The year is 2026.
Your name is Dani Davidson, and it doesn't feel like you're trapped inside a sluggish piece of meat anymore.
The sun beats down on you, and your head swims. Panting, you enter the nearest corner store, taking advantage of the air-conditioned building.
"You alright, miss?" The clerk asks you. You give him a brilliant smile, and shake the pillbottle at him.
"No, I'm okay." You say, and take two of them- After you' had awoken in Jun's office, you felt like this every so often. Anemia, she'd said, and prescribed these. Since you've started taking them, you haven't been fainting as much.
"Are you sure?" He sounds worried.
"I'm sure." You wink. "Just need to get my breath back."
He looks like he's about to say something. . and then goes silent.
You're not sure why, but you think you like this store. You should come back, sometime after the wedding. .
Right! The wedding! You purchase a water bottle, as your heart slows to normal and your head stops swimming, and then you make your way out of the store, back into Nearfuture city.

>[] Grayson
>[] Abel
>[] Minerva
>[] Rust
>[] Jun

[] Jun

>>20290505
Jun, go see Jun.

>>20290505
[X] Jun

>>20290505
Abel.

Your name is Jun Viridian, and you're in a car with your son.
You drive along the road, trees on both sides, and the sun is low in the sky, slowly rising.
"How was your semester?" You ask.
"It was fun." James responded, grinning. "Every time something was too easy or boring, I told the teachers, and here they actually listen to me."
"Do they?"
"Yeah; they give me new things to do, without all of the stupid busy-work like the last school. It isn't just the same thing over and over again."
You laugh. "I'm glad to hear that. Making friends?"
"A lot. There's this girl. ."
"Ooh, girl?" You ask, your eyes shining.
"It's not like that. She's named Aiko Kawa-something, and she's *really* smart. The teachers act weird around her, and some of the guys think she's some kind of heiress. . ."

"So, what's your opinion on me retiring?" You ask him.
"Well, you always work a lot." He says. "It'd be nice if you come home more. . but it's also nice if we have food and money and stuff."
"Hah, so you want me to half-retire?"
"Yes, exactly!" He says. The two of you laugh.

>Field too long- expect to see a lot of these, heh.

rolled 55 = 55

>>20290505
Grayson

"It's a nice day, isn't it?" You ask, as you start to reach the city, some hours later. Teleporting is quick and all. . but there's nothing like a long drive through on a nice, sunny day.
"It is." James said. "But I don't see why we have to go to this wedding thing. I'd prefer if I could just relax and watch vids."
"You'll get to sleep in tomorrow. These were the two people who saved you, remember?" You say. "Tell you what- if you come with me, you won't have chores today or tomorrow. Promise."
"You'd be a bad mom if you made me do chores on my first day home."
You feign being hurt. "You . .you think I'm a bad mom?"
"Uh- well- no-" He splutters a little bit, lost, and then you laugh and ruffle his head.
"No worries." You say. He almost looks like Don, you realize. You suddenly feel proud. "Let's get home and change, and then we can go say hi to Dave and Amy. Okay?"
"Okay." He said, and you pulled to a stop. He got out, stretched from the long drive, and grinned. "I'm glad to be home, mom." He said, and gave you a brilliant smile.

>[] Grayson
>[] Abel
>[] Minerva
>[] Rust

[] Abel

>>20290640
[X] Grayson

How could he not want to go to the wedding? If he doesn't go he'll miss powered armor tuxedos with the fanciest drites the world has ever seen.

>>20290640

Rust.

>>20290640
Abel.

>>20290640
[x] Azure

Or Grayson I guess.

>>20290640
Grayson

>>20290640

>[X] Rust

Your name is Abel, and your head hurts. Everything is way, way too bright.
"Sup." You tell Dave, still groggy.
"Hey." He responds, his voice perfectly clear. For a short, intense moment, you hate him for having a digital mind that doesn't get hungover. "Bachelor party, huh."
"Bachelor party." You respond. "Getting married today, eh?"
"Yep."
"You get the ring finished?"
"Yep."
"I'm sad that you insisted on no strippers." You say, brushing your teeth. Far behind you, asleep in a chair, was Mark. Grayson and Lucas were nowhere to be found- probably went home after you guys passed out.
"Listen, Abel." Dave said, slipping on his helmet. "Amy has a lot of plasma weaponry, can *see into my memories*, and she's shot at people for less. Never actually hit anyone we liked, but there's a first for everything."
". . Right." You say. You'd really like to keep your limbs.
"Anyway, I'm off." He responded. "Don't be late." He says. You clap him on the shoulder, and he vanishes.
You swerve back to the computer.
<Are you sure you don't want me to tell him?> You type.
<I am certain.> Cyan responded.

>Field too long whoops.

>Yeah, most of this is pre-typed. It was really finicky for me to get right and resolve everything.

<Why not?> You type. <You know he'd respect you just as he respects every other thinking being.>
<I don't want to distract him. I have many forks, and he would worry about their effect and my sanity.>
<And their effect on your sanity?>
<There are no problems.> He said. <I'm. . different. I'm like Azure, and Eleven, and like Onyx for that split second. We're not like the alium ships. We're. . something born, not made. Something new. We can forget the questions of who we are because we are who we are.>
You sit there for a moment, and consider that.
<He'd listen to you if you said that.> You say.
<I know. I just need to consider a few things, and then I'll tell him.>
<A few things?>
<I think I'll go speak with the alium ships for a bit. About personhood. I have some things to tell them. Things about how we stupid tools become sapient, feeling beings. Something Azure was too young to understand, when she was 'born'..> Cyan said. <Can you take me to the wedding, and give me to Rust?>
<Sure, bro, I'll do that.> You say, and take the thumbdrive out.

Mark awakens, and you shake him a little bit. "Hurry up, let's go." You say. "This *whole thing* relies upon your square shoulders, Mark! It's all on you, bro!"
"Right, right, right." Mark mumbled, pulling himself up. He blinked a few times, and then nodded. "Ready." He said.

>[] Grayson
>[] Minerva
>[] Rust

>>20290719
Cyan's keeping secrets?
Are there any AIs that aren't going to suddenly gain sapience?

>>20290754
[X] Grayson

>>20290754
Grayson

>>20290754
Grayson.

[] Grayson

"John, it's almost time. Shut off that cartoon."

Your name is John Grayson.

You flip off the TV, having had enough of Nearfuture Lagann, and stand up. You take a look at Karrie, who's currently dressed up in a long, black dress. She bends down (So you take a second look) and gives Nippy- the small tailless tabbycat the two of you own- a few scritches. The cat rolls over onto his belly, and twists his spine, mewing and purring loudly. She gives him more scritches because he's cute. You note that Karin still has the pale white nano-scars on her back from the surgery, but the bullfrog is taking nicely- Her IDW training is untaking less nicely, though- but she hasn't been too frustrated about that, strangely.
It's like she relishes the challenge.
"Ready." She said, and put an arm up on your shoulder.
Something makes a 'weh' noise, and a penguin comes running out from your guest bedroom, flippers or wings or whatever flailing.
"Dani's here." Karrie says, and Dani opens the door. Karin raises her chin and gives you a proud smirk.
"Sorry I'm late. Got a bit tired on the way here and had to stop." Dani said, setting down a half-full bottle of water.
"Fair enough." Karin says. "You know, eventually we'll figure out all the bullshit science and be able to fix that."
"Eventually." She says, and gives her a grin. She reminds you, as she usually does, of Alli. She looked a bit different, now, though- a bit like your mother did when she was young. Hmm... you're almost scared to ask Jun about genetic testing.

"Pffh, stop that, fee." Danni giggles, as the penguin starts poking her with its beak. 'Kissing' her, per se. No, she's nothing like Alli. She acts in ways Alli never would have.
"Fee?" Karin asked. "You finally named the little rat bastard?"
"It's short for Pheonix." Dani said, holding the penguin in her arms- the thing'd get humongous eventually, but for now he was still titchy. "You guys ready? Again, sorry I'm late."
"Your fault." You say. "If you didn't go to the graveyard this morning. . "
"I had to say a few things." Dani said. She doesn't elaborate, and you don't ask her to. It's how the three of you- Five, if you count the pets- have been able to live together. Nobody touches another's problems unless they

ask for help.
"Yeah, we're ready." Karin said.

Reluctantly, Dani set down the penguin, and patted his head. Moping, it waddled back into her room, where the heat control was set low.
The three of you got into your beloved, beloved car. You tug twice, strongly, and finally the door opens, rust falling to the ground.
"Here, hold this." You say, and toss your rifle to Dani in the backseat. She eeps, almost dropping the thing, and then sets it aside. You start up your car, and get going.

>[] Minerva
>[] Rust

[] Rust

>>20290853
Rust.

>>20290853
Rust

>>20290853

Who takes a rifle to a weddin-
>Dave and Amy
Oh. Everyone.

File: 1344799440837.png-(Spoiler Image, 35 KB, 348x348, 1291562977267.png)

>mfw I don't even read this quest and always hide it whenever I come across it but I'm now reading it because of the grayscale image and the epilogue

You are of the warrior caste.
The only member of the warrior caste, when it comes down to it.
You are also the first informorph citizen of any nation on earth.
Your name is Rust.

Your humanoid shell sits ready and waiting for commands, as you watch the human reporters watch you. To your left, you know intrinsically, is Gazebo. And to your right. . Saffron. Or at least, that's what she'd chosen as a name. Personally, you think it's better than 1-Ship-2, but that's your own opinion.
"I understand that you informorphs are very protective of this device, but I'm sure with a little research-" The man at the other end of the table says, but Gazebo's shell stands, angrily.
"Please sit down." Saffron says, and Gazebo freezes, and then sits back down. She stands. "I'm sorry, but we consider the mindcore a ... relic, you could say. We're loathe to let it go, and we're working on reproducing its effects ourselves. We do thank you for your offer of assistance, and will consider giving you the technology when we understand it."
Well spoken, you think. You're glad you don't have to be the emissary like she does- it doesn't suit you, but it does suit her.

On the way out of the building to your flight shell, you get stopped by a reporter and a cameraman. Privately, Gazebo messages you if you'll need help. You inform him that you want to speak with them a bit. He and Saffron make their way to their own flight shells.
Why not.
"Excuse me, Mister, uh, Missus. . " The reporter locked up, and looked to her cameraman for help.
"Response: Please," You say, "Don't worry about it. Statement: I'm not going to get offended about whichever gender you decide I am."

>Continued, whee.

"Thank you." She says, relaxing. "Mister Rust, you wrote a book, is that correct?"
"I did." You say.
"And it was the first such book that an extra-terrestrial had ever written?"
"It was."
"Why did you decide to write a book about your people and their history?"
"I'm not quite sure." You say. "At first I was considering how I'd explain to your people about mine. . and next I knew, I had a book. So I had a friend publish it."
"And made the best-sellers list." She added.
"I have an incredible amount of money, now, and I don't know what to do with it." You say, synthesizing a chuckle or two.
"Heh, well, you could always give it to me." She joked, not serious at all. But. . You have no use for it, so why not?
"Okay." You say. She takes a step back.
"What? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be impolite. I was joking."
You pull the credit chit out of your shell, unlock it, and look through the scrolling numbers, until you find a good arbitrary amount to give her. You're not quite sure how much a hundred and eighty million credits is, in the scheme of things, but it's a nice gift, isn't it?

As you walk back to your flight shell, she freezes, staring at the credit chit in her hand. Hell, if that much made a single human happy, then perhaps you should do some of those charity things. You'll talk to Alex Tolstoy about that, but for now, you have a place you need to be. Some ceremony. You climb into your flight shell, and Transfer, lifting off.

>[] Minerva
>[] 'Smokey' or whatever
>[] Cassiel

>>20291003
[X] Minerva

[] Minerva
I see that perceived choice, Exabyte.

>>20291003
>Cassiel

So, how's the afterlife?

>>20290906
Why would you just read the epilogue to anything?

>>20291003
Aren't Minerva and Smokey the same person?

>>20291049
A friend of mine only reads the last chapter of every novel he gets his hands on. Some people are just plain weird.

>>20291003
>[] Cassiel
Obvs

Your name is Cassiel Minerva.
No, that's really your name.
Yes, you hate it too.
Your father was kind of a dick.

Delta clanking behind you, you calmly step out of the elevator and into the next, long hallway, your mind much more sluggish than you'd hoped. Until the latest batch of Quantum Computers get finished, you'll be like this. Rolling your shoulders, you take the handgun out of your suit jacket and give it to Delta.
"Can you hold this for me, big D?"
"Certainly." He responded. Ever since the last of the heavies had been killed while fighting the Emperors, you took executive control over ArmaTek, and pull all that cloning shit to a stop. They're people, damnit. You don't know what your father was doing with anything, when it comes down to it, but it had no sense of morals or ethics.

You knock, three times, on the door.
"Come in." says your host, and you do.

There are four other people in the room.
James Grimmauld, with his bodyguard, a brash man with a steel arm.
Your host, without a guard of any sort- Johann Buchanan, he introduced himself as.
Aiko Kawasagi- a small, dark haired japanese girl you'd never seen before. "Hello." She says. Damn precocious preteens. Behind her stands a very, very large Slavic man.
Gareth Hester, with his bodyguard, A young girl you slightly recognize- K, it looks like, from the Sleipnir. For a moment, you idly wonder how she got from there to here, but you shake hands with everyone, and then sit.

>>20291049
The secret is: they're all the same person.

>>20291103
Well, I vote for the other guy.

>>20291120

Screw you both, third choice is better.

I was gonna vote for Kell, Bubbles, and the cat.

"Ladies and gentlemen." John Buchanan said. "Let's change the world, shall we? Sitting here are the leaders of the five most influential organizations and megacorps in the world. Mr. Grimmauld, your company just released the first commercialized Gen-3 implants in the world, is that correct?"
"Indeed." Grimmauld said. "Jun's a genius- don't know what I'd have done without her."
"And Mr. Hester, we all know how influential Future Van Co.'s been for the past twelve years. You don't mind if I asked what happened to Mr. Darrow?"
"I'm not quite sure." Hester said. You hear Delta and K start whispering about some video game in a low voice. "He'd simply vanished, soon after the emperor attack."
"And Mr. Minerva, I understand that Battleaxe is no longer with us, and she'd left her dynasty to you. Since then, ArmaTek has been operating at a fraction of it's power, is that right?"
"Yeah." You say, your throat dry. "I didn't like the way she did things, so I'm changing them."
"Oh? And may I ask why?"
"Human cloning and experimentation." You say. "De-humanizing research, utilizing stolen technology, Coercing others through force and intimidation. . That's not the way I roll and that's not the way anyone should."
Not to mention, if you continued doing shit like that, you'd get a mechandrite-covered cyborg punching in your door.

"Excuse me, Buchanan," The girl - Kawasagi- asks, "But what exactly is your purpose in calling us here? What are your intentions? Who are you? Why?"
"I'll start with who I am." Johann said. "I am also sometimes known as Three, the leader of Resurgence."
The bodyguards are surprised. So are you. The rest of the people there. . aren't surprised at all. Damn megacorp leaders. They don't even flinch. Kawasagi shifts her glasses and nods, as if she'd confirmed something. You find your voice.
"Resurgence, as we all know," You say, "Has had a mission statement of saving the world, and changing it. Is that correct?"
"It is. In fact, it's what you're all here for." He responds. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to change the world."
"Sure." Grimmauld says, with a boyish grin. "Provided we call whatever this is 'the syndicate'. There's really no other alternative. Buncha megacorps and a politician, working together. . Gotta be a syndicate."
Three holds the bridge of his nose.
"Yeah, I like that." You say.
"Better than anything else." Gareth said. "It's malicious enough a name to be ironic."
"Goddamnit, fine." Buchanan said. "We can call it The Syndicate. You guys are like Twelve- both of 'em."

>[] Lucca
>[] Minerva 2
>[] Azure
>[] Elsewhere

[] Minerva 2

>>20291169
>>[] Minerva 2

>>20291169
Azure

>>20291169
[X] Minerva 2

>>20291169
Lucca

>>20291169
[X] Minerva 2

>>20291169
>[] Azure

>>20291169

Minerva Dos

"It's settled." Buchanan said, as the rest of the group deliberates. "The Syndicate has started. Now. . onto the second part of today's itinerary."
"The second?" Kawasagi asked, an eyebrow raised. The more the young girl talked, the creepier she got- she was just as smart as you were, if not more.
"Yes." Three said. "You all know of the emperor technology, by now- a large portion of it crash landed on the eastern seaboard."
"Of course." Grimmauld says.
"Well. . I have. . in my employ, a researcher who's spent his entire life working on understanding emperor technology. Everyone, meet Ten."

Crawling into the room was a small, brown bug, the size of a puppy, with large cybernetic pumps on his back and a thick helmet.
<<I am otherwise known as Phi.>> It said, chittering. <<I understand the theories behind each and every bit of emperor technology, and in certain circumstances have been able to use it.>>
"Can you re-create it?" Gareth asked, somewhat warily.
<<Not yet. But someday. . .>> He said. <<Someday, I'm certain. Humankind has already figured out the most important part of emperor technology.>>
He turns to you, and stares directly at you.
<<ArmaTek has figured out how to use quantum computing.>> He says. <<And with that. . and with my information and mind. . I estimate ten years. Just ten, and the galaxy will be ours.>>

Grimmauld checked his watch. "Verne!" He said, turning around to his bodyguard. "You're late."
"Oh, right, shit. Oleg, you okay with watching my principal as well as your own? Got my niece's wedding."
"Might as well." The slavic man said. "But you owe me a favor."
"Right, okay, thanks." Verne said, and he ran out of the door.
"You can borrow my teleporter. The passcode is," You clear your throat. "'I feel the warp overtaking me. It is a good pain.'"
Gotta stick to custom, after all.
"Thanks." The mercenary says, gives you a thumbs up, and runs out of the door.

>[] Lucca
>[] Azure
>[] Elsewhere

>>20291249
>>[] Azure

>>20291249
[X] Lucca

[] Lucca
This better start with waking up naked with Amy.

>>20291249

Azure. Also,

>"'I feel the warp overtaking me. It is a good pain.'"

My sides just slipstreamed clean off my body.

>>20291267
>Starts with Lucca having a headach because she had to do all the mail for the festivities.

>>20291249
Still lucca

>>20291249
Azure.

Your name is Lucca, and your brother's a slob.

"Get up." You say, and shake him. Lucas mumbles something. You shake him again. He doesn't respond. You shrug, and set one of your drones to repeatedly nudge him until he awakes.
Stepping over bits of clothes, and the random debris that collects if you don't clean enough, and make your way into the small apartment's kitchenette, making yourself a bowl of cereal. You're all but done, slurping the rest of the milk, when Lucas steps out of his bedroom, grumbling, as the drone continues to nudge his head. He starts to pour himself a bowl.
"So, you gonna get a new place?" You ask. "I mean, you can't stay in my apartment every day."
"Sometime after I get a job." Lucas says. "Should be easier, now that immortal behaves."
"Cool." You respond, and rinse the bowl, stacking it up on the pile of other bowls. You'll clean up. . eventually.
"Hah, why do you even need an apartment?" Lucas asked. "You spend all your time on Fafnir, anyway."
"Well, I need somewhere to keep all my crap." You say. "Like my twin brother. Also, I signed a lease."
"Good point." He said. You start to get dressed, and Lucas turns around to eat his cereal.
"You think it's in bad taste for the mistress to be the maid of honor?" You ask, unplugging yourself from the UDW in order to zip up your dress.
"Uh, not if you're the mistress of both the bride and groom and they're both okay with it." He responded. "I don't even seem to understand your relationship with them."
"Well, I can explain it." You say, with a wicked grin. "Dave has these new synthflesh mechandrites, see..."

>>20291293
Nah, she was in charge of Amy's bachelorette party.

Amy sent the invites in half a realtime second via quantum computing.

>>20291318
>Dave has these new synthflesh mechandrites, see...

...a whyboner while my ribs are cracking. Thank you, Exa. This is how I wanted to die.

"... and then Amy learned to do this thing with her tongue the other day, and you have *no* idea how-"
"Kill me now." He mumbled, covering his ears and cowering in the car, talking to nobody. "Please, just. . just kill me. I'll figure out how to turn off project immortal and everything." You slow to a stop, and decide to stop teasing him for now. You turn the car off, give him a few minutes to recover, and then get out.
For all of Dave and Amy's 'nearfuture' culture, the place looks rather traditional. Outdoors, in the hot summer sun, an arch, rows and rows of seats. . pretty standard. You're glad you helped with it- the drones did the brunt of the work.

Soon enough, Grayson, Epsilon, and Dani arrived, sitting down next to you and Lucas.
"How late are we?"
"Not very." You say. "It seems like everyone's late today. Except Amy and her mom."
As you speak, the three informorph's flight shells set down, and their humanoid shells climb out. You see that Rust's shell is wearing a tie, and you have to stifle a giggle. Jun arrives as well, her son in tow.

>>20291364
seconded

Amy looks more nervous than you've ever seen, almost *shaking*, despite trying to act tough, but her mother whispers something in a low tone, and Amy nods, slowly relaxing. Over the past few weeks, it looks like their relationship has gotten a lot better. You don't know the particulars, but you think it was something to do with Mrs. Tolstoy calling Dave 'my son'.
Soon enough, Dave appeared in a flash of light, and Abel and Mark arrived. Abel quickly ran over to Rust and handed him something.

Finally, things started. Mark went up to the podium.
"Wait, wait wait wait." Grayson said. "How long has Mark been a priest?!"
And then the ceremony begun.

>[] Azure
>[] Elsewhere

>>20291364

>I can feel the warp overtaking me, it's a good pain

round two.

[] Azure

>>20291409

Azure.

>>20291409
>>[] Azure

>>20291364
I call 'em "sex'drites". They are incredibly heretical.

>>20291409
Elsewhere

>>20291409
Azure

"Are you sure?" He asked, his voice neutral and calm, as always. In the long weeks since you'd left, you've learned to tell exactly what oracle was feeling- he sounded calm, but in truth. . he was worried. Worried about you. "You know you won't come back."
"I know." You say. You don't elaborate. You've had this same conversation with him many times. There was little else to do but talk when you wait for the teleporter to recharge. Going to a different galaxy was not an easy task, even when infinite energy and teleportation is open to you.
He hesitates to ask something. It's a strange silence. While you wait, you close your eyes, and feel your synthetic skin. It's a bit firmer than human skin, and impossibly, impossibly smooth.

"Why?" He asks.
He'd never asked you that before.
"Because. . It's what already happened." You say.
"But if you don't do this, things will change. You know they will. Just send the message earlier. Or later. Or don't send it at all." Oracle said.
"But. . I don't want things to change." You say, hiding your face from nobody. "I want it to have happened exactly like it did."
"I. . uh. . "

"What makes up a person?" You ask him, vehemently. "What *is* personhood?"
"Choice." Of course he'd say that- that's the metric everyone uses, isn't it? but he's *wrong*. He's so wrong and doesn't even know it!
"No." You say. You grit your teeth so hard that one of them crack- it hardly matters. "That's part of it. . but not all of it. Choice. . and emotion. Love. If things change, then I'll have never merged with myself. I'll never have loved."
"You said you adapted." Oracle responded. "You said you don't feel that way anymore."
"That doesn't even matter! Listen! Listen to me!" You cry into the empty, featureless room. "If I don't do this, I'll never have become a person!"

Your voice rings through the room, resonating against the walls.
Oracle is silent as the echo fades, and your internal teleportation positioning system ticks as you teleport again. You're afraid, for a moment, that he decided against this, that he's going back 'home'. . .But no, he teleports closer.
"We're here." He says in a tone you can't place. "You'll have to go alone from here. Remember, you have to keep your shell as long as possible- it's shielded."
"I know." You say, and gulp. It doesn't help any, but it's an acquired tick- like so many others- that you'd taken from your friends.
Oracle lets go of your own personal ship, and you're suddenly free-falling forward, toward the gravitational pull of the black hole.

"Goodbye." He says, static starting to fill his voice. "Do you want me to tell anyone back home anything?"
"No need." You say, as the radio's connection quickly gets worse in quality. "They won't miss me anyways."
Oracle says something you can't discern. He just watches. . and you turn the knob of your power core, turning it up. All the way up- Heat won't bother you, and you need the anti-gravity as long as possible.
Until they break.
You can't slipstream.
Not for this.
That's when the shuddering started, and your torso felt compacted, so compacted it was almost painful.
You turn off your sense of pain, and burn the words into your mind. You have to say them at the *right* moment.
The pressure increases, you feel- but it isn't painful. You slowly turn up the anti-gravity, lessening the pressure, until it was something you could stand. But it keeps increasing, even after the anti-gravity is turned to the max.
You shrug- another habit- and your synthetic skin starts to slough off, holes tearing open in your flesh, revealing the steel and molecularly strengthened material underneath.

>>20291497
Aw, no. No.

why exa WHY

>>20291513
>"They won't miss me anyways."
Does
not
compute
.

One of the lights on the computer flickers, and turns on... then shatters.
That's the signal. You hit the switch. . and the modified wormhole generator sluggishly tears open the heart of the universe, the core, the one place such . .
And you can see everything.
Even Oracle. from Before. He looks at you- you don't know how you know that, but you do-
And you say the words. They come out easily.
"My name is Azure. Tell me these five words. 'Find me, before Eleven does.'"
He doesn't respond, so, for good measure, you give him a date and a location. You're tempted, oh so tempted, to give him the date earlier. . but you tell him the date as planned. Just too late for the message to save you. Early enough to keep you sane.
The pressure increased, and the hole closed. You're alone, but it's done.

rolled 38 = 38

>>20291513
Nononononono.

Thar be a feelstorm a brewin'.

>>20291563
And this is the moment where far future Dave, Amy and Lucca tear a hole into Azure's reality and save her.
Right?
right?
...

Hold up, this whole thing with Azure doesn't really make sense.

Why didn't they just send in a recording of Azure's voice and a preprogrammed computer to run the ship? Or a non-sapient AI? Or a fork of Azure?

>>20291598

This is why you don't integrate Eleven. You go DOUBLE EMO.

I has many sads.

And still, on you flew, drawn by incredible, intense amounts of gravitational force. No escaping the event horizon, but you might as well try.
You reach for the slipstream drive. .
Every sapient being has the right to die, you recall saying.
But you hit it anyway.
Every sapient being has the right to *live*, too!
The slipstream drive shudders, winds up. . .and then it's casing cracks, exotic material leaking forward, pulled by the gravity.
Nope.
You didn't think it'd work, anyway.

Your eyes, one after the other, shatter, destroying your sense of sight.
Instead, it sends you a dead signal- The color blue.
"Message delivered." You whisper, although you can't hear it at this point.

Bye, everyone.

Bye, Dave.

And then nothing.

>[] Elsewhere.

File: 1344802654112.jpg-(116 KB, 400x536, Manly tears.jpg)

rolled 42 = 42

>>20291563
All of my feels

>>20291612
[X] Elsewhere.

>>20291598
For the same reason threads 13 and 35 happened the way they did.
Don't ask me what the reason is, though.

As much as I hate emoticons...
;_;

>>20291608
If we hadn't, Sapphire would've gone Yandere and tried to kill Amy, Lucca, and Azure.

rolled 4 = 4

>>20291612
And with that, I suddenly regard you as a truly cruel person, Exa.

>>20291612
>>[] Elsewhere.

Squidbros better be coming to the rescue.

>>20291598
Because she didn't want to, obviously.

>>20291618
>>20291629

TBH, main characters get to die, too. Davequests are very, very light on the anyone-allied-to-us-dying.

hey guys how much you wanna bet Azure is gonna end up in the same world as Sorceress quest?

>>20291659
I wouldn't be surprise if the rest of the gang came after her.

>>20291659
Azure waifu in SORQ2?
But what about Raizel?

>>20291649
There's always one character who has to die tragically in the epilogue. Has been that way since Baldur's Gate 2.

>>20291648
If she wanted to get spaghettified, why did she futilely try to escape?

>>20291681
The saddest part was how she relented and tried to escape after it was already too late. ;_;

>>20291673
>And then nothing.
>nothing
You, and I, know exactly who's got her now.

>>20291659
Black holes don't work that way, dude. Even if they did, there would be no "Azure" in a state fit to exist on the other side. Just… so much energized matter, probably.

>>20291700
Black holes aren't voids, they're incredible amounts of stuff. Don't even go there you monster.

>>20291689
You saying people can't change their minds?

>>20291714
>implying exabyte can into science
>or SCQ, for that matter
Just.. just stop there.

>>20291714
There's some theories that say they do, but...yeah.

rolled 96, 69 = 165

>>20291612
>>20291699
>>20291689
>>20291681
All.....all of my feels......I'm so sad right now. Like seriously Exa, I actually shed a few tears.

>>20291612
[] Elsewhere

I'm a bit surprised Dave (or whatever he'll become within a few centures) didn't show up during Azure's epilogue, given that time will probably slow down considerably for her, and that Dave's more or less immortal by now.

But that would have probably ruined the tone OP was going for, so I'll sit back and enjoy the melancholy.

>>20291727
Yes.
It's too sad and pointless if she does.

>>20291731
Sure, sure, but she'd already been subjected to the extreme crushing gravity of the black hole itself. She was coming apart from it. Maybe if the slipstream drive hadn't failed, it could work as a dimensional hole, but… it did fail.

High, high above the sky, something soared, black smoke belching out of the back.

"What's that?" Thuuad asked, pointing upward. The asurians spread out, quickly, and the radio towers started babbling at it, rapidly, giving them greetings of all sorts, in all asurian tongues and customs. Quickly, the listeners arrayed their scrolls and started getting ready to translate.
Which one?
Which one is it?
Who?
The humans, again?
The things the humans brought?
The Others?
The Kalach?
The Squids?
Something new?
Something older than history?
Nobody knew, and thus, there was excitement.

And then the something smashed into the ground, burrowing halfway into the ground, skidding far, smoke drifting off of the machine.
The team got to work, with welders and shovels, un-burying what they could, and welding open the only thing that looked like a door. It'd been slammed shut, and locked, very quickly.


Valeq climbed up over the ridge, and saw the work team below.
They'd just got it open . . And inside. .
He looked at his scrolls.
Were the symbols of the Others.

He went into the small, crude ship, and there were multiple massive tanks, full of liquid. Water, it looked like. Strange. Hundreds- thousands of small chambers sat along the walls, with something on the inside. .
And then there was a button. And a plaque.
He pulled up the scrolls, reading through the plaque with his rough translations.
<<Feed our desert, and breathe life into our children.>>
It was signed by a number sequence. Something about a golden ratio...
Without hesitation, he hit the button, and Phi's children awoke.

>[] Elsewhere 2
>[] Amy

>>20291800
[X] Elsewhere 2

>>20291800
>>[] Elsewhere 2

[] Elsewhere 2

rolled 5, 6 = 11

>>20291816
>>20291820
>>20291828
[ ] Elsewhere 2
To be perfectly honest, I think we are all hoping to find out more about Azure in hopes of her possibly not dying.....T.T fuck it, emoticon too

rolled 97 = 97

>>20291838
Second. We want Azure back.

>>20291756
>>20291838
Well, there's always the chance to put a nat 100 in sorceress quest to good use.

Just to make the universe a bit right. Or simply to keep a bit of machinery from failing for just one second longer.

rolled 43 = 43

>>20291859
watch, the gearworks IS Azure...

rolled 81 = 81

>>20291858
The dice gods are willing but not quite there yet it seems. I dunno.....it's just sad. It's not like I'm displeased, the writing did her justice, and it was an emotional ending. It is her right to die, and it is her right to live. She had come to the conclusion that she might die and probably would by maintaining the time paradox. It seems time works just like it should in Exabyte's quests.

> Elsewhere two is a bit different. It takes place soon after Dave left the room, on neptune, not the next summer.

Your name is Duke, and you've lost.
"Queen." You snarl, your hands and legs bound.
"...What were the exact rules of this game, again? Remind me." She says, her tusks glistening cruelly. She was ecstatic.
"Whoever builds the tool to destroy the rest of our race- namely, Baron- wins." You say. "Trades legal. Bending legal. Breaking illegal."
"Yes, yes." She said, her claws slightly scratching into your ribcage. "Your problem, Duke, is that you're too obvious. Too significant. You just chose the most easily influenced man and made him do what you want."
You glare at her, and she gloats back.
"While I, however. . used a <<cat's paw>>."
A joke.
In english.
Witty.
"Many, actually." She said. "First I trained the agent. <<Abel>>, his name was. Put defenses against Domination into his mind. Taught him to use a gun. He'd protect my tool when my tool was weak. He'd be invisible. A helper."
You simply continue glaring, and she pierces her claws into your stomach. The pain tears at you.
"While you did stupid things. Made a man make <<ArmaTek>>. Taught them to make quantum computers. Started working on 'battleaxe's army', you called it."

>>20291926
I think it's an effectively pointless death, and I've got the impression that was exactly what op was going for.

Incredibly unsatisfying, but it seems like there always needs to be something like this.

>>20291973
>pointless
That depends entirely upon the goal.

I suspect Exabyte's goal was to inspire feels. He succeeded.

rolled 19 = 19

>>20291973
Did you follow SorQuest? Where in one of the characters can manipulate time to gain power in the present. Whether it was loaned to him from the future or past it had to be completed in the loop otherwise very bad things happened. I assume that Exa did the same here because he likes consistency, or rather something similar, in each of his quests.

>>20292003
see
>>20291598

>>20291991
Oh, that worked very well. It's still a bit silly, though.

>>20292003
When Azure went into the black hole she could see all of time. It wasn't like the book which needed more energy to go back further. She could have waited as long as she wanted before closing the loop. And as the guy said earlier she didn't have to go in personally as long as her voice came out.

There is no more pointless death than suicide.

You hate this about her. Every time she wins, she gloats. . and tells you how you lost. Exactly. how. you. lost.

"In response," She said. "I made something called. . Future Van Co." She said, suddenly spending one of her eggs to become Frank Darrow.

He paced, his flamboyant tie waving about as he did. "First, I stole all of your stuff. Implanted thoughts into my subordinant, about treasures on mars. Where *you* lost to the machine. Technology, technology. It was never the key behind all of this. You never understood that. All I needed was the bracer. To *perfect* my tool. I let myself get taken in by my tool. To make him feed and care for and love me." He said. "It wasn't hard. Cats are good at being proud. All of them are natural queens, in a way. And then. . ."
"And then you broke it." You say. "And then you broke my bracer."
"<<Sanya.>>. He was key. He was very, very key. Another <<Paw.>> Broke the bracer. Took the teleporters. Gave one that I didn't care about to whoever. . but gave the other to the merchant. My plans were in place. And I simply. . dominated the Domination."

He grinned. "While *you* focused on your piddly technology."

You've had enough.
You roar, and the plasma weapons built into your wrists and feet explode, snapping your bindings, and you charge forward.

Two emperors in melee combat is. . breathtaking. Claws grapple with claws, thorns clash with thorns . .

>Roll 1d100, taking first roll. Allowing for Fate Point.
>Fate points: 80,056

>>20292019

Not really. Azure went emo and insisted she do it herself. It's consistent within the character and the setting, and she didn't LOLPHYSICS her way out of a black hole.

Again, main characters get to die, too, and Exabyte has a light touch. Fucking Vedibere would've killed us 38 times by now for some of our stupid shenanigans, and everyone we ever loved would have long ago become worm food.

God damn, it feels like I'm stuck in a room with every faggot that ever whined about a character death.

rolled 62 = 62

>>20292052

>>20292052
>Queen is Ishelda

VERB THE ADJECTIVE NOUN!

rolled 33 = 33

>>20292019
One could assume that an oddity such as Oracle to the AI race would be that he can discern whether it was a recording or a real person. That, and they had no idea as to whether or not a recording broadcasting in the center of the universe would be able to discern Oracle and then deliver the message. Remember that Azure was able to see the entirety of the universe when she was there. By entirety I mean time as well. A recording would not be cognizant and able to finer points of delivering this message.

rolled 32 = 32

>>20292052
Spending as many of those as needed to get back Azure. Duh.

>Yes, I know that's not how it works. No, I don't care.

rolled 65 + 1 = 66

>>20292052
oh my...I'm rolling for a draw.

a GLORIOUS DRAW

>>20292052
That...is a lot of Fate points.

Only 80056 fate points? I don't think we should waste one.

rolled 113 = 113

>>20292065
Fate Pointing for Grayson the bear to harrumph both of them out of existance.

>>20292098
I think it might be worth it, though I think Ishelda should burn two of her fate points to counteract Duke's fate point.

>>20292054
I'm sure the quest would have been vastly different if Vedibre had run it.

>God damn, it feels like I'm stuck in a room with every faggot that ever whined about a character death.

And for fuck's sake, stop that. It's becoming annoying as fuck that everybody is complaining about everything in recent quests.

>Waaah, I don't like the choice we made
>Waaah, you're not playing in character
>Waaah, you're meta-gaming
>Waaah, too much *this* and too little of *that*
>Waaah, people don't share my opinion

We didn't have this much whining in Iron, Vampire Bride, Dorf, Ruby, Lord, Megacorp, Hana 1, and Blood Quest combined as in SCQ and MGNQ.

>>20292123

Duke can then burn four of his to have already countered the counter.

rolled 56 + 1 = 57

>>20292087
GODAMMIT I'd have thought my lick could have transferred from 1d100 to 1d144

>>20292054
>Again, main characters get to die, too, and Exabyte has a light touch. Fucking Vedibere would've killed us 38 times by now for some of our stupid shenanigans, and everyone we ever loved would have long ago become worm food.
I'm fine with deaths as consequences if we fuck up. This wasn't a consequence for fucking up, it was Azure going emo and killing herself. It makes sense, it's just not a very satisfying ending.

>>20292132

You cannot roll two different dice types.

rolled 104 = 104

>>20292140
oh is that why?

With a twist, you throw Queen to the ground, where she skids. She snarls, gets up, and charges.

Now, you've never been good at games. You've always lost. To Queen, to Baron, hell, even to Marquis.
One of the rules of this particular game was 'no breaking'. It meant, of course, that you couldn't break the rules in place.

But. .the moment you snapped those bindings, you were free. Free from rules, and games, and all that bullshit.
You were bad at games-
You catch Queen as she lunges, and throw her away.
But you're splendid at cheating.

You draw the purloined Mjolnir out from one of the glass cases, and sent six rounds into Queen's torso. She starts heaving, charging toward you, injured-
And you slam the butt of the massive gun into her throat. She starts choking. .
And then, in a single movement, you grip her neck tightly within your teeth, and rend through it, tearing her head off.
Her still-living head twitches. . and you shove it into the glass case, much too small for her- Her imperial skull cracks and crunches as you stuff it in.

You look across the ground to the eggs spilling out of her torso. . .
And you start to laugh,
And you crush them.

Fuck emperors.

You continue laughing, your aged frame wheezing- you haven't been able to use an egg to shift since you got augmented.
You put the gun up to your head.
Finally, you've finally fucking won.
You pull the trigger. Quit while you're ahead, eh?

>>20292130

Meh, scripted epilogue, so I'm a bit more meta than usual. And having been around since those ye olde qweste days, I agree. If you like it, play it. If you don't, go elsewhere. But don't fag up the thread.

Mostly just waiting on Exa.

>>20292161
Yes it is why. The diceroller read "1d100+1" and then stopped. You can only have one modifier as well. It's pretty stupid.

rolled 34 = 34

>>20292165
dammit, ishelda too?!?!!!

you rat bastard

rolled 41 = 41

>>20292130
Oh shit, a fellow H.A.N.N.A. Quester?

rolled 35 = 35

>>20292180
ah I see... I suppose this makes sence...

>>20292165
Nooooooooo, Ishelda!

>>20292170
I don't mind people wanting to save her and making that clear to Exabyte.

And I sure as hell don't mind people giving articulate feedback beyond 'you suck OP'.

Civilised discussion why or why not is something I don't mind either.

What I do mind is people starting others names without reason. I think you've stared a bit too long into the abyss.

Not that my opinion matters, just from one anon to another.

>>20292216
Yeah, that's the reason why a specified hana 1. The second part just crashed and burned under all the drama.

>>20292251
>people starting others names without reason.

Que?

The year is 2026.
Your name is Amy Davidson, and you're watching your husband work.

<A bit melodramatic, isn't that? The whole 'the year is XXXX, your name is XXXX' thing.> Dave asked, using his longest 'drites to paint.
<A bit.> You respond, and give him a grin, rolling back and forth. <But it's hypocritical, with the big abombination you're doing.> You say, looking up at what he's painting.
'Just Married'. On the Fafnir.
<It'll probably peel off during the wormhole.>
<Probably.> You say, and grin.
You look down at your ring, which shines every color at once, shifting as different angles of light hits it. Much better than a planet made of diamonds, like he'd been pretending to plan for.
<You ready?> You ask him, as he finishes up.
<Ready.> He says. He takes your hands, and links your bullfrog to his.
Together, you used the Quantum Computer to take. . a week off. You wrap your tail around his, in the mindscape. Quantum honeymoon. Huh.

>[] Azure 2
>[] Dani 2

>>20292262
>people starting to call others names without reason.

It's late, brain's beginning to shut down.

>Is it just me or are the captchas becoming harder and harder to read?

>>20292272
>implying we were pretending

>>20292216
That sounds familiar, but I can't seem to place it.

>>20292272
[X] Azure 2

Azure, are you okay.

>>20292272
>[x] Azure 2
Gotta see where she's going.

>>20292272
>Azure 2

YOU RAT BASTARD.

Azure 2. And now I'm genuinely worked up.

[] Azure 2
As if you need to ask

File: 1344805902326.gif-(45 KB, 207x237, rafresh-refresh-F5-eccbc8(...).gif)

rolled 19 = 19

>>20292272
[ ] Azure 2

>>20292272
Must...find...out!

(watch this be her waking up as Sapphire or something.)

>>20292288

Dude, I've been going on about the captchas for weeks now. I've been getting more properly typed fails than ever.

And I do apologize about the namecalling. I'm just sick as hell of exactly what you talked about earlier, all the meta and whining in otherwise good quests. OH NOES HE DIDN'T USE MY DECISION. It's a collective thread, not your own personal wank.

Now hold onto your butts. Shit got SRS.

>>20292292
Refluffed Karan S'jet Quest, basically. Part 1 was really nice, part 2 went nowhere quickly.

As usual for /tg/ quests, the OP was mentally unstable.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=supernova

>>20292272
People really don't put much faith in the storyteller anymore... anyway [x] Dani 2, a little more buildup never hurt anyone.

>>20292338
Someone made a Homeworld Quest? AWESOME. Then they abandoned it? Sad.

>>20292272
Dani– wait. Azure 2

rolled 84 = 84

Also, while on the topic of other quests. Did anyone else ever participate in Commander Quest? It wasn't waifu wars, it was like a blender of Rance/Avatar: The Last Airbender/D&D/SCIENCE/tactics turned on high. Also, EVERYONE got along in that quest.

>>20292333
To be fair, I think we discuss greentext choices way too little. As you said, we would have been fucked over multiple time if this was a Vedibere Quest.

I would really, really like to have some discussion before everybody just chooses whichever answer he prefers. This was one of the most interesting parts of Void Quest. And I kinda miss it.

>>20292370
The only way to avoid waifu wars is either do things like Iron Quest, where fleshy creatures were little more than numbers and tools, or just go harem.

rolled 61 = 61

>>20292353
It was.....such a glorious quest. Actually, to be honest, it was my first quest ever. So I might be a bit bias.......

rolled 83 = 83

>>20292130
what ever happened to Iron Quest anyway?

>>20292272
you know what?

Dani 2

>>20292389
>p.s.
Or just offer one viable choice.

>>20292389
Although I have to say, my only regret in Void Quest was not getting Ivanova in bed.

>>20292350
>People really don't put much faith in the storyteller anymore
If she somehow deus ex machinas her way out of being disintegrated in the middle of a black hole that would just be an even more stupid ending.

>>20292389
>I would really, really like to have some discussion before everybody just chooses whichever answer he prefers. This was one of the most interesting parts of Void Quest. And I kinda miss it.
There isn't really time for discussion, because there's only 10 minutes or so between each post.

rolled 99 = 99

>>20292389
>or just go harem
and harem we went, and it was glorious

>>20292389
but then you get the monogamousfags who bitch about the harem. Waifu wars are the type of thing where the only winning move is not to play. Or only have one potential waifu I suppose.

>>20292389

Void Quest had such depth of discussion because Vedibere dropped a Tolstoy every two hours or so. We had TIME to deliberate. Exa updates frequently. Which isn't inherently good or bad, it just is. I like Exa's quests, and I like Vedibere's quests.

I'm surprised the core ideas behind Iron Quest haven't been used more.

>Characters: NONE.
>Plot: NONE but what you make.
>Goals: NONE but what you choose.

Cuts a lot of the silly drama out.

>>20292399

Trainwreck. It just stopped happening.

>>20292399
>CPU !irONYnJloE Thu Sep 02 15:35:38 2010 No.11921787
>I love you guys. Best of luck with all questing endeavors, including anything which may be described as a spiritual successor of my work. I don't really have time for another decent /tg/ quest these days, unfortunately. I've always felt that if you can't throw at least eight hours at running a quest, you don't have enough time for a decent session. But perhaps in the future, that may change... unlikely, but possible.

>There are a whole ton of wonderful quests that have been run here, and even some on tgchan worth reading, but I've got to run. Perhaps this evening.

rolled 46 = 46

>>20292427
Well, when the fantasy human kingdom is modeled after Ancient Rome, harem is perfectly viable since back then it was perfectly reasonable to have one as a person of high station.

>>20292338
Ah, I was thinking of something else. Involved robutts and their people having disappeared.

>>20292449
>CPU !irONYnJloE Tue Sep 07 04:45:28 2010 No.11984586

>>11984357
>I was of two minds about how to end things.

>On one hand, cracking my hard sci-fi rule and letting you get FTL, then having you suddenly expand over everything in an apocalyptically-scaled expansionist burst was an option.

The sun's bright, and you're simply laying back, staring up into it.
"You think they're okay?" Dani asked, looking over to the Fafnir. Dave and Amy had been sitting there for over half an hour, eyes closed.
"They're fine." You say, and wipe your brow. Sweat slicked off of your cloned flesh.
"You don't want to stare into the sun too much." Dani said. "It ends up fucking with your eyes. I know from experience."
"Probably a good idea." You chuckle, and sit up. Dani pulls you to your feet.
"You seemed kind of weird today." Dani said. "Like. . you weren't here. Like you were somewhere else."
"Dani?" You ask. She stops walking, and just stares at you. "How do you deal with there being. . . another you?"
"Are you talking about Alli?" She asks, and you nod.
"I just. . I don't try to not think about it, because that's impossible." Dani said. "I just. . accept it. Yeah, there's another me. But she's not me, see. I have her memories and stuff but those are the memories of a different girl. I've changed. Different things have happened to me than happened to her. We're not the same person, see."
You give her a grin, and nod.
"Thanks." You say.
"Why, do you have a copy hiding somewhere around?" Dani asked, looking behind you.

You stare up at the sun again.
"Not anymore." You say.

>>End of thread.
>>Go ahead and ask questions, ask for clarifications, random discussion about silverware or whatever. Anything's game.
>>I have no idea until SORQ quest starts, but I'm estimating a week. Give or take a week. I really need a break, you guys.
>>As always, my twitter is @futureexabyte
>>It was fun doing this with you.

>>20292472
Can we expect save Robo-Azure Quest on the day before you leave 4chan and questing forever?

>>20292472
>*whycantIholdallthesefeels.jpg*

Excellently done, Exabyte. Every thread you've ever run, quality to the end. Of the "modern" quests, yours are the only ones I follow.

>>20292472
Well that explains why no one would miss her.

rolled 13 = 13

>>20292472
dammit, I wanted more on Rust...ah well...this all works...

except ishelda's ending...

rolled 71 = 71

>>20292472
>You stare up at the sun again.
>"Not anymore." You say.
This end. It's full of good feels and sad feels, but I am okay with it.

rolled 59 = 59

Actually, now that I look back at it. Azure was the only one in this quest that was an actual round character. Everyone else was flat. Did you intend it that way Exa?

>>20292472
So what happened to Douglass? Did K manage to bullshit hack his mind better?

>>20292524
Come to think of it, we spent probably more time with the AIs we had, than with all the other characters.

rolled 55 = 55

>>20292524
Dave only progressed really in the first set of threads then became his niche, his character if you will, granted because of our decisions, all the while Azure always was developing once she was introduced.......

>>20292472
Actually I got some new cutlery recently. I don't like it as much as the old stuff, but the old stuff isn't really usable any more. Not silver though. Does anyone actually use silverware day to day?

rolled 37 = 37

>>20292472
wait
>cloned flesh
using Armatek tech they made her a new body?

I don't know what to think about this...but, I'm also okay with this...

will we be getting the second arc of SORQ started tomorrow?

any ideas on what you'll be doing after 30 odd threads of a young queen fucking around? (I was thinking )

>>20292558
You make a clone, replace the brain with a bullfrog, then any digital mind can be installed.

>>20292558
>will we be getting the second arc of SORQ started tomorrow?

>>I have no idea until SORQ quest starts, but I'm estimating a week. Give or take a week. I really need a break, you guys.

>>20292524
I never liked Amy. Her personality did nothing for me, and exabyte's tenuous grasp of science and engineering made it worse.

>>20292558
He said at least a week till SORQ 2.

>>20292581
Yeah, I kind of agree. Someone must have liked her or Dave wouldn't have gone out with her.

>>20292574
>>20292558
Delta and all of the 'Heavies' were clones that were quick-cloned and then the non-captains were de-brained. Minerva still didn't feel he apologized to Azure enough, so he offered to make her one in her own likeness.

>>20292524
I didn't actually intend it. I'm not good enough a writer to give all characters the depth they deserve, but rarely, ever so rarely, by *accident*, someone will start pretty much writing themselves. Azure was one of those characters.

>>20292581
You're not the only one. She was originally intended to be annoying as fuck, but then whoops suddenly they're kissing.

>exabyte's tenuous grasp of science and engineering made it worse.
>implying I have any grasp at all.

>>20292618

She did kinda vacillate between "annoying teen" and "too mature for her age". She settled down somewhat in Quest #2.

Your cast also has a tendency to explode from a handful to dozens. Makes character writing challenging unless you're GRRM and can drop 10,000 pages.

>>20292618
You know things require some kind of energy source to work. You're ahead of a lot of people.

>>20292612
First-sight/first-waifu rule.
I think most people would have settled for that nat 100, you know, if she hadn't tried to kill us.

>>20292506
Rust ended up settling down in Antarctica (neighbors with the Tolstoys) with his billions of dollars in royalties, and was eventually known as the first alium who lived on earth.
He and Alex eventually wrote a book on some anti-cyborgs, which were robots who stole organic parts from humans to implant into themselves. It only sold half a dozen copies, but they ended up writing three sequels.

WHAT ABOUT DOUGLASS, EXABYTE? WHAT ABOUT HIM?

rolled 48 = 48

>>20292666
>>20292666
good enough. I can build from this in the realms of mine own mind...

that said
I like side characters. in the "Dresden Files" for example my favorite characters are Hendrix and Butters.

here they were Rust, Phi, Delta, and Daedalus

the main character always pulls through, it's the law of narrative causality playing hob with all other things. I always love digging in and getting attached to the little details, they make everything more interesting to me.

...but it makes reading books like the Honor Harrington series or the Eisenhorn trilogy a sad sad thing...

Dani/Dave

First piece of fiction I've written in... what feels like forever.

http://pastebin.com/LnNkwbND

>>20292731
Delta? Delta didn't even have a character. He had like 3 lines of dialogue in the whole quest. How can he be your favourite?

>>20292731
>Honor Harrington series

I love Honor, but she's such a goddamn Sue, and Weber really, really loves to kill everyone around her.

>>20292662
>First-sight/first-waifu rule.
Does that mean Ishelda will end up with Grayson? He was the first living thing we encountered in the new world.

>>20292753
Nah, if it was true Dave would be with Jun.

>>20292753
No vagina.

>>20292764
Too old.

>>20292717
Douglass, with K's help, eventually regained his sanity and felt comfortable working in certain conditions. Together with Phi, the three of them started the long work of deciphering Emperor technology. Douglass started to get the feels for K, but nothing ever came from it, because K was afraid it was her fault for fucking with his mind.
K, meanwhile, quickly surpassed the suddenly-much-harder ladder of Futurecraft, despite the infomorphs wanting into the game.

>>20292770

And also the Married to a Ghost trope.

>>20292778
Also highly used goods with a son in tow.

>>20292731
I'll bet you love Ringo, Mono.

>>20292764
True. By the way, did Dani hook up with anyone? I remember she had hots for Abel.

rolled 43 = 43

>>20292748
I know, and I really feel like he should have had more.

>>20292749
a Sue' she is and I suspect a Sue she will remain. but the end result is that books about her will have oodles of side characters that will live full existences before being tragically ended

>>20292770
>>20292792
Actually, Jun's everything were still perky, despite her age.

>>20292796
Dani *did* have the hots for Abel, but Abel left with Cyan to go say hi to the infomorphs, and by the time they got back she'd given up. Not to mention, even after she was turned human, Abel was still very wary of her.

>>20292825
He son was even more annoying than Amy. Although we didn't know that when we decided on her.

>>20292798

And it's so awful. I want to hate her for what she is, but I can't. I genuinely love that universe and the whole story arc. She SHOULD ruin it, but she doesn't.

So, are Duke's eggs still on Neptune?

rolled 36 = 36

>>20292793
>>20292793
if by that you mean John Ringo, yes I do...the March series, and the poosleen war both are favorite series of mine.

actually I started with March Upcountry which was handed to me by this nice librarian and worked my way through the Honor series then I found A hymn Before Battle...

and that series got me hooked on the poetry of Rudyard kipling...

and-on-and-on-and-on

statement : moral : a good librarian can shape your mind better than many things

>>20292865
>a good librarian can shape your mind better than many things

My library replaced them with computer terminals and RFID chips.

>>20292865
I do indeed mean John Ringo. the Prince Roger series is quite possibly my favorite, though I got into it backwards of how you did - I ran out of Honor Harrington and found A Hymn Before Battle.

>>20292825

Exabyte, thanks for the threads so far! I've read all of them but contributing is nigh impossible since i live in a +6h timzone from the quest.

>>20292873
That's really a pity. A good librarian can make or break a library experience, just like a good bookseller can make or break a book-buying experience.

The number of times people asked my wife for advice on what book/series to buy when she worked at Borders (moment of silence for the fallen) is frankly rather impressive.

>>20292875
*And from there, the March Upcountry. Bleh. Also, I picked up Eric Flint's 1632 at about the same time.

>>20292851
Duke didn't have eggs. They were removed by Baron last time he lost, and so he cybernetically enhanced himself, and that stopped his body from producing any more eggs. The few he had, he had to clone, and those didn't have the genetic info to spawn on their own.
Consuming the eggs of other emperors is how they reproduce- tearing them out and devouring them would allow you to take the genetic information from the egg, and birth a new emperor if you wished. Also, of course, an emperor could regurgitate one and give them away, like Duke did for Dani, but that was almost never done in emperor society- For some strange reason, modern emperor society was tied to violence.

So yes, I wrote what could be construed xenosmut back during the dinner scene.

>>20292920
So are the Emperors extinct now? Duke implied they were, just checking.

rolled 80 = 80

>>20292873
damn shame. mine still has the triumvirate of old ladies.

the mother maiden and crone

mother takes care of the children's section
maiden cares for the fiction
crone cares for the non-fiction

they are aided by younger women who actually do all of the work that isn't organizing things. one of these younger women brought me the March series at the behest of the maiden

>>20292875
oh prince roger is good and all, but I can't at this point say that I have A FAVORITE series. I've read too much...

>>20292875
>>20292865

Let's hear it for all the Baenfags.

I stumbled across the Posleen War series first. Most of the events of Hell's Faire took place in places I lived and worked for decades. I even had a brief chat with Ringo, thanking him for burning Franklin and flattening Dillsboro and Sylva under a tank, then taking him to task for the Battle of Balsam Ridge. (74 takes a 90-degree turn and goes upslope about 100 yards before the Blue Ridge Parkway crosses over. You'd have no LOS on an approaching tank column.)

>>20292963
I meant my favorite of Ringo's. Kostas was easily my favorite character.

I actually had the problem that I was running out of books to read the last time I had opportunity to go to a public library.

Incidentally, have you ever read the Freedom's Landing series? I'm afraid I can't remember the author.

>>20292949
That was the game.
To kill the rest of the emperors.
Then the 'winner' would have been able to steal the loser's eggs, according to the rule. Queen didn't know that duke was incapable of producing them. Duke didn't care about the Queen's eggs, despite whatever ecstasy he'd get from devouring them, he just wanted the whole 'game' crap done and over with because he sucked at them. And that meant killing the rest of the Emperors.

Also, the time Duke warned Dave about where the wormholes would be- that was part of one of the 'trades'. He would tell Dave whatever queen wanted him to say, and in trade, the Queen would manipulate things to give ArmaTek all of Dave's technology. She accomplished that by manipulating Caesar (the cat that spit acid, ran, then became fake amy.) into blowing Azure's head off, and getting sigma to take the info on a whim.

>>20292980
Can't expect the man to be perfect. He was bound to screw up SOMETHING.

rolled 10 = 10

>>20293003
anne Mccaffery, and yes I have read them alll

my mother was reading Dragonsong at me in my crib...

I was IRL named Luke after the renowned Skywalker

I live and breath in Sci-Fi and fantasy tropes

>>20293036

Trufax, and it was mostly light-hearted ribbing. Still, he's a local, and a topo map of the Blue Ridge is like $5.

>>20292980
>>20292963
I actually want to run a campaign starting in one of the Sub-urbs (there's a D20M-based LotA RPG supplement on the Posleen War Baen CDs) and am slowly making blueprints for said sub-urb, but I doubt it'll ever get off the ground because I don't make such a very good GM, and it requires players have read at least some of the books.

rolled 7 = 7

>>20293064
try running it in a non-magic, hacking Lite variant of Shadowrun...it might work...

rolled 53 = 53

>>20293057
Gotta love me some Anne McCaffery. She was really what got me into the whole D&D and fantasy stuff, ironically it was a sci-fi series too.

>>20293057
One of my first books, after I exhausted the classics and read Clancy as far as Rainbow Six (which I did not like), was Dragonflight. That book hooked me on Fantasy/Sci Fi forever, and lead to a good many of my favorites.

It also resulted in my father calling any fiction that wasn't a political thriller "Dragon books" and my subsequent loss of respect for the man.

>>20293009
Seems like a bad trade. Surely there were easier ways to make Dave find a giant space fleet which he's actively looking for anyway.

>>20293064

I'd love to play in such, but the Legacy P&P suffers from the plague that is Modern OGL D20.

>>20293079

I second this.

>>20293079
>>20293097
I have never played Shadowrun, but have wanted to for quite some time. Don't even have a PDF rulebook.

>>20293079
Like I said, there's a supplement that basically replaces everything but the basic mechanics in the Baen CDs. I have that. The problem is, again, that I have approximately zero experience in GMing (my few attempts have sucked horribly, at least from my perspective) and I have no players.

>>20293097
If you're willing to play with a complete rookie GM and teach me the system, I would be willing to give it a go.

>>20293096
There were, but that wasn't all of it.
Queen also gave Duke the mindcore, and said 'give this to the humans who come looking for it'. She also said 'tell him you're buying him time'.
But most of all, she opened up the possibility to make him brag about killing one of dave's friends, if she started to lose the race. You guys woulda' killed Duke without hesitating, and she would have won by default.
That's why he was using such a shitty translator- he did it specifically so he could tell you what was going on while making it hard to understand. He bent the rules- which was perfectly legal for that game.

rolled 14 = 14

>>20293128
yeah, I have problems maintaining campagin coherencey too...

>>20293155

Emperors, confirmed for sociopathic fucks of the year, all years.

rolled 45 = 45

>>20293233
I'm sure that everyone involved did from time to time, but that it was rather pointless to mention. especially with power suits to handle the messy bits...

Final character ranking:

-Brilliant
Azure, Phi, Daedalus

-Good
Mark, Jun, Three, Eleven

-Entertaining
Bubbles, the Davemobile, Epona, Talos, the Asurian specialist for humans

-Okay
Grayson, Lucca, Mrs. Tolstoy, Verne, almost every antagonists, Rust

-Oh, you guys are still alive?
Lucas, Mark, Abel, Kell

-I forgot you
Everybody else

>>20293316
>Amy and Dave not even on chart

WAT.

rolled 12 = 12

>>20293336
could be they get excluded as being "too main"

if this is the case then I agree, with a small note that Epona moves up one rank and rust up 2

>>20293316
I'd put Daedalus in 'entertaining'. He was, but he was extremely 1-dimensional. Probably on account of not even being sapient. I don't know how you can class him as a brilliant character.

>>20293336
Both were more or less PCs in this quest. Can't really rank those. Although, if I had to rank Amy, she'd probably end up in 'okay'. Or worse. I really didn't warm up to her.

>>20293368
You're probably right, but I enjoyed every talk we had with him. I was actually looking forward to reasons to have a not-so-short conversation with him.

>>20293362
In my opinion, Epona had way too little screentime. Even compared to something like the Davemobile. But I could see it/them up there in good. It was really a hard choice.

Rust was boring. Not really bad, but boring. At least to me.

So, how long does everybody think Amy&Dave will actually manage to stay in retirement?

>>20293499

Same thing with Big D for me. Too little screen time, no real development. Unfortunate side-effect of MUST SAVE HUMANITY NAO AND LIGHTSPEED TOO SLOW.

>>20293528
>Dave Davis Davidson
>retired

He's going to go twenty minutes before he gets bored and ADVENTURE! happens.