You find yourself in E1M1

[metchsteekle]

> ask for thunderbolt and inquire of any 'prototypes' 8F

[foq]

>Discard all 20ga shells

>ask for energy weapons

[Shadowswift]

>Discard all 20ga shells

That makes a little more sense...but you have a better idea. You order Phoenix to hand over all his 20ga shells.
"Hoorah, sir...gonna fill me in?" You explain that you're going to hand them over to HQ for them to use or recycle into something better. Waste not, want not. You get on the wire and tell the general to receive them, then you toss them onto the slipgate. They vanish before your eyes. Problem solved.

>ask for energy weapons
> ask for thunderbolt and inquire of any 'prototypes' 8F

"We have a plasma rifle prototype you might be interested in. The lenses are giving R&D a problem...in that they keep melting. Its *supposed* to be a fully automatic weapon capable of spewing out 12 bolts of ten-thousand degree plasma per second. If they can find a durable enough lense to fit the weapon, they'll send it over. Don't worry, you don't need to go searching for one. They'll figure it out eventually, thats what they're paid for. Give it some time. I'm still working on a thunderbolt. Apparently, these goddamn things are a lot harder to come by on Earth than they are in Quake. Go figure. If I have to build one from the ground up, I will, but I'll get you one as soon as I can. To be honest, it might be quicker for you to find one on your side."
You decide to press your luck just a little bit...
"You want a what? A BFG??? Come on, sergeant, what do you think this is, a game??"
You snap your fingers. Darn.
"Oh, by the way, I have these parts that you asked for. I'll send the ones for Flatbed first. Incoming."
A box of various parts and metal plating appear on the slipgate. You take them.

Ray receives Flatbed Parts!

"K, heres the replacement parts for the slipgate. See if Private Stockton can get it working again so you can take the fight back to the enemy."

Phoenix receives Slipgate Parts!

"Speaking of the private, put him on." You shove your arm infront of Phoenix.
"PFC Stockton reporting as ordered, sir!" He says enthusiastically.
"Son, I have two things to tell you. One, dying looks really bad on your perminant record. Keep that in mind and don't let it happen again." You snicker under your breath.
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir." He replies sheepishly.
"Another thing, your work in that dimension merrits a promotion. Effective immediately, you are hereby promoted to Tech Sergeant." His eyes go wide.
"Thank you, sir!"
"Don't think that this puts you any higher than our friend Ray, though. You still answer to him directly. Now then, if there is nothing further, I'll get back to my job. Report any new findings. Dismissed, sergeants. Out." You pat Phoenix on the back and congradulate him.
"Thank you, sir. I'm surprised they didn't promote you. I mean....you're a friggin hero. You saved the world! I figure that's at least worth lieutenant..." You stop patting....hes right. Why the fuck didn't you get a promotion? That stingy bastard. Oh well. No time to dwell on it. You'll get back at them all for it later. Your console beeps and breaks your concentration. Theres a message from the Mainframe. You head back down there to access it. It says that it is finished with the Bloody Note. You pull it up. It has cleaned it up remarkably, but much of it is still illegible. Mainframe was able to decipher the following:

"Greetings, Master Sergeant.
If you're reading this, I guess that means we didn't make it. After you stopped the forces of Quake, HQ sent us in to secure the complex. We held it together for....................but it seems we're facing a new threat. They came in waves and vanished just as quickly as they came. The enforcers were able to hold them off for a while, but they.........................sent the rangers in. We requested you...but we heard that you had not yet returned from the other side. We waited, but you never showed. The attacks kept...............and worse. Eventually, he came here to finish us off and secure the base for himself. He called himself The Reaper. Seemed fitting, he wore a large robe and carried a big fuckin scythe. Check out the security tapes if you want to see him. I saved them into the Mainframe. It is likely that the data will be corrupted, but you can give it a try anyway. We've been here for weeks now, slowly holding our own against the Shadows and the ......................Quake, but now that the Reaper is here, I doubt we'll be here much longer. Also, check out my email. I think HQ sent me the location of some useful data in the Mainframe. I got a lot of email in there, though, but its probably mostly spam. However, I found a few that were from HQ, never bothered to read them. My password is slipgate. Time...............................my friend. Pretty sure all of the Quake minions are dead, now. That just leaves us. They said they were going to send a PFC named Stockton to give us a hand...but we'll likely all be dead by the time he gets here. God willing, the Shadows will move on before he gets here. If you find him, will you offer him your help? Please? If he knows as much as they say he knows about technology and these goddamn slipgates, then there might be a chance to save the world if he has you as a commander. Without me here, this kid is our next best chance. But never give up hope, Master Sergeant. Remember.................... Don't let the Shadows' influence get into your head. It's too late for us, but its not too late for you. With Quake's conquerer leading our campaign, who knows? We just might have a chance against these frightening creatures. Just do your best. We believe in you.
Respectfully yours,
Captain McTaran, commander of the Slipgate Complex"

Memories flicker in your mind. You remember this McTaran...his name sounds so familier to you. You're certain that you were friends at one point. He certainly speaks fondly to you in this note. Oh well...no time to get sentimental. You have work to do.



>

[foq]

>look over that stuff in the mainframe; repair flatbed; set up defenses around the fried slipgate, then repair it

[Shadowswift]

>look over that stuff in the mainframe; repair flatbed; set up defenses around the fried slipgate, then repair it

So much time, so little to do! Wait a minute...strike that, reverse it. You order Phoenix to get to work on Flatbed while you check out the security tapes. Like the captain said, most of the tapes are corrupted, but there is one with a very clear picture of the Reaper. You've seen dismembered corpses, hideous Fiends, terrifying Death Knights and blood-thirsty Shamblers and shrugged their fearsome images off...but this Reaper...such a simple creature, the very sight of him sends cold shivers through your entire body. His dark face is icy as though a look from his cerulean eyes could encase a man in a frozen tomb. The robe he wears conceals his nose and mouth like a ninja. The robe seems like it lacks substance...almost ethereal. You can almost make out a sillouette through it. The scythe he carries is wicked. The blade is jagged and long and seems to emit a cold, frozen aura as cold mist and frost seem to flow from the blade. He is not muscular, nor is he all that large. Sure, he seems a lot taller than an average human male, but for such a powerful entity, his size seems deceptive. The sight of him burns itself into your memory. Try as you might, it seems to haunt you every time you blink. You move on to the next tape and the one after, searching each one for anything that hasn't been corrupted. You find one. It is footage taken shortly after the tape that showed the Reaper. It shows him again, but something is behind him. Its a figure you can't make out, but definitely nothing you've ever seen before. Whatever it is, its huge, much bigger than the Reaper or any of his Shamblers. You feel just by looking at its recorded image that you're staring into the face of something unbelievably powerful. You remember the Reaper's conversation with Yogg-Shargoth, how he spoke of his "master". You wonder if perhaps this is what you're staring at. You certainly hope not...because that only means you'll eventually have to face and destroy it. Taking on the Reaper terrifies you enough. You shoo this tape aside and search the others. None of them are uncorrupted enough to show any decent images.
Phoenix reports to you that Flatbed is fixed and operational. Good news. You order him to join you at the exit slipgate. The two of you head there. You order him to stand guard while you replace the missing parts. You hand Phoenix your Blaster Rifle and order him to site at the slipgate before you put in the last part. He nods at you as he sites your rifle. You replace the part and the slipgate sparks to life. It begins humming. A split-second later, several Grunts pour through the slipgate. They ignore you and Phoenix and run away from the slipgate as quickly as their disfunctional bodies can. Phoenix fires at them. You order him to stop. They're heading for the courtyard. The bases automatic defenses kick on and begin to pick off the Grunts one at a time. It isn't long before they're all dead. You wonder where the hell they came from. It seems that not all of Quake's minions are dead. It also seems that they are in full retreat. You ready your Lightspark Rifle and prepare to head back in. Was there anything else you needed to do before you charge back into the Heart of the Dimension?


>

[foq]

>no

[Shadowswift]

((will update eventually, trying to figure out what I want to happen next))

[foq]

>have Pheonix and Ray play DOOM II until you figure it out... oh, wait... hey, maybe Pheonix can recover deleted files?

[Shadowswift]

>have Pheonix and Ray play DOOM II until you figure it out... oh, wait... hey, maybe Pheonix can recover deleted files?

Phoenix looks into the deleted files cache and finds something called ^�*~�2. He tries to recover the file and the ones associated with its process trees. When he tries to run it, he discovers a game about a team of marines deployed to an alien world to fight something called Stroggs...weird, but fun. You play too, forgetting your task at hand. Hey, the end of the world can wait.


>

[Shadowswift]

>no

Alrighty, well that was a fun game. So...ready to go save the world? Lets get started. You open your console and give yourself a refresher about your current situation.
">status"


-Character-
You have 100 Health
You have 127 Yellow Soul Armor
You are equipped with your Lightspark Rifle
Your communicator is ON
Your Console is ON

-Inventory-
Badly-Bloodied Hand Axe
10 Gauge Pump Shotgun
Nailgun
Lightspark Rifle
Grenade Rifle
(100) Shells (10ga)
(100) Nails
(100) Energy Cells
(97) Shadow Plasma Cells
(20) Grenades
(1) map of E1M1's Security Grid
(1) USB cable
(3) medikit
(3) stimpak

-Companion-
Phoenix has 100 Health
Phoenix has 123 Yellow armor
Phoenix is equipped with the Blaster Rifle
Phoenix's Communicator is ON
Phoenix's Console is ON

-Companion's Inventory-
REALLY Super Shotgun
Enforcer's Blaster Rifle
(100) Shells(10ga)
(100) Energy Cells
(1) Fully-Stocked Toolbox
(1) Complex Networking for Dummies Manual

Everything is in order. You give a nod to Phoenix.
"I got your back, sir." You proceed on to the slipgate.
*VROOT*
You're back in the Heart of the Dimension. The shadows have made quick work of the place. The corpses that were here have been consumed by the encroaching darkness. There is less light than you remember. It is difficult to see, though not nearly as bad as it was at The Installation. The walls are crawling with this encroaching darkness. It looks like its slithering toward the slipgate. You aim your Lightspark at the wall and cap off a few shots. The shots melt the shadows away from the wall leaving brilliant white residue in its place. That's pretty cool...but you don't have enough ammo to wipe the walls clean. You order Phoenix to try his Blaster Rifle, but the laser bolt just blows a hole in the darkness that is quickly filled by more darkness. Damn. Well, lets see. The left passageway is completely gone. The right one no longer spirals, but instead heads straight up to a tiny room with a portal. You shrug your shoulders. Why the hell not. You head up to the portal and hop through. You reappear in Yogg-Shargoth's Pit. It has been completely redone. The broken pathway is gone. All the lava is cooled and hardened into solid ground. It's really dark in here. It is now basically a really tall cylindrical cave with a volcanic stone floor. How boring. You take a single step and feel something. It's cold in here...freezing cold. But thats not the worst part. You feel an evil presence in the room. You search around, but its way too dark. You can't see anyone. You fire a few shots onto the walls. The residue illuminates the room. There he is...straight ahead of you...glaring at you. The Reaper is here. And he's been waiting for you.

[[Continued]]

[Shadowswift]

[[Continued]]

"Welcome, mortal. I've been waiting for you."
I just said that...
"So you're thinking you're going to enter my new domain, kill a bunch of my shadowy minions, solve a few puzzels, then kill me in my conquered home like you did you that bothersom Chthon?"
You nod. The thing chuckles.
"You don't have to say anything. I know a lot more than you realize. I know all about you, for one."
You shrug. Whatever.
"Not interested? I suppose you'd rather just get down to business, then. Very well." He raises his scythe. "Your soul is mine!" The Reaper dashes at you at insane speed. You are barely able to get a blink off before he is right infront of you. You pull out your axe and meet his scythe blade to blade. He's strong...unbelievably strong. He sweeps you aside with his weapon, sending you sailing across the cave. Ouch!

You lose 19 health from the impact

Phoenix begins firing. The Reaper uses his ungodly speed and reflexes to dodge each and every shot. He ignores Phoenix and continues to dash after you. You line up the site on your Lightspark and unload on him. His speed is blinding. You are barely able to follow him with your eyes, let along with your weapon. Each shot is a miss, but as each shot hits the wall, the cave gets brighter and brighter. The Reaper takes a swipe at you, destroying your armor and ravaging your flesh. HOLY FUCK OUCH!!!

You lose 80 health and 127 Yellow Soul Armor
You now have 1 health and 0 armor
You are now critically crippled!

"You are quite the hanger-on, little human. Most normal men would have been killed by that swipe. No matter. It's something I can easily fix." A bolt from behind blows through the Reaper's midsection. Another bolt knocks his scythe from his icy grip. The blade whirls through the air and lands with a *ching* on the stone floor.
"Sir, run!" Phoenix yells to you. You shrug his words away...you can't even get up, let alone run. Phoenix continues his assault. The Reaper doesn't seem weakened at all by the small hole in his midsection. He continues to dodge Phoenix's shots as he dashes over to him. He gives the young man one quick jab sending him reeling across the floor.

Phoenix loses 29 health and 73 armor

You scramble to find a solution to the horrifying situation you and your companion now find yourself in. Lets see...you dropped your Lightspark some 10 feet away. You can't move and you are sitting on a razor's edge between life and death. To make matters worse, your companion has failed to finish off the enemy and is now staring death in the face...literally. What to do...
"You are lucky, little one. It is a rare occasion when a mortal gets to experience my wrath twice. But believe me...no amount of quarters will bring you back this time." The Reaper slashes at Phoenix with his bony claws.

Phoenix loses 70 health and 50 armor
Phoenix now has 1 health and 0 armor
Phoenix is now critically crippled!

"You humans are much tougher than the rabble I've dealt with thus far. Your will to live is quite impressive. Sorry to say, though, it will not be enough." The Reaper flings a hand toward his weapon and pulls it into a fist. The weapon flys toward him and lands briskly in his clenched fist. "You know, I could say some cool line right now, like 'ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee' or something like that...but you've already heard one. Everyone gets one.""But...that would be two...." Phoenix breathes. The Reaper covers his face with his palm.
"Damn. Oh well." He raises his scythe and readies for the final strike. Before he can take it, an explosion blasts him off of his feet. You follow it up with another explosion and another. You cap off round after round from your grenade rifle. You fire all 20 of your grenades at the monster. You toss your rifle aside and struggle to move. You pop your 3 medikits to help you recover from your vicious wound.

You now have 76 health
You are no longer crippled

You scramble over to Phoenix and inject your 3 stimpaks into his chest.

Phoenix now has 46 health
Phoenix is now Partially Crippled

You help him to his feet. He leans on you for support. You grab your Lightspark Rifle and throw Phoenix's Blaster Rifle to him. You await the smoke to clear from the explosions. As it dissipates, the Reaper is no where to be found. Instead, you see a pile of discarded Shadow matter and a slash in the fabric of reality...a portal! The Reaper retreated! Somehow by the good graces of God himself, you survived! You cautiously inspect the pile of Shadow matter. Its the Reaper's Shroud!!

You find The Reaper's Shroud!
You now have 150 Soul Armor

Looks good on you. Definitely makes you feel like a ninja. Well, you (somehow) won your first major boss battle. The Reaper is probably still alive(?) but is likely badly damaged. And you're still alive! You fought Death itself and won! Holy crap! What are you gonna do now?


>

[Shadowswift]

((bump))

[metchsteekle]

>find health somehow

[Shadowswift]

>find health somehow

...ok. Maybe there are some stimpaks over in that cor...ner. Oh yeah, no corners. This room is just a big cylindrical cave. Wait, I know! You'll just pull some out of your ass! What a great idea!

Try being a little more specific with your impulses?


>

[foq]

>You can contact HQ using your arm console, right? Maybe you should do that.