An Ounce of Hope, a Pound of Despair

"An Ounce of Hope, A Pound of Despair" is both a cutscene and a training mission. During your training you will learn how to ride a motorcycle. During the briefing Archer's success in the previous mission is hailed, while the loss of Tom Goodman is lamented. The training prepares you for the upcoming mission Rescue Attempt.

Briefing
''A bittersweet success, to be sure, but a success nonetheless. Recovering from Agent Goodman's death will be no easy task, but you can be sure H.A.R.M. won't sit idly by while you grieve.''

''The information you recovered from the headquarters of Dumas Industrial Enterprises may prove to be the break you've needed. Report to the War Room for a full briefing.''

Synopsis
At the shooting range, Archer recalls her last encounter with Goodman, taking out her anger on several targets. Just then, she is called to the War Room where she has a brief discussion with Mr. Jones. Although she is distraught over losing two partners, he commends her success and tries to inspire her by explaining how important it is for operatives to risk their lives. He also talks about how close he was to Bruno, as well as his uncertainty of whether Bruno truly was as treacherous as they thought.

Mr. Smith soon arrives and provides new information on Dr. Schenker's whereabouts. He tells them that H.A.R.M. could be keeping him captive in an underground base in North America somewhere near a lumberyard, which is being furtively supplied by an American Railways passenger train. They suspect that at least one engineer in the company is reinforcing the activity, and call for his apprehension. Consequently, the train will go right past its original stop, meaning that Archer will need to detach a caboose in order to reach the lumberyard proper. She will then need to meet with a contact in the area who will tell her how to find the base, and rescue Dr. Schenker from there.

Mr. Smith also mentions that the Baron's wife has changed her maiden name from Farnsworth to MacLean before getting married. Archer recognizes her as Felicity Farnsworth, the daughter of a disgraced banker who committed suicide when she was eight, with the death of his wife following soon after. Felicity went on to live with a more stringent aunt for about a year, who was killed upon a fall down some stairs, presumably murdered. Afterwards, she was adopted by a foster family before vanishing completely at the age of 14. Mr. Jones remarks that Felicity may not have had the composure to cope with her new situation reasonably, since it was typical for terrorists and bullies to act their hardships out on others. Archer is sure that she is somehow involved with H.A.R.M. but needs the evidence to prove it.

At the training facility, Archer tries out an Acid Gas Grenade and practices riding a motorcycle before she leaves for her next mission.

Memorable quotes
Mr. Jones: "You mustn't lose sight of our objectives. The sacrifice of any or all of us is a small price to pay to preserve the lives we will save if we are successful. Tom knew the risks. So did Bruno. So do you."

Archer: "Well, after falling out of an airplane, I suppose jumping off of a moving train can't be that bad."

Mr. Jones: "Don't let anger cloud your judgment. Revenge is an understandable impulse, but it is also a contemptible one. Our job is not to avenge, but to protect."

Mr. Jones: "Adversity is the truest test of character. The strong are strengthened by it, the weak made weaker. It sounds like this baroness didn't have the wherewithal to cope with her misfortunes.  It's a common trend among terrorists and bullies that they imagine themselves persecuted by fate and therefore feel justified in harming others."

Trivia

 * This is the only time that the shooting range is shown again, apart from the first level.
 * This is the only briefing in which Smithy stands in a different location.
 * The motorcycle is the first of two player controlled vehicles to be featured in the game.