Susan Novak

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Protests Aren't for Amateurs quest

Susan greets you and says, "I've been thinking about some of the physical implications of having super powers, and I've put together a list of factors that might be unique to you that might not apply to the "average" human. I suspect if you were to take these factors into consideration, you might be able to increase your relative "effectiveness."

You got an item: 77 Habits of Highly Effective Heroes

A Mysterious Ruin quest

Susan asks if you ever patrol out of town. When you mention that you've spent time in the desert, she suggests that you may want to keep an eye out for anything interesting. Particularly if you can get an elevated view, that may be a good way to scout out strange activity in and around the mysterious Area 54. "I don't really buy the conspiracy theories, but your reports of giant insects out there make me think there must have been some nuclear testing at some point."

  • Visiting Susan after starting the quest, before the first rollover:

You stop in and tell Susan about the mysterious mechanical ruin you found in the desert. She listens thoughtfully, first seeming skeptical but then growing more interested as you fill in the details. When you're done, Susan has you go over everything a couple of times, to make sure she understands. Finally you ask, "So, what do you think?"

Susan pauses to collect her thoughts. "As always, I'm skeptical until I have more data, but this sounds intriguing. There are any number of possible explanations, and in the limited light it makes your observations all the more suspect, but I'll definitely send out a team tomorrow to investigate. I don't know if I mentioned, but I'm not only faculty here at the university, I'm also a founding member of an 'abnormal occurrences' research team."

"You mean something like the S.U.I.T. researchers?"

Susan laughs. "No, those guys are a bunch of quacks. We like to collect stories of all sorts of unusual occurrences--paranormal investigation, U.F.O.s, you name it. We're open-minded skeptics, so we don't have an agenda to prove people wrong, just apply good science. Most of it still involves telling crazy people they're delusional, but it's an interesting hobby."

Susan suggests you check back in tomorrow evening and she'd let you know what she's found.

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, after the first rollover:

"<player>! Come in. I've got exciting news! That crash site you found out in the desert, it's amazing! Whatever it is, it's not of human origin, you're right about that. It was mechanical, but it's not like any kind of machinery I've ever seen, and what little bit of language could be found is no earthly language. Plus it's got to be hundreds or thousands of years old--again, too old for humans."

"Did you find anything significant?" you ask.

"Other than the discovery of non-human life out in the universe? It's too early to say for sure. There's one thing that's particularly interesting, and I'll get to that in a moment. Most of what's in there was badly damaged--it looks like whatever it was crash landed and barely survived complete destruction, and time has not been kind to it since. There's no sign of life, either, which is strange. Either it was an unmanned ship, or the beings inside it escaped before the crash."

Susan continues, "There's all kinds of things we can learn from this technology, given the time to piece it together again. But there's one thing we got out of there, though, that's particularly intriguing. We found a large crate that was damaged on the surface, but the inner contents were exceptionally well padded. Layer after layer of strange materials: foams and harnesses and whatnot. Inside were two large devices, shaped like hollow triangles. We have no idea what they're for, but at least on the surface they appear to be in perfect physical condition. They're our best hope for learning something about this technology. We've brought them back to the lab for investigation. Check back in tomorrow and I'll tell you what we've found."

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, after the second rollover:

"We've got amazing news!" Susan says before you can even say hi. For someone who likes to talk about being calm and rational, she looks like she's about to explode. "Those triangles? They're portals! To each other. You go in one, and you come out the other."

"Wait," you say, "like a tunnel or something?"

"No, like teleporting. Instantaneous matter transmission. You know, 'Beam me up, Scotty.' Or something right out of Stargate. The triangles aren't connected, and it doesn't matter how far apart they are. Here, watch."

Susan turns on a TV in her office and starts playing a DVD. "This is a recording from earlier, when we still had both of them in the lab." The scene is a large garage or warehouse. Two large metal triangles are set up 30 feet apart. The space inside the triangle shimmers oddly. As you watch, a woman approaches one of the triangles, steps inside, and steps outside of the other one. "Wow ..." is all you can think to say.

"Exactly. We've driven one out to the edge of the city, and the results are the same. Instantaneous travel."

"What are you going to do with them?"

"Oh, that's obvious. We send it to space. There's all kinds of potential uses, but the greatest energy challenge we face is getting materials into orbit. If we can essentially get up there for free, it opens up space travel in a way nobody has ever imagined. It's hard not to sound over dramatic, but this could be the most valuable discovery in history." Susan pauses, and grows more serious. "We have to hurry, though. The other implication of this discovery is it's clear there's other life out there. Not only that, but they have the means to reach Earth, because they've already done so. And instantaneous transportation changes everything--they could be here any day. So we've got to move fast. We've got to get one of these portals into space as soon as possible, and start building a space station. We've procured funding for a space launch, and we're scrambling to get it ready. Construction on a space station should start tomorrow--stop by and I'll make arrangements so you can go up there and visit if you're interested."

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, from the 3rd to the day after the 6th rollover:

Susan is working on a spreadsheet when you stop by her office. "Oh, hi, <player>, I'm just wrapping up the project budget."

"There's not much up there yet, but I've made arrangements for you to go up there any time you like. The portal is here at the university. Construction will go on for a while, but I think the results of some serious anti-gravity research ought to allow us to quickly make use of a number of manufacturing techniques that aren't possible here on Earth. You may find it worth your while to investigate."

  • During the quest, after the 7th rollover Susan sends you a private message:

<player>, this is Susan Novak. Something terrible has happened at the space station! Please visit me immediately.

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, after the 7th rollover, for the first time (starting the first wave of robots):

Susan is visibly shaken when you enter. She says, "We're still trying to figure out what happened, but it's a disaster up there. Earlier today some kind of machinery entered the space station, like a robot with tank treads. Nobody at the space station thought much of it initially, but the thing is, we didn't send it up from down here. We don't know where it came from. At first the robot seemed to roam around for a bit, like it was scouting the area, especially by the pond. Then some other machinery--this one more like a tall, skinny, and somewhat humanoid robot--came through the portal, and almost instantly attacked the treaded robot."

"Most of the people aboard the station quickly evacuated, while several more robots of each type appeared in the station. The fight swiftly escalated to a serious battle, with the robots tearing each other apart. We've got the the campus police and a volunteer militia of sorts guarding this side of the portal, but so far the robots haven't shown much interest in us or doing anything but fighting each other. We're watching them fight via video uplink. Still, I'm really worried. I don't know anything about these robots: where they came from, what they might do to us, or where it will lead us. But I do know that if we don't put a stop to the fighting they'll tear the space station apart. Can you go up there and try to put a stop to it?"

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, after the first, second and 3rd wave of robots are started, before the wave of robots is destroyed:

How's the fight in the space station going? Have you had any luck putting a stop to the robotic destruction?

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, after the first wave of robots is destroyed:

"I'm glad you could put a stop to the rampaging robots. I'm worried we might have more serious issues to deal with soon, though."

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, after the rollover after the first wave of robots is destroyed, for the first time (starting the second wave of robots):

"The robots are back! There's even more of them this time, and they seem to be stronger. I don't think anyone but you can stop them."

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, after the second wave of robots is destroyed:

"I'm glad you could put a stop to the rampaging robots, again. I'm beginning to think I may have made a terrible mistake. I think activating the portal may have alerted the robots to our presence, and drawn them here. At this point all we can do is prepare ourselves for the worst."

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, after the rollover after the second wave of robots is destroyed, for the first time (starting the 3rd wave of robots):

"The robots are back! There's even more of them this time, and they seem to be stronger. I don't think anyone but you can stop them."

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, after the 3rd wave of robots is destroyed:

"I'm glad you could put a stop to the rampaging robots, yet again. We've got to find a way to stop them, but we've also got to keep our plans going. It's far too late to pretend that we're not here. We're going to keep the gates closed as much as possible to try to reduce the window when anyone might come through, but we've got to keep working on projects up at the station, and we'll let you through whenever you need to go up there."

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, after the rollover after the 3rd wave of robots is destroyed, for the first time (starting the 4th wave of robots):

"The robots are back! It's a little different this time. There are more of them, many more. But there seems to be a different set, with greater variety. Still, they're making a complete mess of the space station."

  • Visiting Susan during the quest, after the 4th wave of robots is started, before the wave of robots is destroyed:

"Any luck with the robots?"

Go Fish, Again quest

  • Visiting Susan after you start the quest by visiting Rand:

"Oh, thank goodness you're here! The oceanography department has been reporting some truly strange events on their sonar and seismographs. There's something unnatural going on under the bay, and we're afraid that the Big Earl's Inc. oil derrick might be connected somehow. I know you're probably really busy these days, but if you could check it out for us, we'd really appreciate it. We have the location of the derrick, and would do something ourselves, but... well... that's not really our forte, you know?"

You say you'll see what you can do, while wondering how to juggle this plus the latest assignment from Rand. No rest for the weary, it seems.

  • Visiting Susan after you finish the quest:

You fill Susan in on some of your recent adventures in the bay. She nods sagely when you explain the explosion of the underwater base, something her geologist colleagues were very worried about. She's interested to hear that you found the property stolen from the university during the riot, but is sad to learn that it was destroyed along with the rest of the base. She doesn't seem to have any theories as to what Livia might have been using the gear for, though.

You note that Pax Verde is still causing trouble on the derrick itself, but now that the anomalies have been identified Susan isn't that worried about it. You shake your head and wonder how a scientist can dismiss an issue as a "known problem" when things are still being blown up out there.

Through the Dimensional Rabbit-Hole quest

  • Visiting Susan to start the quest:

<player>, I'm so glad you stopped by! I've got a situation of sorts. Remember the portal that was confiscated after they shut down the Zion's tears operation? Well, I'm part of a research institute that managed to acquire the portal for testing. We still don't really understand the science behind it, but we've managed to determine enough from the controls to get it operational."

You sputter for a second. "What? You opened the portal? Don't tell me they've invaded again, because I don't think I can take fighting another batch of archons-"

"No, no, we wouldn't open up a portal for an invading army. We've learned how to redirect the device. We picked someplace that looked empty, someplace quiet and desolate, where we could safely pursue some scientific investigations on a new world. It seemed so safe ..." Susan sighs. "We thought we were being smart, avoiding a known risk from the Zion's Tears beings, but what we've found is much worse."

"How much worse?"

"Apparently the dimensional gate is causing some sort of disturbance on the other side. What we thought was empty tundra turns out to have some sort of alien wildlife. It's fascinating to see non-Earth biology, but for some reason they seem to be swarming around the gate. At first it was just herds of harmless herbivores, and we weren't concerned. But with the swarms of herbivores came predators, which were more dangerous, but mostly left us alone. And then, and this is just a hunch but I think we'll see this is right, stranger creatures began to appear that I think are from other dimensions. Some are translucent or transparent or seem to have the ability to disappear and reappear in other locations, or they change form in erratic ways that could only be explained by a creature that existed in more than the three spatial dimensions we're used to dealing with. Many are fearsome beyond imagining. And they seem to be drawn to the dimensional gate. They're terrorizing the natural fauna on the other side, and they also keep trying to come through to our side.

Can you come with me to the lab? It's located in the Industry district, in the Elco Hoist Laboratory."

You visit the lab with Susan, and get much the same story. Terrible beasts are swarming the portal, and it's all the lab can do just to keep them out.

You ask, "Okay, so why not shut the gate?"

Susan explains, "I wish it could be that simple. Unfortunately, we have people on the other side. An expedition left before the danger became apparent, and communications systems aren't very reliable on that side of the gate. They won't work at all through the gate, and with the swarms of creatures trying to get through it's all we can do to keep them out here, meaning we can't get anyone back to the other side to attempt to communicate. That's why we need you. We're hoping you can get through all the creatures and either establish communications or locate the expedition and help them return safely."

You peek through the gate, and eye the predatory chaos that lurks on the other side. It's clear that no normal human would stand a chance of getting through if you don't do something to clear a path.

  • At the end of the quest you visit the Elco Hoist Laboratories one last time and have another short discussion with Susan:

While the force field is being set up, you pull Susan aside and warn her about the Nostronomium reaction in the cave. "Hm. I hadn't expected so small amount to be so volatile. I apologize for not warning you. We'll be very careful in handling it." Susan and many of the other researchers spend several minutes thanking you profusely for your help.

You're about to declare the usual "I think my work is done here" and escape into the night when you notice Michael Ace placing two of the four Nostronomium crystals into padded briefcases and locking them up. You say, "Wait, what are you doing with those? I rescued the crystals to save the lab, not so you could play with them."

Ace simply ignores you, while a couple of the burlier suits--maybe they're actually bodyguards--step between him and you. Susan blushes and clears her throat. "Actually, <player>, Mister Ace owns them. As founder and sole sponsor of the lab, he has rights to half of anything we produce, with the other half being retained by the lab ... which of course is also run under his guidance. I can see you have some history, but Mister Ace has been a truly generous benefactor for us. Without his aid, it might be centuries before we could be researching the things you see here. It's such a small price to pay for such a tremendous benefit to all of humanity."

You harumph and grumble for a bit, but you don't see any way around it, and only watch as a couple of suits carry the briefcases out into the night. Ace, who hasn't said a word to you since your return, delivers a scathing smirk before turning to leave. You grimace and grit your teeth, but resign yourself to letting him go, when <sidekick>, your impetuous understudy*, lunges toward Ace. The bodyguards immediately take a defensive stance and reach for concealed weapons, while you place a restraining hand on your understudy's shoulder. <sidekick> says, "No! It's not fair! We do all the work to save the people this bozo put into harm's way, and he gets to keep the crystals? He didn't even thank us! I'd like to wipe that disdainful sneer off his face with my fist!"

Ace stares at you both, unflinching, sneer still firmly in place. After a pause so lengthy you don't think he's going to deign to respond, Ace finally says, "Tough luck, kid. I call the shots, I own the lab, I run the show. Don't kid yourself about the part you played. I would have gotten the Nostronomium eventually, with or without your help. You just saved me a couple of days of waiting, is all." With that Ace turns and strides out into the night, his bodyguards close behind. Susan and the scientists try to reassure both of you that you did indeed help save a number of lives, but you also realize Ace is probably right. He could have easily mustered a small private army to go in and do the same thing you did, just at a higher cost to human life.

Sunset Strip Mine event

  • Visiting Susan to start the event:

Of the earthquake Susan says, "One of my associates in the geology department reports all of the small tremors and the epicenter of the quake were located northeast of town, in the mountains. Most of town seems unharmed, but a mine up there has collapsed, and I hear some workers are trapped inside. They could probably use your help if you have the time."

When there is no special quest or event

"You chat with Susan for a bit, but neither of you has anything really interesting to report."

Notes

  • If you try to visit Susan before she is unlocked, you get
Susan seems confused that you're here.

History

"We've got amazing news!" Susan says before you can even say hi. For someone who likes to talk about being calm and rational, she looks like she's about to explode. "Those triangles? They're portals! To each other. You go in one, and you come out the other."

"Wait," you say, "like a tunnel or something?"

"No, like teleporting. Instantaneous matter transmission. You know, 'Beam me up, Scotty.' Or something right out of Stargate. The triangles aren't connected, and it doesn't matter how far apart they are. Here, watch."

Susan turns on a TV in her office and starts playing a DVD. "This is a recording from earlier, when we still had both of them in the lab." The scene is a large garage or warehouse. Two large metal triangles are set up 30 feet apart. The space inside the triangle shimmers oddly. As you watch, a woman approaches one of the triangles, steps inside, and steps outside of the other one. "Wow ..." is all you can think to say.

"Exactly. We've driven one out to the edge of the city, and the results are the same. Instantaneous travel."

"What are you going to do with them?"

"Oh, that's obvious. We send it to space. There's all kinds of potential uses, but the greatest energy challenge we face is getting materials into orbit. If we can essentially get up there for free, it opens up space travel in a way nobody has ever imagined. It's hard not to sound over dramatic, but this could be the most valuable discovery in history." Susan pauses, and grows more serious. "We have to hurry, though. The other implication of this discovery is it's clear there's other life out there. Not only that, but they have the means to reach Earth, because they've already done so. And instantaneous transportation changes everything--they could be here any day. So we've got to move fast. We're trying to get funding for an emergency space launch. We've got to get one of these portals up there as soon as possible, and start building a space station. The problem is, we're also trying to keep somewhat quiet about it. If the government finds out about it, they're likely to shut these things up in a basement somewhere for perpetual study. My colleagues and I believe we have to act quickly, so we're trying to track down private funding for the expedition. We think once we can get the portal into space and get a significant station built, the momentum will carry the project forward. We need millions, though, so if you happen to know any potendial[sic] donors, please come back and let me know."

  • Heading by Susan's again at this point begot:

Susan is working on a spreadsheet when you stop by her office. "Oh, hi, <player>, I'm just working on the project budget. We've gotten a little private funding, but it's tough trying to ask about this and also keep it quiet. Have you had any luck finding any potential donors? No?" The scientist eyes your expensive fighting gear, and takes a deep breath before starting slowly. "I really hate to even ask, but I and most of the others on my team are pouring a lot of our personal money into this because it's so important. Do you have any funds to spare? We can't promise that there will be any rewards in return, other than for the good of humanity, which is something you already deal with on a regular basis. We'll give you free access to the space station, of course, but we would have done that anyway."

How much are you willing to donate?

  • And on further visits:

Susan is working on a spreadsheet when you stop by her office. "Oh, hi, <player>, I'm just working on the project budget. We've gotten a little private funding, but it's tough trying to ask about this and also keep it quiet. Have you had any luck finding any potential donors? No?" The scientist eyes your expensive fighting gear, and takes a deep breath before starting slowly. "I really hate to even ask, but I and most of the others on my team are pouring a lot of our personal money into this because it's so important. I know you've already donated some, but do you have any additional funds to spare? We're making some progress, but we still need a lot more to get there. Every day we go without action, there's a chance the news will leak to the public and we'll be stopped before we can even get started."

You have donated X chips to the cause thus far.

How much are you willing to donate?

  • When the donation period was over, the first time you visited Susan:

Susan is working on a spreadsheet when you stop by her office. "Oh, hi, <player>, I'm just wrapping up the project budget. We collected around twenty-four million chips in private funding, which should be enough for the initial construction. I'm just tabulating the final donation amounts so we can dedicate the station to the private contributors who made it happen.

There's not much up there yet, but I've made arrangements for you to go up there any time you like. The portal is here at the university. Construction will go on for a while, but I think the results of some serious anti-gravity research ought to allow us to quickly make use of a number of manufacturing techniques that aren't possible here on Earth. You may find it worth your while to investigate.

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