>>5980440

"Yeah, remember how i said 'most species ain't like us'? That includes brainpower. They ain't stupid or nothing, but... it takes a long time for them to learn anything new. That's why they're so heavily specialized."

Pickle scratches his chin. He's thinking about something.

"Not very adaptable, huh..." He murmurs.

"Not at all. Any sort of change stresses them right the hell out, and most of them... well, they can't fight for shit. A lot of the leaf-eaters will actually die from shock if they get injured too badly."

"Yeah? There's nothing weird about that, is there?" Pickle shrugs.

"No, i'm not talking about getting limbs ripped off or having your guts hanging out. I mean like, if you accidentally set your hand on the stove. The pain would just kill them, straight up."

"...Oh. Oh wow, yeah that's pretty bad."

"Yeah. So they're not fighters. And being the majority, they look down on 'predators' a lot."

"...What kind of 'predators'?"

"Literally, predators. Anyone who eats meat, fish... even eggs in some cases. If you're not a vegan they act like you're a cannibal or something." You explain.

"Savages." Pickle declares.

"The carnivores on my ship tend to agree. Funnily enough, some of them have no qualms about killing predators... as long as you don't eat them. Not that i'd eat an alien, probably... usually."

Pickle sniffs loudly as he seems to be considering something.

"...Depends on the alien though, don't it?" He ponders. "I mean, if it was like... i dunno, if it smelled like bacon..."

"I mean yeah, at that point, like... you gotta try a bite, right? If it's literally a pig-man? There's a lot of vaguely animal-shaped aliens out there, y'know. Even Cylia has cat-like features."

"You eat korean?" Red asks, slurring his words slightly. He's about a third of the way through that tequila bottle already, holy shit.

"Every night. Sometimes twice." You tell him, stonefaced.

"Alwaysh leaves you hungry, don't it...?" He replies.

"That's chinese, Red." You remind him.

"Oh, right. Heh. Hey, Gunny. You chinese or japanese? Nah, he's laotian!"

"That's nice, Red. ...What were we talking about?"

"Eating people, i think." Pickle shrugs.

"Ah, yeah. Let's uh, not do that. Even if it's tempting."

"Yeah, definitely."

Pickle sniffs again and looks away from you as he says that.
...You just hope he doesn't get caught doing something he shouldn't.

"So, anyways... i was thinking, y'know, i have my left and right hand men already, right?"

You gesture towards Pickle and Redbone respectively.

"But i wouldn't mind getting Cooter out here with us, too. He's always been good at dealing with people, better than me anyhow."

"Ah, i'd give up on that..." Pickle tells you, shaking his head. "I've barely heard from Cooter the past five years. He's totally off-grid, working as a truck driver to stay on the move."

"What, you don't think he'd come with?"

"Nah. Last i saw him he was the happiest he'd ever been."

>>5981317
We might still be able to get him as a captain making runs between earth and our stations, it's worth a try at least.

>>5981317

i don't know why, but i have the feeling pickle will end up hooking up with the snake doctor
>HHHHH

>>5981430
Every army's strength is its logistics after all. But will he be happy balancing excel spreadsheets, unless we give him an AI/VI to do the grunt work for him.

>>5981317
he's happy, sure.

But he also doesn't even know this is an option.
Lets give him that option.

Can always hijack TV stations in possible areas to put an ad for him with a phone number. Then have SHODAN run a subprocess to filter out callers til he shows up.

>>5981542
Actually he's a trucker.
More likely it's AM/FM radio stations. No way he's running internet on his phone if he's on the move.

>>5981544
Assuming hes an owner OP its far easier than that hes got his number out there to receive loads somehow just have shodan scrape the internet for his number or hell just pull his info from the DOT database

>>5981544
>No way he's running internet on his phone if he's on the move.
why not? that's what a lot of truckers do

>>5981562
Even if he's not an owner, having a cell is a MUST for truckers these days. Sure, you can get most of your load info through Qualcomm or whatever E-log your company uses, but if you have questions or need to give updates, it can take ages to get replies through that thing, and you can't use it while driving, so both companies I drove OTR for made having a phone a requirement.

>>5981675
It sounds like he's trying to stay under the radar.
I mean if he's not, then it shouldn't be that hard to find him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT2i7mFpFxM
you guys SUCK BALLS at this.
Here, this is how we find Cooters

>>5981317

"Don't mean he won't want to come with anyway." You reason. "I mean, it's a trip to space to meet aliens. Could be he'd drop everything for the opportunity, i know a lot of folk might."

"Ehhh..."

"What? You're literally going yourself, Pickle."

"I don't exactly have a lot of places left to go, Gunny."

"I mean-"

"No." He asserts, cutting you off. "I fuckin' hate New Zealand, and that guy's a freak anyways."

"I'm just saying, it's always an option." You shrug.

"No, goddamnit."

"Well fine, then! I guess you're stuck with us, asshole. SHODAN, do you think you can find Cooter, since he's working a real job and all?"

["Easily, Captain. One moment."]

"...So the computer speaks english, but your crew doesn't?" Pickle asks.

"Yeah. See, everybody in space has a little brain implant that usually takes care of translation for you, but we ain't got any for humans yet, so..."

"How do you talk to them, then? You have your e-girl translate everything?"

"Nope. See, when i got abducted, i-"

["Search complete, Captain. Richard Brownlee, 44 years old. Currently working as a long-haul trucker for J. B. Hunt. He is currently delivering goods to an amazon warehouse on highway 80 in Texas."]

"Do you have a phone number?"

["Yes, Captain."]

"Well hell, put us through then. We'll make it a group call."

["Patching you through, Captain."]

You're greeted by a ringing coming through your holowatch, which takes a while before finally going to voice mail.

["This is Richard. Leave a message if you need me."] Is all it says.

"Hey, Cooter! Pick up asshole, it's Gunny!"

"And Pickle!"

"And REEEEEBOOOONE!" Red announces, leaning back in his chair and completely leaving the "D" out in his pronunciation.

"And Redbone, yes. So pick up, fucker. We need to talk."

...

Less than five minutes later, you get a call back.

["Gunny, is that really you?"] Cooter asks.

"Yep. We're all sitting here, hanging out right now."

["Damn! Everyone said you were dead, brother."]

"You believe everything people tell you?" You chuckle.

["I did that time, honestly. You just up and disappeared, didn't you? Where you been?"]

"Ah, well..."

You spend a good half hour explaining more or less what happened.
It's a lot easier to get him believing you with Pickle and Redbone there to back you up, but you still send him some photos as evidence.

Only...

["Sorry, brother. I can't come with you."]

"Well why the hell not? If it's money you're worried about, i..."

["Nah. I've never been rich, but right now i'm happy with where i'm at and what i'm doing."] He explains. ["I finally feel like i'm free, you know? Like i've finally put all that shit in the past behind me."]

"...So no space adventures?"

["Fraid not, Gunny. I got my buddy here to take care of, and... well, there's still more of the country i want to see. Lots of roads left untraveled."]

You hear the sound of him patting his dog's side through the phone.

>>5982355

>Try to convince him. There's room for two dogs on the ship, and there's even more shit to see out in space.
>Leave the offer open. Maybe he'll change his mind at a later date.
>Give up on it. He seems pretty content, and you've already got a couple of your boys anyhow.
>Write-In?

>>5982356
>Leave the offer open. Maybe he'll change his mind at a later date.

>>5982356
>Leave the offer open. Maybe he'll change his mind at a later date.

>>5982356
>Leave the offer open. Maybe he'll change his mind at a later date.

>>5982355
>Leave the offer open. Maybe he'll change his mind at a later date.

And point out your probably going to need some space truckers in the near future

>>5982356
>Try to convince him. There's room for two dogs on the ship, and there's even more shit to see out in space.
>Leave the offer open. Maybe he'll change his mind at a later date.

We don't need him to do fighting or space adventuring stuff.
A trucker is useful too. We don't need glory hounds for a lot of the work we're doing. Simply someone who has his shit together and is living well is more than good for the people who could use help.

And if not a person with a good heart and calm demeanor, then who?

>>5982356
>Invite him to a cookout, it'll be good to catch up anyways. Maybe we can do it like last time but a little more fancy.

>>5982356
>>Leave the offer open. Maybe he'll change his mind at a later date.

>>5982356
>>Give up on it. He seems pretty content, and you've already got a couple of your boys anyhow.
let him go

>>5982356
>Give up on it. He seems pretty content, and you've already got a couple of your boys anyhow.
>Say you are happy for him.
Our man man made it, he found his small measure of peace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P93JhrkedV0&t=374s

>>5982355
>Try to convince him. There's room for two dogs on the ship, and there's even more shit to see out in space.

>We need a pilot to fly one of the space ships. Plus the CIA us gonna probably start fucking with you. Just a heads up.

>>5982356
>>Leave the offer open. Maybe he'll change his mind at a later date.

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>>5982356
>>Leave the offer open. He seems pretty content,but maybe he'll change his mind at a later date.

its not like we won't need a space trucker in the future. maybe he'll be more interested in the idea then

>>5982356
>>5982459
Cookout, with the best friends team + ayyyys

>>5982824
Maybe hold off on any downtime festivities until we're safely offworld.
We've already programmed our food fabbers, and the last thing we need is a company of glowie sponsored deniable assets fastroping in and scaring the bejesus out of mom and sis. If the guy doesn't want to play Traveller with us, let's go ahead and exit stage left, then ask dude again next time we pass through.

>>5982355

After chatting with Cooter for a while longer, you decide to give up on getting him to come with you... for now.
But you suspect you'll be needing the deep space equivalent of a long haul trucker at some point in the future, and after telling him as much, he agrees to keep it in mind.

He really doesn't seem eager to be thrown into any sort of conflict, though. He's had enough of that, it would seem.

You spend the rest of that day mostly relaxing with your crew, your family and your friends.
After showing Pickle around the ship, you and Red explain the whole telepathy awakening process to him, and he immediately gets freaked out and rejects it, wholeheartedly.

He also refuses to go back into the cargo hold until he knows exactly which boxes the wraith remains are stored in, and avoids them like the plague.
It seems he's more superstitious than you realized... although, can you really call it a superstition if it's provably real?

Besides that though, Pickle seems to get along well with the crew, and Sanig in particular, despite their introduction.

That evening, you're in the kitchen attempting to cook the perfect mixed-meat hamburger patty for the fabricator when Kyla busts in with something to show you.

"Hey, Hon! Check it out, i've been working on something all day, and i think you'll like it!" She says, offering it to you with a grin.

Taking it from her, you look it over.
It seems like... a choker necklace with a little black box attached to it. But there's an earpiece hanging off it as well.

"Is this a translator?" You ask, undoing the velcro strap and wrapping it around your neck.

"Yep, and you wear it just like that! The choker will pick up vibrations from your larynx, then feed them to a VI on the ship through a subspace link. The VI handles translation, and then sends the audio back to you!"

"Cool. Does this switch turn it on?"

You flip a small switch on the side of the box, and your question is immediately answered.

"Yep! It's pretty low-powered, so it should only need charged maybe once a month or so."
"Yep! It's pretty low-powered, so it should only need charged maybe once a month or so."

You hear Kyla twice, really three times...

It's very very faint as your translator implant is selectively blocking out the nerve signals of her actual voice from your ears, but it's not perfect. Whenever you focus, you can just slightly hear her actual words.
But they overlap simultaneously with the translation that you chip delivers through those same pathways, so it's almost completely drowned out even then.

And then finally, you hear the translation choker, which is ever so slightly slower than the chip in your head, probably due to signal lag, creating a sort of reverb effect.

"Oh wow, that's weird." You grumble, turning the choker off and removing it.

"Yeah, it's not for anyone who''s already got a translator. But it'll work great for any humans we need to talk to!'

>>5983147
You know. It might be good to stockpile these on the carrier, distributed throughout the ship and everyone trained in using them, in case the feds have an off switch to the translator.

>>5983147
Our baby earned a mating press for that, smart little goblin woman.

>>5983147
Have Pickle and Red seen the Redsang Plague/Cyborg Fight footage, yet?

>>5983147
>a choker necklace with a little black box attached to it. But there's an earpiece hanging off it as well.
like the ones from naruto!!!

>>5983449
They have not.

>>5983583
Well they probably should be briefed on that at some point.

>>5983594
Let's leave all that for when we are in space and they can't get cold feet.

>>5983691
that may breed resentment
they should know what bullshit they'll be fighting against.

>>5983691
>and they can't get cold feet
The other dude's right.
I don't think any of us would like it very much if a long lost friend suddenly appeared, convinced us to join him on an all-expenses paid vacation with exotic babes, only to reveal once we're airborne that we're actually going to be fighting necromorphs and their space-buttsex-vegan-fed glownig handlers.

>>5983691
that's fast way ticket to a mutiny and them joining forces to get the hell out of there

>>5983147

You pull Kyla in tight and give her a big, fat smooch on the cheek.

"Thanks, babe. These are great, i'm sure everyone's gonna love 'em."

Kyla squirms with glee as you hug her with one arm.
She loves having her inventions praised more than she likes being praised herself.

"No problem, hon! Look, here... i used open earbuds because humans don't like anything restrictive, or anything that goes into an orifice. Then for the battery we..."

She starts going off about every little feature, from the fire-resistant plastic to the low-power piezoelectric speaker to the high-efficiency algorithm SHODAN used for data transfer.
Then she also rambles for a while about how hard it was to translate human language effectively due to all the slang and euphemisms we use, and the different structure between languages.

This goes on for about twenty minutes before you finally manage to distract her with another task, that being the space-grade guns you've been working on.

You've given it a lot of thought, and naturally there is simply no good one size fits all solution for every species and every situation.
However, almost every intelligent species is roughly humanoid, and often larger (albeit lighter) than you are.

That makes designing a general-purpose gun fairly easy.

The most critical thing for you, you feel, is that the gun has to function at it's most basic level without electricity, entirely analog.
That's not to say you don't want to take advantage of spacer tech to create a better weapon, but in the case of an EMP, be it from aliens or wraiths...

Well, it has to be able to function no matter what, which means any electronics, even those integrated directly into the gun, need to be purely optional.

You're well aware that a lot of the people using these guns might be random aliens with no experience as well, so some of the features you've considered are for their sake.
Things like a sight that includes a holographic target tracker, or an ammo counter built into the side of the weapon. You know, videogame shit.

But you yourself are more concerned with the materials and function of the weapons themselves. Keeping it lightweight, yet also reducing recoil. Keeping it from jamming up in a vacuum...
There's also the concern of overpenetration when you're in a spaceship. You want bullets that deliver a lot of energy, and yet won't overpenetrate and poke holes in the hull.

You also considered things like caseless ammunition, but that would have been very difficult to manage in a wide range of scenarios, including a vacuum.
The great thing about the primer/casing combo is that it allows the propellant to build pressure and ignite, even in a vacuum. Maybe you could build an airtight firing chamber, but maintaining it? Man...

It's still worth considering for certain ultra-light weaponry, but you have a different concept of it that you'd like to try.

One concept that you've been significantly more interested in however, is the gyrojet.

>Cochrane is now rewatching every single video about gyrojet ammunition

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>>5984297
>gyrojet
LETS FUCKING GO

Now I'm curious about the best way to produce these things en masse. Even purpose made weapons fabricators might be leaving something on the table in terms of efficiency.
Extrusion for the metal components (barrels, pins, upper receivers, etc...) and injection molding for all of the polymer/plastic parts are my immediate go-to processes.
That said I'm not particularly imaginative or familiar with every single parts production process out there, so I'm still scratching my head about this.

>>5984312
>>5984310
He is now watching Judge Dredd shooting scene.

>>5984360
Everyone talks shit until Dredd says "Testicular Torquer" to his gun.

>>5984297
yay, R&D scenes. always my favorite part of this quest.

>>5984318
>Extruded metal cap (similar to how cartridges are stretched, but with the closed end at the front
>Extruded semi-star-shaped wire, either with 2 or 4 almost-closed circular holes running down it's length with a slight rotation (like a helix). The holes will be the rocket nozzle
>Chop the extruded semi-star-shaped wire into lengths a little shorter than the extruded metal cap
>Insert chopped wire into the extruded metal cap, the cap will seal off the almost-closed circular holes of the wire
>Fill the helix-holes and the gap at the end of the projectile (chopped wire is a little shorter than metal cap) with rocket propellant
>Cap-off with a primer
The small solid disk of propellant at the base of the cartridge will be the booster charge to quickly give the projectile enough muzzle velocity to be deadly (at the muzzle), then the propellant in the helix-holes will continue burning, providing thrust and stabilizing spin. The cap shape can be designed as the mission requires, and the internal helix wire can provide variable weight, and with the propellant constantly pushing the wire core into it, the projectile won't separate in-flight.
Since it's just metal extruded cap, chopped extruded wire, and very basic assembly, this should be easy to manufacture en-masse, assuming there are propellants and barrel material with the right characteristics to make it work.
The question is how to protect the operator from the exhaust Or don't, but lace it with combat drugs/poisons to make the user more "brave" the more he shoots

>>5984667
>The question is how to protect the operator from the exhaust
Maybe just not have it vent directly into the user's face and hands.

>>5984669
It's a rocket, being launched from the user's hands away from his face, unless you want to put a massive cone on the muzzle? Or perhaps make a pelvic mount?

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>>5984667
>The question is how to protect the operator from the exhaust
we can do it like in the pic, but im pretty sure the two staged method you described fixes the issue, although maybe we can improve the gyrojet design so it can swap payloads as needed

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>>5984297

It actually has a fair few benefits over a standard round when it comes to fighting in zero gravity.
A gyrojet round doesn't need a long, heavy barrel to accelerate, which reduces the weight of your weapon and thus increases fuel efficiency and maneuverability when using an RCS pack.

And because the round propels itself mid-flight rather than by using pressure to push back against the gun, it vastly reduces recoil meaning you don't get pushed around much while floating.
Likewise, the bullet itself is the casing and contains it's own propellant, meaning none of the mass carried with you is wasted.

The only downside, really, is that it takes time for a gyrojet to reach it's maximum velocity, as opposed to a regular bullet which only slows down after leaving the barrel.
However, even that can be beneficial as firing from close range, say inside of a ship, will mean that the penetration power of the round is automatically reduced.

They aren't caseless, per-se, but that's not a drawback at all, as the casing protects the propellant and prevents it from igniting easily due to, oh i don't know, fire? Or hot things in general, like say, an ionized nebula.
Of course, if you throw a bullet into the fire it'll go off eventually, but it's better than a bunch of completely exposed propellant.

The main issue with gyrojets is that they're a real pain to manufacture with traditional human methods. Really precise and fiddly things with a high failure rate.
That's not an issue out in space though, since even a shitty mass fabricator used for shipbuilding is orders of magnitude more precise than necessary to make a gyro work every time.

All of that, however, is just a standard gyro out of a standard pistol or whatever, no brain box involved whatsoever.
After talking with Kyla and particularly Sanig, you think the gyrojet has more potential.

"So, have you made any progress with it?" You ask.

Kyla and Sanig share a silent glance between eachother, before leading you over to a magnetized worktable covered in a scattering of tiny parts.

"Honestly, it's a weird system. It's been hard to integrate it into a 1911-shaped pistol with the analog specifications you wanted." Kyla admits.

"However, i managed to get the aim-assist system working." Sanig adds, picking up a small, metallic assembly and placing it in your hands.

You almost have to squint to see what you're looking at, it's so small.
Like a piece of heavy-duty clockwork, there's a spring-loaded hammer connected to a disk with five tiny little metal spikes in it.

Those spikes will punch out the thin metal membrane covering the back of your space-age gyrojets, forming the rocket nozzles used in flight on the fly.
Of course, the nozzles have already been mostly formed on the inside, so really all you're doing with that punch is making the final hole.

But the magic is all in the size of the hole.

>>5984677
Now this may be a pretty wild idea, but maybe some armor. Or just a mask and gloves. More seriously, the amount of time that the rocket is close isn't long enough to actually harm the user. You'll feel the woosh, it might even blow your hair back. You'll feel the heat, too, but it just doesn't last long enough to cook your skin. Or even irritate it. Not much different from waving your hand in front of a hot object. The bigger problem is having a lot of them firing in an enclosed space. Like a spaceship. If the fighting is prolonged it could be deleterious to the health of those involved. But that isn't cool, so it'll probably be handwaved. And besides, all boarders wear space suits. Which naturally have temperature shielding.

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>>5984691
As anon said here, the exhaust from a gyrojet will not burn the user.

You can see that this pistol is full of holes, to allow the gyrojet's exhaust to escape.
Naturally, it'll engulf your arms and cover you in a spray of burnt gunpowder, but it won't burn you.

The gyrojet accelerates quickly enough that you aren't exposed to the flame for long, just like waving your hand through a candle flame.

>>5984690
>But the magic is all in the size of the hole.
THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID

>>5984722
i swear im noticing mlp is resurfacing more and more lately
not even a bad way

>>5984742
>where's my alien pony pussy
did you forget of the blacksmith's daughter?

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>>5984722
>>5984742
Die out

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>>5984722
>>5984742
Just how many Horsefuckers are lurking/voting in this dang quest?

>>5984738
The ride never ends.

>>5984763
Pic related.

>>5984696
>using gunpowder instead of solid rocket fuel

Bruh this aint the dutch east indies, we dont need to worry about keeping our cordite dry, get with the times.

>>5984961
Jet fuel can't propel brass solids!

>>5984696
But its ugly

>>5984696
Thinking about it, you could reduce a good portion of sideways heat by putting little ridges behind any venting ports. It would increase felt recoil by a little but it would also deflect heat even more sideways and a little more forward than it would diagonally backwards. Basically a muzzle brake in reverse.

It would be wholly unnecessary but it's neat to think about. Maybe it would be important if you had a serious little zippy boy in the pipe but the wimpy ayyys probably couldn't deal with anything like that anyway. Imagine a rocket powered golf-ball-width chunk of metal hitting something. Be like cracking a dude with a sledge hammer probably. Neat.

>>5984690
>Size of hole

MUH CAVITATION

>>5984696
Ignorant as I may be, I have to ask; are we developing these Space Age Gyrojets to be subsonic as well?
I only ask because I think suppressors are gonna be a must for any gun we expect these pussy ass Aliens to use.

>>5985614
well due to the fact that the energy propulsion is going to be provided by rocket motor, its not gonna have enough velocity to break the sound barrier before its too far away to matter.

>>5985614
Gyrojets are not nearly as loud as a regular gun. You don't really even need earpro.

>>5985220
It can look however you want it to, anon.

>>5984748
She's a cervid.

>>5984690

By adjusting the pitch of the striking plate, you can finely adjust the size of the exhaust holes in the gyrojet and cause the bullet to curve mid-flight.
This can be done on a per-round basis, and together with a target tracking system, could allow for a significant degree of automatic aim correction.

Assuming the gun's electronics are all functional, of course. In the case of an EMP or loss of power, the plate will just strike at full power and ensure all the nozzles are fully opened, causing it to fly straight.
So in the worst case scenario, you'll just have to aim manually like usual.

All of that is only possible though, because every single bullet will be exactly the same down to the thickness of a few atoms.
That's some serious match-grade ammo.

"What about the powder?" You ask, crossing your arms.

"Well, we did some tests." Kyla begins to explain. "Obviously, gunpowder works in a vacuum. You already know that much... but it's inconsistent. The grains float around or clump together in zero-g, altering burn time.
Nitrocellulose was better, but for a rocket motor we need something with more energy and a longer burn time. Fortunately, we came up with a mix that performs well, but isn't super explosive."

"By 'we' she means I came up with it. You're welcome, kid."

"Well thank you, Sanig. But what did you come up with, exactly?"

"It was easy, i just pulled from the monkey handbook and nitrated something that was already energetic. Take a look at this."

Sanig opens up two small metallic cans and picks out a pair of tiny little cylinders, setting them both on the workbench next to eachother. A waxy white substance...

"Hey, i've seen this before. Ain't this what the big rigs on Xebric were using as fuel?"

"Bingo, kid. It's a type of hydrocarbon derived from the waxy secretions of a genetically modified vine. It's used rarely as a fuel, more commonly as a wax, and sometimes as an ingredient in cosmetics."

Sanig uses a lighter to set one of the pellets aflame.
It burns gently, producing a hot blue flame that indicates complete combustion, even as it begins to melt and pool onto the table.

As that pool spreads however, it slowly reaches the pellet sitting next to it, and ignites it.
There's an immediate flare of bright yellow flame that you honestly expected to disappear quickly, but it doesn't.

The second pellet of wax burns for a good two or three seconds before finally petering out, leaving not even a trace of residue on the table afterwards.
Meanwhile, the first pellet continues to melt and burn slowly, long afterwards.

"Damn, that burns great." You comment. "How well does it work in a bullet, though? Or in a vacuum?"

"Well, we had trouble getting it to behave similarly to gunpowder at first, but after coming to earth SHODAN had access to a bunch of chemical knowledge that would probably be banned out in space..." Kyla informs you.

"Banned, hells. Nobody would be making that shit in the first place." Sanig adds.

>>5985809
Wait, there are "people" out there who don't enjoy a nice game of nitrogen jenga?

https://youtube.com/shorts/wyTQiKU4d1k mmmm green

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8un5LjtNNo
...

is it time for bolters

>>5985809

"Anyways..." Kyla continues. "The nitrated wax burned really unevenly, and had a bunch of soot and residue left over at the end. It wouldn't have worked very well, so SHODAN added... 'something' to it."

"...What is 'something' exactly?" You ask.

"I dunno. She won't tell us exactly, but she insists the final mix is 'safe and stable' so..."

Kyla shrugs.

"SHODAN? Care to explain?" You call out.

["Yes, Captain. It is not that i cannot explain, but there is no reason to do so. The propellant mix contains over a hundred different chemical compounds in a very specific molecular configuration, it is not worth memorizing."]

"Alright. So is it actually safe of what? I mean, we're breathing the exhaust products right now."

["Yes, Captain. The large list of ingredients is due to stringent safety requirements. The use of heavy metals or poisonous compounds would have allowed for a much simpler mix to be created."]

"No toxic gasses?"

["None, Captain. Or rather, they are created during the burning process, but a complex chemical reaction renders them inert almost immediately, as they are consumed as oxidizer in a secondary reaction."]

"...Is there fluorine in it?"

["..."]

"SHODAN?"

["Perhaps a bit, yes."]

"Uh huh. And what happens when we touch the unburnt wax?"

["Nothing, Captain. The fuel pellets are encased in a thin layer of nitrocellulose and nitrated wax that makes them relatively safe to handle. However, i would not recommend ingesting them."]

"Fine, whatever. You heard her, boys. Wear gloves when handling that shit." You tell Sanig and Kyla.

"...I'm not sure i want to handle them at all anymore." Kyla grumbles.

Well yeah, that's probably why SHODAN didn't say anything.
Sanig on the other hand, he seems excited.

"Yeah, why didn't i think of it?" he mumbles to himself. "Just bind fluorine to the chain, so when it burns it releases it's own gaseous oxidizer. Of course, that'll even it out... but unless the mix is perfect..."

["The mix is indeed perfect, mister Sanig. That is the purpose of a nanofabricator."]

"Yeah, and what about bulk production?!" He yells up at the ceiling, staring down the ship itself. "Maybe YOU don't care, but i don't feel like breathing hydrofluouric acid!"

["The amount of HF produced due to fabricator errors is predicted to be in the hundreds per billion molecules, so long as you use a pure base product. Furthermore..."]

Sanig and SHODAN continue to go back and forth at eachother for a while, but from the sound of it SHODAN actually has taken all reasonable considerations for safety.
You aren't actually worried about it, as long as it's not going to cause any issues during production or handling. Besides, the fuel will spend 99% of it's life inside a brass or steel shell.

It sounds to you like most of the parts are there, they just haven't come to a consensus on how they should be put together.

>>5986550

>You really want to focus on keeping size and weight down. If they break you can just print another one, but they need to be light.
>They need to be sturdy. You want to keep maintenance costs as low as possible on these things, even at the cost of weight and bulk.
>Strike a balance. You think it's fine to have some extra furniture or features, as long as it's not excessive. What's important is fine craftsmanship.
>Write-In?

>>5986550
This gyrojet will be made for aliens right?
So the reason this type that we have now is weaker because it has to conform to wider alien populace, since they are sensitive to toxic compounds.

Can a different kind be created that disregards these "safety" regulations? A kind of gyrojet munition that is used by humans or power armor wearing troops?
Could be not much more toxic than the regular bullets we used so far, or more since it would be used far from civilians(at least the ones we care about).

>>5986551
>You really want to focus on keeping size and weight down. If they break you can just print another one, but they need to be light.

>>5986580

It's designed to be used by just about any species, in just about any environment, including humans.

But yes, it would be possible to create "bolter-style" guns that use conventional explosive charges in tandem with rocket propulsion.
You could intentionally use rocket propellant that produces toxic fumes, or replace the propellant entirely with a fuse and explosives, or whatever else.

You could do that. Now whether it's efficient or not, or even neccesary at all, well...
Sometimes it's not about what's practical, i guess.

>>5986550
>You really want to focus on keeping size and weight down. If they break you can just print another one, but they need to be light.
>>5986636
>"The boltgun is far more than a weapon; it is an instrument of Mankind's divinity, the bringer of death to his foes. Its howling blast is a prayer to the gods of battle."
Humanity demands overkill, a bolter must be built.

>>5986551
>>Strike a balance. You think it's fine to have some extra furniture or features, as long as it's not excessive. What's important is fine craftsmanship.

Also we should tell grampa sanig about rocketdynes tri-propellant just to see his reaction

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>>5986551
>They need to be sturdy. You want to keep maintenance costs as low as possible on these things, even at the cost of weight and bulk.
Idiot proof is a pretty good policy, even if idiots find their way to the delicate bits eventually. Ayys are very specialized, so if they're in charge of running and maintainance its better to have a class of idiots and a class of brains to distribute labor. Might cost more in the long run though

>>5986654
See, you want light and replaceable, but also want to build boltguns. Those things are some of the most absurd and gotta be sturdy weapons in fiction. Its a gun for superhumans or massive gorillamen that also must double as a club, while also continuing to operate for centuries of constant abuse on hellscape Warpfucked worlds and planes. Does not translate to throwing away and getting handed another, and nevermind how the godawful the logistics of keeping such a weapon supplied. Doesnt translate well. That said, maybe WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY and feeding a nanofab the corpses of our enemies for more raw materials will beat out Imperium slave labor.

Reckon they're not a terrible idea for hard core elite troops. Start juicing up handpicked humies or bigger species of predatory ayy for them and we could be cooking

>>5986666
>rocketdynes tri-propellant
>first video link i open shows orange smoke
oh, that fuel is fucking spicy. btw, we should also tell sanig about the mercury based we also tested as well

>>5986551
>You want them to be very reliable by both design for the moving parts and overall sturdiness. A spacefuture AK-47, if you will. With features that are color coded in the most color-blind friendly way possible and marked with slightly raised symbols for ease of training and rememberance as to what each feature does. Ugly in a playskool and nerf gun parts slapped on an AR kind of way might end up becoming something of a funny signature aestetic for stuff you're going to be building, heh.

Remember, most aliens are not very mentally flexible and forgetting how these thing work in combat could be a danger for green recruits. Remember too that aliens are often colorblind.

>>5986680
NTA but I watched and posted a vid about it last thread just because of how wack it was. The exhaust fumes have SEVEN different dangerous effects that would go in a hazard diamond's white square. It is POWERED by a METAL FIRE, reacting with one of the only things that can react with noble gasses, shot through with hydrogen for extra oomph.

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>>5986551
>>They need to be sturdy. You want to keep maintenance costs as low as possible on these things, even at the cost of weight and bulk.

>>5986551
>They need to be sturdy. You want to keep maintenance costs as low as possible on these things, even at the cost of weight and bulk.
but just because its sturdy, it doesn't mean it lacks creature comforts, like and adjustable cheek pad, or stock

>>5986551
>They need to be sturdy. You want to keep maintenance costs as low as possible on these things, even at the cost of weight and bulk.
Hi-Points in SPACE

>>5986551
>>They need to be sturdy. You want to keep maintenance costs as low as possible on these things, even at the cost of weight and bulk.

>>5986772
imagine using that as a grenade or as a missile payload.
yes, it might be a bit less efficient than the future tech methods the ayys have, yes it might be stupidly dangerous to have that much fluorine in a single place, but the chaos that it would make inside a spaceship would be glorious

>>5986551
>They need to be sturdy. You want to keep maintenance costs as low as possible on these things, even at the cost of weight and bulk.
RELIABILITY WINS WARS. Sure, you can print another - but will you have the time to? Will you have access to what you need to print one?
You don't want your shit breaking on you mid-fight. Ever. If a species is too weak to lift our handguns, then they should honestly be operating in lower gravity or using assistive devices ANYWAYS.
Go for the gold standard, lads. Go for sturdy.

>>5986551
>They need to be sturdy.
>Strike a balance.
I like the sound of a space AK. We can always make a lighter variant for races that need one later, but our mass produced standard should be able to take and dish out abuse

>>5986550
>They need to be sturdy. You want to keep maintenance costs as low as possible on these things, even at the cost of weight and bulk.

>>5986551
Why not just make it modular?
For a gyrojet, the barrel is just there to guide the rocket anyways, and bears little force. The actual physical mechanisms is super simple.
The only variables are the grip and the housing (for the mechanisms and electronics). Fiberglass reinforced polymer will do for most cases, and then you can step it up in terms of materials for more extreme environments.
I don't see the run-of-the-mill aliens these gyrojets are intended for doing hardcore EVA boarding action anyway; they'll be acting more as a PDW for back-line personnel (who will likely forget what a weapon even is in blind panic should something anyway).
Just make the barrel assembly and physical mechanism sturdy, then have some templates for the housing/grip running anywhere from silicone dildo to SPESS MEHREEN super-material.

>>5987037
imo that adds complexity, unless we use a system like picatinny or mlok which returns us to the original question of how we want the gun to be like

So it seems for some anons it didnt get through that the gyrojet gun we build right now could be FOR AYY'S.
They wont be able to use our gigachad rugged boltgun since its heavy thats why those few anons voted for cheap and light parts for this gun.

Now after this we could build our non "child safe" glorious instrument of war, for us for Sanig and our human or other power armor users.
The same reason I asked for stronger slightly toxic propellant, and now Rugged and sturdy design, because humans and P.A. users dont have to worry about slightly toxic fumes and heavier design in the gun.

>>5987084
They're in low grav anyways, and the extra mass on the gun will mitigate recoil that would otherwise rip their joints out of their sockets.

>>5987097
My man gyrojets have little to no felt recoil.
Thats why its good for the puny low grav ayy's.
What we are building now is a gyrojet for aliens.

Boltguns have recoil because they are not pure gyrojets, they have a kicker charge that pushes the round out of the gun then the propellant ignites and the projectile accelerates even further while it also starts spinning.
As far as I remember bolters are smooth bore.

>>5987111
Oh right.
In that case, I'll disagree with you for a different reason and maintain that we should build them rugged and built to last. I'll get back to you on what that other reason is. I just don't want to abandon my stance.

>>5986551
>They need to be sturdy. You want to keep maintenance costs as low as possible on these things, even at the cost of weight and bulk.

>>5986857
The bulk dampens the recoil but the piece of shit jams every other shot. Buy a glock

>>5987037
>modular
Get the fukkout my thread, army general!!! Your and your buzz words like LETHALITY piss me off!

Also
>>sturdy

>>5987249
He just wants his firearm to be fully-semi-automatic.

>>5986550

For you, the decision is as obvious as can be.

These things, whatever they look like, whatever their purpose and function, they need to be goddamned sturdy.
If these rifles can't double as a club, they're worthless.

You bite your lip, staring off into space as several different rifle designs flash through your head.

The gyrojet rounds combined with some clever engineering could make up for a lot of a bullpup design's issues, maybe keeping bulk and weight down even with an overbuilt frame.
But if you do that, a folding stock is really just out the window, and you need somewhere to put batteries and electronics, so it doesn't seem like an option for a space-age design.

It'll have to be a traditional rifle. You don't need much of a barrel at all, so the overall length will still be quite short thanks to aim-assist.
It may also be quite inaccurate at longer ranges in the case of an EMP event, but that typically only occurs on ships, and so at very close range.

Given the lack of recoil, a folding stock would allow it to be used like an SMG or as a proper rifle in a given situation.

You want it to be somewhat modular, capable of accepting both analog and electronic addons, meaning you'll need a wiring harness and picatinny rails.
The whole frame will be made from chrome vanadium steel, maximizing it's strength and wear resistance. Using steel instead of carbon fiber, it shouldn't weaken over time due to repeated stress.

It was the same for your carrier. You could have made it much lighter using carbon fiber, but you insisted on using simple steel for it's frame. It reduced cost, and it'll keep the ship from snapping in half.

For some components though, chrome-vanadium isn't enough. They need to be made of something harder, like AR-500.
For those parts, you'll use an optimized damascus pattern. Something only a nanofab could make, to keep it both hard and somewhat flexible preventing chipping and shattering.

Simply using hardened steel would be sufficient, but you want these things to last forever.
You'll use everything. Pre-straining, rib structures, damascus layering, anything that can make these things just a little bit tougher.

Because they have to function even in vacuum, you'll use molybdenum disulfide powder as a dry lubricant for all the moving parts.
It's onboard CPU will be silicon-on-sapphire to improve radiation resistance, the battery will be a spacertech dry-pile that can't easily be damaged by shock.

Naturally, you'll build as much EM-resistance into as possible, but you're not sure how much it matters when facing a wraith.
Nonetheless, it shouldn't be damaged by an EMP, even if it stops functioning temporarily. Backups upon backups, ECC memory, inductive sinks, whatever you can think of.

And despite all of that, you want to ensure that it can still be easily serviced.

The weapon has to come apart with simple tools and the parts replaced with existing or salvaged stock, without weakening it overall.

>>5987403
>we're making the fucking A-10 of guns
Hell yeah

>>5987403
My dick can only get so hard....kep going

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>>5987472

if we in the future make a fighter jet we should make a legally distinct adfx-01/02 ace combat zero for us to use and the us airforce to fight against the chinks and ziggers once they attack and yes the ecm will protect the front air intakes

>>5987730
>not going full project wingman and having a touhou boss as a 3d warfare jet fighter
How much of the sky do you want filled with ordinance? Yes.

>>5987403

While SHODAN and Sanig are arguing back and forth, you feel drawn to the nanofab. It calls to you, and you find yourself placing the brain interface helmet on your head.
Kyla watches you curiously as you sit down and cross your legs, closing your eyes and focusing entirely on designing the weapon you want.

Naturally, you find the pieces that Kyla, Sanig and SHODAN have already created sitting in the fab's memory. You'll have to use these parts, but everything else is up to you.

"What's this...?" Kyla wonders.

She's watching your work through a monitor connected to the fab. It's kind of strange, seeing what you're visualizing as a 3D object on a screen, changing in real time.
You'd think watching that screen would make things easier, but it only interferes with the feedback from the fab, so you close your eyes again and continue to focus.

As expected, SHODAN has already done the work of integrating every known material earth has to offer into the fab.

"Chrome vanadium for the body of the rifle..." You mumble. "AR-500 Damascus for the barrel..."

"Woah. How are you twisting it like that? It's like a fractal braid!" Kyla exclaims.

Once you create the materials you need in the patterns you want, you save them to be used again later, and then begin shaping everything.
The barrel has to be smooth-bore. If the gyro actually rotated, you wouldn't be able to use the jets to perform aim correction, they'd just wobble mid-flight.

You're relying on the absolute precision of the nanofab to create a perfectly straight barrel that will neither bend, nor warp, nor wear, allowing for precise calculation of the rocket's trajectory.
To that end, the inside of the bore is coated in microscopic diamond spherules that won't easily wear down over time, preventing the barrel from degrading while also allowing the rocket to glide freely.

Even though the barrel is both tough and hard as hell, you still want to protect it from potential damage in the case that it is quite literally used as a bludgeon, and so it's encased in a protective outer sheath.
The sheath is disconnected and floats around the barrel, meaning that it'll be what takes any blunt force first, allowing it to be bent, broken, burned or punctured and the actual gun still remain functional.

It also serves as a bit of a silencer, given that it creates a half-inch gap between the barrel and the outside.
As a result, it should be quiet enough to fire without ear protection and the flame jets will be redirected out to the sides, away from the wielder.

You use a stainless steel and chrome-vanadium sandwich for the sheath, as stainless is a terrible conductor of heat, which will allow it to act as a heat shroud while remaining fairly tough.
Over that, you use use carbon fiber made from nanotubes for the body. This could be anything, really. Steel, wood, plastic... but carbon fiber is extremely light and tough. As long as it doesn't strain repeatedly.

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We should have the whole crew do the apple test and have the results displayed in the fab's monitor.

>>5988245
Kek

>>5988245
>Sam can barely inch towards 3
yeah

>>5988337
I forget what the average hooman can do. I think it's either 2 or 3. Which also makes me wonder, for humans there's a sizable portion of people who do not have an internal monologue voice, do ayyys have the ability to hear in their heads?

>>5988245
I concur.
personally its number 1 for me, and i can slice it and dice it, and turn it around.

>>5988381
I'm an engineer with a 5, but I still have an inner monologue.

Still dream with images in them though. Just no minds eye. Can do 3d rotations and 'conceptual' imagery stuff in my head without being able to actually 'mentally see' it though. Hard to explain. Like a computer calculating things without a screen? Decent enough painter and good at blender modeling without that minds eye though.

Imo, if I could see the thing I'm designing in my head on a screen, It'd probably help with correcting details.

Wish I could minds eye things though. Sounds a lot more 'fun'.

>>5988476
Number 1 as well, but the image in my head of it is also shot like it's an ad for a new Burger at McDonalds.
That's not normal, is it?

>>5988488
>Wish I could minds eye things though. Sounds a lot more 'fun'.
It's great if you're an illustrator or something. Otherwise it's a great way to constantly relive disturbing imagery unprompted.

>>5988497
This, it can be nice, but it can also be a curse.

>>5988494
I mean, i can put it in many different ads, so maybe? Then again i can put it on the top of the empire state building with a panorama.

>>5988245
I have ascended past a 1. I can imagine the apple as a 4 dimensional object as it moves through space. I can see the smallest details in the apple's skin. I can taste it. I can smell it. I can feel it as my imaginary presence bites into it.

>>5988575
My favorite thing to ask people to do is imagine a color that doesn't exist. There's only three answers for it, "I can't", "uhhh, it's like a [normal color] but not really, it's a little different" and "AAAHHHHH IT'S IN MY HEAD IT'S IN MY HEAD IT'S IN MY HEAD IT'S IN MY HEAD". Never fails to entertain.

>>5988497
I do have really good "trauma resistance"/ patience. Maybe being a 5 helps with focusing

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>>5988623
I'm pretty sure a 5 just means you aren't a visually oriented type of guy. Good for you, your brain doesn't pull up the fucking 4K Tarman photo when you're trying to take a leak like mine does sometimes.

>>5988692
I'm more disturbed by the shit I've seen off of liveleak than tarman. Tarman is just goofy enough to be silly. But a guy squeezed out like a tube of toothpaste from a motorcycle accident? Yeesh.

>>5988696
>I'm more disturbed by the shit I've seen off of liveleak than tarman.
I feel like I've seen shit just as bad on /gif/. Never did I think I would see the inside of a man's head and go "is that ramen?", but here we are.
>Tarman is just goofy enough to be silly.
This is objectively correct. However, if you were a child when you first saw Tarman (like I was), you might not have such a rational reaction to it.

>>5988706
Dude /gif/ is fucking wild for taking all the shit from the various gore sites. Get kaotic, cartel vids, terrorist orgs stuff. Guys are nuts.


>saw return of the living dead as a kid
Oof. Yeah that'll get you. When you're young you remember the tarman. When you're older you remember the chick from the graveyard kek.

>>5988245

I'm well beyond a 5 myself.
I can create full photorealistic (or any stylized interpretation) 3D scenes, do flythroughs of places i've been to, make exploded views of objects, feel, taste, touch, ect.

I can also lucid dream and do things like read text (and have it make sense after waking up) which aren't supposed to be normal.

>>5988706
>>5988696

I never was bothered much by spooky/gory stuff, especially in movies, but for some reason i always hated this goofy-ass scene.
https://youtu.be/bFwN1ub_K2I?t=153

>>5988835
It's considerably poorly shot and acted, but having worked in industrial setting most of my adult life I can definitely see why a freak accident like that might stick with somebody.

>>5988835
I remember people talking about that scene, lots of "oh mys" and such.

>>5988874
One time I saw a steel wire snap when a guy was making a cardboard bundle. Slapped him in the face and nearly took his eye out. Guy was lucky it put a hole in his cheek instead. Healed up no problem but man, if his head was turned the other way it might've caught his neck, if he bent down a little further it would have got his eye.

Never fuck around with anything under tension/pressure. Gotta respect it.

>>5988835
Same. Being able to run word processors, physics sims, and raytracing in my head is the cornerstone of my thinking process as a tinkerer and artist. Can't imagine anyone living without it, how tf do they even survive

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>>5987999

The body of the rifle is attached to the barrel sheath at the business end, turning the free-floating tube into a stiff structural component that toughens up the whole rifle.
However, you also reinforce the carbon-fiber furniture with hardened steel ribs, stiffening up the whole body even further. It increases the weight a bit, but it'll feel much more solid overall.

The final result, once you've accounted for the wiring and extra bulk of reinforcing components, ends up looking strikingly similar to a SCAR-H with it's barrel chopped off.
There are vent ports running down the length of the rifle that give it a somewhat distinct look, but otherwise it's outwardly pretty normal.

...

"What's he doing, exactly?" Sanig grumbles from behind you.

"I'm not sure. He's been sitting there for half an hour, but i can barely see any changes on the screen." Kyla tells him.

["The Captain is performing internal optimizations."] SHODAN explains. ["The screen you're watching only displays a view of the model being worked on, not what the captain is actually seeing in his mind."]

"Wait, so he's changing stuff on the inside of the rifle? Without taking the model apart first? How?" Kyla wonders.

["Captain Rockefeller appears to be uniquely gifted in the field of neural computation. That is all i can say."]

Sanig huffs.

"I don't see what's so impressive about that. I can do it, too." He declares proudly.

"If it's nothing to be impressed over, then why are you bragging about it?" Kyla grins.

"You keep quiet, toadstool." He grumbles.

["I must admit, some of the changes he's made have seemed strange or even outright illogical. However, after performing stress simulations they seem to be effective. I have only needed to make minor adjustments so far."]

"...Is he just designing based on instinct or what?" Kyla wonders.

"Probably. The kid never thinks too deeply on things, from what i can tell. A lot of what he does, he claims at least, is "done by feel". I wasn't sure what that really meant until i watched him designing the carrier like this."

"Are all humans like this, i wonder?"

"...Nah, definitely not. I've been looking through a lot of human data since we landed on this shithole, and... well, i think they're all retarded." Sanig declares with a hint of sadness, or perhaps pity.

"I heard that, fucker." You grunt. "...And you're not wrong. But we prefer to be called 'special', thanks."

"You're awake? I thought you were in a meditative state or something." Kyla wonders.

"He should be, working the fab like that. The fact that he's not is pretty damned 'special'." Sanig replies.

["Please note, although the Captain's visual cortex is heavily occupied, all other brain function remains at or near a normal state. Only the signals from his eyes are being overridden."] SHODAN explains.

Kyla waves her hand in front of your face, which you're only vaguely aware of since you're focused on designing this fucking gun.

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>>5988696
Am I fucked in the head that I find those gore videos entertaining rather than disturbing, my reaction to those things are "ho ho hooo brutal!" along with "so that's what a spleen looks like, and the ventral and dorsal mesentery is stretchier than I imagined.." when the wannabe/soon-to-be medfag in me kicks in.

Not trying to show off being edgy, I am genuinely concerned that I am not concerned. Maybe its like french peasants crowding the city square to get a kick out of watching the guillotine, so it could be normal. At least that's what I tell myself to cope, but at least that could come in useful when I start my surgical rounds.

>>5989226
Meh, it depends on your frame of mind, do you still want to be a medicfag that helps people?

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>>5989233
Yep, I'd never hurt somebody without good reason, still got a strong moral backbone and I'm way too empathetic to suffering to cause it needlessly on purpose. It's just I can tune out the empathy when I need to work efficiently, or when its with gore videos, it already happened so no need to feel upset, might as well learn anatomy from it.

Seeing and touching blood and guts does not elicit fear and revulsion. It's just simply there, components of just another machine for me to fix up the best as I can like I do with cars and computers.

>>5989245
Then you are biologically fine tuned operating machine. You think to much.

>>5989248
Thanks. It's just the normies I'm with think I'm a weirdo or a psycho for not freaking out. Yeah death and gross shit happens, it's just a fact of life. Likely I'm just becoming oversocialized, need to work on that.

>>5989251
Call em pussies and move on with your day, your job attracts to many like that do to political preference and the personalities inclined for it. You're fine.

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>>5989226
your feelings are okay. Surgical specialties are awesome, you treat patients but in the OR they are your toys.

>>5989226
I mean there is something morbidly amusing about a guy blowing his own hand off with a shotgun for being an idiot, or a dude needing new toes because he thought he could stomp out a firework. Just like seeing a guy who was degloved flex his hand and watch the tendons once hidden by skin move.

I just don't like when it's just some dude who gets fucking obliterated by some bullshit. Like industrial accidents, bad luck, etc.. Watching surgery vids are pretty cool, too. You might be a bit abnormal but I wouldn't say you're fucked up. Morbid curiosity is a very common occurrence, yours is just a bit stronger than typical.

>>5989212
try to bite her hand

>>5989486
Cylia did this and ended up getting swatted out of the air by a burly hillbilly. I MEAN NOTHING BY IT, IT'S JUST FUNNY

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Idea. Lightsabers.
Better idea. Lightsaber bayonet emitters.

>>5989505
Chainswords. Power Swords. THUNDER HAMMER!

>>5989226
Maybe a little bit? I think the thing you have to watch out for is the desensitization to human suffering, but like, if it's purely medical than it's fine.

I took a class in uni where we were taking tests off of cadavers and their parts, and one of the TAs started plucking this guy's leg nerve like a guitar and it was the funniest thing in the world, but it was also really cool that nerves are actually that big, you never think nerves are big but this was as thick as a dime and all rubbery. Cool as shit but we were playing with a dead guy.

>>5989826
>Maybe a little bit? I think the thing you have to watch out for is the desensitization to human suffering, but like, if it's purely medical than it's fine.

Plenty of people find treatment of the dead as important as well dude. Got a ton of people losing their shit over IDF operatives collecting sperm from dead israeli soldiers by shocking their prostate from their anus.

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>>5989843
>Got a ton of people losing their shit over IDF operatives collecting sperm from dead israeli soldiers by shocking their prostate from their anus.
what

If someone were capable of imagining an object in 4-D, what would happen if they tried to put it through the nanofab?

>>5989903
my guess is that we'd get a 3D representation of the 4D object, just like how we get a 2D representation of a cube in a piece of paper

>>5989904
We have a 3d representation of a 4d shape already. It's some weird bendy thing that goes into itself AFAIK. I forget the specifics of how it was described. Scientists always be making shit up.

>>5989868
https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/01/middleeast/israeli-families-sperm-retrieval-intl-cmd/index.html

Unironically have a program where they have 'retrieval experts' get the sperm of dead soldiers on the field while their body parts are still viable for up to a day postmortem. (PSR - posthumous sperm retrieval)

Can be done via retrieving the testes or a sample. whole thing is all messed up.

>>5989908
Do they think they're fucking Space Marines collecting Gene Seeds or some shit?

>>5989906
Klein bottle, and some 4-D cube that is animated to be always rolling into/out of itself.

>>5989908
Jewish cum commandos

>>5989908
Its something the individual soldier signs up to voluntarily as part of their normal service medical onboarding. Its just a step further than having sperm collected and frozen for storage for IVF usage that other militaries and organisations offer to soldiers and long deployment employees.

>>5989908
They really do carry the cum box...

Captcha: DX 4TK

>>5990036
Nah, it seems to be a thing that is family requested on demand.
It genuinely would make more sense to collect and store ahead of time vs. this last ditch effort.

At least per the initial news stories that started this thing.

>>5989212

"Oh wow, you're right... his eyes aren't following my hand! That's so weird..." Kyla exclaims.

"GUYS! Can you PLEASE stop fucking with me while i'm trying to do this!" You yell, turning to glare at them.

Sanig seems surprised, while Kyla just laughs nervously.

"Right, sorry hon."

"Come on, toadstool. Let's leave the kid to it. Looks like he's doing some good work there."

"Right..."

As Kyla's turning to leave, she stops and looks at the screen one last time.

"...Hey, isn't the scale on this a little odd?" She points out. "What caliber in this chambered in? It looks a little big, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, that's cause it is." You grumble. "I'm calling it the 14mm Super-Gyro. It's not really made to penetrate armor, but it probably still could."

"Why's that?" She questions.

"Cause... besides putting a diamond tip on them, they're also big enough to fill full of high explosives, or even a little miniature shaped charge." You explain.

Plus, in the case of a gyrojet a larger bullet actually means higher velocity, since it'll also be a larger rocket.
14mm Super-Gyro will is definitely an oversized round, you feel, but it'll have a ton of utility. You could even use it to spray tear gas by loading them up like little miniature CS canisters.

Then it would be as simple as spraying the mag into a nearby room, and at that point you can't exactly pick up a dozen or so of them and kick or throw them back out.
And naturally, if you can fill them with high explosives, you can fill them with a flashbang mix as well. Course, it won't have the same effect as a grenade, but it'll be pretty disorienting.

The biggest effect though, will definitely be in the most common use case. Soft, unarmored targets.

If each Super-Gyro has an explosive charge in it's head that's set to go off when the rocket finishes it's burn, or upon contact with an object, then imagine what happens when it hits a person.
It would likely penetrate some distance into their body before exploding inside of them, creating a large cavity and sending shrapnel in every direction.

It would shred you from the inside.

Hell, even if it just hit the wall next to you, there's still a good chance you'd be hit by shrapnel.
And of course, if you wanted to up their penetration power, you could put a little miniature shaped charge and a fuse in there.

Again, it's not going to be close to an RPG or anything, but against something like a bipedal or tread-platform robot, it could do serious damage.

It's not a crazy round that can take out anything and everything, but it's capable of specializations that would boost it's performance and make a real difference.
The only downside, naturally, is that a larger round means lower ammo capacity and more weight.

You expect drum magazines to be popular with these Super-Gyro rifles as a result.

You'll also have to create a color-coding system for the magazines, so you can tell the different types of ammo apart at a glance.

>>5990268
>not 10mm
COCHRANE YOU HAD ONE JOB

>>5990274
God denied you and so shall i

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>>5990276

>>5990268
now im worried about overpenetration, unless the rocket's thrust can be adjusted at will

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>>5990276

>>5990268
>14mm
guess we're using 10-13 round mags, or a super duper wide doublestack. the price you pay for aimbot I guess.

>>5990268
At this point we're just re-inventing the Bolter.
Only difference is it's a rocket from the start and doesn't have an initial propulsive charge.

I wouldn't be surprised if we have a version of this gun with an initial charge.

>>5990284
He specifically mentioned drum magazine for a reason Anon.

>>5990268
THE BOLTER, SHE LIIIIIIVES

>>5990299

Bolters are for humans or aliens with power armor.
Don't forget, this is a 14mm round, so bolter rounds will have some kick.

>>5990279

As i said before, it'll be adjusted by the distance at which you fire it.
If you're on a ship, they won't have enough run-up to punch through walls, unless it's specifically an armor-piercing round.

If you're firing at a distance though, they'll pack much more punch.

>>5990333
Depends on order of charge, though the barrel is the best place to get propulsion.

With a chip in each round, PWM steering can get it some nice propulsion in a short period... though that brings back the 'backwash' issue of the propulsion going toward a person instead of contained in a barrel.

>>5990348
that's pretty much a moot point. the personal RCS systems could handle a proper gun's recoil, so a gyrojet should be easier to compensate for

>>5990348

In the case of a regular Super-Gyro round, the striking plate is tilted to slightly alter the size of the exhaust holes in the back of the round.
However, a bolter round won't have access to the back of the rocket like that, so it'll perform the same as a regular gyrojet, using it's nozzles to spin and stabilize the rounds, along with the barrel's rifling.

Bolter rounds will literally just be modified gyrojets stuffed into a larger casing, like a rifle round. The flame from the cartridge will ignite the gyro, causing it to accelerate further and spin harder.

To be clear, when a normal (non-bolter) Super-Gyro rifle is in "failover mode" (meaning the electronic aim assist system is offline) the striking plate will simply punch the rockets at full force.
This causes the puncsthes to bottom out, and will bore out the nozzle in such a way that it also induces spin. So you'll be forced to shoot purely with your own skill, but at least you'll have spin-stabilization.

>>5990372
I like how punching at full force sounds like.

>>5990268

You pass most of the entire afternoon thinking over this one rifle and making minor changes to it here and there, trying your best to solve potential issues before they ever have a chance to crop up.
It's easy work, almost relaxing in a way despite the crew occasionally coming in to pester you, but after many hours of focusing on it your brain just gives out on you.

Practically all at once, it's like you just ran out of thinking thoughts to think your thoughts with. You think.

You open your eyes and look down at your holowatch. It's well past sundown already.
As your sense of your surroundings begin to come back to you, you realize how hungry you are.

But before even that, you really gotta piss.

Unfortunately, when you run to the bathroom it appears to be occupied.
Not that uncommon with so many people crammed onboard, but it's a problem when you seriously gotta go.

You slam on the door hoping it's just Cylia or Kyla taking a shower, but Redbone is the one who replies.

"Occupado!" You hear through the door.

"Red! Hurry the hell up, man! I gotta piss!" You yell.

"Sorry man, i'm blowing it up in here. Give me a minute!"

You hear the sound of something wet splattering, the sound of the toilet bowl ringing.
Yeah, nevermind. You wouldn't go in there if someone paid you.

Rushing outside through the airlock, you find that the ship has relocated to... a dollar tree parking lot.
There are only a few cars left in the lot though, so you don't think anyone's gonna see you.

You rush down the steps and try to hide yourself from any cameras behind the ship, and end up draining the lizard on the side of one of your landing legs.

"...David, what are you doing?" Cylia asks, scaring the literal piss out of you.

"BAH! Fuckin'... god. I'm trying to take a piss, what does it look like?!"

"I dunno, that's why i was asking."

You quickly finish pissing and stuff your dick back into your pants.
...Always the last dribble. Goddamnit.

"What are you even doing out here?" You question.

It's unusual to see your crew outside, since they seem afraid that something's going to maul them if they go outside.
But here Cylia is, wearing her armor but no helmet. Just an oxygen mask.

You smell it at just about the same time Cylia gestures behind her towards the back corner of the parking lot, which is mostly hidden by the ship.
Pickle and Princess are out there, sitting around a charcoal grill and cooking something...

"Is that my hamburger meat?" You question, recognizing the smell of your own spice mix.

"Yeah? You just left the meat in the kitchen, so... i was helping your friend cook them up."

Pickle raises his Pabst into the air and grins at you even as he's patting Princess's head, who's laying down on the pavement next to him.
Damn it, you were in too much of a hurry and didn't check your corners. Rookie mistake.

Red runs down and around to where you are just a moment later, holding a serving platter and a big pack of cheesy jalapeno sausages.

>>5990819
>Jalapeno sausage

Ah shit, we gotta warn them about the food dangers for our non human crew

>>5990819
I can't wait to bring PBR to the stars, somewhere redneck Jesus is crying a tear of joy.

>>5990839
pretty sure they already learned that lesson when we made the baked potaoes and gildur got turbofucked with the peppers

>>5990819
Most of the meat we don't have yet is wild game. Cylia would probably appreciate hunting, if only to get out and stay sane.

>>5991159
Taking Cylia bow hunting in the backwoods actually sounds like a great idea for a date.

>>5991172
I almost want to do a group hunting trip as an excuse to test out our gyrojets. Blasting deathworld critters with experimental weapons sounds like something Sanig would love.

https://youtube.com/shorts/xKlqsv4nCao
>>5991172
last time we took her for a "hunting" date shit HIT the fan soooo uch

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>>5991287
>last time we took her for a "hunting" date shit HIT the fan soooo uch
Well we know for a fact there aren't any fucking Demons out here. Just hogs, mountain lions, coyotes, and snakes...but no Demons.

>>5991291
Twenty bucks says a hogzilla could take down a balrog.

>>5991291
sounds to me like the perfect time to gift her a bolter specifically made for her, so she can hunt without the fear of getting gored to death by a hog

>>5990819

"Dude, you came out pretty quick there. Tell me you washed you hands." You accuse.

"I did!" Redbone lies.

["He did not, Captain."] SHODAN tattles through your watch.

Redbone immediately becomes upset.

"How the fuck did- oh hell no, i know you ain't watching me in the bathroom, bitch!" He yells.

["I am not. In fact, there are no cameras in the bathroom. However, you have just outed yourself, Mister Masterson."]

"...God... fucking damn it. Fine, whatever! I don't need to wash my hands anyways, i got a clean dick!" Red insists.

["I am doubtful of that."]

"Nobody asked you!"

"Maybe i should cook those instead." You grumble. "Sterilize them over the fire."

"Suits me, i won't be eating them anyways." Cylia shrugs. "Those things are full of hot peppers, aren't they? I can smell them from here."

"I'll make you some plain beef and cheese sausages too, then. Hell, we might as well party a little since we got the boys back together. Most of em, anyhow."

"Don't make me drool, David... i have to take the mask off to wipe it." Cylia complains.

...

You spend the whole night together with your boys and Cylia, grilling burgers, drinking beer and catching up a little.

You find out that before Pickle had gotten into all that trouble, he had been in the middle of trying to form his own little cult, just for fun apparently.
Redbone on the other hand has been pretty much in seclusion for the past few years, and was probably on a bunch of watchlists for his opinions on the government.

Pickle tells you all about his cult's "free love doctrine" and how he was teaching them to grift off people on the internet, while Red tells you about the spider holes he was digging under his house.
You listen to their stories intently, then follow up with a few of your own. Some of the crazier shit, like the time you spent on that fuckin' wraith planet.

You can tell that Red half doesn't believe you, but Pickle practically looks sick from hearing about it, like you just told him the boogeyman's gonna get him.

"...and so i sent it straight down his gullet a blew a fuckin' hole straight through him. But wouldn't you believe it, the sumbitch was still trying to regenerate! So i ended up digging out it's core, and..."

"Gunny! For god's sake, man, tell me you're joking!" Pickle begs.

"No? I still got the core locked up in the ship!"

Pickle cradles his head and starts whining to himself.

"Oh my god... you're fuckin' nuts... WHY?! WHY WOULDN'T YOU JUST LEAVE IT?!"

"...Well what if it's useful?"

"Useful for what?! Opening a portal to hell?!"

You think about it seriously for a moment before staring him in the eye and nodding wordlessly.

"Dude, throw that shit away!"

"Hell no! Look, Pickle, what are you gonna do when a demon comes along that's too big or too tough to kill with a grenade launcher?"

"Fuckin' nuke it!"

"Yeah, that might work. But i'd rather not have to do that. And that's why we conduct research, ain't that right, Cyl?"

>>5991461
>Red exploded into the toilet bowl
>doesnt wash
and that's how the new butt-cough spread

>Red doesn't believe in demons
>is the guy who can now use telepathy through getting his mind blown out with drugs and wraiths
Now it confirms he is a little retarded, just like big bro David.

>>5991489
he is a marine, he doesn't wipe his butt.
I hope David does... maybe SHODAN has a VI controlled bidet in the toilet that launches streams at David's crack

>>5991575
There is indeed a bidet in the ship, we're not savages here.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9XTEGrze920

>>5991461

She shakes her head.

"You and Sanig are the ones who poke around at those things, leave me out of it..." She grumbles, then peeling her mask off for a moment to take a bite of sausage.

"Ah... yeah, the girls just don't like 'em. They've both been attacked in the past, so..."

"On the ship?" Pickle asks.

"No. Well, i mean... one snuck onto the ship once or twice, but uh... none have ever escaped containment after i've captured them."

"Sho far." Cylia adds through a mouthful of food.

"Yeah, so far. See, only warp metal and dark matter can contain a wraith, and as for why, it's a whole thing. But i'm pretty sure wraiths are mostly, if not entirely made of dark matter, so if you mix their blood into paint..."

"Gunny, man, what the fuck are you doing? Is this what you get up to when we leave you alone? Goddamn dude, you're worse than i am." Pickle chastises.

"Nah man, ain't no way i'm worse than you. Remember when you got that college kid to sneak onto that farm?"

"Gunny, you're mixing demon blood into paint and using it for fucking rituals and shit. Do you not see what you're doing?"

You roll your eyes.

"It's not a ritual, Pickle. I literally just painted a jar with it to keep it from escaping. They phase through normal matter, but they can't phase through their own flesh and blood."

"He painted his armor with it, too." Cylia adds, with a slightly accusatory tone.

"Hey, do YOU want to go and fight them next time?!"

"No, David. I don't want to be anywhere near them to begin with." She insists. "I don't like having them on the ship either."

"Cyl, it's not like i'm going looking for them. They just keep showing up, okay? And when they do, then what? Somebody's gotta handle it."

"...Yeah, i know. But even then, i've never heard of someone encountering so many wraiths before." She sighs.

"That's because most of them die or become retarded after the first time." You say, pointing at her with a sausage.

"Yeah, i guess... but still, encounters are rare to begin with, but how many times has it happened to us now?"

You shrug and take a bite.

"I'unno, i don't keep count."

"...Is he like a magnet for those things or something?" Pickle questions.

"Seems like it to me..." Cylia sighs. "Ever since he got scratched by one, he's been able to see and touch them even when they're invisible."

"Dude, that's fucking creepy." Pickle says, staring straight at you.

"Check out the scars." You say, lifting up your shirt.

"...You're still wearing the bodysuit, dude." He reminds you.

"Oh, right. Well, trust me. There's a big scar across my side where i got clawed. I don't think they're literally venomous like an animal, but the dark matter they're made of acts like a nasty poison. Wounds don't heal well."

"Is that what happened to your eye?" He asks.

"Yeah, the wound gets really painful and starts to fester after a while. Fortunately there was this moth that helped me out. She's a natural-born psychic, i reckon."

"And you aren't?"

>>5992305
David sounds peak schizo when he retells his stories to others... full of internal logic, as if it really happened and you can't convince him otherwise. Of course it DID happen

dont forget to tell them the time where we gave money to a ghost to help him catch a ride with charon when we were gone out for information
the afterlife is very much real in space

>>5992305
>Cyl, it's not like i'm going looking for them. They just keep showing up, okay? And when they do, then what? Somebody's gotta handle it

You know, if we get tired of the bounty route and overthrowing the intergalactic state, if we find a way to eradicate them from wherever they come from, if we wanna to do business above board, I reckon we could get an exterminator business going clearing up decent planets for habitation, resource exploitation or even archeological or ecological study. Could be lucrative.

Interstellar Orkin Man. Gunny's Wraith-Begone. David's Demon Demolition Inc.

>>5992417
Who you gonna call?

>>5992532
Gunnybusters?

>>5992576
For a split second my eyes did not register that first letter and I was preparing my throwing brick. Whew boy.

>>5992646
Cunnybusters.

>>5992646
Cunnybusters!

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>>5992738
>>5992743

>>5992779
I can hear his theme already.

>>5992576
cylia won't like being called that outside the bedroom

Cylia's cunny >>> kyla's cunny > 2b i mean shodan's cunny

>>5992305

"Hell, i dunno." You shrug. "I don't know enough psychics to say what's really 'natural' or not. But even then, i reckon if you're born with it, that's a natural-born psychic." You tell him.

"Well how the hell did you do it?" He asks. "If you only figured out whatever you did to Redbone the other day, that is?"

"I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. Could have been a lot of things. I was injured, i had dark matter poisoning, i was under a lot of stress, dodgin' for my fuckin' life..."

You rap your finger across the side of your beer can as you think about it.

"Maybe... i dunno, might have been a fight or flight reaction? I'm pretty sure dark matter exposure is critical, whatever the case, but that could be it."

It's true, when you're under severe stress, your brain can unlock parts of itself that aren't normally used, remove limiters that are normally in place to protect yourself.
It could be something similar happens when you're in a life or death situation, but you're also being exposed to dark matter... either directly, through your wounds... or indirectly, like being near a wraith.

Naturally, one would assume that a smaller dose of dark matter would make unlocking that latent potential harder. But if you're under the effects of mind-altering drugs, well...
A little dark matter, a little LSD and a healthy dose of pants-shitting fear could be the exact recipe you need.

That, or poison them half to death and make them fight until they pass out.

"Huh... might need to talk to Sanig..." You mumble to yourself. "What's the survivable dosage of dark matter, anyways? I wonder if a pill would work..."

"Gunny, the fuck you talking about over there? Quit whispering shit, it's creepy. You creepy fucker." Pickle complains.

"Shut the fuck up, Pickle. You want to talk about creepy, i wouldn't trust your ugly ass around around a middleschool OR a barnyard."

"Hey, fuck you! You want to go again, let's fuckin' go!" He yells, tossing his beer aside and pulling his shirt off.

"WOOOOO YEAH, GO AT IT! GIT 'EM GUNNY!" Red yells excitedly.

"Woah, woah, hold on, calm down you two..." Cylia starts.

Ah, this is it. You missed this feeling.
It's been forever since you fistfought one of your buddies in a parking lot.

Just like the good ol' days, when you were bored out of your mind 24/7 and desperately needed something to do.

>Let Cylia hold you back. A fistfight would be fun, but you really probably shouldn't. You guess.
>Go at it with Pickle. It's been a while and you need to shake some rust off anyways.
>Hell, why not have some fun? See if Redbone's up for it, too.
>Write-In?

>>5993454
>Hell, why not have some fun? See if Redbone's up for it, too.
This'll be a good learning experience for Cylia.