Mece - excuse me - The Doctor has transported us to the medical laboratory, and he wants us to thoroughly explore it and make sure that everything is in order. Aren't we a good little helper? Well, it seems that making sure everything is in order amounts to killing everything, and we're certainly good at that!
There are many ways to explore this level and it need not be done in any particular order. The first task, however, is survival. Upon leaving your entry alcove, you will be ambushed by several troopers and some major fighters. There is a pattern buffer and also a 1X shield recharger nearby, to the east, but chances are that if you try to use these, you will be killed. Further to the east is a large open pit with lots of monsters in it. I suspect that this is how John survives the initial assault. Most players will not likely survive this either. My approach is to immediately jump on one of the elevators near the entry point. There are a lot of monsters upstairs too, but they're more manageable. Better yet, there is a room in the center with a 2X shield recharge. I head straight for it. It's easy to assume that the room is inaccessible since it's enclosed by windows, but the center window is actually an open doorway. Once through the doorway, it's fairly easy to gun down the monsters that try to enter. I know this isn't very satisfying and it lacks style, but it works and nearly ensures survival. And you definitely want to have access to that shield recharger. Down one of the adjacent hallways is a pattern buffer lurking in the shadows.
Also on the upstairs level is a room with lots of monsters - let's just assume that all rooms have lots of monsters from here out – off of which there is a small room with a very important terminal. From this terminal we learn a lot about the different life native life forms we will soon encounter:
Several existing life forms were found on the New Arizona moon when the first explorers set foot on the dusty ground and were well documented. On land, living in marshy areas of generally mud, live creatures most bizarre. They appear to be made of mud themselves, and their bodies have been seen to split apart and regroup later. Their appearances have made people call them the Living Mud. When they form, they assume a shape resembling a large bipedal creature-some can reach a height of fifteen feet. It has been documented that they are almost immune to all weapons used against them. Bullets harmlessy pass through their muddy bodies and fall to the ground. . .
The Desert Shark, named by the colonists, is a large fish of 100 to 200 pounds. It is very sleek and slender, except for a disiguishing hump on its back. The shark's mouth is lined with razor sharp teeth. The most feared aspect of this beast is its appetite. It appears to be continually hungry, and it is not afraid to attack anything which dares to venture into the water, including humans. Several human deaths have been blamed on these ferocious sharks.
We will encounter some Living Mud soon enough. Although they are immune to bullets, they seem to be highly susceptible to fighter bolts - a definite strategy for gameplay. About the only weapon we have that works is the rocket launcher and on TC, it can take a few rockets to kill one - this should also be kept in mind.
Other areas that must be explored include that large pit to the east, a labyrinth of corridors, small rooms and one large compiler-filled room to the west, and the basement, including a side room, accessible down a flight of stairs. Remember, you have to explore everywhere to be able to leave the level. One very tantalizing secret is an AR and some ammo that is visible near the entry point. But how to access it? The player can clearly see a set of stairs leading downward, but it’s not accessible from the basement as one might think. The key is to look in map mode and trace the stairs to their logical conclusion. Doing so will pinpoint the location of the secret door that leads to the stairway.
Once we have cleared the level, Mece again speaks to us:
Now that my home base is clear, I can begin preparing it for business. Soon my lab tables will again be full with occupants. I am dripping with anticipation. You must now go and repair the communications relay. I'm sending you to the Comm Tower, located on the rim of the crater. Once there you will get to know my friend, the communications AI. Send a signal out to draw some humans here, I NEED human bodies.
Sounds like clearing out the lab may not have been such a good idea after all. In any case, we will now have the chance to finally meet the fourth AI of the New Phoenix colony. With that, the complement of AIs will be complete - or will it?
