Part 54: New York

Calling NEO "an espionage operative" is a bit of an understatement. He defected from the UCS back in the 2140 war and knows the ins and outs of the UCS AI system. The attack on North America was not only a way to buy time for the ED to collect resources, but also a way to allow NEO access to the GOLAN mainframes. A successful mission here will all but win the war for the Dynasty.



But we can't let the UCS know we're here. For that reason all that we have is a single modified Caspian, NEO's personal vehicle. You may remember it from the LC campaign when Fang had to kill NEO. Everything is the same, there are no guns but it's very quick.





Looks like we can't just use the tunnels to take us everywhere, the UCS are smarter than that. They've set up roadblocks between major tunnel sections. We'll need to go topside during this infiltration.



Good thing NEO's vehicle is amphibious!





Once we go down the tunnel here we find another unconnected tunnel, but also a shield. I have a feeling we might need this...





The next tunnel is also easy to get into. Something doesn't seem right here. Where's the base that Colonel Vilnius talked about?



That room has green walls and funky architecture. I bet that's where the first mainframe is.



Well there's the base. If we just run through real quick we should be abl-



Oh.






NEO's pathing will do incredibly dumb things if you just have him go to the next tunnel without guiding him. Make sure he doesn't do something dumb like drive around in circles. Let's do that again...






There we go! Only chipped up the paint a bit.



There's the first of three mainframe artifacts. Other than the whole dying bit this wasn't so bad!



And we even get a map of the surface level!



And the next tunnel is right next to the one we came out of!? The UCS must really want us to take their robots.



Either the UCS is doing target practice down here or this is not the first attempt to steal the AI codes from the mainframes. Their expedition didn't go as well as ours is going though. The superior tactics and intelligence of the Axeil-NEO team is unparalleled in all the Dynasty!



Yet another tunnel to surface transition.



And this one has plasma . I'm glad I picked up that shield.



Once we're back underground the UCS towers can't hit us. There's one more artifact to go now.



So this is pretty creative. The UCS are using their tunnel systems to ferry Harvesters back and forth from the mineral patches to the Refineries. I think building bridges is probably cheaper but this is a great way to avoid an airstrike on your vulnerable Harvesters.

Then again they could just hit the Tunnel Entrances and strand them in transit...



I find a stockpile of repair kits in one of these store rooms. There's a sign there that says "Help Yourself," so we do. I mean sure it's in my handwriting and on official Dynasty stationary (it's got a watermark) but I've heard that my writing looks like a robot and it would be just like those machines to use some of their enemy's paper to cut down on costs so really who's to know for sure.



Oh and they've also left a map of the tunnels. This will make finding the final mainframe location a lot easier.



There it is! It would've taken a lot longer to find if NEO had to manually search the tunnels. Onwards!



Whoa. That's a lot of firepower. I hope NEO doesn't croak again.



He made it! But took a lot of damage! And also somehow traveled back in time by four hours.

NEO died again when he decided he didn't like the nice safe tunnel and he should run back into the wall of plasma. NEO's...not the smartest when it comes to self-preservation sometimes.



Fortunately there's a nice cache of parts right next to the entrance. No sign this time though but after a rude welcome like that I think a repair kit is just compensation.

Well and their mainframe codes.



Two Tiger 20mms have followed NEO down here. Now that he's at full health (and can outrun them) they're not a threat.





Here's the last mainframe. Wonder what happens when NEO hacks it?



YESSSS! GIVE ME ALL YOUR ROBOTS UCS!



DESTROY! DESTROY! MWHAHAHA!



The Mammoths turn into Gruzs when NEO hacks them. So no building Fortresses or Shadow Towers for the ED.



Keep shooting my robotic servants so NEO can get away!



Aw most of them died



But NEO managed to escape! Now we just need him to tell us how he did all that.



And I think I'll take two Condor resupply units along as a trophy.





Stats are meaningless in this mission since the ED can't build and the UCS can't kill anything other than their own units.




ANOTHER mining mission!? We are so far ahead of schedule right now! We should use our new robot voodoo skills to wreck the UCS not mine more stuff out of the ground! What are you doing ED High Command!?