*System Shock - Hints and Tips - Level 9 / Bridge *                  *

        Level 9 is almost completely covered with a biological infestation.
You start on the northeast corner.  The center of the level is the bridge,
which at the start is not open to you.

	Your goal on this level is, of course, to kill or disable Shodan.
You can only attack Shodan in cyberspace.  The terminal you need to use is
on the bridge.  You need to get into the bridge.

	If you have been picking up logs and reading them, you know about
the isolinear chipset.  It will, when installed, open the bridge and allow
you access to Shodan.  It is on this level; someone else tried to use it
and failed.

	The place where the isolinear chipset must be installed is at the
southwest corner of the level.  It is a computer room.  It is protected by
three force doors.


Your goals on this level:

1) Destroy cameras as you find them.
2) Get the isolinear chipset.
3) Turn off the three force doors.
4) Use the chipset, opening the bridge doors.
5) Fight your way through the bridge area to the cyberspace terminal.
6) Defeat Shodan on its own turf.

	This will be a bit of work.  The entire level is a set of things to
do; you must do all before you can gain entrance to the bridge, so just
start anywhere.  Note: as you walk around the bridge, the outer walls have
assassin cyborgs hiding in upper niches.  Also, in one spot there is an 
ambush by a sec2bot; watch for its twitching feet under the sliding panel.

	If you would like a game plan, here is one: from the elevator, head
west.  There is a small area to do, with an energy station outside it.  West
of that, in the northwest corner of the level, are two areas to visit.

	The first is a corridor heading west.  Walk down it; there is an iris
door on the floor.  When you step on it, it opens and you fall through. The
hallway below leads to the armory.  In the armory, use your lamp to find and
get up to a small room in the wall for more stuff.

	Leaving the armory, take the corridor north.  The room you are 
entering is surrounded by sec2bots.  This would be a good time to save.  
There is one right to your left.  Lean, and snipe at it.  When it falls, get 
into its spot and note the button.  This button opens another spot, with 
another sec2bot.  You will go around the room, doing this.  When you have 
done five, you should be at a point exactly opposite to your entrance.  When
you do that button, two sec2bots are exposed.  Do both, and the room is 
clear.

	Take the force walk to the center.  On the side by the entrance, you
will find a screen and an access panel.  Do the panel, and watch one force 
door go down.  You're done in this area.

	Continue counterclockwise, and find the computer room in the 
southwest corner.  East of that is a room with a cortex reaver.  Also in that
room is a version 3 biosuit.  If you don't have one, get this one.  The
bridge is radioactive.  There are also magpulse clips, and first aid kits.

	Continuing to the southeast corner, you arrive at the red corridor.
Through that is a room and a force wall.  I don't recall how to drop the
force wall, although I did it once.  If you find a way, fine.  Otherwise,
you will need to take the low road.

	The low road is the floor duct leading west from that first room.
Jump down (if you see land mines, shoot them before jumping.)  Squat down,
and go through.  As you travel the corridor, you find a door.

	There is an elite cyborg beyond.  The best medicine for him is
a dose of skorpion ammo.  There are one or two more, then you find a 
radioactive area with a mutant cyborg in it.

	Past the mutant cyborg is a door.  I believe there is a button in
the opening to its right.  Past that door is a duct, leading up and left.
This is a good time to pause.  If you are down in health, heal.  If you need
to charge up, turn around and leave.  Use the energy station, heal, load the
skorpion, and head back.

	Up that duct is probably the most frustrating area in the game, at
least to me.  This is the ever-regenerating autobomb room.  You need to go
to the northeast part of this room.  There is another access panel and
screen.  This opens a second force door guarding the southwest computer room.

    ** Note: you will Never kill all of the autobombs-they regenerate! **

	To do this room, use a reflex patch.  Go in, shooting autobombs as
you do.  Try to get them at a distance.  Pop medipatches or first aid kits as
you go.  Get to the access panel and save.  Pull out a logic probe and do it,
see the force door drop, and get out.

	After recovering, you can head north along the east side of the 
bridge.  The next room has a mutant cyborg and the isolinear chipset.  Do the
borg, and walk to the right.  In the red area, press the button.  You are
teleported into the cage.  Grab the chipset, press the floor button, and 
leave.

	The next room, just east of the elevator, is great.  Walk in and look
around.  It's a maze filled with sec2bots.  The third access panel is down
there, just west of center.

	Press the button on the north wall (save first) and start the 
fun.  These sec2bots will stand in one spot until you get in sight, so you 
can snipe at them fairly well.  I assume you have some penetrator ammo for
the assault rifle?  If not, you may need to shoot and run a bit.  Continue,
saving as you go, until you find the panel.  Do it, watch the last screen 
drop, and you can leave.  A repulsar lifts you back to the entrance.

	It's time to head for the southwest computer room.  Go in, watching
for company, and use the chipset on the circuit board.  The bridge is open!

	The bridge is guarded by elite cyborgs.  On enemy difficulty level 3
(hardest) I found nine in there.  The area is radioactive.  Be healed,
charged up, and have your weapon of choice loaded  (I used a skorpion for 
part of this, and the assault rifle for part.)

	A good way to start is to lean in and look.  The bridge is 
symmetrical; whether you start on the east or west, it looks the same.  You 
can shoot one elite cyborg from the door immediately, to the right.  Another 
will come over to see what's up.  Take it out, too.  By now, others are 
moving.  A third will come at you from the left (up the ramp) quickly.

	You can circle around the outside of the bridge to try this on the
other side, taking out as many as possible without getting into the room and
getting irradiated.  Sooner or later, of course, you need to go in.

	Save first, pop a reflex patch if you have one, and enter.  From the 
door, go left and up the ramp.  Some cyborgs are in the lower areas and easy 
to pick off.  There is at least one, perhaps three, in the center.  The
cyberspace terminal is on the upper level, in the center.

	Once you are alone, take a medipatch or first aid kit and save.  Head
for the cyberspace terminal.  Ignore the other cyberspace stations.  They 
look flashy but are for robots and cyborgs; you can't use them.  Save before
you go into cyberspace.  You can call up your software inventory and select
your pulsar and c-shield before entering.  Once inside, check to make sure
of what is selected and shut off the display; it just gets in the way.

	Once you are in there, you will eventually end up in a room with
Shodan.  It is grayish and moves around.  The room itself has a current; you
will keep swirling around as Shodan tries to keep behind you.  Keep using
your pulsar on Shodan as often as you can.  The area will become grayish; 
eventually you will see little but a full screen picture of Shodan.

	Finally, you are done.  Shodan is history and you are hacking into
Tetracorp's files, looking at some battle armor.  That armor will appear in
Looking Glass Technology's new game Terra Nova (just in early development;
don't hold your breath.) 

	So, when is the System Shock sequel coming out??

								- Jon