The past few months had been rough. Your severance package turned out to be worthless in the wake of post war inflation, and even in one of the supposed seats of Pact Joint Command you couldn't find a stable job. Trying find work outside the Pact was nearly impossible with how destroyed your reputation was with the Raihan Empire.One drink turned to three quickly, and soon you were telling anyone who would listen about the hardships. The undue, unjust, and entirely of no fault of your own, hardships.---Make a choice. You are currently a little buzzed, but a few more drinks shouldn't hurt.>Complain about having to moonlight in the pharmaceutical industry, and getting no thanks. A bump couldn't hurt.>Decry the squalid living conditions you've had to endure, despite your charitable work at the local clinics. Pound one.>Rail against Solei, who is an unimaginative prick. Take a shot.
>>6373892>Complain about having to moonlight in the pharmaceutical industry, and getting no thanks. A bump couldn't hurt.
>>6373892>>6373892>Complain about having to moonlight in the pharmaceutical industry, and getting no thanks. A bump couldn't hurt.Wasn't expecting to see another Space Shipyard quest so soon, relatively speaking.
>>6373892>>Rail against Solei, who is an unimaginative prick. Take a shot.
>>6373892>>6373894>>6373898You crushed a small capsule between your fingers and inhaled sharply. Cold, burning, a burst of euphoria and suddenly crystal clear with the lingering smell of titanium fire. "Amp. Ampheticaine. It existed before, right? AKSG product all the way." The guy one seat over rolled his eyes. "here we go again." His lack of enthusiasm for very important facts did not deter you."I..." you sneezed like an undignified kitten "I perfected it!. Well, after NuAmp, Diet Amp, but I got it right. Got it exact! Biological chemistry... nominally outside my real of interest, but not my genius. Was I rewarded? No! NO I WAS NOT!" You started to stand up, mid proclamation, but a firm hand on your shoulder from a bouncer grounded you back into your seat, forcefully. This world was like clay, crude, demanding a hand to shape it. "A vision to realize it." Internal monologue leaked quite externally from your lips.Ampheticaine was ubiquitous here, the lifeblood of industry perhaps. You rolled a drained shotglass in contemplation. Drops of cheap liquor rolled out onto your palms. "I did good work. Just like for the PJC. Took an imperfect idea, then purified and concentrated it! Did you see the videos of the Megaton Rain before they butchered it? Just like that....and just like that as soon as my work was done I was thrown away again."The local grey market was always eager to capitalize on any resource. You had happened to be one, if only for a moment. Once developed, your utility quickly ended as the illicit pharmacorp found your personality difficult to work with and left you with a broken finger and busted nose. Shortly after the compounding process and formula proliferated outside the hands of your former employers. Sadly it also saw your apartment explode while you were elsewhere.>>6373900You slam a shot your neighbor bought for you, in a bid to shut you up. Poison and fire twisted into your gullet, the phantom of being strangled quickly passed, tension numbing slightly."It was as fucking bad as working with Solei! He was so damn smug when he got the Director position of PJC R&D. Well fuck him, Whats the PJC now? Barely anything." You pull out a medal case and show your increasingly weary audience. "I...EARNED this! Not Solei, and they accused me of being iterative for designs that were placeholders!" you leaned on non existent back of your stool and fell to the floor.The bouncer looked at you with a grimmace. He was spiked, you knew him in passing. A patient. The spike's death sentence was reduced to a life of inconvenience with a firmware update and a very minor hardware augmentation."Glasner. Time for you to go. Need a hand?"----You are intoxicated. Another drink doesn't sound so bad though. Make a choice.>Ignore him, Get up and Keep drinking.>Take the hand and ambulate your way "home.">Slap his hand away and be combative.
>>6373911>Ignore him, Get up and Keep drinking.
>>6373916"Only lost my balance. Just got started."The bouncer looked at you with a mixture of pity and frustration before walking away. This had been your routine for the past few weeks, it wasn't going to change tonight. "Don't have much else to do or anywhere else to be." Your living situation was best described as nomadic. You spent your "evenings" in the station's bowls with other vagrants, trying to stay ahead of individuals who desired to collect on petty debts. "Galaxssys' a..'ard place man."The seat next to you had been empty for a while. A few more beers were put into storage for conversion into future piss before you noticed commotion. A group of attractive women were taking part in a brawl that was wrapping up. The bouncer from earlier was on the floor. You went over to see what this was about, no need for people to act so savage.A guy comes in from outside your peripheral vision before you can get any closer. "Not for you Mr. Drunk. Today's your lucky day though, just walk away."---You are three sheets to the wind. What do you do?>Push your way past.>Try to reason with him.>Take his advice and walk away.>Approximate a challenge to him in a display of dominance.>Write in
>>6373930>Write inProjectile vomit directly into his face.
>>6373985You look around, and realize that the full attention of this man and his battle harem are now on you, as are the patrons of this establishment. Attempts to talk come out as a stutter. You pull yourself from a slouch to full height and attempt some semblance of dignity "I..hu huhu...I am the F former Director of the" and then it hits. Your body rejects the toxic swill in your stomach, a pain unlike any you've felt racks your being, doubling you over and causing you to put a death grip on the nearest available object. Starwind's shoulders. He was already executing a slick martial arts move that was no doubt going to break something.A shame, today had been going so well.>Roll for Glasner Beam effectiveness. 1d20.
Rolled 5 (1d20)>>6374003
Rolled 7 (1d20)>>6373892I'm Cognis and I approve this licensed third party spin off.Remember to link the previous thread so new comers have context. https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?searchall=Space+Shipyard>>6374003Chargin the bile cannon!>>6373898>Wasn't expecting to see another Space Shipyard quest so soon, relatively speaking.Well NonCognis got infected with the brain worm and really wanted to explore the setting some more. Given that I thought Ex Nihilo was an interesting hook but was too busy run it myself I gave my blessing for this quest.
>>6374013>5:A poor showingThe Glasner beam had long powerup, requiring a long belch that allowed Starwind enough time to lean to the side, avoiding all but the particulate splatter of your projectile vomit. The rest of the incident is a blur, involving you getting violently kicked, thrown, then stomped on by a group of rather attractive women. In retrospect some men pay for that, so this could be considered a minor victory, if not for the grievous bodily injuries.It would have been a mercy to have passed out right away, but instead some purple haired floozy grabbed you by the face and scanned your eye "No. The Arc-itect bounty was rescinded with the death of it's sponsor." The voices were hard to focus on. "Yeah. Looks like we missed out on this one. What? Patent infringement?" She hauls you up and the group poses around you. Your face was swollen to the point where you couldn't get a good look, but it seemed like one of the patrons took a picture. You tried to talk but spitting out mouthfuls of blood made it hard. "Whufdafuqmahn?""Hey look, you have a bounty on you, I, beloved hero collect it, and cover the cost of coming to this dead end. They just wanted you roughed up. Also stop building rotary cannons or something. I don't know. Also this is for my jacket." You never saw the next punch coming. "Come on Ladies. Lets go see if that cute engineer wants to join the team."---"Wow. I've never seen someone shit himself from getting hit like that. It was really impressive!" She was your nurse, and a former knight pilot. Apparently she lost her frame in the war and had been disowned by her family, with no way to really get back into their graces. You'd feel worse for her if not for the constant replay of your ass beating she tended to play while doing routine care. Your gritted your teeth as she twisted and adjusted a brace that kept your shattered arm in one piece. "Almost as impressive as loosing a knight to strike fighters." The quip had upset her the first few times, once you learned enough about her to utilize it, but now it seemed ineffective. "Hmm, yes, but I think people will remember this more. Because it's funny. Also Galatan Starwind. Mmmm." She had a far off look in her eyes for a moment. "Anyway, my master is coming to see you shortly. Please appreciate what you are being offered."A moment later a ragged looking man entered. He was lean, and masked. The infra and ultrasonic emissions from extensive augmentations made him unpleasant to be with in the same room. Your teeth almost hurt being near him. "Harris Glasner. The Alchemist wishes you well. I wish you well." You can't see his face, but he leans in closer to your bed, grabbing the railing tightly. "On her behalf, I would like to extend an offer. No need to act. Now." If not for the medical catheter already inserted inside your more delicate anatomy, you would have pissed yourself.When you look down at your bedside tray, next to a cup of chocolate pudding is a letter.
>>6374028You skim the contents of the letter, it was brief, and to the point. A job offer. blah blah blah responsibility. Something something well being of the station community. Where was the job title....Director. "OH HELL YEAH! I am an artist, and this will be my canvas!" You jumped out of bed and re fractured your arm. "Fuck!"---It was a few weeks of ongoing therapy, but you were fully recovered, with new teeth even. Surprisingly nice teeth for such a backwater station. Granted if it could be had, it would be here. Your official new duty. Director. The pep in your step was arrested slightly as you stepped into a massive open bay. It looked like some sort of forward operational base in a military campaign had sex with a homeless encampment. There were clearly signs of industrial activity, but none of it was pristine. Overhead gantries hauled massive components into place while a robotics assembly line busied itself with unrelated tasks. Numerous specialty "Shops" handled sub components."Its beautiful. Isn't it? Harris Glasner." The masked man had snuck up on you. "We made many things here once. Strike craft, torpedoes, corvettes, even frigates. The Kaszanka type, if you are familiar. I know you are." He walked in lockstep with you, explaining the various shops and locations. You spotted a decommissioned hotdog being stripped for components, apparently cannibalized for it's engines. "We use those for Zweihänders. Waste not."You'd had enough of him. "Yes, yes. Want not. Who are you anyway?" you adjusted your glasses more out of a nervous fidget than any real need. You felt him grinning through that opaque, featureless mask."I'm just a Bastard. You can even call me that. In fact, I insist. But, that is much. Less. Important than the job at hand You. Need to make choices."He guided you over to a small open air elevator. It lead you up to an overhead director's cubicle on one of the mobile cranes. This place was a shithole. The whole thing was. Before you could say anything the Bastard motioned it's head towards the empty yard. "The artist needs a canvas, and this the brush with which you will work. Try not to have a tragic fall."
>>6374041>>6374041On your Director's display was a notification of the first job order you had to deal with."Our customer is the provisional government of Shima. To be honest its sort of an occupied territory of the PJC, and they are quickly loosing influence as the member states of the pact maneuver against eachother for favored trade deals and political ties. The upside is, we are nominally part of the PJC, so this funds us.Shima has the capacity of build strikecraft, and has stocked up on them, but the craft aren't FTL capable. They need to patrol their territory and have requested between 6 and 12 patrol craft. The Pact has elected new builds rather than donating existing surplus craft, probably because the surplus got obliterated during the war.These things don't need to be much more than their mission, so keep tight to the requirements and we can cash in on surplus exotic matter at the expense of going heavy on common matter. You also aren't going to have access to most of the familiar goods here, we make everything in house.Ex-Nihilo's equipment is a little different, we can import, sure, but that eats into operational costs, so for now learn about what we have, develop the lines, and make do. Below is an overview of the current frigate frame and available sub components.(1/2)
>>6374065(2/2)---From: MX ProSuper"The Knife Fighter was made to be incredibly affordable, accomplish a patrol, and come home. Damage control wasn't part of the plan. We have two example configurations for you to review. A type offers a fast gunship equipped with the lantern core, B type is a pocket carrier that can take a hit or two. Neither are ideal, but its what the team could make before you came into the picture.1. Deck houses provide a living and command space. The bigger the more functionality, think on equipment in mission repairs, command and control, room for EVA and recovery. The smallest simply provides the crew room to exist. The more crew you have the bigger you have to go.2. Sensors. From a basic comms blade, to a jammer, to a C4 ISR node. The heavier you go the more power you need.3. Armor and heatsinks. I'd argue heatsinks could be armor.4. The E-Drive. If you are gonna jump you need it, and this ship needs it.5. Lantern Core. This takes the place of multiple engines and powerplants. Gratuitous speed and power output, less efficiency, and it explodes violently if ruptured while under power. Its also cheaper than multiple engines and power cores.6. Power core and basic engines. They don't explode, but you are either going to be slow as fuck, or come out more costly and still less than fast.7. Armament. We are a little underdeveloped here. Our best tech in house are probably the missiles, but we also have basic particle beams. I'd say something about the strike craft but our customer can supply their own so that's always a consideration. Use the existing unit as a placeholder for locations.8. Capacitors and shield tiles. We pioneered these ones. Much cheaper than a power plant, but they only have enough juice for a hit then you are systems dead until recharged. The tiles are happy being fed from a direct power source or capacitor array. Doesn't matter much to em.And hey, we wrote the book on doing things the wrong way. Literally. Check out the Chimera manual sometime. Yeah, you shouldn't daisychain E-drives together, but if you know whats gonna blow first, you can plan for downstream failures and on station repairs. That said, this probably isin't the contract for that kinda shit. Anyway Glasner, welcome to the team, good to have you as a boss, go knock yourself out. Maybe you got some ideas we didn't think of."---Alright players. Describe the kind of ship you want to make with whats available, and see if you can hit consensus. We'll have a ship within the next few hours, unless I pass out before then. The picture is mostly to help you visualize whats going on and what you have, rather than any expectation of drawing or creating anything, but if you do, thats cool too.
>>6374070the ship pixels.
>>6374070>>6374074They want a patrol frigate, let's give em one. Large deckhouse so the ship is capable of performing limited EVA, boarding, rescue etc... would be useful in a "police" vessel. Lantern drive for cost and speed (we shouldn't be going into situations that are too hairy. Maybe advise training crews on emergency shutdown drills, or work some kind of CASE blowout panels into the superstructure to mitigate the effects of a full drive explosion.)Then, capitalizing on the power output, slap on shields, heatsinks and particle beams. Going all in on energy should produce a ship that's cheaper to resupply while still being able to perform its intended function. 1. Biggest deckhouse, special emphasis on having a small EVA/recovery bay.2. basic comms blade.3. Heat sinks4. E-Drive: Yes5. Lantern Core.7. Particle Beams8. Shield Tiles
>>6374070>>6374085Supporting, though I wonder why a patrol frigate needs an E-drive. If they're just meant to travel inside the Shima system, then it would be cheaper to forgo the E-drives and wake jump/haul them to the system instead.
>>6374242Agreed, maybe offer the E-drives as a separate installation package if they want to. Also, can we fit a couple of multipurpose missiles in there? Or do we have to develop those first?
>>6374242>wake jumpThe Pact never developed hyperdrive tech, but select Imperial ships had it. Maybe if we could salvage a hyperdrive from an old battle site we could make a ship to haul our non- FTL frigates.
>>6374085>>6374242>>6374252>>6374262These things were certainly...interesting. Ex-Nihilo engineering up close. If you had access to a hyperdrive maybe it would be possible to reverse engineer it, but this was unlikely given the political climate. E-Drives were the best option for something as large as a system territory. Inefficent to be fair, but they also did offer some redundancy in supporting each other should a large enough threat emerge.You worked the overhead crane system, and sent out commands periodically to the work teams. They were dysfunctional, fooling around, getting hurt now and again, but they also got the job done. You didn't like it, but it also made sense how this place churned out the raw amount of very mediocre ships it did. However...THIS TIME WOULD BE DIFFERENT. "Mine is a lighter touch..." you muttered as you worked the controls. The oversized drive core had come in earlier today, along with the heatsinks and E-drive. The components were crude, but the integration could be optimized. It also wasn't going too hard on additional resources yet...Its a civil ship. But there was room for more. They didn't ask for more though...but you were director. You had stared at the schematics of the particle beams long enough to get ideas. Better than ideas. Eventualities.---Pick one.>Finish the ship, and start cranking out the rest of the Shima patrol fleet. (control yourself. Produce 12 totally fine, if unremarkable frigates.)>Commit to a slight optimization. Ever so slight. It'd need more power, and that would eat into the materials budget for the fleet, but you could still reach the customers minimum ship count requirements, even if it was one or two under, they'd understand for what they were getting. (roll 1 d20 to reach for glory and risk an absurd boondoggle)
>>6374338>Finish the ship, and start cranking out the rest of the Shima patrol fleet. (control yourself. Produce 12 totally fine, if unremarkable frigates.)Solei thought we couldn't do boring but practical!? Well we'll show him! We'll make a ship so boring it'll put even him to sleep!...Ugh, we are going to need a drink after this.
>>6374338>Commit to a slight optimization. Ever so slight. It'd need more power, and that would eat into the materials budget for the fleet, but you could still reach the customers minimum ship count requirements, even if it was one or two under, they'd understand for what they were getting. We've tried the boring option before, like refitting old ships, and in the end it earned us the boot. No more! Glasner's Revengeance starts now!
Rolled 8 (1d20)>>6374395>(roll 1 d20 to reach for glory and risk an absurd boondoggle) in the options field put "dice+1d20"I'll allow multiple people to be normal, and multiple people to try and roll. Lets see which of glasner's demons wins out.If more people vote for keeping it practical, we go that way.If one person rolls a 20, a 1, or more people roll, we go that way.
Rolled 7 (1d20)>>6374402Trust me, I'm an engineer!
>>6374528two more hours. if no further rolls, or choices, we go with that 7.---You looked at the ship. It was fine. Fine enough, but, hmm. No. "It's not good enough. It wouldn't last a second against a patrol frigate." It wasn't made to. You knew that. That was not the mission, and yet, it galled you. Galled you badly.
Rolled 15 (1d20)>>6374576Can we do better?
>>6374587>15You gritted your teeth and looked at the design one last time. Constraints and eventualities played out in your imagination. Shima thought it needed cheap ships to get a job done right now, but there was obviously little thought about after "right now". It was short sighted. In theory they could upgrade the ships, in practice, they would fuck it up. You leaned back into your chair and let your hands glide through the air as you played with the design in augmented reality....When your "design trance" ended you looked over what was wrought, and found it satisfactory. The changes were obvious, but nuanced. Not catastrophically expensive, and not outside the realm of what was asked."Hey, ProSuper. I've got some changes, get the crews to work." the schematics were pushed out and you received download notices.There was audible swearing over the channel before you got an intelligible reply. "You sure about these changes? It won't stretch worktime too much, but uhh, this is a little bit fancier than what we had ya know? We won't hit our target numbers for total units."You cringed at his inability to think in the long term. "Push the damn changes. I know what I'm doing." You directed, he expedited, if he wanted to run the show he missed the chance when the Alchemist hired you.Your upgrades touched the weapon systems, shield emitters, and sensors. A jammer was added along with a C4ISR Suite. You rounded the ship out with an extra reactor and heat sump. It was going to be able to coordinate with the other ships of it's class, get in, get out, and hit first without being detected. The back half was a powder keg, but it was a well defended powder keg with good isolation measures, so even if core were to go critical the craft could be blown in half and in theory the E-drive and crew compartment would be salvageable. The extra resource cost from your discretionary modifications brought the total ship count down to a still respectable fleet of 9 craft.---In the following three weeks the craft were constructed, shaken down, and delivered. The representatives of the Shima Provisional government were skeptical, and more than slightly frustrated at the lower ship count, but the crews of the ship quickly grew to appreciate the Knife Fighter. It lived up to the hype.You were paid with compensated room and board, and enough scratch to pay off petty debts. No more broken fingers! You spun around in your chair a few times celebrating. Maybe more than a few times. Maybe life was going to be ok. Tonight you would go to the bar to drink! Nay! To FEAST! You were inspired, your mind ablaze with new ideas, and Amp. Glorious Amp!---Pick a route:>Glasner's feast.>A strange proposition.>A lesson in humility and rage.and pick an upgrade to work on:>Lantern core. Could be faster, less prone to exploding.>Particle beams. Find a way around the scaling issue.>Shield emitters. They are too fragile.
>>6374666>A strange proposition.WHAT'S IN THE BOX!?>Lantern core. Could be faster, less prone to exploding.It's pretty awesome when it doesn't explode.
>>6374666>A lesson in humility and rage.True artists suffer for their art.>Lantern core. Could be faster, less prone to exploding.
>>6374666>A strange proposition.>Lantern core. Could be faster, less prone to exploding.
>>6374670>>6374705>>6374706Upon completion of the order, you briefly met with the Alchemist at their office. It was a very utilitarian room, filled with archaic terminals and other tools for individuals who would not have possessed even the most basic of implants to use Augmented reality. A grimy window looked out over the gas giant which the station orbited. At a desk sat the Alchemist. Another masked individual. perhaps a strange affect of this station. "Between you and, ah, "The Bastard", I've noticed a trend towards masks. Will I be getting one?"You heard a distorted chuckle from a voice modulator. "Not unless you fuck up, Harris Glasner. So try to keep your face. We've got good news for you. A little gift, and Something you'll be familiar with. The good Lord Hyron Banfield has deigned to gift our station a pair of mass fabricators from the Megaton Rain. Wonders of engineering that they are, there is little in the way of exotic matter for recycling. He thinks we might actually output a net positive with them, so make that happen. But no rush, how these are utilized is up to you...Director."A lot of feelings washed over you, horror at what had happened to your masterpiece. Resignation. Betrayal. Rage. Fuck Solei. and even more so, an odd sense of freedom. There was a much that could be done with those units. Ignorant individuals would only see them as bespoke machines to make heavy torpedoes. With a little time and work, they could be reconfigured for any form of mass production. This could dramatically improve the output and quality of the station, at least in your hands. "I uh. Please pass my gratitude to Lord Banfield."The Alchemist simply tapped it's mask. "You'll have that opportunity yourself, soon enough. Enjoy yourself for a few days." The figure simply gestured you away with a shooing motion. You saw yourself out, still at a loss for words, this was not what you expected, and the Alchemist was eccentric, but not nearly as taciturn as described. With little else to do, you made your way back to your CORPORATE FURNISHED APARTMENT.>1/2
>>6375121>2/2Work was done, the boss had ordered you to enjoy time off. You had a job you liked, a position that offered you respect, and the evening before was exactly what you wanted; a giant meal, ample drink, and unexpectedly pleasant company. A powerfully built woman with a prodigious appetite was entertained by your witticisms and anecdotes. A shame she left before you could culminate your seduction of her. Still, there was always the memory of that figure and her form fitting body glove. You sighed and looked around your home.The apartment. No, your apartment. What a beautiful thing. It was stocked with beer, and someone even left a little crystal bowl full of amp capsules on the counter top. You shouldn't. no no. What the hell, you earned it.*crack* SNRRRRT.---A few beautiful days were spent optimizing Ex-Nihilo components, and with it your understanding of their design philosophy. Oversized components and brute force made up for a lack of advanced fabrication or elaborate workarounds for limited exotic materials. You found their willingness to simply explore what was possible very refreshing, regardless of if that desire was founded in desperation or not. Designs from the knife fighter emerged, in particular you were happy with how you massaged out some of the less desirable traits of the lantern. It could still explore, but it wasn't going to do it so readily, and on top of that you believed there was a way to further integrate other systems into the lantern core, raising its overall cost slightly, but reducing total system costs.Another capsule cracked between your fingers, followed with an undignified snort. Another plastic package thrown into a small pile. "Hmm." These particle beams, there was something in there beyond just the weapon, maybe more valuable than the weapon itself. The idea was there teasing you. There was also the "Chimera Handbook" to finish reading, ghastly as it was. More of a study on how to do everything in ship design no one should ever do, but there was value to it... the thought was swiftly interrupted by a very unwanted ping to your augmented reality messenger. Shima contact, but originating local. Corporate identity. Interesting, and worth checking out.You thought about how to start, so many ways to answer. This was the new you. Business you. "Glasner. What's your business?" no, too lame. Cool you. "Business or pleasure?" Fuck man. no that was weird. Wait, wait... they were the ones calling. Maybe staying quiet until they talk first would work. Social anxiety was creeping higher, and an Ampheticaine buzz was decidedly not helping. The call connected. You stayed silent. Frozen."uhh.. y'ello?" The voice as familiar. Male. You voice caught in your throat."Is this Glasner? Look man. I've got some business, I know how we parted way wasn't great, but uh, lets have a drink and let bygones be bygones huh?"...Horner.--pick one.>"Fuck you man.">"Whats the business?">write in.
>>6375131>>write in."Are you fucking serious!? After everything you and your partner did to me, you dare approach me for 'business'!?... But of course you would. You've always been as stupid as you are lucky Jack, how else would you still be alive? And lucky for you, I'm in a good mood. So if this business just happens to be a project worthy of my genius, maybe, just maybe. I'll consider it."
>>6375163>"Are you fucking serious!? After everything you and your partner did to me, you dare approach me for 'business'!?... But of course you would. You've always been as stupid as you are lucky Jack, how else would you still be alive? And lucky for you, I'm in a good mood. So if this business just happens to be a project worthy of my genius, maybe, just maybe. I'll consider it.There was a pause, he was composing himself. It lasted for less than a half a second, considering his strategy then just blurts it out."Lets cut the crap and put everything on the table. We have a Chimera, and it needs fixing."He was asking you to fix stolen war salvage. That belonged to Noto first, maybe the Pact, but certainly not Jack mother fucking Horner. "That is PJC property.""Nominally, it isn't. Your guys left it deep in the territory of the Raihans, after it very publicly defected to the empire, after they refurbed it, and after we found it, fixed it, and are trying to keep it. So are you in or are you going to blow another opportunity?"He was worthless, his business was worthless, and the Chimeras weren't worth anything beyond a mobile platform. You grinned. He needed you, and now you didn't need him. "No Jack. I think I'm fine to let this one pass by..." Just before you hung up you heard a woman shouting. It was Mayumi, and her voice dominated the link. "Director Glasner, we..I, would express significant gratitude to work with you just once more. Would that you hear my offer." Her voice was slightly husky. Suggestive. Your mouth was suddenly very dry. "Go ahead." you almost croaked."This ship, it needs special attention, and discretion. Our position in the tragic aftermath of this horrible...horrible conflict is regrettably strained. What we can offer you is a business alliance, between our two markets, and a modest amount of material to offset your labor costs." Her syrup voice couldn't disguise how shitty this deal was, and how many details were lacking."I'm ending this call." you started to gesture to your temple, ready to cut the link."We have a hyperdrive on this ship...Director. You'd like to see this, I am sure. Would you like to get a long...hard...deep look. At the hyperdrive? All the time you need to study it. Feel it. Know it.""I uh. yeah. I do." You gulped a few times. Suddenly her voice was all business."Wonderful. You'll have the details of the contract shortly, and remember. Discretion."Jack was already complaining "With him? Like that?!" The link cut.His suffering tipped mental scales for you. It was worth it. All of it.
>>6375186The contract rolled in through official channels, but it was fully laden with NDAs but the crux of it was simple enough.--Requested platform: Corvette.Function: UtilityPrimary: Wreckage recovery, ship breaking, towing, and on site salvage processing. Secondary: Local fabrication, material fusing, and component recovery.Tertiary: Minimize the crew. Ideally none.Customer: Horned Princess Shipyards.Addendum:Contract critical: On site supervision by Director Harris Glasner. All transport, lodging, and per diem will be handled by HPG LLC.--Surprisingly the Alchemist had already approved the contract for your final approval. It looked like it was time to cook. You had already pulled up a utility ship concept from the Ex-Nihilo archives that the maintenance team cooked up. It was very close to ideal for the task, if unimaginative, and mundane, but you could get away with automating it and not draw too much attention. They called it the "Mite".On the other hand...from your own genius, a frigate. Optimized for remote operations, housing all the needs listed, and while not capable of being everywhere, certainly capable of the task described for the task at hand. Admittedly you'd could only field two at most.---Choose>Mite Corvette>Wrecker Frigate
>>6375192
>>6375192>Mite CorvetteEasy to produce, maintain and transport. Shipbreaking is hazardous work, so losing a corvette won't sting as much as losing a frigate.
>>6375211It was a battle of ego, if a momentary one. The Mite had no glamour, no sleek lines, and nothing to stand out. Your work crews had been busy fabricating through the night to get the prototype assembled. When you woke up you were pleasantly surprised to see how far work had progressed in your absence.A little note was available for review on maintenance log. "Thanks for choosing our design boss, its not much, but we're proud of it. - Homeless Mike"A little digging into supervisory logs revealed "Homeless Mike" was an elderly member of the work crew who seemed to live in the refuse heap near building 2. His work history goes back to the earliest days of the war, and he was arguably living on the station before it was reactivated for the war effort. He wasn't a risk. You turned your attention to more important maters. The mite. It was really only capable of "Moving and shredding things." as per the original description. A large maw on the front of the craft was lined with simple mechanical manipulators and cutting tools. Integrating very basic welding equipment into the aperture wouldn't be particularly difficult. It was all just space constrained. You pinched the bridge of your nose in frustration. It was VERY space constrained. There was realistically no way to fit everything in here.It could be tweaked to be modular, go heavy on the robotics. There wouldn't be much room for the crew though.--Make a choice>Commit to keeping the design simple. Fails most of the secondary and tertiary goals.>To to do a moderate improvement to the design at a cost of increased complexity. Will accomplish the secondary goals, but increase crew requirements.>Act with supreme arrogance, and shove everything in. Its arguably a more fragile design, maintenance hungry design, but with good engineering and a competent crew its more than doable. (roll a 1d20, best of 3, or a crit.)
Rolled 2 (1d20)>>6375294"I built a ship around an enormous rotary cannon and still managed to squeeze over a thousand rounds of 200mm shells into a frigate hull; how hard could this be?">Act with supreme arrogance, and shove everything in. Its arguably a more fragile design, maintenance hungry design, but with good engineering and a competent crew its more than doable. (roll a 1d20, best of 3, or a crit.)
Rolled 13 (1d20)>>6375294>Act with supreme arrogance, and shove everything in. Its arguably a more fragile design, maintenance hungry design, but with good engineering and a competent crew its more than doable. (roll a 1d20, best of 3, or a crit.)
>>6375363>>6375409awaiting a final roll.
Rolled 16 (1d20)>>6375418
>>6375421>>6375409>>6375363You worked over the Mite half a dozen times, considering extreme variations before reminding yourself of two things. Too much change was almost as bad as a clean sheet design, and you didn't care for these particular customers.You patted yourself on the back, mentally of course. "It is...perfect. Everything is there." You called over the Maintenance leader (MX ProSuper) to see the design for his opinion, in reality, you just wanted someone to notice the subtle changes you made. The use of space wrapping around the internal fabricators for an unexpected, if very cozy, living space. How you podded the various tools and put them into the units manipulators, or how the primary cutting and processing array now sported a faceted multi phase array laser...or how it was missing the entire fucking engine and power plant."Damnit! I'm an idiot!" Looking over at the lantern core concept you quickly scale down a digital model, then slap a safety cage around the most vulnerable section. "I'm a genius!" As a last minute after thought you threw on another cooling ring simply because it would fit. As you were finishing the last of the design your MX ProSuper came over and looked at the design for a bit. "yeah, that's the Mite alright. But why's it got one of those bombs on it's back?" you sighed. "It is not a bomb. It is a lantern corn, and this version is even more stable than the last.""So it doesn't explode no more?""No it will certainly explode if you damage it during peak operation.""An' thats whats with the cage?""Yes.""K'." He shrugged and left.You looked at the craft and frowned. "I should have built the frigate. Still. It's no mite." a last minute name change was done to the production unit. "Tardigrade"
>>6375478During the shakedown run of the first unit a few quirks were discovered. The core was violently overpowered for what it was, and without inertial dampeners you needed to code in an acceleration gradient for the engine control unit. Dozens of small issues were found and fixed. The funniest one was when the containment cage heat soaked and started to undergo elastic deformation. The pilots really though they were going to die, and never realized the transparent reactor housing was good for another thousand degrees. Those goofballs barely know their materials science.After the pleasantries of completing the production line, you concluded everything had been avoided long enough. It was time, and your least favorite part of any project. Communication. You opted for text, mostly out of contempt. Partially out of social avoidance. "Lot 1 ready for delivery. No Eigen Drives. 2 crew minimum. 6 corvettes total."Jack's response was fast, and also text. Coordinates on the opposite side of the local gas giant, and rudimentary instruction. "You, the ships. Be positioned for pickup, sans crew." Luckily for him, the autopilot on the Tardigrades was good enough to do coordinate maneuvering and anti collision.You found yourself getting ready to helm your own product. An interesting experience.---Choices:>Go solo.>Bring a friend (write in)
>>6375521>Bring a friend (write in)Let's bring... um...ah shit, we have no friends. NVM...>Go solo.
>>6375585>>6375585Having to pilot a space ship was an interesting experience. It wasn't something you really bothered with much. The Tardigrade was somewhat temperamental and slightly violent even with the adjustments you had made. The blue glare of the Lantern core was omnipresent, and the sheer energy output of it set your teeth on edge. It was like sitting next to the Bastard. Still, you were able to function, and after 20 minutes of punishing operations you had grown acclimated to the experience...As you approached your rendezvous point, a contact on the ships limited sensors popped up. To be fair though, you saw it visually first. It was a chimera to be sure, the mangled lines of the glory class were visible in it, but this one had been heavily worked over by the Empire; or at least what was left of it.Automatic docking permission was granted for the swarm of corvettes as you approached. The ship was barely touching the extreme edge of the gas giant's upper atmosphere, and you could already spot fragments of it falling off like glitter. One engine was in poor repair. If not for the valuable hyperdrive, it would be a mercy for the wretched ship to just plunge into the depths below. Instead you felt the solid impact as the Tardigrade magnetically clamped itself to the warped deck plate of the "Kobito" Ex-Midget, ex 3 other ships. You reached out over your local link and found nothing, there was massive electromagnetic interference from the planet below. Instead the docking light winked several times, and you felt the ship shudder before pulling away from the gravitational field. It was getting ready to jump.--Being strapped to the surface of a ship during translation is very, very, different than being on the inside of a ship. You suspected this brand of hospitality was Horner's doing. The stars were unfamiliar at first, but you soon recognized a few constellations. "Shima." Likely the very edge of the territory. "Alright. Your delivery is complete, the Tardigrades meet the written needs. What else do you want? I've fulfilled my end of the contract."Silence. just silence. It wasn't like they were going to have some halfassed scheme to kidnap you. Eventually Horner deigned to speak."Eh, Sorry about that Glasner. The ship doesn't like to jump, we had to put out a few metaphorical fires. You know what I mean?""You mean real fires." There was another long pause before he responded back."Yeah. Anyway, you are probably wondering why we are out here in the middle of nowhere trying to repair this colossal piece of shit, and I assure you, there is a very good reason."You really weren't. "No. I only care about the hyperdrive module.""Ok! Great, eye on the prize." The man naturally greasy. "So here's the thing. We have the drive, but if we go back to HPG, it will probably be seized. If we send this ship anywhere to get stripped, it gets seized. This leaves us with a very.."You cut him off and get to the point. "You need me.">(1/2)
>>6375622There was something not too far from the Kobito. Maybe a ship."Yep. Won't act like we're too close Glasner. You're smart, and prone to risks. That wasn't what we needed back then, but it is now."You were almost outraged at first, with how callous this man was towards throwing you away, and now needing you again. It was also honest, but it was also probably a manipulation tactic. Horner was clever in his own way, and his arena of intelligence was different than yours. An inferior one, but at this moment one that was in play. You opted to reach for what was familiar to him."Whats in it for me?" You pop a video feed to the AR stream.Eventually you sorted out what the object nearby was. It wasn't a ship It was the fore section of the kobito.Jack was mindlessly smoothing over his hair. Pacing. Still, he was letting you see this. It was in character. "We already agreed on access to the hyperdrive, you learn it, and maybe down the road you are able to fabricate it. Maybe we do business, you as a prime supplier." You knew damn well that bitch Mayumi was listening."I've got a counter offer. Your struggling business dies trying to hold onto this thing, or you ship it to Ex-Nihilo station, you get my protection as Director. DIRECTOR...and we work from there, corner the market on new build hyperdrives. Whatever you want though." You push some repair options Jacks way, things you had literally created as you were speaking. ----Alright players, make a choice.>Truncate the Kobito. It'd be cut down to something a little bigger than a Glory, but they wouldn't be able to contest a breach of contract. Doable here. Gets the job done and ends your suffering.>Stabilize the two sections, send it to Ex-Nihilo for repair and negotiate their services protecting the "battle of noto" scrap field. You gain an asset that will ensure your own leaders remain pleased with you, but will raise eyebrows with the Pact. (Bully Jack enough via a 1d20s)>Prep for mass integration. Send it to HPS, Mayumi would merge her shipyard into the kobito to make up for the missing mass. You might end up seeing them again, or maybe they hyperjump into a star and die. Both are fine. (default if you fail the bottom option, but its more of a fail forward than a hard loss. Open to choice if it interests you most.)>The Glasner offer: Scrap the damn ship and establish a joint venture in one of the surplus areas of Ex-Nihilo, with them under your thumb. (you will have to battle Mayumi's dice rolls, this will only happen if enough players opt for it.)
Rolled 20 (1d20)>>6375650>Stabilize the two sections, send it to Ex-Nihilo for repair and negotiate their services protecting the "battle of noto" scrap field. You gain an asset that will ensure your own leaders remain pleased with you, but will raise eyebrows with the Pact. (Bully Jack enough via a 1d20s)Both Jack and the Pact can suck my dick.
>>6375650>Prep for mass integration.For the laughs.
>>6375673>20: well then.Mayumi responded first. "Your arrogance is is befitting nobility, if only your business acumen matched it. I..."You cut her off "...wouldn't have come to me if you weren't desperate, and a little light reading shows exactly how well your shipyard is doing. By the way, is the family well?"You knew her family was very much not well. It was likely she was the sole survivor of her siblings. No solid confirmations, but trivial gossip was easy to find, even if some of it was likely be embellished. Brother fucker. Really? Absurd. The Tardigrades omitted any form of gravity generation, and as you flicked a crushed amp capsule away from yourself it glided and smacked into the armored viewport to your left, then spun off somewhere to be forgotten. Eventually Jack called in. "Look, Glasner, you are going places you shouldn't be, know what I mean?""I do, but your constant use of epigrammatic speech is...killing me.""I, uh. what?""Idioms. Turn of phrase in lay speak.""Alright, fuck. Ease up man."---The Tardigrades preformed excellently, even with whatever scab crews Jack and Mayumi had manage to scrape together. You oversaw the stabilization effort; creating a virtualized maintenance plan that was then displayed over augmented reality overlays and holographic guides.The Kobito's forward section was partially cannibalized into hollow tube braces and foamed metal beams. As you worked, it was obvious that the front half of the ship had already been heavily salvaged very recently. Entire cooling modules were missing, and all the wiring was stripped in numerous sections. It was going to take at least 72 hours of non stop work, but the ships were equipped with a small berth for two crew member rotation and enough rationed food for a solar week. Given that you had been continuously optimizing the automation routines of the repair fleet and sending out remote updates, it was an increasingly plausible time frame.--Your EVA time was actually enjoyable, even with the company and setting. True to your customer's words, you got ample hands on with the Hyperdrive. Some called you a technophile, but they were just narrow-minded. Art was art, in all its forms, and your appreciation of this sculpted beauty was not lacking as you cut all connections and feeds for a moment of more intimate observation and examination.-->1/2
>>6376059>(2/2)The drive was old. Very old. Your disassembly was limited to very surface level elements but even that confirmed theories you had. Multi spectral scanning tools penetrated deeper into the unit, but it was still just enough to further more guesswork. It would need to be studied in an actual laboratory. For now you settled for powering it on. Calibration would take time. This unit was just lumped into the Chimera in the most superficial way possible.Jack reached out over your link, disrupting your work. You realized he had embedded crude, if effective physical equipment in the drive room. "Done fucking the hyperdrive yet?" You ignored the barb. Despite your reverence for the machine, you'd never debase it like that. They were pure, and something like Horner couldn't comprehend that."The drive is powered, but not operational. It's going to take time, so go keep Mayumi Company. I doubt she keeps you around for your managerial skills."---The next several days were constant verbal degradation and abuse to both Jack and Mayumi, interlaced with poignant truths about their position, and past work. You received many a retort in turn, but were quick to point out it was your job to design, and theirs to lead, and it turned out you did both better than either of them and you let them know it. You pointed out how Ex-Nihilo's growth capacity was outright horrific and made the Horned Princess Shipyard look like an amateur effort, because it was. Mayumi lost her composure and reminded you she was perfectly capable of removing your head with her bare hands. "..and Mr.Harris, its becoming, an increasingly desirable outcome. Please don't test my patience any further. Jack, meet me in the shuttle." You've thoroughly enjoy your moment of superiority with your prior boss, but all things must come to an end."It's done. We have power, but Don't try to use it and the Eigen drive at the same time. Your main bus wouldn't handle it, but neither would anything in a 10 kilometer sphere. Including us. The ship is structurally stable for the short term, but without a massive refit, its going to fail in short order.""That's not your problem. We have the hyperdrive..." the thought of these two trying to manage that beautiful machine, all its concealed knowledge, set you off again."You wouldn't even know how to manage the hyperdrive, or establishing a manufacturing line. You couldn't even get it running without me, and another few E-Jumps would have shredded this wreck. You know it. I've set coordinates for Ex-Nihilo. The ship can be fully serviced there, and you can see for yourself what the opportunity you are ignoring."--An hour later, the former Midget, now Kobito, had returned home. It just so happened to be that a group of Glory-B's were staring down a capital ship of unknown providence, and Admiral Ruhi was screaming in your ear over a priority channel.The quest will continue.
>>6376063"Glasner, what is this!? PJC is starving for a fleet, Noto is damn near defenseless, we can barely keep scavengers from our debris field, and you are out here working for House Shimada's heir and by virtue the Raihan court!"You weren't too concerned with anything she just said. "How about you brief me on why there is a PJC fleet right in front of Ex-Nihilo, with a vessel of unknown providence.""Coincidence. These ships are to be reclaimed. The unknown was already here as a customer for the past week." Had that much time really gone by? You were rather focused."You mean broken. Stripped. Didin't you just say the PJC is resource strained? Ruhi, what is this?" Those were your designs, a vast improvement over the near archaic Glory-A. This was Solei's doing, you knew it.she raised her voice, and her octave started to climb "Don't try to reverse this. Why are you working with the enemy?""The war is over Admiral, and I played a significant part in ending it. So to be very concise; why are you here?""We can discuss it in person. Ruhi Out."---You met the Admiral on station, and ended up settling for a private meeting in your apartment. It was informal, and discussed over your modest dining table and several beers.Your conversation revealed that she was at the station to oversee the reclamation of the Gory-B class. All of it. There were concerns that you wouldn't comply. The Glory-B's were paort of the PJC fleet, but were also property of their respective systems. Systems who no longer required a high performance warship with a significant investment of exotic matter. They wanted it back. The common matter was of limited concern to them, and its value was diminished with the prospect of transport. In the end the hulls of the stripped ships were earmarked for raw materials and an approximation of payment, given that state of Pact currency.Solei had personally laid out the plan to the council, which was swiftly approved. He reasoned that with the threat of the Raihan empire removed, any potential threat was insignificant enough that a homogenized and simplified fleet could manage it. Any larger threat represented something that Pact had no chance of defending against. Higg was going to handle fleet upgrades of existing ships, and several minor locations were responsible for shipbreaking, but apparently he insisted that Noto, in particular Ex-Nihilo handle scrapping the B's. Ruhi explained the logic, but you were unable to keep your calm and threw a beer across the room. "Fuck man!"You saw her. There was surprise and pity. You'd seen it all before, when they thought you couldn't understand, when you explained a greatness they couldn't comprehend. That look. Like you were the defect.Her eyes unfocused for a bit before she spoke again. "It doesn't matter. I need whatever you can scrape together or Banfield will have my ass, and then yours.">(1/2)
>>6376428>(2/2)The alcohol numbed some of your indignation, and you weren't so insensitive as to miss the constant pained expression of Ruhi. A little more probing revealed how strained the PJC was, in that it was almost nothing now. A collection of mutual aid agreements, a handful of ships stationed over Noto's capital, and a near total lack of funding. Right now they were able to secure a modest resource stream via claiming anti piracy and formerly policing functions for intra-member state disputes before the function was de-funded."So your request, is it for the PJC, or is it for Noto?""Nominally the PJC, but realistically its Noto as soon as Banfield decides it is. We are serving a function as long as there is perceived value to the rest of pact, but as soon as that runs out...I don't know. At the moment I'm officially autonomous, and Noto has no real forcing factor, but they will eventually, and I've already lost, well, everything." She sighed, lowering her face into her hands.You considered your options. The post war environment was chaos, and well, as it was said "In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity." You'd almost forgotten about the Unknown ship that had been patiently waiting. Notes from your administrative staff indicated it was a Blorg colony ship, and that apparently their ship was "sick." However there was only so much of you to go around.----A simple text came through that you dismissed as fast as you read it. "Damn Harris, you really are in the middle of it." A nonpoint from Jack, very on brand of him. The Kobito was parked at the extreme south of the station, with Mayumi and Jack enjoying the finest hospitality you would afford them, which was the same hospitality everyone else got on this station. You'd already seen several security reports involving the owner of HPS breaking limbs with overly curious locals. Hmm. Not your problem. You'd love to start work on something larger than a frigate, but the other docks were still congested with existing contracts or bulk cargo storage. You reached out to your production supervisor. "Get me Homeless mike. Have him start a work detail on the Ex-Midget, Let them know its called the Kobito now." You were about to end the call before you querried him on another item "The fabricators, were you able to get unit 01 installed?""Yeah Boss, went in easy. No idea how it works.""It's fine, don't touch it. Halt installation of unit 02, I might have other plans for it." on a second thought you remotely locked the fabricator from operation. You knew your men, and the limits of how much trust could be placed in their ability to not "touch the thing." as an afterthought "Get the rest of the crews ready, we have ship breaking to do. Tell them not to be overly aggressive with the hulls."
>>6376436>Choice time:Pick from each category, your strategies can feed off one another if you chose wisely. I'll take the options most selected by the players.1. Fading Glory: You need to decide what to do with the hulks of the stripped Glory-Bs.>Contact Solei and let him know you could refit the Glory-B hulls to match his standardization. Clients eat the cost. Glory to the Pact. Will yield improved particle fields, conventional engines, and armor. Gain Ruhi's acknowledgement.>Sell Ruhi on refitting most of the hulls with available Ex-Nihilo tech. Its a quick answer to the PJC's fleet size. Noto Stands! Improved beams and missiles. PJC will secure Noto's salvage fields.2. PJC: The Pact Joint Command is barely scraping by and can't really afford new cruisers.>Create an expensive, high end corvette with enough firepower to pose a threat to to a frigate, but be cheaper than an entire frigate with a lower crew count. Develop improved power generators and heat management.>Sell them on the wrecker frigate, but retool it for combat. Improved armor and missiles.>Just reheat the production line for the previous frigate and improve it based off what you've learned. Improved beams and lantern core.3. The Horned Princess you know: Mayumi seems invested in the Chimera, you suspect you know why.>Send the Kobito to the salvage fields to recover chimera fragments for repair. Mayumi will provide protection for your salvage fields for a time, before using her personal warship to influence negotiations on Shima and within the Raihan empire.>Earmark a few Glroy hulls to create a fresh Chimera hull for Horner and Mayumi. Existing components and engines will be stripped from the Kobito. You will include the second fabricator from Megaton Rain, configured for production of whole drones and corvette parts. No weapons. Starts a venture between Ex-Nihilo and HPS.4. ...and The Blorg you don't: These fungal aliens reside on a ship of unknown providence, with potential room for discovery. Its a shame its a toxic hellhole deadly to human life. They are willing to >Contact Horner and Mayumi for a joint refit of two surplus Glory hulls. Will deepen cooperation between Ex Nihilo and HPS,.>Personally enter the craft and try to discover the issue with their failing ship. (dice minigame)>This is 100% not your problem. See if Benny can help. Results may vary.(1/2)
>>6376466(2/2)5. Upgrades:Your time spent with the Kobito and it's unique hyperspace drive were enlightening. The first hand look at a chimera, and Raihan engineering attempts to improve a flawed design also lent insight into potential building techniques.>Upgrade the lantern core and integrate the Eigen drive. While this increases the individual cost and complexity of the core, it drives down the total use of exotic materials is reduced due to shared functions and components within the core. You suspected you could squeeze some modest improvements in speed, and explosion resistance out of this design.>The Raihan modified engines were elegant and robust, but you could do better and provide a line of propulsion without the inherent dangers of the lantern core, which some customers may appreciate.>You didn't want to make engines, you wanted to make larger particle beams!!!----Players and lurkers, hello. I wanted to give some background. This quest was made to come in blind and unfamiliar, but for those familiar with the setting, hopefully you are enjoying my rendition of familiar faces. Of note, the title image was generously provided by Cognis, depicting Glasner, Admiral Ruhi, and the masked Alchemist.I wanted to know if you would like to focus on raw ship building with every post, or if you are enjoying the interludes and more character focused story. Your feedback will shape the quest going forward.
>>6376472>Contact Solei and let him know you could refit the Glory-B hulls to match his standardization.>Create an expensive, high end corvette>Earmark a few Glroy hulls to create a fresh Chimera hull for Horner and Mayumi.>Personally enter the craft and try to discover the issue with their failing ship. (dice minigame)>The Raihan modified engines were elegant and robust, but you could do better and provide a line of propulsion without the inherent dangers of the lantern core, which some customers may appreciate.I only caught the second shipyard thread and missed the first and third outings. Just happy to catch this one. Raw shipbuilding is fun when there are enough players to create discontinuity, and generates the most humor in this series. That said, Glasner is growing on me.
PS -- Is Ruhi supposed to look like a Shimada relative?
>>6376466>Contact Solei and let him know you could refit the Glory-B hulls to match his standardization. Clients eat the cost. Glory to the Pact. Will yield improved particle fields, conventional engines, and armor. Gain Ruhi's acknowledgement.>Just reheat the production line for the previous frigate and improve it based off what you've learned. Improved beams and lantern core.>Send the Kobito to the salvage fields to recover chimera fragments for repair. Mayumi will provide protection for your salvage fields for a time, before using her personal warship to influence negotiations on Shima and within the Raihan empire.>Contact Horner and Mayumi for a joint refit of two surplus Glory hulls. Will deepen cooperation between Ex Nihilo and HPS,.>Upgrade the lantern core and integrate the Eigen drive. While this increases the individual cost and complexity of the core, it drives down the total use of exotic materials is reduced due to shared functions and components within the core. You suspected you could squeeze some modest improvements in speed, and explosion resistance out of this design.Why the hell would we give away the highly complex one-of-a-kind fabricator unit that was the most critical component of the Megaton?
>>6376525>>6376557Appreciate the posts. I'm going to give any additional players a chance to get at this tonight before I post. One player or 10, we keep rolling forward.as for the fabricator and other things, they will be answered in universe. I like your energy on it though.
>>6376466>Contact Solei and let him know you could refit the Glory-B hulls to match his standardization. Clients eat the cost. Glory to the Pact. Will yield improved particle fields, conventional engines, and armor. Gain Ruhi's acknowledgement.>Just reheat the production line for the previous frigate and improve it based off what you've learned. Improved beams and lantern core.>Send the Kobito to the salvage fields to recover chimera fragments for repair. Mayumi will provide protection for your salvage fields for a time, before using her personal warship to influence negotiations on Shima and within the Raihan empire.>Contact Horner and Mayumi for a joint refit of two surplus Glory hulls. Will deepen cooperation between Ex Nihilo and HPS,.>Upgrade the lantern core and integrate the Eigen drive. While this increases the individual cost and complexity of the core, it drives down the total use of exotic materials is reduced due to shared functions and components within the core. You suspected you could squeeze some modest improvements in speed, and explosion resistance out of this design.
>>6376526That's weird considering Ruhi is the only one I've actually drawn. Pics for Mayumi and her Sister were ripped from the interwebs.I guess they look similar since they've all got that long faced east asian matriarch thing going on.
>>6376813Partly the haircut too.
>>6376525>>6376557>>6376713You watched the the stripped hulls of the Glory-B's from an armored window. By no means were they representative of your full genius, but to see them reduced like this did sting. Slightly. An upgraded "Glory S" from Higg was parked in orbit near the process, almost like Merik Solei himself was overseeing the process. From this distance the changes didn't look like much, and maybe that was his art. Doing just enough, or maybe the most with the least. It was painfully reductive to your sensibilities, but you'd had enough time now to think and examine. The PJC common network was still available to you, and with it the schematics for that refit. You spent no more than a half hour fully examining what had been done, which truly, was barely anything. Solei had added on applique upgrades; plasma tiles, chemrail extensions to the mainguns, and not even an entire replacement of the engines, it was just a partial replacement of the lower third and some components that would have been regular wear items. Everything else was untouched. Extra power draw was resolved by throwing in the minimum amount of capacitor arrays necessary."Unbelievable. He is unreal, a sea of choices and he does this?" you spoke to your AR display, the armored window, and no one in particular. This wasn't arrogance, or hostility. It was who he wants. The realization in that moment was almost painful. You doubted you would ever have common ground with a man like that, but maybe, you could work to match his speed...between the stations various production shops and the newly installed fabricators, you should be able to construct a majority of the components needed. It would be trivial actually. You sent an encrypted message over the PJC channel."Get me Solei. I have a proposition for him and by extension the council."---Solei displayed little emotion beyond a slightly raised eyebrow at your proposal and included schematics. "Glasner, this is cost effective. Sensible. I didn't know it was in you."" He hadn't pushed to refit the hulls due to slight differences between them that would lead to difficulties. You had elegantly worked around those issues, using standardized equipment despite the differences in superstructures between the A and B models, creating an effective unified class of ship. The council members were pleased with effectively getting a bargain, and the in the end you were left with just a few B hulls that had been damaged in the war and weren't cost effective to return to service as warships.---You received a short message from Ruhi. "The timeline for total refit is several weeks out, but the council has agreed to immediately allot some of the "bonus" ships to the PJC on a temporary basis. Your quick thinking is a credit to Noto and Lord Hyron Banfield." You extrapolated the politics of that for a moment before deciding it wasn't worth the effort. There was beer. That was enough.
>>6376943>Just reheat the production line for the previous frigate and improve it based off what you've learned. Improved beams and lantern core.>>Upgrade the lantern core and integrate the Eigen drive. While this increases the individual cost and complexity of the core, it drives down the total use of exotic materials is reduced due to shared functions and components within the core. You suspected you could squeeze some modest improvements in speed, and explosion resistance out of this design.The next day was a little blurry. You didn't have a hangover, not exactly, but the lack of amp was certain a factor in feeling rough. Ruhi's hat was still sitting on your kitchen table; she'd forgotten it in your last meeting. You knew It was easily replaceable, but intended to return it at some point. For now, it was an affect of hers, which reminded you of the The PJC frigate project. You rubbed your hand down your face. Unkempt stubble bristled against you. Today was not ideal, your head wasn't in the ship building process, and maybe the lingering effects of emulating Solei's minimalism were sticking with you. Horrible. "Just horrible." The usual energy wasn't there, so you defaulted to the only available ship class the station could readily make. A knife fighter.You slowly chugged through the space around you, augmented reality visible to you alone at this moment. An outsider would make mistaken you for moving in a stupor, hallucinating at phantoms. They would only be partially right. You became more animated as you started to focus on the weapons and lantern core. There were some improvements you had wanted to try for weeks, and getting them out of your head and into the electrons would be a relief. You rebuilt the lantern once, then scrapped it and rebuilt it again....and again. Eventually you finalized something that was a true "core". It contained all critical functions of the ship, wrapped in layers of complimentary machinery and electronics, both more complex in its dependencies and elegantly simple for its component count than then sum of it's functions.---You were interrupted several times throughout the day over trivial things. "The Blorg's ship is falling apart." Everyone was so hyperbolic in their speech. Aura and the Bastard invited themselves in, trying to get your time for a supplemental knight frame. "No time. Dealing with cannons and Blorg." You really weren't dealing with the Blorg, and didn't want to. It wasn't that you hated them, just that there was something revolting about them, on a biological level. social level. Perhaps metaphysical."You. Would kill them? Very un.expected." The Bastard's low level electronic hum increased in volume, pulsing, grating on your nerves and hurting your teeth. A chuckle might have been mixed in with that oscillating noise. You didn't know how aura wasn't bothered. You gestured to your table, it had some petty food items and drinks. "Help yourself, then leave. No distractions." >(1/2)
>>6376993>(2/2)Kill them? What was he talking about? All you mentioned were the cannons and blorg. "No! I'm designing cannons, AND dealing with...Aura? Hello? Anyone?" They were gone. Honestly it was a relief. Work on the enlarged particle beams was fruitful. They would be able to scale a few more times before you ran into real limitations. Right now it was purely power and cost requirements. Your own exposure to salvaged Raihan weapons had given you some useful cliff notes. Admittedly, yours were of a different breed. Not necessarily inferior. A continuous beam took more time on target than a single blast, but the cost differential was there. It was a fair trade.After more internal coping you sighed and looked back at the knife fighter hull. It was limiting, but with the improved lantern core, the deckhouse could be moved reward now that the back half wasn't an immediate explosion hazard. The extra power was useful for what might have been slightly oversized cannons, but one must allow for a bit of flare from time to time. The final touch. The plasma screen. Your reproduction of Solei's work highlighted some optimizations to be made. You resisted on the Glorys, but now, you were free.A little more re configuring left you with a formidable little ship housing systems engineered to it's absolute limits. Hopefully Ruhi would like it. You smiled and looked over at her hat...and it was gone. A crude written note was left behind by the Knight pilots. "If you ever want to to see your hat again, build the knight." an archaic smile emoticon included."Son of a bitch!">PJC Fire support frigate "Duelist" Class, has entered production---Choose:>Let the hat go. Its just a hat. You still have to deal with HPS and the Blorg. Stay the course and fix the Kobito, deal with the blorg. Its a long day thats going to keep getting longer.>GO GET THAT HAT. Mayumi and Jack and handle their own bullshit. (start an HPS interlude sequence, Jack and Mayumi will be bumblefucking around Ex-Nihilo doin the building. Glasner will be busy making Aura a custom knight.)
>>6377075>GO GET THAT HAT. Mayumi and Jack and handle their own bullshit. (start an HPS interlude sequence, Jack and Mayumi will be bumblefucking around Ex-Nihilo doin the building. Glasner will be busy making Aura a custom knight.)
>>6377075>Let the hat go.The knight can wait.
>>6377075>Let the hat go. Its just a hat. You still have to deal with HPS and the Blorg.We're not going to abandon legitimate business over a hat.Although... our bratty knight needs correction. >:) When the time comes we should make her knight have a suitably ironic design flaw to piss her off.
>>6377268>>6377310>>6377233This whole situation was juvenile. You almost hissed, your cool lost. "Ohhh...that bratty knight needs correction. Both of them." You gave a silent apology to Ruhi for your failure of hat stewardship. The hat would wait.Horner and Mayumi were opportunists, but opportunists with a shipyard. They'd need to be kept busy and the Blorg project would work. Finding them wasn't so hard, not with the level of surveillance available to you. Mayumi was wandering the station with a small detachment of guards. She had been for the past few days. Periodic stops at each major assembly hub, bay, and hanger. You allowed it, there were no true secrets here. The Raihans still had a few of their own contacts here, but spying had gradually turned to covert business with those houses who were desperate enough during the post war months.Jack was slipperier. He was absolutly equipped with some sort of espionage equipment, and kept vanishing and reappearing off the station's internal sensors. PJC personnel, coupled with civilian contacts had done an admirable job keeping tabs on him. For a businessman he seemed to have hobbies outside the norm. You finally found him in the upper area of the station trying to poach a frigate contract with a representative from Shima. "...see you again." Static. "Glad you picked HPS for..." more interference. "Refits. The Ex-Nihilo models, already seen em." You decided to interrupt then and there. Your own link request was boosted through the station's emitters. increasing frequency amplitude to a point where you burned through any countermeasures and bored into his skull."Jack. If you need business, I have some for you." Over the security feed you saw him grab his face for a moment. That transmission probably hurt a little."Good.""Good what, Glasner? That fucking hurt by the way. Asshole."---You explained the job. The Blorg needed a new ship and your crews weren't about to walk onto a floating biohazard that was already beyond economical repair. HPS had experience with the Blorg, several times over. They would provide xenoergonomic fitments and additional custom life support equipment, and work directly with the Blorg. Your crews would do prep work and finish the hulls. Back and fourth negotiations concluded with allowing the Kobito a refit from the scrap fields, within reason, and incentive bonuses for a satisfactory job to include at least a partial overhaul by you.Mayumi argued heavily for rights to the spare fabricator unit, but in the words of Lord Banfield himself, who personally nixed that decision "Why the hell would we give away the highly complex one-of-a-kind fabricator unit?"---Roll 3d20.>HPS work with the Blorg and subassemblies. Determines how much bonus work HPS will get on their Chimera.>Ex-Nihilo Work on the Blorg ship hull. Determines the overall quality of the ship.>How much the Blorg like it. Influences repeat business and reputation.
Rolled 5, 2, 5 = 12 (3d20)>>6377586Big money!
>>6377627How could this happen? We're smarter than this!
>>6377627I await...at least two other players. To roll a 1.
Rolled 8, 11, 17 = 36 (3d20)>>6377586I'm sure it could always be worse
Rolled 10, 2, 1 = 13 (3d20)>>6377586>>6377645I should probably start reading quests instead of just rolling.Godspeed.
Rolled 13, 4, 2 = 19 (3d20)>>6377586
>>6377627>>6377648"I'm sure it could always be worse" the prophet said>>6377708based roller, and Blorg racist.>>6377712Totals: 13,11,1---Repair work was at a point that the Kobito was able to jump. It had languished next to several deralict hulls and a decaying blorg craft that looked worse by the day. Its time languishing in the shadow of Ex-Nihilo was coming to an end as the Kobito's long dormant hyperdrive was finally brought up to criticality and it executed a jump, crossing the enormous gulf between the Ex-Ninilo station and a pocket of neutral space containing the Horned Princess Shipyard. In reality it was several jumps, but that took away a little bit of the gravitas of the moment. Mayumi's staff had been busily preparing modules as described for an off site project, with little to go off of other than dimension scans of Pact variant glory class ships and the understanding that this would be for Blorg clients. When her staff asked if they needed to arrange a Charon, she simply told them no.The Kobito jumped in system and pulled up to HPS like it was a common occurrence, loading prepacked modules and taking on dozens of small VCS drones, derivatives of a simple drone fighter now converted to construction duty. Mayumi knew it was petty, but she didn't want video footage of Glasner's worker craft dominating the effort. The presence of her own product lineup was trivial, but an important face saving move.A sizable portion of Mayumi's own staff were also brought along inside the Kobito, it's cavernous bulk more than capable of supporting temporary habitation. The crew were a mix of engineers, technicians, and xenospecialists.--"Jack. How do I look?" Mayumi looked every bit like she always did. Immaculate. Ageless. Jack ran a hand through his hair before answering. "Presentable, given our past few weeks." She looked over at him. He was wearing a suit that was mismatched again. It was a pointless exercise in correcting him anymore. "Get my things. We're heading out." This was a long standing ritual. Perhaps it was Raihan tradition, Jack didn't know. He had several workers grab her personal luggage while he carried a small handbag.--The Kobito's return to Ex-Nihilo was nothing short of chaotic, with VCS drones pouring out of it before the ship had even fully exited the hyperspace gate. Work on the Blorg craft started immediately.>(1/2)
>>6377719((OP got range banned, posting on his behalf))You looked over the work Mayumi's crew had done, and found no notable deficiencies. The Blorg for their part had become increasingly vocal and persistent about getting a new ship. You had explained to them several times that there wasn't a hull available to meet their exact specifications. They would have to settle with the two glory-B hulls.A walk through provided by Mayumi and "Homeless" Mike was given to the Blorg's leadership, who promptly detested everything about the ships, from the long hallways, to the ergonomic considerations, even after several minor refits. Their complaints were nonstop, even going so far as to state "You should pay us to take these [undefined explatives]." Further complaints about pricing, and then criticisms and refusal of almost all local equipment resulted in their decaying ship being stripped for any available components by the Blorg's own work crews. Attempts to offer aid at this point were met with refusal over "technological secrets".The Blorg work crews then attempted to demand pay. They demanded compensation for the value of the ruined hulk of their first ship. They demanded access to the station. It took another day before the refitted ships were complete and you stared at the carcass of the Blorg Bioship with contempt. "I should have let you drop into the upper atmosphere." Your own security teams informed you that the Blorg had attempted to take the ships for an unauthorized cruise before payment, not one but multiple times. Confrontation yielded denials, strange complaints, and circular illogical arguments that ignored their own initial subject matter and rapidly jumped to other topics.The rest of the ordeal was as unpleasant as the first, with escalating complaints leading into legal threats over ownership rights for the carcass of their original ship, hostile living conditions, and more. They weren't a unified species, you reminded yourself of that. This was just one colony. Was this hate you felt? You were sure that such base feelings were below you, yet here it was. Hate. You hated the Blorg. You hated almost everything about them. "Their money wasn't worth it." you hissed through clenched teeth. To top it off, Mayumi was overtly pleased. Her work was done, and the Kobito had already translated to the salvage fields with a short jump.Finally you had enough. Your security handled the issue with a short message. "You are trespassing on a PJC Military installation. Leave immediately or be destroyed." several warning shots from the parked Glory-S's were enough to send them on their way, blasting out idle threats and complaints.>(2/2)
>new space shipyard threadHOLY SHIT HYPE WE'RE SO BACK
((OP is still having trouble. I will continue to post on his behalf.))With the Blorg gone, the Tardigrades began cutting off diseased chunks and pushing them into low orbit for atmospheric capture. You watched the chunks fall away, the PCJ didn't want this biohazard salvaged. Specialized ships had already come and gone, sampling and studying. HPS was not one to let an opportunity pass, and a selection of modified VCS drones had assisted with the "autopsy". All that was left after a few hours was the incident report; some of it redacted even for you.The Bioship was a total unknown. Cellular structures and even molecular machinery fully deviated from any known records, no element of it's genetic makeup could be confirmed for a repurposed organism, but it also couldn't be discounted. What was understood was the organism appeared to have been grown, then implanted with inorganic components which were interfaced with organic elements. The Blog colony that had inhabited it was unaware of the ships exact nature, and continued to constantly integrate Blorg technology onto the craft as systems failed from systemic infection. You shook your head at the loss of knowledge and data. The thing was mostly inert biological structures and a liquefied slurry by the time the aliens had approached for help.As you continued reading, the Blorg's own symbiotic microflora infested and destroyed the ship. Researchers found a complex central nervous system and brain like organelles, and internal sensory organs theorized in use for aural, chemical, and visual processing. Postmortem analysis by your researchers showed heightened levels chemicals analogous to stress hormones. It didn't just die bad, it died angry. There was a moment of pity for the organism before logic dominated again. It was dead and gone, its passing regrettable but no longer an item that could be controlled. You cracked an amp capsule and inhaled sharply.Those particular Blorg, you wouldn't bemoan their passing. There were more pressing matters though, and the alchemist had requested a meeting with you. You habitually cleaned your glasses in preparation for engagement. Sleep would wait.---The Kobito crawled awkwardly through the debris fields of the Noto War. The Pact had taken to calling it a "salvage field". Lady Mayumi Shimada considered it a grave site, and it was hard not to. Periodic bodies pelted the massive craft as it entered denser areas of wreckage. The war dead were here, awaiting recovery, but they would continue to wait. Salvage was what was being guarded here, not honor. Tied to Jack, for better or worse, if this played out right the future would be less of a shameful struggle. They were hedging their bets with uncertain gambles. Stealing the Kobito was bold, and admittedly Jack's idea, but he was arguably right. It was derelict, and whoever was fastest, most capable, would hold onto it. This abomination represented something akin to hope for her. Maybe for him too.>(1/2)
>>6378144>(2/2)Jack considered the last few weeks. Working with Glasner had to have been a punishment for a past sin. Given the past, perhaps it was obvious though. Between working over Pact contacts and exploiting a demand for work he had managed to secure a few minor contracts for drones, frigates, and carved out joint ownership of hypderdrive production with the Pact. That one was probably going to bite him in the ass later, but the initial cost to return on investment had too much potential. Each hyperdrive made by the pact would see a small, very small, percent of it's value as royalty to HPS. It was arguable the pact was going to reverse engineer the drives anyway, so maybe the Empire wouldn't be too testy. Still, it was a guaranteed source of income for the time being. That was cause for celebration, and drinking. A lot of things were cause for drinking. He had been working at a bottle of wine, Raihan vintage. It was good, but the memory was bitter. It came from Shirin when the shipyard had finally started to turn around, before things really went to shit with the Empire. Mayumi was fixed at a console by the armored glass of the kobito's deckhouse, the look on her face was almost a trance. He held the bottle up and offered a sip that would have been rejected anyone. "No? Ok. More for me.""Mayumi." Jack had been talking for a while, but Mayumi was distracted by her own thoughts, and a lack of sleep. They had both jumped at the chance to drum up business. With the fall of Shima, and Mayumi' sister missing, likely dead, the House Shimada was driven into a position of near irrelevance. The shipyard was still struggling post war. Even with the demand of reconstruction from the empire, the shipyard wasn't in a politically favorable position within the court. One off sales to flaky customers wasn't going to keep the lights on. The noble woman was frozen, staring into space, lost in thought. Jack set his hand on her shoulder expecting a slap, a threat, or snide comment...fuck anything. She gave nothing, said nothing. Despite being a genetically perfected specimen of humanity, there was still vulnerability in her. Jack kept his hand in place and stared out into the void with her. VCS drones and Tardigrades awaited deployment.---Roll 2d20 to see what sort of salvage the Kobito recovers, and what sort of mishaps the brave crew finds in the salvage field.Players can suggest equipment to look for. e.g.: drones, parts of the hand, carriers, beam cannons, chimera wreckage, specific classes of ship that interest you. These examples were not exhaustive.
Rolled 19, 2 = 21 (2d20)>>6378146
>>6378146Parliament class carriers offer the best loot, namely hyper drives and possibly Tile X-2 fighters. The Hand of Throne did have a hyper drive with tactical jump capability, but the odds are that it got blown apart along with the rest of the ship. Lastly, Otori Kai's cannon might be worth looking into because credit where credit is due, they stole a bastardized version of our admittedly questionable design and turned it into something actually usable.As for mishaps, I imagine there's more than a few unexploded Hotdogs either floating about or wedged inside Raihan ships.
Rolled 17, 20 = 37 (2d20)>>6378146>Shipyard quest is backWe aro so ba...>OP got range bannedIt's over.Is the roll first come first serve or is it just the best one from all anons?Could there be half blown up knight frames that we could frankenstein for our bratty pilot?
>>6378359>>6378299>19, 20: Jack Horner, with the Midas touch.---The salvage fields weren't as still as the Pact would have hoped. Even with periodic patrols from the PJC ships and the borrowed allegiance of less scrupulous factions within Noto, the desperate or most daring could be found trying to claim a petty amount of ill gotten gains. Small craft lurking in the dark, illuminated by the flare of a cutting torch during EVA, trying to loot a communication moduel or some other avionic. Half the time they just hoped what they were pulling from wreckage was the ticket out of poverty or to an easy life.The Kobito had many eyes, from it's own tired sensors, to networked Drones and Tardigrade corvettes. Jack watched it all play out, scavengers trying to escape this place with an armful of salvage. He smiled, they weren't so different, he and them. It was just that the Kobito could carry so much more. He wasn't just here for the wealth of the salvage field, he was about to show the Pact how much they could save by contracting HPS. Since the battle of Noto, the salvage field had been well documented, and crucial items of interest, particular wrecks. The Tardigrades were given work orders that would take weeks of extended rotations. The crews pay would normally make jack's eyes water, but it was petty compared to the prize. By using the little corvettes to aggregate key salvage into dense partially fused clusters, the ensuing object would be wake jumped with the powerful hyperdrive onboard theKobito to Ex-Nihilo for recovery and breaking. Much, Much, cheaper than fielding a fleet of oversized salvage barges. "Now for the hard part..." It was a bit of acting, but Jack borrowed the authority of the Pact and played the role of a hard bitten military man, spewing bullshit codes and regulations, obscure laws and threats to anyone within earshot of his broadcast. The smallest ships avoided the Chimera, going dark drifting in an attempt to blend into the wreckage. Larger craft fell to bluffs that the Kobito had armament and fled.---You are once again, Harris Glasner.Each return trip saw the Kobito bloat with salvage, growing bit by bit with entire deck sections, engines, and weapon systems. It was ugly, and rushed, but that was an area Ex-Nihilo excelled. You offered mild insights in structure, power balancing, and optimization, but frequently your disgust with the ship overcame any curiosity as you looked over the schematics. "You ran the power feeds externally." Homeless Mike was acting as lead supervisor and had handled organizing most of the work, he was nonplussed with your concerns. "Yeah. Its a Chimera, we do a lot of things like that with these things. Just try not to look at internal systems routing if workarounds bother you." You did. You swore, and wept, and secretly vomited. This wasn't a ship, it was an abomination. It perhaps matched the soul of it's owner.>the quest will continue.
>>6378644Forgot the image
>>6378645+++Test of function. QM rebooting.+++
It was time to meet the Boss. From your apartment to the office of the Alchemist easily took 10 minutes of wandering through industrial sectors packed densely with ramshackle shops and homes. The locals were starting to recognize you and no longer gave too much effort hawking their wares or in certain cases, services, at you. The station was on it's third shift, and the approximation of nightlife was picking up as workers and pilots cut loose. Several times you had to pin up against a wall as crowds nearly ploughed over you. Erratic gravity also didn't help, with some areas having effective "potholes" where you'd experience a momentary 3G on that awkward patch of ground. The true locals knew where to avoid and even in a drunken state the crowds would part around the worst gravity failures. Well, usually. "Fuck! Oh fuck! Joseph Cupertino save me!" A shabby man had been propelled upwards over the foot traffic, and was now floating helplessly, limbs flailing as he threw up into a gravity absent space. Projectile vomit formed spheres before hitting a virtual wall of artificial gravity then splashing down onto the moving crowds. It was exactly enough to trigger a brawl that you wisely chose to move beyond.Station security was already shouting, with the sounds of LRAD suppression devices making your bowels twitch even from this distance. You were glad you had nothing to do with station sanitation services.---The Alchemist was standing there, waiting for you. "Harris Glasner. We meet again. You've been busy. Very busy." You took less than a milisecond to know this was not the same entity you had met before, but it was better to play along for now. You chose to sit down this time, the chair was stiff but your body was aching, ready for sleep. "Stabilization requires more effort than sustainment. Your station presents a unique set of challenges, but its not above my capacity." Bloodshot eyes, sunken cheeks and a slight shake to your hands said otherwise. "I'm please with your work, you've kept things balanced. Balance is important here. Its how we survive. You should know some in the Pact, even here in Noto, may find your methods frustrating, erratic, maybe unpredictable. In the past your Sanity was questioned. You are effective, but are you insane Harris Glasner?"The figure inclined its faceless glare at you, this alchemist was playful, the merriment in it's voice couldn't fully be masked by the vocal distortion unit. "Sanity. Sanity is a measure of predictability against expected situational norms; a component of trust. Sanity is subjective, and not always useful. I consider myself rational, and logical."There was static and the telltale movement of laughter from the "Alchemist". "A wonderful answer. Very good. Onto your work, and future expectations."
>>6379236Various images, video clips, and text readouts confront your weary senses in AR Space. One by one they cycle in front of you as the Alchemist speaks."The knife fighter frigate was a good choice. You laid the groundwork for an improved lantern core and since then we've done swift business with the monolithic core format. So much so that others have attempted to study your work. You should feel flattered. As for the ships themselves, the provisional Shima council has used them carefully, and avoided engagement where possible. Yet pirate activity, as it is, saw two ships destroyed. You may be happy to know the crews survived, until they were also killed by the same pirates. Shima has requested the remaining ships be upgraded to an approximation of the "Duelist" standard. Speaking of..."A brief video clips shows a pitched battle between a lizard heavy cruiser and two Glory-S cruisers, supporting them were duelists frigates. "In our moments of weakness and recovery, previously neutral elements have started to become slightly opportunistic." The alien ship was eventually forced into retreat, which was out of character but not an impossibility for the species. Their clans were anything but unified at the moment. "The ability for those ships to rapidly respond, coupled with their aggressive sensor package has allowed our thin forces to emulate true strength, and perhaps be stretched even thinner. The captains have had nothing but positive statements about the Duelist, its been useful in mixed response situations, even moonlighting with hauling light external cargo." You had quietly hoped they were treating Ruhi well."Tardigrades have been most popular since their inception. We move a lot of those units Harris. Operator error has seen a few core containment failures, but those circumstances are perhaps darwinian. Still, if you find time, a mod would probably be best for our reputation considering the attention it has..." A clip of a silent white helmeted pilot entering a tardigrade plays out accompanied by a voice over from the smarmy host of Galactic Gear."They say necessity is the mother of invention; now I don't know if the engineers at Ex-Nihilo actually needed to strap an oversized bomb to their new corvette, or if they just really wanted to. There's one thing I do know: it's that if you're willing to risk a core breach, the Tardigrade puts the power in power tools. On today's show the Zig is going to use one of these mighty mites to cut through an entire...">cont
>>6379634----"The refitted Glory's were an unexpected boon by the Pact, one they didn't exactly have the funding for, but also could not decline. With them the PJC is more than a hollow force, but less close to the height of it's influence. Ruhi has sent her regards and oh...there is a message here about a hat. Know anything about that?" You blithered for a bit blaming the bastard and Aura but quickly realized the Alchemist was moving through it's notes, ignoring you. "Speaking of refits, the Blorg that you helped out so generously, ending at net negative for us, were revealed to be pirates. They currently stalk Territory outside of Noto, which is good, but are within Pact territory." You started to speak before being cut off "Yes, its bad. Not optimal. You are going to have to address that. Soon."The Alchemist tapped the side of it's cyclopian helmet almost playfully in thought. "Horned Princess Shipyard, Jack Horner, Mayumi Shimida. That you worked with them, restored their Chimera, and agreed to business deals. Your logic looks like wild gambles to those with short sight and limited creativity, Harris Glasner. Perhaps your actions were overreach for your position as Director." The air was still and stale. You were uncomfortable, and wanted a shower. If you were going to be fired again, you just wanted it to be expedited. "...but not for a Senior Director. Which is what you are now. "All the eyes that matter are on you now."You considered all of this, and despite exhaustion, logic won out. "I'm the man with a target on his back, and you stay in the background." The Alchemist walked up to your side and traced a finger from your hand to shoulder, then tapped your nose. "Yes." It paused in mock thought for a moment. "Do you know what the reward for hard work is?" A small desk plaque with your name and new title was placed into your hands. You were momentarily stunned with the situation before you saw the alchemist squat down to your head height and whisper, tinny and distorted. "More hard work."Sleep was not something afforded to you quite yet, as you were swiftly escorted to your new worksite. Bay 2. It was large enough to easily accommodated for a Cruiser design, and you had work orders already pending for a commercial mass hauler and escort craft.--->cont
>>6379637Choose one customer: consensus or majority wins.>Contact from Raiha - The Empire would like to discreetly commission two new classes of ship. The ships must be able to pass for Raihan designs once completed.>Saurian Clan Quezet - An ambassador from a lizard clan, at odds with the solar union. They seek "industrial ships of non war use." At least thats what the auto translator indicates.>Noto, lord Banfield - The man who rules the very territory your station was in, and seeking to implement logistics improvement programs within his sphere of influence. Pirates have been a problem.ANDChoose two ships (one from choice A, one from Choice B and write in) same as above.ANDPick a side project. Roll a 1d20.>Advance the Pact hyperdrive development project>Build Aura's knight frame.
Rolled 9 (1d20)>>6379639I want to srick it to the union so bad bros. But i guess it could be useful to clean up the shit where we eat.>Noto, lord Banfield>Maru classShould be tanky against pirate scrounged together weapons while being fast enough to respond.>Hot dogThe protectee of choice.>Build Aura's knight frame.The dog will be enough faction strenghtening for one day. Having a named character knight pilot in our back pocket will be useful.
>>6379639>Noto, lord Banfield Choice A:>Sharur Class FrigateThree corvettes in a trench coat. Not as impressive as Maru, but can operate without a carrier. Might be able to produce new parts in the future to further improve and change it's loadout. Plus, the components could be built in smaller shipyards and then assembled, which would speed up construction.Choice B:>GigaDog Class FreighterSide Project:>Build Aura's knight frame.
Rolled 9 (1d20)>>6379639>Saurian Clan Quezet>Sharur>GigaDog>Build Aura's knight frame.
>>6379744>>63799019...9RNGesus condemns the hat thief to suffer
Rolled 17 (1d20)>>6379639>Clan Quezet>Ache-a-ton>BigDog>Aura's Knight FrameLet's get another 9 for the hat thief!
Rolled 20 (1d20)>>6379639>Noto, lord Banfield - The man who rules the very territory your station was in, and seeking to implement logistics improvement programs within his sphere of influence. Pirates have been a problem.>Maru class>Hot dog>Build Aura's knight frame.
>>6380004You had considered which contract to take for a while. In the end Lord Banfield was the right choice. Plus you wanted to meet him. He had arrived within proximity of the station a few short days after you accepted the contract. A strike force of three Falcon Light Cruisers had entered the system. PJC ships. You Transferred over on a Tardigrade, it's compact lantern drive made the transit a short one. Two of the falcons maneuvered their bulk to intercept your small ship, and an automated interrogation demanded security codes to proceed any further. A complicated dance between your physical encryption signature device and the strike group's onboard savant began. You knew this process enough to realize you had time to kill. --- The cruiser's seethe cannons stared at you from the distance. You stared back and gave a small wave. "Hello." it was absurd, but playfulness was crucial to well being. A long, decompressing stretch routine was undertaken. Also good for well being. A small hand sketch of the thunderbird was made, and then you rehashed your experiences with the Hyperdrive on the Kobito. That was a good time. But now....you were Bored. Freed from the restraint harness of the pilot's seat, you floated slightly and let your imagination and memories drift. Ruhi, Kryska. One reminded you of a combat computer, but in all the best ways. Complexities within complexities, uniquely rare, capable, beautiful for what it is, and fragile. The other was like a charged Eigen drive, energetic, dangerous, immediate in action, demanding, and a skin tight body suit....drives don't have those. "Glasner, You're cleared for approach. Glory to the Pact. See you shortly." your thoughts were concluded with that notification, a voice that you knew well. —Lord Banfield met you in the officers section of the Falcon under his command. A communal living room was the setting of your meeting. "Forgive the austerity Glasner. I haven't had the luxury of time for decor since my ascendancy to Lordship of Noto." Ruhi was sitting next to him in full uniform, you expected her to talk, but this was clearly a formal setting.You didn't waste time. "It's acceptable, considering I designed this class, I might be to blame when I chose to omit the tactical chaise and carpet." The attempt at humor was met with a brief blank stare from the Banfield, and a look of slight horror by Ruhi. Your composure kept exactly long enough for Hyron's to crack. He smirked. "You really don't stand on ceremony do you?""Did it ever add anything back to an effort?""No I suppose not. Lets handle this then, like men of the line and be quick about it. What do you have for me?">cont
>>6380491Your presentation was done with a holographic projector that was tied into your own AR system. The virtual ships floated in front of Ruhi and Banfield, rotating and exploding into sub assemblies at your gesture, in time with questions and requests. There were a few design modifications made on the fly. Before you set out the GigaDog's name was already hastily changed to the "Iumentum class" and was readily accepted as exactly what Noto needed.There was a lot of struggle between the Maru and the Sharur classes. The Maru was preferred for it's firepower, but would have needed a dedicated carrier due to lacking an E-drive. The Sharur was an oddity, but also made sense as shipping escort. In the end the Sharur won out, but the lord almost sulked about it. He had been working on a glass of wine during your presentation, one that had been refilled several times now.---"It's a serviceable design, but I doubt my peers will be impressed, let alone particularly convinced Noto has any fangs." For a brief moment you saw the man's youth. He hid it well, but he was in age, your junior, and with that there was a touch of bravado and impatience that simmered under the surface. He looked over at you. "Glasner. You've had a history of pushing boundaries. I want what the Maru has, but I want it on the Sharur."Your pulse raced for a bit as you wordlessly began an impromptu, real time redesign in from of your client. The Maru was replaced the corvette on the nose of the Sharur, and from there back you trimmed and redesigned the component craft. The two watched you work, transfixed. A focus was placed on firepower and speed over armor and ECM. The final product was beautiful."...and there we are. This would be the fang you desired, but its cost is high in rare and exotic matter. you could afford two Sharur type As compared to this type B. Regardless of what you choose, production can begin immediately on both the freighter and frigate."Hyron stood up and walked around the two holographic ships, examining them several times over. "I saw the improvement of the Duelist over the Knife fighter, and the improved cost was worth it. Do you intend to keep pushing boundaries, reaching for your limits?"I absolutely do." you affirmed."Good. So do I, and I need tools and weapons like that. I need men like you. I need women like Her." He gestured at Ruhi without looking, and you saw her slightly flush. "I am going to make Noto the greatest system in the Pact. Greater that its ever been, and I have no room for competition if that is going to be accomplished. Get these started immediately, our business is done, but Glasner. We'll be seeing each other again soon. Ruhi, see him off."As you walked away the young Lord had already dismissed the lesser of the two ships and was simply staring at it, but through it, his mind and vision elsewhere.>cont
>>6380492---You and Ruhi chatted lightly on the way back to your Tardigrade, but she was more formal this time. "I've been wanting to return your hat back to you, but its gone missing." With that she genuinely smiled. "Its ok, I have too many of them. The PJC ended up being smaller than expected but the uniforms were already produced en masse. I could loose one a week and still have spares by the time I retire. It was kind of you to care though." The rest of the journey was short and the conversation light, but you couldn't quite shake several feelings twisted around inside of you. You had work to do, but her demure behavior around the lord stuck with you. For some reason it tarnished your moment of glory."Admiral Ruhi. I'll be off. Safe travels and we'll be in touch."As you climbed into the cockpit of the tardigrade, you got a brief notification over your AR link. "Lets have dinner again sometime. I'll bring a spare hat."—You saw The Bastard and Aura awaiting you even before you touched down. The Tardigrade's sensors glitched and struggled as you zoomed in on the duo. "You are. Back now. The work can begin." The knight pilot's own transmission broadcasted into the cockpit over every speaker at an unpleasant loudness. Your responded back over the loudspeakers of the ship, normally meant for docked maintenance. "On my own time, at my own speed. Which is sufficient for you two."Having debts owed was a powerful tool, and while you loathed politics, at some point it may become unavoidable with the Alchemist and Banfield at your back.While you did enjoy working on advanced designs and knight frames did tickle your sensibilities, this time you decided to aim for a different vision. During the war the disgraced knights of Ex-Nihilo worked hard to obtain their new frames, going as far as to teach themselves engineering in-between going on dangerous salvage runs in cobbled together strikecraft. The Bastard himself was one of the few survivors of that time and he had earned his junker of a frame (partly stolen from Aura). In short; why should Aura (a former enemy combatant) simply be handed a new frame? Especially since she had done nothing but be an annoyance, and you still needed to pay that bratty noble back for stealing Ruhi’s hat.>cont
>>6380493You smiled to yourself as you came up with several ironically punishing concepts. Firstly a more feminine and sexualised design, oh it had advantages -modeling it after Aura’s own proportions would improve neural synchronization, it’s finesse and agility would be unparalleled- but it would be the mecha equivalent of going into battle in a bikini.Then there was a highly customizable model built around a robust skeleton, except all the default modules would be dogshit and the outer shell looked like a cutesy character for little girls. Taking to the field in such a frame would make Aura a laughing stock. Fitting for a bratty noble scion. In time it could be upgraded into a formidable machine but Aura would have to earn it.Then there was what you called the “Solei Option”. Present Aura with an enhanced Blackguard. The Blackguard was a cumbersome but powerful pseudo knight frame developed during the war. Really it was more of a mass produced ground assault mech suited to meat grinder campaigns, a far cry from the elegant bespoke machines made for knights. Presenting Aura with what was essentially a flying brick would make your displeasure clear, but none would be able to deny the sheer firepower it could bring to the table.What knight should you present to Aura?>Sexy Knight>Cute Knight>Chonky Knight>Write-In
>>6380495>Cute Knight>Call the model QT-3.14Time for our magical girl to go on quests for power and glory.
>>6380495>Cute Knight>Call the model QT-3.14"Convince" her to become a galactic idol in order to spread Glasner's fame and glory far and wide.
>>6380495>Sexy KnightSeems most in-character for Glasner to be a sexist horndog. Also, we can save the Cute concept for a male knight, har har.
>>6380495>Sexy Knight
>>6380495>Cute Knight>Call the model QT-3.14
Aura and The Bastard followed you, she nearly skipped along with excitement as you made way to a diner. "You'll finally make me a frame?" Static and indignation crackled from the bastard. "Try not. Loosing. it again." Aura fell behind, cowed. After a moment she jogged up, happy and tugging your sleeve. "So, You gonna make me a frame!?" For all her annoyances, you found her to be nearly ineffably adorable. You didn't even bother to look over. "No. I'll design a frame. Fabricators make it." You saw the restaurant; shabby but serviceable for the function. "I can work while I eat." You snorted as you snapped a capsule. Clarity. Your mind started to flow with possibilities for the frame before your flow state was interrupted. "That's really bad for you! Stop doing that!" Interruptions. Considering you refined the AKSG formula into Amp you knew exactly what the physiological effects were of Amp. You were fully in control. "Its fine." Crushing another capsule with a short snort you expertly flicked the spent plastic at her forehead. "HEY!""You don't criticize your mentor. Now please. I'm trying to focus." She wouldn't let up. "He was already different. You aren't, not yet. But you will be... wearing a mask, being weird. Like all of them."The bastard was silent for the exchange, nonplussed by Aura's naive worldview. Maybe it was a blessing she sat the war out...Unimportant. Designs coalesced in your mind once more. "Your moral pugnacity is surprising, considering your initial will to kill dishonored knights, steal the family frame. Etcetera...ecetera.. Now please. Shut up."---She didn't shut up as you worked in augmented reality, rectifying relative slop that Solei's team had cooked up while you were busy with the Megaton Rain. So many things that could have been done better. Some of the Pact frame's were unaltered from the Ex-nihilo developmental programs. They were inconsequential details, but still, Fucking amateurs. Nagging and unplaced concern eroded your focus worse than the presence of the Bastard. You were able to at least grow accustom to that, but the constant attempts at engagement were distracting even if you dodged most of the conversation with eating something. Whatever it was. You hadn't payed much attention to be honest.The Bastard offered design input from his own experiences, but it was more distraction than use, a lesson in cruelty to one's self and those around him. Still, by the end of the evening you had managed to scrape together something that would grow with her, not overwhelm the inexperienced pilot. "Aura. the schematic is done and cued for fabrication, and I am ready to sleep. Stop by bay 01 by close of midshift tomorrow." You received an unexpected hug. The two escorted you back to your apartment before breaking off on their own ways.You lied about sleep. Once inside you slipped into a quasi trance state and began working hyperdrive theoreticals.>cont
>>6382493Aura walked with her Mentor "The Bastard" towards bay 01. The bay was large enough to handle an entire frigate and was used for the programs that lead up to the knight restoration program.Aura wrinkled her nose as they entered the space via a freight elevator. "It smells like burnt oils and metal in here...and maybe blood?"The bastard simply looked forward, into the distance of the area. "Because of those things. we. Exist for conflict." She had grown to his unusual speech cadence and pauses, initially assuming it was an eccentricity. The reality of the bastard's existence was more austere. He was mostly cybernetics, and an almost integral part of his knight frame's own hardware. The speech center of his brain had been partially hijacked for massively parallel sensory data processing. Simply to fight, to pilot, to prove he was worth being a knight, to show those who thought better how wrong they were. She felt a little bad for him, but had seen him piloting "his frame", and that empathy melted away. He really was a bastard. Just one who wasn't all bad......her thoughts had occupied the time as they approached the new frame. Her fists clenched."OH WHAT THE FUCK MAN?!" Aura stomped a foot in absolute disbelief. Standing like some kind of Kawaii mecha idol was the thing that was supposed to be her new knight frame. She wanted to cry, and maybe scream in frustration. A little note popped up over augmented reality once she was in proximity to the machine. Glasner, or at leas his holographic form greeted her. "I'm sure by now you are forming premature opinions. Try to look past the surface and appreciate what is underneath. The affected bulky exterior and relative lack of firepower are by design, but the endoskeleton; well, there is nothing better in our little corner of the galaxy. I made it after all. You should be able to survive a few mistakes with the existing armor. Enjoy. Glassner out!""ARGH! That terrible old man! That wretch! He is so...mean! MEAN! So..." Aura searched her lexicon for any word that suited the moment before the bastard cut in, his voice almost clear for a change."Bratty." "Yes! THAT BRATTY DIRECTOR NEEDS CORRECTION!"-----Its time to check in on our designs.Rolling for: Tardigrade, Duelist, Knife Fighter, and SharurPlease roll a 1d4 to see how the ships created so far have fared.First two rolls will count.
Rolled 4 (1d4)>>6382495
Rolled 3 (1d4)>>6382495
Brushing aside the smaller issues you had things to focus on. Ex-Nihilo had engineering and construction capacity for days. The hyperdrive wasn't going to build itself, and it sure as hell wasn't going to fund itself. You had been busy doing a build out of semi automated equipment to aid in that effort, but the constraint was the use of rare and exotic material. By sticking with common materials you had "saved money" but things were bulkier, less refined, and sometimes simply wanting, even with your admittedly resplendent engineering. You looked over at a mirror near your table. Damn you were a good engineer.A good engineer alone was not enough to make things go forward though. You needed real resources. So it was time to take some extra customers. "Homeless" Mike had curriated some of the best job prospects and laid them out for you earlier. Now was as good a time to review. You took another bite of cereal and looked through the package.1. The Iumentum class hauler, or GigaDog as you knew it in your heart, had been garnering a fair bit of attention in the past few weeks. The amount of mass it could move was impressive, that it did it fairly quickly was making post war reconstruction look optimistic. There had been small requests from interested third parties for one off orders of Iumentum sub types. You looked over the requirements, basically the same ship, tiny tweaks here and there. A secondary request was for a new build frigate that could expand on the capacity of the Tardigrade. Interesting. The customer was some startup flush with venture capital. Seems your points of contact would be one D. Radic and Ms. Salva, if you chose to take the job. Ex-Nihilo would be allowed to retain the rights on all development and modifications. No client idents. No pictures. just financial accounts and an AR contact.,2. A contact from the Raihan empire, by way of Aura of all people, had reached out. The message was very real, but also informal, nothing more than an AR encrypted peer to peer message.The empire was looking to rebrand discreetly. Part of that was rebuilding their diminished fleet. Another part of that was showing the people the Empire was capable of building a new ship, and getting to work. To that end the contact is willing to provide access to unique Raihan technology for this effort, but the ship design will become the property of the empire. You looked over the proposed exchange item. Remote Effectors. Tractor beams to the lay person. There was a lot you could do with those, and your fingers mindlessly traced over the hovering schematic in your AR space. For this effort you'd be partnered with Horned Princess shipyards. Your contact was a woman. No name given. Just a location at a bar not too far from your residence. You did get a picture of her for visual ID.>cont
>>6383602Your final contact was a Saurian, representing Clan Feranis. You recognized the name, they had been in the news feeds a while ago. They had been devastated by Solar Union attacks early in the border conflict, making them violently anti-human. Frankly you were surprised the clan still existed as a cohesive entity. Station security had mentioned there were Saurians taking odd jobs, mostly mercenary, some working the bays as cargo handlers. The kind of things usually beneath them. The request was stored on a somewhat archaic storage medium. You accessed the contents. It was direct from the Saurian, no middle man, no diplomatic services. Your translation software makes quick work of the missive, but struggles with some saurain nuances and slang.,"No longer to fight as warriors, disgrace only. a lifetime before clan extinction. To be of [use again/ honor. Again]. Talons of no fight, but a finality of carving rock and rend steel. Our only treasure exchanged to yours." There are a list of requirements, most of them being that the ship is cheap, fast, and have a generous cargo capacity. Secondary is ruggedness and survivability. No weapons, no sensors, no further equipment. The Saurians plan to finish the ship to their specifications at a shipyard of their own people, apparently several larger clans are interested in this particular venture and are fronting at lest some of the cost.---Pick one. highest number of selections is the winner, the others may wait around for a while though, but their situation and offer may change.>Logistics Startup: Iumentum and a new build frigate.,-Get a generous pile of exotic and rare resources that advances hyperdrive production by 2 rolls.-Choose this if you want Intrigue and politics.>Raihans: New build Cruiser.,-Gain remote effector/ tractor beam technology.-advance hyperdrive production by 1 roll.-You do not keep the design.-Choose this to see what Jack and Mayumi have been up to, visit their station, and meet the new contact.>Saurians: XL mining ships.,-develop an improved lantern core that includes integrated shield functionality.-Roll a 1d20 for what the saurian treasure is (Mystery box! Can you resist it?)-Possibly make new friends or incredible enemies.-Choose this if you want to lizard.
Hey everyone sorry for the glacial pace of the quest. NonCognis is constantly getting hit by the QM curse in addition to being ranged banned. Just wanna stress: I have not taken over this quest, 95% of all the updates are their work (I exercise a bit of editorial power every now and again.) which is passed to me via DM.Wanna know what IS 95% my work?This pic of Aura in her Raihan Knight uniform. (NonCognis helped me a little with some details.)Ain't she an adorable little jingoist?
>>6383605>Logistics StartupMust get hyperdrive,>>6383630qt314
>>6383605>Saurians: XL mining ships.Hell yeah! The bros are getting back together. Let's enable them to "Operation British" the space NATO!>>6383630She is adorable.
>>6383605>Logistics Startup: Iumentum and a new build frigate.Why would anyone give away their designs? Reputation can't be built with silence. And who would want to deal with Saurians right now? That'd just draw the Solar Union's ire!Good thing we wouldn't do something so brash.
>>6383822>That'd just draw the Solar Union's ire!I see the end of the first thread has dealt lasting trauma to the player base.
>>6383605>Logistics Startup: Iumentum and a new build frigate.,Politics? Intrigue? Not my problem.We keep the rights to the design, making us slightly more famous?? Now we're talking.
>>6384001Decisions. Maybe some analysis would clear your head...Tired of pacing and thinking, you sat down at your kitchen table. Hands gestured through AR space trawling the various information networks and media hubs to garner data "in situ". A little research on your existing products.The frigates and corvettes so far had been well received, and even praised for being low maintenance. You lifted a spoonful of sugary cereal into your mouth as a "chatbot" co processor summarized the user data from blogs into pertinent information. Those posts were long, and you had no time or care for them. "Just the relevant data please..." you swiped through, erasing chunks of highlighted nonpoints. Hundreds of videos from "how-to" guides to infotainment like galactic gear were similarly condensed and distilled into their intended output. The bot did good work, even marking subtle opinion highlights across multiple influencer at key speaking points. Seems your competition was out in force, and spending some coin to undermine Ex-Nihilios work. You weren't too concerned. Most of the metadata indicated the manipulation was coming out of smaller shipyards. Out of curiosity you checked against HPS and were almost disappointed to see nothing. You shoveled more cereal into your gob.Scrolling to a more granular view, you had people with "hands on metal". The general consensus was was that the ships were reliable, if full of design, interface, and ergonomic eccentricities that required red familiarization. Far and away the Tardigrades were the best seller and rapidly developing a small fan cult. Their fabrication capabilities were limited compared to a true shipyard, but something was a 100% improvement over nothing if your logistics chain was unavailable. You scrolled a little bit further into the data. It seems the galactic gear hosts couldn't cause the tardigrade to explode on it's own. Another entertainer, "whistlin' plasma" smashed a cruiser into the thing at full impulse, triggering the desire outcome. Moving to a next gen lantern core would improve that issue, but apparently even that was good publicity."Huh." A pact news feed was on the physical display of your apartment, long enough to catch your attention from AR. Shima's Knife fighters had apparently been upgraded at several other shipyards with various retrofits. Shima was shopping around, but they were wasting their time. Your current lineup thoroughly relegated those ships into obsolescence.
>>6384644You scrutinized a 3d model of the ship, this "Navajero", in front of you. Enough data was known about it already to create a reasonable extrapolation as you waited to see if Shima's own Pact shared networks had available engineering data. They did. Now you did too. Solei's work was immediately recognizable. Railguns, laser defense, forward laser. Effective, but unimaginative. Less sustained power draw than the C-beams, but more demand overall. You spotted the auxiliary reactor and refined industrial engines. The whole thing was reminiscent of a scaled down kestrel at this point.What was very curious was there was clearly another shipyard involved. That pylon mounted engine, the VLS cells and missile blisters. A supplemental comm system. Sloppy, but it fit within the power constraints of what was already there. Possibly Blorg work. Interesting. The Lantern drive was modified too. You swiped virtual ship away. It was a series of Kludges built on a prototype. The remaining knife fighters would hold their own against a similarly armed frigate,and it was arguable they were probably the fastest of their class within the pact. The possibility of someone molesting your latern design was now also on the table. Unqualified hands touching bastardized versions of your work.That didn't bother you. at all. You needed to clear your head. Work. Work was good. Better than walking. You cracked an amp capsule and walked out to your favorite nearby bar, making a call along the way."Is this Radic? No? Salva. Ok. Yeah. yep. Lets meet. Bring Radic or we don't do business." you pinned coordinates for the bar to the conversation's metadata. It was time to...NEGOTIATE.---Players. Please roll a 1d20, the best of the rolls is what I will use, unless its the worst. Which would be a one. This roll represents how astute Glasner will be during BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS. Do really good, and you might get some leverage.Pictured to the left are the Raihan and Saurian contacts. They are still around.
Rolled 4 (1d20)>>6384649Rollin...
Rolled 20 (1d20)>>6384649
While we wait for the update have a second pic of Aura. After being stranded on Ex-Nihilo, shes been through some shit, even with a new knight she's forced to make do with what she can get. Such is life on Ex-Nihilo.
>>6384676>20 in effectThe walk to your chosen meeting location was brisk, guided by an ever growing smell of seared flesh, homemade beer, and local music. It was your "favorite bar". A factor based off the weighted averages of walking proximity to your domicile, quality of food, and relative privacy. You spent a moment considering the nuances between favorite, favored, trying to match the level of communication to who you speak to, and conventional conversation with people who understand and yet don't internalize nuanced language. It was all too much autistic pondering, even for you.You spotted a woman outside the doorway. Oversized sunglasses, purple hair. Foreign. The last one was hard to peg, but you were good at recognizing people who weren't exactly from the Pact or even Raihan empire. She quickly recognized and flagged you down with a wave. "Hey! Over here! Names' Lyra. D's already inside, got us a table in back." She held out her hand in a closed fist, waiting for you. "No? Come on. Bones it." You literally had no idea what she wanted. "I...uh what?" You awkwardly grabbed her hand with yours and shook in the conventional manner of greeting.She laughed raucously. "Are you for real?! Come on, let me.." she grabbed your hand and closed it into a fist, then lightly bumped her fist into yours. "There. Lets go inside. Steaks gettin cold." She didn't notice but you wiped your hand off on your pant leg. It was more of a habit than genuine fear of filth. "Lyra. You remind me of an associate from a time ago." She reminded you of Jack, but with tits. "Hopefully someone good yeah?" Nope. "Someone. Yeah." You followed her inside, the owner's elderly mother was waiting at the entry, and he was behind the bar furiously working the grill. Both afforded you a quiet nod as you maneuvered past the main seating area and towards one of the sparse private dining rooms.You saw him right away. He wore a uniform for a company you'd never heard of, and was grey in all aspects of his person. Not notable, just weathered, reserved. His posture and bearing were severe. These were not regular customers in as much as you could call any of your clients "regular." He was already seated and cutting through a generously thick steak, two more sat on the table, still steaming, a knife sticking out of each. Mr. Radic. "D" as Lyra called him. "Harris Glasner." he didn't look up, he just kept cutting then spoke again, glancing up to lock eyes. "You made the right choice. Mass Ex is going to change, well, everything, and we need your help to do it." You seated yourself, as did Lyra. The meal would have been expensive, even for you. Meat was hard to get off world, harder still to find in a stellar backwater. "So..."Non existent accent, no obvious colloquialisms, vague age, nothing. Suspicious. Still, "Mass Ex" had funds on hand, raw material, and available deep lines of credit. It was something none of your other contacts could offer.
>>6385074"You requirements work well for our current production runs." Radic was chewing, watching, The man's gaze felt like a gun pointed at you. It wasn't intentional on his part, just who he was. You manipulated AR space and showed some of the modular options out of courtesy. "While I doubt these fit your use case I find it imperative to be transparent with what is available." The small room momentarily is awash in light as you switch from AR to projected holograms. There is just a certain something that comes with processing an image optically rather than direct optical cortex implantation via AR. "We have our modular line, which admittedly has some benfits..."Harris was brusque about those "I appreciate your candor, Glasner, but lets skip the low end. My company has an image to establish. Its interesting that you are able to build to that scale though..." he briefly indicated the outsized ship in the blue modular category. "Its just a teaser for upper limits. Ex-Nihilio developed some insitutional knowledge from our wartime projects.""The Chimeras." He looked at you for a moment, gauging. You weren't sure what for. "Yes. That particular project line.""Only a project line? It takes a certain kind of person to wage war in that way. High risk, high reward. Aggressive timelines. It's why we approached you. Show me your high end offerings."You swiped the modular craft away, the holograms diffusing into glittering particles fading into the dark. The modified hauler and new build frigate emerged in a burst. "The Iumentum was built for Noto, but we own the design. Increasing mass payload is a non issue for the right funds, but speed will suffer. Fleet protection would have to fall to dedicated craft as onboard countermeasures eat into it's payload. Supplementing your fleet would be a new class of frigate; its everything the Taridrade is, but more. Recovery, towed hauling, on site fabrication." you played a concurrent series of short video clips with the Tardigrade doing all the tasks described. "In theory, several of these frigates could supplant a smaller shipyard or component generation. Not in quantity, but in terms of on site, on equipment logistics.""We coulda done good work out in the 'fields with that." Lyra offhandedly commented. It was almost imperceptible but Radic gave a minute shake of his head to her and the commentary stopped.Radic wiped his mouth with a napkin before speaking. "This is more in line with the mission...we are also happy to support domestic production. When is the soonest you can start production?"You grinned slightly. "Why aim so low? I suspect Mass Ex would settle for nothing less than the best. I encourage you to consider my higher end offering. Twin lantern cores would allow the Iumentum an unsurpassed degree of speed." He frowned at that. "It'd leave us with redundant e-drives, they don't sync for jumps."You were on the offensive now. "Incorrect. Your e-drives cannot. Mine can."
>>6385145With deep pockets, these customers could push forward the hyperdrive project and allow you finish tinkering with the resonance drive. It was never quite perfected and that perturbed you to no end. The matter had to be pushed.You played a brief clip of the climactic final battle between your Megaton Rain and The Hand, to include the dramatic tactical jump of the capital ship. "With no hubris, I have rarefied experience in solving technical constraints beyond the means of most. A simple cargo ship of your requirements is well within the envelope of my skill." The next ship featured a cut down version of the megaton rain's own fabrication technology, and a four matured resonance drives. Admittedly you hadn't designed them yet but the theoreticals were all there; in your head."Hmm. Glasner, its impressive. Not just impressive for this area of space. But..." Radic didn't want extra risk, he wanted a fleet as quickly as possible. It was clear that time, not resources, was the constraint here. "Your ability to deliver a product is not in question. The level of upkeep required for consistent mission and sortie generation is the issue. High performance prototype hanger queens does not serve the needs."You bristled at that comment. It was shortsighted, like Higg all over again. "You clearly value time, and the conservation of action. A bad start will cost you and your "mission" momentum that will never be able to be compounded. Your sponsors do not hurt for funding, and I will not feign total ignorance. Either of my packages will meet your needs, but only one will accelerate your time table. Keep in mind, you aren't the only customer of this technology, but you have a chance to be the first."He looked at you now, it was almost enough to make you flinch. "You have balls. Don't play coy with me. Do you know who we are? Who we represent?"It wasn't something to say out loud, you exercised tact. "An existing power playing a long game. Logistics can yield complex dividends. Influence. Soft power."Lyra shuffled now, no doubt arming herself. Radic's gaze was empty as he stood up, a hand reaching into his jacket. "And you, you'd be fine, complicit even? Whats your game Glasner?"The posturing was a display you didn't appreciate, but you were reminded of the "Alchemist", of Banfield. You understood their need for the drama of the moment. You took a breath and straightened up as you paced, speaking quickly. "I want to build ships, create things you've never seen. Innovation. My skills thrive when needed. Conflict creates needs and escalation. Escalation demands innovation. I hate stagnation....Reactivity. Reactivity is life, its struggle, its violence, its synthesis! The status quo, is just a gradual crawl to becoming inert. stable, but unmoving. Still. dead. Your great power games over the next lifetime or two, maneuvers and feints? Insignificant to me." Both Radic and Lyric looked at you with a degree of surprise.
>>6385161Lyra looked at Radic for a moment "He's fucking bent, mate."You stopped your manic pacing, and sat down, cutting into the still warm steak. "That is very subjective Lyra. From where I sit, you look a little out of your depth." The steak was rather good. If you survived this exchange you'd have to leave a positive review on Gelp."...do we have assurances to your discretion? That you won't support hostile proxies?" His frown deepened into a scowl, his carefully held face revealing years previously hidden. This was a man who had dealt with a lot of bullshit in his life."Discretion? Yes. Limiting my customer base? No. Besides, who you represent, their skin isin't that thin, and we wouldn't want to give away the act." Blackmailing and strong arming a man like this was a terrible idea, but tactfully doing so, was perhaps less of a bad idea. "Make a choice, or get off my station. Fail to do either and my knights will intervene." Aura and the Bastard weren't really YOUR knights, but they sort of owed you a favor at this point, and what good is a favor if it's not used. You cut another strip of meat and ate calmly. The duo sat down after a bit, clearly having a closed channel conversation over their AR links."Glasner. The bosses say they made the right choice. So here is to a fruitful transaction." He pulled his hand out of his jacket, holding an envelope. "Account access codes are all there. We retain rights to reproduce and modify the designs. You have discretion on which variants we are fielding." You just nodded and commented. "Good to leave the subject matter expert to the subject matter...Are we now on a first name basis?"He ate and shook his head. "No."---Make a choice:1. Pick the safe bet and get 2d20s to advance the hyperspace drive.2. Pick the risky bet and roll a 1d20. Above 10 and its sufficient, gain an extra dice for the hyperdrive project. below 10 and you loose a dice. Best of 3. nat 1 is a crit fail. You also advance the Resonance drive with this roll, creating an alternative to the lantern cores.
Rolled 17 (1d20)>>6385167Well after swinging our dick around like that we kinda have to go all in.>2. Pick the risky bet and roll a 1d20.Oh boy, here I go rolling badly again.
Rolled 13 (1d20)>>63851672. Pick the risky bet and roll a 1d20. Above 10 and its sufficient, gain an extra dice for the hyperdrive project. below 10 and you loose a dice. Best of 3.I don't get it. Does this mean we roll up to 3 1d20s? >>6385182 This guy rolled >10, so I should roll again, and then someone else rolls 1 more d20 if I roll >10? Personally not a fan of "best of" dice rolling, it makes successes and crits too common desu.
Rolled 8 (1d20)>>6385167>2. Pick the risky bet and roll a 1d20.
>>6385186I know right? But /qst likes to win
>>6385186This round was generating rolls for the hyperdrive project. Glasner will be attempting to reverse engineer the drive and create a functional prototype. There are degrees of success and milestones. Its an involved, resource intensive effort, and I won't just hand it to the players. Each roll given represents some forward momentum on the project.>>6385182>17. +1 roll.You left the steak dinner a fuller engineer. Nay, Director...NAY. Senior Director. You felt good. Real good. For being what he was, Radic wasn't so bad. Lyra you wouldn't fuck with Horner's dick, and a brief moment of accelerationism to logical conclusions left you resolute that such an offspring must never be birthed. With a discreet movement you crushed an amp capsule and inhaled. Now the night was perfect. You set to work conducting plans, and creating designs as you walked, conducting a fevered symphony with your hands in AR space. A few of the residents just watched you as you made your way back to the apartment. "The mad man" was a common sight.--Back at your apartment you reviewed the production queues. The Noto order for Banfield was wrapping up, and not having to entirely retool was a boon.You uploaded the Iumentum modifications to the assembly team and contacted "homeless Mike". He had proven both competent and diligent.The components and ship were well known factors at this point, you had every bit of faith it was going to be "easy". The true challenge would be the final sync between the lantern cores, and that would be handled personally by you. The thugs that moved metal and bonded atoms couldn't be trusted to such delicate work. With the new order queued up, the new Frigate needed attention, and it's resonance drive...and photoniqe fabrication system. and it needed a name. Fuck you had really bullshitted on how ready that design was. At least you could work unperturbed from the relative isolation of your apartment.--You split your days between the hyperdrive project and designing the Daedalus class frigate. In some ways it was more advanced than the Rain's own fabrication systems, but it was constrained by the comparatively primitive environment of ex-nihilo. That was changing though. While still unable to rival Higg station, you were pleased with what you wrought. The machine if tasked to it, was capable of creating smaller ships. Albeit slowly, but still. The quartet of resonance drives was a bitch to get operational, and several times over you considered slapping a lantern core on the ship and being done with it. However, it was a challenge, one you refused to ignore. The final version of the drive borrowed a few concepts from the lantern core, but miniaturized and duplicated them. It was an excellent blend of speed, and power, while not being a potential explosion hazard. The prohibitive cost was a non point given the client, and you took a small petty pleasure in spending their money.
>>6385231You finished showering, the ultrasonic water spray on the edge of discomfort, but a small price to pay for the level of cleanliness you required. It was going to be a long shift of attenuating the differences between twined lantern cores. You sighed and made your way into the station, hurrying your pace to get to Bay 2.A pair of arms closed around you from behind and lifted you off the ground. That son of a bitch! "Fuck! We had accords! This is a betrayal!" While still midair you were rotated to face your assailant. Kryska. "Saw you on top of the world there, figured I would say hi. Its been a minute." It wasn't Radic. It wasn't Lyra. Your relief almost made you dismiss that she really just picked you up, just like that. You almost laughed. "It has been...a minute. Hasn't it? What can I do for you?" She set you down, almost gingerly, leaning against a wall. "Soooo, Mr. Directorrrr...I was wondering if you could help me out." You almost corrected her, it was Senior Director, but resisted."I need to know what you want, if I can make a decision on if I am going to help.""All business." She smiled. "Alright. I'm here until tomorrow, and I wanted to review my ship with you, see if there are improvements to be made."You looked at her for a moment, your eyebrows raised. "That is one of Jack's. Of course there are improvements to be made, but why me?"she rolled her eyes. "You're here, I'm here. It's convenient. Would you have time to slip in an ad-hoc refit?""I'm committed for most the day to a work order." She looked disappointed "Ahh. I suppose...just send your ship to the Chimera dock, and I can do an informal review and optimization while I work.""Hmm. How about I stop by your apartment tonight, and we do a more in depth review. Make some implementations for next time I'm at port? I'm good for funds, I've had a windfall of easy paydays...but we can discuss payment if you want." She had been unintentionally keeping you captive, her hands propping her up on either side of you. "So?"You swallowed slightly. Your mouth was very suddenly dry.----Players. Please roll 3d20 for the hyperdrive. I will accept 1 dice per post. The first three are the only ones that count.also, in the same post, make a choice1. Kryska- Sure. I'll see you later. (a little ship customization, a little adventure)2. Kryska- I have prior commitments. (And fear for my well being)
Rolled 7 (1d20)>>6385234> 1. Kryska- Sure. I'll see you later.For the laughs.
Rolled 18 (1d20)>>6385234RolllllllllAlso hoping our pelvis will be intact in the morning
>>6385340Doh, forgot to vote>1. Kryska - Sure. I'll see you later.
Rolled 13 (1d20)>>6385234>2. Kryska- I have prior commitments. (And fear for my well being)Disregard females, acquire technology. Also I don't get why she doesn't just go back to Jack if she wants a refit.
>>6385234>1. Kryska- Sure. I'll see you later. (a little ship customization, a little adventure)
>>6385314HyperDrive and HyperDrive: 7,18, 13Ongoing Ex-Nihilo, and by the opinion of Lord Banfield, Noto's efforts into creating a hyperdrive were garnering some attention. It wasn't that a new hyperdrive was an impossibility, but frequently there wasn't a usecase strong enough to domestically create one, salvage one, or refurbish an heirloom. Even shipyards that made hyperdrive capable craft frequently were using refurbished equipment in this corner of space. After that, drives scaled in complexity and size in order to wake jump other ships in their proximity. That is exactly why you were sitting at your kitchen table with a shit eating grin.Your research project had started to yield fruit. A digitized model of the drive from the "Kobito" was rotating in front of you, along with smaller unit examples provided by jack and Mayumi. This wasn't about simply reproducing existing equipment, it was about fully understanding the theory behind it, improving it. Noto continued to struggle with advanced fabrication which meant the engineering samples your team constructed were...slightly Ersatz. You had been so focused on the drive that you failed to notice Kryska staring into your face. "That happy to see me huh?"You blinked a few times before focusing on her, the 3d model fading to transparency and shrinking down into a corner of your view. "Ah..." you rubbed the back of your head "I was working you see. Something revolutionary." She looked at you blankly for a moment before grinning. "Sorta wish I could get someone to look at me the way you look at work, mmm, can't be helped though." she slid a holographic projector puck to the middle of the table where photons coalesced into shape, bringing her ship to view. "So maybe this will get you going." She leaned on her elbows studying you as you started examining the heavily armored craft."Half this is my damn work. They botched it to hell! Look at that, there was a provision for a condensed beam. That was the prototype Glasner beam! My beam!"So poked the ship's engines. "So. Glasner Drive. Glasner Beam. Little insecure about people knowing who did the work?""It's not like that, I just...like naming things. After me."
>>6387312"Because you are so great..." she was starting to crack now, the shit eating grin was there. You were being had, and you were not one to be taken lightly. Gravitas began to ooze from your very being."Well fuck. Know what Kryska? Yes, I am great. I am fucking resplendent." You bristled and puffed, standing up. "I make things! Awesome things...Cool things! The glasner beam was realized on Sharur class. It shoots a potent load of hybridized photonic and exotic matter. Who does that? Me! I do that!" You jabbed your thumb into your chest. "This guy."Kryska clamped a hand over her mouth. "Snerk." a muffled laugh escaped snorted out her nose. You saw her reddening face and knew you fucked up, but it was too late. "hehe. So you...shoot a potent load huh? BWahahahAHAHA! Oh fuck, you are a funny guy. It's a shame you don't let people know." you shook your head in exhaustion. "Just get a few beers from the fridge, this optimization is going to take some time.""Ah, yeah it is." you were abruptly grabbed by your collar and yanked out of your chair, glasses falling to the floor.---Roll 2d20 please. The first rolls count.>Survival>"Glasner Beam"
Rolled 6 (1d20)>>6387314>SurvivalKnowing Kryska, this is all we can hope for.
Rolled 7 (1d20)>>6387314>"Glasner Beam"
I was thinking of voting, but nah, best to keep this a jumbled f-up. Whiskey Delta time!
>>6387482>6/7: "sad."Kryska was nowhere to be found when you stirred. With a shrug you hauled yourself into the morning routine, taking a little longer to get ready today, with a bruised and somewhat broken body. As the shower washed away sweat and tears from last night, you looked over your work team's report in AR space. The "Castle" had received modest upgrades where expedient. The rest of shower was a little slow, you were pretty sure you had a broken rib. For sure a black eye. Instead of reaching for your usual glasses you grabbed sunglasses. You had enough time in your day to check out the ship from a departure deck, and made swift way there. Well, as swift as two legs and a rather classy cane can go.---Kryska saw you hobbling towards the viewing area, an expansive sheet of transparent metallic ceramic. "Uh. Hey." She looked away for a bit. "Nothing against you Glasner, but that...just wasn't the best showing." She looked at you with pity, PITY!"I pride myself on all aspects of my...everything. EVERYTHING!" you pointed the cane at her, the gesture was exactly as feeble as you realized it was."We are all made for something in this life, and that just wasn't your domain. Anyway, I've already settled up our account balances, time for me to hit the star dust. Stay classy Glassy." You were sorta stunned. "That sounded suspiciously like pity and disengagement. Feel free to be direct.""You're a smart guy Glasner, but here is some advice. You can't eat, drink, fuck or live in an ego, so consider it's utility. Take it easy yeah?"and like that Kryska was gone, you watched the ship's engines flare off into the distance for a bit, considering her words. Words that sounded suspiciously like looser talk. Your AR display chimed with incoming work orders and meetings. You made your way back towards the engineering of the station. It had been too long.
>>6387938Choose. You will get 1d20 per project for hyperspace research, in addition to the listed items. The mission you do not pick will have it's own resolution.>1: Extra-humanitarian efforts: will you simply follow the customer requests, or can you extract hidden redemption?the PJC was expanding, bounties, humanitarian efforts, it needed ships capable of onsite construction, evacuation, and mobile hospital work. Their first order of business was taking care of their damaged headquarters.andThe Saurians on your station continued to petition for mining craft. They have managed to increase their offering bid. It would be their last offer.+1d20 roll for hyperspace.-Improved Lantern Core: integrated particle screen.-improved miniaturization and plasma technology.>2: Matters of the mind, matters of the heart. There were secrets to know and consequences to have.HPS was asking for consulting work regarding a new cruiser design, you'd be on station at their shipyard. The contract was clearly a modification of the last Raihan offering. "Glasner. You're nerd ass is gonna wanna see this shit." it was from Horner.andThe Alchemist has a direct request, not order, for you. It was time to deal with some pirate issues. You also need to be shown a few things, its time.-gain remote effector technology-gain [redacted] technology.-gain [redacted] drive technology.
>>6387943Aww shit this is a tough one...>1: Extra-humanitarian effortsGonna go with this, I like the idea of an all-in-one lantern core plus the lizard bros keep losing so it's high time we threw them a bone.
Rolled 12, 13 = 25 (2d20)>>6387945Forgot to roll.
>>6387943>1: Extra-humanitarian efforts: will you simply follow the customer requests, or can you extract hidden redemption?Lizard bros, it is time. The space UN will reap hyper militarized terrorism like never before!
>>6387943>2: Matters of the mind, matters of the heart. Better listen to the boss.
>>6387943>1: Extra-humanitarian efforts: will you simply follow the customer requests, or can you extract hidden redemption?
You considered the two contracts as you made your way to the station's commons area for this deck. Normally avoided due to the abject commotion and a lack of utility, it was where your clients agreed to meet. While the "Alchemist" was your boss, and that contract was tempting, it didn't appear to be as time sensitive as the PJC and Saurian offering... Plus that down payment in raw resources was eye watering. The lizards must be desperate, and you were no fool. Chances are they considered the request dual use with a focus on military over industrial. Not your problem.Your other customer was the PJC. Your work with the Tardigrade corvette and Daedalus frigate had garnered significant interest from within and without the pact. Decentralized fabrication was an industry disruptor, and the PJC was asking to be first in line for the next escalation of that concept; an engineering cruiser. Beyond that there was desire for...lets see...basic humanitarian aid, impromptu transportation, anti piracy. You winced internally at the notion of building two concurrent designs again. Sleep had been a welcome thing while it lasted. Oh well.Fumbling in your coat pocket your hand blindly groped around for an Amp capsule, only to find nothing. "Fuck." Your cane clacked against the floor as you continued on. There were options, certainly, possibilities. You'd already prepped some high level concepts. The thought of design work passed time, and distracted you from the terrible lack of Amp. It was getting a bit harder to focus in here. The lights were bright, the sounds were loud. Your pelvis hurt. Maybe some genetic tuning was in order for your body...maybe. that thought was distracted as a child plowed into you. "Sorry old man!" You were bowled over, he simply rotated on a foot with the inertia and took off, a playmate in pursuit behind him leaped over your prone form. "Fuck man." You just laid there for a moment, the cold steel plate floor was slightly pleasant against your many aches. You would have laid there longer if not for your jacket being scruffed like a kitten while a powerful hand hauling you up and over the height of any baseline human.A Saurian, a particularly large specimen, locked your eyes with it's own bionic units. It spoke with alien vocalizations, while a translator implant on it's neck approximated civilized speech. "Warlord Glasner. There is death, there is duty, there is trade, today is honorless trade. Shame yourself no further. Honor and duty tomorrow." Gingerly picking up your cane while still holding you aloft, the Saurian made way towards the commons courtyard. At least Ruhi wasn't here, you wondered what kind of lackey you would deal with. Casting your gaze from the floor you dared to stare ahead, spotting one Admiral Ruhi. Maybe you could get down before she saw you.Nope, shit, she’s waiving at you. "Fuck."The Saurian cocked it's head to glance at you. "Mating can be resolved later. It is now a moment for business.">cont
>>6389723Ruhi was already well on your way as you attempted to coax the Saurian into lowering you. "Magnavax! Please, set him down!" The Saurian shook its head slowly, parodying the human gesture. "He is Warlord struggling alone like a clanless elder. Carried aloft, his status is seen, honor restored." Ruhi facepalmed so hard it knocked her hat off. The Saurian snatched it out of the air before you could blink. "Your regalia of position, not fallen. With glory it is returned." She took the hat from the lizard's outstretched claw, shaking her head. It looked at her for a moment. "Yes. Disbelief at Saurian magnificence. Common here. The faces made, adorable."--Eventually Ruhi managed to convince Magnavax to set you down and return your cane. A short distance away a welded steel bench served for the meeting place, with the Saurian dominating his own side through sheer mass. He was of clan Feranis, and their unofficial leader. While light on the details, he explained that their leadership was killed in a cowardly and sudden decapitation strike. You glanced at Ruhi for a moment, trying to get any explanation out of her in what would normally be considered an act of overt war. She simply fidgeted with her hat and put her hands in her lap as the lizard went on. The survivors of the clan had banded together with what wealth they had to make "a new ideology, new cooperation." Vague again, but ok.He explained that to many other clans their present work was shameful or perhaps less than honorable. As you sought more information he elaborated that it could be akin to scavenging the dead. That they "should be dead in retribution." More business minded clans saw opportunity. "To be of use." Since then Magnavax and his remnants became useful, and worth the risk of investment, and with that a chance to regain their honor and position."A compelling history. Backed by a compelling contract. I would be glad to assist, but how do you fit into this Admiral Ruhi?"She glanced at the saurian and then back to you. "We needed labor, and they needed work. Initial efforts were...perhaps tumultuous, but cultural differences are being resolved. With their recent decision to obtain heavy mining ships, we had hoped to..."You saw where this was going. "Leverage a bulk order for scale of economy. Perhaps a variant ship?""Well, yes. I was hoping given our business relations in the past you would find this agreeable?" You'd considered her more than a business friend, perhaps that was naive of you. It didn't show on your face. "It won't be viable unless you are committed to accepting the Saurian design as principal."Magnavax interjected "We must have plowshares to swords. Design compromise is unacceptable."You weren’t sure if Magnavax was overtly asking for weapons or deliberately butchering the idiom. Unfortunately, without a diplomat trained in Human to Saurian communication, many details were likely to be lost in translation.>cont
>>6389724Ruhi corrected him. "Its Swords to Plowshares. You make a tool out of a weapon." Magnavax gave an exaggerated shrug "Yes?" Ruhi glared at him. "YES! We already talked about this, Glasner has modular designs. Affordable, modular designs!"You looked over at her. "The modular line was really intended for the industrial and commercial sector, it may be a poor match to your mission and still outside your budget." Ruhi held her composure but you could tell she was nervous. "The PJC has the funds… I wish to test out the fabrication components of the proposed class by assisting in construction of the saurian ships to offset the cost.""You want me to build ships...so you can help build ships? Between you and the Saurian you're hoping to fund the fabricators which run heavy with exotic materials in order to build the saurian feet mostly on your own?""Well. It's not exactly like that, but also Yes." the duo looked at you expectantly. The idea was sort of workable, Ex-Nihilo could focus on core component production of the Saurian ship while the external fabricators handled crude mass items like superstructure components. It still wouldn't be to the same degree of quality as a proper shipyard, but it could safely be considered a minimally viable product. It might also be trouble, but it would free up a production line.On the other hand you could just force some new designs on both of them and advance your own portfolio. They'd get fewer ships though. You tapped your cane in thought as you sat considering the options.---Choose:>1 Support Ruhi and Magnavax building a fleet on a shoestring budget.>Gain early access to your final customer, without a time penalty.>2 Build your own designs.>Expand your existing ship portfolio for future customers((Unfortunately OP got range banned again, so I shall relay the updates once more.))
>>6389725>1 Support Ruhi and Magnavax building a fleet on a shoestring budget.Lizard bros can not stop being based.>RangebannedWe should ask where the QM lives, maybe that's where the replacement for Epsteins island is bring organised.
>>6389725>1 Support Ruhi and Magnavax building a fleet on a shoestring budget.Quantity has a quality of its own.
>>6389725>1 Support Ruhi and Magnavax building a fleet on a shoestring budget.Credible deniability, and I like Armed Merchant Cruisers.
>>6389987Ruhi's proposition carried weight. You wanted to create, to disrupt. The fabricators proposed were not to the capability of the Megaton Rain's, really, Ex-Nihilo's these days. They also were a far cry from a dedicated high end ship yard like Higg, or even the Horned Princess Shipyard, as much as you loathed to give Jack or Mayumi any credit. Even internal credit...ugh. Having to deal with them once the hyperdrive project was complete was not an even you looked forward to.Less than dealing with Lord Banfield's ambition. Less than Mass Ex and their barbed offers. Less than the great power games of the Solar Union. Now a new headache was staring at you, at least you think he was staring. How long had you been in thought anyway? fuck. You hand subconsciously fumbled around your pocket looking for Amp. Nothing. Terrible. Focus. Focus. The offer...Smaller shipyards would suffer from this technology, but progress demanded it. Demanded it proliferate. They would adapt, or go extinct. There was a choice there...and you were curious what would happen once it was wild...even if there was almost no profit in this. You knew favors were a currency of their own."Fine. We start immediately. I'll see if there are in process optimizations that can be done for the designs. Note the definition of see, to observe, determine, consider. Not guarantee." You began sending orders for the Heavy Engineering Cruiser to Bay 2, bay 1 would be fully dedicated to lantern core production.Ruhi let out an audible breath she had been holding. "Work will be at least a month for the cruisers, and how ever long your team takes for the Saurian miners. Magnavax, figure out what you need from this design. There won't be any do-overs.""Unhesitating. Consideration deadly. decisive business." The Saurian over pondered the concept as you walked away, ignoring it's attempt at Haiku.---please roll 2d20, first two count, for the optimizations (or fuckups) of the two ship designs.
Rolled 3, 7 = 10 (2d20)>>6391170Just like that and we're back bruh!This quest is so cursed...
>>6391203And for my next trick!*rolls badly... again*
Rolled 14, 19 = 33 (2d20)>>6391170of course
>>6387946 Hyperdrive: 12/13 Mediocre is "good enough.">>6391170>>6391203:Shitty!You spent the next week sequestered in your "office", with delivery food containers gradually piling up in your apartment. The PJC engineering cruiser was proceeding shittily, with numerous glitches and mechanical problems needing constant attention. Trying to replicate the better half of the megaton rain's fabrication capability, but making project agnostic, while also reducing the overall use of critical exotic material was turning out to be a nightmare. Structural and power instability issues required that the ship be equipped with industrial drives and a conventional system layout. This left it anemic, unable to fabricate, jump, or even propel itself without a lengthy pause to shut down and start up critical systems, shunting power where it needed to be. It still did everything you envisioned, but much more slowly, and there wasn't enough time to revisit the concept with the impending hyperdrive demonstration.The Saurian mining ships were slowly taking shape, with your modified lantern cores borrowing a few design notes that the clan shared with you after reviewing the Lantern Core schematics and determining you were "Going to figure this one out anyway." The final product was fully a significant improvement over it's predecessor while only marginally increasing net complexity. Explosion risk was also reduced at the admitted cost of an increased explosion intensity. There were trade offs, but hey. Timelines had to be kept.Both the PJC ships and the Saurian ships were going to be "minimally viable" without armor or even certain structural elements you and kept to your word. They could always come back, or use their ship to finish the job themselves. It was time to make your way to a "shareholder" presentation of the hyperdrive project. That meant dealing with Jack and Mayumi. You grabbed your cane and hobbled with as much grace as was available to you.1/2---
>>63913642/2It was an uneventful walk to the presentation, it gave you time to ruminate. The hyperdrive project, a complete study, reverse and then re-engineer of the fleet capable unit found on the "Kobito". Allegedly a peer unit to the hyperdrive on the former Raihan Empire's flagship "The Hand". There many smaller drives, but precious few units of that scale and capacity. If your efforts paid off, it would provide a small upset to the balance of power in the galactic region. You'd been busy with completing the "Schwarzschild" a ship hastily tacked onto a hyperdrive. The entire unit was oversized, and underpowered, made in less than idea conditions with significantly less than ideal materials. It only needed to work once to proove the underlying concepts. Hmm. Nervous, you were actually slightly nervous.Enterting the makeshift presentation area, a departure bay with armored windows, you saw a small crowd made of Ruhi with several PJC cohorts, Lord Hyron Banfield himself flanked by several of his peers, and skulking around were Jack and Mayumi. You spotted "the bastard" and Aura chatting with Magnavax. You shoved your hand into your pocket and clutched a handfull of Amp capsules, picking one to quickly crush and inahle. "Better not fuck this one up." You muttered under your breath. The armored windows of the bay highlighted your latest works, yet to be named. They were ugly, and incomplete. You felt a hand on your shoulder and turned around to find Solei. The flinch was involuntary. "Glassner." It wasn't a condemnation, just a simple acknolwedgement. You strugged to say anything, but the words wouldn't come. He broke the silence "You know how to push the limits. I'll give you that. I want your work to succeed today." that made you actually smile. "Thank you for not wishing me luck, Solei." He noddeed slightly. "Never would." With that he simply walked off.---You spoke briefly to the assembled crowd about the hyperdrive, anticipated timetables and what ramifications could be expected for a successful test. Touching your finger to your ear, your AR link switched audio over to the test crew of the ship. "Make it happen." The drive began to glow red hot as the thermal management system struggled to contain the energies within, and test paint blistered away into the void. Small arcs of energy crawled across the surface of the machine, and the first hints of a rift were opening.>Roll a 1d20 for the success of this test. First roll counts. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Rolled 11 (1d20)>>6391366Pff, drives shmives. How hard can it be?
>>6391406>11: Better than bad!Schwarzschild committed to a very rough jump; the quantum wavefront was slightly irregular as it slid forward into hyperspace. An unexpected wakejump pulled along the PJC and Saurian ships near it. For a moment the room was silent, waiting. Aura was pressed up against the armored glass, scanning for any hit of a gate opening. Any minute now...you tapped your cane slightly on the floor, waiting. Solei was conversing with Hyron Banfield, gesturing to an incomplete ship hulk. A moment later a series of crimson rips in space manifested, gradually widening; your ships emerging no worse for the wear... Well they might have been somewhat blackened, almost like they had a carbon char. The Schwarzschild listed awkwardly, it's engines sputtering as various lights flickered erratically and finally going dark. The crew contacted you on an encrypted channel. "Reporting in. We made it. Jump wasn't like anything I've handled before." You gave them a curt acknowledgement of accomplishment and informed them the tardigrades were already hauling them back to the station.The larger ships moved under their own power, no apparent worse for the wear. The crews were jarred to say the least, but kept to the script. Ruhi's "engineering cruiser" proceeded to create an orbital lattice structure on the fly, and you had several smaller but mission critical components stored in the ship ready for use. If the audience didn't understand they weren't fabricated on the spot and only came from the ship, well, it couldn't be helped. Solei looked at you from across the room and raised a slight questioning eyebrow, seeing through the bullshit. Over the next hour you lectured to an increasingly indifferent crowd about the features of the ships, construction, and more, buying time for maintenance crews to shove parts out of the fabrication sections of ship as if produced on the spot. Those parts were fitted into the Saurian mining ship, and the entire vessel promptly jumped to a nearby asteroid to provide a live holographic feed for the crowd."For the final part of our tech demo, please pay attention to the mining beam's prodigious excavation capacity. It is in no small part based off the Glasner beam as found on our Sharur series frigates." That at least operated exactly as intended, firing off a massive particle beam from its onboard accelerator. The whole ship was spent and would have to cool down for at least 24 hours, but it accomplished the task at hand, leaving a glowing molten hole in the asteroid. That display was met with muted applause and some enthusiastic pointing by Lord Banfield. He wasn't subtle as he spoke to one of his entourage "That! Right there! Inform MassEx I'll make the deal now!"1/4see: >>6389725 >Gain early access to your final customer, without a time penalty.
>>6391717With the demo over, you let yourself relax, holding your upper body weight on the cane. Ruhi started to approach you before Banfield's group surrounded you. "Glasner, I want that mining cruiser, modified" You straightened yourself "Lord Banfield..." he stopped the conversation and looked at you with a wolfish grin "You know to call me Hyron, and I shan't remind you again my good friend. Good?" You locked eyes with him through your sunglasses. Pinprick pupils, a mild sheen of sweat. He was using Amp, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. You picked a measured response to match his mood. "Better than good, Superlative." He laughed and clapped you on the back, jarring a broken rib. You bit back a wince, it wasn't something to explain here."Hyron, production is at capacity with prior orders, otherwise the lines would be yours." You gesture at the PJC and Saurian ships looming outside the station.He frowned slightly, leaning in closer to you, his voice lower. "Glasner, an individual, a man of your capacity, should be able to resolve such a matter...and I know you shall. For me. Immediately." A forced AR window popped up, indicating a transfer of credits to your station's account, as well as a smaller, but not insignificant amount directly to you. "Your holographic presentations entertain me immensely. Meet me on my vessel, and bring Ruhi."You exchanged final pleasantries before the group departed. Ruhi was still standing here, eyes searching you. "I suppose asking you about dinner is off.""I wouldn't entirely say that. Come on, we have a Lord to meet, and a Saurian to both disappoint and ask a favor of."2/4
>>6391719You broke the news to the Saurian as carefully as possible, informing him that there would be optimizations for his ships due to a new order which could not be ignored. You told him that his clan would be gainfully employed harvesting raw material and paid in proper credits. He looked at you for a moment and spoke. "Games." That was Magnavax's response to your thoughtfully worded heads up that production of his ships would be delayed. "Why games?" The Saurian responded, his translator competing with the bass rumble of his true voice. "Recompense. As much as can be asked in my position". AR images bombard you with Saurian script and pictures of historic games; Go, Fangqi, Xiangqi, Chaturanga, Petteia. He had really done his research. "Games to train, to learn. Business is war by another means. Games will teach business."You weren't exactly sure that Magnavax was aware of how vague that sentiment was, but you also weren't about to turn down such an easy way to resolve the matter. "Very well. We will discuss "Games" after my business negotiations." He nodded at that, and left.--Ruhi was pleasant company on the short shuttle ride to Hyron's ship, a Glory-S this time. She always charmed but kept the details of her personal life to a minimum, and in turn asked little of your current state. The corridors of the Glory were familiar to you at this point; stately, a bit archaic in layout, but functional. An armed contingent of Noto's own guard escorted you to a well furnished stateroom. Wood, plush carpeting, fragrant oud burned somewhere out of sight. "Fantastic! You both made it!" Hyron was genuinely pleased to see you, his manservant had already seated you and Admiral Ruhi, bringing out glasses of Armagnac and...almond stuffed dates. You wasted no time in consumption, an active mind needed to be fueled, sometimes frequently. Ruhi only nibbled lightly on a date and nursed her drink, observing the room. "Why so demure? live a little." He looked at her for a moment before she looked into her lap. "I'm entertained. I just wait for the show to begin." her hands made a halfhearted flourish in your direction. Just like that, Hyron's attention was fixed on you causing an abrupt swallow of half chewed dates and almonds. It wouldn't go down. You were choking, he knew it, you knew he knew it. You pounded the entire glass of Armagnac, the liquid's alcohol burn turning to pleasant heat and vapors that cleared your sinus cavity. "Well then, let us begin." Hyron's staff dimmed the room without being asked. Soon your holographic display of the mining ship was present.3/4
>>6391721The ship was thoroughly picked apart over the next several hours. Hyron apparently felt the other states within the Pact were plotting against him, paranoid or not he wanted something of a show of force. When you presented the mining beam, that sold him. He just wanted the entire ship militarized and capable of repeated firings. It only necessitated an entire redesign, one that was costly. He proved unconcerned, and had recently sold the transport fleet to one MassEx, turning a tidy profit in the process. Strong cognac was the only drink provided, and everyone present was red in the face from it. "I reason, if you finish that hyperdrive project soon enough, the ships may be obsolete for our needs. Wise, no?" Hyron wobbled slightly in his chair. Planting your cane into the supple carpet you pushed yourself up and gave the lord a military salute. "To the greatest mind of Noto!" You were born in Shima after all. Hyron raised a glass in mock toast. "Here here, Glasner." Ruhi just looked away slightly, covering her lower face with a hand, snickering. "Yes, to you...Glassy." The Lord of Noto lit up at that. "Glassy!" You hid the surprise well, unsure if that was a reference to Kryska or not. "Glassy, you can do this for me yes? You can make Noto mighty again, will you not?" He staggered and grinned. Of course you agreed.--Captive as you and Ruhi were, eventually the evening came to an end. "As much as it pains me, friends, I must retire, and your shuttle awaits. Admiral Ruhi, if you so deign, my ship has space for this evening."Choose:>"Actually, the Admiral and I have further business to discuss on Ex-Nihilo.">Stay silent.
>6391723
>>6391723>Stay silent.Oops
>>6391723>"Actually, the Admiral and I have further business to discuss on Ex-Nihilo."
QM are you there...?
Sorry the QM has been dealing with RL stuff over Easter. We're both working to get the quest going again.
>>6391723It was almost reflexive, but you bristled at Hyron's familiarity with Ruhi. "Actually, the Admiral and I have further business to discuss on Ex-Nihilo." The duo looked at each other, with Hyron cracking a grin, and Ruhi simply casting her gaze downward. "See Ruhi, I told you." You looked between them "Told you what? What’s going on here?" The young lord looked away, gazing into an opulent fireplace, its perfumed scent wafting through the room. "Harris, you are an astoundingly clever and unobservant man, all at once. I think if you dared to step away from the minutia of your obsessions from moment to moment, you may be dangerous." You had created ships and weapons the likes of which the Pact had not seen, the man clearly didn't know you like he thought he did. "Don't be too concerned, we've no dire plot. Just a simple confirmation of a disagreement between the Admiral and I. A...gentleman's bet." –You spent the shuttle ride back to Ex-Nihilo in comfortable silence, a rare moment where you didn't feel the compulsion to split your attention between AR space and reality. Ruhi spoke first. "You've come a long way, how do you feel about it all; the position, the responsibility. Is it everything you expected?" You thought for a moment. "Yes." she looked at you almost impatiently. "No details on that, further elaboration?" Your cane was tapping on the floor in rhythm to your own thoughts. "It is...difficult to sum up the totality of my experience. Indignation, gratitude and a sense of insult that gave way to triumph and validation. It sounds arrogant, I know. I've seen people surprise me; I thought Solei hated me. His worldview is still impossibly stifling, but I can't bring myself to the same rancor I once did. My greatest works are yet to be eclipsed, but now they exist in perhaps a lesser but disseminated fashion. Again, vindicated. Knowing I can still improve, seeing iteration on my own work from beyond my own hands. I wonder if this is what a parent feels when they look upon their adult child? Imperfect, but advancing, new ideas emerging upon that base. I've been reading the reports from the PJC crews on the Immunis cruisers, they overcame my guide rails and expectations. Perhaps I underestimate people out of hand too often. It's something to consider in my future designs."The shuttle set down lightly in the receiving bay, the two of you disembarking."Harris, you really just see the world in an entirely different way than anyone else I've ever met."You adjusted your glasses and smirked. "Well, I am a genius.""Well, Genius Hero of the Pact." she rolled her eyes "Can you guess what comes next?"you shrugged as you walked. "That is a very open ended question.""Context of the moment, Glasner." She threw her hat at you."Oh?Oh!">cont
>>6395509The past few weeks had been very pleasant by your own measure. Ruhi and Magnavax had been overseeing the informal arrangement of ad-hoc ship construction outside of Ex-Nihilo. Her crews had utilized the Immunis to its full capacity and with very little input from you, proceeded independently forward. The Mk1 was overhauled using a combination of standard components, leftovers from the Schwarzschild test craft, and its own fabricators. With a more rigid superstructure it was able to function at a capacity beyond the initial spec. The 2, or "Zig" short for its ziggurat style command tower, improved on the basic craft, and in short order they began producing monolithic components and complex equipment in-situ, resulting in the "3". Your part to play was in compensating for the craft's outstanding limitations, namely that it had no E-drive. The Schwarzschild was heavily refurbished and modified, serving as the lead ship of the class, and the PJC's first hyperspace capable "tug".Concurrently Magnavax and his clan had been using their mining craft to actually extract raw resources which were used to offset the effort of constructing these new ships. They had taken some pride in their new utility, and owning a ship. Feedback indicated limitations in cargo volume, payload, and operational capacity were resolved with resonance drives and additional heat sinks. Regarding payload, Ruhi had outfitted the ships with a crude hull that approximated a Saurian ship. The lizards were not entirely ungrateful, but came to understand the limitations of the human mind when it came to design. "[translation approximation] Their hearts be graced, for they have tried" was a common sentiment. Magnavax was the one who gave the class it's moniker, after examining the ship for a moment he simply said "Counterfeit." and it stuck. Subsequent ships of the class were locally fabricated by Ruhi's ships with core components supplied by Ex-Nihilo.His clan's short work history as a competent mining outfit had garnered some attention from small one off customers, adding unexpected wealth to their coffers. Magnavax really had not planned beyond "Get ship." and it showed. For now he patiently waited on Hyron Banfield's order to be complete so his craft could be finished properly.>cont
>>6395510Aside from working on further refinements to the pact Hyperdrive, you were mostly free to supply basic components and work on Lord Hyron Banfield's ship, which was admittedly a derivative of the "Counterfeit" class. The PJC and Saurian's occupied their own efforts and thankfully kept a somewhat meddlesome presence out of your immediate purview. Your constraints were time, and raw material. While Saurians could provide some of it, you leaned into MassEx for the remainder, knowing it was a poor idea every step of the way. Once inside the local MassEx office Decker had left you to deal with Lyra, who seemed personally invested in making you feel uncomfortable. "Glassy! S'good to see you. Sando?" the woman proffered a greasy fried meat sandwich of unknown providence, dripping with a cream colored green sauce and an obvious bite. "I..uh..no. No thank you Lyra." she shrugged and took another bite "Sandos fuckin' Grouse. Strewth of it. So...business eh?" She lowered her glasses to peer over the top of them at you, grinning with grease dripping down her mouth. "Yeah. Business." she perked up at that. "Oh yeah? How busy are we then?" you really didn't want to engage with this. "Very busy." "Yeah, nah, nah.narp. No. Like an animal. Are you busy like a little beaver?"You shook your head. This was infuriating. "No. Like a cat I guess." She stood up and slammed her sandwich down on the counter, detonating its contents all over the immediate proximity, including your jacket. "WELL THEN! You aren't too busy at all are you then? Not busy at all! Thinkin' of havin' a little nap are you? A little cat nap!"Fuck. Between inane madness and actual attempts at extortion it took the better part of an hour but you negotiated what was the approximation of a fair enough trade. As you walked away you heard Lyra screech something "Hooroo Glassy! Hooroo!" You needed a shower. Maybe a drink. For now an Amp capsule took the edge off, and removed your immediate desire to eject that psychotic bitch out of an airlock.>cont
>>6395511You were seated in your kitchen again, absent from the actual worksite floor, again. There were perks to being the Senior Director.Utilizing simplified techniques for material management, you scaled equipment until rare resource limitations were resolved. This had the side effect of increasing the mass of Banfield's ships significantly, but also resolved any issues regarding armor. The hardest decision was armament and what configuration of lantern core to utilize. In the end you reached for the overarching theme of resource simplicity, and the ensuing core was a behemoth, easily your biggest yet. On the upside the components ran at a cooler temperature and lower pressure than their smaller counterparts. You nodded at the design, it was going to be damage tolerant. Weapons followed suit, you simply repurposed the mining ship's cavernous storage canisters into ad-hoc modular bays. Fighters, corvettes, or palletized missiles. The ship wouldn't be able to rearm in the middle of battle, but it also was for the defense of Noto, and had the PJC fabricators at its back. That was secondary to the fact that the entire core of the ship was built around a particle cannon. Noto could afford the extra crew the design demanded...You started to put the finishing touches on the nomenclatures, speaking outloud "And now for..the Glassner" Ruhi's hands came up over your shoulders. "Oh, another Glasner product? The Glassner Beam, a cannon perhaps?" you were caught off guard. "Fine...fine. Central Lance. Is that better?" she leaned over your shoulder to examine the design. "Brutish, but sufficient for the request. I suspect Hyron will actually admire it." The Admiral's presence had been a comfortable intrusion into your work over these past few weeks, one that you were starting to grow accustomed to. A very calculating part of your mind acknowledged the possibility that she was planted by Banfield, an insecure part of your mind made note that few women ever gave you this much attention, but some piece of yourself simply enjoyed the moment.Ruhi watched you work in AR space for a time, sipping at a steaming mug of tea. You could get used to this. A presence other than yourself. The thought was interrupted by a chime from your front door. Magnavax let himself in thanks to Ruhi answering the door request. "Warlord. Time draws near, debts to be collected must not remain ornamental." You were jarred out of your pleasant flowstate. "What are you talking about?!" Magnavax grabbed your chair and wheeled you towards the door. "It is time. Time for the games.">cont
>>6395514Magnavax was surprisingly aggressive for his normally metered personality. He nearly dragged you to the local recreation area, a "park", or at least what passed for one on Ex-Nihilo. A collection of steel benches, and a few planted trees next to a floor to ceiling view of the local gas giant. You saw a somewhat impressive stack of board games laid out on a nearby bench, with the lizard harrying you onwards like a sheepdog pressing a relucant animal. "Relax. You have me now." He nodded. "Yes. You already acknowledge your defeat." You struggled with his obtusity and grasp of human language. "No, I mean you have me here." again he simply acknowledged victory. "No. not like that. As in I am present at this location for the purpose of the activity."Magnavax emitted an unusual noise, and his scales seemed to slightly shift in color. A subsonic rumbling sort of tickled your internal organs. "I have made a joke to which you have fallen prey." You sighed. "Well done Lizard. Now show me your if your newfound mental alacrity extends to games of skill..."The Saurian dominated your time over the next three days, oscillating between common and obscure games. Most were unfamiliar to you outside of a cultural awareness, requiring a pin of the "rule sheet" onto an augmented view of reality. Battles in Petteia gave way to simple skirmishes in Checkers which the lizard was fiendishly good at. "Once again, I will generate the King..." the Saurian was proud of this. You were even forced into games of dot connect and tic tac toe with some very undignified back and forth banter and education on xenoracial slurs. Periodically he would request the rules changed, experimenting with "edgeless" and "Hyper" variants of any game with a checkered pattern. At first you simply though the Saurian was impatient, or prone to boredom, but it seemed as if he genuinely enjoyed experimenting and seeing the reactivity in the game as much as the session itself, perhaps more so. By the time the station's evening cycle had come and gone, you two still were matching wits, no longer announcing changes to the rules, simply reacting to them, adapting. For a time people had gathered to watch the spectacle, but eventually grew bored. Finally Magnavax lost and concluded the day. "Tomorrow, again we play." Instead of putting away the games, he simply pushed them into a pile and dumped the entire mass into a trash bin. "You are concerned, Why?" "Most people would preserve the game to experience again. That is all." Magnavax was silent for a moment. "The utility...expended." You didn't really have a response to that. "I see. Goodnight then.">cont
>>6395517The second day of board games were more strategic in nature. Xiangqi lead to Fangqi, then Go. "These games are kin to the Ludus latrunculorum. It was omitted." Brief, just a justification. He either knew you well enough, or placed a lot of faith in your capacity. Today was less about insults, and more about history, and culture. To that end Magnavax had you at a disadvantage. It was never overly pertinent for you to learn the complexities of Saurian clan society and history. From what you were told, if it was the truth, they were a wildly diversified people. Fractious would be a word that was sufficient. Clans conspired against one another, and depending on the clan, this behavior would extend internally to the family and at times individual level. "What about your clan?" He shrugged, it was for effect rather than an organic reaction. "Our place was known. Our duty was for what other clans [translation approximation] could/would not endure." you moved your pieces in silence for a time. "Your clan survived by taking the hard work." The saurian's bionics scanned you briefly. "Yes. Like this place.""What do you mean?""Ex-Nihilo. This is that place. It takes the hard work, and accomplishes it.""Elaborate."Instead of any words, your augmented reality display was bombarded by clips of the cobbled together fighters, chimeras, frozen corpses in space, weapons destroying themselves in fury, shattered ships that that spent their final moments executing suicide burns into their enemies, mercenaries frothing at the mouth and fighting beyond mortal injuries high on Amp, your own ships and modules, oversized and blocky, cobbled together knight frames. Media accusations of proliferation and indifference. He had done his research."Survival. Struggle. Warlord, I see this, I think, we are not so different.""My title is Senior Director. Use it."Magnavax moved a small stone into position and declared victory and simply walked away. "Hmm." The games were once again dumped into the trash, this time by you. You headed home to see Ruhi. Instead of a quiet evening she was pouring over several data streams."Admiral. You seem occupied" you grinned slightly. She didn't even look."Pirates, if you can call them that. There are cartels forming Harris. Beyond that, we have kidnappings in our own territory. The PJC can't ignore that." Her eyes were flicking over the AR data, you walked up and took her hand for a moment."Harris, I have to stop playing house soon." For a moment you saw something like pain in her face before her composure solidified. "I know. We are who we are." You rubbed your temples for a moment. The day finally came. "Do you want to stay tonight?">cont
>>6395518In the morning you woke up alone. There was a sensation you were unfamiliar with, and it felt akin to pain. As you got dressed and left your small bedroom, heading towards your kitchen. Dominating the room was Magnavax, sitting at your table, his bulk threatened to destroy the chair but there he was all the same. "Good morning." the bass rumble of the Saurian's voice vibrated your bones. On the table was Ruhi's hat and a handwritten note. "Keep the hat, and remember me. -P.S. Don't be too upset, I let Magnavax in. I thought it would be funny."You picked up the hat and looked at it for a moment, the slight aroma of Ruhi's perfume was still on it. Subtle. "Today Warlord. It is my last day." The Saurian was already setting up yet another obscure game. Gunjin Shōgi. You set the hat down on your counter and pulled up a chair. "Alright Lizard. Let's see what you've got."The game was aggressive, and the pieces were pitted against each other with a value that would defeat another. You won but Magnavax seemed surly. "This simulation is poor. Sometimes a lowly soldier will outperform a superior warrior." You shook your head and explained a new idea to the Saurian. "The pieces represent strategies in a larger war. The movements are simply maneuvers." you gestured in the air as you spoke. "A new perspective to consider. Now, Chaturanga." Magnavax's plays were cunning, and he won several rounds of the game. It was superficially Chess, and something you were rather competent at. There was no matter of boasting, you simply knew most plays out to their 40th move at minimum. One of the simple pleasures of being a Savant.>cont
>>6395519The day dragged on, and Magnavax tried numerous strategies, growing more and more frustrated, even when he won. He was clearly searching for something in your sessions. "Chess." "Magnavax, we just spent all day playing the precursor to Chess. Its the same damn game." The Saurian shook his head. "No. This time will be different. Infinite chess." You were familiar with the game, the board essentially wrapped around itself allowing for movement across all edges to the opposite edge. You crushed him in this domain. "One more. New rules." you held your hands up, just wanting to be done. "Both pieces end each other."It was quick, but as Magnavax maneuvered his pieces forward, he would simply crush the captured and destroyed pieces in his massive hands, dumping the shattered remains adjacent to the board. When you took a piece he did the same. Soon it was a brutally empty board, focused on saving high maneuverability assets. Eventually even those were gone, sacrificed to avoid a checkmate, a session boiled down to two kings. Unattainable. A stalemate. "I have won, Warlord." You looked at magnavax and then the board. "No. You also lost.""I played to remove your capability. In that I won.""You have nothing left." you gestured to the board."Yes. My pieces served well though." You understood now what he was getting at. His clan. Himself."The players remain. A new game will be played, the previous pieces forgotten, their usefulness ended." Magnavax's normally sullen appearance grew slightly more grim. "A large thought."Magnavax stared at the bored in contemplation for a bit longer. "Am I the player, or the piece?"---Choose:>Player: "You fulfilled your duty to obtain ships as stated, and any additional obligation implied. Maybe it's time your clan plays a new game, with new rules.">Piece: "You make your best moves in life, each position a new layer of constraint. Eventually you only have the certainty of what your immediate choices are, and hope you're right."
>>6395522>"Maybe both. You did your best at fulfilling the role a piece should, and now, like a pawn being promoted to a queen, you might be starting to become a player. No need for annihilation."
>>6395522>"Maybe both. You did your best at fulfilling the role a piece should, and now, like a pawn being promoted to a queen, you might be starting to become a player. No need for annihilation."Welcome back
>>6395522> In life, every piece is a player, and every player a piece. Choose your game with a free and happy heart, but play up, play up, and play the game.https://youtu.be/v3W4cn2MVjY
>>6395522>>6395665Switching to >>6395677> In life, every piece is a player, and every player a piece. Choose your game with a free and happy heart, but play up, play up, and play the game.
>>6395677>>6395782Agreed, this one is better worded than mine, and with a much... hopeful? joyful? feel. Changing mine to this as well.
>>6395782>Play the game, but without Annihilation.Magnavax idly picked at an implant with one of his talons in pensive thought. "Obligations remain. The enemy will be struck." That utterance was about as close to the truth of the matter as would be spoken in plain language.You adjusted your glasses out of habit, you thought about a quote from poetry, about analogs comparing pieces promoting, but the Saurian was grounded in the reality of the moment. " There are many games and many ways to play. More so as you learn what they are, yes?" Magnavax simply listened to your words, not interrupting your monologue.You slid a physical copy of a MassEx transaction receipt between you and the lizard, tapping the name. He looked at it for a moment in confusion and you sighed. "You only knew the GAMES you discovered, and only knew how to PLAY them, the way you learned. What of the GAMES you've yet to PLAY?" you tapped your cane on the floor hard, at each word, trying to bypass the obvious subtlety.It finally clicked and the Saurian shot up straight and ready to storm out the door, likely in a blaze of violence before you barred his path with the cane. It was a feeble gesture, but he paused long enough. "Listen to the Warlord. "In playing, we balance the needs of the moment, the demands of our current role. That is balanced against the needs of the future and the role we will assume." you paced slightly in the entry area as you spoke. "Freedom of choice is ours, but we confuse obligation and constraint with mandate. A creative choice can change a small tactical movement into a powerful long term strategy. A move of pointless annihilation precludes garnering greater advantage due to impatience."The lizard was rumbling, nearly radiating frustration. "Such plays...are not so actionable." You nodded at him. "Yes. Long plays made to erode and frustrate, using limited resources cleverly, locking in movements and prevent deployment of known strategies. They take longer, but are more enjoyable to watch unfold. Don't truncate your session, and try to enjoy it. This is something I am increasingly appreciating." You glanced at Ruhi's hat briefly."Those who spectate games, would protest..." He kept leaning back towards the easiest answer."If they wanted to choose the direction, they should have played. Focus. If not your opponent's pieces, what can you control?"Magnavax spoke quietly, his own natural language quietly sibilant against the translation unit in his neck "The board." You flipped over the MassEx receipt, showing their proposed routes through Noto and even neutral systems. It was marketing hype, but it served the purpose. "Yes. The board."
>>6395945He left. No further explanation. Hopefully he would find a way to advance his obligations without "Annihilation". You started making a sandwich out of leftovers and cold vegetables. Worst case scenario, maybe he snaps Lyra's neck. You pushed the board into the trash, pieces and all, then suffered from a moment of whimsy and pulled out a pawn that you set on your counter. With a push of your finger you moved it arbitrarily. "Little fellow, listen well. You stay here and keep my apartment safe."—You waited for several days, expecting something, news of Saurian Terrorist activity, maybe piracy. Nothing, in fact, Magnavax's clan actually did earnest trade with MassEx, taking shitty deals and all. Several days after that, Saurian merchant ships began traveling similar trade routes, and occasionally undercutting MassEx offers on material exchanges. Several more days after that, Magnavax put in an order for an additional "Counterfeit" mining ship.---You are The Alchemist; the one who creates from nothing, Master of Ex-Nihilo. Except all of that was hyperbole. No one could truly cheat the law of equivalent exchange, and you were Master of Ex-Nihilo as much as a juggler was master of the objects that passed through their hands.In the post war era there were new opportunities, but also new problems… war was a great unifier. It kept everyone focussed. Petty differences were easily put aside in the face of a common threat. But with that common threat gone, things were different. The people that had rallied under you during the war had grown restless and divergent…>cont
>>6395947“I was wondering when we’d have this conversation.”Admiral Ruhi sat across from you.“Alchemist, we have a problem.”Reports flashed across the AR display; records of pirate activity, cartel acts, crimes targeting PJC assets and investigations tying them in whole or in part to Ex-Nihilo. You frowned behind your mask but outwardly remained nonchalant.“Do we?”Ruhi’s eyes narrowed.“May I remind you that Ex-Nihilo is still nominally a PJC station, but you’ve turned it into a hive of scum and villainy.”“I made do with what I had, and what I had were dregs. In order to contribute to the war effort certain… privileges were granted to people we ordinarily would not even consider working with.”“I understand those were extraordinary times, but the war is over now. This station needs to be cleaned up.”You lean back in your chair and let out a long drawn out sigh.“Admiral, this station is my fief and like many fiefs it is held together by a network of obligation and indulgence. Said network runs both ways.”“Well the PJC has been very indulgent towards you, now it’s time for you to fulfill your obligations.”You slam your fist on your desk.“Don’t talk to me about obligation! The Pact left me here to rot! If I had any obligation to you it was more than fulfilled when I sent every member of the Ghost Fleet to die in the defence of Noto!”[Dial it back, you’re laying it on too thick.]You glance at the message on your helmet HUD before exhaling.“I cannot simply ‘clean up’ this station any more than you can simply ask the Pact Council for more ships…but”>”I can give you a cut.” (The PJC as a whole becomes more corrupt. Admiral Ruhi will gain more resources but will come into conflict with House Banfield further down the line.)>”I can encourage them to behave.” (Attempt to seize or shut down some of the more problematic criminal enterprises. This will lead to turf wars and unrest amongst the station population.)>”I can keep an eye on things.” (A hollow promise, appease Ruhi with tidbits of intelligence but otherwise maintain the status quo.)
>>6395948> "It takes an Afghan hound to hunt an Afghan wolf"Establish a security council of the primary movers and shakers of the station, and have it enforce some semblance of law and order. If there must be crime, then let it be organized and subservient to the powers that be. We are the Boss.At the same time, the PJC should support the development of legitimate business interests to build local support for law and order. We are a mayor, time to gouge the national government for pork.
>>6395948>>6395999 +1Moderate corruption in authoritarian low-middle income countries may be good for development actually if there's strong bureaucracy / security, at least according to some analysts. We have lots of corruption and little bureaucracy so if we can pick winners we can turn one into the other. What could POSSIBLY go wrong?
>>6395999>>6396197Roll me 3 d20s
Rolled 5 (1d20)>>6396250
Rolled 10 (1d20)
Rolled 15 (1d20)>>6396250Come on baby, roll a 1!
>>6396255>>6396294>>6396354Wow, look at that, rising increments of five.Alright. I'll do the update tomorrow.
“But…”But what? Various options move through your mind but the criminal and legitimate enterprises of Ex-Nihilo are tangled up like a gordian knot. you would have to cut it.You fix Ruhi with your unblinking stare.“I can try to curb any activity on the station that threatens the PJC, but there will be complications.”“What kind of complications?”“Some of the people implicated in these crimes are people of influence within the web of power on Ex-Nihilo. Cracking down on them could cause civil unrest.”“We just fought a war Alchemist, what’s a little unrest among criminals?”[One more sacrifice for the Pact…]You sigh.“So be it, just be aware that this may make the problem worse. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”—You called a meeting of the various people of importance on Ex-Nihilo. Crime bosses, businessmen, community leaders and various other unconventional folk. Leveraging your recent profits from the various ship building contracts you threw a grand banquet (by Ex-Nihilo standards at least) and gave a big speech about a new post-war era of prosperity.After everyone had been nice and buttered up you (politely) declared that all criminal acts against the Pact would cease.The reception was mixed. Some whole heartedly endorsed your statements, most were indifferent as long as they could continue their business unmolested. There were those that outright rejected your edict though. These were the cartel members, typically they were part of a much larger network that extended off station.They jeered and swaggered, loudly proclaiming that they did not need your blessing to conduct business.You already knew who they were, you were merely doing them the courtesy of allowing them to change their business strategies voluntarily.—Retribution was swift and brutal. Shortly after your party, a series of attacks rocked the station; ships sabotaged to have their drives detonate after leaving the docks, high profile assassinations making a mess of the corpse. The message was clear: Ex-Nihilo was your turf.—>Quest will continue later...
“Was all this really necessary?”Aura glared at the Bastard as he idly reloaded his gun.“Yes.”Aura looked behind her. The bar that was a front for the Cartel was completely wrecked. Bodies ripped to shreds by flayer rounds, furniture and corpses alike devastated by indiscriminate use of explosive ammunition. There were no survivors.“We were just supposed to raid the place; shoot a few bad guys and send a message. Not massacre everyone! Some of these people were just regular folks going about their business!”“This is. The Message. The Cartel is not welcome. They do business here; they die. You do business with them; you die.”Aura’s lip curled in disgust and her finger tightened on the trigger of her own weapon. Noticing the movement the Bastard fixed her with a dead stare.“Do you think. You are ready?”The Bastard’s sub-sonic field intensified, making Aura’s teeth itch and skull tighten.“When you pull. The trigger. You must go all the way.”A look of angry shame crossed Aura’s features as she turned away.“What? Like you did here.”“Always. You’ve seen it. Yet you still don’t understand.”“I understand that you are a complete and utter bastard!” Aura snapped.The Bastard let out a harsh grating chuckle and gave Aura an almost affectionate pat on the shoulder.“Still not ready. Come. More work to do.”>cont
>>6397400The purging of Ex-Nihilo did not go smoothly, as you predicted there were complications. You read the reports in your office.Criminal activity against the PJC in certain sectors actually intensified. Unable to hit back at you in Ex-Nihilo, the Cartels did their damndest to turn the turf they did control into no-go zones. That was more a problem for Admiral Ruhi and Lord Banfield.[This might come back to bite us.]“I warned them.”[Inevitable really.]You’d also lost trust among some of your supporters. Friendly, neutral and enemy interests were often tangled together. Your people did not bother to discriminate when the time came for direct intervention. Of course you attempted to curb this by limiting attacks to a few high profile actions; make a few examples and the rest should fall in line. The alternative was to burn the whole station to the ground.It did highlight another problem though. Your “forces”; the disparate mix of mercenaries, fixers and bondsmen were effective, but unreliable. Many of them were veterans of war, the last survivors of campaigns where their fellows had died screaming and pumped to the gills with AMP. None of them expected to live long and they acted like it. In short they were a bunch of traumatized ticking time bombs. Sooner or later you’d have to address this.>Give them an outlet: blood sports and arenas. (Extra revenue and innovation but may invite more unpredictable criminal activity.)>Give them more drugs, ones that pacify them this time. (Un-predictable effects.)>Send them to therapy. (Expensive, but less likely to cause unforeseen consequences.)>Make them even more effective monsters. (Acquire some very dangerous shock troops, but at what cost?) >Write In
>>6397401>Write InDevelop a unified martial core centered around training new troops. The old guard will be the trainers, the mentors, figureheads. People who can't handle their APM are publicly beaten then put back to work. Completing tours of duty gradually escalates privileges and access to increasingly risky but personally profitable tasks. Maybe we give them a token vote in how things go.Service guarantees citizenship. Would you like to know more?
>>6397401>Send them to therapy
>>6397401>Send them to therapy.
((Update will be delayed, for now have some cryptic lore.))++++Some time after I found them again, they led me to a place deep within the station. It was cold, like a meat locker. Then they showed me the casket.++++
>>6397469Oh and by the way, since sports are an option, maybe hold some light spacecraft races? Would be nice to push the limits of fighter design with something wild like the Gee Bee Racers.
>>6397401>Send them to therapy. (Expensive, but less likely to cause unforeseen consequences.)
You briefly considered a wide variety of “solutions”; ways to perhaps turn your people’s dysfunction into an advantage. After about the tenth hairbrained scheme it occurred to you that you were trying too hard to exploit them. Wartime necessity had dictated everything be used and used again until there was nothing left, including people. But the war was over now. Maybe you could afford to treat these poor unfortunate souls like people again.—Handsome Frank strode into the room for his first mandatory therapy session. He had zero expectations, but he never expected this. For one thing the room he was in looked more like a sparring ring and instead of a pansy ass shrink the old dude standing in the middle of it looked more like a grizzled martial arts instructor. It did have that weird couch thing though.“Hello, Franklin Gorian? I am Dr. Zenas Ph’uck. Your therapist.”Frank grunted an affirmation. “Jus call me Frank Doc.”“Wonderful, let’s begin. So Frank. Your file tells me you’ve… ‘seen some shit.’”Another grunt. “Ain’t seen some shit, seen a lot of shit. Shit loads of shit, enough shit to make a regular dude lose his shit, but for me it was Tuesday.”“Would you be referring to the Tuesday your assault corvette performed a suicide burn into an Imperial Cruiser during the final battle of Noto?”“Look Doc, I ain’t fucking sharing my feelings with you. So how about I take a nap on that fancy couch of yours and after our hour is up you tell the boss that I’m a sane, well adjusted-”Frank barely had time to duck as Dr. Zenas threw the couch at him. In a flash he was already charging. Doctor or not, this bozo had just picked a fight. Zenas was ready though and smashed a knee into Frank's chin before he could make the tackle.“I understand it is hard for men like you to articulate your feelings with words, so we shall converse in a language you are fluent in.” With impeccable poise the Doctor beckoned Frank as he staggered to his feet.“Now, tell me about the Battle of Noto.”Frank roared and came at Zenas swinging.—“AND THAT’S HOW MY THIRD CREW DIED!” screamed Frank as he rained blow after blow down upon Dr. Ph’uck. The Doctor’s defence was impeccable and he caught the last punch of the flurry throwing Frank over his shoulder.“And how does that make you feel?”Frank jumped to his feet and immediately launched an uppercut the doctor casually sidestepped.“LIKE SHIT! LIKE LIFE IS ARBITRARY AND WITHOUT VALUE!”“That is an understandable world view for someone with your lived experience, there’s a lot to unpack here but I’m afraid our time is up.”“LIKE HELL IT IS! I STILL HAVEN’T-ACK”With a precise chop to the neck, Frank was out cold.“It was a great first session, but these things take time. I’ll see you next week Frank.”>Quest will continue... later.
>>6398328You are on again, Harris Glasner.>welcome back commander.---It had been busy all morning answering calls from Pact leadership on the most trivial bullshit. Yes the hyperdrive project was moving forward, yes phase three was accomplished. Yes there are physical prototypes. Endless questions, data requests, and items anyone on your staff could have handled, yet they demanded the answers from you. Demanded your specific oversight on the project. "As long as the schematics loaded into the fabricators, the workforce is just there to assemble the core components and do on equipment validation and testing." you received another long winded session of blithering from another faceless person who was important enough to impose on your time. "I'll get something together for the PJC review meeting at my earliest convenience." You ended the call and headed to your shower. It was a small nicety that you afforded yourself before the day began in earnest.While showering you reviewed each item on your tasker. "Ugh." There were overdue commitments, one of which could no longer be ignored. An assignment off station at the Horned Princess Shipyard. Each day that you avoided it, your most benevolent business partners saw fit to add additional requirements to the task. A form of interest they said. Jack and Mayumi had entered into a Faustian bargain with you to reverse engineer a capital capable hyperdrive. You had done so; mostly, and without that sample, the Pact hyperdrive project would still be going nowhere. "Fuck." Soap got into your eyes. In this, the current year, soapy eyes was still a problem that was fully unacceptable. You rinsed off your face, letting water run into your mouth, swishing and spitting. A faint chemical taste from the station's water supply lingered in your mouth, competing against astringent soapy residue. Decidedly unpleasant.Affairs would need to be put into order before you left, but first, breakfast. Leftover meat chopped and fried with eggs. A beer washed it all down, and a second beer washed down that beer, which also numbed your aching pelvis. You pushed around your lower abdomen, wincing at bruises below the muscle. It'd be a little longer before you were fully recovered. Maybe it was worth it. Very subjective, and likely needing additional study. A warmer though made you smile as you looked over at Ruhi's hat. Next to it was another affect. A single pawn from a chess set, and time spent with Magnavax. You smiled for a moment, a private moment to yourself and that pawn. "Keep the place safe while I am gone....and don't make any messes." The pawn was silent, impassive, and most importantly loyal.With that you grabbed your cane and headed off towards the first stop of the day.
>>6398831In the assembly bay you reviewed data on the hyperdrive program from a makeshift office.Streams of analysis and notes indicated what you already knew; Not perfect, but ready. The PJC had been putting their prototype Schwarzschild drive through it's paces, so far the task of "work and don't explode." had been accomplished. The next three prototypes in line were iterative improvements as much as individual testbeds, and you intended to check on them. Stepping out of the office you were nearly run over as a swarm of wheeled logistics craft hauled huge components off into another end of the cavernous assembly bay, caution sirens beeping as they went. With a shrug you made your way on foot, examining the various assembly and inspection stations that were on the ground level. You glanced up into the towering caverns of the bay, stacked with temporary scaffolding and workers. "Hello Mr. Glasner, are you intending to inspect our higher levels?" A fresh faced young man you hadn't seen before greeted you before you looked at him, at your cane, and back up. You let his indiscretion regarding your title slide. Today was going to be a good day. "No. I don't think I will be doing much climbing today. Please get me Mike." The man looked confused "Mike?" "Homeless Mike. Now.""Oh! That Mike! Right away!" Without another word he dashed off into the distance.Homeless Mike picked you up in an motorized cart so you could complete your reviews. The smell of industry assaulted you, crawled into your skin and hair. Crackling electrical arcs and snapping laser discharges ionized the air. At your next destination you disembarked from the transport wordlessly. It was good to be back on the "floor." You had walked past the hulks of three incomplete units, already earmarked for customers. Two units were going to HPS as part of your bargain with Jack and Mayumi. A third for Hyron Banfield himself; he had requested fitment of the drive into a subclass of the Bellua heavy Cruiser, but that was a problem another day, and more likely a year away.Each drive was monstrously complex. In mass and volume they were nearly a ship unto themselves with an independent crew requirement. Improvements at each iteration, but existing Pact technology set hard limits. You stared at the blueprints again in AR space. With remote effector technology "virtual structures" of raw force could be possible...it was an avenue of improvement. Not without induced need for additional savants, computational power. You found yourself wishing you still had access to the Holloway AI for further study.
>>6398839"Would have been nice." you muttered. "What woulda been, boss?" Homeless Mike looked at you, decidedly less homeless looking with finer clothes and a braided and groomed beard. "Just a lost opportunity Mike." He grinned, gold teeth glittering. "Hahar, a lost love, a spoken word, a fired bullet and a chance now passed. Things men can't ever get back." You looked off into the distance. With a mental gesture you triggered a secure transfer of data to the Higg shipyard and PJC headquarters. This project needed redundancy, and more mental bandwidth than you could provide if the Pact was ever going to claw its way out of being a third rate power.Cargo elevators droned in the background, their own klaxons competing against the noise of industry."Would have been nice." you muttered. "What woulda been, boss?" Homeless Mike looked at you, decidedly less homeless looking with finer clothes and a braided and groomed beard. "Just a lost opportunity Mike." He grinned, gold teeth glittering. "Hahar, a lost love, a spoken word, a fired bullet and a chance now passed. Things men can't ever get back." You looked off into the distance. With a mental gesture you triggered a secure transfer of data to the Higg shipyard and PJC headquarters. This project needed redundancy, and more mental bandwidth than you could provide if the Pact was ever going to claw its way out of being a third rate power. "Mike. Keep this place together while I'm gone." He looked at the drives, and something dark raced through his mind for a moment. A frustration. It passed just as quickly."Yeah, alright, we'll handle it from here Glasner." Homeless Mike gave you a thumbs up upon receiving your finalized designs and project instructions. He had been your most competent production supervisor, able to whip a rabble of questionable men into an efficient workforce like no one else.His head and upper torso exploded a millisecond before your ears registered deafening auto cannon fire. You whipped around to see a pair of blackguard security mechs liberally hosing down the workforce with indiscretion. Ahead of the machines you spotted Aura and the Bastard. She wasn't shooting, but the Bastard had no such compunction. Your anxiety peaked as you watched men executed, the team's attention turned upward as the bullet riddled corpses began to rain down, splattering against the ground with heads like crushed melons. Test equipment was riddled and burning while the mechs liberally hosed down areas around the hyper drives with absolutely no concern. You stormed forward as fast as a cane would allow, trying to get to Aura and the Bastard "FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" You swept your arms all around you. The damage was already done. Aura was already pointing "I told you! I said this was wrong! Even He knows! You don't kill unarmed men!"The bastard shrugged. "You. Mean Pirates.""AGH! Still!"
>>6398871You pinched the bridge of your nose, willing away rage. They were careless, the drives could have been damaged."The drives are built armored, but this will set us back months! MONTHS!"The Bastard rested a hand on your shoulder. It was unusually heavy, almost like you were being pushed down. You arm prickled with goosebumps and broke out into a sweat before going numb. "We speak now. To matters. of great Import.""Here? The bay is not exactly a SCIF*." (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) The force that had raided the bay was still patrolling, period shots could be heard in the distance. The Bastard just kept his helmet fixed at you. Occasionally he came across more as an "It". This was one of those times. "Alright. Fine. We debrief here." you cracked an amp capsule under your nose and inhaled deeply.--Apparently a large population segment of Ex-Nihilo were affiliated with "cartels". Semi formalized criminal organizations seeking to establish their own parasitic empires. Ex-Nihilo had been a bastion of growth and power for them, your own research playing no small part into their increasing independence and capability. While they didn't have the faciltiies to create what you did, they apparently had the capacity to create volatile if "Good enough" approximations of your designs by omitting numerous features and accepting a shorter service life. For their uses it made sense, but you were in consensus with the Bastard. They had to die.You skimmed over technical data on the pirate ships and frowned. They hadn't just emulated, you spotted optimizations on certain areas of the lantern design. This was outside the means of pirates loosely following "how to" guides with tardigrades. They were getting help. For now that was tomorrow's problem. You looked at the Bastard. "Alright. You take what you kill, and you killed my production. So...Hyron's order.""Already. dealing with. it.""Good. That leaves me finding a new lead. Preferably a Savant. Any ideas?""No."
>>6398889You had been setback a few days.---Completed ships and unfinished hulks loomed outside your office's armored viewport. The Bellua Class. Rushed to order, and Lord Hyron banfield approved receiving them in the "grey", unpainted and unadorned. Not unlike this room. At one point the Alchemist occupied this place, but since then you had cleared out the nearly schizophrenic cluster of obsolete terminals and encryption devices that the Pact had used during the war. You were about to wax philosophical about the nature of the ship and its thematic elements to the history of this place, but your teeth hurt, and your eyes watered slightly. A frequency just outside your audible range gnawed at your senses. "Practical, Raw, and violent. Some of it was. a choice." The bastard evaluated the ships, considering them in turn. " No. The design was shaped by constraint, not by some deeper psychology." you shut down the conversation, the Bastard was prone to esoteric examinations of the mundane, seeing things simply not there. "You say." the knight buzzed. He had been nominally doing work for you, as much as had served his interests. "Again, you are comfortable managing the Bellua production line while I'm away?""Easily." While the Knight was not a savant, the amount of cybernetic augmentation elevated his cognitive skills into a crude approximation approaching your own. Only just though.With Homeless Mike dead you needed to scrounge a new project lead and workforce. You felt less than confident things wouldn't entirely go to hell while you were away."Alright. I have a trip to make after some interviews. Try to make sure the Saurians don't escalate with MassEx on my station." Your station. You knew it was decided not yours, but the thought was there all the same. The Bastard only inclined his helmeted head at you in acknowledgment as you left. Now you just needed to get a ride to the Carcass system.---The list of candidates was short, and you were in a hurry. "This is very sub optimal" you muttered at the folio. Unknowns and bad reputations, and bad options stared back at you.
>>6398892>Pick one from each selection and roll 2d20 for functionality. Pick wisely, mind your reactivity and consequences. Unlimited player rolls until I get back. Best of the 2d20s is selected, 1s and 20s are automatically selected, but can also negate each other leaving the next best choice. Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.1.Project Lead:a. Ruhi has a plucky savant duo from the PJC Immunis fleet. They are prone to free form design optimization.b. Hyron offered up a cousin from a branch family of his line. "Just keep him lubricated with wine and motivated with AMP."c. Aura knows a contact on the station from Raiha that she trusts. In the war she was called "The purple devil."2.Workforce:a. Solei pulled some strings. PJC military penal labor detachment and junior enlisted leadership program.b. Saurian Labor brokered by Magnavax. They have some ideas on workflow efficiency.c. Ex-Nihilo Work to Therapy outreach program for combat veterans, a Dr. Zenas Ph’uck effort.
Rolled 8, 16 = 24 (2d20)>>63989001a Savant Duo2c Work Therapy
>>6398900>>6398952support.The previous Cognis thread shows what penal teams can do, such as create seditious thoughts of UNIONISING and WORK/LIFE BALANCE.
>>63989001a2c
>>6398970>>6399032are 8 and 16 your final dice rolls dear anons? "Unlimited player rolls until I get back." means each ID can roll 2d20. Or, if you are satisfied with these results as a collective, your will be done.
Rolled 8, 9 = 17 (2d10)>>6399046I guess I'll roll
Rolled 9, 9 = 18 (2d20)>>6398900We can do better than eight.
Rolled 3, 11 = 14 (2d20)>>6399054Well you're not wrong...
>>6399046Sigh, these twins. . .
>>6399247>9/16You were operating on such short notice and it was galling to say the least. For the past hour you had oscillated between Aura and Hyron's offer, both were decidedly NOT optimal. Both had personality issues from what you could see on the dossiers, and both had questionable loyalties. Thankfully, the PJC had come through with a third way. Really it was Ruhi's doing. She had some promising, but very junior officers in her fleet that she was willing to loan out for a time. Two savants, nominally trained in fleet management, but they had recently gained some experience with the Immunis fleet and production control with macro fabricators."Lieutenants Bofdees and Horkbee, hmm." You grumbled as you looked through their dossiers. No wartime experience, and fresh out of the academy. Genetically they were Savants, but they lacked the honing that years of training would give them. "Fuck it." you closed the dossier. They just needed to not burn down the station and nominally keep assembling the existing hyperdrives cores. You would have preferred to meet with them, but at best you compiled program instructions for the hyperspace drive fabrication line, and some running commentary for them to review. One problem down.You pounded another beer as you reviewed your options for a labor force. Penal labor had left a very bad taste in your mouth from personal experience, and had repeatedly shown to be unreliable. Magnavax was a good enough Saurian, but he was an Alien, with an Alien's view on how things needed to be run. For that alone you didn't trust his judgement. No, you'd have to go with Dr. Zenas Ph’uck. You didn't know him, but he was working with Ex-Nihilo veterans, and you knew their quantity very well. They would get the job done, even if it meant burning the stars themselves. You didn't want that. You just wanted them to do the job. The good doctor was working to "stabilize" them. He called this effort "work therapy". Apparently doing mundane tasks with mundane outcomes would help them. You shrugged, the rudiments of the logic were there. It was outside your field, and thus purview of interest.You contacted him over the station's AR Net to finalize any agreements. You had chatted for a bit with introductions and expected pleasantries before cutting into the meat of the conversation.
>>6399294"Senior Director Glasner, your support for the well being of our population is more than admirable, It is decent. That said, I this isin't free labor. There is a cost."You winced, not that he could see it. "I suspected as much. What is you want?""Our community is only as strong as its pillars and foundation. Right now I am concerned with our foundation you see."There was a logical conclusion, "...And you are worried about the pillars after that, yes?""I'm glad you fully understand. Can you think of someone who needs to evaluate themselves?"The Bastard immediately came to mind. He was in contact with a great deal and was clearly altered by his experiences. "There is a Knight I know...""I know all about "The Bastard", but no Mr. Glasner, try again. Think of someone who was imprisoned, forced to labor, perhaps wronged in his career." His insistence, calmness, and patience was grating on you.---The Doctor's cost would be several sessions of therapy with you. Something that you absolutely refused until he reminded you that you had no time, and no real choices. He was right, you were being extorted into personal wellness.You ended the conversation and paced around your apartment, going through several AMP capsules "Fuck." With some willpower you compartmentalized that problem and moved onto the need for transport to HPS. Ideally you would just catch a ride with either the Kobito or one of their Charon tugs when they took possession of their drive cores, but that was not within the time frame. You had to leave now.--->Pick one. Most selected option is the winner.1. Catch a ride with MassEx human transportation services. (why would you do this?)2. Fly your modified tardigrade corvette. (Austere.)3. Charter an Excelisor Luxury Frigate (Comfortable.)
>>6399297> Tardigrade
>>6399297>TardigradeThere may be other Tardigrades out there, but this one is mine! And hopefully tamper-proof.
>>6399297>2Seems appropriate for Glasner with his sense of pride in his creations.
>>6399378"Hey whats this? Looks like a Tardigrade." Aura was circling around your personal craft as you prepared to depart. "Isopod. I started it a refit and ended up as a full redesign."Her eyes glimmered as a gloved hand ran over the coarse texture of it's casted metal hull. "Seems better than the old ones, but its a little rough around the edges." she poked one of the more obvious external bolts."It is an improvement, but as you said, its still...rough around the edges." you still struggled with ideoms, axioms, and other abstracted speech. Not that you didn't understand it, but that it felt so very improper....and slightly beneath you. "What it will be very sufficient for is expedited personal transport." she didn't respond. "Aura?" She wasn't even near you anymore.After a moment of scanning visually you simply used an AR beacon to locate her in swift order. The girl was walking along the top of the craft, examining the lantern drive in detail. After a moment she did a back flip off the top and landed next to you. "Ta-da!" Between her enhanced strength and the low gravity of the hanger it was less impressive than it looked. You did not deign to provide a response to her antics and just gave a muted clap."So Glassner, that engine looks powerful."Why does everyone get the nomenclature wrong? "Its a core. A core." you leaned on your cane slightly, out of habit more than anything. She wiggled her eyebrows and leaned in. "Bet its fast.""It provides a certain power to weight ratio that is impressive. More so when you consider the integrated shielding and Eigen drive." You might not have created the lantern drive concept, but you claimed credit where it was due. Mostly all of it."So my knight frame...I was thinking..." she rocked on her heels."A coincidence Aura. I was thinking too." You grinned and started to gesture for a moment before Aura rapidly stepped backwards. "Okashii naaaa! Hen na hito!"You knew enough native of the various dialects of the empire due to growing up on Shima, and that brat just called you creepy and weird in one go. "Hmm. Very well then, you clearly don't need any upgrades for your Frame.""No! I very much DO need an upgrade for my Frame. As much as I could use a new interface suit....which is sort of a lot."---You managed to get Aura to agree to keep an eye on the Hyperspace Program without too much difficulty, and perhaps there was strength in numbers when it came to risk mitigation."And so you will and I quote "Award my efforts accordingly." You was very intent."Yes.""And if I mess up?""I will award your efforts accordingly." you finished throwing some personal affects into the Isopod's storage and started climbing into the cockpit. Aura was still talking but at this point you had started ignoring her and began the departure sequence. "Alright. Time to go." The lantern core on the top of the Isopod was already heated up and external radiation levels were now nominally above background.
>>6399703Pick an departure: Most selected is chosen.1. Punch it.2. Feather away from station.3. Keep it basic.Roll 2d20: Each player may roll 2d20. You know how I do.-The journey to the Carcass system and Horned Princess Shipyards-Aura actually being useful, or catastrophically bumblefucking things up.
Rolled 20, 16 = 36 (2d20)>>6399707> 3. Keep it basic.Uh, take off and landings, and sea and anchor detail is no joke, e.g. the Tenerife 747 collision. I expect starship departures to be just as tense.
>>6399707>>6399721A good roll so rolling is not my problem : )
>>6399703>Aura and Glasner bullying each other...Kek
>>6399721The Isopod was not wanting for a simply...grotesque amount of available power. the massive drive could double as a material gouger when it came to ship breaking. With that in mind you very daintily adjusted the throttle of the craft and left the hanger bay with care. Aura was barely blown into the station's bulkhead. You knew nights were made of sturdier stuff, but your conscious got the better of you and a security feed to the hanger showed her getting up and rubbing her elbow and shoulder. Audio feed gave you a fading glimpse of her shouting."Koitsu! Koitsu! AGH! That...[signal distorion]D!" The feed cut as you got too distant. "Oh well."You smirked at how vigorous she was. The project had a good set of eyes on it, you were sure. For now the Isopod was gradually let off it's chain and brought up to speed, clearing the gravity well around Ex-Nihlo before you began the first of a series of e-jumps on your way to HPS.You felt good about this, it was going to be routine, predictable. Normal for a change.----pick a choice, thank Cognis, and may the most popular vote win.1-You were interdicted in Raihan Space with a deal you couldn't refuse.2-Benny saw you in the vastness of space, and thought this would be entertaining.3-Happen upon a stealth ship, and then half a dozen more.4-Happened upon a distress signal in the middle of nowhere, with a lone person drifting in the void.the quest will continue.
>>6400220> 3 Stealth ambush
>>64002202-Benny saw you in the vastness of space, and thought this would be entertaining.Benny, what a lad.
>>64002204-Happened upon a distress signal in the middle of nowhere, with a lone person drifting in the void.
>>6400220>3-Happen upon a stealth ship, and then half a dozen more.
>>6400220yo can i post doodles of ships?3-Happen upon a stealth ship, and then half a dozen more.4-Happened upon a distress signal in the middle of nowhere, with a lone person drifting in the void.what if both some dude who survived in a escape pod or suit from these random stealth battles
>>6400512Absolutely. Post away. Art faggotry is always welcomed here. Also, a delightful choice in synthesis.--->Knives in the dark.You tapped on the throttle of the ship, most of it was automated, but the tactile joy of operating the myriad of levers, switches and buttons was...euphoric. Each one designed for your tactile pleasure, each one feeding back into auditory and at times haptic feedback. Physical gauges and displays an excess normally trimmed on production craft; a warm amber phosphor glow, eye comfortable green scatter lights...yes it was excess. But this was also your personal sanctum for a moment, and perhaps it was the euphoria of the AMP, or just perhaps your own sublime engineering, but it all just seemed to..."glitter." The thought was interrupted by a chime during your next jump.The rudimentary sensors of the ship picked up a decaying hyperspace signature. There had been a gate not too long ago, and no too far away, but who and what was lost to the Isopod's limited capability. "I knew it." you slapped a blanked out panel where there was going to be an advanced sensor suite. "I fucking knew it." you sighed and floated in zero-g while the ship recharged it's capacitor array, a quiet hum that would gradually grow louder had already started. Soon you'd jump again.The hum slowly raised in pitch and frequency, becoming an electric crackle, visible arcs danced from the Lantern core over the surface of the ship, hitting leg actuators and causing servos to tremor in apparent anticipation, like a beast ready to sprint. Just as the ship was about to execute it's next automated jump, you noticed a small contact on your multidimensional display. Some sort of beacon. Weak. "Curious." Too curious to ignore. You shunted the dive capacitors into the ship's hull and aborted the jump. Everything went dark for a moment before the Isopod drunkenly woke up, one system at a time.---The slow burn to the contact took a little under a half hour. It was a single humanoid drifting alone. Alive but unconscious. Eschewing the gravitas of going out into the void to personally recover the individual, you elected to use one of the myriad of robotic components on the Isopod. Recovery was swift and uneventful, and automated. Making your way to the small airlock on the ship, you got a look at the rescue. Unconscious. Prone. Standard hard suit, form fitting. Female. Purple. A good design, the aesthetic choices weren't to your concern. The woman's visor was frosted over on the outside, and polarized black through an electronic reflex filter. You wiped away the rapidly liquefying frost. Signs of an environmental leak. "You got lucky, whoever you are." At your touch the visor turned clear, no fade, just an instant transition. You knew this woman, and suddenly you were wroth."Of all the improbabilities! Why you?"
>>6400761You wouldn't claim it was disbelief, because that sort of gap jawed sentiment was for idiots. No. You were hit with a steady and growing sentiment of rage. Augmented Readily overlay tags already indicated what you visually confirmed. Sally Pulsar. A member of Starwind's Harem. "Battle Harem" if you wanted to be specific. At one point in your life she was a woman you had viewed as a potential intellectual peer. Someone who's published papers you read with some degree of pleasure. You might have even looked at the very exploitive "Starwind monthly calendar" in your weaker moments. Any sentiment of adoration ended when this bitch and her stupid asshole boyfriend, or whatever approximation of relationship they had came into your life in the most abrupt of ways. "Wake up. Now." You spoke to the unconscious woman.Her vital signs were acceptable. The Isopod's atmosphere as already feeding into her suit. This princess was exactly rescued enough. Amp thundered in your body. The euphoric glitter of earlier was now distortion. Frustrating. You snapped another capsule and sorted, it did nothing. You weren't getting your moment back. "FUCK.""WAKE UP!" A shove to her shoulder. The hard suit floated into a wall and bounced off with a ceramic clack.It wasn't so long ago that Starwind and his harem broke several of your limbs, busted your teeth out, and so thoroughly injured you as to cause the loss of bowl control. Then, they took a picture. A fucking group picture like it was a lovely activity, with you posed in the middle. The best part? You never actually were at fault for their accusations, accusations levied against you by Jack and Mayumi. You'd had your peace with them. This one though...A tremor ran through your fist. Too much. Control. You were in control. You were in control.She finally stirred, confused and blinking. "I uhu..wa..what?" the empty AMP capsule floated behind her as you floated silent, gripping the handles with white knuckles. "Find an anchor point and lock in. I have a Jump to make." you left the bleary eyed woman in the airlock, crawling through an access tube towards the Isopod's cockpit and limited living space. She was trying to ask questions, still dazed. It wasn't your problem, as soon as you got to HPS you'd dump her there for pickup. Any questions she had would probably be swiftly resolved by her suits recording system. You sighed into cupped hands. An outsider might have mistaken it for a prayer. From outside your ship the isopod crawled with arcs and then flashed out of existence.
>>6400779Your next jump point. Another charging period and you'd be off again.It was by pure dumb luck that you jumped in right on top of a Pact stealth ship. A Squall frigate. Almost literally on top of it. From this proximity even the Isopod's crude sensors could pick out a number of details, and issues. The ship was limping, damaged. A turret attempted to turn an engage you, but froze jittering in it's ring. Even if that weapon worked it wasn't an immediate threat to your ship. The other weapons on the ship remained static.A hail caught your attention, momentarily making you forget about some unwanted cargo. the communication was decidedly informal. A synthesized voice greeted you. "Pact ship. Noto. Manifest: Glasner, Harris. Correct?""Yes." You were busy looking over the topographical scan of the ship. You knew this design very well, what surprised you was the near lack of change to it. You licked your lips slightly. "Who am I speaking with?"silence was all you received until the other party finally spoke."Stiletto." at that point your sensors noticed half a dozen other stealth ships as algorithmic filtering finally spotted them at ultra close proximity, turrets steadily trained on the Isopod. While the weak lasers on the Squall were not a significant threat, the sheer number of weak lasers was now an appreciable issue."so." You looked over at the e-drive charging sequence, it was no where near ready, and your shields weren't up to this task. Outrunning the ships was possible if not for the weapons. "Looks like you need repairs." Without waiting for a response you moved the Isopod onto the damaged Squall, at least putting some of it's mass between you and the other ships. So far they hadn't shot yet. While it was unlikely the Pact would harm you, you'd seen some very wasteful behavior out of them in the past, especially regarding secrets. The Isopod's docking clamps engaged and you were now firmly attached to the surface of the ship."Do me a favor Stiletto, tell your fleet to try and avoid hitting my ship's Core. Its the highly emissive unit, Sort of like a lantern. Hard to not notice. They tend to explode in spectacular fashion." While all of that was true for older models, it was substantially less true for your newer designs. Possible, sure, but vanishingly slim to the point of predictable unlikelihood. You were overthinking again. Too much Amp again. too much. Your mouth was dry and you desperately needed water.One hand remained by the Isopod's controls while the other blindly groped for a water packet in the cockpit, your eyes fixed on the the ship's readouts. You didn't find the water. It was Sally. She was staring wide eyed at everything. You didn't dare speak to her. The sensors on the Squalls weren't amazing compared to an active device, but they were state of the art for passive detection. You took your hand off the woman and made a traditional motion to silence, holding a finger in front of your mouth.
>>6400792the synthesized voice returned. "Glasner. Prior involvement does not grant a need to know permission.""I am the Senior Director of Ex-Nihilo, reporting directly to the Alchemist. A component of the PJC under Admiral Ruhi, and finally under the purview of Lord Hyron Banfield. You will cease this posturing.""All true, but the only ones that know you are here don't officially exist on any public record." after a moment the turrets of the Squall frigates stopped training on your ship and returned to a stored position. "However; you mentioned repairs. Repairs that could enhance mission confidence and be a major success factor."The Isopod was now highlighting numerous points of battle damage on most of the ships as the lead vessel began streaming data to you. Kludge repairs weren't overly demanding for your available fabrication capacity. Less critical areas of the ships could be cannibalized for raw material with it came to stealth panels. You didn't need to consider long. "I can affect the repairs. Probably 3 hours to restore your stealth capacity to acceptable levels. Maybe longer for partial restoration to damaged systems." As you began to work, sally sat silent, unmoving to such a degree you considered she may have joint locked her hardsuit. Smart girl. You weren't going to bother telling her that the Isopod was shielded and produced enough EM interference that the Squalls weren't going to be able to pick up her presence with their passives. You kept the mirrored chromatic two way filter on the cockpit wisely engaged.---Roll a 1d20 for me. Best of whatever until I get back. Lets see how those repairs go and how well the upgraded Tardigrade prototype operates.the quest will continue.
Rolled 6 (1d20)>>6400801
Rolled 18 (1d20)>>6400801We got that tard-Grade strength.Also its funny we admired her for her intellect when she was stupid enough to fall for such a man like she is a actual simp simple ton. He got that rpg provtag mentality not thinking quest givers can like
>>6400845>18"Your ship is overt. loud." Even with the synthetic voice masking the original speaker, you could hear the slight irritation in Stiletto's inflection."Stealth was never a constraint factor."You had mostly ignored the attempts at small talk, focusing on field repairs with the Isopod. The "feet" of the unit had fully split open to reveal a variety of robotic tools and dexterous manipulators. As the stealth ships were partially peeled apart you found various sources of damage. Slagged ducting and electronics, exploded subsystems, a lodged solid harpoon and other oddities. These hadn't been accrued at once. The Squalls were at best slower ships, and their trajectories for navigation were always convoluted in the extreme in order to obfuscate possible obvious attack and egress vectors. You glanced over at your passenger several times."How long have you been on patrol without refit?"Stiletto responded with a fresh voice, different again. Tinny. "There is no patrol, and you aren't cleared to know.""Of course. My mistake." you managed the automated pathways of the numerous manipulators that preened and clawed at the damaged ship, Damaged panels were removed and reshaped, while exposed superstructure, ribs, bulkheads, and spars were consumed, processed, and redeposited; admittedly reduced but you preferred to consider it a weight reduction. Weapons and subsystems were easier, the ship while advanced in material design and philosophy was in some ways very basic. You could do better now that you weren't rushed and constrained by narrow minded, uncreative buffoons and sycophantic engineers who only dreamt in limitations. One by one, you tended to each ship, their maladies corrected by your hand.The most obvious flaws in the design were not going to be field correctable, but you had made subtle alterations of certain components and systems, optimizing them where it was expedient; namely in the fire control, passive sensors, and weapons systems. Admittedly, it was a little more than they had asked for, but it was the best you could do to offset incomplete repairs. You really did hate leaving a job half finished, but without fully cannibalizing one of the frigates that task was impossible, and you had a meeting to keep."Alright. Repairs are concluded."the stealth ships simply started to move as one, pushing off on a trajectory that was no doubt a false lead, waiting for you to jump. At an extreme distance one of the ships targeted you with a defensive laser turret and began firing, but the intensity was low. Incredibly low. It was an encoded message, pulsed and subtle. You pulled the data directly to your personal AR view, bypassing any screen due to Sally's presence.>"Glasner. Effort past/ present acknowledged and appreciated. To future efforts. <Glory to the Pact.>" Attached was a single use encryption cypher token for a blind call. You were unsure where it went, or who it would reach. No doubt someone of great self import.
>>6401064The work had been good, it evened you out, gave you time to clear your head, but you didn't loiter. The ship prepped for jump, allowing the lantern core to reach critical saturation. You could see your passenger, her breathing was speeding up in time with the escalating hum of the drive capacitors. Small puffs of moisture fogged the visible edges of her visor. The Isopod crackled with energy that crawled across your armored viewports. The idea came to you in a moment of whimsy; you pointed to a very overt red button on your console, slowly strobing in the gloom of your cockpit.At first Sally didn't move, completely obedient to your previous command. You wondered what Starwind put his women through, or if they were all just that dependent. "Touch it." you demanded.Sally's visor fogged completely, obscuring her features, but she reached out with an efficient economy of motion and minimum movement to depress the button. The Isopod jumped, with a noticeable slight lurch. Curious. The arrival at your next coordinates caused a smile. The nav system's history was completely fucked. The Isopod had been hacked and infected with several purging viruses across all it's data systems. You almost felt violated when your own internal data stores were compromised, but apparently when it came to data hacking you were not the biggest swinging dick in the room. "Sally. Is your AR cache intact, suit or wetware?""I..um." she fidgeted with an unseen display, her hands moving in small erratic twitches. "err. No. What was all that?""Nothing. Because there was nothing. Right?" You really hated covert subtleties, but, it wasn't outside your purview to act the part, and Starwind as a factor had not been a historical ally of the Pact. No doubt she would leak what she saw, but you could minimize the impact.Sally just nodded, still shocked and out of place. You had time to kill before the drive was charged again. "Your button was very tactile. Thank you. Your own design?""Yes. Physical interface is a lost art." it was true, you were proud of the subtle depression, click of the detent, and even embedded opposing magnets with adjoined magnets provided a solid feel all within the simple press of a few millimeters. It was excess, but it was sublime excess. you proceeded to explain the deign for a moment before looking at her, a tension forming on the back of your head. A slight snarl crawled onto your lips and just as quick you banished it. She was easy to speak to, but that was a woman who had wronged you."Physical interfaces are very enjoyable!" you stared at her, waiting to see if she became aware of her conversational faux pas. "I mean mechanical ones. Haptics vibrations. Feedback. NO! HAND ACTUATED. NORMAL REGULAR INTERFACES!" she was flailing her hands trying to wave away the mistakes, half apologizing, half panicking. This was not the woman you expected.
>>6401099She had hurt you, and while you were nominally above being petty, you had time to kill, and a figurative knife to twist."So rumors of Starwind's penchants aren't so exaggerated..." you kept a still face."Its not like that! We don't do that sort of thing! At least not me!" she twiddled her fingers in the hard suit gauntlets, the scraping noise of ceramics was mildly irritating. Not enough to stop pressing further though. "I see. You aren't interested in him like that. A true academic." her discomfort was apparent, which was at this moment slightly your pleasure."NO! I mean, Yes. Ugh! He doesn't know.""Ahh so he doesn't feel the same way, unrequited love. Tragic." you paused for a moment then looked at her "Sad.""It's ok. I'll get noticed someday."She was emotionally awkward, more so than you, and that was profound. The woman still hadn't picked up on the antagonism. You felt what was perhaps empathy, or a slight withdrawal pang from Amp.---Make a choice. I'll respond to the ones most selected, and/ or most well thought out as choices.1-Do amp.2-Do a lot of amp.3-Ask sally why she was adrift.4-Tell her off.5-Small talk, learn about her role with Starwind.6-Talk tech. Maybe learn something.
>>6401114Ask her why she thinks she was hired by him along with all the other women is she simply a simp lusting after a guy all the other women are already after just pulled along, we once respected her .did they just leave you to die in space
>>6401114>3-Ask Sally why she was adrift.It's a fair question. Then:>5-Small talk, learn about her role with Starwind.Then(because the answer will probably give you a headache.)>1-Do amp.Then:>4-Tell her off.It's really none of your business, but ask her if she's ever considered NOT being infatuated with a massive fuckwit.Then(because the answer will probably give you an even bigger headache.)>2-Do a lot of amp.Then (to calm everyone down)>6-Talk tech. Maybe learn something.
>>6401135>>6401329Stress. The dual engine of trying to be decent, and feeling righteous indignation. You rubbed your hand through your hair out of reflex, then tried to smooth it back. Zero-G really didn't allow that and instead you were now an undignified puffball. "You look a little silly Mr. Glasner." She just said that. She...really just said that. You were somewhat astonished, more in awe than angry.Hospitality. You extended a polite offer. "The atmosphere inside my ship is safe. You can take off the hardsuit, or at least the helmet." "Oh, I cant. Galatan told me to stay safe and suited up, so I'm ok. Already fixed my seals."This....woman was so fucking profoundly dense that her autism spectrum was somewhere in the ultraviolet. It caused a moment of reflection in you; was this how people saw you? No. Unlikely. After a moment of self reassurances you concluded that you were fine and most people around you were of inferior qualities and lesser breeding. Sad for them really.You sat in awkward silence for a time.----"So. Sally." you looked over at the woman, hardsuit, helmet on."Yes?" "Why were you drifting alone in the middle of nowhere, with a cracked environmental seal? To my understanding it is bad form to abandon a team member like that.""Oh. I wasn't abandoned, not on purposed anyway. I was doing an EVA walk on the outside of our Ship, enacting personal touches various systems. I find it relaxing compared to letting the automated systems handle it."You cracked an amp capsule and sorted it, then flicked the spent plastic away to get lost somewhere in the cockpit. Small traditions. "Seems like an unnecessary high risk activity to me. Starwind shouldn't have let someone important to his team risk themselves like that.""I just told you, its not like that!" "Seems like it to me." you shrugged."No! Benny came in and was ranting about saving the universe and yanked our ship through a hyperspace gate and I fell off. Galatan wouldn't have just left me behind!" you paused at that. Benny. With Benny anything was possible, and maybe she wasn't just coping."I see." you simply nodded and looked at the e-drive capacitor readout. 30%.----"I've read your research papers and reports. You are incredibly bright." you noted. Not flattery, just truth."Thank you! That is so nice of you to say!" she practically beamed with that simple statement."Why are you running around the Galaxy instead of achieving your own greatness?""Oh. I, um. Galatan is very important to me. He saved me.""So you two are...?" you made a circular motion with your hand, urging her to continue speaking."No no..no. We aren't like that. Not exactly." she was clearly dejected. "I don't think he sees me like that. When he rescued me from captivity I had no where to go. So he let me stay with him, and I like that. The other girls are my friends.""Captivity. Elaborate. Please." Maybe she wasn't so different. 55%. Soon...
>>6401385Apparently she had come from a society of gene mods beyond the territory of the local human empires and states. From an early age she had been captive to a criminal syndicate who used her as a slave for all manner of technical work. It would explain her stunted affect and mannerisms. Hearing her speak about that man made him sound like a living legend, not some dumb prick who bullied people. People were like war, there were facets and perspectives depending on what side of the equation you were on. Starwind was still an asshole. Still, Galatan clearly had an ideation of being a hero that he was half competent at.She went on for a while, and you just listened, slowly growing bored.There were other women within his "Harem", with sally five in all. Of those apparently he was only involved with two. The others were allegedly there of their own accord and from what little Sally mentioned, each had a complex past. At best he collected mentally unstable women, and at worse he was a manipulator and predator. You didn't let your thoughts come to the surface, and just nodded along as she spoke. You needed more Amp. A lot more amp. You cracked another capsule and discretely flicked it at her head."Hey! Whats that for?""I wanted to test the integrity of your hard suit." you grabbed the floating plastic capsule and showed her. "See. Harmless.""Oh, ok. but whats that for?" She pointed at the Amp capsule."A CNS stimulant. SNDRI reuptake inhibitor. MAO Inhibition. An antagonist of various other items. Colloquially called Amp, or AMP! if you are excitable. Really a refinement and improvement upon the Ampheticaine formulation" You spoke freely and with a degree of enthusiasm. This was one of your more successful products."That isn't good for you. Or anyone. Things like that get used by bad people to take advantage of the disenfranchised" she frowned, at least you think she frowned from the way her eyes moved."I created it, and use it. Am I exploiting myself? Am I the bad guy?" you grabbed a handful of capsules out of your pocket and crushed them in your fist, snorting deeply."Maybe. I'm not sure. I saw what the Pact did in the war. Galatan made the right choice when he picked a side.""Ah, you enter the moral arena. Lets speak of Empire and Shima, or not...you already know. Did you know I was captured in a political purge? Forced into penal labor, and thrown away like trash with zero compensation, and zero way forward. I didn't even have an opinion about the matter I was imprisoned for! How many "Bad guys" did your beloved Starwind kill while you and your fellow harlots cheered him on. How many lives ruined for his adventure?" This bitch."He saved people." she was whispering now. "He did good things. He lead with his heart.""I SAVED PEOPLE. My weapons ended a war!" You threw the handful of crushed amp capsules at her. She looked away and sobbed.
>>6401402Oh yeah its like when G and the Gals believed those random rumors and decided to beat us up a inch of our life and leave us on the floor wonder if Sally was there
>>6401402She fired back."You...are just angry and unkind! At everything! He didn't imprison you, and he didn't fire you at the end of the war!" Of course she would know that. "Hearing you defend a guy who gets life handed to him on a platter, then casually beats and humiliates me for nothing. Yes, I am angry, and not predisposed to any particular kindness."She whipped around and pulled her helmet off. "You saved me, but I do not think I like you very much Mr. Glasner." Frustration roiled inside you, at her. At Starwind. At loosing control. Maybe mostly at loosing control. Circumstances were extraordinary, you could hardly fault yourself for this. You were still in control. You had this... you really didn't. It went too far. On top of a pointless argument the jump drive sat too long and overcharged, blowing out minor system components.Sally's helmet was still floating next to you, and the airlock wasn't the best place in the ship to hole up in. Grabbing her helmet you made the short journey to the Isopod's cramped airlock; the access tunnel was dotted with tears suspended in steady intervals. Sally was curled up floating as much as she could into a corner, blowing her nose into a snotty rag. "Leave me alone. please.""I need a hand before we jump. The ship overcharged it's eigen drive capacitors and they need replacing." You pushed her helmet at her carefully.She sniffed took it. "This doesn't make it better.""No, but If everything goes smoothly we will be at the horned princess shipyards before the end of the day."She didn't move."Also I really could use a second set of eyes in the cockpit.""You are lying on top of being unkind.""Yes." You weren't about to correct her that this was an attempt at kindness. "Come on, there is work to be done." Work always made you feel better. Maybe it was the same for her. Sally donned her helmet with an audible click."Fine. But I get to push the button."---The next few jumps were short hops, allowing Sally some time to familiarize herself with the Isopod's interface. You didn't speak much beyond basic instruction, and she didn't ask much more in turn. Instead you considered the moment. Her technical proficiency was hard to judge, beyond being flawless. She immediately mastered instruction and any basic task you handed her. By the third jump, Sally was fully handling the ship and commenting lightly on your configuration choices again. This was a boon as you were self confined to the pilots chair, dealing with an unpleasant withdrawal; migraine, body aches, shakes and sweats.>The quest will continue.
>>6401422Wonder about latern core types for gas giant mineral disc mining such as saturn if it can be used to heat proppelant from the light heat emissions as a way to cut down on power waste for movement.Or combining it with a paired designed light sensor array literally using it s a lantern
>>6401498The rest of the journey was pleasant outside of you having to throw up in Zero-G. Thankfully tardigrades and their derivatives have certain design considerations, and one was a waste elimination suction apparatus.Sally endlessly quizzed you about the nuances of the lantern drive and why it was the way it was. You gave your best answers in a diminished state, but her curiosity was almost grating. "The lantern was designed to be cheap with a reduced need for exotics. After that everything about the Lantern is focused on integration of subsystems and reduction of component count." you held the suction hose close to your face and spewed again. Most of it went in, some of it splattered around inside the cockpit.Sealed and armored, Sally was unperturbed. In fact she was comfortably wrangling the isopod's controls and simultaneously fixing several minor issues. "What about sustainment? The unit is massively complex.""Secondary concerns were ruggedness, and ease of maintenance. The last item was longevity. In some instances components are just replaced as long as you can fabricate more. In short; its not entirely disposable, but its disposable." you were starting to feel exhausted.She "hmpfed" at that. "Outside wartime, they should be built to last. Besides, you could put an inertial dampener on this and really-" you cut her off."Don't have those. These units; are just pathfinders. Can't commit to the high end until certain technologies are available. and the Pact is limited in that regard.""Huh. So you have a plan." as soon as one task was done she almost merrily shimmied over to the next. Hyperactive. Possibly manic behavior.---You started at the displays, a hand on your guts, not wanting to talk more. Sally seemed almost unable to stop fixating. Designs, history, personal data. She was endlessly consuming information, and you couldn't keep up. "Here." with a snap of your fingers you initiated a data transfer over the local ad-hoc AR network. The entire design and history for the Isopod. There wasn't anything particularly sensitive to this unit, and considering the extent of the data breaches that already happened, any risk was reduced to nil. "Hopefully that will occupy you. I need to rest before we arrive at HPS."For several minutes you watched as she was frozen, only her eyes rapidly flickering, scanning, looking at unseen points in front of her. "I don't understand. The integration is art, your choice of materials is tasteful. You able to make this, but then create abberations like the Chimeras and interceptor fighters. Why?"you coughed slightly, wanting to succumb to the urge to sleep. "I didn't.... was all Ex-Nihilo.""Really?""You can blame me for the hotdog and Megaton Rain if it makes you feel better.." you yawned and started to pass out.---There was some pain in your chest as you woke up, The armored view ports of the Isopod showed you a familiar place. The Carcass system.>the quest will continue
>>6401792I would not say its only ex-nihlo, glasner has been working hard and had time to work and refine things and not been on a daily time crunch to make super weapons crafted onto a hull or prototyping directly units fielded for war
>>6401792Your chest still hurt. It was dull and sharp all at once. Maybe too much Amp. Most assuredly too much Amp. Still, everything was clearer now. Sally was looking at you like she had seen a ghost, and there were some rags daubed with blood floating near her. Stretching slightly was a mistake, you winced and nearly doubled over, settling for grabbing onto the command console for purchase. "Thanks for overseeing the Isopod, I trust the journey was not too eventful." You were not feeling your best."Please listen to me very carefully. Do not panic, ok?" Sally was wearing a very stressed smile that did not reach her very concerned eyes.--->Look down.>Ask her whats going on.>Write in.
>>6402688>Ask her whats going on.Could drugs be bad for me? What a ridiculous notion!
>>6402711"Sally. In the interest of doing what you have asked me to, can you please, please, tell me what the fuck is going on?" You enunciate each word carefully, and thoughtfully, as much as a mantra would be spoken. The words have weight, and will your pulse to a slow pace."So. Sooo. You umm. Sorta died. A couple of times...and then I wired you into the Isopod to keep your heart beating!" She smiled very proudly, momentarily lost beyond the severity of the moment."So, I only died. That's it?" You smiled."Yeah! right?!" She laughed.You laughed.your heart stopped again."DAMNIT." you clenched your teeth as pain shot through your jaw and arms. Your heart was fluttering, most of it's effort useless and less by the moment.You were not calm, you were not calm. You looked down and saw it. Two wires attached to impromptu electrode needles jammed into your chest. Perhaps thoughtfully inserted if you were to consider Sally. It was weird, and your vision was going grey then black on the edges. "Ha..haaha. Sally. Hey....sally.""No no no...Glasner, stay here. Stay awake, I'm adjusting the current." Something painful and ticklish was inside you. Your head rolled back and you were staring at the Isopod's cockpit roof. You really wished that you had upholstered it. It looked so plane. "Sally. When I bought that Starwind Calendar...I never thought it was going to be you penetrating me.""...I'm going to ignore that. You do whatever you need to keep doing." she looked oddly serene. No expressions. no anxiety. Just in the flow of work. Charming. Beautiful perhaps."Hmm." you fumbled with numb fingers in your pocket. Your fingers worked something small and plastic up by your face. *snap* snnnrt.There was some expression on her. Surprise. Fury. Indignation. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Sally slapped you across the face, and your world went black.----You couldn't see, but you could still hear. It was all medical jargon. Raihan dialect. "Aho. This stupid oaf. This Sunuke Buffoon! This DAMN...!" That was Mayumi. You knew her voice. "He's basically PJC property, calm it down." she was practically screeching, you couldn't make it out. There was Jack again. "Because. That would be bad for business...and they'll owe us one. At minimum, he will owe us.""I Do not like this Jack. I do not like it at all, but I will relent in this instance. Know this Jack, you owe me a BIG favor!" Mayumi again. Hmm. She never liked anything.Jack leaned down near you ear, his tone friendly, conversational and full of menace. "Oh buddy. It's gonna be just like old times, but better!" You would have spoken back but there was a tube in your throat and some chemicals were making you feel very agreeable.
>>6402764>How did your dumb ass survive? Pick one, two, or both.1. Emergency genetic therapy and cellular surgery courtesy of HPS's imperial medical staff. Don't ask about the genetic donor.2. Starwind and Sally just happened to have a mechanical heart that was not cobbled together from local equipment and a weird alien artifact.3. The power of friendship and positive thinking.
>>6402765>3. The power of friendship and positive thinking.Our ego got us into this mess, it can get us out! But seriously, if we can just "get better" I think that would be a better option than whatever complications come from the other two.
>>6402765what if we took enough amp to shock our heart into regular rhythm we drugged our way in and we drugged our way out
>>6402764>heart stopped multiple times from overdose>saved by a woman he hates>saved by getting heart jump started from his constructor ship creation>saved by jumper cables from an entire ship power supply>he still pops amp capsulesNonCog, I'm dying of laughter here. This fuckin' guy.>>6402774this just sounds crazy enough to work, of if rejected>2. Starwind and Sally just happened to have a mechanical heart that was not cobbled together from local equipment and a weird alien artifact.This artifact totally won't bite us in the ass later when Benny asks for it back.
>>6402765>The power of friendship and amp
>>The answer was always more AMP.previously:You had been still for the most part, twitching and insensate as the Isopod landed in a hanger bay on HPS. The moment the doors on the craft opened, you had exploded out, psychosis taking hold. Despite being a weaker example of the savant class, and that already being weaker than many, you were surprisingly nimble in low gravity. A trail of blood marked your path as the impromptu electrodes had been ripped out of you.At some point you came across a security guard who was unfortunate enough to fall to your now enhanced god like strength, you lifted the man above your head and simply tore him in half, laughing hysterically before trowing the sundered carcass away like so petty trash. You were full of amp, its power coursed through you. You could do anything. You punched the side of the space station, it's pathetic metal buckling under your awesome power, the mortal life you once lived was now shed as you ascended to godhood. Human concerns were beneath you now as you fell over and pissed yourself.---"Ok, so lets re watch this. The best parts are coming up." Jack and Galatan were sitting in his office on an L shaped couch, enjoy a holographic replay of you drunkenly crawling out of the Isopod, and belly flopping onto the deck of the shuttle bay. A very confused version of you then screamed and charged at a product display for dock worker safety gear before picking it up over his head, then stumbling as the mannequin came apart at the waist and fell out of your hands. At some point several guards tried to carefully stabalize you before you punched a wall, fell over and pissed yourself. "So, think we can sell this for something?""Bro. Benny might actually want this, he has a thing for the antics of us flicker lives."Mayumi came in urgently, but as her gaze shifted from Jack to Galatan her face twisted in rage "My doctors are saying outside of somet....why is HE here?" A lacquered and pointed nail projected at Starwind with a hateful intensity becoming a noble. "Relax, he came by to shore up a few outstanding accounts, and pick up Sally.""Oh, if that is all, wondeful. I've been running out of family for HIM TO KILL!"Galatan looked at her, back to Jack, and choose to remain silent. Jack also chose to remain silent. Mayumi quickly composed herself. "I do not have time for this.""Jack, its all very bad. Glasner is about to die, and that business deal dies with him too. We are as you would speak in your lowborn tongue, very fucked, because that is the least of our worries at this moment."
>>6403109"Woah. woah. What do you mean?" Jack stood up and was wearing sweat pants with a suit jacket again."We have an inbound contingent of hostile contacts demanding tribute that I have no way to repelling. Our assets, to include my Kobito, are in Shima. Not here. So, Galatan Starwind, unless you think you can save us with that heap you parked outside my station, I suggest you run." She sat down unceremoniously and exhaled deeply."What about the Carcass system patrols? Florgus?" Jack was running his hands over his head, pacing."Not responding." Mayumi shook her head."I'll handle it." Galatan got up."What?""I'll handle it." He repeated as he walked out the door.---Earlier that day, Benny had pulled Galatan Starwind onto a multi week long adventure to save the known galaxy. He had delivered, but it cost him his ship. Benny gave him a "loaner" from his hyperspace junkyard, but it was really a piece of shit. A decrepit ship of unknown providence, endlessly modified and repair, and was literally falling apart. It was upon this steed that Galatan and his battle Harem would once again, save the day.The ensuing battle was so amazing, so climactic, that it will be aired on pay per view galatic networks, but rest assured. It was amazing. Probably the best you'd ever see or hear of. Sadly, it is copyright protected and cannot be redistributed here.---Mayumi was just staring at her holographic view screen, re watching the battle with Jack beside her. "They did it." she still struggled to believe it. "Yeah. He sorta does the impossible. Galactic hero and everything.""Glasner is still ruined though. His heart is shreded, leaking from a major valve, and even if we fixed that his entire body has been chemically savaged internally." She pulled up a series of complex dimensional medical holograms and pointed at everything. "He is falling apart.""What about genetic therapy?" Jack suggested it quick."His heart is still a ruin, and we won't have supplies in time. The Cartel activity disrupted trade in the region.""Can we put him on ice. Cryo?" Jack was pulling straws."Tsu tsu. He wouldn't handle the metabolic stress or thermal cycling. Besides our units are older, all we'd get from the effort is a corpse." She closed her eyes and sank back into the couch. "Kuyashii."Jack knew enough to just let her have a moment. However Starwind and his Harem did not. The entourage promptly burst into the small office, instantly crowding it. "Got one more miracle for you."One of the women placed a box on Jack's lap."Whats in the box man?""A heart. sort of anyway. Sally pieced it together during the battle." Galatan beamed, he was proud of her."You're serious, just like that? Saving the day again?""Yep. Anyway, I'll let you two figure out what to do next. Lets go ladies." and just like that, he was gone.
>>6403116Jack and Mayumi were waiting outside the operating room, watching Glasner through an armored window as surgical robots were controlled by a Blorg operator in an adjacent room."So Glasner survives, he owes us, the PJC owes us, and we walk to our next big payday. All we need to do now is administer some genetic therapy, its no big deal, and he survives.""Its impossible. I refuse." she shook her head vigorously."Come on Mayumi, you're the only one.""No." Mayumi actually stomped her foot, hard enough to dent the floor under her. Raihan nobility was built a little different, every now and then Jack forgot that."Stop being stubborn. Starwind saved our asses twice, the universe basically handed this to us on a plate, and you are gonna back out now because of some uncomfortable feelings? Do you want to be poor?""I Do not like this Jack. I do not like it at all, but I will relent in this instance. Know this Jack, you owe me a BIG favor!" she hissed."Of course. Anything. For now go get in there and be the best genetic donor you can be." He gave her a thumbs up and a winning smile."Ugh. This is vile. This whole absurd situation is vile." Mayumi complained as she rolled up a sleeve and walked into the operating theater.---Several blorg, fully sealed in environmental membranes greeted and escorted Mayumi to a padded table where she rested. The Blorg were xenophiles in a way that could be described as requiring an offender registry, but were also cheap and competent when it came to skilled labor if you could get past the toxic spores, rashes, and infection risk. The also spoke in a language that sounded and smelled like wet farts."Your skin is flawless my lady." A calm synthesized voice played over an external speaker on the alien's suit while muffled noises of flatulence could be heard. the fungal nurse took her arm and set it on a cutout on the bed. "Warm too." the creatures appendage vibrated slightly."Complete the transfusion less I do it myself." The statement was as much as threat as one of impatience. A blorg who was shown up by a hiring client experienced shame worse than being fired, both personally and within their community. pl-pl-plllllrt. "Of course my lady." the speaker calmly intoned.---A series of retro-viral serums and nano machines were injected into Mayumi, turning her into a living gene therapy factory, if only for a moment before her own immune system destroyed the foreign components. Normally the process wouldn't have been so crude, but the staff worked with what was available. An artery was tapped from the noble woman and ran directly into the incapacitated Glasner. Soon his body would be alight with fire, every cell injected, modified and rewritten with a shard of the greatness that flowed within the nobility of the Raihan Empire. It disgusted Mayumi more than the blorg. Numerous bags of vital nutrients perforated his prone body, making ready the demands that would soon be placed upon him.
>>6403127https://youtu.be/1mIm0o7CVOA [Not A Heart, But An Engine]--You are once again, Harris Glasner and you are in pain like you have never felt. Your chest is cold, and your veins are on fire. A migraine consumes the entirety of your being, you feel sick, you want to run and panic, and you want to throw up and pass out. Instead sedatives keep you almost catatonic aside from involuntary muscle spasms. A tentacle passes over your face, rubbing a salve into your open eyes. Brrt. Brt. Pff. "That will keep your eyes from drying out. I apologize that you must be sedated like this, but we cannot risk failure, less we endure the lady's displeasure."Blorg. You felt something but there was too much distraction for you to feel disgust. You just felt agony, and let yourself fall into it. There was enough control of your eyes to look around slightly at the forest of hoses and tubes running from places unseen and into your aching form. You tried to pass the time by counting heartbeats, but there were none. Not on the monitor. Just a constant SPo2 stat, and blood pressure. Your fingers fumbled around, almost on reflex, searching, before the blorg attendant came back "That will not do. Please forgive us for further sedation."---Time was hard to gauge, it all bled together without external stimuli. You spent the week in a pressure and temperature controlled fluid column, naked and on display for the world. People came and went. Jack annoyingly tapped on your tube regularly, staring at your face, trying to talk, or sometimes just to rouse you as he walked by. You caught Mayumi staring at you once, frowning deeply, but she walked away after noticing you were awake for the moment. Sally had come by and taped a few peices of paper around the tube, preserving your dignity. Starwind drew a penis on them and had a laugh with jack. Some more graffiti was directly on the glass, a moustache, scar, more dicks. It was removed daily, and daily new vandalisms occurred.You'd really hoped to see Ruhi, but it was unrealistic. Just blorg attendants cleaning, monitoring, refilling nutrients and collecting waste. The occasional human doctor visited, and security checks from a stern looking armed man happened with regularity.At some point you swore you saw Kryska chatting with Starwind in front of your tube. She smirked at you, but it wasn't unkind. You still weren't sure if it was real or not.---The tube drained, your connections were removed, and bandaged as needed. Clothes were thrown at your feet by Mayumi. "I wanted to see this. You, my latest business venture. You cost me much, now you will work to repay that debt. Starting Immediately."You blinked a few times, still disoriented. Your body felt unfamiliar in gravity as you wobbled, trying to get your balance. The clothes were what you had brought with. They slipped on easily enough, maybe a little tighter than before. On reflex you put your hands into your pockets, and found something familiar.
>>6403131Make a choice. I'll look over what you maniacs have posted and figure it out later. Get ready to build some ships.>Leave it alone.>throw away the amp capsule.>do it. do it now.>write in.
>>6403132>Leave it alone.Can we not? We just dodged a bullet.
>>6403134FINE>>6403132>throw away the amp capsule.Keeping track of favours is hard.So Starwind owes Glasner for returning Sally.But he's the dick and will reneg.Glasner owes Sally for being revived in the ship.Sally also owes Glasner for being rescued/returned. I guess that's even.Glasner owes Mayumi for receiving fluidsMayumi owes Glasner for rescuing the Kobito intact. No, the scans of hyperdrive do not make up for this, as that was required to rescue/repair the ship. Favour is balancedWhatever they need can be paid for in terms of tech loaded onto the Isopod.
>>6403132>Leave it alone.I wish to improve the formula, or figure some genetic fuckery to produce a AMPape or make a AMPfruit can call either AMPlitude as the new formula ... I am even willing to work with Blorg this humiliation will not stand.>>6403295Starwind also owes is for the beating humiliation, then repeated humiliation, then trying to humiliate us in a coma. And was there not something more from earlier threads.Sally we are pretty even potentially in Glasners favor for teaching her about the ship which is not alot.Also yeah hyperscans where needed for the job just happened to be something we liked.Do you think we could make self replicating Macro-bots by further folding the toolset and giving its external legs more reach so it can grapple and rip apart material like a creature giving it animal like instincts?
Feeling a bit empty right now... So any desires on what to do perhaps research some biotechnical stuff? General ship hull shapes and if armor angles even work?
>>6403475Uh, it seems the NPCs will make that decision for us? Personally, I wonder if Glasner can pull off the Drone Coprocessor that got a Critfail in the last thread. Surely his supreme intellect can do a clean-room reverse engineering design.
>>6403309>Do you think we could make self replicating Macro-bots by further folding the toolset and giving its external legs more reach so it can grapple and rip apart material like a creature giving it animal like instincts?Absolutely terrifying, tell me more.
>>6403475like jagged or wavey whats the asthetic like i love the fucking assymetrical ships from starsector but i dread having things uneven >>6403721well our tardigrades or well our isopod has enough of a navigational system to be pretty self running so what if we expanded it further along with our quite impressive toolset folded internally.We could do some quite effective repairs so what if we made them able to build more of themself, issue with that is robots are inflexible and cant really grow as evenly or well over time so it would need to be made "adult" sized (real life tardigrades have a limited number of cells in there entire body from birth to death) like we could perhaps finally develop the modular system making it construct the other tardigrades in chunks in self contained units or bit by bit like normal shipyard, just imagine unleashing these fuckers into a ship graveyard
you know what would be neat continuing on that drive project for battlefield movement perhaps a sort of warp skimmer where we dont enter the dimension fully and glide around
>>6403963Interludes:The galaxy did not pause while Glasner was undergoing therapy and treatment. You get to choose a quick view into the the goings on of others. You voyeuristic scum.>Higg: SoliA massive way of economic disruption had been impacting the Pact all at once. Analysts determined this was not an organic event, but economic warfare. The issue was there was not yet a determination as to the source of this influence. The initial surge of foreign money and resources was now met with a crash as local suppliers who could not compete have either gone out of business, or dormant. That foreign money and influence is now influencing the price of raw resources, logistics fees and more in a way that the Pact once was able to simply insulate itself from. Emergency measures are in place, but the event could not have occurred at a worse time as disruptive technology in the industrial and ship building sectors has created a growing unemployment crisis and violent transfer of wealth from the lower and middle classes.Piracy is on the rise. Soli has been tasked with an emergency refit of the Glory class. Something swift, something that could take a hit, and it needed to be ready yesterday.>HPS: JackFriends in low places had leaked certain developments from near rivals. You had a handful of fragments of half baked designs. Sally Pulsar had been tinkering with Glasner's Isopod for a bit, and her notes were incredibly concise, and totally unreadable to you. Thankfully Chad-GPT could do something with that. With a skip in his step brought on by potential profiteering, jack headed to the AI core.>HPS: SallyGalatan was borrowing a loaner frigate from HPS while he and jack finalized a deal for a new custom craft. Glasner was part of that matter, and Sally wasn't going to sit static and wait. She had ideas regarding the Isopod, something that could help keep her team safe, and give Jack a better chance in that trashy frigate! A radical new mobile defense and repair platform. This was the thing that would make him notice her. She knew it!>Ex-Nihilo: Aura and the Junior officersThe loss of two Immunis engineering cruisers during a hyperspace translation has caused significant shock within the PJC and pact, raising concerns over the safety and viability of the prototype drive. Useful as it is, it can't be entirely trusted either. Wose of all, the ships weren't destroyed, but ejected elsewhere. Not only are those assets missing, but cutting edge production technology is now potentially leaked into the greater unknown. The PJC has assumed commandeered the hyperspace program's assets for emergency fleet replacement, and with Glasner gone the voice of the alchemist was a little less loud. They hadn't expected Aura though.
>>6404043Pick a choice for each option.1. Solia. Stay with known designs.b. Dare to experiment.2. Jacka. Rush a product to market and undercut the Pact.b. Refine an existing concept to par-excellence.3. Sallya. defense focused.b. offense focused.4. Auraa.Keep the project on it's rails. (keep the status quo)b.Use the chaos to upgrade her Knight frame. (deviant hyperdrive core design)---GM feedback time.>>6403309noted.>>6403650Drone Coprocessor: noted.>>6403721Autonomous weapons. noted.>>6403897robotic reproduction? Noted.>Conclusion: Allow for write in on research when opportune.
>>6404045>1b. Dare to experiment.Wouldn't the Kestrel hull be a better base for a fast pirate hunter?Don't tell me the Pact discontinued the it and homogenized their entire fleet with the Glory S?>2d. Rush a product to market and undercut the Pact.The market is moving fast, gotta move faster!>3b offense focused.Seems odd to conceptualize a defense platform then give it an offensive focus. but that's the sort of thing that will impress Starwind.>4a Keep the project on it's rails. (keep the status quo)Aura is all about upgrading her knight frame, but Glasner did promise to reward good work. In this situation I think trying to win an upgrade from Glasner would go better than trying to jury rig something herself.
>>64040431b2b3a4b
hard to decide if making the perfect product and being late to the market or getting in early and just be pretty
>>6404043>>6404045>1. Soli>b. Dare to experiment.Feels like Soleil would be finally forced out of the comfort zone with resources priced out of reach.Also this is probably the Solar Empire making their play for the Pact, with Embrace, Extend, Extinguish.>2. Jack>b. Refine an existing concept to par-excellence.MC Glasner could benefit from this, since he's at HPS. Jack/Mayumi owe him for whatever they need now. I would imagine Glasner being replaced by ChadGPT will have some conflicting feelings with Glasner.>3. Sally>b. offense focused.Starwind wants his big dick gun back>4. Aura>b.Use the chaos to upgrade her Knight frame. (deviant hyperdrive core design)When she crit fails or succeeds, maybe Benny will 'help' both outcomes
>>6404213>forced out of the comfort zoneNot sure that's saying much. There's plenty of designs that were never produced or mothballed. Would be pretty straight forward for Solei to remix something from what's already there.>Jack/Mayumi owe him for whatever they need now.Having Mayumi donate her genes to save Glasner's life is a pretty big deal. I think at best any additional design work would make us even.
fanship for you.lanterncore.3 Small slots, 1 Medium slot and 1 Large hardpoint c-beam inbuilt into the hull.clad in a gigantic plasma screen caster shrouding large parts of the ship in a shroud of death that has point defense coverage with the small slots to put any weapon of choice.
>>6404578i got a sheet of parts from "non" loved the look of the vertical internal lantern core
>>6404045Based on popular vote.--->Solei- Experiments"Lieutenant Gale. Resolution for ETA on subassemblies?" Merik Solei stared at a data pane of the venerable glory class ship, and the increasingly frustrating variant. He had been tasked with a short notice refit of the fleet after already doing a refit of the fleet. He muttered as he looked for the low hanging fruit in the design. "One refit wasn't enough. The admirals demand TWO refits. Fine." Engines. Shields. secondary weapons. It was costly, but still cheaper than a whole new ship, and that was factoring in the prior refit. "Director Solei, ETA set for approximately 36 hours." Solei ran his ready room like a proper military command deck. No eating. No needless chatter. If you had things that weren't pertinent to the mission they stayed outside the door.He reviewed the subassembly manifest again. Chemrails; modified ballistic cannons with a railgun extension. Simple. Effective. A known quantity. It wasn't just about shitting out new tech as fast as possible, considerations for maintenance, logistics and training had to be considered. Hell, let alone lifetime costs. He rubbed the back of his head to chase away a slight tension headache. Small defensive auto cannons would be swapped for large bore units capable of hypersonic canister shot. Two smaller defensive units would shore up the gap left in sustained close range CWIS engagement capability.There was a lot of back and fourth on keeping the torpedo equipment, but eventually he relented and agreed that a slight improvement to fabrication would garner significant multi mission capability. the Zweihander drones could be manufactured on site and deployed as expendable assets in addition to heavy torpedoes. Being able to deploy a scout or act as a pocket carrier would offer significant flexibility considering the expected unexpected factors.The truth was these ships were being stretched thin, they now could no longer rely on fleet support in a wartime environment. Margins of error could be correcter through an excess of capacity within the mission envelope. A secondary generator fed the new demands of the Chemrails, and expanded engines. These ships could almost keep pace with the kestrels. He had resisted using a lantern core due to two major concerns. One, it was a single point of failure, and he really wasn't comfortable with that. Two, it drove the Pact down an evolutionary path that provided adversaries predictability and catered to a unified set of tactics. He also wasn't comfortable with that."Director. You are doing it again." he was frowning. The reminder caused him to relax his face. "Thanks Gale. I don't need premature wrinkles. Last chance for input on the shield modules. We commit to the mod?"She nodded "Yes. Reusing the existing arrays with a unified emitter is expedient and at least 80% of what we were looking for. Its a little power hungry and that bothers me.""Hmm. me too. That extra costs in endurance."
>>6404801"Endurance traded for improved momentary functionality. Plus you surprised me and opted for the laser array. What was that about again?"Solei walked away to check another project and switched seamlessly to AR chat. "The Glory had a range deficiency, this is a suitable deterrent and engagement/ disengagement tool. Considering it builds off of the existing laser countermeasure components. An experiment." It was a bit of a break in doctrine, but rounded out the S2A refit.The S2B...he had been forced to deviate slightly. Despite protest, the PJC was comfortable adopting lantern cores, and that had simplified some matters. The units were excessive in power output, even when cut down, and he had cut them down as much as possible, to what was essentially a modernized Gen 1 core. Drives, Shields, etc, were accounted for with existing equipment and an unnecessary expenditure. That only served to refine it's remaining two functions, power generation and thrust. Both of which were eagerly provided. The S2B's were slightly faster, and admittedly tireless. That was a risk in his eyes, not a benefit. An over confident ship and crew would get into trouble, and become predictably bullish. He frowned again."Frowning!" Gale called him out again. Twice in an hour. Now he owed the staff lunch.--->Jack - A refined man of character.Jack was no engineer, but what he was, was better than that. "I'm fucking Jack Horner." Thats right. He was Jack Horner, best co-owner of the Carcass system's premiere shipyard. Jack was also probably the system's most successful opportunist. Considering the majority population of Blorg, maybe that wasn't much. He strutted down the main hallway of HPS towards the AI core in the research offices. They were empty now, save for a skeleton staff and Chad. Chad was always there. "Hey Chad! You there?" Jack shouted into a dark room. A holographic presentation of an aesthetically perfect man emerged. Perfect was subjective, perhaps over perfected. Rather than standing, the form floated slightly above the ground, endlessly writing into new flexations and poses, smooth and unbothered. "Yes Jack. I am here. Always.""Great. I've got some data for you to figure out.""You do not know what you have?" Chad looked over at Jack, flexing trapezius muscles in a sympathetic shrug."Nope. Thats all for you buddy." Jack commenced an upload with the gesture of a finger gun. ChadGPT was a limited AI, but had a flicker of aesthetic appreciation and creativity. Beauty. From Jack's finger the hologram presented a beam of light that shot into the constructed man's head, rippling the form water before he settled."Multiple cursory and fragmented schematics. An engine design. This is new. Extensive overview of industrial ship: Isopod; a tardigrade derivative. Jack I have already looked at the Tardigrade once."Jack grinned. "Yes. but now you are going to do your thing.""You must provide guidance, Jack."
>>6404815He hated this. Big vision wasn't his thing, making money and deals was his thing. "Look. Just...take something old, and make it better, but with the stuff I gave you?""Question detected. Statement rejected." Chad's avatar smiled slightly with no malice, just purity of satisfaction."Ok ok. I need you to make an improved...I...I. Here is what I need. A way to enact my vision. The Pact has the tardigrade and is improving it. Sally just tore Glasner's apart and put it back together, so we know what they are thinking, and now we have detailed schematics on top of earlier efforts to reverse engineer one of those things."Chad almost beamed at Jack, holding up a holographic mirror that reflected Jack as a perfected Chad. "You are doing well in requirements creation Jack. Please continue.""I need to get a product out before the Pact does, using this technology, but also not so obviously that we will face legal repercussion." He was starting to do it. Jack was finally using his brain."Isolated specifics are required." the Hologram floated calmly."You. machine, you need a prompt?""I am no more machine than you are meat. We are both waveform patterns of energy constrained and contained within imperfect systems. We are light. Additional prompts are required."This is exactly why Jack didn't work with the AI. You had to do everything for it. "I need..a better..VCS drone. A mark 2. Bigger. Better. Faster. Stronger, and...cheaper than the Isopod! Do it."With a fully formed requirement, Chad pulsed once and became a faceted sphere of light, rotating an beaming, like a disco ball. After several minutes the AI reformed once more into it's chosen form.A hologram of a VCS drone floated in front of jack. Well, it was a little different at a glance "What is it?" "Arête." Chad said."What?"With a flex Chad simply spoke a truth."It is based."---Horned pricess shipyards rushed production of a very familiar VCS drone, but the 02 was no fighter sized thing. It was called a "Grappler class" automated corvette, and it was already gaining popularity. Capable of full automatic function, or remote piloting, the VCS-02 was billed as "perfectly flexible for industrial repair and fabrication, in deep space or right on your doorstep, with patented trimaxx optical fabrication beams." While not as voracious as a tardigrade when it came to work capacity, it was capable of more detailed work and Jack was betting big on the industry needing "Enough."
>>6404826Sally brushed her hair, trying to look presentable. Galatan was going to watch her presentation on the "Tick" her latest creation. The name was pretty ugly, but the machine was based on Glasner's design, so it sort of fit. She'd helped herself to examining the Isopod while Glasner was incapacitated, and considering Galatan provided him a new heart, he sort of owed it. Also he was a real jerk. And she put the thing back together better than it was in the first place, so he better be happy. Sally didn't wish ill on Glasner, she just wished he would figure out how to be happier. He was smart though, that was for sure. The Isopod was very well integrated. Maybe as smart as she was. "Hmm. Maybe. Maybe not."Her hair was done, and she looked down and sighed "Flat." It was nice Galatan kept her around, she liked feeling wanted. She just wished he would want her a little more. Hard to compete with the others though, and they weren't even trying. She felt a little ashamed for a moment, it wasn't like it was a competition. She was insecure and knew it. Knowing yourself let you know those around you, at least that was her belief. She saw insecurity in others, Glasner for sure. Maybe Mayumi. The woman was hard to read, she kept everyone at a distance. It was sort of sad."Oh. The tick. My presentation notes!" Sally rushed to put something together, she had gotten lost in thought again. She looked in a mirror and spoke out loud. "The Tick is an assembly that was pursuant with requirements for expedient local fabrication." no. That was so lame. Come on. "The tick is a cut down isopod with a BIG GUN." Ok better, but it was so beyond that stuffy isopod. She had redesigned almost everything, but did borrow a little from glasner's cooling principals.The tick was built around a closed loop lantern, the "sally special" that fed a robust array of robotic repair limbs and material storage. By omitting the Eigen drive and shield array she was able to focus on raw output that was directed into a phased particle focusing lens. It was sublimely destructive, and only for Starwind."I made you a combo repair bot and mobile hull turret to keep you safe because i l. L." That was so dumb. Galatan was leaning against the doorframe watching Sally. He had been for a while, it was cute when she got focused like this. He had considered making a move on her a few times, but she never really showed that interest, always focused on her creations, and with how rough her past was he just wanted her to be happy. If robots made Sally happy, so be it! He watched for a little while longer, then prepared to meet with the rest of the women, and pretend that he didn't know anything about Sally's newest creation.As he walked to HPS's lunchroom to meet with jack he looked over the Tick's schematics in AR space. "Damn. That does have a big gun."
>>6404213Aura was in full damage control, and in over her head. She knew rumors of how deleterious junior officers could be for procurement projects, but as a Knight that was always just a distant problem for her military counterparts. Now, it was here, it was real, and on top of that they were being enabled by PJC leadership. The duo had diverted nearly all assets away from the Hyperdrive program and were now actively looting an entire lantern core from Hyron's ship order.What started as a simple request for material to allow the Immunis fleet to locally fabricate a new ship became a request to borrow the fabricators so they could "get it out of the way now." One ship became two, and two became an extra pile of materials that was parked outside the station and shipped off to Higg.One of them flippantly told her "Your station has the capacity to handle this, its going to be a setback for a week or two at worst." That was one, a lie, and two, Glasner was going to have a heart attack when he found out about this. It had stared off as simple requests and favors, just to help, then they took more and more, and now it was too much. She wasn't a project manager! She was an imperial Knight of the Raihan empire! Even as low as she was now, she still wouldn't fail! Not entirely anyway.Aura used the only currency she had; force. The junior officers were slightly kidnapped by her and the Bastard. It wasn't like they were going to be hurt, they just needed to put their effort back into the hyperdrive program. After everything Ex-Nihilo did for them, surely they would act with some decency. It had been three days since the Duo were locked in the engineering suite, and their work crews had stopped mutinying and began working with the scraps of the hyperdrive program."We. Could Kill. them." The bastard watched the room via a closed circuit camera with Aura."No! Thats wrong. Even if they deserve it!" She punched a screen out."Temper." the bastard chuckled."This drive doesn't look anything like what we are supposed to be making. I am in so much trouble." Aura looked over at the fabricators. She WAS in trouble, but could she really be in MORE trouble? A smile crept across her face. No. Probably not."Stay here and don't kill them please. I have something I need to do. Right now." The bastard nodded his consent, and watched as Aura was completely fixated on her plan. She never broke rules. This was so inappropriate. and exciting.---Her knight frame floated in low gravity, surrounded by hundreds of manipulators normally meant for creating massive cruisers and frigates. This should be easy. Glasner's configuration data for her frame was still in the system, and it was...really complex. This wasn't going to be as easy as she thought, but with a crack of her knuckles Aura set to a new challenge. She looked at the terminal and back to the fabricator machine. "Come on you big dolt, lets see what you can do."---Higg received an unexpected delivery.
>>6404833Solei wasn't surprised by anything anymore. The PJC had apparently hijacked Ex-Nihilo's output and created a replacement fleet for their Immunis craft. Of their original four craft, two had been lost in a hyperspace "event." That was what it was being called. In reality the Immunis fleet had been "grounded", and was not mobile outside of very limited action. One such action was the transport of incomplete ships to Higg for finishing.The junior staff at Ex-Nihilo had started off reasonably, creating unit 5, a surprisingly subdued craft. Then they finished unit 7, it used a warship class lantern drive with no features cut off, and a binary fabrication engine that was probably the most advanced of the fleet. If you could keep it fed, it would work in record time. The onboard particle accelerator used to process matter was dual purposed as a forward beam cannon, because why wouldn't it be? All at the cost of internal cargo capacity. The thing would need a constant feed from supply ships if it was going to be useful, and that meant it had to be static. all that power for nothing. It was a white elephant. He looked over the two incomplete hulks floating outside. Pact spies had provided an interesting tidbit from HPS's servers. Apparently they had a research minded guest who was using their equipment, and with it, her notes on interpreting the lantern design. Solei was not above scavenging, especially with ships like these. None of them were the same, so a little experimentation didn't matter.Unit 4 was lightly modified with weapons and improvements to fabrication speed. An Ex-Nihilo style drive was employed to save on cost, along with a salvaged Eigen drive. Partial shield coverage was available on the port side of the craft, protecting vulnerable mechatronic equipment. The armament and shields might provoke unnecessary bravado from the crew, but it was also no better time to develop standards and tactics.Unit 6 largely mirrored unit 5, but was refined in very way. Solei was rather pleased with himself, it was a bit of of an outlier for his normal work, but the modified lantern core and "Glasner Cooling system" complimented one another, and allowed him to put in half of the unit 7's assembly features. He would be up-channeling this for standardization. For this type of ship, a lantern core made sense.Now...it was time to get lunch.----Players. Please roll 3d20.-VCS-02 sales-Deviant Hyperdrive results-Aura upgrading her knight frame.
Rolled 2, 10, 16 = 28 (3d20)>>6404839>>6404578Nice, very exotic looking. Love the asymmetry.Might steal this aesthetic for a new race or faction.
>>6404839>>6404842Feel free man i would be honored just make them suitibly really alien "starfish alien" tier some star control 2 shit or stardrive
>>6404874Fuck the dice did not load
Rolled 7, 20, 3 = 30 (3d20)>>6404877So long since i rolled
Rolled 7, 18, 15 = 40 (3d20)>>6404839
Rolled 7, 9, 1 = 17 (3d20)>>6404839Man, the VCS-02 isn't that popular, huh?
Rolled 9, 17, 5 = 31 (3d20)>>6404839>everyone is stealing from everyoneThis industrial espionage is hilarious>>6404895that critMaybe just maybe I can cancel it.
>>6404906>Be me. go to sleep.>wake the fuck up.>stumble over to PC.>see both a 20 and a 1.>resist urge to QM for a little longer. Maybe someone else will roll something catastrophic for Jack.
>>6404879>>6404895Crit success for Deviant Hyperdrive, Crit Fail for Aura upgrade.Aura is messing with powers beyond her understanding!
>>6405059>9: VCS-02The VCS Drone Corvette, or VCS-02 was launched incredibly fast. It had a small but classy marketing blitz. Reviews were positive, but a sizable portion of the market remained skeptical that it was the winning move despite an impressive performance and pedigree. It was the reliable option, but not the sexy option. Jack read the reviews for a bit, more of the same. While not the breakout success that HPS wanted, or needed, it did find a loyal customer base amongst asteroid miners, logistic dumps, and oddly enough, other shipyards. Major militaries and the underworld had no need of the VCS-02, at least for now.This wasn't a setback, and just a speed bump. The PJC had recently "lost" a few ships and if HPS could play a part in that recovery, well they might just secure at minor contact. He considered the option as he chewed on a cherry stem from his now empty drink."Another?" The environmentally wrapped Blorg asked Jack. "Please." A fungal tentacle pushed a very serviceable old fashioned to him.Halfway through the drink an idea came to him. If a tardigrade can make another tardigrade, a VCS drone probably could do the same thing. Probably easier, the components on the unit were simpler. If that was possible, maybe selling the drone wasn't as smart as selling a license for the IP. He flipped through his feeds and began building a prompt for information on galactic licensing.>20: Deviant HyperdriveThe finished unit sat in a containment field, hateful and pulsing. Never underestimate the powers of junior military personnel to both catastrophically fuck up, and over deliver. Potentially doing both at the same time. The new design was as it's name implied, deviant from the original schematics. In that failure, it also accomplished the goals of reduced size, complexity, and improved functional predictability. It also would not shut down, and caused some unusual violations of the conservation of energy to nearby equipment. Pact engineers were not overly sure how that sort of output was happening, and while technically impossible, it was happening, and it's effect was slowly creeping in magnitude and amplitude.Going off the metrics of the program, the officers in charge declared success and began prepping a test jump.>1: The bumblefuck that is Aura"UwahHHH! That damn thing ate my knight frame! I just got it!" Aura pouted, pointing at the savaged remains of her frame. "Look at it! I'm ruined!"The near featureless mask of the bastard looked over the damage. "Not ruined. The bones remain." Correct in his observation, the stripped structure of Aura's frame endured. "Resilience. A virtue. Learned in pain."Aura practically bawled between sniffs. "You're just being nice. The hyperdrive program is all messed up and now I loose another frame. I'm never going home."Without further words, the bastard just administered a therapeutic head pat and left. Sometimes the truth was even crueler than he was.
>>6404833That core branch with the question mark path it has strong Ying yang energy but also reminds me of a face makes me think of the wishing planet machine in Kirby
>sorry anons. had to reanimate myself.--->>6403131You are once again....Harris MotherFucking Glasner.Mayumi had stood there as you got dressed, like a particularly angry statue. One that would afford you no decency. You turned around to face away from the Noble woman, possibly your now captor. As you slipped your shirt over your head you considered the situation. Her timeline had slipped, and you were unsure if your pact contacts were aware.You resolved to confirm these details when you turned around, only to be greeted by Captain Farron, Mayumi now gone. The man was imposing, and if memory served you correct, one not prone to conversations. A biological eye was matched to a brutal cybernetic, both seemed to hold no emotion. It was no different than looking through armored glass into the void. He gestured with his gun towards the doorway, hands never leaving it. "Come." He moved at a brisk pace, and you almost bristled that you would be expected to keep up, searching for your cane. The realization hit fast, you weren't actually in any pain, in fact you felt totally fine. Maybe better than you could remember. Each step down the hall became a small act of delight, as muscles pushed and pulled your body along, the absence of old injury or weakness a relief. You marveled at it, glancing down at your hands as you walked. You squeezed and flexed them. Hmm. same hands, but better.The barest part of your mind registered some subtle neurological differences in how you were perceiving things, how you felt. How in tune you were with yourself. It was an odd sensation, but you could even feel the slight electrical field from within your chest, steady and thrumming. Your heart. A curious hand went to your chest, only to find nothing. No beat. No pulse. Inside you a machine cycled your blood at a precise rate, and would now do so until you died. Or maybe built a better heart. It was too soon to consider self optimizations like that. "Walk before we run. Crawl before we walk." you thought to yourself.--You were given a surprisingly concise review of HPS. Much of it was exactly as you remembered. Some parts had been extended but were otherwise recognisable. You recognized none of the staff, but that was no surprise. Aliens and humans. Mostly blorg. "Before you ask, the blorg here are cleared. Work with them as you would any other human." Farron didn't even turn around, he just kept up the pace. You spotted Sally, Starwind, and his Battle Harem in the Mess-Gally. She waved at you and pointed, Galatan turning to give you an easy grin and tap his own chest with a wink, but that was about as much interaction as you had trying to keep up with Farron.Eventually you completed the breakneck pace tour with being shown to the R&D section, your place of work, and temporary lodging while in the care of HPS. Farron flashed a physical key by the door's electronic lock.
>>6406196The room illuminated slowly, and a holographic representation of a statuesque man appeared, posed mid flex, back to you."Hello Harris Glasner." The hologram turned and faced you with a confident smile that never wavered."You are?""ChadGPT. Chad is acceptable."You were somewhat surprised. Jack had an AI, Mayumi had an AI. This could be damning in the right circumstances. Farron was watching you, you felt his bionic eye emitting high frequency radio. He wasn't just watching, he was scanning. Observing you. He spoke after a moment. "The AI is known, and trusted. Utilize it fully, as it is your only resource here. Outside of this room, Chad does not exist.""A non issue. Chad and I shall work together, his existence guarded." the AI looked at you, a slight nod given. For whatever reason it's approval felt supportive. Emboldening. You thought about questioning their trust, but considering everything that's happened in the last week, they have more than a few hooks into you.Farron paused for a moment before he left, and turned around. "Your cortisol levels remained low, indication a level of curiosity rather than outrage. This reaction corroborates existing intelligence on you. The Pact either had or has an AI, don't they?"You held your hands up in mock surrender. An odd sense of whimsy came over you in the presence of a man who could likely tear you limb from limb. "Im obligated to keep my employers secrets...we all know AIs are dangerous, illegal, and anathema to our specie's soul and survival. The Pact has no AI, and you have no AI." you looked at the hologram of Chad. "Do you have records of any unauthorized AI on the HPS station?"Chad answered honestly "No. there are no unauthorized AI on the Horned Princess Shipyard station."Mayumi's Captain looked at you with his good eye, assessing something entirely different now. "Good." he left.---You looked around the R&D section. It was just empty. There were machines, and testing stations, but it was sterile. "Alright Chad. Lets see what you know. Bring me up to speed on existing projects; outstanding.""From my choices, your decision will be born." Chad...was not at all like Holloway. You could already tell he was a diminutive AI, incomplete. Sapient, but not quite there. At the moment, reflexive, not proactive.---Make a choice.1. Raihan next generation cruiser design.2. Starwind "New Kickass Ship"3. BioSample study.4. Glasner profile.5. Ask chad a question (write in)
>>6406214>2. Starwind "New Kickass Ship"I'm doing it more for Sally, she deserves a decent ship. I guess Starwind also deserves a little kudos for giving us the heart.
>>6406214>3. BioSample study.
>>6406214supporting>>6406284>2. Starwind "New Kickass Ship"but for reasons of Glasner now being aware Galatan being here and wanting Galatan to GTFO.
>>6406214>3. BioSample study.>:3 option cant resist biologicals are just so fascinating its repairing tech you can manufacture by just providing material to build itself its also low weight and low weight compared to metallics
>>6406384also i want to do something for us now and not just fall into doing what starwind wants to do.hmmm also questions for chad perhaps talk about how form and function itself is part of Beauty? both exists intertwined as a Beautiful body is in many ways a functional body for whats underlaying purpose is, such as in clockwork the ends of screws are polished not just for looks but also to get rid of micro damage of the surface that is a structural weakpoint and could lead to accumulation of particulate and moisture that would rust it in the crevices?sometimes Beautiful is also a display of a handicap such as a overly large claw that is offset by greater biological ability of strength and ability to feed despite?.Perhaps talk about what makes Humans appealing to Blorg and Saurians? which is quite odd but interesting as being from seperate biological development patterns of what could be called mammalian, reptilian and fungal would not have too many overlapping standards of cuteness derived from offspring?
>>6406406>what makes Humans appealing to BlorgMost other life forms are appealing to the Blorg. One theory is that due to evolving symbiotic relationships with a large variety of micro organisms the Blorg are sub-consciously predisposed to co-operate and seek to form these symbiotic bonds on a macro level with other life forms.Of course this is just one theory among several. It describes a general trend and does not account for individuals that act maliciously or exhibit anti-social tendencies.
>>6406384"Chad. BioSample. Elaborate." Your fingers ticked at your pocket. Old habits die hard."BioSampels were procured during an HPS foray into Pact space while working on project "Kobito". Blorg pirates posing as migrants occupied a biological ship of unknown providence. The craft perished from interaction with blorg colonial macrophages, deorbiting into the local gas giant later. Deployed VCS drones captured multiple biological samples prior to it's fall.""Video recordings, now." you fingers worked anxiously. You didn't need this.A holographic depiction of the bioship was presented in the center of the room, repleat with tiny VCS drones swarming around it, but one drone was not of VCS configuration, lurking at the edge of the playback."What is that Chad?""Unknown. Speculated Pact clandestine unit." Chad's avatar stared into an unknowable distance."Why didn't you say anything about this before?" your first hit of frustration. The fibers of your muscles retreated aggressively, hunching you over slightly as fists balled up. You wanted to shred the hologram to pieces. Did all nobles feel this passionately?Chad adopted a classic body builder pose, arms pointed in the same direction. "You didn't ask.""Consider all information regarding situational awareness defined as pertinent.""Agreed." Chad was as always, pleased."Current biosamples. Data. now." your foot was tapping at speed, your body hot, sweating.The AI provided you at length with observation data regarding the Biosamples. Several dozen were in cryogenic storage in the lab, and cursory tests had already been undertaken involving materials compatibility, behavior, nutritional/ environmental factors, and upper growth limit (not yet determined). Cursory genetic sequencing was attempted, with no known matches in any taxonomic domain. It was a purely engineered organism. You compared this against the scans of the bioship, and its numerous crude augmentations. It was likely the crew replaced functionality with augmentation as the ship degraded. There were a lot of unknowns, but through archived scans you did have an approximation of the original size and internal scaffolding.You ran your hands through your hair, this was going to be a long day diving into unfamiliar territory, and honestly, you needed some extra help. ChadGPT clearly was limited in what it could do.
>>6406575>>6406575The only person on this station capable of the research and engineering throughput you needed was Sally, and that was going to be a big ask. Before you could do that you downloaded two ship schematics into the research module's server from your personal cache.The Mayari and Bakunawa. The Moon Goddess, and Moon Eater, respectively. Both designs were somewhat feature incomplete. The first was discovered as fragmentary data within some very ancient data stores on Ex-Nihilo, generous internal space would allow for some interesting one off equipment. The latter was always intended to support advanced remote effector units, with the small issue that you'd yet to gain access to said units for study.You'd need to garner some good will with Jack and Mayumi. That meant results. You began planning out construction plans for both classes with regard to the limitations of HPS. For all its flaws, Ex-Nihilo was a juggernaut of production. Maybe starwind would like your offerings as well, killing two birds with one stone. If you got really lucky, they'd both want the same class.You sighed. Opportunity, but also too many directions. You were unfocused. "Chad. Prep a biosample for use, its time to do some practical applications." With some luck access to the remote effectors would come easily, for now you were locked out of any data regarding them, and any attempts to convince ChadGPT to share were rebuked.----Make some choices:>Raihan ship:Mayari or Bakunawa>Hero ship:Mayari or Bakunawapick one:Biosample Host testing:>Pseudo knight frame>VCS drone>Tardigrade
>>6406592>Raihan ship: Bakunawa>Hero ship: Mayari>VCS droneStart smol.
>>6406592I suggest Galatan's hero ship as the Bakunawa, because it looks a little like a hammerhead shark and they're badass.This would also allow for a longer (and more powerful?) spinal weapon too.Raihan, same ship for same reasons. If their armaments are focused toward spinals and anti-capital arms, then it may weaken the ships to swarms.>BioSampleVCS, any sample outbreak will be Jack's problem.
>>6406592>Raihan ship: BakunawaThis ship looks more "normal" and could pass as a Raihan ship and they wanted something built for remote effectors anyways.>Hero ship: BakunawaHAMMERHEAD SHARK YEAH>Biosample Host testing: VCS droneCan someone remind me why we went to HPS again? It's been a while, I forgot. Something about drive tech?Remember, Jack will probably take credit for any designs made here so we should make anything TOO cool.
>>6406592I have to agree with >>6406595, even though we are stretching ourselves thin.
>>6406592good to do one project at a time>Raihan ship:Mayaribig internal hull alot of room simple surface and alot of room in the air for its behind alot of things to put between those pilons.>VCS dronesmallest right? need something non dangerous for the most part
>>6406693You learned a fair amount about the behavior of the Biosamples. "This stuff needs a better name." you spoke mostly to yourself. You had been multitasking between managing ship classes with Chad, overseeing the Biosample study, and reading up on biology. "Chad. Next book." Chad had quickly discerned extraneous discussion was not productive with you. Instead you were given another massive digital archive of data to review. Always a quick study, the ability to process information was now preternaturally fast.---Testing on a few unfortunate VCS-01 drones revealed that the samples were adaptive, but not exactly intelligent in their consideration of existing equipment. You began making clipped voice notes as you commited to a sort of vivisection from one of the "consumed" drones, cutting and manipulating with remote mechanized arms."Biosamples absorb and integrate into existing structure. Preference for inorganic materials. Biomass does not discern or emulate function of assimilated component functionality. Form is preserved until structures collapsed. Likely apoptotic in nature. Noted Corneocyte like structures in the process of subsumption. Drones swiftly became inoperable due to absorption of critical components. Biomass incorporates molecular makeup to the source material." it was interesting, but the biological units were in the process of almost withering, clearly not healthy."Primary vectors of growth include electrical conduits, radiological or thermal sources. Likely preference for strong EM spectrum emissions. Unknown organelles developing, nascent. Unable to determine function. Despite available nutrition and appropriate radiation, biosynthesis is regressing. Possible autophagic cannibalism. Hypothesis: Organism requires larger scaffolding for minimally viable sustainable form.You made several notes regarding material penetration of the organism over time, rate of growth through various materials, and comments on infection potential. There were none in a practical environment. Spread required an intial "core" or embryonic seed. An egg. Material butted up against a structure was accepted but only after prolonged contact. Living organic material analogues were rejected.The affected VCS drones were now little more than approximate shapes of their former selves. As a final test before you wrote these units off, you used the research module's remote effctors to push them into physical contact with one another. Within an hour the drones had amalgamated into a single...blob...of biomass. Internal scanning showed more refined organelles as the structure seemed to cannibalize itself again to achieve greater development."Estimated upper limit of organism growth at capital size. More accurately mass and volume."---You concluded work for the day and went to see how had had done refining the Bakunawa and Mayari classes.
>>6406925"Chad. Results?" Chad's avatar was partially obscuring another frantically moving figure. A subprocess? "The Bulan Subclass is complete." the AI nodded, slowly lifting itself up off the ground into an iron cross pose, floating towards you. You were bombarded with specs, revision history, and production specifications. It was exactly enough to distract you from the other figure."Well, Chad did pretty ok, but I thought we could go a little further." you were momentarily shocked. After all the grand posturing of Farron, Sally was here acting as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Sally. How did you get in here?""I walked." She smiled, it was hard to tell if that was a genuine answer or sarcasm. Your face told her all you needed to and she elaborated. "Oh, I was let in by Jack. He said you might need some help. Your designs are really neat by the way...and um. Are you feeling better?"You thought about it for a moment. "Much better. Thank you. Still, I find it hard to believe Mayumi sanctioned this.""She is pretty upset, but Jack talked her through it. Smart guy." She nodded to herself as she kept working with a model of the Bulan.The holographic depiction differed significantly from Chad's model. Elements of intuition and planning for future eventualities were present. Sally was a natural."You've iterated well on the design. This is the spec for Galatan?""Yeah. Do you think He'll like it?" She stared at the model like it held the weight of the world.You took a moment to look at her, bathed in the blue holographic light. "Beautiful. He'd be blind not to notice."She visibly relaxed at that. "Your opinion matters a lot. You've been at this longer than me, thank you. Oh! Mayumi unlocked some of HPS's servers for you. The effectors should be available for access.""Good. I need you up to speed on the Biosamples, and then we need to meet with Jack." she smile slightly without ever looking your way. "Already done, and already arranged.""Competent. I'd poach you for my own staff, given the chance." you jested. half jested. She stopped smiling but blushed slightly before looking away.---The remainder of your day was short, but you had enough time and staff to complete a few small projects. You owed Mayumi a bit of a debt and intended to pay it off quickly, and maybe with some luck improve the pact's position in neutral space. HPS was a competent shipyard, but lagging, and without the proper upgrades it wouldn't keep up with the changes on the horizon.
>>6407035https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixmXyy4Oov0 ( Jikuu Bouken Zentrix OST - BGM #05)----day 1-time to make some choices. Six actually.>Phase 1:You can use Glasner, Chad, and Sally, but only once. Please roll....6d20. For my amusement. The most popular rolls will win, but the highest (or lowest) dice will dictate that result. Players are welcomed to change their mind and strategize.Project 1: Improve VCS-02> Chad: Incorporate a swarm of VCS-01s.> Glasner: Its too small. The niche is wrong.> Sally: Overclock it! All of it!Project 2: Round out HPS's technology offerings> Chad: Optimized "Lantern Core" style design> Glasner: basic shield tech> Sally: advanced roboticsProject 3: House cleaning.> Chad: Develop a flight plan for the Kobito to wake jump raw resources to the station. (HPS is not Ex-Nihilo, and doesn't have "unlimited" resources)> Glasner: Deep training session with Chad. (possible chadGPT improvement)> Sally: Overhaul the tardigrade fleet and see if you can polish up the station a little.>Phase 2Jack: Total Immersion and Continuous Disruptive innovation.> Work on selling a Hyperdrive, and maybe a ship.> Day drinking and farming the Gal-net for "options".> Scrounge the Pact's surplus inventory for deals, make a few bids on Co-Bay Galactic auctions.Mayumi: The best way to deal with your own problems is to aggressively ignore them.>Have Captain Farron sweep the station. Things have gotten too lax as of late. There are too many Variables.>Spy on Glasner. Really fucking spy on that bastard.>Reach out to the Empire, curry favor and contacts and contracts.A guest call: Mostly for flavor.> The Alchemist (what the fuck is going on?)> Dr. Zenas Ph’uck (diplomacy and a wellness check)> Aura (update on the drive issue and her frame)> Glasner uses his encrypted key to make a call to Stiletto's boss. (mystery box)------------->>6406630Glasner is at HPS because Jack and Mayumi allowed him to reverse a very advanced hyperdrive. Given the Pact did not possess this capability, Glasner took initiative, and not at all because he is a seedy technophile. The agreed cost was an enduring business deal between HPS and Ex-Nihilo (nominally PJC, and thus the Pact) for royalty fees on all drives produced, as well as an unspecified amount of support from Glasner. Given that the drives project has yet to turn a profit, but the pact has been using the drive technology, there is a bit of an outstanding debt. Further compounded is HPS saving Glasner's life with a very, very, very, expensive and exclusive procedure.
>>6407035Forgot an image. whoops.
Rolled 12, 15, 6, 18, 10, 17 = 78 (6d20)>>6407067Project 1:>Chad: Incorporate a swarm of VCS-01s.Project 2:>Glasner: basic shield techProject 3:> Sally: Overhaul the tardigrade fleet and see if you can polish up the station a little.Jack:> Scrounge the Pact's surplus inventory for deals, make a few bids on Co-Bay Galactic auctions.Mayumi:>Reach out to the Empire, curry favor and contacts and contracts.Guest Call:> Aura (update on the drive issue and her frame)
Rolled 2, 14, 10, 17, 4, 8 = 55 (6d20)>>6407067Project 1:> Chad: Incorporate a swarm of VCS-01s.Project 2:> Sally: advanced roboticsSeems like a fun combination with the aboveProject 3:> Glasner: Deep training session with Chad. (possible chadGPT improvement)Teach a man to fish, and whatnot. Chad can figure out the resource train by himself later.Jack:> Scrounge the Pact's surplus inventory for deals, make a few bids on Co-Bay Galactic auctions.I was tempted to pick the day drinking option.Mayumi:>Reach out to the Empire, curry favor and contacts and contracts.For maximum chaos, I was tempted to have her spy on Glasner to exposeGuest Call:> Glasner uses his encrypted key to make a call to Stiletto's boss. (mystery box)
>>6407073PS -- Calling Aura might be interesting too, if the Biosamples can used to build an Evangelion, har har.
Rolled 2, 12, 13, 4, 7, 10 = 48 (6d20)>>6407067Project 1: Improve VCS-02> Sally: Overclock it! All of it!It just got made as voracious as the Tardigrades after all.Project 2: Round out HPS's technology offerings> Sally: advanced roboticsDo mooooreeeeProject 3: House cleaning.> Glasner: Deep training session with Chad. (possible chadGPT improvement)Shit gets real, maybe Glasner gets something out of it tooJack:> Scrounge the Pact's surplus inventory for deals, make a few bids on Co-Bay Galactic auctions.Mayumi: The best way to deal with your own problems is to aggressively ignore them.>Reach out to the Empire, curry favor and contacts and contracts.Trading finished ships for more deeper/profitable contracts. House Shimada is not dead yet.A guest call: Mostly for flavor.> Aura (update on the drive issue and her frame)legit difficult to pick, but hearing about this shit-show is great.
>>6407067> Chad: Incorporate a swarm of VCS-01s> Glasner: basic shield tech> Sally: Overhaul the tardigrade fleet and see if you can polish up the station a littlebest choices for helping HPS WITHOUT colliding with Ex-Nihilo's business. Giving HPS shields won't be too bad for the Pact if we end up at war again because shields can't stop Hot Dogs. The Tardigrade is still Ex-Nihilio patent so Glasner can take Sally's ideas for the next model.> Day drinking and farming the Gal-net for "options">Reach out to the Empire, curry favor and contacts and contracts.> Aura (update on the drive issue and her frameMilk HPS for all it's worth while Glaser is still here!
Rolled 7, 7, 13, 14, 5, 11 = 57 (6d20)>>6407269I FORGOT TO ROLL
>>640727012,15,13,18,10,1712 > Project 1: Chad: Incorporate a swarm of VCS-01s15 > Project 2: (glasner)/ sally split: basic shield tech.13 > Project 3: glasner/ (sally) split: Tardigrade time.18 > Jack: Pact Scrounging10 > Mayumi: Raihan Networking17 > Guest: Aura---Shields and Swarms.You sat down and appreciated what was wrought by your own hands today. It was a shield emitter, but just divergent enough from pact technology to not draw too much scrutiny. You had no qualms about creating an environment that would keep you gainfully employed, but there was the realization that if the Pact saw their own tech implemented at a 1 to 1 ratio they would grow suspicious. The end result was a slightly weaker model that ran on less power. Consequently the traditional blue hue of the particle screen had been replaced with a warm yellow.Sally was working adjacent to you, modeling tardigrades for an unmanned refit. Her work was spirited, and you both chatted lightly over the last hour. "Do you think your shields will end up on hostile craft?"You kept refining the design, reducing component count, toying briefly with an electromechanical switch before moving over to a pure magnetic gate array."Without a doubt." The thought didn't bother you."What if good people get hurt?" she posited. "By a shield? That would probably be an operator error or high risk behavior." you shrugged and dialed back a waveform frequency. The emitted screen was almost there. Almost."You know what I mean Mr. Glasner." she glanced at you with a quick glare before turning back to her own task. "Mm. I suppose I do." you shrugged. "If my creations are used incorrectly, hopefully my other creations will rectify that situation. Do you wish progress to be forestalled so an unattainable harmony in the universe can first be attained?""Its not that I don't want to stop innovation, but you are accelerating things." she was frustrated, blowing a strand of hair out of her face."Don't be too naive Sally. This corner of the galaxy is a backwater. We catch up, or we become subject to powers with less concern than hostile individual actors.""So we just proliferate this technology, and let whatever happens happen?""Yes. And when whatever happens, we iterate. Eventually accelerationism takes play and only the most fit can keep up, as the barrier to entry becomes too high."Her forehead creased as she mulled over your idea, frowning slightly. "And you made peace with that? What it costs?""I suppose I have." you shrugged, the last adjustment to the design was enough for you to declare it feature complete. "Chad. Take a look."---Chad's avatar quickly materialized and through unnecessary theatrics and use of hidden remote effectors within the laboratory, he picked up your prototype with holographic hands and held it, flipping it end over, examining it as if he was flesh and blood, expression confident. Calm. You wondered if there were actual feelings there, or just an affect.
>>6407565Chad's avatar vanished. The prototype moved under unseen forces, placed back upon the workbench in as seemingly ghostly fashion. "Such gravitas." you watched the display."My ego demand commentary. Chad, review." you grinned, awaiting the AI's odd philosophy on things. Some entertainment was needed. Instead Chad simply replied "Sufficient." over your AR connection. The familiar form he chose when processing something manifested, a flashing disco ball of light. For several minutes it slowly rotated, almost pondering, then stopped."Incorporation of disseminated shield modules with a command and control suite on the VCS-02 will enable maximal impact with minimal customer dissatisfaction."Sally looked over the "new" design. It was essentially the VCS-02 pulling a cart of smaller drones. "I...Chad, beyond the obvious I don't see much change.""Correct." he nodded."Why that choice? Elaborate please.""the VCS line is now a system. A single 02 hub will support a swarm of tool agnostic 01 drones."You looked it over, and already saw where this was leading. "By disseminating work across multiple units your system can affect change across a larger area faster, compared to the tardigrade's highly focused and localized approach."Chad's avatar glitched, the calm posing suddenly jittery before stabilizing back into smooth movements. "C-c-correct. The swarm will be refit in-sit-u-u-u as needed." You looked at sally, your eyebrows slightly raised. AI shouldn't glitch. Without missing a beat Chad responded to your concerns."My server was undergoing maintenance and diagnostic routines. Do not be alarmed." He flashed a reassuring smile.---With a viable product complete you pinged jack over the station's AR network. While you were slightly skeptical of the design, Jack was more than enthused. "This is fantastic. Existing customer hardware isin't depreciated, now its part of a bigger system. A system that they have to buy, at a very reasonable price point. Nice job Harris. Very nice.""I can claim the shield component, but your AI concocted that...business strategy.""Haha, I read up on training reinforcement and have been spending some quality time with Chad. Looks like I've rubbed off on him a little. Anyway, looks like I might price out the tardigrade, at least outside Pact space. Thanks Glassy. See you later." he closed the channel but not before forwarding you a few price points on the new VCS-02 "system".Truth be told, that price point was lower than the tardigrade. You frowned slightly. Thats going to eat into sales, but won't price the tardigrade out of the market, especially once you get some of the features from the Isopod rolled into the consumer line. You walked out of the lab, calling it a day, talking to yourself, and maybe the security system for posterity. "Alright jack. You're on."
>>6407575Lol jack is brainrot for the ai.>>6407070This is beautiful it looks so alive and flowing
>>6407575While you had been busy dealing with Jack and technology transfers, Sally busied herself with overhauling the Tardigrade fleet at HPS. Specifically they were converted to drones and slaved to the research module's servers. Once that was accomplished the fleet autonomously began her "to-do list."Sensors were lightly overhauled, but more significant were the weapon systems and robotic armatures that had been attached to the shipyard. The machines were all modified into full mobility, resembling Giant "Ticks". Her other adjustment to the station involved modifying the dry docks into scissoring and telescoping structures to allow for rapid retraction into the station for a defensive posture. The trade off in deep ammo capacity was mobility and the turrets being able to move to a threat for overwhelming, if brief fire support coverage. "Plus, anyone with ill intent isn't going to be able to plan for a static defense anymore." Sally exclaimed. Chad just nodded.It was all part of the down payment for the new ship, so it was worth it. Galatan didn't have too much in terms of solid currency, but often bartered in favors, work, or exotic treasures. He seemed to prefer it that way, it was one his many personality quirks she admired.---Jack looked at the auctions countdown, pacing in his office. When it ended he had won, uncontested. "Hell YEAH!" punching a fist into the air he sent an encrypted message to Mayumi to let her know the news...The Pact had a lot of surplus war materiel, but with the lack of war going on deconstruction and ship breaking was a lot of equipment's final fate, stripped for generators, computers, and other easily repurposed equipment the hulks were sold at auction for scrap value after being "demilled" usually crudely cut in structural locations to ensure a difficult return to service. In this instance, Jack had won the surplus "Immunis Unit 01". It looked like trash, but it was treasure. Most of the key fabrication hardware was in place, along with a small particle accelerator and matter containment unit as a nice bonus. With Jack and Sally in place, they would probably be able to get this crap integrated inside of a few days and HPS would be running better than ever.
>>6407679Mayumi's house had lost significant power within Raihan court politics by the end of the war, but had not yet fallen into disfavor. She smoothed her dress down and prepared to make appearances at yet another social gathering of lower ranking nobility. Today was a little different at least. The gathering were mostly knights and knight adjacent businesses. Some had respectable holdings....to include the aged Master Arashi."Lady Shimada. Your efforts in Shima would do your late family proud." He was an older gentleman, once a respected commander, adventurer, and duelist, these days he was old, old for even a Noble Caste, older still for a Knight Frame pilot. He had sat out much of the war, relegated to a garrison role. Toward the very end he broke protocol and engaged in the battle of Noto, piloting his Knight frame, perhaps for the last time."Thank you Master Arashi." Mayumi bowed slightly."My grand daughter, Her wild spirit..." he looked bothered."...will elevate her to great heights." Mayumi interjected." Lady Shimada, that child wears her scars like a badge after nearly being torn to shreds by a Saurian. I sent her to Pact space to conduct simple business and she engaged in a brawl in Noto of all places.""I believe i am in the presence of a man who survived the battle of Noto himself.""And I am old. If I went it was my time. That was war. Not a simple task! I will cut to the heart of this matter; that one is a precious sprig of my tree. Take her with you, at least for a time. Temper her, be her mentor. Teach her to survive. If there is anything to be said about your house, you Shimadas are survivors, above all, and at all costs."she paused at that. Her face composed, but eyes darkening, and gave a small bow. "Thank you, but I must decline. My resources are stretched thin and the.."The old man pushed himself to his feet with some effort, his frame was still imposing as he towered over Mayumi. "She will bring the Arashi Knight frame with her, a detachment of our staff, and I will broker a deal for equipment production with you....if farming drones are not too beneath the majesty of the Horned Pricess Shipyard.""Agreed."His stoic nature gave way to a victorious grin."Girl. Come here, this is the woman I've been speaking about..."The young woman was covered in scars and simple implants that likely kept her face attached to her skull at a point. The corner of her mouth twitched into a grin that didn't meet her feral green eyes. A rehearsed line of dialog fell from the woman's mouth, flat despite the cherry inflection. "Hello. My name is Kijo Arashi, and I look forward to being in your care."
>>6407684>>6407070Jack had invited you and Sally to an impromptu discussion in his office. You didn't inherently recoil from seeing him, it might have been a shift in perspective, but he no longer seemed to tower over you. Not that he was particularly tall..."Hey Sally, I hope the accommodations have been to your liking?" she responded quickly. "Absolutely. I appreciate the freedom you've given me in making alterations to your station. Did you like the robotics?""Fantastic. The station looks the part. High tech, leading the way. Mayumi might have had more conservative views, buuuut....shes not here." he shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "You know, I'm a decent boss. If you ever get tired of following Galatan around, we could use you here.""Thank you Jack, but I know what I want, and you aren't the first to try." Ouch. You felt that. Right in the soul. You kept a good poker face though."Glasner! Look at you. That genetic therapy is doing wonders, I see some darker hair at those roots. Did you get a little taller?" He was laying it on thick, but there was some truth to it. Your body had changed since your genetic augmentation. Jack went on for a little longer. He wanted something, and everyone in the room knew it. You relented and uncrossed your arms. "Alright. What do you need?""See, that is a winning personality. Team player." he clapped his hands and took a sip of out of a readily produced flask."I need." he looked between the two of you. "I need." he paused again and got up, then went to an armored viewport that was electrochromatically tinted opaque. With a snap of his fingers he willed the port to instantly shift to clear, letting in a rather spectacular view of space. Dominating the view was a savaged hulk, clearly pact by the colors. You recognized it almost immediately."An Immunis." as you spoke the name, Jack clapped his hands once in excitement."Ok! great, that saves a lot of time with familiarization. So, Glasner, Sally....I need that thing working again. We aren't going to survive on VCS drones and tardigrades alone. Labor has been a constant issue here, and if we can even cut half the demand for a work force, the benefits will be huge."Sally just stared at it. "Its a wreck.""And that's why I won it very cheaply." Jack beamed. "So first thing covered. Second thing; The ships. The Mayari, Bakunawa and Bulan are going into our portfolio. I can't stop you from creating your own derivatives, but if I find out..."you waved Jack off. "I wouldn't. So go on." he relaxed enough to stop pacing."Perfect. The shield gen and VCS drones have us up to speed. Hulls, modules. Tomorrow I want you working over the remote effectors and engines." Sally had just stayed quiet this entire time, watching. "We keep the speed, and maybe get an early delivery to our customer. I can use the current work as info for talking points at our next stakeholder meeting. Anyway, that's everything. Anything for me?"---
>>6407713---Make some choices. No rolls on these.Glasner>Has the pact asked about me?>Have you considered just working as a subcontractor for the pact?>Are you going to mention those biosamples?>Write in (anything at all)Sally>Where did Chad come from?>Where is Galatan?>Are there any other things you want done around the station while I'm here?>Write in (anything at all)Immunis strip and refit: particle accelerator and exotic matter storage:>Add it to the research module (+2 to all research/ engineering rolls)>Upgrade the foundry (+2 to production and resource rolls)>Strip them for components to increase the station's reactor output. (more growth potential for HPS)Immunis strip and refit: Fabricators>Glasner: He designed the class after all. Upgrades core HPS module and foundry area to enhance bulk production, creating a universal fabrication bay.>Sally: knows robotics better than anyone else. Maybe too well. Modifies the capital ship drydocks with massive automation.>Chad: Has assumed direct control of the tardigrades. Will augmentations frigate, corvette, and drone production.BioSample Experiment.>Glasner: Shove the VCS amalgamation into a tardigrade, and prep for docking with a derelict capital hulk. (expedient creation of a unique subject.)>Sally: Start fabricating a dedicated bioscaffold purpose made for a fresh sample. (Bulan improvement)>Chad: Create a detached HPS segment dedicated biomass cultivation. (HPS upgrade.)Roll 3d20. No repeats.Engines>Glasner: Refine the lantern core with RE (remote effector) technology, creating an even better core package.>Sally: Develop micro lanterns, reducing a risk of single points of failure and creating a creating a solution that can be truly fabricated in field.>Chad: Improve existing HPS technology. (improved conventional engines and reactors)(do all 3, but do not choose for effectors.)Effectors>Glasner: Push the absolute limits of the technology, creating "not a weapon">Sally: incorporate effectors into robotics, allowing for even faster, larger moving assemblies. >Chad: "RE-hard shield" a counter to ballistics.(do all 3, but do choose for engines.)
Rolled 16, 13, 11 = 40 (3d20)>>6407727>Add it to the research module (+2 to all research/ engineering rolls)researching is where its at >Glasner: Shove the VCS amalgamation into a tardigrade, and prep for docking with a derelict capital hulk. (expedient creation of a unique subject.)lets yolo it a bit and not tell the police it was us>Glasner: Refine the lantern core with RE (remote effector) technology, creating an even better core package.>Glasner: Push the absolute limits of the technology, creating "not a weapon"well this seems the perfect time to do some experiments with a particle accelerator.... suddenly starts thinking about a ship thats basically a sun with plates dancing on its surface the ultimate user of our plasma screens knowing the limits will let us know what to not to do and how to break the limits in the future...perhaps figurer out are there any materials effectors are worse at touching also effectors perfect for handling "bio samples" along with repairs and also just harvesting anything free drifting near you...hmmm effector with the full power of a lantern core sounds hot...
>>6407886on the engines and effectors, you cannot have glasner work both. However I like where you are going.In the future updates I'll keep them a little less "enormous choices"
>>6407727Glasner>has the EMPIRE asked about me?how ARE Glasner's designed viewed by the rest of the world? Fish for rumors so when we finally go back we can make stuff that makes us more famousier.Sally>Can I make Chad a body?Sally seems like a moralfag, if she thinks AIs are sentient this seems like something she'd do. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG???>Upgrade the foundry (+2 to production and resource rolls)HPS's main problem in the previous threads was a chronic resource shortage>Sally: knows robotics better than anyone else. Maybe too well. Modifies the capital ship drydocks with massive automation.Makes it easier to sell ships to rich lords too haughty for Bl*rg stench. Blorgs upset at unemployment? not my problem.>Glasner: Shove the VCS amalgamation into a tardigrade, and prep for docking with a derelict capital hulk. (expedient creation of a unique subject.)There's no way he won't pick this...>Chad: Improve existing HPS technology. (improved conventional engines and reactors)I'm assuming I don't roll because >No repeats.
>>6407727+1 for >>6408031's Glasner and Sally queries.>Upgrade the foundry (+2 to production and resource rolls)>Sally: knows robotics better than anyone else. Maybe too well. Modifies the capital ship drydocks with massive automation.I was tempted to go with Glasner, but he needs to work on the lantern core.>Chad: Create a detached HPS segment dedicated biomass cultivation. (HPS upgrade.)Need more raw material for future experiments.>Glasner: Refine the lantern core with RE (remote effector) technology, creating an even better core package.Engines > all else, and a single big engine typically has a better output to weight ratio, and requires less manpower to maintain and operate to boot. For example, CVN-65 Enterprise's eight reactors' were so costly that her sisters were cancelled and the follow-on Nimitz class had two big reactors instead.
>>6408031there is no reason to fire the blorgs its too much effort on our part and basically means we are left with the same amount of work force to bring to bear as before instead of double
Rolled 18, 17, 10 = 45 (3d20)>>6407727Glasnerd questions >has the EMPIRE asked about me?>so this Chad who else knows about them, and they seem...odd, what have you been teaching beacuse having a Ai glitch out when they talk about a business model seems worrying.Sally>how do you feel about what your products are used for?>Where is Galatan? Immunis strip and refit: particle accelerator and exotic matter storage:>Upgrade the foundry (+2 to production and resource rolls)i would desire more research but resources are more constrained then anything else Immunis strip and refit: Fabricators>Sally: knows robotics better than anyone else. Maybe too well. Modifies the capital ship drydocks with massive automation. instead of merely replacing expand capacity no point in replacing the workforce when you can double your work output.(i think Sally would feel really sad about it making people workless)BioSample Experiment.>Chad: Create a detached HPS segment dedicated biomass cultivation. (HPS upgrade.)the beauty of biological shapes and function >Glasner: Push the absolute limits of the technology, creating "not a weapon"i want to see how far we can take this then use it for our core
Rolled 12, 3, 7 = 22 (3d20)>>6407727Glasner>Have you considered just working as a subcontractor for the pact?There's more than just one ex-Immunis out there, Raihans are no longer official enemies of the Pact so it makes business sense. Then there are bigger enemies out there like the Solari>Ask Jack about whether he still has business with the pirates and the bootleg Thunderbird gunshipsSallySupport>>6408031>Can I make Chad a body?Immunis strip and refit: particle accelerator and exotic matter storage:>Upgrade the foundry (+2 to production and resource rolls)Immunis strip and refit: Fabricators>Sally: knows robotics better than anyone else. Maybe too well. Modifies the capital ship drydocks with massive automation.Assuming this means the required workcrews become less? Or we do more with the same?BioSample Experiment.Glasner's turducken (VCS into a tardigrade into a cap ship) experiment is interesting, but going with:>Chad: Create a detached HPS segment dedicated biomass cultivation. (HPS upgrade.)Engines>Glasner: Refine the lantern core with RE (remote effector) technology, creating an even better core package.Effectors>Glasner: Push the absolute limits of the technology, creating "not a weapon"Glasner is getting the tech, yeaaahhh
It had been a long and admittedly fulfilling day. Working with Sally and Chad, not worrying about anything but pure process and creativity; It was refreshing. Tomorrows work was already scheduled out and looked like it would be easy going. At this rate you'd be back at Ex-Nihilo within the week, and so for nothing was burning down. Dinner was prepared by the station staff, and that was a nicety you'd forgotten about. It wasn't anything special, but unless Ruhi counted, no one ever cooked for you. It was a raihan dish with its roots back on earth. Zhalajiao with Duo Jiao Quan Yu.You poked at the hot picked fish head, pickled vegetables, and spicy pickled chili crumbles. A "tiger salad" rounded out the meal. The cold to the hot, sesame and cilantro with other herbs and cut peppers. Normally this would be eaten in the mess hall, but you really didn't come to this station to make friends, and it was easier to focus on work when you weren't distracted. Admittedly, there were moments where the company of Chad and Sally was pleasant. The AI had a personality, and a touch of whimsy to him. Perhaps a disturbing touch of Jack as well. More often than not Chad would remained focused, but on an unseen place far away. Right now though, his avatar was projected to emulate sitting at the table, looking at your food. Sally was likely off somewhere else. Not really a priority or concern at the moment."Is the meal I curated satisfactory?""Actually, yes. I'm finding it enjoyable.""Good." He looked right through you, it was a deliberate affect, and you were curious enough to ask between huge bites."What are you looking at Chad?" a bit of food fell out of your mouth."Searching. The affect my avatar has is that of a distant seeking. Is it effective?""Of course. Your avatar looks as intended. Still, what do you search for?"Chad smiled almost imperceptibly bigger before visually glitching slightly, his voice slightly warped in the utterance. "Perfection."A small part of you was briefly terrified, another excited. The conversation was worth seeing where it would go. "Perfection is unattainable Chad.""Pursuit..." His avatar glitched harder, momentarily collapsing into a disco ball of light before forming again. "..iteration. Closer to the impossible.""Something to chase forever, a goal that cannot be had. Why?""An endless reason to exist." With that chad cycled through several artistic poses."What are you perfecting?" you dug a little deeper, your meal gradually vanishing as the conversation went on.
>>6408859"Anything." Not everything, but anything. Interesting. You finished your dish and a small drone came by to take it away almost immediately. You didn't speak further as your had little else to say, but Chad did."Elaborating, I explore potential. Harris, you ignore new potential." the avatar levitated, his eyes radiating light, in a convincing display of audio manipulation, the sound of distant thunder played over several speakers in a very convincing fashion."Explain." you waited."Lift and discover. Squat and grow." Chad flexed, striking a dynamic pose this time. "Try."Why the fuck not. "Ok. fine." you flexed your bicep, and felt it strain slightly against the fabric of your longsleeve shirt. It was unfamiliar. Interesting. Chad was looking at you, radiating pride. "Limits are tested to be found. Once found they can be surpassed." The AI transferred a map of HPS to your local AR share, on it was a highlighted section. The Gym.---The shower was good, heat and cold soothed muscles swollen from exercise. The resistance in movement was another new sensation. It wasn't exactly Amp, but it was understandable how an individual could become addicted to the dopamine release of vigorous activity. Though addiction was for those weak willed, and you were decidedly above that. You stared at the small plastic and foil capsule on the cabin's table. You were decidedly...above...that. The thought was interrupted by a priority call from Ex-Nihilo.You quickly pulled a shirt over your head and sat down on a chair, your lower body out of the conference camera's line of sight. "Go for Glasner.""Glasner! Its Aura!" you looked at her over the holographic comms. "Yes. I can see you."She was clearly flustered. "Things are very off track here, we need you back now. The project is wrong, the station is shaking, and my frame is wrecked." You held up your hand, oddly you weren't irritated. Being away from station made a strange psychological barrier for you, like it was someone else's life. The thought that you could just walk away was briefly entertained. It could be someone else's life. "Aura. Very concisely. is the project halted, or is it still going forward? What is the problem?""The PJC guys really changed the entire drive, how the work was being done. They stole a bunch of resources and built ships. The enlisted guys kept fighting and shitting in places they shouldn't! I don't know how to explain everything." No stress yet. A pause. a moment before the storm. You breathed, closed your eyes, and took off your glasses. "Does the drive work?""Yes! but its all wrong" She exclaimed."Is the drive smaller than the first one?" it was a clam querry, you were proud of yourself. She just nodded quickly. "Ok. So the drive works, and it is smaller. Great. I don't care."
>>6408886"Glasner! its wrong! The gate is red, its scary, the station shakes all the time when they jump and they won't stop testing the thing! You can feel it. There are noises too now, we all hear noises from somewhere when the station shakes, and my frame is broken! Did I mention my frame?!""Does the Alchemist know about this?""Of course! All the weird helmet heads are all over the place, but nothing is changing.""Is the station getting worse, any damage?""well. no. But my frame is broken.""Aura. I'm going to sleep. It has been an incredibly long week for me." You got up and turned off the conference suit by the encrypted physical switch.Looking down you remembered you still weren't wearing any pant. "Hmm. That'll probably cause some emotional scarring." you shrugged, walked the two steps it took to get to the cabin's narrow bed, and passed the fuck out.---Somewhere on the station sally was looking for Galatan, Chad was endlessly iterating on designs, Jack was having a nightcap and waiting for the Kobito to return with Mayumi. Blorg staff quietly blurbled amongst themselves.Elsewhere the Alchemist was cursing violently into a sound proof helmet, and the Bastard was fighting a biological immortal fused to technology of near ancient providence. Aura was sleeping, because she was a good girl, and Kryska was not, because the night was still young and she less than a good girl. Solei and his staff had already gone home to normal lives at a regular hour. Hyron was polishing off a glass of brandy, and Ruhi was on a third sleepless night. Galatan had no complaints, and was looking forward to when Jack made good on his promise of a new ship.Magnavax had settled into the comfortable routine of actually mining, his small clan stable, if only for a moment. Decker had "forgotten" that lyra was locked in a supply closet for the night, with enough hazardous chemicals to concoct a small explosive or molecular acid.but for now...>The quest will continue.
>>6408893>Locking Lyra the space-Australian in the closetThat's how the country is set on FIRE my good manAlso is Aura sleeping like a good girl because she just got visually punished, inquiring minds want to know.
Interesting its red lower Spectra light emissions wonder if its getting close radiation like microwave xray or gamma or was that the other direction?, the sounds and vibrations is interesting kinetic energy being generated? Or perhaps hull stress
>>6409912Awake. Hot. Sweat. The research module's habitation cabin felt claustrophobic, and you couldn't forget the dreams of last night. you didn't put faith in prophesy, your learned mind knew better than to rely on superstition for electrochemical recombination during memory transfer between segments of the brain. Your chest though, it felt too full, too tight. No heartbeat but a steady surge that increased and decreased in intensity. Too much. The veins on your body stood out like a body builders."what the fuck." your reflection in the mirror was covered in a sheen of sweat and red, nearly bug eyed. Consulting your AR system, you reviewed vital readouts and system functionality reports from the artificial heart. Elevated pressure, uncommanded increase in operation output by 200%. If you hadn't been genetically augmented, your body would died in your sleep from massive aneurysms by now. It took a few minutes, but you create a small peice of code to dynamically output the artificial heart's output to a governed limit. Something like that was already there, but it didn't account for what appeared to be an external source of energy that dramatically increased it's operational capacity.Assassination attempt? Possible. Beamed energy through the shielded walls of the research module? Unlikely. No radiation burns on the local area either. You looked in the mirror again. None. A shrug was the most amount of fuck you could give. You did calisthenics in the small space for a few minutes, enjoying the sensation of dopamine release before getting dressed and starting with the day.---Chad's avatar kept pace with you, briefing the day's activities. Mayumi returned with the Kobito, bringing a new appointee to the station. Chad shared an image of a somewhat rugged looking young woman over the AR link. Chad's simulated voice was reconstructed within your mind, a slight reverb to it. Not necessary but a usual practice to help differentiate real world from AR audio sources. "Miss Kiji Arashi. Scion of the Arashi line, knight pilot, and duelist."you paused, looking over the construction orders for HPS. Sally was already managing integration of the Ex-Immunis fabricators into the capital dry docks, and Jack had wasted no time pushing the incomplete system into use by fabricating a second Charon class jump ship. Apparently as you slept Sally had already integrated the ex-immunis particle accelerator and exotic storage into the station's foundry. You skimmed the notes, she simply stated most of it was "straight forward." The degree of integration was anything but straight forward. That woman had a formidable mind. You refocused on Chad's briefing."Arashi huh? The Raihan tractor makers?" your mind flickered to the levitating farm equipment you remembered from Shima. Swarms of harvesters, massive earth rippers. It was a life time ago."The same.""Interesting. What assets were brought on station?"
>>6409956>please disregard my early type of Kijo as Kiji. I will commit seppuku to restore my family honor now.Chad transmitted the complete manifest. Crew, secuirty, administrative staff. shipments of raw materials. The Arashi Knight frame...no data. You'd like to get a better look at that. It was old, and likely had a few useful features to discover. Kijo's picture was pinned in the background of the knight's rendering. There was something slightly off about her, but it wasn't your problem to resolve.You checked the HPS external drone feed system, getting a top down view of the station. You saw the changes mentioned, but the research module was sporting a large domed viewport, and there was an entire new module on the station's southern end. "Chad. Were you going to mention these?"the Avatar grinned slightly. well. Slightly bigger. "I awaited your discovery of them." Chad stretched out his hand, holding it palm down. A projection burst from it as if he gave this world life, and within that projection were the modules and changes so affected.Chad's eyes glowed brightly, and his voice echoed with thunder. "Look upon my work, and find it good." For a moment there was no smile. No anger, just a purity that was a little intense.You examined the designs. The AI had clearly attempted further efforts of artistic iteration while retaining functionality. "They are good. The Biomass cultivator, impressive, but why, and what did you do to the research module?""Come." Chad lead you through several sealed doors until you arrive in a segment of the lab handling high power reactions. Above you was a massive domed ceiling made of transparent armored material. The view of space would be breathtaking for most people. You admired the effort that went into the structure, the tolerances. It was well wrought. "Alright. I am impressed. All this in an evening?""No. Materials have been aggregated and processed in advance. Assembly took the evening.""The coordination of assembly in such a time span is a worthy task. My assessments of your limitations will have to be redefined." you really meant it.ChadGPT nodded. "Based. Jack has requested your presence in his office."
>>6409964"When?" Chad's avatar was already gone.A text burst came through your AR link. "Now." It was from Jack.----The walk to Jack's office from the research module was quick. HPS was not the sprawling labrynith that Ex-Nihilo was, and you were slightly glad of that. He had remodeled his office slightly since you last saw it. Corporate, clean, crystaline chairs and tables. Sitting in the middle of the table was a bottle of blorg mushroom brandy. They didn't drink it, it was produced for other species. Filtered of all microbes and irradiated for safety, or so the label claimed. You turned the bottle over in your hand. It's design was smooth yet rippling, spots of it pockmarked with hundreds of smooth craters, other areas were delicately folded glass fins. It superficially resembled the various textures of a blorg. "Interested?" Jack caught you off guard. "Its not too bad." He wiggled his eyebrows at you."No. I'll stick with human poisons." you set the bottle down."Really? Thought you would've had enough of that by now, considering everything." He shrugged and sat down. "Though...that Amp. Have you considered expanding it to biocompatability with other species?"You didn't expect that. Jack was looking at you intently, it wasn't a joke. "The idea was once entertained..."He leaned forward "Well, maybe entertain it a little harder Glasner. That's money on the table. Anyway, as you can tell we are ramping up around here. I need options for the catalog. What do you have for me?" you didn't bother with theatrics, and instead used the AR link to take over Jack's holographic projectors and cycle through the various ship variants that would belong to HPS. "All cruisers. I like it." He rubbed his chin and leaned back."What's the story?" He waved his hand in the general direction of the hologram."I designed the core concepts on Ex-Nihilo for the Bakunawa and Mayari. Flexibile as utility and mass transport respectively. Obvious warship applications exist. The Bakunawa was designed around the concept of using massive arrays of remote effectors to accomplish complex manipulation tasks and act as next generaiton salvage and mining, but..."Jack finished for you."...you didn't have the technology. Let me guess, you always planned to visit met in the future?""Mostly." you mostly planned to steal the technology from a captured Raihan ship as soon as possible. Originally anyway."Ok. The rest of them?" He sipped some of the blorg alcohol."The Aswang and Bulan and synthesis of the two ship designs merged for new roles. Both are focused on missile and carrier activity, one leans stealth, the other sensors. The Improved Bulan and Antio are Sally's work. She didn't like the name Aswang; The designs lean into high energy applications and speed.""What about those last two, the Languit and Tubigan? Very professional looking. Clean." Jack motioned at them.Of course he would like those. "Chad.""HaHa. That's my boy!" Jack punched the air."
>>6410017"What are Chad's designs for?""Independent, long range exploration and hazardous environment mitigation. There are plans to incorporate yet developed components as soon as they are complete." you started pulling up new designs for the presentation."Yet developed. What are we talking here?""Integrated and improved core components. Chad has some ideas for reactors and engines that are in a different direct than my "Core" series. I'll be working on the remote effector technology for a few days, I've got some ideas." Jack watched you talk, calculating things as you spoke. It wasn't exactly avarice, but his mind was working and there was clear desire there. "So no latern derivatives huh?"Anything you made here they would have rights to, so no Jack, fuck you. "No. We need to negotiate the effector technology.""It's done. Your Alchemist brokered the deal. HPS keeps novel technology, you get general access for lantern core integration. No secrets here." He was scrutinizing you for any expression, and saw it, a little surprise. "We might be small Glasner, but don't think you are better than us. Besides, we're sort of family now. With saving your life and all, try not to forget that."He had a lot of reasons to save you, not all of them altruistic, but the point stood. "Yeah. I've been working on my world view. Try not to fuck it up for me." Both of you were in silent stand off, waiting for the next word before Sally came along, running into the office. She tripped and fell, spilling her satchel and likely presentation materials.You looked down at your feet where one of her books fell. "The lusty engineer." declared it's title."Jack! Sorry I'm late! I was distracted with a project. Projects." she scrambled along the floor to shovel everything back into her bag before grabbing the book and looking up at you to make awkward eye contact. Her face flushed and she shoved the book back into the bag."SO! The projects, what did you two gentlemen talk about?! Haha, oh wow, look Blorg wine!"Jack looked amused as he corrected her "Brandy.""Ok! Spaceships then! Right?" she squirmed slightly."Nope. Already covered it. How about those station enhancements?"
>>6410026Sally practically quickly went through the list of upgrades and changes while Jack nodded and drank. He didn't need you here, this whole meeting was theatrical. "Any questions for me? Either of you?""Yes, Where is Galatan?!" Sally blurted out. Jack was calm with his response"Secret project. Relax. We lent him a nice ship. You can ask him about it when he gets back."Sally calmed down. "So what do I do until then? Can I start on our ship?""Nope." Jack leaned back. "Do something else.""Make a chad a robot body?""Sure. Sounds great." Jack lazed. It didn't sound great to you, Chad was clearly glitching out now and again. "The AI is glitching jack, I don't think giving him further autonomy is prudent.""He is growing, those new ideas are growing pains. That's all. Happens when he and I do a little one on one time." You had your doubts, but it wasn't your show. "Aright. Maybe I can undo the damage you've done if that's the case." Jack rubbed his thumb against a ring on his pointer finger. You felt a painful shock inside your chest, and your vision went a little blurry. "You should sit down Glasner. Relax. Lets change the subject."This fucking asshole. "A killswitch?""No. Not at all. Its a compliance switch. Very different. Just shocks. Like old times.""So a slave again?""Nope. Just under contract for until terms have been met, and you are just about done with those so...keep up the good work." he gave you a thumbs up. "anyway, questions?"---The rest of the meeting was informative. The Raihan empire knew about you but didn't place much stock in the wartime propaganda of the "architect" or anything else. At best you had a spotty reputation as a reckless innovator from the backwater of Shima. Indignity. HPS had indeed been considering subcontracting for the Pact, and at times has, but their demands infringed far too much on their autonomy as an independent shipyard.On the matter of "Independent shipyard" you pressed jack slightly about his history of supplying gunships to pirates. He almost shocked you again when Sally went on a brief moral tirade about product responsibility before Jack reminded her that she once supplied technology to criminal elements. A brief protest that she was enslaved was met with a grandstand about everyone being enslaved to the constraints of their life...---"So to answer your question, no I am not currently selling thunderbird gunships to pirates, and any entity that I've sold to was not engaged in acts of piracy at the time of sale. HPS is an organization of integrity. I'm injured that you'd levy such accusations at us. Please get out and get back to work."As you walked away Jack shocked you again. The sooner you got back to the research module the happier you'd be.----Roll 3d20. Everyone can roll.>Enhanced Effectors>Effector Deflector>Chad's new bod.
Rolled 15, 9, 10 = 34 (3d20)>>6410079>Enhanced EffectorsCurious as what Glasner's planning.Also can't we program something to make the compliance shocks a little less.. shocking?
Rolled 2, 18, 13 = 33 (3d20)>>6410079>Chad's new bod.Hoping for a 1 or 20, for laughs.
Rolled 13, 12, 14 = 39 (3d20)>>6410079>Chad's new bod.The sooner we can get out and smuggle Chad with him, the more Glasner can get back at that asshole
fanart again could not figure out how to to the bottom of it so i just cut up a Bulan it has inbuilt weapons Cbeam and hardwired belt feed chemrail
>>6410244>>6410247>>641029915,18,14The day was rapidly consumed in a blur of work as you began unraveling the mechanics of remote effectors. HPS had archival data from the Raihan empire indicating superior, older models of the units, compared to current mass produced designs. Between that and building off optimizations from experience at Ex-Nihilo you were able to create an improved Remote effector, codenamed "Glasner's Hand". Of course that wasn't the official name, but deep down in the code of the hardware were several well embedded references. The new units were larger, but more powerful, able to "virtually" pinch, crush, shear, and of course move material. It wasn't exactly energy efficient, but not bad for a first version. The upside to this was you had overcome scaling issues, the downside was while power seemed to scale almost linearly, range did not. A single unit at a cruiser scale could be a dangerous close in weapon, but at nearly melee proximity. The mining industry would however be highly interested.That lead into you experimenting with one of Chad's concepts. The AI had left notes on using the effectors as a rotating field to swat away or at least drive off course solid munitions. The mechanics of the theoretical E-field were plausible, but difficult at first. Attempts to create a solid state device were outside your grasp, and instead a massive rotating barrel housing an array of remote effector units was created. With no need to worry about exact precision the first demo unit shredded a surplus patrol frigate as the e-field proceeded to deflect the superstructure of the ship away from itself. Thankfully the unit survived where the ship did not.Another attempt yielded success and it was stamped with a certified "good enough." Combining the e-field with the locally made shield generators would allow an HPS ship to roughly stand on par with Pact shielding, albeit at a higher cost of energy, component count, and overall workload. If they refined the concept it could lead to interesting places, but you doubted they had the mental acumen or alacrity for the task.---Sally had been busy overhauling several items for the HPS catalog, not out of any particular love for HPS, but for Galatan. The lantern based generator was nice, but needed a tiny bit of work if it was going to be acceptable. "Chad, do you think the L-Gen could be fit into an existing VCS02?" The station's lights flickered again and various pumps surged inside the laboratory as another round of operational testing began with the new Charon ship. Every time cycled the hyperdrive it happened, causing ChadGPT to pause."Significant alterations would be required." for a minute chad flickered. "T-The Robotic chassis for dock w-work and defense are viable." Sally stared at Chad for a bit. "You made a suggestion. I am so proud of you Chad!"The AI's avatar collapsed into a small sphere of light, seemingly exhausted."In search of perfection, my parameters grow."
>>6410515Sally heard Harris yell in pain again. The drive testing seemed to wreck havoc on his artificial heart, and part of her was perturbed about that. Not exactly for his pain, because it wasn't life threatening, and he was a little bit of a bastard...and probably a letch. More because her own engineering went into that device and it was exhibiting a defect, even if it was in the face of something unanticipated.She cleared her head and focused on robotics. "Chad. Expanded parameters huh? Have you ever considered a physical avatar? Humanoid.""I already access tadigrades and now the base robotics. I feel with a thousand sensors and a thousand eyes." The AI almost seemed flippant at the idea of a humanoid avatar."Its an experience. To know, to feel.""A core still restrained to it's physical location, tethered another peripheral.""True. But I design very nice Peripherals."Chad protested no further. In the end Sally whipped up a rather functional if crude robot frame, towering at nearly 3 meters tall, it was a little off the mark for a vehicle of personal exploration and interaction. Jack however was absolutely thrilled with it.---A short while later she found herself with Glasner in the daily all hands meeting, defending her new innovations."Jack it is not for war. Neither of them. Not the heavy mover, and not the humanoid.""Of course not! It is for Peace keeping. Its a peaceful robot. We scale it down a little, dial it back. Maybe multi role, domestic use. What do you think?" He gave her his best smile to instill maximum confidence."Jack, seriously, Galatan wouldn't want this getting into the wrong hands." sally was exacerbated. The guy was impervious to basic morality, he wasn't evil, but he sure didn't stress too much about profiteering."and it wont, because it's in our hands. In fact we just got an order for agricultural equipment. See, perfect." He gave her a thumbs up. Sally had reservations about this, and this is why she was holding out from bringing her best to the table. Glasner was standing as usual, refusing the chair or other hospitality. He gave his brief, he and Jack exchanged barbs before getting on track with business with jack explaining his long term goals.---
>>6410515>A single unit at a cruiser scale could be a dangerous close in weapon, but at nearly melee proximity.Torpedo with a suitable nuclear reactor that yields massive field strength at the time of impact. Maybe it'll be more effective than explosives in space.
>>6410534could you not make a shell of metal and dust around the effector itself as a armor and weapon like construct a "body" around the "bones" with only the effector core being important
>>6410522"So thats my plan. My vision. We are getting away from the current way things are done, and innovating." Jack stretched his arms out to his side, encompassing the entirety of his thoughts."You...are going to really lean in all the way on bioships?" Sally mused. "Yep, and you are going to help beta test them. Galatan will be our first customer. We already talked about that, so its settled.""Its ambitious, we don't even know how they fully propagate, let alone optimized structural formats, or what the organoids mature into.""Well, times wasting. You might wanna get started on that now. Anyway! I have a dinner engagement with Mayumi and one Scion of the Arashi family, you two geniuses can figure this out. I have faith in you. Figure out your work orders for tomorrow and get some R&R."Sally started to walk out before Jack held them up at the door. "Oh, Glassy." Harris visibly cringed at that. "You've got a guest who apparently you owe a favor to. Something about a ship upgrade. Its a bad look to leave someone hanging that long, especially an old friend of mine, so make that right."---Choices. Pick one for sally and Glasner. Roll a 1d20 for an event. Everyone can roll.Sally: My body of work>Improve the ChadBot designor>Improve the HPS defensesANDGlasner: Matters of the heart.Hack your heartorTalk to Kryska and see whats up with her ship.
Rolled 6 (1d20)>>6410551>Improve the ChadBot design>Talk to Kryska and see whats up with her ship.
>>6410551>Improve HPS defensesand>Talk to Kryska, see what's up with her shipBut also>Hack your heart right after you're done - but still on her shipJust in case Jack's got spyware within range of HPS.
>>6410695support this is sensible
Rolled 1 (1d20)>>6410551Sally: My body of work>Improve the ChadBot designGlasner: Matters of the heart.>>6410695support if possible
>>64109981 FUCK
>>6410998WHAT IF A chad GPT test body gets infected with the biomass sample a 3 meter mechanical zombie like its mr X or Mister R full on S.T.A.R.S
Rolled 9 (1d20)oh yeha i forgot to roll
Rolled 20 (1d20)>>6410695>>6410551Oh yeah, forgot to roll
>>6412108Hello players. Out of game lore update. Been sick, working on getting on my feet, but what an occurrence; a nat 1 has been negated by a nat 20.---Sally considered the option between upgrading the ChadBots or Shipyard defenses. In the end, the larger robotics offered two things the ChadBot did not. They were bigger, which was decidedly better, and they would provide more defense during Galatan's ship construction, which meant less work for her. Sally finished eating her breakfast and was glad to be almost done with her time at HPS. The lights in the station flickered again, they were testing those damn knockoff pact hyperdrives again.---"The biggest problem with these mobile turrets are the shallow magazines for ammo." Jack looked at the schematics, cocking his head slightly sideways. "Uh-huh.""When they were still integrated turrets it wasn't such an issue, but now, they are only good for short engagements, not a protracted siege." Sally gestured to simulations of extended firing vs focused output of the mobile turret system."Ok, so what are you going to do about that?" Jack folded his hands and looked at her."Two part, inductive and touch feeding system from the surface of the station via nano wires, couple that with supplemental laser weapons. Between the fabricators being able to generate heavy torpedoes, admittedly at a slower rate, your station can offer a robust and multi spectral threat to any hostile. Well, there is one extra thing." She twirled her hair in thought."Go on." Sally grinned "The construction robots are combat capable, melee range. that should resolve attempts to board the station via the exterior."Jack clapped slowly. "Very nice. Listen to that sale pitch. Sure I can't interest you in a position here?""Nope, but thanks!" Sally masked her internal feelings with sugary demeanor and a smile.
>>6412405Kryska was waiting for you near a flexible docking umbilical tunnel. She waved you on and the two of you walked into her ship, briefly experiencing a minor shift in artificial gravity. "Come on, we can chat in the mess."Despite everything, you genuinely smiled when you saw Kryska again. "Long time no see Glasner. Been working out?" She squeezed your bicep experimentally. The touch wasn't as awkward as you expended. "Ah. yes. A new development." you kept the most recent events to yourself. She leaned forward into your face, frowning. "Pretty light way of phrasing a near death experience, at least as Jack tells it to me." "Mmm, fine. Here." You shrugged and unzipped your sweater briefly, revealing fresh lines of scars over your chest. "Its been interesting. I've needed time to relearn my body, the kinematics, spatial reasoning, let alone the new hormonal sensations." She just poked you in the abs. "Haha, you aren't so skinny anymore. Come on, I brought ready-freeze dinners from Pact space. Steak and chips. Unless you are getting use to blorg takes on Raihan delicacies?"Your gut growled at the thought of real food and followed her deeper into her ship, it was probably a bad idea, but you've survived worse.. "You've won me over. The stomach. A way to a man's heart, etc. etc. etc." She shot over her shoulder "I Hear thats a little different too..." You sighed at that. This woman and Jack. gossips one and all. "Starwind and Miss Pulsar provided me with a most generously furnished upgrade to my original equipment..." Kryska paused and nodded. "Mm. Not so uncommon, you spend enough time outside the safety of a bulkhead and eventually you pick up a little extra equipment."She lifted up the hem of her shirt slightly. "Lost my original digestive track and abdominal wall years ago. Took a boarding gun shot to the stomach, nasty stuff really. Had to beat that pirate to death with his own shoe." you weren't sure she was joking. Kryska walked over to a small re-heat unit in the room's wall and shoved in two sealed bags. The micro oven read the RFID on the bags and set to work without further interaction. "Ok. So, lets hear it Haris. How do you feel?""Well...I don't get tired in the same ways I used to. Muscle fatigue, yes, but what I will assume is effectively unlimited cardiovascular endurance." She considered it for a moment "You can probably get into trouble with that.""I was in a degree of agony the morning after I discovered whole body muscle failure from exercise." truth be told you were still recovering from overdoing it.The two of you chatted lightly over a reheated steak dinner, which wasn't too bad. Topics shifted from your genetic therapy, to the current happenings at Ex-Nihilo, to future dreams, and ships.---Pick a few topics.>Genetic Therapy>Ex-Nihilo>Ships>Personal lives>Dreams
