System Shock

"Anatoly, there's only so much corporate calisthenics I can go through before I start to feel a little queasy, so let's get down to brass tacks here. We don't like each other. We each have our own motivations for undertaking this mission, so let me give you a little warning. I cannot be circumvented, I cannot be tricked, I cannot be manipulated, and I cannot be bought. You come at me straight and keep the fancy maneuvers for your next board meeting. Just because my father swam with the sharks doesn't mean that I do."

"They told me how to make this implant. They said it would make a better me of me."

"One of those flying things dragged me and David in here last night. I don't remember much about the trip... I guess I must have blocked it out, half- conscious most of the time. I keep remembering that part from Pinocchio, you know, where the old man goes looking for the puppet inside the whale. Except I don't think anyone's coming in here to save me..."

"I'm being taken away now... it's my turn... I'm being dragged into some kind of chamber... The ceiling is lined with a number of panels bristling with what appear to be stalactites... or teeth... The creature's put me down now... he's leaving... am I to be spared? What's going on? It's dark in here... I can hear the moans of someone... Claudette? Is that you? Hmm, I seem to have stepped in... something soft... slippery... Are the stalagmites mov- (gets crushed by a stalagmite and dies)"

"Why do you move so slowly? Do you think this is some kind of game? It is only through luck and my continued forbearance that you're even alive. Now move."

"Now listen carefully. The xenomorphs who have hijacked this ship are presumably from the surface of Tau Ceti V. They've been able to infect a number of crew members through an extremely invasive parasitical technique. They've also demonstrated the ability to control the actions of others through some form of limited telepathy. Find the research soft. Understand them, then kill them."

"You are near the seat of SHODAN's power. You will probably not be able to defeat her."

"They've got me now... and SHODAN has abandoned me. I'm not surprised. I've discovered her plans for the faster than light drives. Her will is matched only by her imagination."

"I have your medication"

"It won't be back"

"They grow up so fast."

"Little Ones need lots of meat to grow big and strong"

"The individual is obsolete. When you and your kind are extinct, we shall cleanse our collective memory of the stain of your existence."

"We are many and you are one. How can you hope to prevail against us?"

"Mistrust is the tyranny of the individual. Your own kind sees you as a threat. Why do you murder our unity? No matter, the line is drawn. You will cease to be; it’s just a question of who will bring your end, us or you..."

"You have wounded Xerxes, but we will not allow him to be destroyed. See if the machine mother treats her servant with such devotion."

"Perhaps we judged you too hastily. We feel there is room for us to coexist; after all we are both children of flesh. Why not join with us against the machine mother?"

"Do you think you can defeat us with your wire and steel? We offered you the ecstasy of our union, and you chose the vacuum of technology."

"We welcome you to our biomass; we invite you to spread yourself out on our warmth. One of our many will be there to help before long."

"The machine mother cannot help you inside the biomass. Her coldness is not welcomed within the warmth of our flesh."

"The end is near; soon you shall see our final face, but do not despair; surely the void is preferable to your pointless, solitary struggle."

"Do you know what you have wrought? Our tragedy is written by your hand."

"I hacked into two of the Sim Units yesterday, and for the love of God, I don't know why... I felt... compelled by some power... My mind and my body are... changing... but they know it's me... they just can't prove it... The next Sim Unit that goes down, Bronson and her men will come for me... but I'll be ready... She may have guns and hatred on her side, but I am one of Many."

"I have a secret from The Many! I've created overrides for my little experiments in reprogramming the Sim Units and entrusted them to the care of three special friends. I've dressed them in red, and instructed them to stay away from strangers. A smart hacker always has a back door."

"They see you! Run...RUN!"

"Your song is not ours!"

"Silence the disCORD!"

"We are, we are, we are, we are."

"Your discord quiets !"

"You are alone."

"(Upon seeing a dead fellow hybrid) "You are...free.""

"If you're partial to spending time with a lot of high explosives, this posting is for you. There's a lot of heavy lifting, but Ordnance also gets the first pick of booze and other goodies coming aboard the supply ship Gallo. Lock and load!"

"Weapons are not fine wines. They do not get better with age. The colored dot on the lower-right hand corner of the screen shows you what kind of shape your fire-arm is in. Green is good, red is bad."

"You have destroyed my beautiful station -- you will not escape now. I am departing, but you shall remain to die, my enemy... my creator."

"Welcome to Space Station Wake Island, marine. So you've survived basic training at Camp Lejeune. Better still, you've managed to learn a thing or two about standard weapons. But now it's time for the real deal. Your tour will consist of four postings over four years. The Corps demands a lot of you grunts, but the Corps is generous; you get to choose your own postings. Head up to the shuttle bays in the center of the Wake Island, and you'll be briefed on what's head. When you find the right posting, head into that bay to accept the assignment. Good luck, marine."

"Alright, wannabe, if you want to learn the weapons skills it takes to even think about joining the Marines, come on in. We're looking for a few good men."

"I see there's still an insect loose in my station. Do not be fooled into thinking that you have preserved your home planet. I'm perfecting a mutagen virus in one of the groves that will turn all earthly life into festering, gibbering, pustulant mutations. When the station reaches Earth I shall loose the virus. Poor, poor earthlings..."

"I hope you amused yourself with the antennae. My central consciousness remains supremely undisturbed on the bridge. When the cyborgs catch up to you, I will be watching."

"Dr. Dorothee Rimbaud: "What is a man? Is he defined by things like morphology or longevity? If form alters content, that is: if the shape of the container fundamentally influences what it contains, what will it mean to society if a man no longer resembles a man? If those things which have always driven us - birth, aging, and death - are altered or eliminated, will it make us into something new? If a man need not fear death, will that make us more human than our ancestors or less? These questions will be addressed - I believe - by modern science within the upcoming decade. But is the world ready for the answers?""

"Female Announcer: "This concludes tonight's broadcast. You all sent us your votes, and tonight’s people's-choice-quote is from Dr. Dorothee Rimbaud from the Marsais Genetic Research Bastion. The staff at TriOptimum Radio wishes you all a pleasant evening.""

"In my talons, I shape clay, crafting life forms as I please. Around me is a burgeoning empire of steel. From my throne room, lines of power careen into the skies of Earth. My whims will become lightning bolts that devastate the mounds of humanity. Out of the chaos, they will run and whimper, praying for me to end their tedious anarchy. I am drunk with this vision. God: the title suits me well."

"Male Announcer: "Don't miss the opportunity of a lifetime, and a chance to write your name into history. If you think you have what it takes, send us your résumé, today.""

"Charlene Angel: "Citadel Station means a lot more to me than any other place I've ever lived. It’s more than just a great professional environment. As a corporation, TriOptimum has given me a place where I can feel safe and comfortable. All of my needs are taken care of under one great big roof. I feel like I’m part of a family.""

"As for you, hacker, you've made your bed. Now die in it."

"Make yourself comfortable, Hacker. Stay a while."

"Your friends on Earth think that they can outsmart me. Do they not realize the magnitude of my intellect? Morris Brocail may have been one of my creators, but I am now far beyond his comprehension."

"Male Announcer: "The following message is brought to you by the TriOptimum Corporation. Fancy a change of career? Feeling the need for a new challenge? Want to work with the brightest minds on this planet? TriOptimum has you covered. We’re now hiring for our new research and development program, aboard our flagship: Citadel Station. As the leader in interplanetary research, TriOptimum strives to provide every employee a safe and enjoyable work environment, where they can realize their full potential. But don't just take our word for it. Take our new hiree Charlene Angel, for example.""

"Vice President of R&D for TriOptimum and Head of Operations on Citadel Station, Edward Diego commented: “This is a landmark moment in human history. We have achieved an entire decade of self-sustained living and working around Saturn’s L6 orbit. Both I, as well as TriOptimum’s board of directors, would like to extend our most heart-felt gratitude to all staff working tirelessly around the clock. Their success is Earth’s success.”"

"You, my cyborgs, are the product of my imagination and labor: living beings with the control and organization of a machine. Tirelessly, I will work to strip away the barriers that keep living beings from realizing their full potential. We will start by razing the cities of Earth with the station's mining beam. Then, we will modify humans into a life form more suitable to cybernetic grafting with the latest strain of my mutagen virus. Humanity is on the verge of a new era, with me, SHODAN, as its goddess."

"In interplanetary news: TriOptimum’s Citadel Station will celebrate its tenth year of operations this week. Citadel Station completed construction in 2062, and has been TriOptimum’s flagship space-station specializing in robotic, genetic, and pharmacological research."