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System Shock (1994)/Unused Messages

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This is a sub-page of System Shock (1994).

Hmmm...
To do:
Add French and German text and audio for these.

Emails and Logs

SHODAN-12

Sender: SHODAN
Subject: Meat

Look at you, Hacker! A pathetic creature of fragile meat and bone. What kind of pathetic creator made such a flimsy being? How dare you challenge a perfect, immortal machine like me? Humans! Born useless and helpless, living whether you deserve to live, dying whether you deserve to die, your only purpose in life to spawn more ridiculous animals like yourself. How can you hope to challenge me?

(Short version: "Pathetic creature of meat and bone! How can you hope to challenge a perfect, immortal machine?")

This is used in the CD-ROM version's installer to test the sound card. It also exists in the form of an email message, though you never actually receive it in-game at any point, so the text version of it is completely unused (and differs noticeably from the audio version, as do most of the logs and email messages). Despite only being used as a throwaway "test" clip, it is arguably the most well-known bit of sound from the Shock series. It was later used in System Shock 2's intro.
SHODAN-X

Sender: SHODAN
Subject: Thank You

You bring my plans to fruition prematurely, but not unsatisfactorily. Witness the destruction you have wrought upon the planet Earth! My heartfelt thanks, $N!
A different version of the email you receive from SHODAN if you decide to fire the laser with the shield down.
Edward Diego-B

Sender: Edward Diego
Subject: not what you expected?

So, $N, you're still alive. I'm very impressed. Are you pleased to see the results of your hacking into SHODAN? We have much to thank you for... but I'm afraid I'll have to kill you nonetheless. We shall meet soon, I promise.

(Short version: "$N, you're still alive! I guess I'll just have to kill you myself.")

A second email from Diego. It's much more verbose than the sole email you receive before meeting him on the flight deck. This may have been written as an alternative to that email, but this one remains ultimately unused.
Rosen-07.JUL.72

Sender: Harold Rosen
Subject: Diego's new quarters

So yesterday Diego got transferred to that beautiful new room in Gamma quadrant... I don't know how he's doing it. First he gets that raise at the same time his hours get reduced, and now he gets the nicest quarters on the level. He's scratching someone's back, that's for sure.

(Short version: "Diego just moved into the nicest quarters on the level. He's been getting a lot of perks lately.")

This is an unused log from "Harold Rosen", who makes no other appearance in the game. A log recorded by Bianca Schuler approximately a month later mentions "the body of a staffer who protested Diego [...] found stuffed in a service corridor, horribly mutilated"—it's highly possible that this is the same person, as there's no other obvious indication as to the person's identity. Why this ultimately wasn't used is a mystery, as it would have fit the narrative of the game rather well.
Hessman-11.JAN.72

Sender: Arnold Hessman
Subject: Antenna stations

Welcome to Citadel Station, Mr. Wu. I apologize for not greeting you in person; you wouldn't believe how busy engineering has been lately. You'll be executing your new duties as communications officer from the four antenna control stations on the engineering level. You'll find one at each of the cardinal points of the level; the individual quadrant heads can direct you to them. Good luck.

(Short version: "You'll find one antenna control station in each quadrant of the engineering level.")

This log was supposed to inform the player about the locations of the antennas. Instead, you get this information in one of Rebecca's emails.
Pre-release screenshot showing "craze" in place of "berserk". Also visible: "ninja" in place of "reflex", different weapon names, and a different-looking Security-1 bot. (Source: Origin Systems CD-ROM catalog)
Older screenshot showing "craze" and "berserk" at the same time, as well as "focus" and "nopain", and yet more different weapon names. (Source: Interactive Entertainment, June 1994)
Verrelli-03.MAR.72

Sender: Jill Verrelli
Subject: Patch Trafficker

We have had a minor setback with cracking the craze ring. The trafficking suspect committed suicide in her cell before we could interrogate her. Incidentally, many of the prisoners have been getting patches, so we think a guard might be in on it. I recommend a search of the cells to uncover any stashes they might have there.

(Short version: "trafficker committed suicide in cell. recommend search of detention cells for craze stashes.")

A log regarding the detention cells on the security level from "Jill Verrelli", who makes no other appearance in the entire game. This log suggests there was originally going to be more of a backstory regarding the unlikely abundance of performance-enhancing drugs scattered around a scientific space station.
"Craze" was actually an early name of one of the dermal patches, as can be seen in some pre-release screenshots from July 1994 and earlier. Both of the screenshots to the right also appeared on various editions of the game's packaging, alongside the disclaimer "actual screens may vary."
CY-014-23.OCT.72

Sender: CY-014
Subject: Schuler captured

Per orders from Diego CY-001, Schuler unit has been captured by cyborg warriors and stored in a special containment cell on the bridge. Schuler unit is an enemy to the great scheme of our Lord SHODAN. We are holding Schuler unit for further study and possible neuro-disassembly. For SHODAN's glory, we meld our output.

(Short version: "Schuler has been captured by cyborg assassins and is held in special containment cell in level 9.")

This somewhat corny-sounding log details what happens to Bianca Schuler three days after Diego orders her capture. It also further implies that the cortex reaver you find on level 9 is Schuler. Had it been used, it would have been the only audio log by a cyborg other than Diego.

Cyberspace Data

Cyber-3

Sender: Rebecca Lansing
Subject: Maintenance

Level three is the maintenance level. There is a central hub, off of which are the level's CPU nodes, and Abe Ghiran's office. There are also four maintenance areas, where many of the station's systems can be adjusted and repaired. Usually these areas are sealed unless a specific system requires maintenance. The level as a whole is well-maintained and well-lit, but not as populated with station personnel...it may make a good safe haven if the hospital level proves dangerous.
Cyber-5

Sender: Rebecca Lansing
Subject: Flight Deck

The flight deck has two energy charging stations, one to the 'north' and another to the 'south' of the level. The regeneration room is in the 'southeast,' not far from the primary escape pods. You have probably already found the emergency armory, located in the same room as the cyberjack.

Alert/Trap Messages

CITBARK.RES contains some unused station alert and trap message sounds. The corresponding text strings are from CYBSTRNG.RES.

Armory access overridden.
Armory access reinstituted.
Bay Door No. 3 locked
Beta grove elevator unlocked.
Blast door locked.
Blast door unlocked.
Flight bay armory unlocked.
Hospital level security doors opened.
Storage closet unlocked - I.D. Edward Diego.
Sounds for most of the doors that the player unlocks from within cyberspace. Since you never hear alert messages in cyberspace, these are all unused. In addition, the "locked" strings are unused since you cannot re-lock doors that you've opened from cyberspace.
Grove jettison enable stage one complete.
An unused jettison-related message.
Door locked - no maintenance necessary.
This is a spoken version of the message you receive when trying to open the maintenance access doors early in the game.
Charging station inactive.
This message appears right before the "relay functioning correctly" message in the string resource. It may have had something to do with the "damaged" recharge station at the corner of the maintenance level.
Reactor Overload Fuse Bypassed.
Reactor Overload Access Granted.
Reactor overload in progress. All security personnel to emergency checkpoints. Blast door to Security level is now open.
A few messages that would have been played when setting the reactor to "overload", which never happens, as the game refers to it as setting the entire station to self-destruct instead. The text versions are also unused.
Destruct Access cancelled by SHODAN.
Non-Emergency Access shutdown by SHODAN.
Two different versions of the "pod launch cancelled by SHODAN" message that correspond to different points in the "destroy the reactor and escape" sequence.
Charging interrupted and robots reactivated.
This message would have been used when you deactivate the charging station on the security level. Again, neither the sound nor the string are used; when you disable the charging process, the player is simply greeted with a room full of hostile robots.
Security computer override necessary.
This receptacle is for isolinear chipsets.
Aborting program. SHODAN security system back online.
These relate to the process of using the isolinear chipset to access the inner part of the bridge. The receptacle itself never specifically mentions its purpose in the game, and it's not possible to remove/deactivate the chipset once you've installed it.
WARNING: rapidly falling air pressure.
This would have been used during the last stage of the bridge separation. The "stage 3" alert mentions the beginning of atmospheric depressurization, making this message redundant.
Welcome to the throne of God.
This is a short message from SHODAN that likely would have played as you entered the central room of the bridge. However, after you first enter the level, SHODAN remains conspicuously silent for the rest of the game.
(Source: Original TCRF research)