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File: hivequeen QUEST.jpg (96 KB, 612x783)
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Elizabeth’s eyes are wide in surprise as the door to the laboratory flexes open. Various experiments are splayed out in the room. Workers tinker methodically at dissected creatures and half-assembled devices as a chorus of thinkers look on from the rim of the circular chamber like a concert hall. Several half-finished organic limbs twitch and spin, testing each joint in sequence beside Lyle’s dissected mechanical arm. It catches the doctor’s eye.
“Is that...” She moves closer to examine the components laid out on the ground. “A Samson model? It’s been heavily modified.” She runs her hand along one of the detached fiber optic nerves, examining it carefully before she spots a cyclotron mounted to a testing rig. A speaker chirps as she looks it over and brings her attention to the far side of the chamber, where a worker has just brought in a white crystal and mounted it to a large chitinous rig.
“Is this what you wanted help with, then?” She asks. Your speaker nods in affirmation. “I'll get to it then.”

Welcome back to Hive Queen Quest!

>Archives http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Hive%20Queen%20Quest
>Twitter https://twitter.com/HiveQueenQuest
>Various pasta http://pastebin.com/u/QuestDrone
>FAQ ask.fm/QuestDrone
>>
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>>35922149
>Current armory
269 Thorn Launchers
20 Thorn Cannons
123 Sting Casters
30 Cyclotrons
15 Rotary Stingers
3 Fire Sprays
5 Plasma Spray

>Current resource reserves
Nutrients: 77651
Metals: 47675

>Hive population and upkeep cost
Hive maintenance – 325
Queen – 5
Fake Queen – 22
Worker (2000) – 4000
Aquatic Worker (40) – 160
Radiator Worker (100) – 400
Warrior (209) – 1045
Aquatic Warrior (20) – 140
Thinker (139) – 417
Quantum Thinker (110) – 550
Speaker – (3) – 12
Digger (80) – 320
Refinery (10) – 70
Sniffer (2) – 8
Small Sniffer (200) – 200
Fly (50) – 200
Wasp (100) – 500
Antenna (3) – 9
Haz-mat Workers (20) – 80
Shock Troops (40) – 520
Parasite (30) – 120
Bio-tank (10) – 250
Excavator (41) – 799
Colossus (20) – 300
Advanced Relay (16) – 1600
Space Pod (13) – 390
Shuttle (10) – 250
Scout Corvette – (6) 1350
Lancer Corvette – (2) 450
Stealth Frigate – (4) 1952
Nutrient costs: 12672

>Income
Metals: 14750
Nutrients: 40050
Net: 22395

Hive Structure
>Reservoir
>General storage
>Food storage
>Advanced Laboratory
>Infrastructure
>Hangar facilities: Room for 40 Aero Drones and 20 Shuttles (25N)
>Mine: 36 Excavators, 60 Diggers, +10500 M per day (+25 M per digger)
>Asteroid mining base: 5 Excavators, 20 Diggers, +2250M per day (+50 M per digger)
>Algae Farm: +40000 N per day, 400 Workers (1 worker per 100N)
>Clarke Research Outpost
>Hel’s Angel Prison Outpost
>Docking Pylon: Space for docking and construction of 4 ships (50N)
>Anti-orbital battery: 2 (125N per battery)
>Secondary hive
>Automated Raligha colony
>>
>>35922149
We have the resources
We have the technology
We can rebuild him
Lets hope we can control him
>>
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>>35922186
Construction underway
600 Farms

New Construction Options
>Algae Farm – +100N per day, 1 worker to maintain
>Hangar Expansion – Add on to current hangar facilities for your choice of +40 aero drone space, or +20 shuttle space. 50N 100M
>Anti-orbital battery – A bunker armed with a massive Particle beam capable of attacking ships in orbit from the ground. It includes the power and sensor systems required to operate it. 250N 1500M

Ship Construction Options
http://pastebin.com/YTwGk8n1

Finished Research

>Lyle’s Combat armor
This suit is a marvel of weapons technology, offering a compact, flexible, and lightweight platform capable of protecting the user from a wide range of dangers and damage, while holding all manner of deadly devices and useful gadgets. By using the multi-layered weave design the suit uses, you should be able to layer up to two kinds of armor on your drones, letting them make use of two kinds of carapace at once.

>Cybernetics
With an astounding breakthrough on the part of your thinkers, you have managed to unravel the various intricacies of Lyle's cybernetic limbs. Much of the tech involved is already understood by you with a fair amount of confidence, such as the crafting of artificial muscle, and the nature of interfacing with the human nervous system. With this you will be able to change the layout of your drones after their birth through surgery, or implant biomechanical alterations into not only your drones, but other life as well, including humans. Your cybernetics are built from a mixture of engineered organic materials and metallic machinery, and while they require nutrients to build, do not have an upkeep cost as they are maintained by the subject’s own metabolism, which may be accelerated as a result of augmentation.

Updated tech pastebin.
http://pastebin.com/z4yZdEbK
Thanks for the feedback on the augmentations, it was used to add a few to the list.
>>
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>>35922217
New Research Unlocked

>Thermal Blade
Medium
This dull loop of carefully crafted polymer quickly heats itself to deadly temperatures when exposed to an electrical current from within its gauntlet, quickly turning it from a blunt instrument to a deadly blade capable of burning through all manner of armor.

>Vibroblade
Fast
This lightweight combat knife features a series of micro-motors placed within a mono-wire filament tipped blade. When the knife impacts a target, the motors vibrate the blade at an ultrasonic frequency, causing the blade to rapidly rip into the target like a tiny, jackhammer powered chainsaw. A quick study of its construction should allow you to easily grow and implant similar micro muscles within the blades of your warriors, increasing the cutting and piercing power of your drones' blade attacks.

>Flak Jacket
Fast
During the disassembly of Lyle's suit, you found an interesting layer of dense fibers that are extraordinarily resilient to kinetic damage. You have it set aside to have your thinkers take a closer look at it later.

>Thermal Imaging
Medium
This compact visor display built into the helmet of Lyle's suit is capable of detecting heat, turning it into a color-coded display to highlight sources of thermal energy. It is blinded in extreme temperatures, and can quickly become useless in certain situations, but when used in conjunction with other sensors it offers a powerful method of detecting and tracking a target.
>>
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>>35922244
[Cybernetic augmentations unlocked]

[Cloning Project unlocked]
This time and resource intensive process allows you to grow a clone of an alien life form in your pods. There are two kinds of clone to choose from.

>Replicant – A perfect, unaltered copy of the original.

>Hybrid – A clone that has been genetically modified using the hive’s own genetics. Hybrids are stronger, faster, and more durable than their natural counterparts, although not as much as cybernetics are capable of, and are psionically sensitive to the Queen’s commands.


OP is a dewsy tonight. You unlocked a lot of stuff.
>>
>>35922291
Whats our current research and can we add to the que?
>>
Oh good, we're back today.

We can't let Lyle go, guys. He's seen too much, we can't risk our parasites falling into the hands of human intelligence agents, and he's not guaranteed to be loyal without one.

We should instead use the parasite to find out who his contacts are in the merc world and hire them with Theseus' help, or use the AI to help set up a shell company and hire them that way.

Besides, we still need info on the Valen and Lyle's worked against them before.

Not to mention the complications with his squid buddy and the dark masters he might be taking orders from.
>>
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>>35922291
Current research

>Atomics
Medium
While the concept of nuclear fusion is understood by you, the method is costly and dangerous. Disassembly of the human warheads should let you use them freely, any may offer insight into methods of producing your own such warheads in a more feasible and cost effective manner.

>Magnetic Levitation
Medium
The small human buggy uses a series of superconducting magnets to glide along a planet’s surface a short distance from the ground. Apparently based off of Ceph technology, this device grants a great advantage to mobility.

>Space dust
Medium
While it was too minute to analyze in the field, this space dust contains trace amounts of nutrient contents. Testing should reveal if it is a form of life, or simply some strange natural phenomena, as well as how to make use of it.

>Cryo spray
Slow
A stroke of inspiration has taken one of your quantum thinkers and you have been presented with the theory of applying the mechanics of your fire spray in reverse, using cryonics to create a pair of chemicals that, when mixed together and shot from a nozzle, would rapidly flash-freeze almost anything it touches. [Unlocks laser cooling]

>Microbial cultures
Medium/mildly dangerous
These unknown samples of microbial life taken from the Union field lab may offer some practical applications after a battery of tests.

>White Crystal
Very slow
This strange crystal gives off a slight glow, and a sense of warmth. It seems to react to your presence, although you can’t be sure. Sending it through a series of tests may yield some level of understanding, or at the very least give you an idea of what it is.

1/2
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>>35922378
not to mention the humans we're experimenting on, if we can't risk lyle's parasite falling into enemy hands we can't let them go while they have drones in their guts

maybe we can keep them sedated and talk to them through dreams while they're on life support in a comatose state, otherwise it's another risk of discovery

we could let them go later as a diplomatic gesture maybe, after removing the parasites. we'd have to make sure they weren't able to tell they'd been implanted if we wanted to stay a step ahead of human intelligence
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>>35922358
Read the bloody pastebin, it has 'current research'.

We added like 10 things or something last thread, we have plenty on our plate. All the good stuff.

>>35922378
I sorta agree.

At the very least, Lyle shouldn't be released until all research on his weapons and junk are finished.

Besides, we have an alternative guys. To find both Lee AND Seiner. (Not that we should kidnap Seiner, just sell the data to Theseus.)

The White Crystal. A device for remote viewing that the ancient crystal hives weren't afraid of using. It's uncorrupted by Them, unlike the void shards, but in Vaughn's memories it has the same capabilities.

We can palantir what the humans are up to.
>>
>>35922408
2/2
>Nanomachines
Very slow
Your research indicates that the advanced technology that gave the Skyl their individual immortality was entirely alien to them; however, in the extensive time they had at their disposal they dedicated an enormous amount of effort into unlocking this advanced technology. They left extensive notes on the subject, giving you a tremendous head start on it, although it would still be a daunting research project.

>Drop Suit
Slow
Lyle’s powerful suit has proven more than worthy of a thorough examination as to its inner workings. You will need to take it apart before you know just what you have to research.
>>
>>35922378
>He's seen too much, we can't risk our parasites falling into the hands of human intelligence agents, and he's not guaranteed to be loyal without one.
Are you stupid or are you pretending to be?
The parasite is impossible to capture because it has acid glands and we can wipe his memories if we wanted to.
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>>35922378
>>35922412
>>35922419
We could make hybrid clones of him, and perhaps the others. Personally I'm become quite fond of our little humans. I'd prefer to see if we can indoctrinate them.
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>>35922186
Didn't we lay more thinkers?
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>>35922217
>By using the multi-layered weave design the suit uses, you should be able to layer up to two kinds of armor on your drones, letting them make use of two kinds of carapace at once.
So lets get to upgrading some units.
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>>35922479
>and we can wipe his memories if we wanted to
That hasn't been researched.

Waiting on the Raligha microbes
but even short-term retrograde amnesia wouldn't give the elaborate capabilities of long-term, highly specific memory modification.. That might require nanomachines?
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>>35922527
yeah. raised the total to 400 regular and 150 quantum.
>>
>>35922556
Let's not talk about potential upgrades and risk debates until the end of the thread after we do more interesting things than crunch.
>>
>>35922431
The false queen of Raligha has made the start of a colony within the ruins, and reports the locals are providing more than enough food to begin laying the first generation of workers. Warrior and wasp patrols are already beginning to cover the dense jungle, eliciting jubilation whenever they pass a village or wandering hunting party.

Meanwhile, in deep space your pod watches in silence as the Skyll ship begins to cannibalize its fleet, tearing off the swollen, oversized engines and replacing them with smaller short range thrusters. It appears to be scrapping the derelict refueling depot itself, taking great care to remove what few refueling stations are left undamaged and using the scrap to assemble a ship hull of some kind. After some time of watching the beginnings of what can only be some kind of logistical ship is starting to take place.

>>35922527
Yes, you did, sorry. You have 400 thinkers and 150 Quantum thinkers.
>>
>>35922602
Can we tell Unity about the skyl ship?
I want them to meet so bad.
>>
>>35922633
>Can we
How about no.

Not until you learn their FTL tech yourself. Either by conquest or, in the possibility they're open to it, trade.
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>>35922378
Reminder, we now have an explosive drone screwed into his spine that can control his body and perceive everything he sees and thinks. We couldn't possibly have a better leash for him.
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>>35922633
No. Besides, the Skyl fleet is just unsapient virtual intelligence. There's not much of interest to Unity there. Aside from the whole "unknown alien tech" handle that is.
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>>35922602
Oh I'd also like to lay a human looking speaker. Since we have the 'cybernetics' to do so.
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>>35922479
This is bad thinking. If he's our puppet and he gets caught by enemy agents, they have an opportunity to interrogate him and do medical tests; if he dies in their care because we use the parasite to kill him and they manage to trace it to an alien device and connect it with us, it makes things harder - even if diplomatic options aren't up for consideration with the union - and they might be. They'd know we had a capacity to put parasites into their people.

Plus they'd be able to run a PR campaign and smear us so hard that it'd destroy the goodwill that Theseus and Lee's supporters created, so that's more motivation for a war against us.

If we don't have to use direct neurological control to make him do things for us he'd probably be pissed enough to break free of us. This would lead to him either failing and potentially giving himself away in such a fashion that others learned about our alien puppetmaster capability while definitely causing us to lose a valuable agent, or else succeeding and being able to tell anyone he wanted to about all our shit, while we were unable to defend ourselves from a much more powerful human space navy.

It's like a thousand times cleaner to just use his contacts. Don't fucking kid yourself.
>>
>>35922685
We haven't really thought about what they are trying to accomplish here.
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>>35922602
Is the temple at Raligha a spaceship or not? This needs to be researched.
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>>35922694
We haven't even researched bipedalism for drones yet, anon. Why don't we lay a small speaker instead that can hide easily.
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>>35922685
>unsapient virtual intelligence
It doesn't sound like they are that, my best guess is that they are shackled AI.
>>
>>35922602
i'd like to add Vibroblade and Flak Jacket to replace the finished research of Cybernetics and Lyle’s Combat armor.
>>
>>35922602
Okay, we are REALLY overdue for asking Coil what his life story is. How was he hatched and raised, and how did he end up on this mission in human space as a pilot?

Were his orders to seek out Lyle specifically, or any human?

Where is Ceph space? How is his "ever-shifting" chain of command organized?

And so on.
>>
>>35922217
>Lyle’s Combat armor
>This suit is a marvel of weapons technology, offering a compact, flexible, and lightweight platform capable of protecting the user from a wide range of dangers and damage, while holding all manner of deadly devices and useful gadgets. By using the multi-layered weave design the suit uses, you should be able to layer up to two kinds of armor on your drones, letting them make use of two kinds of carapace at once.
wow, I guess this is the kind of thing we grow thinkers for isn't it?
>>
>>35922734
>Is the temple at Raligha a spaceship or not?
Yes, we already know that. Pay attention. It was called an Ark. (or 'arc' in two typos)

> This needs to be researched.
This needs to be paid attention to several threads ago.
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>>35922738
Don't we have this
Leaper – These legs are especially designed for athletic feats far beyond what any normal human would be capable of
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>>35922731
Probably trying to build a small fleet then attempt to reach another Skyl outpost.
Or it's trying to build a big fleet to embark upon one last suicide mission. We never really thought to ask about the particulars.
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>>35922775
Agreed, Coil might be holding back important data we might need.
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>>35922802
But those are for humans not for our drones, unless QD says otherwise.
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>>35922738
We can produce clones.
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>>35922711
Ok, first of all they wouldn't be able to directly link us to Lyle if the drone detonates it's acid glands, they completely destroy every trace of the drone.

Second, he is an-ex Confederate soldier and a con. Nobody in the Union will miss him.

Third, he still has free will, even if we can order the drone to take control of his body.

Fouth, we don't know if there are any other mercs in the galaxy willing to work descretely for us. Theseus has made no mention of any other humans the Unity employed, and Lyle is incredibly apathetic about galactic politics.
>>
>>35922679
It's not the control of Lyle that's the problem, it's that if he gets caught by the Union even if we explode his spine with acid and they do an autopsy to figure out what it was and learn we can put chestburster aliens inside humans and use them like puppets it's fucking war.

I am not confident in our ability to fake normal behavior in Lyle, let alone any agent of an alien race we have at most a low level understanding of. We should use the implants for interrogation instead of taking FUCKING HUGE RISKS like having them fall into enemy hands.

What do you propose, we keep him implanted with enough acid glands to melt his whole body in case of failure? I sure hope investigation of the acid doesn't trace its chemical compounds back to us later in case a drone somewhere self-destructs and their CSI crew investigate the explosion.

You never show the enemy spy that you can crack his codes, or his nervous system, unless you have to.
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>>35922828
Oh right, I just read superfast and missed the bit.
Guess that's what I get for assuming.
>>
>>35922812
>>35922775
Can coil even actually tell us then?

He is only functional with his cyber brain and its obvious the crystals gave that to his species and who knows what programs they put in their to control the ceph

They crystals had the skyll under the same set up but didn't put enough controls on them

I don't think they made that mistake with the ceph though
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>>35922870
See >>35922867

The acid glands are incredibly thorough, not a scrap of evidence would remain. This is the same substance that dissolved the armor on the Hell's Angel, remember?
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>>35922870
How the hell would they be able to determine if it was an alien creature instead of a man-made device? And even if they do think it's some sort of alien creature, how would they even link it to us?
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>>35922870
How would they know it was us?
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>>35922870
>I sure hope investigation of the acid doesn't trace its chemical compounds back to us later
That is fully impossible.
>>
We definitely need to cut costs, a battleship would ruin our economy if we tried to build one right now.

Is there any reason not to put farms onboard our ships and have them be self-supporting?
>>
You know its funny
Instead of waifu wars we get ours over shadowruns and geopolitics
Its a nice change from most quests
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>>35922985
Takes up room, and it needs water.
Also i still think people rushing towards big ships is a bad idea when we still behind in tech and in the end would waste resources retrofitting our shit.
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>>35922985
Because it's physically impossible to do that.
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>>35922985
That's in our support capital ship/space colony ship
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>>35922914
>>35922916
>>35922923
Forensic analysis. If they get a sample of something the acid melted when it happens, they might figure out what it was the way they figure out shit like that now by looking at trace compounds some suicide bomber's dynamite vest had in it and finding out it was the same stuff that a specific terrorist group used.

If some other drone self-destructs with acid on a battlefield somewhere or something and they compare some military scientist's notes, our hand is gonna be revealed.

It's a lot safer to just not risk it and use other agents instead. We lose nothing.
>>
>>35922924
>>35922923
>>35922916
>How would they know it was us
>No one would suspect us

How about that organization that sent that freaky mechoid to scout out our hive?
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>>35922914
>>35922916
>>35922923
>>35922924
Also to add, Lyle is the only one we have of this. 'IF' he gets caught and we have to blow it, people can dismiss it as an suicide device. A one off event.
>>35922985
I can see that as a higher end tech to unlock way down the line. Not available any time soon I bet.
>>35923010
Oddly enough, I agree.
>>
>>35922985
We are lacking in the farming department, all it takes for some one to fuck us over is to make anti-spores targeting our food and then we would starve in a week.
People keep forgetting this giant glaring weakness.
>>
>>35922924
right. we don't do that all the time irl, chemistry works different somehow in /tg/ quests

why is it impossible again?
>>
>>35923071

Or that asshole doctor who is going to try and jack into our hive mind to get free labor?
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>>35923071
Point taken.
>>35923068
Except they have no notes about our acid.
>>
>>35923065
>>35923041
Our ships need water anyway. Aircraft carriers take on heaps of supplies all the time, the Texas is probably not the only Union ship with supplies onboard. Can you explain why it's not worth it?

>>35923044
It's physically impossible to add on a component in which a worker can build a farm? Farms aren't that big.
>>
>>35923010

I prefer shadowwaifuwars and geopolitical romance.
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>>35923010
I'd rather have people telling me my waifu is shit then wanting to make friends with some of these groups.
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>>35923092
Our acid destroys the dna too quickly, the only way they can figure it out if they already have a previous sample(they don't).
>>
>>35922602
On Gemini your pod picks up a news broadcast as it beams to the stations and planets across the system. A small red box slowly spins in the corner labeled "Breaking News" and a picture of the parliament building is shown briefly before a splash screen effect plays and the scene is replaced with the interior of the building. Rows of chairs are aligned in a large semicircle in front of a small stage with a podium.

"We are just now receiving word that there has been an emergency assembly of parliament. We have word that the defense secretary will be speaking, but we have yet to receive any word as to the content of the speech."
Several holograms flicker on in the seats, and humans file in from the doors to the others. Each seat has a small plaque on it with a name and a word. You can make out a few, Harrison Layton: Mentan, Arnold Donald: Stonefall, Alena Luevia: Pilgrim. You count 52 chairs in all, not including the ones behind the podium.

As the humans gather, speaking nonsense to each other, a gray haired woman walks up to the podium and stands behind the microphone, ignoring the chairs. She silences the room with a stern gaze to the audience and a ticker appears at the bottom of the screen reading 'Secretary of Defense Alexandra Dupont (T)'. She begins to speak.

"The USV Clarke was crewed by sixty three brave individuals. It's assignment of exploration was interrupted by a brutal attack of the renegade machine commonly known as the Unity. Less than a quarter of the crew returned alive. Not long after that the members of the USV Hope, the ship itself, and the base camp established on the world of Raligha vanished, leaving only a cloud of debris in orbit and a burned crater on the planet below." Her words are sharp and she seems to fill the room with her presence.
"These laxes in our military is unacceptable, and the glacial pace of our fleet's response is inexcusable."

Cont.
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>>35923091
That's like saying "all if takes for some one to fuck us over is killing all our workers and queens then we would die. People keep forgetting this giant glaring weakness."
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>>35923128
PLEASE NO INCREASED MILITARY PRESENCE PLEASE
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>>35923117
The farms need strong magnetic field/and lots of continuous water.
So basically we would need a river and some how make a strong magnetic field which will cause us to be easy as shit to find.
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>>35923154
Too late! We knew it was going to happen eventually anyway.
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>>35923128
>>35923154
Fuck we are fucked
>>
I never wanted to keep Lyle alive in the first place, but we have him now. It would be stupid to just keep him in the Hive forever. Someone should just think of a way to make use of him that isn't stupid.
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>>35923130
No its a real weakness that can fuck us over, we only have one type of farm that can easily be destroyed(if they ever find out about it that is).
Just look up what happens in history.
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>>35923158
>>35923117
>>35923191

I was hoping that the research into the space dust would yield a form of self-sufficiency on our ships, or at least subsidize their nutrient costs.
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>>35923154
Yup people were begging to fight with them.
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>>35923128
Looks like we need a bigger military!
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>>35923128
>>35923154
>>35923160
>>35923178
Fuck it

Hes from the commonwealth black ops and i say we use him to start and fight between the commonwealth and the union

We should ask the unity what was the plan to sabotage this meeting of that coming up between the union and commonwealth
>>
>>35923091
>>35923191
The next batch of 600 farms are in a different hive location, the lime encrusted mountain. So an infection in one won't infect the other.

Spreading the farms in multiple breadbaskets solves this problem fine. They'll infect one set of farms, we begin research on a cure while quarantining.

Using biological weapons against a race evolved entirely around genetic engineering is an extremely short-term solution for our hypothetical enemies. They can't beat the queen at her own game for long.

Now shhhh let the updates happen
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>>35923154
>>35923160
>>35923169
you act like they will be able to muster fleets more than they already have. there are more politics to this and IF, and its a IF they manage to convince the human worlds that the threat is great they wont have a massive fleet spring out of nowhere. We will have time to prepare and strike first if that's what is wanted.

Should the humans find out about us being a new threat though...then we're fucked.
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>>35923229
Our farms are underground in the heart of our base anyway. How would they even insert an infection?
>>
>>35923228
>>35923169
lets murder him and be done with it. He's a larger problem than we need to deal with or make for ourselves at this time.
>>
>>35923228
inb4 Unity tells us he doesn't want to start a war because innocents would die or some dumb emotional shit.
>>
>>35923234
And to add, they seems to be pinning this on Unity and not us. That will give us time to build up our forces.
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>>35923268
No the unity already told us that he was trying to sabotage the talks
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>>35923263
Airborne/another infiltration team/sky drills.
That is to say if they don't want to nuke us.
>>
>>35923267
He's not a problem sitting limbless in a cell, there's no need to kill him. He might have his uses in the future.
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>>35923234
They could have deactivated ships that they simply aren't funding atm.
Don't underestimate a wartime economy. Of course our economy is much much better just much much smaller.
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>>35923169
>>35923154

Quit overreacting, we have better FTL, able to build ships much easier and faster than they can, and unlike them, aren't a fuck-ton of individuals trying to hash out a plan to fight, just one mind with a billion bodies to act out whatever plan we choose.

They may have the industrial basis for now, but we are a thousand times more efficient.
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>>35923267
There's no reason to do that. I don't understand why people even have an issue with just putting a parasite in him and sending him off.
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>>35923158
I would imagine making magnetic fields wouldn't be so hard. Cant you do it with electricity? Is that not how railguns work?
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>>35923304
Airborne...into an underground compound.

Infiltration team...through our locked down, fortified, sensor-lined base.
>>
>>35923306

We don't really have a wartime economy though, we have a "Get resources = Build Machines of War" industrial basis, much simpler because we don't have to suck off the public to squeeze out another drop for said economy.
>>
>>35923303
Wrong.
>>35923228
>We should ask the unity what was the plan to sabotage this meeting of that coming up between the union and commonwealth
Read the quest better.

Subsequent update post clarified that Theseus was trying to sabotage the neoneocons' attempts to *derail* the peace talks. Theseus wants Commonwealth and Union to integrate, so that he can spread across the internet into the Commonwealth internet.

And also so the Union won't be able to expand its political budget by getting in an arms race with the Commonwealth, probably. Because then they're less of a threat to him.

>By having these talks conclude, I may be able to infiltrate Commonwealth space with greater ease, while the Nationals wish to prevent such talks as they use the Commonwealth as an enemy to compare their military budgets. Fewer things are easier to win money for than a military when you can convince the people your neighbors want to invade."
>>35338597

Theseus wants the opposite of what you just said.
>>
>>35923333
An infiltration team already entered before and getting our compound has ventilation(though we do have some drones doing jack shit).
>>
>>35923304

We have walls, and air purifiers remember? And our underground complex is a maze filled with dead ends and traps.
>>
>>35923267
We've been having this argument forever.
If we can get a guarantee from people wanting these mutations they don't want to 'become human' then I think others would support lyle and these new options.
Otherwise I want nothing to do with the guy. Lylefags don't even have a solid plan to use him.
>>
>>35923371
>Lylefags
It begins, i knew it would happen eventfully.
>>
>>35923371
The plan was to use him to locate Lee. That's why we did everything we did do him
>>
>>35923371
Lyleclone infiltrators?
>>
>>35923344
No I'm saying don't underestimate the Human wartime economy, but yes we should have the advantage effeciency-wise
>>
>>35923362
They entered, and were promptly smushed by a single collossus.
>>
>>35923407
they got pretty damn close.
>>
>>35923423
Only because of a crit fail.
>>
>>35923362

To be fair, we weren't actually trying to detect an infiltration team until we noticed those two guys weren't there anymore, and once we realized this, we found them instantly and then crushed them ruthlessly.

Remember, our walls literally have eyes and ears, and maybe nervous tissue to feel them walking on the floor, not certain about that part.
>>
>>35923403
And we don't need the original, just the DNA.
>>
>>35923390
When are we creating a giant statue dedicated to Lee and the lighter?
>>
>>35923456
It'll be far more effective to keep the original for cloning, and we can copy memories and training over with him intact.
>>
>>35923476
When we find and rescue Lee
>>
>>35923456
Then we might as well use him to do some stuff for us. Maybe a suicide mission or some shit.
>>35923483
Or this. This is good.
>>35923476
I thought we shaped the anti orbital gun like a lighter.
>>
>>35923495
No anon, it needs to be built already for when he arrives. And better yet if all the humans see transmissions of the glory of Lee.
>>
>>35923519
We made our flag/symbol the lighter.
>>
>>35923091
Definitely. We need to control our costs and diversify.

>>35923117
We ought to develop a different farm. And it's also not too hard to find or generate strong EM fields in space, sometimes you just leave the damn thing unshielded.
>>
>>35923310
>I don't understand why people even have an issue with just putting a parasite in him and sending him off.

>implying hes dumb enough not to go to a doctor after being a POW of an alien race
>implying an untested parasite will be able to completely prevent him from revealing our hive's existence
>implying that the humans after putting 3 and 2 together won't realize shit's going down and get their act together to come wreck our collective hive shit.

Look the humans will continue to argue and bicker because the Unity isn't a new threat, it's an old one with existing attack patterns.

If they figure out we're a problem that needs to be dealt with then
>yadda yadda yadda
humans quickly unite against the big bad evil bugs and we fight a losing war for a few threads before sucumbing to the humans or firing off the queen to an "unknown planet" to try to heal.
>>
>>35923346
Theseus thinks for a moment, some data is streamed from Zero-One before he responds.

"Most likely, he will be painted as a pro-xeno rights activist by the Nationalists, and used to sway favor among voters away from the Greens, and by proxy, the Rhinos.

The Proxima Convention will be within the month, and one of the biggest election issues is what topics to bring up in the talks."

He hesitates for a moment before continuing. "I have been trying to sabotage those efforts, for some years now, actually.

Sup you should read better
>>
>>35923569
The purpose of the parasite is indoctrination, isn't it? With enough time and testing he will be loyal to us. He will learn to love us.
>>
>>35923569
Who said anything about an untested parasite? Of course we wouldn't send him off with the current model at our current amount of research.
>>
Lets set some long term goals, like a defense fleet big enough to deter the humans from attacking our homeworld once the Jig is up:

Nomenclature: Fleets types are described by their command vessel

Cruiser Fleet:
With a core of three cruisers complimented by 9 frigates, the crusier fleet is a potent force to defend a colony or patrol territory.
Each ship is defended by escort corvettes; one is partnered with each frigate and four defend each cruiser.
1 Command Cruiser 3491N 6418M
2 Fleet Cruisers 6280N 11980M
9 Fleet Frigates 11115N 22770M
15 Escort Corvettes 9375N 19650M
Total Cost 30261N 60818M
Upkeep, Hibernating crew: 10846N
Upkeep, active Crew: 15059N

Continue...
>>
>>35923663
Comand Cruiser
Hull: Cruiser 1200N 2000M
Rapid Damage Control 30N 40M
Swarm 600N 300M
Heavy Armor 500N 2000M
Spinal: 2 Linear Particle Beam 400M
Fixed: 6 Linear Particl Beam, 4 Rail Gun 200M
Turrets: Cyclitron Particle Beam 150M
Relay 200N 250M
1 X Quantum Thinker 10N
4 X Thinker 24N
Standard Compliment
1 X Shock Trooper (Sting Caster) 27N 28M
10 X Warrior (Sting Caster) 100N 250M
10 X Warrior (Fire Spray) 100N 250M
40 X Warrior 400M 400M
10 X Wasp (Sting Caster) 100N 150M
Cost
Subtotal 2764N 5340M (1382 upkeep)
Standard Comliment 727N 1078M (313 Upkeep)
Total 3491N 6418M

Fleet Cruiser
Hull: Cruiser 1200N 2000M
Rapid Damage Control 30N 40M
Swarm 600N 300M
Heavy Armor 500N 2000M
Spinal: 2 Linear Particle Beam 400M
Fixed: 6 Linear Particl Beam, 4 Rail Gun 200M
Turrets: Cyclitron Particle Beam 150M
1 X Quantum Thinker 10N
Standard Comliment
10 X Warrior (Sting Caster) 100N 250M
40 X Warrior 400M 400M
10 X Wasp (Sting Caster) 100N 150M
Cost
Subtotal 2540N 5190M (1270 upkeep)
Standard Comliment 600N 800M (300 Upkeep)
Total 3140N 5990M

continue...
>>
>>35923663
Fleet Frigates
Hull: Frigate 800N 1600M
Rapid Damage Control 22N 30M
Standard Armor
Spinal: Linear Particle Beam 150M
Fixed: 8 Railgun 160M
Turret: Cyclotron Particle Beam 150M
Point Defense: 4 Autocannon 40M
1 X Quantum Thinker 10N
Standard Compliment
40 X Warrior 400M 400M
Cost
Subtotal 832N 2130M (416 upkeep)
Standard Compliment 400N 400M (200 Upkeep)
Total 1235N 2530M

Escort Corvette
The Escort corvette is not a ship killer, but rather a ship protector.
Its turrets release explosive flack beside its point defense array, making quick work of swarm attacks.
Its railgun delivers a mass of sticky webbing that will foul enemy guns while its Particle beams will befuddle their sensors.
Hull: Corvette 400N 800M
Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M
Spinal Mount: Rail Gun (Nonlethal/stickyweb) 100M
Fixed: 2 Cyclotron Particle Beam 40M
Turrets: 2 Autocannon (Explosive) 50M
Point Defense: 8 Autocannon 80M
1 X Quantum Thinker 10N
Standard Compliment
20 Warriors 200N 200M
Cost
Subtotal 425N 1110M (212 Upkeep)
Standard Compliment 200N 200M (100 Upkeep)
Total 625N 1310M
>>
>>35923128
>>35923154
>>35923160
>>35923169
>>35923213
>>35923227
>>35923234
>>35923268
>>35923278
>>35923303
>>35923304
>>35923306
>>35923307
>>35923405
All of this...ALL of this discussion is driven by fear of impending attack, and we can blunt a lot of those fears by getting some leverage on the human empires.

We need enough military to cripple their FTL. They get all their exotic matter fuel from a single mining operation in one star system.

We need enough money in the bank to bribe their politicians from the shadows.

We need a political machine to make their parliament declaring war on us difficult, and to help guarantee a swift peace accord.

Suggestions on how to accomplish this would be helpful.

>>35923228
That's...bone stupid, we don't need him to start such a fight and he'd be like a firecracker in the grand canyon in trying to start it by himself.
>>
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>>35923128
On Zero One you watch as the activity surges around the speech. You skim some of the passing data.
>Alexandra Dupont, Secretary of Defense and head of the Tory party.
>Born on Gemini Beta to Fleet Commander Reginald Dupont and Samantha Dupont
You skim through the data as the speech continues.

"It is obvious that with our current fleet budget we can no longer ensure the security of our space. Our forces are spread too thin, and between the mad machine's terror strikes against our fleet, alien raids on our trade routes, and the Commonwealth breathing down our necks it is clear to me that we must focus on our security above all else."
She grips the podium, as if to strangle it. For a moment you think she is about to tear it apart. "I will be assembling an emergency security council to further analyze the situation. I was hoping this would serve finally as a wake up call to the people of this parliament that no longer can you point to your meager volunteer police and call yourself secure. No more can you slice the fleet's budget year after year and claim it is overperforming!" She slams her hand on the podium. The sound echoes through the chamber and several people flinch.
"The people deserve better, and they expect better, which is why I am resubmitting the consolidation bill." There are gasps in the chamber and a clamor of whispers begins to spread. She lifts her chin, seemingly satisfied with the growing bedlam of the representatives, and moves to leave the room.

The ticker flows along the bottom of the screen.
"Dupont reintroduces Consolidation bill, does not mention a recommended Head of State to fill role."

The news caster appears on the screen in the hall as the crowd inside grows louder. He holds up his microphone with a look of confusion. "As you know the Consolidation bill, first introduced six years ago and often called the King bill by its opposition, is a proposition to create a consolidated head of state to preside over the ruling cabinet."
>>
>>35923739
I don't suppose we or Unity can somehow discredit her and her party. Killing her would be too obvious.
>>
>>35923739
Yaay looks like we made a dictator ship.
Now time to kidnap the leader and clone them.
>>
>>35923707
>All of this...ALL of this discussion is driven by fear of impending attack, and we can blunt a lot of those fears by getting some leverage on the human empires.
>We need enough military to cripple their FTL. They get all their exotic matter fuel from a single mining operation in one star system.
>We need enough money in the bank to bribe their politicians from the shadows.
>We need a political machine to make their parliament declaring war on us difficult, and to help guarantee a swift peace accord.
>Suggestions on how to accomplish this would be helpful.

The only idea you had there I liked was cutting off their supply of exotic matter.
Instead of using leverage the human way how about we use leverage the Hive way.
Meaning we have enough force to fuck them, or else distract them via force.
>>
>>35923686
>>35923703
That works, i'm just afraid of making fleets when our tech is developing as it is, with major improvements all the time.
>>
>>35923739
>Union is about to be forced into a new goverment
>Pure Chaos is sure to come from this
>Chaos we can use to our advantage
We didn't plan this, but we'll take it all the same.
>>
>>35923833
We have better means of influencing human politics than money. We have clones.
>>
>>35923739
There is already heavy unrest, I doubt this power grab by the military will go down well.
>>
>>35923739
>Union about to be ruled by a single individual
Guys. Clones.
>>
>>35923909
>>35923878
Best case scenario: Union fucks itself up, too busy to send out more patrols

>>35923883
>>35923917
That could work too, although I'm concerned that if the clones are ever found out, that would literally mean war.
>>
Just wondering, is there anyone here who wants to ally with the humans? Or form some kind of confederation of peace and justice?
>>
>>35923739
A splash screen plays and there are several people sitting in little isolated boxes on the screen, only their heads are visible. Each is labeled as a correspondent of some kind. After a short introduction they immediately enter an argument so tense it is hard for you to follow, with each of them yelling over each other in an attempt to get a word in while the host tries to keep them calm. You lose interest in the bickering of of the talking heads, but the speech was rather interesting.

>Speak with Theseus
>Speak with Lyle (write in)
>Speak with the Hope crew
>Speak with Elizabeth
>Other

Was not expecting the thread to explode so much. Took a while to catch up.
>>
>>35923949
It would most definitely mean war. Which is why we need some sort of contingencies.
>>
>>35923996
Personally I just want to stuff parasites in all of them and enslave them.
>>
>>35924001
>>Speak with Theseus
>>
>>35924001
>Speak with Theseus
What now?
>>
>>35924001
>>Speak with Lyle (write in)
You feel up for a job?
>>
>>35923949
Exactly, With Unity actively sabotaging them as best he can and other known forces putting pressure on them, we are just about under their radar as we can hope for.
>>35924001
This is just the sign you are running a popular quest. Good Job QD!
>Speak with Elizabeth
See where is at with her work. Then..
>Speak with Theseus
>>
>>35923996
Eh, No. Before maybe, but since they actively fuck with developing species and tried to do the same thing with us, No.
The closest maybe is some sort of Non-Aggression Pact at best. At worst we may have to kill them.

>>35924001
>Speak with Theseus
>Speak with Elizabeth
Are we done giving Lyle the Stockholm syndrome yet?
>>
>>35923996
I want to have an agreement to not fuck with each other.
>>
>>35924032
>enslave them
>Not kill them all
Not even being edgy, it's for the best.

>>35924001
>Speak with Theseus
Ask him what he plans to do about the militarization, and if he is trying to start a war between the humans. And if he wants help.
>>
>>35923586
I just said that the later update clarified that update. I thought that was what it said at first too. Then the later post hit.

When that update happened, and the word "efforts" was ambiguous. He was talking about the political maneuvering around the Convention, but it wasn't clear if he meant pro- or anti-Convention efforts. Which Lee got ensnared in.

Theseus mentions advantages to himself if the Convention is a success, and mentions no disadvantages. He mentions no advantages or disadvantages of if the Convention fails.

So I'm leaning towards that interpretation.

>>35924001
>Other
Speak with COIL he's overdue.
>>
>>35924095
>Speak with COIL he's overdue.
And ask/do what though? It's not like we need to play upkeep with our contacts.
>>
Clones are pretty fucking awesome.

But that is only one theater of action. We need to either find a crop on Raligha that can be used for space farming on many worlds, or figure out a way to use fusion reactors (once that research is done) to feed our Leeland based crops. We should also be building more spires so that once we are ready to be obvious, we can produce a fleet almost instantly. I think ten spires would be optimal for producing sub-capitolship based fleets.
>>
>>35924092
Humans are all just unruly children. They will learn to listen to Mother. Many will die, of course. There's just far to many of them. But there's no need to drive them extinct.
>>
>>35924001
>>35924092
Backing
>>
>>35924130
A number of nonclassified information about Ceph society.

The number of Ceph who have ever heard from Them directly. What exactly Their edicts were, they're probably as famous and memorized as the famous Bible quotes.

How he navigates No Space to visit places he's never been before. Does he use a star chart's coordinates? Can he say the coordinates of Ceph home stars? Or Valen space?

How long has it been since the Singing Stone shattered and they gained FTL? How many stars have they conquered? Are there other Ceph pilots like him in alien space? Was he assigned to Lyle by name?

Tons of questions never asked yet.

Also, I see now there's an option: we can clone Coil, and remove all his problematic memories, before giving him to Lyle. That's the best coverup possible. The gods will never know.
>>
>>35924133
I don't see whats wrong with the stuff we farm now in space. If it needs lots of water so what? Bring lots of water. If it needs magnetic fields then make magnetic fields its not that hard.
>>
>>35924133
You're forgetting one more thing, Resource Collection.
We need to build more farms, start mining in isolated systems like M-199 and M-323
>>
>>35924001
By the time you call on Theseus for his take on the matter Zero One is already bouncing around the idea of speaking with you about it. It seems that while they do not know how, they seem to simply accept that you have a source of information within Gemini. The litany of copies show no interest in the source itself.

"Who is the leader of the Union?" You say simply. You make sure to not presume Theseus has just heard the speech and avoid asking about her by name.

"There is none. The Union was founded on a basis of great disdain for singular leaders, even elected ones. They are ruled by a small group known as the Cabinet. There is the Secretary of State, Commerce, Interior, and Defense. They preside over the parliament itself, although I have noticed a trend ever since my creation, both politically and in public opinion, that seems to indicate a loss of that aversion." He pauses to receive a data packet from his comm device, then continues calmly. "I am currently seeing a sixty percent chance of the bill passing."

"What bill?" You ask. A small crackle of power moves through the Clarke's computer like a smirk.

"The Consolidation bill, although I suspect it will go through several stages of editing and earmarking first."

>Ask (write in)
>Say (write in)
>Other
>>
>>35924390
Will this become a problem for all us nonhumans out in the black?
>>
>>35924390
>Ask (write in)
What are the chances for war to occur? between what factions?
>>
>>35924390
>I am currently seeing a sixty percent chance of the bill passing
Damn
At least they're polite enough to not ask how we know.

Supporting this >>35924458
>>
>>35924458
Backing this.
>>
>>35924458
Seconding!
>>
Clones aren't going to be enough, not unless we have so many of them replace citizens that we manage to form a new voting block.

Cloning the head of state will just mean that head of state gets replaced. The powers behind the throne, the people that support the head of state, will not tolerate the figurehead failing to represent their interests.

It would be much better to create a political coalition through long-term manipulation along party lines in a joint effort with Theseus.

We both have an interest in common with the AI: survival. Any political entity we managed to create that kept a lid on anti-nonhuman sentiment would be ideal, because it'd be stable.

The only thing destabilizing the human government would do by repeatedly replacing their leadership with clones is create wave after wave of revolts and military fractures that would send renegade armed forces our way while the other human faction tried to take over their neighbor in a moment of weakness.
>>
>>35924552
I don't know man, I got a good feeling about these clones. Citizens are dumb as rocks, its not that hard to get them to vote for stuff.
>>
File: Ship computer.gif (1.26 MB, 400x170)
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>>35924390
"What about the chance of war?"

Theseus waits for a moment as he transmits some data to Zero One, and then waits for a response.

"Between fifty and thirty percent. I suspect the Tory party will attempt to use it to claim the Commonwealth as the threat. Under normal circumstances attacking a small colony would be sufficient to deter them from aggressive actions, believing it would make them too vulnerable. This time, in light of the recent speech, I fear it will take more than that."

>Ask question (write in)
>Speak (write in)
>Speak with Coil
>Other
>>
>>35924390
Propose a plan to realign Union politics in our mutual favor.

To create a coalition in union politics that serves to allow nonhuman life to be tolerated; this requires reshaping the oligarchy as follows:

>Tory party political base
The Tory voters want improved standards of living. Sell them on an idea that external trade will make this happen.

>Rhinos
The Rhino party voters' interest in backing reunification increases the chances of trade, we can take people from them this way for a while. In the end, we don't want a military dictatorship reuniting with the Union for obvious reasons. Those governments don't like foreign powers or aliens, probably.

>Green party
External trade and subsequent prosperity can be aligned with trade with alien species, use of AI for human benefit, etc. This means co-opting Green leadership.

>Nationalists
Security, national and individual, can be co-opted by associating it with economic security rather than military preparedness, drawing from the Nationalist base.

This means we have to dump the Consolidation bill. We can do that with parliamentary tricks, like keeping parliament from achieving a quorum, while we slam the bill by alienating voters and members of parliament by saying that the terrorism and warlike atmosphere is created by an over-aggressive diplomatic posture on the part of the Union.

Of course everyone hates them, they shoot first and ask questions later.
>>
>>35924663

All this needs to be financed by some sort of organization capable of getting together campaign warchests and bribe money, and pushed through mass media political machines, so that means playing the stock markets through a front, presumably in the alien bank, and putting together a human-led prosperity initiative complete with human agents.

Admittedly, playing the Union's stock market or whatever they have gives us a means to influence the fortunes of corporations that oligarchic elements of the governmental elite depend on for their power within the system.

It also gives us financial resources, though manipulating them for political gain means we can hurt companies in charge of military procurement and manufacturing.

Hard to fight a war against Theseus or the Hive when they have no bullets.
>>
>>35924663
Non human life is tolerated.
>>
>>35924659
>>Speak with Coil
This stuff.
>>35922775
>>35924190

Or start some of it anyway. From the most likely to share to least likely.
>>
>>35924721
Not on an equal basis and not unless it's of immense benefit.

Do you remember their contact protocols and how they use alien species for dependency?
>>
>>35924659
>Speak with Coil
>>
>>35924659
Ask about the commonwealth, ceph, valen and calderioans reactions to this news

What are the chances for civilwar inside the union
>>
>>35924663
>>35924720

Interesting. Let's see what Theseus thinks of this.
>>
>>35924659
>Under normal circumstances attacking a small colony would be sufficient to deter them from aggressive actions, believing it would make them too vulnerable. This time, in light of the recent speech, I fear it will take more than that."

I might be reading this wrong but he seems to be implying that he has been acting to prevent war between the humans.
>>
>>35924663
I doubt you, a newcomer to this scene, can propose a better plan than Theseus who has been servo-deep in this political shit for ages. We don't even know the names of the 52 colonies!

Fuck the Union, it can all burn. They aren't a threat to us until we make them notice us anyway.

>>35924659
>>Speak with Coil
>>
>>35924752
So? Who cares about those aliens, as long as they continue leaving us mostly alone who cares.
>>
>>35924663
>>35924720
these sound better than taking this shit lying down
>>
>>35924663
>>35924720
Supporting, this sounds solid.
>>
>>35924812
They're not leaving us mostly alone.

They sent a cyborg spy armed to the teeth to infiltrate us.

Their criminal element is trying to capture live samples, and I think the Broker is a government agent.

Their first contact protocols are about grinding us to pieces. Conflict is inevitable in the present political climate.
>>
>>35924663
>>35924720
Also supporting this.
>>
>>35924663
>>35924720

Do it. I don't want to face the dark crystal alien gods alone, I'd rather use the humans as a shield if not as allies.
>>
How long are we going to keep up the political game, though? At some point in time, an actual conquest of the humans needs to happen.
>>
>>35924818
What shit? We take nothing. We are staying out of it. It has no reason to come here to the hive at all.

This has nothing to do with us. This is leading to Commonwealth-Union conflict. If it keeps their idiot selfish brains busy, who cares.

>>35924851
John Smith was a political machination that can't be repeated.

The live samples can be dissuaded by letting them 'capture' quantum brained workers who then explode with acid. Proving they can't be sampled.

Nothing about this new aggressive stance is actually going to touch the hive. Hell, this is what people wanted several threads ago, to see the humans at each other's throats.
>>
>>35924663
>>35924720
I like it, got my support anon.
>>
>>35924894
The Commonwealth is a military dictatorship, they're not likely to bend to politics alone.

We're also going to maybe be fighting the Skyl fleet, not to mention there is no guarantee this works and so we may need to invade the system where they mine their FTL engine fuel.

Don't worry, we'll have plenty of fights soon enough.

>>35924902
>John Smith was a political machination that can't be repeated.
It can be upscaled. Are you kidding? We have no fleet to speak of, they have a huge head start. If the dictator decides to cut its teeth on some aliens so their war with the commonwealth doesn't start with totally newbie recruits in their drop infantry we're gonna have a fight on our hands.
>>
>>35924902
A militarized Union means that they will eventually send more ships into the expanse, where we are currently operating in, that means it's going to get harder for us.
Not to mention it will make it even harder for us in a military conflict which has a very high chance of happening. We cripple them now, we make it easier for us to defeat them or put us in a position to better negotiate with them.
>>
>>35924663
Oh look it's Mr. Idea Guy.

>All this needs to be financed by some sort of organization capable of getting together campaign warchests and bribe money, and pushed through mass media political machines, so that means playing the stock markets through a front, presumably in the alien bank, and putting together a human-led prosperity initiative complete with human agents.

That sounds like pie-in-the-sky bullshit. Bring it up after you actually build those resources.

Theseus might well be embarrassed at all these assumptions.
>>
>>35924851
They sent one cyborg and one group of mercenaries. And we have already gone through their first contact protocols totally unscathed seeing as their plan to monitor us and blow us up if we develop is fucked since we control the monitor and the nukes.
>>
>>35924663
>>35924720

Jumping on the bandwagon, there's no point in putting something like this off anymore.
>>
>>35924968
>If the dictator decides to cut its teeth on some aliens
How would they justify that to johnny public?
>>
>>35923663
>>35923686
>>35923703

Whatever happens, if we don't put our resources to good use and actually have forces ready for the next war, then we're going to be caught with our pants down, and fucked. We're sitting on a substantial amount of nutrient and metal. Keeping it for a rainy day fund is useless if we're obliterated on that rainy day. Time to build, and I like the above suggestion for a standard fleet.
>>
>>35925005
>no point in putting something like this off anymore

Anymore?

It literally just got brought up now. It was never even a thing before.

And yes there is. It's not fun at all.
>>
>>35924001
Supporting these:
>>35924663
>>35924720

and:
>Speak with the Hope crew
>Speak with Elizabeth
>Speak with Coil
>>
>>35924974
>talks shit about trying something new, blocking all attempts at it
>wants to only try things that the resources are already there for
>will not allow resource buildup in the first place

You sound bitter and samefaggy. This quest doesn't need that.
>>
>>35924659
>>Speak with Coil
>>
>>35925010
That's not hard in a society where the alien life is dangerous and feral.

>>35924974
There's the resources the AI built up in terms of political support.

There's plenty of time to get some money together while we build a network of contacts inside union politics, the only thing we need now is Theseus' know-how.

No need to be so negative, if we don't try we'll never have those resources.
>>
>>35925030
Yes, anymore.

People have talked about some sort of non-military intervention for a long time, since we first made friends with Lee. This actually sounds like it might work.
>>
>>35925065
Dangerous, feral, isolated on a far away planet they cant leave and possessing a history of helping union citizens.
>>
>>35924659
Sounds like Unity might be willing to pay us to play boogeyman.
>>
>>35925034
Seconding. We should definitely talk to everyone.

>>35925122
Yeah, like that's gonna matter after Lee gets criticized for failing to prevent us from killing people. Media spin isn't hard, these people are unopposed political operatives and you're arguing against pushing back their bullshit.

There is NO way in which a militaristic government in a neighboring power is a good thing.

Just gonna remind you we're in territory they consider theirs. You wanna take this and do nothing?
>>
>>35925065
>There's plenty of time to get some money together while we build a network of contacts inside union politics,

The bill sounds like it's happening very shortly. In a matter of weeks at most.

Building resources and contacts is a fine goal and all, that's fine. Suggest that. But I think you vastly underestimate how long that will take, and the amount of influence you can wield. Theseus has been trying to manipulate humans for ages, and he has more resources and experience than you.

The literally only advantage you bring to the table is mind control. And that takes forever to control a decent percentage of the population, too.
>>
okay, I'm convinced doing something is better than letting a consolidated government lead by a war hawk run the show over in humanland
>>35924663
>>35924720
let's run it by theseus, can't hurt to hear his opinion
>>
>>35925220
Not if you slowly compromise the security around said warhawk with parasite drones, until there's no one left to stop you from implanting one inside her, too.

Then there's every reason.
>>
>>35925023

We'd need to build up our infrastructure a bit first. The price to build the fleet is under the rainy day fund, but we don't have the surplus to maintain the upkeep. The first step is to put down 3 more colonies on our home-world, with several hundred farms each and then make sure each colony on the home world has at least two spires and two anti-orbital batteries. That would let us build the fleet in one construction cycle.
>>
>>35925214
The bill can be killed without a huge amount of bribe money. Voter agitation and parlimentary tricks like keeping members of parliament from taking their seats and failing to provide a quorum can do that just fine. A media campaign among the voters run by the Unity can help stifle support.

It's the long-term political plan to win votes from the major parties that requires money. That's gonna take longer, but it doesn't need to be done by tomorrow. We have time.
>>
>>35925175
So what if they think the area is theirs? There isn't anything out here for them anyway or else they would actually be out here. We are classified as a practically stone age group of indigenous people, no one is going to think attacking us with an army is going to make any sense because it doesn't. The only report they even have of us having ranged weapons is from one bug that fried the cyborgs.
Also ALL our neighbors are pretty damn militaristic dude.
>>
>>35925220
His opinion will probably be very simple:

"I am already doing that."
>>
>>35925250
Oh, okay. So then her supporters get a martyr when we act against her? Or we put in a parasite drone and turn her into someone that never threatens aliens, and the riots that eventually break out are somehow helpful to us.

Because chaos and civil war with a tiny neighbor matters when a dark space magic empire of black voidcrystal fuckers comes calling.
>>
>>35925270
I see a lot of assumptions and nothing in the quest to back it up.

Before we suggest any political manipulation, we should ask ourselves:

Why hasn't Theseus done this already?

Because the most likely explanation would seem to be "He's doing it. It's not as effective as you'd hope."

What makes you think this idea is novel enough that Theseus, who has had decades of experience in analyzing and manipulating human behavior, and was explicitly trained in doing this when he was XKeyscore, hasn't thought of it already?

The only clever new ideas the hive can try is things Theseus is unlikely to be capable of, using our genetic engineering expertise.
>>
>>35925312
Of course we can't just turn everything upside down over night. It's about gradual manipulation! Control!
>>
>>35925281
so it can't hurt

>>35925278
we're not gonna stay classified as a stone age race forever. they put a nuke-dropper in orbit, did you forget about that?
>>
>>35925354
To drop on us if we developed from being stone age. They put a nuke in every stone age groups orbit, its standard operating procedure.
>>
>>35925354
I think the nuke dropper is a stranded operational procedure when finding a new xeno race.
>>
>>35925344
yeah, because the first ai humanity ever built is a really good example and a hivemind intelligence can't think of anything original

you really are depressing. you won't even ask the character what it thinks, you just want everyone to fall in line despite all the votes in the plan's favor
>>
>>35925312
No?

You provoke war against said dark empire. You feed information to them to lead them to send their forces into Ceph space as soon as we discover where that is.

Or you subtly sabotage their own military until we can easily take the human stars from them, and all their delicious resources, to let the hive's numbers swell as we feast on their metals and nutrients.
>>
>>35925388
Standard operating procedure is to exploit them. However, it only strengthens the argument for changing their political system and then their foreign policy long term and in a stable way if shit like that is what they do.

Stop deluding yourself that their current way of doing things isn't bad news for us, or that we can take 'em in a war right now. This is a dangerous development.
>>
>>35924659
>>35925251

Let's get to it, then. QuestDrone, can we start building 600 more farms? What opportunities do we have to increase our metal income?
>>
>>35925414
>provoke war against a dark empire that roasted a civ much more advanced than humanity
>use the humans as a shield

Try again, anon.
>>
The Vibroblade technology looks quick and useful, it would probably help both our melee combatants and our mining drones.
>>
>>35925436
I didn't say it wasn't, I said I would prefer to stick with the clones plan. Also I cant really seem to find any exploitation going on with us.
>>
>>35924659
"Have you made a plan for the situation?"

Theseus is hesitant to speak, but when a small data packet returns from Zero One he simply asks, "You wish to help?"

"Perhaps." You reply curtly. "The Union has continued to hold interest in the hive. It needs to stop."

"The easiest method of that would be to introduce yourself in an official capacity. Clandestine operations are more difficult if they knew you were an advanced race." As he speaks a worker arranging a power conduit on the Clarke stops to glare into one of the many security cameras. "Or," he continues, "we may be able to come to some arrangement."
Theseus receives a large amount of data from Zero One, waiting nearly a minute before he continues. "The Union is highly reactionary. For some time I have used occasional strikes against small settlements to prevent a concerted effort to expand in territory. Any attempt at maintaining a fleet large enough to satisfy them is met with great opposition, if not in the moment than in the next election. It has kept them in a state of flux that they have only recently managed to break."

You ponder on the situation as he debates with himself over various issues.
"What if you were to unite their parties and shift their goals to something more agreeable? Humans seem to be greedy and selfish, they could be manipulated by a desire for trade to become more welcoming to other races."

"How do you propose to do that? Open trade relations?" You sense a tinge of sarcasm in the statement, but it seems like a genuine question. "While I have been able to use Valen banking to a degree of success in the past, the Union political system is notoriously low tech. All networks within government buildings are via hard line only, and there are many regulations regarding imports. My efforts have been mostly limited to anonymous fund allocation during election cycles, and manipulating public data networks. 1/2
>>
>>35924663
>>35924720
just gonna vote for this because I don't want OP deciding against a good plan because of some opposing samefag
>>
>>35925497
>>35925436
In fact if theseus right then there is a bit of a hole in your plan, by the time we get all our shit together only one person is going to be in charge anyway. Which would be extremely advantageous to us if we can sneak in and clone the fucker.
>>
>>35925519
Holy shit, the AI doesn't use agents to do his work for him! No wonder he sucks at political manipulation.

We need to put together a political machine. Funds from the Valen bank can hire human agents, run interest groups, go door to door to get votes. We don't have to hack everything.

Hell, if we need a front man (or woman) we could probably use Elizabeth if we had to. Or Lee, if his body is ever found.
>>
>>35925407
>yeah, because the first ai humanity ever built is a really good example and a hivemind intelligence can't think of anything original
I don't know what your point is. My point was that Theseus probably has a billion and one ideas and he's tried them all.

And this idea? It's one of the most obvious: "use tons of money and use the media to manipulate the masses to change the Overton window". Where's the actual game plan here? Or anything clever at all?

Wait, are you suggesting Theseus wouldn't have come up with something that simple? Because someone explicitly designed to be capable of feats no human could, someone developed to manipulate human behavior en masse through the internet, is, indeed, the best expert on human political manipulations you could find in existence.
>>
>>35925577
the anons supporting the plan have said they'd just use funds and public dialogue to stop the vote for now

they said it like five times

they also said how dangerous it would be to have one person in charge for a stable puppet master strategy to work, the clones idea sucks
>>
>>35925519
>As he speaks a worker arranging a power conduit on the Clarke stops to glare into one of the many security cameras

It's the little things.
>>
>>35925599
Isn't that what anonymous fund allocation does indirectly anyway though?

Like, Theseus donates to the SuperPACs that in turn fund the political humans that then do all those things you just said.

To get the politicians that Theseus wants elected, elected.
>>
>>35925344
Setting aside all ideas, I don't think it would be fun to play 'Hive bribes politicians and attends dinner parties the Quest'
>>
To insert agents, it would be best to submerge fake-queens into the oceans of human planets. A stealthed pod performing a splashdown would easily be mistaken for a meteoric impact. There they can build hidden underwater bases and use them to produce parasites and replicants.
>>
>>35925599
Would it be possible to use multiple sources of DNA to clone a completely new person? We could create a shell of a human to project ourselves into. Get some practice in socializing with humans and be our own front woman. That way we could have a direct hand in things.
>>
>>35925633
Probably hard to change peoples perceptions of you when you technically aren't alive and your first act of independence was to bomb the shit out of something.
>>35925655
Where do you propose to get the funds and how do you change the dialogue at such short notice? And why is it dangerous to have one puppet in charge? Also who said there would be only one puppet? After we get in charge we start swapping out everyone else in a position of power.
>>
>>35925519
"What about tricking or paying humans?"

"Rare, expensive, and less reliable." He says firmly. "I fear one of the most effective such agents was recently killed. By you." The observation is blunt and simple, but you sense no hostility. "For justified and obvious reasons, of course. There are still a few cells that operate and maintain hidden quantum communication systems within Union space, but the Union's pervasive fear of intelligent machines has created a rather effective wall around their political system. Even the few agents there are work under the assumption that they are helping a rebel cyber terrorist, a government whistle blower, Commonwealth nationalists, or other such falsehoods. I suspect none of them would continue their assistance if they discovered the truth."

>Speak (write in)
>Other
>>
>>35925706
No, that's paying off an existing structure owned by someone else.

I'm talking about the grass roots shit that put the religious right in power thirty years ago. You start by building your own organization and your power grows with it.
>>
>>35925722
Are you kidding? Political thriller! Sounds like tons of fun!
>>
>>35925774
I'm not going to change my name to I Told You So like that other guy, but...
>>
>>35925774
So this is where our parasites become really useful. We can sell otherwise unobtainable info!
>>
>>35925774
Gee, it sure would be easy to set up hidden cells of people to dick with the union if someone was somehow able to make something like say, clones.
>>
>>35925774
>Speak (write in)
"We have made some recent advancements and are considering, well, making our own humans for this purpose."
>>
>>35925774
>Speak (Lyle isn't dead and why not just make agents?)
>>
>>35925774
>Other
Coil time!
>>
>>35925874
Supporting.
>>
>>35925906
>Lyle clone army.
>>
>>35925774
>Speak
"Lyle isn't dead, just... hanging out for a bit."
>>
>>35925874
>>35925906
Do we really need to tell Theseus those secrets yet?
>>
>>35925874
>telling them we can make humans
let's not.
>>
>>35925926
Changed my mind. Bad idea. No longer supporting.
>>
>>35925774
>Speak (write in)
>Mention Lyle
>Speak with Coil
>Other


I should also mention, in case there is confusion, that the bill is not "obliterate the vote and go empire" but simply is the creation of a president, which for the highly decentralized Union seems rather radical.
>>
>>35925407
>>35925407
>disagreeing with other people
>depressing

It was already obvious what Theseus's answer would be. And look, there it is.

We're short on questing time and a lot of things to do, asking questions with fairly obvious answers isn't particularly fun, when you can do something more interesting with a different character, or explore a new planet, or something.
>>
Look, I just got back to this thread, but if I could ask an open question, how long do we plan on hiding our existence from the Union? Keeping under the radar will only get more difficult as time goes on, as the hive's homeworld lies in a sector of space the human race is gradually colonizing. Sooner or later someone will attempt to settle or exploit the resources of the worlds we're interested in.
>>
>>35925932
If we really wanted to screw with our captives, we could make clones of them, add some hallucinogens, and watch the fireworks.
>>
>>35925774
The AI needs to work with something with a body. Tell him this:

"Your strategy seems to be based entirely on the short-term political tactics available to an AI without human bodies on the ground under its control, instead of a long-term strategy concerned with using the inherent interests of the voting blocs and commercial groups aiming to shape power."

"The Union's political apparatus is likely run by oligarchies that manage to keep the voters controlled by promising them their immediate interests, but an alternative political initiative is likely to thrive if we begin with a civic organization run by civilians. So long as they play on legitimate interests and capture the voter bases of major political parties, we can ensure a snowball effect - it merely needs to go beyond the level of bribery and into the discussions of the populace - the sort that cannot be reached by their mass media. We require an on the ground presence."

"A prosperity initiative that promises to do better at supplying what human individuals need seems easily able to capture their attention, and would require sophisticated management from within."

"Your efforts seem likely to fail because you have no easy way to create the center of such a network, but we may soon be in a position to supply such civic agents. After that, we can use your political and financial support with mass media campaigns and the like."
>>
>>35925992
>>Mention Lyle
>>
>>35926029
>Speak with Coil

>>35925992
Until we outnumber them and can crush them. There are billions of humans, and thousands of hive drones.

Give us about 10 more weeks.
>>
>>35925874
no

Instead we should say Lyle is alive.
>>
>>35925992
>Mention Lyle

We can afford to do this. Theseus has ultimately been trustworthy so far.
>>
>>35925992
>Mention Lyle
I thought he was a merc, how exactly can he help.
>Speak with Coil
After this we need a one on one talk with him.

>>35926029
Until we have enough strength to make it too expensive for the Union to wage war on us.
>>
>>35926029
As long a physically possible. The longer the better.
>>
>>35925992
see
>>35926046

>>35926027
his answer was that he couldn't run a door to door campaign because he had no humans to do it for him and couldn't start one himself because nobody would work with him

we're planning to make our own political party. maybe with some clones to kick things off.
>>
>>35925992
>>Speak (write in)
The hive can be quite subtle when it cares to be. If it would help, we could place bugs or aspects of yourself onto hardwired networks of the Union.
>>
>>35925992
>Mention Lyle
>>
>>35926029
For as long as we can. I don't think anyone wantws to go to extreme measures like CLOAK EVERYTHING, but we can't let anyone know how strong we really are until we can't help it.
>>
>>35926046

This sounds reasonable, actually. Supporting.
>>
>>35926088
I still think just replacing important people with clones would be easier and more efficient.
>>
>>35926029
>>35926061
>>35926080
>>35926084
>>35926120

this is exactly why we need to soften up their political process to lean them away from crushing us when they do find out about us

if we can't get a war machine in place fast enough, and there's no guarantee we can, we need to have a contingency
>>
>>35926129
I really don't think swapping some of the most closely scrutinized and recognizable politicians in the Union with clones is a plausible solution.
>>
>>35926029
You aren't wrong, but there isn't a benefit to revealing ourselves. To give more time, we should have ship construction on a planet that doesn't have a spy satelite. We could "create" species that are occupying worlds already (via creating different drones), and some other stuff
>>
>>35925874
>>35926046
Sounds good, politicsfags. Let's see what Theseus says.
>>
>>35925992
>>Mention Lyle
This, with shades of >>35926099 could work.
>>
>>35926182
It's at least as feasible as trying to astroturf in the vain hope that somehow a grassroots in your favor will arise from it.
>>
>>35926159
If we cant then we pile into ships and run like fuck. They are slow as molasses compared to us.
>>35926182
Why not? We can clearly see peoples memories, if they are genetically identical and we have their knowledge how would we be tripped up?
>>
>>35926046
This.

Man, the AI actually can't do something we thought of.
>>
>>35926046
I like this, can we combine it with a runner up vote?
>>
>>35926046
Sounds good to me.
>>
>>35926231
>Why not? We can clearly see peoples memories, if they are genetically identical and we have their knowledge how would we be tripped up?

Because the policies our puppets would follow would get them in trouble even if we somehow evaded detection by Union medical science.

To say nothing of the dark crystal motherfuckers deploying a tachyon jammer and taking over our puppet empire. Or someone else doing so.

All it takes is them getting the tech,
>>
>>35926248
Sure, what's the runner up?
>>
>>35926046
How do you take away the voter bases of major political parties when they're so entrenched? They already cover the gamut of opinions. What exactly is the fresh new perspective you're looking for?

They already got the racists, the hippies, the hawks, the doves, and such covered. How are you going to cannibalize those, specifically?

You haven't even asked how high the barrier to entry is to making a new political party yet. Judging by the line "strict party system" from many threads ago, I'm guessing, around wicked high?

I'm dubious on confessing anything about hive capability of having agents.
>>
>>35926046
>only option with any deeper thinking than clones man
supportan
>>
>>35925992
>Mention Lyle

>>35926046
Genestealer cults mean nothing without hivefleet backup
>>
>>35926328
>deeper thinking

>start your own political party. With blackjack. And hookers! And get everybody to like it more than they like the other guys! Somehow.
>>
>>35926270
If the dark guys are actively attacking us then who gives a shit about the union? And what policies are you thinking of having them install? Give all aliens equal rights? Stop exploiting the existing aliens? Reparations? Fuck that, have them keep going as they already were just get them to look away from us.
>>
>>35926316
>how do you get someone to switch political parties
i dunno lol how did every successful political leader in history do it
its like you've never heard of political science, let alone tamney hall
>HURR I HAVE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ONLY OP CAN ANSWER
well...we can ask questdrone
i don't get your struggle not to ask simple questions, like we'd go on with this if it was actually unworkable
>>
>Space bugs/organics quest
>Lets make playing with human politics a primary part of the quest guys!
What the bloody hell...
>>
>>35926400
Did you forget the part where it's sorta needed to keep the damn humans off our backs?
>>
>>35926400
Never mind that, he even said to bribe them. Bribes! After all the effort put into mind control bugs.
>>
>>35926359
They won't look away from us as soon as we're discovered.

This won't take forever, they already have Lee in custody. Not to mention footage of us destroying one of their agents. That doesn't get ignored.

>>35926357
Yeah, because people weren't elected based on nothing but populism before.

Oh wait, what about the last two US presidential elections?

'Change we can believe in' is about as significant a political argument as 'now here's a president I want to invite to my barbeque,' but both worked.
>>
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>>35926400
>>
>>35926400
>>35926429
What are you, incapable of understanding the way they'd react to us the second they found out we're making pod people or found one of our parasites?

You're crazy if you dismiss the risk of all that. The mind reading is best used for intelligence gathering.
>>
>>35926422
Yeah, I missed that part. Let me take a quick look at the OP post to see where I am.

Oah yeah, it isn't POLITICAL MACHINE after all.
>>
>>35926341
let's do both

>>35926046
tell the AI this

then upscale resource gathering and ship production
>>
>>35926430
Its pretty easy to ignore when you are the fucker in charge of looking at it. Its not like it would even be that hard! Just say that it was an unfortunate situation but those people invaded their living space, in a couple of weeks everyone wouldn't even care anymore.
>>
>>35925874
Nooooooooooooooo
>>
>>35926341
Why not both?
>>
>>35926462
Thats not my issue. My issue is that controlling the political process via grassroots support is a stupid idea.
>>
>>35926471
Dude, it just started this thread. The politics is just a means to an end.
>>
>>35926510
>be president-dictator of the humans
>first term, new position
>ignore nationalist sentiments when someone asks about how those aliens accidentally all the brave colonists in that one place
>impeachment hearings

how many clones will we put into power before some rogue commander decides to just kill some alien scum or takes the government into his own hands, do you think?
>>
>>35926529
Seriously!

Plus
>grassroots
>control
Its nature is inherently not controllable.
>>
>>35926529
>>35926592

it's stupid if you ignore how politics works, sure
the right in america got a political lead for thirty years by doing this

it's not even the main thrust, it's just a way to give the manipulative shit theseus is doing the weight it needs to succeed

like holy shit do you even history
>>
>>35926586
What aliens? That was the robot scum who we are building up our fleet to fight right now. The investigation team we sent confirmed it (because they were clones)
>>
Never eat vomit flavored jelly beans.
>>
>>35926592
>>35926529
What's Tamney Hall, sweetheart? This your first political coup too? Hey, why are those thousands and thousands of Irishmen all voting today?
>>
>>35926633
Right, president. Say, why are you refusing to colonize these worlds where there was alien activity? The frontier expanse colony on Raligha was an investment of resources, you're just gonna let some wildlife push you around?

Yeah, I can really see this shit working well.
>>
>>35925992
Hey QuestDrone, we have a majority vote. Could we please move on before the screechy minority wastes more time arguing against ASKING AN NPC FOR ITS OPINION?
>>
>>35926703
After careful investigation it was determined that Raligha did not contain sufficient resources to warrant full colonization. Or The native aliens have been classified as the type they do not interact with and thus the planet is to be left alone with a monitoring satellite in place that we control.

Also it was a scientific outpost not an expanse colony.
>>
>>35925992
"Too many statistics, not enough action." You sense Theseus is somewhat confused by the statement. "Humans do not want numbers or statistics."

It is the first time you sense such overt frustration in Theseus. Zero One seems to agree with your statement, which only feeds the frustration. He replies quickly, then splits his version within the monitor. You can sense them bickering intensely as Theseus replies to you from the Clarke. "And what do you propose be the focus, then?"

Your reply is simple. "It is my nature to understand my the worker drones."

He does not seem convinced, although you sense it starts a debate within Zero One. "Humans are unpredictable and illogical-"
You cut him off. "Which is where your difficulty comes from."

"We would still need someone to perform actions on our behalf." Our. Maybe Theseus is more convinced than he lets on. You are quick to reply.

"The human, Lyle. He is not dead."

Zero One has a wave of silence roll over it as nearly every version of Theseus you can sense received the information. "Really?"

>Discuss sending Lyle as an agent
>Speak (write in)
>Speak with Lyle
>Speak with Coil
>Other
>>
>>35926806
>Discuss sending Lyle as an agent
Also mention possible clone/hybrids of him instead.
>>
>>35926703
Raligha was passed over for colonization because literally everything is poisonous.

>>35926806
>>Speak with Coil

About Lyle. We need a bit more time, first. Too much of his stuff to research.

Also we need to have a cleaned-up Coil clone to replace him with.
>>
>>35926806
"Yes. We suggest creating a hive around such agents to make the human drones ours. Lyle may not be the correct human to do this, but perhaps he knows someone. Perhaps it was...best we made it seem that you saved him from our clutches so you could give him a new task: creating this hive."

I don't think Lyle's the right guy for the job, though. We can have Theseus bust him out or something, maybe give back his ship if he does the job right.
>>
>>35926862
Pretty sure that was our planet. The point still stands that they don't colonize planets with intelligent life anyway still stands.
>>
>>35926806
>Discuss sending Lyle as an agent
>Speak with Lyle
>other
conference call time with Unity and Lyle.
>>
>>35926804
>>35926862
Say, what about everything else in that solar system? Like asteroids to mine. Why aren't we glassing the planet and mining it to its core again, president? The war effort is hungry for resources.
>>
>>35926876
this sounds more in character than the other thing
try this
>>
>>35926806
>Discuss sending Lyle as an agent
>Speak with Lyle
>Speak with Coil
>>
>>35926806
>Speak with Coil
>>Speak (write in)
"After he recovers, we are considering sending him on a job."

Also, guys.

We have a remote viewing White Crystal being researched.

We can vastly increase political blackmail potential that way. Play to your strengths, use trump cards that nobody else has.
>>
>>35926806
>>Discuss sending Lyle as an agent
>>
>>35926876
Seconding.
>>
>>35926806
>Discuss sending Lyle as an agent
>Speak with Coil
>>35926876


>>35926901
Too obvious, the Union might send more "inspectors" and we're still not ready. It's better to do the strip-mining in the two other systems we know the humans won't look at.
>>
>>35926806
>Discuss sending Lyle as an agent
>>
>>35926182
The real reason this isn't feasible is we've got zero ability to operate stealthily in Union space on the ground level. Also we'd need to kidnap them and THEN copy over the memories, and that's assuming we manage to stealthily extract a DNA sample.

It's a plan fraught with holes.
>>
>>35926656
>What's Tamney Hall
Good question. Surely it has nothing to do with "Tammany Hall", a thing that actually existed.

>>35926886
>>33542765
> From the transmissions you have intercepted, most of the life is toxic to the humans’ delicate immune systems
They weren't gonna set up a proper colony. Only get research samples.
>>
>>35926901
We are constantly looking for new sources of resources, however that area takes too long to travel to, is too isolated from supporting union troops and has too much of a robot presence to warrant anything then a heavily armed and supported mining colony, which we do not currently have the resources or the man power to create at the moment. Right now we need to consolidate our resource.
>>
>>35926876
Sounds good.
>>35926900
Let's not be unsubtle.
>>35926862
>>35926923
>>35926934
The minute we let Coil out of our sight he's gonna get religion and fuck things up for us in a big way.

Let's not trust him with anything yet.
>>
>>35926806
>>Discuss sending Lyle as an agent
The real problem here is Coil. Could we plant a parasite in him to see if he can't be convinced to go full heretic?
>>
>>35926876
This might actually work. Thirding.

>>35926970
I like how you corrected his spelling but totally failed to overturn his central point. Are you now supporting the guy's argument, too?
>>
>>35926967
Parasite drone works best for that reason.

In fact, one leads to the other.

Attach a parasite to their spine on their back, use delusions to trick them into taking a bath in a regen tank to get it properly implanted inside their body cavity, as well as to heal any scars from the external bite.

Then, every night for 10 nights, use delusions again to make them sleep in a biotank as their clone grows nearby.

Once it's completed, the hybrid can take their place.
>>
>>35927021
It might be easier to get the Unity to strap a gravity engine to the dropship, or send one of our drones to manipulate the crystal instead.

Let's see how much Lyle wants to work for us after we mindraped him.

>>35927049
And then Union intelligence took one look at the medical records and nuked our hives to ash.

Would you stop being so short-sighted?
>>
>>35926876

No. There is no reason Lyle would be predisposed to work for the Unity more than the Hive.
>>
>>35927001
>The minute we let Coil out of our sight
Exactly.

Hence "cleaned-up clone". We start a clone now, and in 10 days we have a Coil with his memories.... minus all the memories about the hive.

He gets sent back on the hel's Angel and is free to report to his dark masters with no chance of spilling secrets, even if he's tortured.
>>
>>35927072
We raped his goddamn brain last thread, remember?

He didn't like what the Valen did to him, either.
>>
>>35926806
>Discuss sending Lyle as an agent

Let's at least get Theseus' take on it. I'm even up for disclosing what we've done with him so far.
>>
>>35927101
>He didn't like what the Valen did to him, either.
What?

No, he just said they were 'weird as hell'. He didn't say it was worse than torture.
>>
>>35927088
We can operate the dark crystal FTL drive ourselves, can't we? Why bother with Coil if Lyle wants to work for us? We can even keep the parasite in him if he stays the fuck away from doctors.
>>
>>35927071
Good thinking.

>>35927049
Horrible idea, hybrids aren't human and a basic medical scan will reveal this.
>>
>>35927049
That's a lot of equipment you're suggesting having on the ground to support the operation, but no mention of how to even begin to keep it hidden. Humans can use unmarked vans and all the usual for dark ops because it blends in. Our stuff is inherently obvious and foreign.

Sneaking into the seat of governmental power and switching out a politician is not easy for us to do at all.
>>
>>35927129
Yes.
>>35926876
This, please.
>>
>>35927134
I'm still curious on what the Valen do for integration.
>>
>>35927149
This is probably the biggest factor, yeah. It's asinine thinking we can pull this shit off easily.

>>35927175
We need to get that out of Lyle's mind before we cut him loose or send him out to work for us, by the way.
>>
>>35927175
It could have been anything from earnestly asking him to please tell the truth to them not doing interrogations. Or butt stuff.
>>
>>35927141
I'd rather not, because apparently using the Crystal FTL might alert them somehow. Personally I prefer that we dissect hold Coil for interrogation and fit one of our own drives with a thorough self-destruct on the Hell's Angel
>>
>>35927141
>Why bother with Coil

Because when you look into the abyss, the abyss sometimes looks into you?

Remember the Planet Burner?

Coil sans incriminating memories has plausible deniability. The hive using them ourselves, well that risks exposing us more.
>>
>>35926806
"Human workers are still workers, they are just more difficult to control. The human Lyle, once he finishes his recovery, may prove useful in that."

"I can arrange for his payment for future missions." Theseus says. "Although he can be unpredictable. You may see him in the future attempting another raid."

"That problem has been dealt with." You say simply.

>Speak with Lyle
>Speak with Coil
>Other
>>
>>35927149
Not that guy but
>make human clones
>buy a van
>observe regular pattern
>acquire DNA at a coffee shop or something its not that hard to get a few cells
>make clone
>swap out for clone at their house during the night
>>
>>35927198
If Lyle wants to work for us this is an option, except if he gets caught the Union will potentially have our drive signature.
>>
>>35927203
>>Speak with Lyle
>>
>>35927149
Yeah I know.

It would require slowly compromising all the less scrutinized infrastructure and people surrounding them and working one's way inward. Compromising the grunts working security cameras, compromising the guards, compromising the servants, using the existing medical bay instead of our own bio-tanks for anything.
>>
>>35927203
>>Speak with Lyle
>>Speak with Coil
>>
>>35927203
>Speak with Lyle
>Speak with Coil
>>
>>35927203
Speak with Lyle, feel him out about working for us.

MONITOR HIS EMOTIONS when it comes to the offer. Offer him his augmentations back, and his ship. Possibly with a drive upgrade that renders Coil irrelevant.
>>
>>35927203
>>Speak with Coil
Lyle is still recovering or something.
>>
>>35927203
>>Speak with Coil
Let's get the pilot under our command before finalizing any arrangements with the Merc.
>>
>>35927203
>Speak with Lyle
>>
>>35927280
Supporting the MONITOR HIS EMOTIONS part. Hell, Monitor everything about him. Also see how much affection he feels for you after the attempt and inducing stockholm syndrome.
>>
>>35927280
>>35927257
these
>>
>>35927217
We don't have any personnel experienced in this kind of operation so the performance of clones would be amateur, if disciplined. We have no idea how long memory transfer takes. We have no reliable methodology for inserting hive materials into human settlements at all, and a pod would be necessary to properly facilitate last-minute physiological tweaking to the clone to account for scars/tattoos/birthmarks. All the non-genetic stuff.
>>
>>35927198
Flaw:

What FTL drive a ship has is incredibly obvious, and the Hel's Angel has to actually dock places if Lyle is gonna get anything done. Like docking at Long Island station.

Everyone will see that suddenly, his ship has... organs, on its butt. Instead of four distinctive dark crystals.

People will ask a lot of questions.

Also it will compromise Lyle's stealthy entry into systems probably, with the big flash.

>>35927203
>>Speak with Coil
Haha time for cloning.
>>
>>35927203
>>Speak with Lyle
>>Speak with Coil

>>35927280
This too
>>
>>35927280
Supporting.

We can talk to Coil later, let's not drag his religion crazy into things.
>>
>>35927280
>drive upgrade
For all you know the Slip Drive has a range limited only by thought itself, and doesn't even give itself away when slipping into a system with a big flash of energy.

We already know it never has to refuel. The upgrade would entail Lyle getting tritium to fuel it.
>>
>>35927334
I thought OP said the internal components were all the evidence there'd be?

Anyway, it's nothing some Unity tinkering couldn't fix. I bet they'd be able to make it look like a legit dropship with a fake gravity drive if they wanted.
>>
>>35927367

I thought the Slip drive had to move along premade paths?

Sorta like Phasespace lines from SoaSE
>>
>>35927360
>We can talk to Coil later,
Not if we want to start actually going for the best plan:

- Take his helmet to research it so you can make a copy for his clone.
- Start cloning him. Sans incriminating memories.
>>
>>35927198
We should just go with a Gravity Drive.
>>
>>35927367
It would also mean he didn't have to deal with his crazy alien squid asshole. How much would you pay to not have Coil in your hair all the time?
>>
>>35927280
I assume that every interaction with Lyle from now on will include brain mapping, unless otherwise stated.
>>
>>35927378
Huh? No. That's the opposite of what he said?
>>
>>35927417
New job for Coil: Queen's hat.
>>
>>35927417
Coil is adorable. You shut your whore mouth.

Also, canonically, we've seen Lyle and Coil interact in a flashback now. They get along great.

>>35927203
>Speak with Coil
>>
>>35927409
Yeah this entire plan requires he keeps the hive a secret and goes against his gods. How about we
>Place him in bio-tank
>Implant parasite
>Start reverse engineering helmet while he's under anesthetic
>>
>>35927406
Then how would he have ever navigated to a system he's never been before, like the hive's?

>>35927463
We don't know if They, when Coil uses the void shards to commune or travel, might be able to detect a second psionically sensitive being inside of Coil.

I'm wary of that possibility.
>>
>>35927463
I'd rather not tinker with the helmet for now. I imagine it would be easier to figure out once we have a better idea of Ceph biology, for example.
>>
>>35927417
I would prefer not to deal with the crazy squid, but that drive is really nice, and he's the only one aside from us who can use it.

We have nothing to loose by attempting to convince him to turn from his religion. Worst case scenario we just keep him in jail and attach a warp or blink drive to the Angel.
>>
>>35927450
Yeah cause there both crazy assholes
>>
>>35927463
The parasites are made for human physiology. We may lose Coil during surgery, we know nothing about his species' biology.
>>
>>35927491

No see, it's like, the drive follows "lines" like a spiderweb, or a current in the water, or fuck, the webway if you want to be a faggot about it.
>>
>>35927518
All the more reason to chuck him into a tank.
>>
>>35927519
This is exactly the kind of thinking that lost us the skyl fleet.

Coil is a RELIGIOUS ZEALOT. We do not put plans this important in the hands of RELIGIOUS ZEALOTS after telling them everything they know is a lie.
>>
>>35927429
>>35927378

Most of the drive is in the engine room apparently, but...

>>35338364
>Visibly it would appear as organic, gooey growths under the fuselage of the main thrusters where the crystals once were,
Part seems to be hanging underneath the ship?
>>
>>35927203
Your speaker finds Coil gliding along the floor of the Angel's hangar bay. Large sets of rotating scrubbers are attached to his tentacles and he is skating along the floor in random patterns leaving a trail of suds behind. He is silently ranting in various hues of bright orange and dark browns about Huey and Dewey's latest jungle escapade. There is a trail of mud and fungus leading from the door and into the hall beyond.

>Ask to study his shell
>Ask about his gods
>Ask about Lyle
>Other
>>
>>35927575
>>Ask about Lyle
>>
>>35927575
>>Ask about his gods
All the stuff they said, and such, yeah.

And ask about how Ceph are chosen to become pilots. Or to become secret spy pilots for humans apparently.
>>
>>35927575
>Ask to study his shell
>Ask about his gods
>Ask about Lyle
>>
>>35927575
>Ask about his gods
>Ask about Lyle
Just sedate him and study the shell then later
>>
>>35927575
All of the above.
>>
>>35927575
Ops, wrong image. The vote shifted and I didn't change it. just ignore that.
>>
>>35927417
>>35927522
What has Coil ever done that was assholish?

He's done so little. He like... lost a knife fight one time.
>>
>>35927629
Well I don't remember too well but he did attempt to run and hide rather then help Lyle when it became clear we would win the attack on his ship.
>>
>>35927035
Pedantry takes no sides.
>>
>>35927545
Sure, but that should be done independently and completely before other things are attempted.
>>
>>35927629
WHY WON'T EVERYONE BE PART OFF MY FAITH wait I'm a coward HEY YOU MECHANICS BE PART OF MY FAITH

Right, he's a perfect angel.
>>
>>35927669
That's not an asshole behavior.

Are you saying Scooby Doo and Shaggy are assholes too?
>>
>>35927575
>>Ask about his gods
>>Ask about Lyle
I could go for both or either.
>>
>>35927683
Fair point anon, fair point.
>>
>>35927684
But he's never said that.

He talked about the importance of fate one time, that's it. He wasn't evangelical.
>>
>>35927575
>Ask him if he'd like a dip in a nice comfy thermally regulated tank THAT WILL VIVISECT HIM AND REVEAL ALL SECRETS THAT HIS BIOLOGY YET HIDES FROM THE HIVE.
>>
>>35927718
coil internet defense force pls go
>>
>>35927694
If it was a life and death fight they ran from, yeah.
People have been killed for less.
>>
>>35927575
>Ask about his gods
>Ask about Lyle
>>
>>35927736
Whether he stayed and fought made no difference in Lyle's survival odds, everyone had already lost.

>People have been killed for less
That's not an argument against cowardice, that's an argument that people don't like it.
>>
We still haven't researched synthesizing a human diet?

Now that we have neural interfacing, we can start making nutrient paste, but make the prisoners under the delusions they're eating a fantastic, varied, fancy feast instead of efficient gruel.
>>
>>35927729
Didn't we already copy his biology to create the Memetic Skin carapace?
>>
>>35927854
Yeah, they won't be tipped off by their unnaturally good treatment or anything.
>>
>>35927854
I don't think humans would enjoy eating cat food.
>>
>>35927802
I distinctly remember Lyle yelling for Coil to get the guns online and turning around to see him run away and them call him a damn coward. It doesn't matter if him staying doesn't increase any odds, you don't abandon a comrade.

>That's not an argument against cowardice, that's an argument that people don't like it.
I was trying to say running from a desperate fight is assholeish behavior, but alright. I don't really know what you want to hear though, an argument against cowardice?
>>
>>35927575
The speaker chirps as coil swishes along the floor on the scrubbers and he nearly leaps off the floor. His eyes swivel and twist to see your drone.
"There are many questions to answer. How do you know Lyle."

He swivels around, sending bubbles swirling across the floor. "He is part of the-"
"That was not the question." You interrupt him, and he seems confused for a moment before he continues.

"I met him on Somber Tide. Valen trade world, not so good place. Oceans are too cold." He thinks for a bit, swaying his brush tipped limbs back and forth idly. "I had brought the crystals to him, and he let me pilot his ship." He slaps at the growing suds beneath him as if punctuating the simplicity of the statement. "And then we came here!"

>Ask (write in)
>Ask about the Crystals
>Ask about his shell
>Other
>>
>>35927924
>>Ask about the Crystals
Why him specifically?

Why were you in Valen space?
>>
>>35927924
>>Ask about his shell
>>
>>35927924
Somber Tide
>>
>>35927924
what is Somber Tide? Why bring him the crystals?
>>
>>35927924
>Ask about the Crystals
>>
>>35927992
>"I met him on Somber Tide. Valen trade world,
Second question is valid
>>
>>35927924
>>Ask (write in)
Why did you bring him the crystals? How did you meet?
>>
>>35927924
>>>Ask about the Crystals
Why choose Lyle, but also.

What are their limitations? Is the slip drive completely dark and stealthy when leaving or entering slipspace? Does it have no range limit?

I'm guessing if we ever used it ourselves, to fit with Coil's "art, not science" comment, we'd have to roll for every single usage of it.
>>
>>35928109
>spoiler
Ya know, we have a bunch of parasites that (to a limited extent) can access memories...
>>
>>35928155
how many times does someone have to remind you they're NOT YET TAILORED FOR CEPH PHYSIOLOGY? bro kmon
>>
>>35928201
There was nothing about that though?

We understand Ceph and Taidaren biology by now, it didn't have to be an explicit research subject. We've had DNA samples and lots of observation, which QD said was enough, apparently.

And the Biological Interface mandibles aren't species specific.
>>
>>35928201
They aren't explicitly engineered for human physiology either, if I recall, but they still work like magic. The biological interface they use isn't species specific, though we would likely have to roll to adjust to the Ceph's neurological systems.
>>
>>35928215
>>35928271
okay, but keep this in mind: we have backup humans if we roll badly. we only have one ceph

we fuck up with coil, we may fuck up real good. strokes and aneurysms will not make him a better pilot.
>>
>>35928292
Cloning Coil must begin as soon as possible for that reason.

Among others.
>>
>>35928321
do we still have those arms we chopped off him during the fight? That's DNA right there.
>>
>>35928292
Lyle was the sole human being who would willing work for a client outside his own species, if Theseus is anything to go by. We took the same risk with him. I don't think QD would have the parasite permanently mess up his health thanks to a poor roll.
>>
>>35928339
If not, he can always give us the gonoduct.
>>
>>35927924
"Why did you bring him the crystals? How did you find him?"

Coil flashes a nervous yellow; freckles of blue trace across his body. "The Valen have many ways to their worlds for my kind. Mostly used by the unworthy fleeing judgment, but others too. I met Lyle through Gracious Shadow, the smuggler who brought me into Valen space. He had hired Lyle before and recommend my services."

"And the crystals?" His tentacles coil around the brushes and he shimmies to the stairs. As he places the brushes to the side his eyes shift away. "The crystals." You repeat, more sternly.

A single line curls along his body. A tiny whisper of color between two of his eyes. "Taken... from the Sacred Reef."

"What is this reef?" Your drone chitters, leading him through the questions.

"The reef around the Singing Stone!" His tentacles flap on the floor in an outburst of emotion and his skin flashes a light pink hue. His body sinks to the floor like a mound of jelly. "It was said that no other was chosen, but I knew that could not be. There were others before, others chosen as a part of the their plan! I had to find them, bring them along the path They have provided! It worked, too, I was right!"

>Say (write in)
>Other
>Ask about his shell
>>
>>35928393
"You said you wanted to get into contact with your people, before. Where are they?"

We aren't gonna let him. But this might encourage him to share.
>>
>>35928393
Ask him what the singing stone is.

Ask him what his fate would be if this was found out, since we do not want him endangered.

Ask about the smuggler.
>>
>>35928462
>Ask him what the singing stone is.
We know that already. He explained it.

We've also seen the Skyl's Singing Stone in the cubes.
>>
>>35928393
>>Say (write in)
What is the singing stone, and what is this path they speak of?
>>
>>35928393
>There were others before
How do you know there were others?

What words have They actually told the Ceph directly?
>>
>>35928483
Mind filling me in?

Also, is the big temple on the jungle world a spaceship or ark, or is it just a temple?
>>
>>35928483
I would like to confirm that, or see if They have altered their design in the past 70,000 years.
>>
>>35928462
>>35928502
The singing stone is the original giant void shard from which all other void shards are pieces.

This was covered in hqq15.

>>35928510
Did you skip reading the archives? >>33392764
>>
>>35928532
I read them, but that doesn't mean my memory is perfect.

I'm still trying to find something definitive about the temple itself that confirms it belongs to insects. The living wheel villagers certainly made an effigy of us and confirmed that they saw us as gods, but this is circumstantial and not as good as something in the temple itself.

I think Elizabeth Vaughn identified some symbols but I can't tell if they were hive symbols.
>>
>>35928642
Are you fucking with us man?

Confirmation was in the last threads

We learned that it was used as the UN for our kind
>>
>>35928532
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/33385087/#p33392764
Cheers anon. Now let's see if we can't figure out exactly what this path Coil speaks of is.
>>
>>35928642
Elizabeth's memories confirmed that the ship was inhabited by many many giant bugs. Including cocooned queens.

She explicitly explained the purpose and use of the Ark recently, two threads ago or so?

Your memory is failing again.
>>
>>35928685
The path is the metaphorical path of following Their plan.

There's nothing to find out. it's the path of obedience, listening to the Ceph priests who in turn listen to the crystals.

Exactly like the Skyl did.
>>
>>35928393
"You wish to contact your people, yet it seems what you did was bad."

Coil leaps to respond. "Once they see, they will understand. I found others worthy to bring to the path! More made to fulfill their plan! They will understand once they see that I was right all along!"

"And where are they?"

Coil's flashing rant comes to a stop. "On a map?"
"Of course."
"I do not know!" He says abruptly. "But I can feel it within the void, always down!"

The speaker stares at him for a long while. His tentacles fidget awkwardly as he waits for you to speak.

>Ask (write in)
>Ask about his shell
>Speak with Lyle
>Other
>>
>>35928708
There's still some chance Coil himself might have a specific, concrete plan in mind for what to do with the damn things.

I want to know what he was personally thinking of doing.
>>
>>35928730
Ask about his shell.
>>
>>35928730
>>Ask about his shell
>>Speak with Lyle
>>
>>35928730
>Ask about his shell
>>
>>35928685
Wait it got destroyed?

Huh The skyll did say they screwed the crystals good

Maybe they managed to destroy all the crystal trees in our dimension

Explains why they not operating in the open yet

They been forced to start over with the ceph
>>
>>35928730
>always down!"
Well that's not ominous at all.

>>Ask about his shell
Time for research and cloning him.
>>
>>35928759
I recognize this typing style.

It shattered on purpose, anon. Otherwise the Ceph wouldn't have tiny little void shards to equip their ships with. Duh. It can't stay a monolith forever.

DIdn't you realize that way back then when the update was new?
>>
>>35928696
Yeah, I read all that. I remember she gave us visions of an Ark and of the Queens and the war and all the rest of that shit, but it was tailored for anyone but us.

I want to know if we found specific markings on the temple that mark it as explicitly made for our race, or if she just learned our history from it and saw some other object. Can you point me to a post that makes it clear that the temple is definitely the ArK?
>>
>>35928792
More importantly, if there's a fuckhuge spaceship that belongs to our race currently being used as a temple in some backwater jungle why aren't we refurbishing it for hive use?
>>
>>35928792
>but it was tailored for anyone but us.
No. The telepath-making sphere was the message in a bottle.

The ship was the bottle, but that bottle had a use for containing a lot more than just that one message. It was ferrying queens.

Her memories explicitly included the era when the Ark was chock full of drones.
>>
>>35928790
Nah back then didn't think we were in a cosmic horror story
>>
>>35928827
Why aren't we making it our flagship, blasting off into space, and using it as the core of our fleet again?
>>
>>35928822
Because the Union would eventually check back and notice HEY WHERE THE FUCK DID THAT KILOMETERS LONG MOUNTAIN GO?

And it was like as soon as you saw Vaughn's memories the first time.

>>34554168
>The halls are silent and empty, but with the visions of the distant past you are able to get an appreciation for what was once here.

The visions were of those very hallways.
>>
>>35928730
>always down
Yet another innocuous Ender's game reference. Well played, QD, if I blinked I would have missed it.
>>
>>35928828
But that was made extremely clear the moment something looked back at you through the void shards.
>>
>>35928730
>Speak with Lyle

OK, we have now established he isn't a spy working on his government's orders. Can we consider telling him the truth about Them now?
>>
>>35928891
How does that help?

Just clone him and send the clone off.
>>
>>35928869
I was in the camp that it was just a psi amp mcguffin
>>
>>35928891
Maybe after we get alien Rohypnol so we can undo the revelation if it goes poorly?

Also we'll want to implant a parasite or something to show him the truth more viscerally than through words.
>>
>>35928891
No. There's still a chance we can tell him that we need him to run a mission with Lyle to prove we can trust him before he goes off to Ceph land.

The alternative is to try to destroy his beliefs, and that's not something we can guarantee he's going to be honest about. He might tell us he believes us and then run the fuck away.

Or he might get depressed and kill himself, or more likely get scared of using the void shards.
>>
>>35928730
Your speaker flicks its claws as it changes the subject to avoid more endless dogma. "About your shell. How does it function?"

Several tentacles reach up for the smooth metallic cap on his head, wrapping around it nervously. "My shell?" He says, the tracing lines of his skin stutter with a slight flicker. "It is a gift, like the crystals, that give us the clarity to follow the plan. It allows us, to become I."

"But how does it function?"

"It holds thought, brings it together instead of leaving it scattered, and it gives us the clarity to hear the plan, like you!" He seems somewhat confused over the subject. "Perhaps you have the sense to hear them, but not the clarity to understand." His body puffs up, lifting itself like a bubbling mass. "I will guide you, and show you the way to follow their plan! Then we can return and I will show them how I was right about the other chosen!"

>Speak (write in)
>Speak with Lyle
>Other

Up for a 2 parter tonight?
>>
Page 9 warning!
>>
What's in the Tolman system? It's in neutral territory, we should consider investigating.
>>
>>35929017
Speak to Lyle.

Yeah, sure.
>>
>>35929017
I have heard that Ceph society is organized under a "continuously shifting" chain of command. How does it work?

Also: "Clearly, we require more clarity. We must duplicate your helmet. You will have it returned soon."
(How slow of a research project is it)

Always
>>
>>35929017
>Speak with Lyle

Yeah, two parter sounds great
>>
>>35929017
It allows you to hear Them?

How many Ceph have ever actually heard from Them, directly? What did they say?

Also yeah, we're gonna have to borrow that helmet, Coil.

And also please step into the bio-tank for implantation and cloning purposes.
>>
Reminder that the computer on the Angel contains a password protected partition that Lyle can be tricked into giving us access to so we can copy everything.

We can pick him up, carry him to the ship, and induce delusions to make him imagine himself sitting down at his computer terminal on an ordinary day. Get him to say his private password to the computer both in the delusion and in real life. Download all his secrets.
>>
>>35929017
>Up for a 2 parter tonight?
Man, I have a class in the morning and I don't trust the thread to not vote for something stupid tonight.
Ahh well.
>>
>>35929101
Or we could just get it out of his mind.
>>
>>35929124
It requires his voice.

Tricking him is better. Direct control is less effective.
>>
>>35929017
"Your guidance is helpful. The clarity offered by your shell would be more helpful, it would be returned shortly."

Coil squeals. Odd, you never heard him make an audible sound beyond the slapping of his body as he drags himself along the ground. Several breathing orifices shake as the air escapes like a steam whistle. You suspect that they are jets, and that were he in water he would be moving quite quickly. His tentacles wrap around his shell protectively.

"No no no! That is fine, I can... just teach you!"

"It would only be a short while."

"Where are those filthy things? I must find them and clean their mess! Another time?" Coil shakelly grabs for his brushes and slowly slithers along the ground to the door to the hallway.

>Let him go
>Insist on borrowing it for a short while
>Take it
>Other
>>
>>35929017
>>Speak with Lyle
>>Other
Stick him in a tank to see if parasites are compatible with his physiology, and check out his shell.

Want to get inside his squishy head.

Furthermore perhaps we could create a Parasite variant that preforms the same function as his helmet, with a bit of research. That would help us get in his good books.
>>
Is there a way we could use warriors with quantum brains to hunt for food when not busy otherwise, creating more of a nutrient intake?

Hunting behavior could help lower their maintenance costs.
>>
>>35929158
That'd be a symbiote, not a parasite.
>>
>>35929155
>Let him go
>>
>>35929155
>>Other
Place him in a bio-tank to study his neurology better, and have the thinkers look at his shell while he's in there.
>>
>>35929155
>>Insist on borrowing it for a short while

>>35929164
Our nutrient income already probably dwarfs the jungle ecosystem. You'd be trying to add a trickle to a rainstorm.
>>
>>35929155
>Insist on borrowing it for a short while
And then, if he still doesn't give it up
>Take it
>>
>>35929155
>>35929196

"Very well. We will just perform a medical checkup."

Hell, maybe observing and scanning it as it actually is a part of him might accelerate research.
>>
>>35929164
The Raligha hive is growing semi-autonomously. For now it is living off of offerings from the natives, but once food becomes an issue it will be brought to your attention, as well as the thinkers' proposed solutions.
>>
>>35929197
Thing is, if we created a way for all warriors to do this and stationed them around various worlds we'd make them self-supporting.

Do that with as much of the military as possible and we cut costs massively. I'm still not sure why we can't make ourselves a bunch of warships with farms on them, park them in space in areas of strong magnetic flux like the apex of a planetary or stellar magnetosphere, and reap the benefit of not having to deal with logistics that tie up nine tenths of our building efforts.
>>
I wonder if we could introduce hybrid clones to the colonys as leaders for them
>>
>>35929232
You know, it seems like it'd be a benefit to your workload for running the quest if we instated a policy of only building units we can sustain. At the very least we'd get through votes faster.
>>
>>35929240
"self-supporting" doesn't equal "efficient investment of resources".

Farms are the best means of expanding income. There's no complicated foodweb sucking off the energy, we go straight to the source, bottom of the food chain.

If you want to really make construction of farms go faster I guess we could up the number of Excavators to 200 or so and dedicate them to farm expansion instead of mining.
>>
>>35929272
But we can sustain them all?

We haven't been in the red since like, thread 8.
>>
>>35929155
>>Take it (after sedating him)
>Other
Make a replicant of the adorable bastard.

if only to test out the more fatal bioweapons on.
>>
>>35929274
That seems like a good idea
>>
>>35929274
Farms in their current incarnation are dependent on strong EM fields, apparently. This means if we ever have to face an invasion of our resource base we're ten kinds of fucked unless we distribute to...other places with high EM fields. Or else redesign our systems to be more flexible.

The Mongols took over a massive empire because they could feed themselves anywhere. I think we can aspire to that.

>>35929290
We have a massive bottleneck in terms of getting the income to make a military that can take on the Unity, let alone our dark crystal shadow enemy.

The argument against using most of our resources for shipbuilding was 'but we need to have enough of a surplus to create some degree of security, we can't spend everything. What if shit happens?'

The amount of flexibility we'd gain if every ship had, say, enough farms either on itself or on a resource-ship counterpart to cover one and one fifth of its needs including drone crew and warrior compliment is enormous.
>>
>>35929341
so...hunting behavior for off-duty warriors and maybe mining behavior for off-duty ships? that might be good.
>>
>>35929341
I'll agree to more ship building given some chained prerequisites, honestly.

First, wait to unlock nuclear weapons. Then, with lots of nuclear weapons, we either trade for Skyl FTL, or we use the nukes to destroy the fleet and board the drive ship.

Then, we can use that Advance Waystation planet, sunless and hidden in a nebula, as the cradle in which to build our fleets.
>>
>>35929155
"It will be a very short while. A short examination."

Coil swivels an eye to you nervously. "Very short."
You quickly sedate him. His skin goes pale and he quickly goes limp. A worker carries him to a pod for further examination.

[New research available]
>Ceph biology
Fast

>Ceph Thought shell
Medium


>Add both to research list
>Add other
>Wait for current research to finish
>Other
>>
>>35929341
Yeah, once we had a capital ship fleet this would probably become necessary. Being at a net positive and maybe allowing your capital ships to build more ships like a homeworld carrier seems good.

>>35929378
Either way, I don't want to spend endless turns going 'oh we need to expand the fleet, find somewhere else to fit in a thousand farms first.'

There's a huge benefit to putting in the effort to make them self-sufficient. Aircraft carriers have water purification systems and they hold their value just fine.
>>
>>35929412
>>Add both to research list
Go go go.

So cloning him as to wait on the former finishing then? I didn't think it would be an explicit research subject, since there was never really one for humans.
>>
>>35929412
Add both.
Talk to Lyle.
>>
>>35929412
>Add both to research list
We went to the trouble of sedating him, might as well.
>>
>>35929412
>we fail the roll for research on the thought shell and break it
>>
>>35929412
>>Add both to research list
>>
>>35929412
>Add both to research list
>>
>>35929450
We'd figure out how to put it back together by the end of the research though.
>>
>>35929412
>Add both to research list
>>
>>35929450
Oh piss off already. If we were that hesitant about everything the hive would still be in the dark.
>>
Man, votes for Science really bring out the voter participation.

>>35929481
They were clearly joking, anon. For the hilarious irony of promising we'd just borrow it for a bit.
>>
>>35929481
I wasn't warning against it, I just thought it might be humorous if that were to happen. My vote is actually to add both to the list.
>>
>>35929412
>>Add both to research list
>>
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>>35929481
>what are jokes
It's past all our bedtimes, I know.
>>
>>35929412
>Add both

I'm going to set up the next thread. We can start that off with the conversation with Lyle, since it had plenty of support as well.

We can use the rest of this thread for design discussion, questions, and feedback and such until then.
>>
>>35929540
will the ceph be done next thread?
>>
>>35929540
Shouldn't all ship designs have Rapid Damage Control added onto them now?

It was a while ago, and the ships were getting retrofitted.

http://pastebin.com/EyHX9rZu
>>
>>35929554
Hey he said Fast, not Very Fast.
>>
>>35929530
I'm only here and awake because I don't trust most of you to not vote for something stupid. Like building a flag ship in the shape of a lighter or something. Or let squid run off.
>>
>>35929578
I respect your dedication unironically, anon.
>>
>>35929578
You're not a very good team player are you?
>>
>>35929573
around 600 thinkers
>>
>>35929554
If not, we should prioritize his research. /he's useful to have around.
>>
>>35929600
Research generally advances at the granularity of advancing to the next day/turn. Same as income.
>>
>>35929593
I've changed my mind on a few things, but i m feeling paranoid about some of these things.
>>
>>35929556
They do, and anywhere that says otherwise is my bad and I will look through them tomorrow.

At some point I need to find the time to sit down and just meticulously look through every thread and every scrap of notes and double check everything, then reorganize it all. Thanks for putting up with all my horrible clerical errors.
>>
>>35929540
Just how many fat corvettes did the Skyl fleet start with, and how many does it have now?

Need to know how many we need to lay to outnumber them, if we can expand faster than they rebuild.
>>
>>35929640
I don't know, a flag ship in the shape of a lighter seems like a pretty awesome idea...
>>
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>>35929578
Don't worry anon, rest assured that I have the Hive's best interests at heart and work to do my best to make sure nothing bad happens.

No guarantee about the lighter-shaped flagship though
>>
>>35929643

http://ask.fm/QuestDrone/answer/118860491301
>Your immune system is actually mostly based on your mastery of genetics. Once you analyze a substance you and your drones become resistant to it. The Taidaren immune system is actually more like a symbiotic system. When a taidaren becomes infected with a disease, its body works to incorporate it into its cells, mutating it into a benign strain that naturally helps to recognize and fight off other infections. Because of this, Taidarens are actually more healthy when exposed to lots of filth, because their bodies absorb the pathogens and diseases and use them to bolster the body's immune system.
What does this imply for, say... parasites that get inside them.
>>
>>35929644
As of right now the Skyl fleet has 15 old corvettes, has built 3 new corvettes, and of the 15 old ones, two have been refitted into the newer model. As well, a logistic ship appears to be halfway completed.

So 18 corvettes total, 1 logistic frigate, and the driveship itself.
>>
So, it's looking like we'll need to ramp ship production up soon.To do that, we'll need nutrients (& metal). At some point, we're going to hit the limit of what the main base can provide, and we have no backup or secondary means of getting food. We should look into setting up another nutrient farm, preferably on another planet. Any ideas for locations or what to farm?
>>
>>35929670
>>35929665
Flagship design confirmed.
>>
>>35929643
Just how viable would retrofitting warships with farm components be? Are there inherent EM dependencies, or can we research some other form of microlife to process inorganic matter into organic and recycle waste for us?

Would it hurt combat effectiveness? If so, we could develop dedicated farm ships and at least decentralize our logistics somewhat.
>>
>>35929718
I still say we're better off with mobile resourcing, but we should do a biological survey of small life forms like fungi and bacteria. Probably we could set up test farms with a lot of different strains.

The Unity has at least one server-ship dedicated to researching life forms in depth, we should talk to them and see if they'd be willing to provide some samples.
>>
>>35929676
Biologically, it depends on the parasite. Many such creatures of their homeworld have adapted a symbiotic relationship, fighting off more deadly parasites as a makeshift immune system in return for a healthy place to live. These symbiotes have proven surprisingly effective at keeping even alien infections at bay.

Culturally, it is considered unhealthy to not have a decent number of them, and is a sign of both poor hygiene and a poor diet.
>>
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If, hypothetically, we did decide to let Lyle go on a Lee-finding mission. Possibly based on intel we gather via the white crystal beforehand. he'd need mechanics to maintain the ship, as well as a pilot.

So we'd need to clone the twins and exclude their recent memories to prevent them gossiping about town. And keep them here as pets.

And while we're cloning the guys, why not make a third clone. This one a hybrid, unlike the two replicant replacements.

And we base its memories on a combination of Huey's and Dewey's... only modified, so that it's from the perspective of their lost brother, Louie.

As if he's been resurrected from the dead, he has no memories since the last time they saw him. He just miraculously appears in the hive and we refuse to explain how.

But he really likes it here and wants to stay, for some reason.

We can privately name him Phooey.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phooey_Duck
>>
>>35929708
Does anything we know about Skyl tech from the datacube or elsewhere give us any idea how strong the ship's intrusion countermeasures are?

We may be a clever use of things we already know from being able to assume control of them.
>>
>>35929785
It's an FTL prototype ship, it wasn't even in the database.

Though I did wonder if the white crystal could be used to glimpse through the hull and inside the drive ship to find out that kind of information.
>>
>>35929816
It doesn't hurt to see what kind of countermeasure tech WAS in the database, we can at least extrapolate from what we know.
>>
>>35929741
based on what little I know of farming, the energy to grow anything has to come from somewhere, be that EM or sunlight or stuff in the soil. A farm ship would need to be somewhere near something giving off energy need to grow its product. Otherwise, you'd be using ship power to produce the product, which in our case comes from the product.
>>
>>35929769
Wait. With this new cloning tech.

If we can copy memories from an original, as well as be picky about them, and edit them or outright fabricate them.

Can we just go memory diving without cloning?
>>
>>35929838
Space is full of all sorts of radiation. Slap solar panels on anything and you can accrue enough power to get shit done.

The benefit of farming is that we'd be exploiting processes like photosynthesis. The amount of solar energy available down at the surface of a planet is LESS than what's available before it's filtered by atmosphere.

It makes zero sense that you could not harvest sufficient energy to support conversion of waste and inorganic matter into food. The reason there's no stealth in space is 'cause of how much energy an object absorbs just sitting around reflecting incoming light and radiation.
>>
>>35929838
even the international space station has working hydroponics anon
id say the hive is a bit more advanced than no-ftl-having humans stuck in a can full of recycled air
>>
>>35929741
Most ships do not have the free space to hold a farm big enough to support itself, as you would need to not only have space for the plants, but also provide for its food, be that an EM field, or sunlight. Most of the space aboard is already take up by ammunition stores, weapon placements, and compact cargo bays.

>research some other form of microlife to process inorganic matter into organic and recycle waste for us?

Something that does that is already on the research list. You are already researching it.

>>35929785
From what you can gather, Skyl anti-boarding strategies consists of lots of automated turrets, lots of fire, and liberal use of explosive decompression. You find notes from before their rebellion indicating that the enemy of their masters were infamously deadly in close quarters, and defending from a boarding action was a harrowing event that they spent a great deal of effort developing shipbuilding techniques to prevent. Their hulls are built internally like a castle.
>>
>>35929921
That doesn't mean it could possibly support converting enough amounts of energy back into nutrients in a reasonable amount of space.

The ships are optimized for combat. Shoehorning a second purpose into them means a tradeoff. And it probably wouldn't even be able to pay for itself without effectively ceasing to be combat ready at all. They're pretty ravenous at that size.
>>
>>35929959
>the enemy of their masters
Ah. Hahah.

The crystal hives, I presume. Did the cubes really not include physical descriptions of the alien "demons" they fought?
>>
>>35929959
What about defenses against cyber-warfare or information warfare? Are they any good at not being hacked?
>>
>>35929959
>Something that does that is already on the research list. You are already researching it.
I keep telling them but they keep forgetting!
>>
>>35929993
Seriously. It was only wicked obvious.
>>
>>35929990
Not saying you're suggesting this, but we are not giving Theseus access to this, we can sell it to him later.
>>
>>35929771
2nding!
>>
>>35929890
Using a parasite or pod, yes. Although actually picking, choosing, and editing memories willy nilly must be done prior to uploading it to the clone. Once the memories are written it becomes a far bigger hassle to mess with them in such an overt fashion.

>>35929990
That you are less certain of.
>>
>>35929959
>Most ships do not have the free space to hold a farm big enough to support itself, as you would need to not only have space for the plants, but also provide for its food, be that an EM field, or sunlight. Most of the space aboard is already take up by ammunition stores, weapon placements, and compact cargo bays.

Okay. What about the relative efficiency of dedicated space-farming? There's no atmospheric filtration to make a portion of the energy bounce away before it even reaches the surface, there's not necessarily gravity which has given farmers no end of trouble (think of the dwarf wheat, which revolutionized agriculture in the 1970s just because it was bred to grow short so it wouldn't fall over and fail to be harvested).

There are plenty of other factors, though some are strategic (no fixed location means less fear of an attack).

Would dedicated designs grant some degree of benefit over planetbound farms in terms of base productivity?
>>
>>35930055
Wait for the fucking research subject anon.
>>
>>35930040
Can we learn programming from Elizabeth and get cyber warfare training from her or from Theseus? Since she's able to transfer concepts directly into our heads, it seems like we should be able to engineer a brain structure capable of doing this task if we somehow can't manage it ourselves.

At some point, genetic data is comparable to machine code.
>>
>>35930083
How about I ask if there'll ever be a research subject and maybe save us all some time if QD says no? Calm down.
>>
>>35930089
No.

We are not jack-of-all-trades, we are The Hive. It's been made abundantly clear by the QM that our strength does not lie in computers, even after we've studied and understood them. They are incredibly unintuitive to us on a fundamental level, apparently, no matter how hard we research them.

We have our strength, our niche, it's genetics and biology. That's the theme of the quest. We have our Stand, we have to take it and exploit it.
>>
>>35930108
You're the one who can't stop talking about this. I appreciate someone who wants to optimize, but come on. We are researching Space dust. Right. Now.

Did you not even read QD's spoiler?
>>
>>35930055
Building a farm in a station or other such dedicated facility is indeed an option. Mileage may vary depending on the temperament of the crop in question.

>>35930089
You can attempt to hack, it's just you're not the prodigy at it that Theseus is. Likewise, Theseus spends many magnitudes more time than you staring at animals and plants trying to figure out just what in the hell it is and what it does, while you nibble it a bit and know its maiden name.
>>
>>35930145
I read the same research pastebin you did. Space dust ain't the same as an infrastructure developed for space. Go sit in a corner and meditate on the distinction for a minute.
>>
>>35930165
I'm aware of the specialization, but given the way the quest playerbase votes to keep from allying with a relevant expert and asking to use that expertise because of attempts at security I was hoping we could get a workaround.

Since it won't be direct, I'm hoping we can get a trusted asset (Elizabeth, maybe) to do the work for us instead of trying to run the gauntlet of no votes because other anons think they should wait for the skyl to build themselves a massive fleet that we then have to waste warriors and ships fighting.
>>
>>35930182
And random samples of life in the jungle weren't the same as underground farming infrastructure, but that's what we got out of it.
>>
>>35930165
>You can attempt to hack, it's just you're not the prodigy at it that Theseus is. Likewise, Theseus spends many magnitudes more time than you staring at animals and plants trying to figure out just what in the hell it is and what it does, while you nibble it a bit and know its maiden name.

I foresee our upcoming joint infiltration of the Union with Theseus to be the precursor of a long and beautiful partnership.
Incidentally, anything ever happen with that lewdfic featuring the both them?
>>
>>35930165
Would it be possible to develop predatory or hunting behavior for warriors that weren't busy elsewhere, and otherwise attempt to make troops self-supporting?

Hibernation only goes so far, and even though right now our warrior numbers aren't significant if we were to scale this the benefits could be enormous anytime the hive was operating in the right environment.

Incidentally, would this require thinkers or quantum brains to be part of the hunting-capable drones?
>>
>>35930231
>we lucked out once when we had training wheels on

that's a bad reason not to use our heads anon
>>
>>35930271
What?

You can just give drones within your range orders, there's no need to modify them.
>>
>>35930224
in all honesty, it IS a huge risk to give theseus potential access to dark crystals

we have no idea if he'd be corrupted by them after all
>>
>>35930286
Using your head would involve actually climbing the tech tree that leads to space crops. Thus actually having an impact on the quest.

Not constantly talking about it without taking any steps in-game to approach it.
>>
>>35930224
Elizabeth is rather adept at programming, but less so at actual hacking. Her familiarity with Union software would impart a bonus against Union made computer systems, however. Otherwise, you are simply average at hacking.

If you wish, it could be possible to purchase scripts or other simple programs intended to harm a target computer. You could just ask Theseus to provide one, or ask Elizabeth to make one.

>>35930271
At the moment warriors and other such drones maintain a ever watchful vigil over your hive, running patrols along the perimeter. If you would like to have them start hunting down animals instead, they could bring in a semi-random amount of nutrient loot each day instead of run patrols.
>>
>>35930318
Oh, okay. I'll just ask for a timeskip while we do our research, since that's obviously what you want.
>>
>>35930324
Would there be any significant benefit to combat efficiency by giving each weapon system on a combat vessel dedicated thinkers, quantum or regular? If so, would putting more than one thinker per weapon system be any more helpful?

I doubt it, but we're going to be outnumbered anyway so maybe upgrading ship quality is useful.
>>
>>35930324
Can't we have our warriors do a bit of both? Proactive patrols/hunts could complicate any attempted intrusion into the hive.
>>
>>35930324
The jamming weapon that disrupts our communication with drones makes a good case for backup command units capable of independent function.

Is that kind of concept likely to work, or are any drones in the path of the jammer simply rendered useless or cut off regardless of a backup C&C system?
>>
>>35930338
It happens when it happens. Going on and on and on about the idea doesn't help anything, identifying the next concrete step that gets you closer to that idea does.
>>
>>35930398
If anything, I imagine that would reduce the fighting effectiveness of a vessel. Rather than having all guns synched to exploit their combined strengths, they would be working independently.
>>
>>35930426
That is literally what Thinkers do. They command drones when you can't, if you're jammed.
>>
>>35930432
I was thinking more of dedicated systems for targeting, sort of like giving each weapon its own operator or computer system.
>>
>>35930398
I think just adding a Quantum Thinker to each ship is enough bonus to add.
>>
>>35930398
The thinkers would just be the targeting computers

So yeah only normal ones should be used for that
>>
>>35930458
>>35930459
you're probably both right, a dedicated amount off normal thinkers for targeting duty and other computer functions with some quantum ones for creative thinking useful for command in dynamic situations.
>>
>>35930426
It sounds like nobody will be able to telepathically talk to anybody if they're in the jamming range, so yeah cut off.
>>
>>35930489
If so, I want to hear it from QD because it has a lot of implications for justifying warrior design that either uses backup signaling systems or incorporates thinkers/quantum thinkers to avoid going into a comatose state.

Being able to point this out when anons claim they can't justify the expense at a million gazillion advanced farms is useful.
>>
>>35930398
Crunch wise, no. Fluff wise, your ships already have a small collection of pseudo-thinkers that serve as the ship's computer, providing navigation, fire control, life support, and other such functions but lack the capacity of thought of actual dedicated thinkers.

>>35930403
Well I suppose so, but in the end anything that takes away from their focus on patrolling will reduce their effectiveness at it.

>>35930426
The jammer blocks psionic communication in its area of effect. Any drone without a thinker will become inert, while drones with thinkers/quantum thinkers will continue on their last received order as usual.
>>
>>35922679
We should totally do this next thread.

Actually, we could have entire conversations with Lyle through nothing but hallucinations and delusions, couldn't we.
>>
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Just thought of something relevant to this quest. The interstellar war that precipitated the annihilation of the Skyl, and quite possibly the queen's own species, occured approximately 70,000 years ago. The precursers of this conflict were the Skyl, under the commands of the crystals, establishing a galactic empire founded on perpetual warfare, as described here http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/35328454/#p35328837. During this period the targets of the Skyl's war efforts included anyone whose mere existance somehow offended the crystals. This group quite possibly included other sentient species outside of the crystal's influence.


"priests listen to the hum of the forest and decree what worlds must burn and what worlds must florish"

Now, this is interesting because genetic analysis of the human genome IRC has shows a remarkable lack of genetic diversity, suggesting a population bottleneck. The scientists researching this have hypothesized this bottleneck occured when an environmental catastrophe reduced the entire human race to a population of approximately 10,000 individuals, from whom every human alive today is decended from. And they place the timeframe of this event at roughly 70,000 years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toba_catastrophe_theory#Genetic_bottlenecks_in_humans

I'm starting to think the crystals tried to kill all the humans.
>>
>>35930583
I assume that's the default method of conversation with him.
>>
>>35930530
Would building dedicated laboratories improve the speed of research or provide a roll bonus?

I expect they can be thematic, from a dedicated physics or chemistry lab to something like exotic matter research or even less experimental fields like archaeology.
>>
>>35930583
Why even use speakers? Totally just do it through hallucinations and delusions. That's more fun. And we can use that fun dream form some more!
>>
>>35930583
Wait damn I meant to link to >>35929101

>>35930600
Good.
>>
>>35930583
Oh easy. Think we should let him know about his parasite? He would probably catch on that we did SOMETHING to him while he was out. We could sell it to him as an organic FTLComm device.
>>
>>35930616
No. He has no reason to suspect that level of tampering.

Besides, it's simple, if you do want to send him away:

Give Lyle a nonfunctional keyboard and screen combo, but use the parasite to make him hallucinate it as an FTLComm terminal he can type into, and receive messages back. Tell him to report anything he learns via this. We will just pluck the information out of his mind.
>>
>>35930616
Not yet, no. Let's see if we can 'sell' it to him as an upgrade AFTER we find out if he's willing to work for us and isn't lying about that.

If Lyle's nursing a grudge we're going to be on thin ice.
>>
>>35930630
Oh, speaking of plucking things out of his mind.

We do need to find out if Lyle talked to the Broker whatsoever over FTLComm after he landed, but before he got captured. Did he report the death of his crew at drone hands, or the dead wasp capture?

And also delve into his mind on whether Coil's message would have been convincing---did he and the Broker have a code or something to verify that it's really him on the other end?
>>
>>35930603
Anon, stop making things logically fit in the puzzle. The next thing you might say is that the Humans only survived because fighting the Crystal Hives was more important than glassing a primitive species to extinction.
>>
>>35930650
I think you missed your reply target by two posts.
>>
>>35930633
Good thinking. Perhaps we can offer him new bio-augs as a partial down payment for a job. Include a FTLComm device surgically implanted on a list of them, easiest facehugger implantation ever.
>>
>>35930645
We need to find out everything we can about the Broker, and about the Valen and their bank. We need into Lyle's memories pronto.
>>
If we do end up using the white crystal to track down Seiner and learn his whereabouts and activities in whatever shadowy Union job he's stuck in.

What do you think that'd be worth to Theseus? Shield tech? How to defeat Union vessels without imploding them and losing the preciuos Canderon?
>>
>>35930671
The problem with allllll that kinda shit is the same as before: if Lyle gets caught, our tech is revealed to strangers. The time may not be right for that kind of risk.

I will further remind you that Lyle REPEATEDLY fucking gets caught, it's his MO to bargain with captors when he fails and sell them his services until he gets caught again.
>>
>>35930696
Acid glands in his body, simple enough. And I thought he only got caught once, by Unity. Otherwise he would be a horrible mercenary.
>>
>>35930719

New thread's up.
>>
>>35930696
Then just get thesues to install some black market parts in him then
>>
>>35930683
I think an easier way of tracking down Seiner would be to give Lyle a dead speaker prepped to blow up and spray acid everywhere the moment it starts getting researched. We can implant a scorpion assassin drone in the corpse and have it jump out and start sowing havoc in the lab it's in just before the speakers acid glands blow. If he ain't dead by the end of it, the entire event will be the final nail in the coffin of Seiner's credibility.
>>
>>35930714
Unity has caught him so many times he just says "good game, guys" when it happens. This was established as soon as we found out he got captured at all before.
>>
>>35930733
It should be noted that this is more so to the fact that he's the only one insane enough to try to sneak into a server ship repeatedly than poor skill.
>>
>>35930714
I keep forgetting to drop my shitposting name.

>>35930733
It's not exactly easy to sneak past AI on their ship. See >>35930750
>>
>>35930732
Except we'd have no idea where that is.

Also they have to be alive to not already be acidsploding.

Anyway, a tentative plan was to send back one quantum exploding speaker, and 10 or 20 quantum exploding workers, all with orders to act agitated but commit seppuku if someone starts prodding too closely.

Lyle gets said drones if he agrees to give us the bounty for all of them, minus a commission of 30k, that he gets to keep.

We really need to ask Theseus to help us set up a Swiss bank account already, and get our own FTLComm to Deep Song.
>>
>>35930750
>>35930764
I know that. I'm pointing out that that anon was just wrong about it being once.

I really want to see those memories of him invading server ships. We could learn about Unity.
>>
>>35930769
That's more or less what I'm suggesting, but including flying tiny muderbugs to wreck the lab of whatever asshole decided the hive would make for a neat science experiment.
>>
>>35930800
That would seem too much like it could have been pre planned. It would raise suspicions.

Vengeance helps nobody.

Seiner put forth the theory that there are no ethical issues in trying to puppet nonsapient bugs.

So, we send him bugs with orders to clearly show signs of "sentience", thanks to their quantum brain.

The Speaker demands they be returned to the hive repeatedly. The workers pace agitatedly. Claw at the glass a little but don't try to escape. Try to attack anyone who gets too close.

And get more and more agitated at being separated from their brothers until they eventually stab at themselves and explode in acid. An apparent evolutionary trait to spite any attempted predator, no doubt, Seiner would conclude.

There. No more bounty on the hive drones.
>>
>>35930852
Anon, I don't think that would stop a mad scientist like Steiner, In fact, that might just make him come here if he can't study the drones from far away. Which would actually make dealing with him easier, but still.
>>
>>35930885
There's literally no indication that Seiner is actually shady or 'mad' at all. He's done literally nothing wrong.

It's only our paranoia and, possibly, genre savviness, that makes us conclude this.



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