Ready when you are.

I'm in.

>>16168241
Yay, it's only a matter of hours now.

Ready to go!
I hope, I lurked enough by now to get it right.

You are a strange creature, capable of taking over other lifeforms to serve as your vessel. Your current host, Jack Winters, was unbeknownst to you a drug addict, and overdosed on speedball. To survive, you bonded with him, but this damaged you, leaving you separated from the bodysnatcher command structure. An individual by accident, you are hunted by the cyborg aliens, the forces guided by the illuminati called the Wise, and your own kin.

Exploring the Fools base, you found Megan, now apparently upgraded to control a captured HK. After you outmaneuvring her, she releases the Origin Virus in the cyborg, causing it to go berserk and seemingly gain sentience. Pushing yourself to the limit, you defeated it, and abducted Megan. You exacted revenge on her, the Beast gaining more influence over you as a result, pushing you to be more vicious and cruel.

Your known abilities are:
- reinforcing your muscle and bone tissue, making you several times stronger,faster and tougher
- growing weapons from your arms, limited to one on each arm in any combination:a hooked, double edged blade on your forearm, claws, a spike that springs out from your wrist underneath your palm or launchable bone spikes
- hardening your skin into thick,segmented bone plate armor resistant to heat and energy weapons, and growing a membrane under your skin, that contains fluid that hardens on impact
- absorbing ingested organic material, that you can use to increase muscle and bone density(animal tissue is the most effective)
- the ability to call forth your host's memories, skills and knowledge
- altering your appearance, includin skin\hair\eye colour, facial features, height, build, and gender, though the more elaborate the change is, the more time and effort it takes.
- producing almost any kind of drug,poison or acid in liquid form, including sedatives, that you can deliver via gasses, at high pressure from an opening that can be created anywhere on your body, or through the wristspike.
- producing special material that can be a flaming liquid sprayed out, a flammable gas or a sticky jelly on fire
- emitting pheromones that influence humans
- sensing the mind-link of bodysnatchers

- enhanced senses, capable of switching to different spectrums (infravision, ultrasound, noise filtering, etc.)
- fiber-optic nervous system, allowing you to ignore pain to some extent, and speeding up your reflexes by orders of magnitude
- a pair of leathery wings growing from your shoulder blades, with a bio-fuel fed jet system underneath it, allowing you extremely fast aerial movement
- superhuman sense of balance
- four combat tentacles
- sonic vibrator drums that can cause disorientation, loss of balance and nausea on a wider area or severe pain and internal damage when focused. The effect magnifies the more drums you use.
- combat tendrils that can be shot out to a few dozen meters, they are a centimeter in diameter, as strong as steel cable, and have hooked ends that lodge themselves into objects or enemies

Mutations:
-Perfect Predator
Noise-level sense, body better optimised for stealth, invisible to digital sensors and leaves no scent
-Monstrous Strength
Increased strength, speed, and leaping distance
-Armoured Juggernaut
Massive armour, capable of deflecting most attacks and weathering the rest.
-Master of Arms
Improved bodysnatcher weapons

>>16168407
Re: Megan

Did we discover why she turned from sister figure to bitch while mind-raping her?

Standing on a street in Helsinki, your eyes are stuck to a series of screens in the display of an electronics store. A live broadcast from Bangkok shows a dark figure battling against several HK, and, to your surprise, winning, destroying the monstrous machines one by one. It's without a doubt Catherine, though she seems faster, stronger, new weapons allowing her to beat her enemies. Desperately wishing you understood the language, you scowl and turn away when they cut to a studio where two anchors discuss the events.

Pulling out your stolen phone, you call Kellery, and describe the situation in a few short sentences. She answers after a brief pause. "The KP-21 should arrive in two hours. Stay put." You hang up, having no patience for any more chitchat. As you walk back to the stolen van you left Megan in, the phone rings again. "What do you want, Prof?" A male voice answers. "I'm afraid it's not her. It's me, Richard. I'd like to ask you not to get abourd the ride they send you. I have someone I'd like you to meet."

Wat do?

>>16168434
"And who is that person?"

After the call is over, try and call Cath if we can contact her

>>16168407
>You exacted revenge on her, the Beast gaining more influence over you as a result, pushing you to be more vicious and cruel.
Okay guys, enough fooling around. Unless you want us to become some cartoon villain we must be more careful from now on. Seriously, what we did to Megan was horrible and most Anons were completly okay with it, some even decided it was not enough. Don't get me wrong, she's a total bitch, betrayed us and tried to kill us more than once, but she didn't deserve being pumped full of LSD, fed with bullshit about "killing" Jack and having her psyche turn on itself. I don't want to compliment Beast any more than necessary. Just imagine what would happen if it took over...

>>16168433
Well. After Jack was put away she had some pretty hard times. She built up an image of Jack as a hero figure, a knight in shining armour, and was sorely dissapointed when he didn't live up to it. Add in some more bad decisions, a horrible base temperament, getting kidnapped, poked and prodded in a lab, being treated subhuman, and you get someone with serious issues. And then the only people who gave a shit about her made her into a double agent, pushed her into a fight against horrible aliens, and did very heavy surgery on her. She's a bit nuts, all in all.

At least, that's what you managed to piece together.

>>16168434
>It's me, Richard.

"Prove it, as far as I know you're supposed to be dust. Sorry for that, by the way."

>>16168477
>She's a bit nuts, all in all.

Okay. Let's add her to the team.

>>16168471
Meh, I think the monologue was a bit called-for. Some of the other suggestions, not so much, though. But you're right, we need to limit its influence over us. That means more meditation on those progenitor-tree-things.

>>16168434
"Does this someone have a name?"

>>16168479
>>16168452
>>16168512
"Before the battle where you and Catherine killed a Dragon and a Hunter, you made a joke, pretending to be more bodysnatcher than human. After that, Catherine get freaked out some of the Cannes Belli. That good enough?"

He pauses for a second, then sighs. "Sod it, might as well tell you. The man I'm talking about is Sir Eliah Gough. He's someone I respect very much. High ranking member of the Wise, one of the top."

>>16168479
>>16168512
This. Ask him about whom he's talking about and make him prove his identity.

>>16168487
That's a good idea. Shame nobody thought of it sooner. Now she's completly broken and if she ever recovers she's going to hate us, and rightfully so. I'm afraid that saying "sorry" isn't going to suffice.

>>16168572
>Now she's completly broken and if she ever recovers she's going to hate us, and rightfully so. I'm afraid that saying "sorry" isn't going to suffice.

I'm sure we'll find a way to help her.
Hey, I'm glad there's something to worry about other than the next battle. I'm game for more human interactions.

>>16168564
"And why should I meet him right now? Can I do it after meeting with Kellery and Daisy? Or is this meeting something that the rest of the Wise should not know about, huh?"

>>16168564
As you might expect, I'm a bit leery of going places thanks to anomalous phone calls. Being shot in the face hurts.

The transport will be here in 2 hours. If you want me to speak to this man, you'll need to give me a very good reason not to get on that plane. I trust you already know who my passenger is? I'd really like to get her locked down soon.

>>16168564
"Well, what do you suggest?" Let's at least hear him out. Where are we supposed to meet that guy?

>>16168564
Whatever we decide to do, let's keep the call brief. I think we really don't want to deal with that sniper at the moment.

>>16168572
>Adding her to the team is a good idea
How could we possibly trust her? She was at least a triple agent. I'm not sure I could name somebody we've met she hasn't betrayed, apart from the doctor who she obviously cares about more than us.

>>16168733
Because, deep down she's just a scared little girl.

And we can read her thoughts, that might help as well.

>>16168610
>>16168621
>>16168631
"As you now know, the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. I engineered it to be so. Eliah was convinced that things were only going to escalate, and I needed to dissapear. The Wise themselves have been compromised. At least one of them is behind the Fools, and has been all along. Eliah would like to... request something from you, as well as give you an offer. In person. His base of operations is in Seoul."

Tension creeps into his voice. "Let me sweeten the deal. Our sources suggest that Catherine will be there tomorrow. Look Jack, I know that you have no reason to trust me. But my only intention is keeping the situation from deteriorating." The next words are almost growled. "The organisation the Wise have spent the better part of two centuries is falling apart, rotting on the inside. The aliens are getting more desperate. The cyborgs are building HKs by the dozens, and the bodysnathcers are spwaning Hunter after Hunter. We are on the bloody verge of a full out war, and our best fucking bet is you and Catherine. A private jet will be waiting at the airport. Just go there if you decide to take my offer. My people will be there." He hangs up, leaving you alone in the quiet early evening.

>>16168751
>the better part of two centuries building
fix

Also, that's the last straw, I am proofreading every post from this point on.

>>16168751
He's got some points. However, I'd feel bad for leaving Kellery, Daisy and that goddamn cat behind.

>>16168751
Call Kellery back. Tell her "Cancel the transport. Egan got loose, and I have some unfinished business to deal with here. I'll contact you again when I need a lift.Tell Doctor Scruffles to keep Daisy safe for me, ok?"

>>16168767
Damn my vague nature! Forgot to put in the part where he says that you can leave for Seoul after you drop off Megan.

>>16168804
I'd like Megan to be under heavy lock and guard. Considering what we went through to get her and what we want to do to her in the future, she cannot be allowed to escape.

>>16168804
Clarify. Do you mean that we can drop Megan in the transport we were supposed to be going and tell Kellery that we're sorry, but we must go somewhere else?

>>16168841
> what we want to do to her in the future

Fix her? Convince Cath to allow us a polyamorous relationship?

>>16168855
Yes.

I'm going to start brewing that coffee right now.

>>16168855
Okay, so, anyone agree or disagree with sending Megan back with the extraction team, then heading for the airport?

>>16168859
The former? Maybe. It would be certainly nice, but I doubt it's possible after what we did to her. The latter? No. Just no. Imagine how Cath would react if we told her that.
We don't really have any plans for her right now. Let's just hide her somewhere safe for now. Wise are compromised by the Fools, so Kellery should be instructed not to give Megan to them.

Knowing Anonymous, I bet that there are some people who want to break her mentally even more and "rebuild" her as emotionless, merciless assasin loyal only to us through conditioning and torture.

>>16168864
Okay. So do this>>16168855

>>16168936
Let's just see how much of the damage we've done can be fixed by us before the transport arrives. If she's somewhat stable and a bib less mental, we send her off.

>>16168962
Fixed how, if I may ask? Any concrete ideas?

>>16169018
Give me a sec. I'll have to re-read what we actually did.

>>16169018
Uhhh.... Dunno. The only way I can think of is making her forget about the whole interrogation, or at least the most traumatising parts, but I don't know if were good enough at that mind probing thing. We would probably just break her brain and tur her into vegetable.

>>16169055
You could try, but then you'll have to leave it to the dice. Success is possible, but you'll have to stick with the results if you try.

>>16169071
Let's wait for some more opinions on that matter. And for the>>16169026 to finish.

>>16169018
Okay.
Let's block the memories of the interrogation and implant the urge to contemplate why she's been such a bitch. We shouldn't change her character or anything, just make her think about how she's been acting.

Make it clear to her that we care for her and that we're deeply sorry for disappointing her. We don't need her as a double agent and we don't need to cut her open.

If it is safe, have her interact with our surrogate family. Being treated like a normal human might be a pleasant change for her.

>>16169071
Something do fog the recent events until we can do something permanent should be doable without invading her mind. I'm sure at least one Anon can come up with a substance we might inject that would remove the last few hours from her memory.

>>16169087
This sounds good.
Incredibly wrong from an ethic point but done with all the right intentions.

I'm torn. On one hand, easing her pain is a nice thing to do. On the other, leaving her fate to the tg dice is... risky.
Anyway, if we're going with it, then erase or fog the memories of the interrogation, but don't do anything to her character. If we're going to make her less evil and crazy, we're doing it without hax.

The houses around you seem empty, windows yawning darkly in the silence. Quickening your steps, you think through your options, but decide to put the decision on hold until you see if there's anything you can do for Megan. The SUV looms in the long shadows, and steeling yourself, you climb in to the back.

Megan is still sleeping, the sedatives refined through the course of the last pair of weeks to be extremely efficient. She sleems oddly at peace, the contrast with the mind-numbing terror she exhibited before harsh. You crouch down beside the gourney she's lying upon, and place a hand upon her cheek. Tendrils erupt from underneath the skin, and gently worm their way inside, scanning her brain. Flashes of memories fill your head, and you have to push them away to concentrate. Your mind is clear, and the process seems to work much better now that the Beast is silent. Exhaling, you set upon the task at hand.

Roll away, folks. Best three rolls count.

>>16169198
Oh, and one more thing.

>just make her think about how she's been acting
>Make it clear to her that we care for her and that we're deeply sorry for disappointing her.
I oppose those. They should be achieved the old fashonied way (talking). And the more we change, the bigger chance of failure.

rolled 19 = 19

>>16169231
THE SUSPENSE
No, seriously. It's killing me. And the dice hates me. Ah, scrwe it. It's sink or swim.

rolled 10947152 = 10947152

>>16169239
Oh, sorry. Those weren't supposed to be done by screwing with her brain. Only the first paragraph is supposed to be done that way.

>>16169231
>Roll away, folks. Best three rolls count.
What kind of dice?

>>16169267
1d100.

>>16169267
1d100, as always.

rolled 75 = 75

rolling, long time since i rolled...

rolled 52 = 52

come on -fingers' crossed-

rolled 79 = 79

And another one.

rolled 51 = 51

>>16169283
Well, here we go.

rolled 39 = 39

And again.

rolled 98 = 98

>>16169231
>Best three rolls count.
>Best three


Unclear formulation, fuck yeah!

>>16169338
High rolls count, as they did in the last 24 threads. So, congratulations! Nice roll!

rolled 87 = 87

>>16169349
Sorry, I'm new here. I just remember the epic failure our rolls usually caused in Tau Quest.

rolled 81 = 81

another roll here

rolled 8 = 8

Well.. looks like we have it in the bag :)
>>16169338
>>16169365
>>16169372

rolled 2 = 2

Extremely good roles everywhere.
Oh well, see if we can manage a perfect illusion.
Could be ugly once all this comes back to her.

rolled 42 = 42

>>16169386
Epic fail.

rolled 41 = 41

>>16169386
Well, my idea was to turn her into a somewhat stable and balanced human being, come clean with her by then and let her choose if she wants those memories back or not.

rolled 12 = 12

rollan rollan

rolled 51 = 51

Come on, daddy needs a nat 100.

Oh you guys are such pussies.

This is the bitch that fucked us over every time we saw her, and you guys feel BAD about torturing her.

We should be making it a weekly routine.

rolled 74 = 74

>>16169444
From what I understand, we, or rather Jack and her, were pretty close until recently.

>>16169458
....and then she completely fucked us over every time we saw her.

Not Jack.

Us. Remember, the body snatcher? It's really time to stop playing dress up as Jack Winter. It's no longer advantageous.

>>16169458
To be precise: we were close long time ago, but then things soured, because Jack was an drug addicted asshole.

>>16169444
Holy shit, the Beast is browsing 4chan!
Seriosly though. Yes, she's a bitch. Yes, she screwed us over more than once, with intent to kill. Yes, she deserved punishment. But not this. As Brain showed in this>>16168477 post, she has issues. Big ones. But deep down she's just that: seriously screwed up girl. She's not beyond hope. And if we can't somehow fix her, we will deal with her some other way.

rolled 81 = 81

>>16169478
So, if we should decide to stop being Jack Winter. What would you suggest we should do?

rolled 82 = 82

>>16169478
But maybe we like it?
Being a human, being not the beast that mindlessly absorbes the flesh of everyone, slave to the collective?
What if seing her suffering just as we did would have moved Jack to forgive her?

>>16169478
We had this discussion before. More than once.

>It's really time to stop playing dress up as Jack Winter.
Sooner or later the charade is going to end, that is obvious. Actually, I'm thinking about this. Should we try to keep it up as long as possible, or end it prematurely, on our own terms? The former is seemingly better, but then it's going to cause shitstorm. Just imagine Cath's reaction. The latter may seem stupid, but it will ease the impact, give us time to explain.

>>16169510
What we've always done. Only without pretending to be human. We can start doing what has to be done, instead of acting like we're shocked and appalled that we're being forced into this situation.

And we can finally drop that needy bitch Catherine, and pick up the cold calculating cyborg half that actually gets shit done without having an emotional breakdown every time we leave her alone for more than five minuets.

>>16169518
Jack never held any grudge against her.

But we aren't Jack. We're us. Jack is dead. We're just walking around in his skin.

rolled 54 = 54

So Brain, give any thought to the whole nanotech thing?

Also, let's add Morgan to the team. Sure, she's fucked up, but that can work to our advantage. She was weak before. We will make her strong. All we ask for in return is loyalty.

>>16169567
> And we can finally drop that needy bitch Catherine, and pick up the cold calculating cyborg half that actually gets shit done without having an emotional breakdown every time we leave her alone for more than five minuets.
There is one problem with this. How do you convince the cyborg to work with us? Cath's gotten powerful, I'm not sure if we could defeat her. In worst case scenario, we would be serving her, not the other way around.

And when was the last time Cath had nervous breakdown? I think she's (well, was) going by pretty well, considering her situation.

>>16169618
This. Let's use her mental issues to our advantage. Someone like her would be a very valuable asset to possess. So we'll have to try to not fuck this up and lose her for good.

>>16169609
And yet we bear his memories and emotions.
That makes us the heir of his personality.
I like the thought of succeeding where he failed.

>>16169558
Oh, without a doubt, no matter what, Catherine will snap like a twig when we tell her.

But that's not so bad, is it? i mean, we're the ones ordering her to maintain her humanity, because that lends more credence to our disguise.

Shes only as human as we keep telling her she is.

rolled 82 = 82

I missed a few thread, but have hastily read through them again. I thought we never really decided if Winters was gone or not? I thought that a fair bit of his persona rubbed off on us anyway?

>>16169309
>>16169338
>>16169365

Carefully feeling out the memory of your interrogation, you feel sure that you can't simply make it dissapear. Locking it away would still leave some part of her knowing of what you did, and the forceful change would leave a wound, one that would fester and rot. Sooner or later, it would drive her stark raving mad. So instead, you simply fog the it up, make it a blur. At first, you set to work on it mechanically, a set of alterations roughly put in place.

But as you work, your methods slowly change. You make every little change, every small adjustment more precise, and by the time you finish, you shape and mould her mind like an artist, somehow instinctively knowing how to make new connections or reroute existing ones. With a newfound confidence, you put in place a suggestion to re-examine her choices, being careful so it doesn't cripple her, making sure that it fades away slowly, in days or weeks perhaps. You touch her other memories, trying to find a way to help her. The burden of it is incredible, vivid flashbacks stabbing deep into you like knives. A tide of dark moments push against you, and you can't simply cut it all out out, magically make everything better.

(cont.)

>>16169661

But you can make it hurt less.

You take all the pain of betrayal, the dark moments of doubt, the bitter taste of failure, the pitch black self-loathing, the blind anger at the world, and take away the edge of it all. A sense of pressure lifts as you soften these feelings, and you let go of Megan's mind. Slumping against the wall of the car, you start laughing. A profound sense of peace fills you. What you just did was not defeating an enemy, or putting yourself between someone and obvious danger. You helped someone, made their life a little better bit by bit, seeing and feeling the whole process. And damn if it doesn't feel refreshing to honestly, seriously wanting to help.

You fish out the phone from your pocket. Time to make some more decisions. It never seems to end, does it?

>>16169643
We need nanotech so as to become more powerful than dear old Catherine, Terminator 2 style. Not that I support betraying her, god knows we've been through some shit together. It'll just be better for us if we're the more dangerous partner in our friendship.

Better for everyone that we stay in charge. We're the only one that can get shit done.

>>16169609
>But we aren't Jack. We're us. Jack is dead. We're just walking around in his skin.
That doesn't make us a monster. Yes, we did some not very heroic things (including infecting Jack in the first place). So what? Now we make ourselves. And I'll be damned if I'll anyone give Beast the satisfaction.

>>16169618
I gave it some thought, and will implement it in a few ways in the coming mutations.

>>16169658
Yes, it never was decided. The discussion always comes up every few threads though, but no agreement has been reached. I personally advocate a mixed appraoch, but it's all up to you guys.

>>16169646
Do we really? We simply accessed that information to understand how to act as Jack.

Those arent our feelings. Our experiences. Megan was rather fond of Jack.

But she wants us dead. She hates us.

And you know what? We have no reason not to hate her. Jack has reason to love her. She is the one who tried to murder us because we stopped being useful.

I say we return the favor.

>>16169682
Fuck the Beast, we do things for ourselves, and nobody else. The Beast might get pleasure from our harming people, but we're not doing it for it's pleasure. We're in control, and we're doing it because WE want to.

The Beast is our bitch, not the other way around.

>>16169658
Check the previous thread. In post number 16135748 Brain elaborated on it a bit.

>>16169704
Actually, Jack didn't react very well to her dissapointment either. It's rather unpleasent to come home to someone you saved after a few rough years, only to find her repulsed and dissaporving of everything you've become to survive.

Saying that things were frosty between them is putting it lightly.

>>16169701
>in the coming mutations

I was under the impression the whole point of it was to control the way our mutations work, and when they happen.

I guess everybody else never asked for this.

>>16169701
Excellent. Armed with glorious Nanoscale Manipulation, Bodysnatcher Quest will soon become Exponential Power Growth Quest!

Just as /tg/ always plans, for every single quest ever.

The "beast" as you insist on calling it, is nothing of the sort. It's the voice of survival, and sometimes, you must take drastic measures to survive. It didn't howl for blood, it howled for revenge. It howled for hunger. It howled for life.

>>16169755
Now how do we get close enough to the president to sedate him?

>>16169708
It's easy to say that. Do you know the Brain's plans? How can you be so sure?

>>16169704
>She is the one who tried to murder us because we stopped being useful.

I say we return the favor.
She's hurt. We should help her, not make it worse or kill her.

Aw, fuck it. This argument is going nowhere. Do as you want. But know that whenever you or anyone else tries to make protagonist into monster there will someone to oppose you. Call us white knights or moralfags if you want. We will see who emerges victorious.

...Actually, that's quite exciting. And mirrors what the protogonist is going trough with the Beast.

>>16169782
I'd say three meters if we don't care if we're subtle, a meter if we do.

We'll want to start off as a Senator first though. I say we evolve a better set of vocal cords, and study enough human neurology to manipulate emotions through our tone of speech.

As a Senator, I'm sure we'll have a much easier time getting close.

>>16169801
>She's hurt. We should help her, not make it worse or kill her.

Really? Then we should stop fighting the cyborgs and bodysnatchers as well. They are literally unable to make a choice to the contrary about killing us.

Or is it different because a sentient has been scarred? In that case, no more fighting the Fools either. After all, wrong job, wrong time.

Where is the line drawn for your sympathy?

After all, she is a threat to our survival.

>>16169817
Won't it be easier to enter Secret Service?

>>16169817
We already have that. We have pheromones that influence human minds..it was, like, the third thing we got.

>>16169678
So, should we ship her off to Kellery and the gang or keep her around?

>>16169841
But pheromones can't go through TVs, stupid.

Ok, I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. But still.

>>16169832
No, they have background checks and whatever. Plus the Wise would probably be even MORE suspicious than if we got elected to the Senate.

>>16169740
Controlling the mutations is out of your reach for now, since you don't even understand how or why it's happening, or why the trees appeared in your mind.
>>16169755
Well, I'll admit things spiralled out of control a bit, but it always has been like that. If you think back, the creature grew from being slightly stronger than human and being able to grow a few weapons to being an even match for a fully armed small army.
Now, I appreciate the discussion and the planning, but what's the final decision people? Accept Richard's invitation, or go back home?

>>16169678
We should infect her. being a guinea pig is the most useful thing she will ever have done for us..or Jack...we will of course, have to keep a close eye on her to see the results and gestation period.

>>16169782
>>16169817
Moralfags and immoralfags are having heated argument, and you guys are making plans how to replace the president. Never change, tg.

Okay, enough derails.
>>16169678
We decided earlier. Tell Kellery about Megan, drop her (Megan, not Kellery) off, go meet with Richard.
One thing. We know that the Wise are compromised and we shouldn't give Megan to her. So is sending her to Kellery really good idea? How will she hide her?

>>16169858
When she comes to, she should not find herself on a battlefield.
It would only make things more complicated. Catherine is an emotional wreck anyway, we cannot add envy to this now.
We should sort that out in a calm and safe enviroment

I say we stay here with Megan and train her to be our Dragon/Assistant. We can't take over the world on our own, we need subordinates.

>>16169889
>due revenge
>immoral
Yeah. okay.

>>16169831
>In that case, no more fighting the Fools either. After all, wrong job, wrong time.
How many people we killed back in the facillity? Zero. Well, expect those who died during the fight with HK, but that's not our fault. Oh, and a squirrel we ate.
Don't get me wrong, we killed some people in other places and we're not pacifists. But we're trying to limit casultaties.

>>16169889
>How will she hide her?

I hope we have enough clout as a freelancer that they'll treat her as we request. I doubt the wise want to antagonise us.

>>16169904
We're in the middle of foreign country, we don't know the language, and we're not far from facillity of our enemies. And Megan is unlikely to become our subordinate without more mind raping.
In short: no.

>>16169782
President of the US is a figurehead, for the most part. no real power. If you wanted to control everything, you'd have to get to the Supreme Court, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.

>>16169646
>>16169682
>>16169444
>>16169478
For what it's worth, I think we, and the bodysnatcher protagonist, have come to enjoy being Jack. True, we're not naturally Jack, but so far we've chosen to be him. The same way that Martian Manhunter has chosen to be Jon Johnsson (in his human disguise). It's easy to get lost in the role. A role that doesn't worry so much about constant fighting or moral implications or responsibility. We've chosen to continue this persona not just because it's useful, but also because it's convenient and comfortable. It helps shape our actions and even from the beginning, it helped serve as a buffer to help preserve our independence and individuality. I say we keep being Jack+.

>>16170003
>I say we keep being Jack+.
At least while we still can. We can't keep this up forever.

>>16169901
This one has a point. Sending Megan to Kellery is risky, but we can't really keep her around right now.

>>16170003
Why be Jack when we can be ourselves? Once our true identity comes out, and it WILL come out, we won't be able to play pretend any more.

Better to begin planning for the big reveal now, than miss our chance to take advantage of it so we can keep pretending to be human.

>>16170031
Our "true" identity is a bunch of guys on the internet.

>>16170031
We don't have a 'true identity', remember? If our programming had worked, we'd be a mindless but high-powered drone to the hive mind. Jack's drug-damage managed to erase that. Now we're literally a blank slate. We've scrawled a bit onto ourselves using Jack as a template, but that's it. We really are just a scrambled Jack with more brainpower and stronger survival instincts.

>>16169678
We accept the invitation. On one condition.

We need volunteers to infect. We may possibly be able to breed our own race, derived from our mutations, that is actually sentient. a race of super-soldiers.

>>16170031
And what is the "real" us? No, don't answer. The argument just ended (?), no need to start it again.

God, I fear the day our disguise drops. I can see the flames...

>>16170031
Thing is, we never had an identity.
Jack is our first one.
We just don't have the ability to say stop and take off the mask since thee is nothing underneath it.
All there was before was the screaming beast, the hungering instinct of our nature that we have come to abhor, only kept at bay by the iron grip of the collective.

>>16169880
I say we accept. Send Megan back home, meet Richard's contact, recover Cath, then head back to meet Kellery and Daisy.

>>16170082
>We accept the invitation.
Okay.

>Rest
No.

>>16170101
>Send Megan back hom

Agreed. Have the gang take care of her unless she gets dangerous.

>>16170107
And why not? This is exactly why we tried out infecting those rats. This was our plan.

>>16170101
We should not inform Kellery of this.
Let's troll her a little.
Would that mean we are meta-trolling?

>>16170123
Erm, no. As the guy who suggested the rat experiments; I wanted us to test if we could alter the minds of living things. We didn't infect any of them.

>>16170140
The infection vote failed? Weak.

My point still stands, If we and Cath the best chance they have, how about five of us? ten? a hundred?

>>16170160
We'd need some way of controlling them.

...

Wait...

What if WE became a Hive Mind?

Is this how the first Hive Mind was created?

>>16170160
Because that would end the fun.
We win the game by fundamentally changing the setting.

>>16170160
>>16170175

May I redirect your interest to:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=iron+quest

>>16170176
How? the enemy is fielding all their best units, in massive quantities, weren't you paying attention?

Now we can be in multiple places at once. We wont have to choose which attack is more urgent.

And plus, we couldn't POSSIBLY do this alone..we could barely kill ONE HK, and the cyborgs are sending them out by the dozens..and not to mention all the Hunters on the other side. Even with cath, we only stand a somewhat better chance of victory..and the time will come when we have to be apart again.

This isn't an I win button. It's an increased chance of survival.

>This is going to be a few posts long, bear with me

You dial Kellery, waiting for a few rings before she picks it up. "Prof, I'm going to be putting Megan in your care. The Fools have men inside, some in really high places. Keep her safe. I'm not going to be leaving with the VTOL. I've got some other business to attend to." You expect arguing, dissaproval, something. Instead, you get understanding. "All right Jack. I trust you enough to know that something important is going down. I'll do whatever I can to keep the girl safe. Come back soon, Daisy misses you." This time, she is the one hanging up on you. Sitting down on the driver's seat, you idle away the time by meditating, focusing on the trees. Before you notice, the aircraft arrives, decloaking after it lands. Cannes Belli surge out of it, alongside a few medics. "She's sedated. I think you should keep her that way." "Of course Sir, we'll make sure she get's to the base safely." They load her in efficiently, and the soldiers salute you before piling back in. You watch as the KP-21 takes off, becoming invisible after it lifts, none the wiser that it was even here.

You drive to the airport, leaving the car a few blocks from it, and head to the terminal. "Mister Winters? We've been waiting for you. Happy that you decided to join us, Sir." A blond woman, more than two meters tall approaches you, dressed in a black suit with matching tie and a white shirt. Something about the way she moves suggests combat training, and a bulge in her jacket shows that she has a gun in a shoulder holster. She smiles sunnily at you, rough face turning pretty for a moment. "I'm Amanda Nesser, pleasure to meet you." She puts out a hand to shake.

>>16170226
You shake her hand warily. "Let's get going then, I was under the impression that this is time sensitive business." "Of course Sir, please follow me." She heads for a side door and you follow, keeping your senses sharp in fear of an ambush. She leads you down to the runway, walking by the side of it, a slender jet waiting a few dozen meters away. A group of men and women dressed just like her stand by the stairs attached to it, and Amanda waves at them. They visibly relax, and part as you get there. You get inside, finding the interior luxuriously equipped, the woman showing you to a large leather chair. You flop down, and wave her away when she offers to bring you a drink, and resume your meditation.

It doesn't seem that long, but the trip takes several hours, with the occasional stop to refuel. Finally, daytime Seoul appears beyond the windows, and the plane gets the okay to land almost immediately. To Amanda's prompting, you get off, finding Richard waiting there. He almost looks the same, down to the cheeky smile, but his eyes are changed. They have an almost piercing quality, like a screen was removed to reveal an iron will that was hidden before. "Hey Jack. Good to see you man. Get in the limo, there's a lot of talking ahead and we're in a bit of a hurry."

>>16170348
The limo swoops through the streets, crowds surging across town like nothing out of ordinary had happened. It seems strange, and you can't help but be a little pissed that all these little people lead their lives like nothing you did mattered. Half an hour later the car pulls over by what seems to be a large mansion of sorts, security guards and checkpoints littering the red roofed oriental-style buildings. You pass whitout questioning though, and your ride stops outside a zen garden, carefully sculpted trees and paths all around you. The way it is all seperated by a single large wall would make it a little stiffling, if it weren't for the peaceful air of the place. A korean woman in grey and red business attire is standing there, giving the two of you a short bow as you step out. "Sirs, if you would follow me."

After you listen for a moment, making sure that no nasty surprises await you, you head on into a building that could be best described as a palace. Colourful screens depicting nature and wildlife seperate the rooms, and you are lead into a large hall, a low table in the middle the only furniture.

"Jack, one last thing. Whatever happens next, don't freak out. Okay? Just, stay calm and collected." Richard seems honestly worried, making you wonder. "Rich, what's going on?" "Just, don't freak." The woman slightly opens a screen leading to the next room, and leans in. "Sir? They're ready for you." She walks back beside you, and kneels by the wall, careful so that her skirt doesn't wrinkle.


The screen opens fully, and a hunched giant of black steel steps into the room, a full head taller than you despite it's posture. Three sets of shining blue eyes look at you, lenses whirling as they focus. The cyborg emits a soft, cultured voice form somewhere. "Mister Winters. I've been wanting to meet you for some time. My name is Eliah Gough. I am one of the founders of the Wise."

>>16170501
Oh yeah, didn't mark it as such, but the post-string is kind of over, reactions, things to say, etc. would be nice.

>>16170501
ಠ_ಠ

Kill it, absorb the organic parts on it, and learn to control technology using biology from it. I want bioengineered technomancy.

>>16170501
"What are you? You can't be one of the cyborgs unless..rather like myself..something went wrong with your programming."

The Wise are working with Cyborgs.

Just goes to show, you guys. We can't trust anyone to rule humanity but ourselves.

>>16170501
"I am sorry to say so, but you are not what I expected. Not at all."

>>16170592
or hes just a human who has taken the first step to the singularity.

>>16170612
If so, we'll need to remind him that he never asked for this, so as to convince him to give us access to Holy Cybernetics.

"From what I understand, the Wise have been in operation for nearly two centuries. As the technology needed to prolong a lifespan by that much is still impossible using solely human innovations, I'm forced to assume you had some early dealings with the cyborgs. Please, stop me if I get off track. Like myself, you proved resistant to the merger and control aspects of the infection, and have since managed to lay low, accumulating power. Am I in the ball park?

Please, forgive my abruptness, but as I'm sure you're aware, I've been having an exceedingly difficult week. Can we, just this once, dispense with the cat-and-mouse, and you tell me exactly why you wanted me here?"

>>16170646
About this.

>>16170646
I would very much like to continue the cat and mouse.

This is our chance to actually learn something here.

>>16170677
He could as well tell us straight.

>>16170698
We can't ask questions if we take our mission and go.

>>16170706
We was talking about the Asian habit of talking about weather and stuff before getting anywhere, I think.
We can still hear him out after tells us what he wants from us.

>>16170572
>>16170594
>>16170646
"Ah, yes. I can see why my form could well be confusing. I was a man once, a long time ago. This body you see before you is a patchwork of stolen and salvaged cyborg parts, an amalgam I have created over the years to house my intellect. I would like to explain some things first before coming out with the reason I requested your presence." The head twists and tilts, still staring at you. "A brief history lesson, if you will."

It comes to rest on it's haunches, settling down. "You see, when we started out, there were four of us. Myself, more concerned with matters spiritual, rather than physical. Esther, brilliant and cold. William, passionate, with a head full of ideas, thirsting for knowledge." It stops, and looks at Rich. "And Richard, brash and uncouth, but wise beyond his years.You see Mister Winters, he is like you in more ways than you could imagine. He might not posess your amazing set of abilites, but he is a hybrid, eternally young."

Richard guffaws. "You make it sound so dignified. I was filled to the brim with opium when I was attacked. Blind luck and a life of indulgence was what kept me alive." The voice takes on a nostalgic tone. "None the less, it was you who brought this threat to our notice. You have seen our insignia, yes Mister Winters? We are the thinkers, the scientists. And Richard is our guardian. The watchful Eye that shows us the world beyond our little kingdoms, reminds us of our duty, and takes it on him to make sure we do not stray."

>>16170830
Richard knows. Mark my words. He knows.

>>16170830
Ok, Hufflepuff, spill it.

>>16170830
> "You make it sound so dignified. I was filled to the brim with opium when I was attacked[...]

"Meh, sound still a lot better than overdosing on a speedball."

>completely forgot to adress something

"The cyborgs? No, we have made no deals with them. If there is a will, an intelligence that guides them, we have not found a way to speak with it. For all we know, they are what they appear to be. A single large machine, an engine of war in a thousand seperate bodies, performing their work of destruction in singleminded unison. A weapon made to devour worlds."

>>16170887
The long-term effect is not so much different.
Except with opiumyou tend to die from starvation.

>>16170918
But Opium does sound a lot fancier.

>>16170830
"Intersting. So, who is White Crown 2"?

>>16170830
>Richard reminds us of our duty, and takes it on him to make sure we do not stray.
Well he's not doing very well at that job, is he?

>>16171070
"You might ask why we kept the advancements we made from the public. We wished dearly to share our knowledge, but we were not alone in our pursuits. Over the years, many organizations like ours have emerged. We allied with some, warred with others. A mere thirty years ago, we were the last ones standing. It is fitting, I suppose, that we tear ourselves apart without any more of our kind to fight, even when as a race we are under siege." It starts pacing, more a habit than a nervous gesture. "We got old, you see. We figured that choosing our successors was in order. Three of the brightest and best of the age were selected. But when the time came, we could not let go. I, myself, chose to continue my existence as such after an accident crippled me. Esther made herself one with her beloved computers, becoming an incorporeal mind. And William clinged to his form, creating a system of devices that could sustain his body, confining himself to his home."

Richard's expression darkens as the last name is mentioned. "Our successor became our collegaues. We made it our custom to select a new junior member when one passed away. None have achieved the kind of immortality we did. It is my belief that two of our juniors, two of our White Crowns, are behind the Fools. The third is... unconcerned with matters of power. He cares not for ideals, wealth or command. He will side with whoever triumphs." You can feel it's eyes digging into you.

"Mister Winters, I asked you to come here because we are dying. We preserved our lives, but the people who we once were are gone. I fear we are no longer capable of command. Richard, due to his circumstances, has been spared the changes we went through, and I have suffered less of it than my friends due to my mobile nature. Esther is no longer human, and William is embittered by his fate. Even without the betrayal of the White Crowns, we would likely face civil war. Now, we are under even more pressure."

>>16170907
Is this a "wat do", or are you still writing?

>>16171254
Sorry for the speed, I waited a bit for something I could reply to, and typing this much on a laptop is killing me.

>>16171249
>Esther made herself one with her beloved computers
>Computer waifu on /tg/

You fool, don't you see what you've done?

>>16171311
Huh, haven't thought about it that way. Not exactly waifu material. Maybe one and a half centuries ago, but not now.

>>16171249
>civil war
"Why is that?"

>>16171342
We had a quest with a holographic computer waifu. Don't underestimate the lengths /tg/ is willing to go.

*gesture for him to continue.*

Brain, for long monologues or descriptive speeches like this, open up a word processor (I prefer Open Office) file and type it out fully (and proofread), then just copy-paste it one segment at a time. Makes it quicker than braking up the flow.

When you copy-paste, be sure to hit the spacebar at least once while the cursor is in the text box, otherwise the anti-spam system with think you're trying to copy-spam something.

>>16171347
"It is a result of our current existance. I try my best to remain true to what we swore to do at the very beginning, and Richard is quite involved with humanity, I even believe he has a wife..." "Hah. The vixen roped me into it." He smiles widely, and Eliah continues without acknowledging the interruption. "But... Esther has only ever been intersted in intellect. Now that she is no longer human, she feels no connection to mankind. She would let the planet burn if it served her interests. And William only sees himself. He cares not for anything besides his own personal gain, and would gladly sacrifice anything to further it. He had the equipment in Fort Heinlein sabotaged, so that we could not take part of the conversation between you and him. I fear they will move more overtly soon, and I cannot stand by and watch them make all we worked for a lie. If it comes to it, I will react with force."

There is a slight change in it's tone as it continues. " I have asked you to come here out of necessity. I do not make this decision lightheartedly, and I can only hope that it is the right one. I need to try everything in my power to preserve humanity. Therefore, I must ask you this. Mister Winters. Will you become our Arm? Will you become our shield, our sword in the coming desperate times? Will you become one of the Wise?"

It hastily lifts a claw, machinery whirring from the movement. "I cannot promise you proper membership. That would break precedent, and would require us to go through the proper channels, which is impossible at the moment. But I offer you my full support, and hope that Richard will do the same. I am making a gamble, placing our fate in your hand. Will you do it, Mister Winters? Are you willing to take on the burden of protecting mankind, perhaps in the future, if you so wish it, guiding it towards a better path?"

>>16171496
Thanks for the advice, I'll keep it in mind. Though I'm coming up with the current part post-by-post.

>>16171586
Uh, anyone?

>>16171586
>Please forgive any incoherency, it's 4am here.
"I've got to admit, until a few weeks ago, at least, you had been doing your job incredibly well.

I can understand that, as both alien forces are increasing their activities, the cracks in the organisation are showing and it's in danger of falling apart.

However, what has given me an advantage in this conflict is my status as a freelancer. An associated member, if you will.

Before I commit myself to a side and force the others to react to the shifting balance, would it be possible to speak with the other founding members?

Maybe I could find a solution that hasn't been thought of, yet? I'm currently as much of an asset as a threat to all of you, so they might be willing to listen."

>>16171586
I'm going to have conditions, and I'm going to have questions. First, there are certain guarantees I need put in place. Kelery. Daisy. Even Scruffles and the tech-nerds who've helped me at the base. I need their safety guaranteed. Non-negotiable.

I need to speak with Cath. I need to calm her down before she goes full-godzilla on everyone.

Three, I need more info about what I and the cyborgs can do. I'm already pushing the envelope, I need to see everything you have about our limits. I'm not going to understand half of it, so give it to Kellery, she can parse it down.

Four: I need to know: How serious are you about this whole 'transhumanism' thing?

And Five: What do YOU envision an ideal win scenario to be in the conflict? If the Cyborgs and Bodysnatchers are no longer combatants on Earth, how does it happen and why?

>>16171817
>>16171768
Okay, we're going to have to make a decision here. Who supports who? Let's see some votes.

>>16171921
Worst case scenario: There's just the three of us left.

I vote no to joining the illuminati and getting involved in their internal power struggles. Seems like a pretty silly thing to do when we have a world to save. We only have this guy's word that he's better than any of the other six.

How about a merger of the two suggestions?

>Try
"I've got to admit, until a few weeks ago, at least, you had been doing your job incredibly well.

I can understand that, as both alien forces are increasing their activities, the cracks in the organisation are showing and it's in danger of falling apart.

However, what has given me an advantage in this conflict is my status as a freelancer. An associated member, if you will.

Before I commit myself to a side and force the others to react to the shifting balance, would it be possible to speak with the other founding members?

Maybe I could find a solution that hasn't been thought of, yet? I'm currently as much of an asset as a threat to all of you, so they might be willing to listen.

Should I choose to operate under your auspices, I will need certain guarantees. We can discuss those at length later."

>>16171959
Yeah, I was kind of hoping that that wasn't the case. Well, I guess I'll wait a bit, and if it is really so, then we'll continue from here next time, since I would rather not decide myself.

>>16172002
I'm ok with this.

>>16171996
May I point out something? He is standing in front of you. In front of a creature that is noted to be lightning fast and capable of wreaking havoc on an almost unseen scale. You are sure that the only creatures in a hundred or more meters are you, Richard, the woman who led you in, and Eliah. Now, unless he is on the level of Cath or an HK, or Richard is comparable to a Hunter, or the woman is something else entirely, he doesn't stand a chance. And you don't sense anything like that at all.

>>16172005
I want to support myself.

I don't particuraly care for the Fools, or the Wise.

I fight for the users! ...or, you know, my own infection engine.

>>16172096
This guy basically said he's tired of running the show, and is looking to groom us as a replacement. If at least considering his offer isn't as self-serving as it gets, I don't know what is.

>>16172005
>>16171768 here

This was I:
>>16172036

And I'm off to bed now. Thanks for the quest. See you on Thursday.

I'll write up this one then >>16172002 as a final post for today.

>>16172152
Nobody this long-planning EVER makes a move without an ulterior motive. hes grooming us to take the blame when he fucks something up, if anything.

I, for one, am tired of being an attack dog. I want to take up the fight for myself. Not the singularity, not SCIENCE, not the illuminati.

I want to take the world for myself. BY myself...it's time to embrace our calling as organic creatures...reproduction.

>>16172240
I, for one think that the reason he wants us to join is because he doesn't want to watch everything go up IN FUCKING FLAMES. And what blame do you think he wants us to take?

I mean, the other Wise we have talked to sounded way more creepy than this guy.

>>16172002
"I see. I understand that you have no reason to trust me. I only ask you to consider my offer. One more thing. Be careful around the others. I have not understood Esther for decades, and I believe William wants to use you to heal himself. Neither of them will offer anything more than trinkets, glass beads for everything you have and are."

It gestures at the woman, who stands up and hands you a slip of paper. "If you ever consider taking up the position, do not hesitate to call this number. Leave a message, and I will be sure to recieve it. I can only hope that it will be in time." Eliah walks out, the woman following after giving you another curt bow. Richard looks at you, then shakes his head. "I was hoping things would turn out otherwise. It's your decision, though. Stick around, if we are correct, Catherine should arrive in an hour or two. I'll see you around. Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone that I'm alive."

You walk out the complex, a man in a grey suit and sunglasses showing you the way. Finding a good spot a street away, you settle down, waiting for Cath to show. Time crawls, and after more than two hours, you can sense a tingling, a disturbance in the mind-link. Squinting your eyes, you can see a bright spot soar through the sky at tremendous speed. Catherine. You kick off, wings and jets forming mid-air, and set yourself on an intercepting course. Time to find out if there's anything left of the girl you knew.

Okay, this took an interesting direction. I'll be back on wednesday again, since my schedule seems to insist on making thursday difficult.

Archive under way, thanks for playing, comments and opinions are always welcome.

>>16172240
I don't think so. Without us, he's dead, along with the rest of humanity. It doesn't profit him to alienate us. No pun intended. No, he needs us more than we need him, but this can still be profitable to us. We use him and his organization. Step one, we isolate the other founders. This guy is reasonable. the others aren't. We lock them out. Then we work on the immediate threats. The snatchers and borgs.

>>16172528
>wednesday
Won't be able to make it, so don't let them do anything too stupid.

>>16172515
He seems like a decent guy. Although I hope Cath might offer some help when it comes to Esther. Maybe we even develop a cure for William.
If they're asshats, we can still take up his offer.

Dammit, I missed the thread.

Archived:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Bodysnatcher%20Quest

Thanks again for playing, this Quest wouldn't be as fun, or for that matter, alive, if it weren't for the creative input. See you guys next time.

So... something to consider for next time is the possability of us going a sort of mercenary route. Us (and Cath?) would be fighting both the cyborgs and the body snatchers but we'd be recieving requests to deploy to different areas. Say the different members of the Wise send deployment requests to someone (Kellery and/or Daisy?) who decides if it looks legit and which should have priority.
The more successful missions the more we could theoretically be able to call on support from the various members of the Wise as needed?