8.2.5 Prisoner Bin
After escaping the Light Cycle grid, you'll meet up with Mercury. She's decided to help you because you're looking for Ma3a, who Mercury's User has instructed her to find and help as well. Mercury isn't sure yet if she's willing to believe that you're a User, like you claim, but she does feel there is something different about you.
For escaping the Light Cycle grid, you receive another ten build points.
When the cutscene is over, talk to Mercury. She'll tell you how to use the Rod Primitive as a stealth weapon, and advises that you install a Fuzzy Signature subroutine if you have one. If you followed the suggested subroutine configuration for the last level, you should already have it installed.
2.1.6
|
|
Mercury will lower the force field blocking your path, so you can proceed into the next room.
|
When you reach the edge of the wall on the left, turn to face it. Then lean to the right. The ICP could be in one of three places: leaning against the left wall, standing at the console, or leaning against the wall right next to the console.
If the ICP is leaning against the left wall, you can wait until he moves on, or you can rush him. If he's at the console, or leaning against the other wall, then you can sneak up on him. If you're going to sneak up, take the passage on the right.
|
|
As you can see, in my case I snuck up behind the ICP. Using the Fuzzy Signature subroutine, even in Alpha stage, helps a lot.
|
When you attack the ICP with the rod, he'll freeze up and be unable to retaliate. After de-rezzing him, you'll receive five build points for testing out the rod. Don't forget to always grab core dumps and their contents.
2.2.1
|
|
After de-rezzing the ICP, Mercury will arrive and begin using the console. Talk to her twice. She'll tell you that you have to get back your disc from the Kernel's observation tower. Mercury will also give you the permission you need, to lower the force field over the next door.
|
|
Turn left. Use the patch to restore your energy, then use the bit socket to lower the force field.
|
|
After walking through the door, turn right. An ICP will probably be waiting for you.
|
Quickly turn left, and run into the opening ahead. Then turn around. This way, the ICP can't hit you with his disc. Now you can either wait until the ICP comes close enough, or you can rush him.
Notice the build note that sometimes appears in the corner, off to the right.
|
After de-rezzing the ICP, be sure to grab the permission he drops. Then turn right, and get the build note if it's there.
1/4 2.2.3
|
|
The ICP inside the nearby room may have noticed the ruckus. Head back into the opening, and move through the passage.
|
|
This next ICP could approach from either in front or behind, and attack. Be careful not to get hit by his disc too much, and then let him have it.
|
|
Once you've defeated the ICP, be sure to grab the subroutine in his core dump! It will make your life a lot easier, in just a moment. Don't let it fade away!
|
|
If the ICP didn't notice you and attack, then move to the end of this passage and turn right. Head through the door indicated by the arrow. Move quickly, to avoid being noticed by anyone else.
|
|
Take out the ICP, and grab the subroutine from his core dump!
|
|
After porting the unknown subroutine in the system memory screen, you'll discover it's a Suffusion upgrade for the rod primitive. This will come in handy, very soon.
|
|
I suggest removing the Virus Scan subroutine — since you won't need it for the time being — and replace it with Suffusion. When you exit the system memory screen, select Suffusion as your weapon.
|
|
After you're done, head back outside. Quickly move to the left, and hide behind the blocks, to avoid being noticed. (There's a chance you will be spotted by one of the remaining ICPs. Even if this happens, it would still be better to avoid any confrontation here, out in the open.)
|
|
Once behind the blocks, make your way into the next passage opening.
|
|
If an ICP did follow you, take him out.
|
When you reach the end of the passage, there's a chance an ICP will either be standing guard near where the up arrow is pointing, or off to the left in the next room.
If the guard is in front of you, try waiting until he enters the room on the left. There's a good chance he won't spot you, if you keep still. Again, it's preferable to do combat in a secluded area, rather than out in the open. Quick save your game (F5 key) now.
|
|
If the ICP is facing you when you enter the room, you'll have to rush him. In this case, his back is turned, so we can sneak up on him.
|
Be sure to charge the weapon before approaching the ICP. Hold down the fire key, and wait until you see the rod spinning rapidly. Then you'll know it's fully charged.
The suffusion weapon has a limited range and damage capability, so you have to fire point blank at the ICP for it to be effective. Always aim for the head, which has the chance of de-rezzing him in one shot.
|
The ICP should drop a permission you already picked up from a previous core dump, so it's not necessary to grab it. Do pick up the core itself though, for an energy boost.
Turn around, and look outside. It's likely one or more ICPs noticed your attack, and will come running. Use the pillar in front of you for cover, and let the ICPs come closer before engaging them.
|
After defeating the ICP(s), your health has likely taken a pounding. Grab their core dumps, to replenish your health.
Also, behind you there is an energy patch. Use it as well, to recharge your energy.
|
By now, almost all the ICPs should be gone. You may still encounter one or two, but chances are you've de-rezzed them all.
And if you're lucky, you haven't encountered the Finder yet. This annoying little drone fires powerful laser blasts, that can cut you down in seconds.
The finder travels around the circular inner passage of this area, in a clockwise direction. Wait until you see it. Once it's almost out of your view, follow the finder from behind.
|
|
As long as you stay behind it, it won't fire on you. This is the reason we needed the suffusion subroutine . . . you would have no way of destroying the finder, otherwise. The rod primitive can't reach the finder. Be sure to quick save your game here.
|
Before you fire on the finder, make sure there's some distance between it and you. It may take more than one try to destroy the finder with the suffusion rod, since it's a small moving target and the weapon has some kickback.
When hit, the finder's explosion releases a large energy blast in the surrounding area. You definitely don't want to get caught in this.
|
|
Head back to the area with the energy patch, and recharge again if possible. Turn right, and you'll see ROMie's cell.
|
Talk to ROMie. He'll tell you that if you can find the Bit, for the socket to his cell, he'll be freed and then he'll return the favor by opening a data stream out of here. You'll also receive five build points for talking to him.
2.2.8
|
Turn around. Before you go about freeing ROMie, it's time to start searching for items on this level.
Head for the stack of blocks, off in the distance.
|
|
Move behind the blocks. Then jump up in the order shown by the arrows. The second block is hard to see in this screenshot: it's gold and will be to your right when you're jumping. Quick save your game before starting your ascent.
|
|
When you reach the archive bin, download everything except the Fuzzy Signature subroutine.
|
|
Now turn around, and jump up the next two gold colored blocks.
|
When you've reached the ledge, you'll sometimes find a build note here.
2/4 2.3.0
|
|
Once on the ledge and facing the blocks, head right. Keep going until you reach the very end of the path, and can't move any further.
|
|
At the end, you'll find an energy patch. Use it to restore yourself to full charge.
|
|
Turn around, and head across the bridge to the archive bin in the distance.
|
|
Download both the permission and the Peripheral Seal subroutine.
|
|
After you've downloaded them, go to Jet's system memory. You'll see the peripheral seal is corrupt.
|
|
Drag and drop the subroutine on the Disinfect Procedural, then exit the system memory screen so Jet will work on disinfecting it.
|
|
To the right of the archive bin, is another ledge. Quick save your game, and then walk onto it. Make your way to the end, then move to the left.
|
|
As you can see, you'll sometimes find a build note here. Now turn around and head back to the archive bin, then cross the bridge.
|
|
Use the energy patch behind you first, to recharge your energy again. Then head back to the blocks.
|
|
Quick save your game again. Be very careful when moving down the blocks. It's easy to move too fast, and you'll end up falling to your death. Use the walk key, to help you move slowly. Go back down the blocks in the same order you came up.
|
|
Once you've reached the bottom, head through the door on the right.
|
Inside this security room, you'll find the bit, a health patch, and sometimes a build note in the right corner.
Grab the build note if it's there, then restore your health.
|
|
Now approach the bit on the console, and use your activate key to charge the bit.
|
|
After the bit has left, head back outside.
|
|
Move through the inner passage, until you reach the next cell block.
|
Before we free ROMie, there are still a couple more things we need to do.
Head through the inner passage again, to the next cell block.
|
Head to the left, and look through the opening to the outer circular passage. Sometimes you'll find a build note here.
If the note is there, grab it, then move to the cell on the right.
|
|
You now have the proper permissions to lower this force field. After lowering it, head inside.
|
|
Look around on the floor, and you should find a code optimizer. Activate it.
|
|
Once again, we will choose to optimize the Y-Amp subroutine.
|
|
Drag and drop it on the optimizer.
|
|
When it's finished, move the Y-Amp into the single slot to make more room for other subroutines.
|
|
Now we have a choice, as to which subroutine to install in the freed up slots. The best choice would be the Virus Scan subroutine, because you'll be needing it fairly soon.
|
|
Drag and drop it into the empty slots.
|
Return to ROMie's cell. It's time to free him! Lower the force field. You'll receive five build points for freeing him.
2.3.5
|
|
After freeing him, go inside the cell. Look to the left of the "bed", in the corner of the cell. Sometimes you'll find a build note here.
|
|
When you head back outside, you'll see ROMie off to the right. As you approach him, he'll open the data stream port and thank you for rescuing him.
|
Quick save your game before entering the portal. Though there isn't any need to come back, take note that once you've gone through, you can't return here because the portal is 1-Way only.
In case you're wondering, you can't save the other prisoners. You never get the permissions that you need to release them, in this section of the level. So unfortunately, you'll have to forget about them. 
|
Once you're through, you receive five build points for making it to the Processing Level, which leads to the Kernel's Observation Tower.
Mercury will be requesting an I/O link with you. But before we answer, we're going to do a couple of other things first.
Walk straight into the opening ahead, and turn left.
2.4.0
|
As you can see, you'll sometimes find a build note here.
3/4 2.4.2
|
|
Now head back and move to the nearby door, but don't go through it yet. Take a peek to the left.
|
|
You'll witness an amusing exchange between an ICP and an imprisoned program. Listen in for a good laugh.
|
|
Rush the ICP and fire your suffusion rod point blank.
|
|
After you take out the ICP, turn around and head back through the door.
|
Once in the room again, turn to the right and use the I/O Node. Mercury will instruct you on what to do next. You're going to have to literally break some encryption keys, in order to move on. After you've finished talking to her, you'll receive five build points.
2.4.7
|
Head back through the door, and walk to the left. Notice the energy patch in the distance. You'll be needing it shortly.
But right now, switch back to using the rod primitive. Keep walking a little further past the window with the red glow on the right, then turn right and face the platform structure.
|
|
Near the bottom, you'll see the first encryption key. This needs to be broken.
|
|
Use the rod primitive to destroy it.
|
|
Head left, and make your way to the other side of the platform. Look for the second encryption key at the top.
|
After breaking both keys, you receive another five build points.
2.5.2
|
|
Go back to the right, and use the energy patch to recharge now.
|
|
Turn around, and follow the platform structure until you find the entrance. The "door" that was blocking it, is now open. Quick save your game before entering.
|
|
When riding the platform to the next level, wait until it stops and then turn left.
|
Face the spire-like structure shown in the screenshot, so you can see the ICPs in the distance. When one of them mentions that reinforcements aren't necessary to deal with you, now is the time to strike! 
|
|
Jump over the barrier and spire, then rush the ICPs.
|
|
Be sure to zap both the ICPs with your rod primitive! It may take more than one try, to get this just right. But you need to eliminate both at once, or else the one that escapes your attack will probably de-rezz you, or even worse he'll call for reinforcements.
|
|
After you've dealt with the ICPs, head for the archive bin in the distance. Also notice that a build note is sometimes present atop the large flat column.
|
|
Jump up the block and onto the column, if a build note is there. As it turns out, the archive bin will contain items you already have, so you can ignore it.
|
Don't be surprised if an ICP spots you and attacks, around this time. Grab the build note if it's here.
4/4 2.5.4
|
|
Rush the ICP while being careful to dodge his disc. Then take him out.
|
|
Return to the archive bin and column. Switch back to the suffusion rod. Now head up the passage seen to the right.
|
|
Wait on the slope in this part of the passage, until you see a finder on patrol. When it turns and heads back the way it came, follow from behind.
|
|
As before, keep your distance when you fire at the finder. Once it's been taken out, head back to the slope.
|
|
Look for the sec rezzer on the wall, and deactivate it to save yourself from potential trouble later.
|
|
Now head down the corridor once more, and keep an eye out for an opening on the right.
|
|
When you find it, head inside the room.
|
|
You'll discover an energy patch you can use to recharge, in front of some blocks. Quick save your game.
|
|
There's a chance that a nearby ICP could discover you here, because he heard the explosion from the finder. If so, take him out as usual.
|
To the left of the energy patch, hidden in the corner of a cut-out in the console housing, you'll sometimes find a build note. Grab it if it's there.
Move ahead to the other side of the room now, and turn right.
|
|
You'll see an archive bin, here on the other side, to the right.
|
|
Download the permission found inside, then head back outside the room. Quick save your game again.
|
|
Turn right, and continue down the hall until you come across the next opening on the right.
|
|
If you didn't encounter an ICP in the room you were in a moment ago, check to see if he's near here or at the bottom of this passage.
|
|
If an ICP is present, do the usual rush forward and fire point blank. Don't forget to grab the core dump, then turn around and head back up. Quick save once more.
|
Turn right, and keep travelling down the corridor until you see a sec rezzer on the left and a health patch ahead. It's possible to encounter an ICP near this point, and if so then de-rezz him.
If the ICP isn't here, he'll be down the ramp to your right. Quick save again.
|
|
Sometimes you'll get lucky, and be able to sneak up behind an ICP in these sloped passages.
|
This makes it very easy to de-rezz him.
Make your way back to the corridor above.
|
|
All the ICPs in this area should have been taken care of now. Take this time to recharge your health by using the patch.
|
|
After recharging, turn around and move forward through the corridor. Pass the opening you just came from, and look for the next one on the left.
|
|
When you reach it, go inside.
|
|
You'll find an archive bin between two console housings in the middle of the room, just like you did in the other room. Download only the e-mail, since you already have a better version of Y-Amp.
|
|
After reading the e-mail, head back through the door. Walk all the way to the end of the hall, returning to where the sec rezzer and health patch are.
|
|
Once again, head down the ramp to the right.
|
|
After you reach the bottom, head for the energy patch in the distance on the left.
|
|
Recharge yourself, then head in the direction the arrow points to.
|
|
You'll be able to see a doorway ahead where the arrow indicates, at this point. Move toward it.
|
|
The door is blocked by a force field. But's that's okay, because we have the permissions needed to lower it.
|
|
Deactivate the force field by using this panel.
|
|
Once inside, turn right. Sometimes you'll find the last build note here.
|
Turn around, and you'll see a 2-Way portal to the Observation Tower. Switch to the rod primitive one more time.
Quick save your game now, and then enter.
|
|
Once you're through, turn right. In the distance, you'll see an archive bin with items inside. Head for it.
|
|
When near the bin, turn right for a little visual treat. Your first glance at Recognizers. Also notice the prisoner programs being sentenced to death on the grid in Light Cycles.
|
|
Turn back to the archive bin. Download everything except the peripheral seal, since you already have a better version.
|
|
After porting the unknown subroutine, you'll discover that it's the LOL sniper gun upgrade.
|
|
Turn right again, and carefully make your way next to this console on the right. When you're here, quick save your game. The next part is going to be really difficult.
|
|
Rush the first ICP on the left and let him have it. Don't bother with his core dump! You don't have time, since you're about to fight a swarm of ICPs.
|
Quickly turn to the left, and look at the nearby console.
At last! You've found your disc. Use the activate key to pick it up. You also receive ten build points.
2.6.4
|
|
Return to the spot where you were hiding behind a console, moments ago. Let the next ICP come to you.
|
|
When the ICP is in sight, move out from behind the console and engage him. Block his disc as necessary, then aim for the head when you throw.
|
Now quickly grab any remaining core dumps, and recharge yourself using the energy patch, before more ICPs arrive. However, your recharge may be interrupted by their arrival.
There will be up to six more ICPs on the way, depending on how long you remain in the tower.
|
Take out the remaining (up to 6) ICPs. The first two will arrive quickly, and the others will take a little while.
Remember to always aim for the head, and block — or even dodge — their discs as necessary.
|
Once all the immediate ICPs have been defeated and the coast is clear . . .
If your recharge at the energy patch was cut short, then return to it and finish recharging.
Otherwise, head back toward the archive bin. On the way, you'll come across a health patch. If you've survived this far, your health has surely taken a beating. Take the opportunity to refill your health charge.
|
|
Enter Jet's system memory screen. You should now swap the Fuzzy Signature subroutine with the Power Block you acquired earlier, from the bin. Stealth is no longer necessary for the remainder of the level. The power block will cause an opponent's disc to rebound at high speed, with the potential to de-rezz him in one shot.
|
|
Return to the bin, and turn left. Quick save your game, before heading back through the portal.
|
|
When you've returned to the room on the other side, wait by the door. Soon, at least three ICPs will attack you. Staying inside limits their field of attack.
|
|
After defeating them, step outside and grab their core dumps. These were the last of the ICPs you'll have to fight. Turn right now, and head for the window in the distance.
|
Behind the force field, the exit port can be seen. Unfortunately, if you try to use the nearby panel, you'll find that you don't have the proper permissions to open the huge "door" to your right.
Not to worry, however. There is an alternate exit!
|
|
Turn left, and walk until you pass the energy patch in the distance.
|
|
Turn right, and you'll notice a force field in the floor, along with another control panel. The opening behind the force field is a maintenance shaft to the exit port. How convenient.
|
|
Use the panel. Lo and behold, you have the proper permissions to lower this force field.
|
|
Move through the opening, down the ramp.
|
|
Head through this passage, and turn left at the end.
|
Finally! The exit port lies ahead. When you enter it, you receive another ten build points.
2.7.4
|
Final build version for this level: 2.7.4