Runs
M.E.R.C. ending
A M.E.R.C. run is only possible after a bio-pod or escape ending, in a new run that is chipped and not Endless. It ends at the top of layer 11 with the M.E.R.C. scarf on you, instead of the surface breach.
- CATASTROPHIC FAILURE
- End screen
- UNKNOWN - POTENTIAL ISSUE
- Physical status
- INT 18
- Scarf recipe
Steps
The Tech-Ball
On layer 1, the first time you go below a fixed depth, a Tech-Ball appears 25 blocks below you in a small hollow: "It looks like it's malfunctioning..? You could open it." Once you are within 12 blocks it starts bouncing around. It has 300 health and always drops a Nano-tech scanner.
The scanner
Used on layer 1 it makes the run a M.E.R.C. run, gives 200 base Intelligence XP and teaches the M.E.R.C. scarf recipe at INT 18 instead of 99: "You came up with a new recipe...". Used after layer 1: "The writing is incomprehensible... Maybe try another time?"
The chips
Six layers always get a chip site in a M.E.R.C. run, and the chip's place is marked for you. In other runs each site has a 25% chance per visit and no marker. A chip stays fixed in place until picked up.
The scarf
Made from a Scarf, a Circuit board at 90% condition or more and the six chips.
The top of layer 11
With the scarf anywhere on you when you arrive, the sky of layer 11 is grey instead of gold. Reaching the top with the scarf on you starts the ending. You still need the cargo from layer 10 to get there.
No Unchipped layers
A M.E.R.C. run never gets the Unchipped layer modifier.
The six chips
REL-Hyper-Regeneration Booster chip
Layer 2
Micro-SINGLEBTR 1CHRG capacitor
Layer 3
0.2.9-Mind-Swap chip
Layer 4
0.0.7-Emergency Rejuvenation chip
Layer 5
MINI-AI chip
Layer 7
Kinetic Transmitter chip
Layer 9
On screen
The surface
You breach through the final few layers of gravel and rock that separate you from the wide open air. You've travelled through hell and back, surpassed thousands of, what are now corpses, and have become the first one to complete your assigned objective... ...And yet, you feel like this is only the start of something greater. You step foot on the cold gravel. Buildings, mountains and various groups of people appear in the horizon. You have breached the surface.
The pod
Suddenly, you see a flash in the sky accompanied by an unrecognizable loud beeping. A few minutes pass while you appreciate your newfound surroundings, before some kind of pod loudly crashes into the ground a short distance away. While you've seen hundreds of lifepods during your journey, this one looks nothing like the ones before. You figure this one is meant for you... ...But, you refuse to board it. Not after what they've done to you and so, so many others. The captors must pay. The captors must die. You will not become another one of their pawns to be used for whatever deeds they want done. You're not coming back wherever they are until you can absolutely ruin everything they've built up over all these years. A bright hatred burns inside of you. They will not get away with any of this. To hell with their pod, to hell with their mission, to hell with whatever they want you to do. So you stay. ... You've noticed the cargo inside of you has begun wriggling erratically ever since you came out into the sunlight. You hesitate. Something is clearly up with the object lodged in your body, and it's getting worse by the minute. You fear something bad will happen if you just stay out here... ...But you can't go back. Your scarf. You recall one of the body chips you found on the way had something about "rejuvenation" written on it. Maybe you'll be fine? ... It hurts. It hurts so much. Something is horribly wrong with the cargo. Your chest feels like it's burning. Your entire body feels like it's being electrocuted. You can't even stand up straight anymore. It hurts. The pod's beeping gets louder. You realize, if you don't crawl your way onto it soon, you will die. Your mind starts racing. Do you really want to potentially throw away your life over some petty revenge? But you can't move. The pain is too much. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hu ██████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████
The scarf
... ... ..? What..? Where am I..? Why... It hurts... ... What happened...? This scarf... I... ... ...I remember. ...I know what needs to be done.