Mission:Black Channel Protocols - Part One: Top Men

Part One: Top Men

Briefing

First things first: this is going to be pretty morbid. I won't speak for you, but I don't much like it.

Each one of the possessed D.U.S.T. Rangers in the FFZ had some kind of persona defense training, right? Right. And we both know that particularly strong individuals that are possessed retain a bit of their personalities even when they're serving as a host body to an Apparition. Soooo...

...it stands to reason that any given possessed D.U.S.T. Ranger retains, at the very least, some idea of where he was at, what he was doing, what his orders he had at the time were, et cetera et cetera, just before he was all bodysnatched. If we collate enough of this data, we could make a good estimation of where to go next. Following me? Good. Now. Here's the tricky bit.

I need to scan the minds of a few D.U.S.T. Rangers at the moment you separate their host body from the Apparition. You're going to have to get your hands bloody, because there's only one surefire cure for possession. You know what I'm asking. Deal with your conscience in whatever way fits you best afterwards, but I'm going to have to scan a few before I can start building us the Big Picture. You up for this, killer?

• I'll only go after the officers. It's doubtful that the grunts will know enough.

Huh, I didn't think of that. Good idea.

Get me into enough of their minds and I can triangulate our next likely step.

And, yeah, I just said 'triangulate' without blinking. So sue me. Won't happen again.

Get moving. We'll hook back up when I've got us a location.

Find possessed D.U.S.T. officers

Unnecessary Solicitation

What's up with you? I need you to separate possessed D.U.S.T. officers from the Apparitions inside them.

Mission Objective(s)

• Find possessed D.U.S.T. officers
  • Defeat 3 Peculiar Leader

Katie Douglas has discovered the location of the D.U.S.T. fallback position. She will meet you there.

Enemies

The Possessed

Investigate Fallback Position

Unnecessary Solicitation

I'm not sure why we left our investigation.

Mission Objective(s)

Map: P_TUNNELS_30_LAYOUT_03_01

Katie is putting up a subliminal psychic safety measure. D.U.S.T. hasn't been alerted to your presence yet.

• Investigate Fallback Position
  • Lead Katie to the Fallback Commander
  • Speak to Officer Orb

The D.U.S.T. cell that had retreated to the fallback position had failed their previous mission: to shut down the Seer Network. It has evidently been overrun by the Awakened and the Apparitions.

Enemies

D.U.S.T.

Notable NPCs

• D.U.S.T. Officer (Lieutenant)
• Corporal Garret (Lieutenant)
• Officer Orb (Ally)
• Katie Douglas (Ally)

Katie Douglas Dialogue

Passing Through First Door:

Katie Douglas: They're…scared because they failed their mission. And they're having a hard time with that notion.

Katie Douglas: Fear isn't an emotion usually found in the D.U.S.T. lexicon.

First Blood:

Katie Douglas: I knew this would be trouble!

75% Health:

Katie Douglas: They tagged me pretty bad!

Moving Through Tunnel:

Katie Douglas: Okay, so it's a mutiny. There's a commanding officer here, but the rest of these goons are refusing his orders.

Katie Douglas: But something's up with the commanding officer—I can't read his mind. That's annoying.

If Lost:

Katie Douglas: Hey, hotfoot, get back here! My 'porter doesn't have a lotta juice.

When Found:

Katie Douglas: I'm psychic, not bulletproof. Quit running off.

D.U.S.T. Dialogue

D.U.S.T. Ranger: I don't even think Vargas is alive anymore.
D.U.S.T. Ranger: That's the point of Black Channel. No one knows anything.

---

D.U.S.T. Ranger: I told that little freak we weren't safe here!

---

D.U.S.T. Ranger: So, what do you think?
D.U.S.T. Ranger: I followed 'him' once, I'm not doing it again.

---

D.U.S.T. Ranger: Think it through. We can't go back there.
D.U.S.T. Ranger: That's why we're not. Those monsters took down ARCLIGHT in a matter of hours.

---

D.U.S.T. Ranger: Why did I have to accept spec ops duty?
D.U.S.T. Ranger: Is this your first Black Channel?

---

D.U.S.T. Ranger: I wish the Corporal would just shut that thing up.
D.U.S.T. Ranger: He's trying to convince it to give us its files. He'll get to it.

D.U.S.T. Officer Dialogue

Before Combat:

D.U.S.T. Officer: Corporal, get that thing to talk already. We've got company.

Combat Start:

D.U.S.T. Officer: Engaging incoming hostiles.

Upon Defeat:

D.U.S.T. Officer: Corporal, I can't hold 'em back!

Katie Douglas Dialogue

Passing Through Second Door:

Katie Douglas: We're getting close. Their tension is off the chart.

Passing Through Third Door:

Katie Douglas: Aha. I think I get it now.

Officer Orb Dialogue

Before Combat:

Officer Orb: This is treason, Corporal. I am your commanding officer!

Corporal Garret: Shut it, Orb.

Combat Start:

Officer Orb: Normally, Corporal, I would reprimand an aggressor for attacking my men. But then you decided you WEREN'T my men. Enjoy your execution.

Katie Douglas: ...they're following a machine.

50% Health:

Officer Orb: Corporal, I'm running a diagnostic on your vitals. I'm afraid it doesn't look good.

Katie Douglas: That explains it.

Upon Corporal Garret Defeat:

Officer Orb: Corporal, you will receive a posthumous court martial.

Officer Orb: You have my word.

Officer Orb: I don't recognize you. State your name, rank, and current cell.

Officer Orb

Briefing

I will not yield to a known accomplice of Seer 1381. She is an enemy of the state, as are you by association.

Katie Douglas Dialogue

Katie Douglas: The thing's insane. And if he calls me Seer 1381' one more time...

• Then why bother speaking to me?

Sir.

• What?

'WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING TO SPEAK TO ME, SIR!' is what you meant to say. You will address me properly.

• That's not going to happen. Start talking.

It's classified.

Katie Douglas Dialogue

Katie Douglas: Of course it is.

• Which part? ARCLIGHT? BETTERMOUSETRAP? What're you doing here?

All of it. Classified.

• Even your failed mission?

As far as I'm concerned, my mission to shut down the Seer Network is still in progress. By definition, that is not a failure.

Katie Douglas Dialogue

Katie Douglas: Wait, what?

• You failed to remember it was classified.

...

You are correct. Therefore I am promoting you to Corporal now, which means you will also get executed if it is ever found out that I hastily gave up classified information. That makes enough circular sense for my thot-box…Corporal.

Katie Douglas Dialogue

Katie Douglas: Get back to the part about the Seer Network!

• If you say so. Now what happened at the Seer Network?

Colonel Vargas, head of D.U.S.T. special operations in First Ward, found out that the Seer Network had been compromised. The Awakened had contaminated it for unknown reasons. Since I am naturally resistant to mind-control, I was promoted to command status of this cell, with orders to shut down the Seer Network with Red-level threat contingency bypass codes. The Awakened and the Apparitions in the facility were too strong. My cell withdrew to this fallback position to await further orders. Because of the Black Channel, no such orders will come. And, of course, my men have decided to ignore me, as you have seen.

Katie Douglas Dialogue

Katie Douglas: Oh no.

• They'll be executed. We're still on mission, Officer Orb.

I have not forgotten that your association with Seer 1381 makes you a war criminal. And I know she would be valuable in this mission. I am granting her a temporary stay of execution. You, Corporal, may be given a pardon, however, if we succeed. And we will succeed.

Katie Douglas Dialogue

Katie Douglas: Whatever...'Orb'.

• Right. We'll meet you at the Seer Network.

'We will see you there, sir.' Remember your station, Corporal.

Katie Douglas Dialogue

Katie Douglas: As far as plans go, I've never seen worse.

• (Leave)

Assymetrical Warfare

You and Katie Douglas investigated the fallback position, finding that its cell was led by a Mk. 2 Battle Orb, a device normally reserved for the IDF. 'Officer Orb' had been recently promoted to officer status by one Colonel Vargas, the head of D.U.S.T. special operations in First Ward, to spearhead an assault on the Seer Network, which had recently fell into the hands of the Awakened and the Apparitions. After the mission failed, and its cell withdrew, Officer Orb's cell mutineed against it. You finally struck an alliance with Officer Orb to combine your forces to complete the mission its soldiers were unable to accomplish.

Debriefing

Well, I didn't see that one coming. I can't often say that, being a psychic and all. It looks like we're going to have to work with a machine who takes orders from a D.U.S.T. head-honcho who take orders from the Asylum...and who's on loan from the IDF. That's just...great. And, yeah, I guess I'm going to have to get over working with said ugh-inducing 'Officer Orb', since he has the Network's bypass codes.

Look, killer, I know I come across as a bit...well, you know, but I can't have my sisters in the Seer Network threatened like this. They're innocent. And they need our help. So we're helping, you get me?

This is gonna be a long road for us, killer. And I really don't want to be seen tagging along with you. Not physically, anyway. But if you need to reach me, just scream my name really loud in your head. Really, really loud. It'll be annoying enough that I'll probably answer.