Nuclear Operative

Congratulations! You have been chosen to be a member of [insert random organisation here]. You, brave agent, must retrieve the nuclear authentication disk and activate the nuclear weapon on-board your shuttle with it. Did we mention this was a suicide mission? No? Whoops!

Red Mean Syndicate Machine

You and your fellow operatives spawn on the Syndicate shuttle. Here, you have a load of gear to help you acquire the disk and kill everyone. Noteworthy starting gear:

• A revolver and some ammunition
• A teleporter remote
• A poison pill
• An agent card
• Your very own uplink disguised as a station bounced radio.
• You are also implanted with a microbomb.

Now what?

Take off your helmet and body armor and put on one of the red spacesuits from the lockers. Also take a jetpack and breath mask, and make sure you turn on your jetpack's air supply. From another locker, you should get a pinpointer and turn it on. An arrow will appear on it, pointing in the general direction of the disk. There's also a station bounced radio in your pocket that will let you request a limited selection of Syndicate gear to help you or your teammates.

You've also got a secure radio channel for speaking to your comrades. To use it, simply type:

• say ":h The captain is in security, need backup!"

Toys for big boys

In addition to the standard revolvers and red spacesuits, Syndicate operatives also have access to other free goodies:

• One set of command armor
• Several rocket launchers. Will absolutely ruin someone's day if used correctly. If you can see what you're shooting at, you're inside the blast zone.
• A fully-loaded Syndicate pod. It's heavily armored, seats 2, and comes with twin-linked shotgun cannons. Can be locked with a 4 digit keycode.
• Two Syndicate miniputs. They seat one, are armored fairly well, and are armed with a laser cannon.
• One pair of thermals
• A box of Syndicate donk pockets
• A crate of gas grenades. Filled with sarin gas and very lethal. Try not to let one go off in your hand or immediate vicinity. Sarin poisoning can be cured by an injection of atropine.
• Several breaching charges
• A PDA with a built-in Detomatrix cartridge
• Miscellaneous supplies, such as insulated gloves and regular tools

The Listening Post

To exit the shuttle, stand on the teleporter pad and use your teleporter remote. This will take you to the listening post. You return to the shuttle in the same way. The station is to the north-west of the listening post. Fly left until you're clear of the asteroids, and then fly north. This should take you close to escape wing.

The listening post is your only safe-zone on the station z-level. Only people with an agent card can access it. Make sure you have everything in order the way you like it before leaving. It has some spare clothing and supplies in case you forgot something on the shuttle, but there's no real weaponry to speak of there.

Don't leave the listening post without the teleporter remote and agent card, or you won't be able to get back to the nuke. Also bring a pinpointer!

Get dat fukken disk

It spawns in the captain's pocket. Your job is to follow your pinpointer to it, get it, and come back to the shuttle. The captain is armed and security will be all over your asses as soon as they hear about red spacesuits, so be quick and strike true. Work together with your allies if they aren't idiots.

I GOT IT

Great! Now get the fuck out of there before someone shoots you and head back to the shuttle. The nuke is at the south end of it.

• Click on the nuke with an empty hand.
• While holding the disk, click the line of minus signs in the window to insert it.
• Head to your left and grab the audio log. Play it. It will tell you the activation code. Alternatively, type the notes command, which lists the bomb code as well.
• Enter the numbers into the window and then click the E.
• Disable the safety.
• Set the timer and activate the countdown.
• Gloat over the radio and vanish in a cloud of radioactive fire!

Sound Syndicate strategies

• Don't set a name on your agent card until you are already on the station. If you are spotted in your approach and the AI catches your fake name, your cover is busted and you don't get another chance to change it.

• Feeling unsubtle? Consider buying extra ammo for your revolver. You'll be glad you did!

• It is always a good idea to grab a donk pocket or two in case things go south. There's a whole box of them next to the microwave on your shuttle.

• Need more inventory space? Stealth storage can hold as many items as a regular box, yet is small enough to fit in jumpsuit pockets. Remember to use drag and drop (its icon onto yourself) to quickly access the goodies inside!

• Riot storage lockers, located in the armory, contain handy shotguns and flashbangs. I bet you could access them from space somehow!

• Consider turning the AI to your side, if you have the time and ability to do so.

• Feel like going undercover? Consider ordering a voice changer, chameleon suit and DNA scrambler. Use the scrambler and make the agent card match your new identity. Try to keep a low profile. A greyshirt walking around with a jetpack and insulated gloves tends to catch the attention of any competent security officer.

• Consider where the best places to use the RPG might be. Suggested locations include the bridge, security, genetics, and the AI.

• Beware of security or vigilantes in space suits or pods! They can really ruin your day.

Sound crew strategies

Please be aware of the special guidelines regarding Syndicate facilities.

• The nuke disk is indestructible and cannot be simply thrown away, and the only way it can leave the station z-level is through the Syndicate teleporter. If thrown away in/brought to another z-level that isn't the Syndicate shuttle or it is somehow destroyed, the game will merely spawn a replacement disk in a random location back on the station.
  • The Syndicate shuttle and their teleporter are also indestructible. You must kill the Syndies or they will kill you, there is no third option.

• If possible, try to get into a group with the current disk holder (typically the captain) to increase your odds of fending off the Syndicates. Their guns aren't very useful if you have enough bodies to soak up the ammo!

• Watch out for suspicious behaviour or items. That greyshirt wearing insulated gloves and a gas mask might be an operative in disguise if they appear to be trailing the captain.

• Don't wear Syndicate clothing, like red space suits and tactical turtlenecks, as doing so will likely get you killed.

Supplementary Video

{{#widget:YouTube|id=U47Tdf6QPis}}