The Lost Jedi : Jedi Dawn

　The Imperial Research Station looks like the only happening place on the planet, workwise. The Rapid Transit Monorail runs to a terminus close by. Interesting that. No Monorail between the City and the Port, but one out here to the Station, ferrying workers and soldiers back and forth. Also, the road that runs around the outer perimeter of the spaceport and up to the main gates is heavy with traffic, which can't be said of many other roadways you've seen.
　Something is happening here which is consuming just about all the energy Toprawa has left to offer； leaching off it so badly that the rest of the economy is dying, like it was a vampire drawing too much blood from its victim. Nice image that, Havet. Try not to mention it to anyone who works there.
　As you get closer, you see that what looked from the distance like a single laboratory is in fact the street entrance to a whole complex of buildings behind a top security fence. The compound is vast, stretching right round to the edge of the space-port. The road you have walked along actually ends at a heavily-fortified gate. Armed guards and droids patrol the perimeter fence, and surveillance devices on high poles remorselessly scan the compound.
　The sign over the door reads "Imperial Research Station". A small console facing out into the street displays a list of vacancies. You use the touch-screen, and find they have vacancies for drivers, pilots, droid engineers, programmers and data entry clerks, along with some heavyweight technical positions requiring qualifications in space engineering, lasers or guidance systems. These are way out of your league. Besides, the first division jobs are going to be for people with lengthy backgrounds in Imperial service, with a security rating to match. What you want is a job in some low-intensity field, where they might not be so rigorous in checking backgrounds.
　No casual labour required. The Army supplies all the basic muscle and security. So, it looks like your best bet would be to ask for work as a driver or data entry clerk. You go back to those screens； the pay is OK, though they demand their pound of flesh for it - the hours are yery long.
　So, on balance, what are you going to decide, Havet? Working for the IRS is a bit like entering the lion's den, but you can't exist for more than another day or two on the few credits you have left in your coat pocket. How else are you going to earn a living?

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 160

　Plucking up your courage, you push open the door, and enter the building. From outside, it looked just like any office building in any city anywhere, but you soon see the difference inside. The foyer is large, and brightly lit. Surveillance cameras look down from every angle. There is a large reception desk, manned by efficient young women in uniform. Beyond them, the back of the foyer is blocked off by a high, transparent wall. The wall is pierced by several narrow gates, at which armed security guards check IDs, belongings and scan for concealed weapons or other contraband. This foyer, then, is as far as you get without them performing the first checks on your background. You see senior army officers, visiting businessmen and a queue of people much like yourself (looking for work), all being processed in the same fashion.
　On the other side of the foyer from the reception desk, thirty or forty bored and unhappy people are sitting on plain chairs. Most have filled-in job applications in their hands.
　A security guard walks up to you. "Report to reception," he barks.
　"Are all those people waiting to see if they can get work here?" you ask.
　He turns his head to look at them, and his face contorts into a superior sneer. He looks back at you with the same expression. "No-hopers. You need to be something special to get a job here. Report to reception. Have your ID ready."

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 179

　The woman at reception looks at you scornfully as you pull the card from your pocket. She takes a look at it, and her eye brows arch in suprise. "Oh!" she gasps, mouth wide. "I'm sorry. Mr - Mr - I, I -"
　You put the poor girl out of her misery. "Just tell Miss Anamor I'm here."
　"Of course!" she shrills, a little too loudly (boy, have you ever spooked her!). She keys an internal com unlt. "Could I have your ID?" You hand it over, and the girl swipes it through the slot at the side of the unit. Let's hope your ID stands up to the test.
　"He's here to see Miss Facet," says the girl into the unit. "Of course, I'll tell him." She hands back your ID, but not Facet's card. "Miss Facet isn't actually in her office at the moment. However, if you proceed directly to the security point, someone will meet you." The girl smiles again - much more brightly this time - and gestures in the direction of the checkpoint.
　There are four or five gates at the checkpoint, each manned by hardfaced security personnel. However, a sixth gate opens as you approach, and an officer beckons you forward. You look across at the poor devils waiting in line for their turn to be searched；several of them glance back at you, wondering how it is that some scruffy urchin gets in straight away while they -
　You reach the gate. The security man takes your ID, and swipes it through another reader. You see surveillance cameras trained on you from the front and sides, building up a 360°picture of your face. More security guards scan monitors, some reading sensor output, others checking the results of the ID check. Others are lurking in the background, heavily-armed.

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 220

　It seems to take forever for the security guard to check your ID. Sweat breaks out on your forehead. At last, there is a small 'beep' from the console, and he tells the Officer you're clean. The Officer checks the sensor display, and nods to the guards to let you through.
　"You'll have to leave all weapons with us, sir," the officer continues. "Also, that..." He points at the cavernous pocket where you store Arf. You pull the droid out； better to leave him here than have them spend time doing a thorough strip-down search on him...

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 278

　Obeying the officer's instructions, you leave your weapons in a metal container. You place Arf in as well. You pass through the gate, where the Officer returns your ID, and gives you a separate, green metal badge. "You are cleared only for the Green Areas. Do not leave the Green Areas or an alarm will sound. If an alarm sounds, stand perfectly still, you will be intercepted within seconds. If you are found moving outside the Green Areas you will be shot. Understand?" You nod Green is safe, anything else is the busines end of a blaster rifle. Got it.
　"Personnel is on the third floor." He gestures along the passage behind him, where you can see a row of elevators. You pin the metal ID to your coat, and set off for the third floor. Moments later, you are standing outside a door marked "Facet Anamor; Personnel Director" The third floor is filled with offices, and crowded with busy people. You were met at the elevator by a polite, uniformed woman, and brought here. She keys the door panel, and a green light appears beside her finger. "You may go in," she says.
　The office is simply furnished, but Facet has brightened it with holo pictures and flowers. She rises from the workstation at which she was seated, and comes over to shake your hand. "I'm glad you've come,"she says. "I have a feeling we're going to get on well together."

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 297

　"Do you have any idea about what kind of work you want to do, Havet?" Facet asks, operating her keyboard. "Um - something with computers?" you offer. "Programming? Trouble-shooting? Data entry?" Facet laughs, then asks what programming languages you are familiar with, what kind of work you've done in the past. You tell her, adding a few embellishments. She's quite impressed, taps a few keys, then swings the monitor round in your direction. There are several lines of complex computer code in front of you, and more scrolled off the bottom of the screen. "Take a look at that, Havet," says Facet. "What's wrong with that code?"

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 339

　The code is written in Q2800. Simple. The program tests the effects of a massive power surge through a suppression system； the kind of thing you'd get if you had a blow-back from some kind of particle beam or energy weapon. The energy they're talking about is huge!
　It takes 10 minutes to find the error. There's a feedback loop, exaggerating the effect of control equipment. At first, the test results would be accurate； but they would slowly degenerate, making it appear that the control systems were more effective than they really were. The 'error' must have been built in deliberately. Sabotage! You also see a password bypass patched onto the code. You point out the error to Facet, and suggest a correction, but you don't voice your suspicions about the sabotage. She seems quite impressed. "I'll pass that on,"she says.
　From where you sit, the Empire owes you one, and - if they don't pay you back - you now know how to break through the access passwords on their computer system. Hmmm. You'll have to think about how you're going to use that information. While you consider your options. Facet turns to a second machine, and taps in some commands on its keyboard. Out pops a blue metallic badge, similar to the green one you're wearing. "OK,"she says. "You're hired. This won't be active for a few days, while we do some background checks. Call back, after Ninthday. Show that at Reception: they'll tell you what to do." You take the badge, and slip it into a pocket. Facet smiles. "Welcome to the IRS. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 246

　You have a metallic blue card. This is a part of the security system at the IRS. You listen to an explanation of how it works. The Station is divided into three different zones for Security purposes - Green, Blue and Red. Sensors monitor all personnel and visitors throughout the complex. Only those wearing a badge are permitted within the complex at all. Only those with blue or red badges can enter the Blue Zone, and only those with Red badges can enter the most secure areas, the Red Zones. All the primary research and test areas, along with the Communications Centre, are badged Red.
　Your blue card permits you access to the administration and storage areas, and restricted parts of the accommodation block.

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 554

　Facet looks genuinely surprised when you ask if you can see her after work. "You're a fast worker!" she laughs, thinking the prospect through. "OK - you're on!" She offers you a data card carrying her addroos, then realises you don't have a personal pad. She finds a sheet of paper instead, and writes quickly on it. "Don't lose this, Havet!" she says as she hands the sheet over. "Oh, and Havet... see if you can arrange to have a bath first!"
　Cheek! Still, she may have a point. It has been rather longer than usual since you hit the showers. As for your coat, it could probably walk to Facet's apartment even without you in it.
　"Come on." she says. "I'll show you out."

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 33