Marathon's Story... Blake
To read the terminal text select a level or simply scroll down.
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
This is a poor time for introductions, but
I'm Robert Blake. I used to be a
mechanical engineer on Tau Ceti, but now
I'm somehow in command of the remaining
human and S'pht survivors on this God-
forsaken rock.
The Pfhor held you prisoner for nearly a
month before we were able to discover your
whereabouts and release you, but
unfortunately little has changed since your
capture and Durandal's destruction.
I'm communicating with you through the old
S'pht network from our base on Lh'owon.
We're barely hanging on, nearly a mile
below the surface.
There's a virus down here which kills Pfhor
in a matter of hours; our S'pht say it was
bio-engineered by their ancestors during
the war against the Pfhor a thousand years
ago. Whatever; it's saving our butts.
Durandal's last instructions were for us to
reactivate a dormant S'pht AI, sealed
beneath the surface and reachable only
through teleportation. We hope you will
succeed where we failed.
Good luck.
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
This Side Toward Enemy (Terminal 2: 1st message)
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
You're doing well, but have not activated
all the personality cells in this area. We
have been able to find no maps of this
structure to help you, but the activation
switches must be nearby.
Durandal convinced us that this old
computer is our only link to the lost S'pht
clan, and that bringing back the lost clan
to fight against the Pfhor was our only
chance of stalling their invasion of Sol.
Nobody here wants to think about what would
happen if the Pfhor reached Earth.
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
This Side Toward Enemy (Terminal 2: 2nd message)
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
Good work.
The S'pht have verified the partial
activation of the AI. The Pfhor are
already curious about what we are doing,
but when they realize what we have found
they will go insane.
We'll continue trying to replace the
weapons you lost when you were captured,
but all the heavy ordinance is in high
demand and it may be a few hours before a
rocket launcher or flame thrower is
available.
The rest of the AI will have to wait,
though: our base has been infiltrated by
Pfhor androids. The machines are disguised
as humans and packed with explosives.
Aside from detonating them we've got no way
of telling them apart from our own men.
Their telltale differences are hard to spot
until its too late.
We need you to come back and exterminate
these simulacrums. No one will be safe
until they are all dead.
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
Return to this terminal when you have
detonated all the assimilated humans you
can find.
Remember, they look just like our guys but
their minds don't work like ours.
Sometimes they give themselves away by
saying something a real person wouldn't.
Watch out for friendly fire, and good luck.
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
God Will Sort The Dead... (Terminal 1: 2nd message)
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
Good work.
Durandal gave the name "Thoth" to the
ancient personality construct we are trying
to activate. Someone here said that Thoth
was the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom,
with a human body but the head of an ibis.
We've reviewed all the information Durandal
left us about Thoth, but nowhere have we
been able to discover what to do after the
AI is fully operational.
I believe that Durandal expected Thoth to
contact the lost clan.
I should tell you that many of us here see
Durandal's destruction as a good thing.
Even if we're stuck on an alien world in
the galactic core, at least we're in
control of our own destinies again.
Frankly, nobody liked the way Durandal
carelessly threw us into battle, heedless
of the risk to our lives.
Trust me, I'm not a Pfhor-lover, but with
Durandal no longer pulling the strings a
great weight has been lifted from our
shoulders. We're planning to steal a Pfhor
ship of our own and return to Earth.
You're invited to come with us when we do.
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
This is Robert again.
Your success made us bold again, and I took
thirty men ahead of you to secure the next
level. There was an ambush; Pfhor troopers
were waiting for us and we were decimated.
I returned with as many men as I could, but
more remain trapped nearby and the area is
lousy with heavily-armed Pfhor.
They must realize that we intend to awaken
this ancient S'pht computer, and whether
they understand our reasons for doing so or
not, I am certain the Pfhor will continue
to make every effort to stop us.
Do the best you can to help our men trapped inside.
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
My Own Private Thermopylae (Terminal 1: 2nd message)
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
Nice job.
Everyone is talking about your exploits on
Tau Ceti during the Pfhor invasion
seventeen years ago. During those two days
I remember hearing the crew talking about a
single man, standing alone against the
invaders, but I had no idea that it was
only through your efforts that the Marathon
and perhaps Tau Ceti itself were saved.
I never saw you then, but maybe I'll get a
chance to meet you when this is all over.
There's one more activation site.
Good luck.
acropolis.piltdown//004121.25.1
My Own Private Thermopylae (Terminal 2)
common.set <2e0xcxx3.465.2>
Beware. The mythical Thoth was concerned
with maintaining the balance between
creation and destruction, yes and no, light
and darkness, not the triumph of one over
the other.
Do you remember the days when computers
were simple, unreasoning things you could
turn off and on like flashlights? Is
memory what we perceived or what we want?
What does Thoth think? He concerns himself
with the states of off and on, good and
evil. Isn't his perception simple?
Doesn't it have to be?
I will return.
common.set <2e0xcxx3.465.2>
teilhard//004121.25.1
MESSAGE RECORDED <03.02.2250414>
The Pfhor have traced our communications
and our base is under attack by their
cyborg slaves who are immune to the ancient
S'pht virus. We're retreating deeper
underground now.
Durandal suggested before his destruction
that there were two more activation sites
here. No one knows for certain what will
happen when Thoth is activated, but if he
does not help us we are doomed and you will
be stuck here.
Once again, good luck. You are our only
hope.
END RECORDED MESSAGE
teilhard//004121.25.1
Kill Your Television (Terminal 1: 2nd message)
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CONNECTION TERMINATED <ID#0401>
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Kill Your Television (Terminal 2: 1st message)
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Kill Your Television (Terminal 2: 2nd message)
NDfdiscared @%041/3$!1
Humans of yours are near [?death],
but by your dead construct's
transporters
to [?save] them I will send you;
while I seek [?perception] of this
new world.
mi41nor 7*(^tf
Decoding courtesy of Tim Kolar
tkolar@cisco.com
Maintained by Hamish Sinclair
Hamish.Sinclair@tcd.ie
Last updated Dec 9, 1995