Base Cochise level 4

Step Time: 0.25 minHeal rate: 128 stepsEnc. freq.: 79

**Base Cochise level 4** is a location in Base Cochise.

## Background

This is the deepest past of Base Cochise and the heart of the Cochise AI war effort. It shows signs of damage and overuse, as befitting a mad artificial intelligence bent on destroying the world. It is divided into four sectors, connected by a central hub with an elevator and ladder to the upper levels. The southeastern corner is a large room filled from floor to ceiling with countless computers. The flashing lights and video screens bring the room to an eerie life. It contains the main electronic operations hub, including computers governing the Robot Maintenance sector opposite, Security Interval checks for the base, and Cylinder Closing computers for the self-destruct system.

Just opposite is the robot maintenance area, a room where dozens of drills and saws are singing an ear-piercing song. Blue and white sparks jump from welders and cutters, dropping to the ground to bounce out their brief lives. A robot torso passes before you as it lumbers its way across the room on one of the countless conveyor belts. The robot repair area looks in need of repair itself, with the roof and wall supports laying exposed.

In the northwestern corner is the ruined reactor core room. The AI has since switched to other sources of power, and the area resembles an "Early American pigsty." Piles of dirt cover the long-lost floor. The earthen smell of compost hangs heavy in the air. In the far corner of this indoor barnyard is the old reactor control console, safely sheltered behind a glass-steel wall. Piles of wastelandium, plutonium, and uranium litter the floor. Finally, the southwestern corner contains the OSHA room, now empty with an intricate diamond pattern on the floor. As the final element of the self-destruct sequence, the AI has converted it into a killing zone with stranglers and a Fusion Octotron placed on guard to emerge at the last moment to take down the attacker.

## Points of interest

* Open the door with the Secpass B or plastic explosives. The explosives have to be used for the other doors, as no cards fit (retreat to the stash on level 2 as necessary). The goal is to access the cylinders and activate the self-destruct sequence.
	+ First step is the reactor core. blow up the door, then reach the reactor controls to the right, avoiding the radiation (plutonium piles deal 2d6 or 2-12 damage; uranium 3d6 or 3-18; wastelandium 4d6 or 4-24). The safe path from the entrance is 2e, 4n, 1e, 1n, 4e to the glass wall and 4w, 2n, 3e, 2n, 3w, 2n, 1e to the cylinder. Use the Blackstar key.
* The northeast room holds manufacturing facilities. Use a Crowbar or just about anything else on the machinery at the top left to stop the conveyor belt from shuffling you around (if you get grabbed, Acrobat helps you jump off and can increase to 4). This also turns off random encounters on this level entirely. Use the Nova key on the cylinder.
* The southeast room has electronic devices. You can use Electronics or Alarm Disarm on the terminals:
	+ The upper right console determines the frequency of random encounters on this level. Successfully using Electronics or Alarm disarm on it won't lower the encounter rate very much since it's pretty low to begin with. If you want to increase the encounter rate (use IQ or LK instead of Electronics) you'll have to fail quite a number of times before the difference becomes noticeable.
	+ The upper middle console controls what kinds of enemies you'll face: each of the eleven plates represents one variety. Turn all of them off (Electronics, Alarm disarm) and you'll only face relatively weak Laser Pod Blasters; instead turn them on (IQ, LK) and you'll face upgraded Threshing Crawlers, Xenon Laser Cannons and fearsome bands of Fusion Octotrons for farming XP.
	+ The terminal on the left controls the machines in the factory; using Electronics successfully here will let you ride the belt without taking damage, but it doesn't allow you to reach the corner, nor does it stop robots from being made.
	+ Below the lower middle console you can raise Perception and Cryptology by noticing a sign. After you've installed the Plasma coupler this console becomes operable, see below for details. Use the Pulsar key on the machine.
	+ Finally go to the southwestern OSHA chamber. If you're lucky you can raise Brawling (or Pugilism) to 8 by wrestling robots, or if you're not so good at that you'll have to fight Silver Stranglers. Destroy the Fusion Octotron (you have to approach it) and use the Quasar key on the cylinder in the corner.
* Now, the shutdown sequence. Once you press a key to initiate self-destruction, the small rooms will close. You can disband your party *or* you can disband one of your Rangers or followers to the security electronics room and use Electronics on the Cylinder Closing System, which will cause all four rooms to open up. Now, the self-destruct sequence is as follows:
	+ Northwest, red.
	+ Southeast, yellow.
	+ Southwest, green.
	+ Northeast, blue.

* After entering the sequence, you have exactly one hour before the place blows, with one minute passing for every four steps taken. Get your parties together or just walk out of the last room. You can go the long way out or you can decide to use the escape pod that appears opposite the exit area. Use it and you end up beside the Cochise mainframe. You can then leave through the main gate, or climb the rope if there is one. Avoid combat and autofire - every turns acts as a step and advances the time.
* Once you get out, just walk away to enjoy the cutscene. If any characters are left at the Base, they are permanently lost, although you get a nice unique portrait animation to go with their disappearance. Radio Ranger Center and you'll get 10 character points and 10 MAXCON in addition to any ranks you may have gained normally.

### Cheat sheet

Access reactor controls and use the plasma coupler on the computer to activate the self-destruct cylinders.

1. Blackstar key—Reactor Core Room
2. Nova key—Robot Maintanance Room
3. Pulsar key—Security Electronics Room
4. Quasar key—OSHA Room

Order for final disarm:

1. Reactor Core Room—Red
2. Security Electronics—Yellow
3. OSHA Room—Green
4. Robot Maintanance—Blue