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Level 1
The Phantom Smith: Hey, thanks. Risking your life to cross snowy mountains is a lot to ask of anyone. And rubbing shoulders with BTs to recover someone else’s stuff? That’s going above and beyond. You’re one hell of a guy, seriously. Sit tight. I’ll confirm the contents of your cargo right away. The degree of wear and tear is fine. You did a great job getting it here, thanks. Didn’t know you’d handled that many jobs. You’ve got a gift for multitasking. There’s no denying your incredible skill, and I really can’t thank you enough. I’d like you to put this shelter on the chiral network.
The Phantom Smith: And now I’m finally online. Accordingly, I was able to analyze the cargo you just dropped off. Seems it was developed with the aid of an unknown technology—which I’ve taken to calling ghost tech. From what I can tell, it reacts to chiral radiation on a specific wavelength. The reason I mention it is because the chiral shock cannon data I shared with you is the product of research that leverages this principle. The chiral radiation it generates can pass through objects without destroying them. Practically speaking, this means you can incapacitate enemies hiding behind walls and such. It should also deal damage to BTs and mechs as well. It’s pretty powerful as far as ranged weapons go. You can’t use it without anchoring it to the ground first, though. Makes a lotta noise too. You know, even I’ve heard stories about Higgs and his plans. So if the chiral shock cannon helps you stop him, that’ll make my day. And if you can deliver my research data to South Fort Knot, you should be able to get some new and improved tech to help you out. There’s a lotta other folks on this mountain doing specialized research. If you bring them onto the chiral network too, I’m sure they’ll hook you up with all kinds of goodies.
Sam: You do research out here?
The Phantom Smith: I came here with the advance expedition, actually. Tagged along with this one researcher—I guess you could say we were like mentor and student. Can’t go anywhere without tripping over stranded cargo in these parts, you see. The stuff we found was like nothing we’d ever seen before. Invaluable materials for our scientific pursuits. So, when my mentor was about to leave for South Fort Knot, I realized that I wanted to stay put. I thought that if I got this place on the chiral network, I’d be able to share future discoveries made here much more easily. Moving forward, I expect that my efficiency will increase substantially, allowing me to be of greater use to you and others.
Sam: Lotta folks out here doing research?
The Phantom Smith: Well, I’m familiar with the Tar Therapist, at least. He’s researching potential applications of the stuff as a healing agent. While his speciality is medicine, he’s also well versed in various tar phenomena. If all that sounds interesting, it might be worth seeking him out. However, it doesn’t seem like he’s posted any urgent orders recently. So I’d say your best bet is to find cargo that didn’t make it to him and try deliver it to his shelter yourself. It’s entirely possible he might be able to offer you things neither one of us can possibly imagine…
Sam: Tell me more about this chiral shock cannon.
The Phantom Smith: It fires a focused bolt of chiral radiation generated on a very specific wavelength. Packs a powerful punch—and is perfect for incapacitating distant enemies. It’s also great against mechs—even the ones with thick armor should take significant damage from it. Hell, this spectrum of chiral radiation is also proven to be effective against BTs. Its size does make it a touch unwieldy, but it’s simply one of the most devastating ranged weapons there is. If you can get South Fort Knot onto the chiral network, I should be able to share the data for this invaluable technology with them. They’ve got some quality facilities of their own, you know. Bet they could use them to make you something even more impressive.
Sam: Bye for now.
The Phantom Smith: Thanks again, you’ve been a big help. Definitely couldn’t have managed this on my own. I’m still concerned about the Armed Survivalists to the south of here, not to mention Higgs and his future plans… So I’ll be rooting for you to keep on doing what you can to make things better for us all. I don’t know if I can come up with anything else to help with that, but I’m willing to give it a try. Your support would be appreciated, too. Anyway, I’m prepping some cargo I’d like taken to South Fort Knot. You’re headed that way, right? Be warned that this cargo can explode if handled improperly and should be considered extremely dangerous. So if and when you take this main order, handle it with the utmost care. Good luck with everything. I’ll see you around.
The President: Sam—apologies for the sudden call. Once again, I’m contacting you via our dedicated private line. No one else will be able to listen in on our conversation. I’ll get to the point: has Charlie ever behaved in a manner you felt was suspicious? I ask because his credibility, as routinely calculated by APAS, appears to have dropped sharply. Despite attempting to confirm his credentials via the UCA’s National ID registry, it does not appear anyone has ever actually met the man. It may well be the case that he does not even exist. A “ghost,” so to speak. I can only hope that my suspicions are unfounded. For now, Sam, proceed to South Fort Knot and put it on the chiral network as planned. It is imperative that we improve the DHV Magellan’s capabilities to better contend with Higgs and his forces, and the sooner we connect all of Australia to the network, the better. When you are ready to proceed, you can pick up your next main order from the delivery terminal at this facility.
Level 2
The Phantom Smith: Appreciate the help. Give me a moment to review the orders. You brought a lot of cargo today, huh? A downright staggering amount. Good job finding this. Honestly, I’d already written it off as lost. I’ve been wanting to do a way to support your efforts, and so I’d like you to have this. I’ve increased your materials allocation. There should be more at your disposal now. This multi-rocket launcher’s capabilities rival that of its UCA counterpart. With this baby, you can lock onto and attack multiple targets simultaneously. Of course, you can also focus all the rockets on a single enemy as well. It’s an especially effective tactic if you have to go up against giant BTs or particularly powerful mechs. Now, dangerous weapons like these are not something to be shared lightly… But having seen you in action and understanding the stakes, it’s clear you need it. The enemies I expect you’ll have to contend with in the future just won’t go down unless you’re packing this level of firepower. Don’t ever point it a human being, though. People who carry weapons like these have a duty to use them responsibly, as I’m sure you understand.
Level 3
The Phantom Smith: Hey, you made it. It’s great to see you. Bringing up the orders now. What a treat. I appreciate you bringing this in. You’re the best. Thanks for everything as always. I’m so glad that we were able to meet. I’ve increased your materials allocation. There should be more at your disposal now. I’d like you to have this gift. A little something for the road ahead. That, my friend, is a Santa hat. It doesn’t have any special properties. What you see is what you get. Truth be told, the project I’m working on at the moment is taking longer than anticipated… Which is why I can’t give you anything more impressive right now. I found this inside a stranded cargo container. Got the impression it was very important to someone. I guess I was thinking that maybe wearing it might help you to relax and unwind… Anyway, I’m still making progress on my project. It should be ready to present to you in the near future. Something to look forward to, yeah? Till then.
Level 4
The Phantom Smith: Appreciate the help. Give me a moment to review the orders. Get o load of this bounty of cargo. You did well to get it all here. Alright, I can finally present this to you. The product of all your hard work and support. I’ll bet you need more materials for fabrication, right? Allow me to increase your allocation. This, my friend, is a new lightweight model of the rocket launcher I shared with you before. Same damage output, but a more compact design. Just wish it hadn’t taken so long to finish. Nothing would make me happier than knowing I helped pave the way for you. Keep on keeping on, you hear me? I hope that we can meet again soon.
Level 5
The Phantom Smith: Hey, Sam, pleasure to see you. So, how have your orders been coming along? Didn’t know you’d handled that many jobs. You’ve got a gift for multitasking. You’re one of a kind, Sam. I’d like to give you this gift as an expression of my gratitude. I’ll bet you need more materials for fabrication, right? Allow me to increase your allocation. I’ve lost track of how many times you’ve been there for me. And not just when you visit, either. Thinking of you inspires me to pursue my research that much harder. Even though I’m out here alone, it’s comforting to know I can be of service to people elsewhere. That’s a happiness like no other. I hope to support you for a long time, Sam.