Katie Douglas: Difference between revisions

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{{wip|date=2011-09-25}}
== Overview ==
== Overview ==


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|name=Katie Douglas
|name=Katie Douglas
|image=Katie Douglas.jpg
|image=Katie Douglas.jpg
|img_capt=
|img_capt=Renegade Seer
|zone=[[First Ward]]
|zone=[[First Ward]]
|x=355|y=18|z=-1572
|x=355|y=18|z=-1572
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|introed=[[Noble Savage]]
|introed=[[Noble Savage]]
|intros=[[Blind Makwa]]
|intros=[[Blind Makwa]]
|enemies=
|enemies={{Enemy Awakened}}{{Enemy Apparitions}}{{Enemy D.U.S.T.}}{{Enemy Imperial Defense Force}}{{Enemy The Possessed}}
|badges=
|badges=
}}
}}
{{Contact Overview|Name=Katie Douglas|City=P|Zone=First Ward|x=355|y=18|z=-1572|Pronoun=her|HoodYN=Y|Hood=Sunken City|OriginYN=N|Origin= |LevelYN=Y|Level=20-29}}
{{Contact Overview|Name=Katie Douglas|City=HVP|Zone=First Ward|x=355|y=18|z=-1572|Pronoun=her|HoodYN=Y|Hood=Sunken City|OriginYN=N|Origin= |LevelYN=Y|Level=20-29}} Characters may have met her previously as [[Seer 1381]] in [[Imperial City]].
    
    
__toc__
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=== Contact Introduces ===
=== Contact Introduces ===
* [[Blind Makwa]]
* [[Blind Makwa]]
:Blind Makwa's pretty cool for a crazy old blind guy. Sits around Mercyview and talks to ghosts all day long. And he must be some kind of force to be reckoned with because ''nobody'' messes with him. He told me he was a 'medicine man', whatever that means. Hopefully, he's got the cure we need for First Ward.
:Travel well on this path and do well to mind each and every pebble; even the smallest can cause ripples on a distant shore or find its way into the bottom of your shoe.


=== Information ===
=== Information ===
'''Renegade Seer'''
Katie Douglas is an ex-seer who escaped from the Seer Network and the authorities in Imperial City and then made her way to First Ward. She has worked tirelessly toward freeing other Seers and has enjoyed limited success here. To accomplish that feat, however, she has had to lie low and choose her allies very carefully. The Resistance sees her as nothing more than a weapon--politically and literally--and the Loyalists would just as soon place her back into the Network for another 15 years.


=== Prior to Introduction ===
=== Prior to Introduction ===
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=== Initial Contact ===
=== Initial Contact ===
 
{{Character}}, guess what? A package arrived in the mail today. It's all the intel you gathered on the {{red|Awakened}} and the {{red|Apparitions}} from {{red|D.U.S.T.}} Oh, and by 'mail', I meant I recently ''read your mind'' and downloaded the bits I needed. Cool? Cool.  
 
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.
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 ===
=== Greeting ===
*Spit it out already.
*Spit it out already.
 
* '''*sigh*'''<br>What's up?
* *'''sigh'''*<br>What's up?


=== Too Busy ===
=== Too Busy ===
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=== No More Missions ===
=== No More Missions ===
{{Missing No More}}
This is where we part ways, {{Character}}. I don't need anything else from you, m'kay? It's really been a riot, but it's time for you to bother someone else.


== Story Arc ==
== Story Arc ==
{{ArcAward|m=9}}
=== {{UL|Black Channel Protocols}} ===


===Black Channel Protocols===
==== Souvenir ====
{{ArcAward|m=2}}
 
‘’’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''.
 
{{orange|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?
 
{{green|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.
 
{{orange|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|Entrance=|Primary=Find possessed D.U.S.T. officers|Secondary=Defeat 3 Peculiar Leader|Additional=|Completion=Katie Douglas has discovered the location of the D.U.S.T. fallback position. She will meet you there.}}
 
‘’’Enemies’’’
 
{{Enemy The Possessed}}
 
{{NPC Text|title=Katie Douglas|text=
: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|Entrance=Katie is putting up a subliminal psychic safety measure. D.U.S.T. hasn’t been alerted to your presence yet.|Primary= Investigate Fallback Position|Secondary= Lead Katie to the Fallback Commander|Additional=Speak to Officer Orb|Completion=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’’’
 
{{Enemy D.U.S.T.}}
 
‘’’Notable NPCs’’’
 
*D.U.S.T. Officer (Lieutenant)
*Corporal Garret (Lieutenant)
*Officer Orb (Ally)
*Katie Douglas (Ally)
 
 
{{NPC Text|title=Katie Douglas|text=''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.}}
 
 
 
{{NPC Text|title=Random NPC Chatter|text=
:’’’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.}}
 
 
 
 
{{NPC Text|title= D.U.S.T. Officer|text=
‘’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!}}
 
 
{{NPC Text|title=Officer Orb Dialogue|text=
‘’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”
: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….’’
{{green|Then why bother speaking to me?}}
:’’’Sir.’’’
{{green|What?}}
:’WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING TO SPEAK TO ME, ‘’’SIR’’’!’ is what you meant to say. You ‘’’will’’’ address me properly.
{{green|That’s not going to happen. Start talking.}}
:It’s classified.
:’’Katie Douglas: Of course it is.’’
{{green|Which part? ARCLIGHT? BETTERMOUSETRAP? What’re you doing here?}}
:All of it. Classified.
{{green|Even your failed mission?}}
:As far as I’m concerned, my mission to shut down the Seer Network is still in progress. By definition, that is not a failure.
:’’Katie Douglas: Wait, what?’’
{{green|You failed to remember it was classified.}}
:…
:You are correct. Therefore I am promoting you to Corporal now, which means you will also get executed if it is ever found out that I hastily gave up classified information. That makes enough circular sense for my thot-box…Corporal.
:’’Katie Douglas: Get back to the part about the Seer Network!’’
{{green|If you say so. Now what happened at the Seer Network?}}
:Colonel Vargas, head of D.U.S.T. special operations in First Ward, found out that the Seer Network had been compromised. The Awakened had contaminated it for unknown reasons. Since I am naturally resistant to mind-control, I was promoted to command status of this cell, with orders to shut down the Seer Network with Red-level threat contingency bypass codes. The Awakened and the Apparitions in the facility were too strong. My cell withdrew to this fallback position to await further orders. Because of the Black Channel, no such orders will come. And, of course, my men have decided to ignore me, as you have seen.
:’’Katie Douglas: Oh no.’’
{{green|They’ll be executed. We’re still on mission, Officer Orb.}}
:I have not forgotten that your association with Seer 1381 makes you a war criminal. And I know she would be valuable in this mission. I am granting her a temporary stay of execution. You, Corporal, may be given a pardon, however, if we succeed. And we ‘’’will’’’ succeed.
:’’Katie Douglas: Whatever…’Orb’.’’
{{green|Right. We’ll meet you at the Seer Network.}}
:”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 {{red|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 {{orange|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.
 
{{green|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|Entrance=Officer Orb is waiting for you with the Seer Network access key.|Primary=Get Katie to the Seer Network|Secondary=Rendezvous with Officer Orb<br> Lead Officer Orb to the Seer Network Controls<br> Destroy Apparitions|Additional=Speak to Katie|Completion= 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’’’
 
{{Enemy Awakened}}
 
‘’’Notable NPCs’’’
 
*Officer Orb (Ally)
*Katie Douglas (Ally)
*Enraged Spectre (Lieutenant)
 
{{NPC Text|title=Officer Orb Dialogue1| text=‘’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!}}
 
{{NPC Text|title=Officer Orb Dialogue2| text=”Upon defeating all Apparitions”
:Inform Seer 1381 the LZ is clear and for her to doubletime her arrival.
:A textbook infiltration! Commendations for everyone, except Seer 1381!}}
 
{{NPC Text|title=Katie Douglas Dialogue1| text=
:The Awakened are here. My brain is already starting to feel itchy.}}
 
{{NPC Text|title=Katie Douglas Dialogue2| text=
:’’’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!}}
 
{{NPC Text|title=Katie Douglas Dialogue3| text=
{{‘’’Dialogue Box)’’’
:Something is blocking my access to the Network!
{{green|The bypass codes were supposed to fix that.}}
: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.
{{green|(Let Katie Think.)}}}}
:’’’Katie Douglas:’’’ Well, that sucks. Gimme a few seconds to think.
:’’’Katie Douglas:’’’ Hmm.
:’’’Officer Orb:’’’ 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!}}
 
 
 
{{NPC Text|title=Random NPC Chatter|text=''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:’’
:’’’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. {{orange|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.
 
{{green|Good. Learn anything else?}}
 
‘’’Mission Acceptance’’’
 
Yeah, and it throws another weird spanner into the works. {{orange|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|Entrance=The reports about D-SEC were true. Via Katie's psychic senses, you can feel the Apparitions running rampant throughout the facility.|Primary=Investigate D-SEC|Secondary=Find Colonel Vargas|Additional=Find Colonel Vargas’ Files<br>Scan files on the D-SEC Comm Array<br>Defeat Officer Orb<br>2 data archives to download|Completion= You successfully recovered the Black Channel Incident data files from D-SEC, fending off an IDF attack along the way.}}
 
‘’’Enemies’’’
 
{{Enemy Awakened}}
{{Enemy Possessed}}
{{Enemy Imperial Defense Force}}
 
‘’’Notable NPCs’’’
 
*Officer Orb (I.D.F. Minion)
*Colonel Duray (I.D.F. Lieutenant)
 
{{NPC Text|title=Katie Douglas Dialogue 1| text=
:’’Hmm, I’m not reading Vargas anywhere.’’
:’’He’s either possessed or…yeah, I’m bettin’ on possessed.’’
 
:’’Orrr…he’s dead. Easy mistake.’’}}
 
{{NPC Text|title=Information Terminal Area| text=’’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:’’’ {{yellow|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.
:{{green|(Keep scanning incoming transmissions)}}
: ‘’’Information Terminal:’’’ IDF LOCKDOWN IN PROGRESS<br>RECOVERY TEAM EN ROUTE
:{{green|(Leave Terminal)}}
:’’ ‘’’Katie Douglas:’’’ ‘Recovery Team’, huh? Yeah, right.’’}}
 
{{NPC Text|title=Officer Orb Dialogue| text=’’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.
[Caption] 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 Text|title=NPC Chatter| text=
:’’’Psychotic:’’’ They are coming for us.
:’’’Psychotic:’’’ We will rip them apart like we did D.U.S.T.}}
 
{{NPC Text|title=IDF Dialogue| text=’’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.
{{Souvenir|Black Channel Protocols}}
{{Mission:Black Channel Protocols - Part One: Top Men}}
{{Mission:Black Channel Protocols - Part Two: Shut It All Down}}
{{Mission:Black Channel Protocols - Finale: D.U.S.T. to D.U.S.T.}}

Latest revision as of 09:36, 18 July 2021

Overview

Katie Douglas
Katie Douglas.jpg
Renegade Seer
Zone First Ward
Coordinates (355, 18, -1572)[Copy]
Level Range 20-29
Introduced By Noble Savage
Introduces Blind Makwa
Enemy Groups
v  d  e

Katie Douglas is a hero, villain, and Praetorian contact in the Sunken City neighborhood of First Ward at coordinates (355, 18, -1572)[Copy] . Her level range is 20-29. Characters may have met her previously as Seer 1381 in Imperial City.

Introductions

Contact Introduced By

Contact Introduces

Blind Makwa's pretty cool for a crazy old blind guy. Sits around Mercyview and talks to ghosts all day long. And he must be some kind of force to be reckoned with because nobody messes with him. He told me he was a 'medicine man', whatever that means. Hopefully, he's got the cure we need for First Ward.
Travel well on this path and do well to mind each and every pebble; even the smallest can cause ripples on a distant shore or find its way into the bottom of your shoe.

Information

Renegade Seer

Katie Douglas is an ex-seer who escaped from the Seer Network and the authorities in Imperial City and then made her way to First Ward. She has worked tirelessly toward freeing other Seers and has enjoyed limited success here. To accomplish that feat, however, she has had to lie low and choose her allies very carefully. The Resistance sees her as nothing more than a weapon--politically and literally--and the Loyalists would just as soon place her back into the Network for another 15 years.

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

This is where we part ways, Character. I don't need anything else from you, m'kay? It's really been a riot, but it's time for you to bother someone else.

Story Arc

Merit Rewards: This activity awards 9 Reward Merits.

Black Channel Protocols

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]

Part One: Top Men

Briefing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find possessed D.U.S.T. officers

Unnecessary Solicitation

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

Mission Objective(s)

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

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

Enemies

The Possessed
Investigate Fallback Position

Unnecessary Solicitation

I'm not sure why we left our investigation.

Mission Objective(s)

File:Map P TUNNELS 30 LAYOUT 03 01.png
Map: P_TUNNELS_30_LAYOUT_03_01

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

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

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

Enemies

D.U.S.T.

Notable NPCs

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

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

  • Then why bother speaking to me?

Sir.

  • What?

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

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

It's classified.

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

All of it. Classified.

  • Even your failed mission?

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

  • You failed to remember it was classified.

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • (Leave)
Clue
Assymetrical Warfare

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

Debriefing

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

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

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

Part Two: 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.

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)

File:Map FW SEERNETWORK.png
Map: FW_SEERNETWORK

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
    • Wait for Katie to think
    • Guard the Seer Network Controls
    • Defend yourself against Katie and the Apparitions

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)
  • Subjugator (Boss)
  • Enraged Spectre (Lieutenant)
Briefing

Something is blocking my access to the Network!

  • The bypass codes were supposed to fix that.

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.)

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.

Finale: 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?

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)

File:Map FW DSEC.png
Map: FW_DSEC

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
    • Reason with Officer Orb
    • 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)

You found the D-SEC pass key on the body of Colonel Vargas.

D-SEC Comm Array
Briefing

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)

IDF LOCKDOWN IN PROGRESS

RECOVERY TEAM EN ROUTE

  • (Leave Terminal)

You found the Data Archives pass key from Officer Orb's damaged thot-box.

IDF RECOVERY TEAM HAS ARRIVED

Debriefing

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

Clue
Signal to Noise

D-SEC was completely compromised just like ARCLIGHT and BETTERMOUSETRAP were. Colonel Vargas was a lost cause, having died before you even got there. His encrypted files confirmed that the Black Channel fell when he reported to Mother Mayhem that the Seer Network had become flooded with Apparitions, through the machinations of the Awakened. They also confirmed that the entire incident started at the behest of Mother, who had ordered D.U.S.T.'s special operations branch to retrieve some of her 'special children' that had somehow escaped her care.

Even after you shut the Network down, though, it wasn't enough for Praetor Tilman. An IDF kill team was sent in to cover the entire incident up. One thing seems clear from Vargas' data files, though-- a notion that Dr. Jonas Fletcher had, as well-- to defeat the Apparitions, it's going to take a magician, not a psychic.