Mission:Black Channel Protocols - Finale: D.U.S.T. to D.U.S.T.

Finale: D.U.S.T. to D.U.S.T.

Briefing

Everything we've learned about the Apparitions, the Awakened, and the Black Channel Protocols leads to one man: Colonel Vargas, head of D.U.S.T.'s special operations. If anyone knows how all of this started, it would be him. You need to break into D.U.S.T.'s spec-ops station, D-SEC, and find out what Colonel Vargas knows. The Asylum and Mother Mayhem decided that his knowledge of the threat was enough to shut down all communications between him, his men, and the whole of the outside world. And that means First Ward has a crisis on its hands.

Considering my experience at the Seer Network, I wouldn't call this next bit exactly lucky...but I had enough Apparitions swimming around in my head that I've narrowed down a location for D-SEC.

• Good. Learn anything else?

Yeah, and it throws another weird spanner into the works. I felt a...magical element to the Apparitions in the Network. Which pretty much pokes all kinds of holes into my theory of them being the ghosts of dead psychics.

Yeah, so...

...so, listen, Character, I'm still pretty shaken up by what happened back there, so I'll just tag along in your head for this outing. This one is too important to risk me wigging out on you again.

Unnecessary Solicitation

We still need to know what Colonel Vargas knows, Character. Get back to D-SEC.

Mission Objective(s)

File:Map FW DSEC.png

Map: FW_DSEC

The reports about D-SEC were true. Via Katie's psychic senses, you can feel the Apparitions running rampant throughout the facility.

• Investigate D-SEC
  • Find Colonel Vargas
  • Find Colonel Vargas' Files
  • Scan files on the D-SEC Comm Array
  • Reason with Officer Orb
  • Defeat Officer Orb
  • 2 data archives to download

You successfully recovered the Black Channel Incident data files from D-SEC, fending off an IDF attack along the way.

Enemies

The Awakened

The Possessed

Imperial Defense Force

Notable NPCs

• Officer Orb (I.D.F. Minion)
• Colonel Duray (I.D.F. Lieutenant)

You found the D-SEC pass key on the body of Colonel Vargas.

Awakened Dialogue

Before Combat:

Mindstorm: The one that purged the Network is here.

Mindstorm: And the other arrivals are imminent.

D-SEC Comm Array

Briefing

BLACK CHANNEL OVERRIDE: Transmissions Log [Incoming]

Colonel Duray, IDF, to Colonel Vargas, CO D-SEC HQ

Great work on shutting down the Seer Network, Vargas. You have my condolences for the losses you have suffered at ARCLIGHT, BETTERMOUSETRAP, et al.

Now that the experiment is safely contained, I can lift the Black Channel. Your orders are to recall all D.U.S.T. operatives with knowledge of these events back to D-SEC. I am sending a Recovery Team to debrief your personnel and retrieve all data regarding the Incident. See to it that both personnel and data are secure at D-SEC prior to our arrival.

• (Keep scanning incoming transmissions)

IDF LOCKDOWN IN PROGRESS

RECOVERY TEAM EN ROUTE

• (Leave Terminal)

Officer Orb Dialogue

Upon Arrival:

Officer Orb: We will sit tight and wait for the IDF Recovery Team like good soldiers. We WILL not tamper or ATTEMPT to tamper with the Data Archives deeper in the facility.

Officer Orb: That's an order.

Officer Orb: Several orders.

Officer Orb: Lots and lots and lots of orders.

Officer Orb: Thot-box cycling: likelihood of you conforming to said orders.

Officer Orb: Zero.

Officer Orb: Very well, I am passing sentence: Character, you are accused of aiding and abetting the criminal, Seer 1381.

Officer Orb: Thot-box cycling: reaching verdict.

Officer Orb: Death by plasma!

You found the Data Archives pass key from Officer Orb's damaged thot-box.

Awakened Dialogue

Psychotic: They are coming for us.
Psychotic: We will rip them apart like we did D.U.S.T.

IDF RECOVERY TEAM HAS ARRIVED

IDF Dialogue

Combat Start:

ACU: CLEANSE AND DISINFECT!

ACU: THREAT TO EMPIRE NEUTRALIZED!

Near Defeat:

ACU: CRITICAL SYSTEMS RUPTURE!

Colonel Duray Dialogue

Before Combat:

Colonel Duray: Look sharp and let's get this done!

Combat Start:

Colonel Duray: Do you understand how ANNOYING it is for me to even be here?!

Colonel Duray: I've got better things to do than clean up Tilman's mess!

Colonel Duray: Like, say, invading a WHOLE DIMENSION!

50% Health:

Colonel Duray: Come on, people, we've got a timetable to keep!

Upon Defeat:

Colonel Duray: Mission aborted! I'm 'porting out!

Debriefing

Whenever you’re ready to find the blind guy, I’ll telesend you his location.

Signal to Noise

D-SEC was completely compromised just like ARCLIGHT and BETTERMOUSETRAP were. Colonel Vargas was a lost cause, having died before you even got there. His encrypted files confirmed that the Black Channel fell when he reported to Mother Mayhem that the Seer Network had become flooded with Apparitions, through the machinations of the Awakened. They also confirmed that the entire incident started at the behest of Mother, who had ordered D.U.S.T.'s special operations branch to retrieve some of her 'special children' that had somehow escaped her care.

Even after you shut the Network down, though, it wasn't enough for Praetor Tilman. An IDF kill team was sent in to cover the entire incident up. One thing seems clear from Vargas' data files, though-- a notion that Dr. Jonas Fletcher had, as well-- to defeat the Apparitions, it's going to take a magician, not a psychic.