>>17791182
Left in quiet for a moment with nothing but introspection, you ruminate a bit.

It's been a good few years since the mavericks stopped being a phenomenon and started being an organized army. Starting with the first Sigma rebellion, they had a unified purpose and command. The first few attacks were brutal, as lone hunters expecting to clear out a rabble met with ambushes. Half of the major leadership turned, or was wiped out, in the opening moves.

Six months after the infiltration and subsequent destruction of the former Commander's fortress, a tip at an automated foundry led to the discovery of a second-wave movement. By then, doctrines had been established for reploid manufacture, and the hunters had adopted what was colloquially called the Rock-Paper-Scissors system. New war models were almost universally built with a flaw or susceptibility, the argument being that hunters could be more selective in which target they send any given operative to engage. As long as there are more hunters than mavericks, they could simply match the agent to the weakness of the target hostile. So far, the system's held up, though the unspoken fear is that one day the opposite will hold true. If they stop fighting like a resistance... well. Just idle speculation. Units like yourself and Cathode are rare, however--not long after your project was greenlit the RPS system became enforced. Had you been built after it, the two of you would not complement, but counteract, each other.

Cont. good lord this is a long intro never again

>>17791299
You're suddenly started out of your reverie by the sound of two units approaching. Unfamiliar voices greet you. "Hey, you're the new guy? You look like shit."

"Thanks," you say. "I'm Anode. I'd say it's good to see you, but..."

"Yeah. Hey, hate to be a pain, but the call to come get you came right as we were in the middle of somethin'. Can you hold this?"

You've barely managed a "Yeah, all right," before you feel something pressed into your other hand, beam lance still resting in the other as an improvised walking stick.

"Okay," says one, "Thanks. I'm Seven. He's Tanker."

"Tanker Tigershark, yeah. Charmed." One or the other of them takes up position on either of your sides, and they lead you to medbay.

-----

"Okay," the gruff Lifesaver unit finishes. "Try now." With a sharp whine of new electronics, your vision kicks back online.

"Whoa--that did it," you manage, trying to adjust your optics back to where they were.

No sooner than they dropped you off, Seven took back whatever he handed you and the two departed. The damage to your shoulder was mended relatively quickly, though you've been warned off duty for a little while, at least. The 'Saver shoos you out without much more ado.

...Well. What now? You could radio Hammer and tell him you're ready for debrief. He might still be busy, though, and you don't really have the bearings on this place yet. You could stand to explore, see if there's anyone else to meet.

We should explore around the area to get a good feel for it. Maybe we'll meet some interesting people.

op, you still here?

>>17791397
Seconding this. Also, see if we can find a mirror.

>>17791397
Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROCeqjfY2Ls

>>17791827
On your way out of the med-bay, you give yourself a quick once-over. Your optics are a sharp yellow, 'dilating' as the shutter-mechanisms scan your face. There's some light damage to the skin around the eyes, but the Lifesaver assures you it will have healed by the end of the day. Auto-repair can handle quite a bit of damage, particularly superficial wounds. You're briefly tempted to pull a "The mirror...the mirror...!" cry, laugh insanely, and then shatter it, but you're pretty sure it's not the best way to introduce yourself to the unit. Plus, Lifesaver probably isn't a movie fan.

No sense rushing things. There's initiative and then there's hand-holding. Given how fast you were put on duty, it's understandable you'd want to get familiar with the base.

The medical facilities are in the basement, accessible from four main stairways down from each side of the base for rapid access. Directly above that is the command facility, with the teleporter, communications suite, and, of course, the leadership. North wing is the arsenal and labs, according to the new data you've been given as a member of the unit. Southside is the barracks proper. East is storage and data access, and west is apparently the Commons, for whenever you're not on deck to be shot at.
Outside isn't mapped, but a quick walk around tells you that shipment processing is out in front of the base, where you first met Frog and Em. Around the back is an expansive field for training, and a sizable cordon labeled "Motor Pool." And around the side is something labeled curiously as only "The Pond." You'd have to go take a look to figure out the details.

Anyplace you'd care to explore, Anode?

>>17791769
Yup, sorry. Couple things came up. Also my posts are still way too long for quest format, I'll work on that.

>>17791884
I don't know, I rather like the length. Do what comes easy to you.

Let's head to the Commons.

Let's have a look at the barracks

>>17791939
>>17791976
Can I get you two to throw in a d100 roll? I figure that's a fair way to decide what I do in deadlocks.

>>17792023
Fair enough. For Commons

rolled 63 = 63

>>17792052
Let's... Try that again.

rolled 24 = 24

>>17792023
>>17792052
>>17792076

Just go for commons.

Although we could always visit one and then the other, if we have time.

>>17792166

Sounds fair

In the future though, if it comes to a deadlock, it might be better if OP decides some kind of fair and arbitrary thing and then rolls himself. Probably quicker.

>>17792166
This is probably an option. I'm gonna try to balance missions with downtime, and you literally just got back, so...

The Commons are as good a place as any. The facility is large and fairly accommodating--makes sense, given the amount of action the Fourth goes into. As you enter, you see a small panel on the wall.

FOURTH OVERLAND
ACTIVE UNITS ROSTER
UNIT COMMANDER HAMMER FROG (on duty)
Tanker Tigershark [Second in Command] (acting commander)
Emerald [Company Quartermaster]
Dash Dodo [Desert Operations] (Deployed)
Seven [Logistics]
Glacier Gibbon [Polar Operations] (Deployed)
India
Overclock Conda [Tropical Operations]
Schwarzhund (Deployed)
Anode (recuperating)

Your name is greyed out. It's probably because you're unavailable for further deployment. There's a few statistics about standard operatives, of which every major member of the unit has a detachment.

Inside the main room, you see long, row tables, of which two are occupied. Huddled around one are a grey-and-black plated humanoid and a massive snake-type bipedal. Somehow. He points at you, and the humanoid throws a big, cheery wave and resumes his discussion.

From another table is a woman with a darker tone and brighter, orange armor. She looks up from a small datapad and gives you a nod before going back to reading.

It's funny, how big the room is for just the three of them. Four of you, now, you guess. Frog did say they're almost never all in one place at one time. If nothing else, at least now you know the roster.

So... introduce yourself, to whom, or what? There's more base to explore, but there's people here.

Also, in case the snail's-fucking-pace didn't give it away, most of this is just rampant making shit up as I go. I have events and ideas planned, but the rest is improv. Including the designs on those names, half of which a friend gave me without context.

Let's go ahead and politely introduce ourselves to the snake and the cheery waving humanoid, when there's a chance.

>>17792675

Seconding this

>>17792675
>>17792705
Well, the woman seems to be wrapped up in whatever she's reading over, and the other two seem friendly enough. You head over. "We meet again," begins the humanoid by way of greeting. Ah, that voice--you recognize him.

"You must be Seven," you say. He nods. "And, shoot me for guessing, but Overclock Conda?" you ask his compatriot.

"Just Conda's fine," he replies, extending a hand. You shake and pull up a seat while Conda clears some stuff off the table to make room for your spot.

"So, eyes back in working order already? That was quick." Seven leans back in his chair as he asks.

"Yeah, I guess that's one advantage to groping around at the factory for a while. The bay was all ready for me by the time I got back." You rest your arms on the table. "Damage wasn't too severe anyway."

"Well, that's good to hear. So, making the rounds, are you? Getting acquainted?" Conda is still sizing you up, given this is the first time he's seen you.

"Trying to, yeah. Figured I'd be friendly. No time like the present to make bad first impressions, right?" That gets a low chuckle out of him.

"Now now, plenty of time to ruin your good name around here. How are you liking things?"

"Seems straightforward enough. I'm just giving myself the tour. No complaints, thus far."

Cont. and good lord, I need to get a feel for field length cutoffs.

>>17793012
Seven speaks up. "Don't worry, you'll find some. For such an important unit, we're a mess. It'll take you months to meet everyone, I'm sure. Hell, Gibbon's been on assignment for two weeks now." Two weeks? Yeesh. Reading your expression, he nods emphatically. "Poor git has to manage our outpost in Antarctica. Not a lot of support that can handle the conditions up there, so he has to be slow and cautious, operate independently, that kinda thing."

"Well," Conda says, standing up, "I love a good round of bitching, but I need to get a move on. We'll wrap up later, Sev," he adds before turning to you again. "I'll be seeing you around, Anode. Pleasure meeting you. Cheers."

You nod as ... his legs tuck into his body and his snake tail unfurls, and he takes off at a much faster rate than had he just walked. Well, that explains that.

"So," Seven speaks up again. "Any questions, big guy? Politics are all pretty tame here, for the most part. Anything about unit life in general? Hunter command, the boss, the layout? Hit me."

>>17793021
Let's shoot the shit. Hunter Command, the boss, other people in the unit, and preferred ways of spending time off. And him, why not. Just friendly conversation in general to kill time.

>>17793135
"Gimme the rundown," you decide. "Sounds like you've had some issues with Command?"

"Typical backassward military stuff, really," he nods. "Orders coming late, orders going to the wrong outpost, orders never going through, chain of command snafus. It's all pretty standard shit, it just tends to be harder-felt here. Get used to hearing about how important we are, 'cause it's what we cling to when the Air Cav starts boasting or the Shinobi unit starts strutting. Missed supply drops or miscommunication tend to hurt pretty bad. We're well-supplied now, though it wasn't always that way. A lotta unit commanders see us as the grunts to hold territory whenever they clear it. Or "clear" it, leaving a maverick insurgency presence for a week or three."

"Sounds like a specific event," you note.

"Heh. Yeah. Call me bitter, I guess. I made it out okay, but a couple others didn't. But now I'm just bringin' you down, so let's keep griping. Frog's pretty good, though if you hear 'shark tell it, he doesn't do anything." He grins. "Between you and me, Tigershark is allergic to paperwork. You know how before they went extinct, sharks had to keep swimmin' to breathe?" You nod. "That's Shark and avoiding his work. Most of it gets shunted off to Frog, me, or Em. Tigershark spends nine-tenths of his time out there blastin' mavs. Don't tell him I said so, though, guy can hold a grudge."

"Wilco," you say. "How about Frog?"

"How about Frog indeed," Sev replies. "He's been around the longest. Probably always will be. After Sigma, our previous commander, Pulse Potamus, defected. Hammer's supposedly the one who put him down and ended up rallying what was left of the unit. Provisional command became official not long after. All that's before my time, though," he admits. "I came in a few months before the second uprising. Anyway, he's held on ever since, the stubborn bastard. Does a pretty good job and he swings a mean sledge."

Cont.

>>17793461
"That'd be the 'Hammer,' I'd guess?"

"You'd guess right."

"So how about you, then?"

"Enh, I dunno." He stretches back further. "I do a bit of security work, low-profile insertions. I'm not that stealthy outside of a computer, but if we need to buy a little time, I manage. Worked with the Rangers--that's the Ninth--a few times. I do operational logistics."

"How about the rest of the unit, then?"

"Well, you met Conda. We used to call him Congo Conda before someone got mad and cracked down on that. He's pretty laid-back, good for a laugh. Most of the tropical regions are artificial or enclosed biomes now, so he isn't on station as often as the other environment specialists. That's India behind you," she throws a wave without looking up from her reading, "The--"

"Most creatively-named reploid in history," she interrupts. "Yes."

Sev shrugs emphatically. "She and Em like to grouse about that all the time. Anyway, she's a wiseass. You'll like her. I mean, eventually someone has to." She replies with a middle finger just as casually as her wave. "She helps with terrain analysis onsite, evaluates how much of the force to commit."

"So how about that Em kid?"

"Em? He's all right. He does stock and supply, when it turns up in the right places. Ground specialist, but then again we all are. He could tell you more. When he's not on inventory or something he's in the labs playin' with his saber." Pffft. "Guy likes his weapons."

"Who else, who else..."

Cont.

>>17793629
Seven continues. "I mentioned Gibbon. He's not around much. Someone got the bright idea that the polar regions have less infrastructure, so a lot of attacks happen. Less likelihood of report and fast response, and all. So he's busy clamping down on that sort of thing. I don't know him too well, but he's probably a hardass workaholic."

"Last specialist is Dash--Dash Dodo. Dash is fast attack and our desert environment expert, kind of a chip on his shoulder. He's technically third in line for leadership if Frog or Shark bite it--" You snort at his accidental pun. "--But that's pretty informal."

"Em, me, Shark, and Frog all have official capacities in the unit, and so do the terrain guys, but most of the rest are just field agents. Like India, because she sucks." A blur in your peripheral vision announces India's response as she wings what looks like a coffee mug at Seven, who ducks as it clatters off the wall. "Love you too, Indy."

"Hey, mister Smooth, I'm just a field agent too, right?" you inject wryly. He smirks.

"Don't worry, I think they make a pill for that. Relax, I'm just razzin' the two of you."

"Anyway, then there's Schwarz. Schwarz is all business. He does a lot of night ops. And that's the gang. Well, aside from that new kid. What's your story?"

"Not a whole hell of a lot of story," you say. "Part of a set with my sister Cathode. She gets the beamy death guns, I get to get hit in the junk for her. Or we did. She's in the 1st now."

"The Advance unit?" Sev leans forward. "Poor clod."

Cont., and should be almost done. Jeez, surprise infodump.

>>17793820
"Why? Trouble?"

"Advance can have it pretty rough. They're the ones who contain a situation, or buy time for the rest of the strike teams to show up. Similar setup to us, but they're not stocked for endurance fights. They do get access to a bit more strategic support."

"Should I be worried?" You inquire.

"I dunno, is she a bitch?" He puts his hands up pre-emptively. "I'm just kiddin'. Nah, she'll be all right. New recruits get kid gloves until they know what they're in for. Well, except you, apparently."

"Weasel was only B-class, apparently."

"B to A, I hear. Don't sell yourself short, kid. Threat class only tells you so much."

"Thanks," you say. It helps a bit to know you didn't just get rolled over on an easy first outing. "So, what is there to do around here?"

Seven throws an arm around at the relatively empty expanse. "Bitch and moan, mostly. We do have some amenities--I hear Gibbon keeps a library of old hardcover books for his spare time. We get paid ever since civ conscripts or volunteers became part of the Hunters, so some of us buy some method of timewaster or another. And then there's the Pond."

"Yeah? I saw that signposting, wondered what it was."

He grins wistfully. "That's our officer's club, such as it is. Most of us don't bother with anything that can mess with the sensors, but it's a great place to decompress. Apparently it was called 'the Wallow' when Potamus ran the show. Dodo says if he ever gets it, it's gonna be either 'The Shitty Namesake' or 'The Stupid Island.'" You have a bit of a laugh at that. "Anyway, if you want, I could show you the place. It'll probably be quiet this time of day, though."

That might be nice, but a few things occur to you. You haven't even seen your quarters. You still haven't given a report. You're not done with your base tour.

That said, it wouldn't hurt, and you've learned a bit more about the unit. What do you do?

Oh wow. What a huge dump.

Damn. I still need to catch up and read the first thread..... probably wont do it now since it is so late for me.

anyway, free bump

We probably oughta get our report in, now that we've killed a little time for Frog to be done placating the brass. Or polishing the brass, but that sounds more like a kiss-ass thing.

Yeah let's go give our report.

Just as a question, writefag, but where's X and Zero in all this? I haven't seen any mention of them here, unless they're not included in the quest for whatever reason.

>>17794197
X runs the 17th, and he's very hands-on about the day-to-day management of the unit. He's also usually on deck for high-profile operations.
Zero, naturally, still commands Special Unit 0. He tries to be active and involved in similar vein to X, but he spends most of his time on the field rather than off.
Both are around and the odds are pretty good you'll meet one or both of them (in no small part because I am a rampant Zero fanboy), but right now they're doing their own things.
I also don't want to have them just show up like would-be DMPCs, even if both are ridiculously strong. Honestly, your best odds of seeing them are going after a very high-profile target in your future.

As an aside, I'm pretty sure giving the report is gonna win, so I'll start gearing towards that. Anything you guys want to include in the report/speculate on/make specific mention of?

Also, my friends are dragging me out again later tonight, so I'll be a bit slow and distracted writing the quest from my laptop.

>>17794242
Cool, cool.

We should definitely mention Weasel's fucking around with our Navigation line and systems, as well as Artee's explanation of what happened when the shit went down. Mention the modified mechaniloids.

Be matter of fact about the fight with Chaff Weasel.

>>17794172
>>17794067
"I'd better get a move on," you decide. "No need to get in dutch on my first day here."

Seven nods once again. "Sure, sure. Makes sense. I'll see you later."

"And Anode?" As you go to leave, he speaks up again. "Welcome to the Fourth."

---

The command room is dim when you step inside. Frog, illuminated from the lights at his terminal, turns to see you. "Oh, good. Just in time. You're not under the gun or anything. I just had to explain what I could about the mission circumstances. We're getting civilian accounts and collection teams are wrapping up, so that's squared away. Go ahead and give me your account of the op."

You swallow, suppressing the slight nervousness you can't quite help but feel. "All right..."

"Initial visual observation showed very little structural damage. Lights were working, if intermittent, and automated evacuation warnings were still active. I requested navigator assistance on arrival, and received it from one Wellington."

"I saw," Frog notes. "He sends his regards. Carry on."

"Sir. First contact was a civilian laborer called Artee, who claimed he was the one who alerted Hunter Headquarters. He indicated during the attack that half the plant mechaniloids turned hostile, and the others shut down. After several civilian losses he noted the arrival of dedicated weapon platforms. I directed him to stay back where things seemed safe and moved forward."

Cont.

>>17795317
"Navigator Wellington's analysis of the situation caused him to raise the potential threat level to A. First hostile contact came soon after. It was one of the worker mechaniloids, that had been... modified."

"Modified?" Frog asks, interested.

"It attacked without any warning," you explain. "Wellington didn't warn me because he was unable to pick up its reading. It had an electrical probe wired onto its shoulder, and used it as a crude electric spear."

"...Crude, but effective," you add, remembering your shoulder being pinned to the wall. "The modified workers were durable, if clumsy. They were able to tear the electrical probe off and use it as a javelin."

"They," Hammer notes. "Recurring threat?"

You nod. "None of which were detectable. I later learned they were modified by Chaff Weasel, the maverick who attacked the plant."

"And how did you encounter him?"

"He laid an ambush for me."

Frog is silent. "...Explain," he finally manages.

"My commline began cutting out. Immediately after I lost contact with Wellington, I suffered a concentrated attack from a set of modified workers, mechaniloids, and gun platforms. After sustaining injury, Weasel attacked. His first move was to shatter my optics before disengaging to begin hit-and-run attacks. He claimed he had made the modified machines and isolated my communications."

Cont.

man, you do take forever and more to update, don't you?

>>17796170
He's typing out some pretty big infodumps.
Lay off, pal. Shit takes time.

>>17796170
It'll probably get faster as he gets more used to it.

>>17796025
"I see. How did you deal with him?"

"He was pretty chatty," you explain. "I built up a charge off of a generator, trying to sabotage the lights. Took a hit for my trouble, and played it up. I waited for him to stop talking back, since I figured he was attacking. I moved my lance forward and he threw himself onto it."

"Impressive," Frog rumbles. "You keep your calm under pressure. Good. Is that everything?"

"More or less," you say. "Wellington directed me to the central control room, where I disabled the jammer and exfiltrated."

"All right," Frog says. "I think I've heard enough."

He looks at you intently. "With your agreement, I'm putting you forward for a combat detachment. Mechaniloids and light infantry."

What do you say?

>>17796170
I do. I'm also typing from my friend's house on a seven-year-old laptop, with three guys in the room, watching shit and playing games. It's a bit distracted.

>>17796247
>>17796259
Also, this.

Thanks for your patience.

Let's do it.

That's fine with me.

>>17796450
>>17796509
After a moment's consideration, you nod. "Great." Frog says. "I'll get you set up with a basic army. Oh, and regulations say headquarters records a copy of any recovered weapons data, but first responders get salvage. Once the remains are processed, you'll be able to work a weapon or upgrade out of Weasel's tech."

Huh. Handy, that. "What do you recommend?"

"Talk to the techs," he says, "We coordinate with the R&D unit and share mission data. Generally weapons modules are built to configure into any buster vee-wes. If you catch Em in the right mood, you can get him to try to design a melee weapon module or somethin'. Really, just talk with the engineers and see if they can do it."

Sitting up, he turns off his terminal and raises the lights. "Right, that's done with. I guess you're off for a bit, Lifesaver and stress reg orders. You might still find Em in the labs, if you want to roll the ball around on weapon ideas, once the data comes through. Dismissed. An' good job."

You have the run of the base for a while. What do you do?

Let's find Em and get souped up. Maybe we can work something into our lance, although a buster thing could work for variety.

Okay, heading back home. Should be last major delay for a bit.

Do we get a salary or anything? Any chance for body upgrades like X got? Not via capsule, probably, but perhaps funded out of our own pocket or as a reward for good work?

Also, what exactly is reploid "childhood" like? How did we form a bond with our "sister"?

Out of curiosity, is one of your friends helping with this quest?

>>17797238
You will get something resembling a salary. Armor, supply, munitions, and what have you will all generally be covered by Hunter expenses, and to get them, you basically keep doing your job. Weapons energy is basically the simplest means of getting swag, and then you take it to R&D to play with it and see what comes up. Armor and such upgrades are definitely a possibility.

Reploid "childhood" is complicated. The upshot is that you form bonds very quickly, particularly during the early stages of life. Given you and Cathode were built together, brought online together, innately familiar with the other's workings from preprogrammed information, and did most of your diagnostics and combat testing together, you get on pretty well. At the same time, it's nice to get distance to stretch your wings on your own, hence the indecision over how to feel about getting divided up. Cathode probably feels about the same.

>>17797343
Yes, but not one of these friends locally. They just really like hanging out and can be very insistent.

Back to writing a visit to the labs now.

>>17796939
You throw a salute and head back to the base. You see some of the rank and file as you pass, the personnel you'll now be leading some of along with the mechaniloid platforms. A few give you strange looks. Weird.

Up ahead, at the entrance to the base, you see a large crowd of them. As you get closer, you see--

...something you wish you didn't.

A large picture has been set on the information screen into the base. You see yourself, head tilted slightly away, optics glassy and unresponsive, with your lance held for balance in one hand for balance... and a set of old-style scales in the other. A hasty modification with some image modifying software, and you've been done up as Lady Justice. Blindness and all, you suppose.

At least now you know what Tigershark handed you.

Beneath the image, you see a large message.

--WELCOME TO THE FOURTH--

You're...not sure how you feel about this. How do you feel about this?

Laugh about it in good humor and give Seven and Shark a clap on the back if you see them.
Though this is just a ruse.

In reality, we ain't gonna let this stand.
Find Em. Find India.
We are getting even with Shark and Seven.
(let the Fourth's First Inter-Unit Prank War start)

>>17797606
Seconding this.

>>17797606

Thirding this, with all my strength.

>>17797606
"Well, that was fast," you say, announcing yourself calmly. A few people turn to look at you as you start laughing. "Explains why they took so long." You walk past, face a mask of amusement and mirth as you go about your business.

Worlds will burn for this. When it is over and the last body crumples to the ground, spent and broken, they will not celebrate the end, but shudder in memory of what it took to stop you.

You will carve an untold carnage of pranking that burns a swath across the pages of history like a bloody brand. All will love you, and despair.

It's gonna be awesome.

Cont.

>>17797912
You find the labs easily enough, and sure enough, the little green reploid is in there, tinkering with something. He looks up as you come in.

"Hey," he calls, setting down some tool or other. "I hear your first mission was a success."

"Something like that. Seven and Tanker had a bit of fun with me, I just found out."

"That'd explain the ruckus," he says. "I've been in here most of the day. I'm technically not authorized, but technically can sod off, I do good work."

"Frog said you're the man to talk to about working with weapons data."

The little guy nods. "Such as it is. The fourth isn't properly equipped like a lab. I just started doing this in my spare time, and I've got something of a knack. I occasionally do field repairs on ride armors and whatnot, but the really important shit goes to the engineers."

Seems reasonable enough. "Seven said you love your sabers." Em--Emerald, the dossier said--snorts.

"He probably didn't mention that I have the shittiest buster gun in the history of the Fourth. It doesn't even have a Vee-wess, I was commissioned before those were standard issue. What I do have is a couple decent equalizers in the form of beam sabers. I started modifying surplus weapons, and before long it was something of a hobby."

He looks over your lance. "I could probably integrate something into that, or just build you another weapon. It's a lot easier to carry a bunch of hilts than actual, physical weapons. Or we could just go classic, try to integrate weapon data into your weapon system and see what it produces. Or, if you're feeling creative, we could try to make something unorthodox. That's how ride armors get made, y'know, working with the Armored division and R&D. Any preference?"

>>17797924
Something unorthodox?
How about something -fucking awesome-?
Let's get the ultimate weapon.
Orange.
Transparent.
Chainsaw.
Let's see if we can rig it to run on our inner generator to crackle with electricity and fire spinsaws.
See if we can add a couple of beam butcher blade handles on the sides of the chainsaw so we can break off into a dual-wielding chop-chop electronado

>captcha: Elec dmrtis
Yes Captcha, we are electric.

Barring the orange transparent chainsaw, let's tell him about who we downed and what kind of weapons data might be coming through.

Also, see if he knows any way to get some kind of peizoelectric generator in us so we don't have to always recharge by tearing up someone's toaster or getting hit by lightning or whatever, not to depend on but as a supplement. And if not him, then someone else.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectricity

>>17798157

Damn, that sounds fucking awesome. Sign me up for this.

>>17798157
"One thing at a time, I guess," you interject. "Let me at least tell you a bit about the guy. We don't even have the weapons data back yet, I'm told."

"True," Em says, rubbing his chin.

"His name was Chaff Weasel. He could interfere with communications, mask things from detection, and, well, blew up my fucking eyes. I never saw him shoot anything, though I felt him stab me, that was a treat."

"Ouch." Em says sympathetically. "I know that feeling. Not so much the eye thing, that's gotta suck. But hey, that all sounds useful. Chaff, huh? Maybe you could launch a countermeasure cloud, or something. Or, I could work that jammer thing into a saber, and you could fry sensors or what have you with a good hit. Or--well, I guess we won't know for sure until we get ahold of this."

"On that note, I'd had this idea for a while for a built-in electrical charger system, so I don't have to find something to tap into."

He frowns. "I dunno, chief, that sort of thing gets into building self-sufficient warmachines. I had an idea kicking around for a kinetic coil charger that would use motion and impact, and I think I could work it in, but I'd probably need approval to go ahead and actually try to give it to you. HQ doesn't want reploids without vulnerabilities, you know?" He seems pretty hesitant.

>>17798331
We probably ought to get approval. It doesn't seem too overbalancing, and maybe if it doesn't go through they'd be able to suggest something else.

Wonder if this kind of thing is why Cathode was sent to a different unit?

>>17798436
"All right," you agree. "No need to get in trouble on my account, I just got here."

"Plenty of time for that later, right?" Em nods.

"So speaking of getting into trouble, feel like helping me get back at Seven and Shark?"

"Terrible idea. Sev handles logistics and has a long memory, Shark is grouchy and has rank on the both of us." He grins. "Let's do it. We'll have to cook up something. What'd they do?"

"Handed me a scale while I was blind and took a picture of me as Justice."

"Ooh, that's harsh. Dick move. We'll have to do better." He rubs his hands together.

"India seemed to have some rivalry going with Seven," you mention. Emerald snorts again.

"You might say that. We're not sure if they want to kill each other or fuck. Maybe both. If you want to get her blood up, mention 'fraternization.'"

"Fraternization?" You ask. This has to be good.

"So India transfers over from the Eleventh, and almost immediately she and Sev are at each other's throats. After a solid month or two of this, Hammer finally steps in and asks her if the two of them are, quote, 'fraternizing' against regulations." He starts laughing. "You could hear her swearing across the base. Man," he catches his 'breath.' "Yeah, you could do worse than Indy for fuckin' with Seven."

You could ask for some more ideas, just get to know Em a bit more, or learn a little more about the unit structure. You're not sure which the eleventh is off the top of your head.

Or bugger off and do your own thing, of course.

All three of those!

>>17798900
I'm going to wind up with an infodump reputation at this rate. Okay, it's almost 2:30 AM, I'm thinking I sleep on this and commence tomorrow afternoon, assuming the thread survives. Is that okay with the playerbase?

>>17798950
You're the questman, do as you will.

>>17798950
Sounds solid to me, OP.
/tg/ threads tend to last if someone at least bumps it every now and then.
Get some rest, we'll see you in the morning.

>>17798995
>>17798985

Thanks a bunch. Shouldn't need more than a bump or two, and at the rate I'm going, we're probably not gonna have to worry about autosage.
TOMORROW: Shooting the shit with Em, learning the Unit structure, and beginning to contrive your counterhazing!

>>17799010
If I might make a suggestion?
You probably want to pace yourself more ably. There's nothing wrong with what you've done so far, but we had one thread of HOLY FUCKBALLS WE'RE FIGHTING SHIT! THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME! and now we're looking at two to three threads of pure downtime.

Bumping with a question: will be be to pull a Zeonquest and change the shape of the future?

>>17800959
And hey, downtime is awesome. We have pranks to plan, after all.

The first thing required in war is a clear objective. What is our objective? Do we engage in a tit-for-tat series of lightly escalating pranks? Or do we dare to engage in one mondo prank that may lead to our mutually assured prankstruction?

>>17802630
I think we should go for escalation.

But with MOAP lined up for the inevitable MAP situation.

I LIVE AGAIN
>>17800959
Yeah, pacing is gonna be tricky. I kind of want the full experience of unit life and if I'm up for it, interunit, interperson politics. I'm learning this as I go, so it's probably gonna be rocky.
>>17802609
If that's what people want? Hell yes. Most likely as you get more powerful and influential, things will be able to get further off the rails.
>>17802630
This is exactly what I want the players themselves to decide on. We're early on yet and most decisions come down to one or two votes, so it'll probably require a bit more time to get sufficiently popular to foster good conversation. Basically, I want you guys to have fun with whatever I do, get involved and invested, all that happy granola shit. TL;DR, I guess just don't be afraid to either surprise me or talk something out in the thread, and I can always try to help along if you have a question.

Starting to write again now, expect another largeish multipost.

>>17799010
"All right, for starters, I should probably learn the unit structure sooner rather than later."

"Might be good," he acknowledges. "Okay, First is Advance, first responders. Or, well, technically 0 is first, but 0 can shut up and wait in line like the rest for once. First is Primary Engagement, fast response, and so on."

"Knew that one," you nod, "My sister's in the First."

"Yeah? I've got one in the Sixth and a brother in the Seventh. Anyway, Second is Recon. They're basically hunter Intel. They're usually sent off to deal with unidentified threats and intel-gathering. They also have a nasty reputation of getting assassinated a lot. You can make a case for most any Unit being most important, but without Second, we'd almost always be going in blind. They're the reason we know what's up. They're usually a high-priority target."

"Yeah?" You ask. Thinking about it, maybe Weasel was there trying to knock out intelligence officers. A camera-proof attacker that, judging by damage, is a low-level threat? That's a tempting target. Em goes on explaining.

"Third is the Deploy corps. They handle bringing 'loids and heavy gunnery to extended warzones. Basically, hunters are high-maintenance, they keep us ticking for protracted battles. They also develop new mechaniloid models and supply the units."

"And I've met the Fourth," you say. He grins again.

"Home sweet home, right? Fifth is Communications. They handle Navigations, information coordinating and processing, and keeping units in touch with each other and Command. We all rag on 'em a bit, but all it takes is one day without orders or reinforcements to change anyone's tune."

Cont.

>>17802899
Em goes on, stretching back and sitting on the worktable. "After that you start getting into the more specialized units. Sixth is the Marine Armada. That's where my sister is. Aquatic environment version of us. There's a lot of different kinds of Aquatic, so they have region experts, just like we do. Seventh is Air Cav. Diamond's over there with the rest of the flyboys. Their job is basically taking aerial supremacy and disrupting maverick supply lines, artillery, or anything else they can smash while up there."

Em's grin slowly fades and he speaks a little more quietly. "Eighth was Armored Battalion. They were defense specialists. The line in the sand, y'know? They were also our Ride Armor division. They took some pretty heavy losses both wars. They couldn't get reinforcements faster than they lost 'em. And recently, like, less than a year ago? They just got wiped out, to a man."

"No shit." What is there to say to that? Em nods grimly.

"It was all under wraps, but all the commanders tend to talk to each other, things come down the grapevine... basically, the unit was wrecked and most of their facilities destroyed. A lot of equipment is missing, too. They're still trying to work out what got grabbed. Hell, I think they're still trying to piece together who did it." Em looks much more serious than you've seen him before. "We all took it pretty personally. I mean, we're the maverick hunters. We've all taken heavy losses, but to lose an entire unit, to a man? That's never happened before, not even during the first Sigma rebellion. Hammer took it pretty hard. Before he got promoted here, he was actually pending a transfer over. He was on good terms with Oryx--Adamant Oryx, the 8th's commander." He swings his legs over the side of the table morosely, looking more like a dejected human youth than a maverick hunter.
Cont.

>>17803068
"Hunter Command is trying to reinstate the Eighth," he finishes, "But they're waiting until they have a full team assembled to put it together all at once, rather than piecemeal."

You're quiet for a few moments in the heavy atmosphere, before Em clears his throat and speaks back up.

"Ninth and Tenth are Special Forces. Ninth is Rangers, stealth experts and guerrilla fighters. When things are too tough to crack even with a whole unit, they go in. They get shit for being sneaks, but generally, if you don't want to gut a unit in a protracted siege, you send one or two Rangers. Guys know their shit. Tenth..." Em sighs. "Tenth isn't doin' much better than the Eighth right now. Last I heard they're down to two operatives, because they're hard as hell to reinforce. Tenth is Civic. "Zero-Collateral Combat". That's the opposite of Zero Collateral combat, they like to say. They work in urban environments, and they specialize in not causing any harm to infrastructure."

"Hence why it's so hard to resupply them, then." It's easy to make a big gun, but...

"Yeah. It takes the right sort of mindset, and some specialized equipment. 0th and 10th never get along, they have one of the biggest rivalries in the history of the Hunters. Eleventh is Space Command. They're usually left well enough alone. Pilots, orbital defenses, and so on. India was a transfer from Space."

"Bit of a weird exchange," you can't help but think.

"Yeah, she's rated for 0G and low-atmo, but she was a hotshot pilot. I think Command's started decommissioning manned craft. She could tell you better. Anyway, we're almost done."

Cont. god damn you all

>>17803416
Look at it this way; it's info you won't have to dump in the future!

Silver linings, my friend. Silver linings.

>>17803416
Dammit 4chan keep my Name in there

By now you've picked a friendly wall to lean against, settling in and getting comfortable for your chat as Em goes on. "Twelfth and Thirteenth are Tropical and Polar Region. We've got specialists, but we're still deployed to ops. 12 and 13 are spread across the world and pretty much live there. They monitor their environments and provide support whenever hunter elements are nearby."

"Fourteenth is Grapple Combat. Close-combat and high-risk approach. They're our knife-fighters, so to speak. With or without outside help, they single out enemy commanders or HVTs and end them. They get a nice rosey bad-ass reputation. They're all generally built with higher specs and tolerances. I might have wound up there if I weren't built light, though I guarantee you they'd laugh if they heard that."

"Fifteenth is Artillery Command. They're always under the gun, since they're a big part of major offensives. They work with the Deploy Corps to bring heavy weapons afield. Sometimes they work with us when we need to sit back and guard 'em, since they're not a direct-combat unit."

Cont. you realize this is only the first of three questions and I'm still not done right argh

Ask him about X and Zero.

also, ask about Repliforce (assuming that they're existant at this point-likely, considering that Megaman Xtreme 2 also takes place between X3 and X4, and Iris was around then). Do they seem like good people? do we work with them at all?

>>17803591
"Sixteenth is R&D, the other indirect unit. They generally don't leave base, like the Fifth, except for mobile outposts to get material directly from the battlefield. Basically, every advance in our arms and armor or what have you comes through them."

"And then," he finally says, "You've got the Seventeenth and Zero units."

Those are the ones everyone hears about, the high-profile hunters. You have to admit you've been wondering. "Go on," you say.

"The 17th Elite Unit is led by X--you've heard of him, I'm gonna guess. Their official role is Command and Emergency Response. X runs the 17th, and technically, has jurisdiction over almost every unit. He's never used it. What the 17th is known for, though, is killing traitors. Most Hunters that turn are a cut above your refitted civilian model. They hunt them down. As for Emergency Response, they basically work like the First does, on a single-person basis, rather than waiting to mobilize. If you've got something tearing up a major human city, you can bet someone from the 17th will be there."

"Then there's the Shinobi, Special Unit Zero, whatever you want to call them. High-Priority Combat. They get almost complete autonomy and a blank check for collateral damage, environmental destruction, and a mandate to do anything they have to, to get the job done. Zero unit also typically holds our best and brightest. If there's a short deadline or a really high threat, Zero unit kills it. They hold by far the highest average combat rating."

"And the 0th is led by Zero," you add.

"Heh. Yeah, figure that one out. Apparently he's only rated SA, but then again for the longest time X was rated B, so..."

Cont., will mention Repliforce.

also there's rumors that Dr. Doppler is still alive, and others that he died helping stop Sigma. Which is true?

Who is commanding the Maverick Hunters at present, anyways?

OOC:Signas took over in X5, and the previous commander resigned over the clusterfuck that was the Repliforce War. That should be something we try to avert, BTW-the War, not the resignation. Signas is a pretty good leader.

Where did you go, OP?

>>17803593
Modification: Won't be asking about Repliforce. On looking stuff up and talking with my co-conspirator, they don't exist just yet.
>>17803769
You're a bit too far ahead. We're post X2 and on the doorstep of X3. But I'll keep in mind war-divertan games.

>>17804077
Working on it. Had to square away a few things with my partner in crime.

>>17803706
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPu66DUjWH8 Music, since I feel this scene is/will be long enough to merit a theme.
"So what's your story, Em?" You ask. "I caught a bit about you and India commiserating."

He pulls a face. "Egh. Yeah. Okay, it's like this. My name's Emerald. I wear green armor. I have green eyes. Getting the trend?"

"I...think I do, yes." You nod. He pops his helmet off, revealing... blond hair.

"This used to be green. When we got out of the labs, Sapphire, Diamond, and me all made an agreement. Fuck themes." He pops his helmet back on. "I dunno, it's just kind of a sore spot." He awkwardly rolls a saber hilt across his worktable under his hand.

"Gotcha. So... what else?"

"Eh? Oh. Uh, I was part of a three-part project. One flier, one swimmer, and one ground-pounder. That'd be me. I technically could request a detachment, but I don't know shit about leading. I usually just try to back up someone else on the field and patch things up back here."

"That reminds me, any chance that weapon data came in yet?" He brightens up, sliding off the workstation and checking a computer terminal.

"Let's have a look, I'm sure it's been processed by... now?"

Cont.

>>17804123
"What's up?" You ask, pushing off the wall to look over his shoulder.

"The data's been withheld," Em says. "Orders directly from Command. That's... unusual."

"Does it say why?" You ask.

"Classified." He frowns. "I'm forwarding this to Hammer, assuming he doesn't already know. If they don't tell him, odds are good we can call in a favor with the Second or someone to find out why. Shit, man, sorry. Getting upgrades is almost always the best part about this job."

You have to admit to yourself you were looking forward to seeing what you could do with new equipment. "But, hey," Em adds, "Maybe you can ask about that charger upgrade. Talk to the boss. And if nothin' else, I could probably spot you a saber or something. I know your first day has been a bit..."

"Unusual?" You offer.

"Buggered," he settles on. "But really, they tend to have reasons for their dumb decisions and they don't just leave hunters hanging in the breeze. They take care of their own."

Well, that's something you could do, go find Frog. It's getting a bit late in the day, not that you sleep like humans do. You could go find your quarters. You could track down India and try to get her help with your quest for righteous vengeance. Or you could chill out somewhere on the base, be it here or someplace else.

>>17804337
Let's go have a chat with Frog if he's not busy. We can kill two robobirds with one beam saber that way.
See if the charger upgrade is within reason to get permission for and also to maybe find out whyfor the data is classified.

>>17804477
Seconding this. Then find India if she's still up and about.

Do we have anything like a phone? We ought to call Cathode, see how her day went.

>>17804477
>>17804577
I need to contrive a way to get more discussion going. I don't mind infodumping like a motherfucker, but it's slow going so people lose interest, and then I only get a couple of votes, which means right on the heels of one big post I move to another. Anyway, writing.

>>17804770
You can use base comms for personal calls, if you'd like.

Out of interest, who is commanding the Hunters? Dr. Cain (assuming we're going with the original Megaman X and not Maverick Hunter X) or somebody else?

OOC: So what alterations are we, the players, planning to make to the timeline? The big one I can think of is avoiding the Repliforce incident, which would however have the knock-on effect of Signas not taking over the Hunters, which might cause problems for X5. I'm guessing getting Gate to avoid turning evil is another goal, but I'm not sure how to manage that. Would having Dr. Doppler live be a good goal? mind you, that one's entirely on X, assuming we can't influence his missions, so we'd have to work around it.

>>17804865
I don't know if we'd be able to effect that much of the timeline. We're pretty much a grunt right now. I say we just wing it.

As for discussion, that kind of thing might be more likely to happen in pitched combat situations or other things where there's a lot banked on the outcome.

I think we should call our sister (assuming she's not busy), and talk to Frog. If there's time, go find India. Pranking can wait for maximum effectiveness.

Just wanna say this shit is awesome and you are awesome for doing it.

Buuuut, if I were you I'd try to make it more... conversational somehow, not let the guys story off for pages. Though, I guess an infodump was kinda warranted.

Anyway, keep up the good work!

Maybe we could set up something that measures how much free time we have and how long a specific activity would take...?

>>17804477
>>17804577
"All right, I'm gonna go talk to Frog about my shiny new toys," you say. "Thanks for the info, Em. Was nice talking to you."

"Yeah, same," he says, shutting down the terminal and stretching back in his chair. "If you ever need some tech or just want to talk, I'm usually here."

A quick check around base tells you Frog is looking for you, too. You head to the Commons, just in time to see him stepping out.

"Good, there you are," he says. "I just got a line from Command."

"I heard," you say. "Classified?"

He motions for you to follow him into an unoccupied hallway. "Yes, but I never let protocol interfere with my people's ability to do their jobs. Okay, it's like this. How up are you on Virus Theory?"

"Not very," you say. "The upshot is that irregular activity and full-blown Maverick phenomenon is a result of a computer virus?"

"In effect," he says. "It's been discredited and argued for a while, but all reploids have countermeasures built in, which has been the biggest point against it."

"So what about it?" you ask.

"Well, the collection teams got the remains on the Mav you busted, Intel ran his info. He was practically just out of the factory himself, with absolutely zero outside contact. He was actually slated to work with the Navigators to counteract jamming against us."

"But he never made it."

"But he never made it." Frog agrees. "Which means that almost right out of the gate he went irregular. He was made with all the conventional tests and safeguards, everything was by the numbers. Command's been working with an expert in reploid neurostructure, a civ docor. They're shipping the remains to him."

"So, Weasel is a test case? Is that it?"

"In effect. Basically, they think he's either going to confirm virus theory, or bury it. And if he IS viral, they don't want anyone using any of his parts or programming."

Cont.

>>17805222
"If he's viral, he's not the only one. Sort of closing the door after the horse is out, isn't it?"

Hammer grunts an approval. "Pretty much. No one wants to think about that possibility. We test weapons for harmful or corrupt data, information warfare packages, that kind of thing. But if we can't detect it..." He doesn't need to finish. Not good.

"Anyway, no ETA on if or when that weapons data is going to be released to you. I'm authorizing giving you one piece of hardware, upgrades, or data we have on file. Your call."

"I'd had an idea for that, but Em said it'd need go ahead." You quickly explain your idea for a self-charging apparatus for your capacitors. He mulls it over, before asking. "And that wouldn't let you self-repair, or anything?"

"No, it's a separate reserve for electrical energy only." You reassure him. He makes a low hmmm kind of noise.

"All right, approved, if that's what you want. Think it over. Talk to Em, he'll set you up with R&D, then he just has to update your file. They want all that shit on record, so they know what you're capable of..."

"...If I flip out and start killin' humans. Right." Pretty grim. "Got it, chief. Thanks."

"Okay, glad you're being understanding. I'll keep you posted on Weasel's case." Hammer salutes, which you return, and goes on his way.

You could try to get in touch with your sister, or go see India. Or hell, you just got a blank check on an upgrade, if you want to head right back to the lab.

To the lab! We can call Cathode when we get done with all this and crash at quarters.

>>17805240
Let's check on Cathode real quick - see how shes' doin. A quick call can't take too long.

After that, strut on down to the lab. That there upgrade is an important bit of tech, y'know. I'm surprised it wasn't standard with our model.

>>17805370
Unfortunately for your prank campaign and your dear sister, the siren call of new shit is irresistible. To the labs!

Em hasn't gone far, installing a small emitter into that hilt he had been rolling around.

"Talked to the boss," you announce yourself with. He doesn't look up. "We can put in a self-charger."

"Gettin' all masturbatory already, huh?" He grins. "Great. I've already run my idea past R&D and built a proof of concept, it seems to work. What I'm thinking is modifications to your arms and legs. The upshot of this is that recoil--like when you hit something, fire your gun, that kinda thing--and impact, from footfalls or hits, will wind these. Once it's been turned enough, it'll release and the unwind mechanism offloads energy to your capacitors."

"So I have to build a charge to build a charge?" You ask.

"Sort of--not quite. It just conserves the kinetic energy until there's a meaningful amount. Hell, we can make it turn over the energy on-demand. It'd take me a bit to make up the coils, then you'd just have to get them installed. I could get started right now and they might be ready by tomorrow."

That gives you time to drop Cathode a line, at least. Do you like Em's idea for the kinetic coils, or would you rather go with something else?

>>17805793
Apparently they heard we like chargers, so they built us a charger inside of our charger so we can charge while we charge. Sounds good.

I like the idea that hunters limit themselves and keep a weakspot just so if they go maverick they can be taken down with relative ease. Is that how it is in the background material?

>>17805824
So like, can we jog in place to charge some electricity?

Sounds fine to me.

bumping for op's inevitable return.

>>17805875
I personally like it, but I have no idea if it's canon or not.
>>17805886
Yes, but it'd be pretty slow. It'll charge faster with more kinetic energy, like long falls or jumps, delivering hits, and the otherwise wasted recoil from firing your busters. The bigger the whack, the faster the charge.
>>17805793
"Okay, I'm sold," you finally decide. "Do 'em up. I'll come by tomorrow and see about getting them installed." Em claps his hands, clearly enthusiastic. "Thanks, Em."

"Hey, no problem. I've wanted to see these things in action for ages. I'll snag your body specs off your dossier so I can size the things right."

"Try not to peek," you say as you head for the exit. He gives you a dismissive shoo/wave out the door. "See you tomorrow, Em."

Well, that's squared away. You suppose you should go see about contacting Cathode.

Comm access is available, as long as all the channels aren't needed--and right now, they're not. You settle into a chair facing a panel along a row of about five more, split by small dividers for privacy. The automated interface helps you establish a relay, bouncing a signal from the 5th, to the 1st. A small indicator flashes, telling you that the message request is patched directly to the personal comms of the person you are hailing, and it may be several minutes before they can respond. It's not too long before you hear your sister's voice again.

"Node?" she asks--guess she'd rather talk now than wait until she finds a vidscreen.

"Hey, Cath." You smile a bit, not that she can see. Funny how combat can make it feel like ages since you've spoken to someone. "How's your first day been?"

"A lot of orientation and chatter," she replies. "Boring, but apparently Striker is a bit of a stickler. Kept saying how important doctrine and discipline is for being first-in. Hang on, let me find a comm terminal."

"No rush," you say. "I just wanted to see how you were."

Cont.

>>17806455
"It's fine, I'm done for the day anyway, just trying to get settled in. What about you?"

"Five minutes off the transport and they threw me on mission," you say.

"No shit?"

"No shit."

"Well, don't keep me in suspense. How'd it go?"

"Well, I'm alive. Probably can't say too much, but I got hit a few times."

"That's your job. It's what you do," she says, amused.

"Screw you, gunbunny. I'm gonna start charging." You both laugh--after the first time you delivered that accidental pun in training, it became a running inside joke between you. "It wasn't too bad, except the guy I took out was pretty clever."

"Yeah? What do you m..." The line is filled with static a moment as she transfers the call to a video terminal. Abruptly your screen winks on, and there's Cathode, just the same as ever... though a half-second later, her expression becomes concerned. "...Anode, your eyes are a different color."

Cont.

>>17806706
"You noticed that, huh?" You remember the quick look in the mirror on your way out. "I'm not sure if I mind or not."

"What happened?" She still looks worried, her purple eyes scrutinizing your face.

"Guy shattered them with some kind of high frequency noise. I'm fine, really, the dermal repairs are already done."

"Still, damn. Guess the Fourth doesn't mess around."

"Actually, they do," you grimace. "I figured I might as well send this along before you find it on your own." You tap a few buttons and transfer over the image of yourself post-hazing, still on the basewide network. ... and, let's face it, probably always will be.

Her expression changes from worry to restrained amusement as she fights down a smirk. "Yeah, yeah, go ahead and get it out," you say resignedly.

She holds back as long as she can, to no avail. "Pfffffffthahahaha, I'm sorry, Node, that has to suck."

"Eh, whatever," you say. "I'll return the favor somehow. The unit's a colorful bunch."

"Yeah, I think that comes with the territory," she says, running a hand through her black hair. "So far it's just been getting a feel for the base, meeting whoever wasn't busy, and a million years of learning regulations."

"I guess that makes sense, you're a lot more likely to meet civs than we are, if you're first onsite more."

"True," she admits. "Before you called I was going to go have a look at my quarters."

"Same," you say. "Was gonna do that myself after touching base."

It feels good to chat with her again. Anything you want to ask or talk about, or just go on to other business now that you're caught up?

>>17806716
Ask if she's run into any hunter celebrities while she was on-base.

We should wrap up and turn in. It's been a long day, and contacting India can wait a bit maybe.

>>17806792
We don't sleep though. I don't know if reploid's shut down to mimic a sort of sleep and run diagnostics on themselves, we could still go check out the quarters and talk to India.

>>17806773
"So, run into anyone big yet?" You ask.
"Nah, but my CO's been in charge since the first rebellion," Cath says. "Him and his second, a dude named Breakliner."

"Yeah, Frog has run things since the prior commander defected about then. Guess that's a pretty good mark in their favor." She nods. "...All right, sis, I guess I'm gonna get going. I should go see if my room is on fire or something."

"If it's decorated like a courtroom, I will never stop laughing," she states flatly.

"Yeah, you're not allowed to talk to my teammates," you answer, equally deadpan. "You'd give them too many good ideas."

She chuckles. "See you later, Node." The comm cuts out, leaving you alone in the suddenly quiet, dim room.

Your quarters, mercifully, are NOT done up like a courtroom. They're rather sparse, to be expected. There's a small datapad giving a basic rundown of what is and isn't allowed in personalizing your room. Pretty much everything goes, if it's safe. There are no windows, as the personnel rooms are meant to be shielded if the base gets bombed. ... So there's that, you guess. There is a small shelf, bare, along the back wall, and in the corner adjacent the door a recharging pod for your "sleep." The last decoration is a plain chair and table, sized and built for a reploid occupant. You should figure out who you talk to for sprucing the place up. ...And for that matter, whether you get paid.

You can either take a rest, or you can continue, as you won't need charging any time soon.

>>17807162
Speaking of taking a rest, I'm headed to the store with those same friends as the last two interruptions, apparently. I need a codename for them so I can just tell you guys that's where I've gone.

Let's go with Team Jerkass.

Lets continue on, explore the sections we haven't been around to yet.

Are there any drawbacks to not "sleeping"? If not, let's just keep on doin' stuff until there's no choice but to sleep. This, so far as I can tell, is on our generally agreed list.

-Find India for Prank War alliance
-Find out about getting paid
-Find out about decorating quarters (What do we want to decorate with?)
-Receive charger upgrade
-Explore Barracks
-Explore Storage and Data Access
-Explore Motor Pool
-Explore The Pond
-Explore Command Facility (unless prohibited)

I'd like to add a few items to this agenda as well.

-Train at some public hour, maybe impress some people and gain some face.
-See if there's any kind of Most Wanted list for Mavericks, see who's at large. It may save us some pain if we run into any of them later.

Okay, I'm back. Team Jerkass is making Ian play Castlevania. He is terrible at it.
Will update when I finish drinking.

>>17808236
Which Castlevania? The original?

>>17808161
Well, you need recharge to continue functioning, plain and simple. It takes a lot of energy to power a reploid. Regulations say you have to go in for rest before you literally have no other choice, so you'll always be ready in the event of an emergency, but you're not there just yet.
Also, your quarters are in the barracks, so you're technically there.


Also, dammit trying to write right now is hard. Should I switch to Q/A for a bit?

>>17808579
Yes.

>>17808728
Sure. How're you finding the quest business, thus far?

>>17808768
It's fun, I'm just worried that I write too much and there's not a lot of interest. That said, feedback's been pretty good so far, and I'm still getting the hang of it.

How have the characters been?

>>17808852
I'd say there's a decent core of varied characters that I can care about with some outlying ones that serve different purposes, so yeah, pretty good. Most of the lengthiest posts have been either exposition, which only really needs to be given once, or interaction, which is nice.

That said, I don't usually participate in quest threads so I don't know what the norm is.

>>17808852
I like shorter posts with more choices, and I think that's more common for quests. However, the way you paced the first one makes it stand out because there's a lot of detail, which means more hooks for stuff players might like to do aside from the choices you yourself might be thinking of. And you don't bug us with decisions about little iggy-piggy crap. So that's good too. This one was mostly exposition and meeting characters, and also it wasn't like if we did the wrong thing we'd die or something.

What's the world like? Same nations, roughly? Where is Hunter Base located, Japan?

>>17809235
My co-conspirator's missing and I tend to run things by him to get his perspective, but I use the X-COM school of base deployment. Hunter base is situated in somewhere in Mainland Europe, with another in Asia, for maximum coverage of population centers. Other satellite bases and regional outposts are spread fairly evenly across the globe.

I reserve the right to retcon that later.

>>17809498
Also, yes, roughly the same countries. It's funny how supremacist death machines can make you bury past grudges.

So do you want us to keep this up for tomorrow or what OP?

Oh hey, my conspirator showed up. Also, I'm back home. Still a bit frazzled--Jesus fuck did I write a lot--but if you guys want I could try to run a bit more. Maybe try to force myself to infodump less and give you more and frequent decisions.
Also: >MHHQ in Geneva. Equally large base somewhere in Asia, next largest in the middle Americas for maximum population coverage. Postings for fast deployments across the globe, regional outposts, any concentrated population centers likely to have a larger detachment.

All right, one more bump. Unless people show up, bag it for tonight. I'll throw together a third thread when next I resume.

It probably has something to do with Strike Witches Quest being active right now.