Red Faction Diaries Part Two

This is my ongoing exploration of the Red Faction Universe. Whether you’re a newcomer or an old-goer, I hope to make this something you can read along with and enjoy. I begin with Red Faction.

The Red Faction rebellion against Ultor had begun, and I had escaped from Mine M-4 along with absolutely nobody. After many dead miners, and the occasional living one who died moments after meeting Parker, I had reached the shuttle moments too late -- except for the fact it was shot down by missiles seconds after taking off, and making sure I was staying on Mars…

I went and repressurized the hanger bay, before heading down and killing the guards. I had to make my way to… Well, anywhere but the burning wreckage of that ship now littering the surface of Mars, really. But with Hendrix still giving me directions, I had to find somewhere to go.

Looks promising!

I dodged through a corridor full of guards and topped with an auto-turret, and hopped over a hole which an unfortunate person had fallen down. The door at the end opened to reveal a huge hovering missile-spewing mech. I blasted it with rockets, and went up a nearby ladder to activate the large door nearby. It housed a ship named Solar -- or owned by Solar, I’m not too sure… The ship had some health kits and armour in, and I couldn’t fly it (presumably because the missile batteries were still active). Through the hanger led to an elevator.

I still have no idea what the relevance is...

After going down several dozen meters, it stopped and began to shake… I grabbed the nearby ladder as it shook more before moving down -- and then falling down. I dropped down to the door and exited into an open area with more guards to murder, and a closed blast door. Eos herself contacted me, and told me to stay alive, and if I could do that they would work their way back up to me.. With them dispatched, Hendrix told me that I had to dig around the doors as they weren’t working, so out came the explosives.

Several detonations later, I was on the other side of the tunnel and Eos contacted me once more, revealing that she knew my name! Well, Parker’s name in any case. She told me to meet up with some miners that were close by. However, the mine shaft had been abandoned some time ago, and was now quite treacherous. At least I was able to dive into some water, which was lucky. Being on Mars in the first place, I needn't have worried about oxygen -- I was wearing a full armoured spacesuit.

I climbed out after a short swim, and headed on up the ragged rock, capping a couple of guards on the way. Into the next area, Eos came through to tell me that they were trying to destroy a geothermal power plant, which would allow her to send reinforcements.

"I've got their thermal right here!"

I went into the next section, and there was no way out -- except by jumping right into the rock sorting machine! At least, that’s what I thought it was, and the tube was large enough to stand up in. As I went, Eos told me that one of her squads was pinned down in the ventilation tunnels, and asked me to help. A quick 180 turn from the earlier ‘we’ll come help you’...

Out of the tube were two guards and a scoop bucket. I killed them and activated the scoop, jumping into it as it traveled off and upwards. Hendrix mentioned that there should be a way to the miners through one of the shafts -- I figured he meant the huge spinning fan that I was passing. I jumped out and ducked through the spinning blades of doom, heading through the tunnel until I heard gunfire. As I reached the other side, I heard a miner die, and began taking shots at the guards stationed further up the shaft.

It being a seemingly bottomless pit, I had to wonder why there were no safety railings. Damned budget cuts making this an unsafe workplace...

I traveled up the ladders and almost the top, needing to turn off the giant fan at the top and hop onto it to get carried around enough, and be able to head through the rock crusher vent that Hendrix told me about. At the other end was a dying miner, who asked me to apologise to Eos for him -- a sniper had wiped them out.

I equipped my rocket launcher and went on, seeing a guard perched atop a machine. Sparks flew as he shot a bit of metal in front of my face, which was obviously blocking his view of me -- so I launched a rocket at him, ending his reign of terror. Now I had to investigate what this machine, and it’s tantalizing lever, were for...

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