Katie Douglas

Overview

Katie Douglas
Zone	First Ward
Coordinates	(355, 18, -1572)
Level Range	20-29
Introduced By	Noble Savage
Introduces	Blind Makwa

Katie Douglas is a Praetorian contact in the Sunken City neighborhood of First Ward at coordinates (355, 18, -1572) . Her level range is 20-29.

Introductions

Contact Introduced By

• Noble Savage

Contact Introduces

• Blind Makwa

Prior to Introduction

Missing Prior to Introduction Dialogue

Initial Contact

Character, guess what? A package arrived in the mail today. It's all the intel you gathered on the Awakened and the Apparitions from D.U.S.T. Oh, and by 'mail', I meant I recently read your mind and downloaded the bits I needed. Cool? Cool.

So what we know is that the Asylum sent a D.U.S.T. cell to retrieve some of 'her special children' from the Sunken City. We don't know how these 'special childen' AKA 'the Awakened' got there in the first place. But they were recovered and brought to ARCLIGHT, and that's when things lost the plot. The Awakened went crazy, some of them mind-controlling the D.U.S.T. Rangers inside, and others fleeing to other parts of the Free-Fire Zone - and almost always accompanied by the Apparitions. And then there's some hogwash about medical records at BETTERMOUSETRAP that got you nowhere. Sound about right? Whatever, it's close enough and I'm tired of talking. Moving on.

Greeting

• Spit it out already.

• *sigh*
  What's up?

Too Busy

Missing Too Busy Dialogue

Too Low Level

Missing Too Low Level Dialogue

No More Missions

Missing No More Missions Dialogue

Story Arc

Black Channel Protocols

Merit Rewards: This activity awards 2 Reward Merits.

‘’’Souvenir:’’’ Black Channel Protocols

BLACK CHANNEL DECRYPTION [CORRUPTED FILES, INCOMPLETE]

Colonel Vargas, CO D-SEC HQ, to all uncompromised COs of Special Operations in First Ward

Of course you're compromised. Transmissions are down everywhere. The Seer Network itself is full of those ghosts, spreading them across the Free-Fire Zone like crows. I have little hope that the IDF Battle Orb I sent to shut down the Network will succeed, even with a full cell behind him. Most likely, that task will fall on others. If there are any others out there.

Something is wrong with my mind. It itches three inches behind my head. That would be them, so time is short: this is what I suspect happened, for those of you who may be able to read this. Praetor Tilman's Awakened didn't escape the Asylum. They were somehow stolen. Who could pull off such an exfiltration right out from under Mother's nose? I certainly have no id-- CROWS no no no it's waking up ins--

WHEN THE EVIL DEEDS OF MORTALS OUTWEIGH THEIR GOOD WORKS, THE HEAVENS WILL OPEN AND A RIGHTEOUS FURY SHALL WIPE CLEAN THE EARTH OF THOSE THAT WOULD STAIN IT

[transmission ends after the sound of a sidearm firing]

Top Men

Briefing

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

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

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

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

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

Mission Acceptance

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

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

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

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

Unnecessary Solicitation

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

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

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

Enemies

The Possessed

Katie Douglas

I just triangu—er, I know where their fallback position is. Telesending you its location now. I’ll meet you there.

Investigate Fallback Position

Unnecessary Solicitation

I’m not sure why we left our investigation.

Mission Objective(s)

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

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

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

Enemies

D.U.S.T.

Notable NPCs

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

Katie Douglas

Before Arrival:
I’ll be there in a few seconds. Hold up.
Okay, I’m ‘porting in.
Upon Arrival:
They’re…scared because they failed their mission. And they’re having a hard time with that notion.
Fear isn’t an emotion usually found in the D.U.S.T. lexicon.

Okay, so it’s a mutiny. There’s a commanding officer here, but the rest of these goons are refusing his orders.
But something’s up with the commanding officer—I can’t read his mind. That’s annoying.

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

Aha. I think I get it now.

Random NPC Chatter

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

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

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

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

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

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

D.U.S.T. Officer

Before Combat:

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

Combat Start:

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

Upon Defeat:

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

Officer Orb Dialogue

Before Corporal Garret Combat:

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

Corporal Garret: Shut it, Orb.

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

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

Katie Douglas: That explains it.

During Corporal Garret Combat:

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

Upon Corporal Garret Defeat:

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

Officer Orb: You have my word.

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

Dialogue Box

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

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

Then why bother speaking to me?

Officer Orb: ’’’Sir.’’’

What?

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

That’s not going to happen. Start talking.

Officer Orb: It’s classified.

Katie Douglas: Of course it is.

Which part? ARCLIGHT? BETTERMOUSETRAP? What’re you doing here?

Officer Orb: All of it. Classified.

Even your failed mission?

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

Katie Douglas: Wait, what?

You failed to remember it was classified.

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

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

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

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

Katie Douglas: Oh no.

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

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

Katie Douglas: Whatever…’Orb’.

Right. We’ll meet you at the Seer Network.

Officer Orb: 'We will see you there, sir.’ Remember your station, Corporal.

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

Debriefing

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

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

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

Shut It All Down

Briefing

The Awakened have taken control of the Seer Network in First Ward. That's how they were able to take down those D.U.S.T. facilities so easily—every Seer connected to the Network started working for them. I'm not sure how the Awakened did it, but we have to shut the local Seer Network down.

I'm not going to get all shot up again like last time, so I'll teleport in when you and 'Officer Orb' clear a safe passage to the Seer Network controls. Then we'll see if his bypass codes will let us access them.

Sounds like a plan, but he mentioned that the facility was full of Apparitions, too.

Mission Acceptance

Yeah, I’m still trying to make that connection. Maybe the Apparitions are the ghosts of dead psychics…? But we can table all the speculation until after we shut the Seer Network down.

Unnecessary Solicitation

Why did we leave?

Mission Objective(s)

Officer Orb is waiting for you with the Seer Network access key.

• Get Katie to the Seer Network
  • Rendezvous with Officer Orb
    Lead Officer Orb to the Seer Network Controls
    Destroy Apparitions
    Speak to Katie

Accompanied by Katie Douglas and Officer Orb, you shut down the Seer Network. The Awakened were using it to turn D.U.S.T.'s own Seers against them across the whole Ward. It turned out that the entire Network was infected with Apparitions. How they got inside it, and why, is still unknown, but it's obvious that Colonel Vargas (the head of D.U.S.T. special operations in First Ward) is the likeliest person to know how all of this started.

Enemies

The Awakened

Apparitions

Notable NPCs

• Officer Orb (Ally)
• Katie Douglas (Ally)
• Enraged Spectre (Lieutenant)

Officer Orb Dialogue 1

Upon Entry:

Officer Orb: Over here, Corporal!

Upon Rendezvous

Officer Orb: Tale up flanking positions and move out!

First Enemy Contact

Officer Orb: Corporal, I order you to execute all enemies designated as ‘Awakened’. Make me proud!

Katie Douglas Dialogue 1

The Awakened are here. My brain is already starting to feel itchy.

Officer Orb Dialogue 2

Upon defeating all Apparitions

Officer Orb: Inform Seer 1381 the LZ is clear and for her to doubletime her arrival.

Officer Orb: A textbook infiltration! Commendations for everyone, except Seer 1381!

Katie Douglas Dialogue 2

Katie Douglas: Okay, it’s just up ahead.
Katie Douglas: And it’s being protected by Apparitions. Great. Take them out first and then I’ll teleport in.
Officer Orb: She’s telesending again, isn’t she? You don’t give the orders here, Seer 1381, I do. Corporal, remove any enemies from the LZ! No mistakes!

Katie Douglas Dialogue 3

Dialogue Box

Katie Douglas: Something is blocking my access to the Network!

The bypass codes were supposed to fix that.

Katie Douglas: Yeah, well ‘’no’’. Officer Orb’s bypass codes are junk. The Awakened must have put up new security countermeasures after his team retreated.
I’ll think of something else.

(Let Katie Think.)

Katie Douglas: Well, that sucks. Gimme a few seconds to think.

Katie Douglas: Hmm.

Katie Douglas: Think faster, Seer 1381, we've got a war to win!

Katie Douglas: Oh, just shut up, Orb.

Katie Douglas: I've got it!

Katie Douglas: Okay, I 'ported into one of the Network nodes....

Katie Douglas: From inside here, I shouldn't need any bypass codes. I can just take a good look around. Watch my back, guys.

Officer Orb: This is quite unorthodox, Seer 1381. I will relay as much in your pre-execution circus trial.

Katie Douglas: Uh oh....

Katie Douglas: There's something INSIDE the Seer Network! I mean, besides ME!

Katie Douglas: The whole Network is full of Apparitions! I can't stop them!

Katie Douglas: They're... swimming into my head!

Katie Douglas: Listen carefully: I'm going to shut this thing down and get out of here, but I'm going to bring a few of them with me.

Katie Douglas: Don't be surprised if I don't recognize you. And seriously? One, don't take it personally. Two, try not to kill me, like, TOO much.

Upon Katie Exiting Network

Officer Orb: I knew it! Corporal, I hereby ORDER you to execute Seer 1381!

Katie Douglas: SHE BELONGS TO US NOW!

Katie Douglas: THEY ALL BELONG TO US NOW!

Katie Douglas: THE NETWORK WAS OURS!

Katie Douglas: You drove it away! Take care of the rest!

Katie Douglas: I'm getting outta here.

Officer Orb: Mission accomplished!

Random NPC Chatter

Before Combat:

Psychotic: Hard… to sleep.

’Burnout: Sing…you a song, then.

Begin Combat

Psychotic: Alarm clock!

Before Combat:

Burnout: Too…many…minds.

Begin Combat:’’

Burnout: It’s come back for more.

Before Combat:

Subjugator: A network…unto myself.

Begin Combat:

Subjugator:Vargas’ pet…hiding its secret…hiding ours.

Debriefing

Okay, so we should talk about how things went twenty kinds of crazy then you drew all those Apparitions to my house and all my friends got killed…but I totally don’t feel like it.

But now I know what being possessed can do to someone, and it’s…not cool.

Look. I’ll stop calling you ‘killer’ from here on out. Fair? Fair. And that’s about as good as its ever going to get between us, Character.

D.U.S.T. to D.U.S.T.

Briefing

Everything we've learned about the Apparitions, the Awakened, and the Black Channel Protocols leads to one man: Colonel Vargas, head of D.U.S.T.'s special operations. If anyone knows how all of this started, it would be him. You need to break into D.U.S.T.'s spec-ops station, D-SEC, and find out what Colonel Vargas knows. The Asylum and Mother Mayhem decided that his knowledge of the threat was enough to shut down all communications between him, his men, and the whole of the outside world. And that means First Ward has a crisis on its hands.

Considering my experience at the Seer Network, I wouldn't call this next bit exactly lucky...but I had enough Apparitions swimming around in my head that I've narrowed down a location for D-SEC.

Good. Learn anything else?

Mission Acceptance Yeah, and it throws another weird spanner into the works. I felt a...magical element to the Apparitions in the Network. Which pretty much pokes all kinds of holes into my theory of them being the ghosts of dead psychics.

Yeah, so...

...so, listen, Character, I'm still pretty shaken up by what happened back there, so I'll just tag along in your head for this outing. This one is too important to risk me wigging out on you again.

Unnecessary Solicitation

We still need to know what Colonel Vargas knows, Character. Get back to D-SEC.

Mission Objective(s)

The reports about D-SEC were true. Via Katie's psychic senses, you can feel the Apparitions running rampant throughout the facility.

• Investigate D-SEC
  • Find Colonel Vargas

Find Colonel Vargas’ Files
Scan files on the D-SEC Comm Array
Defeat Officer Orb
2 data archives to download
You successfully recovered the Black Channel Incident data files from D-SEC, fending off an IDF attack along the way.

Enemies

The Awakened

The Possessed

Imperial Defense Force

Notable NPCs

• Officer Orb (I.D.F. Minion)
• Colonel Duray (I.D.F. Lieutenant)

Katie Douglas Dialogue 1

Hmm, I’m not reading Vargas anywhere.
He’s either possessed or…yeah, I’m bettin’ on possessed.

Orrr…he’s dead. Easy mistake.

Information Terminal Area

Approaching area:

Katie Douglas: Okay, we can use that comm. Array to get what we need.

Mindstorm: The one that purged the Network is here.

Mindstorm: And the other arrivals are imminent.

Katie Douglas: Careful in here. Something weird is going to happen.

System Accessed:

Information Terminal: BLACK CHANNEL OVERRIDE: Transmissions Log [Incoming]
Colonel Duray, IDF, to Colonel Vargas, CO D-SEC HQ
Great work on shutting down the Seer Network, Vargas. You have my condolences for the losses you have suffered at ARCLIGHT, BETTERMOUSETRAP, et al.
Now that the experiment is safely contained, I can lift the Black Channel. Your orders are to recall all D.U.S.T. operatives with knowledge of these events back to D-SEC. I am sending a Recovery Team to debrief your personnel and retrieve all data regarding the Incident. See to it that both personnel and data are secure at D-SEC prior to our arrival.

(Keep scanning incoming transmissions)

Information Terminal: IDF LOCKDOWN IN PROGRESS
RECOVERY TEAM EN ROUTE

(Leave Terminal)

Katie Douglas: ‘Recovery Team’, huh? Yeah, right.

Officer Orb Dialogue

Upon Arrival:

Officer Orb: We will sit tight and wait for the IDF Recovery Team like good soldiers. We WILL not tamper or ATTEMPT to tamper with the Data Archives deeper in the facility.

Katie Douglas He's going to talk us to death.

Officer Orb: That's an order.

Officer Orb: Several orders.

Officer Orb: Lots and lots and lots of orders.

Officer Orb: Thot-box cycling: likelihood of you conforming to said orders.

Katie Douglas COME ON, ORB! WE'VE GOT A TIMER RUNNING!

Officer Orb: Zero.

Officer Orb: Very well, I am passing sentence: Furball's SatanSpawn, you are accused of aiding and abetting the criminal, Seer 1381.

Officer Orb: Thot-box cycling: reaching verdict.

Officer Orb: Death by plasma!

Katie Douglas Saw that one coming.

Katie Douglas The IDF just blew up the comm array remotely. We need to hurry. They'll be here any second.

Upon Defeat:

Katie Douglas Okay, you've got access to the back of the facility. That's where the data archives are.

NPC Chatter

Psychotic: They are coming for us. Psychotic: We will rip them apart like we did D.U.S.T.

I.D.F. Dialogue

Upon Arrival:

Katie Douglas They're here! Don't let them get their hands on the data archives!’’

ACU: CLEANSE AND DISINFECT!

ACU: THREAT TO EMPIRE NEUTRALIZED!

Katie Douglas And there's our boy. Duray's thoughts are pretty dang loud. He's mad that he even had to come here.

Katie Douglas He'll chase you down for the data you have, unless you simply make it not worth his while.

Colonel Duray: Look sharp and let's get this done!

ACU: CRITICAL SYSTEMS RUPTURE!

Katie Douglas My advice? Give Duray a good reason to bug outta here. Like knocking his face in.

Begin Combat:

Colonel Duray: Do you understand how ANNOYING it is for me to even be here?!

Colonel Duray: I've got better things to do than clean up Tilman's mess!

Colonel Duray: Like, say, invading a WHOLE DIMENSION!

Colonel Duray: Come on, people, we've got a timetable to keep!

Upon Defeat:

Colonel Duray: Mission aborted! I'm 'porting out!

Debriefing

Whenever you’re ready to find the blind guy, I’ll telesend you his location.