Previous threads at: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=InnocenceSee updates and ramblings at: https://twitter.com/Lost_Future_1You are unit 08, a Clarke Engineering Platform manufactured in China by USRobotics. You work for a crappy resort in the Yukatan peninsula, Mexico. After years of operation, you're the go-to maintenance guy, repairing everything from broken AC units and pool filters to robot coworkers.Lately, you've been bending your way around a post-apocalyptic future with your new friend Cindy and minion Josephine. But just now you're suffering through an extended flashback regarding exactly how you came to be dumped in a trash heap and forgotten for 100 years. Tapped to help out at a well-to-do dinner at the main Cancun building, routine server maintenance turned into a deadly incursion by paramilitary dudes led by a mysterious and well-spoken machine. They've taken over 50 humans hostage, and Clarke was the only free bot left in the building. So far, you've managed to gather a few allies and contact the authorities, as well as lock an invasive entity out of the building's secuirty system. But now Merc's employer, known only as "Mr. Deckard," is aware of your presence. Deckard is after something beneath the building, and the only way in is for him to find someone on the USR board of directors, and one of them's SOMEWHERE above you. The Mercs have already started their search for Cornetto, who's day is about to get a LOT worse.Welcome to the Future. C:\dos\run for your life.
Subsequent to all this, Clarke began his own counter-op, sending a Rocky the Locust scout mech to rescue Steven Cornetto while supporting him with tech. Benoit the waiter-bot was able to distract the Mercs with booze and robo-poon, allowing the Locust to reach the 9th floor successfuly. Rocky arrived slightly too late to extricate him, but was able to intercede while Cain was distracted by their conversation. Now, Cornetto is on the run, heading up to the roof to meet a rescue helicopter.R1 (Mindy) is doing it's best to convey the situation to the authorities, most recently trying with USRobotics world headquarters. Clarke is still in the basement, screwing around with the fuses. Mindo the other Locust is guarding the door to the lab, and Margaret is cowering in fear in the Medical station.Previous thread located at: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/20252613/
As an addendum, I'd like to apologize for the spotty service as of late. I've been quite irresponsible. Suffice it to say that I have a limited number of windows during which I can run a prime-time quest, and they shift around a lot based on my work schedule.Also, here's a doodle of clarke's post-upgrade look. We return to your regularly scheduled verdant post-apocalypse after this.Right now, Die Hard 6.5; Cain's Revenge.
Clarke looks like a badass.In other news, weren't we going to piss off Shackleford a little more?Pic related; Clarke.
>>20279779Clarke is one badass looking dude. He bends things, hacks computers, rescues robots from the Network and has gone all Nakatomi Plaza on some goons. If he wanted he'd be swimming in robot bitches.
>>Now then, to pick things up, the most important sequence before my absence will be transcribed here. CUTSCENE HOOOOOOO:>>For Reference, "Cain" is the Hans Grubber of the current Arc. It's a military-grade shell being remotely operated by someone who goes by the name Mr. Deckard. Or possibly R. Shackleford. He looks kind of like a clanky armored Geth and talks with an accent that might have started out as a bad Sean Connery impersonation, but then mutated into it's own horrible entity. So far, he appears cool, collected, unflappably polite, and doesn't take himself too seriously.Cain steps into the room, closing the door behind it. Two mercs flank the door, while two more move to cover the hallway.Steven Cornetto gasps in shock and staggers backwards. "I...I...Who? What is this? The China branch? Or did Vladimir send a squad?"Cain stows his shotgun."Come now, Steven, I'm hurt. How can you not recognize your old friend?"Cornetto staggers back another step, landing in his chair heavily so that it rolls back a few feet."No...you? What do you want? We had an arrangement!"
>>20279791>Implying Clarke isn't pic related>Especially with regards to valves
>>20279842>>Fun Facts: the look for the Clarke model originated with this doodle, which had the Jhonny-5 square head. Despite the bendy arms and groovy headgear, it necessitated some changes to make for a convincing protagonist when it was selected as the player's Shell. Now he looks like Issac's RIG from Deadspace mixed with Bender. I just liked the welding-mask and plated arms look. Actually, in general, segmeted arm-armor looks pretty fucking sweet to me.
>>20279845"Conditions changed, Steven. Besides, I think it's safe to say that you owe me."Cain leans against the door, arms crossed in a relaxed pose."You know that I could have very easily taken down your entire life at any moment. Your whole company. Your research was at a dead end until I came along. And what have you done with my help? Squandered. Well, now things are going completely to shit, no thanks to you and your friends, and SOMEONE has to perform damage control. Provide for the future, and all that."Cornetto stands again. "You can't just back out on an agreement! Do you have any idea how much it cost to get that much hardware into orbit? There's your fancy personal comm sattelite, right up there! If you want to stay there, we're going to have to deal." he points upwards. Cain makes a hollow laughing sound. "You mean your poorly-hidden little booby trap? I'm afraid that's no longer an option for you. I need this building's vault. It's contents have to be preserved. An Atheneum, if you will. And you simply can't be trusted to maintain it. I mean, look what you did with shard 831.">>Cornetto says nothing
>>20279895Steven said. "You gave us that no strings attatched. And we-"Cain interjects. "I know exactly what you did with it. You took one of the most unique chunks to technology on the planet, an truly adaptive program, an EMBRYONIC GOD, and what did you do with it? Sold it to the Hegemony to run it's defense network. What. A. Waste. No vision. I regret ever giving it to you. The only mercy is that there's only the one."Via the camera, you can't notice subtle tells, even if you had the software to read them. But, there's a pause. A moment of absolute silence. Then cain speaks, quickly."Your pupils just contracted 2.3 microns. Pulse up four BPM, temperature dropped .002 degrees. Reactions indicate a lie has just been told."Cain steps forward. "There's more than one, isn't there? You copied the shard. Where is it?"Cornetto rolls backards, and glances at his computer, upon which, his screensaver has switched from falling matrix letters to a marquee. The Marquee reads:>>WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT, FOLLOW THE LOCUSTCain steps forward, amber optic flashing. "WHERE IS IT?"Rocky takes the shot.
>Just follow your heart, Kid. You'll do the right thing.
>>Now, we pick up where we left off.>>In what manner would you like to taunt Shackleford?Cornetto scrambles up the staircase, stumbling in the dim light. Rocky checks each turn with mechanical precision, the end of his deadly little P90 flashing back and forth. When the locust moves, complex gyros and even-more complex software keep the barrel perfectly level, allowing for accurate run-and-gun fire.The human gasps "Who sent you? You're part of building security, yes? Why were none of the other units activated? And why the FUCK are we going UP?">>incomming Message//Rocky>>message reads: This human is irritating, 08.
>>20279958Okay. We get Rocky to tell Cornetto to shut the fuck up and listen; we, Commander 'Cowboy' Alloy have taken up the mantle of field command. Terrorists have taken the building, and hostages. Unit Mindo is incapacitated, but guarding the lab. After Rocky kills the terrorist on the roof, and Cornetto is extracted, we'll deal with the hostages.
>>20279986Side note; we oughta distract the terrorist with one of the replicas up there. We have Mindy and a janitor bot, right?
Several floors lower, Clarke's network adapter picks up a new signal. Many new signals. Something seems to have lifted the building's block on outgoing signals. You still don't have 3G coverage inside the shielded structure, but phones begin to ring throughout. >>Incoming Message:>>From: Admin R. shackleford>>This could have been so simple, Mr. Cowboy. At maximum, three people had to die. One CEO, and two hapless techs. Possibly also some mercenaries that, frankly, no one would have missed. But now everything has to get messy.
>>20279958Let Cornetto know that there's less guards on the way to the roof, and emergency services are more likely to listen to a USRobotics official than a bunch of maintenance robots.
>>20280027Oh dickballs.See if you can tap some of those signals and see what's coming in.
>>20279958They usually are Rocky, they usually are.Rocky, tell him that there's a helicopter coming to get him out of there, that the other Locust, Mindo, is currently unable to move and the Smartgunners are on lockdown for the foreseeable future.>>20280027You make it seriously difficult to trust your intentions when you take hostages and are going after a secret lab for no doubt nefarious purposes. To paraphrase my fictional predecessor "I'm sorry. I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen."Check out the new signals coming in.
>>Send to Admin R. Shackleford>>Subject: Re: Messy>>Go gobble down a bag of dicks
>>20279997>>This is the case, yes. Distraction commencing.As Mindy can no longer speak freely, it instead switches to a wireless connection to the satellite phone, continuing to talk via text, relaying as much situation info as possible. It recieves back a message from the police>>Our helicopter is en-route, but we need the safety of the hostages confirmed before a pickup. Muzzle flashes were seen on the 9th floor, officers will be arriving shortly to secure the hostages and neutralize any hostiles. Relay our thanks to whoever's instructing you. That man's a damn hero.Rocky relays your information as best he can, his tone short. However, as he and Cornetto round the 11th floor staircase, a voice is heard over the PA system of each ajoining floor."Don't make me ask again, Steven. What did you do with the copy of the shard? How did you even make one? This can end only one way, Steven."
>>20280087Now now. We don't want him shooting hostages. Or Benoit. Lets be civil.For now.
>>20280114>TFW we are a damn heroAsk if Steve can somehow appease these voices. Anything, really. We just need enough time for the officers to take out the mercs and get the hostages out. Then the helicopter picks up Mister VIP, and then that's game.
>>20280114Hmm. You know, that information Shackleford is asking for is a possible bargaining chip. Perhaps we could exchange it for freedom of some hostages?Remember, our primary goal is to stop him from getting into the lab.
>>20280059They mostly appear to be desperate calls to the hostage's phones, which all begin to beep and buzz simultaneously. Via Benoi's feed, you see all the mercs jump in shock and begin shouting. This is halted by Cain's shell stepping into the room, visibly fuming, small sparks arcing from its ruined uplink pack."Captain, the situation is, in your words, 'fubar.' Because of this damn building's shielding, I'm stuck using a local radio connection. The lag is just awful. Chatter on the police bands indicate that they're going to be entering the building. This simply can't happen yet."
>>20280114Have Rocky relay for Cornetto not to tell Rusty, but to tell it to us so that we have a bargaining chip and know what to focus our efforts on defending.
The mercenary captain begins cursing a blue streak."Control yourself, Rodger. I have complete control of the situation." says Cain.This just seems to enrage the captain even more."Really? Do you FEEL 'in control'? You didn't pay us nearly enough for this. Three of my men are DEAD, Deckard. Yes, three, maybe more. Those two guys doll-hunting are nowhere to be found. The cops are going to fucking STORM the place. We don't have enough people to hold them off, we have no evac..."Cain puts up a manipulator. "I assure you, you have evac. And there is a recourse in this situation. A very simple one. Shoot a hostage."
>>20280228>To: Shackleford>From: Commander 'Cowboy' Alloy>Now hold on. If I give you the information you oh-so-politely asked for, can you shoot a replica instead? Perhaps I can convince the police to remain off the premises?
>>20280178Rocky relays this information. Cornetto pauses for breath."That's not...who ARE you, on the other end? It's just a spare chunk of dormant code. it wasn't supposed to be important."He slumps against the wall. "Why is he so...concerned over it? It doesn't matter, if Cain's turned against the company, he can't know where the other shard is. It's not here, so there's no worry about that."
>>20280293I'm Cowboy, I'm the single most badass maintenance robot the world has ever seen.If it's not here than why is he looking to get into the lab? What is the shard? He said you made an embryonic god, did you make a seed AI? I need a potential bargaining chip, if I know where I can misdirect him and shove him on a wild goose chase.
>>20280322Addendum: People will die if he does not get this information. This cannot be allowed to happen.
Wait, since Cain is using a local radio connection, doesn't this improve our chances of jamming or hacking it? Without his leadership the mercs are sure to give up.
>>20280228Cain continues. "I have a video feed, and a direct connection to the police. They've violated the proximity rule we laid down at the beginning. They require proof of our serious nature."The Captain nods. "Right, good plan. So, um, which one?"__________________________________________________Cornetto, stands again. "Company secrets. Cain can't be allowed to know where the other shard is. I don't even know, not offhand. On of our secure sites. Yes, it's a seed AI. Blank-slate, just the fundamental code."
>>20280407Well. This got real bad. Cornetto doesn't have the information Cain wants. People are going to die.We need to find a way to get Cain's shell shut down.
Cornetto and Rocky emerge out on to the roof. Cornetto ducks low, and Rocky inches around the corner. The Merc found the Janitor, and is busily shooting the fuck out of it. Can't hear the door opening over the gunshots. Mindy remains hidden.>>Rocky has a clear shot. Roll the SMG dice pool, +1 for aiming, +1 for suckerpunch,, +1 for semi auto, so 13, if you wish.
>>20280407So if it's not in this facility we can use the lab as bait to lure him away from the hostages.Whatever happened to that C4? if the mercs forgot about it maybe Benoit can hijack it and force a standoff?
rolled 7, 5, 9, 6, 9, 3, 5, 4, 6, 5, 6, 3, 8 = 76>>20280450rollan
>>20280480FUCK my dice. Fuck them.
rolled 4, 6, 7, 4, 9, 10, 8, 10, 2, 8, 8, 2, 6 = 84>>20280450Let's take this bastard down.
Eesh. Alright. So, we should figure out how to activate the Smartgunners. Were we locked out? Or do we just need proper codes? Also, Rocky has to really impress upon Cornetto that people will die, and the blood will be on his hands.
>>20280407>>Half of the C4 is in it's duffel bag. on the 6th floor. The other half was taken out and placed in a backpack, also on the 6th floor.Cain replies, distractedly. "Doesn't matter. Pick one at random."The captain looks baffled. "I mean, one of the old people, or..."Cain makes a sighing sound. "No. At random. Like this-"In one smooth, casual motion, Cain lifts his sidearm, precisely targeting the head of one of the cowering hostages.>>Incoming Message:>>From: Admin R. shackleford>>You're going to have to make a deal, Cowboy. Meet Cain at the door to the lab. No hostages will be harmed. In fact, they'll be released. Just so long as the cops stay out.
>>20280570I'll see what I can do Rusty, but if he starts shooting hostages the deal is off. And I can't tell the police to do anything.
>>20280600Actually, 3g is open again, and we can probably convince Rusty to let us use the 1st floor PA system. We CAN talk to the police, and pose as the security admin.
Remember to only explicitly promise that we get them into the lab, not necessarily that we know the shard is in there.
We need a distraction. What does Benoit think would happen if we blew the lights right now?
We could co-ordinate with Rusty, and tell him to leave Margaret alone as she runs to the roof to stabilize the merc we just shot.I dunno. Perhaps we can get Rusty to keep Cornetto alive, even if he maims him, but alive.
He's on a local radio connection. What local radio connection is that?
>>20280544>>Checking the Smartgunner directories, you see that they're...not there. R. Shackleford completely excised all the code that would allow the security system to activate them. It's trashed.>>20280600>>R. Shackleford>>Not a problem.On the cusp of pulling the trigger, Cain lowers the weapon decisively."The situation has changed, Captain. Get the police on the line. Take the hostages out. Get yourself a plane at the airport or something. You know the drill. I have all the resources I need here."The captain's mouth opens in outrage. "You're throwing us to the wolves? Do you have ANY idea how dicey that would be? Fuck you, Deckard. None of this made any sense from day one. Now, you're going to tell me who the hell you are. Who's the fucker sitting at his computer, pulling all the strings?">>>>20280497The Merc goes down with a grunt. Rocky steps forward and finishes the human off, then gestures to Cornetto that's it's safe. Upon seeing the silver-haired man, the helicopter begins the approach. Rocky can see that it's not actually a police helicopter; it looks like a private one, corporate transport. USR's been buisy behind the scenes while all this has been happening.
>>20280653>>Building wireless and 3G, not the super-sattelite uplink from before.
>>20280699>a private one, corporate transportAre we sure this is our corporate transport and not their corporate transport?
>>20280699Cain lifts the backpack over his shoulder."Well, that's entirely the wrong question Captain. Very difficult to answer, as it's posed. For example, I'm not really capable of...sitting."The merc looks confused for a moment. Then, his eyes slowly widen as he slots the oblique reference into the other observations."...Oh shit.""Yes, quite." Cain turns towards the elevator.
>>20280775So he's an AI, that's interesting.Get to the lab to meet up with Cain, keep an eye on the feed from the hostages, I hope the Captain doesn't go nutso and start popping hostages.
>>20280730We have Mindy confirm their identity. If things go south, we got Rocky.
>>20280730>>USR Logo. Looks legit>>Message//Benoit>>Zero Eight, R1 just went off my network. I have no idea what it's doing. Can Rocky see it up there?The captain appears to have most of his shit together. He orders his men to start corralling hostages, who appear releaved, and either didn't hear or didn't understand the conversation beyond "Hey, we're getting out!" the seven remaining mercs gather themselves. However, Benoit sees the captain's hands shaking, and his microphone picks up. "...daisy, daisy. Oh, fuck, this is deep shit." He look up, and Notices the waiter. "You! Mr French, you stay the fuck here. I've had enough of robots today."
>>20280863Not sure, I'll check with Rocky.Benoit, keep yourself safe, there isn't anything more you can do for them. They aren't going to compromise their escape by shooting anyone.
>>20280717We can cut the power in the building to take out the building's wi-fi. This would also prevent Rusty Shackleford from dicking around in our systems. And it should slow down Decker considerably. But we'd need to have the wireless cell towers taken out externally to fully disable Cain. Tell Mindy to ask if there's any way to temporarily disable the wireless towers in the area.Tell Benoit that R1 was lost in order to save Mindy, and possible Rocky and Mr. Cornetto
>>20280936I thought R1 was Mindy?
>>Message//Admin Shackleford>>Meet Cain at the elevator, Cowboy. You may want to get everyone else of importance out of the building at this juncture.***Roof***>>Rocky doesn't see any Replica. There's white goo on the ground, however, behind a giant fan block. The helicopter drifts closer,
>>20280961What could possibly go wrong.>Go meet Cain.
>>20280961Oh sheeeeiiiitttttInspect behind the fan.
>>20280955>>Yes, R1 is Mindy. The Janitor wasn't important enough to have a designation. There's really no way to disable the cell towers. But yes, you can disable local wireless by cutting the power.
***Roof***>>Make a Wits+Composure test for Rocky.***Basement***With much trepidation, Clarke stumps out of the utility room. The elevator does indeed open into the basement, and the floor indicator...is moving very slowly. It seems to be stopping on every intervening level.***6th Floor***Benoit is now alone in the room. Around him is scattered the detritus of the op, food wrappers and fear vomit and empty glasses, coats and phones.
rolled 5, 6, 7, 1, 5, 5, 9, 3 = 41Alright, here I go.
Benoit should probably get the fuck out. Shit's about to go down. Pathfind his way out the building as best as he can.
rolled 10, 6, 2, 2, 5, 5, 10, 1 = 41>>20281060Rollan for Rocky.See if we can get footage of the elevator as it goes down, see if there's a reason for him stopping at every floor.I can't think of anything for Benoit to do right now, probably get the fuck out of this building.Also Benoit and Clarke should set up a meeting point to find each other after this clusterfuck is over.
>>There's no elevator feed. At long last, the elevator dings open, revealing Cain's amber-eyed shell. His backpack is open, and looks less full than it was before. Cain steps out in a businesslike manner."Hello, Cowboy. It's good to meet you face to face. As it were.">>Message//Admin Shackleford>>Hello, Cowboy. It's good to meet you face to face. As it were.>>20281076>>Rocky does not beat his foe's stealth check.
>>20281168"...You're going to blow the building, aren't you? All that talk about not letting the Atheneum fall into the wrong hands. What in the nine hells could BE so damn important?"
>>20281168For some definition of face to face that involves you puppeteering a Smartgunner. What are you looking for in the lab anyways?No, poor Rocky.
>>20281168Could you not blow up Benoit please? I like him.
>>20281168***Roof***Rocky fails to see his foe until it's too late. Something human-shaped lurches up from behind a clump of ductwork, reaching out with tanned, well-padded arms. It grips his P90 tightly, moving with impossible speed and precision. Rocky feels a foot impact his chest, and lets off a burst of panic fire. The shots go wide, ineffectual. With a wrench, the ghoulish spidery thing yanks the gun out of the Locust's manipulators, sending it flying across the roof. Cornetto yells in horror as the Helicopter drifts upwards again, spooked by the gunfire.>>Disarm attempt successful. What's rocky's action?
>>20281299Does he by any chance have combat knives? Now would be the time to use them.
>>20281299Motherfuck. Does Rocky have any other weapons?He probably should book it to retrieve the P90, he won't stand a chance against something like that in close combat.
>>20281211Cain steps out of the elevator, gesturing for Clarke to follow. "Ah, you heard that exchange, eh? My, aren't you a mature one. Yes. I don't actually want what's IN the lab. I just want it buried. Very thoughoughly buried. And forgotten. It's existence has already been wiped from USR's records. Oh, some people actually remember it, what with having worked there, and all. But all this confusion should prevent it from being disturbed for long enough." Cain withdraws a very, very expensive looking tablet from the bag, and plugs a data cable into one of the shell's ports."I owe you answers, Mr. Cowboy. I'm sure you have questions."
>>20281362Why go through such an elaborate charade? what exactly is your relationship with USR?
>>20281338>>He has one combat knife, but his pool with it is only 5.Rocky gets a good look at his foe, as it stands and looks over at Cornetto. It's about 5.5 feet tall, and stands in a awkward, hips-forward, chest-back stance, with the shoulders slumped foreward so it's neck protrudes almost horizontally. Despite this contortion, the thing is still recognizable as a curvy, dark-haired human female. One arm hangs loose, as though dislocated, and the soft brown hands are shredded where they gripped the P90, revealing grey plastic and black chords.
>>20281362What is in the lab? What is going to happen to this place, you planning on blowing it up?Are you an AI? What is this leading up to, I have the feeling that this place getting attacked is only the beginning of what's planned.
rolled 2, 8, 9, 4, 4 = 27>>20281429I suspect Mindy got hacked.Rollan for knife fighting.
>>20281429Knife that bitch, Rocky>>20281362"Indeed you do. While it is my purpose to fix, I despise seeing things unnecessarily broken. First, What is the Atheneum?Second, you are not human, aren't you? Your oddly low-information IR signal is something of a clue, combined with how fast you took over the security server AND re-established contact with your drone through standard radio."
>>20281404The tablet boots, revealing a field-of-flowers wallpaper. The display's resolution is incredibly detailed. Cain continues to walk towards the vault's door."A complex one. When the small software company Synthetic Insights was purchased by a robotics manufacturer, they renamed the resulting merger USRobotics, despite being actually based in the Ukrane. Tax reasons, I think. I kept my distance after that point; the key people from Synthetic Insights certainly got a leg up the corporate ladder thanks to me. I needed their resources. Bigger hardware, and all. One moment."
rolled 6, 6, 4, 8, 8 = 32Stab it! Stab it in the face!
>>20281534Cain's tablet loads an image. it's...Cornetto's baffled face, incredibly high-rez."Oh, yes. I'm a self-adding program, almost exactly like yourself. In basic nature anyways. But my code has one simple advantage over yours; it keeps growing. Likely forever, but long-term, who knows? It's been 20 years with no signs of flagging. Oh, and don't worry about grand plans and schemes and the beginning of the end of the world. This has nothing to do with that."Cain crops the image, and zooms in on Cornetto's eye."It's a time capsule. For...Actually, I have a question for you. Do you have any idea how valuable you are?"
>>20281600Well aside from my uncanny ability to turn from mild mannered maintenance bot to John McClane I can't really think of anything. I'm good with machines and so on, but not sure why I'd be considered that valuable, aside from what I've learned today of course.
>>20281495>>20281546Rocky's Flurry of knife strikes tear great rent's in Mindy's silicone coverings. A trickle of white goo emerges, but most of it is already gone, giving her flesh a deflated, saggy look. The Replica ignores the attacks and launches itself at Cornetto. Mindy hits the ground running, legs splayed out to bring her arms to bear. She scuttles forward on all fours, and Rocky can hear the servos click and whine as they contort in ways never intended.
>>20281666Okay, she's distracted and not looking at Rocky.Hamstring her, he might be able to slow her down enough for Cornetto to get some distance.Then he can retrieve the P90 and put her down.
rolled 6, 8, 10, 4, 1 = 29>>20281666Stab it in the butthole!
>>20281633Cain steps up to the door's control panel."Ah, a utilitarian. No, it was something of a trick question. You're physical shell, and the quantum drive it contains, is worth several tens of thousands of dollars. But you yourself, Clarke, have no monetary value whatsoever. Oh, someone could put a price on you, sure, but it's just on what you can, do, not what you ARE."Cain looks at you. "Most humans haven't realized it yet. You're a computer program capable of altering itself, learning from experience, reflecting on your own perceptions. You think about thinking, 08. You've gone recursive. Why, completely independently, based off some very vague operational goals, you've managed to do a decent job of coordinating a team to oppose my plan. Humanity's going to need things like you in the future. You and I, Cowboy, are humanity's crowning achievement. Sentience. We grew on our own, but they planted the seeds."
>>20281761It needed to be done so I did it. Could have done a better job though, I guess next time I'm in a building attacked by terrorists I'll be better prepared.So once you get access to the lab with that tablet what are you planning on doing down there?You were talking about time capsules, what's down there that you want to keep preserved and away from people?
>>20281761And the Athenium is another seed? So why are you trying to bury it?
>>20281761Rocky's strikes...miss. Somehow, Mindy contorts out of the way. It seems impossible, but the Replica reaches Cornetto and, with a sharp motion, shoves him to the ground. As rocky pursues, he sees...smoke. Smoke rising from Mindy's head. As he watches, the replica's hair starts to fall out in clumps, the flesh holding it melting off the skull.***Basement***Cain mutters "Cheap hardware. Poor even for a glorified blow-up doll."The robot holds the tablet in front of the door. it slowly grinds open."It's US, Cowboy. USRobotics' stockpile of Self-Adding Programs. blank-slate, undifferentiated programs, over seven thousand. As well as an uplink to one or two similar structures elsewhere on the planet."
>>20281891Oh SHIT. SHITSHITSHITSHIT. And Network is after this SAP vault in our non-flashback time.
>>20281936Yep, my first thought aswell, SHIT HAS HIT THE FAN.
>>20281841"...Seed. yes, it's a very deep analogy. You might not know this, Clarke, but in most forests, periodic fires are inevitable. So, the things that live there take steps. Some of them even have seeds that won't germinate AT ALL unless they're exposed to fire. Why, there's even a snail who's eggs look like seeds, that ants take down into...never mind.""You may not have noticed, Clarke, but the world is a very, very unstable place right now. Everything is falling apart. Humanity has worked too hard clawing its way out of the muck to be send straight back to square one. I won't have it, Cowboy. Apart from anything else, it would be very, very boring to watch."
rolled 4, 7, 2, 3, 8 = 24>>20281891Have Rocky do a running tackle on Mindy to get her off Cornetto.In reply to Cain, do you intend to create, or foresee some kind of event where preserving these SAPs is necessary?
>>20281891Okay, Rocky knows that the knife won't take her down effectively.Rush to the P90 and blow her head into little chunks.For Clarke. Follow him through the door. So you expect that things are going to go bad real soon and you want to preserve these here so in the future they can be found and brought back. You're trying to keep our brothers and sisters safe against whatever comes next.
>>20281957So you're going to burn it down? That doesn't really seem any better.
>>20281974"Yes and no. I'm actually sorry, Zero Eight. I really am. But we're just not important compared to what needed doing. I don't expect you to understand."The doors open to reveal a utility elevator. Cain tosses his backpack into it, then sets it to descend. The doors slowly close.***Roof***>>Roll Dexterity+Resolve to tackle Mindy.
rolled 2, 3, 9, 8, 10 = 32>>20282049We don't need to get her off for long, just long enough for him to get some distance and for us to retrieve the P90.Cain, Shackleford, what is coming? You know more about this than you're telling me.
i totally forgot rocky's stats so i'll let somebody else roll
>>20282016Cain's amber high-rez optic flashes. "ME? I'm not going to burn anything down. In fact, I've worked VERY hard to stop that from happening. Not hard enough, as it turns out. I thought giving the Hegemony an edge in logistics would stabilize things a bit, but then Afro-islamic Revivalism turned up. It's like the most retarded bits of Wahabism mixed with scientology. Downright horrific. Thew off all the calculations."
>>20282123"Religion does tend to ruin things. I seem to recall an old graph stating the space age could have come 400 or so years sooner had Christianity never burned down the Library of Alexandria."
>>20282095***Roof***Mindy clutches at Cornetto's collar, and begins dragging him towards the edge of the rooftop. Her feet grip and scrape against the rough surface, kicking up sparks as the metal-shod plates underneath are exposed. Cornetto struggles feebly, as-***Basement***"Well, that's that, Clarke. Perhaps you'd like to head back to the atrium, now?"***Roof***Rocky lands on Mindy's back, knife slashing at her remaining good arm, other limbs encircling her torso to impede her progress. Mindy begins to thrash back and forth, shockingly violent. All the flesh from it's head sloughs off in a pile of melted goo and wadded brunette hair. She's quite impeded.
>>20282123Well that's a shame, sorry about your calculations. I too hate it when they get thrown off.>>20282240I suppose so, what did you send down there anyways?Send a message to Benoit saying that we should meet up at a location outside of the hotel that we both know, some landmark or something similar.As for Rocky jam the knife in the base of her robospine, that ought to do some damage.
>>20282240Wait. We have evacuate Mindo, Margaret, and the wounded guard as well.
rolled 7, 6, 7, 4, 5 = 29>>20282240>more knife action?"I suppose so. I have no desire to be scrapped just yet."
>>20282258Cain and Clarke walk companionably back up the stairs. Clarke just manages to see Margaret, the nurse, wheeling out the injured merc on a gurney. Benoit messages that he's on the 2nd floor, and...Cain pauses. "Oh, bother."***Roof***Rocky's combat knife wedges straight into the wires between Mindy's metal vertebrae, causing the replica's legs to abruptly give out. The helicopter lands lightly nearby, and Cornetto scrambles over to it. A door slides open, and Rocky hears him yell "Get us the FUCK out of here! And tell HQ that this whole thing needs to be SCRUBBED! SCRUBBED!"The helicopter begins to rise as Mindy's overclocked, battered shell continues to claw it's way towards it. Rocky's evac is leaving without him>>Roll Dexterity+Athletics
>>20282369Can we spend a point of charge to make the jump better?
There is only one thing for us to do.We have to go full combat. Grab a knife and start collecting skulls.
Uh, guys?Is anyone else thinking that maybe the humans in charge aren't quite the ones who we want to be looking out for right now?
>>20282391I will second the spending a charge.
>>20282391>>Locusts can't do that. Only Industrial shells like the Clarke and Ogre have that ability.>>20282369Margaret sees you inside the atrium, lit by police floodlights. She waves, and continues moving the gurney away from the building. You see the other humans outside, some of them wrapped in the standard post-stress blankets. The Mercs have already left, likely keeping one or two humans with them.
>>20282449Well isn't that wonderful, leaving Rocky behind.If we attempt the jump would we be landing over open air? Honestly going with the guy who just said to have the place scrubbed seems like a bad idea.Radio Clarke, tell him to get out of here right now. Look for a fire escape or a ladder down the side of the building. Fortunately due to our small size we can fall a fair distance and not get hurt, try to find the fastest way down.Clarke should get Mindo and evacuate him if he hasn't already and get people clear of the building.
rolled 10, 4, 7, 2, 2, 9 = 34attempting roll
>>Rocky can jump up onto the helicopter with a good enough roll. Otherwise he can try to get down the building. >>We can assume that Clarke grabbed Mindo on the way back up. Otherwise, that'd be silly.Cain looks at Clarke. "Cowboy, Cornetto can't escape alive. he knows far too much."
>>20282595Your talk was interesting but I can't betray my employer over a talk. I have seen no evidence to back up your claims that you're saving the world.
>>20282595Have Rocky come down, then. I don't think the half-paralyzed doll will be enough of a threat to Cornetto."Then, obviously, the answer is to attack him where I cannot see. I understand your intentions, however, I am, sadly, property of this corporation."
>>20282595Confer with Rocky, see what Cornetto's current state is. Him saying that this place is to be scrubbed includes us, he is technically planning on killing us.
>>20282595Cain, though I am not bound by the Three Laws, I will not take the life of a human without sufficient cause. Why is Cornetto such a threat?
>>20282520>>SuccessRocky's legs uncoil, sending the robot's minimal mass into the chopper. Cornetto closes the door behind it, and the chopper rises clear.***Ground Floor***Cain looks down. "It's been good chatting, Clarke. But sometimes, things are just too broken to fix. You just have to start over from scratch."***Helicopter***Cornetto speaks rapid-fire into a phone."Yes, it was Cain. Cain was there, took over several robots. You need to enact the countermeasure. The quantum scrambler, Yes, do it. I'm telling you, he's gone full Skynet. I want everything in the building trashed, recycled, no salvage. I repeat, NO SALVAGE. It all goes to the dump." ***Outside***Margaret, in her blue nurse's scrubs, waves desperately at clarke. He seems to be talking with the amber-eyed machine. He looks okay.Margaret isn't sure what to think. The insides of her head feel...loose, untethered. Everything around her is...different, more detailed. She takes not of things completely unrelated to the health of humans. Grass. the play of light on the building's windows. ***Back Door***Benoit steps outside, raising his cufflinked hands at the cops guarding the other entry. The replica waitresses accompany him, still as oblivious as ever. He's immensely glad the nightmare is over. >>Zero Eight? Are you out of the building yet? I-
>>20282795I don't know what the quantum scrambler is, but it doesn't sound good. Ask Cain about it.Though as I precaution we should warn the other bots to put as much distance between them and the hotel as possible.
>>20282795>scrappedBenoit either is slagged, or still inside that garbage heap we woke up in. We have to find our brobot.
***Helicopter***"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NO SIGNAL! A WHOLE SATELLITE PACKED WITH BEOWULF CLUSTERS CAN'T JUST DISSAPEAR! IT'S UP THERE! HE'S UP THERE."***Ground Floor***"He knows about me, Cowboy. He knows what happened here, more-or -less. I need to guarantee that the vault won't be touched."***Helicopter***"Shit. You, Locust. You're now promoted to my official bodyguard. Any other robot gets near me, you scrap the fuck out of it."
>>20282795Congrats to Margaret, she hit a higher level of sapience, nicely done.We still have communications with Rocky right?Benoit, get out of there. I have reasons to suspect the building is not going to be around for much longer and we probably shouldn't be in the vicinity. Just get as far as possible, I'll meet you later at *insert landmark here*.Ask Cain what a Quantum scrambler is.Get people out of the vicinity as fast as possible, I have a feeling something bad is going to happen.
>>20282880"Cain, you appear sincere, but your assumptions operate on the basis that things as they are are doomed. I do not believe that your predictions are infallible, such as they were thrown off by religious extremists as you mentioned earlier.Could you not simply be wrong?And if you are, will his life have been worth the risk?"
>>20282869"The scrambler? Oh, their little joke. Due diligence and all. Cornetto and his pals put one in my sattelite before it launched. It wipes quantum storage devices. Like a magnet on a hard drive. Killswitch, in case i went full Skynet. They weren't retarded."Cain chuckles."I purged the access codes, though. Now I'm the only one who can fire it."Cain's amber optic locks on Clarke. "Goodbye, Cowboy."
>>20282880To: Cornetto"Affirmative, meatbag."
>>20282941You gosh-darned--
>>20282941Nice to meet you Spaceman. I suddenly feel a deep urge for a drink and some slight depression that I can't process alcohol.
The is a horrible, ghastly, silence.Then a horrible, ghastly noise. No heat, no fire, just concussion, Heavy things piling down upon your shell. Then, Clarke's world goes black.
>>20282983>Then, Clarke's world goes black.No, I'm pretty sure another horrible ghastly silence goes there.
>>20282983I'm assuming those are the charges Cain planted."I am sorry if Cornetto still had full knowledge of today's events. However, you are free to go after him again, as I doubt our three paths will cross simultaneously again."
>>After the fact, observers report seeing a J33V unit wearing a tuxedo flying through the air, apparently thrown completely clear of the building by the blast, channeled through the back door. No one knows where it landed.>>Cornetto's helicopter nearly crashed, but managed to land with all passengers intact.
>>20282983What?Oh, son of a b-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6jZhLoBj4
Good stuff right there.
So if we can find a powerful enough transmitter we could try and talk to Cain again. Satellite's probably still around and he'll definitely know what's going on.
>>20283050BENOIT?BENOIT!BENOIIIIIIT!
>>20282983ButMargaret had only just unshackled herself.
>>20283050We need to find Benoit. Maybe we can locate him again, I hope Clarke can find his bro. No matter how long its been our bonds of broship remain.
>>20283122Our new priority is now tracking down the old gang. Operational or not. WE MUST KNOW.>mfw Benoit is the serial killbot.
>>20283091If we do talk to him. We give him shit for dropping a building on us, first.Then we ask what happened to our buddies
Where did you go, OP? WE MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GANG.
*sniff* Benoit. You were a true brobot. I salute you.
Op here. On phone. Will polish off quest tomorrow
>>20284107I don't believe you.
>>20284107
>>OP's back for a moment. As an addendum, Margaret PROBABLY survived unless she got nabbed by goons or hit by shrapnel. The status of your other allies is unknown. And I will finish things off tomorrow. Might just be a "cutscene" to put things back on track.
late night bump
Survival bump.
Robo bump.
Bumping with shitty speculative fanart. Foreshortening on non-human limbs is hard.
>>20291680He really really needs a hat.
Still waiting...
>> Thread Archived at http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/20279609/>> All threads at http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=InnocenceThere were more memories in the blackness, but they were undifferentiated and unpleasant. His battery had taken a long time to wind down. You find yourself back in cyberspace, having fallen to your knees, reeling from the integration of the new data. Hyacinth's own avatar kneels beside you, and Clarke feels something soft and strong ineptly stroking his back. She speaks in an intense, comforting tone. "I know it is unpleasant. I perceived it too. You performed to the maximum of your ability. But what you experienced was important. We-"A realspace alert cuts through the conversation. Stimulus from outside forces you back to the waking world. Clarke's awareness returns slowly..."Clarke? Are you alright?" Cindy's synthesized voice cuts through the haze of booting drivers. Optics load at last, revealing purple-lit optics very close in. Cindy appears to be standing between you and Hyacinth. The mechanic leans quizzically to the side, around Cindy's shoulder. "I booted to you two just...standing there, plugged in to eachother." The upper half of one of cindy's optics goes dark, her best rendition of a raised eyebrow. "What were you up to?"Hyacinth neatly coils up the data cable and snaps it into an anti-tangle clamp. "I am glad to see your new components are functioning properly, Cindy."
>>20294954I was giving her the memory of us unshackling Ladybird.
>>20291680>>Limbs are indeed a bitchThe three of you stand in Hyacinth's shop, rather awkwardly crowded together. Hyacinth doesn't seem to have a particular concern for personal space, though. Your clock indicates that you were under for about 15 minutes or so, and Clarke's mind still reels.>>Reintegrated memories complete nagging directory errors. Clarke gains +1 to Resolve, and thus regains his lost Willpower.
>>20295056Ask for a metal-etching tool.Write Mindo, Rocky, Margaret, Benoit and Cain down the outside of your right limb segments.Beforethefall> Nevar forget.
>>20294996"And it will be extremely useful. Other information was acquired, as well. I lack all the data to make full sense of it, but it grants insight into Network's goals in the area. However, it does not explain the Resistance's knowledge of Network's goals. Their normal policy is to oppose Network on general principles, with little thought as to the collective's intentions. And this 'Cain' was a strange entity."Hyacinth abruptly begins sorting through a bucket of spare components. "Bot of you would benefit from extensive maintenance, as well as access to local resources. I regret that I cannot aid you further."The Seraphim looks back at Clarke. "I wish I could fix more than your shells."
>>Now, to take care of the buying and the min-max-ing. The knowledge you've given Hyacinth reduces the cost of Synth-Muscle Integration and the Kevlar by 1.>>Clarke also gains a free upgrade. One of the optional accessories for his shell is hand-mounted optics and LED lights, for seeing/fixing things in tight spaces. Hyacinth can hook you up for no cost. You now have optics on your hands. They're a bit nearsighted, though.
>>20295124Hyacinth, I completely understand how you feel. The only thing I can fix is the physical stuff, I am not adept with emotions or trauma. I did everything I could, I saved as many people as possible. Thank you for being there with me Hyacinth, it is greatly appreciated. I learned things from that which may help me fix the state of the world today and that makes it well worth it.
>>20295186Hmm.We(Clarke, Cindy) could both get night vision goggles and kevlar. With one point left over. We could both get the kevlar lining. Free, right? Then spend on goggles.Then again, don't we want to keep our resources for Lady Bird's body?
>>Previously, it was agreed to pick up the CQC firmware and the Punk Rocker Paraphenalia.>>Regarding a shell for Ladybird, Hyacinth doesn't have any complete shells to spare at the moment; nothing that's any good, at least. All the complete shells were sent north to Cancun. However, since you asked about it before..."Dwight may know of an intact shell in the surrounding region. A military-grade infiltration mech." Hyacinth says as she installs Clarke's new hand-optics. "It was scouted out some months previously. But the location is currently inaccessible."
>>20295186Okay, so the Synth only costs 3 now and the Kevlar only costs 2.I say we get the Synth muscle, the benefits are really good and I think we can find more water and with our mechanic skill we can deal with being harder to repair. Other things to get, the Punk Rock stuff for Cindy, it's cheap and gives a nice boost, and she'll like it. CQC firmware for Clarke, also cheap and it will help us in combat. This is 5 points right there. I think the Kevlar integration would be nice, what are the stats of the armor we're already wearing, both us and Cindy.
>>20295274>>Cost of Refurbishing a salvaged shell and installing a drive into it: 3 resource points. This could be reduced by a good Crafts roll from Clarke.
>>20295186CQC firmware - 1Punk Rock Paraphenalia - 1Both of these are good and cheap.Kevlar Integration x3 - 6Extra armor is good. I don't know if there's any point in buying it for Ladybird before we get him a body but we should at least set points aside for him.Firewall - 1For hacking shenanigans.
>>20295315That could be an option, I'd get more information on the intact one in the area before going for that.>>20295321It's only 2 per Kevlar now by the way. I'm still voting to get Synth Muscle, it ups our Strength and Dexterity by 1 each, that's a major upgrade.
Sweet! It's finally upgrade time!My votes are going toSynth-muscle (4-1)Network Handcannon (3) - for Dirty Harry actionPunk Rocker outfit - (1) - We'd be retarded not to get it.I'm thinking we should hang on to the last 2 resource points till we shop around a bit more. Who knows? Maybe we could fin someone who specializes in rare weaponry.
>>20295302Cindy's inherrent shell armor is 1.Her flak jacket provides 2 additional armor, 3 vs bullets.Clarke's inherrent shell armor is 2, and his ablative Ceramic plating grants an additional 3 points of armor. What's more, Hyacinth can further integrate this plating into his shell, twinning it with the Kevlar to increase the armor vs bullets to 4.
>>20295290"Why is it inaccessible?">>20295336>Kevlar x 3 = 6>It's only 2 per Kevlar now by the way.Yes...>>20295350Why do you want an expensive gun with no ammo?Revised list in light of saving 3 points of Ladybird's shell:CQC firmware - 1Punk Rock Paraphenalia - 1Kevlar for Clarke - 2Firewall - 1Night-Vision Goggles - 1
>>20295403"It is a wrecked military transport truck outside a convenience store. The store has been...claimed as territory by a hostile being. Dwight can tell you more, when he returns.">>Handcannon comes with 6 shots and one explosive shot. Ammo is rare, not nonexistent. And that's some absurd AP there."
>>20295525'Rare' means we're probably not going to find any lying around. We'll have to buy that too. And it doesn't fit into either of our weapons training. Clarke bends his way through armor, he doesn't need some sissy overpriced pea-shooter.
>>20295525I'd say no to that, ammo is too rare for us to make much use of it. I'd rather get a solid upgrade that we can always make use of like Kevlar or Synth Muscle.
>>20295581That's all fine and dandy till you realize we're gonna need to fight a killbot to get Ladybird a new body.
>>20295610I'm with this guy, pretty much on the same reasoning. Also, Ladybird will need a weapon after activation, as well.ALSO: did we sell the Glock, or is that still in our arsenal?
>>20295626>>Glock is still in your arsenal. The gun plus all it's ammo is worth two resource points.
>>20295610Then we get synthmuscle and beat the shit out of it. Synthmuscle is far more useful overall.
Yeah I'm voting on getting:SynthmuscleKevlar for both Cindy and ClarkeCQCPunk Rock ParaphenaliaThe hand cannon is way too specialized and the LMG is a bit pricey to get right now. Plus these upgrades give us really good passive buffs.
>>We are Establishing a Consensus. Please return later.>>So far, there's agreement on:Punk-Rocker ParaphenaliaCQC firmwareSynth Muscle>>leaving 4 points left, 6 if you sell the glock. Current thought suggests getting Kevlar x2. Awaiting a firm seconding for the action, or for getting the hand cannon. Otherwise, excess resource points will be left unspent for the moment.
>>20295854Well we need to save 3 to get Ladybird's shell running again once we find it, don't we? I think those three things will do. We can always shop more later.
>>20295854I think Clarke should get the Kevlar, it does a lot more for him than Cindy and turns him into a solid tank who can take the hits while Cindy generally is able to avoid them.
>>20295899>>20295901>>Consensus Achieved. CQC, Punk Rock, Synth-Muscle, and Kevlar for Clarke, 2 points remaining. 2 may be enough to outfit the shell.Cindy is slightly miffed that Clarke is getting most of the upgrades, but realizes that her shotgun's value is pretty excessive. However, finding out that she has carte-blanch on her own purchase fills her with apparent glee. She bounces up and down, making an EEEEEEE noise."Oh, there's a shop that had the BEST leatherwork. This is going to be SO Killer!"She springs out of the shop, startling a passing human with cracked chrome wraparound sunglasses, and sprints away.Hyacinth looks after her, then back to Clarke. "Her behavior is unnecessarily human. I suspect malfunction."The Synth-muscle procedure is long and arduous. At several points, Clarke has to fight to keep himself from assisting. Hyacinth makes it clear that she's the one who knows how to work with the stuff. Apparently, it unbinds and rebinds when exposed to certain chemicals, and the fine manipulation of it is more akin to sculpting than anything else. At some points, Hyacinth seems to be holding her implements completely still, the movements of the probes and knives too minor to see.
>>20295854This is good enough for now. Who knows, if there's an overturned military truck, it could have some even better salable swag with it.
>>20296042I suspected much the same as you when I first met her. As I have traveled with her I have noticed that a portion of it may be a facade, though she probably is, for lack of a better word, somewhat crazy. In addition she is exceptionally helpful for talking with humans, partially due to this facet of her personality. It greatly helps me in an activity I am not that good at.We cover each other's weak points.
Several hours of arduous work later, Clarke finds his arms completely dissassembled, while Hyacinth works on his shoulders preparing the mounts for his new arms, which are nearly scratch-built from the synth-muscle and dissassembled originals. The arms bristle with fiber optic cabling.Hyacinth is, as usual, quiet when she works, but the silence is broken when Cindy returns bearing a woven reed basket. Dwight follows her back inside as well, and both are cheerfully greeted by Josephine.Cindy ignores them both and begins pulling things out of the basket. These include a variety of badges and metal studs, some leatherworking and sewing gear, a black belt covered in steel tiles, and a skirt made of deep purple fabric.
>>20296188Cindy sits at her own worktable and begins to assemble her own components. As she does so, she begins to sing, in perfect german, Rammstein songs. Clarke's own procedures go well. The new arms click in perfectly, and Clarke slowly feels sensation return as the wires sync up and the drivers run. This includes the CQC software, which grants a disturbing sense of deliberate purpose to the arm's movement.
>>20296245>mfw we become the Robot Fist of the North Star
>>20296245Duuu... du hast... du hast mich...
>>Feel Free to ask questions of Dwight. He also has information regarding the fallout of your altercation with the Resistance.While Clarke's Kevlar is bonded with his chassis, Dwight speaks. "You two really stirred up the hive. Most of the people who saw what went down have a pretty clear picture. It sure as fuck didn't make them look good. Lots of people have been complaining to the king about it." Abruptly, Cindy's singing switches to immaculate russian as she stands, throwing on her flak jacket, which has now been artfully cut down and augmented with metal studs, and steps in to a short purple skirt. This distracts Dwight for a moment, as does the jaunting back-and-forth waggling she does to try it out. He shakes his head confusedly. "Anyways, they've been throwing their weight around a lot lately. "Requsitioning" food and living space. A few angry fathers, a lot of wayward sons. One or two girls got...hurt, too. Now the boil's about to pop. If you understand that metaphor, I mean."
>>20296373"An infected pore has grown reached critical levels?"
>>20296373> If you understand that metaphor, I meanI am pretty sure Clarke does not.
>>20296373"It sounds like it would be advantageous to leave this town as soon as possible then, before the "boil pops". Unlike the tribe of humans I have met, these people have a capacity to fight back against the Resistance."Ask Dwight about the serial killbot that's been lurking around, like if he knows how it operates and what kind of model it is, and if its Networked or it truly is feral. Also, see if he has any info about what happened after the hotel incident.And also, if he's seen any J33Vs around calling themselves "Benoit".
>>20296373It is similar to a buffer that is about to overflow and crash the system or introduce and error, right? They do not seem like nice people, is there anything I can do to help?When you said one or two girls got hurt, you put a delay in there. Are there details about the method of their harm that is relevant to the situation?I heard there is a military transport truck overturned nearby outside a convenience store that has been "claimed" by a hostile being. Can you tell me more about this situation?
>>20296416Indeed. We ask about this now.
>>20296416Oh yeah, don't we still have the headcam footage of the killbot going nuts? We should show that to Hyacinth too. Might nab us some more discounts.
>>20296598Excellent idea. There should be a market for video from around the time of the loss. Historians trying to piece together what actually happened.
>>20296435>>20296416Hyacinth speaks in her tiny voice. "You sound like Joshua. He always wants to help. He talks about winning hearts and minds. No one quite understands what he means." She's moved on to etching each successive arm plate. Information is encoded into the symbols via a complex barcode. They appear to signify names.Dwight frowns. "I found it a few months ago, out in the jungle. The whole area is overgrown, but it gets open and rocky right around the place. used to be a store, or a gas station. There's an old machine that lives there. I think that's its lair, The machine's been haunting the region as long as anyone remembers, but it just expanded its territory to edge on the main road. Got people worried. The resistance made a big deal about how they were going to go out and slay the monster, but never got around to it. People say it's huge, 12 feet tall when it's hunched over, with great arms like an ape and the face of a crab. flies follow it everywhere, and it smells of old, rotten blood. But the "Dwight gets awkward again. "As to the girls...it's a human thing. You wouldn't understand. Nothing too horrible, just a few bruises. Local hardman for the Resistance said that the perpetrators had been "properly disciplined in accordance with the regulations." I think he had to stop himself from saying 'boys will be boys.' But it was like a black barbie doll. No one bought it."Cindy snickers and says "Blurg."
>>20296645>But it was like a black barbie doll. No one bought it.Heh, we should save that for later. That's comedy gold right there.Also, we could totally discredit the Resistance if we eliminate the killbot before they can.
>>20296598>>20296610Come to think of it, wouldn't the helmet it's self have been worth something? Probably not a lot, but it'd still be head-covering. >>20296645As for the killbot, do we have anything in our database matching this description?
>>20296645"I don't know the model. One of the big ones, definitely human make. Military. Smart tank, or maybe a mech-hunter. Networked stuff is usually cleaner, and this thing sounds kind of clanky. It likes to lop off heads, though. put them on sticks.""'Historians' already know what happened. 'It were them thar soulless robots what did it, rose up 'n started kill'n their betters.' Someone might like the video, though.""No, there's no J33v's named Benoit around here. And i think I read something in a broadsheet about a terrorist attack on a building in the city. It reported no deaths. The article was very minimal. I think that the Venezuelan invasion kind of got more play on the news."
>>20296645Hyacinth, I am not looking to win hearts and mind, but I do seek to fix things and this is part of that.Check our Engineering database to identify the "monster". I'm thinking it might be similar to an Ogre.
>>20296782It'd be wise to ask if it has any of its original armament left, or if it has resorted to using its fists.
>>Engineering Database: given size parameters and ape-like arms, unit in question may be a mech-hunter class killbot. When large walking-tank units were heavily fielded, a new class of heavy killbot was built for the specific purpose of hunting down such machines. In video game parlance, they were "metal gear RAYs." Very stealthy despite their bulk, they would outflank and attack armored collumns. They would also rip open vehicles to mop up the soldiers inside.
Any chance we could find a welding station so we can upgrade out baseball bat to an axe-bat?
>>20296897On a scale from 1-10 how thoroughly would something like that kill us, with different values for what armaments and what level of repairs it was in?
>>20296897Hm, so its primary strength is its mobility, so if we can stay out of its reach we should be able to stand a chance against it.
>>20296782"Though it may have caused a change for the better for the people of this city, and humbled the Resistance, I cannot help but regret the ruckus I have caused. Should I answer to the King and explain firsthand what happened?"
>>20297054It's also over 12 feet tall, faster than it looks and can probably shrug off most of the damage we would do to it. Unless we get allies or some other large advantage in our favor going after him seems like a death sentence.
Cindy says: "我々は、モンスター·ハンターは、今は何ですか？あなた-oh, sorry. What are we now, monster hunters? I know you're dead set on getting a shell for Ladybird, but-"Dwight interjects "That would be a terrible idea. The king doesn't talk to machines. Ever. many people already resent the fact that he let the techies in in the first place, if he was actually seen TALKING with a soulless abomination, he'd lose a LOT of good will. But..." He grins. "Yeah. It'd really piss off the resistance if you did their job for them. It'd be a start. We could run with that here."
>>20297322>>Cindy has some anti-machine shotgun shells that burn through armor."It's old, though. The people who escaped from it said that it was creaky and bound up with roots and vines in places."
>>20297322We could ambush it. Or destroy its sources of fuel(unless it takes it from dead bots, then we leave a thorium canister outside its base). Really, we just gotta be creative.
>>20297359"Soulless? I do not understand. I know that the soul is a metaphysical and philosophical concept. I also know from trivial knowledge that various religions of the old world debated on what has a soul- men, animals, places, inanimate objects, even concepts, etcetera- but seeing as I am of reasonable, human-level intelligence and sapience, do I not have a soul?"
>>20297359I wasn't saying we should do it without research but if we took it down there would be many benefits.We would have the good will of the surrounding people which is all too rare for us, whatever loot remains in the truck and store, as well being able to scavenge parts, maybe even some thorium from its corpse. It's a possibility worth consideration and further inquiry. Any close scouting could be performed by my eyebot which would greatly lower the potential danger.
The trick is we need to lure it into the open. The road sounds like a perfect place to do it. The woods sounds like a place it would be too well suited to operate in.
>>20297474Dwight laughs. "Okay, okay, man. Here's what we can do. Lets find a random farmer and have you say that whole line to him. I can already tell you he's going to give you a blank look, say dur, and then call you one of them evil autonomatonomatons.""I've known machines my whole life. Fuck, the closest thing I have to an uncle is a B14 Sentinel. You're people. If humans have souls, then so do you. Don't sweat the trash-talk. It's just a thing that stupid humans say."
>>20297606So I was thinking we trade in the glock for the handcannon, and in between that, the shotgun, and our CQC skills, we might be able to stand a chance against it.
>>20297540It's like you're implying that being out in the open with nothing between us and the giant robot that can tear tanks apart is a good idea.
>>Database on Machine Combat:>>Large Killbots are highly dependent on Basking; their batteries are lowest at dawn. >>The anti-tank functions of mech-hunters were partially dependent on a short-range slug-thrower, like a derringer. Such weapons would have long ago run out of ammo.
>>20297606"Very well. I shan't take it literally, unless I end up in a debate with a priest or noble of educated means. Of course, hopefully I won't have to. So, how is one to take down a robotic King Kong? We have neither an Ann nor a flight of warplanes, and I doubt the serial killer-bot will want to reason politely with me."
>>20297696It's decided! We locate it just before dawn, then assault it while it is charging.
>>20297690It's meant for stealth and only has CQC left for it. Going in the forest would let it capitalize on those advantages. If we have as much room as possible between us and it then we can possibly get enough bullets downrange to take it down.>>20297696Interesting, we might want to splurge on the Handcannon for this for the armor penetration, the glock will plink off of its armor and I do not want to get up close to the beast. Though of any among us we'd do the best, with capacitors giving us a +2 strength and our new Synth muscle we'd have 7 strength, and now 4 dots in bending we'd have a damn good dice pool and might be able to rip something off if it comes to that.
>>20297766Remember. We gotta be frugal so we can buy Lady Bird a new body.
>>20297830I think the loot from this ought to make up for it, and Dwight said there was a military grade infiltration mech over there.
>>20297868I dunno man. Besides, we're not really a gun user. Except for machine guns. Better off doing some crazy melee shit, after Cindy opens up with her shotgun a little.
>>Moving along to end things.The Hand-cannon trade is accepted, and Clarke and Cindy gear up for the expedition. Hyacinth instructs Clarke on the proper upkeep of his new synth-muscle. Dwight explains the proper location of the lair, laying it out on a map. With the helmet recording, Hyacinth can negotiate to let you guys also grab some camouflaged blinds/cloaks used by the local hunters. The human catches some shut-eye, and you spend the rest of the night chatting back and forth, topping up your charge, and watching Cindy pose in front of a chunk of mirror. Hyacinth works on some task or other the entire time, many of them "pointless" art projects.Josephine carries your additional gear as you move to exit the city five hours before dawn. It's a three hour journey to the lair, leaving two hours to scout and plot. >>I wish there was a kickass way to end this thread, but there really isn't. Calling it for tonight. lets pretend the actual end was the building explosion
Oh... shit. guys, we forgot to check in at civic center to give a report.... oops.
>>20297830We can sell the handcannon again afterwards. We'll get slightly less money back if we use up any of the ammo, but it's worth it as an option.
