As we seem to no longer have the weekly "Story Summary", no frequent Live Events and we're not sure to ever have 11.3 subchapter missions for all orgs archived the way the previous crits were, I'm suggesting to share here the storyline of those quests (pretty much the way we did for Valkyrja quests, but extendended to all the story content). This goes to all the Machine, Merv and Zion operatives, willing to participate.
I have already completed Zion missions 11.3.1 and 11.3.2 and taken all the necessary sceenshots, so I'll post the logs soon. In the meantime, I invite the other org's players to do the same.
Zion mission 11.3.1: Promises
Tyndall:
Warrior, you've probably already heard that the Cypherite, Veil, killed Shimada, one of the founding members of E Pluribus Neo. The Kid just brought their fleet back into broadcast range after an expedition to the Machine no-fly zone where they were attacked by advanced fighter craft, probably belonging to the group known as the "Oligarchs".
Although he was injured when his hovercraft was shot down in the no-fly zone, he says he has an urgent message for us. I'm sending you to meet with him now.
Mission Part 1:
Operator:
I guess Veil snuck into Shimada's ship while most of her crew was still on their way back from the no-fly zone with the Kid. The Oracle gave Shimada and Veil pieces of an encrypted program month ago, told them to keep it safe. Maybe Veil was after the file the Oracle gave to Shimada, or maybe she just wanted to kill her. I guess anyone who's heard the stories about Veil's past life isn't too surprised she'd do something like this.
The Kid:
We left a monitoring device with a transmitter attached to the Oligarch network line we found in the no-fly zone. It was reporting steady traffic until today: there was a sudden spike in the network activity, and then we lost the transmission.
The Oligarchs could be on their way here right now with their fighters and override codes. If they are, we'll be in for the fight for our lives -- a fight for every life inside the Matrix.
Jeez, he looks like hell. I heard his ship damaged one of those fighter craft before he went down, but they lost a lot of people out there--and then Shimada, just as they thought they were home safe. I guess it's been pretty **** rough for them these past few weeks.
Thanks, but I'm not here to talk about her. Everyone in EPN knows what Shimada meant to us. We wouldn't be here to carry on this fight if it weren't for her courage and commitment. We're not going to let her down.
Mission part 2:
I'll pass that along to Commander Roland, operative. We've seen what their overrides can do, and if their ships cut through EPN's expeditionary force that easily...
Well, we've got a more immediate concern. It looks like the interface program's moved back into Downtown, with Wright in hot pursuit. After the message we got from it, I don't know what to think... but the Council believes now that the program plays some sort of central role here, and that we need to keep it out of the hands of Wright, the Machines, and the Merovingian. They're... still working on exactly how we can do that.
We're getting override readings in the vicinity of Hampton Green. See if you can find anything at the location I've designated for you.
Man... Well, the Machines have said that the Oracle made the program, and the Oligarch Halborn killed her trying to get it, so it must be important; I just wish we knew more about it. Those messages it left--you heard about the one the Merv got, right? It's said "Wake up". Yeah, just like what the old timers tell us Trinity sent to Neo when she and Morpheus first found him. That's got people coming up with all kinds of crazy theories... I guess it must have made an impression on some of those outside-the-box types on the Council.
Not a whole lot on the screen in that area... Maybe a little residue from overrides, but it can be tough to tell them from an ordinary glitch at low levels.
Computer:
[white font] Hear that_
Hey, that looks like the messages that were supposed to be from the progra--
Hol####--
### still there, operative? Man, I just caught an override pulse like you wouldn't believe. There is a major codestorm going on, and it's pretty **** close to you.
Mission part 3:
We picked it up too, operative. It's very close to you.
Be careful; it looks like the override pulse has affected a lot of the programs in the area. They could be out of control, and very danherous.
[Fighting the Accelerated Suits on the way to the mission area]
Accelerated Suits? Stuff's getting crazy there, man, and you're headed right in the middle of it.
Danielle Wright:
Zion? And I take it you're not here to help me locate the interface program. You should, you know; I'm going to put the future of the Matrix in the hands of makind. We won't be prisoners of the Machines anymore. Isn't that what you want?
Hnh. Nice talk for someone who's been killing people with override codes. She knows we can't touch her, so she gets all preachy. I think she's starting to believe her own glow.
Yes, you have a choice, but it will affect you, not me. I will make human control of the Matrix a reality.
Mission completed
Yes, we've heard her claims, but it's certainly hard to trust her, considering some of the things she's done since she somehow gained access to Oligarch override codes.
It's a relief that she hasn't found the program yet, but there's going to be more trouble to come, especially if she keeps overriding programs in that area.
Get in touch with our contact in west Hampton Green when you're ready to continue, operative. Talk to you then.
deimoslvov wrote:
As we seem to no longer have the weekly "Story Summary"
A bit earlier to make that assumption, don't you think? Especially when the storyline summaries are helpful for people outside the game as well as in.
Othinn1 wrote:
deimoslvov wrote:As we seem to no longer have the weekly "Story Summary" A bit earlier to make that assumption, don't you think? Especially when the storyline summaries are helpful for people outside the game as well as in.
First, I said "seem". Second, it's not the topic of this thread.
Thanks for doing these - keep it up, even if we do get story summaries!
Since we're off the daily/weekly schedule and have cinematics to introduce each subchapter, I don't plan on doing written summaries. Feel free to monopolize the job!
Zion mission 11.3.2: Resistance
Operative, Machines and Merovingian operatives have been confirmed in the Hampton area. Danielle Wright, and presumably the interface program, are still in the vicinity. It's going to be difficult, but we have to try getting through to the program. It has almost seemed to be trying to contact us...
Mission phase 1:
They were hoping we'd find the interface program's trail in there, but the big fat override signal I'm picking up there might just have shot that plan to hell.
Machine Howitzer:
Hey! ****, Zion is trying to get in on this.
Crud! Well, that spot is a wash.
Hey, why weren't those Machinists getting slowed down by that override program?
Mission phase 2:
We have been hearing about operatives apparently resisting override use, operative, as well as rumours of a new type of accelerated program.
From the encounter you just had, it sounds like the Machines are intent on preventing us from locating the interface program. That wasn't unexpected, of course; we'll just have to do what we can.
I'm routing you to another area where override use has been detected. Look for any unusual activity that could be due to the interface program.
[Fighting the new type of accelerated programs on the way]
Did you see that thing? I'm getting some weird reading. I guess it's overriden code, but it looks a little different than what we've seen before.
[Fighting the accels again in the mission area and seeing a dead Cyph's body]
I'd say we can confirm the new type of accelerated program Tyndall mentioned. I wonder what that Cypherite was doing there.
Hm... We've had reports of something to do with Cypherites in Morrell. I wonder if it could be related to rpogram overrides somehow.
Operative, I think we're making some progress in terms of understanding what's going on around Hampton, but we still need to find the interface program. Contact our operative in Hampton Green again when you're able.
Sorry I haven't been able to post this earlier. At the same time I invite the other org's players to post their mission logs!
Machine 11.3.1: Dead Suits
Agent Gray: <name>, the former Zion operative Danielle Wright has moved her sphere of activity into Downtown, presumably in pursuit of the biological interface program.
Reports from Zion and Merovingian sources indicate that the program has shown increasing signs of intelligence in its communication. As you know, the pgroam cannot be detected by standard means. Wright, however, appears to have some method of tracking it, and her widely destructive use of override programs renders her easy to follow. We cannot approach her with our own programs, so we rely on you to find her and secure the program.
Operator: I heard that the last messages Zionites and Mervs found from the interface program were close to things that they always used to tell us Trinity sent to Neo back when he was still a bluepill--stuff like "knock, knock" and "wake up." Pretty wierd, huh? I guess there are some wild theories flying around, but I don't see what those messages have to do with what Gray said the program's purpose was: controlling awakened humans in the Real.
Anyway, you're heading to a spot where the Machines detected a glitched-out computer system. Looks like probable override use, which means Wright could be nearby.
<The player walks into a room to find a dead bluepill and a computer which has a random message.>
Operator: Aw, geez. Looks like another case of simulation rejection there... I wonder if the program realizes Wright's been wracking up quite a body count trying to catch it?
I'm reading override residuals on that computer, and it's been scrambled pretty good, all right. Data paths from it are messed up, too, but that could give us something to follow. Let me work on this and see what I can find.
Agent Gray: Data shows program override use among the common Exile programs in the area, operative. This could make them significantly more dangerous than usual. Be on your guard.
Operator: Phew, we must be on the right path, because I'm reading a bunch of overridden programs in there.
Once one of Wright's overrides hits a program, they usually go all aggro on anything they see as a potential threat. They're also pretty much dead as far as being a sentient program goes. If you see someone with those white override blips shooting out of their head, don't bother trying to ask question.
<The player then fights Accelerated suits.>
Operator: Man, those Suits are usually such pushovers. Good work on that; we can't have overridden programs running loose in the city. The business execs and lounge lizards in Hampton are usually too busy running up their credit accounts to notice freaks on the street, but even they'd be bound to spot a gank of hyperactive homicidal business women sooner or later.
Agent Gray: Our operatives have reported encounters with Accelerated Suit members at a number of areas in Hampton Green. An analysis of the encounter locations and their time of appearance has allowed us to calculate the most likely current location of the override source. Move to Maribeau and intercept the target.
Operator: Epic override signals in there, . I dunno if we can handle this, but maybe we can at least get some idea of where the interface program's at.
<The player encounters Danielle Wright and a pair of overrides.>
Danielle Wright: I told you people it was only a matter of time before I acquire the program. If you're concerned about collateral damage to the Matrix, then don't try to hinder me. I'll have it soon enough.
Operator: She isn't sparing the override routines, that's for sure.
I don't see any sign of the interface program in there; do you? It sounds like she still hasn't pinned it down. That's something, anyway.
Agent Gray: Inevitability, operative, is highly debatable, and this is especially the case if it's predication is not based on a thorough statistical analysis.
While it is true that Wright currently enjoys a window of opportunity in which our options against her are limited, development of a solution to this problem has been underway for some time. We will elaborate when you are prepared for your next assignment. Use the same contact in Hampton Green.
Machine 11.3.2: Measure and Countermeasure
Agent Gray: Operative, be advised that a new type of accelerated program has been detected in Downtown. We believe this enhanced override method to have been developed by Danielle Wright, who continues to be active in the area.
There may, however, be an important benefit to the use of this modified override process. The Cypherite known as Veil has been directed to provide you with further information.
Operator: Veil's gotta be riding pretty high after assassinating E Pluribus Neo's second-in-command, Shimada-- got right into her hovercraft and pulled her jack, they say. I guess the Kid's pretty pissed off about it, but her, don't be a baby-faced terorist, you know? And maybe he shouldn't have had half their people off trying to sneak into that no-fly zone of ours.
<The player encounters Veil and a Cypherite guard.>
Veil: Hell-o, dearie. Wanna hear about the new accelerated programs Wright's been kicking out, huh? Welllll... they're nothing to sneeze at, but they also give off some informative little code readings--informative for us, anyway.
So, here's the deal: if you run into some of those things and get bits of override code from them, take those to a guy named "Neglect" in Morrell, on the 13th floor of the building just south of Club Cyclo, -1411 107 -326. He'll take them off your hands, and give you the anti-override routines we've whipped up after studying these overrides long and hard.
Veil: Aw, shucks! I was gonna have her sing about the encrypted code the Oracle gave her, but people are always butting in, you know, so I had to cut things short. I didn't get everything I wanted, but I guess Shimada'll do for now.
Agent Gray: Programs affected by Wright's modified override scheme have caused significant disturbances across Downtown, operative. If code collected from their remains can be utilized in the manufacture of override-resistant programs, then it is all the more imperative that we locate and terminate all such infected programs.
Operator: Don't be too hasty in there, I hear those things can really take a beating.
Operator: Watch it!
<The player then fights 3 Wright Accelerated programs.>
Operator: Whew, those things are tanks. I hope this anti-override stuff is gonna pay off.
Agent Gray: It has become apparent that the capability of resisting override use will be essential in neutralizing Wright. You may find it useful to gather more data from the afflicted programs, and take advantage of the Cypherite contact in Morrell.
When you are prepared, see our representative in Hampton Green for further assignments.
Machine 11.3.3: Severance
Agent Gray: Operative, indications are that Danielle Wright believes herself to be very close to capturing the biological interface program, somewhere in the Hampton Green Area.
While Wright's access to Oligarch control codes has made her very dangerous to programs within the simulation, that is the current limit of her threat. Should she obtain the interface program, she would have the means of widening her sphere of activity significantly. She has not hesitated to declare it to be her goal to take over the Matrix completely. This must not come to pass.
Operator: Don't usually hear Gray sound worried like that. This interface program must be serious business. Maybe what those crazy Zionites are saying about it-- Ah, nah, that's nuts.
I've got a hefty override signal in there. Not quite Wright-sized, but it could be a handful.
Operator: Yipes! There it is!
<The player encounters a level 55 Wright Accelerated Program.>
Operator: Nice, and we didn't even have to burn any anti-overrides to do it. Now, if only Wright is this easy...(Editor's note: And she is! teehee.)
Agent Gray: Well done, <name>, but stopping Wright will take a concerted effort. The Cypherite leader, Cryptos, whose research led to the development of the anti-override codes, may have some useful insights.
Operator: You know what would be helpful? Like...an anti-override laser gun. Why doesn't he get to work on that? I mean, all we got now are defensive mechanisms. I don't know if anyone's noticed, but it's gonna take more than a love tap to get through that Oligarch shell of hers.
<The player encounters Cryptos.>
Cryptos: The anti-override codes you can obtain from our man in Morrell will block Wright's wide-area hacks for a certain period of time. I am aware that those are not her only weapons; even with the anti-overrides, confronting her will be a dangerous affair.
As for what may happen if critical damage can be inflicted on her RSi, that I cannot predict. We know that she has co-opted the jack-in protocol utilized by the Oligarchs, and we know, from Halborn's example, that they were to some extent vulnerable both within and without the simulation. Wright, on the other hand, has claimed to be able to enter the Matrix without maintaining an exterior connection. How that should affect the outcome remains unclear.
Agent Gray: <name>, thanks to your own efforts and those of our other operatives in eliminating the spread of her programs, we have been able to pinpoint Wright's location on a rooftop in Hampton Green, coordinates 98 131 -216. Her extended time at that position suggests that she believes the interface program to be in that vicinity. In any event, we can definitely report that extremely heavy override use pervades the area.
It will be very dangerous, but this is the best chance of neutralizing her that we can reasonably expect. I do not suggest venturing there without a supply of Decelerate and Signal Jamming Anti-overrides, which you can obtain from the Cypherite in Morrell.
Merovingian 11.3.1 Mismanagement
Flood: Hmph. That Danielle Wright woman has taken herself and her annoying override codes into Hampton Green; still after the biological interface program she forced the Merovingian to release into the system, no doubt.
We've gotten our important people out of the way, of course, but we won't put up with this sort of thing for long. I need you to go in and do some scouting around, operative. Your first stop is that shameless hussy, Nicky G. If anyone will know what's going on in the neighborhood, it's her... although I can't say my estimation of her intelligence has improved since she's stubbornly decided to stay there with Wright in the vicinity.
Operator: Have you noticed that Flood always seems grumpy about women the Merovingian has associated with?
<The player encounters Nicky G.>
Nicky G.: Nice of you to come keep me company; it suddenly got lonely around here...unless you count the berserk Suits running around, but *I* don't, since they're even more tight-lipped than usual.
Oh, you didn't know? Well, honey, it seems to me the Suits gang has just been shot to heck with those nasty...oh, what do you call them...acceleration programs. It's *awfully* dull to have them fizzing around everywhere.
Nicky G.: Consider that a freebie, sugar. Come chat with me in Club Paradise some time-- when it isn't in danger of infestation by wild programs, that is.(!Bug Alert!: Nicky G says "(i}isn't" instead of the "{i}isn't{/i}.)
Flood: A woman named "Manager" leads the Suits gang; I don't mind efficiency in command structures, but really, the complete lack of flair embodied in her "name" is just depressing.
Since it sounds as though her group has had a run-in with Wright, I think we ought to see if she has any useful information for us. Go brighten up her day, why don't you.
Operator: Watch it, there could be more of those Accelerated Suits hanging around there.
Hey, you know how the Merv got a wierd message saying "Wake up"? Well, word has it that Zion got one at about the same time, saying "Knock, knock." Supposedly it's the biological interface program that's been leaving them. Nobody seems to know if it's trying, like, reach out and talk to us, or what. (!Bug alert!: I think that last sentence is a little bit typo'd, seems kinda off.)
<The player encounters a Suit Executive.>
Suit Executive: Manager and most of our management team have moved to our secondary offices in the Historic District.
Crises like this are inevitable for Exiled Programs. We're prepared, we'll deal with it and once it's over, we'll take over the market space left free by those who didn't.
Operator: Sounds like Manager's a little sharper than Nicky. Let's see if Flood wants us following her west to the Historic District.
Flood: The Historic District, hm? Yes, yes, go on. Sometimes I almost pity the Exiles stuck in small operations, who can't afford the security offered by a private construct like our chateau.
I do wish our maintenance team would get off their backsides and fix that banging sound the pipes here make in the morning, though. Really, how many people do I have to scold before things get done properly?
Operator: Hey, that reminds me, can we get the rattle in the bulkhead next to my bunk fixed? That would be awesome.
Speaking of hovercraft issues, how about that Veil getting into Shimada's ship and pulling her jack while the Kid was away? Ouch. Kind of makes you wonder if there are Cyphs out there watching our ship... Haha. ...
Operator: I just want to know what's up with the mini-beehive look...
Manager: Yes, Wright's indiscriminate use of override codes has resulted in the loss of more than a few of our members.
The Machines express concern over the codes, but they have not actually offered any assistance. Even their own Agents avoid areas where overrides are detected.
I have heard of a possible remedy for their use on an operative such as yourself; there are rumors of a Cypherite in Morrell with countermeasures of some kind. (!Bug alert!: The Manager's name is always a random name in here, not "Manager".)
Operator: The Cypherites are cooking up something besides pulled jacks? Huh.
Flood: Cypherites? Hmph. Hardly a dependable group, although I'll admit they're somewhat less irritating than those golden idealists they waste so much time trying to kill off.
We, on the other hand, have things to do. See our contact in Hampton Green when you're ready to do some real work.
Merovingian 11.3.2 The Mechanical Man
Flood: I suppose you know that the General's flying octopi fished an android body out of a wrecked fighter craft that they came across on the way back from their disastrous misadventure in the Machine no-cly zone. I'm sure it's just the General's way of trying to have something to show for that boondoggle--inventing trophy is the first thing they teach you in Washed-up Military Commanding 101.
But the Merovingian likes shiny new toys, so now we have to spend our time figuring out what makes the thing tick--or made, rather, since it hasn't given the slightest sign of wanting to function. But examination has shown it to be configured for data structures similar to what we've found in the Oligarch network, which means that you're off to an Ouroboros office in Vauxton to hunt for a data match, as we know the Oligarchs have kept secrets such as the interface program inside that company.
Operator: The Machines took over Ouroboros after we fished the interface program out of the company's hidden network. In theory that means their security is better now, and it might mean that some of those hidden parts of their network that we found previously have been shut down, which would throw the proverbial spanner into this plan. On the other hand, the Machines have their feelers full with things like Wright and Zion, so it's just possible that what we're looking for is below their radar.
<The player infiltrates/stampedes through an Ouroboros outpost thingy, and tries to access the computer.>
Operator: Ah, dang. The hidden Network we were looking for did get looted. Maybe I can figure out where they took the infor--
Whoops! You've got an Agent problem!
<The player kills the Agent and any leftover Ouroboros security guards.>
Operator: Okay, the coast is clear. I think I've managed to trace where the network data we were looking for got dumped to. Grab the file I've compiled on that computer and upload it to me.
Operator: Head's up. I'm picking up overridden code closing in on your position. Looks even weirder than usual...
Flood: Now why would overridden programs be after you, <name>? That's just hubris.
It looks like the Machines confiscated the Ouroboros data we were after. The Merovingian wants his android functional, so you'll just have to march into the Machine facility in Maribeau and get that data back.
Operator: Hey, did you get a look at that accelerated program that was after you? What the heck was that?
Uh... Okay, the Machines aren't slacking on security in there. Keep your finger on the trigger while you're getting that data.
<The player infiltrates/breaks through to the terminal room.>
Operator: That's the Right terminal. Give me a second here...
<Machine reinforcements arrive.>
Operator: More goons incoming! Get out of there!
Flood: Hm... The data you liberated from the Machines does appear to have commonalities with the android's hardware. That strongly suggest that it is an Oligarch device. Now, the question is, what is it for, and how did they manage to lose it? ... Yes, fine, that's two questions.
Oh, by the by, the strange program that approached you between Vauxton and Maribeau seems to be a new breed of "accelerated" program created by Wright's overrides. I'm told that Cypherites think they carry valuable bits of information.
I realize this is all very distracting to you, operative. See our contact in Hampton again once you've worked things out.
Merovingian 11.3.3 Empty Vessel
Flood: Time to leave half-measures behind, operative. There's only one place left where we stand a reasonable chance of finding out what the Oligarchs would have been doing with the android we captured, and that place is one of the central Machine mainframes in Park East. So strap on those steel-toed boots or whatever it'll take to boost that self-confidence of yours, and get to that mainframe, or don't bother coming back.
Operator: Aw, I can tell Flood's worried about us.
Needless to say, the Machines aren't going to be happy with us being in there, so don't waste any more time than you have to.
Operator: Could be a toughie... And of course it sent out a security alert.
Uh-oh... Those boys look like they don't take kindly to mainframe invasions; they brought some kind of jamming along with them. I need you to put them down.
<The player fights two Machine Captains. Once they are defeated, The Effectuator appears.>
Operator: Well, look who decided to show.
The Effectuator: Man! Did you do that? Cool.
Let's see, a central Machine mainframe, you say? Allllll righty. We'll just do a little of this, and---
Oops. Okay, we don't do that. So we'll just do a little of this, and...
Hey, it worked.
Operator: Mainframe access enabled. Get that data!
The Effectuator: Nooo problem! I'm sure that little hiccup there didn't do anything bad. (Note: More security spawns as a result of The Effectuator's hiccup.)
Flood: What took so long, operative? I was starting to think I'd have to set the sprinkler system on you.
The data you obtained was apparently enlightening. The Merovingian is eager to talk to you about his pet robot.
<The player arrives in a building populated by The Merovingian, Persephone, and the Twins.>
Twin: There's no accounting for taste.
Twin: Now, now, brother. We've been in the same fix, haven't we?
The Merovingian: Ah, bienvenue, mon ami. I regret that we could not meet in the more...intimate enviroment of the Hel Club, but eh, that woman is in the neighborhood, and so tedious.
The information you have found about the android is quite interesting to me. It is designed, you see, to be controlled entirely by a human consciousness. Eh, so, it was an Oligarch mechanism, this means they must have controlled it themselves--a surrogate body, yes? Mm, this begins to explain many things about them.
The Merovingian: If we carry the logic further, one of them had used the android body to fly a ship into that area, between the no-fly zone and the Machine city, and then...something destroyed their craft. Eh, and what happened to the consciousness that controlled this android? it has yet to show a spark of life.
Foul play, <name>; foul play. That must be the explanation. The Machines and these people--this Danielle Wright, for instance--have tried to keep their dark deeds hidden. The interface program--fah!--that is just a tool, as is this android. What we must find is the reason, eh? The reason why. Then we will know how to deal with them.
Persephone: Another lifeless husk.
Flood: Yes, speaking of the Hel Club, I hear that Wright has had the gall to set up shop on a rooftop nearby. Oh, I'm sure it's something to do with the interface program; that routine and its mindless quips simply weren't worth the trouble, as I said all along.
Hmph, and isn't that the worst! As if that walking pestilence Wright being there wasn't bad enough, there's practically a caravan of Cypherites, Machinists, Zionites, and who knows who else packing back and forth between there and Morrell. I tell you, operative, I'm quite pleased that we've finally left that interface/override business to the small-minded.
Thanks for filling in the gaps eval. Now I can grind up my alts at a more leisurely pace.
I'm guessing the android is Halborn or Carlyne >>
