The Complete Encyclopedia of Games 1/Microforum-Over1000GamesVol1-Win31-CD1of2.iso/new/pro4/safedial.dat

Text File | 1994-05-20 | 98KB | 4,533 lines






.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  routine assignment, vel.

9


.

.  the name"s velasquez.  say vel to my face again and i"ll rip yours off!

.


9

9  sure.  our relay stations detected a convoy of vulture supply

9trucks spreading out across the city.  my guess is that they"re carrying

9arms and missile components to the lowlifes of vulthaven... probably

9supplying more of those spice gangs.  vape the trucks before they

9leave the city.

9


.

.  consider it done.

.


9

9  you"ve got a wingman for this one, vel.  commander"s orders.

9


.

.  commander satair can...

.

9  wingman"s name is kendrick.

9


.

.  i don"t care if it"s satair"s k"r"roc grandmother!  you tell satair

.that i fly alone.  kendrick"s a snot-nosed hotshot who doesn"t value

.his life, let alone his wingman"s!  send him to me, and he won"t

.return in one piece.  is that clear?

.


9

9  satair"s not going to like...

9

.  this is hornet alpha-6... clear me or else!

.


9

9  you"re cleared to leave the hanger, vel.  good luck out there.

9


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  operation successful, vel?

9


.

.  read my report.

.


9

9  your vehicle recorder unit isn"t relaying its data, hon.  you got a

9defective unit?  these vru"s haven"t all been...

9

.  you"re the one with a defective unit!  check it out yourself.

.


9

9  you"re such a sweetheart.

9


.  and you"re such a toad.

.


d




.lt. velasquez

*commander satair


*

*  you have a problem with wingmen, velasquez?

*


.

.  not if they"re someone else"s!

.


*

*  i see.  i"m assigning you to pilot recruit, training, and evaluation,

*effective tomorrow.

*


.

.  to r"ox with that idea!

.


*

*  unless, of course, you prefer a position in dispatch... or perhaps

*the security monitoring station?  maybe the officer"s mess - i hear

*they need a cook!

*


.

.  but i"m the best pilot you"ve got!

.


*

*  no.  you just think you are.  besides, you have a psych evaluation

*scheduled in two weeks.  that chip on your shoulder has been getting

*bigger every time i send you out there!  tomorrow you start evaluating

*pilot performance, or i"ll have you shipped out to the coal mines at

*seraptis minor, in drag!

*


.

.  but...

.

*

*  and i don"t like the officers under my command using foul language on

*t.d. communication channels, not to mention officers who make crude

*remarks about my grandmother!  now get the r"ox out of my office and

*report to recruiting tomorrow!

*


d




.lt. velasquez

Yop. coordinator amiel


.

.  satair"s got me running a nursery.  got anything else?

.


Y

Y  i shouldn"t be doing this, velasquez.

Y


.

.  give me something, anything.  before i beat the r"ox out of you.

.


Y

Y  yeah, well... satair"s got rordan and lazar assigned to street

Yreconnaissance first thing tomorrow.

Y


.

.  is that all?

.


Y

Y  no, there"s a classified assignment in satair"s personal database...

Y


.

.  crack it.

.

Y  whoa!  no can do!  satair"s sealed the file with a private access code.

Y


.

.  want your throat ripped out?

.


Y

Y  you know, i think i remember satair"s decoding matrix after all...

Y


.

.  that"s what i like about you, amiel.  you"re always thinking about

.what"s best for you.

.


d




.lt. velasquez

Yop. coordinator amiel


Y

Y  puzzling... this looks like a strategic operation.  i wonder why satair"s

Yonly assigned one skid...

Y


.

.  satair can suck eggs.  put striker on evaluation and training instead.

.i"m taking this mission whether satair likes it or not.

.


Y

Y  whatever you say, velasquez.  just make sure you terminate that convoy.

Y


.

.  it"s burnt as toast.

.


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  satair wants to see you, and don"t expect a medal!

9


d




.lt. velasquez

*commander satair


*

*  i don"t care if you blew up a thousand terrorist transports!  who in

*r"ox gave you the authority to reassign yourself to the search and

*destroy mission?  you tamper with the mission assignments again, and

*i"ll have you dropped on the vulture"s doorsteps with a lousy singing

*telegram!  i don"t care if striker"s an idiot!  i already know that!

*but at least he follows orders!  if you were some test tube kl"a, and

*not your father"s daughter, i"d have you cleaning out the toilets!

*now get out of my sight!  get out, before i throw you out myself!

*


.

.  yes... sir.

.


d



,vulture colonel wolstencroft

4vulture captain


,

,  we may have a problem.

,


4

4  nothing we can"t handle.

4


,

,  perhaps.

,


,

,  are you familiar with the traffic department officer named

,marta louise velasquez?

,


4

4  should i know her?

4


,

,  according to the traffic department database files, she"s thwarted

,more than one of our... operations.  sound familiar?

,


4  no... but if my instincts are correct, we"ll be the best of enemies

4soon enough...

4


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  glad you"re on this one, vel.  one of our squads was taken by surprise

9in the north quadrant.  the squad leader, sadler, was destroyed along

9with one of his wingmen.  the other wingman, montgomery, is still in

9the city.

9


.

.  montgomery?  she"s as good as scattered debris out there!

.


9

9  according to the most recent relay transmissions, her skid is

9damaged and being pursued by two vultures.  your job is to get her

9back to t.d. headquarters alive.  officer halo will accompany you.

9


.

.  halo?  i don"t need one useless wingman to save another!

.


9

9  then use him to draw vulture fire.  obey satair"s order... just this

9once.  the relay station is keeping a constant tab on montgomery"s

9transponder signal.  she"s all over the place.

9


.

.  i"ll bring her home.

.


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


.

.  montgomery bit it.  there wasn"t much i could do... the silly k"la

.was taking a tour of the city and wouldn"t just head home.

.


9

9  are you sure that you didn"t waste her yourself?

9


.

.  funny.  those r"ox vultures have a new ship - it looks armed

.to the teeth, but the k"r"roc pilot wouldn"t engage me.

.


9

9  might be a surveillance ship?

9


.

.  sure.  and you"re the smartest person on the whole planet.  if i

.want your opinion, numbstick, i"ll beat it out of you.

.


9

9  that"s what i admire about you, vel.  you always say what"s on

9your mind.

9


.

.  and here you are, wishing you had a mind to begin with.

.


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher



.lt. velasquez


9

9  nice job, vel.  montgomery sends her thanks.

9


.

.  my life is complete.  those vulture r"ox"s have a new ship.

.looks armed to the teeth, but the k"r"roc pilot wouldn"t

.engage me.

.


9

9  might be a surveillance ship?

9


.

.  sure.  and you"re the smartest person on the whole r"ox planet.

.if i want your opinion, numbstick, i"ll beat it out of you.

.


9

9  that"s what i admire about you, vel.  you always say what"s on

9your mind.

9


.

.  and here you are, wishing you had a mind to begin with.

.


d



,vulture colonel wolstencroft

B


,

,  i am distressed to learn that computer files detailing our new ship

,design have fallen into enemy hands.  it appears that someone has

,seen fit to circulate privileged information.  now that the traffic

,department is aware of the vulture ship mark ii, i see no choice

,but to include the vehicle in our operations.

,


,

,  under normal circumstances, i would be more than a bit upset.

,however, there are far more pressing matters to attend to.  a

,splinter faction has risen to challenge my authority in vulthaven,

,and i have learned that one of you is responsible for its

,creation.

,


,

,  i don"t know who you are... but if i were you, i"d consider

,a new line of work...

,


d



*commander satair

N


*

*  several of you have encountered a new ship on the streets.  ladies

*and gentlemen, this is a vulture mark ii.  it"s fast, maneuverable,

*and armed with four forward-firing ion cannons.  maximum speed is

*unknown.  its only limitation appears to be its projectile

*payload - no missiles.

*


qlt. striker

q

q  just how many of the suckers do those vultures have?

q


*

*  this is my briefing, striker.  the vultures may have ten ships

*or hundreds.  we don"t know...

*


flt. junior koth



.lt. velasquez

f

f  rumour hassss it that the vulturessss are developing new ssshieldsss

ffor their new shipssss...

f

.

.  stop hissing in my ear, scaleface...

.



*commander satair

N

*

*  the data was leaked to us through the vulture media net yesterday

*during the dune buggy derby telecast on channel nine.  intelligence

*believes that a splinter faction may be responsible.  we"ll keep you

*posted.  until then, keep your eyes open for those mark ii"s!

*


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  this is a night mission, vel.  you better check your infra-red display.

9


.

.  i"m tired.  just give me the mission.

.


9

9  it"s a fly-by-night.  just patrol the streets for vulture scum and

9do the usual thing.  i thought k"lith was topside tonight?

9


.

.  he said he couldn"t stomach another night with you.

.


9

9  thanks.  hope you"re not too scared of the dark, vel.  too bad you"re

9not selarian.

9

.

.  me, selarian?

.


9

9  well, they have the best night vision.  that"s why satair gives koth

9all the after-hours stuff, you know.  oh, by the way, watch out for

9civilian cars out there - the vultures may decide to do some target

9practice with them, but you don"t have to.  in fact, you might even

9want to protect them for once...

9


.

.  just clear me before i punch your lights out and clear myself...

.

9

9  what"s the magic word?

9


.

.  death.

.


9

9  clearance granted.

9


flt. junior koth

f

f  vulturesss don"t fly with headlightsss, velasquezzzz... switch to

finfra-red ssscannersss....

f


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


.

.  mission overwith.  i"m going to bed!

.


9

9  after that performance, i can understand it.

9


d



,colonel wolstencroft

4vulture captain moloch


,

,  moloch, my good friend.  what news?

,


4

4  demeter has made his move, sir.

4


,

,  he"s flown our happy coop?  i expected as much.  he"ll probably take

,his splinter faction to satair"s do-gooders for an escort.  see that his

,transport never leaves the city.

,


4

4  consider it done.

4


d




.lt. velasquez

flt. junior koth


f

f  who"ssss that?

f


.

.  the bastard who murdered my father.

.


f

f  sssorry i ssstartled you.   ssssatair wantsss to ssseee ussss... sssome

fsssort of essscort missssion.

f


.

.  number one.  you didn"t startle me - i could smell you six kilometers

.away.  number two.  i should tear that forked tongue right out of your

.stinking mouth.

.


f

f  at least wait until after the mission!

f


.

.  you slimy selarians are all the same - you all make me nauseous!

.


f

f  some of us don"t like humansss much either, velasquezzzz...

f


d


 laron demeter



.lt. velasquez

 laron demeter


l

l  hello, sweetie pie!

l


.

.  who the hell are you?

.

l

l  why, your dream, sugar doll!  how about getting me a hot cup of

lcoffee?

l


.

.  you like it black?

.


l

l  black as night, gorgeous...

l


d



Alaron demeter

*commander satair


*

*  aron demeter, meet officer velasquez.

*


l

l  how long was i out?

l


*

*  three hours - less than usual for velasquez.

*



.lt. velasquez

.

.  did i put too much cream in your mug?

.


*commander satair

l

l  your officer needs one r"ox of an attitude adjustment, satair.

l

*

*  it"ll have to wait until the mission is over.  officer velasquez is

*your escort to the city perimeter.

*

l

l  what??!?!?!?

l



.lt. velasquez

.

.  i hope your transport is armour-plated, demeter.  you"re going to need

.it!

.


l

l  commander, it"s vital that i reach the perimeter alive.  perhaps you

lshould assign a more... competent officer.

l


*commander satair

*

*  i don"t have a more competent officer.

*



.lt. velasquez

.

.  looks like it"s just you and me, sweetie-pie...

.


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  demeter"s part of a splinter faction called e.g.g.  listen, vel.  we gotta

9get demeter out of vulthaven alive if we expect any help from e.g.g. in

9the future.

9

.

.  i don"t want e.g.g."s help!  ther"re all a bunch of criminal

.k"r"roc"s!  idiots like demeter deserve to get their brains blown out!

.


9

9  fine.  go ahead.  blow him to peices.  i"m sure satair will be

9overjoyed with your initiative.

9


flt. junior koth

f

f  i ssuggesst we ssstick to the misssion, velasssquezzz.  demeter"sss

fjussst a sssmall sssnake.

f

.

.  go bake in the sun, lizard breath.

.


Alaron demeter

l

l  wolstencroft probably knows about this escort.  he"ll probably send

lvulture iis to nail both of us.  probably you should just do your job,

lvelasquez, and i"ll guarantee e.g.g."s assistance in the future.

l

.

.  probably you should just get off my monitor!

.


d



,colonel wolstencroft

4captain moloch


,

,  tell me, moloch, what do you see when you gaze beyond this window?

,a playground?  i"ll tell you what i see.  a city without will to

,resist me... a fragile society held within my hand.

,


4

4  lieutenant marta velasquez has become a nuisance.

4


,

,  indeed.  it"s time i stopped playing with her, my friend.  we are

,about to introduce new technologies that will sweep away the traffic

,department and others who stand in our way.  i don"t need lieutenant

,velasquez meddling in our affairs.

,


4

4  shall i dispatch her?

4


,

,  have the good doctors perfected the new shields on the mark ii?

,

4

4  they assure me that they"re ready for another test.

4


,

,  then by all means...

,


4

4  ...erase lieutenant velasquez!  consider it done...

4


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  looks like another routine run-about, vel.  surveillance copters

9have detected five or more vultures prowling the streets.  ionize

9them.

9


.

.  consider it done.

.

9

9  what"s this?  no jabbing quips!  no hostile remarks!  i"m very

9disappointed, vel.

9


.

.  you want a jabbing quip?  blow it out of your ear, r"ox-breath!

.the name"s velasquez, not vel.  too many syllables for you to handle?

.

9

9  ah, music to my ears!

9


.

.  now clear me... before i get hostile.

.


9

9  do you want a wingman?

9


.

.  do you want to die?

.


9

9  clearance granted, vel.

9


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  hey, vel, how"d it go out there?  looks like you got a bit toasted!

9


.

.  just another surf in the desert.  scratch one vulture ace and one

.mark ii.

.


9

9  that should make satair happy.  today"s his birthday, you know.

9

.

.  i couldn"t care less.

.


9

9  i think he"s expecting at least a cake.

9

.

.  he can eat my ions.

.


d



,colonel wolstencroft

τdr. leopold ramses


,

,  i regret that your new shields have yielded less than perfect results.

,it seems that moloch may have underestimated the skill of the opposition.

,


τ

τ  the new shields were just experimential.  my twin brother has been

τworking on the latest prototype.

τ

Θdr. philip ramses

Θ

Θ  yes.  we can construct an improved version to refit another vulture

Θcraft, at your command.

Θ


,

,  deadlines, gentlemen, we have deadlines.  i don"t blame either of

,you for harkon moloch"s miscalculation, but we cannot afford to waste

,precious time rebuilding the special shields.  we can use the normal

,ones.  let us proceed with your latest development -- is this the

,device that will finally enable us to secure control of the city

,streets?

,


τdr. leopold ramses

τ

τ  a series of mines will be deposited in the streets of vulthaven

τby vulture mine-laying trucks.

τ


Θdr. philip ramses

Θ

Θ  each egg mine is equipped with a recognition sensor, allowing our

Θvehicles to pass over it safely.  any other vehicle that flies over

Θa mine activates it.  that vehicle is destroyed immediately.

Θ


,

,  traffic department skids have no shielding on their underbellies

,so the streets will soon become too treacherous for their vehicles

,to patrol.  thank you, gentlemen.  carry on.  we will proceed with

,operation: minefield immediately.  i will tell commander geryon to

,to mobilize his skids to protect the mine-layers.  he will not fail

,me.  i cannot afford any more pilot mistakes.  dismissed, gentlemen.

,


d



*commander satair


.lt. velasquez


*

*  e.g.g. has given me another useful piece of information.  spies

*working for the splinter faction have provided technical schematics

*for the new vulture egg-mine.  vulture trucks have already begun

*laying these eggs throughout the city.

*

.

.  then why aren"t we out there vaping those trucks?

.


*

*  chill out, velasquez.  several surveillance vehicles have already

*been destroyed, and rordon"s stingray got wasted on patrol last night.

*


.

.  rordon was an idiot.  the only thing he could drive was someone crazy.

.


*

*  hornet"s aren"t fast enough to avoid the mine"s attenuated id sensors

*and neither are stilettos, so you will have to shoot them down.

*


qlt. striker

q

q  what?  you want us to make them blow up in our faces?

q



.lt. velasquez

.

.  no, we want you to stop on one.

.


*

*  that"s enough, velasquez.  striker, shut up and listen.

*


qlt. striker

q

q  yeah, sure.

q


*

*  the mines will not destroy you if you shoot them to pieces.  that"s

*what the e.g.g. spies tell us.

*



.lt. velasquez

.

.  and we believe them of course...

.

*

*  i"m this close to replacing you, velasquez...

*

.

.  with who?  nobody wants this half-wit assignment.

.


*

*  there will be vulture skids protecting the mine-layers.  perhaps

*lazar is better equipped to handle the mission.

*

.

.  lazar can"t handle a mop!

.


qlt. striker

q

q  isn"t there anyone in the world that you like, velasquez?

q



.lt. velasquez

.

.  sure, anyone who hates your guts.

.


*

*  striker, your shift will be right after velasquez returns, but

*only if she doesn"t manage to take out all the mines.

*


.

.  don"t insult me!

.


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  another successful run, vel?  relay station confirms you made an

9omelet out of those egg-layers!

9


.

.  i hate omelets.

.


9

9  you obviously haven"t tried my famous k"r"roc egg omelet.  remind me

9to make you one sometime.

9

.

.  you can"t even make friends!

.


9

9  flatterer.  by the way, commander satair wants a personal report by

90600 hours.

9


.

.  satair wants a private urinal -- doesn"t mean he"s gonna get one.

.


d



,colonel wolstencroft

Θdr. philip ramses


,

,  geryon failed us, gentlemen.  like moloch, he underestimated lieutenant

,velasquez and allowed her to once again despoil our plans.  the splinter

,faction e.g.g. is also becoming more than a minor nuisance.  i need to

,eliminate both in one fell swoop.

,


Θ

Θ  our latest surprise is just about ready to hatch.

Θ


µdr. leopold ramses

τ

µ  we"ve really outdone ourselves this time, bram.

τ


d
d


,colonel wolstencroft

τdr. leopold ramses


,

,  you scientists never cease to impress me.  i"m sure that commander

,satair and lieutenant velasquez are anxious to uncover our latest...

,brainstorm.  let me know when your "surprise" has thawed, gentlemen.

,


d



*commander satair

N


*

*  our delta-5 relay station intercepted a coded transmission between

*vulture command and the vulture-controlled spice mines in the karse

*teleris dune sea.  our resident decoder, operation coordinator amiel, was

*able to decipher the transmission.

*


*

*  at fifty-seven hundred radians tonight, a convoy of ion supply trucks

*is leaving the v.c.i. with a conseignment of moloton bombs, to be used

*for spice mining.  we suspect that the splinter faction e.g.g. may try

*to acquire these bombs by attacking the trucks before they leave the

*city.

*


flt. junior koth

f

f  the ssplinter faction hasss ssskidsss?

f


*

*  e.g.g. scavengers recovered the parts from destroyed vulture i skids,

*which they"ve rebuilt and re-equipped.  they want the moloton bombs

*for future terrorist exploits, and we have no intention of helping

*them.

*


blt. kendrick

b

b  aren"t we on the same side?

b



.lt. velasquez

.

.  get off the spice, kendrick.  that"s what the spice-snorting

.bureaucrats want you to think!  they"re all slimes with gelatin guts!

.their only loyalty is to themselves, and their r"ox spice factories!

.


*

*  the last thing we need is a rebel faction running around the city

*with moloton bombs, blowing away anything that may or may not be a

*vulture base.  letting them acquire ion cannons was risky enough.

*


.

.  gee, and whose idea was that???

.


*

*  don"t question my judgement, velasquez.

*


.

.  it"s questionable enough already.

.


N

*

*  the vulture convoy will arrive from the east soon.  the mines are

*to the north of the city, so it is probable that the trucks will leave

*via the north gate.

*

*  the trucks are disguised as ion miners, so the vulture escort should

*be fairly light.  the biggest threat is e.g.g. itself.  the splinter

*faction probably has the same information that we do.  your mission

*will be to destroy the transports and their escorts before e.g.g. gets

*its hands on the cargo.

*


blt. kendrick

b

b  how do we distiguish e.g.g. ships from vulture ships?

b



.lt. velasquez

.

.  don"t bother trying.  just vape them all!

.


N

*

*  they"ll be difficult to distinguish at night.  you"ll be driving with

*infra-red scanners.

*


flt. junior koth

f

f  unlesss you"re ssselarian, of courssse...

f


N

*

*  you"ll be flying stilettos.  that"ll give you an edge over the slower

*e.g.g. skids.  lt. velasquez will be team leader.

*



.lt. velasquez

.

.  i"m not flying this mission if kendrick"s my wingman!  he can"t fly a

.stiletto in daylight, let alone at night!  besides, he"ll just get in

.my way!

.


*

*  i"m sorry to hear that, velasquez, but that"s your problem.  as

*far as i"m concerned, you"re taking him.

*


.

.  taking him out, you mean!

.


flt. junior koth

f

f  commander sssatair, i think lt. velasquezzz and i are capable of

fdissspatching the ssskidsss without kendrick"sss help.  asss you

fsssaid yoursself, the vulture essscort isssn"t a major threat.

f



.lt. velasquez

.

.  besides, the officer"s toilets haven"t been cleaned in months!

.


d




.lt. velasquez

flt. junior koth


.

.  i owe you one, lizard man.

.


f

f  i appreciate your honesssty, velasquezzzz.

f


.

.  but don"t think for one radian that i actually like you.

.


d




.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  commander satair and lieutenant commander white are waiting for your

9report.  they"re in satair"s office.

9


.

.  who"s lieutenant commander white?

.


9

9  satair"s new flame.

9

.  probably couldn"t light a candle with her!

.


9

9  actually, she"s an operations specialist from vultanova city.

9better watch yourself, vel.  she"s got the personality of a

9sandshark.

9


.

.  just your type, hunh.

.


d
!


*commander satair


.lt. velasquez


*

*  the vultures must be using clone technology.  they must have cloned

*moloch before he died.  no telling how many times, either.

*



_lt. commander white

_

_  most genetic samples break down after two or three replications.

_


.

.  what are you, a geneticist?  i"ll just keep killing that h"rrack

.till there"s no more of him left!  so help me, as long as just

.one of him lives...

.


*commander satair

*

*  we"ve got other concerns, velasquez.  renee and her team have

*analyzed the wreckage of the vulture transports.

*



_lt. commander white

_

_  we detected no trace of moloton particles.  the trucks weren"t

_carrying moloton bombs... or explosives of any kind, for that matter!

_


.

.  then what were they carrying?

.



*commander satair

*

*  nothing.  absolutely nothing.

*


d
"


.lt. velasquez


_lt. commander white


_

_  wolstencroft must have known we"d want to keep the moloton bombs out

_of e.g.g."s hands.  looks like the vulture command wanted to turn

_their splinter faction against us.

_



*commander satair

*

*  and they succeeded.  your confrontation with the e.g.g. skids is

*already having repercussions.  we"ve lost all contact with e.g.g.

*


.

.  good!  now we can start treating them like the scum-suckers they

.really are!

.


*

*  nevertheless, in future missions you will refrain from attacking

*e.g.g. skids unless they attack you first.

*


.

.  don"t count on it.

.


*

*  we need to stabilize the situation with a gesture of good will.

*


.

.  i"ll give them a gesture - not of good will, though!

.


*

*  you will do as you are told!  if you don"t, i"ll remedy the situation

*by sending you to e.g.g. with a formal apology and a side order of

*bacon!

*


.

.  the way i see it, commander, you"re just a short walk from getting

.your head blown off by two dozen moloch clones in suped-up vulture

.skids!  let me state for the record -- if i see anything that even

.remotely looks like a vulture, i"ll blow it to shrapnel, e.g.g. or

.not!

.


*

*  velasquez, you really annoy me.

*


.

.  that"s your job - to get annoyed.  just don"t let your attitude

.get in my way.  sir.

.


d
$



.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  congratulations, vel!  you made some new enemies today!

9


.

.  so what"s the bad news?

.


9

9  some of them are still alive.

9


.

.  go jump in a power converter.

.


d
#



.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  our surveillance copters have detected four vulture radar trucks

9patrolling the streets, vel.  satair thinks the trucks are scanning

9the city for indications of an e.g.g. base.  he wants the trucks and

9their vulture escorts neutralized.

9

.

.  consider it done.

.


9

9  you"re on your own, vel.  none of the other t.d. officers want to fly

9with you.  face it.  you"re a health hazard.

9


.

.  tell that to e.g.g.

.


9

9  several e.g.g. skids have already begun hunting for those four radar

9trucks.  this time, try not to get in their way.

9


.

.  i couldn"t care less about the e.g.g. skids.  if they get in my way,

.i"ll blast them into melted sludge.

.


9

9  just make sure you get all four radar trucks!

9


d
%


,colonel wolstencroft

Θdr. philip ramses


Θ

Θ  we have the e.g.g. wing leader, frank marko, in custody at our lab.

Θhe is becoming more and more cooperative as we show him how much fun

Θthere is to be had with the human body and a few select chemicals...

Θ


,

,  excellent work, doctor.

,


Θ

Θ  he should be ready for questioning now, colonel.

Θ


,

,  not questioning, philip.  just one question... the only one that

,really matters.  a simple thing, to point out the location of e.g.g.

,headquarters on a map, no?

,


d
&


,colonel wolstencroft

\major dispater


,

,  report on your progress, major.

,


\

\  my skids have surrounded the e.g.g. headquarters, and our forces have

\begun penetrating the facility"s innermost defences.

\


,

,  excellent.  and thus ends the brief but nonetheless annoying legacy

,of our notorious splinter faction.  i want no survivors, dispater.

,once you"ve destroyed their base, hunt down any e.g.g. sympathisers

,lurking about the city streets.  every last remant of that ill-

,begotten organization must be eliminated.

,


\

\  i"ll excecute the survivors myself!

\


d
'


*commander satair

N


*

*  at eight-thirty hours this morning, vulture command ordered an attack

*on the splinter faction"s secret headquarters near the dachrah-orzulon

*spice mines.  exactly forty-five radians later, the vulture media net

*broadcasted the signal on all uncoded televid channels showing the

*e.g.g. base being destroyed.

*

*  we know that several e.g.g. sympathyzers are still in the city.  your

*job will be to escort their transports to the city perimeter.

*



.lt. velasquez

.

.  we should let the vultures have them.

.


*

*  do us all a favour, velasquez...

*

.

.  they picked a fight with vulture command and couldn"t defend

.themselves.  we owe them nothing.

.


flt. junior koth

f

f  yesss, thisss would be our bessst chanccce to dissspatch the e.g.g.sss.

f


N

*

*  since our primary job is to keep the streets safe, i frankly don"t

*care whether you protect the transports or not.  but there will be

*vulture skids scouring the streets, and i want them dealt with.

*



.lt. velasquez

.

.  then let"s get out there!

.


*

*  lieutenant velasquez, you and lieutenant junior grade koth will

*patrol in hornets.  ensign lazar and lieutenant dellestro will patrol

*in stilettos.

*


.

.  why do i always get the selarian wingmen?

.


*

*  you"re cold-blooded.  you can relate.

*


d
(



.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  so, vel, how"d things go out there?

9


.

.  get your ugly face off my vid display.

.


d
)


,colonel wolstencroft

\major dispater


,

,  i"m tired of excuses, dispater.  you assured me that all the rotton

,e.g.g.s would be dealt with, yet several continue to stink up my city!

,


\

\  i will locate the renegades, but i need more pilots.  the traffic

\department trashed my best wingmen!

\


,

,  we do not exist in an ideal world, major.  if that were so, i"d

,have little use for militant imbeciles like you.

,


\

\  that little b"l"lac velasquez really pisses me off!

\


,

,  she"s just a woman, dispater.  nevertheless, it"s painfully obvious

,that your pilots are ill-equipped to handle her.  i have, therefore,

,no choice but to find someone more skilled in such matters.

,


\

\  that will not be necessary, sir!

\


,

,  but i believe it is necessary.  don"t let velasquez trouble you

,further, major.  i wouldn"t want you or your wingmen to suffer any

,more.... humiliations!

,


d
*



.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  tired of living targets, vel?

9


.

.  shouldn"t you be doing something useful?

.


9

9  you know i hate to bother you...

9

.

.  too late.  next time, talk to me face to face!

.


9

9  um, no.  i don"t want my face rearranged.

9


.

.  it would be an improvement!

.

9

9  no time for insults, vel.  striker and kendrick were nearly blasted

9to pieces on their patrol two hours ago.  looks like the vultures

9have some hired guns --- freelance mercenaries in stolen stilettos.

9carlyle got vaped by a stiletto patrolling the delta grid.

9


.

.  carlyle was probably nuked on spice.

.


9

9  now she"s just nuked.  satair believes the mercs are flying

9stolen t.d. vehicles to confuse us.

9


.

.  sure.  satair gets confused putting on his boots.

.


9

9  renee white thinks the skids were stolen from a hangar in vultanova.

9she says the vultanovan skidyards have had a problem with security

9ever since their power grid went down.

9


.

.  white only knows what she reads on cereal boxes in the morning.

.


9

9  yeah, well, she eats a lot of smart foods.  listen, the mercs have

9been trashing the streets in their spare time, giving us t.d. officers

9a bad name.  you"ll need a stiletto just to keep up with them.  satair

9wants them vaped before they cause more damage.  word is they want

9you really badly.

9


.

.  me?

.

.  do i have a partner?

.


9

9  you really want one?  i"m surprised!

9


.

.  just to keep the vulture skids busy while i play with the mercenaries.

.


9

9  i"ll get flannery and dickle on deck.  hope you like rookies!

9


.

.  dickle?!?!  i"ve got a partner named dickle?!?!?  i"ll just tell

.vultures that and they"ll fly into each other, they"ll be laughing

.so hard!

.


9

9  your wingmen will fly hornets, so you don"t confuse them with the

9mercenaries" stilettos.

9


.

.  just tell flaky and dickie to stay out of my sights, or i"ll make

.burnt cookies out of those rookies.

.


9

9  i"ll tell them.

9


d
+


,colonel wolstencroft

\major dispater


,

,  our attempt to establish law and order in the streets is once again

,thwarted by lieutenant velasquez and the traffic department.  i"m not

,pleased, major dispater.  not in the slightest.  quite frankly, i was

,expecting more from you.

,


\

\  me?!?  i had nothing to do with it!  i"m not the one who hired idiot

\mercenaries to kill velasquez!  you told me to stay out of it!

\


,

,  and did you?  your attempts to dispatch lieutenant velasquez were even

,less successful.

,

\

\  my wingmen are incompetent.

\


,

,  then you attribute your failure to the inadequacy of your men?  should

,i have them executed?  all of them?

,


\

\  it would be a good start.

\


,

,  i think it would be cheaper to just execute their leader.

,

\

\  no!  that"s crazy!  please wait!

\


,

,  i don"t think so... guards!

,

Wcommander belial

,  commander belial, you are now in charge of the mobile ground forces.

,disperse your pilots throughout the city.  i want the streets under our

,control in sixty-four hours.

,


W

W  hail, vulturnus!

W


,

,  get me peter amiel through the t.d. network.

,


Yop. coordinator amiel

Y

Y  colonel wolstencroft, sir, what can i do for you?

Y


,

,  lieutenant velasquez is a menace.  i want her off the streets...

,right now.

,


Y

Y  that will be difficult.  satair has... well... a soft spot for velasquez.

Y


,

,  i see.  naturally, if the task is too difficult for you, i"ll

,understand completely.  however, the cost of spice is going up, i"m

,afraid... well beyond the meager salary of a traffic department officer

,like yourself.  i don"t reward loyalty, amiel, only results.  i suggest

,you try your best to make me happy if you want more drugs.

,


Y

Y  i"ll leave satair no choice but to give velasquez the hook.

Y


d
,


.lt. velasquez


*commander satair


*

*  i just received your psych evaluation from personnel.  it"s disturbing,

*to say the least.

*

.

.  save it, commander.  i"m on patrol in 15 radians.

.


*

*  you"re not going anywhere, velasquez.  i"m pulling you off the streets.

*


.

.  you can"t do that!

.

*

*  your lack of discipline is appalling.  you"re a mess, velasquez.

*according to your psych evaluation, you"re too unstable to pilot a

*spice transport, let alone an armed skid.

*


.

.  and you"re going to trust a stupid computer psych evaluation?

.


*

*  well i can"t trust you, can i?  you"re deceitful, malicious and

*ill-tempered.  no one in the department trusts you.  none of the

*other officers even like you!  i"ve seen uthidian sunlizards with

*more friends!

*


.

.  sure, and most of them work in this department!

.


*

*  say what you like, velasquez.  from this point forward, until you

*are judged fit enough to resume your duties, your combat missions

*will be limited to those created in the simulation chambers.

*


.

.  anything else?

.


*

*  yes... you"re dismissed, velasquez.

*


d
-



.lt. velasquez

Yop. coordinator amiel


Y

Y  velasquez!  what are you doing here?

Y


.

.  go back to bed, amiel.  you never saw me here.

.


Y

Y  i"m afraid i can"t do that, velasquez.  i need to know what you"re

Yup to!

Y


.

.  satair"s pulled me from all active skid missions.  i"m reassigning

.myself to helicopter surveillance.

.


Y

Y  you can"t access classified operations files!

Y


.

.  yes i can.  you showed me satair"s decoding matrix, remember?  and

.unless you want satair to know about that small breach of security,

.i suggest you don"t mention this to him.

.


Y

Y  you"re digging a big hole for yourself, velasquez.  if the commander

Yfinds out...

Y

.  ... i"ll come right back here and knock you silly.

.


Y

Y  satair is right.  you really are screwed in the head!

Y


.

.  don"t make me prove it to you!

.


d
.



.lt. velasquez

*commander satair


*

*  velasquez!  what do you think you"re doing?

*


.

.  my laundry.  what the r"ox does it look like i"m doing?

.


*

*  you do not have authorization to pilot a recon helicopter.  report

*to my office immediately!

*


.

.  grant me clearance to launch, or i"ll fly through the hangar

.restraints!

.


*

*  velasquez, i have two hornets escorting a medical convoy to the

*kappelar hospital facility outside vulthaven.  the last thing they

*need is an unreliable chopper pilot buzzing over their heads!

*


.

.  this sucker"s loaded for bear, commander.  i"ll take out those

.vultures before they get within range of the convoy!

.


*

*  look velasquez, i"ll clear you to save the hangar, but please be

*careful!  just because you"re invincible hovering above the city doesn"t

*mean that that convoy is - watch where you shoot!

*


.

.  don"t worry, commander.  flying one of these things is easier than on

.the ground - no buildings to worry about!  now open the hangar!

.


d
/



.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  want some advice, vel -- free of charge?

9


.

.  i certainly wouldn"t pay for it...

.


9

9  before you steal another one of our helicopters, take a flying lesson

9first.  you could be arrested for flying under the influence!  that

9medical convoy was important... and now it"s mostly just a few bits

9of scattered metal and medicine!

9


.

.  say that to my face and i"ll put yours through a teranium wall!

.


9

9  don"t get your rotors in an uproar.

9


.

.  i"ve got a missile with your name on it!

.


9

9  i just hope you like long vacations, vel.  looks like you might have

9a lot of free time on your hands, if satair doesn"t lock you up as it

9is!

9


.

.  the only thing satair ever locks up is his jaw.

.


9

9  i hear the seleri dune sea is nice this time of year...

9


.

.  then go take a flying leap in it.  i"m sure one of the janitors can

.cover for you - and probably do a better job!

.


d
0


,colonel woltencroft

Yop. coordinator amiel


Y

Y  there was nothing i could do.  velasquez used satair"s access code

Yto secure a recon helicopter.

Y


,

,  your security measures are disgraceful, amiel.  i suppose i"ll

,have to deal with lieutenant velasquez myself.

,


Y

Y  don"t worry, mr. wolstencroft.  commander satair"s stripped velasquez

Yof her security clearance.  she can"t even use an elevator, let alone a

Yhangar.

Y


,

,  how reassuring.

,


d
1

screwdriver



.lt. velasquez




  would you like another kiaji sunrise, lieutenant?




.

.  if i want one, i"ll ask for it.

.




  of course.  excuse my intrusion.






  difficult day in the streets?




.

.  i"ve been relieved of duty.

.




  ah.  satair"s got you flying simulations.



.

.  what of it?

.




  nothing.  maybe you would like a selarian sandripper?



.

.  back off, boltbrain, or i"ll put another dent in that wireless

.head of yours.

.




  the name"s screwdriver, not boltbr...



.

.  you got crossed wires?  i said back off!

.




  certainly.






  want to know how i got the dent in my head?



.

.  no.

.



  your father gave it to me.




.

.  my father?  how did you know him?

.




  he liked selarian sandrippers.  came here all the time.  never

ordered just one... always had to have three or four at once.




.

.  and the dent?

.




  it was before the vulture incursion.  your father was off duty,

having just finished his patrol.  he drank 6 sandrippers back to

back and picked a fight with another sechian officer.  when i cut

him off and asked him to leave, your father got mad and shot me with

his projectile pistol.  the bullet deflected off my helmplate.




.

.  sounds like something i would do.

.




  ah, so there"s some truth to genetic heredity.




.

.  was he suspended?

.




  two weeks.  sent to the simulation room for two weeks.  your father

hated it.  but then came the vulture incursion... and he was back on

patrol before you could say faulty wiring.  they needed him.  if you

wait around long enough, velasquez, they"ll need you too.




.

.  you"re not half bad, screwdriver.

.




  i"m not a boltbrain, velasquez, and i see that neither are you.




d
2


*commander satair

_lt. commander white


*

*  lost two officers on that last patrol.

*


_

_  relay station reports fewer vultures on the streets.  that"s a good

_sign.

_


*

*  no it"s not.  they"re probably up to something.

*


_

_  i"m sure our contacts in the vulture media net will keep us well

_informed.

_


*

*  i"m thinking of putting velasquez back out there.

*


_

_  it"s only been two weeks!  she"s in no condition to fly a skid,

_you said so yourself.  you can"t buckle under now.

_


*

*  four officers have died since i pulled her off the streets.

*


_

_  more will die if you put her back out there.

_


*

*  i"m running out of time, renee.  i"m running out of time... i"m

*running out of pilots, i"m running out of options!

*


d
3


,colonel wolstencroft

τdr. leopold ramses


,

,  had i not seen it with my own eyes, i would never have believed it!

,your abilites in the field of mind manipulation are truly amazing!

,


Θdr. philip ramses

,

,  you have surpassed my highest expectations with your latest... well...

,accomplishment.  congratulations to you both, gentlemen!

,



.vulture lt. colonel velasquez

,

,  velasquez, you are mine!

,


d
4


,colonel wolstencroft


.vulture lt. colonel velasquez


,

,  do you know who i am?

,


.

.  colonel bram wolstencroft, director of operations in vuthaven.

.


,

,  good.  now tell me: what is your name, current rank, and posting?

,


.

.  marta louise velasquez.  lieutenant colonel, ninth squadron.

.currently stationed in vulthaven, seche.

.


,

,  lieutenant colonel, eh?  you rise through the ranks quickly, my

,dear.

,


Θdr. philip ramses

Θ

Θ  we thought we"d make immediate use of her combat ability.

Θ


,

,  good thinking, doctor.  lieutenant colonel velasquez, kindly tell

,us who your commanding officer is?

,



.vulture lt. colonel velasquez

Θ

.  doctor philip ramses, scientist, vulthaven.

Θ


,

,  really?

,


Θdr. philip ramses

,

,  i see there"s still some work to be done, doctor.

,


Θ

Θ  we"ll make the necessary... adjustment immediately.  this was simply

Θfor debugging purposes.

Θ


,

,  good.  well, i think it"s time we assigned our new lieutenant

,colonel her first mission.

,


d
5



.vulture lt. colonel velasquez

Wcommander belial


W

W  lieutenant colonel velasquez, you and your wingmen will patrol the

Wcity for t.d. skids.  destroy all t.d. vehicles you encounter without

Whesitation.

W


.

.  i don"t need wingmen, commander.

.


W

W  i have no patience for disobedience, lieutenant colonel.  you may

Wrank higher than me, but i speak for wolstencroft.  if you fail to

Wperform your mission, you will be executed.

W


.

.  you couldn"t execute a petrified lava lizard.

.


W

W  you are gravely mistaken.  your skid has been outfitted with an ion

Wdetonator that will go off after a certain amount of time unless you have

Wdestroyed the enemy and gotten back to base, so behave!  understood?

W


.

.  understood.

.


d
6



.vulture lt. colonel velasquez

,colonel wolstencroft


,

,  a convincing display, lieutenant colonel velasquez.  your allegiance

,to vulturnus will earn you more rewards than you can possibly imagine.

,


d
7


,colonel wolstencroft


.vulture lt. colonel velasquez


,

,  i will confirm your flight performance with commander belial.  he does

,not, by the way, take kindly to your insults.

,


.

.  old habit.

.


,

,  from this time forth, i suggest you behave yourself in his presence.

,as for now, please report to the doctors for further treatment.

,


.

.  i"ll do as you ask.

.


,

,  i"m sure you will.

,


d
8


*commander satair

_lt. commander white


*

*  velasquez would never join the vultures... at least not willingly!

*


_

_  you saw her psych evaluation.  you know how reckless and undisciplined

_she is!

_


*

*  reckless and undisciplined -- yes.  treacherous -- no!  nothing in her

*personnel record indicates that!  besides, i know why she behaves the way

*she does and believe me, that alone proves the point!  one of my officers

*has been taken and turned against us.  i want to know how!

*


_

_  that doesn"t matter anymore.  dar, she"s a threat to our department.

_what matters is how we"re going to deal with her.

_


*

*  no, renee.  what matters is how we"re going to get her back.

*


d
F



.lt. velasquez

_lt. commander white


.

.  how did those k"r"rocss get through the security grid undetected?!

.


_

_  an intense security sweep of this facility has yielded few clues to

_explain how the commander was abducted.  the only clue we have is a

_faint atmosphere disturbance inside this office.  a similar pattern

_was found in your quarters after your unexplained disappearance.

_


.

.  what else?!?!?

.

_

_  all we know is that sometime between last night and 0600 radians

_this morning, commander satair was captured and taken to the v.c.i.

_at 09:15 radians, his execution was transmitted across all uncoded

_televid channels from here to vultmandu.

_


.

.  i"ll kill them!  i"ll vape every one of them, starting with that

.fat son-of-a-k"r"roc wolstencroft!!

.


_

_  i"m convinced there"s a traitor within the department.  someone

_with access to t.d. communcations array, hangar, and personnel

_bunkers.  i"ve authorized a security check of all officer"s quarters.

_


.

.  who gave you authority?

.


_

_  i did.  as operations specialist, i have direct control over

_this entire investigation.

_


.

.  fine.  do what you have to.  but wolstencroft won"t get away with

.this!  i"ll blast that vulture slug into the next century!  i"ll...

.

_  right now, i"m more concerned about uncovering a possible security

_breach within the department!  until i find it, you"re removed from

_active duty!

_


.

.  you and half the department couldn"t remove me from active duty!

.


_

_  you don"t frighten me, lieutenant velasquez!

_


.

.  and you can"t intimidate me, acting commander white!

.


_

_  i"ll have you locked up!

_


.

.  and i"ll have you dragged through the streets of vulthaven with your

.feet strapped to the airfoil of a stingray!

.


_

_  ...

_

_  you really want wolstencroft that badly?

_


.

.  i"m going to be his biggest nightmare!

.


_

_  very well...

_

_  lieutenant cartel, report to my office immediately.

_


d
G



.lt. velasquez

0lt. cartel


0

0  i"m tired of running the gauntlet with you, velasquez!  white wants

0you scrubbed, but i"m going to let the vultures take care of that!

0


.

.  just stay out of my sights, cartel, or i"ll take your head off.

.


0

0  fire at me, and i"ll plaster your parts all over the city!

0


.

.  you couldn"t plaster a wall!

.


9dispatcher

9

9  did someone forget to put sugar in your coffee, vel?  maybe you

9two should kiss and make up.

9


.

.  tell officer cactus that she can jam a missile down her throat

.and blow herself back to vultanova!

.


9

9  i"d rather not.  your orders are to destroy the vulture ion convoy

9and any vulture skids you encounter... and be nice to your partner.

9


.

.  go jump on a land mine!

.


9

9  you women are so irritable.  i"m not granting anyone clearance until

9you girls settle your differences!

9



0lt. cartel

0

0  listen, you desert-brained lizard!  this stingray is equipped

0with twelve medium-yield proton missiles.

0


9

9  you babes wouldn"t blow away a nice guy like me, would you?

9




.lt. velasquez

.

.  consider yourself warned.  now clear us, mr. nice guy, before i

.restructure your particular area of the hangar with my hornet"s

.pulse cannons!

.


9

9  ok!  ok!  clearance granted!

9


d
H


,colonel wolstencroft

Yop. coordinator amiel


,

,  operation shutdown is waiting on only you, amiel.  has our little

,bug been introduced into the t.d. computer network yet?

,


Y

Y  commander white is conducting an intense security sweep of the

Yfacility.  i"m at risk of being uncovered just by talking to you,

Ylet alone fooling around with the network!

Y


,

,  you just worry about programming the invasive sequence!  if all

,goes well, i will personally guarantee your safe extradition from

,vulthaven... and enough spice to last your lifetime.

,


Y

Y  thank you, mr. wol --

Çlt. colonel mammon

Ç

Ç  the traffic department has destroyed our ion supply convoy, sir.  my

Çskids were unable to defend it.

Ç


,

,  excellent, commander.  keep up the good work.

,


6vulture general kreel

6

6  do you always praise subordinates for failure?

6


,

,  i"ve run out of creative ways to execute them.  besides, i have bigger

,fish to fry!

,


d
i


,colonel wolstencroft

Yop. coordinator amiel


,

,  operation shutdown is waiting for you, amiel.  has our little bug

,been introduced into the t.d. computer network yet?

,


Y

Y  commander white is conducting an intense security sweep of the whole

Yfacility.  i"m at risk of being uncovered.

Y


,

,  you just worry about programming the invasive sequence!  if all

,goes well, i will personally guarantee your safe extradition from

,vulthaven... and enough spice to last a lifetime.

,


Y

Y  thank you, mr wolst---

6general kreel

,

,  the ion supply convoy made it through the city, sir.  we were able

,to keep it from being completely obliterated.

,


6

6  excellent work.  it"s a good thing, too, because i don"t have a

6creative way to execute you if you screw up!

6


d
9



.

Θdr. philip ramses


Θ

Θ  activate cerebral scanner.

Θ


τdr. leopold ramses

τ

τ  scanner activated.  i"m regestering some minor fluctuations in her

τneural impulses of her thalamus and isocortex.  stabilizing.

τ


Θdr. philip ramses

Θ

Θ  lower the mind probe.

Θ


Θ

Θ  is it ready?

Θ


τdr. leopold ramses

τ

τ  hold on... mind probe ready.

τ


Θdr. philip ramses

Θ

Θ  begin purging existing memory...

Θ


d
:



.

Θdr. philip ramses


Θ

Θ  memory purge begun.  erasure sequence ready.

Θ


τdr. leopold ramses

τ

τ  not yet.  adjust the memory fibers of her thalamus to integrate her

τnew thought matrixes.

τ


Θdr. philip ramses

Θ

Θ  done.  i"m incorporating an altered personality matrix at the same

Θtime.

Θ


τdr. leopold ramses

τ

τ  what we"re doing will change her forever.

τ


Θdr. philip ramses

Θ

Θ  what a wonderful experiment!

Θ


τdr. leopold ramses

τ

τ  we"ll leave no piece of her mind unturned.

τ


Θdr. philip ramses

Θ

Θ  memory probe complete.  activating erasure sequence...

Θ


d
;


Θdr. philip ramses


.lt. velasquez


Θ

Θ  you are beautiful.  so much more than a scientific benchmark.

Θ


.

.  what am i doing here?

.


Θ

Θ  you belong here, with me.  wolstencroft considers you a mere project,

Θbut you are so much more to me.

Θ


.

.  who are you?

.


Θ

Θ  dr. philip ramses... you should know that...

Θ


.

.  i don"t... remember...

.


Θ

Θ  the memory purge may have scrambled the neural impulses of your

Θthalamus.  a shot of terocil should help stabilize abberant brain

Θactivity.

Θ


d
<


,colonel wolstencroft

Wcommander belial


W

W  lieutenant colonel velasquez has escaped!  she stabbed dr. ramses with

Wa syringe of terocil.  she"s used his id card to override security in

Wthe skid hangar!

W


,

,  if she leaves the hangar, destroy her.

,

W

W  she"s deactivated the ion detonator time bomb aboard her skid!

W


,

,  then kill her yourself.

,


W

W  i"ll jam the satellite signal to her ship.  she won"t have a map, so

Wshe"ll be blind out there.  she won"t last two radians!

W


,

,  you"re wasting time talking to me, commander.

,

W

W  i told you she was unreliable!

W


,

,  the last thing i want is a lecture.  i"ll warn you once, belial. if

,velasquez makes it back to satair alive, you won"t live to regret your

,failure.

,


d
=



.lt. velasquez

*commander satair


*

*  is this your idea of defection, velasquez?  i believe i"m entitled to

*an explanation!

*


.

.  the vultures tried to brainwash me, commander.  i managed to escape

.the vci in a vulture ii.

.


*

*  yes, we appreciate the opportunity to study the stolen vulture skid

*more closely.  if fact, renee is studying it very carefully.  but i"m

*more concerned with your state of mind!

*


.

.  am i under arrest?

.


*

*  frankly, i"m not sure what to do with you, velasquez.  perhaps dr.

*weathers should conduct another psych evaluation.  we need to

*determine how the vulture brainwashing affected you.  right now,

*you"re certainly not the velasquez i know.

*


d
l


5dr. weathers


.lt. velasquez


5

5  do you remember anything about your experience, other than what you

5have already told me?

5


.

.  somehow i was able to resist it.  i don"t know how.

.


5

5  when they started boring into your mind, what did you do?

5


.

.  i"m not sure.  i tried to concentrate on the most intense memory

.i could think of... emptied my mind of everything else.

.


5

5  very smart.  in all likelihood,  you shielded your other memories

5by sacrificing one that affected you most deeply.  do you remember

5what the memory was?

5


*commander satair

*

*  probably her father.  that would explain why her personality has

*changed.

*


5

5  ah, yes, your father.  if i recall, he"s the reason you joined the

5traffic department in the first place.

5



.lt. velasquez

.

.  i still remember him, but i don"t remember what happened to him.

.


5

5  this could be a big step forward in her treatment, commander.  the

5vultures unknowingly stripped her of the one thing that made her a

5threat to herself and your department.  her entire behaviour has been

5changed with the loss of one unpleasant memory.  feelings of guilt,

5hatred, rage -- they"re no longer the driving forces of her personality.

5she literally gave the vultures a piece of her mind.

5


*commander satair

*

*  that"s the velasquez i remember.

*



.lt. velasquez

.

.  i want to know what happened to my father.

.

5

5  in due time, my dear.  we don"t want to rush things.

5


d
>


,colonel wolstencroft

τdr. leopold ramses


,

,  how"s your brother, dr. ramses?

,


τ

τ  the treatment is progressing.  the terocil injection damaged several

τof his neural pathways, but i"ve begun the process of cerebral

τreconstruction.  he should recover.

τ


,

,  i sympathize with your anger, doctor. we must however postpone any

,schemes of vengance.  i have received notice that the general kreel

,himself is due to arrive in vulthaven tomorrow.

,


Çlt. colonel mammon

Ç

Ç  he is dissatisfied with our progress?

Ç


,

,  that"s a profound understatement.  he indends to place the city

,under tight military control.  we have until then to prove that the

,streets are already under my dominion.  mammon, you are now in charge

,of our ground forces.  mobilize your skids, lieutenant colonel.

,destroy any t.d. officers you encounter!

,


τdr. leopold ramses

τ

τ  and velasquez?

τ

,

,  undergoing intense psychological analysis even as we speak.  it

,will be some time, perhaps a long time, before satair puts her back

,on the streets.  and speaking of satair, i believe your molecular

,converter is scheduled for another test, doctor...

,


d
?


,commander satair


.lt. velasquez


,

,  as much as i need good pilots, i"m not convinced you"re ready to

,resume your duties, velasquez.  dr. weathers recommends that you

,stay off the streets.

,


.

.  i"m fine!  physically and mentally.

.


,

,  there could be residual effects of the brainwashing.

,


.

.  brainwashed or not, i"m still the best pilot you"ve got.

.


,

,  at least you haven"t lost your modesty.

,


.

.  just give me one chance, commander, just one chance to prove that

.i haven"t lost my edge... that i can be trusted!

.


,

,  velasquez, i don"t think you"ve met lieutenant cartel.  nicola

,recently transferred from vultanova.

,



0lt. cartel

0

0  i"ve been assigned as your replacement.  i must say the vultures

0in this city don"t hold a candle to the ones in vultanova.  they lack

0the tenacity.

0


.

.  glad to see you"re enjoying yourself.

.


0

0  this department needed someone good and reliable.  that"s why i"m

0here.

0



*commander satair

*

*  lt. cartel follows orders to the letter.

*


.

.  just give me a chance!

.


*

*  to do what?  avenge your father"s death?

*


.

.  no, to do my job.

.



0lt. cartel

0

0  wake up to reality, velasquez.  commander, i don"t think she"s ready

0for a combat mission.

0



*commander satair

*

*  somehow you always manage to override my better judgement, velasquez...

*get in your gear and report here in thirty-five radians.

*

.

.  thanks, commander.

.


d
@


*commander satair

N


*

*  we"ve just received word from intelligence that general kreel of

*the vulturnus high command is coming to the city.  that means we have

*to expect an increased vulture military presence.

*


0lt. cartel

0

0  just what kind of military presence are we talking about?

0


*

*  our contacts at channel three have confirmed that troops from the cities

*of vultanova and vultigoth are on their way.  they"re arriving in armoured

*troop transports disguised as heavy ion trucks.  the vultures have decided

*to escort them safely to this city"s vci.

*


0

0  and we"ve been ordered to take them out.

0


*

*  yes.  cartel -- you, striker, and noyce will patrol the streets in

*stingrays.  the trucks are running with very heavy armor, so be careful

*and use missiles.  velasquez, you"ll be piloting a recon helicopter.

*you"re job is to provide cover and take out the escorts.

*



.lt. velasquez

.

.  i could take out the trucks as well...

.

0lt. cartel

0

0  just take out the skids!

0


*

*  yes.  let cartel worry about the transports.  you concentrate on

*the vulture vanguard.

*


qlt. striker

q

q  how many trucks are there out there?

q


*

*  we"re not sure.  but they"ll be coming in two convoys.  one from the

*west, one from the north.

*


0lt. cartel

0

0  commander, the last thing we need is velasquez dropping bombs all over

0the city!

0


qlt. striker

q

q  or on our heads!

q


0lt. cartel

0

0  i recommend you assign kendrick to the recon "copter.

0

*

*  you have a mission, cartel.  get to it!

*


d
m



.lt. velasquez

0lt. cartel


0

0  you may have the commander"s sympathy, velasquez, but not mine!

0you screw this up, and i"ll be scrubbing the hangar floor with your

0face!

0


.

.  i"ll try not to drop a bomb on your hornet, cartel.

.


d
A



.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  your piloting"s improved, vel.

9


.

.  i still don"t like you.

.


9

9  can"t those vultures do anything right?

9


.

.  where"s commander satair?

.

9

9  you"re actually looking for him?  boy, you"re really screwed up!

9


.

.  just tell me where he is.

.


d
B



.lt. velasquez

*commander satair


.

.  come here often, commander?

.


screwdriver



  commander satair is one of my regular patrons, velasquez.  can i

get you something?




.

.  the usual.

.




  one selarian sandripper coming up.




*commander satair

*

*  your father used to drink those.

*


.

.  did screwdriver tell you that?

.


*

*  no, i knew ric well, velasquez.  we were partners during the vulture

*incursion.

*


.

.  you never told me that.  you flew with my father?

.


*

*  i flew with your father... on the mission he died.  his last flight

*was against a fleet of vulture ships and military transports entering

*the area.  this was before the city was renamed vulthaven.  my hornet

*was crippled with ion fire.  your father was flying home from a long

*stretch of garrison duty, and he jumped in to help me out.  in the

*end, he died covering my retreat back to t.d. headquarters.  i"ve

*never forgiven myself for the events of that day.

*


.

.  is that why you put up with me all the time?

.


*

*  part of it.  years before the incursion, your father and i fought

*for the affections of a woman named maria -- your mother.  we both

*adored her, but ric was the one who married her.  to say your father

*and i were friends... that would be a lie.  in fact, we hated each

*other.

*


.

.  must be genetic.

.


screwdriver



  remember the story about the dent in my head?  your father gave

that to me after he and the commander started punching each other"s

lights out in the middle of my lounge.




*commander satair

.

.  you were the other officer?

.


*

*  ric and i had many fights.  we both had serious attitude problems

*back then.  but, when it came down to us against the vultures, your

*father gave his life to save mine.  i won"t forget that.

*


screwdriver



  you see, velasquez?  the commander isn"t a spineless sandworm after

all.




*commander satair

*

*  spineless sandworm?

*


.

.  just a figure of speech.

.


*

*  you did okay out there, velasquez.  like it or not, i"m proud of

*you.

*


.

.  can i be frank, commander?  lieutenant cartel is really beginning to

.piss me off.

.


*

*  she"s got a lot to prove.  in many ways, she reminds me of you.  she"s

*determined, insolent... and committed.

*


.

.  she should be committed - to a psychiatric institute!

.


*

*  you don"t know how many times i have said the same about you!

*


screwdriver



  you sechians talk too much.  drink your selarian sandripper... before

it cools.




d
C


*commander satair

Yop. coordinator amiel


Y

Y  commander satair, i need to speak with you.

Y


*

*  can"t this wait?  i have six more patrols to assign by thirty-three

*radians.

*


Y

Y  this can"t wait.

Y


*

*  fine.  come in.  just make it quick.

*


Y

Y  this shouldn"t take too long, sir.

Y


d
D


*commander satair

τdr. leopold ramses


*

*  what happened?  where am i?

*


τ

τ  you"re at the vci, commander satair of the traffic department.  it

τwas bram"s wish to reintegrate you.  against my better judgement, i

τconceded.

τ


*

*  i don"t know what you"re talking about!

*


τ

τ  you military types never do.  this tiny egg breaks down molecular

τmatter, stores it, and reintegrates it with less than point zero-two

τpercent dispersion.  it will forever ruin the luggage industry, i"m

τsure.

τ


*

*  that"s how you abducted velasquez and i.  who are you?  some sort

*of vulture freak?

*


τ

τ  i am dr. leopold ramses, a scientist.  my friends call me leopold...

τbut you may call me dr. ramses.

τ


*

*  i demand to speak with wolstencroft... immediately!

*


τ

τ  in time.  you must understand, bram"s a busy man.  he"s preparing a

τspecial video broadcast coinciding with the arrival of general kreel.

τi"m sure your fellow t.d. officers will find the program... well...

τengrossing.

τ


d
E


,colonel wolstencroft

Çlt. colonel mammon


Ç

Ç  the general will be here any moment, sir.

Ç


,

,  here he is now.

,


6general kreel

6

6  your obescity disgusts me!

6


,

,  life"s been good.

,


6

6  you repulsive swine!  vulturnus is on the verge of galactic

6conquest, and i"m sent to this desert wasteland to correct your

6inept blunders!

6


,

,  don"t look at me!  if anyone"s to blame, it"s those ridiculous

,military morons you keep sending me.  lieutenant colonel mammon,

,you are dismissed.

,

,  to prove my point, i"m prepared to demonstrate how well i control

,the city without military assistance.  you see, general, an old nemesis

,of mine has requested an audience, and i"m about to give him one...

,his execution on the public networks!

,


d
Q


_acting commander white


.lt. velasquez


_

_  it"s obvious that you two hate each other, so let"s just maintain a

_professional perspective.  if you want to remain on active duty,

_you"ll have to learn to work together as a team.

_


0lt. cartel

0

0  i refuse to be her partner!

0



.lt. velasquez

.

.  i"d rather fly with kendrick!

.


_

_  listen to me!  frankly, i don"t care much for either of you.  and

_i"m not the sympathetic r"ox satair was.  you"re flying together,

_and that"s final!

_


0lt. cartel

0

0  i"d rather fly a vulture manure transport!

0



.lt. velasquez

.

.  with your record, i"m surprised you don"t!

.


_

_  both of you, shut up!

_


0lt. cartel

0

0  can we just continue with the briefing?

0



.lt. velasquez

.

.  yeah, hurry up... nicola needs to change her diapers!

.


_

_  yesterday, one of our patrols picked up a v.c.i. defector, a

_dr. philip ramses.  we"re conducting an interrogation scan at this

_very moment.

_


.

.  he was one of the vulture mind probe specialists i encountered.

.


0lt. cartel

0

0  one of your old boyfriends, velasquez?

0


_

_  he was also one of the vultures" top genetic scientists and cloning

_experts.  he takes full responsibility for the explosion that took

_out v.c.i."s laboratory yesterday.  he"s offered to help us penetrate

_and destroy the vulture headquarters.

_


0

0  what does he want in exchange?

0


_

_  he has agreed to help us, if we destroy his clone.

_


0

0  his clone?!??

0


_

_  according to dr. ramses, leopold was his first "success" in the field

_of genetic-replicant technology.  philip is convinced that this other

_clone -- leopold -- is unstable and out to get him.

_


0

0  maybe philip"s not the sane scientist that he used to be.

0


_

_  dr. ramses admitted that before leaving the v.c.i., he was injected

_with a severe dose of telerocil.  that would account for his sudden

_change in behaviour.

_



.lt. velasquez

.

.  before escaping the vulture hangar, i stabbed him with a chemical

.syringe...

.


0lt. cartel

0

0  your verbal jabs weren"t enough?

0


_

_  fifteen radians ago, one of our recon copters received a transmission

_from leopold.  he"s planted a cobalt bomb somewhere in the city... with

_the capacity to flatten every building and obliterate people within

_one hundred square kilometers.

_


0

0  he"s bluffing.

0


_

_  philip claims he"s not.  the two were secretly working on the

_device for wolstencroft.  leopold wants philip returned to the

_v.c.i. alive within 600 radians.  otherwise, he"ll start the

_countdown.  philip believes the cobalt bomb is wired to a thirty

_second timer detonator.

_



.lt. velasquez

.

.  and you trust him?

.


_

_  we"ve traced leopold"s transmission to a mobile radar truck.

_we"ve been using recon helicopters outfitted with cobalt-lerocite

_detectors to locate the bomb.  we think it"s with leopold... in the

_truck.

_


0lt. cartel

0

0  wonderful.  a psychotic clone.

0


_

_  leopold promises he"ll start the countdown if any attempt is made

_to destroy the bomb.  our copters are too easily detectable, but a

_pair of approaching stilettos won"t be seen until they"re within

_striking range!  once you"re spotted, however, you"ll have only

_thirty seconds to destroy the radar truck before the bomb goes

_off.  watch for vulture skids and illegal spice transports...

_several have been detected fleeing the city.

_


0

0  big surprise.

0


d
R



.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  looks like you saved the city, vel.

9


.

.  as if it"s worth something.

.


9

9  you know, cartel"s black eye really gives her character!

9


.

.  you want one?

.


9

9  not particularly.  you could ask the commander, though... she"s

9with dr. ramses on level six.

9


d
S


6general kreel

,colonel wolstencroft


6

6  thanks to you, that psychotic scientist nearly destroyed us all!

6it"s time i brought order and control to this city... and it"s time

6you paid your price for your incompetence!

6


,

,  no!  not yet!  i assure you, i just need one more --

,


d
T


6general kreel

╚
nothing


6

6  no more failures.

6


d
`


.lt. velasquez

Θdr. philip ramses


Θ

Θ  glad to see you made it back in one piece.  after your malfunction ten

Θdays ago, i thought you might deliberately try to destroy yourself.

Θ


.

.  i kill vultures, doctor.  you, maybe.  me, not likely.

.


Θ

Θ  i"m not a vulture, lieutenant.  i regret that wolstencroft made

Θme use the mind probe on you, but i think i"ve more than paid the

Θprice for allying myself with him.

Θ


.

.  and the point of taking off my arms?

.


Θ

Θ  heightens my sense of security.  i don"t wish to be strangled a

Θsecond time!

Θ


d
a


_acting commander white

.lt. velasquez


_

_  aren"t you supposed to be with dr. ramses?

_


.

.  i want answers.  i want to know who sabotaged my recon helicopter and

.how.

.


_

_  as far as i"m concerned, the explosion was accidental.

_


.

.  tell me the cause!

.


_

_  a moloton particle flux in the weapon systems.  the helicopter

_was probably loaded with a defective moloton missile.

_


.

.  defective?  you mean some idiot tampered with it!

.


_

_  velasquez --

_

.

.  and the ion disturbances it satair"s office... the ones left behind

.from his abduction?

.


_

_  the result of a molecular dispersion beam.  ramses brought a molecular

_converter with him from the vci.  we think amiel used a similar device

_to demolecularize both you and satair.

_


.

.  amiel never left t.d. headquarters!  someone had to deliver the

.converter to vulture command!

.


_

_  security matters are my concern, velasquez, not yours!

_


.

.  i"m making them my concern!

.


_

_  listen, velasquez!  you"re lucky to be alive!

_


.

.  you call this being alive?!?

.


_

_  when dr. ramses said he could reconstruct you, i was doubtful!  but

_i authorized the operation because dr. ramses was convinced he could

_give us our first bio-mechanical t.d. officer... and officer who could

_be programmed to kill vultures!  a loyal t.d. enforcer!  but you have

_become unstable!

_


.

.  i have good reason to be!  you turned me into this!

.

_

_  but look at you!  you"re more capable now than you ever were before!

_with a few modifications, you"ll become one of our best weapons in the

_fight against vulturnus!

_


.

.  i"m not sure i want to be.

.


_

_  this was a mistake.  we should"ve deactivated you after the first

_malfunction.

_

.

.  deactivated me?!?  i"m not a machine, doctor!  no one deactivates

.me!

.


_

_  what i meant to say was --

_

.

.  you"ve said enough already!

.


d
b


_acting commander white

Θdr. philip ramses


_

_  the cyborg is becoming a threat... to herself and this department.

_


Θ

Θ  i can introduce a new personality matrix into her existing circuitry.

Θcould be risky... i tried a similar procedure back at the vci and it

Θfailed.

Θ


_

_  if it doesn"t work, we may be forced to shut her down permanently.

_


Θ

Θ  then perhaps what she really needs is to feel whole again!

Θ


d
c


.lt. velasquez

╚b


.

.  whoever you are, go away!  i"m not in the mood for conversation!

.


b

b  i"m not here to converse, velasquez.  i heard you were looking for

bthe one who trashed your chopper.

b


.

.  who the r"ox are you?

.


b

b  your maker, cyborg.  i blew up your chopper... now i finish the

bjob properly!  die, metalface!

b


d
I


_acting commander white

blt. kendrick


b

b  commander, an unauthorized hornet has been granted security

bclearance to leave the hangar!

b


_

_  override the hornet"s clearance code and instruct the pilot to

_confirm ---

_

b

b  too late.  the skid"s left the hangar!

b


_

_  track the skid"s course and get me anyone who"s already prepared

_for patrol!

_


d
J



.lt. velasquez

_acting commander white


_

_  velasquez!  an unauthorized hornet has departed t.d. headquarters

_and is heading towards the city perimeter.  locate and destroy the

_traitor before the skid escapes!

_

_  whoever this is was probably responsible for satair"s kidnapping, so

_it"s imperative that...

.

.  i"ll nail the bastard.  don"t worry.

.


.

.  whoever you are, you"d better get your hornet back to t.d.

.headquarters before i blow you apart!

.


Yop. coordinator amiel

Y

Y  sorry to disappoint you, velasquez, but i"ve got vultures watching

Ymy back now!  you"ll have to fight through them to get to me!  as

Ythey say on vulturnus - adios, amigo!

Y


.

.  as they say here in vulthaven - prepare to die, you treacherous

.b"rach lizard!

.


d
K


,colonel wolstencroft

6general kreel


6

6  it seems vulture command may have underestimated you.  it appears

6that you have everything under control after all.

6


,

,  the surviving t.d. antagonists will eventually deplete their fuel

,and ammunition.  they"ll be routed from the city streets like

,common vermin.

,


6

6  only a fool would gloat before his enemies are all crushed.

6


,

,  ah, the military!  so predictably pessimistic!  i forcast bright

,days for the loyal people of vulthaven.  a shame, really.  i was

,so enjoying your little visit.

,


6

6  your civilian sarcasm is really beginning to annoy me!

6


d
L



.lt. velasquez

screwdriver




  this one"s on the house, velasquez.  we owe you -- how do you

humans say? -- big time!




.

.  i"m afraid i need more than a drink, screwdriver.  i think i"m

.losing control of my life.  ever since the commander"s death,

.i"ve wanted to obliterate everything that lives and breathes!

.




  praise to the diode god... at least i"m safe!




.

.  i came here for advice, not robot humour.

.




  but velasquez, humour makes the world go round!




.

.  then stop the planet, it"s time i got off.

.




  you may find this hard to believe, but some of us would prefer it

if you stayed around a while.




.

.  i"m surprised you can say that with a straight face!

.




  don"t be.  i can"t smile anyways.




d
M


,colonel wolstencroft

6general kreel


6

6  you assured me the t.d. base would be left burning like a torch.

6that i would see t.d. body parts flying across the cityscape like

6ashes on the wind, that sort of thing.  wonderful imagery,

6wolstencroft, but i"m afraid that it"s still just an image.

6


,

,  obviously, commander mammon is a bigger idiot than i imagined.

,let me assure you, general, the t.d. vermin will be exterminated!

,


6

6  now i see why vulture command is considering a replacement.

6


,

,  a replacement?  i assure you, that will not be necessary.  at

,this very moment, my scientists are perfecting a new technology

,guaranteed to squash any resistance to vulture domination!

,


6

6  your speeches are more bloated than you are!  one more failure,

6and i"ll puncture you like a balloon!

6


d
N


,colonel wolstencroft

6general kreel


,

,  never underestimate the power of the scientific mind, general.

,military might is a poor substitute for ingenius invention, as

,i"m certain the good doctors will demonstrate.

,


6

6  then why are you recieving an urgent communication from them?

6


τdr. leopold ramses

,

,  report, doctor!

,


τ

τ  philip sabotaged the laborat..z. .!  the entire fz.z..x. aflame,

τand the holojection appara..fz.zn..fz.. destroyed!

τ


,

,  and your brother... where"s philip now?

,


τ

τ  he inca...itated three guards!  i have to find him... fzn..z

τ..,. get him back!  he .x....,z.. cerebral reconstruction!

τ


,

,  doctor ramses, this isn"t exactly a good time.

,


τ

τ  the.f fzz.nzz z..!  his treatment isn"t ..z.z.. .z.z... he"s

τbeom.z..f.zz,.. unstable!  it"s .zz.zzzz..s fault!  i"ll kill

τ.z.x...!  i"ll get ....fz.z...z...fzz..xx, velasquez .z.z... or

τ.i"ll kill them all!

τ


6general kreel

6

6  another failure?

6


d
P



.lt. velasquez

0lt. cartel


0

0  i"ve got blast holes the size of larcassan rats in the hull

0of my skid!

0


.

.  then next time, stay out of my ion spread!

.


0

0  your ion spread was all over the stinking city!

0


.

.  so was your flying!  i had that vulture ship in my sights,

.and you crossed my firing line!

.


0

0  if i hadn"t moved in, that vulture would be back at the

0v.c.i. instead of scattered in the streets!

0


.

.  next time you steal my kill, i"ll shove an pulse cannon so

.far down your throat, you"ll be choking on raw energy for a

.week!

.


0

0  i could waste you in a split second, velasquez!  one missile,

0right between the eyes!

0


.

.  just try it, you breastless k"r"roc!

.


0

0  i could punch your lights out!

0


.

.  you have trouble punching in to work!

.


0

0  enough!  we"ll settle this once and for all, woman to woman!

0


.

.  you don"t even qualify for the fight!

.


0

0  you"re an arrogant, ion-brained battle-kl"low.  my loyalty is

0to this department!  your only loyalty is to yourself!

0


.

.  if you knew anything about loyalty, you wouldn"t have been shipped

.out of vultanova!

.


d
U


_acting commander white

N


_

_  dr. ramses has provided us with the secret deactivation codes to

_the vci"s ion and kinetic defense systems.

_


flieutenant koth

f

f  we asssume he"sss telling usss the truth?

f


_

_  the information has been verified using truth serum.  dr. ramses

_has also provided us with a security scrambler to prevent the vci

_from routing power to its defensive array.  the defense screens are

_generated from an orbital satellite, and we now have the means to

_shut that satellite down.

_


qlt. striker

q

q  will the vultures deploy every skid they have?

q


_

_  with luck, the vultures will have very few skids left by the time

_the particle screens are deactivated.  thanks to officer velasquez,

_we have a stolen vulture ii.  when the shields are down, a truck

_containing both this ship and a high-impact bomb will go to the

_v.c.i.  once there, the timer on the bomb will be started, and the

_driver will escape in the vulture ii... back to t.d. headquarters.

_


0lt. cartel

0

0  and who"s flying this doomsday device?

0


_

_  lieutenant velasquez is the only on-deck pilot with experience.

_she will fly the vulture ii.

_


d
V


_acting commander white


.lt. velasquez


_

_  i"m not doing this because i hate your guts.  i just can"t risk

_giving the mission to someone who hasn"t flown the v-ii before.

_we"ve altered its registry codes so that it appears brand-new.

_with a new vulture ship as your cargo, the vulture skids shouldn"t

_attack you.  once you get inside the hangar area, start the timer,

_then jump into the vulture ii to get out of there.  once the

_bomb explodes, though, you"ll have to watch for the other

_vulture skids.  chances are most of them will figure out what we"re up

_to when their hangar vanishes off the map!

_


.

.  so i"m to take out the hanger, switch ships, and get out of there?

.


_

_  yes.  oh, one other thing, your vulture ii will have seriously

_reduced armour... the truck can"t carry it if it"s too heavy.  you"re

_going to be practically naked out there, velasquez, so watch it!

_


.

.  good thing i was feeling suicidal this morning...

.


d
W



.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


9

9  hey, vel.  just called you to wish you and your molotons the

9best of luck.

9


.

.  shut up and clear me for departure.

.


9

9  just trying to wish you well...

9

.

.  i"m all choked up.

.


9

9  have a blast, vel.  good luck out there.

9


d
X


6general kreel

╚
nobody


6

6  those sechians are a tenacious breed, but they have much to learn...

6


τdr. leopold ramses

τ

τ  general!  the v.c.i. hangar has been destroyed!

τ


6

6  a painfully obvious fact.  where"s commander mammon?

6


τ

τ  he was inside the hangar when it exploded, sir.

τ


6

6  how fortunate.  the day has not been a total loss...

6


τ

τ  the v.c.i."s defence screens are down, sir.  an attack is

τimminent.

τ


6

6  send out as many skids as we have left, and ready my shuttle for

6departure!

6


d
Y



.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


.

.  mission completed.  the hangar is destroyed!

.


9

9  congratulations, vel.  sounds like you"re ready to celebrate.

9


.

.  good idea.  get screwdriver to whip up a sandripper...

9

9  not enough time, vel.  we"re launching an attack on the v.c.i.

9right away... most of our pilots have left.  a helicopter is waiting

9for you on the landing pad - we figured you deserved the honour!

9


.

.  ok... tell screwdriver to keep my sandripper hot until i get

.back, then.

.


d
Z


6general kreel

&colonel kovia


&

&  those pitiful sechians have no clue what they"re up against.

&


6

6  i want you to dispatch a lander class destroyer to vulthaven.

6


&

&  why not simply pulverize the entire city from orbit?

&


6

6  discretion, colonel.  the overlord wants a slave world, not

6an empty sandbox.  we"ll make an example of vulthaven, even if

6that means its destruction.

6


&

&  i"ll dispatch the lander immediately, sir.

&


6

6  first we"ll crush their spirits...

6


&

&  but when we"ve squeezed every last resource from this new slave

&planet, what then?

&


6

6  then we"ll crush their bones.

6


d
[


╚.nothing

╚Θnothing


Θ

Θ  how do you feel, velasquez?

Θ


.

.  what happened?

.


Θ

Θ  your helicopter exploded shortly after it took off...

Θ

.  wait a radian... where am i?  i can"t see anything!

.


Θ

Θ  i turned off the lights so that i wouldn"t damage any of your

Θphoto-sensitive components... it took two weeks just to order the

Θspare parts!

Θ


.

.  spare parts for what?

.


Θ

Θ  why, for you, of course!


Θdr. philip ramses

.lt. velasquez

.

.  what do you mean?  what"s happened to me?

.


Θ

Θ  let"s leave the explanations to commander white, shall we?

Θ


d
\


_acting commander white

.lt. velasquez


.

.  i want to know what"s going on here!  what have you done to me?

.


_

_  you were nearly killed in a crash, velasquez.  it"s a miracle

_that you survived at all.

_



Θdr. philip ramses

Θ

Θ  they found pieces of you all over the roof.  we saved what we

Θcould.

Θ


.

.  how long have i been... like this?

.



_acting commander white

_

_  three weeks... you went berserk once --

_


Θdr. philip ramses

Θ  -- so we had to erase your programming and start again.  it was

Θa... minor glitch.

Θ


.

.  my programming?  i"m not a computer!

.


Θ

Θ  no, not entirely.  just your left side.

Θ



_acting commander white

_

_  to be honest, i"m more worried about your right side.  if you"re

_able, report to my office in 45 radians.

_


.

.  you"re both so comforting.

.


d
]


.lt. velasquez

screwdriver




  looks like we share even more common ground.  maybe we can... you

know... interface sometime.




.

.  is that more robot humour, or just a rusty circuit?

.




  i"m in top condition, velasquez!  care for a selarian

sunrise?




.

.  i"ve lost my taste.  dr. ramses has me on a diet of protein syrup.

.he says it"s for internal lubrication.

.




  sounds healthy.  a lot has changed around her since you...

well...



.

.  exploded on the hangar roof?  so i"ve heard.  unfortunately,

.none of the k"r"roc"s around here will say anything!  they"re

.all terrified of me!

.




  that"s nothing new.




.

.  i think someone messed with my helicopter!

.




  you know that for a fact?




.

.  i sure didn"t blow up my chopper on purpose!

.




  who would want to kill you?




.

.  just about everybody on the planet, i guess.

.




  that"s a lot of people.




.

.  i guess i"d start with that k"clow cartel...

.



  nicola cartel?  haven"t they told you?




d
n


_acting commander white

.lt. velasquez


_

_  nicola"s dead, velasquez.  it was an accident.

_


.

.  what sort of accident?

.


_

_  well, to put it bluntly, you twisted her head off.

_


.

.  i did what?!?

.


_

_  when dr. ramses first awakened you, you attacked him.  nicola

_was in the lab at the time.  when she tried to pull you off the

_doctor, you turned on her.  dr. ramses couldn"t deactivate you in

_time.

_


.

.  deactivate me?!?  i"m not a machine!

.


_

_  no-one blames you for what happened.  you had absolutely no way

_to control yourself.

_


.

.  i didn"t kill my partner!!

.


d
^


.lt. velasquez

Θdr. philip ramses


Θ

Θ  sure you did.  made quite a mess, in fact.  naturally, you

Θwouldn"t remember that.  i wiped your memory of the whole

Θexperience.  anyway, commander white said you would handle the

Θnews fairly well.  after all, nicola wasn"t exactly a friend!

Θ


.

.  what else did i do?  what else have you erased?!?

.


Θ

Θ  nothing else of importance, really.

Θ


.

.  who decided what was important?!?  you?!?  leave my mind

.alone!

.


d
_


.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


.

.  i don"t think i can handle this!  i don"t even know if i remember

.how to fly!

.


9

9  just take it easy, vel.  we really need you on this one.  all

9our other pilots have been either fried or injured... and the city

9is at stake again.

9

.

.  my name isn"t vel!  what"s going on?

.


9

9  a vulture lander has been attacking from the north... this is

9one of those great big ships they use for space-station kills!

9make sure to watch for the cannons mounted under the ship - they

9fire shots that can take out small asteroids, so you don"t really

9want to get in their way.

9

9  analysis of this thing"s armour shows that only the head of the

9ship will be vunerable to cannon fire... shoot that until the

9thing starts going up in smoke.

9


9

9  the problem with this bugger is that it"s already withstood all

9that we"ve thrown at it, including all of our best pilots... except

9you, of course.  it has been carefully destroying all of the city"s

9important mines outside the city, and its final destination seems

9to be the city"s power plant to the south... if it gets there and

9blows that up, the whole city is toast!  don"t let that happen,

9comprendez?

9


.

.  understood.  just tell me, carl -- is this just a nightmare?

.


9

9  welcome to reality, hon.  keep your head on straight, and

9you"ll do fine.  give those vultures your famous bird salute!

9


d
£



.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


.

.  well, that scum-sucker"s out of the city... at least i"ll rest

.easy tonight!

.


d
¥



.lt. velasquez

9dispatcher


.

.  that r"ox-for-brains didn"t make it out.  truly a loss.  truly.

.


9

9  you"ll be glad to hear that he managed to eject, then...

9


.

.  what?!

.

9  just kidding, vel... hovercars aren"t even equipped with seats

9that eject.  aron"s probably just a few scattered bits of flesh

9by now.

9


.

.  pull a stunt like that with me again, and that"s all that"ll

.be left of you, too!

.


d