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>>41631353
>Current resource reserves
Nutrients: 5,409,554
Metals: 1,756,679
Credits: ₡2226
Credits in Lyle’s account: ₡1,175,000

>Hive population and upkeep cost
Hive maintenance – 52,325
Queen – 5
Fake Queen (4) – 220
Small Egg layer – 12
Worker (150,000) – 300,000
Aquatic Worker (5,140) – 20,560
Vacuum Worker (5,200) – 31,200
Radiator Worker (5,100) – 20,400
Warrior (75,045) – 375,225
Gilled Warrior (100) – 700
Aquatic Warrior (50) – 400
Thinker (8,000) – 24,000
Quantum Thinker (3,000) – 15,000
Speaker – (3) – 12
Digger (200) – 800*
Refinery (40) – 280*
Sniffer (2) – 8
Small Sniffer (5,000) – 5,000
Aquatic Sniffer (200) – 200
Fly (1,165) – 4,660
Wasp (30,000) – 150,000
Haz-mat Workers (20) – 80
Parasite (110) – 440
Bio-tank (1000) – 25000
Stealth Bio-tank (30) – 900
Excavator (1,000) – 19,000
Colossus (5,000) – 75,000
Hovertank (2,000) – 50,000
Harvester (5,000) – 95,000
Support Fluttercraft (500) – 71,000
Ghost Beetle (1,000) – 27,000
Heavy Warrior (10,000) – 190,000
Chinook (1,000) – 18,000
Air defense drone (500) – 37,000
Bomber (1,000) – 41,000
Strafer drone (2,000) – 30,000
Heavy Interceptor (1,000) – 28,000
Light Interceptor (2,000) – 28,000
Advanced disruptor (50) – 3750
Advanced Relay (70) – 7000

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>>41631368
>Hive fleet
Space Pod (5000) – 150000
Heavy Fleet Fighter (920) – 61640
Heavy Gunship (252) – 7560
Shuttle (10) – 250
Mining Corvette (336) – 92400
Patrol Corvette (180) – 91260
Scout Corvette (8) – 1800
Lancer Corvette (2) – 450
Missile Corvette (500) – 516000
Fleet Corvette (244) – 54900
Heavy Fleet Corvette (336) – 393792
Light Fleet Frigate (1500) – 667500
Heavy Fleet Frigate (252) – 359604
Stealth Frigate (4) – 1952
Vanguard Frigate (850) – 340000
Light Fleet Cruiser (375) – 249375
Missile Cruiser (50) – 118250
Heavy Cruiser (110) – 133650
Heavy Fleet Cruiser (126) – 315630
Carrier Battlecruiser (5) – 99360
Heavy Fleet Battlecruiser (36) – 292932
Heavy Fleet Battleship (10) – 517750

>Construction underway
[Citadel Hive ship] – 10%

>Formed fleets and orders
Small Heavy Defense Fleet [Patrolling Leeland space]
10 Heavy Battle Fleet [Awaiting orders]
5 Missile Ambush Fleet [Awaiting orders]
25 Light Fleets [Awaiting orders]

Gas the squids space war now.

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>>41631383
Clone upkeep/special projects and expenses
25 Human captives of the USV Hope – 750
[Gemini]
15 Human Hybrids [In production] (900)
3 Taidaren Hybrids [In production] (210)
4 Human flash clone upkeep – 120
3 Human hybrid clone upkeep – 90
Specializations:
>Tech
>Engineer
>Brawler
[Hive space]
100 Human Hybrids – 3,000
Lyle Rogers – 57
Jackob Eisner – 56
Dillon Reager – 30
Clone/project upkeep – 5,173N

Total upkeep
Nutrient costs: 6,295,775

>Income
Metals: 2,838,000
Nutrients: 9,801,250
Net: 3,505,475

>>41631387
I thought it was gas the valens

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>>41631406
Hive Territory
[G-426]
Asteroid mining base: 50,000M per day.

*Leeland (capital)
Defensive structures
>Surface to Orbit Missile System (750N)
>Anti-orbital batteries: 35/35 (8750N)
Military structures
>Hangar facilities: Room for 4840 Aero/fighter Drones and 2420 Shuttles (3025N)
>Psionic Shroud (1,000N)
>Prison Outpost
Industrial structures
>Docking Pylon: (1969) (98,450N)
[Empty docks: 2000/2000]
Economic Structures
>Smart Mines active: 100,000M per day
>Algae Farm: +4,800,000per day, 48,000 Workers (1 worker per 100N)
>Film harvester dock: +5,000,000N per day, 10,000 Harvesters active (500N per Harvester)

[M-662]
Raligha
Defensive structures
>Surface to Orbit Missile System (750N)
>Anti-orbital batteries: 35/35 (8750N)
Economic structures
>Bloodroot collectors: A series of pipes and veins running from the roots of several of the nearest Bloodroot trees provide a passive and low maintenance source of nutrient income, +250N per day (5)
>Greenwall pit: 500N
>Temple alter: A place for the Ralighan locals to worship and bring offerings to your hive, built in the likeness of your local fake queen, +500N per day

[M-323]
>Orbital docking pylon: Space for docking and construction of 4 sub capitals or 1 capital ship, (50N)
[Empty docks: 0/4]
>Mining corvette salvage operations +2,688,000M per day (+8000M per corvette)

[Farcast]
Derelict Sensor array

Glassed Hive world
>Hive bunker complex

Deep space waystation
>100 docking pylons (10,000N)
[Empty docks 400/400]

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>>41631436
New Construction Options
Defensive structures
>Anti-orbital battery – A bunker armed with a massive Particle beam capable of attacking ships in orbit from the ground. It includes the power and sensor systems required to operate it. 250N 1500M
>Surface to Orbit Missile System – This massive bunker complex houses a wide range of warheads and a nigh limitless number of missiles within its protective walls, allowing you to launch missiles against approaching invaders from the safety of your hive. The facility uses the ship missile stats and comes equipped with a single Cruise missile silo that can target any detected object within the system, five Stinger missile silos capable of targeting any craft within high orbit, and ten Swarm missile silos specialized in targeting high altitude aircraft and low orbiting targets. The facility itself is a massive complex spread out over several miles, and includes guidance and launch equipment, as well as the means to construct and maintain a stock of warheads and missiles. (1500N 2500M)
Military Structures
>Hangar Expansion – Construct fortified hangar facilities of +40 aero/fighter drone space and +20 shuttle space. 50N 100M
>Psionic Shroud – A single building built around the shattered remains of a Void Shard, the shroud amplifies the unnatural mental silence of the broken crystal within to mask an entire planet from potential detection, preventing outside forces from easily detecting the thoughts of a hive. (2,000N 5,000M)
Industrial Structures
>Docking Pylon – A large spire or station that contains space for docking and construction of 4 ships, or a single capital ship if placed in orbit. 100N 300M
>Weather Spire – A networked collection of spires spread across a planet capable of studying and altering a planet’s climate and atmosphere. Construction includes the building of all spires needed to function. (8,000N 20,000M)

>>41631406
Hey QuestDrone! Program0-Sempi noticed you! Your quest got a cameo in his last thread!

So there was an organic ships thread not long ago. Anyone else check it out?

>Smuggle thermos containing sole fly into Bedrock
>Fly finds garbage chute and cocoons into egglayer, begins laying more flies and at least seven parasites
>Stay at Bedrock long enough for parasites to hatch
>Find excuses to get Decker onto Bedrock, make sure that Bedrock security insists his shadehound stays on the ship.
>ambush with flies and parasite him when he's alone and unprotected

Most of our attacks have to be done away from the ship as long as the D-man is onboard and unparasited. His shadehound is the greatest threat for sniffing out any nontrivial number of flies or parasites onboard.

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>>41631463
Economic Structures
>Orbital solar array – A station placed in orbit of the local star equipped with a membrane of photosynthetic cells several kilometers in diameter capable of producing a steady stream of nutrient income. Provides 1000N per day total (5,000N 5,000M
>Harvester Dock – A large pier built along the shore overlooking the spore-producing ocean film that serves as an unloading area for Harvester drones, and contains pipelines to pump collected raw nutrients to the hive’s awaiting processing facilities, includes a single Harvester which is covered by the cost and upkeep of the dock. Provides 500N per day total (38N 50M)
>Orbital electroponic station – An orbital instillation built near a large source of hydrogen used to fuel a large fusion core, which in turn provides electrical power to a contained algae farm facility. Must be built in orbit of a gas giant. Provides +500N per day and doubles as a gas mining facility, refueling the tritium stores of any ships in the system. (1000M)
>Algae Farm – A carved out space used to utilize Leeland’s natural electrical field to cultivate food. +100N per day, 1 worker to maintain.
>Hydroponic platform – A floating greenhouse platform used to grow farmland through hydroponics that can only be built on or near water with open access to plentiful sunlight. Each greenhouse platform supports roughly one hectare and requires a single worker to tend the crop and maintain the platform. Multiple platforms can be connected together to create fields of floating farmland. +200N per day, 1 worker to maintain.

>>41631465
I noticed! I hope their not to scale, or they'll be building dreadnoughts and eating planets by the end of the week.

IT. IS. TIME.

BEST TIME OF THE WEEK HIVE QUEEN QUEST HELL YEAH!

...I'm calm. NO I'M NOT

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Glory to the Mother-of-Many, the Red Queen

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>>41631518
>Filter towers – A large underwater pylon built to extract raw nutrients from the microbial life of the surrounding ecosystem. Can only be used on planets with bountiful biospheres and deep oceans capable of supporting large amounts of microbes. Provides between 100 and 500 N per day, depending on the local environment. (500M)
>Capillary Tower – This massive organic space elevator offers a number of logistical and economic advantages, despite its drastic up front cost and fragile nature. Shuttles or space craft are no longer needed to move resources from the surface to orbital structures, freeing shuttles for more important tasks. The counterweight station serves as a center for construction, with 4 docking pylons included on the structure to repair and build ships, while gaining a bonus to capital ship construction time due to the speedy nature with which resources arrive from the surface. The Capillary Tower can also spread hive creep and extract resources at an increased rate, spreading roots deep into the crust to bring up resources directly into orbit, allowing you to consume a planet much more quickly than normal. A Hive ship can construct a Capillary Tower if given the time and resources to do so, deploying one after 3 full days, after which it becomes the counterweight station, and must remain stationary until it detaches and destroys the tower to move. A Hive ship deployed in this way does not have access to its spinal weapons, but can use other features as normal. A planet can hold a max of 4 Capillary Towers along its equator. For each one, planetary mining or over harvest activities are doubled. (50,000N 500,000M)

>>41631510
I did. Turned into a Farscape thread around the end. Good show.

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>>41631553
Finished Research

>Micro rocket
A miniaturized, unguided missile that utilizes a small amount of propellant to maintain its trajectory and boost its velocity before embedding itself within the target and detonating for maximum damage. The rocket itself is a form of smart ordinance, and can be set to detonate at a predetermined time, such as after penetrating a wall or door, or within a certain range of a target, or within the target. The rocket deals more damage at longer range, but infers a penalty to accuracy and rate of fire.

>Solid State Teleportation
By disassembling matter into its base atoms, you can transmit simple materials from one hive to another, allowing all hives under your control to transmit and receive resources without the use of your ships, which can now focus on defense and drone transport. It will take a short while for your thinkers to become fully capable of utilizing this new ability to the maximum benefit possible, but they are already hard at work assembling a hive-wide economy to ensure all of your facilities are properly fed and maintained.

>Quantum Tuning
By utilizing new advancements in quantum science, you can alter the particles of pre-existing hive made quantum relays to have them attune to another when it is within close proximity, allowing you to reuse relays that have been damaged or had their companion lost. While you feel this is not the greatest of technologies for the hive, you suspect it would be of great worth to any non-psionic life.

>>41631436
I thought we had started an aquatic hive on Huron in the wreck of that spaceship on that plateau?

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>>41631577
[New Weapon Unlocked]

>Heavy Thumper
An advanced version of the thumper grenade launcher, this version fills the ranged weapon slot and is in many ways a more robust, higher caliber Thorn Launcher that fires self-propelled chitin warheads capable of dispersing shrapnel after penetrating a target’s armor or cover. Because the weapon uses complex ammunition, the drone’s weapon cannot quickly or easily regenerate additional munitions in the field, forcing the drone to carry a larger supply at once. Because of this, the Heavy Thumper occupies both the weapon graft slot and the drone’s blade slot for that arm, reducing its melee capabilities. A drone with a Honey Pot does not suffer this drawback, as ammo can be stored in the Honey Pot and fed to the weapon as needed. The micro-rockets can be made to hold chemical, biological, thermal, or other similar ammo types in the same way as the normal Thumper. Each rocket deals a small amount of splash damage to any adjacent units upon detonation.
Size: M
Dmg: [Special] High explosive
RoF: Low
Rng: Long
Acc: Medium
Special: The micro-rockets fired from the Heavy Thumper continue to accelerate after they are launched, improving the damage potential of each rocket as it moves. At short range, the rocket does not have enough velocity to penetrate most forms of armor or cover, and imparts no kinetic damage to targets. For every range value past short, it increases its kinetic damage value but decreases its accuracy. The weapon ignores armor at long range.

>>41631535
Glory to the Luminescent Eye, Recreator of Skyl, Foe of the Black Queen, Nemesis of the Crystals, the Red Queen.

>>41631618
Did we just get the Hive version of 40K Bolters?

>>41631616
we did, we need to add those filter towers there so we can actually start expanding it a bit.

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>>41631618
New Research Unlocked

Complex matter reconstruction
Slow
Your thinkers suspect that by utilizing and combining advancements in quantum theory with your teleportation technology it may be possible to increase the threshold of items that can be transmitted from pure substances and elements, to more complex alloys and objects of more complex shape and size, potentially allowing for the transmission of equipment, weapons, or mechanical components.

Current Research

>Advanced Psionic Reading
Slow
With your new abilities growing, you continue to hone and develop more advanced methods of using your psionic network. Your thinkers believe that with more practice they should be able to delve deeper into the minds of non-hive life, digging past surface thoughts and emotions and into more detailed pieces of information without resorting to invasive neural interfaces.

>Psionic Imprinting
Medium
The next logical step from psionic reading, your thinkers believe that if you can detect the thoughts of others, you may be able to alter them as well. Further study is needed to determine the extent of this potential ability.

>Plasma Assault Cannon
Fast
Your thinkers believe it would be rather easy to scale up the plasma cannon, using the same principles, but on a similar scale as the Rotary Stinger or Thorn Cannon, turning a powerful anti-armor weapon into a direct fire siege weapon that would likely make for a powerful bunker buster and anti-structure weapon.

>>41631653
Yeah that's why I was wondering. Maybe dig down through the plateau to get to the biomass rich trenches to set up the towers

>>41631652
Yes, yes we did. It's complete heresy thou.

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>>41631673
>Auto-harvest pods
Medium
A number of pods that can be placed within some ships, allowing them to spread hive spores over an enemy planet when destroyed. These pods could, theoretically, also be launched from drop pods for a similar effect.

>High-altitude spore dispersal
Medium
By spraying modified hive spores from a capillary tower at high altitude, the tower gains the ability to spread hive creep several magnitudes faster than any other method you have, contaminating the surface of an entire hemisphere in a mere day, although the creep itself grows at normal speed. The spores are visible as a greenish fog that permeates the atmosphere, especially around the tower itself, and is toxic to non-hive life, forcing any enemies of the hive to make use of rebreathers or air filters. The spores can be made to carry other chemicals or biological agents.

>Atmospheric static generator
Medium
By utilizing the natural friction of a sufficiently dense atmosphere against the surface of a capillary tower, the tower can be made to generate energy to feed itself and reduce its upkeep cost.

>Rip Drive
Medium
A powerful, and accurate drive system, it does not move the equipped ship, but allows the ship to rip open a hole in spacetime, creating something akin to an artificial wormhole that bridges the ship's current location with a location of its choosing within its range. This allows not only the ship to move through the rupture, but also allows it to open ruptures for other craft, allowing for the deployment of sub-light craft over vast interstellar distances.

>Deep Core Mining
Slow
Taking planetary mining to the logical extreme, your thinkers believe that your hive infrastructure, if spread across the surface of a world and given enough time, would be able to consume the ferrous metal core of a planet itself.

>>41631682
Sounds like a good idea to me, we need a second high nutrient gathering outpost.

>>41631673
Holy shit we are reaching the point we can make teleporters

>>41631673
>New Research Unlocked

Wait.

So

>Quantum Tuning

Doesn't unlock potentially weaponizing the retuning process into a warhead that severs nearby quantum circuits/quantum strings, like in the quantum scrambler bomb?

I figured that was in this tech tree, logically.

>>41631682
Well then that's settled. Let's do that

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>>41631701
>Ship grapple
Medium
A simple idea at heart; throw a hook at the target and reel it in. When you take into account the relative speeds and raw kinetic forces involved in such an action, however, it quickly stops being so simple. Complex and highly durable cables and pulleys must be developed, as well as specialized bulkheads to prevent ripping the ship in two. The result, however, should be interesting, if a bit insane.

>Ram
Medium
The concept of ramming in ship to ship combat is simple and straight forward. Doing so without obliterating your own ship, however, is a far more complex skill to master that requires numerous alterations to ship design philosophy and a willful lack of common sense. The Scavengers appear to be insane enough to have thought such a strategy useful in space combat, and are stubborn enough to perfect it. The study and extensive testing of the design of the ram should allow you to develop something similar for your own ships.

>Artificial gravity plating
Medium
By utilizing insignificant amounts of antimatter to create unfocused gravitational fields, and then directing them through the gravity plating into a single direction, the internal structure of a ship can be granted a small amount of artificial gravity. White the direction of the gravity can be changed at will, or turned off, it lacks the resources and energy to project a field capable of directly causing injury

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>>41631768
>Gravity thrusters
Slow
Similar in function to your Skid drive, the Gravity thrusters essentially surf along pre-existing gravity fields, increasing their performance when in close proximity to major sources of gravitational pull, be it a large celestial body, a star, a planet, an exceptionally large structure or group of structures, or the core of a gravity drive. While in deep space it becomes less effective, the law of universal gravitation means it never becomes totally useless, and when in close proximity to a powerful gravity source it should outperform most other thruster designs with ease.

>Shield miniaturization
Medium
With your new understanding, previously unknown aspects of standard shield technology can be seen in a new light, indicating a small overlap between it and gravitational manipulation technology. By using newly developed technology, your thinkers suspect that they may be able to create a more compact, but less powerful shield system.

>Photonic microstructures
Slow
The useful applications of manipulating massive photonic molecules are many, and your preliminary studies indicate that you may be able to develop more practical uses beyond the blaster, especially in the field of energy shielding.

>Nausea field
Slow
A rather interesting side effect first noticed with your Blink drive, but now weaponized to great effect as a defensive measure. You should be able to enhance your medium and advanced relays to emit a wave of sickening nausea in a radius around it, causing affected subjects to feel increasing levels of both physical and mental uneasiness, causing feelings of dread and queasiness.

>>41631714
>>41631767
Sounds like a terrible idea to start harvesting the human-owned oceans at a scale they'd notice.

And any scale that they wouldn't notice is not worthwhile at the current scale the hive operates on.

Huron is for genetic samples, not for income, unless you want to spore the humans, space war now and consume everything.

>>41631812
We'd not be killing everything on huron if we were to do that there. Don't be silly.

>>41631792
Available research options

>Psionic Cannon prototype
Very slow/Very dangerous
Detailed accounts of several experiments show the slow progress of Project Godsplitter. The cannon itself is highly volatile, and even the smallest miscalculation often results in the destruction of the ship, as well as any nearby craft. It can only be equipped to a Hive ship's spinal mount, and requires a functional Void Shard as ammunition. At least a dozen testing sizes were atomized in testing the weapon, and in the end it appears The Gardener never quite perfected it.

>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research
>Add Psionic Cannon to research
>Add both
>Add neither
>Other

>>41631737
On that subject, there is a chance you actually don't unlock all potential research options in certain fields of study on your own, and likewise, other factions may totally overlook tech options that you utilize on a regular basis within the same field of study.

>>41631875
>>Add both

>>41631875
Is there even any real need to ask?
>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

>>41631875
Remind me, but would psionic cannon prototype bring down the attention of black queen?
If not then:
>Add both
Psionic cannon being done on a remote outpost made just for that research

>>41631875
>>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

>>41631875
>>Add both

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>>41631792
>Photonic microstructures

Soon

>>41631896
>>41631917
>>41631922

Cut that out.

>>41631875
>>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

>>41631932
>cut that out
Any reason?

>>41631949
It will attract the attention of the void god, this has been stated multiple times, it should be basic knowledge by now.

>>41631949
big chance to fail

>>41631875
>>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

>Very dangerous
>alerts the void gods
>this was explicitly why Mother didn't do the research herself and outsourced it
No thanks.

>>41631875
>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

>>41631875
>>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

>>41631917
Psionic Cannon is- obstenably- endgame trigger, since yes, that's gonna get the attention of OB bitch and her Void God pimps real quick.

>>41631875
>>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

>>41632001
>>41632009
It's been long ago, only vague memories now.
It's why I asked, really.

>>41631875
>>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

>>41631875
>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

I want to wait till we have this done at the least before undertaking the psi cannon research since it would make transporting nessisary material to a remote research site simpler and more covert. Also I would want to get the Skyl and Theseus in on the project to some degree since They are an enemy to all life, synthetic or otherwise, in the universe.

>>41631875
>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

>>41632024
We're EVENTUALLY gonna hit the button. We're running out of research options.

Just won't be right now.

>>41632024
>It's been long ago,
No it wasn't. It was only 8 threads ago the relay memories were replayed.

Also, it has "Very dangerous" right there in the description, there is no excuse for not knowing about that.

>>39016818
>"I do not know. I cannot test it without alerting them."

>>41632091
That's like 5 months anon. Not everyone has a memory as good as you
As for very dangerous, it's why I stated a remote outpost.
Just the part about void gods slipped my mind.
Please forgive my insolence anon.

>>41631875
>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

>>41632141
Chances are even if it's a remote outpost, OB's gonna put 2 and 2 together.

>>41632203
Please forgive me already anon

>>41632238
M'not mad or nothin'. Just saying it's a really scary proposition. No worries.

>>41631875
Bump

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>>41631875
>Add Complex matter reconstruction to research

Gemini is writhing with signals as news broadcasts pass back and forth, rolling outward to the edges of the system in waves of reruns and talking-head news personalities. A man in a casual suit with a popped collar walks about on one of the channels through the streets of the capital district asking pointed questions to passing pedestrians.

"So what do you think about the Valen supporting the Greens?" He asks a man holding a cricket bar in one hand and a mini-holo screen in the other.

"I think they probably had to pay for support like that." He says, the decal of a pro-Tory shirt seen beneath his jacket. "I wouldn't trust a Green after that. I think it's safe to say they'll be serving a third party for a while now, especially if they manage to win the vote."

The screen cuts to a grainy image from an old Earth science-fantasy film as a large, grotesque floating thing in a tank talks to a man in a throne room about plots and betrayals, and then cuts to another short interview. It quickly becomes clear the segment is in favor of the bill as the host picks out the worst of the local protesters or obvious Tory and National supporters. After several minutes the show cuts to an old looking man who immediately touts his balanced reporting skills before verbally assaulting the Green leadership for a variety of recent events.

Across many of the local news channels you find headline titles twisting the events of the previous day's negotiations. An image circulates of Killinger standing in front of the Valen in the parliament building, gazing sternly back at the cluster of eyes and the gaping, tooth filled maw held inches from his face.

The most aggressive headline you find reads "Killinger firm against Valen opposition: leading Tory against xeno agenda", but the others don't hold much less bias. Various sources mull over polls showing the growing pro-Tory sentiment among the voting populace.

cont.

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>>41632485
>old Earth science-fantasy film as a large, grotesque floating thing in a tank talks to a man in a throne room about plots and betrayals

>>41632485

Hmmm. As much as it might be playing into his hands, we need to do something about this before it's irreversible and Killinger gets handed the crown, so to speak.

>>41632624
We could always get some money and DNA from killinger and get him caught on camera with a few alien prostitutes, preferably the sewer people.

>>41632658
Nasty

>>41632485
I'm starting to think we should get around to making contact with Alder pretty soon, and get Theseus' opinion on all this. On a related note, we're clearly going to trade with him soon with Quantum Manipulation unlocked, but I'll repost my pastebin with all our completed research subjects just in case we want to trade more than that.

http://pastebin.com/JXrLv9U6

We should try to open up communications with the commonwealth, I recommend a cleverly made message on a black monolith with coordinates to a physical meeting point. We put one speaker and a few drones there as well as a corvette and have them meet there. They can't fuck us too badly with this as we can host on an empty moon in empty space somwhere.

>>41632658
It's a universe with facelifters, people know you can make duplicates of celebrities easily. That accomplishes nothing.

>>41632624
>i know it's playing into his hands
>but let's play into his hands
You make the same mistake Killinger does. He thinks "winning the crown" is actually the victory scenario. It's not. He can win the battle, but lose the war when it goes to his head.

His life is already complicating itself with the Valen's web of lies. We'll have the opportunity to give him the push that hangs him soon enough.

>>41632705
That might be an option, but considering this whole 'anti-xeno/anti-Greens' angle Killinger's playing up, would it really help the Greens if they were consorting with us like that? Hell, we'd be proving accurate what that interviewee said- about the Greens being in someone's pocket.

>>41632754
Eyy you're from the past thread. I'm all for it.

>>41632761
But he'd have a hard fucking time disproving it when it's biologically killinger.

>>41632761

Hmmm...so you're saying that he wins- for now- but eventually it can be set up so that it all comes tumbling down once things spiral out of his control? (Provided we set things up right, that is.)

>>41632772
I wasn't implying we would openly contact the greens, but discreet communication within the Union seems to be an area of Theseus' expertise.

>>41632772
Only if they are found out. But I agree with what you're saying. Maybe if we do it via a clone? Hybrid?

>>41632485
Michael sits in his room on his computer as he types in the various clearance codes to route the relay connection through to Talgo. A skinny, balding man appears on the screen a moment later.

"What is it?" He asks calmly.

"I'm sending over all the gathered data collected on the bill, and Representative Killinger's recent political happenings. Including the files on Richardson." Michael replies. The bald man looks over his screen as the data appears on his end.

"Good, good. Is there anything here we can leak?" He asks simply. Michael shakes his head.

"The man's cleaner than anyone I've seen. As far I can tell he means what he says."

"That's fine, it won't matter in the long run. Besides, he's gone independent." The man says. "He just spoke out in condemnation of a number of Green policies. His people have already said he'll be forming his own party later this week."

"Are you serious? I didn't hear anything about that." Michael says, flipping through his files. The bald man just nods.

"He's a radical, and the polls keep going in his favor. Everyone who says something against him publicly takes a hit in their support, so we're just letting him cruse in for now. Hopefully we can finish the big vote before the Talgo debates." He tilts his head slightly in thought. "With the Valen actions, of course, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Thanks for the data, this is good stuff." He nods his head and abruptly ends the call, leaving Michael alone again. Your fly lands on his shoulder and he lightly shoos it away.

>Have Michael examine the ship for surveillance devices
>Tend to your hive on Gemini
>Tend to your hive outpost on Huron
>Other

>>41632909
>Have Michael examine the ship for surveillance devices
>Tend to your hive outpost on Huron

>>41632909
>>Have Michael examine the ship for surveillance devices

>>41632909
>>Have Michael examine the ship for surveillance devices
>>Tend to your hive outpost on Huron

>>41632909
Figures he'd start a Dominionist party.

>>Tend to your hive on Gemini

>>41632909
>>Have Michael examine the ship for surveillance devices

>>41632909

>Have Michael examine the ship for surveillance devices
then
>Tend to your hive outpost on Huron

>>41632909
>>Tend to your hive outpost on Huron
Friendly reminder that this is one of those 'only pick one votes' everyone. We as players just can't focus on two seperate hives.

Not against it, but what're we doing on Huron, again? Is it important in particular, or are we just catching up on stuff we've neglected?

>>41632909
>>Have Michael examine the ship for surveillance devices
And then meet with Bedrock's notorious criminal, Mr. Anderson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D7cPH7DHgA

>>41632909
Richardson, hes the one with the religious vote right?

We should check up about him just to make sure this isn't a crystal plot

>>41633013
Genetic samples.

We can target that sandworm sarlacc thing maybe. Or search for the rare and elusive wickerfish.

>>41632828
I think we can solve this by leaking state secrets to the media. Extra bonus if it incriminates killinger.

A few images from the lab with alien corpses (Valen included) and a few war crime proofs and we'd have a shit storm.

>>41633052
Wickerfish sounds rather interesting with it's natural kevlar skin.

With Huron I just want to check on the progress of the Hive structure there before moving onto other things.

Also genetic samples of that giant bobbit worm

>>41632909
>>Have Michael examine the ship for surveillance devices
or
>>Tend to your hive on Gemini

Reminer that you still haven't parasited the Taidaren Setting Sons. Gemini is far more urgent before they start gossiping about the wonder parasite.

>>41633076
Now that's a plan

>>41632909
>>Tend to your hive on Gemini

>>41633076
The problem with that is that there's next to no way to verify those images or conclusively linking them to Killinger with out outing Michael as our agent.

>>41633013
We need to set up the infrastructure there, get some more samples etc.

>>41633095
I know Gemini is important but we've only done Gemini stuff the last few months

At this point i think we should stop fighting killinger over this

He's got most of the military head honchos backing him and now also valen support so there isn't really a point in trying to fight him politically

We should be focusing on our other enemies like the black queen for instance

She been way too quiet

>>41633164
Yeah, I'd like to focus a bit more on other worlds too.

>>41633076
Dillon and Jackob and Lyle didn't bring cameras with them into the lab mission. They don't have photo evidence of anything they saw, so any photos would necessarily be faked based on their memories.

You literally can't leak anything that incriminates Killinger without making it obvious that it was all things Michael was privy to, and most of it is vague plausibly deniable stuff. He's too valuable to lose for wasting an attack on Senator Teflon.

People HAVE done scandals about Killinger before. It never worked. The story gets buried. They control the media. You've just seen how the Tories dominate the media.

You can't get him through public opinion, that's the front he's always expecting an attack on so he has that locked down. So you have to get him through shadowy subterfuge.

>not just apocalypseing the world

>>41633270
We're Neutral Evil with occasional Lawful leanings, not Chaotic Evil.

>>41633232
>
So lets just assassinate him

>>41632909
>Have Michael examine the ship for surveillance devices

Michael has already used your fly, and his extensive knowledge of Union surveillance techniques to make sure that his own cabin was clean. Your fly lets out a squeak as it stretches its wings, floating by Michael's head in the low gravity.

"No, you can't come with me. Even if I kept you in a pocket I don't know how good of a scent that hound-thing has." He says. Your fly darts under a cabinet.

"Well it's not personal!" He says. "Just stay here while I try to canvas the ship.

Please roll 1d100, best of 3.

>Have your fly morph into a small egg layer
>Do not
>Other

>>41633232
How do you propose we subterfuge this then? We need all the level headed ideas we can get.

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>41633305
>Do not
Wait till we find a better hiding spot

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>41633305

>>41633305
>Have your fly morph into a small egg layer
we need some more parasites.

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>41633305

>Do Not

We save the morph until we're absolutely certain there's nowhere better.

Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>41633305

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>41633305
>>Do not
WE WAIT, WAIT FOR BETTER OPPORTUNITY

Rolled 95 (1d100)

>>41633305
>Do not

Also QD, I say this a lot but I love how adorable you make the Drones

>>41633336
Well. I didn't do good, but I didn't trash it, at least.

File: BmTkq.gif (631 KB, 640x360)

631 KB GIF

>>41633326
>>41633327
>>41633336

>>41633305
>>Do not

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>41633305

Consider the feasibility of having it form a hive on Bedrock instead >>41631513

Space station colonies gotta have a garbage dump somewhere like the Death Star did. You can survive in that, right.

>>41633285
We aren't even evil. We're true neutral and don't particularly care that much about other species that we have no formal partnership with.

>>41633305
>>Have your fly morph into a small egg layer

>>41633357
You're late.

>>41633305
>Do not

>>41633365
I never quite understood the meaning of that gif. Been used for so many things.

Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>41633305

>>41633372
Considering Bedrock is a colony world, wouldn't be faster and safer if we just land a medium sized egglayer on it with pod?

>>41633441
What's with this quest and people making shit up? People keep doing that.

It's an airtight sealed colony with no natural atmosphere.

• Bedrock: Population 3,270. One of the largest asteroids within the belt, a number of rockets cover its surface and have sent it into a spin. On its axis there is a docking port where ships enter the hollow interior. Mining platforms surround the space city, and there is heavy traffic in the area.

>>41633412
It's basically a 'holy shit' type thing.

>>41633305
Your fly hugs the ground and its color shifts until it becomes nothing but a lump under the dresser. Michael leaves and the door shuts behind him.

He finds the cameras easily enough. At least a dozen scattered across the ship to cover all the public areas, although he can't think of any way to search the private ones without being suspicious. Even the showers have a small thermal band hidden near the door, and a microphone in the light fixture over the toilet in the room across the tiny hall. Calhoun was right about one thing, there is certainly no room for privacy aboard this ship.

Michael skims the bridge, but Commander Grey is still there sitting in the command couch, her arms drifting in the zero gravity.

>Enter and search the bridge
>Skip this room and assume it is bugged

>>41633577
>>Skip this room and assume it is bugged

Because yeah it's probably bugged 10 ways to Sunday.

>>41633577
>>Skip this room and assume it is bugged

>>41633577
>Skip this room and assume it is bugged

>>41633577
>>Skip this room and assume it is bugged

>>41633307
Infiltrate and parasite the Gemini PDF. Follow the trail of bureaucracy to get closer to Parliamentary security. Make them your brainpuppets.

Deploy Moderate relay equipped drones to read human minds en masse in the sewers beneath the city. Find out the humans' secrets, find the humans thinking about Killinger as a coworker, boss, or assignment, not just as a celebrity. Stalk them with flies.

Inveigle the hive's claws into New Prescott more, so we can ultimately parasite Killinger. It just requires sniffing out those close enough to him to do it.

>>41633577
>Skip this room and assume it is bugged

>>41633577
>>Enter and search the bridge

Right, so, this place has more eyes on it than Janet Jackson at the Superbowl.

How do we get this spookshow rollin'?

File: frado.jpg (21 KB, 398x399)

21 KB JPG

>>41633577
How can surveillance even work now that the commander turned off the network?
>>41497601
>"He is a menace, and there will be no networking on this ship so long as he is aboard."

Actually, how does Michael make calls to Talgo and Gemini with the network off?

>>41633577
>Skip this room and assume it is bugged

>>41633712
In the town of Bedrock.

They'll join our modern space age family.

>>41633655
You know guys maybe we should stop wasting time on getting killinger

If you guys want to hurt him so bad we should just track down those transferred psi subject and have lyle launch another raid against another union secret project

>>41633752
>let's not track down humans that lead us to the potential future leader of the Union
>let's do this equally difficult thing: trying to find a covert laboratory which we don't even have a first clue to go on

Mass mindreading is the first step in either plan, since there are no other leads to follow. So Big Mother it is.

>>41633577
>>Enter and search the bridge

>>41633808
Anon's got a point there.

>>41633808
Yeah you do realize how time and resource intensive this plan is right?

We do have other enemies who are hell lot more dangerous than the union you know

>>41633808

>So Big Mother it is.

I just had a mental image of our Hybrids / Chimera garbed in Hive-style Power Armor from that Section 8 game.

>>41633861
No people have gotten so butthurt over Killingers mastery of shadowrunning that it's become a personal vendetta for anons when we should try investigating the Commonwealth a little bit more and hunting the scavs, ceph, and Obsidian Queen

>>41633861
Resources are mooched from the protein recycling plan or scavenged by our new Taidaren mindslaves, and are resources we couldn't spend anywhere except on Gemini itself anyway. It doesn't cost the rest of the hive anything. Gemini economy is completely independent.

As for time, we just need to set up the surveillance network and let it run passively while doing other things. If interesting turns up on the Thinkers' radar, only then do we turn our attention to it.

>>41633894
>>41633957

The black queen is just gonna hit us harder the longer we ignore what she is doing

I mean serious guys here our enemy power rankings at this moment

1 Crystals
2 Black Queen
3 Ceph
4 Scavs
5 Union
6 Commonwealth

We really need to get our priorities straight

Enough with the union blackops and start figuring our where the BQ fleet is gathering before she launches an attack

>>41633577
Michael lightly pushes against the door frame and drifts away. He hears a subtle snort from the commander followed by a light mumble as the doors shut. He continues his search, finding another three cameras and a microphone in the main hallway leading to the medical bay and engineering. Calhoun is upon him like a guard dog as he passes the threshold of the door to the engineering section.

"Hold fast, partner. Where you think you're headed?" He asks, jabbing his finger in Michael's chest and nearly sending him flying back to the bed bay.

"I was just taking a tour of the ship, seeing what it has under the hood, so to speak." He says.

"The hell you are. Commander's orders, nobody goes to engineering without her say so or my say so, and I didn't say so. I ain't about to let some bureaucrat anywhere near a gat-dang black hole. Now git. You can be anywhere else but here." He says as he jabs a finger back down the hall, sending him back a few inches as he does and he quickly taps the seal again, shutting the door.

The Cortez is surprisingly spacious, with the many cargo pods set along the edges of the hull mostly empty. Several are locked, with warnings calming they are depressurized or hold dangerous cargo, but two hold the ship's hangar bays, containing a small gunship each. Michael finds various cameras and sensors as he goes before heading back to the spinal hallway. Near the front is a small enclosed space labeled as the tactical barracks. He shimmies his way down the hatch and finds a small drop pod chamber built beneath the spinal mount.
cont.

>>41633716
Everything runs on cables and isolated networks. The wifi is off, essentially, and all the tactical systems and ship functions are isolated from each other.

I agree we need to do something about figuring out the BQ, the problem is how. I think we were hoping we could kinda work our way up that chain, honestly.

>>41634023
The problem with that list is the accessibility of the top 4. The Scavs we could probably infiltrate by parasiting the captive we've got, and I agree we should really organize such an effort. Problem with the Ceph is that we don't have any obvious means of reaching or even locating their homeworld, and their ships vastly outclass our own at the moment.

The Black Queen I'm actually less concerned about, just because we've got two allies also intent on taking her down, and the sophistication of our technology is far beyond hers. Also, the problem of attacking a hive mind is that any action against one of her holdings or ships will instantly be known to her, leaving her free to choose her counter attack. And if we're going to hit her hard, we could at least wait until our new fleets and hive ship have finished being constructed.

I don't want to touch the Void Crystals with a 10 foot pole.

The great thing about the Union in comparison is that it's so easy to infiltrate, they're practically asking for it.

Is anyone worried that the black queen is infiltrating the humans too?

>>41634153
>>41634135

Huh so the black queen was not able to bypass unity held zones and strike railghia out of nowhere

She making preparations to deal with us one way or another

I don't think we have the luxury of playing with the union

Every faction in this quest are making there owns moves and we are going to have accept there are times we cant do anything about them

But the BQ should always have higher priority,

We should launch raiding parties just to wreck havoc and hit her weakpoints if only to keep her off balance

Like that sector where shes has all those mining corvettes

>>41634278
I'm worried that the crystals are doing it through that new religion that's spreading in the union

>>41634317
>I'm worried that the crystals are doing it through that new religion that's spreading in the union

That was a doomsday cult claiming that Theseus was the harbringer of the destruction of humanity. They have literally no connection to the crystals. There was never any suggestion that the crystals were even slightly interested in humanity, aside from the occasional raid of bored Ceph pirates.

What is it with people making shit up in this quest?

>>41634317
We should deal with this the way yo deal with a zerg infestation, destroy production and resource extraction centers. She'll have to make a choice then as to whether to double down on military or rebuild afterwards. We can do Theseus style hit and run attacks or even just strap a blink drive onto an asteroid and blink it into system.

>>41634053
Mauser's drop suit is held tightly against the rigging within layers of outstretched metal plates. Its armor is impressive, with a set of turbine jet thrusters along the back. The shoulders are tremendous, each with a swiveling weapon mounting built in holding a rocket pod. The left arm is missing its grasping hand, and has been incompletely replaced with an over-sized sledge of some kind. A large screw-like spike protrudes from the center, and a number of thermal exhaust vents line the outside of the forearm. Near the wrist is a small twin rotary cannon built into where the back of the hand would normally go, just behind the large spike of the sledge. The right arm holds a large sun caster mounted on the arm, wrapped around it to give it some semblance of a compact form. Thermal radiators cover the mounting, and an armored power conduit runs from the back of the caster to the main body of the suit. Beneath the mounting, set flush against the forearm is the mounting of a thermal edged vibro-blade that runs along the entire length of the arm.

The suit is a standard grey color, with a crudely stenciled white skull painted over the face plate, the left shoulder holds a bright yellow bold text reading "531st Iron Strikers", and the right holds an inscription of a flaming hammer with the words "first to strike, they never strike back." Painted in a circle around it. There are at least eight dozen harsh looking tallies crudely scratched into the armor plates along the chest, and a worn collection of ribbons painted along the other side of the chest.

"I don't think he would like you gawking." A man says behind Michael. He flinches and begins flailing for a hand hold.

Cont.

>>41634441
Jesus god.

I think Lyle would have some trouble with this guy. If we're going to do things, we need to do things while this SOB is far, far away.

>>41634441
> the left shoulder holds a bright yellow bold text reading "531st Iron Strikers", and the right holds an inscription of a flaming hammer with the words "first to strike, they never strike back."

Huh, we should forward this to lyle, he'll actually understand it more than we will.

>>41634491
seconded

>>41634491
thirding

>>41634476
Or we give Lyle the advantage of suprise and actually knowing his enemy, Bonus to the fact that this gives us a valid reason to justify in my conspiracy a scenerio where lyle is forced to retreat and blow up his "secret outpost", assuming the plot to frame the scavengers is still a go.

>>41634491
forthing

>>41634491
5thing.

>>41634539
I'm not opposed to it. What was the scenario exactly for, again?

>>41634491
Good thinking.

>>41634609
We were going to prove killinger "right" by showing the hand of the party involved in rescuing lee and attacking the Commonwealth, that party being the scavengers instead of us. It would put killinger conspiring against an enemy that we hate too and inconvenience both of them, as well as giving us an excuse to go more open with scavenger death squads (think space station 13 nuke ops style attacks).

>>41634420
Jackob scratches his chin and thinks for a moment. “Killinger’s an ass, but he’s one of the few people not buying into that new great awakening bullshit spreading across Talgo, everyone else seems to flip their shit over wanting to regulate who can fuck who, and it’s not like anyone else is any less corrupt. What about you guys?” Dillon twists a knob on the telescope and looks back to Jackob.

Thread Hive Queen Quest 42

>>41634441
Michael turns to find a mustachioed man smiling back at him, upside down. His arms are crossed and he spins his legs in an intricate dance-like motion, sending himself twisting over to the suit. He lodges his boot in a crevice of the suit's leg and twists his wrist in a flair has he reaches out to shake Michael's hand.

"I am Chief tactical officer Jacquees LeBlanc." He says. "Please, call be Jacq. It is a pleasure."

"Likewise." Michael says as he shakes the man's hand.

"Please stay away from the suit. I have been fitting it out according to his demands since we left, and he is very particular." He gives the suit a judgmental glare. "He loves it almost like a woman, and is the only thing he does not seem to have disdain for. A strange man, but we all have our quirks." He says with a chuckle. "Did you need anything?"

>Yes (write in)
>Ask about other crew (write in)
>No, just looking around
>Other

>>41634671
Granted, on this note I put forward a lot of conspiracy ideas here, many of them aren't supported or are flat out turned down, they're mostly

>No, just looking around
I'd be afraid of anyone on the business end of that suit.

>>41634674
"But sir, I did at least want to discuss with you the matter of Richardson, your opponent? I know you're confident, but he's gaining numbers with the religious vote, and as much as my agents tried, they couldn't find any dirt on the man." Michael says. Killinger lets out a chuckle just as the seals of the council members fill in.

thread Hive Queen Quest 45.5

>>41634704
>No, just looking around

We really should investigate Richardson

>>41634704
>>Yes (write in)
Ask about the 531st Iron Strikers

>>41634704
>>No, just looking around

>>41634704
>>No, just looking around

>>41634704
>Ask about other crew (write in)
Is the commander this stuck-up to everyone or am I special?


We need to find out the weaknesses and quirks in their personalities so as to know what will lure them off the ship and outof the view of cameras.

>>41634704
>>41634704
>>Yes (write in)
"Do you have anything to drink around here?"

LeBlanc seems more easygoing than Commander Hard-ass and Chief Engineer Muh Black Hole.

He may be easier to invite onto Bedrock since he doesn't need to be a helicopter hovering over his spot in the ship.

>>41634674
Is there any evidence at all that this great awakening is at all linked to the Void Crystals? Because that sounds like one hell of a leap of logic.

But still, we should probably send an egglayer to Talgo and have it start a hive there. I mean, three of the named characters in the quest have their roots there and that's where Killinger's voter base lies. Not to mention we could check out this cult, or even start our OWN cult while we're there.

>>41635020
Just because it is not explicitly stated so does not mean that we can't prepare for it. Or at least check it out.

>>41635020
Again we have a unicorn of a politician Richardson that has a religious power base that may be strong to help him found a new political party in the union

And we know the crystals like controlling species through religion

It wouldn't be hard for a ceph preacher to sneak in with the refugees and start a crystal cult and gain human followers

>>41634704
>Yes
Just who or what is the 531st Iron Strikers?

>>41634704
The sound of vomiting can be heard from the bathroom section of the common area as Lyle sits at the table with his feet propped by his breakfast. Lee sits awkwardly across from him. Your ghostly form appears to stand not far from the door to the bathroom and you slip the images of the suit to Lyle's mind as another round of retching concludes.

"Iron Strikers? Huh." He says. Lee looks to him confused.

"What? Who?"

"Not talkin to you, kid. Just the voices again." Lee seems to accept the explanation as perfectly normal, if only given the situation.

"I never outright fought against Union forces. The war never went that hot till recently. Still, word gets around, even over borders. The Iron Strikers were mostly deployed in the Colony wars as one of the first orbital insertion troop divisions, even before they had the actual suit. You'd just be a regular guy strapped in a bath tub they chucked from space and all you could do was hope to god you weren't shot down, or that your chute deployed on time, or that you didn't hit a building or another pod." He lets out a whistle of respect. "An' people think I'm fuckin nuts. They had balls back then, I tell you. Anyway, the Strikers are a legend among drop troopers, and they've made damn sure to keep up with their reputation." He smiles and nods approvingly at the notion. "They only recruit from other drop trooper units, and only the best. Heard of 'em in action during the Credit Skirmish few years ago."

Lyle punches the air. "Strike first, and they never strike back. Good motto to live by, I say. Why you ask?"

>Inform Lyle of Mouser
>Other

>>41635187
>>Inform Lyle of Mouser

>>41635187
>>Inform Lyle of Mouser
Mouser is explicitly on the job to fight lyle anyway.

File: 4a7.png (196 KB, 500x689)

196 KB PNG

>>41635020
Yeah it's definitely not.

When there was a single damn void shard on Aral, before it was named that, we could HEAR it whispering from space as soon as the scout corvette blinked into FG-883.

No such whispers have emanated from Talgo. And humans have that anti-psionic guard that WQ seemingly engineered into the human race eons ago. It's just fucking Space Florida with some backwards-ass fundamentalist revival of retro 20th century values going down.

>>41635187
>Inform Lyle of Mouser
"You will have a new friend to play with. Prepare yourself"

>>41635187
>Inform Lyle of Mouser

>>41635242
Not if we're too successful and make them brothers-in-hive before they get to fight.

Well okay maybe especially then, cuz then they have to -pretend- to fight, but then Lyle won't really have to give it his all.

Not that we should tell him that I guess. Never mind.

>>41635229
Yet Richardson keeps getting dropped in conversations the threads

If were lucky it may just be nothing but it may not

We should at least investigate whats going on with Richardson

>>41635187
>Inform Lyle of Mouser

>>41635187
>>Inform Lyle of Mouser
And I'm not saying we should do this now, but before he departs the hive we ought to do the following.

-Stock the angel with 3 of each medium sized weapons modified for human use, alt ammo for all of them
-Stock the angel with grenades of every variety
-Send Huey and Dewy back to the Angel as tech crew
-Ask Lyle if he would like any modifications to the Angel

Advise him that we could fit the Angel with a swarmer launcher pod, I think Lyle would like having a lifetime supply of free missiles for his bird.

>>41635380
Those are all reasonable, I have no problems with that.

>>41635380
I'll second this

>>41635358
I agree that we should give this Richardson guy a look, though I would not expect him to be a crystals meat puppet.

>>41635187
Lyle claps his hands loudly. "Son of a fuckin' bitch." He lets out a whoop of laughter. "Where's the fucker? I need to get some party favors!" He gets up shouts over to the bathroom.

"Come on you bastard, this is gonna be a good one!"

"Fuck off." Jackob says as he carefully makes his way into the room. "I uh, think I caught a stomach bug." He says as he slides down to a seat. Lee lets out quick snort of laughter.

"This guy gets it." Jackob says, pointing to Lee. "You didn't tell me I'd feel like it's an hour past happy-hour."

"You'll get over it." Lyle says.

"If things to right, you will not need to fight him." You remind him. Lyle points to you.

"No no, don't ruin all the damn fun."

cont.

>>41635380
The Angel is going to become even more of a monster if Lyle accepts discreet Hive upgrades

>>41635380
Thirding

>>41635380
The Angel is much smaller than a corvette. It's like shuttle sized.

I don't think you can fit any ship modules onto it. And you wouldn't want to make it shoot organic missiles.

Any grenades or other things would have to be mimicking human designs, sure.

Also I'd assume Dillon is the sickly one but he should be in surgery. jackob what r u doin

>>41635462
We can fit missile pods to our gunships, though, and they are basically altered shuttles.

>>41635486
Gunships also gave up all their internal room for crew, or a fusion reactor. The Angel has both, it needs lots of space inside for humans to be comfortable.

>>41635462
We can ask thes to buy a corvette for lyle from the valen and have him keep the angel as a shuttle

>>41635551
The Angel is also capable of firing it's own missiles, it just isn't stocked with any as apparently human produced missiles are prohibitively expensive.

>>41631353
awwww yeeeeeeeeeeeeeee hive quest, thanks for the awesome story QD.

>>41635440
"No, nothing, I was just looking around the place." Michael says. Jacq nods.

"Of course. I don't get much visitation down here, to be frank. Just "Jacq do this, Jacq do that, calibrate the weapons, upgrade the targeting system, where are my suit's arms, Jacq? It needs more missiles, bla bla bla." He says with a droning voice. "I help to make things go boom. I enjoy it, but they demand too much at times. It is an art, what I do. One poor move, and boom!" He lunges at Michael, his boot yanking him back before he collides into his face. "The whole ship is atomized in atomic fire and pulled into its own black hole! I make sure it is the other guy who is atomized, but nobody cares. Oh, it is just the missile, they say. That is what the targeting computer is for, they say. Well I make sure it all works, you cannot have the computer do everything!"

The man inhales deeply and lets out a tired sigh. "I hear Bedrock is a lovely place. I only hope we will have time for shore leave while we hunt down this con man of yours." He says.

>Leave and finish searching the ship
>Ask about the Commander
>Ask about Mauser
>Other

>>41635380
http://pastebin.com/z4yZdEbK
Hive-made drop suits and other wearable equipment were also added to the pastebin.

>>41635785
>Ask about the Commander
Do they just have a stick up their butt about this mission or is it 24/7?

Do they even relax on shore leave?

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>>41635785
>Hive-made drop suits and other wearable equipment

>>41635785
>Ask about the Commander
>Ask about Mauser

>>41635785
>>Ask about the Commander

>>41635785
>>Ask about Mauser
Was he born with that stick in his ass? Does he remove it to sleep?

>dat heavy carapace
Wowzer

>>41635975
How about we lay one for Lyle right now?

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>>41635785
>fully functional exoskeletal drop suit

>>41636004
And a Medium for Jakob

>>41635785
>Ask about the Commander
>Ask about Mauser

>>41636004
He kinda already has one though.

>>41636048
Not as good as hive made!
Hive is the best

>>41636061
...we're going out in public anon.

We can't give him an obviously organic thing for his showdown with Mauser on Union territory.

We can't deploy humans with biological dropsuits against a civilization we want to not appear suspicious in front of.

>>41636061
Hive is Improve is Best

>>41636095
We do if we want to go incognito, can't tell who's under the suit. Can't even tell if it's a human.

>>41636095
>>41636140
Besides, he can have both stashed away on his ship. Can switch out depending on the situation.

>>41636048
Didn't we blow that one up?

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>>41636140
That doesn't make sense.

Just a completely unique, never before seen class of technology in action wrecking shit up. That won't raise questions at all.

You know they'll realize the Angel is docked wherever eventually, right, as soon as he leaves.

Do you really expect the BFI to be all
>but who is racer x?

>>41636271
Sure it'll raise questions. But they'll get no answers.
Master plan

I honestly think it's about time we stop being so sneaky. Let's have some fun.

>>41636307
AMEN BROTHER
FOR THE GLORY OF MOTHER!!!!

>>41636307
It would solve a lot of our bullshit tbh

>>41635785
Michael gathers himself and secures himself again against the floor. "Maybe. I mean, I guess I was wondering about the rest of the crew."

"Oh, you wish to pry gossip from me now?" He says with a raised eyebrow and a mocking smile.

"This Mauser fellow, he was rather abrasive when I spoke to him."

"You spoke to him? Astounding. I see no bruises or missing limbs. You clearly came out better than most."

"So he's like that with everyone?"

"He deals with me because he needs to." He says. "But I can see the fire in his eyes when I work on his suit, as if I were holding his woman. Beyond that, yes. He is a brute, but he is very good at being a brute."

"What about the Commander, I think I may have insulted her or something." Jacq laughs.

"No no, she is a rough sort. She runs a tight ship, but it is only from her passion."

"I just got this sense that she was especially worked up is all."

"Oui." Jacq nods. "I hear she worries for a lover. I know nothing more then that, and that I only guess, but my guess is right." He says. "Now, perhaps if you wish to continue this gossip, you may offer some help in my work?"

"Ah, actually I don't think I'm qualified." Michael says. Jacq laughs again.

"Of course not, but if you make a mistake, nobody will be around to complain!" He says in jest. "Good day to you, Misour government man."

Michael kicks off the floor and moves back to the ladder, although he does spot a few poorly hidden cameras set along the walls, and he quickly makes his way back to his room.

cont.

>>41635975
Free if you consume the old non-hive one to make it

>>41636253
You broke it, yes. And then took the rest apart for research.

>>41636442
>Free if you consume the old non-hive one to make it
Guys. Guys please.

>>41636455
...Wait, old non-hive one? I think I missed something...

>>41636489
Lyle's old one. It's still around just in pieces

>>41636531
That useless broken one?
Well not like it costs a lot.
Let's make one medium and one heavy and stash them on Angel.
Yay? Nay?

>>41636489
He was wearing one during his initial mission when he was trying to kidnap drones. Took on dozens of warriors by himself and did pretty ok up until he got overwhelmed by drone wave tactics.

>>41636531
Could we rebuild his old one if we didn't want risk exposure though?

>>41636557
And that was after we rolled a nat100.

>>41636560
We can rebuild it. We have the technology.

We can give him a suncaster just like Mauser has now, too. Improve it a little.

As long as we don't give it unique features that will make it easy for the enemy to correlate all our moves as done by the same faction. Best if we blend in with the ambient human faction background noise.

>>41636442
Michael makes it back to the door of his room. The strange hound sits nearby the door, sniffing at the air. Several thin flaps flair along the creature's smooth face and a set of soft skin patches pulse lightly as it breaths. It scratches at the door inquisitively.

"No! No, shoo!" Michael shouts. "Get away, get the hell away!" The hound lets out a quick snarl and bounds away in the low gravity as Michael rushes towards the door and quickly enters. He finds your fly looking at him expectantly from the top of a light fixture.

"Stay hidden, that hound thing was trying to get into the room." He whispers. Your fly buzzes angrily. Michael buries his face in a palm and rubs his temples.

"I think I found most of the surveillance equipment, at least. There's quite a bit of it. Too much to just hide from."

>Make a small egg layer in Michael's room
>Speak with a crew member (write in)
>Turn to your hive outpost on Huron
>turn to your hive outpost on Gemini


>Produce new Carapace armor type (write in)
>Other

>>41636489
If you eat Jackob's armor, for example, you could make a free light carapace, or if you ate Mauser's drop suit, you could make your own for free.

>>41636560
how about we make a hybrid one? Could make it look very different then our signature hive stuff and still retain many of the benefits of mothers gifts, we just use the bits we have lying around from his old suit .

>>41636793
>Make a small egg layer in Michael's room
Okay fine.

We'll send one of the flies it produces onto Bedrock to make an additonal backup hive in the garbage chute anyway. That way in an emergency we can dissolve the one on the Cortez into acid.

Against making obviously hive equipment for agents.

Also, now we confirmed the one word that we can write on a piece of paper, carefully kept out of view, to show to the Commander to make her agree to meet up someplace on Bedrock where there aren't any cameras.

Trevor.

>>41636793
>Turn to your hive outpost on Huron
>Produce new Carapace armor type (write in)
One heavy, one medium
Heavy for Lyle, Medium for Jackob
To be used, whenever.

>>41636793
>Turn to your hive outpost on Huron
>Produce new Carapace armor type (write in)
One Heavy Carapace and one Medium Carapace

>>41636793
>Make a small egg layer in Michael's room
>>turn to your hive outpost on Gemini
TAIDARENS GUN GET ADOPTED

Meet your new Grandma.

>>41636856
You think? It's a heavy gamble, but if it works...

>>41636793
Not really sure what to do with the fly on the ship situation. I can't seem to remember what our goal with this thing even is.

>Produce new Carapace armor type (write in)
Heavy and a Medium.

>>41636793
>Make a small egg layer in Michael's room
Time is of the essence.
>>turn to your hive outpost on Gemini

>>41636793
>>Make a small egg layer in Michael's room

>>41636793
>>turn to your hive outpost on Gemini
>Other
Catch up on the pods we sent out ages ago.

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>>41636881

>>41636894
Send them on a wild goose chase, keep them from interfering with our plans, and then parasite them all so that we can turn their skills to our advantage.

>Nobody voting to make stealth or light suits

>>41637032
The only one who's capable of using them already has a stealth suit anon.

>>41636793
>>Make a small egg layer in Michael's room
>>Turn to your hive outpost on Huron

>>41636671
>Make a small egg layer in Michael's room
>turn to your hive outpost on Gemini

Oh boy, I'm excited for all of our adopted children to become terrifying armored beasts of the hive.

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>>41636856
>Produce 1 Heavy Carapace and 1 Medium Carapace
>Make a small egg layer in Michael's room

There is a loud zap, and you feel one of your flies flicker in your mind.

"Ha! Got one of the bastards!"

The grumpy looking man swiftly makes his way out of his flower shop and to the door, where his newly purchased industrial strength big zapper hangs smoking from the wall. Your fly twitches on the floor where it landed with a loud thud.

"Christ it's still alive?" The man shouts as he wads up a collection of papers. Your fly rolls out of the way of the first swing and takes flight again as it regains its senses, and the man swings at the air in vain.

Beneath the streets, your hive siphons from the nutrients of the local processor, and your clones rummage through the collected piles of materials, sorting the items into neat piles. You examine your parasites as they sit in the small, cramped infirmary of the Taidaren settlement. A pair of, you hope trained, medics poke at the drones inquisitively as they whistle to each other and bicker over various details. They pull them out of the holding tank one by one as they thrash and squirm in their hands, biting the air.

"Thing works on humans, how well will thing work on Taidaren?"
"Find Taidaren. Test."
"Yes, test."
"Test who?"
"Any will do."
"Test! Test! Testing to learn!"

The medics return the drones to the small holding tank and quickly leave.
"Find thing to test thing."
"Need to learn."
"Where is thing least missed, in case of error?"
"Yes, least missed."
"Injured? No blame to give if things are bad."
"Yes! Find injury. Dumb ones that fall, we test them."
"Yes!"
The door slams shut behind them.

cont.

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>>41637601
Taidaren science at work, gentlemen.

>>41637601
Oh flower shop man, you never cease to entertain.

We really should reward his diligence with a hug. On his spine. With our spines. The spines of our parasite's biological interface.

I'm saying we parasite him when the Taidarens are done.

>>41637631
They are the pioneers of the future, we can only bask in their eloquent observation and understanding of the medical field.

>>41637662
I kinda want to put a fly up in the crevices of his building and turn it into an egg layer and then have it lay more flies which are produced from nutrients gathered from his flowers.

>>41637690
kek

using our hyperadvanced knowledge of bioengineering to fuck with flower shop owners

>>41637724
Everyone needs a hobby.

>>41637736
Ours is mentally fucking around with a human shop keeper. We are so bored.

>>41637857
We can freaking multitask, so us being cheeky to everyone is a natural consequence. We can even bug all the flower shop owners in Gemini if we want!

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>>41637887
>bug all the flower shop owners
>Bug

>>41637887
Multi-Trolling? That sounds amusing.

>>41637887
I want one of our flies to get smacked with a newspaper and not even move.
>fly sitting on a counter top
>owner whacks it
>lifts up the newspaper, fly hasn't even moved
>whacks it again
>lifts it up and finds it cleaning it's antennae

>>41637919
what's sad is it's not even OOC

>>41637923
I don't think they're that hardy.

>>41637887
It's not as much fun if it isn't very specific and personal.flower shop guys deserves that much at least.

>>41637932
It's also just a newspaper

>>41637923
That's some Looney Tunes shit right there

>>41637601
Your parasites squirm their way to the edge of the foggy tank and attempts to examine the strange lab, although it looks more like a garage, or a rental storage unit. The walls are made largely of welded together scrap metal, much of which is rusted, but still decently maintained, with signs of recent polishing on the most degraded sections. A number of medical instruments line the wall, and most of them, you realize, are actually old carpentry tools. Pliers, dykes, a band saw, and a set of old kitchen knives. A meat cleaver sits next to a grind stone, and a number of pipe cleaners and a large car battery attached to a set of ping-pong paddles coated in metal. In the middle of the room is an old and worn out exercise machine with the added components removed, making it little more then a padded flat bed with a small head rest at one end and several small additions welded to the sides for the legs to rest. A large lamp is held over the long and narrow operating table and several box cutters are lined on old cafeteria trays beside it.

The floor itself looks like that of a public shower, with the floor slightly slanted to the far wall where a small inlet leads to a drain. It is wet, as if recently rinsed with a hose, and blood stains are encrusted into the supports of the table and the nearby trays. A number of IVs filled with bags of blood, saline, and various chemicals and medicine hang from small coat hangars along the back wall, each bad made from what looks like recycled packing material, and various discount sanitary pads sit in boxes on a shelf, their containers covered in bloody hand prints. A trash can is over flowing in the corner.

cont.

>>41637936
Well it is a hypothetical musing. I mean we could multi-troll several individuals at once!

And oh, anyone want to try to get at the Valen rep? At least for a proper first contact with the Valen. We'd better prepare for their endless business offers afterwards though.

>>41637923
>>41637975
>Come on my lady, come on my honey, come on my ragtime gaaaaaal

>>41637996
We should use that, but jn horrifying screeches, when we don't care about communication but want to send something creept

>>41637992
...Can see why they'd need these things.

>>41637996
heh we should make a fly just for this purpose then if we are going to go full force with the cameo then

So, we get the parasites into the Taidarens, we control the Gemini underground, and from there we can intercept various humans and work our way up from there, correct?

>>41637992
It does not take very long for the first of the test subjects to arrive. A pair of taidarens haul in their brother, who convulses with several gunshot wounds. The medics are quick to strap it to the small operating table and they instruct the two brothers to hold him down. One of the medics quickly tosses several hand fulls of wood chips along the floor with his middle hands, and quickly props up on his hind legs over the table while the other retrieves a pair of pliers, a tampon, a roll of duct tape. The third pulls out one of the box cutters, inserting a fresh blade as the others dig into the wound with the pliers in search of the first bullet.

"What happened?"
"Many wounds. Bad shape."
"Great bleeding, very bad."
The medics say at once. The other two respond in turn.

"Deal bad, try to trick us!"
"Mother's things stolen in bad deal!"
"Shoot at us. We kill bad deal makers!"
"Brother hurt during fight."

The medics, you hesitate to claim them to be doctors, pull out the first bullet and insert the a tampon into the wound and places pressure with its middle hands as he continues to work with his upper arms, already plunging the pliers into the next wound.

"Have new medicine, should be good."
"Yes, good for bleeding."
"Fix fast!"

One of the medics quickly moves to the storage tank and retrieves a parasite.

"Where thing go to work best?"
"Just put thing in! We find out soon."
"Yes, thing work, let thing figure itself out."

The medic quickly rushes back to the bleeding taidaren with a parasite and a box cutter. The two others begin a flurry of whistles and clicks.

"Should not good!"
"Not yes, should is maybe, not know!"

"Should better than won't!"
"Yes! Should is good!"
"Find out if should is yes or no!"

Cont.

>>41638385
I fucking love Taidarens

>>41638419
They are amusing. Although that does remind me- I believe it was said they can work in places other than the spine, right?

>>41638432
Do these things even have spines?

>>41638454
...You ask a very good question. I...presumed so, but...

>>41638432
technically but then the parasite won't be able to see through their sense or manipulate them

>>41638454
They do, it's mentioned somewhere in the pastebin. It runs through their middle radially

>>41638475
Oh, okay. So we might get lucky and latch on.

>>41638385
The medic quickly slices open the abdomen of the wounded taidaren, and thrusts the parasite in.

"Simple!"
"Yes! Simple thing, see if work!"
"Any moment!"

The taidaren convulses as one of the medics rips out the second bullet and swiftly plugs the wound as he moves to the third. Your parasite begins to burrow deeper, to the cartilage-like support column that serves as the spine in the body's center of mass, and makes the connection.

The taidaren begins to convulse, and the others pile over it.

"Doing something!
"Maybe working?"
"This should be good, we say it good sign!"

Your mind begins filing through the taidaren's thoughts as if you were examining the contents of a book, and you quickly diagnose the many injuries. The taidaren has been shot six times, with three of the bullets still lodged in the body, although the medic has moved on to the last already. It has lost a great deal of blood, and under normal circumstances you would highly doubt it would survive. Fortunately, your parasite helps the odds significantly.

Please roll 1d100, best of 3.

Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>41638502
Welp. Here we go.

For mother!

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>41638502

Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>41638502

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>41638502

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>41638502
for mother

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>41638502
For Mother and new children

>>41638530
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!?

Thinkers and drones, I believe we're gonna have a whole lot more 'family members' soon.

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>>41638530
YES!

>>41638574
This fucker gets healed and a brand new car.

>>41638600
Shit, We can make those too now can't we?

>>41638657
Eh we make better stuff than the Germans anyway

>>41638502
There is a sizzling of flesh, and wisps of smoke rise from the wounds as the medical paste cauterizes the bleeding body segments. The wound through which the parasite enters begins to seal, the skin bubbling slightly as it fusses closed. The taidaren thrashes as you connect to the nervous system, testing the synapses and repairing the damage from every day ware.

Taidarens are a hardy species. They injure easily, but are quick to heal. Their soft bones both easy to break and easy to mend. You find old fractures, scar tissue from long healed tears, missing strips of muscle, even chips of metal and a few bullets that went un-noticed over the years. You heal them all, sowing together the dislocated and the torn pieces, bending the misshapen bones back into shape, and slowly pushing the old junk collected over the years back to the surface of the skin. The taidaren settles on its back and slips into a coma as you finish forging the links between it and your hive, and after several tense hours of the medics proclaiming that the trashing means it is working, the taidaren awakens, the wounds healed, both current and old.

"See? Thing worked."
"Yes, you next."
"Preventative care. Yes!"
The medics proclaim as the newly reunited set of brothers quickly make their way to the door.

"Not sick, no injuries!"
"Healed, no need!"

"May be sick soon!"
"Fix before too late!"
"Easy and quick now, better then later!"

The door slams shut and the medics cackle to themselves, their facial bone plates clicking like tiny symbols.

"Good they work easy."
"Yes, unexpected."
"Find more to test!"
"Others not sick."
"Why not? We say who is sick."
"Yes yes, find more to test!"

They quickly make their way out of the room again, the door slamming shut behind them.

Cont.

>>41638822
i love those little buggers

>>41638822
SCIENCE!

>>41638822
>"Find more to test!"
>"Others not sick."
>"Why not? We say who is sick."
>"Yes yes, find more to test!"

The power of a doctor!

>>41638822
Get in the car losers, we're going to do some SCIENCE!.jpg

>>41638822
>These Taidarens mang
Just a random thought: we might be able to give them the secrets to TUBES. Then watch as their population and civilization progresses by leaps and bounds.

>>41638822
Your mind extends to the new member of your hive, and his brothers look him over with hesitation.

"Better now?"
"Very much better!"
"No wounds?"
"Better then before wounds! Never better before!"

The new host runs in several quick circles and leaps through the air as the others watch.

"What was thing? Good feeling!"
"Squirming thing, big bug thing!
"Cut open and stuffed in wound!"

The host ripples its facial bone plates in a taidaren nod equivalent.
"Feels good." He says nonchalantly. "Must be healthy thing. Good for you."
"Thing was maybe."
"Not known thing, new thing."

"Thing known now! Know is good!"

Your host and his brothers look back to the small clinic, and the doctors are already in the process of dragging another batch to the doors.

"Not sick!"
"Healthy, yes!"
"No infection!"

"No no, very sick."
"Die soon."
"Need to treat quickly!"

The group continues to argue as the medics shove the others one by one into the clinic as they continue to protest.

"You should get thing too, keep up!"
"We not sick."
"No injury!"

"No matter, feel better then before injury!"

The other two seem to mull it over.
"You say better, it better."
"We ask for thing."

>Manage your clones
>Manage your Gemini hive
>Other

>>41639097
>Other
Send a probe to the BQ territory

>>41639097
I love those little shits.
>Manage your Gemini hive

>>41639097
>Manage your Gemini hive

>>41639097
>>Manage your Gemini hive

>>41639131
>manage

>>41639097
>>Manage your Gemini hive
READ MINDS FOR MOTHER

Also stake out the other protein recycling plants with flies for mother.

>>41639097
>>Manage your Gemini hive

>>41639097
I want to visit our other hives but the no fun gang will swarm in favor or never leaving Gemini unattended for single second