Low Earth Orbit

Low Earth Orbit is a level in the award-winning video game The Operative: No One Lives Forever. It is the 11th mission of the game and follows Cate Archer travelling into outer space in order to retrieve an antidote sample from H.A.R.M.'s secret space station. The level is an immediate continuation from the previous mission and is followed by the last briefing and training level of the game: Good Luck and God Speed.

Briefing

Once aboard the H.A.R.M. space station, you must ascertain where the antidote is stored. Your space suit should mask your identity to some degree, but don't expect guards to be fooled. If you see anyone with a weapon, either avoid him or dispatch him.

When you've retrieved the antidote, you can start thinking about how to get back to earth.

First things first.

Mission Summary

Scene 1

Secret H.A.R.M. Space Station

A space guard named Fiskell is sent to inspect the rocket that just arrived as its crew hasn't disembarked yet. When Fiskell enters the rocket, Cate apprehends him and enters the space station's mezzanine. The station consists of five levels, the lowest of which contains the "Top Secret Labs". The entrance to this area is blocked by a large laser barrier which must be shut off in the main control room on the top level. A security pass is required to gain clearance to it and one can found lying on the counter of the mezzanine's Space Lounge.

On her way to the security sector, Cate finds a code breaker and a specialized laser gun which vaporizes its victims. While hacking into the security systems (which are spread over two rooms), various conversations between scientists can be heard suggesting that there is a meteor shower headed for the station. Cate must now proceed to the bottom area and run to the labs before the meteors destroy the access tunnel.

Scene 2

Cate now finds herself in the Top Secret Labs. The meteors are continuing to damage the space station so she must act quickly. A container can be found in a lower room accessed via a turbo-lift. Cate then flees in one of the escape pods just before the entire space station explodes.

Characters

• Cate Archer
• The Director (cameo appearance)
• H.A.R.M. Astronauts
• H.A.R.M. Personnel
• Scientists

Trivia

• Owing to standard procedures before lift-off, you cannot select your weapons before the start of the mission, let alone bring any at all.
• H.A.R.M.'s Director, disguised as a drunkard in a green suit, makes his final cameo appearance in the game. He is seen again in the final cutscene just after the endgame credits.
• There appear to be several civilians aboard the space station especially in the Space Lounge. The only plausible explanation for this is that they also work for H.A.R.M. employed in different capacities to the guards and scientists. The fact that The Director is among them could confirm this theory.
• When activating the 3rd person view cheat (type - mpasscam), Cate is not wearing the space helmet which she previously had on when boarding the rocket. This could be the reason why the guards recognize and shoot at her
• There are two ways you can get out of the shaft after the turbo-lift collapses. You can either jump on the beams around the shaft, some of which will be unstable, or by lowering an emergency ladder, by shooting a light which is not immediately visible when you first use the lift.
• In a conversation between two scientists, it is mentioned that there are only enough escape pods for twenty people. As there are only eight of these to be seen in Scene 2, the remaining twelve must be scattered around the rest of the station, which explains The Director's obvious survival.
• It does not matter which escape pod you take; once you have the antidote, going into any ends the level. This means that the intelligence item you find in one of the pods can only be collected before you get the antidote.