| |
| Thaelite Mines | |
| Game | |
| Unit | |
| Soundtrack |
09 - Pressure Point |
| Connected Maps |
|
| Enemies |
Easy: 52 |
| Secrets |
4 |
| Objective |
|
| [Source] | |
| “ | All units, confirm Tectonic Stabilizer target alpha. | ” |
—TCM radio transmission | ||
Thaelite Mines is the second level of Unit 1 of Ground Zero. In this level your objective is simple, gain access to the Tectonic Stabilizer; a giant machine which the Strogg are using to combat disruptive natural geological processes like continental drift, earthquakes etc. Proceed through caves, mine halls and the whole facility to get to the security room where the Tank Commander is guarding a Security Pass. Eliminate the commander and collect the security pass, which will enable you to open the gate to the Tectonic Stabilizer.
Enemies
| Enemy | Easy | Medium | Hard/Nightmare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Guard | 8 | 12 | 13 |
| Shotgun Guard | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Machine Gun Guard | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Enforcer | 10 | 12 | 13 |
| Gunner | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| Berserker | 3* | 5* | 6 |
| Flyer | 11 | 16 | 15 |
| Icarus | 7 | 9 | 13 |
| Tank Commander | 1 | 1 | 1 |
*In co-operative gameplay, the level contains one additional Berserker on Easy and Medium.
Secrets:
- #1) In the second room (with the stationary mine cart and red walls), press the button to activate the lift on the ground floor. While you are going down, the left and right walls will explode, revealing up to two Flyers each (depending on the difficulty setting). One side has a crack on the wall. Shoot it to reveal a Megahealth.
- #2) From the lift where Secret #1 was, take the left path at the intersection where the big doors are, go up the elevator and take the right turn; you will come to a dead end with a door that has been dented and not functioning; just across from the door, you will see a piece of Thaelite sticking out of the wall. Shoot it to blow up the wall, revealing an Enforcer and an Ammo Pack. The Enforcer might not be there, depending on whether you passed through the lava-filled cavern to obtain the Security Pass; if you went that way first, then the Enforcer tends to jump down onto a ledge inside this cavern.
- #3) At the cave where a Chain Gun is located, follow the mine cart track "bridge" to the other side and jump down (but be careful to avoid the mine carts in the process; it's possible for them to crush you). In this room, you will find a Quad Damage guarded by up to two Icarus. Use the mine carts to get back out. Note: If you visit the secret level Mine Engineering later on, then after completing that level you will return to the Thaelite Mines through this area, and you can access this secret then if you wish. Doing so means you won't suffer damage by falling down the mine cart shaft. If, on the other hand, you wish to access this secret and retrieve the Quad Damage on your first visit, then be advised that the mine carts move along the track in groups of five, so you should drop down after the fifth. You can also throw a Tesla Mine down the hole first to distract and damage the Icarus.
- #4) Inside the room with the Tank Commander, there are two small columns in the lower section of the room. There is a Shootable Button next to one of them; shoot it to reveal a nearby wall compartment containing a Silencer and four Stimpacks.
Other points of interest
After killing the Tank Commander and obtaining the Security Pass, take note of a damaged and non-functioning door in this room. You can shoot the yellow energy beams to the left of the door, which blasts open a hole in the wall and reveals a shortcut to the area of the map where you will need to use the Security Pass.
Co-operative play
In the passage leading to the Tank Commander's chamber, there is a laser fence which activates to block the way back, and up to two Berserkers emerge (depending on the difficulty setting). In co-operative play, the laser fence is not present, but one additional Berserker appears in both Easy and Medium difficulty.
Curiously, cells can be found in the tunnel leading into the mines in co-operative play, even though the players will not find any cell-based weaponry until Unit 2.
Trivia
On Easy or Medium difficulty, there is a Shotgun Guard in the passage leading into the mines who drops bullets when he is killed rather than the shotgun shells one might expect.