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This is a terminal that can be found in Marathon.

Location[]

Game: Marathon

Level: Arrival

There are a number of ways to reach this terminal as it is in the maze on this level. The simplest way is to start from the big room located at the bottom of the maze. When entering this room from the right you need to open a door. Open this but do not go through. You should see a doorway opposite you. Run across to this. Make sure you don't fall into the room itself.

Here are the maze directions from the left side of that room:

  • Go straight ahead
  • At the end of the passage turn right.
  • Take the second left.
  • At the end of the passage turn right.
  • At the end of this passage turn left.
  • Take the first left.
  • The terminal is at the end.

Terminal Text[]

U.E.S.C. Marathon
Hangar Area-5 Engineering Access 50-h<291.7.577.456>
<Unauthorized access-alarm 2521->
<Security Breached 50-h<291.7.577.456>->

*00010104A80600A2F0C4EBA182E4A80584F2E00BC876700FF46202EFE4*3A
EFE4A2F0C2F074EBA1DC672FFB280504F6700079d4202EFE4E6000079*E700
12D40FE52722AB2866610202EFE5253AEFE52101B4880
^^Fire and @3DC39 aspects of the theory are as follows: each
society has some controlling force or forces which decide its
direction, but the relationships in society are arbitrary-
humanity can relate to money, machines, neighbors, anything
really; %6582@1
<logical reset @67FC229>
individual character and personality are preserved in stories,
movies, Rom-personalities, etc; although individual expression
is a universal ability, individual freedom is constrained by
the society.(see attached figure)^^
*584F2E00206DFDCA7008C030780066C6202EFE4A53AEFE4A2F0C2F074E
*BA1E2A72FFB280504F6690600007F67025B086660E101B488048C02C00
<logical reset @67FC231>
<Spurious Interrupt- Breach Disabled>
<Further Access Denied>
<Breach Location Undetermined>
U.E.S.C. Marathon
Hangar Area-5 Engineering Access 50-h<291.7.577.456>

Comments[]

This is one of two terminals in the first level, Arrival, that can be completely missed by the player without affecting gameplay or progress. Marathon has many such terminals which serve no other purpose than to provide background story information; a similar technique was used by Bungie to provide the backstory for Halo 3.

As is common with many of these terminals, its relevance is not immediately apparent, especially on a first play-through. This one is particularly vague: it has no author as well as containing garbled text that is philosophical in content and almost text book in style. That being said it makes more sense once the player is aware of what is coming up later in the game and points to the following plot developments:

S'pht and computers

This is one of the first clues that the S'pht have an affinity for computer systems and are experts in their use. A compiler is located very near to this terminal and the "Unauthorized access-alarm" suggests that this compiler had recently accessed this terminal. The player, of course, has no idea that this is a S'pht when first playing this level. This aspect of the aliens is confirmed later in the level by Leela.

Durandal's Rampancy
Although Durandal is not referred to as the author of this terminal text there are indicators that he is responsible for its contents, mainly due to the second line. This brief discussion of freedom for humanity and "Rom-personalities"; an alternative term for an AI, is expanded upon in later terminals explicitly authored by Durandal. This is a further hint to his rampancy that adds to the evidence from his tampering with the airlock described in the introduction of the Marathon manual.

Durandal and the S'pht as Allies
More spurious but certainly worth mentioning is that this is an early clue to the S'pht and Durandal working in tandem. This also can be inferred from the manual where Durandal threatens to tell the aliens about the arrival of the security officer. The garbled text, in reality hex strings, could be communication of plans between Durandal and the S'pht. This is mere conjecture, at this point in the game, though.

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