Torg
31-07-05, 20:38
I don't know if any of you remember Eyn Steyn. No, not particularily that ancient researcher who invented the steam engine, or something. No, i'm talking about a specialist you wouldn't really call a scientist. He was concerned with computers, mostly other people's computers. He was a Twilight Guardian. And he knew more abou pre-wartime computer systems than anyone else.
I hadn't heard of him for nearly 12 months, as one night my hometerm woke me up with a soft click. The screen turned on and i could see his signature. Ah, well, we had set up a code that time so he could tunnel my firewall. But that message wasn't by him, as i could see from the list of involved mailservers, but by a mailbot at some terminal down in the stinking guts of neocron. And it was just one sentence: "Beneath the old disco, second sector, just turn left."
Fuck this, what was this mad old terrorist talking about? That message was months old. What fucking disco? More and more i got awake. In my head there was a dull disco beat rolling, from days long past. Well that's it! Now this must be really important enough to set this all up, as i knew Eyn was lazy all the time. I took the PA on, slowly, got my trusted RoG from the cab, some ammo, a medikit, and handful of stamina boosters, hacktool, stealth, a few simple psi modules. A mouthful of warbot cola and down to the genrep. Uhm, better geht stealthy, you never know, so i switched on that tool and activated transport. Darkness, then neon lights, dirty streets. I had arrived.
I instantly started running, somewhat slowed, maybe too many ammo packs in my backpack. Ok, leave that hallway, take the street to the left, then down the staircase, pass the soda shop, straight under the ramp, there's the entry flap. A short glance back to make sure nobody is watching me, now down the ladder. My gun ready along brick walls, following the smell of the sewers, right down into the darkness, the stench and the madness of Neocron's guts.
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/sewer.gif
Now i knew what Eyn had been talking about. This was a place i never visited before, where only the most disgusting creatures dwelled, undead with a never ending appetite for human flesh, mouldy brains and weapons instead of limbs. Now i was happy with that big pack of ammo, while the mouldy stench of the sewers was replaced by a smell of burned undead flesh and of mutant blood, sharp and metallic. Just where Eyn had told me i found that terminal.
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/sewer_term.gif
It was an old one, none of NEXT or FA origin. As i heard no noises in my back, it was safe to log in. First the usual data soup, with a strange colour: blood red. I typed that old emergency code, a TG one, but this was an emergency case anyways, right? Surprisingly all i got was a sector map, with a blinking cursor on a lower level. Not far from here...
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/sewer2.gif
I heard steps, lots of, and the disgusting voices of undead mutants. Time to leave, for this sounded like a whole zombie army. I switched off the terminal and sneaked back towards the surface. Back in civilised areas, i took a route away from the city, right into the old suburbs. Somewhere out there... well, this way, now right, open the shutters. There was a deep noise, like from big machines.
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/machines.gif
I followed that noise, walked into a hall. Production at work, big iron. I took a ladder one level down, there was a man in front of a console.
"Hello, my name is Torg."
"My name is... Smith. What can i do for you?"
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/smith.gif
"A friend of mine told me to talk to you, Mr. Steyn. Eyn Steyn."
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" But a slight pulling back betrayed his thoughts, as i spoke the name of the terrorist. I just looked down the barrel of my RoG, checked the ammo, checked the attached laser pointer. Smith was looking very pale now.
"Ok, stop it. I'll tell you all i know. Steyn was here, months ago. He knew i had this data disk. I was stupid enough to announce it for sale at the IRC under a pseudonym. But a good hacker seems to find all informations. I suppose you know about the history of Neocron?"
"What are you, i mean, yes, sure!"
"It all started in 2618. As you can read in the books, in 2618 they succeeded to contact some ancient satellites from pre-war times. Some where still in function."
"Uh, well everybody knows that!"
"But that's not all. Nobody knows - but me, Mr. Steyn and you - that two of those satellites are still working. Today."
Smith gave me a datacube.
"Take a look at youself!"
He pointed at a disk drive in his console, i put the data cube in. On the screen there was a map of the wastelands, with some of the outposts circled in red. Gravis, Crest, Sieger, Tescom, Tristar, Cajun... hold on - all the uplinks! The screen changed, now there were red lines connecting the circled uplinks, and more lines pointed westward into the swamps, met in the far west of the map: Regants Legacy! Now this was the secret behind this place! Smith got nervous.
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/satellite_map.gif
"Yes, trust your own eyes. There is a connection between the uplinks and Regants. As far as i know, by controlling the uplinks you open the gate at Regants to gain access to the space teleporter and transport directly to the satellites. But the satellites were never made for peace. They are holding weapons to destroy any city on this planet with ease. Well. That's it. I don't know more. Please keep the cube and leave now."
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/satellite.jpg
I nodded. Smith had told me all i wanted to know. I took the cube and headed back to Tech Haven. Leaving the industrial building, i could see the night sky over neocron. Two secret, armed satellites. Unbelievable firepower. I knew exactly, what to do next...
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/nc_stars.gif
I hadn't heard of him for nearly 12 months, as one night my hometerm woke me up with a soft click. The screen turned on and i could see his signature. Ah, well, we had set up a code that time so he could tunnel my firewall. But that message wasn't by him, as i could see from the list of involved mailservers, but by a mailbot at some terminal down in the stinking guts of neocron. And it was just one sentence: "Beneath the old disco, second sector, just turn left."
Fuck this, what was this mad old terrorist talking about? That message was months old. What fucking disco? More and more i got awake. In my head there was a dull disco beat rolling, from days long past. Well that's it! Now this must be really important enough to set this all up, as i knew Eyn was lazy all the time. I took the PA on, slowly, got my trusted RoG from the cab, some ammo, a medikit, and handful of stamina boosters, hacktool, stealth, a few simple psi modules. A mouthful of warbot cola and down to the genrep. Uhm, better geht stealthy, you never know, so i switched on that tool and activated transport. Darkness, then neon lights, dirty streets. I had arrived.
I instantly started running, somewhat slowed, maybe too many ammo packs in my backpack. Ok, leave that hallway, take the street to the left, then down the staircase, pass the soda shop, straight under the ramp, there's the entry flap. A short glance back to make sure nobody is watching me, now down the ladder. My gun ready along brick walls, following the smell of the sewers, right down into the darkness, the stench and the madness of Neocron's guts.
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/sewer.gif
Now i knew what Eyn had been talking about. This was a place i never visited before, where only the most disgusting creatures dwelled, undead with a never ending appetite for human flesh, mouldy brains and weapons instead of limbs. Now i was happy with that big pack of ammo, while the mouldy stench of the sewers was replaced by a smell of burned undead flesh and of mutant blood, sharp and metallic. Just where Eyn had told me i found that terminal.
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/sewer_term.gif
It was an old one, none of NEXT or FA origin. As i heard no noises in my back, it was safe to log in. First the usual data soup, with a strange colour: blood red. I typed that old emergency code, a TG one, but this was an emergency case anyways, right? Surprisingly all i got was a sector map, with a blinking cursor on a lower level. Not far from here...
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/sewer2.gif
I heard steps, lots of, and the disgusting voices of undead mutants. Time to leave, for this sounded like a whole zombie army. I switched off the terminal and sneaked back towards the surface. Back in civilised areas, i took a route away from the city, right into the old suburbs. Somewhere out there... well, this way, now right, open the shutters. There was a deep noise, like from big machines.
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/machines.gif
I followed that noise, walked into a hall. Production at work, big iron. I took a ladder one level down, there was a man in front of a console.
"Hello, my name is Torg."
"My name is... Smith. What can i do for you?"
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/smith.gif
"A friend of mine told me to talk to you, Mr. Steyn. Eyn Steyn."
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" But a slight pulling back betrayed his thoughts, as i spoke the name of the terrorist. I just looked down the barrel of my RoG, checked the ammo, checked the attached laser pointer. Smith was looking very pale now.
"Ok, stop it. I'll tell you all i know. Steyn was here, months ago. He knew i had this data disk. I was stupid enough to announce it for sale at the IRC under a pseudonym. But a good hacker seems to find all informations. I suppose you know about the history of Neocron?"
"What are you, i mean, yes, sure!"
"It all started in 2618. As you can read in the books, in 2618 they succeeded to contact some ancient satellites from pre-war times. Some where still in function."
"Uh, well everybody knows that!"
"But that's not all. Nobody knows - but me, Mr. Steyn and you - that two of those satellites are still working. Today."
Smith gave me a datacube.
"Take a look at youself!"
He pointed at a disk drive in his console, i put the data cube in. On the screen there was a map of the wastelands, with some of the outposts circled in red. Gravis, Crest, Sieger, Tescom, Tristar, Cajun... hold on - all the uplinks! The screen changed, now there were red lines connecting the circled uplinks, and more lines pointed westward into the swamps, met in the far west of the map: Regants Legacy! Now this was the secret behind this place! Smith got nervous.
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/satellite_map.gif
"Yes, trust your own eyes. There is a connection between the uplinks and Regants. As far as i know, by controlling the uplinks you open the gate at Regants to gain access to the space teleporter and transport directly to the satellites. But the satellites were never made for peace. They are holding weapons to destroy any city on this planet with ease. Well. That's it. I don't know more. Please keep the cube and leave now."
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/satellite.jpg
I nodded. Smith had told me all i wanted to know. I took the cube and headed back to Tech Haven. Leaving the industrial building, i could see the night sky over neocron. Two secret, armed satellites. Unbelievable firepower. I knew exactly, what to do next...
http://www.elektroid.de/satellites/nc_stars.gif