Such Is The Nature Of Revenge is the 15th mission and last level of the award-winning video game The Operative: No One Lives Forever. As the fourth and final installment of the "Alpine Quartet", it concludes the quest to find the list of H.A.R.M.'s intended victims and resolves all other unanswered questions that were raised throughout the game. The Game of the Year Edition features a bonus level entitled Rest and Relaxation, which takes place a few days after the events of this level and features a storyline of its own.
Briefing
You've escaped with the list. The Baroness has escaped, but it's only a matter of time before she's brought to justice. Volkov and Baron Dumas are dead. Meanwhile, Armstrong has vanished but it's unlikely that you will have anything to fear from him. All that is left is to report the good news to Command.
Synopsis
Scene 1 Having escaped from the chateau, Cate contacts Mr. Jones from a payphone in the town below to inform him she has retrieved the list and will forward the names in a telegram within the next hour. However, she is confronted by Baroness Dumas who tries to kill her, but is too slow for Cate. She makes the statement that "H.A.R.M. does not die with me" and that "it's not my wounds you should be worried about". Cate realizes that the Baroness has infected herself and could blow up any minute. She rushes through the village to warn all the civilians to get off the streets and to take cover. Once everyone is in safety, the Baroness only causes a little explosion due to the low population density (see Project Lambda). Cate pities the Baroness with the words "poor pathetic creature".
Scene 2
Following her great success, Cate reports back to the Briefing Room where even Mr. Smith has to admit that he was wrong about his previous judgment on Archer's capabilities. Mr. Jones makes a toast and remarks that Cate is "one of the boys" now. She has not only proven herself but has also saved the world, for which (even without anyone knowing) it will be forever indebted to her.
Believing all to be over, Cate visits Bruno's grave and comments on how this was the first night she slept peacefully since her father died. She is startled when Tom Goodman whom she believed to be dead confronts her and reveals that he's been working for H.A.R.M. all along. In a showdown, Cate overpowers Tom and orders him to drop his gun. Without warning, he is shot by Mr. Smith and falls into a freshly-dug grave. Smith then points his gun at Cate but is shot in the leg by Mr. Jones who states that Smithy was the traitor who sold out UNITY. Cate is in for another surprise when Bruno shows up and reveals that he faked his own death in order to secretly uncover Smithy's treacherous activities. When Smithy reaches for his gun, Cate is too fast for him and she delivers the final blow which kills him.
Bruno proceeds to explain the events of the past weeks: Unhappy with his resignation from the field, Mr. Smith decided to turn on UNITY and sell them out in return for an immense amount of money. He chose H.A.R.M. as his new benefactor and hired Melvin Blitzny, a former vacuum-cleaner salesman from Ohio, to impersonate UNITY agent Tom Goodman for whom he had laid a deadly trap in Amsterdam. Every mission that Cate was sent on was a trap which was meant to kill her. Blitzney's blowing up of the cargo freighter was only one of these attempts. Smith couldn't be arrested until Bruno found the necessary evidence which he finally did in the form of the puppet. Although she is relieved that it's all over now, Cate is furious with Bruno for having deceived her like this. When told that she's overreacting, to which Cate replies: "I'll show you overreacting you bastard!"
End Credits and Final Cutscene
Meanwhile in an unspecified location, Volkov (who is very much alive) informs someone of "bad news". He is addressing the drunkard in the green suit who appeared in several missions throughout the game, who is now revealed to be H.A.R.M.'s director. He replies that he is "already aware of the situation" and that they'll just "have to do better next time".
Characters
- Cate Archer
- Baroness Dumas †
- Bruno Lawrie
- Mr. Jones
- Mr. Smith †
- Melvin Blitzny a.k.a. Tom Goodman †
- Dmitrij Volkov
- The Director
Trivia
- The map used for Scene 1 is the exact same location as Alpine Intrigue Scene 1, the only differences are that it is now daytime and that the level begins at the "ending" and works its way back to the starting point of Alpine Intrigue
- Although civilians are usually impossible to talk to once they've been frightened by a weapon, they will instantly listen to you when you warn them to get inside. This is unlike Dr. Schenker for example who only listens to you when you've holstered your weapon.
- Using either the Stun Gas or Sleeping Gas on the Baroness (not recommended) will result in glitches for the queued cut scene. The Sleeping Gas will immediately start the timer and the Baroness explodes without having said anything. The Stun Gas will cause her to run away and the cut scene must be skipped in order to proceed.
- Shooting the Baroness as she prepares to explode has no effect on her (except for some blood loss if blood-mode is switched on). However when Cate herself threatens to explode in The Indomitable Cate Archer Scene 3, she is vulnerable to enemy fire and can be killed without the reagent taking effect.
- In most missions, if three or more civilians are killed by enemy fire, the mission is failed, but in Scene 1, the mission is failed if just one civilian is killed.
- The graveyard (Scene 2) is riddled with Intelligence items, ammo boxes and even antitoxin. The antitoxin is especially useful as Tom uses cyanide-tipped bullets.
- Tom Goodman/Melvin Blitzny is the only character whose expression changes in the game. In this one he has an angry face while in every other level he is always smiling.
- This is the first scene where Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith are seen outside of the war room.
- If the final cut scene is skipped the game cuts straight to the mission report/main menu screen. One has to patiently wait through the entire credits if one wants to see the final cut scene between Volkov and The Director.
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