Saturday, October 25, 2008

Secure the Terminal

Sergeant Michael "Psycho" Sykes was now aboard an elevator pushing him upward from the Pacific Shores mining facility to a train terminal used to push natural resources and other items across the area of the island.

A bit of good news was received by JSOC while in the elevator ride to the surface - Prophet was found and he was alive! That means, that only Jester and Aztec from Raptor Team are confirmed casualties. At the time, Psycho wasn't certain of my (Nomad) status, but he was certain that I was too cautious to let a bunch of mysterious aliens and Koren People's Army (KPA) troops take me down.

JSOC also confirmed that After Action Reviews (AARs) indicated that officers are reporting nausea and psychotropic effects from the encounters on the island. Psychotropic relates to the central nervous system where it can alter brain functions that alter mood, behaviour, perception and sometimes consciousness. Maybe everyone would end up with a nickname of Psycho when this adventure finally comes to a close!

Psycho was ready for a KPA welcome wagon when the elevator reached the surface, but only a pack of rodents scouring the area were in the area.



Psycho navigated the through a string of rooms that eventually lead to the train station. While Colonel Lee and the crate could not be found, several KPA troops appeared to be stationed in the area. JSOC confirmed a second train station existed and the entrance was on the other side of the station.

That meant Psycho had to navigate through the area where the KPA troops were holding their ground. Since the train was to leave on an automated schedule, time was very much of the essence. There was certainly no way that a Nomad-like approach of slow and steady would work in this situation. However, a guns-blazing approach might not work well either - since there appear to be far more than a handful of troops in the area.



So, Psycho opted to use the cloak mode of the Nanosuit and sneak quickly from position to position. The goal was to slide through the area undetected and get to the train before it left the station.

The first two stops to let the Nanosuit recharge went well. The third spot was discovered by three KPA troops. While Psycho was able to knock them all down with three quick shots to the head, the noise from the gunshots alerted the other troops in the area. Now, a good ol' fashioned fire fight began.



Psycho used the armor and cloak mode of his Nanosuit to move around the area, dodging KPA-inspired bullets in order to remain alive. Once they were close enough, he would plant a quick shot or two directly at the enemy and move to another position. When it was said and done, Psycho cleared about 30 KPA troops in the span of a few minutes. It was a trembling experience to say the least - even for Psycho.



The area was now clear and Psycho moved quickly to locate a path toward the other train station. On his way, he encountered one lone KPA troop using a mounted machine gun on the back of a train car. Three rockets ended the KPA soldiers fate and Psycho found another rocket once he continued onward.

Psycho found a set of stairs that led him through another series of rooms. They were all empty, most likely because all of the guards tried to take him down at the last station.



He reached the control tower for the second train station. Just below, the crate could be seen. Time to get to that crate once and for all!

Get On That Train

Psycho saw the train begin to move just after reaching the second terminal. There was no time to walk the stairs now. He had to get closer to the surface in order to validate that this is the train he was instructed to locate. After all, the last thing he needed to do was get on a decoy train - as that would be tough to explain to JSOC.



The train approached on it's automated schedule. Psycho waited for validation.



As the second car passed, he saw exactly what he saw on that cargo sub just before the island froze. It was that container with the alien thing still trapped inside.



JSOC told Psycho to get on that train. There was no other option, as Psycho could not plant and detonate explosives at this point. Even if he did, there was no chance the explosives would destroy the crate or that thing inside. So, he ran as hard as he could.



Once in range, Psycho leaped forward using the power mode of the Nanosuit.

Just ahead a bluish light was about to meet Psycho's landing on the train.



Hopefully, he would still be able to hold on to the train car when the lights hit him.

Hopefully, he would survive!