Firebase Z Season 1 Intel

[RadZakpak]

This thread will be updated as more are found.

Requiem (23/23)

Audio Logs (3)

 "Ravenov" (Location: The bottom floor of the data center.) - Maxis phones Weaver to let him know she has a contact inside Omega Group willing to provide valuable intel.

Spoiler

Maxis: Are you still angry, Weaver?

Weaver: I'm rarely angry, Sam. You should know that.

Maxis: No. I know that you're just very good at hiding it. I have news.

Weaver: Tell me what's going on and please, Sam... Don't lie. That would make me angry.

Maxis: I have a contact within Omega group. He wants to meet. I've seen the intel he has first hand. He's the real deal.

Weaver: Okay...

Maxis: There's an Omega Operation underway at a facility about halfway between Hue City and Khe Sanh. Headed up by one of their top Scientists. Doctor William Peck. You heard that name before?

Weaver: I know the name all too well. He may have a 'brilliant' intellect, but he's an arrogant narcissist who cares only for stoking his own ego. Above all else he's a fucking traitor to this country.

Maxis: I know, I know. But this 'Peck' is also about to help the Soviets secure the breakthrough they need to control access to the other dimension.

Weaver: Okay, let's assume your intel is solid and this is all true. You have to let Requiem take it from here. Where are you now?

Maxis: This could be our only chance to catch up with the Soviets. I'm going to meet with my contact.

Weaver: Sam. I don't want you to get yourself hurt.

Maxis: Please don't be angry, Weaver.

Weaver: Dammit Sam.

 

 "They Took Her" (Location: Up the stairs on a bench above pack-a-punch.) - Captain Ravenov -- Maxis's contact in Omega -- reveals to Weaver that Maxis has been captured.

Spoiler

Ravenov: Is this a secure line?

Weaver: Who is this?

Ravenov: Is this a secure line?

Weaver: As secure as they can be.

Ravenov: You're wrong. They're listening. They always are. That's why Maxis is where she is now.

Weaver: You're the 'contact' she told me about. Where is Samantha now?

Ravenov: When I arrived at the meeting they were already there. Omega. They took her.

Weaver: Did they hurt her?

Ravenov: They will keep her alive. At least for now. They will have taken her to their facility. The one where you must go. Where you must send your people.

Weaver: Who are you to tell me what I should do?

Ravenov: I am Sergei Ravenov. I know you need Peck's research. I know you need to close the gap. I know you know how quickly you are falling behind.

Ravenov: Their Aetherium research is way beyond yours. Way beyond anything you could imagine. Maxis would want you to stop them weaponizing is further. Even if it meant she sacrifices herself for the greater good.

Weaver: If you are lying to me. If you betrayed her. If any harm comes to her... I will kill you myself. 

Ravenov: It will not come to that. I have already told you - Omega are ahead of you. Every step of the way.

 

 "Meeting Of Minds" (Location: Inside Military Command just after leaving the motor pool, on the left hand side.) - The Requiem senior staff discuss sending a rescue team to Outpost 25.

Spoiler

Weaver: Thank you all for coming. I can see from your faces you look worried.

Strauss: Concerned. Not worried. There is a difference.

Carver: *sighs*

Weaver: We believe we have identified the purpose behind 'Outpost 25' - Omega's secret base in Vietnam.

Grey: And what is its purpose?

Weaver: My contacts believe they have developed the technology to enter into the Dark Aether at will.

Strauss: How marvelous.

Carver: No, it is not fucking marvelous. It's another indication that we are losing this war.

Weaver: Intel suggests that they have successfully harnessed the energy of the crystals - For purposes not yet known.

Grey: We have to send the team in. This is a chance to ... Why are you raising your eyebrows like that?

Strauss: I think the Major is reminding you - and not very subtly - that this is a military operation. We are merely advisors. 

Grey: Well, am I wrong? We are going in - right?

Weaver: Doctor Grey is correct. We need to send the team to secure their research... but we also have to extract a prisoner.

Carver: Your Russian contact? Surely he's burned - or maybe even playing us for fools. This has got wrong written all over it.

Weaver: No. The Russian contact is not a priority. I'm talking about someone else - Agent Samantha Maxis.

Strauss: Ah, yes. The mysterious Ms. Maxis. I thought she was 'more than capable' of taking care of herself?

Weaver: She is. But there's another player in the mix. One who may go out of his way to bring her harm.

Weaver: William Peck.

Strauss: Oh, that's not good - Peck is a 'nasty piece of work'.

 

Documents (4)

"Outbreak Zones Timeline" (Location: Dropped from a mimic.) - CIA document detailing the appearances of dimensional breaches since Omega Group restarted the cyclotron at Projekt Endstation.

Spoiler

Marked January 25, 1984

 

Timeline of Dimensional Breaches

 

Per request from Director of Central Intelligence, Office of Requiem has composed this listing of known dimensional breaches aka outbreak zones since the initial incident in the Morasko Nature Preserve:

 

March 7, 1944: German scientists at the Projekt Endstation facility near Poznan, Poland use their experimental particle accelerator to punch a hole in the dimensional membrane, unleashing exotic energies and creatures form the dimension we now call the "Dark Aether." Breach is contained but remains open until element of the Red Army seal it on February 10, 1945. Records of the incident suppressed until 1983.

 

Nov. 1, 1983: KGB-Spetsnaz Omega Group arrive at Endstation site and restart the particle accelerator, exacerbating the original dimensional breach. This time the damage is global. New outbreak zones immediately begin to appear around the world, including sites in rural Venezuela, Namibia, Vietnam, and the largest known breach in the Ural Mountains of Russia. Omega is forced to withdraw from Endstation without repairing the dimensional damage.

 

Nov. 5, 1983: SIGINT indicates Omega Group responds to an outbreak zone near Baku, Azerbaijan.

 

Nov. 13, 1983: Requiem strike team arrives at Endstation and succeeds in destroying the facility, finally closing the original breach, but the dimensional membrane separating us from the Dark Aether remains fragile and outbreaks continue to appear.

 

Nov. 22, 1983: Outbreak zone appears within NATO FOB near Hanover, West Germany.

 

Dec. 8, 1984: Satellite PHOTINT reveals Omega Group construction activity near the Vietnam outbreak zone.

 

Jan. 11, 1984: Outbreak zone appears at a Menendez Cartel cocaine processing site in rural Nicaragua.

 

Jan. 18, 1984: Outbreak zone appears at Shan State Irregulars base in Laos. SIGINT indicates subsequent Omega Group containment operation.

 

Jan. 19, 1984: Outbreak zone appears in Miami's South Beach district.

 

So far, all of the above have been successfully condoned off and their existence kept secret from the outside world. Requiem continually monitors communications and satellite PHOTINT for signs of new dimensional breaches.

 

"Requiem Formation Memo" (Location: Dropped from a mimic.) - Director of Central Intelligence Casey informs President Reagan about the newly created CIA Office of Requiem.

Spoiler

Marked 5 Nov 1983

 

MEMORANDUM FOR: The President

FROM: William J. Casey

SUBJECT: Formation of CIA Office of Requiem

 

Following up on our emergency briefing regarding the recent spate of so-called "outbreak zones" around the world. We believe we've come up with a response that will satisfy our NATO allies' queries and ensure they have a seat at the table. My staff at Langley, with help from DoD, have created the CIA Office of Requiem specifically to contain and suppress this new threat.

 

Initial attempts to quarantine affected areas and prevent a global panic still amount to stopgap measures. Our new rapid response unit is a long-term solution to the problem. Official directives will be issued and appropriate paperwork filed, but we're moving as fast as possible right now, and I want to get you up to speed on where things stand at present:

 

1. Purpose: Office of Requiem will deploy clandestine strike teams to cordon off outbreak zones, prevent them from spreading, and gain vital intel on the nature of the enemy. We will also provide cover stories to local media designed to keep trespassers out without attracting unwanted scrutiny. We already have a PR operation handling the media side. My focus right now is the people at the point of contact - the strike teams, command and support.

 

2. Command structure: I've tapped Associate Deputy Director [REDACTED] from the Directorate of Science and Technology to serve as Director of Requiem. Hell, he's been so instrumental in pulling this together he pretty much tapped himself for the job. Beneath the Director, four department heads will handle different aspects of the operation: field operations, weapons development, energy research, and biology. I have a short list of candidates, but it's too soon to mention names yet.

 

3. Field ops: Thanks to quick work by the NATO Military Committee, Requiem strike teams will include Spec Ops personnel volunteered by the NATO member states.

 

4. Classified status: Office of Requiem will officially not exist. Like other clandestine operations, it will be funded from the Department of Defense black budget. Additional funding will come from NATO, though we're still working out the details.

 

I will keep you apprised of further developments as they occur.

 

William J. Casey

Director of Central Intelligence

 

"Requiem Staffing Announcement" (Location: Location: Dropped from a mimic.) - CIA document announcing the appointments of Weaver, Carver, Grey and Strauss to the Office of Requiem senior staff.

Spoiler

Marked 06 November 1983

 

Office of Requiem Names Department Heads

 

Staffing decisions have been made and roles accepted by the candidates chosen to lead the four divisions comprising the newly established CIA Office Of Requiem. They are as follows:

 

1: FIELD OPERATIONS: Special Agent Weaver is promoted to the rank of Special Operations Officer for this role. There was some internal pushback due to Weaver’s previous designation as an enemy combatant during Operation Charybdis, but that designation was rescinded. Requiem’s Director chose him specifically for this assignment and the DCI agreed. Weaver's unorthodox approach to covert ops may be exactly what's needed to take on this unprecedented threat.

 

2. CONTAINMENT AND SECURITY: Major Mackenzie carver is well known to many in the Intelligence Community. A veteran of the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, “Mac” has served as DoD liaison to CIA for over a decade. While his blunt talk and aggressive demeanor have sometimes impeded his career advancement, those qualities are well suited to his role at Requiem: applying data and materials from Requiem ops to develop weapons systems capable of keeping Soviet aggression in check.

 

3. UNNATURAL- SCIENCES: Dr. Elizabeth Grey is a top research scientist in the fields of genetics and biology. Her papers on anaerobic organisms and speculative theses on alien biomes earned her the invitation to lead Requiem study of the other dimension and the creatures emerging from it. Her lack of military background was flagged as a concern. But she offers an outsider's perspective the Director deems vital to our success.

 

4. ENERGY RESEARCH: Dr. Oskar Strauss will lead studies of new discoveries in outbreak zones to determine scientific and military applications. However, his past associations with the Nazi regime make Strauss a controversial choice. The Director points out the same was true for Wernher Von Braun who led NASA to the moon. For now, Strauss has our full support.

 

  "C Cipher" (Location: Inside the Colonel's safe, acquired through a side quest.) - ???. (Solved here)

Spoiler

Cipher text:

 

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Solution:

 

G

I'm having reservations, second thoughts, something in my gut.

Something doesn't feel right. I've worked with the CIA for a long time, you longer.

When I requested transfer to Requiem, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into.

I knew this dog and pony show the smoke and mirrors, but something feels different.

Sorry, this is coming via an encrypted message, but I'm just not sure who I can trust these days.

I keep noticing discrepancies, minor deviations from our stated mission.

Sure, there's nuances to any black op, we both know that all too well.

But I cant shake the feeling that there's a hidden agenda at play.

And what about our director? What's his goal? Come to think of it.

Do you know his name? Ever remember seeing it on a dossier or overheard in conversation? I couldn't tell you.

I got close to him once or who I think was him, not sure.

And you know what I heard? I heard him speaking Russian!

So I ask you... What the hell is going on here?!

C

 

 

Radio Transmissions (12)

  "Omega's Advantage" (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - Weaver tells the team that Omega is pulling ahead in the Aetherium Arms Race.

Spoiler

Weaver: Team - I can't overstate just how important this mission is. We're at risk of falling so far behind, we may never catch up.

Weaver: My contacts in the field have provided intel that suggest Omega are not only advancing their Aetherium applications, but they have in fact harnessed the power to move in and out of the other dimension at will.

Weaver: Hmmm... The other dimension? Well, it's got a name that you may have already heard. I'm not exactly sure who first coined the term, but we've taken to calling it the Dark Aether.

Weaver: The name is probably no more ominous than the reality. Omega's next move will doubtless be to try to weaponize it.

Weaver: I'm sure I don't have to tell you how bad that would be...

 

  "This Is Personal" (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - Weaver stresses to the team that they need to rescue Maxis.

Spoiler

Weaver: You already know what the mission parameters are. You know what needs to be done. Even if we can't apprehend Peck, we must recover what remains of his intel. But there's more than that.

Weaver: You are already someone who knows when to read between the lines.

Weaver: You are someone who knows there are other battles to be won - Battles to avoid a bigger war.

Weaver: This is personal for me. You need to make every effort to extract Samantha Maxis.

Weaver: I'm trusting you.

 

  "Peck" (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - Weaver has a few choice words about the despicable Doctor Peck.

Spoiler

Weaver: William Peck... This... 'fucker'... is a traitor. He deserves to be brought to justice.

Weaver: If you want to know what you're dealing with, I think it would be entirely appropriate to call him a malignant narcissist. 

Weaver: However smart he may be - or thinks he is - The only thing he cares about is himself.

Weaver: Strange as it sounds - We could really use him right now.

 

  "Between Us" (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - Carver reminds the team to seize Omega's weapon research.

Spoiler

Carver: Outpost 25. Just look at this place. This hilltop used to be a U.S. Army Fire Support Base called "Ripcord." Nothing left of it now -- this construction's all new.

Carver: Our intel reports said it was walled off. Impenetrable. Omega's very own Fort Knox. Not hard to see why.

Carver: I'll make this clear: we're behind. Requiem's made progress, but it pales next to what Omega's accomplished.

Carver: Teleportation? A new kind of super-battery? And that assault rifle? Won't be long until the Reds have it in mass production.

Carver: If we could recover that rifle tech, or their research on weaponization, it would be a very good day for Requiem.

Carver: Hell. Maybe I could pass it along to the DoD, give them something to cheer about. But we'll keep that one between us, won't we?

 

  "W.A.N.D." (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - Carver discusses one of his contributions to the war effort.

Spoiler

Carver: Now, all this sour talk doesn't mean Requiem hasn't had some wins. You're equipped with one right now: the W-A-N-Ds: Weaponized Aetherium Neutralizer Device.

Carver: Cool toy, right? Little pet project of mine. One of my men brought me the concept, and once I saw the schematics I realized the tactical edge they'd provide in the field.

Carver: Allocated one of our science teams to develop the tech. Dr. Strauss initially objected, because of course that grouchy old German did, but he eventually came around.

Carver: Sure, the names might be a little splashy, but you've got to let the eggheads have a little fun during R&D.

 

  "The Stick" (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - The team's mission to Vietnam stirs up old memories in Carver.

Spoiler

Carver: I won't lie. It's a strange feeling, sending you to 'Nam. Feels like yesterday I was being flown out. Man, that first week...

Carver: It was hot. Wet. No matter what you did, you couldn't get rid of "the stick". You'd try washing it off and it'd just make it worse -- and don't get me started on the damn lizards in the showers.

Carver: Hard years. I lost men. Family. Brothers. Then there was Apache Snow. But that's a story for another time.

Carver: Let's just say when we came back "the stick" stuck with us. I spent years trying to clean it off.

 

  "Blacksmiths and Architects" (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - Strauss sees the potential of Omega's work... and he's certain he can improve upon it.

Spoiler

Strauss: Here you are. Outpost 25. The progress they have made at this facility... we may as well be the N-A-C-A watching the Sputnik launch.

Strauss: I would be lying if I said their Aetherium-based power source hadn't caught my eye. It is interesting work... albeit crude and unrefined. They approach the process like a blacksmith when what it needs is an architect.

Strauss: Recover that research, and I will refine their work in weeks, ending this Aetherium energy "space-race" before it's barely begun.

 

  "Not Unlike Oxygen" (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - Strauss muses on Aetherium's properties and its importance to the Dark Aether's denizens.

Spoiler

Strauss: Aetherium has proven to be fascinating in both its gaseous and solid, crystalline states. It appears the infected and Dark Aether creatures require it for their very survival, not unlike oxygen in our own reality.

Strauss: We've observed that the farther you are from a breach, the less exposure you risk. If Aetherium is their "oxygen," this explains why they are restricted to these "outbreak zones."

Strauss: But I suppose this is all rather boring to you. I may as well be attempting discourse with a slab of meat - A bovine with a submachine gun.

Strauss: You would do well to remember how Aetherium has benefitted you in the field. Major Carver's W-A-N-Ds. The experimental explosives you clear pathways with. Two examples of things that would not exist if not for my work. You're welcome.

 

  "A Storied Career" (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - Strauss recounts his harrowing path from WWII German atomic scientist to head of Requiem's Energy Research Division.

Spoiler

Strauss: The goal of my work has always been to create the tools necessary for humanity's improvement - not its destruction.

Strauss: Ja. I know what you're thinking, but I was very young when the Uranverein whisked me from university to Endstation. I was promised the opportunity to explore a new frontier of atomic research.

Strauss: When I realized that meant weapons research, I requested reassignment. Little did I know my transfer would be to a much more insidious project, led by Dr. Friedrich Steiner.

Strauss: After a year I literally could no longer stomach it. I defected as part of Operation Paperclip.

Strauss: It has been something of a storied career since then, but, given Aetherium's potential, I am still hopeful Requiem will make the right decision on where to focus its efforts.

 

  "The Thick Of It" (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - Grey ponders the unthinkable: what if Omega has learned to control dimensional portals?

Spoiler

Grey: Well... we're in the thick of it now, aren't we?

Grey: So far, these breaches have been random, and we've had to scramble to react to their sudden appearance. But if Omega has the tech to control when and where these portals open...

Grey: No. I shouldn't even entertain that thought. Maybe it's just down to the region's dimensional fragility and they haven't actually developed the tech to open them willy-nilly. Least not yet.

Grey: Now, as for this whole conscripted labor thing? Forcing people across the threshold to collect crystals and date? That's not okay.

Grey: Hopefully my device will help us solve that problem, at least in terms of research gathering. More on that later.

 

  "Transformative Properties" (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - Grey wonders why Aetherium affects people differently, and why the infected take on different forms.

Spoiler

Grey: What I'm still really keen to understand is the transformative properties of Aetherium. We saw what happened to those poor sods at Endstation.

Grey: Some of the infected remain mostly humanoid, while others resemble more powerful, 'evolved' creatures. What made their transformations different?

Grey: Take that infected Omega Soldier, the one who helped us with the particle accelerator. Why did he turn... into that? That's one of the things I'd like to answer. Maybe not here, maybe not today, but -- it's on the list!

 

  "Genetic Secrets" (Location: On a table near Speed Cola.) - Grey discusses the possible benefits to be gleaned from the Dark Aether.

Spoiler

Grey: We've seen the element's impact on humans and the environment: the infected transformations, the blossoming crystals. Now what I'm really eager to learn is, can we harness and control the effects?

Grey: Keep the benefits and discard all the crap that hurts us? We saw what happened when Boyer genetically modified bacteria -- we got insulin. Changed the world.

Grey: So what if we alter bacteria from the infected? What genetic secret do you unlock? Super-strength? Pain resistance? Immortality?

Grey: Okay no, actually I do not like the sound of that at all. I know I'm essentially working for the military now, but I'd really rather focus on how all this helps the world. Helps people. That's what I want. I hope you feel the same.

 

 

 

Artifacts (4)

  "RAI K-84 Blueprint" (Location: On the wall in the weapons lab.) - The weapon blueprint for Kuhlklay's prized invention. Its design was partially inspired by recovered schematics for the Generator Khaosa Zavoyski-45, a proposed weapon from WWII that never made it beyond concept. It is unclear why Peck was so uninterested in Kuhlklay's prototype, but it will be invaluable to Requiem's weapons research..

Spoiler

 

  "Weapon Trial Folder" (Location: Dropped after acquiring Kuhlklay's eye.) - Kuhlklay's weapon trial folder, detailing testing and development of his experimental prototype. Will be helpful for Requiem's own weapons research..

Spoiler

 

  "Kuhlklay's Diary" (Location: In a storage locker opened with Kuhlklay's key.) - Recovered from a storage locker, the journal offers deeper insights into Omega's research -- and Kuhlklay's disdain for his immediate supervisor.

Spoiler

 

  "RAI K-84 Prototype" (Location: Acquired through the RAI quest.) - The Reactorniy Avtomat-Izluchatel Kuhlklay-84 (RAI K-84) was developed by Dr. Dimitri Kuhlklay and first manufactured in 1984. The experimental prototype fires fully automatic energy-bolts, but also comes equipped with a ballistic Vortex grenade launcher. When detonated, the grenade creates a temporal distortion field, slowing time for anyone caught inside. Acquired by Requiem agents for analysis.

Spoiler

 

 

Omega (23/23)

Audio Logs (8)

"Dimensional Fertility" (Location: On top of the bunker at the scorched defense area.) - Having received approval for the construction of Outpost 25, Peck discusses the opportunities the new site will offer Omega Group.

Spoiler

Peck: Personal Log. Peck. November 9th, 1983. Two days ago, I identified and submitted the *perfect* location for Phase 2.

Peck: After assessing the dimensional breach outside of Khe Sanh, I found a mountaintop formerly occupied by an American base called "Ripcord." It has the ideal dimensional... *fertility* to suit our project's needs.

Peck: I just received word an agreement was reached with the Vietnamese Government, and construction is set to begin on the 11th. What excellent news.

Peck: So far, the breaches have been uncontrolled, which greatly restricted our ability to take advantage of this new dimension--

Peck: --BUT. But... if we are able to open our own, stabilized gateway, that operates under our control...

Peck: Well, I mean, come on! We'll be the first with free reign to pilfer, pillage and plunder an alien world, untainted and ripe with resources ready for extraction.

Peck: It will give us a considerable edge over my former countrymen. Good riddance to them.

 

"Aethernauts" (Location: In Planning Offices under the table in the middle of the room.) - While noting his first successful teleporter test, Peck discusses the role played by his Dark Aether miners and the steps taken to deal with the effects of their labors.

Spoiler

Peck: Peck here. Personal log. March 19th. After weeks of phasic misalignment, resulting in numerous... *anatomical* displacements, today marked our first successful teleportation test. I'm sure Private Pashkov was happy to arrive with all parts... intact.

Peck: After the generators last month, this marks the second milestone achievement for Outpost 25.

Peck: I must admit: our rapid progress is due in no small part to our Dark Aether Miners, or "Aethernauts", as the Kremlin has chosen to call them.

Peck: Dr. Kuhlklay tells me crystal collection is up nearly 240 percent. This intake volume has allowed our scientists to continue working around the clock, and is frankly, how we have accomplished this impressive feat.

Peck: It is true some don't return, but I am told it's a small percentage.

Peck: That said, many of those who do return have displayed physical and psychological symptoms, ranging from infection to amnesia. Unfortunately, these subjects after study must be euthanized.

Peck: I've spoken with Kuhlklay about developing a memory transference machine, give us the chance to at least recover the affected's memories.

Peck: That will take time to construct, so in the interim I'm developing a truth serum to assist with interviewing the amnesiacs.

Peck: Maybe we can pry the truth from their damaged synapses, so their deaths won't be a total waste.

 

"The Anatomy Lesson" (Location: Inside the Field Hospital.) - Peck and Kuhlklay perform an autopsy on a Dark Aether creature that is more than meets the eye.

Spoiler

Peck: Proceeding with examination of upper abdomen. Dimitri: retractors.

Kuhlklay: Placing retractors.

Peck: Organs appear... somewhat similar to our own... but everything seems merged, interlinked. Observe the lungs. Similar location, but its pleura extends and connects directly to the heart, passing through the endocardium.

Peck: There appears to be... something engraved on the interior of the creature's back. What is that?

Kuhlklay: Chto za chert. That. Is a face.

Peck: Yes, there does appear to be a warped, stretched pigmentation that resembles a human face.

Kuhlklay: Resembles?? Look: it even has a bump where the nose should be. Wait...

Kuhlklay: Govno! It is Private Glaskov! We sent him to the other side last month, but he never come back. Is this... is this thing him??

Peck: That last remark is to be struck from the record -- we have no proof this creature is Private Glaskov. Let's continue--

Peck: I suppose that's a good a place as any to terminate the session. Subject has turned itself into a cassette tape.

 

"Kuhlklay's Payback" (Location: In the same room as the RAI K-84 blueprints and Kuhlklay's computer.) - Kuhlklay vents his true feelings about Peck... and makes a fateful decision about his weapon project.

Spoiler

Kuhlklay: Fucking stupid Peck! "Be quiet Dimitri! This is a chance to learn from a real scientist!" "Dimitri, do this, Dimitri, do that. Shame on you, Dimitri, I will have you turned into soup! I'm Dr. Peck, and I'm a big, smart, real scientist."

Kuhlklay: Fffffuck you. How about that, Pecker-man? Fuuuuuuuck you.

Kuhlklay: So I decide enough: time to work on my own invention! I take the aetherium crystal and design new rifle that would make Kalashnikov weep. And what does Peck do?

Kuhlklay: He LAUGHS. Says it is a waste of time. Calls it a child's toy. "Stop being so small-brained, Dimitri!"

Kuhlklay: Small-brained? I will show you, Peck.

Kuhlklay: Oh shit.

Kuhlklay: You are not the only smart man at this facility.

Kuhlklay: Peck wants me to give up, probably because Peck wants to steal it for himself. Now he can never assemble it. When I leave this place, I will take it with me and sell it to the highest bidder.

Kuhlklay: "Maybe I underestimated you, *Doctor* Kuhlklay." Of course you did, Peck. You see, I always have had a keen eye for opportunity.

 

  "Gorev" (Location: The Colonel's Office in Military Command.) - Gorev pays a visit with new orders from the Kremlin.

Spoiler

Peck: --that's not to say I don't have my suspicions. Once I've gathered sufficient evidence, I--

Peck: --did I not say no interruptions-- Gorev?? You're here. In Vietnam.

Gorev: In the flesh, comrade. What? Old Friend cannot pay visit?

Gorev: You look so rigid, Peck, so nervous. You remind me of son, before he does his silly theater shows. He freezes up, like he sees ghosts, and forgets lines. That or he soils his pants. I trust that is not case here?

Gorev: Sit down. Please. Before you hurt self. You look rather pale, even for you. How are you not getting sun here in such temperate climate?

Peck: May I inquire as to the purpose of your visit, Gorev?

Gorev: I am here with special message, one I decided to deliver personally.

Gorev: We intercepted communication from BND Agent Maxis. You remember her... the leaked Endstation tape?

Peck: Why would i give a rat's ass about her? Isn't she dead?

Gorev: It is funny you say this, because not only is she very much alive, but she has turned one of your men. At this very facility. He is planning to deliver your research to Requiem.

Peck: I find that highly improbable.

Gorev: "Highly improbable." Why do Americans talk like this? It is either truth, or not truth. Why must you be so non-committal to facts? I do no understand this.

Peck: What exactly do you need from me?

Gorev: Orders from Colonel. And orders are simple. Pretend to be mole, plant trap, apprehend Maxis.

Peck: Then what?

Gorev: Interrogate her. Torture her. I don't need to know the specifics. As long as she confesses and reveals who mole is, I am happy. It is good when I am happy, yes?

Peck: I'll take care of it personally.

 

  "Let It Ride" (Location: Hidden in the roof of Engineering, directly beneath the OPC. Can be shot down or jumped up to.) - Omega Group scientists Peck and Kuhlklay initiate Dimensional Portal Test number 32.

Spoiler

Peck: This is Dr. William Peck. It is the 8th of January, 1984, 1:13 a.m. This is test number 32 for dimensional breach--

Kuhlklay: --Must you start with that ever recording--

Peck: --do not interrupt, Dimitri. This is your chance to learn something from a real scientist.

Peck: As I was saying. Test Number 32. "Doctor" Kuhlklay, you may proceed.

Kuhlklay: Activating resonator. Beginning magnetic amplification.

Kuhlklay: Dimensional Barrier identified. Beginning particle distortion.

Peck: Barrier membrane integrity at fifty percent.

Kuhlklay: Amplification is still approaching the limits prematurely!

Peck: Increasing voltage output from Aetherium Crystal.

Peck: It's working! Membrane integrity at forty percent!

Kuhlklay: Amplification has reached maximum safety parameters!

Peck: Let it ride, Dimitri, let it ride! Increasing voltage output.

Kuhlklay: Amplification exceeding safety parameters!! I'm shutting it down!

Peck: You touch that button I'll have you gutted like a fish and fed to your comrades in Solyanka soup! Membrane integrity down to ten percent!

Kuhlklay: You mudak! You'll get us killed!

Peck: Wait! Adjusting distortion frequency to pattern echo-four!

Kuhlklay: My god.

Peck: Eat your heart out, Dr. Vogel. We'll see who history remembers.

 

  "To Dust You Will Return" (Location: Inside the OPC, opened during the quest.) - Peck has Maxis brought to his Omega Portal Chamber.

Spoiler

Peck: So - 'Sam'. Do you realize what this is? Do you even know? Of course you don't, so I'll tell you. It's a gateway into the other world.

Peck: Have you ever even dreamt of such a thing? Have you ever imagined what it would be like if everything you knew to be true was just turned upside down? Changed forever.

Peck: That's what this represents. It's a door to another world. One that could enrich or destroy everything depending on who holds the keys.

Peck: Look at you. Resolute. Stubborn.

Peck: Your silence isn't going to help you in any way, you know. In fact, it's just going to make things worse.

Peck: We will find your 'informant', believe me. That's the funny thing about secrets. They can't stay secret forever. Sooner or later, they are always exposed, along with all their inherent beauty or ugliness.

Peck: You know, I don't think you realize just how small of a cog you are in this machine.

Peck: You're close to nothing. Worthless.

Peck: No one is coming for you, because no one cares about you.

Peck: Honestly? I'm doing you - and the world - a favor.

Peck: We are made from earth, and we will return to earth... Some of us, sooner than others.

Peck: From dust you are, and to dust you will return.

 

 "Outpost 25 Has Fallen" (Location: In Mission Control, near the charge collector on the top floor.) - Peck sends an emergency message to Omega Group headquarters informing them Outpost 25 is now an Outbreak Zone.

Spoiler

Peck: Hello?? Hello??? Can you hear me? Is anyone there???

Peck: The dial tells me this is the correct broadcast frequency, so I'm just going to assume you can hear me. Whichever Omega lackey happens to be receiving this transmission, start dialing the Colonel. Now.

Peck: I've got a, uhhh, developing situation over here.

Peck: Outpost 25 has fallen. Everyone here is either dead, dying, or infected. I'm the last one alive.

Peck: I want to make this unequivocally clear: This is not my fault. It was the gateway.

Peck: Without warning, it unleashed a massive burst of Aetherium. The infection spread quickly, and as my men began to turn, I observed a phasic barrier surround the base.

Peck: My men tried to escape, but anyone who entered this "Phase" quickly succumbed to a terrible case of death.

Peck: More creatures keep arriving every hour. I'm trapped in a room with little food and only a literal pot to piss in.

Peck: Get me the hell out of here.

 

 

Documents (6)

"Authorization to Conscript" (Location: Dropped from a mimic.) - The Committee for State Security grants Outpost 25 permission to conscript "Aetherium miners" including political prisoners and enemies of the state.

Spoiler

Marked 15 February of the year 1984

 

Authorization to conscript

Aetherium miners

 

Having reviewed all progress reports from Outpost 25 in Vietnam, and in light of recent losses of valuable Spetsnaz operators, the Chairman approves the Colonel's request for volunteers to carry out Aetherium mining duties in the Dark Aether dimension.

 

Aetherium mining has quickly gained paramount importance as we have come to understand the element's unique properties. The fruits of this labor will allow the Soviet Union to explore new scientific frontiers that may ultimately be the decisive factor in our eventual triumph over the forces of greed and imperialism. But such progress always come at a cost. The Chairman salutes those brave souls who have gone missing in the Dark Aether. He expects those who follow to complete the task begun by their betters.

 

Omega Group forces at Outpost 25 are instructed to begin recruiting Aetherium miners from the local population. Conscription will be carried out in conjunction with the authorities in Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri provinces. Antagonizing our North Vietnamese comrades would be counterproductive, and they will be eager to rid themselves of undesirables and intellectuals who may prove to be ideal Aetherium miners. To help accelerate the process, the Kremlin will provide additional Aetherium miners from prisons and work camps across the Soviet Union. Even enemies of the state can serve the greater good.

 

The Chairman expects this will put an end to the loss of Spetsnaz personnel while increasing Aetherium collection yields.

 

"Omega Teleporter Blueprint" (Location: Dropped from a mimic.) - Blueprint of the Aetherium powered teleportation device developed at Outpost 25. Includes notes on early malfunctions.

Spoiler

TELEPORTATION PROTOTYPE

EXOSCIENCE RESEARCH OMEGA

 

Approved for Teleportation

- Weapons (loaded or unloaded)

- Clothing of various materials

- Humans (restrictions apply)

- All footwear except sandals

- Paper and similar materials

- Headgear (glasses, helmets, caps)

- Computation Machines

- Aetherium Containment Canisters

- Mechanic tools/equipment

- Crates containing any of the above

 

Not Approved for Teleportation

- Worn sandals: two documented occasions of sandals fusing with feet.

- Fish: Officer Kustov had a dozen goldfish merge into singular homogenous blob (still alive).

- Canine: dogs have vanished only to reappear days later, on fire and very aggressive.

- Produce and uncooked meat: will arrive rotten or worse.

- Private Oleg Gusev: You know why. You should be ashamed of yourself. Disgusting. Banned.

 

19 March 1984

 

"Specimen K7-1924" (Location: Dropped from a mimic.) - Omega Group medical document detailing the autopsy of a shape-shifting creature.

Spoiler

Spetsgruppa Omega - autopsy report

Examiner: Dr. Dimitri Kuhlklay

Species: Unknown

Date: 11 May 1984

Identification: Specimen K7-1924

 

Subject is Specimen K7-1924, recovered from "Dark Aether" dimension on 09 May 1984. Subject recovered by Miner Tobias Shenk. Subject was captured alive.

 

While caged, Subject transformed into several common objects seemingly at will. Weight of Subject changed based on the object it transformed into.

 

Subject took form of:

1. Crate

2. Equipment Storage Container

3. Chair

4. Rifle

5. Aetherium Containment Canister

 

Subject was terminated after escaping containment by taking form of rifle (guard unwittingly opened cell, not realizing).

 

With additional research, we could potentially adapt creature's camouflage ability for humans. Warfare implications are massive.

 

Prior to termination, Subject used prehensile "tentacles" to attack soldiers as it stormed through base.

 

Tentacles appear to operate independently from arms and legs. Subject able to extend tentacle and grapple unsuspecting humans.

 

Upon examination, DNA is part human. Disfigured face observed in autopsy report resembled that of Private Glaskov, MIA last month in Dark Aether Dimension.

 

  "Aetherium Production Report" (Location: Dropped from a mimic.) - Peck expounds on the limitless potential for Aetherium-based energy production and the ability to refine Aetherium to increase its potency.

Spoiler

RE: Aetherium as a power source

AUTHOR: Dr. William Peck

 

SUMMARY:

I am pleased to report my work here at Outpost 25 is yielding breakthroughs even I dared not expect. The resources you so generously allocated for construction on the former site of Fire Support Base Ripcord were definitely money well spent, and I am close to giving the USSR a massive strategic advantage over the West.

 

As I predicted, Aetherium - the novel element originating from the Dark Aether dimension - is proving to be a remarkable source of energy that lends itself to a variety of applications. To put it in layman's terms, this stuff is the new Plutonium, only better. Like Plutonium, Aetherium can yield tremendous amounts of energy - enough that the Soviet Union need never be dependent on foreign oil (unlike my former countrymen). And, again, like Plutonium, it can be refined to increase its potency and bring it to what you might call "weapons-grade." I am currently perfecting the process. With enough time and a lot more samples, I believe we can achieve practically limitless energy yields. This is not just an evolution of energy production - it is a revolution.

 

America and the NATO countries are way behind us on the Aetherium front. We can extend our lead if we keep collecting more Aetherium specimens. I appreciate the brave Spetsnaz operators who have been doing this work, and I honor their sacrifice. Rest assured I'm working on better communications while they're on the other side to help them come home safely.

 

Dr. William Peck

Exoscientific Phenomena Research Lead - Omega Group

 

  "G Cipher" (Location: Dropped from a mimic.) - Recovered Omega Group cipher. Decryption is required. (Solved here)

Spoiler

Cipher text:

 

KOEES NIOTA ENRMM MSSTP GRAAF NFOIS ULSVS IBIGD VSULR HSRDU DINAT EAMUI JATAW XENFD EHSEM OTEIF IRMTM RTINT TENTY IDRIA NORRT EEOIO HXONE UTEHE ECIOR QMNUE RHSOA SPIGS ELTDI MNGNO ADNIF TOCUI HRHSS LTICI USAOW CNTOR AUEOL MEERR TCMSD EIEEI PENIC GTEDS QTFAG WICBI SOE

 

Plain text:

 

K

It seems our little side investment is beginning to pay dividends. Our infiltration has occurred right under their noses. I am told the Maxis communique is just a taste of what we can expect going forward. Requiem has no clue a member of their senior staff is compromised.

G

 

  "P Cipher" (Location: Dropped from a mimic.) - Recovered Omega Group cipher. Decryption is required. (Solved here)

Spoiler

Cipher text:

 

11 23 55 21 32 11 43 34 22 11 52 15 51 52 53 55 51 52 53 24 32 41 23 11 53 52

15 32 51 52 34 34 43 55 22 51 32 41 11 43 55 24 32 15 51 11 52 34 53 52 51 15

34 51 52 15 14 55 32 24 55 32 55 52 22 11 53 52 15 55 24 55 35 14 11 34 15 51

41 55 34 53 52 41 51 42 55 15 14 11 34 55 24 55 22 11 24 35 55 35 51 52 11 15

14 55 24 51 52 22 53 24 34 51 11 52 45 11 52 55 34 55 52 15 51 24 55 34 12 53

32 35 41 11 34 15 51 52 15 55 24 32 22 15 51 52 21 54 51 15 14 32 34 14 51 31

15 51 52 21 55 52 55 24 21 33 25 32 24 24 51 55 24 51 52 34 51 35 55 45 11 52

55 31 11 24 52 11 54 32 13 11 51 35 15 14 55 43 14 32 34 55

 

Plain text:

 

Omega ops continue in Ural mountains.

Special operations units in the area encountered hostiles, unlike those recorded in other incursion zones. Entire squad lost interacting with a shifting energy barrier inside zone. For now, avoid the phase.

 

 

Radio Transmissions (4)

  "Good Little Lemmings" (Location: In the Pack-a-Punch building, top floor to the right of the machine.) - Peck sends a message to Omega Group HQ informing them Requiem have arrived -- but that may not be a bad thing.

Spoiler

Peck: To my friends at Omega HQ: Peck here at Outpost 25, with an update on my situation. Requiem is here and, believe it or not, that's actually "good" news.

Peck: "Now, why would you say that, Peck?" I can hear you ask. Well... let me explain. Do you know what I love about Requiem?

Peck: They're idiots. And idiots are good for one thing: following instructions. Obeying without a moments hesitation. Like a lemming leaping off a cliff.

Peck: Well these little Requiem lemmings leapt right into restarting the power for me, which means I can now begin satellite transfer of all our work back to Omega HQ.

Peck: The facility may be lost, but Omega's work will live on. Don't thank me. Thank Requiem. What good. Little. Lemmings.

 

  "Not Built To Last" (Location: In the Pack-a-Punch building, top floor to the right of the machine.) - Valentina responds to Peck's distress messages, with more than a little schadenfreude.

Spoiler

Valentina: Oh, Peck. When I heard of your situation, I cannot say I was surprised.

Valentina: What was it? Experiment gone wrong? Did you forget to carry "the 1" in equation? Drop deadly vial?

Valentina: Or was it worse? Something more sinister. How many men have you sent to their deaths in other dimension? Maybe one came back for revenge? Hmm?

Valentina: Rest assured, we are assessing situation. It does not look good for you.

Valentina: I told them it was big risk, hiring American. They are not built to last.

Valentina: I'll report back soon with our decision.

 

  "Do Try To Stay Alive" (Location: In the Pack-a-Punch building, top floor to the right of the machine.) - A second message from Valentina gives Peck a glimmer of hope.

Spoiler

Valentina: Peck. It is Valentina again. Omega has made decision, and looks like your ace up sleeve actually worked.

Valentina: We are receiving your satellite transfer. Download should be complete within hour. Once it is done, you are to destroy mainframe -- ensure there is nothing left for Requiem to acquire.

Valentina: Omega teams are en route to your position for evac, ETA two hours. Do try to stay alive until then. Valentina out.

 

  "Gorev's Disappointment" (Location: In the Pack-a-Punch building, top floor to the right of the machine.) - Gorev does not mince words when explaining to Peck his current predicament.

Spoiler

Gorev: Hello, Peck. I have been informed to your current situation. Most unfortunate, especially for man with bright future.

Gorev: I had big hopes for you. "An American in Moscow" -- like classic Hollywood movie, da? I was Gene Kelly, and you... well, you were the other one.

Gorev: When I last spoke to you, I gave you simple task. Capture Maxis. Find the mole. Simple.

Gorev: One week later and you have outdone yourself. You have destroyed your base. Gotten countless loyalists killed. But at least you learned who mole was, da?

Gorev: But wait... This is not true. You did not find mole. You also lost most valuable intelligence asset, because you think it was smart idea to throw her into other fucking dimension!

Gorev: Do not worry, Peck. Gorev is here now to clean up your mess. I will find your mole. For his sake, I hope he is dead. If he is not, he will soon wish he was.

 

 

Artifacts (5)

"Kuhlklay's Eye" (Location: Pulled from Kuklklay's body in the RAI K-84 quest in scorched defense.) - Biological remains of Dimitri Kuhlklay, Omega Group scientist.

Spoiler

 

"Ravenov ID Badge" (Location: Given to you by Ravenov after speaking with him in the quest.) - Ravenov's Omega ID badge. Grants access to restricted areas (as well as lockers and containers).

Spoiler

 

"Agent Delivery System" (Location: Acquired after putting together Peck's truth serum in the quest.) - The Agent Delivery System was designed for mass dispersal of Peck's truth serum. As conscripts returned from the Dark Aether, their reports were often inconsistent or filled with impossibilities. In an effort to get accurate statements, Peck developed a special truth serum. While reports have noted that its hallucinogenic properties put users in an altered state, it has proven highly effective..

Spoiler

 

"Essence Trap" (Location: Acquired after using the truth serum on Peck and interacting with the Memory Transference Station in the quest.) - The Essence Trap and the Memory Transference Station were developed to recover the memories from individuals who had succumbed to their Aetherium infections. When deployed near an infected creature, the trap siphons any remaining memories from its former human self.

Spoiler

 

"Aethermeter" (Location: Acquired in the main quest from the locker near Peck.) - Developed by Omega Group, the Aethermeter is a scanner used by soldiers and conscripts sent into the Dark Aether to mine Aetherium. The Aethermeter was critical in locating fresh Aetherium crystals ready for harvesting.

Spoiler

 

 

Maxis (14/14)

Audio Logs (3)

 

  "Not Who We Are" (Location: In the Scientist Quarters, on the top floor of the PaP building to the left. Shoot it on a ledge above you and pick up on the bottom floor.) - Maxis questions the motivations of her Omega Group contact, Ravenov.

Spoiler

Ravenov: You received the files - Yes?

Maxis: Yes. I received the files, but I have not reviewed them. My situation is... Changing.

Ravenov: You are no longer with the BND?

Maxis: Let's just say I am more of a free agent now. There are many spies and traitors within our National institutions.

Ravenov: I understand.

Maxis: Which leads me to wonder - Why are you a traitor? I have seen your record - A founding member of the KGB counter terrorist detachment, Alpha Group. You took part in operations across the globe - Central America, the Caribbean, Angola, Afghanistan.

Ravenov: Yes, I am a loyal soldier of the Soviet Union. I have done questionable things - terrible things. But I am no traitor.

Ravenov: If you knew who was running Omega - and I believe you already do - you would not even have to ask me that question. I am not a traitor to my country. Despite their slogans and mantras, Omega are not who we are.

Maxis: Are you certain of that?

Ravenov: Look at the files. Learn something of their 'work' - There you will find your answers as to why I am choosing to do what I am doing.

Maxis: I will. Soon. Stay safe. You will hear from me again.

 

 "Workers Of The Worlds" (Location: In the room to the right of Quick Revive, just before the stairs.) - Maxis records a personal log, airing her deep concerns about Omega Group's plans.

Spoiler

Maxis: I am troubled in ways I was not yesterday.

Maxis: The information I have received from the Soviet informant has confirmed that Omega's plans are further advanced than even I had feared previously.

Maxis: Omega's 'leader' clearly seeks to control the bridges between this... and the other world. He may well be succeeding.

Maxis: Their internal propaganda claims to offer men the opportunity to become heroic explorers of a brave new frontier... Like the cosmonauts whose first journeys into space shocked the world.

Maxis: Even if they had a 'choice', these men have little idea or understanding of the fate that awaits them. The horror laid out in the other documents makes clear the truth of their 'glorious contributions'.

Maxis: They - like so many before them - are being used. They are miners at the coal face - stricken by blackened lungs - Not cosmonauts reaching for the stars.

Maxis: Their bodies. Their minds. Their very souls. All of it will be ravaged in Omega's relentless pursuit to harness Aetherium.

Maxis: Weaver must know of this...

 

  "Worse Than Baton Rouge" (Location: Inside a locker opened with Kuhlklay's key.) - Peck interrogates Maxis.

Spoiler

Maxis: William Peck.

Peck: Well, You're very perceptive Ms. Maxis. Even with the blindfold.

Maxis: I thought I smelled bullshit as soon as the door opened, but no. It's just the cheap aftershave. It can't disguise the stink of your sweat.

Peck: What can I say?

Peck: This 'environment' is more humid than I would like. It's worse than Baton Rouge at the height of summer.

Maxis: We're not here to discuss your sartorial failings. Let's get this over with.

Peck: Over with? No, my dear. Nothing is ending any time soon. Not for you. Not for me.

Peck: Besides the restraints on your wrists and ankles, you feel the electrodes on your body - yes? Of course you do. You're a smart girl.

Peck: Who is your informant? Who told you of our work here? Who was it who dared betray me?

Maxis: Does it bother you? Not having any friends?

Peck: Friends are overrated. They can't pay the bills.

Maxis: You do realize the Milgram experiment only showed how subservient people could be... When challenged by an authority figure.

Peck: Any more smart comments to make?

Maxis: Yeah... whose bitch are you?

 

 

 

Documents (4)

  "Omega Portal Blueprint" (Location: Dropped from mimics or manglers.) - A schematic of Peck's masterpiece: the portal to the Dark Aether dimension. Annotated by Ravenov..

Spoiler

OMEGA PORTAL CHAMBER

OUTPOST 25

 

[Omega has created a stable gateway to the other dimension. Blueprint is old - it is fully operational now! They are sending people through every day to gather resources.]

 

OPC USAGE RULES:

Dimensional Travel is restricted to Omega Personnel only.

[LIES! They are forcing civilians and POWs to do this!]

After dimensional travel, personnel must undergo mandatory seven-day quarantine.

[Another lie! If you come back alive, you go back next day!]

Dimensional Travel limited to thirty minutes.

[If you are in group, they will send you through for three hours.]

Aetherium crystal collection restricted to 10kg.

[If your group does not come back with minimum 20kg, you are sent back.]

Medical evaluation required if traveler shows any symptoms of infection.

[Medical evaluation only happens in extreme cases. If symptoms are minor no doctor for you.]

 

APPROVED FOR COLLECTION:

- Aetherium Crystals

- Biological Specimens

- Botanical Specimens

- Geological Specimens

- Liquid Samples

 

12/08/83

Dr. William Peck

 

  "Omega Propaganda Poster" (Location: Dropped from mimics or manglers.) - A poster calling for volunteers to brave the new frontier of the Dark Aether dimension and secure the power of Aetherium for Mother Russia.

Spoiler

JOIN YOUR COMRADES

 

BE BRAVE

BE STRONG

BE TRUE

 

ONLY WE CAN SECURE OUR FUTURE

 

BECOME AN AETHERNAUT TODAY!

 

  "Aetherium Effects Report" (Location: Dropped from mimics or manglers.) - Report from Kuhlklay on the side effects suffered by some miners from exposure to Aetherium.

Spoiler

Marked 16 March of the year 1984

 

RE: Physical effects of Aetherium mining

AUTHOR: Dr. Dimitri Kuhlklay

 

SUMMARY:

Almost 2 weeks have passed since civilian volunteers took over Aetherium mining duties from our Spetsnaz operators. Aetherium crystal collection is up 237%, but we have also confirmed prolonged exposure to the Dark Aether incurs a physical and mental toll. Preliminary findings as follows:

 

Each miner who ventures into the Dark Aether is given a medical and psychiatric examination upon return. At present, completion rate is 76%, meaning a quarter of Aetherium miners sent through Dr. Peck's Omega Portal Chamber are lost and presumed dead. Those who return report having been in the Dark Aether much longer than their recorded absence. We began equipping them with chronometers and confirmed that time passes at a different rate in the Dark Aether than in our own dimension. We are now restricting exposure by shortening excursion duration. Dr. Peck is trying to determine the precise nature of this relativistic effect, but so far he has no answers to this mystery.

 

The effects of Aetherium exposure vary greatly from individual to individual. Some miners return completely healthy. Others exhibit physical symptoms, especially for those who encounter Dark Aether creatures or consume food or drink from the other side. And yet we have operators who have made dozens of excursions and still show no sign of infection.

 

One specific effect we are struggling with is memory corruption. Some Aetherium miners on prolonged or repeated excursions return with gaps in long-term memory. A few eventually forgot who they are or what they are doing. I have correlated the severity of this condition with increased Aetherium levels in blood and brain tissue, but the precise physiological mechanism of memory corruption remains elusive.

 

Dr. Peck is currently working on a device to restore memories obscured by Aetherium contamination. Unfortunately, the link between exposure time and physical/mental deterioration leaves little hope of ever recovering those MIA Omega operators who initially carried out Aetherium mining and failed to return.

 

Dr. Dimitri Kuhlklay

Exoscientific Phenomena Research Asst. - Omega Group 

 

  "Aetherium Reactor Blueprints" (Location: Dropped from mimics or manglers.) - A schematic of Outpost 25's Aether Reactor. Annotated by Ravenov.

Spoiler

AETHER REACTOR

EXOSCIENCE RESEARCH OMEGA

 

[Entire base is run on new energy source. Kremlin believes it is energy of the future.]

 

[New Omega Energy Source derived from Aetherium. Makes nuclear power look primitive.]

 

02/10/84

Dr. William Peck

 

 

 

Radio Transmissions (7)

  "Code In" (Location: In the rocky defense area.) - Please answer. I know you are listening.

Spoiler

Maxis: Code in.

Maxis: I am alive. Yes. Still alive.

Maxis: Hear me.

Maxis: I really do hope that you can hear me.

Maxis: Yes it is me.

Maxis: Please answer. I know you are listening.

Maxis: Code out.

Maxis: I'm not worthless.

Maxis: I'm not nothing.

 

  "Relentless" (Location: In the rocky defense area.) - I am here, and I have been waiting...

Spoiler

Maxis: I don't know how long I've been waiting for an answer, but I haven't had one yet.

Maxis: I know you are there. I know.

Maxis: But I am here, and I have been waiting for a long time.

Maxis: How long, I don't know. The days are blurred. The nights are relentless.

Maxis: Is it a week? Is it a month? More?

Maxis: It all seems so long ago.

Maxis: Not too long ago.

Maxis: I hope.

 

  "Monsters Are Real" (Location: In the rocky defense area.) - I hide in shadows.

Spoiler

Maxis: Monsters are real.

Maxis: I used to have nightmares about them and I told myself I was being foolish.

Maxis: I was wrong.

Maxis: I'm not scared. I have overcome much worse things.

Maxis: I will take their power from them by using it.

Maxis: Now. I hide in shadows. Like they did when I was a child.

Maxis: I found shelter. I found food.

Maxis: I do what I need to in order to survive.

Maxis: Tomorrow will be a better day.

Maxis: I will choose to believe that.

 

  "The Perpetual Night" (Location: In the rocky defense area.) - I want to get it out.

Spoiler

Maxis: The perpetual night brings dark thoughts.

Maxis: Inside me.

Maxis: I want to get it out.

Maxis: I don't understand why.

Maxis: I am not spiteful.

Maxis: I am...

Maxis: Just.

Maxis: I am.

Maxis: Only me.

 

  "The Light Within" (Location: In the rocky defense area.) - It's always dark here.

Spoiler

Maxis: I am sorry.

Maxis: It's always dark here.

Maxis: I used to worry that morning would never come.

Maxis: But now, I choose to embrace the darkness...

Maxis: To find the light within myself.

Maxis: I am not a bad person.

Maxis: I am a good soul.

Maxis: I want to believe that.

Maxis: I have to believe that.

Maxis: I wish I could prove it.

Maxis: Maybe I shouldn't?

Maxis: Why do I care what they think of me?

Maxis: I'm just sorry they do not really know me.

 

  "Blood On My Hands" (Location: In the rocky defense area.) - I have a knife. I do not remember where it came from.

Spoiler

Maxis: When I opened my eyes. There was blood on my hands. I stared at it not knowing if it was mine.

Maxis: Then I saw the bodies. Omega soldiers. They looked like victims of a frenzied attack. An attack that continued even after they were dead.

Maxis: I have a knife. I do not remember where it came from.

Maxis: I just want to go home.

 

  "A Bad Dream" (Location: In the rocky defense area.) - I am lost. Please find me.

Spoiler

Maxis: This is a dream. A bad dream. It has to be.

Maxis: That is what I tell myself. Even if it isn't true.

Maxis: What is happening?

Maxis: Why is it happening?

Maxis: I don't know.

Maxis: I don't know anything.

Maxis: I am lost.

Maxis: Please find me.

Maxis: Please.

 

 

 

Dark Aether (16/16)

 

Audio Logs (4)

  "Lost Souls: Fedorov" (Location: Trial computer.) - I was a different man when I enlisted.

Spoiler

Fedorov: Adrik Fedorov, efreitor, Omega Group. My squad just returned from the dark place. Well... not all of us did.

Fedorov: They send us to gather Aetherium crystals. It is like... picking wildflowers in Hell.

Fedorov: And of course we say "yes" because we are Spetsnaz. Refusal is not an option. Not if you want to maintain your career.

Fedorov: It has not gone well. I have lost more friends here than I did in Afghanistan. No career is worth that.

Fedorov: If this is what it takes for me to make sergeant, I can only guess what the Colonel has done to get where he is.

Fedorov: I was a different man when I enlisted. I wanted to travel as far from home as possible. And I feared nothing.

Fedorov: This mission has cured me of both.

 

  "Lost Souls: Koslov" (Location: Trial computer.) - I know something out there is watching me.

Spoiler

Koslov: Ivan Koslov. Prisoner number 136-778. I was transferred her from Perm-35 labor camp last month.

Koslov: Somehow, I have survived five trips into the darkness to gather their fucking crystals. Five.

Koslov: That bastard American doctor even called me "Lucky Ivan." *spits*

Koslov: They forced us through his gateway at gunpoint. Shot the first man who dared to say "nyet." So in go nine of us. Only Lucky Ivan comes back.

Koslov: And now? I am in this hellish place on trip number six and... I cannot find the exit. Did they close it? Did they get tire of waiting for me?

Koslov: These crystals are heavy. I do not know where I am. And I know something out there is watching me.

Koslov: Not so lucky after all...

 

  "Lost Souls: Tobias" (Location: Trial computer.) - Truth be told, I do not hate this work.

Spoiler

Tobias: Tobias Hoffman, sergeant. I was captured on a covert mission in the DDR. My superiors had to deny they ever heard of me.

Tobias: The Stasi interrogated me. I gave them nothing. So they threw me in a Dresden prison for two years.

Tobias: And now a KGB unit I never heard of before has me hunting verdammt monsters in this nightmare world they have discovered.

Tobias: They brought other prisoners -- political dissidents and common criminals -- to gather strange minerals from this place.

Tobias: But I have skills the others do not, so they make me hunt "specimens" for their American scientist.

Tobias: It makes sense: why risk their own soldiers when they have someone as utterly expendable as me?

Tobias: So I kill their specimens and drag them back for study. The American is giddy with these new playthings. He promises to reward me, but I know his words are empty.

Tobias: Strange man. I swear he feels more... kinship for these creatures than he dose for other people.

Tobias: Truth be told, I do not hate this work. Dangerous, yes, but better than rotting in a jail cell.

 

  "Lost Souls: Olga" (Location: Trial computer.) - Am I... falling apart?

Spoiler

Olga: My name is... Olga. It is Olga... Olga...

Olga: Damn it. I cannot remember last name. *coughs*

Olga: I was pulled out of labor camp to mine crystals. I was... healthy then. But... *coughs/growls*... I think crystals... make me sick.

Olga: First came nightmares. I am chair. I am box. I am table. *wheezes* Maybe does not seem scary, but it is.

Olga: Then came fevers... and pain. Now parts of skin look like wood. Look like brick. Is different every morning.

Olga: Bones are crooked. They bend... like rubber. And hair is... sticking together like... tails of rats.

Olga: Am I... falling apart? *wheezes* Or am I turning into... something else?

 

 

 

Documents (10)

"My Friend!" (Location: Trial computer.) - The Stranger reestablishes contact.

Spoiler

My friend! Glad you are back, though surely you would rather be elsewhere. I know that feeling all too well, trapped over here for so long.

 

I want to share more of my journal with you. To help you understand what I have been through. To prepare you for what you now face.

 

I will contact you soon with more.

 

"Day 291" (Location: Trial computer.) - Another entry from the Stranger's journal recounts their completion of a stronghold in the Dark Aether.

Spoiler

Day 291: Completed base of operations. Took forever to gather tools and materials, but at last my little fort is secure.

 

Stockpiled weapons. Placed barricades. Found components for traps in case creatures come too close: electric spikes in doorway, gas pipes that shoot flames, and so on.

 

Worried a human may wander into one of them. Perhaps should make warning signs.

 

First time since I arrived that I feel safe. At last I can sleep soundly.

 

"Day 2,944" (Location: Trial computer.) - The Stranger describes a brief, ghostly visit to a city in Earth's home dimension.

Spoiler

Day 2,944: Made another brief visit back to the world today. Entire minute passed before I was pulled here again.

 

This time I was in a city! New York, I think. Tall glass buildings. Long cars with fins on tails. Neon and chrome everywhere. People rushing through their lives.

 

Still, no one can see or hear me when I am over there. Like a ghost, I pass unnoticed.

 

The world goes on without me.

 

"Day 3,789" (Location: Trial computer.) - The Stranger has tamed a hellhound. They are no longer alone.

Spoiler

Day 3,789: I remember being scared of the burning dogs. They are fast. Hunt in packs. Kill them and they explode like firebombs.

 

Watched them over the years. Learned patterns, behavior. Understand them now. I even found an injured one and nursed him back to health.

 

Now he answers my call. Watches my back. I am no longer alone.

 

I call him Cinder. Not a "good boy," but as close as it gets over here.

 

"Day 4,010" (Location: Trial computer.) - The Stranger's bond with their hound "Cinder" grows deeper.

Spoiler

Day 4,010: Cinder sleeps in a corner I cleared out for him. My fort is always warm.

 

He is my partner. Loyal, protective, if not very smart. Hard to remember life without him.

 

We hunt together. I thought keeping him fed would be a challenge, but Cinder is happy devouring my kills - and I am a good provider.

 

Wish I could pet him.

 

"Day 6,157" (Location: Trial computer.) - The Stranger attempts to repair a beverage machine..

Spoiler

Day 6,157: Found red beverage machine a few days ago. Badly damaged. Inner workings broken and exposed.

 

Took it to my workshop. Tried to fix. I think I understand the design, but some parts beyond repair.

 

Will have to scavenge from other such device. Would lift my spirits greatly to master this mechanism.

 

"Day 6,289" (Location: Trial computer.) - The Stranger finds a new device to repair.

Spoiler

Day 6,289: Found another device today - a kind I have not seen before. Like my drink machine, this one is too damaged to function. And it is definitely not for drinks.

 

Disassembling it in my workshop now. Best guess: it is something like a kiln, or a crucible. Excited by the possibilities!

 

Have applied everything learned from repairing drink machine but still cannot fix. Considering looking for help.

 

"Day 6,412" (Location: Trial computer.) - The Stranger met another lost soul who gathers items for trade.

Spoiler

Day 6,412: Ever since my successes with the drink machine and crucible, I have collected more and more machinery and electronics.

 

Now confident I can complete transmitter project. Have seen enough such devices on my brief excursions "home." I know the components and how they should work together.

 

Acquired some parts from another man stranded here. He gathers items for trade. Told him about machines I repaired and he asked to see them.

 

Perhaps I found a kindred spirit.

 

"Day 6,416" (Location: Trial computer.) - The Stranger has a confrontation with the Trader.

Spoiler

Day 6,416: Disaster. The Trader arrived unannounced last night. He brought friends.

 

They attacked my fort, avoiding traps. I was a fool to put up warning signs. I fought back but still they broke in.

 

Cinder came to my aid, but they were ready. I almost burned alive when my only friend exploded.

 

Now all my machines and components are stolen. Fort can be restored, but I am alone again. What will I do.

 

"Day 6,418" (Location: Trial computer.) - The Stranger faces off with the Trader and his gang.

Spoiler

Day 6,418: Decided to visit Trader. Even after what he did, I had to try to make peace. He is still human, after all.

 

His friends were there. They laughed when I asked for truce. I only wanted to talk, but they were not interested in words.

 

I killed them all. Not proud. Life is rare and precious here. Mine most of all.

 

I know there is still good in humanity, but the longer I am here, the less I remember what it is.

 

 

 

 

Radio Transmissions (1)

"Without Orders" (Location: Trial computer.) - I fear I am losing.

Spoiler

Pyotr: I do not know how long it has been.

Pyotr: How long have I gone without orders? How long... Without purpose?

Pyotr: I fear I am losing.

Pyotr: Not, not just a war, but... losing myself.

Pyotr: There were soldiers. An army. One I recognized, but hoped I would never seen again.

Pyotr: I am afraid that wherever I go...

Pyotr: I may not come back.

 

 

 

Artifacts (1)

"Omega Canister" (Location: Acquired in the main quest after collecting the crystal canisters.) - Considering the radioactive nature of Aetherium -- and the undesirable effects on those exposed to it -- Omega Group developed special canisters to ensure the crystals could be handled safely.

Spoiler

 

Thank you to @KronoriumExcerptB , @mariicore, @Fibroidkey794, @Icee, and @Humphrey for several of the above finds.

 

If you have more, please reach out to me.

[SpookyPandaTV]

Who find the Dark Aether Artifacts? I must IT for the 100% 

[JoshuaBananas]

Omega Artifacts (received through EE steps) - Ravenov ID Badge, Agent Delivery System, Essence Trap.
Wasn't able to get the last artifact cause I didnt have enough time to push forward.

[SpookyPandaTV]

I am looking for the 1 of the dark ether dss artifact

[RadZakpak]

Intel is nearly all found. Still need four Omega documents, Maxis' "Aetherium Reactor Blueprints", and the Dark Aether artifact, which I don't think has been found yet.

 

Any assistance with the remaining intel would be greatly appreciated.

[SpookyPandaTV]

17 minutes ago, RadZakpak said:

Intel is nearly all found. Still need four Omega documents, Maxis' "Aetherium Reactor Blueprints", and the Dark Aether artifact, which I don't think has been found yet.

 

Any assistance with the remaining intel would be greatly appreciated.

We ourselves are only missing the last omega artifact from the cupboard at the doctor's and the artifact from the dark aether if you tell me which files you are missing, I look at my place and guilty for my bad English I only speak German

[RadZakpak]

1 hour ago, SpookyPandaTV said:

We ourselves are only missing the last omega artifact from the cupboard at the doctor's and the artifact from the dark aether if you tell me which files you are missing, I look at my place and guilty for my bad English I only speak German

Do not worry about it, Icee has sent me the remaining intel. The thread is now complete except for the artifact.

[Jibsteezy]

I cannot locate the maxis audio log “not who we are”. Can someone give better description?

[RadZakpak]

2 minutes ago, Jibsteezy said:

I cannot locate the maxis audio log “not who we are”. Can someone give better description?

After opening up PaP, go up the stairs near Ravenov and turn left. Keep walking straight, pass the Scientists quarters and there should be a staircase going down. Instead of going down, look up at the floor above you, and there should be a radio sticking out over the ledge for you to shoot.

[SpookyPandaTV]

This is mit found on my Game the Last Artefakt Form Dark eather

[SpookyPandaTV]

And this Last Artefakt on Omega Not found IT ..... Sry for my Bad Englisch

[Fibroidkey794]

12 minutes ago, SpookyPandaTV said:

And this Last Artefakt on Omega Not found IT ..... Sry for my Bad Englisch

All of the remaining omega artifacts are parts used in the main easter egg

[SpookyPandaTV]

1 minute ago, Fibroidkey794 said:

All of the remaining omega artifacts are parts used in the main easter egg

Hmm WE cant make this Finish WE habe Not many Player to Help IT ....

[Fibroidkey794]

The main easter egg isn't too hard to complete, I've done it solo. If you need help look up a guide on how to complete it.

[SpookyPandaTV]

27 minutes ago, Fibroidkey794 said:

The main easter egg isn't too hard to complete, I've done it solo. If you need help look up a guide on how to complete it.

I am Not so good Player ....

[RadZakpak]

Added the last artifact, the Omega Canister. That wraps up Firebase Z Season 1, thanks for the help everyone.