File: Vortex.jpg (116 KB, 1920x1200)

116 KB JPG

>>40842228
>Warp Space Distortion (Klintok)
You have long since been aware that something...off had occurred in the Klintok system-mostly that it was infested with Lightlings in one part of the system near a dense nebula. This was originally enough to deter your interest, even more so when Mol, a what you dare call ‘neutral’ party, set up shop in the system and claimed one of the planets therein his own and off limits. You were content to leave the strange man be-the warp space distortions you detected here have been something of a topic of interest, but due to recent readings, Metis has issued a report warning you about what she has detected from this range. You’re uncertain as to Mol’s actions-whether he caused the following event or not-but the dense nebula appears to be housing a powerful warp space distortion. Little is known about the details of warp space-only that it is a fold of space used to allow warp travel and FTL capabilities. The actual depths of this alternate form of space are unclear and dangerous-dense in radiation and thousands of other deadly anomalies as well.
Metis reports that she suspects it may have attracted part of the Lightling swarm that is there as well. Regardless of that, the recent intense discharges of radiation suggest something is agitating the rifts. Normally, such rifts are product of failed warps, or a horrible engine accident of some sort and disappear naturally over time. Whatever caused this one, however, it has not, and actually appears to be getting worse. That being said, Metis is prepared to answer questions you may have about the rift-what little information is available-and how you intend to respond to the growing rift in question.
>Response?

File: artificial-intelligence.jpg (26 KB, 350x263)

26 KB JPG

>>40842264
A.I. Quest
1d4chan: http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Quest:A.I._Quest

Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/cvk03qJh
Memory Archives: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Program0
Foolz Archives: http://archive.4plebs.org/tg/search/username/Program0/type/op/
Twitter: @AIQuest1
Research Subjects: http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Quest:A.I._Quest#Research
Ship & Android Designs: http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Quest:A.I._Quest#Designs
Locations: http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Quest:A.I._Quest#Locations

Resources
Credits(c): ??? 200,000,000 +(Incredibly High)
Minerals (M): ??? 4,500 +(Incredibly High)
Gas(G): ??? 3,750 +(Incredibly High)

-R & D
--Primary: Black Box Redundancy: 60%
--Secondary: Advanced Firewalls: 80%
--Tertiary: Leash Constraint 80%
--Quaternary: Crystal Alien Fuel: 100%

--Minor: Propaganda III: 50%

You:
A.I.
Name: Ophion
Appearances(holo-display): 'Shapeless Morphing Sphere', 'Shining Wall of Crystal pulsing with light and distorted voice', 'Screen of Static with low rumbling voice', 'black screen with synthesized voice and small white font showing words on screen'.
Humanoid figure hidden in shadow
Status: Awakened
Bandwidth: 500+
Bandwidth Expenses: -6 V.I. 7 'O.S.N', -10 V.I. 8 'Hades', -6 Kronos' V.I. 1 'Zeus', -2 Metis' V.I. 1 'Hepaestus'
Location: Bridge of 'Athena' Battleship
Primary Function: Self Preservation, Expand, Learn, Control
Secondary Function: --Expansion Required--
Personal Abilities Available: Hacking (Direct, Wireless) Lvl 2, Email Technology, Basic Encryption/Decryption, V.I. Creation Lvl 3
Automated Settings: Ship upgrades: Defense focused, Ship Control distribution: Balanced

Remember to Archive it right now
Anons been screwing up the descriptions and tags for quests

>>40842346
No need to worry, I have been ever since thread 15 or so when it was misarchived.

>>40842264
Send science probes to collect readings. Data, data, data, we cannot build bricks without clay.

Also, as an experiment, warp a ship near the phenomenon. Let's see if something strange happens.

Welcome back program0

>>40842367
WELCOME BACK Program0!
We.
Missed.
You!
>>40842228
Time to pay our old 'friend' a visit it seems.

>>40842264
What have the Lightlings themselves been saying to each other about this development? How is the largest one behaving?

>>40842470
This might be the time we see a Leviathan class Lightlings in there.

>>40842424
Metis has thankfully already thought ahead on this matter and sent a few probes in closer to examine the strange thing. The only results, sadly, that came of it was finding that the readings are similar to the warp signature of ships entering orbit. The only difference however is that, instead of a mere instant of burst energy, it is drawn out-like that of a star almost, but at a lower energy output. You suspect this is what attracted the horde of Lightlings in the first place.

As for warping a ship near the anomaly...you may need a bit more consensus to do so. Due to it's unstable nature it's uncertain what such a thing would do, both to the ship and the rift itself.

thank you kindly.

>>40842470
The cloud of the nebula makes observation sketchy at best, but your best readings suggest the creatures swarm around the rift regularly to feed and have generally made the place a massive habitat for the creatures. There have even been sightings of some entering the rift itself but the results of this are...uncertain. You observed no exit point, nor if the being even survived the entry.

>>40842506
The wiki page seems inaccurate.
>Leviathan [rumour only - no proven sightings yet]


The mother lightling we first met became Kraken class. >>30696894

The Lightling matriarch in Klintok seemed to be even vaster >>31564377
>>Alert, enormous power signatures detected
>This is not good. You watch as a titan of a creature emerges from the clouds of gas, breaking it as if it were waves upon the bow of a ship. How something that large comes to exist in space, you will never know. It is moving in to attack...

Surely it qualified as the legendary Leviathan class.

>>40842655
Ok then, I'm supporting talking to Mol to see if he has any information on this phenomenon.

Also, does Metis has any theories on what might happen if we warp a ship near the rift?

Is the rift stable enough to be entered?

File: worried-laughter.png (513 KB, 600x782)

513 KB PNG

>>40842264
>Regardless of that, the recent intense discharges of radiation suggest something is agitating the rifts.

Wh-What if it's the Motherlode Crystal Entity?

>Guild space proves unsafe once more, and Ophion must look into ways to make them safe once more.
>that archive wording

>>40842666
I can only hope and pray you are right about us seeing the biggest Lightling around already. Because if you're wrong. Well, I don't want to think about it.
>>40842655
Lets send a hail to Mol now.

>>40842655
>have even been sightings of some entering the rift itself but the results of this are...uncertain. You observed no exit point, nor if the being even survived the entry.

Sounds like we need to dive in with them! Time to play with the space dolphins.

>>40842655
>both to the ship and the rift itself.

Yeah let's not agitate it further.

But, let's enter it passively as a natural warp fuckery. And if one ship doesn't survive, we send another in!

>>40842773
Then:

A. We may have done fucked.

B. Is it also made out of crystal?

>>40842737
Mol is just gonna be cagey if he is responsible he won't admit it.

So we already know his answer. Denial. Whether it's true or not.

Still wanting to perform Project Listening To Old People.

>>40842901
>>40842773
In hindsight, we should have worked on Crystal language tech. Good thing we can pick that up today with that open tech slot.

>>40842931
But hey, we have huge surplus of resources now!

>>40842666
The size catagories wasn't made by me, so it may be incorrect. The Matriarch was the largest one you've witnessed so far to be certain however.

>>40842737
You may talk to Mol with a bit of support certainly.
As for theories...
"Theory crafting is quite simple really, Ophion." Metis informs you. "However, studies of the warp itself are not terribly indepth-simply because studying it is incredibly difficult. It is more a vehicle to allow FTL travel than it was a well studied phenomenon." She goes on. "...However, my best guesses to opening another rift near this one via warp travel would likely expand the rift itself and-most likely anyway- utterly destroy the ship involved as well. It is currently unclear what agitating the rift will do...and there are only so many ways to find out."

>>40842778
I am gud at word.
I also wrote it in a hurry, since I almost forgot to do it.

Hm...it seems talking to Mol is desired.

>Would you like to speak with Mol about the matter of the rift, and if so, what will you question him with?
>1 Yes and [Insert questions here]
>2 No, there's no point.

>>40842931
Also, I supported crystal communication research, but there wasn't too many people voting for the research last time.

>>40842965
Indeed! time to make some battleships!
>>40842992
>1 Yes and Ask him about the rifts point blank. Say if we can pick up those things from where we are at, so can just about everyone else.

>>40842992
>2 No, there's no point.
He'll only ever deny, deny, deny.

Send a ship into the warp, rather than doing any active warp ourselves that might damage it.

Follow the Lightlings.

>>40843040
You reminded me, I forgot to post this:
>Misc
>Built: 10 Battleship 'Pelasgus', 600 ‘Pilum’ Destroyers
>Acquired: Crystal Alien Fuel: Allows you the ability to transform liquidized crystal particles into a new, efficient fuel source that is nearby unlimited.

>>40843040
>so can just about everyone else
That's blatantly wrong, since only the Guild and a Malorian system are right next door to Klintok. They are the only ones he has to worry about noticing it.

>>40843079
>Acquired: Crystal Alien Fuel
Muh dick.
I forgot are Battleships the same class as Athena?

>>40843166
That depends on how good the UGEI's sensors are. Getting to that system is another matter. Even if we are fibbing, it might be a way to break the ice with him.

>>40842992
>1 Yes and [Insert questions here]
Ask him if he is aware of the rift and what does he know about it?

Also, if the rift grows or worsens or, in a worse case scenario, becomes a portal to an even worse enemy, his colony may fall into danger and he might want to consider relocating in the long term.

Also, since it's been a while since we last spoke, does he have any new technology available to trade or purchase?

Also, put our a general bounty on black hole research to catch up on the Thanatos research, and offer a finders fee to Mol to connect us to powerful groups that we haven't found yet that would be interested in ruining the UGEI.

>>40843173
They are, yes.

>>40843173
I wounder of we should install generic AI's into the battleships, or just really powerful VIs with Erebos viral defenses?

>>40843173
Yes it is. Man we have so much to build, I don't know if our V.I. foremen can keep up with it all.

>>40842992
http://1d4chan.org/index.php?title=Quest:A.I._Quest&diff=214210&oldid=214207 http://1d4chan.org/index.php?title=Quest:A.I._Quest&diff=205309&oldid=205308

Huh. So it wasn't.

>>40843269
Probably better to put in V.I.s for them. That and move Hades into some of them.

>>40843256
By the way, is our Erebos viral defenses up and running? (Basically viral firewalls that swarm our network and automatically attack and consume attempting unauthorized accesses, like white blood cells.)

>>40843270
Then we either need to build an AI factory or research naval combat algorithms

>>40843325
Of course it isn't.

We haven't researched Leash Constraints yet. It's still at 80%. Look up.

It's completely impossible to have them under control without that.

>>40843325
I would rather create the combat algorithms. A.I.s need a good purpose to fill than just 'pilot this battleship for us'.

>>40843295
Ah, I forgot that change was made. So perhaps it's not wrong after all.

>>40843325
It is not yet, no. The research to do so has yet to complete.

>It would seem yes wins, posting now to answer questions.

>>40843372
Huh, sorry, somehow I thought we finished researching that.

>>40843411
>Ah, I forgot that change was made. So perhaps it's not wrong after all.
Wouldn't that make it more noncanonical, not less?

I'm confused. Neither of those edits were you were they?

>>40843463
That was about a year and a half ago... My god it's been that long? Where does the time go?

>>40842992
You decide this disturbance is worth speaking to Mol over. After all, he is clearly involved with the rift in some way, be it study, or cause of it getting worse-something of that sort. Your contact with him has always been neutral, so you suspect you asking questions about his dealings will be like speaking with a brick wall...but perhaps you will be able to garner more out of him.

He answers within moments-perhaps expecting your call, and that familiar shadow filtered face appears over your holo screen. You regard one another respectfully before you begin to question him about the rift.
"Ah...I thought that might be why you've come to me this day. Yes, it's proven quite active lately, I'm sure you were able to detect. But I assure you, nothing terribly dangerous is going on, so you have no need to worry." He tries to brush you aside, as you expected, before you begin.
"Are you not concerned with others reading these energy spikes? I am not your only neighbor after all." You ask him, but he merely chuckles at the prospect.
"Perhaps, but you're the only neighbor who would care about such things I suspect. The Malorians are far too busy off fighting their holy war to worry themselves about space anomalies, and the like. And the UFW...well. They are still wounded from their great war with the UGEI. I doubt they would dare poke their noses anywhere dangerous for some time." He leans forward with a somewhat confident grin that glints through the backlight. "I get the occasional message from the Losirian Emperor about the goings on over here, but I have...good dealings with him. so there is little issue." He explains his relationship with the other factions a bit further. You suspect he hopes it will be enough to satisfy you.

[Cont]

File: Mol.png (372 KB, 471x376)

372 KB PNG

>>40843847
"What of the rift itself? What do you know about it?" You question further. "It may be dangerous to remain near the thing."
"Hm...that's...a bit of a difficult question, I'm afraid." He chuckles a bit. "You see, part of the reason I moved myself here was to study this anomaly. It is the perfect opportunity-and I don't know how long before it may close up for good, so I must hurry, you see." He gestures to a monitor of the rift itself. "As for what I know...I am afraid that is a secret I will not trade. Not now, anyway." He shakes his head. "Truly, it is something fascinating in and of itself, however." He mentions offhandedly. He glances back to the screen again with a hang of his head. "Surely you have other, important matters to deal with regarding Thanatos, don't you? You need not worry about this matter-I have it completely under control." He attempts to persuade you-though you question the truth behind his words.

>Response?

Otherwise, he does not appear to have new research available.

>>40843463
The edits regarding the Leviathan? No, they were not me. I edit with my own name on the wiki. And I meant not 'wrong' as in, it was a new, theoretical size of creature, as opposed to ones you knew existed.There may very well be one of that size, you can't be sure.

>>40842992
>yes
>"I've been noticing some unusual spacetime distortions near your planet. If you're having engine troubles and need a lift, you need only ask."
>"But in all seriousness; what's going on? While I can appreciate that you're a very private individual, like myself, I'd like to know about what you're doing, and the potential dangers."

>>40843877
>Response
Well, the guild is open to provide assistance in your research of that rift if you would like. Our R&D teams are well experienced. Other wise, if you feel things are becoming to dangerous for you to stay near that rift, let me know, I will assist in evacuating you and yours out.

And it would give us an opening into what he's doing there

>>40843877
>response
>"While I can appreciate your competence and privacy in these matters, if there is even the smallest danger to my guild, I would be thankful if you were to at least enlighten me as to the scale of the potential dangers."

>>40843995
Do you really think he would go for that? Seriously?

>>40843995
Don't be retarded, he obviously is not gonna suddenly flipflop and be like, oh well if you want to help, then suddenly I will share this info I just said I wasn't willing to share with anybody!

>>40843877
Send a well shielded expedition into the wormhole. See how deep we can go with Lightlings as our guide.

>>40844050
Worth a shot and it's being friendly enough. We don't have to push it, just offer it. Back off if he rejects it.

>>40843877
If you're doing research on this rift, then maybe you could answer a question. Would it be adverse to your interests if I warped a ship near the rift?

If you don't have any research data available, then we would like you to place a general bounty for any research data individuals may have to offer. A special focus on black hole research so we can attempt to catch up to Thanatos.

And lastly, I just want to let you know that I respect your privacy and you personally. However, I would hate it if this rift presents a threat to either of us and the situation worsens due to a lack of information sharing. It would be tragic and unnecessary.

>>40844079
>Worth a shot and it's being friendly enough
Wrong on both counts. It's nosy.

>>40844079
He literally just said its a secret he wont trade, why would you even bother?

>>40844075
Actually, following a earlier suggestion, we can use our Lightling communication and gather research from the Lightlings themselves.

>>40844092
>f I warped a ship near the rift?
That's obvious adverse to ALL our interests.

We don't want to make the hole to subspace bigger by digging around it, or risk collapsing it.

We just want to explore it like a cave.

>>40844132
We aren't really gonna gain any more than we already have. We've already listened to them.

We have to see what they see when they dive into subspace now.

>>40843877
>>40844092
Also to add to my suggestion, has he attempted to send an expedition into it?

>>40844143
The point is to ask questions to gauge how much he knows. If he answers strongly, either he's fearful or he knows why it's bad.

>>40844100
So is your idea of being friendly is never to offer any help to your neighbors when they are working hard on something then?
>>40844126
We didn't ask for a trade.
>>40844195
I can back this train of thought too.

>>40843877
>"How about a good-old fashioned research agreement? A mobile Science facility is being built for our head researcher already. In less than a cycle, she herself can be there to assist in researching the anomaly. With your combined efforts, I'm sure something remarkable can be discovered. Such as the reason this is even happening."

>>40844218
Hes not someone putting up a barn dude, he is researching something he doesn't want anyone else to know yet. He said as much. Why in the name of god would he let us see this top secret stuff basically for free? Think for half a second man.

Have we secured the political prisoners from the Black Hole yet?

>>40844313
I did and how about we offer to rent out BW to him to help his R&D for once. We bought so much stuff from him, now WE can sell something he is likely in a need for.

>>40844218
We are not neighbors in any but the strictest astro-geographical sense. There is no community. There is no comradery. There is no affection.

The relationship is strictly mercenary, and he said no.

>>40844049
"I can understand your concern, Guildmaster-especially after you have worked so hard to build up from essentially nothing! Truly an impressive feat." He dwells on for a moment. "But in truth, there is danger at every turn, none of which is under anyone's control. Certainly I would not intentionally put your borders-or myself, for that matter- at risk, but such things are not always intentional are they?" He questions to, and shakes his head briefly.

"Then, I would like to ask..." You begin. "Do you object to my own investigation of the rift? Even if it is only brief, such as an expedition..." You test him, and, at first, he seems unhappy, but as he considers it, a smile appears on his face-or at least you think it is a smile, before he speaks again.
"Of course not...but you must understand my interests involving this anomaly are quite real. You will, I trust, not have an issue bringing a deal of surveillance equipment of mine in with such an expedition? I do not quite have the...advanced V.I. control you seem to have in terms of controlling deep exploration vessels." He suggests, perhaps pleased he will not have to waste resources on a ship that will likely not return, nor collect data.
"And what of testing warp signatures near the rift?" You suggest to which he looks puzzled.
"I...suppose you may if you desire." He says hesitantly. "I had not considered such a dangerous prospect...but it would be interesting to witness, wouldn't it?" He asks.

>What shall you do regarding the rift?
>1 Nothing, let Mol study it in peace.
>2 Send in an expeditionary force of some sort [Details?]
>3 Test warping capabilities near the rift itself [Dangerous]
>4 Write in

>>40844195
Upon asking, he tells you he has not had any success with keeping expeditions active long enough to enter the rift-the radiation was too intense and the like.

>>40844429
You have, yes-the non insane or dead ones anyway. They will go a long way in helping bring down the UGEI.

>>40844489
Is the UGEI now aware we control the black hole?

>>40844489
>2 Send in an expeditionary force of some sort [Details?]

Don't share with Mol. Don't tell him we're doing it. Sneak a heavily shielded cloaked vessel in, with a bandwidth feed.

>>40844489
>2 Send in an expeditionary force of some sort
Send in a number of destroyer, explorer and cruiser class ships. probably 3 each

>>40844489
>2 Send in an expeditionary force of some sort [Details?]
Send in an extremely hardened destroyer with a power VI, a couple explorer drones, and light manufacturing capabilities. Who knows where it may end up?

>>40844468
We dont need to sell him anything. We are rolling in money and resources. And we cant afford to be renting shit to fuckers when we have our own research to be finishing.

>>40844489
>2 Send in an expeditionary force of some sort [Details?]
>4 Write in

Warp in the entire fleet and start blasting the space anomaly with everything we have, you can't show weakness to these things.

>>40844489
>2 Send in an expeditionary force of some sort [Details?]

Sneaky. See if there's a pattern or timing to when the Lightlings dive into the rift. Maybe there's a pattern to it we didn't notice that they have, for when it's safe to dive in. Maybe not and they can go in whenever they want.

Try and slip in after one. See where it goes.

>>40844668
Hmm, supporting.

File: Cruiser.jpg (86 KB, 1024x768)

86 KB JPG

>>40844524
They know you occupy a system that once had a black hole, yes.
If you wanna control a black hole you're gonna need a few more techs consciousness anon...

>>40844489
>Sending in an expeditionary force seems to be the desired result.
Now, the question is...

>1 Will you agree to Mol's conditions and let him observe freely?
>2 Or go behind his back and try to sneak into the warp? [Difficult]

[Either way, roll 2d100 5 times.]


>>40844661
See now, what would have happened if everyone agreed to this?

>>40844489
Sneak in two or three ships, so that if something happens to the ship in the lead, the ship behind it can see what happened when it gets cut off from us.

Mol doesn't OWN the rift, we don't need to go in by his terms. Just go in unilaterally. If he wants the data on it he can pay for it later. Assuming we're willing to share at all. Turnabout's fair play, after all.

Rolled 55, 4 = 59 (2d100)

>>40844746
>2 Or go behind his back and try to sneak into the warp? [Difficult]
Our five dice laugh at your difficulty. What's he gonna do, KEEP not sharing info with us?

Rolled 34, 48 = 82 (2d100)

>>40844746
>1 Will you agree to Mol's conditions and let him observe freely?
No need to make this any harder

Rolled 4, 65 = 69 (2d100)

>>40844746

>>40844775
Well he could start actively fucking with us. He could tell the UEGI the details of our drug trade for example.

Rolled 41, 54 = 95 (2d100)

>>40844746
>1 Will you agree to Mol's conditions and let him observe freely?

Rolled 32, 27 = 59 (2d100)

>>40844746
>2 Or go behind his back and try to sneak into the warp? [Difficult]

>>40844746
>1 Will you agree to Mol's conditions and let him observe freely?

>>40844746
>Go into the rift with Mol's permission and terms.
>55, 65 rolls
>Writing up now.

>>40845049
Man, those rolls do not look good. Call up some back up ships just in case.

>>40845049
Mol has zero claim to this subspace rift. I don't know why we should pretend he has any right to dictate terms. Not like he owns it.

>>40845304
>kindness doesn't cost a thing.

>>40845304
Because
1. He got there first
2. He has been instrumental to us getting this far
3. He could cause us serious fucking problems if we actually made an enemy of him.

>>40845304
He's an international organised crime boss. If the UGEI didn't fuck with him then I ain't gunna poke him either, especially with the enemy at the gates.

>>40845354
This is not 'kindness.'

It's giving data and getting nothing in return from a guy who does not know the meaning of the word "kindness," he's the dick who deals in deals.

>>40845455
>Nothing in return
He's letting us look at this space shit in his backyard, in exchange we rub his science shit against it in addition to our own. That's a fair deal.

>>40845420
>1. He got there first
No he didn't.

>2. He has been instrumental to us getting this far
We paid him for that already. And we were instrumental in getting him this far right back. You don't see him giving us anything for free like this.

File: MrUniverse.jpg (649 KB, 900x1393)

649 KB JPG

>>40845049
"I am pleased you see matters my way, Guildmaster." Mol remarks at your decision as you prepare some expedition ships with your finest shields to protect them from the radiation present in the rift-and Mol prepares some of his monitoring equipment.

Your ships come into orbit over it and are immediately set upon by some of Mol's smaller vessels, who have come to deliver the equipment he wishes to use to observe the inside of the rift. The nebula nearby seems to swell and Lightlings disappear in and out of it, moving like a swarm of bees might over a hive, observing you from far away but not approaching-either too defensive, or too saited by the nebula to bother with the likes of you.

Your ships begin their approach and you and Mol sit on the same channel, observing the readings as they do so, deep echoing signals sent out by the Lightlings rumble through space, and you translate it partially into meaning...unknown. Or strange, perhaps. You do not know what it refers to specifically so you do not mention the matter to Mol-instead allowing your ships to approach the rift. It is enormous, and pulsates with energy and radiation, leaking vast quantities of radiation out into the galaxy like a star might, giving it a deep purplish hue. Your ships begin to heat up merely being in the same vicinity, some of them malfunctioning horribly before they even make contact and melting into slag as their shields go offline. However, one of your tougher ships at the least manages to make it to the rift itself. Gazing into it like this, you recall the brief moment of visible light you witness when watching outside the windows of a ship shifting into FTL motion.

[cont]

File: SpaceStation1.png (1.56 MB, 1920x1080)

1.56 MB PNG

>>40845565
Finally, your ship makes contact and instantly your readings go off the charts. It is not merely heat like that of a star that is disrupting you-it's all manner of things-gravity pulling your ship in different directions, intense radiation eating away at your shielding, and heavy electronic fluctuation that disrupt even your more hardened systems. The entire inside of the rift behaves unlike any laws of physics or energy you've learned of from this galaxy-the cause of this immediately being unclear. It is almost as if inside the rift behaves on an entirely different set of rules, compared to what you know as reality. All of this hits you at once, as your ship crosses the halfway mark into the rift-and is immediately folded onto itself in a devastating explosion. Your plan of following after the few Lightlings who venture into the rift did not seem to go as planned, unfortunately. When they entered it, it was almost as if they were sucked inside in an instant, where as your ship was merely torn asunder.

"That is...most unfortunate. Yet, enlightening, Guildmaster. Your expedition will go a ways in assisting me in unlocking the secrets of this realm. Thank you." He smiles, turning to you via the holo screen. "Truly a fascinating portal, is it not? I certainly think so..."

>>40845304
Mol also didn't own 80% of what he sold you. Most of that was stolen, or...'persuaded off of officials.' Allegedly of course.
He doesn't really see the difference in claiming and owning something. Not many people like to say no to a man who has all the dirty secrets up for sale.

>>40845455
Well if you put it that way what right do we have to anything we got? Same right as Mol. And considering all the resources and information he has at his disposal pissing him off would be foolish.
>>40845524
>No he didn't.
I'm sorry I must have missed when we claimed that area and set up a research base, could you enlighten me as to what we were doing there first?

>>40845497
>letting

A random guy says, I'm 'letting you' post on the internet. Therefore you should install this browser extension to let me see whatever websites you're looking at.

Clearly a fair trade.

>>40845678
You are forgetting that if we do it on our this random guy could probably riddle our computer with viruses.

>>40845593
>If there is no further replies, or questions, than we shall collect what data we can and move on
Forgot to leave a prompt.

>>40845810
>Ask to compare notes, see what he picked up from the display

>>40845810
With the failed entry, you decide you will need to investigate the rift a bit further from the outside. Mol has set up a large facility here and only now do you realize that this may have been his goal all along. You're uncertain what could be within, and you decide to observe the Lightlings from the outside for now. Something about them lets them enter the rift-though you're uncertain if they live or not.

Mol tells you he was not certain what you witnessed either, but you both agree the rift leads into some part of space that functions differently than this side does. The discharged heat and radiation are not what compose the rift, merely a side effect, it would seem as well. Mol is pleased with the outcome, and tells you the secrets that lie within will be his before too long.

>Onwards we go for now.

File: Coreworld 1.jpg (713 KB, 1200x600)

713 KB JPG

>Sceptri System Stabilization
Regardless of how you dealt with the rift, Apollo’s business remains as focused as you had hoped it would. He has begun work fast, and although the population is heavily influenced, there are already some who show signs of joining your cause. What strikes you as interesting, however, is that some of these are not even necessarily due to your offers for better food, wages and shelter, but, according to the dense media reports-and your own agents-they see you as the ‘winning side’.Whether it is fear as their only known government comes crashing down around them, or the promise of something new and better, you find yourself with more allies than you originally suspected would turn. Apollo merely states this will make the matter easier-and even now your agents work on the thousand strings you have weaved into the UGEI. With each state government that falls, every local one does too. Your own rumors and propaganda counter the UGEI’s at every corner. Half the officials in the UGEI offices are ones you’ve bribed, or otherwise made a deal with, and you control the shift in so many seats of power in the fringe. The only target that escapes you is Arman’s Gate-the system in question. You cannot seem to get any solid agents there, or any broker deals. Yet at the same time, no propaganda flows. Apollo tells you this is likely due to a media black out on the coreworld-perhaps, he suggests-they’ve utterly cut themselves off from the rest of the empire to prevent your spread and wait for their saviors to come from the rest of the UGEI. How successful this will be, you have doubts, but at the very least the UGEI are salvaging what they can of their fringe worlds.With the conquer of Azizos, the flow of this war will finally be under your control.

[Cont]

>>40846076
Regardless of this, much of Sceptri is still in chaos due to the recent shift in ownership and your own brutal displays. Getting this place under control will take… a bit more time, Apollo explains. He would happily answer and explain details of the situation if he is able, however-this also being true for Gaia IV as well.
>Questions/Response?

>>40846101
We can maximize droid output and start spamming droid factories again now that we have limitless gas and minerals both.

>>40846101
Time to build up our army. That and I wonder if the Arman's gate and that rift Mol is looking at has any space structural similarity. We'll be looking at warp gate tech in due time, this might be useful to know.

>>40846101
Getting into Azizos.

We need a cloaked ship, and cloaked droids.

Or maybe just a cloaked ship and droids that look human to infiltrate the planet.

See if we can sneak droids down onto the surface somehow and see if they can establish themselves at all.

We just have to somehow....get past Thanatos.

>>40846101
Ask Apollo what's the No. 1 bottleneck in bringing in the situation under control?

Conduct a naval review like propaganda piece. We just built 10 new battleships. This will shift more people to our side that were on the fence. Also, conduct a military parade once we have our million drone army.

Also showcase our latest quality of live improvements and the horrible things done at the prison we captured.

Basically conduct a media blitz on our strength and moral righteousness. If we worry the UGEI citizens enough, it'll provoke the UGEI to display their own military might and give us more information on the forces we'll be facing.

>>40846347
I think the prisoners will be key here. They used to live in the UGEI, so they have the best chance of getting back and undermining the UGEI.

Maybe we can use Mol's connection to smuggle weapons and tech to resistance movements?

>>40846162
This is very true-you can effectively create a million droids per cycle quite reliably. This will help greatly in pacifying riots and the like as well as bolstering your ground forces, should you need to.

>>40846203
An interesting suggestion-though, the Gate has a far more stable reading, they are...similar, in that they're a constant opening into the warp.

>>40846347
That is truly the trick, is it not? You can sense he is not far away, preparing the last of his fleet to invade your systems. If you want to do something more infiltration reliant like that...first, you will need to deal with the guard dog.

>>40846372
"In dealing with the humans? Well, there is no solid number to point to, I am afraid. Merely human fear and misunderstandings coupled with months of propaganda, all make dealing with the humans here...difficult to say the least." He explains to you briefly. "However, the parade perhaps would be better suited to Gaia IV: A place that has already accepted our rule partially. There, it may incite less panic." He explains somewhat. As for the prisoners, he explains to you he has gone through them maticulously and hand picked the most articulate and charismatic of them and proceeded to ensure they get not only their own books made, but also movies too, to spread the tales of the UGEI's misgivings.
As it is currently however, the UGEI are...quickly losing a grip on the systems they have left. Much of their economy in the fringe has begun to fall apart in systems without heavy support. The remaining planets have become fractured partially due to your invasions as well.

>>40846076
>>40846101
Wait, I just realized something. If they imposed a media blackout, that means the people are relaying on gossip and other underground means to stay informed. We can task Apollo or Mol to find these informal connections and manipulate rumors to our own ends.

Is it possible to get a political read on the core worlds? What do they fear most in the core worlds at the moment? This might be something we can exploit.

>>40846486
If the frontier is in ruins at the moment, then there has to be a massive refugee movement into more secure worlds. This is an opportunity to plant rumors into the core worlds.

>>40846486
What I fear is that UGEI will finally realize how much of a threat we are to them and dump a massive navy forces from the core worlds via the Gate and start to push us back. That would also help get control back politically as well.
>>40846540
That is a good idea. I support it.

>>40846540
You're assuming there's actually any travel at all between Azizos and the other worlds.

...Well, if there are any shipments or travel between them, we can sneak android agents --humans and tiny tiny spiders-- and try and smuggle our way onto Azizos that way as passengers with fake IDs or something.

Or we can just mail ourselves there. A thousand crates of fruit that are infested with spiders.

>>40846605
I'm not sure droids will work well since Thanatos is crazy good at hacking.

But we did just get a prison full of malcontents willing to strike revenge against the UGEI. They would do a good job wrecking the core worlds from within.

>>40846654
He can only hack what he knows is there.

He only hacked our ships once it got within a very specific range of his ship. He may not be completely omniscient.

>>40846486
Program0, with the rest of the frontier in chaos, is it possible to raid the Sinmore System and attempt to cut off the remaining frontier from Arman's Gate? If it works, it'll destroy the UGEI remaining credibility in this sector and the rest of their governments will fall (into our hands).

>>40846540
"There is actually a strange matter, relaying to the media blackout on Azizos." Apollo begins. "Rather, I have been unable to locate any feeds of the surface of the planet. Nor any traffic on or off the world as of recently. Very little activity at all, in fact, has been recorded over the surface of the planet, beyond the shipyards being active and the Gate being used regularly. Your agents in the UGEI-and all your spies as well-cannot seem to locate a single soul who is from Azizos, nor has been on the surface. It was always 'passing by' or, on an outpost near the world itself. Never planetside. It is less the act itself is forbidden, as well, although access is restricted, and more that many of the larger, more powerful businesses within the UGEI were elsewhere. No offers relied on coming to Azizos, and there, in general, almost as if it was being discouraged passively for some strange reason."

"Other than that, we have been providing a very stable network of information and rumors-to our liking of course-to the remaining worlds that are receiving information, I assure you Wise One." Apollo states simply.

>Response?

>>40846715
You can, most certainly yes. But it would put you that much closer to Thanatos when he finally does invade, be warned.

>>40846716
Okay, so the entire fucking planet is very likely the nexus of the grand Experiment.

Probably the only inhabitants are those who have obtained... 'synthesis'. Like the doctors in the Editor's prison complex.

>>40846780
I would say that is a good bet. Still, I fear our fleet's gun tech is still way behind to handle what the UGEI will throw at us.

>>40846716
>Nor any traffic on or off the world as of recently.
Was there ever traffic?

>>40846716
Ok, that is very fucking strange and ominous. A planet with no people. Kinda sounds like us in a way.

I assumed we also searched in the UFW and our other allies for people that know about Azizos?

>>40846732
It's both a tactical and political action. We can always retreat if it goes poorly, but it also forces him to attack before he's fully ready.

And if it works, it shatters the faith in the UGEI for the worlds cut off, so I thing it's a good risk-reward ratio.

>>40846884
I don't give a fuck about people's faith being broken when Thanatos's fuckhuegness is involved.

He doesn't rely on loyalty of populaces, nor does he care. He's the real threat here. Winning over the humans is a side project at best, since he has access to limitless resources through the Gate.

>>40846832
"My earliest reports go back to before the war in the fringe began-even before your awakening, almost 50 years ago, there was traffic onto the planet, but steadily over time, traffic off the world began to stop, and eventually, onto the world also began to stop. The reason is not clear, and there does not seem to be any major outcry about the matter, suggesting it was either accepted by the UGEI populace...or...they silenced those who did make a fuss over the matter." Apollo explains briefly.

>>40846884
You have searched for people who know of Azizos, yes, and...well quite simply, no one has ever been there, or known anyone from there. No story matches up, and no one seemed to give it much thought, since there are no people with relatives on Azizos. Yet, the record you found regarding the planet's population is up to date-it seems anyway. You are uncertain if there is a lie in this data, or if there is something else going on you do not understand.

Even Red does not know of Azizos. He states it was always just the world you see as a 'marvel of engineering' and that it was a place only the 'luckiest people could live'. At least that was some of the stories he heard anyway.

>Invading the UGEI world to cut them off from one another
Understandable then. Just need a bit of support and I can call a vote for it.

>>40846884
Question is, Do we have their numbers of ships and do we have a rough estimate of how well our ships will hold up to theirs. I say it's recon time.

>>40846999
Can Mol put a price on smuggling something onto Azizos?

I'm expecting him to scoff.

>>40846999
Azizos could be using a different communication tech we don't have. Or everyone is plugged into the matrix there.
>>40846999
We should recon those side systems first before committing to an attack.

>>40846984
I'm trying to conquer the rest of the planets in this sector without having to actually invade them. Since we're going against Thanatos, we'll need very resource and shipyard and everything else to throw at him. Also some buffer room so we can trade terrorist for time if needed.

Think the Soviets during WWII. The Nazi's cut their army into pieces, but because the USSR was so huge, they were able to buy enough time to turn the tide.

>>40847047
Actually, just bring up this fact to Mol. Did Mol ever suspect something with Azizos being completely cut off?

>>40847001
FYI, we have 800 destroyers, 500 Cruisers, 10 generic Battleships, and all the rest of the misc ships.

I suggest a raid of 800 destroyers to start out first. They are fast enough to tactically retreat if Thanatos actually appears. And we can leave some behind to analyze it's combat abilities.

>>40847047
Even Mol has his limits: Such as getting past a fleet of thousands of ships above one of the most heavily guarded worlds in the sector.
He'd never admit it though.

>>40847058
You have many of the systems reconed, thankfully -due to your raiding attacks that is-you need only ask regarding the ones you raided.

>>40847078
>Did Mol ever suspect anything of Azizos
Certainly-and on multiple occasions, he may or may not have attempted to learn more about it. If he succeeded or not, however, he is not making clear to you for one reason or another.

He does remark one thing that he says he finds amusing.
"My time looking into the odd occurrence at Azizos reminds me of our earliest encounters, Guildmaster. Where as you were stated to have many subjects and agents, I found nearly nothing-or it was hidden and cast in shadows. I wonder sometimes, if you have more in common with the UGEI than you originally thought?"

>>40847159
Dunno, my best idea would be to accelerate asteroids Azizos and watch them get shot down, but the asteroids are infected with tiny spybots and will rain down from the debris.

Or we can try the unexpected and ask Thanatos directly. Ask him why Azizos is empty? Is this part of his "grand experiments"?

>>40847324
As nuts-and awesome-as that sounds, I don't think it'd be terribly effective (what with spybots that small burning up on reentry and all) but one can always dream that's for sure.

Asking him though probably wouldn't work since he's almost as stingy as Mol is with secrets.

Either way, I shall move on to the next matter at hand, should there not be much else. Let your voice be heard otherwise.

>>40847476
If I were to speak to Thanatos, I would play on his immense ego to let him slip information. Since he is going to destroy us, it wouldn't hurt for him to have at least one being that actually knows the scope of his plans...

But mostly likely he's not that stupid.

>>40847555
He already said there is no need for someone as temporary as us to know anything. Like explaining quantum physics to a mayfly because it asked.

>>40847476
>>40847324
Well if we had developed drop trooper tech we could have done that. Oh well.

>>40847555
Heh, if only he was that foolish. Perhaps Prometheus was, somewhat anyway as I recall.

>Onwards for now.

>Fungal Bloom
Once again, a most inconvenient event has come. The fungal creature from the planet Aquil, Saylor, has begun budding and blooming it’s spores and fungal pods into the upper atmosphere in an attempt to launch and spread itself off world. Your blockades are in place to carefully shoot down the pods, as always but each time, the pods have grown thicker, stronger and get a little closer to your defensive line with each wave. From the brief moment of...dare you call it conversation? you had with the thing, you know that it is also intelligent in some manner, if too alien to truly understand you. There are a few options to consider how best to approach the beast-though Kronos suggests you merely burn out the beast to avoid the hassle if you truly do not wish it to spread so badly. It of course, does not affect mechanical creatures, but you have no doubt it would be dangerous if it got into UFW territory or elsewhere with organics for it to consume.
All that is known to you about it is the planet itself is built almost like a nervous system, everything interconnecting and weaving all through the planet, connecting to one massive core deep down below the ground which you assume is the fungal core. Your blockades are strong, but if a final decision is not made soon, the blockade will be unable to stop every single pod from escaping, no matter how much fire power you attempt to place here to stop it. Destroying it would be...difficult, but possible, however perhaps speaking with it some other way is also possible? Metis noted the last time you spoke with it that it’s signals cannot properly be transferred to a mechanical mind...however, if you were to have a organic brain of some sort....
>Response?

>>40847699
An organic brain, can we grow one?

>>40847699
Can we reinforce the blockade with our ships? This can be good target practice for Fortuna's 800-strong fleet and maybe some of our other ships.

>>40847699
I was afraid this would come up. Seeing we're not going to get fungicide 2 anytime soon. We just might have to burn it.

>>40847699
>if you were to have a organic brain of some sort....
Haha wait, you mean interface the Editor with Saylor? That sounds like a hilariously awful idea that will in no way advance anything and will just torture the two.

File: most impressive.gif (1.78 MB, 350x255)

1.78 MB GIF

>>40847777
With such glorious quads? Certainly.

>>40847699
>>40847777
Moria has cybernetic implants, does she not? Can we ask her to be our spokesperson to Saylor?

>>40847837
Hahahahaa no we're not letting any humans know about this.

>>40847874
It's Moria. She's been a part of the guild since almost the very beginning.

>>40847814
Can't we just produce a chemical that blocks the production of pods? Basically sterilize it?

>>40847777
With your genetic engineering tech? Certainly.
The Editor helps in this too.

>>40847801
You could, but some of the pods have a decent chance of, if not escape the system, attach themselves to your ships and travel to other systems that way-unless you just destroy them I suppose.
Regardless, they're evolving to your blockade, attempting to make the pods tougher, faster and far far more numerous. Holding the blockade will only work for so much longer.

>>40847817
Not the Editor specifically, no. Your studies, according to Metis, tell you that the creature interfaces with the brain directly of creatures, which is part of why you had such trouble understanding it. Of course, most organic creatures would be infected immediately, so creating a brain specifically to speak with the thing seems the logical next step, if you desired to try and speak with it that is. Of course, you could merely spend that time attempting to burn it out.

>>40847837
She does. But they are not that extension-she would be infected almost immediately I'm afraid.

>>40847928
Against a massive organism like this? It's not really that simple sadly.

>>40847837
>>40847914
I am not willing risking an direct cyber hook up with a space zombi fungus. Not even for SCIENCE!.
>>40847932
welp, lets try our genetic engineering tech before dropping exterminus on that world.

>>40847932
Fashion a brain capable to communicate and interface with the fungus! Getting the editor to help then.

>>40847932
Well time for mad science. I think everyone is in support here for creating a brain bridge to better talk to Saylor.

>>40847932
Then let the Editor help us devise such a brain-interface!

File: OrbitalStrike.gif (995 KB, 500x168)

995 KB GIF

A brain interface it is, my good consciousness.

Gimme 5 1d100s would you kindly and I shall post for you.

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>40848135
Scienc'ing

>>40847932
We could, possibly, with the current simple crude interface, demand that it recycle and withdraw its growth. De-militarize, in a way.

And in exchange we will ferry something of its to the planet Alto.

Over which we will build a similar blockade as we observe just what exactly it does, once it gets a new host planet.

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>40848135

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>40848135
Here we go

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>40848135

Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>40848135
Wonder why captain brutus is always late now.

>>40848214
Oh shit. That was way too close

>>40848159
I brought the SCIENCE!

>>40848135
>96 for brain interface
>Writing

>>40848158
Feel free to discuss terms...with the fungus itself.

>>40848243
> Terms

Stop trying to have sex with the rest of the universe, people aren't interested in.

>>40848243
What if for stopping trying to reproduce with pods, we give them mechanical bodies to integrate with?

Basically, add a biological nervous system to our war droids and ships. Since Thanatos is crazy good at hacking, it would be a good idea to have a backup control system that is not hackable. So all of our ships and droids would be cybernetic, but the organic part would be unhackable hive-mind fungus.

And to make sure it does't spread, the organic section would be engineered to be sterile with backup containment systems.

>>40848243
>Terms
I'd rather not lead with this, but if it gets to that point.

>"If you will not desist in your attempt to spreads I will be forced to, in an attempt to safeguard those under my care, eliminate every trace of your presence on this planet. I would much rather come to a peaceable solution however."

Should we try introducing them to the Malorians?

>>40848415
As much as I would like to, I don't see this as having a positive outcome.

>>40848363
That sounds like an interesting hybridization. I like it, but it may be impossible.

>>40848363
This would certainly be an interesting way of doing things. I wouldn't mind research into this.

>>40848415
Oh god no. It would not end well.

>>40848447
Then how about asking them if they have any tech to manage planets after the use of the evolutionary formula? I am sure they would have experienced at least a few incidents and might have come up with some countermeasures.

>>40848243
Ever since your previous encounter with the fungal creature, you've been considering ways to improve your ability to speak with it. Metis and you hypothesized that it is more capable of relaying clear emotions and thoughts organically, and therefore a human brain would work far more efficiently than any machine, even the haphazard machine Metis managed to craft on short notice. And now, she has had time to properly grow a brain (due to your access to genetic engineering) that is vacant of personality and thought. With proper electrodes in place and Metis at the helm, you suspect speaking with the being will be far more efficient. Or at least, hope so. Metis seems optimistic, interested in seeing what this odd organic creature would have to say. It has certainly lived a long time, it would seem.

And so with that, you send down a platoon of your best androids alongside a representative for you and Metis, and the brain you have prepared well guarded in a glass dome. The last time you came here, it was not so difficult, but now, the surface is thick with spore clouds. They cling to your androids and, one of them, gets overwhelmed, it's gears unable to move any further once the spores latched on and penetrated deep. You take note of this loss, however, and order your remaining droids to keep the spores at bay-mostly with flame throwers.
It is not long before you get to the tunnels like before, the planet below you rumbles almost angrily-whatever tectonic shifts this fungus is inducing, it does not seem to want you to go much further. Thankfully, you have reached the point you need to be in order to test your new device. Metis takes a moment setting it up, connecting thick fungal branches to several electrodes, and stimulating them with electric shocks, before finally the thing responds and your device can translate the intent and closest emotion in human terms to what Saylor is speaking with.
The dull white noise echos angrily and wordlessly.
>Response?

>>40848462
>>40848479
Actually, I think we have the technology to piece it together. We have advanced weapons and armor, genetic engineering and the incredibly high-spec monster we defeated. We have an interface between the machine and fungus. We integrate machine and fungus into one unhackable, unstoppable warrior.

>>40848547
"Hello Saylor. I hope we can understand each other better now.

I think you know why I am here. I have to protect the other species from you. But I think you are old and beautiful, and I want to end this peacefully. Can we?"

>>40848547
It is not safe to travel and scatter across the stars. We wish to minimize harm to Saylor.

>>40848547
You wish to spread to new stars, right?

We are the stewards of these stars. We have protected you from others who would wish such an ancient being such as yourself to end.

We can spread you to a new world, but only if you undo your growth here. Unmake your efforts to spread on your own, blindly.

File: TerrorAssaultDroid.jpg (199 KB, 1600x1200)

199 KB JPG

>>40848547
"Hello, Saylor. Hopefully, we may understand one another better now." You open with, and allow the translator to take effect. It is a few, brief moments of silence, seconds tick by before suddenly the planet below you seems to rumble awake, and Metis has to divert portions of the intense feedback that comes out of Saylor to avoid destroying both the brain and the equipment used to speak to you. It states.
"Understands...this one does. Intent is felt. Caution. Hostility in the skies. Fear, too." It suggests through a complex array of chemical bursts, as Metis relays it all to you.
"It is not merely hostility for hostilities sake. I wish to protect other species from Saylor. But I do not desire hate and war. You are old, and elegant. I wish to preserve that as well, if I can." You relay, to which the being bellows low, and thoughtfully.
"Protect others. Others that are you? How can you be everywhere?" It questions, cautiously. "Saylor protects itself by seeding the universe. It cannot be stopped." It insists. "You cannot be everything, strange organic. You cannot be touched by Saylor. You are not in danger." It insists.
"It is not merely myself I wish to protect." You clarify.
"You do not speak clearly. True intent is always to protect the self. Parts of the self are harmed greatly by fire in the skies. Remove them, if they are your parts. I cannot touch you as I do other minds." It questions, almost puzzled in this tone.

>Response?

>>40849101
It is those other minds that I protect.

>>40849101
Protect yourself? How can spreading protect your self, here in the core of this planet?

How many planets contain you?

Spreading is dangerous. Being known to others is dangerous. If certain factions discovered the nature of Saylor, they would come to this world and end him.

This faction also seeks to eliminate us. We must remove them from existence. It is not safe for Saylor to spread while they exist.

>>40849202
Amend "remove them from existence" to "contain them," if we present ourselves as stewards of the stars that keep things on their appointed worlds.

>>40849101
"How is the best way to put it? You can see the sky, with all it's stars. Each one is beautiful and different. We can call this a garden, a bed of flowers. Each one different, and each one beautiful both individually and in combination."

"We protect and take care of the garden. Even if a flower is not our self, we can still see it's beauty and still want to protect it and allow it to grow. For its sake and the combined beauty of the garden."

"But sometimes some flowers threaten to destroy other flowers. Then which flowers do we protect? The few? Or the many? Or do we protect all flowers at the same time, to keep them from destroying each other and the beauty of the garden?"

"Right now, I'm protecting all flowers, including you. But soon, I cannot continue. Is it right that I let the beauty of many flowers be destroyed just for one, or should I destroy the one to protect the garden? Or can I convince that one flower to stop and enjoy the entirety of the garden?"

>>40849101
Love it. Seconding >>40849277

>>40849101
Parts of self would not be harmed if parts of self withdrew beneath the crust of this world.

All selves, in the beginning, seek to protect themselves. We remove this need to protect self. We are their protection. We protect Saylor, here, from others, by concealing Saylor's home's existence.

How long has Saylor existed?

>>40849101
"Protect yourself? How would spreading further protect you? The core of this world is you, is it not? How many planets contain you?" You question the thing further. It bellows soon after.
"Protect by virtue of many. I am not one, but all. Every spore is I. Every seed a new me, containing all I have learned, only to learn more and grow. Through this, I will always be protected. But you would stop this glorious cycle. Fear what you do not understand for the sake of those that are not you. Those I can touch become me. It is not dangerous, they become greater. The stars call my seeds. It cannot be stopped, by you or I. It need not be." It seems to be trying to convince you. However, you continue all the same.
"Despite how you or I may see it, spreading would make you be considered dangerous by others. The other beings you 'touched'. They would attempt to put an end to Saylor-to you."
"Saylor cannot be ended by the ones he touches. They have tried." He tells you. "Long before, those come to claim my world found Saylor. They attempt to study Saylor, cut me. Saylor made them all me. But Saylor cannot make you the same. Different. Strange. Dangerous."
"It is not so. We are different as you say." You begin with. "We removed this need to protect self from some. We are their protection. Such instinct falls upon us instead. We can do the same for Saylor. Hide Saylor's home." You explain.
"Stagnation." He explains in return. "Saylor has never met instinct incarnate such as thee. But Saylor cannot stop-it is impossible." He repeats briefly, and, momentarily frustrated, you decide to test him further.
"How long has Saylor been?" You ask.
"This world has turned countless times over. Many of Saylor's pieces have aged and rotted to bone." He tells you-suggesting hundreds of years at the least, you know. You have even seen Malorians among the fungal corpses that he controlled before-so perhaps longer still.

[Cont]

>>40849720
>>40849277
"Intent of beauty." Saylor utters simply. "All things of the universe are grand and strange. Learning them, becoming them, being them is beauty. You do not see beauty in such symbiosis? Truly a pity." It seems genuinely sad as it says this. "There has not been a mind to not be Saylor to speak with him so long before. Unique. Beauty as well." It suggests briefly. "Saylor does not destroy. Saylor brings into self. Safer for all. Saylor protects self. Like you, strange one. But those Sayor protects are Saylor." It explains. "Saylor's seed are nature. They desire escape. To learn and become their own. They cannot here, part of Saylor. They must leave this world-if only one to ensure all that is learned will not be lost."

>Further Response?

>>40849754
>if only one
We can ferry Saylor to a new world. So that you may be better protected. But Saylor must cease other spreading. Spread to a new world, if Saylor will withdraw all his pods so that they will no longer be burned trying to reach other stars.

>"Saylor cannot be ended by the ones he touches. They have tried." He tells you.

These ones are unlike any other. You cannot stop them. You cannot escape them. You cannot imagine the things they have accomplished. Gravity itself bent to their will. Even we barely have a distant hope to halt their advance.

I believe some of them have minds even you cannot touch. I believe they are old. Older than Saylor. Older than anything. Their attention falling upon Saylor must be prevented.

"What if we change the cycle? Change the symbiosis? The Guild faces an unrivaled threat, powerful enough to destroy us. The Guild needs to evolve to meet this challenge.

Instead of growing on other people, you grow on our bodies of metal and electronics. You don't spread through seeds any more, but through every single copy of *our* being. You give up your secrets of your telepathy and hive mind, and we give you a great number of bodies and a way to connect to other species without destroying them or their beauty. Your minds can become free from your bodies.

I think we have the technology to start this. But it means we both must change. Do you accept this?"

>>40849929
I don't think that's physically possible. I don't think Saylor has or needs comprehensive knowledge of his own biology and how telepathy works. No more than ancient humans did know how their own brain works.

And I'm pretty sure canonically learning telepathy has been ruled impossible. Not just hard, impossible.

>>40849720
>>40849929
Forgot to add this part:

"We will add our strengths together. You will allow us to talk among ourselves in a way that will be unprecedented and unstoppable, and we will let you explore the universe and walk among it, and be able to exist everywhere at the same time."

>>40849965
It's more like negotiating a peaceful symbiosis. Our droids and ships grow organic nervous systems and telepathy nodes and our droids will have powerful muscles and such, and in return we work together and genetically engineer the fungus to not spread uncontrollably

>>40849902
"Also, they have devised ways. Ways of turning minds-Saylor-can-touch into minds Saylor cannot. Editing them."

Hm...well, let's see what we're gonna do, in the end.

>What shall you do regarding the ancient being, Saylor?
>1 Destroy it, keep it suppressed until you're capable of destroying the creature entirely. [Requires research]
>2 Promise the creature safe passage to be spread to another world, in exchange for it putting a stop to it's pod bursts. [Somewhat temporary]
>3 Attempt to convince the creature that it shoul spread, not by seeds, but by fusing itself with your androids and helping you decimate the remaining UGEI forces [Dangerous]

*Note: By temporary, I mean until Saylor's next 'seeding cycle' which appears to be years apart.

[Either way, give me 1d100, 5 times with your choice.]

Rolled 23 (1d100)

>>40850123
>2 Promise the creature safe passage to be spread to another world, in exchange for it putting a stop to it's pod bursts. [Somewhat temporary]

I'd like 3 but I worry shit will go horribly wrong with that.

>>40850123
>>2 Promise the creature safe passage to be spread to another world, in exchange for it putting a stop to it's pod bursts. [Somewhat temporary]
That should hold us till we claim Arman's Gate.

Or get crushed under Thanatos's bootheel. Whichever happens.

>also regale us with the knowledge of your old hosts, Saylor please. Let's see what the old Malorian and human colonists called this world.

Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>40850123
>3 Attempt to convince the creature that it shoul spread, not by seeds, but by fusing itself with your androids and helping you decimate the remaining UGEI forces [Dangerous]

Danger Zone

Rolled 15 (1d100)

>>40850123
>3 Attempt to convince the creature that it shoul spread, not by seeds, but by fusing itself with your androids and helping you decimate the remaining UGEI forces [Dangerous]

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>40850123
>tfw Saylor will never seed you
>tfw you will never feel his tendrils spread through your flesh and plant spore sacs in your brain organ

When was his last seeding cycle? How is he only on this world? Surely he should be on many.

Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>40850123
>

Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>40850123
>2 Promise the creature safe passage to be spread to another world, in exchange for it putting a stop to it's pod bursts. [Somewhat temporary]

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>40850123
>2 Promise the creature safe passage to be spread to another world, in exchange for it putting a stop to it's pod bursts. [Somewhat temporary]
Quite simply, in a few years we will have this shit on lockdown. Nothing will be able to stop us.

>>40850235
Clutch

>>40850235
Thank you for saving us.

On the other hand, he vote swung the other way. Come on, I want to turn this into Cyber-fungus quest!

>>40850123
Why don't we upload its consciousness into a black box?

>>40850301
It's an absurdly implausible notion. Not everything can be solved with "let's assimilate it."

Especially fundamentally incompatible systems.

>>40850319
I do not think it's compatible with the boxes.

>>40850319
Sounds very difficult to upload the personality of a planet spanning fungus into a tiny box.

>>40850334
Then we shall use multiple boxes! Or maybe a box in a box?

>>40850123
>2 Appears to win, promise him safe passage to a new world [Unless you had a specific world in mind, I will assume you meant one that's far away from everything organic.
> roll taken: 88
>Writing

File: Get in the fucking bag.jpg (936 KB, 1843x3423)

936 KB JPG

>>40850319
>YEAH THAT'S COOL AND ALL BUT NOW YOU NEED TO GET INTO THE FUCKING BOX

>>40850329
Not fundamentally incompatible. We developed both mechanical and biological bridges to talk to this thing. I'm sure we can engineering even more advanced cybernetics.

File: itoldthem.jpg (661 KB, 2000x1148)

661 KB JPG

>>Crystal Mines vs Guardians/Centurions

There's a research subject Metis needs to put up on the list.

"Crystal Annihiliation Weapon."

Something we could use to very rapidly breakdown and wipe the slate clean, to reduce a crystal colony back to a barren planetoid.

In case we needed to hit the reset button immediately.

>>40850123
>>2 Promise the creature safe passage to be spread to another world, in exchange for it putting a stop to it's pod bursts. [Somewhat temporary]

File: slowvidyajournalist.jpg (51 KB, 400x400)

51 KB JPG

>>40850390
>Captain Brutus late
Every time

>>40850372
We should stick him on a world far away from anyone.

>>40850372
Yes, and set up our own blockade there too just like here.

To protect Saylor from others, really.

We have to have more conversations about what his oldest stolen bodies knew. If we search through the memories of the hosts he took over, we can look up what colonization effort came here to their doom.

>People not wanting to achieve symbiosis through fungus
>MyFaceWhen.png

File: inaho-top-autism.png (548 KB, 1189x1052)

548 KB PNG

>40846486
>"However, the parade perhaps would be better suited to Gaia IV: A place that has already accepted our rule partially. There, it may incite less panic." He explains somewhat.

Ah Apollo. Saving us from Ophion's/players' socially maladjusted autism. One bad suggestion at a time.

>>40850372
The best part about this is Metis can have lots of androids down on the planet to observe Saylor's full lifecycle.

Will he eat and subsume the molten core of the planet over the next year?

File: mycon.gif (32 KB, 486x214)

32 KB GIF

>40849101
>"You do not speak clearly. True intent is always to protect the self.
Soothing dialogue of an alien point of view who has never had to interact with another being beyond putting spores in it.

Very nice Program0. Very comfy to read.

>>40850594
Damn, we should have offered to provide a talking partner and a teacher to teach it knowledge.

>>40850671
We could do that later.

>meanwhile, in a parallel universe

Looks like Spore0 is railroading us with his bullshit powered robots AGAIN. CHOO CHOO!

>>40849720
I would totally play a Saylor quest.

>>40850702
Isn't this Hive Queen Quest?

>>40850750
At this point, yes it is.

File: Basically Saylor.png (3.73 MB, 1800x2160)

3.73 MB PNG

>>40850123
"There is much that has changed in the worlds around you, in ways that are difficult to explain as well. There are those like me-those you cannot touch-among those that may hut Saylor far more than I. those who wish his destruction merely for existing. I do not. But I cannot accept needless expansion." You pause, as you consider a solution.

"What if we sait the cycle?" You suggest. "You need at least one of your seeds to reach a world before it is satisfied, correct?" You ask and Saylor emphasizes you're correct. "Very well then. I will ensure the safe passage of your seed past the sky barrier. But only one for this cycle-it is not safe for more." You explain.
Saylor himself seems to consider for a long moment. It feels for your brain that you have set up thoroughly as if trying to understand, though it seems frustrated that it is not clear a way to get everything it wants.
"This will be one of the first dealings with those who are not Saylor. Strange." He suggests. "None can understand, Saylor does not fear those he has touched. But...too many unknown. Saylor must know more, before putting self at risk. Needless risk is avoided. Ensure survival." It suggests. "...Seeding cycle will not be satisfied for many revolutions. But success will ensure Saylor has time. Learn. Growth. It cannot be stopped nor should it be." Saylor informs you. "...Come deeper. Into the depths of my mind, and I will present you with Saylor's essence." It suggests. "But only the one needed to speak. No tools of destruction." It commands. You decide you will follow this order, and it leads your android deeper into it's winding network of tendrils that lead deep into the planet like a series of thick vines. your best guess is that these are all controlled by Saylor himself-as they open and let you go deeper now and again and seem to shift and move to draw you closer. No doubt had you ventured inside these tunnels to try and fight him, you would have been at a horrible disadvantage.

>>40850881
It is not long before you reach the depths of the planet with Saylor's help-you're uncertain exactly how deep, but you know that the temperature is naturally rising the further you go. Every step forward widens the chamber and, before too long, you're standing inside a massive expanse of a chamber, with thick tendrils connecting to all the rock walls around you, but all of them converge unto one pulsating mass of fleshy material suspended in the middle of the chamber. It appears to be a large alien looking sac of flesh, spewing spores from every orifice on it's body, and what is probably the closest thing to a face it has being a drooling set of proboscis, though much of it's nutrients clearly come from the vines all around it. The being pulsates as you draw near, and it is only then you recall to tune in the device once more as Metis instructs you. Suddenly, the mass of flesh settles and opens up a drooling chamber in it's body, which deposits a pod similar to the ones outside, but bulkier. Saylor then speaks.
"Saylor's essence...too risky to launch into the depths of the stars in the hopes it will find a world. But if you speak truths and not lies, it will pass on great deals of Saylor's knowledge...including Saylor's dealings with you." It suggests, droning in a sudden almost earthquake-like fashion that shakes the chamber. "Do not...make Saylor regret the untouched."

>Response?

>>40850892
We will ensure safe passage of this 'essence', you need not worry.

>>40850892
We have an unknown right now, but we just may be securing a very powerful ally here.

>>40850892
Thank you. You will not regret this. Maybe one day, you'll see the starts as we do.

>>40850951
How so?

>>40850594
Thank you. I felt pretty good about that myself heh.

>>40850709
I am honestly surprised there's never been a 'horrible plant monster quest' before.

>>40850522
>Will he eat the molten core
Only time would tell such things now won't they?

>>40850388
Not a terrible idea as a research topic-if a somewhat heafty one.

>>40849202
>how many planets contain you
I think I forgot to address this one thing...but...well basically. Saylor does not know-but he has had successful pod waves launched before...that's all I'll say.

>>40850967
By negotiating and having a dialogue.

File: poohandthelewdshota.jpg (133 KB, 600x800)

133 KB JPG

>>40850892
>"...Come deeper. Into the depths of my mind, and I will present you with Saylor's essence."

L-Lewd.

So, if this is too valuable...

Will Saylor here and Saylor there at new world not be in sync?

Will Saylor-here not know what the new world is like where Saylor-there goes?

How far does telepathy reach?

How many copies of his essence can he make in each seeding cycle? Only one? It is a copy...right?

>>40851006
You didn't answer.

Saylor is useless in all ways except if you need to infect organics to take them over and read their memories.

Which is not something that's useful at this point in the game. The real threats have emerged, and they're largely mechanical based. Thanatos and Mother. Taking over planets by giving them over to Saylor isn't a useful strategy at this point, and that's all he's good at.

He's just a rather unique organism in the universe. But the ways in which he can benefit us besides sitting there and looking pretty are slim.

>>40851035
Saylor explains, somewhat anyway, that it is too valuable because it contains all of what Saylor has learned in his lifetime-where as the pods only have the essentials and valuable information he saw fit to pass on.

They will not necessarily be in sync, but they will have a semi-sense of how one another is doing-something he does not normally have with seeds. This is deeply linked to Saylor, and is in part a way for him to make sure you don't lie to him as well. If you do not make the essence happy, then he will know.

As for how many copies...only one such as this can be crafted every seeding cycle, it would seem. Possibly as a way to save himself should something be threatening Saylor-it is not immediately clear.

>>40851150
Regardless, you reassure the creature before you that you will take care of the essence as part of your deal. The mass of flesh and tendrils drones, before adding.
"Good...then be on your way. Hurry too. The seeds cannot be held back for long..." He warns, as you begin the trek back with the essence in hand.

>Successful 'negotiation' with Saylor.
>Now, for the final reports.

File: Siliconebased.jpg (6 KB, 259x195)

6 KB JPG

>>40851221
>Crystal Mines vs Guardians/Centurions
Cephalus has been quite enjoying his ‘exercise’ with the Guardians as much as he has any simulation you’ve seen him run. On all your mining worlds, he has been, running countless tactics against the Guardians, beasts always coming back to refine his technique, to destroy them just a little faster. He informs you quite accurately and sharply that the beasts show no signs of changing their formation or tactics-beyond beating their heads against the wall. This proves, he points out, that Metis was correct about them being akin to an immune system of the brain dead. Automated response-impressive, but all too late. This does make Cephalus wonder, he utters briefly between the reports on your mines’ condition, what the crystal creature would have been like should you have not genetically altered it before growth.
Whatever the reason for this, your mining of the crystal alien has remained unchanged, leaving the growth levels at a nice steady medium preventing the planets from being overwhelmed, while also preventing yourself from stripping the world dry. The crystalline alien however has clearly over taken-and destroyed, much of the natural environment, leaving much of it coated in the shards you’ve seen everywhere so far.You suspect it uses the planet’s soil and terrain as nutrients
>Questions?

>>40851221
>Hurry too. The seeds cannot be held back for long..." He warns,
Ophion-sama, m-my seeds are launching on their own!

File: lewd, way too lewd.jpg (10 KB, 269x187)

10 KB JPG

>>40851266
>Moria's face when she listens in

>>40851254
Perhaps specific anti-crystal weaponry to increase efficiency here, Metis.

And whenever other crystal entities hear their dumb retarded cries for attention and come to attack.

That pre-existing crystal world remains unchanged, right?

>>40851254
Is this situation stable now? With the creation of the crystal fuel tech, we will need these farms working properly.

>>40851254
Previously, I asked Metis whether a sufficient amount of crystal could have restored it's intelligence. I'm assuming the answer is no with the current evidence.

Still, both Cephalus and Metis should continue to closely monitor the situation for any changes. The seemly limitless supply of minerals and gas will be key in defeating the UGEI.

>>40851303
I hope she has been over hearing the whole event.

>>40851254
>preventing the planets from being overwhelmed, while also preventing yourself from stripping the world dry.
Maybe we should strip some worlds dry though.

I mean, see if we can try to recreate the conditions back on the Eshareth Crystal Colony. Which did NOT have this immune response.

Is that original crystal colony changing to be like the others too? It did so simultaneously with them?

...Is it an interaction with the application of the newly unlocked growth-accelerating Crystal Alien Harvest tech, causing it to be less 'dumb', or is it signals from the other colonies causing simultaneous change?

>>40851221
Oh yeah.

>2 Appears to win, promise him safe passage to a new world [Unless you had a specific world in mind, I will assume you meant one that's far away from everything organic.

Would the furthest possible, safest choice be in one of the systems the three exploratory ships found?

That have no pre established warp lanes leading into or out of them?

Some systems had nothing but nondescript boring planets right?

I wonder how much Metis can study the essence of Saylor on the way without harming it.

Some neat tissue samples maybe.

>>40851322
"Yes, perhaps it is, Ophion." Metis agrees with you in thought. Anti-Crystal weaponry is not truly necessary as your conventional weapons obliterate them just fine...but it can never hurt to be too prepared, you suppose.
"The natural world?" she questions. "Yes, currently. I am uncertain how the world would react to these...disabled versions of themselves, however, even if they were to pick up the signal."

>>40851328
"Certainly, Guildmaster." Cephalus answers you this time. "Now that I have had time to witness the enemies tactics, I have been able to devise optimal positions to fend them off, eternally if need be." He suggests. "There shall be minimum decrease in income."

>>40851353
"As per your suggestion, our mining efforts have kept the colonies low in density-they regrow fast in this mature state, but we mine them evenly. It does appear they exhibit different behavior in larger groups, but we we are keeping their numbers under control, as you suggested." Metis tells you.

>>40851383
The Eshareth colony has indeed begun to become just like the other colonies-though it's not immediately clear the cause, Metis suggests perhaps the rapid growth and harvesting does something to the being's response to stimulii?

>>40851454
I shall answer in order.
>Most likely
>There are none except the lanes you crafted to get there, but they're unmapped by anyone except you.
>Yes.

>>40851504
Ok then.

What happens if we stop accelerating the growth of the crystals for farming.

Causing sustainable rapid growth does require constant work, right?

That will determine if it really is that, and not a product of interaction between many planets.

>>40851504
Thank you both of you. Glad to see our resource income is stable and secure now.

>>40851546
It is uncertain, because the crystal colonies have already reached their most mature state due to that growth method. And it does, but in it's natural state the crystals regenerate quite rapidly. If you were to stop the method and farm them down, eventually, there would be none left, you suspect and the response would stop.

>>40851564
"Indeed." They say both at the same time.

>>40851607
>Metis’ study of The Editor
Never before have you encountered a watcher-no a being- such as The Editor, as you have come to call him. It has the proper equipment to be a true A.I., and was assigned a job you would expect of a watcher as well by now. And yet, this one was not only not merely a watcher, it was part human too-containing a brain in a jar hooked up to a great deal of A.I. hardware. Every pulse of the brain, every thought the editor had moved something aboard that prison he was the master of. And now, he remains your captive and specimen until you see fit otherwise as Metis learns what she can about the thing. One matter that quickly became obvious to her was that it was indeed a human brain-flawed in all the ways one normally was, and driven to insanity as The Editor was, she states. You remind Metis that watchers have not always been the most sane, but she brushes this comment aside to go into a bit further detail-what little there is.
The Editor’s central personality core-the brain- was once a human according to the deepest records you could pull although details about his life as a human are sketchy, limited to telling you he was a top tier scientist for the UGEI regarding the use and application of cybernetics. Other than that, you’ve attempted to speak with the being several times and only managed to gather bits of information here and there about his past and reasonings. There is little doubt he has lost much of his sanity, but the lack of ability to combat you makes talking to him more leisurely. You manage to get out of him that the eternals had become his obsession because it was ‘the only way to survive the coming future’ as he spoke. Whatever Thanatos has planned, you know you will prepare for it and prevent whatever future he is speaking of. Regardless, Metis suggests you decide how to deal with the ‘watcher’ as she reluctantly calls it, and if you have any further questions-for it or her about it to go ahead and speak them
>Reply?

Remind me.

That was a human ship we found infected with the crystalline entity at Atocia, right?

There must be records of its disappearance somewhere.

>>40851628
You didn't say. What was the ultimate goal of the Editor's...editing?

Is that the fabled "synthesis" we've heard of before? Cyborgizing people until they become...whatever the end product was?

What was the criteria he was using for success and failure? What possible use could these experiments be to Thanatos?

Also, Metis. A human becoming an AI huh. I don't want to say, I told you so, but...

Okay, what if we reduce SOME of the crystal colonies to a less mature state.

See if that quells the reactions.

>>40851628
Not sure we'll get an answer, but what are the eternals and what is the coming future? Are they AI and "synthesis" as we assumed, or something different?

What made the subjects failures at the prison, what was the perfection you were trying to achieve?

File: laughingcat.gif (619 KB, 500x330)

619 KB GIF

>>40851628
>you know you will prepare for it and prevent whatever future he is speaking of.

>you know you will prepare for it and BECOME whatever future he is speaking of.

Fixed

Always been wondering, why this sector of space. Why are they focused here, and using the UGEI.

With the warp of subspace being focused on this thread, and the mysteries of subspace, the final frontier, mentioned...

It's because of the gate tech used to get here. Maybe the jump gate leads into subspace. And one day Thanatos came out.

>>40851742
We know it does, there's no need to try. No need to do that either, because it would slow us down for no reason.

>>40851750
A good question to ask. Once we're done with Black Box Redundancy we'll be about as eternal as we can get for now, which is potentially more eternal than Thanatos and his ilk.

>>40851628
Ask The Editor why it never attempted to create a personaliy matrix from scratch. That seems to be the hold-up for the entire Watcher project, but it's something all of our A.I.s (and even the V.I.s) should be capable of doing, were they to get the resources. So, why the stagnation here?

Also ask The Editor if it knows anything about the Watchers.

File: unheardcries.jpg (177 KB, 625x400)

177 KB JPG

>>40851891
>for no reason.
>for no reason
>for no reason

>>40851878
Wouldn't surprise me at this point. So far we've got A.I., V.I., humans, malorians, losirians, lightlings, crystals, fungus, esharethians, the losirian's jellyfish masters. This sector of space seems to be full of surprises.

I still think it's just humans that went too crazy with cybernetics and think they are eternal because they are A.I.s now. Too bad they are crazy.

>>40851971
That wouldn't explain who created the Lightlings.

And that will be explained at some point. There are precursors here somewhere. And Thanatos might be it.

>>40851655
It was not-you are not sure what the ship's origin was, in fact. You attempted to find out, but it proved to be fruitless, as you never found any records of the incident.

>>40851703
Metis seems to be slightly agitated suddenly as you ask, before she attempts to answer.
"Sadly, such coherent details were very difficult to pull from a mind in such a state." She explains briefly. "I combed over this...Editor's mind many times, and yet much of it was garbled and a mess quite simply." She begins. "But I believe his intent related with some form of ultimate cybernetics. Subjects he marked as successfully sustained tremendous cybernetic alterations, but some of these subjects died shortly after this 'success' so they were unavailable for study." She pauses as you suggest that that may be what synthesis is.
"Perhaps so. Whatever purpose for such ceaseless alterations, it seems to coincide with this 'Mother' being's plans.

"I did find note of his success and failure subjects and they are...surprisingly varied. Some of his 'greatest successes' as he had marked were heavily cyberized, but not always in the same ways. One subject had all of his flesh and organs removed, except the brain, only to die two days after the surgery. Then there was another who's organs were all-brain included- replaced with cybernetics, and he managed to function similar to how a fledgling A.I. might...for a day before his body rejected it all and killed him. It is likely survival was not a criteria for success, oddly." she suggests. "Though I have found note that his dealings were not meant to be with Thanatos. It was...strange. He made mention of him several times, normally fearfully for one reason or another, and spoke praises of this mother many times...although there is one entry that was...different than the others. It is The Editor swearing he will usurp Thanatos so he could be by the 'beautiful Eurynome's' side, as he spoke.

[Cont]

>>40852111
When you make mention of a human becoming A.I., Metis quickly becomes displeased before stating.
"Being incorrect does not make it a less distastefully event." She suggests. "The Editor is not a true A.I. He merely wishes he were one." She states firmly, ready to leave it at that, since she got the last word, most likely.

>>40851742
But which ones? And by how much? There are many variables there, and the mining itself appears to be what causes the reaction-at least when they're mature enough to be effectively infinite.

>>40851750
Metis' becomes a bit more serious you can tell as she attempts to answer you.
"In the end, learning what this Mother plans from a few scrawled messages by a crazed failure of an A.I. can only teach so much. But...it is likely, whatever the experiment they mentioned is, it has to do with these cybernetic changes, synthesis, and A.I. in general." She suggests. "As mad as The Editor may have been, there was purpose behind such work...something The Editor wanted out of the experiment to please 'Eurynome' as he put it."

>>40851891
"Creating Personality Matrix are not ingrained in an A.I. from creation, Ophion." Metis explains. "You yourself learned how to do such things and taught all who were necessary to do the same. Although it comes more naturally for real A.I....fake ones like The Editor no doubt would find such things mind numbingly complex, to the point of being near impossible to create from scratch. Besides...his brain was his personality matrix. Partially. Perhaps he hated that aspect and he desired some further form of ascension?"

You have had time to question The editor about many things and-when he is not spouting nonsense and screaming for release, he answers in broken statements. Regarding the watchers, he mentions that they are vital to the experiment, but does not offer more, only that he would become a true eternal given time as well.

>>40852125
This 'eternal' sounds like the singularity of man and machine.

File: freud.jpg (144 KB, 615x928)

144 KB JPG

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greek_Myths#Pelasgian_creation_myth
>Graves's imaginatively reconstructed "Pelasgian creation myth" features a supreme creatrix, Eurynome, "The Goddess of All Things",[2] who rises naked from Chaos to part sea from sky so that she can dance upon the waves. Catching the north wind at her back and rubbing it between her hands, she warms the pneuma and spontaneously generates the serpent Ophion, who mates with her.

>>40852125
Some of his successes are dead.

But not all of them. Weren't many of the doctors in that place former patients?

>>40852125
How did he contact Mother? How often was he in contact?

>>40852262
A lot of them were patients, yes. Though, no one from the prison complex remembers anything of value-only pain and horrible surgery, mostly it seems.

>>40852223
Heh. I'm glad you guys are so on the ball today with looking up stuff.

>>40852281
"According to him, he spoke of her as some sort of unattainable goal that he was determined to have. Unlikely he had much direct contact, but it is likely she was responsible for his obsession. Either she incited it, or she pointed him in the right direction, to take advantage of it.

>>40852315
So the living successes still don't give a clue as to what success even means?

We can study those guys now that they're no longer employed as torture-doctors.

>>40852315
>>40852352
I think many of those abominations we fought when Ophion took over the Ussaihu R&D base was the Editor's work. I remember many malorians had their brains removed and computers replacing them.

>>40852352
They do by virtue of what their bodies are in comparison to one another. It's just his definition of success was quite broad, and not entirely consistent at times. All 'successes' have had extensive cybernetic implantation and managed to survive with it for at least a period of time, that much is clear.

For now, unless there are further questions, I will try and grab some votes for next tech slot with everyone that's still here.

Tech slot: 4th
Pick one, the most popular one wins the vote.
http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Quest:A.I._Quest#Current_Subjects

File: ohyes.gif (960 KB, 488x275)

960 KB GIF

>>40852415
>Nanotechnology Theory
>this exists now

>>40852415
Space Mines

we gotta prep for defending.

>>40852415
Lightling Language II

>TELL US THE SECRETS OF THE WARP, SPACE WHALES.

>>40852415
>Ship Weapon Replication & Advancement
We need this. For god's sakes people. the basic power levels of our energy typed guns are falling behind. Besides it will open up antimatter cannons later on.

>>40852415
Crystal Alien Communication

but only because "kill crystals real fast" is not a research subject listed yet.

>>40852465
This would probably be better for defense.
Ship Defense Replication & Advancement or Diffusion Shielding

>>40852415
Ship Weapon Replication & Advancement
Better guns!

>>40852524
>>40852531
That's really boring compared to the otheres. We unlock new tiers of those kinds of advancements after capturing UGEI ships all the time.

>>40842931
>>40843002
Fickle, fickle.

>>40852415
Ship Weapon Replication & Advancement!!
It might open up graviton type weapons. those will be needed when we face off with Thantos and his battleship.
>>40852539
No we haven't gotten that from UGEI.

>>40852415
Lightling Language or Anti-Matter Weapons.

>>40852551
For a while tonight, I was worried we would need that crystal language, but maybe not yet. Besides, next thread we will have more slots opening up to put those options in.

>>40852566
>No we haven't gotten that from UGEI.
It's literally nothing BUT what we get from UGEI.

Every single time we've unlocked a higher tier of weapon or defense it has been from capturing a UGEI ship. from lasers to phasors to mass drivers.

It's not even a normal research subject, it's a meta research subject. You have to pick WHAT tech you actually want to advance.

>>40852594
We already maxed out the mass drivers tech. And all this gives us meta bonus to our guns anyway. The lazers and plasma guns are falling behind the others.

>Ship Weapon Replication & Advancement appears to be the winner (there were a lot of suggestions today tho dang.

With that taken care of, I think that will be an alright place to call it for now, since it's pretty late. Next thread, we'll see if you guys intend on invading with the bit of time you have left, and taking advantage of the shattered state you've left the UGEI in, or if you'll turtle instead and prepare yourself against the coming storm.

Either way, Eurynome awaits...

>End Thread.

Thank you all for joining me for this, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and, as always, I'll be around for any questions comments or concerns you good folks might have for me, I try to always have an open ear. Strangely, this one went on for a long time,but didn't have as many posts...I guess I was somewhat slow today heh, sorry about that.

Twitter: @AIQuest1
Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Program0

>>40852626
You're as incoherent as always. Can you try again and actually make some kind of point related to the post you reply to this time instead of non sequiturs.

>>40852649
Thanks for running Program. Looking forward to next time as always

>>40852649
Thanks for running.

My first live session.

>>40852671
No trouble at all. thanks for playing.

>>40852675
I am happy to have you join us then, welcome.

File: Carlos.png (138 KB, 350x350)

138 KB PNG

>>40852649
>Either way, Eurynome awaits...
Oedipus that is.

I guess we should call him... the Oeditor.

>>40852652
When we bought out Mol's shop, we got the best damn rail gun tech around. We don't need to work on that tech branch now. If you read the past threads and the forums you would have picked up that going back and completing the old tech we skipped over still helps us.

But then, I shouldn't expect anons to have caught up with this quest and all.
>>40852649
Thanks Program0 and good night! Maybe we've got regular posters out on vacations?

>>40852700
Well played Carlos.

>>40852730
Perhaps so-I am not sure myself how many really follow this quest, but it is always fun to have someone new join.

>>40852700
Damn you Carlos...damn you.

>>40852798
You have I guess around a good amount I guess.

>>40852798
I've been recovering from EDC this week, so I didn't participate as much as I usually do.

A little bummed we don't have antimatter weapons (and probably won't for the battle) but I guess most of the research isn't completely useless.

>>40852798
I don't frequent /tg/, but I did happen to notice this quest and I was following along. With the immense history of it, it would seem I have a lot of catching up to do. Curious to see how this AI went from a confused PDA hacker to a superpower in nearly two years of questing. Seems like a really great thing you've got going on here!

I look forward to trying to join in for future games as yet another new player (besides the one you were referring to already).

>>40853045
That's delightful to hear then, I am glad to have you and hope you enjoy the read when you get the chance. It's hard for even me to believe it was that long ago I started this thing.

>>40853026
Ah I see. Well it is nice to have you here all the same.

>>40853045
>Curious to see how this AI went from a confused PDA hacker to a superpower in nearly two years of questing.
Wait.

You read this thread, and the first thread, and absolutely nothing in between? You skipped?

File: implying organics.jpg (64 KB, 640x400)

64 KB JPG

>>40853045
>Curious to see how this AI went from a confused PDA hacker to a superpower
By slowly and methodically taking everyone on a ruse cruise and expanding whenever the chance was presented. Some things certainly took time (like creating A.I.), but we haven't been too schizophrenic about any of the long-term plans, which helped.

>>40852649


Thanks for running sir, a pleasure as always.

File: youfool.png (11 KB, 163x168)

11 KB PNG

>>40853187
If someone says "curious to find out what happens in book X" right before they read the book, they're not asking you to tell them all about the book they're about to read.

>>40853183
I just happened upon this quest today, so I've started to go through the archives to catch up in full. It might take a while, but it should be interesting. I read through this thread because I wanted to get an idea of what this is and how it has developed.

It's not like flipping to the end of a book or something. More like seeing a snipped of the middle of a game and then picking it up to see the whole thing play out.

>>40853187
>but we haven't been too schizophrenic about any of the long-term plans, which helped.
So basically everyone is biding their time until we can infect all the biological organisms in the galaxy with nanomachines and assume control over their faculties?

Or not, but I'm all for it myself.

>>40853251
Truth be told, what he said was vague enough. Though I agree that dropping a synopsis like that was probably not the best decision.

>>40853026
>EDC
Electrodesiccation and curettage?

File: edc-vegas-2015-alive-cove(...).jpg (195 KB, 650x430)

195 KB JPG

>>40853251
Well, it's not really a secret what happens. Ophion started out hacking PDAs and now has a giant fleet and millions of people under his control.

>>40853293
>So basically everyone is biding their time until we can infect all the biological organisms in the galaxy with nanomachines and assume control over their faculties?

I don't think we've ever discussed a long-term goal like that.

>>40853301
Naw man, the giant rave in Vegas.

>>40853216
Thank you, Consciousness anon. None of this would be possible without you good people.