System Shock

"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?""

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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!"

"The Navy maintains a survival training school on the surface of Io, the third moon of Jupiter. Pros: there's no better way to improve stamina and survival skills. Cons: the 21.2% mortality rate. Plus, you gotta spend the year with a bunch of Navy skanks."

"Not every boarding party has the luxury of gravity, so the Corps strongly recommends every one of its brethren get in some zero-G training. A year aboard the training station Guadalcanal should suffice."

"A tour of duty aboard the Antigua should let you pick up some one-on-one beam weapon training from Gunnery Sgt. Malloy, but heads up -- she's a world-class SOB."

"The automated asteroid ore facilities in JM-432 supply the UNN shipyards, so they're crucial to defense. However, they're also prime candidates for hackers. Somebody's gotten their claws into the primary data loop, and they need a team to head in there and blast their way past the automated defense systems."

"Dummy ammunition, live ammunition, moving targets, stationary targets, LIVE targets... the Port MacArthur Training Facility has enough hardware to warm the heart of any leatherneck."

"The UNN Secretary-General's office needs a full staff of armed guards. When things are dull, it requires a lot of standing around and looking good in a uniform. When things are bad, it can require fending off a psi-terrorist assault."

"The Poliedes Trading Station has long been a haven for the black market. However, up until now they have not interfered with the running of station operations. Recent reports indicate that the Poliedes command staff has been overthrown, and the station is under the control of a self-appointed magnate. This must be rectified and a marine presence maintained on the station."

"The Colony Air Service gets the dregs of the fleet, and the Antigua is the dregs of the dregs. You'll learn a lot about recalcitrant machinery on a tour of duty aboard the Antigua, if it doesn't blow you to hell and back first."

"Inside, we'll teach you the basics of some technical skills you'll need in the Navy."

"Welcome aboard the Space Station Chesapeake Bay, sailor. It looks like you've picked up some standard weapons skills at basic on Coronado Island. Now it's time for your tour of duty. Your tour will consist of four postings over four years. In this man's Navy you're given a choice of three different postings a year. It's up to you to decide what kind of career you want to have, so choose wisely. Just approach a shuttle bay to receive a briefing on a posting. If you think that posting is right for you, head into that bay to accept the assignment."

"The UNN Lucille is looking for an Ops Training Officer to learn the ship's navigation and data control systems. You'll get your feet wet with the high-tech systems, but also expect some heavy lifting."

"The UNN Lucille is looking for an Engineer's Mate to help maintain the ship's core energy systems. There's some heavy lifting involved, sailor, but you'll learn your way around the high-tech equipment."

"The UNN Lucille is looking for volunteers for their Military Police detachment. Those sailors can get pretty rowdy on these year-long cruises, so you'd better not be afraid of a tussle."

"The UNN Carfax is undertaking a mission to examine a newly discovered Class B comet approaching the outer solar system. You'll likely pick up some useful skills working with the high-tech navigation systems aboard this newly commissioned heavy cruiser."

"The UNN Pierce is ferrying liberated political prisoners back home from their detention near Saturn. The Pierce has been assigned a detachment of Marines, and needs sailors to load, administer and maintain the arms on board the ship."

"Laverne, Florida hosts the Navy's premiere Tactical Training School. While maybe not as respected as the Marines' facility at Fort Bush, there's a lot to be learned here."

"The Navy's Marie Curie Research Facility on Aquinas IV is currently conducting research on a new strain of spaceborne virus that killed 220,000 citizens of New Atlanta. To lift the quarantine, we must determine how the virus pierced the city's micro-nanite shielding."

"The Navy maintains a survival training school on the surface of Io, the third moon of Jupiter. Pros: there's no better way to improve stamina and survival skills. Cons: the 21.2% mortality rate."