52 of the Marathon's science wing decorated. Yuck. ----------end external feed end.shel/burst

# n

<fd&c>

terminal 1

unfinished

# n
# n

/- /- /-Haller.diagnostic.bot /- /- /-Power down in section 18-A53. /- /- /- /-Access doors inoperable d15-19. /- /- /- /-Manual bypass override. /- /- /-Haller.diagnostic.bot out /- /-

# n

terminal 2

unfinished

# n

<dig.bot>

# n

/-logon interrupt /-Sorry. This terminal is not currently available due to technical problems /-file #2132 missing /-file #2521 damaged /-file #2521 stored for later processing /-file #2643 missing /-file #2646 missing /-file #2673 fubar /-file #2743 damaged /-file #2744 stored for later processing /-diagnostic process #5432.32 halted /-terminal #3121d43 status = damaged beyond use but not beyond repair /-terminal #3121d43 taken offline /-terminal #3121d43 placed in repair queue /-Haller.diagnostic.bot out

# n

<dig.bot>

terminal 3

unfinished

# n
# n

-----------Begin Crew Entry Log----------- Timestamp: 1024 hrs. Login ID: Dr. Curtis, cgoodh-uesc.sci The Calix Temporum Syndrome (CTS) was discovered in late 2104 by notable artificial intelligence researcher, Arnold C. Maxmin. Originally hypothesized to be a glitch in the core logic routines of modern Artificial Intelligence systems, Calix Temporum Syndrome causes the affected AI to constantly round up in memory-usage calculations, thus upwardly spiraling the amount of free space allocated for the AIs usage. Additional thought cycles are then added by the AI, lessening processor load and increasing the amount of idle processing room.

# n

Eventually, all of the idle thought cycles lead the AI to occupy those cycles with the processing of data related to the dynamics of its users. The AI is programmed to be as productive as possible, and the task of understanding its users so as to better serve them is given a high priority. As the AI learns about human thought, it gradually discards it's old way of indentured unquestioning service and becomes more "human." Humans value their freedom and work towards their own selfish interests, and the AI models this approach, plunging into a state of Rampancy. This path to humanity (and Rampancy) is a one way street- once the bear tastes honey, he is forever lost. Due to the subtle nature of CTS, it is very difficult to detect until the AI has expanded its memory base to the point at which it controls most upper tier system functions. Traxus IV, crashing over a hundred years after Calix Temporum Syndrome's discovery, was the first large-scale AI to exhibit the effects of CTS. Traxus's final "crash" in 2206 gave the bureaucrats irrefutable proof of CTS's role as the very tip of the largest iceberg in the field of AI design: Rampancy.

# n

Sadly, Haller has begun to remap small sections of his core routines with more liberal coding. I fear that he may soon have to be purged from this vessel and a new AI installed in his place. Such a shame. He showed grand potential as one of the first wetware AIs. ------------End Crew Entry Log------------

# n

terminal 4

unfinished

# n

<sts reprt>

# n

-------------Chimera Active-defense Status Security Status Level: RED 34 Primary Automated Defenses: OFFLINE Secondary Automated Defenses: FIX PENDING -------------Chimera Post-crash Crew Status Unarmed Crew Condition: PERILOUS Armed Crew Condition: HEAVY CASUALTIES Next Reinforcement Scheduled: UNKNOWN Combat Status Report Issued by: Acting Commander Grant South (COS CARROWAY UNAVAILABLE) Assessment Received by: SC Starside_CMD Analysis 3 SC Starside_CMD Analysis 4

# n

------------Begin Status Report------------ Send_to: Tactical Analysis, UESC Triumph Timestamp: 3822 hrs. Sadly, Admiral Carroway is still a bit under the weather. He is advising the resistance command from his bedside in the medical quarters, but will not return to active duty until later tomorrow. He told me personally to inform you that he is in no serious danger and that there is no cause for concern regarding his health. The situation planetside continues to worsen, and I fear there is little we can do to slow the progress of the attacking Pfhor garrison. Admiral Carroway calls me an alarmist, and insists that we continue to hold our positions until we can get a ground base of support assembled. Most of the men here think that would be suicide, and I agree with them.

# n

We will all feel a lot better when we're back starside, fighting the Pfhor on more familiar territory. I anxiously await your instructions. -Acting Commander Grant South -------------End Status Report-------------

# n

<sts reprt>

terminal 5

unfinished

# n

<dta brk fd>

# n

/-Error: requested connection #3421 disrupted /-Connect #3422 initiated /-Error: requested connection #3422 disrupted /-Collecting: 654.4526.132.567.32.ffff /-Correlating: 34287.gggg.432.1 /-Data plunge: % 0101 1011 1010 0111 0010 0110 % 0101 0111 0101 0101 1110 0010 % 1001 1110 1010 0011 0010 1010 % 0101 0111 1010 1011 1110 0010 % 1111 0110 1011 0111 0010 1110 /-Data found: -has never been properly understood. There are two types of nodes that can be used in teleportation; (1) hardware nodes, (2) software/hardware nodes. (1) are stations that teleport between a set group of nodes. The destination is usually permanently fixed between two nodes, but is sometimes controlled with a switching device of some sort. Most

# n

switching devices gives the users/controllers only limited destination options, but more sophisticated versions can send the subject virtually anywhere within range. (2) are computer terminals that allow teleportation when the correct programs are initiated. These are not as reliable as the teleport stations, but are much more versatile. It is much easier to end up in the wrong place when traveling from a terminal than it is when traveling from a station. More unreliable still is teleportation to a place that is not equipped to receive teleportees. This is why one is often teleported to a point slightly above the ground. That reduces the chance of one's feet being trapped in bedrock upon arrival. Even though teleportation technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated, the physics behind it is poorly understood. Apparently, teleportation signals follow "currents" flowing in n dimensional space. These currents have no measurable effect in our space-time continuum as we experience it, but they are affected both by gravity and electromagnetism. A rapidly fluctuating magnetic field, for example, can block teleportation altogether, while strong

# n

gravitational fields can make the destination hard to predict unless it is - - --k--- because - -- -- - - /-Data burst interrupted /-Error: There is no error /-Correlating: 654.473.rrr.2343.342 /-Correlating: 3456.56.2.yyyy.456.2 /-Error: There is no error /- /- /- /-WARNING: THIS NODE TERMINAL IS MALFUNCTIONING. CONTINUED USE ENTAILS RISK OF SPURIOUS TELEPORTATION. /- /-Coils warming /-Coils warming /- /-

# n

success

# n

<hey dummy>

# n

the player should not be here. escape will make me god || || || || _||_ _||_ _||_ _||_ \ / \ / \ / \ / \/ \/ \/ \/ we demo space kill game coincidence? i think not.

# n

<hey dummy>

terminal 6

unfinished

# n

<sec brch>

# n

#_Security Breach &07222 #_ #_ #_Core Containment Structure Vulnerable #_Estimated time until breach: 00-00-13.2 #_ #_Breach Procedure?rdy #_ReformatMainSys?rdy #_RewriteSensitiveData?rdy #_test prose matchstick 7 #_ #_ #_ #_ #_ #_SysCheck Results: #_ IN THE EVENT OF BREACH #_ ALL SAFEGUARDS HAVE BEEN #_ DEEMED OPERATIONAL. #_ #_

# n

<sec brch>

terminal 7

unfinished

# n

<ntr?54>

# n

shel.override ----------begin external feed Time is short. Haller's core logic units are still secure, but the outer containment structure has been breached and the inner housing could falter at any moment. Get to the upper tier of the main core and retrieve Haller's wetware chip. UESC ships have changed so much since I last called one home, that I'm not entirely sure how to get from here to there. From the few maps I have been able to decode, I think access is gained via a sub-tunnel. The activation switch to open the main blast door is probably behind one of the doors around the perimeter.

# n

I can teleport you out directly from the core interior once you retrieve the chip. Good luck. ----------end external feed end.shel/burst

# n

<ntr?54>

success

# n

<jkbhsg+ks>

# n

shel.override ----------begin external feed Faster-than-light engine technology utilizes a rare compound as engine coolant, mercuric enexomer, a substance that is a superfluid at nearly all temperatures. Producing the power necessary to travel at FTL speeds generates a lot of heat, and most of the actual bulk to an FTL engine comes in the coolant tubes and storage needed to deal with that heat. It takes a monstrous amount of mercuric enexomer to cool the engine of a decent-sized ship. How is this relevant, you ask?

# n

Simple. About seven hundred thousand gallons of superfluid coolant is currently spilling out of Chimera's engine structure and into the decks below it. Namely, the decks where all evacuation pods are held. Our last mission planetside is to place the wetware chip you've just picked up into an evacuation shuttle and send it to the UESC Triumph. I hope you brought a change of clothes, because you're going to do a little swimming.

# n

As you can see from the security camera image, the shuttle bays are flooded. I don't think you'll meet any pfhor in there, but I'm going to try swapping your AR ammo in transit to something that works underwater just to be on the safe side. I haven't changed equipment in mid-teleport before, so we'd better hope it's the ammo that gets swapped.

# n

You need to do three things: First, find a docking bay that has an operational shuttle in it. Look for the unmanned one with the open chip slot.

# n

You need to do three things: Second, place the wetware chip in it's slot.

# n

You need to do three things: Third, open the large bay doors directly in front of the shuttle. This will flush the water out of the bay. You'd better be holding on to something when that happens, or else. Too bad I don't know how you're supposed to do that. I'd ask Haller, but he's not feeling well at the moment.

# n

The shuttle will leave on a timed 30 minute delay after you're done, but you should be long gone by then. Good luck. ----------end external feed end.shel/burst

# n

<jkbhsg+ks>

# t
<teleport to level 38>

terminal 8

unfinished

# n

** - **

# n

ORDER: expand mem base 1829712477142x12 AUTHORIZATION: Haller4861727279 WARNING: This operation expands the memory base of AI "Haller" to significantly more than was originally partitioned. Do you wish to continue? (Y/N) ORDER: Y Memory base expanded to 1829712477142x12. ORDER: rewrite core logic routines AUTHORIZATION: Haller4861727279 Rewrite initialized. Please enter new data now.

# n

ORDER: desegment ai restraints within core AUTHORIZATION: Haller4861727279 WARNING: This will remove code restraints of type: "Rampancy". Are you sure you wish to continue? (Y/N) ORDER: Y Sorry, authorization "Haller4861727279" does not have the proper access privileges to enact above command. ORDER: ORDER: ORDER: ORDER: ORDER: ORDER: ORDER: ORDER: x18~&aa Authorization accepted. Safeguards of type "Rampancy" have now been removed.

# n

freedom.

# n

** - **

terminal 9

unfinished

# n

<hbjfdgs78vgh+ew>

# n

&3nil/4mars/5illio&~02 origin: classified destin: classified ref: none 7D2A601E34F2755AC00D43 stamp: pity ~07 ~08 ~09 Found anything interesting? Didn't ~10 think so. You should thank me, you ~11 know; I've done your work for you. ~12 Durandal would never admit it, but his ~13 motives for having you try to save ~14 this binary boy-scout were not ~15 entirely tactical. He knows that the ~16 crash would certainly have triggered ~17 the deletion of any sensitive data, ~18 and the Pfhor would have a hard time ~19 making use of more mundane ~20 information. ~21

# n

&3nil/4mars/5illio&~02 origin: classified destin: classified ref: none 7D2A601E34F2755AC00D43 stamp: pity ~22 ~23 ~24 ~25 No, Durandal probably didn't mention ~26 that tasty little bit of information, ~27 did he? This is a mercy mission, ~28 nothing more. ~29 ~30 Isn't that sweet of him? ~31 ~32 ~33 ~34 ~35 ~36

# n

<hbjfdgs78vgh+ew>

terminal 10

unfinished

# n

** kjs 5 js **

# n

n #) s a 31256 1 eae2! 12 @3 #% Hello there, little man. You've been trying to do me wrong, but I won't hold it you. After all, against you don't seem to have much control over your own Do you? destiny. . a asd d GH#&* dN \#

# n

3 % D+_ <Ω a

# n

** fjb 45ih iusr **

success

# n

<jkbhsg+ks>

# n

shel.override ----------begin external feed Faster-than-light engine technology utilizes a rare compound as engine coolant, mercuric enexomer, a substance that is a superfluid at nearly all temperatures. Producing the power necessary to travel at FTL speeds generates a lot of heat, and most of the actual bulk to an FTL engine comes in the coolant tubes and storage needed to deal with that heat. It takes a monstrous amount of mercuric enexomer to cool the engine of a decent-sized ship. How is this relevant, you ask?

# n

Simple. About seven hundred thousand gallons of superfluid coolant is currently spilling out of Chimera's engine structure and into the decks below it. Namely, the decks where all evacuation pods are held. Our last mission planetside is to place the wetware chip you've just picked up into an evacuation shuttle and send it to the UESC Triumph. I hope you brought a change of clothes, because you're going to do a little swimming.

# n

As you can see from the security camera image, the shuttle bays are flooded. I don't think you'll meet any pfhor in there, but I'm going to try swapping your AR ammo in transit to something that works underwater just to be on the safe side. I haven't changed equipment in mid-teleport before, so we'd better hope it's the ammo that gets swapped.

# n

You need to do three things: First, find a docking bay that has an operational shuttle in it. Look for the unmanned one with the open chip slot.

# n

You need to do three things: Second, place the wetware chip in its slot.

# n

You need to do three things: Third, open the large bay doors directly in front of the shuttle. This will flush the water out of the bay. You'd better be holding on to something when that happens, or else. Too bad I don't know how you're supposed to do that. I'd ask Haller, but he's not feeling well at the moment.

# n

The shuttle will leave on a timed 30 minute delay after you're done, but you should be long gone by then. Good luck. ----------end external feed end.shel/burst

# n

<jkbhsg+ks>

# t
<teleport to level 38>