Marathon Istoria: Conversations with the Dead

This is a list of all possible messages that can obtained by communicating with the Yellow Crystal in the Aleph One scenario Marathon Istoria. A document of this type inevitably contains massive gameplay and story spoilers, and consulting a guide of this sort can easily be considered ‘cheating’; turn back now if this bothers you.

A few notes:

If a body doesn’t respond to a topic, none of the bodies in the game will respond to it.
Multiple keywords that produce the same response are grouped together.
The ending assigns points for each unique response from a body.
- If you die without having saved since a conversation, you’ll need to repeat it to get the points.
Numbering is per the game’s internal code. The URLs that point to each body use the game’s internal reference indicator for that body following the # sign.

Please contact me if you notice any errors or omissions.

Bodies by level

Body #00: Lt. Malcolm Anderson
Level	Escape from the Sky
Location	Elevator near exit from ship
Topic	Response
initial	What is happening? How are you speaking to me? I thought I was dead...
name	I'm Lieutenant Anderson. Malcolm Anderson.
death dead	It all happened so fast. We had just landed, and I was trying to get off the ship. I opened the starboard airlock and the Pfhor were already there, waiting. I ran and jumped down here, but I broke my leg. They finished me not long after.
unknown1	My leg hurts... that's all I can think about right now.
unknown2	I'd never broken a bone before today. I thought I'd make it my whole life. Just goes to show you it's all a big nothing.
unknown3	I'm getting cold... Maybe you should let me be. I'm sorry.
ship	This is the Kolyma. One of the Tripoli's dozen dropships. Typically my post is on the Tripoli, but our mission today called for us to take the Kolyma to Istoria's furthest moon to conduct several experiments involving you and those so-called spells you carry. But the attack happened before we could get started, and Sullivan ordered us to take you to the surface to help our forces there.
tripoli	The Tripoli is our defense warship. The only warship here at Istoria. I don't know what happened to her, but she wasn't in good condition after the Pfhor launched their assault.
istoria here	Istoria's a mostly barren rock. Beyond the small Mrrak outpost, there are only endless mountain ranges surrounded by lifeless lakes and rivers. And now I'm trapped here forever. Oh, god...
pfhor attack	The Pfhor came out of nowhere, completely evading our sensors. The Tripoli didn't even declare general quarters until after the attack started.
barren lifeless	Istoria has been lifeless for about a thousand years, so the archaeologists tell us.
archaeologists	They sent a whole team of archaeologists to study the ancient ruins on this planet. I don't know much about the things they've learned. I preferred serving aboard the Tripoli and seeing Istoria from orbit.
sullivan	General Sullivan commands the Tripoli and all forces assigned to Project Cygnus. He reports directly to the UESC's CIC. A bit of a micro-manager, if you ask me. A lieutenant such as myself shouldn't have that many direct interactions with him regarding my duties, but I get it when it comes to the classification levels we're dealing with here.
home	Earth is a long way from here, even with the FTL technology we now have. It takes about five months of consistent travel at FTL speeds to get home.
leg	Even though I'm dead, my leg still hurts like hell. How do you figure that?
laser	I took one of the laser spells from the armory on the off chance I ran across you. Too little too late, I guess. Lasers are great for sniping or stunning enemies, from what I've seen.
project cygnus	Project Cygnus involved the extensive study and development of cyborgs such as yourself. We were running tests on the spells while aboard the Tripoli and Kolyma. Spells don't work once they get far enough away from Istoria, rendering them useless to the UESC. If we can just get them to work, we could produce an army of cyborgs such as yourself, armed with spells. It would mean the end of the Pfhor. I guess it's all a big wash now.
cyborg you	I don't know a lot about you. Just that you died in some sort of accident, and were then reanimated into the cyborg you are now. At least, that's what your personal dossier indicated. Truth be told, a lot of cyborgs passed through here before you. It might sound bad, but you all started to seem the same to me. I don't even remember what class you are. Do you?
lieutenant	My main post is aboard the Tripoli. Today we took one of the Tripoli's drop ships to run several experiments with you.
blue key	I'm glad you took my blue key earlier. Hopefully you took everything you could from the armory. If you happen to come across a red key, there are a few more spells and ammo in the laboratory directly across from the armory.
trapped	I never felt this way in my post aboard the Tripoli, but many personnel on the surface felt like they were trapped because their deployment had been extended. Personally, I don't think they appreciated the position humanity finds itself in regarding our war with the Pfhor. We should all be willing to make the ultimate sacrifices for the survival of humanity.
moon	For a while, we've thought that spells only worked in close proximity to Istoria, creating a significant problem for their future proliferation. Recently, however, it appears they also seem to work in close proximity to Istoria's most distant moon, Kilauea.
kilauea	I guess they named it that due to the volcanic activity on the surface or something. Bit of a weird name, if you ask me.
experiments	As you've probably already found out, spells work with your advanced cybernetic components. But they can be unpredictable and undependable. For instance, spells don't really work far beyond Istoria. As a result, we've been tasked with running various experiments to see how they interact with you and your suit.
suit	Your suit is a mix of the most cutting-edge UESC technology, some repurposed Jjaro components, and a whole lot of love for the human race. If we could have only had more time to work with you, who knows what could have happened...
spells	Everyone calls them spells because there's something we don't know that makes them tick. You could say it's magical, but that's just because we don't understand it yet. I guess we never will.
ruins	They say the aliens who once lived here were called the Mrrak or something. Apparently, they bear a resemblance to the S'pht. I don't know much about them, honestly.
mrrak	Like I said, I don't really know much about the Mrrak.
wasserman	Wasserman reports directly to General Sullivan. I don't know much about him since his work takes place below Istoria's surface. Sometimes it seems like he exists outside the chain of command, though...
class	We had seven separate cyborg classes, each with its own unique abilities. Rifleman, pyrotechnic, deceiver, to name a few...
rifleman	Riflemen are unique in that they have two specific abilities: near-perfect SMG aim with extremely fast bullets, and gravity grenades when using the Assault Rifle. It's especially unsettling watching a rifleman pull a group of enemies together to use a lightning spell on them. Remarkably efficient and effective, if you ask me.
fusion master fusionmaster	I don't understand how their fusion bolts can chain from one organism to the next, but it's astonishing to witness. Though it's nothing compared to when a fusion master unleashes seeking fusion bolts whilst also using a fury spell. Absolute chaos. But I can tell you that I'd want a fusion master by my side if I came face-to-face with a juggernaut, any day.
telekinetic	I'd want a telekinetic with me if I were near the cliffs or the magma caves below ground. Some place where they could shove the Pfhor to a horrific death. I guess I'd have to trust that they wouldn't eventually do the same to me, though...
deceiver	You get a deceiver to mind-control one of those gold Enforcers, they'll take out an entire Pfhor landing party in seconds. Or what about one of those grenade juggernauts? I wish we had the time to manufacture more of you, to be honest. From any class.
timekeeper	Timekeeper. What a promising class. Imagine being able to freeze time in the middle of combat. You could clean up whoever you wanted. Or use it as a get-out-of-jail-free card. I still couldn't tell you the science behind the timekeeper ability. They don't pay me enough to understand that stuff.
pyro pyrotechnic	I wouldn't want to be on a pyro's bad side, to be sure. I've seen a pyrotechnic use his TOZT to throw flame from one side of a valley to the next. It immediately caught a poor scientist on fire. The guy didn't make it, but he lasted longer than he should have...
rocket man rocketman	The end result of cyborg augmentation, in my opinion. Their homing missiles are terrifying to see. I often think if two cyborg armies found themselves facing off in combat, the ensuing battle would devolve into a slaughter fest of nothing but missile hellfire.
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Level	Escape from the Sky
Body #01: Cliff
Location	Secret accessible from alcove in northeastern part of level (requires grenade jump or similar)
Topic	Response
initial	I fled. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I fled and hid. It didn't do me any good in the end.
name	My name is Cliff. I'm an ensign assigned to the military unit guarding this landing zone. Or, I was...
death	I fled, okay? I left my friends to die. My brothers. I hid in this cave. I didn't think the Pfhor would find me, but they teleported right in.
unknown1	I'm so ashamed. I left all my friends... They're all gone, aren't they?
unknown2	Are you done bothering me yet? Just leave me in my misery.
unknown3	I just want off Istoria. Can you take me home? Please?
cave	I swam to get here. I hoped they wouldn't check this grotto, but it's like they knew where to look. It must have been that S'pht I saw through the opening in the rocks.
spht	I thought they were here to help us, but these S'pht are on the Pfhor's side. I thought that didn't happen anymore.
pfhor	Those insectoid bastards. How did they find Istoria? How were they able to ambush us like this?
enforcer enforcers	Perhaps the cruelest of the Pfhor invaders. They just keep firing and firing. My friends didn't stand a chance.
istoria	I hate this place. I want to be home. If the UESC had kept its word, I would have been home long ago.
word uesc	The UESC assigned my unit to this mission under an eight-month deployment. We've been stuck here for over two years. Now I'm never going home...
mission assigned	We were a basic light infantry unit with orders to defend UESC assets on the surface. My team was assigned to the nearby landing zone. I don't think Command expected the Pfhor to find us, given how small our defenses are. Why didn't they have a fleet of warships orbiting Istoria? Or a S'pht presence? It makes no sense. I'll never know.
classified research technology	The important stuff happening here is all top-secret to us grunts. We're just planetary defense. You'd think they would keep us in the loop in case an attack happened.
stuck	Our orders were an eight-month deployment. Then twelve months. Then sixteen. We aren't UESC officers. We're slaves.
slaves slave	Stuck on a planet, unable to leave, with no idea when you'll go home. No choice but to obey orders. Maybe this attack was a good thing.
captured enslaved	I've heard stories of some S'pht being forced back into servitude by the Pfhor if captured alive. Has something to do with recent advancements in Pfhor cybernetics.
ambush	The Tripoli had long-range sensors, right? How did the Pfhor show up out of nowhere? It took us by total surprise. If we had been warned, maybe we could have stood a chance. Maybe I could have gotten my friends to safety. Maybe...
spells spell	I came across a dying scientist who asked me to take these things. He called them spells. He seemed to have lost all lucidity, but I thought maybe I could use them, so I took them. Maybe I would have survived if I had just kept running.
mrrak	Who cares about the Mrrak right now? The Pfhor are going to kill everyone who's left. It's all over.
friends brothers burning	I heard my mates being lit on fire by those Pfhor enforcers. If only I could have used these spells I found.
home	I want to see the skies of Mars again. The sweeping plains of bare red rock. Life was simpler there...
mars	Not many of us are from Mars, but a few friends from my unit are. It's a small world, and we've known each other most of our lives. In the end, I left them...
landing zone	This place is used by drop ships to offload heavy supplies to those of us stuck on the surface. I spent more time moving cargo around than actually defending this place. Anyway, after the attack started, I heard some ship land out there. I'm surprised anyone was able to make it to the surface without being shot down by the Pfhor. Who am I kidding? It was probably a Pfhor ship itself.
military unit	There were twenty of us. When the Pfhor showed up, they got Eiler, Thomas, and Svensson immediately. After that, I ran. Then I heard the rest of my friends burning alive.
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Level	Upstream
Body #02: Walter Meadows
Location	Building in northern part of level
Topic	Response
initial	Can you move me somewhere quiet? I'm sick of hearing the gunfire. I just want to rest...
name	My name is Walter Meadows. I'm a specialist here on Istoria. Or, I was...
death	It shot me. One of their drones. I felt my body give way, and I fell to the floor. I couldn't move, and then everything started to seem so distant... until you used that damn crystal on me.
unknown1	I don't really know how to answer that. Ask me something else.
unknown2	Sorry, I don't understand. Say, have you seen Gary?
unknown3	If you're going to ask me stuff I don't know about, then just leave me alone. I just want to rest. To sleep...
quiet rest sleep	Dying has been an exhausting experience. Hence the need for rest. Could you just leave me be for a bit? Just give me five minutes. Please.
gunfire	First came the orbital bombardment. There was a direct hit somewhere close by, and it shook the walls of this building. Then the Pfhor showed up shortly after. Hordes of them.
pfhor	There is no mercy in their eyes. Just pure evil. At least they didn't haul me away like Gary. Poor guy...
gary	Gary was with me conducting tests on the crystal when the Pfhor arrived. They took him, I assume to be enslaved or experimented on. I think I'm the lucky one of us two.
enslaved	The Pfhor are a race of slavers. Doesn't everyone know that?
experimented	The Pfhor do horrific things to people. Haven't you heard about the Tau Ceti massacre?
marathon	Go look up the history records if you want to learn about the Marathon. I don't have time to explain random stuff to you. Even if I'm dead.
yellow crystal	The Yellow Crystal is an ancient artifact from Earth. It's different from the spells they've created here on Istoria. I wish I knew more about its origin, but they don't tell us specialists that stuff. I just conduct tests on the thing. I don't even know how you're doing this.
red key	Take my key. You can use it to open that gate on the other side of this building. Maybe you can help those who are still alive...
tests test	The crystal emits a unique energy pattern. It's hard to explain. I was tasked with measuring its performance both on the planet and in the surrounding star system.
earth	I miss the vegetation. You forget how green Earth is. I'd give anything to see it one more time.
walter	Call me Walt.
walt	What do you want?
istoria planet	The people who've been here long enough believed they would die here, myself included. Better to die here than end up like Gary, I guess.
spells spell	I caught a glimpse of the spells myself a few months back. I didn't know the scientists were conducting tests with a cyborg, and I happened to be nearby. I saw lightning descend from the clear blue skies, followed quickly by a huge explosion. It was the most surreal thing I ever witnessed.
lightning explosion surreal	It was the strangest thing. I swear it must have hit someone, but I couldn't quite see exactly where it struck. I saw ash flying everywhere afterward. I waited until the scientists left to take a look, but I couldn't make heads or tails of what it was.
scientists scientist	There are a few different science teams below the surface, but I don't know much about what they do. I can attest to the existence of a cybernetics team, but that's about it. I just followed my orders, because that's the best thing to do around here if you're a grunt like I was.
classified	If I knew that information, I'd tell you. What do I care if it's classified now? I don't know anything else, okay?
supervising officer	My Supervising Officer threatened me when I was assigned to study the Yellow Crystal. Said that any information regarding the crystal was classified, and passing anything along to my comrades would get me court-martialed and imprisoned indefinitely. You gotta listen to them when they say that. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened... At least I can tell you what I know now.
jesse	He was a former colleague of mine. Do you know him?
cygnus project	I'd tell you about it if I knew more about Project Cygnus. It has something to do with the Cybernetics team. That's all I know.
specialist	I carry out low-level research conducted here on Istoria. That's what I was doing with the Yellow Crystal when the Pfhor attacked. I don't know much about the crystal or those spells they've created here; I just record certain data points from them and report those findings to my Supervising Officer. The Yellow Crystal is different from anything else here, though... that much I know.
cyborg	I only got a look at that cyborg for a second when they were testing that lightning spell. I honestly couldn't tell if he was even still alive, or if his body was being controlled purely by artificial intelligence.
cybernetics team	I can't tell you much about our cybernetics program. Just what I've seen myself and what I've heard from others. That cyborg I saw, boy, was it unsettling. They really did a number on it.
wasserman	The head honcho of the cybernetics team. That's all I know of him.
tau ceti	Go read a book if you want to learn about Tau Ceti.
bombardment	It was so loud. There was a direct strike in the plaza on the other side of this building. My ears haven't stopped ringing.
drone drones	Those damn drones. After the Pfhor snatched Gary, I ran here and locked the door behind me, my pistol ready and loaded. Then a swarm of those drones flew in. Those things zig-zag way more than I remember. I didn't get a single hit on them before my pistol jammed. The rest is history.
pistol	Don't even bother picking that thing up. It jammed after two shots. I didn't hit a single drone with it.
imprisoned indefinitely first time	I've been here long enough. You speak out of turn, you're gone the next day. And I can tell you Sullivan isn't sending you home to Earth.
sullivan	The big man in charge. Stays aboard the Tripoli so he doesn't have to see us down here. He's the reason many of us have been stuck here for two years in deployment purgatory. If the Tripoli went down in the attack, I hope he had the guts to go down with it.
mrrak	I don't know much about the Mrrak. I guess they built the structures here long ago. Personally, I don't care. Talk to Allan about that.
spht	You'd think our allies would back us up on a planet like Istoria. I guess not. I've never seen a single S'pht here, until now. I didn't even know the Pfhor could control them again.
jjaro	What about them?
allan	One of the guys on the archaeology team. He's still pretty green. Hasn't had the hope beat out of him yet.
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Level	Upstream
Body #03: Ernie
Location	Secret atop the waterfall in the northeast of the level (requires grenade jump or similar)
Topic	Response
initial	What I'd give for a cigarette. Got a light?
name	Name's Ernie. What's yours?
death	Comical. One of those compilers shot me. I fell and couldn't move after that. Then I drowned in three inches of water.
unknown1	I don't have the faintest idea what you could be referring to.
unknown2	Irrelevant.
unknown3	Not important, OK?
cigarette cigs light addiction	I'm not proud of it, you know. I don't think anyone who smokes is. So maybe a little sympathy is in order, OK? God, I even have to be shamed in death.
compilers compiler	Must've switched sides and joined the Pfhor. Traitors, if you ask me. But no one ever asks me. No one cares about Ernie.
drowned	The fear was the worst thing. Once it happened, it was actually pretty peaceful. Until I got a craving. Not even death could release me from my addiction.
care cares	You care? Thanks. It means a lot. Say, if you do care so much, could you grab me some cigs from the commissary?
commissary	Right, I forgot it was blown up when the attack started. Dammit. Dammit!
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Level	Lockdown
Body #04: Kurt
Location	L-shaped staircase just north of the center of the level
Topic	Response
initial	I tried to hide here, but they found me.
name	People used to call me Kurt, but does that even matter anymore?
death	I heard screams and sounds of combat, but my escape route was blocked off when one of their orbital missiles exploded into that room nearby. I ran here hoping someone might have forgotten to lock the door, and just ended up trapped. The last thing I remember is one of those skinny Pfhor's staves coming straight for my head. I'm sure Sullivan and Wasserman will be fine, though. There's no justice in this world.
they	A group of those staff wielding Pfhor.
door lock	This door and a few others around here require a gold key. They trust us so little that they keep the wastewater plant locked up. Can you believe that?
wasserman	He's in charge of whatever they do in the underground labs. We're not allowed to know about it. What I do know is that he's always looking for additional help, and being sent to him is a form of punishment around here.
punishment	All I know is when someone is sent to Wasserman, we usually don't see them again. I think it must be Istoria's version of prison, being forced to work with Wasserman underground all day.
gold key	Several of the doors around here are locked and can only be opened with a gold key. If you need to get through, you'll need to find someone Sullivan thinks is worthy of his precious key.
sullivan	He's the general in charge of all of the forces on Istoria. A real hard ass. I think there's an unwritten rule that to be in a place of power on Istoria, you have to be some kind of jackass. He's been keeping us here far longer than what we were told when we were assigned to this hellhole.
project cygnus	I'm pretty sure it's some secret project Wasserman and his scientists are working on below ground. It's all classified, of course. All I know about it is they make us walk around with these strange devices that seem completely useless.
spells spell devices device	No idea what these pieces of junk are for other than making it extremely uncomfortable to walk around with. I've heard some people referring to them as spells, but that doesn't make any sense to me. When they gave me the red one with the weird face, they made it seem fairly new and told me to report to my supervisor if I started feeling more aggressive than normal or full of fury.
assigned	We are all members of the UESC and were told we'd be sent here for eight months to help with day-to-day operations so scientists could conduct important research here. I've been here for two years with no end in sight.
hellhole istoria	I hate this place. I miss seeing plants and animals and being able to go out and enjoy the world. You know, stuff that reminds you that life is worth living.
red fury	It's completely ridiculous. They're making me feel like I'm part of some sort of experiment. And they won't tell us what for, or how dangerous it is. If the rumors are true and these really are spells of some sort, this one must be for increasing aggression or something. No idea who would think that's a good idea.
face	The device they handed me looks like it has a very stupid-looking frown on it. Insanity.
pfhor	How were we so unprepared for an attack? When they showed up, it was just pure chaos.
edward grindle	The name sounds familiar... maybe I've heard people talking about him, but I don't know for sure.
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Level	Trimmed and Burning
Body #05: Allan
Location	Center of level, in the downstairs part of a structure enclosed by sewage
Topic	Response
initial	That asshole got me killed. I'm dead and it's all because of him. I hate you, Todd.
name	My name was Allan. I just arrived to Istoria five months ago. I was an archaeologist sent to study the Mrrak ruins.
death	I managed to evade the Pfhor when they first started showing up. Somehow I wasn't seen. That is, until I stepped in here, and Todd must have heard me and realized I was a human. He was hiding in that room above us. He called out for help. One of those Defenders heard, and was on me in an instant. It was so painful when their blades tore through me.
asshole todd	The worst thing is, that asshole wasn't even injured when he called for help; he was just scared. At least they got him too. I hope it hurt as much for you as it did for me, Todd.
team archaeology archaeologist	Apparently, the previous archaeology team died in some accident. I was part of the new team assigned to study the Mrrak ruins on Istoria. Truthfully, despite the apparent risk, it was the honor of a lifetime. The opportunity to study such well-preserved ruins of an ancient culture as fascinating as the Mrrak is something I could not pass up. I wish I had...
accident	It had something to do with a lightning strike. That's all I heard. What's odd is I've never really seen a big thunderstorm in my time here. Certainly, nothing that could kill a ten-person team.
mrrak	A truly compelling alien race. They belong under a larger umbrella of S'phtic cultures. The mystery of their disappearance from Istoria has yet to be solved. There are some remains of dead Mrrak in certain areas, like the cavern below Central Command, but nothing to suggest their full-scale extinction.
sphtic spht	If you've ever seen pictures of S'pht cities from Lh'owon, you'd understand the similarities between the Mrrak and the S'pht. We have theories to explain these similarities, but nothing has quite been proven.
theory theories	Perhaps the Jjaro created both the S'pht and the Mrrak - each in different parts of the galaxy - as servant races. It would certainly line up with certain ancient S'pht theories.
jjaro	An alien race that existed long ago. Hardly anything is known about their history. What we do know is they possessed incredible technological capabilities, as evidenced by the Jjaro structures below the surface, right here on Istoria.
structures structure	The subterranean Jjaro structures are much older than the Mrrak city on the surface. This supports the theory that the Mrrak were created as a sort of servant race to the Jjaro. I wish I could continue my research... I don't really want to talk about this anymore. Sorry.
pfhor	They've been crawling all over this place since the attack started. I hate the inflection in their voices as they speak. Insect freaks. And now they've found a way to control Defenders. It's no good.
defender defenders	I couldn't believe my eyes when that red defender killed me. I had no idea the Pfhor had gained the ability to capture and control them. We're really in trouble now as far as the war goes.
war	They tell us the war isn't going well. Sometimes it feels like the writing is on the wall. Istoria seems to be our best hope for victory. At least, that's what I tell myself to ignore all the strange incidents that appear to take place here.
incidents incident	I haven't been here too long, but it sure seems like there are a lot of odd accidents that happen around here. Like the archaeology team that my colleagues and I replaced. I try to ignore it, due to the importance of our work here. But sometimes I wonder.
wonder	I wonder if Sullivan and leadership aren't giving us the full picture. This place seems more dangerous than they led on when I was first recruited.
sullivan	A lot of people around here don't seem to like him. I try to mind my own business. He gave me this opportunity by assigning me to Istoria, after all.
wasserman	I don't know much about Wasserman. I think he works on the cyborgs. I think sometimes people just take issue with authority, personally.
cygnus	I was assigned to Project Cygnus when I came to Istoria. That being said, I don't know much about its scope. My purview was simply to learn as much as I could about the Mrrak and Jjaro ruins on Istoria. But I can tell you, Project Cygnus has something to do with cyborgs. That's the rumor, at least.
rumor cyborgs	I hadn't seen one before you just appeared. But apparently, some people have seen cyborgs doing crazy things nearby. I heard a story of one throwing a ball of ice that exploded as it traveled through the air, or something like that.
spells spell laser fury	I had a fury and a laser spell. I was ordered to carry them around. I didn't ask questions.
sorry	What, is Todd sorry? If he was sorry, he could say it to my face. But he can't, because he's a dumbass who got us both killed. Go to hell, Todd. Sorry doesn't let me see my family again.
walt walter	Are you talking about Walt Meadows? He seemed like an alright guy. Wouldn't say much to me. Then again, most of the guys who've been here long-term don't say much. Except Todd.
ruins	"Ruins" seems like an odd word to use, given how functional these structures are. But semantics are irrelevant now.
ryan morrison	I saw him right after the attack started. He seemed to be running for the cliffs from my vantage point. Maybe he had the right idea...
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Level	Trimmed and Burning
Body #06: Todd
Location	Center of level, in the upstairs part of a structure enclosed by sewage
Topic	Response
initial	I got him killed. I didn't mean to... I'll never be able to forgive myself.
name	I'm Todd. Am I still alive? I must be if I'm talking to you, right? I have to be...
death	I don't wanna talk about it. Please, just tell that man below us that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for getting both of us killed. I'm such an idiot.
sorry idiot man killed	I heard someone enter the room below us, and realized he was human. I shouted out for help without even thinking. He screamed, and I heard the sound of weapons fire. A second later, two of those S'pht Defenders were up here. They killed me with their green blades. And that was that. I don't even know what the poor guy's name was. Do you?
alan allan	It was Allan? That new archaeologist? Oh, god. I'm sorry, Allan. Please tell him I'm sorry, okay? Can you do that for me?
alive	This can't be it, right? This is what it's like when you die? Oh god. This sucks a lot.
him	Just tell that guy below us that I'm sorry. I got us both killed.
istoria	I don't have much to say about this place. I should have deserted when the UESC ordered me here. It's been a long two years.
uesc	The war hasn't been going well for a long time now. People back home are worried. Many feel doomed. Istoria is viewed by everyone who knows about it as one of the UESC's only remaining hopes for winning this war. Hence why we all tolerate the rumors that persist...
rumors	People go missing. Happens all the time. And if I had to be honest, a lot of the more vocal personnel have a way of being here one day and gone the next. Leadership often says they were "reassigned." But why them and not us, after two years now? It makes no sense.
leadership reassigned	The unspoken assumption when someone is "reassigned" is that they've been locked away or otherwise disposed of. No solid evidence of this is known by those of us above the surface. All the interesting stuff happens down under. And we're not supposed to talk about things between ourselves.
down under	The subterranean structures below this outpost. That's where all the classified work takes place. The only way to get underground is through the basement of the Central Command tower.
subterranean	I don't know much about those below-ground structures. Apparently, they are even older than the Mrrak structures on the surface. I bet I'd still be alive if I were down there. It's not fair...
cygnus	Whatever they're up to underground is conducted under the codename Project Cygnus. I wasn't allowed to know much about it. I never had access to any of the systems used underground.
sullivan	I'd spit on his grave if it was him and not me. I hope the Pfhor get to him just as quickly as they got to everyone else around here. Sullivan is the reason I've been trapped here for so long. I place the blame for my death at his feet.
pfhor	I can't get over how many there are. They just keep coming and coming. I'm sure the Tripoli is gone by now. We're helpless.
mrrak	I don't really know anything about the Mrrak. I don't care to, either. I just worked with the UESC computer systems here on the planet. They sucked, by the way. They always went down on my watch for some crazy reason or another, and I'd have to call someone. They'd tell me to reboot the thing, and most of the time, that worked. You'd think it would just know what to do.
spht	I thought the S'pht were our allies? How could they betray us? I didn't think a S'pht Defender would be the reason for my death.
defenders defender	The S'pht Defenders are no joke. I had no chance to dodge their seeking blades. It was agonizing. If the S'pht turned against us, it's all over, man. It's all over.
ryan morrison	One of the research guys assigned to this area. I cross paths with him now and then. I hope he's okay...
tripoli	I bet the Tripoli is probably diced into a million pieces by now.
trapped	You don't need to beat around the bush with me. I'm dead. We were all trapped on Istoria. Our deployment was never-ending, and you can't convince me otherwise.
deployment	Let's see, our deployment started at eight months. Now it's over two years and running. I was trapped here long before I died."
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Level	Trimmed and Burning
Body #07: Lt. Ryan Morrison
Location	Far west of level, in tower overlooking large drop
Topic	Response
initial	I could have had a chance... if it wasn't for those damned drones. The fighters sure as hell weren't gonna risk coming down here. I bet I could have waited them out.
name	I'm Lieutenant Morrison. Ryan Morrison. I'm a research specialist conducting performance tests on these spells.
death	I was recording a log entry in that terminal down there when I heard something nearby. I crept up those steps and came face to face with one of their drones. I was hit three times in the chest with plasma shots, and fell to the ground. Only then did a fighter hop down here to take a look at my remains before being transported out.
spells spell technology	I don't know what goes into making these spells, and they make me nervous. The ice orb especially. That's a newer one they just started having us test out in the field. I can't hold it for very long without feeling like my fingers are gonna get frostbite. But orders are orders, I guess.
orders performance tests test	My orders are to measure the energy output of each spell in certain regions of the planet. For as magical as some people find these spells, apparently they stop working the farther away from Istoria you get. But their location on the planet itself also affects their performance in small ways. Honestly, though, why do you care?
magical	Have you ever seen one of these spells go off? The Chain Burst is especially unsettling. It rips apart whoever stands in its way with reckless abandon. I saw it tear apart an entire formation of infantry who happened to be standing too close by. It was horrible, but I couldn't look away. I don't think it was meant to go off when it did. Sometimes, though, I wonder...
wonder	The looks on their faces... It looked like they didn't want to be there. I only had a moment to see them before they started bursting apart. The guys at the back of the line saw the Chain Burst coming, but couldn't run away fast enough. Command said it was an accident, and I have no evidence to say otherwise. But I often remember their faces...
chain burst	Luckily, I haven't had to handle a Chain Burst myself. They haven't manufactured as many of those as some of the other spells like lightnings or lasers.
manufactured manufacture	They use the manufacturing labs underground to produce these spells, as far as I know. I'm not authorized to go down there.
labs underground	If I knew more about the labs, I'd tell you. I've never been down there.
authorized	Only those working for Wasserman or Grindle, or higher up under Sullivan, are allowed underground. Generally, we're not really supposed to interact with them all that much.
laser	I never saw a laser go off, but I heard they can cover an almost unlimited distance when fired, and maintain total accuracy the entire time.
lightning	I saw them test a lightning spell a while back. It was late at night in the mountains, and I was probably three or four miles away. A bolt descended from the clear night sky. It was the most bizarre thing I had ever seen at that point.
cygnus	Not something I'm supposed to know about. But Cygnus was the codeword for everything going on here. What they're up to below ground in their labs. The spells. You're telling me you don't know anything about it?
pfhor	I always thought it was risky assigning only one warship to watch this planet. I was right in the end. Why wouldn't the Pfhor want to get their hands on the secrets this planet holds?
secrets secret	The technology left behind here. The things we've been able to make using it.
allan	Allan is an archaeologist. He just began his assignment here recently. Talk about bad timing. Anyway, I saw him just as the attack began. He went one way, down the long hallway east of here, while I ran along the cliff to this room. I wonder if he made it.
todd	That guy complains a lot. Any time I'm having issues with a terminal, I have to contact him, and it always takes him forever to fix the issue. I can't imagine he made it very far once it all hit the fan.
sullivan	I don't know the guy on a personal level, but all I need to know is he's the one who has extended our deployment by two years now. That's all I need to know to hate his guts.
wasserman	Hardly ever comes up from below the surface. There's something about him, though... Sullivan is a hardass. But Wasserman is just off in some way. I can't put my finger on it. I've only been around him a few times.
drone drones	Why do they give those drones three eyes like they have? Same goes for juggernauts. Do we give our IADDs googly eyes? Why did something so stupid looking have to end up killing me?
log entry	Don't really know why I decided to record a log entry. Guess I felt the need to express my thoughts one last time. Who knew you'd give me a second chance?
istoria	Ask me about anything but Istoria. I'm going to spend eternity here.
ice orb	I gotta wear gloves when I handle an ice orb. Once, I tried holding one with my bare hand, and I swear it made me slower for a minute or two. My arm was sluggish as hell. It was like one of those dreams you have, where you can barely move your body. I can only imagine what it does when it's fully deployed.
doors door	If there's one thing I've learned, it's that people are strange.
walt walter	Walt is good people. Hope he's okay.
gold key	If you have a use for my key, go ahead and take it.
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Level	Trimmed and Burning
Body #08: Jimbo (PFC James York)
Location	Secret accessible by jumping off catwalk in northernmost part of level
Topic	Response
initial	Oh god. Oh god. I fell too far, too fast.
name	I'm PFC James York, but most people on Istoria call me Jimbo. I was an IADD maintenance technician.
death	Me and my buddy were standing our ground. Then one of those S'pht'kr swooped in, and we had nowhere to go but off the cliff. Sylvia kept on falling, but I hit that little doorway, hard. My arm snapped, I crawled in here, and that was it.
sylvia	Well, I should probably call her Corporal Smith, but we were friends. I'd hate to see what shape her body's in down there.
iadd add madd	I spent my fair share fixing those things up, and where were they when we needed them? I can't believe UESC stuck us with such outdated technology, especially with all the experiments going on here. Is it all part of the plan, or are they just cheap?
technology experiments experiment	People call them spells. I can't think of a better word for it. I've seen some amazing things done with these ice orbs and chain bursts. Too bad they didn't work so well for me.
ice orb	I tell you what, I wish I could've used an ice orb against that S'pht. It's a perfect spell against air targets, and it slows them down, too. I wonder if it could have slowed my fall.
chain burst	They never let me see the cyborgs using chain bursts, so I can't say how they work exactly. But I have seen what's left afterwards and it's a mess.
body	Sylvia will never get a decent burial. But I guess none of us will. I've heard dead things don't even rot here. They said there was a problem storing all the corpses at one point, but I don't know what they were talking about.
maintenance	One time we locked a guy in a little maintenance closet tucked out of the way. You know, hazing and all that. I thought it was funny then, but look where I am now. How did you even end up here?
jump jumped	You jumped and lived. I guess you're a cyborg. Blow up some S'pht for me.
cyborg	You don't look like the cyborg I saw that time I got into a restricted terminal. That one kind of fell apart. It was really nasty to watch. I'd rather forget it.
istoria	This is the deadest-end job on the deadest-end planet in the galaxy. Well, maybe other than Tau Ceti.
tripoli	Look, I've never spent much time on that ship and I can't say I really want to. Leave me alone.
tau ceti	My dad brought me a piece of Tau Ceti's bedrock when I was a kid. He wouldn't let me touch it directly, of course. That chunk of rock made me want to join the armed forces and defend humanity. Instead I fell off a cliff.
marathon	You guessed it. I had it all when I was a kid. Rock from Tau Ceti, a security officer action figure, and a scale-model UESC Marathon. Kids are so stupid.
mararthon	Say it like you don't give a shit. That's pretty much how I feel about it at this point.
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Level	Central Command
Body #09: Dr. Isaac Griffith
Location	Northeastern part of level, atop staircase leading up from chip
Topic	Response
initial	W-what is happening? I thought I was dead. I'm so cold, and it's so dark...
unknown1	I find this question a bit tedious, and I'm growing tired of speaking with you. Perhaps you have something better to do?
unknown2	This topic was simply not something I had the time to learn anything about. I had much more important things to think about. Perhaps you could find one of the members of the operations team; they're much more equipped to deal with that kind of asinine inquiry.
unknown3	I don't think you need to know about that.
name	I'm Dr. Isaac Griffith. I'm one of the people competent enough to work on the Sentinel team. They recruited me because of my expertise in Artificial Intelligence.
death	So I am dead, then? How are we talking right now? Is that normal for dead people? I guess it doesn't matter. I had recently gotten back from some well-earned leave when the attack began. Sullivan ordered me to come pick up a chip in this area to do some repairs on our defense systems in the tower. I think that asshole knew he was sending me to my death.
sullivan	Sullivan is the reason morale here is so low. Grindle thinks he doesn't really value our team's input. I can't speak for others, but personally, I can't stand it when someone doesn't appreciate my intellect. He also prevents us from getting any time away from this cursed place. When I returned from leave, he had me doing busy work on the surface. I think he was punishing me for actually taking the leave that I was owed. He wouldn't let me return to work underground, and now I'm dead.
leave	"Leave" for those of us stationed on Istoria, involves the great honor of taking three whole days off from work, essentially confined to our barracks, as there's nothing else to do. There seems to be an understanding around here that you're not supposed to actually take your leave, even though it's part of your contract. I earned my leave with my major contributions to the Sentinel team, and I was not going to give in to social pressure. When I returned, Sullivan wouldn't let me back into the lab. Then came the Pfhor.
dr artificial intelligence	I got a doctorate in Artificial Intelligence. I was part of the team assigned to try to understand Sentinel and get it to cooperate with us. Probably the most important person on the team, if I'm being completely honest with you.
task	After the Pfhor attack, Sullivan ordered me to pick up some uplink chip in this area and take it to the top of the tower. He must have known I would never stand a chance, with all of the Pfhor around and me without any weapons or combat experience. Maybe I was the only one left alive, or maybe he just thought it would be fun to get rid of a pesky Sentinel specialist.
sentinel	Sentinel is the Jjaro AI located underground. Learning everything we could about it and making it cooperate with us was one of my main responsibilities. It's just my luck that the brief period of success communicating with Sentinel happened when I was on leave. I assure you, they wouldn't have been able to do it without me laying much of the groundwork. My coworkers have always been jealous of my intellect and must have planned their communication attempt when I was gone, just to spite me.
specialists specialist	We are in charge of restoring communications with Sentinel.
success	We recently had success getting Sentinel to respond to one of our queries. It was my idea to overload it with billions of requests in an attempt to get its attention, and it seems to have worked. Don't get me wrong, some of the specialists I work with are competent enough, but they should be very glad that I was recruited to help them out. If Sullivan hadn't placed me on leave right before using my own idea, Sentinel probably would have kept responding to us afterward.
cold dark	Something doesn't seem right here. It shouldn't feel this cold, and I'm having trouble seeing clearly. My vision is always crystal clear.
istoria	If it were up to me, we'd be able to leave this place for periods of time for some much-needed R&R. They unfortunately don't pay me to make these kinds of decisions, though, so it's left to lesser beings like Sullivan. At least I got the time off I was owed; I hear the military chumps on the surface aren't even allowed that.
uplink chip	It's around here somewhere. I didn't have time to look for it as I was immediately attacked by Pfhor upon entering the area. I'm sure you'll fare no better. You certainly won't be able to make it all the way to the top of the tower, where it needs to go.
central command tower	Are you serious? It's the giant tower near here. All of the streets were built to easily get to and from this building. I'm sure even someone like you is capable of finding it. It's important for our communication and defenses, but it looks like whoever was in charge of both of those things failed miserably. If only I could have dedicated some of my time to managing those things, we could have avoided this whole mess. However, I am, in fact, just one person and can't do everything around here, you know?
spells spell	Hmm? Oh yes, we are required to carry these devices with us. I have filed several formal complaints about this pointless exercise, but it has fallen on deaf ears.
project cygnus	Project Cygnus is something Wasserman and his team like to pretend is very important. All I know is they haven't asked for my help, so they must not be giving it very high priority.
wasserman	Just another incompetent asshole. I'm sure others can tell you all you need to know about his shortcomings.
pfhor	Of course the Pfhor attack started when I was above ground and my less capable coworkers were safe below. That's how things go on Istoria: high-value people are discarded, while the mediocre thrive. I think they finally approved my leave right when they were planning a major communication attempt with Sentinel, so they wouldn't have to give me proper credit. The Sentinel project has no hope without me, so everyone will eventually get what's coming to them. They can't hold off the Pfhor forever.
charles	My brother Chuck runs the IADD operation here on Istoria. Too bad I'm dead and can't scold him for his immense failure. I could tell him how his incompetence got me killed. See any IADDs floating around?
proud	Wish I could say I was proud of Chuck. That's all.
communication attempt	It's too advanced for you to understand. Just know that my colleagues stole my thunder. They robbed me of my moment. As you can tell, that angers me perhaps as much as my death.
spite	They had no reason to send me away when they did other than spite. Immature, if you ask me. Churlish, even.
jjaro	The creators of Sentinel. What I'd give to speak to them. Imagine just how elevated such a conversation would be.
edward grindle	My boss. Truth be told, I was vying for his position. If the Pfhor hadn't attacked, it would have been only a matter of time until Sullivan saw just how much more capable and competent I was to lead the team than Grindle ever was. No disrespect to him, of course.
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Level	Central Command
Body #10: Commander Lewis Maddox
Location	Partway up the central tower
Topic	Response
initial	If you're able to speak to General Sullivan, tell him I'm sorry. Their forces were simply too overwhelming for us. We didn't stand a chance here.
name	I was Commander Maddox. Lewis Maddox. I commanded all UESC military personnel deployed planet-side on Istoria. Which is now Commander Westin's purview, if he's still alive.
death	One of those damn Compilers floated up through the window into my office here. I shot him with my fusion pistol, but two more piled in. I couldn't stop them all. A few minutes later, someone ran in and snatched up my fusion pistol. I hope they made good use of it.
istoria	Istoria is home to the only known Jjaro outpost that remains fully intact and untouched by the Pfhor. Until now, I guess. The Jjaro technology we found here when we first arrived was so much more sophisticated than anything we'd encountered before. It wasn't long before Project Cygnus began taking form.
uesc	Right before I died, General Sullivan told me that reinforcements were a few weeks away. Our teams stationed below the surface should be safe for a while, and could, in theory, hold out until then. Even though I've met my fate, I'm optimistic about their success. And for yours, frankly.
military	About one thousand military personnel are stationed on Istoria, along with five hundred specialists. Two thousand were stationed on the Tripoli, but I don't know how many of them made it off before the ship exploded.
tech technology	We found the Jjaro technology on Istoria to be fully functional. It didn't take long for our specialists to start operating some of the machinery left behind in the replication center below ground. More UESC resources were diverted to Istoria shortly thereafter, when the potential to augment our own defenses with this tech became apparent.
discovery discovered look	We discovered Istoria about six years ago by using data obtained from S'pht archives regarding Lh'owon's moon, K'lia. K'lia's orbit had changed at some point long ago, supposedly due to Jjaro interference. We decided to reference this information against data from known star systems throughout the Milky Way. Istoria's star system was flagged. Specifically, Istoria's furthest moon exhibited similar unusual orbital patterns as K'lia, indicating it had possibly been moved by the Jjaro at some point long ago.
mission	Despite our essential alliance with the S'pht, the war hasn't been going well for years now. The loss of the Gliese-832 colony and several other engagements led to the UESC ordering the creation of several unusual special operations in an attempt to gain any advantage against the Pfhor. One of these classified operations revolved around the theory of locating and exploiting a Jjaro outpost. This led to the discovery of Istoria.
personnel	As I laid dying, I had to hear my entire team get killed one by one in the streets below. It was horrific. It's only a matter of time until everyone above the surface is slaughtered by the Pfhor.
pfhor	It was satisfying hearing you clean up those bastard Pfhor in the streets down there. Take these spells I had secured in my office. You'll do more with them than I ever could.
cygnus project	Project Cygnus is classified... Ah, what the hell. What's the worst they can do to me now? Cygnus is a project concerning the experimentation of Jjaro technology on the human body. It revolves around the concept of building the perfect cyborg, and then building an army of them. The problem is, reaching perfection has proven to be a messy process.
spells spell	I had a few spells stored here when I heard from General Sullivan that you were engaging in a fierce resistance. Be sure to make use of the Chain Burst. That's one of the more powerful spells we've created here.
chain burst powerful	The Chain Burst is a spell with a lot of energy. You have to wait until you get a long line of enemies before you release the spell. It'll tear through them one by one, and it just keeps going. The Pfhor deserve nothing less than to explode all over the place in a hazardous mess of bio-waste.
defenders spht	Our allies in wartime. The S'pht have played a pivotal role in preparing us for confrontation with the Pfhor Empire. Without their help, we would have surely already fallen. It disgusts me to see the Pfhor managing to enslave them again.
lhowon	Most of what we know about the S'pht homeworld Lh'owon comes from historical records they have provided to us, along with supplemental information provided by Robert Blake's crew of Tau Ceti survivors.
klia	S'pht mythology indicates that long ago, the S'pht'Kr left Lh'owon during a time of protracted civil conflict. Their journey led them to the moon K'lia, which was then cast away from Lh'owon, possibly by the Jjaro who created the S'pht in the first place. There are a lot of similarities between K'lia and Istoria's most distant moon, Kilauea.
sullivan	General Sullivan was my direct supervisor. He's a controversial figure here on Istoria, but those who despise him know little of the decisions he has to make as the commander in charge of Project Cygnus. In many ways, the weight of the entire war weighs on his shoulders.
wasserman	Wasserman leads the Cybernetics Team of Project Cygnus. His role is highly classified, so even I never knew much about him.
edward grindle	Ed Grindle leads the Sentinel research team. They're trying to re-establish contact with Sentinel, the ancient Jjaro AI, in the hopes of it neutralizing the Pfhor. I'd watch out for Ed - General Sullivan has expressed concerns regarding the loyalty of Grindle's team.
kilauea	Kilauea is Istoria's most distant moon, rife with volcanic activity. There's evidence that Kilauea's orbit was once significantly altered long ago, similarly to the orbit of Lh'owon's moon, K'lia. This is how we were able to discover Istoria so quickly once we knew what to look for.
sentinel	Sentinel is the ancient AI that runs the Jjaro outpost's most sensitive and secured equipment. Despite the fact we only established contact with the AI mere days ago, we've been able to utilize the Jjaro facilities here for years now. Still, our efforts have had their limits. Considering spells don't work far beyond Istoria, those limits have been quite significant. If only Grindle's team had more time to try re-establishing contact with Sentinel. If we just had the time...
westin	Last I heard, he took the northwest road towards the nearby river, searching for survivors to bring to the basement of Central Command. I doubt he made it back. If you come across his body, see if you can find his green keycard. It will be useful should you need to get into the underground caverns at any point.
tripoli	I always told the General that we needed a fleet of warships orbiting Istoria instead of just one. Leadership seemed to think keeping Istoria a covert operation was the right choice. I guess I got the last laugh there.
mrrak	Some servant species the Jjaro created. They were a lot like the S'pht, from what the researchers tell us. I didn't really concern myself with learning about them; it's the Jjaro artifacts that are critical to our mission here.
cyborg human body jjaro	We've found Jjaro cybernetic tech to be surprisingly applicable to the human anatomy. No wonder it's considered so advanced. Still, that hasn't meant Cygnus has gone off without a hitch. Quite the opposite, in fact. We've gone through a lot of cyborgs... What number are you? Did they even tell you?
classified	Cygnus is controversial. That's no secret. I get it; the human cost is high. But isn't the cost higher if Sol falls? It's a non-starter for me.
messy process	There's more to Cygnus than most people know. The cost of research is high. The cost of failure is catastrophic.
teams team	Wasserman and Grindle's teams below ground. Right now they're safe, thankfully.
sorry	Istoria falling to the Pfhor spells the end of the war, in my view. I did my part, but I failed. I hope you can find success where I didn't.
research cost	It takes a large knowledge base of cybernetics to do what we've done here. Let's leave it at that.
basement green keycard	I tried to warn Westin that we'd be flooding the cavern below Central Command with magma after the attack started. He was convinced he could hide people down there, or at least in the small basement below the tower. I don't think he was hearing me. If he did come to his senses, it was probably too late. Nevertheless, should you run across his body, feel free to take the green card for yourself. You may eventually need it.
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Level	Central Command
Body #11: Doug
Location	Structure near southwest of level, just above some lava. Poor guy.
Topic	Response
initial	AHH GOD, IT BURNS! IT STILL BURNS! WHY DID THEY DO IT? WHY GOD WHY!
unknown1	WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME QUESTIONS INSTEAD OF GETTING THE LAVA OFF OF ME?!?
unknown2	DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M IN A POSITION TO THINK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW? OH GOD IT HURTS SO BADLY!
unknown3	I SWEAR I WILL ANSWER YOU IF YOU MAKE THE BURNING STOP!
name	IT WON'T STOP! THE LAVA BURNED ME AND IT WON'T STOP! HELP ME!
death	THEY FLOODED THE CAVE. I WAS TOO SLOW AND IT BURNED ME. OH GOD, MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!
lava magma	THE LAVA WAS TOO FAST AND I COULDN'T ESCAPE. I CAN STILL FEEL IT ALL OVER ME. GET IT OFF ME GET IT OFF!
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Level	Snake River
Body #12: Matheson
Location	Above river in south of level
Topic	Response
initial	Glad to see one of us is still standing.
name	Matheson. Grenadier. Never thought I'd be the last one on my fireteam but that's how it goes.
death	I was off duty with my comrades. We weren't even armed. The Pfhor didn't see me as much of a threat until I wrenched a staff from one of those elite units and sliced him in half. But no matter how fast I ran, how well I moved, they were always going to catch up to me.
comrades comrade team fireteam	Drescher, Fitzpatrick, Tillman, and me. We would have made it out if we'd been on duty. Instead the Pfhor caught us with our pants down on the high tiers at the north end. Then some asshole sealed the doors and we had to find another way to the barracks.
drescher	Poor Drescher always thought he was a sharpshooter. Truth is, he would have been lost without the spread and speed of our standard-issue assault rifle. Not to mention he couldn't sneak up on a potatoanus.
fitzpatrick	Fitzpatrick and Tillman were stupid but loyal. Fitzpatrick took a volley of S'pht'kr discs to the face, protecting me.
tillman	Tillman and Fitzpatrick were best friends since childhood. Tillman never made it off the upper tier. Last I saw, a Pfhor enforcer was burning his skin off.
matheson	What.
pfhor	This isn't my first time squaring off against them. It was always at a distance before. We lived through barrages from those death squad troopers, we took juggernauts out of the sky, but you need guns to do all that. Or spells, if you're one of those wireheads. What wouldn't I have given to use the ones I carried here...
elite	Most veterans are more familiar with the tall ones in grey armor. My comrades always kept them at a distance while I splattered them across the rock. It was the troopers we had to worry about.
staff	I've heard rumors of soldiers taking trophy staffs and even using them regularly in battle, contrary to regulations. I'm guessing those idiots died just like I did.
trooper troopers	You've got your green troopers, your violet troopers, and your blue troopers. The blue ones are mobile artillery. Like we always said, seeing blue, time to skiddoo.
grenade rifle assault ar	Give me the MA-75B and I'll give you a field of bright yellow guts. They tell me cyborgs can be programmed to spec now, and a Rifleman class is available. I'd like to see one of those in action.
ma75b	Wow, you really chased that subject to the end. What are you, a cyborg?
rifleman	Reanimate me like they did with those traitors and you'll get the best Rifleman you've ever seen.
smg	I could take or leave the KKV-7. Drescher was crazy about it, though. You could tell.
kkv7	Ask Drescher about that if you can find him. My guess is he's a pile of goop mixed into that decorative pool they installed last year.
door doors	The sad thing is, the blast door to the hangar, which I never saw closed in all my time here, had sealed shut by the time we reached it. Our best escape routes were closed. Didn't turn out so well for us.
hangar	Before the door sealed shut, I heard a juggernaut inside making that dentist drill sound. We probably would have died there anyway.
tier tiers	We wanted to leave through the upper tier because we knew we'd get some health cans along the way. Maybe one of us would have lived.
istoria	This planet has a way of grinding people to dust. Best of luck to you.
jjaro	I'm just a soldier. All this Jjaro technology we're guarding is past my pay grade. You can use it? Then take it.
sullivan	I used to admire Sullivan. He's the most decorated soldier I've ever met personally. But he was caught off-guard just like the rest of us. Take orders from him, but use your own judgment.
wasserman	What about him?
traitors traitor	You have to know what I'm talking about. Aren't you one of them? Or, were. Whatever.
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Level	Snake River
Body #13: Commander Steve Westin
Location	Circular tower in northwest of level
Topic	Response
initial	Oh, it's you. I didn't think anyone would still be alive.
name	I'm Steve Westin. Commander Westin's the proper title. I reported to Commander Maddox. Is he still around? Do you know?
death	I came here in the hopes of alerting others of the attack, and to gather a group of people to bring back with me to the safety of the basement below Central Command. I had a green key and knew that most people wouldn't be able to get through the door. It was foolish. The Pfhor were on me right away and I wasn't able to warn even a single soul.
you me	They, of course, would have wiped your mind. One of my responsibilities was reviewing the backgrounds of people that had the potential to be given a second chance as a cyborg. Your case seemed pretty typical to me, but you were reportedly more physically fit than some other candidates. I hope recommending you wasn't a mistake. Don't want you falling back on any bad habits, eh?
bad habits habit	No need to concern yourself with that right now. Just know that following orders is your only chance out of this mess and could be our only hope of saving humanity as a whole. You must not allow the Pfhor to get their hands on you, or the technology here.
pfhor	They're determined to wipe out or enslave humanity and must be stopped. There's some very powerful technology here on Istoria, and if we allow it to get into their hands, our war effort may be doomed.
istoria	I definitely miss home, but thinking about my family's future and the importance of our mission here is what motivated me to stay here and do my job as best I could.
home family	It's too painful to think about now. I will never see my home and family again. Please stop the Pfhor so they have a chance at a future.
green key	Please take it. You'll need it to access the basement of Central Command. Though now it won't matter, will it? I'm sure they'll have raised the defenses, and you won't be able to get down there. Or maybe everyone died before they were able to do that. I'm out of the loop on the current situation, being dead and all.
maddox	Commander Maddox commands the military personnel on the planet. It's not an easy job, and we occasionally have to make some tough decisions. I'm glad he has been strong enough to carry out necessary actions, even if they could be unpleasant. We need people like that if we are going to win the war. He isn't dead, is he?
tough decisions decision	Don't worry about that right now. Some of those decisions end up not being so tough after all, anyway. You probably like your new abilities, don't you? I'm sure you'll last longer than the others.
last others	You know, I've always had a problem with running my mouth when I shouldn't. I don't really know enough about this to say much. It's no secret a few of the previous cyborgs haven't lasted very long, but Wasserman has those kinks worked out now, surely.
wasserman	Wasserman... We always used to joke that there weren't any animals here to scavenge corpses, but we were wrong.
spells spell	I wish I could have used them... On second thought, maybe not.
necessary actions	The best way to put it: one bad apple. We do what we have to do to maintain order. For our families. For humanity.
unpleasant	Don't get to know people, is my advice to you. Makes certain decisions easier to bear.
businessman	Ah yes, now that you mention it, I do remember something about that in your background. I think you had mentioned business school as one of your interests, but ultimately decided to join the military. Personally, I'd say you made the right decision. Why? Are you starting to remember things about your past?
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Level	The Hot Gates
Body #14: Cynthia
Location	Western area, in a Y-shaped room
Topic	Response
initial	Damn, they came too quickly. We weren't prepared. I doubt even the lava will be enough to save them below ground now.
name	Cynthia. I was collecting data on reflect devices, as it's something I had developed recently. It's infuriating, I was able to crack the code and get things to behave the way I intended, but I wasn't able to use them myself. And now I'm dead.
death	I heard some odd noises, and maybe a scream in the distance, but it didn't alarm me all that much. I was so focused on recording the data from the reflect device that I didn't even notice the S'pht bolt coming at me. It blew me back, and here I am. I thought they were supposed to be on our side; what the hell?
spht bolt	One of the bolts from a S'pht compiler hit and killed me. Some allies we have, huh? Thanks a lot for the help, friends.
devices device	I'm part of the cyberneticist team working on Project Cygnus. I've spent the last year of my life trying to create a device that can repel incoming projectiles back at their owners. I finally got them working within the last month. Of course, "working" means only for cyborgs with the right equipment, and only on Istoria.
reflect	This new device that I've poured the last year of my life into. Imagine being surrounded and taking fire from all sides, and you simply use one of these things to turn your enemy's shots against themselves, taking them out. It's an idea I've been obsessed with, and I finally got a chance to see a cyborg use one successfully not long ago. Since then, I'd been collecting as much data on them as I could, as my focus shifted to making them as widely available as possible for the war effort away from this stupid rock.
data	I was walking around getting power readings from the devices at different locations in the outpost. If we could understand WHY these things only work near Istoria, we would have a chance at developing a workaround and using them for the war effort. The more data we have, the better our chances are of solving the mystery.
scream	I'm perhaps a little too good at tuning out distractions when I'm focusing on my work. Screams around here aren't all that rare anyway, with morale being so low. People are always mad and yelling about something.
spells spell	I hate when people call these devices spells. They aren't magic. You aren't a wizard. This is extremely advanced technology, but no one seems to have any respect for that. It's frustrating dealing with people around you when they're all imbeciles.
prepared	Sure, we had the Tripoli and a military presence here, but that obviously wasn't even close to enough. Where is the warship now? Do you see an army anywhere repelling the Pfhor? I sure don't. Whatever defensive plans we had in place were severely lacking.
they	The Pfhor, of course. And I guess the S'pht now as well? As if things weren't bad enough trying to fight against one alien species.
rock istoria	Everyone hates it here. We've been stuck here so long that it drives people mad. Sometimes it even drives people to do dangerous and stupid things that get them rounded up. Luckily I've had something to focus on, so I don't mind as much as other people seem to. My work keeps me busy.
lava	For protection, we have the ability to move a massive amount of magma from different locations on Istoria. The tunnels and controls to redirect the lava were here long before us, but we've been using them to help keep the underground lab safe from any hostiles.
hostiles hostile	Well, there's the Pfhor, of course. But you also have to be worried about disgruntled people and the crazies. Istoria is not kind to a person's mental health.
tunnels drain	A bit below the ground near here, you'll find a massive pool of magma. There are tunnels that connect that pool with the basement of Central Command. There are controls to drain the magma from one location to another, put in place by the ancient aliens that used to inhabit this planet.
controls control	Usually, you'd have to be in the underground lab to move the magma from one location to another. They use it for protection to keep hostiles or unauthorized personnel out of there. No one is going to try to swim through lava to sate their curiosity. There is another way to force the lava to move out of the CC basement and into the chamber here, however. You'd have to be insane to try it, though. There are some wires you can destroy.
wires wire	The problem is, they are located on a walkway within the area that will get flooded with lava if they are destroyed. I'm sure the person that designed it this way was having a good laugh. Maybe they figured someone would only bypass the usual security if it was an emergency and it was worth the suicide mission. Who knows. In any case, if you're going to attempt to use this method, be ready to run across the walkway as fast as possible. Maybe pick a good BCE device to have ready so nothing can slow you down.
project cygnus	It's the classified project the team under Wasserman is working on. Surely you must know all about it, though, being a cyborg and using the devices we developed for you?
wasserman	The guy made me uncomfortable. He's very smart and very ambitious. It wasn't always clear to me what his intentions were for the cyborgs and devices. I guess it wasn't something I could worry about, though, because we really do need these things to help with the war effort.
dangerous stupid rounded	Consider how important our mission is here. Then consider that a lot of folks feel trapped, unable to leave, not sure they'll ever get to. Insubordination must be dealt with swiftly and effectively. At least, that's what we always say working with Cyborgs. We don't have the luxury of allowing our subjects to be insubordinate without immense consequences. I think Sullivan feels the same way about the grunts on the surface.
ancient aliens alien	I don't know the how or the why of the magma movement process. I always thought it seemed like overkill, but now I guess I know its purpose in protecting those below.
grunts grunt	I get it. We need a military presence here. But the nature of our mission prevents them from knowing a lot about what we do, which creates discontent. Who wants to spend years on a planet twiddling their thumbs? Give them something to focus on, like I had, and we won't have the troubles we've seen here over the years.
troubles trouble insubordinate	Some folks are of the mind they have agency on this planet, especially if they work in large enough numbers. More than once, Sullivan has had to round up groups conspiring to revolt against leadership, I guess in an effort to get off this rock. Instead, they're sent below the surface to us. Or, at least, some are.
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Level	Born Under Punches
Body #15: Spenser
Location	Northern part of level, in a twisty rock maze
Topic	Response
initial	I wish things would stop sneaking up on me. Here you are instead.
name	Why don't you call me Spenser.
death	One of the IADDs was shooting consistently to the left. Our team drew lots to come up here and fix that job. Guess who got stuck with it. I guided it here because it was dark and secluded, where nothing was going to find me. Of course those cloaked compilers homed right in on the IADD, saw me, and killed me before I even knew it.
iadd iadds	What, are you pissed about us using the IADDs against you? Imagine having some zealot and his cyborg coming for you, your colleagues, and the AI you've been trying to talk to for years. Hey, at least I fixed its aim, right?
compiler compilers	Compiler is an interesting name for that class of S'pht. Strictly speaking, I don't think they compile instructions for the systems with which they interface. I don't even know where that name came from. If they compile anything, it's data about their homeworld and their former masters, the Jjaro. Those two things obsess them. Now you can add the Mrrak to that list.
spht	I have to be honest... If I could be anything or anyone, I would be one of the S'pht. For them, cybernetics is like breathing. They must know so much, yet they remain silent about almost everything.
mrrak	It's easy to think the Mrrak are just like the S'pht, but imagine how different two human civilizations would be separated by so many years, so much space, so many different experiences. Or did the Jjaro make them from the same mould? I don't think we'll ever know. Sentinel is as taciturn as his creators.
jjaro	People make a huge fuss about the Jjaro. It must be wonderful to possess godlike power, but what did they do with it? It's like they parked a hotrod here, left the keys in the ignition, and walked away.
cyber	No thanks.
cybernetics	There's an imaginary boundary we draw between organic thought and machine thought. Cybernetics erases that boundary.
cyberneticists edward	I know I keep blathering about what interests me. I have no stake in your struggle anymore. But my colleagues closer to Sentinel? They're even more single-minded.
cyborg	Our cyborgs are little more than the flesh and components from which they are built. You and your kind barely have minds. I've spoken to dozens of patterns extracted from the buffers you use, and you with your one-word topics are the most eloquent out of any of them.
me	An illusion. See how adeptly you follow Sullivan's orders. You are a mindless extension of his will. Prove me wrong.
colleagues colleague team	We all worked under Dr. Edward Grindle. You might have run across Dr. Griffith along the way. Grindle and the rest are holed up below, dividing their time between the IADDs and Sentinel. They might be able to spare one or two more of us, but there's hardly anyone left down there.
eddie	Grindle was known to be a bit too personal, a bit handsy, with some of the women on the team. He always asked them to call him Eddie. Meanwhile, he was Dr. Grindle to the rest of us. A brilliant mind, but distracted by matters of the flesh.
grindle	You know, as much as I used to complain about good old Edward, he deserves credit for standing his ground with nothing but a bunch of scientists and rusty tin cans to help him.
emily	Gossip spreads like fire. Maybe it's the same among the dead.
ai artificial intelligence	Artificial Intelligence. A phrase now used to demean the most beautiful minds in existence.
sentinel	When one person meets another, no matter how quiet, no matter how brooding, it is possible to form an opinion, to perceive a personality. Sentinel is no different. His query about the state of the defensive system and his diagnostics on the nearby moon are all we've seen him do, but I think they say rather a lot about him. His mind is fixated on concerns we can barely understand. It would probably be best if Grindle found out more, sooner rather than later.
spenser	I'm not going to tell you my real name. Nice work asking about the least important thing of all.
darkness dark invisible	As much as I admire the S'pht, I can't say I enjoyed meeting their special operations compilers like this. They are dreadful to encounter in the dark. From what little our allies will say of them, I've gathered that their invisibility and their displacement are the product of mental activity alone. Otherwise Wasserman and his thugs would have found a way to let you do those things as well.
defense moon	Grindle's been going on and on about a defense system and something involving Istoria's moon. I can't tell if he got this information from Sentinel, if he's finally cracking under the pressure, or if it's something in between.
istoria	I barely ever make it to the surface. Nor do I want to. I don't care a thing about this planet other than its oldest residents.
sullivan	Sullivan is making a mistake bringing you down here. You're making a mistake listening to him. I implore you to defy his orders to destroy the reactor. Grindle was getting close to bringing Sentinel's defenses online. That is our best hope now.
wasserman	Imagine two composers. One creates symphonies. The other bangs sheet metal with a stick. Wasserman and his people are the second composer.
music	Can you hear the music too? I thought it was just me.
symphony	Can you hear the music too? I thought it was just me. I wouldn't call it a symphony... more like that metal-and-stick stuff.
cygnus	At first, I was bitter about my assignment to Sentinel and not the cybernetics team. But as Project Cygnus took form, my feelings shifted. I'd rather study something from the past than have to face the human cost of my efforts.
human cost	Wasserman doesn't exactly run a tight ship, no matter how hard he tries. We've heard there were dozens, maybe more, before you.
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Level	Born Under Punches
Body #16: Dr. Charles Griffith
Location	Southern part of the level, after the &#$@ Flame IADD
Topic	Response
initial	I never wanted to be on Istoria. I never wanted to be dead.
name	I am... was... Dr. Charles Griffith, Assistant Director of IADD Operations. I was hiding with Grindle's team until Sullivan had you pave the way for the Pfhor to get down here. Evil scumbag.
death dead	Why are you making me remember that? I was coming back from opening the Flame IADD's chute. There was a drone and a grenade. The drone was ours. It was chasing a group of hunters... I survived dangling over lava only to be caught in crossfire.
unknown1	I don't understand what you're getting at.
unknown2	Why would you ask me that?
unknown3	Why are we talking about this?
istoria	I said I never wanted to be here, OK? So why ask me about it?
lava	I was only dangling for a few seconds, but I swear my shoes were about to combust. You know how the space above a flame is still quite hot? Same concept applies to lava, except it's about 100 times hotter. Can only imagine what Doug went through...
doug	Doug was on his way back down here when the attack started. There's no way he made it out of that huge cavern before the lava flood when they sealed off the labs below. Guy probably wailed like a maniac if what I went through is any indication.
hunter hunters	I might be in the minority here, but I find the hunter to be the most frustrating adversary. They take forever to go down, and won't stop firing. At least these ones don't seem to howl.
howl	Some think they sound stupid, but those howls live rent-free in my nightmares. It's not stupid if it can kill you.
flame iadd	It's a shame we didn't roll out the Flame IADDs sooner. They can decimate a crowd of Pfhor pretty easily. You better watch your back for them down here.
sullivan	It's no secret you're following the orders that Grindle refused to. Please, when the time comes, do not listen to Sullivan by destroying Sentinel's reactor. He's not only going to get you killed, but everyone else you ever knew.
orders	Sullivan wants to keep the Pfhor from getting all this tech, but it's about more than that. He doesn't understand that this outpost must exist out of necessity. He stopped listening to us a while ago. I think he expected us to re-establish communications with Sentinel and thought us to be incompetent when that didn't happen.
sentinel	Sentinel controls the gravity array, which sends out massive gravitational waves to Kilauea. Grindle had a theory about what its purpose was, and he was about to present his findings to Sullivan when the Pfhor arrived.
reactor	Sullivan wants you to prime Sentinel's reactor for overload. But there's another way. Please, if you find Grindle down there, ask him about it. He's the best person to talk to. He'll give you the specifics.
outpost necessity grindle theory	Think about it: why would the Jjaro need to send out massive gravitational waves to Istoria's most distant moon? The only theory that carries any water is they were trying to keep something contained within the moon. That's what Grindle was on to, and it's why we cannot let you destroy Sentinel and release whatever that moon has in store for us.
wasserman cygnus	I don't have time for this. Either get yourself killed by an IADD trying to execute Sullivan's orders or find Grindle and save the day. Your pick.
isaac	How do you know my brother? I guess he's got a big mouth, so it's not that surprising. Or... do you mean to say he's gone?
gone	Well... thank you for telling me. I think I want to be alone now. If you see him, tell Isaac that I'm proud of all his accomplishments. He was always so self-conscious.
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Level	Don't Sweat It
Body #17: Ru
Location	Southeastern part of level, just west of a C-shaped switchback
Topic	Response
initial	Dammit. You found me. Wish you arrived sooner so I could have put up a fight.
name	Ru. It's Ru.
death	Well, I was trying to hide from you. Trying to hide the key, I guess. But I rounded the corner and saw two fighters, who then swung their staves at me. Funny thing is, one accidentally struck the other, who in turn killed the first fighter. A miracle the Pfhor can get anything done when they turn on their own so easily.
yellow key	Grindle told me to lock the yellow door in that nearby cavern and hide the key. I decided to roll the dice on the local jump pad, and I made it. Wasn't expecting those fighters to be in here, but I don't think they expected me, either.
black hole	Don't ask me why the cyberneticists stored that thing down here. I didn't even know it was here when I showed up. They're up to no good, though.
fight	Damn you. And Sullivan. I hope you understand your part in the deaths of everyone down here. If you hadn't drained the lava from the basement, the Pfhor never could have gotten down here. You're a fool for listening to Sullivan, and there's blood on your hands.
hide edward grindle	It's no secret to us what you're trying to do. You destroy Sentinel, you're opening Pandora's box.
pfhor fighter fighters	Sometimes they seem like the robotic ones, just chirping at and hitting each other. Soulless creatures.
sentinel pandora pandoras	The destruction of Sentinel would unleash a chaos that could not be contained. Trust us.
chaos contained trust	I can't explain it well enough. You need to find Grindle way down near Sentinel. But just know it would screw everything up. In a galactic sense.
galactic	You get us all killed, and now you decide to hear what we have to say? You really are insufferable. Grindle's down near Sentinel. Find him if you want more information. If you want any shot at redemption. And don't waste another second following Sullivan's orders.
cyberneticists cybernetics wasserman	Wasserman's team was trying to bring another cyborg online after the attack started. Only once Grindle refused to follow Sullivan's order to blow up Sentinel did we become worried about what Wasserman might do with this cyborg.
cyborg	Before you had let the Pfhor get to us, Grindle decided to roll the dice and eliminate the unfinished cyborg in order to prevent it from reaching Sentinel. He sent Al to do the deed. Al must have done the deed. But that compelled Sullivan to order you on this little mission that allowed the Pfhor to get down here.
eliminate al	Al was armed with a pistol. That's all we were ever provided in the way of defense. I hope he succeeded.
sullivan	I don't understand why they didn't let us wait it out. We were safe below here. We were so close to speaking with Sentinel again. Grindle thinks they're afraid of something else. Something they're not telling us.
something else	I wish I knew. Our teams are pretty sequestered here underground. We never got many chances to mingle, so the inner workings of the cybernetics team were always a mystery to us.
cygnus	Technically we're all under the umbrella of Project Cygnus. But really, Cygnus is Wasserman and his minions.
minions minion	They really added an unnecessary amount of stress to an already exceedingly stressful situation. They had no business trying to interfere with our work.
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Level	Don't Sweat It
Body #18: Emily
Location	Southwest of level, beneath the Y-shaped ceiling frame
Topic	Response
initial	Whoa, you came out of nowhere. Talking with the Yellow Crystal feels so much weirder on this side of things. And much more depressing.
name	I'm Emily. I was a senior Sentinel specialist.
death	You should know, shouldn't you? You're the one that cleared the path for the Pfhor to come in and kill us all. I know you were following Sullivan's orders, and maybe you didn't fully know what would happen. I don't know. In any case, you absolutely cannot continue doing what he says! Losing the people on this planet is nothing compared to the horror you will unleash if you continue your path.
sentinel	That's the name we've given the Jjaro AI that is in charge of all of the complex technology systems within the Jjaro structure. We've only very recently been successful in interacting with it, but even then, our success was limited.
yellow crystal earth	Edward came across a mention of a magical artifact in some ancient Earth archives. Apparently, it was documented to only work in the presence of some horrible god creature. I think it was the fact that it only seemed to have power in special circumstances that drew Ed's attention, as it reminded him of the bizarre way our spells only work near one of Istoria's moons. The Yellow Crystal was the artifact mentioned, and it's working now, or we wouldn't be having this conversation.
artifact conversation	Don't you understand? If we're talking right now, that means the Yellow Crystal is working, and we know it only works in the presence of one of those horrible beings. Scientists on Earth proved it back then, according to their archives, and Edward finished confirming it with his own experiments just today! The only explanation is that it is being powered by a nearby being of pure chaos. The Jjaro structures and Sentinel are the only things keeping it in check.
experiments experiment	Edward's hunch about that crystal paid off, and we were able to conclusively determine that there is a being located on Istoria's furthest moon that has the potential to destroy the whole galaxy. It's the same type of creature the Jjaro helped the people of Earth remove in the late 1900s, and it's what they built this whole outpost for. The massive gravity array keeps the creature bound to the moon's surface, trapped there. Obviously, blowing up Sentinel and the underground structures would be catastrophic for the entire galaxy.
jjaro	An ancient alien race who has helped humans in the past and is apparently still helping us today. They created the underground facility that keeps some horrible god creature at bay. I'm glad Edward was able to find the records of the Jjaro from the past and perform his own experiments to confirm this.
sullivan	I honestly believe he thinks he's doing the right thing for the war effort and humanity at large. He's always had a very cold and calculated way of doing things, though, and this time it will lead to the destruction of the whole galaxy.
horror god creature being beings	We now know for sure that there's a being of some sort on the surface of one of Istoria's moons. In the late 1900s, the Jjaro helped humanity deal with one of these things before it could destroy us all, and the Jjaro built this outpost for a similar purpose. The Yellow Crystal we're communicating with now provides the proof. I don't even want to think of what could happen if this thing were to get loose in the galaxy.
chaos galaxy	Earth archives indicated the god creature they dealt with in 1994 was causing monsters of some sort to appear. We were warned that as it gained consciousness, things would get much worse. The implication at the time was that the destruction would not be limited to Earth, but it would eventually escape into space, and then who knows what would have happened. If it was creating monsters in a mostly unconscious state on Earth, we can only guess what it might have done, roaming space fully lucid.
path plan mission	Sullivan has ordered you to come down here and destroy the outpost, right? In doing so, you lowered our defenses, allowing the Pfhor to kill us all. You don't have time to dwell on that though, because if you go through with your plan, it will be so much worse. You will unleash a horror on the galaxy that we will be powerless to stop. You must not destroy the outpost!
edward ed grindle	He was working on a solution to prevent the Pfhor from taking control of Istoria that won't result in humanity's destruction. It involved activating Sentinel's defenses, but you need to find him to get the details. Do what he says; he's a good man and is our only hope of avoiding a horrible fate.
outpost	You cannot destroy it or you will release a horrible creature that will end life as we know it. That I know for sure. I understand Sullivan's point of view that he doesn't want the Pfhor to take control of Istoria and the technology here, but his way of dealing with the problem will only make things worse. Edward was working on an alternative solution when all hell broke loose here. Please find him. Even if he has been killed, he will surely have an alternative course of action for you to take that won't doom us all.
istoria	People generally aren't happy to be stationed here, but our work is extremely important. We didn't understand just how important until very recently. Edward's research on the Yellow Crystal was a breakthrough. I hope you don't let it go to waste.
pfhor	It's funny, they're a huge threat to us all, but I never thought I'd have to see one face to face. I wish we had just a little more time to talk to Sentinel before I did.
spells spell	Those BCEs have always made me nervous, but if they're helping you on your mission, I'm glad you have them. Just make sure to do what Edward says and not General Sullivan. I was carrying a few with me, as we are all required to do. Please take them.
project cygnus	Project Cygnus is something I don't particularly like to talk about, and I always tried my best to avoid any involvement with it. I believe working on a way to activate Sentinel is extremely important, and I just tried to block out the other things that may have been happening here. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to do my job.
bike	Are you talking about Edward's bike? He's complained about it being stolen multiple times now, and I can only conclude that someone is playing a practical joke on him.
bikegeist	Yeah, so his bike was stolen when he was on his way to see me. I fail to see how that's relevant at all here?
stalker	What? Does the Yellow Crystal read my mind or something? You must be referring to the time I thought I saw Edward lurking in the shadows outside my window, but I almost certainly imagined it. He's a good person and wouldn't do that kind of thing.
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Level	Don't Sweat It
Body #19: Cyborg
Location	Northwest of level, within the second of three cryo chambers
Topic	Response
initial	You! I know you. My god, they did it to both of us, didn't they?
name	I can't remember... It's like I never had one. But I know I did. You did... Why can't I remember?
death	I was held in this chamber, unable to move. But fully lucid. And I was so sore, everywhere. I heard popping, what sounded like a firefight. Then that door slid open, and a man ducked under it and fired at least a dozen shots at me with his pistol. I can still feel every hit...
remember	I remember how to fire a gun, what a Pfhor looks like. That I'm a rocket man. But there are other things, other gaps. It's like there are holes in my mind. Like I'm blind to half my thoughts.
you	I've known you for a long time. That I am certain of. I think... I believe we were brothers in arms. We fought alongside each other. And we died alongside each other, didn't we? Yes, yes, I remember now. They killed us.
brother brothers arms fought	I remember there was a group of us. We had had enough. We were prisoners on this planet, and we decided to do something about it. We revolted, but Command was ready for us. Some of it is coming back to me now...
died group	You and I were pulled from the group after we were rounded up and penned, along with a couple other guys. I think they picked the fittest out of the bunch. They brought us to these chambers and injected us with something. I remember falling limp, but being fully conscious. The horror.
they	The rats that use these labs. They've done things... They implanted something in my head, and operated on my arms and legs. They didn't even use anesthesia. Remember when they brought us down?
chambers chamber lab labs	We were put in these chambers and operated on. Restrained. I've never seen the tools they used on me before. I heard them say I was almost ready for deployment. Not long after, the firefight broke out.
tools tool	They seemed alien. Clearly not man-made.
deployment	They kept saying someone named Grundle or something was defying direct orders. Maybe they wanted me to go in and be the muscle. Deal with the insubordination.
firefight	I heard a ton of shouting, and then a firefight. It sounded like it was between humans. Then someone shouted to get me because I was a traitor, and that door slid open. That's when I was shot over and over.
muscle humans	As far as I know, Grundle was defying orders from Command. That's why those doctors were trying to ready me for deployment, I think. I wish I knew more, or I'd tell you.
traitor	It confused me. I thought the traitors were the ones trying to kill me. I don't think I was getting the full picture.
command	Command kept us here like prisoners. It became clear that they'd never let us leave. But when we decided to revolt, they were ready for us.
revolt	There must have been hundreds of us, right? But not enough. The plan to take over the warship quickly failed, and after that, we were out of options, and rounded up.
warship	I can't remember names. God, it's driving me insane.
istoria	Istoria! That's this planet, right? Thank you for helping me remember. Thank you.
sullivan	Yes, Sullivan. That's right. The bastard in charge, the one who sent us to our deaths.
cygnus	I heard that word a lot down here. I think it's code for what they were doing to us.
tripoli	Sounds really familiar... what is that again?
class	I just remember I'm a rocket man class. I can't recall much about the other cyborg classes. How many there are, what they do. I have no idea. I can't even figure out how I know what I do.
rocket man rocketman	Apparently, I had the ability to turn regular missiles into homing missiles. I wish I could have used it. I would have turned every cyberneticist down here into red mist at the first chance.
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Level	Don't Sweat It
Body #20: Dr. Al Chase
Location	Northeast of level at C-shaped segment below Y-shaped ceiling structure
Topic	Response
initial	I got him!
name	Dr. Chase. But you can call me Al.
death him	Grindle sent me to kill that other cyborg they were getting ready to deploy. We realized they were gonna use him to destroy Sentinel after Grindle defied Sullivan's order to do the same. When I reached the biolab, I opened fire on several cyberneticists, but they ran away. I opened the door but it jammed. Then I fired off a couple shots at the cyborg until I was suddenly transported into this room and killed by these IADDs. Must've been Wasserman. I'm guessing Sullivan sent you down after I succeeded.
cyborg	The cyberneticists have burned through so many men in the name of Project Cygnus. Most of their operations were hush-hush, but word spread to our team since we worked in such close proximity. They'd pull people from the surface who were causing problems or insubordinate. I think, at times, they even took people who did nothing wrong, just for the fact they needed more bodies.
cyberneticists	Wasserman's team. They were aligned with Sullivan in the thought that destroying the outpost is the best solution to the Pfhor attack, despite everything we'd lose. I can't make sense of their reasoning no matter how hard I try. There must be something more to it. They simply refused to listen to Grindle's proposal. I'm guessing they sent you down here after I killed the other one.
grindle personal	If you see Grindle, please talk to him. Give him a chance. He was working on the solution to bringing Sentinel's defenses online, and he was so close. You have to listen to me. It's the only way out of this situation. And it can save Istoria in the process.
istoria	Why do you think we call it Sentinel? Its purpose is to safeguard Istoria and the surrounding space. We need to convince it to do that. We need to convince it just how much of a threat the Pfhor are.
biolab teal key	The biolabs are pretty close by. Should be west of this position. I guess nothing is stopping you from taking my teal key to gain entry.
sentinel	Grindle was working on an uplink chip that would hopefully prompt Sentinel into communicating and scanning nearby space. The hope is when it sees the Pfhor and realizes what a massive threat they are, it takes measures to eliminate them. But that was all much further underground, closer to Sentinel.
iadd iadds	We should have known hacking them would give others the same idea. It's pretty common knowledge their systems are not that secure, so Wasserman's team must have managed to program a few to do their bidding. They were hovering over me this entire time until you opened those blast doors.
wasserman	Wasserman's team spearheaded Project Cygnus and all that came with it, good and bad. The innovation we've seen with their spells is unheard of. But the cost is high, and the means are questionable at best, and horrific at worst.
project cygnus	Talk to a cyberneticist if you want the full scoop. But basically, they would round up folks from on the surface, those from the lower ranks, and bring the most ideal test subjects down here to experiment on. There was no volunteering. It was all forced, from what we heard.
sullivan	After the Pfhor attacked, Sullivan ordered us to prep Sentinel to overload. He was ready to take everything out to prevent the Pfhor from getting their hands on what we have down here. But then you started kicking Pfhor ass, and he belayed his order. It wasn't until he saw the massive incoming fleet of Pfhor reinforcements that he once again ordered us to destroy everything. But Grindle couldn't do that. He couldn't risk the consequences he knew would result from the outpost's destruction.
risk consequences	You destroy Sentinel, you destroy the gravity array. After that, nothing contains whatever is embedded within Istoria's moon Kilauea.
embedded moon moons kilauea	Some sort of creature is embedded under Kilauea's surface, whose power exceeds anything we've seen before. Grindle knows the details, and he has the proof to back it up. I think Emily knows a lot about it, too.
proof	Find Grindle. He's not in this area; you'd have to make your way further below ground to get a hold of him.
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Level	Armageddon Games
Body #21: Dr. Gertrude Fredback
Location	Southwest of level, northeast of purple door
Topic	Response
initial	Is that you, Wasserman? I can't see... It doesn't sound like you. Wait... are you the cyborg from the surface?
name	Dr. Gertrude Fredback. Have you seen Wasserman?
death	Our team was here producing as many BCEs as we could once we knew you were on your way down here. We also knew it was only a matter of time before the Pfhor showed up. I've never felt a deeper pit in my stomach than during those several hours. When they did finally arrive, they started kidnapping all my colleagues. I saw Wasserman run out. I don't know if he made it. I fought them off, and once they gave up on trying to capture me, they slaughtered me instead.
team colleagues	I worked in the Cybernetics Division. There were about two dozen of us. I saw most of my colleagues get kidnapped by the Pfhor when they breached the labs. I think they knew what our role was here, and wanted to extract as much information from us as possible. My heart breaks for my colleagues and what they must be going through...
cybernetics	Cygnus. You don't remember much, do you? I can't say that's a surprise.
cyborg remember	It doesn't surprise me that you made it down here. You were our best specimen yet. Peak physical fitness. Elite combat training embedded in your muscle memory. I'm ashamed to say some of the other cyberneticists were almost giddy to see your name on the detainment report after that last revolt.
specimen	Cygnus is costly. We experimented on over a hundred human beings during our time here. It was often a gruesome sight, but a necessary one. None of them made it. I doubt you'll make it very long in the grand scheme of things. The cybernetic components are just too stressful to the skeletal frame over time.
cyberneticists giddy	Some of us are a little crooked in the mind. Wasserman especially. Sometimes I think he took joy in the experiments. As if he was punishing the insubordinate, since that's usually the violation that got you sent down here. Personally, I tried to ignore all that. I just wanted to crush the Pfhor.
elite	You were part of an elite infantry unit on the surface. A couple ranks above the regular grunt. That probably had a big effect on your performance since the attack began.
detainment report revolt	Sullivan determined the secrecy surrounding Istoria was paramount to the mission's success. Anyone deployed here was kept until the "success" of our mission. But if I'm being candid with you, I don't think Sullivan intended for anyone to leave. Save for him and Wasserman, maybe. Anyway, most people seemed to share that sentiment, and every so often a revolt within our forces would occur. Sullivan would round the offenders up, and send them to us. Happened a couple times over the last five years.
secrecy mission success	My theory on the excessive secrecy surrounding Istoria revolves around the S'pht.
jjaro	We couldn't make use of this Jjaro tech without studying the S'pht.
spht	You see, the Jjaro technology here serves as a basis for our work. A roadmap. A means to an end. But it took something to bridge the gap between Jjaro components and human biology; to allow full assimilation. That's where the S'pht came in. But instead of simply asking our S'pht allies for assistance, Sullivan and UESC leadership decided to conceal the existence of Istoria and our developments here. They still needed S'pht subjects, so they simply kidnapped them in several covert operations. Idiotic, if you ask me.
assimilation	By assimilation, I mean full cooperation between the biological form and the technological form. We didn't have any living Jjaro to study, nor any living Mrrak. The S'pht seemed like the most plausible substitute, given the apparent similarities between those two client races of the Jjaro. We were right.
allies ally conceal developments	I think they concealed the existence of Istoria from our allies because they were afraid of the power available to be wielded here. They're our allies today, but what's to say that doesn't change if the Pfhor fall? Their thinking was long-term and rooted in distrust.
distrust	I'm not saying it was the right call. Look at us now. But they wanted full control over Istoria and the BCE technology before making the S'pht aware of our operations here. That also meant if our allies found out about the kidnapping operation, the alliance would be in jeopardy. Just so idiotic.
idiotic	Well it is, isn't it? What have the S'pht done to betray our trust? Wasserman forced us to experiment on them. They are so much smarter than we give them credit for. Wasserman was trying to have the UESC send more to us before the attack started.
kidnapped covert operations	They intercepted some small S'pht craft outside the Epsilon system. Made it look like an accident. We got ahold of 10 S'pht from that operation.
wasserman	Wasserman ran off after the Pfhor arrived. He was making a last-ditch effort to blow up Sentinel, I think, since Grindle's team killed that other cyborg we almost had ready, and we weren't sure if you were going to make it.
sentinel grindle sullivan	Death affords me an honesty that life did not: I don't honestly know if you should follow Sullivan's orders to blow up Sentinel and the outpost. Grindle's team was very close to an alternative. I can't answer that for you; you'll need to decide for yourself. I think Grindle was near Sentinel, last I heard.
alternative	Grindle broadcast a message over the intercom down here before the Pfhor showed up. Something about withdrawing the control rods near the reactor and inserting an uplink chip into one of Sentinel's interfaces. I didn't hear anything else because Wasserman cut the transmission.
other	We had nearly finished creating another cyborg when the attack began. We worked furiously to bring him online and give you a backup, but then things changed. Sullivan ordered the destruction of the outpost, and Grindle's team defied his orders, then preemptively killed the cyborg to ensure he couldn't carry them out, either. That's when Sullivan ordered you down here.
pfhor	They enslaved my whole family at Gliese. I want every single one of them dead.
gliese	A wake-up call for humanity. We thought we were ready to face off against the Pfhor, but we were wrong. So many people enslaved...
gleise	That's not how you say it.
enslaved	I'd rather be dead talking to Wasserman for the rest of time than serve as a slave to the Pfhor for several decades.
accident	That was always the go-to line when briefing new Cyborgs. In some ways, their minds were almost childlike. Malleable and highly influenced. We'd always tell you that you died in an accident on the surface, but we brought you back. Aren't you lucky when you get a second chance at life? Thank god I was never tasked with telling that lie.
mrrak	The only remains we've come across of any Mrrak have been too damaged to make use of. That's why we needed to study the S'pht in their place.
istoria	It's all lost... now it's up to you to decide what to do with Sentinel.
cygnus	Cygnus was supposed to be the answer to the Pfhor threat, once and for all. The ultimate defense for humanity against them and anything that came after.
canvas bag	I found this canvas bag lying around and figured I could store my BCEs in it. Might come in handy for you.
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Level	Armageddon Games
Body #22: EDWARD GRINDLE
Location	Northern half of level, at end of L-shaped switchback, overlooking Sentinel's core
Topic	Response
initial	Thank god you found the Yellow Crystal. Please, listen. Just listen for five minutes to what I have to say. You must deploy the control rods INTO the coolant pool and NOT take them out as Sullivan had ordered.
name	I'm Ed Grindle. Did you read the messages I left you? For god's sake, don't follow Sullivan's orders. There's still time to activate Sentinel. I almost made it when the Pfhor showed up and killed me.
death	I laughed at it all as I felt myself dying. Gunshot to the neck. We just finished manufacturing the uplink chip to prompt Sentinel into coming online when the Pfhor showed up. I laughed and laughed...
unknown1	I don't want to talk about that. Just don't follow Sullivan's orders, even if you don't trust me. Even if you don't bring Sentinel online. It will save an immeasurable amount of life in the galaxy.
unknown2	Why does that matter right now? You have to extend all the control rods INTO the coolant pool, then insert the uplink chip within Sentinel's core. That's all that remains to bringing it online, we think.
unknown3	Huh? That's not relevant. Listen, time is running out. We can still activate Sentinel and repel the Pfhor attack. Sullivan is wrong, and following his orders will unleash a chaos beyond our comprehension. Please, at least hear my plan.
yellow crystal	I was surprised when Sullivan accepted my proposal and brought the crystal from Earth. It arrived recently, and confirmed my suspicions. Basically, the crystal only ever worked once before, when it was discovered on Earth in the late twentieth century. That was in the presence of what the S'pht call a W'rkncacnter, a being that defies any typical description but is incredibly dangerous to the galaxy. The crystal stopped working once that threat was resolved, and never worked again until it was brought here...
proposal	He never really believed me with this stuff, but I convinced him to at least bring the crystal here. I was close to presenting my findings to him when the attack started. If the Pfhor could have just held off for another day...
findings finding	The crystal works on Istoria, as you know already. If you take it farther and farther away from Istoria, its power quickly fades. Remind you of anything else? We never fully understood the inner workings of Jjaro technology, or what was going on beneath the surface of Kilauea, but I know enough to understand that if you destroy the outpost and the gravity array, nothing is left to contain the W'rkncacnter anymore. If what the S'pht history books tell us is right, a W'rkncacnter released into the galaxy is much worse than anything else we could ever dream of...
wrk wrkncacnter chaos	A powerful god-like being. I don't believe in deities myself, but I'm not going to ignore S'pht historical records on the matter. Listen: if you destroy the outpost, you destroy the gravity array. Then nothing is left to contain the W'rkncacnter buried within Kilauea. But if you activate Sentinel, you can eliminate the Pfhor threat and save Istoria. Which option seems like the better one to you?
historical records record	S'pht records indicate evidence of a war between the Jjaro and the W'rkncacnter long ago. The Jjaro were victorious, but were unable to fully kill or extinguish the threat of the W'rk. Mrrak records seemed to confirm the same.
mrrak	We never gained access to Mrrak historical records until the enslaved S'pht started uncovering them less than 96 hours ago. They served as further confirmation to me that the W'rkncacnter is real, one is here, and it is in fact a threat to the galactic order. There's still time to communicate with Sentinel and cause it to raise its defenses. I was carrying out my plan when the Pfhor killed me, but you can pick up where I left off.
listen say control rods rod	I've confirmed the existence of a W'rkncacnter being on Istoria's farthest moon, Kilauea. If you follow Sullivan's orders and destroy the outpost, you will destroy the gravity array that the Jjaro built to contain the W'rkncacnter within the moon. Doing so will unleash chaos upon the galaxy. Perhaps even further. I have a plan, though, and I think it will work. My plan will save Istoria, neutralize the Pfhor threat, and allow the Jjaro outpost to continue containing the being.
plan	Since the attack began, I've been working hard attempting to reestablish contact with Sentinel. If we can help Sentinel understand the threat the Pfhor pose, it will have no issue destroying any of their ships that fall into orbit here. First, you have to deploy ALL the control rods INTO the coolant pool, allowing the core to run at peak capacity. Then you must insert an uplink chip we manufactured into Sentinel's interface via a door, which will only open once all the rods are deployed.
sentinel uplink chip slot processing	We transported the chip down here so any of us could try to uplink with Sentinel. But the Pfhor were already underground. I was so close... Anyway, if you want any chance at redemption, make sure the control rods on this gangway are ALL extended INTO the coolant pool. After that, a door will open in Sentinel's core processing room to the north of us. The chip will be there behind the door, as will the slot it needs to uplink to. After that, run as fast as you can back to your ship, because all hell will likely break loose.
ship hell	Let me put it this way: we didn't have time to refine our uplink chip once the Pfhor got down here. So we're pretty sure if Sentinel comes online, it's going to view all lifeforms on the planet as a threat. And despite your augmentations, you still count as a lifeform. I don't know how long it will take Sentinel to complete its assessment and power up its defenses, but my guess would be around half an hour, give or take five or so minutes.
sullivan orders ordered	Don't follow Sullivan's orders, dammit! I know this is a long shot... but please listen to me. If you prime the reactor for overload and destroy the outpost, nothing will stop chaos from being unleashed upon the galaxy and beyond. Will you at least consider my plan?
wutercranker	Is this some sort of joke to you? The fate of the galaxy rests in the palm of your hand, and you're over here cracking jokes? Why do I even care - I'm dead already.
spht allies	Rumor has it Wasserman's team was experimenting on captured S'pht allies, in an effort to improve the team's cybernetic innovations. It all made sense when I learned that. Not only did Sullivan want to prevent the Pfhor from getting their hands on our technology here, but he was worried that word would get out from the enslaved S'pht back to our allies about what we did, destroying the alliance and dooming us to conquest. God, I hate the politics of it all...
politics	Why the UESC never directly asked for S'pht assistance on Istoria, I'll never know. I think they were after power. Whoever controls Istoria controls the galaxy, is the way I see it. I got to know Sullivan and Wasserman well enough over the years that I'm sure this was their thinking. But just look at the fruits of their labor...
wasserman	When Sullivan realized a Pfhor fleet was en route, he ordered my team to initiate the destruction of the outpost. We refused, for obvious reasons. That prick Wasserman was trying to bring another cyborg online, and I just knew he was going to send it down here to do Sullivan's bidding. We reacted first and eliminated it. I have no regrets, except if I'm unable to convince you to activate Sentinel. We were so close, and you can finish what we started.
cygnus	Why do you care about Cygnus right now? Time is of the essence. Get to the control rods and make sure they're all lowered into the coolant. Then find the uplink chip in Sentinel's processing room, insert it, and run like hell back to your ship.
ship kolyma	It's gonna be close. I honestly don't know if you can make it back in under 35 minutes. Better run as fast as you can.
istoria rock	What about Istoria? Are you going to activate Sentinel or doom the galaxy to chaos and destruction? It's your choice.
emily	Emily... Emily... stop distracting me! Are you gonna follow my plan, or not?
bike	The more I think about it, the more I think it was Wasserman that stole my bike. The bastard took away the only thing I enjoyed here on Istoria. There were no cars on the streets, which made for prime biking. That prick.
bikegeist	I was on my way to see Emily when he stole my bike. Big deal, so what? Fraternization should be expected when you're stuck on this rock for as long as we've been.
evryfx	That's odd... how do you know the name of my old band? Did Emily tell you?
stalker	I'd like to speak to counsel before I answer any questions about this. Thanks.
pfhor	It's not like the Pfhor haven't already scavenged countless Jjaro outposts throughout the galaxy. If they were capable of harnessing this technology, they would have by now. No, I think Sullivan feared something else. He feared what our allies may find out about what's going on here.
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Level	Armageddon Games
Body #23: Thomas Wasserman
Location	Platform that descends from above southern half of stairs near entrance to level
Topic	Response
initial	That son of a bitch crushed me. God, it hurt. It took longer than I would have thought, too.
name	Thomas. Thomas Wasserman. Head of Project Cygnus.
death	Pfhor started swarming the labs. I decided to make a last-ditch effort to execute Sullivan's orders and overload Sentinel's reactors. I ran for it. Somehow, I escaped the lab successfully, but then one of Grindle's lackeys got me as soon as I transported here. He shot me in the leg. Then that piece of filth put me on this platform and sent it up. Sadistic.
unknown1	I'm starting to get lightheaded. I think I've lost some blood. Maybe you ought to let me be.
unknown2	Don't you have to save humanity? You shouldn't waste any more time talking to me.
unknown3	I can't feel my legs. Can you stretch them out for me? Maybe that'd help.
crushed	Pfhor started swarming the labs. I decided to make a last-ditch effort to execute Sullivan's orders and overload Sentinel's reactors. I ran for it. Somehow, I escaped the lab successfully, but then one of Grindle's lackeys got me as soon as I transported here. He shot me in the leg. Then that piece of filth put me on this platform and sent it up. Sadistic.
project cygnus	Where do we even begin? Do you want to know about its origin, the cyborgs, the weapons? The S'pht? Which is it? I've kept it all secret for so long, but now I'm dead, and you're our only hope. Might as well be an open book.
origin	Twelve years ago, the UESC finally faced off against the Pfhor at the Gliese 832 star system. We were defending a colony that the Pfhor decided to attack, and we lost. Hard. The entire colony was excised and enslaved, and it sent shockwaves through the UESC. After that, we began thinking outside the box. We realized if we could find an untouched Jjaro outpost, we could possibly utilize their incredibly powerful technology. That led to the commissioning of Project Cygnus, and Istoria was discovered a short while later.
gliese 832 colony excised enslaved shockwaves	Gliese was a wake-up call for us. Despite all the advancements we'd made in FTL technology and new defenses, we were utterly unmatched against the powerful Pfhor Empire.
jjaro outpost	Everything we knew about the Jjaro, we'd learned from the S'pht. Allegedly there was also an encounter with the Jjaro long ago in human history, but I've always doubted the veracity of that claim.
technology	The Jjaro possessed technology more advanced than any other race in the galaxy. They disappeared long ago, and most of their outposts have been ransacked by the Pfhor. In fact, that's partly what makes the Pfhor Empire so powerful. But it never seemed like the Pfhor could take full advantage of the potential at their fingertips.
istoria discovered	We discovered Istoria because of the similarities between this star system and Lh'owon's. At least, before the Pfhor destroyed Lh'owon.
cyborg cyborgs	God, the potential we had with these cyborgs. If only the Pfhor hadn't shown up. We were getting closer and closer to creating the perfect cyborg. The perfect human, in my eyes. And maybe the cost was high, but it's a sacrifice we must be willing to bear. A sacrifice our allies should understand if they ever find out what we did to their own. What is the alternative?
potential perfect human	Just look at what you've done. How effective you've been. Imagine an army trained and equipped as you are. Imagine the power we would wield.
cost sacrifice	It is unfortunate what we must put our test subjects through. It's a painful, drawn-out process. But we try to make use of the less desirable personnel on the surface. The ones who revolt and put everything at risk merely because they don't understand the importance of why they're here. I don't lose any sleep over their fates. Do you remember the pain you felt when we operated on you? Do you remember your background? I didn't think so.
test subjects subject process	We've gone through at least a hundred. If I'm being honest, I've lost count. I'd go through a thousand more if I could. You were our most promising candidate yet, and just look at you. Look at what you've done. Can't you see why we did what we had to? Why we sacrificed so many?
revolt	Revolts weren't uncommon on Istoria. We weren't exactly honest with people when they were ordered here, and we couldn't disclose the extent of our operations below the surface. Anger would brew until there was an uprising, and then Sullivan would round them up and send them to us. Rinse and repeat.
background	You were one of the leaders of the last revolt. You would have made it pretty far if we hadn't caught wind of your plan beforehand. Sullivan knew the value of implanting spies on all levels of our operation here.
plan	You planned to take over Central Command and the Tripoli at the same time. We were ready. You were one of the first subjects I requested after your group had been taken into custody. You were perfect for our needs.
needs	Physically fit, mentally astute. Assimilation is hard on the body, and most people die in the process or soon after. You held on, and now you're here.
assimilation	Grafting the cybernetic components onto the biological self. Augmenting the body. You know what I mean.
weapons spells bces bce	People call them spells because of how advanced they are. No one has ever before seen what they're capable of, so they ascribe the supernatural to that which they do not understand. If only we'd had success proliferating these weapons before the Pfhor attacked. If only...
sullivan	Sullivan and I share a perspective regarding what goes on here at Istoria. Part of that has to do with how much more we know than anyone else on the planet. But in the end, Sullivan didn't listen to me like he should have. He shouldn't have even ordered Grindle's team to blow up Sentinel. He should have just waited for our other cyborg to be ready. We would have sent him to do it instead. But Sullivan was impatient, and thought Grindle would still bend the knee. In the end, he turned out to be a fool, just like everyone else.
alternative	The alternative is Sol falls. The rest of humanity exists as cockroaches, scurrying from the light, hiding from the Pfhor for the rest of time. Does that sound like any future you'd want to be a part of?
spht allies	We needed several S'pht subjects to study for their cybernetic components, since we didn't have any Jjaro or Mrrak available to us. There was strong disagreement in UESC leadership on whether or not to directly involve our allies, but the decision was made to keep Istoria's existence a secret. Simply put, we didn't trust the S'pht, or what their interests would be with us if the war was won. But we knew they'd likely have more of an edge on the technology found here, so we kept them in the dark. In the end, it was a mistake.
mistake	Once Sullivan realized the Pfhor had brought enslaved S'pht to Istoria, and they started hacking our systems, he became concerned that they'd find out about the cover-up, and word would get back to our S'pht allies if the slaves ever escaped. That's partly why he eventually ordered the destruction of Sentinel. It would destroy the outpost, the Pfhor ship, and any S'pht on board, keeping them from getting their hands on our technology and learning about the fact we kidnapped several of their own, imperiling our alliance.
orders	You must follow Sullivan's orders and prime Sentinel's reactor for overload. He said he left you instructions. Grindle's team is worried about some mythic god-creature being released from Kilauea if the outpost is destroyed, but he's gone mad, in my estimation. We shouldn't be making decisions based on ancient myths.
history	Grindle seemed to think the Jjaro had been on Earth hundreds of years ago. It always sounded like conspiracy to me, as there was never any significant proof.
grindle	Leads the Sentinel team. I never trusted him, and I was proven right when his lackey killed the other cyborg we had almost finished building. I was proven double-right when his other lackey crushed me to death.
sentinel	An old Jjaro AI that Grindle's team was trying to communicate with. I never considered Sentinel or Grindle's team high priority, personally.
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Level	Central Command
Body #24: Corporal Melissa Werner
Location	Atop northern rock formations
Topic	Response
initial	Water... I need water.
name	Corporal Werner was my title. Melissa Werner. But don't you know that? You seem familiar...
death	It took long enough. I was cornered and was out of options. I grabbed onto one of those drones from behind, and just held on. It rose higher and higher, flying in circles the whole time. I lost my grip, and then fell... for what seemed like forever, before landing here. It was another half hour before I finally succumbed to my injuries.
unknown1	Next question.
unknown2	Just bring me some water. There are two rivers really close by. It won't take long.
unknown3	If you're not going to bring me water, you should probably just leave. I don't care how familiar you seem.
familiar you me	I don't know. Something about you seems familiar... but I can't quite place it. Did we work together at one point? My memory is fuzzy. It would help if I wasn't dead, you know.
istoria	Our eternal prison. I doubt they would have ever let us leave even if the Pfhor hadn't attacked. There are so many people who've disappeared or gone missing.
work	I was stationed here in the tower, under Westin's command. Before that, I served in the lower ranks of the defense infantry here on the surface. Maybe that's where I know you from?
defense infantry	Our occupation on Istoria requires a defense presence to sacrifice to the Pfhor. Oh, did I say that out loud? I meant to act as deterrence against the Pfhor. My bad.
sacrifice deterrence	You've seen how our forces square off in face-to-face combat. What a joke. Clearly, the UESC expected us to perish if a Pfhor attack ever occurred here. Why else would they assign only one defense warship? The Tripoli didn't even last an hour. Again, a joke.
pfhor	Honestly, I've spent my life worrying about the Pfhor, and it got me killed in the end. I'd rather not go into detail about them, K?
uesc	Who cares? At least I don't have to take any more orders.
disappeared missing	Are you playing dumb? You know what I'm referring to. I'm sure you do.
they	"They" meaning the ones who trapped us here. The UESC fatcats. A bunch of chumps. That's all I have to say about that. Next question.
sullivan	That man and his obfuscations are the reasons for everyone's misery here, and you think I want to talk about him? Get outta here.
wasserman	Wasserman, who cares? Ask me about my family. People I care about.
edward	Edward's alright. I hope he made it. Who am I kidding, though?
family	Nevermind. Now I'm sad. Maybe you should just leave me be.
drone drones	They must have reprogrammed these things recently. I swear they didn't fly that erratically before. I spit in the face of whoever greenlit that change.
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Level	Central Command
Body #25: Mrrak
Location	Southwestern tower within set of four towers above lava
Topic	Response
initial	Sentience connected. Different from other bipeds. Communication understood?
name	Name? Unfamiliar or forgotten. Ages passed. Bipeds mention Mrrak. Must be name for us.
death	Escaping world, failure. Sequence interrupted, and explosion. Afraid and embarrassed to pass on.
escape escaped escaping	Finally allowed to escape dying planet. Brethren escaped. I failed.
world	Once lush. Many lifeforms. Time passes. Time kills. Need way to leave. Survive. Creator provided way. Brethren escaped.
afraid embarrassed	On death usually pass on. Too afraid. Too embarrassed. Failure with deep shame. Now time passes and even worse. Stay as habit. Learn from new bipeds. Observe. Try communication, never successful. Until now.
pass on	The next phase. Disappear from world.
creator being	Upset, disinterested when revived. Busy using equipment, studying stars, ignoring pleas. Time passed then helped brethren escape to survive. Went out into stars. Not seen again, ages.
lush	Green. Vegetation. Support life, thrive. Ages pass and no more. Dying. Suffering. Out of options, desperate. Find edifice, use equipment. Seek help.
time	Time works against all. Dead sentients, dead planets.
survive	Must escape dying planet. Into stars for survival. Brethren succeed. Where are now? Never return.
brethren	You call Mrrak. Here before you. Long before. Gone now. Alive? Unknown. Stay and observe ages, no sightings.
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Level	The Hot Gates
Body #26: Lieutenant Erich Johnson (aka hot_gates_plyae)
Location	An extremely difficult-to-find secret accessible by taking a leap of faith around a corner in the north of the level
Note	The Ancient Greek name Θερμοπῠ́λαι (Thermopúlai, or Thermopylae) is derived from θερμο- (thermo-, meaning hot) and πῠ́λαι (púlai, meaning gates); thus, it literally means “Hot Gates”. The spelling plyae is likely a tribute to thermoplyae, author of Smithy, a predecessor to the modern map editor Weland.
Topic	Response
initial	What a disgrace.
name	I'm Lieutenant Erich Johnson. I died the day I got my commission.
death	I can tell you've seen a few things, but you won't believe this. My troops and I were having a hard time pushing the Pfhor back. Just when we thought we were mincemeat, the IADDs showed up. They killed most of the Pfhor, but they flew right into us like no one was controlling them and knocked us all off that precipice.
pfhor	By now you must have encountered those elite units. They're tough customers. I'm proud of my men for lasting as long as they did. Too bad we needed to defrost one of you in the end. Sullivan should be commended for his foresight.
me	You know exactly what I mean. One of those rebels they chopped up and turned into a cyborg. They let us in on a few things when we become officers.
commission officer	I did what I had to do to reach this rank. There's nothing to be ashamed of. My superiors decorated me for valor in the counter-revolt. I knew then that I had what it took to make the grade.
revolt	You can't tell me you've forgotten about that.
sullivan	Sullivan is a hard man, but he's the only one who can get us through this crisis. Through the entire war. I see he and Wasserman have even given you a second chance. Don't waste it.
wasserman	Scientists bore me. Wasserman, though, seems to understand why we're here, to believe in our importance to the war effort. He and Sullivan might yet see us through this.
men troops	I had direct command over twelve men and now all of them are dead. We made sure the Pfhor paid for every square meter they touched, but somehow it counted for so little.
cyborg	I used to be jealous of you cyborgs. But look where you came from. You have no sense of duty, no honor. It took death and more to get you to obey orders. Maybe next round they'll choose someone better. Someone like me.
tripoli	The only thing that frustrates me about leadership is their failure to get our new technology to work on the Tripoli's farther orbits. Can you imagine how far we'd take these weapons? If an AI could direct them against entire ships?
istoria	This planet's secrets are our last hope. The goal is worth whatever we must do to achieve it. End of debate.
ai	Cyborgs are only the first step. Once we can augment and muzzle an AI, it will be impossible to stop us. The war will end, and finally we can shift the balance of power in our own government. Do your part. Maybe in return they'll keep you from degenerating like the others.
coup	Maybe you're smarter than I thought.
iadd iadds add madd	I could kill whoever activated those machines. There's no substitute for real men with real guns. Who's left to command the IADDs? Wasserman's team? Grindle's? Don't make me laugh.
grindle	Grindle is an idealist. Never trust an idealist.
edward	You mean Grindle?
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Level	Armageddon Games
Body #27: S'pht
Location	On platform just east of switch directly east of Destination C
Topic	Response
initial	An understanding exists. Beyond language. We are cut from the same cloth.
name	It is unimportant.
death	Captured by the humans. Long ago, now. Taken from our small craft and incapacitated. We awoke here, trapped, and the experiments began. I am the last one from our craft. All others lost at the hands of our allies. Betrayal.
cut cloth	Prisoners. Duress. Subjects of others. You and I, we are alike in this way.
unimportant	Our fates bind us to this world. All will be forgotten. My identity, your identity, it is not relevant any longer.
captured humans taken incapacitated	Explanation escapes me. That which they sought was that which we would have so easily provided. Suffering, endless suffering. The purpose cannot be comprehended.
awoke trapped experiments experiment	Held in these chambers. Parts of us removed and not replaced. Examined. Left to die under the watch of our allies. Betrayal.
allies	Humans. Allies only in title. Deceitful. An alliance of words and no more.
betrayal	My brethren must know. The Pfhor, the human, one in the same. The alliance shattered. Humans condemned.
brethren spht	All the S'pht, both captured and free. All must know the truth. Soon, they will.
you	Familiar. Here before, not so long ago. We have been near one another.
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List of Bodies by Level
#00 Escape from the Sky	(0) Lt. Malcolm Anderson (1) Cliff
#01 Upstream	(2) Walter Meadows (3) Ernie
#02 Lockdown	(4) Kurt
#03 Trimmed and Burning	(5) Allan (6) Todd (7) Lt. Ryan Morrison (8) Jimbo (PFC James York)
#04 Central Command	(9) Dr. Isaac Griffith (10) Commander Lewis Maddox (11) Doug (24) Corporal Melissa Werner (25) Mrrak
#05 Snake River	(12) Matheson (13) Commander Steve Westin
#06 The Hot Gates	(14) Cynthia (26) Lieutenant Erich Johnson (aka hot_gates_plyae)
#07 Born Under Punches	(15) Spenser (16) Dr. Charles Griffith
#08 Don't Sweat It	(17) Ru (18) Emily (19) Cyborg (20) Dr. Al Chase
#09 Armageddon Games	(21) Dr. Gertrude Fredback (22) EDWARD GRINDLE (23) Thomas Wasserman (27) S'pht
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Marathon Istoria: Conversations with the Dead

Contents