Classified Psychonauts Files
Agent[s] on Duty: Sasha Nein
Mission Objectives: Find and extract six civilians thought to be aboard a Zalbonian science station. Obtain as much information as possible about Zalbonian plans.
Mission Background: Two months ago, six individuals from various backgrounds and locations were determined to have been abducted by the Zalbonians for reasons unknown. A pair of Psychonauts were dispatched two weeks after this incident and are currently MIA.
Additional Notes: The Zalbonians are a psychic race and therefore are extremely dangerous. Do not approach in any circumstance. Intel also suggests that the Zalbonians may be experimenting with the Saudoni, an organism of unknown origin thought to augment psychic abilities.
Good luck, Agent Nein.
Sasha Nein crept along the corridor, keeping an eye out for any Zalbonians. He'd been in the facility for several hours, and time was running out. Soon they were sure to notice that one of their own shuttles, retrofitted by the Psychonauts, was sitting in the docking bay. Sasha had already completed the information-gathering part of his mission; much of the data had been encrypted but he'd gotten what he could. Now he was following a strong psychic signal to where one of the captives might be held.
The cell block was almost completely empty. At the very end of the block, a scruffy-looking man lay on a bed built into the wall in one of the cells. The entrance was blocked off by a large force-field.
Without a Psycho Portal, Sasha couldn't determine the full state of the man's mind. However, he could probe gently to get a general idea.
Sasha took a step back. This mind was unlike any other he'd seen. Raw psychic energy emanated from it. Where could it be coming from? Sasha detected another mental presence. That must be the Saudoni, he thought. The man got up from the bed. As he got closer, Sasha could feel the man reaching out toward his own mind. Sasha doubled up his mental defenses, but he knew the man had gotten a few stray thoughts. He can't stop himself, Sasha realized.
The man shook his head. "You're thinking in German!"
Sasha shrugged. "It is rather useful. Do you speak German?"
But the man shuddered, crouching to the ground. He clutched his head, in obvious psychic discomfort. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I can't. Can't. Can't – focus!"
Sasha switched tactics. He spoke into the man's mind. Concentrate on my voice.
The man lifted his head; his breathing slowed to a steady pace. He laughed. "You were thinking about how much you wanted a cigarette."
Sasha touched his arm and felt the nicotine patch under his clothes. It kept his addiction at bay but it just wasn't the same as a real cigarette. He sighed. My name is Sasha, I'm a Psychonaut. We need to leave immediately. You must be Vincent, correct? Do you know where the others are?
Vincent fell silent for a few moments. Sasha took a closer look at his face. There was something wrong with his left eye – where his pupil and iris should have been, there was a round, bulging black dot. It darted back and forth, independent of the right eye. It was the presence that Sasha had felt before.
The man spoke up at last. He stood up and said, "Yes, I'm Vincent. I... well, they're gone, y'know. Everyone else. They killed them. Eventually. The Psychonauts, too. I'm sorry. Sorry. I have memory loss on top of everything else. It's a mess in here," He tapped his head.
Agent Nein struggled to hide his frustration. He was trained to prepare for the worst, but this was abysmal at best. To Vincent, he thought, I'm going to help you. Tell me, do you think there is any way out of here? He examined the cell entrance – it opened by iris scan, so he would need a Zalbonian to get Vincent out.
"Well, they come in here ever so often to give me food."
How often?
"I'm not sure. I think they switch up. Times, I mean. Try to confuse me." Vincent groaned and mumbled. "They don't have to try too hard, for that."
Sasha took a deep breath. He was very glad that headquarters had refused Raz's request to come on this mission. Even if he had had to deal with Raz's sulking about how he couldn't go into space. Sasha began to run through scenarios in his head: what could go wrong, what path they might take.
It felt like an hour had passed, but it was only a few minutes before Vincent said. "They're coming! Do something!"
In a split-second, Sasha focused his psychic energy and became invisible. The Zalbonian – a short creature with an oblong head that looked positively lizard-like, walked into the block. Veins bulged from its forehead. It muttered something in another language, fiddling with the controls.
Sasha took this opportunity to release a psy-blast. It took nearly all of his energy to focus. There was a loud cracking noise and the alien slumped to the floor. He grabbed the alien and put his eye up to the scanner. The force-field went down and Vincent stumbled out. Vincent grabbed Sasha by the arm and the Psychonaut instinctively drew back.
"Sorry," Vincent whispered. "I just... I thought I was going to die here."
We're not clear yet; we need to get back to the ship. Sasha tried to remember the map schematics as they ran down the corridors. Alarms began to shriek around them. As they ran, he realized that there might be a problem in reaching the hangar bay. He might be able to appear invisible but Vincent was a different issue.
They reached the doorway to the hangar bay. Agent Nein peeked around the corner to see two dozen or more Zalbonians waiting for them.
"There's so many," Vincent said, despite not seeing the Zalbonians.
emI know. We'll just have to make a break for it./em
"I don't know if I can," Vincent said, panicking.
There are more coming behind us. We need to go, now! This time it was Sasha who grabbed Vincent's wrist and pulled him into the hangar bay.
They continued to run, Sasha attempting to maintain a shield on Vincent while also psy-blasting the Zalbonians around them. They were difficult to lock onto because they were so small.
About halfway across the docking bay, Vincent dropped to the ground. He clutched his head and began screaming. "So many minds! I can't! No!"
Sasha activated his own psy-shield just in time to be blown back by a immense explosion. He was thrown back fifteen or twenty feet and shut his eyes tightly to maintain the shield. When he opened his eyes again, there was a temporary pandemonium ensuing. Somehow, Vincent had used confusion grenades and accurate psy-blasts at the same time. Many of the aliens were down for the count, but a good number of them were stumbling around. Soon the confusion effect would wear off. Sasha knew he didn't have much time. He rushed over to Vincent, who was sitting up, looking very dazed.
"What did I do? What happened? I didn't mean to do anything!"
Sasha crouched down next to Vincent and assessed the situation. You have very minimal control over your mind right now, that's why this happened. He sighed and placed his hand on Vincent's temple. He'd never done this in such a high-intensity environment before. I'm going to have to shut your brain down temporarily. It won't hurt.
"Are you sure?"
Trust me.
Vincent prepared himself for a black-out, but instead everything faded to white. It was as if someone had taken a soft eraser and blotted everything out.
"I guess this isn't too bad then."
